 |  The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com другие подписчики этой ленты также читают >> |
- Apple TV displays to go up on March 5th
Filed under: Retail, Rumors, Apple, Apple TV
A TUAW operative deep in the bowels of Cupertino risked life and limb (well, mostly their job) to let us know this delicious little tidbit about the Apple TV. Look for your local Apple retail store to have a nice, shiny new Apple TV display in their window on March 5th. The display will showcase the Apple TV hooked up to a very nice Sony Bravia (just like they did at Macworld), and will no doubt cause Apple TV lust to develop in the hearts of passers by.
It stands to reason that this display will coincide with general availability if the Apple TV in Apple stores, but our operative wasn't certain on that front. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/apple-tv-displays-to-go-up-on-march-5th/#comments - "Free Public WiFi" on a plane = XP wireless goof
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Airport, Security
The initial error was mine: I was running XP (in Boot Camp) before I got onboard, and forgot to reboot in Mac OS X (where my iTunes library of "hey kids, let's keep quiet while the other passengers sleep!" videos lives) prior to the flight. Once we reached cruising altitude, I fired up the MBP and quickly went to turn off my Airport card, as all good Americans must do... and what on Earth (or high above it) is that "Free Public WiFi" peer-to-peer network doing on a PLANE?? Someone is not paying attention!
I had seen these "Free Public WiFi" peer-to-peer networks around before, usually in airports, and had ignored them as malware honeypots; the truth is apparently a little less malicious but still pretty scary. It seems that our friends in Redmond have (since Jan 06) some strangeness in the wireless network management routines under XP; any WLAN that a Windows machine joins gets 'echoed' back out as an ad-hoc SSID if the machine can't find the previous connection (an implementation of RFC 3927). Brian Maynor, of "MacBook WiFi Hack" fame, posted on the quirky fun back in January, as did Brian Krebs. The result of this 'feature' is that certain bogus SSIDs spread in viral fashion wherever large numbers of Windows laptops congregate. Machines may be joining the same ad-hoc network unintentionally, and a malicious user could attempt exploitation of those machines without warning.
Reason #2048 why I love my Mac: wireless security flaws in OS X are obscure, debatable and mostly academic, not readily visible in every airport and bus terminal.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/free-public-wifi-on-a-plane-xp-wireless-goof/#comments - Do It
Filed under: Software, Productivity, .Mac
Do It is quite possibly the most feature-packed mini-todo
widgetapp ever written. For a birds-eye view, it features integration with Quicksilver, Address Book and iCal, as well as .Mac syncing and AppleScript-ability. As Tim Gaden puts it: the only thing missing is a kitchen sink.
Fundamentally, Do It is (surprise) a todo manager. But thanks to shaking hands with all these other apps, you can import/export todos from iCal, install an Address Book contextual menu item for easy contact reminder creation, add items from the most excellent Quicksilver or simply make it do nearly anything you want with the power of AppleScript.
Despite all this impressive functionality, Do It remains freeware and available from Jim McGowan's site.
[Update: my bad - Do It is an app, not a widget. I tried this app out a little while ago, and in finally getting around to writing it up, I mixed this up with another todo widget I just found. Sorry guys.]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/do-it/#comments - Cory Doctorow on Steve's 'Thoughts on Music'
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes
We all know that Cory Doctorow, of BoingBoing fame, hates DRM with the red hot passion of a thousand suns. Most people aren't fans of DRM, but view it as a necessary evil in a world where it is very easy for one person to copy and distribute your 'product' without one red cent going into your pocket. Steve's open letter heard 'round the web was seen by some as a rallying cry to rid the world of DRM (audio only, I mean no one wants to see pirated copies of 'A Bug's Life' popping up everywhere), however, Mr. Doctorow makes a case (that's a Salon article, so you either need have a Salon membership, or sit through a short ad to read it) that Steve was merely posturing. Furthermore, Doctorow thinks the letter was a clever way to shift blame from Apple to the record labels and hide the fact that the iTunes/iPod combo is a 'roach motel'.
Cory is a good writer (I have enjoyed a few of his novels greatly), however, I think he is really over selling the FUD here. Sure, FairPlay is lame. I hate DRM as much as the next guy (well, unless I am standing next to Cory that is) but FairPlay is ridiculously easy to get around, even without breaking the letter of the law. Simply burn an audio CD of your purchased iTunes tracks and like magic you can do whatever you want with that CD (though this only works if you burn an audio CD). You can put it in a Walkman, you can toss it out the window, you can make thousands of copies of it (from the CD, iTunes does limit you to 7 burns of a playlist with FairPlay, though you can get around that too since the limit is based on the order of the songs), or you can even re-import the music on the CD into any format you like (Ogg anyone?).
That solves the iTunes Store lock in problem, because if you are really that passionate about moving from iTunes you'll figure this trick out. So we now know you can rid all of your iTunes audio purchases of DRM with a little time and effort but what about Cory's assertion that 'once you put music on your iPod, you can't get it off again without Apple's software?' While that is what Apple would like you to believe, once again this limitation is laughably easy to get around. There are a boatload of apps that will move stuff off of your iPod and onto your Mac (I'm a big fan of iPodRip) which are all able to function because the music folder on your iPod is simply hidden, and not really 'locked down'. Furthermore, if you're comfortable using some rudimentary Terminal commands you can even navigate to the music folder yourself and get at your music that way without spending a cent (though, I suppose in that case you would technically be using Apple's software in the form of OS X).
Cory's point, even though it is obfuscated by a slight tint of overreaction, remains valid: DRM treats consumers like thieves and really serves as nothing more than a point of contention between those willing to buy their music legally and the companies that want to sell it. The only way that we will know for certain if Steve really meant what he wrote in that letter is to wait and see. Here's hoping that the future of the iTunes Store is DRM free.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/cory-doctorow-on-steves-thoughts-on-music/#comments - The SkyMall Index: measure the iPod ecosystem
If you fly, you know the airborne retail experience: the SkyMall catalog, sitting in the seat pouch, reminding you that you really should have brought something to read. The compilation of useful household products (fake rocks to cover unsightly yard objects!), kitschy health & gadget items, and clothing (Carabella Collection, which my wife refers to as "the slutty clothes catalog") also includes plenty of iPod-related gear. In an effort to avoid direct in-flight childcare responsibilities, I decided to audit the iPod appearances in the current SkyMall catalog and contrast them with the number of vintage prop Macs used to demo computer furniture, as a proxy for Apple's past.
iPod-compatible items advertised: 11, including chargers that support multiple devices but used an iPod in the catalog picture. Coolest: Icuiti iWear-1A video goggles.
Macs used as props: 6, with two current and four old. Most egregious old Mac prop: a tie, between a WallStreet PB G3 on a telescoping desk, and a rolling CPU stand that appeared to contain a Power Mac 8100 -- both sent a cold shiver down my spine.
The result: for the early spring 2007 Skymall Index, an iPod rating of 1.83 -- not bad! The iPod is easily the most visible single brand in the catalog, and shows up nearly as often as cellphones do. Now, I'd better get my order in for that pair of adult footie pajamas I've always coveted.
Thanks Heidi!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/the-skymall-index-measure-the-ipod-ecosystem/#comments - MediaFork to 'unfork' back into HandBrake
As Erica noted back on the 12th, a contributed branch of the HandBrake DVD ripping tool was released as MediaFork, including plenty of updated library goodness and new features for conversion to iPod video formats. The development team on MediaFork had tried to contact HandBrake developer "titer" prior to splitting off a version, but hadn't been able to reach him.
Well, titer has returned, made contact with the new team, and given his official stamp of approval to the MediaFork efforts -- meaning that the next beta of MediaFork will return to the HandBrake name and website. It's wonderful to see everyone working together for justice, and for... the safety of puppies... and Christmas, right? Let's rip those DVDs!
thanks Mike!
[via MacApper]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/mediafork-to-unfork-back-into-handbrake/#comments - Final Cut Studio updated to 5.1.4
Filed under: Video, Software Update, Apple
Final Cut Studio just got bumped to version 5.1.4. The 38MB download offers bug fixes for issues with plugins and is recommended for everyone. It also strengthens bones and teeth.
Visit Apple Support downloads for the installer or just hit Software Update.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/final-cut-studio-updated-to-5-1-4/#comments - Ars Technica reviews the new AirPort Extreme Base Station
Filed under: Hardware, Airport
Clint Ecker at Ars Technica has produced a four-page review of Apple's new AirPort Extreme Base Station, digging into every nook and cranny of what's new in both the software and hardware. Ultimately, Clint really likes the revamped base station, giving Apple strong marks for a broad, powerful feature set and a slick new admin utility. A couple of major dings, however, come in the form of cost (lesser-featured 802.11n routers can of course be had for cheaper) and having to reboot the station after even some of the most minor configuration changes.
Still, it seems like Clint is joining others in welcoming Apple's refreshed base station to the market. After just picking one up myself a day ago, I'm offering two thumbs up as well, though I haven't even touched half of the features I'm planning to - yet. For me, the most exciting feature is AirPort Disk, as I plan on setting up automatic wireless backups for both mine and my wife's MacBooks.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/ars-technica-reviews-the-new-airport-extreme-base-station/#comments - Seen at the Green Hills (Nashville) Apple Store
Filed under: Odds and ends, TUAW Business
We heart you, loyal readers. We especially enjoy it when you visit Apple retail stores and leave Safari's home page set to tuaw.com -- it shows class, breeding and a sense of fun. Nicely done, mystery reader in Nashville; nicely done indeed.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/seen-at-the-green-hills-nashville-apple-store/#comments - iPod doubles as flight data recorder
Filed under: iPod Family
If you're in the market for a small plane (and really, who isn't in the market for a small plane?) perhaps this news will help you choose: American manufacturer LoPresti will allow the iPod to serve as a flight data recorder in the Fury two-seater. This is "flight data recorder" in the sense of "performance and location information for post-flight review," not in the sense of "black box intended to survive a crash for forensic analysis." Not that there aren't a few iPod cases that have the look of armor plating...
Thanks Gordon!
[via flightglobal.com]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/23/ipod-doubles-as-flight-data-recorder/#comments - Leopard Server Overview
Filed under: Enterprise, OS, Software, XServe
Through he doesn't seem to offer any truly new information, Daniel Eran over at Roughly Drafted has a nice post summarizing the changes coming in Leopard Server. One of the most significant highlights is the addition of many more "collaborative services" including a new iChat server that relays messages to the outside world, an iCal server for calendar sharing, a wiki server, and the Podcast Producer for automated podcast publishing. It seems like Apple is finally starting to ramp up OS X to be a stronger competitor to Microsoft's Exchange server for sharing information across a workgroup. While it's true that OS X Server probably isn't on the radar for most home users, it's good to know that Apple is continuing to refine our favorite OS for running on sweet Xserve iron, or maybe even a Mac mini home server.
[Edit: removed last sentence about pricing. Apparently, I misunderstood the way it works]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/02/22/leopard-server-overview/#comments
| rss2email.ru | отписаться: http://www.rss2email.ru/unsubscribe.asp?c=6894&u=24004&r=484673635 управлять всей подпиской: http://www.rss2email.ru/manage.asp читать наш блог: http://www.olevarty.ru |
