Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

If you're a fellow "Machead" like me, I bet you'll want to know the breaking news about Apple.

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and two-time CEO of Apple, offered his resignation to the board this Wednesday.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, that day has come.”

No matter how "magical" the Apple products are... it looks like they haven't mastered the feel healthy ap. Poor Jobs has been suffering from poor health for quite a while now. It looks like he already took a medical leave in January and came back in March to help out with the iPad 2 launch.

The torch of tasty Apple goodness has been passed off to Tim Cook, formerly the CEO of the company who has been standing in for Jobs since January. Mr. Cook also had Apple's back in 2004 when Jobs dealt with pancreatic cancer. I hope Tim can cook up some more "magic" for the world while we wait for Steve to feel better. The word on the street is that Steve Jobs isn't gone for good. The whole world will be rooting for you Steve!

How to Make Custom iPhone Ringtones for Free!

So you bought an iPhone. You're in love with the phone and all its ninja like features features, but wish you didn't have to pay for your songs twice to get a ringtone - SUPER LAME!  There are plenty of songs in your music library, but no way to make ringtones from any of them. Or is there? Actually, with a little bit of trickery [nothing illegal, of course], you can create custom ringtones from any one of your non-DRM songs in your iTunes library easily and for free.

Note: This should work on both Mac and Windows PCs. =)


 Step 1

• Open iTunes.

Step 2

• Find the song that you want to make into a ringtone.

Step 3

• Listen to the song and find the part of it you want to use. The chorus may be a good place to start.

Step 4

• Write down the start and stop times of the clip.
• You can also Edit one of your favorite songs in a music editing program to the exact time beforehand and to add fade in and fade out effects. [Audacity is the program I use and it's FREE]

Step 5

• Right-click the song and select "Get Info."

Step 6

• Click the "Options" tab.

Step 7

• Type in the start time of your ringtone in the text box next to "Start Time" in the minutes:seconds (i.e., 2:01) format.

Step 8

• Type in the end time of your ringtone in the text box next to "Stop Time." Make sure the ringtone is no more than 40 seconds long or it will not work.

Step 9

• Click "OK."

Step 10

• Right-click your song again and select "Convert Selection to AAC." Wait for iTunes to convert your song. It will create a duplicate version.

Step 11

• Right-click the ringtone and select "Delete." [If you do not do it this way, it wont work]

Step 12

• Click on the "Keep Files" button.

Step 13

• Find the file. It's usually in your User folder under "Music > iTunes > iTunes Music" and under the band's name. It will have an extension of m4a.

Step 14

• Replace the m4a extension of your ringtone with m4r. You can either double-click slowly to rename your file, or right-click and select "Get Info" on a Mac or "Rename" on a Windows PC.

Step 15

• Click "Use .m4r" or the PC equivalent when the system warns you that the change may affect the use of your file.

Step 16

• Double-click the ringtone file. ITunes will automatically add it to your ringtones folder in your iTunes Music Library.

Step 17

• Connect your iPhone and sync your ringtones.

ENJOY! Hopefully this will work for you!

Apple Computers vs. PC Computers

I'm 100% Team Apple. What a way to start off a blog, am I right?  Truthfully... I've been in many arguments regarding this topic in my days and I thought it would be fun to write about it.

Through the years I've come to love Macintosh computers over PC computers. It's been a long time feud though, I've gone back and forth several times.

My very first computer was the [I think] 1990 Macintosh Classic. I guess you could say I was a graphic designer in training back in 7th grade because I was always using this "high tech" program similar to Paint. Haha - Go ahead and have a laugh at that comment [I did]! I would make cool banners and print them off left and right.  *HEATHER'S ROOM* Either way, I loved my computer and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread! I played games, wrote letters, and made some AMAZING graphic design banners. Custom birthday cards here we come!

It was all fun and games until I went to a friends house and saw they had these crazy things called CD's that had better games and software that sure wouldn't work on my computer. Lets just say I was really dig'n these PC computers with their crazy power, CD drives, and color screens.

Well... down the road we got new PC computer... Then I got one of my own in high school that hooked up to the INTERNET. Wowza! PC's, Internet, and CD burners ----- OH MY! So, other than school everything was now PC wherever you looked.

Off to college! I got a brand new PC [Compaq Presario] with Windows ME! I really loved my computer but gosh golly did it break down a lot! Late nights calling a computer whiz friend to help you get back up and running. Headache Pain! Then there was always the friend who said they would hook you up with Windows XP. Oh wow! Didn't it look cool with it's glossy buttons? Of course they never got around to it... Stuck with a horrible operating system - Tears!  Even with those hick-ups I was still pretty content with my computer, making mixed music CDs and doing homework.

Now to Design College, where all of the magic happens. Naturally, the school was all Mac based running OS 9 at the time. Sometimes it was a headache to work at school and come home to my PC and it wouldn't be compatible. ERROR 7... ERROR ERROR...  This was about the time where my fellow classmates were updating to macbooks and powerbooks running OS 10.

As a college graduation gift I received a brand new powerbook [2004]. I've been running the same computer with ZERO problems up to this date - That's 6 YEARS. I've NEVER had a virus, I've never had crazy screens of death, basically up and running fast since 2004!  The hard drive did go out, but it was covered by applecare and the keys are wearing out but that is it - All wear and tear! No annoying slow stupid virus stuff. No late night calls to IT friends. I think the biggest problem I had was trying to hook up a wireless router to my mac. Nobody at Cox Cable had a clue how to help a mac person [skkk skkkk we are breaking up Ma'm... hello... apple what?? I'm in a tunnel...Thank you for calling...]. That is the only time I really needed a IT friend, but that worked out because that is how I met Adrian [We have been dating ever since -- Whoo Hoo to non-responsive wireless routers!] <3.

I have more to add about the awesome-ness of the new Apple computers vs. PC computers.  Ok, like I mentioned before my little powerbook was from 2004.  It hasn't been the "newest computer" for several years but it still ran like a champion, better than any PC! At my previous employer they had the "state of the art" PC computers with chips and rams filled to the top.  Might as well of been chips and DIPS.  I don't know if it was the security software, servers, or just lack of IT knowledge but these computers were SLOW and almost always broken. For about 2 years I would get this error message that popped up every-time I started up my computer. Virus infections... Slowness... Photoshop Freeze Drama... There was in no way possible you could run Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark all at the same time... without a lot of freeze action.  I couldn't even pull open 10+ photos into Photoshop without a horrific freeze if not a whole computer shut down freeze of doom. BLAH! Don't even get me started on my attempt to run iTunes...

MEANWHILE, I would come home and use my 6 year old mac and I would zoom all over the place with ease. I could have all of the programs open... no worries.  A folder of photos open in photoshop, YOU GOT IT! I'm sorry... but I don't think I would ever like to own another SLOW virus prone PC ever again.  I mean it's as clear as night and day in performance.

I'm not really a "gamer" and most games are for the PC... So, I mean that doesn't count in this argument. 100% I think for designers - If you're not on a mac... your computer is gunna make you slack.  I know Macs are more money, but it is well worth it! No headaches! Plus, you'll make up for it in the time not spent on dinking around with virus weird stuff.

I also think mac is so easy that it is humorous. Sometimes it's so simple I cannot figure it out. Haha! I think macs would be great for people who aren't as computer savvy. It is sure easy on the eyes and mind, that is for sure!

Summing it up: Macs running OS 10 and higher really rock my socks off.  Not only is it beautiful, it's a strong stable OS, and it's so simple I think everyone can use them.  You can say whatever you want about Macs... but I'm a believer in the product as far as computers go.

PC Lovers, try to argue yourself out of performance! What? You enjoy viruses and drama? Be my guest!

Ha! This is why many of my friends say I would be a PERFECT candidate to work at the Apple Store. I could convert people left and right! The product could sell on it's own, but I'd be sure to aim people in the right direction. Yeah, working for apple would really be a dream come true for me. Not to mention, iPhone discounts... yum yum!

LONG LIVE MY FELLOW MAC HEADS!

PS I haven't really used Linux, so it wasn't included in my article. From what I can see... It isn't too bad! The only problem I've heard from people is it's hard to get drivers and the wireless internet to work. I've also heard that Mac OS 10 is based off of Linux... So, I'm pretty sure I'd like Linux too! Wow, someone is nerdy tonight... I think I should go watch Star Trek now. 

HOW TO FIX - Adobe Photoshop CS4 [No Response] on Mac OS X Version 10.6.2

What a night! My photoshop decided to go haywire on me! Luckily I'm not the only one with these problems so google was a nice help! I guess it's a problem that has been going on since Apple updated their OS. I thought I'd share it on my blog incase anyone ran across my blog first. Plus, I'll have it noted on here for my reference.

Good News! There is a solution [That worked for me and other people].


SOLUTION:
Hold Command + Option + Shift down when you open Photoshop. It should give you a pop-up that asks you to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings File [<-photo]. Click YES.

How to Zip A File In Mac OS X - Pretty Easy!

It's easy to .zip a file in Mac OS X. You don't even need a program other than the Finder!

Step 1 - Create a zip archive to reduce file size when sending data over the internet.

Step 2 - Go to the Finder. Select the File you want to turn into an archive by holding down the "ctrl" (control) key while you click on the file icon once.

Step 3 - A pop up menu appears over the icon. Select "Create Archive Of (Your File Name)..."

Step 4 - This will make a copy of your file with the .zip extension. This compressed file appears right next to the original file on the desktop.