Friday, September 30, 2005
News
Apple Confirms Some Mac Minis Have Unlabeled Upgrades
Apple is not re-labeling the Mac Minis — even with last-minute stickers — so buyers have no way of knowing if they are getting what' marked on the box, or if it's something better.
Review
Sidetrack
What If It Wasn't The iTunes Phone That Was Late?
Remember when Apple — and Motorola — seems to be delaying introducing the iTunes phone, "frustrating" all the rumor sites out there who had their predictions squashed time and time again? We all probably assume it was Apple's philosophy at work, where products do not get demonstrated until it is ready for prime time a.k.a. get past Steve Jobs?
What if — and this is just wild speculation from me — Apple was delaying the Motorola iTunes phones because they were waiting for the iPod nano? That would probably explain Motorola's recent outburst.
Of course, even if this was true, Steve Jobs probably wouldn't admit to Motorola. But, if Motorola already have those phones sitting in the warehouse, just waiting for Apple's green light... Hey, screwed me once (Mac clones), shame on me. Scrwed me twice (iPod clones), shame on you.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
News
Porn On Your Pod: Adult Podcasts Gain Popularity
Apple May See Decelerating Growth In iPod Sales
Arguing that Apple's amazing growth streak may have set investor expectations too high, Merrill Lynch downgraded the stock to "neutral" from "buy."
Apple To Replace Defective iPod Nanos
Shares fall after company confirms exchange plans.
Mac Mini Updates Confirmed And Shipping
Apple Sci-Tech Research Solution Improves
Apple has released a new version of its Apple Workgroup Cluster.
Opinion
Listening To Customers
Apple's decision to come clean with the iPod nano screen problem will be welcomed by a lot of people, not least Matthew Peterson, who started the online campaign highlighting the issue.
Avoiding Copland 2010
Here's what Mac OS X is missing today that will be very difficult to add later without causing big problems for existing software and developers: A memory-managed language and API.
The DRM Nightmare: Not Only Does It Get Worse, It Recurs
Short of having a DRM standard that all providers and playback technologies can comply with, the DRM fiasco is a mess that's only going to get worse.
Why Apple Won't Up-Charge Downloads
Jobs will get what Jobs wants. In the end, that means download prices will stay right where they are.
12-Inch Versus 15-Inch: More Better PowerBook
The 15-inch Powerbook only weighs a pound more than the 12-inch and it's a better machine.
More Copyright Crackdowns, This Time By Government
Instead of wasting the public's resources on paying lawyers to go after people who are only helping promote the transit services, the new York and Bay Area governments should grow up and serve the people.
The Apple Of Symantec's Eye
Once again, Symantec is beating the drum for security problems in OS X, but why?
Review
iPod Updater 2005-09-23: Problems With Models Other Than The iPod Shuffle
Although iPod Updater 2005-09-23 only contains software changes for the iPod shuffle, a number of users are experiencing issues with other iPod models after applying the update.
Kensington Notebook Power Adapter
Kensington has a power adapter that might cause users to consider switching even if the original adapter is working.
Dress Up Your iPod
Make a fashion statement with iPod aesthetics that go way beyond cases.
Sidetrack
Need Inspiration For Your Halloween Costume This Year Round?
If you're an iPod fan, here are some existing ideas as collected by CNET that may inspire to create the next big thing. :-)
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
News
Podcasting Gold Rush Is On
The podosphere may be virgin terrain for the online world, but already the race is on to figure out whether there's any real money to be made through the new medium.
Apple Responds To iPod Nano Screen Concerns
Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller said there are two completely separate issues going on here. One is the broken screen and the other is the complaint about the iPod screen scratches.
iPod Chief Not Excited About iTunes Phone
In an interview with the German daily Berliner Zeitung on Monday, Apple vice president and iPod division head Jon Rubenstein expressed his feelings on the convergence of music device and cell phones, saying the devices are best left separate.
At Core Of SR Expo: Mac's Tiger OS
Although Apple's iPod sales shot up 569%, computers still half of company's revenue.
Analysts: Apple Making Inroads In Enterprise Market
While Apple is best known for its iPod and Macintosh product lines, IDC analysts say the competition is starting to take interest in what Apple is doing in Enterprise market, as well.
Opinion
iPods Could Be Dangerous For Jaywalkers
From my personal experience, there is only a slight learning curve required to master the new layout, and a campus full of seasoned jaywalkers such as ourselves should have minimal problems getting the hang of it. So what else is left to blame? How about the doomsday machine you have strapped to your head in the form of trendy white earphones?
More Or Less Than 99 Cents
Jobs has taken his case to the court of public opinion, and he's winning. If the labels choose to negotiate with Jobs in public, they're going to lose.
Review
What Is Darwin (And How It Powers Mac OS X)
Darwin is the Unix-derived core that provides the underlying foundation for Mac OS X.
Toast 7 Titanium: CD- And DVD-Burning Software Features Impressive New Data, Audio, And Video Capabilities
If OS X's built-in burning abilities aren't enough for y ou, you won't find a better burning application than Toast 7.0.1.
Sidetrack
Rumor Today: iTunes For Windows Mobile
Is it true? Rumors indicate that Apple is expanding its iPod universe...
Rex Hammock: On September 28, 2004, Doc Searls presented an overview of podcasting on his IT Garage weblog in which he included a Google search of the word "podcasts" and came up with 24 results.
One year ago, podcasting is just a curious experimentation for me. Then in November, my wife got me an iPod mini for my birthday. Today, iPod and Podcasting is an essential part of my life.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
News
Getting A Piece Of The Apple Pie
The strength of the Apple brand has been achieved by an aggressive international marketing and advertising campaign and the results are clearly being felt in the local market.
Apple, Detroit School Team Up
The Detroit Public Schools and Apple have inked an up to $1.2 million, four-year deal in which the district will lease computer equipment for a new small technology-focused school inside Crockett High School.
Apple's iPod Nano Could Be 'Key Product' Into 2006
UBS said the 4G nano could be Apple's "key product" into 2006, with many stores struggling to keep the devices in stock.
Apple Launches ADC Bookshelf Service
Motorola: 'Screw Nano' Comment A Joke
Motorola officials say Zander was smiling and joking when he responded to the question, and he did praise Apple and its iPod.
Opinion
Is The Nano Screen Issue Really Two Separate Problems?
For my specific nano, I think the problem is not so much the screen but whatever coating covers the screen and shell.
Mac OS X Viruses: Put Up Or Shut Up (Part 1)
Allright, I'm sick of people reporting that Mac OS X is 'mostly' virus-free. It is, as far has been proven, entirely virus-free. I think it's time we, the Mac community, started saying, "No, we don't have any viruses."
Goin' Down To Rosedale
If there's one lesson we learned from Mac Word 6.0 it's that Win Office customers are not at all like Mac Office customers.
Mystifying Nano Screen Issue
These reports fly in the face of reviews by other sources that did all sorts of nasty things to their nanos and commented on their robustness.
iPod Nano 'Screen Issues' Really Just FUD?
Data Structures As Culture
That Microsoft emphasizes tree problems because their culture puts a high value on the kind of mental gymnastics often necessary to solve such problems, while Apple emphasizes hashtables because its aesthetically-oriented culture prizes their combination of zen-like simplicity and seemingly impossible speed.
Of Course, It Didn't Scratch On Steve's Turtleneck. Those Things Are Made Out Of Sable, Ya Know.
The iPod nano is fast becoming Apple's next Cube.
Review
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 is a very entertaining game that will appeal to anyone who has even a minor interest in golf, and is the first A-list sports game to arrive on the Mac platform in some time.
CD-Less Repair
You've got your repair CD at the ready, but your media drive appears to be on the fritz...
Monday, September 26, 2005
News
iPod, ITunes Honored By Design Awards Jury
Apple Scraps With War Child Over Charity Album Price
Record pulled while price-tag fixed.
iPod Maps Draw Legal Threats
Transit officials in New York and San Francisco have launched a copyright crackdown on a website offering free downloadable subway maps designed to be viewed on the iPod.
Motorola Leader Zander In 'Screw Nano' Furore
Analysts Predict Apple Marketshare Gains
Bear Sterns analyst Andrew Neff has raised his target price on Apple stock, citing robust demand.
Who's Afraid Of Steve Jobs Now?
He says no video iPod plans are afoot, but potential rivals aren't taking any chances.
Kids Today! Constant Music A Must
Ryan Cusick says he spends more time listening to his iPod than he is awake.
Opinion
Review
The New iMac: Why Wait Till Next Year?
Even though Apple is moving to new Intel chips for 2006 models, the latest iMac G5 is cool enough to pull doubters off the fence.
Apple's New iBook A Nifty Bargain
The notebooks maintain the Bauhaus good looks they've had since their introduction in 2001, but Apple's value-added improvements make them even more attractive.
Wintel
Microsoft At 30 Turns To Services, Not Software
The Windows operating system may have defined Microsoft since its inception but it wil be services, not software that give the world's largest software company its claim to fame in the future, according to analysts.
Battling Google, Microsoft Changes How It Builds Software
Microsoft is now racing to move in the direction of developing a solid core for Windows onto which new features can be added one by one over time.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
News
Opinion
Why I Might Switch Back...
The hardware is nice, but OS X can be as slow, buggy, non-standard, frustrating and annoying as any other operating system.
Review
Saturday, September 24, 2005
News
iPod Fans Go Nuts For Nano
Despite some early market watch reports of lackluster demand for Apple's new iPod nano, local sales of the ultra-thin music player seem to have picked up speed after more than two weeks in stock.
Make Mine A Dell!
Dells land in Henrico schools.
First Aid On Your iPod Launched
St John Ambulance has launched first-aid tips that can be downloaded onto MP3 players, phones and CDs.
iPod Nano Owners Complain Of Cracked Screens
Reports of cracked screens on iPod nanos are apearing on the internet.
Forbes: Steve Jobs Is 67th Richest Person In US
Warner Chief Calls Apple iTunes Price "Unfair"
Radio Has Its Eye On Podcasters
Podcasters have already inspired conventional radio station to evolve.
Opinion
Helpless... And Proud Of It
my real beef is with the genius who many years ago decided to put such a "destructive-to-workflow" button next to one of the msot frequently used keys on the keyboard.
DRM Nightmare: Why $20,000 Worth Of Gear Won't Play My 99 Cent Songs
How ridiculous is it that today, I can buy a song for 99 cents that I can't just go and play on my $20,000 system?
Review
Quirks Of The New .Mac Groups Feature
Whip Up A Widget
I'll show you how to build a widget that counts down to an event that's as far as a year away.
Create Customized Terminal Command Windows
We're going to look at a couple ways to make your use of the Terminal more efficient.
Wintel
Microsoft's Nightmares Inches Closer To Reality
Just about the only thing that's changed over the last decade is that Microsoft's amorphous nightmare has a name: Google.
Friday, September 23, 2005
News
Apple Sues Steve Jobs! (20 Years Ago...)
Twenty years ago today Apple actually sued co-founder and former chairman Steve Jobs — just days after he resigned from the company.
The Old New
WHy should a transistor radio from 1954 be causing a buzz online? Could it be part of a relization that, amid talk of invention, no novelty is completely new?
Apple Releases iPod Updater 2005-09-23
How Will Apple-Samsung Deal Impact DRAM?
The biggest short-term impact from Apple's iPod nano introduction will not be on the DRAM market — but on Apple's competitors in the MP3 player business, iSuppli believes.
Mac BU In Microsoft Reorg
A representative of the Macintosh unit says the company doesn't expect the reorganization to affect the group other than making it part of the larger overall division.
Opinion
.Mac's Best New Feature
For some people there's something even more important: Bandwidth.
Dell DJ Ditty And The Numbers Game
In essence, all Dell's done is work the numbers.
Review
Mac RSS Readers
I'm completely sold on browsing my news from all within one application, and NetNewsWire's implementation of tabbed browsing and other robust browser functionality stands out from the competititon. In addition, its efficient use of space distinguishes it from the others.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
News
Apple Computer Could Sell 43 Million iPods In 2006
Deutsche Bank expects Apple to drive strong earnings and cash-flow growth as it capitalizes on the growth of the MP3 market over the next three to five years.
Unpeeling Apple's Nano
Researcher iSupply took a look inside the latest iPod to find out how much Apple is making off it and who supplies its parts.
iPod Users Breaking Piracy Laws
A Herald Sun investigation has found — despite the popularity of the pastime — no legal method exists for Australian iPod owners to fill their player with music.
The Coolest Player In Town
In a parallel world, Steve Jobs could have been a poker player with a reputation as a cool hand. After three decades at the top table of technology, all the required skills are there: patience, self-belief, bravado — and, most importantly, the ability to ride a streak of luck.
Apple Head Calls Labels 'Greedy' For Suggesting iTunes Price Hike
Labels accuse CEO of a double standard.
Students Jam On iPods, With Music Department
Professor David Zuschin has been using the iPod in his classroom since it first came out in 2002 to demonstrate and play music. Now, the Department of Music is investigating the possibility of making the iPod a tool used by all music majors.
Tech Note 31 Offline; No Moof Is Good Moof?
Tn31, where we were first introduced to dogcow habits and habitats, first learned Clarus' name, and first heard the 'Moof' of a real, live dogcow seems to be gone forever.
Opinion
Can Nothing Halt The March Of The iPod?
The question is whether rivals will realize that the best way to win a game is to start a new one.
Towards A Better Dongle
Jobs promised new technology on Intel Macs that will prevent the installation of OS X on non-Apple hardware.
Good Night, Beantown
The end of the East Coast expos marks the end of an era.
Review
Tiger? Where Did You Go?
Like everybody, I dived in to using all Tiger's new features as much as possible — or trying to. But this article was inspired when I reached for my desk calculator rather than Dashboard's. I realised I wasn't using some of Steve's babies anymore.
Backup 3.0: Review, Troubleshooting Issues
Backup has matured as a strategic tool but remains lacking in some areas.
Email Client Spleen Venting
This week, I have been mostly getting annoyed by email software.
Which Mac Is Right For You?
Desktop or laptop? Professional or consumer? Here's how to decide.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
News
Mac Sales Exceeding Forecasts
Apple is seeing stronger-than-expected Mac hardware sales, an analyst said last night.
Invasion Of The Pod People
New technology gives anyone a public voice — and mainstream media is scrambling to catch up.
Apple Servers Drive New EU Supercomputer
A startup on tuesday unveiled plans at the Apple Expo here at Paris to build a distributed supercomputer cluster that could use some thousands of Apple's Xserve servers.
BBC TV Watchdog Reveals iPod's Achilles' Heel
Apple's decision to announce the UK price of its iPod Battery Replacement scheme following two months of obfustication became clear last night when battery problems in its iPod music players became the focus of a BBC TV investigation.
Analyst: iPod Nano Sales Skewed Towards 4GB Black Model
Vendors: iPod Nano Accessories Coming Soon
The most notable change, as far as developers are concerned, is the lack of a remote control port. Currently, it's the main impediment preventing developers from flodding the market with new nano nicknacks.
Apple Releases iTunes 5.0.1
Apple describes iTunes 5.0.1 as having "several stability improvements" over the previous 5.0 release.
Mac Office SP2 Boosts Mac OS X Integration With Exchange Server
Microsoft has released Office 2004 for Mac Service Pack 2, a free update that focuses on improving Entourage as a collaboration client for Exchange Server 2000 and later.
iPod Accessories Are The Rage At Apple Expo
Three Apple Stores To Open This Weekend
It's A Nice Day For An iPod Wedding
Keeping wedding budgets in check is one reason couples are going the digital-DJ route.
Opinion
Ponzi's Technology Blues...
Think about my poor Mom, how would she deal with all this tech drama. I'll tell you how, she wouldn't "fool around with it" until it was one button sync and pay, a better alternative than whatever she uses now for music and more reliable with more features.
Taking/Losing Control Of .Mac
Apple have actually made Backup a useful backup application.
Review
Wintel
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
News
Apple Expo: Steve Jobs Talks Macintosh
Apple CEO Nixes iTunes Price Hike
Steve Jobs vowed to resist music companies "greedy" demands for price increases on the iTunes music download site and warned that such a move would encourage piracy.
Apple Expo: Apple CEO Steve Jobs slams "Greedy" Labels
Apple Expo: Jobs On Mobile Music And Living Room PCs
"We wrote the iTunes software for that phone. We see it as something we can learn from. It was a way to put our toe in the water, and learn something."
Apple Expo: Steve Jobs, 'Excellence' Is Apple's 'Secret Sauce'
Apple's competitors need to overcome a foe that boasts: "World class hardware, applications and services."
Apple Expo: Jobs On iPods And Apple Secrecy
"We launched the iPod nano two weeks ago rather than at the Apple Expo because in the run-up to Christmas every week counts."
Apple Increases .Mac Storage To 1GB, Adds Groups
Apple on Tuesday made several changes to its .Mac service, providing members with increased storage and adding a new feature called Groups.
Firefox And Mac Security Sanctuaries 'Under Attack'
Symantec attacks sacred cows.
Apple Rethinking Mini Retail Store Strategy
Apple is said to be experiencing difficulties with its initial batch of mini retail stores and may be forced to rearrange or put on hold future plans for the scaled-down retail format.
Opinion
.Mac Is Back, Bigger, Brighter, Bluer
Once again, Apple has become adventurous with web development.
The iWork Programming Guide Document Now Live And Posted...
We've made the conscious decision to focus on ease-of-use and ease-of-development, even if that has the unfortunate side-effect of fragile document formats.
Apple File Formats
The whole world has been giving Microsoft's a hard time over their Office XML file formats; it turns out that there are far worse sinners. Apple, for one.
Good Service Is Hard To Find These Days
I'm constantly telling myself that I need to start taking advantage of the Services menu — but I never do because there's something that I just don't like about it being up in the corner of the screen.
Rokr: What Might Have Been
The Rokr doesn't meet the Steve Standard and in its current incarnation, it would be just another stillborn device in Apple's R&D labs.
Video Store? Sure, Right After Ogg Vorbis...
News Flash
Flash prices will likely fall quickly over the next couple of years. And as they do, Apple's going to have ample opportunity to do what it does best: out-innovate the rest of the computer industry.
Review
A Camino User Gets Unreasonably Excited
This wonderful little Cocoa browser has performed like a good app should.
Sidetrack
Rumor Today: New Laptops Coming In Paris
Your Mac Life: Apple's booth looks the same as it always does... except for the black cloth draping one section of the booth and the absence of Powerbooks and iBooks in the booth. Obviously, Apple is going to announce upgrades to the laptop line.
Wintel
Office 12 Makeover Takes On 'Feature Creep'
Having sensed that the software has reached the limits of functionality, Microsoft has been preparing its most radical overhaul ever for Word, Excel and friends.
Monday, September 19, 2005
News
E-Tailers Get Apple Nastygrams
Apple is ordering several online iPod accessory vendors to stop using the world "iPod" in their names or URLs.
My iPod For A Random Playlist
Mathematical randomness often contradicts our intuitive expectations of randomness. A stratified playlist might select songs randomly but would be smart enough to throw out choices that, say, would repeat a band within 10 songs. It's nice to know engineers are working on the problem.
Looks Like The New iPod's A Hit
So far, it looks like Apple has another hit on its hands — and another opportunity to crush competitors.
Opinion
Impressed
I know this is what a modern operating system should do, but I was blown away by the fact that this actually did it.
Apple Is Small, Right?
Apple is huge and growing fast.
Wintel
MS: Same Old, Same Old (With Charts!)
Microsoft's problems are because they are satisfied with their current situation, and their current situation sucks.
Will Windows Upgrade Hand Power To Big Media?
Microsoft's success to the Windows XP operating system, known as Windows Vista, will come with new technologies meant to provide a scure digital media environment. The idea is to make it easier to download HDTV-quality video to your desktop or laptop. But, in the process, critics fear you will lose something: the freedom to use whatever hardware or software you want.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
News
Review
The iPod Shuffle: Long-Term Test
Before you buy a nano, consider the shuffle.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
News
Dent-de-Lion Du Midi: Golf As Art
"There's no way we could do what we're doing without Apple tools. They're what let me, as an indie media producer, turn myself into Dandi Light and Magic!"
Deutsch Inc.: Command, Control And Creativity
"The new Apple system brings our creative minds and eyes closer to the final product. This empowers our teams to operate with grace under pressure and create to higher standards of aesthetic quality."
IDG Pulls Plug On Macworld Boston
Two years after the East Coast version of the Macworld Expo made a controversial move to Boston, IDG World Expo is pulling the plug on the event.
How Do You Like Them Apples?
Endless tech upgrads overwhelm students.
Apple Supports Video Podcasting
Opinion
iPod nano Breaks Easily
People are saying that simple usage like putting the nano in their coat pockets are breaking the screen.
Microsoft Rips Off Widgets As Gadgets
gadgets do't have to display just on the desktop. Instead, they are designed under the Vista interface to work on any attached peripheral or subsystem. A laptop maker could design a Gadget that displays in a small LCD when the lid is closed. Or that displays on a cell phone connected via Bluetooth. Or on a keyboard.
Requiem For An Expo
For one thing, massively-attended tech trade shows appear to be an artifact of the past. The Macworld Expo held each January in San Francisco is one of the few trade shows to still retain a semblance of its marquee event status.
Walkman's An Also-Ran In MP3 Foot-Race
With the campaign for the iPod nano, which follows similar campaigns for the original iPod, the iPod mini and iPod shuffle, Apple has persuaded consumers to buy multiple versions of the same device. Think of it as the fourth iteration of a special edition DVD. How has Apple achieved this competitive advantage? Cutting-edge design and engineering — and perhaps more important, brilliant marketing.
Review
Great Technology Is About More Than Features
The iPod quality is about form, not just features.
Superstar Chefs
With Superstar Chefs, MacJoy has produced a delightful and addictive arcade game that's suitable for the whole family.
Friday, September 16, 2005
News
The Resurrection Of Steve Jobs
That which does not kill the boss of Apple seems to make him stronger.
We Got The iBeat
Accessory plugs in to hot iPod market.
BBC To Go Digital With Production
The BBC will start digitising its creative production process next month after awarding deals to vendors Apple and Avid to provide desktop editing software.
iPod Owners Are Most Switched On To Music
Microsoft Offers Devvelopment Tools For Mac, Web
Until this week, it was thought that Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation, formerly code-named Avalon, could be used only to build graphics-rich applicatins on Windows. But because JavaScript runs on many operating systems, developers could, in theory, use WPF/E tooling to target several operating systems.
Opinion
Apple: A Pocket Full Of Movies?
A video iPod would be more about storage than portability, but the device could have a significant impact on the entertainment business.
Apple Share Of MP3 Player Market To Shrink... Sort Of
The trick is this: Apple's putative loss of market share is going to be in the market for MP3 players with hard drives.
CNN Curiously Cuts AP Writer's Swipe At Microsoft WMA-Based Music Services From Syndicated Article
It's Nice To Share
The new iTunes phone will make people play music out loud again.
Review
Music-Playing Cellphones Hit A Flat Note
As a music player, the Motorola ROKR is OK, as are the two other music phones we tested. But none of them approaches either the style or the functionality of the iPod, and none lives up to the full potential of what a combined cellphone and music player could be.
Wintel
Developers Cautiously Welcome Vista
Many developers are keen on Vista's features, but warn that their employers are unlikely to migrate for years.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
News
Meet The Apple Pack Rats
Clothes (or lack thereof) can make the computer. Customers respond to Apple's packaging for the same reasons they respond to the user-friendly machines within.
Sony Says It's An iPod Killer, Not Just Another Walkman
Can the Walkman, the product that began the portble music revolution 26 years ago, make a comeback against the explosively popular iPod? Sony is better that it can. But before it challenges Apple's global dominance, Sony must first prove it can beat its American rival in a market much closer to home: Japan.
Taiwan Market: iPod Nano Forces Price Cut Of Non-Brand Name Flash MP3 Players
These vendors, most of whom are based in China, have slashed prices to avoid potential stagnant sales or excess inventory due to the launch of Apple's iPod nano, according to a local industry source.
Andy Hertzfeld: Mac Truly A Better Way
Apple May Sell More iPod Nanos Than Initially Expected
Piper Jaffray said the iPod nano from Apple is "selling well."
Opinion
Thanks To Apple, I Shall Be The Next Michael Bolton
At 3 a.m., I think I can sing. Blame sleep deprivation. Blame beer consumption. Heck, go ahead and blame Apple Computer.
Bad Physics Joke Explained, Part I
"Clearly they are moving toward the "iPod planck," which would be the smallest iPod possible (while still recognizable as an iPod)."
Review
iPod's Law: The Impossible Is Possible
Even after four years, all of Dell's horses and all Sony's men haven't made a dent in the iPod's dominance. And with the introduction of gorgeous, functional and elegant iPod nano, that's not about to change.
Tell The Computer Who's Boss
Sometimes you just want your computer to behave the way you want it to.
iPod Nano
Here's my quick review of the iPod nano along with some photos of accessories that work and do not work.
Wintel
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
News
Apple Bolsters Mac OS X For Intel Development Efforts
Analyst: Early iPod Nano Sales Good, Not Great
iTunes Upgrade Has Users Griping
Complaints about iTunes 5 for Windows have surfaced over the past few days on numerous blogs and discussion boards, including the company's own discussion board at Apple.com.
EFF Wins Right To Unseal Apple Court Documents
The documents show that Apple planned to subpoena the anonymous sources of two reporters from AppleInsider and PowerPage before conducting an investigation inside the company.
Speakables For iTunes Released
Speakables for iTunes work in conjunction with Speakable Items to allow you to launch playlists just by using your voice.
Macs Vs. PCs: Ignore The Hype. What's Right For You?
Apple To Open San Antonio Retail Store Friday
Apple Releases Java Update 1.3.1 And 1.4.2 Release 2
Apple's Corporate Xserve RAID Updated
StuffIt Deluxe 10 Introduced
The new JPEG compression technology shrinks images and photos up to 30 percent with no loss in image quality, according to the developer.
Opinion
100 Songs Fits In 5 GB And 4 GB
Reader Says Mac Switch Is Easy
How hard is it to switch from a Windows PC to an Apple OS X Macintosh? I've said for a couple of years that it's easy, but you don't need to take my word for it. Here's what one reader's experience was like.
iPod's Dominance Is Risky Business
Even if the competition hasn't been much of an obstacle, that doesn't mean Apple's path is clear.
iPod Nano: Will Small Size Mean Big Sales?
While the iPod nano has just hit store shelves, early indications are a bit worrisome.
iTunes Image Files Suggest Video Store
There buttons with the terms "Gift Video", "Buy Video" and "Add Video" were found along with references to a "protected MPEG-4 video file" within text strings in the code of iTunes 5.
Authorized For A Day
Let me authorize a machine for a day, a week, a month, and to re-authorize, I have to enter the account password at the end of that period.
Review
iPod Nano — Small, Sleek And Superior
Apple's new iPod nano has a few problems, but overall it is a light and lovable gadget with cool features that far outweigh the annoynances.
Sweetening Your Xgrid With Cocoa
We'll take a look at XGridFoundation, a framework that allows you to integrate Xgrid into your Cocoa applications.
Sidetrack
Microsoft. User Interface. Innovation. In The Same Sentence
When something new works, we call it innovation. When something new doesn't work, we call it what-the-hell-are-you-thinking. (For example, Microsoft Bob.)
It's probably still too early to tell whether the new menu-bar-tool-bar combination from Microsoft works or not — well, at least, I hope it had passed usability tests in the hallways of Microsoft campus before it being unleashed on all of us — but I'm glad that Microsoft is trying out new things instead of just copying.
Although that metal window thingy looks familiar.
Speaking Of User Interface On Windows...
If you feel that iTunes 5 on Macintosh looks ugly, be glad that you are not using iTunes 5 on Windows. Imagine the same sharp-corners-are-cool window, with the menu bar squeezed in.
Arghhhhh!!!!!!!
Wintel
Menus Are Out In The Next Version Of Microsoft Office
Microsoft showed the next version of its widely used Office productivity software for the first time Tuesday — revealing a new aproach that abandons that standard drop-down menus in favor of a "ribbon" that presents the commands in a thick strip across the top of the window in such programs as Word and Excel.
Microsoft Thinks High-End With Vista
With Windows Vista, Microsofft is considering a product lineup that would include several new high-end editions of the operating system.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
News
iPod Nano Sales Off To Slow Start
Many Apple stores who were contacted reported selling only 200-500 of their initial 1800-2500 iPod nano allocation.
Mac Mini Robot Prototype Revealed
Buzzle Lawsuit Slams Apple Oz
Apple Australia faces a A$57 million lawsuit from the liquidator of a former Apple dealership, Buzzle.
Getting Bad With Apple
Michael Robertson's reputation rests on the string of companies he's started, from MP3.com to Linspire. His latest target is Apple.
A New Direction
When Bob Fink discovered the power of computers and a program on his work-issued Apple Powerbook laptop called iMovie, the wheels began turning.
More Headphone Use Leading To Hearing Loss
Young people, in particular, face increased risk of damage to ears.
download QuickTime Without iTunes
The iPod And The Bathtub: How Products Shape Our Perceptions
Apple Cuts Kanye West Performance From QuickTime Stream Of Special Event
Opinion
Cranky Nano Noates
I've read comments by others citing various nits about Apple's diminutive music player. I thought I'd pull those gripes together here and list them in the top ten format.
Sad Tales From A School System That Went From Macs To Dells
Apple Misses A Beat By Outsourcing iTunes Phone
The world doesn't want an iPhone made by Motorola any more than it wanted an iPod sporting HP's logo.
Media Feast
My life is already saturated with media options. And now my Mac has added two more options: Podcasts and TV shows.
Microsoft And The iPod Nano
I thought that Microsoft should issue all of its employees a nano and then have them report back a week later on why they can't make a product like that.
Review
Renewal With .Mac Priceless
The feature I find most compelling is the way .Mac is seamlessly integrated with iPhoto.
ShowMacster Improves iChat Video
iPod Nano
The nano is nearly perfect; it is amazingly small and packs almost all of the features of the iPod photo and a few more. If it weren't for its lack of Firewire, lack of compatibility with older accessories, and no current support for video output, I don't think we'd hesitate to give the nano a perfect ten.
So Long, iPod Mini; Nano's Sleek And Lighter, With More Features
I am holding in my hand a brand-new iPod nano, and all I can say is... oh boy. I need this.
Monday, September 12, 2005
News
Apple's QuickTime Wins Web And Mobile Scoop
Apple's QuickTime 7 technologies havve won a major coup in Europe, following Interoute's decision to support the multimedia software.
Objects In Ears Are Not As Full As They May Appear
A survey released last week suggests that people greatly overestimate how much capacity they need on their digital music players.
iPod Era Of Personal Media Choices May Be Turning Us Into An iSolation Nation
Is our culture of customizing causing us to miss opportunities for discovery and diversity?
Of Mac & Tux
Two years ago, Mac guru Martin "Gonz" Gonzalvez, announced a new online Filipino communit named Pinoymac. Pinoymac.org was conceptualized by GOnz and his wife, Sandra, after identifying the need to have a "community for the rest of us."
Is iPhone Next For Apple?
Now that Apple has helped to deliver a cellular phone that plays music like an iPod, in partnership with Motorola, analysts are speculating that the company may go a step further and introduce its own cellphone iPod combination.
Stevie's Little Wonder
It's amazing that the nano even made it to the stage. The story of the nano started nine months ago, when Jobs and his team took a look at the iPod minni and decided they could make it better.
Opinion
iPod Nano Bag (And A Bit Of Registration Weirdness)
Apple - You're Making Me Unhappy
While I like iTunes, I don't want to forced to use it.
Review
How To - iPod Nano Hacking
The new iPod nano is out and while it's not as hackable (yet) as it's older cousins, you can do a few things like change the text strings, mod the font, and even change the graphics (sorta).
Sunday, September 11, 2005
News
Tekserve Are The Mac Daddies For All Things Apple
Tekserve, an Apple computer repair, resale and retail shop, tests and reviews Apple gadgets before deciding to put it on their shelves. The company is attracting Apple-users from the five boroughs and beyond thanks to its extremely frank and consumer-friendly approach.
Apple Store Buzzes With Nano Fever
From impulse buyers to careful contemplators, shoppers crowd a downtown San Francisco store to see and buy Apple's latest iPod.
Opinion
iTunes 5 Disasters
Reports of destroyed iTMS libraries are floating around the Apple boards.
Finder + Cocoa = Finder
Cocoa can't, on its own, fix problems with a flawed design.
Please Quit iTunes Before Beginning This Update
Is Apple's All-Singing Phone Out Of Date Already?
The Rokr is in danger of being left behind by its rivals.
Review
Apple iPod Nano
We feel that Apple has made an incredibly satisfying product. We were so impressed that we're awarding it our Editors' Choice award.
iPod Nano First Impressions
It feels good in my hand, fits nicely in my pocket, looks beautiful, sounds terrific, and is priced to sell.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
News
ImaginAsian TV: All Asian-American, All The Time
"The overwhelming advantages of using Macs — for example, samller storage space requirement, shallower learning curve, easer networkability and less maintenance — put the decision to go with Macs for our entire production department."
Michael Elins: Renaissance Man
"I think of the Mac as a historical hub — a place where many centuries of pictorial art, 150 years of photography, plus more recent tools like 3D modeling and motion imaging, can all frolic together. And that's an entirely radical innovation — as radical as the printing press was in its time."
Apple's Nano Says No To FireWire
Support for FireWire in the iPod, already waning, takes a further blow with Apple's newest music player.
Mobile Makers: No Immediate Plans For iTunes Integration
None of the manufacturers Playlist spoke with following the ROKR's release had any immediate plans to add iTunes compatibility, due largely to Apple's digital rights management technology, which must be licensed from Apple.
Opinion
technological Season Of Simple
Steve Jobs To Studios: I Got The Power!
The real message was directed at his current and potential suppliers, partners, and competitors: I buried the competition.
Steve Jobs' Tiny But Sure Bet
With no iPod mini to dilute its impact, Apple's new nano is poised to become the company's next best seller — and rivals' biggest headache.
A Hug To Thugs
The nano, by introducing a screen lock feature, will finally make it easier for people to store information on their iPods and, by so doing, will make them tremendously more useful to a large audience.
IPod Na... No FireWire?!
It's not about FireWire. It's about planned obsolescence.
Review
iTunes 5's Folders And You
The idea behind folders is that you may have masses of playlists that are related.
An Introduction To Tiger Terminal, Part 4
What are shell scripts, and why would you want to create them?
My ROKR Doesn't Rock
I was looking forward to posting my thoughts on actually using the first iTunes enabled phone, but unfortunately, I haven't even been able to get past the first step.
iPod Nano
A clear color screen, responsive and manageable controls, photo viewing, fast syncing, and impossibly thin. In my view the iPod nano is a nearly perfect fit for the middle of the iPod lineup, sounding great and mixing the best features of the shuffle, mini, and color iPod.
Sidetrack
Marc McDonald, first Microsoft employee: You recognize good work when good work is done. And that's one thing you can say about Apple. They don't have our size, they don't have our market, they do a lot of good thinking, though. Give people kudos where it's due. I don't care if it's Microsoft or external, good ideas are good ideas, and it doesn't matter where they come from.
Friday, September 9, 2005
News
Mac Community Must Wake Up To Security
Apple Corners Korean MP3 Players
Leading Korean MP3 player brands expressed concerns over Apple's low price policy although they abstained from giving their official stances on Apple's latest move.
Domestic MP3 Firm Sulk At Apple's New Player
The South Korea domestic MP3 player industry is sulking, saying the iPod nano owes its exceptionally low price to Samsung Electronics.
iPod-Equipped ROKR A Great Decoy
But Apple may someday need a phone of its own?
Clothing Makers Latch On To iPod Craze
With no end in sight to the iPod craze, everyday clothing makers are offering a growing selection of apparel designed so consumers can easily carry their digital music players without getting their wires tangled.
Apple Shares Surge To All-Time High
Apple shares hit a fresh all-time high Thursday, a day after the company unveiled an expected iPod phone with Motorola and surprised Wall Street with a new version of its market-leading music player.
The iPod Nano: Accessories Addressed
As the initial excitement passes,t he question many people are likely to be asking is this: "Will the iPod accessories I already own, or the ones currently on the market, work with the nano?" Playlist has spent the past couple days with a new nano, and here's what we can tell you.
QuickTime 7 For Windows Released
Inside The iPod Nano
It appears that the 4GB iPod nano features two 2GB flash chips while the 2GB features only one.
Opinion
Not The iPhone
As far as Apple's reputation is concerned, there's a big differece between a Motorola ROKR (with iTunes) going down the drain and an Apple iPhone going down the drain.
iDevelopers! iDevelopers! iDevelopers!
The iPod's no longer a player, it's a platform. The others? Just players.
Putting It Together
Just as the competition gets a lock on the iPod mini, Apple completely changed the game — that's what it takes to continue to lead this type of fast flowing market.
Schizo Interface
Why Apple? Why? Why do you torture us so?
Why An iTunes Phone Instead Of Software?
Apple probably wouldn't have made a whole lot of headway into this mobile phone music market without coming up with something they could sell to both a wireless provider and a hardware manufacturer.
Review
So You Wanna Get To Know iTunes 5.0
iTunes 5.0 feels a lot more integrated and sleeker than iTunes 4.9, particularly when it comes to podcasts.
Sidetrack
This morning, my iPod mini — my trusted companion on trains, bus, and at work — tells me that she is sad.
Why I ask? Even though you are discontinued, you'll still be around for a long long time. There will be music. There will be podcasts. There will be Adam Curry playing the latest podsafe tunes.
No, she replied. I'm still sad. There will be no more accessories that fit my figure. No more beautiful stuff that I can wear to make me more beautiful.
And so both of us are sad.
:-)
Thursday, September 8, 2005
News
No More Silhouettes
Rather than dancing silhouettes, Apple's new TV adverts feature hands — slowing just how tiny the new music device is.
iPod Economy Hits A Rush
Apple is beginning a laser focus on its "Made for iPod" scheme, revealing that "over 1,000" accessories are available, while 700 (including "in development" products) carry the company badge.
Audio Overboard
Podcasting — what was predicted to be the hottest new trend in portable music — has been slow to catch on at the university.
Apple's iPod Cost Likely Went Up — In A Flash
By using flash memory rather than mini-hard drives in the iPod nano music players, Apple likely increased its own component costs, said analysts.
Apple Posts QuickTime Of Steve Jobs' Special Event Announcements
Analyst: iPod And Phone A One-Two Punch For Apple
The release of the long-awaited iTunes phone and the introduction of the sleek iPod nano put an already strong line-up of iPods in a good spot for the upcoming holiday buying season.
QuickTime Update 7.0.2 Released
Is The Time Right For Phone-Music Player Hybrids?
Teaming with Cingular may provide the market sweet spot Apple and Motorola are looking for.
Apple Introduces iPod Nano
Apple on Wednesday introduced the iPod nano, its replacement for the enormously popular iPod mini. The portable music player is available in 2GB and 4GB capacities for US$199 and $249 respectively, and is also avaialble in both black and white designs.
iTunes 5 Adds New Search, Refined Interface, More
Playlists can be organized into folders, and a new "Smart Shuffle" feature lets users change the "randomness" of shuffled songs.
Apple Highlights Harry Potter, iPods In Cars
Motorola ROKR Debuts As First iTunes Phone
Apple Music Event: HIdden Goodies
The 100 track lmitation in ROKR is part of a DRM scheme that prevents the phone from playing more than 100 tracks.
Opinion
Did Apple And Motorola Get The ROKR Right?
Where's The Revenue Stream?
I believe Apple is getting a cut of the profits from every ROKR sold by Motorola.
Review
iPod's Latest Siblings
The nano has the best combination of beauty and functionality of any music player I've tested — including the iconic original white iPod.
iPod Phone Isn't Perfect, But It's A Start
If you're looking for an iPod phone, the Rokr isn't it; it stands no chance of living up to the hyperventilating hype of the last few weeks. But as an iTunes phone — the only one on earth that lets you carry subsets of your Apple store-bought music on errands and other short missions — the Rokr is great-sounding, reasonably priced and a lot of fun.
First Look: iPod Nano
First impressions of a cool way to put 1,000 songs in a very tiny pocket.
Sidetrack
Where's The Must-Have Apple Holiday Product For Those With A Larger Christmas Bonus?
The iPod nano is fine and tandy for those who treasure the smaller size in exchange for lesser features, but where's the must-have Apple holiday product for those who want to spend more to get more?
The mystery thickens now that Apple has promised no Steve Keynote during Paris expo: so where and when will the next special event?
Or is this it?
(Don't even suggest the iTunes phone. 100 songs maximum? That's so lame.)
Where's the Apple's podcast that features Steve's special event presentation?
As seen on the Daily Show by the Accordion Guy: Locusts is next.
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
News
Apple Dominates Download Market In UK
Apple has announced that its iTunes Music Store in the UK has become the number one store dominating a massive 80 percent of the market place according to the Official Charts Company.
Mr Jobs' Modus Operandi: Heap On THe Suspense
Few companies know how to ratchet up anticipation like Apple.
iPod, Play Hebrew For Me
Last month, Yinon Yamin, a 26-year-old student at Ben-Gurion Univeristy, managed to create an elegant solution to a problem that disturbs thousands of Hebrew speakers who purchased Apple's popular iPod digital MP3 audio player.
An Apple For The Student
Some schools are handing out laptops to every student, giving a boost to Apple.
Creative Go After iPod Shuffle Owners With New Speaker Systems
Descent 2 Updated For OS X — And Free!
It loooks like an open source team somehow got ahold of the sourc and has been chugging away at getting it to work across platforms.
Opinion
Nothing Says "A Geek Lives Here" Quite Like This
Now that you're living the G5 life (not to mention that "not so subtle" turquoise color completely clashes with your new brushed silver) here's the perfect solution for geeking up your front porch: The Mac G4 flower box.
Review
What Is Automator (And Can It Make Your Life Easier)
Let's take a closer look at Automator and see if it can really change the way we do our daily work.
Using iPods In A Cross-Platform Environment
Tiger Secrets: Spotlight
7 secret strategies for sleuthing lost files.
Sidetrack
"1,000 songs in your pocket changed everything. Here we go again."
Let's hope it is wireless, has more space tha a nomad, and not lame.
:-)
I will probably be sleeping when Steve Jobs unveils the new product or products — it is 1 a.m. here in Singapore when it is 10 a.m. over at San Francisco. So, check out the other sites, and we'll have a summary later.
Mac OS X Public Beta In Two Weeks
The Register: Steve Jobs astonished the Mac faithful... by announcing Mac OS X for Intel hardware. Jobs did announce that the Mac OS X beta would be sent out on 13 September...
And that's what you'll see if you didn't RTFArticle. But somehow, this article from 7th September 2000 landed in my RSS reader today. Maybe there's something out there that we don't understand, but Steve Jobs is already planning? :-)
Sometimes, a photo can still tell a thousand words, even if the words are, well, speechless.
Many Singaporeans will probably name this as one of Singapore's national dish: the fish head curry.
Wintel
Beep Beep
Remember WIly Coyote? He's the Roadrunner's nemesis, chasing him out off the cliff's edge. Then there's that exquisite moment where he stands on thin air, about to realize he's got nothing. That's Microsoft, folks.
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
News
What's The Next Verse In Apple's Song?
Could Jobs move more aggressively to take Apple beyond the iPod and iTunes? Many industry insiders think so.
Intel's Chips: Juice For Apple?
The switch to Intel, if negotiated properly, could prove to be the turning point by enabling Apple to grab a larger slice of the PC market.
One Nation Under A Groove
Headphones let us ignore the world like never before. The result: We do.
Apple's Other Legacy: Top Designers
Apple's greatest innovation can't be measurd by product sales or design awards. It's the company's culture of innovation and its existence as an incubator of the best designers and engineers that will have the biggest long-term impact.
Can Apple Shares Stay Fruitful?
Phenomenal iPod sales have made revenue and the stock soar. But continued growth may hinge on new Macs, cell phones, and video.
Under siege Asian MP3 Makers Turn To 'Cool' Factor
Asian MP3 player makers are targeting higher-margin devices with sleek designs to wow fashion-savvy users as they struggle to survive the increasing dominance of industry leader Apple's popular iPod.
Opinion
Mad As Hell XV — Penitence And Confession
I am too stupid to use Macs.
Monday, September 5, 2005
News
Mac's Gains A Boon To Microsoft
As Apple enjoys rebounding popularity among computer users rejecting the dominance of Microsoft, one of the biggest beneficiaries is — oddly enough — likely to be Microsoft. That's because outside of Apple itself, Microsoft sells more software for Apple's flagship Macintosh computers than any other company.
No Keynote For Paris Expo; Jobs To Still Attend Show
Apple on Monday said that there will be no opening keynote presentation at Apple Expo Paris, which is normally given by company CEO Steve Jobs. But, Apple confirmed the presence of Jobs at the event.
Sony, Apple In Online Music Talks
Sony says it is in talks with Apple about a possible launch of an online music download service for Japanese users of Apple's hot-selling iPod digital music player. The Yomiuri Shimbun said the Apple-Sony music service could begin as early as this year but Sony spokesman declined to confirm the report,s aying the two firms had yet to decide on details including a price per song.
Opinion
Apple Store
This post isn't about iPods, however. It is about how impressed I am with [Apple] stores. Competent help, no purchasing pressure, no upsells, just great products and a spiffy clean environment.
Review
Sunday, September 04, 2005
News
Crash Toll Shows iPod Fans Riding For A Fall
Dozens of motorists and cyclists are causing accidents as a result of being plugged into their iPod music players while using the roads, traffic safety experts have warned.
Opinion
Mac Makes A Difference
Mac gives me a new life and more creativity.
Review
Add-On Software Can Enhance Macintosh's Disk-Burning Ability
Toast 7 is packed with new features that you will wonder how you ever managed without.
Wintel
Microsoft Links With Orange In iPod Wars
The Business has learnted that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has persuaded Orange to develop a mobile phone, the SPV C550, which will double as a Microsoft music player.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
News
EFF Translates iTunes Music Store Rules
Take a good look at the Terms of Sale and the Terms of Service at the iTunes Music Store before you buy.
iPods Are Becoming Popular Workplace Accessory
The popular digital music player's distinctive white earphones are becoming a more familiar sight at the office.
Apple's iPod To Set European Mobiles Ringing
European mobile phone operators are jumping on the iPod bandwagon and hope to secure deals that will give them access to a wealth of hot tracks from Apple's famed iTunes music store.
Podcasting Favors The Cultured
Podcast fans are a cut above, preferring the less-nasal-than-before tones of Melvyn Bragg to the brash early morning musings of Chris Moyles and 'Comedy' Dave.
LeCain Exposes Himself Via iTunes
Apple continues to change the music ecosystem, opening up channels for new artists to promote and distribute their music via iTunes.
Michael Barmada: Apple SAN Solution Meets Massive Storage Needs
Dr. Michael Barmada at the University of Pittsburgh uses an Xserve G5 cluster to crack the mysteries of inherited diseases.
Opinion
Xserve A Little Less
I tend to be in the camp where I don't entirely feel Apple's kit is up to snuff in regards to being solid hardware to base mission critical internet applications on top of.
Switch To MacTel: Easy Or Not?
The short answer is: "That depends on your code now."
Review
The Mac's True Colors
Creative users of the Mac platform need to ensure their work is color-calibrated. Mac OS X can help, but what other tools and techniques can help make sure your work is color accurate?
Build A Better Safari
You can get bug fixes and new features long before they're released as part of a normal software update.
Sidetrack
For as long as there was Apple, there were rumors. Some rumors were accurate, while some were obviously going with the trend, but didn't turn out to be true until much later.
For example, back in 1991, David Tebbutt heard that "future Apple notebook will have a wireless communication capability." And as we all know, it only took a couple of years (and one Steve Jobs) to bring WiFi to the masses.
Rumor Today: iPod Phone Details From Think Secret
256MB and 512MB. Sync with your computer. And you can buy tunes from Cingular too. At $2 a pop.
Friday, September 2, 2005
News
iPod Manufacturer Sees Revenue Double
Inventec is one of principal suppliers to Apple.
T-Mobile To Ship iTunes Phone
During a German press conference yesterday, the company hinted at its plans in a slide that looks at its mobile music strategy.
Apple Uses iTunes To Collect Donations For Hurricane Victims
Apple is now accepting donations on behalf of the Red Cross for victims of Hurricane Katrina through its iTunes music Store. Donation amounts to $5 to $200 are available on the site hosted free of charge by Apple.
Apple Joins With O2 To Launch iPod Mobile Phone
Apple is preparing to bring its combined iPod and mobile phone to Britain in the next few weeks in conjunction with mobile operator O2, The Times has learnt.
Creative Could Find It Hard To Take A Bite Out Of Apple
Some observers believe the patent 'victory' could turn out to be a moral one.
Apple Discontinues Mac Mini 'Test Drive' Offer
Apple confirmed that an offer the company made available just yesterday to test drive the Mac mini has been discontinued. The company offered no reason why the promotion had been discontinued or what would happen to customers that had already placed an order.
Opinion
Apple vPod Concept Hasn't Ripened Yet
A Windows Media Tip
It looks like Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS X expects to find something, be it a library or a file, that belongs to Mac OS 9 on the drive and fails f it doesn't.
Review
Tricking Out iTunes
Plugins and hacks to max out your music.
Sidetrack
Some Encouraging Words From Google
Google — the great internet application company — has tons of applications that requires the Windows operating system. Afterall, the richness of desktop GUIs pioneered by Apple is still not matched by the web yett.
Today, Google tipped its little toe into the aqua water of Mac OS X with the release of Gmail Notifier for Mac OS X
But the better news is in the last paragraph of this blog entry: "Though this is the first, it won't be the last native Mac application that Google delivers", promised Greg Miller. "So please, Mac users, stay tuned!"
Rumor Today: Windows Vista (codenamed Longhorn) Has Been Pushed back
The latest rumor: Windows Vista's release has been pushed back to September/October 2006.
In the great OS battle of the 2006, Apple has not even showed its real hand — all we know is that it will also run on Intel platform — and Microsoft has already fallen behind. :-)
... detailed satellite pictures of New Orleans, as collected by Don Park.
Thursday, September 1, 2005
News
An iPod Casualty: The Rio Digital-Music Player
The damage to Apple's competitors is growing and has claimed the brand behind the industry's first hit product: Rio.
iTunes Phone Raises Questions About iPod's Future
The possibility that Jobs will throw his weight behind an iTunes phone begs the question of what he sees as the future of stand-alone digital music players such as the iPod, Apple's current cash cow.
Apple's Other Trojan Horses
In iPod, iTunes, and iLife, Apple has surrounded itself with strong products, which it hopes will soon lead to consumers buying more Macs.
Brakes Slammed On Mac Mini Test Drive Program
Analysts: Apple Suit Won't Pay Off Big
Chizen On Apple: 'MacTel' Switch Not Easy
"Steve (Jobs) likes to trivialize the process and make it seem easy, but moving the apps over is not that easy... Getting over to MacTel is work. I think in the long run it's going to be great because what the users will get is better performance... and greater value.
Opinion
Did The Mac Make Me?
Since becoming a Mac owner, not only have I been more productive in my creative pursuits and the creativity has seemed to flow more but I have more recognition from the things I've done.
The Amazing Mind-Reading iPod
This morning, I almost fell over in shock when Dante, my attention-seeking iPod (like its namesake), correctly guessed my thoughts three times.
A Small Suggestion For The Mini
The mini misses on the very thing that Apple is good at — the total satisfying experience.
Patent Award Isn't Enough; Creative Must Be More 'Creative'
Instead of being happy with having "beaten" Apple on winning the United States patent, Creative should come up with more "Creative" ideas and marketing plans.
It Wasn't A Test Drive Anyway
THis was nothing more than a glorified return policy — and a shady one at that.
Creative Labs' Bait And Switch
Creative Claims
This is so obviously an attempt to steal some of Apple's thunder, I'm a little bit surprised Creative executives didn't just wait another week and show up during Steve Jobs' presentation next Wednesday.
Review
Apple's New 14-In. iBook; Mostly iLike
While the iBook is indeed a nice little entry-level laptop, I seem to have finally moved into the PowerBook camp.
Sidetrack
Why Did HP Stopped Selling iPods?
Mark Hurd, the new CEO: Is the market worth leading? Maybe it is. But can we lead it, with no or very little technology differentiation? Doubtful. You have to go into places where you can lead.
I think Steve Jobs and Mark Hurd can be very buddy-buddy.
Micro Persuation: Maybe CNET needs to revisit their tagline "Tech News First." Really, no one can legitimately make that clai that anymore.
Podcatchers, Start Your Engine...
'cause dozens of new podcasts are up and running over at NPR.
Too bad there are no full programs — Talk of the Nation, Wait Wait, etc — at all. Hopefully, something can be worked out between NPR and the stations on the best way to podcast all these programs.
