Other Sites
OS X and Powerbooks Make Life Easier On The Eyes
LED Tubes Show Promise For PowerBooks
Using Linux to Give an Aging Mac More Zip
Two Browsers, an Email Client, and a 68k Mac
Grammar & Spelling, Part II: Grammarian Pro X - THE Writer's Tool
New Club Opens For iPod Users
Creative unveils Vision:M video iPod killer
Podcast Named 'Word Of The Year'
Wordsmiths Hail Podcast Success
Inmarsat Beams About Satellite Broadband
ExtremeTech: Fun with Firefox 1.5
PDF Zone: Clean Up After Your PDFs
eWeek: Intel, AMD Tout Chip Performance Gains
[
OS X and Powerbooks Make Life Easier On The Eyes
Infoworkd's Tom Yager says:
Whether you see perfectly or poorly, you'll see better on a Mac -- without all the dials, knobs, and buttons
My wife's been giving me the stink-eye lately at seeing me basking in the electroluminescent glow of my 17-inch PowerBook G4. Finally, after several silent passes, she stopped and signaled that a lesson was about to ensue. I sat, expecting a lecture about how I'm always on my computer. I'll tell you exactly what she said, and I quote: "I'm still using a PC. How could you let that happen?"
She dressed me down for the fact that I've spoken at length here about the ways in which OS X excels. I study it, I say it, but apparently it's time to really bring it home. That computers should be useful to users of all ages, skills, and abilities, right out of the box, is one of my major causes.
For the full commentary, visit here.
LED Tubes Show Promise For PowerBooks
In his ZNet log, Jason O'Grady says:
One obvious way to improve the screens of Apple's PowerBooks and iBooks would be to further increase the available screen resolution. Apple took a step in the right direction with the October PowerBook speed-bumps: the new 15-inch PowerBook sports a 1440-by-960 pixel display with 26 percent more pixels than its predecessor and the new 17-inch PowerBook has a 1680-by-1050 pixel display with 36 percent more space.
Unfortunately this doesn't hold a candle to the displays available on PC notebooks. High-resolution LCDs available on PC notebooks can display resolutions as high as 1920-by-1200 (WUXGA) on a 15.4-inch screen (Dell Inspiron 6000) and on a 17-inch screen (Sony VAIO VGN-A190).....
Another display technology that shows real promise for Apple's professional portables is an experimental backlight technology called LED tubes.....
For the full commentary, visit:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=56
Using Linux to Give an Aging Mac More Zip
Low End Mac's Leaman Crews says:
Got an elderly Power Mac that's feeling a little suffocated by the ever-increasing demands of Mac OS X? The beautiful Aqua interface, with its rolling sheets and minimizing and zooming effects has always taxed lower-end G3s and G4s.
Provided your needs include no Mac-specific apps, Linux can provide a snappy user experience, along with modern stability, security, and performance on your older Mac.....
To keep up with the latest technologies, even in commonplace things like the Web and email, you need newer software to stay up-to-date (and secure). Relying on an older version of the Mac OS and its age-appropriate apps is increasingly difficult.
For example, it's getting harder and harder to connect to today's mail servers with older Mac email clients.....
Most Linux distributions now have intuitive, graphical installers and package management systems that make installation, updating, and installing new software as easy as on OS X or Windows. In the five years or so that I've been tinkering with Linux on Mac hardware, it's never been easier to set up and maintain a Linux box and do the everyday tasks - email, web surfing, IM, word processing, spreadsheets, etc.
The best of the newer Linux distributions are a lot like OS X in one key facet: You can do a lot of things graphically, keeping the Unix stuff to a minimum. Of course, OS X still has the easiest to use desktop environment for today's common media needs, but the Linux desktops are catching up.
For the full report, visit here.
http://lowendmac.com/crews/05/1207.html
Two Browsers, an Email Client, and a 68k Mac
Low End Mac's Nathan Thompson says:
Much has been made in recent weeks about the dearth of acceptable Web solutions for legacy Macs. To some extent, I agree with the position taken suggesting older Macs are in fact limited by their software in an increasingly connected, global community.
However, I find there remain several very good, existing solutions for pre-OS X Macs. Obviously, my choices are colored by my own needs and work flow. However, I think the applications listed in this two-part introduction will either find a home or will already be at home, on the Macs of many Low End Mac readers.
Part one focuses on the 68k Mac platform, but the information may prove useful to any pre-OS X Mac user.
While there is no one perfect browser for 68k Macs, arguably there is no perfect browser on any platform. There are two applications which do a credible job of filling the gap - iCab 2.9.8 and WannaBe.
For the full report, visit here.
http://lowendmac.com/thompson/05/1208.html
Grammar & Spelling, Part II: Grammarian Pro X - THE Writer's Tool
Vern Seward reviews Grammarian Pro X, which he said is THE writer's tool for those looking to improve their writing.
You can check it out at:
http://www.macobserver.com/columns/justapeek/2005/20051208.shtml
New Club Opens For iPod Users
Spymac Network, Inc., creators of the world's largest online Macintosh community, has opened the doors to Club, its new premium service created specifically for iPod and Apple Macintosh users.
Club members can do everything from showcasing what songs they listen to in iTunes, to starting an online Group which includes a private discussion and chat room, online schedule, gallery for sharing pictures, movies and songs, 12GB of storage, desktop integration and more.
The $25 USD per year subscription service also lets members share their files and bookmarks with specific groups of friends, making it the ideal tool for students, businesses and educators requiring a private, secure method to collaborate online. For an overview of what's included in Club, visit:
http://www.spymac.com/club
"If you're an iPod or Mac user on the Internet, you will benefit from Club membership," said Kevin April, Spymac CTO. "From email to blogging to socializing or building a web site, Club makes it fun and easy. It's a central hub for all of your online collaborative needs."
Spymac Club is the first Web community to be completely integrated with iTunes, allowing its members to share and connect with others. iTunes information can be displayed within blogs, throughout the discussion areas and even when sending personal notes.
"More exclusive features and abilities are being added all the time to further enhance Club and meet the growing needs and demands of its members," said Holger Ehlis, CEO. "From celebrity chats to virtual beach-parties, Club members can look forward to living and working on the Internet in ways never before thought possible."
Spymac Network, Inc., established in 2001, is a New York City corporation with offices in Dusseldorf, Germany and Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. With a registered membership quickly approaching one million, http://www.spymac.com is one of the fastest growing sites on the Internet. For more information on Club, or to sign up, visit:
http://www.spymac.com/club
Creative unveils Vision:M video iPod killer
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
Creative is about to launch its alternative to Apple's video-enabled fifth-generation iPod. Creative is expected to announce the player tomorrow, but the company's Japanese division appears to have jumped the gun and detailed the machine today.
Dubbed the Zen Vision:M, the skinny player combines music and video playback with photo viewing, all on its 2.5in, 262,144-colour, 320 x 240 LCD.
The unit measures 10.4 x 6.2 x 1.9cm into which Creative has squeezed a 30GB hard drive and a rechargeable battery capable of running for four hours in video-playback mode and 14 hours when pumping out music, Creative claimed.
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/07/creative_vision-m/
Podcast Named 'Word Of The Year'
The Register's Lester Haines reports:
The rather unpleasant "podcast" has been named as Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary, according to the Beeb.
The wordsmiths define podcast as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player" and will add it to their online dictionary early next year.
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/07/podcast_honour/
Wordsmiths Hail Podcast Success
The BBC reports:
The term 'podcast' has been declared Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.
The term is defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player".
The word is derived from a combination of "broadcasting" and "iPod".
It will be added to the online version of the dictionary during the next update early next year.
For the full report, visit here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4504256.stm
Inmarsat Beams About Satellite Broadband
Reuters reports:
Britain's Inmarsat has launched a long-awaited service to provide voice and high-speed Internet access anywhere in the world, as the satellite operator looks to tap new sources of revenues.
Inmarsat, which operates a constellation of satellites that enable phone, fax, video and Internet access from anywhere in the world, said on Wednesday that its new Broadband Global Area Network, or BGAN, will enable data transfer speeds of up to 492 kilobits per second.
"It enables anyone to set up a broadband mobile office in minutes and remain fully productive--wherever they are on the planet," Michael Butler, Inmarsat's chief operating officer, said in a statement.
For the full report, visit here:
http://news.com.com/Inmarsat+beams+about+satellite+broadband/2100-1034_3-5985466.html
ExtremeTech: Fun with Firefox 1.5
"We took a look at some of the current extensions supported by Firefox 1.5, some useful, some fun.
We also took a gander at a few of the existing themes available for Firefox. While theme developers haven't been as active as the extensions crowd, a good theme can skin your browser and make it more pleasing."
Read more at:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,,1897023,00.asp
PDF Zone: Clean Up After Your PDFs
"As an old rock writer who just can't get the jones out of his veins, I took on an assignment to review The Who's new DVD, Tommy and Quadrophenia Live last week. In the review, I said:
"[With Tommy], one could be angry at Pete Townshend for showing lesser lights such as Styx and Pink Floyd the roadmap for making their own crummy concept albums we ended up getting force-fed through album-rock radio. In the end, however, Pete Townshend isn't accountable for people who abuse the genre any more than I'm responsible for poorly thought-out rock reviews someone else types at my computer."
The same thing could be said of Acrobat. Don't blame it-or PDF-when document jockeys at the White House leave detrimental "making of the document" breadcrumbs in a PDF posted on the Web. Crumbs that reporters from the New York Times can feast on."
Read more at:
http://www.pdfzone.com/article2/0,,1897168,00.asp
eWeek: Intel, AMD Tout Chip Performance Gains
"Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and IBM are intentionally introducing strain into their chip-making partnership.
The two companies on Tuesday detailed some of their work in developing new chip manufacturing techniques that will boost transistor performance, yet help limit power consumption, in chips with circuits knitted together at the 65-nanometer level and below."
Read more at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,,1896930,00.asp
The Mac Night Owl: Should You Buy a New Mac Now or Wait?
As silly questions go, this might seem to sit on the top of the list. After all, Apple recently upgraded most of its Macs, except for the Mac mini (if you can forget that allegedly "silent" upgrade where slightly faster processors appear in some units). True, the upgrades may not amount to much, particularly in the case of the PowerBook, but it should be enough to reinvigorate the line for a short time anyway.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.htm#wait
Charles W. Moore
Tags: News ď Tech-Industry ď
