News Archive for 01/04/18

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New 512 MB DIMMs for PowerBook G4

04/18, 8:10pm

New 512 MB DIMMs for PowerBook G4

Trans Intl. has begun shipping 512 MB DIMMs for Apple's PowerBook G4. The modules sell for $400 and carry a lifetime warranty. Trans Intl. is among the first vendors to offer the DIMMs (RamJet began selling 512 MB DIMMs today as well).

Fizzilla (Mozilla for Mac OS X) updated

04/18, 6:25pm

Fizzilla (Mozilla for Mac OS X) updated

Fizzilla, or Mozilla for Mac OS X, was updated yesterday to reflect the most recent build of the open-source web browser.

CalcWorks 1.7.4 updates currency rates

04/18, 6:15pm

CalcWorks 1.7.4 updates currency rates

Brochu Software's CalcWorks and CalcWorks SE 1.7.4 is an updated version of the multi-function calculator for the Mac that includes the latest currency conversion rates and altered iconized views to better reflect the default full-view appearance. The application is being offered at a "tax time" discounted price of $10 through April 30. [295 KB -- CalcWorks; 233 KB -- CalcWorks SE]

Marathon introduces rackmount chassis for G4s

04/18, 5:50pm

Marathon introduces rackmount chassis for G4s

Marathon Computer today introduced the PRGF model of its PowerRack G series for housing a 466, 533, 667 or 733 MHz Power Mac G4 in a durable chassis that fits into industry-standard 19" racks. "The chassis occupies only 4U of rack space, and at only 18" deep, neatly fits all computer cabinetry." The PRGF model of the PowerRack G series is currently available for $600, which includes a pre-wired case, support for up to five drives, front-rail mounting, and a lifetime warranty.

Brother ships two office laser printers

04/18, 5:00pm

Brother ships two office laser printers

Brother International Corporation today began shipping a pair of new cross-platform, office laser printers, the HL-1650 and network-ready HL-1670N. The printers are the first in their class (sub-$1,000, 16 pages per minute) to include built-in automatic duplex printing and a 3-color backlit LCD display. Both printers come with both parallel and USB ports, and the HL-1670N comes with Ethernet connectivity standard (optional on the HL-1650). The HL-1650 and HL-1670N have estimated street prices of $999 and $1249 respectively.

Ptah 1.1.2, Rosetta 1.1.2 fix bugs

04/18, 4:50pm

Ptah 1.1.2, Rosetta 1.1.2 fix bugs

Both Ptah 1.1.2 [369 KB] and Rosetta 1.1.2 [204 KB] from Brian Clark are maintenance releases of each application that fix a few bugs and make interface improvements. Ptah is a $15 shareware text, image and cataloging program while Rosetta is a $15 shareware utility for decoding BinHex, MacBinary, MIME Base64, uuencode files, and more. Both applications are Carbonized and can be used on both Mac OS 8.5 or later and Mac OS X.

Apple reports profit of $43 million in Q2

04/18, 4:30pm

Apple reports profit of $43 million in Q2

Apple has reported a profit of $43 million, or 12 cents per share, for its second quarter on revenues of $1.43 billion. Excluding one-time charges and gains, the company's profit was $40 million. Shares of Apple are trading up more than $3 in after-hours after closing up $2.34 today. (We have added a more complete report on Apple's earnings.) [updated 6:20 PM]

Conference call highlights (ended):

• 115,000 Titanium PowerBook G4s shipped this quarter
• OS X generated $19 million in revenues during its first week on sale
• gross margins for the quarter were up to 26.9 percent for the quarter (higher demand for pro machines, lower component costs, strong OS X sales)
• operating expenses for the quarter came in at $393 million, in-line with expectations
• Apple sold 23 million shares of ARM Holdings for an $89 milliom after-tax profit; the company still holds 8 million shares
• Apple took an $86 million charge for the write-down of investments, primarily in Earthlink
• Apple expects revenues of $3.2 to $3.4 billion over the next two quarters, with sequential profit gains
• expects gross margins to remain close to the company's goal of 27 percent
• 34% of total worldwide sales for the quarter came from the Apple Store
• sales of Blue Dalmatian and Flower Power iMacs represented approximately 20% of all iMac sales

New leather iBook cases available

04/18, 3:00pm

New leather iBook cases available

iDressed and iDressed Plus are two new leather iBook cases made in Italy. Both cases wrap around the iBook, with iDressed being designed to stay on the iBook at all times while the iDressed Plus features pockets for accessories on the bottom. The iDressed sells for $141 while the iDressed Plus carries a price tag of $137.

Forums: GeForce3 status, disabling chime...

04/18, 3:00pm

Forums: GeForce3 status, disabling chime...

Interesting threads in our forums include: continued discussion on the status of the GeForce3, disabling startup chime, leaving an iMac on all the time, and a memory chip whose megabytes have been halved.

World Clock Deluxe 3.1 adds times formats

04/18, 2:30pm

World Clock Deluxe 3.1 adds times formats

World Clock Deluxe 3.1 is a new version of the software for monitoring the current time across the world, including storing up to 24 different clocks in the control strip. Version 3.1 adds the ability to specifiy time formats for each individual clock, as well as various bug fixes including a former compatibility issue with Kaleidoscope.

Shares of Apple surge ahead of earnings news

04/18, 2:00pm

Shares of Apple surge ahead of earnings news

Shares of Apple are trading up more than 15% ahead of the company's earnings news following a tech rally this morning that was further boosted by an unexpected rate cut by the Federal Reserve.

OpenSSH 2.5.2p2 for OS X 10.0.1 released

04/18, 1:50pm

OpenSSH 2.5.2p2 for OS X 10.0.1 released

Scott Anguish has released an OpenSSH 2.5.2p2 Updater for Mac OS X 10.0.1. The OpenSSH suite includes the ssh program which replaces rlogin and telnet, scp which replaces rcp, and sftp which replaces ftp. "Apple's Mac OS X 10.0.1 Updater installs OpenSSH 2.3.0, which is several months out of date. This installer will replace the Apple installed OpenSSH with the latest version OpenSSH 2.5.2p2."

ASCon-A 2.0 X converts text between Mac/Win

04/18, 1:40pm

ASCon-A 2.0 X converts text between Mac/Win

Medienwerkstatt Muehlacker has released ASCon-A 2.0 X, a new Carbonized version of its free utility for converting text between Mac OS and Windows. A German localized version is also available.

id on continuing Quake III development

04/18, 1:25pm

id on continuing Quake III development

id Software's Graeme Devine has commented this week on the continuing development of Quake III: Arena and when users can expect a new update for the first-person shooter. "...we're still working on the point release, and it's still a ways out."

MacDesktops: Natalie Portman, Titanium Dreams

04/18, 1:15pm

MacDesktops: Natalie Portman, Titanium Dreams

Over the past week, MacDesktops has posted 16 new desktop pictures including iTunism 08 (Art), Key lime (iBooks), Natalie Portman (Portraits), and Titanium Dreams (PowerBook G4).

PcConverter 2.0.1 converts text

04/18, 1:10pm

PcConverter 2.0.1 converts text

Vampire Software's PcConverter 2.0.1 is a maintenance release of its $20 shareware utility for doing such text conversions as Windows or Unix to Mac or to automate the conversion of text files to HTML.

OS X: Timbukto Pro for OS X Preview released

04/18, 12:50pm

OS X: Timbukto Pro for OS X Preview released

osx.macnn.com has information on Netopia's preview release of Timbuktu Pro for Mac OS X, Fantom Drives' Mac OS X compatibility statement, and a new version of the theme for bringing a more Classic look to Apple's new operating system.

Netopia previews Timbuktu Pro for Mac OS X

04/18, 12:25pm

Netopia previews Timbuktu Pro for Mac OS X

Netopia today announced the release of a preview version of Timbuktu Pro for Mac OS X, its popular remote control and file transfer software for the Mac. The new OS X-compatible preview version, which is backwards compatible with the two previous versions and available from Netopia's online store for $30, incorporates several new features including package distribution, added security, large file support, and "the complete Aqua interface." Those who purchase the preview release will be able to purchase the final version—once released this summer—at an upgrade price.

FOCUS introduces Videonics FireStore

04/18, 12:00pm

FOCUS introduces Videonics FireStore

FOCUS Enhancements today introduced its Videonics FireStore, "the first DV device that allows direct, camera-to-hard disk recording of computer-ready digital video (DV) files without the use of a computer." Designed for video production professionals...

FOCUS unveils Videonics FireWriter

04/18, 11:55am

FOCUS unveils Videonics FireWriter

FOCUS also today introduced the Videonics FireWriter, "the world's first digital video character generator equipped with FireWire connections." Designed for TV studios, video producers, and web streaming companies...

Apple WWDC Preview

04/18, 11:00am

Apple WWDC Preview

We have written a preview of next month's WWDC conference with a look at some of the sessions and events that will be taking place. Yesterday we noted that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will present the keynote.

LaCie set to deliver fast FireWire drives

04/18, 11:00am

LaCie set to deliver fast FireWire drives

Next week at NAB, LaCie will showcase its new line of Fast FireWire hard drives, which feature sustained transfer rates of 35MB/sec with burst performance of 45MB/sec. The new FireWire drives feature a new bridgeset and utilize Ultra ATA/100 hard drives in capacities of 20, 45, 60, and 75GB to achieve their performance. The drives will ship in May; pricing is unclear at this point.

MacPopUp 2.5b messaging client for OS X

04/18, 9:20am

MacPopUp 2.5b messaging client for OS X

MacPopUp 2.5b is a new OS X-compatible version of Kanex Group's cross-platform Instant Messenger that supports 25 speech commands, Internet Address Detectors, drag & drop, and other features. The new version also allows you to send simultaneous messages to multiple users and multiple workgroups and print received messages. A final version of the $10 client is due in May. [form]

Unlined Charcoal: OS X theme updated (again)

04/18, 9:15am

Unlined Charcoal: OS X theme updated (again)

Unlined Charcoal, now available as two slightly different themes, updates the installer package for bringing a more Classic look to OS X.

Formac updates ProTV Software 2.6.1

04/18, 9:14am

Formac updates ProTV Software 2.6.1

Formac's ProTV software 2.6.1 for its Formac studio and ProTV Stereo products solves stability issues and has improved streaming as well as "improved routines and error messages for faster and better problem diagnosis."

Roundup: New Epson printer, Acrobat Reader 5

04/18, 9:00am

Roundup: New Epson printer, Acrobat Reader 5

Yesterday Epson announced a new ink jet printer, the Stylus Photo 785EPX, designed specifically for digital camera interoperability; MacSpeech released two new ScriptPaks for command & control of America Online 5 and FileMaker Pro 5; Terminal Reality's Fly! II flight sim reached golden master; refurbished products returned to the Apple Store; PowerLogix reduced prices on some of its G3 and G4 upgrades; Fantom began shipping its FireWire 16x10x40 CD-RW drive; and we posted a review of digital whiteboard device mimio. Software releases included Acrobat Reader 5.0, Toast 5.0.1 Titanium, 3ivc codec 1.0d3, and Thoth 1.1.2.

Fantom outlines OS X compatibility

04/18, 9:00am

Fantom outlines OS X compatibility

Fantom Drives has posted a new "Mac OS X Compatibility Page," outlining compatibility status of its peripherals with the new OS and noting that information on its recently acquired MicroNet products will be posted shortly:

"Fantom Drives is also in the process of completing its qualification of MicroNet's line of data storage products. Although some MicroNet products, such as the Genesis RAID, have been pre-qualified at Apple for use with MacOS X Server, results for the entire MicroNet line have not yet been published. An update to the MacOS Compatibility page next week will include information on all current MicroNet products."

Vicomsoft FTP Client 3.1.5 updated

04/18, 8:55am

Vicomsoft FTP Client 3.1.5 updated

Vicomsoft FTP Client 3.1.5 release addresses minor maintenance issues in the company's ftp client. Version 3.15 includes more robust handling of resumable downloads, more flexible support for host directory listings and improved smart translation reliability. It is a free update to v3.0 owners.

clipEdit 2.1.3 fixes bugs in clipping editor

04/18, 8:55am

clipEdit 2.1.3 fixes bugs in clipping editor

Everyday Software's clipEdit 2.1.3 is a maintenance release to its $5 shareware clipping editor for Mac OS 9. (The company promises OS X versions of clipEdit, Bookit, and Quick Change "very soon".)

Contact Keeper 3.09: shareware address book

04/18, 8:45am

Contact Keeper 3.09: shareware address book

Koingo Software's $10 shareware address book Contact Keeper 3.09 adds options to copy important contact data to the clipboard, customize display of column info, and several bug fixes. [Classic, Carbon--577KB]

AppleScript training in Atlanta

04/18, 8:45am

AppleScript training in Atlanta

Sterling Ledet and Associates and Scripting Matters Inc. are teaming up to offer a four-day AppleScript training session. The first day of the sessions is an introduction to AppleScript. Subsequent days look at scripting real-world applications. Pricing is $375 per day. The session will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from May 7-10.

Chaotic Software updates shareware utils

04/18, 8:35am

Chaotic Software updates shareware utils

Chaotic Software has updated several of its utilities for Mac OS 8/9 and OS X:

• Mac Army Knife 2.5.1, an update to the suite of system tools for Mac OS 8, 9 and X, brings the ability to toggle Mac OS 8/9 appearance behaviors, a QuickTime Viewer window, and other enhancements [1.3MB];
• MP3 Rage 3.2 brings better OS X stability, improved conversion routines, and other enhancements to its all-purpose $25 MP3 utility tool; [2.1MB]
• WebWatcher 1.3, its $20 shareware utility that checks for updated Webpages, is now Carbonized. [651KB]
• Web Devil 5.3.2, a $35 utility for offline browsing, has interface and stability fixes for OS X. [1.2MB]

SoundJam 2.5.3 supports Rio 800, fixes bugs

04/18, 2:25am

SoundJam 2.5.3 supports Rio 800, fixes bugs

Casady & Greene has posted new SoundJam MP Plus 2.5.3 and SoundJam MP Free 2.5.3 updaters for its popular MP3/audio player, bringing support for the new Rio 800 as well as miscellanious bug fixes, including a problem that could affect the right-channel playback of some MP3 files. (Earlier this month, the company noted that it will not continue development of the OS X version.) [Free, Plus]

Zterm 1.1b4: terminal app now in beta

04/18, 2:15am

Zterm 1.1b4: terminal app now in beta

Dave Alverson has posted a new public beta of ZTerm 1.1b4, the popular terminal emulation program for "those systems that only offer dialup connections and for connecting to devices through a serial port, like many routers." [Classic, Carbon]