News for Friday, 2 September 2005

The DVD+RW Alliance has started to work on the possible standard for DVD+RW DL in order to finalize it by the ned of the year.
But it will be challenging, because rewritable media have a rather dark surface; if you turn it into a double layer, this surface has to become transparent in doer to be able to write on the second layer located behind.
Philips has already a prototype for this type of media that can be burned at 2.4 or 4X maximum; while reflecting only 5 to 7% of the laser beam light.
There are almost no chance that such media can be played in standalone DVD player, but Philips is targeting the market of digital camcorder based on 8cm-DVD media.

XLR8Yourmac published an article showing how to install two Mac in a single box.

One of the motherboards comes from a Power Tower Pro, the other one from a G3 B&W.
We still wonder what could be done with that (those ?) machine.
This box might as well hold up to twenty Mac mini !

Winsupersite who'd already published complet e review of Windows Vista beta 1, now compares it to Tiger.
You may read it there:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_beta1_vs_tiger_01.asp
To sum up, Tiger is more evolved, while Vista seems to get some inspiration there...
Trouble is this review compares the beta of a systeme that will probably be released by the end of 2006, while Tiger rolled out 4 months ago: by the time this new Windows comes, Mac OS X 10.5. will be on the shelves...

Thx Richard for telling us of this wonderful Mac mini modding.


One can only but admire this brilliant job, with a USB port on the front. Noticed the iSight?
More on this:
http://www.macmod.com/content/view/371/101

Hitachi annuonced new small sized disks.
- The Microdrive 3K8, a 1" HD will be available at 6 and 8 Go. It's 20% smaller than the current ones and, most important, draws 40% less energy which will enhance the autonomy of the products that will use it.
It also uses the new CE ATA interface and a new ZIF connector which will decrease the manufacturing costs of digital players and cameras.
To increase its schock resistance, it includes an accelerometer that will withdraw the reading heads as soon as it falls from 10 cm. Being stopped like that, it will stand up to 2000G/1s against current 400G/2s
- The Travelstar C4K60 “Slim” is a new 1,8" HD 30% thinner than its predecessors. It will be available in 30 and 60 Go. It also has a ZIF connector. Its shock tolerance is increased by 20%.
As you can guess those are good ways to improve significantly Apple's iPod line.

André Sterpin is back with a bang, with a step by step guide to fixing the power feed connector of an elderly G3 Powerbook.

It's as detailed and well-presented as usual.
http://www.sterpin.net/uk/PowerPowerbookG3Kangauk.htm
PS: If you appreciate the article, especially if it helps to get your machine back up and running, do consider making a donation to him.
PPS: the guide is in French!
PPPS [kalomir] : André just let us know the guide was translated in English, the link was modified accordingly.

A big thanks to Charles, who carried out an exhaustive test of Elgato's EyeHome for us.
For those of you who don't know, EyeHome lets you show multimedia content stored on a Mac on your TV.
EyeHome Test