Controversial legislation to force Apple and other online music resellers to open their copy protection to competitors is not currently being included in France’s National Assembly proposal package that is set for approval on March 21. According to Red Herring, however, the option is still under discussion. The proposed law was intended to force companies…
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Free iPod Site Faces Privacy Violation Claims
Gratis Internet, which is well-known for its offers of free iPods and other merchandise, sold personal information about 7.2 million users to e-mail marketing company Datran Media, which on Monday agreed to a US$1.1 million fine with the state of New York. Ryan Singel reported for Wired News that Gratis wasn’t supposed to sell that…
Mousepos?: The Ultimate Mouse Finder
With a quick tap of the F1 key, Mousepos? dims your screen and highlights the area surrounding your mouse pointer, making it easy to find your cursor on large displays, and to highlight areas during presentations and training. Itis also handy when you are using a PowerBook or MacBook Pro in low light conditions. When…
Microsoft Blogger Gives Up on an iPod Replacement
Microsoft employee Omar Shahine, who is a manager in the Windows Live Mail team, recently ended a 17-month search to find a suitable replacement for the iPod. While he loved the MP3 player, he disliked iTunes, so he set out to find a new one that met his extensive list of criteria posted on his…
Summitsoft Debuts Wedding Planner Application
Pricing will be US$39.99. System requirements for Mac and Windows were not announced.
Ted Landau's User Friendly View - Fair Use Under Fire
The other week I had an ethical debate with myself. It didn’t last long. But it started a ball rolling that led to this month’s column. The subject: copying movies and music for personal use. It all began when my wife and I went to see the last year’s film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.…
Just a Thought - iPod Hi-Fi: Huh?
Someone help me out here: I think I’m missing the point of Apple’s newest iPod accessory, the iPod Hi-Fi, and it’s bugging the bejeezus out of me. If we stroll into any Apple Store, Store-in-a-Store (CompUSA), or one of the increasing number of iPod vendors, like Target, Wal-Mart, or BJ’s, we are apt to find…
Podcast - Mac Geek Gab #43: Cable Modem Madness! Speed Tests, Tweaks and More!
Show notes for TMO To Go: Mac Geek Gab For March 13th, 2006 Direct Links: MP3 Version or AAC Enhanced Version (courtesy of Michael, aka Computernap!). Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun dig deep into the world of cable modems and broadband connections, giving you exactly what you need to know to make yours work…
Analyst Looks at Value of 'Chatter From iPod Suppliers'
He continued: “While we understand that some of these data points appear to be painting a more negative picture of iPod sales, we believe a better indicator is actual data (vs. chatter/rumors) that is directly applicable and has a history of correlating highly with actual iPod shipments, such as point-of-sale monthly NPD data.” With 56…
Podcast - Weekly Roundup: New Intel Chips, Experiments in Download Pricing
Direct Link: MP3 Version This week in the Context Machine, Intel develops suburban housing — no, wait, sorry: it’s a quad-core processor. Plus a smorgasbord of iTunes pricing experiments, total cost of PC ownership, and Microsoft’s iPod non-competitor. Support the Roundup, win an iPod nano! Check out our Podcast Survey The Weekly Roundup will be…
Steve Jobs #140 on Forbes List of World's Richest People
Microsoftis Bill Gates was number one on the list with an estimated net worth of $50 billion, followed by Warren Buffett at $42 billion. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen placed sixth with $22 billion.
Columnist: 'Jobs & Co. Should Consider Hiring a Security Czar'
The latest round of attention focused on Mac OS Xis security “illustrates changing perceptions about [it],” Mr. Hesseldahl wrote. “The Mac is increasingly on the radar screen of people who have long ignored it and who, for whatever reason, want to find the chinks in as-yet virtually impregnable armor … Hackers love nothing more than…
Time Machine Uses MySQL Database to Manage Employee Time Cards
A single-seat license is US$29, while 5-, 10- and 20-seat licenses are $99, $179 and $329, respectively. Time Machine runs on Mac OS X v10.2 and Windows XP. It uses MySQL database server version 4.1, which isnit included but can be downloaded for free.
Apple CFO: 1,000 Intel Apps, But Challenges Remain
Edward Moltzen, reporting on Oppenheimeris comments for CRN, said that Mr. Oppenheimer pointed to Adobe Photoshopis lack of a Universal Binary as an example of that. “For power users, they are going to notice a difference [in performance],” Mr. Oppenheimer noted. “They may or may not find that acceptable.” However, he noted that Adobe, Quark…
Dr. Mac: Rants & Raves - Easy to be Hard(ware)
I’m a nut for input devices – keyboards, mice, trackballs, tablets, etc. And because my job is to test Mac products and relate my impressions of those products to you, gentle reader, I have the opportunity to try a lot of different input devices. Apple does a lot of things right but I think their…
Just a Thought - Inside the Photo Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show
The Orlando Convention Center hosted the Photo Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show this week. Imaging professionals of every kind turned the spacious trade show floor into a crowded high-tech marketplace. Vendors, both international and local, displayed hardware and software that can aid the professional at every step of photo production. The list of vendors…
Podcast - Weekly Roundup: Classy Products, Stinky Products
Direct Link: MP3 Version TMO Editor Bryan Chaffin and Ricky Spero grind Napster, Microsoft, and Apple’s super-slick branding through the Context Machine. Also a question this week: who wants a $100 iPod case? The Weekly Roundup will be included in TMO’s main RSS feed, and also in its own feed if you’d like to add…
Telecoms Looking to Restructure Internet Fees
One concept involves a “pay as you go” service where users pay one rate for Web surfing, and a higher rate for more bandwidth-intensive activities, like streaming video. Phone companies are also discussing ways to charge customers for premium delivery of services, meaning Web content will be delivered faster from sites that are willing to…
Analyst Gene Munster Discusses the Potential of 'AirPort Express for Video'
When contacted about the statement, Mr. Munster said via e-mail: “We are looking for a product that we have named iAirport Express for video.i Something that will allow your TV to hook up to your Mac like Airport Express does today for music. You could use some of the sharing in the new iTunes to…
Apple "Fun New Products" Event Coverage
Apple distributed media invitations to a special event to be held at its world headquarters in Cupertino, inviting journalists to attend the unveiling of new products. There is no official word on what Apple plans to announce, but speculation ranges from the usual Apple-branded phone, to Intel-based Mac minis, and on to full-length movie downloads…
Simply Elegant Sales, Vocal Lab Get Universal Binaries
Simply Elegant Sales is aimed at small retail business owners who want to manage inventory, track vendors and customers, stay abreast of employee hours and more from a computer they use as a point-of-sale register. The update also includes integration with iPhoto, the ability to create custom fields for inventory and the ability to track…
iPod Becomes Dominant in Japan
The iPod had 51.3% of the MP3 player market in Japan at the end of 2005, up from around 32% in 2004 and dwarfing its nearest competitors, second-place Sony (16.2%) and third-place Panasonic (8.2%). BusinessWeek’s Ian Rowley explained that while Japan has “one of the most competitive consumer-electronics markets on the planet,” consumers in that…