Refurb dual-G5s, 1GB Shuffle at Apple

Apple has added a few refurbished high-end Power Mac G5 systems as well as the 1GB iPod shuffle to its online store. Touting free overnight shipping on select systems through the end of the month, the company a refurbished version of its dual-2.5GHz Power Mac G5 with a 160GB hard drive and 8x SuperDrive for $2,050. It offers PCI-X architecture and an ATI Radeon 9600XT graphics card. The company is alo offering a refurbished dual-2.7GHz Power Mac G5 with 250GB drive, 16x double-layer SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon 9650 graphics card for $100 more at $2,150. Apple is also offering the hard-to-find (refurb) 1GB model of the iPod shuffle for $100. In addition, store is offering a number of 12-, 15-, and 17-inch PowerBooks starting at $1,150 and Mac mini's starting at $430 as well as 20, 23-, and 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays for $700, $1,100, and $2,100, respectively. Apple's refurbished products carry a full 1-year warranty. Apple is also offering its 50 percent off Microsoft Office promo through the end of the year and free shipping on select iPod/Mac accesories. [reposted from 12/27]

Apps: iKnow and iManage, iTattle

• iKnow and Manage 1.0 ($20) stores and organizes all types of data with "build-in data types," designed to ease the process of storing and organizing information. The application uses an SQL database, and imposes no limit on data storage other than users' available hard disk space. iKnow and Manage implements referencing of items and item-values, and includes drag-and-drop support for re-organizing, importing, and exporting. [Download - 3.6MB]


• MovieWorks Deluxe 6.1 ($100) combines easy-to-use video, sound, animation, paint and photo editing tools with a time-based, object-oriented sequencing and authoring program. The update offers major improvements to the text engine, adds spell checkers to the "Scene" menu, improves export capabilities, enhances DVD quality, and more. [Download - 600KB]


• iTattle 3.0 (donationware) places network information for AirPort Extreme, built-in Ethernet, and System data on your desktop. The utility is designed for system administrators to gather system information, and is built exclusively for Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Version 3.0 offers a faster loading time on the initial launch, an improved graphical interface, enhanced network and system information, and more. [Download - 530KB]


• BuddyPop 2.5 (€10) provides quick access to Apple's Address Book application via a customizable shortcut. The small, lightweight application has no Dock icon, but is constantly accessible. BuddyPop allows users to quickly locate a contact and then email that contact, or copy the address to the clipboard. [Download - 1.41MB]


• Lingon 1.0.1 (freeware) is a graphical interface for creating launchd configuration files and controlling them through launchctl for Mac OS X Tiger. Launchd is a system daemon that is used to run scripts/programs automatically, repeatedly or at scheduled times. The update handles malformed plists more gracefully, and honors the system settings for automatic deauthorization. Version 1.0.1 also offers improved handling of volumes that don't support privilaged helper tools. [Download - 600KB]

Briefly: MacNN reviews; LoadPod launches

In brief: MacNN has reviewed the Altec Lansing inMotion iM5 Portable Audio System ($150), as well as "Mac OS X Tiger Simplified" ($25) from John Wiley and Sons.... LoadPod today launched its DVD movie loading service for video iPod users.... Laserline today introduced Silicone Skins ($15, shown at right), protective covers for Apple's iPod nano.... "What I Want Podcasting" today announced a promotional concert for the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2006, hoping to drive a new industry of online music entertainment.... Church leaders in the U.K. say internet downloads and podcasts have encouraged more people to attend church services.... iPodResQ today announced that it has lowered the price of its full-service iPod nano screen repair.

Apple looks to Intel for motherboard design?...

Apple has reportedly contracted the design duties for its next-generation Power Mac motherboard to industry giant Intel. Intel's Oregon facilities apparently picked up the project in late-October after Apple asked the chip maker for help to meet deadlines associated with its accelerated transition from PowerPC processors to Intel chips. Intel simultaneously and quietly formed an "Apple Group" consisting of engineers and sales staff, several of whom are rumored to have been assigned to the Power Mac project. Apple is racing to introduce four Intel-based Macs in the first quarter of 2006.

Imation unveils 4GB Micro Hard Drives

Imation today unveiled its Micro Hard Drive, a 4GB portable storage device that features a unique padlock-style design with a flexible USB connector. The device contains the world's smallest hard disk, less than one-inch in diameter, and securely stores files using 128-bit encryption. Imation Security Manager file synchronization software for Mac OS and Microsoft Windows creates a backup copy of data and automatically synchronizes the copies to provide easier access to previous versions. A software upgrade expected in early January for both 2GB and 4GB versions will feature a streamlined user interface, as well as modifications to make the devices compatible with Mac OS X Tiger. The Imation Micro Hard Drive is available for $200, and requires Mac OS 9.x or Mac OS X 10.2 and above.

Apple UK profiles Macs in learning

Macs have been at the center of Bryanston’s ICT strategy for more than 15 years in Ireland, even as Apple technology continues to play a role in maintaining the traditions of innovation in teaching and learning at The Isle of Man's history. Macintosh computers support independent, customized learning at Bryanston School, where students are held to extremely high academic, athletic, and personal standards. The Isle of Man in 1998 equipped a "computer bus" with Macs to tour the island's schools to provide teachers with new ideas and children with an unusual form of mobile classroom. Apple technology is helping Ireland's students to better understand traditional, and new curriculum inside, and outside the classroom.

Music traffic soars, iTunes dominates...

Apple's iTunes Music Store and other music sites saw a sharp rise in traffic on Christmas Day as hundreds of thousands of people began loading songs on to the iPods they received as presents and redeeming iTunes gift certificates, according to the Financial Times. The report also found that Apple's iTunes Music Store increased its dominance over last year, receiving twice as much traffic as its next closest rival, Sony Connect. Last year, iTunes was only 10 percent ahead of its then closest competitor, Napster, according to the report. Citing figures from an online intelligence company, visits to music download sites saw a 50 percent increase between December 24 and 25. The firm also found that visits to download sites were 15 percent higher than last Christmas.

Apps: ChronoPhoto, Blender, MoosePad

• ChronoPhoto 1.3 ($20) is a digital photograph viewer for Mac OS X that allows users to quickly view and print digital photographs. Version 1.3 adds new batch renaming options for photos, improves display performance, and has other bug fixes. The application features fast photo import, large thumbnails, instant full-screen slideshows, support for EXIF information, panoramo photo support, and more. [Download - 1.9MB]


• Athenaeums v1.5 ($40) is a Mac OS 9/X EIMS filter for archiving standard EIMS log documents, specifically the error log, mail log, sending error log, and console log. This latest release of Athenaeums adds support for dynamically reloading preferences, document permissions under Mac OS X, automatic update notifications, notification manager control preferences, and a fully capable demo mode. [Download - 857KB]


• Blender 2.4 (free) updates the open-source application for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, etc. TIt brings a complete Character Animation rewrite, a new Fluid Dynamics system, improved editing and rendering of Particle-Based Hair, improved rigging, a reworked inverse kinematics system, support for physics-based animation, improved Softbody dynamics and Rigid body dynamics baking using the game engine. [Download - 4.8MB]


• MoosePad X 10.3 ($18) is a replacement NotePad application that offers spell checking, multiple fonts, embedded objects, rulers, colored pages, table-of-contents support, search/replace, and support for multiple windows/documents. Its brings several Tiger-only options, support for Intel-based Macs, import of both CardFiler and QuickFile databases, and improved find functions. [Download - 1.9MB]


• No Frills DVD2iPod 2.3 (free) alows users to easily convert unencrypted .VOB or .mpg files and/or folders--such as a VIDEO_TS folder on a DVD made with iDVD. It offers options to convert the video to an iPod video-compatible format, including setting the proportion for converted movies, customizing the data rate, specifying the destination folder, and more. It runs on Mac OS X 10.4.3. [Download - 3.4MB]


• IPNetTunerX 1.4 ($30) is can optimize TCP/IP network performance under Mac OS X by tuning internal TCP/IP parameters, including over 50 adjustable parameters including the TCP Window Size, Time Out intervals, Maximum Segment Size, and MTU. It also provides tools for measuring the effect the thec changes changes and a Location Helper to make dynamic configuration easier. It adds support for tuning SmallTree Gigabit Ethernet cards. [Download - 1.2MB]