News Archive for 01/04/05

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ZDNet: Why you should be using FireWire

04/05, 7:05pm

ZDNet: Why you should be using FireWire

An article at ZDNet explains why you should be using FireWire, noting that companies such as Iomega are now introducing FireWire-based storage solutions aimed towards both Mac and PC users. "FireWire is the next SCSI. Only Intel and a few other companies don't want you to know this."

FiringSquad: WarCraft III Preview

04/05, 6:50pm

FiringSquad: WarCraft III Preview

FiringSquad has published a preview of Blizzard Entertainment's WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos, which is expected to be released for the Mac in early 2002. The preview, which was based on a recent visit to Blizzard headquarters, contains the most recent information on the game including the increased amount of detail that will seen in everything from landscapes to buildings to death animations. "Units don't just fall into a pile of gibs and blood upon death - we witnessed a Kobold stagger away two steps before falling down after a killing blow by a Human Knight."

Brother releases OS X drivers for printers

04/05, 6:40pm

Brother releases OS X drivers for printers

A MacNN reader writes about recently released Mac OS X drivers from Brother: "Its great to see that Brother has just introduced OS X drivers for most of its printers. Not only that, but they now allow Mac users to take full advantage of the resolution of the printer such as in the HL-1250 I have. On the old (OS 9) drivers, I could only print up to 600 DPI whereas Windows users could use the full 1200 DPI potential of the printer. Now Mac users can print up to 1200 DPI on OS X with these new drivers. Awesome."

Stomped: Halls of Valhalla interview

04/05, 6:15pm

Stomped: Halls of Valhalla interview

Human Head Studios Business Director Tim Gerritsen is interviewed on Stomped concerning the company's upcoming add-on, Rune: Halls of Valhalla. Gerritsen comments on the company's decision to make the game both an add-on for current owners of Rune as well as a standalone multiplayer-only game. "We hope that players who didn't want to play the single player game will be enticed by a multiplayer only game for $20," said Gerritsen. "It's a way for us to reach beyond the original players of the game and expand the growing Rune MP community."

Qualcomm posts Eudora 5.1fc1 candidate

04/05, 6:03pm

Qualcomm posts Eudora 5.1fc1 candidate

Qualcomm has posted a final candidate of Eudora 5.1fc1, an update to its popular trimode email client available in lite, shareware, or commercial versions that brings dozens of bug fixes and changes.

TheCowCatchingGame 1.4 adds editor, more

04/05, 6:00pm

TheCowCatchingGame 1.4 adds editor, more

TheCowCatchingGame 1.4 is a new version of Martin Wengenmayer's $10 shareware OpenGL-based cow-catching game for Mac OS X. The new version adds smoother animations, improved bombs, mooing sounds for the buttons, properly saved high scores and, for registered users, an editor for changing many of the game's attributes.

Dark Conquest Demo released

04/05, 5:55pm

Dark Conquest Demo released

Dark Shadow Software has released a Star Conquest Demo 1.0, a first look at its turn-based strategic wargame for the Mac. In the game, players must "guide their species in its expansion to all corners of the known Universe."

CGO: Tropico Interface article

04/05, 5:45pm

CGO: Tropico Interface article

Computer Games Online's "Inside the Sausage Factory", written by PopTop Software President Phil Steinmeyer, explains the struggles and excruciating detail work that has been put into designing the interface for the upcoming build-oriented strategy/simulation game, Tropico. "For Tropico, we decided to have only one screen in the game world, with no branching off to secondary screens. All the information would be displayed in an interface bar along the bottom of the screen divided into four main areas: messages, radar, a center tab area, and a round thing-a-majig (our naming skills were in full force that day)."

Tomb Raider: Chronicles pre-orders

04/05, 5:35pm

Tomb Raider: Chronicles pre-orders

Aspyr Media is now taking pre-orders at $40 for Tomb Raider: Chronicles, the upcoming fifth game in the Tomb Raider series and the first to include a level editor that will allow players to create their own levels for the game. The game is currently in the beta stage of development and expected to ship later this year. Current estimated system requirements are available on our Tomb Raider: Chronicles Game Center page.

Console: Game Boy Advance accessories

04/05, 5:30pm

Console: Game Boy Advance accessories

Evening console news: InterAct has unveiled the specific products and prices for its accesories for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, and says that it is developing accessories for Nintendo's upcoming GameCube; Red Storm Entertainment, creators of Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear, is developing a new game for Microsoft's XBox, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, and is likely to reveal more information on the title at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May; Sega is teaming with BBI to sell the remainder of its Dreamcast console and software inventory in Europe; and Access Co. has developed a web browser for the Sony Playstation 2 that it will sell to companies for bundling with PS2 modems.

Tech: stocks gain, PDA overcoats, Bluetooth

04/05, 5:00pm

Tech: stocks gain, PDA overcoats, Bluetooth

Evening tech news: stocks soared higher today, including Apple (up 7%), on news from Dell (up 13.5%) that the PC maker would meet estimates this quarter; Palm is teaming up with a Japanese company to produce a line of overcoats designed specifically to hold PDAs; Yahoo! has struck a deal with Sony and Universal to distribute music via a subscription service as an alternative to Napster; and Microsoft will not be adding support for the wireless Bluetooth protocol in Windows XP.

Intego acquires three titles from ASD

04/05, 5:00pm

Intego acquires three titles from ASD

Intego today announced the acquisition of three Macintosh security products from Highware, Inc., including DiskGuard for protectings Mac from unauthorized access, FileGuard for file- and application-level management, and Personal Backup for periodic and instant backups. Intego promises free updates to all three programs--Intego DiskGuard 1.9, Intego FileGuard 3.4 and Intego Personal Backup 1.3--for registered users, has reduced the price on each to $50, $60, and $30 respectively, and promises "major" v2 upgrades for each in the upcoming months. [updated]

SnapMail 3.02 fixes bugs in messaging client

04/05, 4:25pm

SnapMail 3.02 fixes bugs in messaging client

Glass Bead Software has released SnapMail 3.02, an update to its intra-office messaging software that fixes a number of small bugs and increases stability. The Carbon application supports text messages, file exchange, and voice communication via peer-to-peer communication (i.e., without a dedicated server). Licensing starts at $175 for a 5-user license (with a $50 discount for education users).

Unlined Charcoal v1.1.1 has cosmetic updates

04/05, 4:20pm

Unlined Charcoal v1.1.1 has cosmetic updates

Unlined Charcoal x1.1.1, formerly Platinum X, fixes a few cosmetic bugs in the application for converting the OS X theme from Aqua to a more Platinum-like appearance. [Install, Uninstall]

FileMaker email plugin improves attachments

04/05, 3:50pm

FileMaker email plugin improves attachments

.mail.it 1.1.2 adds the ability to save incoming attachments in a separate field as well an optional signature field to the $60 email plugin for FileMaker. A trial version is available. [FM4, FM5--2.3MB]

IPNetSentry 1.1c1

04/05, 3:45pm

IPNetSentry 1.1c1

Sustainable Softworks has updated IPNetSentry 1.1c1, its application for instantly blocking attackers from gaining access from the Internet, after a "scan" of your machine. The release candidate updates the logging function to prevent redundant entries, and addresses reliability under OS 9.1.

Cocoa SDK for Dockling plugin development

04/05, 3:20pm

Cocoa SDK for Dockling plugin development

Everyday Software has released a Cocoa Software Developer Kit for its new product, Everyday Dockling 1.0a1, a Mac OS X dockling with a plugin based architecture which allows users to add third party plugins, without taking up valuable Dock space: "The plugin architecture allows for a wide variety of functionality and is easily configured to suit your personal needs...The current build of Everyday Dockling is intended for plugin developers only."

Palm pledges OS X support for applications

04/05, 3:20pm

Palm pledges OS X support for applications

Chris Williams notes that Palm has updated its FAQ to include some OS X information: "Palm is hard at work on a 'carbonized' Mac OS X versions of Palm Desktop and HotSync Manager software for release later this year." Chuck Norris writes: "I've discovered that it *is* in fact possible to sync my Palm with MacOS X. Here's what I do: (1) Launch the standard HotSync manager (2) Press the hotsync button on my cradle. I'm not sure how widely this works. I've got the official OSX 10.0 release installed along with the developer tools. And my Palm cradle is USB - don't know if that's relevant." [updated]

ContentBarrier 1.1 adds several improvements

04/05, 2:45pm

ContentBarrier 1.1 adds several improvements

ContentBarrier 1.1 resolves several issues with the Internet content filtering utility, including add Mac OS 9 Multiple Users and Keychain support, a control strip module, default startup user, new filters, and more.

Games: Summoner Preview, Earth 2140 ships

04/05, 1:50pm

Games: Summoner Preview, Earth 2140 ships

games.macnn.com has published a preview of Summoner, the upcoming 3D role-playing game for the Mac. The site also reports on a new real-time strategy game that begins shipping today for the Mac, Earth 2140, and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's stance on violent video games and their role in recent school shootings. [updated]

Preview: Summoner

04/05, 1:45pm

Preview: Summoner

We have published a preview of Volition's Summoner, a 3D role-playing game featuring a mix of traditional role-playing elements and new twists on old RPG themes. The game is scheduled to be released by GraphSim later this spring.

AirPort 1.3 Int'l English, other info. poste

04/05, 1:00pm

AirPort 1.3 Int'l English, other info. poste

Apple has posted the English-International version of AirPort 1.3 [7.3 MB], which adds PPPoE and DHCP client ID support (the English-North American version was released a month ago). Additionally, Apple has posted an updated version of its documentation on Designing AirPort Networks [434 KB] as well as a new document on AirPort Networks with Mac OS X [207 KB].

WaveMetrics posts OS X compatibility notes

04/05, 1:00pm

WaveMetrics posts OS X compatibility notes

WaveMetrics has posted an OS X statement for IGOR Pro 4: "IGOR Pro currently runs on Mac OS X in the "classic" environment only. We are currently busy working on a Mac OS X native version of IGOR Pro. There are still many unknowns, so we do not know when this project will bear fruit. Our best estimate is that we will make a beta version available some time this summer (2001)." The page also notes some possible problems users may encounter when running IGOR under Classic.

TinkerTool 1.2a adds Italian, French

04/05, 1:00pm

TinkerTool 1.2a adds Italian, French

TinkerTool 1.2a is an update to the utility for accessing hidden features in Mac OS X, including placing the trash on your desktop, making the termina lwindow translucent, and more. Version 1.2a adds an Italian and French language package.

MindVision improves Installer VISE with v7.2

04/05, 12:55pm

MindVision improves Installer VISE with v7.2

MindVision has posted Installer VISE 7.2, an update to its software installation package for Mac OS and Mac OS X. The new version adds access privileges authentication, force restarts to OS X, self-updating Web installers, and integrated e-commerce support. [form]

InstallerVISE 7.2 supports OS X, UNIX scripts

04/05, 12:55pm

InstallerVISE 7.2 supports OS X, UNIX scripts

MindVision's Installer VISE 7.2 developer tool adds support for OS X, access privileges authentication and extended updater support as well as the ability to force restarts from Mac OS X and execute UNIX scripts from the installer. [active--1.3MB, full--17.1MB]

Ashcroft on violent video games

04/05, 11:55am

Ashcroft on violent video games

A Reuters article discusses U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's stance on violent video games and their role in the string of school shootings that have occurred in the U.S. over the past few years. Ashcroft mentioned a freeware game, available for both the Mac and PC, called Dope Wars, in which the player makes money by buying and selling drugs while avoiding hazards such as the police and muggers.

InterMapper 3.1a5 for network monitoring

04/05, 11:45am

InterMapper 3.1a5 for network monitoring

InterMapper 3.1a5 for OS X is an alpha version of Dartware's utility for monitoring servers, routers, WAN links, UPS's, and other equipment on a network and triggering audible alerts, e-mail, pages, or scripts.

MacSSH 2.1b1 adds KeyChain support

04/05, 11:45am

MacSSH 2.1b1 adds KeyChain support

Jean-Pierre Stierlin's MacSSH 2.1b1, a modified version of BetterTelnet with SSH2 support, now offers KeyChain support on Power Macs and adds Kerberos plugin support. [PPC--496KB, 68K--471KB]

Earth 2140 now shipping

04/05, 11:35am

Earth 2140 now shipping

Epic Interactive has announced that Earth 2140, a classic real-time strategy game, is now shipping for the Mac. The game, which requires a 180 MHz or faster Power Mac, 32 MB RAM and OS 8.6, "lets you go to war with either the forces of the Eurasian Dynasty or the United Civilised States in a deadly struggle for the Earth's last resources."

OS X: Apache 2.0b, MouseWorks beta, Alexander

04/05, 11:30am

OS X: Apache 2.0b, MouseWorks beta, Alexander

osx.macnn.com has reports on a public beta of Apache 2.0b Webserver, Kensington MouseWorks software for OS X, and Alexander QuickTime authoring utility for OS X.

Public beta of Apache 2.0b released

04/05, 11:30am

Public beta of Apache 2.0b released

The Apache Software Foundation has posted its first public beta of the Apache 2.0 Web Server, which adds support for threads, the Apache Portable Run-time (allowing the Apache Web Server to be ported to more platforms), filtered I/O to allow modules to modify the output in succession, and support for IPv6. It has been tested on OS X.

Monopoly Casino now on GameRanger

04/05, 11:20am

Monopoly Casino now on GameRanger

Scott Kevill has announced that Mac users can now play Monopoly Casino on GameRanger, the free multiplayer online gaming service. The casino game joins 65 previously supported titles, such as top games Rogue Spear, Rainbow Six and Quake III: Arena.

Alarm Clock Pro 3.04: shareware utility

04/05, 11:10am

Alarm Clock Pro 3.04: shareware utility

Alarm Clock Pro 3.0.4 is an update to $10 shareware utility that has multiple alarms (up to 5), reoccuring event alarms and timer functions.

Harpoon3 Mac OS X report

04/05, 11:10am

Harpoon3 Mac OS X report

Jesse Spears, a Westlake Interactive programmer that recently completed the Mac port of Escape from Monkey Island, has updated his official Harpoon3 web site with a report on running the naval warfare simulation in the Classic environment of Mac OS X. While there are some oddities and bugs to report, Spears notes that the game runs faster and more smoothly than OS 9.1 in some areas: "for instance, loading scenarios was nigh instanteous, and loading the Platform Display dialog was extremely fast."

Alexander coming to OS X

04/05, 11:05am

Alexander coming to OS X

BoyComputer.com says it will be porting its Alexander QT Web Design Studio to Mac OS X, offering it as a free update to registered users. The new Cocoa version is due out in eight weeks will make the QuickTime authoring Cocoa objects available for download to Cocoa developers.

Console: More ads in games

04/05, 11:05am

Console: More ads in games

Morning console news: Industry analysts say that console gamers can expect to find more ads within their games, such as billboards for MTV, Def Jam, and Coke, with one analyst saying, "gamers are a focused and dedicated consumer segment that is ripe for the picking"; Microsoft has denied rumors that its XBox game console is behind schedule, stating that its development kits have been promised to be in developer's hands before the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in mid-May and that it expects to do so; Bioware has released screenshots from Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for the Playstation 2, which could outpace sales of its extremely successful computer counterpart; and the latest diary entry of Irrational Games Senior Designer Dorian Hart brings an insight into the development of the Playstation 2 game, The Lost: "...in Hell the instruments of enjoyment are hideous three-headed dogs, disgusting insects with even more disgusting treasures in their swollen abdomens, and blood-spattered brides with their lower jaws missing and long uncurling tongues lolling from their mouths. I build with a palette of nightmares."

IntelliMerge 1.0: new email merge application

04/05, 11:05am

IntelliMerge 1.0: new email merge application

Intelli Innovations has announced IntelliMerge 1.0, its $60 dynamic e-mail merge software that features an integrated message editor, recipient database system, and message mailer for managing contacts and creating personalized e-mail messages. The application imports from AppleWorks, FileMaker Pro, or other database solutions and has a built-in SMTP mailer. A preview for OS X is also available. [Classic--1.3MB, Carbon--1.8MB]

Roundup: Tomb Raider movie trailer

04/05, 11:00am

Roundup: Tomb Raider movie trailer

Yesterday the official trailer for the Tomb Raider Movie, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, was released; Crossroads of Shadowbane pointed to hints that Shadowbane has lost Gathering of Developers as its publisher; and Human Head Designer Chris Rhinehart notes that the upcoming multiplayer-focused expansion pack, Rune: Halls of Valhalla, will include a level featuring steam vents that make for "very cool 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'-esque air battles."

Tutorials on customizing options in OS X

04/05, 10:50am

Tutorials on customizing options in OS X

A new Website describes how to customize various options in OS X, including changing the boot screen, the dock appearance, the Poof animation, and the OS X theme.

WSJ: Apple beats Compaq in DVD-authoring

04/05, 10:50am

WSJ: Apple beats Compaq in DVD-authoring

Test driving both Compaq and Apple hardware, Walter S. Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal writes: "Despite their identical DVD-recording hardware, however, these two computers are very different to buy and use. The Compaq is far less expensive, but the Apple is far easier and better for recording DVDs."

The Age takes a detailed a look at Steve Jobs

04/05, 10:00am

The Age takes a detailed a look at Steve Jobs

The Age has published a rather in-depth look at Steve Jobs, complete with a number of visions and quotes from Apple's CEO.

Photojournalist uses Macs to create features

04/05, 9:55am

Photojournalist uses Macs to create features

WashingtonPost.com videographer Travis Fox, equipped with a DV camera and PowerBook G3, recorded a number of stories on the people of Yugoslavia late last year. The stories were put together in a Fox feature titled "The New Yugoslavia," which won several awards from the White House News Photographers Association.

Apple eyes Syracuse as retail store location

04/05, 9:00am

Apple eyes Syracuse as retail store location

Following our news item yesterday confirming that Apple has signed a lease in Chicago as part of its retail store strategy, an article in Syracuse's Post-Standard states that Apple is considering signing a deal with Mall developer The Pyramind Cos. that would result in the opening of an Apple store at the Carousel Center mall in Syracuse, "as well as a few other Pyramid properties."

Dell up on earnings news; Apple follows

04/05, 8:45am

Dell up on earnings news; Apple follows

Shares of Dell are up 8.2 in pre-open trading following the PC maker's announcement that it intends to meet earnings expectations. Shares of Apple are up $1.10, or nearly 5 percent on the news as well. Apple should report earnings that are relatively close or exceed the company's project last quarter of posting a "small profit," as Apple's window for announcing an earnings warning closed last week.

Schiller to keynote Streaming Media Show

04/05, 8:35am

Schiller to keynote Streaming Media Show

Phil Schiller, Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apple (and Steve Jobs' co-host to numerous Macworld Expo keynotes), will be delivering a keynote speech at the Streaming Media conference, which runs from June 20-22 at the Long Beach convention center. Schiller will use his time to discuss QuickTime's streaming capabilities. [updated - story]

Roundup: Ultra320, OS X v10.01 build 4L7...

04/05, 7:25am

Roundup: Ultra320, OS X v10.01 build 4L7...

Yesterday we posted notes on OS X 10.01 build 4L7; details on Ultra320, the next generation SCSI technology; a review of FireWire hard drives, noted Apple's official announcement of AppleWorks 6.1; Lotus' recommitment to the Mac with a beta Mac client release; security flaws in 802.11b protocols; and shipments of Gefen's DVI-to-ADC converter box. Other recent updates included ActionBars 1.5, Concept Draw Viewer 1.0, Intech's Hard Disk Speed Tools 3.6, and Office 2001SR1.

Sonnet ships dual 500MHz G4 upgrade

04/05, 1:35am

Sonnet ships dual 500MHz G4 upgrade

Sonnet has begun shipping its Encore/ST G4 Duet, a dual processor upgrade for "Sawtooth" Power Mac G4 AGP machines, according to a note from the company to a MacNN reader. The $1000 upgrade has two 500MHz processors with 1MB/250MHz backside cache each and "supports all G4 operating systems from Mac OS 8.6 through OS X without any additional software," according to a January press release.

Kensington releases OS X beta driver

04/05, 1:25am

Kensington releases OS X beta driver

Kensington's MouseWorks 1.0b1 beta installer for OS X is now available with several caveats, including the need to restart after installing the software and to manually add the "MouseWorks Background" application to Login items for users other than the one logged in when MouseWorks is installed.

Adobe's Chizen to kick off Seybold keynotes

04/05, 1:15am

Adobe's Chizen to kick off Seybold keynotes

Adobe's President and CEO Bruce Chizen will deliver a special keynote address during Seybold Seminars Boston 2001, which will be held at the Hynes Convention Center the week of April 8 - 13. Chizen's hour-long presentation is titled "Network Publishing: The Future of Content Creation, Management and Delivery," in which he is expected to discuss technologies for delivering visually-rich, personalized content "anywhere, anytime, on any device." Other keynotes will include a special keynote by Microsoft's VP of Technology Development Dick Brass, Playboy chairman and CEO Christie Hefner, Quark President and CEO Fred Ebrahimi, and several discussion panels. (Apple is listed as an exhibitor in booth MR112, although there is no further information on the Seybold Seminars Website.)

4D releases WebSTAR Server Suite 4.4

04/05, 12:50am

4D releases WebSTAR Server Suite 4.4

4D has released WebSTAR Server Suite 4.4, which will be bundled with Adobe's GoLive 5.0 Web authoring software for a limited time. The popular Web, ftp, and mail server software for the Mac OS offers 4th Dimension relational database integration, a customizable Web interface for WebSTAR Mail and built-in FlexMail support for form processing. Downloadable upgrades are free for v4.x users and are $200 for WebSTAR 3.x owners (includes GoLive 5). Full and active installers are available for PowerPC and G4 computers on its ftp site.

Fortune: "half-baked quality" about OS X

04/05, 12:50am

Fortune: "half-baked quality" about OS X

While saying that OS X "has so many cool new features, including the shimmering, gem-colored Aqua user interface, that Apple can justifiably boast that it is the most advanced consumer PC operating system available today," Fortune notes that "there's also a half-baked quality about this first version of OS X, and a two-layer code crust that's a bit flaky."

Minolta introduces 3D imaging device

04/05, 12:40am

Minolta introduces 3D imaging device

Minolta has introduced a 3D imaging device that will allow users to scan depth-sensitive objects without contact. The product works like a digital camera, but can capture moving objects, and exports wireframe models to several different 3D apps including Lightwave and Alias/Wavefront Maya, both of which are Mac OS X compatible.

TEAC shipping 8x portable DVD-ROM

04/05, 12:40am

TEAC shipping 8x portable DVD-ROM

TEAC has begun shipping an 8X portable DVD-ROM drive with a PCMCIA Type II connector. TEAC's new drive sports an average access time of 110ms, and a 512K buffer. The drive will soon be available in a USB connection flavor, and is currently priced at $300.

Wind River to purchases Berkeley Software

04/05, 12:35am

Wind River to purchases Berkeley Software

Wind River Systems, a provider of software and services for connected smart devices, has annoucned definitive agreement to purchase the software assets of Berkeley Software Design, Inc. (BSDi), the world's first commercial supplier of BSD UNIX, which is the core foundation for Mac OS X. Wind River says it will continue to support the open-source movement that was embodied in Apple's Darwin.

Adaptec to introduce USB 2.0 PCI card

04/05, 12:35am

Adaptec to introduce USB 2.0 PCI card

Adaptec plans to introduce a USB 2.0-capable expansion card for the Mac, as its host controller for the new I/O technology has just passed certification. USB 2.0 runs at a maximum speed of 480 megabits per second, and retains the plug-and-play capabilities and the ability to connect up to 127 devices simultaneously that were featured in the original USB standard.

Dell trying to "solidy position over Apple"

04/05, 12:30am

Dell trying to "solidy position over Apple"

Co-President of Dell, Kevin Rollins, says the company is attempting to "solidify its position over Apple" in the education market. Michael Dell's co-exec also claims that Apple "has a tough road" because once education institutions use a Wintel platform "they don't go back."