Briefly: reviews, Mac Pro firmware bug?

In Brief: MacNN has reviewed the Pantone Huey monitor management system as well as the Rain Design's iWoofer, a compact, integrated speaker system designed to work with iPods.... Despite a recent release of Mac Pro-friendly update to Parallels Desktop, a "virtualization-lock bug" in some systems has caused continued compatibility problems for the virtualization software--Parallels blames Apple noting that virtualization has been disabled on some Mac Pro's and Mac mini's by Apple's own firmware.... SendStation Systems is giving away 1,000 free PocketDocks FW, the legendary thumb-sized iPod FireWire adapter: the offer is available while supplies last or until September 13, 2006 (limited to one PocketDock per person).... Former Apple executive Christopher Gee, who managed enterprise customers for the company, has been appointed the President of the New York-based Advanced Battery Technologies.

eMedia brings Guitar Pro 5.1 to the Mac

eMedia Music has released Arobas Music's Guitar Pro 5.1, a new Mac/Win hybrid version of the multi-track tablature editor software for guitar, banjo and bass. Guitar Pro 5.1, now available for the Mac, is designed for both beginners and accomplished guitarists and can be used to improve, compose, or accompany themselves. Guitar Pro adds advanced notation features, such as drum notation, vocal notation and tablature support for any stringed instruments with four to seven strings; it can also be used for creating lead sheets, scores, or lesson sheets for students. Version 5.1 features the newest in playback technology including RSE-Realistic Sound Engine, which delivers real-time playback of scores with realistic sound samples taken from high quality guitars and real-time effects such as wah- wah. In addition, the update brings improved ASCII import/ export and a newly enhanced speed trainer. Guitar Pro 5.1 is available now for $60 and runs on Mac OS X 10.3 or later. [site not updated]

Apple offers refurbished MacBook Pros

Apple is offering refurbished 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro notebooks with free shipping and its standard one-year warranty. Refurbished MacBook Pros include the 15-inch 1.83GHz model with 512MB of memory and an 80GB hard drive for $1,549; its 15-inch 2.0GHz model with 512MB of memory and an 80GB hard drive for $1,699; and the 15-inch Glossy Display 2.0GHz unit with 512MB of memory and an 80GB hard drive for $1,699. The company is also offering its 15-inch 2.0GHz MacBook Pro with 1GB of memory and a 100GB hard drive for $1,949; its 15-inch 2.16GHz model with 1GB of memory and a 100GB hard drive for $2,149; and the 15-inch Glossy Display 2.16GHz version with 1GB of memory and a 100GB hard drive for $2,149. Additional refurbished MacBook Pro offerings include the 17-inch, 2.16GHz model with 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive for $2,399; as well as the 17-inch Glossy Display 2.16GHz version with 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive for $2,399.

G-Tech G-Speed, G-RAID mini debut...

G-Technology today unveiled its new G-Speed S storage solutions featuring SCSI Ultra320 connectivity as well as RAID 6 technology, and its G-RAID mini portable RAID storage solutions with a triple interface as well as the latest generation 2.5-inch SATAii hard drives. The G-Speed S (shown at right) is designed specifically for professional content creation applications with support for multi-stream SD and 10-bit 1080/60i HD workflows. G-Speed S offers storage capacities up to 4.5TB using SATA II drives, and boasts sustained data transfer rates of up to 250MB/sec. G-RAID mini features support for multi-stream, DV, HDV, DVCPRO HD, and uncompressed workflows, offering FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Both the G-Speed S (from $3,000) and G-RAID mini (from $500) are slated for shipment in October. [updated]

Unbox suffers "teething" issues...

Amazon's new Unbox video store has marked the highest-profile movie download launch thus far, but poses some significant quality issues and "teething" problems, according to various members of the press. CNET's Tom Merritt says purchases require intrusive and imperfect custom Amazon software to work, while underlying issues potentially hurt the long-term success of Unbox Video, according to BusinessWeek. Aside from the common but glaring inability to burn to DVD, rental restrictions are especially limited, according to Electronista: rented movies must be played in their entirety 24 hours after playback begins, or they must be rented a second time. Amazon additionally suffers from the longer-term conflict of interest that might arise from its existing movie sales; as it benefits from purchases of physical DVDs, the online retailer has little incentive to extend its usage rights or lower prices.

Phantasm CS Illustrator plug-in ships

Astute Graphics today released Phantasm CS, offering full color adjustment control directly within Adobe Illustrator documents. Users can tweak values such as brightness, contrast, curves, hue, saturation, and levels. The plug-in is designed to tightly integrate into Adobe's vector design package, offering the ability to control all object types including simple vector shapes, other live Effects, and high resolution bitmaps. Users can fine-tune, match colors, and experiment with designs while receiving immediate visual feedback. Phantasm CS is available for $40, and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later with Adobe Illustrator CS or CS2.

Formac debuts 19-inch 3ms LCDs

Formac today introduced its new Gallery TNX Performance displays, using a 19-inch TN LCD panel that trades a slight amount of color reproduction for a 3ms response time. Display manufacturers rarely publicize the type of LCD panels they use, which can cause serious difficulties for both artists and game players whose choice may hinge upon the choice of faster TN (twisted nematic) or more color-accurate PVA (patterned vertical alignment) panels, according to Electronista. The Gallery TNX Performance displays' 3ms response time eliminates ghosting in fast-action games as well as movies. A single cable provides data to an integrated two-port USB hub, DVI video, and power to the display. The Gallery TNX is shipping in the UK for £240, though a North American release date is yet to be announced.

Nano 1.0 offers C++ framework

RefNum Software has released Nano 1.0, a C++ framework for developing modern Carbon applications with the simplicity of Cocoa and the performance of Carbon. Nano provides a complete set of classes for application development, enabling users to build full-featured, extensible, and maintainable applications for Mac OS X using the C++ language. The framework features a HIG-compliant application+document model, C++ wrappers around every HIToolbox view, and an improved Interface Builder experience. Built around the native Carbon framework, Nano allows developers to create 64-bit Universal Binaries with minimal effort, according to RefNum. Nano is available for free under the open-source BSD license (system requirements were unavailable).

Adobe Acrobat 8 to debut Sept. 19th

Adobe will launch Adobe Acrobat 8 in Italy on September 19th, according an Italian Mac enthusiast site. Adobe Italy has reportedly sent invitations to the press for an event in Milan which will mark the presentation of Adobe Acrobat 8, promising to renew the entire line of Acrobat applications with new functionality. The new release is rumored to enable the safe creation, management, and sharing of documents as well as information. Adobe is also expected to speak about innovations in Web conferencing specifically tailored to professionals and companies that communicate and interact in real-time without geographic or technological barriers. The company posted its last Adobe Acrobat update in early February of this year, bringing new functionality, bug fixes, and security updates. Adobe also promised to release a Universal Binary version of its Photoshop Elements (CS3) software in the spring of 2007. [updated]

Gefen ships DVI, HDTV Switches...

Gefen today unveiled two new high definition video switches, which include the 8x1 DVI Switcher and its enhanced 4x1 HDTV Switcher designed for multiple source integration. Featuring plug-and-play capabilities, both switchers enable users to access multiple high definition computers and sources using just one input on any high definition display. The 8x1 DVI Switcher comes in a rack mountable case, providing eight DVI inputs and one DVI output. The device allows users to access multiple high definition audio/video sources -- such as HD DVD players and computer systems -- with the single DVI connector on any HD display.

Apps: iGlasses, BrowseBack, VelaClock

• Directory Widget (free) will lookup directory information from many colleges, universities, and other institutions. Although it uses the "LDAP" (Lightweight Directory Address Protocol), end users do not need to understand what LDAP is: the widget comes preloaded with settings for over 70 directory servers and also allows users to add other servers to the widget. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 288KB]


• iGlasses 1.3.6 ($8) adds a white balance slider control for use with Apple's built-in iSight camera, offering the ability to manually compensate for various lighting conditions that may give video images a blue or orange cast and also adding support for applying iGlasses enhancements in PiXiMation and FlipBook. The software allows Mac users to adjust iSight video settings from within popular video applications such as iChat AV, Skype and iMovie. Features include brightness, color settings, night vision, manual focus, flip and rotate. [Download - 1.5MB]


• BrowseBack 1.3 ($30) is a web history visualization and search tool that stores a PDF of every web page visited and makes the pages accessible through a unique interface that allows the user to browse thumbnails of the pages. This visual web history can also be searched by content, making it possible to easily retrieve visited web pages with a few keywords. Version 1.3 adds faster searching, large page display of current selection, and various bug fixes. It requires Mac OS X 10.4. [Download - 4.2MB]


• AKVIS Sketch plug-in v.1.1 enables users to convert a photo into a pencil sketch in a few mouse clicks: "Our efficient method allows creating realistic color and B&W drawings that imitate the technique of graphite and color pencil, charcoal and watercolor painting. In contrast to the similar standard filters (like the built-in filters in Photoshop or PSP) that offer an approximate sketch, AKVIS Sketch provides a more convincing result; it comes very close to hand-drawn works of a human artist. " It requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. [Download - 658KB]


• VelaClock 1.9 ($10) is free update to the world clock widget that displays a list of cities and corresponding local times. Multiple lower panes can be opened to display more information and take up more screen space. Users can quickly display the time of sunrise, sunset, or twilight, duration of daylight, current phase of moon, time zone information and much more. It now adds a preference to show or hide seconds, offers updated Daylight Saving Time rules for Bermuda, Cuba, Gaza and Honduras, and features reduced CPU usage. [Download - size]

Apple patent offers clues to "iPhone"

Apple's recent patent application for its "multi-functional handheld device" represents the fundamental basis and technology behind the company's much-rumored cell phone efforts, according to American Technology Research senior analyst Shaw Wu. "We believe the device will have a candy bar form factor (as opposed to flip phone) with iPod like functionality, including a clickwheel," Wu wrote in a research note obtained by MacNN. "We remain upbeat on Apple's prospects in building a material cell phone business given its strong brand name, loyal customer base, and unique user experience helped by its clickwheel technology and end-to-end business model." Wu predicts a $2 billion opportunity for Apple, should the company gain just 1 percent share in a billion unit market. The firm maintains its "buy" rating on Apple shares with a $91 price target.

Stand By Mi Ebony display stand ships

Macessity today announced its limited edition Stand By Mi Ebony display stand, designed to elevate monitors above small form-factor systems such as Apple's Mac mini. The new limited edition version of Stand By Mi Ebony boasts the same size and features as the aluminum-colored version of the stand, but displays a black finish to match non-Apple monitors and displays. The stand includes a four-port USB 2.0 hub, a power adapter, and a USB cable of the correct length to reach a Mac mini system beneath the stand. Stand By Mi Ebony measures 11 x 9 x 3.3-inches, and supports a maximum weight of 60 pounds. Macessity's Stand By Mi Ebony limited edition display stand is available for $50.

Telestream debuts Episode Series...

Telestream today introduced a family of powerful encoding software solutions for the Mac. Episode Series is a scalable suite of desktop applications and server-based workgroup solutions are designed for podcast, Web, DVD, IPTV and mobile devices. As the first products to emerge from the company's recent acquisition of Popwire, the solution is being showcased at this week's International Broadcasters Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam and is available for immediate online purchase and delivery. Targeting media enthusiasts, post-production professionals, and new media departments, Episode's optimized codecs, filters and extensive fine-tuning compression capabilities enable users to generate excellent picture quality with fast conversion speed. These software solutions offer extensive encoding support for current and emerging video and audio file formats--at up to HD resolutions.

Handle-it, Leather Sleevez ship

Dr. Bott and Case-mate have unveiled the Handle-it (shown at right) custom handle for Apple's 13-inch MacBook, as well as 15- and 17-inch PowerBook G4 notebooks. Handle-it is designed to make carrying an Apple laptop easier, and doubles as a passive heat sink when using the device on any flat surface. Case-mate has also launched new limited edition Leather Sleevez, its protective covers for 15-inch MacBook Pros and 13-inch MacBooks crafted from Italian Pebblestone leather that surround an impact-resistant plastic shell. Handle-it is shipping for $50 for all Apple notebook models, while Limited edition Leather Sleevez are available in black for the MacBook Pro ($120) and MacBook ($100).

EZTakes enables burning of DVD movies...

EZTakes has released the EZTakes Download Manager for Mac OS X, which allows users to purchase any of the nearly 1,000 movie downloads available on the EZTakes site and then burn those titles to standard recordable DVDs that will play in virtually any standard DVD player. In order to discourage piracy, EZTakes has developed technology that personalizes all DVDs with the purchasing consumer's identity and an embedded ID number. People who make unauthorized copies would incriminate themselves because the copies are clearly traceable. Movies on EZTakes start as low as $1.99 per download. Most EZTakes DVDs offer the same quality and all of the extra features of the original DVD. The site offers dozens of movie classics, a number of independent films, a small selection of Bollywood films, Yoga training videos, and more. The offers are sorted by category and also offer customer ratings on each as well as a preview video clip.

Patent suggests Cube revision

A recent patent filing suggests that Apple is continuing to rethink the design of its Power Mac G4 Cube, which sold no more than 150,000 units and was discontinued a year after its launch. The Cube was an example of design conflicting with market demands, according to Electronista, and consumers ultimately rejected the Cube due to limited expansion options and a high price relative to full-sized towers. Filed on May 5th, the "Ultra compact computer arrangement" illustrates a design that addresses flaws in the original Cube. The casing as described would feature two removable panels that allow greater access to the inside of the case for hard drives, memory, and multiple expansion cards. The new design would also incorporate a CPU fan alongside a heatsink - doing away with the earlier fanless concept which was prone to overheating.

Big Fish ships Atlantis Sky Patrol

Big Fish Studios has released Atlantis Sky Patrol for the Macintosh, a highly addictive sequel to last year's Atlantis; it features clever new mechanics and stunning art deco visuals. Atlantis Sky Patrol is an arcade-styled casual game in which players must take to the skies and travel all over the world to disable more than 100 doomsday devices, presumed to have originated in Atlantis. The devices are disabled by solving stationary puzzles and stopping waves of moving defense mechanisms from coming out. The game offers a variety of devices, including bumpers, railway switches and more. A minigame periodically allows the player to collect coins and help buy permanent upgrades for the ship. Two players modes are also available, both as a cooperative adventure, and as specially designed competition levels. The game showcases stunning full-screen OpenGL graphics as well as the studio soundtrack. Atlantis Sky Patrol is available for $20.

Pangea debuts Pangea Arcade

Pangea today announced development of its next game title: Pangea Arcade is a collection of three exciting games: “Nucleus”, “Warheads”, and “Firefall”. All three are action-arcade games based on classic arcade themes, but have been completely modernized and loaded with visual eye candy, according to the company. Nucleus is a space-based game where your goal is to build atoms by collecting electrons and attaching them to the interstellar nuclei. Accomplishing this task involves navigating around space debris, comet fields, black holes, etc. Warheads is a game where your mission is to protect your nuclear reactors and power stations from incoming missile bombardments. Firefall is a more abstract arcade game where you shoot through barriers and falling objects to take out the advancing worms. All three games in Pangea Arcade have an option to be viewed in stereo 3D using red-cyan anaglyph glasses. Pangea Software first used this 3D viewing technique in Nanosaur 2, and then in updated versions of Bugdom 2 and Otto Matic. The company expects to ship Pangea Arcade this fall for $20 and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9, a 1GHz G4-based Mac, and 64MB of video RAM.