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About this site

For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Coming soon: Everything Must Go

The next edition of "Everything Must Go" will be appearing here soon. --Paul

Friday, November 14, 2003

ipodrocks.com
Apple has launched a holiday iPod site called ipodrocks.com designed, apparently, to help kids convince their parents to get them an iPod for Christmas. Seriously.

[ Posted at 6:22 PM | Permalink ]

Great Panther review
Andy Ihnatko probably knows more about the Mac than anyone on the planet and his review of Panther--belated though it may be--is excellent. And no, Inhatko doesn't trash Panther as you might suspect, given my recommendation. But then, Kool-Aid-drinking Apple fans generally do misunderstand me: I've always said that Panther was a great upgrade, it's just Apple's way of promoting it that grates. But Inhantko get its right. Noting the Finder is more than a little Microsoftish, he moves quickly to the stuff in Panther that's worth thinking about, which is of the course the ton of very minor tweaks Apple has made to really polish this OS (like the 'eject buttons that appear where they're most needed" as he says). It all goes to show what a very minor and yet landmark release this is, because Panther is really just a primped and prettied version of what came before, which is actually just fine, thank you very much. It's sad that Apple doesn't have the balls to admit this. What I really think is that Jaguar was the first OS X version worth bothering with, while Panther is the first version you could give to a general computer user and expect them to be happy. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

[ Posted at 6:20 PM | Permalink ]

Thursday, November 13, 2003

New Mozilla.org site launches
The new Mozilla.org Web site launched today, and it looks pretty good except for that nasty upper left corner. Why can't they get that right? It looks like it doesn't belong with the rest of the design. Speaking of which... the lizard thing is getting old. Isn't it time for a more professional logo?

[ Posted at 11:10 PM | Permalink ]

Windows Media continues to dominate QuickTime, Real
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Windows Media is the dominant format for multimedia playback. "Microsoft has been making key conquests," the report reads. "With the exception of Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store, all the major online music downloading services rolled out world-wide recently -- and almost all portable digital audio devices on sale -- support Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) standard. The standard is a combination of compression and encryption technology designed to ease downloads, store more music in less space and prevent piracy. Some 400 device manufacturers and more than 150 software companies support the Microsoft standard, including RealNetworks Inc., Musicmatch Inc. and Roxio Inc.'s Napster 2.0. Analysts and competitors agree with regulators that the fact Microsoft's WMA-based Windows Media Player is installed on more than 90% of all new PCs world-wide gives it a leg-up on the competition for related services. 'Windows Media Player is going to be the dominant player' despite the current success of Apple's iTunes and RealNetworks' RealOne players, predicts Mark Mulligan, senior analyst at Jupiter Research in London. 'The majority of consumers like to have the easy option. They don't want to have to download another piece of software.' Or, in the case of Apple's non-supported AAC, yet another codec.

[ Posted at 9:07 AM | Permalink ]

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

STAR WARS Episode III marketing timeline
With the Matrix wrapped up and the Lord of the Rings winding down next month, it's almost time to turn our attention to STAR WARS Episode III, which will move on a slow burn over the next 18 months or so. First, "The Clone Wars" animated series is showing now on the Cartoon Channel (I'm recording them on the Media Center, natch, they're very good). Then the original STAR WARS trilogy will be released in September 2004, apparently in "Special Edition" or newer format. STAR WARS Episode 3 teaser advertising will begin in January 2005, followed by the movie's release on May 3, 2005. Then, LucasFilm will release Episode 3 on DVD (and VHS) in November 2005.

[ Posted at 10:55 PM | Permalink ]

Misleading Apple ads banned in the UK
Apple advertisements claiming that its PowerMac G5 was the "fastest PC in the world" have been banned in the UK because they are "misleading." Good stuff. "Viewers complained that the advertising was misleading because the main claim was based on the results of limited tests in which the specification of the computers used was configured to give Apple the best results," the Independent Television Commission (ITC) Web site reads. "The BACC's independent IT expert raised some concerns ... [and] found that the claim was not supported by independent reviews and that at best 'the G5 was generally as fast as the best Intel-based workstations currently available.' The ITC considered that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim 'world's fastest, most powerful personal computer.' Furthermore, it shared one viewer's doubt that the claim could be substantiated at all because, as evidence for and against the claim had shown, computers were constantly being updated and had many different applications and benchmarks. It reminded the BACC of the importance to obtain solid evidence for such absolute claims. It judged that the advertising was misleading and required that it should not be re-shown in its current form." My response: Ahahahahahahahahaha. The US should be this logical.

[ Posted at 9:06 AM | Permalink ]

Let the patching begin...
Apple's latest OS is only two weeks old, but its already coming under fire for a number of problems. Today, Apple released the first major upgrade to Panther, dubbed OS X 10.3.1, which addresses a number of the early teething problems its latest cat foisted on early adopters. "The 10.3.1 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: FileVault, printing, WebDav, and FireWire 800 drives," Apple writes. "This update also includes the latest security updates." The FireWire 800 problems actually caused customer data loss, a major no-no. You can download the upgrade from Software Updates.

[ Posted at 8:59 AM | Permalink ]