iTMS 100 Million Downloads, Apple FY 04 Q3 Results Conference Call, Apple a no-show at Macworld, Tur
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iTunes Music Store Downloads Top 100 Million Songs
Apple FY 04 Third Quarter Results Conference Call Wednesday
Apple a No-show At Macworld Boston
Macworld Conference & Expo First Major Trade Show at New Convention Center
Turning VHS Tapes Into DVDs Tutorial
Police Test Hi-tech Zapper That Could End Car Chases
MS Cheers As Amazon Offers 'iPod killer' Media Centers
Grassroots Hackers Create File-swapping Wireless iPod
Turn Your iPod Into A Wireless Jukebox With Pocketster Pro Tutorial
Why Mac OS X is Better
Replacing An iBook
Music Industry Appeals Music-swapping Case
PC Mag: Time to Find an IE Alternative?
Mozilla Takes Bite Out Of IE
Mozilla vs. Microsoft in Browser-Flaw Debate
Mozilla And Opera Suffer Security Scares
eWeek: Mozilla Firefox Browser Set for September Debut
eWeek: Faceoff: Who's to Blame for Browser Holes?
Mac Night Owl: The Tiger Report: Can You Live Without It?
Best FileMaker Pro 7 Database Solution to Win Nearly $12,000 in Prizes at the FileMaker Developer Conference Next Month
Mac Night Owl: This Week's Mac Night Owl LIVE Update[/url]
iTunes Music Store Downloads Top 100 Million Songs
Apple has announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 100 million songs from the iTunes Music Store, marking a major milestone for the emerging online music business. The 100 millionth song, “Somersault (Dangermouse remix)” by Zero 7 was purchased by Kevin Britten, age 20, of Hays, Kansas on Sunday, July 11. As the grand prize winner of Apple’s 100 million song countdown, Kevin Britten will receive a 17-inch PowerBook, a 40GB iPod, a gift certificate for 10,000 iTunes songs to create the ultimate music library for his iPod and the opportunity to create his own Celebrity Playlist to be published on the iTunes Music Store.
“As we cross this historic milestone, we want to thank our customers, the artists and the music labels who have embraced our dream for iTunes,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iTunes quickly outpaced the competition and is far and away the world’s number one online music service.”
The iTunes Music Store in the US, UK, France and Germany offers over 700,000 songs in each country. With Apple’s legendary ease-of-use, pioneering features, personal use rights and breakthrough pricing of just $0.99, €0.99 and ÂŁ0.79, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store gives users the ability to play songs on up to five personal computers, burn a song onto CDs an unlimited number of times, burn the same playlist up to seven times and listen to their music on an unlimited number of iPods.
Apple FY 04 Third Quarter Results Conference Call Wednesday
WHAT: Apple, FY 04 Third Quarter Results Conference Call
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14, 2004, 2:00 p.m. PDT/5:00 p.m. EDT
REBROADCAST: The conference call will be available as a continuous rebroadcast beginning Wednesday July 14 at 5:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. EDT through Wednesday, July 21 at 5:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. EDT. The dial in number for the rebroadcast is (719) 457-0820. Enter confirmation code: 439123
WEBCAST: Apple will provide live audio streaming of its FY 04 Third Quarter Results Conference Call utilizing Apple’s popular QuickTime 6, the industry-leading multimedia software for live and on-demand audio and video streaming. The live audio webcast will be accessible through Apple’s web site at:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq304/
Viewers simply need to download a copy of QuickTime 6 in advance from http://www.apple.com/quicktime to listen to the conference call.
Apple a No-show At Macworld Boston
The San Francisco Chronicle's Matthew Yi reports:
"Macintosh fans looking for Apple's latest wares at this week's Macworld Conference & Expo in Boston will surely be disappointed.
"That's because for the first time, the Cupertino firm is not participating in the East Coast's biggest Macintosh trade show.
"Although Apple doesn't put on the show, it has consistently used Macworld's stage to unveil its newest computers and gadgets. At January's gathering in San Francisco, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs showed off the colorful iPod Mini portable music player.
"But this summer, Apple is making good on its promise that it would not be present if IDG World Expo, the trade show's organizer, moved the weeklong event from New York to Boston."
For the full report, visit here.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/07/12/BUGGF7JA8V1.DTL
Macworld Conference & Expo First Major Trade Show at New Convention Center
WHAT: Macworld Conference & Expo ( http://www.macworldexpo.com ) celebrates
the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh computer at the new
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center this week.
WHERE: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC)
415 Summer Street
Boston, MA
WHEN: Conferences: July 12-15, 2004; Exhibits: July 13-15, 2004
WHO: Owned and produced by IDG World Expo ( http://www.idgworldexpo.com )
HOW: Media registration is in the Exhibit Hall B Lobby in the
BCEC. Please be prepared to present a photo ID and
appropriate credentials (details available at
http://www.macworldexpo.com/live/20/media//mediareg ).
Attendee registration is in the Exhibit Hall B Lobby of the
BCEC. The cost for an Exhibits Only pass is $35; conference
passes start at $295.
Registration hours:
Monday, July 12 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday, July 13 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wednesday, July 14 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday, July 15 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
SELECTED EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
-- The original Macintosh design team will take part in a panel discussion hosted by New York Times columnist David Pogue; July 13 at 10:00 a.m.
-- Photojournalist Rick Smolan will deliver a feature presentation that describes how the Mac was used to turn more than one million photographs into the best-selling America 24/7 series of books; July 14 at 10:00 a.m.
-- The MacBrainiac Challenge will pit two teams of Mac luminaries against one another in a game show-style contest; July 14 at 3:00 p.m.
-- The Town Hall Meeting will feature top industry observers presenting their views on the state of the market and discussing recent developments; July 13 at 11:30 a.m.
-- The WOW Iron Chef of Web Design Competition will feature teams of three competing head-to-head to design, code and deploy a working Web site for a non-profit institution; held throughout the day on July 14.
-- The "Geeks & Gadgets" presentations will be headlined by real-world Mac users who have done extraordinary things with Mac technology - from building "smart homes" to uploading content from a base camp at Mount Everest; schedule spans July 13-15.
-- The Dream Studios, an interactive exhibit designed and developed by the Berklee College of Music, will simulate state-of-the-art music studios based on the Mac; located on the exhibit floor.
-- The Berklee Tekno-Rave Ensemble, a group of virtuoso Apple PowerBook performers and composers from the college's Music Synthesis Department, will perform on the exhibit floor; July 13 at 2:30 p.m.
-- Birds of a Feather meetings will provide an opportunity for like-minded Mac users to drive discussions on hot topics in the industry and popular applications for the Mac; July 14 at 6:00 p.m.
-- The exhibit floor will feature product demonstrations from industry-leading companies, including Microsoft, HP, Quark, MYOB, Wacom, Sophos, Harman Multimedia, Guitar Center and many others.
Turning VHS Tapes Into DVDs Tutorial
washingtonpost.com has posted a tutorial on Turning VHS Tapes Into DVDs
"Lucky for you, it's never been easier to digitize. You can cart your tapes to a shop that will convert them for you, or, if you're feeling ambitious, invest in computer hardware and software that enables you to transfer your media at home. Here's how to do it:
"...If you have only a few tapes worth saving, taking them to a conversion shop is probably the most economical option.....Prices start around $30 per disc (less for duplicates), and turnaround time can be as short as a couple of days (or even the same day), depending how many tapes you want to transfer.
"If you've got a whole library of tapes -- and aren't too tech-phobic -- you may want to invest in your own conversion hardware and software. Yes, this requires bigger bucks up front, but in the long run, the goods more than pay for themselves."
You can check it out here.
Police Test Hi-tech Zapper That Could End Car Chases
The Guardian's Ian Sample reports:
"A hi-tech device that can bring speeding cars to a halt at the flick of a switch is set to become the latest weapon in the fight against crime.
"Police forces in Britain and the US have ordered tests of the new system that delivers a blast of radio waves powerful enough to knock out vital engine electronics, making the targeted vehicle stall and slowly come to a stop....
"The bulk of the device is designed to fit in a car boot and consists of a battery and a bank of capacitors that can store an electrical charge. Flicking a switch on the dashboard sends a burst of electricity into an antenna mounted on the roof of the car. The antenna then produces a narrow beam of intense radio waves that is directed at the vehicle ahead...
"When the radio waves hit the targeted car, they induce surges of electricity in its electronics, upsetting the fuel injection and engine firing signals...."
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,1259138,00.html
MS Cheers As Amazon Offers 'iPod killer' Media Centers
The Register's Tony Smith says:
"In a desperate bid to drum up early enthusiasm for its 'iPod killer' Personal Media Center handheld video player technology, Microsoft announced that Amazon.com has begun taking orders for the devices.
"And, indeed, enter 'Creative Zen Media Center' into the website's search box and up will come the company's $500 20GB video player. What you won't get is any indication as to when your order - should you click the 'Pre-order this item today' button - will be fulfilled."
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/12/ms_pmc_amazon/
Grassroots Hackers Create File-swapping Wireless iPod
The Register's Andrew Orlowski reports:
"Since its introduction almost two years ago, the fashionable and expensive iPod gadget has earned a reputation as a music hoard for selfish yuppies. But perhaps not for very much longer. Thanks to some ingenious Romanian entrepreneurs, it might actually start to be really useful. Here's how.....
"Now, at last, technology is able to catch up with society. At least in theory: cheap hard disks, wireless chips and decent batteries can be built into a small portable box, and the distribution systems successfully pioneered by the phone companies (that bring $500 computers to the mass market at $99 a shot) are all in place.
"So you should be able to walk past your local coffee store or laundromat and collect music as you go - giving them a new social function as a radio station - or simply be able to share your tune of the day with the bus passenger next to you. And you should be able to do so knowing the artist gets paid."
You can check it out at:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/10/wireless_ipod/
Turn Your iPod Into A Wireless Jukebox With Pocketster Pro Tutorial
SIMEDA has posted a tutorial on turning your iPod into a wireless jukebox.
"WARNING! SIMEDA takes no responsability regarding the legality of the procedure described below. This procedure allows you to broadcast and/or share the music on your iPod. You must check the legislation that applies to you and decide accordingly. While some uses might be legal (bringing your music to a party and playing it from a computer), others (sharing your music with others on your network) might not. We cannot be held responsible for anything that you do using this system!
"Pocketster is an application that allows your Pocket PC to be discovered by other Pocket PCs in the area or by any PC running a Zeroconf (a.k.a Rendezvous) discovery stack. You can also discover other Pocketster users anywhere on your wireless LAN. Pocketster includes a web server (that you can use to publish information) and a music preview utility that allows you to stream music files from nearby Pocketster users. More details and screenshots can be found at:
http://www.pocketster.com/
"Pocketster Pro (the advanced version of Pocketster) takes the idea a step further and adds an iPod Module. The module enables you to publish your iPod playlists and have anyone in the area listen to previews or download tracks wirelessly from those playlists.
"The iPod Module can be used by Pocketster Pro customers that have a PDA with a host USB port. The first (and probably the most popular) Pocket PC PDA that contains a host USB port is the Toshiba e800 (used in the tests below). You can also add a host USB port to any Pocket PC with a Compact Flash TypeII slot."
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.simeda.com/pocketster-ipod.html
Why Mac OS X is Better
James Duncan Davidson says:
"Unnsse Khan wrote me yesterday and asked the question, "Why are Macs better than PCs?" I thought about it for a while and decided that I'd write my reply as a public blog entry. After all, I've been a poster boy for Macs for a while. Almost every serious programmer I know and respect now uses one—and many of them asked me that question before they took the jump and bought a PowerBook. Boy, if I had a kick back for every Mac I've helped sell... well, I'd be living in a penthouse suite instead of an apartment. But it doesn't matter. I like working on my platform. And I don't mind telling people why.....
"So what about the argument of the Mac being a small market? My response: Define market. First off, I can develop in a host of languages deployable on any platform. Second, in my tribe, Macs are rampant. For example, at this year's Emerging Tech Conference the machines in tow were about 50/50 Mac vs. Intel. Note that I said Intel and not Windows. The Intel machines seemed evenly divided between Windows and Linux.
"For the people I care about, the market share is biased towards the Mac. I guess if I really wanted to sell software to people who buy their machines at Wal-Mart, then I'd be all behind Windows or whatever. But as it is, in the circles I run in, Windows is so 1999."
For more information, visit:
http://x180.net/Journal/MacOSX/WhyMacRocks.html
Replacing An iBook
MyMac's Mark Marcantonio says:
"After two weeks of looking and searching I finally broke down and replaced my aging iBook 500. Being a serious cheap skate. I was looking at all of my options. I rarely buy anything of substance new....
"Then, two bombshells happened; first, my principal agreed to let me trade-in two other old laptops along with the iBook. Secondly, by chance I looked at the CompUSA web site and noticed they had a trade-in program with prices based upon MHz. My iBook was worth a whopping $575 if all was ok. The two older Windows laptops added another potential $450. The Mac Store could only give me a realistic $340 on the iBook, and of course wouldn’t even touch the other two notebooks. The down side to CompUSA was that they only sold new equipment. I consider my demo/refurbished/used purchases to be a personal badge of frugal honor....
"I was pretty well set on another iBook 12”, but the sexy sleekness of the PowerBook 12” was tempting. I decided to run a couple of speed comparison tests. I counted “Mississippi’s” during the startup of both iMovie and iPhoto. The difference was less than a second. Next, I compared keyboards and cases. The PowerBook’s keyboard is an absolute joy, the best I’ve felt since the IBM 770X. The iBook felt stiffer than my old model, something that I never complained about but on occasion did notice. The difference in cases is dramatic. The aluminum PowerBook screams cool, contemporary, however, being a teacher the iBook’s polycarbonate case has proven its durability and toughness on many occasions..... After some final debating, I just couldn’t justify the price difference and settled on the iBook....."
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=1777
Music Industry Appeals Music-swapping Case
The Canadian Press reports:
"The Canadian Recording Industry Association, which represents the country's major music producers, filed its appeal arguments Monday hoping to overturn a decision last March that protected the identities of people who copy music online.
"In a document filed with the Federal Court of Appeal, the organization said Federal Court Judge Konrad von Finckenstein erred in his interpretation of the country's copyright laws and overlooked some aspects of evidence presented....
"In his March 31 decision, von Finckenstein said that uploading songs to shared folders on a home computer was permissible under the law because the songs weren't actively being distributed to others. He compared the action to allowing photocopy machines in public libraries which are filled with copyrighted books.....
"CRIA's appeal is being bolstered by the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association and a coalition of software developers. The two groups, which claim to have similar property right issues as music makers, have applied to be heard by the court on the appeal."
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1089675521310_84?hub=SciTech
PC Mag: Time to Find an IE Alternative?
"Microsoft's Internet Explorer is the de facto Web browser on Windows PCs. As such, it is a prominent target for attackers relying on documented vulnerabilities in how IE renders both HTML and DHTML, runs both JavaScript and ActiveX, validates references to cached objects, and applies security settings to MIME types (see http://www.cert.org for myriad advisories).
But security concerns aren't the only reason to seek an alternative. IE's slow rendering engine and dearth of privacy features may plant the thought in some iconoclastic minds that it may not be the best browser for everyone. Here we evaluate the newest offerings from Opera Software, Opera 7.52; and from Mozilla Foundation, Firefox 0.9.1."
Read more at:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,,1622109,00.asp
Mozilla Takes Bite Out Of IE
The Register's John Leyden says:
"For the first time since Microsoft saw off rival Netscape in the 1990s Internet Explorer's virtual stranglehold on the browser marketplace has loosened. IE's share decreased slightly from 95.7 per cent to 94.73 per cent in the month up to 6 July, according to Web metrics firm WebSideStory.
"Mozilla was the main beneficiary of the defection of one in 100 users from IE. According to WebSideStory, the combined Mozilla and Netscape market share rose from 3.21 per cent in June to 4.05 per cent in July. Although small in percentage terms, a defection of users from IE is something Microsoft ignores at its peril."
For the full report, visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/12/ie_bugs_benefit_mozilla/
Mozilla vs. Microsoft in Browser-Flaw Debate
NewsFactor's Erika Morphy says:
"The gods are having a good laugh at the expense of Mozilla enthusiasts right now. An open-source alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, the Mozilla browser has long been embraced by techies disdainful of Microsoft technology, and more recently by users fearful of the onslaught of viruses and worms aimed at Microsoft.
"Now, though, a new flaw has been discovered that affects Mozilla browsers running on the Windows operating system, according to the Mozilla Foundation. The flaw impacts the company's Mozilla application suite, as well as its Firefox and Thunderbird products. It does not affect Linux or Macintosh users.
"It does, though, put a dent in the aura of infallibility that alternative browsers have. Recently, the U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) recommended that consumers seriously consider alternative browsers, such as Mozilla and Opera, in light of Microsoft IE's security vulnerabilities..."
For the full report, visit here.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nf/20040712/tc_nf/25819
Mozilla And Opera Suffer Security Scares
Techworld's Matthew Broersma reports:
"The Mozilla Foundation has issued patches for a flaw in its browsers that could allow an attacker to execute existing applications on a Windows XP machine. Researchers have also discovered a bug in Opera Software's browser that could be exploited to make users falsely believe they are visiting a trusted website, such as a banking site.
"The bugs in Mozilla and Opera, which together account for about five percent of browser users, follow on the heels of a string of Internet Explorer attacks that appear to be convincing many users to explore IE's alternatives."
For the full report, visit here.
eWeek: Mozilla Firefox Browser Set for September Debut
"The final version of Mozilla's Firefox will arrive September 14, according to lead engineer Ben Goodger.
Open-source browser fans, and those who have grown distrustful enough of Internet Explorer's security flaws to consider alternative browsers, will be looking forward to the first nonbeta release of the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox. The standalone browser has been in development since 2002.
The Mozilla Foundation renamed its standalone browser, formerly Mozilla Firebird, to Firefox with its 0.8 release earlier this year."
Read more at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,,1622730,00.asp
eWeek: Faceoff: Who's to Blame for Browser Holes?
"The recent rash of security problems related to Windows-based Web browsers has led some to ask if the browsers themselves are to blame-or is Windows itself just not safe?
First, Microsoft's Internet Explorer was found to be vulnerable to a number of potential attacks from a Web page. While many of the recently discovered attacks on IE were found to be based on previously patched holes in the browser, an attack that allows for the download and launch of malicious code from a compromised Web server has prompted some security organizations to urge users to consider alternate browsers."
Read more at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,,1622788,00.asp
Mac Night Owl: The Tiger Report: Can You Live Without It?
In a word: Maybe.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.htm#it
Best FileMaker Pro 7 Database Solution to Win Nearly $12,000 in Prizes at the FileMaker Developer Conference Next Month
FileMaker has announced an international competition for the best new database solution created in FileMaker Pro 7, the latest version of the company's acclaimed database software.
The competition is open to the general public and seeks to find the very best database solutions (entry form and complete details at http://filemaker-offer.com/idol created using FileMaker Pro 7. Nominees will be selected by FileMaker and presented to attendees at the company's upcoming FileMaker Developer Conference, August 29-September 1 at the Marriott Springs Resort Hotel, Phoenix, Arizona
Finalists will be chosen on the basis of originality; best FileMaker Pro 7 based tricks; best use of FileMaker Pro 7 technology; and best User Interface.
FileMaker Pro 7, for Windows and Mac OS X and the web, is the most significant revision of the product ever. It has been redesigned using a modern, streamlined relational architecture, which enables users to simplify information management by storing multiple tables within a single file. To keep pace with rich-media management and other sophisticated solutions, FileMaker Pro 7 dramatically expands its data capacity to 8 terabytes per file or 4,000 times the old limit.
Expected to attract more than 1,000 corporate and independent database developers, consultants and trainers from more than 25 countries, the FileMaker Developer Conference will empower participants with the expertise to create and deploy easy-to-use yet powerful FileMaker workgroup solutions.
Conference attendees may choose from among 50 in-depth technical sessions covering a range of issues and how-to topics, including: Migrating to FileMaker Pro 7: The Strategic Perspective; Instant Web Publishing with FileMaker 7; FileMaker 7 Security: Nuts & Bolts; New Selling Opportunities with FileMaker 7; FileMaker 7 Design Fundamentals; FileMaker 7 Server Configuration; Creating Your First XSLT Stylesheet; Citrix/Terminal Services with FileMaker Pro 7; Extend Your Solutions with Plug-ins; Implementing Custom Privilege Management in FileMaker Pro 7; and Interaction Design in FileMaker Pro 7.
Other conference highlights will include:
-- Opening keynote with FileMaker President Dominique Goupil
-- Lunch with the conference speakers and industry experts
-- Face-time with the FileMaker Product Team
-- FileMaker Pro workshops, Tech Support Central help, and Hands-on Lab
-- Product "Innovations" Showcase
-- Valuable 3rd-party vendor presentations, products, services
-- FileMaker Developer Conference networking dinner
-- FileMaker Excellence Award (FSA awards night)
For online registration, conference brochure and a complete listing of the conference sessions and schedule, go to:
http://www.filemaker.com/devcon
The FileMaker Developer Conference is co-sponsored by FileMaker, Inc. and Advisor Media, publishers of FileMaker Advisor Magazine. Conference speakers, content and other elements are subject to change without notice or obligation.
Mac Night Owl: This Week's Mac Night Owl LIVE Update
This week our guests talked about GarageBand, Tiger and You Software's latest product.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/newsletters/2004/07/241.htm#update
***
Charles W. Moore
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