News for Thursday, 3 June 2004

On July 12th, 2002, Microsoft asked for a patent which was approved on April 27th, 2004.
To sum up, it is about the function that allows launching of an application by double pressing on a button on a predetermined time interval.
This functionality is as old as the mouse : the double click.
This is what the software patent will all be about.
The richest or smartest will ask for patents on products that already exist and then sue all those who'll use those functionalities.
Our advice for programmers would be they'd all undertake studiying the law...
for they'll spend more time in court than in front of their machines.
Microsoft for instance would now be entitled to ask Apple they don't use double clicking any more, or make this use cost a fortune.
Whihc could AT LAST result in Apple being forced on selling TWO BUTTON MICE that'll need to be pressed simultaneously for lauching an app. Unless smart people already got a patent on that too...

Microsoft will make available to Windows users a new beta of Windows Media Player 10.
This new version will bring enhanced functionalities including one we're quite used to with iTunes.
The software will offer direct access to an online music store.
And if you still doubt Microsoft want to get rid of iTunes, WMP 10 will also allow synchronization of the musical library with some MP3 players brands, among which the iPod is not.
How would the hegemonical Microsoft not feel concerned that such a smaller company has found success on such important emerging market! A scandal!

Nec is still communicating on their 2500A burners and the flashing that enables them to burn double layer.
As they seem quite anxious of losing future sales, they acknowledged the mechanisms were quite identical in both cases.
The main difference would result of the factory optical heads adjustment.
So to say, losing the warranty is the one thing at stake. Afterward, if the burner doesn't succeed in burning DL DVDs, it will still work on single layer mode.

Gotchi wrote an excellent article on how he upgraded his Cube
http://www.macbidouille.com/article.php?id=158
Everything has been upgraded. Well, almost everything :
- CPU
- Graphic Card
- Hard Drive
Pity that this machine is so popular now that Apple doesn't sell it any longer.

The 12" iBook is the only laptop sold by Apple that doesn't feature the option of a Superdrive.
We do not like injustice, so we decided to bless the little dude with the fastest laptop dvd burner : the UJ-825.
for more info on the test :
http://www.macbidouille.com/article.php?id=159 (in French for now, English text available soon.)
Meantime, let us remind you that the instructions for replacing the optical drive of a 12" iBook are available. check the left column for the links.
Our partner Macway has a few units in stock, at a price of 299€TTC for Macbidouille/Hardmac readers:
http://www.macway.com

Source : Hardware.fr (in French)

Although we still do not know when 12x DVD-R burners will be available, BenQ will release the DW1630 in October.
This device will burn DVD±R at 16x and ±RW medias at 8x. For the same price, DL DVD will be burnt at 4x, an increase over the current 2.4x speed.
-R fans rejoice : things will be looking up again during this Fall.

Patrick pointed us to a great webpage where one can find a lot of information on how Wi-Fi works, the radio waves and how they propagate. The site also offers tools to compute power, antenna gain values, etc.
http://www.swisswireless.org/wlan_calc_en.html

Griffin Technology announced an iTrip mini.
It's not a simple iTrip but one dedicated to the iPod mini.
more info : http://www.griffintechnology.com