News Archive for 01/03/20

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Dreamweaver extension for Koan audio

03/20, 8:10pm

Dreamweaver extension for Koan audio

SSEYO's new free Koan Dreamweaver Extension allows developers to integrate interactive audio: "Koan audio pieces are embedded directly into the web page as tiny text 'vectors' - typically less than two or three kilobytes for an entire piece of music or sound effect. Audio content can range from themed backgrounds to interactive elements that play spot sound effects or musical riffs in response to standard HTML event handlers or Macromedia Flash FSCommands." The extension also offers control of the Koan audio engine's programmable to dynamically alter the music in real-time according to actions performed in the web page. (Playback of audio requires a small browser plugin.)

GoLive 5 compatible with Netscape 6

03/20, 7:45pm

GoLive 5 compatible with Netscape 6

Adobe's NN6 Support for Adobe GoLive 5 is a special extension that addresses issues with Netscape Navigator 6.x new Document Object Model (DOM), fixing display problems that might occur with DHTML animation, actions, rollovers, and URL pop-ups used on Golive pages: "Once the ?Make NN6 Compatible? extension has been installed successfully, the Special menu will include the Make NN6 Compatible command, which you can apply to either an entire site or selected documents."

Tech: Intel switches to 802.11B for wireless

03/20, 7:15pm

Tech: Intel switches to 802.11B for wireless

Evening tech news: Intel has switched its stance on the wireless technology it supports from HomeRF—supported by Compaq and Motorola, among others—to 802.11B, the technology used in Apple's AirPort product; Dell CEO Michael Dell said today that the company is on track to meet the financial expectations it made last month; Oracle has revealed that the second largest software company plans to reduce its workforce by one to two percent through attrition and regular business performance assessments; and Microsoft has outlined its "three-pronged wireless attack" by partering with established names in the wireless industry including Motorola and Mitsubishi.

Oster on NWN combat animations

03/20, 7:00pm

Oster on NWN combat animations

Planet Neverwinter regularly highlights forum posts from the Neverwinter Nights development team at Bioware. Recently, the site spotlighted a post from Bioware's Trent Oster, Producer on the 3D role-playing game, concerning combat animations.

Creative prepares for Mac SoundBlaster Live!

03/20, 6:40pm

Creative prepares for Mac SoundBlaster Live!

Creative Labs, after yesterday announcing cost-cutting measures that include a 10 percent reduction in its workforce and the closure of its U.S. manufacturing plant, has confirmed with MacNN today that the company still plans to ship the highly anticipated SoundBlaster Live! sound card for the Mac. "In fact, we're very close to shipping the product," said Creative PR Manager Phil O'Shaughnessy.

New Diablo II: LoD Druid screenshot

03/20, 6:35pm

New Diablo II: LoD Druid screenshot

Blizzard Entertainment has released a new screenshot from Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, the upcoming expansion set for its bestselling action/RPG game Diablo II. The screenshot shows the Druid, one of the game's two new character classes, preparing to take on a frozen creeper.

Reader: WO 5, Mac OS 9.x update seeded to ADC

03/20, 6:35pm

Reader: WO 5, Mac OS 9.x update seeded to ADC

A MacNN reader reports that WebObjects 5 and "Moonlight," an update to Mac OS 9.x, has been (privately) seeded to Apple's ADC members. [updated]

Igniter v3.1 driver Carbonized, supports QT5

03/20, 6:30pm

Igniter v3.1 driver Carbonized, supports QT5

Aurora Video Systems has updated the drivers for its Igniter cards for QuickTime 5, Adobe Premier 6, and Final Cut Pro 2. The newly "Carbonized" Igniter v3.1 driver also adds a new Video Output Component to better support newer NLE applications, improved color conversion routines for both accuracy and speed, and a new ConvertMovies utility to update existing Uncompressed movie files to the newer signature.

AAPL: "Diamond in the PC rough"

03/20, 6:00pm

AAPL: "Diamond in the PC rough"

Calling Apple "A Diamond in the PC Rough," IdeaAdvisor notes that Apple is the top technology stock in its list of S&P 500 "value" stocks. The site, which used a methodology explained on the site, notes that Apple's share price relative to free cashflow is half that of IBM and Dell. The site gives Apple a risk tolerance of three out of five.

OS X: No CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-ROM support

03/20, 5:45pm

OS X: No CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-ROM support

The Apple Store notes that "CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-ROM drives are not yet fully supported" under OS X. Meanwhile, c|net has published yet another article that essentially focuses solely on that fact and the operating system's differences compared with OS 9.

THPS2 hits beta 2

03/20, 5:40pm

THPS2 hits beta 2

In its latest newsletter, Aspyr Media reveals that the Mac version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is currently at its second beta. In addition, Westlake Interactive's Mark Krenek provides early estimates on the game's system requirements, which are available from our THPS2 Game Center page. The game is expected to begin shipping in April.

Escape from Monkey Island goes gold

03/20, 5:30pm

Escape from Monkey Island goes gold

Aspyr Media has announced that Escape from Monkey Island has reached golden master status and is expected to begin duplication this week. The final system requirements for the game have been set, and our available from our Escape from Monkey Island Game Center page. The game is expected to ship by the end of the month; pre-orders are still being accepted at the Aspyr Online Store. A demo will be made available following the game's release.

Console: Three MLB Baseball games

03/20, 5:15pm

Console: Three MLB Baseball games

Evening console news: Gamers looking for MLB-endorsed baseball games this year can choose from All-Star Baseball 2002 for the Playstation 2, Triple Play Baseball for the Playstation and Playstation 2, and High Heat Baseball 2002 for the Playstation, Playstation 2 and Game Boy Color; Electronic Arts has released new screenshots from The World Is Not Enough for the Game Boy Color; Revolution Software has announced the third installment in its adventure series, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon for the Playstation 2 and XBox; and Take Two Interactive has announced that the Playstation 2 version of offroad racing game 4x4 Evolution will ship to retailers on March 27.

TMDC SysMenu 1.02: customizable system menu

03/20, 4:05pm

TMDC SysMenu 1.02: customizable system menu

TMDC SysMenu 1.02 adds the ability to resolve aliases and brings several bug fixes to $15 utility which allows users to access their applications, documents, control panels, as well as SysMenu plugins from a system-wide menu as well as organize them within folders and submenus. Also available are new iTunes and Keychain plugins.

Stomped: Tropico Preview/Interview

03/20, 4:00pm

Stomped: Tropico Preview/Interview

Stomped has published a preview of PopTop Software's upcoming building-oriented strategy/simulation game for the Mac and PC, Tropico, based on hands-on time with a beta of the game. In addition, a second part of the preview offers an interview with PopTop Software President Phil Steinmeyer that covers such topics as the game's music, the proposed demo and the game's current status. "We're 19 days from Gold Master," says Steinmeyer. "Cleaning up unit pathing, some bugs, and adding a few pre-designed scenarios (although the focus will definitely be on random map generation)."

FullColor XT 1.0 brings colors to Quark

03/20, 3:50pm

FullColor XT 1.0 brings colors to Quark

Badia Software's $60 Quark XTension, FullColor XT 1.0 adds "significantly improved" color handling to QuarkXPress with interactive palette for creating, editing, duplicating or finding colors, or viewing color usage and applying color to items. It has built-in support for English, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Spanish. A demo is available online.

LiveHelp! provides customer service on Web

03/20, 2:30pm

LiveHelp! provides customer service on Web

Aestiva today announced Aestiva LiveHelp, a software for providing sales and customer support over the Web. The Mac OS X application can provide live support online or embedded in e-mail messages through hyperlinks that launch a customer chat window. The completely Web-based application offers remote administration as well. A small-business version for a single-person support staff is $800, while a corporate version for businesses with more than one customer support representative will be available in April.

Retail OS X screenshots, box info

03/20, 2:20pm

Retail OS X screenshots, box info

Sources report that the retail version of OS X ships with build '4K78', settling rumors around the Web. We have a few screenshots, including a shot of the back of the retail box, the retail OS X CD, contents of the retail box, the information flap on the retail box, 'About this Mac...', install screenshot on a 22" Cinema display and on a Power Mac G4/733.

GameSpy.com: WWII Online Preview

03/20, 2:10pm

GameSpy.com: WWII Online Preview

GameSpy.com has published a preview of World War II Online: Blitzkrieg, the upcoming massive multiplayer online war game for the Mac and PC from Cornered Rat Software. "The end of your real social life begins after you create an online character."

MacHTTP 2.3: original Mac Webserver updated

03/20, 2:00pm

MacHTTP 2.3: original Mac Webserver updated

MacHTTP 2.3, now final, adds a few minor performance enhancements, corrects some minor bugs, and updates the contact and license info included with the original Mac Web server. Version 2.4b1 is also available, which includes "support for the complete ACGI AppleEvent as supported by newer versions of AppleScript."

Marathon introduces Rackmount KVM switch

03/20, 1:50pm

Marathon introduces Rackmount KVM switch

Marathon Computer has introduced the Rackmount IOGEAR MiniView, which shares a single monitor, keyboard and mouse with up to four computers. The $225 rackmount KVM switch is available now and can accommodate any configuration of USB devices and is simultaneously compatible with Macs and PCs.

BMPL 1.6.1 improves net play

03/20, 1:30pm

BMPL 1.6.1 improves net play

Freeverse Software has released Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab 1.6.1, a new version of its action-packed puzzle game for the Mac. The new version adds better stability in GameRanger games and fixes a bug that was impeding net play over the HMS game server. [14.4 MB -- full; 687 KB -- update]

Games: The Hardware Alternative editorial

03/20, 1:20pm

Games: The Hardware Alternative editorial

games.macnn.com has published an editorial that discusses new gaming-focused hardware offerings soon to be available to Mac users and how it changes the viability of the Mac as a gaming platform. In addition, the site has a new poll on Mac users' interest in force feedback and the announcement of Rune: Halls of Valhalla for the Mac. [updated]

Console: GameCube launch this year

03/20, 1:05pm

Console: GameCube launch this year

Afternoon console news: In response to a memo sent to retailers by Nintendo encouraging them to not run X-Box promotions, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Marketing told cube.ign.com the reason for the memo and that the GameCube will definitely ship this year; Midway has released new screenshots and information on its upcoming Playstation 2 title, CART Fury; Metro 3D has decided to halt development of Armada 2 and Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse for the Sega Dreamcast; and Raven Software's gory first-person shooter Soldier of Fortune is scheduled for a release on the Playstation 2 this September.

Tech: Microsoft opens Amman, Jordan office

03/20, 12:50pm

Tech: Microsoft opens Amman, Jordan office

Afternoon tech news: Among the products expected to be unveiled at this week's CTIA Wireless 2001 Expo in Las Vegas is the first wireless headset that can work with mobile phones equipped with Bluetooth short-range radio technology; Microsoft has opened a new office in Amman, Jordan to tap the potential of developing the nation into an information technology (IT) hub for the Middle East; a High Court judge has ordered two web sites in the UK to reveal which user was behind defamatory messages placed in discussion groups, a ruling that could have implications for any website that lets people post messages anonymously; and librarians and civil liberty activists plan to challenge a law scheduled to take effect on April 20 that would require U.S. libraries and schools that receive federal funding to block access to web sites that can be deemed obscene or harmful to young people.

OS X launch to be "quiet"

03/20, 11:40am

OS X launch to be "quiet"

Cliff Joseph of The Independent says that Mac OS X's launch this Saturday will be a quiet launch: "The crucial period for Apple will be in about six months' time. If major Mac programs haven't made the switch to OS X by then."

Yamaha introduces new 20x/10x/40x CD-RWs

03/20, 11:20am

Yamaha introduces new 20x/10x/40x CD-RWs

Yamaha's newest CD-R/RW drives, the CRW2200 series, will make their debut at the upcoming CeBIT 2001 tradeshow in Germany, which runs March 22-28. The new drives use a 20x/10x/40x mechanism that supports 4x-10x CAV (constant angular velocity) for constant and controlled rotation speed during data writes to the inner tracks and higher-speed random disc accesses. (Partial CAV is also supported in 12X-20X speed modes.) The drives include SafeBurn technology for enhanced buffer underrun protection and an 8MB buffer. The internal ATAPI version, the CRW2200E, is due in the second quarter of this year. FireWire, internal/external SCSI-3, and USB 2.0 are expected to be available after this summer.

Vividon integrates Darwin QTSS, supports QT

03/20, 11:05am

Vividon integrates Darwin QTSS, supports QT

Vividon today announced that its streaming solutions now support the QuickTime file format. The company says it has integrated Apple's Darwin Streaming Server technology: "Vividon's streamer has shown sustainable throughput capabilities well above OC12 speeds to support over 700 megabits per second of concurrent QuickTime streams in a single low-profile device."

Vsamp 3.1.2: shareware sample player

03/20, 11:00am

Vsamp 3.1.2: shareware sample player

Vsamp 3.1.2 is an update to the software sample player that includes a program for creating and playing virtual instruments and a VST plugin for playing VSamp instruments from within a VST sequencer.

Editorial: The Hardware Alternative

03/20, 11:00am

Editorial: The Hardware Alternative

We have published The Hardware Alternative, an editorial discussing the new gaming-focused hardware offerings soon to be available to Mac users and how it changes the viability of the Mac as a gaming platform.

Double 2 for Mac OS X

03/20, 10:35am

Double 2 for Mac OS X

PCV Software has released Double 2.0b1, a new game for Mac OS X inspired by the Chinese game of "Mah-jongg". The game, which can also be played on earlier operating systems with CarbonLib 1.0.4 or later installed, uses the player's own custom icons.

Rune: Halls of Valhalla for Mac confirmed

03/20, 10:30am

Rune: Halls of Valhalla for Mac confirmed

Human Head Studios Business Director Tim Gerritsen has confirmed that a Mac version of the $20 multiplayer-focused expansion set for Rune, Halls of Valhalla, will be developed by Westlake Interactive and released a few weeks after the PC version in April. In addition, Gerritsen has provided additional details on the expansion set after noting that Gathering of Developers "jumped the gun...and released an early and incomplete bit of info before it was time."

First Rune: Halls of Valhalla details

03/20, 10:30am

First Rune: Halls of Valhalla details

The latest edition of Askin' Haskins at the Gathering of Developers web site contains the first details on two of the new game types—Arena and HeadBall—in the upcoming multiplayer-focused expansion pack for Rune, Halls of Valhalla. Arena lets players go one-on-one with spectators queued up to wait for their turn to battle the winner. HeadBall, best described as "basketball for Vikings", lets players of a team grab severed heads (arms and legs are an option as well) and run to any of the goals strategically placed around the map to score points. Some difficult goals are worth more points, and some of the goals are team-specific.

OnStream: European operations continue

03/20, 10:20am

OnStream: European operations continue

European Mac news site MacGeneration passed along a clarification on the recent closure of OnStream: "In fact, only the US Offices have ceased operations, OnStream (A spin-off of the Holland Based company Philips Electronic) will continue to support and build the whole line of products from its European base in Holland."

eMail Alert! 2.3 adds extended characters

03/20, 10:15am

eMail Alert! 2.3 adds extended characters

Intelli Innovations has released eMail Alert! 2.3, an update to its e-mail notification and message browsing software. Version 2.3 offers xtended ISO-8859-1 (X-MAC-ROMAN) character support and new 'Select All' feature.

iDisks prepped for OS X release

03/20, 10:15am

iDisks prepped for OS X release

Scott Nichol noticed some extensive reogranization on users' iDisk, part of Apple's iTools service:

"I just decided to check my iDisk this morning out of curiousity to see what's 'new'. turns out someone was in my Software folder yesterday between 4-5pm. lots of things have been moved around and under the 'Apple Software' folder there is a new 'Mac OS X Software' folder. There is also a file called 'About this folder.rtf' which explains some basic troubleshooting on how to mount the disk images. The date stamp at the end of the document is March 19, 2001. there are sub-folders inside the Mac OS X Software folder for Creative, Games, Home, Productivity, Utilities, and Web just like the original (and supposedly for 3rd party software) Mac OS X Software folder. Looks like Apple's prepping everyone's iDisk so we'll have some things to play with this weekend!"

SimHQ: First Target Korea terrain screenshots

03/20, 10:10am

SimHQ: First Target Korea terrain screenshots

In its third interview with the Targetware: Target Korea development team, SimHQ has released the first screenshots showing the terrain in the upcoming massive multiplayer combat flight sim for the Mac and PC. The interview, which is made up of questions submitted by flight sim enthusiasts, also reveals new features of the terrain engine and more. "The engine itself is based upon what is called a split-only ROAM queue, which is the same algorithm NASA uses for its simulators."

Poll: Force feedback in Mac games

03/20, 10:00am

Poll: Force feedback in Mac games

The results of last week's poll show that users most want to see a desktop picture featuring Quake III: Team Arena next week at Custer's Corner, and we plan to deliver. 32% of respondents voted for the first-person shooter expansion pack, while Escape from Monkey Island came in second with 25.42% of the vote and Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition at a close third with 24.36%. Rune edged out Rogue Spear for the fourth spot with 9.21 and 9.03 percent, respectively. This week's poll asks, "Is force feedback something that you'd like to see widely adopted in future Mac games?" (Force feedback allows an input device to "rumble" when some sort of physical contact is made by the game's main character or vehicle.) Users can vote in the left sidebar across the entire site.

Console: Army Men: Green Rogue

03/20, 10:00am

Console: Army Men: Green Rogue

Morning console news: 3DO is now shipping Army Men: Green Rogue for the Playstation 2 and Playstation gaming consoles, which features third person, forward-scrolling, arcade-style shooter action that has players doing battle on foot and in amphibious assault vehicles; Activision has announced its Game Boy Advance lineup which includes Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder (working title), X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse and DOOM; and THQ is now shipping Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage, "the first traditional role-playing game for the Nintendo 64".

New drivers/firmware for GeForce2 MX

03/20, 9:00am

New drivers/firmware for GeForce2 MX

Apple has posted new drivers for the GeForce2 MX, which also updates the card's firmware, "improving performance and applications compatibility."

Roundup: StuffIt 6.01 updates, Premiere 6...

03/20, 8:45am

Roundup: StuffIt 6.01 updates, Premiere 6...

Yesterday we noted Aladdin's StuffIt 6.01 updates, Adobe's support for realtime editing in Premiere 6, Palm's new m500 handhelds, Dr. Bott's upcoming TiCase for the Titanium PowerBook, new Viewsonic CRT displays, Olympus' new 10x zoom camera, and upcoming Toast 5 support for iTunes and Disc Burner. Other updates include My Secret 1.0 encryption utility, XTension 3.5 software for home automation, Griffin's iMate 2.6 driver, Text Cleaner 2, and WebPrint Plus 4.0.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs survives on water

03/20, 8:30am

Apple CEO Steve Jobs survives on water

A Wall Street Journal article discusses the endurance that is commanded of CEOs in order for them to fulfill their busy lifestyles, noting that "Apple Computer's Steve Jobs, 46, stays energized during the week by avoiding caffeine and drinking lots of water throughout his long workdays."

Roundup: Custer's Wheelman

03/20, 8:00am

Roundup: Custer's Wheelman

Yesterday Custer's Corner released its new desktop for the week, Wheelman, featuring MacSoft's Driver; we noted the release of new Marathon Infinity scenario Marathon: Rubicon; Delta Tao Software released a Mac OS X client for its online role-playing game, Clan Lord; and Quicksilver Software posted its sixth developer's diary for Master of Orion III.

FireBay converts PB Expansion Bay devices

03/20, 7:30am

FireBay converts PB Expansion Bay devices

MCE's new FireBay External FireWire Docking Unit accepts expansion bay modules from the Bronze PowerBook G3 and FireWire PowerBook G3, allowing any FireWire Mac to access them. The device is slated to ship in May; pricing is not yet available.

Griffin releases free G-Sound utility

03/20, 7:00am

Griffin releases free G-Sound utility

Griffin Technology has posted G-Sound 1.1, a free control panel that provides more precise control over the input and output of a Mac's audio.

Entourage-Newton sync'ing utility posted

03/20, 7:00am

Entourage-Newton sync'ing utility posted

DelCann Software has released Newtourage 0.3b1, the first public beta of its software for synchronizing Entourage with a Newton MessagePad. The current beta offers Names/Address Book synchronization, with To-Do and Calendar & Notes synchronization currently in development. The beta expires April 9.

TextSpresso 1.8.1 posted, free update to 2.0

03/20, 7:00am

TextSpresso 1.8.1 posted, free update to 2.0

Taylor Design TextSpresso 1.8.1 improves memory management and fixes a bug with the $30 shareware text cleaning utility that features 190 built-in filters. The company has also announced that owners of TextSpresso 1.x will be entitled to a free upgrade to version 2.0, which will add OS X compatibility.

CodeBurst 1.1 remove demo time-limit

03/20, 7:00am

CodeBurst 1.1 remove demo time-limit

CodeBurst 1.1 is an update to the plug-in library that adds Blowfish encryption to WebSiphon. The new version adds an option to return URL SAFE encrypted strings and removes the two-hour time limit from the demo. CodeBurst is available for a limited time for $100, or half price.

Diet Sleuth gets minor update to 3.1.2

03/20, 7:00am

Diet Sleuth gets minor update to 3.1.2

Diet Sleuth 3.1.2 is the latest version of Black Cat Software's $35 nutritional database and personal health logbook. The new version adds the ability to remove a user from the application.

Mandolux posts 21 new desktop pictures

03/20, 7:00am

Mandolux posts 21 new desktop pictures

Mandolux has posted 21 new desktop pictures in its "X Series."