This hasn't been mentioned elsewhere, so we'll cover it. Apple has begun to offer a dual video option from the Apple Store with "Blue and White" desktop systems. You can choose the two Rage 128 cards for an additional cost of $150 dollars.

Presumably the second card occupies one of the 3 'normal' 33 MHz PCI slots, while the original board takes up the one 66 MHz slot. The option may have just now become available as ATI recently began shipping 128-based retail boards into the channel.

Of course, the main benefit of dual video cards is the ability to connect dual monitors, and 'span' your desktop across them. However, this solution does take up two of the four PCI slots, leaving only two for other uses.

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Posted 6/4/99: PlayMedia Drops Lawsuits...After AOL Purchases

Only after Internet titan AOL bought Nullsoft (makers of WinAmp and SHOUTcast technologies) and Spinner.com did PlayMedia settle its MP3 related lawsuits against Nullsoft.

It seems AOL really bailed NullSoft out of this one. The entire lawsuit was based on the assertion by PlayMedia that NullSoft's WinAmp used some of PlayMedia's code.

Posted 5/4/99: Star Wars Music Video Exclusively Streamed in QuickTime 4.0

Whereas rabid Star Wars fans could settle to download the long litany of videos of the movie Apple has been offering in QuickTime 3.0, with the release of the first music video late last night, it is only available in QuickTime 4.0 Streamed format. This is another great opportunity for Apple to get a larger base of QuickTime 4.0 users. With the trailers, over 10 million copies have been downloaded with 1 million downloads of QuickTime 4.0. All the video in QuickTime format has looked great, along with the prospects of QT 4.0's future.

Posted: 4/12/99: Apple Will Introduce QT 4.0, Final Cut Pro at NAB

Final Cut Pro, Apple's video editing software, will debut at the NAB conference, which starts April 19th. Also being introduced is an integral part of FCP, QuickTime 4.0, Apple's revolutionary multimedia software. The package just hit Beta19 and will be going GM in time for the introduction at the show. Combined with the 101 introductions expected as well at NAB, this show is shaping up to be just as exciting as any MACWORLD show.

Posted: 4/10/99: Apple Prototype For Sale on eBay

Early today a reader sent in a note about this auction of what seems to be a good reproduction of one of Apple's prototype's for the AMP player (remember all the set top box stories and rumors, some designed to throw suspicion off the iMac). It has all kinds of video inputs/outputs on the back and is model number "M4120." Whether this system would even work is up in the air, and the authenticity of the system is also highly doubtful because the only identifying mark is an Apple logo, which could be pasted on there. However, it is a dead-ringer match for one of the prototype designs posted years ago in various places. Just something interesting to look at.

Posted: 4/9/99: Apple Design Guru Interview

Do you know who's behind curvy design of the iMac, Yosemite, and more? He's none other than British-born Johnathan Ive, who gave an interview with the Salt Lake City Tribune earlier this month. Anyone that's seen Ive immediately sees that's he thinks different. His eccentric ways have produced award winning designs from his secretive team, which meets in a nondescript building away from Apple's main campus. He will be the guy to thank for whatever form Lombard and P1 take when they are introduced later this year as well, both of which are expected to have great designs.

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Posted: 4/7/99: Aging "1984" Ad Creator Takes Reigns of Silicon Valley Firm

Advertising Hall of Fame inductee and Chiat/Day co-founder Jay Chiat, the brains behind such brands as the Energizer Bunny, "Air Jordan," and Apple's world famous "1984" Super Bowl ad, is now "interim CEO" (Where have we heard that before?) of Silicon Valley startup ScreamingMedia.com. The company is trying to provide "specialized content" to websites, according to this CBS MarketWatch article. Over the years since he merged Chiat/Day with TBWA in 1995, and left the firm, he's invested in several Internet startups, as well as securing financing for some of the groups. We wish the man luck in his new venture!

Posted: 4/7/99: Network Solutions Plays Dirty as Monopoly Disappears

Over the years we've dealt with Network Solutions and the domain registry they have an exclusive contract with the government to operate, InterNIC, we would have to give their score on efficiency near to a F. However, recently their monopoly on the registration of domain (.net, .org, .com) addresses is thankfully coming to an end in the next few weeks. Afraid of losing customers during this time, NSI is routing people visiting internic.net to its own website, which touts other services NSI offers, raising the ire of the firms that will soon be competing with NSI for domain registration, according to C|Net News.com. Major changes to the whole system are coming soon. The Commerce Department is charged with regulating the domain system of the Internet, and they've "trusted" the Internet community by creating the ICANN or Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a non-profit organization rather than a government-run administration. Reportedly by the end of this month, ICANN will name five companies that will be allowed to compete for domain registration customers. This competition will certainly improve the whole process of registering domains.

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Written/Edited/Published by Doug B. Landry
Logo by Jon Iverson
Apple, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS,The Apple Store, and Powerbook are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
©1998 Doug B. Landry. All rights reserved. All or part may not be reproduced or distributed without prior consent.
Coded on a Apple Macintosh Powerbook G3 Series from Baton Rouge, LA

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