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It appears that Mac OS isn't as safe as most people think. It is a security issue that could result in loss of passwords and data. This is because of a weakness in the Apple Filing Protocol that is in 10.3.2. A notice was posted at: http://www.securityfocus.com/ which specializes in computer security. Read the full story at:
Roxio isn't satisfied with imitating the iTunes store by bringing back Napster. Now they have an iLife imitator for the PC.
The product is called Easy Media Creator 7. One of the reasons for their switch is that Microsoft has taken part of their CD burning business by building CD burning into Windows XP in much the same way that Apple has in OS X. Of course their emphasis on Napster now has also sent them in that direction.
Easy Media Creator 7 has Videowave (for home movies), PhotoSuite (similar to iPhoto and a DVD builder. Additionally it will allow burning of large files to multiple CDs. Read the full story at the Chicago Tribune (Requires simple registration)
Fred's Spin: Lynn, since that article a lot of other online writers are logging their own stories.
Here's another good article told in first person on the subject: Movie Making Made Easy from CBS News...
Wired.com has an article on how some of the MP3 players are actually cheaper than buying the hard drive that is inside. In this case, the drive in the Creative Technology's MuVo2 is a drive that Hitachi sells for $400 for use in digital cameras. So people are buying the $200 MP3 player to put the 4 gig drive into the camera. Full story is at:
The Borders Group bookstores have started allowing customer do self publishing. For a fee of $4.95, you take home a kit that helps you develop the publishing package. Then for an additional $199, you can actually have 10 paperback books printed. To go professional, pay $499 and you will actually get the book an ISBN and will be actually listed on the BN.com pages. Maybe an interesting way to get a MUG book published. Read more...
This is quite a surprise move considering the market share of Microsoft's Office. But it is always good to have some competition. (No word on a Mac version, but they article does also mention the Chinese product Evermore Integrated Office, or EIOffice that is written in Java and thus will be available for the Mac in the future and will offer additional competition once it is release for the US in May. Read more...
As many of you know, the federal government is in the process of designing a new food pyramid that provides an easy way to see the "proper" foods to eat. The issue now is that a simple diagram may not be enough because of different life styles. So the plan is to go interactive on the net. Here's the story about the new pyramid.
Many people have discovered the how nice it is to get RSS feeds from various web sites. Now, Trackle.com has a subscription service that will actually keep you up to date on web sites that do not have their own RSS feeds.
It will provide up to 25 URLs at the time of day you want it checked. (Up to 24 times a day.) There is a sample on the web page of their newsletter. The fee is $1.95 a month or $19.95 a year with a two-week free trial available. Really sounds pretty good. Read more...
This is quite a link of resources for us older folks. The AARP ( formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons ) offers an index of Internet resources related to aging -- the main topic list on the main page leads to all kinds of data. You do not have to be a member to access. Read more...
Miguel Danielson posted to the AUGD mailing list several ideas about demoing Garage Band. Those include:
1) Have members bring in songs they have all ready created. With enough members, you could have a contest. Which songs does the membership like best. (Obviously not necessarily the best song presented.)
2) Have a musician hook up his keyboard and give a demo similar to that done by Steve Jobs in the Keynote at MacWorld Expo.
3) Do the demo early in the meeing so people can browse loops, insert them in the project, etc. Then, pass around a Powerbook or iBook with GarageBand on it (and a pair of headphones!), and let any number of users have 3 to 5 minutes to add whatever they like to a new GarageBand project. Then see what you came up with.
But of perhaps more immediate benefit is the web site that he helps run. MacJams.com. It is a site where people post songs and receive comments. Now all you need is Simon Cowell! See: Mac Jams
Bob Vila fans may get their feathers ruffled when they learn a Californian ISP is taking Bob's home improvement to court for alleged violations of America's CAN-SPAM Act. According to John Leyden in his Register article Friday, messages were sent with fraudulent email headers and without a valid physical address, and sent to harvested addresses -- all violations of Can Spam. Here's Leyden's article.
The Linux Pocket Guide by Daniel Barrett, the new Dreamweaver MX 2004 Missing Manual from David Pogue and the Missing Manual gang, and the new WebLogic: Definitive Guide, for the WebLogic server and the management consol. See them all in the User Group Bookstore
Digest of news from Wired for week of March 5th through the 7th... includes: First Can-Spam Lawsuit; Microsoft Memo Is Legit; Borgs Invad Vegas; in Tune With Sharing; Hands Off Kids' Data; Buy Offline, Get Spammed; and five others. In the News Dept.
Here's a new form-fitting, durable silicone skin for your iPod Mini that offers superior ergonomics and protection -- enhances the beauty and elegance of the iPod mini (Sounds like a condom ad doesn't it?) See "Mini Skins"
We love iClip. You will too... this multiple clipboard/scrapbook application substantially improves your efficiency and productivity for all kinds of computing tasks. At UGN News
We've evangelized QuicKeys for years! Now they've improved typing, recording and sequence tools making QuicKeys the ONLY choice for automating your Macintosh under OS X Jaguar or Panther. CE Software, one of the original Mac software developers
This high-powered software is designed by a cartographer who makes maps in a design and graphics environment -- VectorWorks users no longer need to agonize over the GIS system, it's all here. In the UGN Software Dept.
Email Merge from Sig Software - is a program for creating mailings of individualized email messages. It combines a database and an email message template to create customized email messages. Works with FileMaker Pro. Sig Software Email Merge
The UGN email bag and the AACUG "help" line get from 3 to 20 contacts a week from Mac users all around the world.
Those of you reading this today should already know that the InfoManager list is a two-way list. If you are receiving this email newsletter, then you can reply to this list as well. If you've published the InfoManager column to your newsletter, or at your web site chances are it will generate questions from readers who do not subscribe to this email list. Please pass the following along to your memberships for getting help from the Info Manager:
1) State which computer and OS you are using.
2) Be specific about the problem you are having.
Many users ask very vague questions making it difficult to provide a quick, simple answers. For instance, last week a frantic Mac user wrote asking how to empty the trash. While many of you chuckle and call that a stupid question, we don't. Beginners are beginners. We assumed they were running OS X for the first time and we were right. But we cannot always field the questions effectively without some core detail. That writer did not include which OS he was using. Later email exchanges with him revealed he is a new Mac user and has no prior knowledge of any Mac OS other than OS X.
On the other hand we also get questions from Mac users which we provide wrong answers for -- later discovering they are running another OS or specialty software/hardware which would have an effect. Believe it or not we still get lots of calls about OS 8.6 and OS 9. The main stream media and even Apple itself has turned its back on previous OS. Even user groups are beginning to -- which is unfortunate. From time to time we even get questions about OS 7, or long dead software like HyperCard and MacWrite.
The best answer to give anyone who uses a Mac is to subscribe to any of the perfectly wonderful lists available and become part of that community. If they are a member of a user group, great -- they usually can get help from their group. But get this: a substantial number of callers or writers have a user group but lament they couldn't get the answer at the meeting or from the newsletter. That's a sad tale for sure.
Regardless of where they go for help, careful wording of the problem and details about the computer, system and related software, etc. helps get help a lot faster and more accurately. So please pass that along. ThanksIt's the Info Manager
"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen."
- Ernest Hemingway
"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."
- Albert Einstein
Have a great week...
*From ResearchBuzz.com
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