Info Manager for December 30, 2002

Last entry for 2002...

[ *]   AOL gets IM Patents

[ *]   eBay swindler gets caught

[ *]   The 14th Hess MacWorld Events (party) List

[ *]   Anniversaries

[ *]   Making CD ROM Images

[ *]   Inside Mac Radio

[ *]   Half-Off "CanOpener"

[ *]   "5 High-Techs Amassing Piles of Cash"

[ *]   Virtual Volunteers

[ *]   New (to me) Mac news sources

[ *]   Quotes of the week: Costner, Willhite
 

AOL gets IM Patents

According to an InfoWorld story last week, AOL was granted a patent that covers IM communications systems. This patent was actually granted to its subsidiary ICQ, an early player in instant messaging. Potentially, this could cause real headaches for Yahoo and Microsoft. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Full story at:
Full story at: http://www.infoworld.com/articles/

eBay swindler gets caught

I thought I had reported on this story last week, but Fred posted part of a New York Times article to the Info mailing list and I picked up this one from Computer World. It seems that a Mac user sold his TiBook on eBay and got a counterfeit cashier's check for his trouble. When the appropriate agencies refused to help, because the value of the transaction wasn't enough, he contacted the Mac web and hunted down the guy that had gypped him. Then he found out about others that also had been taken. The total was enough to bring in the law and as they say, the rest was history. He still hasn't gotten his Ti back, but at least he took a villain of the street to keep some more of us from getting taken.
Full story at: http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/

The 14th Hess MacWorld Events (party) List

The list is in the process of being posted. While there are some events already listed, I am sure there are more to come. This is the only place to find out about many of them. I am planning on going to the Netter's Dinner. Anyone else? Meanwhile, check out the list at: www.ilenesmachine.com

* Or if you have an event you want listed, go to this page:
http://www.ilenesmachine.com/partyregis.html

Anniversaries

This January marks the 20th anniversary of my involvement with Apple user groups. I started with the Honolulu Apple Users Society upon my arrival in that great city. But it also marks the 25th Anniversary of the Apple Corp of Dallas. They are planning on having a number of celebratory events over the next 6 months or so. I am curious though. Is there any other groups that started in 1978? If so, what month?
Post your anniversary to: http://www.user-groups.net/InfoManager/INFO.html

Making CD ROM Images

LowEndMac has a good article about making disk images for your hard drive so to prevent wear and tear on the drive and on the CDs themselves.
Read that story at: http://lowendmac.com/lab/02/1226.html

Inside Mac Radio

I mentioned that this show was coming a few weeks back. CNET Radio now is doing a Saturday show on the Mac hosted by Bob LeVitus and Scott Sheppard. While I am seldom at my Mac on Saturday, they have now started archiving the shows at OSXFAQ.com which is Scott's web site. Listen live at: C|net
Or see the archives at: http://www.osxfaq.com/radio/>http://www.osxfaq.com/radio/

Half-Off "CanOpener"

You've heard the name "CanOpener" come up again and again over the years, right? Well if you never got this essential utility for your Mac, or you just want to upgrade to the latest version, here's your chance to do it and save 50%. Ilene (Hess Memorial MacWorld Event List) has included a great deal on CanOpenner ($30 for the program that normally sells for $60) from Abbott Software to help her cover expenses on the Hess Party list -- if you don't have CanOpener, you should -- plan to get it and help the Macworld Party list at the same time!
Go for it... http://www.ilenesmachine.com/partylist.shtml

"Five High-Tech Companies Are Amassing Big Piles of Cash"

In an article with the above title, the Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Corp., Dell Computer Corp. and Oracle Corp. -- now hold a staggering $87 billion in cash and liquid investments, (up from $77 Billion a year ago.) I have long been amazed that Apple has $5 Billion in cash and liquid investments, but each of these companies beat Apple. (Although I do wonder why they cut the list of companies at 5, if they had added Apple, they would have increased the amount to $92.
The Breakdown:
* Microsoft: $40 Billion
* Cisco: $21 Billion
* Intel: $11 Billion
* Dell: $9 Billion
* Oracle: $5.5 Billion
      The story in the Wall Street Journal would cost, but I also found a similar story at UPI.
So read it here: http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20021227-053722-6470r

Virtual Volunteers

PCWorld story ran a story on Virtual Volunteers. This made me wonder. Are there any groups out there who are helping other non-profit organizations? I remember one in the 80s that help out their local Red Cross. Any other groups doing something like that? This could be a great way to extend the mission of your user group and even excite people to become members.
The story mentions
* www.netaid.org
* www.volunteermatch.org (working with over 23K organizations; and
* www.netmentors.org
Read the full story at: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,76204,00.asp

New (to me) Mac news sources

MacMinute.com and MacSurfer.com have come to be my favorite Mac news web sites, but here are a few that I just came across:
* myapplemenu.com
* Applequicklinks
* MacNewz.com
 
Let's hear what your favorite is.
You can always post your info, comments and suggestions at: http://www.user-groups.net/InfoManager/INFO.html

Quotes of the week: Costner, Willhite

"Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they've stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments."
      - Kevin Costner

* "With so little time, there are just not enough minutes left to hate, not enough time for gossip or fighting. We should all be so busy "doing" and "being" that we have no time left for anything but accomplishing 'good.'"
      - Thomas D. Willhite (Note: this comes close to the Optimist Club's Creed.)

That's it for 2002 folks!

Note: Features schedule are temporarily postponed due to shortage of time, hope to be back on schedule after MacWorld San Francisco. Feel free to send suggestions in the mean time.
http://www.user-groups.net/InfoManager/INFO.html

pau

---

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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