There has been a marked increase in the number of viruses and other related attacks on computer systems in the past six months. Although nearly all of these do not affect the Macintosh community directly, Mac users can still run the risk of carrying an "infection" and passing it on to a client or supplier. For many years, the incidence of infected Macs was extremely low, but this has definitely now changed. You do need to make sure you have anti-virus software installed and active on your computers.
Peer to peer piracy
In America the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed lawsuits against the operators (students) of private computer networks on three college campuses where it claims the networks are being used to illegally trade copies of digital music files. Between them the college networks are said to be hosting nearly 2.5 million files. The RIAA are calling for fines of 150,000 dollars per each copyright infringed - an enormous sum of money.
I would guess that many design companies have computers that might have Napster or similar peer-to-peer file sharing software installed. Be aware that similar action may follow in the UK.
Apple are said to be about to launch a music subscription service for iPod owners - which could be good news, if the price is right.
New technology - new issues
Some establishments and businesses are banning the use of any mobile phone with a camera. Already surreptitious shots of innocent naturists taken with a mobile phone have ended up on the Internet. In Saudi Arabia they have banned camera phones altogether. In Japan users have been prosecuted for taking voyeuristic pictures of women and in Italy they have introduced strict laws governing their use. In Edinburgh, the David Lloyd gym has banned the use of phones in the changing rooms and a local lap-dancing club has also banned camera phones to protect the identity of the dancers and the customers.
Bill Gates dies - NOT!
The Korean stock market lost 3 billion dollars after local TV reported that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates had been assassinated. The fact that he was shot by a lone gunman at a charity event in Los Angeles was reported by three Korean TV channels. Unfortunately it was a hoax - picked up from a highly convincing spoof CNN website. A week earlier the Chinese media had fallen for the same story.
You know, he hasn't been seen in public lately...
Friday, April 04, 2003
When and how much?
Quark have announced some of the features they are going to offer in version 6 of QuarkXPress. Better table handling, a whole load more web authoring features, better colour control, reorganisation of the palettes, PDF creation (without a third party application such as distiller) and many workgroup features for teams working on a document.
Whilst these will please publishers and designers who fancy creating web pages with QuarkXPress, there is so far nothing too exciting - but Quark promise more details are to come - so who knows?
We do know that it will only run under OSX 10.2 or higher and require at least 128Mb of RAM and 230Mb of hard disk space. (As always with pre-release information, the details may be subject to change).
Of course they are not going to answer the two most important questions just yet.
Another birthday
It's hard to believe, but it's the 30th anniversary of the invention of the mobile phone. When inventor Martin Cooper (now 74) of Motorola made the first call, the phone he used weighed nearly 2 pounds and measured 250mm by 75mm by 40mm. Now they are building them into watches.
Whilst these will please publishers and designers who fancy creating web pages with QuarkXPress, there is so far nothing too exciting - but Quark promise more details are to come - so who knows?
We do know that it will only run under OSX 10.2 or higher and require at least 128Mb of RAM and 230Mb of hard disk space. (As always with pre-release information, the details may be subject to change).
Of course they are not going to answer the two most important questions just yet.
Another birthday
It's hard to believe, but it's the 30th anniversary of the invention of the mobile phone. When inventor Martin Cooper (now 74) of Motorola made the first call, the phone he used weighed nearly 2 pounds and measured 250mm by 75mm by 40mm. Now they are building them into watches.
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
Fired for Photofibs
Next time you're tempted to use PhotoShop to "improve" an image, spare a thought for photographer Brian Walski - who was fired today by the Los Angeles Times for submitting a digitally altered photo. The photo was featured on the front page of the 31st March edition and the LA Times has a strict policy forbidding the alteration of news photos.
No danger of that in the UK tabloids of course.
Less piracy = more jobs
A study by the Business Software Alliance reveals that 40 percent of all programmes in use are pirate copies. They calculate that reducing that by just 10 percent would add 64 billion dollars to the world's tax coffers. Perhaps more usefully they predict it would also create 1.5 million jobs. Amongst the Alliance's members are Microsoft, IBM and Apple.
Apple's Birthday
The birth of Apple on 1st April 1976 has been celebrated with a mention in Time Magazine's 80th anniversary issue in an article called "80 days that changed the world" - also available online.
Chalk and Cheese
Steve Jobs currently has the highest CEO approval rating - 91 percent at forbes.com whereas Steve Ballmer of Microsoft is trailing at a mere 18 percent.
No danger of that in the UK tabloids of course.
Less piracy = more jobs
A study by the Business Software Alliance reveals that 40 percent of all programmes in use are pirate copies. They calculate that reducing that by just 10 percent would add 64 billion dollars to the world's tax coffers. Perhaps more usefully they predict it would also create 1.5 million jobs. Amongst the Alliance's members are Microsoft, IBM and Apple.
Apple's Birthday
The birth of Apple on 1st April 1976 has been celebrated with a mention in Time Magazine's 80th anniversary issue in an article called "80 days that changed the world" - also available online.
Chalk and Cheese
Steve Jobs currently has the highest CEO approval rating - 91 percent at forbes.com whereas Steve Ballmer of Microsoft is trailing at a mere 18 percent.
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
A report on the Loof Lirpa factor
Given the circumstances there’s been a marked lack of April Fool stories on the web, but here’s a few that made me laugh (or at least wince):
About.com has the news that George W has cancelled the 2004 presidential elections and the “Cheerleader in a box”
thinkgeek.com are offering the George Foreman USB iGrill…
…and caffeinated glow in the dark beer! (If you want to order you will need to hold your ID up in front of your monitor to verify your age)
cnet is offering, “in the interests of balance” pro-virus tools to help infect your own and other systems
And from Forrester Research (the leading IT research and intelligence company) 74% of users don’t trust Microsoft
Oh, sorry, that last one is actually a real story!
Some April Fool stories were too obscure to be either funny or satirical. Some are simply too close to the truth.
About.com has the news that George W has cancelled the 2004 presidential elections and the “Cheerleader in a box”
thinkgeek.com are offering the George Foreman USB iGrill…
…and caffeinated glow in the dark beer! (If you want to order you will need to hold your ID up in front of your monitor to verify your age)
cnet is offering, “in the interests of balance” pro-virus tools to help infect your own and other systems
And from Forrester Research (the leading IT research and intelligence company) 74% of users don’t trust Microsoft
Oh, sorry, that last one is actually a real story!
Some April Fool stories were too obscure to be either funny or satirical. Some are simply too close to the truth.
Monday, March 31, 2003
A friend quietly retires...
Apple have quietly removed the original, classic iMac from sale in the US. Launched in 1998 it revived Apple's fortunes and changed product design - especially computers - forever.
I wonder just how many translucent products have their been since then?
I can still remember driving up to Gordon Harwood Computers in Derbyshire and buying one as soon as the shop opened (okay - you can call me sad if you like but it’s nice to own a design classic).
It’ll be sad to see it go, for a brief few years we could actually choose a colour for our computer. Personally I always like the “flower power” model. Now you can have any colour you like as long as its white.
And our “Bondi” iMac? It is still in use having survived minor surgery during last year (a new CD drive) and my daughter - who is the same age as the computer she uses - is very happy playing her ‘educational’ games on it and surfing the net. (Cartoon Network, Barbie, Nick Jr and Polly Pocket being particular favourites).
Meanwhile, the iMac’s original owner (my wife), now has a super-fast “anglepoise” style iMac on which she edits videos and creates web graphics.
Looking to the future…
The next version of OSX codenamed “Panther” is due to be officially announced in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
I’ll take bets on the next codename – any one for “Ocelot”?
I wonder just how many translucent products have their been since then?
I can still remember driving up to Gordon Harwood Computers in Derbyshire and buying one as soon as the shop opened (okay - you can call me sad if you like but it’s nice to own a design classic).
It’ll be sad to see it go, for a brief few years we could actually choose a colour for our computer. Personally I always like the “flower power” model. Now you can have any colour you like as long as its white.
And our “Bondi” iMac? It is still in use having survived minor surgery during last year (a new CD drive) and my daughter - who is the same age as the computer she uses - is very happy playing her ‘educational’ games on it and surfing the net. (Cartoon Network, Barbie, Nick Jr and Polly Pocket being particular favourites).
Meanwhile, the iMac’s original owner (my wife), now has a super-fast “anglepoise” style iMac on which she edits videos and creates web graphics.
Looking to the future…
The next version of OSX codenamed “Panther” is due to be officially announced in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
I’ll take bets on the next codename – any one for “Ocelot”?
Sunday, March 30, 2003
The Weekend Rant: Professional Development
Okay, it's the weekend and time for a quick rant!
For an industry that considers itself to be professional, the complete lack of professional development, succession planning and technical training in most design companies never ceases to amaze me. (Okay, I admit I might have more than a passing interest in this issue – after all, training is one of the services I provide). Design must be one of the few professions where, after leaving college, an employee is likely to receive no training whatsoever in their working life.
I have a number of architects as clients and they have professional development as a requirement of their profession. I also deal with numerous other types of small businesses who all manage to organize training programmes. Surely design companies cannot be satisfied with employees who have the same level of skill as the local vicar laying out the parish magazine!
With training it cannot be a cost issue as a little training can improve performance drastically. Someone who is proficient with software can easily be 5 to 10 times faster than someone who is just getting by.
More importantly, someone familiar with the software is thinking about the problem to hand and not about how to do something with the software. They also have more options and more confidence to try different solutions. Without that confidence they may reject an excellent solution in favour of one they know they can deliver easily.
Of course, you can argue that small companies do not have HR departments and therefore personal development programmes, training plans and even appraisals are difficult, if not impossible to organise as it usually falls to one or two senior managers/partners to implement.
But I still feel the complete lack of these important aspects of personnel management is at contrast with the rest of the commercial world. I even think there is an argument for teaching designers about layout, typography and even creativity techniques.
Disagree? Email me and let me know!
Something a little less controversial...
Most computers these days adjust their clocks automatically for British Summer Time, but older ones may not. Now is the time to check that clock on your desktop computer, but more importantly, any file or mail servers you have. It is important they are set correctly as back-up systems use the clocks to compare files and email is usually timed according to the server’s clock.
For an industry that considers itself to be professional, the complete lack of professional development, succession planning and technical training in most design companies never ceases to amaze me. (Okay, I admit I might have more than a passing interest in this issue – after all, training is one of the services I provide). Design must be one of the few professions where, after leaving college, an employee is likely to receive no training whatsoever in their working life.
I have a number of architects as clients and they have professional development as a requirement of their profession. I also deal with numerous other types of small businesses who all manage to organize training programmes. Surely design companies cannot be satisfied with employees who have the same level of skill as the local vicar laying out the parish magazine!
With training it cannot be a cost issue as a little training can improve performance drastically. Someone who is proficient with software can easily be 5 to 10 times faster than someone who is just getting by.
More importantly, someone familiar with the software is thinking about the problem to hand and not about how to do something with the software. They also have more options and more confidence to try different solutions. Without that confidence they may reject an excellent solution in favour of one they know they can deliver easily.
Of course, you can argue that small companies do not have HR departments and therefore personal development programmes, training plans and even appraisals are difficult, if not impossible to organise as it usually falls to one or two senior managers/partners to implement.
But I still feel the complete lack of these important aspects of personnel management is at contrast with the rest of the commercial world. I even think there is an argument for teaching designers about layout, typography and even creativity techniques.
Disagree? Email me and let me know!
Something a little less controversial...
Most computers these days adjust their clocks automatically for British Summer Time, but older ones may not. Now is the time to check that clock on your desktop computer, but more importantly, any file or mail servers you have. It is important they are set correctly as back-up systems use the clocks to compare files and email is usually timed according to the server’s clock.
Friday, March 28, 2003
A Look Behind the Search
There is a very good article on the inside story of Google on the excellent Fast Company web site. Arguably one of the most innovative and successful Internet companies, it succeeds by focussing on the needs of the user.
Google currently processes around 150 million searches a day with last year's revenue being somewhere between 60 and 300 million dollars.
Rumour time...
Apple are rumoured to be working on a tablet PC to add to their laptop range. It will have an optional docking facility and will be aimed primarily at the home market. (Which doesn't stop you buying it and using it for business of course!) The laptop is also said to feature Airport Extreme - Apple's new ultra-fast version of its wireless networking system.
Google currently processes around 150 million searches a day with last year's revenue being somewhere between 60 and 300 million dollars.
Rumour time...
Apple are rumoured to be working on a tablet PC to add to their laptop range. It will have an optional docking facility and will be aimed primarily at the home market. (Which doesn't stop you buying it and using it for business of course!) The laptop is also said to feature Airport Extreme - Apple's new ultra-fast version of its wireless networking system.
Thursday, March 27, 2003
No spam here!
Another good reason for a blog is that it isn't spam. According to MessageLabs the volume of spam will exceed normal email by July this year – a frightening thought. With the UK and Europe creating laws against spam and Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL cracking down, the fight goes on.
What's worse than spam? Spam that contains a virus. In the current situation spammers and virus writers are taking advantage of people's curiosity and adding viruses to emails that pretend to offer images or information about the conflict in Iraq.
Now's a good time to check you have anti-virus software in place.
What's worse than spam? Spam that contains a virus. In the current situation spammers and virus writers are taking advantage of people's curiosity and adding viruses to emails that pretend to offer images or information about the conflict in Iraq.
Now's a good time to check you have anti-virus software in place.
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Launch of KnightsWood Knews
"blogging" has become very popular over recent months - I thought it important that I found out what it was about and what it could be used for in order to provide additional information for my clients and friends.
So I have started this blog with the intention of publishing links to a variety of news stories and highlighting issues that I consider important to the design and publishing communities, to mac users and those which might herald significant new directions in technology.
I will also be offering my comments and occasional tips and warnings.
So I have started this blog with the intention of publishing links to a variety of news stories and highlighting issues that I consider important to the design and publishing communities, to mac users and those which might herald significant new directions in technology.
I will also be offering my comments and occasional tips and warnings.
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