Info Manager for October 21, 2002

[*]  Affiliate Fees Hijacked?;   [*]  PDAs Secure?;   [*]  Next Mac?;   [*]  Mac2Phone brings VOIP to Mac;   [*]  Computer Reseller News Promotes Macs;   [*]  Journaling;   [*]  Jaguar free for Teachers;   [*]  Child Internet Safety;   [*]  Its Official;   [*]  Apple to buy new IBM 64-bit processor?;   [*]  Microsoft backs down on DVD copying restrictions;   [*]  Bugdom 2.0;   [*]  14K4;   [*]  Pau;   [*]  Quote;   [*]  IMHO: Boston MacWorld;  
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Affiliate Fees Hijacked?

Are you or your group an affiliate to a web merchant? If so, you might want to read this article about how some shareware authors are taking over affiliate accounts. Read it at:
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt7/affil_hijack.htm

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PDAs Secure?

Accorting to an article on ZDNet, Bluetooth PDAs are not being secured by the user and are wide open to other people with computer devices nearby. Bluetooth does have security features, but some of the vendors are shipping their devices with the security features off by default. Full story at:
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-961558.html

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Next Mac?

A number of web sites have been speculating on IBM's PowerPC 970 GPUL announcement last Tuesday. (GPUL = GigaProcessor Ultralite). As to whether Apple would switch from the Motorola G3/G4s is any ones guess and there will probably be other options from that camp as well before any new Mac go into production at the end of 2003. You can read this story at:
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/4278934.htm

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Mac2Phone brings VOIP to Mac

This is an easy, low cost way to cut long-distance charges. The company name is Remwave and the Mac2Phone service requires OS X. It requires that the answering "phone" be a Mac also running Mac2Phone or a PC running "Buddyphone". Full story at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=1108

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Computer Reseller News Promotes Macs

In an article, called "Small Businesses Should Consider The Macintosh", David Salav makes a pretty good case, (IMHO) that small business should consider Mac. Read the story at:
http://crn.channelsupersearch.com/news/crn/37911.asp

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Journaling

According to an article in eWeek, OS X is getting Journaling. Journaling is a way for a Systems Administrator to track file usage, creation and modification. Apparently it is a normal part of Unix, but neither Windows or the Mac (to this point) have had the ability. It will thus give corporations another reason to switch. Full story at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,634711,00.asp

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Jaguar free for Teachers

The AACUG has posted an article on the fact that Apple is offering a free copy of OS X to teachers. You can also see it at:
http://www.aacug.org/MUG/2002/jaguar.html

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Child Internet Safety

AACUG also has an article by Joe Showker talking about new threats to students on line. Isn't it great to see AACUG article coming this way? Story at:
http://www.aacug.org/safenet/ALERT.html

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Its Official

MacWorld is going to Boston. MacCentral, (owned by IDG) is running a story about the move back to Boston in 2004. The bad part of the story is that Apple has said it will not make the move and even may not participate in next summer's New York show. Full story at:
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0210/17.boston.php

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Apple to buy new IBM 64-bit processor?

The Associate Press is claiming that the new 64 bit IBM processor will be put into new Macs by the end of next year. However, neither Apple or IBM isn't commenting. This chip would GREATLY speed up the Macs. It appears that applications would have to be rewritten to take advantage of the 64 bit processing though. Full story at:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=528&ncid=528&e=2&u=/ap/20021014/ap_on_hi_te/ibm_apple

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Microsoft backs down on DVD copying restrictions

According to the Washington Post, MS has said they will not go ahead with planned restrictions in its new Windows XP Media Center coming this fall. You can read the full story at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62741-2002Oct8.html

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Bugdom 2.0

The new version of Bugdom is currently available by download only. PangeaSoft is only going to be selling it direct. In a couple of weeks it will be available as a CD as well as the download. Sounds like another fun game.
http://www.pangeasoft.net/bug2/index.html

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14K4

14K4 .Mac Buddy Central is a new free service for .Mac subscribers to create a place to have profiles reside so that you can connect with other users. Of course, this will help the iChat users get together. Full story at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=1137

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Pau

I have been asked what the Pau is at the end of each column. Pau, pronounced pow, is an Hawaiian word that means end, finished or complete. So, I picked it up to signify the end of the column.

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Quote

"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
Marcus Aurelius

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IMHO: Boston MacWorld

Perhaps the biggest news to come out this past week, was the news that IDG had signed to take MacWorld Expo back to Boston for 2004-2006, while keeping the July exhibition date. Almost immediately after the announcement was made by the mayor of Boston, Apple sent out a notice to say, that not only were they not going to participate in a Boston MacWorld Expo, they were going to review whether they should participate in New York this year as well.
      On the surface, Apple's announcement was a surprise. IDG hadn't been secretly negotiating. The press in both Boston and New York had written up the negotiations and the web had reported it extensively. So Apple wasn't caught unaware. But why weren't they consulted?
      At the time of the move to NYC, the fact that Boston's facilities were adequate was barely mentioned. A lot was made out of the fact that Steve Jobs was the one who asked for it to suddenly be moved. The theory being, that there would be greater access to media in New York.
      Personally, I find the idea that more media will cover the show in New York than in Boston outlandish. MacWorld Expo always generates a lot of press coverage. The only thing about NYC is that Steve and other Apple reps could appear on the Today show or on Letterman. But they can fly down from Boston to do the same thing. Boston really isn't that far off. And to top it off, with the exception of a financial network show or two, Apple hadn't taken advantage of the network opportunities any way.
      Here is hoping that the continuing negotiations between IDG and Apple pay off quickly. It really wouldn't do either of them any good to have Apple skip even one show. - lcw

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News and Info you can use...

The Info Manager invites user groups to use his column in full or in pieces in their newsletter. He would appreciate word that you are doing so however and if you can, please send a pdf version of the newsletter for his perusal. Or just provide him with the link. Use this address: Infomanager@user-groups.net or... our online Information form

pau

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Also see: MUG NEWS bursts from the AACUG Mac User Guide (MUG)
 

Note: Features schedule

The InfoManager invites user groups to use his column in full or in pieces in their newsletter. Or add a link to their web site. He would appreciate word that you are doing so however and if you can, please send a pdf version of the newsletter for his perusal. Or provide him with a link. The address is InfoManager@user-groups.net. You can also use that address for feed back.
Note: Features schedule
1st Monday Vendor of the Month; (VOM)
2nd Monday "InfoManager's Humble Opinion (IMHO);
3rd Monday TBA (What would you like to see?)
4th Monday: User Group Tips. (Send them in)
5th Monday: Nothing extra - my day of rest. ;-)
Of course I could make adjustments to this schedule as I see fit and will take suggestions. Have a great week! Note: In light of the new AACUG MUG tabloid publication, I may be changing the above schedule. Please send me your input.
Pau

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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