News Archive for 06/07/07

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Cineon DPX QuickTime Components

07/07, 11:45pm

Cineon DPX QT Components

Glue Tools this week announced that Cineon and DPX QuickTime Components are now available for filmmakers, editors, videographers and production staff. The Cineon DPX QuickTime Components v1.12 are now available for QuickTime 7.1 for Mac, allowing any QuickTime-enabled application, such as Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, iMovie, Adobe AfterEffects, QuickTime Player and others to read and write digital film files. The Cineon and DPX digital film file formats are feature film industry standards for visual effects production. DPX files are also used extensively for High Definition production, in the broadcast television industry. The Cineon DPX QuickTime Components features the ability to perform built-in LOG/LIN conversion for the end user. Parameters include the ability to set the White and Black points, Display Gamma, and Conversion Gamma values. The Cineon DPX QuickTime Components are now available for $30 (on Mac running QT 7.1 and Mac OS X 10.3 or later).

Another analyst predicts iPod delays

07/07, 6:05pm

iPod delay worries expand

Apple shares hovered near six-month lows today after another analyst stated said that the company's new iPod nano could see delays of up to two months. Research analyst Tristan Gerra of Baird equity in a note to clients said spot pricing for 8GB NAND flash memory dropped 31 percent since last week, which he attributes entirely to delays in Apple's launch of the next iPod nano, according to a report from AppleInsider. "Our checks indicate this pricing decline was induced by a 2-month pushout in iPod nano-related orders, from June to August," Gerra wrote. "This suggests Apple's upcoming 6GB-8GB Nano will be on the shelves in November rather than September." Gerra also believes second quarter sales for a major NAND flash supplier fell below target, which suggests an inventory dump along with continued pricing pressures in the coming month.

Forums: Glossy screens, desktop hygiene

07/07, 5:20pm

MacBook heat, Boot Camp

Forums roundup: Members discuss the pros and cons of choosing a glossy screen when buying a MacBook Pro.... With the release of Intel's Core 2 Duo series expected within the month, users are speculating what chipset the iMac will receive.... Owners of the new MacBooks are mulling over the running temperature of the device, while another user reports an electrical fire inside a MacBook.... Members are also debating why most Mac users like cleaner desktops.... Posters are also sharing their experiences with Apple's Boot Camp software.

MS responds to media player rumors

07/07, 5:10pm

MS responds to rumors

Microsoft has responded to reports that the software giant is developing a digital media player to compete with Apple's market-leading iPod, claiming that such reports are based on rumor and speculation. Microsoft said it has nothing to announce at this time, denying statements from unnamed music industry executives who said they received briefings about the alleged product, according to BBC News. Earlier today a report surfaced suggesting that Microsoft will, in conjunction with its presumed "iPod-killer," offer consumers free musical tracks to match those already purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store in an attempt to lure consumers away from the iPod/iTunes ecosystem. Apple's competitors have failed to dent the company's successful leadership of the digital music industry so far, continuously falling short of claims that consumers will warm up to non-iPod products and services.

EU approves law for battery disposal

07/07, 4:40pm

Dattery disposal in EU

In a bold move today, the European Union approved a new battery law designed to reduce pollution. The law states that producers of batteries and accumulators with a certain percentage of mercury cannot market their products, and are required to draw up programs aimed at reducing the heavy metal content of such products. The new law also includes direction for Member States to collect batteries for recycling separately from other recyclable products.

Apps: Pandora, Amazing Slow Downer

07/07, 4:20pm

AddressX, Audiomation

Pandora 1.9.8 ($20) is a utility that gathers images by either URL "spidering" the Web or via keyword searches. Version 1.9.8 fixes a major issue related to performance, which was caused by a memory leak. The update is free to current users. [Download - 1MB]
Amazing Slow Downer 3.0 ($45) slows down audio samples by up to four hundred percent while maintaining or changing the pitch to match the users' preference. The update features a new slowdown engine with transient preservation, as well as support for Ogg, LAME MP3, and FLAC formats. The software requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later. [Download - 1.6MB]
AddressX 1.5 ($55) allows users to share address lists (through vCards) over the network for both Apple's Address Book and Microsoft Exchange. AddressX 1.5 supports Fast User Switching, customized Exchange servers, and improved SSL connections. In the demo version, only the first 25 accounts on a list will be synced. AddressX requires Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, aWebDAV-enabled server, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or 2003 [Download - Form]
Audiomaton 1.8 ($25) is a multipurpose application that allows users to automate batch audio file tasks such as boosting volume or converting formats. Audiomation runs natively in any version of Mac OS X, as well as Mac OS 8.5 or later. [Download - 7.0MB]
Opal 1.0 b (free) is an outline processor based on the Acta project created in 1986. The new Opal application can launch the 20-year-old documents created by Acta while adding expanded scrolls, auto growing functionality, toolbar improvements, and numerous fixes. Opal requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 532KB]

Apple posts Mac trailer for Quake 4

07/07, 3:45pm

Quake 4 Mac trailer posted

Aspyr Media today announced that a Mac trailer for Quake 4 is available on Apple's website. The sequel to Quake II, Quake 4 enlists gamers in the role of Matthew Kane, a member of the legendary Rhino Squad, to penetrate deep into the heart of the Strogg war machine and engage in a series of heroic missions to destroy the barbaric alien race. QUAKE 4 begins only moments after the events of QUAKE II, with the Earth¹s fleet launching a massive offensive to the planet Stroggos. As Matthew Kane, gamers invade the alien stronghold, fighting alone, along side other Marines, and in mechanized walkers as well as hover tanks as they encounter the Strogg which bear their disturbing amalgamations of man and machine. Built on id Software's Doom 3 technology, Quake 4 also features fast-paced multiplayer competition modeled after the speed, style and feel of QUAKE III Arena. Quake 4 is priced at $50, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Briefly: MacNN review; Lil' Monsta

07/07, 3:10pm

MacNN review, Lil' Monsta

In brief: MacNN has reviewed the ReSource Power Station from ReSource ($20, shown at right), a docking system that powers and charges numerous electronic gadgets, including Apple's iPod.... SanDisk has updated its iDon't anti-iPod campaign, replacing its iSheep mascot with the "Lil' Monsta," a ravenous creature leading viewers into its lair.... The Apple Developer Connection has released a new note bearing an introduction to its 17-inch iMac for educational developers, offering a technical description of the Intel-based system.... Oranged Software has announced the dates for a free upgrade grace period for Studiometry 4, its solution for companies to organize, plan, invoice, track, and create with client as well as project data.... One website is claiming that Apple's logo appears on the Sony PlayStation 3 website, accrediting the supposed anomaly to a video playing in the background.

iPod blamed for Chicago radio demise

07/07, 2:15pm

iPods replace radio

Apple's iPod has played a major role in the death of one Chicago radio station. WBEZ, Chicago's National Public Radio (NPR) member station and one of the oldest public radio outlets in the U.S. has elected to scrap scheduled music programming, which was mostly jazz, in favor of a 24-hour news and public affairs format, according to Reuters. A major contributing factor proved to be the growing popularity of Apple's iPod, as the portable device generated a culture of listeners who dictate their own musical selections. Loyal jazz fans are crying out in response to the change, while WBEZ and other public stations say they haven't kept pace with the changing U.S. population. "Local news has simply been abandoned by the commercial broadcasters and sometimes even the commercial newspapers," said Ken Stern, vice president of National Public Radio. "What you see as a trend is stations like WBEZ investing heavily in local news and information," Stern said.

Apps: Transmit, Elastic Window

07/07, 2:05pm

Daybook, Voice Candy

Transmit 3. ($30) is an FTP client featuring support for .Mac, FTP, SFTP, and TLS/SSL. The update brings better stability for WDAV servers, improved Growl messages, fixed audio support, new keystroke commands, and enhanced stability after a variety of failed actions. Transmit requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later. [Download - 5.8MB]
Elastic Window 1.1 ($200) updates the plug-in for REALbasic that allows users to create easy-to-use, scalable windows. Elastic Window 1.1 offers improved performance when resizing windows, as well as a number of new functions. The plug-in requires REALbasic 2006 Release 3 or later. [Download - 220KB]
Schedular Daybook 2.0 ($129) is designed to replace paper-based daybooks by offering traditional formatting when working with FileMaker Pro 8. The update features a revised calendar view, improved audit tracking, and additional security. Daybook requires FileMaker Pro 8 and Mac OS X 10.3 or later. [Download - 1.2MB]
SoundLib X 3.4 ($15) enables users to manage audio sample and sound libraries. The update adds mass import, batch deletion, and includes fixes to the jukebox function. Further enhancements include improved keyboard shortcuts, as well as new fields for CB index points. SoundLib requires Mac OS X 10.1.4 or later. [Download - 3.3MB]
Voice Candy 1.0.4 ($13) updates the voice recording application that features scheduling as well as voice special effects. Voice Candy 1.0.4 adds Hebrew localization, improved support for AppleScript commands, fixes a bug that could cause crashes, and repairs several minor bugs. Voice recorder requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 1.5MB]

Intel's Montecito Itanium chipset coming

07/07, 1:10pm

Montecito set to launch

Intel is preparing to launch its Montecito dual-core Itanium chipset on July 18th. The chip is designed to counter AMD, which has made inroads in the server processor market following the introduction of its 64-bit Opteron chip. Intel recently unveiled the "Woodcrest" family of processors, which some industry watchers suspect may power Apple's next Xserve systems. Intel's new chips feature lower power consumption technology and virtualization capability, which result in cooler running temperatures ideal for notebooks as well as small form-factor systems.

CLC Free Workbench 3.0 released

07/07, 12:50pm

CLC Free Workbench 3.0

CLC Bio has released CLC Free Workbench 3.0, allowing users to make a large number of bioinformatics analyses. The software combines smooth data management and graphical viewing with output options, and offers interactive restriction site analysts. Other bioinformatics analyses include creating and editing alignments, Phylogenetics, integrated GenBank searches, and advanced DNA to Protein translation. The latest iteration of the application updates all icons to support a more modern, platform-independent look, and allows users to start an analysis by dragging a sequence to the icon in the toolbox. CLC Free Workbench 3.0 is available for free, requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later, and works with Intel-based Macs.

MS to match iTunes purchases?

07/07, 12:25pm

MS to match iTunes sales?

When Microsoft launches its own iPod-killer later this year, the company may be planning to lure iPod users to its own camp by offering iTunes customers free musical tracks to match those purchased from Apple's online store. Microsoft's software will actually scan the iTunes Music Store for purchased tracks and automatically add those songs to a users' account, while the software giant foots the bill for rights-holders in an attempt to take market share from Apple. Microsoft's portable media player -- which is rumored to be under development and will take aim at the market-leading iPod -- features a screen larger than that of the video iPod, and will include built-in Wi-Fi enabling users to download content directly to the player. Users of the new device will also be able to participate in an Xbox Live-like social network to help people connect to others with similar tastes and interests, according to engadget.

Gluon updates ProPack bundle

07/07, 11:05am

ProPack bundle updated

Gluon today released an update to its QuarkXPress 7-compatible ProPack bundle. The XTensions feature new tools native to Quark 7, and allow users to scale drop shadows. The software supports Dragln 7 for drag-and-drop functionality, TableMaker 7 to intelligently format tables using tabbed text or table cells, and QC 7 for quality control that finds and fixes problems. QC Collect 7 collects multiple documents at once, while NaviZoom offers uncluttered, clean previews of pages or spreads. ProPack software works with Cropster, iDropper, Cloner, Greeker, Linkster, ProGrids & Guides, ProBullets & Numbers, Reporter, ShapeMaker, SpotCheck, Outlines, and Strata for a total of 18 XTensions. Gluon ProPack is priced at $200.

Equinux releases MediaCentral 2.0

07/07, 10:25am

MediaCentral 2.0 released

Equinux today released MediaCentral 2.0, supporting IP TV streams and allowing users to choose from channels operating in various languages. The update adds online content fetching that ranges from movies to wallpapers, and offers support for YouTube video as well as Google video services. MediaCentral 2.0 features a custom media center to retrieve user-defined content, scaleable video playback with hotkeys, DVT-B devices, TV tuner assistants, and support for iTunes video content. The software also adds support for Windows Media formats and VIDEO_TS backup folders to handle most formats. MediaCentral 2.0 is available for purchase online, with pre-orders available for ($30 to $60). MediaCentral 2.0 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later and a 1GHz G4 or better.

iPartition 1.5 comes to Intel Macs

07/07, 9:50am

iPartition 1.5 released

Coriolis Systems has released iPartition 1.5, offering native compatibility to Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary. iPartition allows users to repartition disks without losing data, and works with HFS+ Mac OS Extended partitions. The software automatically reorganizes disks to enlarge partitions, and works with all types of removable media such as Zip disks. iPartition will not render bootable Mac OS 9 partitions inoperable, and allows users to install other operating systems or perform a rolling operating system upgrade through disk reorganization. iPartition 1.5 is priced at $45, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.7 or later.

Freeverse releases Legion Arena demo

07/07, 8:25am

Legion Arena demo released

Freeverse has released a demo for its Role Player Strategy game Legion Arena. Legion Arena allows the player to start off as a small band of warriors, and potentially grow to a massive army. To succeed in the game, players must be able to properly train and manager a growing army while choosing from over one hundred skills to focus on. Legion Arena allows the user to customize the appearance of your squads equipment purchases, and earning of experience and denari for your victories. The recently released full version costs $40 and features over one hundred scenarios and twenty unique units. The Demo is 227MB and requires 10.3.9 or later.

Spiderweb debuts Geneforge 4: Rebellion

07/07, 12:45am

Geneforge 4: Rebellion

Spiderweb Software has announced the upcoming release of Geneforge 4: Rebellion, the next chapter in its fantasy epic. "Once again, return to the world of the Shapers, where you explore freely, choose for yourself what side you will fight for, and create and mold strange, powerful monsters to serve you. The Shapers have the ability to create life, in any form they choose. Plants to grow in harsh wastelands, living tools that bow to their will, and powerful monsters to crush any who oppose them. They jealously guard their powers and destroy any who question their will. Or so they did. Then the revolution came." Geneforge 4: Rebellion has a "huge and open" storyline. Users can choose several sides--each with its own beliefs, fortresses, and quests--for dozens of different endings. Geneforge 4 is expected to ship in late 2006 for Macintosh for $28, or $34 with a hint book. It requires Mac OS 8.1 or later.

I.R.I.S. releases new scanning pens

07/07, 12:45am

IRISPens updated

The I.R.I.S. Groupe today announced a refresh of its IRISPen line. The USB-powered pens are capable of instantly entering text to a computer. The IRISPen Express ($130) is the basic text input device that feature high accuracy text recognition capable of scanning over one thousand characters per second. The IRISPen Executive ($200) is a more compact and portable version that features a very high accuracy rate and text-to-speech capabilities. The IRISPen Translator comes in both express and executive forms ($180/$230) and is capable of translating text as it scans and speaks it. The pens work with Mac OS X v10.0 or later. The IRISPen are available in the distribution and retail channels, in Europe, in the USA and in Asia (as well as the company website).

Roku releases SoundBridge 2.5, Firefly

07/07, 12:30am

Roku SoundBridge 2.5

Roku has released its free Roku SoundBridge 2.5 software upgrade and its open-source Firefly Media Server. The software update increases the number of Internet Radio stations that can be played, and also provides an easy, one-step process to find the address of almost any Internet Radio station and create a preset for that station. Available for all existing and new SoundBridge customers, the update is compatible with all four models of SoundBridge, SoundBridge Radio, and Pinnacle SoundBridge. Version 2.5 brings Microsoft WMA internet radio support with the ability to browse a library of internet radio stations. Users can use Roku Radio Snooper to easily find and set most Internet radio stations from around the world--with up to 18 presets. SoundBridge is an attractive and easy-to-use network music player on the market that connects to a stereo to play digital music via an Ethernet or Wi-Fi home network. Pricing is $150 (M500) or $200 (M1000).

SATA dual-drive mount kit for G5s

07/07, 12:15am

SATA Dual Drive Mount kit

Granite Digital has begun shipping a SATA Dual Drive Internal Mounting Kit for the Power Mac G5, which provides a compact, affordable solution to increasing the storage needs. Users can use the simple to install bracket and cables provided in the kit to easily add two drives. The SATA Double Drive Bracket holds up to two standard 3.5-inch SATA (ATA 5 or ATA 6) drive mechanisms, supporting data transfer rates of up to 300MB/s. It features a unique aluminum bracket design along with support for older PCI-based and newer PCIe-based G5s using different SATA host adapters. The company promises "simple, quick and easy" and a one-year warranty. The bracket is $50, while the kit ($100) includes a SATA PCI or PCI-e two-channel host adapter, two internal SATA data cables, SATA power cable, and an aluminum mounting bracket (with screws). Additional drives are $100 (160GB), $160 (250GB), $400 (500GB), and $600 (750GB).