Briefly: Pimp My Mac; XP contest won

In brief: MacMod.com has launched its "Pimp My Mac" video podcast, a computer modification video podcast series for Mac users.... A contest challenging developers to get Windows XP to run in Mac OS X on an Intel-based Mac has concluded, with the winner receiving £630.38.... BeLight Software has announced a crossgrade for Disc Cover, offering owners of any version of Disclabel or Discus the ability to purchase Disc Cover at a 40 percent discount.... Take Control Books has released "Take Control of Syncing in Tiger" ($10), a new eBook to help users synchronizing data between Macs and other devices such as mobile phones....

SeisMaCalibrate calibrates SMS

Suitable Systems has released SeisMaCalibrate, a new software tool that calibrates Sudden Motion Sensors (SMS) found in Apple's newer notebooks to obtain accurate acceleration readings in three axes. SeisMaCalibrate is the first tool that, axis by axis, accurately determines each SMS's offset and scale error, according to Suitable Systems. The error values are used to create calibration values, which are stored for later use by other programs. SeisMaCalibrate is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

IntelliMerge 5.1 offers AutoSubscriber...

Intelli Innovations today released IntelliMerge 5.1, a point update to the Mac OS X business communication and email merge software suite. The update includes an enhanced AutoSubscriber tool, IP tracking of subscribe/unsubscribe requests, and an improved invalid e-mail detection system. New enhancements in IntelliMerge 5.1 include AutoSubscriber to download and process subscribe as well as unsubscribe requests more than twice as fast as the previous release; and IP tracking to provide the IP address of subscribe as well as unsubscribe requests through the AutoSubscriber to prevent abuse. IntelliMerge is available for $100, and requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later. The upgrade is free to all IntelliMerge 5.x users.

ChatFX developer on iChat Theater...

Following Apple's Leopard demo today during the keynote address at WWDC, some users questioned if Apple had copied ChatFX with iChat Theater. The developer of the iChat plug-in issued an answer in the form of a blog post. "ChatFX relies on Quartz Composer which is brilliant and created by Pierre-Olivier Latour, Apple gives it out free to developers," stated lead developer Julian Miller. "Also iChat was necessary and is free from Apple and part of the OS. We may have inspired Apple but Apple definitely inspired us." Miller, a recent video guest on the MacNN podcast, said that there are indeed new features planned for ChatFX including support for more video chat applications such as Gizmo, Skype, and Yahoo IM. Julian Miller also reminded readers that, "Leopard is not available till sometime next year but people can get ChatFX and use it right now."

Apple posts WWDC keynote speech video

Apple has posted a video of the keynote speech given by CEO Steve Jobs at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). The video -- which is available in both QuickTime and MPEG-4 formats -- shows the introduction of two new Apple systems, and offers a preview of Mac OS X Leopard. "Watch Apple CEO Steve Jobs kick off the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote preview of Mac OS X 'Leopard' from San Francisco's Moscone West." Jobs announced the new Mac Pro and the Intel-based Xserve system prior to previewing Mac OS X Leopard.

USB EVDO modem for wireless broadband

Franklin Wireless has unveiled the CDU-550 USB modem, offering laptop owners without ExpressCard slots such as Apple's MacBook a means to access mobile broadband. Notebook owners with ExpressCard slots can use the V640 EVDO card for Verizon as well as the S640 card for Sprint, but MacBook owners were left out in the cold. The new modem features USB 2.0 connectivity as well as support for Mac OS X, and an early test demonstrated that even UMPC users can expect real performance when on the road, according to Electronista (pricing was unavailable).

WWDC announcements "expected"

Gene Munster, senior analyst of Piper Jaffray today spoke on Wall Street's disappointment due to Apple's announcements falling within expectations. "We believe the best approach to looking at Apple's product roadmap is to focus on a 6-9 month timeframe. While many rumored products were not announced at WWDC, we believe most of the products, including new iPod nano, video iPod, iTunes film downloads, and iPhone will be announced within 6-9 months." The analyst highlighted the fact that Apple raised its low price entry point by starting its Mac Pro line at $2,499, and reiterated Apple's quick Intel transition. "The Mac Pro completes the Intel transition, which spanned 210 days in total, as Apple moved all of its Mac offerings to Intel based processors."

Microsoft kills VirtualPC, VB for Mac...

Microsoft's Mac Business Unit today announced that it will cease development on a Universal version of Virtual PC. Current VirtualPC customers will continue to receive product support, however. "Developing a high-quality virtualization solution, such as Virtual PC, for the Intel-based Mac is similar to creating a version 1.0 release due to how closely the product integrates with Mac hardware," said the Mac BU. "The Mac BU still recognizes that customers continue to need access to Windows applications from their Intel-based Macs, and feels confident that alternative solutions offered by Apple and other vendors, combined with a fully packaged retail copy of Windows, will satisfy this need." The announcement comes as the recently launched Parallels Desktop offers a full virtualization solution for Intel-based Macs, allowing users to run copies Windows or other operating systems from within Tiger. VMWare has promised to offer a full virtualization solution for Macs by this fall.

Universal Mac Office, Messenger coming...

The Macintosh Business Unit (Mac BU) of Microsoft today announced that it would offer a Universal version of its flagship MS Office productivity suite and Mac Messenger client. The company said it has made great strides in gradually transitioning to the new platform as Apple completes its transition to Intel-based Macs. The impact of the new architecture and operating system capabilities combined with the Mac BU's support of Mac OS tools and technologies has led the Mac BU to several product roadmap decisions aimed at providing Mac customers with solutions to meet their needs. "Tens of millions of lines of code have been 100 percent transitioned to Xcode on the road to a Universal version of Office for Mac," says the Mac BU.

QuarkXPress 7.01 goes Universal...

Quark today announced a free Universal update to QuarkXPress 7 for Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger. QuarkXPress 7.01, which is available at no additional cost, runs natively on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs. The company said that QuarkXPress is the first major design and publishing tool to be released as a Universal application and that its new graphics engine, XDraw, leverages the power of Quartz 2D "to achieve the highest-quality rendering of text and graphics." QuarkXPress 7, released earlier this year, is the latest version of the design and publishing software; it combines many new design features with job-driven production capabilities in a collaborative environment. QuarkXPress 7, now shipping, is available through Quark resellers and partners worldwide and from the Quark online store at $750 for new users and for $250 as an upgrade to previous versions.

Apple demos Leopard, ships Mac Pro

Apple on Monday at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco debuted new Intel-based Mac Pro and Xserve systems to complete its transition to Intel, followed by a preview of Mac OS X Leopard. Replacing the Power Mac G5 and the older G5-based Xserve, the new systems feature dual dual-core 64-bit Intel processors and maximum storage capacities of 2TB each. While Apple offered a sneak peek at its next-generation operating system which will replace Tiger in the near future, the company said it would hold out on all of its "top secret" features to give Microsoft less time to copy its designs. Apple painted a clear picture of similarities between Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista -- which is due to ship in early 2007 alongside next version of Mac OS X -- while poking fun at the Redmond-based company as it offered glimpses to the future of its own Leopard software.

Apple slashes Cinema Display pricing

Alongside the introduction of its quad-core Mac Pro desktops on Monday, Apple also slashed the price of its Cinema Display product line by up to $500. The 30-inch HD model now retails for just $1999, down from $2499. The mid-range 23-inch Cinema HD is now priced at $999, down from $1299. And the 20-inch Cinema Display dropped $100 in price to $699. All three models are available directly from the Apple online store.

Apple previews Mac OS X Leopard...

Apple today at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) previewed Mac OS X Leopard, the next generation of its operating system featuring 64-bit application support and a new "Time Machine" backup application. The company noted, however, that it would not show all of its "top secret" Leopard features yet, preventing Microsoft from "starting the photocopiers" too early. Time Machine automatically and transparently backs up data, allowing users to restore entire drives or just specific documents from a specific time/date using visual navigation based on a timeline. Time Machine also automatically configures any attached drives for support, backing up music, photos, documents, and more.

MakeMusic ships Finale 2007 for Mac

MakeMusic today shipped Finale 2007 for Macintosh, a major upgrade of the company's music notation software that includes a wide variety of new features, including suppot for Intel-based Macs. The update delivers robust performance with linked parts--the ability to automatically create and format parts as a score is created; these parts are dynamically linked and always remain perfectly in sync with the score, according to the company. In addition, users of both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs will experience new speed and redraw enhancements. Kontakt Player 2 is also now integrated into Finale 2007, employing the latest technology to play back sounds from Garritan Personal Orchestra. MakeMusic 2007 also offers the ability to Import digital video, which is automatically synchronized with notation as users compose, edit and play back their score. Other new features include enhanced Human Playback, Update Brackets and Groups, Quick Change, Vertical Collision Remover, updated Playback Controls, enhanced positioning of cross-staff augmentation dots, and more. Upgrades from v2006 are $100, while the full version is $600.

Mac OS X Leopard Server at WWDC...

Apple today previewed Mac OS X Server 10.5 Leopard, the next major release of Apple's UNIX server operating system. Leopard Server, also scheduled to ship in spring 2007, features a new Server Assistant and Server Preference features that allow non-technical users to setup and manage a server "with just a few clicks of a mouse," according to the company. Apple said it Leopard Server will include, for the first time, native 64-bit server applications that take advantage of the increased processing power of 64-bit computing. Other new features include iCal Server to share calendars, schedule meetings and plan events; a wiki server to share and communicate; Spotlight Server to find content on servers; and Podcast Producer to automate Podcast production. It will also feature updated QuickTime Streaming Server, Mail clustering, adaptive firewall technology, and more.

Apple completes Intel transition

Apple today unveiled two new product offerings at the World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, completing its planned transition to Intel-based processors in just 210 days, far ahead of schedule. The new Mac Pro and Intel-based Xserve replace the older G5-based Power Mac and Xserve models, boasting higher storage capacities, 64-bit processing capability, lower power consumption, and better overall performance. The company announced that half of new Apple retail store Mac buyers are new to the Mac, that its last quarter results saw the strongest Mac shipments in a 13 week quarter with 1.3 million Macs in total, and that Mac share is growing faster than the industry rate. Apple also said 1,000 company engineers will be on site to coach the 4,200 attendees, or one employee for every four attendees with 100 hands-on labs.

Intel-based Xserve debuts...

Apple today replaced its G5-based Xserve with a new Intel-based model, which the company says is five times faster than the previous generation. The new server system features a smaller processor, less cooling requirements due to power-efficient chips, redundant power supplies, and up to 2TB of storage capacity. Pricing for the new Xserves starts at $3,000 -- roughly $300 less than a comparable Dell server -- with a standard configuration boasting 1GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, and dual dual-core 2.66GHz CPUs. The Cupertino-based company will also offer one million BTO configurations, with the new Xserves due to ship in October of 2006.

Apple's Mac Pro replaces Power Mac [images]...

Apple today replaced its Power Mac line of pro desktop systems with the Mac Pro that boasts an all dual core Intel Woodcrest 64-bit CPU running at up to 3GHz with 4MB of L2 cache, as well as a 128-bit vector engine. The new Mac Pro is 1.6 to 2.1 times faster than the Power Mac G5 Quad, according to Apple, with an average real-world speed increase of 200 percent for everyday apps. The Mac Pro provides space for four hard disks because it requires less cooling than the G5-based Power Mac, offering a total possible storage capacity of 2TB. The pro system features a second optical drive, four PCI Express slots, and a double-wide graphics slot. The case design remains similar to the G5 Power Mac, with the exception of the second slot. The inside of the new Mac has been entirely redone, according to Apple, and a base configuration will ship for $2,499 (2.6GHz/256MB/SuperDrive). The company is offering "millions" of other configurations via BTO, ranging up to a dual dual-core 3GHz with 16GB of memory, 2TB of storage, and ATI Graphics x1900 or Nvidia FX4500 video capability. [Images included]

Apple Store closes prior to keynote

Apple has temporarily closed its online store with the company's customary "We'll be back soon" post-it message, which has historically signaled new product offerings or significant product updates. "We are busy updating the store for you and will be back within the hour," wrote Apple on its website. The closure comes just minutes before Apple CEO Steve Jobs is scheduled to present his keynote speech at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco. MacNN is offering live coverage of the special event at the Moscone Center with up-to-date details on events as they unfold.

SmartDisk unveils ByteSize hard drive

SmartDisk today introduced ByteSize, a 2 x 2-inch external USB hard drive offering storage capacities of 6GB and 8GB. The ByteSize is a "mass storage class" peripheral, requiring no driver installation when used with operating systems such as Mac OS X, Mac OS 9, Windows XP, and Windows Me. "Our new ByteSize drive offers the perfect combination of size and storage," says Charles Klinker, vice president of marketing for SmartDisk. "It's small enough to slip into your pocket while offering the capacity to store hours of video or music and thousands of photos." ByteSize drives are priced at $120 and $150 for 6GB and 8GB capacities, respectively.

Best Kakuro number puzzle released

Best Kakuro Software has released Best Kakuro 1.0 for Mac, a challenging number puzzle solved in a crossword style grid. The game is also known as Cross Sums, presenting black squares that contain the sum of the adjacent white squares. Best Kakuro puzzles offer five difficulty levels, with sizes ranging from 8 x 8 to 14 x 22. All puzzles offer a unique solution, and all are solvable by logical methods with no guessing required. The software features quick puzzle creation for all puzzle types, as well as the ability to print puzzles or solve them on-screen. Best Kakuro 1.0 is priced at $15 (system requirements were unavailable).

OsiriX 2.5 improves rebuild support...

The OsiriX Team today released OsiriX 2.5, a major update to the open-source medical imaging software offering a new Q&R interface. OsiriX 2.5 is designed by radiologists, for radiologists offering better rebuild functionality; faster MIP for Intel processors (SSE); DICOM Structured Report DICOM SR); quicker navigation in databases; faster displaying of large images; and the ability to export images as QuickTime or JPEG directly from the database window. OsiriX 2.5 is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later with at least 1GB of memory.

Google says no to digital music

&WTModLocGoogle has no current plans to enter the digital music market and take on Apple's industry leading iTunes, according to Reuters. Following a luke-warm reception to Google's video service, the company executives told a group of music industry veterans. "We are not going to be selling music," Chris Sacca, head of business development for Google, said in an August 3 address to music distributors and merchants. The company was expected to launch a service as early as January according to analysts--including one at Bear Steams who expected the new service to rival iTunes. The speculation hit a fever pitch when Google began offering Sony BMG music videos earlier this year. Sacca stated that the ecosystem of products and integration in the home, car, and on the go is key: "To really grasp this takes a certain amount of humility to look beyond your walls."

South Winds debuts Dylo’s Adventure

South Winds Games has announced its first game now available for Mac and PC. The game, Dylo’s Adventure, is an action platform game that mimmicks the platform era of gaming. The plot focuses around helping Dylo, a dinosaur, save the world from "cute" alien invaders. The alien's goal is to build an amusement park, however in order to do so they must first 'remove' the dinosaurs wandering around on the surface. Dylo must save the day by jumping, running, and ducking through dozens of levels as he uses the technology of the time to combat the aliens, animals, and treacherous terrain. With "child-safe" graphics, this action game is suitable for all ages. It requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later running on any PowerPC- or Intel-based Mac (clock speeds over 450MHz). The game is available to download now for $20.

QuickerTek offers handle for MacBooks

QuickerTek has released a new carrying handle that fits all of Apple's MacBook consumer laptops. The handle features the same patent-pending technology used in handles for MacBook Pros, iBooks, and other previous-generation Macs. Featuring a padded black grip and brushed aluminum hinge, it offers both a non-slip ergonomic grip along with styling designed to compliment the black or white plastic of the MacBook. Like other QuickerTek handles, this new release features the ability to tilt the computer on a flat surface for a typing surface to match personal needs while offering better heat dissipation. The MacBook handle costs $50 and is available to order now.

MacNN Live from WWDC

MacNN will offer live coverage of the event at live.macnn.com. Apple CEO Steve Jobs will present the keynote at the company's annual developer conference in San Francisco, where he will offer the first public display Mac OS X Leopard; in addition, several reports speculate that he may also introduce several other products. The company has already begun taking shots at Microsoft and its much delayed Vista operating system with "Hasta la vista, Vista" and "Mac OS X Leopard: Vista 2.0" banners hanging in the lobby of Moscone Center West. The WWDC Keynote (starting at 10 a.m. PST) and other news coverage will be offered throughout the day (and rest of the week). Users can discuss the news as it happens on MacNN's IRC Channel or growing user forums.

Seagate ships portable 160GB 2.5" drive

Seagate today announced its new 160GB portable drive. The new addition to its 'Momentus" 2.5-inch SATA hard drive product line is available from select retailers such as Transt Int. The new drive offers speeds up to 5400RPM as well as an 8MB cache. The drive is compatible with MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and (Intel) Mac Minis and any other Mac or PCs utilizing 2.5-inch drives. Featuring high shock tolerance, low power consumption, and quiet load/unload acoustics, the drive is designed for those "who value their quiet portables or slim desktops but need more storage." The 160GB Momentus 2.5-inch SATA hard drive is now shipping for $270; for an additional $100, it can be ordered with the miniXpress enclosure.

MacFun.com: online gaming for Mac users...

MacFun.com is a new casual game site devoted entirely to Mac users. "The site was created to provide a community where Mac gamers worldwide can find high-quality, highly entertaining, and highly addictive games for their Macs, all in one place," according to the company. Offering an impressive range of family-friendly puzzle, strategy, word, arcade, and card games, MacFun.com offers downloadable fun for every taste, with an eye toward emerging Mac games. The company said it is focused solely on the "needs and interests of Mac users of every age and skill level," and will offer "quick, clever and affordable entertainment." Dozens of the best casual Mac games are available today on MacFun.com: while the company plans to continue to add more as well as offer community-building features. In addition, MacFun is providing Mac development services for third-party and original casual games, a unique Mac-specific DRM solution for license, and distribution opportunities for independent developers.

REALbasic 2006r4 to support Intel Macs

REAL Software today announced that REALbasic 2006 Release 4 will ship this September and include support for Intel-based Macs. REALbasic is a cross-platform software development environment used for many types of applications -- from utilities to server-centric needs. The new version will be able to create Universal Binaries for running applications natively on Intel-based Macs as well as the ability to run natively on Intel-based Macs. REAL Software said that most REALbasic applications can be re-compiled as Universal Binaries "with one mouse click." REALbasic 2006r4 is available for testing via REAL's beta testing program, which can be accessed by anyone currently on a REAL update plan. There is no information on updated system requirements or pricing for Release 4.

VMWare Pre-Registration for Mac open...

VMware today announced a new product that will enable Intel-based Macs to run x86 operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris, in virtual machines at the same time as Mac OS X. VMware will demo the product today during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2006 in San Francisco. The new Mac product is based on VMware's robust and advanced virtualization technology, shipping for more than seven years and used by more than four million people today. The company said that in the future, all virtual machines created with any of VMware's products will run on Intel-based Macs and, similarly, non-Mac OS X virtual machines created with the new product will run on the latest versions of other VMware platform products. The beta release of this product is expected to be available later this year. Interested parties will be able to sign up for early access.

Apple says 'Hasta la vista, Vista' [photos]...

MacNN has exclusive shots of yet another banner from Apple's worldwide developer conference that makes reference to Microsoft's yet unreleased operating system. Taking yet another jab at Microsoft using its annual developer conference at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, a newly photographed banner reads 'Hasta la vista, Vista." Apple, expected to debut its next-generation operating system, Mac OS X 10.5 Leapard, is trying to out-duel Microsoft, whose next-generation Windows operating system has been delayed many times. Another banner (not photographed) says 'Redmond has a cat problem', according to a MacNN reporter. On Sunday, we noted the "Vista 2.0" banner photographed earlier in the weekend. As usualy, we expect the online Apple Store to be taken off-line temporarily while the company updates/adds new products. MacNN will offer live coverage of the event at live.macnn.com.

Apps: Slide, SiteTagger, Hawkeye

• Slide 0.1.41 (free) delivers digital content from numerous chosen sources delivering images, text, and video. The update includes a widget allowing all the features of Slide desktop, such as the ability to automatically share photos or add "visual bling" to profiles/blogs. Slide Desktop and Widget require Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - Application, Widget]


• SiteTagger 3.1 ($10) is designed to replace conventional bookmarking methods built into browsers with a standalone tagging method. SiteTagger allows users to access bookmarks through the system menu bar or the application. Version 3.1 adds OPML export, improved plug-in support, a new Script Editor, an enhanced system menu, multiple drag-and-drop import capability, bookmark copy & paste, more international localizations, and several minor bug fixes. The software requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 1.5MB]


• ReallyEasyReader 3.0 ($30) is designed to help users improve reading ability by loading a chosen document and flashing words by as they read, which doubles reading speed after progressive use, according to the company. Version 3.0 adds the ability to switch between reading and viewing documents with the escape key; movement of the text view to the desired reading location; new speed reading commands; and a new tutorial to demonstrate new features. ReallyEasyRead requires Java 1.4+ running on 'any' operating system. [Download - 1.8MB]


• Default Folder X 3.0.2 ($15) is a plug-in for any Mac OS X native application that adds a side toolbar for any save dialog, allowing users to access favorite locations as well as several other commands. The latest release corrects a flaw which disabled Default Folder X's command keys and hotkeys in PowerPC applications running on Intel-based Macs. Version 3.0.2 is free to version 3.0 owners, and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later. [Download - 5.0MB]


• Hawkeye 1.0.8 ($30) allows users to create custom DVD mixes and convert video media with an 'easy to use' interface. The update brings several new features including new video encoding modes, as well as support for devices like the PSP, iPod, and video-capable mobile phones. Version 1.0.8 also adds SVCD output support. Mac OS X 10.4 or later is required to run Hawkeye. [Download - 14.9MB]