News Archive for 03/08/21

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Tech: RIAA; SoBig virus news

08/21, 3:50pm

Tech: RIAA; SoBig virus news

Afternoon tech news: The recording industry's legal efforts may be putting a dent in file-swapping, according to a new report from The NPD Group; The SoBig computer email virus continues to spread rapidly, causing havoc for businesses and individual users; businesses and other computer users haven't seen the worst of the SoBig worm yet, according to a leading e-mail security firm.

Apps: XBar, Border, WebCalX, Readerware...

08/21, 3:05pm

Apps: XBar, Border, WebCalX, Readerware...

XBar 1.1 is a dynamically resizable application and file launcher that allows users to better organize their most used applications and to increase efficiency when looking for frequently used files and applications. [Download - 142KB]
Border is a simple application for drawing decorative borders and frames. Border includes more than 150 different patterns (so far) which can be adjusted in various ways to fit around any graphical element. [Download - 763KB]
WebCalX 4.5 ($5) allows users to publish iCal calendars as customizable HTML pages on the Web. [Download - 1.2MB]
Readerware 2.85 is an update to the $85 software for cataloging books, music and videos. Included in the latest version is support of Congress Card Catalog Numbers, barcode capturing, and improved portable barcode reader support. [Download - 3.2MB]
Time Clock Jr 3.05 is an updadate to the time clock solution, adding several bug fixes as well as a few new features. It is available in FileMaker (FM) format or as a stand alone (SA) application. A single machine license is $40, while a FM-based multi-user license is $200. [FM, SA-OSX]
Ambrosia Software has released an update to Snapz Pro X 1.08, its screen/video capture utility for Mac OS X. It adds Internet version checking, Panther compatibility, and improved screenshot capture. (Snapz Pro X 2.0 is due out in Q3 2003.) [Download - 18.5MB]

Fuji shrinks drive storage to 2cm platter

08/21, 2:55pm

Fuji shrinks drive storage to 2cm platter

Fuji has introduced a 20% smaller version of its miniature drives offering up to 6GB of storage, according to The Register: "Drives based on the [2 cm] platter are already in development, Fuji said, though commercial products are still some way off. Fuji expects them to be used in handheld devices like cellphones and PDAs, which have traditionally been drive-less products. [However, Fuji] claims that the demand for high-capacity cards will have driven memory card vendors to offer that sort of capacity by the time Fuji can bring its disk to market." Fuji also said that 30GB disks in the same form factor are 3 or more years away.

FireDino back in stock for a limited time

08/21, 2:30pm

FireDino back in stock for a limited time

Charismac Engineering's FireDino, a 4-port Firewire hub, is again available, but for a limited time only. "The platform independent FireDino provides 4 ports of IEEE 1394 400 Mbps data ports all neatly tucked away in the back of the ferocious beast. The FireDino is bus-powered, however Charismac offers an additional power adapter for an extra charge. The FireDino requires no additional drivers." It is available for $70.

Native OS X version of OpenOffice delayed

08/21, 1:30pm

Native OS X version of OpenOffice delayed

Development of a Mac OS X version of OpenOffice 2.x has been postponed to late 2005 or early 2006, according to OpenOffice.org. Further details are available from the organization's timeline.

Apple posts Xserve RAID Admin 1.1 tools

08/21, 1:30pm

Apple posts Xserve RAID Admin 1.1 tools

Apple has posted Xserve RAID Admin 1.1, its Xserve RAID remote management software: "This Java-based application provides an intuitive interface for creating protected storage volumes, logging events, managing preferences, and monitoring storage hardware from virtually any networked computer over TCP/IP" as well as email notification and advanced Fibre Channel networking features.

Melodyne 2.0 adds ReWire, MelodyneBridge

08/21, 1:00pm

Melodyne 2.0 adds ReWire, MelodyneBridge

Melodyne 2.0 is a multitrack audio recording and editing application that separates recordings into score notes and offers MIDI-like editing for edit vocals, solo instruments and percussion. Version 2.0 can be connected to any VST or AudioUnit host and also implements the ReWire protocol. It also adds multiple undo, equalizers, insert effects, and access to both VST and AudioUnit effect plug-ins. Melodyne 2.0 (€400) can edit 8 tracks simultaneously and supports files up to 48Khz/24-bit files, while the Studio Edition (€700) supports unlimited tracks, 32-bit/192kHz files, and DirectIO. Upgrades are €100.

MetaCommunications debuts Virtual Ticket 5.5

08/21, 12:20pm

MetaCommunications debuts Virtual Ticket 5.5

MetaCommunications has announced a major upgrade to its Virtual Ticket production platform for printing, publishing and creative development. Virtual Ticket 5.5 will ship September 2nd and includes new form controls, database driven AppleScripts, scripting language enhancements, interface improvements, and other improvements. Virtual Ticket enables organizations to centralize information, eliminate paper job tickets, manage production files, traffic and schedule jobs, notify/alert users to changes in production, manage digital assets, and automatically archive files. Pricing starts at $1000.

Apps: GIMP, DropWaterMark, Meteorologist...

08/21, 9:10am

Apps: GIMP, DropWaterMark, Meteorologist...

TextFormation dynamically transforms text within your FileMaker solutions into easy-to-read presentable formats: "Simply pass two parameters (the format parameter and the text parameter), and the plug-in will return the text in the format you desire." It is available for AU$40. [147KB]
appMac's wKiosk 2.2 is a web browser designed for internet or intranet kiosks in public spaces. It adds support for fullscreen mode, https protocols (secure sites), a better interface, and bug fixes. The $150 application uses the Netscape gecko HTML engine. [11MB]
Meteorologist 1.3 is a free weather program for OS X that offers "users total control over their weather viewing experience, including simultaneous interlaced weather reports from multiple weather servers. Meteorologist is now officially out of my hands. I will be hunting around to find someone to take up the torch..." [866KB]
LAJ Design's DropWaterMark 1.3 ($13) allows users to watermark images with functions for replacing the original, image-based watermarks, real-time previews, watermark borders, image rotation, and batch processing. [Classic, OSX]
The open-source PureFTPd Manager 1.0 is a small Cocoa frontend to PureFTPd, "a free (BSD), secure, production-quality and standard-conformant FTP server based upon Troll-FTPd", for Mac OS X. It supports user management, virtual hosts, and server status functions. [940KB]
OpenOSX has released Gimp 1.2.5 ($30 on CD), an easy-to-use solution for quickly installing the open-source GIMP software, which offers sophisticated photo manipulation and graphic tools. The new edition brings: updated software, additional features, enhanced stability and has been optimized for the G5 processor.

Upgraded IntelliScanner USB Barcode Readers

08/21, 8:35am

Upgraded IntelliScanner USB Barcode Readers

The upgraded IntelliScanner USB Barcode Reader product line features driverless compatibility with any Mac application and simplified configuration. The IntelliScan 3200i ($280) offers an integrated error-checking decoder, a customizable end-of-scan character, custom audible/visual scan indicators, and barcode symbology support for Bookland EANs, EAN-8, EAN-13, JAN-8, JAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E, and Codabar. The IntelliScanner 4200i ($400) also adds ProInventory software for inventory tracking and xTagger for creating and printing barcodes as well as trigerless scanning, additional symbology support, and advanced configurations.

Tech: viruses, multithreading, PowerPoint...

08/21, 8:15am

Tech: viruses, multithreading, PowerPoint...

Morning tech news: F-Secure, noting that 2001 still stays in history as "the worst virus year ever," says that within the last week the Internet has experienced several major virus outbreaks as well as some completely new techniques in viruses; Sobig.F has been declared the fastest spreading e-mail plague of all time; IBM will bring multithreading to its Power5 server chip, allowing a chip to run two applications, or two "threads" of the same application, at the same time; and Learning to Love PowerPoint talks about using Microsoft's application to create art.

Macs not targetted by virus creators

08/21, 8:05am

Macs not targetted by virus creators

David Zeiler of The Baltimore Sun notes that Mac users have been unphazed by the recent virus attacks on the Internet: "As the latest Microsoft Windows infection spread across the Internet last week, knocking out thousands of PCs in homes and businesses, Macintosh users did what they usually do during a computer virus outbreak -- they continued working." However, the article notes that "It's perfectly possible to write viruses for Apple Macs. Indeed, a Mac has no more inherent security than a PC, but virus writers appear motivated by a desire to cause widespread havoc and so have concentrated on the market leader."

IntelliPrompter: presentation app for OS X

08/21, 8:00am

IntelliPrompter: presentation app for OS X

IntelliPrompter 1.0 is a Mac OS X application that prompts text automatically on a screen or projector for presentations and media production. It features an integrated prompting editor with preview mode, support for styled text and embedded graphics, a Mac OS X prompter control toolbar, an optional bundled USB controller with 5 customizable buttons and a jog wheel ($50), optional support for third-party USB controllers, AppleScript support, and support for storyboards and scripts. It is available in three editions: Personal ($80), Presenter ($350), and Pro ($700) editions.