Muskoka Mac User Group

I do have a posting on tap to recap the September meeting – but this CNET article on Glubble made me decide to make this entry separately.

Basically, Glubble does two things – creates a simplified browser for your kids, and restricts them to websites that a human has reviewed. If they want to explore past the preset list, it gives you the ability to allow or deny whatever they want to see, before they get to see it.

To me the slickest part of it is the way it carries across multiple computers and operating systems. All you need is Firefox. I don’t have to be running the same computer my kids are using, or even be in the house to approve or disaprove new items. It gives me quick summaries of where they’ve been too.

It’s no substitutiton for parental involvement, but it helps sets guidelines, and helps your kids find fun stuff both they and you want them to see.

I meant to mention this before. The Pinedog blog is up and running again. David has been posting articles more regularly, got a write up in the Forrester last week, and is in the process of moving it to a new server. If you do nothing else, make sure you take a peek at his photo gallery. I dunno how he does it!

I always feel guilty when I see him complaining about his ISP. He was using Dreamhost, just like this site. I even recommended them. He’s had nothing but trouble even though we’ve had great success all along. I have this suspicion that somewhere along the line Dreamhost changed their server platform – We’re on the old setup and he’s on the new one – and his stinks When he first really started having trouble they had a series of blog posts detailing the issues they were having with their new SAN technology. I have to wonder if they ever really completely resolved them.

At any rate – best of luck on your new hosting, and with all your endevours David!

I was going to write a nice little rant about how I think Apple is making a big mistake with their handling (read censorship) of applications for the new iPhone and iPod Touch platforms.

Not familiar with the topic? Here’s three or four links to help get started.

But I don’t have to. Jason Snell over at MacWorld wrote it for me - he’s more polite, and through it all shows his I Love Apple Even When Their Wrong flag – but he’s captured the issues for sure regardless of tone. It’s worth reading.

ADDITION Sept 26

Oh – hey look - this will help!

And perhaps the neatest summary of the issue is here.

Just another example of Apple taking the wrong approach to security issues. Sooner or later it’ll catch up to them like it did Microsoft. I hate to admit it, but Microsoft is doing the better job in some ways on security. They’ve got a pile of old software they refuse to obsolete, that’s their ‘hair shirt’ to bear, but at least they are handling public disclosure better than this.

Digging though some ideas I saved on the website but never published.

I’m not going to put a whole lot into these, just give you the links that inspired me.

Safe to say – U3 is more than just a plain USB stick, and should be avoided!

Here’s the MacWorld article with more details.

Just a quick post with some links to follow up on things we talked about in our June meeting.

• Quicksilver the quick launching application.
• Bittorrent Wikipedia article
• Transmission Bit Torrent Client
• The Pirate Bay torrent search engine
• The CBC starts using BitTorrent
• Asus EEEPC, HP Mininote, MSI Wind, etc.

Feel free to poke a few links and do some research on your own!

Boy how this summer whizzed right past!

Tonight – September the 8th is our first meeting of the fall. Please come on out to Macs At Work for 7.30pm

Tonight’s theme is What I Did For My Summer Vacation Tell us what you’ve been up to since we met last, and what you’d like to see the group do this fall to help you enjoy your Mac more!

Remember your chair!