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Use An Extended Desktop With Your iBook, iMac or eMac
Disable iBook LCD display
Kodak EasyShare DX7590 Reviewed
Toshiba Unveils 80GB 'iPod Drive'
Women Take Security Less Seriously Than Men
iBlog or Blogger, Which Is Better?
Apple Fights RealNetworks' 'Hacker Tactics'
Mac Night Owl: Sorry Rhapsody Users, Apple Doesn't Want You
Google To Scan Books From Big Libraries
Survey Says 13.5 Million Americans Considering MP3 Player Purchase By Mid-2005
Linux: Fewer Bugs Than Rivals 
ExtremeTech: Toshiba's iPod-Class Drive To Hit 80 GB In 2005
eWeek: IBM-Lenovo Deal Looks Like an 'Opportunity' to Dell CFO
ExtremeTech: ZigBee Spec Ratified
Gene & Grayson Steinberg meet Joe Kissell, Macworld Expo's Paul Kent, and "The Digital Slob" this week on The Mac Night Owl LIVE
Envision Web Show of the Week for 12/13/2004[/url]



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Use An Extended Desktop With Your iBook, iMac or eMac

Now with OS X support. This site is for educational purposes only and you are responsible for everything you do with the given information. The information published here may not be used for commercial purposes without written approval from macparts.de.

iMac G5 and new iBooks

The new iMac G5 can do screen spanning after being patched with Screen Spanning Doctor.

The same is true for the speedbumped iBooks released in October (no surprise here since the architecture of the iBook hasn't changed).

For more information, visit:
http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html






Disable iBook LCD display

A MacOS X Hints contributor says:

"While trying to patch my 600mhz dual USB iBook to run in dual display mode /clamshell, I ran across this by accident. Apparently, it is possible to use only an external display at a much higher resolution than available to the iBook's built-in display....

"The Displays panel now only detects my external display, and runs it perfectly as my primary display. This should resolve any heat-dissipation issues that result from running the iBook in clamshell mode."

You can check it out at:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20040328181549797






Kodak EasyShare DX7590 Reviewed

Pocket Lint's Doug Harman.reports:

"The Kodak DX7590 is an updated version of the DX6490 launched last year and the most obvious change from the model it replaces is the extra pixels: the resolution has been bumped to five megapixels...

"The camera is slightly Jekyll and Hyde, in that it offers a dual personality, with two levels of control. The Jekyll part is a user-friendly, point-and-shoot job that's combined with the Hyde element: a host of manual controls for the more advanced snapper. That includes no less than 14 scene/subject modes offering fast presets for specific subjects such as sunsets, landscape shots, portraits and even firework displays.....

"Given the 10x optical zoom lens you'd forgive the 7590 for being a bit of lump, but it isn't - it's surprisingly compact and lightweight, although the all-plastic build may not be to everyone's liking.

"Either way that long Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens has a 38-380mm zoom range, the lens positively sprints from one end to the other, making it pleasing responsive in use.....

"On the plus side, the shutter lag is almost non-existent"

You can check it out at:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/review_kodak_dx7590/

More info The Kodak Easyshare site






Toshiba Unveils 80GB 'iPod Drive'

The Register's Tony Smith reports:

"Toshiba today paved the way for 80GB iPods when it said it will ship an 80GB 1.8in hard drive in Q3 2005 - a year after it introduced the 60GB version that can currently to be found inside the iPod Photo.

"The Japanese manufacturer didn't mention any customers by name of course, but having supplied Apple with micro hard drives to date, it seems likely the relationship will continue with the new, higher capacity."

For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/toshiba_80gb_1-8in_hdd/







Women Take Security Less Seriously Than Men

The Register's John Leyden reports:

"Women take security less seriously than men when it comes to choosing PINs for their bank cards. A poll of over 500 British men and women, by internet security testing specialist NTA Monitor, found that women are more likely to choose one PIN for all their cards. Two thirds of the women questioned used the same PIN for all their cards. Only one in three men adopted the same practice."

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/pin_security_survey/







iBlog or Blogger, Which Is Better?

Low End Mac's Jeff Adkins says:

"I was an early adopter of iBlog, paying my registration fee before Apple provided it for free for .mac subscribers. I liked the ability of the program so well, I ditched my old method of posting homework assignments and used iBlog for last school year and the beginning of this school year.

"The main attraction it held for me was that the postings were stored locally and then uploaded to my .mac account. I could edit posts anywhere, even if I was not online.

"....I went in search of another blogging tool. I found a website called Blogger, which has free hosting. I have issues with free hosting services, having been burned once or twice in the past, and I have an aversion to services that don't store my data on my local drive.

"But Blogger has several important advantages that have added up to my replacing iBlog as my primary daily lesson plan archive tool. First, it's very easy to use. It could use one or two more features on the Mac side, but basically it is great."

For the full report, visit here.
http://lowendmac.com/lab/04/1214.html






Apple Fights RealNetworks' 'Hacker Tactics'

CNET News.com's John Borland reports:

"Apple Computer has quietly updated its iPod software so that songs purchased from RealNetworks' online music store will no longer play on some of the Mac maker's popular MP3 players.

"The move could render tunes purchased by many iPod owners unplayable on their music players. For the last four months, RealNetworks has marketed its music store as the only Apple rival compatible with the iPod, following the company's discovery of a way to let its customers play their downloaded tunes on Apple's MP3 player.

"Apple criticized RealNetworks' workaround, dubbed Harmony, as the "tactics...of a hacker," and warned in July that RealNetworks-purchased songs would likely "cease to work with current and future iPods." Apple offered no further statement Tuesday, but confirmed that the software released with its iPod Photo will not play music purchased from RealNetworks' music store."

For the full report, visit here.







Mac Night Owl: Sorry Rhapsody Users, Apple Doesn't Want You

I see it now. Apple blocks Real. Real fights back, and so it goes.

Here's the URL for today's commentary:

http://www.macnightowl.com/index.htm#you






Google To Scan Books From Big Libraries

AP Business Writer Michael Liedtke reports:

"Taking a trip to the library may take little more than a computer's Web browser. Working with major libraries, Google is hoping to scan millions of books and periodicals into its popular Internet search engine during the next several years as part of an effort to bring more of the world's collective knowledge online.

"Material from the New York public library as well as libraries at four universities - Harvard, Stanford, Michigan and Oxford - will be indexed on Mountain View, Calif.-based Google under the ambitious initiative announced late Monday."

For the full report, visit here.






Survey Says 13.5 Million Americans Considering MP3 Player Purchase By Mid-2005

SigmaTel, Inc.has released a survey that shows up to 20 percent of Americans (13.5 million according to 2000 U.S. census data) between the ages of 18 and 35 are considering an MP3 player purchase within the next six months.

Conducted during Thanksgiving week, the traditional kick-off to the holiday shopping season, the nationwide survey found that 59 percent of would-be buyers plan to give MP3 players as gifts. The survey was fielded by independent research firm StrategyOne on behalf of SigmaTel.

"In the U.S., the portable MP3 player category has expanded far beyond early adopters. A compelling selection of device form factors, storage capacities, price points and compatible online music services has driven this expansion," said Susan Kevorkian, senior analyst with IDC. "Younger consumers have been on the cutting edge of this trend, which is only gaining momentum during this holiday season."

From storage capacity to ease-of-use and price, consumers take many factors into consideration when choosing to buy a player. Twenty-nine percent of respondents cited price as the leading attribute they would consider in making a purchasing decision, with 39 percent stating they would be willing to spend up to $100 and 24 percent would be willing to spend up to $150.

However, among those respondents who already own an MP3 player, 31 percent said they would be willing to spend $150 to $249 for a player with increased storage capacity. This seems to indicate that owners value added storage capacity and are willing to pay a higher premium for it.

"If consumer intentions are any indication, the MP3 market has moved beyond its infancy stage and is poised for significant growth," said Ron Edgerton, president and chief executive officer of SigmaTel. "SigmaTel understands this, and will continue to engage consumers to better understand their lifestyles and the driving forces behind their purchasing behavior to help us better develop the technology that will meet their needs."

Among other consumer insights, the survey revealed that, surprisingly, brand lagged behind price and storage capacity with just nine percent of respondents citing it as their main decision influencer.

When asked why they would consider buying an MP3 player, 63 percent of would-be buyers cited new music download services and 69 percent cited audio quality.

"This survey clearly shows us that consumers have embraced this technology and the wide range of MP3 players available to suit every budget and lifestyle," noted Edgerton.

A nationwide telephone survey was conducted by StrategyOne from November 19-29, 2004, of 656 American consumers between 18 and 35 years of age. The margin-of-error for this survey is +/-3.8 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

For more information on SigmaTel products, as well as development information and sales support visit:
http://www.sigmatel.com






Linux: Fewer Bugs Than Rivals 

Wired's Michelle Delio reports:

"Linux advocates have long insisted that open-source development results in better and more secure software. Now they have statistics to back up their claims.

"According to a four-year analysis of the 5.7 million lines of Linux source code conducted by five Stanford University computer science researchers, the Linux kernel programming code is better and more secure than the programming code of most proprietary software.

"The report, set to be released on Tuesday, states that the 2.6 Linux production kernel, shipped with software from Red Hat, Novell and other major Linux software vendors, contains 985 bugs in 5.7 million lines of code, well below the industry average for commercial enterprise software. Windows XP, by comparison, contains about 40 million lines of code, with new bugs found on a frequent basis."

For the full report, visit here.
http://www.wired.com/news/linux/0,1411,66022,00.html






ExtremeTech: Toshiba's iPod-Class Drive To Hit 80 GB In 2005

"Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday that it plans to offer an 80-Gbyte version of its 1.8-inch hard drive, a storage platform that could be used in a next-generation Apple iPod.

Toshiba's new model is the first in the world to include a storage technique called perpendicular recording; the technology will be used to create both a 40-GB and an 80-GB drive in Toshiba's first and second fiscal quarters of 2005. Since Toshiba's fiscal year begins on April 1, the drives should be released in April and July, respectively."

Read more at:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,,1740930,00.asp







eWeek: IBM-Lenovo Deal Looks Like an 'Opportunity' to Dell CFO

"IBM Corp.'s plans to sell off its PC business to China's Lenovo Group will probably bring an opportunity to nail greater sales in China, according to Jim Schneider, Dell Computer Corp.'s senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Aside from international PC sales, Schneider cited Dell's emerging printer and consumer electronics businesses as other promising areas for the future. "Time will tell, but I think [the IBM-Lenovo deal] just gives us another opportunity," Schneider said, speaking last week at the Raymond James IT Supply Chain Conference in New York."

Read more at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,,1740893,00.asp






ExtremeTech: ZigBee Spec Ratified

"The ZigBee Alliance said Tuesday that it has ratified the specification, paving the way for sensor companies to start making low-power networks a reality.

In November, the Alliance promised that the specification would be ratified by the end of the year. Given the number of ZigBee-ready products announced in 2004, the Alliance anticipates seeing ZigBee-compliant consumer products as soon as early 2005, Alliance chairman Bob Heile said in a statement."

Read more at:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,,1740882,00.asp





Gene & Grayson Steinberg meet Joe Kissell, Macworld Expo's Paul Kent, and "The Digital Slob" this week on The Mac Night Owl LIVE

This week, Gene and Grayson conduct a backup seminar featuring Joe Kissell, author of "Take Control of Backups." You'll also learn the latest news about January's Macworld Expo in San Francisco from Conference Chairperson Paul Kent. In addition, you'll meet the one, the only, Curt Brandao, better known as "The Digital Slob."

You can tune into the broadcast Thursday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM Pacific, 9:00 to 11:00 PM Eastern, at http://www.macradio.com/thursday . An archive of the show will be available for listening at your convenience within eight hours of the original broadcast.






Envision Web Show of the Week for 12/13/2004

This week's Envision Web Show of the Week can best be described by its site's subtitle: "Art historical images of sculpture and architecture from pre-historic to post-modern." The site contains over 10,000 images from around the world*. Please be sure to view this show with Envision 1.0.2, which contains performance improvements for large shows like this one. The show file can be downloaded from the Show of the Week site at:
http://www.opendoor.com/envision/ShowOfTheWeek.html

Stop by Open Door's MacWorld booth (#649) in January to see how Envision is changing the definition of digital art. Previous Shows of the Week are available in the Show of the Week archive.



***



Charles W. Moore


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