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Wed, 31 Jul 2002
GolfMeister Version 3.5.1 Released
GolfMeister3.5.1 is a update to the shareware program used to record and analyze golf scores. It keeps statistics on such things as greens in regulation, drives in fairway, eagles, birdies etc. Version 3.5.1 runs natively on OSX and includes a number of bug fixes.
RhythmForest - Forestation Interface
Team Photon started development of [RhythmForest]project.
http://www.photon01.co.jp/reg/forest/We are successful to form a Public Sphere on the web-world for the people on the earth to communicate with melody and visuals through the [RhythmEngine]project.
http://www.photon01.co.jp/reg/More than 10,000 people a day visit our site to enjoy the RhythmEngine session. We want to utilize the high potential of this RhythmEngine to improve the actual world. RhythmForest is a project an international forestation activity fund. When a player play with RhythmForest to raise greens in a game, a tree will be plant on the forestation area in the actual world. RhythmForest helps people especially children to plant trees online. OISCA International has been backed up this project. OISCA International is the global NGO, which has been particularly active in the field of agriculture, forestation, and environmental education. RhythmForest project is under planning to start in 2002. A certain famous Japanese ISP and IT company are planning details arranging to support this project.
Portraits & Prints Updated to Version 1.2
Oviedo, Florida -- July 30, 2002 -- Portraits & Printsü, the personal photo
studio for Mac OS X, gets updated with several new features. This update
comes packed with more advanced cropping features, several photo scaling
options, full Applescript support, and contrast control including the
ability to apply enhancements to multiple images at once.
Complete control over cropping is realized with two new features. Crops can
now be drawn while maintaining aspect ratio using the new úConstraintî
feature. Furthermore, the new úPresetî crop feature enables you to create
crops of any combination of size, position, aspect ratio and save them for
future use on other photos. These features make it very easy to crop large
batches of photos and maintain the aspect ratio.
A contrast setting was added to the enhancement tool set which already
included brightness, sharpness and saturation. Portraits & Prints now has
the ability to create settings using all four tools and then add them to a
pop-up list for use anytime. Create your own or use the set of commonly used
enhancements already provided.
Photos can now be scaled for printing in three different ways. They can be
auto-cropped, fitted proportionally, or stretched to fit giving complete
flexibility in printing photos.
Portraits & Prints continues to improve and was recently named in the
following publications: iPhoto: The Missing Manual by David Pogue, Joseph
Schorr, & Derrick Story, iPhoto 1.1 for Mac OS X by Adam Engst, and The
Macintosh Digital Hub by Jim Heid. These publications cited Portraits &
Prints as a great companion application to iPhoto. Go to
www.econtechnologies.com, try the demo, and find out for yourself what all
the hype is about.
Purchase Portraits & Prints for $20.00 and its companion Portraits & Prints
Template Maker for $10.00 online at the Econ Technologies, Inc. web site
(http://www.econtechnologies.com). Free demo versions are available for
download. For more information on Portraits & Prints, Portraits & Prints
Template Maker, and Econ Technologies, please contact Joseph Japes at
407-365-4209 or at jjapes@econtechnologies.com.
Fix Up 4D v1.0.1
Free Product Now Compatible with 4D v6.7.4
Vero Beach, FL - Tuesday, July 30th, 2002: Deep Sky Technologies, Inc.,
today announced the release of Fix Up 4D (FU4D) v1.0.1 for Macintosh and
Windows. FU4D is a set of 4D extensions which enhance, improve, and correct
the 4th Dimension development and runtime environment. 4D extensions allow
for the actual 4D environment to be patched, repaired, and improved. FU4D
provides a comprehensive basis of individual improvements to the 4D
environment which all 4D developers can take advantage of immediately.
The documents included in the FU4D package all work independently of each
other and there is no requirement that any combination of them be used at
any time. This makes it simple for the developer to choose which
improvements in particular benefit development and only install the 4D
extension documents in FU4D package which are most useful.
Installing the FU4D package is exceedingly simple. Just drag the items in
the 4D Extensions folder within the FU4D archive into the 4D Extensions
folder next to your current 4D application. Do not replace the 4D
Extensions folder, only add the items in the FU4D archive to the items
already in your existing 4D Extensions folder. If you are using any
previous versions of the FU4D package, remove those items from your 4D
Extensions folder. FU4D works with both 4th Dimension and 4D Client, as
long as the FU4D documents are in the 4D Extensions folder next to the
currently running 4D based application.
You can learn more about FU4D and download the free software directly on
the Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., web site at:
http://www.deepskytech.com/prod_4dextensions/fu4d/
New in this Release
Fix Up 4D v1.0.1 is targetted merely for the 4th Dimension v6.7.4
product line. For no perceptible reason, the final release of 4D
v6.7.4 has most of the resource IDs of the internal forms used in the
4D environment increased by one. The only apparent reason for this is
to break the functionality provided for in Fix Up 4D v1.0.0.
FU4D v1.0.1, this release, has the sole change of bringing the
resource IDs back in agreement between the forms in FU4D and 4D
v6.7.4.
For this reason, if you continue to run any 4D product in the v6.7.x
product line which is v6.7.3 or below, you should continue to use FU4D
v1.0.0.
If you are running any 4D product of v6.7.4, you should use FU4D
v1.0.1.
Developers Everywhere are Talking
"Great initiative. I am looking for the doc. on how to do it myself!"
- Jim Dorrance, jim@dorrance.net
June 26th, 2002
"I'm really excited about Fix Up 4D. It's really cool. I attended
Thibaud's session at the last summit on hacking 4D, but I never took
the time to actually go in and do some hacking on my own. Now I'm
inspired. Any cool hacks I come up with, I'll let you know."
- Tim Nevels, timnevels@sunflower.com
Innovative Solutions
June 26th, 2002
"Hey, thanks you guys at Deep Sky, these are great little additions to
4D..."
- Peter Hay, peter@foreground.co.nz
Managing Director, Foreground Software Ltd.
June 25th, 2002
"This is great! Thanks for making it available."
- David Lieb, david_lieb@post.harvard.edu
Harvard University
June 25th, 2002
"Thanks for Fix Up 4D..."
- Simon Wright, swright@knowledgesharing.com
Knowledge Sharing, Inc.
June 25th, 2002
"Great little toy... I am especially impressed with the patched global
Find dialog. 4D's own frustrates me all the time, since the dialog
defaults to 'Expression' which rarely works. I almost always use the
'All' option. Thanks for releasing FU4D as gift to the community.
Keep up the good work!"
- Adam Soos, adam@nskinc.com
NSK, Inc.
June 25th, 2002
"The ability to see your entire method name in the Explorer is reason
enough to use this tool. Like the other quality programmer tools,
you're going to wonder how you worked without it. We've asked 4D for
these features year after year, and Deep Sky has delivered for us."
- Justin Leavens, jleavens@lizeric.com
Lizeric, Inc.
June 21st, 2002
"And it ain't even April 1st..."
- Steve Hussey, shush@rockisland.com
Editor, Dimensions Magazine
June 22nd, 2002
"I love it!"
"FIND: The ability to call the main Find window by keypress, plus to
be able to sort the resulting "found" window (and close it by
keypress) are *very* welcome! For me, the only remaining "missing" bit
is a way to bring to the front a "found" window that has been covered
by another window."
"EXPLORER WINDOW: At last!!! The ability to completely see a full
length method name, instead of having to guess. The splitter is a
*very* welcome addition. I wonder if there is any way to get 4D to
remember the width set? (what do you mean "they're never satisfied!"
;-)"
"Keyboard access to the Database Structure window is a nice touch
also. FU4D solves some niggly shortcomings that have existed in the
Design enviroment for many years. I hope there are more gems like
these up your sleeves..."
- Keith Goebel, keith.g@clear.net.nz
June 22nd, 2002
"This extension will save tons of time for me every day! When I saw
how it was written in 4D and how quick he did it, I was wondering why
4DInc wouldn't make this more well known or release extensions that
enhance the developer experience. Everybody who uses 4D, should also
get FU4D."
- Michael Ginsberg, mike@mdg.com
President, MDG Computer Services, Inc.
June 21st, 2002
Features in the FU4D extensions
The different documents in the FU4D package allow the developer to
individually choose what functionality is to be improved in the 4D
environment. The following is a listing of all of the documents in the FU4D
package and the enhancements that each provides to the 4D environment:
FU4D_Explorer.4XR:
* Vertical splitter has been added next to hierarchical listing;
* Object method added to twiddle to allow for proper resizing of collapsing
form with respect to the new splitter;
FU4D_Find.4XR:
* Enterable area has been widened to more easily accommodate longer search
strings; the wrapping of longer search strings now occurs at approximately
40 characters instead of the default 25 characters;
* Form has been widened to accommodate widened enterable area;
* Popup selection defaults to All when form opens; this is obviously the
most used option in the Find form;
* Previous search string is selected when form opens; no more need to
select the previous search results by selecting the text, instead developer
can just start typing to replace the selected search string;
* Get Frontmost Window Name button added just to the left of the enterable
area; this puts the name of the current frontmost window into the enterable
search area; great for doing searches throughout structure when currently
editting a method or form;
FU4D_Find_Results.4XR:
* Sort button added to top of form allows search results to be sorted; the
sorting of the search results is done alphabetically from the result names
found;
FU4D_Menus.4XR:
* Command-W is no longer the default Flush Buffers catch; it is now Command-' ;
* Method Properties... menu item is available with Command-; keyboard
equivalent;
* Form Properties... menu item is available with Command-; keyboard equivalent;
* Find... menu item is available with Command-I keyboard equivalent;
NOTE: on Windows, all command key equivalents are available as Control key
equivalents.
Pricing and Availability
The FU4D package is available for free to all 4D developers worldwide.
There is no development or deployment costs or licenses of any kind with
this software package.
The FU4D package can be downloaded by following the Downloads link on the
Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., web site, located at:
http://www.deepskytech.com/
The FU4D package, in its current state, has not been tested for
compatibility with 4D v6.8.x. Full compatibility has been tested only with
4D v6.7.x. It is recommended at this time that FU4D be used only with 4D
v6.7.x.
In the near future, Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., will release a 4D v6.8.x
compatible version of the FU4D package.
About Deep Sky Technologies, Inc.
Based in Vero Beach, Florida, Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., provides
software development, consulting, hosting, and colocation services. Founded
in 1997, Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., develops and supports a wide variety
of software development tools and services to aid in the creation of custom
applications and web sites for the Macintosh and Windows platform. For more
information, please visit our web site at http://www.deepskytech.com/.
$50 rebate on Jaguar
Amazon is selling Jaguar for $79 (after a $50 mail in rebate).
CodeTek Studios, Inc. releases version 1.2 of CodeTek VirtualDesktop
CodeTek Studios, Inc. has released a significant update to its virtual desktop software. CodeTek VirtualDesktop [download 708kb] can be downloaded directly from their website. The software is shareware and provides two desktops for the unregistered copy.
Rendezvous, Networking & Mail in Jaguar
With Jaguar running on two different machines, I was able to try out Rendezvous and some of the new networking features.
I enabled printer sharing on my G4, which has a Lexmark Z32 printer connected to it, and I was able to see that printer and print to it from my iBook. If I choose get info from the iBook, it shows that the printer is connected to my G4.
If you log into Rendezvous from iChat, you can see any other machines running Jaguar and send files. iChat is also integrated with the address book. If you have a card for someone on your buddy list, you'll see their real name instead of their screen name.
Although I still prefer Eudora, I tried out mail and found that it's pretty nice. It now shows separate mailboxes for each account as well as a combined mailbox.
One warning: if you're using IMAP and have filters set up that move messages to a different mailbox, the message will be deleted from the server when it gets moved to a local mailbox. That doesn't happen if you're using POP.
The junk mail rule by default changes the color of any message that it thinks is junk mail, although you can change that action. It learns what is and isn't junk mail as you tell it using an icon in the tool bar.
More Jaguar 6C106 Features
Here are a few more things I've noticed after using Jaguar 6C106 for a while.
Energy Saver has many improvements. It now lets you have different settings for battery or AC power, and optimized settings for best performance, longest battery life, playing DVDs, and giving presentations, as well as an automatic setting.
The Terminal window now has a split control above the scroll bar. It splits the window into resizable fixed & scrolling panes.
Preview has many new features, including a tool bar with zoom & rotate buttons and a draw which displays thumbnails for multiple images or pages in a single window.
Jaguar 6C106
Jaguar 6C106 has been seeded to developers. It feels noticeably faster than previous seeds and there are several references to .mac services.
Most applications, including Mozilla 1.1b, launch in 1-2 bounces.
Sherlock now does only internet searching. Pressing command-F in the finder brings up a new find dialog.
The internet preferences panel has a new iDisk panel. If you haven't signed up for a .Mac membership, you'll see a warning that your trial membership will expire when you select it. The old iTools panel has been replaced by a .Mac panel which allows you to sign up for a .Mac membership as well as enter your username and password.
The camera and scanner preference panels seen in previous builds are gone. You now select actions for connecting a camera or pressing a scanner button in the Image Capture application. I haven't seen a list of the supported scanners, but it doesn't support my CanoScan N650U.
Here are some screen shots:
Tue, 23 Jul 2002
Free email for Mac users
I've started MyMacMail.com to provide free email for Mac users.
The service will be limited to a few hundred accounts. Standard account features are a 5Mb mailbox with POP3, IMAP, or webmail access. Alternately, you can have it forward to your existing email address.
Rendezvous Developer Information
Rendezvous is Apple's proposed new industry standard for automatic
discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. Also
known as Zero Configuration networking or Zeroconf, Rendezvous uses
industry standard IP protocols to allow devices to automatically
find each other without the need to enter IP addresses or configure
DNS servers. For technical information on how your hardware product
can take advantage of this new standard, visit the Rendezvous
developer resources web page at
http://developer.apple.com/macosx/rendezvous/.
Security Update 7-18-02
Security Update 7-18-02 is now available. It contains Software Update
client version 1.4.7 which adds cryptographic signature verification
to the software update command line tool thereby increasing the
security of the Software Update process.
The software update command line tool is primarily designed as a means
for XServe system administrators to easily update a Mac OS X server.
The previous release of Software Update client 1.4.6 provided two ways
to run the software update process: via the existing graphical user
interface within System Preferences, and as a command line tool.
Software Update client 1.4.6 was released via Security Update 7-12-02
to provide cryptographic signature verification as quickly as possible
for the more widely-used graphical user interface provided within
System Preferences.
Software Update client 1.4.7 now contains the cryptographic signature
verification via either means of invoking the software update process.
Customers can now choose to run Software Update either via the
command line or from within the System Preferences application.
Further information on the softwareupdate command line tool is
available via "man softwareupdate" after installation.
Security Update 7-18-02 may be obtained from:
- Apple's Software Downloads web site:
If updating from Mac OS X 10.1.1 or higher:
http://depot.info.apple.com/security7-18/
If updating from Mac OS X 10.1:
http://depot.info.apple.com/security7-18v10.1/ - Software Update pane in System Preferences (for 10.1.1 or later)
Software Downloads web site:
The download file for Mac OS X 10.1.1 or higher is titled:
SecurityUpdate7-18-02.dmg
Its SHA-1 digest is:
d407af740a6265730e7b56f6de5360011ce0c7c6
The download file for Mac OS X 10.1 is titled:
SecUpd7-18-02forv.10.1.dmg
Its SHA-1 digest is:
547d4614db75ce82c3f7eef822f9ef482998bf98
Information will also be posted to the Apple Product Security web
site: http://www.apple.com/support/security/security_updates.html
Free mac.com email?
According to an Apple help page, you can convert your trial .Mac account to email only, although when I checked that option wasn't available. This may not apply to existing iTools users, only new members signing up for a trial account.
Converting your .Mac trial account to an email-only account
IMPORTANT: If you choose to convert your trial account to an email-only account, all your data files on Apple's servers (except for email messages) will be removed. Other .Mac services, such as iDisk, HomePage, Backup, and Virex, are not accessible to email-only accounts.
To convert your trial account to email-only, go to www.mac.com. Click Account in the .Mac menu bar, then click the Email Account Management button. Enter the member name and password of the trial account you'd like to convert, then click Convert.
Print your account information for future reference, then click Continue.
Apple announces .Mac services
Apple today launched .Mac, a new
suite of Internet services and software that provides Mac users with
powerful tools for their life on the Internet. .Mac features email service
with IMAP, POP or web-based access; 100MB of Internet storage seamlessly
integrated with the Mac OS X Finderü; and always-on hosting for
personalized homepages and digital photo albums that can be shared with
anyone on the Internet.
".Mac does what others have tried and failed to do-make Internet Services a
seamless extension of your computer," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "It has
never been easier to store, publish, share or communicate on the Internet."
.Mac introduces the ability to share calendars from Apple's innovative iCal
software with colleagues, friends and family members. To protect users'
personal information, .Mac includes McAfee's Virex antivirus software with
online updating, and Backup, Apple's easy-to-use solution for backing up
important data to CDs, DVDs and even automatically to Apple's iDisk
Internet servers.
Available immediately, .Mac's powerful set of sharing, protection and
communication tools include:
- Mac.com email, a robust email service that includes 15MB of
IMAP/POP mail storage, secure access to mail, virus protection and a brand
new web-based interface;
- iDisk, 100MB of Internet storage that is built into the Mac OS X
Finder and also accessible from Windows or Linux machines;
- HomePage, Apple's easy-to-use web site creation tool that allows
users to publish an elegant web site in minutes;
- McAfee's award-winning Virex anti-virus software to help users
minimize the risk of viruses; and
- Backup, a personal back-up solution that allows users to archive
data to their iDisk, CD or DVD.
With the availability of Mac OS X version 10.2 "Jaguar," the next major
release of Mac OS X, .Mac Members will also be able to take advantage of:
- Apple's new iCal calendar sharing application, that allows users to publish
and automatically update family or group calendars to the web so group
members can all keep track of upcoming events and activities; and
- Mac
Slides, a new service that lets users turn sets of photos into dynamic
screen savers that can be accessed by other "Jaguar" users; when the owner
makes changes to the set of photos, everyone's screen saver is
automatically refreshed with the new images.
Pricing and Availability
.Mac is available immediately as a subscription-based service for $99.95
(US) per year. Existing iTools accounts will be transitioned to .Mac
accounts during a free trial period ending September 30, 2002. iTools
members as of midnight, July 16, who sign up for .Mac before September 30,
will receive a special introductory offer of $49.95 (US) for the first
year. New Macintosh customers can sign up for a free, 60-day .Mac trial
from www.mac.com. .Mac will be available through the Apple Store
(www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
.Mac requires Mac OS X v10.1.3 or later; 128MB SDRAM; internal CD-RW or
DVD-R drive (to create CD or DVD backups); Netscape 4.7 or Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5 or later. iCal requires Mac OS X v10.2. The Virex
anti-virus software, Mac.com email, iDisk, HomePage and iCards features of
.Mac can also be accessed using Mac OS 9.
MacMegasite Spin: I feel that .Mac services are overpriced. It shouldn't cost more than $50/year and there should be a way to keep a free Mac.com email address.
Apple introduces iTunes 3
Apple today announced iTunesü 3, a
major upgrade to its award-winning digital music software for the Mac
featuring Smart Playlists, a revolutionary new way to listen to your music.
iTunes 3 adds dozens of new features, including Sound Check for consistent
volume playback and support for audio programming from Audible.com. iTunes,
with more than 14 million copies distributed since its introduction, is
available as a free download to all Mac OS X customers and will be
included with Apple's ground-breaking iPodü digital music player.
Smart Playlists are playlists that automatically and dynamically update
their songs based on simple rules set by the user. For example, a user can
specify that a Smart Playlist contain every song by a given artist, and
when new songs by that artist are added to iTunes' music library, they will
automatically appear in this playlist. Or, a user can specify that a Smart
Playlist contain their 25 most-listened-to songs, which will be dynamically
selected based on the up-to-the-minute play counts for all the songs in
their iTunes library.
"iTunes 3 with Smart Playlists is a major leap forward in the digital music
revolution," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iTunes 3 and iPod provide the
easiest to use and most advanced digital music experience available, and
are setting the pace for the industry."
With its elegant user interface, iTunes was the first "digital jukebox"
application to take the complexity out of managing digital music, making it
fast and easy to encode MP3s, create playlists, burn custom CDs and store
an entire digital music collection on a Mac. iTunes seamlessly integrates
with iPod, allowing Mac users to easily transfer their entire digital music
collection onto their iPod in less than 10 seconds per CD.
In iTunes 3, Smart Playlists make it easy for customers to automatically
create mixes of their favorite songs from their music library based on any
criteria they choose-artist, genre, play count, release date and more.
These mixes can dynamically change and grow as the user's music library
grows. Smart Playlists work with iTunes' new song rating feature so that
users can identify their favorite music and have it automatically added to
a Smart Playlist for playback on their Mac or their iPod.
With support for Audible content, iTunes 3 allows Mac users to access a
broad range of audio programming over the Internet. Through Audible.com,
customers can choose from over 4,500 audiobooks and 14,000 other audio
programs, including national best sellers, classics and daily highlights
from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. With iTunes 3 and
iPod, Mac users have the flexibility to listen to Audible content whenever
and wherever they want. Both iTunes 3 and iPod also support Sound Check,
which automatically adjusts the volume of songs for a more consistent
listening experience.
Pricing & Availability
iTunes 3 requires Mac OS X version 10.1.4 or later and is available
immediately as a free download at www.apple.com/itunes.
Apple Unveils New iPods
Apple today extended its lead in the
portable digital music market with the introduction of the next generation
iPodü, available in three configurations: a 5GB model that now starts at
just $299 (US); a 10GB model that is 10 percent thinner for just $399 (US);
and a new 20GB model that can hold 4,000 songs for just $499 (US). Both the
10GB and the 20GB models feature the industry's first solid-state touch
wheel for incredible precision, accuracy and durability, and include a new
Apple carrying case and wired remote. The new iPods will be available for
the first time to both Mac and Windows customers.
"The award-winning iPod now comes in models that are more affordable,
thinner and hold up to 4,000 songs in your pocket," said Steve Jobs,
Apple's CEO. "But the biggest news is that we're bringing the iPod to
Windows users, so they can join this amazing portable digital music
revolution."
iPod is the only portable digital music player with Auto-sync, an
innovative feature that automatically downloads an entire digital music
library into an iPod and keeps it up-to-date whenever the iPod is plugged
back into a Mac. With iPod's built-in FireWire port, a massive 4,000 song
library can be downloaded in just over 30 minutes verses the more than 13
hours it would take to transfer 4,000 songs with USB-based devices. The
iPod's battery provides up to 10 hours of continuous music and recharges
automatically whenever iPod is connected, using power supplied over the
FireWire cable.
For Mac users, the new iPod will include the new
iTunesü 3, Apple's award-winning digital music software.* iTunes 3 adds
dozens of new features including Smart Playlists that automatically and
dynamically update playlists based on simple rules set by the user, Sound
Check for consistent volume playback and support for audio programming from
Audible.com. With these new features, Mac users can easily transfer audio
programming and sound quality adjustments to their iPod to use wherever
they go. Users can now sync information back to iTunes to bookmark where
they left off listening to Audible programming, or to update song
play-counts or last-played dates for iTunes' Smart Playlists. iPod's new
digital clock adds the necessary time and date stamp to individual songs.
For Windows users, the iPod now works seamlessly with MUSICMATCH Jukebox,
the number one selling music software for PCs. iPod is the only MP3 player
to provide Windows customers with Apple's exclusive Auto-sync technology,
to keep their iPod automatically updated every time it is plugged into
their PC. Users also have the option to manually transfer individual songs
or playlists from their MUSICMATCH library to their iPod. iPod for Windows
will ship with MUSICMATCH Jukebox.
iPod for Mac or Windows comes with improved headphones that offer enhanced
bass response, smoother transitions and more accurate high-end sound
reproduction. iPod also features a redesigned and more portable thin
FireWire cable; 20GB and 10GB iPod models include a built-in protective
cover for the FireWire port.
Pricing & Availability
The new iPod will be available for a suggested retail price of $299 (US)
for the 5GB iPod, $399 (US) for the 10GB iPod and $499 (US) for the 20GB
iPod through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and
Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod for Mac will be available in early August
and iPod for Windows will be available in late August. Laser engraving is
available for $49 (US) and can include two lines of text with up to 27
characters per line.
All iPod models include earbud headphones, Apple iPod Power Adapter and
FireWire cable. 10GB and 20GB iPod models include carrying case and wired
remote; optional remote and carrying case are available for 5GB iPod
models. iPod for Windows also includes a 4-pin-to-6-pin FireWire adapter.
iPod for Mac includes iTunes 3; iPod for Windows includes MUSICMATCH
Jukebox software.
iPod for Mac requires Mac OS X version 10.1 or Mac OS 9.2, iTunes 2.0.4
and a Macintosh with built-in FireWire port. iPod for Windows requires a PC
with built-in FireWire or a Windows-certified FireWire card and Windows Me,
Windows 2000, or Windows XP Home or Professional.
*Some iPod features require a Mac and iTunes 3.
Apple Introduces Mac OS X 10.2 (''Jaguar'')
Apple today introduced Mac OS X
version 10.2 "Jaguar," the next major release of Mac OS X featuring more
than 150 amazing new features and applications. "Jaguar" includes a new
Mail application designed to eliminate junk mail, iChat AIM-compatible
instant messenger, a system-wide Address Book, Inkwellü handwriting
recognition, QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4, improved Universal Access, an
enhanced Finderü, Sherlock 3 with Internet Services and Rendezvousü,
Apple's revolutionary home networking technology. Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar"
will be publicly available August 24 for a suggested retail price of $129
(US).
"Jaguar is light years ahead of Windows XP. There's never been a better
time to switch to Mac," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With Unix at its
core, and the most advanced object-oriented environment ever, Mac OS X is
delivering more software innovation than our industry has seen in a decade."
"Jaguar" key features include:
- enhanced Mail, with a breakthrough junk mail filter that gets
smarter by studying the contents of messages as it's used, not just
filtering emails based on keywords;
- iChat, Apple's new AIM-compatible instant messaging application
that allows users to instantly chat with their AOL and Mac.com buddies
through a fun and easy-to-use interface;
- a new Address Book that allows users to enter information just once
and access it from other applications, a brand new interface with a quick
way to search through contact information, smart editing, support for
vCards, Bluetooth and advanced syncing with Apple's new iSync;
- Inkwell, advanced handwriting recognition technology that is fully
integrated into the text system so that all applications can take full
advantage of it with an input tablet;
- QuickTime 6 with support for MPEG-4, the new worldwide standard for
creating and viewing the highest-quality audio and video content over the
Internet and on wireless devices such as mobile phones and PDAs;
- Universal Access with the ability to magnify the screen to see it
larger, have highlighted text read aloud and use special keyboard commands
such as mouse keys, sticky keys and slow keys;
- an enhanced Finder, featuring a new quick file search from the
toolbar for a better view of files and a faster way to locate them, and the
return of spring-loaded folders;
- Sherlock 3, Apple's all-new Internet Services tool that displays a
personalized view of the information users access the most such as stock
quotes, maps and restaurants;
- Rendezvous, Apple's revolutionary home networking technology that
enables users to quickly and easily link computers and devices instantly
without any configuration via Ethernet, AirPort, FireWire, USB or
Bluetooth;
- Quartzü Extreme, which accelerates graphics performance by using
the power of the Mac's built-in graphics engine to make the desktop more
responsive and deliver seamlessly blended 2D, 3D and QuickTime content
directly onto the desktop;
- increased compatibility with Windows networks with SMB browsing and
sharing as well as built-in PPTP VPN security, making it easier to share
files, work with Windows documents and connect to a Windows network; and
- a rock-solid UNIX-based foundation with significant enhancements
including FreeBSD 4.4-and GCC 3.1-based developer tools, making Mac OS X
the ultimate platform for UNIX users.
Pricing & Availability
Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" will be available beginning on August 24 through
the Apple Store (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores and through
Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $129 (US).
The standard Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all
customers who purchase a new Mac system on or after July 17 that do not
have Mac OS X v10.2 installed. The Mac OS X v10.2 Up-To-Date package is
available for a shipping and handling fee of $19.95 (US) and includes the
Mac OS X v10.2 upgrade CDs and an updated Developer Tools CD.
Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" requires a minimum of 128MB of memory and is
designed to run on the following Apple products: iMac, iBook, Power
Macintosh G3, Power Mac G4, Power Mac G4 Cube and any PowerBook
introduced after May 1998.
Quartz Extreme requires a NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 Titanium
or GeForce4 MX card or any ATI AGP RADEON card. A minimum of 16MB VRAM is
required; 32MB VRAM is recommended for optimum performance.
World's Easiest-to-Manage UNIX-Based Server Software
Apple today announced Mac OS X
Server version 10.2 "Jaguar" Server, the next major release of Apple's Mac
OS X Server software that combines the industrial strength of UNIX with the
ease of use of the Mac. "Jaguar" Server introduces more than 50 new
features, including powerful new NetBoot and NetInstall network management
tools, based on Apple's new LDAPv3 Open Directory architecture that
simplifies user and computer management for business, education and
government customers. As an active member of the Open Source community,
Apple has distributed Open Directory technology through the Darwin Open
Source Project.
"Jaguar Server is the world's easiest-to-manage UNIX-based server software
and unleashes the power of our new Xserve rack-mount server," said Philip
Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
"Combining affordable hardware with powerful open-standards based software,
Xserve and Jaguar Server offer the perfect networking solution for Mac,
UNIX and Windows environments."
"Jaguar" Server key features include:
- new NetBoot for booting multiple Macintosh systems from the
network instead of their local disk drive for making operating system
administration as easy as managing a single computer;
- new Network Install for automating the installation of Mac OS X and
application software directly from the network;
- new Workgroup Manager, a powerful new management console that works
with any LDAPv3 directory server to provide centralized management of
users, groups and computers;
- new Open Directory, an easy-to-setup LDAPv3 directory server with a
secure built-in password server;
- new QuickTime Streaming Server 4 and QuickTime Broadcaster, which
captures and encodes QuickTime content in MPEG-4 for live streaming over
the web;
- improved file and print services including support for quotas,
secure file transfers and NFS resharing via AFP;
- improved web services including support for SOAP, XML-RPC,
server-optimized Java VM, JSPs and Java Servlets; and
- remote server management including the new Server Status Tool and
support for SNMP.
Training & Certification
Apple offers system administrators, technical coordinators and developers a
complete line-up of courses for Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server. Certification
programs and exams for system administrators and technical coordinators are
also available. Classes are offered nationwide at Apple Training Centers
and Apple Authorized Training Centers. For more information visit
www.apple.com/training.
Pricing & Availability
Mac OS X Server v10.2 will be available beginning on August 24 through the
Apple Store (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores and through Apple
Authorized Resellers. Mac OS X Server v10.2 10-Client Edition has a
suggested retail price of $499 (US). Mac OS X Server v10.2 Unlimited-Client
Edition has a suggested retail price of $999 (US).
Mac OS X Server v10.2 works together with Apple's powerful new Xserveü
rack-mount server hardware and is designed to run on Macintosh Server G4,
Power Mac G4, Power Mac G4 Cube, iMac, Macintosh Server G3 and Power
Macintosh G3 computers with 128MB RAM and 4GB of available disk space.
Apple Unveils 17-inch Flat Screen iMac
Apple today unveiled its new top-end
iMac featuring a stunning 17-inch widescreen LCD that floats in mid-air,
allowing users to effortlessly adjust its height or angle with just a
touch. The 17-inch LCD flat screen iMac also features an 800 MHz PowerPC G4
processor, NVIDIA GeForce4 MX graphics, a SuperDriveü for playing and
burning CDs and DVDs, and a large 80GB hard drive that can hold more than
six hours of video, 15,000 songs and 73,000 digital photos. The new 17-inch
iMac also includes Apple's amazing iTunesü, iPhotoü, iMovieü and iDVD
applications, making it the ultimate Digital Hub for digital music, photos
and movies.
"The best consumer desktop just got even better," said Steve Jobs, Apple's
CEO. "Having this gorgeous 17-inch flat screen floating in mid-air right in
front of you is simply breathtaking. There's nothing like it in the PC
world."
Designed around an ultra-compact base, the flat-panel iMac's spacious
17-inch widescreen LCD appears to float in mid-air, allowing users to
effortlessly adjust its height or angle with just a touch. At just one inch
thin, the 17-inch widescreen display has a wide aspect ratio of 16:10,
allowing users to watch DVDs in letter-box format, easily view multiple
windows at one time or enjoy the ultimate computer gaming experience. With
approximately the same viewing area as a 19-inch CRT, the new display has a
resolution of 1440 by 900 pixels-64 percent more pixels than the 15-inch
flat screen iMac.
Every iMac includes Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle
software, including the new iTunes 3 for organizing and burning digital
music, iMovie for creating digital movies and iPhoto for organizing and
sharing digital photos. The new 17-inch flat screen iMac also offers the
revolutionary SuperDrive and Apple's iDVD software to let users easily
create and burn their own custom DVDs that play in consumer DVD players.
The four-model iMac family features:
- a 17-inch widescreen LCD or 15-inch flat screen display;
- an 800 MHz or 700 MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engineü;
- two FireWire and five USB ports for fast, simple, plug-and-play
connections to digital devices such as digital MP3 players, still cameras
and DV camcorders;
- built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and 56K V.90 modem;
- an internal 18-watt digital amplifier for great stereo sound and
Apple Pro Speakers on selected models;
- a collection of productivity and entertainment titles including
Quicken Deluxe 2002 and WorldBook Mac OS X Edition; and
- Mac OS X version 10.2 "Jaguar," Apple's next-generation operating
system.
Pricing & Availability
The new 17-inch widescreen LCD iMac is expected to be available early next
month, and the three 15-inch flat screen iMac models, with a new lower
price on the high-end model, are available immediately through the Apple
Store (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized
Resellers. Pricing and further details of the four standard configurations
are listed below.
The 17-inch widescreen LCD iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,999
(US), includes:
- an 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine;
- DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce4 MX with 32MB DDR memory;
- 256MB SDRAM;
- 80GB Ultra ATA hard drive; and
- Apple Pro Speakers.
The 15-inch flat screen iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US),
includes:
- an 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine;
- DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce2 MX with 32MB DDR memory;
- 256MB SDRAM;
- 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive; and
- Apple Pro Speakers.
The 15-inch flat screen iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US),
includes:
- a 700 MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine;
- DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce2 MX with 32MB DDR memory;
- 256MB SDRAM;
- 40GB Ultra ATA hard drive; and
- Apple Pro Speakers.
The 15-inch flat screen iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,399 (US),
includes:
- a 700 MHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine;
- CD-RW optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce2 MX with 32MB DDR memory;
- 128MB SDRAM; and
- 40GB Ultra ATA hard drive.
Build-to-order options and accessories include additional memory, Apple Pro
Speakers, AirPort Base Station, AirPort Card and the AppleCare Protection
Plan.
Apple Introduces iCal
Apple today introduced iCal, a new
calendar program with built-in Internet sharing that lets business users,
consumers and educators manage multiple calendars, share them over the
Internet and automatically keep them updated.
Users can "publish" their iCal calendars on the web, so colleagues, friends
and family members can "subscribe" and view them in iCal on their own Mac.
In addition, iCal can automatically check for updates to imported calendars
on a regular basis, so shared calendars are always up to date.
"iCal lets you see all the calendars that make up your life," said Steve
Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With built-in Internet sharing, iCal opens a new era of
wide-area calendar sharing between colleagues, friends, family and schools."
With iCal, Mac users can:
- keep track of schedules, appointments and tasks, viewing activities
by day, week or month;
- manage and view multiple calendars at once from within one unified
window to easily identify schedule conflicts or free time at-a-glance;
- publish calendars on the web to share with colleagues, family and
friends;
- subscribe to other calendars to keep up with work schedules, family
events, school events and more;
- send standards-based email event invitations;
- organize and keep track of activities with built-in To Do list
management;
- be notified of upcoming events on screen, by email or text
messaging to a mobile phone or pager; and
- quickly find any event, task or name entered into iCal using its
lightning-fast search tool.
In addition, Apple's new iSync allows users to sync their iCal calendars
with the new generation of Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, PalmOS devices
and the iPodü for access to their most current address books and calendars
on the go.
Pricing & Availability:
iCal will be available as a free download this September and requires Mac
OS X version 10.2 "Jaguar." Publishing calendars on the Internet requires a
.Mac membership or a WebDAV server.
Apple, Cingular & Sony Ericsson Deliver First ''Mac to Mobile'' Solution
Apple today introduced iSync, a
breakthrough product that synchronizes address books and calendars between
Mac computers and the new generation of Bluetooth-enabled GPRS mobile
phones, PalmOS devices and Apple's iPodü portable digital music player.
Apple also announced it is working with mobile industry leaders Cingular
and Sony Ericsson to offer Mac customers the first easy-to-use, integrated
"Mac to Mobile" solution.
"Cell phones are the world's most popular digital device, but up until now,
there's been almost no cooperation between them and personal computers,"
said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iSync lets users have the same up-to-date
address book and calendars everywhere-on their Mac and in their pocket."
"Cingular is thrilled to see Apple take the lead in bringing easy-to-use
mobile solutions to market," said Stephen Carter, president and CEO of
Cingular. "With a Mac, our customers using the new Sony Ericsson T68i phone
are at the leading edge of the mobile services revolution-keeping their
contact list and calendar up-to-date between their Mac and their phone,
sending and receiving text messages from their Mac, and surfing the web
with our new Wireless Internet Express Network."
"There is great synergy between Sony Ericsson and Apple in terms of how we
see new services developing for the consumer and in our commitment to make
applications easy to use," said Katsumi Ihara, president of Sony Ericsson
Mobile Communications. "Apple's approach to working with mobile technology
will scale well into the next generation phones that take on imaging, music
and entertainment functions, and we see many more ways that our products
can complement each other in the future."
iSync ensures that address books and calendars flow seamlessly from a
user's Mac to all of their digital devices and back. Rather than requiring
a separate synchronization application for each type of device, iSync works
with the latest Bluetooth mobile phones, PalmOS devices and iPod to keep
all these devices up to date. As a result, iSync users will enjoy seamless
mobile access to schedules and other crucial information on all the devices
they travel with.
Pricing & Availability: iSync will be available as a free download starting
this September and requires Mac OS X version 10.2 "Jaguar." A list of
iSync-compatible devices is available at www.apple.com/isync.
RealBasic 4.5 Released
REAL Software announced today
the availability of REALbasic 4.5, the powerful, easy-to-use tool for
creating your own software for Macintosh, Mac OS X, and Windows. This new
version of the award-winning software includes dramatically enhanced
multimedia tools, powerful new graphics capabilities, substantially more
flexible database features, and more productive IDE.
"REALbasic 4.5 is, by far, the best version of REALbasic ever, especially
for Mac OS X users," said Geoff Perlman, President and CEO of REAL
Software. "We've combined what users have been requesting with the
technology we know we need for the future."
"The increasing adoption of Mac OS X and the growing number of applications
available for the platform presents a strong business proposition for
developers," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vice president of Worldwide
Developer Relations. "We're excited that REALbasic is creating such a
powerful tool for creating applications for all Mac developers."
New features and capabilities in REALbasic 4.5 include: new vector graphics
engine; over eighty new functions for QuickTime; more flexible and powerful
ListBox with resizable columns and drag-to-reorder rows; enhanced support
for Mac OS X; plus support for MySQL in the Professional Edition; and more.
Please visit http://www.realbasic.com/realbasic for additional
information.
Thousands of people worldwide have developed database systems, utilities,
productivity tools, and games using REALbasic. Whether in business,
education, or science - or just to have fun - anyone can use REALbasic to
create software. Programmers can share their compiled applications for use
with Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows 95 through
Windows XP. They can give what they make to anyone, create shareware, or
sell it commercially.
REALbasic pricing starts at $99.95, with upgrades starting at $29.95. REAL
Software offers academic and volume discounts. In addition to US English,
REALbasic is available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and
Japanese.
Apple eliminates free iTools services
Apple has eliminated their free iTools services, to be replaced by .Mac, which will cost $99 per year. What do you think? Should they keep free mac.com email services?
MacWorld Expo keynote
Steve Jobs just finished giving the MacWorld Expo keynote. The focus was on software & web services, as well as several iPod related announcements... and one more thing.
Here are some of the hilights:
- Jaguar (officially called Mac OS X 10.2) will ship August 24 for $129.
- iTools will be discontinued Sept. 30 to be replaced by .mac, which will cost $99/year ($49 for the first year for current iTools users). iDisk will be increased to 100M with backup & anti-virus software added.
- New iCal application allows you to share calendars over the internet.
- Rendezvous (built into Jaguar): automatically discovers other devices over an IP network with no configuration necessary. Epson, HP, and Lexmark have all adopted Rendezvous and will build them in to their network printers. iChat supports Rendevous to automatically discover buddies on the local network.
- Sherlock 3 featuring "Internet services for the rest of us." including movie theater search, yellow pages, stock tracking and more.
- New mail & address book applications. Mail features sophisticated rules, improved searching, and intelligent junk mail filters.
- Third party software announcements include Maya 4.5 from Alias|Wavefront, Warcraft III from Blizzard, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, and Real player for OS X.
- iTunes 3, featuring "smart playlists" that let you automatically select songs by rating, number of times the songs have been listened to, age of recording, and many, many other categories. Added support for Audible.com. Only runs on Mac OS X. Available today as a free download.
- iPod changes: 5GB model reduced from $399 to $299, 10GB reduced to $399. 10GB is about 10 percent thinner, with a new solid state scroll wheel that has no moving parts, and doors on FireWire port. Includes case & remote. 20GB model available $499 with the same features as the new 10GB model.
- New iPod software adds many iTunes 3 features, including support for genre & composer, new browse features, and support for iCal calendars. iPod is now available for Windows.
- New iSync application allows data synchronization between Mac, iPod, Palm devices, and cell phones via BlueTooth, FireWire, and USB. Lets you sync "Mac to mobile" as well as sync your laptop & desktop computer. Works with .mac services. Available for free download in September.
- All applications available free or bundled with Jaguar.
- iMac with SuperDrive reduced from $1899 to $1799 and 17" display model added.
- 17" iMac features 1440 x 900 pixel display, Nvidia GeForce4 MX graphics. 800MHz G4, 256MB RAM, 80GB drive, SuperDrive for 1,999. Available in two weeks.
Tue, 16 Jul 2002
ImageCaster and InterView for Mac OS X
Econ Technologies' newest software, ImageCaster, has been
bundled with XLR8's InterView 2.1, a device that captures and converts
analog video to digital format. ImageCaster, the åwebcam-to-web simplified√
application built for Mac OS X, is added to an already impressive bundle
that includes Strata Video Shop 4.5 and QuickTime Pro 5.0.
InterView 2.1 opens the door to a lot of video devices for Mac OS X. It
converts S-Video and RCA composite to a USB connection. "With the InterView
device, almost any video source can now be used with OS X. Mac OS X users go
from having a few webcam choices to hundreds - that's awesome!" said Joseph
Japes, Director of Marketing and Quality Assurance for Econ Technologies.
ImageCaster is a straightforward and easy to use webcam application built
exclusively for Mac OS X. ImageCaster is designed around a simple tabbed
interface with a full set of features. Anyone can broadcast images with a
Mac, a video camera, and ImageCaster. Add InterView 2.1 to the mix and your
camera choices go up a hundred fold. ImageCaster automatically recognizes
the InterView driver keeping the whole process simple.
InterView and ImageCaster can be used for more than a webcam. InterView 2.1
can be used to capture video from any source for other applications and
ImageCaster can upload images to any mounted volume or file server, not just
FTP servers. "You can save images to a folder with ImageCaster and use
inexpensive analog security cameras using InterView for an effective,
inexpensive security solution. InterView and ImageCaster have a lot more
uses than just setting up webcams," said Japes.
Built for Mac OS X with QuickTime technology throughout, check out InterView
2.1 and ImageCaster at the Apple QuickTime pavilion at MacWorld New York.
For more information on InterView 2.1 visit http://www.xlr8.com.
For more information on ImageCaster, including a complete list of its
abilities, visit http://www.econtechnologies.com
Apple Reports Third Quarter Results
Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2002 third quarter ended June 29, 2002. For the quarter, the Company posted a net profit of $32 million, or $.09 per diluted share. These results compare to a net profit of $61 million, or $.17 per diluted share, in the year ago quarter. Revenues for the quarter were $1.43 billion, down 3 percent from the year ago quarter, and gross margins were 27.4 percent, down from 29.4 percent in the year ago quarter. International sales accounted for 42 percent of the quarter√s revenues.
Apple shipped 808 thousand Macintosh® units during the quarter, down 2 percent from the year ago quarter.
"Even in this extended worldwide downturn, Apple is continuing to be profitable and continuing to innovate," said Steve Jobs, Apple√s CEO. "We√re working hard to attract new customers with our 'Switchers' advertising campaign and our 31 retail stores, and we√re continuing to invest in a strong slate of new products, some of which we'll talk more about at Macworld New York tomorrow."
"Despite the slowdown in the market, our operational efficiency was excellent," said Fred Anderson, Apple√s CFO. "Our balance sheet is very strong, with $4.3 billion in cash, and we achieved a very efficient cash conversion cycle of -36 days. We expect September quarter revenues to be approximately flat with the June quarter, and expect a slight profit for the quarter before any non-recurring items."
RADicode converts RealBasic to PowerPlant
Solidwave has released RADicode, a new utility that converts RealBasic projects to PowerPlant.
Simply drag and drop your REALbasic project file on to the RADicodeü icon, and get instantly generated PowerPlant sources, and resources. You only need to add specific infrastructure code implementations. In the end you'll save weeks and even months of development time.
Apple releases QuickTime 6
Apple has finally released QuickTime 6, marking an end to their dispute with MPEG LA over licensing fees. QuickTime 6 was finished several months ago, but the release was held up because of that dispute.
MPEG LA wanted to charge per user for streaming, which would have been costly for Apple and other MPEG-4 licensees, particularly given that Microsoft planned to charge for its upcoming Windows Media 9.
"We've made a lot of progress as an industry working with MPEG LA, moving them considerably from where they were six months ago," said Frank Casanova, Apple's director of QuickTime product marketing. "They're primed to release a set of terms that the industry would find more reasonable."
Rob Koenen, president of the MPEG Requirements Group, said that MPEG LA has had to reconsider per-use fees because of the threat of the technology dying on the vine.
"If the terms are acceptable for the markets, MPEG-4 will take off big time. If not, it will be a serious impediment," Koenen said.
The format, he said, was created for use in multiple markets, and much like the MP3 standard for listening to music files, MPEG-4 needs to be adopted on the Internet to ensure its eventual spread to consumer electronics devices, mobile gadgets and video-on-demand services. But if Web sites are forced to pay per-use stream fees, its adoption could easily be hampered.
New in QuickTime 6
A true all-in-one, standards-based, cross-platform media tool, QuickTime 6 delivers a host of new features that include:
- MPEG-4 ISO compliant file creation
- MPEG-4 video codec
- AAC audio codec
- Instant-On streaming
- Macromedia Flash 5
- An enhanced QuickTime Player interface
- QuickTime Picks, bringing you the best, up-to-date QuickTime content
- JPEG 2000 (Mac OS X Only)
- Enhanced AppleScript support (Macintosh Only)
Macintosh System Requirements:
QuickTime 6 requires a PowerPC, G3, or G4 CPU running Mac OS version 8.6 or higher, and Open Transport version 1.2 or higher. In addition, the computer must have at least 32 MB of RAM.
Windows System Requirements:
QuickTime 6 runs on Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (aka Windows Me), Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It requires an Intel Pentium or compatible processor, 32 MB of RAM, SoundBlaster or compatible sound card and speakers. DirectX version 3.0 or later is recommended.
Because QuickTime 6 includes new royalty bearing technologies, a new QuickTime Pro key is required to unlock pro functionality in QuickTime 6. In addition to the abundance of media authoring capabilities in prior versions, QuickTime 6 Pro also provides the ability to create ISO compliant MPEG-4 files and encode MPEG-4 video and AAC audio.
About Roland's Sound Set for General MIDI and GS Format
This release of QuickTime includes an instrument sound set licensed from Roland Corporation that makes a complete General MIDI compatible sound set. It also includes additional sounds necessary to make a complete GS Format compatible sound set.
What is the GS Format?
The GS Format is a standardized set of specifications for sound sources that defines the manner in which multitimbral sound generating devices will respond to the MIDI messages. The GS Format complies with the General MIDI System Level - 1. The GS Format also defines a number of other details over and above the features of General MIDI. These include unique specifications for sound and functions available for tone editing, effects, and other specifications concerning the manner in which sound sources will respond to MIDI messages. Any device that is equipped with GS Format sound sources can faithfully reproduce both General MIDI sound recordings and GS Format MIDI sound recordings.
Apple also released QuickTime Broadcaster, which encodes video to produce professional-quality live events for online deliveryÄquickly.
MacHack 2003 dates announced
Dates for the 18th annual Conference for Leading Edge Developers have been finalized. MacHack will take place June 19-21. Note, that as is customary, MacHack will start at 12:01 AM on Thursday, in this case June 19, 2003. Get ready and mark your calendars. Keep watching machack.com for more information as it becomes available.
New Software Update utility
In addition to security fixes, the new software update utility adds several new features.
You can now run Software Update from the command line by typing sudo /usr/sbin/softwareupdate. For more information, type man softwareupdate. The command line version will list all available updates by default or install the update specified by name on the command line.
Apple Security Update 7-12-02
Apple has released a security update to prevent a recently publicized exploit of the software update utility.
Security Update 7-12-02 increases the security of the Software Update process for systems with Software Update client 1.4.5 or earlier. Packages presented via the Software Update mechanism are now cryptographically signed, and the new Software Update client 1.4.6 checks for a valid signature before installing new packages. Downloaded packages which do not contain a valid signature are deleted from the system.
This AppleCare document, which is also available on a secure server at https://depot.info.apple.com/security7-12/ provides a download link and gives instructions for verifying the checksum.
Are Mac users smarter?
According to a report from Nielsen/NetRatings, Mac users are better educated, make more money, and tend to be more net savvy than PC users. More than half have been online for at least five years, and Mac users are 58 percent more likely than the overall online population to build their own Web page and also slightly more likely to buy goods online.
"With above-average household income and education levels, the Mac population presents a very attractive target for marketers, both online and offline," the research group said.
TS Kelly, director and principal analyst at NetRatings, said that his company decided to publish the study after noticing the differences between the demographics of Mac owners compared with overall PC owners. Kelly said Apple Computer is a client, but he said Apple did not commission the study nor was it made aware of the results prior to the report's publication.
This shows that Mac users are a desirable demographic that shouldn't be ignored, even if there are fewer of us. Software developers, web site producers, and others should read this report and change the way they think about Mac users.
FileMaker Pro 6 Announced
New FileMaker Pro 6 delivers digital-image capture & import, integrated
XML support for universal data exchange, and new ease-of-use features.
Today FileMaker announced its new
FileMaker Pro 6 database software, featuring easier-than-ever templates and
tools, and a virtually limitless ability to gather, manage and share
information.
New in FileMaker Pro 6 is the ability to easily import large numbers of
images from a folder into a database, and, on Mac OS X only, capture
digital images and image-data directly from cameras. Simplifying the steps
to add images extends the FileMaker lead in managing multimedia, and
enables even more creative databases.
With integrated XML (Extensible Markup Language) import and export,
FileMaker Pro 6 will deliver the benefits of virtually limitless
information exchange. The widespread support of XML standards means
FileMaker can integrate and exchange data with many applications, without
complex, costly converting of data between proprietary formats.
FileMaker Pro 6 users can, for example, retrieve data from XML-enabled Web
applications, import accounting data from QuickBooks, or query corporate
databases without using ODBC drivers. With XML export, FileMaker Pro 6
users can share information with users of other applications; for example,
exporting formatted FileMaker data in an email or into Microsoft Excel, or
document-authoring applications.
FileMaker today announced its enhanced FileMaker XML Central
(http://www.filemaker.com/xml) to jumpstart
developers' and power-users' ability to create solutions reaping the
benefits of data exchange and application integration. Developers are
encouraged to download and contribute XSLT stylesheets in the new FileMaker
XSLT Library (see FileMaker XML Central press release).
More than 20 new templates for business, education and home deliver
"instant productivity" to benefit almost all FileMaker Pro 6 users. Users
and developers of FileMaker databases will save time and be more creative
with new features like format painter and customizable dialogs.
"The best just got better with FileMaker Pro 6," said Dominique Goupil,
FileMaker president. "We've made it even easier for workgroups to manage
data with solutions ranging from digital image catalogs to accounting
systems to engineering projects. And integrated XML support greatly expands
the horizons for gathering data into FileMaker and sharing information
beyond the workgroup."
"By adding XML support, FileMaker is proving it can continue to deliver
great benefit to corporate workgroups," said Ron Schmelzer, senior analyst
with ZapThink, an XML industry analyst group. "FileMaker ease-of-use
combined with its rich XML support makes it an ideal platform for
workgroups who need to boost productivity while fitting in with corporate
IT environments."
Customers praise FileMaker Pro 6 image capture and data exchange The New
England Medical Center's Department of Emergency Medicine tracks patients
and lab services with six FileMaker Pro databases. Dr. Dan Ballin said the
new image capture feature in FileMaker Pro 6 will help streamline
cataloging of images.
"When I was taking pictures on slides I kept track of them by numbers
logged in a FileMaker Pro database," said Dr. Ballin. "Image capture will
make it easy to store not only the images, but also exposure information
which is useful in learning and teaching others about medical photography.
FileMaker Pro 6 image capture will be extremely useful and will allow me to
do all this digitally."
At Associated Press, systems manager Bob Weston uses FileMaker to serve
editorial databases to its subscribing news organizations.
"AP is using FileMaker Pro 6 and XML export to convert our data into 'News
Industry Text Format,'" Weston said. "Once I've set up the templates, any
editor can put up a database that's searchable over the Web. All you need
is a stylesheet, and FileMaker Pro 6 will automatically convert any data
into the NITF format. FileMaker Pro 6 is going to make my job a lot easier."
For more comments from customers using FileMaker Pro 6, see
http://www.filemaker.com/customers/customer_comments.html.
Easier than ever digital-image capture and import Running on Mac OS X,
FileMaker Pro 6 captures images and Exif image data (date and time,
exposure length, etc.) straight from a digital camera into a database.
Image capture does not require camera driver software, and recognizes the
cameras supported by Mac OS X
(http://www.apple.com/macosx/whatyoucando/applications/imagecapture.html).
Importing digital images into a FileMaker database is as simple as a few
clicks. After downloading a "roll" of images from a digital camera to a
computer, a user can import all or some into a FileMaker database in a
single step, rather than one image at a time.
New FileMaker Professional Training
Today FileMaker also unveiled its new FileMaker Professional Training:
Foundation Series to empower developers with "how to" information and best
practices for designing and deploying real-world solutions. (See FileMaker
Professional Training press release.)
New products, same file format
FileMaker Pro 6 is available now for a suggested list price (SLP) of $299
(upgrade $149).
FileMaker Pro 6 shares the same file format as FileMaker Pro 5 and 5.5, so
FileMaker Pro 6 solutions work with FileMaker Server 5 and 5.5. The current
FileMaker Server software supports FileMaker Pro 5, 5.5 and 6.
FileMaker Pro 6 Unlimited is available now, and is updated to include the
new FileMaker Pro 6. FileMaker Pro 6 Unlimited enables publishing FileMaker
databases to an unlimited number of Web users over a corporate intranet or
the Internet.
With the FileMaker Pro 6 greatly enhanced access to data sources via XML
import, digital image capture, and batch import for text, image and movie
files, FileMaker Pro 6 Unlimited users can now easily and quickly publish
rich data over the Web from more sources than ever before.
FileMaker Pro 6 Unlimited is available for an SLP of $999 ($499 upgrade for
licensed customers of FileMaker Pro 5 or 5.5 Unlimited). Volume license
pricing is available. Licensed customers of FileMaker Pro 5.5 Unlimited may
be eligible for a $350 rebate when upgrading through Dec. 31, 2002.
FileMaker Developer 6, for creating professional FileMaker solutions,
includes the features of FileMaker Pro 6, script debugger, database design
report and developer tool. It is planned for availability in September 2002
($499 SLP, licensed customers of earlier versions of FileMaker Developer
may be eligible for a $100 rebate). For rebate details, see
http://www.filemaker.com/promos.
System requirements
FileMaker Pro 6 is "Designed for Windows XP" logo certified, and runs on
Windows 2000, 98, NT 4.0 (Service Pack 6) and Me (Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000,
or XP required for Web Companion and ODBC features); and on Mac OS X, and
Mac OS 8.6 through 9.2 (Mac OS 8.6 or later required for Web Companion and
ODBC features). See
http://www.filemaker.com/products/fm_requirements.html
for complete system requirements.
FileMaker is a leader in workgroup databases and workgroup information
solutions. Unlike complex database software, the FileMaker intuitive
interface empowers knowledge workers to create and share rich solutions.
The award-winning FileMaker line of database software provides relational
power, instant and custom Web publishing and legendary ease-of-use.
FileMaker, Inc. is the database software subsidiary of Apple Computer, Inc.
(NASDAQ: AAPL).
Customer Contact: 1-800-325-2747 (for information and to order).
REALdocbuilder Update
Mike Murry announced an update of REALdocbuilder, a utility for REALbasic developers that makes it easy to
generate HTML documentation for your REALbasic projects.
Just load a XML file of your project into REALdocbuilder and write the
documentation for each piece of your project. When you're all done, build
the HTML file and you're documentation is generated for you.
REALdocbuilder can be downloaded from http://www.mikemurry.com/software/.
What's new:
- Completely re-written (code and GUI).
- Now creates documentation for your entire project.
- Template based to make it easy to custom the generated HTML files.
- You can write your documentation in either WYSIWYG or HTML. WYSIWYG text
will then be converted to HTML.
- And many other changes...
the software or source code for any purpose as long as all code where a
major portion is derived from this code, is also released under the GPL.
The compiled code is free to use without guilt or persecution. If you would
like to support the author's programming career, however, you can make a
contribution through Kagi at
https://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/r1.cgi?KPU&&.
CodeWarrior Learning Edition v3
Metrowerks Targets Educators, Students and Beginner Programmers with Latest
Version of CodeWarriorü Tools Designed for Learning
CodeWarriorü Learning Edition v3 Makes C/C++ and Javaü Programming
Easy on Windows and Mac OS platforms
Metrowerks is helping make computer
programming easier to learn with the newest version of its educational
tool, CodeWarriorü Learning Edition v3. A simplified version of the
industry standard CodeWarrior tool suite used by professional developers,
Learning Edition v3 is designed specifically for students and anyone else
wanting to learn computer programming in C/C++ or Java for Windows or
Macintosh platforms.
New in this version are features designed to make the learning process even
more enjoyable, such as Java Rapid Application Development (RAD) tools,
which allows the user to write less code, and Code Completion for C/C++ and
Java, which helps the user write code more quickly without stopping to look
up hard-to-remember functions and symbols.
"The CodeWarrior Learning Edition product underscores our commitment to
helping people develop the computer programming skills they need to be
successful," said John Smolucha, vice president of marketing, Metrowerks.
"Just as we continually seek to improve our professional development tools,
we've added functionality to our Learning Edition product to make it easier
than ever for people to learn how to program."
Also new in version 3 are Java Power Tools from Northeastern University,
which enable the rapid development of Java-based graphical user interfaces
(GUIs) with automatic error checking of user input. Java Power Tools make
it possible for simple GUIs to be built in a matter of minutes, and large
GUIs to be created in about an hour.
"The CodeWarrior development environment is so well designed that it's easy
for students in an academic setting to use," said Richard Rasala, Associate
Dean for Undergraduate Education at Northeastern University. "Metrowerks
offers an elegant IDE for Java, C++, and C on multiple operating systems
and target platforms. Beginning students can work easily on simple projects
while advanced students have access to all of the support for
object-oriented programming that one would expect in a professional
environment. The CodeWarrior Learning Edition provides tools and examples
that are specifically aimed at students and that will speed their learning."
To further shorten the learning curve, Metrowerks includes with the product
a voice-over multimedia tutorial that provides a step-by-step walk-through
of the CodeWarrior Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The tutorial
allows the user to focus on learning how to write code, rather than
learning how to use the tools. The product also features a streamlined
version of the CodeWarrior IDE, with a toolbar that can be customized to
fit the user's needs, as well as simplified documentation written with the
beginner in mind.
CodeWarrior Learning Edition also includes the popular Carnegie Mellon
University Graphics package, allowing users to add geometric shapes and
graphic images to the projects they create.
Metrowerks' line of CodeWarrior software development tools have been
selected by more than 1,200 top schools and universities in the United
States, Canada and Europe to teach their students how to write software
programs.
Special Advanced Placement Module
For educators and students, CodeWarrior Learning Edition v3 includes a
special Advanced Placement (AP) Module designed to help high school
students prepare for the Computer Science AP Exam. The module includes the
latest Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science classes, AP project
templates, and the latest beta of the Marine Biology Case Study.
Free Online Programming Courses
Complementing the CodeWarrior Learning Edition tools, Metrowerks offers
free, self-paced courses on its CodeWarriorU.com site, including courses
covering programming in C/C++ and Java languages, and programming for Mac
OS and Windows operating systems. With more than 100,000 registered users,
CodeWarriorU.com is the world's largest resource for free online courses in
programming. For more information, visit http://www.codewarrioru.com.
Availability and Pricing
CodeWarrior Learning Edition v3 is available today direct from Metrowerks
at http://www.metrowerks.com/buy/ and from Metrowerks authorized
distributors. The suggested retail price for the product is US$59 per
license for academic customers, and $79 for non-academic customers. For
more information, contact Metrowerks by telephone at 800-377-5416 or
+1-512-997-4700, or by email at sales@metrowerks.com. For pricing and
availability outside the U.S. and Canada, please see the list of Metrowerks
International Sales Offices at www.metrowerks.com/buy or send an email to
intlsls@metrowerks.com.
About Metrowerks
Metrowerks creates CodeWarrior software and hardware products and services
for developers, with a particular focus on the following industries:
consumer electronics; transportation; wireless; and networking and
communications. The CodeWarrior product line includes hardware and software
development tools and middleware that enable customers to decrease their
time to market. The company also offers services, including training and
custom software development. Founded in 1985, Metrowerks is today an
independently operating subsidiary of Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT). Metrowerks
corporate headquarters are in Austin, Texas; Metrowerks Europe is
headquartered in Basel, Switzerland; and Metrowerks Japan is headquartered
in Tokyo. For more information, please visit http://www.metrowerks.com/.
About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated
communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2001 were $30
billion. http://www.motorola.com
SNOBOL4 for Mac OS X
SNOBOL4, a programming language developed at Bell Labs in the 70s, is available as an open source C version that will compile easily for Mac OS X. While the language is pretty archaic, it has some very powerful pattern matching & string manipulation features which make it a useful substitute for Perl or Awk.
I've built an installer package that can be downloaded here. Much more information, including the full source code and a language reference can be downloaded from www.snobol4.com.
The documentation is available by typing man snobol4 in the terminal. To run it interactively, type: snobol4. For a small taste of the language, the following program (also available for download here) will echo everything you type in reverse. You can also run it as a filter, for example ls -l | snobol -b reverse.sno.
LOOP OUTPUT = REVERSE(INPUT) :S(LOOP)
END
The language has many more powerful features, including pattern matching & substitution, described in the language reference manual.
PowerPlant Tutorial Part 2
I've posted the second article in my series on PowerPlant. You can read it here.
Mac news without the religious slant
Certain other Mac sites seem to take every opportunity to write about their religious views, which I feel has no place in the Mac press.
I'll say it - I don't care much for religion. This country was founded on the concept of separation of church and state, which I see being seriously eroded by the current administration. Although this country's founding fathers were mostly religious people, they envisioned the United States as a secular society, not a theocracy.
When the government & church are one and the same, you have societies like Israel & Saudi Arabia, where individual rights are non-existant when they go against the state-approved religion and anyone who doesn't believe in that religion is a second class citizen.
One thing that makes the US unique is that we have the right to practice - or not practice - any religion we chose. I have friends that are Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Neo-Pagan, and Sikh, as well as Jewish & Christian. Many of them came to this country because they were free to practice their religion. Although I don't really follow any orthodox beliefs, I identify mostly with Zen Buddhism.
I also believe that the words "Under God" don't belong in the pledge of allegiance. They were added in 1954 to separate us from the "godless commies". I also feel that forced recitation of the Pledge itself is misguided. Patriotism should come from the heart. Being forced to recite meaningless words doesn't make someone a better patriot.
OK, now that I've said that, I'll never mention religion here again. If you're tired of the other sites talking about religion, this is the place for you.
Mac OS X ''In Evaluation'' under Common Criteria
Apple has engaged Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC) to conduct a Common Criteria evaluation of Mac OS X and Mac OS
X Server.
The Common Criteria is an internationally accepted standard that
permits comparability between the results of independent security
evaluations by providing a common set of requirements for the security
functions of IT products and for assurance measures applied to them
during a security evaluation.
The evaluation will be conducted by SAIC's Common Criteria Testing
Laboratory (CCTL), participating in the National Information Assurance
Partnership (NIAP) Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme
(CCEVS). The Lab will conduct the evaluation in accordance with the
Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (ISO
15408) Evaluation Assurance Level 3 requirements. Mac OS X and Mac OS
X Server will be evaluated against the functional requirements of the
Controlled Access Protection Profile.
For further information, please refer to the following resources:
- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) home page
- National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) home page
- Common Criteria home page
MacMegasite Spin: This will help Apple win business & government contracts where such security certification is a requirement.