Appletell

Nowadays, every experienced company or group of people dedicated to software development knows there are a lot of variables to handle when you work on a project from a collaborative point of view. The project leader has to handle every detail regarding time, costs, human resources, deadlines and quality of the delivered product. If you add to this picture a contractor, then your are adding more things to control, and, most of the time, more potential headaches.

There are many possible solutions for this scenario, but the one I’d like to address now is based on three main components: Subversion, Trac and a Mac. This proposal needs to be separated in two parts: on one hand we’ll have the server side, and on the other hand we’ll have the client side. We’ll now be focusing on the server side of the solution.

Read on for into and tips.

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Psystar is now branding themselves as “the leading provider of Mac-compatible computers,” and they’ve released server grade machines. Server-grade machines are all well and good, but “the leading provider of Mac-compatible computers?” Really?

First of all, every computer on the market today—HP, Dell, and tons of others—is Mac-compatible. After all, the Mac is a computer, and it communicates back and forth with these other computers. Assuming they meant “Mac OS X-compatible,” did they completely forget Apple existed? Or, have their sales somehow shot up above Apple’s recently? Also, I don’t know what they think “compatible” means, but the Psystar OpenComputer is just as compatible with OS X as any other computer is. The only difference is that it comes pre-installed with Leopard, while others require some do-it-yourself.

Questionable branding aside, let’s move on to the newest addition to the OpenComputer family, the OpenServ. It comes in many different configuration options, most comparable to Apple’s XServe, and at $1,000 off the XServe’s price. This raises colossal questions, however. Would you trust the hacked OS to run your server? Would you trust that Psystar would be around long enough to support the server? Would you trust the quality of a machine that is said to be comparable to and a stripped down version of the XServe in the same sentence? Do you think you will remain sane after hearing the 24/7 full-blast fans that are likely to be a feature of the OpenServ, just like the OpenComputer?

Sound off in the comments below.

Product [Psystar]

Exibia, from Plyxim software, has just been upgraded to version 1.2. Exibia is a server video scheduling tool intended for schools and universities. With Exibia, the user can upload any video that is compatible with Quicktime to a central server, which is subsequently connected to the school’s closed circuit television system. The uploader of the video can choose a date and time for playback through the Exibia Web Client, and forget about it. The application can be used seamlessly by multiple users, and even handles issues with double booking of the system. Anyone with a Mac or a PC can connect and upload content, with no need to hook the actual computer up to a monitor or projector. Videos can also be stored for a longer period of time for multiple play-backs.

Version 1.2’s main change is a re-vamped UI for the Web Client. It is available as a free upgrade for current users. A single Exibia license is priced at $499, and a demo can be downloaded from the Plyxim website.

Product [ Exibia ]

Extensis has announced its next generation server based font management system for Windows and Macintosh. The system is titled Universal Type Server (UTS), and is shipping on June 18th.

This program provides users with a new way to manage fonts and font metadata all on a server. UTS is designed to be used in IT and Design environments, and uses web based programs to distribute package based installers to specific clients from a single location.

Details after the break.

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The New York Department of Education has halted an order on Macs due to a wireless connectivity issue with their infrastructure.  Apple has been hard at work trying to resolve this issue and a fix is expected to come with a new Leopard release, most likely 10.5.3.  For now the machines are being held at a Dell facility in Austin, Texas because of a contract the DOE has with Dell that allows them to handle all of the school system’s tech ordering.  The schools are still able to order and receive machines that rely on a wired ethernet connection rather than wifi.

Apple has apologized in both an email and an Apple product catalog notice for the two month delay.  The company has been franticly working on this issue in hopes of getting the machines shipped as soon as possible.  Hopefully Apple gets 10.5.3 out soon because I have been experiencing wifi issues with my iMac as well and would love to see this problem resolved for everyone.

Via [AppleInsider]

In the midst of all the Mac Pro frenzy, the other update that Apple released today, an update to their XServe was largely overlooked. The new XServes were updated with the same architecture as the new Mac Pros. The standard configuration is as follows [from Apple.com].

• One 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processor
• 2GB (2x1GB) 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully buffered DIMMs
• 80GB 7200-rpm SATA Apple Drive Module with 8MB cache
• Dual Gigabit Ethernet
• Internal Graphics
• Two FireWire(R) 800 and three USB 2.0 ports
• Unlimited Client License for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Server

Read [Apple.com]

In the last couple of weeks since the iPhone has been released, rumors of the 6th Gen iPod have been flying around the web like mad. Everything from it will be touch-screen to it will include wireless has been speculated on. In 2005, Apple filed a patent that has finally been published today that only aids to this mad speculation. One part of the patent states “[The technology] would let a wireless portable media player synchronize with a server and tell that server to play files...” MacNN explains what this means:

While the patent is not certain to translate into a finished product, its existence may let Apple update the iPhone and any future Wi-Fi iPods to have them check for computers on the local network and play locally-stored entertainment as long as the computers have direct access to the proper output.

If this patent ever come to fruition, it would definitely be welcome. Being able to use your iPod or iPhone as a remote control would be great, because it is basically one less remote you have to worry about. Of course this probably wouldn’t replace the remote that would come with say an Apple TV, because not everyone owns an iPod. How would your Dad be able to sit down and watch the new Jack Nicholson movie on the Apple TV if you have your iPod with you at work?

via [MacNN]

Although Steve jokingly mentioned numerous editions of Leopard at this morning’s keynote (just to poke fun at Microsoft), there is in fact a second edition that we don’t often hear about: Mac OS X Server. Even though it didn’t receive the limelight today, the new features reflected on Apple.com look very promising.

Setting up an OS X Server has been simplified thanks to a new setup interface that includes server status widgets. A new application called Podcast Producer has also been introduced, which automates the encoding, publishing and distribution of high-quality podcasts.

Other significant features include iCal Server, Xgrid 2 and Spotlight Server. It’s currently on track to debut in October for $499.

Read [Apple.com]