Shortly after Gmail went beta, enterprising programmers started developing alternative ways to take advantage of the massive amount of drive space that google offers users.
There are several tools out that allow users to turn that Gmail account into conventional hard drive space for remote storage. Up until now, every one that I have seen only worked for Windows users.
Here's an interesting new security product designed with the average end-user in mind. It's called iPhantom, and if it lives up to its claims, it may be the single best way to keep a Windows based machine secure online.
The box is very small. Simply plug it in between the computer and the cable modem / DSL Modem, and activate the device online. Then the device acts as a unique type of proxy sending all internet traffic from your computer to iPhantom servers and then out to its intended destination. Then, the return traffic passes back to your computer via the iPhantom proxy servers.
According to the literature I have read, this has many advantages. First of all, all traffic between the iPhantom device and the iPhantom proxy servers is highly encrypted. It also masks all of your traffic leaving the IP address of the iPhantom proxy server in the log files of any place you visit. Your actual IP address is never recorded as it has been masked.
It looks like United, of all carriers, is the first to announce Wi-Fi access to its passengers in flight. Pricing has not yet been set. Other airlines might still be the first to implement such access. United does not expect the access to become active until mid- to late 2006.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that other airlines will follow suite. Expect the airlines to charge a premium for the access as they are all trying desperately to better their bottom line.
I tried for some time to get my PowerBook online via Bluetooth and my Motorola Razr. I read all I could find in the forums, and even contacted Cingular tech support. It was a trying process of trial and error before giving up and contacting tech support.
I was reluctant to tell Cingular support that I was using a Mac. I think we have all been in that boat before. As soon as you tell someone you are using a Mac, they promptly inform you that they have no support for the Mac and you are out of luck.
In my case, since Cingular simply assumed that I was using Windows, I opted not to correct them... At least until I was specifically asked. Interestingly enough, the charade went on for almost 90 minutes before someone decided to confirm that I was using XP. By that point I was speaking with my 3rd tech at Cingular!
To my surprise, upon admitting that I was using OS X 10.4 (I promptly specified my OS as soon as I was asked- there was no point in playing games), the tech told me that they had not official support for the Mac, but he would give it a shot anyway. Way to go Cingular! It doesn't make up for the way they are jerking me around on some other issues I am having with my account, but it does help.
Engadget.com has a great read if you would like some insight into the workings of Vonage. Their interview with Jeffrey Citron, CEO of Vonage, gives us a look at what happens behind the curtain at Vonage.
Jeffrey also discusses why Vonage has remained the big name in VoIP while larger companies like AT&T and Comcast are struggling just to enter the market.
I have to admit, they prospect of installing Fedora (Red Hat) Linux on a Mac Mini is tempting. For the price, the Mini is one hell of a computer. Personally, I would love to run all of my Servers on the Mac OS, but this install might be too much fun to pass up.
Combine this with the rumor of Apple's use of Intel based chips as reported by the Wall Street Journal, there could be some interesting turns in the future for Apple. In all likelihood, the Intel chip will only be used in the Mac Mini, but what keeps hackers from installing it on any Intel based system at that point?
Engadget.com has a great step by step guide detailing how to create your own RSS screensaver for OS 10.4. The guide makes it easy to create a screensaver that will pull RSS feeds from the location of your choice.
Though it has not made much of a splash in the main stream news, Verizon is quietly rolling out amazingly fast fiber optic services to homes in select areas.
With speeds of 12-50Mb, this could be the future of broadband internet access.
Not to be outdone, Comcast may have something more interesting up their sleeve. In an off the cuff remark made in the following news story, there appears to be a hint of Comcast offering speeds up to 200Mb!
So far, I have found no mention on any Comcast run sites, but the idea sounds plausible, and should be easier to deploy that fiber optic lines. More on this as information becomes available!
Project Motorsport started out as a fun way to spend an afternoon. We set out to shoot some motorcycle video and have a good time. Once when we brought the video back and began to edit, we realized we had the making of a music video.
Check out the video and see for yourself. And, if your interested in further information on the project, we give you that too!
The Freedom to Switch:
In 2003 Apple Computer released a marketing campaign with the intention of showing Wintel users how easy it would be to "switch" platforms.
One of the Mac's main selling points, ironically enough, was Digital Video Editing. Apple wanted the world to see how easy it was to edit video on the Mac platform. And, in overwhelming response, Mac users set out to show the world just how easy it really was.
The campaign was effective for Apple, but also spawned a unexpected parody campaign in the Mac underworld. Users from all of the world whipped out their camcorders and set to work making spoofs in the same cinematic style as the acclaimed commercial line.
With this, Maclive.net rose to the challenge and shot our own spoof. We think it proves that a Mac can be a powerful tool in the wrong hands. It also shows how far a couple of Mac fans will go for a laugh. We hope you enjoy our contribution, aptly named The Freedom to Switch.
