Info Manager for April 15, 2002

[*]  OSX Misconceptions;   [*]  Panasonic & Apple;   [*]  Gateway;   [*]  Interference;   [*]  More Interference;   [*]  GameBoy Gets Bluetooth;   [*]  Mac Web Browsers;   [*]  Yahoo!;   [*]  Yahoo Too;   [*]  Google;   [*]  More Bluetooth;   [*]  iPod;   [*]  MUG Site of the Week:;   [*]  New Mac Forum site;   [*]  Web site of the week: Key Combos;   [*]  IMHO;   [*]  Quote of the week: Tryon Edwards;  
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OSX Misconceptions

Randy Singer mentioned on the AUGD mailing this, that he has developed an article about migration issues to OSX. (Randy is co-author of the famous book, "The Macintosh Bible" in its 4th, 5th, and 6th editions. (Check with him for reprint rights. Although, it might be a little long for your newsletter.)
You can read his article at: http://www.carolinamug.com/x/o.html

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Panasonic & Apple

Panasonic and Apple have announce that they will collaborate onn FireWire for DVCPRO 50 & DVCPRO HD Tape Decks. Also, that, Final Cut Pro will Support Panasonic's 24P Mini-DV Camcorder
This is great news for the "pro" video person.
Full story requires access to AOL and is at: aol://4344:30.L100pmmK.374730.702685774)

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Gateway

Not the computer company. This Gateway is set up by the US Department of Education as a way to find Educational Materials. It is a meta search engine that lets you search for lesson plans by grade level. Sounds especially great for home schooling.
check out the full story at: http://www.thegateway.org/

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Interference

According to an article in Computer World, the Satellite radio folks are sayting that Bluetooth, fixed wireless and 802.11x systems are interfering with their signal and want he FCC to reign in the availability of wireless LANs.
Satellite pay-radio firms spar with Wi-Fi supporters
See the story at: http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO69822,00.html

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More Interference

Meanwhile in another Computer World article, the satellite radio operators are being attacked by wireless broadband service providers. Saying that the radio people should not be interfering with their operations. Sounds like we need to put more space between the frequencies.
That story is at: http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO69894,00.html

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GameBoy Gets Bluetooth

This story comes to us from mBusiness.com. A Colorado company announced a Bluetooth solution for turning Ninetendo's GameBoy devices into wireless "edutainment" consoles. So now you can compete against other Gameboy owners over Bluetooth. So it looks like everyone is starting to get into the Bluetooth act. I personally think it is a rather slow network for gaming, but then Gameboy probably doesn't transmit a lot of data eitehr.
Story at: http://www.mbusinessdaily.com/story/news/MBZ20020408S0008

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Mac Web Browsers

On the NewsFactor Network there is an article about how iCab and Opera are serious competitors on OSX, but don't seem to be getting noticed. I personally haven't tired either in a while. Of course, I haven't got a Mac able to run OS X either, so that maybe why I haven't tried them again. IE is just so much more fully developed.
This story at: http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17184.html

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Yahoo!

Fred Showker sent out a soapbox item on the talk mailing list concerning how Yahoo is changing their privacy rules in mid stream. (Although it doesn't appear that they followed them real close to begin with. As Fred said: "Friends don't let friends do Yahoo!" He quoted a New York Times article
at: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/11/technology/ebusiness/11PRIV.html

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Yahoo Too

Then the Wall Stree Journal ran an article called :"Users Flame New Yahoo Privacy Plan", which echoes Yahoo users' outrage following the policy change. This article is in a subscription site. So the NYT article (above) may be easier to get to.
WSJ subscribers can see: Wall Street Journal

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Google

For those of us in the news watching business, this is an important announcement. Google now lets you access recent article from publications world wide. You can try it by going to http://www.google.com and clicking on the "Advanced Search" option. There you will find the "News Search (Beta)" button. It appears to be pretty solid, but it does look really interesting.
__ Note: some of the other search features of Google are: a catalog search, BSD Unix search and of course, a Macintosh search.
__ This story came from our friends at LangaList. You can get a free subscription to it by doing the following: "Create and send a new email to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net"
click on the advanced search option at: http://www.google.com/

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More Bluetooth

According to Insanely Great Mac, O'Grady's PowerPage is now offering a "Bluetooth primer". Read there story at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=262
And download the primer at: http://www.powerpage.org/

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iPod

Also according to IGM, Wired has an article on other uses of the iPod. Takes it way beyond music and contacts. IGM's story is at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=265
the Wired article is at: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,51586,00.html

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MUG Site of the Week:

Carolina Mug did a great presentation on their next meeting as: "X-Rated"
You can find CarolinaMug at: http://www.carolinamug.com/

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New Mac Forum site

MacFora dot com is a new Mac forum web site, dedicated to discussions of Macintosh issues. While it sounds competitive to user group BBSs and web sites, there doesn't appear to be any rules about recruiting. Note at the bottom of the page they've already been ranked as a UGN CERTIFIED site!
(From TUMS BBS)
Check it out at: http://www.macfora.com/

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Web site of the week: Key Combos

Ok, just how do you do that without touching the mouse? This site will tell you how.
See it at: http://davespicks.com/writing/programming/mackeys.html

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IMHO

John Chrisie has an article on MacWeekly.com called "Classic Macs - USEFUL or NOT?"
Of course, the answer is useful. VERY!

Last weekend, I picked up two PowerMac 5200LCs at a local flea market for $40 total. One was not booting, so I got it for $5. All it needed was to have a System installed. The other cost me $35. Both machines were from local school districts that have upgraded.

I am upgrading the RAM on one to 64 Megs for my sister and her 6 year old to use and the other one I am upgrading to 16 megs. (They came with 12) The second one is to be used as a "game machine" in my brother-in-law's nursing home. I am truly amazed at what these machines are going for. (Just wish G3 prices would come down.)

But this gets me back to my earlier soapbox piece on supporting older machines in user groups. I know that eventually, we won't be able to support "classic" OS machines, just as today very few user groups find it worthwhile to support Apple Iis. But at this point, we should be getting some of those people who are getting flea market and hand-me-down machines. Also that is a great way to inexpensively grow Apple's market share as those people will one day want to upgrade to a system they already know.
mailto:john@macweekly.com
http://www.macweekly.com/retro/040802.html

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Quote of the week: Tryon Edwards

Speaking of "older" computers, I was reminded of this quote from Tryon Edwards
"Age does not depend upon years,
__ but upon temperament and health.
____ Some men are born old,
______ and some never grow so. "
Could that be applied to computers as well?
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News and Info you can use...

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The Info Manager is a veteran of the UGN (AOL User Groups Forum) and User Group Network. He's been a supporter and volunteer on many, many UGNet and User Group Academy projects. As a long time user group member, he's served as volunteer from Honolulu to Boston and many points in between. Currently working with the Apple Corp of Dallas, the Dallas Mac Pack, Cowtown MUG of Ft. Worth and TUMS (the Tulsa Users of Macintosh Society) doing newsletter articles and the monthly CD-ROM Update. Post a lead Info Manager should follow up on.

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