Ready - Set - Shop. With just one month before Christmas, Apple is preparing for a special one-day shopping event this Friday, November 23rd — known as Black Friday. This is the day that is the official kick-off to the Christmas shopping season.

Apple will be slashing prices on dozens of great iPod, Mac, and iPhone gift ideas — all with free shipping. Yes, this offer has been extended to Canadians. You don’t even have to cross the border, just click on these ads to go to the Apple Canada online shop.

Ready - Set - Shop. With just one month before Christmas, Apple is preparing for a special one-day shopping event this Friday, November 23rd. You’ll find dozens of great iPod, Mac, and iPhone gift ideas — all with free shipping. Yes, this offer has been extended to Canadians, just click here.

iPod Gift Guide

The iPod is the world’s most popular music player. Maybe because it’s also the most user-friendly. Many outerwear, active wear and teen items (backpacks) are built to store the iPod and securely feed the headphones.

Each product comes with all the components required to enjoy music right away, (unit, earphones, USB cable, docking station). iTunes are available as a free download. iTunes makes it easy to browse and buy millions of songs, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and games and download free podcasts from the iTunes Store. And you can import your own music, manage your whole media library, and sync your iPod or iPhone with ease.

The guide to storage space in terms of number of songs can be a bit misleading. After all, do I want my teen to have 2,000 songs? Who’s going to pay for those? However, keep in mind that the unit can store other media (my SIL recently used it to store digital photos while on an extended trip). Once you get into the iPod Nano and above, the storage requirements go up because of the video. As a quick guide, 4 Gb = approx. 1,000 songs or 5 hours of video (or any combination thereof).

This is a great gift for teens, as well as mom or dad who either commutes by public transit, or who likes to listen to music while working out. To make your gift more personal, Apple provides free laser engraving on any iPod, and add a signature gift box for select products.

(PRODUCT) RED

(PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod Models: iPod Nano or iPod Shuffle
Give more than music this Christmas when you choose (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod models. Apple gives a portion of the purchase price to help fund the purchase and distribution of anti-AIDS medications in Africa. The (PRODUCT) RED iPods are an Apple Store Exclusive!

iPod Shuffle

iPod Shuffle — 1 GB — 240 songs
The 1 GB storage is equivalent to about 240 songs. A charge will provide up to 12 hours of skip-free music playback. Choose from five colors — including four new hues — and the (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition to make your musical fashion statement.
Retails for approx. $79

iPod Nano

iPod Nano — 8 Gb* — 2,000 songs
With an anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel enclosure and a choice of five colors, the iPod nano is dressed to impress. It now provides an enhanced interface, lets you browse through your music collection by flipping through album art, and offers a two-inch display that’s 65% brighter than before for viewing your favorite TV shows on the go.
Retails for approx. $199

*Also comes in a silver 4 Gb (1,000 songs) version for approx. $149.

iPod Classic

Beautiful, durable, and sleeker than ever, iPod classic now features an anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel enclosure with rounded edges. Available in black or silver, with a 2.5-inch color display.

iPod Classic– 80 GB — 20,000 songs
Retails for approx. $249

iPod Classic — 160 Gb* — 40,000 songs
Retails for approx. $349

iPod Accessories

- iTunes Gift Cards from $10 to $500 — great gifts for teens!
- iPod nano Armband $29. The perfect iPod nano companion for a jog or a workout at the gym. Gray.
- Nike + iPod Sport Kit $29. This wireless sensor and receiver combination works exclusively with your Nike+ shoes and iPod nano to give you real-time feedback during workouts and let you track your performance on your Mac or PC.
- Incase Neoprene Sleeve for iPod nano $25. Featuring clear screen protection and access to all controls and the dock connector, the new Incase Neoprene Sleeve wraps your iPod nano in form-fitting safety. Black or pink.

Mac Gift Guide

If you are new to the Apple/Mac platform, then be ready to fall in love! This platform is incredibly user friendly, and pretty much operates out of the box. You will find that many of the problems you encountered with your previous system are a thing of the past. Although 4 out of the 5 computers I have ever owned were Macs, now that I am a parent, I have a new found appreciation for the product due to its indestructible nature and parental controls.

The MacBook

The ultimate laptop. All MacBooks now ship with the new “Leopard” operating system.

MacBook 13 inch white 2.0 GHz (Intel Core 2 Duo), 1GB memory, 80GB hard drive, Combo drive
Retails for approx. $1099

MacBook 13 inch white 2.2 GHz (Intel Core 2 Duo), 1GB memory, 120GB hard drive, Double-layer SuperDrive
Retails for approx. $1299
*** This is our best pick for personal/family use ***
*** MacBook category ***

MacBook 13 inch black 2.2 GHz (Intel Core 2 Duo), 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive, Double-layer SuperDrive
Retails for approx. $1499

For professional use, or higher component options, see the MacBook Pro.

The Mac Mini

Entry level Mac. Now ships with the new “Leopard” operating system. Comes in 2 variations. You will need to add a monitor and keyboard/mouse.

Mac Mini 1.83GHz Combo Drive
1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
80GB hard drive1
Retails for approx. $599

Mac Mini 1.83GHz Super Drive
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
120GB hard drive1
Retails for approx. $799

iMac

Comes in 20 inch or 24 inch screens, and varying levels of components. All ship with the Leopard operating system.

20 inch, 2.0 GHz iMac
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
250GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB memory

*** This is our best pick for personal/family use ***
*** iMac category (for non-TV viewing use) ***

20 inch, 2.4 GHz iMac
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
320GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory

The 24 inch screens are great if your computer is going to be used in the den, and double as a screen for TV and movie watching. If it’s going to function as a computer monitor only, then in my humble opinion, it’s not worth the premium for family use.

24 inch, 2.4 GHz iMac
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
320GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory

*** This is our best pick for personal/family use ***
*** iMac category (for TV viewing use) ***

24 inch, 2.8 GHz iMac
2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme
2GB memory
500GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory

Check out the Apple Online Store today, then come back the day after Thanksgiving for their special Black Friday, one-day-only holiday shopping event. If you’re interested in purchasing a Mac, you may also be interested in reading our article about iLife software products, titledBeyond the Scrapbook: Capturing & Sharing Memories with iLife’08 Products”.

Wow! What family wouldn’t want a free laptop under their Christmas tree. Wondering how to get a free laptop? All you have to do is sign up for this sponsored offer and refer some friends to do the same! It’s quick and easy! Check it out today.

The Prize: Apple MacBook with
2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8X Super Double Layer DVD+/-R/RW
120GB HD/ 1GB Ram
1 x Firewire, 2 x USB2.0, 1 x MiniDVI
32.50(W) x 2.75(H) x 22.70(D) cm

If that’s not to your liking, you have the option of selecting the “HP DV6358SE” or “Toshiba Satellite U200-PT” models. Learn more.

Apple has recently updated iLife ‘08, the award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, delivering significant upgrades to iPhoto, iWeb, GarageBand and iDVD, plus a completely reinvented iMovie that offers a revolutionary new way to enjoy, edit and share your video.

In this series of articles, I will start to review the various iLife ‘08 applications, with a special focus on how it will help you capture and share your family’s memories.

Photo Management & ‘Scrapbooking’ with iPhoto
I have recently made a ‘brag book’ with iPhoto for my parents’ trip to Europe. I chose the 8×6″ softcover book, which was large enough to showcase the photos, but small enough to be manageable.

Everyone was amazed by the style and print quality, wanting to know how it was done, so here is my “secret” to quick but fabulous scrapbooking.

Creating a Brag Book in iPhoto
- Take great photos… and if they’re not so great, adjust them in iLife.
- Select the photos you want to include in your book.
- Select a size and theme. You can choose from a range of styles and sizes, including hardcover, softcover, and wire-bound.
- Drag and drop photos, or choose “autoflow”
- Change the background, and layout styles to your tastes.
- Adjust photos (ie: enlarge to fit frame).
- Add text.
- The book defaults to 20 pages. You can add more (click on the “add pages” icon), but 20 is the minimum.
- Click on “buy book” which will assemble it as a PDF and send it to Apple for printing.
- Time to assemble: Depends on how much customization you do. It varies from about 1/2 hour using the autoflow with minimal extra work, to a couple of hours with lots of photo edits, changes to layout and text.
- Cost: $10 for a 20 page book (8×6″ softcover) plus shipping, which for me was $5.
- Time to print: about 3 days to print plus shipping time.

Capturing & Sharing Memories with iPhoto

Apple’s iPhoto software makes it easy to create all kinds of unforgettable gifts and keepsakes for your family.

Photo books are an amazing way to remember an event, and the perfect gift as well. You can choose from a range of styles including hardcover, softcover, and wire-bound, and sizes from to 8.5 x 11″ to 2.6 x 3.5″.

Hardcover photo books The new 8.5″ x 11″ hardcover “keepsake” books include a suede-like cover with a foil-printed title on the cover and a customizable dust jacket.

These books are great to commemorate a truly special event, like a wedding, christening, birth of a child, or special anniversary.

For the last couple of years I have been scanning family heirloom photos — the ones relatives have displayed in their home. This year I will be using this Hardcover photo book to create a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law, an album of multi-generational family photos from her side of the family.

Softcover photo books. These come in large, medium or small (mini) sizes.

The 2008 iPhoto edition offers more templates, and fully customizable covers, featuring photos on both the front and back covers. I personally like the softcover large (8.5 x 11″) books for scrapbooking everyday family events, while the medium (8×6″) size makes great brag books for the grand-parents, and at $10 is great for the kids.

Wire-bound softcover books lie completely flat and let you rotate pages under the book for a compact look. This is a new product, offered in large or medium sizes.

The kids and I are working on a special gift for my brother and his wife. Now that they are expecting their first child, we felt it was time to start cooking. The kids are putting together their favorite recipes, and we are laying this out with a recipe on one side (introduction 2 column page style) and a photo of them preparing or serving the meal on the other.

Gorgeous Calendars now in a larger, 10.4-by-13-inch format. Choose a colorful template and make your photos the posters for every month. Add text if you wish. We love the feature where you can place photos and captions on individual days to mark birthdays and anniversaries.

Personalized Cards: the software has built-in templates and tools to resize, rotate, and crop photos, or add effects. The final product can be printed at home, or send it out for professional color printing. In addition to printing photos, you can turn your photos into posters of up to 20-by-30-inches at a click.

Information for Current Users of iPhoto

Are you currently using an older version of iPhoto and considering switching? We are glad we did. In our opinion, the best updates were the new photo organizational tools, and built-in tools and templates.

The upgrades to iPhoto’08 include:
• Advanced editing tools
• Organize your photos in an intuitive new way using Events. If you download photos from a single event (birthday party) in multiple batches, you can “merge” them into one.
• Hide your “B” shots without deleting them
• A new unified search quickly finds photos
• New options to photo books, cards, and calendars.

More about the iLife’08 suite. The Single User allows for uhm, one user, while the Family Pack* can be installed on up to five Mac computers in your household.

My next entry will discuss how you can go beyond the scrapbook by turning your book into a movie.

Learn more about these products at the Apple Store.