- apple-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Time Sensitive Request - Please read
by Doug Hamilton 26 Jan '04

26 Jan '04

Hello Everyone: Dr. Richard Kruk of the Psychology Department has an urgent need for a couple of iBooks capable of booting into OS 9 (as opposed to running Classic in OS X). He needs to run some OS 9 software which cannot running in Classic mode correctly. Unfortunately the company responsible for upgrading the software to OS X has overshot their predicted release date. He has some time sensitive research which requires that data collection begin almost immediately. Dr Kruk is willing to rent this equipment. Please see forwarded message below for details. If you have an iBook(s) you'd like to rent to Dr. Kruk, please contact him as soon as possible. Dr. Richard Kruk 474-9453 e-mail krukr(a)ms.umanitoba.ca Regards, Doug ------------- Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, APP Senior Apple Computer Consultant Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba 204-474-6196 204-474-7556 http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/ FORWARD MESSAGE BEGINS: > I have a problem, though, that I'm hoping you might be able to help > out with. The program I purchased, called VPixx, is designed to > produce precise and reliable image durations (as short as 16 ms) on > the computer screen. > > However, only an OS-9 version of the program is available (an OS-X > version was promised to me by Christmas, but I'm still waiting for it > to be ready to be distributed). I have the OS-9 version of VPixx, > which runs on the OS-X "Classic" environment. There is a problem with > the equipment: the timings of images that are displayed are completely > off, and unreliable - I > measured durations last Friday using an oscilloscope and made this > discovery, with the G4 Powerbooks I was planning to take into schools > to conduct my research. The image timings I need, however, are > accurately and reliably produced by a G3 running on OS-9. > > The bottom line is that until I obtain an OS-X version of VPixx (which > is unlikely to happen soon), or iBooks that run on OS-9 I can take > into schools, I can't collect valid data for my project. I have a very > limited time during which I have access to children in schools (from > now until the middle of March), and the data collection will likely > take all the time I have. > > I was hoping you might have some knowledge of people at the > University, or in the community who might be willing to either loan or > rent me the equipment I need (two iBooks, running OS-9, each with a > VGA port). If you know of any rental outfit that might be able to > help, I'd really appreciate it. > > This is an urgent problem for me -- if you have any suggestions I'd be > grateful in hearing about them soon! > > All the best, > > Richard FORWARD MESSAGE ENDS:

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INTEREST: Microsoft on wireless and IT security (long... sorry)
by Wayne Billing 21 Jan '04

21 Jan '04

In case you haven't yet seen it, Microsoft has a paper outlining Microsoft's internal wireless network deployment available at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/secwlan.asp ..also, from a Q&A regarding IT Security comes the following (long... sorry): ShopTalk Webcast: IT Security Sponsored by Microsoft TechNet 12/01/03 Q&A (Most frequently asked during the session) Question: What types of antivirus software does Microsoft use? What does Microsoft use to eliminate e-mail born viruses and spam? Answer: At Microsoft, antivirus software is deployed on all desktop computers, servers, e-mail gateways, internet gateways, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Computer Associates eTrust is used on all desktop computers and fully managed servers, except the gateways, which run Trend Micro InterScan Viruswall and also Brightmail software. About 5 million inbound e-mail messages are scanned every day. On average, 800 viruses are stripped per day, and approximately 2.4 million junk e-mail messages are filtered per day. Question: Where does the Microsoft Corporate Security Group reside in the Microsoft organization structure? Answer: Microsoft's Corporate Security Group reports into Rick Devenuti, the chief information officer (CIO) and corporate vice president for the Worldwide Services Organization at Microsoft Corp Question: Does the Microsoft Corporate Security Group attempt to break into your own systems to assess the strength of your network? Answer: The attack and penetration team in the Microsoft Corporate Security Group evaluates compliance with security policies and standards. This team provides real-world threat assessment auditing and consulting services across all layers of the ecosystem, including controls on the network, host, application, trust, and account levels. The team's objective is to measure the effectiveness of Microsoft's security controls against internal and external threats and then assist in developing cost-effective risk mitigating solutions. Question: What are the advantages of using smart cards over USB tokens or RSA tokens? Answer: The Microsoft Corporate Security Group identified three areas where smart cards are more appropriate for our environment compared to USB or RSA tokens. First, our assessment indicated that a smart card is less likely to be compromised than USB or RSA tokens. Second, smart card chips could be embedded into the existing proximity cards that Microsoft employees already use for building access, eliminating the need for users to carry and additional device for two-factor authentication. Finally, smart cards can be used for multiple applications such as two-factor remote access authentication and Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) for digitally signing and encrypting of e-mail. More details on Microsoft's smart card deployment can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/smartcrd.asp and http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/smtcrdcs.asp More detail on Microsoft's self hosted Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/itsoluti… Question: What product does the Microsoft Corporate Security Group use for intrusion detection? Answer: The Microsoft Corporate Security Group manages intrusion detection with a number of third-party and internally developed programs and tools, including Microsoft Audit Collections System (MACS), BlackICE and RealSecure from Internet Security Systems, and proxy traffic monitoring and antivirus software. Question: What method does the Microsoft Corporate Security Group use to determine the particular patches to deploy and the urgency of their deployment? Answer: The Microsoft Corporate Security Group relies on a formal decision support process to determine which patches to apply and their urgency in Microsoft's environment. At a high level, patches are considered critical in the Microsoft environment if the vulnerability addressed by the patch results in escalation of privilege, expansion of access or control or exposure of business critical data. Additional detail on Microsoft's Corporate Security Group's security strategy is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/mssecbp.asp Question: Is Windows Update integrated in Microsoft's patch compliance process? Answer: Windows Update is one of the technologies used in Microsoft's patch compliance strategy. Additional technologies include Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) and custom tools. Question: What is Connection Manager? Answer: Connection Manager is a suite of components that provides administrators with the ability to create and distribute customized remote access connections, called service profiles, and to create, distribute, and automatically update customized phone books. Connection Manager service profiles appear as network connections on client computers, and profiles can be used to connect to remote networks through servers that are running Routing and Remote Access, Internet Authentication Service (IAS), or remote access and virtual private networking technologies from companies other than Microsoft. Further information about Connection Manager is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/proddocs/tec… Question: What are some of the challenges in self hosting a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)? Answer: One of the challenges to self hosting a PKI is the need to secure the Certificate Authority servers in a secure vault that is subject to highly restricted access controls. More detail on Microsoft's self hosted Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), including lessons learned through our own deployment, can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/itsoluti… Question: What steps do you take when a smart card is lost or stolen? Answer: After a card is reported as lost or stolen, the smart card's certificate is immediately revoked by Microsoft authentication servers, permanently preventing access by the holder of the missing smart card. A new smart card is then issued from a local card issuance site. Additional information about Microsoft's smart card deployment and operations can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/smartcrd.asp Question: What kind of custom tools has Microsoft's Corporate Security Group developed? Is there any intention of releasing such tools to customers or integrating the functionality into Microsoft products? Answer: Microsoft's Corporate Security Group has developed a number of custom tools to meet the needs of our environment. As part of a two-way feedback process with Microsoft's product groups, many features developed by Microsoft's Corporate Security Group are incorporated into Microsoft products. Question: When the term "VPN" was used during the security remote access presentation, was it used to refer exclusively to remote users? Answer: Yes, the term "VPN" was used to refer to remote users. Additional detail about Microsoft's remote access infrastructure is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/smartcrd.asp Question: Does the Microsoft Corporate Security audit your policies and procedures to ensure that employees do not circumvent these policies? If so, how often do the audits occur? Answer: Yes, Microsoft's Corporate Security Group audits policies and procedures. The frequency of the audits is based on the security risks addressed by the specific policies and procedures. Additional detail on the Microsoft Corporate Security Group functions, including audit and compliance team functions, is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/mssecbp.asp Question: What percentage of Microsoft's 300,000 network devices are subject to the Microsoft Corporate Security Group's compliance policies, including scanning and remediation? Answer: All devices connected to Microsoft's corporate network are subject to the Microsoft Corporate Security Group's compliance policies, including scanning and remediation Question: Is compliance to Microsoft Corporate Security policies centrally managed? If so, how is compliance managed at remote sites? Answer: Yes, compliance to Microsoft Corporate Security policies is centrally managed. Compliance at remote sites is primarily managed through remote scanning and, as necessary, on-site visits. Question: What does Microsoft do internally with regards to securing wireless within your IT infrastructure? Answer: A paper outlining Microsoft's internal wireless network deployment is available at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/security/secwlan.asp Question: Does the Microsoft Corporate Security Group operate an Intrusion Prevention System? Answer: Intrusion Prevention Systems are not implemented in a full production environment although we are actively evaluating the technologies.

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tonight.. "BEHIND THE SCENES AT PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS"
by Dianne Cox 20 Jan '04

20 Jan '04

now for a fun message.... tonight !!! Date: Tuesday, Jan 20, 2004 Time: 7:00 PM Location: GREAT HALL, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BY PETE DOCTER http://myuminfo.umanitoba.ca/index.asp?too=200&eve=8&sec=275&epa=8446 With Finding Nemo, the most successful movie of 2003, Pixar Studios cemented its place as the premiere animation company in the world. Not that there was much doubt. Toy Story, Toy Story II, A Bug's Life and Monsters, Inc had left little doubt about Pixar's place as the world's computer animation giant. Pete Docter joined Pixar in 1990 after working for Disney Feature Animation and winning a Student Academy Award for his short animation film Next Door. He began by directing and animating commercials (for Tropicana Fruit Juice and Life Savers). Along with John Lasseter and Andrew Stantin, Pete developed the concept and characters for Toy Story. He also helped write and storyboard the film and became supervising animator on the project. For the sequel, Toy Story II, Pete wrote the initial story treatment. Monsters, Inc was Pete's biggest project; he created the concept and directed the entire film. He has described the movie as "Scooby Doo on steroids" but admits the storyline came from his own childhood: "I thought about things that I knew were true for me as a kid. One that my toys came to life when I wasn't in the room, and two, that there were monsters hiding in my closet waiting to scare me." Monsters, Inc, with voices by John Goodman and Billy Crystal, took nearly five years to complete. Born in Minneapolis and raised in nearby Bloomington, Minnesota, Pete Docter now lives in the Oakland area of California. He is currently developing another feature film. Dianne --- Dianne_Cox(a)umanitoba.ca /(204)474-9793 Fax:-7920 /Rm 623 Engineering-3 User Services /Academic Computing & Networking (IST) /U of Manitoba

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INTEREST: Novell and Linux
by Wayne Billing 20 Jan '04

20 Jan '04

..complete article at: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5142679.html?tag=zdfd.newsfeed LinuxWorld: Novell's debutante ball By Stephen Shankland CNET News.com January 20, 2004, 6:56 AM PT New partnerships with server makers Dell and Egenera will be among the displays of Novell's newly bought Linux status at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo beginning Wednesday. Novell, whose NetWare operating system lost out to Microsoft in the server market in the 1990s, hitched its cart to a new horse with its $210 million purchase of SuSE Linux this month. SuSE lagged behind Linux market share leader Red Hat, but Novell is hoping its cash, customer connections and intellectual property will provide a boost. Examples of SuSE's gradual gains include the finalization of an expected support partnership with Dell, the last of the four major server makers to make the move. And start-up Egenera, which began its Linux server business offering only Red Hat, also will include SuSE in the fold. IBM, which has relied on SuSE to bring Linux support to its five server lines, endorsed the acquisition with a $50 million investment and believes Novell's move puts SuSE on a better footing in comparison to Red Hat. "We think this is a very healthy thing, because it provides a good balance between the two," said Scott Handy, vice president for IBM's Linux strategy and market development. There's still work to be done, though. Dell is on board, so customers in Europe, where SuSE is most popular, will have better support, but "Red Hat is still our major partner for Linux," spokeswoman Carmen Maverick said. Software companies also are cutting deals with Novell. Veritas will announce it's selling SuSE versions of its software for storage management and server availability, and mainframe specialist Compuware and Web server power BEA Systems also are expected to announce Novell partnerships. [...] Novell began indemnifying its Linux customers last week, following in the footsteps of Hewlett-Packard. Other protective programs include a $10 million legal defense fund for Linux users from the Open Source Development Labs and another defense fund Red Hat established for open-source programmers. Novell has joined IBM and Red Hat to become a third major SCO challenger, arguing that it still owns the Unix copyrights because SCO's predecessor failed to request them after buying elements of Novell's Unix business in 1995 and 1996. [...] And at the Linux show, Microsoft's booth will once again feature the company's Servers for Unix software, now free. The software is used to run Unix programs on Windows, an ability Microsoft hopes will help Unix or Linux administrators make the jump to Windows. [...]

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INTEREST: Mars. Cool! (from the folks at JPL)
by Wayne Billing 19 Jan '04

19 Jan '04

Mars. Cool! NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) created Maestro, a tool to use on your personal computer to view the images created by the Mars rover, Spirit, in 3D panoramas. You can download a free copy of Maestro for Mac OS X from NASA JPL that allows you to see Mars in ways you've never imagined. "It's actually the same software that the scientists use to view downlink data and to plan Rover activities from day to day," says Gene Chalfant, technical staff member at NASA JPL. Here's what you need to do: Make sure that you have Mac OS X 10.3 You'll also need Java 1.4.1 which is available via Software Update. Download the Java 3D and Java Advanced Imaging Update. Download Maestro from NASA. Then download the latest images from the rover. Currently, the landing pictures are available as well as tutorials for using the software. For at least 12 weeks starting in early January, JPL will provide fresh sets of image data once per week that you can download and view using Maestro as your window into a new world. It's an unprecedented way to track and watch as scientists attempt to unearth some of the planet's hidden secrets. "It's kind of a sandbox for people to play in," Chalfant says. "The visualization builds a 3-D model you can spin around and look at." The article is at: http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2004/01/marsrover/ the Maestro software can be found at: http://mars.telascience.org/softwaredownload pictures are at: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html

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FYI: Battery Update for iBook/ PowerBook G4,
by Wayne Billing 19 Jan '04

19 Jan '04

..from: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120281 The Battery Update supports the following products: * iBook (Dual USB) * iBook (Late 2001) * iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM) * iBook (32 VRAM) * iBook (800 MHZ 32 VRAM) * iBook (900 MHZ 32 VRAM) * iBook G4 (12-inch) * PowerBook G4 (12-inch) * PowerBook G4 (12-inch DVI) * PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW 800) * PowerBook G4 (17-inch) * PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.33GHz) About the Battery Update The Battery Update enhances the performance of the battery to ensure that full capacity is available for your PowerBook or iBook. How To Install 1. Download the Battery Update.dmg 2. Open the BatteryUpdateManual.dmg 3. Double Click the BatteryUpdate.pkg 4. Follow the onscreen instructions. A status bar shows the progress of the update Note: If a message says the "This Software is not necessary for your computer," then you do not need the update. 5. When a message says that the Battery Update has been successfully installed, click the Restart button. Note: Once the Battery Update software has been installed, each battery you install in your PowerBook or iBook will be updated automatically.

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INTEREST: in case you missed the recent Apple announcments
by Wayne Billing 12 Jan '04

12 Jan '04

..from one of Apple's mailings (apologies for the sales hype ::-(: 1. Big Sound. Small Profile. iPod mini. ...................................... Weighs just 3.6 ounces. Holds 1,000 songs. Fits in a Hobbit's pocket. Comes in five luscious colors. Sounds like you've got your fingers on a new iPod mini. Why, even it's name is small. But there's nothing small about the sound emanating from the new iPod mini. In that way, it sounds just like its slightly bigger brother. Wonderful. And just like iPod, it's simple to use. So simple you can operate it with one hand tied behind your back. That's thanks to the new Click Wheel and the handy buttons positioned right underneath. Fast, iPod mini supports FireWire and USB 2.0, so you can automatically sync your music from iTunes for Mac or Windows in seconds. http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/ 2. Ring in the New Year with iLife '04 ..................................... We thought we'd start the year off with a New Year's resolution. Come on, let's hear from everyone: I resolve to soar to new heights of creative expression in the coming year with iLife '04. Wasn't that easy? Unlike other resolutions, this one will also be easy to keep. That's because iLife '04 offers you more than it ever has before. More ways to express yourself. More features. More performance. Even a brand new team member. That would be GarageBand. Whether you really are a musician or just want to feel like a rock star, GarageBand offers the simplest way to create, play, and record your own music. Drag-and-drop easy, the revolutionary GarageBand turns your Mac into a recording studio, letting you play over 50 software instruments and create CD-quality music for iPhoto slideshows, iMovie soundtracks, or iDVD motion menus. http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/ Available for the Mac and Windows, iTunes 4 does it all. The leading digital music jukebox, it makes it easy to listen to any song in your music collection, create playlists, burn audio CDs, sync to iPod, and access your tunes from iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD. It works just as seamlessly with GarageBand, too. Of course, iTunes also features the acclaimed iTunes Music Store. The paradigm by which all other online ventures are judged, it's stocked with over 500,000 songs and 5,000 audiobooks. And we've just added over 12,000 classical music tracks, iTunes Essentials, and Billboard charts from 1946 to the present. http://www.apple.com/ilife/itunes/ There's fast. There's faster. And there's iPhoto 4. Distinguished by blazingly fast performance, iPhoto 4 lets you quickly zoom through photo collections of up to 25,000 photographs. Smart Albums, automatic time-based organization and easy-to-assign ratings help you categorize and find images in the blink of an eye. Slideshows have never looked better thanks to the new Keynote-inspired transitions. And wait till you read about Rendezvous photo sharing. http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/ Make movies faster with iMovie 4. Thanks to direct trimming, a new non-destructive editing technique, you can edit video faster than you ever could before. And here's a real time-saver: iMovie 4 lets you select multiple clips (even non-adjacent clips) and assign transitions or apply effects to all of them at the same time. Another new feature, "Snap to" timeline alignment, makes syncing audio and video a breeze. You're gonna fall in love with iMovie all over again. http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/ There's no better way to share your movies and slideshows with friends and family than with a DVD. And there no easier way to make Hollywood-quality DVDs than with iDVD 4. The built-in media browser offers instant access to all of your photos, movies, and music, including the songs you create yourself in GarageBand. And you can use any of them in the drop zones and motion menus you'll find in iDVD 4's twenty new themes. Faster and better compression, stunning new effects, more customization options, and new features--Auto-Play, Save-As-Archive, the DVD Map feature--make iDVD 4 a delight. And a powerhouse. http://www.apple.com/ilife/idvd/ 3. No Stopping Final Cut Express 2 ................................. Edit like a pro with the latest version of the highly affordable yet decidedly advanced DV editing solution--Final Cut Express 2. Optimized for the DV25 format (MiniDV and DVCAM), Final Cut Express 2 offers the perfect blend of power, ease of use, and affordability. It's simple enough to be used by home videographers yet provides the sophistication required by the pro, including high-quality compositing, titling, and effects. With Final Cut Express 2 you can capture video just by connecting a FireWire-equipped DV camcorder to your Mac. Editing's a breeze, too. Thanks to the professional tools--razor blade, slip, slide, ripple. roll, extend and split--built right in. You'll also like the hundreds of stunning transitions, filters, and effects it provides. And hanks to RT Extreme, you'll enjoy real-time rendering of both audio and video. Get creative. Get Final Cut Express 2. http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/ 4. Introducing the 64-bit Xserve G5 .................................. Looking for world-class server performance? Then look no further than the new Xserve G5. The first 1U server to offer dual 64-bit processors, Xserve G5 features the same G5 processor and advanced architecture that powers the third-fastest supercomputer cluster in the world. It also offers support for up to 8GB or DDR SDRAM with EEC protection, dual Gigabit Ethernet, up to 750GB of internal storage capacity, and for up to 3.5 terabytes of data storage with the optional Xserve RAID. Designed to deliver the UNIX-based strengths and cutting-edge capabilities of Mac OS X Server, this rack-optimized server also offers remote management tools that make it easy to deploy and maintain. Find out why Infoworld rated Xserve the overall best server solution value for 2003 and how Xserve G5 offers even more. http://www.apple.com/xserve/ 5. What's New? ............. If you couldn't get to Macworld yourself, take a virtual tour of the Macworld show floor, get up close and personal with the new products announced at the show, read reactions from the media, and enjoy the lovely view of the Golden Gate Bridge. http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2004/01/mwsf/ .. Want to get even more out of your GarageBand experience? Jam Pack adds over 2,000 additional Apple Loops, including many for hip-hop and electronica; over 100 additional software instruments, including a concert grand piano and twelve-string guitars; over 100 additional pro-quality effects presets; and 15 additional guitar amps, including surf, grunge, heavy blues, and atmospheric. http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMor… .. To take advantage of the 50 software instruments that come with GarageBand or the 100 additional software instruments available in JamPack, you'll want to equip your Mac with a great MIDI keyboard. Like the M-Audio Keystation 49e. Just plug it into your Mac via USB, and you're ready to rock. http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/accessories.html .. Ah, the great outdoors. Hiking. Jogging. Power walking. Bicycling. Wear the new iPod mini Arm Band when you venture forth, and you can take 1,000 of your favorite tunes with you. http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html .. Try these on for size. The new In-Ear Headphones for iPod and the all-new iPod mini offer great sound quality, come with their own carrying case, and include caps of three different sizes. Perfect fit. Great sound. http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html .. Listen up. To get more audio please from your iPod, iPod mini, or your Mac, you'll want to bend an ear--or two--in the direction of the new JBL Creature II speakers. They sound simply mahvelous. http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/accessories.html .. We've set a milestone. There are now over 10,000 applications available for Mac OS X. These include brand new applications introduced at the Macworld Expo (like Adobe's InDesign CS PageMaker Edition) as well as the second and third generations of Mac OS X products from such developers as Macromedia (which introduced Macromedia Director MX at the Macworld Expo) and Microsoft (which announced that it would begin shipping the newest versions of Microsoft Office 2004 later this spring). Said Roz Ho, general manager of the Macintosh Business Unit: "Office 2004 is packed with Mac-first features--some of which are not available on any other platform." Microsoft Office 2004: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.aspx?pid=office2004 .. In addition to the new Xserve G5, Apple also introduced a new version of Xserve RAID than not only delivers up to 3.5 terabytes of storage capacity but also certification on a variety of platforms in addition to Mac OS X, including Windows- and Linux-based servers. http://www.apple.com/xserve/raid/ .. Heard about Virginia Tech? They now enjoy the distinction of having the third fastest supercomputer cluster in the world. Composed of 1,100 off-the-shelf dual processor Power Mac G5 computers, the cluster was operational in less than 3 months (an astounding feat in itself) and costs one-tenth as much as similar systems. Watch the video (it premiered at Macworld): http://www.apple.com/hardware/video/virginiatech/ Then read the in-depth story of how they did it: http://www.apple.com/education/science/profiles/vatech/ .. Shareware Spotlight. Now Mac OS X can take you to Mars. Your red planet experience comes courtesy of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which made Maestro available. With Maestro, you can view photos Spirit (the rover) has already captured of the surface of Mars, try your hand at driving the rover, and learn more about the Mar's mission. http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/home_learning/maestro.html

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INTEREST: FBI hoax email, Cell phone message causes run on Japan bank
by Wayne Billing 12 Jan '04

12 Jan '04

Phony FBI e-Mail Contains Malware Attachment (6 January 2003) Some people have been receiving e-mail messages purporting to be from the FBI and informing them that they will be indicted on charges of illegal downloading. The e-mail includes an attachment that claims to be the evidence taken from their computers but which really contains malware. Closer examination of the e-mail message reveals grammatical and factual clues that it is not authentic. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/06/1073268005348.html

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INTEREST: RIAA subpeonas unauthorized; Apple iPod and iTunes info
by Wayne Billing 06 Jan '04

06 Jan '04

..FROM: http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/19/music.download.reut/index.html U.S. court nixes Net music subpoenas Friday, December 19, 2003 Posted: 11:05 AM EST (1605 GMT) WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- In a surprise setback for the recording industry, a U.S. appeals court said Friday its methods for tracking down those who copy its music over the Internet are not authorized by law. The Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group, has sought to force Verizon Communications and other Internet service providers to reveal the names of customers it suspects may be copying music without permission. The recording industry says the widespread copying of music over the Internet is partially to blame for falling CD sales. Verizon has argued that existing copyright law does not give the recording industry such authority and its customers' privacy was being violated. A lower court earlier this year upheld the recording industry's tactics, which have served as the basis for hundreds of lawsuits filed against individual Internet users. But in a strongly worded ruling, the appeals court sided with Verizon, saying a 1998 copyright law does not give copyright holders the ability to subpoena customer names from Internet providers without filing a formal lawsuit. "In sum, we agree with Verizon that (the law) does not by its terms authorize the subpoenas issued here," Chief Judge Douglas Ginsburg wrote. Neither Verizon nor the RIAA was immediately available for comment. --------------------------- ..from Steve Job's MacWorld keynote speech this morning, some interesting info (more details on announcements to come): - sales of iPods last quarter of 2003 (Oct-Dec): 750,000 units - total iTunes store (still not available in Canada) sales since April, 2003: 30 million songs - largest single spender at iTunes store: US$29,000 - newest addition to Apple's music items: iPod mini (not yet available in Canada) and GarageBand (part of iLife 4)

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FYI: PowerMac G5 Firmware update improves performance and patches security hole
by Wayne Billing 23 Dec '03

23 Dec '03

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120287 This firmware update provides changes for initializing and running your Power Mac G5. It provides some performance improvements for some PCI-X configurations, patches a security hole and improves fan behavior in Open Firmware. This firmware update provides changes for initializing and running your Power Mac G5. It provides some performance improvements for some PCI-X configurations, patches a security hole and improves fan behavior in Open Firmware. To upgrade the firmware on your Power Mac G5, follow the instructions below. You can print these instructions so they are available while you upgrade your firmware. The Power Mac G5 Firmware Updater Version 5.1.4 is installed in Applications/Utilities. 1.Save changes to open files and then quit all applications, if necessary 2.Open the firmware updater. 3.Click Shut Down in the Firmware Update window to turn off your computer. Wait for your computer to shut down, saving changes if necessary. 4.Press and hold in the Power button on the Power Mac G5 until you hear a long tone. 5. Release the Power button when you hear the tone or see the Power button light flashing. The firmware updater starts automatically. A status bar shows the progress of the update. You may see more than one status bar. After the update is complete, your system restarts automatically. When a message says your computer's firmware has been successfully updated to version 5.1.4, the update process is finished. For more information, go to www.apple.com/support

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