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 Copyright © 1998-99 Shiro Wilde |
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Apple publicly released QuickTime 4.0 Beta in April. Major new features include the ability to receive streaming video and audio, and playback support for more media formats including MP3 and Flash. Controversially, Apple has replaced MoviePlayer with QuickTime Player, its new consumer-oriented client interface for movies and streams. It features a pull-out "drawer" for storing favourite items, and a visual interface that mirrors Final Cut Pro, which shipped at the QT4 launch. Although FCPro could take a sizeable chunk of the digital video editing market, alas it currently only supports NTSC - a PAL version is in the works. Updated yet again, the new iMac ("Revision D") runs at 333 MHz for the same price as before. WWDC99 this month saw the launch of the 1999 PowerBook G3 Series (codenamed "Lombard", but Apple differentiates it as the "Bronze Keyboard" model). The new PowerBooks are thinner, lighter, and faster (up to 400 MHz) and gain USB and external monitor spanning. Gone are ADB, serial, floppy drive, and one PC Card slot. Also released was Mac OS 8.6 Update, codenamed "Veronica". Mostly consisting of stability improvements and small enhancements, this free update for Mac OS 8.5 users is a hefty 36 MB download. It's especially useful for PowerBook users who should enjoy extended battery life as a result. |
Macromedia unveiled its forthcoming upgrade to Flash 4 last week. New features include editable text fields and CGI Post/Get capabilities allowing creation of web application front-ends. Other features include support for MP3, and new actions. There are also long-overdue user interface improvements including a redesigned Timeline, Library and Inspector. Flash 4 is expected to ship in June, but a Flash Player 4 Beta is available for download now. Also just out - Director 7.0.2 Update adds support for Flash 4, streaming QuickTime 4, streaming MP3, and compressed projectors, as well as various bug fixes. Some other bug fix updates have been released for download recently - Dreamweaver 2.0.1 Update and Fireworks 2.0.2 Update. Macromedia will also be launching its new Shockwave.com web site this summer, but how it will differ from its Shockrave site remains to be seen. |
Adobe has shipped Acrobat 4.0 but certain features such as Web Capture (which captures web pages or sites to a PDF document) will be released later this year as free updates. The new Acrobat Reader 4.0 is available for download, but is PPC only - thus ending support for 68K Macs. Although Acrobat 4 now enables embedding of Chinese, Japanese and Korean fonts in PDFs, you can still view them if the fonts aren't embedded if you download and install the Asian Font Packs for Acrobat Reader. Adobe also shipped ATM Deluxe 4.5, which adds some usability features. |
MetaCreations completed its corporate reorganisation in April. However, Chief Design Officer Kai Krause left MetaCreations seemingly without explanation. He was one of the company's founders, and the driving force behind many of their innovative graphics products which continue to bear the "Kai" name. Kai's Power Tools 5 (there was no version 4) and a KPT 5.0.1 Update shipped recently. Introduced this month was yet another new product, called Canoma, which enables creation of 3D models using photographs as a starting point. |
Netscape periodically previews its work-in-progress, currently in the form of Mozilla (Milestone 5). Not to be considered final software by any means, this early build offers hints at the directions for its forthcoming browser Netscape Navigator 5. (Be warned - it isn't for the faint-hearted.) Meanwhile, Netscape continues to update its current software, with the recent release of Netscape Communicator 4.6. |
Real Software recently won an Apple Design Award for REALbasic 1.0, its software development application, and has just updated it to REALbasic 2.0.1. The new version offers more interface controls, improves support for QuickTime, PPP control and double-byte characters. Two levels of functionality are offered - "Standard" and "Professional". The more expensive "Professional Edition" allows simultaneous cross-platform development with Win 9x/NT, and built-in database support. |
RealNetworks finally released their RealPlayer G2 (version 6.0) for the Mac this month. After spending months in public beta, and long after the Windows final release, it is now available for download for Power Macs with a PowerPC 604 or better. The new version supports MP3 and RealVideo G2. However, with a cluttered interface, unresolved bugs (it may not work with VM off) and competition from QuickTime Streaming and MS Media Player, is it ready for the battle for streaming media? |
The final word is that alternative methods of human-computer interaction continue to develop on the Mac. Dragon Systems announced at WWDC that it will finally bring its NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software to the Mac later this year. On another level entirely, IBVA brain wave control hardware/software has been available for the Mac and SGI for a long time. Veterans of this niche market for almost 30 years, their system enables you to map brain waves to digital signals, such as visuals, MIDI data, or videogame controllers. |
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Download Links |
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QuickTime
4.0 Beta 24 |
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Director
7.0.2 Update |
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