muse

Widgets, widgets galore: MatchKey, MuseStorm, FeedHub

Three more companies making new micro-applications that track and deliver media preferences.

Matchmine allows consumers to figure out what kind of media they like by creating a MatchKey, or a visualization of their preferences.

Just give a ZIP code, date of birth and rate some movies, blogs, etc. with a star system a la Netflix. Users can share their MatchKey with friends and/or advertisers, but not any personal information. The Facebook widget version show what the person has in common with his or her friends--like Flixster, but not in list form. Matchmine has an API online for developers to … Read more

mac.column.ted: The First Coming of iPhone

[Published Friday, June 22nd]

Ted Landau June 2007

[For full coverage of the iPhone, see our sister site iPhone Atlas]

With the expected arrival of iPhone next week, the media frenzy surrounding the device has escalated to such heights that I got vertigo just reading about it. I can't recall the last time (if ever) that there has been such intense speculation about the likely success or failure of a product that isn't even out yet. Adding further to the hyperbole are the warnings about how much Apple has riding on the outcome. Based on the tone of … Read more

mac.column.ted: An Alternative FAQ for Apple TV

Ted Landau April 2007

If you have questions about Apple's new Apple TV, there's already a wealth of answers on the Web. Considering that the device has only been available for a few days, that's pretty impressive. Such is life in the fast-paced world of the Internet. For this column, I sought to come up with some "alternative" information that had not yet been widely covered, if at all—and combine it with some personal comments. The result is the following FAQ collection:

Q. How exactly would you categorize an Apple TV? Is it a … Read more

News roundup: Google, Congoo, RateItAll + MuseStorm, Mashtracker

Google rolls out pay-per-action. Google's got a new advertising scheme, and it's set up to help small-time advertisers avoid the dangers of click fraud. Instead of just paying by the click, advertisers can set up predetermined actions the user must go through, such as purchasing an item or browsing a certain section of the site. The new system has sparked controversy in the blogosphere as a potential destroyer of smaller affiliate marketing services.

Congoo launches News Portals. Premium news content distributor Congoo ( previous coverage) has rolled out a customizable single-page-aggregation service that pulls stories from user-selected topics. Users … Read more

mac.column.ted: Second Look: The new AirPort Extreme Base Station

[Posted Monday, March 12th]

Ted Landau March 2007

Last month, I offered a "first look" at Apple's new AirPort Extreme Base Station. It was written after only a couple of days experience with the new device. Such articles have their value, especially for those who are considering an immediate purchase and want the instant feedback that has become the modus operandi on the Web.

Still, there is remains a useful place for less hurried more deliberate analyses. With this in mind, this month's column takes a second look the new AirPort Base Station, providing results from … Read more

mac.column.ted: First Look: The new AirPort Extreme Base Station

Ted Landau February 2007

My new AirPort Extreme Base Station arrived the other day. As you probably know, its most significant feature is support for the (as-yet-unfinished) 802.11n protocol, which allows for much faster wireless transmission speeds and a wider reception range. This speed increase may be especially welcome if you plan on getting an Apple TV (due out later this month), which similarly supports the 802.11n protocol.

The new Base Station also sports three local Ethernet ports (compared to the lone such port on the older Extreme model) as well as the capability to add a USB … Read more

mac.column.ted: The iPhone: Second thoughts

Ted Landau January 2007

As I exited the keynote address at last week's Macworld Expo, images of the iPhone were dancing in my head. If Apple had set up a booth just outside the hall for selling the device, I would have signed on the dotted line without a moment's hesitation. Fully aware of Steve Jobs' persuasive powers, my defensive shields had been set to full strength prior to going into the keynote. But the device itself was so amazing, more than living up to its pre-Expo hype, that it shattered my shields with ease. I was not … Read more

mac.column.ted: The trouble with creating bootable drives and discs [Part 2]

Ted Landau December 2006

In last month's column, I described the hurdles that Mac OS X puts in your way when you try to create a bootable disc, especially a custom bootable CD, DVD or flash drive. I offered various solutions but omitted coverage of one critical category: a custom bootable disc that you can make yourself (that is, without having to purchase any specialized third-party software) and from which you can launch your preferred selection of utilities. That's the entire subject of this month's column.

Create a custom bootable CD or DVD

Here are the step-by-step &… Read more

mac.column.ted: The trouble with creating bootable drives and discs [Part 1]

Ted LandauNovember 2006

I harbor no nostalgia for Mac OS 9. Aside from a couple of old games, I never even think about using OS 9 anymore. With one exception...I long for OS 9's simplicity in creating bootable drives and discs.

How simple was it? For hard drives, it was as simple as dragging a System Folder from one drive to another. Actually, it was even simpler than that. You could usually get by with just copying the System and Finder files that resided inside the System Folder. The rest of the System Folder was desirable but optional. … Read more