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		<title>TidBITS: Mac News for the Rest of Us</title>
		<link>http://www.tidbits.com/</link>
		<description>Insightful news, reviews, and analysis of the Macintosh and Internet worlds</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc.</copyright>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:40 PDT</pubDate>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:40 PDT</lastBuildDate>
		<managingEditor>editors@tidbits.com</managingEditor>
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		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 28-Jul-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9702?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:18:20 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9702</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[ace@tidbits.com (Adam C. Engst)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<UL><li><a href="http://www.keyboardmaestro.com/">Keyboard Maestro 3.3</a> from Stairways Software adds a number of features to the rapidly developed macro utility. Foremost among them is a global status menu and the capability to trigger macros from the status menu, but this version also adds the capability to enable and disable individual actions within a macro for testing purposes, a Fast User Switch action, a Comment action that does nothing but help document a macro, a preference to save and restore the clipboard history. Also new is the capability to cut, copy, paste, and duplicate macros, triggers, and actions, making it easier to make macros similar to those you've already created. ($36 new, free update, 6.3 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpen/">PDFpen 3.5</a> and PDFpen Pro 3.5 from SmileOnMyMac updates the PDF editing and manipulation utility to support PDFs that follow newer specifications and non-standard PDFs, improves the Correct Text feature, and fixes numerous minor bugs. ($49.95/$94.95 new, free update for 3.x users, 5.3 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/">Typinator 3.1</a> from Ergonis Software brings to the auto-typing and text expansion utility improved compatibility with programs like Coda, VMware Fusion, Butler, Zend Studio, Lotus Notes, OpenOffice, NeoOffice and more. It also integrates the recently released HTML Snippet Set, offers a redesigned menu bar icon, provides an option to turn off the menu bar icon entirely to save space on the menu bar, and fixes a variety of minor bugs. (19 euros new, free update for copies purchased in the last 2 years, 1.8 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/">Default Folder 4.0.7</a> from St. Clair Software is a minor compatibility update for the Open and Save dialog enhancer, fixing problems with Word 2008 and with the "Open in Terminal" and "Click to copy a filename features." ($34.95 new, free update for purchases before 01-Jun-07 or $14.95 otherwise, 9.2 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/">Firefox 3.0.1</a> from the Mozilla Foundation fixes several security problems, addresses stability issues, and fixes a problem that could miss printing parts of a page. Note that Firefox add-ons may need to be updated to work with 3.0.1, so if you rely on a particular add-on, it's worth checking its compatibility before updating Firefox itself. (Free, 17.2 MB)</li> 
 
</UL><P></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[Apple Reports Billion Dollar Profit for Q3 2008]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9701?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:36:17 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9701</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Staff)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Apple <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/07/21results.html">earned a profit of $1.07 billion</a> on $7.46 billion in sales ($1.19 per share) in its third fiscal quarter ending 28-Jun-08. This represents a 31 percent increase in profits and 37 percent increase in revenue over the same quarter a year ago, in which the company earned $818 million on $5.41 billion of income ($.92 per share). These figures don't represent the increase in cash that Apple has hoarded, as earnings figures include intangibles and Apple has opted to book iPhone and some other revenue over a period of time. Apple had $19.5 billion in cash and equivalents on hand at the end of their previous quarter. The <a 
href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq308/">earnings webcast</a> can be heard on Apple's site.</p> 
 
<p>Apple also sold 717,000 iPhones, an increase of 63 percent over the year-ago quarter which included 270,000 phones sold during just the opening weekend of sales of the first iPhone model.</p> 
 
<p>These unit sales and revenue numbers are even more interesting because Apple doesn't recognize the revenue for the iPhone - show it in their earnings - when an iPhone is sold, but instead spreads out the income over many quarters. Apple chose to stop accounting for income from any new iPhone sales between 06-Mar-08, when the iPhone 2.0 software was announced, and 11-Jul-08, when it shipped along with the iPhone 3G. That means that the $419 million in iPhone revenue noted for the quarter ending 28-Jun-08 excludes even the spread-out part of between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in hard cash taken in. This should make for an extraordinary fourth fiscal quarter.</p> 
 
<p>This quarter is also part of the continuing renaissance of Macintosh computers, after years of having iPod sales overshadow the computer side. Apple's indirect strategy of gaining users through the halo effect of producing the iPod and the iPhone led to the all-time highest number of Macs sold in a quarter - just under 2.5 million, or a 41 percent gain over a year ago. Apple is now the third biggest computer seller in the United States with about 8 or 9 percent of market share (see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9699">Apple Gains Larger Slice of Computer Sales</a>," 2008-07-18).</p> 
 
<p>The company didn't slack on iPods, though, pushing over 11 million out the door, which was a more humble 12 percent gain, not surprising with no particular holiday or iPod product announcements in the latest quarter. </p> 
 
<p>Retail stores saw incredible growth, likely due to the influx of iPhone buyers, with a 58 percent year-over-year growth in sales, a result of 32 million customers in the third quarter up from 22 million a year ago. The stores brought in $1.44 billion, selling 476,000 Macs in this latest quarter. Apple said that the NPD Group, which tracks retail sales, saw Apple's percentage rise from 15 to 20 percent of sales compared with a year ago.</p> 
 
<p>The company expects a slight increase to $7.8 billion in their fourth fiscal quarter, which is, however, an increase of 25 percent over fourth quarter 2007. For fiscal 2008, Apple expects to recognize $32 billion, or 35 percent over the previous full fiscal year.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Staff. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/21-Jul-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9700?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:35:11 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9700</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><br /><b>Thesaurus in Dashboard?</b> One easily overlooked feature of Dashboard is that you can drag multiple instances of a widget onto the screen. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2092">4 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>MobileMe and Tiger</b> -- Apple's support for MobileMe is spotty under Mac OS X 10.4. If you're having trouble syncing, try the suggestions in this thread. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2093">8 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>iPhone Email Failure</b> -- After upgrading to the iPhone 2.0 software, several people encounter problems receiving email. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2094">8 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a>MobileMea Culpa: Apple Apologizes, Extends, Revises; More on Tiger</b> -- Readers discuss the security aspects of MobileMe. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2095">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a>MacBook with poor AirPort connection</b> -- MacBooks typically get better wireless reception than MacBook Pros, but one woman's experience suggests otherwise. What else could be going on? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2096">1 message</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="4"></a>Duplicate messages in Mail.app</b> -- What could be the cause of duplicate messages when the network connection is unreliable? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2097">1 message</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="5"></a>Hands Off iPhone Talking in my Car</b> -- Is an iPhone's headset illegal to use as a hands-free option? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2098">12 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="6"></a>Using a GSM cell phone as a modem</b> -- The iPhone connects to the Internet, so why can't it bridge a connection to one's laptop? Readers discuss other options. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2099">3 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="7"></a>iPhone 3G: On the Line in Seattle</b> -- High interest and iPhone shortages are resulting in long lines at Apple Stores and AT&T stores to get the latest iPhone 3G. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2100">5 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[Apple Gains Larger Slice of Computer Sales ]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9699?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:09:41 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9699</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Two research firms say that Apple's share of U.S. computer sales <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/economy-down-pc-sales-up/">shot up by 30 to 40 percent</a> in the second quarter of 2008 over the same quarter in 2007. IDC and Gartner say PC sales worldwide rose from 62 to 71 million systems year over year, and Apple's sales increased in every market, even as the overall price-per-computer dropped.</p> 
 
<p>The research firms said Apple sold 38 percent (Gartner) or 32 percent (IDC) more computers compared year over year, pushing it either into a clear third place after Dell and HP (Gartner), or tied for third with Acer (IDC), which acquired Gateway and Packard Bell in the intervening period. Worldwide, HP takes the top spot in overall market share, followed by Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba.</p> 
 
<p>Given that Apple typically keeps its price points about the same, improving features or reducing the cost of high-end add-ons - like the MacBook Air's solid-state drive, now $500 cheaper than at its introduction - this likely means Apple's revenue is higher than indicated by its roughly 8 percent estimated market share in the United States. According to Gartner, other firms are cutting prices steeply, trading market share for revenues.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[Totally an iPhone 3G owner]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9698?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:31:51 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9698</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[joe@tidbits.com (Joe Kissell)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>After a slightly aggravating <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9696">false start</a> this morning, I am happy to report that Orange's Department of Fixing Number Portability Goofs did whatever it was they had to do, and when I returned to the France Telecom shop this afternoon, my iPhone was ready for me to take home.</p> 
 
<p>Of course, the first thing I wanted to do was sync it with iTunes so that I could actually use it, and as I had an appointment that would keep me away from home until the evening, I'd brought my laptop along for just that purpose. I selected a nearby café on the basis of having determined, via a quick peek at my AirPort menu from a sidewalk bench, that it had free Wi-Fi. (I assumed, correctly, that iTunes would have to connect to Apple to complete the registration and setup.) Unfortunately, by the time I'd ordered a drink I discovered that the Wi-Fi access was only available to those staying in the adjoining hotel and who therefore had a special code needed to log on. Ah well, it's always something.</p> 
 
<p>Anyway, I eventually got the phone registered, got my data synced, and began exploring it in earnest.</p> 
 
<p>My initial impression after a couple of hours? Totally amazed. To be fair, given the low-tech phone I'd been using for the past six years, I suppose I may be easier to please than people who were already used to having monster everything-and-the-kitchen-sink phones. But I've just had a series of revelations along the lines of "No way! I could have had <EM>that</EM> in my pocket all this time?" My whole concept of what was possible (or at least is now) has expanded greatly.</p> 
 
<p>Which brings me to why I've finally taken the plunge, despite my <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9544">earlier protestations</a> that I wouldn't. My main argument against getting an iPhone (or an iPod touch, for that matter), had been that it simply wasn't worth the money. I spend most of my time at home - no commute, no regular trips to the park to jog or the gym to work out - so the device would probably just sit on my desk, and I have computers that serve my needs there; no need to spend a bunch of extra money on another gadget. Secondarily (and partly related to being at home so much), I spend so little time talking on my cell phone that even my ultra-cheapo pay-as-you-go plan provided far more minutes than I could ever 
use.</p> 
 
<p>Here are my reasons for changing my mind:</p> 
 
<UL><li>Price. Saving a couple of hundred euros over what the earlier generation cost is, for me, anything but trivial. I didn't mind signing a contract to get the subsidy (though I could have paid lots more to get it contract-free) because the monthly price is the same as what was available for the earlier-generation iPhone, and any plan I got (even pay-as-you-go plans) with enough 3G data service to do useful work was bound to cost a bit anyway.</li> 
 
<li>GPS. I've wanted a GPS for a long time (mostly for navigating while on foot, not while driving, so the absence of turn-by-turn directions doesn't concern me), but I couldn't justify the cost. However, free with the purchase of a new cell phone definitely works for me.</li> 
 
<li>Clutter reduction. As I go about my business in Paris, I typically need to have at least three things with me all the time: a city street/métro/bus map (in the form of a small but thick book), a cell phone, and a camera. Sometimes I also need a French dictionary, so I end up lugging around a backpack to carry all my stuff. Now, except when I have a special need for a higher-res, higher-quality camera, I can carry just one object instead of many. That makes my pockets happy.</li> 
 
<li>Cable reduction. I'm on a quest to reduce the number of cords and cables in my home, especially things that plug into the wall. Being able to have one less AC adapter (using a USB cable for syncing as well as charging) helps. (Next step: replace some of those AC-powered hard drives with FireWire bus-powered models.)</li> 
 
<li>MobileMe. I've written a great deal about .Mac, and I want to be able to write about every aspect of MobileMe - including the aspects that require an iPhone or iPod touch - without constantly leaning on other people to explain how things work on their devices.</li> 
 
<li>Traveling light. One of the reasons I do most of my work at home rather than, say, in the nearest park or café, is that it's just a pain to haul my 17" MacBook Pro around. And yet, I always seem to need to do a bunch of things that I couldn't accomplish without it - until now. Sure, I still need a real keyboard and copy & paste do do substantial writing, but thanks to clients for <a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mressl/webshell/">SSH</a> and <a href="http://mochasoft.dk/iphone_vnc.htm">VNC</a>, iPhone blogging tools, and other nifty applications, I can now do much of my work without a full-size laptop.</li> 
 
<li>Voice recording. I can't tell you how many times over the last year I've wished I had a voice recorder - not just to make notes to myself but to record what other people are saying to me in French so that I can review it later and decode the bits that I missed (which tends to be a lot of it). Now I have one (or several, thanks to a variety of third-party software options).</li> 
 
</UL><P>Time will tell if or how this ends up revolutionizing my life - or whether I just become much more efficient at matching sequences of jewels. </p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 21-Jul-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9694?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:09:40 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9694</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Staff)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<UL><li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/hpprinterdriver11.html">HP Printer Driver 1.1</a> from Apple "includes the latest drivers for printers you have used on your system." Unfortunately, it's unclear from that description if it merely includes drivers for new HP printers, or if drivers for existing HP printers have been improved. (Free, 405.1 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/">iPod touch 1.1.5</a> from Apple applies unspecified improvements to the iPod touch, most likely security and performance fixes found in the iPod touch 2.0 software released last week. If you've decided not to spend the $9.95 to upgrade to version 2.0 - or more likely you're waiting for Apple to shake out any bugs from this first dot-zero release - the 1.1.5 update sounds like a good bet. As with other iPod touch updates, this one is available only through iTunes: connect your iPod touch, select it in the Devices list, then click the Check for Update button. (Free, 165 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/mac/">Airfoil 3.2.1</a>, <a href="http://www.rogueamoeba.com/nicecast/">Nicecast 1.9.3</a>, and <a href="http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/">Audio Hijack Pro 2.8.2</a> from Rogue Amoeba now all include the Instant Hijack 2.1 update for grabbing sound from any active application; this update fully supports 64-bit systems, the company says. Airfoil 3.2.1 has other minor bug fixes, while Nicecast 1.9.3 and Audio Hijack Pro 2.8.2 update the LAME encoder for producing MP3 files. Audio Hijack Pro also improves the MegaMix mode that Rogue Amoeba developed to record sound from Skype conversations.</li> 
 
</UL><P></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Staff. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Hands-Free iPhone Options for the Car]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9697?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:38:19 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9697</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[phineasfogg@mac.com (Rick Fay)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>On 01-Jul-08, the state of California made it mandatory to use hands-free technology for cell calls for all drivers 18 and over who want to talk while driving. If you're under 18, the restrictions are even more severe: drivers may not talk on a cell phone through any means, nor may they type instant messages. This under-18 ban strikes me as a good idea, as driving accidents are the leading cause of death for that age group.</p> 
 
<p>This move isn't limited to California, or nearby Washington, which implemented a similar ban the same day: <a href="http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html">20 other states</a> and a number of countries are looking into or planning similar restrictions on using cell phones while you're driving, and 10 states and countries require that cell phones be used with hands-free equipment while driving. (In Washington state, where two TidBITS editors are located, text messaging while driving is explicitly banned; in California, 18-and-up drivers can be pulled over if a police officer decides the driver is distracted and unsafe.)</p> 
 
<p>I live over the hill from Silicon Valley and travel there frequently via a winding two-lane highway. Commuters from both the local university town and Silicon Valley have driven me nuts for years with their horrible driving habits while talking on cell phones. Scariest of all are ladies in big SUVs driving in the mall parking lot.</p> 
 
<p>Once I knew the hands-on ban was on the way, I bought and tried four different options for hands-free iPhone use. I didn't plan on getting four different solutions, but that's how many it took to find one that met my needs. Prices vary from free to $129; you may find a solution I discarded works for you.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Apple iPhone Headset</b> -- The original headset that comes with an iPhone (free with iPhone, or $29 purchased separately) is a good, workable solution. A microphone is embedded in the wire leading to one earbud, about 6 inches (15 cm) down the wire. This square block also contains an integrated multi-purpose press button. When a call comes in, squeezing the button answers the call; squeezing it again at the end of the call hangs up. When you're driving, you don't need to pick up the phone at all - simply pinch the microphone switch. If a call comes in while you're listening to music or a podcast, the audio is paused in favor of your ringtone and then the call itself. The audio resumes automatically when you 
hang up.</p> 
 
<p>No one I called reported any interference when I was driving the car with the window up. Thanks to a windscreen built into the microphone, they could also hear me over the wind noise with the window down. I find the earbuds to be comfortable (some people do not), and the overall wire length is sufficient to lay the iPhone on the console or car seat.</p> 
 
<p>I don't use the iPhone headset as my main solution (as you'll read below), but because it came with the iPhone and takes up hardly any space, I keep it in my car as a backup.</p> 
 
<p>One flaw with the earbuds, however, is that you typically have both left and right buds in at the same time, which might qualify under the laws of some states and countries as wearing illegal headphones. (See "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9180">Handsfree iPhone Call Leads to Ticket</a>," 2007-09-13.)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>Plantronics Voyager 520 Bluetooth Headset</b> -- The <a href="http://plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/mobile/bluetooth-headsets/voyager-520">Voyager 520</a> ($99) fits over one ear and communicates with the iPhone via Bluetooth. Performance was excellent, with good noise cancelation, and setup (pairing with the iPhone) was simple. It even comes with a small desktop charger.</p> 
 
<p>In fact, I loved everything about this headset except for the discomfort of the piece that sits in the ear canal. I must have a weird ear canal layout, because wearing it even for a short drive made me constantly conscious of the headset; there was also enough irritation to make the inside of my ear sore. And, I must admit, I'm bothered by people who walk around with Bluetooth headsets permanently affixed to their ears: you try to ask someone a question only to find they're talking to someone. Leave the headset in the car or office.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a>Belkin TuneCast Auto</b> -- Belkin's <a href="http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=404646">iPhone-to-FM car radio adapter</a> ($79.99) is a clever one-cable system. One end of the cable plugs into the iPhone (or iPod) and the other end plugs into your car's cigarette lighter to provide power, which also charges the iPhone. An FM radio adapter module sits in the middle. When connected and with your car radio tuned to the FM band, you press the button on the adapter. It searches for a clear FM channel and then indicates the specific channel (for example, 89.7) on a built-in LCD. Select that channel on your car radio, and voila! Your music plays from the iPhone, but more important for our 
discussion here, if a phone call comes in, you hear the other party through that FM channel on your radio.</p> 
 
<p>But that's all it does. You still have to answer and hang up the iPhone manually, a momentary distraction when driving unless you also use the Apple iPhone earbuds. There's no microphone, so I used the iPhone's built-in mic. Plus, when driving around our hilly urban community or driving some distance along one of the major freeways in the Bay Area, the FM station reception would change at least once every few minutes, requiring the unit to search for a clearer FM channel - at which time you would have to change the radio to that channel.</p> 
 
<p>Admittedly, the TuneCast Auto wasn't designed as a hands-free telephone system, but when I could maintain a constant frequency it served the purpose.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a>Monster iCarPlay Cassette Adapter for iPod and iPhone</b> -- A similarly unusual but effective approach is to play the iPhone's audio through your car stereo without relying on the FM band. The <a href="http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4933">iCarPlay</a> ($24.95) is a cassette adapter and cable that plugs into the radio's cassette tape slot. (That is, if your car stereo includes one; many newer cars no longer include a cassette deck, although some have a stereo mini-jack input on the front.) The sound quality was excellent, since it wasn't relying on radio reception, even though a wire runs between the adapter and the iPhone.</p> 
 
<p>To make the setup hands-free, I also bought the <a href="http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4571">Monster iSoniTalk Headphone Adapter for iPhone</a>, a small microphone ($19.95) that plugs into the iPhone and clips to your shirt or, in my case, a small adhesive hook on the dashboard; the iSoniTalk sits between the iPhone and iCarPlay. The iPhone then stays in the carrying case I use in the console of the car. When I get in, I make one connection to the top of the iPhone and everything is ready to go - no settings, no fiddling, and no distractions at any time. Hearing everything (car radio, satellite radio and iPhone music/podcasts) through the car's speakers is fabulous and cell phone callers have no sense of my unusual 
setup through the car stereo.</p> 
 
<p>This combination turns out to be my favorite, and the one I use all of the time now as it allows me to handle everything through the car stereo. It's also the cheapest solution of the ones I tried.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="4"></a>Parrot Bluetooth Car Kits</b> -- If you spend a lot of time in the car and want something more sophisticated, <a href="http://www.driveblue.com/">Parrot</a> sells a number of Bluetooth hands-free speakerphone kits that clip onto the dashboard or visor. I didn't try any of them, which range in price from $129.99 to $299.99, since the iCarPlay and iSoniTalk combination turned out to be the solution for me.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="5"></a>Hands Off</b> -- With ever more localities moving toward a hands-free requirement when talking while in motion, I anticipate we'll see other solutions appear, and the overall cost drop.</p> 
 
<p>[Rick Fay is a 22-year Mac user, writer, wireless video networking professional, and serious evaluator of technology. He has also used an iPhone  throughout the United States and Mexico since 30-Jun-07.]</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Rick Fay. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Very nearly an iPhone 3G owner]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9696?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:33:57 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9696</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[joe@tidbits.com (Joe Kissell)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The iPhone 3G launched today in France, and I was up and out of the house at the crack of dawn. I was number 5 (of maybe 30) in line at a local France Telecom store, which had a special early opening at 8:00 this morning to sell iPhones to eager geeks. I came prepared with every document I might conceivably need (good thing, too - I needed a lot of them). I told the salesperson what I wanted (a black 16 GB model), which version of the contract I was going for, and that I wanted to transfer my number from my old cell phone, which is on a different carrier (SFR). He checked my old phone number, entered all the information in the computer, activated my iPhone, had me sign all the paperwork, and was about to say goodbye and thanks for my 
business.</p> 
 
<p>Then I casually asked if there was anything else I needed to do as far as transferring the number from my old phone goes. And he got the classic "Oh, crap!" look on his face - he'd forgotten to enter that info in the computer during the activation process, and now the phone was incorrectly activated with a different number. But no problem, he said, he'd make a phone call and figure out how to fix it.</p> 
 
<p>Alas, the people in the Department of Fixing Number Portability Goofs weren't in yet - apparently they hadn't been asked to get up early today along with the salespeople. So my nice new shiny iPhone 3G, which I have paid for, signed a contract for, and held in my hand, is still at the store, where it must remain until the middle of the afternoon when, I guess, the Number Portability folks have returned from a relaxing lunch and are prepared to fix the activation problem.</p> 
 
<p>This evening, after I've had a chance to give it a proper playing-with, I'll say a few words about why and how I came to own an iPhone after declaring previously in TidBITS that I was not a candidate for such a device.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[MobileMea Culpa: Apple Apologizes and Explains Tiger Situation]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9695?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:08:46 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9695</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I accept your apology, but I'm speaking only for myself. Last week, Apple's MobileMe team sent an email to all subscribers of the $99-per-year service, admitting that the transition from .Mac was rocky, and that they're sorry about it. So sorry, in fact, that they're tacking 30 days onto all current subscribers' expiration dates. (I wrote about the botched .Mac-to-MobileMe transition in "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9689">MobileMe Fails to Launch Well, But Finally Launches</a>," 2008-07-12.)</p> 
 
<p>Also, I received details from Apple on how Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger users will be able to use MobileMe services.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Here's $8.25 for Your Troubles</b> -- The extension of a MobileMe subscription by 30 days - an $8.25 value - is a nice gesture of goodwill, even though it hardly covers the lost time I spent coping with sync problems. I like that Apple 'fessed up and said sorry. It would have been more meaningful if they'd used standard English rather than marketing-ese, but you can't have everything.</p> 
 
<p>The 30-day extension is described in an <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2408">extensive FAQ</a>, the details of which show that Apple is trying quite hard to show their contrition. Anyone with an existing .Mac account as of 09-Jul-08 or who signed up for a new MobileMe account before 7 PM on 15-Jul-08 qualifies, even if your account expired (they've reactivated it), is about to expire, or you have a trial subscription. The new expiration date won't appear in your account details for "a few weeks," Apple writes.</p> 
 
<p>Apple also said in the letter that they have been using the term "push" too broadly to describe MobileMe's technology. In the context of events, contacts, and mail, push generally means that as soon as a change is made, a given device or computer is notified to receive the update if that device or computer is connected to a network.</p> 
 
<p>With MobileMe, Apple had already received some criticism about labeling its desktop synchronization as push because changes lagged for up to 15 minutes. The iPhone and me.com Web applications receive changes immediately, or, if the iPhone is off all networks, as soon as it resumes its access. Apple says it won't use the term "push" for its desktop software until the software provides that actual feature.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>In Tiger, It's Still .Mac, Same Features</b> -- After I wrote about how to get updated MobileMe software under Mac OS X Leopard (you must first go to the .Mac preference pane before the Mac OS X for MobileMe 1.1 update will appear in Software Update), several readers asked whether this update would eventually be available for Tiger, too. The answer: no.</p> 
 
<p>An Apple spokesperson forwarded several details to me about the Tiger transition. First, the 10.4.11 release is required; I discovered this earlier today when, during a power outage at my office, I attempted to use an old iBook that still sported 10.4.10. To use the MobileMe Web applications, you also need to download either <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/safari312fortiger.html">Safari 3 for Tiger</a>, or use either Mozilla <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/">Firefox 2 or 3</a>. Tiger's last bundled release was Safari 2.</p> 
 
<p>All previously supported .Mac features that worked in Tiger will continue to work with MobileMe. Unlike the within-15-minutes synchronization noted above for Leopard, Tiger will sync only as frequently as every hour. </p> 
 
<p>Apple posted a <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2296">KnowledgeBase article</a> with information for Tiger and Leopard users about how to set up or change email programs to work with me.com addresses. To continue using old mac.com email addresses, which will work indefinitely, leave settings alone. To use a new MobileMe account or the me.com address that .Mac users were also assigned, follow the instructions in the article.</p> 
 
<p>Apple confirmed that Tiger will continue to show .Mac throughout; they plan no update to change the operating system's terminology to read MobileMe. </p> 
 
<p>MobileMe's launch spelled an end of Apple-coordinated synchronization in Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, but, really, did it ever work well enough that someone is relying on it three years after Tiger was released? I hope not. </p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/14-Jul-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9693?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:31:20 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9693</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>iMac failing to startup into OS 10.3.9?</b> -- An unfortunate encounter with Norton System Works leads to an old iMac being unable to boot into Mac OS X. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2062">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>Discovering Sparse Bundle Disk Images</b> -- Readers discuss whether virtualization software such as Parallels and VMware Fusion use sparse bundle disk images. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2063">5 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a>Corrupted Printer setup utility</b> -- Mac OS X Leopard moved printing tasks into the Print & Fax preference pane, and in the process discarded the old Printer Setup Utility. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2064">5 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a>Cutting off bad Wi-Fi connection</b> -- How do you make a Mac stop automatically connecting to a wireless network? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2065">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="4"></a>The Hole in My Backup Plan</b> -- Readers relate to Joe Kissell's experience of losing the use of his main Mac, including purchasing two similarly configured machines and renting a replacement. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2066">25 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="5"></a>iTunes Store technical details</b> -- Does Apple store and serve the iTunes Store from its own hardware? It doesn't appear to. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2067">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="6"></a>Third-party batteries for older laptops</b> -- When a laptop's original battery reaches the end of its life, should you buy a replacement from Apple or try one from a third party? When dealing with older portables, you may not have a choice. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2068">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b>How to revive a "broken" hard disk?</b> After replacing a hard disk, a reader gets suggestions for erasing it for use elsewhere when trouble arises. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2069">7 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="7"></a>Mac OS X 10.5.4 Issue</b> -- Following a system update, a reader's files and folders become invisible. The solution? Changing the screen resolution. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2070">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="8"></a>Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on Reactivation</b> -- Readers ponder the best methods of upgrading to the iPhone 3G. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2073">8 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b>New Mac threats?</b> What started as an article that mirrors a press release about Mac malware turns into a discussion of how important terminology can be when defining security threats. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2075">48 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="9"></a>Precipitate shines Mac Spotlight into Google</b> -- Readers talk about Adam's article about this utility for making Spotlight search Google services. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2076">5 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="10"></a>802.11g-n mixed network question</b> -- Will having wireless routers of different speeds slow down an entire network, or can they all just get along? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2077">4 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b>Gaming the system?</b> Is it ethical to buy a computer with the express purpose of using it and then taking it back within the return policy? Readers debate. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2078">15 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="11"></a>Extend iTunes Movie Rentals Beyond 24 Hours</b> -- Attempting to play a paused iTunes rental beyond its expiration time led to a gray screen. Is this a bug or a policy change from Apple? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2080">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="12"></a>Apple Stores Ready for 3G Onslaught</b> -- Apple and AT&T seem to expect that most people will transfer existing cellular phone numbers to the new iPhone service. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2081">3 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="13"></a>Send SMS for Free via AIM on iPhone</b> -- You can use AIM on the iPhone to send a text message for free, but how does it appear to the recipient, and can they reply in kind? (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2087">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="14"></a>MobileMe Fails to Launch Well, But Finally Launches</b> -- Readers discuss Apple's stumbling start of the MobileMe service. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2088">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="15"></a>Buying an iPhone 3G</b> -- A reader shares his impressions of the iPhone 3G, leading to a discussion of price and how AT&T is subsidizing the cost of each phone. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2089">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[First Impressions of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9692?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:19:05 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9692</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[rich@tidbits.com (Rich Mogull)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Evaluating a product is always one of the more difficult tasks for a writer. Everyone has their own individual preferences, and the reviewer is forced to pool these together, stir them up, and distill a complex personal experience down to a few paragraphs someone will use to decide where to place their hard earned dollars.</p> 
 
<p>Apple didn't make this any easier by combining the release of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software for first generation iPhones over the course of two days. Well, it was supposed to be a single day, but Apple's server overload disrupted that plan. Even so, the company reported today that <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/07/14iphone.html">1 million iPhone 3Gs</a> were sold worldwide between Friday and Sunday, and more than <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/07/14appstore.html">10 million applications were downloaded from the App Store</a> during the same period. (To quote Red Sweater Software's <a href="http://twitter.com/danielpunkass/statuses/858111951">Daniel Jalkut</a>, "If I ever sell a million of something 
in 3 days, I expect to see some infrastructural problems, too.")</p> 
 
<p>Rather than write a comprehensive review of the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 2.0 update - which were released on Friday - these are just my first impressions.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>The Hardware</b> -- Although the iPhone 3G is only slightly wider, the design of the bevel makes it feel overall thinner and wider than it actually is. Aesthetically it's an improvement, but this is like comparing two supermodels. The 3G is definitely sleeker in feel, and the metal buttons (power, volume, and ring mode) in the black plastic are a nice touch with a really great feel. The speakers on the bottom are smaller, but with metal grills rather than the usual tiny holes punched in plastic. </p> 
 
<p>In subjective testing, the volume of the 3G is probably equal to the original iPhone, but with better sound reproduction. At full volume it sounded less tinny and more like regular speakers, but it still won't shake down the walls of the house. The camera is the same resolution (2 megapixels), but photos seem slightly better on the 3G, although they still lag higher resolution options.</p> 
 
<p>The much-lauded non-recessed headphone jack is exactly what you'd expect, and it's nice not to have to carry a little adapter around for workouts or car connections anymore. The plastic case is pretty tough, surviving an accidental drop test with just a small scratch when it slipped out of my pocket during a movie.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>3G and GPS</b> -- The star attractions of the iPhone 3G are its increased data speed and inclusion of a built-in GPS (global positioning system) chip. The 3G connection is noticeably faster than EDGE, and the overall reception of the phone seems better. Testing in areas with spotty reception shows the 3G holds better signals - something we frequently get to test thanks to AT&T's network. Web browsing is easily double the speed of EDGE so far in my testing. It doesn't match Wi-Fi performance, of course, but it's still quite satisfying.</p> 
 
<p>The iPhone 3G is now location-aware thanks to the GPS, which, in combination with cellular triangulation and location information from Skyhook (which maps Wi-Fi networks) is truly outstanding. (The first-generation iPhone uses only cellular triangulation and Skyhook to establish location.) When you switch to the Maps application, you quickly get a large ring with your general location, followed within seconds by a pulsing blue dot at your exact position.</p> 
 
<p>Early reports suggested the GPS wasn't accurate enough for turn-by-turn directions, but I found it to be both surprisingly accurate and much faster than starting up a traditional GPS device. One of the worries about GPS is where to put the phone in order to get the best reception, but the iPhone 3G managed to hold an accurate position even while being handheld in the car, where GPS signals are notoriously weak. It appears accurate enough to feed audible turn-by-turn directions should Apple authorize a third party navigation application; Apple's developer agreement stipulates that developers cannot create such an application.</p> 
 
<p>One of the best features of the 3G radio is the capability to make phone calls and use the Internet at the same time. Aside from letting you look up movie times while chatting with your friends, you can now use the GPS and Maps while talking on the phone. That's perhaps not the safest thing to do while you're driving, but at least you'll know exactly which lake you just ran your car into while being distracted.</p> 
 
<p>On the downside, as Apple warned, the 3G radio consumes  a lot more power than EDGE, leading to a noticeable decline in battery life. I tend to travel a lot and really pushed the battery on my first generation iPhone, but could usually make it through a business day. After a couple of days of testing, it was clear I'll need a portable battery pack to survive my trips with the iPhone 3G. (I ordered the <a href="http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=UPB10">APC UPB10</a>, which looks compact enough to carry in my bag, and unlike some other external batteries can directly recharge the iPhone.)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a>The iPhone 2.0 Software</b> -- Having tested the iPhone 2.0 firmware on both a first-generation iPhone and the iPhone 3G, the performance appears completely equal aside from network performance. Apart from MobileMe and the App Store, many of the changes are small, but welcome. You can finally bulk-delete or move mail messages; a Contacts application takes you to the same contact list used by the Phone application; the Calculator application becomes a scientific calculator when you turn the iPhone into its horizontal position; Calendar finally supports multiple calendars from iCal (although strangely the colors you assign to calendars in iCal aren't honored); pressing the Home and power buttons simultaneously 
captures a screenshot and saves it to the Photos application. Two much desired features, cut-and-paste and support for iCal to-do items, are still noticeably lacking.</p> 
 
<p>The App Store application is well designed, making it easy to move between different categories and find software. (The App Store also appears in iTunes.) Application user ratings are included right in the store (although, oddly enough, not when browsing applications in iTunes). One really nice touch is that the App Store checks for software updates to your installed applications; the App Store icon on the home screen will indicate how many software updates are available. Purchasing titles is easy, and fortunately requires your iTunes account password before you're charged or before a free application is downloaded. The new application's icon immediately appears on the home screen with a little status bar showing the installation 
progress.</p> 
 
<p>The downside of the App Store is that not all applications are created equal. Many applications, such as AIM or The New York Times reader, seem plagued with early performance issues and frequent crashes. Some of the location-aware applications in particular seem to lock up or crash location services, requiring a system reboot to regain use of Maps. There's also no shortage of... marginal applications.</p> 
 
<p>But complaining about a few bad applications and the occasional crash seems almost selfish once you realize how game changing third party application support really is. Want to find a movie? Load up <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284939567&mt=8">BoxOffice</a> and see times for anything within a 5 (or 10, or whatever) mile radius of your current location. Don't know where the theater is? You're only one tap away from directions and the GPS-enabled Maps. Traveling, have no idea where you are, and need the weather? <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=281940295">Weatherbug</a> will give you the forecast for your current location. Want to race prehistoric cars 
or cute monkeys in bubbles? Stream Internet radio? Dictate a to-do item and have it transcribed to text and added to your calendar? The App Store has you covered. (The links here go to the iTunes Store.)</p> 
 
<p>Spending just a few days with the 2.0 update and the App Store really gives you a taste of the future of augmented reality - where the phone becomes far more than a communications device or occasional portable game machine. And remember, all these capabilities, except for the pinpoint location provided by GPS, are available to anyone with a first-generation iPhone or iPod touch.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a>Final Impressions</b> -- Overall, if you compare an iPhone 3G with its first generation predecessor, the user experience is very similar. Many first generation users will be more than satisfied with their 2.0 update, which is where most of the changes are. You'll still have full use of the App Store and even location services (although without the same accuracy).</p> 
 
<p>But for heavy data users or frequent - and directionally impaired - travelers, the iPhone 3G is a welcome upgrade. Internet access is materially faster, and the GPS is accurate, useful, and well integrated into various third party applications. If you have a first generation iPhone and are happy, there's no need to upgrade, but the 3G is still a worthy second version of an exceptional product.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Rich Mogull. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[iPhone 3G: On the Line in Seattle]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9691?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:40:26 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9691</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>My sister called my cell phone out of the blue on Friday. "Hey, did Apple release something today?" she asked. "There's a huge line at University Village."</p> 
 
<p>"Yes, the iPhone 3G. I'm <EM>in</EM> that line!" I replied.</p> 
 
<p>This chance encounter was one of the highlights of a long day spent in line at the launch of the iPhone 3G at Seattle's <a href="http://www.apple.com/retail/universityvillage/">University Village Apple Store</a>. </p> 
 
<p>Glenn Fleishman and I debated whether there would be a big turnout for Apple's revamped phone. Last year, the first iPhone seemed like a much bigger deal: not just a brand new product from Apple, but a smartphone that appeared to eclipse other cellular phones on several fronts. This time around, the changes are more modest, with improved 3G data speed and built-in GPS. The new software features are great, but they're available to anyone who owns a first-generation iPhone. Surely there wouldn't be the same kind of interest on opening day.</p> 
 
<p>The approximately 400 people in line proved us wrong.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Activation Woes</b> -- I arrived at 8:00 AM, just as the doors opened and the first five customers were let into the store. Those hardy (crazy?) folks started lining up Thursday at 5:30 PM.</p> 
 
<p>While the crowd size seemed similar to last year's launch, the time it took to get an iPhone was certainly different. The original experience was genius from the customer's point of view: you bought an iPhone, took it home, plugged it into your computer, and activated it through iTunes. The disadvantage, from Apple's and AT&T's points of view, was that people could purchase iPhones and never sign up for AT&T's two-year service commitment, instead reselling the phone to other markets or unlocking the phone using "jailbreak" software to use with other providers. Under that arrangement, both AT&T and Apple lost out on monthly service fees, since Apple received a percentage of each subscriber's monthly fee.</p> 
 
<p>This time around, AT&T is subsidizing the cost of the iPhone's price, Apple only gets a cut when the phone is sold (or buyers later purchase software from the iPhone App Store), and buyers must sign up for a service plan and activate the phone at purchase. And with potentially a million people worldwide buying the iPhone 3G on Friday as it went on sale in 21 countries, activation proved to be glacial.</p> 
 
<p>Almost 40 minutes passed before the first iPhone 3G came out, carried by a sleepy-looking man who seemed startled that a television cameraman, two photographers, and reporters from the big daily papers wanted to take his picture and get his opinion.</p> 
 
<p><!--start_image_pn2--><a name="image_pn2"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/iphone_3g_first_buyer.jpg"><img src="http://db.tidbits.com/tbthumbs/tn9691_iphone_3g_first_buyer.jpg" width="400" height="267" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn2--> 
 
<p>I assumed the problem lay in AT&T's servers, which crumpled under the load last year. According to an <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008047588_iphone12.html">anonymously sourced quote in the Seattle Times</a>, however, the problem had more to do with Apple's servers. Despite the advance word that all activation would happen in store, the iPhone 3G needs to be first registered on AT&T's systems and network, and then activated through an Apple process that uses the iTunes Store. By the time the west coast began selling iPhones at 8:00 AM, the rest of the country had been hammering Apple's servers for hours. But that was likely just a fraction of the load, thanks to Apple's decision to simultaneously 
release the iPhone 2.0 software for existing iPhones (which led to many people temporarily owning upgraded but unusable devices for much of the day).</p> 
 
<p>Trying to buy an iPhone 3G at an AT&T store proved to be no relief. Several AT&T stores sold out of supplies early - one person near me in line said that the first store he visited sold out in 20 minutes. Another guy spent three hours in line at a different AT&T store before being turned away.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>Awesome Apple Employees</b> -- I don't mean to disparage AT&T, but here's why I never considered buying an iPhone 3G anywhere but at an Apple Store: the employees at the University Village store - and I presume elsewhere - bent over backwards for their patient customers.</p> 
 
<p>Throughout the day, the employees gave out free bottled water (and collected empty bottles for recycling), wandered along the line offering to answer any and all questions, and made sure we all understood the limitations that could scuttle a purchase. (If your phone is paid for by your company, or you have some discount that would apply, you need to deal with AT&T directly. One Apple specialist pointed out that he wasn't able to buy a new iPhone at the store because Apple is a corporate customer of AT&T.) As time passed, a pair of employees arrived with a cart full of free cookies. And as the sun rose in the sky, they came bearing sunblock and large umbrellas. [Editor's note: I walked by the same Apple Store on Sunday, mid-day, and saw 
a line of about 50 people in the 80-degree F weather, and Apple Store employees handing out water and snacks, while making sure new additions to the line were up to speed on policies. -gf]</p> 
 
<p>Throughout the long day, in fact, I never once saw anyone get angry or frustrated. Several people got tired of waiting, or had other commitments and couldn't stay, but they exited with a hearty "good luck" to those of us who stuck with it.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a>Captive Audience</b> -- The smarter retailers in the University Village complex recognized the opportunity to pitch their wares at hundreds of potential customers who weren't going anywhere fast. <a href="http://www.jambajuice.com/">Jamba Juice</a> was giving out free samples of their blended smoothie drinks; <a href="http://www.franschocolates.com/">Fran's Chocolates</a> had a plate of hazlenut chocolate truffles; and The Ram, the restaurant next door to the Apple Store, was giving out menus and offering to bring orders out to people in line. One fellow, tired of waiting in line, offered to buy someone's first-generation iPhone (though I saw him exit the store at the end of the day with an iPhone 3G after 
all).</p> 
 
<p><!--start_image_pn6--><a name="image_pn6"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/will_buy-old_iphone.jpg"><img src="http://db.tidbits.com/tbthumbs/tn9691_will_buy-old_iphone.jpg" width="400" height="267" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn6--> 
 
<p>Some of the marketing didn't go over as well, such as the chiropractor handing out postcards or the Verizon van cruising through the parking lot. One woman crossed the line ahead of me saying, "Who wants a high-five for Verizon?" She wasn't giving out information, and we couldn't tell if she was a Verizon employee or just someone having fun at our expense. But when someone asked why they should high-five for Verizon, she replied, "Well, no one is high-fiving for AT&T." I guess she had a point.</p> 
 
<p>A local developer, Nathan Hunley of Igloo Games, was handing out cards to publicize <a href="http://igloo-games.com/db/Dizzy_Bee.html">Dizzy Bee</a>, the iPhone game he had finished and uploaded to Apple the night before. Dizzy Bee uses the iPhone's motion sensor to control a bee who bounces around maze-like levels attempting to free captured fruit. (Despite that description, Nathan appeared to be as sane as one would expect a sleep-deprived developer to be.)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a>At Last, Activation</b> -- I ended up spending only a few minutes in the Apple Store itself. Once inside, an Apple specialist introduced me to one of the Apple geniuses who would be my own personal iPhone shopper for the day. I told him that I wanted a black 16 GB model (all three configurations were in stock) and no accessories. "Great," he said, "I'll go get one and meet you outside."</p> 
 
<p>At a table under an umbrella, we activated the phone wirelessly. He plugged my information into the Symbol handheld device each employee uses - the concept of going to a register to pay for your purchases is almost extinct at Apple Stores; you can buy what you need anywhere on the floor from an employee.</p> 
 
<p>He wasn't able to answer my one question about the AT&T plan. The iPhone 3G is actually my wife's birthday present - I'm keeping my first generation iPhone for now - and I didn't know how the addition of another iPhone would affect our FamilyTalk plan. Would the 200 text messages included on my monthly plan go away? The information at AT&T's Web site lists only two options for FamilyTalk plans: $30 per month for unlimited messages or a $0.20 per-message charge. To my surprise, the system gave me the option of choosing the individual plan options for my wife's line. He pointed out that if the billing got messed up, I'd have to work it out with AT&T separately. (Checking my account at AT&T's Web site so far reveals that we're paying $30 
more per month for the iPhone 3G, plus the $5 fee for 200 messages, which I chose because that's the easiest route for her; note that it <EM>is</EM> possible to <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9690">send SMS messages at no cost using AIM</a>.)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="4"></a>The First-Day Appeal</b> -- So how long did I wait in line for an iPhone 3G? Did I turn out to be one of the crazy ones? To be fair, I probably would have bailed early on and come back when the initial enthusiasm died down if I wasn't covering the iPhone 3G and the event as a journalist. Instead, I held out - for <EM>8 hours</EM>.</p> 
 
<p>But here's the funny thing about standing in line with like-minded folks: 1 hour becomes 3 hours becomes 5 hours becomes 7 hours (that eighth hour was a bit much, honestly). It wasn't a party, but it wasn't a slog, either. The novelty of having one of the first iPhone 3G units will wear off quickly, but the experience of doing something out of the ordinary with a lot of people, like watching a live concert instead of just listening to an album of the same music, is worth doing on occasion. I joked in line that someday we could tell our grandchildren about the time we stood in line for hours to get an iPhone, and a fellow next to me pointed out that our grandkids will probably just have implants and not understand the concept of a 
"phone."</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[Send SMS for Free via AIM on iPhone]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9690?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2008 07:22:53 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9690</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I expected that <a href="http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/specials/iphone-info.jsp">iPhone 3G service from AT&T</a> would be more expensive compared to the original iPhone - $30 per month for data on top of voice service, a $10 increase), but the telco slipped in a poison profit pill by removing SMS text messaging from the plan. Instead, you can pay $5 per month for 200 messages (the amount included in the original iPhone plan); $15 per month for 1500 messages, or $20 per month for unlimited messages. If you sign up for a FamilyTalk plan, your choices are either $30 per month for unlimited or $0.20 per message.</p> 
 
<p>Text messaging is already one of the <a href="http://gthing.net/the-true-price-of-sms-messages/">great bamboozlements</a> of the technology age, given the prices charged for what amounts to a miniscule amount of data transferred. Making the service an extra fee for a smartphone is just cruel.</p> 
 
<p>With the release of the iPhone 2.0 software, you can send SMS messages from your iPhone for free. (To clarify, this appears to work only in the United States; Joe Kissell, who lives in France, reports that the following technique does not work with the "+33" designation there.) The secret is a capability that already exists on your Mac: send it via iChat/AIM. (This technique works on the iPod touch, too, but I'll just use "iPhone" from here on out to avoid writing "iPhone or iPod touch" over and over.) Here's how:</p> 
 
<OL><li>From the App Store, either in iTunes or on an iPhone, download and install the free <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=281704574&mt=8">AIM client for iPhone</a> (link goes to the iTunes store).</li> 
 
<li>In iChat (or whichever instant messaging software you use), create a new contact whose AIM address is a plus sign and the mobile number of a friend, such as "+12065551212".
</li><br /><!--start_image_pn4--><a name="image_pn4"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/sms_new_buddy2.jpg"><img src="http://db.tidbits.com/tbthumbs/tn9690_sms_new_buddy2.jpg" width="400" height="232" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn4--> 
 
<li>On the iPhone, launch AIM. Your buddy list is stored on AIM's servers, so connecting to the service reveals your new buddy.
</li><br /><!--start_image_pn5--><a name="image_pn5"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/sms_aim_iphone.png"><img src="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/sms_aim_iphone.png" width="320" height="480" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn5--> 
 
<li>Tap the buddy name, compose a text message, and tap Send.
</li><br /><!--start_image_pn6--><a name="image_pn6"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/sms_compose_msg.png"><img src="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/sms_compose_msg.png" width="320" height="480" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn6--> 
 
</OL><P>When the other person receives the message and writes a reply, the return message appears in AIM (though the other person will have then paid to send an SMS).</p> 
 
<p>This approach is a bit more work, and if you're a frequent text message user it may be worth paying AT&T (or whomever your provider is; plans vary widely around the world) for the convenience of just using the SMS application. But if you need to dash off a quick message without wondering if you're getting your $0.20 worth, AIM is a good alternative. It also helps lessen the pain of getting gouged by greedy telcos.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[MobileMe Fails to Launch Well, But Finally Launches ]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9689?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:00:47 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9689</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://me.com/">MobileMe</a>, Apple's replacement for its long-running .Mac service, kicked off to a rocky start last week following what was supposed to be an overnight transition. (For an overview of what's changed between the two services, see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9649">.Mac Morphs into MobileMe</a>," 2008-06-09.) The crush of activity on Apple's servers during the iPhone 3G launch and release of the iPhone 2.0 software further crippled the service, but its performance appears to have stabilized.</p> 
 
<p>If you're wondering just how to update to MobileMe in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, there's a trick - it doesn't automatically appear in Software Update, nor is it available as a download from Apple's <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/">downloads support page</a> (at least, at the time I wrote this article). Instead, go to System Preferences and click the .Mac preference pane, where you will be prompted to download the update. After you apply it, simply close System Preferences and open it again to find the MobileMe preference pane in place of .Mac; you don't need to restart the Mac.</p> 
 
<p><!--start_image_pn4--><a name="image_pn4"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/mobileme_update2.jpg"><img src="http://db.tidbits.com/tbthumbs/tn9689_mobileme_update2.jpg" width="399" height="329" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn4--> 
 
<p>So far, Apple hasn't signaled how or if .Mac will be updated in 10.4 Tiger or earlier releases of Mac OS X.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Bumpy Rollout</b> -- Users were greeted for most of Thursday with a routine message with few details; on Friday, the message was upgraded with slightly more useful information, but no apology nor estimated time until the service would be usable again:</p> 
 
<p><!--start_image_pn5--><a name="image_pn5"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/mobileme_maintenance.jpg"><img src="http://db.tidbits.com/tbthumbs/tn9689_mobileme_maintenance.jpg" width="400" height="91" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn5--> 
 
<p>"The MobileMe transition is underway but is taking longer than expected. While core services such as desktop mail, iDisk and sync are available, the new MobileMe web applications are not yet online. Thank you for your patience as we complete the upgrade."</p> 
 
<p>While MobileMe wasn't slated to launch until Friday, July 11th, Apple planned to perform some heavy lifting on Wednesday night, with a plan to finish in the wee hours of Thursday. </p> 
 
<p>The service finally launched at me.com sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning. MobileMe's Web 2.0 applications were briefly available at times on Friday.</p> 
 
<p>Apple made no other public comments on the matter, according to several Mac industry and mainstream articles. This is what is known as an "epic fail," to use a phrase common for its terseness in Twitter: a transition key to the company's relationship with its individual users has gone horribly wrong.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>Hoping for a Smooth Road Ahead</b> -- The good news is that the ease of use of the new system is extraordinarily high. Apple has managed to instill the feeling of a desktop application into a Web-based one; it's about the best I've seen. The Mail screen, for instance, is far more polished and interactive than Google's Gmail, which has been under development for years. You can make contiguous and non-contiguous selections, drag and drop, and use Control plus various keys for menu selection or actions. In iCal, for instance, you press Control-right arrow to move forward a week in the week view.</p> 
 
<p>.Mac synchronization has been the bane of my life for years, with it working erratically, duplicating entries, and working magically without intervention for periods of time. During the MobileMe transition, my laptop Address Book locked up, and despite all efforts won't synchronize at all even when it says it has. (I've deleted its data store, reset the sync, and repaired disk permissions. The error log for "dotmacsynclient" persistently shows obscure errors that I can't find via Google; Apple's message boards have search disabled due to high load.)</p> 
 
<p>My office desktop Mac restored hundreds of entries I'd deleted on multiple computers, many of them duplicates of existing entries, and which must have been cached at .Mac. I went through and reculled my contacts. My iPhone initially had problems picking up changes from my desktop Mac via MobileMe, but ultimately appears to be handling the new push service just fine. It's awfully nice to be able to change a contact's phone number or update a calendar entry and have it flow through everywhere.</p> 
 
<p>How did Apple get in this mess? Obviously by leaving themselves too little time, and deciding to do a full power-off/power-on switchover, which is a known method of producing epic failures. The more intelligent move would have been to delay the MobileMe launch, and open it up to current subscribers to move in small numbers, offering a "transition" button that would have converted data stores from .Mac to MobileMe. The architecture certainly would have allowed that.</p> 
 
<p>But Apple had a lot staked on having a successful iPhone 3G launch, and wanted iPhone 2.0 software, MobileMe, and the new phone to appear simultaneously for the biggest bang. Well, they got a bang; no one can deny that.</p> 
 
<p>[Note: This article was updated to explain that the MobileMe software update applies for now only to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.]</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[iTunes 7.7 Released in Preparation for iPhone 2.0]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9688?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:50:03 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9688</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The day before the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software are due to appear, Apple has released iTunes 7.7. The update adds support for iPhone 2.0 syncing and the App Store when it becomes available. Also added is support for a new Remote application for the iPhone and iPod touch that lets you control iTunes from those devices.</p> 
 
<p>But wait, you can get a sneak peak at the App Store now! After installing the iTunes 7.7 update (available via Software Update or as a <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/itunes77.html">48.32 MB download</a>), perform a search for an iPhone application name (such as <a href="http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific">Twitterific</a>), click the application name, and you'll be able to browse the entire store and download applications.</p> 
 
<p>Currently the iTunes 7.7 update is available only for Mac OS X 10.3.9, Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, or Mac OS X 10.5 or later.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Update</b> -- The App Store now appears in iTunes at the iTunes Store. (Is that like the old CompUSA store-within-a-store concept? Never mind.)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Backdating Investigation on Apple Shares Ends]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9687?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:18:26 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9687</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The Wall Street Journal reports that the Justice Department has <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121565603712141637.html">ended its criminal investigation into whether Apple executives broke the law</a> when they backdated some options without proper accounting and disclosure. Neither Apple nor the Justice Department has made a statement confirming that the investigation is over, but lawyers representing some of those under a cloud told the Journal that they were informed the probe is finished. A civil action by the SEC and private lawsuits are still underway, however.</p> 
 
<p>The SEC looked into Apple's revelation that they had issued stock options to a variety of employees, including Steve Jobs and other executives, that tied the options to a date prior to that on which the options were granted, so called <EM>backdating</EM>. Stock options are the right, but not the obligation, to purchase stock at a specific price no matter the current price. </p> 
 
<p>By backdating options, a company can assure a windfall to the recipients. Companies may backdate options in many circumstances, but must account for them as a higher expense than merely granting current-dated options, as there's a negative effect on the equity of a firm's shareholders. An academic researcher and The Wall Street Journal blew the lid off this widespread and long-running practice; executives at other firms were indicted, sued by shareholders, fired, or all three. (For more background on backdating, see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/8699">Apple Reports on Options Backdating Problems</a>," 2006-10-06.)</p> 
 
<p>The investigation has lasted nearly two years. A parallel SEC examination led to civil charges filed against two former Apple executives. Former chief financial officer Fred Anderson, who did not admit to wrongdoing or any of the charges, settled them almost immediately, giving up $3.7 million in gains, interest, and penalties (see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/8963">Former Apple Employees Charged in Stock Option Backdating</a>," 2007-04-30). Anderson, who had left his job as CFO at Apple on good terms in 2004, resigned from Apple's board the day it released its first report on backdating in October 2006.</p> 
 
<p>Nancy Heinen, Apple's former general counsel, was also charged and still faces civil action by the SEC, according to her lawyer as quoted in the Journal. The charges against Anderson and Heinen centered on options granted to Steve Jobs, which were canceled before they were exercised, and replaced with 10 million properly restricted stock grants that were properly accounted for. (Jobs sold about $300 million of those shares when the restrictions ended in 2006 to pay the tax due. He still <a href="http://quote.yahoo.com/q/ir?s=AAPL">holds 5.5 million shares</a> worth nearly $1 billion.)</p> 
 
<p>Apple released its own report on the matter back in January 2007 from an internal committee headed by former Vice President Al Gore, a board member (see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/8803">Apple Releases Stock Option Backdating Report</a>," 2007-01-08). That report will likely stand as the public accounting unless Heinen's case goes to trial and additional facts are revealed.</p> 
 
<p>The apparent end of this Justice Department probe also means an end to the speculation that Jobs would face a trial or be forced to resign as part of a settlement. While in recent months this issue seemed to be in abeyance, this probably relaxes the stock market and analysts who speculated on an abrupt change in who would be running Apple.</p> 
 
<p>The backdating kerfuffle in part led to Daniel Lyons's blog, <a href="http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/">The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs</a>, written by Lyons's nom-de-blog Fake Steve Jobs. Lyons wrote a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0306815842/?tag=tidbitselectro00">oPtion$</a> that fictionalized and satirized the minor scandal (see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9259">My Real Breakfast with Fake Steve Jobs</a>," 2007-10-24).</p> 
 
<p>Lyons recently announced on his <a href="http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-am-so-friggin-high-its-not-funny.html">Fake Steve blog</a> that he was discontinuing writing in a faux Jobs style. Lyons was recently hired away from his current employer, Forbes, to take over Steven Levy's technology beat at Newsweek. (Levy had previously left Newsweek for Wired.)</p> 
 
<p>The timing was suspicious - how did Lyons know that his story arc was at an end? Perhaps...an investigation will be launched.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Apple Stores Ready for 3G Onslaught]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9686?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:38:02 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9686</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[mha@tidbits.com (Mark H. Anbinder)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>We've already reported that AT&T stores in the U.S. will be opening at 8am local time this Friday to start selling the new iPhone 3G (See <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9681">"AT&T Waking Up Early Friday for iPhone Sales,"</a> 2008-07-04), and now Apple has posted an <a href="http://www.apple.com/retail/iphone/">iPhone 3G retail page</a> with details on sales at brick-and-mortar Apple Stores.</p> 
 
<p>Naturally, Apple, too will begin selling the iPhone 3G at 8am Friday at their U.S. stores, and their encouragement to "arrive early to get in line" seems superfluous; there have already people lined up in Manhattan since <EM>last</EM> Friday.</p> 
 
<p>Apple has also provided a helpful list of what to bring, which will apply at both AT&T and Apple retail outlets: credit card, social security number, government-issued photo ID, and your current wireless account number and password or PIN if you're transferring from another carrier to AT&T. (Check with your current carrier what fees may apply to transferring your number, especially if you're currently under a contract.)</p> 
 
<p>I'm amused that Apple is touting its "free" in-store Personal Setup service for iPhone 3G purchasers. Unlike previous iPhone transactions, you won't be allowed to walk out the door with an iPhone 3G until you've activated it on a two-year AT&T contract.</p> 
 
<p>Apple's site will also provide daily in-store availability reports after 9pm in the local time zone of each store, for those who wish to confirm a store will have phones in stock for the next day.</p> 
 
<p>Meantime, as we're sure a flood of used first-generation iPhones is about to hit the market, we encourage our readers to take care to purchase from sellers they trust. Some <a href="http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5308689">used iPhone buyers have been scammed</a> with fraudulently purchased phones, and the unsuspecting buyers are billed by AT&T for the retail price of a phone they've already paid for. </p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Mark H. Anbinder. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Go, Go, Boingo Gadget Hotspot Application!]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9685?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:39:14 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9685</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The folks at Boingo Wireless play their own game of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katamari_Damacy">Katamari Damacy</a>, rolling up hundreds of disparate Wi-Fi hotspot networks and tens of thousands of hotspots around the world into one flat-priced footprint. They have now enhanced support for Mac users with a lightweight application - <a href="http://www.boingo.com/download.html">GoBoingo</a> - that's designed to make it easier to connect to hotspots that are part of their network.</p> 
 
<p>Before the GoBoingo client was released officially, you could sign up for a Boingo account and at most hotspots in the company's network enter your credentials manually. I have subscribed to Boingo most recently since January 2008, and have used dozens of hotspots in that more tedious method. (Typically, you have to look for a partner link on the main gateway page for a hotspot, select Boingo, and then enter your user name and password.)</p> 
 
<p>GoBoingo has no user interface as such. Once installed, it runs in the background, and alerts you when a Boingo partner network is in the vicinity. You then enter your login details - if you haven't connected before - and you're informed about cost if your plan requires a payment.</p> 
 
<p>Boingo has two recurring unlimited service options: $22 per month for about 60,000 hotspots in the United States, or $39 per month for about 100,000 hotspots worldwide. The company requires no contract. With a Boingo account, you can also purchase 24-hour passes to the network for $8, and have it billed to whatever credit card is associated with your Boingo account.</p> 
 
<p>Readers with long memories will recall that Boingo had a slightly more complicated Macintosh client a few years ago (see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/7946">Boingo for Macintosh Launches</a>," 2005-01-10). That software apparently continued to work through Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, but didn't function under 10.5 Leopard.</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[MSN Music Doesn't Kill Future Playability of Purchased Tracks]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9684?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:19:22 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9684</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Microsoft blinked on its way to terminating the future capability to play music purchased from the defunct MSN Music store. On 31-Aug-08, The company had planned to pull the plug on its authorization servers, the back-end systems that are required for music owners to change the set of machines on which their purchased music is allowed to play. Computers that were already authorized to play music would still be able to play the music, however; Microsoft wasn't planning to use what's called "self-help" and disable existing rights and authorizations. (See "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9595">Thank You for Not Playing: Microsoft Expires DRMed Music</a>," 2008-04-30.)</p> 
 
<p>The company <a href="http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/06/microsoft-msn-music">backpedaled a few weeks ago</a> and said that it will keep its authorization systems running until at least the end of 2011. Microsoft faced a storm of media and user criticism over the move, which was nearly the worst-case scenario for those who oppose restrictive digital rights management. (The worst case is when all music playing rights would expire, not just the right of transfer and authorization.)</p> 
 
<p>It was clear to observers that Microsoft could also have faced class-action lawsuits, given the large number of purchasers, the lack of alternatives (excepting ripping and burning discs, degrading the music quality), and the unilateral action. </p> 
 
<p>Judges are increasingly handing down negative judgments and fines against the music industry trade group RIAA. Microsoft had to view the downside to its move to save most likely a few hundred thousand dollars a year against millions in defending itself and tens of millions if they lost a multi-year lawsuit.
</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 14-Jul-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9683?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:50:21 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9683</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Staff)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<UL><li><a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/">iPhone 2.0</a> and <a href="https://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/touchLandingPage">iPod touch 2.0</a> (direct link to iTunes Store) from Apple update first-generation iPhones and existing iPod touch devices to the latest version of the iPhone operating system. Among numerous improvements, the 2.0 updates enable third-party application software from Apple's App Store (including an App Store application on the device), support for separate calendars in the Calendar application, a search field for the Contacts application, improved Mail handling, and support for MobileMe push syncing. The updates are available via iTunes and require remote activation from the iTunes 
Store before they can function. (On the launch day, when Apple's servers failed to handle the demand of iPhone 2.0 upgrades and new iPhone 3G activations, people's updated iPhones were unusable for much of the day. We haven't seen the problem resurface, however.) As with previous iPod touch updates that add significant functionality, Apple charges an upgrade fee due to the way the company accounts for iPod income. (Free update for iPhone, $9.95 for iPod touch, 225 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/itunes77.html">iTunes 7.7</a> from Apple adds support for iPhone 2.0 syncing and the App Store. Also added is support for a new Remote application for the iPhone and iPod touch that lets you control iTunes from those devices. Currently the iTunes 7.7 update is available only for Mac OS X 10.3.9, Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, or Mac OS X 10.5 or later. (Free update, 48.32 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2304">Apple TV 2.1</a> from Apple adds support for the new Remote application on the iPhone and iPod touch; on the Apple TV, go to Settings  &gt;  General  &gt;  Remotes to set up the device. The update also includes several security enhancements that guard against behavior caused by maliciously crafted video and image files. Apple TV 2.1 is available only on the Apple TV itself (Settings  &gt;  General  &gt;  Update Software). (Free update)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default.mspx">Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2</a> is an update of Microsoft's tool for connecting to and controlling a Windows PC from a Mac. This version is now a universal application for running on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs; uses the Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0 for better performance with Windows Vista, including Network Level Authentication security; offers the capability to connect to multiple computers simultaneously; automatically reestablishes sessions when the connection is lost; prints from the Windows environment to any printer available to the Mac; and improves screen handling and interface issues. The utility requires Mac OS X 
10.4.9 or later. (Free, 7.7 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.lemkesoft.com/content/188/graphicconverter.html">GraphicConverter 6.1.2</a> from Lemkesoft updates the multipurpose image editor with improved support for EXIF data and bug fixes - but that only describes the latest minor update. GraphicConverter has always been one of the most versatile applications on the Mac for reading and saving image files of all stripes, but in recent versions the program has also become a full-fledged digital photography toolbox. If an image file has you flummoxed, GraphicConverter is likely to be your lifeline. ($34.95 new, free update, 41.4 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpen/">PDFpen 3.4.2</a> and PDFpenPro 3.4.2 from Smile on My Mac improve performance when using optical character recognition (OCR) to read PDFs such as electronic faxes thanks to better handling of font widths. The updates also squash a crashing bug affecting some bank statements and offer other fixes. ($49.95 new for PDFpen or $94.95 for PDFpenPro, free upgrade, 5.3 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/safari312fortiger.html">Safari 3.1.2 for Tiger</a> from Apple "includes stability improvements and the latest security updates." In particular, that means that Apple fixed a vulnerability in the WebKit framework upon which Safari relies that could enable an exploit if you visited a Web site that used maliciously crafted JavaScript. The Leopard version of Safari was updated by either the Mac OS X 10.5.4 Update, or by Security Update 2008-004. Software Update should provide the download for those who need it, or you can download directly from Apple's Web site. (Free, 49.2 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password">1Password 2.6.5</a> from Agile Web Solutions updates the form-filling and password management utility with improved support for Firefox 3, support for the Safari 4 Developer Preview, DEVONagent, the OmniWeb Sneaky Peek releases, and Flock 2. Localizations were removed for smaller download sizes, credit card filling was improved on a number of sites, and a variety of small cosmetic changes were made. The new version also provides some stability fixes. ($34.95 new, free upgrade, 14 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/timecapsuleandairportbasestation80211nfirmware732.html">Apple Wi-Fi firmware 7.3.2 updates</a> for Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express has what Apple describes as "bug fixes." Thanks so much for explaining what problems we might have that were solved by this update to the hardware's soul. The update requires that you have AirPort Utility 5.3.2 installed under Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, Windows XP, or Windows Vista. Launching AirPort Utility causes the program to perform a firmware check of all devices on the local network; you're then prompted to upgrade any applicable Wi-Fi routers. AirPort Utility can be downloaded through the above link for your particular 
platform.</li> 
 
</UL><P></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Staff. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Precipitate Shines Mac Spotlight into Google's Cloud]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9682?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:46:13 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9682</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[ace@tidbits.com (Adam C. Engst)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Stuart Morgan of Google has released a free Mac OS X preference pane called <a href="http://code.google.com/p/precipitate/">Precipitate</a> that enables Spotlight and Google Desktop to search documents stored in your Google Docs account, along with your Google Bookmarks. </p> 
 
<p><!--start_image_pn1--><a name="image_pn1"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/Precipitate-pane.png"><img src="http://db.tidbits.com/tbthumbs/tn9682_Precipitate-pane.jpg" width="400" height="241" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn1--> 
 
<p>We've been using Google Docs an increasing amount, and Precipitate worked fine in my initial Spotlight search tests for finding documents that exist only online. Clicking a found Google Docs document in the Spotlight search results opened it in my default browser, just as you'd expect. If you use either Google Docs or Google Bookmarks and Spotlight or Google Desktop, give Precipitate a try.</p> 
 
<p><!--start_image_pn3--><a name="image_pn3"></a><a href="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/Precipitate-search.png"><img src="http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-07/Precipitate-search.png" width="376" height="539" border="0" /></a><BR /><!--end_image_pn3--> 
 
<p>Future updates of Precipitate will likely support multiple Google accounts and some sort of automatic update functionality (so in the meantime, you'll need to check for updates manually at the Precipitate page). It's a 904K download and works in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard; I haven't yet confirmed Tiger compatibility.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[AT&T Waking Up Early Friday for iPhone Sales]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9681?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:33:20 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9681</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[mha@tidbits.com (Mark H. Anbinder)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>AT&T revealed this week that the <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9647">iPhone 3G,</a> announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference last month, will go on sale at Apple and AT&T retail stores in the United States at 8 am in each local time zone on Friday, 11-Jul-08. This is a change from last summer's original iPhone roll-out, for which stores closed early and then reopened at 6 pm.</p> 
 
<p>We suspect the early morning start time is a realistic nod to the likelihood that most transactions this time around won't be quite as quick as last year's iPhone sales. Since customers will need to activate each iPhone in the store, rather than taking the box home to activate the phone in iTunes, we're sure the process will take more than a couple of minutes per person.</p> 
 
<p>As fellow editor Glenn Fleishman reported, existing iPhone users, new AT&T customers, and other existing AT&T customers eligible for an upgrade will be able to buy an iPhone 3G at the $199 and $299 subsidized prices. (See "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9680">Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on Reactivation</a>," 2008-07-01.) Existing AT&T customers in the middle of an existing contract on a different phone will be able to pay $200 above the subsidized price to start up a new iPhone 3G contract. AT&T customers whose accounts aren't current or who have a past history of payment delinquency will have problems obtaining an iPhone at all, as no prepaid plans are available at the launch. AT&T has provided <a 
href="http://www.wireless.att.com/olam/loginAction.olamexecute?target=UpgradePH">a Web site to check upgrade eligibility.</a></p> 
 
<p>There's also been some confusion over news this week that AT&T will be offering the iPhone at a higher price for those who'd like to buy it without a two-year contract. The company has said they will offer the 8 GB and 16 GB models for $599 and $699, respectively, some time after the July 11th launch date for the iPhone 3G. Some early coverage has implied, incorrectly, that the non-subsidized phones will be "unlocked" to work on any carrier's GSM network. In fact, these phones will still work only with AT&T service, but customers will be able to select month-to-month plans and cancel without penalty. (I'd rather pay the $175 early cancellation fee than the $400 surcharge!)
</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Mark H. Anbinder. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on Reactivation]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9680?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:17:29 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9680</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[glenn@tidbits.com (Glenn Fleishman)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>You won't pay a 3G rate for a 2G iPhone with a new service plan, AT&T confirmed for me today. This should be good news to anyone looking to either sell their so-called 2G iPhone when they upgrade to an iPhone 3G, or for those looking to buy (or beg) the older iPhone model without paying a fee for bandwidth they can't use.</p> 
 
<p>This stems from AT&T's clear policy that the firm will allow current subscribers with 2G iPhones - the ones that use EDGE as their fastest connection method over the cell network - to trade up to the iPhone 3G, exiting their current contract with no cancellation fee. You get to keep the 2G iPhone as well; that wasn't entirely clear a few weeks ago, but is now quite certain. (Since every U.S. customer paid full freight for that iPhone, with no carrier subsidy, it would be impossible for AT&T to reclaim the phone.)</p> 
 
<p>What wasn't clear, even with the <a href="http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/specials/iphone-info.jsp">release today of piles of details about AT&T's pricing</a> for the iPhone 3G hardware and associated service plans, was what someone who purchased or was given a 2G iPhone would pay for a new contract with AT&T.</p> 
 
<p>The company gave me an answer this afternoon: The current 2G iPhone plans will continue to be available for people who want to start up new service plans with someone's old phone. That means a 2G iPhone buyer or gift recipient can pay $20 per month for unlimited EDGE and 200 text messages (combined incoming and outgoing); plans with additional text messages along with family plans are still available, too. The equivalent iPhone 3G service plan is $35 per month: $30 for unlimited 3G, and $5 for 200 text messages; you can choose no text message bundle, but then pay a whopping 20 cents per SMS.</p> 
 
<p>The original GoPhone prepaid option is also available, which costs $20 per month for unlimited EDGE data on top of whatever voice minutes you choose, but does not include text messages in that price.</p> 
 
<p>There will likely be hundreds of thousands of the over 5 million 2G iPhones put up for sale or handed off to family members because of AT&T's upgrade policy. The combination of a sale price for the 2G iPhone with the lower monthly service plan pricing will likely make it a reasonable alternative for people who don't want to commit to $35 per month for two years.</p> 
 
<p>AT&T hilariously avoids the secondary market issue by suggesting you "hand it off to a friend or family member." Which may be what I do, but I doubt that will represent the majority of 2G iPhone transfers. The company posted instructions about wiping your 2G iPhone, which is rather nice of them, although they chose to <a href="http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/specials/en/Transfer_Contacts.pdf">distribute these instructions as a PDF</a>. </p> 
 
<p>Also today, AT&T clarified who qualifies for a subsidized iPhone, and how much a contract-free iPhone will cost. If you are in the middle of a contract period with any handset but an iPhone, you don't qualify; that's also true if your account isn't in good standing. Users who meet those criteria pay $400 (8 GB) or $500 (16 GB). No-contract iPhone 3Gs won't be available at launch, but when that option comes around, it will cost $600 (8 GB) and $700 (16 GB). (At least one site has pointed out that buying an iPhone 3G, keeping the plan for over 30 days, and then canceling service and paying the early-termination fee is much cheaper. AT&T may offer a wrinkle there to prevent this.)</p> 
 
<p>All current iPhone users will pay an $18 fee to upgrade to an iPhone 3G, and $200 (8 GB) or $300 (16 GB) for the phone. New customers pay $36 for the phone activation.
</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Mac OS X 10.5.4 and Security Update 2008-004 Fix Bugs]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9679?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:12:11 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9679</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Apple released <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1994">Mac OS X 10.5.4</a> today, a bug-fix update that touches on several areas. Recent security updates are included (though the recent ARDAgent vulnerability has not yet been addressed; see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9665">How to Protect Yourself from the New Mac OS X Trojans</a>," 2008-06-25). If you want to take advantage of the security updates without installing the operating system update, you can download Security Update 2008-004 for <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004intel.html">Intel</a> (128 MB) and <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004ppc.html">PowerPC</a> (80 MB); security updates for Mac OS X 
10.5 Server are also available for <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004serverintel.html">Intel</a> (165 MB) and <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004serverppc.html">PowerPC</a> (127 MB).</p> 
 
<p>Designers will be relieved to discover that a problem with saving and reopening Adobe Creative Suite 3 files located on remote servers has been resolved. A pair of AirPort fixes deal with reliability of 5 GHz networks and poor performance when using Logic Studio or MainStage.</p> 
 
<p>According to Apple's release notes, iCal sees the most improvements, such as resolving problems when deleting events, copying and pasting attendees between events, and reliability of shared meetings. Fixes in Safari center on improving performance and solving problems loading secure Web pages. Apple is still grappling with the way Spaces operates, fixing a problem where the Finder would become the active application when switching to a space instead of the program residing in that space, as well as an issue dealing with assigning applications to spaces in the Spaces preference pane.</p> 
 
<p>This update also includes a number of new security fixes, including major updates to patch recent vulnerabilities discovered in the Ruby programming language. Two fixes close holes that could allow an attacker to take over your computer if you were to visit a malicious Web site using Safari. One of those vulnerabilities is exploitable only if you have the Safari preference to "Open 'safe' files after downloading" set - this is a valuable reminder to disable that preference in Safari's General preference pane.</p> 
 
<p>The Mac OS X 10.5.4 update also adds raw format support for more cameras, fixes a problem where X11 may not be completely installed, and improves L2TP VPN client reliability. </p> 
 
<p>The update is available via Software Update or as standalone downloads: <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx1054update.html">Mac OS X 10.5.4 Update</a> (88 MB); <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx1054comboupdate.html">Mac OS X 10.5.4 Combo Update</a> (561 MB); <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxserver1054.html">Mac OS X Server 10.5.4 Update</a> (133 MB); <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxservercombo1054.html">Mac OS X Server Combo 10.5.4 Update</a> (677 MB).</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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		</item><item>
			<title><![CDATA[Bonus Stories for 30-Jun-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9678?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:40:19 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9678</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[ace@tidbits.com (Adam C. Engst)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9674">Microsoft Needs to Empty Windows Trash, Reboot</a></b> -- Mr. Ballmer, tear down this operating system! Seriously: you have virtualization software. Vista is bloated, but not bad. Don't make Windows 7 continue to carry the water for 15 years of old, sometimes bad decisions. Just a suggestion. (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-29)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9673">Discovering Sparse Bundle Disk Images</a></b> -- A new disk image format introduced in Leopard is backup-friendly, because it doesn't require huge files to be backed up when only a small change has occurred. Now we just need more developers to catch on. (Joe Kissell, 2008-06-27)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9672">Print Custom Text & Photo M&M's</a></b> -- Who knew you could now print photos on custom M&M's? Well, you do now, but good luck getting a photo to print well in half the size of a dime. (Adam C. Engst, 2008-06-27)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9669">Vanity Spreads to Top-Level Domain Names</a></b> -- Have you ever wanted to see your name in dot-lights? The group that oversees domain names will allow vanity and corporate top-level domain registration. Are .coke, .pepsi, and .7up in our future? (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-26)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="4"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9666">Symbian Smartphone Platform Goes Free, Partly Open Source</a></b> -- Nokia buys out its partners in Symbian, the world's most popular smartphone platform by far, and may change the whole nature of competition for these intelligent communicators by making it even more accessible to more handset makers. It's a shot across the bow for Apple, RIM, Microsoft, and Google, but it won't reach fruition until 2010. (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-24)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="5"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9582">Get More From the iPhone's Text Widget</a></b> -- Texting on the iPhone is fun and useful, but it also can be expensive and may not work all the time. Discover how to track and reduce your bill, and find tips on solving problems with the Text widget. (Ted Landau, 2008-04-24)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="6"></a><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9578">Solve More Word 2008 Problems with AppleScript</a></b> -- A pair of articles I wrote for Macworld provide several AppleScripts that address common complaints in Word 2008. (Joe Kissell, 2008-04-22)</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 30-Jun-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9668?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:05:09 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9668</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[ace@tidbits.com (Adam C. Engst)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<UL><li><a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/">Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro</a> updates Adobe's PDF manipulation software with improved creation and management of forms, support for Flash, document reviewing, and security. A new PDF Portfolio feature enables combining of several PDF files into one file using templates for displaying the information. This version also provides the capability to remove redacted information from files instead of just covering it up (a problem companies and government agencies have run into recently when such redacted information has become public). Unsurprisingly, the Mac version lags behind the Windows version. Microsoft Office integration has been removed, and Mac users can purchase only the $449 Pro 
version whereas Windows users can also choose Acrobat 9 Pro Extended or the less expensive Acrobat 9 Standard. ($449 new, $159 upgrade)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/proapplicationsupdate200802.html">Pro Applications Update 2008-02</a> from Apple fixes problems in Final Cut Pro 6.0.4 and Compressor 3.0.3 related to installation, compatibility, general performance, and overall stability. (Free update, 138 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/finalcutserverupdate11.html">Final Cut Server Update 1.1</a> from Apple addresses problems with the check in/check out process for Final Cut Pro projects and double-byte character sets, and generally improves the reliability of the asset management and workflow automation software. ($999 new, free update, 50.1 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.red-sweater.com/marsedit/">MarsEdit 2.1.4</a> from Red Sweater Software is a minor update to the popular blog posting software. Changes include a dock menu item for creating a new post; uploading to a specific Picasa album for Blogger users; and fixes for crashes related to bad URLs, the display of tags in the main window preview, and inadvertent loading of URLs dragged to the preview window. ($29.95 new, free update from 2.x or $9.95 from 1.0, 3.5 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.keyboardmaestro.com/">Keyboard Maestro 3.2</a> from Stairways Software enhances the macro utility with more options for macro groups, including secondary key activation of macros within a group and both temporary and permanent palettes showing the contained macros. The secondary key activation is particularly interesting, since it lets you activate a group, and then execute a particular macro within the group using a single key. So you could press Command-Control-M to activate a group of text-munging macros (remember that Keyboard Maestro can apply BBEdit Text Factories to clipboard text), and then press Q to activate a quote-cleanup macro. <a href="http://www.keyboardmaestro.com/documentation/3/whatsnew">Other new 
features</a> include an Alert action with a Stop/Continue dialog, macros without direct triggers, and remembered window size and position for script result windows. Keyboard Maestro 3.2 also adds triggers based on scripts, wake events, and login. ($36 new, free upgrade, 7.1 MB)</li> 
 
<li><a href="http://www.dejal.com/simon/">Dejal Simon 2.4.1</a> from Dejal Systems fixes several bugs in the server monitoring tool with the Port plug-in and adds a pair of hidden preferences to log debug information for the Port and Ping plug-in helpers. ($29.95 to $195 new, free upgrade, 10.8 MB)</li> 
 
</UL><P></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Critical Updates for Microsoft Office 2008 and 2004]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9667?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:51:56 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9667</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[ace@tidbits.com (Adam C. Engst)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>We've been waiting for these! The just-released <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953822">Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 Update</a> fixes a variety of troublesome bugs, some introduced in the previous update. And, the <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953824">Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update</a> fixes some crashing bugs, improves compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, and includes all the updates previously released for Office 2004, so new installations of Office 2004 don't have to be updated 19 times to be brought up to date.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Office 2008 Changes</b> -- Most notably (from my perspective, anyway), Word and Excel documents downloaded from the Web or attached to email messages will now open when double-clicked. Yay! This has been driving me bonkers whenever I tried to open a Word file attached to an email message in Eudora. </p> 
 
<p>Also fixed in Word 2008 is a bug that would cause spaces to be lost when opening a document created in or saved by Word 2008 or Word 2007 in Windows - I didn't run into that one, thankfully. Other fixes preserve items in Notebook Layout documents when the document is converted from .docx to .doc, preserve font size settings for text in tables, and address a problem in saving .doc documents that contain an Area or Filled Radar chart.</p> 
 
<p>Excel 2008 also features numerous improvements, including accepting international decimal separators for error bars, no longer duplicating embedded movies when workbooks are saved in .xls format, and improving PivotTable reports. Excel's reliability has been enhanced in a variety of situations, such as when chart data is updated, when you reference or link to a sheet name that resembles a cell reference, and at times when you calculate or edit a formula.</p> 
 
<p>PowerPoint 2008 and Entourage 2008 see fewer changes. This update fixes a problem that would cause PowerPoint to take a long time to open presentations that use certain fonts, and also fixes a nasty bug that would cause Entourage to crash when you wake the Mac from sleep.</p> 
 
<p>The Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 Update requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, and that you have already installed the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 1 (see "<a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/9622">Microsoft Fixes Office 2008 Bugs, Announces VBA Return</a>," 2008-05-19). It's a 153.3 MB download, and is <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C75DB26D-D3BC-49A4-8951-DE27AE58B5A1">available from Microsoft's Web site</a> or via the Microsoft AutoUpdate utility launched by choosing Check for Updates from any Office 2008 application. Once again, kudos to Microsoft for excellent release notes.</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>Office 2004 Changes</b> -- For Office 2004, which Microsoft appears to be maintaining more actively than is usual for a previous release, the 11.5.0 update improves compatibility with documents in the Open XML format used by Office 2008 and Office 2007 in Windows, and it also fixes a problem whereby the installer would find copies of Office backed up by Time Machine.</p> 
 
<p>In Word 2004, Microsoft fixed a number of crashing bugs, including several that could occur during typical operation, one that could happen when you pasted content from an Office 2008 document into Word 2004, and one that kicked in when getting the properties of a hyperlink via AppleScript. Other fixes include improved text display when you change the size of table columns and cosmetic improvements to the Page Setup dialog in Leopard.</p> 
 
<p>Similarly, Excel 2004 receives fixes for errors when pasting data from Excel 2008; for crashing bugs related to opening workbooks containing a shape, a SmartArt graphic, or a text box created in Excel 2008 or Excel 2007; for saving paper sizes for documents saved in both Excel 2004 and Excel 2008; and for the inability to open Excel 2007 documents via the Open dialog.</p> 
 
<p>Finally, the update fixes a problem in PowerPoint 2004 that could cause crashes when opening presentations with a large number of slides, or when pasting content from an open Office 2008 application running on an Intel-based Mac into a PowerPoint 2004 presentation.</p> 
 
<p>The Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update requires Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, and as I noted previously, includes all previous Office 2004 updates. It's a 58.9 MB update, and is available either via the Office 2004 version of Microsoft AutoUpdate or as <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B6D69814-0995-490D-909A-5EC6AE6F64F0">a standalone download</a>.</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[TidBITS Issue Hiatus for 07-Jul-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9677?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:09:15 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9677</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[ace@tidbits.com (Adam C. Engst)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Although the other hard-working members of the TidBITS staff will continue to be writing and editing articles over the next few weeks, Tonya and I will be taking some time for - gasp! - a summer vacation. We've heard that these "vacations" are all the rage, and we've been curious to see what they're like, so we'll be wrapping up this week and then spending the next few weeks peregrinating around in the UK. We'll mostly be visiting <a href="http://www.castlewales.com/">castles in Wales</a>, since Tristan is a major Welsh castle buff and has planned much of our itinerary around his favorites, with a few days in Portsmouth to see Admiral Nelson's ship <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victory">HMS Victory</a>. (Several years ago, 
when he was engrossed in naval history, Tristan dressed as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Nelson%2C_1st_Viscount_Nelson">Admiral Nelson</a> for Halloween, a costume that required constant explanation, given how few Americans know of Nelson's victory at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a>.)</p> 
 
<p>The practical upshot of this family vacation is that there will be no email issue of TidBITS on 07-Jul-08, since I'll be on a plane, and Glenn and Joe and Jeff can use a break from the extra effort of putting out the issue after all the ebooks they've written and edited over the last few weeks. They'll still be posting articles on our Web site, though, and assuming all goes well, the next email issue should appear on 14-Jul-08. Tonya and I should have sporadic email access while we're away, but don't expect much in the way of quick replies until the week of July 21st, when I'll start digging out.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[The Hole in My Backup Plan]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9676?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:53:14 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9676</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[joe@tidbits.com (Joe Kissell)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>A couple of weeks ago, my 17-inch MacBook Pro, which has been my primary computer for the last year, stopped working. I know a <a href="http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/troubleshooting-mac.html?14@@!pt=TB935">thing or two</a> about troubleshooting, and I tried all the tricks I could think of, but the problem appeared not to involve the hard disk, RAM, NVRAM, PMU, or any other component my ministrations could affect. My Mac was showing the signs of having a logic board defect, and since I couldn't even boot from a CD without a kernel panic, it was necessary to put my Mac in the hands of professionals for repair.</p> 
 
<p>The timing couldn't have been worse, as I was simultaneously pushing to meet several major writing deadlines, trying to spend time with family visiting from out of town, and preparing to move to a new apartment! And this little crisis has highlighted a deficiency - or maybe a few deficiencies - in what I thought was an excellent backup plan. Being without my main computer this long (I hope to get it back this week) has been excruciating, and as a public service I'd like to explain why that is.</p> 
 
<p>First, I want to be very clear about the fact that I follow my own advice. Of course I have multiple backups of my data, including a bootable duplicate. I also have AppleCare for this laptop, so even though it was a couple of weeks past the end of its standard 1-year warranty, I knew that any potentially expensive repairs would be covered. (And yes, that coverage extends here to France even though I bought the computer in the United States.) I also have two other Macs here (and my wife has a third), so there are other Macs I can use in the interim.</p> 
 
<p>However, apart from all the hours I've had to spend troubleshooting and dealing with the repair, the biggest problem has been that none of these other Macs comes close to giving me the capabilities of my MacBook Pro, which has a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard disk, and a 1920-by-1200-pixel display. The other Macs I have at my disposal are two PowerBook G4s (including the 1 GHz TiBook on which I'm now typing this) and the Intel-based Mac mini that's our media server (and whose only display is a standard-definition TV). All of these have significant problems as backup machines, but I'd never realized this was the case because I'd never had to rely on them completely.</p> 
 
<p>Here's what I found:</p> 
 
<UL><li>Given my line of work, I regularly rely on software that runs only on Intel-based Macs (such as virtualization programs). That fact alone means I can't get some of my crucial work done on either of the PowerBooks. And even some universal binary applications, like Microsoft Office 2008, are at times painfully slow on a G4.</li> 
 
<li>Although my Mac mini has an Intel processor, it's slow and has half the RAM of my MacBook Pro - it's better than nothing, but still not enough. (It's also normally busy doing other important tasks, such as functioning as a backup server, so it's problematic to switch to it for any length of time.)</li> 
 
<li>Because there's no stand-alone, high-resolution monitor in the house, I'm also constrained to working with a much smaller screen than I'm accustomed to, and that seriously reduces my productivity.</li> 
 
<li>Much of my work involves testing software - which means I need to be able to have a reliable Mac to use for writing and other essential tasks, while testing risky or time-consuming programs and procedures on a less-critical computer. Having my most reliable and useful computer disappear from the mix is debilitating.</li> 
 
<li>Apart from the issue of sheer processor speed, the limited RAM in my other computers makes it impractical to run as many applications at once as I normally do, further reducing my efficiency.</li> 
 
<li>I hadn't installed all my important software separately on the PowerBook or Mac mini or synchronized my most essential files (as there had never been a need to do so), meaning that I had to jump through some extra hoops just to get back to work. To be sure, I could boot one of our other Macs from the duplicate of my MacBook Pro's drive. But for a variety of reasons, that makes my work awkward, especially since the capabilities and configuration of the MacBook Pro are so much different from those of the other Macs.</li> 
 
</UL><P>So what's the lesson to be learned from all this? Honestly, I'm not yet entirely sure. It would be easy enough to say I should have had a backup computer with as much (or nearly as much) oomph as my main computer, but I can't afford that, and for the 99 percent of my time that my main Mac is working, it would be overkill. I'd like to make the argument that we now clearly <EM>need</EM> a high-definition TV - you know, just so we have a decent monitor to use in emergencies! - but that could cost more than a new Mac. I'm leaning toward the opinion that, at the very least, I should buy new Macs a <EM>bit</EM> more frequently (again, finances permitting) so that my previous computer is still recent enough to do real, demanding work.</p> 
 
<p>Needless to say, your mileage may vary. You may suffer much less inconvenience, or much more, to be without your main Mac - or your only Mac - for a couple of weeks. I can't make a good general-purpose suggestion about having a backup Mac available, but this experience has made me aware of an entirely new set of issues to think about when considering what's needed to stay up and running when trouble strikes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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			<title><![CDATA[Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/30-Jun-08]]></title>
			<link>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9675?rss</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:54:24 PDT</pubDate>
			<guid>http://db.tidbits.com/article/9675</guid>
			<author><![CDATA[jeffc@tidbits.com (Jeff Carlson)]]></author>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><br /><b><a name="0"></a>Car Bluetooth Hands Free Units</b> -- Readers provide suggestions for Bluetooth in-car speakers for talking on the phone hands-free while driving. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2055">5 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="1"></a>Making AppleCare Worthwhile: MacBook Pro Battery Replacement</b> -- Jeff Carlson's experience getting a replacement battery is echoed by some readers, while others debate the merits of AppleCare. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2056">19 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="2"></a>Firefox feature sought</b> -- Firefox's add-on capability opens the door for features that aren't included in the program itself. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2057">11 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="3"></a>How to Protect Yourself From The New Mac OS X Trojans</b> -- Readers discuss possible workarounds for the latest security vulnerabilities. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2059">14 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="4"></a>Firefox 3 Bounds Forward</b> -- People are reporting mixed experiences running the newest version of Firefox following Adam's article. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2060">4 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p><br /><b><a name="5"></a>Critical Update for Microsoft Office 2008</b> -- The latest Office update apparently does not fix an issue where the modification date is changed on PowerPoint files just by opening them. However, a few workarounds are suggested. (<a href="http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2061">2 messages</a>)</p> 
 
<p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>Copyright &copy; 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright &copy; 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/contact.html">let us know</a>, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates <a href="http://www.tidbits.com/terms/">our Creative Commons License</a>.</p>
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