[AppleSurf Inbox] May 24, 2000

[applesurf at myapplemenu.comapplesurf]

AppleSurf Inbox

== Top Stories ====================

If There's No Apple PDA In The Works, What Other "Digital Devices" Might Mr. Jobs Have Been Talking About? (MacOS Daily)
<http://www.macosdaily.com/opinion/columns/cmoore_035_20000524.html>
There has been a hole in Apple's lineup ever since the PowerBook 2400c was discontinued in 1998.

Corel Linux And OS 9 Fight For Your Desktop (CNET)
<http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3709-7-1890183.html?tag=st.sw.3709-7-1890183-rost.back2.3709-7-1890183>
We know what you're thinking. You think we're crazy. Why on earth would CNET compare Linux to the Mac OS? They're totally different operating systems.

== Listen Up! (Opinions around the web) ====================

Dual Platform: The 'Myth' Of The Single Platform (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0005/24.dual.shtml>
"The 'myth' of a single platform = a cheaper total cost of ownership is exactly that -- a myth. By forcing a single platform on your instructors, you limit the software that they can run, you make new technology harder to introduce."

Looking Back At WWDC 2000 (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/05/21/0524rzwrapup.html>
But before you put WWDC behind you and focus on the next big Apple gathering, let's recap this year's major developer event.

Confusion Over ColorSync 3.0.1 (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/05/21/0524cgtwo.html>
Apple's ColorSync update fixes some notorious problems in version 3.0, but the software still fails to find a middle ground between novices and developers.

The Rainbow Is Back (Go2Mac)
<http://www.go2mac.com/displaynews.cfm?newsid=6465>
Being a bit of an old school Mac user, when I got my PowerBook (bronze) in 1999, I had mixed feelings about the cool glowing apple on the top of the 'Book. And to commemorate my bronze's one year anniversary (and expiration of the warranty) I installed a little bit of a hack to bring back the rainbow to the big glowing apple.

If There's No Apple PDA In The Works, What Other "Digital Devices" Might Mr. Jobs Have Been Talking About? (MacOS Daily)
<http://www.macosdaily.com/opinion/columns/cmoore_035_20000524.html>
There has been a hole in Apple's lineup ever since the PowerBook 2400c was discontinued in 1998.

== Reviews (The good and the bad) ====================

Deer Avenger 2: Bambo's Revenge (Inside Mac Games)
<http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/00/deeravenger2/>
This sequel is a good effort, but it has a tough time even justifying its existence.

Setting Up A Mac Network: A Frightful Tale (The Macjunkie)
<http://www.themacjunkie.com/archives/5.24.00.network.html>
[I]t doesn't matter what OS you have; a computer is a computer, which is a complicated machine, no matter what flavor it is.

Corel Linux And OS 9 Fight For Your Desktop (CNET)
<http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3709-7-1890183.html?tag=st.sw.3709-7-1890183-rost.back2.3709-7-1890183>
We know what you're thinking. You think we're crazy. Why on earth would CNET compare Linux to the Mac OS? They're totally different operating systems.

== Thousand Flowers (News on Macintosh third-parties) ====================

Older Macs Can Plug Into The USB Party (Baltimore Sun)
<http://www.modbee.com/technology/story/0,1161,161739,00.html>
The solution to updating is relatively simple and cheap: add a USB card to your Mac.

Nvidia Might Come To Mac (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/05/21/0523nvidia.html>
Graphics chipmaker Nvidia, whose GeForce2 GTS 3D graphics processing unit is popular among PC users, told MacWEEK that the company is strongly considering an entry to the Mac market.

== Know Thy Enemy (Keeping track of the Wintel empire) ====================

MSN Creates A Warmer, Fuzzier Identity: Revamped Icons, Services A Direct Challenge To AOL (San Francisco Chronicle)
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/05/24/BU103159.DTL&type=business>
The move reflects Microsoft's attempt to expand its reach in the ``new'' Internet, where more people have high-speed connections and are more comfortable with shopping and communicating online, via personal computer or handheld device.

Microsoft OS Beta Isn't Scaling As Billed (InformationWeek)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000524S0004>
Microsoft said its high-end Datacenter operating system isn't yet scaling as advertised.

Gates E-mails Again Take Center Stage (Associated Press)
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cth968.htm>
While arguing Wednesday for their proposal to break up Microsoft Corp., attorneys for the Justice Department revealed two new e-mails by company chairman Bill Gates which, they contend, show Microsoft's continuing efforts to dominate the software market.

Microsoft Judge Mulls 3-way Split, To Rule Soon (Reuters)
<http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000524/tc/microsoft_7.html>
The judge in the Microsoft antitrust trial raised the dramatic possibility of splitting the software giant into three pieces on Wednesday and set the stage for a quick decision in the case.

Intel Launches 933-MHz Pentium III, Xeon Processors (Electronic Buyers' News)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000524S0014>
The new Xeon processor complements Intel's segmentation strategy within the workstation and server space.

Gates Sells 'Phase 3' Of Internet To CEOs (Computerworld)
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000524E2AE>
Not surprisingly, Gates' vision of the future looks suspiciously like the path his software company is trying to take.

Microsoft Embedded OS Free-for-all (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/000523-000004.html>
Microsoft is thumping the tub for both of its embedded operating systems at the Applied Computing conference in Santa Clara this week. But judging by attendees' confusion, Microsoft might be wise to not to exhibit the two under the same roof again.

Palm V. Windows CE: Beware The Middle Ground (digitalMASS)
<http://www.digitalmass.com/columns/wireless/0523.html>
Are both sides of the war heading to a fuzzy middle, with devices far too complex to be PDAs but not powerful enough to be full PCs?

Microsoft Updates Office Developer Tools (InfoWorld)
<http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/00/05/23/000523hnmsdevelop.xml>
Developers will be able to automate business processes, such as expense reporting or document routing, between Office and Exchange or SQL Server by using the tools to lay out and visualize business processes step by step, then streamline the processes by adding business rules and logic, according to the company.

== Breaking Barriers (About the internet and the web) ====================

Web Cell Phones A Ringing Success In Japan (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15377,00.html?nl=dnt>
NTT DoCoMo says the number of new subscribers to its Net service is growing at a rate of 20,000 to 25,000 each day.

MSN Creates A Warmer, Fuzzier Identity: Revamped Icons, Services A Direct Challenge To AOL (San Francisco Chronicle)
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/05/24/BU103159.DTL&type=business>
The move reflects Microsoft's attempt to expand its reach in the ``new'' Internet, where more people have high-speed connections and are more comfortable with shopping and communicating online, via personal computer or handheld device.

IPublish Praised, But Will URead? (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,36548,00.html>
Time Warner's venture into the e-publishing world is lauded by authors and editors, and questioned by competitors. But how lucrative can it be and who will be reading?

While House: Internet Must Police Itself (Reuters)
<http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,16884,00.html>
The Clinton administration said Tuesday it preferred to have industry find ways to protect online privacy rather than create new federal policing authority.

Gates Sells 'Phase 3' Of Internet To CEOs (Computerworld)
<http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/000524E2AE>
Not surprisingly, Gates' vision of the future looks suspiciously like the path his software company is trying to take.

How To Beat The Broadband (Inside)
<http://www.inside.com/story/Story?art_id=4780>
Does your company have a broadband-content strategy? If it does, is it any different from your film or TV plans?

RealNetworks Upgrades Its Web Broadcasting (San Jose Mercury News)
<http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/real052400.htm>
For consumers with high-speed links to the Internet, that means full-screen movies and TV shows over the Internet that look as good as a rented videotape, said Peter Zaballos, director of systems marketing for Real.

Newspaper Web Sites Begin To Offer Customer Service (E&P Online)
<http://www.mediainfo.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stop/stop.htm>
Why go to the trouble and expense of setting up a customer service department for a newspaper Web site? Earning the goodwill of your users is the main reason, which in theory will make them more loyal. But Golden points out that the process of answering user inquiries has provided the site's managers and employees with a wonderful feedback mechanism that assists in planning the growth of the Web sites.

Expect Instant Messages Everywhere (PC World)
<http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,16877,00.html>
You think instant messaging is popular now? Just wait: The technology may appear in everything from cell phones and word processors to washing machines.

Disney Settles GoTo.com Trademark Lawsuit (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1934058.html?dtn.head>
Walt Disney has agreed to settle GoTo.com's trademark-infringement lawsuit over the logo for Disney's Go.com network of Web sites, according to court documents.

EBay Nowhere: Sale Of Internet Address Is Canceled (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/24tsc-ebay.html>
The online auction giant Ebay boasts a wide array of items on its Web site. But the one thing definitely not for sale is its name. The company canceled an auction Tuesday for rights to www.EbayAnywhere.com, an Internet address conspicuously similar to the name of its new wireless product.

AOL Error Underscores Spam Filter Challenge (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1923514.html>
As the courts and Congress lag in placing limits on spam--one of the Internet's most reviled by-products--companies that offer email services, including AOL, are moving ahead with technological fixes that may go too far in dealing with the nuisance of bulk email.

The Halo Effect (Adweek)
<http://www.adweek.com/iqinteractive/000522_iq12.asp>
When an advertiser wants to reach its target audience on the Internet, sponsoring content on Web sites has become the hot ad vehicle du jour. But will users really want to hear a word from their sponsors?

== Misc (The other stuff) ====================

Apple Game Developers Sound Off On OS X Change (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-1934047.html?dtn.head>
With OS X, Apple will change the way its computers process sound, input devices and other gaming functions, a move that has drawn praise and anger from game developers. 

== Press Release (Spreading the news) ====================

New Web Site To Focus On Macintosh Businesses (MacTimes)
<http://www.mactimes.com/macwire/macwire.pl?read=4537>
A new web site has arrived to address the needs of Macintosh business owners. Called professionalmac.com, the site aims to be a one-stop shop for the needs of Macintosh business owners.

== The AppleSurf Reader (Great Reads!) ====================

London's "Millennium Wheel" Bungles Wordsworth: The Poet's Sonnet Makes No Sense And No One Notices (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/travel/planet/2000/05/24/poet/index.html>
It took 830,000 rides for someone to recognize that the 12th and 13th lines had been blended and butchered.

Scary Animal Acts (Slate)
<http://slate.msn.com/ISeeFrance/entries/00-05-23_83015.asp>
Breasts, pythons, and clowns, or a horrifying visit to the Moulin Rouge.

== Technology (The Technology Scene In Singapore) ====================

Great Singapore Sale Goes Online via Nececity.com (Business Times)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/4/news/nsing06.html>
Chen Bin, chief executive officer of nececity.com, said that while e-commerce is becoming important to both consumers and businesses, online shopping is not expected to "take over" retail sales in the near future.

Singapore ONE Gets Content Boost From Taiwan's GigaMedia (CNET Singapore)
<http://singapore.cnet.com/news/2000/05/25/20000525q.html>
The broadband content on Singapore ONE includes news, music and videos from partners

Wireless Internet Surfing At Its Best (iMac NewsPage)
<http://www.adforceonline.com/newspage/>
This coming June school holiday, experience wireless Internet surfing at Apple's Wireless Carnival and test-drive the new AirPort-enabled iMac, iBook, PowerMac and PowerBook.

Great Looks. Great Performance. Great Savings. (iMac NewsPage)
<http://www.adforceonline.com/newspage/>
Save up to SG$220 when you buy any iMac or iBook with extra 64MB RAM together with a color-coordinated HP 930C DeskJet printer.

Surf And Earn S$10 A Month (CNET Singapore)
<http://singapore.cnet.com/news/2000/05/23/20000523ad.html>
Home users here can earn S$10 a month just by surfing the Web. But as always, there is a catch.

CoolConnect Spins Off From Singapore Government Body (ZDNet Asia)
<http://www.zdnetasia.com/stories/0,10000002,10072791,00.html>
CoolConnect, host of Asia’s largest network of virtual communities, has spun off as a separate entity from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).

Yahoo Sites Top Singapore Net User Reach: Survey (Business Times)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/3/focus/focus23.html>
Local sites Singapore Telecommunications, Pacific Internet, and EastCiti also made it to the top 10 list while AsiaOne, which launched its IPO yesterday, came in 11th with just over 80,000 visitors.

StarHub Plans 3G Mobile Network (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/money/sinb12_0524.html>
3G wireless technology will enable faster Internet access from mobile phones as well as downloads of videos and multimedia entertainment.

== Entertainment (The Entertainment Scene In Singapore) ====================

Battle Of Radio's Dynamic Duos (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/life/life1_0525.html>
Joe and The Flying Dutchman are very popular. But are Ham and Mags stealing their thunder?

Art Show Rakes In Big Bucks (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/life/life19_0524.html>
It is not often that the public has the opportunity to see the work of so many Singaporean artists -- both the emerging and the established -- all in one place. Which is one reason why charity shows are so fascinating.

== Around Town (News out of Singapore) ====================

Taxing Stock Options (Business Times)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/4/views/views01.html>
The Entrepreneurial Employee Stock Option Scheme (EESOS) announced by Finance Minister Richard Hu this week is another step forward in promoting technopreneurship in Singapore, even if it may need to be fine-tuned -- and combined with other initiatives -- to be effective.
 

Language Policy: Is It Time For A Rethink? (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin22_0525.html>
Survival skills, such as creativity, risk-taking and team work, will be higher on the list of priorities than fluency in many languages.

Home-detention Scheme Starts Tomorrow (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin21_0525.html>
>From tomorrow, the first batch of 28 prisoners will begin serving part of their jail term at home under a new, community-based, home-detention scheme.

HDB Designs To Be Improved To Save Energy (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin8_0525.html>
Mandatory audits planned of buildings such as large offices, hotels, shopping complexes and hospitals.

Singapore, Hong Kong Fight For High-tech Dominance (San Francisco Examiner)
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/2000/05/23/BUSINESS15035.dtl>
Both cities tout their advanced infrastructure, rapidly de-regulating economies, commitment to high tech and grounding in the rule of law. Both also say that their governments are playing a catalytic role, not a controlling one, in the new economy.

HDB Studies Sub-leashing Of Flats To Neighbours (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/articles/2000/05/24/singaporenews28125.htm>
The idea is to allow owners who may not need so much space in the home to sub-lease the excess space to a neighbour who may need it more.

Permit Denied For Gay Forum (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin15_0524.html>
Mr Au said he was disappointed. He declined to comment further, saying that he needed to study the statement and its implications. Also feeling let down was Ms Dana Lam, president of the Association of Women for Action and Research.