Qdea is now offering Synchronize Pro X 1.0, a Mac OS X-native version of its synchronization and backup utility (see "Tools We Use: Synchronize" in TidBITS 482)

Griffin Technology has updated the driver software for its PowerMate, the shiny metal knob that garnered lots of attention at the previous two Macworld Expos (see "Macworld Expo San Francisco 2002 Superlatives" in TidBITS 612)

Apple has released an update to Mac OS X 10.1.3 as a 17.3 MB download via Software Update. As with previous updates to Mac OS X, this one is well worth getting, and kudos to Apple for providing more detailed release notes this time

Microsoft has released a Network Security Updater for Microsoft Office X that eliminates a network vulnerability made possible by the a flaw in the application suite's network-aware anti-piracy mechanism

Quark has begun shipping QuarkXPress 5.0, a long-simmering upgrade to its page layout software. The new version includes a tables feature for working with tabular information, layers for managing separate design elements, plus improved AppleScript support and color enhancements

iView Multimedia has released iView MediaPro 1.4, the latest version of their surprisingly deep media cataloging program. Version 1.4 adds a number of welcome features, including a built-in backup feature that can copy files to CD-R or other removable disks, JPEG lossless rotation, mouse wheel support, support for Mac OS X's thumbnail icons, an option to create frame-based HTML galleries, performance improvements when running under Mac OS X, and a variety of bug fixes

Apple Computer posted a $38 million profit for its first fiscal quarter of 2002, directly in line with analysts' expectation for the company. Despite an aging product line, Apple shipped 746,000 Macs and 125,000 iPods during the quarter, and posted revenue of $1.38 billion on gross margins of 30.7 percent

Although the pre-show hype always centers on Steve Jobs's keynote and Apple's announcements, Macworld Expo offers much more. We spend the rest of the week walking the show floor, talking to vendors and attendees, and generally keeping an eye out for what's exciting in the Mac world

In his keynote address at Macworld Expo 2002 in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled redesigned flat-screen, G4-based iMacs and a free new digital photo management application iPhoto. The radically redesigned iMac heralds what Apple is calling the "death of the CRT." The iMac ditches the bulky picture tube which took up most of the iMac chassis for the last three and a half years, opting for a free-swivelling 15-inch flat-screen display perched elegantly on an articulated chrome arm

Nisus Software is joining in the holiday tradition of pushing big releases out just before the end of the year with Nisus Writer 6.5, a significant revision to the company's powerful word processor

Bare Bones Software yesterday released BBEdit 6.5.1, adding a number of small features such as support for JSP (Java Server Pages), modified keyboard navigation, interface tweaks, and minor scripting improvements

Apple yesterday released an update to Mac OS X 10.1.2 via Software Update, building in a number of useful enhancements and fixes (and providing better release notes than for previous updates)

In a welcome, though slightly unusual move, Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 5.1 - currently available only for Mac OS X - for Mac OS 8.1 through 9.2 as well, adding a few minor features and enhancing reliability

Consistent with our coverage of the PowerBook G4 Titanium's new Combo drive, Apple has now announced the PowerBook G4 Combo Upgrade Program. Under this program, owners of PowerBook G4 Titaniums with either 550 MHz or 667 MHz processors (check Apple System Profiler if you're not sure) can swap their existing DVD-ROM or CD-RW drives for a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive for $300

Give the Gift of Giving -- It's a tradition. At the end of every calendar year, we collect gift suggestions from TidBITS readers and staff, assemble them into semi-consistent categories, and publish the results as a special TidBITS issue

Perhaps it's indicative of the state of the software industry, where less and less software is available as a discrete boxed product, but hardware and accessories garnered far more recommendations this year than software of any sort

Each year we discover products that don't fit easily into a regular category, but which are worth the attention in their own right. Be sure also to check out the Miscellaneous Gifts of TidBITS holidays past, as well as the TidBITS Talk discussions that inspired them. An Extra Hand with CDs -- We've come across a simple little product from Contoured Edge, Inc

It's fun to be wowed by hardware, especially in the Macintosh world where industrial design is a driving force. There's just something about gadgets that plug in, connect to, interact with, and work alongside our Macs

Perhaps it's a part of getting older, of becoming ever busier, or perhaps - for Adam and Tonya - just having a three-year-old around the house, but immersive computer games haven't been a large part of our lives for years

We're constantly struck by the intellectual breadth of the Macintosh community and the TidBITS readership in particular. It doesn't take much more than an offhand comment in TidBITS to spur a private discussion about the role of computers in schools, the relative merits of specific HEPA air filters, or the history of copyright law. That's why we're never surprised at the holiday gift suggestions we receive that aren't related to the Mac or even to computers, necessarily, but which seem to be the sorts of things that appeal to those of us who have chosen to use the Mac