News Archive for 05/04/25

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Apps: MacGPS, TitleExchange, Euro Assistant...

04/25, 8:40pm

MacGPS, TitleExchange

MacGPS Pro 5.7 ($40) is the latest release of the software that works with Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers for transferring Waypoints, Routes, Tracklogs, and GPS satellite Almanacs. Version 5.7 adds support for Maptech BSB 5 charts for the Mac Sailor. [Download - buy]
TitleExchange Lite (free) is a basic tool for easy and fast transfer of subtitles from FCP to DVD Studio Pro. Users can export a FCP timeline with the subtitles as XML and open this XML with TitleExchange Lite. [Download - form]
Euro Assistant Pro 2.6.7 ($15) is a currency converter directed to both European and non-European users. Version 2.6.7 fixes incompatibilities with Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger," and improves updating from the European Central Bank. [Download - 998KB]
Little Snitch 1.2b (beta) brings Mac OS X Tiger compatibility to the internet security application that tells you when a program tries to send info via the internet. The application offers custom settings, server- or port-based exceptions/rules, permanent and temporary rules, etc. [Download - 450KB]
Finance 5.5.0 ($20) is a checking, savings, and credit card account management application. Version 5.5.0 now comes as a bundle application. It features code execution up to 800% faster, a new password protection option, updates for data display, new file routines, open routines and automatic save routines to support passwords, and more. [Download - 1.1MB]

Apple posts GarageBand 2.01, Xsan 1.01 updates

04/25, 6:30pm

GarageBand 2.01 fixes bugs

Apple's GarageBand 2.0.1 addresses issues with duplicating tracks, playhead snapping to grid, joining software instrument regions on adjacent tracks, making precise adjustments to volume and pan settings, and converting Software Instrument Apple Loops based on drum sounds into Real Instrument Apple Loops. It also addresses an issue where recorded Real Instrument regions may not properly adjust to changes in the project key. It is available via the Mac OS X Software Update. Apple also released its Xsan 1.0.1 Update, which delivers overall improved reliability for Xsan and is recommended for all systems.

Griffin AirBase boosts AirPort Express range

04/25, 6:15pm

Griffin AirBase

Griffin's AirBase increases effective range and signal efficiency for AirPort network and AirTunes by raising the AirPort Express base station up in the room. It also makes it easier to check the network status light at a glance. "The AirBase makes an elegant artistic statement that compels you to display it on the desk, shelf or entertainment center." The design includes built-in cable management, and a weighted, chrome metal base. Connecting printers, ethernet and your stereo is made easy. AirBase can be pre-ordered for $25 from Griffin's website.

ezGear offers iPod shuffle wall charger

04/25, 6:10pm

iPod shuffle wall charger

iPod accessory maker ezGear today announced the ezPower Shuffle wall charger for the iPod Shuffle. The ezPower Shuffle connects to a standard U.S. electric outlet, and plugs into your iPod shuffle for charging. “The ezPower Shuffle is another great ezGear product for the iPod Shuffle and a logical extension of our ezPower product line. ezGear now has a full line of iPod Shuffle products for resellers and iPod users." The ezPower Shuffle joins iPod Shuffle product line that also includes the ezSkin Tankini, ezSkin Body Suit, ezCharge Shuffle car charger, and ezLink Shuffle extension kit. The suggested retail price for the ezCharge Shuffle is $23.

iPodStyles launches new protective gear

04/25, 5:55pm

iPodStyles gear

iPodStyles today launched a series of clear protective gear that will protect the iPod without hiding the beauty of the device. The iPod Silicon Screen is a new screen protector for the iPod that features a layer of silicon that helps protect the screen from small impacts. The dual layer protector features an outer hard coat protective film and a inner silicon rubber layer. The outer layer was specially designed to withstand scratches and is anti-reflective, while the inner silicon layer acts as a cushion against small knocks and bumps. The protector is ultra clear with 95-99% transparency.

Griffin ships AirClickUSB Remote for Macs

04/25, 5:45pm

Griffin AirClickUSB Remote

Griffin Technology today announced that it is now shipping the AirClickUSB Remote, a unique wireless remote control for Macs. The AirClickUSB Remote uses RF technology that allows users to control their computers from up to 60 ft. away. "Users do not have to be in line of sight, making AirClick ideal for controlling applications remotely. RF signals pass through walls, so users do not even have to be the same room." Each AirClickUSB package ships with a remote, a USB receiver, a software CD and a USB extension cable for maximum flexibility in receiver placement. The AirClickUSB ships with the ability to control a number of popular applications, including: iTunes, PowerPoint, Keynote, QuickTime and DVD Player. It is available now for $40.

Mediaboard ONE catalogs image, movie files

04/25, 2:50pm

Mediaboard ONE preview

InterServices New Media today released Mediaboard ONE preview release, its media cataloging and asset management application built for Mac OS X. Mediaboard ONE manages movies and images by tracking the locations of the media files (on a CD/DVD, on an internal disc or on a network server), cataloging and organizing files and providing easy ways to search the SQL-based database. Mediaboard ONE creates intelligent thumbnails to which users can add comments, keywords, license and model/property release informationl it automatically extracts useful data, such as EXIF information. The media database can either be stored locally or on a network server to be accessed by an unlimited number of users. It is available for $40 before a limited-time $20 discount. A preview is available now, while the final version is due in May.

SpamSieve 2.3 offers Tiger support, better filtering

04/25, 2:10pm

SpamSieve 2.3 released

SpamSieve 2.3 also brings Mac OS X Tiger compatibility to the application for filtering spam from within your email clients. The client-side application helps fitler spam using Bayesian spam filtering within Apple Mail, Claris Emailer, Entourage, Eudora, GyazMail, Mailsmith, Power Mail and more. Version 2.3 also improves SpamSieve's parsers and tokenizer for better accuracy, offers better auto training, reduces false positives, better better decoding of Apple Mail messages, improved Mail.app processing, and more. SpamSieve works with any number of mail accounts, of whatever types are supported by your e-mail software (e.g. POP, IMAP, Hotmail, AOL). It is available for $25 or as a 30-day demo.

Briefly: iMac ship dates, future DVDs, ...

04/25, 1:35pm

iMac ship dates

In brief: The Apple Store has extended the shipping timeframe for iMac G5 orders to 5-7 business days, hinting a possible update is near.... Matt MacInnis, Manager for research computing in Apple's worldwide Professional Markets team, will show attendees at the Apple Store SoHo Theater the merits of the Mac platform, useful third-party applications and successful customers who are using Xserve G5 for high performance computing today.... Big Nerd Ranch announced that Steve Kochan and Aaron Hillegass will teach at its June 27 - July 1 Cocoa Bootcamp.... More electronics companies have joined talks between Sony and Toshiba to develop a common format for next-generation DVDs and end a fierce battle over the standard.

Aspyr drops prices on several games

04/25, 11:35am

Aspyr price drops

Aspyr Media today announced it is dropping prices on several of its Mac titles. More than a dozen games have been marked down at U.S. retail outlets. Extreme Fun Compilation, Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, Leave the Lights On, Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Breakthrough, Space Colony, Spy Hunter, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 are now $10. James Bond 007: Nightfire and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness are now $15. Battlefield 1942, Ghost Recon: Desert Siege, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword are $20. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is $30. Homeworld 2 is $40.

Apple availability increases, demand unchanged

04/25, 10:40am

Apple availability

Apple's product availability continues to improve, with most products shipping on the same business day, according to a research note by Piper Jaffary. The research and investment firm, which often comments on Apple, says while critics of the company suggest greater product availability represents slowing demand, "we believe that demand for both Macs and iPods remains strong." Increased availability simply indicates that "Apple is becoming efficient at building products, and for the first time in a year, should have enough product to meet demand."

RadTech debuts BT510 midsize Bluetooth Mouse

04/25, 10:35am

RadTech Bluetooth mouse

RadTech today began shipping its BT-510 Bluetooth Mouse, which offers the ability to electronically reverse the left/right buttons for left-handed users. The mid-sized mouse offers 3 button control as well as a scroll wheel and 800 dpi optical resolution for ultra-precise tracking. It features a smart, power-saving sleep mode and an easily accessible power switch. The BT-510 can can also be powered via any USB port using its included power cable. The BT-510 is available as a bundle with the RadPak Travel case, a compact, semi-rigid clamshell case featuring a cushioned interior, twin rubber-tabbed zipper pulls and internal bays to accommodate a spare set of batteries. It is available in black/white for $60 or bundled with the RadPak Travel case for $70.

miniMate adds 400GB, more ports to Mac mini

04/25, 10:10am

MicroNet miniMate

MicroNet has introduced the miniMate, an external hard disk and port extender designed to enhance Apple’s Mac mini by adding up to 400GB of storage, 3 USB ports, and 2 FireWire ports. “The Mac mini’s powerful G4 processor and the iLife creative applications make it perfect for all creative endeavors,” said Alex Koyshman, MicroNet’s director of Research and Development. “With additional storage space and ports for camcorders and other input and output devices, the miniMate™ extends the capabilities of Apple’s Mac mini to match the most capable workstations.” The device offers both FireWire and USB hubs as well as integrated hi-performance (7,200 rpm) USB 2.0 storage. It is currently available in 80GB ($150), 160GB ($180), 250GB ($250), and 400GB ($500) models.

McAfee's Virex 7.6 focuses on enterprise users

04/25, 9:35am

McAfee Virex 7.6

McAfee today announced Virex 7.6, offering small to large businesses centrally-managed virus protection for their Mac OS X systems. The new version includes a component that communicates with McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator for centralized system security policy configuration and enforcement. The system also offers detailed reporting that enables enterprises to efficiently manage their Virex-protected clients. With McAfee Virex, enterprise users can implement real-time prevention of viruses, worms, Trojans and other malicious code threats. "Many organizations today have a mixed computing environment including Macintoshes, and McAfee is committed to supporting these eterogeneous system security requirements."

iPod a "growth catalyst" for Mac line; AAPL upgraded

04/25, 9:25am

AAPL upgraded

Apple was upgraded to 'outperform" from "neutral" by investor firm Credit Suisse First Boston this morning on the belief that the next major boost for the stock will be driven by the company's success in the PC market. Apple's Mac line is poised for continued growth over the coming quarters, following the completion of its second-straight quarter of market share gains. Analyst Robert Semple raised his stock price target to $45 from $40, his 2005 earnings estimate to $1.36 a share from $1.32 and his 2006 forecast to $1.61 a share from $1.52. "We believe that while iPod has been the growth catalyst for the story to date, the Mac business is now poised to deliver strong growth, market share gains and positive earnings revisions over the coming quarters," Semple said.

Native Instruments ships Synthetic Drums 2

04/25, 9:00am

Synthetic Drums 2

Synthetic Drums 2 is a massive collection of drum and percussion sounds from Native Instruments, designed for its Battery 2 and Kontakt applications. The collection was created in cooperation with more than twenty innovative electronic music producers and sound designers. This latest edition is loaded with 36 drum kits that offer material for all contemporary and upcoming styles of electronic music. All drum kits make extensive use of the advanced sound shaping, mapping and modulation features of both Battery and Kontakt. Synthetic Drums 2 is available for a suggested retail price of $120.

eWeek: Apple lawsuits create little consumer backlash

04/25, 8:40am

Lawsuit backlash

If there is a consumer backlash against Apple over its recent lawsuits against Mac rumor sites, "it doesn't appear to be doing Apple any real harm," eWeek observes. "Among the people that Apple is most likely to care about— the core Mac aficionados who congregate every year at events like January's Macworld Expo in San Francisco— the support for Apple has been considerable. At virtually every news site covering the cases the comments have been flooded with Mac fans decrying the leaking of information and supporting Apple's attempt to keep its secrets until the date of its choosing— often in vehement terms ... Ironically, it is these very fans who tend to form the audience for sites such as Think Secret, who cluster around message boards and mailing lists to discuss the latest in rumored new products."

Briefly: iChat AV requirements, iTunes singles/record

04/25, 7:15am

iChat AV requirements

In Brief: Mac OS X Tiger's iChat AV has some hefty system requirements, requiring a dual-1GHz G4 or any G5 CPU to host a multi-party video conference-- leaving Apple laptop owners out in the cold (however, a 1GHz or dual-800MHz G4 or a G5 is required to participate in video conferencing).... The FastIcon has released a new free icon set called "Tiger folders", which contains six freeware icons that weree "inspired in the look of Apple's Tiger operating system."... The Dave Matthews Band has released its American Baby single as an iTunes exclusive.... LoadPod has announced the immediate nationwide availability of "LearnPod" on-site hands-on training for the iPod and iTunes.... According to EMI Music UK & Ireland, Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" single is set to become the most downloaded track in history, though Apple has not released any official numbers.

Apps: WinSwitch, iVCD, GoodPage, The Fontz, Dock-It

04/25, 6:55am

WinSwitch, iVCD, GoodPage

WinSwitch 3.1 (free) brings Mac OS X Tiger compatibility to the popular replacement for Apple's Fast User Switching menu. WinSwitch offers a range of options, including several menubar display options, access to "root" and other user accounts, and the ability to auto-launch applications, scripts or documents. [Download - 787KB]
iVCD 2.4 ($30) is an all-in-one MPEG encoder and VCD & SVCD burner. In a single step, it can create a VCD, SVCD, XVCD or XSVCD from several different file formats (AVI, Divx, Xvid, mpg, .mov. iMovie or QT)(. Version 2.4 supports CPU load control, Apple Disc Recording, CDR Disk At Once (cdrdao), hybrid video/music VCDs, aspect ratio control, Windows autorun, and iMovie HD. [Download - 5.9MB]
GoodPage 1.1 ($100) updates the innovative HTML/CSS authoring and website management tool. Version 1.1 adds collapsable elements in the Structure view, template mode, optional display of line numbers in code views, Tiger compatibility, and more. It ofers WYSIWIG editing, multiple document views, FTP/SFTP/WebDAV support, code validation, and more. [Download - 936KB]
The Fontz 4.2 ($12) is a versatile font utility that allows you to browse both installed/uninstalled fonts, view them at different type sizes/styles, and group them in into categories using a "wysiwyg" group editor. It adds a new error reporting system, better font management, and bug fixes. [Download - 2.8MB]
Dock-It 2.4 ($10) is a multifunctional dock and Finder enhancer for the Mac OS X. It allows users to create more than one dock, copy/paste text, perform file copy operations, and use a variety of applet for extra functionality. Docks now hide when DVD Player runs or another application goes full screen. Version 2.4 also adds a hot key (Option-D) for showing dock editor window. [Download - 2.3MB]
PSTextMerge 3.0 ($20) is a Java-based application for working with lists that can input, sort, filter, merge and output data. Version 3.0 adds the ability to read data from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets directly, eliminating any need to save the data in tab-delimited format as well as an alternate set of command and variable delimiters for greater compatibility with popular HTML editors. [Download - 1.2MB]

Tiger delivers 'necessary', 'really cool' computing

04/25, 1:35am

Tiger vs. Longhorn

In a column about the Longhorn vs. Tiger OS battle, Newsweek's Steven Levy says that this week's launch of Mac OS X Tiger will finally bring some "necessary and really cool" features to the desktop, while Windows users will have to wait (atleast) until Christmas 2006. "Apple's [OS] is here now, and Jobs sees it as indicative of Apple's agility and drive. 'Microsoft has followed our taillights for a long time,' [Jobs] says. 'Maybe [in the '90s] we stopped innovating for a while, but now they've been copying OS X the same way they copied Mac.'" The article also quotes Windows czar Jim Allchin as saying that the Tiger OS upgrade is "a peripheral to the iPod," and suggest that "some of Apple's ideas (like the Dashboard mini-programs) were inspired by early demos of Longhorn."