- apple-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

INTEREST: Intel’s Paul Otellini Loves His Mac, iPhone
by billing 30 Oct '07

30 Oct '07

...from: http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2007/10/24/intels-paul-otellini- loves-his-mac/ October 24, 2007 Intel’s Paul Otellini Loves His Mac How times have changed. In 1998, while I was still working for TIME magazine, Andy Grove stopped by to chat with the editors about the wrenching changes the Internet was going to force on the computer industry. Future PCs, he said, wouldn’t be general purpose computers to which networking has been added as an afterthought, but networking machines that also do computing. “The iMac embodies a lot of the things I’m talking about,” Grove said. “Sometimes what Apple does has an electrifying effect on the rest of us.” I went back to my desk and banged out a one-graph story for Time.com. “Intel chairman Andy Grove,” I wrote, “has seen the future of computing and it is … a Macintosh.” The next day I got a call from Intel PR. Grove wasn’t particularly happy about the piece, but he was positively livid about the headline that ran above it — ANDY GROVE LOVES HIS MAC — because it implied that the chairman of Intel (INTC) actually owned an Apple (AAPL) computer. We printed a version of the story in the magazine the next week with a different headline, and Intel was mollified — although the next time I saw Grove he smiled and said if I ever did that again he would sue. I’m reminded of all this by a Q&A I read yesterday with the current CEO of Intel, Paul Otellini. He’s not ashamed to admit that he uses Apple products. In fact, he says, “My wife and I both have iPhones. My wife came in with a jacket for her phone. She was all excited. It’s a flimsy little thing. It cost $39. It probably cost 6¢ to make.” He adds that he uses a ThinkPad for work and a MacBook Pro for his personal life, including his personal photos and music." (http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2007/ db20071023_407351_page_2.htm) Only nine years have passed, but how times have changed.

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Mac OS X (10.5) Leopard
by Doug Hamilton 16 Oct '07

16 Oct '07

Hello, Sorry if I offend anyone by providing pricing via the C-REPs and Apple list-serves; this is done to inform and not as a sales pitch. This is a notice to all those holding an Apple Maintenance Program (AMP) licence for Mac OS X Server. You should be receiving a single Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Server DVD-Media set on or after the official ship date of October 26. It will be sent directly from Apple Inc. to the address you provided the BookStore, which appears on your licence agreement. If you require additional media sets, you may order them via the BookStore for $19.00/ea (plus taxes); please provide your AMP licence number when doing so. Documentation sets are also available for Mac OS X Server for $26.00/ ea (plus taxes); you will get one under your AMP Server licence. For those of you who chose to participate in the limited campus AMP for Mac OS X client, please communicate via your LAN Coordinator, or in the absence of such a person contact me directly, regarding the number of DVD-Media sets you will require for your office. Mac OS X client DVD media sets will cost $19.00/ea (plus taxes). For those of you who do not have a AMP for Mac OS X Client or Server, you may order boxed product from the BookStore for $85.00/ea (plus taxes). We would like to remind those people who are intending to upgrade of the following concerns. 1. Please compare you system specifications with the system requirements at Apple's website prior to purchases and/or installing (http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs/). 2. Make a complete backup of your system(s) prior to upgrading to Mac OS X 10.5. If you do not know how to create a back-up please contact our service department (474-7010), and for a service fee they can create a back-up of your system. 3. Should you be upgrading your primary computer, it is only prudent that you wait a week or two before installing the new operating system. This should provide sufficient time for the manufacturers of the software you use on a daily basis the opportunity to publish "know incompatibility" issue(s) with their respective products and the new Mac OS; should there be any. For those of you looking to purchase a new Apple Macintosh computer, the "Mac OS X Up-To-Date" program has be initiated and states the following, "A Macintosh computer qualifies for this program if it was sold by an Apple Authorized Reseller or Apple Inc. between October 1, 2007, and December 29, 2007, and does not include Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard." Details of the upgrade program can be found here (http:// www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/). If you have any questions or concerns regarding this transition, please contact me. Regards, Doug ------------- Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, APP Senior Computer Consultant Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba 204-474-6196 (Ph.) 204-474-7556 (Fax) http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/

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FYI: cell phone and iPod recycling
by billing 15 Oct '07

15 Oct '07

While Apple(US) has a full recycling program in place (if you purchase a new Apple product the US branch of Apple Inc. will recycle *any* computer and monitor you choose to bring in) Apple(Canada) is not quite there yet. However, the web page at: http://www.apple.com/ca/environment/recycling/ipodrecycling/ ...describes the current Apple(Canada) recycling plan: Apple’s recycling program offers free and environmentally friendly disposal of your iPod and cell phone with no purchase necessary. Free iPod and cell phone recycling Apple’s commitment to responsible environmental citizenship includes ensuring that an iPod is properly disposed of at the end of its useful life. The recycling program covers your iPod or any cell phone — regardless of the manufacturer or model. Apple’s recycling program makes it easy for you to help protect the environment. When the time comes for you to recycle, Apple makes it quick and free. Visit the iPod and cell phone recycle page and select the quantity that you want to recycle. 1 Fill in the form with your name and address to receive a prepaid mailing label. Print the mailing label and attach it to your packaging — or request a free mailer to ship your items. 2 Securely package your items and take them to your local post office. To find the location nearest you, please visit the USPS website at www.usps.com.

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FYI: iWork and iLife updates
by billing 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

...from: http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/09/27/iwork/index.php?lsrc=mwweek Keynote, Pages and Numbers get updated By Jim Dalrymple After releasing updates for its iLife updates on Wednesday, Apple has updated its iWork ‘08 applications. All three of the applications in the suite received an update. Keynote 4.0.1 addresses issues with builds and performance; Pages 3.0.1 addresses issues with change tracking and performance; and Numbers 1.0.1 addresses issues with tables and performance, according to notes provided with the updates. The iWork ‘08 updates are available from Apple’s Web site or from the software update panel in Mac OS X. ...from: Apple updates iLife applications By Jim Dalrymple Apple on Wednesday released updates for iDVD, iMovie, GarageBand and iPhoto. A separate update was released to support components shared by all of the iLife applications. GarageBand 4.1 addresses an isolated graphic display, as well as compatibility with third-party audio software, according to Apple. The update also fixes minor problems with Magic GarageBand. iPhoto 7.1 addresses issues encountered when moving photos between Events. Apple has also added new greeting card themes, including holiday card designs. A few other minor issues were also fixed. The iMovie update fixes a bug with video and audio editing capabilities and performance associated with opening and switching iMovie Events and Projects. iMovie 7.1 also fixes several bugs and overall stability. iDVD 7.0.1 improves overall stability, supports general compatibility issues, and addresses a number of other minor issues, according to Apple. Finally, iLife Support 8.1 — which supports system software components shared by all iLife ’08 applications — improves overall stability, addresses a number of other minor issues and supports general compatibility issues. It is recommended for all users of iLife ‘08, the company said. All of the updates can be downloaded from the software update panel in Mac OS X

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FYI: Canadian students Microsoft Office 2007 promotion
by billing 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

...from: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/ sep07/09-12ultimatesteal.mspx Students can get an Office 2007 Ultimate license from MS Canada for $64 for a perpetual one, or $22 for a year’s subscription. Here are the details, it seems like a... well, steal. Microsoft – The Ultimate Steal Promotion Go back to www.theultimatesteal.ca This promotion is subject to the following terms and conditions and all participants acknowledge and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Program Description: All eligible university and College students are entitled to make a purchase from the promotion site as described further below. Promotion Duration: This offer commences at 12:00PM Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time on September 12, 2007 and all purchases must be made via the Promotion web site by 11:59PM Eastern Standard Daylight Time on April 30, 2008 at which time the offer ends. Promotion Eligibility: This offer is good only to eligible students who possess a valid email address at an educational institution geographically located in the Canada. This offer is non-transferable. Limit one purchase per eligible student. The following conditions serve to define eligibility for the program: 1. Individual must possess a valid e-mail address at an educational institution which is supported by the program through a recognized email domain. 2. Individual must be a student enrolled at one of the qualified universities listed here and must be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 course(s). Microsoft or an appointed vendor may contact you to verify that you are a current student. If documentation is not provided indicating that you are a current student, you will be liable to reimburse Microsoft for the full retail cost of the software (CA $899). Program Description: Eligible students may have free access to Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007 Trial for a limited amount of time. Each trial provides (1) 25 application launches (each launch of an individual Office Ultimate application is counted as one launch) before the software goes into reduced functionality mode (at which time your software behaves similarly to a viewer, you cannot save modifications to documents or create any new documents, and additional functionality might be reduced); and (2) the opportunity to purchase the following license durations for the Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007 software: 1. Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007 (CAD $64.00): Perpetual license, which includes the following applications: o Access™ 2007 o Excel® 2007 o InfoPath® 2007 o Groove 2007 o OneNote® 2007 o Outlook® 2007 with Business Contact Manager*(see Obtaining Software below o PowerPoint® 2007 o Publisher 2007 o Word 2007 2. Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007 Subscription-1 year (CAD $22.00) 12 month license from date of activation, which includes the following applications: o Access™ 2007 o Excel® 2007 o InfoPath® 2007 o Groove 2007 o OneNote® 2007 o Outlook® 2007 with Business Contact Manager*(see Obtaining Software below o PowerPoint® 2007 o Publisher 2007 o Word 2007 Trial Conversion: Eligible students can convert their Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 Trial to the perpetual license by returning to Promotion website prior to the Promotion deadline and purchasing the relevant product key. Purchase Limitations: Each eligible student is limited to one purchase per valid e-mail address and billing address. Obtaining Software: Eligible students can obtain the Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 software by downloading or ordering a disk from the official Promotion web site. The cost of ordering a disk is $13 CDN. *Business Contact Manager requires a separate download. If ordering a disk Business Contact Manager is included on a separate disk. Obtaining Product Keys: Product keys will be provided on the purchase confirmation page and sent to the student’s eligible educational institution email address entered into the Promotion web site during the purchase process. Promoter: The promoter of this program is Microsoft Canada Co., 1950 Meadowvale Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario L5N BL9. Microsoft reserves the right to terminate this promotion at anytime. Go back to www.theultimatesteal.ca

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INTEREST: Apple Sells 1 Millionth iPhone - 74 days (iPod took 2 years)
by billing 11 Sep '07

11 Sep '07

...from: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jeQB_4vxoBp-evv_7ghNwrkYpDWQ Apple Sells 1 Millionth iPhone By MAY WONG – 33 minutes ago SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Apple Inc. sold its millionth iPhone over the weekend, days after it slashed the price by a third to spur sales. The milestone was reached weeks earlier than expected and sent shares of Apple up $4.94, or 3.8 percent, to $136.71. The stock regained some of the ground it lost after the price cut spooked investors as a sign of weak demand and slimmer margins. It took just 74 days for the combination cell phone-iPod to hit the 1 million mark, which Apple had said it would achieve by the end of September. By comparison, it took two years for the company to sell 1 million iPods, Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted in a statement.

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FOLLOWUP: roaming? charging! (was: if you travel, don't roam)
by billing 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/technology/10iphone.html?th&emc=th [...] Other iPhone users have felt the sting of high roaming charges with their iPhone, too. Some, like Mr. Dingman, are unaware that they need to disable the e-mail feature; others are billed erroneously; still others misunderstand the explanation of charges they are given by AT&T customer service representatives. The iPhone is no different from any other phone, said Todd Smith, an AT&T spokesman, with the exception of the BlackBerry, whose users can opt for a flat monthly rate when traveling. Any AT&T customer planning to travel outside the United States should contact AT&T to inquire about roaming plans, he said. Dave Stolte did that before taking his iPhone with him on a two-week trip to Ireland and England in July. He signed up for a roaming plan, but he said the customer service representative’s explanation of the charges was unclear. His bill was $3,000. [...] In July, Aaron Oxley took his iPhone with him to London, Dubai and Bangkok. Mr. Oxley said in an e-mail message that he was aware that there would be international roaming data charges, so he always made sure he was in an area with free Wi-Fi when he used his iPhone to access the Internet. But when Mr. Oxley’s AT&T bill arrived, the data charges [erroneously] totaled $300. When Mr. Oxley called AT&T, he was told that even though he was using Wi-Fi, there was still a data transfer charge. According to Mr. Smith, the AT&T [spokesman], iPhone owners are not charged for Wi-Fi connections. Mr. Oxley eventually received a full refund for the $300 roaming data charge. Mr. Dingman said it didn’t occur to him to disable the e-mail feature. AT&T eventually reversed the charges, but only after Mr. Dingman signed up for a $24.99-a-month global data plan. AT&T is not automatically crediting customers for such charges. Mr. Smith said that each complaint is being evaluated case by case.

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FYI: if you travel, don't roam - on your "smart" phone, that is
by billing 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

This story has as its culprit an iPhone but the advice of "turn off roaming when you travel" is probably sound for any "smart phone" on a cell phone plan that supports roaming (and roaming charges). By the way, unlike Mr. Herbert Kliegerman, if you have a question regarding your cell phone billing, you should probably sue the cell plan provider and not Apple since Apple is responsible for only the iPhone hardware. ::-) Wayne ...from: http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzappl0908,0,2929341.story Hewlett Harbor man racks up $4,800 iPhone bill Jay Levy and his family took their iPhones on a Mediterranean cruise. Now the Hewlett Harbor entrepreneur feels as if he got taken for a ride, receiving a 54-page monthly bill of nearly $4,800 from AT&T Wireless. While Levy, his wife and his daughter were enjoying the trip, and even while they were sleeping, their three iPhones were racking up a bill for data charges. The iPhone regularly updates e-mail, even while it's off, so that all the messages will be available when the user turns it on. "They have periodic updates on their data files, and they translate into megabucks," Levy said. "This is akin to your bank having automatic access to your ATM machine and is siphoning money out during all times of the day and night without your knowledge." Levy and his daughter each have three e-mail accounts on their iPhones, and they were each billed more than $1,900. His wife's phone had one e-mail account, and her bill hit $890. One connection alone ran $223. Levy said he has complained all the way to office of AT&T's president. Data transfers are not a problem domestically, where the AT&T Wireless plan includes unlimited data transfers for the iPhone. But the iPhone's international plan in 29 countries, mostly in Europe, costs $24.99 for 20 megabytes. In countries outside the plan, charges can run from $5 to $20 per megabyte, said Ben Wilson, editor of iPhone Atlas, a Web site owned by the online news company CNet. "It was a big surprise," Wilson said. "Consumers didn't expect that the charges were going to be so high and that the phone was going to be doing all this data transfer in the background that they weren't aware of." Herbert Kliegerman, 68, a real-estate agent from the Bronx, said he incurred $2,000 while visiting Mexico. He filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status in New York State Supreme Court last week, alleging that Apple did not properly disclose the international roaming charges. AT&T Wireless offered to refund $1,500 to Kliegerman, but he said that's not good enough. "I want a full refund," he said. Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said the company adequately discloses the potential charges on the Web site and when the phone is activated. The 6,707-word terms and conditions document on the AT&T Web site says: "Substantial charges may be incurred if phone is taken out of the U.S. even if no services are intentionally used." Kliegerman said said most people don't read the lengthy terms and conditions. Furthermore, the rate plans listed on the site indicate "unlimited data (Email/Web)," without an asterisk. He said that's misleading. Kliegerman's lawyer, Randall S. Newman of Manhattan, said about 15 people from around the country have called him complaining of international roaming charges and the inability to unlock the phone to use it with another carrier. Apple hasn't yet released the iPhone abroad. Levy said he didn't expect data transfer charges internationally because he believed the data network in Europe wasn't compatible with the iPhone. The Levys brought their phones with them for voice calls. Other smartphones also automatically update e-mail and other data such as weather and stock prices, but those phones offer a wider variety of international pricing plans in more countries than is available on the iPhone, AT&T Wireless spokeswoman Ellen Webner said.

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iMovie HD 6 as download with iLife '08
by tdubins＠cs.umanitoba.ca 20 Aug '07

20 Aug '07

Apple offers iMovie HD from iLife '06 as a download for iLife '08 owners: "Apple is allowing iLife '08 owners to download iMovie HD 6 for free, which may appease a crowd of upset Mac users gathering on various forums across the internet to protest the company's removal of important editing functionality in iMovie '08." Rest of the article: <http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/08/09/imovie.hd6.joins.ilife.08/>o The iMovie HD 6 download link: <http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html> -- Tom Dubinski Phone: +1.204.474-8841 Fax: 474-7609 Computer Science, E2-596 EITC CompSci General Office: E2-445 EITC University of Manitoba E-Mail: tom_dubinski(a)umanitoba.ca Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada http://www.cs.umanitoba.ca/~tdubins/

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FYI: Nokia battery recall
by billing 14 Aug '07

14 Aug '07

...from: http://www.nokia.com/batteryreplacement/en/ This is a product advisory for the Nokia-branded BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006. This product advisory does not apply to any other Nokia battery. Nokia has identified that in very rare cases the affected batteries could potentially experience over heating initiated by a short circuit while charging, causing the battery to dislodge. Nokia is working closely with relevant local authorities to investigate this situation. Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries that have collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries. This advisory applies only to the 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006. There have been approximately 100 incidents of over heating reported globally. No serious injuries or property damage have been reported. Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery. According to Nokia's knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device. Concerned consumers may want to monitor a mobile device while charging that contains a BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory. While the occurence in the BL-5C batteries produced by Matsushita in the time-period specified is very rare, for consumers wishing to do so, Nokia and Matsushita offer to replace for free any BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory. The BL-5C batteries which are subject to the product advisory were used with the following Nokia models or separately as accessories: Nokia 1100, Nokia 1100c, Nokia 1101, Nokia 1108, Nokia 1110, Nokia 1112, Nokia 1255, Nokia 1315, Nokia 1600, Nokia 2112, Nokia 2118, Nokia 2255, Nokia 2272, Nokia 2275, Nokia 2300, Nokia 2300c, Nokia 2310, Nokia 2355, Nokia 2600, Nokia 2610, Nokia 2610b, Nokia 2626, Nokia 3100, Nokia 3105, Nokia 3120, Nokia 3125, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6085, Nokia 6086, Nokia 6108, Nokia 6175i, Nokia 6178i, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6270, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6631, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6822, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia N72, Nokia N91, Nokia E50, Nokia E60 To determine if your battery is in the recall, proceed to the above link and follow the battery identification procedure laid out there.

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INTEREST: Sun's ZFS compared with Windows 2003 Server NTFS
by billing 12 Aug '07

12 Aug '07

Sun Microcomputer's latest data management technology (the Zettabyte File System or ZFS) seeks to address the vulnerable areas of current disk management systems: vulnerable to silent data corruption, difficult to manage, and slow. Many current microcomputer OSs fall into this "vulnerable, difficult, and slow" category. Both Apple Inc. and Sun Microcomputer have announced that ZFS is coming to OS X. This Sun white paper (http://www.sun.com/software/whitepapers/ solaris10/zfs_msft.pdf?cid=920608) compares ZFS abilities with a current server OS: Windows 2003 Server. http://www.sun.com/software/whitepapers/solaris10/zfs_msft.pdf? cid=920608 One example from the paper deals with the integrity of data on disk and how to ensure that this data does not suffer any "silent" corruption: "File systems such as Microsoft Windows Server 2003 NTFS permit on- disk data to be inconsistent for varying amounts of time. If an unexpected system crash or reboot occurs while the on-disk state is inconsistent, the file system requires repair during the next boot cycle using a combination of utilities such as CHKDSK and metadata logging that requires a log replay. On the other hand, Solaris ZFS provides consistent on-disk data and error detection and correction, ensuring data consistency while maintaining high performance levels. "File system corruption can be caused by disk corruption, hardware or firmware failures, or software or administrative errors. Validation at the disk block interface level can only catch some causes of file system corruption. Traditionally, file systems trust the data read in from disk. However, if the file system does not validate read data, errors can result in corrupted data, system panics, or more. File systems should validate data read in from disk in order to detect downstream data corruption, and correct corruption automatically, if possible, by writing the correct block back to the disk. Such a validation strategy is a key design goal for Solaris ZFS."

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INTEREST: less cell time means more face-to-face... who knew?
by billing 04 Aug '07

04 Aug '07

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/04/business/04network.html? pagewanted=2&th&emc=th What’s Good for a Business Can Be Hard on Friends By ANGEL JENNINGS Published: August 4, 2007 A month ago, Brandy McDowell sat down with her longtime friend, Kezia Chandler, and told her she had switched cellphone carriers. Their relationship has not been the same since. Now, they barely speak. Ms. Chandler rushes Ms. McDowell off the phone when she calls during her lunch break. And long conversations about schoolwork and relationship woes have been reduced to sound bites. Maybe they should blame the cellphone carriers. The carriers, after all, set up plans that encourage subscribers to talk mainly to people in the same network. The companies say they are simply trying to recruit and retain customers. But what was set up as a purely business strategy is having an unintentional social effect. It is dividing the people who share informal bonds and bringing together those who have formal networks of cellphone “friends.” That is most true for people younger than 25 because they are the ones who see the cellphone as an extension of themselves. They are constantly sending text messages, making calls, checking the time, scheduling appointments, calculating math, taking photos, playing games or looking up something on the Internet. Those who talk the most on the phone are ages 18 to 24, according to a study of cellphone use by Telephia Inc., a San Francisco research firm that follows cellphone trends. In the first quarter of 2007, this group sent and received on average 290 calls a month, the study found. Text messaging was highest, Telephia said, among 13- to 17- year-olds, who averaged 435 messages a month. By contrast, cellphone users 45 to 54 years old spoke on the phone 194 times, on average, a month and sent only 57 text messages. David S. Hachen, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame who looked at cellphone use and its effects on people’s relationships, said he had found that cellphone networks tend to be a reflection of friendship networks. “Friendship networks,” he said, “tend to be larger in younger groups, but they have weaker ties with those they talk with. But as they get older, the networks are smaller and they have stronger ties.” Some experts worry that cellphones will replace face-to-face contact, said Scott Campbell, who teaches communication studies at the University of Michigan. But after he conducted research on the impact of cellphones on social networks, Mr. Campbell said he concluded that cellphones actually enhanced the bonds between users. “Who young people talk to says something symbolically about who they are tied to,” Mr. Campbell said in an interview. “And who they are talking to the most are their close friends.” Rich Ling, a sociologist at Telenor’s communication research institute in Norway, who wrote a book on cellphone use called “The Mobile Connection: The Cellphone’s Impact on Society,” added that cellphones blur the lines of when an encounter starts and when it ends. “Young people are not just talking for two hours, but they are continually connecting through the day,” he said. He cited the young couple who send text messages and call each other all day to set up details of a date. “When does the date start, or does it start when they are sending messages back and forth?” Mr. Campbell describes text messaging as the equivalent of passing notes in class, though they are more fragmentary and more frequent. “A lot of people think these messages are meaningless, but they are actually symbolic gestures of friendship,” he said. Unlike traditional landline telephones, which once made callers distinguish between local and long distance, cellphone carriers divide the world into in-network and outside. And because basic plans from the three major cellphone carriers, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, are all about the same price — under $60 a month — the deciding factor for young people, in particular, is what network friends are on. Carriers are giving customers more options to stay connected with people outside their network. This year, T-Mobile introduced a plan that allows customers to choose five telephone numbers outside its network that they can call free at any time. Sprint offers night minutes that start at 7 p.m., two hours earlier than competitors. “We are trying to avoid restricting customers to just people on their network,” said a Sprint spokeswoman, Emmy Anderson. But while these plans may allow callers to talk free, the person receiving the call is still using daytime minutes. Steve Bufford, 24, of Manhattan, said he constantly monitored his out- of-network minutes. And he had to cut back on conversations with a few of his friends — “until the weekends, then we become the best of friends in the world,” he said. As for Ms. McDowell and Ms. Chandler, the two who rarely talk on the phone now, they say they visit each other more. “We used to talk every day all day,” said Ms. McDowell, a 21-year-old student at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. “Now I only hear from her after 9 p.m. so she doesn’t use her minutes.” In the cellphone world, minutes mean money, a lesson young adults say they quickly learn when they move off the family plans and sign their own contracts. While they once talked freely when their parents paid the bill, they become penny pinchers when they have to pay their own way. Elisa Joris, 23, of Walled Lake, Mich., said that was exactly what happened to her. She became a Sprint customer in high school when her mother added her to the family plan. Now, seven years later, she stays with the carrier because the people she talks to the most — her brother, her former boyfriend and best friends — are all on the network. Ms. Joris said that because she no longer shared minutes with her parents, she signed up for the plan with the lowest cost even though it had the fewest minutes. For $30 a month, she gets 300 daytime minutes, but it is the free calling within the network that makes the plan a real bargain. In June, she used only 200 of those peak-hour minutes. But, she said, she spent more than 800 minutes on the phone with other Sprint customers. “I have seen bills where I have used 1,500 minutes,” she said. “I try not to talk to those who don’t have Sprint. I don’t have minutes to waste.” And while her attitude has yet to affect her relationships in a negative way, Ms. Joris said it had brought her closer to someone she now considered a friend who might have been an acquaintance if she were on another network. “One reason she talks to me more than her other friends is because we both have Sprint,” she said. Some cellphone users say they have found a way to change carriers without losing touch with friends. As they switch to new companies, they try to encourage their friends to move with them. Ms. McDowell said she followed her friends as they hopped around. In high school, she said, all her friends had the T-Mobile Sidekick — the sleek, palm-size phone with a full keypad. So she signed a two- year contract with the cellphone provider so she could send them text messages at no cost. Then in college, she said she and her friends switched to Nextel so they could “chirp” to each other on their walkie-talkie phones. Last month, she returned to T-Mobile after everybody in her circle migrated back for the new Sidekick 3. Her friend, Ms. Chandler, got lost after the second move. She still has Sprint, now part of Sprint Nextel, but she said she planned to leave once her contract expired. Ms. McDowell persuaded her to move to T-Mobile. “As soon as I can, I am on my way,” Ms. Chandler said.

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Fwd: [C-REPS] Mac OS X 10.5 - obtains UNIX 03 Certification
by billing 02 Aug '07

02 Aug '07

Apple all along has been very clear about OS X, "It is true UNIX *not* Linux nor any other form of *NIX". Pedigree and various other things have been quoted by Apple to "prove" this but having a certificate of authentication from a recognized body will definitely help if there's ever a court battle. Some of the members of the certifying organization include: - IBM - who make and sell a real UNIX - Intel - HP - who also make and sell a real UNIX - NEC - who sell UNIX machines - AT&T - who invented UNIX and own (owned?) it - SUN Microsystems - the company was founded on selling UNIX. - Carnegie-Mellon - whom you'd assume would kinda know something about UNIX - MIT - ditto - Motorola Should any customers ask about indemnification in case of being sued by someone about OS X violating patents (let's use as an arbitrary example, Microsoft) all Apple need do is reply, "UNIX does not violate any 3rd party patents." (which pretty much everyone, even Microsoft, agrees with) followed by, "Apple's OS X is certified as UNIX." Done. No indemnification necessary. Makes life in the courtroom a whole lot easier. Wayne Begin forwarded message: > From: Doug Hamilton <doug_hamilton(a)umanitoba.ca> > Date: August 2, 2007 2:12:17 PM CDT (CA) > Subject: [C-REPS] Mac OS X 10.5 - obtains UNIX 03 Certification > > Hello, > > As of version 10.5 (shipping in October of this year) Mac OS X is > will be on par with Solaris, HP-UX and IBM-AIX as a true UNIX OS > development environment. Apple has just achieved the UNIX 03 > Certification for its Mac OS X 10.5 operation system. This > certification covers, "libraries, system calls, terminal > interfaces, commands and utilities, internationalization and the C > language." > > Link to the InfoWorld article (very short). > http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisemac/archives/2007/07/ > leopard_gets_un.html?source=rss > > > Regards, > Doug > > ------------- > Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, APP > Senior Computer Consultant > Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba > 204-474-6196 (Ph.) > 204-474-7556 (Fax) > http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/

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Office 2008 - Delayed - Mid-Jan.2008.
by Doug Hamilton 02 Aug '07

02 Aug '07

Hello, Many of you have heard that the Macintosh Business Unit (MBU) inside Microsoft is busy creating "Office 2008 for Mac". Originally, Microsoft had stated that the release window for this product as second half of this year. As of today, they pushed their release window out to mid-January 2008 for quality assurance reasons. While we still do not have a fixed release date, we have gone from a six month release window down to 30 days. For more details please see the following MacWorld article. http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/08/01/msftoffice/index.php?pf=1 Regards, Doug ------------- Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, APP Senior Computer Consultant Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba 204-474-6196 (Ph.) 204-474-7556 (Fax) http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/

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INTEREST: especially for you iPhone owners in Toronto...
by billing 01 Aug '07

01 Aug '07

Well, OK, maybe there aren't too many of you that fit into that category but, just in case: ...from: http://boingo.com/pr/pr160.php BOINGO GIVES IPHONE USERS FREE WI-FI AT 13 MAJOR AIRPORTS IN AUGUST Today’s Coolest Smartphone Gets Free Access to the World’s Hottest Network SANTA MONICA, Calif. – August 1, 2007 – Boingo Wireless, Inc. today announced that iPhone™ owners can enjoy free Wi-Fi as they travel for business or pleasure through 13 North American airports during the month of August. This special limited time offer is available to all iPhone owners who access the Wi-Fi networks with their iPhone, giving them an introduction to the world’s largest aggregated Wi-Fi network. iPhone owners who like what they see can sign up for and use a Boingo® account to access hundreds of partner networks comprising 100,000+ hotspots. With Boingo Wireless, users of Apple Inc.’s sexy new smartphone can enjoy the full spectrum of coolness available via the iPhone’s highly integrated functionality and multimedia applications while powered by Boingo’s broadband networks. It’s the ultimate iPhone adventure. “iPhone users are searching for Wi-Fi options that will keep the device’s coolest features and content functioning at lightning speeds when on-the-go,” said Dawn Callahan, Boingo’s vice president of consumer marketing. “With our extensive hot spot coverage, choosing Boingo is a no-brainer for iPhone users who are looking for public access options beyond EDGE. This free promotion is a great opportunity for iPhone users to see for themselves.” To enjoy complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi on the iPhone, follow these four easy steps: Connect to the “concourse” SSID with an iPhone in any of the identified airports; Launch your iPhone Safari™ browser and connect to a web page on the Internet; Enter your e-mail address in the special promotional page; Click on “Go!” During August, iPhone owners can receive free Wi-Fi access at the following airports: AZO – Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport BNA – Nashville International Airport, BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport, JFK – John F. Kennedy International Airport, LGA – LaGuardia Airport, MDW – Midway International Airport (Chicago), MSP – Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, OKC – Will Rogers World Airport (Oklahoma City), ORD – O’Hare International Airport, STL – Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, and YYZ – Toronto Pearson International Airport.

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INTEREST: LifeRecord EMR on the iPhone
by billing 25 Jul '07

25 Jul '07

Even if you aren't in the medical profession, this is an interesting demo of a patient information system available via web browsers on Windows and Macintosh...... and iPhone (kinda makes me want to become a surgeon just so I can use it.... .when I get an iPhone, of course. ::-) Wayne ...from: http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2007/07/25/the-iphone-really-can-save- lives/ http://emr.liferecord.com/ July 25, 2007, 3:41 pm The iPhone Really Can Save Lives! Posted by Ben Worthen The iPhone can’t do brain surgery. But it sure can help, according to one doctor, reinforcing this blog’s belief that creative iPhone users will show that the device holds great promise as a business tool – often before tech managers figure that out. For business users, the biggest advantage of the iPhone over the BlackBerry isn’t the ability to play music or its lack of buttons or its several degrees of cool. It’s the iPhone’s Web browser, which makes the phone function more like a laptop than a handheld. Dr. Robert Singer is already taking advantage of that iPhone feature. By his own admission a tech geek, the Nashville, Tenn., neurovascular surgeon initially bought an iPhone because he thought it would be a fun device to own. “I was one of the June 29ers,” he tells the Business Technology Blog, referring to the day the iPhone went on sale. But he quickly saw that the browser made it an ideal workplace tool. Video demo: http://www.youtube.com/v/uX_6yIO2bR8 Dr. Singer, who says he performs about 450 surgeries a year, uses his iPhone to access his practice’s electronic medical-records system. Thanks to the iPhone’s browser, he is able to review patients’ X- Rays, angiograms and medical histories while in the operating room. (Click on the video to the left for a demonstration.) He was never able to do this with his BlackBerry, he says; instead, he would review a patient’s file in his office the night before a surgery. Not only does the iPhone let him go into surgery fresher, he also can see updated information. Earlier this week, for example, he changed the way he performed a back operation based on notes from an old surgery that had been added to a patient’s electronic record shortly before he made his first cut.

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INTEREST: Google Pushes for Rules to Aid Wireless Plans
by billing 21 Jul '07

21 Jul '07

Verizon was similarly critical. “Google’s filing urges the F.C.C. to adopt rules that force all bidders to [allow consumers to buy a wireless phone at a store, but instead of being forced to use a specific carrier, they would be free to pick any carrier they wanted. Instead of the wireless carrier choosing what software goes on their phones, users would be free to put any software they want on it] — which would reduce the incentives for other players to bid,” said Thomas J. Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications, in a statement ...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/21/technology/21google.html? pagewanted=2&th&emc=th Google Pushes for Rules to Aid Wireless Plans By MIGUEL HELFT and STEPHEN LABATON Published: July 21, 2007 If Google succeeds with federal regulators, it could change the way millions of Americans use their cellphones and how they connect to the Internet on their wireless devices. In the Internet giant’s view of the future, consumers would buy a wireless phone at a store, but instead of being forced to use a specific carrier, they would be free to pick any carrier they wanted. Instead of the wireless carrier choosing what software goes on their phones, users would be free to put any software they want on it. Google believes that the cost of voice calls and data connections to the Internet may be partly subsidized by advertisements brought to users by Google’s powerful online advertising machine. There might even be a Google phone. That vision, according to several analysts, is the reason Google said yesterday that it would bid upward of $4.6 billion for a swath of the nation’s airwaves, which are set to be auctioned by the federal government next year — as long as certain conditions are met. But Google’s efforts to position itself on the side of the consumer are also part of a fierce lobbying battle that pits it and other tech companies against wireless carriers, who oppose conditions that Google wants to set on the winners of the auction. Verizon Wireless has called the conditions “corporate welfare for Google.” And AT&T rejected Google’s latest effort, calling it an “all or nothing ultimatum.” The Federal Communications Commission chairman, Kevin Martin, has come out squarely against two of Google’s four proposed conditions. The F.C.C.’s rules governing the auction could shape the landscape for the next generation of mobile telephones and wireless Internet use. “When you go to Best Buy to buy a TV, they don’t ask whether you have cable or satellite,” said Blair Levin, a former F.C.C. official who is now an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Company. “When you buy a computer, they don’t ask what kind of Internet service you have, and the computer can run any application or service. That doesn’t exist in the wireless world. That’s where Google wants to go with this auction.” Google has already invested millions of dollars in mobile phone technology, in part, to develop a comprehensive set of software for mobile devices that goes well beyond the mobile search and map services it already offers. Rumors about a Google phone that would provide easy access to the company’s mobile services have been persistent. The company has been characteristically circumspect about its mobile plans, and just this week, Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, deflected questions from an analyst about plans for a mobile phone. “We have looked pretty carefully at wireless and are thinking about what we want to do there,” Mr. Schmidt said. But Mr. Schmidt stressed the importance to Google of a network where anyone could plug in any device and have access to the full abilities of the Internet. In such an environment, Mr. Schmidt noted, mobile phone users would become significant consumers of online advertising, Google’s core business. Google fears that some of its mobile efforts could be thwarted — or prove less lucrative — if a handful of cellphone carriers continue to dominate the wireless Internet world and retain the power to determine what services and applications run on their networks. Google’s set of proposed rules would have the F.C.C. require that any devices and any application could be connected to the wireless network using the auctioned spectrum. Further, they would require that whoever wins the spectrum make a portion of it available to resellers on a wholesale basis, which Google and other technology companies believe is necessary to promote broadband competition. “I want people to have the choice to use our service,” said Chris Sacca, head of special initiatives at Google. “That is something that I fear won’t exist in this space.” Even if Google’s service was not blocked outright, an open network would be favorable to Google’s business, as the company would not have to contract with carriers to insert ads into the service, said Paul Kedrosky, executive director of the William J. von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement at the University of California, San Diego. So what would Google do if its conditions were put in place and it won the auction? Mr. Sacca said that Google was not likely to build a wireless network or get into the Internet service business itself. “We could offer it to anyone who wants to collaborate with us who embraces our principles of openness,” Mr. Sacca said. The licenses, considered the beach-front property on the electromagnetic spectrum, are in the 700 megahertz band of radio frequencies, which are being surrendered by television stations as they convert to digital broadcast. The auction, to be held early next year, is expected to raise more than $10 billion in revenue for the government. The commission has been heavily lobbied in recent months about crafting auction rules. The commission is expected to issue the rules in the coming weeks. Any rules can be adopted only by a majority of the five commissioners. Mr. Martin’s draft proposal contains some elements of Google’s plan but not others. It proposed, among other things, that about one-third of the spectrum being auctioned be available for an “open network” that could be used by any mobile device or service. It also proposed no limits on the software applications used over that network. “We’re trying to ensure that we develop a wireless broadband provider who has a more open platform,” he said in an interview yesterday. He said he wanted the terms of the auction set so the winners invest in upgrading wireless networks. But he also emphasized that his proposed rules would permit the winners to resell spectrum. “If you want to be the winner of the auction, we are proposing open handsets and open applications,” he said. “If you win, you can be a wholesale supplier. Nothing prevents that.” On Thursday, AT&T said it represented a fair compromise. But yesterday, after Google said the Mr. Martin’s proposal didn’t go far enough, AT&T reacted swiftly. “This is an attempt to pressure the U.S. government to turn the auction process on its head by ensuring only a few, if any, bidders will compete with Google,” said James W. Cicconi, a senior executive vice president at AT&T, in a statement. “If Google is serious about introducing a competing business model into the wireless industry, Chairman Martin’s compromise proposal allows them to bid in the auction, win the spectrum, and then implement every one of the conditions they seek.” Verizon was similarly critical. “Google’s filing urges the F.C.C. to adopt rules that force all bidders to implement Google’s business plan — which would reduce the incentives for other players to bid,” said Thomas J. Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications, in a statement. At a Congressional hearing next Tuesday, Mr. Martin is expected to testify about the auction and the proposed rules. Some commission officials and telephone industry executives have expressed concern that Google was seeking the imposition of a wholesale requirement so that it could purposefully lose the auction, but still have access to a network at lower cost. Mr. Levin, the former F.C.C. official, suggested that Google’s latest move might simply be an effort to put pressure on the commission. “There is a significant difference between saying you are going to bid and actually bidding,” Mr. Levin said. “Lots of people in the context of an auction policy make promises,” he said. “Whether they follow through is a different matter.”

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INTEREST: Cisco access point at fault for Duke's wireless issues
by billing 20 Jul '07

20 Jul '07

...from: http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/07/20/dukecisco/index.php Cisco access point at fault for Duke's wireless issues July 20, 2007 6:11 pm ET Macworld By Jim Dalrymple After blaming Apple’s iPhone for its wireless networking problems, Duke University said earlier today that it hadn’t been able to pinpoint what the problem was. Now, it has been confirmed that a Cisco wireless access point was at fault for the networking issues. “Cisco worked closely with Duke and Apple to identify the source of this problem, which was caused by a Cisco-based network issue,” said Cisco in a statement provided to Macworld. “Cisco has provided a fix that has been applied to Duke’s network and the problem has not occurred since.” In a statement posted to the universities Web site late Friday Tracy Futhey, Duke’s chief information officer, said that “Earlier reports that this was a problem with the iPhone in particular have proved to be inaccurate.” Futhey went on to say that the iPhone is fully operable within Duke’s networking environment. Kevin Miller, assistant director, communications infrastructure, with Duke’s Office of Information Technology, laid the blame for Duke’s networking problems squarely on the iPhone. The network team began capturing wireless traffic for analysis and that’s when they discovered that the offending devices were iPhones, Miller said earlier this week. “I don’t believe it’s a Cisco problem in any way, shape or form,” Miller said firmly. Duke began backpedaling earlier today when Julian Lombardi, assistant vice president of academic services technology support for Duke University, said the university was still investigating the issue. It would appear at this point that Miller made his statements without a full report or any basis to blame the iPhone or Apple for the problems.

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INTEREST: possible iPhone network disruption
by billing 20 Jul '07

20 Jul '07

...from: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3391477 Duke: iPhone May Be Disrupting Network Apple Inc.'s flashy new iPhones may be jamming parts of the wireless network at Duke University, where technology officials worked with the company Wednesday to fix problems before classes begin next month. Bill Cannon, a Duke technology spokesman, said an analysis of traffic found that iPhones flooded parts of the campus' wireless network with access requests, freezing parts of the system for 10 minutes at a time. A single iPhone was powerful enough to cause the problem, and there are 100 to 150 of them registered on the network, Cannon said. Network administrators have noticed the problem nine times in the past week. "The scale of the problem is very small right now," said Cannon, adding that the school is working with Apple and Cisco Systems Inc., Duke's network equipment provider, to pinpoint the problem. "But the more iPhones that are around, the more they could be knocking on the door for access." The iPhone is Apple's first foray into the cellular phone business. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company released the product which combines a cell phone, media player and wireless Internet device at the end of June, with some consumers lining up outside stores days before the phones went on sale. The phones retail for $499 to $599. The gadget can access the Internet through AT&T Inc.'s Edge network or through Wi-Fi. When a Wi-Fi hotspot is unavailable, it automatically switches to the slower network but continues to check for a Wi-Fi signal. Ashok Agrawala, a computer science professor at the University of Maryland, speculated that both the phone and Duke's network are to blame for the glitches at the university. Agrawala said the phones could be struggling to regain a connection with a wireless access point, possibly when a wireless hotspot hands off to another. "When you set up a network on the campus, you set up the network to accommodate the devices you have in use," Agrawala said, noting laptops as the primary users on college campuses. "Now with the popularity of the iPhones, the network parameters may not be set right. But he added that the iPhone should be able to properly handle that problem without flooding the network. Agrawala said he also questions whether an iPhone is capable of accessing Duke's network 10,000 times a second, as found by the school's analysis. Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, said the company is working with Duke to quickly resolve the issue but didn't know details or its source. The problem has generated discussion on Internet technology forums, but there have been no reports of other networks being affected. At Maryland, for example, officials said they hadn't seen anything like the problems at Duke. Greg James, associate director of data networking at nearby North Carolina State University, said Wednesday that the school hasn't noticed any issues at its campus in Raleigh despite the usual monitoring of all wireless access points. "We're keeping a close eye out to what happens at Duke and what they find," James said.

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INTEREST: Reading Mac Volumes from Windows
by billing 19 Jul '07

19 Jul '07

"Read [Mac] volumes when booted in Windows" <http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070717090846961> "... HFSExplorer, a free and open-source utility that provides read-only access to HFS+ volumes and DMG files from Windows. If you use Boot Camp to run Windows, this is a great way to get to your Mac's files, at least on a read-only basis." For you non-Mac people, "HFS+" is the filesystem used by virtually all Mac volumes; "DMG files" are .dmg disk image archive files, commonly used.

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INTEREST: ripples continue from Sony/BMG rootkit fiasco
by billing 18 Jul '07

18 Jul '07

{QUICK REFRESHER ON} (from various sources including: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 2005_Sony_BMG_CD_copy_protection_scandal) In 2005 Sony/BMG Music began distributing audio CDs which included copy protection software. The CDs would not play on computers until some software had been installed from the CD onto the computer. The problems were that this "protection" software acted in the same manner as a rootkit - a type of program that hides itself from the user - and it also opened vulnerabilities in the Windows OS making it easier for viruses and other malware to infiltrate such a computer. "On November 16, 2005, US-CERT, part of the United States Department of Homeland Security, issued an advisory on XCP DRM. They said that XCP uses rootkit technology to hide certain files from the computer user, and that this technique is a security threat to computer users. They also said one of the uninstallation options provided by Sony BMG introduces further vulnerabilities to a system. US-CERT advised, 'Do not install software from sources that you do not expect to contain software, such as an audio CD.'" Further, some CD owners reported that removing this software ended up with a corrupted hard disk involving the loss of all data and needing the reinstallation of the operating system to make the computer usable again. The CDs were recalled, class-action lawsuits and other legal action followed in various locations, and "on January 30, 2007, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with Sony BMG on charges that their CD copy protection had violated Federal Law. The settlement requires Sony BMG to reimburse consumers up to $150 to repair damage that resulted directly from their attempts to remove the software installed without their consent. The settlement also requires them to provide clear and prominent disclosure on the packaging of future CDs of any limits on copying or restrictions on the use of playback devices, and bars the company from installing content protection software without obtaining consumers’ authorization. FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras added that, 'Installations of secret software that create security risks are intrusive and unlawful. Consumers' computers belong to them, and companies must adequately disclose unexpected limitations on the customary use of their products so consumers can make informed decisions regarding whether to purchase and install that content.'" {QUICK REFRESHER OFF} ...from: http://www.oto-online.com/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=516&Itemid=1 Sony sues anti-piracy company Wednesday, 18 July 2007 Following a class action settlement proposed in a lawsuit against Sony BMG Music Entertainment, SunnComm International, and First 4 Internet, Sony BMG is suing The Amergence Group Inc (formerly SunnComm), claiming that its technology was defective and cost the record company millions of dollars to settle consumer complaints and government investigations. The MediaMax CD copy protection caused an uproar amongst consumers, following the discovery that the software caused various problems, including playability issues. Sony BMG is trying to get about $12 million in damages from Amergence, accusing the company of negligence, unfair business practices and breaching the terms of its license agreement by delivering software that "did not perform as warranted". Amergence has countered by saying that it was "unexpectedly served with a summons in a civil lawsuit brought by Sony-BMG. The suit alleges, among other things, that SunnComm's CD copy protection component, called MediaMax, was defective and that the small Phoenix- based company has a contractual obligation to indemnify the entertainment giant against consumer actions which Amergence believes resulted primarily from 1) Sony's under-tested release of a competitor's technology, and 2) BMG's 'final authority' input in determining the functional specifications of the MediaMax copy protection."

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FYI: care and feeding of your Apple laptop battery: avoid heat!
by billing 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

The following procedure is specifically intended for "smart" Lithium- Ion batteries so, really what is being addressed is not the battery so much as the battery's microprocessor, the bit of the battery that is responsible for tracking the power remaining in the battery. Over time (on the scale of years rather than months) Li-Ion batteries see their maximum charge levels drop (around 10-2-%). This is not the "memory" that the previous NiCad batteries encountered but just a gradual reduction of the max charge. The following procedure does not "condition" the battery it merely allows the on-battery microprocessor to discover the new "maximum charge" if it has changed. As such, this procedure would benefit any Li-Ion battery that has "smarts" added to it (such as iPod or iPhone) and so would be applicable to any such device not only Apple's laptops. If the device in question does not have these "smarts" the following procedure does nothing for the Li-Ion battery. This procedure is not so much "conditioning the battery" as "recalculating the maximum power estimate". Every source I was able to find seems to agree that the worst thing for Li-Ion battery life is excess heat. The caution on Apple's iPhone page, for example, says: "Paying attention to just a few commonsense pointers will pay off with a longer battery lifespan and battery life for your iPhone. The most important thing is to keep your iPhone out of the sun or a hot car (even the glove box). Heat will degrade your battery’s performance the most." The same would be true of any Li-Ion battery such as your iPod. Wayne ...from: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284 Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance You can calibrate your iBook, PowerBook, MacBook or MacBook Pro computer's lithium ion battery for best performance. The battery has an internal microprocessor that provides an estimate of the amount of energy in the battery as it charges and discharges. The battery needs to be recalibrated from time to time to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display accurate. With all iBooks and PowerBook G4 computers except the aluminum PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD), you should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months thereafter. iBooks and PowerBook G4s other than the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double- Layer SD) Plug the power adapter in and fully charge your computer's battery until the battery indicator lights turn off and the adapter plug light goes from amber to green, which indicates that the battery is fully charged. Disconnect the power adapter and use your iBook or PowerBook. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen. Continue to use your computer until it goes to sleep. At that point the battery has been sufficiently drained for calibration. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again. You have to fully charge and then discharge your battery only once to calibrate it. After that, you can connect and disconnect the power adapter when the battery is at any charge level. Tip: When the battery reaches "empty", the computer is forced into sleep mode. The battery actually keeps back a reserve beyond "empty", to maintain the computer in sleep for a period of time. Once the battery is truly exhausted, the computer is forced to shut down. At this point, any open files could be lost. Therefore, it is important that you find an electrical outlet and connect the adapter before the forced shutdown occurs. PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD), MacBook (all models), MacBook Pro (all models), and MacBook Pro (17-inch) (all models) The battery calibration for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) and any model of MacBook or MacBook Pro has been updated because of a new battery released with this computer. With these computers, follow these steps to calibrate your battery: Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your PowerBook's battery until the light ring or LED on the power adapter plug changes to green and the onscreen meter in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged. Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for at least two hours. You may use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in. Disconnect the power adapter with the computer still on and start running the computer off battery power. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen. Continue to keep your computer on until it goes to sleep. Save all your work and close all applications when the battery gets very low, before the computer goes to sleep. Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or more. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again. Tip: When the battery reaches "empty", the computer is forced into sleep mode. The battery actually keeps back a reserve beyond "empty", to maintain the computer in sleep for a period of time. Once the battery is truly exhausted, the computer is forced to shut down. At this point, with the safe sleep function introduced in the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) computers, the computer's memory contents have been saved to the hard drive. When power is restored, the computer returns itself to its pre-sleep state using the safe sleep image on the hard drive. If you're not sure which model of PowerBook you have, see article 88248 to figure out which model you have. - - - - - - - - - - For battery saving tips for your iPod or iPhone (when it comes) see: http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

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FYI: Critical MS Excel flaw dings Mac users
by billing 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

...from: http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=379&tag=nl.e622 July 13th, 2007 Critical MS Excel flaw dings Mac users Posted by Ryan Naraine @ 12:34 pm Microsoft has re-released the critical MS07-036 bulletin to add protection for Mac OS X users. When the bulletin was originally released in this month’s Patch Tuesday batch, there was no mention of Mac users being at risk but the bulletin was reissued late Thursday night with a note that all three vulnerabilities affect the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac software. The Office 2004 for Mac portion of the bulletin is rated “important” across the board for all three flaws. A successful attack could lead to remote code execution on the affected system. The reissued bulletin also includes updated File Manifest information for Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007. http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx?pid=download&location=/ mac/download/Office2004/Office2004_1136.xml or http://preview.tinyurl.com/2cjvfb

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Aperture - Free Seminars from Apple
by Doug Hamilton 13 Jul '07

13 Jul '07

Hello to All: Apple has just announced two free seminars in Winnipeg on August 15, 2007, on their Aperture digital photography workflow application. The seminar topics and related links are For the Wedding and Event Photography from 9am to 12pm http://www.seminars.apple.com/goToEvent.html?id=64752 Streamlining your RAW Photography Workflow from 7pm to 9pm http://www.seminars.apple.com/goToEvent.html?id=64852 Please forward this message on to anyone whom you think would be interested. For those of you working at or attending PrairieView School of Photography, could you please forward this message on to other students or staff you think would be interested. I am aware that Don's Photo is partnering with Apple on this one, but if you have any friends/contacts at PhotoCentral please feel free to send this information to them. Regards, Doug ------------- Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, APP Senior Computer Consultant Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba 204-474-6196 (Ph.) 204-474-7556 (Fax) http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/

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INTEREST: Microsoft/Hotmail suing spammers
by billing 12 Jul '07

12 Jul '07

...from: http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/05/25/stock/index.php Microsoft sues alleged stock scammers By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service Hoping to tackle the growing problem of pump-and-dump stock scams Microsoft has quietly filed lawsuits against at least three alleged perpetrators who it says used its MSN Hotmail networks to promote stocks. Hotmail has “received large volumes of unsolicited commercial e-mail messages” promoting stocks for companies such as Distributed Power, TGC Ventures, China Biolife Enterprises, and Irwin Resources, according to court documents filed during April and May in King County Superior Court in Seattle. Microsoft charges the defendants with violating the federal CAN-SPAM act as well as Washington state consumer protection laws, and is seeking unspecified damages, according to the filings. Pump-and-dump e-mail scams are a form of fraud where the criminals purchase stock in a company — typically an inexpensive penny stock — and then promote the equity in millions of unsolicited email messages. The technique is one of the more lucrative spamming practices, and has been “the fastest growing area in spam” over the past few months, said Craig Schmugar, a threat research manager with McAfee’s Avert Labs. Pump-and-dump spam has not only taken up resources and threatened the smooth functioning of Hotmail, but it “continues to result in significant costs to Microsoft,” the court filings state. Microsoft executives were not immediately available to comment for this story. Because Microsoft does not know the name of the spammers behind the unsolicited e-mails, it has filed the lawsuits as “John Doe” cases, giving it the power to subpoena information in the case and ultimately name the parties responsible when they are uncovered. It’s the latest move in the cat and mouse game between pump-and-dump spammers and the technology companies trying to stop them. Pump-and-dump scams are gaining more attention from criminals and companies like Microsoft for one simple reason: they work. Researchers at Purdue and Oxford Universities recently examined] the dynamics of pump-and-dump and found that spammers could realize 5 percent returns in a single day. Because these scams are so lucrative, they’ve attracted some of the most technically competent spammers to develop new techniques, said Adam O’Donnell, a senior research scientist at Cloudmark. “The pump and dump schemes are basically driving spam research and development,” he said. [...] With the jump in pump-and-dump e-mail, O’Donnell said it’s no surprise that Microsoft has brought the lawsuits. “Hotmail is heavily used and is viewed by the Web community as one of the most challenging spam environments right now,” he said.

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