Thursday, August 31, 2006
News
Analysts Recommend Networks Embrace iTunes
Content providers who aren't selling shows on iTunes do so at their own peril.
Opinion
Will Apple Miss Its Biggest Opportunity Yet?
Apple has a significant opportunity to trump Vista as the desktop OS — if only it would stop insisting on being the sole hardware supplier for the operating system.
Maybe The Apple-Google Relationship Is Stronger Than I Thought
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
News
Apple Works To Settle Chinese iPod Factory Case
Apple is "working behind the scenes" to help resolve a dispute between its iPod manufacturer, Foxconn, and local Chinese journalists who blew the whistle concerning poor working conditions at the giant iPod plant.
Laptop Probe Ordered
Japanese authorities confirmed the first case of an Apple laptop catching fire and ordered an investigation.
Google's Schmidt Joins Apple's Board Of Directors
Apple tapped Eric Schmidt for a seat on its board of directors, hoping to benefit from the Google CEO's long industry experience.
Apple Asked To Intercede On Behalf Of Chinese Reporters
The Reporters Without Borders organization has sent a letter to Steve Jobs asking him to implore iPod supplier Foxconn to drop a lawsuit against two Chinese journalists who wrote an article critical of working conditions at a Foxconn Elecronics factory.
Opinion
The Apple Store's Next Frontier
Take it from a traveler who's always forgetting to pack some sort of electronic paraphernalia — Apple shold expand its retail efforts into airports.
Apple + Google = Worries For Everyone
Today's news of Google CEO Eric Schmidt joining the board of directors of Apple Computer portends potential headaches not just for Microsoft, but for anyone with digital media ambitions.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
News
Foxconn Sues Journalists Over iPod Story
Apple Sees More Profit Per OS User Than Microsoft
By releasing operating system upgrades at a more frequently and stable pace, Apple is able to gain more profitability per user from its OS software than Microsoft, an analyst's study has found.
Opinion
Time's Arrow
The fact that backup functionality wasn't in the OS left opportunities for 3rd parties, but that doesn't mean Apple shouldn't address the missing functionality.
We Love Our iMac
What a joy to come home to our almost-new iMac computer!
Apple's (Virtually) Painless Recall
Is Apple's MacBook Rotten To The Core?
How many systems need to break before the situation is recognised as a disaster rather than an unfortunate blip in quality control?
Google's Latest Moves Also Put The Pressure On Apple
The ball is in Apple's court.
Apple Vs. HP: Who's Got THe Mojo Now?
The iPod maker seems to be streaming misfortune these days, while the business of tech's "Boy Scouts" could hardly be better.
Review
Mighty Mouse Reviewed
Garbage.
Mac Pro: The Ultimate In Desktop Computing
Apple's Mac Pro is a super-speedy, souped-up desktop.
Monday, August 28, 2006
News
Review
Sunday, August 27, 2006
News
How Green Is Your Apple?
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the poor rating of Apple. Despite having an image steeped in Califronia's counterculture, it is one of hte worst heel-draggers, says Greenpeace.
Opinion
Five Things That Bug Me About A Mac
Here is a list of things a former Windows user (who is something of a control freak when it comes to computers) coming to a Mac wishes it could do better.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
News
The Assault On Apple's Battery
A battery recall is merely the latest in Apple's catalog of woes, but the company isn't feeling drained.
Opinion
Apple Issues Careful Wi-Fi Exploit Denial
My take at the moment is that it's highly possible that Maynor and Ellch have found a security flaw in the built-in MacBook and MacBook Pro Wi-Fi drivers that, at the point that Apple made their statement about not seeing any "evidnece" of an exploit, they had not yet presented to Apple.
John Gruber Flames Out During Cross Examination
It appears that Gruber wouldn't even pass a collegiate course in "logic and critical thinking."
Review
Best Computer For School? MacBook
FastTrack Schedule 9.0: Professional-Strength Project Management Software
For experienced project managers who are escaping from Microsoft Project, FastTrack Schedule 9.0.1 is the program to trust.
The iPod Beach Guide
Here's everything you need to enjoy your iPod on (or near) the water.
Friday, August 25, 2006
News
Nordic Consumer Groups May Join Forces Against iTunes
Consumer representatives from several Nordic countries are discussing how to proceed in their battle against Apple over the iTunes digital rights management policy.
Public Domain Books, Ready For Your iPod
Safer Lithium-Ion Batteries
In light of Apple's and Dell's massive recalls, will computer makers opt for batteries that are less prone to catching fire?
Mac Mini Storage Suggests Product Changes
Apple is once again denying resellers and large partners the ability to place bulk orders for its petite Mac mini desktop computers, often an indicator that new models are on the horizon.
Apple Recalls Sony-Made PowerBook, iBook Batteries
Apple and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday announced a recall of 1.1 million battery packs made for Apple's PowerBook and iBook battery packs.
Opinion
Apple Changes Its Tunes On Viruses
Clearly, there's something else at work here, and I'll tell you what it is: Mac OS X is simply harder to hack.
Apple's iPod SeasonLooms
There has been little acitivty out of Cupertino on the iPod front recently. But hints of new products are in the air.
Review
Daylite 3.1: Inexpensive Workgroup Task Master
Power users will like its ability to be customized, but may be put off by some interface quirks.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
News
Apple Unable To Meet Rising MacBook Demand
Apple Settles Creative Lawsuits For $100M
Apple announced Wednesday it has settled its legal dispute with Creative Technology to the tune of $100 million. Steve Jobs called Creative "very fortunate to have been granted this early patent" in a statement announcing the settlement, and added, "This settlement resolves all of our differences with Creative, including the five lawsuits currently pending between the companies, and removes the uncertainty and distraction of prolonged litigation."
Opinion
Daddy Got A New Mac..
I love it.
Mac Pro Pricing:Where Did Apple's Edge Go?
How do you lose competitive advantage on price and performance while everyone's component prices are going down at about the same rate and you're using the same manufacturing services everybody else is? MacTel.
MacBook Resolution
I hope that Apple voluntarily giving me a new computer after I'd agreed to send the old one back to the shop is simply an example of the kind of service they'd give anyone in my situation.
My Dream App
Great ideas are not the limiting factor in software development. It's so much more about execution.
.Mac's Slow Death
.Mac is dying... and Google is the assassin (with a little help from his sidekick Firefox).
What .Mac Needs To Become
I want .Mac to be my hosting supplier. I want the kind of deal most hosting companies are falling over themselves to offer.
Review
Laptop Of The Pops
GarageBand is a fun, surprisingly versatile package and, of course, great value for money.
Mac Pro Beats Dell On Price
The Mac Pro workstation is not only competitively priced, it's fast, too.
Merlin 1.3.11: No Need For Wizards With This Striaghtforward Project Management Software
Despite a few shortcomings in its iCal and Address Book integration, Merlin delivers everything you need with the style and finesse you'd expect from an application built exclusively for the Mac.
Wintel
Singapore Creative's Prospects Still Shaky Despite Patent Victory
"The settlement does not change our negative view of [Creative's] core business."
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
News
Has iPod's Hit Parade Stalled?
After years of cranking out hit iPod models, has Apple hit a wall?
iPod Gray Market Booms In India
While Windows machines enjoy low prices because they're produced locally, Apple products have to make their way from production facilities in China. Along the way, they pick up several cost-inflating customs stamps. Shopkeepers have responded by smuggling huge loads of illegal iPods and MacBooks from Singapore, Dubai and Malaysia.
Trade Unions Miffied At Apple
Confederation of Free Trade Unions has slammed Apple's whitewash of conditions at Foxconn's Chinese plant.
Opinion
Switching From Windows To Mac, Part II
The Mac culture will woo Windows users, at least it wooed me.
Is Windows Inherently More Vulnerable To Malware Attacks Than OS X?
Pretty soon any debate with Microsoft over security can be ended in one round when Apple stands up, says "launchd," and sits back down.
Migrating To Apple
If straws in the wind are anything to go by, there is now a very clear Mac migration in progress.
Powerless
How come all the laptops I've had before the MacBook Pro had the "old way" kind of a connector that doesn't really react well to a brutal lateral move, but it's never been a problem, and then I get a Mac that solves this problem I never had, but that I suddenly begin to have it a lot...
Does iTunes Charge Podcasters?
No. Apple has one job and one job with this whole crazy Apple/iTunes/Podcasting/Television/Movie Rentals thing. That's to sell iPods.
The Life And Death Of Virtual PC For Mac
We said that bringing VPC to the MacTels would be like doing a v1. That's true, but it's not the whole story. It's not just the VPC v8 would be like doing a v1. It's that VPC v9 could also be just like doing a v1, or maybe it would be VPC v10.
An iPod For TV
How Apple could make it work.
8GB Flash And The iPod Nano
8GB nano would make the iPod middle child "more real" to me.
Review
Sidetrack
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
News
September Shall Be The Bearer Of An Apple Special "Presentation"
For Macs In Schools It's Death By A Thousand Cuts
The PC versus Mac debate has once again been ignited, this time in a campaign to raise awareness of the plight of teachers in Australia reporting a dwindling level of support for Apple laptops in schools.
Opinion
The Decline Of WWDC
It's distressing to see how WWDC has become more and more unpleasant for the attendees each year.
Final First Impressions Of Leopard
The Curious Case Of The Supposed MacBook Wi-Fi Hack
I see no way out of this where Maynor and Ellch escape with their reputations intact.
Review
Secure Transfer Using Civil Netizen And Pando
The Family Mac
How Apple's desktop computers compare.
Sidetrack
Imagine this: the overworked poor workers in communist China working for a boss from the KMT Taiwan has to be rescued by a company from capitalist United States that is being run by an ex-hippie.
Did anyone check the Great Hall of the People, to see if Chairman Mao has turned over in his grave?
:-)
It Is Time For Web 3.0 (And .Mac 3.0 Too)
And what, you may ask, is Web 3.0? Please allow me to list them:
1. Do not store anything on the server, except for things the customers explicitly ask to store on the server. So, a photo sharing web site should store the JPEGs, but not the search log. Put the log on the client machine, and let the client machine make use of the log if necessary to make searchers smarter, for example.
2. Everything that is stored on the server must be encrypted, except for things the customers explicitly ask not to encrypt. The server shouldn't be able to decrypt anything by itself.
Apple, time to leapfrog ahead your competitors with .Mac. We deserve something insanely great, and not a me-too product when compared to the likes of Google, MSN, and Yahoo!
What other essential rules do you have for Web 3.0 / .Mac 3.0? (1.0 is iTools, 2.0 is today.) Send them in to me at webmaster@myapplemenu.com, and I'll expand this list with interesting ideas.
Monday, August 21, 2006
News
Opinion
Tips For New Mac Converts, From A Veteran, Devoted User
Can Hard Drive Phones Kill The iPod?
I think we still have a few years out before the phone overtakes the MP3 player, but the trend has already started.
A Letter To Apple
The region locking doesn't fit my lifestyle, it doesn't fit hte modern world, and I personally have fought legal battles against it.
Review
Sidetrack
Here's a tribute to Microsoft's Bill Gates by David Letterman, with a very used and old (but still good) twist at the end.
:-)
Sunday, August 20, 2006
News
Hon Hai: Vindicated By Apple Report?
"Even though the Foxconn group has grown so fast, we try to accommodate all the needs [of our worker]. We know that we can still improve on this. But I also think that the report itself fairly presents the facts and the truth."
Will Apple Fall Off Nasdaq Tree?
Shareholders suffer losses when major exchanges delist firms.
Online Music Holdouts Give In To iTunes
Bob Seger turned the page, and Metallica finally found justice for online fans. Now, only a few remaining big-name musical acts refuse to make their songs available on Apple's popular iTunes Music Store.
Opinion
Is Apple Anger Behind Jobs No-Show At Paris Expo?
Intel In The Middle: Wintel And Aptel
Understanding how people can use PCs, building on it, and communicating it clearly is where Apple is where Apple excels.
Review
Saturday, August 19, 2006
News
Patrick Tighe: Urban, Green, And Socially Conscious
Deep Dish: Redreaming "Dreams"
Michael Trott: The Science And Art Of Mathematica
"Mathematicians and physicists don't want to spend time hacking some UNIX or Linux interface together — they just want to use the programs that are vital to do their science. Mac is the ideal platform to do this."
Opinion
Apple Is Just As Proprietary As Microsoft
Wi-Fi Exploit Continues To Crumble
The moral of the story, truly, is "Don't taunt Mac users unless you've got something real to show."
Review
Teddy Factory
This game is a handy diversion for a good-sized family with younger children.
Hands On: The New Mac Pro Is 'One Screamer'
If you do media production, scientific computing or another other processor-intensive work, believe me — you want one of these!
Friday, August 18, 2006
News
Mac Hackers Admit Modification
No Jobs Keynote At Apple Expo Paris
Representing the show organisers, Reed Expositions France, Apple Expo Communications contact, Clementine Tisserand, confirmed the lack of keynote to Macworld UK.
Marathon Is Back Again For Free
Studio Spills Aple's iTunes Movie Store Plans
Apple To Meet With Norwegians, Danes, And Swedes Over Alleged Unfairness Of FairPlay
Report On iPod Manufacturing
We found the supplier to be in compliance in the majority of the areas audited. However, we did find violations to our Code of Conduct, as well as other areas for improvement that we are working with the supplier to address. What follows is a summary of what we've learned, what's already being done in response,a nd our commitment to future diligence and action.
Leopard First Looks: Core Animation
Low-level animation support should lead to better apps.
Leopard First Looks: The Rest
Additional apps, parental controls, Xcode round out OS X preview.
MacBook Wi-Fi Hack Didn't Use Apple Drivers
"Despite SecureWorks being quoted saying the Mac is threatened by the exploit demonstrated at Black Hat, they have provided no evidence that in fact it is," Apple Director of Mac PR, Lynn Fox, told Macworld. "To the contrary, the SecureWorks demonstration used a third party USB 802.11 device — not the 8021.11 hardware in the Mac — a device which uses a different chip and different softare drivers than those on the Mac."
Opinion
Trapped At The Apple Store
One thing Apple knows, it's service.
Time Machine - Offsite Solutions
Back To The Mac
On balance, the Mac experience is better. But Ubuntu is not that far behind, and it's catching up.
Apple Spaces, Virtual Desktop Usage
Apple Keeps Twisting My Melon, Man
The sad, tired tale of my lemon-scented MacBook Pro continues.
.Mac Needs To Be Radically Retooled
Be bold with .Mac Apple. Stop thinking about how to milk users for every $99. .Mac membership when customers buy a Mac and yes, think different.
The Skinny On Desktop Linux Pros, Cons And Adoption
Every day, as consumers purchase more and more of that DRM-saddled content, the less and less viable desktop Linux becomes since it's fundamentally incompatible with that growing "installed-base" of content.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
News
Apple Maintains Massive Lead In Music Player Market
Apple continued to dominate the US digital music player market in the second quarter with a 75.6 per cent marketshare, according to the NPD Group.
Jobs' Implication In Apple Options Scandal Still Unclear
While some Wall Street analysts have suggested Apple chief executive Steve Jobs is likely to be cleared of any wrongdoing when it comes to the company's backdated stock option grants, analysts at Merrill Lynch are taking a more cautious approach.
Leopard First Looks: 64-Bit Support
Developers of data-intensive apps will appreciate full native 64-bit support.
Opinion
WWDC Wrap-Up
Let's face it, WWDC is expensive and we engineers aren't really used to being treated like cattle. I feel more like a chump for having shelled out $1400 of company money so that I can be bossed around by overweight rent-a-cops.
Regarding The Hardware Announcements At WWDC 2006
Computers Crash
Put it this way, if you were a pilot, would you fly a plane if the manufacturer said it can't crash?
Review
Mac Pro Completes Apple's Intel Lineup
Prfoessional Intel-based towers provide great performance — with the right software.
Sidetrack
Ever since the iPod with video came out, why should I ever believe Steve "we-do-not-do-video-ipods" Jobs anymore?
So, yay, there will be an iPod with Wi-Fi.
:-)
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
News
Apple Quietly Updates MBP Logic Boards
Apple Files For 'Multi-Pass' Trademark
Mail Stamps Stamp Out Apple's Poor Interface Design
Apple Releases Boot Camp 1.1 Beta
Study: Apple Leads Industry In Customer Satisfaction
Newly published data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index show that Apple leads other personal computer manufacturers, beating out Dell, HP and others.
Opinion
Time Machine And The Future Of The File System
Dell's Battery Recall: MacBook Pro Batteries Shipped From The Same Manufacturer?
Yes Virginia, Macs Crash Too
Better to promise to help users when the computer you sold them crashes, than to promise they don't crash.
Review
Rage Of Magic II
A throwback to the coin-op battle games of yore, Rage of Magic II is a retro game of reasonable quality, if you're willing to put up with some limitations and general wonkiness.
Sidetrack
Ideas Are Free; Visual Basic Is Not
If you are a developer looking for an idea to develop into the next money-making shareware product, look no further than Microsoft: Converting Microsoft Office Visual Basic for Application scripts into AppleScripts and vice versa.
Or you can try your hand in adding support for Visual Basic in OpenOffice.org. :-)
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
News
Taiwan Market: Apple Trims Workforce By 30%
Apple Plans Expansion Of "Get A Mac" TV Campaign
Apple appears pleased with the result of its "Get a Mac" television commercials and holds plans to expand the campaign more than threefold in the coming weeks and months.
New Horizons For Intel-Based Macs
Apple's transition to Intel chips will improve Macintosh's software development, according to Piper Jaffray analysts.
Nokia Could Speed Up Apple's Entry Into Cellphone Business
Mobile telephone giant Nokia's arrival in the music downloading business is bad news for Apple, which may force the iPod maker to engineer a new "iPhone" to fend off the threat, experts believe.
64-Bit Leopard Knocks Spots Off Vista
This is quite a boon for OS X, and one that should be highlighted frequently and often.
Leopard First Looks: Spaces
Apple brings decades-old virtual desktops to the masses.
Opinion
The Mac Versus Windows Holy War: Real Or Fake?
The competition and hte back and forth interplay among Mac and Windows users, can be entertaining, but don't take it too seriously.
Now I'm A Believer
The Mac makes it all easy, with maximum integration and with a supremely elegant operating system. Windwos - just say no.
Steve Jobs Lives!
Katie Cotton, Apple's VP of worldwide corporate communications: "Steve's health is robust and we have no idea where these rumors are coming from."
iTune Smart Playlist And Podcasts
Ten Reasons To Switch To An Apple Macintosh Notebook
Windows 5x More Expensive Than Mac OS X
Welcome To The World Of Mass Customized Media
A play list is We Media. And a play list is more than music. It's the ability to go from a song to a news report to a program to piece of artwork to an inverstment decision to purchase of those new — yes, you guessed it — iPod Nike sneakers. Welcome to the next generation of media.
Data, Contexts, And Leopard
Now wouldn't it be interesting if this were a sign of more interoperability between apps to come?
Rethinking Virtualization
Having used Parallels in a real-world situation, I can see the hype is not just hupe, but well founded for those people that need Windows once in a while.
Review
Process 2.0
Project management tool with great interface lacks advanced features.
Sidetrack
You know, I did notice "something strange" in the Leopard preview screenshots: why is there yet another RSS reader in Mail.app, duplicating the Safari team's effort? Why are there To Do items in Mail, where I think the feature should be more at home over at iCal?
But, perhaps, Giles Turnbull has it right. Perhaps, all these little features are going to be in the operating system system-wide, and we are just seeing evidence of them appearing in the various applications.
As Giles Turnbull puts it, "the app you're using doesn't matter - the data is what counts, and it flows from one app to another depending on your context."
That will really be cool.
This is not an excuse for not submitting homeworks.... but, well, the dog did eat the iPod.
Any suggestions on how to fix the iPod?
Monday, August 14, 2006
News
Opinion
A Combined View Of The World
I'm seeing a third generation stack emerging that holds a great deal of promise for sewing up the future of offline-sync-online experiences.
Apple Making Huge Social Software Push?
Two recent Apple rumors suggest that the company is ramping up for a huge push of social features in its software.
Music Downloads: MP3s And DRM - The Right Direction At Last?
It's about time that the record companies started allowing people to pay paid-for downloads freely on any MP3 players or other devices that they own.
There Must Be A Lot Of Wrong-atude In Wikipedia
Apparently I, a mere Mac OS 9.1 Technical Lead, don't count as a 'source' for something. Rumor site: yes. Someone who was actually at Apple doing stuff: no.
Apple's Retreat From Open Source Isn't All Bad
It seems Steve Jobs doesn't think he needs anyone else's input to properly serve Apple's market. And here's the thing: maybe he's right.
Apple Closing The Lecture-To-Podcast Gap
Apple seems to be realizing the huge demand for a capture/delivery system that has grown out of institutions diving into iTunes U.
Review
Wintel
The End Of Wintel?
It's been called a juggernaut. It's been described as invincible. And we've all been told it is inevitable. But last month, the Windows-Intel duopoly that has dominated tech for so long seemed to be none of those things.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
News
PC Turns 25? Apple May Beg To Differ
Today, as everybody kicks up their heels at the offices of PC manufacturers worldwide celebrating the 25th anniversary of the desktop computer known as the IBM PC, one wonders what Steve Jobs and the crew over at Apple Computer must be thinking.
Opinion
Review
Saturday, August 12, 2006
News
Apple Seeks Nasdaq Hearing To Keep Stock Listed
Apple said it will ask for an administrative hearing in response to a Nasdaq letter formally warning of a possible delisting because of the company's delay in making its quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Flash Player 9 Out For Intel-Based Macs
Nasdaq Puts Apple On Notice
Apple, which has delayed a quarterly regulatory filing amid a stock-options accounting probe, said Friday that it has received a letter from Nasdaq warning that it's not in compliance with the exchange's rules.
Hans Canosa: Two-Way "Conversations"
Jeffrey Kovel: Control Freaks, By Design
Leopard First Looks: iCal
Calendaring app to crawl out of its shell.
Opinion
Classic Goes Out With Nary A Whisper
With the Intel switch finished, Apple no longer sells a machine capable of running pre-2001 Mac software. 17 years of executable Mac history gone. Does anyone care?
Use "POD" In Your Trademark, Get Sued. Has Apple Gone Too Far?
Mr Jobs, this is simply over the top. Leave these nice people, who are in no way a threat to you or Apple, alone.
Three Tantalizing Bits Of Apple News Foreshadowing Future Growth
Will Leopard Out-Vista Vista?
Steve Jobs' claims for the forthcoming Apple operating system raise questions of security, storage innovation and channel appeal.
Review
Apple's Mac Pro: A Discussion Of Specifications
Maybe we're hoping for too much, and maybe we just need to get our hands on a system for review.
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is a very solid graphics or video editing workstation. When all the major "pro" applications have made the transition to Universal Binaries, the PowerPC years will be little more than a memory.
Subway Scramble
Subway Scramble offers a bit of train-routing fun mixed with the pleasure of fast-paced puzzle gaming. Make sure to check it out.
Friday, August 11, 2006
News
Apple Delays 3Q Filing Due To Options
Apple said Friday it will delay filing its latest quarterly report and expects to make 'significant changes' to results for the period because of irregularities related to past stock-option grants.
Samsung Converts 12-Inch Capacity To NAND Flash To Meet Demand From Apple, Say Sources
BBC Plans Clip-On Digital Radio
The BBC is drawing up plans for a plug-in gadget that turns MP3 players into digital radios.
Jobs Talks Up Apple Cell Phone
Apple Comptuer chief executive Steve Jobs has been boasting about his company's much-rumored iPod cell phone amongst inner circle, AppleInsider has been told.
Apple's Streamlined Options Operation
During a critical period between 2000 and 2001, decisions on stock options grants at Apple were made not by an independent committee of directors but by the company's board — and potentially, CEO Steve Jobs.
Leopard First Looks: Mail 3
E-mail program adds customized stationery, Notes, and iCal integration.
Leopard First Looks: Universal Access
VoiceOver changes are the center of improvements to OS X's accessibility.
Opinion
Apple's Rotten Spot Tastes So Bad
Why IT Staff, Users Will Like Apple's Plans
Apple (Sort Of) Confirms Leopard Will Not Run On G3 Macs
Apple And Missing Serial Numbers
When i dboubt, ask to be transferred to the Professional Application group immediately.
Getting Hung Up On The Apple-Microsoft War
As far as I can tell, there is no real war.
AirPorts Showing Sign Of Delays?
The Mac Pro From A Gamer's Perspective
Mac gaming is on the upswing, and the Mac Pro is a rig that should really be able to take advantage of everything that's offered.
What's Up With iPod?
My sense is that if Microsoft is serious about eating Apple's digital music lunch, Apple will be just as serious about combatting those attempts by doing Zune one (or many more) better.
Review
Review: Apple Beta Test Of "Just For You" Music Picking Service
It's always a hit and miss proposition, and it is with this one too.
Wintel
Microsoft Security - No More Second Chances?
In the last three years, Microsoft has issued an increasing number of yearly security bulletins, in which several patches get put online to fix problems in existing applications. The companys ees this as evidence that it's on top of things, not an indictment of managerial incompetence.
Microsoft Zune Will Hit Stores At $299
Retailers who have been briefed by Microsoft told TWICE the player will offer Wi-Fi capability, but will require the portable be connected to a PC for the actual purchase of songs.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
News
Nokia To Take On Apple In iPod War
Tiny Screen, Little Interest
Tech-savvy teens aren't as eager to watch TV on their cellphones and iPods as networks might think.
Apple Releases Security Update 2006-004 For Mac Pro And Mac OS X Server V10.4.7 (Universal)
Apple Execs, Former GC Seek Counsel In Face Of Backdating Probe
Behind the scenes, Apple — and some of its current and former executives — are seeking counsel.
Leopard First Looks: Dashboard
The new Web Clip feature in Safari will let anyone make their own useful informational widgets. This is a great advance in Dashboard, for no longer will users be forced to wait for a programmer to create that perfect widget for their specific needs.
Opinion
Moving On To AppleScript
If you have custom VB scripts, may I suggest looking into AppleScript as an alternative solution?
Where Does The Apple Stop And The Worm Begin?
Ethical behaviour would be to establish a policy that rewards developers who create features you hadn't thought of, and then stick to it even when you don't wnat to.
Apple Mac OS X Leopard Preview: Who's The Copycat Now?
I just want Leopard to be better — much better — than the OS that Steve Jobs and company described this week and, yes, I want Apple to be more honest when it describes the products it and its competitors make.
Creative And Apple - On Positioning And Whole Product
Too Many Features?
Apple is out to impress its curent and future customers, but at what cost to developers?
What Vista Can Learn From Leopard
Which feature in Leopard would you like to see in Vista?
Quality Control Problems Or Growing Pains At Apple?
If Apple had taken its time on the pacing of these transitions and spent some more time on quality control before rolling out MacBooks to the masses, the year of Intel would be a big hit not just for Apple, but for all of their customers, too.
Bingo Bust
"One more thing..." - The most disappointing miss. But you know, maybe it was getting a bit too worn. Now Jobs cansave it for something really worthy... like his retirement.
Saying Goodbye To Visual Basic
We estimated that it would take roughly two years of development time to move it all over to Xcode and to Intel. That wold mean two more years before the next version of Mac Office made its way to consumers. During that time, we'd also nto be adding any other items our users have asked for.
Virtual PC And Visual Basic
Many people who are not at all familiar with the exigencies of software development look at Microsoft's balance sheet, and the maxim that anything's possible in this industry, and wonder whether or not we're pulling their legs. They don't understand that the constraining resource isn't money. It's people.
The Question
Might it be a better business model for us Mac developers to bring ideas from the Mac platform (including Apple's) to Windows than it is to create innovative apps for the Mac?
Review
Weighing A Switch To A Mac
Is switching a good idea? The answer, as always, depend on the needs and preferences of the user. Apple's move to Intel processors has made it easier to run Windows on Intel-based Macs, and thus any software a switcher may want to continue using.
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
News
Apple: The Doom Of Wired Peripherals
Apple has recognized the desire for consolidation and the benefits of a wireless lifestyle, and they've reacted effectively.
Adobe Looks To The Future As Flash Turns 10
Can 1990s-era technology for cute web animations lead a new generation of cutting-edge web applications?
New Mac Games Website Revealed
Mac Pro: What You Need To Know
Answers to common questions about Apple's Xeon-based desktop.
VMware Sizes Up The Mac Market
Jobs Faces Further Options Quiz
Steve Jobs faces further questions in the options scandal that is rocking Wall Street after it was revealed two trusted lieutenants at his film studio Pixar were granted share options at an extraordinarily fortuitous moment.
Leopard First Looks: Time Machine
Not backing up? Soon you'll have no excuse.
Opinion
Leopard Vs Vista: Random Thoughts
Open Source: The Mark Of Cool?
The cynic in me says that Apple is offering open source licensing only on things it no longer wants to commit big companyr esources to. But what is really wrong with that?
Apple's Research & Rip-Off Department
A bunch of independent software developers who rely on selling small but potent tools that Apple has now co-opted will lose business, nto to mention get no return on the hard work, money and time spent building these tools.
Leopard's Top-Secret Secrets
One keynote viewer's idle speculation about What It All Means.
Is Apple Serious About Open Source?
Apple is working to improve relationships with the free software community, but developers won't settle for lip service.
Warning Signs From Steve
I think Steve's telling us something. He thinks things are going to get ugly, and he's going to be in the middle of it.
Not-So-Great Expectations
The trick to avoiding disappointment is keeping unreasonable expectations in check.
Leopard Does Chnage Its Spots, With New User Interfaces
Perhaps I'm being overly nitpicky, but UI is a big part of Apple and the Mac platform. Initerface standards have been slowly eroding over the past few years, and Time Machine is only the latest example.
Review
Sidetrack
Do you know why Steve Jobs didn't unveil the iPod "we-are-not-sitting-around-doing-nothing" phone at WWDC? 'Cause if he did, everyone will be talking to each ohter next day on their new iPod phone during WWDC sessions, and nobody will be paying attention to all the new Leopard goodness.
:-)
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
News
Leopard Nipping At Vista's Heels
So which will come first, the Vista or the Leopard?
Apple Preview Lacks Element Of Surprise
Shares slip after company unveils only the expected, ignoring stock option troubles.
Apple Execs Said To Get Options Windfall
Several options grants to top executives at Apple were dated just before sharp increases in its stock between 1997 and 2001, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing a review of regulatory filings.
Apple Announces New Open Source Efforts
New Apple Features Sends Users Back In Time
How Musicians Can Use iTunes And The iPod For Exposure
Apple Computer Announcements Disappoint Investors
Shares in Apple fell more than 2 percent as investors had been hoping Steve Jobs would unveil his trademark surprise at Apple's annual software developers conference, such as a new iPod music player or a new digital movie rental service.
Apple Announces Mac Pro
The Mac Pro will sport Intel's Dual-Core 64-bit Xeon 5100 series processor, also known as "Woodcrest," running at speeds of up to 3 GHz with 4 MB of shared L2 cache.
Leopard iChat Gets Screen Sharing
Apple Previews Mac OS X Leopard, Leopard Server
New features include Time Machine, a persistent backup system that keeps track of your files and backs them up automatically, also providing you with version control, or the ability to restore specific versions of documents that have changed. Spaces lets you collect groups of applications required for various tasks — e-mail and web surfing, for example, or film and video tools — and switch between them instantly.
Apple Introduces New XServe
The new XServe — a quad Xeon, 64-bit server featuring Mac OS X Server Tiger on two Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz — completes the company's transition to Intel-based machines across its entire product line.
Apple Drops Cinema Display Prices
Microsoft Kills Virtual PC For Mac
"Mac BU has made the decision not to move forward with a Universal version of Virtual PC at this time."
Opinion
Has Steve Jobs Lost His Magic?
Steve Jobs' keynote speech on Monday was the most uninspiring he's given in recent memory. It hints at the trouble Apple will be in marketing-wise if he ever steps down.
And You Thought Vista Was Looking Like A Colossal Failure Before
Time Machine was clearly thought of by coming up with a user interface that normal people would understand, and then the technical details were figured out. Where is the new file system and related tech in Vista?
The Myth Of The Living-Room PC
My theory is that PC-TV hybrid products aim for a sweet spot that doesn't exist.
Is There Hope For Apple In The Enterprise?
Other than converting to the Intel chip set, Apple, you're just not committing to us in this relationship.
A First Reaction To Mac Pro, Leopard
The Intel Switch Pays Off
Whatever uncertainty was caused by the company's switch to Intel chips has now been eclipsed by tangible benefits to its product line. That's good news for Apple — and even better news for the people who use its hardware.
Sidetrack
Everytime I fly, I always wondered about how much electricity are being wasted by the rows and rows of "No Smoking" lights on top of the seats. The smokers should have gotten the message by now, and many cents off my ticket could have been shaved off if only the lights are not there.
Well, the airlines are finally admitting the signs are obsoleted. But don't expect to see cheaper fares, because you'll now need "no mobile" lights.
Monday, August 07, 2006
News
Apple's Option Woes Deepen, Analysts Urge Calm
VMware For Mac Is Finally Out!
This is what almost everyone in the Mac user community is waiting for.
Mac Users Miss Out On Comcast Freebies
Extras are given free to Comcast broadband subscribers. The catch? They have to be running the Windows operating system.
Sidetrack
The WWDC keynote is coming up in a few hours, and the excitement is definitely in the air.
And it really doesn't matter if Steve Jobs is introducing or announcing your favorite products during the keynote. (Well, Leopard is definitely on the agenda, though.) Because New Products are not limited to one keynote session on one Monday morning. Watch out for upcoming New Products Tuesdays in the weeks ahead, as we are now in the midst of New Products Season at Apple.
(Unofficially, the season has already started with the wireless Mighty Mouse.)
Sunday, August 6, 2006
News
Macworld Magazine Cuts Back On Game Coverage
"We're making changes to the mix of content in the print magazine, as we often od, in order to find the best way to serve our readers in our 60 print editorial pages."
Apple Keeps 'Em Guessing
With Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference about to kick off in San Francisco, the usual rumors, innuendo and sheer guessing of what CEO Steve Jobs is about to reveal is well underway.
Shares Drop On News That Apple May Revise Years Of Statements
Opinion
MacBook Pro: Week Six
This morning it dawned on me. Something I used to see all the time with the PB just hasn't been around lately — the beachball of death.
Can Mac OS X 'Leopard' Features Compete With Vista?
With details slim on what's coming in Leopard, the current match ups between Windows Vista and Mac OS X are centered on a short set of interface details.
Review
Repairing Permissions: What You Need To Know
What repairing permissions does and whether you should do it.
Friday, August 4, 2006
News
VMBlog Finds Out The Latest On Parallels
"Our ultimate goal is to make Parallels virtual machines identical to 'real' machines, and that involves including 3D graphics so people can play games and use high-end rendering software without any performance hit.
Report: Consumers Want Movies From iTunes For $10 Or Less
According to new research from The Diffusion Group, close to 25% of broadband households would be interested in an iTunes online movie service if titles were priced at $10 each.
Apple Delays Quarterly Filing, Warns Of Restatements
Apple will likely be forced to restate earnings information dating back to 2002 as a result of its investigation into the practice of backdating stock options, the company announced Thursday.
'Cider' Makes Windows Games Run On Intel Macs
Coming soon: Windows games that will run on Intel Macs thanks to Transgaming's new Cider software. There's no rebooting involved and no separate Windows partition to be installed. It all happens transparently.
Ford: Audio Player Demand To Double In Five Years
Opinion
When Bad Customer Service Turns Good
Today I got a call from a man from Apple who identified himself as Steve Jobs's personal assistant. Jobs had gotten my email and instructed his assistant to make the necessary calls to get my laptop fixed and returned back to me in time for WWDC.
So How's The Mac?
Bascially, I'm sold. I've been using a PC at home and a Mac at work for several months now. And I just prefer using the Mac.
Cory Doctorow: "OMG DRM Is r33ly Bad!"
Apple didn't invent the concept of DRM. The iPod doesn't force you to buy DRM-encrypted content, and there's lots of alternatives. And consumers don't seem to particularly mind Apple's DRM implementation a whole heck of a lot. So why the angst in his pants?
Thursday, August 3, 2006
News
Apple Mac: Is The Rebel Brand Faltering?
Faulty products, poor service — and worse — the list of grievances is getting longer. Is Steve Jobs' empire losing its cool?
Apple Partners With Ford, GM And Mazda For iPod Integration
Norway Buckles Down For Long iTunes Fight
Apple isn't just breaking Norwegian consumer law — it's breaking promises Steve Jobs once made about digital music, the country's consumer watchdog says.
Norway Unhappy With Apple's Concessions To Regulators
Lego Mindstorms Offers Mac Support
The Lego Mindstorms NXT is a robotics toolset offering hobbyists the ability to build and program robots.
Google Launches Mac Picasa Web Albums Uploader
WWDC To Be More For Apple Than A New MacPro?
Hijacking A MacBook In 60 Seconds Or Less
Jon Ellch and David Maynor will show how they can target a specific security flaw in the MacBook's wireless "device driver," the software that allows the internal wireless card to communicate with the underlying OS X operating system.
Opinion
Apple Finally Goes With AMD
When Intel OEMs start their entirely coincidental synchronized exodus from ATI to NVidia and Intel integrated graphics in 3...2...1, will Apple join the march?
How Long Is My iPod Meant To Last?
Anybody Want To Buy An iPod?
So why the switch? Why go away from the tightly integrated iTunes/iPod experience I liked so much, and even cut my capacity down from 60GB to 30GB? I switched because of performance, organization, and subscription services.
Where's The Rumours?
I feel like the rumour sites are letting me down.
Review
Sidetrack
Has Anyone Seen An iPod With The Initials "SJ" Engraved?
Steve Jobs lost his iPod. If anyone finds it, please return to Apple. Or else we won't have a keynote on Monday. Okay? Pretty Please?
:-)
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
News
Coke, Apple Join In Huge European iTunes Giveaway
Aple is teaming up with Coca-Cola in Europe to give away about 70 million songs on its market-leading iTunes Music Store — more than a third of the total number of songs it has sold there to date.
Apple Cans AppleCentre Branding
Apple has begun phasing out the AppleCentre retail outlet brand name and will ask partners to reapply for their certifications.
Apple Releases Security Update
Apple on Tuesday released Security Update 2006-004, fixing issues with AFP Server, Bluetooth, WebKit and more.
Opinion
Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!, Caring For: Microsoft Vs Apple
Windows Media DRM Versus Apple FairPlay Battle Looming?
Microsoft could well be stepping into the music player market with Zune in order to help drive the widespread acceptance of WM-DRM.
Mac OS X Server Firewall Serial Hole
Every Mac OS X Server 10.4 deployment, regardless of its GUI firewall setting, will accept and attempt to act on UDP packets sent to port 626.
My New Black MacBook
Two elements of the MacBook design that I regard as huge improvements are the "klutz-proof power adapter and a nifty magnetic latch."
.Mac In Trouble
The service needs to be re-thought and re-vamped completely.
Review
Picasa 2 Vs iPhoto 5
Picasa is gleefully original, usefrul, attractive and function rich. iPhoto does the job, but with less flair.
Sidetrack
Apple is making a phone. Or, at least, they aren't sitting around not making a phone.
So, what's your wish list?
Besides the obvious, er... obviously. The phone gotta be able to phone. So it needs GSM, which is where the market is. It needs to be an iPod: play music, watch videos, dock connector, all that jazz.
Then, it needs an iSight camera. What phone nowadays don't have a camera to take photos and shoot videos?
Then, it needs WiFi. VoIP is all the rage nowadays.
Then, it needs Bluetooth. How else are you going to design a wireless earphone?
Then, it needs PDA functionalities. A touch screen will be nice. Perferably a large-enough screen to watch videos,
Oh, and SMS / text-messaging is big. At least, it is big outside of the United States, but I hear even in U.S. this is picking up. So, it needs a good and full-sized keyboard. Maybe something that can light-up when it sense that the ambient light is too low.
And since we are cramming so many functions into the phone, it must have a good, flexible, stable, and secure operating system. How about Mac OS X?
And let's just call this device: MacBook Nano.
Bonus: And if you buy a copy of Microsoft Office or iWork '07, you can even read (and edit!) Office documents right in your phone. Just like a Blackberry.
:-)
.Mac hasn't live up to its reputation of always just work. Maybe Apple should consider outsourcing this to some company whose bread and butter is to deal with online issue? Maybe, well, AOL? :-)
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
News
Apple Signs Up For Phone Standards
Joining the Khronos Group is an interesting move from Apple, as the last time it joined a body with no direct relationship to its current products, it was BAPCo, a Windows benchmarking consortium. That move was followed just nine days later by the release of Boot Camp.
Brand Appeal Keeps iPod Sales Surging
Apple's iPod line has gone months without an update. And yet, iPods continue to fly off the shelves just as fast as Apple can make them.
Apple Responds To Nordic iTunes Complaints
The Norwegian council is still reviewing the letter, and hasn't yet released it to the public, said Torgeir Waterhouse, senior advisor to the Consumer Council of Norway.
.Mac Users Mock Apple Slogan During Outage
Web publishing service .Mac just works, sort of...
Apple Eliminates Forum Mods; Quality Drops, Rudeness & Piracy Increases
Apple has termined its Apple Discussions hosts, the forum moderators that monitor and moderate the company's user discussion boards.
Verizon's Chocolate Cell Phone To Challenge iPod
Apple Raised To Buy At Bank Of America
Apple is selling more notebooks than Wall Street realizes and should beat earnings estimates next year, Bank of America said in upgrading the stock to buy Monday.
Audible Keeps Share Of Apple Pie
Audible shares inched up slightly Monday after the compnay said it will extend its exclusive deal with Apple for an additional three years.
Opinion
Microsoft And THe Mac - Sleepless In Seattle
Why Apple Will Release A Cell Phone
The Best Deal No One's Talking About
Apple's ProCare plan is a great deal. So how come nobody ever talks about it?
Review
Baby Button Bashing
In short, AlphaBaby make it safe (for your files) and fun (for your baby) to bang away on the keyboard.
Sidetrack
People everywhere is asking for the truth to be revealed!
No, this is not about the new stuff Steve Jobs will reveal next week. After all, we know that it's gonna be Mac Pro, iPod Phone, and Mac Mini Media Center.
No, what everyone demanding to know: has some alien lifeform contacted us? Is there a cover-up by SETI? Is it because those alien lifeforms are just meat, and we all don't want to talk to meat?
Er... wait a minute...
:-)
