Notable New Product News - Monday, February 2, 2004
Apple Final Cut Express 2.0.2 Digital Video Editing
Cocktail 3.4.1 General Purpose System Modify/Repair Utility
PDF2Office v1.0.1 released
MacGPS Pro 4.1.0 Connectivity To GPS Receivers [System 6.0.7 - Mac OS 9.2.2 /OS 10.2.2 up]
FileMaker Helps Printer Meet Super Bowl XXXVIII Deadline
Princeton Releases New Line Of 19" SENergy Triple-input Premium LCDs
iuAssets 2.0 Asset Management Software [/url]
Apple Final Cut Express 2.0.2 Digital Video Editing
Create professional-quality video with Final Cut Express. Now optimized for the Power Mac G5 and Mac OS X Panther, Apple’s feature-rich DV editing software is designed for the complete beginner, aspiring filmmaker, educator and experienced DV editor alike. The new version features RT Extreme for real-time compositing and effects, an enhanced user interface, real-time color correction tools and enhanced audio editing capabilities.
Whether you want to make sophisticated home movies complete with complex transitions and effects or pro-level videos for your creative business, Final Cut Express 2 gives you all the high-quality compositing, titling and effects capabilities you need to express your creativity. Priced at just $299, Final Cut Express 2 offers an unparalleled combination of power, features and affordability.
Featuring the same interface as the Emmy Award-winning Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express is a robust and innovative editing, effects and compositing solution that gives digital video enthusiasts the perfect blend of power, ease of use and affordability.
Insert, overwrite, replace or fit to fill clips into your sequence by dragging them directly into the Canvas or Timeline. Use precision tools and techniques like slip, slide, ripple, roll, split and extend. The flexible interface lets you move seamlessly between editing, compositing and effects functions.
Final Cut Express 2 also features dynamic and asymmetrical trimming. With dynamic trimming, you can now edit in the Trim Edit window using the J, K and L keys, and have edit points automatically follow the position of the playhead. And with its asymmetrical trimming capability, Final Cut Express 2 allows you to edit video and audio items in the Timeline separately to create split edits, adding to the sophistication of your projects.
With Final Cut Express, you have hundreds of transitions, filters and effects to choose from to enhance your video project. For many of them, you don't even need to wait to see what they’ll look like. That's because the RT Extreme engine in Final Cut Express lets you preview effects and transitions in real time without rendering — saving you precious time.
Achieve impressive results by layering video clips or graphics files, such as multilayered Adobe Photoshop files, to create rich visual images and animations. Then refine your effects with Bezier curve, motion path, time effects, frame blending and more.
Create outstanding animated titles for your video projects. Your text flows across the screen with lower thirds, scrolls, crawls and other integrated titling tools. Final Cut Express also includes 2D and 3D tools with the bundled Boris Calligraphy.
Final Cut Express lets you mix up to 99 tracks of audio (eight in real time) at the subframe level. Use pans, levels and the three-band equalizer for just the right mix. Enhance your audio with transitions and filters such as cross fades, reverb, EQ, echo, noise gate and more. For documentary-style projects, use the VoiceOver tool to record narration into an audio track while your video plays.
Create a custom musical dimension for your Final Cut Express video projects with Soundtrack. No musical experience necessary. Export your Final Cut Express project with scoring markers for Soundtrack, and Soundtrack’s easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface enables you to combine any of the thousands of included professionally-recorded instrument loops and sound effects in real time. By adding Soundtrack to your editing toolset, you can compose the perfect score for your video, DVD, website or presentation.
New in this version:
Fixes and improvements for Final Cut Express 2. Improvements include changes to the user interface and window displays, documentation, and user preferences. This update also fixes known issues with audio and video syncing over FireWire, Timeline editing functionality, and capturing long clips. Final Cut Express 2.0.2 is strongly recommended for all users of Final Cut Express 2.
Final Cut Express New Features
• Capture across timecode breaks
• RT Extreme provides more render-free video layers, effects and transitions
• Real-time audio volume and filter adjustment
• Automated audio keyframe recording
• Audio Units support
• Customizable interface
• Scoring marker export for Soundtrack
• Chapter marker export for DVD Studio Pro and iDVD
• Compression marker export for Compressor
Other Great Features
• Optimized for the DV25 format: MiniDV and DVCAM (NTSC or PAL)
• Integrated compositing and effects
• High-quality DV YUV-based effects rendering
• Imports layered Photoshop files and many other graphic files
• Advanced trimming tools
• Compatible with Final Cut Pro for easy upgrade
System requirements:
• Mac OS X 10.2.5 or higher
• QuickTime 6.4 or higher
• G4 350 or faster
• 384 MB RAM
For RT Extreme:
• G4 500 (or 550 for PowerBook G4) or faster
• 512 MB RAM
Apple Final Cut Express sells for $299.00 new/$99.00 upgrade
For more information, visit:
http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/
Cocktail 3.4.1 General Purpose System Modify/Repair Utility
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for Mac OS X 10.2 or later. The application serves up a scrumptious mix of maintenance tools and interface tweaks, all accessible via a comprehensive graphical interface and toolset. It is a smooth and powerful utility that simplifies the use of advanced UNIX functions.
All of Cocktail's major features are arranged in five basic categories. In addition, a "Pilot" lets you optimize your system with one click of the button and schedule miscellaneous maintenance tasks.
Features:
• enable or disable journaling on selected disk
• set disk spindown time
• reprebind system or selected folder/disk
• repair permissions
• manually run cron scripts
• clean system, user and internet cache
• change system startup mode
• recreate Mac OS 9 desktop alias
• update whatis and locate databases
• force empty trash from selected disk
• delete locked items
• remove DS Store files
• remove archived logs
• view, print and save logs
• create symbolic links
• lock or unlock files and folders
• change speed, duplex and MTU settings
• optimize network settings
• change netwok ports
• renew DHCP lease
• customize look and features of Finder and Dock
• set window resize speed
• enable hidden features in miscellaneous applications
• easily optimize your system
Detailed description of all features available in current version of Cocktail can be found in help files.
New in this version:
• Addresses an issue in which Pilot requires registered version of Cocktail to run
• Other minor bug fixes to Pilot, Scheduler and Uninstaller
• Added Login Window settings to Interface category
System requirements:
Mac OS X 10.2 or higher
BSD subsystem installed
Cocktail is $11.95 demoware
For more information, visit:
http://www.macosxcocktail.com/index.html
PDF2Office v1.0.1 released
RecoSoft Corporation announces that it has released PDF2Office v1.0.1 an update to its PDF document convertor.
PDF2Office v1.0.1 enhances the areas listed below
• Tables
Improved table recognition
Added support for merged cells.
• Graphics
Improved overlaid graphics placement, graphics positioning and processing.
• Document Layout
Improved paragraph formatting and overall document layout.
• Security enabled PDF documents
Added conversion support for standard security enabled PDF documents that allow for copying/printing.
• Columns/Sections
Improved columns and sections formatting.
Customers of PDF2Office v1.0 can download the PDF2Office v1.0.1 update for free from the Recosoft Corporation web site. Additionally, a PDF2Office tutorial (Powerpoint slide show format) has been posted for download.
PDF2Office converts PDF documents into fully editable MSWord, RTF, AppleWorks, HTML etc... files re-creating the original construct and layout of the document - forming paragraphs, applying styles, re-grouping independent graphics elements, extracting images, creating tables, processing headers/footers, endnotes/footnotes and columns/sections - Automatically - without any intervention.
PDF2Office allows one to unlock the contents stored in PDF documents - making it available for use by the most popular software titles. As PDF2Office is a standalone tool, it eliminates the necessity to acquire and install additional PDF editing software and tools resulting in huge cost savings in both time and expense.
PDF2Office is available in the following configurations -
PDF2Office Single User License - US$99.00 (* Introductory price till February 28, 2004 - US$129 from March 1, 2004)
PDF2Office Education Single User License - US$89.00
To download a 30 day trial version of PDF2Office visit:
http://www.recosoft.com/products/pdf2office/
MacGPS Pro 4.1.0 Connectivity To GPS Receivers [System 6.0.7 - Mac OS 9.2.2 /OS 10.2.2 up]
Software for communicating with GPS Receivers and viewing your position on moving digital maps. It allows import of maps and waypoints from a wide variety of sources. It supports NMEA 0183 input from all serial port and Bluetooth receivers. Waypoints, Routes and Tracklogs can be graphically generated and edited for use on the Mac, or for transfer to and from Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers.
• MacGPS Pro works with Magellan GPS receivers
• MacGPS Pro works with Bluetooth wireless GPS receivers
• MacGPS Pro imports ETopo Canadian maps with calibration.
• New MacGPS Pro Digital Maps Library
MacGPS Pro works with Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers for transferring Waypoints, Routes and Tracklogs.
MacGPS Pro works with almost all GPS receivers for moving map images on the Mac screen in real-time.
MacGPS Pro works with no receiver connected for viewing digital maps, measuring distances, editing waypoints.
MacGPS Pro has been OS X Native since November 11, 2002. It is still available in Mac Classic as well.
MacGPS Pro connects to your GPS receiver through a serial interface (with a USB to Serial adaptor for modern Macs) or through a Bluetooth wireless connection.
New in this version:
• Adds automatic calibration of ETopo Canadian topographic maps.
System requirements:
• Mac OS X 10.2.2 or higher, or
• System 6.0.7 - Mac OS 9.2.2
MacGPS Po sells for $39.95
For more information, visit:
http://www.macgpspro.com/
FileMaker Helps Printer Meet Super Bowl XXXVIII Deadline
There will be plenty of Carolina Panthers media guides at this year's Super Bowl thanks to Electric City Printing.
The Anderson, South Carolina company is the publisher of the Carolina Panthers' media guide, the 100-plus page publication that features team history, schedules, statistics, and profiles of the team's coaches and players. To help get the guides produced accurately and quickly, they relied on a scheduling system based on FileMaker Pro, the award winning workgroup database software from FileMaker, Inc.
With the FileMaker Pro-based scheduling system, Electric City's staff can easily dispatch jobs based on estimated hours and equipment capacity, and can better track production throughput.
"The system provides a panoramic view of the production cycle, from pre-press, plating, presses and bindery through delivery, to help spot potential problems and eliminate inefficiencies in production scheduling," said Ben Marchbanks, owner of Alqemy, a Greenville, SC consulting group that helped to develop the scheduling system for Electric City along with their Operations Manager, Dennis Carter.
Such a precise scheduling system also lets Electric City react quickly to last minute demands and late requests. The company found out that they needed to print and assemble 2,500 Carolina Panther media guides in five days for Super Bowl XXXVIII, which put the scheduling system and Electric City employees through quite a test.
"Our scheduling system helped keep us on track and focused during a project that required high-quality and high-volume on short notice," said Electric City President Joel Hogg. "We completed the media guides in five days and they arrived in Houston right on time."
For more information, visit:
http://www.filemaker.com
Princeton Releases New Line Of 19" SENergy Triple-input Premium LCDs
Building on the award-winning success of their SENergy line of LCD monitors, Princeton DIGITAL, Inc., introduces the SENergy 914. The attractive slim-bezel TFT display is the first-ever 19" LCD monitor with Premium MVA Technology and triple-input for the best in desktop flexibility. Now discriminating professionals can have a space-saving, attractive ergonomic digital display that provides the critical viewing accuracy they demand. Princeton DIGITAL, the first manufacturer to commercially offer a digital flat panel, will be shipping the SENergy 914 in March 2004 with a suggested retail price of $699.99.
The SENergy 914 includes the most technically advanced display features,
including:
• Attractive Slim-bezel design easily accommodates dual display desktops
• Premium Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) Technology for 170°
Super-wide Viewing Angle
• Ultra High 700:1 Contrast Ratio yields deeper blacks and richer color
• Super Fast 25ms Response Time (15ms On, 10ms Off) for demanding motion
graphics and video
• Distortion-free color including difficult to render reds
• 16.7 Million True Colors (24-bit Technology)
• Outstanding brightness (300 cd/m2) and uniformity
• Triple-input design (Digital DVI-D and two analog RGB inputs), delivers
maximum compatibility and flexibility for computer and video sources
• Detailed 1280 x 1024 native resolution, with scaling resolutions from
640 x 480
• Ergonomic Adjustment featuring front/back tilt, height and pivoting
stand
• Advanced 5 button on-screen display and stand-by power switch
• VESA 100mm Wall/Arm Mount Ready
• Kensington Security Slot Compliant
• VESA DDC1/2b Plug & Play
• MPRII Compliant
• Full 3-Year Limited Warranty
"With the rising popularity of dual-display desktops among professionals, we designed the SENergy 914 with a slim bezel and the best LCD glass available," noted Rob L. Brinkman, Princeton Executive Vice President and General Manager. "The DVI and dual analog inputs just expands the flexibility of the package," Brinkman concluded.
Princeton's 19" SENergy 914 expands the line's 15-, 17.4- and 20.1-inch offerings. Compatible with PC, UNIX, Apple Macintosh, Power Mac, Windows, and high-resolution third-party graphics standards, the display meets all major emission and power management standards, including EPA Energy Star. SENergy displays are backed by a three-year part, labor and backlight warranty.
With the Premium Multi-domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) Cell Technology In the MVA process, the Liquid Crystal molecules are angled in more than one direction within a single cell. This is done by dividing the cell into two or more regions, called domains, and by using protrusions on the glass surfaces to pre-tilt the molecules in the desired direction. By combining areas of molecules oriented in one direction with areas of molecules oriented in the opposite direction, and by making the areas very small, the brightness of the cells can be made to appear uniform over a wide range of viewing angles. With Premium MVA the LCD panel eliminates color distortion and grayscale inversion and provides a contrast ratio of 700:1, a 25ms response time and a super-wide 170° viewing angle. For more information regarding Premium MVA go to:
http://www.fme.fujitsu.com/products/displays/lcdvatech.html
iuAssets 2.0 Asset Management Software
Manage your assets with one simple to use, yet powerful application. iuAssets has been designed to cater for both the home user and small business owner. Peace of mind is knowing you have an accurate, up-to-date and secure record of all your assets.
iuAssets can be used for a variety of situations, two examples would be:
• Insurance purposes. Keep a database of all your household or business items, on a remote computer or backup disk for easy retrieval in the event of an insurance claim. Serial numbers, prices, and pictures of your items will prove to be invaluable in situations which warrant an insurance claim.
• Accounting purposes. Track your assets for accounting purposes. You can monitor current and disposed assets, group your assets according to your accounting codes, generate reports and export data.
iuAssets allows you to save multiple files for multiple situations. You could have a separate file for home and for work, or for each department at work.
New in this version:
• A new assets / group interface
• Fully customizable assets fields
• New fully customizable assets viewer
• Asset depreciation and depreciation schedules
• Comprehensive export tools
• Many optimizations
• Version 2 is a major re-write of iuAssets with both visible and internal enhancements. For a complete list of changes see Version and Release Information.
System requirements:
• Power PC G4 or greater
• Mac OS X 10.2.7 or greater (OS X 10.3 recommended)
Note: iuAssets will not necessarily look or function exactly the same on Jaguar (10.2) as it does on Panther (10.3). See the release notes for more information.
iuAssets sells for $79.95
There is a special upgrade price of only $39.95 for current iuAssets 1 licences holders.You must include your full version 1 registration information in the notes on the PayPal screen to qualify. Orders missing this information will not be processed. Existing iuAssets 2 users can download the latest version with the same link. Re-entry of your registration information may be required.
For more information, visit:
http://www.iuni.com/software/iuassets.html
Investor/RT 7.0r3 Real Time Charting & Analysis For Stocks/Futures/Options
• State-of-the-art tool kit for the online investor. It provides powerful market monitoring, scanning, back testing, scheduling, data capture, charting, technical analysis, and portfolio management features for users of a wide variety of real-time, delayed, and end-of-day market data services.
• Supported Internet-based data services include the eSignal (Data Broadcasting Corporation), DTN-InterQuote (Data Transmission Network), myTrack and Dial/Data (Track Data Corporation) and QFeed (Quote.Com). Satellite and CATV data services (Signal, BMI, and DTN) are also supported.
• For detailed information, take the Investor/RT Tour:
http://www.linnsoft.com/tour
Linn Software releases a new version of Investor/RT approximately every two months. The links below will allow you to upgrade to our latest release version or, when available, download our latest beta version. A week or two before the final release of each version, we will make a beta version available for users who would like to take early advantage of our latest development.
New in this version:
• Quotepage and Portfolio Format Improvements
• Trading Systems: Day-by-Day Backtesting Report
• DTN Satellite D8080 Receivers - Ethernet Support
• Clearing Alarms from a Chart
• Importing Intraday Data from other Time Zones
• User Variable Legend
• New Setup Options for Scans
System requirements:
Mac OS X
Investor/RT sells for $995.00
To download Investor/RT goto http://www.linnsoft.com/investorrt . A full-featured version of the product can be run in demonstration mode with sample historical data or with a live data feed.
For more information, visit:
http://www.linnsoft.com/updates/
Charles W. Moore
