News Archive for 07/12/19

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Joesoft ships Stox portfolio tracking app

12/19, 11:30pm

Joesoft ships Stox

JoeSoft on Wednesday announced the availability of Stox 1.0, a stock portfolio management software title for the Mac. Stox, the company says, is a powerful tool for the new or experienced investor: the software title delivers concise, timely information to help manage a users' stock portfolio in a simple, single window format that is password secured (as well as stored locally on the desktop). "Stox is an in-depth analytical stock management tool that helps you research and track your stock portfolio", according to Greg Brewer, CEO of Prosoft. "It really is the next generation of portfolio management software which is suited for both novice users and seasoned investors alike.” Stox is available for purchase online for $50.

50,000 expected at Macworld Expo in SF

12/19, 11:10pm

Macworld interview part 1

Those going to the upcoming Macworld Expo in San Francisco can expect a much larger show this year, with nearly 50,000 registered attendees, and over 450 vendors are making a presence at the show. Paul Kent, Vice President of the Macworld Expo, told MacNN today that the 2008 event will dwarf previous years, with an estimated 25-percent increase in floor traffic, and an18-percent increase in vendor attendance. As of today, MacWorld Expo will feature 453 vendors, 48 of which are new and taking up residence in the year-old Developer's Pavilion.

IE v8.0 to support complex web standards

12/19, 10:45pm

IE8 supports complex code

Microsoft recently announced that it will support Acid2 and other industry standards in Internet Explorer 8, bringing the browser up to date with modern standards for displaying complex web code. Following in the footsteps of Safari and Firefox, which have been able to make use of the code for quite some time, Microsoft's IE development team calls the progress "a milestone". While the Acid2 test isn't an official release from a true web standards conglomerate, it is a fairly accurate test for verifying compatibility with W3C HTML and CSS 2.0 code.

Daylite 3.6 brings Leopard compatibility, bug fixes

12/19, 10:40pm

Daylite 3.6 for Leopard

Marketcircle has unveiled Daylite 3.6, an update to its productivity management software, introducing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard compatibility, and many bug fixes. After a long beta period Leopard users can finally take advantage of Marketcircle's powerful app. Also updated for Leopard compatibility is DMI 2.1, or Daylite Mail integration, which allows users to link emails, tasks, and projects to particular person, employee, or group. New users can try Daylite, DMI, or the Productivity Suite – a combination of both products – for 30 days, and can purchase the software starting from $150.

Moka5 virtual PCs for VMWare Fusion debut

12/19, 7:55pm

Moka5 for Mac OS X

Moka5, the desktop virtualization services company has announced a preview of its Moka5 for Mac OS X, which allows users running VMware Fusion to also run Moka5's LivePC virtual machines, which include advanced virtualization features such as self-healing, user data protection, and automatic updates. The Moka5 LivePC Library gives VMware Fusion users immediate access to a large selection of fully configured LivePCs including Ubuntu Linux, SuSE Linux, and FreeBSD. Free LivePCs have been created for many popular applications such as Ladybug LivePC, a kid-safe Web browser, Fearless Browser for anonymous browsing, Quake action games, and Ubuntu evaluation.

Briefly: Keyspan USB server review

12/19, 7:00pm

VectorWorks for Leopard

In brief: We've posted a review of the Keyspan U2S-2A USB 2.0 Server, MyPublisher has announced imported leather covers, VectorWorks 2008 has several new Leopard-savvy features, MacPractice EDR (Electronic Dental Records) has been released, a Mac IT Pro boot camp has been announced ... We've posted a review of the Keyspan U2S-2A USB 2.0 Server, which you can connect it via Ethernet or wirelessly to a local area network, to share different types of USB devices. The Keyspan USB Server plugs into an available 10 or 100 megabit connection on your network and provides two powered USB 2.0 ports that talk to different devices, including printers, USB storage devices, PDAs, cameras, mice, keyboards, or scanners. If you want just a print server, Keyspan also sells a 4-Port USB Print Server for only $99.

Holiday Mac game update, new release

12/19, 6:00pm

Holiday Mac games

Macgamestore.com today announced the release of Venice Mystery -- a unique puzzle game designed for all ages, and Frogames released an update to Penguins Arena with a Christmas theme. Created by Gamgo Games and published by Big Fish Games, Venice Mystery challenges players to travel through Venice to solve an ancient mystery before the city sinks into the water. Venice Mystery is priced at $20, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Intuit brings Quicken to iPhone

12/19, 5:00pm

Quicken for iPhone users

Intuit today announced that it will be providing Quicken as an online software service for iPhone and mobile users by January 8th for $3 per month, which it hopes will expand its constantly-growing 14 million user-strong base. Reuters reports that with yearly sales of 1.7 million copies, Quicken has gained 8-percent marketshare, putting it at 80-percent for 2007. The service will be accessible through web browsers on most mobile devices, using the same encryption techniques used for internet banking to keep a user's data safe. The iPhone version, while having a lighter feature loadout than for other devices, will be completely optimized for on-the-go financials on the iPhone's crisp screen.

Google Android plagued by major bugs?

12/19, 4:45pm

Google Android Bugs

Google's Linux-based Android mobile OS is currently suffering from major flaws in both the code itself and in the development process, according to separate reports from Ars Technica and the Wall Street Journal. Though the phone software contains multiple significant flaws that have prevented a smooth development process, Google's current interaction with programmers includes no public tracking system and only minimal documentation; developers must petition Google to report a bug or to receive help, according to the reports.

Phenom Black Edition ships to US

12/19, 4:40pm

Phenom 9600 Black Edition

AMD has begun shipping OEM units of the Phenom 9600 Black Edition, a special version of the company's flagship quad-core processor. Like the regular CPU, each Black Edition is rated at 2.3GHz, with a 3.6GHz HyperTransport bus and 2MB L2 and L3 caches. The difference is that the Black Edition is effectively "unlocked," ready for overclocking past 2.3GHz without having to adjust power ratings. The thermal design power (TDP) of the chip is normally 95W. System builders should be able to pick up a Black Edition for approximately $283. [via Impress Watch]

TorrentSpy suit terminated in light of tampering

12/19, 4:10pm

TorrentSpy case terminated

A US District Judge has terminated a case against TorrentSpy.com in view of evidence tampering, reports say. Representatives from the MPAA sued TorrentSpy in 2006, claiming that the BitTorrent tracker provided illegal access to copyrighted video. Although TorrentSpy countersued, arguing that the MPAA hacked into its computers and e-mail accounts, the company was later ordered to record its data traffic, which could have been used as evidence. Lawyers protested, calling the request "unprecedented and damaging to online free speech and privacy and to free market values that support technological development."

VM test: Parallels faster for XP, Fusion for Vista

12/19, 4:10pm

VM Test

New benchmarks reveal that while Boot Camp is still the fastest way to run Windows on your Mac, the virtual machines offered by Parallels and VMWare offer increasingly decent performance -- depending on which flavor of Windows you choose to run. MacTech, in an extensive benchmarking of the different Windows-on-Mac methods, found that Parallels was somewhat faster in general than VMware Fusion for XP, but if you want the best virtualization performance for Vista, then VMware Fusion is the way to go. Overall, however, the results show that XP is, by and large, a much better VM performer than Vista.

Stanford tech offers 10X jump in battery life

12/19, 4:05pm

Stanford Nanowire Battery

A new nanotechnology development should produce a major increase in the power available from lithium-ion battery technology, according to a report from Stanford University. While current batteries are limited to holding a relatively small amount of lithium by the need to use carbon for the anode that supplies the battery's current, the new technique developed by assistant professor Yi Cui instead uses a nest of silicon nanowires to hold the lithium. This allows far more lithium to fit into the battery while avoiding the swelling damage that occurs if larger silicon patterns are used.

Apps: DiscLabel, TopXNotes, Oxygen XML

12/19, 3:35pm

Advanced Link Manager

DiscLabel 5.1 ($36) CD/DVD label design software for Mac OS X. The new release adds contextual menu adds functions for thumbnails in Media view, contextual menu added to Edit view, a wave image filter effect, fixes to font formatting with problem fonts in Leopard, has improvements to object selection via Edit->Select Item Behind, layer effects display has been optimized and there are other bug fixes [Download - 14.1MB]
TopXNotes 1.3 ($35) quickly find, access, display, manage and secure your notes. This new Universal release has several new features including Drag and Drop import and export of Notes and Groups, scroll wheel support, text or RTF imports now available, drag to trash to delete a Note or Group. Also added is an extension "topi" for a note exchange format. [Download - 5.5MB]
Oxygen XML Editor version 9.1 ($50-275) CSS-based visual XML editor introduced by version 9 allows WYSIWYG like editing of XML documents. Version 9.1 adds a number of improvements, the main additions being related with the WYSIWYG like XML editor and with the WebDAV support. It also contains support for SOAP 1.2 and some updated components. The SOAP version is detected from the WSDL definition file and the appropriate headers are set in the SOAP request. The SOAP 1.2 envelope is validated against a SOAP 1.2 XML Schema. [Download - 37.1MB]
Advanced Link Manager 4.0 ($100) tool that helps manage your web site incoming links. Advanced Link Manager helps you monitor your incoming links, keeping you informed as to where they come from and what their content is. This version adds a POP3 and IMAP email client, a manager for all projects, user profiles, triggers, exporting to CSV and the ability to check for broken links. [Download - 27.6MB]
PageSender 4.2 ($40) fax software for Mac OS X. The update features support for MyFax.com, Fax.com, and Fax.de fax-via-Email services, improved reliability when switching to PageSender Fax pane, fixed cover page hang on PowerPC-based Macs, closes search results when window is moved or dismissed, allows non-US characters in dragged vCards, and fixed incorrect recent items beahvior. [Download - 6.9MB]

HP refreshes notebook upgrade options

12/19, 3:20pm

HP refreshes notebooks

Though only in time for post-Christmas shoppers, HP has decided to refresh several computers in its notebook line: these include the dv2700t, bw and se 14.1-inch models, the 15.4-inch dv6700z, t and se, and finally the dv9700t and z. All the machines continue to have dual-core Intel processors and a maximum 4GB of RAM, but people can now choose to upgrade with extra graphics and optical drive options. The latter comes in the form of a Blu-Ray drive; while read-only with HD discs, it can also burn DVD-R and RW discs.

Intel delaying 45nm CPUs to stump AMD?

12/19, 3:15pm

Intel 45nm CPU Delay

Intel is consciously delaying three of its desktop quad-core chips based on the new 45-nanometer Penryn architecture to undermine similar releases from AMD, claim some Taiwan mainboard producers. Previously slated for January 20th, the 2.5GHz (Q9300), 2.66GHz (Q9450), and 2.83GHz (Q9550) Core 2 Quad will be pushed back to a February or March release specifically to counter releases of upgraded Phenom processors timed for a similar period. While Intel is confident its processors will outperform those from AMD, which still use a less efficient 65-nanometer design, there is no point to releasing the new Core 2 Quads until AMD begins to catch up in performance, according to the purported insiders.

Palm sees sharp revenue drop in latest quarter

12/19, 2:40pm

Palm Fiscal Q207 Drop

Palm's profits have turned to sharp losses in the company's second fiscal quarter as it struggles to revitalize its smartphone business, the company announced today. Roughly falling in line with the company's already lowered expectations, the company's three-month period ending November 30th saw the company lose $9.6 million on sales of $349.6 million. Palm earned $12.8 million on a considerable higher sales number of $392.9 million in the same quarter a year ago, according to the report.

Sonnet ships 21-in-1 ExpressCard reader

12/19, 2:30pm

21-in-1 ExpressCard reader

Sonnet has begun selling a new device for ExpressCard slots, the 21-in-1 Multimedia Memory Card Reader and Writer. Unlike a previous ExpressCard device, the R&W can also copy to memory cards, and does so without increasing in size; it fits flush with a notebook's body for travel. The 21 supported formats are divided between SD, xD, MMC and Memory Stick types, and include the likes of SDHC, microSD and Memory Stick Micro. Maximum transfer speed is 480Mbps.

Creative resurrects video phone with InPerson

12/19, 2:00pm

Creative InPerson at FCC

Creative plans to revive the concept of a dedicated video phone with a device to be released soon, according to an FCC filing published yesterday and recently discovered by Engadget. The portable InPerson embeds a 7-inch LCD and rotating VGA camera that can be used for video chats between users with SightSpeed's live video service; directional pad controls and a simple onscreen interface help the user place calls more easily than would be possible either through software on a PC or on a legacy video phone. VoIP calls to and from real-world numbers will be possible through a number pad, the leak shows.

iMac display issues persist: Apple silent

12/19, 1:00pm

iMac issues persist

Apple Support has locked a discussion thread about newly purchased iMacs exhibiting symptoms of problematic displays in what Tom's Hardware is calling an act of censorship. The topic, titled 'Bought new iMac 20" Faded Screen,' began on August 7th -- the first day the new iMacs went on sale -- and quickly became the primary place for new iMac owners to discuss their troubles of 20-inch and some 24-inch iMacs. The discussion saw a slew of traffic in its early stages, which later soared to an average of 429 hits per day until Apple locked the topic to prevent further posts, according to the report. [updated for clarity]

European Commission takes flak for gear levy

12/19, 1:00pm

EC takes flak for levy

A new, formal complaint has been filed with the European Commission, directed against an anti-piracy levy present on the continent, Reuters reports. The complaint was made to Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, but neither he nor Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy could say who made the complaint, except that the party objected to "obstacles to the free movement of goods."

Like Canada, all but two countries of the European Union -- Britain and Ireland -- collect varying amounts on items such as blank CDs and MP3 players, the money from which is used to compensate for illegal copying. In France and Finland for instance, the levy helps pay for cultural activities.

Study: Mac users more honest than PC brethren

12/19, 12:20pm

Study: Mac user honesty

A study conducted by the NPD Group today revealed that Apple owners are much more likely than PC users to pay for music downloads. According to NPD's quarterly Digital Music Monitor, in the third quarter of 2007 half of all Mac users had paid to download music tracks from sites like iTunes, but just 16 percent of PC owners had done so. What's more, Mac users were also more likely to purchase CDs.

Vudu HD boxes bundled with Sharp LCDs

12/19, 12:10pm

Vudu bundled with AQUOS

People buying certain Sharp TVs can receive a Vudu box for free, the latter company has announced. As part of a bundle running through January 5th, people who buy an AQUOS LCD can also get the Vudu set-top system, which is further tied to a $50 movie credit. Vudu estimates that the deal is worth approximately $449, but there are some catches: the TV must be 42 inches or larger, and 1080p-capable.

MS founder bids for 700MHz; AT&T delayed

12/19, 11:30am

Paul Allen 700MHz Bid

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is one of those already confirmed as bidding in the upcoming FCC auction for the 700MHz wireless band, according to the list of accepted applicants (PDF). The former executive is using a proxy firm known as Vulcan Spectrum in an attempt to capture a slice of the soon to be free wireless spectrum, which has been eagerly sought after by telecom providers for its potential with long-range Internet and similar data. Neither Allen nor Vulcan has revealed the reasons behind the bid, though Allen is also a significant stakeholder in cable provider Charter.

Apple to appear at BETT education expo

12/19, 11:05am

Apple at BETT expo

Apple will be one of the featured exhibitors at next month's BETT expo, the company has announced. BETT is described as the United Kingdom's leading tradeshow devoted to technology in education, and is scheduled for January 9th to the 12th at the London Olympia, a mere three days before Macworld in San Francisco. Apple will occupy Stand C40 in the Grand Hall, where it will be marketing its products as a way of enhancing learning.

Moto ZINE 5-megapixel cameraphone spotted?

12/19, 10:40am

Moto ZINE Z12 Spotted

One of Motorola's upcoming ZINE cameraphones has been seen for the first time, according to a teaser from Chinese site IT168. The site largely confirms earlier details and notes that the 'kick-slider' handset will have a relatively advanced, Kodak-developed camera: the 5-megapixel sensor will include variable focus and a xenon flash to properly capture more distant subjects in low light, according to the report. The shot suggests a resolution lower than the originally claimed 8 megapixels, however.

DEVON apps add Spotlight, Leopard features

12/19, 10:25am

DEVON OS enhancements

DEVONtechnologies has released updates for several of its applications, concentrating on features of Mac OS X. DEVONthink 1.9.12, Pro/Pro Office 1.5, and DEVONnote 1.9.12 now include native support for Spotlight, as a result of metadata caches that allow the tool to probe for documents stored inside databases. Inclusion of Spotlight also has the secondary benefit of allowing search through multiple databases simultaneously, for the first time in any DEVON product.

Ambrosia updates iToner, iSeek, Dragster

12/19, 10:20am

Ambrosia updates four apps

Ambrosia Software has updated four of its software utilities for Mac users, offering various improvements and bug fixes. The company released iToner 1.0.5, iSeek 1.1.2, EasyEnvelopes 1.0.6, and Dragster 1.0.5. iToner 1.0.5 ($15) enhances the iPhone custom ringtone transfer tool with improved support for iPhone OS 1.1.1 as well as bug fixes and other enhancements. iSeek 1.1.2 ($15) adds Leopard compatibility alongside an integrated registration system to the internet search utility, and fixes various bugs.

4G cellular Internet hits 173Mbps in test

12/19, 10:00am

LTE Hits 173Mbps

Setting a new record for long-range wireless, Nokia Siemens Networks today revealed that it has completed a test of fourth-generation cellular data that proves the service quick in real-world conditions. Using the upcoming Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard, the company has successfully reached wireless download speeds as high as 173 megabits per second in a downtown Berlin environment where interference would normally reduce the signal strength and hurt connection speed. The service crests above 100 megabits per second even with multiple users wandering as far as a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the tower providing the signal, according to Nokia Siemens.

OpenEDA Toolkit 1.0 released for Mac OS X

12/19, 9:45am

OpenEDA Toolkit 1.0

ReyesSoft has introduced its OpenEDA Toolkit 1.0, bringing open source electronic design automation software to Mac OS X as well as Solaris and other UNIX-based platforms. The software includes Alliance CAD, Icarus Verilog, FreeHDL, the gEDA suite, GTKWave, Gerbv, PCB, Electric, and NG-SPICE support. OpenEDA Toolkit 1.0 is priced at $100 for the basic version, and the company offers subscriptions as well as user support for additional fees. OpenEDA Toolkit 1.0 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Apple planning Upper West Side NYC store

12/19, 9:40am

Upper West Side NYC store

One of Apple's 40 new retail stores planned for 2008 will be another New York City shop, according to reports. Following the recent opening of its third (and largest) Manhattan retail store earlier this month, the company is intending to tear down and rebuild a storefront at 1981 Broadway, on the northwest corner of West 67th Street; the current building is an 8,500 square-foot Victoria's Secret, and was at one point the site of the Cineplex Odeon Regency Theater. Victoria's Secret parent company Limited Brands has reportedly been attempting to sublease the space for some time.

Panasonic in talks with Hitachi, to switch to LCD TVs

12/19, 9:15am

Panasonic and Hitachi Deal

Panasonic's parent brand Matsushita is holding discussions with its frequent rival Hitachi that could permanently alter the HDTV business, according to a source speaking with Nikkei Business Daily (registration required). The former company is allegedly set along with Canon to take control of a joint LCD development project shared with Hitachi and Toshiba, giving it a far greater stake in the TV technology than it has to date. In return, the deal would help Hitachi offload the more unprofitable parts of its LCD business, which have left it struggling to compete with companies more dedicated towards HDTVs.

Dell releases first DisplayPort LCD

12/19, 8:15am

Dell 3008WFP DisplayPort

Dell today set an industry first by releasing the world's first commercially available screen with a DisplayPort connector. The 3008WFP uses the new standard to provide the high resolution of dual-link DVI with the integration of TV-oriented standards such as HDMI: when using a compatible video card, the single DisplayPort cable both drives the 2560x1600 of the 30-inch display while also providing audio and the HDCP encryption needed to play back some protected HD video formats. Dual protected DVI outputs as well as single HDMI, VGA, component, and S-video jacks provide support for virtually all legacy video standards.

FileMaker Pro 8.5v2 offers Leopard fixes

12/19, 1:55am

FileMaker Pro 8.5v2 ships

FileMaker on Tuesday released a downloadable update to fix important compatibility issues in FileMaker Pro 8.5 and FileMaker Pro 8.5 Advanced running on Mac OS X Leopard, but stopped short of offering complete compatibility with the new operating system. The v2 update fixes issues that caused FileMaker Pro 8.5 to hang when the system language and region did not match, and when saving to or exporting to Microsoft Excel format. The Apple subsidiary, however, noted that the Instant Web Publishing (IWP) feature does not work in FileMaker Pro 8.5v2 or FileMaker Pro 8.5v2 Advanced running on Mac OS X Leopard: "The IWP feature in FileMaker Pro 8.5 was designed and implemented long before Leopard, and it is not feasible to update it for Leopard," the company said in its documentation. Earlier this month, the company released a second Leopard update for its latest FileMaker 9.0 software.

Apple posts MacBook (Pro) Software 1.1

12/19, 1:45am

MacBook (Pro) Software 1.1

Apple has released MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update 1.1, which it says addresses a responsiveness issue on MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook computers. According to Apple's documentation, "some MacBook and MacBook Pro systems may occasionally experience a temporary suspension of keyboard input which can last a minute or longer. The Mac OS X 10.5.1 update is required before installing the MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update 1.1."

Bomberman released for the iPod in the US

12/19, 1:00am

Bomberman for iPod in US

Bomberman has been released on the US iTunes store, courtesy of Hudson Software Company. The game features two play modes, Normal and Challenge Mode, allowing players to enjoy either a casual but frantic experience, or a competitive one where they aim to beat their best scores. Bomberman features a redesigned control scheme to help players through 20 levels, plus an iPod-exclusive bonus boss level. Three new mini-games are included: Bomb Rollin', Bomb Buster, and Bowling for Bombs. Bomberman for the iPod is available in the US iTunes store for $5.