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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

Friday, February 27, 2004

Fortune: 2004 America's Most Admired Companies

1. Wal-Mart
2. Berkshire Hathaway
3. Southwest Airlines
4. General Electric
5. Dell
6. Microsoft
7. Johnson & Johnson
8. Starbucks
9. Fed Ex
10. IBM

Apple's nowhere to be seen in the full top 50 list, which is kind of odd. In fact, when you sort the Forbes list by industry, and choose computer, you get the following (which I believe is global, not just the US):

1. IBM
2. Microsoft
3. Dell
4. Xerox
5. Canon
6. Hewlett-Packard
7. Oracle
8. Ricoh
9. Seiko Epson
10. Sun Microsystems
11. Fujitsu

[ Posted at 3:08 PM | Permalink ]

DOOM 3 Beta 2

I got my hands on an updated version of the DOOM 3 beta and it's looking great! Here are a few screenshots.

Removed by request of Id Software

[ Posted at 2:33 PM | Permalink ]

Apple offers company details during analyst symposium

MacNN: "During Goldman Sach's Technology Investment Symposium 2004, both Apple CFO Fred Anderson and Apple Corporate Controller Peter Oppenheimer spoke about Apple's growth over the past few years, including its retail segment, research and development, software development, education outlook, and other issues ... Anderson said it is strategically making a broad market play in music and believed that iTunes, when combined with the iPod, was the key application. The iTunes Music Store has 70% market, while the iPod has 30% unit marketshare (including flash MP3 players) and 50% of revenue marketshare ... In the 2003 calendar year, Apple saw 1% improvement to 14% in the US education marketplace and a 2% increase to 22% marketshare in portable sales to education."

Apple: "Comments made during this event may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. For more information on the factors that could influence results, please refer to Apple’s SEC filings."

[ Posted at 2:25 PM | Permalink ]

Battle of the Buds

Forbes: "The iPod continues to top the sales charts for MP3 players, and rightly so. It's a great machine. But the headphones that come with it offer a dismal fit, tend to blow out and, say audio experts, don't match the high-performance capabilities of the player. The result is music that's damp and unclear."

[ Posted at 2:16 PM | Permalink ]

Microsoft WMV 9 Gets Nod for HD-DVD

WinInfo: "The DVD Forum has approved the popular Microsoft Windows Media Video (WMV) 9 format as a mandatory technology for any device seeking the high-definition DVD (HD-DVD) logo. In other words, to use the logo, next-generation DVD players and other DVD-playback devices must support WMV. This move is a huge coup d'etat for Microsoft, which is trying to get its video and audio formats accepted as industry standards, and for consumers, who'll be able to purchase more advanced DVD movies in the future as a result."

[ Posted at 2:15 PM | Permalink ]

Must...Keep...Moving...

Ditto: "Here I am on the 98th day of Mac OS X as my primary platform and, although I love most parts of the experience and definitely prefer it as my general use platform, I'm super frustrated at interoperability within a corporate environment and office-type productivity. Exchange Server support is shoddy at best. Microsoft Office is definitely second rate compared to the XP version (fonts look weak, performance is sluggish, inconsistent keyboard shortcuts, not Cocoa-based). And I just got a new toy, a Treo 600, which I can't seem to figure out how to sync up well (with my Pocket PC Phone, I just sync over the air to Exchange...but of course the Palm doesn't seem to play that game). Few gadgets in general seem to want to play with Mac OS X. Java development is more difficult than it should be ... So this is what it's like to be a second-rate citizen in the world of computing, huh?"

[ Posted at 2:12 PM | Permalink ]

Thursday, February 26, 2004

Why would Jobs do something so stupid?

Mac NET V2: "Steve Jobs did a bad, bad thing. Knowing that Marshall Mathers did not want his music used in a commercial for Apple iTunes he went and used it anyway. After reading the complaint filed against Apple, MTV, Viacom, and Chiat/Day, there is no confusion as to whether or not Steve Jobs knew about Marshall’s position on whether or not to allow Apple to use his God-awful song, “lose yourself” in an iTunes Music Store Ad campaign. Marshall wanted millions, Jobs didn’t want to pay, the commercial was made, and somewhere along the line Steve Jobs decided to run it. Dumb, dumb, dumb…"

[ Posted at 10:57 AM | Permalink ]

Apple CFO Anderson: Retail Stores Not Doing Much

IFO Apple Store: "Unlike other companies, Apple chief financial officer Fred Anderson said, Apple does not intend to have 300 stores--only profitable stores, and the enhancement of the company's brand and other Apple resellers. He said the gross margin for Apple's stores was 3.3%, giving them $9 million profit on revenues of $273 million during the latest quarter. That does not include $52 in manufacturing profit, Anderson explained, which is money retained by the company as profit, and which isn't attributed to the stores. Asked if the company was pleased with the 3.3% margin for stores, Anderson said the company is 'very pleased' the stores are profitable."

Note that Apple's margins are typically 26 percent. Note further that Mac Observer's article about this story purports to be a "scoop" despite the fact that it's clearly based on the IFO Apple Store story.

[ Posted at 10:48 AM | Permalink ]

Microsoft seeks to patent virtual desktops

redf.net: "The link ... points to a patent submission by Bret Anderson (aka MrJukes) on behalf of Microsoft for a Virtual Desktop Manager. Here's a relevent blurb from the patent application itself... '...each pane containing a scaled virtual desktop having dimensions that are proportionally less than the dimensions of a corresponding full-size virtual desktop, each scaled virtual desktop being displayed with one or more scaled application windows if the corresponding full-size virtual desktop has one or more corresponding application windows that are active.'"

[ Posted at 10:19 AM | Permalink ]

How to take apart iPod, replace battery

Popular Science: "Your iPod will die, maybe sooner than you think; bring it back to life (and other unsanctioned trickery)."

Related: Cracking open an iPod Mini.

[ Posted at 10:15 AM | Permalink ]

Maybe the iPod Mini is a good deal after all

The iPod Mini uses a 4 GB Hitachi Micro Drive (CompactFlash-based), which retails for more than $250, the cost of the iPod Mini. So if you need such a drive, buying an iPod Mini and gutting it may be an option.

On the other hand, the $200 Creative Nomad MUVO 2 also includes the same Hitachi drive, so you could just save $50 and gut that instead. Maybe the iPod Mini isn't such a good deal. :)

[ Posted at 10:06 AM | Permalink ]

DOOM 3 due April 15?

Blues News: "Doom 3 due April 15 on GameSpot reveals what they call the "official," albeit still not officially announced ship date for the PC version of id Software's shooter sequel, attributing this information to an insider at Activision. There is, however, a bit of uncertainty to the use of 'may' in the statement 'GameSpot learned that Activision may be planning to ship the PC Doom 3 on April 15,' and id Software has long held 'when it's done' as the release date for all their projects. They also report the release date for the Xbox version is not certain yet.

Update: This story has been subsequently pulled without further explanation."

[ Posted at 10:01 AM | Permalink ]

Mixed reactions to Apple's new iPod Mini

CPM Net Asia: "For lovers of portable music, there is a new MP3 player in town -Apple's iPod Mini. Fans say it's the best thing since the iPod while others say it's over-hyped. Initial reactions have varied due to a higher price-per-megabyte compared to the fifteen-gigabyte iPod, but many people are considering the Mini's slender size and styling."

[ Posted at 9:24 AM | Permalink ]

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Apple Makes 'Minor' Job Cuts as Education Unit Pressured

Dow Jones: "Apple Computer Inc. (NasdaqNM:AAPL - News) has recently laid off people from its education division, an area which has fallen prey to state budget cuts and competition. An Apple spokesperson confirmed there were "minor work-force reductions" but declined to say how many jobs were cut, or which area they came from ... Pressure from Dell and HP has also intensified as many schools struggle to keep costs down; buying Apple computers entails the purchase of a computer and a screen, and many schools now take the cheaper option of just buying new PC boxes and using old screens. Apple noted in its Dec. 19 annual filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that net sales and unit sales in U.S. education during 2003 were down 4% and 6%, respectively, as compared to 2002."

[ Posted at 10:22 PM | Permalink ]

Microsoft 'quietly shifting some of its marketing muscle' to Roxio's Napster digital music service

CBS Marketwatch: "Roxio shares gained nearly 9 percent Wednesday after a story in the New York Post's online edition said Microsoft has been "quietly shifting some of its marketing muscle" to Roxio's Napster digital music service. Microsoft has remained neutral, supporting many digital music players and online music stores. But the continued success of iTunes 'may prompt Microsoft to abandon its practiced neutrality,' the Post said, noting that Microsoft has given prominent placement to Napster on its Media Center personal computers ... B. Riley & Co. analysts upgraded Roxio's stock earlier this week to 'neutral' from 'sell,' based on its stock price."

Related: NY Post article.

[ Posted at 5:11 PM | Permalink ]

First look at Apple's IPod Mini

PC World: "The IPod Mini - small, sleek, and expensive - is expected to set sales records when it becomes available in April because, well, it's an IPod. Introduced at the Macworld Conference and Expo in January, the IPod Mini is the stylish, smaller sibling of the wildly popular IPod that Apple brought out in late 2001. With 4GB, the $249 (approx £130) Mini will have less than a third of the amount of storage enjoyed by users of the 15GB model of the IPod. It's also about a half inch shorter and thinner. Unfortunately, while it will cost $50 (approx £26.60) less than the 15GB model of the larger IPod line, it will look a bit pricey considering that with the larger IPod you get a much bigger hard drive for the money ... Apple seems to change the interface with every generation of IPod, and the Mini accordingly sports a totally different set of controls."

[ Posted at 5:06 PM | Permalink ]

Forbes cites Mac's 1.7 percent market share

Forbes: "According to Merrill Lynch, ninth-place [PC maker] Apple Computer saw unit share dip below 2% for the first time--down to 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Merrill said, 'We expect iPod success eventually to spill over into Mac purchases.'"

Or PC purchases, I guess. Everything you need works on either platlform, so there's no reason to think people will "go Mac" if they haven't already.

[ Posted at 5:02 PM | Permalink ]

Apple in the business market?

Apple finding success in the business market is a total pipe-dream (and frankly, an unecessary one: The company can do just fine in the consumer market) but that doesn't stop Business Week Online from taking a look at the Cupertino company's chances. "Its enterprise-computing push has yielded little, and the exec leading it has quit ... Two years have gone by [since the release of the XServe], though, and Apple has yet to make serious inroads into the corporate market ... Small biz is another area where Apple, with its ease of use, should have better success selling servers." Basically, this article doesn't actually provide an valid way for Apple to be successful in the business market. But that makes sense, because there isn't any way for that to happen. What will happen, more likely, is that Apple abandons the computer market over time and becomes a consumer electronics company. The next step will be a set-top box device that lets you access your iLife content from your TV. When that happens, it's only a matter of time before the company begins porting the rest of iLife to the PC and walks away from the Mac. In the end, what Apple is really good at is design, and in a market where its niche status doesn't hurt it, this strategy could really pay off.

[ Posted at 4:56 PM | Permalink ]

The iPod Mini

Fortune: "The iPod mini ($249) packs up to 1,000 songs into a stylish package that's about the size of a short stack of business cards. It's about 40% smaller than a regular iPod, which already was one of the sleeker portable music players on the market. Other than capacity—the mini's four-gigabyte hard drive is dinky compared with the 15GB to 40GB drives on regular iPods—the mini compares favorably with the iPod in nearly every way ... Even so, I wouldn't buy the mini because, for $50 more, I could buy the $299 entry-level iPod, which isn't much bigger physically and yet has more than triple the capacity—15 gigabytes, vs. the mini's four. Market researchers say there's a magic difference between a price of $199 and $249; the former is an impulse buy, the latter a considered decision. If Apple had sold the mini for $199, my impulse would be, it's small, it's cool, it's colorful, it's all I really need; I'll buy it, and my wife probably won't scold me. At $249, however, the purchase decision goes like this: I can get a much better value by spending a little more for a lot more music. In the case of the iPod mini, less is not more."

[ Posted at 11:27 AM | Permalink ]

Warped PowerBook lids normal, Apple says

Think Secret: "A number of PowerBook G4 owners have taken issue with the uneven alignment of their displays, but Apple calls the variance normal, customers and insiders say. The anomaly, which concerns the display lids on some aluminum-cased PowerBook G4s, is a cosmetic issue that results in noticeably greater space between the case and display on the right side of the unit, as compared to the left side. The problem first cropped up last year with the first 12-inch PowerBook, but service technicians contacted by Think Secret said they have seen a number of the 'warped lids' in recent weeks, mostly on the 15-inch PowerBook ... While the misalignment appears to be widespread, customers and technicians say Apple does not consider the gap to be a problem, and sees the issue as a normal part of the laptop's design. Customers say that the unevenness is caused by the aluminum case's flexibility; insiders confirmed this but said that if Apple engineered the PowerBook's case to be more rigid, buyers would have trouble opening the lid ... This isn't the first issue to plague the aluminum PowerBooks. During Apple's Q1 2004 earnings call last month, CFO Fred Anderson acknowledged that certain PowerBooks showed 'faint white spots.'"

It's worth noting that this problem isn't limited to Aluminum PowerBooks. I have always had the same problem with my 2001 iBook as well.

[ Posted at 11:24 AM | Permalink ]

Linux For The Desktop: It's A Contender

Business Week Online: "For now, Linux PCs are mostly limited by a lack of software ... While Linux isn't for everyone, it has come a long, long way ... Of course, there are a lot of people who shouldn't even consider Linux. The primary reason to avoid it is the need for software, whether a custom corporate application or a commercial program that exists only for Windows. From Adobe Photoshop to Apple iTunes, you're out of luck. And even when a Linux version exists, such as Real Player, installation is a complicated, slightly scary business -- and RealNetworks disavows support of the product."

[ Posted at 11:21 AM | Permalink ]

Apple's Big Weekend?

Motley Fool: "Interestingly, Fool.com discussion board polling provided a stark contrast to my in-store experience. As of this writing, only one of 96 respondents, a Mac user, reported buying a Mini this weekend. How could that be? For one, I generated a very small and totally unscientific survey. Polls of this sort, however, often prove useful. In fact, looking at the early returns, there's mixed news for Apple: 30 voters indicated they already have an iPod (good because Apple expects iPod owners to buy a Mini), but 52 Fools said they weren't interested in MP3 players. Clearly, it's too early to tell if the Mini's premiere was a flop. And we won't know for sure unless Apple publishes numbers. But between my in-store experience and the unscientific poll, it appears the hype may have been just that."

Huh. Apple selling products to pre-existing customers. Sounds familiar.

[ Posted at 9:02 AM | Permalink ]

Apple Security Update 2004-02-23

Underground Mac News: "Includes the following updated components: DiskArbitration, IPSec, Point-to-Point-Protocol, Safari. Additionally, Security Update 2003-11-19 has been incorporated into this security update. "

InfoWorld: "Apple Computer Inc. has issued four Security Updates. The security updates deliver a number of security enhancements for Panther client, Jaguar client, Panther server, and Jaguar server. Apple recommends all Macintosh users install them."

[ Posted at 8:59 AM | Permalink ]

iTunes-Pepsi ad slammed

MacWorld: "The Apple/iTunes/Pepsi ad screened at the SuperBowl has been widely criticized for its use of successfully sued teenage downloaders. Apple's seeming alliance with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the ads' condemnation of file sharing has irked independent filmmaker Brian Flemming. Flemming believes that by promoting the RIAA's position, Apple has moved away from its core philosophy as expressed in its last SuperBowl ad, '1984'. The Chicago Tribune reports the appearance of a series of parodies of the ad – James Saldana's take was: 'The recording industry cheats artists, screws consumers. Who is the real criminal?'"

[ Posted at 8:57 AM | Permalink ]

Eminem's Publisher Sues Apple Over Song

Associated Press: "Rapper Eminem (news - web sites)'s music publisher is suing Apple Computer Inc., claiming the company used one of the hip-hop superstar's songs in a television advertisement without permission ... 'Eminem has never nationally endorsed any commercial products and ... even if he were interested in endorsing a product, any endorsement deal would require a significant amount of money, possibly in excess of $10 million,' according to the 15-page lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The suit claims that Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs personally called Joel Martin, manager of Eight Mile Style, and asked Martin and Eminem to 'rethink their position' about using the Grammy-winning song. Eminem responded by ending discussions with Apple, according to the suit."

If true, it's simply astonishing that Apple would ever stomp all over someone's intellectual property rights like that.

[ Posted at 8:55 AM | Permalink ]

Is Open-Source Code Really Examined for Security Any More Than Closed-Source Software?

eWeak: "There's no reason to believe that closed-source companies can't do a good code review, and not a lot of reason to assume that open-source projects are getting all the code review that people think they get. Meanwhile, there isn't any official system for reviewing open-source code for security problems. It's one of those ad hoc, community arrangements ... A SecurityFocus article on the failure hints at the reasons: people don't want to volunteer to do the boring, rote parts of a real security audit. Instead, they want to find scary vulnerabilities and exploits, and then bask in the glory of having found them ... Open source doesn't make code secure, nor does closing source make it insecure. "

Again, it's heart-warming to see people coming around to reality. I've been arguing this for years. There is no way Linux (or Mac OS X for that matter) is truly as secure as Windows, for the simple fact that so many fewer people use the systems and so many fewer hackers are constantly testing them. It's common sense.

[ Posted at 8:53 AM | Permalink ]

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Mozilla 1.7 alpha released

The Mozilla Foundation has released Mozilla 1.7 alpha 1, which features several improvements to Mozilla's pop-up blocking features, support for multiple identities on the same mail account, and a host of other new features. For more information, please check out the What's New In Mozilla 1.7 Alpha page. You can download the release from the Mozilla FTP site.

[ Posted at 8:02 AM | Permalink ]

Monday, February 23, 2004

Napster claims five million download mark

Net Imperative: "Napster said today that it has sold more than five million digital music downloads claiming to be the first PC-only service to hit this milestone. The Roxio-owned music service also said it has attracted over 1.5 [million] basic and premium members since its relaunch in October last year. However, it has taken Napster well over three months to reach 5 [million] downloads, unlike Apple-owned rival iTunes, which reported 5 [million] downloads in its first [two months], while it was only available on Apple's own Macintosh computers that make up 3% [sic: It's really 1.8 percent] of the personal computer market. Apple has since launched on the PC platform as well, and topped 25 [million] downloads in early December. Both iTunes and Napster are planning to launch European services this year."

[ Posted at 3:58 PM | Permalink ]

Ipod Mini price detracts from benefits

Contra Costa Times: "Cool, colorful and too expensive. That's my five-word mini-review of Apple Computer's new $249 iPod Mini portable music player ... Apple's 15-gigabyte iPod sells for $299, offering almost four times the capacity for just $50 more ... Competitors are pushing the price barrier even harder. The 15-gigabyte Dell Digital Music Player, for example, was on sale last week at $224, down from the regular $249. Creative Labs sells its 30-gigabyte Nomad Zen Extra for about $250 ... The other concern is whether the Mini is prone to locking up. My Mini froze, responding to none of its controls, for no apparent reason while I was demonstrating it to a colleague. I had to perform a reset on the Mini, a button-pushing process explained in the User's Guide. A recent review in the Wall Street Journal noted the same problem."

[ Posted at 3:56 PM | Permalink ]

My first 48 hours enduring Mac OS X

Matthew Thomas: "I got my new iBook a couple of days ago, and finally tried this Mac OS X thing for the first time. After doing all the software updates, this is what I found."

MPT is a usability expert of sorts who I generally agree with. Worth reading.

[ Posted at 10:31 AM | Permalink ]

Origin of BSOD

Wallace B. McClure: "Do you know the origin of term BSOD aka 'Blue Screen of Death'? Well, the term “Blue Screen of Death” was not the original acronym for BSOD. The original term meant the 'Black Screen of Death' and was seen when running under Windows 3.0. A user would attempt to run a DOS application and instead of the DOS application running, the entire screen would turn black with a blinking cursor in the top left hand corner of the screen. The system was hung and would need to be rebooted. So, that is the what, what about the when and the where. The term came from ..........are you ready.........Coca-Cola in Atlanta, GA."

[ Posted at 9:28 AM | Permalink ]

Is Being Part Of 5% Really So Bad?

Mac Observer asks, "Is Being Part Of 5% Really So Bad?" Actually, no, it's not. It's being part of 1.8 percent--and falling every quarter--that's the problem. It's continually repeating the lie that the Mac owns 5 percent of the market that's the problem. It's blasting people for reporting the truth, when all you expect is lies, that's the problem.

But you know what the biggest problem is? It's right there in this article. It's the way Mac advocates, once again, put Mac users up in some high and mighy place where, because of the computer system they chose, they're better than the masses. It perpetuates the myth that Macs and their users are somehow superior to the other 97.2 percent of the population. It's a lie, and it's got to stop.

"We should be grateful that we have the sense to recognize greatness when we see it, recognize that the masses will never get it ... I say these people don't use Macs, will never appreciate Macintosh, and we shouldn't encourage them to join our club. Screw 'em!" Mr. Randazzo writes. Screw you, buddy. "Changing the world" requires you to be inclusive. You should grow up and figure out what's really important. It certainly isn't your choice of computer.

[ Posted at 9:22 AM | Permalink ]

How to sync music to your iPod when your library is bigger than your iPod storage space

Apple: "If you have a large music library that's too big to fit all your songs on iPod, iTunes 4.2 can create a playlist called "iPod Selection" that only syncs the right amount of songs to your iPod. This can be a helpful way to make sure you have all your favorite songs, even if your entire library isn't synced to iPod."

Related: Mac OS X Hints on using a smart playlist to sync small iPods.

[ Posted at 9:15 AM | Permalink ]

Debunking Common GNU/Linux Myths

The Jem Report: "With the SCO lawsuit, Microsoft's misleading case studies, confusing messages from analysts, editorials from people who don't know what they're talking about and the ambivalence of on-the-fence CEOs like Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems, there is a lot of uncertainty and confusion about the GNU/Linux operating system. This article will attempt to dispel some myths and clear a few things up for those interested in finding more information on GNU/Linux."

[ Posted at 9:10 AM | Permalink ]