Is there a setting that allows the iPod touch to not send push notifications while video is playing?

In iOS 5 its very easy to change notifications to the new banner setting from the old popup setting. This will make it show briefly at the top of your screen instead of interrupting what you're doing.

Simply go to your Settings, then Notifications. Now if you tap on an app you'll have lots of options for each app. The one you want is in plain site, Alert Style. Select banners and it will no longer stop your video or games when they come in.

I'm thinking about updating from Snow Leopard to Lion on my Macbook Pro. Will my Microsoft Office programs (2008) still work on Lion?

Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 and 2011 should work fine with Mac OSX 10.7 Lion. Microsoft released several updates over the last few months to address small problems. Make sure you're Office 2008 is up to date using Microsoft's AutoUpdate app that comes with Office 2008 and you shouldn't have any problems.

What is the best alarm clock app I can get that allows me to play music from my library?

iHome, the popular iPod accessory maker, has a great app for this. Its called iHome+Sleep and its compatible with your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It allows you to set multiple alarms. Each alarm can use a tone from your device or a song from your iPod Library. Alarms can have both waking and sleeping songs as well so you can fall asleep to one song and wake up to another. Best of all its completely free even if you don't have an iHome device.

Where can I find spare macbook pro parts for cheap?

http://www.iFixIt.com should have everything you need to fix any Apple products, from tools to rare parts. They also have extensive guides for each type of repair for every product.

Is there a faster way to dim the iPhone screen than going through the settings.app for brightness controls?

Yes. This site will allow you to put settings shortcuts on your home screen, http://brdrck.me/settings.

How durable are the MacBook Pros compared to other laptops?

Macbook Pro's are made from aluminum and glass. This alone makes them more rigid and sturdy than most lower grade laptops made from plastics. Macbook Pro's after 2008 are made using Apple's one-of-a-kind unibody manufacturing which essentially carves out the entire Macbook Pro frame from one chunk of aluminum. This means rather than many pieces screwed together, Apple's Macbook Pro is only a couple pieces resulting in extreme rigidity without comprising thinness or weight.

Why are there two different volumes on my iPod touch? One controlled by the buttons on the side and one controlled by the on screen volume control?

There are separate volumes for different things on your iPod but they can all be controlled both on screen and using the side buttons. For a good example open your Music.app and drag the volume with your finger. Now press the side buttons and you'll also see the slider you dragged update. This is only adjusting the volume for your music playback. Quit the music app and visit your Settings.app. Go to your sound settings. Once again you can drag the Ringer and Alerts volume slider on screen, or use the side buttons and you'll see it update once again.

My phone charged to only 93% last night. Is something wrong?

If its an older iPhone (1 year+) the battery may just be aging which happens after about 300 cycles (400 cycles for iPhone 4S).

If its a newer iPhone let it completely die today and then don't touch it while it charges. Let it charge from 0% to 100% (should take about 4-5 hours). If after 8+ hours it still hasn't reached 100% then you should visit an Apple Genius Bar or authorized Apple service center. If you phone is under 300 cycles (400 for iPhone 4S), they will replace your battery free of charge.

Also be aware that your computer's USB port may not output as much electricity as an Apple Wall Adapter causing charge times to increase.

Charging your iPhone while in certain carrying cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your iPhone gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first. Your iPhone works best from 32° to 95° F. You should store it in environments of -4° to 113° F. That’s 0° to 35° C and -20° to 45° C for the metrically inclined. Keeping your iPhone as near room temperature as possible (72° F or 22° C) is ideal.

I just updated to iOS5 and now some of my text messages are blue. Why?

One of the new features in iOS5 is iMessage. Its a free message service through Apple. It will automatically iMessage your friends with iOS5 devices. You don't have to do anything. It will pick whats best for your message. Some of the advantages are they're free, no character limit, no more compressing your pictures and videos to low quality, group messaging is improved, delivery and read receipts, and they can be read and sent on iPod touches and iPads as well. iMessage is basically like an Instant Message service crossed with texts.

I tried to update to iOS5 and keep getting connection timed out when it finishes downloading and starts processing. How can I fix it?

First make sure your iTunes is up to date. Next you can try clicking the download only button instead of download and update. Once it has finished downloading you can the try to update. If you're still haven't trouble, you'll need to disable all antivirus and firewalls. Once you have all security turned off run the download and update again.