3650 and a 12-inch

2007-02-04T19:35:00.001-05:00

Retiring 3650 and a 12-inch

2004-11-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

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.

Google Desktop Search

2004-10-30T15:08:00.000-04:00

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.

iPod and iTunes Hacks: Got my copy!

2004-10-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

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...

No New PowerBooks for the Holidays

2004-10-19T16:03:00.000-04:00

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."

Quick Takes

2004-10-18T19:22:00.000-04:00

- 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

2004-10-18T03:54:00.000-04:00

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.

A Month Off...

2004-10-16T15:17:00.000-04:00

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...

GooglME for your 3650

2004-10-12T14:33:00.000-04:00

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

Google SMS

2004-10-08T10:36:00.000-04:00

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

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T15:17:00.000-04:00

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

2004-10-07T14:42:00.007-04:00

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T14:42:00.006-04:00

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T14:42:00.004-04:00

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T14:42:00.003-04:00

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T14:42:00.002-04:00

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T14:42:00.001-04:00

Open Office.org Technology Preview for OS X

2004-10-07T14:42:00.000-04:00

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

Switching Macs

2004-10-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

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

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

2004-10-05T20:32:00.000-04:00

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!

4 Days Late...

2004-10-04T17:16:00.000-04:00

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...

New 12-inch...

2004-10-03T11:47:00.000-04:00

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!

iPod and iTunes Hacks

2004-09-30T13:58:00.000-04:00

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

2004-09-30T06:13:00.000-04:00

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

2004-09-30T06:11:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2004-09-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

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...

Get your Java On via Software Update...

2004-09-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

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/

Mac OS X for the Traveller, Part 4

2004-09-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

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

2004-09-22T11:05:00.000-04:00

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.

Transfering multiple files between your 3650 and your 12-inch

2004-09-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

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.

Security Update 2004-09-16

2004-09-17T07:20:00.000-04:00

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...

What Apple is Missing

2004-09-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

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

NetFront for your 3650

2004-09-13T15:49:00.000-04:00

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...

2004-09-13T15:43:00.000-04:00

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

Mac OS X for the Traveler, Part 3

2004-09-11T08:15:00.000-04:00

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

Cablevision Blocking Port 25

2004-09-10T09:43:00.000-04:00

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

2004-09-10T08:26:00.000-04:00

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?

Jason on DRM

2004-09-08T20:32:00.000-04:00

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

The Hobbling Digital Hub

2004-09-08T10:45:00.000-04:00

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

Mail not sending...any ideas?

2004-09-06T09:07:00.000-04:00

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...

3 to go: Free iPod...

2004-09-05T09:54:00.000-04:00

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!

Mac OS X for the Traveller, Part 2

2004-09-04T09:59:00.000-04:00

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

A good tip for .mac renewal

2004-09-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

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.

Fix .mac

2004-09-01T12:05:00.000-04:00

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

Mac OS X for the Traveler, Part 1

2004-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

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.

New Zoe...

2004-08-31T22:00:00.000-04:00

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

Virex 7.5 yanked!

2004-08-31T21:58:00.000-04:00

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

New iMac...

2004-08-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

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.

UPS for Poweroutage computing...

2004-08-30T19:57:00.000-04:00

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

2004-08-30T19:55:00.000-04:00

And it still works!

GmailFS

2004-08-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

I wonder how difficult it would be to port GmailFS to Mac OS X. It's Python, and from what I can tell, most of the libraries are portable. I don't have time to do it myself, but if someone does, please let me know about it!

How to Make a 10.3.5 Boot CD

2004-08-28T10:23:00.000-04:00

Pretty cool info on Using BootCD (freeware) to make 10.3.5/Techtool Pro 4.0.3 Boot CD. Check it out.

Apple Zealots Hurt Apple

2004-08-27T11:41:00.000-04:00

My article, Apple Zealots Hurt Apple, is up at AppleMatters. Check it out.

Jason reports on Airport Express...

2004-08-27T11:26:00.000-04:00

I think this is the first time my good friend Jason has been ahead of me on the new technology curve, but in any case, he has a new Airport Express, which he won't stop praising. I need to get one of those...

PithHelmet 2.0

2004-08-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

PithHelmet, the best ad-blocker for Safari, has been updated to version 2.0. Get it. Update: I just installed 2.0 and just to let you know, there's a new menu icon for PithHelmet. I don't really see the need for it, but I don't mind it much. If you do mind it, however, you can simply replace the image with one of your liking by the same name. It can be found: /Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/PithHelmet.bundle/Contents/Resources/PithHelmet-menu.png This little hack courtesy of het kaasje on the Versiontracker page for PithHelmet.

Time to kill Word?

2004-08-25T10:21:00.000-04:00

A Slashdot post asks if it is time to kill off Microsoft Word. The answer is yes. Kottke may have the answer to the "how" of killing off Word:

What we could see is the next generation of office suite. Not Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook of Microsoft's Office or iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie, iTunes, and Garageband of Apple's iLife suite, but Google search, Gmail, Google Browser, Blogger, and perhaps even GIM. It'll be interesting to watch whether this happens or not.

It would be a good idea, beyond the regular blogging bit, for Google to come out with a web-based word processor and data repository where people could WYSIWYG create documents, save them to a password protected server space and access, edit, save, and print these files from anywhere there is an internet connection. That would be a definite Word killer and be the logical step forward towards virtual self-storage. As a writer and educator, I'd find such a program to be the great killer app for which I have been waiting. *cross-posted on Sample the Web.

How to Clean your 12-inch's Slot-load Drive...

2004-08-25T10:16:00.000-04:00

Accelerate Your Macintosh has the 411 on how to clean out the slot-loading combo- / Super-drive on your 12-inch (although the instructions are for doing so on a 15-inch TiBook). Compressed air is the key. Just make sure when attempting this cleaning solution that you do not shake or tilt the can and use short quick blasts. Don't want to gum up the works with that cold condensation that can occur otherwise...

Tommy has a 3650

2004-08-23T21:06:00.000-04:00

Tommy, the junior host on the Casino has a 3650! Who cares?!

Virex 7.5

2004-08-23T13:27:00.000-04:00

If you have, .mac, then you can log in to your account and download the update to Virex 7.5 for free.

Help me get a Free iPod mini...

2004-08-22T10:14:00.000-04:00

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 one has completed the offer. That means I need four 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!

Ogg Vorbis for your 3650... reblog...

2004-08-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

I just realized as I was typing the title to this entry and Safari "remembered" it that I have actually already blogged about this. However, I had forgotten about it, so maybe you have too, so here it is: OggPlay for Series 60 will let you play Ogg Vorbis files on your 3650. w0rd...

The Problem with the iTMS DRM...

2004-08-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

I've written another article for AppleMatters, The Problem with the iTMS DRM. Check it out.

Prepping for a new 12-inch...

2004-08-17T10:52:00.000-04:00

I told you that I wouldn't have this 12-inch for more than 6 months! In any case, there's an upgrade plan in the works to move up from my 1Ghz wonder to the new top-of-the-line 12-inch. Kristin will be inheriting my current machine, but at that point we will be selling the 12-inch that gave birth to this site: the 867MHz Combo-Drive model, so if you want to own a piece of internet history (HA!), stay tuned and I'll eventually post the specs and the ebay auction for that little honey. Any extremely rich fans of the site who wish to flat out buy it for an exorbitant fee and don't wish to be soiled by the banal commonality of ebay, craigslist, or any auction that isn't Sotheby's, please feel free to have your personal assistant email me (c k s 3 at mac dot com) directly with your offers. In the meantime, I have to start a comprehensive list of all the items I currently have installed on this 12-inch to help prepare for the upgrade and switcheroo. Making this list has been waiting in the queue on my to-do list for a while, but this will actually make me produce it and, once produced, the list should be easily maintained. I will even post an online version of my list of "must have" software. In any case, stay tuned...

Sample the Web is back...

2004-08-15T18:27:00.000-04:00

I've relaunched Sample the Web, the weblog which I maintained before this one. Just to let you know, I realize a blog named 3650 and a 12-inch cannot last too long due to the technologies involved. Eventually, the content here will trickle away (probably when I upgrade my cellphone), and at that time, the majority of my posts will migrate over to Sample the Web . I'll give prior warning though, as well as a final post pointing to Sample the Web. In the meantime, many of my non-3650-and-a-12-inch specific posts which would normally creep in here will be emerging over there. It is hosted with cornerhost, maintained via GreyMatter, and I even have an RSS feed for the site. Check it out. Note: For the three or four of you who used to read the old Sample the Web (either the Radio Userland version or the home-rolled .mac iteration), I'll eventually move the archives over to the new space.

Share Internet over Bluetooth with your 6600!

2004-08-14T18:10:00.000-04:00

Well, my Share2Blue2th scripts plain old never worked with the Nokia 6600, but someone has finally figured out a nice alternative. Check out SlamSlash for the how-to. Thanks to Speedy for pointing this out to me.

Use Cocktail to Scan for Corrupt Preferences...

2004-08-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

File this little tidbit under I didn't know you could do THAT!:

Preferences Scan Tip for OS X Cocktail - I've used Cocktail for some time as a GUI utility for doing OS X maintenance tasks without using the terminal (cache cleaning, running maint. scripts, and more) but I didn't realize it also could scan preference files. (i.e. for corrupt prefs files).
"Cocktail 3.4.9 is fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.3.5.
To scan preferences:
launch Cocktail
choose Specifications from Window pulldown menu
click the Advanced tab
choose Preference Files from the popup button
Regards,
Kristofer Szymanski
http://www.macosxcocktail.com"
It still doesn't appear to be able to delete corrupted prefs from the app that i can tell, but posting this as a FYI to any other user that may not be aware of the feature.

The above is from Accelerate Your Mac News. Pretty useful tip.

Stream MPEG4 Apple Lossless over AirTunes

2004-08-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

Streaming Apple Lossless over AirTunes is now possible thanks to Jon Lech Johansen:

Reversing AirTunes
I've released JustePort, a tool which lets you stream MPEG4 Apple Lossless files to your AirPort Express.

I really need to get an Airport Express. Maybe three of them...

SpamSieve

2004-08-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

After testing it out for the last several weeks, I've purchased SpamSieve. It really works much better than Mail.app's default Spam-filtering. I've found it to be much more effective at catching the spam without any false catches than other spam filters I've used in the past (like JunkMatcher Central). If you are having a spam problem, and you haven't tried it yet, then go download the demo and give it a whirl.

Trager Courier Laptop Brief

2004-08-11T12:41:00.000-04:00

The Powerpage has a review of the Trager Courier Laptop Brief, which looks promising for any of you who are currently shopping for a new bag for your 12-inch.

AppleMatters article on Chess...

2004-08-11T10:30:00.000-04:00

I wrote an article on AppleMatters about the different options available for those of you who would like to play chess on your Mac. Go check it out.

We're drowning in updates: Java 1.4.2 Update 1...

2004-08-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

Java 1.4.2 Update 1 (does this mean there is a second one lurking out there?) is available via Software Update now (26.4MB):

Java 1.4.2 Update 1 provides support for JDK 1.4.2_05, improved behavior for applets in Safari, and increased stability for desktop Java applications.
The system will be updated to Java 1.4.2 Update 1. If the system currently has Java 1.4.1, it will be removed.
For more details on this update, please visit: http://www.apple.com/java/

Lock and *yawn* load...

iSync 1.5 available via Software Update

2004-08-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

Just ran Software Update and found that Apple has released iSync 1.5 (6.6MB):

iSync lets you manage your contacts, calendars, To Do lists, and Safari bookmarks across multiple Mac OS X computers and devices (such as an iSync-compatible mobile phone, Palm OS device, or iPod), so you always have your most current information with you. To sync a Palm OS device, you need to install the iSync Palm Conduit version 1.2 or later.
iSync 1.5 adds support for more devices such as the latest Sony Ericsson and Motorola phones. For more information about supported devices and connectivity requirements, visit www.apple.com/isync.
Before you install iSync 1.5, you must install iCal 1.5.2 or later. To download the latest version of iCal, visit www.apple.com/ical, or use Software Update (in System Preferences) to install the latest version.
If you are using Mac OS X version 10.3 and plan to synchronize a Bluetooth mobile phone, you need to have Bluetooth version 1.5 or later installed. To download the latest version, use Software Update (in System Preferences). If you have an earlier version of Mac OS X, visit www.apple.com/isync to download the appropriate Bluetooth version.

Lock and load (oh, I hope this doesn't break Share2Blue2th; I don't have the time to code right now...)!

Apple Production Suite...

2004-08-10T14:00:00.000-04:00

Now that Motion is shipping, Apple has bundled all their high-end graphics and video editing apps into a Production Suite. I want this...

Talks for Series 60

2004-08-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

If you happen to be blind or just happen to prefer having things read to you, you might want to check out Talks for Series 60. I saw mention of this on MobileWhack, and it should work with the 3650, as they have a picture of the 3660 on the Talks website.

BlueTooth HID support in 10.3.5...

2004-08-10T08:50:00.000-04:00

Well, this is a tantalizing piece of news. The 10.3.5 update includes support for HID profiles, which basically allow you to control your Mac's mouse and certain Mac keys that are mapped to your phone's controls. It appears to work automatically with a few of the newer phones out there, although not yet with the 3650. Just need someone to hack us together an HID profile for the phone, though... Any takers?

10.3.5 Update and Security Update available via Software Update...

2004-08-09T20:19:00.000-04:00

Here come the updates! Launch Software Update now to download 10.3.5 (22.9MB):

The 10.3.5 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" and is recommended for all users. Key enhancements include:
improved support for NTFS formatted volumes
improves reliability for user logins and mounting of home directories in a networked environment
updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
improved Bluetooth compatibility for Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse and Bluetooth phones
additional FireWire and USB device compatibility
improved font management
updated Mail and Image Capture applications
improved compatibility for third party applications
previous standalone security updates
For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n25791 For detailed information on Security Updates, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798

and as an added bonus, there's Security Update 2004-08-09 (5.3MB):

Security Update 2004-08-09 delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users. This update includes the following components: libpng (Portable Network Graphics) For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798

Throw caution to the wind and download now! Lock and load...

Newsflash: Cable Security for your 12-inch...

2004-08-09T08:54:00.000-04:00

Newsflash: Cable locks only secure until someone with cable cutters walks up. Most of you probably already knew this. Lesson to be learned: don't waste your money on security gadgets; don't leave your 12-inch unattended.

Lifestyle services for your 3650...

2004-08-09T08:46:00.000-04:00

If you happen to have your 3650 signed up on Cingular Wireless or Virgin Mobile USA (do either of these carriers work with the 3650?), then you can set up fake rescue calls to save you from social events where you do not really want to remain. I'm sure this service will trickle out to the other providers eventually, but I'm also sure that once it trickles out enough and becomes any sort of a prevalent phenomenon, people are going to start being able to spot these fake calls, and they will loathe you for using them.

Guard your 3650's Bluetooth

2004-08-08T13:40:00.000-04:00

Check out this post over at Backup Brain:

We love using Bluetooth; with the help of iSync, it's extremely handy to sync our address books wirelessly between our Macs and mobile phones. But Security Cavities Ail Bluetooth discusses the problems you can have with your Bluetooth-enabled phone, if you're not smart about using it. Speakers at the recent Black Hat and DefCon security and hacker conferences in Las Vegas demonstrated how they can sneak into mobile phones and suck out phone books and other data. The key is that these phones, from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola, are vulnerable if they are left in discoverable mode. So turn it off when you're not using it. Our Sony Ericsson phones have cute blue lights that flash while Bluetooth is active, which reminds us to turn Bluetooth off. We save battery life by turning it off, too. Posted by Tom Negrino at 04:19 PM Link

Something to keep in mind, although according to the chart on this page, the 3650 isn't one of the known vulnerable models.

Bye-bye, Livejournal...

2004-08-08T13:17:00.000-04:00

File this under the perils of blogging: I made a local archive and then deleted my four-year-old LiveJournal today. Due mainly to the success of this site, and the inability to prevent the search engines from spidering the livejournal, I can no longer count on it as a pseudo-private space in the public that will only be read by the dozen or so friends that have known about it for quite some time. All of them (should) know about this site as well, so there won't be any lost contact. Just a more publicly-prepared version of me. In any case, I wish I didn't have to do it, but recent comments on the site made me realize that it was for the best. It's saddening though. I've had my livejournal since I moved to New York. It was a definite outlet for me, as well as a nice point of contact with my long distance friends who know me well and know how to take my ranting. Back to our regularly-scheduled tech news...

CyberDuck

2004-08-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

Get CyberDuck. It's a good free OS X FTP client that I have been using on a new site that I am working on and which will soon be announced (nothing too fancy, mind you, so don't get overly excited). However, if you're just accessing your iDisk, Goliath is the way to go...

Airport Express Hotel Report...

2004-08-05T11:50:00.000-04:00

Interesting write-up over at the Powerpage about the real world experiences of hooking an Airport Express into a hotel's ethernet connection.

Stand for Safari: Get it.

2004-08-03T16:13:00.000-04:00

Check this post over at hicksdesign out:

I’ve recently discovered another plug-in for Safari, called Stand. I can't tell you a whole lot of detail about it, as the site is written in Japanese. What I can tell you is that its free, and it allows you to do the following slick actions:
Allow syntax colouring in viewed source (no control over colours used though)
Specify a font and size for viewed source (I like this – I have a thing about using Lucida Grande for source view).
Search your bookmarks and history (very nice, although I tend to use Quicksilver to find bookmarks quickly, this is even faster).
Specify that all links to a ’_blank’ target open in a new tab instead of a new window. This is nice.
Save tab layouts as workspaces alá Omniweb.
Assign categories, colour labels and comments to new bookmarks
Create search shortcuts (as in Sogudi and Saft)
‘Site Alteration’. This allows you some basic preferences on a per site basis, such as what encoding to use, and whether images, pop-ups, plug-ins or javascript are to be allowed.
Remove favicons.
Set a time delay for auto-closing the downloads window after completion.
It also seems to add ‘Copy Link HTML Tag’ command to the context menu when ctrl-clicking links. (I’ve only just noticed this though, so it could’ve been there all along!)

Don't let the Japanese scare you. Stand rules. Get it now. Install by dragging the Stand folder into ~/Library/InputManagers/ and closing then relaunching Safari. This makes Bloglines open links in tabs and the highlighted HTML in source mode is great for blogging. h00t!

.Mac stuff...

2004-08-03T15:48:00.000-04:00

The Cult of Mac blog at Wired reports:

Apple's .Mac email now supports aliases:

"You can use email aliases instead of your .Mac email address to keep your .Mac account private (such as when purchasing online) or to easily recognize and organize incoming emails from various sources. Simply deactivate or delete an email alias to keep unwanted email from arriving in your Inbox.

Now, this is undoubtedly cool, however, when you take into account things like this, which are true, and all too common, then who cares? .Mac needs some serious bug killing before they go slapping on new features, imho.

I'm sure there's much to blog...

2004-08-02T13:48:00.000-04:00

...however, I am pooped. Friday was flower girl dresses, tuxes, and then The Village (which I enjoyed) followed by sushi for dinner. Fun day, but busy. I spent all day Saturday finishing up painting the bedroom (looks nice), and yesterday was Kristin's surprise bridal shower, so it was go go go the entire weekend. Today is the most monday-like monday this year, and I am despising it and not feeling like (nor having the time to) blog much here. IceRocket looks interesting, but why does every single search engine besides Google totally ignore my livejournal's "DON'T INDEX ME" headers?

100GB Pocket-Rocket...

2004-07-28T10:34:00.000-04:00

If you have $500 to spare, you might want to getthis 100GB rocket for your pocket with USB/Firewire 400/800 connectivity. And its brushed metal niceness matches your 12-inch!

This Warping Thing; A Rant: Why don't Apple Consumers Complain More?

2004-07-28T08:47:00.000-04:00

Read MacFixIt's latest about the warping aluminum powerbooks. This is mind-boggling:

Not a show-stopper The good news is that despite all the reports we've received of "warping" with PowerBook G4 units, we have yet to receive a report of this "warping" being serious enough to adversely affect the functionality of the PowerBook (e.g., optical drives not accepting or ejecting discs, keyboards malfunctioning, etc.) In fact, some users even seem to be happy that this slight wobble on the desk is their only problem. Reader Aled B writes: "Doesn't bother me too much though, minor irritation - it's a great little machine otherwise! Used to suffer sleep of death issues with 1GHz TiBook until I decided to sell and get a G5 2GHz DP and this brilliant 12" PowerBook as a side-kick. It's the best PowerBook I've ever had. My brother has the 15" 1.5GHz PowerBook and that's just as good. Best range of PowerBooks ever! I'll settle for a little wobble over a random sleep of death any-day." That being said, a number of users have expressed dissatisfaction with such warping given the cost of these units.

Well, I for one think that the "number of users" remains too low and too quiet in their "expressed dissatisfaction." It is unconscionable to me that Apple continues to crank out defective machines (albeit very powerful and very nice in every other respect), which continue to exhibit these problems and continue to sell at their high prices and NO ONE is interrupting the entire process to say "Hang on a minute..." It seems to be a production flaw that affects a large percentage of the ALBooks. But, my current 12-inch doesn't wobble. It doesn't warp. It stays flat. When I had one that did wobble and warp, I walked into the Apple Store and complained and complained and complained as loudly and politely as possible until the manager replaced the machine (and then I made them open up the box and test the next one WHICH ALSO WOBBLED, so I demanded yet another). If everybody who suffered from this problem did what I did and complained and pushed Apple, then Apple would be forced to address this issue. Unfortunately, too many people out there are happy enough with their great new Powerbook and overlook this horrible problem, which means next time I update my machine, I may have to go through the several hours of complaining yet AGAIN to get my factory defective wobbling 'book, replaced with a nice, properly level model. //rant off...

AcidSearch

2004-07-28T08:32:00.000-04:00

Jason points to a new Safari search tool, which would seem to trump Safari Keywords (my Safari search tool of choice) in the ease of use department: When you navigate to a new searchable site that you want to add to Safari's search bar, simply go to AcidSearch, Edit Search Channels, New Channel, and AcidSearch "automatically adds the correct search syntax to the URL field. Feel free to change the name of the Channel and its location on the list." Check it out...

Marathon!

2004-07-28T08:27:00.000-04:00

Creative Bits is fast becoming one of my favorite new reads, as things like Marathon, one of my favorite pre-OS X Mac games, are constantly being mentioned, reminding me of free cool stuff that is out there that I can stuff in my Mac for a rainy day...

Bloglines...

2004-07-27T20:18:00.000-04:00

So, in the spirit of less is more—or perhaps some other spirit of which I remain unawares—I've ditched my news reader, NetNewsWire Lite, in favor of Bloglines. This post made me think of it (although I arrived there from another link which I cannot remember... sorry, whoever!). In any case, now I'm all web-based, reading RSS feeds in Safari without bothering with Tiger, thanks to Bloglines. If I get sick of it and switch back, I'll let you know. As an added bonus, there's a nice long "Regular Reading" blogroll at the bottom of the sidebar now. Check it out to see the 96 blogs to which I am subscribed (it's identical to the OPML MySubscriptions file also linked in the sidebar). w0rd...

New Konfabulator with Konsposé Only Widget level...

2004-07-27T16:52:00.000-04:00

Ripping back from Apple's Dashboard, Konfabulator 1.7.1 has these two little notable tweaks amidst a bunch of bug fixes:

Added Konsposé Only Widget level (see Release Notes), Added preference panel to gear menu with options for setting the Konsposé key and whether to use a simpler Konsposé for slower machines.

Coolness. Lock and load, everybody!

Make your iPod into a Universal Remote...

2004-07-27T16:01:00.000-04:00

This is a very cool hack. Turns your iPod into a universal remote. Although, I must say, I really like the Phillips Universal Remote that I bought from Best Buy not that long ago. It actually controls EVERYTHING I have in my collection....

This Warping thing: The Return of the Warp...

2004-07-27T15:31:00.000-04:00

MacFixIt is reporting on yet more warping 12-inchers coming out of the newest line of the machines. Class-action lawsuit anyone? How many production lines of the 12-inchers have been plagued with this problem now? My first ALbook was severely warped. I continue to see postings over at 12inchPowerbooks Yahoo!Groups about this issue. Apple, would you fix this already? I wouldn't mind a few ounces of a reinforced steel rod added to the design if it meant these machines would be guaranteed wobble-free, would you?

RadTek Cases for your 12-inch

2004-07-27T10:46:00.000-04:00

Ted Leung mentioned these MacTruck cases from RadTech this morning, which look to be pretty cool. I mentioned them to Jason, and he said he had just bought one, along with one of these. Pretty cool...if you're into cases... Also, two side notes: one, sorry for the sparseness in my OCD posting as of late. We're painting the bedroom at the apartment and it is eating up much of my former blog time. Two: I misspelled Motorola on purpose in the below post.

Why Motorolla?

2004-07-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

In case you hadn't heard:

We had no idea: Getting iTunes onto Motorola cellphones
They definitely pulled this rabbit out of the hat: yesterday, the news leaked of the V3, then Motorola announced that their upcoming phones with USB and Bluetooth will be able to pull music off of iTunes. It’s a bit of a blow to the iPod’n’Tunes pundits defending Apple’s hardware-first business model, but hey, they’re going where the money is. And besides, a $700 cellphone is so their style.[Via Phone Scoop]
[engadget.com]

Ok. But why moto? What happened to the SE partnership of Macworld Keynote 2 years past? I bet they release an updated iSync later today...(actually, this was jason's observation, but I agree...)

Secure Email

2004-07-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to note that my .mac email is secure. If the email comes from me, it will be signed with a THAWTE sig and include the HABEAS headers. I am only pointing this out, because I myself have been receiving both spam with my email as the masked sender address and bounced emails notifying me that spam and or viruses are being sent out from my worm infested PC (only thing is that I am only ever running a squeaky clean worm-free Mac). So, in any case, if you ever receive an email from my address without a sig / HABEAS headers, chances are it isn't from me...

FreeiPod.com Pyramid scheme...REPORT...

2004-07-24T10:16:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been about a week and so far 13 people have signed up from my link, but none of them have completed any of the offers *cough HINT HINT cough*, so I still don't know if I this free iPod is a real deal or a gimmick...

PowerPage brainstorm: Powerbook Power over Firewire...

2004-07-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

This is brilliant:

Power Your 'Book With FireWire
How about this for the next PowerBook: Apple replaces the traditional power port with a FireWire port and allows charging of the PowerBook over FireWire.

Then include an Airport Express with Firewire port for charging with every 12-inch sold. Great. Do it, Apple. Now!

2004-07-23T11:04:00.000-04:00

I'm testing MacJournal (no relation to the magazine) as a possible means of posting to this site...

Gentoo Linux 12-inch...installed...

2004-07-22T23:41:00.000-04:00

So I just installed Gentoo Mac OS X. Time to play...