News Archive for 04/09/14

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Briefly: iMac G5 photos, Apple vs. Apple, Tiger info

09/14, 10:35pm

iMac G5 photos

In Brief: One reader has posted photos of his new iMac G5.... Some rumors suggest that the Apple vs. Apple settlement could make Apple Corps. a major shareholder or maybe even make Paul McCartney a board member.... Recent (private) Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger builds offer new features such as Address Book sharing, PDF bookmarking, Jabber support in iChat, parental controls, and more according to several AppleInsider reports.... The forthcoming version of Virtual PC 7.0 lacks some planned features as the company tried to push out the G5-compatible release.... Microsoft has published a patch for a major security flaw in its software's handling of the JPEG graphics format that could let attackers create an image file that would run a malicious program on a victim's computer as soon as the file is viewed.

Pentax debuts downsized digital SLR camera

09/14, 8:50pm

Pentax *ist DS digital SLR

Pentax today introduced its downsized digital SLR camera. The compact *ist DS digital SLR measures just 4.9" x 3.6" x 2.6" and weighs under 18 ounces; it offers 6.1 effective megapixels and is designed to be compatible with most Pentax interchangeable lenses. It also offers a high-magnification viewfinder, a 2.0-inch color LCD monitor, and an Auto picture mode as well as a 11-point AF sensor, a high-speed shutter unit with a top speed of 1/4000 second, SD memory card compatibility, and high-speed shooting that records up to 8 images consecutively at a speed of approximately 2.8fps. Pentax says it will unveil the *ist DS and other digital products on September 20 at the PEPCOM Holiday Spectacular in New York City.

Speck debuts FlipStand see-thru hard case for 4G iPod

09/14, 8:30pm

Speck FlipStand for iPod

Speck Products today announced the FlipStand see-thru hard case for Apple and HP's fourth-generation iPod (iPod with Click Wheel). The all-clear 4G FlipStand provides "the most protection available while allowing easy access to the scroll wheel and song control buttons. Flip open the scroll wheel door a little to change music selections. Flip it all the way and it becomes a desktop stand." It includes attached belt clip and a custom spacer for perfect fit for both 20GB and 40GB iPods. Speck says the Flipstand will ship to customers on September 30th and can now be pre-ordered for $30 at Speck's website.

Forums: PB update, 23" display, x86 emulation...

09/14, 7:40pm

Forums: PB update...

Topics of discussion on the MacNN forums today include: users who are waiting for the next PowerBook update.... the public's changing perception of the iMac as it has evolved over the years.... comparing the 12" iBook to 12" PowerBook.... customers' impressions of the 23" Apple HD display.... the possibility of advanced x86 emulation technology in the future for Mac OS X.

Gefen offers tailored HD Cinema Display Extensions

09/14, 5:00pm

Gefen Display Extensions

Connectivity solutions provider Gefen today announced the availability of new Apple HD Cinema Display Extension Kits. Distances ranging from 10 to 300 feet are bridged using multiple cables that sustain high definition resolutions up to 1920x1200. The kits are tailored to fit pre-set distance specifications, and contain the appropriate extension device, depending on the length desired, plus the cabling needed to relocate a 20 or 23 inch Apple HD Cinema Display, keyboard/mouse, plus a Firewire peripheral away from the computer.Extension devices include a DVI Repeater, a small device that sits between two DVI cables regenerating the video signal from one through the other, or a DVI-1000 HD Extender, which uses a sender and receiver connected by cabling to extend the display. In some cases, a cable-only solution is used, depending on the length desired. Prices range from $217 to $4065.

MacSoft ships Railroad Tycoon 3 for Mac

09/14, 3:50pm

Railroad Tycoon 3 ships

MacSoft, announced today that Railroad Tycoon 3 ($50) for Mac OS X has shipped and will be available in stores this week. "Railroad Tycoon 3 features over 55 highly detailed locomotives, 180 different buildings, and 40 cargo types ... Railroad Tycoon 3 supports network play via the internet, using the GameRanger matching service, or LAN. Players can also create their own scenarios with the included scenario/map editor." [updated]

Briefly: Verbatim, SanDisk/Samsung, Missing Manual...

09/14, 2:35pm

iMovie/iDVD Missing Manual

In Brief: The new "iMovie 4 & iDVD: The Missing Manual" (O'Reilly/Pogue Press, $25) delivers a complete course in Macintosh filmmaking and DVD design; Verbatim announced today the availability of its new 52x Silver Inkjet Printable CD-Rs in 50-pack spindles through US retail. The discs combine reliable recording technology and broad read compatibility with a new, highly advanced printable surface that optimizes inkjet printing and ink drying times.... SanDisk today announced that it is supplying Samsung with 32-megabyte miniSD memory cards that will be sold with the new 3.2 megapixel Samsung digital camera phone. [updated]

Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII due in Oct.

09/14, 11:35am

BF 1942 expansion pack

Aspyr today announced that the Mac version of Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII has hit beta status and is expected to ship in late October. This latest expansion pack to Battlelfield 1942 introduces all new weapons, vehicles and eight tough, new battle maps. "These powerful new weapons and vehicles are rooted in World War II history, but never saw actual combat – until now." The game requires the full version of Battlefield 1942, Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, PowerPC G4/G5 (867 MHz or faster) and a DVD drive required to install and play.

Yahoo! agrees to buy MusicMatch for $160M

09/14, 11:30am

Yahoo! buys MusicMatch

Yahoo! today announced that it has agreed to buy Musicmatch in a deal that will practically double its reach in the fast-growing online music business, according to TheStreet.com Yahoo! "will pay $160 million in cash for the closely held San Diego-based provider of personalized music software and services. The deal signals Yahoo!'s decision to go toe-to-toe with big music players like Apple and RealNetworks as the digital music industry expands. 'Yahoo! is committed to being a major player in digital music,' said CEO Terry Semel. 'This combination bolsters our strategy to capture the largest audience of consumers as they make the shift to digital music...This acquisition is one of several product innovations and new initiatives in which Yahoo! will invest to build our music portfolio this year and in the future.'"

FirmTek PCI card offers external SATA drive support

09/14, 11:10am

FirmTek SATA PCI card

FirmTek today unveiled its new external SeriTek/1SE2 Serial ATA PCI host adapter. The SeriTek/1SE2 extends Serial ATA's 1.5Gbits/sec performance to the outside of the Macintosh computer chassis, enabling users to take advantage of external Serial ATA enclosures. Offering two external ports, it provides the same hot-swap flexibility as USB and FireWire devices as well as offers native RAID 0/1 support on Mac OS X, supports all PCI-based Macs, offers user-upgradeable firmware, and includes a one-meter, fully shielded, thin and flexible SATA cable. FirmTek's SeriTek/1SE2 Serial ATA host adapter for the Macintosh will be available during the 4th quarter of 2004 for $100.

New ultra high-capacity iPod replacement battery

09/14, 11:00am

iPod replacement battery

Newer Technology and Other World Computing today introduced an ultra high-capacity 2100mAh iPod replacement battery. The Lithium-Polymer (Li-Polymer) battery is compatible with all first- and second-generation iPod models. The 2100mAh iPod replacement battery uses the same high-quality Li-Polymer technology used by Apple to make the original iPod batteries. The NewerTech battery also comes with two non-scratching installation tools and a detailed instruction manual to guide users smoothly through the installation process. The companies say that the NewerTech battery is the "highest capacity iPod battery on the market and provides 70 percent more capacity than standard Apple stock batteries." It is available immediately for $40.

Briefly: HP iPod Tattoo, College Night in SF, SoHo...

09/14, 7:20am

HP iPod ads/Tattoo

In Brief: Bryan Chang has posted the latest HP iPod ads as well as photos of the bundled HP iPod Tattoo from the September issue of Rolling Stone.... Apple's flagship retail store in San Francisco will be hosting "College Night" on Tuesday, September 14 at 6 pm with prizes every half hour, including an iPod mini and PowerBoook G4.... SoHo ($20) is a small royalty-free icon collection that features 10 icons rendered in five colors... IBM will open-source some of its speech-recognition software, which may find its way into products for the Mac.

Apps: Firefox, Studiometry, MacMagic, Ultralingua,...

09/14, 7:05am

Firefox, Studiometry, ...

Firefox 1.0PR is a preview release of the final version of the open-source browser. It offers several new features, including Live Bookmarks, the Find bar and a new plugin installer along with a host of critical bugfixes as well as better bookmarks, strong encryption for passwords, etc. The final release of 1.0 is expected in the fourth quarter of 2004. [8.4MB]
Studiometry 2.06 ($20) is a complete solution for storing client data, project data, to-dos, timers, invoices, payment data, and more all in one convenient yet secure location. It adds more powerful reporting features (with debt/credit info), the ability to create customized templates, a new project summary template, better template tags, and more. [5.5MB]
MacMagic 1.0 ($50) is an information organization and data processing utility. It offers printing tools, PDF extraction/annotation, non-contiguous text selection, annotate saved information, clipboard export, customizable system-wide keyboard shortcuts, contextual menu commands, file management tools and more. [3.2MB]
Ultralingua 5.0 ($30 ea.) updates translation dictionary software for Macintosh, for English, French, German, Spanish, and more. It brings vastly enhanced databases, stemming (recognition of conjugated and other inflected forms) for most languages, a streamlined "mini-mode," seamless interaction with other applications, and much more.
FinderSync 1.0 (free) is a background application for Mac OS X 10.3 or later that keeps track of open windows in the Finder and tells the Finder to update them when changes are made in the filesystem. It comes with a preference pane for starting and stopping the background app and to control the automatic starting of the application upon login. [180KB]
Hansen's TEC-BASE 2 (starting at $100) is a customized data management tool for school and business technology coordinators. Built in FileMaker Pro, Hansen's TEC-BASE allows tech support personnel to effectively track hardware and software inventory, record IP addresses and data drop locations, manage user accounts and group memberships, and prepare purchase orders. [2.5MB]

Neodynium 1.0: new visual audio compression plugin

09/14, 6:45am

Neodynium 1.0 released

Elemental Audio Systems has released a new audio plug-in: Neodynium is an innovative compressor and dynamics processing plug-in that employs sophisticated processing techniques to provide greater control of audio levels. Additionally, Neodynium introduces a cutting edge, visual approach to compression that supplies invaluable information for optimizing and directing compression efforts and ensuring effective compressor use. Neodynium is Mac OS X compatible and is available in RTAS, Audio Unit, and VST plug-in formats for use in hosts including Digidesign Pro Tools, Emagic Logic, Steinberg Cubase, BIAS Peak, and more. It is $160, but is is available for a limited time with a $20 discount.

Epson Stylus Photo R320 offers PC-free, CD printing

09/14, 12:05am

Epson Stylus Photo R320

Epson today announced its Epson Stylus Photo R320, offering PC-free printing, 13 supported memory card types, a built-in color monitor for viewing and selecting images before printing them and the ability to print in a variety of borderless sizes. The printer also features Epson's unique ability to print directly onto the surface of ink jet printable CDs and DVDs. The printer ofers six-color Photo Inks, up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi, 15 ppm monochrome print speeds, USB 2.0 connectivity, a front-mounted USB port for external device connectivity, and more. It is available now for $200 with a one-year warranty.