Play Hulu.com and any DRM free media on your AppleTV with Boxee

Using this patch, you can enable your Apple TV to play practically any DRM-free multimedia file. The patch can be applied by inserting a USB thumb drive into the box that's been pre-loaded with some open-source software called Boxee.

Normally, Apple TV can only play video and music files that are compatible with iTunes or bought through the iTunes Store, but coder Scott Davilla's patch essentially "Jailbreaks" the TV set-top box from such restrictions by installing an open-source media center called Boxee.

Currently in limited, invite-only alpha testing, the patch automatically installs itself onto a thumb drive and adds a Boxee button to the main menu of Apple TV. Clicking on Boxee brings you to an interface allowing you to view about 30 types of DRM-free multimedia (e.g., DIVX, AVI, MKZ and BIN) from any computer connected to your network; you can even play multimedia through internet streams (e.g. Hulu and ABC.com videos).

What You'll Need

• An Apple TV
• Boxee software. It's currently invitation only, so you'll have to request an invite. Invited users can also share invites, so friends can all sign up in a group.
• A Mac. The current patch can only be downloaded and run by Mac users. Windows and Linux versions will be available soon.
• A bootable USB stick. The patch only works with bootable thumb drives.
• Windows XP users: If your USB drive isn't bootable by default, you can modify it with an HP utility.
• Mac users: Try the free app DasBoot. Instructions on how to use it with a USB drive can be found on ShinyThings.

If you have all of the above, and it sounds interesting, take a look at the video tutorial below:

Then go read the full Wiki here.

How to import CDs without adding track numbers in iTunes 8

The option for naming tracks on import without adding the track number to the front of the filename is missing in iTunes 8.

The good news is that the preference is only hidden and is easy to fix.

Simply quit iTunes, open Terminal, and enter this command:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes create-filenames-with-tracknumber -bool FALSE

On relaunching iTunes, you will find that track numbers are no longer added to filenames on import.

iTunes is getting unsigned artists

In what is surely a great move for the indie music artists everywhere, PurePlay music is teaming up with iTunes to get new, unsigned acts, some exposure.

Pure Play Music has reached a digital distribution deal designed to bring its catalogue of 1.5 million tracks from unsigned artists to iTunes, eMusic, Amazon and Napster. As part of the partnership, one of the four distribution channels, iTunes, will be giving Pure Play Music its own drop-down category on the front page of their Web site. Music enthusiasts can log onto iTunes, listen to the artist’s song, and, if they like it, click on a link that directs them to the artist’s personal profile page at Pure Play Music.
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Pure Play currently features and promotes over 6,000 acts from a total of 42 countries, all of whom have been vetted through the stringent Pure Play A&R selection and legal process.

As a long time indie music supporter, I'm pretty stoked about this. Currently I get most of my music from eMusic.com, which is a lot of indie bands that are just getting exposure or never made the really big deals. eMusic.com does have quite a selection of big names as well, but that's really not what I'm out for. I like hearing that new, undiscovered talent, that often offers so much more.

Now, this would be really great news if iTunes finally went to a subscription based service!

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How to force your iPhone into restore mode

When an iPhone 3G locks up hard, and I mean really hard, your options are limited. Typically using the sleep plus home button reset trick (hold both for about 10 seconds) will set things right again. But when it doesn't, you need drastic measures. This can happen when the iPhone won't get past the initial Apple logo while booting. Plugging it into iTunes can simply cause iTunes to freeze. There is a fix on hand!

There is a trick for forcing the iPhone to go into restore mode. WARNING: This is a last resort! All the data on your iPhone will be cleared and it will be reset to factory defaults.

1. Turn off the iPhone (Hold down the Sleep button, or use Sleep + Home trick above and then release as soon as the screen shuts off).
2. Open iTunes on your computer.
3. Hold down the Home button while connecting to your computer with iTunes already open and ready for a connection.
4. iTunes will prompt you to perform a software restore.
5. The iPhone will be wiped clean completely and be totally reset
6. Enjoy your working iPhone!

How to disable iTunes store arrow links in iTunes 8

In iTunes 7, there was a preference to disable the links to the iTunes Store, those small arrows that appear when you select a song in your library. In iTunes 8 that preference has been removed and those little arrows are everywhere.

However, there is a solution to make them go away.

To disable the iTunes Store link arrows, first quit iTunes. Then open Terminal, and run the following command:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes show-store-arrow-links -bool FALSE

When you relaunch iTunes there will no more arrows! To turn the arrows back on again, simply enter the above command but replace FALSE with TRUE.

Now go enjoy your iTunes 8 without the constant nagging of the iTunes store!

How to enable Entourage syncing to iPhone and iPod touch

Entourage contact and calendar syncing to your iPhone is easy. It requires the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.5 If your Microsof Office isn't already updated, download the latest updates here. or use the built-in Microsoft AutoUpdate application.

Once you have installed the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.5 Update, the Sync Services option in Entourage will be available (In Entourage, choose Entourage > Preferences and click Sync Services under General Preferences).

Select the check-boxes for Synchronize Contacts and Synchronize Events so Entourage contacts and calendars will sync with Address Book and iCal. After that, iTunes can sync the data to iPhone and iPod touch.

Select the sync option that represents where you keep you information up-to-date. If all of your information is in Entourage and not Address Book, then select "Replace Sync Services items with Entourage items." If all of your information is in Address Book, then select the "Replace Entourage items with Sync Services items." If you have a mix of information in Entourage and Address Book, then you may want to select the "Merge Entourage items with Sync Services items."

It's also good to note that Entourage does not need to be open when syncing iPhone or iPod touch, so you don't have to keep all of your windows open.

Apple releasing iPhone firmware 2.1 on Friday

At today's Let's Rock event, Apple announced a new iPod Nano and and a new iPod Touch, an updated AppleTV, as well as iTunes 8.

But the biggest news to me is the revelation that Firmware 2.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch is going to be out on Friday - hopefully. The current firmware suffers from frequent application crashes and major iPhone 3G reception problems. Firmware 2.0.2 was pushed by AT&T and Apple as a fix to the reception issues, but that iPhone firmware made things worse.

I'll post an update as soon as I have been able to download my 2.1 firmware. I'm hoping that it fixes the reception issues, otherwise that Nokia N96 is looking pretty good right now.

Nokia N96 Review

Looks like the initial hands-on reviews of the Nokia N96 are starting to roll in. As my reception problems with my iPhone 3G continue, this is the phone that I am leaning towards replacing it with.

While the iPhone is probably going win in the long run on the number of available applications, the N96 is very attractive. While the iPhone camera is a paltry 2 megapixels, with no flash and no video, the N96 is 5 megapixel, with flash, with 30fps video recording.

Other features include:

• 32 Gigabyes of total storage - 2X that of the iPhone
• Wide variety of available S60 applications for almost every need
• Ability to sync music with iTunes

For me the biggest draw is the camera. As a professional photographer, I find that I often want to take pictures of everything around me at all times. However, I don't always want to carry another piece of equipment with me. Examples are times when hiking, or at music concerts, or even just walking to lunch in the city.

What did I learn from the review? Well, it appears that the camera's pictures are decent, but still seem a bit muddy. They appear to suffer quite a bit of red/blue noise in the dark areas, and suffer from muddy image/noise patterns that remind me of early Panasonic models.

While it is tempting for me to switch at this point, the biggest sticking points for me are lack of a touchscreen, slow GPS response, and no QWERTY keyboard.

So for now, I guess I'll wait to see if firmware 2.1 for the iPhone fixes the reception problems. If not, I might be phone shopping again. I just can't keep a phone that drops calls 3-5 times per conversation, and that's what is going on with the iPhone.

What's new in iTunes 8

From KevinRose.com comes new details on iTunes 8.

• There will be a new Grid View to browse your artists and albums visually.
• TV Shows will be available to download in in HD quality from the iTunes Store
• A new new music visualizer is included.

iTunes 8 includes Genius, which makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together. Genius also includes Genius sidebar, which recommends music from the iTunes Store that you don't already have.

I'm interested to see how Genius works, the rest is meh. If Genius works like Pandora, I'm in, especially if that feature can be ported to things like the iPhone.

Here's what I want to see that isn't mentioned yet.

• iPhone backup speed needs to be dramatically improved.
• Hopefully they fix the iTunes store to make it faster and easier to use.
• Support for a wider variety of video formats.

Here's to hoping.