INM releases Impressario 1.1 with new features

Integration New Media today announced that it has added powerful new features to Impressario, its $440 tool, for integrating Adobe PDF documents into Macromedia Director movies. Impressario 1.1 now includes the following new features and enhancements: support for form controls, new methods, a new Mac OS X-flavored toolbar, new optional parameters in the Print() method, improved speed for selecting text, and GetSelectedText() and GetPageText() now support accented characters within the Roman character set.

CodeTek VirtualDesktop 3.0 for multiple workspaces

CodeTek has announces the availability of VirtualDesktop 3.0, the general release of its $40 flagship application designed to increase users’ productivity. It enables users to work on multiple projects, while keeping each project its own separate workspace. It allows users to separate multiple tasks and place each one into its own virtual desktop. "We thank the more than 2,500 beta testers who made valuable suggestions during the last month,” said Bill Goldstein, CodeTek Studio’s President and CEO.

'Steer clear of Apple', urges Napster boss

Napster CEO Chris Gorog has warned music delegates at the Midem international music fair in Cannes to "stay-off the Apple platform," reports MacWorld UK. Gorog's attempt to convince music execs they should make their record catalogues available on Napster rather than Apple was based on claims that Napster's Windows-based PC platform is compatible with two-thirds of all the mobile music devices currently available. A report on Mail & Guardian Online suggests: "2004 could see war break out between the fledgling host of new legitimate online stores due to launch this year".

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Jumsoft Releases Keynote Objects 2.0

Jumsoft has released Keynote Objects 2.0, the latest edition of its $35 package of transparent QuickTime animations for Apple Keynote presentations. "We used the great advantages of the QuickTime and Quartz Extreme technologies to create amazing movies (objects)," the developer explains, "the movie itself is driven by QuickTime, while the transparency - by Quartz Extreme." Keynote Objects 2.0 package includes 40 transparent, high-quality objects.

Ars examines iPod/iPod Mini pricing scheme

Ars Technica takes a look at the pricing of the iPod Mini, which costs $250. The 4GB player is only $50 less than the 15GB standard iPod, leaving many consumers "scratching their heads." However, editor Eric Bangeman points out, "It is not meant to be an alternative to the iPod," and the pricing "does not look as bad when compared with its intended target market."

MacNN outage due to drive failure

MacNN (and related sites) suffered a drive failure this morning 9:45 am ET, which resulted in over 5 hours of downtime for some our services. Our forums, mail, and other services (team.macnn.com and chat.macnn.com) remained active during the outage. We apologize to our readers and are committed to installing procedures to minimize the downtime after such a catastrophic failure. We will work to catch up on news details over the next few hours and encourage news submissions and any comments.

Government interested in 'Big Mac', Xserve G5 upgrade

A Virginia Tech spokesperson said the university and Apple have received "a number of inquiries" from federal agencies to use the university's installation or its supercomputer-kit technology to build their own supercomputer installations, according to TechWeb: "Virginia Tech's decision to replace its 'Big Mac' supercomputer processors with Apple Xserve G5 servers will make the installation more attractive to the federal agencies and organizations negotiating with the university for its novel supercomputer technology."

Rainjul offers Polywogg journaling service for OS X

Rainjul today announced Polywogg for Mac OS X Panther, its journaling/blogging service. "Polywogg for Mac OS X Panther has been completely re-written from the ground up. It offers some incredible new capabilities, including video blogging with iSight cameras, iPhoto integration, the ability to take snapshots of web pages and much more." A desktop client makes updates easy and it automatically syndicates journal content worldwide via the web and RSS. It is available for $15 per year with a free 1-year subscription to .Mac members.

FingerWorks debuts MacNTouch Gesture Keyboard

FingerWorks today announces the MacNTouch Gesture Keyboard for the Mac G4 line of PowerBooks and iBooks. The MacNTouch Gesture Keyboard serves as mouse, standard keyboard, and powerful multi-finger gesture interpreter: "Mouse operations like point, click, drag, scroll, and zoom are combined seamlessly with touch-typing and multi-finger gesture everywhere on the MacNTouch's surface. Proprietary hardware and software allows pointing right over the keys, thus eliminating the frequent movement of the hand between the keyboard and the touchpad." It requires installation by a technician. It is $260 for the 15" Aluminum PowerBook.

Informatix offers Piranesi demo for Mac OS X

Informatix Software has released a demo version of Piranesi, its '3D painting' tool that allows you to start with a simple rendering of a 3D model, and quickly develop it into high quality images ready for client presentations: "Using Piranesi, architects and designers can start with simple models and renderings, and rapidly paint in extra detail or use artistic, hand-drawn effects. Most popular 3D modellers and viewers can create Piranesi EPix files. Piranesi can also render 3DS or DXF files, via its sister program Vedute which is also supplied in demo form." Tutorials and sample data files are included in the demo.

Phelios releases Abracadabra arcade game

Phelios today released Abracadabra, its new an arcade game that "will take you on a magical trip. Create or destroy your destiny with the 'Whack!' of a magic wand. That wand, by the way, is of key importance and could save your life. With it, you'll make or break walls. Speaking of key, your mission is to find one without having your journey thwarted. You'll use your supernatural powers wisely to protect you from the crazy creatures trying to foil your task." The demo offers 15 free levels, while the full version ($25) features 115 levels. It runs on Mac OS X only.

SanDisk ships 1GB Secure Disk flash memory cards

SanDisk today began shipping the world's first production 1GB Secure Digital (SD) flash card, which contains a unique "stackable" packaging technology jointly implemented with Sharp Corporation of Japan. This new package employs a low-cost, high-yielding die-stacking process that is designed to enable SanDisk to double the memory capacity without increasing the size of the card. The new cards are $500.

Bare Bones releases BBEdit 7.1.2 update

Bare Bones Software today released BBEdit 7.1.2, the latest version of the award-winning HTML and text editor for the Macintosh. BBEdit 7.1.2 is a maintenance release to fix reported issues and add minor enhancements and refinements. BBEdit 7.1.2 is $180. Registered owners can upgrade to BBEdit 7.1 for $50 (from BBEdit 6.5) or $60 (from BBEdit 6.1 or later).

IOGEAR debuts new KVM with audio sharing...

IOGEAR has introduced its MiniView Micro USB Plus and MiniView Micro Audio KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switches. Users can now control USB or PS/2 computers with a single keyboard, monitor and mouse, while sharing multimedia speakers. Both models feature built-in six-foot cables for easy setup, and IOGEAR's patented VSE Video Signal Enhancement technology which boosts the video signal and supports high resolutions. The MiniView Micro USB Plus switch is priced at $80, while the MiniView Micro Audio Switch is priced at $60.

Tech: email worm, HP servers with AMD, Amtrak Wi-Fi

Early morning tech: Network administrators are working to stop a fast-spreading Windows e-mail worm spreads itself and installs a program that leaves an open door to infected computers; Hewlett-Packard plans to release new servers using AMD's Opteron processor, another significant win for AMD; Amtrak is expanding its Wi-Fi service to six Northeastern U.S. train stations, in a move to attract more business travelers.

Virginia Tech to upgrade supercomputer to Xserve G5

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will upgrade its supercomputer to the dual-processor Xserve G5 (from PowerMac G5s), according to Reuters: "The new system, which went online toward the end of last year and which Virginia Tech said was the most powerful supercomputer at any university in the world at the time, will be completed by May. By moving to the thinner servers, the supercomputer will consume less power and generate less heat" as well as reduce the system's size by a factor of three. "The price of the upgrade has not yet settled on, but Varadarajan said it would be minimal compared to the cost of building a new supercomputer from scratch."

IGG releases iWorks 2 with new interface, networking

IGG Software has released iWork 2.01, an update to its time-billing and project management application that integrates with iCal and Address Book. Version 2 offers a new single-window interface, new networking functions, and a new File Cabinet, which will automatically launch iWork when associated files (in the cambinet) are in use. IGG also released iWork Server 1.0 and iWork Client, which provide a networking solution for a multi-user environment. Upgrades are $16, while the full version is $30; iWork Server 1.0 starts at $75 (2-client license).

SubRosaSoft.com releases FTPDroplet

SubRosaSoft.com today released FTPDroplet, an easy-to-use application to help a user to upload files to web servers (FTP Servers) quickly and easily. "Once you enter the account information for the ftp site, you can simply drag-and-drop files you want to upload and FTPDroplet will take care of the rest. No settings, buttons, menus, or mouse-clicks, it's just plain simple to use. You can even have multiple FTPDroplets for various ftp sites." The freeware requires registration and runs on Mac OS X 10.2 or later.

Apps: SpamRoboCop, BookLightning, iScreensaver, ...

• CasBaH Software today released version 1.2.2 of SpamRoboCop, the utility to quicly finish SpamCop reports on the Web. This release addresses a minor issue with MailSmith compatibility and recognizes the new address from which mail is sent from SpamCop. [Download - 116KB]


• metaobject has released BookLightning 1.1, an update to the small $50 imposition program for booklets and simple magazines. Version 1.1 uses the newest EGOS engine to "dramatically improve performance" to the point where conversion is instantaneous for most files. [Download - 984KB]


• iScreensaver Designer 3.2 ($30) adds support for Mac OS X 10.3 and bug fixes to the cross-platform screensaver editor. iScreensaver Designer creates screensavers for Mac OS X and Windows XP. [Download - 7.0MB]


• SpamSieve has been updated to version 2.1.2, introducing better integration with Apple Mail and Entourage. The update to the $25 anti-spam software also introduces an improved registration system, and improved usability. [Download - 2.3MB]


• einstein’s legacy has released Cinematics 1.1, an update to the $25 media player, which allows users to build and manage playlists of digital movies. This new release extends Cinematics' functionality by adding features that enhance movie playback, provide greater operational stability and ease of use, and protect against any accidental data lose. [Download - form]


• simpleDays 3.2 ($15) is an update to the integrated suite of personal information and time management tools. Features include: a perpetual calendar, pop-up reminders of special events, "to do" management, a personal journal, a day planner, contact information management, searchable on-line help, and more. [Download - 1.9MB]


• Name those Files! ($12.50) allows users to quickly and easily "get a handle on your ever increasing file collections." With NtF!, users can select a source folder and then rename all of the files contained therein with a more helpful name that optionally includes a prefix or suffix including the date, numbered counters, and custom text. [Download - 1.9MB]


• Bleu Rose has released version 8.1 of Black & Bleu/Std and Black & Bleu/Pro, the $30 error code definition and and explanation guide. This maintenance release (free to all 8.0 licensees) adds several more error codes and reclassifies some errors into additional categories. [Download - 2.2MB]