My Mac Guys Podcast

show 31: Notes

2006-03-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

Show 31: MacJunk

Another crazy Show topic by Hank
Apple News: Halo
Myst Island Movie
iListen
OCR always stunk
Podcast of the Week: Happy Family Tree
Advertising in Podcasting
Empty Trash: icons, why not iCons?
Chris is still the "Idea Guy"
Widgets: AppZapper
Hank's Surprise
MMG eMail: Show 30

Listen to show Thirty-One now!

Show 31

2006-03-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

After getting confirmation that iTunes and the iTunes Music Store have issues with AAC encoded files and possible problems with subscription feeds we have decided to go back to the plain old .mp3 versions for the time being. As a wise friend pointed out, if they are coming to My Mac Guys for the "enhanced content", they are coming for the wrong reasons. With that said feel free to post your thoughts to us on this issue. Also, if anyone has a minute, a few more reviews at the iTunes Music Store would make a world of difference to us. Right now there are two reviews, one is just plain odd, the other not very supportive or positive. OK, back to the show

Thanks for listening

--MMG

One Man Crusade!

2006-02-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

It is now the year 2006 and I declare this year of MacDreams. Yes, I dream of all things Mac, and often those dreams do not materialize in the Apple Retail Store in my neighborhood. My choice is to wait for Steve Jobs and his team to dream in kind, or to wake and share my vision with the Mac faithful and hope that someone carries forth my dream. To that end, I offer a MyMacGuy vision of iCal. Why this is so hard to pull off, baffles the mind. Perhaps in my ignorance, I am overlooking a coding taboo which prevents icons from appearing in calendars. Nonetheless, I had that dream, so what to do? That's a freebie, Steve. Call me for any of the many Apple dreams I have late at night.

Chris' Dream of an iCon-enabled iCal, 2006

Our Anniversary Show!

2006-02-13T22:09:00.001-08:00

Show 30!. Thirty years or thirty shows, we believe that this is a milestone of some kind in My Mac Guys podcasting history.

Due to technical limitations we have discovered in iTunes, our new show (30) does not show up unless you un-subscribe and re-subscribe to our feed. That is assuming you are using iTunes to listen to the show in the first place.

We are looking into the issue and hope to find a solution soon.

Come on and let's go!

--MMG

Show 29: The format is back!

2006-02-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Show 29 just went live and I think I have worked most of the bugs of learning how to create "enhanced content" AAC encoded podcasts. Of course the .mp3 version will always be available for listening via this site.

It is a fun show with plenty o' laughter and IMHO brings My Mac Guys right back to where they started, except instead of sitting in Chris' garage we are now sitting on my slightly cozier couch.

OK, you decide and Please, let's us know what you think

-MMG

Show 28 Our first enhanced Podcast!

2006-01-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

Titled "After the flood" Show 28 unfolds as a clearing house of stuff Chris and Hank wanted to get through the wash before returning to our old show template.

Much discussion, much fun including:

Mimic Guys
Stage Frieght
Was MacWorld 2006 Fun?
iPod Toilet Paper holder
Versiontracker, you are in our sites.
Rhetoric Theater
Feedback makes us happy
Old hardware, New hardware
Corkboard on floppies

But, probably the biggest change is that this is our first "enhanced" podcast, meaning there are some photos tossed in the mix just like Steve Jobs did at the keynote. And guess what, it was just that easy. Garageabnd 3 will certainly get a show of its own here at My Mac Guys.

The files that are downloaded using a podcast aggregator such as itunes 4.9 or later will be encoded in .m4a format in order to take advantage of the "added content features. The files listed here on the site, for listening to right in your web browser will remain in .mp3 format because there appear to be "issues" listening to MPEG-4 content using a web broswer. OK, THAT is enough geek speak for a year of My Mac Guys.

If there are any problems downloading or listening to the show please let us know.

--The Management

Day Two, Show Two. MacWorld 2006

2006-01-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well, having just finished our second live show here at MacWorld 2006, all I can say is that we are getting pretty good at this stuff. It was a lot more fun, relaxed and even sounded better than yesterday's offering. And guess what, it seemed like people were enjoying themselves.

I for one have had enough of being at a convention, and glad to be heading back to LA in the morning. But, the shows?, ahh, the shows already seem like a distant memory.

It has been great and in an hour or two you can check it out for yourself.

(sorry for all the tech difficulty, if there is anyone who knows more than I do about .php scripting, please email me as we have some "issues" with our iTunes Music Store podcast feed)

Hank
My Mac Guys

Our first live show is now HERE!

2006-01-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

OK, My Mac Guys recorded a live show at MacWorld 2006 in San Francisco, just like we said it would.

What a RUSH! Chris and Hank just finished our 26th show, It was cool, it was nerve racking and it is over. And, I think it is pretty good.

We had a couple of technical issues, but it did not stop us from keeping to our "rules of engagement" first and foremost, have fun.

The show is over-modulated and widgets crashed us at the halfway point, other than that it is flawless.

Learn our opinions about the key note, Steve Jobs dress code, and much, much more.

WE'RE BACK!

2006-01-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

OK, enough is enough.

My Mac Guys recorded there first show in 25 years just today. We'll really it was only about six months, but it felt like twenty five years to us and I can only imagine what it felt like to anyone out there hoping one day to see their podcast aggregator joyfully announce the availability of a new show from us, My Mac Guys.

So, Show Twenty Five is almost done and later this evening it will be added to our feed. But that is only the beginning friends.

The big news we have been waiting to announce until we were certain it was going to happen is that My Mac Guys has been invited to take part in MacWorld 2006, San Francisco, like starting in two days!

Chris got an email about a month and a half ago inviting us to take part in the Podcasting Pool at MacWorld 2006. Initially we both were very excited, but knew that our work schedules might not allow for such Mac related frivolity. It was only a few days ago that were able to make it official. And we did. And we are going, and it is going to rock!

My Mac Guys will be podcasting to a live audience at MacWorld on Tuesday the 10th and Wednesday the 11th at 3:30pm. The show will be available in our feed shortly thereafter.

THAT IS FRIGGIN' COOL! I am sorry, but it is.

Come and join us at our first stop to MacWorld and find out what all the hub is about, if there is any hub and get a first hand look at the largest and most humpity dumpity Mac smorgasbord from the Guys that brought you Madame X.

Us.

(oh, email any questions you like, and I mean anything at all and we will read them to our audience at MacWorld and respond, I mean if there is actually anybody in the audience.)

MyMacGuys Spotted in NYC and LA!

2005-11-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

The View From My Office

Update: Hank and Chris are indeed planning to continue the podcast. As we have said all along, our jobs have taken us out of the podcast loop, but only temporarily. We are planning a "Special Broadcast" to be announced in a few days which promises to kick off a stellar 2006 MyMacGuys year. It might be the biggest, grandest podcast to date and I hope the loyal fans will accept these next shows as an apology for our lengthy absence.

Check back here in the next week or two for the announcement.

Thanks For Listening!

Hank and Chris

Another Show, Another week.

2005-07-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, much to my surprise, we are still putting out shows. As you can see from the entries below, Chris is way out of town, and as it turns out, so am I.

First I tried to create an ill-fated show, that was not much more than 43 minutes of someone else talking about Mac OS X security issues. That short lived Show 22 was pulled after it became corrupted on our ftp server for some reason (looks like even the internet thought it was not good enough for MyMacGuys). Then, about a week later I put up the first "Internationally-segmented-mini-road-show". Well, at least that was a resounding success. So much so that the new show, Numero 23, is actually a full blown half hour of Mac fun, mixed with some stories revolving around Chris new Texas twang!.

Anyway, to celebrate the fact that nothing can stop us from putting shows up, I decided to design a new logo for a 2 x 4 inch vinyl sticker that is at the printer right now! And if you would like one, FOR FREE!, just send an SASE (don't you love SASE's?) to me at:

My Mac Guys
c/o Henry Cline
1023 4th Street #3
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Later,

The Management

iTunes 4.9 Endorses Podcasting!

2005-07-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's official! Podcasting takes one step closer to the mainstream with the introduction of iTunes 4.9 and its built-in podcast aggregate. Now users of iTunes can easily search for and subscribe to literally thousands of available podcasts, including our very own My Mac Guys podcast. My hope is that this will lead a new batch of listeners our way, including some curious PC users via the Windows version of iTunes.

What does this change for Hank and I? Nothing, really. We'll continue to do the show we have been doing, that is, when we both land in Los Angeles at the same time. Hank has mentioned a record-on-the-road scheme, but frankly, I don't have much more time than it takes me to write these updates. For now, fans will have to listen to the first batch of 21 shows and spread the word that there is a laid-back and eclectic Mac show there for the downloading.

Will My Mac Guys make the Top 100 iTunes List. Well, that's up to you. Only time will tell.

As always,
Thanks for listening,
Chris

Texas Or Bust!

2005-06-18T12:25:00.001-07:00

Self Portrait, Big Bend, Texas

Hit the road a few days back, headed for Alpine, Texas, for a summer job, which for the time being is under wraps. Midway through Arizona, I dropped my transmission going 85 in my '91 Explorer. That left me unable to downshift for 265 miles until I managed to weave in and out of semi-rigs and come sputtering to a stop in front of the El Paso Ford dealership. A cool 2100 dollars later, I am told that my SUV will still need a week or more in the shop. Apparently, parts for a '91 trannie are not laying around the shop.

Monument to the American Vehicle, El Paso, Texas

All was not lost. Thanks to something call The Camper Network, I picked up their wireless signal in a Denny's restaurant and was able to send this update.

Denny's, somewhere in Texas

After swapping trucks for a Chevy Blazer, I was able to stop from time to time, as I rolled into Texas. Nothing but open highway and 103 degree weather.

Closed For Business, Marfa, Texas

And now, a little worn out, a little hungry, I check in to The Holland Hotel, built in 1912, and set my mind to thinking about the summer ahead, about my family in Los Angeles holding down the fort, and my buddy Hank in Vancouver. It's going be a long hot summer, but thanks to my Powerbook G4, I'll stay in touch with my family, my friends, and of course, our fans.

Thanks for listening...
Chris

Holland Hotel, Alpine, Texas

Mac Guys Make MacAddict

2005-06-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

How cool is this? MacAddict magazine lists good ol' Hank and Chris (MyMacGuys) on page 11, of the July 2005 issue. Thanks to my buddy Sean O'Brien for alerting me to the honorable mention. I have been a faithful reader of MacAddict ever since relinquishing my Macworld subscription over a "no-CD for home subscriber complaint." To Macworld's credit, the very next issue announced that home subscribers would soon be receiving the disks. Go figure, or in this case, go get a MacAddict subscription.

MacAddict always appealed to me because of its irreverence for the Mac, not taking it all too seriously. I think our show is similar in that way, so I feel good about being highlighted in a very cool magazine. What next? A spotlight on Apple's Hot News Page? Time will tell.

Thanks for listening.
Chris and Hank

My Mac Guys Fan Spotlight: Mike LaPlante

2005-06-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we recieved a piece of fan mail from Mike Laplante, an auto worker from Ontario, Canada. Here is an edited version:

To My Mac Guys,

I want to let you know that I enjoy your show. I listen pretty much exclusively at work. I am employed by DaimlerChrysler and I help assemble Dodge Caravans, Chrysler Pacificas and Town & Countries at their Windsor Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

I work on the assembly line and the work can get pretty monotonous, but my iPod has helped me immensely in getting through my work day. Many people here listen to podcasts and audiobooks while they work. I don't think that podcast's popularity is just a result of the media steamroller, but it sure don't hurt. I can't get enough of them...fortunately there is no shortage of quality podcasts out there, and yours is one of them.

Keep up the good work,
Mike LaPlante

So, I wrote Mike back and asked if he wouldn't mind sending in a photo of himself on the assembly line, and he did, but not without considerible risk (read on)....

from a follow-up e-mail, Mike writes:

Please find attached a pic of me and my iPod whilst I toil away on the line. A pic of others on the line would be a bit risky. You see, DCX has a policy about cameras in their plants...they're not allowed. In fact they just updated the policy to include cell phones that are capable of taking pictures. The Camera Policy is now known as the Photo Imaging Policy. The cell phone part of the policy will be somewhat hard to enforce, but if they see me actually pointing a camera at an employee on the line, they can fire me on the spot. Pretty draconian, eh? This picture was taken using a self-timer...not bad I'd say for my first attempt.

Mike LaPlante

Now, what amazes me, is that Mike found our U.S. podcast, downloaded it to listen to while at work, and then took the time to write a letter praising the show after work. Then the guy risks his job by smuggling a camera into a facility to take a shot (at my request) of him listening to the show on the line. If that doesn't warrant a MyMacGuys Fan Spotlight, I don't know what does. All I can is, we couldn't ask for a more enthusiastic fan than we have found in Mike. Hats off to Mike LaPlante (not your hard hat, dude) and keep on listening. It's fans like you that make the whole gig worthwhile.

Thanks again,
Chris and Hank

The Fans Speak!

2005-05-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

If an iPod loses its charge in the woods, will anybody know it? I have no idea, but I do know that somebody seems to be listening to our little show. As the counter passed the 4000 mark sometime last night, I thought it might be time to share some of what you, the fans, have been saying about the show.

As always, Hank and I would like to express our thanks to our fans around the world. Big shout out to Canada and the UK, where a recent batch of loyal listeners have let it be known that they like what we're doing. That's good enough for us.

Thanks again, and keep on listening...and writing.

Chris and Hank

The comments:

If I had to choose one program to listen to on the subject, I'd select these guys. They're down to earth, admit it when they don't understand something (believe me, this is a critical trait in a tech support person) and always leave me with some useful information.
Sumbitted by Alan T.@...

Fantastico!

Your show is like NPR's Car Guys but for the Mac. I've just subscribed and have listened to all of your shows in just the past few days, so now I'm up-to-date (and just a wee bit saturated...). Actually, I listened to them all backwards, from newest to oldest; like listening to Quantum Radio where time doesn't necessarily flow forwards.
Thanks again - Can't wait for Sunday!

Submitted by Antonio@...

Real Peeps
I'm an on-site tech support guy (pc) and these guys are fine teachers while remaining accessible and entertianing. If you're considering switching to Mac or are a Mac Guy or Gal yourself, you need this podcast. Listen and dig their helpful groove.
Submitted By: decaturcomp@...

Loved the show! I listened to My Mac Guys for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I like the format of two pals just chatting it up about whatever Mac topics come to mind. They're funny, candid, and informative at the same time. Kudos.
Submitted By: peter@...

I enjoy this show because they MyMacGuys sound like guys I would hang with and stuff I would talk about.
Submitted By: javabean252@...

Must listen to for all Mac owners and want to be's, since audio issues have been adressed
Submitted By: Junkmailboy@...

This is the first pod cast that I have ever actively looked forward too. Monday mornings are just not the same unless my drive to work is not accompanied by Chris and Hank. Keep up the good work!
Submitted By: ts_marsh@...

Excellent...innovative...fun...informative...the best!
Submitted By: Joli78@... (on 4-2005)

Hank and Chris are high-end Mac experts. Their broadcasts hold your interest and it is refreshing to have a website available to Mac users. I will be tuning in often to further my knowledge as a Mac enthusiast. Keep up the fine work.
Submitted By: nbnjr@... (on 3-2005)

Welcome Pod Listeners!

2005-05-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

We're assuming if you've found your way to My Mac Guys Podcast, then you have either listened to the show, or would like to listen to the show. To that we say, "Welcome".

My name is Chris, and I am one half of My Mac Guys. Hank is the other half, and you can be sure he will speak for himself before the day is done, but I thought I would start by saying how thrilled we are to have started the show, and I look forward to your questions and your suggestions.

Show # 1 was a blast to produce from my garage/office studio. Since we recorded using Apple's Garageband, perhaps it should be renamed "GarageRadioBand". Having been an owner of M-Audio's M-Box and Pro Tools, I have to say that Garageband took a front seat for ease of use. When will all software developers recognize that we don't want to read a single sentence of a manual, ever? That's right. I want to open a program and have it be so stupidly simple that a chimpanzee can start working straight out of the box. Are you listening, Adobe? If you're not careful, iPhoto will steal your thunder in later versions, simply because we can work from the second the digital images are downloaded. But, I digress.

This is supposed to be a welcome mat posting, so let it be just that. Welcome to My Mac Guys!

Thanks for supporting the show.
Chris

Send Us Some Love...Vote!

2005-05-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Hey, all you My Mac Fans out there. We really appreciate all the fan mail and e-mail you have been sending myself and Hank. It makes what we're doing feel relevant. As Captain of PR here at My Mac Guys, I am asking you to register your vote if you have a moment. In order for us to reach our untapped audience and take over the world, we need to attract new podcast listeners. Currently, the only way is to be seen on directory lists. That's how I have found many of the podcasts we recommend. If I didn't see a list, I wouldn't know where to begin. To that end, votes seem to make the difference between being listed # 3789 and # 48. So, I'm asking (since Hank won't)...if you like the show, take a second to fill in the vote form on the right of this page. Most of the comments have been read on the show, both positive and negative. Hey, if public television has fundraisers, why shouldn't we have voteraisers?

Thanks for your support...and keep on listening.
Chris (MyMacGuy)

Tiger Takes A Bite Out Of MyMac Guys

2005-05-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Looks like Tiger has claimed its first victim in the form of ProTools 6.4. The company (DigiDesign) announced that a Tiger compatible version of ProTools should arrive a good six weeks from the date of Tiger's release. It wouldn't make for a good MyMacGuys debate between Hank and Chris, if Chris hadn't jumped into the Tiger cage waving his Software Coupon and receipt at the Tiger, only to be met with a toothy grin as the ProTools icon bounced in the dock like a rent check from a New York junkie on parole.

So what does this mean for our audience of faithful commuters, from L.A. to London? It means, it's a great thing that Chris has four Macs in the house running 10.3. It's a little bit of a hassle, but by the end of the day, I am certain Show 15 will be well on its way to delivery to the iPods of the Planet Earth.

Speaking of iPods, I used mine to record the release of Tiger at the Third Street Promenade, that is before it crashed. Lucky for me, I had a line full of Mac Packers to shout out the hard restart instructions (press the two center buttons for 5 seconds, until you see the Apple icon).

So, aside from the fact that my Verizon DSL is down for over a week now ( just wait for that story Verizon), and that my Protools is leaking code-fluid into my dock, and that Hank is snickering like the Tortoise that he is, at the Hare that I am...I'm in a damn good mood and tripping out over some of the cooler Tiger features. Top of the list...the RSS News Feed ScreenSaver. Check it out if you haven't already, and remember....

Keep on liistening...
Chris (My Mac Guy)

Grrrrr! The Tiger Roars!

2005-04-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

There are so many Mac-milestones to choose from, but today ranks up there with pretty damn good days, at least as far as My Mac Guys are concerned. Hank will wait to upgrade until MacFixit tells him it is safe to do so, and Chris will be Tigered out by midnight tonight, after returning from the Apple Store on Third Street Promenade in Los Angeles with a fresh copy of the install.

For those of you in town reading this, Hank and I will be jamming a microphone into the line outside the store, hoping to hear what the Mac Pack has to say about the eagerly anticipated System Upgrade and how they think it will impact their lives, and or, their wives, as marriages all across the nation suffer the "I'll be there in a minute" blues.

So, be on the look out for Chris and Hank around 10:30 tonight at Apple, or Chris going solo to the front of the line at 6PM for that coveted interview with the first guy in line.

Keep listening, and thanks for all the fan mail. You know who you are.

Chris and Hank

The Buzz!

2005-04-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

What is the buzz, you ask? It would have to be the redesign of the My Mac Guys Studio set-up. After recording several of the early shows on the couch, we decided to move to a work-table tech extravaganza configuration. Now Hank and I each sit opposite each other while both of us have our Powerbooks set-up for various functions. I work the ProTools/M-Box to record the shows, and Hank handles Skype and online duties.

For those of you have become accustomed to our particular brand of echo-radio (secrets to be revealed on a special CD available for purchase), you might be dissapointed to know that we have now upped the ante and gone to a two microphone set-up, abandoned recording in Amadeus II for Pro Tools 6.4, and even invested in an extra mike stand. Now, instead of sharing a single mike placed four feet away (damn, so much for secrets) we now have mikes where they belong, six inches in front of our faces.

What does this mean for the average My Mac Guys listener? Not a hell of a lot, really. You should notice a richer bass and resonance, especially when Chris coughs for the next four shows. Other than that, you should enjoy the same playful banter between Mac friends that you have come to know and hopefully love.

Show 12, our Steve Jobs Tribute show went up last week and the response has been very favorable. If you didn't get a chance to listen to it, I urge you to give it a whirl.

Show 13 is near completion in the post facility, and Hank promises to find a way to make a discussion of PIMS (Personal Information Managers) interesting. That remains to be seen, or in our case, heard. Let us know what you think by e-mail or Skype.

As for all the fans, and you know who you are (Lisa and Skippy) Hank and I appreciate the support, the e-mail, the reviews and comments. It's all been good fun!

Thanks for listening.!
Chris (My Mac Guy)

Calling All Mac Gamers!

2005-04-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Show 11 is in the oven, kids! So, wash your hands and get ready for a healthy serving of game-talk as Hank and I scroll back the pages to the very beginning of arcade gaming. For those of you too young to know what an arcade is, look it up in a dictionary and you should see a picture of Chris with all of his hair wrestling with a joystick while a crowd of teenagers eggs him on. Those were the glory days, before Playstation, X-Box and Nintendo. All you needed was a roll of quarters and a ride from your Mom to whatever mall had the latest and greatest games, from Battle Zone (pictured below) to Defender.

Bored reading this? Then you might want to skip Show 11, because it is all about games on the Mac. From Marathon to Myst, Hank and I lovingly tell middle-aged tales of a healthy and sometimes marriage-threatening obsession...Mac Gaming.

If you were a Marathon, Myst or Quake 3: Arena player, or, if you were ever fragged silly by "Humiliation Returnz", drop us an e-mail so we can read it on an upcoming show. Simply click on the "Show Comments E-mail" link on the right of this page and share your thoughts on any of these games.

Look for Show 11 to be posted within 24 hours.

Thanks for listening.
Chris (My Mac Guy...a.k.a. Humiliation Returnz)

Back From Taos, New Mexico

2005-03-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

I feel like a father who has neglected his baby. In my case, the baby is our little podcast. I thought about it while I was away enjoying the fresh powder of the Taos Ski Valley. I thought about it while I was out shooting time-exposures of Taos in the middle of the night, and when I was sitting on an airplane surrounded by no less than 5 iPods, laughing aloud as I listened to Hank and I debate iPhoto vs. Photoshop. (Hank, I think I won that one :) )

But now I'm back, and having fought off a flu that threatened to stall the family vacation, I feel renewed and ready to dive into our next shows. We have some ideas that make my Firewires glow just thinking about them, like the "All Marathon Tribute Show", for any of you who ever played Bungie's Marathon Trilogy, this is a must-download show.

Hank and I plan to blow the geek alarms off their anchors on this one. We were what you might call "heavy-Marathoners", playing well into the night for years on end, and this is our chance to hear from other Marathoner's about their love of the game, and whether or not Halo is in the same class.

We have more cool swag to give away. In fact, there will be an upcoming contest in which we will be giving away some iPod Road Gear for that lucky listener who will follow simple directions to be described in our upcoming broadcasts. More on that as we iron out the details.

However, the biggest thrill of the week was seeing the latest issue of "Wired" on the stands at LAX airport, with the words "podcasting" and "revolution" in the same bi-line, knowing that in some small way, Hank and I were part of it, counter to the 1969 "Life" magazine article on "Woodstock" which I read while eating raw macaroni in my grandmother's living room in the Bronx.

No, this time, we were right in the middle of it, and it felt really good to be reading about something that has been such a kick to produce. Is it a revolution? Hell, I don't know. Is it a hell of a lot of fun? You better believe it.

As for other wild occurrences, I was looking through some old books in my mother-in-laws library, when I unearthed a previously unpublished photo of Ernest Hemingway in 1928.

The picture is in pristine condition, and for a moment I saw dollar signs spinning round in my head, only to find out that it was worth a few hundred dollars. I really thought I had found a gem. So you see, even after the historical photographic collector's market lets you down, I always have our little podacst, and that's good enough for me...

Thanks for listening.
Chris

Our Man In Liverpool! Welcome Don M.!

2005-03-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, you heard it here first. My Mac Guys has its first International Correspondent and would like to send out a "Welcome", to our man, Don M., hailing from across the pond in Liverpool, England. Listen in for upcoming shows in which we Skype with Don about all things British and Mac.

Don, be on the lookout for Mac-madness-UK-style. No pressure, mate. If you've listened to the show, you'll see that pretty much anything goes around here. From Silver Surfer to antique paperweights, it all falls under the ample cover provided us by our over-sized Apple umbrella.

We look forward to our first report from the Land of The Fab Four. Tip a pint in celebration of your first non-paying American podcast gig. Welcome to the show!

Chris and Hank
(My Mac Guys)

"I'm Just Sitting Here Watching The Hit Counter Go Round and Round...

2005-03-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

I really love to watch it roll." Apologies to John Lennon, but I couldn't resist.

Remember when you were a kid in the backseat of your parent's car and you would wait in anticipation of the odometer passing large round numbers, like 20,000 miles? Well, I feel a little bit like I did in my Mom's '67 Corvair tooling around the Bronx, waiting for the numbers to rollover. Less than a week ago, we announced that we had achieved 400 hits. At the time, that seemed lot alot to ask from a newbie Mac-Tech-Podcast. Then, last night at around midnight I happened to notice the counter, as it read:

My heart began to race as I imagined our tiny little podcast reaching its first monumental milestone. Ten more minutes passed as I tried to imagine someone finding My Mac Guys on some obscure site and taking a chance, at midnight mind you, to give us a listen. Then I hit reload, only to see the following...

Suddenly, thoughts of all those iPod owners listening to Hank and I arguing over foul language in our Mac Kids Show, of my bad imitation of a Liverpool lad, of little Jack saying, "Green Eggs and Ham", of Maya renewing her DHS lease (listen to Show 8), and of Hank apologizing to my mother for swearing, were swimming around in my head.

Dare I press reload? Would I miss the momentous moment nobody including Hank was waiting for? Would this somehow connect me to the time I watched my Mazda pick-up flip 120,000 miles, or my Subaru Wagon bang out 140,000? Would it bring me closer to the memory of our '64 Cadillac turning 200,000 going 110 miles an hour on the Autobahn before hitting a beer can that nearly sent the Green Beast into the Black Forest?

....I hit reload one more time.....
.................and..........................

With that single click, My Mac Guys had achieved more than our wildest dreams. 1000 hits! Our work is done. We'll be signing off now.....no, I'm kidding. The fact is, perfect strangers, and yes, some family and friends, have taken the time to move that mouse or slide their finger across their trackpad and take the time to CLICK on our podcast.

It's nice to know we have caught the attention of at least one third of those clickers. I've said it before and I'll say it again...

Thanks for listening.
Chris and Hank (My Mac Guys)

New Casting time yields very positive results

2005-03-13T00:16:00.000-08:00

We decided to move our recording time to Saturday morning for a change and in doing so discovered a few things:

Our shows keep getting better with age.

We need to eat at some point if we are going to work for 4 hours straight.

Using vulgar language "on air" with intent is for chumps.

Let's just say there are some great shows coming your way. Show 8 should be delivered sometime before Monday morning.
Please note: "My Mac Guys" have decided to go to a "one show a week" release schedule due to popular demand. It seems too much good stuff was over-saturating our fan base.

--The Staff

Skype Us Live Today! FREE T-Shirt

2005-03-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

Special Skype invitation to all My Mac Guys listeners. We are recording TODAY! Call us between 10AM and 1PM (PST) and ask us anything that crosses your mind. We don't care if you're a PC user looking to bust in on a Mac show, or Mac woman with an incredibly large bust...just give us a Skype at: mymacguys. We'll be online most of the morning and into the early afternoon. This is your chance to join the Revolution. What Revolution, you ask? The Podcasting Revolution. What Podcasting Revolution? Why are you asking us? Let's start one today...call in! Hank and Chris are very friendly, and the first Skype gets a FREE "Interactive Hank" t-shirt. This limited edtion t-shirt designed by noneother than Hank, is a must-have for any serious pod-listener. Be caller Numero Uno and this 100% cotton swag is yours for the taking. We'll send it anywhere in the world at no cost to you. So, what are you waiting for? Get out of bed and launch that Skype account...heck, it's free for God's sake!
Talk you later today, right? Right!

Thanks for listening!

Shows 5, 6 and 7 Freshly Baked

2005-03-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

What a week it has been. Hank and I are riding the high of our first "Special Edition My Mac Guys Show", the interview with Cody Hanson of Vinylpodcast.com. After bungling our Skype info and almost missing Cody altogether, we finally managed to talk vinyl and podcasts to our hearts content...all 13 minutes of it.

Thanks again to Cody for sharing his story, his thoughts, and most importantly, his music with us. If you haven't already, please add Cody's feed to your Podfeeder at vinylpodcast.com. I'm certain we will touch base with Cody again, and after joking that we would someday meet at The First Annual Podcaster's Convention, Cody pointed out that it is already happening in June. Unfortunately, I will be in Texas during that time working on a project, but I intend to do the show on the cattle trail.

So much has happened since my last entry. Apologies to our readers, but we underestimated how much work goes into delivering a completed show. Somehow Hank and I managed to get almost every "coming up on the next show..." wrong. Either the show number was wrong, or the show content was wrong. That left me to re-record, re-mix and re-complain all in the same night. But really, I'm not complaining. I love putting the show together, and even more than that, I love hearing from fans like Don M. in Liverpool, whom, if I have anything to say about it, will become "The Voice of The UK" on My Mac Guys. More on that after Don realizes there's no money in it.

Check the Show Notes on our latest offerings and be sure to let us know what we can do to improve the show, keeping in mind that we are both incredibly stubborn middle-aged men with a propensity for ignoring constructive criticism.

Thanks for listening...and remember to vote!
Chris

Not Necessarily For Kids

2005-03-01T10:09:00.002-08:00

Just a friendly warning that My Mac Guys is a show intended for an adult audience. Occasionally, our passionate Mac discussions contain language or content that is not suitable for younger listeners. The one exception will be our "Mac Kids Special" which will definitley be suitable for ages 2 to 99.

That said, My Mac Guys pride themselves on presenting a mostly unedited show, with the exception of music cues and the occasional narration to clarify a portion of the live show.

Thanks for listening.

Mac Guys Go International!

2005-03-01T10:09:00.001-08:00

It's Official. As of today My Mac Guys Podcast has gone International. Don M. e-mailed us from Liverpool, England (home of The Beatles) to let us know "he liked the show," and with that, we officially became an International Show. We invited Don M. to Skype in, but he reminded us that it would be 4 a.m. UK time. Maybe some restless night Don, or maybe one night after carousing around the pubs you'll stumble over to your Mac-Mini and change your mind. Don is a recent PC convert who made the switch with the introduction of the Mac-Mini. Don writes: "I took the plunge and haven't looked back - a real breath of fresh air! I've been evangelizing about it to all and sundry ever since!"

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to give us some feedback. It makes our Mac-day over here in The States.

Keep on listening...
MyMacGuys

My Mac Guys Hit 400!

2005-03-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

I feel like McDonald's in their very first year posting the number of hamburgers sold, but if you consider that the site is less than 2 weeks old, I'd say 400 hits is a landmark. Could it someday be 4,000? Is it even possible to reach 40,000? Are there that many podcast listeners interested in hearing about Hank selling his Zojurushi bread machine at a loss on Ebay? Only time will tell, but for me, 400 is a nice round number, and I'll take it.

Thanks for checking us out.

Chris (My Mac Guy)

Join Us On Air! Share Your Back-up Disaster Stories

2005-03-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hank and Chris invite all our listeners to share their horror stories of back-up disasters. Tell us about that Great American Novel that you accidentally deleted, or the time you forgot to back-up your entire year of financial info. If you, or anyone you know has a good tale about back-up neglect, then we want to hear from you.

To e-mail us, just click on the link to the right: "Show Comments E-Mail", or...Skype us this Sunday night, (March 6th) at "MyMacGuys" between the hours of 8 and 10 PM (PST).

We'll read your e-mails on the show, or we'll Skype you LIVE as we tell of our own back-up follies.

My Mac Guest: Vinylpodcast Creator

2005-02-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

My Mac Guys are looking forward to our first guest: Cody, the creator of Vinylpodcast.com. This tribute to vinyl records was mentioned in Show 3 (available for download soon) as Hank's pick for "Podcast of The Week".

We invite you to join us for a Macin-side chat about the glory days of vinyl records. We both think Vinylpodcast.com is worth a weekly visit, and can't wait to pick Cody's brain about the genesis of his show and perhaps get a glimpse of vinyl gold yet unmined.

Skype us Live during the show with questions for Cody. We plan to be recording between 8 and 11 PM, Sunday, March 6th.

The Sunday Sessions

2005-02-27T23:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight marks a break in a 30 year old tradition in The Ragazzo Family of sitting down to watch The Academy Awards broadcast. Instead, Hank and I decided to plow ahead with recording "MyMacGuysPodcast" on what are becoming our regular Sunday evening podcasts. Truth be known, I didn't miss the Awards, and thanks to Tivo, I will blow through commercials and acceptance speeches faster than a bull skewers a matador.

Tonight was nothing short of a blast as Hank I riffed on various subjects ranging from Ebay to Apple Cell phones. No, Apple doesn't make cell phones, but listen to the show to find out who thinks they should be making cell phones.

Tonight was a milestone, as Show 5 was digitized. In little more than a week, My Mac Guys has gone from concept to reality. Thanks to folks like Steve Jobs, Guglielmo Marconi, the guys at M-Audio, and an 18 year old Ecuadorian woman who Skyped us LIVE.

As you can see, Hank has set up streaming of the show for anyone who doesn't get podacsting, doesn't own an iPod, or could care less about both. All you have to do now is click on the links to the right of this column, and voila, you are listening to the show.

Just a reminder, we'd love to hear from you, so while you're here, feel free leave a comment.

Thanks for tunin' in.
Chris (MyMacGuy)

Give Us A Skype Steve Jobs

2005-02-26T10:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Steve,
Been meaning to write you since 1984, but got busy using that box you invented. Anyway, I thought you might get a kick out of our podcast about Macintosh. If you're up to it, Skype us any Sunday night between 8 and 10 PM (PST) at "MyMacGuys". Chances are, we'll take the call.

Feel better,
Chris (My Mac Guy)

(I sent this to Apple, but if anyone knows Steve's e-mail and wants to forward it to him, we'll have you on the show)

Show 1: Notes

2005-02-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

Our first Show!

Introduction of My Mac Guys Podcast
What is Skype?
Hank's Rant: Radio Shows Dictating URL's
Chris' Rant: Jeff Levy says "It's simple...not"
Web Highlight: Doctor Mac Direct
My Mac Guy Plug
Happy Mac Plug

Listen to show One now!

Show 2: Notes

2005-02-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Show Two, they keep getting better!

Wireless Networks
Chris' Clogged Network Theory: Flush The Toilet
Hank's Network Tricks
Hank on Bit Torrent and Live Music Recordings
Mac Rewind: Supra 14.4 modems, E-World (a.k.a. Ghostworld)

Listen to show Two now!

Show 3: Notes

2005-02-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Show Three

Heavy Skyping
Hank's Sister Leaves a Message
Tales From The Mac
Podcast Of The Week: Vinylpodcast
NoteTaker by AquaMinds Software

Listen to show Three now!

Show 4: Notes

2005-02-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Show Four, All the way!

Ebay You Say?
First Skype Call...Not
Podcast of the Week: ApplePhones.com
Chris Prematurely Ends The Show
E-Snipe

Listen to show Four now!

Show 5: Notes

2005-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Show Five, The Interview

Special Guest: Cody Hanson: Host of Vinylpodcast
In depth interview with Cody
Podcast Shows: How Much is Too Much?
Cody's First Vinyl Record

Listen to show Five now!

Show 6: Notes

2005-02-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

Show Six

The Back-up Show

The Lost Show 5
Tossing Your Zips
Podcast of The Week: One Minute Tip
Hank Abandons Snapz Pro
Liverpool Don's e-mail

Listen to show Six now!

Show 7: Notes

2005-02-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

Show Seven, looking good.

What is a Leslie Organ?
Blowing off Skypers
My Mac Guys: How Did We Get Here?
Silver Surfer
Wireless iPods
Podcast of The Week: Podquiz
Shareware of the Week: Onyx

Listen to show Seven now!

Show 8: Notes

2005-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Show Eight, Eight is great!

The Great Debate: Chris vs. Hank on Cleaning Up The Language
Kids and The Mac
Interview with Jack (Age 3)
Maya Ragazzo (age 10) troubleshoots the Wireless Network
Macs off-limits at Chris' house
Bumper Car Browser
Kids GoGoGo
All Things Harry Potter
Mail from Chris' Mother-In-Law
Hank's Apology To Mama Ragazzo

Listen to show Eight now!

Show 9: Notes

2004-01-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

Show Nine, number nine, number nine...

iTunes: A Killer App
Hippopotty Music Group
Shredding A CD Player
My Printer Is Bigger Than Your Printer
Absence of The Beatles
Dick's Pick: The Dead
iTunes Essentials
Moby's Playlist
Sierra Ragazzo's Mix
Widgets: You Control iTunes
Our Man in Liverpool: Don McAllister. All of mp3 Insanity!
Listen to show Nine now!

Show 10: Notes

2004-01-30T21:37:00.000-08:00

Show Ten, Double Digits!

iPhoto vs. Photoshop: The Great Debate
T-Shirt Contest Announcement
Hank's Neck Hairs Stand Up
iWork
Adobe Dodo-shop
PixelNhance Bites The Dust
QuickImageCM
Podcast of The Week: Yeast Radio
Shareware of the Week: Haxies
Listen to show Ten now!

Show 11: Notes

2004-01-29T22:38:00.000-08:00

Show Eleven, The Mac Gaming Show

Marathon Widow
BattleZone (the first 3-D game)
Pathways Into Darkness
Chris Enters Marathon...literally!
The Birth of Humiliation
Humiliation Returnz!
Chris Dreams A Solution
Shared Myst
Apple News: Google X
Ambrosia Software
Podcast of The Week: The Pez Podcast
Shareware of the Week: iSeek
Mail from Liverpool
Contest: Win iPod FM Transmitter from MyMac.com and My Mac Guys
Listen to show Eleven now!

Show 12: Notes

2004-01-28T00:46:00.000-08:00

Show Twelve, The Steve Show

Madame X
Apple imitators
Steve Jobs, The Man!
Good, Bad, Still The Man!
NeXt up
I Dream of Stevie
Podcast of The Week: Earthwatch Radio
Shareware of the Week: Quitling

Listen to show Twelve now!

Show 13: Notes

2004-01-27T01:27:00.000-08:00

Show Thirteen, The Last Empty Garage

Apple News: CherryOS
PIMS
The American Way
Entourage
Chris Favors DotMac
Chris Reveres The Newton
Hank Trashes Palm
Hank's Filofax Geek Alert
iCal Limitations
Widgets: Snail Mail
Podcast Of The Week: Folkden

Listen to show Thirteen now!

Show 14: Notes

2004-01-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Show Fourteen, Podcasting Snafus

Plea For Questions
Madame X
M-Box and Pro Tools
Hank Trashes Nascar
What Is Podcasting?
Amadeus II
Podcast of The Week: My Mac Guys
Apple News: iPotty
Mail from MacDad
Undelete: Battlezone

Listen to show Fourteen now!

Show 15: Notes

2004-01-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

Show Fifteen, Welcome Back!

The iPod Show
Deception or was it Disclosure?
Apple News:Hitachi Breaks Barriers (Flash Movie)
Retrospect, Not Really
Playlists
iPod in your car?
Lee Press on Nails
Shareware Pick: IEatBrainz and Senuti

Listen to show Fifteen now!

Show 16: Notes

2004-01-23T06:17:00.000-08:00

Show Sixteen, Customization Of The Mac

Hypercard: What Was It?
Library Of Congress Digital Library
What's Under The Mac Hood?
Hank's Desktop Image
Chris' Desktop Image
Expose
Hank's Overloaded Dock
Universal Access
Candy Bar
Icon Factory
Xicons
Yes (The Band)
Greatest Live Albums Debate
Shareware Pick: Default Folder
Mail: GoogleX, lost but found again

Listen to show Sixteen now!

Show 17: Notes

2004-01-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

Show Seventeen, Open Folder

Crashing MTV's Network
Hank's Networking Rant
Chris trashes Airport Express Software
T-Mobile Hot Spots
Starbuck's Sux
Hanks Rant: Searching on the Mac
Metasearching in Tiger (incorrectly called Cheetah by Hank)
Google Maps
Chris' Rant: Battery Life
Man on The Street Interview: What is Podcasting?
My Mac Guys Debate: Podcasting Numbers
Shareware Pick: Web Confidential

Listen to show Seventeen now!

Show 18: Notes

2004-01-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

Show Eighteen: The iLife '05 Show

Chris Tangent: Fastest Telephone Operator
Hank Tangent: Two Prong Louie
Apple Moof
Apple News: Nine Inch Nails (Garageband)
Apple Softbooks (iPhoto '05)
Shuttterfly
iDVD5 Debate
Hank Trips The Geek Alert...Again!
Magic iMovie
Final Cut Express
iTunes 4.71
Boinx
Podcast of The Week: The Catholic Insider
Shareware Pick: iPhoto Buddy

Listen to show Eighteen now!

Show 19: Notes

2004-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

Show Nineteen: How We Do It

Apple News: The Future of Skype
Packet 8
Weird Pronunciation Tangent
Hank Explains Our Tech Set-up
ProTools 6.4
MyMaGuys Post-Production
RSS Feeds/Tags
Free feed script called dircaster
Feeder
IKEA Chairs Suck
Podcast of The Week: Firesign Theater
Shareware Pick: NetsNewsWire
Torrents

Listen to show Nineteen now!

Show 20: Notes

2004-01-19T23:30:00.000-08:00

Show Twenty: Silly Mac Stories

Chris' Silly Mac Story
Henry's Silly Mac Story
Henry Operates on His Wallstreet
Static Bracelet Horrors
Podcast Of The Week: Slice of Sci-Fi
Shareware Pick: Speed Download
Ram Doubler & Speed Doubler
Fast User Switching to Have Multiple iTunes Libraries

Listen to show Twenty now!

Show 21: Notes

2004-01-18T00:59:00.000-08:00

Show Twentyone: Show Special

Interview with Madame X

(contest number eight. Guess who Madame X is and win a interactivehank.com tee shirt!)

Listen to show Twentyone now!

Show 22: Notes

2004-01-17T23:25:00.000-08:00

Show Twentytwo: We're Tryin'

Hank and Chris attempt their first ever internationally segmented mini show

Shareware Picks:

iTunes 4.9 "Podcasting"

DVDXDV

Listen to show Twentytwo now!

Show 24: Notes

2004-01-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Show TwentyFour: By The Skin Of Our Teeth
Another disenfranchised show that proves Hank and Chris (and Alex?) still exist

The dock!
TransparentDock 2.2.3
All your email is gone!
Level two CSR
Feeder
Chris and Alex have at it in Texas
PC's, The Avid and BEER
New Goal, the iTunes 100
Free My Mac Guys Sticker offer!

Listen to show Twentyfour now!

show 23: Notes

2004-01-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Show Twentythree: Five Questions

Hank and Chris are sort of back with their second internationally segmented mini show that is not so mini anymore

It's 6:12 am in Texas, do you know where your Chris is?
The Lisa and the Rainbow Apple
Dynaco Amps
Macs as drugs deals
Mac Skins?
Smokin'!
Oxen Wrangling
Dream Setups
Hank's Retro Preferences Rank
StarbuxSux
The wrong email
ffmpeg
NIN download

Listen to show Twentythree now!

Show 25: Notes

2004-01-15T23:51:00.000-08:00

Show TwentyFive: We're Back

After a long time quietly spending our time podcastless, we are here to make some news.

It is kind of a surprise, so instead of writing anything here, just listen to the show!

Listen to show TwentyFive now!

Show 26: Notes

2004-01-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Show TwentySix: LIVE! From MacWorld 2006

Nervous

The Key Note

The Fun

Our show crashes, but nobody really notices

Because of an unforeseen technical glitch, the show is over-modulated, which is a round about way of saying it don't sound so good, but we have the problem and tomorrow show will be as crisp as the morning breeze coming over the Bay Bridge.

Listen to show TwentySix now!

Show 27: Notes

2004-01-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Show Twenty Seven: LIVE! From MacWorld 2006 Part Two

Much better sound

Chris and Hank bond once again

OK, What's on the floor at MacWorld 2006

Hank talks about Q-Tips, again!

It's sad to say goodbye

Listen to show Twenty Seven now!

Show 28: Notes

2004-01-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Show 28 After The Flood: Our first enhanced Podcast!

Mimic Guys
Stage Frieght
Was MacWorld 2006 Fun?
iPod Toilet Paper holder
Versiontracker, you are in our sites.
Rhetoric Theater
Feedback makes us happy
Old hardware, New hardware
Corkboard on floppies

Listen to show Twenty Eight now!

Show 29: Notes

2004-01-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Show 29: Back to our format

OCD
Apple News: Steve Jobs
Hank's Surprise
iTMS Frustrations
Last FM
Bookmarks Importation
Secret Utilities
Podcast of the Week: Make Magazine
Empty Trash: Honda makes a mess
Crappy mp3's
Widgets: Events at the Apple Store
eMail: 5 or 50,000?

Listen to show Twenty Nine now!

Show 30: Notes

2004-01-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

Show 30: Our Anniversary Show

Our 30th Show
Apple News: Full Screen iPod
New Folder: Apple Come Backs
iCal
Western need for soft and round
Chris' Dream
The Diamond Age
Apple Backup
Apple .Mac Sync
Apple Voice Over
Podcast of the week: No Direction Home
Soundbytez
Chris is not Dead
Widgets: MacWorld
eMail: The Old Married Couple
Undelete: Bad Indian

Listen to show Thirty now!