Mac Pro up to 62% faster than quad-G5...

Announced earlier this week, users are already receiving their Mac Pro systems and offering some "real-world" insight to the performance. Barefeats.com has completed a series of benchmarks to show the performance of the new system. The test system is the 'base' Mac Pro featuring two dual-core Xeon processors running at 2.66GHz with 1GB of RAM priced at $2499 (new), while the test G5 system is a Quad PowerMac G5 system running at 2.5GHz--also with 1GB of RAM with a higher price of $3299 (new). The test covers both Universal and non-Universal tests of Applications including Final Cut Pro 5, Photoshop CS2, and CineBench 9.5. In the non-Universal Binary tests, the G5 was 20-37 percent faster than the Xeon system; however, when tested with Intel-compatible applications, the Mac Pro took a significant lead of between 35 and 62 percent in "real-world" tests and a 15 percent higher Cinebench CPU score. "We are impressed with the Mac Pro's performance. We'll be even more impressed when Adobe's Universal Binary apps appear in 'second quarter of 2007,'" the report said. [Graph included].

Additional Leopard features surface...

Several more unannounced Leopard features have surfaced on the internet following Apple's release of the preview version. New Leopard features include resolution independence; a new QuickTime framework; full screen mode; more on timeline; possible Carbon improvements; an improved version of Image Kit; grammar checking; multiple clipboards; an iCal overhaul; a new Automator user interface; RSS support; and more, according to a report with additional details on a developer forum post. Apple's website released some minor features earlier this week after the keynote. [Details included]

Briefly: Leopard "Teams"; Swift...

In brief: Apple's Mac OS Forge site contains a Wiki describing a "Teams" feature of Mac OS X Leopard which includes a Web-based calendar client that works with the Calendar server.... The Czech Apple Store recently launched an alternative advertising approach (site down) to sell iPods (shown at right).... One blogger has pointed out that a wide price gap was traditionally responsible for the commercial success of PCs over Macs, and notes that the difference is no longer a factor for consumers.... The Iconfactory has released Vinyl Database ($130), a set of 52 add-ons extending the original collection with icons covering tables, scripts, records, and more.... Verizon's EVDO ExpressCard For MacBook Pro is easy to install, according to one user, but the "unlimited" high-speed access is actually false advertisement according to another.... Getwebkit.org has released Swift, a Web browser for Windows based on the Apple WebKit rendering engine. [updated]

iCal, iChat to challenge groupware

Apple may be challenging communications software from Microsoft and WebEx with its new versions of iCal and iChat, which is scheduled to ship with Mac OS X Leopard in the spring of 2007. The company has revealed "stealth groupware" that could represent Apple's biggest move against enterprise products such as WebEx Communications and Microsoft NetMeeting, according to eWeek.com. The new version of iCal supports collective group calendars, while Leopard Server will feature iCal Server. Apple executives highlighted the fact that iCal Server has no per-user license, enabling any number of users to access the system at no additional cost.

iTunes to allow DVD burning?

The DVD Copy Control Association is soon expected to finalize changes that could allow iTunes customers to burn video downloads onto DVDs. The forthcoming technical and policy changes involve the association's proprietary technology called the "Content Scramble System," or CSS. The group licenses the encryption technology to makers of DVD players and other electronics firms, applying it to movies on DVDs to restrict illegal copying, according to a report from the Associated Press. The association said it will expand that licensing to digitally distributed movies on demand or a la carte in the near future, and is cooperating with disc makers to create CSS-compatible blank DVDs.

coconutBattery 2.5 features widget

Coconut-flavour.com has released coconutBattery 2.5, an entirely rewritten application with a preferences menu and a dashboard widget. The beta widget offers coconutBattery functionality from the dashboard with the same "coconut-flavor" as the standalone application, and the software natively supports Intel Macs as a Universal Binary. The latest version is compatible with MacBook and MacBook Pro, producing warnings when run on unsupported systems. CoconutBattery is a tool that displays the current charge of a notebook battery, as well as the current maximum capacity of the battery in relation to the original capacity the battery had as it left the factory. The utility also offers information about battery-loadcycles, the current charger, and the age of the Mac. CoconutBattery 2.5 is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later.

Nokia on collision course with Apple...

Nokia is on a collision course with Apple's iTunes, following the company recent purchase of Loudeye, a company focused helping others distribute and sell digital music. A new report says that the $60 million purchase is the first step to a showdown, according to the report that says that the company may be seeking to go "after none other than the 800-pound gorilla of the digital music world." According to the report, Apple has sold 22.5 million iPod players in its fiscal year 2005 and could approach 50 million units by the end of 2006; however, Nokia sold over 265 million units in its most recent fiscal year, 40 million of which were capable of playing music. Although many music enthusiasts prefer an iPod, the distinction is blurring quickly as more and more phones gain larger storage capacity, a better interface, and more features.

OpenOffice.org 2.0.3 for Intel Macs

OpenOffice.org has released OpenOffice.org 2.0.3 for Mac OS X Intel (X11), updating the Office suite with new system integration. OpenOffice.org 2.0.3 features "Fondu," a set of programs to interconvert between Mac font formats and pfb, ttf, otf and bdf files on UNIX. The update offers support for Microsoft file format when sending documents as emails, corrects help id for the xslt filter dialog basic tab page, and adds online update functionality. Users can control slide shows while utilizing additional features of the PDF Export dialog, and crash recovery immediately restarts the software. OpenOffice.org requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later, and is available for free.

Quiz Press expands interoperability...

Sol Robots today released Quiz Press 1.5, an application for making online and print tests featuring multimedia integration with improved application interoperability. The update allows users to add images, sounds, music, movies and interactive media to online quizzes. Multimedia content is usable with every Quiz Press question type -- which includes Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blanks, Short Answer, True or False, and Cloze -- and the software features copy & paste as well as drag-and-drop support with numerous multimedia applications. Quiz Press 1.5 is priced at $50, and requires Mac OS X 10.1 or later.

Synk 6 takes on Time Machine

Decimus Software has unveiled Synk 6, boasting the same functionality as Apple's recently-announced Time Machine backup software. The public beta uses the same technology as Apple's Time Machine to track changes, according to Decimus, and can schedule backups automatically at any frequency desired. Synk 6 also maintains old versions of all files, allowing users to selectively restore any version from any point in time. "The only thing we're missing is a space-themed restore interface, as we don't exactly have Apple's budget for graphic artists," said Decimus. Synk 6 does not require dedication of the entire volume, or that the volume use the HFS+ file system. Additionally, backup copies are bootable with Synk 6 because the data is not stored in a custom format. Synk 6 beta is available now, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Mac OS X Server quietly goes Universal

Apple quietly updated Mac OS X Server to version 10.4.7, bringing native compatibility to Intel-based Mac servers as a Universal Binary. The Cupertino-based company likely remained silent about the update as it came just weeks before the debut of its new Intel-based Xserve system, according to Macworld UK. Apple released the Universal update in late June, and announced its new Intel Xserve system at the World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco earlier this week. Accompanying Universal status, the update repairs several issues while offers improvements to AFP server usage.

Apps: GraffitiButton, VuMan, Lux Delux

• GraffitiButton 3.0 ($50) enhances the button class for the REALbasic integrated development environment, offering 30 custom and standard button styles in REALbasic applications. Version 3.0 boasts performance increases, improved stability, a global registration system, additional styles, and REALbasic 2006R3+ compliance. The update requires REALbasic 2006R3 or later running on any R3-compatible version of Mac OS X. [Download - 149KB]


• VuMan 1.0 ($20) is a page viewer for Mac OS X designed to be user-friendly and versatile. The application allows users to link a number of UNIX command-line tools together to make searching, reading, and printing man page documentation a simple task. Version 1.0 is a Universal Binary offering native performance on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs, as well as improved portability running as both a native Aqua application and as a Unix-style X11 application. The Unix/X11 version is available for free. [Download - Aqua Form, Free X11 ]


• Lux Delux 5.4 ($25) is a game of strategy and domination inspired by the board game Risk, placing players in control of armies to conquer and hold strategic countries to take over the world. Version 5.4 adds an improved plug-in manager, improved networked games support, a new info button on the map window, and offers a fix for saving games. Lux Delux 5.4 requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later. [Download - 8.3MB]


• Encryptor 2.5b ($80) allows users to secure FileMaker data, share medical data over the internet, and verify the correctness of important text. The software also supports compression of large texts, encrypts text or container fields, verifies data integrity as well as sources, and make documents readable only by user selection. The Universal plug-in runs natively on PowerPC as well as Intel Macs, features compatibility with FileMaker Pro 8.5, and updates the User Guide for version 2.5. [Download - 1.5MB]


• RAW Developer 1.5.2 ($price) is a RAW image conversion application designed specifically for advanced photographers using Mac OS X. Version 1.5.2 adds support for more than 10 new camera models including the Nikon D2Xs, Sony Alpha DSLR-A100, Pentax K100D and K110D; and expanded support for digital backs from Leaf, Sinar, Hasselblad/Imacon and Phase One. The software also offers direct use of embedded ICC profiles from RAW files; support for export of 16 bits/channel and EXIF metadata for Photoshop file format export; and improved performance of TIFF files. RAW Developer 1.5.2 requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. [Download - 4.3MB]

Briefly: Mac Pro internal photos

In brief: One user has posted numerous photos of a disassembled Mac Pro which include the case (front, back, and side), drive bays, motherboard, Intel Xeon processors, memory, graphics card, heat sinks, drive sleds, stock drives, PCI slots, and more.... Fastforward Software is seeking more developers to publish its applications, offering exclusive services to independent developers looking to increase sales with the advantages of a publisher.... Photoshop Elements Techniques has announced 11 winners of its 2006 Scrappy Awards, the first Photoshop Elements design competition for digital scrapbookers.... Equinux has acknowledged Apple's Design Award for "Best Mac OS X User Experience" for its iSale auctioning solution.... One blogger who works for a Mac-oriented co-location service has posted about "the cage," an area of the data center full of Mac minis.

Marware ships complete Sportfolio line...

Marware has released the Sportfolio and Sportfolio sleeve cases for Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. The Sportfolio case is available in three sizes to accommodate the 13-inch MacBook alongside the 15- or 17-inch MacBook Pro. Designed to be thin, yet tough, the Sportfolio case offers plastic side inserts for re-enforcement and neoprene–lined zippers for protection against scratches. Designed for use either over the over-the-shoulder or carrying hand, the case is versatile--featuring three storage pockets for files and laptop accessories. The Sportfolio Sleeve is also constructed with 'rugged' neoprene and can be used with the 13-inch MacBook, the 15- or 17-inch MacBook Pro either as a standalone case or placed inside a briefcase or backpack. The Sleeve features a fully–lined interior, plastic side inserts, and a convenient ultra–soft 'Orca skin' front pocket to hold pens, sunglasses, or an iPod. The Sportfolio Laptop Case ($40-50) and Sportfolio Sleeve ($30-40) are available now. Earlier this week, the company debuted the Sportfolio Deluxe

CRYPTO-Server 6.4 supports Intel Macs...

Mac authentication technology developer CRYPTOCard has announced a Universal version of its CRYPTO-Server 6.4 for two-factor authentication. The solution provides seamless integration with Apple’s PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs and protects LAN, VPN, web-based (Apache and II S), and desktop access for Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger.” Version 6.4 also brings a new machine-to-machine architecture which provides a much faster, smaller footprint solution that improves user and administrator experience and support for a new software token for BlackBerry handsets from Research In Motion (RIM) which will enable remote users logging into the corporate network from a desktop or laptop via a VPN to use their BlackBerry handset to generate the necessary credentials for two-factor authentication. It also features new client-based ‘Disconnected Authentication’ to ensure a mobile user’s laptop is protected even when connection to the CRYPTO-Server is not possible and USB Dongle support for Intel-based Macs.

Mariner ships Montage 1.0.1 update

Mariner Software has released Montage 1.0.1, a free update to its professional screenwriting software exclusively developed for Mac OS X. As a follow up version to last month's 1.0 release, Montage 1.0.1 addresses several speed enhancements, feature additions, and bug fixes. Version 1.01 improves performance by five times for the Scenes view, adds further refinements to more and cont'd/keep with next, adds a preference to disable automatic scene splitting, and more. Several pre-formatted templates, including film, television, and theater, automatically format the user's script to industry standards. Montage Smart Views allow writers to visually filter the script to the desired content, based on criteria. In addition, Montage includes the ability to create, submit, and track query letters, a script synopsis, and script submissions to hundreds of included industry contacts. Montage also imports Final Draft, text, and RTF documents. Montage, available in English, is $140 and requires Mac OS X 10.3.

Griffin PowerBlock Travel package...

Griffin Technology has released a package designed to simplify charging USB devices, such as the iPod, while travelling. The package is based around the PowerBlock, which is an AC adapter for devices that charge through USB ports. This new version, known as the PowerBlock Travel, adds plug adapters for international travel and is able to handle voltages between 100 and 240 AC -- converting the power input to the voltage that the USB devices require. The PowerBlock Travel package includes a Griffin dock connector cable for an iPod, an accessory pouch, and three plug adapters for use in Continental Europe, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States. This new package costs $35 and is available now through Griffin's web store and retail partners.

Intel Xserve may be good for business

Apple's recently-released Intel-based Xserve is set to attract more business customers, according to one report. The new Apple server system is better for cluster applications because it can run more operating systems and receives more predictable performance upgrades, offering better performance per-dollar. IT managers in past years were beholden to PowerPC's intermittent performance updates and running PowerPC-based versions of even standard Linux software, according to Electronista. That 'drawback,' however, was abolished when the company unveiled its Intel-based Xserve system. Apple may see improved Xserve sales moving forward as more companies select the slim server hardware for various installations. [updated]