[MyAppleMenu] Apr 19, 2004

Mon Apr 19 13:15:00 EDT 2004

MyAppleMenu Newsletter
Monday, April 19, 2004

MyAppleMenu
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/index.html>
Mac News for Mac Users

[Top Stories]

*** Apple Updates PowerBooks And iBooks
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/19/powerbook/index.php?redirect=1082359443000>
by Peter Cohen and Jim Dalrymple, MacCentral
Apple on Monday announced upgrades to its entire line of portable computing products. Apple's pro PowerBook models have been bumped to a top speed of 1.5GHz, while the consumer iBook now reaches speeds of 1.2GHz. "The year of the notebook didn't end in December, it's still going."

[Apple At NAB]

*** Apple Offers Shake 3.5
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/18/shake/index.php?redirect=1082301538000>
by Peter Cohen, MacCentral
The new version of Shake features new shape-based morphing and warping capabilities that rely on spline tools, improves Rendezvous networking and more.

*** Apple Intros Xsan Storage Area Network System
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/18/xsan/index.php?redirect=1082301540000>
by Peter Cohen, MacCentral
The new file system is aimed at users in video and other businesses looking for high-speed access to centralized, shared data where even conventional LANs might still be too slow.

*** Apple Announces DVD Studio Pro 3
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/18/dvdstudiopro3/index.php?redirect=1082301544000>
by Peter Cohen, MacCentral
New to this release are Alpha Transitions, a new Graphical View, DTS 5.1 audio support and the inclusion of Compressor 1.2, Apple's digital media encoding and compression tool.

*** Apple Introduces Motion
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/18/motion/index.php?redirect=1082301553000>
by Peter Cohen, MacCentral
Apple introduced Motion, a new motion graphics design package that provides animation of text, graphics and video, instant previewing of multiple filters and particle effects, and "Behaviors" -- natural movement of type and graphics, without depending on keyframes.

*** Apple Updates Final Cut Pro With HD
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/18/finalcutprohd/index.php?redirect=1082301566000>
by Peter Cohen, MacCentral
Apple on Sunday introduced Final Cut Pro HD, a new version of its video editing software that supports the DVCPRO HD format. Final Cut Pro HD is available as a free upgrade.

*** Panasonic, Apple Team For HD Over FireWire
<http://www.macminute.com/2004/04/18/panasonic>
by MacMinute
Panasonic and Apple today announced what the two companies call the world's first implementation of FireWire with 100 Mbps DV-HD to bring "unmatched capabiliteies and dramatically lower price points" to high definition (HD) post-productiona and content distribution.

*** Apple Releases LiveType 1.2 With New Effects
<http://www.macnn.com/news/24268>
by MacNN
It adds new effects and templates, improves workflow integration with Final Cut Pro HD, and addresses Timeline behavior issues.

*** Apple Releases Cinema Tools 2.2, Compressor 1.2
<http://www.macnn.com/news/24267>
by MacNN
Version 2.2 brings performance enhancements, extended support in Final Cut Pro HD for editing 24 @ 25 PAL video, and a fix for timecode when conforming from 24 fps to 25 fps.

[News]

*** Time Selects Steve Jobs For 'Top 100'
<http://www.macminute.com/2004/04/19/time100>
by MacMinute
Time magazine has placed Steve Jobs in its "Top 100" list issue, which presents the magazine's choices of the 100 most influential people in the world today.

*** Airport Software 3.4 Update Available
<http://www.macminute.com/2004/04/19/airport>
by MacMinute
New AirPort Extreme features include improved antenna output control, enhanced logging, and performance improvements for WPA security implementations.

*** Teaching An Old Walkman Some New Steps
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/technology/19sony.html>
by Ken Belson, New York Times
That internal battle was seen by many as the reason Sony, the inventor of the Walkman and the biggest player in the portable audio market, was being trounced by Apple Computer and its hit, the iPod music player, in the emerging digital segment. Something had to be done.

*** Adobe Announces After Effects 6.5, Optimized For Power Mac G5
<http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P2536_0_1_0>
by MacDailyNews
Significant new features include Animation Presets, an advanced clone tool, and tighter integration with the other Adobe video products.

*** Who's Driving THe Apple Market
<http://www.macdirectory.com/newmd/mac/pages/ntrvu/Executive-SP04/>
by MacDirectory

*** Web-Based iTunes Music Store Client And Library
<http://www.boingboing.net/2004/04/18/webbased_itunes_musi.html>
by Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing
The Downhill Battle people are hosting a web-based script that searches the iTunes Music Store and allows you to interact with it as though you were using a copy of iTunes itself.

*** Mac @ Artwalk
<http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/5180865875453854/>
by Unofficial Apple Weblog

*** Area Downplays Apple Layoffs
<http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/8930879p-9857173c.html>
by Michael Kolber, Sacramento Bee
The Apple Computer plant closing last week in the Laguna West section of Elk Grove saddened residents and merchants there, but they said the layoff of at least 235 workers shouldn't have an appreciable impact on their community.

[Review]

*** The Emperor's Mahjong
<http://www.applelinks.com/pm/more.php?id=1161_0_1_0_M>
by Erica Marceau, Applelinks
What you're really getting when you buy The Emperor's Mahjong are the story mode, two-player mode, and the ability to make your own layouts. I hardly think this is worth $20, unless you really like Chinese proverbs and want to become Emperor of China.

*** A-O-Hell For Mac OS X
<http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/000612.html>
by Amy Alkon
AOL for Mac OS X has been really buggy.

*** Apple Macintosh Brings Some iLife Into Your Family
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20040419.P03&irec=2>
by Vishun K. Mahumd, Jakarta Post
Thanks to true innovation and continously falling prices, Apple computers are proving to be a viable alternative for families looking for their first (or second) computer.

[Sidetrack]

*** Rumor Today: The Specs 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/04/19/#20040419bg000001>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
AppleInsider<http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=428> has the specs for Apple's upcoming new laptops. Alas, in general, no price reduction.

*** Imagine That... 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/04/19/#20040419bg000002>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
Imagine writing a technical manual using plain text. No "bolds", "italics" or "underline". No diagrams nor illustrations. No changes of fonts nor colors. And imagine having to write your manual using a text editor -- such as vi -- without any of the modern convenience one has come to expect out of Microsoft Word.

That is the sad state of affair of comments inside source code.

[Wintel]

*** Group Challenges Microsoft's Patent For FAT File System
<http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/0,10801,92315,00.html>
by Computerworld
The Public Patent Foundation claims that Microsoft's patent should never have been issued since it duplicates earlier patents.

The Tomorrow Weblog
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/tomorrow/index.html>
Emerging Technology. Innovative Applications. New Economy.

[News]

*** Many Started Web Logs For Fun, But Bloggers Need Money, Too
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/technology/19blog.html>
by Julie Flaherty, New York Times
A hot topic at Bloggercon II was whether blogging would ever become a major source of income for large numbers of people.

*** Humans Vs. Computers, Again. But There's Help For Our Side.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/18/business/yourmoney/18tech.html>
by James Fallows, New York Times
A current race for a solution goes by the deceptively blah name of "knowledge management," or K.M. It is an effort to bring Google-like clarity to the swamp of data on each person's machine or network, and it is based on the underappreciated tension between a computer's capacity and a person's.

SingaporeSurf
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/singapore/index.html>
Life in the city

[Top Stories]

*** Singapore's MAS Says It Won't Stop Any Financial Institution From Failing
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/economicnews/view/80786/1/.html>
by Irene Ang, Channel NewsAsia
The Monetary Authority of Singapore says it would let a major financial institution in the country failif it were to get into financial trouble, under a new supervisory approach outlined in a paper released on Monday.

*** The NKF: Controversially Ahead Of Its Time?
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/commentary/story/0,4386,246541,00.html?>
by Susan Long, Straits Times
Controversy stalks the National Kidney Foundation, with critics lambasting its fund-raising methods, brazen self-promotion and work practices. Is the NKF just a cutting-edge charity ahead of its time, or is there more to those rumblings?

[News]

*** Time Is A Child's Luxury. Do Our Children Have Enough Time To Live Life Fully?
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/17672.asp>
by Ian De Cotta, Today
I would trade our global reputation for maths and science any day for a little more free time for them.

*** Coffee Joints Enlisted To Play Singapore's Cupid
<http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/mon/apr19w7.htm>
by Associated Press
Singapore's government has enlisted coffee joints and cafes to play Cupid in an official drive to promote marriage to ease a severe baby shortage, the Sunday Times reported.

*** Government Working To Keep Cost Of Living Down
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,246482,00.html?>
by Rebecca Lee, Straits Times
Close watch being kept on inflation; ComfortDelGro not raising fares.