LimeWire 4.0 due later this month with new features

Lime Wire today announced the release of LimeWire 4.0, a major update to its Java-based file sharing application that offers users faster and more successful downloads, improved searches for rare content, and a sleek new interface. LimeWire 4.0 includes a guarantee that "users will get no bundled software when they download this new version, and as always, Lime Wire continues its tradition of not utilizing spyware. LimeWire 4.0 will be available to Pro customers and available for free download on May 18th.

AirPort Extreme connection errors plaguing users

Dozens of readers are continuing to report AirPort Extreme connection issues in Apple's discussion forums--high CPU load or high traffic or as one reader notes large amounts of memory: "There is a problem with Airport extreme on new PowerBooks with more than 1GB of RAM installed. the airport will lose its connection to the basestation and won't work again until the machine is rebooted. it happens regardless of basestation (Apple, Linksys, Cisco) and with known-to-be-good AirPort Extreme cards."

Tune-Up for GarageBand offers over 500 loops

TuneMedia has released Tune-Up for GarageBand, a pack professional loops created in the Apple Loop format: "Bass, beats, melodies and more, all without picking up an instrument. Tune-Up is aimed directly at the everyday Garageband user, we want to offer more than just drums. The aim is that the user will be able to create whole tracks from our packs. From guitar licks to sweeping strings we have loops to fit any style or mood. " The "value pack" offers 500 loops for $35 with free shipping.

Forums: G4 fan replacement; Sony 17\"; Longhorn

Topics of discussion on the MacNN forums today include: addressing a noisy fan in a Power Mac G4; Sony's new 17" laptop, expected to be a competitor to Apple's 17" PowerBook; replacing the internal hard drive of an LCD iMac; expected performance improvements from the last series of iBooks to the newest iBooks; ongoing discussion and speculation regarding Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger; the latest images from Microsoft's new Windows 'Longhorn' pre-releases.

Mesa Dynamics release \'theConcept\' preview

Mesa Dynamics today released a technology preview of theConcept, a language processor that reads and analyzes electronic documents -- including online web pages and search engine results -- and produces a condensed report of ideas in the text. Ideas in theConcept can be cross-referenced with their sources, reviewed in any number of reconstructed "virtual" contexts and "visualized" with the help of images automatically pulled from the web. Version 1.0 of theConcept is expected to be released in 'early Summer 2004.' Mesa has also released Beholder 1.4, its popular image searching application, to work in conjunction with theConcept. Both application require Mac OS X 10.2 or later.

Apple denies iTunes price hike reports

Apple on Friday denied a report that the computer maker was planning to raise prices for songs bought on its popular iTunes online music store, according to Reuters. "'These rumors aren't true," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Sequeira. 'We have multiyear agreements with the labels and our prices remain 99 cents a track.' Apple's statement came after the New York Post reported on Friday, citing one unnamed source, that music fans may have to start paying more for some songs on Apple's music store following contract renegotiations with the record labels ahead of the one-year anniversary of the store.

Peripheral debuts 2GB USB Flash Drive

Peripheral Enhancements has launched a 2GB USB Flash Drive as part of company's fast-growing DiskGO! consumer product line. The DiskGO! 2GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive is now available for sale for $625. "We are particularly excited about this new 2GB flash drive because it gives new meaning to portability and high capacity storage. Users can carry over 1,400 floppy disks worth of information on this single, portable device." The DiskGO! USB 2.0 Flash Drive plugs directly into the computer's USB port and measures 3"x1" (weighing less than two ounces). It supports USB 2.0 connectivity.

Quark teams up with HP, offers QuarkXClusive XTension

Quark today announced QuarkXClusive, a new XTensions software module that makes powerful variable data publishing capabilities optimized for HP output devices available to users of QuarkXPress 6. It offers the ability to personalize text and graphics and apply attributes at the design level; designate fixed and variable data for document inclusion; offers database, spreadsheet, or other format functions; offers rules-based settings for tagged objects. Quark also certify HP graphic arts printers and presses, on an exclusive basis, for optimized print performance as well as plans to collaborate on new initiatives in the areas of color management, custom solutions and joint technical support. HP Designjet printers will be the first Quark-certified printers, which will be available later this year.

GameRanger service adds rankings, detailed stats

Scott Kevill has released GameRanger 4.0, adding ladders, ratings, and rankings for premium members to the multiplayer gaming service. Other small enhancements have also been implemented. GameRanger currently supports 131 games and is free to download and use; premium membership costs $50 per year and includes a number of added features and perks.

Apps: Adium X, InMath, DEVONagent, KidsBrowser...

Adium X 0.54 corrects several bugs with the popular multi-protocol messaging client. Performance has also been improved and AIM file sending functionality has been repaired. (Readers should note that Yahoo! auto sign-on problems exist with the latest version; AdiumX 0.53 is still available.) [4.4MB] XRG 1.0 (X Resource Graph) is an ope-source system monitor for Mac OS X. XRG will monitor your CPU usage, memory usage, battery status, machine temperature, network activity, disk activity, local weather, and stock market data. It adds a new machine temperature graph that will graph the temperature of different locations in your computer (PowerMac G5s, Aluminum Powerbook G4s, and iBook G4s only). [865KB] InMath 1.3 ($595) is a plug-in for InDesign CS and InCopy CS that offers real mathematical typesetting. It uses the builtin text editor and included InMath templates, allowing users to configure all settings of each mathematical expression and then save them in the document as "InMath Styles" -- analogous to paragraph/character styles. A limited version is available for $250. DEVONagent 1.3 ($35) features a new operator allowing to use partial words and substrings in queries, making it even easier to use complex terms for searching the Internet. A new plugin scanns all bookmarked pages in Safari (and last visited) to build a new crawler from the Safari history. The multimedia plugin also includes more precise scanners. [2.4MB] EasyFind 3.2 (free) updates the versatile find-file tool for Mac OS X with the new partial words operator from DEVONagent and an improved interface. XMenu 1.2 (freeware) brings back a menu similar to the classic Apple menu; it adds an option to move the XMenu menus to the left of the menu extras.[EF, XM] KidsBrowser 1.5 ($20) is a browser designed for children. It adds a new preferences panel with realtime application of settings, better stability, improved print functions, theme management, more options for parents, and English, Spanish, and French localizations. It runs on Mac OS X 10.3 only. [1.9MB] HomeProject 1.0 ($30) is a personal project management utility for Mac OS X that integrates with with iCal and Address Book. It supports Gantt charts to display project details in daily to yearly timelines, project views (with assignments and resources), summary bars, task dependencies, and other features. It runs on Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later. [1.5MB] DockFun! 4.5 ($20) allows users to run multiple different Dock configurations. It supports hotkeys, autolaunch, virtual docks, and more. Versoin 4.5 adds the ability to import/export docks, an introduction video, new menus, better support for Donelleschi Docks (extra docks) on multiple screens. [1.0MB]

Apple at drupa 2004

Apple has put together a photo gallery from day one of drupa, Europe's largest desktop publishing trade show that takes place every four years. Drupa 2004 is expected to draw over 450,000 visitors over the next week. A page on Apple's site also showcases Mac-related third-party product news coming out of drupa.

Nisus Writer Express 2.0 shipping this summer

Nisus Software today announced Nisus Writer Express 2.0, the next major release of its lean and affordable Mac OS X word processor. The new version packs many new features, including built-in tables, user-defined styles, footnotes, document endnotes, Microsoft Word template support, and more. Nisus Writer Express 2.0 is slated to ship later this summer for $60. The new version will be free for current customers.

Miglia releases Director\'s Cut SCART

Miglia today released Director's Cut SCART, its latest analog/digital video converter, which allows users to connect their VCR or camcorder to their Mac via SCART or S-Video. The device is powered by the FireWire bus and converts the video in real-time to DV. PAL, SECAM, and NTSC video formats are supported. The Director's Cut SCART will be available May 12 for €260, or £180. It is compatible with Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X 10.2 or later.

iTunes singles pricings reportedly to rise

Apple will reportedly be raising the price of some singles on iTunes to $1.25, according to today's New York Post, which quotes unnamed sources. The move comes as all five major record labels recently resigned and apparently renegotiated some terms of their contracts with Apple. Some albums have already been subject to higher pricing for the last few months, and labels also reportedly wanted to have the option of selling only full albums, an idea that Apple rebuffed. EMI and Sony Music, which launched its own online music service, are said to have been the most aggressive on pricing. If the price of some singles does in fact rise to $1.25, it would be counter to what Apple CEO Steve Jobs told the media when the third-generation iTunes Music Store launched just ten days ago.

Apps: DAVE, webXkiosk, Timbuktu, Swordfish...

iBook G4 Graphics Update 1.0 is for 1GHz (12") and 1.2GHz (14") iBook G4 systems. It updates the graphics driver to fix a compatibility issue that may exist with OpenGL. [12MB] Adobe's Version Cue CS 1.01 updates the company's bundled tool for file-management; it enables users to find files quickly by viewing thumbnails, or search on robust metadata such as description, keywords, author, copyright, and file type. [3.7MB] DAVE 5.0p1 is an update to Thursby's $120 advanced suite offering cross-platform file and print sharing for Mac OS X. This patch corrects accessing Dfs shares, and is intended for all users of Dave 5.0. [Download - 746KB] webXkiosk is a full screen, Web kiosk application with security, Web screen saver, and some "universal access" features. webXkiosk is meant to be deployed in a secured environment where it has replaced the Finder for a standard or managed user. [Download - 160KB] Volume Logic iTunes Plug-in 1.01 ($20) makes real-time digital remastering "a reality for all iTunes audio." Details of the update were not published. [Download - form] Timbuktu Pro 7.0.3 is the latest version of the popular ($100) Mac OS X remote control utility. Version 7.0.3 includes optimization for integration with netOctopus 5, improved error reporting, enhanced QuickTime recording, and more. [Download - see options] Swordfish v4 is the latest version of the $19 password organization utility. "Swordfish provides the control you need to use your passwords whenever you need them, without the risk of mangling them. " [Download - OS X, Classic] dbSuite Administration Tool for MySQL is now available as Donationware for private use. dbSuite Admin Tool combines the integrated approach of modern development tools (IDE) with sophisticated database management features and ease of use. The commercial version is $60. [Download - Personal, Commercial]