New & Noteworthy: Mailsmith; Bookends 7;
New & Noteworthy: Mailsmith; Bookends 7;
Mailsmith 1.5 is an email client with filtering, searching, and powerful scripting tools. This release runs natively under Mac OS X, adds high-fidelity importing of stored email from Claris Emailer 2.0v2 (or later), Eudora 4, and Apple's Mail -- all without AppleScripts or the original application. It also adds draft messages, plain text rendering of HTML, floating palettes for AppleScripts, integrated PGP support, Mac OS keychain support, and more. [OS 9 & OS X]
Bookends 7 is a Mac-only complete reference management/bibliography generation application. The new version has been completely rewritten and carbonized, and so runs natively on MacOS X as well as ealier verions (8.6-9.x).
PowerBook G3 reliability issues Kevin Barry has set up this Web page and discussion list to serve as contact points for owners who have had trouble with their PowerBook G3 hinges (and other hardware) and are interested in joining potential legal action against Apple to resolve the issues.
Why truckers make the best beta-testers From Technology Review: "The truck stop where I'd spent the night-for free-had a reliable Internet connection inside the restaurant. For my money, highway travel centers, née truck stops, are the best places on the road to surf the Web." More.
Mac A-Connect via FireWire Alera Technologies has announced a FireWire A-Connect Connection Kit tailored specifically for Macintosh users, which extends portability between systems with different connection ports and buses.
Hackers find new way to bilk eBay users From News.com: "Someone other than Gloria Geary had access to the Washington artist's eBay account last week. Using Geary's user ID, the person set up an auction for an Intel Pentium computer chip. Not only that, but the person changed Geary's password so she could no longer access her own account--or cancel the bogus auction." More.
FCC challenged on high-speed ISP ruling From Reuters: "The FCC declared cable-modem service as an information service earlier this month, which means operators like AT&T Broadband and AOL Time Warner are not presently required to share their systems or provide open access for competing Internet services." More.
Spammers lose in small-claims court From CNet: "Free-speech group Peacefire.org has won a legal round in its fight against unsolicited e-mail, invoking Washington state's anti-spam law." More.
New services spur growth of public access Wi-Fi From ComputerWorld: "Public access wireless LAN service shared the center ring here at the annual Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) trade show with third generation mobile data, and one major carrier promised to deliver combined Wi-Fi/cellular services by early next year." More.
Object-based video coding challenges MPEG From EE Times: "Has MPEG had its day? A Milpitas, Calif. startup will argue in the affirmative Monday (March 25) when it announces an object-based video coding algorithm that it calls a radical departure from the block-based coding used in all MPEG standards. Scheduled for private previews in Las Vegas next month at the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) convention, Pulsent Corp.'s technology - and a host of similar developments both inside and outside the Moving Picture Experts Group - could ignite debate as the industry looks beyond the current slate of standards for digital video compression." More.