News Archive for 01/04/04

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LogoTypeMaker Pro 2.5 adds improvements

04/04, 7:15pm

LogoTypeMaker Pro 2.5 adds improvements

LogoTypeMaker Pro 2.5 is a new version of the $25 application for displaying a user's fonts at various sizes. The new version adds a filter for TrueType and Type 1 fonts, fixes bugs, and improves the interface.

Apple signs lease in Chicago for retail store

04/04, 7:00pm

Apple signs lease in Chicago for retail store

A Chicago Tribune article confirms that Apple has signed a long-term lease in the city for a 33,000-square-foot space, formerly home to a Gap store. The article states the store is scheduled to open in Spring 2002. (We also have a recent photo of the location.)

MovingPicture 2.0: DV plug-in for pan, zoom

04/04, 6:40pm

MovingPicture 2.0: DV plug-in for pan, zoom

StageTools has released MovingPicture 2.0, a plug-in for After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Media 100, and Premiere that allows users to pan and zoom on high-resolution images, supporting scanned images up to 4,000 pixels and allowing for repeatable pans and zooms from a nonlinear editor's timeline. A fully functional demo of the $200 software is available.

eWeek praises PowerBook G4; 'outruns' PIII6

04/04, 6:40pm

eWeek praises PowerBook G4; 'outruns' PIII6

eWeek has reviewed Apple's PowerBook G4, giving the system very high marks. "Apple's titanium-clad PowerBook G4 sets a new standard in design for all-in-one notebooks." The article also notes that the "500MHz machine also outruns 600MHz Pentium III."

Tomb Raider Movie trailer released

04/04, 5:50pm

Tomb Raider Movie trailer released

The official web site for the upcoming Tomb Raider movie, which stars Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, has released the official trailer for the movie this afternoon. The trailer is available in all three major streaming video formats—QuickTime, RealPlayer and Windows Media Player—as well as in Small, Medium and Large sizes. The movie is based on the Tomb Raider series of games, which have all come to the Mac through Austin, Tx.-based Aspyr Media.

OSP 0.99t fixes bugs and more

04/04, 5:45pm

OSP 0.99t fixes bugs and more

OSP 0.99t is a new version of Orange Smoothie Productions' popular mod for Quake III: Arena. The new version provides a number of bug fixes as well as lag reduction, client-side logging, timing for total time of flag carried in CTF, the ability to schedule timed events and more.

New Fly! II screenshots

04/04, 5:40pm

New Fly! II screenshots

German site FlightXPress has published eight new screenshots from the upcoming flight sim from Terminal Reality for the Mac and PC, Fly! II. The sequel to the original Fly! will feature a new aircraft, improved visual effects, better tutorials and assistance for beginners, extended multiplayer flight parties and more.

Ramseeker compiles list of vendor policies

04/04, 5:30pm

Ramseeker compiles list of vendor policies

Ramseeker has compiled a list of 20 popular RAM vendors and the return policies of each regarding RAM modules that have been disabled by Apple's recent firmware updates.

Console: XBox delay report drives market down

04/04, 5:30pm

Console: XBox delay report drives market down

Evening console news: Shares of Electronic Arts and other game makers lost ground on Wednesday after a report surfaced that Microsoft is behind schedule in delivering materials to certain developers for its XBox game console, although Take Two Interactive says in a press release that any potential delay with Microsoft's XBox will not affect their operations; Giants: Citizen Kabuto, which will be coming to the Mac later this year, will incorporate many requested feature changes and additions when it makes its appearance on the Playstation 2; and Ubi Soft has released the first screenshots from its upcoming Playstation 2 title, Batman Vengeance.

ObjectTools 1.5.7 squashes bug

04/04, 5:30pm

ObjectTools 1.5.7 squashes bug

ObjectTools 1.5.7 fixes a bug with the $150 4th Dimension plug-in that provides a set of routines that allows users "to create Objects: a single entity in which you can store and retrieve any amount of data of differing types."

Possible Office 2001 SR1 conflict w/ Outlook

04/04, 5:00pm

Possible Office 2001 SR1 conflict w/ Outlook

Scott Boettcher sent us a note regarding Microsoft Outlook 2001 compatibility with the new Office 2001 SR1 update. "Not unlike previous versions of Microsoft Mac software, there appears to be another episode of one version overwriting components installed by another MS application. We had a strange lot of issues today with Outlook 2001 beta; all problems appear to be gone after placing a clean copy of Outlook beta (after applying SP1 to Office and restarting)on the drive and creating a new profile."

MacDesktops: 17 new pictures in past week

04/04, 5:00pm

MacDesktops: 17 new pictures in past week

Over the past week, MacDesktops has posted 17 new pictures, including: Autumn (Flora), HALO (Games), Katie Holmes (Portraits), Sage (iMacs), and Who? (Music).

Netgear introduces wireless product family

04/04, 5:00pm

Netgear introduces wireless product family

Netgear today introduced its line of 802.11b Wireless Products, which consist of the ME102 Wireless Access Point, MA401 PC card, MA301 PCI adapter, MA101 USB adapter, and MR314 Cable/DSL Wireless Router. Currently, only the $355 access point, which is platform independent, can work with Macs.

Net beta of next-gen Mac Lotus client

04/04, 5:00pm

Net beta of next-gen Mac Lotus client

Lotus Development has reaffirmed its commitment to the Mac for the development of Lotus Notes. The company has also released a public Beta test version of the next release of Notes, Domino, and Domino Designer. The new set of tools for collaboration, code-named Rnext, includes a fully compatible Mac client. [updated]

AppleInsider: OS X 10.0.1 information

04/04, 3:55pm

AppleInsider: OS X 10.0.1 information

AppleInsider has additional information on the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.0.1 update.

Ultra320: The future of SCSI

04/04, 3:30pm

Ultra320: The future of SCSI

We have posted details on Ultra320, the next-generation SCSI specification currently in the works.

Portable, bus-powered USB drive introduced

04/04, 3:25pm

Portable, bus-powered USB drive introduced

Sparc Technologies has introduced Rover PHD, a new, bus-powered USB mini-hard-drive. The new device, dubbed Rover PHD, is available in three capacities: 3GB ($290), 6GB ($350), and 10GB ($410).

Apple officially announces AppleWorks 6.1

04/04, 3:20pm

Apple officially announces AppleWorks 6.1

Apple today officially announced AppleWorks 6.1 for Mac OS 9, as well as a preview version for OS X, which also OS X benefits of protected memory and preemptive multitasking as well as Save as PDF functions. The new version features DataViz' MacLinkPlus translators for supporting multiple document types, including compatibility with Microsoft and Word documents. Additionally, a new Education Edition offers features catered specifically towards the K-12 audience.

MacNN Review: Maxtor vs. WD FireWire HDs

04/04, 3:00pm

MacNN Review: Maxtor vs. WD FireWire HDs

We have a posted a comparative review between Maxtor's and Western Digitals' FireWire hard drives.

Current brings MP3 streaming to Macs

04/04, 2:55pm

Current brings MP3 streaming to Macs

Current 1.2 is a new MP3 streaming server for the Mac that includes features for a customizable playlist, full listener tracking, and support for "commercials" by playing certain files at specified intervals. Licenses are $15, $25, and $70 for 40-, 70-, and unlimited user licenses. A Carbon version is also available. [Classic, Carbon]

GroupLogic preps MassTransit 4.0

04/04, 2:45pm

GroupLogic preps MassTransit 4.0

Group Logic announced it has released a beta of MassTransit Enterprise 4.0 to select customers. Version 4 of its file transfer, remote proofing, and remote workflow software adds a new Web browser plug-in for file transfer, offering drag-and-drop transfer of files and folders using the Web browser as well as multiple simultaneous file and folder transmission, automatic file compression/decompression, support for folder hierarchy and file integrity protection, and cross-platform transfer.

Platinum Theme updated to 1.1

04/04, 1:15pm

Platinum Theme updated to 1.1

Anony M. Ous has updated his Platinum Theme 1.1 for OS X with several improvements based on reader feedback, including new installer/uninstaller packages. [Install, Uninstall]

Spring Cleaning 3.5.1 adds OS X compatibility

04/04, 1:15pm

Spring Cleaning 3.5.1 adds OS X compatibility

Aladdin has posted Spring Cleaning 3.5.1, a free OS X update for registered users of version 3.5. The $50 application features 13 utilities to clean and organize drives. Owners of earlier versions can upgrade for $30.

Gefen begins shipping DVI-to-ADC adapter

04/04, 1:00pm

Gefen begins shipping DVI-to-ADC adapter

Gefen has begun shipping its DVI-to-ADC conversion box, which allows users to connect the Apple's ADC 15" or 22" flat panel displays to their DVI-based Power Mac, or Apple's ADC 17" Studio Display to their VGA-based Mac. The $300 product consists of the conversion box, USB cable, and power adapter.

Cash helps PC makers survive

04/04, 12:15pm

Cash helps PC makers survive

A Reuters article discusses the importance of PC makers having cash in the bank to weather the economic slow down, focusing in particular on Apple's $4 billion in cash and Dell's $5.4 billion, and how such stockpiles factor in to sustaining a company.

Forums: Office 2001 SR1 problems, more...

04/04, 12:00pm

Forums: Office 2001 SR1 problems, more...

Threads in our forums are tracking problems with the Office 2001 SR1 update, including problems with Word and Excel being rendered unusable and problems with synching a Visor and Entourage after applying the update. Other interesting threads in our forums include: a discussion on Cube/Studio Display "touch" switches · problems with AppleCare and a PowerBook repair · a noisy iMac hard drive · G4/GeForce 3 shipping status · broadcasting MP3s from a Mac.

Shadowbane publisher in doubt

04/04, 12:00pm

Shadowbane publisher in doubt

Crossroads of Shadowbane notes that Gathering of Developers has removed the upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Shadowbane, from its list of upcoming games, leading many to believe that Shadowbane has been cut from The Gathering's product lineup. This move follows the removal of Wolfpack Studios, the developer of Shadowbane, from The Gathering's developer list and the password protection of the Shadowbane mirror site run by The Gathering. In response, Wolfpack Studios has stated that it can not currently talk about its publishing status, but has assured fans that work on the game continues, new people are being hired on a weekly basis and that the game will be released.

WarCraft III: FAQ Update

04/04, 11:55am

WarCraft III: FAQ Update

Blizzard Entertainment has updated its official "Scroll of Knowledge", or Frequently Asked Questions, for WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos. The updated FAQ, which cautions that the game is still a work in progress and thus subject to change, contains three dozen new questions and answers on the role-playing strategy game including some on technology, heroes, races, units, multiplayer and more.

VE: Halls of Valhalla interview

04/04, 11:15am

VE: Halls of Valhalla interview

Voodoo Extreme has published an interview with Human Head Studios' Tim Gerritsen and Chris Rhinehart, discussing the company's upcoming multiplayer-focused Rune expansion pack, Rune: Halls of Valhalla. "One of the levels has steam vents, that will fling you across the arena, making for very cool "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"-esque air battles."

Console: Mission Impossible 2 games

04/04, 11:10am

Console: Mission Impossible 2 games

Morning console news: Infogrames has announced that it has secured the rights to develop and publish games based on one of last year's top grossing films, Mission: Impossible 2, with games based on the movie to be released in Fall 2002; moderngroove entertainment has selected Ubi Soft to publish in Europe 'moderngroove: Ministry of Sound Edition' for the Playstation 2, which features "five hours of exclusive Techno, UK Garage and Breakbeat music from top DJs, in addition to an extensive array of dynamically generated 3D objects, sprawling backdrops and niche film clips that synch to the music"; TDK Mediactive has announced that it will publish action-adventure game PRYZM for the Playstation 2; and new video footage is available from 17 XBox games shown at the Spring Tokyo Game Show.

Epson Stylus Pro 10000: six-color wide format

04/04, 9:40am

Epson Stylus Pro 10000: six-color wide format

Epson's new six-color Stylus Pro 10000 offers 44" wide-image printing at photographic quality. The printer supports true 1440 x 720 dpi resolution, uses variable-sized droplets as small as five picoliters, and is up to "six times faster" than its predecessors (Stylus Pro 9000 and 9500). The printer includes a USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Parallel ports as well as an Epson Type-B expansion slot for optional 10/100 BaseT card. It is due in due June for $10,000.

Music Match 2.0 has integrated music guide

04/04, 9:35am

Music Match 2.0 has integrated music guide

Music Match has introduced a gold version of Jukebox Plus for Mac 2.0, offering an integrated music guide and tools to personalize the digital music experience, including music recommendations, artist and album information, exclusive and original editorial, and music search capabilities. The $20 application also includes a graphic equalizer, AppleScript support, and other music management features. A limited freeware version is also available.

ActionBars 1.5: make Website navigation bars

04/04, 9:20am

ActionBars 1.5: make Website navigation bars

Immedia Internet has released version 1.5 of ActionBars, a utility for building navigation bars for web sites: "The bars require no plug-in, and are compatible with Netscape and IE versions 3.01 and newer." The new release includes faster loading time, support for multiple bars on a single page, selectable target frames, 'rollover' sounds, customizable loading message, and other enhancements.

WebMerge 1.6: better HTML generation

04/04, 9:15am

WebMerge 1.6: better HTML generation

WebMerge 1.6 is an update to Fourth World's tool for generating static Web pages from database files, including FileMaker Pro and Microsoft Access. Version 1.6 adds more workflow automation options, better HTML generation, support for tab-delimited export formats, Apple event support, and other enhancements. The $70 application is available for $45 in promotion that runs through April 17th.

ConceptDraw Viewer 1.0: freeware app

04/04, 9:10am

ConceptDraw Viewer 1.0: freeware app

ConceptDraw Viewer 1.0 is a freeware cross-platform application that allows users to view and print ConceptDraw documents, as well as files of several other graphic formats. The Carbonized application offers scroll, zoom, print, and window management functions.

iMic firmware updater from Griffin

04/04, 9:10am

iMic firmware updater from Griffin

Griffin Technology has released a iMic firmware updater 1.0 for its iMic USB audio recording and playback adapter, which brings bug fixes and allows the iMic to be used with an unpowered hub.

More security flaws in AirPort protocols

04/04, 3:35am

More security flaws in AirPort protocols

A University of Maryland research team has identified several more security flaws in 802.11 wireless LAN protocol (AirPort technology), noting new problems with the way the protocol handles access control and authorization requests, including sniffing the network name, MAC addresses, and the plaintext and cipher text of the shared keys (we previously noted flaws in the WEP encryption scheme as well):

"Potentially the most serious of the three flaws is a hole that allows an eavesdropper to sniff the name of the network -- which is used as a shared secret for authentication purposes in some 802.11 implementations, including the Lucent Technologies Inc. Orinoco cards that Arbaugh's team used -- and then use the information to access the network. This would be prevented by the WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) encryption used in 802.11, but the messages containing the network name are always broadcast in cleartext, Arbaugh said."

Thoth 1.1.1: news reader updated

04/04, 1:40am

Thoth 1.1.1: news reader updated

Thoth 1.1.1, an update to the Carbonized, shareware newsreader, adds a "Smart Styled Text Editing" option and eliminates erroneous "out of memory" warnings under OS X.

Cancer distributed computing for Windows only

04/04, 1:40am

Cancer distributed computing for Windows only

Several readers have noted that The National Foundation for Cancer Research has a program similar to SETI's distributed computing application, but does not yet support Macs: "Computer users from all over the world will be able to help beat cancer by running calculations using their computers idle computer power. But Mac Users are apparently not welcome. This project is funded by Intel and the program only supports Wintel systems. It's too bad. Imagine the speed and power of a DP G4 running crunching numbers in an OS X terminal window."

OS X: 10.0.1 details, SpringCleaning for X...

04/04, 1:05am

OS X: 10.0.1 details, SpringCleaning for X...

osx.macnn.com has information on Aladdin's new Spring Cleaning 3.5.1 update, which is Carbonized; an update to the Platinum Theme for OS X; and details on the forthcoming 10.0.1 update, based on build 4L7, which contains three different components.

OS X build 4L7 seeded; final due out soon

04/04, 12:30am

OS X build 4L7 seeded; final due out soon

Mac OS X 10.01 build 4L7 is being (illegally) distributed through numerous Web sites, hotline servers, and across personal connections, superceding a 4L5 build distributed on the Internet earlier. The Read Me indicates "The 10.0.1 Update for Mac OS X delivers support for iTunes, improved USB compatibility, as well as stability and performance improvements." The update is also circulating with an Epson driver installer for enabling printing for the Japanese language and a Software Update 1.3.1, which says it "delivers improved network performance, support for proxy authentication, improved status reporting, and resolves an issue for MP systems." Meanwhile, sources report that Apple will begin to distribute the official OS X 10.01 release later this week (which may contain some, all, or additional updates).

Industry clamp-down on monitor sizes

04/04, 12:30am

Industry clamp-down on monitor sizes

The Register reports an industry-wide clampdown on false claims of monitor sizes. Generally, a monitor with a 15.7-16.1" viewable size will be sold as a 17" monitor, an 18" viewable as a 19" monitor, and so on. The same does not apply for LCD displays, which are generally advertised according to their actual viewable area.

Password Wallet 2.1 has better OS X support

04/04, 12:25am

Password Wallet 2.1 has better OS X support

Selznick's PasswordWallet 2.1, for both Mac OS and Palm OS, brings better OS X compatibility, a new export to text command, and improved conduit reliability to the $15 shareware utility for (securely) storing usernames, passwords, PIN numbers, or combinations using the BlowFish encryption algorithm with 448-bit keys.

BUSLink bundled Retrospect Express

04/04, 12:25am

BUSLink bundled Retrospect Express

BUSLink has begun bundling Dantz' Retrospect Express back-up software (normally priced at $80) with all of its Mac-compatible FireWire and USB storage devices. The company's hard drives range from 13 GB to 60 GB.

Bitstream opens online font sales Website

04/04, 12:25am

Bitstream opens online font sales Website

Bitstream Inc. announced the launch of a new online store, MyFonts.com, for finding, trying, and buying fonts online. The site contains a wide range of Macintosh-compatible TrueType and PostScript fonts.

SJC Airport has new 802.11b wireless network

04/04, 12:20am

SJC Airport has new 802.11b wireless network

The San Jose International Airport is using technology based on Apple's AirPort standard to create what it calls "the first" wireless, high-speed Internet connection network at any airport in California. The new IEEE 802.11b infrastructure will give AirPort-compatible 'net access at up to T1 speeds.

AirPort install, setup require OS 9.1

04/04, 12:15am

AirPort install, setup require OS 9.1

Apple's brief PDF document dubbed "AirPort Networks with Mac OS X," notes that OS X works with Apple internal AirPort Cards only and that you "must start up using Mac OS 9 to use the AirPort Admin Utility or AirPort Setup Assistant to set up or reconfigure a base station."

QuickCode Pro 4.2: helps code 4th Dimension

04/04, 12:10am

QuickCode Pro 4.2: helps code 4th Dimension

QuickCode Pro 4.2, an assistant editor for 4th Dimension, enhances the 4th Dimension method editor with a host of features designed to simplify and accelerate the process of writing 4D code. Version 4.2 brings new regular expression search/replace functionality, a new filter tool, an improved Marker tool, and Zoom-to-fit option. Upgrades to the $200 application are free for registered v4.0 owners.

Roundup: Computerware closes, Apple responds.

04/04, 12:05am

Roundup: Computerware closes, Apple responds.

Yesterday we noted Computerware's shutdown, Apple's response to firmware updater problems, declining QuickTime marketshare, Apple's high marks in tech support, USR's SoundLink wireless device, and Vicomsoft's FTP Client 3.1.4. Other recent updates included Intech's Hard Disk Speed Tools 3.6, Package Tracker 3.0, Office 2001SR1, and Netscape 4.77.

Apple ranks among 100 most ethical companies

04/04, 12:05am

Apple ranks among 100 most ethical companies

Apple has ranked among the 100 most ethical companies in a recent edition of "Business Ethics" magazine. Apple was chosen for the list, which also includes IBM and Motorola, because the company uses "responsible business practices."

CNBC: OS X, cash reserves keep Apple healthy

04/04, 12:05am

CNBC: OS X, cash reserves keep Apple healthy

CNBC says that Apple's release of Mac OS X as well as the company's $4 billion cash stockpile have helped put a veritable "roof" under its stock price. The report says that Apple's new OS is a source of "renewed confidence," and quotes analysts who call OS X a "milestone" in the company's history.

Distinguishing Carbon vs. Classic apps

04/04, 12:05am

Distinguishing Carbon vs. Classic apps

Carbonic 1.01, a tool from Noah Pepper Software for checking whether or not an application is carbonized, has been released in final form with the 1.0 release. The new version sports numerous bug fixes, a new 128x128 icon, and "better OS X support." (Readers report that using the 'Get Info' command on an application works as well.)