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Editor's Notes
Fred Showker,
Editor/Publisher, User Group Network News
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This week's news brings some interesting items including the end of an era
in MP3 music, the demise of C&G's Sound Jam. We also look at upcoming
events at Macworld Expo, NY, and Apples further antics with DVD.
__When you see items you think the rest of the User Group community benefit from, please send them along. It's easy to contact us, or, if you've got details and links, try our easy "Announcement Submission" page at: www.user-groups.net/resources/Submit.html
Currently:
* Requiem for SoundJam MP3 Player
; _ * Apple upgrades DVD Player to 2.4
; _ * Microsoft Plans October Windows XP Launch
; _ * Speaking of Microsoft... get squeezed
; _ * Flash users rejoice: now encode Broadband Videos into Flash!
; _ * Adobe and Quark get Graphical Layout Plug-In
; _ * MacTreasures Adds Auction software to Web Site
Requiem for SoundJam MP3 Player - To many Mac users' great disappointment, (including mine,) Casady & Greene's popular MP3 software package SoundJam MP will no longer be produced. Since Apple hired the developmental force behind SoundJam to release iTunes, C&G see no future product for the product. Many people we know prefer Casady & Greene's SoundJam over Apple's iTunes. If you want a copy of SoundJam, then you'd better get it before the end of May. Casady & Greene stated that it will continue supporting SoundJam MP owners after June 1, 2001. Casady & Greene also indicate that it continues its commitment it Mac OS software with its other popular titles. - Thanks to: UGNN News Staff for sending this in. File this one under: Multimedia: MP3 Music For more info go to: http://www.soundjam.com
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Apple upgrades DVD Player to 2.4 - Apple has released an update to its DVD Player software for Mac OS 9. Apple DVD Player 2.4. People who have purchased Macs recently probably don't need to worry about Apple's new upgrade -- you may find version 2.5 already installed. If you have 2.4 or above on your system you can ignore this post. The 2.4 upgrade is designed for software-only playback, and is not intended for users with hardware assisted playback. You'll also need to be sure you've got QuickTime 4.1 or greater installed. The upgrade works with iMac DV (Slot Loading), Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics), or PowerBook (FireWire) systems. - Thanks to: UGNN News Staff for sending this in. File this one under: OS: Enhancements (Macintosh) For more info go to: http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n12188
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Microsoft Plans October Windows XP Launch - Microsoft has set Oct. 25 as its launch date for Windows XP, on schedule for the holiday shopping season. Microsoft will launch both Home and Pro versions of Windows XP, the first operating system built for both business and consumer users on the NT/2000 code base. Microsoft--which has been known to miss a launch date or two--says its latest deadline is set in stone. Recent rumors had the release perhaps slipping as late as early next year. Many of the under-the-cover improvements--including a more stable code base--that might appeal to business users are already available in Windows 2000. In fact, Microsoft doesn't even recommend switching to Windows XP immediately if an enterprise is already making the move to Windows 2000. - Thanks to: Richard Karpinski, InternetWeek for sending this in. File this one under: OS: Enhancements (Windows) For more info go to: http://update.internetweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eDfk0BdxAn0V30Nmb0Al
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Speaking of Microsoft... get squeezed - The Licensing Squeeze Continues -- as PC sales slump, Microsoft is continuing to try to pump up revenues by squeezing more license fees out of its existing customer base. Microsoft is starting to phase out perpetual software licenses for its biggest corporate customers, instead licensing subscriptions to the software for only a limited time, Wall Street analysts UBS Warburg said in a conference call. And enterprises are paying the same amount of money for the limited-time licenses as they've been paying for the right to use the software forever. Microsoft said last year it planned to shift its licensing from perpetual usage rights to time-limited subscriptions as part of its .Net strategy. UBS Warburg now says Microsoft is putting that policy in place with customers who use license software under the terms of the Enterprise Agreement, generally Microsoft's largest customers. - Thanks to: Mitch Wagner for sending this in. File this one under: Editorial For more info go to: http://update.internetweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eDem0BdxAn0V30Njq0Ay
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Flash users rejoice: now encode Broadband Videos into Flash! - Wildform Flix is the first video to Flash encoder. Flix lets you easily put Flash video into banners ads, emails, and websites. It's an ideal tool any designer wishing to put video on the web. Flix-encoded video has all the interactive features of Flash, and it also streams to virtually all platforms, all browsers and through firewalls without a download, making for a truly hassle-free video experience. Flix 1.5 enables you to encode video clips of 30 minutes and more in length for any bitrate! Available for only $99. - Thanks to: UGNN News Staff for sending this in. File this one under: Computers, systems: utilities, interface, security, networking For more info go to: http://www.wildform.com
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Adobe and Quark get Graphical Layout Plug-In - QwikMarx is a new and easy to use Plug-In/XTension that enhances three of your favorite programs identically; Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress by providing you with live and on-screen, print-ready trim, live and bleed marks through the use of a simple dialog box. All you do is type the trim, bleed and live dimensions into a dialog box and, with a simple click of the OK button, the exact dimensions are displayed live, on-screen, ready to use. With QwikMarx there's no more last-minute scrambling to manually draw or insert dimension marks, nor any costly delays at the printers due to elements being left outside the live area. QwikMarx guarantees synthesis throughout the entire lay-out and comp process, as exact dimensions are visible and usable from the lay-out to the print-out to the printers. QwikMarx is available for both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. - Thanks to: UGNN News Staff for sending this in. File this one under: Business, Design and Publishing: graphic design, arts For more info go to: http://www.moam-inc.com/
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MacTreasures Adds Auction software to Web Site - MacTreasures , a web site specializing in Macintosh software and hardware not found on retail shelves has added Auction Tender, software to manage your online auction items, by Colourfull Creations to its web site. Auction Tender, a hybrid CD, is a customer- tracking tool with * inventory management, email creation, ad creation, invoice creation, mailing label creation, and more.* Keep customer addresses, customer billing information, tracking numbers, shipped dates, and payment tracking. MacTreasures also: * Searches for software or hardware that we do not carry for customers. * Has a Macintosh Computer Donation program to place donated Mac's into schools and non-profits. * Has academic pricing for schools and teachers on our Education Site. Pretty cool. The best part is they have Oldies but Goodies listings...some of which are REALLY hard to find! - Thanks to: Carole Holcomb via News-Serve.net for sending this in. File this one under: Home & School For more info go to:
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END of transmission
Fred Showker
From Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher, User Group Network News: December 15 User Group Network News Service at http://www.user-groups.net/news/index.html.
NOTICE TO EDITORS: ______________________
User Group Editors may reprint this article so long as they include the credit line above, and the link to the User Group Network. Copyright 2000, All Rights Reserved.
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