So, what's an ExpressCard/34? Can I use my PCMCIA (PCCARD) cards in it? Apple's latest laptop announcement, the MacBook Pro has what is referred to as an ExpressCard/34 slot on it in the place of the usual PCCard slot. So, what is it? ExpressCard is a new standard …

Another Stevenote, another controversy about benchmarks. An commentary by Tom Yager on InfoWorld states that "Apple used multiprocessor benchmarks to skew the performance advantage." I have some issues with this. First, Apple has this time almost completely disclosed the information about their benchmarks, including compilers (IBM optimizing compilers vs. Intel …

Want to import that Access database to your Macintosh software? Wait no longer, if you're using an ODBC-capable package (like Excel or Filemaker Pro), you can now use the new ODBC for Access from Actual Technologies to do it.

Some of us know that Apple has had what it calls "Ink Services" for the Macintosh since 10.2 at least. Ink Services is handwriting recognition for graphics tablet users. Now, Apple announced today that they've updated the documentation to provide an API for customization. This is their first documentation …

Well, we stood in line for 1.5 hours and we are stuck in the overflow seating area for the Stevenote. Click through for details. iPod tuner/remote combo - small and allows you listen to FM on your iPod for $49. premier of new iTunes/iPod ad 14M iPods sold …

Apple's posted a page called Big Ideas highlighting the use of Macintosh Minis in a variety of interesting places, including automobiles, hosting centers, and a new arts venue in Scotland. Have you got a unique use for a mini? Tell Apple about it.

Apple's Airport is the best home router out there, according to the PC Magazine Reader's Choice for Home Routers. Of particular note: the Airport's win marks the first time in the survey that a wireless router has won the prize. Also if interest, one amusing comment on why the Airport …

I'm sure you're thinking "Wow! sure took Gaige long enough to write about Wednesday's Apple announcements". You're right... it did. However, Apple definitely is sending the PowerPC out with a bang. (Thanks for the phrasing, Amanda) I have no good excuse, but here's the wrap up: Gone are the Dual-processor …

Cool new features included in the iMac and not played up by the media are numerous. I know that people are talking about the two new programs and the built in iSight camera (and some the lack of a built-in modem), but there are some other changes under the hood …

Apple's financial climb upwards is continuing apace, with the company landing a $3.68B revenue quarter. The computer maker also announced (more importantly by my standards) that unit shipments in the Macintosh line are up 48% from the same quarter last year to 1,236,000 units. [CORRECTION below] This …

You can't get away from cycles, they're everywhere. Today I'm going to focus on what I believe is a great cycle in software development – the return to meaningful software development. When I started programming in (gulp) 1979, the world was unencumbered by GUIs. Most interfaces were text-based unless you were …

Wired has a short interview with Bob Wiederhold of Transitive, the makers of Apple's Rosetta technology that allows you to run old PowerPC software (built for OS X, not Classic) on an Intel-based Macintosh. Not lengthy, but some interesting commentary, especially in the end about the need to innovate.

Not one of my diatribes... one from somebody else. Wil Shipley (now CEO of Delicious Monster and former member of the OMNI Group) gave a presentation to a group of 300 or so people who were brought to the Apple WWDC on scholarship. He's now posted his talk on his …

Although Apple is moving away from IBM's PowerPC CPUs for desktop and laptops in the future, IBM is still sitting pretty on the most recent Top 500 list (Just 2005) of the fastest supercomputers. An explosion in clustered computing leaves IBM in the 1,2,5,6,8, and 9th …

Stamps.com has been offering picture postage for Windows for quite some time now, but Endicia (pretty much the only people doing postage service for the Mac) are now offering it for the Macintosh and the software to create it is definitely cool. Check out the software and info on …

The transition from 10.3 to 10.4 in our location has been both easy and hard. For everything except our master server, the transition has been a breeze. Here are some things to do and a couple of things to avoid. Note: this is only for OS X Server …

Good comic today from JoyOfTech.

So much for being pretty sure that Apple wasn't going to roll this one out today. According to everybody's press releases, reports, etc. and what I heard sitting in the Keynote (now available via QuickTime), Apple will begin shipping Macintoshes that are based on the Intel CPU architecture by June …

CNet is again reporting that they have heard strong rumblings that Apple will announce on Monday a switch to Intel-based CPUs in the Macintosh line. I'm skeptical, but we were all skeptical when people discussed the switch to the PowerPC from the 68xxx architecture in the early 1990's, so we'll …

Here's a good article from David Pogue of the The New York Times about a set of ground rules he'd like to see used in the Mac vs PC wars. As far as I'm concerned, life'd be a lot more civil if people followed them.