This site is the online companion to my book/DVD, "The Macintosh iLife '05", published by Peachpit Press and Avondale Media. If you like this site, you'll love the book and its nearly three-hour DVD-Video disc. Learn more. Have news, tips, comments, or links? Send them along! How to contact me. Get an iLife. Get your own copy of "The Macintosh iLife '05". Patronize your local bookstore or buy from Amazon for just $23.09 (34 percent off). Learn more about the book and DVD. Find out what all the buzz is about: view samples of this beautiful book and watch QuickTime excerpts from the DVD. Upcoming Appearances June 21. Apple Store, San Francisco, 6 pm June 25. Northeast Ohio Apple Corps, 9 am July 23. iLife seminar, Santa Rosa, CA Photo gallery. I love the Flickr photo sharing service; here are some recent shots. (Newsreader users: To subscribe to my photostream, drag this link into your newsreader.)

The Morning After Zero7, Restoring Your Old VHS Tapes

Greetings from San Francisco, where bride and I are still bopping our heads after a great night of music from Zero7, which we saw live at the Fillmore. What a great band -- rich orchestrations, great beats, superb vocals. I've been a fan for years and it was a real treat to see them live.

(And everything you've heard about the Filmore's snotty staff is true -- they act like they are truly doing you a grand favor by allowing you to draw breath under their roof.)

Anyway, just a quick link today, this one to a feature that I wrote for a recent issue of Macworld. The feature is called From VHS to DVD, and it deals with an increasingly popular topic: capturing old movies into the Mac and burning them to DVD.

I also cover this subject in detail in The Macintosh iLife '04 book and DVD, which still ship next week, according to Amazon. Pre-order your copy, then go listen to some Sophie Barker.

Sonic Grab-Bag: Dot-Matrix Symphony, The Sound of the Universe, and More Old Radio

Today, a random collection of audio oddities for your listening pleasure.

Symphony #2 for Dot Matrix Printers. Via MacSlash by way of Leander Kahney's must-read Cult of Mac blog, a couple of thinkers different have composed and recorded a symphony of synchronized dot matrix printers. It can be yours at the iTunes Music Store. At this writing, track number 3, a three-minute, seven-second piece named %%%%%%%%$$$$$$$>>>>>>>>@@@@@@@, is the most popular download. It's no wonder.

The sound of the universe. As Space.com reporter Leonard David reports, "An astronomer has turned observations of the early universe into a sound clip that represents a primal scream from the first million years after the Big Bang."

The sound resembles a synthesizer's filter sweep. To quote the Space.com article, the sound "represents the first million years of the cosmos and it is compressed into about 5 seconds for easy listening." Listen now.

This isn't the first time scientists have turned astronomical observations into audible sound. Also available for your listening pleasure is the music of the magnetosphere (more here).

Last year, scientists determined that a black hole is producing a B-flat that's 57 octaves below middle-C. If anyone can tell me what this page is talking about, I'll sing the note for you. Big bong, indeed.

There's a lovely collection of space sounds at -- where else? -- SpaceSounds.com. This University of Iowa site has more.

Meanwhile, back on Earth. And finally, a friend replied to my post of May 12, in which I recommended RadioLovers.com, which contains hundreds of old radio programs. If you're into old radio, you should also know about Bill Sparks' amazing collection. The Old Time Radio WebRing should also be on your places-to-surf list.

From the beginning of time to Fibber McGee and Molly to dot matrix symphonies, we aim to please here at macilife.com. If you please, pre-order The Macintosh iLife '04 at Amazon for $20.99. It ships next week!

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Really old stuff (before February 2003)

©2002-2005 by Jim Heid.