News Archive for 05/03/08

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New Simulink tool for testing, verification

03/08, 10:40pm

New Simulink tool

The MathWorks today released Simulink Verification and Validation (SVAV), a new product for Simulink, its platform for multidomain simulation and Model-Based Design of dynamic systems. SVAV enables system designers and test engineers to perform continuous testing and verification throughout the development process. Engineers can now use Model-Based Design to produce a validated executable specification. SVAV simplifies the system development workflow by allowing users to rapidly link requirements to designs and test cases and perform coverage analysis on Simulink models. It can also link user requirements to formal requirements management systems such as Telelogic’s DOORS, or to Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or HTML-formatted files. It is available now starting at $1,000.

Apps: The Fontz, ImageBuddy, DayPost, AudioTools...

03/08, 10:10pm

The Fontz, ImageBuddy

The Fontz 4.0 ($12) is a versatile font utility that allows users browse installed and uninstalled fonts, see what they look like at different type sizes, styles and colors, and even group them in like categories using a "wysiwyg" group editor. New in this version is a large speed improvement, much improved recognition of uninstalled fonts, live resizing of Viewer font list, and more. [Download -2.4MB]
ImageBuddy 3.2.0 ($20) is a simple digital image layout and printing program for Mac OS X. Version 3.2.0 adds square image bounds support to Contact Sheet, embeds image DPI in Print To File images, and improves size consistency of Mixed Orientation images. [Download -2.7MB]
DayPost ($10) provides users of Marketcircle's DayLite CRM application a method for facilitating the creation of the US postage labels that are available through Endicia for Mac. Using DayLite's plug-in architecture, DayPost adds a menu item for creating these labels from the addresses of a selected Contact or Organization. [Download -form]
AudioTools Pro 5.1 is a set of production calculators and utilities that are often needed in music production. Features include setup help with effect processors, complex calculations for loop and tempo matching, a host of utilities, and a reference section. [Download -3.3MB]
iSeeiTunes 1.1 takes advantage of TiVo's new SDK to provide an application that acts as a remote graphical display and remote control for iTunes. Details of the 1.1 release were not published. [Download -1.5MB]
Tinderbox 2.4 ($165) is a personal content management assistant. It stores your notes, ideas, and plans. Version 2.4 improves the appearance of outlines on the screen and inprint, offers locked adornments to make maps easier and smarter, and introduces new assistants for Web sites and presentations. [Download -4.0MB]

Analyst: Sony, Napster will not impact Apple

03/08, 6:05pm

Apple vs. Sony vs. Napster

Despite new challenges by Sony and Napster, Merrill Lynch maintained its 'Buy' rating on the stock, says that it does believe that either announcement will impact Apple. In a research report released today, analyst Steven Milunovich believes that Sony's new MP3 device will make it a "serious competitor," as they are priced similiarly to Apple's iPod shuffle line, but also offer a small LCD screen and battery life of up to 70 hours on AAA batteries. "We believe these are likely to be solid sellers, but they don't support iTunes and do not have the cache of an iPod....We view Sony as the most serious competitor, but since Apple will be supply-constrained on shuffle it will be difficult to assess the impact in the near term."

AAPL down on perceived threats by Sony, Napster

03/08, 5:25pm

AAPL falls by 5 percent

Apple stock price dropped Tuesday on the launch of Sony's new MP3 players and potential increased competition from Napster. The Associated Press reports that fears that both Sony and Napster may take a "bite out of its dominance of online music and portable players" reduced AAPL by $2.22 or more than 5 percent. The report notes that rival Napster recently boosted its sales outlook based on growing demand of its new "Napster To Go" subscription service, saying that new customers are "flocking to its newly launched service that allows unlimited downloads for a flat fee." Reports of Yahoo!'s upcoming digital music service may also have served noticed to investors that Apple's dominance may not go unchallenged.

DLO VoiceNote allows direct recording to iPod

03/08, 5:25pm

DLO VoiceNote

The DLO VoiceNote is a voice recorder and microphone for the iPod that lets users record meetings, lectures, thoughts, ideas, conversations, and so on. The included external Lapel Mic provides direct, clear recording capability. The level settings can be adjusted on the iPod, allowing users to optimize the quality of recordings. Recordings are played back through the built-in speaker or they can be downloaded to a computer. There is no software installation required- just plug the device into the top of your iPod. The DLO VoiceNote is available for online purchase for $40.

Zengobi expands Curio line with new editions

03/08, 5:15pm

Curio editions

Zengobi today announced Curio 2.2, an "idea development environment" that allows users to gather and shape ideas. The award-winning environment for brainstorming and idea management is now available in several editions with features fine-tuned for specific audiences including a Professional Edition ($130), a K-12 Edition ($65), a Home Edition ($80), and a low-cost Basic Edition ($40). Curio Basic Edition delivers the core idea space functionality allowing freeform idea management. Curio Home Edition adds extensive exporting options, Mac publishing, and Sleuth with search sites appropriate for home users. Curio Professional Edition adds the project dossier and a collection of professional dossier templates such as creative brief, screenplay, and video production, and a fully customizable Sleuth. Curio K-12 Edition is similar to the Professional Edition but includes academic dossier templates. Version 2.2 introduces .Mac publishing, an advanced grid mode, and sticky lines for object snapping.

Style Master makes CSS editing easier

03/08, 5:00pm

Style Master CSS

Style Master 4.0 is a CSS editor that provides wizards, over 30 standards based templates, built in help, and a new CSS tutorial. Included are tools for upgrading legacy sites to Web standards, for working with CMS or blogging software, and dealing with browser inconsistencies. The customizable design environment includes sophisticated hand coding tools, editors, and powerful tools for understanding complex style sheets. "But as well as all the tools you would expect for simply editing CSS, Style Master has numerous features that will help you with lots of high level tasks." A 30-day demo of Style Master is available, after which the software is $60 to purchase.

Mac Feet provide improved ergonomics, ventilation

03/08, 4:40pm

LapWorks Mac Feet

LapWorks today announced Mac Feet, a new accessory to reduce heat in Mac laptops.The "peel-n-stick," light-weight Mac Feet attach to the bottom of any standard Mac notebook (2 per computer), then flip down to elevate it to a choice of two heights - 1” or 1 3/8” - for improved typing ergonomics and increased cooling and ventilation underneath the laptop. The Mac Feet, available only in white, will sell for $25 in packages of four (two sets) each. Also available are gray Laptop Legs for PCs. Until April 30 both are only $20 direct from LapWorks.

surfACE offers stable, portable laptop work space

03/08, 3:50pm

surfACE work space

surfACE is a laptop accessory ideal for using a PowerBook or iBook while sitting on a chair with armrests or on a flat surface. It provides a steady work surface with an elevated viewing position. surfACE consists of three panels: a large center surface for the computer, and two side panels offset from the main surface. A space for a standard mouse and pad is provided, along with a secondary space for other items. surfACE can be flipped to provide a dropped viewing position when using a chair with high armrests. Extra parts are available to allow users to adjust the vertical offset between the panels. The surfACE also comes with rear "feet" to prop the back of the laptop up, for an optimal typing angle. It is available in clear acrylic and translucent white. Pricing starts at $160.

Briefly: iPod icons, iPod-based restore utility, ...

03/08, 1:30pm

iPod icons

In brief: Iconfactory has released its "iPod, Therefore I Am" free World of Aqua icons.... Virtual Programming and Freeverse today announced that the unique strategy game, Massive Assault, is now shipping to retailers in North America.... IBM is developing iPod-based software that could rebuild a hard drive in an hour using One-touch Rescue & Recovery On Linux.... Wacom today announced that Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 is now included with all sizes of its Intuos 3 pen tablets.

JobCapture 5.1 "eliminates" manual time reporting

03/08, 12:55pm

JobCapture 5.1

CaptureWorks has released JobCapture 5.1, the newest version of its utility designed for organizations that need to accurately track time and activities. Version 5.1 includes significant enhancements for collection and reporting of work activities without dependence on users' memory or unnecessary intrusion to workflow . Version 5.1 also includes a wider selection of out-of-the-box reports, complete with charts and timelines on any data it collects based on client, project, costs, and more. JobCapture can capture (at the optimal moment) the fine details of real-time work production-both on and off the computer. The software simplifies the collection process and brings precision and completeness to records.

Xinet updates FullPress, WebNative suites

03/08, 11:45am

FullPress, WebNative

Xinet's FullPress 14 provides the core framework for efficiently handling images, documents and output generation. Version 14 is a feature-rich upgrade that includes support for AFP 3.1 and Red Hat Linux, as well as enhanced support for Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and Mac OS X. WebNative 7 is a centralized, single point of access for digital assets and artwork. With a standard web browser, users can search for, download, upload, preview and re-purpose files and assets, 24-hours a day. WebNative Venture combines the extensive functionality of WebNative with a fully integrated, enterprise-strength database. The new version of WebNative Venture and WebNative now support Adobe's XMP format. Also added are version mangement over the Web, new InDesign functionality, and a visual summary for linked file information stored in the database

Report: Demand for key Apple products is strong

03/08, 10:15am

Apple demand strong

Research firm Piper Jaffray says that although "significant emphasis is being placed by the Street on March Quarter iPod unit estimates ... our focus is on the overall business." The firm says that its checks of 20 Apple specialist resellers and 30 Apple retail stores "left us more confident that demand for Apple's key products (most notably iMac, Powerbook, Mac mini and various versions of the iPod) continue to be ahead of expectations (exception is Power Mac)." Additionally, Piper Jaffray says it believes "true demand for the iPod shuffle and Mac mini will not be visible in the March quarter ... more importantly, we believe supply constraints on new products will ease in the June quarter." Moreover, "Apple Specialist Resellers are more optimistic than we have heard them in the last 3 quarters ... they expect the quarter to be at or above plan."

Apps: accessTunes, BugReporter, SimpleHelp, Curio...

03/08, 10:00am

accessTunes, BugReporter

accessTunes 1.2 ($15) starts sharing your iTunes Music Library as soon as you turn on your computer, making it available as a shared iTunes library on the local network, and accessible from anywhere in the world via the Web. This version adds support for music on external hard drives, and fixes many bugs reported by users. [Download -2.7MB]
BugReporter 1.0.1 ($50) is a maintenance update to the developer tool for capturing Mac OS X crash logs. This release improves compatibility with multiple user environments, reduces the link requirements for Cocoa applications, and includes several minor cosmetic fixes. [Download -618KB]
24U SimpleHelp Plug-In 3.1 ($48) is an interactive help plug-in for FileMaker Pro that allows developers to insert tool tips, coachmarks, or roll-over effects. The new version increases efficiency for complex solution developers by implementing global help tags and virtual layouts. [Download -2.8MB]
Curio 2.2 ($40-$80) is an "idea development environment" that allows users to gather and shape ideas. No other product on the market has the features and the intuitive interface to promote creative exploration. Version 2.2 introduces .Mac publishing, an advanced grid mode, and sticky lines for object snapping. [Download -options]
4Peaks 1.6 is a program that helps molecular biologists visualize and edit their DNA sequence files. Version 1.6 adds support of Phred quality data readings, vertical zooming, and bug fixes. [Download -3.8MB]
streamlined 1.1 ($150) provides a streamlined way to convert paper documents to PDF. Version 1.1 adds support for the Fujitsu fi-5110EOX, fi-5110C, and fi-4010CU scanners. Additionally, the update adds a contrast setting to the scanner setup dialog, control over brightness and contrast for all image types, and more. [Download -3.3MB]

Send SMS, WikityWidget honored in Dashboard contest

03/08, 8:45am

Send SMS, WikityWidget

Apple has announced the winners of its Dashboard Widget Contest. Apple awarded Send SMS by Alco Blom, which provides the ability to send a message to someone without having to launch the Address Book application. Send SMS combines the instantly available Tiger Dashboard with Short Message Service, or SMS. Send SMS is a light-weight widget which uses the XMLHttpRequest functionality of WebKit to send the messages users write. Also awarded in the contest is WikityWidget, by Michael Robinette. WikityWidget is a personal notepad with automatic linking. Using a simple notebook-style interface, WikityWidget lets you easily jot down and organize notes with hypertext links so they're easy to find and instantly available via the Mac OS X Tiger Dashboard. "It applies Wiki technology in a new and interesting way on the Mac and demonstrates the powerful potential of Widgets to leverage technologies in Tiger."

Apple offers refurb iBook for $650, iMac G5 for $950

03/08, 8:00am

Apple Store refurbs

Apple's 'Special Deals' section at the Apple Store is offering an Apple-certified 12-inch iBook for $650, which features a 800MHz G4 processor along with 256MB RAM, a 30GB drive, and Combo (DVD/CD) optical drive. A 933MHz 14-inch iBook (256MB/40GB/Combo) is only $800, while an 1GHz 14-inch Book with 256MB/60GB/Combo is only $850. A special no-modem, no optical drive version of the 17-inch, 1.6GHz iMac G5 is only $950. The Apple Store also offers refurb Power Mac G5s: a single-processor 1.6GHz Power Mac G5 ($1,200), 1.8GHz G5 ($1,300), dual 1.8GHz ($1,700), dual-2GHz ($2000), and dual-2.5GHz ($2,600). Apple also has limited stock of the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD for $2,600 and refurb eMacs (starting at $550), AirPort Express Base Station ($100), Bluetooth keyboard ($50) and mouse ($50), and more.

Briefly: Mac/AccountEdge rebate, Real takes on iTunes

03/08, 7:35am

Mac/AccountEdge rebate

In Brief: The Apple Store is offering a limited $100 mail-in rebate through April 15th with the purchase of any Mac and MYOB AccountEdge business software... A recently sold property in Center City Philadelphia may be the location for an upcoming Apple retail store, according to the The Philidelphia Business Journal....RealNetworks' CEO Rob Glaser is taking yet another shot at Apple, calling its iTunes service "deceptive" for not explicitly telling customers that iTunes songs can't be transferred easily to other devices.... Software developer Alco Blom announced that the Tiger Widget version of his SMS Mac software, which will allow users to send an SMS to any mobile phone, has won the Apple Dashboard Widget Contest.

iPod faces new challenges from Sony, mobile phones

03/08, 7:10am

Sony flash music devices

Sony has launched a new line of flash-based MP3 players. Designed to counter Apple's recent entry into the low-cost music device market, Sony's new music devices store up to 1GB of music, offer up to 50 hours of music playback, and feature a small LCD screen. The players are expected to cost between $150 and $180. Meanwhile, another article titled "Mobile music challenges 'iPod age'" looks at the challenges posed by cell phones--which are expected to incorporate mini hard drives and higher-capacity flash storage in the near future and will soon leverage higher speed networks for downloading music: "The seamless experience of mobiles and PC downloads is approaching, he predicted. Mr Babinet said the mobile phone had a number of advantages over PCs which would see it become the focus for music downloading in the future."