Holiday Report...

Hello, all, and Happy Holidays! Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be traveling over the next week and only connected via dial-up (ugh), so there will probably be little or no posts here until around New Years. See you in 2004!

Give us a choice, Apple...

Here's the thing: Silent Night (see below) fixes the fan noise problem that started with 10.3.2. But the fan noise itself is a side effect of an Apple fix for the problem of the 12-inch Powerbooks running hot (which everyone has been complaining about since these suckers were first released this summer). What I would like to see, rather than a roll-back hack like Silent Night, would be a preference pane where you can choose between running cool or running silently (essentially switching between the older and newer versions of AppleADM103x.kext and the AppleADT746x.kext, depending upon one's preference). If any coders at Apple are reading this, could you make this thought a reality? A third part hack that would switch between old and new would work, but I'd prefer it come from Apple. Thanks.

Fix for excessive fan since 10.3.2

Check this out:

Silent Night fixes 12'' PowerBook fan noise
iDriveX has written a utility to fix the problem with excessive fan noise caused by the Mac OS X 10.3.2 update on 12" PowerBook G4s. [MacMegasite]

I just want to state that I advise against this hack. The fan turns on more, yes, but as a result, the 12-inch isn't as hot to the touch (and warping and other bad side-effects of the excessive heat of these units is probably avoided).

'Nother Security Update

Run Software Update now for yesterday's latest Security Update.

Wireless Keyboard for your 3650...

Check out Rael's post over at MobileWhack:

I gave this a whirl the moment I found it this morning and have been IR-keyboarding my 3650 throughout the day without a hitch. Simply download the .sis file, copy it to and install it on your handset, launch it from the Menu, turn it on using Options > Palm Wireless ON or Pocketop ON, depending on the keyboard you have, background it (hold down the Menu button), and use it in any app that expects texting input.

I need to go buy myself a Palm Wireless Keyboard now...

.Mac Getting Started Manual

Apple has released a GettingStarted.pdf for .mac. . . . after nearly two years.

iFlex portable iSight holder for your 12-inch...

MacMice introduces the iFlex. Oh, I really want one of these from Santa. Too bad they don't ship until January. $19.99, though, is not too high a price point. Pretty cool.

Photostudio X for FREE

If you have .mac, you can find a free copy of Photostudio X in the Members Only folder of your iDisk. I must note here that this is one of the things I really like about .mac. If you add up the price-tags of all the free software .mac gives away over the course of a year, the sum is greater than the cost of .mac.

Java Update 1.4.1

Available via Software Update and weighing in at 42.5MB: Java Update 1.4.1.

Xcode 1.1 Update...

For all you coders out there: Xcode 1.1 update is now available via Software Update.

3650 FAQ

Check it Out: Nokia 3650 FAQ (pdf).

Oops... Huzzah!

Guess I was wrong about the fan being a good thing:

Do not install Mac OS X 10.3.2
Owners of first generation 12-inch PowerBook G4s are advised not to install Mac OS X 10.3.2 until Apple resolves a problem caused by the update with this particular machine. The update causes the PowerBook's fan to run non-stop while on AC power [Mac Net Journal]

Why does every update from Apple recently, royally screw-up things for a small percentage of their users? I must say, though, that my 12-inch has never run so cool... hopefully, the fan won't blow. UPDATE: This is bogus. The fan isn't running all the time when plugged in; just a bit more than usual. And it doesn't do it when you are unplugged, so who cares? I think it's a good thing. Update now everybody!

Update Craziness: iTunes 4.2 with Security Updates to follow...

Well, after releasing OS X 10.3.2, QuickTime 6.5, and a Battery Update for portables, Apple has now released iTunes 4.2 and there is word of more Security Updates to be released later this afternoon...

Mac OS X 10.3.2 may cause increased fan usage on 12-inchers...

Check this out:

One bad side effect of Mac OS X 10.3.2
The most annoying side effect of Mac OS X 10.3.2 on my 12-inch PowerBook G4 is that my machine's fan is running a lot more - nearly all of the time when I have the machine plugged into the AC. Are others seeing this? [Mac Net Journal]

I didn't really make this connection myself until I read this, but I had noticed that my normally silent-running 12-inch has launched its fan twice on me today. Both times when I launched NetNewsWire Lite and the processor was in heavy usage. Odd. UPDATE: I'm starting to think that this fan thing isn't a bad thing. It is hardly audible and would appear to be keeping my usually quite warm 12-incher rather cool. Now, if it does this with the unit unplugged and runs the battery down more quickly, I will be irritated, but for now, the extra fan running is a nice boon. It's actually comfortable to sit back at my desk with my 12-inch in my lap!

Quicktime 6.5 with 3GPP...

Run Software Update to gain the latest Quicktime 6.5 with added 3GPP support for compatibility with your 3650's video capabilities...

Conserve your 3650's memory...

There's a good post by Rael over at MobileWhack about how to conserve your 3650's memory by using the MMC card. Check it out.

Spy! for your 3650

I normally don't blog all the new bits of software that comes out daily for the 3650, as most people will go to Handango if they want to find software that they and/or I haven't tested out. But this is just plain cool! I saw something like this the other day on some news program or another about using portable devices to spy on people, but this is really cool. I mean, all my dreams of becoming a P.I. are floating to the surface with this little bit of Spy!ware. Imagine, take your phone, drop it anywhere you need to survey the area and walk off—wait. I can't leave my 3650 behind!

Cocktail 3.3

Get Cocktail. Pay for it. It will save your butt.

Battery Update 1.1 & OS X 10.3.2

Battery Update 1.1 and Mac OS X Update 10.3.2 available via Software Update now. UPDATE: Here's the KBarticle with a list of all the improvements in the 10.3.2 update.

Register reports on Combo USB Flash-drive/Wi-Fi

Check it out:

Taiwainese memory specialist TwinMOS is hopping onto the USB Flash Drive/WLAN adaptor combo bandwagon with a curvy, blue entry into the market.

Now, this is a pretty cool little piece of technological portability for us 12-inchers. I mean, think about it: First, you have a little bit of USB accessible storage space for transferring files to other computers. Secondly, assuming that you have Airport locked n' loaded on your 12-inch and that you can use one of these dongles to set up an ad-hock 802.11 base station, then you have the ability to set-up WiFi internet service to your 12-inch in situations where everything is wired. Pretty cool!

New Sleeve for your 12-inch...

If you're looking for a skin-tight case for your 12-inch, check out the new Willow Minimus Powerbook Sleeves. The 12-inch models are $41 (but word to the wise: the shipping charges *start* at $10).

MPEG-2 Expired...

Check it:

QuickTime MPEG-2 Component Expired
As reported by MacFixIt, we have confirmed that QuickTime's MPEG-2 component (an additional purchase made by several users which allowed the playback of MPEG-2 files) expired on December 14th, 2003, leaving thousands of users without the ability to play MPEG-2 files. We have also confirmed that a re-install of the component has no effect.

Update: Repairing permissions has no effect.

Update: Several MacFixIt readers are reporting that the MPEG-2 component for QuickTime 6.3 is working properly. This problem may only be related to the new MPEG-2 component released for QuickTime 6.4.

Like Pixels? Check out MacDesign [MacMerc]

I was a little peeved at seeing this report, because I shelled out the extra dough for the MPEG-2 Quicktime Component. I wonder if I could downgrade to 6.3...

A Smaller Plug for your 12-inch for Cheaper...

Mini AC Adapter for PowerBook & iBook for $48.95—that's $11 cheaper than I previously reported when I first mentioned that MacResQ carried it. Word to the thrifty... Thanks, Josh!

Plethora of 3650 links over at MobileWhack

Rael reposted several tidbits for 3650 users from his archives. Check it out.

Welcome MobileWhackers!

I just wrote a small blurb over at MobileWhack about my Share2Blue2th scripts. If you clicked over here from over there, please make yourself at home. Feel free to browse through the archives . . . click on some links . . .

12-inch set-up postponed...

For those of you eagerly awaiting my reports from setting up my friend Andrew's 12-inch this past weekend: he fell sick and there was a wee bit of snow here in New York on Sunday, so the tweaking has been rescheduled for next weekend (possibly). I'll let you know when it happens, and what I do to make his machine nicely tweaked...

OSX to Bluetooth to 3650 to T-Mobile GPRS to the Net

MobileWhack has detailed instructions complete with screenshots on how to set up your 12-inch to connect to the net via your 3650 using T-Mobile. These instructions are much clearer than the ones I had previously blogged.

Theme-able OS X

Want to customize your 12-inch's on-screen look to more carefully resemble the Aluminum finish than the default brushed metal appearance of OS X? Do you miss the options that Kaleidoscope used to give you in Mac Classic? Check out this Wired article. Get ShapeShifter. Start searching for themes. I'm running Power Metal from Swizcore Studio (pictured) now. If you want to skin Safari as well, you're going to want SafariIcon. UPDATE: You can also use ThemePark to create your own themes.

Weirdness with Share2Blue2th...

I don't know what exactly caused it, but for the first time in months, I was having trouble connecting with the Share2Blue2th scripts today. Whatever it was, running

sudo ipfw -f flush

in the Terminal solved the problem. If you have similar problems give it a shot. Some sort of firewall interference going on...

MCE Quickstream DV

If you use your 12-inch as your portable movie-studio, as I sometimes dream of doing, you are going to really want one of these. The MCE Quickstream DV captures DV footage directly to hard drive via your camera's firewire port while you are taping! Then you can simply plug it in to your 12-inch as a FW drive with all the video files ready for editing with no need to log and capture. Unfortunately, this magnificence is a little out of the realm of the consumer / prosumer buying level, as the intro model with 90 minutes of video capture space weighs in at just under $600.

Setting up a new 12-inch...

My good friend, Andrew, just bought a brand new, loaded 1Ghz 12-inch with Superdrive, 512MB of RAM, Airport Extreme, and a 20GB iPod to boot. Needless to say, I am supremely envious, as my non-tech-minded friend's new computer surpasses my own beat-up, first generation 12-inch. But, as his guru friend, I get to play with his new toy this Sunday, when he will bring it by for me to configure and tweak it for his specific needs. A small, evil part of me wishes he were gullible enough for me to pull a switcheroo on him, using Carbon Copy Cloner to make his machine mine and my machine his, but unfortunately, Andrew is a pretty bright bulb, even though he's not too tech-minded, and I, of course, am cursed with this darn conscience and a mind over-crowded with ideas of ethics and morality... In any case, I will most likely post about the tweaking experience after the weekend, for you 12-inchers interested in ways to optimize your computing experience.

For those of you who haven't updated to Panther yet...

Word to the wise: If you haven't loaded Panther on your 12-inch yet, and you qualify for the Mac OS X - Up To Date Program:

The program ends on December 26, 2003. Your order must be postmarked or faxed by December 17, 2003, so order your upgrade now.

I recommend the upgrade. Two main reasons: 1. Fewer appearances of the spinning beach-ball of death. 2. Exposé rules.

EasyFind 3.0 from DEVONtechnologies

DEVONtechnologies today released a free little program called EasyFind 3.0, which you can download from this page. According to the Read Me file:

EasyFind is an alternative to or supplement of Sherlock and finds files, folders or contents in any file without the need for indexing - and therefore immediately! This is especially useful if you are tired of slow or impossible indexing, outdated or corrupted indexes or if you are just looking for missing features like case sensitive or insensitive search, boolean operators and wildcards or searching for phrases. In addition EasyFind uses multithreading and is therefore very responsive even with multiple search processes running, provides contextual menus & services and displays the location of each item in a separate column for a better overview. Finally EasyFind uses little memory, supports drag & drop and the clipboard and finds optionally invisible items or items within packages.

I can not praise DEVONtechnologies highly enough. I use their DEVONthink database program on a daily basis, and it has improved my productivity 10 fold. The few times I have had any problems with their software (which has always been something I've done) they have been very open and helpful via email correspondence to help me troubleshoot. That's what makes a great software product: a useful tool with supportive people behind it who are interested in their users' needs and what their users have to say. Go buy their products now.

Expanding Airport for your 12-inch...

Matt Croydon has a post over at Mobitopia linking to different ways to aim and expand your Wi-Fi signals. Pretty cool. I especially like the parabolic waveguides, which "are an extremely inexpensive way to boost your signal and fill in those wireless dead spots." I hate dead spots. Now if I could just get a similar fix for the two dead spots in my cellular connectivity with my 3650 on the drive home, I'd be set. Go check it out.

A Smaller Plug for your 12-inch...

For you portability pros who like to cram as much stuff into as small a space as possible, MacResQ has their MacResQ Mini AC Adapter for PowerBook G4 & White iBook priced at $59.99. There's even a review of the product at O'Grady's PowerPage.

iSkin Protection for your 12-inch...

The New iSkin ProTouch PB for your 12-inch Powerbook or iBook (as well as other models of Apple portables):

...prevents the keyboard’s keys from general wear and tear caused by everyday use.

and

...is designed to cover each key of the keyboard and create a non-slipping protective layer that allows you to type normally and comfortably. Since it's made of durable, flexible silicone, it's soft to the touch and dampens the sound of the keystrokes– handy when in quiet zones like libraries, meetings or classrooms.

I'm somewhat tempted to get one of these, as I tend to type as if each of my fingers is the hammer of Thor striking down his adversaries. In other words, I type loudly. People often comment on how loudly I type. And my 12-inch is less than 6 months old and the T, U, G, and SPACE keys are all showing a little bit of wear and tear, and the W is a TOTALLY different shade of grey than all the other keys. Plus, iSkin offers an iSkin Tattoo Service through which you can get:

...custom logos, web site addresses and corporate messages printed on the spacebar.

I'm thinking it would be pretty cool to have 3650 and a 12-inch along my spacebar... However, I am still regretting getting a cover from MacSkinz for my 12-inch, which I found rather flimsy and cheap looking and never use any longer. My thought is that I enjoy the tactile feel of the 12-inch's keyboard so much that putting a bit of silicone between me and the keys would not last for too long before I would become totally annoyed with the ProTouch and stop using it. Still, it would seem to have some advantages. If anybody from iSkin wants to send me one to try out, I'll write a review of it, and—if I like it—purchase a customized version. Also, if anyone has used one of these and can shed some light on the experience, please email me at cks3 at mac dot com. UPDATE: After digging around on the iSkin site some more, it looks like the tattoo service is only available if you are ordering quantities of 50 or more. If you would like a customized 3650 and a 12-inch ProTouch, email me and let me know how much you'd be willing to pay for it, and I'll look into ordering some if more than 50 people express interest.

Applescript: The Definitive Guide

Here's a book that I wouldn't mind finding in my stocking this Christmas:

AppleScript: The Definitive Guide explores and teaches the language from the ground up. If you're a beginner and want to learn how to write your first script or just understand what the excitement is all about, you'll be able to do so after reading this book. Experienced AppleScripters will love having the most definitive, up-to-date AppleScript language reference available.

My little rubber feet...

All but one of the little rubber feet on my 12-inch have disappeared. It's more my fault than Apple's b/c I slide this sucker in and out of a very small bag packed with other things on a regular basis. Now here's my dilemma: try to get replacement feet? or just rip off the last one?

If your 12-inch isn't resolving DNS correctly...

...you can try running the following in the Terminal:

lookupd -flushcache

Info on the where and why of it all can be found in this Mac OS X Hint.

New TinkerTool for Panther...

Free customization for your account in OS X made possible through TinkerTool 3.1. Get it.

Don't bring your 3650 with you to the movies in California...

Check out this story over at Gizmodo. California (now with Arnold at the helm) has passed a law prohibiting recording devices from move theaters. Gizmodo notes, "The law is aimed at people using camcorders to bootleg films, but you could conceivably be thrown in jail for up to a year if you're spotted with one of those new video cellphones or even a tape recorder." Law goes into effect on January 1st. Add this to my list of reasons for not having much desire to ever live in California. Although, I am worried that such a stupidly misaligned and redundant law (copyright already protects against the type of pirating towards which the law is aimed) will make its way east with MPAA money backing it. I regularly, at the beginning of each film I see, pull out my 3650 and take a single snapshot of the projected image. Why? I'm not selling or using the image for profit. I am merely recording the smallest moment of what I have seen. Because I can...

As Mentioned in Mac OS X Unwired, p.155...

Thanks, Phil! I just received my copy of Mac OS X Unwired: A Guide for Home, Office, and the Road by Tom Negrino & Dori Smith in the mail today. Click on the link above to order your copy direct from O'Reilly. On page 155, you will find mention of me, my Share2Blue2th scripts, and 3650 and a 12-inch. How cool is that?!

Bluejacking with your 3650...

Gizmodo has a write-up about the phenomenon of bluejacking for any of you out there who are interested in sending surprise messages via your 3650 to other bluetooth devices in your immediate area...

Dissappearing Bluetooth Menu

This is from MacFixIt:

Bluetooth menu (and other menu) issues Yesterday we covered a report by a reader for whom the Bluetooth status menu disappears whenever attempting to send something to his Mac via Bluetooth. We've since received a few confirmations of this issue, as well as a number of reports of other status menu issues. Reader Jim Hassinger, for example, notes that for him, Apple's "Network Connection" [we assume he means modem or AirPort connection status] and volume menus, and the third-party Salling Clicker status menu are unreliable: "They just seem to come and go."

I've had this happen quite a bit. In fact, I just noticed that the bluetooth menu is gone again. It would be nice if it didn't keep disappearing...

Free Screensaver for Christmas...

Free Christmasy Screensaver for your 3650. But be forewarned: it's a beta...

MobileWhack

From Raelity Bytes:

I've a nice surprise for those of you who've read my endless prattle about my beloved 3650. I've just launched MobileWhack, a site dedicated to just such prattle.

Check it out.

PithHelmet for Panther!

I just downloaded and installed the new version of PithHelmet. Here's what it does:

PithHelmet adds some some basic but powerful content filtering to Apple's Safari browser. The basic purpose is to block ad images, but there are other potential uses as well (blocking Flash, Shockwave or horrible midi loops).
This is just a series of hacks on top of Apple's WebKit framework, but it seems to work rather effectively.
Due to the manner in which PithHelmet blocks ad content, most types of advertising content can be caught in the filter - this includes images, javascript, css, text, iframes, popups and popunders.

This little program is the coolest hack ever. Get it. And don't worry! If you were thinking of advertising with 3650 and a 12-inch, it doesn't block BlogAds by default. Just slow-loading images...

New iPod or New 12-inch?

I'm debating making a change. Over Christmas, my friend Jason is buying my old 10GB iPod off of me, and my brother is buying an old Wacom tablet off of me. The combined money from this will give me enough cash to buy one of the new generation iPods and the Belkin Voice Recorder. This has been the plan for about a month now. But then the other day, I decided to check and see how much PowerBookMedic would pay me for my 12-inch. The offer is $1100. With that money, plus the money I was going to feed into a new iPod, I could upgrade to one of the newer 12-inch models. What to do? What to do...