New and Noteworthy: Mac OS X Help Line now available; Making the Mac more corporate; more

Mac OS X Help Line now available Ted Landau, founder of MacFixIt, has released his latest troubleshooting book, Mac OS X Help Line. "From the basics of how Mac OS X works to the latest troubleshooting tips for Mac OS X 10.3.x, from solving printing mishaps to untangling networking hassles, from fixing startup problems to using Terminal, this book covers it all. It even includes a chapter on troubleshooting i-software (iTunes, iPhoto etc.). It's over 1100 pages and it's available now." More.

Making the Mac more corporate BusinessWeek has some praise for Microsoft's newly release Office 2004 suite: "And with Office 2004, Mac users for the first time in years have an office suite that is at least the equal of its Windows equivalent. Windows Office has increasingly emphasized integration with Windows Server, which interests corporate technology managers much more than end users. The Mac product keeps the focus on individuals and workgroups." More.

Maintaining the iPod's dominance Another BusinessWeek article speculates on what Apple needs to do to maintain the iPod's dominance of the MP3 player market. "CEO Steven P. Jobs knows all too well, Apple can't rest on its laurels. In tech circles, soaring success often masks future troubles. Look no further than Apple's own history: In 1980, it dominated PCs with a 16% share -- but it badly misplayed its hand and now has less than 2%. Just as when Apple ruled the PC market, these are early days for digital music. 'We haven't even seen the big players make their mark in this market yet -- like Microsoft and Wal-Mart Stores' says David Munns, CEO of music company EMI Recorded Music North America." More.

Many wireless networks insecure The Associated Press reports on one user's wireless trek that revealed a lack of security for many public wireless networks. "With a laptop perched in the passenger seat of his Toyota 4Runner and a special antenna on the roof, Mike Outmesguine ventured off to sniff out wireless networks between Los Angeles and San Francisco. He got a big whiff of insecurity. While his 800-mile drive confirmed that the number of wireless networks is growing explosively, he also found that only a third used basic encryption _ a key security measure. In fact, in nearly 40 percent of the networks not a single change had been made to the gear's wide-open default settings." More.

Yesterday we noted:

• Safari 1.x: Cannot properly save some web pages
• Trouble opening Keynote 1.1.1 presentations under Mac OS X 10.3.x
• Mac OS X 10.3.4 (#4): FireWire target booting for non-booting, 10.3.4-updated Macs; Fan speed, loudness; CUPS; more

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