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TidBITS#768/28-Feb-05

Apple’s release of new iPod models set the stage for an issue that’s unintentionally focused on digital music. We note the updates to the iPod mini and iPod photo (and what’s missing), and Adam finds a surprising use for his music player: as sleep aid. He also performs some much-needed iTunes library maintenance using the iEatBrainz and MPFreaker utilities. Also in this issue, we point out Apple’s Security Update 2005-002 and Firefox 1.0.1, look at the new Site Crossing hosting service, and mourn the passing of Macintosh pioneer Jef Raskin.

Adam Engst No comments

Security Update 2005-002 Fixes Java

Security Update 2005-002 Fixes Java -- Apple has released Security Update 2005-002 to eliminate a vulnerability through which an untrusted Java applet could gain increased privileges and potentially execute arbitrary code

Adam Engst No comments

Firefox 1.0.1 Security Update Released

Firefox 1.0.1 Security Update Released -- The Mozilla Organization last week released Firefox 1.0.1 for all platforms, which fixes a number of small security holes or potential problems, notably the homograph spoofing problem we've talked about recently in TidBITS (see "Don't Trust Your Eyes or URLs" in TidBITS-766)

Glenn Fleishman No comments

In Memoriam: Jef Raskin, 1943-2005

We'd heard recently that one of the fathers of the Macintosh was seriously ill, and last week brought the news that Jef Raskin passed away. Raskin is widely acknowledged as the person who created many theoretical underpinnings of modern personal computing and then pulled together many threads of his own and others to create a team at Apple that would eventually produce the first Mac. Raskin was forced out of Apple in 1982 as Steve Jobs took an ever greater interest in the Macintosh

Mark H. Anbinder No comments

Apple Freshens iPod mini, iPod photo Lines

Apple expanded its wildly successful iPod family of portable music players last week, lowering prices and adding new capacities to the iPod mini and iPod photo product lines. With its 4 GB capacity and new, lower price of $200 in the U.S., the basic iPod mini, which also gains extended battery life (the company claims "up to 18 hours"), fills the midrange gap between the $100-$150 iPod shuffle and the previously pricier models starting at $250

Adam Engst No comments

Cleaning House in iTunes

Leaving aside all the legal and ethical considerations of downloading unauthorized music from the Internet, one of the things that's always bothered me is the horrible metadata that most shared tracks seem to have

Adam Engst No comments

iPods Defeating Insomnia

Like many people, Tonya and I sometimes have trouble falling asleep at night. We do interesting work, and we have oodles of ideas for the future, so it's all too easy to let those thoughts start cycling through our brains when we should be going to sleep

Adam Engst No comments

Take Control News/28-Feb-05

One of our goals for the Take Control ebooks was to be able to produce books and updates shortly after new software appeared. Late last week, we released the first two titles to cover GarageBand 2.0, part of the new iLife '05 suite

TidBITS Staff No comments

Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/28-Feb-05

The second URL below each thread description points to the discussion on our Web Crossing server, which will be faster. iPod shuffle Performance Problems -- Does the iPod shuffle perform notably more slowly than other flash drives when used for copying and deleting data