AppleLust.com has some predictions for the coming year, among them there will be a G5 iMac, a G5 PowerBook, a new line of flat screen... [Gizmodo]
December 2003 Archives
Insider Software today released FontAgent Pro 1.4, an update to its Mac OS X native font management ... [MacNN]
Steve Jobs has been named the Executive of the Year by The San Francisco Business Times for his "bal... [MacNN]
MacNN reader Keith Russo notes that Apple has placed among the Top 10 Yahoo! Searches of 2003 in two... [MacNN]
For those who have been misled by the idiotic Neistat brothers video, here is a little info on iPod's and the battery issues: [iPod Battery FAQ]
"The best-received, shipping operating system of 2003 was probably Apple’s release of Mac OS X 10.4 [sic], better known by its code name, Panther. Many of Panther’s improvements are evolutionary — it’s faster than its predecessor and includes improvements to networking and uses FreeBSD 5 tools and libraries, for example — but it also has some genuine interface innovations, such as Expose, a utility that shrinks and highlights windows to aid navigation. Reviewers were... [MacDailyNews]
The new BookEndz 15” Docking Station for the new Apple 15” PowerBook will be on display at the Macwo... [MacNN]
The Guardian Unlimited has in-depth look at Jonathan Ive, Apple's Vice-president of industrial desi... [MacNN]
In The Leak, an agent is shown infiltrating the Spymac headquarters. His secretive and powerful connections have tipped him off to Spymac 3's administrator login information, but security personnel discover the leak just as crucial information is to be transmitted, forcing the double agent and his directors to wait until January 2004 for further information. View the trailer at Spymac3.com [Discuss] [Spymac]
A Forbes article asks "what's next from Apple?" With IBM reportedly delivering a 90 nanometer G5 processor already, and plans for 65 nanometer chips by 2005 and 45 nanometers in 2007, it would seem that Steve Jobs will be able to make good on his promise to ship 3GHz Macs by summer, 2004. Forbes, along with industry insiders, speculates that Apple will shortly release Power Macs running at 2.4 to 2.6GHz, and that a G5-based PowerBook might appear by the summer. [Spymac]
Apple Posts In-Dept Look At VA Tech's 'Big Mac' Supercomputer [The Mac Observer]
"The number one-gadget of the year, Apple's iPod music player, has sold out almost everywhere in the country. The iPod is the 21st century version of the Sony Walkman, and is easily spotted in use on London's streets with its distinctive white headphones," Mark Prigg reports for The Evening Standard.
"Bassam Zaku is the sales manager for Harrods sound and vision department. He said: 'We are just selling out of iPods as soon as we get them in. We think we have done a good... [MacDailyNews]
The Apple Developer Connection's (ADC) Internet Developer site has published a new technical article titled "Web Page Development: Best Practices."... [MacMinute]
No zero-grav nookie, though [The Register]
Apple senior vice president of retail Ron Johnson recently told the Chicago Sun-Times that Apple's retail store on North Michigan Avenue is the "highest-trafficked Apple retail store worldwide." Johnson said the Chicago store alone averages 30,000 visitors per week. [MacCentral]
Forbes looks at this history and records of Apple's chief executives... [MacInTouch]
GOOD! And hopefully they will get their asses sued out of existence and the fucking MORON of a CEO put in Jail for STUPIDITY!
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The controversial Unix software company reports a loss for its fourth quarter based largely on hefty legal expenses it has accrued in its intellectual property war against Linux. [CNET News.com]
"Shops are struggling to cope with demand for a hi-tech personal stereo which has become the must-have gadget of the year," The Western Mail reports. "Factories are working flat out to satisfy demand for the three models in the iPod range...""Mike Khalfey, central buyer for electronics at John Lewis department stores, said so many people wanted an iPod they were having to take orders for delivery after Christmas. 'The demand is certainly outstripping supply,'... [MacDailyNews]
Who needs shitty MSNBC with that moron Rick Sanchez anyways?
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The newly redesigned MSNBC.com now has new anti-Mac requirements to view video on the popular news Web site... [MacMinute]
Apple's Mac OS X Up-To-Date program, which offers purchasers of new Macs (on or after Oct... [MacMinute]
TheAppleCollection.com has now been transferred to The Spymac Network and is once again open to the public. A large update to the site content is expected by early next week. Stay tuned for future announcements regarding further integration with Spymac. TheAppleCollection, online for more than five years, categorizes tens of thousands of Apple-related images and photographs and has been featured in publications such as Wired and Metropolis.
[Discuss] [Spymac]
Now here is a classic...how stupid can some people be?
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Former Apple Employee Indicted For Defrauding Apple [The Mac Observer]
The Recording Industry Association of America Inc. (RIAA) does not have the authority under U.S. law to subpoena the names of alleged peer-to-peer file traders from ISPs (Internet service providers), a federal appellate court ruled Friday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned a lower court's decision allowing the RIAA to file subpoenas asking Verizon Internet Services Inc. to turn over the names of suspected copyright infringers without the RIAA having to file lawsuits against the alleged file traders. But the RIAA's argument that the subpoenas allowed in the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) apply to material transmitted through an ISP as well as content stored by an ISP "borders upon the silly," the court wrote. [MacCentral]
One of the most hotly anticipated dramatic movies this holiday season is Cold Mountain, the adaptation of Charles Frazier's book featuring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renée Zellweger. Already nominated for eight Golden Globe awards, Cold Mountain is also one of the biggest-budget motion pictures ever to be edited using Final Cut Pro. A new feature on Apple's Web site interviews the film's editor, Walter Murch. To find out more, MacCentral recently spoke with Apple's senior director of pro applications, product marketing, Richard Kerris. [MacCentral]
THANK GOD! It was insulting to see something as beautiful as an iPod in that creative-less vanilla black box factory.
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The Austin American-Statesman reports that Dell Inc. stopped reselling Apple's iPods in mid-November... [MacNN]
In yet ANOTHER unbelievable display of media monger stupidity, here is an all time loser, John C. Dvorak, spewing yet more SHIT from his mouth that he has no clue about. This guy used to be known as a decent journalist, but I think he is now on par with that other loser, Jim Louderback (another ex Tech TV flunkie and current Ziff Davis loser).
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Isn't it about time John C. Dvorak was simply discontinued—put down like an old dog?
The congenitally bloated John C. Dvorak writes for PC Magazine, "The Beginning of the End Dept.: I'm not sure what this means, but Microsoft is dumping Intel and switching processors in its next-generation Xbox. The company is going with an IBM design along the lines of the PowerPC or G5 chip. IBM has been... [MacDailyNews]
"Who'll do the deals and make news? In the year ahead, media industry stars will do deals, change jobs and make splashy headlines (not to mention, figure prominently in rumors and gossip galore). Here are some people worth watching in 2004," Jon Friedman writes for CBS.MarketWatch.com.
"THE VISIONARY: Steve Jobs: He bears watching every year. First, Jobs conquered Silicon Valley in the 1980s with Apple Computer. Then he helped transform animated movies in the 1990s... [MacDailyNews]
This is one sweet robot. Looks like the creators of this faux site are Mac users no doubt, judging from the iTunes'ish' commercial for the "Domestic Personal Assistant". Check it out...
CBS MarketWatch has included Apple CEO Steve Jobs among its "Winners of 2003" list.
Steve Jobs - At a time when legit music downloads were catching on about as quickly as, well, Apple computers, Steve Jobs came along and did it right with ITunes. Still, the most successful online music-seller isn't profitable, but its intent has always been to drive sales of IPod music players. With nearly 20 million songs sold since its April launch, not only has the cult of Apple... [MacDailyNews]
That's right America...we are losing the technology race thanks to corporate mongers sending our jobs to India. We are sacrificing American jobs and NATIONAL SECURITY by becoming too dependent on foreign labor. When will everyone finally wake up and start giving a shit? When it's too late and our backs are against a wall?
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RonMcMahon writes "According to a CNN Money article, Forrester Research is predicting that there will be 235,396 fewer Computer Programmers and Software ... [Slashdot]
This is one of those kewl little apps that has people wonfering "How'd you do that?" Check it out: iChat Streaming Icon
Apple has posted the Getting Started with .Mac, a 40 downloadable PDF manual that covers everything you need to know about using your .Mac account.
From setting up your account to iSync to OS X integration, the manual is great for beginners, but even experienced users will be able to find valuable information.
The manual is a free download, even for non-.Mac members, and is a great way to see all that .Mac has to offer before purchasing a membership. [dotmac.info]
Apple has added two more exclusive offers for .Mac members -- a free coy of ArcSoft's PhotoStudio X and a 20 percent discount on ArcSoft's Panorama Maker... [MacMinute]
You know..this is really getting ridiculous. Fucking IDIOT REPORTERS that don't have a clue about JACK SHIT making a bunch of noise that is nothing but BULLSHIT. What a fucking moron! I mean what the hell is a network hub that is windows only? Are you kidding me dude? Last I checked a hub or switch doesn't give a shit what platform you are on, all it is looking at is TCP/IP or other Network traffic running over CAT5. I say that we keel haul stupid reporters and slap them with 100 wet tunas.
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"Apple's tiny market share is not a reflection on the quality of its OS, experts agree. But its niche market share -- currently about three percent -- means that Mac users exist in a small minority group. This itself causes extra burdens," James Maguire writes for NewsFactor Network. "Virtually every Mac user can recall offers that are Windows only. For example, the local office supply store may carry network hubs that are Windows only. The popular Internet jukebox... [MacDailyNews]
America Online, Inc. and Apple today announced that AOL members can now preview, purchase and download songs available on AOL Music, the world's number one music destination, by simply clicking an iTunes button placed next to featured tracks. The iTunes button will immediately launch Apple's iTunes Music Store, the world's number one download music service, and automatically select the featured track for preview or one-click purchase and download. In addition, AOL members can use their... [MacDailyNews]
Mac Mike is too funny.....
That Lance Ulanoff dweeb who wrote that snotty little piece in PC Magazine knocking the Mac because it had one security flaw (compared to 65,747,676,636 such security holes for Windows) is being throughly dissed by the Mac community. Blogger Bryan Bell takes him down, with links to other Ulanoff-bashing posts elsewhere in the blogosphere. [Mac-Mike.com]
Griffin Technology has released the iTrip Station Finder which allows iTrip (and other FM transmitter) users to find open frequencies in their area. Version 2.0 includes updated frequencies for the US as well as support for 15 other countries world wide.
The iTrip Station Finder is a free download. [dotmac.info]
Although many Mac enthusiasts already considered it a forgone conclusion, IDG World Expo made it official on Thursday when they announced that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will deliver the keynote address for next month's Macworld Conference & Expo at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. Jobs' keynote is scheduled to take place at 9AM PT on Tuesday, January 6, 2004. [MacCentral]
The computer business that started in a garage may be landing in a basement -- one of the most expensive basements in the universe. By Lois Weiss (New York Post via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]
Apple has release Mac OS X 10.3.2, an update to Panther. 10.3.2 includes improved file sharing, better font management, FileVault enhancements, improved Mail and Address Book, WebDav, and priting improvements.
The update is strongly recommended for all Panther users and is availble via Software Update. [dotmac.info]
Cocktail 3.3 is the latest version of the popular general purpose utility for Mac OS X that allows you to easily use advanced UNIX functions and gives access to hidden features... [MacMinute]
Apple has released a Battery Update for iBooks and PowerBooks In your Mac OS X Software Update:
The Battery Update enhances the performance of the ... [MacRumors]
iLife is a top 3 winner of the 2003 Technology & Learning Awards of Excellence. “Apple’s four popular multimedia tools — iTunes for music management, iPhoto for digital photography editing, iMovie for digital moviemaking, and iDVD for burning DVDs — have been upgraded in the past year and incorporated into a single integrated package known as iLife. Impressed with each of these tools individually, our judges were particularly wowed by the richness of the resulting suite.” [Dec 17] [2003 Technology & Learning Awards of Excellence]
The Deseret Morning News reports that a Mac equipped with an Apple iSight Web camera was instrumental in the capture of two Brigham Young University students who allegedly stole thousands of dollars of computer equipment. [MacCentral]
This is off da friggin hook....
A Japanese Mac enthusiast has posted details and photos from the process of building his own Power Mac G5-style Cube out of older Power Mac G4 Cube innards... [MacMinute]
“A true story: A neighbor of mine asks me for advice on buying a new computer, his first. He tells me he wants to use it for editing home movies, playing music, surfing the web, email, and he would love to make his own DVD’s. I tell him to look at an iMac or eMac and he says they are way too expensive. He then says he sees TV commercials offering Dell’s for $500, and wants to know why Macs are so much more expensive. I ask him if he really wants to make his own DVD’s and edit home... [MacNETv2]
Good catch by Mac Mike....only on a MACINTOSH can you see this!!! Only one correction to Mike's post...this guy isn't running 17 OS's, he is running at least 55!!!
Now this guy is a power user, running no less than 17 different operating systems on his 17-inch PowerBook. From DOS to BSD to MINIX to Linux to OS2 to Windows and all things in between, including Mac OS X and OS 9. the question is.... why? He says because he's fascinated with operating system environments. I think it's because he's weird. But in a cool way. [Mac-Mike.com]
Dave Russell, director of product marketing for portables and wireless at Apple, talked to Wired recently about the possibility of a PowerBook G5... [MacMinute]
Nice observations from a switcher...I can't stand it when PC Weenies claim that there is no good software for the Mac. Actually, I would dare to say the OPPOSITE is true!
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I think after less than a year as a Mac owner, I've seen more quality software than I did in 15 years working with PC's. (Tim Verpoorten via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]
"A Web site that offers desktop applets for the Macintosh desktop is gearing up to provide similar gadgets for Windows. ...Konfabulator, launched in February and has attracted a wide following of Mac users drawn to its JavaScript applets, or 'widgets,' that tell the time, predict the weather, monitor battery or central processing unit usage and track the phases of the moon. In less than a year, the software has garnered more than a million downloads, along with an undisclosed number... [MacDailyNews]
About damn time!
President George W. Bush signed a bill into law Tuesday establishing federal rules for commercial e-mail and penalties for unsolicited mass spamming. Known as the CAN-SPAM Act, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 takes effect Jan. 1. The law prohibits the use of false header information in bulk commercial e-mail and requires unsolicited messages to include opt-out instructions. Penalties for violations include fines of up to US$250 per e-mail, capped at up to $6 million. [MacCentral]
I hated Version Trakker when they did this, but I can understand the need to make a living. This is actually one of the few sites I can say I visit almost daily and I actually think is worth the money. I highly recommend it...
As announced, MacUpdate will begin to charge a $20/yr subscription fee in January 2004. New features will include the ability to turn off ads and use a desktop application that will scan your hard drive for applications and notify you of updates. These new features place MacUpdate next to VersionTracker Pro, which currently has a $49.95/yr price tag.
[MacMerc]
As always folks...if it seems to good to be true - it probably is! If you want a Mac, don't expect to kick tires and wheel and deal. The price is the friggin price. Take it or leave it, don't piss off or waste the sales persons time. You might get a few bucks cheaper at catalog shops, but if something looks outrageously low...BE CAREFUL! Apple controls pricing because THEY CAN, so don't look for what isn't going to happen - sales or steep discounts.
[MacSlash]
O'Reilly & Associates has released "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Panther Edition," an updated version of their popular series now with content for Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther." [MacCentral]
Apple today announced that its iTunes Music Store has sold more than 25 million songs since it was opened in April, 2003. The official word comes a week after Apple director of marketing for iTunes Peter Lowe announced that the company had sold more than 20 million songs, during his presentation to music industry representatives at the recent Music 2.0 conference. [MacCentral]
iTunes CD Printer 1.0b4 - CD label printer for iTunes. [MacUpdate - Mac OS X]
Yes, cellphones really are everywhere, but that said, you still have to be surprised when a football player uses one in the middle of an... [Gizmodo]
"Apple's iPod, about the size of a deck of cards, leads a revolution of portable music players that can store thousands of songs without the need for compact discs or tapes. When it comes to personal portable music players, there’s another revolution under way. The hot players now have no tapes, no compact discs and, indeed, no moving parts. The music is downloaded from the Internet, legally and not, or converted to a digital format from CDs," M. Scott Skinner writes for The... [MacDailyNews]
"Another MacWorld is nearly a month away and the rumor mill about what Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs has in store for the assembled Maczealot community. Rumors of a massive 30-inch liquid crystal display are bubbling forth, along with a revision to Apple's flagship Power Mac G5 line. Also rumored is a new feature that will allow iPod owners to easily take the home directories of their computers with them in order to have access to their files on any computer running Apple's... [MacDailyNews]
Ya know...there is NOTHING more frustrating than a journalist that speaks from his ASS without doing his homework first. It is idiots like Lance Ulanoff, which pass themselves off as some sort of authority on computers, that spread FUD about anything just to get their one-sided viewpoint across to the masses. I don't know how this guy even has a job (at ABC News nontheless) after writing stupidities like this article: Macs are not invulnerable.
So in a nice shot back at this idiot, lets hear the TRUTH from someone that is, shall we say....slightly more informed, than this dweeb Lance. Please educate yourselves properly and read on: Muckracking, the PC Way
This guy has waaaaaay too much time on his hands!!!!! This is freakin incredible...watch this video: French Freak Toots His Horn
OWC Cuts price on G5 1GB Dimm Pairs, Clearance page updated [AccelerateYourMac News Headlines]
A new Web site for iPod users launched yesterday with tips, tricks, and reviews for iPod users... [MacMinute]
Dr. Bott has announced the TiCase15 II, the new version of its brushed aluminum briefcase designed specifically for Apple's new 15-inch PowerBooks... [MacMinute]
Adobe on Thursday reported a fourth quarter profit of US$83.3 million, or 34 cents per diluted share, up from $40.1 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter... [MacMinute]
DLO has announced that it is now shipping TransPod FM, a new version of its wireless car solution for 3G (third-generation) iPods with dock connectors... [MacMinute]
Walt Mossberg gets more than a few questions about computing. After all, he is the Wall Street Journal's Personal Tech writer and is widely respected as one of the fairest and most honest tech reviewers working today. He's written an article where one of the Q&As from a reader is about Apple's iLife:
Q: We have accumulated a number of digital gadgets (digital camera, camcorder, etc.) but are having some difficulty bringing them together for editing, sharing, etc., using... [MacDailyNews]
Stupendous Software today announced the release of a set of six free tutorials for iMovie, Apple's consumer video editing software... [MacMinute]
A cross-country road trip. A beard-growing contest. A walking tour of post-September 11th downtown Manhattan. Those are the wildly different topics of three independent documentaries with one big thing in common: their filmmaker's love for -- and use of -- the Mac. Three wildly different events that resulted in three disparate documentaries: "The Journey,""Growin' a Beard," and "Live From Shiva's Dance Floor," respectively. All three, however, were made with Macs by filmmakers who love the platform. [MacCentral]
According to George Lucas, you can do your own major movie with just digital camcorders and Macs. [MacInTouch]
"Microsoft VirtualPC 7.0 (alpha version) performance on PowerMac G5 is surprisingly good! Even though we have only received a few real-world "wristwatch" benchmarks and preliminary reports from two sources who have recently come into possession of an alpha build of Virtual PC 7.0, the news so far is very good," Mac OS Rumors reports.
"On a single 1.6GHz G5, performance of a broad spectrum of applications and operating systems was roughly comparable to that of a... [MacDailyNews]
Ahhhh.....yet another unsatisfied Intuit customer. Has anyone noticed the unbelievably high number of people bitching and complaining about companies that send their customers to a call center in India? Well...if you ask me...I say it's time to ban using products from ANYONE who outsources any part of their operation to India. Keep AMERICAN jobs in AMERICA!!!
Intuit has absolutely the worst - THE WORST - Mac support I have ever encountered. I purchased the the new QuickBooks Pro Mac 6.0 edition. When I put in the installation key code printed on the box I received a message saying it was an invalid code. When I called support I was passed from one tech to another tech to another and ultimately to India where a heavily accented woman asked the same questions I'd already answered three times. She put me on hold twice, asked me the questions again, checked her manuals and eventually informed me she couldn't help me. She said she had to refer me to Intuit's sales and service department but first asked if I'd take a short telephone survey on the quality of her help and how she did answering my questions. I couldn't wait. But when she transferred me to the survey, a recorded voice said survey participants are chosen at random and my call wasn't selected. Drats. I had a lots I wanted to say. At least the number she gave me was back in the states. There, a telephone loop gave instructions on where to find a "registration number." Problem is, the instructions are for the Windows version. I kept hitting the pound key and eventually got a tech support person named William. He was the sharpest of the bunch. He put me on hold a couple of times, asked the same questions twice more and eventually gave me a new key code that produced a registration code. Whew. Between all the calls and all the techs, it took 32 minutes to accomplish this - and this after an unsuccessful call the day before that left me on hold listening to music that was so dreadful I had to hang up. No software is worth such aggravation. [Mac-Mike.com]
Apple plans to introduce its iTunes Music Store to Japanese consumers by "as early as next year", said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in Tokyo to help launch the company's giant Ginza own-brand retail store there. (Macworld UK via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]
Gary Allen is nuts about Apple Stores. So if you've memorized the blueprints and know the surveillance features like the back of your hand, a flight to Tokyo just to walk into the newest store doesn't seem abnormal. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News]
New premium 3mbps service soon ... 24 comments so far [Broadbandreports]
ColorWare Inc. Brings 24 Colors To Apple Computer Products With Their Latest Offerings. [MacMegasite]
In a follow-up to last week's rumors of a major restructuring at Discreet, which reportedly terminat... [AppleInsider]
Buffalo Technology is coming out with a souped-up 802.11g wireless router that can go as fast as 125Mbps. Apparently Linksys and Belkin are working on... [Gizmodo]
Analyst Rob Enderle, a TechNewsWorld columnist and Principal Analyst for the Enderle Group has weighed in once again on Apple, the Mac, and Steve Jobs:
"...The only IT department I've ever seen fired was fired as a result of choosing Apple. I've been getting a lot of feedback from Apple supporters, and many seem to agree with my position that you can love the products but hate the company. This attitude seems to permeate experienced IT buyers, who seem to have a good memory of how... [MacDailyNews]
c|net is reporting that Apple has sold over 20 million songs from its iTunes Music Store since the service was launched in April 2003. Peter Lowe, director of marketing, also said that 45 percent of music purchases have been full albums rather than individual songs. In addition, Russ Cripnick vice president of NPD Group, released research that shows iTMS customers purchase more music than the average offline consumer. [dotmac.info]
As followup to a previous rumor... Guitar Center has indeed become an Apple Authorized Reseller, and has started offering Apple products in their stor... [MacRumors]
"Comcast Communications is nearing an agreement to purchase TechTV for nearly $300 million, sources familiar with the deal said Friday. The cable operator plans to merge the network with its struggling video game channel G4," James Hibberd reports for TelevisionWeek. Representatives for Comcast and G4 declined comment. A TechTV spokesperson said, 'We can't divulge anything right now and we're being true to the process. We anticipate an announcement before the end of... [MacDailyNews]
If Apple Computer, Inc. plans to enter the office suite market with its own set of integrated busine... [AppleInsider]
Rolling Stone magazine is one of the latest periodicals to cozy up to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. An article dated Dec. 3 has Jobs sharing his insights about the music industry. [MacCentral]
“For music-loving travelers, a good MP3 player has become an essential, gotta-have-it appliance,” writes John Flinn for the San Francisco Chronicle. “And while other makers are trying furiously to catch up, nothing on the market at the moment matches the ease of use, storage size and all-around coolness of Apple’s iPod.” [Dec 8] [Apple Hot News]
Occasionally you really can get something for nothing. Amazon is offering the Sony Ericsson T616 (also known as the T610) for negative $150.01. That means that if you buy the phone and sign up for service with AT&T Wireless, you'll come out a hundred and fifty bucks ahead. You can't really mess with that. Amazon - Sony Ericsson T616... [Gizmodo]
I found this post to be so typical of the PC world, that I figured it would give Mac users a good chuckle and make you PeeCee peeps consider what the hell you are doing with a POS PeeCee to begin with. Have to fear...there is plenty of room for you on the Mac side of the force.
From Breaking Windows....
I got my PC back this week, but of course, it still does not work. After a 2 full hour phone call to Alienware Tech. Support, they are sending me a new Promise RAID Controller. The hard drive is not being recognized. The motherboard works though. They fixed that problem. It boots up but stalls on the boot sequence screen. No amount of changing the boot order in the BIOS helps either. Moving the Promise PCI card had no effect, changing the ribbon to the other port on the Promise card had no effect. After 2 hrs. I suggested we plug the HD into the motherboard. I just love dealing with technical support. Especially the ones in India. Don’t get me started on that. There is a reason Dell pulled their India Call Center, ya know (But did they really do it?). My CD-RW is plugged into the top port,... [Breaking Windows]
Business 2.0's December issue features an article called How to succeed in 2004, and they culled together observations from leaders in various industries to offer advice on everything from how to create loyal customers to motivating staff. Apple (and Pixar) CEO Steve Jobs was consulted on how to create cool technology. [MacCentral]
"As far as the entertainment industry and Wall Street would be concerned, the most welcome second-in-charge and nominal successor to Eisner could be none other than Steven Paul Jobs - head of Apple Computer and Pixar, and the guy who currently has Disney over one massive barrel," John Crudele reports for the New York Post. "...sources out in the land of warmth say speculation that the Disney Co. would be forced to offer Jobs a position - if only a seat on the board -... [MacDailyNews]
Cafe.com snags Denny's Restaurants: The NetNearU reseller will immediately deploy hotspots at 40 restaurants; Denny's has 1,700 locations across the U.S. See, now, I can see the motivation for Denny's: they have booths, they're open 24 hours a day, they're near freeways, and business travelers already use them in the a.m., late at night, and for dinner on the road. Flipping open a laptop while waiting for your meal is a logical extension.... [802.11b Networking News]
Apple has placed 34th in consumer electronics (CE) retail sales according to tracking firm TWICE, wh... [AppleInsider]
This is absolutely insane. To read about this is one thing, but to SEE it is entirely another animal.
My buddy Camilo put it perfectly when he stated "The Japanese obviously can show a level of appreciation for Apple, that will never be seen in the US."
The Japanese have been kicking our asses here in America for quite some time in everything from Automobiles to high tech. America...do you think they might be on to something that we just don't get? Could that be QUALITY? Time to wake up people...the future is here....and it's name is A P P L E! If the rest of the world can see it, why can't you (specifically referring to you PeeCee users).
For it's 50th anniversary edition, Playboy Magazine has compiled a list of the 50 products that changed the world. Number 1 on the list is the Apple Macintosh computer. Other Apple products in the top 50: the iPod lands at number 12 and the QuickTake 100, the first digital camera, comes in at number 17. [dotmac.info]
In an interview with C|NET, Steve Jobs says that the .Mac renewal rate was 86-87%, a stunning figure. Jobs points out that many critics claimed that no one would pay the full $99 price for Apple's suite of web services, but it turns out just the opposite is true. The renewal rate, he says, is "unheard of, higher than almost anybody's. We've built ourselves the beginnings of a pretty good Internet services business." [dotmac.info]
Howdy folks,
I am back in the groove after a nice few days away with Mickey Mouse. Check out some pics @ Bisonium Moblog. A few days is just way too short, but better than nothing! Now...back to business.
I want to let everyone know how incredibly KICK ASS Apple's customer service and AppleCare program really is. I sent off my PowerBook to get the hard drive replaced on Monday night. I figured since I would be gone for a few days, I could shave a few days of downtime by sending my baby away while I was off playing with Mickey. I wasn't planning to take the PowerBook so it worked out well. I was told the repair would take about 7 business days, so I was prepared for the worst and expecting 2 weeks down time. Well let me tell you...not only did I get the empty box the next morning after hanging up with Apple, but I came home from my trip to find my PowerBook was already back and repaired! Folks, that is a total time from the initial phone call to getting my PowerBook back of LESS than (3) THREE DAYS. That is absolutely UNHEARD of these days. Just one more reason to be an Apple customer.
Now here is where it gets even better. I figured that this would be a great time to test out this new image feature in the Disk Utility. Folks, let me tell you what an incredibly mind blowing experience this was. Before shipping off my PB, I booted from the external Firewire hard drive into OS X. I then used the disk utility to create an image of my ENTIRE internal hard drive. Total of 30GB or so worth of stuff on the 60GB HD. It not only did it quickly, but accurately. I wasn't sure how this whole restore process was going to work, so I just manually copied my home folder and other important files by hand as well. Double back-up (can't be too safe).
So I get this beast back from repair and did the reverse. I boot in the the FW hard drive and restore the image I made before shipping off the PB. Holy SHIT! To my amazement, this thing cloned my damn hard drive and I booted up without a hitch and was back up and running in a few minutes. Now THAT just fucking RULES!!! Windows fans be advised...you CANNOT do this on a PC without Ghost or some other freakin costly program. This feature is FREE and built into the worlds most kick ass operating system - OS X v10.3 "PANTHER".
I am one happy camper. Thanks Apple!
Frank
I am off to Disney to have fun while there are no lines and there is nice cool weather here in FL! I am also taking this time to send my PowerBook Ti 800 out to Apple to have them replace the imminently failing hard drive. Apparently the tech at the Apple store in the Falls, Miami didn't think I knew what I was talking about and INSISTED that the drive was fine. After thrashing the drive to hell with Norton (I had to use Disk Warrior to recover my data after that mess), the drive is STILL bad. A recent visit to the Disk Utility in Panther revealed the S.M.A.R.T. status for the hard drive as "FAILING". Word to the wise...if you ever see this...YOUR DRIVE WILL FAIL. Back up immediately and call Apple. Lesson to be learned: the Apple store "Genius Bar" people are good for BASIC info and tips, they are NOT the greatest of techs. if you need an airport card or Ram installed, no problem. If you have a major problem, I suggest you send your machine to Apple directly. And if you don't already have it - GET APPLECARE!!! It is worth every penny....cya in a few days...
Frank
FireWire hub fix (see below), working with Windows, extended warranty [MacInTouch]
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