04/22, 8:20am
Expands options for syncing papers
MekenTosj has launched Papers 1.9.4, a new version of its organization utility that helps scientist create and manage their personal library of scientific literature. The latest release offers a variety of enhancements and bug fixes, including added support for syncing with multiple iPad, iPhone, and iPod devices. Other features include an increase to the number of papers that can be synced, the ability to now sync sub-collections, and improvements to the fullscreen mode.
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11/20, 1:50pm
OnScreen DNA Lite free
OnScreen Science today announced that OnScreen DNA Lite, the entry-level edition of its software for learning the structure and function of DNA, is available for free via download. OnScreen DNA Lite uses a 3D virtual model in a tutorial framework to teach the structural details of DNA, including its double helix geometry and chemical components and bonds. The software also includes animated simulations of biotech lab phenomena in which the two strands of DNA are seen to separate and then reattach. OnScreen DNA Lite requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
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11/14, 4:05pm
Mathematica 6 add-ons
Wolfram Research today announced a slew of specialized add-ons for its Mathematica 6 software designed specifically for interactivity as well as graphics and data integration. Mathematica serves as computational software for science and technology that boasts thousands of original algorithms as well as a tightly unified overall design. The company lists numerous applications that are fully compatible with Mathematica 6 which provide a broad array of functionality, from a finite-element environment to extending as well as organizing and visualizing everyday work in Mathematica.
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11/02, 7:05pm
Papers 1.5
Papers, a program which helps scientists on the Mac to create and organize their Personal Library of Scientific literature, has been updated to version 1.5. The new release brings over 100 new features and bug fixes. A major new addition is support for search engine plugins, it ships with built-in support for Google Scholar, Google Books, Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science. The new release is also fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, has an improved and streamlined user interface, and more tightly integrates with other applications in the literature workflow. This is a free update for existing users and prices start from 29 euros for a single user license. PhD students and undergraduates can receive a 40 percent discount upon sending proof of studentship.
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10/24, 5:50pm
Sequencher 4.8 released
Gene Codes today released the latest revision of Sequencher, its Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence assembly and analysis software. The update is designed to be easy to use, fast, and powerful enough to handle virtually any DNA sequencing need, according to the company. "Researchers in academic labs and pharmaceutical companies around the world study DNA, which contains the essential genetic instructions key to an organism's growth and development, in hopes of discovering the causes of disease, and the development of novel treatments or diagnostics, and Sequencher is a key tool in their research," Gene Codes stated. Upgrades to Sequencher 4.8 are available for free or at reduced cost to current users, according to Gene Code, and the latest release requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later (pricing was unavailable).
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10/12, 11:10am
CLC Bio update in works
CLC bio today announced a forthcoming November release of CLC Bioinformatics Database that will enable users of CLC bio's DNA, RNA, and protein sequence analysis software to store and work on sequence data in a secure and shared central relational database. The software aims to raise the bar for what users can expect from a database system, and the development team has focused heavily on eliminating classic obstacles like different operating systems as well as limited support for database formats. CLC Bioinformatics Database is scheduled to ship in November (pricing was unavailable).
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07/24, 3:20pm
Workbench 1.1 released
Wolfram Research today released Wolfram Workbench 1.1, the latest revision of its integrated development e4nvironment (IDE) for Methematica technologies. Built on the Eclipse IDE, Workbench 1.1 is designed for all stages of the development process and is fully compatible with Mathematica 6. Key features include support for Mathematica development projects, a specialized Mathematica code editor, syntax coloring, error as well as warning reporting, debugging, profiling, unit testing, and support for gridMathematica as well as webMathematica. Workbench 1.1 adds a Version Migration Assistant to help users optimized Mathematica 5.2 code for Mathematica 6 intelligent Mathematica expression and code-structure search, and the ability to find as well as replace patterns for all Mathematica expressions (pricing and system requirements were unavailable).
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07/19, 12:35pm
Sonny releases Bookends 10
Sonny Software has launched Bookends 10, the latest version of its reference, bibliography and general information management program. The software lets users list, tag and search files, organize them into smart groups, and download new ones directly from sources such as Amazon, PubMed and the Library of Congress. Version 10 introduces an improved, customizable interface, including a built-in viewer for PDF, image and text files. Users can now also rate their references, and combine Spotlight searches with those in databases and smart groups. An upgrade is $30; the full program is $70 for students, and otherwise $100. Mac OS X 10.4 is required.
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06/14, 1:00pm
HyperResearch 2.8 released
ResearchWare today released HyperRESEARCH 2.8, a multi-platform software package designed for qualitative analysis research. The latest revision offers enhanced support for Microsoft Windows Vista, runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, and includes improvements to reporting and printing features alongside broader support for contextual menus. The software is used by researchers in social science research, psychology, usability, and corporate marketing to identify as well as analyze patterns and trends among qualitative data from a variety of media file types, according to ResearchWare. HyperResearch 2.8 is priced at $370 for a single-user license, and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
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06/11, 6:30pm
BioBoost Accelerated HMMer
Progeniq has announced a Universal version of its BioBoost Accelerated HMMer application for Mac OS X, which provides hardware accelerated processing for Hidden Markov models (HMMs) -- generally used for protein and DNA sequence analysis. The new release uses Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, allowing the processor to 'rewire' itself on the fly according to the application that needs to be accelerated. Prices start from $8000
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05/21, 4:45pm
Calcline 1.2 released
Tension Software today released Calcline 1.2, an application designed to evaluate mathematical expressions with parentheses, nested functions, and variables. The mathematical tool is developed in Objective-C and Cocoa exclusively for Mac systems as an easy to use tool that serves as a substitute for the "ancient and obsolete" desktop calculator. Variable assignment and reference inside expressions are simplified via an interactive table, and Calcline supports high precision calculations using long double values. The latest release features smart pasting, new math functions, a result copy button, a fast decimal precision popup, and the ability to update via the network. Calcline 1.2 is priced at $20, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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05/09, 5:20pm
Vvidget 10.4.41 released
VVimaging has released Vvidget 10.4.41, the latest release of its flagship charting and graphing application. The software primarily revolves around a Builder that combines wizards with a point-and-click interface to simplify graph creation. Vvidget also offers built-in support for tracking CPU and website usage, as well as plotting quadratic equations. The new release introduces a volumetric graphing feature alongside the launch of a companion user forum. The update brings new tool icons, as well as various enhancements and bug fixes. Builder itself is free; automating graphs for widgets and desktop programs, however, requires Code ($80 for educational users, $190 for commercial licenses).
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05/01, 5:25pm
Mathematica 6 premieres
Wolfram Research has released the latest version of its flagship product, Mathematica 6. The program is designed to ease the burden of performing complex research calculations; the new edition is designed to further expand and automate its functions, the latter through a concept called "instant interactivity." Wolfram claims the latest release can turn models, simulations, computations, and other forms of data into their own applications, often in a matter of seconds. The update expands functions with a new development environment (IDE), which should allow work on infrastructures as well as more routine analysis.
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05/01, 10:00am
Biomatters Geneious Pro 3
New Zealand-based Biomatters has released Geneious Pro 3.0, an update to the application for scientists designed to search, organize, access, visualize and analyze genomic information. The company says that Geneious Pro 3.0 delivers a 'backbone' application connecting the spectrum of biological science, enabling existing and future software research tools to 'talk' with each other in full inter-operability. Offering sophisticated genome & proteome research tools as well as protein or molecular visualization, Geneious Pro 3.0 allows users to teach or learn bioinformatics interactively and includes patented scientific document and data "search and store" functions.
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04/26, 3:00pm
Papers reaches version 1.0
Two Mac developers have released the first complete version of Papers 1.0, an application designed for scientists that supports finding and organize research texts on a Mac. Users can add PDF-formatted journals and papers to a database, which organizes them similarly to iTunes with categories such as Year, Rating and when they were last read. Users can also download new papers directly through PubMed, and read via print-out or from within Papers where the documents are viewable in tabbed or full-screen modes. Single user licenses for Papers 1.0 are priced at $40, requiring Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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02/22, 5:40pm
Maple 11 ships
Maplesoft has begun shipping Maple 11, the latest version of its flagship software for solving complex mathematical problems and creating rich technical documents. The latest revision of Maple features enhancements to its smart document interface, strong computation engine, and connectivity capabilities. The smart document environment automatically captures all technical knowledge in an electronic form to integrate calculations, explanatory text and math, graphics, images, sound, and more. Maple 11 is priced at $1,900 for a professional license, which includes the Maple Toolbox for MATLAB and MapleNet alongside a one year subscription to the Maplesoft Elite Maintenance Program. Users who purchased Maple or upgraded between January of 2007 and now have already received the same package based on Maple 10, which allows an automatic upgrade to Maple 11. Academic licenses for Maple 11 are priced at $1,000.
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02/15, 1:15pm
"Super-computing" unit
CLC bio today unveiled the CLC Bioinformatics Cell, enabling users to transform ordinary Intel- or AMD-based workstations into "super-computing" units. The company claims tasks that previously took two hours can be computed in one minute without hassle. "This product can potentially help pharma and biotech corporations move faster through the phases of drug discovery, and thereby help the pharma industry to develop products faster to meet the healthcare challenges of today," said Nordic director at Intel Jörgen Forsberg. The CLC Bioinformatics Cell is designed to accelerate bioinformatics algorithms such as Smith-Waterman and ClustalW up to 110 times faster than modern desktop systems. The device works by plugging into the USB port of any Intel- or AMD-based computer running Mac OS X, Linux, or Microsoft Windows (pricing is dependent upon the number of CPUs and cores that it can work on in parallel).
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02/12, 2:05am
OpenMacGrid uses Xgrid
Leveraging Apple's Xgrid technology, MacResearch.org today announced the first wide-scale, publicly-accessible computing grid: OpenMacGrid allows anyone running Mac OS X 10.4 or later to donate their Mac's spare CPU cycles to help researchers perform intensive scientific calculations, in much the same way as projects such as SETI@Home. "Unlike other distributed computing projects, which run a single application and have restricted access, OpenMacGrid will be open for use by any scientist following submission and acceptance of a project proposal," the company said. To contribute CPU cycles to OpenMacGrid only requires users to be running Mac OS X v10.4 or later; they must enter a few details in the system preferences; however, no software installation is required. Users can monitor activity on the grid using the specially-developed Dashboard widget available free for download. Scientists wishing to leverage OpenMacGrid for their research can apply for access using an online submission form.
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02/08, 12:15pm
Papers Public Preview 2
Mek & Tosj have released the second public preview of their new application titled "Papers." The software is designed to revolutionize the way scientists deal with scientific papers, supporting searches for papers using PubMed and directly retrieving as well as archiving PDF documents. Users can read and study documents all from within Papers, and the latest release offers a completely revamped interface for importing as well as matching scientific articles. The update also adds support for direct import and export of data from bibliography programs such as Endnote, Bookends, Bibdesk, Sente, and others through a plug-in architecture. Papers offers full Spotlight integration, improved Smartgroup functionality, and dozens of bug fixes. Papers is available for an introductory price of $25, and Papers Public Preview 2 is available for download. Papers requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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01/11, 4:25pm
MacForensicsLab 2.0
SubRosaSoft has released the second major incarnation of its MacForensicsLab suite. The program sifts through data on a computer, highlighting the particular evidence investigators are searching for in a criminal case. MacForensicsLab 2.0 runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, and enables users to to multitask -- for example by acquiring one disk, cataloging another, and salvaging a third disk image for files simultaneously. The software also includes several new tools such as a filter for skin tones in pictures, and a scan for Social Security as well as credit card numbers. MacForensicsLab 2.0 requires Mac OS X 10.3, targeting local police and other government departments. The latest revision is priced at $1,000.
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01/05, 12:40pm
Scientific Paper manager
Mek & Tosj today released Papers, a new application designed to revolutionize the way scientists deal with scientific papers. Users can search for papers using PubMed, directly retrieve and archive PDF documents, and read as well as study all material from within Papers. The software offers tabbed as well a s full screen reading of papers, organization of papers in 'Smart' folders, and the ability to download PDF files directly from a publisher's website using built-in WebKit functionality. Papers was developed by Alexander Griekspoor (Mek) and Tom Groothuis (Tosj), both of whom acquired their PhDs in the Neefix laboratories doing biomedical research at the cellular level. The public preview version of Papers is available for free (system requirements were unavailable).
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01/04, 11:00am
Annotation 1.0 released
SaySoSoft has released Annotation, an application designed primarily for human and animal behavioral labs at major research institutions. The software allows users to code events in terms of type, onset, and duration. Annotation can generate organized audio/video clips, and extracts complex event structures for analysis using chosen statistics software. The application is designed to help users graphically visualize data to make patterns immediately discernible. Annotation runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later, and is priced at $300 for a single-user license or $700 to accommodate five users.
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12/19, 9:15am
Custom bioinformatics SDK
CLC bio today announced the release of a new Software Developer Kit (SDK) for its bioinformatics software products. The CLC Developer Kit enables the more than 26,000 worldwide users of CLC bio’s software to customize their bioinformatics workbenches to their specific needs. Users can download software modules (plug-ins) developed by third parties or create their own plug-ins. The company also released CLC Workbench 3.2, its flagship software analysis solution, to support the new plugin architecture, which can be used to integrate with local or even proprietary databases, proprietary bioinformatics algorithms, and support custom workflows. Plug-ins are programmed in Java, and can be integrated with modules programmed in other languages, such as C/C++ and Python. Six different plugins are now available, including one that integrates five different alignments (ClustalW, K-Align, MUSCLE, MAFFT, and T-Coffee) with CLC bio’s graphical framework.
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12/19, 8:55am
CrystalMaker 7.2 ships
CrystalMaker Software has released CrystalMaker 7.2 for Mac OS X, an update to its Mac program for crystal/molecular structures visualization that features real-time photo-realistic graphics and "out-of-the-screen" 3D display. CrystalMaker 7.2 is available as a Universal Binary application, which runs natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs. The company said the software solution has been extensively tuned to provide seamless file compatibility between the two Mac architectures. In addition, version 7.2 features the ability to control global bonding specifications, while preserving customized structural views. It also features new flexible model options, with the ability to combine aspects of ball-and-stick, stick, wireframe and polyhedra representations within the same plot. Other changes include improvements to window tiling/stacking and the saving of "notebook" information using Rich Text Formatting. CrystalMaker 7.2 is available for $429/£230 (single-user academic version) or as a free update to v7 users.
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11/29, 8:40am
HyperRESEARCH 2.7 ships
ResearchWare today released HyperRESEARCH 2.7, a multi-platform software package for qualitative analysis research. The new version offers enhanced display of coded segments of text, automatic backups of data files, significant performance improvements, an enhanced GUI, support for latest QuickTime formats, and a completely revised integrated concept mapping tool. HyperRESEARCH is used by researchers in social science research, psychology, usability, and corporate marketing to identify and analyze patterns and trends among qualitative data from a variety of media file types, including text, images, audio and video. Version 2.7 supports Code Stripes, a graphical enhancement making it easy to identify coded segments of text at a glance; includes a completely revised Code Map, an integrated tool for creating simple concept maps, now supports multiple code maps which can include memos and imported images, and more. It is available for $370 and requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later. (It is comptible with Apple's Rosetta technology; however, a Universal Binary version is in development and expected to ship in the coming weeks as a free update.)
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11/27, 2:35pm
DataPlot released
An avid Mac developer has developed and released DataPlot, a new "simple and powerful" 2D plotting tool. Developer David Adalsteinsson, who created the scientific visualization tool DataTank, designed the new software as a result of a discussion at the recent World Wide Developers Conference 2006 about the need for a simple 2D plotting tool, according to MacResearch. The application includes an area for the data set to explore, display options, and a graph display. A "Parameters" button opens a side panel with access to sliders as well as other interactive controls, and visual graph commands line the top of the window. DataPlot ($30) runs natively on PowerPC and Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary (system requirements were unavailable).
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11/17, 5:00pm
OsiriX 2.6 released
The OsiriX Project has released OsiriX 2.6, an update to the open-source medical imaging software that offers DICOM print, reports in iWork Pages, JPEG DICOM, Cobb's angle, and 64-bit compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard.' OsiriX boasts faster performance, an intuitive user-interface, and an open platform for development of processing tools. The image processing software is dedicated to DICOM images produced by medical equipment and confocal microscopy, featuring an exclusive technique for navigating 3D/4D/5D and more than 8,000 users worldwide, according to the Project. OsiriX 2.6 is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later with at least 1GB of memory.
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11/15, 10:40am
Citrin 1.0 released
Gigawiz has released Citrin 1.0, a low-cost Universal Mac OS X application designed for interactive scientific graphing and curve fitting. The software provides 2-D, 3-D, ternary, and commonly used statistical charts with full Unicode support, as well as flexible error bar settings. A curve fitting module supports pre-defined as well as user-defined non-linear regression, while native worksheets allow users to import and store large data sets from diverse data formats (PDF, PICT vector graphics, and bitmaps such as PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, SGI, TGA, etc.). Citrin also offers diverse graphic file export formats, as well as drag-and-drop support. The application is priced at $120, and requires Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later.
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11/14, 1:10pm
Wolfram Workbench released
Wolfram Research today released Wolfram Workbench, an integrated development environment (IDE) that incorporates Mathematica technologies for the development of large-scale technical solutions. The software is built on the Eclipse IDE platform, easing the process of Eclipse adopters using Mathematica for applications. Key Workbench features include the ability to group files, code, and other Mathematica resources into a single project; perform source code editing with syntax highlighting, error reporting, and local variable coloring; and study code as it runs to detect and fix issues. The application also supports profiling code execution to develop run tests via an array of reporting methods; managing multiple versions of files as well as access version histories, and building as well as deploying Mathematica packages. Wolfram Workbench requires Mathematica 5.2 or later, and is priced at $145 (system requirements were unavailable).
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11/14, 9:10am
Geneious Pro 2.5 ships
Biomatters today released Geneious Pro 2.5, an update to its flagship product “Geneious” that allows researchers to do genomic research quicker: it offers tools for sequence alignment, sequence analysis, phylogenetic tree building, PubMed search, the ability to organize sequences and publications in a database, and download protein/gene sequences. "Think of Geneious like 'bio-Google on steroids' – it is the one tool that has successfully allowed biologists to run complex computational diagnostics on genomic information." Version 2.5 adds artificially intelligent searching; allows users to load, view and edit full chromosomes or up to 10,000 HIV genomes; offers primer design & basic contig assembly; delivers publication-quality image export; includes full collaboration with Google Chat integration; and brings interoperability with other tools, such as DNAStar, Mega, Phrap. It is free for academic use, while the Pro version is $133 for academic use and $333 for commercial use.
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11/13, 11:05am
LabMathX released
An Apple software developer has released LabMathX, a Cocoa-based application for scientific analysis, calculations, and visualization of laboratory data as well as theories. The software is written in Objective C and compiled as a Universal Binary to offer native compatibility with Intel-based Macs. LabMathX offers drag-and-drop support for entering equations as well as program calculations, displaying data tables or labels, and entering simple commands or definitions. The application comes with a complete user manual, 'QuickStart' guide, and examples. Users can clear previous values in code, specify initial conditions or parameters, specify a custom step size, write usual dynamical equations in a second text sub-window, and more. LabMathX is available for $70 and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
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10/31, 7:55pm
GRASS GIS 6.2.0 released
The GRASS Development Team has released GRASS GIS 6.2.0, adding hundreds of new features and support for the latest GIS data formats to the Geographic Information System (GIS). The software is used for spatial modeling, visualization of raster and vector data, geospatial data management and analysis, processing of satellite and aerial imagery, and production of sophisticated presentation graphics as well as hardcopy maps. GRASS is designed to combine powerful raster, vector, and geospatial processing engines into a single integrated software package. GRASS is used around the world in academic and commercial settings as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental consulting companies, according to The GRASS Development Team. The software is available for free as open-source software, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. [corrected pricing]
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10/20, 2:00pm
kSpectra Toolkit 2.4
SpectraWorks today released kSpectra Toolkit 2.4, updating its set of tools for advanced spectral analysis of univariate or multivariate time series. The toolkit contains procedures for estimating the spectrum of a time series; decomposing the time series into trends, oscillatory components, and noise; reconstruction and prediction of the contributions of selected components of the time series; and a gap-filling procedure for treating missing observations or uneven sampling. Key features include multithreading for essential computations, the ability to adopt the latest Mac OS X technologies such as Automator or Spotlight, an integrated help system, and drag-and-drop installation. kSpectra Toolkit also offers built-in plotting with EPS as well as PDF output, intuitive object-based data management, and optimization for both PowerPC as well as Intel-based Macs.
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10/11, 1:25pm
Onset unveils HOBO Pro v2
Onset Computer has announced the HOBO Pro v2 Series of four Mac-compatible weatherproof data loggers designed for use in a broad range of outdoor temperature and humidity monitoring applications. Slightly larger than a pocket-sized flashlight, the HOBO Pro v2 loggers address the need among professional researchers for a portable data logger capable of withstanding harsh outdoor and condensing environments such as field site evaluations, ecology studies, and microclimate monitoring. Key features of the HOBO Pro v2 include a robust and replaceable RH sensor that provides superior recovery from condensing conditions, as well as fast data offload via a high-speed optic-USB interface. HOBO Pro v2 Series loggers are available from Onset for $129. The optic-USB base station, HOBO Waterproof Shuttle, protective boots, and HOBOware software are available separately. [image]
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10/11, 9:05am
Sequencher 4.7 released
Gene Codes has announced a new version of Sequencher, its DNA sequence assembly and analysis program. Version 4.7 further refines its DNA sequence analysis capabilities: the Variance Table, introduced in 4.6, has been enhanced to allow editing of the data with table cells, with those changes automatically updated to the samples sequence and chromatograms. It also features improved Reference Sequence numbering and improved Sequence Editing functions; other improvements include enhanced GenBank feature handling, fully updated HTML help, the ability to save projects as Templates to speed repetitive analysis, and expanded file import/export capabilities. The company also said that the update represents a significant update to the forensic capabilities of Sequencher for Forensic Scientists working with mtDNA samples for victim ID and forensic casework. The application, not yet available as a Universal Binary, is compatible with Rosetta emulation environment and requires Mac OS 10.2.8. A demo offers all the functions except for printing and saving.
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10/10, 1:30pm
ProScope HR launches
Bodelin Technologies has begun shipping its ProScope HR, a new high-resolution version of its ProScope hand-held microscope. The new device offers a 1.3 mega-pixel image and new included software for Mac as well as Windows to captures stills, video, and time-lapse imagery with a single click. Users can load the free software that comes bundled with the ProScope HR, negating the need to deal with a separate driver. Users can adjust resolution from 320x240 to 640x480 for live presentations, or 1280x1024 to capture high-resolution stills. The new microscope works with previous ProScope lenses, enabling current customers to simply upgrade to a new base. Bodelin also introduced a 400x lens to accompany the launch of its ProScope HR. The ProScope HR Base Unit is available for $240 without a lens, or with a 50x lens for $350. The new 400x lens is priced at $250.
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09/27, 9:15am
MathWorks' control design
The MathWorks today announced major upgrades to three of its control design software products: Control System Toolbox 7, Simulink Control Design 2, and Simulink Response Optimization 3. The new versions provide a stronger integration with Simulink to create a streamlined platform for control design and optimization using Model-Based Design as well as a new graphical user interface (GUI) that unifies the three products. The trio of products facilitates the control design process: Control System Toolbox gives engineers the ability to systematically analyze, design, and tune control systems; Simulink Control Design enables the design and analysis of sophisticated multi-loop control systems directly in Simulink; and Simulink Response Optimization, enables engineers to use numerical optimization to tune the response of systems modeled in Simulink, satisfying performance requirements. Prices start at $1000 for each product.
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08/28, 3:05pm
EndNote X released
Thomson ResearchSoft software has released EndNote X, a tool for organizing references and creating bibliographies using simple input and structural methods. Version "X" features a new method of PDF organization making use of the EndNote library compression to make easy back up files. Also featured in EndNote X is a new library view, file type support for Apple's Spotlight technology, new alphabetical reference sorting, support for more reference types, enhanced support for electronic sources, single file compressed libraries, improved search fields, and a customizable toolbar alongside new quick access commands. This release of EndNote costs $90 to previous buyers and $240 to new customers. EndNote X is a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. [Download - 51.1MB]
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08/11, 1:05pm
Wozniak to head south
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is planning to drive a Hummer H1 powered by hydrogen fuel cells from the McMurdo Station in Ross Island, Antarctica, to the South Pole. 'Woz' made the announcement at Stanford's AlwaysOn Conference in late July, according to leftlanenews. Wozniak's vehicle will be co-piloted by Buzz Aldrin, the former astronaut who walked on the moon in 1969, and the trip will be part of a research expedition slated for December of 2007. The expedition is to be filmed in 3D for the director James Cameorn.
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08/08, 5:35pm
Pooch for Mathematica
Dauger Research and Advanced Cluster Systems have announced the PoochMPI Toolkit for Mathematica, enabling Wolfram Research's Mathematica to be combined with the easy-to-use, supercomputer-compatible Pooch clustering technology of Dauger Research. This new technology extends the power of clusters: "Pooch has long provided users with fastest and easiest path to parallel computing", said Dr. Dean Dauger, President of Dauger Research, Inc. "Today we've truly run Mathematica in parallel, enabling its power to be combined with Pooch's ease of use and reliability. This creates one of the most powerful cluster solutions ever and a milestone for which we're proud." Inspired by the supercomputing-standard Message-Passing Interface (MPI), the PoochMPI Toolkit creates a standardized way for Mathematica kernels to communicate with each other directly. It is scheduled to be available by the end of September.
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08/08, 2:40pm
Progeniq BioBoost v3.0
Progeniq today announced a Universal version of its third-generation BioBoost v3.0 bioinformatics data processing accelerator for Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger". BioBoost can leverage the new Intel-based Macs to make commonly used bioinformatics applications, such as Pairwise and Multiple Sequence Alignment, up to 10x-50x faster than a typical processor, according to the company. BioBoost accelerators provide hardware processing for the most computationally intensive applications. By utilizing Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, the processor is able to 'rewire' itself on the fly according to the application that needs to be accelerated. This allows a single hardware accelerator to speed up any number of supported applications. The Universal version of BioBoost allows applications to run on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. Adding BioBoost removes computational bottlenecks and optimizes the entire workflow providing final results faster. [pricing not available]
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08/07, 9:55am
OsiriX 2.5 released
The OsiriX Team today released OsiriX 2.5, a major update to the open-source medical imaging software offering a new Q&R interface. OsiriX 2.5 is designed by radiologists, for radiologists offering better rebuild functionality; faster MIP for Intel processors (SSE); DICOM Structured Report DICOM SR); quicker navigation in databases; faster displaying of large images; and the ability to export images as QuickTime or JPEG directly from the database window. OsiriX 2.5 is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later with at least 1GB of memory.
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08/03, 10:20am
Geneious Pro 2.01
Biomatters has introduced Geneious Pro 2.01, a software solution that incorporates collaboration, sequence alignment editing and ClustalW to make bioinformatics easier for all scientists. Geneious is a self-organizing, automatically-updating library of genomic and genetic data that provides a fully integrated, visually-advanced toolset for sequence alignment and phylogenetics, sequence analysis, and BLAST protein structure viewing. Geneious Pro now adds the ability for users to collaborate and share data, offers manual sequence editing functions, enables annotation editing, features sequence alignment, allows new sequence creation, and brings chromatogram visualization. In addition, version 2.01 brings a revamped user interface, improved search and agents, a public API for third-party plugins, and support for additional commonly used import/export file formats. Geneious is free, while licensing for the Pro version starts at $133 per year ($40 for six-month student academic license).
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08/01, 6:55pm
webMathematica 2.3
Wolfram Research has released webMathematica 2.3, supporting 64-bit computing to expand the size and scope of scientific problems that websites can reliably solve. "WebMathematica was already the ideal all-in-one solution for putting interesting science online, but now it's much more," said Tom Wickham-Jones, director of kernel technology for Wolfram Research. "We've added the power of true 64-bit computing so developers can build more dynamic sites and their users can experience the next wave of technical computing right through the Web." The update offers 64-bit enhanced arbitrary-precision numerics, multithreading support for numerical linear Algebra, major vectorization speed improvements, RSS as well as vCard import, and enhanced charts/visualizations (pricing and system requirements were unavailable).
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07/26, 12:40am
KnowledgeMiner 5.3 ships
Script Software today released KnowledgeMiner 5.3, an update to its solution for knowledge discovery (structure) via data mining (information) that can be used in any field of human inquiry to reveal new and previously unknown relationships in data. It can be used for stocks, currencies and financial trading as well as other types of research in analyzing and deciphering large amounts of data. The software employs a set of unique inductive learning and self-organizing modeling technologies: GMDH Neural Networks, Fuzzy Rule Induction, and Analog Complexing pattern recognition for time series prediction, classification, modeling, clustering, and diagnosis of complex ill-defined systems. Version 5.3 adds automated fuzzy model based defuzzification and a new self-detecting defuzzification model for back-transforming results into the initial data space. In addition, the software now works on both static and dynamic fuzzy models. KnowledgeMinder 5.3 is available in Copper Student ($65), Copper ($120), Silver ($400), Gold ($780), and Platinum ($1800) editions.
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07/12, 8:35am
SSPS 13.0 released for Mac
SPSS has released SPSS 13.0 for Mac OS X, updating its data management and analysis solution built to find trends, key facts, or patterns. The system is designed for medical and scientific researchers, academia, marketers, or those looking for trends to forecast the future. SPSS 13 adds classification trees as well as complex samples, incorporating improvements such as Regression models, tables, categories, and advanced models. The company is offering upgrades for both SPSS conjoin and missing value analysis. SPSS 13.0 will be available to Mac OS X in late spring of 2006 for $1500. SPSS 13.0 requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later with Java 1.4.2.
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07/10, 1:30pm
Hurricane Watcher widget
WeatherBug today launched its WeatherBug Hurricane Watcher Widget 1.0.0.1 for Mac OS X. The widget features satellite images with multiple views of current as well as developing storms along the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Eastern Coastal regions. The software enables users to access animated storm tracking functionality as well as the WeatherBug Storm Central website for weather news, in-depth information on current weather systems, and user-submitted photos/videos. The storm tracking option offers facts on each storm, and allows users to track existing as well as previous storm paths dating back to the year 2000. The widget also offers access to live neighborhood-level conditions via the WeatherBug Network of 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations across the U.S. WeatherBug Hurrican Watcher Widget 1.0.0.1 is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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07/07, 12:50pm
CLC Free Workbench 3.0
CLC Bio has released CLC Free Workbench 3.0, allowing users to make a large number of bioinformatics analyses. The software combines smooth data management and graphical viewing with output options, and offers interactive restriction site analysts. Other bioinformatics analyses include creating and editing alignments, Phylogenetics, integrated GenBank searches, and advanced DNA to Protein translation. The latest iteration of the application updates all icons to support a more modern, platform-independent look, and allows users to start an analysis by dragging a sequence to the icon in the toolbox. CLC Free Workbench 3.0 is available for free, requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later, and works with Intel-based Macs.
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06/19, 1:25pm
Physicists turn to Macs
Scientists at the CERN international particle physics laboratory in Geneva have turned to Apple technology in a major global project to help improve humankind's understanding of the structure of the universe. Intel Macs will be used to measure what happens when particles collide at near the speed of light. The ALICE experiment (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is one of five engineered to create collisions produced by CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest particle accelerator that will collide beams of protons with 14 TeV of energy. The five experiments will handle nearly 10 petabytes of data per year, or as much data as the entire European telecommunications network handles today.
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06/09, 10:20am
Onset HOBO RG3 for Mac
Onset Computer has introduced the HOBO RG3, a new Mac-compatible rainfall data logging system that combines a data logging rain gauge with a built-in data logger. The new HOBO RG3 system enables agricultural researchers, growers, stormwater managers and others to record rainfall data right out of the box. It records data with each tip of the rain gauge bucket, which is ideal in situations where peak rainfall rates need to be determined, according to the company. An internal temperature sensor enables the logger to be used in a solar radiation shield to measure temperature. Other features include convenient data offload to a Mac computer, twice the memory of previous versions, and support for Onset's new HOBO Waterproof Shuttle. For plotting and analyzing rainfall data, Onset offers HOBOware software, a graphing and analysis software package. The HOBO RG3 Rainfall Logging system is $400, while the optic-USB base station, HOBO Waterproof Shuttle, and HOBOware software are all priced separately.
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