iBook, iMac, iBlog: May, 2000

Mark Newhouse, <iblog@mac.com>

[May 31, 2000]

Note:

There he goes again

I shoot off my mouth, and suddenly I'm an expert. I guess the stint at the university creating curriculum using image processing is paying off.

iBook News:

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

It isn't Monday, but there is a new column up. It's called Behind the Scenes, and it takes a look at how to use Apple's iDisk to serve your web site, like I do with this one.

Note:

The World Wide Web unreliable?

I got this in my inbox this morning:
The campus to Internet connections are not reliable this am.
I hate it when that happens. So there'll be a bunch of updates to this blog once things clear up.

Apple News:

Time to brush up on your history

The historical roots of MacOS X.

Apple News:

Extend your AirPort's range

this looks like a neat hardware hack for your AirPort.

Apple News:

iNewton

My favorite part is Larryellison in the role of Igor, the hunchbacked lab assistant.

Note:

And I thought c was constant

It can be slowed down, and it can be sped up. What this could mean for science as we know it boggles the mind! Via MetaFilter.


[May 30, 2000]

Note:

Yesterday...

...was Memorial Day in the states. Because we need to remember...

Note:

Blush

Hey Miles, you are too kind! To misquote Picasso, I just know who to steal from... Actually I hand code everything, so all mistakes are mine. I think a simple css fix would make the code validate, but I am lazy... And you can see more of my design work here, or here (scroll down for web sites).

[May 28, 2000]

Apple News:

Virii, Viruses, whatever the plural is...

More reasons to be glad I use a Mac.

Note:

New blogs linked

Finally got around to adding some long overdue links to the side. They're on top. Check 'em out.

Note:

Yesterday was interesting

Is it possible to have a crappy day and a wonderful day, at the same time?

[May 26, 2000]

Apple News:

This seems so obvious

macinblog--making you wish you had a G4How could I not sign up?


Note:

Chocolatey Shatner

Thanks for the note and the link, Les. You are really too kind. Enjoy your summer, and have a great Senior year!

Note:

In the ear buds

Steve Taylor, Now the Truth Can Be Told, Boxed Set.

[May 25, 2000]

Note:

Masquerading as a know-it-all

I must remember to thank Charles Moore for editing out the more inflammatory comments in my e-mails (although I still stand by them).

Note:

Hurry, only 2,772 left!

At $7.95 these babies won't last long! (Windows only...)

Apple News:

Did he really buy a ticket?

I thought he had his own jet.

Note:

Sign of the Apocalypse?

It's getting awfully close to implanting this stuff on your wrist or forehead...

[May 24, 2000]

Note:

Ouch!

You'll need QuickTime to view this. [from Jake]

Apple News:

Could this be why Apple dropped the price of Web Objects?

It looks like Quark is late to the ball on this one. Their new Site Midas Web site management software looks a lot like Apple's (nee NeXT's) Web Objects. Even the price is was the same, except Apple recently dropped the price of their offering from $50,000 to $699. How will Quark compete?

Note:

It could happen to you

Concerned about online privacy? ZDNet helps you learn how to prevent getting your identity stolen online.

Apple News:

Score another one for the Mac

I know the MacOS used to be a bit condescending on this point, too. At least now the message is:
"Your computer crashed or was not shut down properly the last time it was used.... If you are experienceing frequent crashes, please refer to Mac OS Help for troubleshooting information."
Thanks for giving your users the benefit of the doubt, Apple.

Oh, and welcome back Greg.

Apple News:

Deathmatch!?!

I first saw this link on Derek's site. I think "deathmatch" is a bit strong, but I guess it generates hits...


[May 23, 2000]

Note:

I wonder where www.notlinux.com points?

I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count. Thanks to Grant for the link.


[May 22, 2000]

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At least they knew it was a parody...

The NY Times has a piece about the eNormicom parody (brought to you by the creative minds at 37 Signals). At least they knew it was a parody (scroll down to the E's. Thanks to camworld for the original link to LookSmart).

Note:

Long Live Independent Content!

There is a good discussion going on at the (new) Dreamless.org site. Started by Jeffrey Zeldman.

iBook News:

Dimension

That's the title of the latest article at Keeper of the iBook.


[May 19, 2000]

Note:

You go, Jeffrey


The Slashdot interview is here!

Apple News:

Swag report

As I wrote previously, I was hoping for a peek at OS X [pronounced "ten," and no, it wasn't delayed, simply renamed (I was getting dizzy from the spin...)], but it was a no-show. However, the Apple rep said the public beta would be free.

I did see a nice demo of Adobe® InDesign™, and learned that John Warnock originally threw what is now Illustrator together to illustrate to his wife what PostScript could do. Hence the name.

I did score a hat from Noosh. They have some software that manages your print process. Or something. I missed the demo. Cool hat though. It was a small, free seminar, so there wasn't much swag up for grabs.

Oh yeah, I also picked up a rather flimsy mouse pad from Scitex, designed to look like a vinyl record (those are what we used to listen to music before CDs and mp3s, kids). I think my kids might like it.


[May 18, 2000]

Apple News:

On the road...

See yesterday's post.


[May 17, 2000]

Apple News:

Road Trip

I'm going to an Apple Seminar tomorrow! I'm hoping that I might get a chance to try out OS X first hand, but no promises... I do get to take the company car, though.

Apple News:

I'll see your ZIF and raise you two LDAPs

If your reaction to the above is HUH?!? then you'll need to read about the art of the Macintosh Bluff, and soon you'll be telling people that the web site doesn't use QuickTime, but accesses Apple's QuickTime APIs...


[May 16, 2000]

Apple News:

Aww, Shucks!

You'll have to scroll to the bottom of the article, but Phil Schiller says there will be no Apple handheld in the company's future as they focus on the personal computer space. I am sure there are those who hope that focus changes. Or could this be a leak of misinformation, after all, who would question Apple's vice president of worldwide product marketing? [link found on MacNN]

Note:

Good mp3 reading

With all the people out there (including myself) who are writing for the Mac Web, it is refreshing to find authors who think and write well. John Martellaro is one of those authors. Today he weighs in on the mp3 debate. You might want to check out what Del Miller and John Katz had to say, too.


[May 15, 2000]

Note:

iBlog, too

Got a note this weekend from another iBlog. This guy's got the domain! Sorry I can't swap an AirPort for it, as I don't own the one I use.

Apple News:

Yaawwnn!

This is probably good news, a sign of a healthy company and all, but the reports coming out about Steve's WWDC Keynote are rather, well, boring. No wonder they decided against a webcast...

iBook News:

Another Monday...

...another Keeper of the iBook article. This week it's short and sweet, as I pose the question, "Does Size Matter?"


[May 12, 2000]

iBook News:

Did I ever mention?

That I usually update this blog wirelessly, via AirPort? But not today, as I am working at home. The idisk.mac.com servers are working pretty well though. Updates are not too painfully slow.

Note:

5K commentary

Well said, Jeffrey!

Note:

So, what is the big man rule?!?

Yesterday I went on a web hunt for the definition of the big man rule because a colleague had referred to it in an interview, like everyone knew what it was. I couldn't find anything about it on the web, but I did find some other interesting sites.

Anyway, the "big man rule" is, according to my esteemed colleague, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."


[May 11, 2000]

Apple News:

I found a funny BIG man

In my search for the "big man rule" I found John Pinette's web site. He's a big comedian, very big, and I don't mean big like Robin Williams, I mean big like, well, take a look. So what does this have to do with Apple? He has a Sounds page that randomly picks four sound "bites" from his comedy routines, and you can download them as Apple SND files! Drop them in your system folder and you have some cool new alert sounds available. "You go now!" and grab some for your Mac. (Windows users can get WAVs for their machines).

Note:

Do you know?

What is the "big man rule?" If you know, tell me.


[May 10, 2000]

Apple News:

Macs and the Movies

Seen Gladitor yet? Me neither, but this 2 minute QuickTime movie talks about how it was made. About a third of the way through the clip you'll see a G3. But don't blink...

I also came across another interesting article. This one is about a 15 year old kid who is already acting writing and directing shorts, using a Mac, of course.


[May 9, 2000]

Note:

C'mon Bill...

I am not a Microsoft Basher (although I am always willing to poke a little fun when the occasion arises). I am not even sure that it should be split up (but it does make for interesting reading). This "article" by Bill Gates that appeared on the Time Magazine web site, was just a little too much to take. If Windows and Office should stay under one roof, it isn't for the reasons Bill delineated here. more...

Apple News:

Bugdom on a PC?

Just read an interview with Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software. It seems they have decided to allow a company to port Bugdom to the PC. He thinks it will take a year, and that Pangea will be releasing a new, Mac-only game at about the same time. So I only have about 12 months left to tease PC users.


[May 8, 2000]

iBook News:

AirPort Hangups?

The AirPort base station I use is connected to our ethernet LAN, so I haven't tried this, but if you connect your AirPort to the internet via modem, this Java utility might be for you. It tells the AirPort base station to hang up.

iBook News:

Hot Function Keys

Ever wondered what the fn Key at the bottom left of your iBook (or PowerBook) keyboard was good for? Take a look at the latest Keeper of the iBook column, and find out!


[May 5, 2000]

Note:

I hate running while wearing a backpack

There is just no way to look smooth with something bouncing around on your back, especially when it holds an iBook...


[May 4, 2000]

Note:

Only $5! And they're in stock, too!

Alas, I am not a Microsoft Certified Professional, so I can't purchase a set. They're called action figures, but I think they are really idols to which real live MCPs pray before each service call. But hey, they've got the gender and ethnic diversity thing going on! [Thanks to As the Apple Turns for the link!]

Note:

Interesting?!?

This blog thing is very interesting. I am not sure that my blog is interesting, but the phenomenon is. I started this as an experiment, to see what it was like. I had been reading a couple of other blogs, every once in a while, and I was intrigued. While I work designing the web site for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which isn't really commercial; it isn't independent content either. I needed some more creative outlets, so I started my Keeper of the iBook site, which has succeeded beyond what I ever thought it would (I had modest goals, ok?). So, I thought I'd start blogging Mac stuff. The problem is, there are already a lot of sites doing that (not all are true blogs, I know - I've pushed the definition). So I guess I take what I think is cool, and focus (mostly) on iMacs and iBooks, and try to make it interesting.

Have I succeeded?


[May 3, 2000]

Note:

CSS mods made

I tweaked the style sheet for this baby based on some CSS from Todd Fahrner's user.css style sheet for Mac IE 5. And it doesn't (really) break on other browsers...

iMac News:

Majikam!

I found this site on the Apple site via MacSurfer (whew!). What a cool use for an iMac - and it's grape, too!

Note:

Indeed!

So that's what a blog is!

Note:

Dvorak is at it again

This time he shows that he can hate everyone equally.


[May 2, 2000]

Note:

Diva and Goliath

Diva and Goliath Another reason to dislike Microsoft...


[May 1, 2000]

iBook News:

New Keeper column

I continue to wax nostalgic in this week's Keeper of the iBook column called Howard Cosell, Grover and Thinking Different.

Note:

A fun weekend!

Had a great time with my family this weekend. We went to the fair a couple of times (where my 7 year old daughter received a red ribbon for her quilted pillow!), and had fun at the church picnic, and generally just enjoyed being together as a family. Oh, and I turned 33 on Saturday...

Mark Newhouse is the Web Designer for the public outreach arm of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories in Tucson, AZ. He has been using Macs for over a decade, and sometimes gets Distracted.

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