News Archive for 01/12/03

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Reseller holds Demo Night in Boston

12/03, 9:00pm

Reseller holds Demo Night in Boston

Tech Superpowers, Inc. will be hosting their first annual 'Tech Demo Night' on Thursday, December 13th. This event is for Macintosh enthusiasts to check out the latest hardware, share knowledge, play games and purchase hardware at discounted prices. Admission is free.

'Making Awesome iMovies' training CD

12/03, 6:45pm

'Making Awesome iMovies' training CD

DVcreators.net has released its latest CD-ROM course on creating desktop movies. The "Making Awesome iMovies" CD includes sections on planning, DV camcorder operation, shooting aesthetics, lighting, and audio. "Making Awesome iMovies" sells at a special introductory price of $30.

Knowledge Miner 4.0: modeling and prediction

12/03, 5:45pm

Knowledge Miner 4.0: modeling and prediction

KnowledgeMiner 4.0 is a powerful modeling and prediction tool which was designed to support the automation of knowledge extraction from data using three advanced self-organizing modeling technologies: Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH), Analog Complexing and Fuzzy Rule Induction. Version 40 adds AppleScript support, import of database/spreadsheet info, new actual vs. predicted views, and other enhancements. Pricing starts at $65.

Scripting Cocoa with F-Script

12/03, 5:10pm

Scripting Cocoa with F-Script

Philippe Mougin has publisher an article on the O'Reilly Network's Mac DevCenter titled "Scripting Cocoa with F-Script."

"IT" debuts: Self-balancing mobility device

12/03, 5:10pm

"IT" debuts: Self-balancing mobility device

"IT," the device Steve Jobs allegedly said would induce the construction of new cities, has been unveiled. The two-wheeled, self-balanced personal transportation device runs on a battery. can travel up to 15 miles on a single charge, and will be available next year for about $3,000.

AustinSoft introduces 'Dterm'

12/03, 5:10pm

AustinSoft introduces 'Dterm'

AustinSoft today announced that it will ship 'Dterm,' a new software debugging application for Mac OS 9 and X. DTerm provides an interface for displaying real-time diagnostic and debugging information from your programs. It will sell for $64.00 this December.

Pocket Quicken 2.01 for Macintosh

12/03, 4:25pm

Pocket Quicken 2.01 for Macintosh

LandWare Palm OS software developer, today announced that its popular Palm OS application know as Pocket Quicken is now available for the Macintosh. It allows users to keep Quicken 2002 financial information with them wherever they go.

FineReader 5 Pro for Mac now shipping

12/03, 2:50pm

FineReader 5 Pro for Mac now shipping

ABBYY has announced immediate availability of FineReader 5 Pro for Mac. The company claims its OCR engine delivers accuracy up to 99.9 percent with 2 to 3 times fewer mistakes than other Mac OCR solutions, including OmniPage, TextBridge and Readiris.

FireWire, 802.11 wireless groups collaborate

12/03, 2:50pm

FireWire, 802.11 wireless groups collaborate

The IEEE 802.11e Wireless LAN Task Group has adopted a set of Quality of Service enhancement proposals made by the 1394 Trade Association's (FireWire) Wireless Working Group (WWG). The two companies' combined efforts will eventually result in the creation of link connecting FireWire devices to a wireless network with speeds up to 54 Megabits per second.

Vektor 3 v3.0: chess application

12/03, 2:35pm

Vektor 3 v3.0: chess application

Vektor3 3.0, a free update for users of Vanessa Chess, is a $10 shareware multi-document, multithreading chess program for OS X that offers a completely customizable 2D chessboard with 3 piece sets and several chessboards, support for variations, includes an annotation editor with text styles, and several different difficulty levels.

MacSFTP 1.0b6 provides SSH1 and SSH2 access

12/03, 2:30pm

MacSFTP 1.0b6 provides SSH1 and SSH2 access

MacSFTP 1.0b6 is a preliminary beta version of the $25 shareware, Carbonized SFTP client for Mac OS 8/9 and OS X.

Stuffit SDK 6.5.1 improves OS X support

12/03, 2:15pm

Stuffit SDK 6.5.1 improves OS X support

Aladdin is now shipping its StuffIt Engine SDK 6.5.1, which offers better compatibility with Mac OS X and 10.1, an improved tar function (includes additional support for optional MacBinary encoding of contents), and a new beta version of framework that allows developers to utilize the StuffIt Engine when compiling for Mach-0/Carbon.

VSamp 3.2.5: sample playback for Macs

12/03, 12:50pm

VSamp 3.2.5: sample playback for Macs

VSamp 3.2.5, a $40 sample playback application, fixes a problem importing some SampleCell instruments. [Classic, Carbon]

Power Structure 1.3: story dev environment

12/03, 12:20pm

Power Structure 1.3: story dev environment

Power Structure 1.3 adds import from Final Draft RTF files and other import enhancements to the story development environment designed for writers: " [it] is designed to help me use my existing skills as a writer to tell these stories better, and to give me tools to help me discover my own weaknesses as a writer and overcome them myself."

Planar introduces two new flat panel displays

12/03, 12:20pm

Planar introduces two new flat panel displays

Planar Systems has introduced new 15- and 17.4-inch flat-panel monitors that feature the ability to rotate the display from landscape to portrait viewing. The new models offer large format viewing areas, USB hubs and built-in speakers and can be ordered in a range of exterior colors, including translucent red, blue and clear, as well as classic white or professional black. Planar's 15-inch PV150 supports resolutions up to 1,024 x 768 (XGA), while the 17.4-inch PV174 is capable of 1280 x 1024 (SXGA) resolution and features both analog and digital inputs. [pricing not available]

Coela 1.0b8: new Finder replacement utility

12/03, 12:15pm

Coela 1.0b8: new Finder replacement utility

John Blase writes about an "excellent Finder replacement for OS X," Coela 1.0b8, which he says works wonderfully: "A little easier than SNAX, but just as much complex abilities." (Page is Japanese, but application is in English.)

Blender 3D software released for OS X

12/03, 12:10pm

Blender 3D software released for OS X

Brian Kennedy writes "the very popular free 3d software Blender was just released for Mac OSX as an alpha version...I use this great software to teach kids (4-6th grade) how to model in 3D and they love this tool. it is especially useful for us since we can use it for free."

Mozilla 0.96 available for OS X

12/03, 12:05pm

Mozilla 0.96 available for OS X

The OS X version of Mozilla 0.96, an open-source browser, is now available, according to Kelvin Chu.

Rumor: OS X 10.2 update slips to summer

12/03, 11:50am

Rumor: OS X 10.2 update slips to summer

eWeek writes about possible delays in Mac OS X 10.2, a rumored update from Apple code-named Jaguar. The article notes that Jaguar, originally due in January (according to industry rumors), has been slated for release in early summer amid concerns of update quality control, but that Apple intends on releasing two update in the interim to continue to address outstanding bugs in the OS.

Baker 1.2 automates downloads from Usenet

12/03, 11:45am

Baker 1.2 automates downloads from Usenet

Eridanus today released Baker 1.2, an $30 program used to simplify the task of downloading files from Usenet newsgroups by eliminating the "hassle by automating much of the process."

XRay 1.0b6: file/folder utility for OS X

12/03, 11:40am

XRay 1.0b6: file/folder utility for OS X

XRay 1.0b6 is a new beta of the file/folder utility for OS X, offering the ability to modify permissions, type/creator selection from a built-in database, and the ability to run from the Finder's Contextual menu, the Services menu or by dragging and dropping items onto the application's icon. The utility offers the ability to write plug-ins that further augment XRay's capabilities. Preview, Custom Icon and Hex Edit plug-ins are already in the works.

Revival 1.06: OS X backup/sync utility

12/03, 11:35am

Revival 1.06: OS X backup/sync utility

The OS X backup/synchronization utility, Revival 1.06, offers a number of advanced features, including drag-and-drop method for selecting Target and Source folders, ability to extend backups over any TCP/IP network, one-way backup (with deletion of old files), and the ability to save backup configurations. Registered users of the $25 utility are able to use all features, while the limited version is available for free to everyone.

AT&T Broad band resumes service for AT&T@home

12/03, 11:25am

AT&T Broad band resumes service for AT&T@home

After Excite@Home turned off almost 4 million customers last Friday, including about 800,000 AT&T@home customers, Goeff Strickler notes that ATT Broadband (who will be serving many of the customers) has quietly turned on its network in some parts of the country:

"Like 800,000 others, my AT&T@home service went down Saturday. While I haven't heard from AT&T yet regarding the resumption of my service, I noticed that my cable modem appeared to be working (correct status LED's were on) so I tried it out. I reconfigured my Mac for DHCP and I've been using it for about 30 minutes.

"That's the good news. The bad news (from their support page under 'service transition'). The 'Service Transition' page seems to be linked to the zip code of the subscriber, but I suspect this applies to all former AT&T@home users: No static IPs, DHCP only. Downstream rate limited to 1.5Mb/s (upstream still 128kb/s). Also, the 'Acceptable Use Policy' and 'Subscriber Agreement' have changed slightly, subscribers should review them."

Online-Timer 1.0 records internet usag

12/03, 11:20am

Online-Timer 1.0 records internet usag

Online-Timer 1.0 records internet usage, provides countdown warnings to specified intervals, and offers the ability to calculate associated costs. It can export information as Excel spreadsheet, offers support for different currencies, has a handy Control Strip Module (Classic Only), and a differential per-hour pricing structure (if applicable). [Classic, Carbon]

Finance 4.2: shareware finance management

12/03, 11:15am

Finance 4.2: shareware finance management

Yenco has updated its $20 shareware checking, savings, and credit card account management program. Finance 4.2 brings an improved startup process, text-based documents, auto-conversion of older version documents, integrated button bar controls, better auto-save functionality, and an updated help system and content.

MacTracker 1.5: informational database on Mac

12/03, 11:15am

MacTracker 1.5: informational database on Mac

Ian Page's Mactracker 1.5 is an informational database that includes information on Apple Scanners, QuickTake cameras, the iPod, versions of the Mac OS, upgraded memory descriptions for recent models, iMac and iBook colours, and more code-names for printers and displays. [Classic, Carbon]

Pillars of Garendall v1.01 game update

12/03, 8:35am

Pillars of Garendall v1.01 game update

Ambrosia has released an update to its epic role playing game Pillars of Garendall v1.01, which offers speed improvements, bug fixes, and other enhancements as well as a new companion plugin called "Trinity" that adds three new specialties from which to choose.

Adobe After Effects 5.5 offers OS X support

12/03, 8:30am

Adobe After Effects 5.5 offers OS X support

Adobe today announced After Effects 5.5, a new version of the company's motion graphics and visual effects software. Version 5.5, due in the first quarter of 2002, adds OS X native support (Carbon app), multiple views, colored shadows, stained glass lighting and an Advanced 3D Renderer for creating high-quality intersecting layers as well as Advanced RealMedia export and integration with Alias|Wavefront's Maya and Discreet's 3ds max.

New devices detects radiation levels

12/03, 8:20am

New devices detects radiation levels

Black Cat Systems has released the GM-10 nuclear radiation detector, which a $150 self-powered device that detects alpha, beta, gamma, and x-ray radiation. It includes Ras software for charting radition levels, requires a serial port, and "allows detection down to the microroentgen level, allowing extremely low levels of radiation to be measured."

Blak & Bleu 4.1 has new error codes

12/03, 8:20am

Blak & Bleu 4.1 has new error codes

Bleu Rose today released Black & Bleu 4.1, a maintenance release to its $30 application which provides the most comprehensive collection of Macintosh OS error codes available anywhere (well over 5,000). More importantly, the database includes a detailed analysis and suggestions for dealing with many of these errors." A Pro version ($141) can export detailed explanations to a file (useful for instructional purposes).

New freeware icon collection at Iconfactory

12/03, 8:15am

New freeware icon collection at Iconfactory

The Iconfactory has released its latest freeware Macintosh icon collection, Kidcon Alpine OS, a collection of over 85 icons that contains custom folder and document replacements for the Macintosh system folder, trash can and more. It is also available as an iControl iPack which allows users to instantly customize the default folder, the entire system folder and trash with a simple double-click.

iTools 6.5 has new Aqua GUI to Apache config

12/03, 8:10am

iTools 6.5 has new Aqua GUI to Apache config

Tenon today announced a new version of its Apache administration tools, iTools 6.5, which brings an Aqua-based GUI for setting up and configuring Apache (and other tools) from the desktop. The new UI complements the included secure, remote, browser-based administration tools that provide access via any TCP/IP connection. The $400 application provides Apache, DNS, FTP and mail configuration options. It is a free upgrade for v6.0 customers.

Reader: Epson printer driver problems

12/03, 8:05am

Reader: Epson printer driver problems

Shawn Kelley passes along an interesting observation about recently released Epson printer drivers:

Just thought that I would drop a line, apparently the Epson printer drivers that were just recently released for OS X, don't support printing if Classic is open. As soon as Classic is quit, printing is fine. I know that this is the case with the C40 series, I don't have confirmation yet of whether this affects other models.

Apple selected as top wireless vendor

12/03, 8:05am

Apple selected as top wireless vendor

The Maine Department of Education has selected Apple as the top-scoring bidder for the Maine Learning Technology Wireless Classroom Solution, a four-year initiative to provide portable, wireless computers, wireless networks, teacher training, and related services to equip all seventh and eighth grade students and teachers as provided by the plan for the Maine Learning Technology Endowment. (Final purchase negotiations for the contract are now under way.)

CharlieX Screen Ruler 1.7c for Web design

12/03, 7:40am

CharlieX Screen Ruler 1.7c for Web design

CharlieX software factory has released a CharlieX Screen Ruler 1.7c, a $10 shareware utility which "draws transparent ruler at top and left edge of your desktop . As well shows template of usual screen sizes, draggable screen ruler and mouse coordinates." It now contains a few new features, completely restructured menus and screen templates and some minor fixes and adjustments.

New Carbon version of VideoClix released

12/03, 7:40am

New Carbon version of VideoClix released

eline Technologies has released a Carbon version of VideoClix, its authoring software that can add video hotspots, create Actions, place Chapters and Text tracks without any scripting to video. The $400 application can help track consumer interaction with videos (for marketing purposes) and supports QuickTime, MPEG1, AVI, Flash, and DV files.

Two new Apple retail store locations

12/03, 7:30am

Two new Apple retail store locations

Apple's Website lists two new stores as "Coming Soon," including Palisades (West Nyack, NY),a nd Rockingham Park (Salem, NH).

Westlake to bring Max Payne to Mac

12/03, 7:30am

Westlake to bring Max Payne to Mac

Westlake Interactive has announced that it will be bringing the popular third-person shooter Max Payne to the Mac and will be publishing the title in conjunction with MacSoft, according to IMG: "the story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting for justice while uncovering plot twists and twisted thugs in the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard."

Get Info v0.9: file/folder attribute editor

12/03, 7:25am

Get Info v0.9: file/folder attribute editor

Gideon Softworks has released, Get Info v0.9, an update to its shareware ($10) file/folder attribute editor that includes compatibility with SNAX, improved services support, display of invisible files in open dialogs, new dock menu itmes, and Finder oht key support. (The company is also looking for people to help in the localization of the application.)