February 2004 Archives

Geee....that's interesting. The iPod is priced out of the market? Then explain to me, Mr. Rio Moron Executive, why the iPod Mini is out of stock everywhere you go? I'll save you the trouble of working that peanut of a brain too hard. It is sold out everywhere because the iPod is a) the defacto standard in digital music players b) it fucking rocks c) You get 4GB instead of a shitty 256MB like in your nasty ugly as hell looking Rio piece of shit! Sometimes I really wonder if the #1 requirement to be a CEO these days is pure fucking stupidity....

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"Is $249 a mass-market price tag for a portable music player? That's the debate raging in consumer electronics circles after Apple Computer debuted its latest version of the iPod, which hit stores Feb. 20... some observers are concerned that Apple's asking price for the Mini -- which weighs 3.6 ounces and holds 1,000 songs -- freezes out many casual music fans who otherwise would be interested in buying the device. 'I'm disappointed with the price point,' says a major-label... [MacDailyNews]

Apple CEO Steve Jobs was joined by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and former mayor Willie Brown to open the San Francisco Apple Store earlier today. Both Newsom and Brown praised Apple for its choice to locate the newest retail store in the revitalized Union Square district of San Francisco, while thousands waited outside for their chance to get in. [MacCentral]

comforteagle writes "Sun has agreed to meet with IBM to further discuss the issue of open sourcing Java with them. 'Sun is closely evaluating the effectiveness ... [Slashdot]

The following is an unconfirmed rumor, so take it (or leave it) for what it's worth. Our lone source on this one indicates that Apple Computer may be reviving the "Quadra" moniker for an upcoming quad processor G5 Power Mac. Yup, four G5's in one tower - now we know why the case is so roomy. Of course, Mac Quadra's were single processor models only; this is a branding name deal only. All about reviving a bit of the nostalgic past and making it new, we guess.

That is the... [MacDailyNews]

"In case you didn't hear about it, January marked the 20th anniversary of Apple Computer - a fact which until very recently I was prepared to let lie close to the hearts of ardent Mac fans. Then something unexpected happened and it compelled me to not let the event go unnoticed, albeit a little late," Chris Oaten writes for The Advertiser.

"I got a call from Paul Tolmachoff at Mac Solutions, who wanted to know if I was interested in a secondhand 12in iBook. I most... [MacDailyNews]

Lecturer Dr. Michael Bull is "the world's leading -- perhaps only -- expert on the social impact of personal stereo devices," according to The New York Times. Wired News' Leander Kahney has conducted a Q&A with Dr. Bull, also known informally as "Professor iPod."

Bull stated: The iPod mini will be popular. Sales will expand as the market expands. It's a repeat of what happened with the Walkman 25 years ago. Apple is out front of a massively expanding market.... [MacDailyNews]

The launch of the iPod mini is exceeding all expectations, worldwide iPod marketing manager Danika Cleary revealed. (Macworld UK via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]

"To celebrate the grand opening of Apple Computer's new Union Square store in San Francisco, 200 shoppers will be given a dubious opportunity -- spend $250 for the chance to win a new iPod mini," Leander Kahney reports for Wired News.

[MacDailyNews Note: What's "dubious" to Leander could easily be "fun" or "interesting" to others. To state the obvious: $250 is pocket change to some, while to others it represents a long period of savings;... [MacDailyNews]

If a single technology could represent Microsoft’s past preference for features over security, that technology would likely be ActiveX.

…But while many Web sites use ActiveX components or controls for that purpose, more malicious sites could use ActiveX to run code on a visitor’s computer.

For years, security experts have complained that Microsoft’s introduction of ActiveX merely served to give online attackers another way to breach the security of computer systems.

…So Chairman Bill Gates has now relegated what had been Microsoft’s “Java killer” to the role of a pop-up ad—an annoyance for security-minded people. The company announced that the coming Windows XP Service Pack 2, which is focused on security, will allow consumers to block both pop-up ads and ActiveX scripting.

After applying Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer users can permit or block pop-up ads, or request that they be polled every time an ad would appear. The mechanism for stopping ActiveX is identical.

…Perhaps Microsoft’s decision to finally allow its customer to turn off a vulnerable feature may mean that the software giant’s security initiative is truly a break with the past.

Source: C|Net News.com

Wouldn’t that be a welcome change from the Redmond Behemoth? I am all for choice in Windows. I also for better security in Windows. But then those are two of the main reasons I use a Mac.

From a web programmers perspective, I hate ActiveX. I am so happy to see it die. Mostly, I hate how it likes to hijack QuickTime content. When I was developing QuickTime intensive web sites for CTLT I always had to add extra safeguards that my content did not get co-opted by ActiveX.

"Merrill Lynch increased its 2004 unit growth forecast to 13% from 11%, the same as in 2003, based on a decent consumer showing and an improving corporate market," Forbes.com reports.

"Apple Computer saw unit share dip below 2% for the first time--down to 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Merrill Lynch said, 'We expect iPod success eventually to spill over into Mac purchases,'" Forbes.com reports.

Full article here. [MacDailyNews]

This guy/girl is so clever, I have nothing clever to say. We think s/he should be our friend. wanted: web designer (why this phrase may get your ass beat) Reply to: anon-24591758@craigslist.org Date: 2004-02-17, 5:38PM EST okay kids, this is... [Fuck That Job!]

Mitsubishi has developed a reversible LCD that can be viewed from both sides. Read... [Gizmodo]

Covad, others impacted. A number of Covad customers went out from 5pm today due to, supposedly, a DDOS (distributed denial of service attack) on a key Level3 data center, which later was described as a route leak (misconfiguration). This kind of data center outage would not.. [Broadbandreports]

Christine Burns and Keith Shaw write in Network World, “Apple wasn’t the first company to make a Webcam, it just made one that’s better than others we’ve seen. Apple is well known for style and design, but the technology behind the camera was equally impressive. A Web chat over a broadband connection (on both endpoints), looked and sounded like a real-time videoconference with equipment that costs thousands of dollars.” [Feb 23] [Apple Hot News]

“In my computing life,” writes David Coursey for ZDNet AnchorDesk, “there’s one constant: The Macs don’t crash and the Windows machines do… The nice thing about Mac OS X is that it’s darn near uncrashable. No matter what programs I install or uninstall or how I use it, OS X just runs.” [Feb 23] [Apple Hot News]

Apple's iSight camera and iChat AV software have won an award from Network World...
[MacMinute]

"Steve Jobs is on a roll, again. With iTunes music Web site, the hot new iPod mini-digital device from Apple and Pixar's wildly successful animation movie 'Finding Nemo,' you'd almost think that Jobs is becoming something of a media darling," Hilary Kramer writes for The New York Post. "His companies' new products are winning him press. And Pixar's tough negotiating stance with distribution partner Disney, coupled with nephew Roy's shareholder battle with Disney's Board,... [MacDailyNews]

This information comes to us from someone we've known for years. That said, we have no proof that any of it is true, and no proof that it isn't. But, since news from Apple has been next to nothing for several weeks we thought it would be entertaining, at least, to publish the information we were given. Personally, this all sounds incredible and certainly do-able. We can hope Apple is really trying to do something this cool.

As usual, Apple will be showing off some new features of the... [MacNETv2]

Way to go judge...another fucking moron sets back our right to make backups of what we LEGALLY own.

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A federal judge handed a huge win to the movie studios on Friday, ruling that 321 Studios must stop selling software that lets customers copy their DVDs for backup and personal use. By Katie Dean. [Wired News]

Apple's Mac OS X has been declared one of the world's safest operating systems by London-based security experts, mi2g. By Jonny Evans (Macworld UK via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]

Integration New Media has published a free "white paper" that "discusses seven key issues to consid... [MacNN]

According to BusinessWeek's Corporate Scoreboard, Apple reported the largest profit increase of all tech companies in 2003...

"Companies large and small routinely set their expectations of computer systems according to the capabilities of Intel-based x86 computers and 32-bit Windows. We’re due for a shift in standards," Tom Yager writes for InfoWorld. "Enter Apple, which got the bright idea of taking a pair of 64-bit IBM PowerPC CPUs, jacking them into server-class internal buses, and squeezing the whole thing into a desk-side tower chassis. The result, the Power Mac G5, delivers on the present... [MacDailyNews]

"The March issue of Consumer Reports, which came out last week, included a survey of 4,100 consumers, who gave Dell 62 points out of a possible 100 for its support on desktop PCs. Although it still managed to top competing brands Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, which scored 54 and 51, respectively, Dell's rating represented a decline from the magazine's last desktop support survey, published in June 2003, in which it received a 64," John G. Spooner reports for CNET... [MacDailyNews]

You saw it here first. It amazes me how the board at Disney continues to let Eisner destroy such an important company with global impact.

The Walt Disney Company, the entertainment powerhouse that began more than seventy years ago with a little cartoon character named Mickey Mouse, is getting out of the traditional cartoon business. The company is closing one of its legendary animation studios in Orlando, Florida, laying off most of its once 2,000-strong army of artists, and relocating the rest to company headquarters in Burbank, California.

Partners in Free Wi-Fi, Austin Wireless, and Less Networks are offering free music to hotspots users in Austin: The groups have been working together to help local venues build free hotspots. The offering starts today and will extend through the end of SXSW 2004, the music festival. Hotspot users, who don't pay for access, will be able to listen to more than 500 songs for free. Users must have the iTunes player and the songs are available through Apple iTunes music share. Less Networks sees this as a one-up on an earlier Starbucks offering where visitors could listen to a CD for free. The groups have built 25 locations in Austin since September and have 3,600 registered users. Around 100 people log on to the networks every day. Workers don't charge venues for the help in setting up the networks or the software, which lets venues manage the hotspot.... [802.11b Networking News]

Subscribers to Apple's .Mac service can get 10 percent off the purchase of a camcorder at Apple Retail Stores, according to a promotion recently published on the .Mac home page. [MacCentral]

"Corporate profits came roaring back in 2003. The economy, hesitant and unsure of itself in the first half, ultimately gained the self-confidence it needed to get moving and shifted into high gear. The result was dazzling: Profits for the 900 companies on BusinessWeek's Corporate Scoreboard rose 76% from the year before, with fourth-quarter earnings up by 322%," BusinessWeek reports.

"The big resurgence in capital spending lifted tech companies sharply, as corporations... [MacDailyNews]

You go girl! I hope she wins and sues their asses into oblivion! The RIAA executives and attorneys are the ones who should be going to jail!!!

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Negadin writes "According to CNET News, a New Jersey woman, one of the hundreds of people accused of copyright infringement by the Recording Industry ... [Slashdot]

"Anyone following Apple Computer should be forgiven if they feel that iPod has hogged all the glory lately. The wildly successful digital music player has dominated media coverage and garnered accolades, as well as capturing about one-third of the market for these devices. But that golden halo has overshadowed another big Apple hardware success: Its popular Airport line of wireless networking devices," Alex Salkever reports for BusinessWeek.

"The Airport Extreme base... [MacDailyNews]

Schlotzsky's reports 40 percent of customers consider Wi-Fi and Web browsing as factor in visiting: As the chain has expanded to 38 company-owned and franchise stores mostly in the South that offer in-store free computer access and Wi-Fi, their latest market research shows a significant uptick in awareness. The company reported that 40 percent of customers surveyed considered Wi-Fi and computer access a factor in their decision to come to Schlotzsky's, while 6 percent said Wi-Fi access alone was why they were there. Schlotzsky's a franchise chain, so in order for the firm to expand this offering beyond company-owned stores, it needed to convince franchise holders of the financial efficacy of offering free access to computers and Wi-Fi in the stores. These latest numbers seem to prove it. I've met the CEO and the marketing director when I invited the CEO to speak at a panel I moderated at Wi-Fi Planet last year, and the most interesting aspect of the Wi-Fi is that they're not excited about the technology but its uses. There's a financial aspect to this, of course: the average purchase price of a Schlotzsky's customer is about $7. But the CEO wasn't a geek; he liked seeing entire families or sports teams or groups of parents and kids come in and spent time using the high-speed connection. It's important to recall that a small but significant minority of Internet users have broadband; for the rest, Schlotzsky's offering is a profound (and free) pleasure.... [802.11b Networking News]

As anticipated last month, Apple is now a debt free company, according to a letter from Steve Jobs t... [MacNN]

We are the BORG and you WILL be assimilated! The iPod is taking over the world!!!

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Apple Computer Inc. and Target Stores have partnered this week to offer customers a prepaid iTunes Music Store card. In addition, Target will feature iPod kiosks in its stores allowing people to get some hands on time with the iPod. [MacCentral]

This is probably the one most disturbing news item I have read in the past year. As much as I love Apple, they should be ashamed to be part of the global outsourcing trend. If you notice the box of almost all Apple products PROUDLY states "Designed by Apple in California, [Assembled in Taiwan]". I would encourage Apple and ALL US based companies to change that assembled portion to read "Assembled in the USA". I can understand the need to lower costs, but we are saving money while putting AMERICAN workers out of jobs. It's about time American Companies started to take responsibility and become MORAL and RESPONSIBLE about supporting their own people instead of destroying them in the name of money.

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CNN: Apple 'Exporting America' For Cheap Labor Overseas [The Mac Observer]

As much as I have a beef with Microsoft, this is where I draw the line. Support your AMERICAN based companies and co-workers by keeping AMERICA strong and ensuring job security for our own people. Office is a solid product (on the Mac platform) and I see no need to stray from what works. Now if Apple releases an Office Suite that compares....well.....that's a whole different game. ;-)

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Evermore Software LLC, a Chinese software developer, is taking on Microsoft Office with the first-ever English language version of their Evermore Integrated Office (EIOffice) product... [MacMinute]

This is an unusual Slashdot Interview, since instead of using email I asked all the questions in person last week either at LinuxAsia2004 or in casual meetings ... [Slashdot]

Apple put up a page listing their RSS feeds. Many of them are already in NetNewsWire’s Sites Drawer, but not the latest-downloads-by-category feeds. [Ranchero]

Bidding war ends with $41 billion deal. Cingular Wireless has agreed to pay $41 billion to acquire AT&T Wireless, in a deal that should create the largest wireless phone subscriber base in the country. The deal comes after Vodafone (a European provider that holds a 40% stake in Verizo.. [Broadbandreports]

"IDC has released initial analysis pertaining to the US Apple/Pepsi link-up, in which lucky soft drink consumers are winning free tracks from iTunes Music Store," Jonny Evans reports for Macworld UK. "The report - 100 million calories and counting - says: 'As the paid music service provider market attempts to garner the attention of a generation bred on free downloading and move them to legal downloads, Apple has found a great strategic partner in engaging this group... [MacDailyNews]

AMG recently released six collections of Apple Loops from professional music producers, including to... [MacNN]

"The only clear winner in this new world is Apple, which has leveraged its computer platform to make it easy and fashionable for consumers to get with the digital-music age." (MacNN via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]

This is a thorough Wall Street Journal article that aptly describes how Wi-Fi is affecting the cellular market: The crowded cellular market already has plenty of pressure but Wi-Fi poses a threat from a voice and data competition perspective. The article cites Dartmouth College, which has offered students Wi-Fi phones, eliminating the need for students to use cell phones on campus. Hotspots are also threatening cellular operators' plans for delivering wireless data services. Apparently Nextel has confirmed that it is interested in dual-mode phones that would operate on cellular and Wi-Fi networks. I'll be very interested to watch how cellular operators approach the idea as I still think it will be difficult for them to rationalize handing off calls onto Wi-Fi networks that they don't own.... [802.11b Networking News]

Small Dog Electronics is now offering replacement batteries for both original and 3G (third generation) iPods... [MacMinute]

MacResQ today announced the launch of a repair service for Apple's iPod... [MacMinute]

"Apple's new store in San Francisco's swanky Union Square shopping district won't open for another couple of weeks, but it has already had problems with break-ins. Several people have tried to sneak onto the unfinished store's construction site, security guards report. Not to steal anything, mind you, but to get a sneak peek at the interior. 'I had to roust some people a couple of days ago,' said one security guard, who declined to give his name. 'They wanted pictures, but that's... [MacDailyNews]

"Look, one really hates to crow over others' misfortunes, but there are times when we're doubly pleased our office (and home) runs on Apple Macs, not Windows computers. About the first or second week of every month in fact. That's when Microsoft, developer of the Windows operating system, issues its regular warnings about the latest security problems and viruses to affect PCs running its bug-ridden software," David Frith reports for Australian IT.

Frith reports, "Last... [MacDailyNews]

"Finally, somebody has outdone the iPod. After years of unsuccessful attempts by Creative, Dell, Rio, Samsung and others to knock Apple's MP3 player off its pedestal, we've got a player that makes the iPod seem like the oversize, clunky relic it (now) is," Rob Pegoraro writes for The Washington Post.

"That player is Apple's iPod mini, a $249 gadget not much bigger than a cell phone. On sale starting Friday, it packs the old iPod's virtues into a smaller, lighter,... [MacDailyNews]

The level of stupidity of this moron never ceases to amaze me. How did this fruitcake ever get to be CEO of anything?

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In a recent speech, Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney, talked about Steve Jobs. From the article: "He created the computer, or at least Windows, or whatever he created, and did a good job," Eisner said to peals of laughter from analysts attending the company conference in Orlando, Florida. [O'Reilly MacDevCenter.com]

Having more control over how your home operates isn't just a geek fantasy. You can lower energy costs, improve security, and enhance the overall ambiance of your humble abode. Alan Graham shows you how to leverage your Mac OS X computer and get started. [O'Reilly MacDevCenter.com]

The 90-nanometer process technology used to create the 970FX chip is a blend of strained silicon, silicon on insulator and copper wiring, the chip maker said. [Computerworld Macintosh News]

The New York Times says the iPod still stands above the rest in the crowded digital media player mar... [MacNN]

"Systems integrator Unilog is set to carry out a feasibility study on the installation of open-source software systems for the city of Paris, the company has said. On the strength of an earlier Unilog study, Munich agreed to migrate thousands of desktops from Windows to the open-source operating system Linux," Christophe Guillemin and Matthew Broersma report for CNET News.com.

Guillemin and Broersma report, "The three-month study will review the 17,000 PCs used by the... [MacDailyNews]

The company best known for the slick iPod and cutesy iMac is betting that Virginia Tech's coup opens doors to new, more button-down markets. By Ken Spencer Brown (Investor's Business Daily via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]

IBM's PowerPC 970FX -- the processor used in new Xserves from Apple -- has been declared "the best desktop processor of 2003" by the industry's leading microprocessor title. (Macworld UK via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]

"Author JK Rowling and Ricky Gervais have been beaten by the designer of the iPod to be named the most influential person on British culture. Jonathan Ive, who created the music download system , beat the Harry Potter writer into second place," BBC News reports.

[MacDailyNews Note: Ive designed the iPod which is one component of Apple's trinity of pieces comprising their music strategy. The iPod, working with Apple's iTunes software, and the iTunes Music Store, make Apple's... [MacDailyNews]

"So far, Apple's iPod is by far the best seller among high-capacity players. You can't stand in a public place without seeing a pair of those telltale white earbud cords pass by; for once in its life, Apple gets to find out what it's like to be Microsoft. The iPod's success has spawned an entire industry of iPod cases, iPod accessories, iPod software - and now, inevitably, iPod imitators," David Pogue writes for The New York Times.

"The rivals come from electronics... [MacDailyNews]

By Furo

http://workingknowledge.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=3877&t=marketing

Reading this article about how Steve Jobs and Apple will be hard-pressed to succeed long-term, really raises my hackles. This Harvard Business wizard deigns to issue his "expert" opinions about a topic he doesn't understand in the least. Several items within the Q & A formatted article illustrate how misunderstood Apple really is from a business model perspective. I'll explain.

"Its integrated tilt-swivel flat-panel monitor has gone from a competition killer to just plain deadly. Apple should set it free," Alex Salkever writes for BusinessWeek. "When Steve Jobs introduced an iMac with a floating flat-panel display in January, 2002, the faithful roared. The press wrote about it incessantly. Time even gave Jobs a gushing cover story based on the iMac, hailing the elegant desktop PC as a 'sleek machine' that could be the future digital hub of... [MacDailyNews]

PC Magazine has published a review of GarageBand and iLife'04, giving the suite of digital lifestyle... [MacNN]

MacBand is an online directory of songs and loops made by artists using Apple Computer's GarageBand software. [Maccentric.com]

National Association of Photoshop Professionals Earns National Accreditation [Graphics.com]

People are so friggin STOOOPID. Part of the MANY problems in this country is that too many assholes are litigation happy. This type of lawsuit not only has no merit, but hurts everyone from Apple to the other consumers waiting to buy an iPod. Now Apple must spend money defending a ridiculous lawsuit with no merit. Don't the morons supporting these lawsuits realize that eventually the cost of these lawsuits is passed on directly to us, the consumer? I say Apple should counter-sue based on STUPIDITY of the people suing them and in the process seek an injunction to prevent STUPID people from owning computers and other digital devices. Some people just belong in an analog world...

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The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple acknowledged it is a "defendant in five separate purporte... [MacNN]

In the second iCompositions Exclusive Article, themactech shows us how to create our own loops using the SoundTrack Loop Utility. In the article, he says:

"Apple's SoundTrack Loop Utility can help you accomplish such a thing. Don't let the name fool you, though. This baby isn't just for SoundTrack. You use it to view and manage the tags within Apple Loops, such as Descriptors, Genre, Instrument, Key and other useful information as well as create Apple Loops for both ST and GB. But the best part is you don't have to own SoundTrack to get it." [MacMegasite]

Canon led off this year's Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show in Las Vegas with a slew of announcements, including three new printers: the i9900 photo printer, with the ability to print 13 x 19 size images; the i80 mobile printer, which features an optional Bluetooth unit for wireless printing; and the imagePROGRAF W6200, with the capacity to print images up to 24 inches wide and 60 feet long. [MacCentral]

MobileBurn has a sneak peek at the Sony Ericsson T650, the presumed successor to the T610 and T630 which is supposed to have a 1.3... [Gizmodo]

Canon has made several enhancements to its digital camera line... [MacMinute]

About freakin time we pilots got a real flight planning app on the Mac!

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Mac Flight Planner 1.2 - Flight planning application for real aviation. [MacUpdate - Mac OS X]

Canon today launched its i9900 desktop photo printer, a 13 x 19-inch inkjet printer with new red and... [MacNN]

The macosxhints Rating:[Score: 9 out of 10]Developer: Research Systems Unix Group / [Product Page]

Price: Free Fugu is a freeware GUI front-end to the UNIX sftp, scp, and ssh protocols. Of these, the reason I use it most of... [Mac OS X Hints]

With a recent study by the Yankee Group stating that many small to medium sized businesses are wary of Microsoft's motives, consultant Kevin Ledgister is encouraging small businesses to consider Macs running Mac OS X as an alternative... [MacMinute]

In yet another display of obsecene corporate stupidity, Disney has made a deal with the devil. First, Eisner gets his teeth kicked in by Steve Jobs for being a greedy fuckwad, now Eisner strikes back by teaming up with MSFT. Ohhh yeah - that was a smart move....does anyone else see the end of Disney coming soon?

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securitas writes "CNet/ZDNet reports that Walt Disney has licensed Microsoft's Windows Media DRM technology for use in online movie distribution via the ... [Slashdot]

Mac consultant John Droz Jr. has completed a major update of his Mac vs... [MacMinute]

"Sometimes Windows PC users just don't get it about Apple Computer. If only this brave but crazy company would switch its marvellous software to their platform - thereby saving them the expense of buying a Mac - the world would be a better place, they believe," David Frith reports for AustralianIT.

"The theme was taken up at a late-night drink-and-discussion session among a group of Aussie journalists attending the recent Macworld Expo in San Francisco," Frith reports.... [MacDailyNews]

The router maker says it has agreed to buy NetScreen Technologies, a network security provider, as it gears up for battle with heavyweight Cisco. [CNET News.com]

Yet another reason DSL is STILL king of the hill. Cable modems just plain SUCK (unless it is the ONLY source of broadband in your area).

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Customers apparently confused about term 'Unlimited'. The Contra Costa Times is the latest publication to follow up on the invisible Comcast download limit debate. A Comcast spokesman argues that when they're talking about "unlimited use" in marketing materials - they're talking about the lack of a per.. [Broadbandreports]

The site offers an online directory of songs and loops created by users who submit their work. (MacMinute via MyAppleMenu) [myapplemenu]

Access Music GmbH, the company behind the award winning Virus Synthsizer series, released a free Apple Loop collection for Apple's new GarageBand application.
The 46MB archive features punchy arpeggiator patterns, fat filter flows and amazing pad sounds exclusively generated with a Virus C synthesizer. All loops are royalty free and can be used in commercial productions without an additional license. [MacMegasite]

"Apple's new iLife '04 package, introduced last month at Macworld, arrived on my desk a few days ago. And, while I'm not a musician and don't play one on television, I have been having a lot of fun with GarageBand," David Coursey, Executive Editor, AnchorDesk reports for ZDNet. "This software, the flagship of this year's iLife upgrade, is essentially a recording studio in a $49 box; that box also happens to include improved versions of iMovie, iPhoto, and iDVD. Which makes... [MacDailyNews]

According to one report, Apple will have a "huge" presence at Siggraph this year.

Siggraph 2004 is "the 31st international conference on computer g... [MacRumors]

Microsoft's Dark Dominance Falls As A New Sun Rises With Apple [Apple-X.net]

Former Disney board members Stanley Gold and Roy Disney think Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs would make a great choice to run Disney if CEO Michael Eisner were to be ousted later this year... [MacMinute]

Apple Computer Inc. and America Online Inc. on Thursday announced a new level of compatible between the companies' instant messaging applications, iChat AV and AIM 5.5 for the PC. With updates released today PC and Mac users will enjoy the benefit of video conferencing between the two platforms. [MacCentral]

Axio has announced its official launch with the introduction of a series of hardshell backpacks aimed at users who want a better way to protect their PowerBook, PDA, iPod or other digital devices... [MacMinute]

John Droz, Jr. has done a major overhaul of his Mac vs. PC compendium. [MacInTouch]

"A lot of high-tech companies strive to be the hub of a digital lifestyle, but unless they're pushing an expensive Media Center PC they mostly leave it to consumers to figure out how to make their products work with others," Matthew Fordahl reports for The Associated Press. "Macintosh computer owners don't face that headache.""Apple's updated iLife '04 suite of five programs lets you organize photos, play and buy songs, edit movies, burn DVDs and, now,... [MacDailyNews]

Apple has added to it's .Mac member's benefits offerings:

• Twelve Free GameHouse Puzzles—US$24.95 value Offer good through April 28, 2004 Twelve Super Jigsaw puzzles from GameHouse. Adjust the level of difficulty, then put it all together.

• Pop & Drop for US$12.95—regularly US$19.95 Offer good through April 28, 2004 Try out this challenging game from GameHouse full of shooting and bouncing balls, then upgrade to the full version at the special .Mac member price.

The... [MacDailyNews]

Apple today announced that Fred Anderson, the company's executive vice president and CFO, will retire on June 1, 2004 and Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's senior vice president of Finance and corporate controller, will succeed Anderson as CFO at that time... [MacMinute]

I just got back from Disney in December and I am here to tell you - the writing is on the wall. EVERYTHING at Disney was going down hill. The park used to be impeccable and everything was always clean. This time, everything was dirty and the food was extremely OVERPRICED. Just like everything else. With moves like this Pixar deal by Eisner, I don't think Disney has a chance in hell at surviving much longer. It's time for the Board to oust Eisner as the flunkie loser he is.

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In a conference call with analysts to discuss Pixar's financial earnings, Steve Jobs blasted Disney for being weak creatively and unwilling to compromise on a distribution agreement... [MacMinute]

James Saldana has created an anti-RIAA Pepsi-iTunes Super Bowl ad parody called "Fight Back!" It is ... [MacNN]

Pixar, the animation studio headed by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, on Wednesday reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended January 3, 2004... [MacMinute]

"Apple finally inched past American cheap-chic retailer Target for the first time to claim the number one spot for US and Canadian brands," brandchannel.com reports.

"First place winner in 2002 and 2001 for US & Canada brands, Target dropped down to second place followed by Google, American coffee retailer Starbucks and American donut maker Krispy Kreme topping out the first five rankings,' brandchannel.com reports. "Two new entrants in the top ten for US... [MacDailyNews]

Ryan Faas goes gaga over the new Xserve G5 in Computerworld. [MacInTouch]

I have been around the corporate world long enough to learn a few things. One thing I can state with absolute certainty is that I have NEVER come across a Harvard Business School grad that was actually worth a shit. Most of them are spoiled rotten rich kids and ignorant book worm theorists that have never had to actually work for a living and tend to get by on the fact that their shitty little diploma on the wall says Harvard on it. These are the same people I have personally seen drive pre-IPO startups into the ground time and time again. The same can be said for most of these "experts" that are teaching at Harvard. Most are teaching because they can't make it in the real world. As always, there are exceptions to the rule, but Harvard Fuck-ups seem to be the norm these days. I suppose we will have to wait and see how Apple is going to "fail" yet again for the hundredth time in the past 20 years. When will these idiots ever learn? I just can't believe they get paid to spew this shit out of their mouths...

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David Yoffie, the Max and Doris Starr Professor of International Business Administration at Harvard Business School, thinks the jury is still out on prospects for Apple's long-term success, according to a Working Knowledge article... [MacMinute]

Interbrand has once again named Google as Global Brand of the Year, notes Trevor Datson for Reuters... [MacMinute]

Opinion Faith no more [The Register]

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AMEN! I say not only stop supporting STUPID people, but keep them away from cars and society in general. And for God's sake, PLEASE don't bring those stupid people over the the Macintosh platform! That is one type of "switcher:" that we don't need. But then again....it isn't like we have to worry about viruses on the Mac! :-)

The Mercury News reports that Microsoft will use the G5 chip in its next-generation Xbox due in the ... [MacNN]