Saturday, April 30, 2005
News
Steve Jobs' Review Of His Biography: Ban It
As far as advance publicity goes, Jobs and Apple could not have done a better job in generating buzz for the book in Silicon valley and elsewhere.
Crowds Gather At Apple's Second UK Store
Birmingham-based Apple fans had plenty to be excited about on Friday — the opening of the company's second European store and the arrival of the Tiger operating system.
Cobb County Board Approves Apple Contract
Crowds For Tiger Release Anything But tame
Analyst Sits Down With Apple Executive Team
After meeting with members of Apple's executive team this week, UBS Investment Research said sales of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger could potentially double that of Panther and that a refresh to the iPod product line is on the way.
Apple's Tiger Unleashed In San Francisco
Mac fans let out a collective roar Friday night, with thousands of eager shoppers turning out at Apple stores across the globe to scoop up Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
London Line For Tiger Event
That's a lot of London Mac geeks. Cool.
FileMaker Pro 7 To Get Automator, Dashboard Features
Apple Loses Henrico Laptop Bid
It's a crushing defeat for Apple, which made headlines four years ago when it won a contract to outfit Henrico County's middle schools with its own iBook laptop.
Opinion
50,000 Blogs Talk About The iPod Each Day
Few products the last few years can show the same phenomenal growth rate as the iPod.
Tiger World Premiere Recap
The most fun was the hour-long demonstration of Automator I gave to several store guests.
RSS, Tiger Safari And The Bandwidth Bottleneck
So, When Will KHTML Merge All The WebCore Changes?
Code in safari is hugely inconsistent and changes are always interdependent.
Is Apple A Rule Breaker?
You have to love just about everything that Apple is doing these days — and it is once again laying down the bread crumbs for everyone else to follow — but Apple is also now a respected juggernaut with a $30 billion market cap.
Will Consumers Hear Tiger's Roar?
Any consumer product — movie, automobile or operating system — must be promoted to put the benefits front and center in consumers' minds.
Review
Apple Takes Major Leap With Tiger
Want to see what the future of personal computing looks like? Don't wait for Microsoft to show you; go out and get yourself a copy of Apple's latest operating system release, OS X Tiger. It's that good.
Apple Mac Mini: This Impressive Small System Could Tempt You To Become A Mac User
The Mac mini provides an elegant way to enter the Mac universe without having to spend too much.
Everything You Need To Know To Install Tiger
With just a little bit of organization and some light thinking, we can turn this relatively mundane step (installing an operating system) into a pure moment of machine-tweaking, Mc-optimizing hypomania.
StickyBrain 3.4: Fast And Easy-To-Use Information Manager Puts Data At Your Fingertips
StickyBrain 3.4 may be the ideal freedom information manager, especially if you need something that excels at capturing information from other applications and putting it at your fingertips.
Software We Can't Work Without: Secrets Of Mac Superheroes
Here's the lineup of apps our distinguished panel of experts fire up every day on their own machines.
Giving OS X A Voice: Tiger Boosts OS X''s Accessibility Features
With Tiger, Apple seriously steps up the scope of Universal Access' powers.
survey: Mac Users Ready For Tiger
Griffin AirClick USB: Affordable Remote Control For Mac And PC Works Through Walls
Griffin's done good work here. If you'd like to be untethered from your computer, the AirClick USB is an excellent way to go.
Sidetrack
Friday, April 29, 2005
News
iPod Bag, Shoulder Bag With Integrated Speakers
I can see these replacing boomboxes, especially since one of them has a shoulder strap.
Apple Takes Tiger By Tail With Free Installation
To woo customers to pay $129 to upgrade to its new Tiger operating system, Apple is testing an offer that may be a first in computer retailing: free installation or a one-on-one training session with a Macintosh specialist showing personalized tips and tricks.
Apple's QuickTime 7 Available For Panther
Apple has released QuickTime 7 for Mac OS X 10.3.x Panther via its Software Update utility.
TuneJuice Offers Battery Boost To iPod, iPod Mini
TuneJuice provides up to 8 hours of additional power if your iPod's own battery has any charge left. An iPod that's been completely drained will work for another four hours, according to Griffin.
.Mac Gets Tiger Overhaul
Seamless data synchronization using .Mac is a major feature of the new operating system, and .Mac's home page has been redesigned to leverage this functionality.
Hebrew On iPod Flap
It seems a developer has created a program to allow Hebrew support on the iPod but Apple's distributor in Israel won't support or repair any devices that have been updated in such a grave and Hebraic manner.
Bare Bones Software Release BBEdit 8.2 With Integrated Automator Actions For Mac OS X Tiger
Apple Files For "Jam Box" Trademark
Apple on April 18th filed for a trademark on the phrase "Jam Box," which seemingly refers to the controversial FireWire-based Asteroid breakout box that has become the center of an ongoing lawsuit.
Automator World Provides Clearinghouse Workflows And Actions For Mac OS X Tiger's Automator
Apple Sued Over 'Tiger' Trademark, Injuction Sought
Online retailer Tiger Direct today filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that the company infringed on its trademark with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Opinion
Confused Over Tiger & Tiger Direct? So Am I
The Strange Pleasure Of Upgrading Software
I can think of nothing i owned at the time that was capable of taking in new instructions and using them to improve its operation substantially. The only thing that could do so was not a machine at all. It was a human being.
Things That Are Annoying Me About iTunes
I want to love iTunes because of its nice interface and iPod support, but these things have been bugging me for some time now.
Why Won't Nokia N91 Kill iPod
One of iPod's main secrets is keeping things as simple as possible.
Ed Bott Makes An Excellent Point About Playing Favorites
Either cut Microsoft a break for Windows' flaws or stop forgiving Apple for OS X's.
Walt Mossberg Reviews Tiger
How would you feel if there was a "noticeable lag" in every single operation of your e-mail program? And this will be fixed within a few months???
Thank You For Beta Testing Our Products
That's what Apple should say to its paying customers about its software releases, which are known to have bugs severe enough to warrant a fast and critical update.
TUAW Photo Of The Day
I am going to go out on a limb and say Apple did not pay Laura Bush $15,000 to stand behind a Powerbook for this photo op.
Review
iMic By Griffin Technology
The quality and convenience you get is worth every penny.
Safari And RSS
It's Safari's RSS feature that has changed my daily routine the msot. It's turned me into a fan of RSS — something that, because of the hassle and overhead, I never stuck with before.
Managing With AppleScripts And Entourage: Secets Of Mac Superheroes
Managing With AppleScripts And Entourage: Secets Of Mac Superheroes
Managing With AppleScripts And Entourage: Secets Of Mac Superheroes
Searching In The Spotlight: Tiger's Built-In Search Technology Takes Center Stage
Spotlight's future looks very bright indeed.
Discovering The Dashboard: Alternative Desktop Offers Access To Mini-Apps
Expanding Your Chats: Tiger Introduces Multi-Person Video Conferences To iChat
Surfing The Safari, Tiger-Style: RSS Support Headlines Changes In Safari 2.0
By adding features users have been requesting for some time, and including other new features many people will appreciate, Apple just may bring users back into the Safari fold.
Sharpening The Picture: QuickTime 7 Comes With Tiger
Overhauling The Inbox: Revamped Mail Gets New Interface, Spotlight Integration
Tiger introduces a dramatically improved Mail, chiefly in the way the built-in application integrates with the rest of OS X 10.4.
Adding To The Core: Core Image Technology Arrives In Tiger
Exploring Under The Hood: Tiger's Enhancements Are More Than Skin Deep
Delegating The Grunt Work: User-Friendly Automation App Tackles Repetitive Tasks
Syncing Things Up: Tiger's Sync Services Go Far Beyond Panther's
While Tiger's synchronization is better than it was in Panther, it falls short of everything it could be.
Installing The Update: Six Steps To Ensure A Smooth Move To Tiger
Wintel
Microsoft Q3 Earnings Nearly Double
Microsoft said Thursday that its fiscal third-quarter earnings nearly doubled from last year, driven by growth in the software company's server and tools business and lower legal costs, but revenue fell shy of Wall Street expectations.
Microsoft Looks To Create More 'Standard' Users
For security's sake, Microsoft wants more desktop business users to be "standard."
Longhorn: Now You See It, Now You Don't
Microsoft has asked several Windows enthusiast sites to remove screen shots of an early version of Longhorn.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Top Stories
Apple Puts Users On A Need-To-Have Basis
User necessity is a much higher engineering standard to satisfy than going for look, feel, or functionality. Next time you look at a Mac, appreciate where Apple's priorities really lie.
News
Stage Two Of The Podcasting Revolution
If you don't know what "podcasting" means, it's time to get up to speed.
No 3GHz Yet? 'No matter' — Analyst
"Speed doesn't matter much anymore. We've moved beyond the 'speed and feeds' debate."
Note To Subway Riders: Watch Out For Those iPods
New York City police officials said today that an increase in subway crime this year is driven almost entirely by a dramatic rise in robberies and thefts of cell phones and iPods, two totems of modern urban life.
Ears Plulgged? Keep Eyes Open, Subway's iPod Users Are Told
None of the riders interviewed yesterday seemed willing to abandon their personal soundtracks altogether to experience the sounds of the subway along with everyone else.
Halo Effect To Change Balance Of Desktop Sales
Following the release of new Power Mac models, investment firm Merrill Lynch remains optimistic about Apple's future.
Say Hello To Hello Kitty Bubblegum Girlfriends
Apple Supported In Online Publishing Dispute
Apple yesterday gained the support of Intel and Genentech in its effort to make online publishers disclose their sources of confidential information about new Apple products.
Combating Gadget Theft
As electronic products shrink in size, they grow in allure, not only to consumers but also to thieves.
Apple Releases SuperDrive Update For Power Mac, eMac
No IE In Tiger
You end-of-life a program on the Mac and boom, Apple stops including it with the relrease of their newest OS.
Nokia Takes Aim At iPod With Premium Line of Phones
Nokia unveiled new premium phones on Wednesday that included on ewith an MP3 music player that it said will outsell Apple's iPod.
Dutch Plans For iPod Tax Could Kill MP3 Industry
A Netherlands proposed tax on MP3 players could devastate sales of hard disk players, and set up international waves over copyright legislation.
Opinion
Tiger Leaps Out In Front
Tiger is the best and most advanced personal computer operating system on the market, despite a few drawbacks. It leaves Windows XP in the dust.
From Apple, A Tiger To Put In Your Mac
What could Tiger offer that could justify yet another expenditure?
The Misguided Marketing Of PlaysForSure
The only choice that consumers really care about in digital music is choice in content. No Windows Media-based store offers a significant choice advantage of the iTunes Music Store; device platform market share means nothing since there is practically no incremental cost to support a player with a particular piece of content.
Will Apple iPod Get Stereo Bluetooth Headset?
The bigger challenge comes from battery life.
The Fish Rots From The Head
Chizen's rise at Adobe tracks precisely with the company's drift away from its roots as a great software company. When the company was run by graphics/technology enthusiasts, it was a great graphics/technology company. Now that it's run by a sales guy, it has turned into a company that seems more interested in the sales and marketing of its products than in the products themselves.
Bad News
San Francisco Chronicle readers, be warned. Read the articles, not the headlines.
Growth Fears Biting Apple
To some analysts, Apple is so last year.
Review
Blast Off With The JBL Encounter
Six Steps To Fast Mac Troubleshooting: Secrets Of Mac SUperheroes
For such stress-filled times, here are the quick-and-dirty troubleshooting steps you need to follow.
iDisk Access
iDiskMenu is a system-wide menu bar item that's sole function is to let you define shortcuts to iDisks, WebDAV servers, and FTP servers, and then to connect to any of those remtoe volumes from a simple menu.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
News
Apple Bumps Power Mac G5s To 2.7GHz
Apple on Wednesday unveiled upgrades to its line of dual-processor Power Mac G5 desktop computers, raising the top-end system's processor speed from 2.5 to 2.7GHz.
Apple Lowers Prices On Cinema Displays
Apple on Wednesday announced lower prices for its line of flat panel Cinema Displays.
Easy Listening Via 'Podcasts'
Digital shows you can download to an MP3 player have a U.S. audience in the millions.
iTunes Is Here!
At least one Mac and music enthusiast in Australia has already downloaded a track from iTunes Music Store and paid for it with his Australian credit card.
Sophos Describes Mac/Cowhand-A "Virus"
Sophos has posted a vague description of a new potential proxy Trojan for Mac OS X called "Mac/Cowhand-A."
Amazon Spills The Beans On New Power Mac G5
The popular online catalog reseller has listed a 2.7GHz dual-procesor Power Mac G5 model at US$2,994.99.
RealNetworks Rekindles iPod Tech Tussle
In the midst of a broader music release, RealNetworks has quietly renewed its iPod technology battle with Apple.
Opinion
Put A Tiger In Your Mac
After playing with Tiger for the better part of an evening, I can say it's full of welcome surprises.
Steve Jobs Continues Assault On The Press
Through the years, Apple's action shave been downright Stalinist.
Look, Steve, You've Made Your Point; Besides, I Think Book Burning Breaks Some Ordinance
Here's To The Crazy Ones
One of the coolest pages on apple.com was always the Think Different poem.
Honesty Is The Best Policy
Starting in our June 2005 issue, we'll be providing short biographies of the authors of all our major reviews. That way, you'll know who our reviewers are and have some idea about their qualifications and perspectives.
Review
New Mac Mini Goes After Frustrated Windows Users
Bionicle
While the production values are solid, the flaws suck much of hte pure enjoyment that could have been had in this little game.
Sidetrack
Podcasts are everywhere — now, even Macworld has one. In this pilot episode, Cyrus Farivar talks to Glenn Flesihman about bluetooth.
Isn't it about time for Steve Jobs to set up yet another company that develops the next generation of operating system for Intel chips, sit back, relax, and wait to reverse-buyout Microsoft and their Copland... er, Longhorn?
:-)
Wintel
Is The Windows Market Saturated? Microsoft Says No
Microsoft has a number of ideas, which it is sharing with its hardware and software partners, as to how to ratchet up Windows desktop revenues by billions per year.
Real Unveils Rhapsody To Go, More
iPod is not on the list of supported devices.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Top Stories
Discord Over Jobs Biography?
John Wiley & Sons, a leading publisher of technology books, said Apple has removed all its titles from the shelves of Apple stores in apparent retaliation for the upcoming publication of a biography of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
News
iTunes UK Becomes Music Retail Leader
Apple's iTunes Music Store could today theoretically command as much as 35 per cent of the UK singles market following the combination of the digital and physical singles charts.
Welcome To Campus; Have An iPod
Freshmen at Duke get music gadgets, DePaul has free cable, and schools feel it's expected.
Apple Extends WWDC Early Registration
Apple has extended its early registration for WWDC to May 6, 2005. This means attendees can still save US$300 off the regular price.
'Real' Threat To Apple's iTunes, Napster
RealNetworks will announce today that users of its popular music subscription service, Rhapsody, can transfer their tunes to portable devices, a move that could threaten the popular iTunes service.
Apple Releases GarageBand 2.0.1
Apple Continues To Cut Shipping Lead Times
Piper Jaffray reiterated an "outperform" rating and $52 target price on Apple, saying Apple's product availability continues to improve as evidenced by the shorter lead times for many products.
Opinion
iPod's Dirty Little Secret And The Power Of The Internet
Finder's End?
Throw it all into the one place, and use Spotlight and the equally entracing Smart Folders feature to keep everything in order, and find what you need, when you need it. Finder, RIP?
Sirius Satellite Radio Still Has iPod Envy
Apple Mythology And Desktop Security
If security concerns are your most important driver for desktop change, and Microsoft Office compatibility is your most significant barrier, then switching to Macs actually offers you the best of all possible worlds.
Review
iMac G5: Up In Smoke
This is the story of how my iMac G5 joined the legion of machines that recently have spontaneously failed, and how the problem was resolved.
Importing Safari Bookmarks
I have an answer that not only imports the bookmarks, but offers the added benefit of allowing you to use Terminal, thus upping your Geek Studliness Quotient by a full seven points.
The Comic Life
Regardless of your level of design expertise, you'll surely find Comic Life to be fun. It's one of the coolest products I've seen this year.
Wintel
Microsoft: 'Trusted Windows' Still Coming, Trust Us
After nearly a decade, Microsoft's vision for how to protect especially sensitive information within Windows remains largely that — a vision.
Monday, April 25, 2005
News
Apple's Harvest
Apple credits those in-store experts with much of the success of its retail outlets, which in turn have helped turn around the 28-year-old company. So do analysts who cover the company.
McAfee virex 7.6 For Mac OS X Released
No Crowing By Apple, But iTunes Set to Open
Actor and sometime-musician Russell Crowe gave the strongest indication the music store would be launched here before the end of the month, telling John Laws' radio show listeners the website would host his latest solo music efforts.
iChat 3.0 Users Can Now Talk To MSN Messenger Users
This is now possible because iChat uses the open IM protocol Jabber.
DMB Caves To iTunes Distribution Method
After over a year of trying to find a working digital distribution method for Dave Matthews Band has found a new home at iTunes.
Opinion
Review
Call Of Duty: United Offensive
iDive
iDive manages your footage by using frame samples and customizable annoations so you know what's in each and every shot in your tape collection.
Picture Rescue
Under the right conditions, Prosoft's Picture Rescue can help you recover some of your photos from your camera's flash memory.
Primatte Chromakey 2.0
Digital Anarchy's Primatte Chromakey 2.0 is a clever Adobe Photoshop plug-in that slashes masking time.
Wintel
Creative Fails To Live Up To MP3 Hype
Today, Creative's boast of challenging Apple and its iconic iPod and ipod mini for leadership of the MP3 market is wearing increasingly thin. And it has to be asked if Mr Sim has badly mis-calculated.
Creative Technology Falls After Citigroup Cuts Rating
Shares of Creative Technology Ltd., a Singapore-based maker of digital music players, had the biggest drop in more than three years after Citigroup Inc. recommended selling the stock following a plunge in third-quarter profit.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
News
Invasion Of the (i)Pod People
They're multiplying — and spawning a new economy.
OS X Security Tips From The NSA
The National Security Agency knows a thing or two about security in general, and it seems that Macs have infiltrated the Agency.
As Gadgets Proliferate, The Visually Impaired Struggle
As technology has evolved, it's become lighter, smaller and more portable. For most people, that makes it more convenient. For millions of blind and vision-impaired people, it's anything but.
Tiger's Out This Week. No Bull.
This is great theater, but the greater show by far will be the one that plays on your computer screen, making your digital life more pleasurable and productive. If you're an Apple fan, showings begin on Friday. Windows users will have to wait until Christmas. 2006. Snort.
Opinion
Will Apple's Legal Cases Lead to A Consumer Backlash?
If there is a consumer backlash, it doesn't appear to be doing Apple any real harm.
iPod Mini
My love of all things Apple has taken over my life.
Review
50 Random Observations On mac OS 10.4 "Tiger"
InDesign Perfect For Pros, Pages Turns On Rest Of Us
Pages is clean, crisp, very flexible and so easy to use you don't even need to read the instructions.
Sidetrack
Remember the "good old days" when we were all programmers because Apple provided us with the simple yet powerful Hypercard? Now that Hypercard is dead, where have all the "rest of us programmers" gone to?
Programming the iTunes/iPod, that's where we all are now.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
News
Teen Faces iPod Music
An iPod thief was nabbed shortly after he and a gang of young thugs pounced on a man jogging in Central Park and stole his popular music-playing device, police said.
Bosses That Delivered
Steve Jobs is a standout in our analysis of performance versus pay. One year ago, we ranked Jobs at 81, but this year he jumped all the way up to 18.
Teachers Return 'Apples' To Parents
Low-income families now may have the opportunity to borrow a computer from their child's school through the work of two district programs.
miniMate Mac Mini Port Replicator/HD
The miniMate sits underneath your Mini and mates with it, adding 3 FireWire ports, 4 USB ports, and up to 400GB of external storage.
Apple Could Launch New iPod Product In June
Banc of America Securities expects Apple to launch a new iPod product "as early as June" to help simulate demand and market share.
Environmental Group Shoots Back At Apple
The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition shot back at statements Jobs made about the company's environmental policies. While the groups initial charges were broad, they narrowed the focus on many of the issues in their responses today.
Opinion
Frustruations With Apple's Tech Support
Throughout the phone call, I kept trying to find ways to remind the rep without being rude that I've been working with networking technologies for almost 15 years and that he wasn't making any sense.
I Wonder How Angry Steve Is Gonna Be...
I just got a call from PCMall who said there was an error in shipping, and that I would have to return the copy of Tiger I received and have a new copy shipped next week.
Review
Dealing With Span Of Battery On iPod Mini
Sure The Mac Is Fun To Use, But Can I Actually Get Anything Done On It?
Simply put Macs are a pleasure to use; they get out of the way and let you get your work done.
Friday, April 22, 2005
News
Apple Store Ships Mac OS X Tiger For Early Delivery
Apple has begun shipping Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Man Mugged, Beaten By teens For iPod In Central Park
Apple Releases Java Update For Mac OS X v10.3.9
The update addresses an issue Apple described in a tech note published to its Support Web site earlier this week.
Video Pros Place Apple In Top Three For Spending
Video professionals cite Apple as third most likely recipient of increased spending this year, trailing Sony and Avid slightly.
The Missing Sync For Hiptop Released
Jobs Rebuts Eco-Group Claims At Annual Meeting
"They have good taste in picking the iPod, but that doesn't make their false statements true."
Opinion
Think Desire
Why hasn't Apple changed the way we experience the web?
Apple Tech Support, I Love You
What follows is a compilation of experiences I had with the Apple support teams in France.
Skittish Adobe Buys Macromedia
Acquisition in keeping with history of fear.
Tiger Math
Has anyone bothered to look at Apple's "200+ new features" claim? I mean, what exactly constitues a "feature"? In Apple's world, just about anything.
In Defense Of Music Phones
Given consumer willingness to accept seemingly deal-breaking tradeoffs to add features to their cell phones, I think it's unwise to bet against the eventual rise of music-enabled cell phones. And given people's preference to carry as few devices as possible, I think that growth will be at the expense of the iPod.
In Defense Of The iPod
There's still a portion of the iPod circle that's outside the cell phone circle, and if that segment is as big as I think it is, Apple won't see a major slowdown in sales.
It's All In The Presentation
I saw Apple's Phil Jackson give the SoundTrack demo during the Final Cut Studio announcement last Sunday, and it was amazing.
Usability Research
I went down to Microsoft's RedWest campus during my lunch break today to participate in some usability testing for one of their Mac products.
Thinking Beyond The iPod
Phone-based music has tremendous potential but it doesn't necessarily lie in having Cingular become iTunes. It lies in discovering the unique ways in which mobile connectivity adds real value to people's love of music.
Review
GooBall
This is a game I've been addicted to for a long while now, a situation its flaw haven't even dampened.
Hands On With The 17-Inch PowerBook
Apple is continuing to innovate an dput useful updates in its PowerBook line.
Griffin EarJams
On the one hand they actually make the iPod earbuds useful to me by ensuring that they actually stay in my ears, but the sound quality suffers as a result.
Sidetrack
New word from the Hallway: Music Surfing on iTunes Music Store.
Slap a sticker (or two) on the Power Mac G5, and we have a Microsoft PC. Great for developing games for the next version of Xbox.
Wintel
Going Long On Longhorn
Mac owners — your truly among them — will no doublt chuckle at the audacity of some of the coming claims. Rest assured there will be no paucity of hyperbole in the remaining year-and-a-half run-up to the operating system's debut. It's going to be that way because every segment of the PC food chain is desperate for a megahit out of Microsoft.
Singapore's Creative Reports Earnings Dip
"The strategy is to drive market share. This was our second consecutive quarter of selling 2 million MP3 players, an achievement that further position us as an industry leader in the explosive MP3 market."
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Top Stories
Apple A Day Keeps The Music At Play
Devotees of the products from the stylish, small iPod that holds music to the sleek Powerbook computers seem like a tribe.
News
Apple Slapped For Sloppy Security Response
Buffer overflow flaw left open for three months.
NAB: Apple Preaches The HD Gospel
On Track With Macs
Students across the state could be receiving their education through the use of computers during the next few years.
Apple Unlikely To Get Bite Of Wal-Mart
Apple's firm pricing policy may leave it at loggerheads with the world's biggest retailer and discounter, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Activists Push To Recycle 'E-Waste'
The iPod Dining Guide To Seattle
If in your community there are a lot of people using iPod digital music players, you might be intrigued by a new downloadable dining guide produced by Seattle Weekly.
Music Phone In Motorola Lineup
Motorola, the world's second-largest mobile phone maker, on Wednesday night confirmed plans to launch a new phone that will play digital music downloaded from Apple's ITunes online music site.
Apple Pulls In Two Awards At NAB
Report: Apple Paid Tech Editor $15K To Praise iPod
NBC "Today" show tech editor Corey Greenberg has admitted to charging $15,000 to Apple and other companies to talk about their products on television, reports the Washington Post.
Australia's Fastest Supercomputer To Use Apple Xserves, Xgrid, And Mac OS X
Fuzzy Math In Apple Harvest?
IDC left out a chunk of Apple shipments from its U.S. tally last Friday. On Monday, it quietly revised that figure uupward to 565,000. The increase in Apple's unit shipments bumped it up to a 3.9 percent share of the market, making it the fifth largest computer maker in the U.S. for the quarter.
Opinion
As Apple Suit Shows, 'Journalism' Is Broad
Translation From PR-Speak To English Of Selected Portions Of Adobe's FAQ Regarding Their Acquisition of Macromedia
Apple's Big Virus
Just as Windows users have become accustomed to 140,000 viruses, Apple users have become accustomed to none.
Of Bluetooth, iSync And Japanese Phones, Part Deux
So, it seems that albeit slowly, Apple has caught up with the phone extravaganza.
The Future Of Spotlight And OS X
A Cumbersome Type Of Picture
Trouble is, every company (and sometimes every camera) has its own flavor of RAW format.
Review
Panic's Transmit 3 — A Major Overhaul And Then Some
Safari... The Browser You Hate To Develop With
If you develop web apps, you will curse Safari all day long.
Upgrading Apache Web Server For Apple's Mac OS X
A New Version Of Photoshop
The most impressive new feature is called vanishing point.
Loudspeaker Sound From A Docked iPod, For Those Who Can Bear To Listen
A Brief Tutorial On Reverse Engineering OS X
This article aims to give a little insight into the techniques I use to reverse engineer OS X in order to provide extra functionality to users and extra information to third-party developers.
NoteTaker 1.9.4: Java Support Adds Power To Flexible Notes Application
iTunes' Join Tracks, Gaps, And You
Although iTunes can't fashion truly gapless tracks from files in your iTunes library, you can create a kind of gapless recording when you rip music from an audio CD. This is the purpose of the Join CD Tracks command in iTunes' Advanced menu.
Useful Trash, Part 2
Compost's most obvious benefits are its automatic deletion features.
Sidetrack
Moore's Law, As Applied To Storage
Do expect either iPod shuffle to get really big on storage, or iPod mini to get really small in physical size, thanks to the ever-increasing improvement in the storage technology department.
Barb Dybwad of Engadget is speculating that Apple will soon drop the iPod line, and rename the iPod photo line to simply iPod.
Rumor Today: iTunes Mobile Is Coming, While No New Features Coming Soon To iTunes
Think Secret: iTunes Movile 1.0 slated for June, iTunes 4.8 Mac/Win expected soon.
Wintel
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
News
Apple's Tiger Launch Prize Plans
The company's international network of stores including stores in Japan, the UK and across the USA will be offering store visitors attending the launch a chance to win great prizes, including a PowerBook G4; an iPod and "other prizes".
Microsoft Launches Windows XP Campaign With Ad Made On Apple Mac
"A picture launching [Microsoft's] big campaign designed to steal the thunder from Apple — is made on a Mac!"
Apple Store Birmingham Opens April 29
The second European store opens at the Bullring Shopping Centre.
Apple To Settle Another Tiger Leak Lawsuit
Apple Paying For Cobb County Laptop Study, But With School System's Money
Cobb County schools spokesman Jay Dillon emphasized that it would've been the company's responsibility to pay for the study regardless of which computer company the school system chose to provide the laptops.
Opinion
Safari And Rich-Text Editing: Still Waiting
Let Tiger Breed Before You Buy It
Big changes like that require a lot of testing, and no testing method works as well as testing by real users doing real things.
Dissent Within The Linux Rank And File?
I don't understand why the most popular Linux distributions have to be any harder to setup than FreeBSD or OS X.
iPod Security Of The Sock Kind
Secure your iPod in a sock, you won't be sorry.
What Can PC Makers Learn From Apple?
From the company's product design to hardware and software compatibilities to the pleasant Apple Store environment, there's an awful lot to like.
Review
Mac Mini Eye For The Linux-Windows Guy
The Mac mini's lower entry barrier convinced me that the time had come to buy and try a Mac OS X box. I'm convinced that a large percentage of first time Mac buyers buying a Mac mini are Try-ers like me.
Mac Mini
If you're looking for a small second (or third, or fourth) PC, the Mini is worth a look.
Default Folder X 2.0 For Tiger
Font Management Software: Several Third-Party Products Advance Beyond Apple's Font Book
If you're having problems with corruprt font files, duplicate fonts, and mismatched PostScript printer and screen fonts, FontDoctor 7 is the best remedy.
Lord, Save (As) Me!
If you're frustrated by OS X's Open and Save dialog boxes, you owe it to yourself to purchase Default Folder X.
Sidetrack
Hey, we should always choose the right tool for the job. That's why it shouldn't surprise anyone that Microsoft's ad agency used a Macintosh to create the latest ad campaign for the Redmond company.
Yeah, "Start Something" with Windows XP. But to really finish the job, you'll need a Mac.
(Yeah, I know. Cheap shot. Sorry.)
:-)
You know, it is so rare that the Mac OS X crashes that it's worth an upload over at Flickr when it does happen.
Wintel
Creative Q3 Profit Seen Surging On MP3 Sales
Creative has produced some of the strongest contenders to the iPod, but Apple's product still leads the hard disk drive music player market by a wide margin. Apple has also encroached into Creative's market for MP3 players based on flash memory chips with the launch of the gum-stick sized iPod shuffle.
Robert Scoble's Guardian Angel Leaving Microsoft
I do think something should be done about Microsoft's current funk and it definitely should involve some executive heads rolling. I hope it doesn't take the stock hitting $10 before some action is taken.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
News
Artisan, iPod Help ARM Raise Q1 Sales, Profits
Imitation Is Purest Flattery As Apple, Microsoft Battle
Both Longhorn and Tiger are focusing heavily on desktop search, which users will employ to find documents stored on their hard drive. Other likenesses between the new Windows and various versions of OS X include see-through windows and similar icons. As to who stole whose search idea, both companies are doing their fair share of finger-pointing.
iPod Killers?
With innovative services and snazzier phones, the telecom players figure they can swipe a chunk of the digital music market that Apple cracked open with its iconic iPod.
When iPod Goes Collegiate
The iPod's debut in college classrooms seems to be provoking an odd mix of euphoria and bafflement.
Java Glitch Hits OS X Update
A minor update to Mac OS X is causing headaches for some computer owners, who find their systems no longer work properly when using Java-based applications or visiting certain web sites.
Developers React To Adobe's Macromedia Buy
Adobe's proposed acquisition of Macromedia took software developers by surprise, stirring a mix of apprehension and optimism about the fate of the joined companies and their respective software titles.
Adobe Executive Discusses Macromedia Buyout
"We have a lot of work to do in the next six months to determine what level of integration the two compaies have."
Opinion
iWork Spreadsheet To Be Based On Lotus Improv?
I hereby predict that whatever spreadsheet Apple releases for iWork (if any) will be tremendously lacking in features compared to Excel. But it will have these "new" "ground-breaking" features that Lotus Improv had.
The Ubiquity Of The iPod
The iPod represents the next great step in technology for consumers, after the internet and the cellular phone.
Adobe, Freehand And Previous Acquisitions
It turns out that this is not the first time Adobe buys a company taht owns competing products.
Adobe + Macromedia = ?
If you're hitching your career to Flash, it might be a good time to look at alternatives.
Can I Have My Name Back — Now?
The 17 year nightmare is over.
Macromedia + Adobe
I think that it is this culture of openness and participation that has made us so successful over the past couple of years. This is not going to change. Indeed, I think that this culture of openness and participation is one of the reasons that Adobe was interest in bringing our companies closer together.
Looking Back Over 15 Macintosh Years
This week marks our 15th anniversary of TidBITS, and although we remain somewhat astonished that we've maintained a weekly publication schedule through so many years, the evidence that we've done so is incontrovertible.
What The Cartel Thinks
The fact that iTunes continues to dominate just might be a clue that Steve Jobs' onto something.
Who's Out Of iTune?
Without iTunes, the digital download revolution arguably would not have gained the legitimacy and success it now enjoys.
The Buyout Blues
What bothers me about Adobe's Macromedia buyout is that it further narrows choice in a marketplace that already ahd too few choices.
Adobe Buys Macromedia
There is no antitrust standard, and there will be no enforcement.
Adobe Swallows Macromedia
The future is clearly about a very small number of graphics developers with integrated applications.
What's Up With The Transparent Window In Safari?
My question is... why?
Review
The Mercedes Of iPod Headphones
Yet much as I appreciate the sound quality I can't quite see myself dropping $300 for something I abuse as much as I do a pair of headphoens.
Sidetrack
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
There is one good thing, in my opinion, in Apple being forced to change the name of Rendezvous to Bonjour: a lot people know how to pronounce Bonjour. :-)
Rumor Today: iChat AV As A Productivity Tool
Brilliantdays.com: According to sources who saw the Apple FCP5 demo at NAB, iChat AV will be able to show what you play in FCP while videochatting.
Todd Bishop: Talking with Apple's Ken Bereskin, I explained that my main job... is to write about Microsoft and related subjects. He smiled and said he understood why I was meeting with Apple: "You want to get a year ahead on your writing."
JL Watkins: Among all the options for back-up of... video data, an iPod [is listed] as a convenient way to store/archive video clips while on field shoots. There was something about it that seemed kinda trendy, but it's yet another example of all the convergence of different media platforms.
New York Post: Apple Losing Its 'Abroad' Appeal: Study.
Relax, the post is talking about the Big Apple, not everybody's favorite fruit company. Unless, of course, you live in New York, or is depending on the tourist dollars.
Monday, April 18, 2005
News
Mouse Pads No More?
Apple Store never carried anything as archaic as a mouse pad.
Adobe Systems To Buy Macromedia
Adobe Systems on Monday, seeking to expand in audio and video graphics applications for websites developers and advertisers, announced an agreement to buy Macromedia in a stock-based deal valued at $3.4 billion.
Creative Bites Apple's Music Pie
"Not having an iTunes store in Australiasia has had no impact on sales [of iPods]."
USB Keys Can Be Used For Good Or Evil
Apple Goes To Vegas
Apple did put on a pretty good show at its so-called 'customer event' on Sunday morning to kick off Apple's participation in this year's National Association of Broadcasters trade show.
Apple Executives Discuss Final Cut Pro Studio
Rob Schoeben said that Apple liked to think of 2005 as the year of HD and the company's consumer and professional product strategy is going full force behind this belief. "We are not just talking about HD in Final Cut Pro — it's a complete solution."
Opinion
iPod Goodness And Apple Idiocy
Major Hangups Over The iPod Phone
At issue is whether Apple and Motorola leave room for carriers to benefit.
Review
Sidenote
This slick (and free) utility places a multi-document drawer onto your desktop, which can play host to pretty much anything you want to place into it.
In Praise Of Automator
Automator brings back the programming to the masses.
Sidetrack
Steve Jobs is finally getting his wish: an user interface that is really good enough to lick
You Can Donate All Your Unwanted iPods To Me
Now that George W Bush has, well, sort-of endorsed the iPod, do you have that sick-in-the-stomach feeling so much so that you'd want to "toss your iPod in the Potomac"?
Either that, or you can write in to get my address on where to send your iPods. :-)
Stuff That I Don't Really Understand But Sounds Cool Anyway
RAC on Mac: In the 64-bit technology space, no company can match the Apple OS X / Darwin technology and price.
Did you know that Apple uses PayPal's system to handle iTunes Music Store's payment? Well, now you know.
Wintel
Microsoft Plans Massive Windows Ad Campaign
Even though Windows XP has been on the market for more than three years, Microsoft is hoping a new advertising campaign will "start something" when it comes to enthusiasm for the operating system.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
News
The iPod Doc Helps The Technically Challenged
Dr. Hyung Chun is a graduate of Harvard University who researches cardiovascular medicine. But at night and on weekends, when he sheds his lab coat, Chun rifles through stacks of CDs and becomes a physician for iPods.
Sony Boombox To Support iTunes
The Sony internet boombox will have full support for iTunes, it has emerged. Dubbed the NAS-CZ1, the sleek black unit plays MP3, WAV, ACC and WMA, including DRM-iTunes music.
When The Work Is A Workstation
If you buy a work from Lucas Samaras's current show at the PaceWildenstein and Pace/MacGill galleries, you'll need $15,000 — and a small moving truck. For your money, you'll get not just 4,432 photographs and 60 movies, but also the Mac Mini computer on which they're stored, an Apple Cinema HD display, an Ikea Hannes desk and two Design Within Reach chairs.
Redden Misled Board About Laptop Study?
Cobb schools Superintendent Joe Redden failed to inform the board members that laptop supplier Apple Computer had arranged for University of Georgia to conduct the evaluation study and not the school district.
Opinion
Sidetrack
Why Is The iPod Not An Appliance Yet?
Because toasters don't need reset buttons.
If you train for a marathon with an iPod, how many songs do you really need? Well, if you are Bruce Angus, 3,084.
Never Be The Really Early Adopter
Looks like there are some problems with the new Safari included in Mac OS X 10.3.9.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
News
Tiny Electric Scooter With Built-In iPod Amp
Yamaha is shipping a tiny, 19mph battery-powered scooter with an integrated iPod, that plays through a built-in amp and loudspeakers.
NIN's Trent Reznor Releases Song As garageBand File
iPod Devotees Rocked By Thefts
Victims of growing crime in area say loss of playlist makes them feel violated.
Software Giant Plays Catch-Up
Once again, Bill gates is playing catch-up to Steve Jobs.
Au Revoir, Rendezvous
Au revoir, Rendezvous, et bonjour, Bonjour.
Opinion
Tiger Prices
Tiger will cost Britons £89, or USD$169, and Singaporeans will pay SGD$248, or USD$151. That's not so fair.
Review
Minis Help Build Bigger Mac
The Mac mini is a golden opportunity for individuals who are fed up with the viruses and other security problems that plague Windows, but so far have largely spared Macs.
Find A Pocket Of Serenity In Crochet Hook And An iPod
A Windows Guy Finds A Lot To Like About The New Mini
This machine is funa nd easy to use and deserves consideration by all reasonable PC fans — even evil ones.
Menu-Bar Icons Prove Invaluable
LinkBack: Applications Working Together
The best part about LinkBack is that it is fairly easy to add it to your own application.
Rise Of Nations: Real-Time Strategy Game Should Also Please Fans Of Turn-Based Games
Combining some of the best things about real-time and turn-based strategy games, Rise of Nations will please gamers of both stripes.
Sidetrack
5 Computers In The World? 640K More Than Enough? No Wireless, Less Than A NNomad, Lame?
CmdrTaco's spur-of-the-moment review of the iPod when it was first introduced will live forever in the blog-o-sphere.
Wintel
Microsoft Dusts Off 'Palladium' Security For Longhorn
Redmond updates the game plan for its next-generation Windows security system, now set to debut in Longhorn.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Top Stories
Music Moguls Trumped By Steve Jobs?
Nearly two years after Apple's iTunes launch, record executives have become worried that they have inadvertently ceded too much power over their industry to Steve Jobs.
News
The Plasticsmith Debuts Mini Shack For Mac Mini
Apple To Open New Florida Store Next Week
Apple's Shares Get Bruised
Shares of Apple tumbled nearly 6 percent a day after the maker of iPods and Macintosh computers reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings but a weak revenue forecast raised concerns among investors.
Stocks Of iPod Suppliers Fall After Sales Disappoint
Shares of companies that supply parts to Apple's iPod were hammered Thursday after shipments of the music player failed to meet lofty expectations.
Apple's Disappointing iPod Unit Demand
Opinion
Does The OS Still Matter For Graphics Pros?
Apple's Tiger delivers solid features, but the system is less of a factor if the software compensates for OS weaknesses.
Taking A Bite Out Of Apple
Yes, Apple creates super cool products, but the insular mindset of Steve Jobs et al is causing it to fall behind in the race to provide video over the internet.
Damn, That's A Lot Of iPods...
Apple got it right to the point where other companies are in an unenviable position similar to Grok,t he prehistoric transportation designer, who learns that Ubgack, the competitor across the swamp, has just invented the wheel.
Does iPod Shufle Foreshadow Hope?
I'm wondering if when looking back a few years from now, iPod shuffle will turn out to be the first mistake and also the model for what competitors need change to beat back the onslaught of iPod sales.
Bright Days Ahead For Apple
Hopefully Apple will leverage its consumer success into growth in business market too.
Should Apple's Shareholders Worry?
The same market newness that's opened the door for the iPod's growth has invited competition into Apple's arena — an arena with fickle tastes, to boot.
Review
Apple iPod Camera Connector
This is an elegant Apple solution at a great price.
iPod Shuffle: Life Is Random, But Your Digital Music Doesn't Have To Be
It's going to be hit-or-miss for just about everyone; some people will love it for its price and simplicity while others will hate it because it doesn't exactly offer many optiosn (or a screen).
KnightShift
KnightShift is a resonably fun and humorous title, yet it does not break out as a spectacular title.
Sidetrack
More podcasts from the BBC is coming soon...
Yet Another Weekend Is Upon Us...
... so, what have you done this week for the goodness of the world? :-)
Wintel
Microsoft More Open About Longhorn Features
Longhorn will be easier to use, more secure, and less costly to manage, execs insist.
Where's That Windows Media Player Update?
Microsoft's inability to ship a timely update for users of its Windows Media 9 Series has triggered new questions about Microsoft's handling of a legitimate security threat to consuemers.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
News
University Of Pittsburgh Gets Xserve G5 Cluster
Apple's Profit Soars Sixfold On iPod, Macintosh Sales
Apple said second-quarter earings soared more than sixfold as the devices propelled sales and helped win new customers for more-profitable Macintosh computers. Net income surged to $290 million, or 34 cents a share, from $46 million, or 6 cents, a year earlier. Sales rose 70 percent to $3.24 billion.
Opinion
Linux Can't Kill Windows
There's only one platform that can stand toe-to-toe with Windows, and that's the combination of OS X and Java.
Apple And The Year Of The MP3 Player
You can attribute the soaring popularity of portable music players to the iPod phenomenon engineered by Apple.
Stupid Headline Tricks
How about we make it through the April 29 release without the pun-ridden headlines that probably sound cute and catchy in story meetings, but read pretty lame once they're on the page.
Tiger Roars As An OS
This OS is nirvana for productivity.
Is Mac OS X 'Tiger' Rolling Over On Windows Support?
Could Apple be skimping on Windows integration with its forthcoming "Tiger" version of Mac OS X? Support for Mac clients in the enterprise still looks scant to many on the front lines.
Review
Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York Edition: Sim Game Offers Trump-Style Challenge
The game's graphics engine certainly won't set the world on fire. But the game itself is a satisfying challenge that will appeal to casual gamers.
Project Nomads: Strategy Shooter Can't Overcome Lousy Game Play
Project Nomads is a 3-D shooter with real-time strategy elements — and it fails spectacularly in both genres.
Apple iPod Mini Lanyard
This is a well-made, resonably attractive product that will only be appealing to a very narrow audience.
New Office Name
You can force Microsoft Office's Setup Assistant to rerun by following these steps.
Shuffle Play Through Foreign Mac
The tirck to making this work on a Mac is employing a different application to play the songs on the shuffle.
Sidetrack
American Women Have No Nipples (Before 10 pm)
Jef Jarvis: We are now at the point where a woman's clothed anatomy is deemed to be injurious to children. That's childish itself; it's absurd; it's sexist; it's more offensive than any nipple, even Janet Jackson's.
Wintel
Tablet PC: The Next Generation?
Could the hottest new Tablet form factor end up being a mini Tablet/eBook hybrid? Microsoft seems to be betting on it.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
News
Apple May Need To Power Up Mac
For the company to maintain momentum — and its sky-high stock price — the Mac computer line needs to catch some of the iPod's fire, analysts say.
Apple To Start Online Music Service In Japan — Report
Apple plans to start online music distribution services in Japan by the end of the year, the Mainichi Shimbun reports, citing Apple Japan's representative director Yoshiaki Sakito.
Apple .Mac Deal As Tiger Stalks In Synch
Apple Faces Challenge To Go Higher
When Apple reports its second fiscal quarter results on Wednesday, unless the iPod and Mac maker soundly trounces analyst estimates, it could be hard for the stock to move higher, analysts said.
Tiger Unleashing To Boost Apple's Q3 Revenue
Piper Jaffray said that based on the announcement of the next Macintosh operating system from Apple will boost revenue for the fiscal third quarter ending June.
Atlanta-Area School District On Verge Of Laptop Plan
This week's vote would simply approve the first-year concept. A contract with Apple computers is still in the works.
Apple Offers Tiger, iLife, iWork Bundle
A savings of $38.
Microsoft Talks Tiger Compatibility
According to Microsoft, it has worked closely with Apple to make sure that Office 2004 works with new Tiger technologies, and "will conduct final testing" on its Virtual PC product when Tiger is available.
Opinion
Call To Apple: Open Source Appleworks!
Current users of Appleworks, users of iWork, Apple itself, and the open source comunity will all benefit as a result.
Apple's Tiger, Burning How Bright?
The updated Mac operating system will impress techies and novices alike. But new features may not be enough to significantly boost sales.
Weasels!!!
A "real" journalist wouldn't be so completely wrong, not apologize, not make any corrections and yet, still go ahead and take credit anyway.
All Rights Reserved
There's no telling where computers and hard drives stop and music, movies, and television begin. The result is a potentially cataclysmic clash of special interests fighting over your rights as a consumer. And Apple finds itself right in the middle.
Review
Unwritten Rules For New iPod Users
Apple iPod: Apple's Evolutionary iPod Gets Better But Leaves Room For Improvement
The iPod's thoughful design and features make it an excellent MP3 player. But for picky buyers who are holding out for the ideal portable music device, the wait continues.
17 Things You Might Not Know You Could Do With iWork
Bionicle: Pricey Action Game Aimed At The Kids Who Are Buying The Toys
The game's frustrating camera controls alone make this one to avoid.
Sidetrack
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Top Stories
Mac OS X Tiger To Ship April 29
The operating system, which the company says includes hundreds of enhancements, will be available to customers beginning at 6.00 pm on Friday, April 29, 2005, at special events held at the company's retail locations and authorized retailers. Pre-orders for Tiger are being taken today at the online Apple Store — Tiger will cost US$129.
News
Mac OS X Server v10.4 Also To Ship On April 29
Mac OS X Server v10.4 touts a number of additional improvements, such as the integration of more than 100 open source projects and standards-based software applications and 64-bit addressing.
Two New Apple iPods From HP Announced
iPod Motorbike Wheelies Into View!
Get the low-down Yamaha's special edition iPod-modified electric bike...
Independent Newspaper Gives Ultimate Approval To iPod
The UK's Independent newspaper is currently running an advertising campaign in which it seeks to twin itself with the iPod.
Best Buy In-Store Mini Displays
THe Mini was being displayed as a first-class citizen.
Apple Computer: More Than iPod
There is plenty of disagreement over how long the company can ride the digital music player wave.
TVN 24: Xscan Drives 24-Hour News Station
The speed and flexibility of the Apple solution has contributed immeasurably to the TVN 24 success story. "I wanted a system that could lead in the market, not fall behind. With Apple, I have that."
JP Morgan Raises Estimates For Apple Computer, Inc.
News Organizations Support Bloggers In Apple Trade Secrets Case
More than a half-dozen news organizations are supporting three online journalists who published articles about a top-secret technology product that Apple says was protected by trade secret laws.
Pledged To The Mac
During a recent volunteer session at Oregon Public Broadcasting, I noticed that things had changed dramatically — instead of paper and pen, there was a shiny white iBook sitting at each phone station in the studio.
Opinion
Apple Vs. The Press
It's important here for people who do journalism at all points along the spectrum from "pro" to "citizens" to step forward and say: If you ask questions with intent to publish, and you publish information someone considers news, you're a journalist, and should be treated as one by the courts.
Why Doesn't Apple Advertise Mac OS X On TV?
Countinuing iPods A Mistake
The university should not try to mask PR intentions under the guise of academic enrichment, and it should not continue a program that has been unsuccessful in the past.
Apple Computer Is Coming Off A Blow-Out Xmas Quarter — What's Next? Stock Buybacks?
This year, we will find out whether there really is a "halo effect". If not, we look for the company to adopt the new trend for technology companies — stock buybacks and/or start paying dividends.
Review
The Little iPod That Could
The Shuffle is a cool, cost-attuned way to step into the digital-music world. And for athletes looking to break up the tedium of long runs, this device is for you.
Which Online Music Service Is Best?
Apple's download-only iTunes Music Store is the biggest in the business, and a walk through its catalog begins to explain why.
Doom 3: First-Person Shooter Is Dark And Deadly
Doom 3 is a technical marvel that's challenging fun, and truly scary. But you might just feel left in the dark once too often.
Sidetrack
Some Day, We May Finally See A Microsoft PC
Yet another example of why it may well be a good thing that Apple controls both the hardware and the operating system: turns out that PCs that are being overclocked may be responsible for random hardware failures that will crash Windows. "And it makes Windows look bad."
But Microsoft, being a court-certified monopoly, cannot simply ban or warn users who use overclocked hardware. "It takes only one false positive to get people saying, 'Oh, there goes Microsoft blaming other people for its buggy software again.'"
There's PodShow, and then there're PodShows.
And there's one confused-me.
Wintel
Samsung Vows To Take A Bite Of Apple's Sales
It plans to spend $40 million on overseas marketing for its MP3 players in an effort to unseat the iPod, which controls 70% of the market.
Monday, April 11, 2005
News
iPod Shuffle Database Builder Lets You Avoid iTunes
Want to use the iPod shuffle like a regular drag-and-drop flash-based MP3 player? You're in luck.
Class Action Suit Averted As Appeals Court Rules That Steve Jobs Is Not Psychic
A federal appeals court last week upheld a lower court's ruling that Apple investors cannot sue the company over the fact that the Power Mac G4 Cube didn't live up to Apple's predictions.
People Like To Own Their Music
A new report shows that consumers prefer downloading tracks to own, rather than to hire.
HP Remains No. 1; Apple, Not Sun, Bright
Apple was the bright spot in hardware thanks to the iPod. The Cupertino company is now shipping more than four times as many iPods as Macintosh computers.
Apple Comptuer CEO Steve Jobs Named To 'TIME 100' List Of Most Influential People In World Today
Sidetrack
What's on George W Bush's iPod? If you really must know: George Jones, Alan Jackson, and Kenny Chesney. And no "Fortunate Son".
A New York Times' reader has this little tale to tell in the New York Times city blog...
My 10-year-old daughter, Kate, is quite an avid an dknowledgeable baseball fan. Recently, while she was reading The Times, she asked for help sounding out a word she wasn't quite sure of.
"I just know it's a baseball word," she said. I went over to help her.
The world was subpoena.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
News
Japanese Swap The Sony Walkman For The Apple iPod
Tokyo's so-called 'gadget city' of Akihabara, where Sony's walkmans once reigned supreme, the most prized gadget is now Apple's iPod. It was perhaps some indication of how Japan's self confidence has faltered along with its economy.
Web Tunes Revolution Here Soon
Australians are expected to get their chance to try iTunes Music Store in the next two months.
Opinion
Music Of The Night
In order to curtail the complaints of angry airport neighbors who have recently been subjected to noisy America West flights returning from Vegas at 1.30 in the morning, the FAA has bribed the residents with nothing more than an iPod and an apology.
Close, Minimize, Or Hide?
Are you a closer, minimizer, or hider? (I'm talking about windows, of course.)
Review
Safari's Table-Copying Behavior
Safari's table-copying sucks.
iPod Shuffle Music Player Amazes
My tests of the new shuffle show a surprising sophistication. Perhaps most interesting is the shuffle's audio quality.
An iPod Of A Better Color
Color now amounts to a feature you get for free if you want more than 20 gigabytes of storage in an iPod.
Wintel
Saturday, April 9, 2005
News
Disguising A PC
At least nobody will casually walk off with the new Mac.
Bill Ingalls: The Right Stuff: Continuing A NASA Legacy
"The first thing I did was purchase a Macintosh."
Mike Dixon: They Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You," a musical by Queen and Ben Elton celebrating the music of Queen, captures all of the elaborate harmonies, multi-tracked guitar orchestras and catchy melodies that transformed Queen members Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and John Deacon into gods of classic rocks, heavy metal, progressive rock — even rock opera. And it was written, scored and produced on Macs.
Opinion
Sony White With Envy Over iPod?
The whole point of the white headphones is to let the world know that you have an iPod. By going with Apple's look, Sony is giving the iPod the appearance of even more dominance than it already has.
Activation Agitation
A close examination of how Adobe went about integrating activation into CS2 suggests that privacy and convenience concerns were very much on the company's mind.
Review
Sidetrack
DigiTimes: A new model, the 15.4-inch iBook... will be launched in 2006.
Friday, April 8, 2005
News
Apple May Skew UK Music Business
Indpendent labels in the UK feel threatened by the imminent combination of the physical and download single sales charts on April 17. They believe that merging the charts at this stage will skew the charts in favour of artists represented on Apple's iTunes service.
Wall Street Swoons To iPod Love
Apple remains in positive light with analysts at First Albany and Piper Jaffray issuing positive assessments on the company's second quarter performance in the week before its financial announcements due.
Apple Hopes Users Will Grab Tiger By The Tail
Forbes: Apple 442nd Bigggest Company In The World
Apple has moved up from 762 in 2004 to 442 in 2005 in the Forbes' ranking of the world's largest companies.
More Awards For iPod Silhouette Ads
The iPod campaign won Global EFFIEs, which recognize campaigns that have proven effective in six or more countries across two or more regions, as well as regular EFFIEs.
Apple Is No-Show At Music Compatibility Hearing
Apple failed to show up for a hearing in which the music industry fought a proposal by US Congress that by law all music files should be compatible.
Opinion
Apple Versus The Free Press
For Apple, the company may be biting the hand that feeds it but it's identified that there's a clear definition between healthy speculation and company secrets. And it's indicated how prepared it is to protect the latter — even if it does lose a few friends along the way.
Are Bloggers Journalists? Let's Ask Thomas Jefferson
Anyone who engages in reporting — whether for newspapers, magazines, radio, television, or blogs — deserves equal protection under those laws, whether the news is delivered with a quill pen or a computer.
How Apple Can Weather Mounting iPod Threats
Wasting your time and energy on comparatively trivial lawsuits and threats is beneath such a great company, especially when there's a world waiting to be conquered.
Apple Work With Microsoft? Let The People Decide
It's down to the public, not the government, to decide whether Microsoft and Apple interoperate.
Review
Apple iPod Shuffle Battery Pack
The iPod shuffle Battery Pack's single purpose is to extend your music playback life, and for that, it works and works well. Whether you'll really need it is another question.
Spring Buyer's Guide: PC Prices Get Cheaper, But Complexity Grows
Numeric iPod Battery Display
Although the little battery icon in the upper right corner of your iPod's screen is cute, it provides only a very general idea of the iPod's remaining battery charge. Dock connector iPods (exclusing the iPod photo) can also display a numeric readout of remaining battery life.
Sidetrack
Cool, yet another Mac-verus-PC religious war is breaking out, this time over the behavior of Finder/Explorer in replacing/merging folders.
Thursday, April 7, 2005
News
Making The Leap
There are still many of you out there at smaller newspapers that have yet to make the leap. For years, you have known you need to eventually upgrade your layout software and migrate to a modern operating system. But you are still getting the paper out on the old stuff, right?
.Mac Members Get 30-Days Of Free T-Mobile HotSpot Service
Scoop! Brit Chip Designers Score Coup As Apple Picks Chips For Next Gen Mobile Multimedia Device... The m-Pod?
Apple has contracted to use the powerful video, image, and music chips designed by Alphamosaic, in Cambridge, UK, in a future multimedia mobile device.
Apple Offers Logic, Logic Express 7.1 Pre-Order
Duke Decides To Tweak Mass iPod Giveaway
Only students enrolled in certain classes will get the free gadgets.
iPod Security Still A Stumbling Block For Firms
Companies are also failing to clamp down on the use of USB memory keys and many other removable storage devices — all of which have the potential to either unwittingly or maliciously undermine a company in the wrong hands.
Duke University To Continue iPod Program
Officials from Duke University said on Wednesday that they would continue distributing Apple's popular iPod digital device to students next year, albeit in a more focused manner.
Opinion
Xserve, Like No Other
As a server administrator there is no system on the planet easier to manager.
Review
Play Anything
With so many Windows-centric files floating around the Internet, it's easy for Mac users to feel left out. But with the right software — most of which is just a free download away — you can play almost any file your Windows-using friends throw at you.
Maximizing The Life Of The G4's Battery
Apple does not recommend leaving the PowerBook plugged in all the time with its lithium-ion battery connected because the internal chemistry can stagnate.
Sidetrack
You Still Want The Old Files, Right?
Like many others, I too have been surprised by this bug in Windows' file explorer, where "replacing a folder" really means "merge the two folders" instead. Thankfully, no files were lost in the process, only a slightly confused human being who was surprised to find old files still lurking inside the folder.
Unfortunately, I now have to find a special location in my memory to keep this little fact whenever I operate a Windows machine.
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
News
iPod #1 With American Teens, Survey Shows
The Unofficial iDVD FAQ
The site looks to be a great resource for iDVD users and has recently relaunched.
Apple To Open Store At Eastview
Apple is to open its Rochester-area store this summer at Eastview Mall.
Component Makers Set To Get Boost From iPod Sales
Demand for the iPod has not yet peaked and firms that make components for the music player remain attractive investment targets, a brokerage said.
Hearing In "Think Secret" Case Postponed
Apple had asked for more time to respond to the site's motion to throw out Apple's lawsuit.
Apple's COrporate Share Grows
Apple's building up a dedicated sales force and taking on new resellers. Its new server and storage products have given it competitive options, and the new Mac mini is a credible option for many organisations' next PC refresh.
Invasion Of The Pod People
This is the sound of the world's first iTour. A digitally downloadable guide to Glasgow's creative hotspots, well off the beaten path and with a soundtrack to die for.
Night Of The Pod People: Bar's New Promotion Keeps Musical i On Allston
Research Firm Hints At Possible Apple Innovations
Apple Store Mobile Launches In Japan
"Apple Store Mobile" has opened for Japanese AU and NTT DoCoMo handset users.
iPodlounge Q&A: Odeo's Evan WIlliams Talks Podcasting
Apple Announces Earnings Webcast, Shareholder Meeting
Best Buy To Carry mac Minis
Apple's Mac mini is finding its way to more store shelves, with Best Buy planning to carry the $499 computer nationwide.
Opinion
Getting Downgraded
Is the government coming to take away your iPod? Of course not. But your iPod is already less functional than it should be, and if cases such as MGM v. Grokster don't go the way of the technology companies, you can expect more compromised, crippled hardware and software in the future.
Under Mac Attack
Call off the dogs — we really do support Macs at InfoWorld. It's just not a religious thing.
Taking Time To Task
I might suggest that the first way to peel that Apple is to stop looking for mythical chinks in the iPod's armor and design a truly original and attractive music player that outperforms the iPod in meaningful ways.
Review
Tax Preparation Software
Intuit's TurboTax Deluxe 2004 is hands-down the easier of the two applications to use.
Xsan And You
This product will change the way many of us work, and save us money while doing so.
Apple iPod Shuffle Add-Ons
Got $29 to spare? Apple has an iPod shuffle accessory for you.
Spartan
The bugs and excruciating gameplay makes longer games a chare.
Sidetrack
iPod Killers, On Your Mark, Get Set, Checked!
All the "iPod killers" out there promises more features than iPod: Here's a list of features not found on iPods. FM radio, check. Support for Microsoft music rental service, check. Microphone, check.
Hey guys, how about giving us new functions, rather than just a checklist? How about TiVo-like time-shifting of local radio programming? How about Amazon-like music and podcast recommendations based on what I like to listen? How about Newton-like personal assistant based on my dictation?
Not checked yet.
Wintel
Tuesday, April 5, 2005
News
Man Creates 'Fauxmercial' iPod Tribute
iPod Nation
If a decade is to be defined by its musical gadgets, Apple is poised to make the 2000s the iPod years.
Six Apart Adobe Reveal Weblog Alliance
Weblog application publisher SixApart and Adobe have got together to build support for weblogging into GoLive CS 2.
Duke iPod Porgramme Sees 1.6% Success Rate
In its roster of more than 1,000 courses, Duke has only fully integrated the iPod into the coursework of 16 — that's 1.6 per cent of classes.
You Are What You Listen To
Co-workers sharing digital music in the workplace via Apple's popular iTunes form impressions of each other based on their musical libraries, according to a new study by human-computer interaction researchers.
iPod Shuffle Packs Quality Components
Apple's care is obvious in the appearance of the components, and innovations to improve how the unit feels when you use it. The firm didn't hesitate to use expensive components when required.
Despite Claims, Apple Could Honor Warranties
The warranty situation has frustrated some of Apple's loyal customers.
Where's The FireWire?
Apple's decision to bundle iPods with only USB cables has some predicting the end of the competing standard. Experts tell us which one will win. (Hint: maybe both, but maybe neither)
Opinion
Mac Or PC, No Longer A Problem
There is a blurring of lines between computer platforms these days, and it might be good news for computer users of all stripes.
Longhorn Not Threatened By Mac 'Halo' Effect
Not only won't Microsoft feel the halo effect of Apple's iPod, it may only be a matter of time before Apple is feeling the halo effect of Windows Media.
Point, Counterpoint: Mac OS X Is Great For Fortysomething Unix Hackers
Mac OS X is the intersection of almost everything that's good about the old Mac OS and the open source Linux desktops.
Macintosh Vs. Windows
While the argument may not end anytime soon, examining your personal goals and tastes, not to mention your wallet, may help solve the debate inside your head and at the cash register.
Review
OpenOSX Office 1.5.1: Microsoft Office ALternative Has Some Hits, Many Misses
Apeiron X
Apeiron X is as satisfying today as it was ten years ago. If you enjoy arcade action, you should certainly check it out.
QuicKeys X3: Automation Utility Sports Improved Interface, More Programming Tools
If you can afford the high cost and time investment, QuicKeys is an excellent way to reduce the drudgery fo repetitive tasks.
FireWire Hard Drives: Portable, Desktop Storage Devices Compared
TextWrangler 2.0: Text Editor Gains Features, Now Free Of Charge
TextWrangler 2.0 is a text editor for anyone who has to handle large volume of text — clerical tasks, code writing, or Web site maintenance. It doesn't share BBEdit's advanced authoring and code management tools, but you can't argue with the price.
Hit The Road, Mac
What to take, what to leave behind, and how to travel smart.
Replacing eFax With MaxEmail
I've been extremely happy with MaxEmail so far because it has just worked.
Laptop Listening: Laptop USB Speaker Systems Compared
In terms of sound quality, the least expensive model, the Sound Bite, surprised me by offering the best overall balance without being the best in any one area.
Aquadot!red
It's perhaps not as light and humorous as a tradtional Pac Mac game, but it's certainly memorable.
Instant-Messaging Software: iChat AV Has Nearly Perfected The Art Of Chat
Sidetrack
A local mobile phone carrier is partnering up with a local cinema operator here in Singapore to sell advertisement... What the hell are they thinking?
The last thing I wanted to be reminded of when going to the movies is that my enjoyment of the movie has been killed by the great service of the mobile phone carrier.
I WIll Blog For An iPod Shuffle — Or Two
Dominic Basulto: People will do just about anything for an iPod...
Wintel
Microsoft Concdes On Most EU Demands
Attack Of The Anti-iPods
With flash and fancy features, new digital-music players are trying to pare Apple.
Monday, April 4, 2005
News
Podcasts Infiltrate 6 Million Americans
Six million adults have listened to a podcast.
Microsoft: No Fears Of Mac 'Halo Effect'
Microsoft has dismissed Apple's claims of the iPod 'halo effect' denting the PC market.
iTunes Wins At Hollywood Award Ceremony
Adobe Initiates Activation For Creative Suite 2
Adobe says they are not changing the way they do business, rather enforcing the terms of the license agreement, which says the product can be installed on only two machines.
Review
MacDrive 6
MacDrive is helpful for IT departments, as well as folks at home with both Macs and PCs — and it warms our hearts that our PCs and Macs can get along.
Photoshop CS2: Features Include New Filters And Editing Tools
Photoshop CS2 include a bunch of powerful new filters and editing tools, tighter integration with and support for Illustrator graphics, support for 32-bit imags, and significant improvements to its camera RAW workflow.
Illustrator CS2: Powerful New Tools Bring Drawings To Life
Illustrator CS 2 packs some powerful new drawing tools, along with a new control palette that makes using the program much easier without altering any of the previous version's palettes or keyboard commands.
GoLive CS2: Brings Tighter Integration With Adobe Suite
GoLive CS2 moves fully into the age of Cascading Style Sheets and mobile devices.
InDesign CS2: Adds Footnote Support, Including Import From Word
"Efficiency" and "productivity" may not turn heads. But what about "fewer keystroeks to accomplish repetitive tasks" or "fewer nights in the office"?
Sunday, April 3, 2005
News
Apple Contract For Laptops Still Not Ready
The Cobb County School District has not completed its contract with Apple, the company selected by Superintendent Joe Redden to supply the school system with 63,100 laptop computers for all teachers and middle and high school students.
Review
Saturday, April 2, 2005
News
Apple Computer Fans Flock To Expo
Photographers, teachers and other fans of Apple Macintosh computers flocked to an exposition of new products yesterday.
Opinion
OS War? OS War!? Ahahahaaa
Anyone who tries to turn the releases of these two systems into some sort of market competition just doesn't get it.
Review
Before Selling That Old Mac, Clean It Out
Follow these steps and you won't find yourself shipping off your precious data along with your formerly precious computer.
Friday, April 1, 2005
News
Apple Turns 29 Today
The company was initiated on April 1, 1976, when Steve Jobs was just 21, and co-founder Steve Wozniak was 25.
Apple Computer Improves Product Availability
Piper Jaffray said that over the last several weeks, the estimated time to ship every Apple product either remained the same or was reduced except for the iPod U2.
Opinion
Review
A Quick Look At Apple's QuickTime
QuickTime is a mature, stable and extensible technology for content developers and consumers on many platforms and devices.
Darwinia
Darwinia deserves a place among this year's mor enoteworthy releases, but also screams for a sequel to please both fans and those put off by its current faults.
Sidetrack
Happy Birthday, And We'll Double Your Mail Storage
You know, last year, when Google announced free 1GB of e-mail storage for everyone, almost everyone thought it was an April Fool's joke.
This year, Google announces they are doubling that to 2GB, after which a "yet-to-be-determined amount of extra storage" will also be added daily.
Oh, and Apple announces the iPotty.
... whether the company is an insurance company, or network television.
