[Chuck Reti]

[Tom Matthies] “OK, a bit convoluted but:
Open iTunes. Change Import preference to .aiff. Export to iTunes from garage band. Reimport resulting iTunes file into Quicktime Pro. Export as .aiff at 48k.
It works but there’s gotta be an easier way…?”

Lots easier.
Open iTunes. Preferences/Advanced/Importing, set “Import Using..” to AIFF.
Use the “Custom” button to select 48kHz sample rate.
Drop GarageBand file into iTunes library window or use Add to Library (CMD-O).
Select the new track, go to menubar-Advanced/Convert Selection to AIFF.
The converted track will show up in your Library list under the original one.
Drag it to your desktop (which makes a new copy of the file), or, select it and use “get info>show in Finder” to get to the file in its iTunes folder.

[Chuck Reti]

[cahaba] “client wants 18 2-hour tapes converted to quicktime files. Will take forever!”
You are charging hourly, right?
“Is H.264 fastest/best export option?”
What’s the end use of the QT’s – are they to be full size/full rez for broadcast or archive, or smaller size and lower frame rate for web use? Will the final QT file sizes be a storage or transport issue for you and/or the client? These factors will make a huge difference in choice of codec and how long “forever” will end up being.

[Chuck Reti]

[chris newman] “does anyone know where on the system those sounds are stored and if so, do you know if/how you can change them?
“
These are “invisible’ files hidden inside various frameworks and resources folders in /System/Library.
There are some utilities to tweak various alert sounds, search VersionTracker.com for “system sounds” and a few results pop up.
Since these are at System level, they might be OK until the next OS update, then be broken.

[Chuck Reti]

[Randall M] “I did remember the last thing I installed about a week ago was a new 3.6V motherboard battery- which by the way I was having to replace about every 6 months.”

It’s pretty easy to put the battery in the wrong way. Have you checked that as well?
Your battery should not have faililng that frequently. Two to three years is a typical span. Were you unplugging the computer or switching off its AC supply after shutting down? This will cause the life to be sucked out of the logic board batteries.
Have you tried resetting the PMU after the battery replacement – there’s a sequence to doing it right; some other learned person here will have to chime in.

[Chuck Reti]

Somewhere in the documenttation or troubleshooting guide (printed or online) for the game or whatever program, will be info on what TCP and/or UDP ports need to be open. The software maker’s site or user forums related to it might be helpful.

[Chuck Reti]

In “Sharing” Pref Pane, Firewall tab, New> select “Other” from pulldown, enter the TCP and UDP port number(s) specified for the app, Enter app name in the “Description” field. Make sure in the list that the app’s “Allow” checkbox is ticked.
If you’re using a router, you may also have to also open or forward ports.

[Chuck Reti]

A slate, for spots or shows, most often is simply made using a Character Generator or with an NLE’s available titling tools. It will usually have info lines for
Agency or client:
Series Title (if applicable):
Episode or spot Title:
any Program or commercial ID code # (if applicable):
Length:
Date (production date, but sometimes also Air Date(s)):

There’s no “template” as such. Find a show or spot reel and see how it’s done by others.
In most cases the slate is keyed over a countdown clock. If your client wants six seconds, I’ll assume they want 8-7-6-5-4-3 plus a 2pop, something that can easily be done by the editor (and saved for future use). Some prefabs are available with Avid and FCP, but it’s way too easy to roll your own.
As always, if you’re not sure, ask your client.

[Chuck Reti]

…A tech…said the only real option was to have my internal card removed, and to install a 3rd party card in the PCMCIA slot. It’s a gamble though, because there is no way to tell if it will actually improve the reception. The labor cost to remove the card is $130.

You DO NOT have to remove the internal Airport card!! Someone wants to rip you off, or simply just doesn’t know his stuff. You can plug in a 3rd party PC Card in the slot (that’s pretty much the hardware “install” part), install any needed software drivers. Make sure it’s a card that’s known to play nicely with the Powerbook and OS X – some don’t. You will be able to decide whether to use the internal Airport wireless or the PC Card wireless. They’ll have to be properly configured as Locations in your Network settings in System Prefs. It’s been a couple of years since I briefly used the dual system TiBook i mentioned earlier, so I don’t and won’t remember the specifics of setup.
Of course it’s a gamble. But there is a reasonable possiblity the PC Card will perform better .
As others here have mentioned, seriously consider getting your own internet connection, for technical and ethical reasons.

[Chuck Reti]

[Sales Dude McBoob] “Can I improve the wireless card on my PowerBook G4?”

To just answer the question, no, you can’t improve the internal card/antenna.
But, you can purcase a third-party wireless PC Card that in most instances will provide much better performance. Some cards also offer a connector for an external antenna. Check online retailers like OWC (macsales.com) or macwireless.com for some product choices.

[Chuck Reti]

[mortimer heathcliff] “1) iPhoto never imports any of the avi movies from my CompactFlash camera card, but it does import the stills quite well. any ideas why it won’t import avi’s?;

But it does. As a photo app, it’s not going to play it natively, but, this, from iPhoto help and personal experience (just did it):
The first frame of a video clip is shown in your library with a camera icon and its total running time displayed on the bottom of its thumbnail. To play a video clip you’ve imported into iPhoto, double-click it. The movie opens in QuickTime Player. You can use the QuickTime controls to play and pause your movie, step through the movie frame by frame, fine-tune the sound, and more.

I generally don’t import directly into iPhoto, but rather use Image Capture, which will import both stills and camera videos to the folder of your choice for later disposition

2) i was wanting to shorten one of these crappy little avi’s (without losing any more quality), so wanted to import it to FCP, shorten it, then export as an avi again. when i do this, the resulting avi is quite a bit worse than what i started with. so i tried exporting it as a QT, which looked great, but was huge. any ideas here?”

Haven’t tried it, can’t answer that one.