News Archive for 02/03/27

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Mergemill 1.5.3 offers greater flexibility

03/27, 8:55pm

Mergemill 1.5.3 offers greater flexibility

Mergemill v1.5.3 is a maintenance update to the content merging, data formatting and Web-authoring shareware that enables users to quickly and easily generate Web pages from databases, or reformat database information into a readable format for publishing.

Canon posts ScanGear CS-U 6.2 for OS X

03/27, 8:45pm

Canon posts ScanGear CS-U 6.2 for OS X

Canon has posted a new ScanGear CS-U v6.2 scanner driver, which supports the CanoScan N670U / N676U / N1240U scanners.

NewTek members discuss "clustering"

03/27, 8:05pm

NewTek members discuss "clustering"

Members of the Macintosh Lightwave community have expressed concern over an apparent lack-of-commitment on the part of NewTek to bring a more robust version of Lightwave to the Mac platform. Both Chris Cox (Adobe) and Dean Dauger (AppleSeed) have offered publicly in the NewTek discussion forums to assist in future development. Dauger is reportedly ready to immediately commence "clustering" development. Community members urge Apple Computer to support these efforts.

Symantec ships SystemWorks 2.0 early

03/27, 7:40pm

Symantec ships SystemWorks 2.0 early

Michelle Steiner notes that Symantec has begun shipping copies of Norton SystemWorks v2.0 for Macintosh as early as today, according to an email confirmation from the company. The $130 suite includes five utility products: Norton Utilities for repairing and optimizing disks; Norton AntiVirus for locating and repairing infected files; Dantz Retrospect Express Backup for backup; a special edition of Alsoft DiskWarrior for data recovery; and Aladdin Spring Cleaning for removing old software. (Symantec's Website indicates a mid-April shipping timeframe.)

iMac featured in stunning Lightwave spot

03/27, 7:20pm

iMac featured in stunning Lightwave spot

Tan Jib Ho of Click Grafix has released a humorous -- and graphically stunning -- promotional video that features the Apple iMac moving in a cartoon-like fashion. The video was created as an advertisement of Newtek Lightwave on the Macintosh platform. "I saw Apple launch the new iMac on TechTV and the agility of the the screen looked amazing," says Jin Ho, a number of artists have depicted the iMac with life-like characteristics -- including in both Pixar and Apple promotions.

PrintmiX: stand alone app or iPhoto companion

03/27, 5:15pm

PrintmiX: stand alone app or iPhoto companion

Microspot's PrintmiX is a $30 stand alone tool for print layout that can also be combined with Apple's iPhoto software. It allows users to print layout and print multiple photos on one sheet of paper; features include simple drag-and-drop of photos from iPhoto.

"Entertain Your Mac" combo from ATI

03/27, 5:00pm

"Entertain Your Mac" combo from ATI

ATI Technolgoies is offering an "Entertain Your Mac" combo for Mac OS 9, which consists of ATI's RADEON 7000 graphics card featuring dual display support and ATI's XCLAIM TV Tuner, an external TV tuner. The combo will be available next week for $200; individually, the RADEON 7000 is $130 and the XCLAIM TV Tuner is $100.

Dock Switcher Delta 1.1 adds 3 transparencies

03/27, 5:00pm

Dock Switcher Delta 1.1 adds 3 transparencies

Dock Switcher Delta v1.1 is a $4 utility that switches between multiple docks and changes the transparency in Mac OS X. Three levels of transparency are available (Aqua Opaque, Semi Transparent, Fully Transparent).

Increasing RAM, LCD prices cause iMac price

03/27, 3:30pm

Increasing RAM, LCD prices cause iMac price

A new Gartner report indicates that by raising prices across its iMac G4 line, Apple may have taken the most direct route in addressing a problem that the entire personal computer industry is facing. Anaylsts suggest that the increasing prices of RAM and LCD screens have caused much of the problem; RAM prices have quadrupled since December 2001 while components for LCD screens have increased from $25 to $35 on various size displays.

MacBreakz 3.1: teaches correct ergonomics

03/27, 3:15pm

MacBreakz 3.1: teaches correct ergonomics

MacBreakZ v3.1 is a personal ergonomic assistant that monitors keyboard and mouse usage and helps prevent, through education, computer related injuries. The update introduces a female guide fixes CPU and memory management problems; price is $25.

Freeverse updates two games, fixes OS 9/X bug

03/27, 3:00pm

Freeverse updates two games, fixes OS 9/X bug

Two games from Freeverse Software have been updated, CrossCards v2.1 and X-Words v2.1 for Mac OS 9/X. CrossCards ($15) "mixes a Scrabble-type board with poker hands"; X-Words ($20) is a crossword game like Scrabble, but allows you to customize everything from boards to wordlists. Both updates fix a bug that causes menus on some machines running Mac OS X to change color, and another bug that caused crashes on Mac OS 8.6.

IntelliMerge 2.1.5 adds iPod support

03/27, 2:25pm

IntelliMerge 2.1.5 adds iPod support

Intelli Innovations has released IntelliMerge 2.1.5, which adds the ability to import Contacts from the Apple iPod to its $80 e-mail merge software. [Classic, Carbon]

Apple's PC user conversion will help it grow

03/27, 12:00pm

Apple's PC user conversion will help it grow

Apple's ability to lure PC converts is one of the reasons it "stands a good chance of outperforming the PC industry in the next 18 months," according to Charles Haddad of Business Week Online. (Over the weekend we noted Apple's solication for PC users' feedback in its "Share what's on your mind" survey".)

iMac firmware glitch caused iMac delays

03/27, 12:00pm

iMac firmware glitch caused iMac delays

An iMac firmware glitch is reportedly one of the reasons that caused delays in the shipment of the new iMacs, according to MacUser UK: "The file, which is only available to Apple internal staff members and official support providers, updates the firmware on the iMac's SuperDrive which improves compatibility with the Maxtor hard drive." The article also notes that there were also production problems with the construction of the arm that connects the iMac's screen to its base, but that this has been solved by building the arm units separately from the main production line.

IPNetRouter 1.6.6: Internet sharing utility

03/27, 11:40am

IPNetRouter 1.6.6: Internet sharing utility

IPNetRouter 1.6.6 adds an option to ignore 'BootP' DHCP lease requests and support for the "CUSTOM" feature of DynDNS.org to the $90 shareware application for sharing a single internet connection among many Macs.

iMac commercial rated a 'top performer'

03/27, 11:40am

iMac commercial rated a 'top performer'

Apple's new Window iMac commercial was among the top performers during this year's 74th annual Academy Awards, according to a report by The Intermedia Advertising Group (IAG), which rated commercials' effectiveness on the ability of select users to remember the commercial/brand (brand recall) and to associate the ad's message with the brand or company (message recall) as well as the general likeability of the advertisement.  Diet Pepsi's Cindy Crawford ad was "off the charts" in all categories--and was the clear winner in likeability and brand recall.

Readers respond to Retrospect 5 changes

03/27, 10:20am

Readers respond to Retrospect 5 changes

MacNN readers note changes in Retrospect 5 functionality with the introduction of the four new tiered editions:

"One thing you may wish to bring to the attention of readers is that the 'Desktop' version no longer will run on AppleShare IP Servers or Mac OS X Servers. If you want to back up a server, you have to purchase the 'Workgroup' version which includes 20 remote clients, whether you want those clients or not. I don't know how this affects other people, but the price difference between the two products is large enough to be a barrier to entry for many of my customers, a lot of whom are state-run schools... it's hard enough to even convince them to purchase a decent backup system in the first place."

MPEG-4 Audio gets Tech Group approval

03/27, 10:15am

MPEG-4 Audio gets Tech Group approval

An Internet streaming group on Tuesday endorsed a licensing plan for MPEG-4 audio compression in an effort to compete against other audio standards such as MP3, Microsoft's Windows Media and RealNetworks' RealAudio formats. Licensees who use MPEG-4 audio encoders or decoders in consumer products would pay up to 50 cents for each "channel," or path, used to stream music, while those using the products for professional purposes would pay $2 per channel. Fees would be capped at $250,000 annually for encoders and $25,000 for decoders. However, the controversial MPEG-4 video licensing terms, which included per-minute streaming royalties (and has held back the release of QuickTime 6), have yet to be resolved.

Hemera ships OS X version of Photo-Objects

03/27, 9:55am

Hemera ships OS X version of Photo-Objects

Hemera Technologies has released an OS X-native version of its Hemera Photo-Objects 50,000 Volumes I & II. Hemera's Photo-Objects are photographic images of people, animals and objects that "have been isolated from their original background, and pre-masked so they can be quickly and easily dropped into any design." Customers who have previously purchased either of these collections can update to the Mac OS X native version with a free download and other can download a free trial version with over 50 free Photo-Objects.

FileBuddy 7 brings native OS X support

03/27, 9:50am

FileBuddy 7 brings native OS X support

SkyTag Software has released FileBuddy 7, an OS X-compatible version of the advanced file/folder utility. It includes an intelligent file type parser, editing OS X privileges, a new integrated icon viewer, improved find functions, better renaming functions, and other enhancements. Upgrades to the $50 utility are $20 from v6. SkyTag is offering a $10 pre-release discount for a limited time.

Carbon Copy Cloner 1.1 moves OS X volumes

03/27, 6:40am

Carbon Copy Cloner 1.1 moves OS X volumes

The donation-ware Carbon Copy Cloner 1.1 offers you the ability to move your entire Mac OS X installation from one partition to another. It will only clone to a loca HFS+ formatted partition, hard drive, or mounted disk image.

Icon Capture 1.0 can capture image icons

03/27, 6:30am

Icon Capture 1.0 can capture image icons

Icon Capture 1.0 is a $10 shareware application that allows you to capture icon images. It can save an icon as a picture, scale the size of the icon, set a color or image to display in the background, and export it (along with the image mask) to a variety of file formats.

Watson 1.5 adds translation, reference tools

03/27, 6:25am

Watson 1.5 adds translation, reference tools

Karelia Software today announced the release of Watson 1.5, a significant upgrade to its desktop interface to the most popular web content and services, adding new translation services, Meerkat News feeds, and reference tools, including the American Heritage Dictionary, Roget's Int'l. Thesaurus, the King James Bible, and the Columbia Encyclopedia. A demo of the $30 application is available.

FileFreak 3.6 supports Contextual Menus

03/27, 6:20am

FileFreak 3.6 supports Contextual Menus

File Freak 3.6 is a $13 shareware utility for Mac OS 9 and X which allows you to instantly locate and open files by typing a few letters of its name. Version 3.6 adds support for Contextual menus, multiple boolean file name searches, and a new folders filter as well as performance improvements and bug fixes.

Chronos offers StickyBrain for free

03/27, 6:20am

Chronos offers StickyBrain for free

Chronos is offering its StickyBrain productivity application for free for a limited time. The company is offering free downloads and registrations through March 28th along with discounted upgrades to version 2, which is expected to be released in the "near future." The application can store any type of information including text, pictures, sounds, file/application links, contacts, web and e-mail addresses, etc. It also includes a powerful, customizable filtering system and a robust word processor with features such as automatic spell checking, search and replace, page formatting and multiple undo's. [Classic, Carbon]

60GB ABSplus provides automatic backup

03/27, 6:15am

60GB ABSplus provides automatic backup

CMS Peripherals has announced the immediate availability of a new 60GB capacity Automatic Backup System Plus: ABSplus. The drive offers a complete backup solution with automatic backup functions, has both FireWire and USB connectivity, and can withstand a non-operating shock of up to 800Gs. Under Mac OS 8.6/9, it provides complete archiving, full recovery and system bootability, while under OS X, it offers complete archiving and full recovery for the user area of the directory tree. The 60GB version is $800, while models with smaller capacities start at $280. ABSplus for Desktops (using a larger size 3.5" drive mechanism) is available in capacities of 20GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, 100GB and 120GB starting at $350.

Roger Wilco-like utility coming to Mac OS X

03/27, 12:10am

Roger Wilco-like utility coming to Mac OS X

Following a story posted earlier today on a petition that calls for a Macintosh version of Roger Wilco, former Roger Wilco programmer Wade Williams indicates that a near-completed version of the application was scrapped following a series of acquisitions. Shortly after an acquisition by HearMe, Roger Wilco for the Macintosh was cancelled -- just prior to the vital debugging stage. A later acquisition by GameSpy -- a Windows-oriented gaming network -- meant development had virtually no probability of resumption. Mr. Williams, however, has started the design phase of a new audio communication tool that will offer both Mac OS X and Windows support. No release date has been determined.

Search Google offers instant searches

03/27, 12:05am

Search Google offers instant searches

SearchGoogle.service is a simple background service to allow you to select text in (nearly) any application and press "Shift-Apple-G" to launch a Google search for that text. This release is context aware, allowing to define your own contexts based on application and choose which services to search.