Columnist downplays Tiger features, "innovation"

NewsFactor's Dave Kearns says Apple is "praised as an innovator" in situations where Microsoft would be "denounced as a predator and a monopolist." With the latest released of Mac OS X, known as Tiger, Apple has incorporated several features seemingly inspired by third-party add-ons. "It appears that what Apple has done with Tiger is to take meaningful, desirable third-party services and applications and 'roll their own' inside the operating system, thus presenting users with a fuller package of features." The third parties that had been providing many Tiger-like features for Mac OS X as add-ons now "are left out in the cold." Kearns also claims all of Tiger's "revolutionary" features were already available from Microsoft Windows. "I guess it all depends on how you keep score."

Apple releases Mac OS X "Tiger" 10.4.1 update...

Apple this evening released Mac OS X 10.4.1, a free update to the "Tiger" operating system. The update, which is available via Software Update, delivers overall improved reliability for Mac OS X 10.4 and is recommended for all users by Apple. It includes improvements for: file sharing using AFP and SMB/CIFS network file services; Disk Utility's burning function; using DHCP in wireless networks; user login when accessing LDAP and Active Directory servers; and synchronization with .Mac. Core graphics are enhanced thanks to updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers. The update also improves the Address Book, iCal, Font Book, Mail, and Preview applications. Moreover, the update enhances the Address Book, Flight Tracker, Phone Book, and World Clock Dashboard widgets. Lastly, the Mac OS X 10.4.1 update improves compatibility with miscellaneous third party applications and devices.

Briefly: Shuffle cases, Stolen iPod on eBay, Halo 3

In brief: Incase has released two new neoprene "Pouch" iPod shuffle cases, featuring "play-through" access to controls and several colors.... Microsoft plans to use the hotly anticipated Halo 3 for Xbox 360 to rob Sony of a good portion of its PS3 launch thunder, according to Bill Gates, who was quoted as saying "It's perfect [...] the day Sony launches [the new PlayStation], and they walk right into Halo 3."... The Washington Post reports that a Bowie, Maryland woman used eBay to track down her stolen iBook and custom-engraved iPod.... Apple now lists FrameUrl, myAmazon, NTV News Widget, eBay.de Widget, and Minesweeper as the most popular Dashboard widgets on its website.

MTV: "blinged-out" designer iPod carrying cases

MTV looks at accessorizing the iPod, which some iPod fans and accessory makers are taking to the extreme. Last week Noreve, a French company that sells high-end leather cases for portable gadgets, added a $1,783 limited-edition "Love" iPod pouch to its catalog. The soft pink case is adorned with a white-gold heart encrusted with 44 diamonds. "Equally impractical is Fendi's Juke Box, a $1,500 carrying case devised by German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, one of the brains behind Fendi and Chanel." Accessorizing iPods has become "almost as important as the player itself," and the market is being bombarded with new products by Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Burberry and Coach, all of which offer designer iPod cases. Coach's $98 python-skinned case sold out before it even hit stores in September 2004. A second batch of cases arrived in April and also sold out immediately.

Apple broadens iPod supply base with new manufacturer

While Taiwanese manufacturer Inventec continues to produce the bulk of Apple's hard drive-based iPods, a second company has joined the fray. Confirmation came this week via chipmaker PortalPlayer's quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the document, the company notes that it is now shipping chips to a second, unnamed manufacturer that is building products for Apple. Last September, Apple inked a deal with Asustek to serve as a second supplier for the iPod mini. Asustek is already making the iPod shuffle.

MCE announces iBook G4 SuperDrive upgrade

MCE today announced an 8x DVD-Recordable slot-loading internal SuperDrive upgrade for both the 12-inch and 14-inch iBook G4, available for $200. In addition to recording to both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW media at up to 8x speed, the MCE 8x SuperDrive includes Double Layer (also called Dual Layer) support and can record up to 8.5GB of information at up to 2.4x speed on a single side of DVD+R Double Layer media. The MCE 8x SuperDrive upgrade with Double Layer support is available for immediate delivery. In addition, it writes to standard 650MB (74 minute) and 700MB (80 minute) CD-R media at up to 24x speed, writes and rewrites to standard CD-RW media at up to 24x speed, reads DVD-ROM discs at up to 8x speed, and reads standard CD-ROM discs at up to 24x speed.

X3D modeling contest offers up to $3k; RawKee update

SpaceTime3D is sponsoring an X3D modeling contest to produce high-fidelity models of actual diamonds. Contestants will use the basic 3D geometry of a round brilliant diamond and inspect a reasonable facsimile, then model the diamond in full detail and render it using X3D in a 3D browser of their choice. First Prize for the most realistic and easy to manipulate diamond: $3000 gift certificate. Second Prize for the best representation of a diamond ring on a person using H-Anim: $1500 give certificate. Deadline for submission is July 20th. Also announced today was RawKee 0.4, an open source plug-in for Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited that not only allows users to export the X3D file format, but also allows users to setup X3D scripting and routing from within Maya through the RawKee X3D interaction editor. The update adds support for the latest version of Maya and Mac OS X, and also allows exporting of VRML97, X3DV, and X3D.

Apple at All Things Digital conference

Apple CEO Steve Jobs will speak at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference next week, May 22nd to 24th. At last year's conference, Apple unveiled AirTunes alongside the AirPort Express. Some reports suggest that this year, Apple may release an AirTunes remote control. Jobs hinted that a remote was in the works after being pressed by Walt Mossberg, who told Jobs he thought the biggest problem with AirTunes was that users had to get up and walk to change songs. Earlier today, we noted a mysterious reference to an AirTunes remote in iTunes 4.8.

Zero G ships InstallAnywhere 7 with support for Tiger

Zero G Software today shipped InstallAnywhere 7, the latest version of its multi-platform software deployment solution. It offers a host of new features to allow the intelligent installation of software components on new platforms, including the latest versions of SuSE 9, RedHat Enterprise Server 4.0 and Fedora, Solaris 10, and Mac OS X Tiger. Version 7 also offers Java J2SE 5.0 support, a new Windows Installer (MSI) build option (in addition to native Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X installers), support for Shared Components, the ability to check for cross-product dependencies, and install action groups for sharing common rules and simplifying the creation of complex installation solutions. It is available in Enterprise ($3,000) and Standard ($1000) editions.

Briefly: Pop-Lock ad, new iTatus, Tiger hole, ...

In brief: Apple has posted its "Pop-Lock" iPod + iTunes television ad for online viewing.... Tatuz International today announced the release of six new iTatu designs for the iPod shuffle digital music player.... Tatuz (formerly shuffletatu.com) today announced the release of six new iTatu designs for the iPod shuffle digital music player.... The Boston Globe says Apple has "so far done nothing to protect its customers" from a security hole in Tiger.... An error message in the new iTunes 4.8 hints to a possible AirTunes remote control from Apple.... NeoMusicStore, online music (physical and digital) service and marketplace for independent labels, is the "first digital downloads store" to offer podcasting.

Aspyr ships iSale utility for eBay auctions

Aspyr Media today announced it is now shipping iSale, an eBay utility that offers a user-friendly OS X layout and easy to manage menus. The utility helps home users leverage the eBay auction site to easily create and edit online auctions. It offers integration with iPhoto, iSight, and iDisk as well as the ability to prepare auctions offline and the ability to send them to eBay with a single click when connected to the internet. Users can keep an overview of the current status of running and finished auctions; conduct post-sales business (view sold, paved, sent and leave feedback); it is compatible with with eBay USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, UK, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium (French/Dutch), Italy, Netherlands and Spain. The $40 utility runs on Mac OS X 10.3 or later and is expected on retail shelves by May 20th.

Apps: Wx, ShowMacster, Cisco VPN, MindFortress...

• Wx 2.1 ($10) is an update of the app that displays weather information from the US National Weather Service in a transparent main window and in the dock. Version 2.1 adds tracking of five locations (up from three), compatibility with Mac OS X Tiger, precipitation forecasts, improved RADAR animations, expanded window transparency effects, and better performance. [Download - 420KB]


• ShowMacster 1.3 ($20) is an extension to Apple's iChat AV which enables the user to stream pictures, Quicktime movies and live screen captures during video conferences. ShowMacster now supports further Firewire video devices and adds support for several new media types, such as H.264, 3G2, and 3GP. [Download - form]


• Cisco VPN 4.6.03 is a maintenance update to the enterprise software for Mac. The new version adds support for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Dual-CPU support is still absent in this release. [Download - restricted]


• pearLabelizer 0.5 (free) is a simple utility that lets users print addresses or other text onto specific labels of a label sheet. The update adds additional Address Book fields, features smarter printing of groups, and fixes bugs with Tiger. [Download - 225KB]


• TarMac 1.0.2 ($10) is a graphical front-end to the command-line gnutar utility on Mac OS X. MindFortress 1.5 ($10) is a multi-media knowledge base app for the Mac OS X platform. Both updates add support for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. [Download - MindFortress, TarMac]


• Feeder 1.1 ($30) is an application for creating, editing and publishing RSS feeds. Version 1.1 has over 30 new features and improvements, which include publishing using Secure FTP and .Mac, uploading enclosure files for podcasting, and more. [Download - 1.8MB]

HP launches limited Gwen Stefani digital camera...

HP today announced the availability of Gwen Stefani's custom-designed HP digital camera. Designed for her fans, the limited edition (only 3,000 produced) "HP Photosmart R607 Harajuku Lovers Digital Camera by Gwen Stefani" is styled in turquoise and white with maroon-colored accents, including hearts and Japanese kanji and katakana characters. The HP Photosmart R607 Harajuku Lovers Digital Camera by Gwen Stefani is an ultra-compact, 4.1 megapixel camera that features HP's innovative Real Life Technologies such as adaptive lighting technology, panorama preview mode for capturing panoramic shots, in-camera red-eye removal to instantly eliminate red-eye without a PC or software, HP Image Advice and HP Instant Share.

Marketcircle debuts Billings 1.0 software

Marketcircle today releaesd Billings 1.0, a new software application designed for the professional who tracks and bills detailed time, Billings can be used to quickly create great looking estimates, effortlessly track time from any application, and easily generate professional invoices for billable time, expenses, and mileage. It features the ability to start and display timers from any application using global hot keys; search projects, notes and slips using Spotlight (under Tiger); generate, preview, email and print PDF estimates and invoices in one step; integration with Address Book to store the clients list; and the ability to push timed slips to iCal as Tasks or Events. It is available for $40 and runs on Mac OS X 10.3.5 or later.

New handmade iPod cases offer unique styling

iPodStyles today launched a new line of handmade iPod cases called fabriX. fabriX cases are designed specially for the iPod using "the finest of high grade fabrics" with inner quilt padding. In addition to fashionable outer styling, the fabriX cases are designed to fit the iPod snugly, protecting it from scratches and minor bumps. These cases will not stretch and can be washed if they get dirty. The fabriX cases are currently available in 16 different styles. Upon order confirmation, the cases will be shipped in one week as they are individually handmade.

Wired News interviews podcast pioneer Adam Curry

Wired News has published an interview with former MTV veejay Adam Curry, now known for his work as a pioneer of podcasting. Curry helped create 'ipodder,' a tool that automates the process of downloading and listening to audio files. His Daily Source Code podcast has become an online hit, and he's developing a new software tool for podcasters -- a virtual studio for editing and producing. "It was back in July 2004. I just took bits and pieces of technology that already existed -- RSS, MP3s, iPods and other portable players -- and tried to bring them together to accomplish a simple task [...] I liked the fact that people were starting to blog audio files, but I didn't want to go have to look for them. I wanted that magical experience [...] for my computer to just go out and do all the work for me." In a recent report, the Washington Post looks at how the iPod has changed the public's view of traditional radio.

Apple to "take over" with eventual movie service

Robert Cringely sees a changing tech industry where "Apple takes over video and movies while Yahoo threatens with a low-priced music subscription service and Google threatens to take control of, well, everything." Cringely predicts a new technology paradigm with the balance of power shifting away from Microsoft. Cringely looks at three "inflection points" after which "there is no going back." According to Cringely, inflection point number three comes from Apple, where it is "finally becoming clear just how the company is about to remake the music and movie businesses."

Briefly: ShareWay IP price reduced, iPod icons/chips

In Brief: Open Door's ShareWay IP Personal Edition, now available at a 50 percent discount (for $40), allows Mac OS X Tiger users to access Personal File Sharing on Mac OS 7, 8 and 9 machines (since Tiger cannot use the legacy AppleTalk protocol).... The Fast Icon Studio has released its iPod Icons collection which offers nine freeware icons that were "inspired in the look of Apple's iPods.... Innovations has expanded its "instant online conversion" service, and added support for Microsoft Office 2003 XML as well as several other new file formats.... PortalPlayer's quarterly SEC filing reveals that it is shipping its processor chips to a second, unnamed, manufacturer that is building products for Apple.

M-Audio extends Digidesign Pro Tools M-Powered

M-Audio has extended compatibility of its Digidesign Pro Tools M-Powered software. The software is a new version of Digidesign Pro Tools software that is designed to work with select M-Audio hardware interfaces. M-Audio has added support for six additional M-Audio peripherals, including M-Audio’s FireWire Solo, FireWire Audiophile, Delta 1010, Delta 1010LT, Delta 44, and Delta 66 (in addition to the previously supported FireWire 1814, FireWire 410, Ozonic, Audiophile 2496, and Audiophile 192). Pro Tools M-Powered software delivers up to 32 simultaneous tracks of 16- or 24-bit digital audio with sample rates up to 96kHz, plus a fully integrated MIDI sequencer for recording and editing up to 256 MIDI tracks. The software is available for $350.

QuickerTek offers 1 Watt AirPort Transceiver

QuickerTek today announced the 1 Watt Transceiver for Point to Point and MultiPoint wireless systems. The transceiver extends wireless systems with outdoor mounted antennas, allowing wireless connections from building to building, when used with directional antennas. The high-powered Transceiver operates on all 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi systems and supports both 802.11g and 802.11b wireless networks. "This 1 Watt Transceiver puts the stationary wireless installation within reach of those customers that really need this extended range technology." The $400 kit comes with mounting brackets, adapter cable, low loss coax, wall mounted power supply and utility software CD. (The Transceiver does not require any installation software.)

Court rules Apple can use 'Tiger' mark

A Florida Federal Court has ruled that Apple's use of the 'Tiger' moniker does not infringe upon retailer TigerDirect's trademark, denying a preliminary injunction that was sought earlier this month against Apple. The court said that "there is greater risk of damage to Apple from granting the injunction than any potential harm to TigerDirect from Apple's use of Tiger marks," according to AppleInsider. At the hearing, Apple used user surveys, evidence of a plethora other 'Tiger'-based names in the computer industry, and testimony by Senior VP Phil Schiller: "Apple also entered into evidence a survey that revealed only 6% of consumers associated the name 'Tiger' with TigerDirect. Meanwhile, the survey of 517 people showed that only 4 people associated the name "Tiger" with a company... Apple asserted that TigerDirect does not posses a protected family of Tiger marks."

StickyBrain 3.5 supports Dashboard, text styles, more

Chronos has released StickyBrain 3.5, an update to its third-generation note manager for Mac OS X. This \ release adds several new Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" features (including a Dashboard widget), the ability to create bulleted lists and outlines, support for sophisticated tables, page/line/paragraph breaks, improved find/replace, and support for text styles. StickyBrain allows users to manage digital notes—from reminders and alarms to pictures, URLs and text. It features integration with .Mac, iPod/Palm sync, Safari-like tabs, Address Book integration, and more. Upgrades from v1 or v2 are $25, while the full version is $40.

Transmit 3.2 adds Dashboard, other Tiger features

Panic has released Transmit 3.2, an update to its file transfer client. Version 3.2 improves the reliability of SFTP and iDisk connections, adds a "use queue for all transfers" preference, and introduces a number of Tiger-specific features including .Mac Sync for Favorites, Automator actions for FTP-enabled workflows, instant Spotlight searching of Favorites, local Smart Folder support, and a useful Transmit Dashboard Widget for quick file uploads. The FTP client offers advanced feature such as file sync, dock-based operation, server-to-server transfers, a built-in text editor, and more. Transmit 3.2 is a free upgrade for v3 owners; the full version is $30, while upgrades from v2 are $18.