News Archive for 01/05/04

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WebObjects nominated in JDJ Awards

05/04, 7:30pm

WebObjects nominated in JDJ Awards

Java Developer Journal is currently accepting votes for its Readers' Choice Awards. Apple's WebObjects application server, which included the recently released WebObjects 4.5.1 for Mac OS X, has won first place in the Application Server Category for the past two years.

Architosh debuts Digital Practice Guide

05/04, 7:00pm

Architosh debuts Digital Practice Guide

Architosh reports on award-winning architecture firm M.J. Neal Architects and their use of Macs, finding CAD/3D and AEC software for the Mac, and debuts its Digital Practice Guide.

Escape Velocity Nova gets Carbonized

05/04, 6:25pm

Escape Velocity Nova gets Carbonized

Ambrosia Software's Escape Velocity Nova, the company's upcoming threequel space action/role-playing game, is now nearly Carbonized for native play on Mac OS X. The game is expected to be released later this year.

Pre-Lister 3.7.1 updates eBay categories

05/04, 5:50pm

Pre-Lister 3.7.1 updates eBay categories

Black Magik Software's Pre-Lister 3.7.1 is a new version of its $35 auction listing utility for aiding in the eBay selling process. The new version adds support for all eBay category changes through May 4, 2001.

RedEWeb iMac-based kiosk coming soon

05/04, 5:35pm

RedEWeb iMac-based kiosk coming soon

Digital Garage will unveil the RedEWeb iMac-based web kiosk at Strictly Business in Minneapolis on May 23. The kiosk provides an "easy to use, secure web site browsing station" where customers are able to interact with a particular web site but are unable to go to other web sites or quit the browser.

IntelliDate pr1.2.1 updates software

05/04, 5:30pm

IntelliDate pr1.2.1 updates software

IntelliDate pr1.2.1 is a free, AppleScript-based, open-source utility for automatically updating the software on a Mac. A database server can also be set up for keeping software up-to-date on a workgroup.

French version of ConceptDraw 1.6

05/04, 5:25pm

French version of ConceptDraw 1.6

Computer Systems Odessa has released a French version of its $125 (EUR 135) diagramming and flowcharting software, ConceptDraw 1.6, which is available for both Classic and Mac OS X. Registered owners of the English version can switch to the French version for no additional charge.

Game console emulator updates

05/04, 5:20pm

Game console emulator updates

Richard Bannister has released updates to three of his Carbonized emulators for Classic and Mac OS X:

Jum52 0.5.2 is a new version of the Atari 5200 emulator that now uses 16-bit color and works properly with the release version of Mac OS X. [726 KB] Neopocott 0.3.9, a Neo Geo Pocket Colour emulator, also now uses 16-bit color and works properly with the release version of Mac OS X [520 KB] SMS Plus 0.9.5, a Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear emulator, fixes some minor bugs and adds new blitter code. [818 KB]

cnet QT 5 review: 4 out of 10, "skip it"

05/04, 5:05pm

cnet QT 5 review: 4 out of 10, "skip it"

c|net's QuickTime 5 review gives it a 4 out of 10 rating: "its streaming quality doesn't justify its memory load, inconsistent quality, or total lack of compatibility with other audio formats. Skip it--get Windows Media Player or (if you're on a Mac) RealPlayer instead.'

Apple extends refurb warranties to 1-year

05/04, 3:40pm

Apple extends refurb warranties to 1-year

Following our note earlier this morning, sources tell us that Apple has changed its warranty protection on refurbished products, annnouncing that all Apple refurished products purchased on or after May 1st--both from the Apple Store and other authorized dealers--will receive an Apple One-Year Limited Warranty rather than a 90-day limited warranty as in the past. Additionally, products refurbished by Apple and purchased on or after May 1, 2001, are eligible for the extended service and support coverage offered by an AppleCare Protection Plan.

Business 2.0 on Apple's new iBooks

05/04, 3:00pm

Business 2.0 on Apple's new iBooks

The Daily Insight from Business 2.0's Eric Hellweg concerns Apple's renewed focus on the education market with the announcement of its new Dual USB iBook. "Though the classroom market might not connote the same flash as the high-end titanium crowd, it's an integral one for Apple. And given the slowdown in the home computer space, Apple's return to its roots makes perfect sense."

Palm emulating Apple in education

05/04, 1:40pm

Palm emulating Apple in education

Mike Lorion, Palm's VP for Education and a former employee within Apple's school-computer program, is hoping to emulate Apple's success in the education market by supplying school districts across the U.S. with Palm handhelds, according to Business Week. Several demonstration programs to test the Palm's viability as an educational tool are already underway around the nation.

iCheck Pro 1.0.4 for check acceptance

05/04, 1:35pm

iCheck Pro 1.0.4 for check acceptance

iCheck Pro 1.0.4 is a new version of the $100 electronic check acceptance software for the Mac that fixes an error where new checks for previous contacts could not be created. A Lite version is also available.

XLR8 MACh Speed CP 2.0.2 released

05/04, 1:30pm

XLR8 MACh Speed CP 2.0.2 released

XLR8 has released the MACh Speed Control Panel 2.0.2, a new version of the software for controlling the company's processor upgrade cards in Mac OS 7.5.5 through 9.1. The new version includes improved layout and usability features, improved "architecturally accurate" graphics, multiprocessing support, thermal monitoring, accurate memory interleaving displays, and enhanced AltiVec support for G4 processors. Users wanting OS X support should use XLR8 MACh Speed Control X.

Teacher on iBook for education

05/04, 1:05pm

Teacher on iBook for education

Steve Wood, a 52-year-old elementary teacher, believes that "Apple Education probably is dead." "The education world was primed and waiting for Steve Jobs to sweep them away with insanely great products and pricing. Instead, they got an [iBook] update featuring Apple's long-standing premium pricing."

Microtech ZiO! becomes SD compliant

05/04, 12:55pm

Microtech ZiO! becomes SD compliant

The Microtech ZiO!, a pocket-sized USB digital film reader, is now Secure Digital (SD) compliant and will work with digital devices that incorporate Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) copyright protection. Devices such as some MP3 players, Palm m500 series, and Panasonic ipalm digital camera incorporate SD capabilities. The price of the ZiO! has also been reduced from $40 to $30.

Forbes' Winner of the Week: Apple

05/04, 12:45pm

Forbes' Winner of the Week: Apple

Forbes.com's Winner of the Week is Apple Computer, following the company's return to profitability and this week's launch of a new iBook. The article speculates that this summer could bring a major refresh to the iMac line, including an iMac with a flat-panel screen.

MYOB AccountEdge for OS X in Canada

05/04, 12:35pm

MYOB AccountEdge for OS X in Canada

While most users were able to begin using MYOB AccountEdge in Mac OS X last month, Canadian owners of the business management and accounting application will have to wait until later this month for a Carbonized version, according to MYOB Canada. "We will post it on our website at www.myob.ca as soon as it is available for download."

VP3 Codec coming May 21

05/04, 12:20pm

VP3 Codec coming May 21

On2 Technologies has announced that effective May 21, the company's VP3 Codec will be available for limited commercial and personal use via download from the On2 web site. The codec, which operates in Quicktime 5, will now include e-mail support and be priced at $30 for personal use and $2,000 for a limited commercial encoding license.

Hands-on Acrobat 5.0 training

05/04, 12:15pm

Hands-on Acrobat 5.0 training

Hands-on training for the latest version of Adobe Systems' popular electronic document application, Acrobat 5.0, is now available from Sterling Ledet and Associates, Inc. Classes are available in Atlanta, San Diego, Chicago, and New Orleans. Each student receives a textbook and a copy of the course materials on CD-ROM and is assigned a fully equipped Power Macintosh G4.

High-Tech Education Summit begins

05/04, 12:10pm

High-Tech Education Summit begins

The High-Tech Education Summit will kick off tomorrow at the Philips Silicon Valley Center in Sunnyvale. The conference will feature guests such as Congressional Representatives Mike Honda and Zoe Lofgren, and representatives from Apple, which is co-sponsoring the event.

iSelector for Internet radio

05/04, 11:55am

iSelector for Internet radio

With the imminent death of Kerbango (the radio station server system used by Apple's iTunes), RCS has teamed with Activate to debut a new service dubbed iSelector, a new Internet radio tool that will allow users to customize streaming music channels as they are listening.

Western Digital WD Caviar coming soon

05/04, 11:40am

Western Digital WD Caviar coming soon

Western Digital's new WD Caviar hard drive, the first 7,200 RPM hard drive to market offering 80 GB storage capacity, is not far from shipment. Read-Rite, the company supplying many of the components for Western's new drive, has announced volume shipment of parts to the company. The drives are expected to become available in quantity early this summer.

Sony VAIO #1 -- for now

05/04, 11:35am

Sony VAIO #1 -- for now

Sony's VAIO laptops have given the company the number one spot in notebook revenue for the U.S. market, and a 46 percent jump in sales from the same period last year. The company currently commands 25.2 percent of the notebook market, while Apple garners 2.9 percent, according to NPD Intelect.

OS X 10.02 opens apps in Classic or OS X

05/04, 11:10am

OS X 10.02 opens apps in Classic or OS X

Mark Daniels notes that the latest OS X 10.02 update from Apple restores the ability to choose whether to open an application in Classic: "Select any *carbon* application and look in the Get Info window (command-I). This would include Acrobat Reader 5, Napster, Audion 2, Ircle 3.1 Carbon, etc. The option doesn't show for Cocoa or Classic-only applications."

SimpleImage 3.2b1 adds search functions

05/04, 11:05am

SimpleImage 3.2b1 adds search functions

Christopher Wood has released SimpleImage 3.2b1, an update to his $25 shareware image and movie viewer, bringing the ability to search for author, URL, keyword, and comment info as well as a new contextual menu plugin and browser slideshows.

EarthBrowser 1.5: now native for OS X

05/04, 10:50am

EarthBrowser 1.5: now native for OS X

Lunar Software's EarthBrowser 1.5 adds a native Carbon version, more Web cams, and other enhancements to the innovative 3D Earth simulation that provides multiple planet views, current weather conditions and forecasts, real-time earthquake notifications, current cloud cover and webcam images from around the globe.

Purity updates WebSiphon 2.03 app server

05/04, 10:45am

Purity updates WebSiphon 2.03 app server

WebSiphon 2.03 is a maintenance update to Purity Software's high-performance multi-threaded Web application server with database connectivity.

Update adds additional CD-RW support to OS 9

05/04, 10:30am

Update adds additional CD-RW support to OS 9

Authoring Support Update 1.1 is now available from the Software Update control panel, which "adds support for new drives, and increases reliability for your CD burning apps like iTunes and Disc Burner." The software also includes a new version of Apple System Profiler that will tell whether a CD-RW drive is compatible with iTunes/DiscBurner. Richard Lorenc notes an incompatibility with the update and Toast 5.0.1: "If you have Toast 5.0.1, the Apple USB or Firewire Support extensions must be turned on as well as the Toast extensions or a Finder crash will happen when a blank disc is inserted." In recent days, Apple has also made DVD Player 2.4 and Disk First Aid 8.6.1 available through Software Update.

Macworld UK presents 2001 awards

05/04, 9:45am

Macworld UK presents 2001 awards

Macworld UK last night presented its Macworld Awards 2001. Apple products took home seven of the 18 awards.

Tech: PC price wars, MS acquires game company

05/04, 9:00am

Tech: PC price wars, MS acquires game company

Morning tech news: Following a 10 percent price cut on all Dell corporate desktops, HP and Compaq have joined the PC price war, cutting prices by as much as 28 percent and 31, respectively; Microsoft, which late last year acquired Bungie, has acquired another gaming company: Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires series; and Microsoft yesterday blasted the Linux/open-source approach to operating system development, but said it will provide some developers with bits of Windows source code as it realizes the importance in doing so.

Roundup: New iBook photos, PoG preview

05/04, 2:00am

Roundup: New iBook photos, PoG preview

Yesterday we noted Apple's move to production of only flat panel displays, an exclusive preview of Pillars of Garendall, ten comparison photos of the new iBook, a QuickTime movie of the Media Event introducing the new iBook, new or updated iBook TIL articles, and the Mall of America Apple Store. Software releases included Keyspan USB Adapter 2.2, SiteToolkit 1.5, DragThing 4.0.2, Mint Audio 1.0pr2, and a FireWire/USB Extension Updater for Retrospect 4.3.

Apple Store offers GeForce3 "kit" for $500

05/04, 1:50am

Apple Store offers GeForce3 "kit" for $500

The Apple Store lists "late May" availability for a $500 standalone version of NVIDIA GeForce3 Video Card Kit ("Accessories" section under "Other"): "The new NVIDIA GeForce3 graphics card represents the state-of-the-art in graphics acceleration for your Power Mac G4 desktops (requires 4x AGP support)." Apple's Build-to-order options for the Power Mac G4 ($250 upgrade) still list the product as "shipping in April," although a standard single-processor 533MHz Power Mac G4 upgraded with a NVIDIA GeForce3 graphics card has an estimated ship time of 30 days (vs. 1 day for the pre-configured model with a GeForce2).

DVD Player 2.4 posted to Web, changes noted

05/04, 1:30am

DVD Player 2.4 posted to Web, changes noted

Apple's DVD Player 2.4, released via the OS 9 Software update control panel yesterday, is now available via the Web. Alvin Mok notes two new features since version 2.2.

ADC posts iBook 2001 developer note

05/04, 1:30am

ADC posts iBook 2001 developer note

Apple has posted its iBook 2001 developer note, which has extensive technical information about the specs on the new machine. Reader Alvin Mok notes "One mistake on the block diagram on page 23: the CPU bus should be a 60x bus instead of the G4-only Max bus. Also, the external video is mirror-only despite the same ATI chip as PowerBook G4." [pdf]

Apple Store offers 1-yr warranty on refurbs

05/04, 1:10am

Apple Store offers 1-yr warranty on refurbs

Apple's refurbished products in the 'Special Deals' section at the Apple Store show a 1-year warranty along with a 3-yr extended warranty option on the products as well.