...more recent posts
New cryptogram is out. Bruce Schneier tackles the issue of breaking Iranian codes as well as several other topics. Very worth it as usual.
If you are running OS X you need to update your software. There aren't any reports of this exploit in the wild, but a rather severe security hole has been discovered that leaves you vulnerable to very bad things from a maliciously crafted link on the web (like: click on the evil link and have all your data erased bad!) It has already been patched by Apple, but you need to update your OS to the most recent version and apply all security patches (in 'software update' in your system preferences.) For Jaguar that is 10.2.8 and for Panther that means 10.3.4.
Let me know if you have any questions or problems.
New PowerMac towers from Apple. Slightly faster with no other major changes. Underwhelming to people who care too much about such things (who you lookin' at?) but in reality a perfectly fine incremental update.
Jobs had promised 3 Ghz within a year when the G5 was introduced last year, and now it's pretty clear that is not going to happen (this update tops out at 2.5 Ghz.) So of course there is much gnashing of teeth over the broken promise. Still, compared to where things were before, with Motorolla and the 167 mhz front side bus (Bwahahahaha!), IBM is doing a bang up job. Aside from bragging rights, I don't think it matters too much whether they are at 2.5 or 3.0.
But I wish they would have done something on the storage side. Why no dual optical drive option? Why only room for two internal hard drives? Why no option for hardware RAID? These are changes they could have implemented that would have placated the geeks. But maybe the geeks don't really matter that much. For almost all real world uses, these machines are fine.
Apple just released a new wireless networking device called AirPort Express. Plug it into an AC outlet and it provides an audio out port for connecting to a stereo as well as an 802.11g router. Now open iTunes on a computer with wireless networking and you can redirect output to any AirPort Express connected stereo within range. Tiny. No hassles. $129. Winner.
Also, it functions as a network extender (bridge) in an existing AirPort Extreme network - just plug it in and it sets itself up.
Finally:
Simeda, based in Bucharest, has ported Rendezvous to the Pocket PC platform and bundled it with a web server. The software automatically discovers other devices on a WiFi network and allows people to stream or share music with just a couple of clicks.
$150 cassette deck for your computer for ripping those old tapes to your hard drive, or dumping mp3 mixes back onto that old standby format.
Cool one wheel scooter design.
Looks like the free VoIP application Skype (from the kazza people - I mentioned it last September) will be coming to OS X. From the Skype forums:
May 18th: In response to all the requests: there WILL be a Skype version for Mac OS X. No info is publicly available about when exactly it will be out, but it's already in the work
May 24th: I will contact you when we have something to send to you, which is not in next week but quite close. Thanks for patient waiting. :-)