A couple days ago my bank gave me a small blue gizmo with a button and an LCD display. Every time I press the button, a six digit number, always different, is displayed. They tell me it's a One Time Password generator.
Why this matters to me is that with this gizmo I can access my bank account online without using the stupid, clumsy and Windows-only cryptographic software I was forced to use before.
What it all comes down to is the fact that I have no use for Windows anymore, since this was the only Windows application I couldn't absolutely do without. My Intel PC is now sitting idly on my desktop, but it could be more useful as a doorstop. That's what it'll end up being as soon as I can put a brand new iMac G5 on my desktop.
Cool! The latest Skype Beta for OS X (1.0.0.15) is out and it includes support for SkypeIn and Skype Voicemail!
I've just tested the voicemail feature and it rocks! Too bad I don't have customers in the USA, France or Hong Kong, but pretty soon I shall have colleagues in the UK, so I might buy a SkypeIn number there, or wait for number availability in Italy.
Published by ugo on March 10, 2005
in apple.
XtremeMac - AirPlay FM Transmitter for iPod shuffle: “AirPlay is the first FM Transmitter for iPod shuffle. Allowing iPod shuffle users to play audio wirelessly from their iPod shuffle through any FM radio, AirPlay is perfect for use in automobiles, especially those without a cassette player or auxiliary input jack. AirPlay for iPod shuffle is powered by the attached cigarette lighter adapter and also acts as a charger for iPod shuffle.”
Neat! At $49.95 it’s a bit pricey, but it looks much cooler than a cassette adaptor. I’m wondering if I will enter the wonderful world of podcasting with something like this. Well, at the moment my daily commute is too short for serious podcasting, but this might change soon.
(Via Michele)
Published by ugo on March 10, 2005
in apple.
Mac Feng Shui: “A woman walks into a beautifully appointed loft-style apartment, complete with a minature Japanese garden. Clearly, the Feng Shui level of this place is high. Then she unpacks a Windows-style PC and attempts to place it somewhere in the room that doesn’t decrease its Feng Shui. Using time-lapse photography, you see that wherever she places the PC, it sticks out like a sore thumb and destroys the elegance of the room. Ultimately, she packs up the PC and sends it away. Next, you see her unpack an Apple iMac and place it on a glass desk in the room. Instantly, it fits harmoniously in with the environment, increasing its Feng Shui quotient and bringing a peaceful smile to the woman’s face.”
I’ll be the last one to fall for fads such as Feng Shui, but when I’m going to refurnish my home office room (pretty soon, I hope), it will feature a G5 iMac placed upon a crystal table for sure. I’m also thinking about a Stokke chair. Is that Feng Shui enough?
Published by ugo on March 9, 2005
in apple.
MacDevCenter.com: Getting Things Done with Your Mac: “I need something very simple, with extremely long battery life, resistant to damage by excitable two-year-olds, and easy to synchronize with the rest of my workflow.”
That's something I too started doing some time ago. But as you can see here, I went for the luxury version, with Moleskine notebook and MontBlanc pen ;).
(Via 43 Folders.)
Published by ugo on March 8, 2005
in apple.
Sony preps iPod Shuffle 'killer' | The Register: “Sony will next month ship its 'iPod Shuffle killer', a compact Flash-based music player with up to 1GB of storage.
What distinguishes the Sony product - apart from the distinctly disposable lighter styling - is the integration of an OLED read-out into the player's casing. The device doesn't have a screen as such - track details, the time and tuner station information - appear on the surface of the player.”
RadTech announces Mini Cocoon, RadPak | MacMinute News: “March 4, 2005 - 03:54 EST RadTech today announced the availability of the Mini Cocoon, a stylish and versatile, semi-rigid clamshell case for iPod mini. A tough, outer clamshell completely encases the iPod mini and a silicone skin allows access to all control elements and ports, providing added protection while nestled in the case, or when used separately apart from the case.”
Sheesh, it's been years that the Cocoon community has been trying to come up with a method to distribute Cocoon as a slim core and a set of optional blocks, instead of the monolithic entity it is now. And to think that these people have it for sale, already, makes you want to break down and cry ;).
(Via Bertrand.)
This morning I received my new iPod Shuffle 1GB, much earlier than anticipated. They say it takes 2-3 weeks before shipping, but evidently they had a few spare in the warehouse, since they shipped it immediately and it took less than six days from order to delivery.
I haven't got much to say at the moment. The real test will be when I go biking with it, but since it was -6°C this morning, I am waiting for warmer weather.
I also ordered a pair of In-Ear Headphones with it. They sound certainly better than the plain-vanilla, bundled earphones, in terms of sound brilliance and dynamic, but the response at the lower end of the audio spectrum is quite low. It gets better if you can equalize the frequency response in iTunes (the “Small Speakers” setting is good enough for a start) but you get no equalization on the Shuffle. I'm not even sure whether loudness is on by default or not.
I think it would be nice if you could pre-equalize the frequency response before uploading tunes to the iPod, don't you think?
Published by ugo on February 25, 2005
in apple.
The SP2 Nightmare: Why I Will Never Install Or Buy Again A Microsoft OS: “I am sincerely dismayed. Speechless. This Microsoft thing is just a nightmare. Not that I didn't know before…but when you hit your nose head into a thick glass wall you tend to realize with greater depth that what looks transparent…”
Personally, I've never used Windows seriously anymore since I started using Linux. With all the inconsistent GUIs, inferior apps and lesser hardware support, still Linux on my desktop keeps running day in, day out, without much of a thought or the need to continually tend to it, upgrade antivirus or anti-spyware and such. And since I got myself a Powerbook, I can even use MS Office and open Word documents and Powerpoint presentations without converting them in and out of OpenOffice. That is, until I can convice my coworkers to get a Mac and start using iWork ;).
(Via Robin Good's Latest News.)
Published by ugo on February 23, 2005
in apple.
The new iPods are out and sure the prices for the new minis are very interesting. However, I can only see myself using one while biking and probably the Shuffle is the best for that kind of scenario. Besides, the Shuffle is 149€ vs. $149, while the Mini is 209€ vs. $199. 10€ more is about $13 and I don't see why I should pay that difference.
So, I just ordered a 1GB Shuffle. Too bad the estimated shipping time is 2-3 weeks :(. Oh well, it will arrive just in time for the start of the new biking season.
Published by ugo on February 16, 2005
in apple.
Being a rather satisfied NetNewsWire beta tester, I certainly appreciate its embedded browsing mode.
But there's one feature I wish it had. When I find an interesting news item or blog post, I want it to be preserved and not fade away when it is superseded by newer items. In this case, I usually post it to del.icio.us. For that, I have to open the link in an external browser and use a nifty bookmarklet that I found somewhere (I'd point to the URL, but I cannot find it anymore).
Wouldn't it be great if I could post to del.icio.us from inside NetNewsWire? Maybe there's a script out there that awaits to be found.
Update: Brent suggested to use this script. Thanks.
Published by ugo on February 9, 2005
in apple.
Mac OS X 10.3.8 released | MacMinute News:
Apple on Wednesday released Mac OS X 10.3.8. According to the release notes, the update 'delivers improved compatibility and reliability for Mac OS X v10.3 'Panther' and is recommended for all users.' Apple has also posted Mac OS X Server 10.3.8. As of this posting, neither update is available via the Mac OS X Software Update utility and can only be downloaded from Apple's site.
(Via Erik.)
Published by ugo on February 4, 2005
in apple.
Sorry Russell but I don't buy it:
This just opened the crack just a little more to the apocolypse I was predicting for the other standards in the mobile media space. I'm not going to claim that Napster's service is going to take down Apple's iTunes for example, I'm just going to say that it's one step towards that.
The point is, nobody would ever pay $10,000 to fill their iPod with 10,000 new songs. They probably have their iPods already filled to the brim with music they already own, legally or not. Personally, I have about 1700 songs in my iTunes library and could have more if I started ripping all my CDs. Should I feel the urge to buy a new tune, I would rather pay the occasional 0.99$ (or Euros) to get it from iTMS, then pay $18 per month to rent it.
Published by ugo on January 31, 2005
in apple.
The new PowerBooks are out! No G5 yet, of course, just a speed bump and some other small enhancements, in any case an upgrade might be desirable.
Published by ugo on January 19, 2005
in apple.
Take this with a grain of salt, but if the current PowerBooks have been EOLed, new models must be coming very soon. Will they be G5-based? I hope so, but won't hold my breath. In any case, I'm eligible for an upgrade of my loaned 15″ at the same conditions (zero down payment and zero interest) and with the problems I'm currently having (weak cover latch and PMU-related lockups), plus wanting more than 512MB of memory, I would certainly upgrade to a new model, even if it's only a faster G4.
