Quick question about digital optical cable, or toslink. I got one so that I can have a TV-out --> AV receiver-in connection and get surround sounds when I play media on USB drive connected to my HDTV. The cable doesn't snap on, like I would expect from the usual cables. It's got protrusions that ensure it only goes in one direction, but it feels like it goes in sort of... part-way only. Is that supposed to be like that? I'm getting surround sounds OK, but the connection seems tenuous and insecure, like it'd come off if anything gets jarred.

Lion doesn't have Front Row any more. I have to think about the Mac Mini attached to my TV. Either I'm going to have to keep it on Snow Leopard, or get an AppleTV and use the Mini as a headless backend.

IOAppleN, Visit to a fake Apple store in China

Jessica found three fake Apple stores in China and took photos. It's not clear whether the products were genuine or knockoffs.

They looked like Apple products. It looked like an Apple store. It had the classic Apple store winding staircase and weird upstairs sitting area. The employees were even wearing those blue t-shirts with the chunky Apple name tags around their necks... But some things were just not right: the stairs were poorly made. The walls hadn’t been painted properly.

Apple never writes “Apple Store” on it’s signs – it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit.

Lion doesn't have Front Row any more. I have to think about the Mac Mini attached to my TV.

Huh, me too. Though I use Boxee or Hulu Plus more often than Front Row.

Or I could just live without Front Row, and use iTunes in full-screen mode (and DVD player; if it's still there).

Apple never writes “Apple Store” on it’s signs – it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit.

But do they know the difference between its and it's?

But do they know the difference between its and it's?

Yeah, I was wondering that.

Or maybe the whole thing is a lost cause, and soon everyone will use "it's" as a possessive pronoun.

Mac and DSL question: I had a bunch of trouble with my own DSL in my apartment. The signal kept dropping and only came back sporatically. I called the ISP several times and had technicians come out at least 3 times. Finally, I got a new modem from them and that has mostly fixed the problem, though I still get the occasional, brief drop-off.

So, this week I'm living at my sister's because she and spouse are out of town and the cats need feeding, and she has air-conditioning where I do not.

Now, I'm having the same problem with her DSL as I was having with mine! I keeps dropping and won't reset for hours.

I've observed that if I am trying to stream some video and trying to play Quench (curse the game!) it will drop more often than when I'm doing neither. Am I asking too much from the DSL? Or, is there something about my computer that is causing the problem?

I have a MacbookPro running OS 10.5.8. Could a software update have caused the ongoing problem?

If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

Quester, is this wi-fi? What security is on the router?

it is wi-fi, I have my home one locked from others. I think my sister does too. I can get on either.

Um, I don't know if I'm answering your question or not.