Steve may want us to stop thinking about CDs when we think about music, and while that makes sense, the new iTunes icon isn't to everyone's liking.

Swapping out icons is nothing new. Mac users have been doing it for years. This will be a quick refresher for some of you. For the new Mac users out there, this is a fun way to customize your Mac.

First you find an icon you like. Iconfactory has a great selection of icons. For us we're going to replace the iTunes 10 icon with the icon from iTunes 9. Some of us like the old icon. Call us sentimental.

If you updated to iTunes 10 before saving the iTunes 9 icon, you're in luck. We have a zip file with the icon attached to a folder. Go ahead and download it.

First, we're going to backup our iTunes 10 icon. Just in case we change our minds later.

1. Select the iTunes 10 application in the Applications folder.

2. You'll want to Get Info. You can do that by selecting Command-I or navigating to the Menu Bar File>Get Info.

3. The Info window will pop up. Select the icon at the top on the window and copy it. You can copy with Command-C or Edit>Copy.

4. Create a new folder in the Finder. Call it "iTunes 10 icon backup". Get Info on the folder and paste (Command-P or Edit>Paste) the iTunes 10 icon over the default folder icon. Store that folder somewhere.

5. Select the iTunes 10 app Get Info window. You'll need to change the access privileges in order to change the application's icon. Click on the lock in the lower right hand corner. You'll be prompted for your password.

6. Change the Access for everyone to Read & Write. Remember to change this back to Read only when you're done.

7. Now grab the folder you downloaded earlier with the iTunes 9 icon. Now repeat the copy and paste we described in steps 3 and 4 to change the iTune 10 app icon to the iTunes 9 icon.

8. Change the everyone access back to Read Only. Close the all the Get Info windows.

9. iTunes 10 should be sporting the old-school icon now. To change the icon in the Dock. Shut down iTunes. Remove the icon from the Dock. Relaunch iTunes. The icon should now be the old iTunes icon.

10. To keep the icon in the Dock.  Right-click the dock icon, select options, select Keep in Dock.

That's it. Now if only we could figure out a way to bring colors back to the Source bar in iTunes 10.

Follow this article's author, Roberto Baldwin, on Twitter.

While trying out the new iTunes today, we realized that we could no longer set the option to see if a track purchased from the iTunes store could be made into a ringtone within iTunes 10 for $.99.

In previous versions of iTunes, you could pay an additional $.99 to create a ringtone from a track you purchased from the iTunes Store. Those ringtones could be added to your iPhone and when someone called you, you could display to the world just how hip you are with your Justin Beiber ringtone.

After looking around in the application, it seems that ringtone creation has been pulled from iTunes 10. We checked iTunes and were met with only information on how to sync ringtones from iTunes.

Ringtone maker in iTunes 9.2.1

We were still able to create and purchase a ringtone using iTunes 9.2.1.

If you're a ringtone fanatic, we have an article on how to make ringtones for cheap.

We've emailed Apple about the lack of ringtone creation and we'll update as soon as we hear back.

Thanks to reader Michael for noticing this.

Follow this article’s author, Roberto Baldwin on Twitter.

iTunes 10 is now live! Finally! It feels like we've been waiting for centuries. Anyway, go and get it! Go and revel in all of its glory!

The new iTunes 10 includes Ping, a new social music discovery tool that combines the best of Twitter and Facebook from within iTunes itself. You can follow others and be followed to share your music tastes with friends and family.  You can also view upcoming concert and event listings happening near you. The Ping service is available in 23 countries and to all 160 million iTunes users.

The new iTunes also promises better syncing and includes a new capacity bar, so you can tell how much space you have on your device in real time--real talk.



Follow this article's author, Florence Ion, on Twitter.

Join us on Wednesday September 1 at 10:00AM PDT for our live coverage of Apple's Special Event.

We're expecting new iPods, an updated iTunes and maybe, just maybe a brand new Apple TV.

See you then.

(Image courtesy of bluedroplet.com)

Chalk one up for Cupertino.  The MPEG Licensing Authority gave the green light to indefinitely extend royalty-free Internet broadcasting licensing of its H.264 video codec to end users.  The advantage that Google's WebM once had, comes up short.  It all but means that Apple's preferred H.264 is the video format for modern HTML5 video out on the web.

What exactly does the MPEG Licensing Authority do?  They manage the licensing of the patent pool for H.264 video compression for a whole range of companies that all contribute to the standard, companies such as Apple.

Granted, anyone is able to license H.264 under non-discriminatory terms.  However, proponents of free software don't particularly care for the use of commercially licensed video codecs because it puts web content into a format which would require licensing fees for play back (or worse, non-licensed code must be used, thus an ensuing legal battle royal).

via AppleInsider

Follow this article's author, Matthew Tilmann on Twitter

This weeks tips are for the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad, with some helpful tidbits on how to save money on your AT&T bill, type faster, discover Safari's hidden Bookmarks Bar on the iPad, and add bookmarks to the Bookmarks Bar. 

Drop Your Texting Plan and Save Money

We know--you're scratching your head about the headline on this tip, but seriously, you can drop your texting plan and still "text" your friends using e-mail instead of SMS/MMS. You are, after all, using an iPhone, so why not take full advantage of its mandatory data plan?

Here's how you can send a text message to your friends on AT&T and other carriers. Simply send them an e-mail as follows:

AT&T: phonenumber@txt.att.net 

Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net

Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com

Make sure you tell your friends to send future text messages to your e-mail address after canceling your texting plan.

Tip: If your friends don't do as you ask and continue to send you traditional SMS text messages you may incur charges. Therefore, you should ask AT&T to block all incoming or outgoing SMS/MMS text messages. Be sure to tell your friends, who are not lucky enough to own an iPhone, that this tip will even work for them on different carriers.

Compatibility: iPhone 

Zippy Fast Typing with Double Spaces

Typing a period at the end of sentence is so last century. These days, you can type a lot faster on any iOS based device by double-tapping the space bar. This will automatically enter a period followed by a space.

Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad 

Enable the Bookmarks Bar in Safari for iPad

The Bookmarks Bar in Safari on the iPad isn't turned on by default. So, we'll show you how to turn the book marks on using the following steps: launch Settings > Safari > tap Always Show Bookmarks Bar to turn it ON.

Compatibility: iPad 

Adding Bookmarks to the Bookmark Bar

Once the Bookmarks Bar is turned on you can add your own bookmarks to it by completing the following steps: Launch Safari on your iPad, surf to a website you want to bookmark (i.e. Maclife.com), then tap the plus sign (+) to add a bookmark in the pop-up tap Bookmarks, tap Bookmarks Bar, and finally tap Save.

Your new bookmark will appear on the Bookmarks Bar for quick and easy access.

Compatibility: iPad

(Image courtesy of phonedifferent.com)

Does AT&T still see iPhone exclusivity in their crystal ball?  Well, based on some comments from their Emerging Devices head, the company plans on moving forward with their plans, with, or without iPhone exclusivity in their pocket, according to Electronista.

Emerging Devices head Glenn Lurie went to bat today, stating that AT&T would be "plugging along" without making amends to their plans, and that they would still be as successful as before.  Of course he wouldn't own up to Bloomberg as to when AT&T's exclusivity ceases, but as has oft been mentioned, signs are pointing to January.

On a side note, Lurie was also "bearish" about tablets such as the iPad, and thinks that the category will go both higher and lower end simultaneously.  While Apple's iPad spread is currently between $500 and $830, Lurie is anticipating that it could go $300 on the lower end and $1000 on the high end of the price spectrum within about the next five years.  At some point, the units will be "full-on computers," he noted.

Follow this article's author, Matthew Tilmann on Twitter 

Apple will host it's annual music event a week from today at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. The even begins at 10:00 AM PDT.

What will be introduced? Will it be the next generation iPod touch with the front-facing camera? Or perhaps Apple will release more iPod nanos in various neon colors? Or maybe, just maybe, we'll finally learn if all those rumors about the "iTV" were true. Hopefully, Apple also updates iTunes.

Stay tuned to Maclife.com, we'll be reporting live from the event on Wednesday, September 1, starting at 10:00 AM PDT.

Follow this article's author, Florence Ion, on Twitter.

(Image courtesy of insuranceforiphones.com)

We know we've certainly had a toasty summer here in the States.  We also know that our cellular devices can have a hard time keeping cool, especially the iPhone at times.  Apparently in Asia, iPhone users are also beginning to discover that the device also doesn't really take well to 95 percent humidity either.

According to a report from The South China Morning Post, cases are on the rise of iPhone users having issues with voided warranties because of water damage, and that Asian message boards have skyrocketed with reports about users who found out that their iPhone's liquid indicators were not doing well with the humidity.

But it's not just in Asia.  Earlier in the year, a woman in the U.S. filed a class action suit because of positive readings with the iPhone's moisture indicators.

Apple's website claims that the indicators, which are positioned in the headphone jack and base of an iPhone, "are designed not to be triggered by humidity and temperature changes that are within the product's environmental requirements described by Apple."

The South China Morning Post also cited an example from Hong Kong resident Justin Hayward stating "If the limitation is over 95 percent humidity, they ought not to be selling the product here.  I find it quite believable - a real piece of corporate greed or a great oversight."

Just the same, Hayward's network did replace his iPhone for a fee.  But Hayward is also claiming to stick to his guns saying that he didn't do anything to mess with the warranty - and that Apple needs to test iPhones in places of high humidity.

Have any readers out there had any troubles with their iPhones in places of high humidity?  Feel free to leave some comments below!

via Gizmodo

Follow this article's author, Matthew Tilmann on Twitter

It's always been a bit of a pain to integrate our beloved Gmail and Google Calendar with our Apple devices. Syncing Google Calendar requires setting up an Exchange account--an extra hoop that makes Google syncing a lot less effortless than something like MobileMe. Thankfully, Google has given all of us loyal users a handy solution--Push notifications for their own mobile app!

Google's Mobile App has always been a nice way to check Gmail and Google Calendar. It's well designed and has voice search. But, it never felt all that integrated with our iPhones, since it lacked a notification system. Hopefully Google's newest update, which adds push notifications, will make the app feel a little more native. Get it here!

Via Gizmodo

Follow this article's author, Ambika Subramony, on Twitter.