News Archive for 04/05/05

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Forums: Tiger; G5 drive upgrade; dead pixels; ...

05/05, 11:00pm

Forums: Tiger, more...

Topics of discussion on the MacNN forums today include: Apple's recent announcement of the upcoming Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger'; a new upgrade for PowerMac G5s that enables users to install up to five ATA hard drives; speculation about gaming performance on the recently introduced new PowerBook G4s; the future of the iMac in light of powerful consumer laptops; Apple policy on 'dead pixels' in LCD screens on new computers.

Apple-Authorized Guide to Motion by Peachpit Press

05/05, 7:25pm

Peachpit Motion guide

In conjunction with Apple's announcement of Motion, its new motion graphics editing software, Peachpit Press has announced the upcoming release of 'Apple Pro Training Series: Motion' ($46), the only Apple-authorized guide to the software. As both a self-paced learning tool and the official curriculum of the Apple Pro Training and Certification the $46 guide by Damien Allen, is scheduled to release early this summer.

Tech: SCO claims criticized; Sasser search; ...

05/05, 6:30pm

Tech: SCO claims criticize

Evening tech news: The National Retail Federation has weighed in against the SCO Group's assertions that Linux users are violating its Unix copyrights, calling the claims baseless; Microsoft said Wednesday it has adopted an e-mail program by IronPort Systems that will allow paying 'legitimate marketers' to bypass its Hotmail spam filters; Security experts began the daunting task on Wednesday of trying to track down the authors of "Sasser," a computer worm expected to infect millions of machines before it runs its course.

Cocoa Dev Central 'Introduction to Cocoa Bindings'

05/05, 5:30pm

\'Intro to Cocoa Bindings\'

Cocoa Dev Central has published "Introduction to Cocoa Bindings," a new tutorial to the Cocoa Bindings system available to developers. Using bindings in Cocoa projects results in less code, faster development time and more functionality. Cocoa Dev Central takes complex technical reference material and breaks it down into individual pieces that apply to real world situations. "This new tutorial represents the first step in a new direction for the site, with a new writing style and more visual descriptions."

Apple proposal could extend Maine laptop program

05/05, 5:15pm

Maine laptop program

A new proposal from Apple to rent laptops and defer payments for a year may help finally expand Maine's laptop computer program from middle schools to high schools. A day after several lawmakers declared it dead, The Portland Press Herald reports that Apple's proposal would give high schools the ability to have laptops for ninth-graders this fall and "could put pressure on the next Legislature, which will be seated in January, to fund the expansion into high schools" and a plan to spend $8 million in capital improvement funds to install wireless networks and related equipment in high schools could also help build momentum - or political pressure - for the laptop program.

Apple iTMS dominance slowing European launch?

05/05, 5:00pm

Major labels wary of Apple

Music labels are dragging their feet in licensing their songs to Apple because they fear its long-promised European music download site will dominate the online business, according to a report by UK-based The Independent: "The five main record labels are understood to be scared that Apple, which makes the iPod digital music player, will become as successful in Europe as it has in the US, where it has 70 per cent of the legal download business. That could let it dictate which stars or records succeed or fail by deciding which to promote on its site. 'The big fear is that Apple will become like an online MTV - where the record labels gave away their content, in the form of videos, without getting control of it.'"

Apps: Desktop Transporter, ATI Update, getTunes

05/05, 4:50pm

ATI Update, getTunes

Desktop Transporter 1.0 ($15) allows you to access your Macintosh displays remotely over a network, from a different Mac. It supports sharing of one or more displays and allows you to control access to it using a password, discovers shared displays using Rendezvous and offers a number of options controlling the quality of the shared display. [1MB]
ATI's May 2004 Radeon Update and ATI Radeon Display Utilities 4.2.5 are for Mac OS X 10.2.8 users, providing the latest fixes and updates for Jaguar users. It supports the Radeon 9800, 8500, 900, 700 and the Mac Edition (AGP and PCI versions). [MRU, RD]
Finder Window Manager 1.9.2 ($10) can create Window Sets to remember the size, placement, and view options for open Finder windows. It adds significant code optimizations (no background app needed, reduced RAM/CPU usage, etc.), an option to keep windows arranged in a given set, and settings for user-specified offsets. [1.3MB]
getTunes 2.3.5 (free) is the latest version of the free iTunes plug-in that allows users to download music from Rendezvous-shared music libraries. Users can now select multiple songs to add them to the download list. It also offers better compatibility with http proxy, better password authentication, better visual feedback, and compatibility with iTunes 4.5. [205KB]
SQLitePluginPro 1.1 ($40) is a fast and reliable replacement for REALbasic's built-in database engine, offering on-the-fly indexing and ACID transactions for a "dramatic increase in both speed and reliability." It adds native Mach-O support on Mac OS X and updated documentation. It can open and manipulate existing SQLite databases or create new (cross-platform) ones. [1.9MB]
HTML Optimizer 8.1 ($17) optimizes both HTML and script code, offering support for JavaScript, Java, LassoScript, VBscript, PHP, ASP, JSP and CSS. Version 8.1 introduces a 'Safe Mode' option that prevents cosmetic changes in web pages caused by losing space in text or around images in tables. HTML Optimizer Pro 3.1 ($25) and Web Site Maestro 3.1 ($34) are more powerful versions of the application. [HO, HOP, WSM]
BumperCar 1.0 ($50) is now available as a demo from Freeverse Software. All of the parental controls in the browser designed for young childern are available: " The only limitations are the word 'Trial' overlaid upon all browser windows and a 30-day expiration. Also, this demo does not include any of the full version's bundled games." [14.5MB]

Apple sells 3.3 million songs in one week

05/05, 12:30pm

iTMS hits milestone

Apple today announced that it has sold 3.3 million songs from its third-generation iTunes Music Store since its launch one week ago and also said iTunes users have already published more than 20,000 iMixes--which have been rated over 50,000 times. In addition to the sold songs, iTunes users have also downloaded more than 500,000 free songs during Apple's week-long “Free Song of the Day” anniversary promotion. "Our third generation iTunes Music Store just blows away any other online music service," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With over 700,000 songs and innovative features like iMix, it's the easiest to use and most fun to use online music store in the world."

'45 Motown 45s' on iTunes celebrates 45th anniversary

05/05, 11:55am

Motown Records on iTMS

Motown Records today released the 45 singles ever issued by Motown ("45 Motown 45s") and 45 hard-to-find albums from the Motown archive on the iTunes Music Store to celebrate Motown's 45th Anniversary. Premiering on the Apple iTunes Music Store is an exclusive "store within a store" marking the 45th anniversary of Motown Records. The promotion comes on the heels of the release of MOTOWN #1's on April 20, which has already hit #1 on iTunes. The 45 Motown 45s campaign, which runs through May 25th, precedes the forthcoming launch of MotownSelect.com and the May 17th airing of the "Motown 45" TV special on ABC.

Time Navigator for enterprise backup supports Panther

05/05, 9:25am

Atempo Time Navigator

Atempo today announced the support for Mac OS X Server 10.3 "Panther". Atempo's Time Navigator provides a scalable data protection solution for enterprise IT environments. Time Navigator supports multiple topologies including virtual library systems (VLS) and disk-to-disk-to-tape. It supports backup and recovery as well as disaster recovery and archiving. Other features include synthetic full backup, centralized management and web interface for remote management as well as a single-port for backups through security firewalls.

Apps: KeepAnEye, Tasks, ActiveDeveloper, Poirot

05/05, 9:05am

KeepAnEye, Tasks, Poirot

KeepAnEye 1.6 ($12) is a multipurpose monitoring and notification utility that can track data sources (windows, menubar, or Dock). It supports RSS feeds, eBay auctions, web pages, software updates, disk usage, IP addresses, etc. using a plugin architecture. Version 1.6 offers improved visual rendering and a new Apple Store refurb plugin. [3.5MB]
Tasks 2.0 ($30) is a web-based personal task manager featuring support for creating iCalendars, a PDA/mobile interface, daily e-mail reminders, blog posting, etc. Version 2.0 adds better security, file uploads, time tracking, better performance, a custom preferences interface, RSS feeds, themes, improved documentation, and more. [form]
ActiveDeveloper 2.17 updates the runtime Objective-C & C IDE, JIT Compiler and debugger that supports Cocoa, WebKit and QuickTime. It offers a new (live) Workspace Editor, Class Editor and Object Browser and object-level operations and also improves integration with Apple's Xcode. Pricing starts at $50. [Jaguar, Panther]
Poirot 1.5 adds multiple undo, preview for batch file renaming, improved results export and an improved UI. Users can search thousands of documents for "types" of items, such as phone numbers or email addresses; users can then replace parts of the data (or the entire string). [Classic, OSX]
LiveDictionary 1.1 ($25) is a Safari extension that adds fast, convenient dictionary lookups to the web: "Once installed, it becomes a transparent part of Safari; point to a word with the mouse cursor, and its definition or translation appears in a popup window." Version 1.1 adds an English thesaurus, more Japanese dictionaries, and UI improvements. [11MB]
A Better Finder Launcher 1.3 ($10) is a keyboard-based application launcher for Mac OS X that provides instant access to documents and applications. It offers a search-as-you-type interface that filters a list of matching applications after a simple hotkey invokes the filter box. Version 1.3 improves the customization of the indexing engines. [1.4MB]
dincTYPE has made available five of its most requested commercial typefaces: "We are no longer a commerciala type foundry, so these fonts are unavailable anywhere. Except for today. There are five fonts, all with international character sets archived together..They include: Bachelorette, Boxboy, Funtime, Lady Luck, and Spotlight."

BW pushes for iPod/iTunes spinout/IPO

05/05, 9:00am

iPod/ITunes spinout/IPO

An iPod/Tunes spinout/IPO will allow Apple to cash in on the success and hype surrounding Apple's portable music player and iTunes Music Store, according to BusinessWeek Online: "If Apple were to spin out a minority stake of its iPod business, it could rake in big bucks in an initial public offering. With the iPod on track to become a $1 billion business in the next year or so, Apple could expect to pull in at least that amount by selling a 40% stake. Then, Jobs could let someone else run the daily operations and the music side of things, including iTMS. This would be great because Apple more than ever needs to focus not just on the Mac platform but on Microsoft's Windows, too."

MYOB launches AccountEdge 2004 Network Edition

05/05, 8:25am

AccountEdge \'04 Network Ed

MYOB today announced the release of AccountEdge 2004 Network Edition, its complete accounting and small business management solution for networked small businesses on the Macintosh platform. The Network Edition is designed for small business owners who want to use AccountEdge across a Macintosh network. The update also brings support for instant networking using Apple's Rendezvous and significant performance improvements for functions such as recording of transactions as well as creating new contact cards. It runs on Mac OS X 10.2.8 (or later) only and is priced at $400 for a 3-user license.

Bandmates for GarageBand: five new loop products

05/05, 2:05am

Bandmates for GarageBand

Bandmateloops.com earlier this week introduced five new loop products designed specifically for Apple's GarageBand platform. Bandmates for GarageBand are "the ideal companion for all GarageBand users interested in creating their own unique musical compositions. Bandmateloops.com offers four versions of Bandmates Drummer: Rock Drums, Electro Beats, Funk Drums, and House Beats as well as Bandmates DJ - Scratches. All five products are available at the introductory price of $18 including free domestic shipping to customers in the Continental U.S.

Apps: Whereabouts, SofTrack, Ipanema, SockhoEasyFind

05/05, 1:45am

Whereabouts, SofTrack

Whereabouts 1.0 ($20) helps you share address cards on the Internet, allowing friends and colleagues to automatically keep up-to-date with changes to information in your Mac OS X Address Book by subscribing to each contact. It requires Mac OS X 10.2.6 and a .Mac membership (or access to a WebDAV server). [823KB]
SofTrack Software Metering v6.5 is a cross-platform IT asset and license compliance solution that can be used to audit and control software usage for all software used throughout educational and corporate networks. SofTrack now includes native support for software metering of Mac OS9 and Mac OS X workstations. A free 30-day evaluation is available online.
Ipanema 1.4 (donationware) will keep track of the IP addresses for any network interface (Ethernet, Airport, PPP, IP over FireWire) and report it automatically via Mac OS X Mail once a day (or when it changes). It can also manually send a report of the addresses anytime. It now supports FireWire over IP and improved graphics. [982KB]
SockhoEasyFind 1.5 ($10) us a powerfull application only for Mac OS X to search on the web easily. It now integrates with Safari, allowing users to set the search engine that's used by Safari and the language in which resuls are displayed. It supports Yahoo, Google, Google Groups, Alta Vista, Lycos, All The Web, or any other custom site. [628KB]
Flash AV Players 3.1 (30€ per site) is a Flash application that broadcasts MP3, SWF (Audio and Video), FLV, JPEG and MID files by loading playlists in XML format. It also offers database-ready features, e-commerce options, a playlist search engine, navigation and sound controls, preloading according to connection speed, crossfade of movies, adding of backgrounds and comments, etc. [476KB]
PictureDeamon 2.2 ($15) displays the all the photos on your hard disk: "It will go through your disks and find all of your lost pictures! PD also creates previews of all pictures for better navigation. PD now supports print, albums, export, stored preview for faster pictures loading and more new enhancements." [1.4MB]
Ollie's iTMS Extractor (freeware) is a utility to effortlessly save music videos and movie trailers from the iTunes Music Store to the user's Hard Drive. [1.0MB]

Microsoft plays catch up to Apple's interface

05/05, 1:20am

MS vs. Apple GUI

ZDNet's Dan Farber says while Microsoft struggles to play catch up with Apple's user interface, the Windows user experience has been "good enough" for 90 percent of computer users (for now): "For the last 20 years Apple has been leading the charge in making computing easier for mere mortals. Microsoft has always strived to attain the kind of elevated status Apple has for its user experience and emotional attachment, but has consistently fallen short. Some of the compelling user interface features found in Mac OS X, such as the underlying graphics foundation, won't be available in Windows until Longhorn ships in the second half of this decade. Nonetheless, Microsoft's lagging behind Apple in some areas of user interface design and experience hasn't adversely impacted Windows dominance."

LiliPod For 3G iPod distributed by Dr. Bott

05/05, 12:50am

LiliPod For 3G iPod

Dr. Bott today announced an exclusive distribution agreement for the LiliPod For 3G iPod, which will only be available through Dr. Bott authorized resellers worldwide. "LiliPod is a water-resistant hard shell casing that fits snugly around the iPod. It allows you to safely listen to your iPod during activities never previously possible. From skiing to sailing, mountain biking to fishing, and everywhere in between, LiliPod is a must have for any iPod user." It works with the 3G iPod with dock connector and is available for $40.

2004 O'Reilly Mac OS X Conference proposals

05/05, 12:40am

O\'Reilly OS X Conference

The third annual O'Reilly Mac OS X Conference has been announced for October 25-28 in Santa Clara, CA. The conference committee is seeking conference proposals from those involved in the OS X industry. In particular, they're seeking presentations delving into technologies, methodologies, techniques relevant to: system administrators, developers, and digital musicians. Proposals are encouraged in two categories: tutorials (three or six hours) and conference sessions (45 or 90 minutes). Proposals are due no later than June 11, 2004.