MacMinute update
May 23 - 13:37 EDT   As we posted earlier, MacMinute cannot continue. That said, we've got a couple of paths that we're finalizing how your up to the minute news needs can be served, as well as what will happen to the forums. Look for an announcement the middle to end of next week for more details. Julie (Flack) McKenna  [ Email this story ]

Clarification from Julie
May 23 - 11:25 EDT   I would like to make a clarification as, evidently, I was not crystal clear with my previous post. I have read many of the comments made online regarding MacMinute, and I would like to clarify a couple of points. Firstly, I did not say that a buyer for the site could not be found. In fact, we have been approached by many with interest in purchasing MacMinute. For reasons known only to Stan’s family, the business cannot be sold at this time. Secondly, some were puzzled that no one has stepped forward with an offer to run the business. Again, several have kindly offered to assist us in this regard, and we are extremely grateful, but that is still not an option. Not only that, WE cannot keep the site running, not because we are not capable, as we are very familiar with Stan’s business, but for other reasons which need not be disclosed. I realize that you all may not understand this decision, but there are many factors that you all are not privy to. Be assured, we have done everything within our power to enable MacMinute to live on, but this is simply not possible. The best we can do is to redirect traffic to another site, so that MacMinute can live on in some way. I will make a post when this arrangement has been made, prior to it being put in place. It will not be for a few days. I have read through the Member’s Lounge comments, and it is quite evident that you have all become “family.” So, from our family to yours, we wish you all the very best, and we trust that you are all able to keep connected in a new forum. Thanks again for your kind words of sympathy to our family. We appreciate it! On behalf of the Flack family, Julie (Flack) McKenna  [ Email this story ]

Upcoming Changes For MacMinute
May 22 - 09:07 EDT   Upon careful consideration and with deep sadness, I regret to inform Stan’s MacMinute readers that we are unable to continue operating the MacMinute website at this time. It is not that we do not have the passion, nor is it because of the emotional pain attached to it. Due to reasons that are completely beyond our control, we are neither able to sell nor operate MacMinute. I cannot tell you how much this pains me personally, as I know how much Stan cared for MacMinute--we spoke of this often in our lengthy daily chats. However, I want everyone to know that this is not something that we want to do, but must do. If there was a way, any way, that we could continue to operate MacMinute, we would. I have personally done absolutely everything within my power to “make this happen,” but there is simply no way. In fact, I did post a previous notice explaining our intentions to close the site down (so none of you are hallucinating), but with a new lead, I did remove it in a last ditch effort to keep the site running. I wanted to be sure that I had exhausted EVERY avenue. However, this also proved to be a dead-end. So now, as we have said good-bye to our beloved Stan, we now must say good-bye to that which he has created--MacMinute. I am presently in the process of having MacMinute traffic redirected. I will make one more post to inform all readers as to where we intend to redirect and when. I do apologize for not posting with paragraph breaks. Stan had me set up to post on his site, as it was his intention for me to carry on the business, but the editor’s page is not formatted to post in paragraph form, or at least not easily. We would like to thank all of you MacMinute readers for your faithful support of Stan’s website in the past and trust you are able to find the Mac news you seek in a different forum. May God bless each one. On behalf of the Flack family, Julie (Flack) McKenna, Stan’s sister  [ Email this story ]

MacMinute update from the Flack family
April 24 - 12:20 EDT   On behalf of the Flack family, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for all the kind words of sympathy extended to our family, as we mourn the loss of our beloved Stan. We have read many of the comments sent in by Stan's readers and former colleagues alike, and it is heartwarming to realize the profound effect Stan has had on many of your lives. It is certainly a tribute to Stan, and we trust his legacy will live on. Last week was a time of grieving for our family. This week, it is time to deal with the business aspect of things. We would like to thank all of you MacMinute readers for your patience as MacMinute goes through this transition period. It is difficult, and it takes time, but we are working tirelessly to resume publication, as MacMinute now embarks on this new journey. We do appreciate your patience, and we will update our progress. Many requests have been made regarding flowers and donations. We are in the process of setting up an education fund in Stan's name. It is taking a little longer than we anticipated, as we want to have it accessible online for the ease of those wishing to give. This fund will be called the Stan Flack Memorial Education Fund. Stan always believed that a good education was a solid foundation for a successful career. In closing, we would like to thank many of Stan's former colleagues for their kind offer of assistance at this most difficult time. A special thanks to Dennis Sellers, with whom I spoke recently. Dennis worked for Stan from 1995 to 1999, and spoke of fond memories, of hard work, and lots of fun. Also, special thanks to Dave Moser, one of the early MacCentral gang, who stuck with Stan through thick and thin, and was with him since the early stages of his business. He too shared warm memories of those early days. We would also like to extend a warm thanks to Jim Dalrymple for his help and support, and for getting the news of Stan's passing out into the Mac world, when we had other arrangements to attend to. Jim was an old friend of Stan's, who worked with him at the Chronicle Herald Newspaper in Halifax, NS, Canada. Later on, Stan hired Jim to join the rest of the MacCentral gang, making lots of memories himself. I understand that Ben Wilson was another of the gang. After Stan sold his business to Mac Publishing in June of 1999, Dave, Dennis, and Jim all went with him to what is now known as Macworld. Stan went on to create his latest venture, MacMinute, in May 2001. Stan achieved many great things in his life. He had many admirable qualities, but what I admired most was his devotion to his family. He was always there for his family, to offer a helping hand, and unwavering support. He had many friends, but there were none so dear to him as his family. We all love him immensely, and miss him dearly. On Monday, April 14, 2008, the world lost a great soul, but heaven gained a gem! Many thanks! Julie E (Flack) McKenna  [ Email this story ]

Pro Applications Update 2008-01
April 11 - 18:19 EDT   Apple has rereleased Pro Applications Update 2008-01 via its Software Update application or on the Web. Of the update, the company says: "tThis update improves reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Server, Logic Studio, and Shake. Pro Applications Update 2008-01 is a revision to Final Cut Studio 2.0. This update includes Final Cut Pro 6.0.3, Compressor 3.0.3, which addresses specific customer issues, installation issues, compatibility updates, general performance issues and improves overall stability. This update is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio 2.0 and later.  [ Email this story ]

Burger Shop now available
April 11 - 18:01 EDT   Burger Shop now available Macgamestore has published Burger Shop. Burger Shop for the Macintosh is now available at Macgamestore. Created by GoBit, Burger Shop is an addictive time management game where you make food, serve customers and create a giant burger empire. Utilize unique food-making devices to make over 50 yummy food items during your quest. After receiving a set of strange blueprints in the mail, you build an extraordinary food-making contraption and open a restaurant. Your goal? To make food and satisfy customers while you explore the truth behind the mysterious mailing. Utilize unique food-making devices to make over 50 yummy food items during your quest. If you fry it, they will come.
{ Price: US$19.95 ~ Requires: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later ~ Demo available }  [ Email this story ]

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.4.1 update posted
April 11 - 13:33 EDT   Adobe has posted he Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.4.1 update, which includes these enhancements: additional camera support for the Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi/EOS Kiss X2), Nikon D60, Sony A350 and more, updated printer driver compatibility for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), and several corrections for issues introduced by the Lightroom 1.4 release.  [ Email this story ]

MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update 1.0 posted
April 11 - 13:08 EDT   Apple as released MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update 1.0 via its Software Update application or on the Web. Of the update, the company says: "The MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update 1.0 should be installed on all MacBook Air Systems. The updater application will be installed in the /Applications/Utilities folder. To complete the bluetooth firmware update process, please follow the instructions in the updater application(/Applications/Utilities/MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update.app). The updater will launch automatically.  [ Email this story ]

Deals: Toon Boom Storyboard' 32% off today only
April 11 - 08:04 EDT   Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers Toon Boom Storyboard for US$169 (32% off, retail $249.99). "Toon Boom Storyboard is the leading storyboard software solution for creative and professional storytellers. Storyboard's rich toolset allows users to quickly and easily develop a shot-by-shot plan of an animated or live-action production. Storyboard is an easy to use solution for translating ideas and scripts into a visual story. Users can easily sketch a story in scenes and shots with immediate reference to a script. Storytellers can draw using vector-based drawing and text tools or import artwork to create assets for use and reuse in a project." Toon Boom Storyboard' requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.  [ Email this story ]

Equinux enhances The Tube 2.6 with new EPG engine
April 10 - 16:05 EDT   Equinux today released The Tube 2.6 with a completely reengineered EPG engine. Users can now choose between different electronic program guide (EPG) plug-ins and automatically update TV information even when they're imported from alternative EPGs in the  XMLTV format. One of the biggest publishing companies for television listings in Germany, Bauer Verlagsgruppe, led the way by providing its TV Movie,  Europe's toughest film critics, EPG service to German The Tube users as a plug-in in The Tube. Continued...  [ Email this story ]

iPresentee releases new add-ons for Keynote
April 10 - 09:47 EDT   iPresentee has releaesd Keynote Motion Themes to be used with Apple’s Keynote presentation software. iPresentee offers five new Keynote themes: Orbit, Gear, Balloons, Light and Time. All themes incorporate hight quality moving background graphics and fourteen master slides. Creating a presentation using Keynote Motion Themes is exactly the same as creating a presentation using the usual themes --you can add, edit, and format text; add photos or movies; and use Keynote’s transitions and special effects. Each individual Keynote Motion Theme is priced at US$10. The package of all five themes is also available for $25.  [ Email this story ]

Deals: Cheetah3D 47% off today only
April 10 - 08:03 EDT   Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers Cheetah3D for US$79 (47% off, retail $149). "Cheetah3D is a lean, fast, and elegant 3D modeling, rendering, and animation package with an easy learning curve. It was written from ground up in Cocoa and offers many powerful tools like subdivision surface modeling, joint based character animation system, morph targets, UV unwrapping, texture painting, PDF import, HDRI, radiosity, renderings, etc. The possibility to extend Cheetah3D with JavaScripts and support for many common file formats rounds out its feature set." Cheetah3D requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.  [ Email this story ]

Creaceed ships Morph Age Regular/Pro 4.0
April 9 - 18:28 EDT   Creaceed today is shipping final versions of Morph Age 4.0 and Morph Age Pro 4.0 for morphing/warping images and movies on Mac OS X Leopard. Morph Age is a companion to iLife for creating stunning video of friends and family, and even to Final Cut Pro for creating broadcast quality special effects. The final version of Morph Age 4 Regular/Pro ships after the introduction of a beta program earlier this year at Macworld '08. Morph Age 4.0 and Morph Age Pro 4.0 are available for US$59.95 and $149.95, respectively.  [ Email this story ]

New iPhone cases now available from DLO
April 9 - 15:49 EDT   Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today announced the availability of two new cases in its extensive line of iPhone accessories. Available now are the HybridShell and VideoShell for iPhone for US$24.99 and $19.99, respectively.  These cases round out DLO's already wide selection of popular accessories for the iPhone.  Also available today are DLO's Surface Shield iPhone screen protectors, in convenient packages of five for $14.99.  [ Email this story ]

Stairways Software releases Keyboard Maestro 3.0
April 9 - 13:02 EDT   Stairways Software has announced Keyboard Maestro 3.0, the new version of its powerful productivity enhancer for Mac OS X. This release adds new ways to create macros, including recording, new ways to trigger macros, new actions, simplifications and an improved user interface. Using Keyboard Maestro's macros you can control applications, windows, or menus; insert text; open documents, applications or URLs; execute scripts; control the system or iTunes; and more, all with the touch of a key, click of the mouse, periodically or at specific times, when an application is launched or running, or even over the Internet using Keyboard Maestro's built in Web server.
{ Price: US$36 ~ Requires: Mac OS X 10.4 or later ~ Demo available }  [ Email this story ]

Deals: Sandvox 39% off today only
April 9 - 11:39 EDT   Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers Sandvox for US$29.99 (39% off, retail $49). "Sandvox is fast becoming the website creation tool for people who want to spend time developing their lives, not their websites. Creating a website can be easy and elegant. Drag and drop content, watch your site take shape as you create it, and make it available to others with Sandvox's publishing assistant. Sandvox is that simple - and that powerful." Sandvox requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.  [ Email this story ]

New Adobe TV Programming comes online
April 9 - 10:56 EDT   Adobe Systems today announced Adobe TV, a free online video resource for expert instruction and inspiration about Adobe products, including the company’s Creative Suite 3 family of world-class creative tools. With multiple channels, original series programming, and content from Adobe, leading training organizations and the world's leading subject matter experts, Adobe TV delivers a virtual library of entertaining and instructional videos. Designers, photographers, video professionals, and developers will find product deep-dives, innovative tips, techniques from luminaries, and behind-the-scenes tours of the hottest creative shops and Adobe product teams. Continued...  [ Email this story ]

Apple releases numerous updates
April 8 - 17:01 EDT   Apple today posted several up , including: Mac Book Air EFI Firmware Update 1.0 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Air computers); Firmware Restoration CD 1.6 (used to restore the firmware of Intel-based Macs); MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.2 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook computers); Mac Book Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Pro computers); iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.3 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of iMac computers); and Aluminum Keyboard Update (addresses an issue with the aluminum Apple Keyboard and the aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard where a key may repeat unexpectedly while typing.  [ Email this story ]

Deals: NetShade 48% off today only
April 8 - 11:13 EDT   Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers NetShade for US$14.99 (48% off, retail $29). "NetShade is an Internet security tool which conceals your IP address on the web. NetShade will route your web connection through either a public anonymous proxy server, or NetShade's own dedicated anonymous proxy. (The latter option is available only to registered users.) This has the effect of masking your IP address as you browse the web. Anonymous proxies are becoming very popular in this age of heightened security and privacy concerns, and NetShade provides a very effective and straightforward interface for this." NetShade requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.  [ Email this story ]

Apple ships Final Cut Server
April 8 - 09:42 EDT   Apple today announced that Final Cu Server, a powerful software solution for media asset management and workflow automation, is now shipping. A scaleable server application, Final Cut Server automatically catalogs large collections of assets, allows searching across multiple disks and SAN volumes and enables viewing, annotation and approval of content from anywhere using a PC or Mac. Final Cut Server automatically catalogs media and generates thumbnails, poster frames and low-resolution clip proxies for quick browsing in user specified formats. A cross-platform client enables a PC or Mac to use Final Cut Server’s broad search capabilities, which extend from simple keywords to complex combinations of IPTC, XMP and XML metadata. Final Cut Server also configures a range of highly specific access controls that define user permissions on an asset or project basis. Continued...  [ Email this story ]

Grantwood Ships tuneband for iPod nano, Nike+ Compatible
April 7 - 20:34 EDT   Grantwood Technology today announced the release of the tuneband for iPod nano (US$14.99), an armband product designed to comfortably secure the iPod nano in place during exercise, including Nike+iPod compatibility. Each tuneband consists of a comfortable and flexible armband strap that can accommodate both large and small arms, a durable silicone skin that allows access to all ports on the iPod nano, and a low-tack, cut-and-peel screen protector that helps guard against smudges, moisture, and daily wear-and-tear. The tuneband is fully compatible with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, allowing runners and walkers to enjoy this workout companion.  [ Email this story ]

GarageGames releases TGEA 1.7 for advanced 3d game development
April 7 - 13:46 EDT   GarageGames, a leading technology provider for independent game developers, has released version 1.7 of their Torque Game Engine Advanced. In addition to offering support for most high-end video cards and now with rendering fallbacks all the way to DirectX 8, TGEA 1.7 comes with new game examples to allow users to quickly prototype and produce PC games. With TGEA, developers can harness cutting edge shaders produced with 3rd party tools and apply post processing effects like glow, bloom, HDR, FSAA and other features of modern game development.  [ Email this story ]

Deals: MacJournal 37% off today only
April 7 - 10:09 EDT   Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers MacJournal for US$22 (37% off retail). "MacJournal is the world's most popular journaling software for the Macintosh. Create a personal journal with two level security (password protection and encryption), record daily ideas, add any kind of content, not just text, including PDFs, QuickTime movies, images, and more, create Smart Journals from searches you perform, generate blogs to any of the popular blogging services or .mac account. Even record audio and podcast or video from your iSight and attach it to any entry. MacJournal has the power and functionality to do it all." MacJournal requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.  [ Email this story ]

Macgamestore releases Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games
April 7 - 10:02 EDT   Macgamestore.com, in partnership with Encore Software, today announced the release of Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games as a digital download. This marks the second Hoyle game now available as a digital download. Hoyle Card Games was released two weeks ago on Macgamestore.com. Both games were previously available in a boxed format only. "It's game time! Twenty-one classic and new challenging favorites provide something for every player with HOYLE Puzzle Games 2008.
{ Price: US$19.95 ~ Requires: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later ~ Demo available }  [ Email this story ]