Briefly: new Camino browser; PCMag

In brief: MacNN blogger Dave Cryer notes that Camino 1.1 is on its way, and though the software is still in the Alpha stage, it boasts many new features such as Feed handoff capability and built-in spell-checking.... PC Magazine has rated Apple's iMac and Mac Pro computers no. 2 and no. 3 within its Top 10 Desktops.... Keynote Adventurer is giving away five Flash files that run for a specific amount of time, displaying a progress bar to signify breaks in a presentation.... Uneasysilence has released ToasterClone, a screensaver depicting the classic flying toasters recompiled and redistributed for personal use.... Microsoft today said that it will take its first steps into chip design, and that it will launch a new division within the company to research as well as produce its own processors for its hardware.

Apple updates refurbished iMacs, iBooks

Apple has updated its available refurbished iMacs, adding more discounted Intel-based models and removing iMac G5s entirely. These iMacs include the 17-inch 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ($899) with 512MB of memory, a 24x Combo drive, and a 160GB hard drive; the 17-inch 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo ($949) with 512MB of memory, a slot-loading 4x double-layer SuperDrive, and a 160GB hard drive; the 17-inch 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ($1,099) with 1GB of memory, a slot-loading 8x double-layer SuperDrive, and a 160GB hard drive; and the 20-inch 2GHz Intel Core Duo ($1,199) with 512MB of memory, a slot-loading 8x double-layer SuperDrive, and a 250GB hard drive. The company is also offering its 12-inch 1.33GHz G4 iBook ($799) with 512MB of memory and a 40GB hard drive; as well as its 14-inch 1.42GHz G4 iBook ($999) with 512MB of memory and a 60GB hard drive.

The Sims 2 Pets goes live

Aspyr Media today announced that The Sims 2 Pets is live on its Website, and that the fourth expansion pack for The Sims 2 is scheduled to ship for Mac in November just following the Windows release. The Sims 2 Pets allows users to create the perfect pet for their Sims to train, play with, and love as their own. Players can teach their pet new tricks, take them for a walk around the park, outfit them with new pet accessories, and even give them a job. As in real life, the Sims pet requires care and training. "A neglected cat with an urge to scratch might claw up your new couch if you aren't careful, and leaving your dog unattended near a freshly planted flower bed probably isn't wise!" The Sims 2 Pets for Mac requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later (pricing was unavailable).

Forums: Sleep-working MacBook Pros

Forums roundup: Members are discussing the ongoing anticipation of a MacBook Pro update, as Apple has yet to show any signs of furthering its Core 2 Duo offerings after the company updated its iMac.... Others MacBook Pro owners are investigating some somnambulistic behavior of their sleeping MacBook Pros after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.4.8.... Another user looks for help configuring a Mac to play DVDs from other regions, receiving several solutions from helpful members.... Another member shares experiences with a Mac Pro rejecting memory and crashing with certain third-party memory chips.... Meanwhile, users share information regarding uncapping their Intel-Integrated graphics included with MacBooks and Mac Minis.

Apps: ChronoSync, BackityMac, JournalX

• ChronoSync 3.3.3 ($30) brings native compatibility to Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, allowing owners of Apple's latest Mac systems to manage data by efficiently synchronizing files and folders from one disk location to another. Users can identify a group of files, specify a destination, and schedule the action to occur as often as necessary. ChronoSync uses Relative State Monitoring to detect file changes. [Download - 4.9MB]


• BackityMac 1.2 ($10) is a utility to perform specific backups of supported applications. iPhoto as well as iTunes Libraries, and iCal calendars. Version 1.2 corrects the progress bar problem, and includes numerous code-base tweaks. BackityMac 1.2 backs up and restores Apple Mail files, MS Entourage files, iCal calendars, Address Book databases, Web browser bookmarks, iPhoto as well as iTunes Libraries, iWeb website files, and the Home documents folder. [Download - 798KB]


• JournalX 2.2 (€20) archives and manages numerous types of documents. The latest revision can search select, copy, and manipulate PDF documents. Version 2.2 also adds a new database menu, and ensures entries are created as aliases when a specific key combination is pressed while importing a new subject via drag-and-drop. [Download - 1.3MB]


• Posterino 1.0b5 ($20, $25 upon final release) enhances the "Life Poster" composing application, adding support for image import from file system folders. Posterino enables users to create life posters, postcards, greeting cards, and contact sheets from digital pictures. The update also adds the first version of an online help system. [Download - 5.2MB]


• On-Target Reports OpenBase Edition 4.2.3 (free for OpenBase Solo users, $100 for other versions) generates reports from most popular databases, including FrontBase, MySQL, OpenBase, Oracle, postgreSQL, PrimeBase, REALDatabase, REALDatabase - 5.5, SQLite, SQLite Server, Sybase ASE, and Valentina. On-Target Reports 4.1 provides numerous bug fixes, and supports SQLite Server as a data source. [Download - 12.1MB]


• You Control: Tunes 1.4.1 (free) brings Universal Binary status to the utility offering users complete control over iTunes from the Mac OS X menu bar. The software supports functionality such as next track, previous track, volume adjustment, play/pause, and stop. Users can specify hotkeys to produce a desired effect, and the You Control: Tunes can display the current track information in multiple locations. [Download - 3MB]

PCIe-to-PCI/PCI-X chassis ship

Mobility Electronics today unveiled a new series of PCI Express to PCI Expansion chassis, allowing users to easily add PCI cards to PCI Express-based computers through any PCI Express slot. The chassis offer plug-and-play installation, allowing the bios to automatically configure the expansion system. The PCI backplane supports 5-volt-only, universal, and 3.3-volt PCI and PCI-X cards. The devices are designed to match the throughput of most cards currently available, and are available in 4U as well as 2U rack-mount enclosures. The expansion chassis ship from $1,400 (4-slot rack-mount) to $2,800 (13-slot rugged rack-mount) with support for Mac OS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows systems.

Kult - Heretic Kingdoms released...

Virtual Programming today released Kult - Heretic Kingdoms, a role-playing game combining 3D graphics with the intuitive environment of an isometric game. Set in the world of the Heretic Kingdoms where god is dead and religion is heresy, players are cast as a young female inquisitor working to stamp out the last remnants of religion. Charged to destroy a relic which the Inquisition considers a significant threat, players are drawn into a war between two secret societies. One -- a conspiracy of mages whose goal is true power -- and a shadowy cult that seeks to resurrect the dead god. Kult - Heretic Kingdoms is available as a digital download for $30, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Mesa comes to Intel-based Macs

The MacDev workshop has announced the latest release of Mesa spreadsheet software as a Universal Binary, offering native compatibility to PowerPC as well as Intel-based Macs. Mesa is built exclusively for Mac OS X, providing a traditional spreadsheet that combines an easy-to-use icon-based interface with standard features and compatibility with Microsoft Excel. The software features multiple worksheets with advanced functions and charting capability, allowing users to set up headers as well as footers with numerous options via a "ReportWriter" function. A Formula Builder helps set up formulas, and allows users to read about functions as they are used. Mesa is available for $35, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

kSpectra Toolkit 2.4 released

SpectraWorks today released kSpectra Toolkit 2.4, updating its set of tools for advanced spectral analysis of univariate or multivariate time series. The toolkit contains procedures for estimating the spectrum of a time series; decomposing the time series into trends, oscillatory components, and noise; reconstruction and prediction of the contributions of selected components of the time series; and a gap-filling procedure for treating missing observations or uneven sampling. Key features include multithreading for essential computations, the ability to adopt the latest Mac OS X technologies such as Automator or Spotlight, an integrated help system, and drag-and-drop installation. kSpectra Toolkit also offers built-in plotting with EPS as well as PDF output, intuitive object-based data management, and optimization for both PowerPC as well as Intel-based Macs.

Apple Stores to open in Denver, Chicago

Apple is planning to expand its presence to the Denver and Chicago regions with future retail stores in the suburbs of Littleton and Orland Park. The Park Meadows Mall has 160 shops and restaurants south of Denver, Colorado, and will become the fifth store in the area, according to ifoAppleStore. The Orland Park Mall in Illinois has 150 stores on two separate levels, boasting the largest and most-upscale mall on Chicago's south side. Apple has selected the Orlando Park Mall as the sixth store in that region, according to the report. Both stores are scheduled to open in the late summer of 2007. The Cupertino-based company also received approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority to build a state-of-the-art 21,350-square-foot three-story Apple Store (pictured at right) at 815 Boylston St, according to a separate report from the Boston Business Journal.

As iPod turns 5, stock is up 9-fold...

As Apple's iPod celebrates its fifth birthday Monday, CNN/Money talks about the milestone for the music player that not only reinvigorated the "other" computer maker but revolutionized the way people buy and listen to music. "When Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod on Oct. 23, 2001, he said: 'With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again.' After dominating music downloads, Apple is moving into movies now. Apple's stock has skyrocketed in the last 5 years, largely due to its dominance in the portable music player market. Indeed, the iPod and Apple's iTunes music store have transformed the music business, sparking a new way for users to legally download music - and spurring a stunning rise in Apple stock. Apple shares, which traded around $9 five years ago, have risen nearly nine-fold since then."

Photoshop Lightroom Beta 4.1 released...

Adobe has released Photoshop Lightroom Beta 4.1, an update to its software created for professional photographers as an efficient way to import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images. Photoshop Lightroom Beta 4.1 includes new general, Filmstrip, Import, Export, Library, Develop, Slideshow, and Web features. The latest revision also includes 10 bug fixes addressing issues with the original Beta 4 build. Photoshop Lightroom Beta 4.1 is available for download from Adobe.com, and will expire on February 28th, 2007. The software requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later.

Apps: Lilt, iUnit, Amazed, imeem

• Lilt 1.0pr6 ($5) utilizes the ambient light and sudden motion sensors of Apple's new notebook computers to launch applications, files, or scripts. Users can wave their hands over the light sensors located under the speaker grills to play the next iTunes track, or tilt the computer back to hear the time spoken aloud. The update adds an option to flip the left and right sensors for machines where those readings were incorrectly swapped, and adds more script action examples. [Download - 960KB]


• Application Wizard 2.0 ($18) allows users to open, quit, show, and hide single applications or groups of applications. The software also supports opening applications automatically on startup, forcing applications to open using Apple's Rosetta technology or Classic environment, and can quit background-only applications. Version 2.0 adds icons to open menu items, and revises the Menus pane. [Download - 2.6MB]


• iUnit 3.4.0 ($20) updates the measurement unit conversion program, adding native support for Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary. iUnit converts between 1580 different units of measurements in 51 categories, including distance, mass, volume, velocity, density, currency, and other types of measurements. The software is designed for students, engineers, and scientists containing 80 commonly used constants. [Download - 1.3MB]


• Amazed 1.3 ($5) is a new Universal Binary version of Amazed with a special Halloween theme. The update includes cobwebs, as well as "dark and scary" dungeons. Amazed 1.3 also features a variety of costumed characters ranging from the grim reaper to a caveman. Amazed is a maze game for Mac OS X featuring six different level themes and 96 different characters. [Download - 2.9MB]


• StoryGrinder 1.0RC1 (free) is a tool designed for Web writers who find themselves needing to refer to reference material while writing. StoryGrinder includes an editor with support for HTML, BBCode as well as custom tags, Perl based scripting, and story preview capability. The update uses administrator mode rather than root mode, removes time restrictions making the application freeware, and offers fixes to the Spotlight importer. [Download - 1.5MB]


• imeem for Mac 1.35 (free) is a new online service available as a desktop application designed to combine the best features of social networking, media sharing, and instant messaging. The software supports instant messenging services, and providing automatic notifications when new content is added to a network. The latest version improves stability and resource usage, fxing numerous bugs and allowing users to edit as well as delete "meems." [Download - 10.1MB]

Briefly: Apple patents; QuickerTek

In brief: The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office today published a patent application titled "Selective reencoding for GOP conformity," which doesn't officially list Apple as the assignee but does list well known Apple inventors such as Gregory Kent Wallace and Jian Lu.... The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office today also published Apple's patent application titled "Single pass constrained constant bit-rate encoding," which was originally filed in April of 2005.... Apple had more than eight team members to present six scientific solutions on Mac Pros connected to 30-inch monitors at Neuroscience 2006 in Atlanta, GA this week.... QuickerTek has updated its QuickerTek Connect software, offering fully automated setup and diagnosis for use with the company's wireless antenna that does not require opening the computer case for installation.... O'Reilly Press has begun shipping Digital Photography Expert Techniques, Second Edition ($45), a reference guide for new digital SLR owners looking for the technical knowledge necessary to get the most out of their new equipment and software.... MacForce is hosting a special event with Apple's Jim Kantor -- an Apple certified trainer for Aperture -- for photography enthusiasts who have mastered iPhoto and are wondering about Apple's Aperture software.

Cooliris launches PicLens plug-in

Cooliris today launched PicLens Beta 1 for Mac, a Web browser plug-in designed to transform the browser window into an immersive cinematic experience for viewing Web images. "Compared to the traditional, sluggish way of viewing of images of the web, the PicLens viewing experience is vivid and lightning fast. With just one click, PicLens instantly makes images, albums, and even thumbnails come to life through its full-screen browser window. Its slick user interface even lets you channel between images with your Apple remote control." The plug-in is currently enabled for Flickr, Facebook, and Photobucket, as well as image searches for Google, Yahoo!, and Ask.com. PicLens is available for free to Safari users as a beta release, and a Windows version is on the way, according to Cooliris.