Whether you just recently joined the Apple family or you need some pointers, Mac|Life has put together a wonderful Mac Resource guide.  This guide covers everything from just getting started with your computer, keyboard shortcuts, to installing Windows with Boot Camp.

Enjoy,
~Kaz

So, you finally let Windows out to rot and made the switch to the Mac. Feeling a little anxious about it? Well, first of all, relax. There are plenty of resources out there to help you get situation, not to mention an amazing community of enthusiasts who have no problem helping you find your way. To get you started, here’s a list of 9 essential resources you should add to your arsenal right now. No matter your experience level with computers, these resources can surely help you find your way.

1. Apple Mac 101
Apple’s Mac 101 learning site lets you discover all of the ins-and-outs of your new Macintosh computer. This is a great site if you’re new to OS X or if you want to learn about all of the features of the Mac. If you’re moving from Windows to the Mac, be sure to check out Apple’s switcher guide.

2. Apple Discussion Board
When you’re new to a platform, you often have tons of questions, like where a setting might be located or if if you need to perform routine hard drive maintenace. Apple’s Discussion Board is a great place to get started with these types of questions and receive answers from the Mac community at large.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Article Credit: Cory Bohon

You gotta love the smooth operators over at Life Hacker, they always seem to have a trick or workaround to help the rest of us enjoy digital treasures, sooner.

Calling Spotify a treasure is an understatement.  For those that are unfamiliar with Spotify, this service allows users to access an almost bottomless pool of music, while also offering you a place to manage the local music files you already have. Think of it as the iTunes Store except all those scrawny song previews are actually full length songs at your fingertips.  With a US launch less than 24 hours old people are scrambling for invites, the problem with that however, is they are going fast or not being passed out at all. Purchasing a premium account gives you instant access, but if you just want to try it, or have no interest in paying for yet another subscription, we won’t judge you. So without further adue here are the instructions Life Hacker so lovingly put together to get instant access to Spotify in the US, with no waiting around for an invite, that may never actually come.

1. You need to start with a UK account. To do that, you’ll need to be in the UK—or, at least, appear to be. To do that, visitDaveProxy (or another free, UK-based proxy service) and go to spotify.com. (Note: if you’re using DaveProxy, be prepared to contend with a lot of pop-up ads. Just close them as they come up. They’re harmless.)
2. Sign up for an account on the UK site. You’ll need a UK zip code, but just search for McDonald’s in London and you’ll find one without issue.
3. Once you have an account, sign out and go to spotify.com like you normally would in the US. You won’t see a place to log in because that’s hidden behind the signup page. Pretend you’re signing up for a premium account and you’ll see a message asking you already have an account and want to log in. You do, so click the associated link and log in.
4. Go back to spotify.com and you’ll now see a black box up at the top of the site. It’ll read “continue to spotify.com.” Click on it.
5. You’re in, but your account is still UK-based. You’ll see your username displayed up on the top right. Click it and choose “Edit Profile.”
6. In the “Country” menu, change “United Kingdom” to “United States” and set your zip code to whatever it actually is. Save your profile when you’re done.
7. Download the Spotify app and log in.

[Read The Entire Article Here]

Apple’s philosophy on product design and function is brilliant. So what happens when they decide to build their new headquarters?

They design a freaking spaceship.

“It’s a little like a spaceship landed.” Jobs’ delivery showed that even he is still baffled by how spectacular this building will look.  Considering its halo design and attention to detail, Apple is creating a monument to themselves, just because they can.

Particulars about the new Apple campus:

• The plan is to change the area from 20% landscape to 80% landscape. They do this by putting the vast majority of parking underground.
• Jobs plans on adding almost 50% more trees and has hired a renowned arborist from Stanford to lead that aspect.
• All structures will be no greater than 4 stories, ensuring that the campus doesn’t have a monopoly on the horizon.
• In true Apple fashion the campus will provide it’s own power from natural gas, and use the city grid as their backup.
• The campus will also include, research and development buildings, an auditorium, and a fitness center.
• Jobs says that their plan will be to increase employees by 40% in 2015 to 13,000.
• The overall square-footage will increase by 20% over their current campus.
• Because of underground parking the Apple complex will decrease parking surfaces by 90%.
• The apple cafe found in the main complex will be able to feed 3,000 people at one sitting.
• Jobs hopes to break ground by next year and move in 2015.

Photo Credit: Apple Insider

It was particularly interesting to see Steve Jobs giving a keynote presentation outside of his element in such a public forum, considering his poor health. I can’t help but have morbid thoughts about what this might indicate.  I certainly hope this isn’t his last epic move before he moves on. Another question I can’t help but ask is what is being placed in the middle of that epic courtyard. Possibly a statue of a certain CEO?

Here is Jobs’ presentation to the Cupertino city council. The first 15 minutes are really great and informative, however, you might consider skipping the less than tasteful question and answer session at the back-end of this video. I felt that some of their questions were unprepared and not asked in the proper setting.

I certainly hope that my morbid speculation is completely off-target and Steve Jobs has many more years ahead of him, but whatever fate has in store for him, this new headquarters will certainly be a monument dedicated to the influence Apple has had on culture and society today. It will be exciting to see this built.

What are your thoughts on this bold new campus, am I a terrible man for even suggesting Jobs is building a personal place of rest?

Tell me I am wrong below.

I recently had to change cellular plans. I won’t belabor you with the details, but this miserable situation forced me to immediately ditch my iPhone 4. That hurt. Plain and simple. Despite how abysmal it might sound, this move granted me the opportunity to begin shopping for a new phone, and no, I didn’t even consider getting another iPhone 4.

In Star Wars terms, I had just shifted to the dark-side, Steve Jobs got a little bit more sick, and the ice caps melted, leaving yet another polar bear homeless.

After staying up till 3AM browsing CNET, Gizmodo, Engadget, and many other blogs I trust for product reviews, I was only further convinced that the iPhone 4 chapter of my life was completely closed. The many Android products, all newly released and boasting powerful specs, made my mouth water. The idea of exploring a new operating system and having access to a more genuine and integrated Google experience was exactly what sealed the deal for me.

I am now a very happy Android user

I have had my new phone for a couple of weeks now, I decided to hold off on writing this post, just so I could be a little bit more objective. I have found that “buyers’ glow” can often skew how I look at a new gadget.

“Buyers’ glow” aside, my Motorola Atrix is sexy and sleek, barely thicker than my old iPhone 4. Despite how tempting it was for me to buy the laptop docking station, I decided it was something I wouldn’t use enough to justify the extra expense.

I have heard people complain that Android’s interface can be a bit jumpy and kind of laggy, but not this phone, its dual-core processor ensures that. Despite some fundamental grievances I have with many of Google’s policies and practices, I really depend on their products: Gmail, Documents and Reader to name a few, are all happily situated and completely baked into my phone. This above all has to be me favorite feature. Among other things, Android’s notification system is brilliant, giving me updates on my Twitter, Facebook, email, SMS, Skype, and really anything if so pleased.

Apple are you taking notes?

Another beautiful thing is the widgets I have have access to. My calender, music player, RSS feed, email, Facebook, YouTube and Shazam sit on my home screens, ready to be used instantly, no waiting for apps to launch, just immediate feedback and I love it.

Apple has a knack for getting UI right. There is no doubt about that. Immediately after opening the box and running my new device I found Motorola’s skin over Android, called Motoblur, to be lacking in the area that Apple shines in. Though Apple’s iOS lacks widgets, there is a sense of style that I miss. However, because I am using an Android I simply got a new skin that is significantly better than Motoblur called GOlauncher. That immediately solved my problem and actually made my Android a little bit more iOS like. I love that about my Android. I found a feature I wanted to change, so I did it. Even jailbreaking an iOS device doesn’t give you the kind of control I have over my Android.

I am pretty smitten over my Motorola Atrix. This product is leaps and bounds beyond the iPhone 4 in so many ways. The one area (and its a big one) that Android is really lacking in is its app selection. Apple seems to have a monopoly on all of the good apps out there. For every 1 good app that I find in the Android market it seems that there are 10 more in the iOS app store. Everyone knows that Android will catch up to the amount of apps that iOS has, but that doesn’t mean that its not just a bunch of crap that will further bury the decent apps left.

As a new Android user I can assure you that the apps I do have I am very pleased with, I don’t want to make it sound like there aren’t great apps to be found, because there are plenty of them. In fact I have apps that make my iOS friends green with envy. It just seems that Android can take a lesson from Apple and begin to curate their apps a bit more. This would truly make Android the perfect mobile platform. Until then all I can say is this: iPhone 4 you where a great companion, but now I have a phone that knows me better, you always seemed to be in Apple’s camp and not mine, and that was always a turn off. Thanks for the good times but Android is here and all he wants to do is serve me, exactly as it should be.

My name is Max Lemos and it is my pleasure to introduce myself as the newest member of the team over here at FoleyPod. I have known Chris Foley for almost a year now when we met at Make It Work, another local Santa Barbara company.  It was at Make It Work that I learned the craft of blogging.  My life long interest in technology took a turn for the better, as I was no longer just consuming, but contributing to the beautifully intricate and pleasantly vibrant world of technology.

While at Make It Work, I was surrounded by great people learning exponentially.  As a neophyte blogger, Make It Work offered me the creative freedom I needed to expand my repertoire and sharpen my skills as a blogger.

Now that I am here at FoleyPod and working closely with Chris, I have found the next logical place for me.  Chris’ passion and focus is awe inspiring, his vision for FoleyPod and the new exciting projects he has planned have me excited and rearing to go.
However, enough about work (But lets be honest, is it work if you are doing what you love?)

In addition to blogging about technology, I love cooking (which I have been doing for as long as I can remember), I am a huge soccer fan and was elated to see Spain win the World Cup over the summer, I am a fiercely passionate person and enjoy living in Santa Barbara, the place of my birth.  To put it simply, I love the simple things in life i.e. my iPhone, my computer and a good book.

I hope that you will enjoy my fresh perspective here on FoleyPod Blog and don’t ever hesitate to share your opinions and start a discussion with me, I am just a comment away. Catch you later!

-Max

March 2010

✓    I Know That He’s Mine    Caro Emerald
✓    Hypnotized (feat. Fran)    Oliver Koletzki
✓    Toro    Chew Lips
✓    Kite    Ivy
✓    The Trees and the Wild    Matt Pond PA
✓    Against All Odds    The Postal Service
✓    I Have a Vision (Feat. Erin Martin)    Roy Davis Jr.
✓    These Habits    Oliver Koletzki & Pyur
✓    First Train Home    Imogen Heap
✓    Starlight    The Supermen Lovers
✓    The Sun Rising (LP Version)    The Beloved
✓    I Will Always Love You    Quinn Harris
✓    I Got The…    Labi Siffre (DID YOU KNOW – This is the song Sampled in Eminem’s Slim Shady single!)
✓    My Love    The Bird and the Bee
✓    Mad World    Tears for Fears
✓    Just One Dance    Caro Emerald
✓    Soundtracks & Come Backs    Goldfish
✓    Slick    Chew Lips
✓    Comme un hic    Jenifer
✓    Young Americans [Single Version]    David Bowie
✓    Here In the Night    Kelley Polar
✓    Lovers In the Backseat    Scissor Sisters
✓    Femme fatale    Emmanuelle Seigner
✓    Plecked Medium (ODahl Remix)    Long Distance Analog
✓    Back It Up (Radio Edit)    Caro Emerald
✓    Boom Boom Ba    Metisse
✓    Eyes On Fire    Blue Foundation
✓    Help I’m Alive (The Twelves Remix)    Metric
✓    What You Need (Hey Champ Remix)    Priors
✓    The Cure & the Cause (Dennis Ferrer Remix)    Fish Go Deep & Tracey K
✓    Electric Lady    Tesla Boy
✓    Rebel Rebel    David Bowie
✓    Love Me (feat. Nelson)    Daniel Bovie & Roy Rox
✓    Ladies and Gentleman: Miss Grace Jones    Grace Jones
✓    Blue Chair (feat. Judy Tzuke)    Morcheeba
✓    L’annonce    Marie Espinosa
✓    Mama Used to Say    Jupiter
✓    Caramellas    Aeroplane
✓    Figures imposées    Julien Doré
✓    Week end à Rome    Etienne Daho
✓    Jazzhole    Free the Robots

June 2010

Keep On Breathing/ The Delgados
Holiday/ Turboweekend
Only People/ Cantoma
Nobody But You/ The Apples In Stereo
I Don’t Know Why I Love You/ Ivy
Waltz Darling (Introducting Lourdes & Pretty Fatt)/ Malcolm Mclaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra
Bluebird / One Self
Make You Mine /  BreakBot
Things You Don’t Have to Do (DJ Strobe Loungin’ In Ibiza Remix) /   Norah Jones & Peter Malick
Night Dance  /  Chris Coco & Pete Gooding
Everybody Loves a Loser  /  Morcheeba
Static On the Wire /  Holy Ghost!
Crash Years /  The New Pornographers
Er det nu (Pilfingers Remix) /   Marie Key Band
Look Into My Eyes /   Ray Mang
La fée /  ZAZ
Misread  /  Kings of Convenience
With You   / Summer of Space
Untitled Love  /  Still Going
Why Does the Wind?   / Tracey Thorn
A Funny Thing (Radio Edit)   / Penguin Prison
Sweet Jezebel /   Turboweekend
Sun and Rain /   Tenfold Loadstar
Enough’s Enough  /  Jamie Lidell
Take Me to the River  /  Al Green
New Heights /   A Fine Frenzy
Bulletproof (Tiborg Remix)  /  La Roux
Sly (7″ Edit)  /  Massive Attack
Nothing Left to Do (feat. Valia)   / Cayetano
Rome  /  Yeasayer
Sigh  /  Kate the Cat
Adventure We Go  /  Muchuu
Faster  /  Janelle Monáe
Go Get It (feat. Ladi6)  /  Sepalot
L.A. Lights  /  Grum
Never Stop  /  Chilly Gonzales
North Star (feat. Dido)  /  Faithless
Paint Me Rain  /  Muchuu
Sashimi  /  Tunng
Time is Love  /  Be.Alone
When I Am Brave   / Muchuu
New York City (Lazy Sunday In Prospect Park Remix)  /  Norah Jones & Peter Malick

May 2010

Azzurra   / Gui Boratto
Bluish    / Animal Collective
Breaststroke    / Mathemagic
Chaos    / New Young Pony Club
Clap (See the Stars)    / The Myrmidons
Clap Your Hands    / Sia
Coco (feat. Lilja Bloom)     /Parov Stelar
Dingue     /Emmanuelle Seigner
Dreamin’     /Feldberg
Dreaming     /Goldfrapp
Enjoy Your Life (feat. Liz June)    / Chris Le Blanc
Feel It All Around     /Washed Out
Fire In Your New Shoes (feat. Dragonette)     / Kaskade
Forward Motion    / Your Nature
Get Up    / Washed Out
Head First    / Goldfrapp
Hide Me    / The Golden Filter
Hold Out    / Washed Out
It’s Automatic   /  Zoot Woman
June Evenings    / Air France
Kisses    / Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra
La Belle Nation    / zeebee
Lately    / Washed Out
Mama Told Me Not To Come    / Wolfgang Press
Maneater    / The Bird and the Bee
Naughty Secret    / Xemplify
New Theory    / Washed Out
Odessa   /  Caribou
Også Om Dagen (SNE Remix)  /  Julie Maria
The One I Am  /  zeebee
Only Man  /  Audio Bullys
Open Your Eyes  /  Elsa
The Phoenix Alive (The Octans Edit)  /  Monarchy
Save Your Love (Lovelock Remix) /   Sally Shapiro
Say My Name   / Holy Ghost!
Sensibility  /  zeebee
She Lion  /  Rebekkamaria
Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix) /   Two Door Cinema Club
Sound of Love  /  Husky Rescue
Springer (Smith & Mudd Version)  /  Tosca
Superstition  /  Estelle Swaray
Under (Morgan Page Remix)  /  Under
Vampires (feat. Femi Kuti)  /  Thievery Corporation
Vox populi (Lifelike Treatment)  /  Jupiter
We Want To  /  New Young Pony Club
What’s In a Name  /  Late Night Alumni
Wonderful Life (Arthur Baker Remix Kitsuné Edit) /   Hurts
You And Me (Percussion Mix) [feat. Nadine Hoffmann]  /  Jean Mare
You’ll See It  /  Washed Out
Your Body Is a Machine (Zebra and Snake Remix) /   The Good Natured
Yours Truly   / Rebekkamaria
6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit)  /  Sneaker Pimps

Some friends and colleagues who know that I work with Denzyl Feigelson and Club Monaco to provide their monthly in-store music programming have been asking me where they can find a list of music, and also where the songs can be purchased. I’ve decided to post the playlist at the end of each month.
In fact, here’s what Club Monaco has to say about it on their Tunes Page:

FAVORITE TUNES
Club Monaco!

Each month, we get scores of questions about our Club Monaco store soundtracks. Who sings that song with the addictive rhythm? What band performs the cover of that amazing song? When are the new tracks coming out? Where can I buy these songs? Why don’t you spread the news?
Who, what, when, where, why!

~ Cheers
Chris

April 2010

All Those City Lights  /  Sono
Comme Ci Comme Ça (The Twelves Remix) /   Terry Poison
Go Go  /  Alphabeat
Desperately Trying  /  Anna Luca
Sans l’ombre de toi   / Mélanie Pain
Phébus  /  M
Fire  /  Tesla Boy
Blow Away  /  A Fine Frenzy
Strange Transmissions (Chillout Remix)  /  Norah Jones & Peter Malick
London Girl   / The Invisible
The Metro  /  Sleepthief & Jerri Eckert
I Can’t Wait   / The  Kenneth Bager Experience
That’s the Way Love Goes  /  Yuliet Topaz
Engiadina /   Sky D’Or
The Shining Path (feat. Phonte Coleman)  /  RJD2
So Light Is Her Footfall (Breakbot Remix) /   Air
She Takes My Breath Away  /  Casio Social Club & The Diogenes Club
Avenue l’Amour (Lemongrass Remix) /   Naomi
Addicted  /  Waldeck
Amour (Lounge Mix) [feat. Stella]  /  Superlounger
J’me fais mal  /  Etyl
Erlend /   Ted & Francis
Higher Heights  /  8000Below
Always Something Missing  /  Sono
A Night Like This  /  Caro Emerald
Sitting On Top of the World  /  Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band
Star  /  Lazy Hammock
Another Sunday Morning  /  The Casino Royal
A Bright New Life (Morgan Geist Re-Edit)  /  Escort
Stuck /   Caro Emerald
The First Picture  /  The  Kenneth Bager Experience
Conmigo (Featuring Sol Galarreta)  /  Fous de la Mer & Sol Galarreta
Apples and Pears  /  The Canyons
Let It Flow  /  Naoki Kenji
Be As One (feat. Emma Saville)  /  MinusBlue
Locomotion  /  Sophialorenians
Still Here (feat. Kim Sanders)   / Aural Float
Airtight [Aeroplane Remix]  /  Cobra Dukes
End of the Day (Silence)  /  Blue Foundation

February 2010

Alone/ Tennis Hero
Angie/ The Rolling Stones
Apprends Moi/ Superbus
Balulalow/ Revolver
Beaches and Friends (Hey Champ Remix)/ French Horn Rebellion Vs. Database
Bon Tempi/ Bazille Noir
Boys & Girls/ Martin Solveig
Come Dancing/ The Kinks
Faut-il, faut-il pas ?/ Nolwenn Leroy
Feel So Free/ Ivy
Feelin’ Good (Joe Claussell Remix)/ Nina Simone
Fireflies/  Owl City
Gadfly/ Blue Pilot’s Project
Hands In the Dark/ Chromatics
Heartbox/ Christophe Willem
Heaven Can Wait/ Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck
I Got You/ Split Enz
I’m a Stranger Here Myself/ Masha Qrella
Idéaliste/ Pascal Obispo
If (duo avec Charlotte Gainsbourg)/ Étienne Daho & Charlotte Gainsbourg
Il y a/ Vanessa Paradis
July Flame/ Laura Veirs
L-O-V-E/ Nat “King” Cole
L’âge des possibles/ Marie Espinosa
Lalalove You/ BB Brunes
Let’s Do It/ Diana Ross
The Light/ Supreme Beings of Leisure
Love Love Love (Aeroplane Remix)/ Low Motion Disco
Love Protects/ B.Alone
Ma vie n’est pas la tienne/ Najoua Belyzel
Magnetising/ Marsmobil
My Favourite Book/ Stars
Out of Your Mind/ Eriq Johnson
Positivity/ Stevie Wonder
Pussycat On a Leash / Oceana
Quicksand (Thievery Corporation Remix)/ Natalie Walker
Sconsolato/ Nathan Davis
Someday, Someway/ Marshall Crenshaw
Still Going Theme/ Still Going
Take Yo’ Praise/ Camille Yarbrough
Things We Do (Nils Krogh Alternate Take)/ Soular Sound
Toc Toc Quentin/ Mosimann
Toi + moi/ Grégoire
Under Pressure/ Queen
Warwick Avenue/ Duffy
We Belong in This World Together/ Stereo MC’s
Wonderwall / Oasis