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>> What's up? I'm Brian Tong, and welcome to the Apple Byte. It's all the good and bad inside the world of Apple, so let's jump to the news. Are next gen iMacs on the way? We talked about these rumblings last week, but now Apple Insider is saying the new models are already rolling off the production lines. The iMacs will reportedly be more affordable and thinner, while taking design elements from Apple's current LED-lit cinema display. That's the same display my parents just bought, and you know, it kind of sucks when your mom has a better computer than you.
>> Loser.
>> I didn't hear that. Now, they also mention Blu-ray is possibly coming, but if this line is supposed to be more affordable, I don't see Blu-ray being a part of it. The report says an announcement could be expected some time between next week and mid-October, so like I said before, just wait it out.
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Now, you might remember Microsoft's plan to open its own retail stores within spitting distance of Apple's. But if that wasn't enough, "The Loop" reports that they're also trying to lure Apple Store managers and sales staff by offering more money. And to make them even feel more comfortable, they'll have their own tech support area, like the Genius Bar, called -- wait for it -- The Guru Bar.
>> Oh.
>> It looks like imitation or blatantly stealing retail ideas and employees might really be the best form of flattery.
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Many of you have probably picked up Snow Leopard, so we wanted to throw in a quick tip for you that you'll use.
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>> Hey guys, Brian Tong here with CNET.com, and we know Snow Leopard is packed with improvements. And here's one that you'll actually use. The menu bar icons now have additional functionality in Apple's latest OS. All you have to do is hold the option key on your keyboard and click on them with your mouse at the same time to access them. When you click on the sound icon, you normally have a volume slider, but with the help of the option key, you can now change your input or output setting directly from here without jumping into the system preferences. Option click on the battery, and it will give you a status update on the condition of your battery. Option click on the Wi-Fi icon, and it will tell you if you're connected to an 802.11 B, G, or N network, the level of security on that network, and more. And if you use Apple's MobileMe synching service, option clicking will show you when and which items were last synched by date, and you can jump into the synch preferences directly from here. I'm Brian Tong with CNET.com with the hidden menu bar functionality in Snow Leopard. Use it wisely.
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You know, I still really enjoy his tips. Nicely done.
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Now, a few episodes back, I showed you how to delete duplicate iTunes tracks, but many of you asked --
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>> Yeah, Brian, but what about iPhotos?
>> Well, Charlie, you'll want to check out Duplicate Annihilator from Brattoo Propaganda Software. It's $7.95, but it's really the app to use. Instead of you manually going through thousands of pictures, this app uses several algorithms to do the job for you. So just click a button. It scans your entire collection, and by default, it'll tag your duplicates so you can search and trash them later, or you can set it to trash the dups automatically. I recommend making a backup of your collection before you do this, just to make sure, but Duplicate Annihilator works pretty well and is definitely worth a look.
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Now, let's get to some quick bytes. BlackBerry desktop is right around the corner. There's no date, just right around the corner. Now, it will finally allow BlackBerry users to synch their contacts, calendars, and media to the device, and we could probably expect in a few weeks. And if the retail wars weren't enough, Apple is currently renovating its Mission Viejo retail location. That's the same store that will be next to one of Microsoft's opening stores and a window display with a whole bunch of smack talk will probably be part of it. All right, guys, that's gonna do it for this week's show. Keep sending your emails to the Apple Byte at CNET.com. I'm Brian Tong. Thanks for watching and come back next time for another byte of the Apple.
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