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Friday, September 6, 2002
![[Item Permalink]](http://radio.weblogs.com/0112083/images/ur_bullet.gif){kind=small} Using Jaguar more and more -- Comment()
Last post for today. I have done some experiments with the new options available in Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2). For example, you can set more view attributes for the Finder desktop than were available previously. Also, the settings take effect more smoothly than previously. Now a lot more information fits on my desktop. I'm also practicing the Command-< shortcut for cycling windows. Takes some practice to get used to, but at least it seems to work in all Aqua programs. This is something I have missed. Of course, the key combination Command-~ has been available on US keyboard, but it doesn't help with "foreign" keyboard layouts. One feature which I also have learned to like: the automatic spell checker for English, which works also within OmniWeb, even inside web forms. This helps in catching trivial miss-spellings, but of course is not a substitute for reading what you have written.
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Cornered Microsoft -- Comment()
osOpinion writes: "And product activation on Windows XP arguably seemed to imply that all Microsoft users were potential thieves who could not be trusted to abide by their licensing agreements. To rub salt into the wound, Microsoft has used Windows XP and Passport as a way to start controlling how users manage their data and computers. Now, the implication is that we're not only thieves, but also incompetents who need a big brother to watch over us and manage our data. In spite of Microsoft's extensive PR campaign extolling the advantages of the company's new model, anyone who understands computers can appreciate the potential dangers of Microsoft's strategies." Well said, but even this is only part of the picture. Microsoft is at its best in difficult situations, and this is probably once again a situation where the behemoth will eventually win the game, set, and match.
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Book finally finished -- Comment()
To celebrate the finishing of our book on numerical methods (written in Finnish), I'll post the cover picture here.  The book was sent for printing today, and the second edition will appear in two weeks. Editing and writing the book has been a rewarding experience, although it has sometimes been a bit tiring. But I managed to browse through the book one more time, and found additional five missprints. That is not too much in a 415-page book. I made the corrections also to the PDF version of the book available online.
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MS media player is an anti-standards copycat -- Comment()
Apple: MS media player shows anti-standards behavior [MacCentral] I think Apple is on the right track here, and Microsoft is up to the old tricks: copying, corrupting, and extinguishing alternatives. But it is not at all clear that openness and standards will actually win.
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Watson update -- Comment()
Watson update adds Google search, Jaguar support [MacCentral] As I already noted, this is a nice update. Well done, Karelia!
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Untrustworthy computing, again -- Comment()
Credit Card Theft Feared In Windows Flaw: "Microsoft issued a security alert, calling the flaw "critical." The flaw affects how more than a dozen Microsoft products, including programs for Windows and the Macintosh, handle digital certificates, which are used to certify the authenticity of a Web site or of software code." (CNET News.com via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] It seems that the world is increasingly insecure, at least to users of MS software. However, I hope we are not going to start demanding too much from technology: the reliability of systems depends most of all on the people using and caring for them.
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.Mac gifts -- Comment()
Apple Offers Free Gifts To .Mac Members: "Apple has started offering .Mac members 100 free 4x6 Kodak prints through the iPhoto print service and a free copy of the popular puzzle game, Alchemy Deluxe." (MacMinute via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] I didn't find any mention of the Kodak prints, but the game was available. Haven't tried it, though. Most important fact is that Apple has addressed some of the original shortcomings of the .Mac service: problems accessing the site, difficulties with the Backup package, etc.
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Fields medals explained -- Comment()
Math = beauty + truth / (really hard): "Explaining what the winners of the world's top awards in mathematics actually do isn't as easy as adding 2+2. But we'll give it a try." [Salon.com] This is an easy-to-understand description of the work the recent recipients of the Fields medals have done in mathematics.
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Watson has new tools: Google and Amazon -- Comment()
I just upgraded to Watson 1.5.5 and downloaded the Google and Amazon tools. Impressive work! It was easy to configure the Google account (I had a license key ready, but anyway...). Both tools are easy to use and very nice looking. I sent email to Dan Wood at Karelia thanking the company for a job well done. This product is becoming more and more indispensable.
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Screensaver on the desktop -- Comment()
Mac OS X Hints contained the following hint. Run a screensaver on your desktop with the command (all on one line) /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/The writer also recommended the Marine Aquarium screensaver. I tried this, and it works, but is too heavy on an older Mac. You need a Quartz Extreme capable Mac and a fast processor to enjoy the experience. But the Marine Aquarium screensaver is a good buy regardless. Have been using it for some time without any problems whatever.
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A detailed review of Jaguar -- Comment()
There is a detailed review of Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2) at Ars Technica. The review contains many practical hints, a clear explanation of Quartz Extreme, and many other useful items.
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Keyboard command for cycling windows -- Comment()
If you have a Finnish keyboard, you can use with Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2) the key combination Command < (or Command >) to cycle windows. This works in Mail, OmniWeb, etc.
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