[MyAppleMenu] Mar 17, 2004

Wed Mar 17 13:15:00 EST 2004

MyAppleMenu Newsletter
Wednesday, March 17, 2004

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

[Top Stories]

*** Finally, Apple Speaks To The Blind
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2004/tc20040316_6454_tc056.htm>
by Alex Salkever, BusinessWeek
Apple is building innovative screen-reading  technology into OS X. That's essential for the visually impaired -- and a smart business move.

See Also : Spoken Interface
<http://www.apple.com/accessibility/spokeninterface/>
by Apple
Introducing the spoken interface for Mac OS X. THe Universal Access capabilities of Mac OS X will soon be enhanced with a spoken interface that provides a new way, through speech, audible cues, and keyboard navigation, to access the Macintosh.

*** Microsoft Unveils Several Office 2004 Features
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/03/16/msoffice/index.php?redirect=1079447600000>
by Jim Dalrymple, MacCentral
Microsoft unveiled several features from the upcoming release of Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac. The Flash demo introduces users to several features that have been previously announced and many more that are being shown for the first time.

See Also : Microsoft Office 2004 Demo
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.aspx?pid=office2004Demo>
by Microsoft

[News]

*** Guy Kawasaki Talks About Apple, Garage, More
<http://www.macminute.com/2004/03/17/guykawasaki>
by Dennis Sellers, MacMinute
"You can take the evangelist out of Apple, but you can't take the Apple out of the evangelist."

*** Apple Brand 'Offers State Of Mind'
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=8189>
by Macworld UK
Apple offers a "state of mind" that embodies "stylish performance and a few moments of enjoyments," claims branding consultants Kline & Company.

*** HP To Bundle iTunes 'Late March'
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/36305.html>
by Tony Smith, The Register
HP web engineers have noted: "The [iTunes] icon will start shipping pre-loaded on Pavilion and Presario computers in  thee late March."

*** Jobs: iTunes To Fall Short Of 100 Million Song Mark
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/03/16/itunes/index.php?redirect=1079432105000>
by Peter Cohen, MacCentral
Apple isn't "going to make that number," and that at its current rate, the iTunes Music Store will likely "have sold 70 million to 75 million songs" by its first anniversay.

*** First AppleCentre Opened In Bangalore
<http://www.ciol.com/content/news/2004/104031611.asp>
by CIOL

*** Apple Watchers Cast Doubt On Stock
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B4669D990%2DC31A%2D4739%2D802A%2D5F8C9FA0404F%7D&>
by Rex Crum, CBS MarketWatch.com
Apple's shares might well have reached the upper limit of their valuation for the time being because of weak sales of G5 Power Macs.

*** Some Mushers Prefer The Sound Of Silence, But Many Find Music To Be Refreshing, Energizing
<http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/4856459p-4792874c.html>
by Joel Gay, Anchorage Daily News
Many find solace, inspiration and rejuvenation easing out of their disc players, iPods and Walkmans.

*** VFXSoup Interviews Compositor, Alex Brodie
<http://www.vfxsoup.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9>
by Vfxsoup.com
"One of the most challenging projects recently was the Apple iPod silhouette campaign. Each different music genre had a different version, in different lengths and different markets. I think I started seeing disembodied white wires dancing around in my sleep."

[Opinion]

*** Powerbook Plunge II: Wet Behind The Ears
<http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/powerbook_plunge_ii_wet_behind_the_ears.php>
by Gizmodo
There were a few suggestions that definitely stand out, as I thought I'd take the time to share them.

[Review]

*** You Sexy Thing!
<http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/03/16/iSight.html>
by Nitrozac and Snaggy, O'Reilly Network
How to look great on iChat AV, in spite of your spiteful sight.

*** 10.3.3 Brings Satisfying Permissions Compromise
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac911/archives/2004/03/000109.php>
by Chirstopher Breen, Macworld

*** The Entry-Level Apple G5
<http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Product_Review__The_Entry_Level_Apple_G_&story_id=23360>
by James Maguire, NewsFactor
The bottom line: The entry-level G5 may not be blazing enough to satisfy the high-end professional. But as a family or average user machine, it has major pluses.

*** Star Trek Elite Force II
<http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=427>
by Richard Hallas, Inside Mac Games
The designers seem to have done a good job of creating a similar sofrt of game to the original, but with a new story and with most of the previous game's problems removed.

[Sidetrack]

Dude, I'm Getting A Dell 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/03/17/#20040317bg000001>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
As mentioned in an earlier post<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/03/02/#20040302bg000001>, I'm moving on to a new job, where I will deal with C++, DLLs, and Visual Studio. Yes, I'm taking on a Windows programming job.

So, my (future) team lead asked me to pick up a Dell, and this is my pick: Inspiron 600m<http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/products/model_inspn_inspn_600m.htm>, which seems light yet powerful enough for me to bring to and fro between my home and my office to work on my C++ library.

Picking a notebook from Dell doesn't seem as simple as choosing one from Apple. (I  want  the 12-inch PowerBook -- except that I don't have spare cash at the moment.) There are so many confusing choices, and so many tradeoffs and compromise between different notebooks.  It is defiitely not as simple as regular/professional and good/better/best.

Before I receive my new notebook, any warnings that I should heed? I am familiar with the Windows operating system, as that's the OS I'm using right now at my current job. (But I mainly live in Microsoft Office and Lotus Notes only.) Some comments out there indicate that I should quickly uinstall bundled Dell software, for no other reason except that they are junk. Others have indicated  that the left wrist-rest tends to get warm, but I don't see any recommended solutions. Other than that, the comments generally seems positive.

Well, I'll tell you more about experience with my very first Dell soon.

Have You Found Your Carousel? 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/03/17/#20040317bg000002>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
Valerie Davison<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/nyregion/15diary.html>: "[The man] returned to the carousel, went to the ticket booth and bought a ticket. Mounting a horse a few lengths ahead  of us, he secured his hat, grasped the pole, and with his other hand held firmly onto the attache case. As we rounded see the apperance of an almost imperceptible smile. on his lips."

Have you found your carousel yet? I have. She's my daughter.

Don't Sit On Your iPod Mini 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/03/17/#20040317bg000003>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
Okay<http://www.ipodlounge.com/ipodnews_comments.php?id=3302_0_7_0_C>. And don't sit on your iPod, iSight, or iBook either.

What's The Difference... 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/03/17/#20040317bg000004>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
... between normal flu and bird flu<http://bigwhiteguy.com/archive/2004_03.php#001840>, you ask?

[Wintel]

*** Why Microsoft 'Shared Source' Can Never Be Trusted
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/36308.html>
by Andrew Orlowski, The Register
"You can't trust code that you did not totally create yourself."

*** Sources: Microsoft CEO In Talks With EU
<http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1549694,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594>
by Paul Geitner, Associated Press
Steve Ballmer flew to Brussels for 11th-hour talks with EU officials Tuesday, just a week ahead of a final decision on the long-running antitrust case, sources familiar with the matter said.

*** Attack Concerns Slow Microsoft's Pace
<http://news.com.com/2100-1012-5173575.html>
by Ina Fried, CNET News.com
Security concerns are slowing things down at Microsoft, but the company is still clugging along with its more ambitious projects including Windows Longhorn, a company executive said.

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

[News]

*** Google Goes Local
<http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5173685.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news>
by Stefanie Olsen, CNET News.com
Internet darling Google is taking search to the streets, elping web surfers find cafes, parks or even Wi-Fi hot spots in their area.

*** One IT Job In Four 'To Go Abroad'
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3516742.stm>
by BBC News
A quarter of Europe's IT jobs will have moved to the developing world by 2010, according to a new report.

[Linux]

*** Startup To Sell Open Source Insurance
<http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/16/HNopeninsurance_1.html>
by Robert  McMillan, IDG News Service
A New York-based company has spotted a new business opportunity in the SCO's legal battle with the Linux community: open source insurance.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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The other things in life

[Life]

*** Poe's Tortured Heart Still Beats In Today's Literature
<http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/arts/bal-as.poe14mar14,0,1316499.story?coll=bal-artslife-society>
by Nancy Pate, Orlando Sentinel
"Tim Burton and Clive Barker are unthinkable without him. You can feel Poe's imprint on everyone from Stephen King to Ruth Rendell to Joyce Carol Oates. We just carry him in our bloodstream, I think -- part of our cultural DNA."

*** Cooking For One Discerning Diner: Yourself
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/17/dining/17NIGE.html>
by Nigella Lawson, New York Times
Company is sa great excuse to cook, but it's not the only one.

*** For The Ultimate Control Freak: Cook-It-Yourself
<http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-matters17mar17,0,5343046.column?coll=la-headlines-food>
by David Shaw, Los Angeles Times
"Cook-it-yourself restaurants"? Boy, talk about an oxymoron -- with the accent on the last two syllables.

[Expressions]

*** After A Vermont Pond, 1977
<http://slate.msn.com/id/2097211/>
by Caroline Finkelstein, Slate

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

[Top Stories]

*** Hawker Centres In Same League As Great Wall?
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,240596,00.html?>
by Sharmilpal Kaur, Straits Times
Singapore's hawker centres and Raffles Hotel were two of the entires listed in a 2003 guidebook called 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.