Last week I reported that the first Intel Macs may be coming sooner than originally expected. New PowerBooks and iBooks built on Intel hardware are rumored to arrive as soon as April or May 2006

Mike Evangelist’s Writer Block Live has an interesting post about his disdain for the Digital Rights Management (DRM) included in music purchased from the iTunes Music Store. In it he says that he’s not going to “spend a another dime on content that I can

I received a pair of SoftWear custom fit sleeves for my Ears Model EM3 earphones from Future Sonics this weekend and they’re outstanding. Wether you’re a music snob or just like a little extra kick in the low-end frequencies coming out of your iPod, you definitely should investigate custom fit sleeves.
The first part of the process is to make an appointment with a certified audiologist in your area to have them make ear impressions (look up Audiologist and your zip code in Google to find one.) Shout out to Certified Audiology in Linwood, NJ that did mine. Impressions cost me US$25 per ear (or US$50) although your mileage may vary. To make them they insert a foam “dam” that is attached to a string deep into each ear. Then they pump a purple silicone substance from something resembling a caulking gun into your ear. While it sets (about a minute) you alternate saying “ahhh” and “eeee” to get the best fit.
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Shakin-tosh, a member of KODAWARISAN, has modded the old iPod remote control to work with the new iPod. (Translation)
I guess there were now new Macs to disassemble this week

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Imagine a gadget that’s so supremely cool in its ingenuity and usefulness that your wife dubs it, “damn near as good as TiVo.” In my home that’s quite a revelation. Such was my experience last Saturday night as we drove home from a party at the home of an old friend. A friend who moved some 130 miles away into the deep woods of south-central Pennsylvania. We had never been to their new place, but we were guided all the way there and all the way home by a sultry, British voice I’ve affectionately named Irene. Irene isn’t real. She’s a product of my robust little Garmin Quest2 GPS, and Irene is fast becoming the second most important woman in my life. How did I live without a GPS?

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The EFF is following the new HD Radio Content Protection Act closely and encouraging members to take action:

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has seen the future of radio. And it would prefer to live in the past…
Last week, with a coalition of copyright holders, the RIAA sent messages to members of Congress requesting that the FCC be given new powers to hobble digital radios so they perform worse than the analog radios of yesteryear.

Read more at EFF.org.

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Speck appears to be first out of the gates with a skin cover for the new iPod video. Their ToughSkin is a rubberized case for new iPods with video (US$35) that works with both 30 & 60GB models. ToughSkins in black began shipping yesterday and their clear version is available for pre-order and will be shipping soon.

“This is the best ToughSkin to date. We’ve improved the look, feel, and functionality,” said General Manager Tim Hickman. “We’ve enhanced the screen protector- adding a rubber ridge around the back to make it safe and secure, and we’ve made the 30 gig spacer out of soft rubber instead of hard plastic.”
Its one-of-a-kind design customizes the popular rubberized skin for extreme lifestyles. It’s the only skin to feature ruggedized bumpers, soft-edged screen protection, and a detachable belt clip. If you’re tough on your stuff, the ToughSkin for iPod with video is right for you. ToughSkins for iPod with video are available and shipping in black.

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It looks like I may have spoken too soon in my article on the Mac being immune to the Sony Rootkit

The obligatory 30-day waiting period after a new Apple product announcement must have just passed because there’s a steady stream of cases for the iPod nano coming to market

MacDan has posted a number of Macintosh related hacks, help and other foolishness. Some of my favorite PowerBook-related pages from MacDan:
- Fried chip in a DVI TiBook – Blank white LCD on a 667 DVI ‘Book, toasted chip and a solution.
- TiBook display take-apart, re-assembly and various other related info – TiBooks break LCDs, hinges, how to get the dang things apart so’s you can fix ‘em.
- PowerBook Video Display Subsystems – from Wallstreet to Ivory
- Sandblaster! – Fun with a sandblaster
- PowerBook Wallstreet hinges – Yet another display hinge repair solution
- PowerBook Expansion Bay Module upgrades and hacks – opticals, HDs, etc.
PowerBook 5300 power jack replacement – Where I replace the crappy original power connector with a regular-style PowerBook power connector. Hey, whaddya know?!?! It works great!
Nice weekend reading for the geek in you. That last 5300 article was a flashback to 1995 when I started the PowerPage because of a defective Global Village modem in my PowerBook 5300. Stay tuned for more on our tenth anniversary in the coming weeks. -Ed

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