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TidBITS#889/23-Jul-07

Perhaps it’s the lingering glow of the iPhone launch, but this week’s issue focuses on talking on the phone. First up, Joe Kissell reports from Paris on how he chose a Mac-compatible handset that works with Skype and discusses other devices that may work for you. Next, Tom Schmidt sorts out the confusing world of prepaid cellular phone plans and discovers that for many people this route is much more convenient and affordable than expensive monthly contracts. Also in this issue, Joe notes the release of FileMaker Pro 9, and Adam both points to MyFirstMac, a Web site with Mac information that’s perfect for helping new users, and welcomes our latest sponsor, Parallels.

Adam Engst No comments

Parallels Sponsoring TidBITS

We're pleased to welcome our latest long-term sponsor, Parallels, makers of the popular Parallels Desktop virtualization software that enables an Intel-based Mac to run Windows XP, Windows Vista, and other PC operating systems

Joe Kissell No comments

FileMaker Pro 9.0 Released

Filemaker Inc. has released FileMaker Pro 9.0, a major update to its line of database applications. Among numerous new features are a Quick Start screen, which gives less-experienced users an easy way to open or create databases; Conditional Formatting, which dynamically alters the formatting of fields based on user-defined rules; and the capability to connect to external SQL databases such as MySQL, Oracle SQL, and Microsoft SQL Server

Adam Engst No comments

MyFirstMac: Help For Mac Newbies

Long-standing publications like TidBITS face the problem of an ever-evolving audience. After all, most of you have been using Macs (and reading TidBITS) for years, and we use that fact when writing to tailor our choice of articles and our assumptions of what you already know

Joe Kissell No comments

Choosing Mac-Compatible Skype Hardware

A recent thread on TidBITS Talk mentioned the wide array of hardware devices one can use with a Skype account, the fact that many of them have limited Mac compatibility, and the dearth of information available to help Mac users choose among them