Apple has just added my “Radio Startup” application to it’s Automator Actions Download section. To view the download page at www.Apple.com, CLICK HERE!
Don’t forget to download your copy. I think you will really like it.
Archive for November, 2008
My little application, iTunes Startup, has been really popular over the past couple of years. I got an email from a user the other day, asking if it could be used for internet radio. While it is possible to modify iTunes Startup for internet radio, it is a real pain, but I liked the idea so much that I wanted to make a separate version specifically for internet radio. I spent most of the day updating iTunes Startup to work for internet radio, and named the new version Radio Startup.
While I was working on Radio Startup, I noticed a few bugs that I had missed in iTunes Startup, so I fixed them, and updated the installation and setup directions. I also moved the download files to my new server. Check out the newest version of iTunes Startup here, and if you like listening to internet radio, check out Radio Startup here.
Big News!
Radio Startup was added to the Apple.com Developer site, for download! Also, in the interest of getting iTunes Startup published on the site, I am changing the name to Good Morning Music!. Same great product, new great name.
In 2006 I put together a little Automator application called Good Morning Music!, that has been very popular. I recently had an email from a user, asking if Good Morning Music! could be used for internet radio. I liked the idea so much, that I modified Good Morning Music!, specifically to handle radio, and renamed the program, here it is.
Radio Startup
Version: 1.03, 1.1.0 (FREEWARE)
System Requirements – Macintosh Computer
(c)2008 Garritt Hampton
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD for Power PC Macs
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD for Intel PC Macs
INTRODUCTION
Radio Startup is a simple Automator program intended to start your day off right. I like to start my workday with music, but I want it to start at a nice low-medium volume level. Radio Startup will set your computer volume and iTunes volume at a reasonable level, then begin playing a specified iTunes Radio Station for you, or if you would like, it will randomly pick a station from a list of stations you have chosen (For more information on this option, see the section entitled “MULTIPLE STATIONS” below).
Radio Startup will also work for podcast episodes, and stations not in the iTunes “Radio” menu. For podcasts, add selected episodes to the “Radio” playlist. For radio streams, just add the streaming MP3 to iTunes, then to the “Radio” playlist.
I have included the Radio Startup workflow to enable you to change volume or playback settings or to adapt this workflow to do other things.
Special Thanks goes to Mr. Umeno, for his suggestion to adapt the original “Good Morning Music!” application to work for radio as well.
SETUP (Single Station)
1) Place the Radio-Startup application, from the “Single Station” folder into your iTunes folder (Users/’you’/Music/iTunes).
2) Create Radio Playlist in iTunes.
- To begin using Radio Startup just create playlist in itunes (Select “File”, “New Playlist”)
- A new playlist called “untitled playlist” will be created and placed at the bottom of your iTunes playlists
- Name the playlist “Radio”
- Drag any iTunes radio station in to the “Radio” playlist
3) Add Radio-Startup application to Login Items
- Open System Preferences.
- Select “Accounts”.
- Select the “Login Items” tab.
- Click the “+” button below the list.
- Select the Radio-Startup application in your iTunes folder.
- Click Add.
- Check the box next to Radio-Startup to hide the application when it starts.
4) Enjoy.
MULTIPLE STATIONS
SETUP (Multiple Stations)
1) Place the Radio-Startup application, from the “Multiple Stations” folder, into your iTunes folder (Users/’you’/Music/iTunes).
2) Create Radio Playlist in iTunes.
- To begin using Radio Startup just create playlist in itunes (Select “File”, “New Playlist”)
- A new playlist called “untitled playlist” will be created and placed at the bottom of your iTunes playlists
- Name the playlist “Radio”
- Chose a few iTunes radio stations and drage them into the “Radio” playlist (note: if you don’t have more than one station in the playlist, it will not work. If you only plan on playing one station, use the instructions above).
3) Add Radio-Startup application to Login Items
- Open System Preferences.
- Select “Accounts”.
- Select the “Login Items” tab.
- Click the “+” button below the list.
- Select the Radio-Startup application in your iTunes folder.
- Click Add.
- Check the box next to Radio-Startup to hide the application when it starts.
4) Enjoy.
If you like Radio Startup please tell a friend, then check out Good Morning Music!. Good Morning Music! is similar to Radio Startup, but is geared toward music.
Version Changes
1.1.0 – (10/15/2009) Intel Mac Version
1.0.3 – (11/5/2008) First version of Radio Startup (Forked from “Good Morning Music! 1.0.2″)
Fixed “Shuffle” bug
1.0.2 – Corrected name of playlist, from “Strartup” to “Startup”
1.0.1 – Bug Fixes to “Good Morning Music!”
1.0.0 – (2006) Original Release of Good Morning Music!”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Important Note!
This version of “Radio Startup” has been successfully tested on a PowerPC Mac running OS 10.4.11. I have included the Automator Workflow in case there are compatibility issues with Intel Macs. If you have problems with this program not running on later versions of OS 10, or on Intel Macs, please open the Automator Workflow, then re-save as an application. This should solve any compatibility issues. Also, the “Single Station” version of this program will only work with one station in the playlist, and the “Multiple Stations” version will only work with 2 or more stations in the playlist.
Update
Intel Mac version released!!!
Old News
I have had a couple of comments and emails saying that this program doesn’t work on Intel Macs. At this time, I don’t have an Intel Mac, so I am unable to update Radio Startup to be compatible with Intel Macs. This is where you come in! If you have an Intel Mac, and can get the program to work, and save the application as Universal Binary, I would LOVE to post it here. In return, You would get credit on this page, and on the Apple.com downloads page, and I would post a link to your site, on this page. Thanks in advance!
How blessed we are to live in a country where our voices can be heard, and our will can help to shape the form of our government.
Today is election day. Honor those who have fought to ensure your right to vote, and vote responsibly.
Sometimes we get so caught-up in the complicated aspects of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and business in general, that we forget to do the simple things, and many times they can be really powerful.
I have dedicated much time and effort on this site, and on my personal blog, to explaining SEO, and giving easy-to-implement tips. These tips have helped many of my readers attain amazing Google rankings, very quickly. As an example of their power, When I launched this blog, neither “Renegade Marketing Strategies” or “Yvette Hampton” were ranked terms on Google (At least not YvetteHampton.com, there is some swimmer or runner who shows up). Within two weeks of launching this site, searching “Yvette Hampton”, or “Renegade Marketing Strategies” yielded this site, as the first, unpaid result on Google. That is an amazing feat! While Google search rankings change almost daily, You will still find us at the top of the Google results (within the first page), although we move around a little bit every day.
Those are just the simplest search terms, but all of my sites perform equally well for more obscure search terms as well.
Resources
You can view a big list of submission pages on my Renegade Marketing Strategies site, at http://RenegadeMarketingStrategies.com/?p=208. This is an “Expert Tip” so to get access, you need to subscribe to our Free Newsletter. You will be sent a password immediately.
