ChromaKeys 1.0 offers simple image masking

Optunis today launched ChromaKeys 1.0, a program used to quickly remove or mask portions of an image. Chroma keys may be used for a variety of purposes including background removal for photographs, general purpose image masking, icon generation, cutting out portions of an image, and creating irregular shaped images: "Using ChromaKeys, instead of just selecting a single color to act as the chroma key, you can choose several colors (each with a tolerance). In fact, we can just select a region of the image, and obtain all the colors within that region to act as chroma keys," the company explained. "We can also mark areas of the image as opaque, to ensure that the main image will remain intact in those areas. Conversely, we may also mark other areas as transparent." A single-user license for ChromaKeys is available for $50. ChromaKeys is available as a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS X v10.4.

Apps: Snippet Monkey, Mellel, Magic Dice

• Snippet Monkey 1.3 ($15) enables users to create shortcuts for frequently-typed phrases. Phrases are called snippets, and the application supports creating new snippets from the clipboard or via a snippet editor. The update improves speed, and fixes several issues related to Adobe Flash 8 editor as well as TextMate. [Download - 1.4MB]


• Mellel 2.2 ($50) is a $20 upgrade to the word processor for Mac OS X, adding styled auto-title titles as well as scan in document bibliography integration. The latest release includes sync support in bibliography, a specific bibliography section, markers, and various font effects such as fill and stroke as well as underline and strikethrough control. [Download - 12.5MB]


• Magic Dice 1.5.0 ($10) brings native Intel-based Mac support to the dice-based game. Magic Dice consists of thirteen rounds, at the end of which the player with the highest score is the winner. The update is built on the new Yenco.com Framework 2.0.0, which contains more than 50 enhancements. The update also includes more than 30 modifications such as a more refined interface and new player icons. [Download - 3.4MB]


• Audiocorder 5.1.0 ($20) updates the application that allows a Mac to act as a sophisticated audio recorder. The latest release adds new features for recording telephone audio from a modem, including the ability to send dialing and other touch tone instructions via AppleScript. Audiocorder 5.1.0 also includes several bug fixes. [Download - 430KB]


• Flash Cards 1 (free) is designed to help users practice retaining knowledge on any subject using text phrases and picture-based flash cards. Text phrases are drawn from a table in the phrase maintenance window, while pictures are chosen from a folder created by the application. A setup window enables users to set the time a text phrase or picture is displayed on-screen, as well as the period between displays and the text color/style. [Download - 3.3MB]


• CutX Content Filter 3.1 ($50) is an extended site blocking plug-in for Apple's Safari Web browser. The plug-in optionally blocks pornography, offensive content, hate sites, questionable chat rooms, and other specified content. The update improves performance as well as reliability, and features an updated user interface alongside a new option to always enable CutX for no administrator accounts. [Download - 3.3MB]

Apple adds Apple TV QuickTime option

Apple quietly added a new option in the most recent version of its QuickTime Pro software that supports conversion for the company's forthcoming Apple TV. QuickTime Pro owners this weekend discovered that a new "Export to Apple TV" option offers an easy way to convert videos into resolutions supporting the set top box due to ship in "mid march," according to AppleInsider. Choosing the new option offers a choice to reformat videos to a DVD-like 720x404 widescreen image, as well as high-definition 1280x720 video that plays at 24 frames per second. The latter format matches the maximum size of H.264 movies supported by the Apple TV, taking up approximately 2GB of space per hour of video. Apple has yet to provide any indication of whether it will offer videos through its iTunes Store at resolutions above the current 640x480 supported by its fifth-generation video iPod, according to the report.

Adobe releases Apollo Alpha

Ahead of its much anticipated CS3 launch (to be webcast) later this month, Adobe has released an alpha version of Apollo, its cross-operating system runtime that allows developers to leverage existing Web development skills to build rich internet applications. Apollo is designed to enable developers to create applications that combine the benefits of Web applications, network as well as user connectivity, rich media content, ease of development, and broad reach. The software includes drag-and-drop support, rich clipboard access, and desktop as well as system shortcuts. Apollo applications run as regular applications, and don't have to run within another application or shell as Web applications run within a browser. The alpha version of Apollo runtime offers developers the opportunity to begin building applications for Apollo. Additionally, lynda.com has launched free video training for Apollo Alpha on Adobe Labs.

Sony chief discusses Apple, iPhone...

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer said he wouldn't bet against Apple's chief, and and talked about how Sony missed out on the portable music boom. Stringer, who joined Sony in 1997 and became the company's chairman and CEO the following year, said Sony had its own portable music player before Apple debuted its first iPod. "In 1997 we were working with IBM on electronic music distribution and could have put this out five years earlier [than iPod]," Stringer said. "But we couldn't get our people to understand software. And we are a music company. They saw digital media, panicked and didn't like it." Sony later unveiled a closed music system that failed to perform the way the company had hoped.

Philips LCD TV feeds iPod tunes, videos into kitchens

Continuing its announcements, Philips has unveiled the DCD778. The entertainment system fastens underneath a kitchen cupboard to provide media in live or pre-recorded form: while an ATSC/NTSC hybrid tuner covers TV and an AM/FM tuner handles radio, a side-mounted iPod dock relays the audio and video of Apple's music player straight to the swiveling 8.5-inch LCD and fixed stereo speakers. A DVD drive further handles movies (including VCD/SVCD discs) and MP3 CDs.

Compatible with every fourth- or fifth-generation iPod as well as the smaller iPod mini and nano, the DCD 778 should be available as of next week at an official price of $400. [via iLounge]

Spoofs use Apple for political messages...

A recent spoof of Apple's famous 1984 advertisement that introduced the company's computers to the masses carries a powerful political message against U.S. senator Hilary Clinton, while another spoof of an Apple event pokes fun at current U.S. political decisions overseas. The mashup of Apple's 1984 ad promotes senator Barack Obama, and signals a new era with a fresh wave of politics, according to SFGate.com. Additionally, a comedy skit recently aired on a popular TV show featuring a mock Apple special event where an actor posing as Steve Jobs reveals an 'iRack.' The product appears flimsy, and members of the audience begin questioning its stability as well as the intelligence behind 'filling up the iRack' with more 'things.' The actor posing as Jobs also throws money at the iRack, much to the dismay of the people acting as Apple's shareholders.

Briefly: Rome Apple store, CS3 webcast...

In brief: MacNN has reviewed Trampoline from Old Jewel Software, the first continental Europe Apple Store is set to open on March 31st, Adobe announced that it will webcast its Creative Suite 3 launch event, and iCompositions is giving away 101 royalty-free Apple Loops. Old Jewel Software's Trampoline 2.0.2 ($20) replaces the dock functions in Mac OS X, enabling users to hold the option key and press the space bar to bring up a transparent radial menu centered under the mouse cursor. The software can activate with the press of a mouse button or custom hotkeys, and initially loads all of the same icons that are in the Mac OS X dock. Customizable features include the number of icons that appear in the menu, as well as the order in which items appear.

Tangle: new network-enabled puzzle game

M.C. Hot Software has released Tangle, a new addictive puzzle-based game of intersecting lines: the unique puzzle game dares the player to untangle a mess of balls and lines, offering a simple but increasingly difficult set of challenges for users' spatial thinking. "The objective of the game is to untangle the mess of lines presented before you. Grey lines are lines that are currently overlapping. To untangle them select a circle and drag it around. When all the lines are untangled you win!" The software supports an internet-based scoreboard to compete against your best times or against others around the globe. It also features fast-paced action using Network Multiplayer. Tangle is a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS 10.4 or newer. It is priced at $20 (free demo available online).

Apps: TuneTagger; FoxTrot; Power Manager

• TuneTagger 1.0 ($17) automatically hunts for complete song information as tracks play in iTunes, such as official CDDB listings, as well as lyrics and high-resolution (500x500) album art where available. Once information is located, a panel pops up to approve changes. The program can also scroll lyrics in real-time, and pop up a ratings panel for currently unrated tracks. TuneTagger windows fade away when not in use. [Download - 682KB]


• FoxTrot Personal Search 1.5 ($36) uses the same search engine as CTM's PowerMail to locate local files on a hard drive, generating faster results by using ranking and user-selectable categories. The v1.5 update allows tuning of the ranking system, and the inclusion or exclusion of literal strings and words. Users can also perform proximity searches. FoxTrot is a Universal Binary for Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later. [Download - 5.2MB]


• Power Manager 3.6 ($27) controls power consumption on a Mac, setting schedules for functions such as startup, shutdown, and going to sleep. Functions such as automatic logout can speed along classes and business timetables. Version 3.6 supports the import and export of complete schedules, and the copying and pasting of events. AppleScript and Automator now better integrate Power Manager into automated workflows. [Download - 2.7MB]


• iSpeak It 3.1 ($20) takes documents, web pages and RSS feeds and converts them into AAC or MP3 files, using Mac OS X's built-in text-to-speech conversion. The resulting output can then be synched with an iPod for regular delivery of content such as weather and news. The v3.6 upgrade improves PDF processing, enables the creation of audiobooks, and changes Directions support to directly tap into Google Maps. iSpeak It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [Download - 476KB]


• Sente 4.2 ($130) simplifies browsing academic research papers by connecting to online archives and presenting them in an iTunes-like interface. Even when offline, Sente keeps local copies of papers and search results for ready viewing. Version 4.2 adds the Thomson Web of Knowledge/Web of Science databases, and can search OAIster using the SRU data source plug-in. While it requires Mac OS X 10.4, users with older operating systems can still download Sente 2.3. [Download - 18.8MB]


• Bookends 9.2 ($100) is a Mac-only full-featured bibliography/reference and information management application for students and professionals. The software offers functions for locating, obtaining, managing, and using references to create bibliographies and footnotes. Version 3.2 brings enhanced interactivity and collaborative features with Mellel word processor, improved organization of groups and group folders, automatic import of reference information from PubMed when attaching a pdf, a revamped Internet Search interface, and more. [Download - 32MB]

SpamSieve 2.6 supports Thunderbird, more...

Michael Tsai today released SpamSieve 2.6, an update to the popular Bayesian spam filtering for Mac e-mail clients. The software "learns" what spam looks like, so it can block nearly all of it, according to the company. Using your Address Boo, it also learns what good messages look like, so it won't confuse them with spam. The developer says that while other spam filters get worse over time as spammers adapt to their rules, SpamSieve actually gets better. The software doesn't delete any messages--it only marks them in your e-mail client--so you'll never lose any mail. SpamSieve works with any number of mail accounts, of whatever types are supported by your e-mail software (e.g. POP, IMAP, Hotmail, AOL) and supports Apple Mail, Emailer, Entourage, Eudora, GyazMail, Mailsmith, Outlook Express 5, PowerMaiil, and now Mozilla Thunderbird.

Briefly: Ubercaster; GarageBand podcasts...

In brief: Ubercaster gets a final release date, tutorials introduce podcasting with GarageBand, a website converts work documents, and MacSpeech announces a TopXNotes bundle. While the Ubercaster beta is still active, ERS has already decided on an April 4th date for the retail program. In the time remaining before the end of the beta, users will be able to pre-order a license key for $10 off the $80 regular price. Ubercaster is designed to streamline the podcasting process, including tools for preparing, recording, editing and distributing a show. The program requires Mac OS X 10.4.4 and will run on both Intel and PowerPC platforms.

Creative Manager supports iCal, Outlook

Creative Manager Inc. has released version 8.4.05 of its flagship product, Creative Manager Pro. Two weeks ahead of schedule, the update brings integration with Apple's iCal scheduling software and Microsoft's Outloook, allowing users to send calendar meeting requests. It also adds preliminary support Mac OS X Leopard, Apple's forthcoming OS upgrade. Creative Manager Pro offers modules for project management, CRM, Digital Asset Management, billing and accounting, and extranet capabilities as well as offers support for document management, calendaring sharing, accounting and more; the internet-based software service works with both PC and Macs from any location over any connection or also can be installed locally on the client's own servers. The ad agency software and project management software is designed to help with developing new business, staffing, management, project implementation, accounting and financial reporting. Pricing starts at $370 per month for ten users.

Apple, MS work to fix iTunes/Vista issues...

Apple says its latest iTunes 7.1.1 update, released last Friday, resolves a few more compatibility issues with Microsoft's recently released Windows Vista operating system. The company, which updated its iTunes support document for Vista users, says that iTunes 7.1.1 is "recommended for use with most editions of Windows Vista, however, Apple is actively working with Microsoft to resolve a few remaining known issues." The document notes that that ejecting iPod from Windows Explorer or by using the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature in Windows Vista may corrupt an iPod and that Microsoft is working on a software update for Windows Vista which addresses this compatibility issue.

MicroNet launches 4TB NAS server for SMBs...

MicroNet on Monday unveiled its Platinum NAS 4.0, offering a new 4TB (terabyte) capacity for SMB (small-to-medium business) network attached storage: "The Platinum NAS 4.0 delivers an optimal blend of capacity, performance, and high-availability in a simple-to-deploy and easy-to- manage solution that provides up to 4 TB of shared network storage capacity, giving customers one-third more capacity while consuming one-third less energy than competitive products," the company said. The solution offers true hot-swappable disk drives for zero down time operation and supports RAID levels 0, 1 and 5, including one-to-many RAID 1 mirroring. In addition an integrated backplane boosts signal integrity and eliminates the need to daisy-chain disk drive cables. MicroNet said Platinum SAS 4.0 also features support for uninterrupted online RAID initialization and simultaneous online RAID expansion and RAID level or size migration.

iPhone components set for April delivery

Components for Apple's iPhone are in production now and are expected to be delivered to Apple in April. The iPhone will reportedly use PCB (printed circuit boards) from Nanya Printed Circuit Board Corp, a Taiwan-based supplier. EMSnow reports that Nanya PCB is expected to land at least 30 percent of Apple iPhone's global orders and help boost the company's revenues: "Based on an estimated shipment of 10 million iPhones, Nanya PCB is very likely to score 30% of orders released by Apple iPhone, contributing NT$300 to 400 million to the company's sales revenue for this year and boosting the its profit margins in the second quarter and the third," the report claims. Confirming a production ramp of ahead of its anticipated June launch, reports indicate that Apple has also asked other component manufacturers to begin delivery of components to its Taiwanese manufacturing facilities by "early April."