Forums: iMac 24-inch "too big"?

Forums roundup: Members are discussing the size of the 24-inch iMac and whether or not it is simply "too big" for daily use..... Others users discuss the recently announced iPod Shuffle and just when it will begin shipping to the masses.... Another user looks to members to share experience with the quality of Apple Care and how far reaching the service is.... One member looks for advice on the how he should go about fixing damage to a PowerBook G4 mutilated from a short fall.... Meanwhile, another looks for the latest news on the upcoming revision to the MacBook Pro flagship laptop line.

Aspyr releases Quake 4 v1.3 patch

Aspyr Media today released Quake 4 1.3 for Mac, adding several multiplayer maps along with two new game modes and the new Napalm Gun. The company also issued a note to Mod users: "Due to the vast number of updates and new functionality in the 1.3 Point Release, mods will have to be updated to the 1.3 code by each respective mod author in order to run correctly on the 1.3 version of Quake 4." Additional information for modders is available via the iddevnet.com 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 Earth's 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 and hover tanks as they encounter the Strogg and their disturbing amalgamations of man and machine. Quake 4 is available for $50, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. The free update is available as a digital download from MacGameFiles.com.

Apps: PTHPasteboard, Searchlight

• PTHPasteboard 4 (free) updates the multiple pasteboard software for Mac OS X, allowing users to control settings via a Preference Pane in System Preferences. Version 4 includes a search field on all Pasteboard windows, provides access to information on Pasteboard items by right/control clicking on any item, and vastly improves hotkey support. [Download - 1.2MB]


• CuteClips 2 ($15) is a major re-write of the clipboard manager for Mac OS X, bringing native compatibility to Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary. The update includes a new simple interface, a more informative preview of everything copied, built-in search functionality, and a new status item icon. [Download - 1.9MB]


• Searchlight 1.2 ($30) is a free upgrade for registered users of the network search tool powered by Spotlight. The latest iteration of Searchlight extends Spotlight to the network prior to Mac OS X Leopard's release, working "flawlessly" with Mac OS X Server installed in Intel-based Macs. [Download - 2.1MB]


• Sound Byte 3.1.5 ($25) turns a Mac into a "cart machine," playing sound recordings -- such as music and special effects -- for Djs, radio stations, and audio productions. SoundByte supports all audio formats supported by Apple's QuickTime software, including MP3, AIFF, WAVE, AU, sfil, Sd2f, and uLaw formats. The update fixes a bug that could prevent playlist windows from saving. [Download - 1.5MB]


• OSS 3D 2.0 ($30) utilizes DSP technology to add bass spatialization, 3D surround, and various other real-time enhancements to sound played through a user's Mac. OSS 3D provides 3d sound expansions similar to QSound and Spatializer, with additional functionality such as Speaker Resonance Correction, Virtual Subwoofer, Brainwave inductance, High Frequency Restoration, Center channel control, and more. [Download - 6.1MB]


• iRemember 2.0 ($40) is digital scrapbooking software featuring more than 3,000 clip art images alongside 15,000 backgrounds, borders, corners, buttons, tags, and ribbons. The application runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, features drag-and-drop support, and includes more than 650 templates.

Digidesign unveils Velvet for Pro Tools...

Digidesign today showcased numerous products at the Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention in San Francisco, and unveiled its new "Velvet" vintage electric pianos instrument plug-in for Pro Tools. Following demonstrations of the company's Mbox 2 Pro, Pro Tools HD 7.2, and VENUE D-Show Profile, Digidesign today launched its new RTAS instrument plug-in that delivers realistic emulations of electric pianos -- from classic to modern -- to a Pro Tools system. "Velvet accurately emulates the nuances of the original instruments, both in sound quality and playing feel, and is based on four legendary electric pianos—the Fender Rhodes Suitcase, Fender Rhodes MK I and MK II Stage Pianos, and Wurlitzer A200," said Peter Gorges, director of Digidesign's A.I.R. group. "Dialing up the perfect piano sound is easy—just select one of over 100 presets—or tweak the sound to your heart's content with unrivaled sound control." Velvet is due to ship in the near future for $250.

Google in talks to purchase YouTube?...

Google is in talks with video host YouTube to purchase the popular service, according to an anonymous Wall Street Journal source, which would give the search giant an effective monopoly over Web-based video. YouTube is reportedly valued at $1.6 billion, serving over 100 million videos per day. YouTube has been considered a problematic prospective takeover because its popularity stems from both legitimate amateur and official videos, as well as illegal clips from movies and TV shows that are often uploaded without its knowledge or consent. A move by Google to purchase YouTube could have serious consequences for Apple, as the absorption of YouTube into Google would give Google CEO Eric Schmidt -- who sits on Apple's board of directors -- a strong influence over Apple's recent movie initiative, and could result in the merging of Web-based video with Apple's largely closed system, according to Electronista.

Briefly: Apple mobile manager, IRIS

In brief: Apple is recruiting a Mobile Marketing Manager for iTunes via its website, specifying a full time position in Cupertino, CA to oversee worldwide mobile marketing programs for iTunes content and feature campaigns.... I.R.I.S. Group -- a manufacturer of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) products -- today lowered pricing on its IRISCan and IRISCard Mini.... DigitalLife.com today announced that DigitalLife 2006 -- a consumer technology, gaming, and entertainment event -- will take place from October 12-15th, 2006 at the Javits Center in New York.... The Iconfactory today released Harmony Multimedia ($180), a set of 52 add-ons that extends the original icon collection into the audio and visual realm.... Braun -- a company known for its kitchen and shaving products -- is entering the digital camera market with two entry-level 6.2-megapixel cameras.... Spiderweb Software is holding its Force of Habit sale for the entire month of October, offering 10 percent off every game, hint book, and bundle.

Virtual Programming debuts two games...

Virtual Programming today announced the development of Championship Manager -- a game designed to bring players as close as possible to the highs and lows of real football management -- as well as Kult: Heretic Kingdoms -- an isometric computer role-playing game combining 3D technologies with an intuitive environment. Championship Manager features updated player and competition data, and is the only Mac game to contain signings from the January transfer window, according to Virtual Programming. The football management game also offers players the choice of camera angles and 3D TV aspects, as well as a simulated world where all non-selected leagues still play out through the game engine, enabling players to keep track of potential new signings and top points scorers from around the globe (pricing, availability, and system requirements were unavailable). Kult: Heretic Kingdoms is priced at $30, while Championship Manager will ship for $40 (system requirements were unavailable).

RE:Map 1.1 adds Inverse UV plug-in

RE:Vision Effects today released RE:Map 1.1, an update to its kit of mapping and distortion tools introduced earlier this year. The latest revision offers floating point image support within Adobe After Effects 7.0, and adds an additional plug-in -- RE:Map Inverse UV -- that takes a UV Map and a color image that matches the UV Map to inversely project the color image to a rectangular image. Re:Map offers four other plug-ins which include UV -- which renders an image using a UV mapping; Distort -- which automatically distorts a color image based on the features for a caricature-like effect; Displace -- which wraps an image with a user-supplied displacement map; and Planar -- which maps or inverse maps a perspective plane defined by four points. RE:Map is available for Autodesk Combustion, Eyeon Software's Fusion, Adobe After Effects as well as Premiere, Apple's Final Cut Pro, Motion, GenerationQ, and other applications that support After Effects-compatible plug-ins. The upgrade is free for RE:Map 1.0 owners, and is available to new users for $150. Render-only licenses are also available for $30.

Intel accused of "open-source fraud"

Key OpenBSD developers have accused Intel of being an "open-source fraud" due to firmware "blobs" in open-source projects which are not distributed freely and without restriction. "By withholding, Intel is being an open-source fraud," said leading OpenBSD project creator Theo de Raadt, who went on to suggest that Intel should follow the example of other companies in the market, according to Slashdot and KernelTrap. "Intel must do this firmware grant in the same way that Adaptec, Atmel, Broadcom, Cirrus Logic, Cyclades, QLogic, Ralink, and LSI and lots of other companies have granted distribution firmware to be used by others." Apple receives its CPUs exclusively from Intel, but the Cupertino-based company also maintains its proprietary AppleACPIPlatform driver -- which is necessary to boot the current Darwin OS -- and was said to be stonewalling open-source developers by the administrator of the GNU-Darwin Distribution back in early August.

Akimbo takes on Apple's iTV

Akimbo today unveiled a new RCA Akimbo Player with 100 hours of standard-definition video storage, offering consumers the ability to view movies purchased online on their TV months ahead of Apple's planned iTV debut. The iTV, which Apple debuted at its Special Event in San Francisco on September 12th, aims to serve a similar purpose by receiving wireless content from a home computer, displaying that online content on the TV. The new Akimbo Player allows users to purchase content from online store MovieLink, charging subscribers $10 per month to buy classics as well as new releases and view them directly on a TV through the company's new RCA-made equipment, according to Electronista. The improved hardware also features component video out as well as an optional WiFi adapter, and existing subscribers can upgrade for a $30 shipping fee when the device launches the week of October 23rd. New subscribers can purchase the Akimbo player for $180. Apple's iTV is expected to launch in early 2007.

Road Trip Effect comes to Intel Macs

Sol Robots today released Road Trip Effect 2.5, a video effect generator that plots paths over maps and other images that lets users create video travel logs. The update runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, improving the quality of final generated QuickTime output. The application also offers additional airplane and automobile icons with customizable size and color. Road Trip Effect Standard features unlimited trip points alongside custom maps, icons, labels, and colors. The Pro version inherits all the functionality of the Standard edition, adding unlimited layers. Road Trip Effect Pro 2.5 is priced at $25, while the standard edition is available for $10. Road Trip Effect 2.5 requires Mac OS X 10.1 or later, and the upgrade is free for existing users.

NotePods prep students for exams

InterLingua Educational Publishing today launched NotePods, its collection of audio downloads for iPods and other MP3 players designed to help students with exams as well as term papers. NotePods are audio summaries of books and plays by Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, and other required authors that are playable on student iPods, MP3 players, or computers. The NotePods, which are written by University instructors and recorded by professional actors, will eventually span nearly 500 titles commonly assigned in high schools as well as colleges. Students can download text versions of the summaries, which are readable on iPods as well as computers. The NotePods.com website also plans to add a "Test Questions Blog" with typical exam questions on various book titles. NotePods -- which currently include titles such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Animal Farm, and Catcher in the Rye -- are available for $1.99 each.

NI debuts Guitar Rig Software Edition

Native Instruments (NI) today unveiled Guitar Rig 2 Software Edition, a software-only version o fits digital guitar studio. Geared toward producers looking for a professional, affordable guitar and bass recording solution, the Software Edition offers the full functionality of the software without any limitations, with only the Rig Kontrol pedal remaining exclusive to the standard GUITAR RIG 2 package. Guitar Rig 2 Software Edition is based on the upcoming 2.2 version of the Guitar Rig software, which will include three additional components as well as support for Intel-based Macs. Guitar Rig 2.2 will be available later this month, and the Guitar Rig 2 Software Edition is slated for shipment in November for $340.