News Archive for 03/05/06

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CRT iMac gone from education Apple Store

05/06, 9:50pm

CRT iMac gone from education Apple Store

Apple has removed the CRT iMac from its online education store, MacNN readers report. "There's just an empty rectangle on the page where it used to be," says Alex Oatley, "looks like it's gone for good this time." The removal of the old iMac models coincides with updated eMac specifications and pricing.

Apps: Earl's Access, ecOrganizer, Check Off

05/06, 6:05pm

Apps: Earl's Access, ecOrganizer, Check Off

REM Software has released Earl's Access a pair of free (donation-ware) AppleScripts that allows you to keep an address book of frequently-connected-to Shared Libraries in iTunes 4. "Unfortunately, iTunes will forget what it was connected to when you either quit it or change your network location, so running a quick script from the iTunes Script menu will reconnect you to all your favorite streams for all your music sharing cravings." [Download - 42KB]
ecOrganizer 1.6v1 is an update to the FileMaker Pro workgroup diary that "is the result of gradually introduced new features based on customer feedback and suggestions." Major changes in the first revision of version 1.6 include the ability to export and import vCards from Address Book, a new alarm function, the option to email via Mail OS X in addition to Entourage, and many other features and settings. Pricing begins at $300. [Download - see form for demo]
Ricci Adams today released version 2.1.1 of Check Off, his $5 shareware to-do menu bar item. The update fixes a bug that "caused chaos to occur" when the to-do list was extended beyond the range of the monitor; addresses a bug that caused groups to be deleted when dragged into themselves; and updates documentation to reflect the new shortcut feature. [Download - 389KB]

BOSFCPUG to offer FCP 4 demo, session

05/06, 5:50pm

BOSFCPUG to offer FCP 4 demo, session

The Boston Final Cut Pro User Group (BOSFCPUG) is bringing Final Cut Pro 4 for the first time to Boston to give the Boston filmmaking community a "rare opportunity to see FCP 4 in action." The next meeting of the BOSFCPUG will be held on Wednesday, May 7 from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., in Room 206 at the Photonics Center at Boston University, located at 8 Saint Mary's Street. Special guest Don Peebles of Apple will be joined by others for a live demo of Final Cut Pro 4.

Apple begins to notify iPod event winners

05/06, 5:40pm

Apple begins to notify iPod event winners

One MacNN reader writes: "I won the JBL speaker set-up at the Durham, NC store and was notified by phone this afternoon. I will have to fill out a tax form for the IRS that proves I picked up the speakers, as well as require me to pay taxes on the prize. I was given until May 9 to pick up the prize from the Apple Store, and was told that I will receive the JBL speakers, two tripods, the mixer used by the DJ, and the cables to hook it all up."

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.2.6

05/06, 4:35pm

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.2.6

Apple today released Mac OS X 10.2.6 via the software update, which delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: Address Book, Graphics, Printing, OpenGL, and PC Card and USB hub device compatibility. The 6.1MB download is not yet available on the Web.

Apple offers free Canon printer with Macs

05/06, 4:00pm

Apple offers free Canon printer with Macs

Apple's new Improve Your Image promo offers a free Canon color printer with the purchase of a Mac between May 6 and June 28, 2003. Customers are offered a Canon i450 Color Bubble Jet Printer free, or a $100 mail-in rebate on a Canon i850, i950, or i70 color printer. This offer is available only at participating Apple Resellers.

Apple quietly debuts new keyboard, mouse

05/06, 3:50pm

Apple quietly debuts new keyboard, mouse

Several readers note that Apple's new eMac line includes a new Apple Keyboard with a centralized USB hub (the ports are now on either side of the keyboard connector in the back, rather than other either end of the old Keyboard.). The eMac also ships with a new Apple Pro Mouse, though the changes are not immediately noticeable. It is unclear whether the new peripherals will ship with other destkop Macs, including the iMac and the Power Mac.

RE:Vision Effects debuts RE:Fill AE plugins

05/06, 3:20pm

RE:Vision Effects debuts RE:Fill AE plugins

RE:Vision Effects today released RE:Fill, a plugin set that mends holes in image sequences by "intelligently filling user-specified regions. RE:Fill can replace missing pixels in numerous ways: for example, selecting the nearest 'good' pixel, mirroring pixels about a hole's edge, or cloning from another "good" region... and the good region can even come from another point in time or from another sequence altogether." It supports both 8- and 16 bits-per-channel processing. The plugins are After Effects-compatible designed to work within Adobe After Effects, Discreet combustion, Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere and Pinnacle Systems Commotion, and other AE plugin-compatible applications. The $100 suite is being offered at 20% discount through the end of May.

Emagic releases Logic Platinum 6.1 update

05/06, 3:10pm

Emagic releases Logic Platinum 6.1 update

Emagic has released Logic Platinum 6.1 for Mac OS X and Mac OS 9, which is available as a free download for all owners of Logic Platinum 6. The update allows the use of Digidesign TDM systems with Logic Platinum 6 under Mac OS X. It also provides the full functionality of Emagic's optional ESB TDM and PTHD Extensions in Mac OS X, allowing TDM users with the opportunity to use the Emagic software instruments - ES1, ES2, EVOC20, EVP88, EVD6, EVB3 and EXS24 - in combination with the reliable, powerful TDM DSP hardware and Logic Platinum 6 onMac OS X platform. The update also includes support for import of Akai S1000/3000 samples for the EXS24 mk II under Mac OS X. Logic Platinum 5 users who download the 6.1 update can now enjoy a free 28-day trial period of version 6.1 without any restrictions.

Apps: CSSEdit, QuicKeys X2, GraphPro...

05/06, 1:10pm

Apps: CSSEdit, QuicKeys X2, GraphPro...

Synergy 0.99 is an update to "the efficient menu bar control interface for iTunes." It adds the ability to obtain album cover art from iTunes 4, and a new submenu that provides direct access to iTunes playlists. The $5 shareware provides total control over iTunes via configurable hot keys and attractive menu bar control buttons. [560KB]
Jan Van Boghout's CSSEdit 1.0 is designed to edit CSS stylesheets, offering live inline previewing of styles and a unique grouping system as well as CSS grabbing from other sites, favorites for often-used styles and font sets, and other features. It is $15. [542KB]
CE Soft's QuicKeys X2 beta is an update to the system automation utility. It offers the ability to record your shortcuts and play them back with a single keystroke. It includes a new Clips shortcut that allows you to keep a library of text clips or images as well as new date and time formats, a completely revised interface and powerful button and popup menu shortcuts. The public beta expires June 18th. [9.8MB]
MacSOS announced today the release of GraphPro 1.5, which allows developers to add graphing to your REALbasic projects. New Features in v1.5 include support for Pie, Cartesian and Column graph modes. The source code for the GraphPro classes is available for $75. It is a free upgrade.
Bebosoft has released today FormsToGo 1.0, an application that generates a PHP script that processes HTML forms and send the field values thru email. Additionally, the PHP script can validate the content of the fields for specific formats or values. It is $7 shareware. ExpressionTools has made an agreement wit e-frontier to "carry on all the future Shade business operation including development, distribution, customer support and other related activities to Shade products. The Shade line of 3D products is the market leader of 3D applications in Japan, and is widely used by artists as well as the game development industry."

iSkin ProTouch protects Apple Pro Keyboard

05/06, 12:55pm

iSkin ProTouch protects Apple Pro Keyboard

ackNOWLEDGE today announced the iSkin ProTouch designed to protect a keyboard against damage. The iSkin ProTouch is a durable, made-to-fit silicone skin that sits above the Apple Pro Keyboard protecting it against dust, dirt, finger oils and spills that lead to wear, damage or malfunction. It is made of soft, flexible high-grade silicone and is custom molded to fit the contours of the Apple Pro Keyboard's keys, allowing "users to type freely without ever having to remove the protector. The ProTouch is easy to apply and can be removed and washed if dirt buildup occurs." It is available in White Frost, Blue Mist, Cherry Pop, BubbleGum, Abyss, Aqua, LimeLight, Lemonade and Creamsicle. Pricing is $36.

OWC debuts FireWire 800 PCI card, drive kit

05/06, 12:50pm

OWC debuts FireWire 800 PCI card, drive kit

Other World Computing today launched its FW800 PCI Card, which adds FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) connectivity to any desktop Mac. The OWC FW800 PCI Card provides users with three nine-pin FireWire 800 ports and supports data transfer rates of up to 100MBps between two or more devices. It is available immediately for $80.

OWC also introduced today a new FireWire 800 external hard drive enclosure kit that is designed to support all 3.5-inch ATA/IDE hard drives. The new Mercury Elite Pro FW800/400 + USB 2.0/1.1 Enclosure Kit utilizes the Oxford 922 chipset; it offers two nine-pin FireWire 800 ports, one six-pin FireWire 400 port, and one five-pin USB 2.0/1.1 port. It is available now for $180. In April 2003, OWC launched its first FireWire 800 products with the introduction of its line of Mercury Elite Pro FW800 drives.

Anark Studio 2 adds content delivery options

05/06, 12:45pm

Anark Studio 2 adds content delivery options

Anark today announced Anark Studio 2, the newest version of the company's multimedia authoring software. Anark Studio 2 allows media developers to create the captivating real-time, interactive, 3D experiences using a flexible workspace, drag and drop behaviors and an industry standard timeline for real-time compositing and seamless integration of 3D, video, images, audio and interactivity. Version features an upgraded timeline, Mac OS X suport for both the player and the client, screensaver export, projector export, better bendering compatibility, and video export. It is expected to ship later this month.

WiebeTech reduces prices on DesktopGB+

05/06, 12:45pm

WiebeTech reduces prices on DesktopGB+

WiebeTech today announced price cuts on DesktopGB+, its fanless desktop FireWire/USB2 enclosure available in drive capacities up to 250GB using a 7,200 rpm mechanism: "DesktopGB+ carries on the tradition of offering quiet, fanless operation with extremely high performance and connectivity." A copy of Mac Drive 5 is included at no additional charge, allowing PCs to read Mac formatted volumes as if they were a native Windows format. Pricing, reduced by as much as $100, starts at $200 for the 80GB model.

Webcast on Apple Software Restore scheduled

05/06, 9:05am

Webcast on Apple Software Restore scheduled

Apple and the macosxlabs project will be hosting a live webcast on Apple Software Restore with Apple Computer's Jim Kateley, Justin Elliott of Penn State, and Alisandra Brewer of Sonoma State University. The webcast will be held Tuesday, May 20th at 10 am PST. The 90 minute presentation requires the use of (free) cast:stream 2.0 player.

DLO debuts new iPod accessories

05/06, 9:00am

DLO debuts new iPod accessories

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today announced its new line of iPod accessories for Apple's newest generation of MP3 players. DLO's new lineup of accessories includes a host of cases and protectors (starting at $20), an auto connection kit ($50), an autocharger that utilizes the iPod's new "port connector," and updated versions of the TransPod all-in-one car solution.

eMac gets faster processors, networking

05/06, 8:50am

eMac gets faster processors, networking

Apple today announced an "entirely new" eMac line offering up to 1GHz PowerPC G4 processors, a faster 4x SuperDrive, a high-performance ATI Radeon 7500 graphics card with 32MB of memory, up to 80GB of drive storage and internal support for AirPort Extreme wireless networking (802.11g). Pricing for the new models starts at $799.

OrangeWare develops 802.11g driver

05/06, 8:45am

OrangeWare develops 802.11g driver

OrangeWare announced its new 802.11g wireless networking software driver for Mac OS X that offers support for the latest draft of the 802.11g specification and a range of wireless networking devices. "The initiative to develop such a driver was spurred from an absence of 802.11g support for third party vendors on Apple computers. Now Mac users can enjoy the advanced technology of up to 54 Mbps from multiple wireless hardware vendors. This software will open the Apple marketplace to manufacturers of 802.11g products providing for a virtually untapped source of revenue." The software is being provided on an OEM basis to 802.11g device manufacturers.

Apps: DiskTracker, Idea Knot, iClip, Praeco..

05/06, 8:40am

Apps: DiskTracker, Idea Knot, iClip, Praeco..

Portent has released DiskTracker 2.3, a free update to its complete disk cataloging and labeling system. Version 2.3 adds support for long filenames (longer than 31 characters) in file, folder, and volume names and several bug fixes. The $30 shareware is available as a $10 upgrade to v1.x users. It is available in English, Danish, Italian, and Japanese. [Classic, OSX]
Idea Knot 0.3 provides a significant interface enhancement and some minor improvements in functionality: "Write documents that contain ideas written quickly at the instant inspiration hits you, then organize these ideas together into relevant groups for export." The Mac OS X-only freeware can be used to develop drafts for legal documents, use-cases for software development and brainstorming documents during meetings. [514KB]
SubRosaSoft today released SubRosa Volume 1-File Utilities 2.0, adding two new privacy utilities as well as improvements to its existing applications. It now ships with five security utilities for file encryption/decryption, text encryption, file shredding, and permanently erasing deleted files. Upgrades to the $25 suite are $13. It runs on Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X.
Inventive's iClip 2 is a multi-clipboard/scrapbook utility for Mac OS X. It allows you to quickly copy & paste and drag & drop clippings to and from its multiple "clipping bins" with access from any application. It now supports groupcing ("clipping sets"), better vector graphics support, better graphics, and other enhnacements. A demo of the $20 utility is available. [1.5MB]
Desideratum has released Praeco 1.7, an update to its $30 auction monitoring and bidding software for eBay users. This version optimizes database indexing for improved performance and adds a new menu to provide quick links to frequently accessed pages, as well as several minor bug fixes. [Classic, OSX]
Trygve Inda's Time Palette 5.4 is an update to the cross-platform world time and mapping tool. It provides world time, alarms, international call scheduling, an extensive almanac, distance calculator and worldwide weather info. In addition, Time Palette displays multiple world maps demarcating the earth's sun and moon illumination in real-time. It is a free upgrade to the $30 application. [3.8MB]
Monkey Bread Software has released Global Hotkey 1.0, a freeware system utility to launch applications, run scripts, and copy items to the clipboard via a customizable key combination. [887KB]
AudioTools Pro 4.2 is a set of production calculators and utilities that are frequently needed in music production. Its features include setup help with effect processors, complex calculations for loop and tempo matching, a host of utilities, and a reference section. It is available for Mac OS X and Mac OS 8/9 for $15. [Classic, OSX]