News Archive for 04/07/14

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DV Expo East: photo gallery

07/14, 9:20pm

DV Expo photo gallery

We've posted a photo gallery from DV Expo East at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, where Apple had a small presence, showcasing its latest professional video software such as Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro 3, Shake, Motion, etc. as well as offering certification courses on its software. "A Certified Pro has reached the highest skill level in the use and operation of Apple's professional applications. Certification is an official recognition of your knowledge of Apple's professional applications so you can market yourself to employers and clients as a skilled, pro-level user." Apple was one of nearly 75 exhibitors, which also included Adobe, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Hash, Discreet, and Sorenson. Over 11,000 professionals are expected to attend the Expo with a variety of special events, including an afternoon with director John Waters and a variety of technical sessions.

Third-quarter conference call highlights

07/14, 6:10pm

Conference Call notes

Apple today said that it was "exceptionally pleased" with its fiscal third quarter results, as the company saw its highest third quarter revenue in eight years and saw a four percent operating margin. Apple saw a 19% in Mac-related revenue on record shipments of both its PowerBooks and iBooks. Apple also said it saw dramatic increases in both retail and Europe revenue as well as significant gains in higher education sales.

Apple sales breakdown

07/14, 5:00pm

Apple sales breakdown

Apple said it shipped 472,000 Macs in the US, a 4% increase from the year-ago quarter. In Europe, the company saw the largest jump in unit sales, shipping just over 191,000 Macs, an increase of 33% from the year-ago quarter. Its retail segment shipped 73,00 Macs, a jump of almost 83% from the period last year. Apple shipped 82,000 Macs in Japan. Apple saw the largest increases in unit shipments of its PowerBooks and Power Macs, shipping 220,000 (37% from year-ago quarter) and 173,000 (30% increase), respectively. Apple saw a small decline in iMac shipments with just over 243,000 shipped in the quarter, a decrease of 15% from the year-ago quarter.

VendorNation announces VistaPro Renderer for Mac

07/14, 4:55pm

Mac VistaPro Renderer

Development has begun on a Mac OS X version of VendorNation's popular 3D software, VistaPro Renderer. VistaPro Render is a premiere 3D landscape rendering software which can animate realistic or alien landscapes. "In partnership with Ed Zavada, creator of Galactica Anno Dominari, the VendorNation.com team is extremely excited to be bringing this top notch 3D creation and animation software to Apples' OS X platform [...] The OS X operating system is the very best rendering environment on computers today."

FireWire Depot unveils new FW/USB drive enclosures

07/14, 4:40pm

FireWire Depot enclosures

FireWire Depot has introduced two new products: its FireWire KC 2.5" FireWire 1394a USB2 combo enclosure, and FireWire KC 3.5" FireWire 1394a USB2 combo enclosure. The new units are priced at $90 each. FireWire Depot will also be introducing two new dual drive 1394b enclosures towards the end of July.

Apple posts $61 million profit on $2.014B in revenue

07/14, 4:30pm

Apple earns $61 million

Apple today today posted a net profit of $61 million, or $0.16 per diluted share for its fiscal 2004 third quarter ended June 26, 2004. These results compare to a net profit of $19 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue for the quarter was $2.014 billion, up 30 percent from the year-ago quarter, while gross margin was 27.8 percent, up from 27.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple said it shipped 876,000 Macs and 860,000 iPods during the quarter, representing a 14 percent increase in CPU units and a 183 percent increase in iPods over the year-ago quarter.

Apps: Intakt, iClip, Chrome Lib, FTP Suite, Silk...

07/14, 3:30pm

Apps: Intakt, iClip ...

Intakt ($200) is a loop sampler based on an advanced sampling engine and is specifically designed for rhythmic loop playback and manipulation. A free demo version is now available for Mac OS X. [Download - form]
iClip 3.1 is a $30 multiple clipboard/scrapbook/launcher application designed to improve user efficiency and productivity. For version 3.1, iClip now automatically records changes to the Clipboard, making it serve as a more powerful multiple clipboard. [Download - 4.0MB]
Chrome Lib for Macromedia Director MX 2004 allows graphic artists to create FX and interactive scenes easily, without the need to resort to programming. The latest version adds a setCamera(), the show(), and hide() handler and updates the tooltip to document handlers callable with the UI behaviors. [Download - 389KB]
FTP Suite 3.3 ($30) is an update to the FTP solution for REALbasic applications. Version 3.3 fixes bugs and adds the ability to view invisible files. [Download - 1.7MB]
AutoSmooth 1.0 is a Photoshop plug-in that lets users to automatically smooth and beautify skin or other surfaces. Version 1.1 allows users to smooth surfaces without blurring important image detail, can perform "digital makeovers," and reduces harsh shadows and highlights. [Download - buy]
Macabinet 1.6 ($20) is a free update to the 'theme-able' file organization utility for Mac OS X. The update brings speed improvements, Finder Label support and a host of bug fixes. [Download - 1.4MB]
Silk 2.0.6 enables Quartz text rendering in Carbon applications and also includes font substitution. This update fixes a crash but with Entourage 2004 and more. [Download - 1.9MB]
NetTunes 2.1 ($20) is "the ultimate remote control for iTunes, and the perfect companion for Apple's new AirPort Express." Version 2.1 eliminates the "old cumbersome installer," adds new capabilities, improves performance, and improves the interface. [Download - 840KB]
ProximityMines 1.5.0 ($15) matches the features and gameplay found in the classic Windows version of Minesweeper. With Version 1.5.0 players can control-click on a revealed tile to either clear or flag its neighbors, when applicable. [Download - 958KB]

Macworld Boston: photo gallery

07/14, 1:20pm

Macworld photo gallery

We have posted a show floor photo gallery from Macworld Boston as well as a few photos from yesterday's feature presentation with David Pogue and others. Meanwhile, The Boston Globe writes "If anything shows Apple Computer's transformation from cult status to niche company, it was the turnout for Macworld this week at the new Boston Convention Exposition Center."

El Gato EyeTV 1.5 offers remote programming, more

07/14, 1:10pm

El Gato EyeTV 1.5

El Gato today released EyeTV 1.5, a unified release of its PVR software that supports all EyeTV hardware products: EyeTV USB, EyeTV 200, 300, 310, 400, 500. EyeTV now supports TitanTV’s remote programming feature, allowing users to schedule recordings in EyeTV from any computer connected to the Internet. It also supports Apple's Safari browser, can quickly check for programming at tvtv and TitanTV, and has other enhancements, including reduced CPU usage on some machines, scrubbing performance improvements, automatic 16:9 aspect detection, custom video aspect options, control of overscan and de-interlacing otpions, support for MPEG-1 capture when using the EyeTV 200, a new Dolby-certified AC3 audio decoder, options to choose audio track playback, and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound support on the Power Mac G5.

Briefly: Apple Q3, AirPort reset modes, ARD 2 webcast

07/14, 10:40am

Apple Q3, AirPort reset...

In Brief: Apple's third quarter earnings and financial conference call are scheduled for later today (after the markets close) with analysts expecting a $0.15 per share profit on revenues of $1.95 billion. Apple's AirPort Express introduces a third factory default reset--in addition to hard and soft resets--that restores "out-of-box configuration" and erases the profiles; The MacOSXLabs.org group will be presenting an "Apple Remote Desktop 2" Webcast on July 20 at 1:00 pm EDT with a presentation from Nader Nafissi, Apple's Product Manager of Server and Storage Software; The design team that built the first Mac yesterday lashed out at Steve Jobs saying that he nearly killed the project 20 years ago.

Comnet updates FoldUP!3D 1.5 package design tool

07/14, 10:15am

Comnet updates FoldUP!3D

Comnet has updated FoldUP!3D 1.5, its Adobe Illustrator plugin to help designers with desktop packaging. FoldUP! 3D allows designers to test a variety of designs digitally, eliminating the time-consuming step of creating a physical prototype. Version 1.5 adds QuickTime support to export package animations for the web and other promotional material. It also offers enhanced custom export functions with support for up to 360 dpi. An updated FoldUP!3D model format (F3M) gives designers more control over how their clients see exported 3D models, while a new Positions palette. It is available for Mac OS 9/X for $380.

REAL Software releases Office Power Pack Vol. 1

07/14, 10:00am

Office Power Pack Vol. 1

REAL Software today released Office Power Pack Volume 1, five applications that add power to Microsoft Office X and Office 2004 for Macintosh. The suite includes Address Book Merge to easily merge Mac OS X Address Book contacts directly into Microsoft Word to create mailing labels and envelopes; Address Book Export to easily export Mac OS X Address Book contacts into Microsoft Excel to sort contacts or import them into other contact managers; Quicken Data to easily load a Quicken file (QIF format) into Microsoft Excel; Fax Cover Sheet Maker, and Invoice Maker. It is available for Office X and Office 2004. Pricing is $50.

AirPort Express ships, over 80,000 pre-orders

07/14, 9:55am

AirPort Express ships

Apple today officially announced that it has begun shipping AirPort Express, after MacNN first reported shipments of the device yesterday. The 802.11g mobile base station features wireless Internet connections and USB printing as well as analog and digital audio outputs that can be connected to a home stereo: "With over 80,000 pre-orders, AirPort Express is off to a great start as the first 802.11g mobile base station for Mac and PC users," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With the breakthrough AirTunes feature, music lovers can now listen to their iTunes music collection streamed wirelessly to a stereo located anywhere in their home." It is available for $130.

TUNEWEAR launches new PRIE cases for iPod mini

07/14, 7:35am

TUNEWEAR PRIE cases

TUNEWEAR today introduced the PRIE series of stylish cases for the iPod mini. "PRIE is available in four color choices: vibrant Key Lime Lime, elegant Ruby Pink, casual Canvas Gray and conservative Jet Black. With the exception of JET BLACK, each case is two-tone with an eye-catching white accent on the front panel." The cases offer two front panel design choices for complete access to the iPod mini's controls. The Open Face design offers a top cover flap, while the Classic Face design covers the entire iPod mini body except for the click wheel and top access controls and is equipped with a clear vinyl protector for the LCD. Both also offer neck/shoulder straps as well as can be attached to a waist belt or carry bag.

Reduced iMac upgrade prices, new PowerBook docks

07/14, 7:25am

TechnoWarehouse news

TechnoWarehouse has reduced prices on its iMac processor upgrades as well as launched two new PowerBook docking products. TechnoWarehouse has reduced the price of the 466MHz PowerPC G4 CPU upgrade for iMacs to $250 ($25 reduction). This upgrade has 1MB of backside cache running at half the CPU speed, offering a combined performance of up to 2.5 times the original system. It is compatible with Rev A-D "tray-loading" iMacs. The company also began selling two new BookEndz docking stations: one for the 12-inch PowerBook ($180) and another for the 15-inch aluminum PowerBooks ($245). These docks are styled to match the finish of the new portables, offering desktop organization and access to the full complement of PowerBook ports.

@Last Software ships SketchUp 4.0 3D design tool

07/14, 7:15am

SketchUp 4.0 3D design

@Last Software today announced the tenth release of its 3D design software, SketchUp 4.0. SketchUp's unique user interface allows quick and easy 3D model sketching, modification and presentation for students, hobbyists, and professionals. Version 4 features a new Intersector tool to quickly create intersections for complex shapes, "Follow Me" to push/pull a surface along a path, "Texture Tweaker" to stretch photos/textures across any surface, "Face Me" to transform 2D components into 3D, and a new Ruby scripting interface offers the power of automation. Upgrades are $95, while the full version is $500.

Open Door ships Envision web viewing application

07/14, 7:05am

Envision 1.0 for OS X

Open Door Networks today began shipping Envision 1.0 for Mac OS X, adding a number of user-requested features to the Web viewing product, including the ability to automatically set Web images as the Mac's desktop picture and screen saver: Envision presents "images from Web sites outside the confining windows of traditional Web browsers." It offers six different methods to view web content: a slideshow option, full screen with a digital picture frame, thumbnail view, simultaneously through multiple windows, an automatically updated desktop picture, and via the screen saver module. It is available for Mac OS X 10.2.8 for $40 ($10 off) through August 15th.