Episode #46

This week, podcast hosts Tim and Chad talk about iPod nano quality control problems, Warner Music and their new PR battle against Apple Computer, the Doom 3 Demo, and much more.

We want your Mac stories! Funny, sad, technical, you name it. Listen to the podcast for more information.

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Sponsor – SmallDog.com

Hosts – Tim Robertson and Chad Perry

Links from the show
Apple link to Spotlight Index problem
FreeMacWare.com
Doom Demo

Send all feedback and MP3 files to MyMacPodcast@gmail.com
Interested in Podcasting yourself? Email Tim Robertson direct.

Episode #45


Download Podcast 45 from THIS link, or simply subscribe to our show via iTunes at THIS LINK.

News from MacMinute.com, a new Dashboard Minute and Not Mac News, and Chad returns from vacation!

Topics – The end of Macworld Expo Boston, price hike in iTunes Music Store, Fujitsu ScanSnap, Tim gets his hands on a iPod nano, and much more.

What’s this about a possible NEW MyMac.com podcast? Listen to the show to get all the details.

This show is sponsored by SmallDog.com and RamJet.com.

Websites Mentioned in The Dashboard Minute
SameGame
OverWhelmed
Widget Monkey

Please send all email to MyMacPodcast@gmail.com

Episode #44

You can download the MP3 file at THIS LINK, or simply subscribe to our iTunes Podcast listing HERE.

As Chad is on vacation this week, host Tim Robertson spends an hour with Chris Seibold, as well as a great talk with John Farr!

Due to software problems, the audio quality of this show is not up to our usual standards. Also apologies to PlayList magazines’ Chris Breen, who graciously took the time to participate in a planned feature on the new ROKR phone, but due to technical problems with the recording software, the conversation was lost.

This podcast is sponsored by SmallDog.com and RamJet.com.

Websites mentioned on the podcast
Dennis Sellers’ Macsimum News
MacMinute.com
Macintouch.com
Macworld.com
MacAddict.com

John Farr
JHFarr.com

Not Mac News link:
Weeeeeeeeeee!

The Dashboard Minute
Widget Update
Conference Call

We love feedback! Send your email or audio feedback (MP3) to MyMacPodcast@gmail.com.

 

Episode #43


Download the MP3 from THIS link, or simply tune into our iTMS listing in the podcast directory HERE.

This week, Tim and Chad go over the latest Apple news from our friends at MacMinute.com, including the new iPod nano, iTunes Motorola Music Phone ROKR, and our impressions of both.

The Dashboard Minute Returns, this week with outtakes!

The winner of our Roxio Toast 7 contest is announced!

ElementK Journals faux Invoices strikes again. An update!

This podcast Sponsored by SmallDog.com and RamJet.com.
We love feedback! Let us know what you think at MyMacPodcast@Gmail.com

Hurricane Katrina Help – Episode #42


Like many people, I had spent the previous few days glued to the television and news websites, watching the horror that was inflicted upon the Gulf Coast states of the United States. What struck me was just how bad this was going to end for many people. People, who had worked all their adult lives to own a home, fill it with memories, only to see everything lost in just a few moments in time. What was worst, frankly, was seeing the poor and destitute all but left to fend for themselves days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged their cities and homes.

The helplessness I felt was shared by millions of others. I knew there was little I could do outside donating the few dollars I could spare to charity and relief efforts. Somehow, it just did not feel like enough. I wanted to give more than I could afford, but how?

Inspiration came early on the morning of Friday, September 2. Why not contact a bunch of Mac related companies, ask for donations of either hardware or software, and sell them on MyMac.com with all the money going to the relief effort? It sounded simple enough, so I set about early Friday morning contacting companies, getting the website ready, doing a bunch of HTML, and asking other MyMac.com’ers to lend a hand when/if they could.

The response was more than I bargained for. One of the first companies I contacted was Bumbakpaks, a company I had never dealt with before. I did not know them; they did not know me outside an upcoming review of one of their products by our own Owen Rubin. But once contacted, like almost every company I contacted that day, they readily agreed to donate. For Bumbakpak, it was five of their $75 laptop bags, which we sold for $50 a piece, and they sold out almost immediately. (They later donated five more) MacTech Magazine also jumped in with five subscriptions. Thought Out, the iPod stand company, joined in. Then FireWire Depot. Then… the list went on and on.

MyMac.com gets a lot of traffic, a lot of people reading (or listening via our weekly podcast) our content. I was pretty confident that with our traffic, we would do quite well selling the items the companies had donated. Thankfully, those companies without actual products to sell stepped in and posted both news links to our efforts, as well as posting the Mac Users Helping Katrina Victims graphic (top of this page) that Todd Long had created for us on their website. Without their help, we could not have sold as many items as we did, nor raise the money in this time of need.

A few people emailed and asked why I was doing this. In fact, a few websites even went so far as to post opinion articles to the effect that I was simply trying to drive more traffic to our site. Or that perhaps there was some scam that the money we raised would not, in fact, go to the charities we listed. While I do have a thick skin after a decade of doing this, some of this stung me. All I had set out to do was raise money and help those helping the victims of the disaster. While it is true there are unscrupulous people who do prey upon the charity of others in times such as this, I knew our motives were pure, and all I really wanted to do was help. It really is as simple as that.

All the items we sold were done so via PayPal. I had wanted to use eBay, but after posting a half-dozen items on their site, eBay promptly canceled each one, citing that I had to use a third-party to conduct charity sales such as this. The problem was, in my mind, too much control over where the money we raised was spent, how long until they actually dispersed our funds, and asking for a credit card number. The heavy-handed way eBay deals with people was also a concern, so I decided to use PayPal, electronically transfer the money to a savings account, and split the money into two cashier checks for both the Salvation Army and the Red Cross to donate myself, in person.

We ended our auction on Friday, the 9th of September, one week after we began. When we started, I told my wife Julie that I would be pleased if we could raise as much as $500. Anything over that would be better, but not expected. So imagine my surprise when, after totaling up all the sales, we had made $2,047.87 before PayPal fees. I had publicly stated that every dollar spent would go to relief, so I personally paid for each transaction fee, and then rounded up the dollar amount to $2,050 so that we could give both our chosen charity organizations $1.025.00 which Julie and I did on Friday, September 16th.

Below is a list of every company who donated either items to sell, or sites I know that linked to our relief effort. I simply cannot thank these companies and individuals enough, and all the credit for our raising this money should go to them, not to me. Also below are thumbnail links to the documentation of our receipts for the money we gave. Clicking each will bring up a full-size scanned image as proof of where the money went. I feel it is important to publicly account for every penny we raised, which is why the receipts are listed here.

Finally, it should be said that much more needs to be done to help the people affected in this terrible disaster. Hard working people, just like you, lost everything. They still need help. I am posting a link to donate directly to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Regardless of your political, religious, or other opinions or beliefs, know that these two organizations are the true first responders, and they need all the help we can give.

Contributors and thanks to:

Companies:

Bumbakpak

MacTech Magazine


Thought Out

Runtime Revolution Ltd.
MYOB US, Inc.

FireWire Depot


Motion VFX


Roxio


BeLight Software

NotePage, Inc.

Neometric Software

Inventive, Inc.

CDFinder


Apimac


LoadPod


Byrd Soft


Rogue Amoeba Software


Aquafadas Software


Zelek Software

Individuals:
David Every, who jumped in and made my HTML actually look decent.
Todd Long, who created our graphic in hours on the busiest day of his workweek.
Chris Seibold, who did much behind the scenes, as well as defending my honor when I had neither the time nor energy to do so.

Stan Flack and MacMinute.com, for generating more traffic our way and keeping our banner online.
Dennis Sellers and Macsimum News, who kept this front and center over a long holiday weekend.
Ross Clark for being so generous.

Ed Sherry for being so generous.
Sean Lee for staying in contact so much and for showing all the enthusiasm in the world for this effort.
Mike Talmadge for his great products and help.

Guy Serle, for his special Dashboard Minute, and not remembering buying something.
Norbert Doerner for his patience and enthusiasm.
Rod McCall for not only donating but also for helping to get the word out.

Paul Kafasis, for keeping on top of the MANY emails I sent his way and his professionalism and charitable heart.
Bill Palmer, for being a better man than some give credit, donating ad space to help in this effort, and being so very encouraging.
Liam Young, the man with the great ideas.

Jared Zelek, for donations and being such a good friend to us.
Neale Monks, for all the help he gave, including donating copies of his great eBook.
Dwayne McDuffie, for the offer to help. The Justice League is in the best of hands.

Neil Ticktin, for keeping me on my toes and staying on top of the email.
Beth Lock for putting us in touch with those willing to give.
Chad Perry, for agreeing to do a special podcast on his day off.

Kim Perry, for letting Chad do a special podcast on his day off.
Julie Robertson, my wife, for being so supportive, encouraging, and loving at a time when it was needed most.

Roxio Toast 7 Contest – Episode #41


MyMac Podcast 41
You can download the MP3 file from THIS link, or visit the iTunes Music Store at THIS LINK to subscribe to our weekly show!

Contest Time! Win it before you can buy it!

Up for grabs this week, Roxio Toast 7! Listen to the Podcast for YOUR chance to win a copy of one of the best software packages you can buy! A $99 retail value, thanks to our friends at Roxio!

We love feedback, so please send us your thoughts, comments, and ideas to us at MyMacPodcast@Gmail.com

This week, Tim and Chad make a list of the “Top Ten Mac Items” they feel every Mac user should own. Do you agree or disagree? Let us know.

What is the deal with Element K Journals? Why are they billing Tim for subscriptions he did not want? Listen to the Podcast, and hear what happens when Tim calls their customer support phone number.

MacMinute.com News follows Not Mac News from Chris Seibold. Afterwards, Guy Serle’s The DashBoard Minute. Both are MyMac.com Podcast exclusives.

Interested in being a sponsor of our weekly Podcast? Email Tim for details.

This Podcast is sponsored by SmallDog Electronics, and RamJet.com.