News Archive for 03/11/18

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Reader: Blink-182 album anomaly on ITMS

11/18, 11:45pm

iTMS album list anomaly

MacNN reader Luke writes: "I bought the new Blink-182 album off iTunes last night around 10 p.m. PST. This morning I noticed you cannot buy it as an album anymore and track 5 (Stockholm Syndrome) was no longer available." Apple has not commented on the issue. The latest album by the popular punk rock band was recently added to the iTunes music store. The band also recently posted a new music video hosted by Apple and using QuickTime technology.

Xinet's FullPress XT arrives for QuarkXPress 6

11/18, 11:30pm

FullPress XT for Quark 6

Quark and Xinet today announced the release of Xinet’s FullPress XTensions module with support of QuarkXPress 6. Prepress and printing customers can use the FullPress XTensions module to integrate QuarkXPress, "the most widely used page layout tool in the world," with a server-based workflow to create PDF/X-1a files. The Xinet Web site has not been updated with pricing or specific details.

Apps: Phlink, Suck It Down, Spamnix, Mac Sweeper, ...

11/18, 11:15pm

Phlink, Lasso, Spamnix

Ovolab today released Phlink 1.1, a maintenance update to the telephony software, formerly knows as InTouch. Combined with the Ovolab Telephone Adapter, a small USB device, Phlink can answer telephone calls and identify the caller through Caller ID, as well as record messages. [Download - 461KB]
R.A.D Productions has released Suck It Down 1.6, a major update to the popular Web content downloading application. Version 1.6 brings many internal changes and a new simpler interface. [Download - 461KB]
The $50 Quark XTension Redefine Style Sheet 2 offers the ability to manage Quark Xpress 4/5 stylesheets: "With Redefine Style Sheet you simply define, redefine, rename, and apply style sheets based on the selected text in your document. There is no need to wade through layers of dialogs to get your work done." It runs on Mac OS 8/9/X and support for Quark 6 is "coming soon". [Download - 383KB]
Spamnix 1.1.18 ($30) for Eudora is a plug-in for Qualcomm Eudora that blocks unwanted spam email by moving it to a special mailbox called "Spamnix." It now works with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and fixes a few bugs. [1.1MB]
Ready,Set,Go! 7.6.2 brings Mac OS X 10,3 Panther support to the simple page layout application with support for grids, guides, drawing tools, arrows, graphic file import and a word processor. New features include native PDF, Postscript, and RTF export. It is a free upgrade to the $175 application. [Download - 5.2MB]
Austin Sarner has released Mac Sweeper 1.7, an update to his system tool for Mac OS X that offers dozens of system optimizing commands, including executing daily/weekly/monthly scripts, update prebinding, repair permissions, purge caches and log files, and others. It is freeware for Mac OS X. [Download - 110KB]
Studiometry 1.1.3 adds better Panther support, sorting by number value, and countless bug fixes to the professional organization tool. Studiometry costs $55 to purchase. [Download - 3.8MB]
Blue World today announced that its Lasso Professional Web development product is compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 'Panther.' All versions of Lasso Professional, including the forthcoming version 7, will run on Panther, the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system recently released by Apple.
Bias has released updates for Peak, SoundSoap and Deck to add Mac OS X 10.3 support. All updates are free downloads to license owners of the respective software titles. [Download - Peak 4.0.3, Deck 3.5.2, SoundSoap 1.1]
Copper 2004 is a Web-based project management and collaboration software tool that allows creative consultancies and departments to share and manage information more effectively. Users can license the software to run on their servers, host with Copper, or request a bespoke solution.

Tech: SCO/Boies deal; cybercrime treaty; more …

11/18, 6:35pm

Tech: cyber crime treaty …

Tech news: Officially, the "news" teleconference SCO held this morning was to announce a new deal between SCO and the David Boies legal firm to attack the 1994 AT&T/BSD settlement, reports NewsForge; U.S. President Georege Bush has asked the U.S. Senate to ratify the first international cybercrime treaty; Cisco has teamed-up with three top antivirus companies to create a new security technology that would keep insecure mobile devices away from corporate networks; and Sun will install its Linux desktop software on more than 200 million computers in China, making it the No. 1 Linux desktop player in the market.

Spherico seeks beta testers for BounceUs

11/18, 6:20pm

Spherico seeks testers

Spherico is seeking beta testers for the latest version of BounceUs, its audio bouncer and player for BWF and SD2 files. "Spherico is seeking for serious users, who either test current development versions or supply some features requests for professional pre production for film editing." Spherico allows to "bounce up to ten tracks of BWF or SD mono files into one stereo file in a batch process and keep all meta data." Output choices include BWF or QuickTime for Apple’s Final Cut Pro. Pan settings can be adjusted by the user, and levels are corrected accordingly.

Global Graphics adds OS X support to Jaws PDF

11/18, 5:45pm

Jaws PDF gets OS X support

Global Graphics has added Mac OS X support and new file delivery alternatives to Jaws PDF Courier, its software for customized creation and delivery of documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). In addition to full Mac OS X support, this new version of Jaws PDF Courier features an enhanced "SendIt" application that allows alternative deliveries based on a file size threshold setting, this includes custom messages prompt or command line program execution. Pricing is based on custom installation and OEM providers.

iPod seen as growth engine in Taiwan

11/18, 5:05pm

iPod a hit in Taiwan

Apple's iPod digital music player is one of the hottest toys in Taiwan today, according to Apple Country Manager Jack Tong, who said at the launch of Apple's iPod Music Bus in Taipe the sleek digital music player had been flying off the shelves this past quarter. "Worldwide, over 1 million iPods have been sold," Tong said. "Our sales performance in the past quarter was particularly impressive. Globally, we grew 140 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period last year."

Apple prepping Mac OS X 10.3.2; seeded to developers

11/18, 4:50pm

Mac OS X 10.3.2 seeded

Apple is readying the next (minor) update to Mac OS X 10.3 and has provided developers with an advance seed of Version 10.3.2, marked build 7D12, which will include updates to networking, graphics drivers, and USB as welll as WebDAV, international text, and AFP Server, according to Microsoft Watch. The update follows the release of Mac OS X 10.3.1, which offered improvements to WebDAV, FileVault, and FireWire 800 drive usage, as well as tweaks to disk image mounting, printing, and iDisk access.

Digit Magazine offers free Canvas 7 with latest issue

11/18, 3:20pm

Digit offers free Canvas 7

Digit magazine is giving away Canvas 7 with its latest issue, which is on sale at news stands now. Digit 68 also includes Canvas 7 tutorials in the magazine. The magazine is available for order online or as part of a year-long subscription of 13 issues: "Canvas 7 is an award-winning creative suite, and offers professional tools found in the likes of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Macromedia Fireworks, and QuarkXPress. The giveaway also includes hundreds of free fonts and samples to help get you started." Upgrades to Canvas 9 (the latest version) are $200.

Apps: InterGate, CPUfrequency, QuickTime Tiler, ATI

11/18, 3:00pm

InterGate, ATI drivers

Vicomsoft has released InterGate 8.5.3 for Mac OS X, which brings Panther compatibility to its $100 internet sharing and gateway software with firewall, web cache, network management, content filtering, connection sharing, and antispam functions. (Vicomsoft is currently testing compatibility with Mac OS X 10.3 Server.) [9.5MB]
The freeware CPUfrequency Scripts run a shell script to display the actual processor CPU speed: "for some reason, my computer thought that my 867mhz G4 chip was only capable of running at 533mhz. Evidently, it is tied into Power Management." [20KB]
Share2Blue2th is a freeware set of Bluetooth scripts that allow for syncing a PowerBook with the Bluetooth-enabled Nokia 3650. [175KB]
Chaotic Software has released QuickTime Tiler 1.5, which can display QuickTime media files on your desktop: users can easily create mosaics of movies and images for display on your screen. It adds aspect ratio scaling, looping, random play, and movie borders. A 15-day trial of the $10 utility is available. [278KB]
Application Wizard 1.3 ($15) lets you launch applications at startup, force applications to open in Classic, quit and relaunch apps, quit background-only applications, start/stop Classic, etc. Users can customize application options, including hide apps that belong to particular group. [no size]
Loan Calc 1.5.3 ($13) is an easy-to-use tool intended to calculate loans and mortgages repayments (monthly and total interest, total repayments) and generates a full repayment list. It offers Excel export options as well as new interface tweaks, better list printout, etc. [Classic, OSX]
ATI's latest drivers for Radeon Mac Edition 3.1.1 is designed for Mac OS X 10.2.8 users: "If you have a newer release of Mac OS X, you should already have the required ATI components as part of your OS. Running this installer will not install anything. This installer and its core driver set are not compatible with Panther, Mac OS X 10.3." [2.0MB]
Script Software's Copy Paste X 1.6.1 updates its $20 multiple clipboard utility for Mac OS X. Version 1.6 features translucent iconized palettes, a new multi selection feature, a keyboard command to append info to the clipboard, better sorting, tool tip on/off preferences, and more. [2.5MB]

PC Magazine: Power Mac G5 takes top PC honors in 2003

11/18, 2:20pm

G5 named PC Mag\'s top PC

PC Magazine today announced the winners of its 20th annual Awards for Technical Excellence, which it says "recognize products or technologies that have advanced the state of the art; and will have a significant impact on the future directions of technology." Apple's Power Mac G5 was named the 2003 winner in the Personal Computers category, while other 10 winners included AMD Opteron and Athlon 64 (Components), Microsoft Office 2003 (Communication Software), 802.11g (Protocols), PalmOne Treo 600 (Mobile Devices), and HP CEO Carly Fiorina (Person of the Year).

DiVA, 3ivx D4 4.5 offer MPEG1/MPEG2 transcoding

11/18, 12:40pm

DiVA, 3ivx D4 4.5 released

3ivx today released DiVA 1.0, a MPEG-1/MPEG-2 video converter for Mac OS X that supports QuickTime, MPEG, MOV, SMP, AltiVec, YUV, Cocoa, Quartz, and XML. The application will convert MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams to MPEG-4 file format, using an all-YUV graphics pipeline and pro-level image scaling for maximum image fidelity. It has been optimized to take advantage of 3ivx D4 4.5 features and offers automatic dual pass encoding, which collects statistics about the video on the first pass and uses that information to distribute the bitrate over the entire video clip to make better coding decisions duringg the second pass. [DiVA, 3ivx D4 4.5-OSX, 3ivx D4 4.5-OS9]

PC-Mac-Net FileShare 3.0 adds features, performance

11/18, 12:15pm

PC-Mac-Net FileShare 3.0

Lava Software is now shipping PC-Mac-Net FileShare 3.0 ($25), which allows users to share files easily and securely between computers connected over a LAN or the Internet. New features include resumable folder transfers, improved transfer rates, streamlined Internet file sharing, multiple file and folder transfers, support for files larger than 2GB, remote computer folder navigation controls, and full Mac OS X 8.6 compatibility. The new Professional Edition ($40) adds encrypted data transfers, providing a simple Virtual Private Network (VPN) function which protects confidential data from snooping during file transfers over wireless networks or over the Internet.

SWF'n Slide produces Flash content from images, music

11/18, 12:00pm

SWF\'n Slide 1.0

Vertical Moon has released SWF'n Slide 1.0 takes digital images and music and creates a Flash-based slide show for distribution via the Internet or on CD-ROMs. The application will export HTML pages, generate self-executable show files in Flash or QuickTime, and supports most image and sound file formats. It includes over 150 sophisticated transition effects and other such special effects such as fireworks, falling snow, and hearts as well as photo editing functions (resize, crop, rotate, flip), pan/zoom camera effects, and text captions. A free demo of the $50 application is available.

Apps: NetToolBox, ActiveDeveloper, Muwse, iCash

11/18, 11:35am

NetToolBox, ActiveDeveloper

Orator 2.0 is a small application used to convert typed text into a AIFF sound file: "Type, paste, or drag text to the window, pick a voice and save the text to a file. Orator can also read text aloud." Version 2.0 of the freeware adds support for speech rate and relative volume and also uses the metal theme. [131KB]
NetToolBox 2.5.1 (£20) updates the all-in-one network utility with a few bug fixes andother UI tweaks for Panther. It also introduces a new Ping tool ("completely rewritten") to its suite of tools that also include a DNS Query Tool, new traceroute tool, an SSL terminal, port info database, and Rendezvous-based tools. [2.2MB]
SQLitePlugin 1.3.1 ($30) is a simple-to-use database plugin for REALbasic built on top of SQLite, an embeddable, stand-alone SQL database library written in C. SQLite databases are stored as files on the user's local filesystem. SQLitePluginPro 1.0b2 ($90) offers both bug fixes and improved performance in the drop-in replacement for REALbasic's built-in database engine.
ActiveDeveloper 2.16 is an update to its runtime Objective-C & C IDE, JIT compiler and debugger -- supporting Cocoa, WebKit and QuickTime. With its "Develop & Continue" ActiveDeveloper takes an object- and development-oriented approach for combining development and debuggin. It now offers integration Apple's Xcode IDE. Pricing is $50 (personal) or $100 (commercial). [Jaguar, Panther]
Chilton Webb's SetWindowAlpha for SuperCard 4.1 lets SuperCard developers set the transparency level of any window, quickly and easily. This feature only will work on a Mac running OSX Jaguar or Panther.
MAKI Enterprise has updated Muwse 2.2, its multilingual HTML editor for Mac OS 9/X. Version 2.2 supports Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, offers improves Unicode encode/decode support, and other changes. English and Japanese versions are available. [1.6MB]
Automatic Duck today said it would release updated versions of its Final Cut Pro plugins for use with FCP 4.1's XML interchange by mid-December: "Our goal is to have 4.1 plug-ins out in early-to-mid December. This includes the export plug-in for getting to After Effects/Boris RED, the Pro Exporter for taking OMF into Avid editing systems, and of course, the missing link: OMF import into Final Cut Pro."
Maxprog's iCash 1.4.2 is a $25 shareware personal finance and money manager is designed to track income, expenses, credits, etc using unlimited categories, multiple account creation, a built-in SQL-based database, password protection, export/import, and other functions. It improves QIF import and offers Panther interface tweaks. [Classic, OSX]

Unsanity ShapeShifter 1.0 implements Mac OS X themes

11/18, 11:10am

ShapeShifter offers themes

Unsanity today released ShapeShifter 1.0, a "haxie" for Mac OS X that allows users to change the overall appearance of your Mac using 'themes': "We're not talking about just desktop backgrounds and icons here, we're talking about everything - the look of windows, menus, buttons, absolutely everything." The $20 utility offers the ability to preview themes, swap themes with other users (including Jaguar users), and change the GUI of the system environment without stability issues.

Iconfactory updates TiSystem icon set for Mac OS X

11/18, 10:45am

TiSystem icons

The Iconfactory has updated its popular TiSystem Mac OS X icon set: "After over two years of unrelenting requests, Iconfactory artist Corey Marion has updated and expanded his Titanium Folders set for use with CandyBar. TiSystem is a complete system replacement collection optimized for Jaguar and Panther and is available now in the Showroom." It also introduced a new Quick Pix area, where the company says it will post those random sets of pixels that we find when we clean up the factory floor.

Firium 2.0 offers EQ "States", RTAS compatibility

11/18, 10:45am

Firum 2.0 phase equalizer

Elemental Audio Systems today announced today Firium 2.0, an update to its flagship linear phase equalizer. In addition to a redesigned user interface, version 2.0 brings Digidesign Pro Tools RTAS compatibility and offers an updated sophisticated spectrum matching engine that learns the spectral profile of an audio source and applies it to another--either manually or automatically. Firium also offers a new comprehensive State feature that allows user's to store up to 50 EQ "States" for instant recall or automation. It is a free upgrade to the $130 application.

Apple offers 20" iMac, dual-1.8GHz G5, G5 app updates

11/18, 10:35am

Apple announcements

Apple today launched its new 20-inch flat-panel iMac priced at $2,200 (1.25GHz G4/80GB/512MB/SuperDrive) featuring a 1680x1050 resolution as well as added a new dual-1.8GHz processor Power Mac G5 for $2,500, $100 more than the previous $2,499 single-processor 1.8GHz Power Mac G5. Apple today also released free G5-optimized updates for its Pro-level software (Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro and Shake). Apple's recently Bluetooth 1.4.1 (for Mac OS X 10.3) and Bluetooth 1.3.3 (for Mac OS X 10.2.8) are now available via the Web with minor improvements.

KavaSoft offers iTunes Catalog 1.2 for Mac OS X

11/18, 10:15am

iTunes Catalog 1.2

KavaSoft has released iTunes Catalog 1.2 for Mac OS X, an update to its utility that creates web catalogs of any iTunes music library, displays the cover artwork for each album, and copies album artwork into iTunes. iTunes Catalog 1.2 now allows you to create catalogs from playlists, so you can select precisely which music to display. In addition, you can now create catalogs directly from your iPod and the update also introduces one-click publishing on .Mac for instant publishing to the Web (or via Web Sharing on any Mac). iTunes Catalog costs $10 and can be used on part of any iTunes library for free.

Apple offers G5-optimized versions of Pro Software

11/18, 10:00am

G5-optimized Pro apps

Apple today unveiled G5-optimized versions of Final Cut Pro 4, Shake 3 and DVD Studio Pro 2 which it says also take advantage of Panther. The new version 4.1 of Final Cut Pro now delivers simultaneous playback of seven fully uncompressed standard definition (SD) video streams with real-time effects using a dual-2.0GHz processor Power Mac G5 and Xserve RAID. The new G5-optimized Final Cut Pro 4.1, Shake 3.0.1 and DVD Studio Pro 2.0.2, with the new Compressor 1.1 update, are immediately available for current customers.

Apple offers new dual-1.8GHz Power Mac G5 model

11/18, 9:55am

dual-1.8GHz Power Mac G5

Apple today introduced a new model of its Power Mac G5 desktop computer: the new dual-processor 1.8GHz Power Mac G5 is $2,500, while the company lowered the price of the single processor 1.6GHz model to $1,800. The Power Mac G5 lineup now includes three models: dual-processor 2.0GHz, dual-processor 1.8GHz and single processor 1.6 GHz. The new model offers dual 1.8GHz 64-bit PowerPC G5, dual-independent 900 MHz front-side buses; 512MB of 400MHz 128-bit DDR SDRAM; 160GB Serial ATA 7200 rpm hard drive; an AGP 8X Pro graphics slot; an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB DDR SDRAM; 3 PCI-X slots (one 64-bit, 133 MHz, two 64-bit 100 MHz); and a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW).

Apple introduces 20-inch LCD iMac

11/18, 9:50am

20\" iMac launched

Apple today introduced new 20-inch iMac, which it says is "the largest flat-panel display ever offered in an all-in-one desktop." The new 20-inch iMac offers twice as much screen area as the 15-inch display model, enabling users to view more than two full pages side-by-side and includes Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. The widescreen display offers a resolution of up to 1680x1050. The 20-inch iMac is $2,200 and features a 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256MB of 333MHz DDR SDRAM, 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW), NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics processor with 64MB video memory, two FireWire 400 and three USB 2.0 ports, internal support for AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth, an 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive running at 7200rpm, and Apple Pro speakers.

Slim Devices debuts Squeezebox wireless MP3 player

11/18, 7:00am

Squeezebox streams MP3s

Slim Devices today introduced Squeezebox, a wireless networked MP3 player with built-in display that streams music from a computer to any stereo or home theater system. The company also released SlimServer 5.0, an open-source application that powers the Squeezebox wireless network MP3 player.

Apps: GCam, XMMS Remote, EOS Image Manager

11/18, 3:10am

GCam, Photo to Movie

GCam 1.1 is a free software application for recording video in QuickTime format from an iSight or other FireWire video source. It fixes a few bugs and now runs more effectively with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. [50KB]
X2 Studios, Ltd. has updated the source code of its xmms remote control software for Panther. XMMS Remote 2.01 is a two part software solution that uses web-services to remotely control and display the status of the xmms media player. [option-click]
EOS Image Manager 0.9.1 is a Cocoa application that enables users to quickly view, thumbnail, rename, and manage (move, copy, and delete) image files from a single, elegant interface. The free Mac OS X application can organize thousands of downloaded images. [202KB]
Photo to Movie 2.5 ($50) can "turn your digital photos into stunning QuickTime movies. [It] will gently zoom and pan across your photos, blending them together while moving from one photo to another." Version 2.5 adds support for Sountracks, motion presets, flipping/rotating source photos, automatic photo orientation based on EXIF tags, and improved performance. [1.7MB]
Burnz 1.02 updates the $13 drag-and-drop disc-burning application that claims to burn data discs "at least twice as fast as the Finder on most Macs, and makes the disc burning process almost as easy as using magnetic removable media. Burnz works with any burner and disc media supported by Apple." [586KB]