3650 and a 12-inch

2/04/2007

11/12/2004

Retiring 3650 and a 12-inch

Hello all. I've decided to retire this blog. Everything that is already here will remain, but I will no longer be actively posting updates on the 12-inch Powerbook and the Nokia 3650 here. I will, however, continue posting about all sorts of things, including my Powerbook and other Mac-tech related stuff, on my other blog, Sample the Web, as well as contributing regularly to AppleMatters and my iPod blog. Thanks for reading my yammering over the past year and a half. I hope I've been more useful than boring, and I hope you will keep reading in the future.

10/30/2004

Google Desktop Search

Google has announced that their Desktop Search software is coming to Mac OS X. No word on when, or if it will beat OS X.4, a.k.a. Tiger's "Spotlight" technology to the market. UPDATE: Apparently this is not true. Google has not announced the software for Mac OS X, they just indicated it would take a whole new code base to do, which they have not begun yet, or even decided if they might. apologies for the confusion.

10/28/2004

iPod and iTunes Hacks: Got my copy!

I just received my copy of iPod and iTunes Hacks via UPS this morning. Congrats to Hadley Stern for the hard work! The book looks great. For those of you eager to flip directly to the hacks written by yours truly as soon as you receive your copy, here's the breakdown:

Hack #21: p.93 Craft an iPod Case from Cardboard
Hack #22: p.103 Repurpose a Dead iPod
Hack #36: p.145 Play Games on Your iPod
Hack #37: p.147 Write an iPod Adventure Game
Hack #38: p.151 Convert Text Files into iPod Books
Hack #39: p.154 Write Your Own iPod Book
Hack #53: p.220 Import Lyrics into iTunes and iPod
Hack #57: p.238 Clutter Your Desktop with Music

The book is filled with a nice balance of need-to-know, useful, and plain old fun hacks. 100 hacks totaling 417 pages of cross-platform hackable goodness. Check it out. *x-posted everywhere...

10/19/2004

No New PowerBooks for the Holidays

Over on MacCentral, during the introduction and description of the new iBooks, Jim Dalrymple quotes the vice president of Worldwide Mac Product Marketing, David Moody, as saying, "This new line-up of iBooks, along with the current PowerBooks we have will make-up the complete portable line-up we will be offering for the holidays."

10/18/2004

Quick Takes

- Think Secret reports that new iBooks are coming out tomorrow. - MacRumors confirms with specs. - Ars Technica gives a tour of the new Mini Apple Store. - EDGE-WCDMA coming to Nokia phones. - A Nokia phone is born. - Put scrolling messages on your 3650 desktop. - Serious high-end ($1795!) CoreAudio-based recording software released.

...Not So Fast, Everybody

Howdy folks. Guestblogger Adam Gillitt here. I'll be filling in for a little bit until C.K. and his new Missus are safely married, honeymooned and revived. You might have noticed my name on the sidebar; I, too, own a 12" PowerBook and a Nokia 3650. I also have some experience writing about things Macintosh, when I worked for ZDNet News. I will try to keep up regular posts, and keep things interesting. Hopefully the transition won't be too traumatic for readers or the management, but I welcome your comments and suggestions for posts: just drop a line to open7days (at) gmail.com. You can check out my own blog, if you are so inclined, Open 7 Days.

10/16/2004

A Month Off...

Just wanted to apologize to everyone for not posting much recently. I'm getting married in less than a month and much of the time that I would normally spend on this blog is being eaten up by details involved with preparing to join my life with the life of another. In any case, rather than continuing the paltry performance I have produced here of late, I've decided to take a month off from 3650 and from my iPod blog. You may still see a post trickle out from time to time on Sample the Web, and I will continue writing my weekly article for AppleMatters. Sorry for the drop off. I'll be back in the blogging-saddle in a month. Until then...

10/12/2004

GooglME for your 3650

Want easy access to Google's SMS service over your 3650? Check out Mobitopia's write up of GooglME.

10/08/2004

Google SMS

Here's a how-to page on Google's new SMS service. Might prove useful for your 3650.

10/07/2004

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

Time to throw Micro$oft Office in the ditch! There's a free office replacement moving full speed ahead. Lock and load! UPDATE: the Apple download link takes you to the German version. Achtung! Wo ist the friggin' English version!?!

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

Time to throw Micro$oft Office in the ditch! There's a free office replacement moving full speed ahead. Lock and load!

10/06/2004

Switching Macs

My article, Switching Macs, is up and ready for reading over at AppleMatters. Check it out.

10/05/2004

If it has something to do with lasers, then count me in!

Check out this laser-engraved Powerbook. I want a Decepticon icon big on my 12-inch! And then I want it to transform into a RIFLE!

10/04/2004

4 Days Late...

Apple releases Security Update 2004-09-30 (1.5MB) via Software Update:

Security Update 2004-09-30 delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users. This update includes the following components:
AFP Server
CUPS
NetInfoManager
postfix
QuickTime
For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798

Could the release date four days later than the actual name of the update indicate that Apple has started to actually test their updates before releasing them into the wild? We'll find out soon enough...

10/03/2004

New 12-inch...

Sorry for the silence, but I've been busy configuring a brand new 12-inch Powerbook, courtesy of work. It's a 1.33Ghz with 1.25GB of RAM an 80GB Hard Drive and loaded with enough software goodness to keep me busy for quite some time. The new setup assistant program is simply amazing. It basically copied over all the home folder contents from my old 12-inch (which I am passing on to Kristin; her 12-inch will be going up on ebay soon enough). I could have copied all the Applications too, but I had some application bloat that I wanted to trim away, and with all the new programs that I was loading on the computer, I wanted to start from Application-scratch, so to speak. What's cool is that programs that I had on the old machine that I have decided to load on this one remembered their settings, thanks to the Home folder. No digging up old serial numbers that are archived in text files spread across multiple back-up disks. Also, I got one of the new Bluetooth mice, and it is really nice to have. I've always been a trackpad-junkie, but when I'm not on typing intensive tasks, being able to lean back and mouse from wherever my hand happens to be naturally resting is really nice in a let's-stave-off-the-carpal-tunnel-for-a-few-more-years type of way. Anyway, h00t!

9/30/2004

iPod and iTunes Hacks

I contributed a handful of articles and served as technical editor on O'Reilly's iPod and iTunes Hacks by Hadley Stern. I've read all the way through the rough copies of the book, and it's packed with hackery goodness. Here's a link to O'Reilly's page for the book, which also links to some sample hacks, including this hack in pdf format by yours truly. Go preorder a copy already! Thanks for the work, Hadley! Great working with you! *x-posted everywhere

ProfiMail for Your 3650

Russell Beattie likes ProfiMail as a replacement email program for Series 60 devices, like the 3650. I downloaded, installed, and configured it yesterday, but haven't actually tested it yet. It looks very cool, however. Once I get a chance to run it, and to see if it works with Share2Blue2th, I'll update this post. Oh, yeah, and here's a direct link to the makers of ProfiMail.

PBFIXIT 12-inch

If your 12-inch is out of warranty and money is tight, consider repairing it yourself with the help of the free PB FIXIT guide for the 12-inch Powerbook.

9/29/2004

.mac Makes some Moves in the Right Direction...

Finally, some improvements! Check this out:

We're excited to announce that your .Mac membership now comes with 250 MB of combined .Mac Mail and iDisk storage. And, in another move designed to make life easier as traffic grows heavier and files grow larger, we've increased the maximum email message size to 10 MB. If you haven't tried them yet, be sure to check out two additional enhancements recently added to .Mac Mail. There's a new online spell checker with a customizable dictionary available when you use your .Mac Mail account through a browser. And you can now use aliases as email addresses either for fun or as protection when you need to provide an email address but aren't entirely comfortable with the requester. If your concerns turn out to be justified, you can then simply remove the alias and create a new one the next time you face a similar situation. We value your membership and hope you enjoy these enhancements to your .Mac service.

Nice. Now if they can stomp all the bugs with .mac email that have been noted recently, .mac will start actually moving ahead of the curb again...

9/24/2004

Get your Java On via Software Update...

Java 1.4.2 Update 2 is available for download via Software Update. 26.4MBs and restart required. Here's the 411:

Java 1.4.2 Update 2 provides improved behavior for applets in Safari and increased stability for desktop Java applications. Java 1.4.2 Update 2 also includes all the improvements from Java 1.4.2 Update 1. The system will be updated to Java 1.4.2 Update 2. If the system currently has Java 1.4.1, it will be removed. Any previous Java 1.4.2 installation will be completely replaced. For more details on this update, please visit: http://www.apple.com/java/

9/22/2004

Mac OS X for the Traveller, Part 4

Check it: Mac OS X for the Traveller, Part 4.

Testing posting from MarsEdit, the new weblog editor from Ranchero. They also released a new public beta 2.0 of NetNewsWire today. I'm a hardcore BlogLines user now.

9/20/2004

Transfering multiple files between your 3650 and your 12-inch

You know those moments in life when you learn something so simple that you feel idiotic for not having discovered it yourself quite some time before? Well, this little trick for the 6600 works for transferring multiple images from your 3650 to your Mac. I, of course, having just successfully testing it by transferring 129 images in one fell swoop, feel like a complete fool.

9/17/2004

Security Update 2004-09-16

Apple has released Security Update 2004-09-16:

Security Update 2004-09-16 delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users. This update includes the following component: iChat For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798

Hopefully this will eliminate iChat's odd choice to randomly pull me from conversations, reporting "You have left the chat" when I did no such thing. That really annoys me... Run Software Update for the 1.2MB update, which requires a restart...

9/15/2004

What Apple is Missing

This week's article is up and ready for reading over at AppleMatters. Check it out.

9/13/2004

NetFront for your 3650

Gizmodo posts about NetFront Browser for Series 60 For Free :

Series 60 users who are looking for a replacement web browser should probably give NetFront a shot, especially now since the creator Access Systems is giving away a free activation key if you leave them a comment with your thoughts on their browser and how they can improve it. NetFront has some rough edges, but it does a lot right, too, so it's worth at least checking out. Gadgetophile has a nice review that sort of explains why it is both awesome and yet wonky at the same time.

Give it a try. Free is better than Opera or DorisBrowser.

Posting this from Shiira...

There's a new version of Shiira out and it is fast. I am tempted to give up Safari for it... Check it out.

9/11/2004

Mac OS X for the Traveler, Part 3

Mac OS X for the Traveler, Part 3 is up at MacDevCenter. Check it out.

9/10/2004

Cablevision Blocking Port 25

So i finally managed to call Cablevision to find out what was going on with my outgoing email issues. They are blocking all mail traffic on port 25 that doesn't go through their smtp servers. This is supposedly a spam safety issue to "protect" all those zombie peecees out there from infiltrating everyone else, but guess what? I have a Mac. Your unannounced (besides on a nested page on your website) change has really made sending email from home a pain. Now I just have to figure out what other ports I can use (if any) with my .mac, work, and cornerhost email accounts...grrr... UPDATE: Well, it looks like I am s.o.l with .mac's brilliant troubleshooting advice. I'm really thinking about ditching their service this year...

Gmail for your 3650

Engadget points to Gmail mobile :

gmail-mobile is a PHP application that will give you access to your GMail account with any WAP phone (WML format). It is built on top of libgmailer. You will be able to read your mail, compose message, reply, access to your labels...etc...more to come.

Good news for those of us with Gmail accounts; although, personally I'd rather see something come from Google's end of things. A WAP-compatible version of Gmail and POP / IMAP support is needed. If Google makes these changes, then Gmail will become more of a real email platform and less of a novelty / g33k status-symbol. Got Gmail?

9/08/2004

Jason on DRM

My friend, Jason, wrote an interesting bit about DRM today. Check it out. This is also interesting.

The Hobbling Digital Hub

My article, The Hobbling Digital Hub, is up and ready for reading at AppleMatters. Check it out.

9/06/2004

Mail not sending...any ideas?

Hello, everyone. I have a problem. None of my email is sending. Not just .mac, but none of my email accounts can connect to their different SMTP servers, which makes me think it is something going on with my Powerbook. But, then I switched over from Mail.app to Entourage and the problem is still occurring, and not only that, but Kristin's Powerbook doesn't seem to be connecting either. This leads me to think that connections to SMTP servers are either being blocked by my Airport Base Station or that Cablevision is blocking...OH, I wonder if they changed their system so that all email has to authenticate through their SMTP servers first. I'm going to try calling them and see what I can figure out. Who would have known that blogging about this would have jump started my brain into considering another possibility? In any case, suggestions and comments are still welcome. I'll update when I find a solution. UPDATE: It appears my guess was correct and that Cablevision has implemented some asinine, smtp-only-through-our-servers, "security" measures. Either that or someone there just plain screwed up. In any case, I'm calling and complaining about it tomorrow. For now, I have a workaround. grrr...

9/05/2004

3 to go: Free iPod...

Hello, everyone,

I've been trying the FreeiPods.com kick for a while now. I have over 15 people who have signed up under me, but only two have completed the offer. That means I need only three more people to complete offers to get a free iPod mini for Kristin. Here's my referral link: http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=7147546

If you have a pet, there's a 50% off offer on $20 minimum purchases of supplies for your pet, which is the offer I completed. Thanks!

9/04/2004

Mac OS X for the Traveller, Part 2

Mac OS X for the Traveller, Part 2 is out, courtesy of MacDevCenter. Check it out.

A good tip for .mac renewal

Dori Smith has posted a very good way to save yourself $27.46:

If you're like us, your .Mac account is coming up for renewal, and Apple just sent you a handy reminder that they're going to auto-renew you for $99.95 + tax (in my case, $107.45). Forget that!

Instead, go over to Amazon, and buy the .Mac retail box for $79.99, with no tax or shipping fees. When that arrives, simply put the serial number from the box into the space for it on Apple's auto-renewal page, and you're set. Personally, I have better places to spend that $27.46.

My .mac membership will be coming up for renewal in October, so I'll either follow this tip and save a little bit of money, or just kick .mac to the curb and save myself a bit more money. I wish there was a $5 version of .mac that was just the email, and if that were the case, I wish the email quota was closer to my Gmail account's 1GB than the current paltry 15MB. Every year that I have to pay for .mac, I am reminded of when iTools was free with the purchase of a new Mac, and I start to feel cheated again.* *cross-posted on Sample the Web.

9/01/2004

Fix .mac

My article, Fix .mac is up and ready for reading over at AppleMatters. Check it out.

Mac OS X for the Traveler, Part 1

François Joseph de Kermadec has an article up on MacDevCenter about tricking your portable Mac out for on-the-go computing. Looks like it will be an interesting series of articles to follow. Check it out.

8/31/2004

New Zoe...

There's a new version of Zoe available for download.

Virex 7.5 yanked!

.Mac yanked Virex 7.5 and Apple is now recommending that you uninstall it using this script.

New iMac...

iMac G5's are here. I'm not sure if I like the new look. From the sides and back it looks good, but that bar at the bottom is a bit thick on the front. Also, I wonder why they don't have any pictures of it with the keyboard and mouse dangling down from the screen. iMac G5 now means about 6-9 months till a Powerbook G5, I think.

8/30/2004

UPS for Poweroutage computing...

This is a pretty cool story. One of the reasons that I love laptops is the battery. There's always a built-in UPS of sorts, so kicking the plug out of the wall or tripping the circuit breaker doesn't erase that unsaved file that you've been working on. After reading some of the comments to the post linked to above, I'm beginning to think that in my fuse-tripping-apartment, it might be a very good idea to invest in a UPS or two for the more valuable plugged in appliances.

Burnt 12-inch

And it still works!