Apple design guru wins National Design Award...

Apple's design guru Jonathan Ive this week won the 2007 National Design Award for product design. Cooper-Hewitt director Paul Warwick Thompson on Tuesday announced the winners and finalists of the 2007 National Design Awards, giving the Product Design Award to "the individual or firm for exceptional and exemplary work in the design of consumer goods, technology, or home and office furnishings." Ive, the release said brought design "into the public consciousness in an unprecedented way." He was selected for his innovative design work over the past 11 years on Apple products, including the iPod, iPod nano, candy-colored iMacs, the iBook, and other products. The nominations were solicited from a committee of more than 800 leading designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures and corporate leaders from every state in the nation.

Apps: Torq, Runtime Revolution, TrendyMac

• Torq 1.0.4 (free) updates the driver software for M-Audio's audio equipmet. The latest release adds support for the Xponent controller/interface, and features a redesigned MIDI architecture for improved response. Torq 1.0.4 also includes a new "reset speed slider on new track" preference for keeping the position of the speed slider the same when loading a new song. [Download - form]


• NoteList 2.1 ($15) allows users to store searchable notes in a free format with fully formatted RTF text and images. The latest release features color label categories, and stores window as well as column sizes. NoteList 2.1 also includes an internet-based software update feature alongside one bug fix. [Download - 332KB]


• Runtime Revolution 2.8.1 (Studio $400, Enterprise $1,000) brings more than 240 improvements to the cross-platform rapid application and media project development tool. New major improvements include a Web browser object, embedded fonts, SQLite integration, and array improvements. The latest revision also features private handlers alongside Windows Vista support.


• TrendyMac 1.2.6 ($110) is a client-side Mac OS X Web log file analyzer. New changes include an enhanced user's manual with more details, as well as additional 'Special' reports. The software now includes an FTP feature that downloads log files, and the update fixes several small bugs. [Download - 6.8MB]


• Anzan 1.0 ($20 for 2-computer license) enables users to easily transfer files between multiple Macs on a local area network. The application enables users to drop a file onto the recipient's name, and supports sending files to multiple people along with an optional short message. Anzan is configurable to automatically accepts file transfers from specific individuals, and provides a history of transfers that users can reveal in the Finder. [Download - 1MB]


• TranslateIt! for Mac 7.3 ($25/year) is a multilingual dictionary that allows users to look up words quickly and easily. Users hover the mouse pointer over an unfamiliar word in any Cocoa application to see its translation appear in a pop-up window. The software translates to and from any language, providing corresponding dictionaries are installed, and provides English sounds for more than 17,000 English words. [Download - unknown]

TrekStor ships new high-capacity media server...

Trekstor has started selling the MovieStation maxi t.u., a new media server with an extremely high capacity. Whereas the Apple TV can only hold 40GB by default, the t.u. starts at 250GB, and can be bought in even bigger versions reaching up to 500GB. The server is also graced with better video codec support, allowing AVI, DivX and XviD, as well as MPEG-1/2/4. Audio codecs include MP3, OGG, WAV and WMA, but not AAC.

CS Odessa releases ConceptDraw Project 3.3

CS Odessa has released ConceptDraw Project 3.3, an update to the project management software that offers enhanced printing capabilities and focuses on preparation of proper project documentation as well as enhanced usability. ConceptDraw Project is designed to aid users in tracking any number of projects at once, especially when difference focuses need to share common resources. The update features new redesigned project reports, as well as the ability to set fonts to the entire view. Minor usability improvements include tooltips on Tasks, modified group popup menus, and the ability to quickly add resources via an Assign Resources dialog. The software is priced at $200 for a single-user license, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Upgrades are avialable for owners of earlier versions for $100.

iPhone earns FCC approval...

Despite its imminent release in June, the iPhone has only just received the seal of approval, according to a document published by the FCC. The Apple device was tested as of March for the safety of its wireless elements, such as its GSM and Wi-Fi transmitters. Most notable may not be what is in the report, but rather what has been left out, the details show. Apple in its submission sent the FCC a special confidentiality letter requesting that no photos of the product or manual be made public for 45 days after approval, breaking with practices often seen with other manufacturers.

AC3D 6.2 adds 3Dconnexion support

Inivis Limited today released AC3D 6.2, the latest revision of its affordable and intuitive 3D design software. AC3D is specifically designed for 3D visualization, gaming, and simulation models. The latest release adds support for 3Dconnexion's range of 3D navigation hardware, as well as the ability to export 3D models into Google Earth. Features include subdivision-surfaces, a UV unwrapper/mapper, 2D as well as 3D text, Boolean operations, multiple views, polygon reduction, and more. The application is priced at $75, with upgrades starting at $35. AC3D 6.2 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Briefly: UK cuts shuffle cost; new iPod ad...

In brief: Apple UK cuts the price of the iPod shuffle, a new iPod ad has surfaced, OWC is offering upgrade memory for Apple's new MacBooks, and a beta testing period has begun for audio Bible software. Apple's branch for the United Kingdom has cut the price of the iPod shuffle from £55 ($110) to £50 ($100). The price drop mirrors reductions made to the company's fifth-generation video iPod last month, when the 30GB model dropped to £180 ($360) from £190, while the 80GB model sunk from £260 to £240 ($475). It is unknown whether the smaller iPod nano will soon follow with its own price reductions.

iPlanner supports Entourage, Google calendar

LutherSoft brought support for Entourage and Google Calendars to iPlanner, its calendar printing software. The application is designed to bridge the gap between iCal and paper systems, such as Franklin/Covey and DayRunner, allowing users to print calendars and task lists directly onto a day planner layout. iPlanner supports printing onto smaller pages and positions the data to fit onto pre-printed day planner pages, circumventing Entourage's lack os Mac support for pre-printed day planner pages. iPlanner offers more than 50 layouts, and allows users to print multiple schedules on the same planner page in columns. iPlanner is priced at $25, requiring Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

DLO ships HomeDock Music Remote

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today unveiled its HomeDock Music Remote, a remote control enabling users to connect an iPod to a home stereo and roam freely about the housewhile viewing and controlling music. The new remote includes a slim, compact OLED display to show which song is playing. Users simply dock an iPod and download song as well as playlist information to the remote, allowing users to view and navigate selected iPod playlists and artists from anywhere within 150 feet. Users can also create on-the-fly playlists containing up to 10 tracks via a special "Jukebox" feature, according to the company. DLO's HomeDock remote uses RF signals to work through walls and ceilings. The HomeDock Music Remote is priced at $130, and is available from Apple retail stores and DLO.com.

Apple patent leads to thin, strong notebooks...

Apple may have developed a solution to the increasingly confined spaces of thin and light notebooks, according to one of its new patents. Though titled only a "Computer Enclosure," the technique -- filed as a continuation patent in December and granted today -- hopes to overcome the structural limits of most of today's notebooks. Most are usually either thin and light but susceptible to bending, Apple said, or else are thick and depend heavily on screws or other fasteners to keep the body intact, cutting down on available space for hardware inside.

Amazon discounts new, old MacBooks starting at $919

Amazon has lowered pricing on its older MacBook models and is offering Apple's new MacBooks at discounted rates. The online retailer is selling White 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks with 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive for $1,200 after a $100 rebate; Black 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks with 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard drive for $1,400 after a $100 rebate; White 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks with 1GB of memory and an 80GB hard drive for $1,000 after a $100 rebate; Black 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks with 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive for $1,250; and White 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks with 512MB of memory and a 60GB hard drive for $920 after a $75 rebate. Amazon is also offering 1GB ($50) and 2GB ($100) memory upgrades for Apple's 2GHz MacBook model.

NitroAV's 2-port eSATA II 3Gb/s ExpressCard

NitroAV on Thursday announced its 2-Port NitroAV eSATA II 3Gb/s Professional ExpressCard (34mm) Interface Adapter for Apple's MacBook Pro and other compatible laptops. The 2-Port 34mm ExpressCard is based on Silicon Image’s (SiI) 3132 chipset with drivers available for the Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux and Novell Netware operating systems. The 34mm ExpressCard host adapter offers maximum performance with multiple commands for each port loaded into on-chip memory, eliminating the need for host CPU intervention and minimizing PCI bus usage. The company says that command execution engines dramatically reduce latency between commands, enabling drives to stay fully loaded with queued commands. The card features two SATA2 "Shielded & Durable" connectors (eSATA) with two independent Serial ATA channels, support for 48-bit LBA (for drives larger than 137GB), single-lane 2.5Gbps, and SATA II transfer rate of 3.0Gbps. The 2-Port NitroAV eSATA II 3Gb/s Professional Express Card (34mm) Interface Adapter is available now for $70.

Adobe abandons Freehand, pushes Illustrator...

Adobe has confirmed it will abandon Freehand, the popular illustration tool acquired as part of its merger with Macromedia. Although the company continues to sell Freehand MX -- last updated more than four years ago, it is now urging current Freehand users to migrate to Illustrator CS3, and says it has added features to that version of the application it hopes will make the migration "comfortable," according to a blog posting on the company's website: "Adobe does not plan to develop and deliver any new feature-based releases of FreeHand, or to deliver patches or updates for new operating systems or hardware. Adobe will, however, continue to sell FreeHand MX, and will offer technical and customer support according to our support policies," Adobe's John Nack wrote.

Coke+iTunes: 2 billion chances to win

Dubbed the largest music promotion in Europe's history, Coca-Cola has once again partnered with Apple's iTunes Store, this time to offer European Coke drinkers 2 billion chances to win free iTunes downloads as well as iPods and concert tickets. The promotion is scheduled to run between May and August, according to Crave, and Coca-Cola will pay for the cost of the downloads as part of the deal. The promo will give away iPods, as well as free tickets to numerous iTunes and Coke-sponsored concerts. Various well-known but yet unnamed stars are scheduled to perform at the musical events alongside new and lesser-known groups, according to the report. Dance collective Faithless has recorded a track specifically for the new partnership, and will perform live at the promotion launch at the Cannes Film Festival. The dance group also joined designers to create a limited edition Coke bottle that will ship only during the iTunes+Coke promo. Last summer the companies joined to promote European iTunes and the companies also launched a promo in the UK last Fall as well as a smaller free iTunes song campaign in Italy earlier this year. [corrected]