MacMegasite Archive
   


To reduce the database size and server load, all articles from 2004 or earlier are archived here.


Return to MacMegasite



       

Fri, 29 Nov 2002

Creative Commons Licenses

On 16 December, Creative Commons machine-readable licenses will be available to the public free of charge. Learn creative ways to distribute your works and find pointers to all sorts of licensed content you can use right away.



Creative Commons promotes the innovative reuse of all sorts of intellectual works. Our first project is to offer the public a set of copyright licenses free of charge.



These licenses will help you tell others that your works are free for copying and other uses -- but only on certain conditions.



You're probably familiar with the phrase, "All rights reserved," and the little (c) that goes along with it. Creative Commons wants to help copyright holders send a different message: "Some rights reserved."



For example, if you don't mind people copying and distributing your online image so long as they give you credit, we'll have a license that helps you say so. If you want people to copy your band's MP3 but don't want them to profit off it without your permission, use one of our licenses to express that preference.



For more information, visit Creative Commons at http://www.creativecommons.org/

[] permanent link

New tools help port Windows code to Macintosh

Coderus Ltd and MicroAPL Ltd are pleased to announce that they are

collaborating to provide solutions for Games Developers who wish to move

games from Xbox or MS-Windows to Macintosh.



Games on Xbox or MS-Windows frequently make use of Microsoft's DirectX API

calls, and may also contain sections of code written in 80x86 assembly

language, both of which have previously been a bar to porting the code to

Macintosh.



Using the MacDX product from Coderus Ltd, developers can now readily move

code which uses the DirectX API to Macintosh. Most code which uses DirectX

can simply be recompiled and linked to the MacDX libraries.



If the source contains any 80x86 assembler code, developers can now use

MicroAPL's PortAsm/86 product which automatically translates the 80x86

assembler source, and rewrites it in native PowerPC assembler suitable for

running on the Macintosh. PortAsm's glue mechanism makes it easy to switch

between functions written in assembler and C.



Mark Thomas, CEO/Technical Director Coderus Ltd, said:



"Since we released MacDX, porting of titles has become a lot easier, but

there are always problematic areas which can delay a project. One such area

is optimized assembly function calls. Presently most developers have to

rewrite these functions by hand, which can be complex and time consuming.

We are very happy to be working with MicroAPL to make their PortAsm product

available to do this work automatically".



Simon Marsden, Technical Director of MicroAPL Ltd, added:



"The Macintosh has always lagged behind Windows in the number of games

titles available, but Coderus are doing an excellent job in helping redress

the balance. We are excited to be able to help promote the use of MacDX

technology by ensuring that PortAsm and MacDX work together".





For future information please visit the Coderus and MicroAPL websites:





Coderus Ltd was founded in 1998 and is based in Ipswich, England. It

provides unique solutions to common development problems with minimal loss

of performance, as well as cross-platform porting and consultancy services.

Further information on MacDX and services can be found on the company's web

site http://www.coderus.com.



MicroAPL Ltd was founded in 1979 and is based in England. It specializes in

translation tools and virtual machines for moving existing software to the

new generation of RISC processors, as well as providing consultancy

services in systems development and cross-platform porting. Further

information on PortAsm and other MicroAPL products and services can be

found on the company's web site http://www.microapl.co.uk.

[] permanent link