Apple released the following updates today:

• iTunes 8.2 now supports iPhone or iPod touch with the iPhone 3.0 Software Update. iTunes 8.2 also includes many accessibility improvements and bug fixes. For information on the security content of this update, visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
• GarageBand Update 5.0.2 addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and fixes a number of other minor issues. The issues addressed include:
  • Improved purchasing experience for Artist Lessons in the GarageBand Lesson Store
  • Accessing installed Jam Packs in the loop browser

  The update is recommended for all users of GarageBand ’09 and is required to use the Lesson Store.

• QuickTime 7.6.2 includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security. This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users. For detailed information on this update, visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3520. For information on the security content of this update, visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

iTunes 8.1 is now faster and more responsive. You will enjoy noticeable improvements when working with large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, preparing to sync with iPod or iPhone, and optimizing photos for syncing.

In addition, iTunes 8.1 provides many other improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Supports syncing with iPod shuffle (3rd generation).
• Allows friends to request songs for iTunes DJ.
• Adds Genius sidebar for your Movies and TV Shows.
• Improves performance when downloading iTunes Plus songs.
• Provides AutoFill for manually managed iPods.
• Allows CDs to be imported at the same sound quality as iTunes Plus.
• Includes many accessibility improvements.
• Allows iTunes U and the iTunes Store to be disabled separately using Parental Controls.

iTunes 8.1.1 adds support for renting HD movies and provides a number of bug fixes, including addressing issues with VoiceOver and syncing with iPhone or iPod touch.

This morning, on Twitter, I read a tweet from one of the folks I follow, @SeeTTL :

RT @JCDean: PSA: Please back up your computer! My wife just went to console a friend who may have lost EVERY pic of her kids.

This sad story really hit home with me. No, not because I have kids. And not because I’ve lost the contents of a hard drive forever — despite the fact that I’ve suffered three total hard disk crashes since 1989. But because I could imagine how badly I’d feel if I’d trusted my hard disk to hold the only copies of all my photos.

As a computer user, the data you create is the only thing that can’t be replaced when lost. I’m talking about photos, diaries, accounting records, address books, original manuscripts, and more. Sure, a lot of this stuff can be recreated with some effort, but some of it can’t. Like all those photos.

The only way to protect this data from loss is to create reliable backups and, whenever possible, store them offsite, away from the computer.

Mac users have a few options for automated backups:

• Time Machine is truly transparent. It goes to work in the background to faithfully duplicate what it finds on your hard disk. You can use it with its default settings or customize settings to limit what’s backed up. All you need is an attached hard disk or Time Machine-compatible network disk. Time Machine does the rest. Best of all, it will even keep copies of stuff you deleted by accident — at least for a while — so you can get it back. With external hard disk prices so low right now and Time Machine free with Leopard, why not take advantage of it?
• Backup is backup software that comes with Mac OS X. It’s highly configurable and can be used to back up to a hard disk, optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and a MobileMe account. This last option is probably the best because it automates off-site storage. I wrote about using Backup in “Save Yourself (and Your Data) with .Mac Backup,” which I wrote for Peachpit.com in 2006. It might be dated, but I’m sure you’ll find some good tidbits of information there.
• iDisk is part of a MobileMe account. You might not think of it as a backup solution, but it can be. First, you can simply drag and drop the things you want to back up to your iDisk to copy it to your MobileMe storage space. That’s an offline storage solution for you. But what you might find easier is to enable iDisk syncing so a copy of your iDisk space is available on your computer’s desktop. Then simply store data in it. The data is automatically copied to your iDisk space on MobileMe when synced. Not only that, but if you more than one Mac, all of them can share the same iDisk. That means the documents you copy there are available with you on all of your computers.
• Third party backup solutions are also available to you. There are quite a few out there and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not up to speed on them. I haven’t needed them. I have a very good backup strategy without them.
• Fetch and iCal can also be used together to create an automated offsite backup solution. I wrote about that in ““Creating an Automated Backup Plan with Fetch and iCal”,” in 2007.

CDs and DVDs can always be used to back up data to. This is what some people seem to forget. And it’s what probably could have saved the woman referenced above a lot of grief.

Last week, I wrote a blog post for my personal blog that outlined my workflow for geotagging images. In it, I included Step 4: Backup. That’s the step where I copy all of my images from my hard disk to a CD or DVD before erasing the camera’s data card. I have dozens of these discs, nicely labeled, in my office. I’d be smarter to have them offsite. But at least I have them. Anyone who makes a lot of digital images and does not perform this step is looking for trouble. Don’t say a hard disk crash won’t happen to you. It will. It’s just a matter of time.

Heck, it happened to me three times already.

This Front Row update provides improved iTunes 8.1 compatibility.

iTunes 8.1 is now faster and more responsive. You will enjoy noticeable improvements when working with large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, preparing to sync with iPod or iPhone, and optimizing photos for syncing.

In addition, iTunes 8.1 provides many other improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Supports syncing with iPod shuffle (3rd generation).
• Allows friends to request songs for iTunes DJ.
• Adds Genius sidebar for your Movies and TV Shows.
• Improves performance when downloading iTunes Plus songs.
• Provides AutoFill for manually managed iPods.
• Allows CDs to be imported at the same sound quality as iTunes Plus.
• Includes many accessibility improvements.
• Allows iTunes U and the iTunes Store to be disabled separately using Parental Controls.

For information on the security content of this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5.6. It addresses issues with roaming and network selection in dual-band environments.

This update improves overall stability and addresses minor issues in a number of areas, including internet connectivity, keyword import, and slideshow export.

Security Update 2009-001 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update.

For information on the security content of this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 3 delivers improvements to the security and compatibility of Java on Mac OS X 10.5.6 and later.

Further information regarding this update is available from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3374

For information on the security content of this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

Here are a few links of interest to the folks who read my books and articles or watch my training videos.

• TUAW Macworld 2009 Keynote Predictions - What the folks at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) think might happen at next week's Macworld Expo keynote.
• Apple market share tops 10%, Windows share lowest since tracking began - Interesting stats about computer platform distribution among users. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• 10 Resources for When You Need Help with CSS - A list of resources, with screenshots and links, for CSS information. Great for beginners. On Vandelay Website Design.
• 10 Killer WordPress Hacks - Excellent list with instructions and reference links to WordPress hacks for self-hosted WordPress users. On Smashing Magazine.
• FOLLOW FAIL: The Top 10 Reasons I Will Not Follow You in Return on Twitter - If you follow me in Twitter but I don't follow you back, it could be for one of these reasons. On Mashable.com.
• How not to build a website - finding a website developer - Extremely good advice here. Thanks to @Jen4Web on Twitter for sharing the link. On WomenEntrepreneur.com.
• Macworld 2009 keynote liveblog - Mike T. Rose treats us to a live blog of the Keynote. Here's the final list of updates. Thanks tons, @MikeTRose! On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• The Twitter Applications Database - ANOTHER compilation of Twitter applications.
• Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard - Even some Mac users have to admit that this is pretty funny. On The Onion.
• Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs - The rumors of his impending death are greatly exaggerated. Again. On Apple.com.
• Twitter Yourself a Job - Tips from the Wall Street Journal for using Twitter as part of a job hunt strategy.
• Twitter be Nimble, Twitter be Quick, if you don’t know Jack, try these Twitter Tricks - A great introduction to Twitter for new users and power user wannbes. On TwiTip.com.
• WordPress Discussion Management: Enable or Disable Comments and Pingbacks via SQL - Great post that explains how to use MySQL commands to enable or disable comments and pingbacks. Also explains how you can periodically turn off comments and pingbacks on all posts based on date.
• Separating Pings from Comments in WordPress 2.7 - Great tutorial for WordPress 2.7 users, explaining how to separate pingbacks/trackbacks and comments in the comments area of a blog post. On Sivel.net.
• Introducing Tweetbacks Plugin for Wordpress - Excellent! A Tweetback plugin for WordPress users. This post includes a link to the plugin with complete instructions for WordPress 2.7 and earlier versions. On Smashing Magazine.
• CSS tips that every beginning developer should know - Great beginning CSS tutorial. On Arbenting.
• Tweetbacks, Copyright and Scraping - Another way of looking at Tweetbacks — one I never thought of. By Jonathan Bailey of Plagiarism Today, in the Blog Herald.
• Apple IQ Test - My score was dismal. I knew everything about Macs before 1995, but failed miserable on most questions dealing with facts after that. Could that indicate that I actually DO have a life? If you think you know Macs, try this test. On Infoworld.com. Thanks to @shepherdfx on Twitter for sharing the link.
• U.S. Airways Crash Rescue Picture: Citizen Journalism, Twitter At Work - Incredible photos of today's crash taken moments afterward. So glad this one had a happy ending. On AlleyInsider.com.
• Hate the Player It’s Not a Game - Jeremy Tanner tells it like it is Re: Twitter spammers who call themselves gurus, mavens, etc.
• Twitter Support - Twitter help is now centralized in one place. Thanks to @mdy on Twitter for pointing this out.
• 7 Ways to Be Worth Following on Twitter - I really wish everyone who used Twitter would read this article and follow its advice. There would be a lot less noise online. On Twitip.com.
• Mac Automation: Creating Watch Me Do workflows - Good how-to piece for Automator users. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• How Not to be a Key Online Influencer - An example of how a self-labeled “key online influencer” can easily get cut down by the same social networking services he’s trying to promote — by the company he’s trying to promote them to. A lesson for anyone who blogs or tweets: when you say something publicly, ANYONE can read it. By David Henderson. Thanks to @SonoranDragon on Twitter for retweeting this link.
• Macintosh 25th Anniversary Reunion: Where Did Time Go? - Guy Kawasaki's tribute to the Mac's 25th birthday. Includes the complete introduction of the Mac, as well as the famous 1984 commercial. (Did you know that only appeared on TV as a commercial twice?) Thanks to @LeVitus for tweeting this one.
• I am popular on Twitter. Here’s why this means nothing. - And I thought I was the only one laughing at people bragging about their Twitter popularity stats. On ZDNet.com.
• The 100 Most Popular Twitter applications - The title says it all. On blending the mix.
• The Unforeseen Consequences of the Social Web - Sound advice for people who use Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking services: what you put online might stay there for a very, very long time. On ReadWriteWeb. Thanks to @jodene on Twitter (where else?) for tweeting this link. Good reading.

QuickTime 7.6 includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security. This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users.

For detailed information on this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3292.

For information on the security content of this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

• Final Cut sequences to DVDs: The high-quality way - Excellent tutorial explaining how to export high-quality digital video from Final Cut for use in DVD. Requires Final Cut Studio (not Express). Hat tip to @izzyvideo on Twitter for the link. On GeniusDV.com.
• W(h)ither social networks? On the end of Pownce - Some thoughts on social networking and microblogging. On The lost outpost.
• 2.7 Gets Here in Two Days! - Thank heaven for this post, sent to me via tweet by @andypiper. I was just starting to worry about whether WordPress.com would be updated before I was scheduled to work on my training video.
• The Simpsons mocks (m)Apple - Article with embedded YouTube clips about the recent Simpsons episode that mocks Apple, Inc. On Engadget.
• 60 Really Cool and Creative Error 404 Pages - This will make you laugh. On Hongkiat.com/blog.
• The Evolution of Tech Companies’ Logos - Rounding out tonight's trilogy of trivia, courtesy of Neatorama, is this excellent piece about the evolution of tech company logos.
• Woof! An iPhone-controlled dog treat dispenser - THIS is what makes technology cool. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW). Don't forget to watch the video to see how it works.
• 40 Ways to Deliver Killer Blog Content - Excellent advice I need to start taking. On ChrisBrogan.com
• Serious security flaw found in IE - Why doesn't this surprise me? On BBC News.
• Getting Started With WordPress - Excellent post with links to other content of interest to new (or relatively new) self-hosted WordPress users. On Themetation.com.
• GovTwit Directory - A directory of government agencies and individuals on Twitter. Hat tip to @elloyd74 on Twitter (where else?) for the link.
• iPhone thief thwarted by MobileMe sync - Apple technology makes it easier to recover stolen Apple products. Again. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• RandomMaccess | It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) - Chuck LaTournous, long-time Apple user, writes about what he thinks of the Apple Macworld announcements. On Random Access.
• MacJury » Blog Archive » MacJury #831: Analysis of Apple’s Announcements and the Future of Macworld Expo - No Steve Jobs keynote and Apple's qutting Macworld Expo after this year. The Mac Jurists discuss in this podcast episode of The Mac Jury.
• HTML-Ipsum - Need to check Web design with sample text? Here's a good source of Ipsum text in HTML format.
• 45 Beautiful Free Fonts for Modern Design Trends - What can be more fun (and completely frivolous) than free fonts? On Six Revisions.
• 50 websites you’ll wonder how you lived without - A list of 50 interesting Web sites, with descriptions. On Curious? Read.
• Apple Announces Last Year of Christmas - I wonder if Apple will allow this to stay online. If you click this link and get a 404, blame Apple.
• Apple Announces Its Last Year at Macworld - The end of an era. On Apple.com.
• My CSS Menu - Menu Generator - An online code-generation tool for creating horizontal or vertical menus with CSS. Might be useful to Web designers interested in creating customized menus for their blogs or sites.
• Make A GIF - An online tool for creating animated GIF files. Just upload images in order and Make A GIF does the rest.
• 30 Excellent WordPress Video Tutorials - List of 30 WordPress video tutorials covering a variety of topics. On SixRevisions.com
• Apple shocks world, reveals it is a huge corporation - Reality check by Scott McNulty. Thanks, Scott! We obviously needed this. On Macworld.com.
• Steve Jobs didn’t make the first Macworld, either - An account by David Burnell of Steve Jobs and the first Macworld Expo. Hat tip to @LeVitus on Twitter for the link. On the San Francisco Chronicle Web site.
• 25 Photoshop Tutorials for Web Designers - The title says it all. On Six Revisions.

The 10.5.6 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

For detailed information on this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3194.
For detailed information on security updates, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

• WordPress 2.7 Comments Enhancements - Article with information for WordPress users interested in making existing themes compatible with the WordPress 2.7 comment-threading/linking features.
• Tools & Utilities for filmmakers - Here are a bunch of links to templates of interest to filmmakers. On DependentFilms.net.
• WordPress 2.7: Ten useful new features - A concise summary of what one WordPress users thinks is the ten most useful new features of WordPress 2.7. A beta of this new version was released on November 1; the final release is due before month-end. On op111.net.
• Looking for Mr. Goodtweet: How to Pick Up Followers on Twitter - Although he starts off with an example that simply doesn't apply to normal folks like you and me, Guy Kawaskai shares some good advice about building your Twitter follower base. Hat tip to @LeVitus for the link via Twitter.
• The Power of Writing Things Down | Dumb Little Man - A good article with tips on how writing things down can help improve your life. Really. On DumbLittleMan.com. Thanks to @LeVitus for sharing this in a tweet.
• Secrets of the Annotated World - Interesting article about how you can benefit from micro social networking like Twitter and BrightKite. On ChrisBrogan.com.
• Digital Photography School — Digital Photography Tips for You - An excellent blog with how-to tips for digital photography.
• Pew Internet & American Life Project - Latest Internet quiz. How do you fit in?
• Twitterspeak: 66 Twitter Terms You Don’t Need to Know - On Mashable.com; a list of Twitter terms and definitions. Thanks to @mjvalente for tweeting this link.
• Can you spot Phishing? - Since I've been blogging so much about phishing lately, it seems natural to include a link to this page on the PayPal site. It's a test to help you understand phishing.
• The Book of MacBook: Observations and thoughts on Apple's latest consumer portable - Excellent review of MacBook. (I'm still undecided, though.) By Dan Moren on MacUser.com.
• Don't be Fooled by the Lack of a Copyright Notice - Good basic information about copyright and inclusion of a copyright symbol On the Copyright Law and Copyright Information blog. Thanks to @PattyHankins on Twitter for sharing the link.
• iTunes 101: Deauthorize all computers at once - Great tip for folks who have forgotten to deauthorize a computer before getting rid of it. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• 50 Beautiful Examples Of Tilt-Shift Photography - Very good examples that make the photos look like models. Includes video, too. On SmashingMagazine.com.
• Tilt-Shift Photography Photoshop Tutorial | Miniature Faking - After seeing an example of tilt-shift video photography by Keith Loutit (with thanks to @jebro on Twitter for sharing the link), I got interested in tilt-shift photography. I'm not interested in it enough to buy special equipment, but this tutorial explains how to simulate the effect in Photoshop. On TiltShiftPhotography.net.
• Copyright Infringement - A photographer horror story. Stolen images on a trip to Burma. Protect your work! On Luceo Images.
• A Holiday Gift Guide for the frequent traveler - Some pretty good gift ideas for technically savvy travelers. On The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
• 10 Things You Need To Know About WordPress 2.7 | Technosailor.com - An informative article about the features and interface changes in the upcoming WordPress 2.7 release. On the Technosailer.com Web site.
• 19 Photoshop tutorials to design your own business card - Links to 19 different Photoshop tutorials for creating business cards. On DeveloperFox.
• 50 Incredible Fonts for Professional Web & Print Design - Free fonts for outrageous designs. On Noupe.
• Why Start a Blog and 25 Tips to Make it Work - Excellent article for wannabe bloggers who want to succeed. On Conversation Agent.
• Lorem 2: An all-around better Lorem experience. - Sample text to help you design your documents.
• 100 Awesome Ivy League Video Lectures - Links to online lectures of interest to anyone who wants to expand their horizons. On Online Universities.com.

iTunes 8 includes Genius, which makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together. Genius also includes Genius sidebar, which recommends music from the iTunes Store that you don’t already have.

With iTunes 8, browse your artists and albums visually with the new Grid view; download your favorite TV shows in HD quality from the iTunes Store; sync your media with iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation); and enjoy a stunning new music visualizer.

iTunes 8 and iTunes U are now accessible with VoiceOver on your Mac.

iTunes 8.0.2 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

• Addresses a quality issue creating MP3s on some computers.
• Fixes a connectivity issue with the iTunes Store when using some Internet proxies with Mac OS X.
• Improves accessibility with VoiceOver.