News Archive for 04/04/29

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Apple investigating iPod update problems

04/29, 11:30pm

iPod update problems?

Apple said Thursday that it is investigating reports that some iPod owners have had trouble updating their devices to take advantage of the company's latest version of its iTunes jukebox software, according to CNET News.com: "a number of iPod owners say that when they run the software that is supposed to upgrade their devices, the software cannot detect their iPod. 'Apple is aware of a few isolated reports and is looking into it,' the company said in a statement provided to CNET News.com. Apple encouraged those who encounter a problem to contact AppleCare."

ScholarWord adds academic features to Word

04/29, 10:15pm

ScholarWord for MS Word

ScholarWord 1.1 ($20) is a Multi-Platform, Microsoft Word integration that helps overcome the obstacles one might encounter in academic writing. ScholarWord accomplishes this by "seamlessly integrating powerful tools and information into your writing environment." ScholarWord was developed from the ground up to help all students, regardless of level, writing ability, or assignment. The MLA Edition has recently been released. APA, CBE, Chicago Manual of Style, and Pro Editions will be available soon.

CEI adds OS X support to software line

04/29, 6:20pm

CEI OS X support

CEI has added support for Mac OS X platform to its EnSight, EnSight Gold, EnLiten, EnVideo and EnVe visualization products. EnSight and EnSight Gold are software for visualizing, analyzing and communicating computational results for automotive, aerospace, chemical and scientific visualization problems. EnLiten, EnVideo and EnVe are free software packages that provide an easy way to use EnSight animations for collaboration and communication. "Benchmark testing by CEI indicates that Mac performance for EnSight equals or exceeds implementations on UNIX, Linux and Windows."

Apps: EarthBrowser, DVDxDV, MBS, BCC, MouseWorks...

04/29, 5:30pm

Apps: DVDxDV, MBS...

EarthBrowser 2.0.2 ($30) is an update to the utility to track the latest weather, earthquakes, webcams and more in a live 3D model of the earth. This maintenance release fixes incorrect daylight savings time settings in southern hemisphere, and reduces the city font. [Download - 3.4MB]
Business Card Composer 2.2($40) is an update to the application creating and printing business cards. This update features Japanese localization and a number of functionality improvements and fixes. [Download - 9.3MB]
MBS 4.1, a plug-in for REALbasic, comprises a collection of several plug-in parts which extend the REALbasic development environment with over 380 classes and four controls. Version 4.1 adds Picture Effect classes, a Clipboard class, improved OS X support, and improved Realbasic 5.5 support. [Download - 16.5MB]
DVDxDV ($25) and DVDxDV Pro ($80) have been updated to version 1.08. The DVD extraction software now has better picture quality and complete support for DVDs made from standalone DVD recorders. [Download - 794KB]
Kensington MouseWorks 2.5b2 is an update to the driver software for its USB mice and trackballs. This version supports all Kensington USB and ADB mice and trackballs except its single-button mice, Turbo Mouse, Orbit 3D, and ValueMouse. [Download - 3.28MB]
Lasso CDML Converter provides the means for FileMaker Web developers to migrate solutions built upon CDML to LDML. With the recent release of the FileMaker 7 product line, developers with existing solutions built using CDML are looking for an alternative now that CDML is no longer supported. [Download - 364KB]

Asante adds WPA, AppleTalk to FriendlyNET router

04/29, 4:00pm

FriendlyNET router upgrade

Asanté Technologies today announced the release of advanced Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption, AppleTalk, and enhanced system log (syslog) services for its FriendlyNET FR1104-G wireless 4-port router ($117). These new features provide improved security and interoperability for small- and medium-sized business networks. The new v1.1 firmware upgrade for its router secures wireless networks with WPA with support for 802.1X RADIUS authentication servers and pre-shared keys (PSK). The FR1104-G router offers "double firewall" (NAT with packet and domain filters), stealth SSID, denial of service (DoS) protection, and SNMP management.

In Brief: macXware, Miglia Technology, pub crawl...

04/29, 3:50pm

In Brief: macXware; ...

In Brief: macXware tops a number of NPD Techworld Productivity Categories, including Fonts, Home Photo Editing and SOHO; the UK Department of Trade and Industry has rewarded Mac software maker Miglia Technology with a SMART Award; Arizona State University's student Mac club, Devils and Macs - United, will be hosting a pub crawl tonight starting at 8:00 p.m. at the Mill Cue Club (609 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281; contact email).

Tech: Google IPO, Can-Spam Act, hard disk speed limit

04/29, 2:45pm

Google IPO, Can-Spam Act

Tech news: Google has filed to raise as much as $2.72 billion in an IPO (initial public offering), while investors are saying it may be valued at more than $20 billion; The Justice Department has filed a criminal complaint against four Detroit-area men under the federal Can-Spam Act, marking the first case sparked by the legislation; scientists say they've discovered an apparent speed limit that will restrict how quickly data can be written onto disks and then retrieved--about 1,000 times faster than today's state-of-the-art data storage devices.

iTunes 4.5 authentication scheme cracked

04/29, 1:40pm

iTunes 4.5 cracked

Following the release of iTunes 4.5 yesterday and reports that Apple had closed a file-sharing loophole with the latest release, another user has developed new iTunes hacking tools for using iTunes songs within other applications (for sharing, playback, etc.) and allowing other applications to work with iTunes. The tools include a library for connecting to iTunes shares and streaming audio files and an application for browsing and playing the songs in various iTunes shares. Two pages describe the iTunes 4.5 authentication procedure used to lock out third-party applications and the iTunes Music Store authentication, including the authentication packets used by the iTMS.

Apps: StatusMonitors, SafariKeywords, iBeatTime...

04/29, 11:40am

StatusMonitors, iBeatTime

StatusMonitors 1.1 ($15) is a plugin-based utility that displays key information on your desktop. It offers built-in monitors for clock, diskspace, multiprocessor CPU usage, network activity, weather conditions, etc. Version 1.1 now displays the status monitor views in the desktop by default and adds a preference to keep the status monitors in the desktop when using Exposé’s show desktop feature. [1.1MB]
SafariKeywords 0.6 (free) "lets you tell Safari where to search for the words you entered into the search bar, instead of always consulting good old Google. If the first word of what you entered is the name of a shortcut you defined (or one of the factory defaults) in the preference pane, Safari uses that shortcut's URL instead of Google. If not, it defaults to Google." [60KB]
iBeatTime 2.0 (free) is a clock that uses Swatch Beats for representing time without using timezones. It features 'favorites'listing, a time converter tool, and and display of additional information, including the abbreviated name of the timezone you're currently in, the GMT offset, local time and UTC time. Version 2.0 adds AppleScript support, a revamped interface, drag & drop support, and several new menu options. [141KB]
CocoaBooklet 1.01 (free) allows users to create a booklet from a standard PDF file, arranging pages so they are printed back-to-back on the appropriate pages. It uses LaTex (included) to create the bookelets. CocoaBooklet runs as PDF service (on Mac OS X 10.2.4 or later), allowing users to create booklets directly from the print dialog. [2.9MB]
iTunes XHTML Playlist 2.1 (iXTH) will automatically convert an XML-based playlist created in iTunes into an HTML document for publishing on the Web. It runs on Mac OS X. iPlayList (iPL) is another application that will convert your iTunes Music Library to HTML--complete with an iTunes-like interface. Both are available for free. [iXTH, iPL]
GPSNavX 2.0 ($50) is Mac Navigation application developed specifically for OS X using the native Cocoa object-oriented application environment. It offers realtime display of position, charting, zooming, waypoints, routes, tracking, and AppleScript support. It requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later. [523KB]

DOT-POD offers instant song publishing from any iPod

04/29, 11:00am

DOT-POD shares songs

DOT-POD 1.0b8 "was conceived by a group of professional musicians who use their iPods for transporting their own copyright music and recordings and who wanted to be able to easily demonstrate their work to clients and to share 'works in progress' and other original compositions with others...It contains a built in webserver which you can easily start and stop whenever you like. You can also create usernames and passwords so that only authorised users can listen and download your original music." Users can also customize the design of the html pages generated by DOT-POD.

Apple expands iBook Logic Board Repair program

04/29, 10:55am

iBook Logic Board Repair

Apple has updated its iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program to include more iBook models: "The update to the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program is the inclusion of certain additional iBooks to the existing program. The Updated iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program is a worldwide program covering repair or replacement of the logic board in specific iBook models manufactured between May 2002 and October 2003 that are experiencing specific component failures." First launched in Jaunary 2004, Apple says it will reimburse customers with eligible iBooks for the cost of repairs covered under this program, as well as repair any eligible iBook experiencing problems.

Alco Blom releases Web Confidential 3.7

04/29, 9:45am

Web Confidential 3.7

Alco Blom today released Web Confidential 3.7, an update to his utility for securely storing personal information and other confidential information. It adds a powerful Search toolbar item and Action toolbar item, a new Panther look, a system-wide window for generating passwords, and other changes. Users can type in queries to find passwords using the Search toolbar item and display search results in the list window below. Web Confidential 3.7 ($20) is Mach-O native and is localized in English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Dutch. It runs on Mac OS X 10.2 or later.

Ben & Jerry's iTunes giveaway

04/29, 8:10am

Ben & Jerry\'s giveaway

Ben & Jerry's "Rock the Vote!" page rewards those who make a pledge to vote in U.S. elections on November 2 with an entry to win an iPod, 20" iMac, or a trip to Vermont to visit Ben & Jerry's. Additionally, the first 50,000 entrants will receive a free music download from iTunes.

Panic releases newest Li'l App

04/29, 7:40am

Panic releases Stattoo

Stattoo is the newest piece of software from Panic, designed to unobtrusively display a variety of information on your desktop. Included with the application are capsules that display the time and day, disk usage, next three iCal meetings, battery life, weather, currently playing iTunes song, and new Mai. Stattoo costs $13; a 15-day demo is available.