September 2005 Archives

This is hands-down the best article I have read on the Windows Vista disaster.  I am glad to see that the people within Microsoft are dropping their archaic ways of thinking and learning to code in much better and more effective ways.  As much as I am a proponent of Apple and OS X, I would love to see MSFT get their act together and offer a QUALITY alternative.  People should have a choice and if these changes pull through and Windows is for once a decent product, then everyone will have to be on top of their game to deliver the best products possible.  The winners will end up being the consumers.  And THAT is how it should be in ANY industry.

[ via OSViews.com ]

Why Vista Had To Be Rebuilt From Scratch:

The Wall Street Journal has a long front-page article describing how Jim Allchin approached Bill Gates in July, 2004, with the news that then-Longhorn, now-Vista, was 'so complex that its writers would never be able to make it run properly.'

Also, the article says, 'Throughout its history, Microsoft had let thousands of programmers each produce their own piece of computer code, then stitched it together into one sprawling program. Now, Mr. Allchin argued, the jig was up. Microsoft needed to start over.' And start over they did. The article is astonishing for its frank comments from the principles, including Allchin and Gates, as well as for its description of Microsoft's cowboy spaghetti code culture.

BeatnikPad has released their G5 optimized build of Firefox.  Grab the new build while it's hot!  New fixes include:

• Fix for a potential buffer overflow vulnerability when loading a hostname with all soft-hyphens
• Fix to prevent URLs passed from external programs from being parsed by the shell (Linux only)
• Fix to prevent a crash when loading a Proxy Auto-Config (PAC) script that uses an "eval" statement
• Fix to restore InstallTrigger.getVersion() for Extension authors
• Other stability and security fixes

This is quite the TIGHT case for a nano.  If I had one, this is what I would grab.  Nice find from our pals at:

[ The Unofficial Apple Weblog ]

PRIE Ambassador leather iPod nano case:

"If you fellow nano owners (or soon-to-be owners) are anything like me, you just might be thinking about getting a case for your new 2 or 4 GB baby. I haven't done the case thing in the past when I owned larger 4G and photo models, but with the minor scratches my black nano has already collected, I've been turned back onto the idea. Further, since the nano is so small, I think a case would almost add some functional girth. With that in mind: between a couple of other nano-owning bloggers and I, we'll be keeping our eyes out and posting cases of interest for you iPod nano protection enthusiasts out there. Cases like the Icewear silicon sleeve Dave Caolo found and the Tunewallet nano case I posted last week.


That said, I bring you the PRIE Ambassador leather case, available in October for the iPod nano as well as 4G's, photo's and mini's. The case, as you can see, comes with a handy hook for belt loops and straps, as well as a belt loop if that's more your thing. You can also remove both of these attachments to use this slick looking case in a pocket or bag just like any other standard case. Nice. The only thing that might be tough to swallow is its price: $49.99. Hopefully these cases show up in stores somewhere for that ultimate hands-on-before-buying experience."

[via MacMinute ]

Delicious Monster announces Backup 3 'QuickPick' plugin:

Delicious Monster Software today has announced the Delicious Library Backup "QuickPick" plugin, a free tool for Backup 3 users to easily back up their Delicious Library database and preferences with one checkbox...

Apple Introduces Major Enhancements to .Mac:

The membership-based online service .Mac now features the following: .Mac Groups, a service that helps members communicate, coordinate schedules and stay in sync with private groups of friends or colleagues; an updated version of .Mac Backup software that makes it easy for members to archive their iLife and other important files; a four-fold increase in combined iDisk and email storage to 1GB for individuals and 2GB for families; and full French and German localization. [Sep 20, 2005]

If you are still debating on getting an Xbox 360, let me make that decision really easy for you.  This is a MUST HAVE game.  Look at the incredible detail in the screen captures. You can see all of them over at TeamXbox.

Great find from Gizmodo...

iPod nano in Any Color You Want:

I'm sure you're all sick of iPod nano this and iPod nano that by now, but we figured this looked cool enough that it merited us talking about it. Colorware, as you all may remember, is that company that custom colors all your favorite Apple products, along with other things like game consoles. Well now they're going for the iPod nano too. Want your nano in Ferrari red? No problem. Cotton Candy pink? Sure. A mixture of both? They'll do it. Buying a new nano from 'em will cost you $265 for the 2GB and $315 for the 4GB, and sending your own nano for color work will most likely be around $65. Kinda pricey, but it'll definitely stand out from the crowd.

Colorware [Colorware]

This is a friggin riot!  Foamy reports live from Louisiana via payphone and tells it like it is...

Yes, I dropped off the planet for a week again, work has been insane.  You all know about the Nano and iTunes 5, iTunes Phone, etc...so no need to rehash old news.  Onward.  I had to post this link though..this is too damn funny.  John Gruber is a sick pup...I LOVE IT!  :-)

Daring Fireball: The iTunes 5 Announcement From the Perspective of an Anthropomorphized Brushed Metal User Interface Theme:

These are the types of "hackers" that should be terminated with extreme prejudice.  Is there anything sacred in this world?  It is absolutely amazing to think that there are scumbags on this planet that can be this stupid.  Just one more reason to have a Mac....you don't have to worry about these lower than life maggots.

[ via InformationWeek ]

Katrina Scammers Try To Infect PCs, Steal IDs:

Watch out for malicious Web sites posing as news sites, often advertised through spam.

What a great find by Jeff Nolan!  This is some serious stuff...it is both disturbing, but strangely intriguing.  Given the circumstances of Hurricane Katrina, if there was some kind of GPS and satellite based transmission system in place, the ideas presented here (using the wifi iPod) would have been invaluable.  I think our federal government should very seriously consider opening those satellites to communications services like this that are not land based and depend on something so archaic as an antenna or tower.  Googlezon, iPod and GPS will rule the world!!!  :-) 

Hang on to your eyeballs! Epic 2015:

this video clip is disturbing.

Link: Hang on to your eyeballs! Epic 2015.

Here is a must-see video clip called Epic 2015 that extrapolates current events and practices forward into a disturbing identity future.  I doubt many will be able to stop themselves from laughing while they watch this, but not many will walk away …