Apple admits battery issues, offers fix...

Apple in an official statement today admitted that some batteries used in its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks may have performance issues. The Cupertino-based company was quick to point out that these issues do not present any kind of safety risk, and immediately provided a software update to improve battery performance for all MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks purchased between February 2006 and April 2007. Apple recommends all customers who purchased MacBooks, MacBook Pros, or extra batteries between those dates run the update, and has promised to replace any battery sold between the above dates that still displays specific symptoms after the software update is properly installed.

Briefly: CS3 coverage; Sim City 4 Rush Hour...

In brief: Adobe CS3 is much more than a major update to Photoshop, according to PC Magazine, which goes over the new creative suite in detail. Aspyr Media today released a free open Beta patch for SimCity 4 Rush Hour that enables Intel-based Mac users to try out the game, another free iPhone contest has already begun, iCare has released Permissions Fixer to ease file sharing in Mac OS X, and Linotype has received recognition for two of its fonts. Adobe CS3 is much more than an outstanding update to Photoshop, according to PC Magazine. "In fact, in the end there will be six bundles of the popular software suite to choose from," the publication writes in its coverage of the new tools. Reviews, previews, and a slideshow of the creative suite software help users discover what comes in each package and which bundle is right for particular needs.

Apps: Invoices, pzizz, Project X

• Invoices 1.1 ($25) creates, manages and prints business invoices. The software enables users to collapse an unlimited number of invoices into a single document, archiving transactions spanning a year or more. The latest release introduces a variety of options, such as putting paid/unpaid checkmarks in the the invoices table and labelling an invoice as a Duplicate. The update runs faster, and introduces several minor bug fixes. [Download - 1.5MB]


• pzizz 2.2 ($30) aims to help users "powernap" during the day and reduce bouts of insomnia at night. The update splits modules into .pzizzaudio and .pzizzplugin files, and allows delays before as well as after a track plays. Users can also configure system to enter Sleep mode after pzizz's Sleep Module is finished. The Energizer and Sleep Modules are $30 separately, or $50 together. Pzizz 2.2 requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later. [Download - [unknown]]


• Project X 1.1 ($200) is a project management application aimed at small- to medium-sized businesses. Users can view projects visually or through more traditional structures, and collaborate with others through a Web-based tool. Project X 1.1 adds a variety of unspecified features and enhancements, as well as support for media files in the Network view. The update also fixes some bugs, requiring Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later. [Download - 81MB]


• MBS REALbasic Plug-In 7.2 ($60) extends the REALbasic integrated development environment with more than 600 classes and over 12,000 additional functions. Version 7.2 adds more classes and functions, such as MacAddressStringMBS and HIViewMBS. RegExMBS is updated to use PCRE 7.0, and the Webkit classes are rewritten to work better with HTMLViewer. The plug-in requires 120MB of hard drive space and REALbasic 5.5 or later; different features are available depending on the version of Mac OS used. [Download - 52MB]


• Virtual TimeClock 5.5 ($200) is a punchclock program with the ability to print by worker, department, or task. The application features multiple levels of password protection to prevent tampering, and the update simplifies timecard editing while expanding worker information tracking. The latest release also includes fixes and various enhancements which should improve stability, according to the developer. [Download - 5.4MB]


• Graph Paper Maker 1.5.0 ($20) creates custom sheets of graph paper using different scales, colors, paper sizes, and more. Output files are saved as PDFs to preserve data and layout. Graph Paper Maker 1.5.0 adds an isometric graph paper option, as well as trigonometric scaling for axes. The Mac OS X edition requires 10.2 or later, but an update also exists for Mac OS 8.6. [Download - 1.4MB]

Fastmac ships Blu-Ray burner for Mac Pro

Fastmac today began shipping its new Blu-Ray burner drive for Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 systems for under $500 (slim model shown at right), adding the drive is the first as well as the only device of its kind designed for pro Mac desktops in its price range. The new 5.25-inch tray-loading drive is tested and certified compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 video production software, and enables users to store up to 50GB of data on a single disc. The drive also supports burning CD and DVD media for backward compatibility with older technology. Fastmac's new Blu-Ray drive is available for $500 for a limited time, and carries a 1-year warrant alongside a 30-day guarantee.

iTunes to have DRM-free indie songs?...

The iTunes Store may soon have multiple labels whose music goes without copy protection, according to an e-mail notice. A message reportedly sent to partners encourages interested music labels to speak with Apple about changing their offerings to a format without digital rights management, reflecting the changes prompted by the EMI deal early this month.

"Many of you have reached out to iTunes to find out how you can make your songs available higher quality and DRM-free," the note said. "Starting next month, iTunes will begin offering higher-quality, DRM-free music and DRM-free music videos to all customers."

Apple investors urge company to go green...

An investment group is planning to use Apple's forthcoming shareholder's meeting to make a move toward greener products, according to one report from AppleInsider. Trillium Asset Management is calling on Apple shareholders to support a motion that would require the company to produce a solid schedule for doing away with toxic materials in its hardware products. "Consumers have grown to expect more from Apple, a leader in product design and innovation," said Trillium vice president Shelley Alpern. "Are we falling behind in the arena of greening our products?" The shareholder coalition answered a definite 'yes' to the question of whether Apple is moving slowly to a greener future, as well as producing an example for rival companies. The firm also expressed its desire to see Apple meet or beat arch-rival Dell's current environmental friendliness, which has promised to do away with BFRs and PVC plastic from its computers by 2009.

MS sales soar on Vista, trail on Zune...

Microsoft is dealing with mixed blessings in its lineup, the company's latest quarterly financial results have shown. The three-month period ending in March was largely positive for the software developer, which saw its revenue jump 32 percent to $14.4 billion despite the typical seasonal slump. The change was in part expected due to the near-simultaneous launches of Windows Vista and Office 2007, which triggered a flurry of software and PC upgrades in January. However, the company added that even these new releases fared better than predicted -- suggesting that hints of poor sales were ill-founded.

iTunes movies coming to Europe in '07

Apple has confirmed plans to bring full-length feature films to its iTunes Store in Europe during an interview with a French newspaper this week. Apple vice president Pascal Cagni, who oversees the company's European endeavors, confirmed that the company will launch its iPhone in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2007 alongside plans to open a new Apple retail store in Paris, France in the future, according to Macworld UK. The executive also said Apple plans to have roughly 70 sales outlets inside larger retail stores open across Europe by the end of this year.

Briefly: iPhone ad contest; Speck sale...

In brief: Insanely Great Tees is hosting its first big contest to give away an iPhone for the best 30-second video ad for Apple's forthcoming iPhone, Speck Products is offering a 20 percent discount on orders of two or more MacBook SeeThru cases for Apple's 13-inch MacBook or 15-inch MacBook Pro, Peachpit is releasing several new books related to Apple's Final Cut Studio 2 software, and Telestream has launched a trade-in program for its Episode Series desktop media encoding applications for Mac users. Insanely Great Tees is offering a free iPhone to the person who creates the best 30-second video ad for the device. Ads must include the text "I'm an iPhone," and the last day to submit an ad is May 7th. All contest finalists will receive tee-shirts, and all contestants will receive a coupon good for at least $5 off the purchase of any shirt from the company.

MacLockPick utility extracts passwords...

SubRosaSoft.com today released MacLockPick, a new live forensics tool for extracting passwords, internet history, and system settings from Mac OS X systems. The utility is designed for law enforcement professionals to perform live forensics and is based on a USB Flash drive that users insert into a suspects Mac OS X system -- running or sleeping -- to extract data from the Apple Keychain as well as system settings, providing examiners with fast access to critical information with as little interaction or trace as possible. MacLockPick is priced at $500 for licensed investigators, or $450 for State and local law enforcement professionals. Licenses for Federal law enforcement officers as well as purchases of five or more copies are available for $400 each.

"It's About Time" Switch to Mac guide ships

"It's About Time" has released "It's About Time" to learn the Switch to Mac, which the company says is the first and only tool that interactively guides users through a typical day in Windows and then teaches the equivalent on a Mac system. The learning tool then allows Windows users to try each Mac equivalent, and offers notifications as to whether users completed the tasks correctly. The interactive guide teaches users how to configure and check email; schedule events with alarms in iCal; add contacts to Address Book; and change the desktop background. The learning tool also covers organizing files in the home directory, locating applications as well as using the Dock to open favorites, browsing the Web in Safari, using Dashboard as well as widgets, and making use of Expose alongside Spotlight search functionality. "It's About Time" to learn the Switch to Mac is available for $30.

Sony intros 8MP, 6X zoom compact cam...

Sony on Friday launched a surprise upgrade to its Cyber-shot S-series in the form of the S800. Despite its role as a point-and-shoot compact, the new camera's lens is capable of a genuine 6X optical zoom. This is the strongest ever for any compact Cyber-shot, Sony says. The lens is suitable for long-range shots as well as macro photography as close as 0.8 inches from the glass. Image resoluton is also a priority with an 8.1-megapixel sensor and a special ISO 1250 mode that can be forced for low-light shooting.

iPods, iPhones breaking flash supply?...

Apple is pushing one of its instrumental flash memory suppliers to the breaking point, according to contacts within the memory industry. Those said to be close to talks between the iPod maker and electronics giant Samsung claim that Apple has ordered an exceptionally large number of NAND flash memory chips from the South Korean firm that the sources claim should cover all iPod and iPhone models for the second half of the year.