[MyAppleMenu] Feb 2, 2001

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

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

 Beyond AirPort: Looking Forward To Easier Computing (CNN)
<http://www.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/goodgadgetry/01/31/airport/index.html>
The whole point of this column is to make you aware of one technology that works well, ties together your home or business computers and moves us one tiny step closer to a day when your computer will be as easy to use as your telephone.

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

 Analysts Offer Mixed Opinions After Meeting With Apple (TheStreet.com)
<http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/tech/hardware/1287256.html>
Some think the future looks sweet, but others apparently don't.

 Apple's Prospects - Golden Or Sour? Analysts Split (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdii.com/industry_list.asp?mode=news&doc_id=ZD2681426>
Apple Computer's high-profile conference with financial analysts Wednesday afternoon provided new details about the company's financial situation and immediate plans. It also helped convince some Wall Street observers that the computer manufacturer has a good chance of breaking even or showing a slight profit for its upcoming quarter, rebounding from a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar loss in the previous period. But other analysts weren't so sure.

 The Sims #1 Mac Software In December (Inside Mac Games)
<http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=2031>
In the Mac games top ten, The Sims and Livin Large are followed by the newer Sim Theme Park from Aspyr and Feral.

 Opera 5.0 Browser Close To Mac Release (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2001/01/28/0201opera.html>
Opera version 5.0 for Mac is currently in alpha testing and will be "available soon" in a public beta version, said Pal Hvistendahl, Opera communications manager. When pressed to give more specific dates or time frames for its release, Hvistendahl would not comment, only to say, "We're trying to complete the beta as fast as we can and as soon as we think it's ready, we're going to ship it ... I think Mac users have something to really look forward to."

 Apple: W Expected To Sell 3 Times More Cubes (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-4683876.html?tag=cd_mh>
Apple Computer had already acknowledged that sales of the Power Mac G4 Cube have been lower than anticipated. But Wednesday, the company revealed that demand has actually been three times below expectations.

 Mac OS X To Ship With 9.1 (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news.php?id=2934>

 Apple's Vendor Specs Listed For Michigan Ed Initiative (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0102/01.michigan.shtml>
"The really interesting thing is that many Michigan teachers don't even know that Apple computers are available to them," Bill Randall, a Michigan educator who alerted us to the above URL, told MacCentral. "As with the business world, most of our system administrators are Wintel huggers that can't see a bargain when it arises. They also don't know what sort of a time savings they could see if their teachers convert. Sadly, many teachers aren't aware of the power of iMovie in their classrooms, either."

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

 Doesn't Anybody Plan Anything Anymore? (Starbanner.com)
<http://www.starbanner.com/articles/insight/234.shtml>
If any corporation in America could compete for the term "dolt," Apple ranks high on the list of nominees. Is it just my imagination, or is this something they do every time they release a new product line? Announce the new product line, and then promptly goof up.

 The Cost Of Computing (Or Why I No Longer Have Cable TV) (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/absurd/costofcomputing.shtml>
Perhaps one day, if enough people ask for it, I'll create an entire "How to Stop Spending Money On Your Computer" guide.

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

 Beyond AirPort: Looking Forward To Easier Computing (CNN)
<http://www.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/goodgadgetry/01/31/airport/index.html>
The whole point of this column is to make you aware of one technology that works well, ties together your home or business computers and moves us one tiny step closer to a day when your computer will be as easy to use as your telephone.

 Rogue Spear (MacNN)
<http://reviews.macnn.com/reviews/roguespear/roguespear.phtml>
All things considered, and technical foibles aside, Rogue Spear is an excellent game that exudes an intelligence once considered incapable from a genre of games known for hand-eye coordination and little else. While there will always be a legion of gamers opposed to this idea, Rogue Spear will attract an equal number of ardent followers.

 TiBook: Day 1 (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/ibook/day1.html>
If you have the back of the TiBook propped up, it's a very loud fan, but if it's flat on the desk, it's much quieter. Interesting. Apple probably designed it that way. They do recommend using it on a flat surface for proper airflow.

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

 Microsoft Plays OS Card To Cement Anti-Piracy Role (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4684177.html?tag=owv>
Without much fanfare, Microsoft has captured a leading spot in the content-protection business, a role that is fostering closer relationships between the software giant and music labels and movie studios.

 Microsoft To Ease Off Jackson In Next Phase Of Appeal (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4688093.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft plans to refocus its appeal on the facts of the antitrust case and away from anti-Microsoft comments made outside the courtroom by the trial judge who ordered the software maker's breakup.

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

 Microsoft Redefines 'Open Source' - Look, Don't Touch (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/16562.html>
Try this one - how does Microsoft make Windows open source? It doesn't: it redefines free software - software that gives the user the right to change the source code, as software that doesn't give the user the right to change the source code.

 Microsoft Experiences E-Mail Delays (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4690064.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn confirmed Thursday that the suburban Redmond-based software giant experienced outgoing e-mail delays in the week of Jan. 22. He said the delays occurred because a test lab inside Microsoft sent a large volume of e-mail to Microsoft's Internet mail gateways. The test "got a little bit out of control," he said.

 Microsoft Plays OS Card To Cement Anti-Piracy Role (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4684177.html?tag=owv>
Without much fanfare, Microsoft has captured a leading spot in the content-protection business, a role that is fostering closer relationships between the software giant and music labels and movie studios.

 Microsoft To Ease Off Jackson In Next Phase Of Appeal (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4688093.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft plans to refocus its appeal on the facts of the antitrust case and away from anti-Microsoft comments made outside the courtroom by the trial judge who ordered the software maker's breakup.

 Intel Says Chips Will Spread The Linux Gospel (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2681046,00.html>
Following a similar move by IBM, Intel sought Thursday to enlist the help of open-source developers in pushing Linux and open-source software to their limits.

 No Palm Cameos In New Microsoft Ads (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-4685021.html?tag=cdshrt>
Microsoft launched a $3 million ad campaign on Thursday touting the features of handheld devices based on its Pocket PC operating system. The company has ditched its old slogan, "Can your Palm do that?" The new slogan: "Go Wireless."

 Intel Putting Full-Court Press On Linux (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-4681289-0.html?tag=lh>
Following a similar move by IBM, Intel sought Thursday to enlist the help of open-source developers in pushing Linux and open-source software to their limits.

 Microsoft Gains On Open-Source Web Server Rival (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4678927.html?tag=ch_mh>
The open-source Apache software continues to be the most popular server software for sending out Web pages, but Microsoft's competing product dominates in the high-end financial transaction part of that market, an ongoing Web server study from U.K. research firm Netcraft shows.

 Microsoft Takes A Page From Linux Playbook (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-4678406-0.html?tag=lh>
Contrary to popular myth, Microsoft doesn't hate everything about open source.

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

 Amazing Amazon: Losses Grow As They Seem To Shrink (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/02/technology/02NORR.html>
Amazon.com says it will be profitable in the fourth quarter of this year. But what does that mean? It does not mean Amazon will have net income. The forecast is for "pro forma operating profitability," a number Amazon computes by ignoring lots of expenses.

 Critics Blast BBC Plan To Play Net Traffic Cop (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-201-4688018-0.html?tag=owv>
The British Broadcasting Corp.'s plan to block U.K. access to its international news site has been greeted with a mixture of criticism and derision from experts.

 Computer Prank Slips Past Security Experts (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4685004.html?tag=owv>
It seems that even the experts get fooled sometimes. A Trojan horse posing as a security tool did just that Wednesday night, when experts at SecurityFocus.com--which moderates the popular Bugtraq security list--sent the mildly malicious code to the list's 37,000 users.

 Opera 5.0 Browser Close To Mac Release (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2001/01/28/0201opera.html>
Opera version 5.0 for Mac is currently in alpha testing and will be "available soon" in a public beta version, said Pal Hvistendahl, Opera communications manager. When pressed to give more specific dates or time frames for its release, Hvistendahl would not comment, only to say, "We're trying to complete the beta as fast as we can and as soon as we think it's ready, we're going to ship it ... I think Mac users have something to really look forward to."

 Computer Virus Says "Hey You" To AOL Users - Security Firm (Reuters)
<http://www.zdii.com/industry_list.asp?mode=news&doc_id=RTB01a3861reuff>
Software security firm McAfee.com Corp. said Thursday the virus, which it said spreads through e-mail and installs itself on users systems, posed a ``medium-risk'' for AOL users, and cautioned them to be careful with attachments to e-mails.

 AOL TW Hit By E-Mail Attack (Financial Times)
<http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3ZY5EMNIC&live=true&useoverridetemplate=ZZZUGORQ00C&tagid=ZZZAU2EX70C&subheading=us>

 Microsoft Gains On Open-Source Web Server Rival (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4678927.html?tag=ch_mh>
The open-source Apache software continues to be the most popular server software for sending out Web pages, but Microsoft's competing product dominates in the high-end financial transaction part of that market, an ongoing Web server study from U.K. research firm Netcraft shows.

 Spielberg's Dreams On Web (Wired News)
<http://www.wirednews.com/news/culture/0,1284,41538,00.html>
Spielberg and fellow director Ron Howard have turned their dreams into Flash animations that will debut on Feb. 5 at CountingDown.com.

 Should States Regulate Privacy? (Wired News)
<http://www.wirednews.com/news/politics/0,1283,41511,00.html>

== PenguinSurf (Top Stories) ==============

 Desktop Dreams For Linux (ABCNews.com)
<http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/linuxworld010201.html>
Nestled amongst the servers and embedded systems at this year’s LinuxWorld Expo, a massive trade show in New York, a desktop operating system is struggling to be born.

 Linux Everywhere -- Or Mostly For Big Business? (MSNBC)
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/524982.asp>
I had high hopes for this year’s LinuxWorld Conference and Expo. I was hoping to see examples of Linux being used everywhere. Instead, most of what I saw involved large servers and mainframes. Boy, was I disappointed. I came away asking myself "is this any way to bring this nifty open source operating system to everyone?"

 Why Linux Is Turning The Tables (Linux.com)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2680371,00.html>
I've often wondered why some pundits describe Linux as a disruptive technology. How can a technical model as old as Linux's (based, as it is, on Unix) with a distribution model based on freely shared code challenge the status quo? My answer to this question was clarified when I read an article called "Is Linus killing Linux?" This piece, which has already stirred up i ts share of controversy, assembles a broad assortment of old-school projections onto the Linux development process, and shows a lack of understanding of how or why Linux came to be.

 Intel Says Chips Will Spread The Linux Gospel (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2681046,00.html>
Following a similar move by IBM, Intel sought Thursday to enlist the help of open-source developers in pushing Linux and open-source software to their limits.

 Intel Putting Full-Court Press On Linux (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-4681289-0.html?tag=lh>
Following a similar move by IBM, Intel sought Thursday to enlist the help of open-source developers in pushing Linux and open-source software to their limits.

 Linux Comes In 188 Delicious Flavours (ZDNet UK)
<http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/2001/4/ns-20635.html>
There are currently 188 different versions of Linux. Once it was feared this ever-growing number of distributions might threaten the success of the upstart operating system in the same way that it affected the success of commercial versions of Unix. However, this diversity is now being identified as one of its most attractive characteristics.

== PenguinSurf (News) ==============

 Desktop Dreams For Linux (ABCNews.com)
<http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/linuxworld010201.html>
Nestled amongst the servers and embedded systems at this year’s LinuxWorld Expo, a massive trade show in New York, a desktop operating system is struggling to be born.

 Linux Everywhere -- Or Mostly For Big Business? (MSNBC)
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/524982.asp>
I had high hopes for this year’s LinuxWorld Conference and Expo. I was hoping to see examples of Linux being used everywhere. Instead, most of what I saw involved large servers and mainframes. Boy, was I disappointed. I came away asking myself "is this any way to bring this nifty open source operating system to everyone?"

 Why Linux Is Turning The Tables (Linux.com)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2680371,00.html>
I've often wondered why some pundits describe Linux as a disruptive technology. How can a technical model as old as Linux's (based, as it is, on Unix) with a distribution model based on freely shared code challenge the status quo? My answer to this question was clarified when I read an article called "Is Linus killing Linux?" This piece, which has already stirred up i ts share of controversy, assembles a broad assortment of old-school projections onto the Linux development process, and shows a lack of understanding of how or why Linux came to be.

 Linux Comes To The Big Screen (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,41536,00.html>
A new film, Revolution O.S., explores the human side of the open source and free software movements, telling the inside story of the hackers and programmers rebelling against the corporate machine.

 Intel Says Chips Will Spread The Linux Gospel (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2681046,00.html>
Following a similar move by IBM, Intel sought Thursday to enlist the help of open-source developers in pushing Linux and open-source software to their limits.

 Intel Putting Full-Court Press On Linux (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-4681289-0.html?tag=lh>
Following a similar move by IBM, Intel sought Thursday to enlist the help of open-source developers in pushing Linux and open-source software to their limits.

 Microsoft Takes A Page From Linux Playbook (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-4678406-0.html?tag=lh>
Contrary to popular myth, Microsoft doesn't hate everything about open source.

 Linux Comes In 188 Delicious Flavours (ZDNet UK)
<http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/2001/4/ns-20635.html>
There are currently 188 different versions of Linux. Once it was feared this ever-growing number of distributions might threaten the success of the upstart operating system in the same way that it affected the success of commercial versions of Unix. However, this diversity is now being identified as one of its most attractive characteristics.

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

 Most In Favour Of Overseas Voting (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,20907,00.html?>
Practical difficulties can be overcome and the right to vote gives people a sense of national identity, they say.

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

 Fair Trading Act May Be Introduced Soon (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/singapore/cna/article.html?s=singapore/headlines/010202/singapore/cna/Fair_Trading_Act_may_be_introduced_soon.html>

 Singaporeans Abroad Have Interest In Nation (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,1870,20985,00.html?>
Agnes Sng Hwee Lee: Surely those who responded to the call to go global cannot be accused of having no interest in Singapore after they go overseas?

 Most In Favour Of Overseas Voting (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,20907,00.html?>
Practical difficulties can be overcome and the right to vote gives people a sense of national identity, they say.

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

 Plain Facts: Singapore Airlines Needs To Lift Its Game On The Web (Time)
<http://www.time.com/time/asia/digital/column/0,9754,97337,00.html>
According to SIA press official Innes Willox, the former press secretary of Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and thus a professional skilled in dealing with official gaffes, SIA has issued "about 20" press releases on the SQ006 crash. But not one of them is to be found on the SIA website. There's not even a condolence page. You have to go to the website of Channel News Asia for that.