News Archive for 09/09/07

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Cheetah 3D 4.7 adds Snow Leopard support, fixes bugs

09/07, 11:50pm

Cheetah 3D update supports Snow Leopard

Cheetah 3D 4.7, the latest version of the 3D rendering, modelling and animation software for the Mac was released today. The update delivers a series of bug fixes for rendering issues and texture importing, along with support for Mac’s newest operating system Snow Leopard. The software delivers a variety of polygon and spline modeling tools, and enables users to create and animate 3D scenes. A UV editing function is also included that makes it possible to move, scale or rotate UV coordinates, and displays the changes in a 3D preview.

FreeHand users appeal for help to save software

09/07, 10:40pm

Users of FreeHand collaborate to keep app alive

Several users of the vector-based drawing program Freehand have organized a grassroots effort, Free FreeHand, that appeals for other users to help keep the software alive despite a lack of interest by the new owners of the parent company. Adobe obtained rights to the software following a merger with Macromedia.

Briefly: Commodore app approved, iPod camera uncertainty

09/07, 8:45pm

C64 iPhone app approved, iPod cameras uncertain

In Brief: The officially-licensed Commodore 64 iPhone app has finally been approved. Meanwhile, sources shed doubt on the widespread expectations that Apple is ready to release camera-equipped iPods at the media event scheduled this week. Israeli reports suggest Apple may be ready to launch the latest iPhone locally, as early as October 15th.

Apple 13 & 15-inch MacBook Pros see Boot Camp audio failures

09/07, 6:55pm

New MacBook Pros exhibit Boot Camp sound problems

Several Owners of Apple's latest MacBook Pro offerings in the 13- and 15-inch screen sizes have reported speaker failures when running Windows via Boot Camp. The problems have affected many gamers who use Mac OS X for daily computing, then switch to Windows to play games. The problem appears to have begun with Boot Camp v2.1, which was launched in June, while the recent v3.0 release, designed for Snow Leopard, has not alleviated the widespread issues.

LG booth shows its first Android phone

09/07, 2:00pm

LG Etna Android at booth

Although overlooked by most, LG's first Android-based phone was spotted at last week's IFA technology show. So far nicknamed the Etna Android, the phone seen by German magazine Chip is a typical QWERTY slider design but with a 3-inch touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera. Little else was revealed by LG, though it's very likely the phone will also have 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi on top of expected features like Bluetooth.

Google opts to pull Euro books from online deal

09/07, 1:40pm

Google pulls Euro books from online deal

Google today agreed to a truce with the European union in its deal to create an online book rights registry. The search engine firm's settlement will prevent Google from offering as public domain any European book that's still listed as commercially available in Europe. Any of those books will still be available in the US, but only if those with rights to the book agree to make it available.

ASUS e-readers to involve dual screens, color

09/07, 12:50pm

ASUS reader to get two screens, color

ASUS' promised e-book reader debut should not only involve more than one model but could represent a number of rarities or even firsts for the technology. While the mentioned Eee-branded reader would be basic and trade on its price -- an estimate has it costing as little as $164 -- ASUS chief Jerry Shen told the Times a second upscale model would have two color touchscreens and fold like a real book to give users two pages of content at once. It may also have basics like speakers and a webcam to provide simple audio and video conversations online.

AT&T-specific changes coming to iPhone firmware?

09/07, 12:25pm

Tailored to network features

Apple and AT&T are together considering carrier-specific changes to the iPhone firmware, anonymous sources claim. A future update, possibly iPhone 3.1, may introduce two particular features designed to support AT&T's network. The first is an overage alert, which would take advantage of push notification to display a badge, message or sound whenever monthly voice minutes are used up.

Leaks point to HP's first CULV, Core i7 notebooks

09/07, 12:20pm

HP CULV and Core i7 notebooks leak

HP's impending plans to revamp its notebook line have likely been uncovered in advance today courtesy of a pair of leaks (one, two). Leading the group should be the Pavilion dv8, one of the first systems to use Intel's mobile Core i7; it should be an 18.4-inch desktop replacement with an early 1.6GHz quad-core processor that scales up to 2.8GHz when it can ramp down one or more cores. It's also expected that the system would come with a Blu-ray drive as well as 4GB of RAM and 640GB of storage, likely spread across two disks.

Apple opens second Italian retail store

09/07, 11:30am

Joins original Roman store

On Saturday Apple opened its Carosello Carugate Apple Store, only the company's second retail location in all of Italy. The store can be found near Milan, and should help to serve northern Italy, which has not had easy access to Apple products. Apple's other shop is based in Rome, in the south of the country.

PS3 sales surge 999% in UK, top Wii thanks to slim model

09/07, 11:05am

PS3 Sales Surge in UK

Sony achieved a rare feat in the past week with the PS3 clearly outselling every other console in the UK, data from ChartTrack shows. In what's also the first week the slim PS3 has been available, the smaller and less expensive model helped PS3 sales jump 999 percent. The research firm wouldn't provide hard numbers to MCV but said that the DS Lite, Wii and Xbox 360 all sold in similar numbers and that the PS3 sold roughly three times as many units as these.

Sony unveils two 1080p wireless HDTVs

09/07, 10:40am

Sony BRAVIA ZX5 in Japan

Choosing an uncharacteristic Monday launch date, Sony today launched the BRAVIA ZX5. The line brings wireless TV and uses the 60GHz Wireless HD format to pipe content from a separate TV Station hub to the set itself without wires. As they use ultra-wideband, the new sets are far more efficient than the ZX1 and can handle up to 1080p video at 60 frames per second over the wireless link instead of the older series' 1080i picture.

Future Firefox updates to check for outdated plug-ins

09/07, 10:30am

May close some common vulnerabilities

Beginning with two Tuesday updates, all future iterations of Mozilla's Firefox browser will check for at least some outdated plug-ins, the company has announced. Firefox 3.5.3 and 3.0.14 will both scan for the latest version of Flash, prompting users to visit a link where an updated plug-in can be downloaded. "For now, our focus is on the Adobe Flash Player both because of its popularity and because some studies have shown that as many as 80 percent of users currently have an out-of-date version," says Firefox security team member Johnathan Nightingale.

Nokia tests its first LTE-based 4G modem

09/07, 9:50am

Nokia 4G modem trialled

Nokia on Monday said it has launched its first modem to ever support the upcoming Long Term Evolution (LTE) format for 4G cell data. The Internet Modem RD-3 (not yet pictured) can both support the new technology, which peaks at 100Mbps, but also 3G data over HSPA and 2G over EDGE to give users support of more established networks. It should support world roaming on 4G, though the frequency bands haven't been detailed.

Sept. 9th event banner goes up at Yerba Buena Center

09/07, 9:20am

Questions persist on event's significance

In spite of a holiday weekend, a photo reveals that Apple is now actively preparing the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco for its music-themed special event. The main window of the building has been plastered with the same art from an invitation sent to the press, which also included the caption "It's only rock and roll, but we like it." The line is a reference to a Rolling Stones song.

Microsoft giving Best Buy anti-Linux training

09/07, 9:20am

Best Buy told to misrepresent Linux

Microsoft has been sending Best Buy retail staff "training" material that deliberately attacks and in some cases distorts Linux, according to a leak from an anonymous Best Buy employee. The materials present obvious and at times true assertions about the lack of software support and users preferring a "comfortable" experience but also makes controversial statements about security and other features. Among these are contradictory claims that Linux doesn't get regular updates and yet is a problem to maintain precisely because it gets "hundreds of updates" per month.

Monster outs Beats Solo, Heartbeats earphones

09/07, 7:50am

Monster Beats Solo and Heartbeats

Monster unusually chose Labor Day to add two sets of earphones to its mix, including its first not primarily backed by Dr. Dre. The Heartbeats were co-designed by Lady Gaga and are meant to produce audio quality much like the Beats Tour in-ears but with the pop star's visual input, such as a jewel-like cap on the earpiece and a metal body. They still have Monster's unique ribbon-like cables that cut down on tangling and should also reduce the likelihood of a cable break.

Coladia game updates add Snow Leopard support

09/07, 3:30am

Coladia adds Snow Leopard support

Coladia has announced added support for all its point-and-click adventure games, enabling them to work with the latest Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard update. Players can receive the new support download through the software’s update feature within each game, and is available for such titles as Return to Mysterious Island, Cleopatra: a Queens Destiny, Destination: Treasure Island, and the Secret of the Lost Cavern.

USBfever debuts 3-in-1 car mount for iPhone 3G, 3G S

09/07, 2:40am

3-in-1 iPhone 3G car mount

USBfever has released its latest 3-in-1 accessory for the iPhone 3G and 3G S, consisting of an in-car holder, belt clip, and charger. The device features a car windshield holder for keeping the iPhone secure while driving, and includes a car charger as well. The belt-clip enables users to remove their iPhone from the car while still keeping it protected inside the holster. The charger features short-circuit protection to prevent iPhone damage and includes an LED indicator.

Second Google-connected board member leaving Apple?

09/07, 1:15am

Apple could be losing another board member

A recent SEC form filed by Apple could be an indication that the company will lose another board member, according to Fortune. The document discloses that Bill Campbell has executed a "non-sale transfer" of 60,000 shares of AAPL stock. The shares, which include Campbell's directors options, are estimated to be worth approximately $17.7 million.