Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: August 15, 2004 - August 21,
2004 Archives

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"Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: August 01, 2004 - August 07,
2004 Archives"

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: August 22, 2004 - August 28,
2004 Archives

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This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow:
August 08, 2004 - August 14, 2004
Archives

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GeorgeWBush.com :: Official Blog ::
August 01, 2004 - August 07, 2004
Archive

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"how-to record on your ipod (for free) -
ipod hacks - ipod.hackaday.com"

BB-Shopping Is One of the Best Resources
for Mobile Phone Accessories, Ipod
Accessories (Ipod, Ipod Arm Band)and
Many More

Griffin intros soft auto cradle for
iPod, iPod mini

Apple iPod: Apple's Evolutionary iPod
Gets Better But Leaves Room For
Improvement

The iPod's thoughful design and features make it an excellent MP3 player. But for picky buyers who are holding out for the ideal portable music device, the wait continues. By Eric Dahl, PC World

News: Griffin ships AirClick Remote for
iPod, iPod mini

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters debuts
iBoom, the first boombox solution for
iPod & iPod mini

Win an iPod mini at the South Beach iPod
Garage Party

Mad Catz iKit cables for iPod and iPod
Mini [Flickr]

MacMerc.com posted a photo:

Mad Catz announces iKit cables for iPod
and iPod Mini

Holy Dichotomy! Writer Calls iPod
'World's Most Elegant' Nine Days After
Writing Dell DJ 'Surpassed' iPod

More August ads

Griffin unveils 3-in-1 RoadTrip for
iPod, iPod mini

iPod/iPod mini firmware update posted

iPod mini vs. standard iPod in weight,
size

DLO debuts iBoom boombox for iPod, iPod
mini

iBoom turns iPod, iPod mini into a
boombox

Tunewear intros new iPod, iPod mini
accessories

Notes and Tips: iPod Mini, iPod Deal

PodGear offers speakers for iPod, iPod
shuffle

Internet job ads for August up 7.2pc

August 27, 2004

In June I wrote “The old Microsoft, the Microsoft of Raymond Chen, might have implemented things like Avalon, the new graphics system, as a series of DLLs that can run on any version of Windows and which could be bundled with applications that need them. There's no technical reason not to do this. But Microsoft needs to give you a reason to buy Longhorn...”

Microsoft: “Microsoft also announced that the Windows WinFX developer technologies, including the new presentation subsystem code-named ‘Avalon’ and the new communication subsystem code-named Indigo, will be made available for Microsoft® Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 in 2006.”

(MSDNMag 0, RaymondChen 1!)

I've been hard at work on some new code for the discussion groups. Hopefully I'll get an experimental build up somewhere in a week or two and we can start playing with it. It won't look very different from the outside, so don't get too excited. I think probably the biggest visible change will be that when you post something, you'll be able to provide a URL that your name links to. It's a small feature that I'm hoping will have a big effect on the anthropology of the discussion group. Like everything else, it's an experiment. Have a great weekend!

August 04, 2004

Eric Sink: “It‘s okay to be in awe of these great hackers. But as a practical matter, small ISVs would be much better off hiring professionals.” Agreed!

Which reminds me, I can't wait for Johanna Rothman's new book on hiring geeks to come out. I'm reading the manuscript now and it's a great book on a topic that doesn't get a lot of coverage.

WindowsXP SP2 RTM - August ?th

August 25, 2004

Dare Obasanjo at Microsoft read How Microsoft Lost the API War and took it to heart: “The Microsoft culture is about creating the newest, latest greatest thing that 'changes the world' not improving what is already out there and working for customers. When I read various Microsoft blogs and MSDN headlines about how even though we've made paradigm shifts in developer technologies in the recent years we aren't satisfied and want to introduce radically new and different technologies all over again. This bothers me. I hate the fact that 'you have to rewrite a lot of your code' is a common answer to questions a customer might ask about how to leverage new or upcoming functionality in a developer technology.”

It's great that some people Microsoft took my article to heart (not just the MSDN editors, who have been running victory< /a> laps). Now I have a confession. The reason it took me so long to write this article is that I was afraid Microsoft would actually listen to me, even in some small degree, even if it's just the System.Xml.XmlDocument class. As a developer, I would much prefer if the Raymond Chen camp won -- it sure makes my life easier -- but as a competitor to Microsoft, I have to assume that the stupider Microsoft is, the better.

August 19, 2004

Contents of the Joel on Software book:

• Introduction (all new!)
• Choosing a Language
• Back to Basics
• The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code
• The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!)
• Painless Functional Specifications
• Painless Software Schedules
• Daily Builds Are Your Friend
• Hard-assed Bug Fixin'
• Five Worlds
• Paper Prototyping
• Don't Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You
• Fire And Motion
• Craftsmanship
• Three Wrong Ideas From Computer Science
• Biculturalism
• Every Crash, Everywhere
• Interviewing
• Incentive Pay Considered Harmful
• Top Five (Wrong) Reasons You Don't Have Testers
• Human Task Switches Considered Harmful
• Things You Should Never Do, Part I
• The Iceberg Secret, Revealed
• The Law of Leaky Abstractions
• Lord Palmerston on Programming
• Measurement
• Foreword to "In Search of Stupidity"
• What is the Work of Dogs in this Country?
• Getting Things Done When You're Only a Grunt
• Two Stories
• Big Macs vs. The Naked Chef
• Nothing is as Simple as it Seems
• In Defense of Not-Invented-Here Syndrome
• Strategy Letter I: Ben and Jerry's vs. Amazon
• Strategy Letter II: Chicken and Egg Problems
• Strategy Letter III: Let Me Go Back!
• Strategy Letter IV: Bloatware and the 80/20 Myth
• Strategy Letter V: The Economics of Open Source
• Murphy's Law Gone Wild
• How Microsoft Lost the API War
• Microsoft Goes Bonkers
• Our .NET Strategy
• Please Sir May I Have a Linker?
• The Best of Ask Joel

August 03, 2004

qotd august 31

The August Builder.com top 10

August 06, 2004

I'm just about to leave for the annual Spolsky family vacation... this year we've got a villa in Umbria, Italy. I'll be passing through Rome on Monday, August 16th. We've got a few people who have already confirmed to meet for a dinner there, so if you'll be in town, let's meet up!

Where: The lobby of the Aleph Hotel
Address: Via di San Basilio, 15
When: 20.00 16/08/01

I'll make sure the concierge knows where I am. At 8 PM when we see how many people show up, we'll find a good restaurant that's open (not easy in August in Rome, I'm told) and talk about software (and food (and the heat)).

XP SP2 Will Go Gold in August

Onkyo RI Dock For iPod

Onkyo announced the "RI Dock" for linking iPod to Onkyo components. You'll need Onkyo stereo equipment with an "RI" port to support this, but when you connect the RI cable and analog audio cables to the receiver, you can control the iPod with your receiver's remote. Onkyo was specific with how far this support goes, too: your normal range of volume and playback controls are supported, as well as some advanced features such as timer play, sleep timer, playlists, and the iPod's alarm function (which will automatically turn on the Onkyo equipment and start blasting Tina Turner at 6 AM). Hell, it even has an S-Video port for displaying slideshows from the iPod photo on your TV. At 8,400 yen, it seems like a decent investment for 30 people in the world who own both iPod and Onkyo receiver.

Press Release [Onkyo]

Kensington Stereo Dock For iPod

Kensington's Stereo Dock is very close to the ideal implementation of its concept -- a great dock with all the cables and power you'll need, plus a good but not great remote control. By Jeremy Horwitz, iPodlounge

iH5 Alarm Clock with iPod Dock

It won't be out until August, but SDI Technologies are already pushign their iH5 Alarm Clock, most notable for its built-in iPod docking station. They also claim that the iH5's 'Reason8' (get it?) speaker chamber (get it now?) will help provide a decent enough sound that you'll even use the iH5 when you aren't trying to wake up. It addition to the ability to 'Wake to iPod,' the iH5 also features the standard AM/FM radio and alarms you've learned to hate.

Make every morning an "I've Got You, Babe" morning in August for just $100.

HP Introduces PC with Built-In iPod Dock

Sonance iPort gives iPod in-wall dock

iPod (dock version) Software Updater
2.1

Klipsch iFi iPod Dock And Speaker System

Klipsch will soon be shipping their new 2.1 channel iPod speaker system, called the iFi) for a bit more than the cost of two of their comparable ProMedia 2.1 systems. The allure, of course, is its simple silver sheen and the included iPod dock. The dock makes it compatible with the iPod, mini and iPod photo and will charge your player in its spare time. Also included is a wireless remote control. The speakers are magnetically shielded and the subwoofer provides up to 200 watts of peak system power. It's $400 (plus about $60 for shipping) and available for preorder, shipping very soon, so they say.

Catalog Page [JR via DAPrevie w]

Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 coming early
2005?

iPod For Photos

Creative unveils MuVo2 FM in iPod
mini-like colors

iPod Mini and Xserve G5 Photos

Playboy coming to iPod

60GB iPod Coming?

iPod Mini's... Coming

Creative unveils iPod Mini-coloured
MuVo2 update

iPod BeamDock Coming In February

Networkx has released the iPod BeamDock, a wireless sound solution for the iPod. By Dennis Sellers, Macsimum

WiFi And Bluetooth Coming To The iPod?

Griffin iFM Radio for iPod canceled

Run a Pirate Radio Station with a iPod

Anyone can run a rouge radio station (with limited range) with a little work and some ingenuity. Engadget has a nice little article and with a bit of searching around the net you can come up with a radio station with significant range. [Engadget]

Satellite Radio Recording To iPod

By Ployer

iceLink 1.1 Connects iPod To Car Radio

Griffin cancels the iFM Radio for the
iPod

iPod LCD Remote, Radio Tuner?

Alpine: iPod interface coming this fall

Bluetooth audio transmitter for iPod
coming

Marware SportGrip for iPod shuffle
coming

New iPod-Ready Bluetooth Headphones
Coming Soon

Use an iPod Mini to Broadcast Pirate
Radio

New iPod In Early August?