When they announced the first Intel machines six months early, Apple graciously offered to allow developers to trade in their developer transition machines for a shiny new 17″ Intel iMac. Given that the offer was time limited and that we were obligated to return the machine at the end of the year, we took advantage of it. If we were buying a new machine, I probably would have opted for the 20″ 2.GHz model (it’s faster and has more video memory), but that wasn’t an option.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the 17″ model.
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A little thing like a stand for an Airport Express shouldn’t be a big deal, but the AirBase is surprisingly helpful. Not only does it help tame the mess of cables (although to look at most photos of it, you’d think that you didn’t see the cables at all - not true, they still stick out some), but by standing the Airport Express up, it helps increase the useful range of it. Since I’ve started using one of these, one Airport Express covers most of the building I’m in (our “barn”). Before, the Airport Express was laying on its side and coverage wasn’t very good. (more…)

“Performancing” is a nifty Firefox extension that helps you blog web pages (in the proper meaning of blog, where you’re generating more links to other people’s links than you are original content). It supports Wordpress, LiveJournal, Blogger… it looks very useful. I’m trying it out by blogging it to Shinythings. There’s even an optional spellchecker (Spellbound).

HOW TO: Using Performancing for Firefox | Performancing.com
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Very helpful recommendations for WordPress plugins.

NewsForge | Must-have WordPress plugins

Someone very, very clever has put together maps of the World of Warcraft with the Google Map API… It’s a very cool hack.

http://mapwow.com/

Salsa Verde is a great addition to eggs, mild flavored meats and enchiladas, and tortilla chips. It’s sweet and sour and nicely green tasting (not green like mulch, though). Using a food processor, it only takes a few minutes to make. (more…)

You can certainly purchase Apple’s Remote Desktop software if you want to remote control Macintoshes. It’s a very nice piece of software, it lets you do a lot more than just remotely monitor or seize control of a Mac, and it’s designed to help you maintain a fleet of computers. But if you’re just looking to control that headless Mac Mini that you’re using as household fileserver, it’s overkill. You’d be better off using VNC - “Virtual Network Computing”, arguably one of the least informative network protocol names ever concocted. (more…)