Techy News

[jst5150]

From wired on the new ultra thin Mac notebook. Three hours until the Macworld keynote ...

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/01/breaking-macboo.html

[Rhien Elleth]

I got the e-mail from Apple yesterday, exactly one week after the purchase of my new MacBook. But I don't regret not waiting - the Air might be thinner by half an inch, and weigh two pounds less, but it also comes with a slower Duo Core, smaller HD, and no DVD drive. All for $500-$1800 more than I paid for my MacBook.

I would like to see one in person, though, I have to say.

[ChunkyC]

They look beautiful, but I like having a DVD drive and more than one USB port and an external monitor output and an ethernet jack and all that other stuff on my laptop. But that's because it's my main computer, so it has to have pretty much everything you can find on a full desktop computer.

[Medievalist]

It's really truly meant for folk who travel--and it is unutterably lovely.

And awfully expensive :D

[Fahim]

I thought $1800 was fairly OK given the configuration - most of the notebooks that I look at are around $2000 anyway. Of course, not that I can afford them :p But I thought the Mac Air was just brilliant. I'm seriously tempted to start saving up so that I can buy one in about 3-4 years :D The only thing that really bugs me about the Mac Air is the lack of an Ethernet port since Wi-Fi isn't as prevalent here as in the US. But they do have a USB adapter for wired networking (you have to purchase it separately though) and so I'm OK with even that.

I love the idea of the Mac Air (haven't actually seen the live product) so much that we'll probably be doing a full issue of the magazine I edit based around Apple products in the next issue :)

[Medievalist]

When you pick it up, it's very odd at first, because it looks/feels like a laptop, but it's so very very light that it's a bit disconcerting.

[DamaNegra]

I just read an article with 10 reasons why the Mac Air is not such a good idea in terms of hardware. Link's here (http://www.theinquirer.es/2008/01/17/los_10_grandes_fallos_del_macbook_air.html) but it's in Spanish.

Some of their complaints are ridiculous. I mean, 3G? But it does point out that it has only one USB port, no DVD reader, a slow hard drive (the same as the iPod), you can't add any RAM to it, it's too expensive to add an SSD port, a so-so processor, no microphone entrance (which is kinda ridiculous, unless you do need to record something or whatever), non-replacable battery (unless you send it to Apple for a replacement), and no ethernet port.

Yeah, it's the slimmmest, but it's too expensive for stuff like a mediocre proecssor, slow hard drive, no DVD reader, etc.

[Fahim]

Some of their complaints are ridiculous. I mean, 3G?

Not sure how it was phrased in the article you linked to but if it's the same issue that I'm thinking about, then it's a very real issue because most USB 3G adapters apparently cannot be plugged into the Mac Air because of the drop down design of the ports. The USB port and other ports are hidden away and are revealed only when you drop a little port receptacle from the Mac Air body. There's a very good photograph (as well a full review which highlights some of the same things that Dama's article does, but this time in English :p) here (http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/macbook-air-review/) which should clarify the issue better than I can :)

[Medievalist]

The thing people aren't getting is that the Mac Air does not = "lap top"= it's somewhere between say, a Palm or other PDA and a laptop.

The reason it weighs so little and has long battery life is because it has very very limited purposes. It's not meant to substitute for a laptop in terms of use. It's for someone with a main computer at home, who wants something lightweight to travel with, who has a "main" computer but doesn't need that feature set.

It's sorta like the first iPod and the iPhone; early adopters only.

But damn it's light weight. And pretty.

But wayyy too much money.

I mean look at the price, for crying out loud -- it's way expensive.

[DamaNegra]

I wouldn't buy something that is more expensive than a laptop yet has more limited purpose than a laptop :Wha: I don't find the logic there.

And about the 3G stuff, I might have gotten confused with a cell phone technology, which is what made me go huh?

[Fahim]

And about the 3G stuff, I might have gotten confused with a cell phone technology, which is what made me go huh?

It is cellphone technology :) But more and more notebooks are actually including built-in 3G capability so that the notebook can be connected to the Internet all the time - global Wi-Fi!

[DamaNegra]

It is cellphone technology :) But more and more notebooks are actually including built-in 3G capability so that the notebook can be connected to the Internet all the time - global Wi-Fi!
Oooooooooooo sweet! I can't wait till that gets to Mexico!

[Fahim]

They launched it here recently but it's a bit expensive. We pay around $25 a month for ADSL with no cap on downloads. For 3.5G access, you have to pay about $15 for the lowest package and you get around about the same speeds as ADSL and have a cap of 1.5GB per month. After that, you pay based on how much you download. You can get around 7Mbps download speeds and a cap of 15GB if you pay about $150 a month buts that's just way too expensive for most people here :)

[Roger J Carlson]

The thing that bugs me about slim laptops (Mac or not) is the fact that you have to carry so many other things with it. There's got to be an AC adapter of some sort. That weighs, and it's bulky, and you have to drag it along in the bag, so it's part of the weight even if it isn't officially. Without an ethernet port, you have to use a USB adapter, so you have to carry that separately too. Then if you want anything else to connect, you have to have a USB hub. Well, that's another thing.

Personally, I'd like something like one of those old "lunch box" type laptops with *everything* built in including the power cord. Then I could literally carry ONLY the laptop and nothing else.

[DamaNegra]

If what you're worried about is conectivity, you should try the new Mac Aircraft, LOL!

http://ilmaistro.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/macbook-aircraft.jpg

[benbradley]

And to stick in your pocket while riding the aircraft (oh, that sounds dirty...):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6yBo9NPkCQ (a short 45 seconds - probably too long for what it is)

[Chasing the Horizon]

In case you couldn't tell by the avatar, I'm a huge Mac fan, but I must say I'm not very impressed by the MacBook Air. I both use and professionally restore the old iBook Clamshells (the computer in my avatar) and am honestly shocked that Apple has come out with a computer with LESS features than something they made in 1999. A top-of-the-line Clamshell has a DVD/CD-RW drive built in, firewire and ethernet ports, an internal wireless card, and can get well over 5 hours of use out of a single battery charge. The iBooks can support up to a 120GB hard drive (40GB larger than the largest MacBook Air hard drive) and 512 RAM. The iBooks do weigh more than the MacBook Air (of course), but they have a built-in handle so you don't need a carry case. If I'm going to be out for a long time, I'll slip an extra fully charged battery into my purse, since the batteries in the iBooks can be changed in 2 seconds without any tools other than a penny to turn the screws, and give myself over 10 hours of mobile operating power.

The ONLY thing I see the MacBook Air having that the Clamshells don't have is the faster processor. But considering a fully upgraded Clamshell can be had on eBay for around $400.00, that seems a rather small sacrifice to make (particularly considering you'll be getting a bigger hard drive, more ports, and a built-in optical drive with the Clamshell). If you want an 'accessory' laptop to use with your primary desktop, get a Clamshell and save yourself $1,400. If you want a good new laptop, get the MacBook Pro.

The computer I go to apple.com and drool over is still the iMac 24". 4GB RAM and a 1 TB hard drive. Now THAT'S a computer worth $3K.

[DamaNegra]

Admit it, Hope, you're really drooling for a Macbook Aircraft ;)

[AJMarks]

I'm still trying to figure out the target audience. i've heard everything from the road warriors to, as someone said here, a cross between the PDA and laptop. Because I'm on the road a lot, driver for my boss, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops, fast food places, small areas, and honestly the footprint for the Air is too big! when I looked at laptops I considered the Sony laptop with the 11" screen. Didn't but it, but it had a small footprint. Honestly I could care less about how thin something is, its how much room does it take up on the table for me. A bit disappointed in the Air, and the price is too much.

[DamaNegra]

I'm still trying to figure out the target audience.

People who love Macs despite all and will not care to shell out more than a few hundred bucks for something that only looks cool?

[AJMarks]

People who love Macs despite all and will not care to shell out more than a few hundred bucks for something that only looks cool?
LOL! Well, yeah, that was given, but I was looking beyond that (in my foolishness).

[Chasing the Horizon]

Admit it, Hope, you're really drooling for a Macbook Aircraft ;)
If there was such a thing, I probably would be, lol. I think I even still have some floppies from my old Quadra desktop somewhere I could use with it. :D (I kind of miss floppies. The computer never spit those out at me because I got finger prints on them)

[jst5150]

12. Track a US or Canadian flight number (http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightTracker/trackFlight.do)
13. Lookup real-time US airport status (http://updates.orbitz.com/)
14. Map US FAA delayed flight information (http://flightwait.com/)
15. Find a world airport, airline or connection (http://www.theairdb.com/)
16. Find out "walkscore" for house or apartment (http://www.walkscore.com/)
17. Calculate US or Canadian Taxi Fare (http://www.taxiwiz.com/)
18. Look at the clouds! (http://www.daylightmap.com/clouds)
19. Explore any location on earth (http://www.wikimapia.com/)
20. Map US telephone area codes (http://www.usnaviguide.com/areacode.htm)


http://gmapsmania.googlepages.com/100thingstodowithgooglemapsmashups

[jst5150]

I know it's "Tech Help," but feels like the best place to also post tech news, so ... :)

The publicly available report -- which was mandated by Congress following earlier concerns over data-mining programs -- also mentions several other data-mining initiatives. These include:

Video Analysis and Content Extraction - software to automatically identify faces, events and objects in video
Tangram - A system that wants to create surveillance and threat warning system that evaluates known threats and finds unknown threats to issue warnings ahead of an attack
Knowledge Discovery and Dissemination - This tool is reminiscent of the supposedly-defunct Total Information Awareness (http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/12/56620) program. It seeks to access disparate databases to find patterns of known bad behavior. The program plans to work with domestic law enforcement and Homeland Security.http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/nations-spies-w.html

[HeronW]

This sneaks on your comp, adds a tool bar and generates tons of fake spyware notices leading the user to fake sites and general mucking up your comp.

'Parasite causing false spyware warnings and connecting to fake "security sites" - member of the FakeAlert (http://research.sunbelt-software.com/threatdisplay.aspx?threatid=43521) aka SmitFraud (http://research.sunbelt-software.com/threatdisplay.aspx?threatid=44645) malware family'

ekvgsnw.dll file name

Start: Run: regedit

in folder: Hkey_Classes_Root: folder CLSID

possible registry entries:
13671A38-6AA3-49A1-BDBA-D6FD939FB331 (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42563-ekvgsnw_dll.html)
292547EC-9C38-4398-B336-6219B91A1634 (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42568-ekvgsnw_dll.html)
55E1C95D-92E4-449B-A302-E4BF4F891256 (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42612-ekvgsnw_dll.html)
602D6156-C5E2-40D6-B1A2-9EE432DF156A (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42577-ekvgsnw_dll.html)
60570909-486A-4609-B7AE-CBCAA3831168 (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42607-ekvgsnw_dll.html) -- I had this one & deleted it
BA3FAEA0-987D-4921-BD8D-847EBAE453D0 (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42615-ekvgsnw_dll.html)
BBE2B433-33B2-4953-BC77-0669D2E9B748 (http://www.castlecops.com/tk42544-ekvgsnw_dll.html)

also showing up from these bastids: Zlob.downloader.vcd, & another Zlob thing, plus 2 Smit files...grrrrrrrrrr

[moonslice]

Eek. It's apparently not a very secure browser. Here's the MacWorld article link:

www.macworld.com/article/132285/2008/02/paypal.html (http://www.macworld.com/article/132285/2008/02/paypal.html)

[benbradley]

Eek. It's apparently not a very secure browser. Here's the MacWorld article link:

www.macworld.com/article/132285/2008/02/paypal.html (http://www.macworld.com/article/132285/2008/02/paypal.html)
From the article:
Unlike its competitors, Safari has no built-in phishing filter to warn users when they are visiting suspicious Web sites, Barrett said. Another problem is Safari's lack of support for another anti-phishing technology, called Extended Validation (EV) certificates. This is a secure Web browsing technology that turns the address bar green when the browser is visiting a legitimate Web site.
These features do not fix any actual security hole in any of these browsers. They are for people who don't know how to read the real domain name in the address bar, which regrettably too many people can't, or don't pay attention, and as the article alledges, these bells and whistles just try to alert the user with a baseball bat that "this site might be a fake one rather than the real one you're looking for."
<:rant:>
Certainly more people will be stopped, but there will still be some who will "sign in" to a fake site regardless, giving scammers their PayPal ID and password. Perhaps they'll just follow what the scam emails might say: "please ignore any security warning you may get when signing in. We are working on our servers at this time to make this feature work correctly."

The words in quotes are Copyright (C) 2008, Ben Bradley, and I'll sue the tweet out of any scammer that uses them. Not that they don't already have their own wording for that.

If companies such as PayPal really want to stop phishing, they could educate and test users online at signup for their services - if someone can't learn the difference between the real site and an identical-looking-except-for-the-URL site, they wouldn't be given an account. Sure, there would then be "answer sites" (despite copyright on the questions and answers), but the examples presented could come from a large pool (hundreds, maybe thousands) to make it easier to actually LEARN the answers rather than look them up. But no doubt this would be enough to deter many signups, costing such a site money (as opposed to just the users), so they put it in the novel-length terms of service that it's all the user's responsibility to be at the right site (which it is anyway, but those lawyers dot all their i's and cross all their t's).
</:rant:>

[L M Ashton]

If companies such as PayPal really want to stop phishing, they could educate and test users online at signup for their services - if someone can't learn the difference between the real site and an identical-looking-except-for-the-URL site, they wouldn't be given an account.
Which is not feasible, not that I'm saying that Ben said it is. The problem is that not just PayPal, but also MoneyBookers, Xoom, Western Union, and every single bank and/or credit union in the world, not to mention any and every other site where people provide personal information, would have to provide such a service/education for it to become effective. It's just not practical.

[CatMuse33]

It *is* the user's responsibility to be aware of the site where they are inputting important financial information.

It's like reading the fine print on a contract or a credit card app. Education can be done by magazines, websites, etc. but ultimately, people must be *aware* of what they are doing. You can tell people hundreds of times, but the fact is, sadly, many people are just too busy to pay attention to details.

As long as there *are* tell-tale signs, people should learn them and be on the lookout for them. It's when the scammers find a way around that, then people have to worry and companies need to be held responsible for coming up with more security on their site.

[Fahim]

Eek. It's apparently not a very secure browser. Here's the MacWorld article link:

www.macworld.com/article/132285/2008/02/paypal.html (http://www.macworld.com/article/132285/2008/02/paypal.html)

This is a very misleading article full of FUD. There is nothing inherently insecure about Safari except for the fact that it doesn't cater to the IQ-of-a-single-digit crowd that can't be bothered to check the URL they are clicking on ...

[ChunkyC]

Back to Mac Air for a sec ... they start at $1,900 here in Canada. I could buy three Dell laptops with faster dual-core processors, DVD burners etc. for that much money.

The Mac Air may be beautiful to look at, but like a thousand dollar hooker, I ain't buyin' one.

[ChunkyC]

Bill Gates is no longer number one (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080305/forbes_billionaires_00305/20080305?hub=TopStories).

[clockwork]

Anybody see this presentation on March 6th? You can watch it online here (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/iphoneroadmap/) if you like.

Jobs and co. outlined coming updates based on enterprise feedback, the most notable of which is an integration of Microsoft Exchange built right into the phone, creating a direct sync with company servers, allowing instantaneous push of email, contact and calendar updates. Another neat feature is the ability to remote wipe the iphone in the event that it is lost or stolen.

The second half of the keynote detailed the release of the iphone SDK, allowing anyone and everyone to develop applications for the iphone at a startup cost of $99. Developers choose how to price their product with apple taking a 30% cut. Jobs' broader point was that if developers provide apps for free, apple will eat the cost of administration.

Five companies were invited to spend two weeks developing applications with the SDK from Electronic Arts, AOL, Sega, salesforce.com and Epocrates who showcased various apps including a couple of games which made fantastic use of the iphone's accelerometer (like Super Monkey Ball), an AIM interface, an interactive medicinal and prescription drug database and an iphone version of salesforce.com's popular customer relations management software.

The SDK is available immediately but the iphone will not be able to accommodate developments until the release of iphone software update 2.0 sometime in "late June."

The presentation wrapped up with a surprise announcement from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner, John Doerr: the creation of an iphone entrepreneurs' development fund of one hundred million dollars called iFund (http://www.kpcb.com/initiatives/ifund/index.html), designed to bring out the best and brightest new designers of apps for the iphone.

I'm relatively new to the iphone and quickly identified the things that bugged me about it but with this proposed software update and the range of web apps that will hopefully plug some of the iphone's more blatant holes, I'm hoping it will really bring this product into a field of its own. To be honest, a damn flash player is all I really want. :rolleyes:

[JoeEkaitis]

Adobe has finally released the Universal Binary version of Shockwave Player (http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/alternates/#sp) that runs on both Intel and PowerPC Macs.

OK, back to work.

[JoeEkaitis]

Here, help y'self (http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1778), as long as you're not running Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System. And if you have to ask "What's that?", you probably aren't.

I installed it on my iMac running XP via Boot Camp, and the only problem was a hang when Windows tried to install my Western Digital MyBook Time Machine drive during boot up. The drive is formatted for Mac OSX, not NTFS. I cleared the problem by booting up with the drive switched off, then turned it on and when Windows found it, I disabled it in Hardware Manager. XP boots up much faster than before because SP3 removes all the previous dribbleware updates that have piled up over time, replacing them with a single humongous update.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2347/2461653301_09a0196742_o.jpg

So, if you're a fair-to-middlin' techie like me, have at it! The links at the page above are still alive and kicking at Microsoft.com, as you'll see when you mouse over them.

[JoeEkaitis]

Plainview (http://www.barbariangroup.com/software/plainview_app_1_0): The Web and Nothing But The Web.

That's it. No menu bar (until you mouse to the top of the screen), no window borders (unless you exit full-screen mode), no address box (until you right-click and pop out the menu). Originally developed for presentations of consecutive web pages, it's a nice distraction-free way to browse.

Mac only, but I'm sure they're working on a Windows version.

[alleycat]

I'm going to de-stickie this thread since the last post was in 2008.

We can always start a new one if needed.