News Archive for 06/10/27

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FairGame strips iTunes DRM

10/27, 6:10pm

FairGame strips iTunes DRM with iMovie

Seidai Software has released FairGame, an application designed to convert songs purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store to an unprotected format. FairGame uses iTunes' default encoder, keeping all the original metadata, lyrics, and artwork intact. The process takes 2 minutes and 42 seconds to convert a 4-minute song to AAC on a MacBook Pro 2.16GHz, according to Seidai. Users must enable "Access for assistive devices" in the "Universal Access" system preference and select "Place clip in Movie Timeline" in the "Import" preference of iMovie HD. Following those two steps users can select songs in iTunes, click on the "Process songs" button, and wait for FairGame to complete its tasks. FairGame is available for free as a digital download, and is known to work on Mac OS X 10.4.8 with iMovie HD 6.0.3, and iTunes 7.0.1 installed.

Dot.Tunes 3.0 unveiled

10/27, 5:20pm

Dot.Tunes 3.0 offers flash playback

Dot-Tunes has released Dot.Tunes 3.0 Beta 2, a major new release of the Web-based iTunes music sharing service. The update features a new logo with a revamped Web and application design, as well as a revised Web interface. Two skinnable flash players built into Dot.Tunes ensure members' websites, blogs, and MySpace pages can play tracks from their iTunes Music libraries. Users can publish artists, albums, playlists, or their entire music library with one click, according to the company, and can share music securely with usernames and passwords. The upgraded service also features the ability to publish audio as well as video podcasts, and serves as a remote control via iTunes/AirTunes setup. Dot.Tunes requires any modern Web browser such as Safari or Firefox, with registration priced at $30.

MediaCentral 2.4 released

10/27, 1:40pm

MediaCentral 2.4 improves TV module

Equinux today released MediaCentral 2.4, an update to its theater application offering customizable user interface themes, an improved TV Module, and enhanced .Mac integration. MediaCentral is designed to turn a Mac into a home theater system with support for numerous audio, video, TV, and multimedia formats. The new customizable interface themes allow users to personalize the look of MediaCentral by choosing from a list of color schemes or, alternatively, creating a custom scheme. The update simplifies usability via a new Onscreen Display menu included in the TV Module, combining a set of TV feature controls and configuration options such as a concise channel list and additional information about running programs.

MGM adds shows to iTunes

10/27, 12:10pm

MGM adds more shows to iTunes

MGM today added more programming to Apple's iTunes Music Store, including 22 half-hour episodes from the first season of "The Addams Family." Other popular classics include 32 one-hour episodes from the first season of the original science fiction series "The Outer Limits," while 32 half-hour episodes of the animated "Pink Panther" TV series are scheduled for addition to Apple's store in the coming days. "We are excited to launch more of MGM's premium and classic television programming through the iTunes Store," said Doug Lee, MGM's executive vice president of its new media division. "We have over 10,000 hours of television programming so making MGM hit series available to the iTunes community is a great way for us to continue our expansion in the new media world."

Navicast 3.3 released

10/27, 11:20am

Navicast adds Windows Media support

Barsark today released Navicast 3.3, an update to the internet video and Web-TV system for Mac users. The revision adds Windows Media support, allowing users to automatically compress, publish, distribute, and present movies in QuickTime, MPEG-4, 3gp, and Windows Media formats. The software is usable for Web-TV services, mobile phone video services, in-shop TV solutions, and podcast/vodcast services. Navicast 3.3 adds pay-per-view and subscription functionality for both Web and mobile phones, as well as categorization functionality within channels. The new feature allows users to easily organize Movies within a channel into categories, according to Barsark. The update also offers an improved user interface, and fixes numerous bugs alongside some interface quirks (pricing available by quote only, system requirements were unavailable).

Audiobook Builder 1.0

10/27, 9:30am

Splasm ships Audiobook Builder 1.0

Splasm Software has released Audiobook Builder 1.0, an easy way to combine your Audiobook CDs into a single iPod-friendly Audiobook file. "Now you can take data directly from audio CDs, iTunes and/or QuickTime-compatible audio files and creates files that your iPod accepts as actual Audiobooks, visible in the Audiobooks menu. Tag your Audiobooks with a title, author and cover art. Set up enhanced chapter stops with custom artwork that you'll see while you listen to your color-capable iPod." The company notes that each Audiobook is bookmarkable -- both iTunes and your iPod remember the place when you take a break and resume listening later. Audiobook Builder is US $10 for single users and $15 for families. The Universal Binary application requires Mac OS X 10.4 and QuickTime 7.