Moore’s Tech Web Reader - Friday, September 21, 2007
Coming Soonish: USB (and FireWire) for Speed Freaks
USB 3.0 is gonna be 4 Gbps big, wireless USB 1.1 on the way, and Firewire aint dead
Apple's Jobs Subpoenaed for Deposition, People Say
Men More Likely To Click On Online Sex Content - Hey; D'ya Think?
NBC unveils self-destructing, ad-addled anti-iTunes service
CBS and Fox offer free TV through iTunes US
Apple coughs up G4 refunds to dissatisfied Danes
Apple, Danish board disagree over iBook flaw
Music industry cripples eDonkey network
Apple Investors Overlooking Mac's Windows Capability
Mail, Entourage, Or Web Email. Which Is Better?
OpenOffice Aqua Still A Year Away
Some Of The Keys On My Keyboard Don't Work
F1 Secrets Left On The Web
Apple Wireless Keyboards and Mouse: System Requirements
PC Mag: Build the Ultimate Home Office
The Mac Night Owl: Hopes and Dreams for the Leopard Finder
Coming Soonish: USB (and FireWire) for Speed Freaks
PCWorld says:
....the 1394 Trade Association is currently working on a spec to bring the next generation of FireWire up to a speed of 3.2 Gb/s, and reviewing proposals for a 10 Gb/s spec as well. While it seems like a foregone conclusion that USB 3.0 will take the crown if they aim for a faster spec, other factors are also at play...
You can check it out at:
http://blogs.pcworld.com/digitalworld/archives/2007/09/coming_soonish.html
USB 3.0 is gonna be 4 Gbps big, wireless USB 1.1 on the way, and Firewire aint dead
MacUser's Derik DeLong says:
The ubiquitous USB marches on. The current “480 Mbps” wireless USB doesn’t achieve speeds anywhere near the quoted spec. That’s why although 1 Gbps wireless USB 1.1 will probably achieve nowhere near that spec either....
Meanwhile, Firewire hasn’t completely stagnated. The next version should support at least 3.2 Gbps and proposals for 10 Gbps are in the works....
For the full commentary, click here.
http://www.macuser.com/hardware/usb_30_is_gonna_be_4_gbps_big_1.php
Apple's Jobs Subpoenaed for Deposition, People Say
Bloomberg's Karen Gullo and David Scheer report:
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs was subpoenaed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to give a deposition in a backdating lawsuit against the company's former general counsel, two people familiar with the matter said.
The subpoena isn't part of an SEC investigation, one of the people said. It seeks Jobs's testimony in the SEC's lawsuit against Nancy Heinen, who was sued April 24 for allegedly backdating stock-option grants to Jobs and members of his executive team, said the people, who requested anonymity because deposition subpoenas aren't made public.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDqQnJPg5PPg
Men More Likely To Click On Online Sex Content - Hey; D'ya Think?
Updated Thu. Sep. 20 2007 5:08 PM ET
CTV.ca News reports:
A new study in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality finds that men who spend a lot of time on the Internet are much more likely to click on sexually explicit spam, unsolicited email, and pop-ups advertising sex sites.
Psychologists at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Guelph in Ontario used a sample of 482 Canadian male and female university students, exploring their reactions to sexually explicit Internet material.
Overall, the men had more positive attitudes towards online sexual content than women, and were more likely to explore unsolicited emails and pop-ups. In fact, the results "suggest that males were very receptive to receiving this kind of material," the authors say.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070920/online_sex_070920/20070920?hub=TopStories
NBC unveils self-destructing, ad-addled anti-iTunes service
The Register's Cade Metz reports:
Less than a month after its very public breakup with Apple iTunes, NBC Universal has announced its own rights-restricting video download service.
With the new NBC Direct, due for beta testing sometime in October, you'll have the power to download shows like "The Office" and "Heroes" immediately after they're broadcast on national television - without paying a penny. But don't get too excited. You can't view these videos on more than one Windows PC. They're riddled with commercials you can't skip. And they self-destruct after seven days.
For the full report click here.
CBS and Fox offer free TV through iTunes US
Macworld UK's Jonny Evans reports:
The gathering storm between Apple and some US television studios is becoming more partisan.
NBC Universal refused to sign a new distribution contract with Apple earlier this month, and this week announced plans to offer limited free downloads of shows, such as Heroes and The Office through its own NBC Direct download service....
In the other corner, Fox and CBS have decided to broaden their relationship with iTunes. Both networks are offering season premieres through Apple's service in the US for free.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=19159
Apple coughs up G4 refunds to dissatisfied Danes
The Register's Austin Modine reports:
Apple will admit no wrongdoing, but has agreed to return money to Danish customers with allegedly defective iBook G4s. The concession comes after months of fighting a report from the Consumer Complaints Board (CCB) in Denmark that claims evidence of an original design flaw in the laptops.
A number of iBook G4 customers worldwide say that after only one year's use, the computers lose power and the screen goes blank.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/20/apple_refunds_ibook_g4_in_denmark/
For my take on this matter, see:
http://www.pbcentral.com/columns/hildreth_moore/denmark.shtml
Apple, Danish board disagree over iBook flaw
IDG News Service's Peter Sayer reports:
Apple does not agree that a manufacturing defect caused power failures in an iBook G4 laptop sold in Denmark, but it refunded the customer's money, said the country's Consumer Complaints Board.
An Apple spokeswoman in the U.S. said, "Apple disagrees with the DCCB's findings based on our own investigation, and has a strong track record for customer satisfaction."
The case is just one of many concerning the iBook G4 that the board has heard about, Frederik Navne Boesgaard, the complaints board's legal adviser, said Wednesday.
Apple also faces a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California concerning a similar problem with the iBook G4. In a complaint filed on Nov. 7, plaintiff Alan Vitt said the computers' motherboards fail at an abnormally high rate...
For the full report, visit:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/09/19/Apple-admits-flaw-in-Danish-iBooks_1.html
For my take on this matter, see:
http://www.pbcentral.com/columns/hildreth_moore/denmark.shtml
Music industry cripples eDonkey network
The Register's Jan Libbenga reports:
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has shut down six eDonkey servers in Germany through a series of injunctions from regional courts in Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, and Frankfurt.
The IFPI claims the actions have dramatically reduced file sharing.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/20/music_industry_shuts_down_edonkey/
Apple Investors Overlooking Mac's Windows Capability
Seeking Alpha's Turley Muller says:
Much, if not all, of the attention regarding Apple has been focused on the iPhone. Apple's recent $200 price reduction on the iPhone resulted in analysts, journalists, and investors debating the true demand for new device. Additionally, the effects of the price cut on Apple's earnings has been a hot topic of discussion. Certainly the iPhone is relevant to Apple's performance, but ostensibly it's the Macintosh computers that will have the most impact. Specifically, the Ma's ability to run Windows natively has the potential to be a colossal catalyst for boosting Mac market share.
For the full commentary, click here.
http://www.seekingalpha.com/article/47768-apple-investors-overlooking-mac-s-windows-capability
Mail, Entourage, Or Web Email. Which Is Better?
Mac 360's Alexis Kayhill says:
Most of what we do on the web these days involves email and browser. Browsers? Lots of choices. Email? Not so many choices, right?
The basics are Apple and Microsoft and a few other obscure email tools. Don’t forget your browser. It’s becoming the email application for Mac and Windows users.
For the full report, visit:
http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/mail_entourage_or_web_email_which_is_better/
OpenOffice Aqua Still A Year Away
Ars Technica's Justin Berka reports:
For anyone who has been waiting patiently for an Aqua version of the OpenOffice.org suite, the June alpha release of OpenOffice Aqua was a big step in the right direction. An alpha release is still a long way away from the quality that the OpenOffice.org developers like to produce, though, so the alpha was really just a stopgap measure until the final version is released. And when will that be? Not until September 2008, according to a presentation at this year's OpenOffice.org conference.
For the full report, visit:
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/09/20/openoffice-aqua-aqua-still-a-year-away
Some Of The Keys On My Keyboard Don't Work
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
If some of the keys on your Apple keyboard don't seem to be working, these steps can help you troubleshoot the issue.
You can check it out at:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300547
F1 Secrets Left On The Web
The Register's Kelly Fiveash reports:
Highly-sensitive documents that disclosed secret information about the inner workings of the technical strategies adopted by rival Formula One (F1) teams were exposed for all to see on the internet.
Over the past few months F1 motor racing has been racked by controversy surrounding revelations that the McLaren team had been spying on its rival Ferrari by obtaining confidential technical documents.
Just last week, McLaren was fined $100m (£50m) and stripped of all its constructors' championship points....
Fédération Internationale de l' Automobile (FIA) diligently published transcripts from those hearings on its website including a 115-page document released on 13 September, the day the McLaren verdict was reached.
But, despite blacking out secret information on the PDF transcript before posting it on the internet, the French-based motor sport council failed to realise that a simple copy and paste of the document into any text-based file revealed the hidden data.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/20/formula_one_sensitive_transcript_exposed/
Apple Wireless Keyboards and Mouse: System Requirements
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
Learn about the system requirements for the Apple Wireless Keyboards and Apple Wireless Mouse.
To use the Apple Wireless Keyboard or Apple Wireless Mouse you will need:
• A Macintosh computer with built-in Bluetooth or a D-Link USB Bluetooth Adapter (part number DBT-120, rev. B2 or later)
• Mac OS X 10.2.6 or later
• A USB keyboard and mouse for setup
• Two AA batteries for the Apple Wireless Mouse
• Four AA batteries for the Apple Wireless Keyboard
To use the aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard you will need:
• A Macintosh computer with built-in Bluetooth
• Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later
• Keyboard Software Update 1.2
• Three AA batteries
You can check it out at:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86477
PC Mag: Build the Ultimate Home Office
Be more efficient, drum up business and impress your clients with have an IT department, you'll need products that work well and are easy to use. On the other hand, you don't have to sacrifice power or performance just for the sake of a bulk discount. Choose your equipment smartly and pick only products best for accomplishing your specific business tasks. Don't worry, it's not as hard as you think and we're here to help you build your dream office.
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2185269,00.asp
The Mac Night Owl: Hopes and Dreams for the Leopard Finder
Just the other day, while recording an interview with Mac author and commentator Kirk McElhearn, we both ruminated about the fate of the Mac OS X Finder in Leopard. I think most of you agree with us that the present Finder is severely broken, and has been from the first.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.macnightowl.com/2007/09/20/hopes-and-dreams-for-the-leopard-finder/
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Charles W. Moore
