News Archive for 03/09/10

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Roxio to hold launch celebrations for Toast 6

09/10, 10:45pm

Roxio to hold launch celebrations for Toast 6

Roxio invites Mac users in the Palo Alto and Los Angeles areas to its “Don’t Burn It. Toast It.” launch celebrations for the new Toast 6 Titanium at the Palo Alto and The Grove (Los Angeles) Apple Stores. Toast 6 Titanium is "the standard for burning CDs and DVDs on Mac OS X." It allows you to "do more with your music, photos and movies." Both launch events takes place 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday, September 13.

Apple to exhibit at GV Expo, DMDC 2003

09/10, 10:25pm

Apple to exhibit at GV Expo, DMDC 2003

Apple will exhibit at the Government Video Technology Expo (Dec. 3-4) and the DigitalMediaDC Conference (Dec 2-4), both of which will be held in Washington, DC. The GV Expo provides hands on demonstrations of the latest professional video, audio and multimedia products and services available, while DMDC 2003 is a three-day conference that provides digital media professionals with expert-led training and educational sessions.

Bomb threat evacuates Seybold, OracleWorld

09/10, 9:55pm

Bomb threat evacuates Seybold, OracleWorld

Both Seybold and OracleWorld technology conferences being held at Moscone Center in San Francisco were evacuated Wednesday afternoon, sending thousands of attendees onto nearby streets and sidewalks, according to eWeek: "Officials wouldn't confirm the reason for the evacuation, but one of the guards handling security at Moscone Center said the cause was a bomb threat. A security manager would not confirm the reason for the evacuation but said the situation was 'very serious.'"

PostOffice adds SpamAssassin, other features

09/10, 9:50pm

PostOffice adds SpamAssassin, other features

Tenon today released Post.Office 3.5.3v720, its mail server and list server for Mac OS X. The free upgrade offers improved IMAP handling, improved and extended relay protection in the form of POP-before-SMTP and SMTP Authentication, and a new plug-in architecture to support external mail processing engines. It also includes the SpamAssassin plugin, which filters SPAM using a Bayesian Classification scheme (and other techniques); it requires no configuration and can be used along with Tenon's built-in SPAM filtering to create personalized header filters, block specific IPs and to take advantage of specific real-time black hole sites. A $300 "starter" package supports 100 mailboxes and 10 lists.

Macromedia to post FreeHand MX 11.01 updater

09/10, 9:45pm

Macromedia to post FreeHand MX 11.01 updater

As anticipated by MacNN late last month, Macromedia says it will post FreeHand MX 11.01, an update to its illustration and layout application. The update requires Mac OS X, and has dozens of bug fixes as well as uses Macromedia's new anonymous product activation scheme: "The version 11.0.1 updated release will not modify your existing FreeHand MX installation. Instead, it will install in a separate directory and will appear in the program menu as 'FreeHand MXa' and will use the same preferences. We recommend that you uninstall your old version of FreeHand before you install FreeHand MX version 11.0.1." It will be posted on Friday, September 12.

Limewire 3.5.7 offers iTunes integration

09/10, 9:35pm

Limewire 3.5.7 offers iTunes integration

Lime Wire today released LimeWire 3.5.7, an update to the popular peer-to-peer file sharing client This "major" release features numerous enhancements designed to improve search and download performance and refine the user experience, including new techniques work around firewall issues. It offers better validation, iTunes integration under Mac OS X, support for Java 1.4.1 (if available), and other v3.5 features such as skin support, packaged media file support, and better search functions. [Classic, 5.6MB]

alienRAID offers support for Xserve RAID

09/10, 8:10pm

alienRAID offers support for Xserve RAID

alienRAID.org is a cooperative Web site supporting Apple's Xserve RAID storage system in non-Apple environments. alienRAID.org is dedicated to collecting information about the use of Xserve RAID and related products with platforms such as Solaris, AIX, Linux, Windows, and managed storage networks. Members of the community are encouraged to submit experiences, documentation, and real life uses of Xserve RAID in mixed environments, or add comments to existing articles. A sister site, alienServe.org, will be launched in the coming weeks with the broader focus of supporting Xserve in non-Apple and mixed environments.

Apple launches new iPod advertising campaign

09/10, 6:25pm

Apple launches new iPod advertising campaign

Apple has launched a new iPod advertising campaign with the release of its updated iPods earlier this week, according to one MacNN reader: "I saw at least two new billboards in San Francisco with Apple's new ads. They feature black silhouettes of people listening to music with a white colored-iPod (and writing) on a single-color background. They can be seen on 101 South and 101 North while leaving/exiting San Francisco as well as on the updated iPod Website in five different colors."

iTMS user successfully sells song second-hand

09/10, 5:45pm

iTMS user successfully sells song second-hand

A customer of Apple's iTunes Music Store said he has successfully resold a song he purchased through the service, ending a weeklong exercise he hoped would highlight the legal and technical nuances of emerging digital music services. He was able to give the song to a friend, whom he met through an Internet discussion group. In order to close the deal, George Hotelling said he had to transfer control of his entire iTunes Music Store account to Elder, which included one song. "For the average user, I'd definitely say this was extremely difficult," he said. "I guess you could say we're both extreme geeks."

Apps: RedGreen, Desktop Assistant, ZeboPhoto

09/10, 5:35pm

Apps: RedGreen, Desktop Assistant, ZeboPhoto

Desktop Assistant is a $30 utility application for Mac OS X to assist users when accessing databases, performing complex database searches, navigating or routing files to favorite server locations. The latest version fixes bugs and automatically integrates all installed toolkits with Apple's "Script" menu in the menu bar. [Download - form]
Mizog has released SecretShredder 0.1, a new secure file shredder application supporting the deletion of files, trash, and free disk space. Various levels of erasing are available, based on erase thoroughness and time. Registration is $7. [Download - 636KB]
Bobby Cronkhite Software has released ZeboPhoto 1.3.4 ($8), an image viewer/editor program for Mac OS 9/X. This version adds a new feature called Catalog View, which allows users to preview images contained in a folder by pressing the Catalog View button. [Download - 2.9MB]
VisualBoyAdvance 1.6a is a Nintendo Game Boy Advance emulator for Mac OS X. It was recently ported to MacOS X and released as freeware. The latest Mac version is in sync with the latest release for Windows. [Download - 530KB]
RedGreen 2.1 is an update to the €10 application for creating 3D photos for viewing with red-green or red-blue 3D glasses. It takes two photos (one for the left eye and one for the right eye) and calculates a 3D image that can be viewed with 3D glasses. It adds support for "pns" and "jps" stereo images. [Download - 215KB]
SubRosaSoft GlobalTraceRoute 1.1 shows a map of the world and maps the route from your computer to another computer on the Internet. The latest version enables users to select from various maps, including: realtime cloud and sunlight maps, a real-color Earth map, a black and white map, and a political map. [Download - 1.2MB]
Blacksmith today released Chartsmith 1.2.3, an update to the $130 charting and graphing application for Mac OS X that enhances support for integrated images and adds gaussian shadows to pie charts. Version 1.2.3 includes enhanced support for using images as an integrated feature of charts and graphs. [Download - 2.7MB]

Concord debuts 3MP digital camera for $130

09/10, 3:20pm

Concord debuts 3MP digital camera for $130

Concord Camera has released the Concord Eye-Q 3040 AF, a sleek new 3-megapixel digital camera. It features an all-glass auto focus lens for precise exposure control in a compact body with a curved design that offers an attractive modern look. It features a 4x digital zoom, a 1.6-inch color LCD, auto focus, 7 MB of internal memory, an SD/MMC card slot, video clip capability and a macro setting for close up photography. In the review mode, still images can be enlarged at 2x and 4x magnification. The camera ships with a USB cable, a TV cable, batteries, a camera pouch and a wrist strap as well as "Gift Box." It is due in "early Fall 2003" for $130.

Crucial debuts new USB 2.0 flash card readers

09/10, 3:10pm

Crucial debuts new USB 2.0 flash card readers

Crucial Technology today introduced three new USB 2.0 flash card readers designed to transfer digital data from flash memory cards directly to any computer. The Crucial Hi-Speed USB 7-in-1 Card Reader ($26) has four slots, compatible with seven flash memory cards, including MultiMediaCard (MMC), CompactFlash Type I/II (CF), IBM Microdrive, SmartMedia, Secure Digital (SD), and Memory Stick/Pro. Crucial also introduced the Hi-Speed USB CF/Microdrive Reader ($20) and the Hi-Speed USB SD/MMC Reader ($17). Each supports transfers between memory cards, features an active LED to indicate flash card usage, and uses a hideaway USB extension cable.

Apps: GraphicConverter, Mirton, Videodesc...

09/10, 1:45pm

Apps: GraphicConverter, Mirton, Videodesc...

GraphicConverter 4.8.2 is an update to the popular image conversion application. It improves raw photo import, adds more shortcuts for tools, improves the crop function, updates the HTML catalog creation, and has other enhancements. The $30 shareware offers dozens of features for image manipulation. [Classic. OSX]
Blue World has released its Lasso Connector for Apache 2, which allows Lasso 5/6/7 to support Apache 2 on Mac OS X and Windows. The free Lasso Connector for Apache 2 directly supports various Apache 2 binary distributions, including the built-in Apache 2 in Mac OS X Server 10.2.x, Complete Apache 2 for Mac and Windows and more. [51KB]
Architosh reports on the release of a Palm-based CAD application with support for Mac OS X: "ZipCAD is powerful enough to load existing DXF drawings for field verification as well as the creation of CAD files in the field on the Palm OS device. Drawings can be imported or exported to and from the desktop or workstation on both Windows and Mac OS X--via the DXF file format."
David Ahmed has added two tracks to Meditation Music v5, his $10 application designed for "a fun journey into sound and virtual music." Based on Indian Ragas, it uses sound samples from popular Indian musical instruments (flute, sitar, santoor, violin, guitar and tabla) along with images to produce an individual musical experience. [9.6MB]
Liquid Ledger 1.2 ($45) is an update to the modern, personal finance solution for Mac OS X. The new release improves support for international date and number formats, has printing improvements, and makes entering financial activity even easier.
garageCUBE's freeware Miraton 2.0 is designed to play and compose music live for Mac OS X: "It is programmed to import sound files (.wav, .aiff, .mp3, .snd, .mov, any format supported by quicktime), to conceive music in a studio or in live improvisations." [1.1MB]
Videodsec 1.2 ($30) is a full-featured multimedia presentation tool that has been updated with loop features, network distribution functions, and enhanced full screen playback. The Pro ($50) version offers custom backgrounds, internet links, copyright text, and 3D-transitions, and more flexible menu options. The Pro Hybrid version also offers cross-platform presentation generation. [8.1MB]

Ultimatte releases AdvantEdge 1.5 update

09/10, 12:25pm

Ultimatte releases AdvantEdge 1.5 update

Ultimatte today at IBC introduced AdvantEdge 1.5, an upgrade to its professional-level blue screen matte extraction plug-in. This new version boasts faster setup and render times, multi-directional matte shrink and blur controls, as well as user-defined system preferences. AdvantEdge provides a comprehensive solution for creating professinal blue screen visual effects within Adobe, Apple, Avid, Discreet and other leading graphics applications. It is available now for Mac OS 9/X for $1,500.

SSI offers Mac version of LISREL modeling app

09/10, 11:20am

SSI offers Mac version of LISREL modeling app

SSI has released both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X versions of LISREL 8.5.4, its structural equation modeling application. It features full information maximum likelihood for missing data, multilevel structural equation modeling, formal inference based recursive modeling, and multiple imputation and non-linear multilevel regression modeling. It is $400 with upgrades starting at $150 from a v8.3 and $25 from the Windows version. Documentation is available separately.

Apps: SQL4X Manager J, ABFR, Grabby Window...

09/10, 11:05am

Apps: SQL4X Manager J, ABFR, Grabby Window...

MacOSGuru has released SQL4X Manager J 2.6 for Mac OS X, an update to its professional database tool. The new release introduces new powerful features, such as a Reporting Tool, JSP Code Generator, enhanced support for Oracle and MS SQL Server stored procedures, etc. Licensing ranges from $60 (Home Edition) to $150 (Enterprise Edition). [5.6MB]
Version 5.9.5 of "A Better Finder Rename" adds the ability to convert long Mac OS X file names to their short Mac OS 9 equivalents. It also features a number of other minor improvements and bug fixes. The $15 shareware contextual menu plugin allows users to quickly rename multiple files. [Classic, OSX]
Calillona 1.4 is a Sherlock plugin for searching Amazon's catalog. Version 1.4 adds a German localization, offers publisher information for the book category, and has improved logic to remember the last Amazon catalog used when starting Sherlock. [subscribe]
Hi-Voltage has released revised pricing and licensing for UpdateGenie, its unique FileMaker development tool that allows developers to create and distribute update packages. The company is offering Runtime licenses, Single-platform licenses, Cross-platform licenses, and also Unlimited licenses starting at $60.
The $10 shareware Netflix Fanatic 1.1 allows users to manage their Netflix queue from Mac OS X's desktop, including drag and drop management, queue shuffling, and other functions. Version 1.1 adds search functions, improves performance, offer better feedback, and other changes. [408KB]
Grabby Window 2.2 is a window management utility that offers a floating palette to quickly track, organize, and preview files as well as open application windows. The $36 shareware offers search functions, access to commonly used files, and file info display. [3.7MB]
AWS Guitar Tuner 1.2 is an update to the freeware Mac OS X program for musicians, exclusive to Mac OS X. The update adds support for eight common alternative tunings including Open G, Open D, Open A, Open E, E Minor, Drop D, Double Drop D, and Halfstep Down. [615KB]

Macs available in some German retail stores

09/10, 10:50am

Macs available in some German retail stores

MacNN reader J. Sell writes: "I spotted a 1.8GHz G5 in a Dortmund, Germany department store today. Dortmund is a 'solid' German city, not a trend-setter, so it says something that a normal department store (Karstadt) would have a G5 on display here -- and for sale at 2199 Euros. Also in the same display were 12- and 15- inch PowerBooks as well as an eMac."

Steinberg ships Cubase SX 2.0 pro audio app

09/10, 10:50am

Steinberg ships Cubase SX 2.0 pro audio app

Steinberg is now shipping Cubase SX 2.0, its cross-platform MIDI/audio workstation application for Mac OS X, offering a new VST audio engine with 32-bit floating point audio resolution, Freeze function for VSTi's, real multi-channel surround, Stacked Recording mode and a new user-configurable interface. The new VST audio engine features full latency compensation across all channels and complete multi-channel support as well as FX return channels and custom input/output objects. A full license is €700, while upgrades start at €170 for Cubase VST Score and €130 for Cubase SX 1.0 owners.

Apple to showcase products at Stuff LIVE 2003

09/10, 10:35am

Apple to showcase products at Stuff LIVE 2003

Apple products, including the Power Mac G5 and the new 40GB iPod, will take centre stage at Stuff LIVE 2003--the UK’s premier gadget show, which takes place at London's Olympia from September 26th to 28th: "Apple retail partner John Lewis will have a large stand at the show, and JLP staff will be on-hand to answer all your Mac-related questions."

Tech: Dell/Saturn promo, ExtremeZ-IP, IBM..

09/10, 10:10am

Tech: Dell/Saturn promo, ExtremeZ-IP, IBM..

Morning tech news: Following Apple's Pods Unite promotion with Volkswagen, Dell and Saturn have teamed up to offer a free Dell Desktop with every Saturn car purcahse in the US; Creo, the world's largest independent supplier of prepress systems, has licensed ExtremeZ-IP server software; HP plans to unveil a new strategy aimed at increasing its sales to small and medium-size businesses; and IBM's new approach to building transistors with both strained silicon and a silicon insulator on the same wafer could lead to faster, more energy efficient chips in a few years.

Red Marble Games ships Bugatron game title

09/10, 10:00am

Red Marble Games ships Bugatron game title

Red Marble Games has announced Bugatron, a unique new arcade shooter: "Though it may appear at first glance to be another Galaga clone, Bugatron is much more. It starts with a classic retro arcade idea but takes it into a new dimension. Bugatron is an all-3D arcade that sets itself apart from all the clones with creative level design that completely reinvents the genre. Every level brings some twist on the old ideas. It starts with blasting diving, swooping enemies, but then moves on." The $20 game title is available for Mac OS X.

SpamSieve 2 improves Bayesian spam filtering

09/10, 9:50am

SpamSieve 2 improves Bayesian spam filtering

C-Command's SpamSieve 2.0 brings Bayesian spam filtering to virtually any e-mail client under Mac OS X: "It learns what your spam looks like, so it can block nearly all of it. It looks at your address book and learns what your good messages look like, so it won't confuse them with spam. SpamSieve actually gets better over time as you train it with more messages." It now extracts more information from messages for better accuracy, integrates with Eudora 6 via a plugin, features a blocklist and a whitelist, offers control over its filtering aggressiveness, and other filtering enhancements. It is a free update to the $25 application.

'Ringing' endorsement for G5 Power Mac

09/10, 9:40am

'Ringing' endorsement for G5 Power Mac

Virgina Tech's G5 Supercomputing Project may help substantiate the speed and cost-effectiveness of the new Power Mac G5: "While it wasn't Apple's idea, the company stands to benefit big-time. The opportunity isn't in supercomputing itself, a small market in which Apple has no standing. But Virginia Tech's progress in building a Mac-based supercomputer represents a high-profile endorsement of Apple's new G5 desktop, released just weeks ago, and the the first desktop to use a 64-bit microprocessor. Says Charles Wolf, who follows Apple (AAPL ) for investment boutique Needham & Co.: 'Virginia Tech is in effect blessing the G5 and its cost-effectiveness.'"

Macromedia ships Studio MX 2004

09/10, 9:35am

Macromedia ships Studio MX 2004

Macromedia today began shipping Studio MX 2004 ($900), which includes major new releases of its web graphics and design tools: Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks. Macromedia today also announced the Studio MX 2004 K-12 Site License Solution, which offers Studio MX 2004 for use throughout the school as well as home-use rights for teachers and two additional curriculum projects: Digital Narrative for Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Build a Town Website for Dreamweaver MX 2004. It will be available in October 2003 to qualified K-12 public and private schools for one set price based on school enrollment. A $500 discount is offered through the end of September. (Earlier today we noted the release of Flash Player 7 and demos of the MX 2004 product line.)

Flash Player 7, MX 2004 trials available

09/10, 1:00am

Flash Player 7, MX 2004 trials available

Macromedia today posted a final version of its Macromedia Flash Player 7.0r14 browser plugin, which it announced late last month. Flash Player 7 offers significant performance improvements, CSS support, and both ActionScript 2.0 and SOAP web services support. It requires Mac OS X 10.1 and works with Internet Explorer, Safari, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, and AOL browsers. Macromedia also posted demos of its Dreamweaver MX 2004, Flash MX 2004, Fireworks MX 2004, and Flash MX Professional 2004. Trials of each application require registration on Macromedia's website.

CodeTek debuts Deskfinity desktop icon app

09/10, 12:55am

CodeTek debuts Deskfinity desktop icon app

CodeTek Studios today announced Deskfinity 1.0 Beta 1, which joins VirtualDesktop ($30) and DockExtender ($20) in its line of productivity application products for Mac OS X 10.2. Deskfinity allows a user to have more than one set of desktop icons available. If theDesktop is cluttered with icons for various tasks, Deskfinity will allow the user to createan infinite number of desktop icon sets--all of which can be accessed via a menu, configurable HotKeys, or AppleScript commands. It is freely available as a public beta (requires registration); pricing will be $25.

ExtendAir enhances G5 AirPort coverage

09/10, 12:45am

ExtendAir enhances G5 AirPort coverage

Dr. Bott today introduced the ExtendAir Direct (+ 6.5 dBi) and ExtendAir Omni (+ 3.5 dBi) AirPort antennas for the Power Mac G5. The Apple-certified dual-diversity antennas offer wireless connectivity at a greater distance while providing a wider and more uniform wireless coverage. The Power Mac G5 has a built-in antenna port that is compatible with each antenna and Dr. Bott says that users can simply exchange the built-in T-antenna. ExtendAir Direct ($150) and ExtendAir Omni ($100) are available from Dr. Bott, its authorized resellers, the Apple online store and Apple retail stores across the country.