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AOL is in the process of creating its own Internet browser and media player. This is to make an effort to stay relevant in a broadband world. They have realized that many members are employees of major corporations that will not allow their employees to install unapproved software like AOL 9.0.
So they are also going to put more content on their web site at aol.com. Interesting isn't it. To bad they don't support user groups the way they did when UGN was involved there. Read the full story at: technologyreview.com or news.com.com
Woot.com is a new web site that puts up on bargain a day at midnight and sells it until it is gone. Check it out. woot.com
Apple has been saying for some time, that they don't believe anyone will want to have video on their iPod. Here is an article by John Dvorak, (who Mac users have loved to hate, since he did the Devil's Advocate for MacUser magazine. In it, he discribes the X2 by Taiwan based MSI. It is matching prices with Apple's hard-disk iPOds, but adds video. He seems to feel that this represents the future of portable devices. Read more...
Last Thursday, Microsoft Corp. bought into the anti-spyware business. The company announced the acquisition of Giant Company Software, a New York-based startup with a highly rated anti-spyware application. (Spam Inspector, Popup Inspector, and Giant AntiSpyware) This will be big news on the Windows side. But thank goodness there are alternatives to Microsoft. ... see the full story...
1to1 is a publication aimed at those who sell direct. That is companies that send out junk mail and even what some would consider spam. They are reporting on a new California law that will require companies to report to people on their mailing lists as to whom they are selling their lists. The article is not yet on their web site, but is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Now hopefully, Congress will follow their example instead of superceeding it with Federal law that is weaker. (I wasn't able to find anything on it via Google.)
Apple Computer Inc.'s Form 10-K, a required annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, outlines Apple's financial returns for its 2004 fiscal year, which ended Sep. 25, 2004. All in all, Apple's revenue painted a rosy financial picture for the company this past year. For fiscal 2004, Apple reported $8.279 billion in net sales, $2.062 billion more than for fiscal 2003, and more than $2.5 billion more than 2002.
Shareholders' equity in Apple rose to $5 billion. Compare that to the fact that Apple ended 2004 with $5.4 billion in cash. You would think the stock would at least be worth the cash. Fifty-one percent of all Macintoshes bought in fiscal 2004 were notebooks compared to only 42% during 2003. ... see the full story...
Microsoft hopes to ship a test version of WinFS in late 2006. BUT it could be several years after that before it ship in a server version. This is the file systems (search) that was originally suppose to ship as part of Longhorn. But it won't make Longhorn ('06) or Longhorn Server ('07). In fact, it might not be a part of a system before Blackcomb ships sometime after 2010. Meanwhile, Apple is planning on a similiar file search system in Tiger to be released in 2005. Read more...
The mailing list for Kuro5hin.org sent this to me. While much of what Koro5hin prints is rather odd, this is interesting. This is the video archives of Pathe News online. They cover the late 1890s through to the 1970s. Pathe News was one of the earliest video news services in Britain and one of the best remembered. See the story at: kuro5hin.org or direct from www.britishpathe.com
Time Warner Cable will raise download speeds on its Road Runner broadband service next month by 67 percent. Road Runner said last Tuesday that it will boost the download speed for its basic subscribers, who pay $45 a month, from 3mbps to 5mbps. Its premium customers, who pay $84.95 a month, will get a boost from 6mbps to 8mbps. I wish I could afford the premium speed, but not sure that the extra $40 would be money well spent. But is always good to get more for your money. ... see the full story...
Here are all the books we feel are the best books for user group members and computer users at large... we have new titles and reviews in almost every topic area from Mac OS, to Business, DTP, Design, to Multimedia and the iLife. So many, we had to include a special 'jumplist' ...
Getting ready for the new year with business, home and school programs including: Quicken 2005 for Mac * Convert Powerpoint: iPresent * Stock Investment Guide 1.5.6 * TaskTime 3.2 Billing Time Tracker * Office 1.5.1 - GNOME Office * TimeClock Professional 5.0 * FileWrangler file renaming utility * MenuCalendarClock /calendar * RAM-based PDF viewer * SimpleKeys macro program * Sticky Windows 1.0.1 browsing experience for the Desktop and more ... see: 0412-20 Shareware Manager
Macworld has announced the winners of its 2004 Editors' Choice Awards. Photoshop Elements 3, GarageBand, the iMac G5, iPod mini, Xserve G5, BBEdit 8.0, FileMaker Pro 7, Halo: Combat Evolved, QuarkXPress 6.5, and OmniWeb 5.0.1 were among the products honored for excellence in their respective categories. Thirty-two products were selected, among thousands of Mac software and hardware offerings ... www.macworld.com/2004
Apple has released Mac OS X 10.3.7 with improved AFP support for saving documents with long file names, and OpenGL, ATI, NVIDIA, FireWire improvements. The 10.3.7 update is recommended for all users of Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther." ... docs.info.apple.com
A new high-capacity 1800mAh Lithium-Polymer iPod battery offers 46 percent more capacity than the one Apple installed into 1G and 2G iPod models ($30.) For the same price as Apple's replacement battery, you can get the ultra-high capacity 2100mAh NuPower with 70 percent more capacity! The iPod batteries also include two non-scratching installation tools and a detailed instruction installation manual. Check out Newer Technology
For just the holiday season, you can download myCumulus 6, the "light" version of Canto's Cumulus digital asset management solution, is designed for organizing personal media such as photographs, mp3s and other personal files. It offers the same features and functionality as the full version of the popular Cumulus Single User, but limits the number of assets that can be organized. Upgrades to the Single User (unlimited assets) are $50. Offer ends 12/26, go for it now: www.canto.com/pro/
Lots of people will be getting all sorts of gadgets for their computers -- like the iPod -- but with those new gadgets comes a new learning curve. In this edition, Fred takes a look at free, online book chapters as a way of learning what you need, and sampling works from such authors as Brad Miser, Tim Robertson, Maria Langer, and Leo Laporte... in : This Old Mouse
There was a recent discussion on the UGAB list about MUG events at MacWorld Expo. There will NOT be a User Group University or a Leadership Conference. However, there will be a Kick-off event as posted to the UGAB list in the past. (Subscribe at: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/augb.) However, it was sold out sometime ago. You would think that such an event could be moved to a larger room. But perhaps the fees charged the vendors make that impossible to do economically. To keep up with what is going on at Expo, Apple has a page for MUGs at: http://www.apple.com/usergroups/mwsf05/ and the UGAB has a page at: http://homepage.mac.com/ugab/news.html ... BTW - the Adobe Professional and User Group Breakfast is also sold out. Looks like more MUG members are going to the west coast with the move to Boston on the east coast. To bad, that show needs to be supported too.
As usual, there will be an outstanding group of people presenting in the MUG Lounge. See that schedule at: homepage.mac.com/ugab/
Music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 200 million songs from the iTunes Music Store. ... see the full story...
DropDMG is the easiest way to create Mac OS X disk images -- drag and drop a folder or file -- you're done ... see the full story...
"Charity, like poetry, should be cultivated, if only for its being graceful."
- Herman Melville
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
- Albert Einstein
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning."
- Rich Cook
"It's innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn't."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Fred and I are taking a little time off for our families, so there won't be an InfoManager on the 27th. But we'll be back in January, as the InfoManager rolls into it's 11th year.
So, to all our friends in the computing world, we wish a healthy, safe and happy holiday season... and for a wonderful and prosperous 2005.
Have a great week...
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