Games: Eschalon: Book 1, Imaginary Poker 3...

Basilisk Games recently unveiled the Macintosh version of Eschalon: Book One, while Candywriter released Imaginary Poker 3. Eschalon: Book One puts players in the shoes of a hero who must uncover the mystery of who, or what, they are, while they crawl through dungeons and massive outdoor environments. Eschalon has a focus on a single player storyline, with turn-based combat. Eschalon: Book 1 is currently available from Basilisk Games' website for $30 as an electronic download, and $40 for a CD version with an included download.

Ricoh GX2500 offers cost-effective, rich color...

Ricoh recently introduced the GelSprinter GX2500, the first in its line of gel printers meant for workgroups of up to three users. The GX2500 is capable of printing 28 pages per minute in both color, and black and white, using a viscous ink formulation to provide waterproof, smear-less images that don't bleed through paper. Ricoh says the printer is ideal for cost conscious organizations such as schools, real estate firms, and insurance offices. The GX2500 is currently available for $170 through Ricoh's online store, and through select retailers nationwide.

4D Web 2.0 Pack adds drag-and-drop tools...

4D has released 4D Web 2.0 Pack v11, an update to its toolset enabling developers to create business intelligence applications for mobile platforms like Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. The latest release includes a drag-and-drop toolset to facilitate quick creation of database-backed dashboard-style Web applications. The update also includes support for 3D v11 SQL, and boasts performance improvements as well as bug fixes. 4D Web 2.0 Pack v11 is priced at $600, and includes six months of free upgrades. Additional 12-month maintenance plans are available for $250.

DLO ships Action Jacket for iPhone...

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today began shipping its new Action Jacket for iPhone. The sport-ready neoprene case fits both 4GB and 8GB iPhones, and includes all the features of prior Action Jackets like an integrated belt clip as well as a play-through screen covering. Available in black, the DLO Action Jacket protects the iPhone on-the-go while enabling users to take incoming calls and access all touchscreen controls. The case is priced at $30.

Enterprise will stifle Apple's creativity...

Apple's entrance into the business world could be a mistake, and it may render the creativity of the company who all but thrives on it sterile, according to Marketcircle CEO, Alykhan Jetha. He argues that the placid nature of an enterprise company is just the thing that will stifle the company's creative process, having to adhere to years-old practices and old standards. A great deal of Microsoft's time is spent adapting its software to be backwards compatible with antiquated office equipment, and says that it's "a ball and chain that will render Apple as 'just another tech company' should it decide to chase the enterprise market."

Santa's Super Friends for Mac released...

Macgamestore.com today announced the release of Santa's Super Friends for Mac, a new title created by Toybox Games challenging players to find out who Mr. Stink is and why he would steal all the toys before Christmas. "As you make your way from Candy Cane Cove to Santa's Workshop, you'll meet some Super Friends along the way like Gingerbread Jr. and Edmund the Elf. They'll give you information about Mr. Stink to help you get the toys back!" The game is priced at $20, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Apple releases QuickTime Broadcaster 1.5.2...

Apple has released QuickTime Broadcaster 1.5.2, an application combining the power of QuickTime with Apple's ease of use that allows average users to produce a live broadcast event. The update offers H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10 video) live broadcasting, as well as 3G streaming support for sending live broadcasts to multimedia-enabled cellular phones. QuickTime Broadcaster 1.5.2 requires Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later.

PDF2ID 1.1 adds Leopard, OpenType support...

Recosoft has released an update to one of its flagship products, PDF2ID. The program is a plug-in for Adobe InDesign CS2 and CS3, able to translate PDF files with elements such as images and text layout intact. Version 1.1 is a major update, first of all ensuring full compatibility with Mac OS X Leopard. Several other enhancements have been included as well though, such as support for the OpenType fonts developed by Microsoft and Adobe, and automatic character and paragraph style generation

'iPhone' places high in Google searches...

Search terms involving the iPhone have placed extremely high in Google's 2007 rankings, the company has announced. As a part of its Zeitgeist 2007 report, it notes that "iphone" was the fastest-rising search term of the year, in the US and worldwide, beating out "badoo," "facebook" and numerous other competitors. The term also did reasonably well as one of the most popular news searches of the year, coming in at number six; "american idol," "youtube" and "britney spears" represented the top three.

Creating custom ringtones in GarageBand...

Apple today released an informational note about creating custom ringtones in GarageBand 4.1.1. "With GarageBand 4.1.1 you can export your original song, your original audio recordings, or use Apple Loops and iLife jingles to create a custom ringtone for your iPhone," the company says. Users need GarageBand 4.1.1, iTunes 7.5 or later, and an iPhone with firmware version 1.1.2 or later. The process involves setting up a cycle region that covers the desired area of a song to use in a GarageBand song, which must be 40 seconds or less in length.

Orb streams music from Windows to iPhones...

Orb Networks has released an application that streams music from a Windows-based PC over the internet to select iPhones, effectively making entire music collections available to iPhone owners on-the-go. Users install the Orb application on a Windows PC where music is stored, then surf to the free service at mycast.orb.com using an iPhone to play any track stored on the home computer. Orb also enables users to send friends text messages with links to music, and the software is available for free.

Orange iPhones not genuinely unlocked...

Foreign shoppers hoping to buy an unlocked iPhone from France will be disappointed, accounts suggest. Other than Germany's T-Mobile, France's Orange is the only carrier to sell unlocked iPhones; and at €749 apiece, they are a full €250 cheaper than the next legal option. Despite being marketed as carrier-free, however, the phones in fact turn out to be country-locked, meaning they can only be used with SIM cards for French carriers. Should an owner want to call outside of France, they will still need a plan with a French carrier and the money to pay roaming fees.

Java for Mac OS X 10.4 hits Release 6

Apple has officially released a new Java client, specifically tailored to Mac OS X 10.4. Release 6 requires that a Mac be updated to Mac OS X 10.4.10, specifically, and is an 80MB download. The update is said to improve "reliability and compatibility" for Java SE 5.0 and Java 1.4; the former shifts to v1.5.0_13, while Java 1.4 has been patched to v1.4.2_16. The download is a Universal Binary; as of press time, Apple has not properly updated its release notes page to document all changes.

Crusader Kings: Deus Vult adds new graphics, more...

Virtual Programming recently unveiled an expansion to Crusader Kings, which it is calling Deus Vult, available as an digital download. Players are charged with creating medieval Europe's most powerful dynasty, from 1066 to 1453 AD. Gain prestige and increase the greatness of your lands and coffers. Build cathedrals and castles, and recruit vassal states, while battling traitors, introduce laws and taxes, and interact with hundreds of courtiers and nobles. Virtual Programming is selling Crusader Kings: Deus Vult for $20.