News Archive for 04/09/23

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Apple, HP to ship 1 million iPods in October

09/23, 4:55pm

Apple/HP boost iPod output

A research firm said that Apple and HP are planning to sell a million iPods a month this holiday season, according to a Susquehanna Financial Group (SFG) report released this week. AppleInsider reports that the companies will ship 1 million iPods per month starting in October: "The reported figure would represent a more than three-fold increase in iPod shipments from the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple. Last quarter the company shipped a total of 860,000 iPods as it battled a shortage of hard drives for its flavorful iPod mini. For Apple's fourth fiscal quarter, which ends this month, analysts expect the company to have shipped anywhere from 900,000 to 1.4 million iPods. Still, these numbers pale in comparison to SFG's estimate of 3 million iPods during the company's fiscal Q1 of 2005."

Apple releases Java update for Safari, desktop issues

09/23, 4:10pm

Apple Java 1.4.2 Update 2

Apple today released Java 1.4.2 Update 2, which it says provides improved behavior for applets in Safari and increased stability for desktop Java applications. Java 1.4.2 Update 2 also includes all the improvements from Java 1.4.2 Update 1. "The system will be updated to Java 1.4.2 Update 2. If the system currently has Java 1.4.1, it will be removed. Any previous Java 1.4.2 installation will be completely replaced." It requires Mac OS X 10.3.3 or later.

Briefly: icon sets, TiVo iPod, LinuxPPC development..

09/23, 3:40pm

Icon sets, TiVo iPod

In Brief: The Iconfactory has released its "Porcelain" stock icon collection ($350), which features an "angular design and color palette help give it a style and a feel all its own," while IconBase.com has released Aquaria Icon Set for $250... TiVo is offering a limited edition 20GB iPod with its logo etched on the back as part of its newly launched TiVo Rewards program.... The Linux on POWER Open Source Developer Contest hopes to showcase innovative new open-source applications designed specifically for Linux running on the PPC architecture.... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a new law establishing fines and potential jail time for anonymous file swappers.

Servoy 2.1 updates development environment

09/23, 3:30pm

Servoy 2.1 update

Servoy BV today announced the availability of Servoy 2.1, the latest version of its database interface development and deployment environment. Servoy 2.1 delivers higher performance, availability and scalability than its predecessors; and offers more than 50 new and improved features and functions. It adds the ability to localize solutions easily. "Because of Servoy's strict separation of design and data; and with the new database-based internationalization tools offered in Servoy 2.1, Servoy now provides an easy-to-use environment to create, deploy and maintain solutions in multiple languages simultaneously." Servoy Developer is available now for $650; Servoy Clients begin at $240 per concurrent user.

Beatles music may hinge on Apple vs. Apple lawsuit

09/23, 2:30pm

Apple vs. Apple

Recent recent rumors of a settlement between Apple Computer and Apple Corps, the company founded by the Beatles, may be unfounded and reports of the 'biggest settlement in legal history' reports may be overblown, according to a CNET News.com report. Noting that current discussions for digital distribution rights to Beatles' music are running between $15-25 million for 6 months of exclusivity, the report says that Apple may be the only company willing to pay that much, while at the same time delivering a specialized area within iTunes for Beatles' music, interviews, and more--especially if it is part of a legal settlement between the companies over the use of 'Apple'. Apple was given the right to use the brand as part of a $26 million settlement in 1991 for "goods or services...used to reproduce, run, play or otherwise deliver such content," as long as it was not on physical media such as a CD."

Luxology ships advanced 'modo' modeling application

09/23, 1:25pm

Luxology ships modo

Luxology is now shipping modo, its advanced subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform. modo combines a highly advanced real-time subdivision surface engine along with fast, flexible and extensible modeling tools and an innovative and flexible user interface. The application can be used to create models of any type--from organics to hard surfaces and from high-resolution film models to low-resolution real-time meshes. modo delivers this toolset in an architecture that is designed for expansion, allowing artists to create more detailed models, in an interactive environment more quickly using modo's customizable interface. It is available for $900 with a $200 introductory discount being offered for a limited time. LightWave users are eligible for additional friends and family discount by using the 'modo4LW' coupon code.

Apps: JPEG Deblocker, Media Rage, Drop Drawers...

09/23, 1:05pm

Drop Drawers, Deblocker...

Asiva JPEG Deblocker 1.0 ($50) is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop that uses a special JPEG algorithm to achieve maximum quality while meeting size requirements. "This is accomplished by finding regions in the image that have a low amount of detail and lumping those pixels into 16 x 16 square pixel blocks that will have the same color information." [Downoad - buy]
CDpedia ($18) is a CD library manager application for Mac OS X that features a familiar iTunes style interface. CDpedia integrates with iTunes and lets users know what CDs in their collection you have imported. [Downoad - 2.5MB]
A Better Finder Launcher provides instant access to all your applications, documents and folders. Version 1.7 adds a new "contains characters" filter mode and improves display performance on long lists. [Downoad - 3.4MB]
Media Rage 1.3 ($25) is a collection of tools for audio enthusiasts. Media Rage can edit information stored in MP3, AAC, and Ogg Vorbis audio files via a simple interface.Version 1.3 adds a Finder tool for searching, support for mp4 audio books, and more. [Downoad - 2.1MB]
Cumulus 6.0.3 Service Pack 1 enhances performance and stability of the application with various bug fixes. Additionally, it includes new filters in Photo Suite and also offers support for new camera models. [Downoad - form]
Drop Drawers 1.6.5 provides floating pull-out, snap-shut drawers on the sides of your screen to store text, URLs, aliases, scripts, pictures, sounds, movies and more. Version 1.6.5 improves decoding of URL names dragged from modern browsers, adds support for using Finder icons as thumbnails and backgrounds, and allows drawers with no tabs to be used with drag and drop. [Downoad - 532KB]

Tech: WiFi licensing?, IE on XP only, free iPods

09/23, 12:05pm

WiFi licensing, free iPods

Afternoon tech: Wireless vendor Symbol Technologies will seek a big license fee--up to 6%--from all Wi-Fi equipment vendors for an infringed patent, after a jury awarded the company $23 million in a lawsuit against wireless equipment manufacturer Proxim.... In what may be an encouragement to upgrade, MIcrosoft said it would only provide security fixes for Microsoft's IE Web browser running under Windows XP SP2.... An online marketing company offering free iPods in exchange for marketing information and customer sign-ups for free trial offers is unable to keep up with demand because Apple has been unable to deliver iPods (but has also stopped selling email addresses as part of the free iPod offer).

eBay, PassAlong to enter online music market

09/23, 10:45am

eBay to sell digital music

eBay today is expected to announce a deal with startup PassAlong Networks, in which PassAlong will sell digital song downloads via its own Web site and through an online storefront on eBay. PassAlong says it will be the first major download service to allow its customers to use eBay's PayPal payment service and will initially offer a download catalog of about 200,000 songs--with the number expected to grow to 500,000 by the end of the month. That catalog will include the complete catalogs of Warner Music Group, BMG and Universal Music Group, according to Forbes.com.

Apple, Eminem in settlement talks, request more time

09/23, 10:35am

Apple-Eminem lawsuit

Lawyers for Eminem's music label, Apple and MTV have asked a federal judge to delay the trial schedule following settlement talks in the rapper's copyright infringement suit, according to a report in The Detroit News. The lawsuit, which alleges that Apple used the song "Lose Yourself" in an iTunes commercial without permission, may require both Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Eminem to be part of the proceedings. Both sides have been in settlement negotiations and are interested in continuing, but have not yet reached an agreement, according to the report. Apple disputes the claim that the TV ad ran for three months--saying that it appeared just twice on MTV2 in October and was briefly posted on its website. "Among Apple's defenses is that at the time Eminem hadn't yet registered the song."

Apps: Footlights, GraphicConverter, EarthLink TA 2005

09/23, 7:15am

Footlights, EarthLink TA

Footlights 1.0 ($15) is a video viewing application for Mac OS X 10.3 that offers playlist organization, full screen or window-based play back and extensive export options, including QuickTime file formats such as MPEG4, AVI, DV, Mov and more. A $5 discount is available through September 24. [1.5MB]
GraphicConverter X 5.2.3 ($30) updates the popular graphics utility from Lemke Software, bringing dozens of improvements and bug fixes. It offers a completely redesigned dialog for renaming files, new dds/fits/lossless JP2 export options, more AppleScript commands, user-defined crop ratios, improved JPEG import, an improved photo browser, and more. [8MB]
MP3 Trimmer 2.0 ($9) allows users to edit MP3s without re-encoding the files. Users can select an in-point and out-point, add a smooth fade-in/fade-out (with six different options), adjust volume gain, repair/analyze troublesome MP3 files, and now join MP3 files in a single file. [2MB]
EarthLink TotalAccess 2005 offers several Mac tools for Earthlink members, including ScamBlocker for protecting against fraudulent websites, NewsAccess for for reading RSS feeds, spamBlocker for Mac, Mac OS X AddressBook sync with EarthLink Web Mail, a new virus protection module, and EarthLink Accelerator for Mac for surfing up to 5X faster on dial-up connection. [9.1MB]
Symbolic Composer 5.1 3D is a music composition language that offers over 1000 music algorithms, suitable for many different music styles. It covers 300 microtonal world-music/theoretical scales, standard scales and complete chord system. Version 5.1 brings complete VRML2 support and documentation, alowing users to apply VRML for fusing music and virtual architecture. [11MB]

A look at the evolution of the iPod scroll wheel

09/23, 6:30am

The iPod scroll wheel

A CNET News.com reports looks at the evolution of the iPod scroll wheel, which it notes was custom designed by touchpad-manufacturer Synaptics, who "wasn't offering its technology to any other MP3 player companies until recently, and it still doesn't offer the round version found on the iPod to anyone but Apple. However, as mentioned above, the company created a vertical version of it for Creative's Zen Touch, which evidently doesn't violate whatever agreement Synaptics has with Apple."

Briefly: Sony MP3 support, Ive in UK, iMac G5 review

09/23, 6:25am

Sony adds MP3 support

In Brief: Sony says it plans to add support for MP3 music files to some of its portable music players sold in Europe later this year, ending the company's long-standing insistence on its proprietary Atrac format.... Apple's head of industrial design Jonathan Ive will make an appearance in the UK on Thursday October 28, offering a talk at London's Design Museum.... In his iMac G5 review, technology guru Walter Mossberg says "I am writing these words on the most elegant desktop computer I've ever used, a computer that is not only uncommonly beautiful but fast and powerful, virus-free and surprisingly affordable."... Ars Technica has posted an interview with Camino lead developer Mike Pinkerton in which he talks about the pace of development, his thoughts on Safari, and how Camino got its start in the first place.

iPod demand may outstrip AU supply during holidays

09/23, 6:05am

iPod supply in Australia

Apple may not be able to meet the surging iPod demand in Australia this holiday shopping season, according to company representatives. ZDNet Australia says that "Australian shoppers intent on putting an iPod under the Christmas tree should be prepared to lay down a deposit to guarantee a machine will be available, according to Apple Australia's marketing director Arno Lenior... Lenior said the orders placed by Apple Australia anticipate a market for 'hundreds of thousands' of iPods this holiday season, but that demand could reach 'millions.' The admission comes after at least one retailer, Bing Lee, recently said it will not advertise iPods for fear of disappointing shoppers."