[MyAppleMenu] May 29, 2001

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

== AppleSurf (Top Stories) ===============

Mystic Simulacrum (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/tech/review/2001/05/29/myst3/index.html>
Exile, the sequel to Myst and Riven, is beautiful eye candy, but not quite art.

== AppleSurf (News) ===============

Opera 5 Mac Beta Released (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0105/29.opera.shtml>
Opera Software today announced the release of the beta version of Opera 5 for Mac. Opera 5 is a Web browser known for its compact size and tremendous speed.

Apple Ships DVD/CD-R Combo Drive iBooks (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news.php?id=6688>

Analyst Calls For Apple Handheld (Macworld UK)
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=2961>
Pat Dorsey, director of Stock Analysis at Morningstar.com, told ON24 that he feels Apple should "renew its old ties in the market" – referring to the 1993 launch of Apple's Newton handheld.

Store.Apple.com Makes It To The Real World (Arizona Central)
<http://www.azcentral.com/computing/downs/>

== AppleSurf (Opinions) ===============

The End Of Classic (MacVillage.net)
<http://macvillage.net/news/articles/99109800912698.shtml>
I think it is very safe to say that it is not the end of Mac OS Classic, but the beginning of the golden years.

Reader: Apple Retail Store Traffic Update (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news.php?id=6687>
Surprise.

The OS X Curmudgeon Grumbles Again, Part 2 (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/misc/010529.html>
OS X may be more stable, but I don't have any serious stability problems with OS 9.1.

Mac Advocate Glossary (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/lite/010529.html>
Here is a partial glossary of terms you are likely to encounter when discussing supporting the Mac platform with a longtime Mac user.

== AppleSurf (Reviews) ===============

Hack Your iBook: Put Clarus The Dogcow In Your Apple Logo (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/05/29.6.shtml>
This is sure to make Apple remarkably tense, and void a few warranties in the process, but it is one of the coolest things we have seen in a while.

Picking MP3 Software (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/macdan/010529ek.html>

Mystic Simulacrum (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/tech/review/2001/05/29/myst3/index.html>
Exile, the sequel to Myst and Riven, is beautiful eye candy, but not quite art.

Myst III: Exile (FragMac.com)
<http://www.fragmac.com/cgi-bin/news/fullnews.cgi?newsid991022400,54105,?x>

== The Wintel Empire (Top Stories) ===============

Office XP: Cost Vs. Benefit (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2766016,00.html?chkpt=zdnn_rt_latest>
As Microsoft prepares for the launch this week of Office XP, the next version of its ubiquitous desktop suite, corporate users are weighing their options—and finding few.

Microsoft Counting On Office XP Cash Surge (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6046267.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft is hoping that its star player is still a box office favorite.

Intel Gambles It Can Move Beyond The PC With New Microprocessor (Wall Street Journal)
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/579547.asp>
Tuesday, Intel will unveil the Itanium, the first of a series of processors it hopes will extend its dominance to the entire computing universe and cement its position for decades.

MS-Built UK 'Government Gateway' Locks Out Non-MS Browsers (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/19239.html>
Predictably, Microsoft's 'help' in turning "Britain's e-government vision into a reality" has mysteriously turned into a lockout for users of anything other than IE on Windows. Linux, Netscape and Mac (even with IE, friends...) can look but not touch, because the digital certificate system selected by the developers mysteriously always seems to lead to IE 5.01 or above on Windows.

== The Wintel Empire (News) ===============

Office XP: Cost Vs. Benefit (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2766016,00.html?chkpt=zdnn_rt_latest>
As Microsoft prepares for the launch this week of Office XP, the next version of its ubiquitous desktop suite, corporate users are weighing their options—and finding few.

Microsoft Counting On Office XP Cash Surge (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6046267.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft is hoping that its star player is still a box office favorite.

MSN Casts Net For AOL Defectors (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6071488.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft's MSN Networks is on a mission to poach America Online's Internet customers just one week after AOL announced a subscription price increase.

Intel Gambles It Can Move Beyond The PC With New Microprocessor (Wall Street Journal)
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/579547.asp>
Tuesday, Intel will unveil the Itanium, the first of a series of processors it hopes will extend its dominance to the entire computing universe and cement its position for decades.

MS-Built UK 'Government Gateway' Locks Out Non-MS Browsers (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/19239.html>
Predictably, Microsoft's 'help' in turning "Britain's e-government vision into a reality" has mysteriously turned into a lockout for users of anything other than IE on Windows. Linux, Netscape and Mac (even with IE, friends...) can look but not touch, because the digital certificate system selected by the developers mysteriously always seems to lead to IE 5.01 or above on Windows.

== Breaking Barriers (Top Stories) ===============

MSN Casts Net For AOL Defectors (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6071488.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft's MSN Networks is on a mission to poach America Online's Internet customers just one week after AOL announced a subscription price increase.

== Breaking Barriers (News) ===============

Opera 5 Mac Beta Released (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0105/29.opera.shtml>
Opera Software today announced the release of the beta version of Opera 5 for Mac. Opera 5 is a Web browser known for its compact size and tremendous speed.

Opera To Be Default Browser In Symbian Ref Designs (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/19249.html>
Opera Software has won itself a key role in the forthcoming wireless Internet wars.

DoS Attacks Becoming Commonplace (Interactive Week)
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,s2087708,00.html>
Zombies are taking over the Web... be very afraid.

MSN Casts Net For AOL Defectors (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6071488.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft's MSN Networks is on a mission to poach America Online's Internet customers just one week after AOL announced a subscription price increase.

BT May Move In On TV, Internet (Reuters)
<http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-telecoms-bt-dc.html>

IBM Retools For Web Services (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6067755.html?tag=lh>
IBM is set to launch Tuesday its latest offensive in the market for e-business software with more versatile development tools.

MS-Built UK 'Government Gateway' Locks Out Non-MS Browsers (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/19239.html>
Predictably, Microsoft's 'help' in turning "Britain's e-government vision into a reality" has mysteriously turned into a lockout for users of anything other than IE on Windows. Linux, Netscape and Mac (even with IE, friends...) can look but not touch, because the digital certificate system selected by the developers mysteriously always seems to lead to IE 5.01 or above on Windows.

U.S. Government Outsells Amazon (Bloomberg News)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-6067292.html?tag=lh>
The U.S. government sold more than $3.6 billion of products on the Internet in 2000, more than the $2.8 billion in sales that No. 1 online retailer Amazon.com reported for the same period, a study found.

Journalist Sees 2 Sides To Internet (Daily Yomiuri)
<http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20010529wo37.htm>
Though the Internet is a good communications tool, brings people closer together and has other good aspects, it also has pitfalls of which users have to be wary, a leading Net journalist said.

Cities Slow To Offer Interactive Web Sites (Associated Press)
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=news/archive/2001/05/28/state0730EDT0147.DTL&type=tech>
Critics say that e-government is not worth the effort or the money. They question whether the interactive Web sites will lead to smaller staffs or cost savings.

== PenguinSurf (News) ===============

Linux Hackers Fall Victim To Crackers (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/19255.html>
The servers of open source development site SourceForge have been compromised.

Lineo Ships Linux Clustering System (Interactive Week)
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,s2087702,00.html>

== SingaporeSurf (Top Stories) ===============

New Phase For Opposition (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/0,1381,17673,00.html?>
Observers happy with smooth transition of power in Workers' Party and new leader.

== SingaporeSurf (News) ===============

Vodafone Passes Singapore's M1 Baton To PCCW And Maxis (Reuters)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010529/3/qc6d.html>
Only two contenders are left in the race for Singapore's second cellular operator MobileOne following British mobile giant Vodafone Group Plc's decision against a bid after conducting due diligence.

New Phase For Opposition (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/0,1381,17673,00.html?>
Observers happy with smooth transition of power in Workers' Party and new leader.

A More United Opposition With New WP Head? (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,47383,00.html?>
Some believe Low Thia Khiang will give opposition politics a boost. Others doubt there'll be any change.

Think Centre Necessary For Human-Rights Promotion (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,1870,47437,00.html?>
Unlike Mr Ramamirtham, who seems content on extrapolating the present to the future, we, at the Think Centre, are not so complacent and are determined to make human-rights education a part of a stable, progressive and democratic Singapore. Nothing should be left to chance.

== SingaporeSurf (Entertainment) ===============

Channel 5 Viewership Up Despite Rival Newcomer's Launch (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010529/5/qcgk.html>
More households watched Channel 5 last week despite the arrival of direct competitor, TV Works to the Singapore media scene.

Shrinking Ad Revenues May Hurt Singapore Press Holdings (Reuters)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010528/3/q9r8.html>
A decline in advertising revenues in Singapore has raised questions among analysts about the timing of media company Singapore Press Holdings' diversification into broadcasting.

SSO To Perform The Requiem (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010528/5/q9i8.html>
One hundred years after composer Giuseppe Verdi's death, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is bringing to life one of his most famous works the Requiem, this June.

Holland V Restaurants To Close Down? (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/0,1381,17674,00.html?>
Five upmarket restaurants along Jalan Merah Saga in Holland Village are breaking the rules by continuing to offer their popular alfresco dining areas.