Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Thursday, July 3, 2008
Why OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Should Leave PowerPC In The Cold
Solid State Drives Eat Battery Life, Don't Save It For Later
The SSD Power Consumption Hoax : Flash SSDs Don't Improve Your Notebook Battery Runtime – they Reduce It
Ultrathin showdown: Apple MacBook Air vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X300 vs. Toshiba Portege R500
MacBook Air vs. Voodoo Envy 133 - Clash of World's Thinnest Notebooks
"syslogd" process taking 100% CPU under Mac OS X 10.5.4
No, not now, stop
Turn Your Old Mac into a Website Server with Free Open Source Software
Steve Jobs, Others Accused Of Fraud - Stock Options Nightmare Continues
Jobs And Apple Board Fingered In Backdating Civil Lawsuit
Apple, Jobs, Others Sued Again Over Options
Beware the Coming of the Mac
Retouching Eyes in Photoshop
Microsoft Taking Another Run At Yahoo!
Acer punts £199... er... £220... er... Linux laptop
Asus readies iMac attack with all-in-one Eee
Good Conclusion to 2 Years of Frustration with Apple in Saudi Arabia
Is Email In Danger?
A new section on Apple's iTunes U contains a wealth of free online content for K-12 educators
Online Community for FileMaker Enthusiasts
The Mac Night Owl: Another Look at the 10.6 Value Equation
Why OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Should Leave PowerPC In The Cold
APC Mag's Seamus Byrne says:
I
f Snow Leopard is all about a bedrock for the future of computing, why do so many people still call for their legacy hardware to be supported?....
The focus of Snow Leopard is on core upgrades, not shiny new features. A bedrock focused update that delivers a streamlined, enhanced OS X. Stability. Efficiency. A “new generation of core technologies.”
All this is about raising the floor on the entire system. Multi-core optimisation, support for 16TB RAM (yes, Terabytes), and a language to allow developers to tap the power of the graphics processor are just a few of the key upgrades. But you can’t lift the floor and let people walk around where the floor used to be all at the same time.....
Accept it, folks. You're on old hardware, the clock is ticking... and Apple isn't Microsoft with its eternal legacy support at the expense of OS advancement. If you must run the latest OS, you can pick up a very cheap Intel Mac second hand that will make those G5s feel molasses slow.....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/6nhrcd
Solid State Drives Eat Battery Life, Don't Save It For Later
MacUser's Dan Moren reports:
Conventional wisdom says that solid state drives... have a number of advantages over their more common magnetic-platter-based brethren, including faster disc access times, more shock absorbency, and better battery life - but just how true are those assertions.
Our siblings at Macworld showed some advantages for disk access with the SSD version of the MacBook Air when they tested it, but they didn't do robust testing of other claims, such as battery life. But the team at Tom's Hardware did some extensive testing, comparing four SSDs to a conventional Hard Drive, with surprising results: the SSDs actually reduced battery time instead of extending it.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macuser.com/hardware/solid_state_drives_eat_battery.php
The SSD Power Consumption Hoax : Flash SSDs Don't Improve Your Notebook Battery Runtime they Reduce It
Tom's Hardware's Patrick Schmid and Achim Roos report:
Flash-based solid state drives (SSDs) are considered to be the future of performance hard drives, and everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon. We are no exception, as we have been publishing many articles on flash-based SSDs during the last few months, emphasizing the performance gains and the potential power savings brought by flash memory. And there is nothing wrong with this, since SLC flash SSDs easily outperform conventional hard drives today (SLC = single level cell). However, we have discovered that the power savings aren't there: in fact, battery runtimes actually decrease if you use a flash SSD....
In fact, even a high-performance 7,200 RPM 2.5" drive provided better overall battery runtime than most of the flash SSDs we put through the Mobilemark test.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-hdd-battery,1955.html
Ultrathin showdown: Apple MacBook Air vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X300 vs. Toshiba Portege R500
Computerworld's David Haskin reports:
When it comes to laptops, ultrathin is in -- particularly since the launch of Apple's MacBook Air earlier this year. As might be expected, though, the Air isn't the only game in town -- skinny laptops are available from a variety of other vendors.
However, stylish doesn't always mean functional. You needn't look further than the latest style in women's shoes to know that what looks good isn't necessarily comfortable. Is the MacBook Air with its ultrasvelte shape actually as comfortable to use as larger, more traditionally shaped laptops? And, come to that, what about its competitors? How easy are they to use?....
To find out how these thin notebooks really rate, we asked the usability experts at Perceptive Sciences, an Austin user experience testing firm, to run the Air and two Windows-based ultrathin laptops -- the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 and the Toshiba Portege R500-S5002-- through a gamut of hands-on tests with 20 independent users.
So how does the much-ballyhooed MacBook Air stack up against its competitors? Here's what we learned.
You can check it out at:
http://tinyurl.com/6njlk9
MacBook Air vs. Voodoo Envy 133 - Clash of World's Thinnest Notebooks
GearLive's Andru Edwards reports:
Earlier this morning we put up our Voodoo Envy 133 gallery, and once we glanced at our MacBook Air, we knew it was so on. It was time to put them head-to-head, in an epic battle of the world's thinnest notebook computers. So, we put together another gallery, where the MacBook Air and Voodoo Envy 133 sit side-by-side. We take pit them together from a few different angles. Now, the Envy 133 does take the victory for being the thinnest notebook computer - but the thin side of the MacBook Air is technically thinner than the uniform thickness of the Envy. Really, it all comes down to what OS you want to run, and if you don't care, then it comes down to form factor. Oh, and of course, the Envy 133 has way more ports (including HDMI) than the MacBook Air can even dream of having at this point.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/672oqy
"syslogd" process taking 100% CPU under Mac OS X 10.5.4
MacFixIt Reports:
After updating to Mac OS X 10.5.4, users have found that the process "syslogd" is swamping the CPU, causing the computer's fans to spin excessively and resulting in poor overall system performance.
A software fix (Terminal tweak) is proposed.
While this problem has been reported by some as being associated with the Mac OS X 10.5.4 update, it is known to occur in all versions of Leopard and its exact cause is uncertain. Regardless, the problem appears to reside with syslogd's interactions with the Apple System Log facility database; removing that database appears to fix the problem. ....
You can check it out at:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20080702085840766
No, not now, stop
MacUser's Derik DeLong says:
Since upgrading to Leopard, there’s one thing that’s really got on my nerves with my Mac Pro. Time Machine and .Mac sync have a habit of kicking in at the worst times, driving my hard disk to the limit. I can hear the heads flying across my disk in a desperate attempt to save my data in case of the worst and try to match my data up to my other Macs.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.macuser.com/troubleshooting/no_not_now_stop.php?lsrc=murss
Turn Your Old Mac into a Website Server with Free Open Source Software
Low End Mac's Jason Packer says:
If you're reading Low End Mac, you probably own an older Mac, one that you adore and want to keep running and viable long past the sell-by date. With the tips and tricks you've found here, you likely have made your Blue and White G3 last longer than anyone ever expected - even the engineers at Apple. That G4 Cube that you bought on a whim is still purring along, quiet and stylish. And you even have a few G3 iMacs in use, processing words and slowly displaying web pages.
But the writing is on the wall. None of those units are officially supported by Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard", and they sure as shooting won't be supported by OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard". Truth be told, they are getting a little slow on the uptake, maxed RAM or not.
If this is you - and especially if you run your own small business - where your formerly idiosyncratic choice of Macs is indicative of your working style, these Macs have at least one more iteration of service left to you: LAMP.
LAMP is an acronym for Linux Apache MySQL PHP. It's a collection of software (called a stack, in server parlance) that turns any ordinary machine into a server capable of dishing out dynamic websites. And, like every flavor of open source software, it's free. And while it's getting harder to find vendors that provide this sort of software for PowerPC architectures, one of the oldest and most respected, Debian, still does.
For the full report visit here:
http://lowendmac.com/ed/packer/08jp/linux-apache-mysql-php-mac.html
Steve Jobs, Others Accused Of Fraud - Stock Options Nightmare Continues
Macworld UK's Jonny Evans reports:
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been accused of fraud in a US court.
Jobs alongside a range of current and former board members and executives have been accused of fraud in a class action, more fallout from the company's stock options backdating scandal.
The accused include former financial officer Fred Anderson, former general counsel Nancy Heinen, and board members William V. Campbell, Millard S. Drexler, Arthur D. Levinson, and Jerome B. York.
The case was filed on Friday. Plaintiffs Martin Vogel and Kenneth Mahoney say the accused participated in a plot to file false financial statements, concealing millions of dollars in executive compensation when they did so.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/business/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=21875
Jobs And Apple Board Fingered In Backdating Civil Lawsuit
The Register's Austin Modine reports:
The US Securities and Exchange Commission may have washed its hands of the Apple stock option backdating affair, but Steve Jobs and company aren't quite clear of the dirt yet.
Jobs, along with ex-financial chief Fred Anderson, ex-general counsel Nancy Heinen, and four members of Apple's board of directors have been fingered in a new securities fraud class action lawsuit.
The case was filed June 27 in California Northern District Court. Apple stockholders Martin Vogel and Kenneth Mahoney accuse the Apple crew of knowingly altering the dates of when stock option grants were given to executives so they appeared to have been awarded when the price was at a low.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/02/jobs_apple_backdating_civil_suit/
Apple, Jobs, Others Sued Again Over Options
BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl reports:
Apple, and current and former execs are the subject of another lawsuit revolving around the old kerfuffle around the stock options backdating mess that ensnared the company a year or two ago. The latest suit appears to be a second try by some of the same plantiffs show saw their first suit dismissed.....
I don't know what compensation they intend to argue occurred. Apple has already thoroughly investigated the matter, and found that none of the options in question really benefited anyone, least of all Steve Jobs, whose options were canceled while they were under water and replaced with restricted stock grants.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/5zdh67
Beware the Coming of the Mac
Internet News's Richard Adhikari reports:
Corporate IT staff had better prepare for a headache as the number of Apple Macs in the enterprise grows.
Over the past two years or so, users have increasingly brought the Mac into the enterprise.
However, IT staff are not prepared to deal with Apple Macs, either from a management or a security perspective, as the overwhelming majority of desktops in the enterprise are Microsoft Windows boxes.
Now, they will have to change. "IT will now have to address a universal security policy instead of a Windows security policy," Don Leatham, Lumension Security's director of solutions and strategy, told InternetNews.com.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/57tnnb
Retouching Eyes in Photoshop
Layers magazine's Chris Alvanas says:
When doing portrait work, the eyes of your subject are the most important points of the image. In this tutorial, photographer Chris Alvanas takes us through the process of retouching an eye to remove a catch light, do some recoloring, get rid of red streaks and more.
You can check it out at:
http://www.layersmagazine.com/retouching-eyes-in-photoshop.html
Microsoft Taking Another Run At Yahoo!
The Associated Press Reports:
Unable to strike a deal on its own, Microsoft Corp. reportedly is hoping to snap up Yahoo's online search operations with the help of News Corp. and Time Warner Inc.
The latest twist in Microsoft's convoluted courtship caused Yahoo's shares to rise more than three per cent in Wednesday's sinking stock market, even though the chances of a deal getting done still seemed remote.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/64cxue
Acer punts 199... er... 220... er... Linux laptop
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
Acer has clarified its pricing plan for the eagerly awaited Aspire One sub-notebook - and it's clarified the price upwards.
At launch, the company stated the basic version of the Eee PC rival would run Linux, pack in 8GB of solid-state storage and 512MB of memory, and sport a 199 price tag. Company officials stressed that that figure included VAT, the UK's 17.5 per cent sales tax.
No longer. According to ComputerActive magazine that the One's retail price will be 220 including VAT....
For more information, visit:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/02/acer_ups_linux_laptop_price/
Asus readies iMac attack with all-in-one Eee
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
Asus' attempt to conquer the world with its Eee family continues with the appearance this week of an iMac-alike all-in-one desktop model.....
It's not the first time Asus has 'borrowed' from Apple's design book: its Eee PC 900 was quick to support MacBook Air-style multi-touch gesture input.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/02/eee_monitor_leaked/
Good Conclusion to 2 Years of Frustration with Apple in Saudi Arabia
SaudiMac's Khaled A. reports:
This is an update to this story of an Apple user in Saudi Arabia who was frustrated with Apple's distributors in Saudi Arabia for 2 years.
1. We at SaudiMac tried to contact Arab Computers (Apple's authorized distributor in Saudi Arabia) as well as GlobalStore (An Apple Premium Reseller in Riyadh) and it's been a month now and neither of those two companies responded to our emails regarding Mr. Talal's MacBook Pro.
2. Talal told me today that he just received a call from Apple Executive Relations in response to his e-mails to Steve Jobs. She told him that his MacBook Pro will be replaced directly by Apple when he comes to Canada next month.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/6aeknp
Is Email In Danger?
ReadWriteWeb's Alex Iskold says:
Human history is one of progressive improvement in communication. From the 20th century mail was a fundamental form of communication. The invention of electronic mail (email) changed two things. It became cheap to send short mail, and delivery was instant. Email became favored for both corporate and personal communication.
But email faces increasing competition. Chat, text messages, Twitter, social networks and even lifestreaming tools are chipping away at email usage. In this post we take a look at what's happening and assess if email is in danger.
You can check it out at:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/is_email_in_danger.php
A new section on Apple's iTunes U contains a wealth of free online content for K-12 educators
eSchoolNerws reports:
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) announced the availability of these materials during the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in San Antonio July 2. As with other content on iTunes U, which before had been geared primarily toward college and adult learners, the new resources can be downloaded to a computer or mobile media player for easy playback and review.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=54390
Online Community for FileMaker Enthusiasts
[Press Release]
FMWebschool, Inc. Announces FMGreet, an Online Community for FileMaker Enthusiasts. FMGreet is a social networking site for FileMaker enthusiasts. FMGreet was created as an interactive messaging board for individuals attending Devcon as well as those unable to attend. FMGreet provides an easy way for all Devcon members to communicate and provides live information upadates and podcast to those unable to attend.
It only happens once a year. That's right, your chance to meet other FileMaker enthusiasts is an annual experience. It certainly doesn't have to be that way. Every year FileMaker holds a convention called Devcon with an average of 1300 attendees from around the world.
Developers en masse run from session to session and meeting to meeting without taking the time to really get to know one another. FMGreet hopes to change all of this by offering a website that actively brings the FileMaker community together - providing valuable information to Devcon attendees and those not attending. Every year developers unable to attend Devcon are left in a virtual information black hole. This is all about to change with our new campaign "No Developer Left Behind"!
FMGreet Brings the FileMaker Community Together FMGreet is unique in many ways. First and foremost it was created to give the individual a voice. Visitors to FMGreet can create a profile, blog, post to the message board as well as communicate privately with their friends. A new exciting addition is our "Connection Questionnaire". The Connection Questionnaire is a series of questions that once answered we use our compatibility algorithm to match individuals with alike interest. This is a fun way to make new friends and establish new business relationships.
FMGreet doesn't hold back when it comes to features. Currently FMGreet is focusing on the FileMaker convention to add value to everyones experience. Here is what FMGreet has to offer.
- Message boards for General Conversations, Announcements, Consulting Help or Services, Youth Activities, Travel
- Personal Profiles with personal chat wall
- Podcast section to keep everyone informed of the daily events and new exciting announcements from Filemaker and 3rd party developers.
- Live Webinars
- Session section which includes all of the speakers, and a feedback section of speaker reviews
- Free SMS alerts - attendees can choose to be notified when events and sessions will take place
- Free blogging - Courtesy of FMGateway. FMGreeters can create their own hosted blog for free
- Private messaging all guest can send private messages to one another
- Session news and uploads - presenters can upload notes from their sessions and make them freely available to everyone
FMGreet is a free for everyone to use. Our goals are simple, to give everyone a voice, and to provide valuable information to everyone in the FileMaker community. Be sure to check out FMGreet and become a part of this exciting growing community.
FMGreet Website:
http://www.fmgreet.com
FMGreet Hosted By:
http://www.fmgateway.com
FMGreet was created with:
http://www.fmwebschool.com/fmstudio.php
The Mac Night Owl: Another Look at the 10.6 Value Equation
Since I wrote my first article suggesting whether Apple should just give away Snow Leopard or make it a low-cost upgrade, many of you have written some cogent comments on the subject. You see value in what Apple is doing to improve Mac OS X, even if there aren't a lot of surface changes or enhancements.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/2008/07/another-look-at-the-106-value-equation/
Notes: You can also access our new RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/rss
Or our new Atom feed at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/atom
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
|
|
|
| |