TidBITS#683/09-Jun-03
=====================
Is it time to tear yourself away from the computer and get
outside? Why not go geocaching? Mariva H. Aviram reports on
this growing Net-related recreation where you use a GPS device
to track down hidden treasure. We also explore Palm's announcement
that it's purchasing rival Handspring, look at QuickTime 6.3, and
note the releases of WebSTAR 5.3, Spring Cleaning 6.0, and After
Dark for Mac OS X, along with Apple's iMovie 3.0.3, iSync 1.1,
and Keynote 1.1.
Topics:
MailBITS/09-Jun-03
QuickTime 6.3 Adds 3GPP, Improves iApp Support
Palm Buys Handspring
Internet-Guided Offline Recreation (IGOR): Geocaching
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/09-Jun-03
<http://www.tidbits.com/tb-issues/TidBITS-683.html>
<ftp://ftp.tidbits.com/issues/2003/TidBITS#683_09-Jun-03.etx>
Copyright 2003 TidBITS Electronic Publishing. All rights reserved.
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MailBITS/09-Jun-03
------------------
**iMovie 3.0.3 Improves Performance, Finally** -- Shortly after
releasing QuickTime 6.3 last week (details later in this issue),
Apple also made iMovie 3.0.3 available as a free update. As iMovie
is built on QuickTime technology, one of its main improvements
is better audio and video synchronization when exporting movies
to QuickTime format. iMovie 3.0.3 also feels significantly more
responsive, a welcome change, and now includes an option to enable
or disable the Ken Burns Effect; previously, the pan-and-zoom
effect was applied to all still pictures imported into iMovie.
Only hinted at in Apple's description of the update is the
capability to crop photos using the Ken Burns Effect: Option-click
the Finish radio button to apply the same zoom setting as the
Start state. (This also avoids an annoying glitch where still
photos would experience pixel shifts if the Start and Finish
states were slightly different.) Another welcome change is a
preference option for specifying that new projects be set to NTSC
or PAL format. Although this update doesn't fix all outstanding
issues with iMovie 3 - for example, users still report frequent
crashes - iMovie 3.0.3 represents significant improvement. The
updater is a 12.1 MB download; a full installer is also available
as an 82.3 MB download. iMovie 3.0.3 requires Mac OS X 10.1.5 or
later and QuickTime 6.3; 256 MB or more of RAM is recommended.
[JLC]
<http://www.apple.com/imovie/>
<http://www.apple.com/imovie/download/>
**iSync 1.1 Supports More Phones, Safari Bookmarks** -- Apple
has released iSync 1.1, its Mac OS X-only technology for
synchronizing contacts, calendars, and other information across
multiple computers and other devices (see "Jaguar, iCal, and iSync
Appear" in TidBITS-639_). Version 1.1 adds support for several
new mobile phones and can synchronize Safari bookmarks between
computers by way of a .Mac account (a feature you can emulate
with the free JeepSafari if, for some reason, you don't want
to install iSync). iSync 1.1 is available via Software Update
or as a 5.3 MB download. iSync 1.1 requires Mac OS X 10.2 or
newer and iCal 1.0.2 or newer; synchronizing to Palm devices
requires a separate iSync 1.1 Palm Conduit available as a link
on the iSync download page. [GD]
<http://www.apple.com/isync/>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06880>
<http://www.apple.com/isync/devices.html>
<http://www.apple.com/safari/>
<http://homepage.mac.com/sweetcocoa/jeepsafari.html>
<http://www.apple.com/isync/download/>
**Keynote 1.1 Enhances Features** -- Apple has released version
1.1 of its new Mac OS X-only presentation program Keynote. The
update improves Keynote's ability to import and export PowerPoint
presentations, adds the capability to jump to a specific slide
during a slideshow, includes an option to not clip 3D transitions,
improves feedback and interaction while working with slides in
the Navigator, optimizes exported QuickTime files, reduces the
size of themes and presentation files, and improves the overall
performance of QuickTime video. The Keynote 1.1 update is a
30.3 MB download and free to current Keynote users. Keynote
itself costs $100. [GD]
<http://www.apple.com/keynote/>
<http://www.apple.com/keynote/download/>
**After Dark Returns for Mac OS X** -- Tonya still wears her
Flying Toasters sweatshirt from the days when Berkeley
Systems's After Dark screensaver was so popular it had not one,
but two books written about it (see "After Dark: The Books" in
TidBITS-150_) - in fact, the very first item in the very first
issue of TidBITS concerned a maintenance release of After
Dark! If you don't remember After Dark, keep in mind that the
screensaver was launched in 1989 and finally faded out in 1999.
After Dark sported modules beyond Flying Toasters, including a
simulated aquarium, a Mandelbrot fractal generator, and the
Sisyphean Mowing Man, who can never finish mowing his lawn
(but never seems to run out of gas). Numerous other modules
came from independent programmers and annual programming contests,
though no one ever implemented my idea of a simulation of one of
those sand sculpture panels where different colored grains of
sand fall to create an otherworldly landscape each time you
flip the panel.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=02854>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=03912>
Unfortunately, the After Dark engine was incompatible with
Mac OS 9, and After Dark fell into software purgatory. Infinisys,
the Japanese distributor of the original After Dark, has ventured
into the void to rescue After Dark from oblivion. Infinisys's
After Dark X + Fish relies on the Mac OS X screensaver engine,
and Infinisys has made use of Mac OS X's support for OpenGL 3D
capabilities in providing not a straight port of the old modules,
but many new options and displays. After Dark X + Fish costs only
$10 and requires Mac OS X 10.0.4 or higher (though I hope everyone
is using at least Mac OS X 10.1.5). Some modules may not work on
multiple monitor configurations. [ACE]
<http://en.infinisys.co.jp/product/adx/>
**Spring Cleaning 6.0 Eliminates Crud** -- It's spring (at least
in this hemisphere, so bear with me if you're south of the
equator), when a young geek's fancy turns to removing unnecessary
files from his hard disk, improving performance, and making sure
no one can snoop around and find out where exactly his fancy has
turned. Staying seasonal, Aladdin Systems has released Spring
Cleaning 6.0, the latest version of their uninstaller, which
munches cookies, recycles empty folders, clears out incriminating
Internet caches, dumps orphaned preferences files, and much more.
New in 6.0 is the capability to throw out unnecessary operating
system language files (no, leaving <insert language here> active
on your Mac won't help you learn to speak it), delete Sherlock's
cookies, and work with Opera and Safari. Spring Cleaning works
with Mac OS 9.1 and up, or Mac OS X 10.1.5 and later, and comes
in English, German, French, and Japanese versions. It costs $50
new, and you can upgrade from a previous version or a competitive
product for $20, or from any other Aladdin product for $30. [ACE]
<http://www.aladdinsys.com/springcleaning/>
**WebSTAR V 5.3 Adds iCal Support** -- 4D has released 4D WebSTAR
V Server Suite 5.3, updating the suite's 4D WebMail Pro module
with the capability to display, publish, and subscribe to iCal
calendars. Also improved is WebSTAR's search engine, which is
now faster, handles international characters sets, and supports
unlimited page indexing with no additional licensing. Finally,
WebSTAR 5.3 boasts a new Security Plug-in that offers additional
granularity when granting or denying access to specific parts of
a site. The update to WebSTAR 5.3 is free for registered users
of WebSTAR V; it costs $200 for WebSTAR 4 users, $300 for users
of WebSTAR 3 and Mac OS X Server, and $400 new. [ACE]
<http://www.4d.com/products/webstar53.html>
QuickTime 6.3 Adds 3GPP, Improves iApp Support
----------------------------------------------
by Geoff Duncan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Apple has released QuickTime 6.3, the latest version of
its foundation digital media technology. Version 6.3 offers
improvements to DV audio and video synchronization (helpful
for video authoring applications) along with specific improvements
for Apple's Keynote, iMovie, and iDVD applications. Version 6.3
also includes "automatic detection of streaming transport," which,
though unspecified, presumably means QuickTime better handles
media being accessed via network streams rather than from local
devices.
<http://www.apple.com/quicktime/>
Perhaps more significantly, QuickTime 6.3 also includes support
for 3GPP media, an extension of the MPEG-4 standard aimed at
delivering rich media over wireless broadband networks (like
Apple's AirPort) to a variety of wireless devices. (3GPP stands
for 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Apple has collected
together some basic information and pointers about 3GPP on its
Web site. The format is seeing growing use among mobile phone
and PDA users in Asia and Europe.) QuickTime 6.3's 3GPP support
incorporates an H.263 video codec (often used in video
conferencing), an AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) audio codec (which
is a narrowband codec especially useful for speech), and support
for 3G Text (TX3G) which is a text track that can be synchronized
with audio or video. The basic idea behind 3GPP support is that
people creating content in QuickTime could deploy that content
to wireless devices like mobile phones, PDAs, and computers
using a single format, and have the media automatically scale
to the capabilities of the device.
<http://www.apple.com/mpeg4/3gpp/>
QuickTime 6.3 is available as a 20 MB download via Software
Update; a separate stand-alone installer is also available.
3GPP playback and authoring support requires the 3GPP component,
which must be downloaded separately. QuickTime 6.3 is available
for Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later, Mac OS X 10.1.5, Mac OS 8.6 or
9.x, and Windows 98/Me/2000/XP; 3GPP support is not available
for the classic Mac OS. Updating to QuickTime Pro - which
unlocks authoring features in the QuickTime applications -
still costs $30.
<http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone/>
<http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/3gpp/>
Palm Buys Handspring
--------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Five years after the founders of Palm, Inc. bolted from the
company to form Handspring, Inc., Palm is pulling them back in.
Palm has announced that it is acquiring Handspring in a stock
swap deal valued at $192 million. In addition, Palm's board
of directors gave final approval to spin off its PalmSource
subsidiary, which handles Palm OS development and licensing,
into a new company. The Handspring purchase will happen after
the PalmSource spin-off sometime in the third quarter of 2003,
according to Palm.
<http://www.palm.com/>
<http://www.handspring.com/>
<http://www.palm.com/us/entry/news_palm-handspring.html>
The merged company, which will be renamed later in the year
(PalmSpring, anyone?), retains the three Handspring founders
responsible for Palm handhelds: inventor Jeff Hawkins will become
Chief Technical Officer, Handspring President and COO Ed Colligan
will lead a new smartphone solutions group, and current Handspring
CEO Donna Dubinsky will stay with the new company as a member of
its board of directors. Todd Bradley, the President and CEO of
Palm's Palm Solutions Group (which handles the hardware side of
Palm development and sales) will keep his position, while a
handheld computing solutions group will be led by Ken Wirt,
currently Palm's vice president for sales and marketing.
Although this move comes as a bit of a surprise, given that
Handspring was founded because Hawkins and his team felt
constrained by Palm (then owned by 3Com), it makes some sense
in the current economy. After the launch of the well-received
Treo line of phone-enabled handhelds, Handspring hasn't made
much noise or significantly updated its product lines (though
they have been busy expanding Treo coverage in several
international markets). Palm, on the other hand, has finally
started to act like the company it promised to be, releasing
new handhelds such as the Zire 71 and Tungsten family that do
more than just the basics of previous models.
<http://www.handspring.com/products/communicators/>
<http://www.palm.com/products/handhelds/>
But both companies have faced a sharp decline in the numbers of
new handhelds sold. The Palm organizers currently in use provide
the basic functionality that most people need: managing addresses
and schedules. This is great from the user standpoint, because a
device purchased several years ago is still useful, but it's a
terrible situation for companies that rely on continued hardware
sales to stay alive. That's why the newest handhelds offer color
screens, multimedia options, more memory, wireless access, and
faster processors.
In that vein, buying Handspring gives Palm immediate access to the
burgeoning cellular phone/PDA market (expected to triple in size
this year, according to IDC). More important, perhaps, is that
Palm gains Handspring's hard-won experience in dealing with
cellular phone service providers around the world. The deal also
offers additional resources against the growing Microsoft Pocket
PC market and puts to rest any talk of Apple buying Handspring,
a possibility that would have given Apple an entry into the cell
phone and PDA markets.
<http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/>
From the financial perspective, Palm and Handspring estimate that
they can save $25 million annually by combining their operations
and eliminating overlapping programs and associated real estate,
which also includes the loss of about 125 employees. As part of
the purchase, Palm agreed to lend Handspring $10 million, which
could jump to $20 million if needed, to handle operating expenses
while the deal is pending.
Internet-Guided Offline Recreation (IGOR): Geocaching
-----------------------------------------------------
by Mariva H. Aviram <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sitting at a glowing screen for hours on end, with little or no
live human interaction - this is the typical Internet experience.
But some areas of the Internet compel users to leave the keyboard,
go outside, and interact with the real world. This category of
Web sites, hugely popular and usually non-commercial, doesn't
have a name yet. Because these sites promote an activity or
hobby - even a lifestyle - beyond the Web, they're more of an
online/offline phenomena. I've dubbed the aggregate of these
Web sites "Internet-Guided Offline Recreation" (IGOR). IGOR is
different from sites that merely discuss offline recreation,
like sailing or knitting, because the activities are mediated
and tracked by - and essentially inseparable from - their
Web sites.
**GPS Games** -- On 01-May-00, the Clinton Administration ended
the U.S. government's policy of Selective Availability, the
intentional degradation of Global Positioning System (GPS)
signals. The new availability of GPS to the civilian population
had practical applications for telecommunications, emergency
response, transportation, and industry. It also launched a new
form of recreation.
<http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/FGCS/info/sans_SA/docs/statement.html>
Only two days after the end of Selective Availability, someone hid
a logbook inside a container near Portland, OR and posted its GPS
coordinates on the sci.geo.satellite-nav newsgroup. Just three
days later, the container, called a "cache," was visited twice,
the visits recorded in the logbook and online. From the immense
curiosity, immediacy, and coolness factor that this generated,
a high-tech hide-and-seek game was born: geocaching.
<http://www.geocaching.com/about/credits.asp>
<news:sci.geo.satellite-nav>
Geocaching.com, the first and most trafficked Web site devoted
to geocaching, facilitates seeking and creating new caches. The
caches are registered in the Geocaching.com database according
to "waypoints," short names representing the identifications of
specific caches. Each waypoint is associated with GPS coordinates
that indicate the exact location of the cache.
<http://www.geocaching.com/>
<http://www.trimble.com/gps/>
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/gps.html>
<http://www.groundspeak.com/>
The Geocaching.com site enables searches for any relevant data:
zip code (within a user-defined radius), location, coordinates,
keyword, area code, waypoint, or geocacher's username. For
example, if you search for waypoint GC78A5, you'll find a geocache
called "Stock Market CrACHE in Twin Peaks." The details page
provides the coordinates, difficulty and terrain ratings, notes
and encrypted clues (easily decrypted by the "cheater" link),
zoomable map, and log entries and photos from other geocachers.
<http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=30885>
Most caches are hidden in parks, wilderness areas, and other
public spaces. When hunting for a cache, it helps to have both GPS
coordinates and clues in hand - but also look for the telltale
path of trampled grass that often betrays the hiding place.
Some caches are so challenging that finding them might require
more than one attempt. The coordinates are accurate to about 15
feet (4.6 m) at best - which, when multiplied by two (to account
for the margin of error of both GPS units, the hider's and your
own) is 30 feet (9.1 m) - and beyond that, you're on your own.
I had to return to "Sounds of the Bay" after my first unsuccessful
search because the cache could have been hidden in any of the
myriad crevices of the loose-rock wharf, and even the "spoiler"
photograph of the geocache owner pointing to the hiding spot
didn't help.
<http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=12491>
A "Traditional Geocache" (marked by a generic icon) is an
airtight, waterproof container that stores a logbook and pen for
on-site comments, a disposable camera, and some goodies. The idea
is for geocachers to sift through the goodies, take one, and add
something new. Don't expect to find a wad of cash or valuable
jewelry in a geocache; prizes usually comprise old toys, coins,
seashells, and trade convention gewgaws. But getting stuff isn't
the point of geocaching; the real prize is just finding the cache
and admiring the view while you're there.
Another type of geocache is a "Multi-Cache," which contains a
clue in the first cache that leads the geocacher to a second
cache and possibly more after that. Sometimes these can be
all-day affairs, involving clues, puzzles, or riddles, for
which only hard-core geocachers have the necessary time and
patience. (The Geocaching.com Web site, previously all
non-commercial, recently launched a premium service for
such serious geocaching.)
Sometimes you won't get a prize at all - at least not one you
can take with you. A "Virtual Cache" has no hidden container:
the location itself is the prize. (The details page may ask you
to answer a specific question about the location or to perform
a task.) An "Event Cache" involves both space and time;
geocachers go to a certain location at a certain time to meet
other geocachers. Avid geocachers frequently check the Events
Calendar to see when an Event Cache is happening in their area.
<http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.asp>
<http://www.geocaching.com/about/calendar.asp>
**Seek and Hide** -- Of course, you're not limited to just
seeking - you can create your own cache as well. I recommend
finding at least one geocache before establishing your own to
learn what works well and what the best caches offer. You're
responsible for the caches you hide, which means visiting them
occasionally, cleaning out debris, replacing cameras when film
runs out, and adding new stuff. If you're lazy or don't have much
time to visit your geocache, hide it close to your home to avoid
traveling extensively to check it. And read the instructions
carefully; I mistakenly hid a cache in Land's End, which is part
of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and therefore federal
land - a geocaching no-no. Since it's across town, I have yet to
retrieve it. Further, use good judgment based on your knowledge
of the area. I hid a geocache containing a beautiful handmade
logbook and a bag of candy in what I thought was the perfect
hiding place: the trunk of a large evergreen tree. But, because
the tree is in San Francisco, a homeless person moved in
underneath the branches, and my cache not-so-mysteriously
disappeared.
I started with three hidden geocaches, and now have only one
left, but I am quite happy with it. It's in a beautiful, easily
accessible area, so it's visited often. I developed the film of
its first disposable camera onto prints and a photo CD, whose
images I uploaded to the geocache details page. Before I looked
at the prints, I hadn't quite realized what a marvelous hobby
geocaching is. No two photographs were alike. In several pictures,
a man stood alone, sometimes staring off-center because he's
taking his own picture. Other pictures showed couples and groups
of friends, smiling or sticking out tongues. A young father posed
with a baby in a backpack carrier, a dog shivered in the wind,
a too-close wristwatch blurrily displayed the time, and a toy
lay on the grass. Photos were taken from different directions and
perspectives, at different times of day (including one wigged-out
guy at night), during different seasons, and in different types of
weather (sometimes clear and sunny; other days, foggy). I slid the
prints into a cheap pocket-sized photo album, labeled it "See the
geocachers who have come before you!", and added it to the cache.
**Spin-offs** -- A testament to the popularity of Geocaching.com
is its spin-off sites. Navicache.com offers the same thing
as Geocaching.com, but with a more amateurish site and fewer
registered caches. Geocaching Worldwide began specifically for
Australians and later expanded to include caches located around
the globe. Geodashing turns geocache hunting into a race to find
one cache after another (uploading photos as proof), and has
appropriately renamed "waypoints" as "dashpoints." Befitting the
patriotic times, CacheAcrossAmerica has successfully established
a chain-link of geocaches across the continent, following the
approximate path of Interstate 80. The burgeoning EcoScavenger
encourages geocachers to "share places rather than stuff" - a nice
idea but already covered by Geocaching.com's virtual caches.
Inspired by the cheap plastic toys in Hasbro's classic Barrel
of Monkeys, a couple of jokers created a very serious Web site
that invites geocachers to Linn Run State Park in Pennsylvania
to conduct "monkey research."
<http://www.navicache.com/>
<http://www.geocachingworldwide.com/>
<http://geodashing.home.attbi.com/>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CacheAcrossAmerica/>
<http://www.ecoscavenger.com/>
<http://www.monkeycache.com/>
<http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=2716>
<http://www.hasbro.com/games/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.8616/dn/>
Geocaching aficionados appreciate Buxley's Geocaching Waypoint,
a companion guide chock-full of interesting stuff. Buxley's world
map of cache sites reveals the predictable pattern of a hobby for
the techno-elite (that's us): the vast majority of caches are
hidden in the United States (and southern Canada) and Western
Europe; the rest are hidden in coastal areas of Australia, Central
and South America, South Africa, major Asian cities, and Pacific
islands. In other words, even though geocaching is a relatively
inexpensive hobby, players live in and travel to "rich" areas and
so obviously have enough food, shelter, and disposable income to
afford GPS units and Internet-connected computers. Buxley's also
keeps a log of geocaching news and unique caches that involve more
than waypoints and containers.
<http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/>
**Getting Started with Geocaching** -- One of the major draws of
geocaching is that it's a relatively inexpensive and easy hobby
to participate in. A bare-bones handheld GPS unit, which you can
buy for about $100, can read satellite signals and triangulate
fairly accurate coordinates - all you need to get started on your
first geocache. For around $350, a fancy GPS unit includes features
like downloadable mapping, waypoint storage, an altimeter, and
other geeky but useful stuff. Other units work specifically in
cars, and some combine GPS capability with fish-finders and
water-navigation tools.
<http://gpsinformation.net/>
GPS games are an innovative way to combine computer nerdism with
outdoor adventuring. It costs next to nothing and inspires eager
novices to join the "secret society" of geocachers. It's easy to
get addicted (some geocachers seek hundreds of caches per year),
but as vices go, this one's not so bad.
In the next installment of this article, I'll explore a few other
variations of geocaching, such as tracking currency around the
world, exchanging physical notebooks, and more. See you at the
next waypoint!
[Mariva H. Aviram, author of several books and numerous articles,
has a passion for the outdoors, art, books, film, culture, and
satire. More information can be found at her Web site.]
<http://www.mariva.com/>
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/09-Jun-03
------------------------------------
by TidBITS Staff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
**Online Crossword Puzzles** -- Pointers to additional software
for solving and creating crossword puzzles on the Mac.
(7 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=1954>
**Wireless for older Macs** -- More suggestions for adding an
older Mac to your wireless network. (8 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=1955>
**Improving wireless reception** -- It's always annoying when
you're on the edge of a wireless network; here's another
suggestion of what to do when WiFi Speed Spray fails you.
(3 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=1953+1956>
**Macs and non-Apple wireless hardware** -- Apple makes good
wireless networking hardware, but it's often more expensive than
similar gear from other companies. But how well does that
equipment work with Macs? It depends - read on. (11 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=1957>
**Palm buying Handspring** -- TidBITS Talk wasted no time in
discussing the Palm-Handspring merger, with conversations
revolving around whether Apple should have purchased Handspring,
how well cell phones and PDAs combine, and more. (9 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=1958>
**iTunes and independent artists** -- Several sites are reporting
that Apple held meetings with a number of independent music labels
and laid out the details of deals for independent artists. It's
true, but we're reserving coverage until Apple chooses to make the
launch official. (3 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=1960>
$$
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