Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2006.03.03
Apple
moved the Mac mini to Intel this week, and RamJet has announced RAM
for the new model. Memory price hikes are foreseen, and one writer
is calling for a boycott of HD video because of digital
restrictions. Then there's the ePod PC that looks like an overgrown
iPod....
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. News about
Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is
covered in The Macintel Report.
iPod news is covered in The iNews Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Products
Software
News & Opinion
12 Months with a Mac mini
techcastuk.co.uk's Richard Hind says:
"Steve Jobs proudly held aloft the Mac mini Apple computer at the Macworld
Conference and Expo. With this the technology world cooed and
gasped in awe at the tiny lunchbox-esque machine that was aimed at
the entry level market, looking to take that extra chunk of the
Windows market back. With Steve offering this tiny machine up to
the public I instantly placed my order and eagerly awaited the
arrival of my micro Macintosh monster.
"Now sitting back listening to Bob Dylan and fondly looking
back, twelve months on from when my Mac mini was dropped of at my
door I think the question:
"Has Apple's Micro Macintosh withstood the test of time?"
"I have taken this micro beast to hell and back, and pushed it
to do things that technically it really shouldn't have been able to
do, and it gave me 110% all the way! The Mac mini performed
respectfully well in all daily tasks and easily held its own in the
more specialist tasks."
- Link: The Mac mini
12 Months on...
The HD Boycott Begins Now
A Writers Block Live Editorial by Mike Evangelist says:
They are engineering a complete removal of
the concept of fair use.
"This is important. I really want you to understand what's going
on with the video industry's push towards HD. They are engineering
a complete removal of the concept of fair use. They are setting up
systems that will completely control how, when and where you can
use content that you buy. Even worse, they can retroactively change
the rules!
"Today the AACS (aggressive automatic consumer screwing)
organization announced availability of the interim version of their
system for protecting content providers from their criminal
customers. Their noble intentions are pretty well summed up in this
choice excerpt:
"The AACS specification accelerates the ability of
consumers to enjoy exciting, new, flexible entertainment
experiences and storage options, while continuing to provide the
traditional, straightforward playback mode, for the next generation
of prerecorded and recordable optical media such as Blu-Ray and HD
DVD. Additionally, AACS is designed to create unprecedented
flexibility, portability and security for entertainment content to
be enjoyed on networked home, portable PC or CE devices.
"I especially love the concept of a 'traditional,
straightforward playback mode'. Rest assured they have top minds
working on making sure nothing will be straightforward in the
future.
"Further, if you download the AACS agreement itself, you find
the frightening concept of the 'analog sunset' (it's on page 82).
This is where device manufactures agree to not make analog devices
after certain preset dates.
"Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray have embraced this draconian system,
and the studios are salivating at the prospect of you never
actually being able to own content again.
"My reaction to this abomination is simple: no way in hell. I
will not buy any product that uses this crap, and I hope you'll
join me in that boycott. Let these morons see us early adopters
stay away in droves.
"Please pass this on; post it on your blogs, 'digg' it; slashdot
it; whatever it takes to stop this insidious plan."
- Link: The HD
Boycott Begins Now
Memory Price Hikes Ahead for Intel PCs (and
Macs)
vnunet.com Asia news's Simon Burns reports:
"Prices for the DDR2 memory chips commonly used in PCs with
Intel CPUs will begin to rise significantly next month because
demand is exceeding supply, according to sources in Taiwan's
semiconductor manufacturing industry.
"While upwards pricing pressure already exists, monthly
contracts are creating delays of at several weeks before price
changes begin to reach consumers.
"DDR2 memory is required for most PCs and notebooks that use
Intel's latest CPUs, including Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac
PCs."
- Link: Memory
Price Hikes Ahead for Intel PCs (and Macs)
Hubs and Hearths - New Mini Ture_MacJournal
Series
Mini Ture_MacJournal's Darryl writes:
Hi Charles'
Well, what was really needed in a Multi Media Mac mini is here,
speed and need. Hubs and Hearths.
Contour to Showcase RollerMousePro at FOSE
'06
PR: Following the honor of having recently been selected
for one of only six "Best Solutions" awards at the Government
Technology Conference (GTC) in Albany, NY, Contour Design is
extending knowledge of its product offerings further into the
Government office system arena. In this regard Contour will be
participating in the FOSE 2006 Exposition with consultative
discussions and product demonstration for attendees who want and
need safer and productivity-enhancing computer input for their
personnel.
The GTC/Albany award was based on consultative work Contour did
with the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC)
- in which a solution was formulated that saved the taxpayers over
$50,000 and a NYDEC Officer from undergoing some painful surgery
and rehabilitation. Read about it at:
http://www.contourdesign.com/awards.htm
The solution provided NYDEC contains an innovative "un-mouse"
device that, over the past two years since its introduction, has
been successfully integrated into the office system solutions of
the military services, intelligence community, Homeland Security,
DOT, Postal Service, VA, and many other arms of the Federal
Government.
This "un-mouse" solution is known as the ContourRollerMouse. It
is available in two models, the "Classic" and the "PRO" versions.
In brief, it is a device that positions the cursor control in close
proximity to the space bar on computer keyboards. This has the
effect of eliminating the reach for a traditional mousing device -
thereby making it substantively unlikely to contribute to wrist,
arm, elbow, and shoulder pain. Independent studies of the device in
actual operation cite pain reduction AND enhanced productivity
gained from elimination of mousing-induced reach.
With growing emphasis on graphic user interface and extensive
mousing in office system applications developed since Y2K, there
has been a marked increase in mousing use. With that has come a
correlative increase in reported repetitive strain injuries (RSI),
pain, loss of work, and expensive remediation.
By making information available to FOSE attendees through
hands-on demonstrations, these and associated Contour Design
ergonomic products can more easily be recommended to Government
Office System Users suffering from mousing-induced (RSI). and then
implemented in office environments to improve overall health and
safety for office system users.
"The solution we offer to Government Office System Users is the
safest and most productivity-enhancing one on today's market." Says
James P. Golden, VP of and Account Executive in Contour's Ergonomic
Product Business Unit. "We will readily demonstrate its superior
benefits to the attendees at this year's FOSE. We'll be in booth
number 1922."
MacLive Conference Registration Opens
PR: Hot Summer in the City for Apple Macintosh Users as
MacLive Conference Registration Opens
"New York has needed a major summer Macintosh event for years
now and MacLive will deliver it in spades! I can hardly wait!" said
legendary Macintosh author, Bob "Dr. Mac" Levitus, one of the
featured trainers at the biggest Macintosh creative event to come
to the Big Apple in years.
Registration is now open for this three-day learning conference
designed just for creative professionals who use Apple's Macintosh
platform. MacLive brings together Mac-based digital photographers,
graphic designers, iPod freaks, total Mac geeks, and thousands of
the Macintosh faithful for an event that breaks all the rules.
Headlined by the best known names in the Mac world, including David
Pogue, Chris Breen, Scott Kelby, Bob Levitus, Deke McClelland, and
a host of others, it kicks off May 11-13, 2006 at the Jacob Javits
Center in New York City.
The conference features full training tracks on Adobe®
Photoshop®, Final Cut Pro, Mac OS® X, Adobe InDesign®,
Apple's iLife® Applications, the iPod and Podcasting, and more
in 60+ sessions. MacLive is also highlighted by a host of special
events, including an exclusive party at Planet Hollywood in Times
Square, a Macintosh Film Festival, a special evening with
celebrated Mac artist Bert Monroy, and a late-night "Mac After
Dark" session.
The conference, produced by KW Media Group (publishers of Layers
magazine) is open to Mac users of any skill level, and those who
register before the April 7th Early Bird cutoff, save $100 off the
full conference pass. Additional discounts are available for
students and members of the National Association of Photoshop
Professionals (NAPP).
PC Looks Like a Giant iPod
CNET News.com's
Ina Fried says:
"For years, Windows PC owners have been able to connect to an
iPod. Now they can have a computer that looks like the iconic
digital music player.
"Logisys Computer this week added the ePod Soho case to its
lineup of unusual PC shells. The white PC case has several
'buttons' resembling those found on the scroll wheel of an Apple
Computer iPod, as well as a blue LED light that gives the case a
constant backlit glow.
"The ePod is a shell into which individuals or custom PC makers
would need to add a processor, motherboard, hard drive and other
components. It's just one of many unusual products offered by the
Pomona, Calif.-based company. Other unique designs include a clear
blue acrylic case and an optical mouse that resembles a Volkswagen
Bug."
- Link: PC Looks Like a
Giant iPod
ePod SOHO Case
PR: This is an age of digital information. Traditional
forms of information such as mails, files and so on have evolved
into emails, efiles and all kinds of e-stuffs. Now Logisys has come
up with a new SOHO case by the name of ePod that you can throw in
all your valuable IT hardware to carry out all the information
processing, Internet and multimedia work for you.
The contemporary ePod SOHO case was nicely coated in glossy
white finish with acrylic trim line around the front panel. The
trim line will illuminate with either a Logisys CCFL kit or a
Logisys 80mm CCFL fan or just a regular LED fan while the clear
circle around the power will be lit up by the integrated blue LED
light. The ePod SOHO case comes with total 10 drive bays, 4
external 5.25°r;± bays and 2 external 3.5°r;±
bays. Frontal USB and audio outputs are conveniently located below
the power button with a protection cover. Optional 80mm or 90mm or
120mm fan at your choice can be installed on the rear while
optional 80mm or 120mm fan on the front. There is a meshed vent on
side panel of the case for better air circulation and lighting
effect.
Specification
- Dimension: 200mm(W) x 430mm(H) x 440mm(D) = 7.9" x 17.0" x
17.3"
- Max. Motherboard size: 12°r;± x
9.5°r;±
- Exclusive PCI cards ventilation on the side of case
- 4 open 5.25°r;± drive bays
- 2 open 3.5°r;± drive bays
- 4 hidden 3.5°r;± drive bays for hard drives
- A total of 10 drive bays
- Build in 2 front USB 2.0 + Audio,Mic port connectors on the
front with a door cover
- High power Blue LED behind the front panel to enlighten the
trim lightning effect
- 1 additional 8cm/9cm/12cm fan (not included) on the rear
panel
- Link:
ePod
Products
Apple Unveils Mac mini with Intel Core Duo
PR: New Mac mini Delivers Performance Up to Four Times
Faster
CUPERTINO, California
- February 28, 2006 - Apple today unveiled the new Mac mini with the Intel Core Duo
processor, delivering performance up to four times faster than its
predecessor and providing even greater expansion in the same
innovative and incredibly compact design.* Starting at just $599,
the Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy iLife '06, the
next generation of Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle
applications, and features the Apple Remote and Front Row so you
can play your music, enjoy your photo slideshows, watch your DVDs,
iMovies, music videos and television shows from across the
room.
"With the new Mac mini, Apple has now moved 50% of its entire
product line to Intel within 60 days - a record transition," said
Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product
Marketing. "The new Mac mini is now up to four times faster with
the Intel Core Duo, includes even greater expansion in the same
incredibly compact design, and is the most affordable way to enjoy
Front Row and iLife '06."
Featuring the next generation of Apple's breakthrough Front Row
media experience, the new Mac mini gives customers a simple way to
enjoy their digital lifestyle content on the Mac mini including
music, photos and videos from across the room using the Apple
Remote. With the latest version of Front Row, customers can now
effortlessly access shared iTunes playlists, iPhoto libraries and
video throughout their home via Bonjour, Apple's zero configuration
wireless networking built into Mac OS X.
The new Mac mini
offers a completely new system architecture for performance up to
four times as fast as the previous Mac mini, including a 667 MHz
frontside bus and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to
2 GB. With the latest high-performance connectivity options,
every new Mac mini now includes built-in 10/100/1000 Base-T Gigabit
Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme
802.11g WiFi for fast 54 Mbps wireless networking**, built-in
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and a total of four USB 2.0
ports, twice as many as the previous generation. Mac mini includes
a DVI interface and a VGA-out adapter to easily connect to a
variety of displays, including many of today's most popular flat
panel televisions, and now features both analog and digital audio
outputs to easily connect to a home stereo.
The new Mac mini includes iLife '06, the next generation of
Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications
featuring major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand
and introducing iWeb, a new iLife application that makes it
super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and
Podcasts and publish them on .mac for viewing by anyone on the
Internet with just a single click. All the iLife '06 applications
are Universal applications that run natively on the new Intel-based
Mac mini for maximum performance.
Every new Mac mini comes with the latest release of the world's
most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger"
including Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV and Front Row, running
natively. Mac OS X Tiger includes an innovative software
translation technology called Rosetta that lets customers run most
Mac OS X PowerPC applications seamlessly.***
Pricing & Availability
The new Mac mini is shipping today and will be available through
the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple
Authorized Resellers.
The new 1.5 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $599
(US), includes:
- 1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo processor;
- 512 MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable up to 2 GB;
- a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive;
- 60 GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
- Intel GMA 950 graphics processor;
- built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth
2.0+EDR;
- Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Base-T);
- four USB 2.0 ports;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting
both optical digital and analog;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included,
Composite/S-video out adapter sold separately); and
- the infrared Apple Remote.
The new 1.66 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $799
(US), includes:
- 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
- 512 MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable up to 2 GB;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R
DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- 80 GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
- Intel GMA 950 graphics processor;
- built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth
2.0+EDR;
- Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Base-T);
- four USB 2.0 ports;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting
both optical digital and analog;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included,
Composite/S-video out adapter sold separately); and
- the infrared Apple Remote.
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2 GB
DDR2 SDRAM, 80 GB, 100 GB and 120 GB Serial ATA hard drives, iWork
'06 (preinstalled), AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base
Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse, Apple USB
Modem and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
The new Mac mini line is also available to education customers
in the US and Canada through the Apple Store for Education at
www.apple.com/education/store or by calling an Apple education
sales representative at 800-800-APPL.
- * Based on estimated results of industry-standard SPECint and
SPECfp rate tests. SPEC is a registered trademark of Standard
Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); see
http://www.apple.com/macmini for more information.
- ** Actual speed will vary based on range from the base station,
environmental conditions and other factors.
- *** See http://www.apple.com/rosetta/ for information on
Rosetta supported Apple software. Contact the manufacturer directly
for 3rd party software.
RamJet Releases RAM for New Intel Mac mini
PR: Ramjet, Inc. says:
The mighty Mac mini comes in two versions. The original Mac mini
G4, and the new (released Feb. 28, 2006) Mac mini Intel
Mac mini G4:
- The Mac mini G4 has one memory slot, which holds a single
DDR400 184-pin DIMM. In order to upgrade, you will have to remove
the currently installed DIMM, and replace it with a larger module.
The system maximum is 1 GB with the installation of a single
1 GB DDR DIMM.
Mac mini Intel:
- The Mac mini Intel has two memory slots, that come preloaded
from the factory with two 256 MB PC2-5300, DDR2-667 SO-DIMMs.
Memory must be installed in pairs, so in order to upgrade, you will
remove those two original 256 MB modules and replace them. You can
install a maximum of 2 GB with the Ramjet 2 GB kit (2x
1 GB SO-DIMMs).
DDR for Mac mini G4
- 512 MB DDR400 DIMM for Mac mini $49
- 1 GB DDR400 DIMM for Mac mini $145
DDR2 for Mac mini Intel
- 1 GB Kit PC2-5300 for Mac mini Intel $149
- 2 GB Kit PC2-5300 for Mac mini Intel $269
RamJet also has sensible recommendations in general for Mac OS
RAM:
How Much Memory Do You Need?
- OS 9, Office: 256 MB
- OS X, Office: 640 MB
- Gaming: 768 MB
- Production: 1 GB
1-800-831-4569
- Link: RamJet
Releases RAM for New Intel Mac mini
Software
Wireless Driver Adds Speed, Triples
Range for Mac Users
PR: OrangeWare has announced a major technology advance
for Macintosh users with the latest upgrade, Version 3.2 of its
802.11a/b/g "Wireless Driver for Mac." This new driver supports the
newer Atheros AR5005 Chipset that is a quantum leap forward in
range capability for Mac users. For example, this new chipset is
used in the Netgear RangeMax Wireless PC Card/Router products and,
when coupled with OrangeWare's Wireless Driver for Mac, they
deliver up to 500,000 square feet of coverage. That's 10 times* the
coverage of standard 802.11g, which is what Mac users are used to
today.
No need to waste money on impotent range extenders, repeaters,
and external antennas. The RangeMax products are optimized when
used together, and they automatically adjust to the interference
and physical barriers in your home. It is an advanced MIMO
(Multi-In, Multi-Out) technology that uses 7 internal antennas in
the Router that is constantly readjusting the signal to compensate
for performance barriers. This range-based optimization ensures
that all Mac and PC users will enjoy the highest speed connections
available everywhere in your home - no dead spots or dropouts.
And it is completely compatible with all 802.11b/g products - no
problem connecting your Macintosh to other home or work wireless
routers, or public hotspots. Note however, to receive the range
benefit, you must use both a PC Card or PCI card in combination
with an Atheros based XR eXtended Range router which have the new
range capability.
Other Mac User Benefits
Whereas Apple's AirPort Extreme 802.11g product offers a 54 Mb/s
data rate, OrangeWare's 802.11a/b/g Wireless Driver runs at up to
108 Mb/s and supports over 20 different wireless cards. OrangeWare
offers the Wireless Driver for Mac to end users for $15. When it is
combined with a host of non-Apple wireless cards, it can run at
double the 802.11g speed which are the newest performance modes
called "Super G" or "Turbo Super G". Note however, to receive the
performance benefit, you must use both an Atheros based PC Card or
PCI card in combination with an Atheros based router that supports
Super G.
These capabilities are offered only on wireless cards using the
Atheros wireless chipset, many of which are listed at the end of
this document.
Available immediately in a free trial version, the Wireless
Driver for Mac v3.2 along with an 802.11g wireless card not only
dramatically outruns Apple's AirPort Extreme, but costs the
consumer half as much.
Another unique feature of the OrangeWare driver is its
compatibility with 802.11a networks. Not only is this the only
802.11a product available for Macintosh, but version 3.2 allows
"Turbo A" mode.
Future Releases
OrangeWare's wireless driver currently supports the WEP (Wired
Equivalent Privacy), and they are working on a future release that
will feature the new WPA-PSK (WiFi Protected Access-pre-Shared Key)
security so your network will have powerful safeguards against
unauthorized access.
- * Editor's note: This is a press release. Wireless range is
usually measured in distance from the base station, not square
feet. 10x the square foot coverage equates to roughly 3x the
distance - hence our title for this press release. dk
Link: OrangeWare
Wireless Driver for Mac
McAfee Provides Protection Against Mac
OS X Exploits and Viruses
...McAfee, Inc., has traditionally viewed Mac
threats as a non-issue....
PR: McAfee, Inc. has announced that it provides
protection from attacks targeting the newly discovered Apple Mac
OS X Command Execution Vulnerability and the recent worms
targeting the Mac OS X platform, including OSX/Inqtana.a and
OSX/Leap. While McAfee AVERT Labs, the world-class research
division of McAfee, Inc., has traditionally viewed Mac threats as a
non-issue and rates the worms Low-Profile at this time, it does
believe these threats demonstrate a renewed interest by the malware
authoring community in the Mac OS platform.
The Apple Mac OS X Command Execution Vulnerability, which was
discovered February 21 by Michael Lehn, is a critical vulnerability
that exists when accessing specially crafted files. Both proof of
concept exploits and malicious exploit code are public, and a patch
is not yet available. Apple Mail and Safari have been identified as
attack vectors for this vulnerability.
"Given recent activity, McAfee AVERT Labs forecasts that
attackers may attempt to test the viability of exploiting this
vulnerability en masse, by producing a reconnaissance Trojan to
identify a vulnerable user base," said Craig Schmugar, virus
research manager, McAfee AVERT Labs. "Exploit source code with a
payload has been published. Now, the message is 'welcome to
zero-day vulnerability land for many Mac OS X users' Only, Mac
OS X users are less prepared, less aware and mitigation tools
are less evolved."
OSX/Inqtana.a, which was discovered February 18, is a proof of
concept worm that exploits an Apple Mac OS X Directory traversal
vulnerability in the Bluetooth file and object exchange services
(CVE-2005-1333). This worm spreads over the Bluetooth OBEX Push
service, which typically requests the user to accept a file
transfer over Bluetooth. It also exploits a directory traversal
vulnerability in Mac OS X to install and auto-start the worm
on the infected machine. Users are advised not to accept requests
from unknown devices.
OSX/Leap, which was discovered February 16, is an instant
messaging worm propagating via iChat on PowerPC-based machines
running Mac OS X. The worm sends itself to people on the
user's buddy list in the form of a .tgz archive and attempts to
masquerade as a jpeg image file to trick the user into executing
it. OSX/Leap requires user interaction in order to infect a
machine.
McAfee Solutions
McAfee Virex for Macintosh offers protection against
OSX/Inqtana.a and OSX/Leap, and the known exploits targeting the
unpatched Command Execution vulnerability. McAfee Virex, designed
for the Mac OS X operating system provides real-time
prevention of viruses, worms, Trojans and other potentially
unwanted programs across their Macintosh and heterogeneous
environments.
More information on OSX/Inqtana.a, OSX/Leap and the cures for
these worms can be found online at vil.mcafee.com. McAfee Virex customers
have been protected from OSX/Leap since the 4698 DAT files.
Specific named detection as OSX/Inqtana.a has been available since
the 4701 DAT release of February 20. McAfee AVERT Labs recommends
all customers ensure they are running the latest DAT release and
schedule full system scans to insure an infection-free
environment.
Until there is a patch released for the Apple Mac OS X Command
Execution Vulnerability, McAfee AVERT Labs advises Mac OS X
users to exercise caution when downloading files from the web and
accessing email attachments. Safari users should uncheck the option
to "Open 'safe' files after downloading" and users should not open
email attachments that they were not expecting.
- Editor's note: There is no indication on the McAfee site that
they actually make or sell antivirus software for the Mac. However,
a reader was kind enough to send this link: http://www.mcafee.com/us/products/mcafee/antivirus/desktop/virex.htm.
dk
Link: McAfee
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