My post reprinted from the Apple support forums:

My iPhone started vibrating all by itself yesterday. So I thought it was the switch, and tried playing around with it. It ended up breaking. But, the vibrate switch always was a problem for me, even when new. For some reason, it would move too easily either way, often turning on when I just touched the side of the phone. Anyway, made an appointment today for the iPod Bar and within 30 seconds the genius said, “I’ll go get you another phone.” A few minutes later, he was back out with a new phone. When I got home literally it took me 5 minutes to sync my phone and be right back to where I was before.

I did have a backup, and everything seemed to sync perfectly, all settings, etc. Except the custom rings I had for some people I had to reset them. They were set to default. Not too bad for only the 5 or so custom rings I had for people. Maybe making the backup doesn’t save that info.

I give Apple 5 big stars for the service I received. Didn’t have to pay a penny and was in and out within minutes.

Thanks Apple!

With iTunes 7.5 and the new iPhone software 1.1.2, MakeiPhoneRingtone works again! And the best part, it’s FREE! What this software does is automate the process of adding your songs (no longer than 40.04 seconds) into the iTunes ringtones folder, thus making them available for use on your iPhone when you sync it.

The program will take your AAC file, send it to your iTunes Music sub-folder “Ringtones,” and add it to your ringtone playlist. The only thing you have to do is make the ringtone. I use Sound Studio 3 to cut my songs.

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UPDATE (11.17.07) - Apple’s new iPhone software 1.1.2 allows you to add your own songs as ring tones. It’s not as “Apple-like” as it should be, but easily accomplished in a few easy steps. First, use an audio editor (I use Sound Studio for Mac). Create your ringtones (less than 40 seconds), fading in/out as you wish. Then save them as AAC (I prefer 256 Kbps). Once saved, rename them to *.mpr. Then open your iTunes music folder, and find the “Ringtones” folder. Drop all your *.mpr files in. Then, from that folder, open each one (make sure the mpr extension is associated with iTunes), and the songs will magically be added to the iTunes ringtone folder. I don’t know if this is a mistake on Apple’s part or this is what they are planning, but it works great and I don’t need iToner now.

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3:00 AM this morning was the last time I’ll ever use DSL.

Around 3:00 AM today, I noticed my connection dropped. I tried everything I could, but to no avail. I spent almost three hours trying to figure it out. I gave up and went to bed.

I called Verizon in the early afternoon about the problem. Long story short, it seems my line had two IPs, and that was the cause of the problem. OK.. so what do do about it? While I was on hold, I thought about all the cool ways they could handle this, from clearing my line, to doing some fantastic line “sweep” and clear all the shit off the line. Their solution– unplug your computer for eight hours, then tray again.

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The entire iMac line now features the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor, delivering up to 50% faster performance than the previous iMac. A new 24-inch iMac with a brilliant 24-inch widescreen display joins the 17- and 20-inch models. iMac prices now start at just $999. — Apple.com

Well, Apple again shocked me by beating out the speculated day for iMac revisions, and offered a complete new line starting today. Everyone and his cousin thought Apple would release a 23″ model on September 12, at a “special event.” Looks like Apple upstaged them all!

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In the continuation of a long-running arms race, both Apple Computer and Microsoft have seen their music protection technologies come under fire in recent days. — News.com

In the past month, separate programs have emerged to strip away the digital rights management (DRM) tools that the two technology giants use to protect music from unauthorized duplication. One of the programs counteracts Microsoft’s Windows Media DRM, while the other targets Apple’s FairPlay.

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From the time Apple first releaed the Mighty Mouse, people have been wondering when a wireless model was going to be introduced. Well, the wait is over.

Upon visiting the Apple web site today, I was delightedly surprised to see the wireless Mighty Mouse ($69.00) on the home page. Sooner than I could pair my Mighty Mouse with my Mac, I ordered one. The total, with FREE shipping, came to $72.45.

The new Mighty Mouse is basically the same as the original Mighty Mouse, except the wireless version uses laser tracking, rather than optical. Unlike the wireless Apple mouse, the wireless Mighty Mouse can use two batteries, or if you are concerned about weight, you can install just one. This is great for those of us used to the lightness of the Mighty Mouse, but want the flexibility of a wireless model.

I literally just ordered the mouse and before I even had time to read all the device information. So, I’ll finish writing this and go read more about the new wireless Mighty Mouse. Go Apple!

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Well, it’s that time again– time to change all my web passwords.

I used a random generator for six characters, with a two character prefix decided on by the name of the web site, and a two character suffix that was random, but constant. I used Steve Gibson’s password generator to get the six character string. Ten case-sensitive, alpha-numeric characters now make up my password. That’s two more than my last password!

The only problem is that I can’t possibly remember all the passwords now. Well, maybe I can eventually, but it would take time. Thankfully, I just use Safari’s password feature, which pulls my web passwords from my Keychain (Mac). I just have to enter them once.

I accidently cancelled my hosting account for three web sites this morning when I removed a credit card from PayPal. I didn’t realize it at the time, but shortly after I received a bunch of messages stating my hosting accounts were closed. After realizing what I did wrong, I did a support chat with a rep and got back online in a hurry. Thanks BelaHost!

I had a problem with my new Intel Mac mini. When I upgraded to the latest firmware, my system sound would reset to 50% after every computer restart. Apparently there is a bug in the firmware, as other’s are having the same problem.

But remember, this is a Mac! And don’t forget about Automator!

Automate Me!

What Automator does, is basically do things you could do on your own if you had all the time in the world. Automator can do those mundane, repetitive tasks only the Mexicans wish to do. At heart, it’s really a simple, drag-and-drop scripting language that anyone can get started with. You can create your own application in a matter of seconds, which can be run from anywhere– from the desktop to startup.

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