"Apple will always be a niche player"...

A niche market will mark the extent of Apple's clout with regard to big business, according to senior research analyst Carmi Levy of Info-Tech. "The reality is, long term, Apple will always be a niche player," Levy said. "Even with the switch to Intel, Apple is not threatening the hegemony of the Intel-based Windows PC." Levy also believes Apple's traditional enterprise niches -- including graphics, advertising, and creative departments -- have weakened in recent years, according to a report from Computer World Canada.

Geo-Calc comes to Intel-based Macs

BaldGeeks today released Geo-Calc 2.0, a major update to its comprehensive geometry calculator for Mac OS X that runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary. The software is designed to ease the calculation of common problems such as estimating the quantity of carpet, paint, or tiles required to complete a construction job. Geo-Calc works out the measurements for area, perimeter, sides, and angles of common geometric shapes. Geo-Calc shows a scaled drawing of each calculated shape with a graph paper background in one drawer, while another shows a history of previous calculations. The application also provides a definition of each shape and the different ways to perform the calculations. Geo-Calc supports the ellipse, rectangle, triangle, trapezium, parallelogram, polygon, prism, cylinder, cone, pyramid and sphere shapes. Geo-Calc 2.0 is available for $15, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Refurb iPods, iMacs, Mac minis

Apple is selling refurbished 1GB iPod nanos in white and black for $109; refurbished 2GB iPod nanos in white and black for $129; and refurbished 4GB iPod nanos in white only for $169. The company is also offering refurbished fifth-generation iPods with video capability in white as well as black with 30GB and 60GB capacities for $199 and $299, respectively. Refurbished iMacs currently include the 17-inch 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo with 512MB of memory and a 160GB hard drive for $1,099; as well as the 20-inch 2GHz Intel Core Duo with 512MB of memory and a 250GB hard drive for $1,399. Refurbished 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo Mac mini systems are available with 512MB of memory and a 60GB hard drive for $519, while Apple's 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo Mac mini is available with 512MB of memory and an 80GB hard drive for $699. The Apple Store Canada is also offering deals on refurbished equipment, including the MacBook Pro (as low as $1,749), the PowerBook G4 17-inch (as low as $2,219), the Intel-based iMac (as low as $1,299), and Power Mac G5 systems (as low as $1,899).

DAZ offers Bryce 5 for free

DAZ Productions today announced that it is offering its Bryce 5 3D landscaping and animation software for free until September 6th. Following the installation, Bryce 5 prompts users to register the copy at the DAZ website, after which users receive a free Bryce 5 serial number and are able to download the Bryce 5 presets. Bryce 5.0, however, does not work with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Bryce 5.5 -- the latest version -- is optimized for greater speed with support for the DAZ|Studio character plug-in, enhanced OpenGL display modes, and a re-designed network renderer. The DAZ|Studio Character plug-in enables users to easily load, edit, and import any object model. The plug-in features faster load times, increased stability, and more logical grouping when compared to the previous Turbo Import solution. Bryce 5.0 requires Mac OS 8 or later, but is incompatible with Mac OS X 10.4. [corrected]

Dell withdraws from MP3 player market...

Dell has apparently conceded defeat in the MP3 player market, as reports indicate that the company is no longer selling any of its MP3 players and has removed most referencs to its DJ Ditty MP3 player from the Dell website. Electronista notes that the Texas-based Dell originally entered the digital audio player market in late 2003 to capitalize on the rapidly expanding popularity of Apple's iPod; however, despite attempts to compete with Apple on features and price, Dell has consistently struggled to find significant marketshare. Earlier this year, Dell discontinued all its hard drive-based players in favor of the lower-end DJ Ditty flash player. "As of today, Dell has quietly admitted its long-term failure in the market by removing the DJ Ditty and most references to it from the company website. Users of Dell's DJ forums have also reported that no Dell-branded players remain in the monthly catalog and that the DJ Ditty had been discounted earlier in the month," the report said.

InCharge Traveler, MicroPack for iPod...

XtremeMac today announced the availability of two new portable power solutions for iPod: InCharge Traveler (below) global charging kit and MicroPack portable battery and media dock (right). Designed with travelers in mind, the new products provide multiple functions and sleek designs that match the iPod aesthetic. The InCharge Traveler is a global charging kit designed to keep the iPod charged in virtually any country. The comprehensive kit includes four wall adapters that automatically switch between 120V and 240V outlets, as well as a 12V car adapter and an empower adapter for use on commercial airliners. The components included with InCharge Traveler are compatible with all dock connector iPod models (4G and later) and ship bundled in a convenient travel pouch. InCharge Traveler will begin shipping this week $80.

Fantom ships MegaDisk 1.5TB enclosure

Fantom Drives today debuted the G-Force MegaDisk combo FireWire 800, 400, and USB 2.0 drive boasting a 1.5TB storage capacity. The enclosure features a rugged aluminum design, utilizing the Oxford OXF924DSB chipset for FireWire 80 speeds of 80MB/sec and native drive striping. The external drive also features complete operating system independence with no software installation required for Mac OS X or Windows XP installations. The G-Force MegaDisk is available in 500GB ($270), 800GB ($500), 1TB ($600), and 1.5TB ($1,000) storage capacities.

OWC ships 1.5TB portable RAID system

Other World Computing today began shipping its new Mercury Elite-AL Pro FW800/400+USB2 RAID external hard drive array, offering from 320GB to 1.5TB of storage capacity. The drive array features FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 connectivity along with the latest SATA II 3G hard drive functionality. The new Mercury Elite-AL Pro RAID Solutions provide two FireWire 800 ports, one FireWire 400 port, and one USB 2.0 port. Each unit ships with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB cables, EMC Retrospect Backup software, and Intech HD Speedtools. The storage arrays are backed by a two-year OWC warranty, while internal mechanisms are guaranteed by an additional three-year manufacturer's warranty. OWC's Mercury Elite-AL Pro RAID array is priced from $280.

Apple responds to planned "walk of shame"...

Apple Ireland has responded to a Dublin man after he announced plans last week to perform a "walk of shame" with his broken iMac. Last Friday afternoon the man received a phone call from the head of Apple's corporate affairs in Ireland who introduced herself, apologized on behalf of Apple Ireland, and said she would take the matter into her own hands to resolve any outstanding issues. The Dublin man says he had a new replacement 2GHz iMac Intel Core Duo with 512MB of memory sitting on his desk roughly 90 minutes later, and the company has sent additional memory to match the broken iMac, which had 2GB installed.

Digital Deck PVR streams iTunes, TiVo

Digital Deck has released a network capable personal video recorder designed to expand the network abilities of older PVRs. The new Digital Deck connects to computers on the network, and play songs from an iTunes music library acting as a hub to the entertainment system. The PVR can also streaming photos from Flickr accounts, and allows users to view content from TiVos on the same network. Electronista states that despite TiVos success, its "most glaring limitation in its current hardware is the lack of widespread networking abilities." The new Digital Deck is available for $500, and includes a remote alongside access to the Digital Deck online program guide updates.

CirculationPro 3.4 integrates Satori

MediaSpan today launched CirculationPro 3.4, the latest version of its tools designed to help publishers manage subscriptions and process real-time credit card payments over the Web. The software also enables users to handle traffic as well as dispatch complaints, and import demographic information. CirculationPro 3.4 integrates Satori add-on tools to help determine return on investment. Complaint dispatching in CirculationPro 3.4 can determine the correct redelivery driver based on the day of the week, the current time, and the specific complaint. Additionally, users can dispatch complaints using traditional methods such as e-mail or via text messaging (system requirements and pricing were unavailable).

USPTO grants Apple four patents...

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) today published Apple's granted patents, which number four and solidify the company's right to use those technologies. The patents granted include "DC connector assembly," "Self aligning foot assembly," "a method and apparatus for accelerating detection of serial bus device speed signals," and a granted design patent for an electronic device holder. Apple's self aligning foot assembly (Patent #7,095,610) includes a foot with a snap and a first alignment feature, the snap and the alignment feature are coupled to a base, and the first alignment feature extends a greater distance from the base than an engagement of the snap. The Electronic Device Holder (Design Patent D526,777) claims the ornamental design for an electronic device holder, which depicts an armband holding an iPod shuffle.

Briefly: Intel demand spikes; iTMS

In brief: A sudden rise in PC demand has created a shortage of Intel chipsets, which could revive an issue that some believe caused the company to lose market share to arch-rival AMD.... Discussion forums on Apple's website as well as Orange Broadband are alive with users complaining about their inability to access iTunes.... Big Nerd Ranch today announced its PostgreSQL Bootcamp in Europe, scheduled for November 13-17th, offering five days of intensive instruction on PostgreSQL 8.1 as a database solution for professional applications.... One website has posted a screenshot that appears to depict Mac OS 7.5 running on Nintendo DS using MiniVMacDS.... Maureen Govern, CTO at AOL, resigned from the company on August 21st following a disclosure that AOL accidentally released keyword search data for roughly 658,000 anonymous users.

Apple shareholders file another lawsuit

Apple shareholders have filed yet another lawsuit against the company in state as well as U.S. courts, claiming that many high-level management employees -- including CEO Steve Jobs -- backdated option-grants to reap "millions of dollars in unlawful profits." The suit also charges that Apple executives filed "false and misleading statements" with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, manipulating options grants to sell more than $1 billion in company stock, according to Bloomberg. The case follows a string of earlier lawsuits filed throughout July and into August, naming top executives and alleging that defendants breached their fiduciary duties and colluded with one another to improperly backdate grants of Apple stock options to various executives in violation of the company's shareholder-approved stock option plans, among other claims.

MacBook update constantly runs fans

Apple's recent update to its MacBook line of Intel-based laptops, which the company said was to adjust "fan behavior," has resulted in fans that run endlessly to cool the device. Apple's own discussion forums reveal that the MacBook fans run continuously at a low speed, ramping up when necessary to move more air through the enclosure, according to InformationWeek. Apple in early June admitted that an oversight during its laptop production may have caused some of its new MacBooks to overheat, saying that some users experiencing warmer-than-usual running temperatures should check for the presence of a clear plastic covering which was inadvertently left in place over the rear vent.

Apps: Web Site Maestro, Snippet Monkey

• Web Site Maestro 5.2 ($40) helps users create and optimize HTML and other web coding in an effort to improve load times on created websites and offers a built in FTP-client to put the site on the web from within the optimization app. Version 5.2 adds support for FTP remote synchronization, improved control over what uploads, improved filename support, better support for non-standard sever layouts, enhanced website optimization for sites containing many empty lines, and support for TextWrangler.v in the Creator Code pop up. Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later is requires to run Web Site Maestro. [Download - 4.5]


• Snippet Monkey 1.0b ($10) is the first public beta of a new utility which allows users to save time by automating the process of creating shortcuts for phrases used frequently. These phrases are "snippets" which can contain a combination of text, images, and/or date and time information. Users create snippets by copying the target and dumping the clipboard into the snippet editor. Users can disable this functionality on a per application basis, edit the appearance of snippets, and request new features during this beta stage. This initial public beta requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later; the current price is not the final release price, but a license purchased now will work with the final release. [Download - 1.3MB]


• ComicBookLover 1.1 ($25) allows users to view, collect and organize digital comics while finding comics by browsing cover art, creating smart lists, editing information quickly with auto-completion, and supporting CBZ, CBR, and PDF comic archives. Version 1.1 adds native support for PDF files, new comic view modes, support for common keybaord shortcuts, enhancements to the toolbar, and corrects several minor bugs and performance problems. ComicBookLover is a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 3.0MB]


• pearPortVPN 0.1 (free) allows users to automatically establish VPN connections whenever a wireless network becomes available, also automatically disconnecting any open connections before the Mac falls asleep; thus avoiding an error message about timed out connections upon awakening. The tool is designed to help those whose ISP requires them to establish a VPN connection. This initial release of PearPortVPN is a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 91.4KB]


• GlowWorm FW Lite 1.0.7 (free) is a rule-based network security and monitoring application which allows one to define acceptable network activity on an address, port and application basis. Any number of rules can be created. An authorization dialog alerts one regarding unauthorized network activity. Version 1.0.7 fixes the version number splash screen, adds registration, improves version expiration, and a new user interface. GlowWorm FW Lite 1.0.7 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 651KB]

PhotoReviewer adds direct camera import

Stick Software has released a major update to PhotoReviewer 5.0, its photo management solution for Mac OS X. Boasting "very quick" performance, the application allows users to flip through photos and select which they wish to keep. PhotoReviewer will then organize them in a folder system, allow image comparison, and adjust key levels such as contrast, exposure, and sharpness. PhotoReviewer is not an iPhoto replacement, but, according to the developer, acts as a middleman to get only the photos users want into their iPhoto library. New in version 2.0 is a thumbnail view, EXIF support, histograms, a magnifier, direct import from digital cameras, side-by-side image viewing, full-screen mode, and several stability and performance improvements. Available now for $15, PhotoReviewer requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 1.1MB]

FileSalvage 5 improves Intel support

SubRosaSoft has released FileSalvage 5.0, a utility for finding and recovering deleted files from a drive or volume. FileSalvage is capable of recovering accidentally deleted files, files which have become unreadable, and files which existed on a drive prior to re-initialization or formatting. Other uses include the recovery of iTunes or iPhoto libraries; offering compadibility with Mac hard drives, USB keys, PC disks, Linux disks, FAT32 disks, FLASH cards, scratched CDs, Digital Cameras, iPods, and several other media types. Version 5.0 includes a overhauled user interface, a new auto rename function, improved support for Intel-based Macs, better file management, and improved performance. The new version is available in several formats; a download ($80), a PowerPC booting CD ($90), an Intel booting CD ($90), or an Intel and PowerPC booting CD for ($100) -- prior users can upgrade for $30 (download), or $40 (CD). FileSalvage requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later, but is designed for Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 5.4MB]