Thursday, March 18, 2004
Top Stories
Microsoft Takes On Apple
Microsoft is expected to announce Thursday a series of partnerships linked to the planned introduction of its new hand-held combination music and video players in Europe, a development that Microsoft hopes will give it an edge against Apple and others in the market for portable media devices.
News
iPod: Core Of A New Apple?
Digital music player has been touted as a saviour. But are the numbers sustainable?
Apple Adds Developer-Support Archive
Apple has launched the Apple Developer Collection (ADC) Reference Library — a comprehensive collection of Aple technical resources, including documentation, technical notes, sample code, technical Q&As, and release notes.
More Than A Bunch Of Dates
iCal, teamed with iSync, is much more than a record of the passing days and greatly enhances the productivity and friendly relationship you have with your Mac.
Apple's Ron Okamoto Previews WWDC 2004
"Year after year, we see more developers with cross-platform experience. Whereas before it was WIndows and Mac, today it is very rich and very diverse. It's some open source, some Java, some Unix, some Windows and some Mac, and that's a really great thing for us."
Opinion
iSight: Is The Novelty Gone? (Or Do I Have A Face For Text?)
After an initial flurry of video use, everyone seemed to slide back toward text-only messaging.
Average Joe Still In The Dark About Macs
There are serious advantages to owning a Mac, and the general public should be made aware of them.
Sony Vs. Apple: Sony Takes It Up A Notch
This wouldn't mean that Wintel won and Apple lost; only that Apple has carved out a uniche of unique users whom it serves extremely well.
Review
Final Cut Pro 4
Final Cut Pro 4 remains one of the most remarkable non-linear edit systems ever created.
Are You Talking To Me? Speech On Mac OS X
Speech really was born again with the introduction of Mac OS X and especially in the two latest releases, Jaguar and Panther.
iPods Less Expensive Alternative In Long Run
iTunes and iPods team up to create new way to get your favorite music.
Sidetrack
Singapore gets its first (?) online music store at StarHub. It does not support the Mac nor the iPod — and I doubt it will ever will.
Apple, can you hurry and bring iTMS to Singapore?
(Oh, by the way, I am still waiting for photo book printing in iPhoto. Pretty please?)
What Is Important, And What Is Not
All news web site publisher should take a look at this article by Steve Outing. You may not agree with all the recommendations or conclusions made, but you should at least understand why the recommendations or conclusions.
"The home pages of most news Web sites are too cluttered and suffer from link and content overload. Nearly all handle photography poorly. Page designs are the same day after day..."
Even though MyAppleMenu is not strictly a news site, I'm also guilty of some of the observerations made in the article by Alan Jacobson and Steve Outing.
But what Steve Outing pointed out is accurate: "Web-publishing reality gets in the way. Content management systems often dictate a more structured approach; they accept a basic home-page template that can be tweaked only modestly from day to day. Rare is the CMS that can support the kind of daily changes that a print-edition front-page designer can make."
Yeah, all CMS developers — the Movable Types, Userlands, and Vignettes — should also read this article.
What do I plan to do? Look out for more evolution of the MyAppleMenu design. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday. :-)
The tagline of this article: Why are Hollywood actors starring on your PlayStation?
The accompanied illustration: Xbox.
Why? Anything to do with where the money's coming from?
Apple is getting ready for the new iPod, featuring bigger storage capacity, color screen for displaying photos (and album art?), and the click wheel.
Also, new Power Mac and Display updates will be unveiled anytime now.
Wintel
Microsoft Embraces Open Source — With Reservations
Microsoft recognizes the benefits of open source but is not prepared to turn over its crown-jewel Windows operating system to the paradigm, according to a Microsoft official speaking at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco.
E-Mails Give Peek At Microsoft Strategies
An e-mail message that may become part of a Minnesota antitrust case is providing a rare glimpse into the way a top Microsoft executive tried to persuade an iconic investor to buy into the company's software business.
Windows XP Update Gets Face-Lift
Microsoft released a close-to-final version of the second major update to Windows XP, adding new security tools to the operating system.
Microsoft-EU Antitrust Settlement Hopes Dim
Hopes of a last-minute settlement dimmed after a morning meeting between competition commissioner Mario Monti and Steve Ballmer broke up early without any apparent meeting of minds, said people close to the talks.