News Archive for 04/11/05

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Forums: PB future, iMac G5 noise, OS X 10.3.6...

11/05, 5:20pm

Forums roundup for Nov 5th

Topics of discussion on the MacNN forums today include: Speculation about the next major PowerBook update.... at least two topics in our iMac forum discuss new iMac G5 noises issues.... discussion of the Mac OS X 10.3.6 update, which was released earlier this evening.... comparing the Camino and Firefox Web browsers for Mac OS X.

Astro IIDC: astronomy and microscopy software

11/05, 4:55pm

ASC Astro IIDC

ASC has announced the release of Astro IIDC ($50), a Mac OS X Astronomy and Microscopy oriented image acquisition software. "Astro IIDC" works with a variety of inexpensive FireWire cameras, has a simple intuitive interface, does real time Flat Frame or Dark Frame subtraction and provides real CCD exposure times of up to 1 second with cameras that normally only provide exposures of 1/30th of a second."

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.3.6 update

11/05, 4:35pm

Mac OS X 10.3.6 update

Apple has released Mac OS X 10.3.6 via the Software Update utility in Mac OS X. Apple also released the DVD Studio Pro 3.0.2 Update, which adds compatibility for double-layer media on supported systems, and offers improved general stability. "The 10.3.6 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for Mac OS X v10.3 Panther and is recommended for all users." Update: Apple has updated its online support document with further details on the 10.3.6 update.

Macworld Boston to switch venues in 2005

11/05, 1:40pm

Macworld Boston relocates

IDG World Expo announced today that Macworld Boston will be moving from the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) to the Hynes Convention Center for this summer's event. The date has also been moved up one week, and will now take place from July 11-14, 2005. "Feedback from attendees and exhibitors prompted us to make this move," an IDG spokesman told MacNN. "Most of them requested a more intimate setting for this event. The BCEC is a beautiful venue, but the Hynes is a better fit for Macworld Boston." Despite the move, IDG claims that Macworld Boston is robust and that IDG is absolutely committed to its continued growth.

Pixar releases 'Cars' trailer

11/05, 12:15pm

Pixar \'Cars\' trailer

Pixar has release the first trailer from its next animated feature film "Cars," which likely will be the final Disney/Pixar computer-animated comedy, notes USA Today. Scheduled to open in theaters on November 5th, 2005, "The movie centers on speed-obsessed race car Lightning McQueen, who gets lost on his way to the track. He lands in Radiator Springs, a downtrodden town off fabled Route 66 that has been bypassed by the interstate. There, he learns about what really matters from the cars of the 1950s and '60s." The film will feature the voices of Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Owen Wilson, Dan Whitney and NASCAR vet Richard Petty.

Apps: Sound Byte, Pixadex, iPodder X, NetScrape...

11/05, 11:40am

Sound Byte, Pixadex...

Sound Byte 2.3.0 ($24) turns your Mac into a "cart machine" for playing sound recordings. Sound Byte is ideal for DJs, radio stations and audio productions, to quickly and easily play a variety of recorded sounds, such as jingles, advertisements, songs, sound effects at sporting events, and more. The latest version contains several enhancements to the Carts Rack and the Playlist window. [Mac OS X - 522 KB] [Classic - 565 KB]
Pixadex 1.5.3 ($19) is an update to the popular icon organizational tool for Mac OS X. The new version delivers compatibly with CandyBar 2.0 and support for iContainers that contain application icons. The update, which is free to registered users, also offers minor bug fixes and re-enables the "Send to CandyBar" functions. [Download - 1.25 MB]
iPodderX 2.2 ($20) lets you easily subscribe to RSS newsfeeds with enclosures, also known as podcasts, and any files in those enclosures are automatically downloaded to your Mac. Photos are shuffled off to iPhoto while music and audio is moved into iTunes where it can be synced with your iPod. iPodderX is shareware and features a 30 day free trial. [Download - 1.6 MB]
NetScrape 1.6.2 ($10) is an update to the image collector's web spider and search agent for Mac OS X. The new version will scour a selected directory for images to browse. The update also includes improved statistics, an enhanced preview menu, a safe Google image search option, and several bug fixes. [Download - 783KB]
BasaOne 1.2, a graphical Web application development tool, is now available for a limited time for just $99. "Users design an application and BasaOne generates all the necessary HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MySQL and PHP." Quicktime is also supported in the application, which normally costs $119. BasaOne is also available free in a 14 day demo version. [Download - 1.6MB]
Duotone is a program from PCDcom for making Duotones, Tritones and pseudo (false-) color images. The application works by changing tonal values from black via brown to white and sports a very user-friendly interface. Duotone is available as a free download from PCDcom's Web site. [Download - 1.7MB]

Freeverse offers special savings to Apple employees

11/05, 10:40am

Freeverse Apple promo

In an effort to show Apple its appreciation 'for creating such a fantastic platform,' Freeverse has begun a promotion that offers Apple employees a discount on its software titles. "From now until the end of the year, any Apple employee who places an order for any of our titles, including the latest Burning Monkey Solitaire 2005 edition, AirBurst Extreme, Big Bang Board Games, Robin Hood and Massive Assault on our web store will receive 25% off their order total." In order to take advantage of this offer, employees must place orders at the Freeverse Store using their @apple.com email address and enter the coupon code: "moof".

Apple launches 'Print out. Cash in.' promotion

11/05, 10:05am

Print out. Cash in. promo

Apple has announced a new promotion that offers customers a free Epson Stylus C86 printer if they purchase a new Macintosh computer between now and January 10, 2005. The computer must be purchased from Apple or a participating Apple Authorized Reseller and requires the completion of a mail-in rebate. Apple is also offering up to $100 cash back via mail-in rebate to customers who purchase a qualifying Mac and an Epson Stylus CX4600, Stylus CX5400, Stylus CX6400, Stylus CX6600, Stylus Photo R300, PictureMate, Stylus RX500, Stylus Photo R800, or Stylus RX600. The computer and Epson printer purchases must appear on the same invoice or sales receipt. A full list of terms and conditions are listed in the mail-in coupon.

First Albany lifts Apple's 2005 earnings estimates

11/05, 9:45am

First Albany lifts AAPL

First Albany today raised its earnings estimate and stock price target for Apple Computer, citing higher expectations for iPod products, as well as for iMac, retail stores and iTunes. Analyst Joel Wagonfeld increased his fiscal 2005 earnings estimate to $1.35 a share from $1.17 and revenue forecast to $10.8 billion from $10.2 billion. Wagonfeld lifted his price target to $61 from $53, and reiterated his "buy" rating. "We believe Apple will continue to benefit from a confluence of numerous 'halo effects' based on iPod popularity, iMac uptake, retail store productivity and higher visibility among customers and investors," Wagonfeld said in a note to clients. Apple stock closed Thursday down 86 cents at $54.45.

Columnist on Mac vs. PC performance, pricing, more

11/05, 1:00am

Columnist: Macs cheaper

LinuxInsider columnist Paul Murphy has written a detailed article comparing the pricing, power, and software availability for the Mac and PC platforms. "Compare Apple's dual G5 to the top of the line Dell dual Xeon Precision workstation and the PC has most of the features but costs a thousand bucks more than the Mac." He also says, "[I] discovered that not only are Macs cheaper than PCs once you upgrade the PCs to rough comparability, but the PC line is narrower than Apple's." However, he cautions: "developers selling a PC product into the Macintosh market generally seem to put little or no effort into understanding the Macintosh hardware. In fact, an easy majority apparently opts for little more than use of a Macintosh cross compiler on code that's been extensively optimized for Windows on x86."