when people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. ~ Eric Hoffer

Saturday, November 9, 2002

The PQI 6in1 USB Flash Card Reader/Writer that I bought at Fry's for $30 is now on sale for $20 at Fry's !!!. It works without drivers on OSX and Windows ME/XP. On my PowerBook with OSX 10.2.1 it just works as expected. I have been quite happy with this reader. [dws.] 9:04:50 AM    comment []

Eudora 5.2 ships today, By ron carlson, Insanely Great Mac [dws.] 9:04:22 AM    comment []

TiBooks hit 1GHz, get a SuperDrive. Apple refreshed its laptop line today as expected, with a new 1GHz processor and SuperDrive in the top-of-the-line TiBook and a $200 price drop on all iBook models that help bring the entry-level 700 MHz iBook to $999. The refreshed professional PowerBook includes two TiBooks: the $2,999 high-end machine with 1 GHz processor and DVD burning SuperDrive, as well as a 867 MHz TiBook with 1MB of Level 3 cache and a DVD/CDRW Combo drive selling for $2,299. The iBook line has more modest updates, with each model seeing slightly faster G3 processors and the $200 price drop across the line. The $1,599 high-end iBook has an 800 MHz G3 processor coupled with the 14.1-inch LCD, 256MB Ram, a 30GB hard drive and a Combo DVD-ROM/CDRW drive. At $1,299, the mid-range iBook also runs at 800 MHz with a 12.1-inch LCD, 128MB RAM, 30GB hard drive, and Combo drive. The $999 model boosts a 700 MHz processor, a 12.1-inch LCD, 20GB hard drive and a CD-ROM drive. All three iBook models have 512K of level 2 cache and an ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics card, with 32MB RAM on the mid-range and high-end models. [Mac Net Journal] [dws.] 9:03:38 AM    comment []

I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts. ~ Bethania McKenstry

Thursday, October 17, 2002

My D-Link DBT-120 USB has shipped! [dws.] 10:53:18 AM    comment []

discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. ~ Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

Tuesday, October 15, 2002

Check out my new PQI 6 in 1 flash memory card reader. Very nice, about the size of a deck of cards, the USB cable folds into the reader case and then the reader slips into a nice travel cover. It included a 3 ft USB extension I haven't needed. I use the reader plugged into one of two USB ports on my Microsoft Internet Keyboard. $30 at Frys [dws.] 2:58:42 AM    comment []

try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. ~ Albert Einstein

Friday, October 11, 2002

Bluetooth is to USB what 802.11b is to Ethernet or more simply put, Bluetooth is wireless USB. Perfect for short-range connection between computers, cell phones and other peripherals, Bluetooth needs a great OS to take the next step. Enter Jaguar, with it's world-class Bluetooth stack and a host of features to work with Bluetooth enabled devices. Here are the features in Jaguar, specifically designed to work with Bluetooth: Bluetooth File Exchange can transfer files peer-to-peer between two blue tooth devices. For example, I use it to copy desktop pictures to my T68i cell phone. Bluetooth System Preference controls discoverability, encryption settings, serial port mapping and control over paired devices. AddressBook can send a vCard to a Bluetooth cell phone, can place calls and display incoming call details. Bluetooth Modem support in Network preferences that lets you use a GPRS data connection to access the Internet (with required support from the carrier). iSync will sync the contents of your AddressBook contacts and iCal calendars with a supported Bluetooth phone or Palm. More information about Bluetooth at Apple can be found at the Bluetooth website. Developer information can be found at the Apple Developer Connection site.   [Ken Bereskin's Radio Weblog] [dws.] 12:41:27 AM    comment []

The Macintosh News Network: Ultra-compact USB Bluetooth adapter released "The D-Link PersonalAir DBT-120 is an ultra-compact Bluetooth USB wireless adapter for connecting different Bluetooth-enabled devices. The $60 device, which is compatible with Macs and PCs, is compliant with Bluetooth 1.1 specs, provides speeds up to 723Kbps with a range of 33 feet and 128-bit encryption. The adapter requires Mac OS X 10.1.4 or higher and Apple's Bluetooth Technology Preview 2 or just Mac OS X 10.2." Ordered mine! [dws.] 12:41:15 AM    comment []

Borders and T-Mobile to put hot spots in 400 stores by early 2003: T-Mobile and Borders Books announced today that T-Mobile would create hot spots in 400 Borders store by early next year. This begs several questions: Starbucks is the exclusive national partner for cafes for Barnes and Noble -- did B and N blink?; do we really need a hot spot in tiny cafes with small tables attached to a bookstore? (that begs a lot of questions); and, why can't Borders and T-Mobile actually post a press release on their respective sites when at least two media outlets have the information? Alan Reiter beats me to the link, once again, and offers a variety of analysis on the topic. [80211b News] [dws.] 12:40:58 AM    comment []

Increase airport reception range on TiBooks [Mac OS X Hints] WebDIVA says, "...to eject the battery and look at the right side wall of the battery compartment where I was supposed to find an approximately 5 cm long plastic strip. (My particular powerbook doesn't have this visible -- instead, there is a plate with the serial number, etc...) Still, he told me to firmly press the side wall of the powerbook against the frame, just slowly and firmly pressing along its length several times for about 10 seconds." [dws.] 12:39:14 AM    comment []

truth is more of a stranger than fiction. ~ Mark Twain

Thursday, October 3, 2002

Synchronizing computers with iSync. After installing iSync on my iBook, I was able to sync it with my G4, which I had previously tested iSync on. While the sync went very smoothly, it's less useful than it could have been, since it's tied to .Mac. [MacMegasite] [dws.] 7:56:04 PM    comment []

Eudora 5.2 beta 10 now available [The Macintosh News Network] [dws.] 7:53:10 PM    comment []

Sidekick time!. I definitely want one of these! They have a nice My T-Mobile web gateway, cool flash demos, all the right features, a cool name - HipTop -  and it's cheap - $200. So here's some questions: - will they have 3rd party software for it? - how many pictures can you store before you run out of room - removeable card? - music - audio - MP3 player add-on? This BTW - is the second example of AOL's AIM being licensed - as it (Apple was the 1st.) [Marc's Voice] [dws.] 7:53:09 PM    comment []

True Mobility. Wireless Electricity "Fresh from the 'used to be sci-fi' file, you may soon be able to charge your mobile gadgets without the use of any wires, ports, connectors, or cradles. MobileWise, a California-based semiconductor company, is demonstrating a product called the Wire-Free-Electricity Base, a large mousepad-like mat that sits on the desktop. When combined with a Wire-Free-Electricity Adapter that is mounted in or on mobile devices, you can charge and power devices like cell phones, PDAs, and laptops just by setting them on top of the pad. MobileWise won[base ']t sell this technology directly to consumers; instead, it is looking to partner with vendors that will integrate it into devices or sell add-on adapters." [PDABuzz.com] This is quickly becoming a high priority on my list. The battery on the notebook is nearing death; it's down to 20 minutes without a power cord, and that's if you make it a candlelight dinner and talk nice to it first. The house has wireless internet access but more and more, I find myself tethered to a power outlet. This particular product may not be the most ideal solution, but I need this next step! [The Shifted Librarian] [dws.] 7:53:05 PM    comment []

there are no secrets, only information you don't yet have. ~ Adam Curry

Tuesday, September 24, 2002

GSM Remote 1.2.1 (Shareware - 09/23/2002) Phonebook & SMS management for GSM/3G phones http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=10604&db=mac PHP iCalendar 0.4 (Freeware - 09/23/2002) php-based iCal file parser and generator http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=16321&db=mac 10:34:30 AM    comment []

one of the reasons I develop for OS X is that, when it comes to user interface, this is the big leagues, this is the show. ~ Brent Simmons

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

Alert: dws.us has always responded to both dws.us and www.dws.us. Over the next few days www.dws.us will be reliable on a continuous basis but dws.us may not respond sometimes. Please use of http://www.dws.us/ rather than dws.us and report problems to don2002@istrick.com [dws.] 8:50:17 AM    comment []

Not really a surprise ... Microsoft: 'Our products aren't engineered for security': "Brian Valentine, senior vice-president in charge of Microsoft's Windows development, has made a grim admission to the Microsoft Windows Server .net developer conference in Seattle, USA. "I'm not proud," he told delegates yesterday (5 September). "We really haven't done everything we could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security," admitted Valentine, who since 1998 has headed Microsoft's Windows division" [CW360] [GranneWeb] [dws.] 8:49:11 AM    comment []