[MyAppleMenu] Jan 22, 2005

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/>
Mac news for Mac people

[Top Stories]

*** Apple Q4 Euro-Sales Climb 33.2% -- IDC
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=10684>
Jonny Evans, Macworld UK

Apple's success continues in Europe, according to analysts at IDC, noting that 2004's fourth quarter saw Apple deliver its higher quarterly growth for a year-and-a-half.

[News]

*** Two Peas In An iPod
<http://www.smartmoney.com/onedaywonder/index.cfm?story=20050121>
Monica Rivituso, SmartMoney.com

Synaptics saw its stock jump nearly 22% Friday following a blowout quarterly report driven in large part by demand for the iPod.

*** Deconstructing Mini
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/01/miniopen/index.php>
Jason Snell, Macworld

So, with the lives of your Mac minis in mind, I began the disassembly of mine.

*** Target.com Adds Mac Mini
<http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01/21/target/index.php?lsrc=mcrss-0105>
Peter Cohen, MacCentral

*** Filemaker Server 7 Update To Fix Stability
<http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01/21/filemaker/index.php?lsrc=mcrss-0105>
Peter Cohen, MacCentral

FileMaker Inc. has advised that in March they will release a v3 update to their FileMaker Server 7 and FileMaker Server 7 Advanced software. The update is being developed to fix reported stability issues with the software.

[Opinion]

*** Apple Quietly Raises The Stakes
<http://www.infoworld.com//article/05/01/21/04storinside_1.html>
Mario Apicella, InfoWorld

An almost timid announcement adds the new SAN file system to Xserve RAID.

*** Welcome To The Mac, Oracle
<http://www.infoworld.com//article/05/01/21/04OPcurve_1.html>
Tom Yager, InfoWorld

Now that it's buying into Mac platform, IT should dig deeper into Apple's server lineup.

*** Dell, Creative, And The iPod: Sour Grapes?
<http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/6278>
Alan Graham, O'Reilly Network

People bought the iPod with no thought about any proprietary format, they simply wanted one.

*** iPod Shuffle Has No Clock
<http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000707028493/>
Scott McNulty, Unofficial Apple Weblog

Potentially screwing up some Smart Playlists that you might have that are based on last played information.

*** Dell And Creative: Challenged By The iPod?
<http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1752603,00.asp>
Ian Betteridge, ExtremeiPod

What will worry the other PC companies is that, in a market where everyone except Dell has struggled to make money, Apple has long been highly profitable with only a 2 percent to 3 percent market share. Should the company boost this to 4 or even 5 percent, its profits -- and thus its ability to increase its spending on marketing and development -- would also be significantly increased, raising the prospect of the company simply being able to blow away its less profitable rivals.

*** Mini Me: The New Mac Mini Is All About Movies
<http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050120.html>
Robert X. Cringely, PBS

[Review]

*** Mac Mini -- Is It The Best Media Center... PC?
<http://www.mediacenterpcworld.com/news/168>
Media Center PC World

Although Apple are pleased that people are starting to talk about the Mac Mini as more than just a cheap Mac for iPod lovers, they freely admit that they were not aiming at building a media center. Good job too, because if they were, they've failed.

*** Apple's Mac Mini: Low-Priced Mac Starter System Has Enough Oomph To Do Most Jobs
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,119387,00.asp>
Rebecca Freed, PC World

If I were recommending a starter system to someone, I wouldn't hestiate to send them in the direction of the Mac Mini.

*** Shuffle Off To A Running Start
<http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/ptech/generalstories2/012305ccjrptechhelpdesk.140f8.html>
Jim Rossman, Dallas Morning News

Since the iPod shuffle can also store data and it weighs so little, I plan to keep it with me every day.

*** Embedded Development With Xcode
<http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2005/01/21/embedded.html>
Jim Schimpf, O'Reilly Network

Now, with the UNIX underpinning of Mac OS X, we can benefit from the huge open source effort supporting small microprocessors.

*** Do The (iPod) Shuffle
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,119382,00.asp>
Narasu Rebbapragada, PC World

Latest Apple player offers plenty of flash, but the lack of an LCD will bother some.

*** Apple iPod Shuffle
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1753026,00.asp>
Bill Machrone, PC Magazine

If you want a low-cost player that stores just hundreds (as opposed to thousands) of songs and don't need to see what's playing, the iPod shuffle is a very good choice.

*** Amp Gives iPod Much-Needed Boost
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25880-2005Jan21.html?nav=rss_technology>
Ron Harris, Associated Press

There's an iPod amplifier available that looks every bit as good as the iPod and helps the sound along, too. It's not cheap, but Simpl Acoustics' A1 does the job well.

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

[News]

*** Life, Liberty And Blogging
<http://news.com.com/Life%2C+liberty+and+blogging/2061-1030_3-5545951.html?part=rss&tag=5545951&subj=news.1030.20>
Ina Fried, CNET News.com

Recent actions by tech companies are making bloggers wonder whether they have the right to free speech or only the right to remain silent.

*** Patent Directive 'Back On EU Agenda'
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39185041,00.htm>
Ingrid Marson, ZDNet UK

Oppnents of software patenting fear that the European Computer Implemented Inventions Directive is about to be adopted, but the EC is denying the claim.

*** Implanted ID Chip Finds Way Into ERs, Bars
<http://news.com.com/Implanted+ID+chip+finds+way+into+ERs%2C+bars/2100-1041_3-5545802.html?part=rss&tag=5545802&subj=news.1041.20>
Alorie Gilbert, CNET News.com

Since U.S. regulators approved them for medical use last year, implantable identification devices from VeriChip have turned up in some interesting places.

MyAppleMenu Reader
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/reader/>
The other things in life

[Life]

*** The Invasion Of The Midsize Movie
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/21/movies/21note.html?ex=1264050000&en=1c79f6e56c57a399&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt>
A. O. Scott, New York Times

Independent film may be dead, but if it is, it has been reincarnated in the shape of another much-mourned, perpetually misunderstood movie martyr, the studio system.

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

[News]

*** Government Rebuts Articles On GLCs In New Review
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/sub/singapore/story/0,5562,296943,00.html?>
Straits Times

The Singapore government has taken issue with two articles published in last month's edition of a new opinion journal which it said contain 'unsubstantiated and misleading statements' about government-linked companies (GLCs).

*** Budget Hostels' Blues: Too Many Empty Beds
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/sub/singapore/story/0,5562,297029,00.html?>
Joyce Teo, Straits Times

Hostels forced to cut prices as market is crowded with newcomers aplenty.

[Opinion]

*** Half-Hour A Day Is Modest Price For 5-Day Work Week: PMO
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/33158.asp>
Joyce Chia, Prime Minister's Office, Today

We would like to clarify that when the civil service moved to a five-day work week, we made it clear that there would be no decrease in working hours and public service levels.

*** Tiem To Get Buses Disabled-Friendly
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/sub/forum/story/0,5562,296962,00.html?>
Dr Ow Chee Chung, Society for the Physically Disabled, Straits Times