TidBITS#804/07-Nov-05
=====================
We roll into November with a mix of topics. After playing with
Photo Booth on a new iMac G5, Adam points to two utilities that
beat Photo Booth at its own game. Travis Butler offers a few more
details on AC adapters, and Jeff Carlson notes the release of
The Missing Sync 5.0. Glenn Fleishman outdoes himself by writing
about external modems (now that the iMac no longer includes one),
specifics of driving multiple 30-inch Cinema Displays on the new
Power Mac G5, and how Sprint Nextel's new cellular data service
can help mobile Mac users.
Topics:
MailBITS/07-Nov-05
More on AC Adapters
Null Modem: Dial-Up for Macs?
Missing Sync for Palm OS 5.0 Modernizes Palm Interaction
Maxing Out Displays on the New Power Mac G5s
iCamShare & ImageTricks Top Photo Booth
Sprint Nextel Data Service Could Help Traveling Mac Users
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/07-Nov-05
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Copyright 2005 TidBITS: Reuse governed by Creative Commons license
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---------------------------------------------------------------
MailBITS/07-Nov-05
------------------
**Grokster Shuts Down** -- After June's Supreme Court decision
declaring that Grokster (along with StreamCast Networks and
Sharman Networks) were responsible for copyright infringements
that occurred as a result of using the companies' peer-to-peer
file sharing software, Grokster's network has shut down.
(See "P2P Takes a Licking but Keeps on Ticking" in TidBITS-786_
for a look at the underlying issues.) The Grokster Web site now
provides a brief (and quite funny) statement about the situation,
noting in part, "There are legal services for downloading music
and movies. This service is not one of them." The site also
promises that Grokster will return as a legal service - we're
not holding our breath, not that it was ever relevant to Mac
users anyway. [ACE]
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08159>
<http://www.grokster.com/>
More on AC Adapters
-------------------
by Travis Butler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
After last week's article on PowerBook AC adapters was published
(see "Comparing Three AC Adapters" in TidBITS-803_), I've received
several messages from people about the MadsonLine MicroAdapter and
the MacAlly adapter - specifically, about the amount of power they
provide.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08312>
I wrote that the MicroAdapter wasn't recommended for use with
newer PowerBooks (the 1 GHz PowerBook G4 Titanium, and all of
the 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks) because it provides only
45 watts of power, compared with the 65 watts provided by the
adapter Apple ships. Several people wrote in to say they were,
in fact, using the MicroAdapter with those machines, and that it
appeared to work fine - though some reported the adapter getting
"pretty warm." One person suggested the overheating was the main
reason MadsonLine had to disclaim using it; another that the
higher wattage requirement on newer PowerBooks was only under
peak usage, and that when performing less-intensive tasks a
lower-power adapter works fine.
The comment that struck me the most, though, was the report of
burning out two MicroAdapters one after the other. Unfortunately,
I haven't been able to test for myself; my MicroAdapter died an
honorable death when the tip was crushed in an accident.
I can claim personal experience with the MacAlly adapter, though;
I'm using it as I type this now, in fact. As more than one person
pointed out, the power specs for the MacAlly are similar to the
MicroAdapter; only 48 watts provided, less than what's officially
needed to run the newer PowerBooks. I hadn't ever looked at the
specs myself, since the reseller I bought it from sold it for
all PowerBooks, and it had always worked fine with my 15-inch
PowerBook G4. Because of this, I can credit the reports of people
running a MicroAdapter on the newer PowerBooks without trouble;
however, I'd still be cautious about doing so, because of the
report of burnout.
Null Modem: Dial-Up for Macs?
-----------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The latest iMac G5 doesn't include a built-in modem for use over
telephone lines. Apple has offered a built-in modem on the iMac
since the first model was released.
<http://www.apple.com/imac/>
Perhaps the logic is that if you can afford a PowerPC G5-based
computer, you probably also have broadband. Apple saves only a few
dollars in hard costs, which can multiply into $20 to $40 at the
retail price. This cut allows Apple to either keep more profit or
shift the dollars to other features on the computer without
affecting profit.
For those who need dial-up Internet access or fax services,
Apple offers the Apple USB Modem as a $50 accessory, but it
appears that you can only order this modem as a build-to-order
option. The Apple USB Modem is barely mentioned on Apple's Web
site, and you have to go to the Apple Store, select a G5 iMac,
and then choose the optional modem to even reach the full
specifications.
Those specs say it's a V.92 modem with support for several
nifty modern modem features, including caller ID (while online),
telephone answering, and modem on hold. These latter two features
allow you - with certain extra telephone line features turned on -
to have your dial-up modem cake and eat it, too, by answering
incoming calls while pausing but not breaking the connection with
your ISP. The ISP must have similarly capable devices on their
end. The speed of a V.92 modem is a maximum of 56 Kbps downstream
and 48 Kbps upstream. It's a tiny, one-piece device that looks
more like a USB flash drive than the modems of yesteryear.
I poked around to see what options are available for buying an
external modem, as I can't even recall my last such purchase -
maybe 1996 or 1997. Small Dog Electronics carries a Mac-compatible
Best Data 56K with V.92 support that uses USB and handles Mac OS 8
and later. A quick look at other sites doesn't find better deals.
<http://www.smalldog.com/product/35097>
Reader Robert Pyle wrote to say that he had purchased the Best
Data 56K modem and had to tweak a modem script because it did not
come with any modem files compatible with Mac OS X. He later wrote
back that he found an easier solution: the modem chip in the Best
Data comes from Conexant, which also powers the $100 USB modem
from Zoom that's Mac-compatible. Download the Zoom Universal CCL
scripts, install them, and the Best Data modem will work at its
highest rates with a Zoom Universal (115K) modem script selected.
The Zoom 2986 comes with genuine technical support, which might
make it worth the $50 premium. It's also more readily available
from online retailers.
<http://www.zoom.com/products/dial_up_external_usb.html>
<http://www.zoom.com/techsupport/dial_up/298x.shtml>
Missing Sync for Palm OS 5.0 Modernizes Palm Interaction
--------------------------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Although Palm, Inc. seems to have lost interest in the Macintosh
(see "PalmSource to Drop Mac Support in Palm OS Cobalt" in
TidBITS-717_), stalwart Mac developer Mark/Space continues to
offer Mac synchronization support for owners of Palm OS handhelds.
The Missing Sync for Palm OS 5.0, released last week, brings
handheld syncing into the present.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07543>
**Sync Services** -- One of the under-the-hood changes in Mac OS X
10.4 was the addition of Sync Services, a set of technologies that
Apple uses to synchronize data between .Mac and the built-in
Address Book and iCal. However, Sync Services also enables outside
developers to hook into the system, which Missing Sync now does.
Bypassing Apple's iSync conduit settings, Missing Sync directly
syncs Tiger's Address Book and iCal databases.
<http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/dotmacsync/>
This approach offers a few advantages: you can maintain category
designations between the computer and the handheld, take advantage
of more contact fields (in recent Palm handhelds), and presumably
enjoy better compatibility with Tiger going forward. (Existing
third-party conduits are still supported.) A helpful
synchronization assistant makes it easier to set up all the
conduit sync options.
**More Media Sync** -- Earlier versions of Missing Sync offered
the capability to copy digital music files and photos to a
handheld's memory card. Version 5.0 takes the next logical step
and provides synchronization of iTunes playlists and iPhoto albums
of your choosing. Of course, you can't play back protected AAC
songs purchased from the iTunes Music store on a Palm device,
but that's due to Apple's choice to not license their FairPlay
digital rights management. To avoid a lot of unnecessary copying,
I recommend creating a Smart Playlist in iTunes that excludes
those types of files, which can be marked as the playlist that
Missing Sync uses.
Missing Sync's iPhoto synchronization offers the capability to
choose not only which albums to sync, but also to resize the
photos to cut down on how much storage they use; a separate
setting can ensure that a given amount of memory (such as 5 MB)
remains free on the storage card. In my testing, the resizing
capability was useful not for minding the storage space on my
Tungsten's memory card, but for cutting down the time it takes
to copy the files; I sync using Bluetooth, which is fine for
basic calendar and contact information, but it can really bog
down when working with multi-megabyte files.
Another new feature, folder synchronization, enables you to copy
the contents of a folder from your Mac to the handheld as if
it were a removable drive. Several recent Palm devices offer
the capability to mount on the desktop as USB drives, but this
feature automates the copying for you. If you use software such
as DataViz's Documents To Go, you can edit Microsoft Word or Excel
files on the Palm device, then transfer the new version back to
your Mac's desktop without requiring the Documents To Go conduits.
<http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/index_palm.html>
**More Flexibility** -- One of the features I liked the most about
the previous major release of the Missing Sync was the capability
to use custom sync profiles (see "Missing Sync 4.0 Fills Palm
Gaps" in TidBITS-743_). I don't always want to back up everything
on my Palm, so I can run a minimal set of conduits that just
synchronizes the calendar and contacts. Missing Sync 5.0 adds
connection-aware profiles, so I can perform a quick sync via
Bluetooth and a more thorough backup when I dig out my USB cable.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07784>
Another feature introduced in version 4.0 was a new Mark/Space
MemoPad application that provided a way to view your memos on the
Mac (something Apple's iSync conduit ignored). In the new version
of Missing Sync, that application gains Spotlight searching and
memo sorting.
The Missing Sync 5.0 costs $40 for an electronic version
(a 16.3 MB download), or $50 for retail-packaged CDs. Upgrades
from version 4.0 are free to those who bought it after 01-Oct-05;
for everyone else (including owners of any previous Missing Sync
product), upgrades cost $25.
Maxing Out Displays on the New Power Mac G5s
--------------------------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
When Apple released the new dual-core Power Mac G5 models,
the company noted that a single Power Mac G5 can support eight
displays. That can't be true, can it? After being blown away a
few months ago when Apple sent Jeff Carlson two 30-inch Apple
Cinema Displays for review (see photos at the two Flickr links
below), we pictured a bright and no doubt high-temperature wall
of the huge screens.
<http://www.apple.com/powermac/graphics.html>
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcarlson/15194718/>
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcarlson/13050332/>
If you upgrade the included GeForce 6600 to the $2,500 list price
Quadro FX 4500 512 MB PCI Express card (a $1,600 upgrade at the
Apple Store), you get two dual-link DVI adapters, which allows
two 30-inch displays. The Power Mac G5 offers four PCI Express
slots. Put a total of four Quadro FX's in and you can add...
eight 30-inch displays. To get there, you'd need three more
Quadro FX cards at $2,500 each, plus the single Quadro FX from
the Apple Store (which limits you to one). Purchasing the cards,
a Power Mac G5 Quad, and eight 30-inch displays would set you
back a cool $32,500.
Can the Power Mac G5 really handle this? Unfortunately, no. Apple
points out in a footnote, "Eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema
Displays can be connected to the Power Mac G5 using four NVIDIA
GeForce 6600 graphics cards."
The issue is that the new PCI Express system has a specification
known as "lanes," which is a measure of how much data the slot
can carry. Each lane is about 250 megabytes per second (MBps).
The Power Mac G5s have one 16-lane slot for graphics (4 GBps),
one eight-lane slot (2 GBps) and two four-lane slots (1 GBps).
The GeForce 6600 can work with only four lanes, and so a Power Mac
G5 can support four of those cards each with two smallish monitors
(20- or 23-inch LCDs). The Quadro FX requires the full 16 lanes
and two card slots.
**How about 50?** So I can't create an overwhelming video system
in my office, but that doesn't mean others haven't tried... and
succeeded. TidBITS stalwarts Joe Kissell and Dan Frakes both
pointed me to HIPerWall, a project at the California Institute
for Telecommunications and Technology. The HIPerWall (Highly
Interactive Parallelized Display Wall) comprises 50 LCD panels
for a total display surface of 23 by 9 feet (7.01 by 2.75 meters)
and 200 million pixels. It's designed for earth sciences
visualization, but will have biomedical and engineering
applications, too. Twenty-five dual-2.7 GHz Power Mac G5s
with 2 GB of RAM power two monitors each. They also have
access to an aggregate of 10 TB of storage.
<http://vis.eng.uci.edu/cg/projects/hiperwall/>
Based on the specs quoted for the HIPerWall system, I would
guess that a second generation HIPerWall could use 13 Power Mac
G5 Quads - each with 4 GB of RAM and powering four displays - to
reduce the back-end footprint and lower costs slightly.
iCamShare & ImageTricks Top Photo Booth
---------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
One of the highlights of the just-released iMac G5 models is
Photo Booth, a fun little application that works with the built-in
iSight camera in the iMac. With it, you can see through the lens
of the built-in iSight, apply one of a number of image effects in
real time, and with a click, take the picture, complete with the
screen flashing white to help illuminate the subject (likely you,
but hey, I suppose you could get all sorts of things into the
view). Once you've taken the photo, you can import it into iPhoto,
save it as your iChat buddy picture, or email it to your friends.
Cool, eh?
<http://www.imac.com/imac/isight.html>
But what if you don't have a new iMac? Apple has said nothing
about making Photo Booth more widely available, although it's
possible that it could be included in a future iSight update.
Luckily, if you've been lusting after Photo Booth but don't have
(or want) a new iMac G5 right now, you have an alternative, and
one that in some ways outshines Photo Booth - iCamShare.
**iCamShare** -- Developed by Arbor Bits, a small software
development firm staffed by some well-known Mac developers,
iCamShare is an elegantly easy application that enables you
to take either still photos or video (with sound) using an
iSight or other webcam; you can then share the results via
email, by publishing to your .Mac account, or by saving the
file to your hard disk.
Using iCamShare is dead simple, thanks to an assistant-like
interface that walks you through each step, providing concise
instructions directly within the interface. To create a photo of
yourself, you select the Picture radio button on the first screen,
and on the second screen, arrange your face into an appropriate
grimace before clicking the Snap Picture button (you can also use
digital zoom to make your face more fully fill the frame). If you
dislike the result, click Try Again and, well, try again. Once you
have the picture you want, the third screen offers buttons you can
click to send your photo in email (supporting Apple Mail, Eudora,
Entourage, and Mailsmith), copy your photo to the Pictures folder
on your iDisk (from which you can easily add it to a HomePage
album), or save the photo as a JPEG file on your hard disk.
iCamShare also reminds you that you can drag the photo from
iCamShare to any other application that accepts dragged images.
(iPhoto is not among those applications; it accepts only dragged
files, so you must save your photo as a JPEG file first, then
drag it into iPhoto. However, given that iSight photos are only
640 by 480 pixels, you probably won't want to save too many.)
Recording video works similarly, with the addition of two more
screens in the middle. After you record a video clip that you
think you like, the third screen lets you replay the video and
trim bits from the beginning and end, which is helpful, since
it can be difficult to get the video started and stopped cleanly.
On the fourth screen, you choose a type of compression, compress
your video, and preview the compressed result. A set of controls
let you choose the type of Internet connection your recipient has,
estimating download time at the compressed size. If either the
download time is too long, or the quality of the compressed video
isn't acceptable, you can move a slider to various positions
between Receive Quicker and Better Image and then re-compress
the video. The fifth and final screen again enables you to send
your movie via email, upload it to your iDisk's Movies folder and
publish it as a movie, or save it to your hard disk. You can drag
it out of iCamShare to another application too.
iCamShare costs $15 and is a mere 759K download. Although $15
isn't much, you can still try it before buying. It requires either
Mac OS X 10.2.8 or Mac OS X 10.3.4 or later; it works fine with
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger in my testing.
<http://www.arborbits.com/>
**ImageTricks** -- So iCamShare outdoes Photo Booth by being able
to capture both still photos and video, and by making it easy
to upload to .Mac as well as email. But where iCamShare doesn't
compete - on its own, anyway - with Photo Booth is in terms of
the image effects that Photo Booth can apply. To beat Photo Booth
at that game, you'll need to add another program to the mix -
BeLight Software's free ImageTricks, which can apply the Core
Image effects and filters built into Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger to any
image you throw at it.
ImageTricks provides a large pane that contains the picture on
which you're working, a scrolling list of effects you can apply
to that image, a few sliders for modifying some of the effects,
and a few buttons for opening and saving pictures, copying and
pasting them, opening iPhoto, and rotating left and right. Another
slider lets you zoom the picture in the main pane, and an Apply
button lets you fix your changes in stone. You can apply only
a single effect at a time, so you must apply your changes after
one effect to be able to add another. A drawer contains a large
collection of masks that show and hide different parts of the
picture.
Integrating iCamShare and ImageTricks is easy, but not complete.
You can drag a picture from iCamShare into ImageTricks and
manipulate it to your heart's content - well beyond what's
possible in Photo Booth - but there's no way to send the
manipulated image back to iCamShare. Depending on your email
program, it might be possible to have iCamShare create an email
message with the attached photo and then edit the image attachment
before sending. ImageTricks didn't want to accept a dragged JPEG
attachment from within Eudora, but using Eudora's super-secret
Control-Option-double-click-an-attachment-icon trick to reveal
the original file, I was able to find the actual JPEG attachment
and drag that onto the ImageTricks icon in the Dock to open it,
edit it, and save changes.
ImageTricks is surprisingly addictive; each time I dropped a
new photo into it, I had to tear myself away from trying all
the different effects. Its collection of effects doesn't match
Photo Booth's entirely. ImageTricks provides 43 effects (it's a
long list; just let it wash over you): Crop, Color Controls,
Exposure Adjust, Gamma Adjust, Hue Adjust, White Point Adjust,
Color Monochrome, Color Posterize, Color Invert, Unsharp Mask,
Gaussian Blur, Motion Blur, Sharpen Luminance, Zoom Blur, Bump
Distortion, Circular Splash, Circular Wrap, Hole Distortion,
Pinch Distortion, Twirl Distortion, Vortex Distortion, Glass
Distortion, Bloom, Gloom, Crystallize, Pointillize, Pixelate,
Edge Work, Edges, Checkerboard, Random Generator, Circular Screen,
Dot Screen, Hatched Screen, Line Screen, Kaleidoscope, Op Tile,
Parallelogram Tile, Triangle Tile, Lenticular Halo, Starshine
Generator, and Sunbeams.
Photo Booth includes 16 effects: Sepia, Black & White, Glow, Comic
Book, Colored Pencil, Thermal Camera, X-Ray, Pop Art, Bulge, Dent,
Twirl, Squeeze, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Fisheye, and Stretch. It's
hard to say which program provides the better set, since although
ImageTricks has many more effects, some of them are relatively
silly. Of course, so are a number of the effects in Photo Booth
too, so I'd give the nod to ImageTricks.
BeLight Software gives ImageTricks away for free; it's a 1.5 MB
download and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
<http://www.belightsoft.com/products/imagetricks/overview.php>
**All Together Now** -- Sure, Photo Booth is clever, and I'm sure
lots of people who buy an iSight-equipped iMac G5 will enjoy using
it. But for the rest of us, iCamShare and ImageTricks go well
beyond what Photo Booth does, both in terms of offering video
support and by providing many more special effects. The only place
they fall down is in the integration, so perhaps future versions
of the two can work together more tightly to provide an even
better user experience than they do separately now.
Sprint Nextel Data Service Could Help Traveling Mac Users
---------------------------------------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sprint Nextel announced its third-generation (3G) cellular data
network last week, with dozens of cities already live and more
coverage planned by the end of the year. Verizon Wireless has
offered a similar network for more than a year with no official
Mac support; Sprint Nextel appears likely to take a different
path. This is good news for Mac users who need wireless Internet
access, but who don't want to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot such as
a coffeeshop or hotel lobby.
<http://www.sprint.com/business/products/products/
wirelessHighSpeedData_tabB.jsp>
The Sprint and Verizon networks use EVDO (Evolution Data Only),
a standard developed by Qualcomm that offers real-world speeds
of several hundred kilobits per second throughout a coverage area,
which can span entire metropolitan regions. The two companies have
also installed service in most major airports and along certain
commuter routes.
Both companies offer a stand-alone subscription to the service
that tops out with an $80 per month rate for unlimited use via
a PC Card. This drops to $60 per month if you're a voice customer
and agree to a two-year commitment (with early cancellation
penalties if you decide to drop the data service).
Verizon's PC Card options don't include official Mac OS X support.
Good news, though: a site called EVDOinfo provides details on
its own workarounds and on Apple's somewhat hidden support.
Sprint Nextel has chosen a Novatel card that lacks Mac drivers,
but, again, EVDOinfo says they have the scoop. (They also sell
the cards and service plans.)
<http://www.evdoinfo.com/>
Here's the better news, however - the PC Card isn't necessary.
Verizon and Sprint both offer phones that handle EVDO and more
widely available slower networks for voice and data. These phones
typically support both USB and Bluetooth for connecting to a
computer and synchronizing data.
Verizon doesn't offer a tethered subscription for EVDO where you
use the phone as your EVDO modem. This would seem an obvious way
to bypass the PC Card limitation. Sprint, however, will add
unlimited data for $25 per month on top of even the most limited
voice subscription with an EVDO phone. That's the cheapest and
most natural way for a Mac user to go.
It also means you could use the service with any Mac that supports
Bluetooth, not just PowerBooks with a PC Card. And you can use the
phone with a variety of computers more easily than a PC Card that
requires drivers or special configuration.
Cingular is also entering the fray with its own high-speed service
running a flavor of W-CDMA known as HSDPA (High-Speed Download
Packet Access) that will meet or exceed EVDO speeds. Pricing and
platform support isn't yet clear; the service will roll out this
month nationally in about 15 to 20 cities.
A 3G cellular data connection isn't necessarily a substitute for
Wi-Fi service, by the way, but it's increasingly available and a
good option because you can roam nationally - including airport
access - with a single fixed plan from one carrier.
Wi-Fi's advantage is little or no configuration for hotspot usage,
built-in hardware on most computers, pay-as-you-go options that
are quite reasonable, and potential higher bandwidth across a
local network and to the Internet. (Some hotspots might have
just a 512 Kbps DSL line, but most for-fee hotspots have 1.5 Mbps
downstream; large locations offer multiples of that.)
For business travelers, Wi-Fi's natural advantages are outweighed
by the array of fees and many operators involved in North American
airport Wi-Fi. No one company aggregates all of the major airports
with Wi-Fi, and not all big airports in the United States have
Wi-Fi - but they all have EVDO. Travelers might trade a few
hundred Kbps in bandwidth for Sprint Nextel's broad coverage
and only slightly higher monthly cost.
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/07-Nov-05
------------------------------------
by TidBITS Staff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The first link for each thread description points to the
traditional TidBITS Talk interface; the second link points to
the same discussion on our Web Crossing server, which provides
a different look and which may be faster.
**Faxing problems from Tiger** -- Mac OS X 10.4 slightly changed
the way you send outbound faxes. (2 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2765>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/612/>
**Comments about 10.4.3** -- A technical note in the most recent
Tiger update prompts a discussion of whether "high ASCII" actually
exists. Plus, readers note other changes, including a tip on
getting a printer to work again after updating. (14 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2767>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/613/>
**Permissions problem with 10.4.3** -- After upgrading to Mac OS X
10.4.3, a reader discovers that Disk Utility reports using special
permissions for files that did not get the same treatment in
10.4.2. (3 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2766>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/614/>
**10.4.3 breaks Mail Server** -- The latest Tiger Server update
isn't so kind to Mail Server. (3 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2768>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/615/>
**Comparing AC Adapters** -- Last week's review of three AC
adapters encourages readers to submit their own impressions,
including some helpful travel tips. (9 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2769>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/616/>
**PowerBook Adapters** -- More readers share their experiences
with third-party AC adapters. (2 messages)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2770>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/618/>
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