Adobe has announced that it has formed strategic alliances with
Apple, Kodak and MetaTools to further digital imaging technology
in the consumer market. These alliances, along with the intro-
duction of Adobe PhotoDeluxe (Adobe's first version consumer photo
enhancement software), will provide consumers easy access to tech-
nologies for image input, editing and enhancement.
Adobe PhotoDeluxe 1.0 is a low-cost software product that allows users to easily modify, personalize and enhance their own photographs. It will come with special in-box offers to help consumers digitize their photographs. It will also include Kai's Power Tools and will offer tightly integrated support for image input from Kodak Digital Science Photo CD discs and Apple and Kodak's consumer-oriented digital cameras.
“Our ultimate goal with these alliances is to help consumers work with their photographs in new and creative ways. To that end, we recognize that we need to provide both easy-to-use software as well as a variety of ways to get photo projects into and out of the computer,” said Bruce Chizen, vice president of Adobe’s consumer products group.
Adobe says the new PhotoDeluxe features an innovative, easy-to-use interface and dozens of built-in templates designed to walk users through fun and useful photo projects—from incorporating photographs in greeting cards and calendars, to creating photo collages and removing the unwanted “red eye” effect. Based on Adobe's industry standard Photoshop software, PhotoDeluxe offers many of the same rich features for home and small business users. It will visually guide users through a series of easy-to-follow steps for modifying photos and provides easily identifiable tools for completing each task. Two modes of working are available in the program: Guided Activities and On Your Own. In either mode, the user interface visually guides both novice and expert users through each step of the photo modification and enhancement process.
Adobe PhotoDeluxe will be available separately for Macintosh and Windows platforms and will ship later this year on CD-ROM, with an estimated street price of $89 US. European and Japanese delivery is expected for second quarter 1996. The Mac version requires a 68040 or PowerPC-based Macintosh with System 7.0 or higher.
  
Now Software has released an updater for its popular Now Utilities
package. The update to version 5.0.2 provides key fixes for com-
patibility with System 7.5.2. Now claims it has worked closely
with Apple to provide compatibility not only for the current System
software but also to give Now Utilities the best chance of full compatibility with a future release of Apple's Mac OS. The update works only on version 5.0.1 of the Now Utilities software.
Among the fixes are:
  Now Menus. Fixed: Folder submenus under specific conditions were showing up
with the word “Empty,” or showing only some of the folder's contents.
  Now Super Boomerang. Fixed: The DirectOpen submenus did not appear.
  Now Startup Manager. Fixed: The ATI video card extension that was released with
the Power Macintosh 9500s was not recognized and did not load, preventing the
onboard video acceleration from taking effect.
  Now QuickFiler. Enhanced: Accommodates new third-party software. Now
QuickFiler now recognizes Retrospect Backup 3.0 and Redux, so transparently
compressed files remain compressed as they are backed up by these utilities. This
shortens backup time and conserves backup media. NOTE: using compression
options built into the backup software itself will likely be unproductive—your
data won't be harmed, but little additional savings will be experienced despite the
extra processing time.
The update is available in America Online's Mac Utilities forum and the Now ftp site at ftp://ftp.nowsoft.com/nowsoft/updates/. Now's phone number is (800) 237-2078.
 
Symantec has released an update patch for the CopyDoubler component of its Norton DiskDoubler Pro/CopyDoubler product. The CopyDoubler 2.0.6 updater resolves the conflict between CopyDoubler and Apple's System 7.5.2. This conflict prevented CopyDoubler from operating on a Macintosh running 7.5.2.
The update is available from the Symantec areas on CompuServe and AOL and can be found at their ftp site, at ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/mac/doubler/CD206upd. sea.Bin.
  
Bare Bones Software has released version 3.5 of BBEdit Lite,
the freeware version of their popular text tool for the Macintosh.
This new version of BBEdit Lite features new “soft” text wrapping,
which the company claims further increases BBEdit Lite's utility
for general text composition and for preparing HTML content for publishing on the World Wide Web.
In addition to soft text wrapping, BBEdit Lite 3.5 includes a number of user-interface refinements derived from the commercial version of BBEdit, as well as PowerPC code in its core text engine, for better editing performance when running on Power Macintosh computers.
BBEdit Lite is available free of charge from the Freeware page of Bare Bones Software's Web site at http://www.tiac.net/biz/bbsw/freeware.html. In addition, it can be obtained via anonymous FTP from either of Bare Bones Software's FTP sites: ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/bb/bbsw/freeware/ or ftp://ftp.std.com/vendors/bbsw/ freeware/.
  
Readers of the November MacSense will note that Quark promised
XPress 3.32 for an October ship date. This hasn't materialized.
In lieu of that long anticipated moment, the company has provided
release versions of some import/export filters that have been in
beta for months. New import/export filters in both 68k and PowerPC format are available for MacWrite Pro, Microsoft Word, and Word Perfect. The new files are available from Quarks AOL and CompuServe forums and the company's new ftp site at http://www.quark.com/ftp008.html.
  
Adobe has released a bushel of free Plug-In modules for its Acrobat
2.0 and 2.1 software. These Plug-Ins were created by developer
support and engineering teams as examples of what can be done to
customize and extend Adobe Acrobat. The free Plug-Ins and utilities
currently available include:
 
WebLink Plug-In
SuperPrefs Plug-In
SuperCrop Plug-In
AutoClose Plug-In
AutoIndex Plug-In
OLE Server Plug-In
Monitor Setup Plug-In
EPS Links
PDF Type Utility
Look for the Plug-Ins at Adobe's forums on CompuServe and AOL, the Adobe BBS and their web site at http://www.adobe.com/Acrobat/Plug-Ins/.
 
 
  
Progressive Networks has announced RealAudio 2.0—
a major upgrade to the emerging standard for audio-
on-demand delivery on the Internet. The new version,
set to debut in January will feature:
 
Support for live “netcasting;”
Support for FM (mono) quality audio and music over 28.8 baud or
higher connections;
Synchronized multimedia capabilities that allow customers to deliver
multimedia presentations through the Web;
Architectural support for scalability through combining the best of
multicasting and narrowcasting; and,
Open architecture to enable integrated RealAudio third party applications.
In RealAudio System Version 2.0, third party application developers will have access to a Playback Engine API (Application Programming Interface), and a Coder/Decoder API. In addition, the release will include a Netscape Plug-In which can be used to seamlessly integrate RealAudio functionality directly into the Netscape Navigator 2.0 client software (now in beta testing on the Internet). Other open architecture enhancement includes the ability to embed the player in such applications as Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Visual Basic.
“The RealAudio Plug-In for Netscape Navigator not only integrates audio seamlessly, but also allows content producers to enhance their Web site with guided tours, narration and to turn their Web pages into full-blown multimedia shows,” said David Rothchild, director of client product marketing at Netscape Communications.
The beta version of RealAudio System 2.0 will be available for download in November at http://www.RealAudio.com for PCs running Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT and for 68040 and PowerPC Macintoshes.
  
Netscape has released a third beta of its upcoming Navigator 2.0
web browser. Navigator 2.0 will offer many licensed technologies
including Acrobat, Director and Java, but most of these have yet
to appear in the beta. Users can benefit from beefed up email and
newsgroup capabilities plus compatibility with extension to HTML for page “frames” and “client-side” image maps. The new beta can be found at Netscape's ftp site at ftp://ftp.netscape.com/.
  
Aladdin Systems, the makers of StuffIt family of products, has
released a new Internet utility. CyberFinder 2.0 lets a user create
Internet bookmarks in the Finder for all their favorite Internet
resources, including Web pages, FTP sites, email addresses, and
newsgroups. Double clicking a bookmark icon in the Finder will cause
CyberFinder to automatically launch the appropriate application and take the user there. Aladdin says you can also go any place on the Net directly from within any application you happen to be working in, be it a word processor or email software.
With CyberFinder you do not have to store bookmarks across multiple applications. Aladdin's extension lets you keep them handy in the Finder. CyberFinder 2.0 is being offered for $30 US with a 30 day full refund (less shipping and handling).
Cyber FInder 2.0 is available from Aladdin's online forums on eWorld and CompuServe and can be found at their web site at http://www.aladdinsys.com.
  
The essential FTP application from Dartmouth College is now avail-
able as version 3.0. Fetch 2.1.2 was long a standard for file transfer
over the Internet. Version 3.0 features support for multiple connec-
tions, bookmark lists, AppleScript, Macintosh Drag and Drop, Internet
Config and Open Transport. The program is free for educational institutions. For others, single, 10 and 100-user licenses are available.
Some Key Features:
  Multiple Connections. Fetch allows multiple outstanding connections, and
automatically reconnects sessions that have been disconnected
  Drag and Drop. Fetch features extensive support for drag and drop (which requires
System 7.5, or else the Macintosh Drag and Drop extension and Finder 7.1.3 or
later). Files and directories can be dragged to and from remote sites. URLs can be
dragged to bookmark list windows and text editors. Even some preferences can be
set via drag and drop.
  Open Transport. Fetch is one of the first applications to ship with Open Transport
code, for better performance on PCI Macintoshes and soon non-PCI models as well.
  Apple Events. Fetch is the only Mac FTP client with Apple Event Object Model
support, for easier and more powerful scripting with languages such as
AppleScript, Frontier, and others. Fetch is also “recordable,” so writing a simple
script can be as simple as hitting the “Record” button in your script editor.
Other features include: Bookmark Lists; Firewalls; Searching; Permissions; “CHMOD” and “SITE UMASK” commands; File Format Conversion; Directory Trees; Suffix Mapping; Post-Processing; URL support; Text Display and an Online Manual.
Fetch 3.0 is available for download now from http://www.dartmouth.edu/pages/ softdev/fetch.html.
  
The FreePPP Group, a group of independent programmers, has
released a new version of FreePPP. FreePPP 1.0.2 is an essential
part of making a PPP connection to the Internet. The new version
is still based on Merit's MacPPP but there have been several bugs
fixed and features added hence the new name. The new version fixes some—but not all—problems with Open Transport and comes with extensive set-up tips for Macs with and without Open Transport. It is compatible with Aladdin's new CyberFinder 2.0.
Unless you are buying the commercial version included in Apple's Internet Kit, FreePPP 1.0.2 is for you. Look for it at on your local BBS and in your local Info Mac mirror site under the /comm/tcp/ directory.
  
Claris has added some much requested improvements to its all-in-
one email application, Emailer. Version 1.0v2 adds the following
features to the Guy Kawasaki inspired program:
  Save as Text
  Native Open Transport
  Import eWorld 1.1 Address Books
  Execute an AppleScript Document for a Schedule. The “Internet using MacPPP”
script allows Claris Emailer to open a MacPPP connection before making a TCP
connection and then close the MacPPP connections afterwards.
Other changes and fixes include:
  Memory leaks during America Online and eWorld connections: Claris Emailer
no longer loses memory after many connections to America Online or eWorld.
  Dates of incoming messages: Dates on some incoming messages could be wrong in
1.0. They are now correct in 1.0v2. Claris Emailer uses your location on the earth
to establish the local time. Make sure that you have used the Date & Time control
panel to set your Macintosh's time zone and daylight savings time.
  Prompt to save changes: Closing a message window with unsaved changes now
prompts you to save the changes. The previous version always saved the changes.
  eWorld access via Tymnet: The Tymnet files for accessing eWorld are now correct.
Three files are included: Tymnet 2400, Tymnet 9600, and Tymnet 14400. Choose
the file that is the same as the baud rate at which you connect.
  Outgoing quoted printable: Outgoing messages via the Internet now use quoted
printable encoding when the message includes extended ASCII characters. This
allows you to send messages containing characters not in the ASCII character set
such as curly quotes or European characters.
The Emailer 1.0v2 updater is available in the company's online forums on eWorld and
CompuServe and can be found at the Claris Web Site, at http://www.claris.com.
 
 
  
Following up last month's announcement of version 1.8 of Hard
Disk Toolkit, FWB has released a fix for problems that certain
previous versions have with System 7.5.2. Versions 1.7.5c and
earlier of Hard Disk ToolKit, RAID ToolKit and Hard Disk ToolKit
Personal Edition currently have a known incompatibility with Apple's new Drive Setup software. (This Drive Setup software is available as part of System 7.5.2).
After working on your hard drive with FWB's HDT Primer, the HDT owner finds that the drive has become “locked” (write-protected). This prevents users from writing data to the disk. All data on the disk should remain safe and unaffected. FWB says that the problem ONLY occurs on drives originally configured with Apple's Drive Setup utility (which comes with System 7.5.2).
The company has provided a special utility called Unlock Volume to deal with the incompatibility. Unlock Volume is available from FWB's Internet Web site at
http://www.fwb.com/readme_unlockvolume.html. FWB can be reached at (415) 833-4578.
   
Hard drive maker APS has released a patch for to make version
3.5 of APS PowerTools into version 3.6. Almost immediately after
this, the company announced it was shipping the new version,
APT 4.0. The 3.6 patcher is free and solves various problems and
can be found at the APS ftp site (ftp://ftp.apstech.com/Pub/PowerTools_ Updates/). PowerTools version 4.0 is available as a retail package and as an update for registered users. The retail package includes the PowerTools formatter, driver, installer and utility software; APS Mounter, a removable media loading utility; and APS Turbo MO which allows MOs to be formatted for increased write-to disk speed, if desired. It lists for $129.95 US. Owners with a valid serial number from an APS hard drive or removable media drive can upgrade older versions of APS PowerTools to the new version 4.0. US customers who purchased a drive or drive product between August 1 and October 22 can purchase an upgrade of APT 4.0 or APT CD for only $4.95. APS can be contacted at (800) 235-3708 or (816) 483-6100.
  
LaCie continues to provide new software updates for its Silver
line of products at its web site http://www.lacie.com/~lacie/.
This month brings a new update to SilverLining Lite for the new
EZ 135 Syquest drives, which solves incompatibilities with Connectix RAM Doubler. The patcher will update all existing versions of SilverLining Lite to version 1.0.3.
  
Symantec has announced a new version of Disk Doctor. A com-
ponenent of Norton Utilities for Macintosh 3.2, Disk Doctor now
provides comprehensive data protection, recovery and repair for
hard drive partitions up to two terabytes in size—the maximum size
supported by the latest System Software release. (The previous Macintosh file system supported up to four gigabytes). Large volume users with 3.x versions can obtain the NUM 3.2 disk set through Symantec Customer Service at (800) 441-7234. The cost of the disk set is $10 plus shipping and handling. Registered users of earlier versions of Norton Utilities can upgrade for $39.95.
