[MyAppleMenu] Thursday, Oct 16, 2003

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MyAppleMenu Newsletter
Thursday, Oct 16, 2003

MyAppleMenu : Top Stories
-------------------------
Apple Unveils iTunes, Music Store For Windows (Peter Cohen, MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/10/16/ituneswindows/index.php?redirect=1066319702000>
iTunes for Windows is identical to its Macintosh counterpart. And like its Mac counterpart, iTunes for Windows is available for free download from Apple's Web site.

Apple Updates iPod Software, Unveils New Accessories (Peter Cohen, MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/10/16/belkin/index.php?redirect=1066319695000>
Now dockable iPod users can use their devices to store hundreds of hours of voice recordings and thousands of digital photos.

Apple UK Confirms iPod Add-Ons Launch (Tony Smith, The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/33423.html>
The story is confirmed by Apple's UK online store which has a graphic on its front page advertising "Hot iPod Accessories". The player "now records your voice and stores more than tunes," it burbles.

MyAppleMenu : News
------------------
DragThing 5.0 Adds Panther-Only Features (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news/21605>

Instant iTMS Registration For AOL Members (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news/21602>
America Online will integrate links to iTunes artists, albums and songs throughout its leading music site, AOL Music, which will give members the option to link directly to the specific iTunes Music Store page to preview and buy music as they browse and read music news and reviews.

Apple, Pepsi To Give Away 100 Million Free Songs (MacMinute)
<http://www.macminute.com/2003/10/16/applepepsi>
Beginning February 1, 2004, 100 million winning codes will be randomly seeded in 20 ounce and 1 liter bottles of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Sierra Mist, and the winning codes will be redeemable for a free song from the iTunes Music Store.

'Second Generation' iTunes Music Store Debuts (Peter Cohen, MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/10/16/ims/index.php?redirect=1066319696000>
Audio book support is a new feature of this updated iTunes Music Store.

Apple Offers Up QuickTime 6.4 (Peter Cohen, MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/10/16/quicktime/index.php?redirect=1066319692000>
The new version of QuickTime "integrates extensive support for 3GPP," according to Apple, including video, audio, text and native .3GP file format support.

Apple Posts New 'Rock' iPod Ad (Peter Cohen, MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2003/10/16/rockad/index.php?redirect=1066319691000>
The new spot features different music, but the same basic theme -- black silhouettes of people listening to white iPods, set against brightly colored backgrounds.

Margin Concerns Hit Apple Shares (Rex Crum, CBS MarketWatch)
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B78A23CB5%2DEC7A%2D4E07%2D9423%2D2FF9BF0BBBB4%7D&>
Apple Computer shares fell as much as 8 percent Thursday amid concerns over fourth-quarter education and consumer sales and hints of less-than-inspiring gross margins ahead.

Apple Is Expected To Unveil Pact With Pepsi (Jeff Leeds and Terril Yue Jones, Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-apple16oct16,1,3276726.story?coll=la-headlines-business>
Consumers would get free iTunes downloads with soda purchases, sources say.

Apple School Plan 'Sound' Despite Sales Drop (Macworld UK)
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=7089>
Apple/s education sales declined 15 per cent in its fourth quarter -- but Apple chief financial officer Fred Anderson believes the company has a formula for success in the market.

Tangles In The Mac Web (David Zeiler, Baltimore Sun)
<http://www.sunspot.net/technology/custom/pluggedin/bal-mac101603,0,5814517.column?coll=bal-tech-utility>
After the dot-com collapse, most Mac sites are struggling to pay their bills.

Lansing Students Get Computers (Lansing State Journal)
<http://www.lsj.com/news/schools/031015_laptops_4b.html>
Fifty-two seventh-graders at Lansing's Magnet Center for Language, Culture, and Communication Arts received free laptop computers Tuesday.

Apple Stores Are In The Black (Andrew Orlowski, The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/33419.html>
Apple's US retail stores are finally in the black: the 63 stores open (on average) in the period added $193 million of revenue.

With Update, Mozilla Introduces Fees (Paul Festa and Matt Hines, CNET News.com)
<http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5091869.html>
In an attempt to pick up where Netscape left off with consumer marketing, and perhaps to raise some cash, Mozilla is offering customer support at $39.95 per incident.

Profiles In Success: Lincoln Public Schools -- Making Inquiry Possible (Apple)
<http://www.apple.com/education/profiles/lincoln/>
The total number of computer users in the Lincoln Public Schools system is huge: Approximately 50 elementary, middle, and high schools serve some 32,000 students. Another 2500 teachers need computer access each day. Yet, the schools' IT team constantly strives to deliver the best-possible computing services to each and every user. That's why they've chosen the school's technology infrastructure carefully: It's powered by Xserves, and is managed with such tools as Network Install, NetBoot, NetRestore, and Apple Remote Desktop.

Apple Updates Bluetooth Firmware (MacMinute)
<http://www.macminute.com/2003/10/15/bluetooth>
According to Apple, the update delivers improved connectivity between a Mac and the new Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse, enhancements to the update installation process, better performance when waking a Mac from sleep, and support for additional key commands during startup.

MyAppleMenu : Opinions
----------------------
Cracking The Low End (David K. Every, iGeek)
<http://www.igeek.com/articles/Opinion/vMac.txt>
By not having low end machines, Apple keeps shooting themselves in the foot.

MyAppleMenu : Reviews
---------------------
Mailsmith 2, A Light, Fast E-Mail Client (Dave Hamilton, Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/review/2003/10/10.1.shtml>
Mailsmith is a strong contender and is well worth the price of admission.

Eye TV -- TV For Your Mac (ANdrew Wilkinson, MacTeens)
<http://macteens.com/reviews_more.php?id=331_0_2_0_C>
There is no doubt about it, the EyeTV is the ultimate solution for Mac users looking for a TV solution.

Finishing Touches For The 'Pod (Ivan Berger, New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/16/technology/circuits/16bbox.html>
Apple Computer's technical support for the makers of accessories for its popular iPod music player has led to the creation of dozens of compatible products.

PowerBook G4 15" (FireWire 800): White Spots On Screen (MacFixIt)
<http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20031015030456166>
The screens on some new PowerBook G4 15" (FireWire 800) models had developed strange "white" spots.

Contribute 2.0: Web-Page Editor Balances Simplicity And Sophisticated Controls (David Mcfarland, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/contribute2/>
Contribute couldn't be easier to use. If you already have a Web site and are intimidated or overwhelmed by the process of updating it, this program just might be the answer.

Grade-Book Software: Five OS X-Ready Programs For Teachers Get Assorted Marks (Scholle Macfarland, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/gradebooksoftware/>
Easy Grade Pro is a pleasure to use and offers numerous time-saving features that will help you get excited about school. MicroGrade stands out because of its Web export and e-mail features. However, it costs nearly twice as much and is saddled with a confusing interface that supports only one class per file.

Mailsmith 2.0: Confusing Interface Is A Flaw In An Improved E-Mail Manager (Andy Ihnatko, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/mailsmith2/>
For some users, Mailsmith 2.0 is unquestionably a necessary upgrade. Its lack of support for IMAP mail servers and certain non-English languages will put off some people, and the program won't benefit those whose e-mail needs begin and end at reading, writing, and simple filtering.

Safari 1.0: Faster, Sleeker Web Browser Best For The Mac (Jeff Carlson, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/safari1/>
Safari entered a fairly crowded field of OS X Web browsers, but it has sprinted past the others in terms of performance and popularity. Although we can't dismiss the possibility that its competitors may catch up in the future, Safari is currently the best browser for the Mac.

Visual Thesaurus 2.0: Reference Program No Match For Paper Counterpart (Charles Purdy, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/visualthesaurus2/>
Visual Thesaurus is an appealing novelty item, and it may be useful in some educational environments. It also gives you a few things a paper thesaurus doesn't -- such as the ability to search for unconventional word relationships. But the needs of most thesaurus users will be better met by a comprehensive reference book, which will probably cost (in paperback) around half as much as this program.

MasterWriter: Songwriting Utility Makes It Easy To Create Perfect Lyrics (Christopher Breen, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/masterwriter/>
Although MasterWriter won't write a song for you, it can generate ideas that may rouse your inner muse. If you write lyrics or poetry, MasterWriter is a comprehensive and worthwhile aid.

The Game Room: Reality Is For Losers (Peter Cohen, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/thegameroom/>
Get out the caffeine and say good-bye to the realworld -- assuming, of course, that you've ever been well acquainted with it.

Mac GEMS: Helping Hands (Dan Frakes, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/macgens/>
I'm a big fan of Mac OS X, but I admit that there are a few things I miss about OS 9.

Pixels 3D 5.0: 3D-Modeling And Rendering App Blends Function And Low Price (Sean Wagstaff, Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.com/2003/11/reviews/pixels3d5/>
Pixels 3D 5.0 doesn't provide the ultimate tool set for creating 3-D animations and still images. But at $399, it's certainly an excellent choice for beginners. And it may be a reasonable option for professional artists who don't need the elaborate features of high-end, and more expensive, 3-D tools.

MyAppleMenu : Wintel News
-------------------------
Windows: More Flawed Than Ever (Associated Press)
<http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60832,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2>
Microsoft warned consumers Wednesday about four critical new flaws in its popular Windows software as the company shifted to monthly alerts for serious problems that could let hackers break into computers.

More Wintel news at <http://www.myapplemenu.com/wintel/>

MyAppleMenu Tomorrow: Top Stories
---------------------------------
FCC Rule Would Control Digital TV Copies (Jonathan Krim, Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32173-2003Oct15.html>
The federal government is preparing for the first time to require that personal computers and other consumer electronics devices contain technology to help block Internet piracy of digital entertainment.

Threat Of Mobile Virus Attack Real (Diana Muriel, CNN)
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/10/15/itu.security/index.html>
Mobile phone operators say it is only a matter of time before the wireless world is hit by the same sorts of viruses and worms that attack computer software.

VeriSign To Revive Redirect Service (Declan McCullagh, CNET News.com)
<http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5092133.html>
VeriSign will give a 30- to 60-day notice before resuming a controversial and temporarily suspended feature that redirected many .com and .net domains, company representatives said Wednesday.

MyAppleMenu Tomorrow: News & Opinions
-------------------------------------
Yahoo Focuses On Enterprise For IM (Matt Hicks, eWeek)
<http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1343371,00.asp>
Just as enterprises begin to standardize their employees' use of instant messaging, major IM networks and software providers are working on the next step -- better integration of messaging with enterprise applications and systems.

Microsoft Readies Web Services Apps Framework (Paul Krill, InfoWorld)
<http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/10/15/HNindigo_1.html>
Microsoft at its Professional Developers Conference 2003 event in Los Angeles in two weeks will shed light on "Indigo," which is the company's upcoming Web services applications framework. The company also will discuss the planned "Yukon" release of SQL Server and the upcoming "Whidbey" releases of ASP.Net and Visual Studio.

Schools To Make Model Net, Then Break It (Robert Lemos, CNET News.com)
<http://news.com.com/2100-7349_3-5092048.html>
The National Science Foundation, working with the Department of Homeland Security, has granted $5.46 million to two California universities to develop a cyberwar test bed aimed at bettering Internet security, the universities announced on Wednesday.

MyAppleMenu Reader: World
-------------------------
Not Getting The Truth (Richard Cohen, Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32659-2003Oct15.html>
Rank has its privileges -- and one of them is to turn black into white.

MyAppleMenu Reader: Life
------------------------
It's A Grim Picture For Museum Lovers As Entry Fees Climb (Jane Engle, Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-insider12oct12,1,6881219.column?coll=la-travel-headlines>
Since 9/11, private and government funding has fallen. Visitors are often paying more to fill in the money gap.

Alix Olson: Word Warrior (Elizabeth DiNovella, The Progressive)
<http://www.progressive.org/oct03/dino1003.html>
Concerned Women for America, a conservative women's group, named Alix Olson as one of the ten most dangerous women in this country.

Drugs And Deceit Lead To Writing As Redemption (Sarah Lyall, New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/16/books/16BOOK.html>
Accepting the Man Booker Prize on Tuesday, DBC Pierre's revelations about his own history all but overshadowed the evening's literary discussions.

MyAppleMenu SingaporeSurf : News & Opinions
-------------------------------------------
Extremely Serious Lapse Of Conduct In Training Caused Death Of Serviceman (S. Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia)
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/52548/1/.html>
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean on Thursday revealed that unauthorised training caused the death of a national serviceman, Second Sergeant Hu Enhuai who died on August 21 during a Combat Survival Training course.

M1 + StarHub = A Fine Match? (Angela Tan, Business Times)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/sub/companies/story/0,4574,96843,00.html?>
A merger will benefit both players in a very competitive telecom arena.

Singapore Air's 18-Hour Flight (Reuters)
<http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/15/news/international/singapore.reut/>
Longest commercial flight, L.A. to Singapore, starts in February; N.Y. to Singapore flight next.

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MyAppleMenu is edited by Heng-Cheong Leong. This site is not affiliated with Apple Computer, Inc., or any other companies in any manner. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, PowerBook, iMac, iBook, iPod, and eMac are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. All other brands or product names are trademarks of their registered holders. Copyright (C) 1996-2003 Heng-Cheong Leong. All rights reserved.