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Under the terms of the settlement, Microsoft would pay not the plaintiffs, but would instead pay somewhere between US$550 million and US$1 billion to low income school districts. Better yet, as far as Microsoft is concerned, that payoff would largely be in the form of its own software. Thatis right, the company would be punished…

Well, thatis just what it seems that Microsoft did. On the companyis job recruiting section for designers, there is a page dedicated to the Xbox. Long time Observer CrazyEric pointed out to us that there is a section on industrial design on the Xbox page, and that the person being highlighted is working on a…

Let me explain. Iim typing this using the Test Drive version of Microsoftis new Word for OS X. I started out writing it on AppleWorks 6.2.1, but I couldnit finish, I had to stop. Why? Well, to put it as delicately as I possibly can, in OS X, AppleWorks reeks like dead sun-bloated skunk. AppleWorks…

There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said of them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves. Joseph-Marie de Maistre

Apago has released a new Acrobat plug-in, imageAlter. This plug-in can repurpose an existing PDF file by downsampling and compressing images inside the PDF file. In addition, imageAlter can greatly reduce the time it takes Acrobat draw the contents of a page by using something new, "alternate" images. Similar in concept to OPI, alternate images…

Feelorium has released Textation 1.0 today. Textation is an easy to use QuickTime text track editor. Users simply point, click and type the text needed to display. No need to manipulate text descriptors manually. No need to type time codes one by one. Textation even checks the validity of time codes while users input data.…

Dr. Bott is pleased to announce that they are now shipping a version of DVIator with a 4x AGP video card that is compatible with Windows PCs. DVIator allows the use of Appleis LCD displays with the proprietary ADC (Apple Display Connector) on computers with a compatible DVI video signal. The ELSA Gladiac 511 is…

The Mac Observer was able to spend some time with Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus and his review iPod unit this weekend, and together we looked at how to get around the limitations built into the iPod to keep users from sharing MP3s between different Macs. Apple has officially said that one can not sync up…

The new commercial features a goofy looking guy who starts jamming out while syncing his iPod to an iBook. Once finished, he stands up, inserts the iPodis ear buds, and the sound quality improves by an order of magnitude while he continues to dance and cavort.

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Donit buy Appleis stock. And if you own it, sell it. I know the company has a core following that is loyal, even cultlike, but the broader base of believers has been steadily eroding for years. To wager on this company is to bet that the exodus of users can be staunched and then, implausibly,…

And if I can be honest, it serves them right. Any company that can simply lose US$8.8 billion deserves what they get. I mean, just how sloppy do you have to be to misplace that kind of cash? I lost a twenty once, so I know what itis like, but anything more than a hundred…

John: "Donit let your Mac go to sleep, Marsha, it might turn into one of those things out there." Marsha: "But John, my Mac just went to sleep. You donit suppose…, OH MY GOD!!! ARRRRGH!" OK, maybe Iim exaggerating a bit, but only a bit, because Apple has been acting very strange lately. Just like…

Waves in Motion today announced Visualizer 1.0, an entity relationship (ER) diagramming tool for FileMaker Pro. From prototyping to documenting, Visualizer adds a new dimension to the development process. Visualizer allows developers to choose which fields are displayed, including table view, show key fields and show all fields. Assign custom colors and see a visual…

The iPod, according to The Apple Store: Holds over 1000 songs Weighs just 6.5 ounces – fits in your pocket Plays up to 10 hours with 20 minute skip protection Auto synchronizes all your music with iTunes Transfer a whole CD in less than 10 seconds Charge with the included power adapter or over FireWire…

Marathon Computer, Inc., is now shipping the QuickSilver model of the PowerRack G Series, a rackmount chassis created exclusively for the Apple QuickSilver Power Mac G4. The PowerRack G Series houses the Power Mac components a in a secure, durable chassis that easily fits into industry-standard 19" racks. The chassis occupies only 4U of rack…

Thought you might like to see the attached screen grab. Seems like everybody is jumping on the idigital worldi bandwagon. kind regards, Robin Woods United Kingdom Tiny is a UK manufacturer of Wintel-based PCs that bills itself as the UKis oldest such manufacturer. The company also markets its computers directly through its line of retail…

ProVUE Development announces the release of Panorama 4.0.1, introduced today. Panorama 4.0.1 is a maintenance release that also includes several significant new features, including automatic guides, improved image support, several new wizards and a new personal use license. Panorama, first launched on the Macintosh in 1988, offers a RAM based alternative to traditional disk based…

I am very glad they brought back the screen shot keystrokes in X.1 as well—that was one of the things that I requested via the feedback link. I am also bummed that they left off the "bulls-eye" window capture you mentioned in your article. FYI: There is another screen shot keystroke in X.1 you didnit…

Dell has not given a formal forecast for either the third or fourth quarters, but [Dell vice president Kevin] Rollins said in an interview with The Associated Press that Dell could get a boost from strong computer sales to government in the third quarter, typically a government-driven quarter. The company replaced 10,000 computer systems just…

While doing some research at work I ran across this product and was struck by how similar it appears to the Apple eMate product that proceeded the iBook series. Another hint at the brilliant innovation occurring in the Wintel corner! The Brainium DreamMax

At TheOneRing.Net, Xoanon simply exclaimed that the new trailer was available "in GLORIOUS QuickTime," just minutes after it was posted to the official site. Similar reactions echoed around the iNet. It wasnit always this way for The Lord of the Rings trailers and video content, however. The journey to this release exclusively in QuickTime has…

Does all this new and exciting technology make us "better off?" Or are we headed toward greater complexity, increased frustration, and a human burden that will grow in proportion to the gadgets and programs that surround us? We certainly can be better off with information technology. But not the way we are headed. Michael Dertouzos,…

FileMaker has announced the new FileMaker Developer 5.5 will be available October 1st (worldwide English version available worldwide starting today except in North America). FileMaker Developer 5.5 is the essential tool for developers creating powerful custom FileMaker Pro solutions to be used on the Web, across workgroups or as runtime applications. Redesigned as an integrated,…