MacWEEK articles from December 1996

MacWEEK archives from December 1996

PhotoSuite focuses on Macs. (MGI Software's MGI PhotoSuite 8.0 for Macintosh imaging software)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... In time for the holidays, MGI Software Corp. is decking the desktop with the first Mac version of its consumer image-editing software. MGI PhotoSuite 8.0 is slated to ship by year-end for $79.95. Like the current version for Intel-standard PCs,...

MovieClips effects to turn Pro. (Digerati Multimedia's MovieClips Pro video-effects program) (Product Development)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Digerati Multimedia Inc. hopes to catch the eyes of video editors next summer with a new professional version of its MovieClips video-effects program formerly known as MovieEclipse. Due in June for about $700, MovieClips Pro will offer high-end...

gxMaker converts EPS files. (Art Age Software's shareware utility)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Users who work in both QuickDraw GX and PostScript environments can try a new shareware utility from Art Age Software that converts portable EPS files into GX. gxMaker, released in November for $49, lets users bring PostScript artwork into GX...

Keeping Web art fresh. (Pensee's WebCollage graphics updating utility) (Product Development)
December 2, 1996... New WebCollage to produce images using current data Taking Web graphics in a refreshing direction, Pensee Corp. is developing a product designed to keep graphical data current. Expected to ship early next year for about $250, WebCollage will...

Farallon bestows ISDN with SmartIP. (Farallon Communications' Netopia SO-Smart 435, 635 routers)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Farallon Communications Inc. this month will add two routers to its Netopia ISDN line. The new Netopia SO-Smart models will link small-office LANs of up to 12 users to the Internet via a single TCP/IP address. The family will comprise the...

NewSoft, Akimbo unveil publishing tool updates. (Newsoft's Presto! Personal Page Mac 2.5, Akimbo Systems' Globetrotter Web Publisher 1.1 Web authoring tools)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Two companies are rolling out remodeled versions of their graphical HTML editors. > NewSoft Inc. in November shipped Version 2.5 of Presto! Personal Page Mac, a Web authoring tool. The product was formerly known as Tapestry and was originally...

56-Kbps move accelerates. (Motorola announces Tidal Wave modem upgrade plan, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems and Lucent Technologies creating compatible 56-Kbps modem technologies) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... The promise of 56-Kbps connectivity loomed larger in November with new modem announcements from key players. Motorola Inc. announced upgrade plans for its modems. Meanwhile, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems and Lucent Technologies Inc. said...

Valet to ease Net connections. (InterCon Systems' Internet Valet 2.0 Internet client package)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... InterCon Systems Corp. this week released Version 2.0 of Internet Valet, its Internet client package. Aimed at Internet service providers (ISPs) and their subscribers, the product provides automated installation software and a preconfigured...

EtherPeek does HTML output. (AG Group's EtherPeek 3.1 network management software)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... The AG Group Inc. said it hopes to make it easier for network administrators to analyze far-off LANs. The company in November shipped Version 3.1 of EtherPeek, which now sports HTML output, new plug-in modules and support for additional...

Apple taps IPT for Network Server sales. (creates new marketing and channel programs) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Hoping to increase sales of its Network Servers, Apple in November rolled out a new marketing and channel program for the Unix systems. Apple hired IPT Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based developer of Mac-to-Unix connectivity and pre-press software,...

WebOutliner maps sites. (Gumpinger & Schulz's Web site outlining program)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Webmasters trying to keep their sites untangled have a new ally in WebOutliner 1.0 from Gumpinger & Schulz GbR. WebOutliner can create an outline of an entire Web site in one of three formats: HTML table, Netscape Navigator bookmark file or...

CyberViewer displays images. (Extensis' Web utility)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Extensis Corp. expanded its product repertoire this month with a free Web utility. The maker of plug-ins for QuarkXPress and Adobe PageMaker is shipping CyberViewer, a free system extension that works with Netscape Navigator. When installed,...

Microsoft Boulevard. (Microsoft's Boulevard Web server deserves to be developed into a strong Web server) (Product Information)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 2, 1996... Microsoft Corp.'s purchase of the personal Web server from ResNova Software Inc. came with a bonus: a full-blown Web server, code-named Boulevard. It would be a shame to let that code sit on the shelf. ResNova's two products share a lot of...

In this case, CE means 'cruddy ergonomics.' (Microsoft Windows CE OS)(The Second Decade) (Software Review)(Evaluation)
December 2, 1996... Bad isn't the word for the pocket-size Windows CE devices a half-dozen companies have just introduced--these "handheld PCs" are positively pathetic. Microsoft Corp. has persuaded a few people that the 13-ounce gizmos are the Next Big Thing, but...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
December 2, 1996... PowerBook license I'm amazed to hear that Apple is holding off on licensing the Mac OS to laptop clone vendors for fear of losing business to them (11.04.96, Page 1). Hasn't Apple learned anything in the past few years? Clones drive...

Macworld Expo speakers may need Presentation 101. (Apple presenters need to work on communication) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 2, 1996... As Macworld Expo looms, I've got some words of advice for Apple presenters: Practice your stuff, don't be arrogant and imagine you're competing with Microsoft Corp. every step of the way (because you are). Learn from a pro I have a lot of...

Bad Mojo. (Pulse Entertainment's adventure game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Pulse Entertainment Inc.'s $39 Bad Mojo places you in a world you may not be ready to face: a landscape of human refuse and poisonous chemicals viewed from the beady eyes of a little insect. Not exactly your average action-hero fare and...

Green Eggs and Ham. (Living Books' electronic Book) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... I was really excited when Mom brought home Living Books' version of "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss (estimated street price, $29.95). I like the book, and now I can play it on the computer all by myself. I don't have to bug Mom or Dad to read...

I Have No Mouth And I must Scream. (Cyberdreams' adventure game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Harlan Ellison has earned a place among the great sci-fi writers of our time by staying focused on the human condition. His stories reverberate with difficult truths and often explore the relationship between man and machine. So it comes as no...

Hollywood high. (Theatrix Interactive's scriptwriting program) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Interior: Hollywood High, a typical U.S. high school populated by typical students. Angle on Lilly and Ruth: Lilly, a popular blonde who loves to gossip, chats with Ruth, a brainy, bespectacled redhead. Lilly: I think you're being way too...

Descent II. (MacPlay's action game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... This riveting, laser-shooting, bad-guy-thumping action game is Descent II, MacPlay's long-awaited sequel to Descent. The first Descent game won a plethora of awards. Now, MacPlay is hoping to watch this amazing, new Power Mac-native game...

Dogz and Catz. (PF.Magic's animation simulation game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... I never thought I'd see the day when I'd admit to liking cats more than dogs. But after reviewing PF.Magic Inc.'s two $19.98 animal simulation programs, Catz and Dogz, I must admit: I'm becoming a Catz lover. I spent a lot of time with my new...

Warcraft II. (Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness war game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Reviewing Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness for MacWEEK's annual games roundup seems redundant. If you haven't heard of it, you probably think Doom is a CD-ROM about Revelations and Myst is misspelled. If, on the other hand,...

Phantasmagoria. (Sierra On-Line's adventure game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Sex, mystery, blood and gore--Sierra On-Line Inc. promises it all with its new $69.95 adventure game, Phantasmagoria. It delivers seven CDs of well-crafted if sometimes slow-moving story, lush 3-D scenery, chilling music and lame but effective...

Flight Unlimited. (Looking Glass Technologies' simulation game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... When I first looked at Looking Glass Technologies Inc.'s Flight Unlimited (estimated street price, $39.95), I thought it was just going to be another of those 3-D flight games that all seem the same. But when I slipped the CD into the drive, my...

U-Boat II: Drumbeat. (Deadly Games' U-Boat II: Drumbeat 2.1 war game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... War-game producer Deadly Games places experienced (and not-so-experienced) strategic naval warfare fans in the role of a German commanding officer in its engaging $39.95 submarine simulation, U-Boat II: Drumbeat Version 2.1. As the captain of a...

Afterlife. (LucasArts Entertainment's simulation game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... A great deal of publicity surrounded this summer's release of LucasArts Entertainment Co.'s Afterlife. Although it is a well-designed and enjoyable simulation game, the $44.95 Afterlife does not quite live up to its billing. Anyone familiar...

Marathon Infinity. (Bungie Software Product's action game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... It's 6 p.m. and the shop is closed for the day. But my co-workers and I don't go home. We restart our Power Macs, assume our alter egos and off we go to engage in a network game of kill or be killed... Marathon Infinity style. Bungie Software...

Mortimer and the Riddles of the Medallion. (LucasArts Entertainment's action game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Mortimer and the Riddles of the Medallion ($39.95 from LucasArts Entertainment Co.) is a great game for kids ages 6 to 12. The plot is that the evil villain Lodius has turned all the animals into stone. Your mission is to capture Lodius and find...

The Ultimate 3D Skeleton. (DK Multimedia's educational software) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... There are 206 bones in the human body, and The Ultimate 3D Skeleton has them all. DK Multimedia developed its computer models for this $29.95 CD-ROM from CAT scans of the actual desiccated remains of a fellow Homo sapiens, so the detail is...

You don't Know Jack Sports. (Berkley System's CD-ROM game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Berkeley Systems Inc.'s new CD-ROM game, You Don't Know Jack Sports, survives two potentially catastrophic, ho-hum-inducing detriments: It's a sports trivia quiz reminiscent of those cheesy radio talk shows, and it follows up last year's...

Origami, The Secret Life of Paper. (Casady & Greene's educational CD-ROM) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Origami, the Secret Life of Paper ($59.95 from Casady & Greene Inc.) is an educational CD-ROM that teaches you the art and history of origami. Set up like a Japanese house, Origami lets you visit rooms such as Kitchen, Hall, Gallery, Library,...

Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within. (Sierra On-Line s adventure game)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... In Sierra On-Line Inc.'s $44.95 Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, you portray the title hero, who also appeared in the Sierra adventure Sins of the Fathers. In that one, Gabriel discovered his heritage and destiny as a Schattenjager...

The LucasArts Macintosh Archive Volume I. (LucasArts Entertainment's collection of adventure and action games) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Articl)
December 2, 1996... The same high quality found in George Lucas' fantasy films is obvious in The LucasArts Macintosh Archives Volume I, an entertaining $39.95 collection of CD-ROM action and adventure games from LucasArts Entertainment Co. with something for...

IndyCar Racing II. (Sierra On-Line's simulation game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article
December 2, 1996... If you don't quite manage to qualify at The Brickyard on Memorial Day, don't despair: There's IndyCar Racing II ($54.95 from Sierra On-Line Inc.), and it's not your father's Buick. Part game, part simulation, IndyCar Racing II lets you drive some...

Heroes of Might and Magic. (New World Computing's strategy game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Fantasy role-playing enthusiasts looking for a good, clean diversion should check out New World Computing's latest strategy game, the $59.95 Heroes of Might and Magic, which combines the best of role-playing and strategy games. You play one of...

Logical Journey of the Zoombinis. (Broderbund Software's children's educational software)(Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... If you're tired of buying educational games that just sit on the shelf, give your kids and yourself a break with Broderbund Software Inc.'s Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, a delightful and well-crafted CD-ROM from the company's Active Mind...

Wiener Takes All. (Viacom's New Media of New York's computer game)(Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... MTV and Viacom New Media have pooled their mighty corporate resources to produce an unparalleled piece of crap. Even hard-core Beavis and Butt-head fans will be left scratching various parts of their bodies wondering how the companies could...

Pyst. (Palladium Interactive's adventure game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Do you detest mass popularity, whether it involves sports figures, rock stars or--dare I say it--computer games? Then you'll probably enjoy Pyst, Palladium Interactive Inc.'s long-overdue sendup of the paragon of pretension, Myst. The $14.95...

Strategy Challenges Collection I. (Edmark's educational/computer game) (Software Review)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... With Strategy Challenges Collection 1, Edmark adds an educational aspect to three centuries-old board games--Nine Men's Morris, Go-Moku and Mancala--but that doesn't make them any less fun. These games are more appealing than their shareware...

AMBER: Journeys Beyond. (Changeling's adventure game)(Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... A wonderful vehicle for traveling through time and space is Changeling Inc.'s AMBER: Journeys Beyond ($45 street price). In the vein of Myst and 7th Guest, this CD-ROM-based adventure offers many thrills and puzzles. The AMBER (Astral Mobility...

Blackthorne. (MacPlay's fantasy game) (Software Review)(Evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Blackthorne ($39.95 from MacPlay) is an exciting and challenging game. It's like a modern-day fantasy, with kings and sorcerers, but it also has helicopters, cars and guns. You are a washed-up war hero named Kyle Blackthorne who is heir to...

Interrupt patch deals with one of several issues. (Macintosh's interrupt architecture)(MacInTouch) (Product Support)(Column)
December 2, 1996... Interrupts are the signals through which all of the Macintosh's various programs and hardware devices coordinate and compete for the CPU. Ongoing troubles in this fundamental part of the system leave an impression of a shaky foundation, although...

Some print shops bet future on platesetters. (includes related article on benefits of computer-to-plate systems) (Technology Information)
December 2, 1996... They are the next logical step in the move toward digital work flow. But considering the large initial investment involved, not all companies will benefit from computer-to-plate systems just yet. However, for Tim Ware, vice president of...

Cadillac steers site on interactive path. (Cadillac Motor Car Division's corporate Web site) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 2, 1996... With interactivity, the Cadillac of Web sites has helped the automaker sell cars. The Cadillac name may be the most common metaphor for luxury in the English language, so it's no surprise that the car company had some tough customers to please...

Terran to rev movie tool. (Terran Interactive's Movie Cleaner Pro 2.0 utility)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Promising to pack even more information into QuickTime movies, Terran Interactive Inc. in November announced Version 2.0 of its Movie Cleaner Pro utility. Due in mid-February, Version 2.0 of the QuickTime video-compression tool will support...

@World: Pippin shippin'. (Bandai Digital Entertainment's multimedia player)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... $499 Internet box hits U.S. shores Bandai Digital Entertainment Corp. this week plans to ship @World, its multimedia player based on the Pippin platform. The standard system will cost $499, less than previously announced (see 05.20.96, Page...

Camera, conferencing in Apple VideoPhone. (Apple VideoPhone Kit videoconferencing software)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Apple this week is expected to release the Apple VideoPhone Kit, a videoconferencing software and hardware bundle that is geared toward Internet users and replaces its QuickTime Conferencing Kit. The $279 package includes VideoPhone...

AppleShare unbound. (to market AppleShare 4.2.1 stand-alone retail product) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Apple last week announced that it will offer AppleShare 4.2.1 as a stand-alone retail product. The file server previously was available only in bundles with Apple Workgroup Server machines. The company decided to unbundle AppleShare in response...

;StockWatch. (News Briefs)(Illustration)
December 2, 1996... 11.26.96 weekly close change Apple 24.25 -0.25 MacWEEK Composite* 189.53 -6.18 Software Developers Adobe ...

Adobe site offers wealth of info. (Adobe Systems' Web site)(Directory)
December 2, 1996... But frustration sets in when one can't order products or ask technical questions online Adobe Systems Inc. http://www.adobe.com Adobe PageMaker, PostScript, Font Folio, Art Explorer: These are just four of the 35 product...

Reader picks. (DEC's AltaVista Web search engine)(Directory)
December 2, 1996... AltaVista http://www.altavista.digital.com/ I'd say the single most useful site to me is Digital Equipment Corp.'s AltaVista search engine. Queries are easy to form, since there is no grammar. Recently, I used AltaVista to look up PERL...

Hot list: Mac games.(Directory)
December 2, 1996... Gaming is one of the Web's most popular subjects. Virtually every commercial Mac game has inspired at least one page of tips, and titles that let you create scenarios, such as Marathon Infinity and Warcraft II, have spawned many more. (One hot...

I want to be Mac in your life.(Mac the Knife) (Humor)(Column)
December 2, 1996... Basking in the afterglow of a long Thanksgiving weekend, what U.S. citizen with even an iota of Gemutlichkeit can fail to be touched by Jonathan Richman's musical paeans to the simple pleasures of New England life? Certainly not the Knife, who is...

Halo hardware to top Mac line. (Halo systems to feature highest speed processors, bundled PCI cards) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 2, 1996... Apple next year hopes to put an extra shine on its Macintosh product lines with Halo, a strategy that will aim models at specific market segments. Sources said the company will offer several high-performance configurations with limited...

Apple '96 Net record: strong in creation only. (Apple's Internet strategy success mixed) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 2, 1996... While Apple has taken to calling itself an Internet company, developers are saying slender tool offerings and the lack of a modern OS has marred the Mac's success as an Internet platform. Six months ago AppleNet General Manager Larry Tesler...

Java to perk up desktop as tools reach end users. (Apple's beta Mac OS Runtime for Java, other third-party tools to be introduced) (Product Development)
December 2, 1996... After a year of anticipation, Sun Java is reaching full strength on the Mac. While the Mac community awaits a Java virtual machine within the Mac OS, applications from Apple and third parties have already tapped into Sun Microsystems Inc.'s...

PIX chip to drive 3-D price drop with new cards. (S-MOS Systems has two graphics card designs based on PIX 3-D chip) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 2, 1996... Two graphics card designs from S-MOS Systems Inc. seem likely to push Macintosh accelerator prices to unprecedented lows. Based on the company's new PIX 3-D chip, which was introduced at November's Comdex/Fall '96 in Las Vegas, the boards will...

Next QuickTake to focus on videoconferencing. (Apple's QuickTake 200 digital camera) (Product Development)
December 2, 1996... Renewing its focus on low-cost digital photography, Apple is reportedly at work on a videoconferencing addition to the company's QuickTake line. According to sources, the forthcoming QuickTake 200 will feature a color active-matrix LCD...

Power plans BeOS bundles, MP systems. (Power Computing has license for BeOS, to create multiprocessor systems in 1997) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 2, 1996... Power Computing Corp. last week threw its weight behind the operating system from Be Inc. The largest Mac clone vendor announced a license for BeOS and plans to bundle it alongside Apple's OS on Mac-compatible systems next year. The Round...

Apple's Performa OS update supports MacIPX. (Update 1.0 for Performa 6360, 6400 and 5400 lines) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Apple last week posted Update 1.0 for the Performa 6360, 6400 and 5400 lines. The update adds support for the MacIPX and Local Area Transport Ethernet protocols to systems equipped with the optional Ethernet CS II card. The patch also fixes...

Special-effects board due for Scitex MicroSphere. (Scitex Digital Video's Dveous-FX)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Widening the influence of its MicroSphere digital video system, Scitex Digital Video Inc. this week will announce the DveousFX special-effects board. The DveousFX PCI card, which the company plans to offer in 1997 for less than $10,000, will...

Spellswell Plus handles Microsoft Internet Mail. (Working Software's Spellswell Plus 2.1 spell-checker)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Working Software Inc. last week released Spellswell Plus Version 2.1. The upgrade, which adds hooks to another program, comes in at a lower price than its predecessor. Spellswell Plus 2.1 now interacts with Microsoft Internet Mail and News,...

Portrait debuts full-page LCD. (Portrait Displays' PageMaster LCD monitor)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Portrait Displays Inc. unveiled a full-page pivoting LCD monitor at Comdex/Fall '96 in Las Vegas and said it will cost less than $1,500 when released in the first quarter of next year. Portrait's PageMaster LCD will be priced to compete with...

Duo prepares cross-platform DVD authoring. (Elektroson/Software Architects' creating top.Gear DVD mastering software) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Elektroson Inc. and Software Architects Inc. announced last week that the two companies are collaborating on cross-platform software for Digital Video Disc mastering. The package, expected sometime in the first quarter of 1997, will be based...

Nomai halts buyout from rival SyQuest. (SyQuest Technology) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Negotiations have broken down between SyQuest Technology Inc. and Nomai S.A., scuttling a deal in which SyQuest would have acquired a controlling interest in the removable-storage manufacturer. SyQuest had signed a letter of intent in late...

Brother adds to printer line. (Brother International's HL-1660, HL-760 laser printers)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... High-res models for laser family Brother International Corp. added to its laser printer family in November when it delivered new high-resolution models for single users and workgroups. Both the 17-page-per-minute HL-1660 printer line and the...

PowerBuilder for Mac ships. (Powersoft Business Group's PowerBuilder for Macintosh 5.0 client/server development tool)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... The Powersoft Business Group, a division of Sybase Inc., last week shipped Version 5.0 of PowerBuilder for the Mac, its cross-platform client-server development tool. With the update, the software now runs native on Power Macs and uses the Mac...

Fuji rolls out digital camera. (Fuji Photo Film USA's DS-7)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Fuji Photo Film USA Inc. introduced an new digital camera at last month's Comdex/Fall '96 show in Las Vegas. Available now, the $699 DS-7 digital camera includes a 1.8-inch active-matrix color LCD for image viewing. The camera's...

For the record.(Correction Notice)
December 2, 1996... An 11.11.96 story (Page 1) on the HyperCard 2.3.5 Value Bundle misrepresented the backward compatibility of Version 3.0. According to Apple, HyperCard 3.0 will be compatible only with stacks converted to 2.3.5 or later.

Optix now supports microfilm scanners. (Blueridge Technologies' Optix Document Management System)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Optix Document Management System from Blueridge Technologies Inc. now supports a wider range of high-speed microfilm scanners, the company said. The Optix system, a cross-platform document-imaging, archival and work-flow suite, now takes input...

Pluto to spin Ultra SCSI-3 Space array. (Pluto Technologies International's multiple-disk storage system)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Pluto Technologies International Inc. plans to unveil next week a multiple-disk storage system aimed at post-production houses and other creators of digital video. The Ultra SCSI-3 Space array, slated to ship in the first quarter of 1997, will...

New security tools safeguard data. (Sycronys Softcorp's Burn It! data-destruction utility, Magna's Empower 5.1, Empower Pro 5.1 utilities, RSA's RSA SecurPC encpryption tool)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Mac users now have more ways to keep data out of the wrong hands with the release of security products from Syncronys Softcorp, Magna and RSA Data Security Inc. > Syncronys last week introduced Burn It!, a data-destruction utility. Burn It!,...

System Sculptor reshapes Mac. (Colourfull Creations' System Sculptor 2.01 utility program)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Users looking to shape up their Macs have a new tool with the recent release of System Sculptor 2.01 from Colourfull Creations. System Sculptor takes the idea behind the Extensions Manager and expands it to Apple menu items, fonts and System...

Running on MPEG. (Heuris/Pultizer MPEG Power Professional for Macintosh MPEG software encoder)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Heuris/Pulitzer readies encoder Mac newcomer Heuris/Pulitzer last week announced an MPEG software encoder that draws on new playback technology in QuickTime 2.5. Slated to ship in December for $2,499, MPEG Power Professional for the...

Miro board shoots for 1394 video. (Micro Computer Products' miroVideo DV 100 digital-video editing board)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Focusing its plans for a digital video-editing board first announced in August, Miro Computer Products Inc. said it will ship the miroVideo DV 100 for Power Macs in February. Priced at $1,000, the DV 100 is based on the IEEE 1394, or FireWire,...

VIDI puts new face on 3-D software. (Visual Information Development's Presenter 3D upgrade to Presenter Professional 3.1)(Product Announcement)
December 2, 1996... Update adds VR, animation features Visual Information Development Inc. in November shipped a renamed upgrade to its 3-D modeling, rendering, animation and directional-sound software. Presenter 3D, an upgrade from Presenter Professional 3.1,...

Fuji extends range of camera. (Fuji Photo Film USA's Fujix DS-505)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 2, 1996... Fuji Photo Film USA Inc. in November sharpened its digital camera line with an updated Fujix DS-505. The new $9,995 Fujix DS-505A, available in a bundle with Adobe Photoshop, is a single-lens-reflex digital camera that works with a variety of...

Radius VideoVision SP aims at high-end media. (digital video system)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 9, 1996... PCI board to edit component video With an eye toward Betacam SP video production, Radius Inc. announced its VideoVision SP digital video editing system. The new rackmountable system will feature component, composite, and S-video input and...

Apple faces Jan. deadline for OS deal. (negotiations with Be still continue) (Company Business and Marketing)
December 9, 1996... Time is running out for Apple's OS decision makers. The company's board of directors met Dec. 4 to discuss, and perhaps decide, the path Apple will take to its next-generation OS. The company has committed to announcing an OS strategy in January....

Speed, variety on PPCP plate. (IBM Microelectronics Division's Longtrail, Motorola RISC Microprocessor Yellowknife, Motorola Computer Group's Viper PowerPC Mac OS logic boards under development) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 9, 1996... As they prepare for the 1997 rollout of PowerPC Platform systems, IBM Corp. and Motorola Inc. are developing new architectures that they expect will raise Mac OS system performance and flexibility. These new reference designs, the first Mac OS...

Speed Doubler 2 to make LANs, removables zippier. (Connectix's system enhancer)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 9, 1996... Connectix Corp. will turn the Mac's speed up a notch with Speed Doubler 2.0, which the company plans to ship in time for January's Macworld Expo in San Francisco. The new version of the system enhancer will feature faster disk performance,...

OpenDoc: Long road to adoption. (Apple and partners reexamine component software technology) (Technology Information)
December 9, 1996... Only four months after Apple rolled out OpenDoc to users at Macworld Expo in Boston, the company and its partners are re-evaluating the component-software technology's prospects for 1997. A year ago, Apple said 300 companies would release...

Forthcoming FWB array to spin at 10,000 rpm. (FWB Hammer's SledgeHammer*Pro-10K high-performance array)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
December 9, 1996... FWB Hammer this week took the wraps off the next generation of its SledgeHammer array. The high-performance systems will be based on 10,000-rpm drive modules. The SledgeHammer*Pro-10K series, slated to ship by late January, will use Cheetah...