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Tue, 31 Aug 2004
Revolution Studio and Enterprise 2.5 Released
Apple Expo, Paris - Tuesday 31st August 2004 - Runtime Revolution announces major update to its professional developer tools packages, Revolution Studio and Revolution Enterprise. Version 2.5 brings new data security features, support for XML-RPC, Linux native theme (GTK) support, an improved user interface, overhauled documentation, and over 700 other enhancements.
"This must have upgrade is a big step forward for our award winning Revolution product. It is our fourth major upgrade since Revolution was released in 2001, and brings many new features, together with hundreds of refinements and an overall stability improvement" said Kevin Miller, CEO of Runtime Revolution.
Key new features in Revolution 2.5 include:
* Full support for SSL for secure data transmission over networks and the Internet
* Linux native theme support (GTK) for a more professional appearance on Linux
* Industrial strength encryption support for data security
* Improved Unicode support
* New XML-RPC library
* Overhauled development user interface
* New learning centre with Video, PDF and Sample Projects library
* Better reference documentation
* New Externals SDK for running code written in other languages
* Over 700 other enhancements and stability improvements
Revolution's point and click user interface builder, together with its very high level programming language, can reduce development time and costs by upto 90%, when compared with traditional languages. Revolution 2.5 reduces the barrier to adopting a developer tool by reducing training time with its extensive range of built-in, online and community based learning options. The range of support packages provides developers with direct access to the Revolution development team.
Information on pricing, versions, and local distributors, as well as a free 30-day trial edition of Revolution for all supported platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Classic Mac OS, Linux and Unix, is available at the companies web site: http://www.runrev.com/.
About Runtime Revolution Ltd.
Founded in 1997, Runtime Revolution focuses on bringing user-centric development to all major platforms: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Unix. Products include Dreamcard, Revolution Studio, Revolution Enterprise, and Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor. The company is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. For more information on Runtime Revolution, please visit the company on the web at http://www.runrev.com/.
Revolution Dreamcard Released
Apple Expo, Paris - Tuesday 31st August 2004 - Runtime Revolution today announced the release of the new Revolution Dreamcard. Dreamcard is ideal for educators, students, hobbyists, user interface professionals and for beginning to intermediate developers. Dreamcard includes a step by step video learning center and printable PDF library that makes it possible for anyone who can use a computer, to create their own software.
Users of Dreamcard can:
* Make multimedia, games and applications
* Learn and teach how a computer really works
* Make professional-looking software - easily!
"Dreamcard is the easy to use heir to HyperCard that everyone has been waiting for" said Kevin Miller CEO of Runtime Revolution, adding "Even better,the programs that you create with it can be played back by anyone on any platform - Windows, Mac OS and Linux."
With Dreamcard, users lay out the content they require, adding text, images, buttons and menus. Users can use "cards" to create the different screens they need and "stacks" to create windows, palettes windows and dialog boxes. All the basic components are pre-built making the construction process easy. Then users can use Transcript, Dreamcard's built in scripting language, to add real functionality and interaction. If they need help, they can refer to the Video library, explore a Sample Project, or copy a Sample Script.
Dreamcard programs can be distributed to anyone with the free Dreamcard Player. Like Dreamcard, the Dreamcard Player is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Classic, and Linux. Additionally, Dreamcard comes with an online sharing feature that allows the user to share their programs over the Internet. The package includes 10MB of online storage space out of the box, and the Dreamcard Player can browse and navigate the full range of programs that have been shared online by other Dreamcard users.
As a member of the Revolution product family, Dreamcard users can access many of the features that users have come to expect from Revolution's professional development tools. These include native appearance for programs on any computer, access to a full range of media formats including QuickTime (movies, VR and streaming media), popular image and sound formats, point and click database access, text to speech, and more.
A free trial download of Dreamcard is available now from the companies web site at http://www.runrev.com/. The program costs $99 USD or £67 (excluding any applicable taxes). Dreamcard is ideal for use in education and educational users receive a 33% on discount single user pricing. A lab pack for 100 users costs just $200 USD or £133, which equates to just $2 per user.
Dreamcard replaces Revolution Express which has now been discontinued.
Runtime Revolution Ltd.
Founded in 1997, Runtime Revolution focuses on bringing user-centric development to all major platforms: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Unix. Products include Dreamcard, Revolution Studio, Revolution Enterprise, and Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor. The company is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. For more information on Runtime Revolution, please visit the company on the web at http://www.runrev.com/.
iMac G5 announced
Apple today announced the long-awaited iMac G5, scheduled to ship in mid-September. The new all-in-one design integrates the entire computer within a 17" or 20" flat panel display. Pricing starts at $1299 for a 17" 1.6 GHz model.
The following standard configurations are available.
M9248LL/A - $1,299:
- 17-inch widescreen LCD
- 1.6GHz PowerPC G5
- 512K L2 cache
- 533MHz frontside bus
- 256MB DDR400 SDRAM
- NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
- 64MB DDR video memory
- 80GB Serial ATA hard drive
- Slot-load Combo Drive
M9249LL/A - $1499:
- 17-inch widescreen LCD
- 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
- 512K L2 cache
- 600MHz frontside bus
- 256MB DDR400 SDRAM
- NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
- 64MB DDR video memory
- 80GB Serial ATA hard drive
- Slot-load SuperDrive
M9250LL/A - $1899:
- 20-inch widescreen LCD
- 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
- 512K L2 cache
- 600MHz frontside bus
- 256MB DDR400 SDRAM
- NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
- 64MB DDR video memory
- 160GB Serial ATA hard drive
- Slot-load SuperDrive
All models have Two FireWire 400 ports; three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard), VGA S-video and composite video output, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and 56K V.92 modem. An internal Bluetooth module is available as a build-to-order option. All models are Airport Extreme ready.
iGetter v2.0 for Mac OS X released
August 30, 2004 - Presenta Ltd. is pleased to announce the new release of iGetter
version 2.0 for Mac OS X.
iGetter is a full featured download manager and accelerator. With iGetter you
can get the most out of your Internet connection (dial-up, wireless, cable,
DSL, T1 etc.). iGetter can greatly improve the speed of your downloads using
segmented (accelerated) downloading. In addition it allows auto resume on broken
downloads, queue filtering by various criteria, history list, scheduling downloads
for low traffic periods, auto redial on broken connection, auto hang-up and
shut down on completion, and much more.
New In Version 2.0:
- Completely rewritten download engine. The new engine uses native Mac OS X
sockets from the UNIX layer, which overcomes bottlenecks of Carbon and Cocoa
network layers.
- The new engine is fully preemptive multitasking and uses native Mac OS X pthreads
from the UNIX layer, which increases the performance of the application especially
on multiprocessor systems.
- Completely rewritten application architecture to use a modern event driven
model, which decreases significantly CPU and memory usage (in idle mode iGetter
uses around 0% CPU time).
- DNS requests are now completely multithreaded.
- iGetter downloads 40% faster than its previous version (calculation was made
on 100mbps Ethernet connection).
- Included support for HTTP SSL protocol as well as FTP over SSL (implicit and
explicit) protocols.
- Optimized disk write operations, which greatly improve the overall download
speed.
- Integration with the FileAvenue.net web service. This feature allows the latest
new and most popular files of the FileAvenue.net downloads library to appear
directly in iGetter.
- Included a Site Manager that allows limitation of the overall number of connections
for particular servers.
- The entire application is optimized for Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther".
- New Interface with a new look and feel.
- Included Metallic interface with an option to switch between Aqua and Metallic
interfaces.
- A full set of 25 function icons professionally designed for both Aqua and
Metallic interfaces.
- New professionally designed preferences interface.
- New powerful grouping functions.
- Included a history list for all finished downloads.
- Included new search function with an option to search in the queue, history
list or FileAvenue downloads library. Results appear in separate groups.
- Included ability for manual insertion of mirror servers for each download.
- Added contextual menu support for Safari and Camino.
- Improved integration of iGetter with Safari to handle dmg files.
- iGetter is localized for English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Simplified
Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Turkish languages, allowing our International
users to use it in their native language.
Key Features of iGetter:
- iGetter resumes broken downloads, checking date and size.
- iGetter supports Segmented (Accelerated) downloading. This basic feature of
iGetter can greatly improve the speed of your downloads.
- iGetter supports HTTP and FTP protocols as well as HTTPS and FTP over SSL
implicit and explicit protocols.
- iGetter integrates with the FileAvenue.net web service. This feature allows
the latest new and most popular files of the FileAvenue.net downloads library
to appear directly in iGetter.
- iGetter supports searching of file mirrors for additional acceleration of
downloads.
- iGetter includes a Site Manager that allows limitation of the overall number
of connections for particular servers.
- iGetter analyzes every server response to prevent damage to your file downloads.
- iGetter integrates with Internet Browsers via a contextual menu for hyperlinks.
- iGetter integrates with Internet Browsers, by monitoring clicks of hyperlinks
(using browser plugins technology).
- iGetter supports browser cookies. Now you can download from servers that require
cookies from your computer like MP3.com or other services.
- iGetter integrates with Dock showing the average download speed on the iGetter
Dock Icon.
- With the iGetter Dock Icon control menu, you can easily control iGetter while
it is hidden.
- iGetter supports the drag and drop technology and with its Target Icon you
can easily download any dragable link or file with Internet location.
- iGetter supports monitoring of your clipboard for Internet addresses.
- iGetter can process all web page links for downloading in the queue.
- iGetter allows you to preview the contents of 'zip' compressed files before
you download them.
- iGetter lets you organize your file downloads with different priorities, and
automatically downloads them in the correct order.
- iGetter includes a history list for all finished downloads.
- iGetter includes search function with an option to search the queue, history
list or FileAvenue downloads library. Results appear in separate groups.
- iGetter includes three types of queue filters that automatically show downloads
in accordance with various criteria.
- iGetter supports multiple selections in the queue to perform group operations
over file downloads.
- With iGetter you can easily control every download job. You can start, pause
or let iGetter automatically download your files.
- iGetter includes Metallic interface with an option to switch between Aqua
and Metallic interfaces.
- Its user-friendly interface offers you convenience and ease-of-use as you
begin to download with iGetter.
- iGetter autodetects your connection to the Internet. It can automatically
reconnect a PPP connection until all pending downloads are done.
- iGetter can schedule your downloads for low traffic periods (i.e. 4 in the
morning).
- iGetter can Hang Up the PPP connection and Shut down the computer when all
files in the queue are finished.
- iGetter lets you use a virus scanner program that you have on your computer
to auto-scan downloaded files.
- iGetter has a fully preemptive multitasking engine using native Mac OS X pthreads
from the UNIX layer, which increases the performance of the application especially
on multiprocessor systems.
- iGetter can limit your download speed, to allow you to download files and
still use your web browser without loss of performance.
- iGetter supports Internet Config. (Internet Config allows central Internet
configuration for all applications, including iGetter.)
- iGetter supports HTTP, Tunnel and FTP Proxies, and Socks Firewalls (4, 4a,
5).
- iGetter supports the standard URL suite for AppleScript and is fully scriptable.
- iGetter is localized for English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Simplified
Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Turkish languages, allowing our International
users to use it in their native language.
- iGetter is developed using C/C++ with Metrowerks development tools, which
has resulted in an efficient, and responsive program.
System Requirements:
- Mac OS X v10.2 or later
Pricing and Availability:
iGetter 2.0 is shareware. iGetter can be evaluated for as long as it's needed
to decide if it suits the user's needs. All registered users will get free support
by email and free upgrades in the major 2.x versions.
A Single User License for iGetter is $25. A Home & Work (Desktop &
Mobile) two-license pack is $35. Site Licenses are also available at a discount.
For further information on Site License discounts, please contact us at sales@presenta.net.
Customers that purchased iGetter since June 1, 2003 receive a free upgrade
to iGetter 2.0. For those that purchased iGetter prior to this date, a paid
upgrade is available on our Web Store: http://www.igetter.net/store/ . The upgrade
fee for iGetter v2.0 is $15 US.
The new version 2.0 of iGetter is available immediately for download from:
http://www.iGetter.net/downloads.html
For more information about iGetter visit its web site at: http://www.iGetter.net/
Contact Information:
Presenta Ltd.
http://www.presenta.net/
mailto:office@presenta.net
BBEdit 8.0 released
Bare Bones Software has released BBEdit 8.0, a major update to their popular text editor.
New features in 8.0 include:
- Text Factories, which allow multiple tasks to be applied to one or more files, like PhotShop Actions.
- Preview Server support allows you to preview web pages containing PHP, JSP, or other server-side processing within BBEdit.
- Built-In HTML Tidy Tool
- Improved CSS support & HTML syntax checking
- Enhanced Source Control Management, including support for Perforce SCM
- Codeless Language Modules for syntax coloring
- Improved command line tool & bbdiff tool for comparing files
- Multiple documents can be edited in a single window.
BBEdit 8.0 is a $49 upgrade for owners of BBEdit 7.0 or earlier versions.
Mac OS X Developers, Here's an Idea!
Mac Games and More has a posted a selection of Mac OS X Accessible Software, as well as a call to action article for Mac OS X developers.
Today is the last day to sign up for your free VIP Pass for the South Beach iPod Garage Party
Today is the last day to sign up for your free VIP Pass for the South Beach iPod Garage Party
Today is your last chance to sign up for your free VIP Pass for the South Beach iPod Garage Party, which takes place this Wednesday, September 1st, on Miami Beach. The VIP Pass entitles you and your party to free admission and more. Bring your iPod, and you'll be eligible to be the DJ for up to twelve minutes and compete for more than $600 worth of prizes, including an iPod mini. Don't feel like playing DJ? No problem! We'll also be giving out an additional $500 worth of iPod-related random door prizes to attendees. Oh, and be sure to arrive early: the first one hundred people to arrive will receive a complimentary copy of the inaugural issue of Playlist Magazine, in addition to being eligible for all the other great prizes. See you there:
South Beach iPod Garage Party
open to the general public
from 5:00 to 11:00 pm
Wednesday, September 1st
at La Spiaggia
3500 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach
For more information, visit iPodGarageParty.com
Time Track 2.0 for Macintosh and Windows
NEW YORK, N.Y. - - August 27, 2004 - - Trinfinity Software released today an update to Time Track, it's popular time tracking software, designed for consultants and freelancers to minimize the time spent logging hours and to enhance billing accuracy.
Time Track for Palm OS has been released and Time Track 2.0 for Macintosh and Windows is required in order to share log files among the three platforms. Users can choose between using the original log format or the new Palm compatible log format. There are also new export options to convert between the two formats. Macintosh users can now synchronize their log files with Time Track for Palm OS using the Time Track Conduit. A conduit for Windows is currently under development.
In addition to Time Track for Palm compatibilty, Time Track 2.0 offers a number of new features and improvements. The user can now add an unlimited amount of text to a log entry using the Additional Description window. This update includes undo and redo support for the Start and Stop logging buttons on Main Window, an improved HTML design for exporting log files as web pages, and a log file editing window so that users can edit existing log entries without being concerned with damaging the log file.
In addition, the user can now change the location of the Logs folder via the Logs tab in the Preferences window, edit the content of the log file banner via the Banner tab in the Preferences window, and customize the font and size used to display log files.
Time Track's AutoTrack feature allows users to automatically track the time spent using almost any application without having to click on the start and stop button. This feature has been designed to enhance workflow and prevent the user from losing time because they forgot to start logging. The AutoTrack Monitor window allows the user to see which AutoTrack applications are running and how much time has elapsed since they started being logged. Time Track has several features that allow it to run autonomously in the background, including the ability to have Time Track launched when the computer boots up and the ability to send the application to the background when launched. The AutoTrack feature is only available for Macintosh.
Time Track is AppleScriptable and the downloadable archive contains sample scripts for controlling Time Track. One of the included samples is a FolderAction script that can be used to turn logging on when a folder is opened and turn logging off when the folder is closed. This is a great solution for users that want to track the usage of files rather than applications.
Time Track automatically checks to see if there is a newer version available and informs the user if there is one available. This feature can be disabled. The user can also manually check for updates via the "Check For Updates" menu item to the "Online" menu.
Time Track 2.0 has a new bug reporting window which gathers the crash log and system information and emails the bug report without the need to open an email program.
The specific issues addressed in this and previous updates are listed in the "Time Track Version History" file located in the "Documentation" folder of the downloadable archive.
Time Track 2.0 costs $24.95 for a single user license. Site licenses and world-wide site licenses are also available. Registered users of Time Track 1.x can upgrade to 2.0 for $15.00 (Single User License). New users can download and evaluate Time Track 2.0 for 30 days.
Time Track is available for the following platforms:
- MacOS 8 & 9
- MacOS X
- Windows 98/NT/2000/XP
- Palm OS
Time Track is available for download at: http://www.trinfinitysoftware.com/timetrack.shtml
You can purchase Time Track at: http://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/r1.cgi?6DC&&
Comment policy change
Due to excessive comment spam, anonymous comments must now be approved before they will appear. Registered users may post comments immediately, and if you're registered at any other Drupal site, your Drupal ID will work here as well.
REAL Software Announces REAL World 2005 Conference Dates and Location
AUSTIN, Texas (August 26, 2004) - REAL Software, Inc. announced today that REAL World 2005, The REALbasic User Conference, will be held March 23-25, 2005 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Noted REALbasic authors and experts and REAL Software engineers will be presenting sessions at REAL World 2005.
"REAL World is the perfect opportunity for REALbasic users, both expert and novice alike, to get together to share ideas, information and techniques. Attendees gain critical content that helps make them better, more informed REALbasic developers," offered Geoff Perlman, president and CEO of REAL Software.
"I attended REAL World in 2004 and I plan to have our whole team attend next year," stated Brian Boyer, president of Area251, a Wisconsin-based technology consulting firm. "We are migrating to REALbasic from Visual Basic as our primary development tool. Attending REAL World provided a great opportunity to meet the high caliber individuals behind the very exciting product, REALbasic."
Session specifics will be available soon. A general overview of the conference is as follows:
• keynote presentation by Geoff Perlman, founder of REAL Software
• two full days of sessions covering REALbasic topics at all skill levels, with introductory sessions for beginners and in-depth sessions for advanced users
• presentations by skilled REAL Software professionals, including REAL Software technical staff and respected REALbasic industry experts
• presentation of awards to REALbasic Design Award 2005 winners and preview their software
For updates regarding REAL World 2005, please visit http://www.realsoftware.com/realworld .
About REALbasic
REALbasic is a full-featured software design environment easily suited to creating all kinds of applications, from utilities to enterprise-class applications. REALbasic is available now starting at $99.95 direct from REAL Software or at Apple Store, Fry's and other software retailers. REALbasic Professional Edition, required for cross-platform compilation, starts at $399.95 and includes extended functionality for database and team development. Download a free trial of REALbasic at http://www.realsoftware.com/demo .
About REAL Software
For everyone who seeks the flexibility to create their own software for Windows, Mac and Linux, REAL Software provides REALbasic, a powerful, easy-to-use software development tool for Windows and Macintosh. REAL Software, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is based in Austin, Texas. For more information visit http://www.realsoftware.com or call 512.328.7325.
Inventive Releases iClip 3.2 Productivity Software for Apple Mac OS X
New Version Features New Way to Quickly Gather Information, Enhanced Clipboard Recorder, More Pop-up Preview Options
Inventive, Inc. announces the release of iClip version 3.2 award winning productivity software for Mac OS X. iClip is a multiple clipboard/scrapbook/launcher application designed to improve user efficiency and productivity for various computing tasks.
Newly available is a way to add clippings to a clipping set via drag & drop to the icon at the top of the iClip window. This can be very useful for quickly gathering information like URLs and pictures from websites. A preference for the Clipboard Recorder has been added for choosing whether the newest recorded clippings are stored at the beginning or the end of the clipping set. This is useful for creating lists of text clippings when the order needs to be preserved. A preference has been added to give more control over how pop-up previews are shown.
iClip was recently awarded a MacMinute Showtime award at the Macworld Expo in Boston.
iClip functions as a floating window that allows users to store and retrieve various clippings, such as text, pictures, URLs, file aliases, movies, etc. in it's multiple bins. Clippings can be arranged into groups to keep users organized. iClip helps eliminate redundant typing, especially in tasks like filling out online forms. It's widely used to assist general purpose tasks such as word processing, web browsing, and research, while webmasters, graphic designers, and programmers also find iClip to be useful in their more specialized tasks.
Pricing and Availability
iClip 3.2 is available now for Mac OS X 10.2 or later on CD or as a "try-before-you-buy" download at http://inventive.us/iClip/. It can be purchased for $29.95 USD for the CD version and $19.95 USD for the trial version. The version 3.2 upgrade is free to registered users of any previous version.
Camino 0.8.1 Released
Mozilla.org has released Camino 0.8.1, an update to their Mac OS X-only browser. This version fixes for four possible security vulnerabilities in Gecko, upgrade to Mozilla 1.7.2 Gecko engine, disabled prebinding on MacOS X 10.3.x, several fixes to improve localization.
Camino 0.8.1 can be downloaded here. Nightly builds are also available.
Navicat - Mac OS X database admin tools is released!
Navicat, a mysql manager from PremiumSoft, is an integrated GUI tool let you perform MySQL administration and database development in an easier way. Advanced features allow you to import/export data, backup, transfer database from server to server, create query and remotely manage your MySQL server.
What's new in this version:
This new version supports to import csv, dbf, xml to MySQL now through helpful Import/Export Wizard and fixed some small bugs.
Navicat website: http://mac.navicat.com
An evaluation version of Navicat for Mac OS X 10.1 or later is avaliable for download at http://www.navicat.com/shareware.php3
Using a Linux server with a Mac
Until recently, I was using a Blue & White G3/350 as my file server. When the drive died suddenly, I decided to replace it with a Linux box, since the G3 can't handle drives larger than 120G and the IDE performance is poor by today's standards. With some trial and error, I found an optimal setup for using Linux as a file server for Macs.
After shopping around, I decided to buy a custom-built AMD Duron system from CPU Solutions optimized for my needs. In particular, I wanted a larger drive than most entry level PCs, no installed OS, and it didn't need the fastest CPU or video card. The system ended up costing only $372 as configured.
I looked at several Linux distributions and decided to go with Libranet, which is fully compatible with Debian but has a nice installer and enhanced administration utilities. Anyone who uses Fink will feel right at home with Debian's package manager.
It took less than 1/2 hour to install, and it worked immediately. The first thing I did was install Netatalk for AppleTalk & AFP support.
Surprisingly, I found that Netatalk was the worst option for file sharing with Mac OS X, due to its file naming limitations. Netatalk provides several configuration options for case conversion, but none to preserve and ignore case as HFS+ does. Also, when copying files to a Netatalk volume it will stop when it encounters a file with a name too long for it to handle.
I found that Samba has no such limitations. It will handle long file names and treats case the same as HFS+. NFS will also handle long names, but it remains case sensitive.
Setting up NFS can be a bit tricky. To connect from a Mac, you must have a line such as the following in /etc/exports on the server:
/ 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0(rw,async,insecure)
The IP address can be either the IP address of any machine you want to be able to connect to it or a subnet range. You must specify the insecure option to allow Macs to connect. For best performance, specify async. Note that 'sync' will prevent data loss in the event of a server crash, but it drastically reduces performance. I found that copying a 700M disk image took 30 minutes with sync and less than 5 minutes with async.
Since NFS uses Unix permissions, your user ID number should be the same on the server as it is on your Mac. On Macs, the first user created will have an ID of 501. That may not be the case in Linux - on my Libranet system, the initial user ID was 1000. You can change it by logging in as root and using the command usermod -u 501 name.
MetaCase releases MetaEdit+ 4.0 for Mac OS X
MetaCase has released a Mac OS X version of its customizable modeling and code generation environment MetaEdit+, aimed at the expert developer looking to gain productivity by generating full code directly from models. MetaEdit+ 4.0 runs on Mac OS X starting version 10.2.x.
The MetaEdit+ environment includes Method Workbench that an experienced developer uses to define a modeling language as a metamodel and a code generator to turn the models into code. Method Workbench guides the process and automatically creates the modeling tools for the development team, who can then focus on making high-level design specifications using the domain-specific modeling language, resulting in full generation of code directly from design models.
The Mac OS X release further extends platform support of MetaEdit+ in addition to Windows XP/2000/NT/98, Linux, HP-UX, and Solaris*. MetaEdit+ for Mac OS X is available for evaluation
Win an iPod mini at the South Beach iPod Garage Party
Win an iPod mini at the South Beach iPod Garage Party
What's cooler than hanging with your fellow iPod users on Miami's South Beach on September 1st? How about going home with a brand new iPod mini in your pocket?
Yeah, that probably got your attention. But thanks to event sponsors iPodResQ, the iPod mini is just one prize among many that we'll be giving away at the South Beach iPod Garage Party. So what do you have to do to win? All you have to do is show up with your iPod, connect it to our sound system, and play "DJ" for twelve minutes as you share the highlights of your own music library with the rest of us (as many songs as you like, as long as it fits within the time limit). Yep, it's your very own twelve minutes of fame.
Here's how it works: when the doors open at 5:00 pm, we will begin assigning time slots ranging from 7:00 to 11:00 pm (first come, first served). So if you want to compete, you'll probably want to show up early enough to reserve yourself a time slot before they've all been assigned. If you show up later in the evening and all the slots are already taken, we'll place you on the stand-by list, and you'll be eligible for any slots that open up during the course of the evening.
As a contestant, you can either create an on-the-go playlist on your iPod ahead of time, or you can simply have it in your head which songs you want to play. Our techno-geeks will be in the DJ booth with you, to ensure that you don't run into any problems in getting your music played. So set your shyness aside, and remember that if you want to be the one who goes home with the iPod mini in your pocket, you're going to have to get up there and earn it -- at least for twelve minutes, anyway.
The prizes for the top five contestants, as determined by our esteemed panel of judges:
First Prize: iPod Mini
Second Prize: Shure E2C Sound Isolating Earphones
Third Prize: Griffin iTrip 2 and Griffin iTalk
Fourth Prize: iPodResQ Self-Service Battery Replacement Kit for 1st and 2nd
Generation iPods with a FireWire Port
Fifth Prize: Contour Design White Showcase iPod Carrying Case
For more information, visit http://www.iPodGarageParty.com
If you would like to attend the South Beach iPod Garage Party as a member of the media, contact media@iPodGarage.com in order to acquire media credentials
General inquiries should be directed to party@iPodGarage.com
DX Toolbox 2.2.0 Released
Black Cat Systems announces the release of DX Toolbox version 2.2.0, a radio propagation / conditions analysis and forecasting tool for amateur radio operators, shortwave listeners, and other radio enthusiasts. DX Toolbox is just $24.99.
This version adds a new propagation path estimation tool, improvements to the images display window, graphs of solar wind and magnetic field values, and several bug fixes.
Complete information about DX Toolbox and downloads may be obtained from http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/dxtoolbox.html
DX Toolbox helps amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners estimate radio propagation conditions.
Several propagation forecasting charts are available to estimate signal levels and path conditons between any two points on the Earth.
A propagation forecast map shows the estimated signal level for a given frequency from all parts of the world, for given solar conditions, and the time of day and day of year. A plot of the expected signal levels between two points on the Earth for all 24 hours of a day may also be graphed.
A grayline map of the world is also available. Propagation between locations within the grayline region of the world is often greatly enhanced. DX Toolbox's grayline map makes it easy for you to determine where those locations are.
In addition to several propagation forecasting tools, it also gathers a variety of solar and geomagnetic information from real-time online sources, and presents them in charts and tables, including:
* A - Index
* K - Index
* Solar Flux
* Sun Spot Number
* X-Ray Flux levels
* X-Ray flares
* Solar Wind
* Geomagnetic Field
* Radio Blackout conditions
* Geomagnetic Storm conditions
* Solar Radiation Storm conditions
A grid square calculator determines grid squares from longitude and latitude, and a world map shows grid squares and time zone information.
The following reports are available:
* WWV Geophysical Alert
* 27 Day Space Outlook
* 45 Day AP Forecast
* Geomagnetic Data
* Daily Geomagnetic Data
* Daily Particle Data
* Daily Solar Data
* GEOALERT
* Daily Magnetometer Analysis Reports
* Hourly Magnetometer Analysis Reports
* Predicted Sunspot Numbers and Radio Flux
* Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity
* Solar and Geophysical Activity Summary
* Solar Region Summary
* Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
* Current Space Weather Indices
* Space Weather Event Reports
* Daily Space Weather Indices
* Summary of Space Weather Observations
* 3-day Space Weather Predictions
DX Toolbox is available native for Mac OS X, Mac OS 8/9, and Windows. It requires an active internet connection to run.
Black Cat Systems creates and distributes Macintosh software, with a specific emphasis on programs for the scientific, amateur radio, and health markets.
Information about Black Cat Systems entire line of products can be found at http://www.blackcatsystems.com
ADHOC and ADHOC Labs, a Success!
The Advanced Developers Hands On Conference, formerly know as MacHack, had another great year of interesting keynotes, educational sessions, insightful papers and creative programs and utilities for the ADHOC Labs Showcase.
Winner of the Venture Capitalist Golden Pin Award for excellence is: Unsummarize 1.0b1 by Jorg Brown, with heaps of thanks for Sanford Selznick
In David Pogue’s keynote, he mentioned the “Summarize” service, which was a nice piece of work, but not that useful. Thing is, I don’t really need to summarize what I’ve just written.
Really, what I want to do is write a summary, and have the computer come up with all the details. The Unsummarize service does that.
Runner Up: MegaManEffect By Michael Zornek
The MegaManEffect is a application that emulates an effect seen in the classic NES game Mega Man 2. When you launch an OS X application, the screen goes dark, stars sweep the night sky and your application’s icon is presented in a blue letter box bar with a cheesy 8-bit music introduction.
Honorable Mentions:
EtherPEGCocoa v0 by Jonathan ‘Wolf’ Rentzsch
This is a port of EtherPEG to Cocoa. The basic improvement is that the image view window is a scrolling view. Thus, you can kick off EtherPEGCocoa, grab lunch, come back and check out what your co-workers looked at during their lunch hour.
ExposéHopper by Adam Goldstein
A game that lets you jump around your Exposé windows, collecting coins. It’s kind of a Window Server Mario game.
Scroll Plate By Lisa Lipincott
A Powerbook doesn’t have a scroll wheel. And it’s kind of hard to scroll with a trackpad. So I present to you a new way to scroll with a powerbook!
Scrolling has been done with a wheel before. But why use a wheel? We can scroll with something bigger, rounder, and wireless: the Scroll Plate! Start with a paper plate. Draw a big red arrow on one side, pointing up. And draw a big green arrow on the other side, pointing down. Now, to scroll up, show the up arrow to your iSight or other camera. To scroll down, show the down arrow to the camera. It’s that simple!
Other Notable Entries:
- ADHOC 19 Music Video by Linda Botez
- BadBadThing 0.1 by Chris Adamson - DVD to QuickTime capture
- EtherPegSaver by Uli Kusterer
- EULB Extension Program by Uli Kusterer – iBook logic board defect simulator
- Frodo Finder by Dick Furnas - locates Baggins Family in a given state or area code
- Magic 8 Ball v.1.0 by Robbie Rau - gives sound business advice
- MailToOnCrash by Avi Drissman – mails report to specified address on crash
- Neko Returns by Jonathan Johnson – cat that can catch your mouse cursor
- Not “The Same Old Trash” by Will Pazner – adds different effects to empty trash command
- Rumor Mill by Pure Evil Software (Geoff Adams and Brian J. Geiger) – passes anonymous rumors on a network
- Smart Mouth by Evan Roelofs - rewrites the code for the demo voice
- SpellingB by David Steinbrunner – tells you if what you enter is right
- Stupid Shell Tricks by Lucius Kwok - rewrites error codes to funny
- Talkicity by Adrian Botez, Uli Kusterer - gives animated pictures lifelike(!) personalities.
Announcements concerning the dates for next year’s ADHOC Conference will be made available soon. Keep watching the ADHOC Web Site.
Sat, 21 Aug 2004
TigerTracker sets out to gather information on Mac OS X v10.4
MUGnetwork today announced the launch of TigerTracker, a website dedicated to gathering information on Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger. It is currently the world's only resource dedicated to Tiger and gives users easy access to information on Tiger from around the internet. From movies to pictures to descriptions, TigerTracker sorts details by feature such as Spotlight, Automator, and Dashboard. TigerTracker does not require registration and is now open to the public
Reader Specials from MacResQ
PowerBook G4/667 Titanium 256/ 30gb/ CD-RW/ DVD/ 15.2" Screen: Only $999.99
PowerBook G4/400 Titanium 128/ 10gb/ DVD/ 56k/ 15.2" Screen: Only $699.99
iBook G3/700 128/ 30gb/ CD-RW/ DVD/ 56k/ 14" Screen Normally $749.99, take $50 off with Q-Pon code "14B50"
Griffin PowerPod iPod Auto Charger Normally $19.99, take $5 off with Q-Pon code "PP5"
Griffin iTalk iPod Voice Recorder for iPod Normally $31.99, take $3 off with Q-Pon code "TT3"
Targus Platinum Blue Digital Sport Video Camcorder & Camera Carrying Case Normally $12.99, take $4 off with Q-Pon code "TARG4"
Apple 15" PowerBook G4 Battery Recall
Apple is voluntarily recalling certain lithium ion rechargeable batteries that were sold worldwide from January 2004 through August 2004 for use with 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) notebook computers. These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea.
The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard. Apple received four reports of these batteries overheating. No injuries have been reported. Apple urges you to stop using your battery and to order a replacement battery immediately. If you continue to use your battery, do not leave it unattended and check for signs of overheating.
The recalled batteries have the Model Number: A1045 and serial numbers that begin with: HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407, or HQ408. Batteries with the affected serial numbers contain cells that were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea during the last week of December 2003 only.
To see if your battery is affected or to request an exchange, visit this page.
(note: I checked the battery in my 15" 1.5 Ghz G4 purchased in May; the model number is A1075)
BlueWorx welcomes 1,500,000 visitors to the Powerbacks® website.
After almost three years of online business BlueWorx hits a milestone. Over a million and a half people have been to the Powerbacks® home page within the last 3 years. It doesn't sound like much, compared to a large corporate site but this was done with absolutely no advertising revenue.
Grass-roots search engine marketing and strategic links and partnerships are responsible for their great online traffic. Another feather in their cap this week is the awarding of a spot at Microsoft's Office Marketplace® under PowerPoint®Templates. The Office Marketplace® has global reach through all of Microsoft's international sites.
Creator, Gary Blue, says this will be a great boon considering the fall has many educational and corporate shoppers. He expects to hit the 2 million visitor mark by the end of the year. Powerbacks® currently has over 10,000 registered users and over a half a million free trial users to date. After being exclusively via the web, BlueWorx is presently in distribution talks for the US and European Union for its CD brick and mortar version of Powerbacks®
Visit the Powerbacks® website at:
http://powerbacks.com
For further info:
Gary Blue
blue@powerbacks.com
602.524.5399
How to use an iPod as a bootable drive
How to use an iPod as a bootable drive
This week’s How to from Engadget is a handy one for the Mac folks out there who want to run multiple operating systems, but not install them to their hard drive, all using an iPod as a bootable FireWire drive. They also cover ways to simply back up your home directory (or anything else to your iPod) which can be handy too, and even used in conjunction with this how-to. Still no word on where Apple's "Home on iPod" is.
http://features.engadget.com/entry/8817137592535661/
Advanced Web Ranking v3.2 Released
Release date: Aug 17, 2004
Manage Your Search Engine Web Rankings
Caphyon LLC is pleased to announce the release of Advanced Web Ranking 3.2, a tool that helps check your web site position on all major search engines. Advanced Web Ranking runs on Mac OS X, Windows 98/2000/XP, Linux and Solaris.
Checking your web site position is a very time consuming task. For example, if you have 10 keywords that you want to monitor, and you want to check the top 20 positions for 10 search engines, you need to perform about 200 (10 keywords * 10 engines * first 2 pages) individual searches to get the results. Then you need to compare the results one by one to find where your site is positioned. It may take you days to complete this task if you do this manually. That's where Advanced Web Ranking comes to help.
Advanced Web Ranking is able to query over 200 search engines and quickly find out if you're moving up or down in the rankings, or if your site is listed at all. It will track the progress of your rankings over time and display that information in an easy to read and understand graphical and tabular reports. It can help you check not just the position of your website but the position of your competitors' web sites as well.
Advanced Web Ranking has the ability to generate and email reports after an update was finished. Couple that with the Scheduled Updates ability, and you will be able to turn on your computer in the morning and find reports on your websites ranks waiting for you in your Inbox. As a SEO, you can have updates being run and sent to your customers every night without even lifting a hand. Various types of reports (Current Rank, Top Sites, Web Site, etc.) can be created in any of the formats Advanced Web Ranking supports (PDF, HTML, Excel, XML or Text). Then they can be emailed to any of the addresses you pick from the Address Book, or saved to a folder where you can access them over the Internet.
What's new in Advanced Web Ranking 3.2
This version features improvements to the HTML reports, sending emails using MIME encoded parts for the Rank Evolution charts, and several improvements in the user interface.
- Added the ability to zip reports before sending them by email.
- Added index to the HTML reports (Current Rank and Top Sites) for easier browsing.
- The Rank Evolution charts in the HTML reports are now sent correctly by email, as inline MIME encoded parts.
- Made the links to the search engine results page from the HTML reports more visible.
- The keywords used throughout the application are now sorted alphabetically and case insensitive.
- The columns and sort order in the Overview report are now persistent.
- The printable Overview report sorts the data using the same criteria as in the Overview report from the user interface.
- Added automatic conversion to UTF-8 for all keywords in all projects.
- Updated help for German language.
Advanced Web Ranking costs USD $99 for the Professional edition. Users who don't need to create printable reports, or schedule automatic updates can purchase the Standard edition for USD $49.
The application can be downloaded from:
http://www.advancedwebranking.com/download.html
More details about the application can be found at:
http://www.advancedwebranking.com
CGIScripter 2.19 EE for MacOS X adds support for FrontBase
.com Solutions Inc., a developer of multi-platform database migration, replication and development applications, has released CGIScripter 2.19 Enterprise Edition for MacOS X, Windows, Solaris and Linux. CGIScripter 2.19 adds support for FrontBase database servers in addition to the seven databases which were already supported with previous CGIScripter versions. Developers can quickly develop web applications for FrontBase just as easily as any of the other supported database servers.
CGIScripter now supports generating Perl CGI scripts for 8 database servers, including MySQL, Oracle, Access, SQL Server, Sybase, DB2, PostgreSQL and FrontBase. CGIScripter dramatically enhances developer productivity for heterogeneous database installations. Corporate IT departments, students and individuals can quickly and easily test the performance and stability of web applications on any or all of the supported databases. FrontBase Perl CGI scripts are generated for IIS web servers running on Windows and Apache web servers running on MacOS X.
CGIScripter 2.19 supports inserting, updating, deleting and replacing images within the FrontBase database via a web based interface on Windows and MacOS X web servers.
The demo edition of CGIScripter enables potential customers to completely test the generation of Perl CGI scripts to determine whether it will meet their software development needs. The demo edition of CGIScripter provides full functionality for generating Perl CGI scripts for all supported database servers and saving configuration files. The demo edition is limited by not allowing configuration files to be reloaded via the Open... menu.
Existing customers holding licenses for CGIScripter Enterprise Edition may upgrade at no charge to this latest update.
CGIScripter Enterprise Edition licensing includes use of the application by an unlimited number of users at any one site. Entire IT departments can improve programming efficiency by standardizing on the feature-rich and securely designed scripts generated by CGIScripter.
CGIScripter is a multi-platform development application which is available for MacOS X, Windows, Linux and Solaris.
A free demo version of CGIScripter may be downloaded for each platform from http://www.cgiscripter.net/downloads/index.html .
For more info please see: http://www.cgiscripter.net/
About .com Solutions Inc.
.com Solutions Inc. develops multi-platform graphical applications supporting Oracle, FileMaker Pro, MySQL, Access, SQL Server, Sybase, DB2, PostgreSQL and FrontBase developers. CGIScripter is a multi-platform application which generates Perl CGI scripts for databases. FmPro Migrator migrates FileMaker databases to MySQL, Oracle, Access, SQL Server, Sybase, DB2 and PostgreSQL. Installgen automates over 100 Oracle install procedures on Solaris, Windows, Linux and MacOS X. Repgen replicates Oracle data in a multi-master configuration on Solaris, Windows, Linux and MacOS X. For more information about .com Solutions Inc., please visit: www.cgiscripter.net .
INDUSTRY'S FIRST 8-PORT FIREWIRE 800/1394B PROFESSIONAL HUB/REPEATER
NitroAV Delivers First 8-Port FireWire 800/1394b Professional Hub/Repeater for internal or external applications.
(Austin, Texas), August 17, 2004 – NitroAV.com premiers the industry’s first and only professional series, 8-Port FireWire 800/1394b Hub/Repeater for external or internal applications.
Based on the latest Texas Instruments chip-sets this professional FireWire 800/1394 8-Port Hub/Repeater is designed to deliver up to double the transfer-speed of the original FireWire technology allowing to connect multiple computers, digital video, digital audio, home entertainment components and peripherals. Perfect for networking, high-end digital audio/video workstations for ultra fast data transfers. Connecting powered or none-powered devices, the included power supply will drive up to seven low powered devices or if internally integrated, the hub has a 4-Pin DC power connector. The Hub also acts as a FireWire 800/1394b repeater, so you can place devices up to an additional 15 feet (4.5 meters) from other connected FireWire 800 devices and peripherals. As always FireWire 800/1394b is backwards compatible with FireWire 400/1394a standards.
Availability and Pricing
Shipping now, the Hub/Repeater is available through authorized resellers. 8-Port FireWire 800/1394b Hub-Repeater has a suggested retail selling price of $159 (N8PFW8HR). See http://www.nitroav.com for a list of authorized resellers as well as additional product information.
Reader specials from MacResQ
iPod iKlear Cleaning Kit: Includes 2oz Spray, 1 Large Micro-Chamois, 1 Travel Size Micro-Chamois Polishing Cloth, and 3 Klear Screen Singles Only $19.99!
Griffin iTrip iPod FM Transmitter for iPods with a FireWire Port Normally $29.99, take $2 off with Q-Pon code "TR1"
Griffin iTrip 2 iPod FM Transmitter for iPods with a Dock Connector Normally $29.99, take $2 off with Q-Pon code "TR2"
Xserve RAID 2500 Gigabytes (14x180GB) Normally $5499.99, take $100 off with Q-Pon code "XS25"
NITROAV PREMIERS ITS PRODUCT LINE WITH 23GB DVD PROFESSIONAL FIREWIRE 800 SOLUTIONS
NITROAV PREMIERS ITS PRODUCT LINE WITH 23GB PROFESSIONAL
DISC FOR DATA OPTICAL SOLUTION PRODUCTS
Delivers First FireWire 800/1394b Professional Disc for DATA
Drive That Records 23GB onto a Single Disc.
LOS ANGELES (SIGGRAPH 2004, Booth #1824/Asaca Corp), August 11, 2004 – NitroAV.com premiers the ‘AfterBurner’ Series, the latest generation of FireWire 800/1394b blue laser–based Professional Disc for DATA (ProDATA®) drives.
Based on blue laser technology, the AfterBurner stores up to 23 GB of native capacity per rewritable or write-one, read-many (WORM) single sided media, delivering an advanced optical storage and archiving solution for professional data-intensive applications. The high capacity and high performance AfterBurner drives are designed specifically for professional audio/video editing/authoring, storage applications, graphic design and medical imaging, e-mail archival, enterprise content management and multimedia projects. The AfterBurner drive features a durable, airtight structure to prevent dust particles from coming in contact with the drive mechanism and disc surface, increasing durability and reliability for critical applications in professional and industrial settings but still offering the convenience of removable optical storage. This optical solution allows for high-speed random access of files, making it suitable for both near-line and archival storage applications.
The line-up includes 2 Bay and 4 Bay customizable external FireWire 800/1394b configurations, as well as an internal SCSI version for Plug-N-Play integration with latest Macintosh OSX, WINDOWS and Linux operating systems. The 5.25-inch internal Ultra-wide 160 SCSI drive is perfect for easy integration into external subsystems, high-end workstations, servers and automated libraries commonly used for storage and long-term archival purposes as well as upgrading existing automated libraries that have older optical mechanisms. In addition to the 23GB per disc optical storage capacity it features up-to 11/MB second sustained read and 9MB/second write transfer speeds. This offers a quantum leap in performance over existing optical storage formats, with an archival life of up to 50 years.
.
About “AfterBurner” ProDATA Technology
The AfterBurner Series drives leverage several technological advancements to achieve their unprecedented 23GB storage capacity and up-to 11MB/second read and 9MB/second write speeds, including:
• Shortened Blue Laser Beam Wavelength - Blue-violet laser to achieve a shorter wavelength (405nm) than possible with the traditional red lasers (650nm) used in CD, DVD and MO drives. The shorter wavelength creates a smaller laser beam spot, which results in higher storage density;
• Advanced Objective Lens - The objective lens of the drives, used to focus the shortened blue laser beam, and can achieve higher density recording due to a higher numerical aperture;
• Ultra-Thin Media Cover Layer - The physical size of the media is the same as a traditional DVD disc. The recording layer, however, has an extremely thin cover layer for recording that is five times denser than a DVD, resulting in fewer recording errors;
• Narrow Track Pitch - AfterBurner features a narrower track pitch than CD, DVD and MO technologies. Similar to lines on a sheet of paper, a narrower track pitch results in a higher recording density;
• Automatic CAV/CLV Selection - Incorporates both CAV (constant angular velocity) and CLV (constant linear velocity) transfer modes when reading and writing data;
• High-Capacity Cache - Equipped with a 16MB cache, much higher than other optical storage drives. A larger cache reduces errors by easing the load on the CPU. It also improves performance when accessing data by enhancing the drive's ability to read ahead;
•
• Dust-Resistant Drive Structure - Designed to be resistant to dust and other airborne contaminants, enhancing data integrity and hardware durability. A dual-shutter mechanism minimizes dust contamination, creating an airtight structure even when media is inside the drive, and
• Improved Media Durability -Professional Disc for DATA media has an estimated lifespan of over 50 years and can be rewritten more than 10,000 times.
Availability and Pricing
Shipping now, the AfterBurner is available through authorized resellers.
External FireWire 800/1394v 2-Bay AfterBurner will have a suggested retail selling price of $3199 (NAVAF20), and $2995 for the internal SCSI kit (NAVAFINT) and $2995 for the external USB 2.0 or SCSI model (NAVAFEXT). Professional Disc for DATA media is currently available at a suggested retail selling price of $45 for both the write-once version (PDDWO23) and the rewritable version (PDDRW23).
# # #
Editor's Note: For additional information about NitroAV DVD optical storage products, please can call (512) 467-2808, or visit NitroAV’s website at www.nitroav.com.
OmniWeb 5.0 released
The Omni Group has released OmniWeb 5.0 after several months of beta testing. New features include tabs (which almost every other modern browser supports), workspaces, saved browsing sessions, individual site preferences, and RSS feed support.
OmniWeb 5.0 is a $9.95 upgrade for 4.x license holders or $29.95 for new purchase.
uDevGames 2004 Begins
iDevGames officially announced the start of the uDevGames Game Development Contest yesterday. The contest challenges participants to create a Mac OS X game in three months time, which will then be subjected to public vote, peer vote, and a panel of judges, with the best in a variety of categories receiving prizes. The source code to all entered games will be released back to the community under open source licenses.
iDevGames has issued a press release.
iSync 1.5 released
Apple has released iSync 1.5, now available via the Software Update panel.
iSync 1.5 adds support for more devices such as the latest Sony Ericsson and Motorola phones. For more information about supported devices and connectivity requirements, visit www.apple.com/isync.
Before you install iSync 1.5, you must install iCal 1.5.2 or later. To download the latest version of iCal, visit www.apple.com/ical, or use Software Update (in System Preferences) to install the latest version.
If you are using Mac OS X version 10.3 and plan to synchronize a Bluetooth mobile phone, you need to have Bluetooth version 1.5 or later installed. To download the latest version, use Software Update (in System Preferences). If you have an earlier version of Mac OS X, visit www.apple.com/isync to download the appropriate Bluetooth version.
Advanced Web Ranking v3.1 Released
Release date: Aug 10, 2004
Manage Your Search Engine Web Rankings
Caphyon LLC is pleased to announce the release of Advanced Web Ranking 3.1, a tool that helps check your web site position on all major search engines. Advanced Web Ranking runs on Mac OS X, Windows 98/2000/XP, Linux and Solaris.
Checking your web site position is a very time consuming task. For example, if you have 10 keywords that you want to monitor, and you want to check the top 20 positions for 10 search engines, you need to perform about 200 (10 keywords * 10 engines * first 2 pages) individual searches to get the results. Then you need to compare the results one by one to
find where your site is positioned. It may take you days to complete this task if you do this manually. That's where Advanced Web Ranking comes to help.Advanced Web Ranking is able to query over 200 search engines and quickly find out if you're moving up or down in the rankings, or if your site is listed at all. It will track the progress of your rankings over time and display that information in an easy to read and understand graphical and tabular reports. It can help you check not just the position of your website but the position of your competitors' web sites as well.
Advanced Web Ranking has the ability to generate and email reports after an update was finished. Couple that with the Scheduled Updates ability, and you will be able to turn on your computer in the morning and find reports on your websites ranks waiting for you in your Inbox. As a SEO, you can have updates being run and sent to your customers every night
without even lifting a hand. Various types of reports (Current Rank, Top Sites, Web Site, etc.) can be created in any of the formats Advanced Web Ranking supports (PDF, HTML, Excel, XML or Text). Then they can be emailed to any of the addresses you pick from the Address Book, or saved to a folder where you can access them over the Internet.
What's new in Advanced Web Ranking 3.1
This version features a new and improved Preferences dialog, the ability to choose a custom range from the Rank Evolution report and many enhancements for the user interface.
- New and improved Preferences dialog.
- Ability to change the Rank Evolution custom range from within the report.
- Enhancements for the "new version is available" dialog.
- Updated translation for the German and French language.
Advanced Web Ranking costs USD $99 for the Professional edition. Users who don't need to create printable reports, or schedule automatic updates can purchase the Standard edition for USD $49.
The application can be downloaded from:
http://www.advancedwebranking.com/download.html
More details about the application can be found at:
http://www.advancedwebranking.com
The iPod Garage to hold the first-ever iPod Garage Party on South Beach in Miami
The iPod Garage to hold the first-ever iPod Garage Party on South Beach in Miami
What could be cooler than hanging out with other iPod users? How about doing so on Miami's South Beach?
On September 1st, the iPod Garage will be hosting the first-ever iPod Garage Party. And you're invited. What's more, if you bring your iPod with you, you'll get to hook your iPod up to the sound system and show us what you've got, for up to fifteen minutes. You don't have to be a professional DJ, just share with us the fifteen minutes of your music library that you cherish the most. iPod-related prizes will be given to those of you who can win over the audience the most effectively.
According to iPod Garage Founder Bill Palmer, "I look forward to meeting iPod Garage readers in person, and I can't wait to hear what you guys have on your iPods."
For a limited time, you can sign up for a free VIP Pass, good for one free cocktail for you and each member of your party (up to four people). Out-of-towners, book your flights now: we'll be giving a special prize to the attendee who can prove that they've traveled the farthest distance in order to attend the event.
For more information, visit http://www.ipodgarage.com .
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.3.5, Security Update 2004-08-09
Apple has released Mac OS X 10.3.5 as well as a stand-alone security update. Both are now available via the Software Update panel.
The security update, which is also included in the 10.3.5 update, fixes the recently discovered libpng vulnerability (which also affects Linux).
Key enhancements in 10.3.5 include:
- improved support for NTFS formatted volumes
- improves reliability for user logins and mounting of home directories in a networked environment
- updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
- improved Bluetooth compatibility for Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse and Bluetooth phones
- additional FireWire and USB device compatibility
- improved font management
- updated Mail and Image Capture applications
- improved compatibility for third party applications
- previous standalone security updates
Phelios Releases Bud Redhead
Phelios Releases a New Platformer Game for Mac, Bud Redhead
August 9, 2004 - Phelios announced the release of their new game for Mac called, Bud Redhead, a retro-style, side-scrolling game that takes the real spirit of Platformers and mixes it with adventure and time travel. Bud Redhead is another game in the growing Phelios library created with their game engine, PTK.
Bud Redhead, a multi-award winning game, was originally created for PC by game developer, Space Ewe, and was rewritten with Phelios' multi-platform game engine, PTK, so that it could easily be ported to the Mac. Phelios was more than happy to team up with Space Ewe to help with getting them on-board using the PTK engine, and within a very short period of time, Bud Redhead for Mac was completed.
Gamers are able to download a free demo of Bud Redhead and/or purchase it online at: http://www.phelios.com Bud Redhead is $19.95.
About Bud Redhead
Take a journey with Bud through space and time in pursuit of Feyatta, an intergalactic abductor. Your quest will lead you to 4 different places in the space-time continuum: from a forest more than 8000 years old, to Ancient Egypt and Medieval Castles, to a Space Ship orbiting Saturn a couple of million years in the future. During your search, you'll be greeted with an arcade experience mixed with adventure, action and a surprise ending.
Features
-4 different worlds: Forest, Egypt, Castle, Space Ship
-20 huge levels for exploring (5 levels in each world)
-Total game area of more than 1200 screens (average of more than 60 screens per level)
-Fun Big Boss level in shoot'em up style at the end
-Thousands of gold coins, jewels and fruits to collect
-Moving platforms, doors, levers, ropes, ladders and slippery surfaces
-Many secret areas in each level
-Beautiful hand-drawn high resolution graphics up to 3 background paralax planes
-Interesting story between worlds with unexpected ending
-Automatic saving of the game status after each completed level
-Manual saving of the game status at checkpoints within levels
-Joystick/gamepad support
-Localization: English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, Danish and Croatian
About Phelios
Phelios, Inc. is an independent developer offering downloadable games and software. Their main ambition is to create entertaining games for the MAC, PC and Pocket PC platforms. With very small kids to the brightest adults in mind, Phelios strives to create quality games to provide people of all ages and backgrounds with engaging game play while also providing excellent customer service and free technical support.
About PTK
PTK is a game engine, also called a SDK (Software Development Kit) that helps developers make their own games easily. PTK is a multi-platform 2D game engine with 3D capabilities built around OpenGL-accelerated hardware, however, it is also possible to create 3D multi platform games with OpenGL. (Just use the PTK framework to handle the multi-platform work and concentrate on the game!) It has been designed to be as simple as possible; PTK can be used by a wide variety of users: from the most experienced programmers to the newbie aspiring game programmers. Even programmers working with Basic can use it! It simply requires a very basic knowledge of C++ and of course a C++ Compiler. A Downloadable demo is available for free to test all of PTK's functionality.
For More Information Contact:
Patrice Krysztofiak
Phelios, Inc.
Website:
Mac Games from phelios.com
Email: contact@phelios.com
Apple releases XCode 1.5
XCode 1.5 is now available for download from Apple Developer Connection, both to free and paid members.
Improvements in this version include:
- Dead-code stripping
- Remote debugging
- Code completion for Java and AppleScript
- Subversion source-code control system support
- Native build system support for AppleScript
- Enhanced debugger with a memory browser, globals browser, and ability to display file static variables
- Faster Editor Performance
- Ant templates
- Documentation bookmarks
- Speed improvements
Tue, 03 Aug 2004
A first look at AirPort Express
I'm now at a hotel with wired Ethernet, so I picked up an AirPort Express to go wireless.
The first thing you notice when you open the box is that the AirPort Express looks a lot like a PowerBook AC adapter and it's only slightly larger.
[img]art/AirExpress.JPG[/img]
The DSL connection in my hotel room uses DHCP rather than the more common PPPoE, so when I plugged in the AirPort Express the first time it automatically connected. I didn't even have to run the setup assistant - I was already online.
Running the Airport Express setup assistant let me name the base station and assign a password.
I noticed that the radio in my room has an AUX input, so I tried connecting the AirPort Express to it. In iTunes I selected AirPort Express for output instead of computer and I was playing tunes through the radio's speakers. All other sounds continued to play through my PowerBook's internal speakers.
The AirPort Express is a good example of what Apple does right: it simply works out of the box, with no setup.
Navicat 5.2 (MySQL Administrator) Released!
Navicat (MySQL Administrator) 5.2 adds a Batch Job and Scheduling feature (Support Backup/Restore database, Import/Export Wizard, Data Transfer). Other enhancements include support for MySQL 4.1.3-beta and 'Set Null' support in table data grid. Navicat, a MySQL manager from PremiumSoft, is an integrated GUI tool let you perform MySQL administration and database development in an easier way. Advanced features allow you to import/export data from Access, Excel, etc, backup, transfer database, create query and manage your local or remote MySQL server. It also includes a full featured graphical manager for setting the users and access privileges and more.
An evaluation version of Navicat for Mac OS X 10.1 or later is avaliable for download at http://www.navicat.com/shareware.php3
Navicat (MySQL Administrator) is also avaliable for Windows and Linux.
OmniPilot Software, Inc. acquires Lasso product line from Blue World Communications
Fort Lauderdale based OmniPilot Software, Inc., a provider of cross platform business opportunity management software, announced today that it has acquired the Lasso product suite from Blue World Communications, Inc. The Lasso suite of cross platform software tools allows companies to quickly build and serve powerful data-driven Web sites. Financial terms were not disclosed.
OmniPilot Software chief operating officer, Chad Roll, commented on the acquisition saying, “We believe there is a substantial market opportunity to provide SME’s (small-to-medium enterprises) with the ability to optimize their online presence. Lasso products provide the ability to connect any database to any Web server on any platform providing us with a solid foundation for future growth.”
Blue World Communications will close its offices in Bellevue, Washington in August 2004. Blue World’s Lasso development team will be relocated to OmniPilot Software headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"OmniPilot is positioned to build upon Blue World's accomplishments over the last ten years," said Bill Doerrfeld, founder, president and CEO of Blue World Communications. "It has been a privilege helping thousands of Web professionals quickly build and serve data-driven Web sites via the Lasso product line."
Founded in 1992, Blue World Communications cross-platform software tools are used by more than 15,000 corporations around the world, including Apple, Symantec, Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, nd OmniPilot Software’s parent company, Starmark International. A full-service marketing communications agency, Starmark International has successfully employed Lasso in the development of Web sites for a wide variety of clients, including Citrix, Motorola, Siemens as well as many hospitality and government clients.
Brett Circe, who serves as both president of OmniPilot Software and partner of Starmark International, spearheaded the marketing agency’s adoption of Lasso. “What has impressed me about Lasso is that we have been able to upgrade our code since 1996 with little or no effort, and, we can develop solutions using Lasso in half the code of other popular middleware languages. That’s why OmniPilot applications are built in the Lasso development language.”
OmniPilot Software, Inc. is a software development company offering cross platform business management solutions designed to help small to mid-size service companies optimize their online presence. With eight years of custom application development behind them, OmniPilot Software applications ensure that clients benefit from time-tested efficiencies, which have proven to yield success. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starmark International. Ranked #43 on the 2003 Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S., Starmark International specializes in the seamless integration of multiple marketing disciplines – branding, advertising, Internet development, direct response, custom publishing and public relations among them – toward the effective fulfillment of client business goals.
iCompositions launches $2500 GarageBand contest and 1GB of free upload space
iCompositions, the World's Largest GarageBand Community, today announced that every registered user will receive an unprecedented 1 Gigabyte of free space to upload their GarageBand compositions. iCompositions users who have purchased the "Super Star" account upgrade will receive a jaw-dropping 3 Gigabytes of space to upload their compositions.
In addition, iCompositions announced the launch of the largest online GarageBand Contest in history with prize values totaling more than $2500. Entitled "iCompose, iWin", artists will participate in seven contests with chances to win prizes including a 40GB fourth generation iPod, two USB keyboards, Jam Pack, loops, GarageBand tutorials, and GarageBand books. iCompositions has set up a special website, iComposeiWin.com, to provide all specific details on the contest. Winners of contests ranging from Best Overall Song to Favorite Member will be selected by member nominations and polls. The contest begins today and ends August 27th.
iCompositions also announced iComposers.com, a system for its users to build their own template-based website. iComposers will be available next week with one free template. In the future, users will be able to purchase additional templates for $2.99.
Steve Jobs doing well after cancer surgery
Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs has had successful surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer, the company's co-founder told employees in a company-wide e-mail on Sunday that was made available to Reuters.
"This weekend I underwent a successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from my pancreas," Jobs wrote in the e-mail. "I had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which represents about 1 percent of the total cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year, and can be cured by surgical removal if diagnosed in time (mine was)."
He added that he "will not require any chemotherapy or radiation treatments."
Jobs wrote that he will recuperate during the month of August and expects to return to Cupertino, California-based Apple in September. He is also chief executive of animated film studio Pixar .
Jobs said that, in his absence, Tim Cook, head of worldwide sales and operations, will run the day-to-day operations of Apple, maker of the Macintosh computer and iPod portable digital music players.
Jobs also wrote that the far more common kind of pancreatic cancer "is called adenocarcinoma, which is currently not curable and usually carries a life expectancy of around one year after diagnosis."
"I mention this because when one hears 'pancreatic cancer' (or Googles it), one immediately encounters this far more common and deadly form, which, thank God, is not what I had," Jobs wrote.
Jobs is now recovering in the hospital. According to his email, it was sent from his 17" PowerBook at his hospital bed.