Mac Product Watch

Omni Software has released OmniWeb 4.0 beta 4, the latest developmental build of its Web browser for the latest developmental build of Mac OS X, Developers Preview 4. Beta 4 includes early Flash support, new features for bookmarking, bug fixes and more. Currently, a single-machine license is free.

Chaotic Software Ltd. has been on the move, finishing MacArmyKnife 2.0 and updating MP3 Rage 2.6. The former, a $20, multi-function utility, gains a date and file renamer, an ADB device LED state checker, DNS lookup and more. The latter gets a volume adjuster, improved Napster support and bug fixes. It's $25.

Eric Pousse's RealCADD 1.10 adds four new tools and an improved DXF translator to the $59 vector-based computer assisted drawing (CAD) application.

Daydreamer from Quandir Software automates periodic downloads of Web pictures -- just select the URL and set the interval. It's $10 shareware.

One of the hidden strengths of the G4 processor is its capability to support up to 2MB of backside cache. However, chips so arrayed proved to be very expensive and so haven't been seen in Apple's products. The German company Met@box AG has announced its 2MB-equipped joeCARD G4 upgrade cards. Initially aimed at the publishing and video markets, these cards are currently shipping in PCI configurations at 400 to 500 MHz with ZIF-socket models to follow in August. Prices start at $789.

Epson America Inc. has announced the large-format Expression 1640XL scanner, a professional-level flatbed scanner with FireWire connectivity. It features up to 1,600 by 3,200 dots per inch (dpi) resolution, 42-bit color depth and a Dmax of 3.6. A Special Edition and a Graphic Art model are available at $2,499 and $2,699 respectively, along with an optional transparency unit for $499.

If you dig FireWire but don't need all those features, Umax Technologies Inc.'s Astra 6400 and 6450 scanners. These flatbeds provide 600 by 1,200 dpi resolution and 42-bit color. Prices are $249 for the 6400 and $299 for the 6450.

Uni Software Plus has released Voodoo Server 1.2, an update to its control server for Mac developers using Metrowerks CodeWarrior. The new version adds compression and encryption to its file transfer system, fixes bugs and more.

Version 3.0.6 of St. Clair Software's Default Folder utility fixes a potentially serious crashing bug.

System Support Products Inc. has released Mail Forward 1.0, a $12 shareware utility that automatically forwards e-mail from up to twenty Hotmail or POP accounts to your home e-mailbox.

In space, no one can hear you frag: Terminus 1.5 updates Vicarious Visions' space-trading and combat-simulation game, fixing various display bugs.

How much is that mint copy of Giant-Size X-Men worth? Human Computing has released ComicBase 5.0, the latest version of its comic-book inventory and evaluation application. The new versions contains pricing and index information for more than 150,000 titles and features an improved interface and search tools. The standard edition is $129; the deluxe edition, which includes an extra CD-ROM with more cover art and movies, is $149. Upgrades from Version 4.0 and 3.0 are $50 and $65, respectively.

MonkeyBread Software's HTML Timer 1.0 is a shareware utility for scanning HTML files (including graphics, frames and multimedia components) and determining download times.

All we can say is, "Whoo-hoo!" Deus Ex, one of this year's most anticipated games on any platform, has shipped for the Mac, thanks to Aspyr Media and the porting skills of Westlake Interactive. The adventure game, based on the Unreal Tournament 3D engine, lets you play a secret agent caught in a near-future world rife with intrigue, nanotechnology and conspiracy theories that would make Dale Gribble blush. Originally developed for the PC by Ion Storm, Deus Ex will retail for $50.

Mendota Software has released Cutout 3.0, the latest version of its planning program for architects, adding the ability to stretch objects, an improved reshape tool, metric scales and more. It's $10 shareware.

Theorist Interactive's LiveMath Maker 3.0 (formerly known as MathView and Theorist) gains a new palette for quick access to functions, a new Starter library, graph tags and more. A single-user license is $99; site and educational licenses are also available. Theorist has also updated its free LiveMath 3.0 plug-in for Web browsers that allows LiveMath users to embed dynamic LiveMath notebooks into pages. It also allows anybody with the plug-in to read these pages.

Buena Software has released its Effects Pack 3 of 10 filters for QuickTime movies. This $30 set includes fractal, motion, compositing and other filters.

Group Logic Inc. has released MassTransit 3.6, the latest revision of its high-speed file-transfer software for remote proofing. Version 3.6 offers improved speeds, file prioritization and bug fixes.

Snak 4.1 is the latest version of Kent Sorenson's IRC client that adds faster text display, a fully updated mIRC server list and other new features. The update to the $20 shareware is free.

Abstrakt's iMago 1.0 is a set of plug-ins for the FileMaker Pro database that allows automatic creation of image thumbnails. It's $49.

OnStream has announced its Echo FireWire and Echo USB high-capacity tape drives. Both 30GB removable drives, which are differentiated by their respective connectivity standards, come bundled with full versions of Dantz's Retrospect backup software. The Echo USB is currently available for $299; the Echo FireWire will ship in early fall for $599.

Inprise/Borland will include Mac OS X support in its JBuilder 3.5 Java development environment. This OS X-savvy version will ship at the same time as Mac OS X's full release sometime early in 2001.

Adobe Systems Inc. has released updates to the rest of its type utilities, Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.6 and Adobe Type Reunion Deluxe 2.6. Both add OpenType font support and better compatibility with Mac OS 8.1 through 9.0. Be warned: these are big downloads -- around 23MB.

Media 100 Inc. has announced Media 100 i, its new series of professional-level interactive streaming-media tools. Media 100 i will use what the company calls EventStream, a technology that addresses and integrates other streaming-media standards for creation of hot spots, URL calls and chapter marks. The four components of Media 100 i will be available in the fall for prices ranging from $3,495 to $17.995.

Beatware's e-PicturePro graphics creation tool for the Web adds 3D text, image slicing and integration with most popular Web page applications to the company's e-Picture 1.0. It's $199.