- apple-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

INTEREST: Logging On at 30,000 Feet,
by billing 09 Aug '04

09 Aug '04

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/08/travel/08prac.html?th [NOTE: free registration required for article access] Logging On at 30,000 Feet By BOB TEDESCHI Published: August 8, 2004 IN late May, Ortwin Freyermuth readied himself for an 11-hour flight from Munich to his Los Angeles home - a journey typically preceded by a flurry of last-minute e-mail messages, in anticipation of a day's worth of traveling incommunicado. This time, though, Mr. Freyermuth eased onto his Lufthansa flight less harried than on previous trips. When his plane reached cruising altitude, he opened up his iBook, logged onto the Internet and answered messages from 30,000 feet. "It was amazing," said Mr. Freyermuth, a lawyer. "Now I don't have to stress out before every flight." The price of a stress-free flight - Lufthansa's Connexion by Boeing service costs $30 for a long-haul flight (six hours or more), or $10 for 30 minutes - is perhaps more than some are willing to pay. But Connexion is at the leading edge of a trend that analysts and executives said will gain momentum this year, and is likely to lead to lower prices, a greater selection of vendors and much more mouse clicking on flights. Connexion made its debut in May on Lufthansa, which calls its service FlyNet, and is the first full-feature, in-flight Internet service to reach travelers, after years of half-starts. The airline industry had originally planned to roll out airborne Web surfing in late 2001, but companies shelved those plans after Sept. 11 and the ensuing financial malaise. The service is only available to those with wireless Internet connections for their laptop or handheld computers. Increasingly wireless connections are built into portable devices, but those with older laptops can buy a wireless PC card for $50 to $100. What you get is a better experience than most Internet users receive at home. Wireless connection speeds are generally up to 20 times faster than those of dial-up service, and if just a few people are logged on in the plane, the speed can rival that of some workplace connections. And unlike many workplace Internet connections, Connexion's service offers unrestricted Web access. 5 Planes and Counting So far, five Lufthansa airplanes are equipped with the satellite receivers and wireless networks necessary to run the system, and the only routes served as of July were Munich-Los Angeles and Munich-Tokyo. But the company plans to equip all of its long-range aircraft with the technology, and add New York routes by the end of the year. According to Terrance Scott, a Connexion spokesman, Japan Airlines will be the next to add the service, sometime this summer or early fall, followed by Scandinavian Airlines and All Nippon Airways. Singapore Airlines, China Airlines and Korean Air will follow early next year. Mr. Scott said Connexion is in "active discussions" with several United States carriers, but none has signed on yet. [...] =======================

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INTEREST: Apple laptop sales jump 17% in Higher Ed. in 2003
by billing 05 Aug '04

05 Aug '04

...from: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2004/ tc2004085_0709_tc153.htm AUGUST 5, 2004 • Editions: N. America | Europe | Asia | Edition Preference SPECIAL REPORT: APPLE: THE NEXT GENERATION Apple Aces Academia Its college sales are surging as students flock to its well-designed laptops and the popular iPod/iTunes combo for digital music The University of California at Berkeley has some of the best and the brightest students in the Golden State's vaunted university system. When they want to arm themselves with the best tech tools, they head to the Scholar's Workstation. The on-campus computer store sells thousands of machines each year. Lately more of those models have come with an Apple (AAPL ) logo on the box. According to store administrator Mark Laws, the percentage of Apple computers sold has risen steadily. And in the fast-growing laptop category, Mac sales make up over half of the total at the Scholar's Workstation. That's a nice jump from less than 40% of total laptop sales at the store three school years ago. "People really seem to like them. We're definitely seeing more and more people come in to ask about them," says Laws. ONE-TWO LAPTOP PUNCH. Berkeley isn't the only campus where Macs are flying off the shelves. While the percentage of Macs sold at the Scholars Workstation is far higher than Apple's market share as tracked by PC market-research firms, CEO Steven P. Jobs and his troops have clearly been on a college roll. In each of the past three quarters, Apple has posted 40% increases in year-over-year sales for this segment. During the first half of its current fiscal year, Apple posted an 18% bump in year-over-year education sales. And most of that has come from higher education, since the K-12 market has remained almost flat for Apple (see BW Online, 8/3/04, "Apple's Back-to-School Blast"). Clearly the Mac is climbing the Ivory Tower. What's behind the college revival? Credit Apple's one-two laptop punch -- the lower-end iBook and the more powerful PowerBook, which are packing a wallop. "They have the right products at the right time," says Kenneth C. Green, director of the Campus Computing Project, an ongoing industry-funded study that examines how computing is used in higher education. (Apple helps to fund this study, along with rivals such as Dell (DELL ) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ )). IT'S ALL PORTABLE. True, in higher education Apple has less ground to make up than in the broad PC market, where Jobs and his troops hold 3% or less of the total PC pie. That contrasts with Apple's 11.9% share in colleges in the first quarter of 2004. Moreover, that share could go up even more this year if Apple keeps up its torrid pace. Jobs & Co. sold 193,000 Macs into higher education in 2003, up 17.7% over the previous year. During that period, the entire higher-education market grew by only 11%. The biggest reason for Apple's expansion is the growing popularity of notebook computers on campus. According to collegiate market researcher StudentMonitor, 36% of all university students had laptops by the fall of 2003, up from 21% in 2000. During that same period, desktop ownership remained roughly flat in the high 60% range. No surprise, then, that notebook sales to universities soared by 33.8% from 2002 to 2003, according to IDC. Apple laptop sales rose by a whopping 58.5% in that same period. "When I go around and talk to colleges, I find out that well in excess of 90% of incoming freshmen have laptops," says Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide marketing. "They don't bring desktops anymore. It has all gone portable. So it makes sense we'd be doing better." LURE OF MUSIC. Surprisingly, this laptop explosion for Apple came without major product introductions. Schiller says the key is that Apple's core design expertise outshines raw speed comparisons with rival offerings. "You want a lot of features, but not a lot of doors and things that can break. And we're the only ones left that actually design our own products. Other companies don't have the talent or the tech to invest in breakthrough new designs and technologies such as widescreen [LCD laptop displays,]" says Schiller. Indeed, the pricey PowerBook has become the favorite portable workstation of the campus Unix clique, which wants a nifty graphical interface and the ability to crunch serious code. Add Apple's smooth WiFi access software and its laptops are doing well in a highly competitive market. "They're well positioned in the mobile space, which is where the market is growing," says IDC analyst David Daoud (see BW Online, 8/3/04, "Apple: Sweetness Regained"). Then there's the music factor. Apple's iTunes software, which comes as a free download for either PCs or Macs, has become the de facto standard for managing digital tunes on the desktop. That, plus the runaway success of Apple's iPod music player, could be fueling a slow but steady increase in Apple customers. "My sense is that music and the iPod are influencing purchasing decisions," says analyst Charles Wolf of Needham & Co. (He owns Apple shares and has a "buy" recommendation on the stock). YOUNG CONVERTS. Will Apple's newfound success in the halls of higher learning add much needed fresh blood to the adult Mac user base? That's the million-dollar question. To date, no one has tracked the percentage of college Macs buyers who remain loyal to Apple after they receive their sheepskin. In some respects, students may be more valuable customers because they're younger and have many more computer buying years in front of them. "It's hard to get people to move to a Mac, but once they do they tend to stay," says Wolf. If Apple can stay on a roll at college, then the Mac could well become a campus fixture once again. By Alex Salkever, Technology Editor for BusinessWeek Online

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INTEREST: 2 High School laptop programs
by billing 05 Aug '04

05 Aug '04

Story last updated at 9:53 a.m. Thursday, August 5, 2004 Hays High students excited about hitting the iBooks this year HAYS (AP) -- When teachers at Hays High School tell their students to open their books this school year, there's a chance they won't be referring to a textbook. Students who showed up for enrollment this week at the western Kansas school -- about 1,000 of them in all -- walked away with a new Apple iBook laptop computer thanks to a school board initiative passed earlier this year. The laptops were issued during enrollment to give students time before classes begin to familiarize themselves with the computers, Principal Mike Hester said. Parents received a letter listing day and night time iBook training classes that run through Friday. The district made the decision to purchase laptops for the high school when the computer technology lease agreement for the district was up for renewal, Hester said. Money saved by using less paper also helped fund the new portable computers. [...] ...complete story at: http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/080504/sta_0805040028.shtml ======================================= HF-Lima rethinks use of middle-school laptops By Dolores Orman Staff Writer (August 5, 2004) — HONEOYE FALLS — The Honeoye Falls-Lima school board is trying to figure out what to do about the middle school laptop computer project that was launched in February with a focus on use at school and at home. That's because “there have been some people in the community who have been unhappy with the program,” Linda Hunt, school board president, said at the start of the board meeting Tuesday night. School district officials have acknowledged, among other things, that there should have been greater effort to inform the community about the program and that the development and implementation of the program was probably too fast. However, a school district committee charged with reviewing the middle school project, and various options, recommended Tuesday that the “most educationally sound” step for the 2004-05 school year is a “modified” one-to-one (one computer per student) plan. [...] The district is leasing for a four-year period 711 laptops from Apple Computer Inc. — 661 for students and 50 for teachers. Other options before the board: Offer the program to high school students instead; redistribute all laptops throughout the district; redistribute all laptops on carts in the middle and high schools; do a one-to-one pilot of smaller middle school groups and redistribute the rest of the laptops; reduce student computer use and return the laptops; and maintain a one-to-one for seventh and eighth grades and use laptops on a cart for sixth grade, freeing up computers for other schools. Hagerman suggested the last option as an alternative to the one the committee favors. ...complete story at: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/08056E551JI_news.shtml

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FYI: XCode 1.5, LINUX iTunes, Mozilla "Bug Bounty Program", iTunes RSS feed
by billing 03 Aug '04

03 Aug '04

...from: http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=579 Apple to release Xcode 1.5 this week By AppleInsider Staff Published: 10:00 AM EST Apple Computer yesterday announced to its Apple Developer Connection (ADC) members that it has completed the development of Xcode 1.5, the latest version of its integrated development environment for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. According to a set of developer notes accompanying the release, Xcode 1.5 includes remote debugging, code completion for Java and AppleScript, subversion source-code control system support and native build system support for AppleScript. Additionally, sources said the release will pack an enhanced debugger with a memory browser, globals browser, and ability to display file static variables, faster editor performance, Ant templates , documentation bookmarks, and overall speed improvements. This latest build, 7K571, contains Xcode IDE 389, Xcode Core 387, and Tool Support 372. Earlier reports indicate that Xcode 1.5 will also include updates to the user interface, code sense, inspectors, building, source code management and file editing. In 2005, Apple will release Xcode 2.0 as part of its Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger distribution. This second major release of groundbreaking development tools is said to include a visual modeling interface, remote debugging, an integrated Apple Reference Library, 64-bit support, and improvements for Java developers. Apple has reportedly informed developers that an official release of Xcode 1.5 is expected on Thursday, at which time it will available to both paying and free ADC account holders. The software is currently being seeded as a full update, distributed in multiple image segments. =============================== ...from press release at: http://www.codeweavers.com/site/about/general/press/?id=20040803; cw=f16bec3c4f991bff9184ef9e0de0b8c3 CodeWeavers Adds Support For Apple iTunes In New CrossOver OfficeTM 3.1 Preview Most Requested CrossOver Office Enhancement Now Available for Limited Evaluation; Application Allows Dozens of Windows Programs to Run Natively in Linux MOSCONE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO / BOOTH 1661 - (August 3, 2004) - CodeWeavers, Inc., the leading Windows-to-Linux software developer, today announced the release of an evaluation preview of CrossOver Office 3.1, the latest upgrade to the world's leading and most reliable Windows-to-Linux application solution. The pre-beta preview, announced at LinuxWorld 2004 Conference and Expo in San Francisco and available to existing CrossOver Office users only, includes new support for iTunes®, Apple's exciting digital jukebox and download store program. Since its initial release in 2002, CrossOver Office has significantly impacted the growth and practicality of the Linux operating system among desktop computer users. CrossOver Office enables many leading Windows applications including Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, and Visio; Intuit Quicken; Macromedia Dreamweaver and Flash; and Apple QuickTime to operate natively under Linux with no secondary emulator needed. With iTunes support, CrossOver Office users will be able to download and organize songs from the iTunes Music Store. Soon they will also be able to plug their iPod into their Linux PC for music transfers and other jukebox-related tasks. [...] =========================== ...from: http://www.mozilla.org/press/mozilla-2004-08-02.html MOZILLA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SECURITY BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM Program harnesses power of the open source community to identify security vulnerabilities before they are exploited MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - August 2, 2004 - The Mozilla Foundation today announced the Mozilla Security Bug Bounty Program, an initiative that rewards users who identify and report security vulnerabilities in the open source project's software. Under the new program, users reporting critical security bugs - as judged by the Mozilla Foundation staff - will collect a $500 cash prize. The new initiative was launched with funding from leading Linux software developer Linspire, Inc., and renowned Internet entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. [...] ========================== Apple has supplied an RSS feed for iTunes releases and most popular songs. It can be found at: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wo/2.1 Go to the page, select the music genre of your choice, and the page will generate a URL suitable for inclusion in your RSS reader. Just copy and paste it as a new RSS feed site. (and for those of you who are not yet using RSS: - RDF Resource Description Framework. A language derived from XML which describes metadata. Commonly used as a backend format for articles and other publications. For more detailed information on RDF files, you might want to go directly to the official page on RDF files at the World Wide Web Consortium. RSS The RDF Site Summary is actually an extension to the RDF language. Quoting the official RSS v1.0 specification: ‘RDF Site Summary (RSS) is a lightweight multipurpose extensible metadata description and syndication format. RSS is an XML application, conforms to the W3C's RDF specification and is extensible via XML-namespace and/or RDF based modularization.’ ... or to put it another way: RSS allows its users to quickly and easily browse the latest news headlines from hundreds of different websites using a friendly and familiar interface. If you have the right RSS application it may have built-in support for synchronizing headlines and news stories with Palm OS PDAs and Apple iPods menaing that you can take your news with you. More info at: - http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2002/12/18/dive-into-xml.html - http://www.webreference.com/authoring/languages/xml/rss/intro/2.html ... which, simply, means that "news" source headlines (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, iTunes ::-) can all quickly be scanned with one simple application: an RSS Reader. Since you ask, there are various RSS Reader applications (and news feed sites) available. One simple, freeware RSS app (NewsMac for OSX 10.2 and above) can be found at: http://www.thinkmac.co.uk/newsmac/

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FOLLOW UP: Duke to Give Apple iPods to First-Year Students for Educational Use
by billing 31 Jul '04

31 Jul '04

...from: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/news/ipods_0704.html Monday, July 19, 2004 | DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University will distribute Apple iPods to its incoming freshmen, as part of an initiative to encourage creative uses of technology in education and campus life. The pocket-sized digital devices, which can download and make use of both audio and text material, will be preloaded with Duke-related content, such as information for freshman orientation and the academic calendar. Through a special Duke Web site modeled on the Apple iTunes site, students also can download faculty-provided course content, including language lessons, music, recorded lectures and audio books. They also will be able to purchase music through the site. Duke officials said the iPod distribution is part of a pilot program between Duke and Apple Computer, Inc. that will be evaluated after a year. Duke is paying for the project with strategic planning funds that it has set aside for one-time innovative technology purposes. The total cost of the project is expected to reach $500,000 or more, which includes hiring an academic computing specialist for the project, grant funding for faculty, associated research costs and the purchase of the iPods. "This iPod pilot program is an exciting new component of Duke's strategic plan, which seeks to use information technology in innovative ways within the classroom and across the campus," said Provost Peter Lange, the university's senior academic officer. "We're approaching this as an experiment, one we hope will motivate our faculty and students to think creatively about using digital audio content and a mobile computing environment to advance educational goals in the same way that iPods and similar devices have had such a big impact on music distribution," said Tracy Futhey, vice president for information technology. "We think the power and flexibility of these devices offer some real advantages over other media used to distribute educational content such as CD-ROMs and DVDs." Futhey said she also expects students to develop their own content and interesting new uses for the devices. "I could easily imagine our student newspaper creating a weekly or daily audio editorial that students could listen to as they walk across campus," she said. Lynne O'Brien, director of Duke's Center for Instructional Technology (CIT), noted that over the last two years a growing number of faculty members have shown interest in adding audio and video components to their courses. "The iPod project will encourage faculty to experiment with adding elements such as music, foreign language and poetry to class curricula," she said. O'Brien cited as an example the elementary Spanish course taught by visiting assistant professor Lisa Merschel. Students in that course will use the iPods to listen to audio examples of textbook exercises, hear Spanish songs and record their own efforts to speak Spanish. In another course on environmental ethics, taught by adjunct professor Sally Schauman, students will use their iPods to record lectures and, while in the field, take notes and record interviews. O'Brien said she expects other Duke faculty members to suggest ideas over the coming academic year to supplement those already slated for inclusion in the pilot program. "We will be inviting faculty to submit project ideas early in the fall semester," she said. Lange said Duke will distribute the iPods to students Aug. 19, 2004, as part of freshman orientation. "We're limiting our distribution to this single class because it will make it easier for us to evaluate their experience relative to other students and determine whether the iPods promoted educational innovation as we hope. Duke students, like students at most universities, are already comfortable with the Internet and new technologies, and we think they'll rise to the challenge of working with their professors and others to develop new ways of learning. As with other technology innovations, we will evaluate this experiment carefully," Lange said. The 1,650 20-GB iPods distributed to Duke freshmen are the latest-generation ipods from Apple and are compatible with both Mac and Windows systems, as are an additional 150 iPods slated for other academic and support needs. The iPods given to the first-year students will become property of the recipients. Students who do not own their own computers will also be able to participate in the project through computing laboratories on campus. The university has developed a technical support plan for students that includes a one-year warranty on each iPod and assistance through the Duke Computer Store and the OIT help desk. Students who lose their iPods will be able to purchase a new one through the Duke Computer Store. Upperclassmen enrolled in classes utilizing iPods will be given loaners for the duration of the course. Duke's CIT, Office of Student Affairs, Office of the Provost, Office of the Executive Vice President and Office of Information Technology (OIT) are collaborating with Apple on the iPod project. For additional information, contact: David Menzies | phone: (919) 684-2151 | email: david.menzies(a)duke.edu

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INTEREST: found at http://www.ipoding.com/: recharge iPod from Airport Express
by billing 29 Jul '04

29 Jul '04

Reader Chris W. writes: After seeing some people asking about it, I just randomly plugged my iPod Mini into the Airport Express to see what happens (the USB port of course). Surprisingly enough, the Express CHARGES the iPod. So to answer that question, you CAN charge your iPod using the Airport Express (which negates my need to tote the power charger for it now when I go traveling.) Now if Apple could only have a way to pass through the Audio to the Express from the iPod when it's plugged in, that would be a killer little firmware update.... Indeed, you can charge iPod mini and the new Click Wheel iPods from the USB port on AirPort Express (AX.) However, these iPods, at least with current firmware versions, will go into Disk Mode when connected to a data capable port (USB or FireWire) and cannot be forced back into Audio Mode, so you can't listen to your music while charging (as you could with the AC adapter.) There is still much we don't know about AX, but it's unlikely that it will ever be able to access a connected iPod.

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INTEREST: Motorola/Apple Bring iTunes Player to Motorola’s Mobile Phones
by billing 27 Jul '04

27 Jul '04

Motorola and Apple Bring iTunes® Music Player to Motorola’s Next-generation Mobile Phones ROSEMONT, IL and CUPERTINO, Calif – 26 July 2004 -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) and Apple® (NASDAQ: AAPL) today announced they are partnering to enable millions of music lovers to transfer their favorite songs from the iTunes® jukebox on their PC or Mac® , including songs from the iTunes Music Store, to Motorola’s next-generation 'always with you' mobile handsets, via a USB or Bluetooth connection. Apple will create a new iTunes mobile music player, which Motorola will make the standard music application on all their mass-market music phones, expected to be available in the first half of next year. “We can't think of a more natural partnership than this one with Apple, the brand synonymous with easy-to-use, legal music downloading, and Motorola, the innovator in mobile technology,” said Ed Zander, chairman and CEO, Motorola. “Being able to transfer songs you’ve purchased from iTunes to Motorola mobile handsets expands the market reach for both of us and drives new revenue for customers, delivering an amazing music experience to millions of wireless users.” “We are thrilled to be working with Motorola to enable millions of music lovers to transfer any of their favorite songs from iTunes on their PC or Mac to Motorola’s next-generation mobile phones," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. “The mobile phone market -- with 1.5 billion subscribers expected worldwide by the end of 2004 -- is a phenomenal opportunity to get iTunes in the hands of even more music lovers around the world and we think Motorola is the ideal partner to kick this off." About Motorola Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in wireless, broadband and automotive communications technologies that help make life smarter, safer, simpler, synchronized and fun. Sales in 2003 were U.S. $27.1 billion. Motorola creates innovative technological solutions that benefit people at home, at work and on the move. The company also is a progressive corporate citizen dedicated to operating ethically, protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which it does business. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com. About Apple Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.

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INTEREST: Airport Express; Virtual PC 7; Interbrand: Apple brand value jumps 24 percent on iPod; pPod guide to London's public Loos
by billing 25 Jul '04

25 Jul '04

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/22/technology/circuits/22state.html Apple's Pocket-Size Base Station By DAVID POGUE Published: July 22, 2004 IN his weekly "60 Minutes" commentary a couple of years ago, the inimitable Andy Rooney groused about the number of cables in our lives. "Look behind the television set in your living room. It's a rat's nest of electrical cords," he said. "All different - no two the same. If Thomas Edison was so smart, how come he didn't come up with one cord that fits everything?" Of course, it wouldn't be very hard for Mr. Rooney to answer his own question. To find out why cords are designed to fit only specific connectors, all he'd have to do is plug his headphones into an electrical outlet, just once. A slightly less painful approach might be for Mr. Rooney to look into Apple, a company with an official corporate disgust for cables. Apple was the first computer company to offer built-in Wi-Fi wireless antennas (also known as 802.11 - or, as Apple more charmingly calls it, AirPort). Apple was also the first company to offer built-in Bluetooth, a short-range wireless technology designed to eliminate the cords between computers, printers and other gadgets. And when a cable can't be eliminated, Apple goes to ridiculous extremes to at least make it good-looking and color-coordinated. Last week, Apple introduced yet another way to eliminate wires from your life. It introduced the AirPort Express, a $130 something-or-other for both Windows PC's and Macs. There's no single pithy term or phrase for this invention; it has more tricks up its sleeve than David Blaine. Trick No. 1: the AirPort Express is a wireless base station. That is, if you connect it to a cable modem or D.S.L. box, your wirelessly equipped Mac or Windows PC can get onto the Internet and connect to other machines in the building, at high speed and with no waiting, from anywhere in the house - or at least within about 150 feet of the base station, even through walls. (Note for geeks: Like all of Apple's current wireless gear, the AirPort Express uses the 802.11g standard - which, in English, means that it works with both modern, superfast 802.11g laptops and the older, more common, slower 802.11b equipment. It also offers both WPA and WEP security, state-of-the-art password-protection systems that prevent desperados hiding in your bushes from getting onto your wireless network without your knowledge.) If you already have an AirPort wireless network, the Express can act as a wireless bridge that extends its range another 150 feet. That's a handy perk, but it would be even handier and perkier if it worked to extend the range of other base station brands. (Apple won't guarantee that it doesn't work, but it won't guarantee that it will, either.) The twist here is that the AirPort Express is literally pocket-size. It's a round-cornered white acrylic device that looks for all the world like the power adapter for one of Apple's laptops. In fact, Apple says that the Express is the world's smallest Wi-Fi base station. Asus makes one whose dimensions are slightly smaller, but only if you ignore its external power brick; that's cheating. Apple's device is entirely self-contained. Apple has even eliminated the power cord, instead opting for electrical outlet prongs that rotate cleanly into the body when not plugged in. Now, you might reasonably wonder why the size of a wireless base station is an advantage. Isn't that an irrelevant characteristic, like a muffler that's available in designer colors? After all, most people just plug into a base station behind the desk and forget about it. But having your own personal base station means that you can move it from place to place (like home or office) at will; the Express can even store and switch among five different network configurations. And if you take it with you when traveling, you can sign up for your hotel's $10-a-day high-speed in-room Internet access. Then, instead of remaining shackled to the desk, you can lie on the bed 10 feet away to do your e-mail. (All right, that's not a life-or-death business essential, but you've got to admit that it's cozy.) More practically, your traveling companions can hop online simultaneously, sharing the Internet signal and the $10 fee. (The AirPort Express can handle up to 10 people at once. That's one difference between this model and Apple's standard AirPort base station, which costs $200 and handles up to 50 connections at once.) Trick No. 2 is called AirTunes. The AirPort Express has, of all things, a sound-output jack that you can connect to a stereo system, self-powered speakers or even a TV. iTunes, Apple's free jukebox software for Mac or Windows, can then wirelessly broadcast your music (like MP3 files and songs you've bought from Apple's iTunes online store) to the sound system from your computer. In fact, if you've bought more than one AirPort Express (in Apple's dreams!) and plugged them into different sets of speakers around the house, you can use a little pop-up menu on the edge of the iTunes window to specify which one you want: Patio, Living Room, Bedroom or whatever. To pacify the record companies, iTunes encrypts the music before broadcasting it, so that the sneaks in the next apartment can't intercept it. And to pacify audiophiles, the software delivers the music to the speakers at full original quality (as it's stored on your computer). It sounds terrific. There are, however, some flies in all this ointment. First, you can only send the music to one set of speakers at a time. Rival wireless-stereo gizmos, like RCA's Wireless Lyra, can broadcast simultaneously to several sound systems (if you've bought a receiver for each one). Second, note that the connection between the AirPort Express and the stereo is not wireless. You have to supply your own cable to connect them. (Apple sells a $40 kit containing two beautiful white Monster cables for connecting to your stereo - one with standard RCA stereo connectors and one with a so-called Toslink, a digital connector capable of carrying five-channel surround sound.) But the point is that the AirPort Express needs a power outlet that's close to your stereo. Finally, it's a weird and heady experience to use, say, your computer upstairs as the control center for the stereo across the room, complete with playlists and real-time volume control. On the other hand, if you're downstairs with the stereo, you can't pause playback when the phone rings, see the name of the current song, or skip a truly awful song, without having to run upstairs to the computer. (This fine print, of course, applies to most wireless sound systems.) Trick No. 3: On the bottom of the AirPort Express you'll find, of all things, a U.S.B. connector where you can plug in an inkjet printer, and then every computer on the network can send printouts to it wirelessly. It works like a charm, and offers further proof that Macs and PC's in the same household can all be friends. (This feature requires Mac OS X, Windows 2000 or Windows XP.) Now, as the usual crowd of Apple-grouches is certain to point out, you could buy each of the Express's features for less money. A regular 802.11g base station costs about $60 at www.buy.com. If your aim is to extend your existing network's range, you can buy a range extender from Linksys or D-Link for $80. The idea of streaming music from a PC wirelessly to a stereo isn't new, either; Linksys and many others sell wireless media adapters for another $80. But Apple is the first to combine all of these functions, effortlessly and elegantly, and the fact that the Express comes with supremely simple setup software, looks great and fits in your pocket or laptop carrying case is just Wi-Fi gravy. Apple reports having 80,000 AirPort Express pre-orders to fill, and stores are reporting at least a three-week wait to get one. Rack up a point for Apple in its mission to dominate the digital music world (and, not incidentally, to infiltrate the homes of Windows PC owners), and rack up one for Andy Rooney and the rest of us in the never-ending battle against household cable infestations. E-mail: Pogue(a)nytimes.com ====================== ...from: http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/07/22/virtualpc7/?lsrc=mcrss -0704 Microsoft: Virtual PC 7 coming this October By Peter Cohen pcohen(a)maccentral.com July 22, 2004 6:05 pm ET Microsoft Corp. on Thursday indicated that Virtual PC for Mac Version 7 will likely be released in October, though the schedule is entirely dependent on Microsoft's efforts to ship a new service pack for its Windows XP operating system. This is the first clarification the company has provided about Virtual PC 7's release schedule since confirming in May that its release would be delayed. Virtual PC enables Mac users to run various versions of Windows software applications and operating systems by emulating the characteristics of an actual hardware PC on their Macintosh. Previously sold by Connectix Corp., Virtual PC was acquired by Microsoft in February, 2003. Mac users have been anticipating Virtual PC 7's release as it will be the first version to support Power Mac G5 computers -- the emulation software needed to be extensively retooled to work with the IBM PowerPC 970 microprocessors that power the G5. Announcing Virtual PC 7's delay in May, Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (MacBU) indicated that the software would be released "in the second half of 2004." On Thursday, Microsoft offered further clarification in a statement sent to news media. "We are waiting for the release of Windows XP SP2 in order to offer the most recent, most secure version of Windows XP to our Virtual PC for Mac customers. Windows XP SP2 release has moved to August, which has impacted our schedule. Based on this, we anticipate that Virtual PC 7 with Win XP Professional and Home will release to manufacturing in September and be on store shelves by early October," read the statement. "Virtual PC 7 with Windows 2000 and the Standalone and Upgrade versions will be available a few months after this debut," said the company. "Should the Windows XP SP2 release date change the Virtual PC 7 availability date will change accordingly." ====================== ...reported by MacCentral from: http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/07/23/interbrand/?lsrc=mcrss -0704 Interbrand: Apple brand value jumps 24 percent on iPod By Peter Cohen pcohen(a)maccentral.com July 23, 2004 9:25 am ET Apple may be one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but what's that brand's actual value? Market brand consultancy Interbrand and business publication BusinessWeek have posted their fourth annual listing of 100 Best Global Brands, listed by dollar value. Apple is the biggest mover on this year's chart, up 24 percent in brand value. The consultancy attributes Apple's showing to strong sales of the iPod and high brand loyalty. Apple ranked 43rd overall, up from 50 last year. Interbrand indicates that Apple's brand value for 2004 totalled $6.851 billion, up from $5.554 billion, or a 24 percent annual rise. Overall, Apple ranks in the same vicinity as motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson, food company Heinz, fashion company Louis Vuitton, financial institution UBS and video game maker Nintendo. Coca-Cola, Microsoft Corp., IBM, GE, Intel, Disney, McDonald's, Nokia, Toyota and Marlboro made up the top ten list of best global brands. Interbrand calculates the global brand value of these companies as the net present value of the earnings that the brand is expected to generate from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The 100 most valuable global brands were determined by whether they produced significant earnings in global markets and if there was sufficient marketing and financial data publicly available to prepare a reasonable valuation. ======================= ...from: http://www.nykris.com/template.php?id=64 pPod 21 July 2004 - Today NYKRIS launched pPod - the world’s first iPod based interactive audio service. pPod combines text, spoken word audio, and music to deliver a guide to London’s public loos – truly a convenience for iPod users on the move! Entertaining audio reviews and even accompanying sound tracks such as Handel’s ‘Water Music’ and ‘Cosmic Winds’ will help users to locate their nearest (and loveliest!) loos. Instructions To get pPod onto your iPod first download the NYKRIS_pPod.zip file by clicking the 'download pPod' link at the bottom of this screen Unzip file, then open 'Install.txt' for full installation instructions Please note: This service will only work on third-generation or higher iPods NYKRIS specialise in making engaging and easy to use interactive services across the web, interactive kiosks and mobile devices. Philip Read, NYKRIS' managing director said ‘We’re all aware that opportunities to deliver interactive services are developing all the time, with new types of PDA, mobile phone and MP3 player hitting the market every month. NYKRIS’ work is all about creating the best type of interactive experience no matter what sort of device we’re delivering to. Working on a service like this is an excellent opportunity for us to think about how interactive services might be developed for the iPod – a device that has so far been used primarily for portable audio.’ ‘We’re currently exploring other iPod based services that could be developed, including an interactive audio guide to gigs and clubs – something that we think could be particularly attractive to iPod fans.’ Philip Read, Managing Director

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INTEREST: Duke U gives students iPods, HP/Apple iPods
by billing 19 Jul '04

19 Jul '04

...from: http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/07/19/duke/index.php? redirect=1090243274000 Duke to give incoming freshmen iPods By Peter Cohen pcohen(a)maccentral.com July 19, 2004 11:20 am ET On Monday Apple introduced its fourth generation iPod, a 20GB or 40GB model featuring the same kind of "Click Wheel" interface as found on the iPod mini. During an interview with MacCentral, Greg Joswiak, vice president of Hardware Product Marketing at Apple, explained that Duke University would be offering iPods to incoming freshmen. New details about the program have come to light. On August 19, 2004, Duke University will be distributing more than 1,600 20GB iPods to all incoming freshman during their orientation as part of an effort to "creative uses of technology in education and campus life," according to a statement. Another 150 are slated for other academic and support needs, and all of them become the property of their recipients. Computer ownership isn't mandatory for incoming freshmen, so Duke will enable those students to hook up their iPods to computers at labs around campus. The iPods will be preloaded with content related to Duke campus life, including freshman orientation information and the academic calendar. What's more, a special Duke Web site modeled on Apple's own iTunes site will offer course content for download, including language lessons, music, recorded lectures and audio books. Duke students will also be able to purchase music through the site. This is a pilot program between Duke University and Apple, which will be evaluated after a year. It's being paid for by Duke using strategic planning funds that have been set aside for one-time purposes, rather than with funds that might otherwise have been used for other operational programs. Duke Vice President for Information Technology Tracy Futhey said the University is hoping that the iPod program will motivate students and faculty alike to use iPods as educational tools. "We think the power and flexibility of these devices offer some real advantages over other media used to distribute educational content such as CD-ROMs and DVDs," said Futhey. ================= ...from: http://www.macminute.com/2004/07/19/hpipod HP iPod to be released in September July 19, 2004 - 10:53 EDT HP and Apple announced today that the HP-branded iPod will be available in September. "HP has chosen iPod and iTunes as the best products to integrate in to our digital entertainment strategy," said HP CEO Carly Fiorina. "We decided to wait for this amazing new fourth generation iPod, as it will offer our customers an even better experience. HP's version of the new iPod will be available in September." In early January, HP said that it would begin selling a branded version of Apple's iPod and bundling iTunes with its desktops and notebooks as part of a new partnership with Apple =================

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FYI: iPod and iPod mini Update: iTunes 4.5, one click shuffle play, support for Lossless Encoder
by billing 19 Jul '04

19 Jul '04

Get iPod and iPod mini Update iPod Updater 2004-07-15 supports all models of iPod and iPod mini, including the new Click Wheel iPod. This update includes the latest available software for each model of iPod or iPod mini. Download and install the iPod Updater 2004-07-15 then connect your iPod or iPod mini to yor computer. The iPod Updater will automatically determine if an update is required. New for Click Wheel iPods ▪ Shuffle songs with one click ▪ Create multiple On-The-Go playlists ▪ Delete songs from On-The-Go playlists ▪ Select reading playback speed for audiobooks ▪ Hear the clicker user interface sound through headphones ▪ Charge via USB 2.0 connection ▪ Enjoy improved playback performance Updates for iPod with a Dock connector and iPod mini ▪ Compatibility with iTunes 4.5 or later and the iTunes Music Store ▪ Improved playback performance ▪ Support for the Apple Lossless Encoder, to enable compressed music encoding at high quality Updates for iPod without a Dock connector ▪ Compatibility with iTunes 4.5 or later and the iTunes Music Store ▪ Improved playback performance http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/

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