February 2003 Archived News

iDisk Utility for Windows (Posted 2/28/2003 at 9:19 AM)
iDisk Utility has been released for Windows so those stuck using Windows XP at Work or elsewhere can benefit from it.

Macteens Hacked (Posted 2/28/2003 at 9:06 AM)
The Macteens.com site was attacked by a hacker who deleted much of the content on the site. They have urged all Mac sites to ensure they have recent backups.

UpdateRadar 4.0 (Posted 2/28/2003 at 9:02 AM)
UpdateRadar is a program tracker - it keeps track of your programs and notifies you when they need to be updated.

Virtual TimeClock 4.4 (Posted 2/28/2003 at 8:57 AM)
Virtual TimeClock has been updated to version 4.4.

Keynote 1.0.1 (Posted 2/28/2003 at 8:56 AM)
Apple has released an update for their Keynote presentation softare.

Cell Phone Modem Scripts (Posted 2/27/2003 at 7:03 PM)
Ross Barkman's Home Page includes a number of modem scripts to use your cell phone as a modem.

Restore Desktop 2.0 (Posted 2/27/2003 at 10:07 AM)
Restore Desktop is a Contextual Menu plug-in that automatically saves and restores the icons' positions on the Mac desktop after a resolution change.

PDFCompress 4 (Posted 2/27/2003 at 9:09 AM)
PDFCompress is a utility to reduce the size of PDF files.

File Name Encoding Repair Utility (Posted 2/27/2003 at 9:07 AM)
Apple released the File Name Encoding Repair Utility will correct many of the common cases of incorrect conversion of character encoding in file names.

eWeek Reviews 12" PowerBook G4 (Posted 2/27/2003 at 9:04 AM)
eWeek reviewed the 12-inch PowerBook G4 and found it to be an attractive, well-appointed system that merits consideration by those in the market for a thin, light notebook.

AirPort Extreme Fimware Update 5.0.3 (Posted 2/26/2003 at 11:48 AM)
AirPort Extreme Fimware Update 5.0.3 is now available from Apple.

Taco HTML Edit 1.2.0 (Posted 2/26/2003 at 11:45 AM)
Taco HTML Edit is a full-featured freeware HTML editor and has been updated to version 1.2.0.

XShelf 1.0 (Posted 2/26/2003 at 11:43 AM)
XShelf enhances drag and drop in MacOS X by letting you "pause" drag and drop operations, as well as have multiple drag and drop operations in flight at once.

Captain FTP 2.2 (Posted 2/25/2003 at 12:25 PM)
Captain FTP has been updated and now includes the ability to synchronize local and remote folders.

iWatch 3.1.1 (Posted 2/25/2003 at 8:58 AM)
iWatch is a timer, alarm, stopwatch and clock for Mac OS X that allows you to perform different actions at the end of timers and alarms.

TextWrangler 1.0 (Posted 2/25/2003 at 8:55 AM)
TextWrangler is a powerful and richly-featured tool from Bare Bones Software for composing, modifying, and transforming text stored in plain-text files.

Cocktail 1.0b5 (Posted 2/25/2003 at 8:46 AM)
Cocktail simplifies the use of of advanced UNIX functions including running prebinding, cron jobs, repairing file and folder permissions and more as well as giving access to hidden Mac OS X settings.

Mac OS X Server 10.2.4 (Posted 2/25/2003 at 8:45 AM)
Apple has released the Mac OS X Server 10.2.4 update with delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: AFP, SMB and NFS file services, DHCP, NetBoot, Open Directory, QuickTime Streaming Server, Sendmail and Workgroup Manager. It prevents Xserve drives from being unmounted while locked, provides Digest authentication for WebDAV, management of Energy Saver settings, and supports NetBoot images greater than 2 GB in size. The update also provides the latest Security Updates.

FruitMenu 3.0 (Posted 2/24/2003 at 10:36 PM)
FruitMenu 3.0 is an update to the haxie which allows you to customize your Apple menu.

Sony Ericsson Clicker (Posted 2/24/2003 at 10:33 PM)
Sony Ericsson Clicker allowing you to remotely control a wide range of applications with your Sony Ericsson phone such as PowerPoint, Keynote, DVD Player and iTunes.

Plone 1.0 (Posted 2/24/2003 at 2:41 PM)
A Plone 1.0 Installer for Mac OS X is now available for the open source system for managing information and administering content.

Safari Updates (Posted 2/24/2003 at 9:30 AM)
According to Think Secret and backed up with screenshots, Apple's Safari web browser will be gaining tabbed browsing and autocomplete which are two of the most widely requested features.

MacMaid (Posted 2/24/2003 at 9:24 AM)
MacMaid is a desktop organizer designed exclusively for Mac OS X and users who get clutter on their Finder desktop.

IconBuilder Pro 4.0 (Posted 2/24/2003 at 9:23 AM)
IconFactory has released IconBuilder Pro 4.0 which works with Adobe Photoshop to enable designers to create custom icons.

REALbasic 5 (Posted 2/24/2003 at 9:21 AM)
REALbasic 5 is now available and builds smaller applications, improves support for Jaguar, adds powerful new Internet capabilities, comprehensive Unicode support and powerful new server development option.

Keyspan Presentation Remote (Posted 2/24/2003 at 9:17 AM)
The Keyspan Presentation Remote is an RF remote that works with applications such as PowerPoint and Keynote from up to 40 feet away and includes a laser pointer and full mouse control. It also does not require the installation of any software.

Koingo Updates (Posted 2/22/2003 at 10:13 PM)
Koingo has updated a few of their products including Alarm Clock Pro 6.2.1, Font Pilot 1.1.7 and Contact Keeper 4.1.

ScreenRecord 1.0.1 (Posted 2/22/2003 at 8:00 AM)
ScreenRecord is a screen recording program that allows the user to capture continuous images on the screen as a Quicktime movie.

Apple Offers Power Supply Exchange (Posted 2/21/2003 at 1:02 PM)
Apple unveiled a program that lets owners of some Power Macs swap out their existing power supply and fan for a new, quieter model. The fan and power supply are free but there is a $20 charge for shipping and handling.

Voice Box 1.3 (Posted 2/21/2003 at 12:50 PM)
Voice Box was written in cocoa for Mac OS X users who wish to output the Mac's cool text to speech system into an audio file (aiff). It can download RSS/XML news feeds and speak them or load them onto an iPod to hear later.

Jaguar Cache Cleaner 1.6 (Posted 2/21/2003 at 12:48 PM)
Jaguar Cache Cleaner, the OS X maintenance and utility application, has been updated.

Pangea Software announced Billy Frontier (Posted 2/21/2003 at 12:46 PM)
Billy Frontier is a whimsical, wacky and futuristic arcade-style game that puts you in the role of an interstellar cowboy living on the planet of New Texas.

Spring 1.2 (Posted 2/21/2003 at 12:44 PM)
Spring is a universal canvas for your digital life where you interact naturally with singular, visual representions of the people, places, products, etc that define it.

Vicomsoft adds Mac OS X Support to FTP Client (Posted 2/20/2003 at 9:52 AM)
Vicomsoft has updated their FTP Client to version 4.0, adding Mac OS X support.

Microsoft to buy Connectix Assets (Posted 2/19/2003 at 7:07 PM)
Microsoft is acquiring some of the assets of Connectix, including their Virtual PC procuct line though they say they will not discontinue the product.

OnSync 1.0.1 (Posted 2/19/2003 at 12:12 PM)
OnSync is a contacts synchronizer for Mac OS X 10.2 adn GSM based mobile phones.

MobileSync 1.0.2 (Posted 2/19/2003 at 12:06 PM)
MobileSync lets you take most of your personal information with you?no matter where you go?by keeping Entourage and your Sony Ericsson phone's calendar and contacts up with each other's changes.

Mac OS 10.2.4, Bluetooth and Me (Posted 2/19/2003 at 9:42 AM)
A Powerpage.org article on using Mac OS X and a Bluetooth enabled cell phone.

GEDitCOM 3.50 (Posted 2/19/2003 at 9:40 AM)
GEDitCOM is the customizable genealogy application for the Macintosh (including MacOS X) for editing and viewing GEDCOM genealogy files.

iChat from 30,000 feet (Posted 2/19/2003 at 9:35 AM)
A MacCentral article on the new internet access being offered by Lufthansa on their Frankfurt flights.

Address Office (Posted 2/19/2003 at 9:28 AM)
Address Office is a practical multiplatform telephone and address program that allows you to quickly and easily manage addresses, phone numbers, URLs, AIM, ICQ and Email addresses.

Netscape 7.02 (Posted 2/19/2003 at 9:26 AM)
Netscape had released an update which adds enhanced stability and improved security.

ScrapX 1.0 (Posted 2/19/2003 at 9:25 AM)
ScrapX stores, displays, and dispenses content in the form of text, images, movies, or sounds that can be copied and pasted or drag-and-dropped between Mac OS X or classic Mac OS applications.

Save 20% on iPhoto Books (Posted 2/18/2003 at 9:36 PM)
Apple has a promotion through April 15, 2003 that offers a 20% discount on iPhoto book orders of $60 or more.

BBEdit 7.0.2 (Posted 2/18/2003 at 2:52 PM)
Barebones has released an update to BBEdit which includes enhancements and bug fixes.

Belkin Introduces Wireless Mouse and Light for Laptops (Posted 2/18/2003 at 2:51 PM)
Belkin has introduced two new devices aimed at mobile professionals: the MiniWireless Optical Mouse and the TraveLite Retractable USB Lamp.

QuarkXPress 6 (Posted 2/18/2003 at 2:49 PM)
Quark has released details on its upcoming upgrade which includes Mac OS X compatibility.

Gateway shows the way to a G4 Powerbook (Posted 2/18/2003 at 12:45 PM)
In a print ad touting digital music solutions, a recent Gateway ad features an urban hipster jamming to tunes on his notebook--a PowerBook G4 Titanium notebook to be specific. Gateway said the inclusion of the Mac notebook was a production error and said the ad ran in just one publication in December before being pulled.

iClip 1.5 (Posted 2/18/2003 at 10:48 AM)
iClip is a utility that helps you get past the limitations of having a single Clipboard. It allows you to quickly copy & paste and drag & drop clippings to and from its multiple "clipping bins" so that you can easily access them in the applications you're using.

Path Finder 2.1 (Posted 2/18/2003 at 9:34 AM)
Path Finder is a Mac OS X Finder replacement with many of the features of the Mac OS 9 Finder including labels.

iClock for Mac OS X (Posted 2/18/2003 at 9:24 AM)
iClock is also a kind of centrally located time hub from which many time related functions can be controlled. iClock is an essential time utility for pilots, business people, travelers, and anyone who communicates with people in other time zones.

HomeRun 1.1 (Posted 2/18/2003 at 9:22 AM)
HomeRun is a home automation program that lets you control and schedule just about any simple home appliance right from your Mac running Mac OS X.

PowerBook G4: Good Things in a Small Package (Posted 2/18/2003 at 9:07 AM)
PC Magazine has a review of Apple's new 12" PowerBook G4 saying that it has no significant drawbacks despite its small size, and its multimedia capabilities are just about the best you can expect from a small notebook.

iBook, Bluetooth and the T68i (Posted 2/17/2003 at 10:23 AM)
This web page has information on using an iBook with the Sony-Ericsson T68i phone over Bluetooth.

MacWorld Review of the 12" PowerBook G4 (Posted 2/17/2003 at 10:11 AM)
MacWorld has a review of the 12" PowerBook G4 which also includes speed comparisons with other PowerBooks and iBooks.

KidsGoGoGo 6.7 (Posted 2/17/2003 at 10:07 AM)
KidsGoGoGo has been updated to include additonal support for Safari and more.

Macintouch Reader Report for Mac OS X 10.2.4 (Posted 2/17/2003 at 10:02 AM)
The Macintouch Reader Report has many comments on the 10.2.4 upgrade and the normal reports of issues that accompany any new OS release.

ArcherPro 3.1.0 (Posted 2/15/2003 at 9:16 PM)
ArcherPro 3.1.0 introduces some improvements to the popular multimedia viewer. The biggest change is the addition of the Background Menu. This menu lets you change the background color for each image individually.

Norton AntiVirus 9.0 Beta (Posted 2/15/2003 at 9:08 PM)
Symantec has released a beta version of Norton AntiVirus 9.0 which has been rewritten in Cocoa and can includes PC virus scanning.

Mac OS X 10.2.4 (Posted 2/13/2003 at 6:44 PM)
Apple has released Mac OS X 10.2.4 which is available through Software Update. The 10.2.4 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: Address Book, Classic compatibility, Finder, FireWire, Graphics, OpenGL, and Sherlock. It includes AFP and Windows file service improvements, as well as audio, disc recording, graphics, and printing improvements.

Mighty Mouse 1.0 (Posted 2/13/2003 at 2:46 AM)
Mighty Mouse is a new haxie that allows you to customize the Mac OS X cursor with animations.

SpamSieve 1.3 (Posted 2/13/2003 at 2:42 AM)
SpamSieve has been updated and includes better accuracy and the ability to use email addresses in the address book as a whitelist.

wKids (Posted 2/13/2003 at 2:21 AM)
wKids is a web browser that has parental control built in and can limit access to Mac OS.

Safari Update 2-12-03 (Posted 2/13/2003 at 2:17 AM)
The Safari Update 2-12-03 improves the compatibility with popular web sites based on Safari user feedback, further improves the performance of loading web pages and Flash content, adds support for XML, increases standards conformance and delivers improved application stability. The update also enables access to web sites that offer self-signed security certificates.

Exchange Support Coming to Entourage (Posted 2/11/2003 at 1:15 AM)
Microsoft will be including Exchange support in the next update to Entourage coming this summer.

Konfabulator 1.0 (Posted 2/10/2003 at 5:45 PM)
Konfabulator is a JavaScript runtime engine for Mac OS X that lets you run small files called Widgets.

Xserve and Xserve RAID (Posted 2/10/2003 at 12:48 PM)
Apple has announced an updated Xserve and the long awaited Xserve raid today.

ThreadTracker 0.3 (Posted 2/10/2003 at 2:24 AM)
ThreadTracker is a freeware application developed for use with Infopop forums, such as MacCentral's forums (forums.maccentral.com).

NetNewsWire Pro 1.0b17 (Posted 2/8/2003 at 2:09 PM)
NetNewsWire is an easy-to-use RSS news reader for web sites. It presents a familiar three-paned interface?like that of Outlook Express or Mailsmith?to display websites and their news.

FLaunch 1.0 (Posted 2/8/2003 at 1:54 PM)
FLaunch allows you to assign applications, folders, documents or aliases to your function keys.

SystemSound Extension 3.0 (Posted 2/7/2003 at 9:19 AM)
SystemSound Extension lets you play your favorite system 7 sounds with this background app. You can either start at login or just let it start when you open your files.

Web Help Desk 6.2 (Posted 2/7/2003 at 9:09 AM)
Web Help Desk is a browser-based help desk for IT departments which lets users create job tickets for IT to respond to.

Virex 7.2 for Mac OS X (Posted 2/7/2003 at 9:01 AM)
Virex has been updated and finally includes the ability to auto-update instead of forcing the user to download the updates manually. this version is available for the English version of Mac OS X.

Transmit 2.3 (Posted 2/7/2003 at 8:14 AM)
Transmit has been updated with a number of bug fixes and new features including the ability to define what will occur when a file is double-clicked.

Spy 1.0.1 (Posted 2/7/2003 at 8:13 AM)
Spy is an update to the server which will let people view your desktop via a web browser.

Stop-Motion Studio (Posted 2/7/2003 at 8:07 AM)
Stop-Motion Studio gives you the ability to create stop-frame animation using a Firewire video camera and your Mac.

Data Recycler X (Posted 2/6/2003 at 5:26 PM)
Data Recycler X monitors your hard drive to help prevent accidental deletion of data, and also scans your hard drives to check file system integrity.

MacSpeech (Posted 2/6/2003 at 2:18 PM)
MacSpeech announced the release of four new ScriptPaks for iListen on Mac OS X. The four ScriptPaks voice enable Menus and functionality in Apple's Mail, iMovie 3, iTunes 3 and iPhoto 2 iLife applications.

Willow Updates Cases (Posted 2/6/2003 at 10:34 AM)
Willow Design has updated their cases for the new Powerbooks released by Apple.

iVCR (Posted 2/6/2003 at 10:31 AM)
iVCR is a webcam video recorder for MacOSX which by entering the URL of the webcam image and clicking "Record", iVCR will start making a series of quicktime movies.

VPN Tracker 1.5 (Posted 2/5/2003 at 9:58 AM)
VPN Tracker is an easy-to-use application that sets up secure, encrypted internet connections for the Mac 0S X 10.2.

Linux on the iPod (Posted 2/5/2003 at 9:57 AM)
Linux on iPod is a SourceForge project that has been able to get a Linux kernel (based on uClinux) running on an iPod.

CandyBar 1.5 (Posted 2/5/2003 at 9:52 AM)
CandyBar adds support for "iContainers," a new way to package and distribute the icons that Panic and The Iconfactory are making for CandyBar.

Apple Trims Prices, Product Array (Posted 2/4/2003 at 9:57 AM)
A News.com article on the price cuts and updates to the iMac and eMac lines.

QuickPopup 4.0 (Posted 2/4/2003 at 9:01 AM)
QuickPopup allows users securely exchange popup messages over corporate, school and home networks without connecting to the Internet.

Apple Releases New iMacs (Posted 2/4/2003 at 8:07 AM)
Apple has announced new iMacs with faster processors, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth wireless. Their site states that "inside the new 17-inch iMac, you get the 1GHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, 256MB of PC2100 (266MHz) Double Data Rate (DDR) main memory (expandable to 1GB), GeForce4 MX graphics with 64MB of DDR graphics memory and an Ultra-ATA/100 80GB hard disk spinning at 7200 rpm. You also get AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless capability, and the best-of-breed digital lifestyle applications that have convinced so many PC users to switch to the Mac platform."

Safari Adoption Rate (Posted 2/3/2003 at 9:17 AM)
According to OneStat.com, Apple's new Safari browser is showing a promising start after capturing 0.11% usage share in the first weeks of its public launch.

Pith (Posted 2/3/2003 at 9:15 AM)
Pith is a utility for Safari that tracks the currently open sites and displays them in a window. If Safari crashes, it can recover the windows that were open.

Switch 1.0 (Posted 2/3/2003 at 9:14 AM)
Switch is an application that lets you play, download, and manage Switch ads from Apple's website with a simple and intuitive user interface.

KidsServer Personal Edition (Posted 2/3/2003 at 9:10 AM)
KidsServer PE blocks most harmful web sites. KidsServer PE has a name "Server", because it works as Proxy Server, however, it is Client software.

Archer 2.3.2 (Posted 2/3/2003 at 9:03 AM)
Archer is a small, fast slide show player that supports audio and video as well as still images. Archer supports multiple players running at the same time each with their own set of images, speed setting, and size.

iMovie 3 (Posted 2/2/2003 at 11:12 AM)
iMovie 3, now available through Softare Update, works with iTunes, iPhoto, and iDVD, and makes it easier to create movies with your own music, photos and video. Bring your photos to life with motion using the Ken Burns pan and zoom effect seen in his documentaries, and make your movies sound as good as they look with amazing sound effects from Skywalker Sound. One-click DVD project creation lets you send your movie directly to iDVD with chapter markers.

iPhoto 2 (Posted 2/2/2003 at 11:11 AM)
iPhoto 2, now available through Softare Update, lets you burn your photos directly onto a CD or DVD for archiving. It makes it easy for you to fix those "not-so-perfect" photos with just a click of the new one-button Enhance. And you can send pictures from iPhoto with your favorite e-mail application. iPhoto 2 even lets you select music directly from iTunes 3 or send a slideshow directly to iDVD 3.