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Tech News Blog
5.12.05
Firefox Update Available
Mozilla.org has released an update for their Firefox browser that includes security patches that help remedy some recently discovered bugs. Visit Mozilla to get the update or read more on the issue from MacMinute.

Mac Widgets: Truth With Not Much Consequence
MacCentral assures Apple owners that we all need to “take a deep breath” and continue those life processes that are so vital to our existence, like using our Macs. As we noted yesterday, you have nothing to worry about regarding this Widget issue unless someone creates a malicious Widget and then you have the misfortune of finding and installing that bad creation. Check out the word from a Mac expert by clicking on the following:
Editors' Notes: Widget security: fact and fiction
There are valid security concerns about Tiger’s Dashboard widgets. But if you’re overwhelmed by widget worries, take a deep breath and read what Rob Griffiths has to say on the subject. MacCentral

Gates Dreaming of Surpassing iPod Sales; What is Steve Dreaming of?
Reuters is featuring a story regarding Bill Gate’s lofty dreams of mobile phones surpassing iPods as the music player of choice. No word on if Steve Jobs’ has been dreaming lately of so distracting Microsoft with the iPod and their latest operating system successes that Apple grabs a 40 percent share of the computer market (compared to an estimated 4 percent currently).
Gates sees mobile phones overtaking iPods
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Microsoft founder Bill Gates sees mobile phones overtaking MP3s as the top choice of portable music player, and views the raging popularity of Apple's iPod player as unsustainable, he told a German newspaper. Reuters: Technology

Apple Offers Students $100 Rebate
Apple is offering students (or their parents) a one hundred dollar rebate for computers purchased over the next month (May 2 until June 25, 2005). Not all Macs are eligible for this offer, specifically the Mac mini, eMacs, and the least expensive iBook are excluded (I know, my heart started racing to at the thought of adding a mini for less than four hundred dollars).

Amazon Specials
Please help support this web site by checking out the Google ads that interest you, and if you click on the links of our associated merchants found on this page and complete a transaction, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Check out the following deals at Amazon:
- 52 % OFF - Jabra BT110 Bluetooth headset. Only $29.99 with purchase of a qualifying Bluetooth-compatible phone. Just add both items to your Shopping Cart and use this promotional code at checkout: 02JABRABT110.

- Get $100 Cash back when you purchase the Motorola V300 with new service activation on T-Mobile.

- 59% OFF - Porter-Cable 324MAG 7-1/4" Blade Right Circular Saw - Only $99 after rebate

Migrate to Open Source Using Mac mini
If you are interested in trying open source on the cheap, you can do it with the Mac mini. You can’t build your own computer for the price of the mini and the operating system of choice is Yellow Dog. Check out the tutorial from Lewin Edwards in the following article:
Mad Mac mini multimedia machine, Part 1: Load Linux on the Mac mini
The Mac mini is an ideal low-cost, high-performance PowerPC development platform for numerous applications. Learn how to install and configure Linux on the mini. Future articles will add the software required to make it into a stand-alone multimedia appliance.
Accelerate YourMac News (story origin)

Open Source Update
Secunia announced these security and update bulletins are available for open source systems: Red Hat (1, 2), Linux kernel, Fedora, and Gentoo.

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms.com: Looking for a Security Blanket?
If you need protection from crackers, check out St. Bernard Software one of the MultiplePlatforms.com related links: Spam Filters & Email Security - ePrism ePrism is an email filter / spam filters appliance that provides organizations with a total secure email perimeter defense solution.

What is a Spam Filter?
Wikipedia is the source for the following information: “A mail filter is a piece of software which takes an input of an email message. For its output, it might pass the message through unchanged for delivery to the user's mailbox, it might redirect the message for delivery elsewhere, or it might even throw the message away. Some mail filters are able to edit messages during processing.”