Apple faces lawsuit over iTunes, iPod, more...

ZapMedia Services is suing Apple over its iPod-iTunes concept, claiming it had invented the process two years before the first iPod was sold. According to AppleInsider, the original ZapMedia has since closed its doors. ZapMedia Services is enacting the lawsuit on behalf of the former company, which comes 18 months after it began to shop for investors. Until recently, ZapMedia Services held on to but a single patent, and now carries two.

Microsoft: Cover Flow-like patent application...

In response to Apple's chiding remarks regarding the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard launch – urging Microsoft to "start their photocopiers" – the Redmond-based software and electronics giant has applied for a patent to Cover Flow-style OS interface. The patent states that the idea revolves around "stacking data wheels" and is primarily designed for mobile environments, potentially the Xbox 360, according to an analysis of the patent by MacNN

iTunes 10% of Disney digital revenue plan...

Disney, as the launch partner for the iTunes video store, has seen approximately $123 million from the venture since its inception, which is a drop in the bucket when compared to the company's $35 billion in revenue last year, but is not without its upsides. Money made from the iTunes video store requires very little maintenance and planning, since companies don't have to market the product, while extraneous costs such as boxing, shipping, and other elements in distribution are not present.

M-Audio intros 8x8 MIDI rack, two keyboards...

M-Audio today unveiled two new portable digital pianos, as well as a rack-mountable 8 x 8 audio MIDI interface. The Fast Track Ultra 8R features an MX Core DSP mixer and eight Octane-enabled preamps, and delivers connectivity through a single USB 2.0 connector. M-Audio advertises that the Ultra 8R low-noise, high-gain preamplification, and near-zero latency. M-Audio is selling the Fast Track Ultra 8R for $650, and will be available during the second quarter.

Transgaming: Puzzle Quest arrives for Mac...

Transgaming today announced the release of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for Mac, a puzzle-based open-ended RPG. In Puzzle Quest, players can either do puzzles directly, or play an RPG-themed version, where they must collect items and experience to progress farther in the game. In the puzzles, players match three of a kind of different objects which either gives them money, experience, mana, or the ability to attack the opposing creature. Puzzle Quest is available for $20.

Apps: Domainer, Vvidget, Art Files

• Domainer 1.6 ($40) an application for web site owners, marketers and investors track and manage their domain names. RAGE Domainer allows web site owners to centralize domain details, as well as those of their competitors, with one easy tuse application. Domainer also provides an overview of a domain's value through various popularity measures including Google PageRank, AlexaRank, incoming back links, and social tags.This free update allows exporting and printing of Domain details to provide a quick overview of domain information and popularity for clients or personal use. [Download - 10.8MB]


• Vvidget 10.5.2 ($190) used to automate graphs for desktop applications, dashboard widgets and web sites. The new release includes support for Quick Look: All data visualization documents made with Vvidget Builder are now browsable through the Mac OS X Finder, including Cover Flow, List and Icon views. This gives immediate access using familiar Finder controls and enables a powerful instant-on data browsing tool. [Download - form]


• Code Collector Pro 1.0 ($30) application for storing code snippets. Key features include Smart Groups: Helps users keep their snippets organized; Snippet Sharing: Snippets can be exported to single files to be shared with other Code Collector users; Customizable Syntax Coloring: Snippets are colored depending on their language; TextMate Bundle Support: Expand the syntax coloring and language support by adding TextMate Bundles. New in version 1.2 is integration with CodeCollector.net for sharing snippets online, an improved source list, snippet locking and enhanced drag and drop support. [Download - 2.5MB]


• Art Files 1.3 ($50) a stand-alone application that takes the tedious task of collecting Illustrator documents, linked images and fonts for graphics files and turns it into a simple point and click operation. Art Files focuses on gathering just the information you need to get your files packaged up for your service provider. This update improves the speed and stability of packaging all Illustrator CS3 files. The result is a massive speed benefit, repeatedly saving time whenever you collect or archive a file. In addition, Art Files now allows you to "re-link" multiple files in the same directory, handles auto-naming of single-file collections, supports custom naming of folders and more. [Download - 1MB]


• EvoCam 3.6.2 ($30) webcam software for Mac OS X. Use EvoCam to publish a webcam with streaming video, view and record video from network cameras and video servers, create timelapse movies, or use it as part of your home security system with its configurable motion sensors. EvoCam 3.6.2 adds support for more network cameras, and fixes several bugs affecting application stability. [Download - 1MB]

DH_Subtitle 2.0 plug for Final Cut released...

Digital Heaven has announced the release of DH_Subtitle 2.0, an upgrade to the popular subtitle generator plug-in for Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro. The tool allows users to create professional style subtitles with boxes behind the text. The new version adds text tracking and leading controls plus a new outline style option. It automatically creates the box according to the text entered and also ensures the last line of text is always in the same vertical position, no matter how many lines of text a subtitle may contain. With version 2.0 there is a new outline style which puts a line around the text to increase legibility. Also new in this version are controls for text tracking and leading.

Cheetah3D 4.5 adds better Leopard support...

Cheetah3D 4.5, a new version of the 3D modelling, rendering and animation solution for Apple Mac OS X, was released today. It improves the MacOS X 10.5 (Leopard) compatibility and should solve the last minor problems. The new release also mproves the memory efficiency of the render manager. Now only active render jobs are kept in RAM and finished render jobs are swapped to the hard disk. This also allows the render manager to recover the results of finished rendering jobs if Cheetah3D should crash. In addition, the PDF import has been improved to allow an even better workflow between Illustrator and other applications.

ArKaos replaces VJ app with GrandVJ...

ArKaos has announced that its self-titled video-jockey software is being replaced with a new program, GrandVJ. Like its predecessor, GrandVJ is used to mix, trigger and manipulate video sources during live music performances, or at other events when live video sequences are needed. The program is based on its predecessor's piano keyboard layout, but implements a new Mixer mode, patterned after an eight-layer video mixer. This is said to improve sequential mixing and allow for more performance styles.

Apple planning third Australia store...

Apple has added a third store to its opening roster for Australia for this year. The company now plans to debut two stores in Sydney in the CBD and in Chatswood and another in Chadstone, Victoria. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Apple is now putting the finishing touches on its three-level flagship store in the Sydney CBD, located on the corner of George Street and King Street. That store will reportedly sport the transparent glass edifice made famous at other flagship stores, along with a large, white suspended Apple logo. Sydney's store will also feature a glass staircase, which will connect the three levels. The store is expected to be open by June.

Back to My Mac functions without .Mac...

The Back to My Mac remote networking option, normally only available with a paid subscription to Apple's .Mac service, can in fact be imitated for free, writes one columnist. Users begin by enabling File and Screen Sharing under System Preferences, and then clicking the Options button to expand file sharing to FTP. After some router configuration, users must run the distant computer's Screen Sharing app, located under "System/Library/CoreServices" in Leopard, and enter the external Internet address of the home/work computer.

iPhone 2.0 firmware already jailbroken?...

The firmware intended for running native third-party software on the iPhone has already been jailbroken, a well-known hacking group claims. The iPhone Dev Team says that after less than a day with the SDK's bundled v1.2 firmware, to eventually be renamed v2.0 for June launch, it was able to decrypt the disk image and run applications without a developer's certificate. Downloaders of the SDK must technically be a part of iPhone Developer Program, which costs $99 for most parties.

Apple signals 100,000 SDK downloads...

Apple has announced that in the first four days following the release of the beta iPhone SDK, over 100,000 downloads have been processed through the Apple Developer Connection, to which people must officially belong before they can use the software. "Developer reaction to the iPhone SDK has been incredible with more than 100,000 downloads in the first four days," reads a statement by Apple's senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, Philip Schiller. "Also, over one million people have watched the launch video on Apple.com, further demonstrating the incredible interest developers have in creating applications for the iPhone.”