News Archive for 03/02/12

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TiVo: iTunes/iPhoto integration on the way

02/12, 10:40pm

TiVo: iTunes/iPhoto integration on the way

TiVo is currently developing iTunes and iPhoto integration software for its Home Media solutions, as noted by MacNN reader Bob Hockman. An answer to a FAQ on the TiVo Web site reads: "We are currently working with Apple to provide complete integration with future versions of iTunes and iPhoto. Mac users running OS 10.2 (Jaguar) will be able to use their familiar iApps and easily add their TiVo Series2 to their Mac network. This will lead to exciting new services in the future as TiVo and Apple continue to work together. " In January, TiVo announced plans for Rendezvous-based file sharing.

Apps: IntelliMerge, X11, FCE, EZxslt, Bookit

02/12, 8:30pm

Apps: IntelliMerge, X11, FCE, EZxslt, Bookit

Intelli Innovations has updated its IntelliMerge SQL database software to version 1.1. The update adds automatic duplicate skipping, 'Code Conversion' in the SQL Console, an improved 'bounce checker,' better result graphing, and enhanced styled text-to-HTML conversion. IntelliMerge SQL licenses range from $350-$2600. [Download - Classic,, OS X]

Apple X11 v0.2.1 is an update to the company's X Window System implementation for Mac OS X. The installer now defaults to replacing '/etc/X11', to use quartz-wm instead of twm. (Version 0.2 was released yesterday.) [Download - form]

Apple has also released Final Cut Express Update 1.0.1, which improves performance and stability, links keyframe parameters to the Motion tab, and adds NTSC and PAL noncontrollable device presets. [Download - form]
Chaparral Software has released EZxslt 1.03, an update to its application for the simplified generation of Microsoft Word documents using data stored in FileMaker Pro 6 databases. EZxslt 1.03 is a free update for all owners of the $130 software, and includes the following enhancements: support for multiple-line data fields without requiring a separate calculation field, improved handling of MS Word documents containing embedded lists with merge fields, a progress window to indicate activity for larger files, and minor documentation updates. Registered users will receive the update automatically. [Download - form]
Bookit 3.1.2 is an update to Everyday Software's bookmark management solution. The update is primarily a maintenance release designed to fix bugs that crept up in version 3.1.x, according to the developer. New changes include: support for Mozilla 1.3b, improved Safari support, and other internal changes. Bookit is $12 shareware. [Download - 503KB]

Shuttle descent photo taken with old Mac

02/12, 7:45pm

Shuttle descent photo taken with old Mac

The shadowy, closely-analyzed photo of Space Shuttle Columbia's underside -- taken during its ill-fated descent last week -- was not snapped with cutting-edge military equipment, but by three researchers using an off-the-shelf telescope and an 11-year-old Macintosh computer, according to a CNN article. Reports last week indicated that the photo was snapped by one of Starfire's powerful telescopes, which are designed to spy on enemy satellites and detect incoming missiles.

Booq debuts FoleeMessenger17 carry case

02/12, 6:35pm

Booq debuts FoleeMessenger17 carry case

Booq today introduced its FoleeMessenger17 for larger laptops, including the 15-inch Titanium PowerBook G4 and the new 17-inch Aluminum PowerBook G4. The carrying case is made from durable, lightweight 1680D ballistic nylon and features a suspended laptop compartment, which is reinforced with neoprene and metal and is fully padded and adjustable. It incorporates several compartments, pockets and dividers and also has room for an additional iBook or 12" PowerBook in a padded, zippered compartment. Other features include new zipper pulls and a seatbelt-style 2" shoulder strap. It is $150.

Reader: Keynote & iLife bundle arrives

02/12, 5:40pm

Reader: Keynote & iLife bundle arrives

MacNN reader Dennis Martin today reported receiving the Keynote & iLife bundle he ordered from Apple, only a day after receiving an availability notice from Apple. "I was pleasantly surprised to find my order in my school mailbox today. The package comes with three disks. 2 iLife disks with one for a Mac with a SuperDrive with iDVD 3 on it, and another without iDVD 3 on it. The other disk in Keynote. I live in Southern Indiana and received it today. I ordered it the first day it was made available."

Lasso Studio 6 for Dreamweaver beta released

02/12, 4:15pm

Lasso Studio 6 for Dreamweaver beta released

Blue World today announced the first beta release of Lasso Studio 6 for Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. Lasso Studio allows non-programmers to quickly build data-driven Web sites using an intuitive set of tools and wizards. Version 6 includes live data preview, a Snapshot Editor, a redesigned interface, better performance, a single-user version of Lasso Professional 6, simplified installation and connectivity, and new LDML 6 and Objects. Other features include an LDML updater for updating LDML 3 and LDML 5 based sites to LDML 6 with appropriate syntax and support for standard syntax, LassoScript, and custom tags and expressions. Lasso Studio 6 for Macromedia Dreamweaver MX is scheduled for final release within 30 days; it will be $300 for new purchases and $200 for upgrades. The beta version is currently available to qualified parties by contacting beta@blueworld.com.

CMU installs new iMacs in computing classroom

02/12, 3:25pm

CMU installs new iMacs in computing classroom

Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science announced it has installed more than 100 new iMac computers in its A. Nico Habermann Computing Classroom, a facility that serves between 1,100 and 1,200 students taking a variety of programming courses each academic year.

Apps: Mighty Mouse, dataComet, Wakeup...

02/12, 2:05pm

Apps: Mighty Mouse, dataComet, Wakeup...

Granted Software has released Peripheral Vision, a monitoring utility that helps OS X users keep track of the peripherals connected to their Mac. The $7 utility monitors USB, FireWire and Bluetooth peripherals as well as network link status (for both wired and AirPort connections). Registration also enables a sound alert feature, which can associate a variety of sounds to the different status messages for peripherals. It requires Mac OS X 10.2. [517KB]
Blackmagic Design today released free upgrades to 10-bit color correction for all standard definition television products. The new software upgrade for Blackmagic DeckLink increases real-time color correction to true 10-bit video quality--which it says is "an industry first for the desktop. True 10 bit color correction increases color accuracy by 4 times, andallows much higher video quality to be color corrected in real time."
An updated release of the dataComet-Secure VX 10.0.1 terminal emulation application for OS X is now available from databeast, Inc. New features include support for mouse wheel events, a full 16-color background option for VT100/VT220/VT320 sessions, and new security macros which allow dataComet-Secure VX to be configured for Kiosk applications. It also includes improved SSH2 and Shell session security, faster scrollback buffering, better support for automatic reconnects, and improved EMACS key handling. A 30-day demo of the $60 application is available.
Unsanity has released Mighty Mouse 1.0, a new haxie to create, animate, customize, and share cursors for Mac OS X. With Mighty Mouse, users can animate any of the system cursors (including the Arrow cursor), use cursors of any size, magnify your existing cursors for easier accessibility, download/import cursors made by other users, and create custom cursors. The $10 shareware runs on Mac OS X 10.2 [1.9MB]
PixelShox Studio 0.91 is an update to the unique, live-video creation tool for Mac OS X with a "revolutionary new approach in 2D/3D animation creation." The node-based animation tool features more than a 100 plug-ins (from basic mathematic operators to live video import), virtually unlimited number of compositions and layers, and the PixelShox 3D Engine, a highly-flexible and extensible plug-in-based OpenGL engine. The free download expires March 15th. [2.7MB]
Coriolis Technologies has released Wakeup 1.1, a free utility that will wake other machines currently in sleep mode. The utility will remember the name and Ethernet address of your machines and can wake the machine on-demand. [478KB]

Apple posts new Safari Update

02/12, 1:30pm

Apple posts new Safari Update

Safari Update 2-12-03 improves compatibility with popular web sites, displays web pages and Flash content more quickly, adds XML support, increases standards conformance and improves stability. The update also works with self-signed security certificates.

Apps: iMovie plugins, ZeboPhoto, Bookends...

02/12, 8:50am

Apps: iMovie plugins, ZeboPhoto, Bookends...

Stupendous has upgraded its line of iMovie plugins, containing 254 effects, to work better with iMovie 3. The changes involve user interface elements which are improved to work better with the new resolution of iMovie 3's preview window. All 10 of the iMovie plugins packs ($25 each) have been upgraded, as has the complete Stupendous Bundle ($200), which contains all the iMovie plugin packs at a 20% discount.
Dock Dispatcher 1.0.1 creates a dock shortcut with a hierarchical menu containing a the system apps and utilities. The $8 application now runs on Mac OS X 10.1.x in addition to Jaguar. It comes with "no-hassle, 100% refund guarantee."
ZeboPhoto 1.2 is an update to the image viewer/editor, adding a column-style file browser, a new preview canvas, the ability to show invisible files, a relaunch Finder command, file info display, and other enhancements to the "donationware" utility. [Classic, OSX]
Sonny Software has released Bookends 7.5.1, updating its Mac-only full-featured bibliography/reference and information management system for professionals and students. It offers support for SQL and Regex queries, time-stamping for imported references, better import functionality, and other enhancements. A free is limited to a maximum of 50 references. It is $100 (with a $30 discount for students). [Classic, OSX]

Amazon $200 certificate with CPU purchase

02/12, 8:30am

Amazon $200 certificate with CPU purchase

Amazon is offering a free $200 promotional certificate good for use toward a future purchase at the online store with the purchase of any new computer that costs $2,000 or more (or a $100 promotional certificate with a computer purchase between $1,000 and $1,999. This offer is valid only from February 9, 2003 until March 1, 2003. (Computers purchased from third-party merchants (for example, Circuit City, Office Depot, J&R, or sellers in Amazon Marketplace, Auctions, or zShops) are not eligible. If you return your computer purchase after using the promotional certificate, the amount of the certificate will be deducted from your refund.)

Rendezvous security feature enabled on Macs

02/12, 8:30am

Rendezvous security feature enabled on Macs

Apple notes that "Rendezvous includes a security measure to prevent a specific network attack. This security measure may also prevent some local devices that do not carefully follow the Rendezvous specification from being seen." It provides a command-line workaround for turning the security "feature" off.

Develop 3D visualization apps for Mac OS X

02/12, 8:25am

Develop 3D visualization apps for Mac OS X

Drew McCormack has published an article about how you can develop 3D visualization applications for Mac OS X using Cocoa and the Visualization Toolkit (VTK). Part 1 of the article, which is already online, guides readers through compiling VTK, importing it into Apple's developer tools, and integrating VTK with Cocoa, while Part 2 demonstrate how to create a simple 3D animation application.

Apps: Complete MySQL, The Hive, FinkCommander

02/12, 1:10am

Apps: Complete MySQL, The Hive, FinkCommander

Aaron Faby's freeware Complete MySQL 3.23.55 includes a one-click MySQL Installer for Mac OS X; a new MySQL.prefPane for administration and database/server initialization; and the current binary releases of the MyODBC ODBC driver and Connector/J JDBC driver as well as a 14-page Comprehensive Install Guide and complete MySQL manual in PDF format. [7.9MB]
EOS Image Manager 0.7 is a Cocoa application that enables users to "quickly view, rename (add/remove chars, change case, re-series), and manage (move, copy, and delete) all of their images from a single, elegant interface. With this free, Jaguar-only application users can organize thousands of downloaded images and digital photos in minutes." [209KB]
beezwax datatools recently released The Hive 1.0, a group meeting and project organizer. The Hive is a FileMaker Pro solution that can quickly plan all scheduling and projects; it offers all date-sensitive and project information in a single one master calendar interface. Pricing starts at $255 for 2 users. [10.9MB]
FinkCommander 0.5 is a freeware graphical user interface for the Fink software packaging system for Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar-only): "It provides an intuitive front-end to the Fink command-line tools for downloading and installing Unix software." It adds a new package browser for viewing installed files for each package, easy access to a package's .info and .patch files, improved icons, and a sortable flag column (as well as other enhancements). [684KB]
Macintosh speech middleware vendor CommandSets.com released over 200 commands that voice-enable Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar. The eight command sets are included in a single $20 collection and include support for Address Book, Calculator, iCal, iSync, Preview, QuickTime Player, Stickies, and TextEdit. All Command Sets are designed to work with either Apple's bundled PlainTalk, IBM's ViaVoice, or MacSpeech's iListen 1.5. Each requies Mac OS X.
DVDCollector helps organize your DVD collection, storing information such as DVD edition, its whereabouts, and other relevant movie info. It integrates with the Mac OS X Address Book to track loaned items. A demo offers unlimited access to all its features for up to 10 DVDs for free; a $15 registration offers support for unlimited DVDs. [734KB]