News for Friday, 11 July 2003

Thans to Thierry, who indicated on Macbidouille's forum, that it is possible to use a USB webcam with iChat AV, with the Application Enhancer and other sharewares. Here are the steps to folow :
- Download Macam (free) or other drivers from IOXperts for your USB webcam.
- Check if it works with Video Viewer for example.
- Download and install Application Enhancer from Unsanity's web-site. Log out or reboot your Mac in order to activate the app.
- Download and install iChatUSBCam (iChat must not be launched)
- Launch iChat AV, a little camera should appear right next to your name.
For the moment, it is just a public beta version. It might not work each time. But do not hesitate to share your experience with developpers so they can update their software !

We leave the word to Vincent:

hello the do-it-yourselfers, yesterday there was a discussion which was "censured" by APPLE without apparent reason... Goto URL: http://discussions.info.apple.com/WebX?50@173.OHwLaauaamK.127414@.5997746b/7 http://discussions.info.apple.com/WebX?14@173.OHwLaauaamK.127414@.ee6c767 The thread concerned was about mother-board replacements of several iBook users. It seems that an epidemic of breakdown is in hand! For the majority, it seems that the video circuitry was the problem. (It was my case)

To our knowledge, this is not the first time that APPLE got rid of informations on the forums which bother them.

Plextor Japon has just announce a new 8x DVD Burner, the PX-708A. It is a shame that only DVD+R can be used at thi speed, the -R still burns at only 4x. Here is the list of the burn-speed for the rest of the medias :
DVD+R : 8x
DVD+RW : 4x
DVD-R : 4x
DVD-RW : 2x
CD-R : 40x
CD-RW : 24x
Pionner must react now, putting on the market a DVD-R at this speed, or the battle is lost !
A rumor said that Philips, the DVD+R format initiator, might have pursued Pionner for patent violation.
Toujours au sujet des DVD-R, une rumeur laisse entendre que Philips, initiateur du format concurrent (+R) aurait intenté un procès contre Pioneer pour violation de brevet.

The G5 is suppose to be capable of support over 8GB of RAM. In the current state of the things, only the size of the RAM is an obstacle.
Il should be possible (except for the 1.6Ghz model) to bring the memory up to 16GB by using 2GB RAM.The system and memory controler are suppose to be able to manage this capacity and even more !
There may still remain an big obstacle. Infineon 2GB DDR400 RAM cost at present a little under 1500 Euros, which makes the G5 Dual 2Ghz configuration with 16Gb RAM to over 15000 Euros !
This information might be found in the G5 document that Apple has put online, but it is only a rumor.

After we learnt about the Abit USB Theater 5.1 OS X compatibility on July 9th, Zoso2001 sent us some pictures :

Manu has sent us the link with new G5 pictures taken in Germany.
http://www.infinite-void.org/linuxtag/linuxtag.html
They launched Quake 3 on a Dual 2Ghz G5 with a Radeon 9800 Pro.

As you can see, the G5 scored an excellent 292.3 FPS in 1024 x 768 with everything pushed to the max, and no optimization ! I am so impatient to receive mine !
Here are other informations they managed to get :
- the fans have been changed on the final version
- it will no longer be possible to remove the plastic shield while the machine is on.

iPodlounge propose am enormous iPod photo gallery on their web-site. These pictures were taken all over the world and in all contexts (thanks Sebastien).
There is of one them which I appreciate particularly :

The rest of the pictures are not so stressful. This way.

VIA, (surely bad) chip manufacturer has attack Media Tek society for patent violation. But to make the case more lucrative, they have also sue LiteOn which the burners contain MediaTek chips. Summing up, they want money and that manufactured chips and burners to be destroyed. Of course this case may last for years unless there is an amicable arrangement.