eAuthorize 4, About Events 4.5...

WorqSmart has announced major upgrades to two of its most popular plug-ins: eAuthorize and Events. eAuthorize 4 is WorqSmart's Internet credit card authorization worqhorse for FileMaker Pro. The new release is rebuilt for compatibility with Intel-based Macs and includes new features such as improved error handling and an improved registration process. The software can also now use Authorize.net to process high-speed payments in both card present and card not present environments. The tool is priced at $250.

Briefly: Cocoa bootcamp, Shoe pouch colors...

In brief: October dates for Cocoa Bootcamp have been announced, Shoe Pouch for Nike's iPod Sport Kit is now available in 8 colors, Peachpit will hold a "Voices that matter" conference for Web designers, MedeFile medical records are now available on the iPhone, and a scanner has been certified for lenticular prints ... Big Nerd Ranch has announced dates for the latest Cocoa Bootcamp class, to take place this Fall. The class, scheduled for October 1-5, 2007, comes on the heels of the September class, which sold out shortly after the dates were released. The class features the talent of Aaron Hillegass, and offers in-depth Cocoa training. While students are not required to be familiar with Cocoa or working on Macs, they are expected to have some background in an object- oriented language like Java, C++, Python or Ruby. The class is fast- paced and intense as it traverses a lot of Cocoa territory. Aaron Hillegass's seminal work, 'Cocoa Programming on Mac OS X,' provides the text for the class. The class is held in a retreat setting outside Atlanta, GA. Class price of $3500 includes lodging, all meals, original instruction materials, 24-hour lab access, and ground transportation to and from the Atlanta airport.

Apple ships Pro Application Support 4.0.1

Apple today released Pro Application Support 4.0.1, which improves general user interface reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Aperture, Final Cut Express HD, Soundtrack, Logic Pro and Logic Express. The 7.6MB update requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Toon Boom Studio 4 coming to Mac...

Toon Boom Animation today announced the upcoming release of Toon Boom Studio 4, offering users of the all-in-one animation studio a smooth experience creating rich animations for a variety of mediums including video and television. Studio 4 features a redesigned user interface for an improved workflow and a smoother experience, as well as greater flexibility via the ability to customize workspaces. Extended animation styles import, vectorize, and animate photographs while a broader selection of brushes help users create better line styles. A new Feather Edges feature applies blurs and glows to drawings, improved motion capabilities set more realistic moves with the new peg's Orient to path feature, and advanced Web publishing options help users play back animation on the internet more efficiently.

Apps: Suitcase Fusion, Dejal Time Out [u]

• Suitcase Fusion 12.1.6 ($100) is a professional font manager boasting a number of stability improvements. The latest release stabilizes the process of adding fonts as well as checking for corruption, and includes plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator CS3 and Adobe InDesign CS3. The update also fixes an issue in 12.1.5 where the show missing fonts dialog was displayed at startup under certain conditions. [Download - 46MB]


• Dejal Time Out 1.5 (free) serves as a break reminder tool for Mac OS X. The utility features two kinds of breaks: a "Normal" break, typically for 10 minutes after 50 minutes of work that reminds users to move as well as relax, and a "Micro" break: a very brief pause of typically 10 seconds every 10 minutes, reminding users not to tense up too much for long periods. Break lengths are customizable, as is the period between breaks. [Download - 2.3MB]


• xTime Project 4.5 ($100) enhances the tool for creating, tracking and managing projects. The new release offers better performance for all Intel-based Macs, better import/export of Microsoft Project documents, improved Undo functionality that works for all actions, a new full-screen mode to make presentations that are compatible with all views, support of the ISO date format, and many improvements of the Gantt view. [Download - 2.7MB]


• Wx 5.0 ($17) brings a revised interface to the weather application covering the United States. The new release allows users to track up to 20 locations and 20 weather maps. The update eases setup for first time users, and Wx offers a new internal location database with Google Maps integration. Wx's radar console is multi-threaded for a significant boost in performance (up to 10X) and offers a zoom/pan mode. Finally, Wx has a new iPhone export feature, allowing registered users to view weather locations and maps on an iPhone with the accompanying "iPhoneWx" Web app. [Download - 2.8MB]

Nucleo Pro 2: After Effects workflow tool

GridIron Software has begun shipping Nucleo Pro 2, an update to the tool that optimizes the workflow for visual effects artists using Adobe After Effects. The new release sports a feature dubbed "Background Render Queue," which allows media to be dragged into one specific spot, then tagged with appropriate render settings, allowing a batch process to take place. Support is available for most popular 3D rendering applications, including: Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Maxon Cinema 4D, Newtek LightWave, Softimage XSI, and Apple Shake. There is also a Pre-Composition Proxy feature that allows the addition of a proxy with a single keystroke. If a proxied composition is changed, Nucleo Pro 2 re-renders only the modified frames in the background, then updates the composition's proxy automatically. Nucleo Pro 2 is priced at $400 and supports all versions of Adobe After Effects version 7.0 as well the new After Effects CS3 Professional on both Windows and Mac OS X. The upgrade price from Nucleo Pro 1 is $100.

8-bay RAID solution delivers up to 400MB/s...

CalDigit has begun shipping the HDPro Tower and Rack Mount 8-bay RAID storage solution. The bay supports RAID 0,1,5 and 6 and can attain data transfer rates of 400MB/s in RAID 5. It can handle capacities from 2.0TB up to 8.0TB, and uses PCI Express direct attach as a storage interface that connects the host and RAID controller at up to 20Gbps, eliminating the need for an additional host adapter. Prices start at $4000 for a 2TB system which includes a CalDigit Controller Card. CalDigit officials said "Unlike Fibre Channel, SCSI, FireWire and eSATA RAID storage, the CalDigit HDPro is using a direct connection to the computers bridge chip and memory system combined with high link speeds. This direct link eliminates latency introduced by the conversion of other interfaces and provides superior bandwidth, availability and deployment flexibility over earlier-generation SCSI and Fibre Channel technology."

iHome prepares iH82 stereo iPod speakers...

Accessory maker iHome has developed the iH82, a new set of portable speakers for the iPod. Based on the existing iH80, the base of the unit is essentially the same, but with an entirely optional second speaker for louder, stereo sound. Crucially, the extra speaker does not require its own power supply; it instead takes its power from the dock speaker, which uses a wall adapter or eight C-cell batteries. The dock itself supports fourth- and fifth-generation iPods along with minis, nanos and shuffles. An infrared remote comes standard. iHome has yet to announce pricing or a release date for the set. [via iLounge]

iPhone rival gets $20 million in VC funding...

A new startup called Action Engine has secured $20 million in venture capital to build mobile Web sites for a bevy of content providers and corporate Web sites, including MSNBC.com, TiVo and others. The funding comes from equity firms Baker Capital, Northwest Venture Associates and the Spangler Group. According to a report from CNNMoney, the company lets its content partners negotiate with the wireless carriers, and in turn reveives a cut of subscription and advertising revenue that its customer’s mobile applications generate. "The iPhone has been the single most exciting thing in our industry. We're not Steve Jobs. We don't have the cachet of an Apple. So they validated the mobile Web market overnight," said Action Engine CEO Scott Silk, "But a lot of companies are paranoid about Apple doing in mobile what it did to music. So we became a logical partner for carriers and media companies."

DE:Noise 1.0: plugin for noise, artifact rem...

DE:Noise is a new Final Cut Pro/Adobe After Effects plug-in that handles spurious frame-to-frame defects ranging from fine digital and electronic noise to blotchy spots (e.g. dirt on the film). The tool uses proprietary motion estimation (optical flow) techniques and feature-sensitive, edge-preserving spatial filtering methods to reduce the visual impact of various problems such as: noisy video (that can happen with low-light capture), excessive film grain, CG renders affected by ray-tracing sampling artifacts, fingerprints and dust captured during film scan/transfer and printing, snow, drop-outs and many other defects.

Vista updates to address 'big' issues...

Microsoft is said to be working on updates that may address some of the most common complaints about Windows Vista, without requiring the highly-anticpated Service Pack 1. According to sources at nV News, testers in the Windows Server 2008 beta are eligible to download early versions of new "Performance and Reliability" and "Compatibility and Reliability" packs, for both the 32- and 64-bit editions of Vista. The former should improve speeds when copying large file folders, an issue that has made Vista problematic for many modern computing demands. It should also reduce the time needed to reach the Login screen from Hibernate.

MYOB ships FirstEdge v3 w/Address Book sync

MYOB has released FirstEdge v3, a significant update to the small business management and accounting software for Mac-based small businesses. This release is Universal (for the first time), features the ability to undo bank account reconciliation, has new budgeting tools, including two years of budgeting. An enhanced reporting mechanism delivers receivables with tax reports, displays a list if linked accounts, grouped by command center, and an allocation Memo field that runs on the Job Transactions report to that descriptive text from sales. The tool can also now hold up to 7 years of transaction history, combine accounts and combine contact cards and sports improved auditing and financial control tools. Another primary new feature is the ability to synchronize contacts between FirstEdge and Mac OS X's Address Book. MYOB FirstEdge is priced at $100 for new users, and $80 for upgraders.

Use external USB hard drives with Apple TV...

Patrick Walton and Tom Anthony have collaborated to deliver a hack that allows the Apple TV to use its internal hard drive to boot and perform operating system functions, but also use an external, USB-based hard drive to store media. The new capability is the result of a contest established by AppleTVHacks.net and FatBounty with the intended goal of using an external USB drive as a primary storage for the Apple TV. The hack requires an SSH-enabled Apple TV. You can enable SSH on your AppleTV via these instructions. It also requires an Intel-based Mac to patch the kernel on the Apple TV remotely. You'll also need an original, unmodified copy of the 'mach_kernel.prelink' file from the Apple TV, which can be extracted from the Apple TV Software 1.1 update. Finally, you will need an external USB drive formatted using 'Journaled HFS+.'

PopCap brings Bejewelled to iPhone

PopCap Games today launched a custom version of its flagship game, Bejewelled, for Apple's iPhone. The game is available free of charge to iPhone users who log onto the company's website via the Safari Web browser on the cellular handset, offering the original match-3 puzzler title customized with Web 2.0 capability to take advantage of the iPhone's unique display and input controls. PopCap developed the Safari-based version of Bejeweled in partnership with Polish developer Arkadiusz Mlynarczyk, one of the first programmers to take advantage of the Apple iPhone's capabilities for video gaming purposes. "We're excited to be providing the most popular puzzle game of the 21st century to users of the most advanced mobile device yet created," said Andrew Stein, Director of Mobile Platforms at PopCap. "We wanted to give the hundreds of thousands of iPhone users a fun, fast gaming fix -- and at no cost, no less."

TotalView releases of MemoryScape, Debugger...

TotalView has announced two new software distributions. Most significant is the first release of MemoryScape, a graphically-based memory debugger that addresses glitches in C, C++ and FORTRAN code, in both simple and complex multi-threaded applications. Owners can track memory leaks and usage in real-time, as well as events and any corruptions. The program is further touted as "non-intrusive," meaning that it can detect errors without recompiling code. Versions are available for both Intel and PowerPC systems.

Panasonic debuts fast 8GB SDHC card...

Panasonic backed up the release of its 5-series cameras today with its new SDHC Pro card. Where most cards have to focus on either storage or speed, the new card stores 8GB while keeping a Class 6 speed rating that guarantees at least 6MB per second and as much as 20MB. The combination of features is enough for the SD5 and SX5 to record 1080i HD video in real-time for as long as three hours in an economy mode or 80 minutes at maximum detail.

BlueAnt intros compact Bluetooth 2 headset...

BlueAnt on Monday morning launched the Z9, a Bluetooth earpiece the company claims will break from the traditions of most headsets. At 1.5 inches long, the Z9 is one of the smallest headsets ever and is small enough to hide as a tie or shirt clip without drawing attention. The piece is also less of a burden to the ear at 0.35 ounces, BlueAnt says. Size is also said to be no obstacle to call quality as a dual microphone array actively reduces background noise and is switchable to a Max setting that ramps up filtering in particularly noisy environments.

Microsoft: Apple a distant second...

Microsoft is said to be downplaying Apple claims of a jump in Mac sales in the last quarter. CEO Steve Ballmer is reported to observe that while there are millions of Macs in existence, Microsoft expects to acquire its billionth Windows user by 2008. "If you stop and just think about that, parse that for a second," Ballmer says, "by the end of our fiscal year '08, there will be more PCs running Windows in the world than there are automobiles, which is at least to me kind of a mind-numbing concept."

iPhone: 24hr ship times; iPhone hacks...

In brief: iPhone customers are now being told by Apple's online store that the cellular handset ships within 24 hours, Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner believes investors should purchase shares of Apple if the stock falls to $130 after iPhone activation figures disappointed investors, and several iPhone hacks surfaced over the weekend. Apple's online store has finally begun shipping the cellular phone, iPod, and internet communication device within 24 hours of customers placing their orders. The update comes after weeks of waiting periods following the iPhone's launch on June 29th, when nearly every handset sold out of every Apple and AT&T store in just two days' time.

IOGEAR rolls auto 4-port HDMI switch...

Hoping to bring relief to crowded home theaters, IOGEAR today launched its new 4-port HDMI switch. In contrast to some AV switches, the new model automatically detects and routs the audio and video of an active HDMI source to an attached HDTV or receiver. A wireless remote will also allow manual control of sources. Either method is ideal for the Apple TV and other media devices that may compete for limited space on the default ports of most HDTVs, according to IOGEAR.

Unsupported apps found in iPhone firmware...

Applications not actually available on the iPhone have been found in the device's firmware, according to an observer. In the process of searching through the iPhone's system preference files, the individual discovered five unusual listings within “Default ApplicationState.plist”:

• com.apple.unitconverter
• com.apple.widget.phonebook
• com.apple.widget.translation
• com.apple.widget.worldclock
• com.apple.mobile.radio

Adobe releases ColdFusion 8...

Adobe has announced the shipment of ColdFusion 8, the latest incarnation of its web development tool. The eighth edition introduces several major features, most notably the Server Monitor. This allows developers to analyze site aspects such as memory usage and page processing time, picking out which objects and processes are responsible for the longest delays. The program now also has greater Ajax support, specifically in the inclusion of pre-made components such as text editors and tab navigators.

Apple, Dell ramp up 20-inch LCD orders...

Apple and Dell are driving a resurgence in demand for 20-inch computer LCDs, according to claims made by Taiwan display market insiders. Although most computer monitor producers are now focusing almost exclusively on 19-inch and 22-inch widescreen displays, the two American firms have placed orders that are expanding the relatively small market for 20-inch models. The moves are expected to help AU Optronics, CPT, and LG-Philips LCD, as all three companies are the highest-volume suppliers of 20-inch LCDs while Samsung and other manufacturers only produce a small percentage of screens at that size.

Samsung reveals i85, new NV camera trio...

Samsung today catered explicitly to Americans with the release of four new Lifestyle cameras. The NV8, NV15, and NV20 upgrade the sensor depth of the NV point-and-shoot series to 8, 10, and 12 megapixels respectively; the improved sensors are matched by equal processing improvements with ISO sensitivity up to 3200, noise and shake reduction, and an auto-contrast feature that automatically adjusts the brightness of central subjects in poor lighting conditions. Face detection and 14 preset modes further help compose shots.