Friday, December 31, 2004
News
You, Too, Can Be A Podcaster
Fans of the burgeoning technology, which let users broadcast and download audio content feeds to MP3 players, say it represents audio broadcasting's future. But podcasting still has a long way to go.
Opinion
Goodbye Safari
That Mac users are also switching to Firefox says something very good about the experience it offers.
Review
Random Noise
SonicMood might not be everyone's cup of tea, but surely I can't be the only person in the world who occasionally wants this sort of sound to emanate from the computer, and in any case it has certainly been helpful to me in my work.
Sidetrack
Rumor Last Year: $100 iPod.
Rumor Today: Apple To Increase .Mac Storage To 1Gb
According to "reliable sources" from MacOSXRumors.com, Apple is going to increase storage size and add new services sometime in 2005.
Wintel
No-Go Zone For Passport
Microsoft's Passport authentication technology lost a prominent partner this week when eBay announced that it would stop supporting customer logins through Microsoft's Passport and .Net services.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
News
Podcast Bring DIY Radio To The Web
An Apple iPod or other digital music players can hold anything upto 10,000 songs, which is a lot of space to fill. But more and more iPod owners are filling that space with audio content created by an unpredictable assortment of producers.
Feed Your Head
Podcasting is DIY radio for programmers and listeners alike. Will it save us from corporate radio? Or further isolate us inside our own miniature media worlds?
Pass The 'Pod And Pour The Pernod: Podtender v2.0 Released
iPod BeamDock Coming In February
Networkx has released the iPod BeamDock, a wireless sound solution for the iPod.
Opinion
Why iPod/iTunes Won't Be Killed Anytime Soon — It's About "Style" But It's Also About Cluetrain And "Long Tails"
Apple's 2005 Challenge: Surpass The iPod
The company needs to take its knack for making products desirable in a new direction.
My Opinion On The "iCheap"
I just don't see it. Something's missing. Apple likes to sell soup-to-nuts solutions, and pairing a $499 computer with a $1299 monitor ain't it.
Review
Bose SoundDock: iPod Speaker System Lacks Features But Offers Impressive Sound Quality For Its Size
At $300, the SoundDock is more expensive than competing systems. However, it's currently the best sounding of the all-in-one speaker systems we've tested, and its uncluttered elegance and ease of use make it an appealing offering for those willing to plunk down the change.
Myst IV: Revelation — Another Round Of Challenging Puzzles And Gorgeous Graphics
Myst IV: Revelation builds on what has made past Myst games so good.
FrameForge 3D Studio: 3-D Application Creates Elegant Video And Film Storyboards
MovieWorks Deluxe 6.0.2: Mutlifaceted Multimedia-Authoring Package Makes You An Interactive Auteur — Without Blowing Away Your Budget
Despite the lackluster performance of its supporting applications, MovieWorks Deluxe is an excellent tool for creating interactive audiovisual presentations on a limited budget.
How-To Record On Your iPod (For Free)
7 FileMaker Power Moves
Here are seven powerful ways to take advantage of FileMaker Pro 7.
Sidetrack
People are already thinking of new ways of using the headless iMac — as a beautiful home server, a product that is "announced" only in the rumormill so far.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
News
Apple's Steve Jobs Tops List Of Highest Paid Bay Area Executives
Jobs received a salary of only $1 in 2003, but he traded in almost all of his stock options for $74.8 million in restricted stock.
2005 In Retrospect: Apple's 1 Percent Solution
Analysts continue to question the sustainability of Apple's growth, because in the fast-growing markets of China and India, and the emerging economies, it has been virtually absent.
Web Based Apple 2 Emulator
Unfortunately, you need Windows and IE to run.
Harry Potter Parody Choose-Your-Adventure Game For iPod
It turns out that iPods have a "museum" mode where text notes and audio clips can be combined.
Opinion
More Crap From Dvoark
Nothing the number is increasing would completely destroy Dvorak's premise, so he doesn't mention it.
Christmas In The Apple Store
We'll have no way of knowing until Apple unveils its first-quarter figures sometime next month, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it was probably a very merry Christas for Apple this year.
Grim Macintosh Market Share Forebodies Crisis
Apple is the easy-to-use, less complex platform. Thus it should be cheaper, not more expensive. It's that simple.
Which Encoder Is Right For You?
I've read rant after rant extolling the virtues of one audio codec over another... and I've yet to be convinced that the answer is more complex than "Find a setting you can tolerate and then crank it up to the point where the music is not only tolerable, but enjoyable."
Software Update Tips And Voodoo
Here's what we did, and we avoided any problems.
Review
Skype On Mac OS X: A Hands-On Approach
My goal today is to introduce you to the wonders of Skype and show you how to integrate it in your routine but also to point out its limits.
Sidetrack
Mr Brown: Information on Singaporean relief efforts.
The rumor that won't die... until Apple really come out with one?
Think Secret: Apple is expected to announce a bare bones, G4-based iMac without a display at Mac Expo on January 11 that will retail for $499.
Rumor Today: iLife 05 And Keynote 2
Think Secret: iLife's core applications will all receive updates, although complete details are lacking at this point.
"'Tis the season to notice just how many advertising designers don't know that snowflakes are supposed to have six sides!"
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
News
iPod Spawns Micro-Economy
The range of businesses adapting to this single product is so varied that the iPod could be said to have created its own micro-economy.
Apple To Blossom As Tech Recovers
The success of the iPod is likely to leave Apple as the only tech company with revenues of over US$10 billion and a growth rate of over 20 per cent.
Opinion
It'll Be A Happy New Year If Apple Lives Up To Predictions
Having scoured the rumor sites and probed the minds of Mac-savvy friends, I believe it's time for Dr. Mac's WWAD (What Will Apple Do) 2005.
Review
iPod Anywhere
With these accessories, you and your iPod can make beautiful music together just about anywhere.
It's An iPod! — Now What?
What kindo f care and feeding does your new best digital pal need?
Sidetrack
I'm tired of waiting. The iPhoto book printing service never did arrived in Singapore, and I doubt the iTunes Music Store will ever materialise here either. So, I'm throwing this out, instead, to the Scobleizer: when will Microsoft bring its Media Center PC to Singapore?
:-)
P.S: Sheal Israel: Scoble is an evangelist for Microsoft and is totally enthused about its technology. What is news is that Scoble, at times, is among Microsoft's toughest critics... He's the most honest company evangelist youwill find, anywhere.
Send your prayers and your power of urge via Flickr.
More organisations and resources are listed in this blog..
Rumor Today: Taiwan's Asustek Wins Order For Apple's iPod Mini Player (With Flash)
AFX News Limited: "With the flash memory-based device, Apple is apparently seeking to make further forays into the Asian Pacific market, Economic Daily News said.
Monday, December 27, 2004
News
Worming Into Apple
Programmer Ron Avitzur sneaked into Apple's California HQ for six months in 1993 to write a software program that, through luck and hard work, is still included on every Mac sold today.
Apple Dealers Swap Lawyers
New attorneys with a background in franchisee litigation have been hired to press a suit by Apple computer dealers who claim the Cupertino-based Apple Computer Inc., is trying to drive them out of business by opening its own chain of stores.
Selling Apples On Street Corners
Apple stores began opening to mostly Mac-geek acclaim in May 2001. But lately, they've become profit-generating supermagnets for those who want to get their hands on one of those ultrapopular iPods. And Ron Johnson deserves some of the credit for the craze.
Opinion
Why Apple Is Apple And You Aren't
It's simple, effective, desirable and memorable. And it's a sock.
Is This The Announcement Australian Music Lovers Have Waited For? iTunes Music Store Comes To Australia?
Sidetrack
The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
Read more about the unfolding event over at Wikipedia.
You can help via American Red Cross, Australian Red Cross, British Red Cross, and other similar organisations.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Top Stories
The Sunday Times Business Person Of 2004: Steve Jobs Swoops In As Mr iNcredible
It is not often that a company boss gets to bathe in the success of a product that is a smash hit with consumers. It is rarer still for that product to be genuinely important, transforming not just the company that designed it, but the face of an industry. It is even more remarkable for one chief executive to enjoy this level of success, not at one company, but at two quite different businesses in the same year. And to accomplish all this while undergoing treatment for cancer — well, that's just incredible.
News
'Year Of The iPod' Has Been Music To Apple Computer's Ears
If 2003 was the "Year of the Laptop," 2004 was the "Year of the iPod," with Steve Jobs kicking off the year with the introduction of the iPod mini to complement the already highly desirable iPod lineup.
Opinion
iPod Revolution Is In Store For Music
In fact, the current business model of the music industry itself has been made obsolete by the digital music format and the accompanying digital music players, such as the iPod.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
News
Clarion To Market iPod-Compatible Car Audio System
Clarion will begin selling a car audio and video system in Japan next year that's compatible with Apple's iPod portable music player.
Opinion
iPod You Pod, We All Pod Together
The iPod is the most popular Christmas gift this year, but it comes with a new type of snobbery: what, exactly, do you play on it?
Review
Friday, December 24, 2004
News
Apple Interested In BBC's Big Deal
"We have US broadcasters, media companies and multimedia suppliers like Apple all wanting to find out what we did, why we did it and what we are going to do in the future."
Apple Canada Cuts iPod Prices
The reductions come on the heels of a Federal Court of Appeal ruling that Canada's Board of Copyright is not permitted by the country's Copyright Law to tax MP3 players.
Apple Aims To Patent Fall-Detecting iPod
Apple has applied for a patent on technology that would allow a portable media player to detect when it is falling and then stop reading or writing to the hard drive.
Opinion
Sometimes It's Just Broken
Sometimes hardware is just broken. Unfortunately, when that happens, you can waste hours trying to figure out exactly what's wrong.
Sweetest Mac Setup On Earth?
Is this the sweetest Mac setup in the world? Goodness knows what he uses it for, but it is impressive.
Review
Space Colony
The game is still fantastically enjoyable for many ages.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
News
iTunes Producer Patent
Last week, Apple Computer filed a patent application covering the iTunes Producer application and backend architecture, used for managing and sending music to the iTunes Music Store.
Year In Review: iPods Rule As Courts Reason
Most Apple Stores Open Until Midnight On Dec 23
Rogue Amoeba Annouces Slipstream For AirPort Express
Slipstream allows audio from any application to be heard through remote speakers attached to Apple's AirPort Express.
Opinion
Readers Weigh In On Apple And Possibility Of 'Halo Effect'
All I Want For Christmas Is BBOutliner
EU And Real networks Gift-Wrap Europe For Apple This Christmas
In one of the great legal ironies of the decade, Real Networks has done some quality legal and lobbying work that will help Apple more than it helps Real.
Review
On The Radar
A couple of very cool audio utilities for the Macintosh have passed before my gaze in the last week. Although they perform different functions, they have one thing in common: Blessed simplicity.
Sidetrack
It's That Time Of The Year Again
Going to Macworld SF? Here's a guide from Your Mac Life.
Wintel
Europe Rejects Microsoft's Bid To Preserve Bundling Plan
A European court swept aside Microsoft's objections yesterday and ordered it to offer a version of its Windows operating system without its software for playing digital music and movies on personal computers.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
News
Citibank Gives Away iPods To new Online Customers
One of this season's hottest gifts, the iPod mini, may be out of stock in most stores, but Citibank is giving away the portable music players for free.
The Year Of The iPod
If anything characterized the world of digital music in 2004.
Next IBM-Apple Chip Getting High-End Feature
In 2005, IBM plans to bring a significant feature from higher-end servers to the next generation of its PowerPC 970 processor line used in Apple machines and Big Blue's own blade servers.
Subscription Model To Dethrone Apple iPod?
Critics are skeptical.
Apple Sues Three For Posting Mac OS X On Net
Apple has sued three men for illegally distributing test copies of the next version of its Mac OS X operating system on a file-sharing Web site, court records showed on Tuesday.
Opinion
Legalities
It's only when people entrusted with trade secrets start spilling them on to the web that you need to unleash the lawyers.
iFrustrated Over iPod-Car Dilemma
Ready Or Not?
What company will finally break through and make video downloads popular? There's no way to know, but with its iPod success and Steve Jobs's Hollywood ties, I sure wouldn't bet against Apple. But only when the time is right.
Five More Reasons Mac Fans Turn Into All-Out Mac Lovers
The Second Coming Of Apple
The combination of Windows' security woes and greater familiarity with Apple products will be what Apple needs to unlock the market.
Review
BBEdit 8.0 — A Developer's Viewpoint
If you aren't using version 8, you are missing out. If you aren't using BBEdit at all, well, you just haven't seen how easy things can be.
Chic New Apple Products Mostly Live Up To Promises
When it comes to elegant design, no one beats Apple Computer.
Sidetrack
Ron Avitzur: I had been paid to do a job, and I wanted to finish it. My electronic badge still opened Apple's doors, so I just kept showing up.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Top Stories
Will Apple Flash iPod Rock Market?
Competitors hope an Apple flash player will ignite sales for all concerned.
News
Apple Store Coming To Nashville
Apple appears to be in the process of opening its first Nashville retail outlet, reportedly in Green Hills. Job openings for a Nashville location was posted last week.
Turning The Digital Tables
Instead of turntables and endless sleeves of vinyl, the music playing out of the speakers is sourced from an iPod.
Apple Subpoenas Mac Rumor Sites Over Audio Product
A California Superior Court has granted a request by Apple to serve subpoenas on three Mac rumor Web sites seeking information on who leaked facts about an un-announced audio hardware product code named "Asteroid" or "Q97".
Ambrosia Releases WireTap Pro
Ambrosia Software has announced WireTap Pro, an "all purpose" digital recording solution for recording audio on your Mac.
Glitch Blocks Some iTunes Music Sales
Some users of Apple's iTunes for Windows say a glitch is causing the program to crash whenever they try to purchase songs.
Bluetooth Gadget Turns iPod Into Stereo Remote
A new Bluetooth device turns the iPod into the ultimate remote control for a home stereo.
Apple's Xsan Falls Behind Schedule
Apple said Monday that it will miss the deadline for shipping its Xsan storage management software. THe $999 product, which serves as a file system for storage gear, was scheduled to launch by Monday.
iPod's Popularity A Boon To Synaptics
Executives at Apple aren't the only insiders cashing in on the company's hot-selling iPod music player. Just ask executives at Synaptics, the San Jose maker of elecronic instruments that turns out iPod's scroll wheel.
Proposal By iPod
Forget diamonds, popping the question by iPod is the wayt o go when proposing marriage.
Computer, Microphone, iPod Make Broadcasting Personal
Podcasting is promising to let everyone with a microphone and a computer become a radio commentator.
Opinion
Airport Express Picking Up FM
"I suspect this has nothing to do with the wireless part of the airport/airtunes, but is more likely that something isn't grounded properly in the electrical system."
Microsoft And The iPod... It's Not As Simple As You Think
Unless Microsoft get into the player business on the hardware side (which will not happen) Microsoft will continue to be at the mercy of the hardware OEMs and there's no way that they can play favorites and leverage off their business model.
Talking Through Our Hats
Jumping to conclusions based on insufficient or faulty data serves no one.
Review
The Easy Way To The iLife
I like Jim Heid's Macintosh iLife '04, a 300-page guide to Apple's iLife software suite.
It's Not Rocket Science — It's Worse
The iPod is brilliant. I don't understand why they're not more popular.
Restoring Order
When you move the System Preferences application to the root level of your hard drive and then attempt to move it back into the Applications folder you're allowed to do so — sort of.
Ten To Avoid — The Worst Products Of The Year
The eMac is slow, underpowered, and pathetic.
Sidetrack
The Many Faces Of iTunes For Windows
Microsoft Windows have a philosophy, it seems, to offer one thousand and one UI choices to do any single thing. This may not be the best UI implementation, but, hey, it's interesting that Apple's iTunes is taking this philosphy to heart.
On the Mac, you can show iTunes as a full-fledge window, as a mini-window, or hide the iTunes window.
On Windows, here's what you can do...
1) Display as a full-fledge window, just like the Macintosh version.
2) Display as a mini-window, just like the Macintosh version.
3) Minimize the window, so that it appears as a button on your task bar.
4) Also show the iTunes icon on the system tray, so that you can right-click on it to access common iTunes menu items. (To enable this option, open the preference dialog, choose "Advanced", and select "Show iTunes icon in system tray." Now, minimize the iTunes windows.)
5) Show the iTunes icon on the system tray, but don't show the iTunes button on the task bar. (To enable this option, open the preference dialog, choose "Advanced", and select both "Show iTunes icon in the system tray" and "Minimize iTunes window to system tray." Now, minimize the iTunes windows.)
6) Don't show the iTunes icon on the system tray and don't show the iTunes button on the task bar. Instead, show a mini-mini player on the task bar itself. (To enable this option, open the preference dialog, choose "Advanced", and unselect "Show iTunes icon in the system tray." Right click on an empty area of your task bar, select the "Toolbars" sub-menu, and then select the "iTunes" menu item. Now, minimize the iTunes window.)
Wall Street Journal has selected Apple's U2-iPod ad as one of the best of 2004.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Top Stories
Apple's Computers Languish Next To iPod
Is Apple playing the same old song, teasing investors yet again with a sizzling product that in the end will provide it with only a temporary boost?
News
iTunes Malaysia? 'No Annoucement Yet'
The official line from Apple Malaysia, whenver the subject is brought up, is that there's nothing to announce, although it does not deny that that discussions are being held.
iPod Fans Get Into The Picture
Not only are iPod users making their own ads for Apple, they're turning themselves into ads for Apple. iPod My Phto is a new web-based service that transforms any digital photo into a signature iPod silhouette-style ad.
Apple Takes Regent Street Office Space
For Listeners With No Time, The Radio Show That Records Itself
Melvyn Bragg's heavyweight Radio 4 discussion programme In Our Time is hardly the obvious choice for the iPod generation. But last monght, the programme was downloaded 70,000 times on to listeners' computers and MP3 music players, in a new type of broadcasting that is set to become widespread soon.
Tangling With Technology? It's An Art
Even skeptics are making peace with advancements that affect their fields and enhance the ways in which they express themselves.
Opinion
Lying To Get The Sale
Any time a salesdweeb starts off with something that's a clearly a lie, I stop listening.
Review
Altec Lansing inMotion iM3 Portable Audio System
For the shelf-space conservative iPod fanatic, an iM3 would make a great audio addition.
Miscellaneous Mac Tidbits
When I use my Powerbook in dark spaces like conference sessions, I find that even the dimmest backlight setting is too bright.
Mac Office
Office 2004 has some worth-while improvements but it's not compelling.
Sidetrack
Dave Winer: At some point Microsoft is going to re-staff the IE team in response to Firefox. When they do it, how will they explain the seven years during which they invested nothing in the user experience of the browser?
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Top Stories
An iPod With Your Slurpee?
7-Eleven stores in Singapore start selling Apple's MP3 players as well as Gameboy and N-Gage games.
News
People Who Mattered 2004: Steve Jobs
It was a year of challenge and triumph for the man behind the iPod, who learned hhe had a rare form of pancreatic cancer and had surgery to remove a tumor.
Opinion
The iPod Platform
Apple's iPod is moving toward its own kind of platform status.
Review
Apple DVD Studio Pro 3
Not many programs can strike the balance of putting the gears behind the scene so that the palette of creation and expression is in front and easy to use and experiment with. Now with version 3.0 of DVD Studio Pro, Apple has reached that plateau.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
News
Boosting The Volume On Apple's iTunes
Piper Jaffray said that based on Apple's iTunes update Thursday, the weekly iTunes run rate is about 5.5 million songs per week, up from 3.5 million to 4.0 million in the fiscal fourth quarter ended September.
Apple Sues Over Web Leak Of Advance Products
Apple is suing anonymous people who leaked details about new products by posting information on the Internet, court documents showed on Friday.
.Mac Gives Away New Game, Book Chapters
HipSoft's casual train-themed puzzler Holiday Express is now available as a free download. .Mac subscribers can also download two free chapters from Robin WIlliams' latest Mac-related book, "Robin Williams Cool Mac Apps."
Ottawa's MP3 Fee Quashed
Consumers may soon be paying less for MP3 players after the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that special copyright levies applied to digital music players are not legal.
Opinion
An Open Request For An iTunes Hack
Want to burn your iTunes Music Store audiobooks to CD, but those huge audio behemoths are standing in your way? Me too.
iPods Get People Laid And Can Improve Their Memories, Too!
iPods have allowed them to create personal playlists that they carry along as a soundtrack to their lives. When they publish their playlists to Rendezvous networks in their dorms, other students surf those playlists to get an idea what people are like.
Review
Friday, December 17, 2004
News
Ginza Apple Store Turns One Year Old
iPod Is The new Bling Among Fashionistas; Accessories Hot Sellers
As true fashionistas are finding out, owning an iPod isn't enough these days.
New Rule: Apple, Others Required To Expense Options
Normal iPod Outselling iPod Photo
University Of Maryland: The Right Tools For Research
"All of a sudden, on one platform, our researchers can run their open-source scientific applications and have productivity, email, Word documents."
iPod: The Gift That Keeps On Going
Apple couldn't ask for a better dilemma — with nine days left until Christmas, retailers are reporting a shortage of the popular iPod digital music player.
Hankering For An iPod? Don't Lose Hope
While some stores are sold out, Apple has rapidly expanded its retail distribution for the player.
Opinion
Is Apple Worth More?
The continued exponential growth of the wildly popular music player is questionable in my book. With competing players being introduced at a rapid pace, the iPod's market share could fall, and with it Apple's stock price.
Review
Mac Gems: Changing Names
ChangeShortName has been available for a few months now and the feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive.
Sidetrack
We don't play ball. (Not exactly work safe.)
All I want to say is that the photo illustration is great.
Wintel
Will Microsoft's Spyware Buy Cast A 'Giant' Shadow?
Analysts predict that Microsoft will start a price war by introducing an enterprise-class product that fights both spyware and viruses. But will customers buy a security product to protect software sold by the same company?
Thursday, December 16, 2004
News
Inside The Mac Revolution
Running 320 full-color pages, the book, Revolution in the Valley: The insanely Great Story of How the Mac Was made, is a collection of insider anecdotes, right from the horse's mouth. Well, horses' mouths.
And Now For Something Slightly Different
Enter practically any electronics store and you're likely to find a digital music player from Apple. It's called the iPod and it weighs only a few ounces, but to its competitors it's the 800-pound white gorilla.
iTunes Music Store Tops 200 Million Downloads
The 200 millionth song was part of "The Complete U2," according to Apple.
Adobe Smotthes Kinks In Acrobat
Adobe issued an updated version of Acrobat for the Windows and Macintosh OS X platforms this week, fixing three security holes that could be used to compromise a user's system.
Jobs Gets OK To Tear Down Historic House
Steve Jobs received the green light from local government officials Tuesday to demolish a historic building on his property in Woodside, Calif.
RealNetworks Promises iPod Lockout Fix
"Any time there are changes made to FairPlay we have to evaluate it to see how Harmony works with it."
Apple Computer To Open 'Mini Store' At St. Louis Galleria
Start With Fruit, Add iTunes, Season To Taste
California produce sellers will be giving away free tracks at the iTunes Music Store.
Apple Releases Mac OS X v10.3.7
The update "delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability."
Opinion
Are There Ways To Make Money From The iPod Phenomenon?
The catch is that the device is so new, it's unclear what the future holds.
Apple Changes The iPod Locks
There's a bigger question at stake here, and eventually Apple is going to have to address it. The music industry wants a unified digital standard.
Review
Cool Mac Stuff: What To Give For The Holidays
Making The Most Of Season's Big Gift: iPod
Dealing With iPhoto Duplicates
If you're serious about managing your photos, use a different utility.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Replay ability is a serious factor.
iCal 1.5.5: Problems With Installation
In most cases, users receive the message that iCal is already running and must be quit before the update process can take place — though iCal is not active at the time. Some have been able to resolve this problem by checking the option "Turn off alarms when iCal is not open" in the Preferences pane of iCal.
Queen Of Hearts
You buy a Mac because it works and is a pleasure to use.
Sidetrack
Apple broke Harmony. Anyone surprised? No.
Real promises fixes soon. Anyone surprised? No.
Anyone care? Probably not. :-)
Wintel
Evaluating The Rivals To iPod Mini
On something that's as personal and frequently used as a music player, little things make a big difference, and it's in the Little Things department that the iPod mini really shines.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
News
iPod: Neon Genesis Evangelion Edition
Someone over at Apple must be an anime fan, because Bandai Networks has somehow scored the license to releave a very, very limited edition "Evangelion iPod."
David Hasselhoff Signed iPod
The 20GB 4G model is pre-loaded with David's latest Christmas album and a special message from the star himself.
Apple Takes Initiative With Oracle
Apple and a number of industry leaders are teaming up with Oracle in Resilient Low-Cost Storage Initiative, which will help organizations use modular, low cost storage arrays in both department and enterprise environments.
$4,250 iPod Amplifier And Speakers
It should smear a smirk on the face on the snobbiest puss.
Next Step For iPod: 80GB?
Apple did not immediately announce plans to incorporate the drives in future products, but new iPod configurations have closely tracked Toshiba hard-drive developments.
Apple Fights RealNetworks' 'Hacker Tactics'
Apple has quietly updated its iPod software so that songs purchased from RealNetworks' online music store will no lnger play on some of the Mac maker's popular MP3 players.
Opinion
I've Lost My Man To An iPod
It can hold 10,000 songs. It can shuffle them 27 different ways before breakfast... What it can't do is set itself up.
Bring Back 'Home On iPod' For Tiger
Wouldn't it appeal to all those hordes of iPod-using youngsters to always be able to join a Mac OS X computer and work/play in the same environment as their own computer?
Review
Build An eDoc Reader For Your ipod
This article is the first in a series that walks you through the process of developing a Cocoa application that allows you to read large text documents, PDF files, and other electronic books on your 3G iPod or newer.
For Your Words Only
To really get creative writing done, I need to filter out all the distractions and let the words flow. I need an editor with fullscreen mode.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
News
The Evolution Of Scrolling: Reinventing The Wheel
FileMaker Hires UK Developer In Major R&D Role
Simon Thornhill has twenty years experience within the software industry, and in his new role he will "focus on setting compay-wide database software technology directions," FileMaker said.
Shiny Apple
How Apple's iPods have rejuvenated Apple Computer.
U2 iPod Makes Appearance On Saturday Night Live
MSN Joins Desktop Search Fray
Microsoft's MSN has unveiled desktop-search technology, entering a hotly contested race to dominate infomration access on the PC.
Apple Releases iCal 1.5.5
Improves iSync synchronization for users running Mac OS X v10.2.
Spouse Of Apple Employee Protests Long Work Hours
To demonstrate his frustration about the overtime hours his wife was required to work at Apple, Michael Gough drove a small car around Apple with a sign reading: "KAPAO: Kids and Pets Against Overtime."
Opinion
Puncturing Podcasts
Here are a couple of hints for those interested in leaping aboard the Podcasting bandwagon.
Review
Tips And Tricks For Recording With GarageBand
How Does He Love Macs? Let Him Count The Ways
Alternate iTunes Music Selection
Readers weigh in on ways to delete songs not in an iTunes playlist.
Call Of Duty: United Offensive
Macworld's 2004 Game Hall Of Fame
2004 stood out for Mac gamers for one reason above all others: The release of Halo.
Monday, December 13, 2004
News
Home-Brew iPod Ad Opens Eyes
Homemade ads will play a big part in marketing, just like blogging is shaking up the news.
Hitting Replay: Jobs Makes Apple Relevant Again With iPod's Success
Jobs' vision has been as admired as it has been constantly questioned.
Apple's iTunes Feels The Bite
The long-awaited expansion of Apple's iTunes online music store into New Zealand and Australia appears to have hit a snag with Web addresses itunes.co.nz and itunes.com.au now registered by third parties.
Opinion
MarsEdit Report
In the spirit of Gus Mueller's after-development report on VoodooPad 2.0, here's mine on MarsEdit 1.0...
Review
Choosing A Mac Computer For The Holidays
PC owners too often struggle with their "lower-cost" machines because they don't realize that important parts were left out. They assume everyone has to suffer through using a computer. Not so. Ask a Mac owner.
iTunes Music Stores Takes Paypal
I'm concerned that this process requires so many different steps with modality and sequence: a non-Apple principle.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
News
The Download On Digital
We will soon get more singles off the net than from the shops — and Apple's iPod is leading the way.
Opinion
Paging Jennifer Beals
My point hasn't been that Apple would never use flash memory. My point is that I don't think they'd make a crummy iPod just to hit a significantly lower price point.
Sidetrack
Congratulations to MacAddict, who has their 100th issue out.
Wintel
Microsoft's Improved Media Center Still Falls Short
Media Center Edition 2005 represents the third go-round. But the changes can't outweigh the basic flaws that have dragged down this software from the start. Instead of a third attempt, it feels more like a third strike.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Top Stories
PayPal Now Accepted At iTunes Music Store
Starting today, customers can use their PayPal account to pay at the store with a credit card, bank account or stored account balance.
News
iPods, Accessories Show Apple Still Going Strong
Walter Kozlov: Paper Chase
"Nearly everyone in Sir Speedy Corporate uses Macs, which means I can spend less time training new corporate employees and more time in the field helping franchisees."
Randi Cornan: Macs At The End Of The Runway
"The whole point is to let photographers do what they do best — get great quality images. We don't want them ever to worry about the technology."
Mariner Intros 'Fridge Poetry' App Desktop Poet
MarsEdit Makes Blogging 'Like Writing E-Mail'
Ranchero Software on Friday released MarsEdit 1.0, which the developer says "make Weblog writing like writing e-mail."
The iPod PowerStick
The $20.99 iPod PowerStick is the latest external battery pack designed to keep the music going just a little longer.
Opinion
Mac Mags
It's cool that Mac magazines are still around. It's cool that there are tons of Mac websites as well. I want both to succeed because each serve a different purpose and reach a different audience.
Review
Finally, A Desktop With Great Guts
This is the finest personal computer I've ever used, hands down. Nothing comes close.
Hacking Radio On The Mac
It is not possible to listen to the radio with an iPod. But there are some other nifty ways to get the radio on your Mac. You can then record and copy it onto your iPod. In this article, I will show you how to listen to and record radio on the Mac.
Apple iPod Mini: Is Apple Doing Enough To Retain Its MP3 Crown?
The iPod mini is certainly a desirable product.
Wintel
New File System Has Long Road To Windows
Although Microsoft hopes to ship a test version of WinFS in late 2006, it could be several more years before the revamped storage mechanism finds its way into Windows Server.
Friday, December 10, 2004
News
Apple Stakes Bethesda Row Claim
Apple picked Washington for its first-ever retail store three years ago. It is opening it's 100th store in this area too.
Microsoft Delivers Blow To Mac Users
Mac users are unlikely to see Video or webcam functionality [in Microsoft's MSN Messenger] for at least another several years due to compatibility issues.
'Podcast' Your World
Digital technology for iPod does for radio what blogs did for the Internet.
Apple: Widget Writers Wanted
Apple is hoping the possibility of winning a free iPod will prompt developers to start writing widgets — small Mac programs that will run in the next version of Mac OS X.
Opinion
My Apple Shop-Within-A-CompUSA Experience
Don't count out your local CompUSA. There are a few Apple-educated people working there.
Security Issues Plague Windows-Based PCs, Impairing Ease Of Use
In terms of ease of use, Apple has opened a greater lead over Microsoft than at any time since the late 1980s.
You Know You Migght Be A Mac User If
Ask a typical business Mac user to tell you about his or her computer, and they'll usually talk mainly about the application software they use. Ask a PC user the same question, and you usually get about equal numbers of people who first tell you which Windows variant they have and people who focus on the megas — whether bytes or hertz.
Analysis: Will Subscriptions Drown Out iTunes?
Competitors may be lining up to take on Apple. But pardon the company if it's not exactly fretting about the growing number of subscription services gunning for its business.
Review
Audio Converters: Lynx Studio Technology L22, Metric Halo ULN-2
Railroad Tycoon 3: Expansive Strategy Game Rides The Rails
Railroad Tycoon 3 is unquestionably the best of the Tycoon series. I wholeheartedly recommend it to strategy fans.
Airburst Extreme: Fast-Paced Game Earns 'Extreme' Moniker
Airburst Extreme outdoes its predecessor in every way. The action is fast, furious, and fun. What are you waiting for?
Gear Guide: Gadgets For Office Workers And Photographers
Apple iPod Mini Is Gadget Of Year
The mini can sometimes be very difficult to find because of all the demand. Be patient. Apple's making them as fast as they can. It's worth the wait. The mini rocks.
iPod Gift Week: Stocking Stuffers
Portable Protection
It's a rough-and-tumble world out there. So your spotless new iBook, PowerBook, or iPod won't stay that way for long unless you adopt some prophylactic tactics. Here are a few options.
The Trip: Gadgets Get Graded
The iPod looks really, really cool. And that's all that really matters.
Music To The Eyes
iPod photo is beautifully crafted and a pleasure to use.
Keynote Is No. 1 With A Bullet
Apple programs are seldom about letting experts do everything. More often, they're designed to let people who are less than experts do an awful lot easily. Keynote fits this model.
Sidetrack
Apple's iMac G5 is the best product of the year over at Fortune.
Dan Gillmor, from San Jose Mercury News, is leaving for a new job to work on citizen-journalism. Good luck, and I'm pretty sure we're going to hear great things from him real soon.
Thursday, December 9, 2004
News
Maroon 5 Makes Room On The iPod For Schoolwork
At the Brearley School, a private school for girls on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the iPod went from a "want" to a "must have" this year when its use was incorporated into foreign-language and classics courses.
iPod Photo Keynote Software Debuts
Apple Web Hole Still Open
Apple has still not properly fixed the HFS+ filesystem named fork vulnerability discovered last week, according to the companyt hat first noticed it, NetSec.
Laptop Program Leads Denali Schools Chief To Job With Apple
When Denali Borough School Superintendent Bob Whicker spearheaded a one-to-one computer student laptop initiative here, the new program did not go unnoticed outside the borough.
Review
Too Many Tunes
"I have too many songs in iTunes!"
Sidetrack
The Birth Of The Now-Dead Machine
From patrickWeb comes t he story of the birth of IBM ThinkPad.
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Top Stories
Macs Find Way Onto University Roll Calls
One after another, schools are switching to Macs from Windows-based computers, including the University of Tokyo, which did so in spring.
News
Indie Execs In Own 'Band'
The largest U.S. independent record labels are banding together to form a trade association that will help them get better prices from online music services, The Post has learned.
One Day iPod Will Save A Life
Apple's iPod continues its travels as plat-de-jour in multiple industries, with a combined US and Swiss radiologists demonstrating how their Mac-based open-source medical imaging software, OsinX, can merge information from multiple imaging modalities into a single presentation.
eBay Negative On Negativland iPod
eBay removed a modified U2 iPod frm its auctions Monday after Apple compalined of copyright violations, to the wonder of several intellectual-property attorneys.
The Picture Of Devotion
John Charlton is a Newton fanatic and a fanatic photographer who has combined his passions to produce a series of fantastic Newton photographs.
Could Apple Blow Its iPod Lead?
Rivals are stalking its consumer-electronics star, and history shows its strategy still has old weaknesses. But catching Apple won't be easy.
Hardware Today: Apple Server Snapshot
In terms of usability, Xserve is the easiest Unix-based server to get up and running.
iPod My Photo
Send them in a photo and for twenty bucks, pick the background color and caption, and they'll photoshop it or something or other to make it look like one of those iconic, ubiquitous iPod ads.
Apple Macintosh Installed Base Set To Grow Again
Demand For Apple's iPod Brisk, But Forecasts Vary
The online music market is changing so rapidly that it is difficult to gauge whether today's devices will be in use three years from now — or whether they will command even a quarter of the price they do today.
Sony To Take On iPod With PSP
Sony plans to take on Apple's iPod by getting the Playstation Portable in the hands of consumers as a gaming device and then use it to market music and video.
Parisian Hipsters Adore Le iMac
A swanky Parisian boutique has devoted almost its entire window display to the iMac G5.
Opinion
Mac Enthusiast Sites Hosted On Linux, FreeBSD
iPods Everywhere
The clever ad campaign that focuses on those white wires makes people see iPods everywhere, even when they're not there.
An Apple Rumor A Day
It' sinteresting to note that the reason Apple is apparently attractive is because it's hot. Conversely, in 1997, while in the throws of what appeared to be a death spiral, numerous reports had the company being acquired by an investor group cobbled together by Larry Ellison, Sun, or even IBM.
Review
Homemade Dot-Mac: Remote Control
In this article I'll show you a free way to control your home computer from any location in the world, and I promise it is easy and painless.
Apple iBook G4
It's clear that Apple has done its homework and provided an affordable laptop with everything a student needs.
iPod And The Spoken Word
Some of the programs I've been enjoying [on the iPod] the most lately are free.
Sidetrack
Landis Bennett is looking for VR photographers to participate in the World Wide Panorama project on the winter solstice.
I predict that as long as Apple still don't have a Flash-based iPod — because the cost is too high and/or the capacity is too small — there will always be Flash-based iPod rumors.
Anyhoo, here's the latest — with CG images.
Wintel
IBM Sells PC Group To Lenovo
IBM will sell its PC division to China-based Lenovo and take a minority stake in the former rival in a deal valued at $1.75 billion, the companies announced Tuesday.
Michael Dell: IBM Deal A Dud
A deal that would let China's Lenovo acquire IBM's PC unit would work about as well as other mergers in the industry, Michael Dell said — that is, not well.
Tuesday, December 7, 2004
News
Apple Stock Rises On Hint Of Low-End iPod
Shares of Apple rose 4.9 percent on Monday after some analysts said they expected the company to introduce a smaller, cheaper iPod digital music player in January that would boost profits.
Oracle Uses Apple Storage Gear
Apple's rack-mounted storage system received a vote of confidence Monday, with database giant Oracle endorsing the Xserve RAID as part of an initiative to cut storage costs.
Opinion
Player Can't Hit The High Notes
While some folks have rapped Apple for keeping its iTunes -iPod ecosystem hermetically sealed from third-party song sellers and hardware hawkers, there's an indisputable advantage to the strategy: it works.
Overpowering The PowerBook Keyboard
My third G4, a late-model 17-inch version, is now exhibiting the same trouble I've had with my last two: Keyboard rot.
Review
Choosing Backup Software
It is extremely important that you read the fine print, and understand exactly what it is you're looking for.
Enterprise SAN For Mac OS X Server, Part 1
MacTruck And Curve Shoulderbag
The MacTruck acts as a protective shell for the PowerBook, and then it inserts into a pocket in the Curve bag, which holds everything else.
Wintel
Lenovo Confirms Talks With 'Major' IT Company
Lenovo won't say who it's talking to but all eyes are on IBM.
Monday, December 6, 2004
News
Peripherals For The iPod
The instant iCon isn't enough. Now you need all its new accessories.
Consumers Dreaming Of An iPod Christmas
Invasion Of The (i)Pod People
And every month, another one million people join their ranks.
Opinion
Apple Of IBM's Eye?
An even better and more audacious speculation is that once publicly free of the PC division, IBM will either buy, or form a close joint venture with Apple to sell its PCs, which coincidentally are now built around IBM's PowerPC chip.
The iPod Is A Stealth Tool To Sell More Apple Macs
At first glance, the theory sounds a little weak... On the other hand, there are three points in favour of an "iPod uplift" to Mac sales.
Apple Vs Creative Tech
Creative has another interesting ace in its deck: Microsoft.
Review
What Are You Getting Your iPod?
Perhaps it's time to accessorize.
Sidetrack
Dave Winer found this quote from the "Inkernet": The election is over, the talking is done. My side has lost, and your side has won. Now let's all pull together, let bitterness pass. I'll hug your elephant. You kiss my ass.
Sunday, December 5, 2004
News
Preaching Beyond The Mac Faithful
iPod phenomenon could have halo effect on Apple's Mac products.
Let Buyers Be Wherever
The G5 iMacs sold in the United States and Japan are one voltage only. Those sold in Europe and elsewhere can run on either 100-110 volt or 220-240 volt electricity.
Saturday, December 4, 2004
Top Stories
Apple Offers 2004 Financial Details
All in all, Apple's revenue painted a rosy financial picture for the company this past year.
News
Tivo For Your iPod
See that fellow with the telltale white iPod wires dangling from his ears? It would be reasonable to assume that he's rocking out to his favorite tunes on his MP3 player. Reasonable, but quite possibly wrong. He might be enjoying a recent podcast.
Apple To Open Mini Store In Bethesda, Maryland
iPod For Two, Please: Share The Love With XtremeMac Audio Splitter
Opinion
I Scream For iPod
Not until I carried the iPod in my pocket all the time did I realize just how much music, stored on a living room shelf, I was not listening to.
Friday, December 3, 2004
Top Stories
Apple iTunes 'Overcharing In UK'
The Office of Fair Trading has referred Apple's iTunes service to the European Commission on grounds that it overcharges UK customers.
News
iPod Year's Hot Gift
But the price $299 for the basic model means it isn't likely to find a home in every stocking this Christmas.
Res Life To Hand Out Free iPods
Residential Life is offering free MP3 players if eligible students apply by 5 pm Friday.
Take A Bite Out Of This Apple
The iPod maker still has great prospects but it makes sense for investors to cash in on gains.
Apple Releases New Mac OS X Security Update
The update for 10.3.6 Client includes updated versions of Apache, AppKit, HIToolbox, Kerberos, Postfix, PSNormalizer, Safari, and Terminal.
Music Fans Celebrate Hotly Anticipated Canadian Launch Of iTunes
Candians Get iTunes On The Cheap
Although Canadians had to wait awhile to get access to the iTunes Music Store, they are getting a comparative bargain.
Opinion
Apple, Google — And The Power Of Rumour
Therein lies one of Apple's most valuable yet least tangible assets — the insatiable power of rumour.
Why There's No Me In iPod
Something is rotten in the state of music culture. I'm talking about the love of music being replaced by the love of technology.
Flash Gordon
No matter what the case, if there is a flash memory iPod in the pipeline, the fact that it uses flash memory is the least interesting part of the story.
Sidetrack
Thank You For The Competition, Dearest IBM
Yes! It's a hard-fought battle. Two PC companies, Apple and IBM, were competing directly for a slice of the personal computer pie back in the 1980s. Apple has its Apple ][ and Macintosh line, and IBM has its IBM PC and PCjr line. Twenty-plus years later, Apple has won the battle, as IBM is now, as rumor-mongered by New York Times, selling off its personal computer business.
Yes, Apple has won the battle.
:-)
But it doesn't matter, claimed Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. iPods and standalone music players will be obsolete in five years, replaced by mobile phones that have much more powerful MP3 players built in, reports Mike Wendland.
Xeni Jardin over at Boing Boing is trying to discover what kind of censorship is there behind Microsoft MSN's new blog hosting and tool.
But as Dan Gillmor notes, "this will make Microsoft an object of derision in the blogosphere. Better to do it right, and let people say what they want to say."
Wintel
I.B.M. Said To Put Its PC Business On The Market
While I.B.M. long ago ceded the lead in the personal computer market to Dell and HP so it could focus instead on the more lucrative corporate server and computer services business, a sale would nonetheless bring the end of an era in an industry that it helped invent. The sale, likely to be in the $1 billion to $2 billion range, is expected to include the entire range of desktop, laptop and notebook computers made by I.B.M.
Thursday, December 2, 2004
Top Stories
Canadian iTunes Music Store Now Open
Missing its deadline by just one day, Apple late on Wednesday quietly opened the Canadian iTunes Music Store.
Canadian iTunes Music Store Postponed
"We said that we would launch the iTunes Music Store in Canada by the end of November, but we're going to miss this deadline by a but. You'll hear from us very soon."
News
IBM Launches Power Chip Alliance
IBM has launched an alliance with 14 other companies to make Big Blue's Power processor more adaptable and widely used.
iPod Hoodies Continue The iPod Apparel Trend
Following hot on the, er, heels of the iPod socks comes this new fashion accessory for everybody's favorite digital music player: iPod hoodies.
Using iPod Savvy To Mine A Niche
For those who lack the time or the know-how to transfer their record collections to their iPods, an entrepreneur has created a service that will do the trick. The service, HungryPod, converts CD's to MP3 format and loads them into an iPod or any other digital music player.
Opinion
Thanks, Steve, For Quite An Education
As OS X emerged and blossomed, I came ot realize more and more that what Apple lacked in market share it more than made up for in mind share.
The Year In Review: Apple Thrives In Surprising Ways
Advances in server space and Unix desktop market are as unexpected as the company's domination of digital music business.
Review
Sidetrack
If you are thinking of starting a business that focuses on writing software for receiving podcasts, watch out. I'm pretty sure that someone in the iPod division is thinking of adding just that functionality into iTunes. That's my speculation, and I'm sticking to it.
Kermit The Blog has the real facts on why there is no iTunes Music Store up in Canada yet.
From the author of the popular Net News Wire, Brent Simmon share a tip or two about programming.
Wintel
Portable Media Center Is The Wrong Choice For Nontechie Users
This is not so much because of the design of the players themselves. It's because there's so little video content available to play on them, and Microsoft's software does a poor job of transferring commercial content to the players.
Portable Media Blunder?
Bill Gates & Co. are attempting to one-up the iPod by adding video to the mobile entertainment mix. There's just one thing missing: content.
Microsoft Enters Consumer Web Logging Market
MSN Spaces lets users create an online journal, post photos and digital music lists.
Wednesday, December 1, 2004
Top Stories
iTunes Now Selling Band Aid Song
iPod owners can now download the Band Aid single from iTunes after Apple reached agreement with the charity. But the single is now on sale for 79p — the usual cost of a song from iTunes — with Apple donating a further 70p to the charity for each song downloaded.
News
New Browser Flaw Out
The bug has been called the Infinite Array Sort Denial of Service Vulnerability and causes the affected browsers to execute an infinite JavaScript array sort. That operation in turn effectively causes a DoS on the browser in question and causes it to crash by exhausting stack memory.
Review
Apple iPod Socks
'Hip' younger buyers (especially girls) and holiday shoppers will be Apple's primary target, and if the socks are vaguely popular, theyc ould become a cheaper replacement pack-in for Apple's iPod mini belt clips or iPod fabric cases.
Five Favorite Annoyances
Here are five of my favorite Mac annoynaces and their solutions.
Why Install Linux On Your Mac?
If you wish to go further, to take maximum control of your computer, and do so on some of the best quality hardware around, Linux makes a lot of sense on a Mac.
More Of The Same?
You've long suspected that Apple's iPod and the HP-branded iPod are identical. Learn the shocking truth that, well, yeah, they're pretty much the same.
Sidetrack
No, I cannot claim credit, because this is probably a very logical thing for Apple to do: sell the tune at 79p and donate the rest. And I think a lot of people probably came to the same conclusion on what Apple should do.
:-)
In The Meantime, Here Are Some Cool Podcasts
November came and gone, and there is no iTMS in sight for our friends up in Canada.
Or maybe Steve Jobs has switched to a different calendar. For example, in the Chinese calendar, it's still only the twentieth day of the tenth month. Still a lot of time for Apple to get their act together.
