[MyAppleMenu] Nov 14, 2000

[applesurf at myapplemenu.comapplesurf]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

== AppleSurf (Top Stories) ==============

Power-Switch Glitch Hits Some G4 Macs (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2653569,00.html>
Some users of Apple's latest G4 towers have encountered persistent problems with overheating and failing power switches.

Behind The Scenes Of Sandler Films: What Goes Into Arranging The Score (Apple)
<http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2000/11/mgrdichian/>
Tom Mgrdichian works on scores for major television shows and films, including E! Entertainment Network, VH1, ABC and Fox TV. Cooler yet, he composes, orchestrates and arranges all of his scores on a Mac.

Video Technology Scores With Pro Sports (USA Today)
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/bonus/1100/cb012.htm>
Looking for edge against opponents, athletes 
and franchises turn to the digital world for help.

Return Of The Mac, New And Improved (Independent)
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/Digital/Features/2000-11/mac131100.shtml>
Overall? I think it's going to be a hit.

32 Months Later, Netscape 6.0 Ships (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0011/14.netscape.shtml>
In what has been an even longer wait than for Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac, Netscape has finally released a totally re-written version 6.0 of its popular Internet browser.

== AppleSurf (News) ==============

Power-Switch Glitch Hits Some G4 Macs (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2653569,00.html>
Some users of Apple's latest G4 towers have encountered persistent problems with overheating and failing power switches.

Behind The Scenes Of Sandler Films: What Goes Into Arranging The Score (Apple)
<http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2000/11/mgrdichian/>
Tom Mgrdichian works on scores for major television shows and films, including E! Entertainment Network, VH1, ABC and Fox TV. Cooler yet, he composes, orchestrates and arranges all of his scores on a Mac.

Ambrosia Readying New Action Game For Mac And Windows (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0011/14.ragnarok.shtml>
The development of Ragnarok for the Macintosh has been facilitated by the creation of game development tools that are easily portable to multiple platforms.

Video Technology Scores With Pro Sports (USA Today)
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/bonus/1100/cb012.htm>
Looking for edge against opponents, athletes 
and franchises turn to the digital world for help.

ATI Brings Radeon To Laptops (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/11/12/1114ati.html>

32 Months Later, Netscape 6.0 Ships (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0011/14.netscape.shtml>
In what has been an even longer wait than for Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac, Netscape has finally released a totally re-written version 6.0 of its popular Internet browser.

MS To Intro 'Annual Sub' Price Structure With Office 10 (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/14686.html>
Although renting out software as a service is a key part of the .NET strategy, the software the company will be renting first will be exactly the same as the packaged version you buy (well OK, license) outright.

Microsoft To Sell Office As Subscription Service (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3665717.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Microsoft on Monday said consumers and small businesses will be able to buy future versions of Microsoft Office through a yearly subscription.

Apple Reduces High-End PowerBook Prices (Insanely Great Mac)
<http://www.insanely-great.com/news/00/11/13-powerbook.html>
Over the weekend, Apple quietly reduced the minimum advertised price of its top-of-the-line 500MHz PowerBook by $500 to $2999 ($2819 for education customers).

== AppleSurf (Opinions) ==============

Have You 'Feedbacked' OS X Today? (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2000/11/14.1.shtml>
So, register your feedback. And, if you must post a gripe, try to make a suggestion for each gripe.

Choices Vs Standards: What Do We Want? (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/columns/flipside/2000/20001114.shtml>

Live From COMDEX, No Apple (Macinstein)
<http://www.macinstein.com/pressrelease.cfm?ID=631>
Apple has its own existence in getting the media's attention without being swallowed up in the mayhem of COMDEX that stars Bill Gates as the main attraction.

== AppleSurf (Reviews) ==============

Return Of The Mac, New And Improved (Independent)
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/Digital/Features/2000-11/mac131100.shtml>
Overall? I think it's going to be a hit.

Dreamweaver 4 Merges Code, Visual Web Editing (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2000/11/13/dreamweaver.html>

Contour MiniPro Mouse (TheMacMind.com)
<http://www.themacmind.com/cgi-bin/newsboard/news.pl?action=gen_read_page&id=1PgII4zjDS>
All in all, this is one nearly flawless mouse. It's unique design is great for hands of all sizes (surprisingly), it's optical technology is state of the art, and it's low retail price of $34.95 qualifies it as one of the cheapest high-tech mice on the market.

== The Wintel Empire (Top Stories) ==============

Microsoft Offers Test Versions Of Developer Tools (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3666371.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
At the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas, Microsoft announced it has shipped a new test version of software tools in line with the company's new Internet software strategy.

== The Wintel Empire (News) ==============

Intel May License Pentium 4 Technology For Chipsets (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3683609.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Intel is negotiating to license elements of the technology for its new Pentium 4 processor to chipset manufacturers to ensure a smoother supply of the necessary parts.

The Tablet PC Is More Than A Blank Slate (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov2000/nf20001114_537.htm>
The device Bill Gates showed off at Comdex bests its failed predecessors by being powerful, simple, and cool. Will that be enough?

PC Tablet's The Wrong Prescription (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2653378,00.html>
There are some applications where a big screen and handwritten data entry make sense; it's just that you and I don't happen to use them.

Ballmer To Ellison: Your Vision Won't Work (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3668373.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer once again castigated archrival Larry Ellison, CEO of database giant Oracle, at the Comdex trade show Monday for his views on the future of computing technology.

MS To Intro 'Annual Sub' Price Structure With Office 10 (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/14686.html>
Although renting out software as a service is a key part of the .NET strategy, the software the company will be renting first will be exactly the same as the packaged version you buy (well OK, license) outright.

Ellison To Microsoft: Your Software Is Too Complex (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3670000.html?dtn.head>
Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison took aim at his favorite punching bag Monday, deriding Microsoft's software as too complex and once again predicting the demise of PCs.

Microsoft To Sell Office As Subscription Service (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3665717.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Microsoft on Monday said consumers and small businesses will be able to buy future versions of Microsoft Office through a yearly subscription.

Microsoft Offers Test Versions Of Developer Tools (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3666371.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
At the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas, Microsoft announced it has shipped a new test version of software tools in line with the company's new Internet software strategy.

== Breaking Barriers (Top Stories) ==============

Image Is Everything As Dot-coms Cozy Up To Advertisers (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3682174.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Faced with lackluster results for existing online ad formats, Internet companies are hoping to kick-start the industry with a new generation of bigger, bolder--and controversial--advertising.

Netscape 6 Good As Gold (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2653351,00.html>
Netscape 6 is finally being released, but critics say it offers little if any improvement over the reigning browser champ, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5.

The Content Clash (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,20058,00.html>
As layoffs hit dot-coms, writers find they're often the first to go. It was a divorce long in the making.

Companies Resurrect Abandoned Names, Ditch ".com" (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3662275.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Agilent, Avilant, Consilient, Covisint, Levilant, Naviant: Who could blame customers and investors for being confusant.

== Breaking Barriers (News) ==============

Image Is Everything As Dot-coms Cozy Up To Advertisers (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3682174.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Faced with lackluster results for existing online ad formats, Internet companies are hoping to kick-start the industry with a new generation of bigger, bolder--and controversial--advertising.

Online Holiday Shopping Gets Off To A Slow Start (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-3677887.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
In what has been expected to be a bright holiday season for online shopping, the first bulb may have just burned out.

Netscape 6 Good As Gold (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2653351,00.html>
Netscape 6 is finally being released, but critics say it offers little if any improvement over the reigning browser champ, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5.

32 Months Later, Netscape 6.0 Ships (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0011/14.netscape.shtml>
In what has been an even longer wait than for Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac, Netscape has finally released a totally re-written version 6.0 of its popular Internet browser.

Putting Down Pets.com (U.S.News)
<http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/001120/pets.htm>
In the end, it was the humane thing to do. Facing multi- million-dollar losses, the founders of Pets.com–an online pet supply retailer–decided to put the company to sleep.

The Content Clash (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,20058,00.html>
As layoffs hit dot-coms, writers find they're often the first to go. It was a divorce long in the making.

Analysts Wary Of A Merry Christmas (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2653086,00.html>
Only one thing seems certain for online retailers this Christmas shopping season: That industry watchers will remain uncertain about shopping trends for the rest of the retail year.

Companies Resurrect Abandoned Names, Ditch ".com" (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3662275.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Agilent, Avilant, Consilient, Covisint, Levilant, Naviant: Who could blame customers and investors for being confusant.

HP's Fiorina: "A Renaissance Beckons" (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/11/12/1113hpkeynote.html>
During a Monday keynote at Fall Comdex, Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina painted a future in which the Web and wireless networking enable a new era of creativity and collaboration. One goal, she said, is to turn printers into "smart Internet appliances."

== The AppleSurf Reader ==============

A TV First Dannotation (Chicago Tribune)
<http://chicagotribune.com/leisure/tempo/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-0011130152,FF.html>
Tracking Ratherisms is great sport, partly because, for every couple that are as right as Pat Buchanan, there is another that falls flatter than a mountain flapjack.

== SingaporeSurf (Top Stories) ==============

DBS Goes Red In Face After Breach In E-Banking (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,8034,00.html?>
DBS Bank spokesman Jenny Lee confirmed that a case of one user logging into another user's account had occurred, but declined to give details.

Talaq: Tell Us Why It Was Banned (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,8031,00.html?>
It was Muis which decided the fate of Talaq. Its objections were so grave that even the National Arts Council's recommendations, that it be staged if some parts were taken out, were not good enough for the Muslim governing body.

MediaCorp Should Not Be Biased In Its News Coverage (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/for2_1115.html>
Wong Nian Jun: By censoring newsworthy local events simply on the basis of the event's connection with a competitor, MediaCorp is definitely not serving the interests of Singaporeans.

Singapore's Godfather Makes His Case (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_47/b3708102.htm>
it is every bit as hypocritical to defend state authoritarianism in a prosperous, highly educated, and secure Singapore. Lee's powerful memoir reveals a great deal--perhaps even more than the author intended.

Government To Ease Rules For Public Events (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/pri1_1114.html>
Lighter touch on community activities but rules for holding political forums and talks to stay; penalties updated.

== SingaporeSurf (News) ==============

Talaq: Tell Us Why It Was Banned (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,8031,00.html?>
It was Muis which decided the fate of Talaq. Its objections were so grave that even the National Arts Council's recommendations, that it be staged if some parts were taken out, were not good enough for the Muslim governing body.

MPs Unsure About Government's Focus On Family (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/3/news/nsing01.html>
Some question its motive while others worry it's just paying lip service.

Don't Let Machines Get In Way Of Service (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/for6_1115.html>
Annette Kwan-Terry: I am writing to plead with the National Library to put a human face to its public service, and not hide behind technology or bureaucratic systems.

MediaCorp Should Not Be Biased In Its News Coverage (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/for2_1115.html>
Wong Nian Jun: By censoring newsworthy local events simply on the basis of the event's connection with a competitor, MediaCorp is definitely not serving the interests of Singaporeans.

Singapore's Godfather Makes His Case (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_47/b3708102.htm>
it is every bit as hypocritical to defend state authoritarianism in a prosperous, highly educated, and secure Singapore. Lee's powerful memoir reveals a great deal--perhaps even more than the author intended.

Why Singapore Is Unloading An Icon (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_47/b3708138.htm>
NatSteel Electronics has become a parable of how difficult it is for Asian players to compete against outsize global corporations in the fast-growing contract manufacturing business.

Exam Fiasco, So Studnets To Resit Paper (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin3_1114.html>
Marketing paper was similar to SIM's exam earlier this year. Now MIS has given two dates for the re-exam, amid protests from working students.

Government To Ease Rules For Public Events (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/pri1_1114.html>
Lighter touch on community activities but rules for holding political forums and talks to stay; penalties updated.

== SingaporeSurf (Technology) ==============

DBS Goes Red In Face After Breach In E-Banking (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,8034,00.html?>
DBS Bank spokesman Jenny Lee confirmed that a case of one user logging into another user's account had occurred, but declined to give details.

Free Internet Access May Not Last Long (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/3/news/nsing07.html>
Although the ISP market in Asia-Pacific is still healthy, the free access model is not.

SCV May Put Internet On TV (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/cybernews/cyber1_1115.html>
SCV's WorldGate will offer basic surfing and e-mailing service if its system, on trial now, is successful.

M1 Rolls Out GSM 1800 Network To Replace CDMA (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/2/news/nsing03.html>
MobileOne is rolling out a GSM 1800 network and hopes to transfer its CDMA users to the new network by end of next year.

== SingaporeSurf (Entertainment) ==============

TV Works Goes To The Heart Of The City (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/pri7_1115.html>
TV Works, the English channel of SPH MediaWorks, Singapore Press Holdings' television arm, will unveil a city studio in the heart of town in about two months' time.

Dick Lee To Be Creative Director At MediaWorks (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/pri7_1114.html>
As creative director, he will conceptualise and oversee the image and grooming of the channel's stars and personalities. He will also mastermind media events and outdoor shows to give the TV channel a spectacular branding.