If you were contemplating buying one of those shiny new 27-inch iMacs, maybe don't pull the trigger just yet: according to Engadget, many proud new owners of the computer have become annoyed new owners, reporting pronounced problems in particular with Flash playback.

The problem doesn't appear to be a few isolated cases, as two separate threads (here and here) have popped up in the Apple support forums, nor is it a pandemic, as Engadget reports their iMacs are fine. The suggested causes have ranged from a corrupted Snow Leopard build, to a bug that spins down the hard drive, to the nebulous "bad permissions." In the meantime, though, those big beautiful 27-inch screens are playing video like a 128K trying to run Crysis.

A user on the first thread reported that Apple phone support said the problem was with the graphics card, and that it should be fixable in a software update, though another customer who opened a ticket was instructed to exchange the computer itself. Is Apple going to have to smack down another of its chip partners? We shall see.

While being a useful tool for several years now, VLC has finally reached that first pinnacle of software development: 1.0.

VLC is an alternative media player for Mac, Windows and Linux that handles a wide variety of media file formats without requiring additional software (like Perian) to be installed on your system. It can also be used as a server to stream video on higher-bandwidth networks.

Personally, I think it's handy for things like making still frame images of DVDs, or capturing video from your EyeTV tuner. Anytime I have to send QuickTime or MP4 video to PC or Linux users, I recommend they download and install VLC to watch it.

The software isn't for everyone: If you're already familiar with VLC, the upgrade is a solid one. Performance is good, and the feature list is tough to beat. If you've never used VLC and you're happy with QuickTime Player (thank you very much), then feel free to pass this one by.

Binaries for VLC 1.0 are available for Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X Leopard (and developer previews of Snow Leopard). Source code and other, older packages for PowerPC and earlier versions of Mac OS X are also available.

Thanks, Chris!

It's on the master list of 3.0 features, but we've been sent enough tips and suggestions about it to conclude that the advanced podcast/audiobook controls came as a pleasant surprise for lots of iPhone and iPod touch owners who upgraded.

In the 3.0 version, from the playback display for a podcast, tapping the screen brings up a set of expert controls: a button to email a link to the podcast's page on iTunes; a 30-second "What's that, now?" instant rewind button; and a playback speed control to give you 1/2 speed, normal or 2x "FedEx mode" playback.

The scrubber bar itself has been given a charge, even though it doesn't look any different until you tap it; it displays the relative playback position within the episode being played. Dragging horizontally gives you high-speed scrubbing (previously known as "just plain old scrubbing"), but if you keep your finger on the screen and drag down, your scrub rate lowers step by step through half-speed, quarter-speed and 'fine scrubbing.' This detail control makes it a lot easier to cue up a particular spot in a long show or book chapter.

I've started to enjoy listening to some of my longer subscriptions in 2x mode, especially when I have a fixed amount of time to listen to the podcast but I still want to cover as much of it as I can. Even shorter news-centric podcasts can sometimes benefit from a speed boost. If any of you try out the 2x mode on an audiobook, do let us know how it works for you.

Surprisingly, I find myself using the 'email this' button quite a lot, especially to let friends and family know about some of my favorite shows. I imagine they'll be getting tired of that pretty soon.

This is really wild: what you see above is an example of "viral music" -- it's part of an upcoming music festival that's taking place in Sweden, and it features a circle of iPhones that are both listening to and playing a very abstract kind of "music." Each one is picking up audio from its environment, then running it through a series of software filters to make it sound more musical, and finally playing it back in a rhythm. As each iPhone is picking up the tune from the other iPhones it's playing it back through the same filters, and so on and so forth. All while the software is "judging" each "cell" of sound, to see if it's interesting or loud enough or so forth, and cells will live or die based on that criteria -- in essence, a musical organism.

Like I said, wild. That program is called the "Bacterial Orchestra -- Public Epidemic No. 1," and it sounds like the app will be available on the iPhone soon as well. Of course, you'll have to have a bunch of iPhones with the app in one place for it to work the way it's designed, but at least there's good video of it.

Apple just updated QuickTime to version 7.5.7. This update is big news for users of the MacBook and MacBook Pro unibody computers because it fixes the problem where some users were unable to play protected movie files from iTunes on external displays. This is a problem that TUAW noted last week.

Here's what Software Update has to say about this update: This update is recommended for owners of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with Mini DisplayPort. The update addresses an issue where some standard definition purchases from the iTunes Store do not play on some external displays.

We're sure that this update will make many MacBook and MacBook Pro users happy when it comes to video playback on external displays. You can download this update by opening Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update), or by visiting the Apple Support Download Website. Continue reading to see a screenshot of Software Update.

Update: Please note that this update does not allow the playback of HD (High-Definition) content on external displays, you will only be able to view SD (Standard-Definition) content.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

It wasn't the splashiest product introduction ever, but last week's launch of Western Digital's $130 WD TV high-definition media player may have caused a few smiles for Mac users. The playback unit -- a simple configuration of a USB2 port for connecting a hard drive, and either composite (SD) or HDMI signal output -- supports a veritable alphabet soup of audio, video and photo formats for playback, including the eminently Mac-friendly AAC and H.264 codecs (unprotected content only, so no joy with iTunes Store purchases).

The unit also supports drives formatted in HFS+ as long as you turn off journaling, which is a first for third-party media players as far as I know; while the Mac could easily write to a FAT32-formatted drive for media exchange (as long as file sizes stayed below 24 GB), enabling HFS+ is a very nice gesture towards detente with the Apple-loving world.

The WD TV is available now and should work with any TV that supports composite or HDMI inputs. Without network connectivity, iTunes sync and support for protected content, it's no Apple TV -- but at $100 less for a BYOStorage player, it may just fit the bill. We'll try to get our hands on a review unit and see if we can stump it with ancient QuickTime clips and legacy MP3 files.

Update: Our pals at dealnews.com report that Dell is discounting these handy units by $30 right now.

[via Macworld]

Apple has applied for a patent for an "automatically adjusting media display in a personal display system," a kind of head-tracking eyewear that gives the user "the impression of being in the theater."

From the claims of the patent, the device looks not unlike a pair of goggles that display a cropped version of a larger media file. As the wearer moves his or her head, a gyroscope and accelerometer in the goggles adjust the crop of the media file, making it appear to the user as if they were in a theater-like experience.

The patent also includes provisions for techniques to reduce eyestrain, determine when the user reaches the "edge" of the media file, and zoom in and out.

The application was prepared in February, and its number is 20080276196.

[Via Electronista.]

If you've been aggravated at your iPhone or iPod touch in the past for its inability to play back WAV voicemail files from home phone services like Vonage or AT&T (synergy foul! yellow card), you may now breathe easier. TJ Luoma was 95% through building a rather elaborate script to convert incoming WAV voicemails to MP3 for iPhone playback (and, while he was at it, add some reverse lookup magic) when he discovered that the 2.0 firmware now includes the ability to play back the particular flavor of WAV file used in these voicemails. Problem solved.

It may not be a headline feature (or even a stealthy but universally acclaimed UI addition) but for those of us who need it, it's going to save a lot of time and trouble.

Thanks to TJ & to Curt for independently sending this one in.

Alright, I have to get this off my chest: iTunes 6.0.2 is absolutely terrible at playing video. Whether it's a tiny little 30 MB file I made of a TV show, or a 1 GB movie, iTunes is sluggish, choppy and it chokes as if it accidentally swallowed a wishbone. This happens whether I'm playing them in the main window, or a separate one. I don't do full screen, as I have too many other things I need to get done while enjoying (or trying to) my favorite shows and vidcasts.

Granted, my 1.67 GHz 15" PowerBook hi-res with 1.5 GB RAM isn't one of the fastest machines on the planet, but it certainly isn't a Pentium 2 either. Opening these same videos in QuickTime results in smooth, wishbone-free playback, which leads me to wonder: What gives, Apple? Why is your flagship music and video player horribly failing at one of its main purposes in life?

Even if you aren't Apple, feel free to share your thoughts.