jQuery.extend(Drupal.settings, {"basePath":"\/","CTools":{"pageId":"page-0674b51727a4d68da2b52f94500f4a47"},"googleanalytics":{"trackOutgoing":1,"trackMailto":1,"trackDownload":1,"trackDownloadExtensions":"7z|aac|avi|csv|doc|exe|flv|gif|gz|jpe?g|js|mp(3|4|e?g)|mov|pdf|phps|png|ppt|rar|sit|tar|torrent|txt|wma|wmv|xls|xml|zip"},"lightbox2":{"rtl":0,"file_path":"\/(\\w\\w\/)sites\/default\/files","default_image":"\/sites\/all\/modules\/lightbox2\/images\/brokenimage.jpg","border_size":"2","font_color":"000","box_color":"fff","top_position":"","overlay_opacity":"0.6","overlay_color":"000","disable_close_click":1,"resize_sequence":"0","resize_speed":100,"fade_in_speed":100,"slide_down_speed":100,"use_alt_layout":0,"disable_resize":0,"disable_zoom":0,"force_show_nav":0,"loop_items":1,"node_link_text":"","node_link_target":0,"image_count":"Image !current of !total","video_count":"Video !current of !total","page_count":"Page !current of !total","lite_press_x_close":"press \x3ca href=\"#\" onclick=\"hideLightbox(); return FALSE;\"\x3e\x3ckbd\x3ex\x3c\/kbd\x3e\x3c\/a\x3e to close","download_link_text":"","enable_login":false,"enable_contact":false,"keys_close":"c x 27","keys_previous":"p 37","keys_next":"n 39","keys_zoom":"z","keys_play_pause":"32","display_image_size":"","image_node_sizes":"()","trigger_lightbox_classes":"","trigger_lightbox_group_classes":"","trigger_slideshow_classes":"","trigger_lightframe_classes":"","trigger_lightframe_group_classes":"","custom_class_handler":0,"custom_trigger_classes":"","disable_for_gallery_lists":true,"disable_for_acidfree_gallery_lists":true,"enable_acidfree_videos":true,"slideshow_interval":5000,"slideshow_automatic_start":true,"slideshow_automatic_exit":true,"show_play_pause":true,"pause_on_next_click":false,"pause_on_previous_click":true,"loop_slides":false,"iframe_width":"600","iframe_height":"400","iframe_border":0,"enable_video":0},"thickbox":{"close":"Close","next":"Next \x3e","prev":"\x3c Prev","esc_key":"or Esc Key","next_close":"Next \/ Close on last","image_count":"Image !current of !total"}});
<div class="content_inn"><!--[if !IE]>Start left content<![endif]-->
<div class="left_panal">
<div class="left_content_box">
<div class="left_inner_box_heading"><h1>[MD1] Status on Game Sprockets</h1></div>
<div class="left_inner_box_inn">
<div style="float:right; margin:5px;">
</div>
<p>From: Chris De Salvo (<a href="mailto:desalvo@apple.com">desalvo@apple.com</a>)<br />
Subject: NEWS: Sprockets: Present and Future</p>
<p>Hi, this is Chris De Salvo. I work at Apple on the Sprockets team and I<br />
wanted to take a few moments to very clearly state where the Sprockets are<br />
at, where they will be going in the future and what all the press releases<br />
really mean.</p>
<p>WHERE WE'RE AT:<br />
---------------</p>
<p>DrawSprocket - version 1.1.2 of DrawSprocket should be released some time<br />
next week (today is Monday, March 17). It provides some performance<br />
increases and several major bug fixes (most notably the DebugStr() call<br />
that was accidentally left in). There are also some UI enhancements to the<br />
user-select-context dialog.</p>
<p>InputSprocket - version 1.2 of InputSprocket should be released some time<br />
in the next week as well. This is a significant update and, among other<br />
things, includes the following list of improvements:</p>
<p> o Lots of bug fixes<br />
o Support for Microsoft SideWinder3D Pro joystick<br />
o Much-improved support for CH Products joysticks<br />
o Support of modifier keys for keyboard and mouse-button input<br />
o Significant user-interface improvements<br />
o Support for the Apple AppleJack controller (Pippin controller)<br />
o Improved support for Kensington multi-button mice and trackballs<br />
o Speech recognition as an input type<br />
o Public method for getting the keyboard scan from inputs<br />
o Mouse deltas<br />
o More flag bits to help tune the UI</p>
<p>SoundSprocket - SoundSprocket has not changed since the initial 1.0 release<br />
last year. There will be no new work on this in the forseeable future.</p>
<p>NetSprocket - NSp will be holding at its current release revision of<br />
v1.0.3. Currently in development is on a new low-level API that support<br />
plug-in modules and is amazingly cool. It should initially support<br />
AppleTalk, serial, TCP/IP and (hopefully) IPX. There is also a Win95<br />
version of this new layer in development. We expect this to be shipping in<br />
the next two months.</p>
<p>QuickDraw3D RAVE - RAVE isn't really part of the Sprockets project but<br />
there have been lots of questions about it. What I know is that RAVE is<br />
staying and that development will continue. QuickDraw3D is a hot<br />
technology around here right now. 3D sucks without cool hardware.<br />
Hardware is supported via RAVE. As such, RAVE isn't going anywhere. I<br />
believe that the currently RAVE version is v1.5.</p>
<p>WHERE WE'RE GOING:<br />
------------------</p>
<p>So, as you've all probably heard by now, the Sprockets team is being<br />
affected by the lay-offs which will take place some time this month. We<br />
are not being killed. I repeat, we are not being killed. In the<br />
post-layoff world I will be the technical lead for the Sprockets. Our main<br />
goal for the immediate future is to maintain the current (and soon to be<br />
released) versions of all the Sprockets. Because of this smaller task our<br />
group will be reduced in size. However, those of us here after the<br />
lay-offs will guarantee that the Sprockets continue to work on current and<br />
future versions of Mac OS. We will continue to fix bugs as they come up.</p>
<p>For products like InputSprocket that rely on plug-in drivers to support<br />
devices we'll continue to address new devices as they come on the market.</p>
<p>We will continue to provide the best level of developer support that we<br />
can. You might not get bug-fixes overnight any more but we will continue<br />
to be very accessible and very public.</p>
<p>As the new tech lead for the Sprockets project one of my personal goals is<br />
to spend as much time as I can trying to get the Sprockets moved into<br />
Rhapsody. We may not be able to get a 1:1 function call crossover but the<br />
hope is that we can persuade the powers that be to make sure that the<br />
_functionality_ is present. Rhapsody has the potential to be a really good<br />
game platform and I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that<br />
it lives up to that potential.</p>
<p>WHAT THE PRESS RELEASES MEAN:<br />
-----------------------------</p>
<p>First and foremost, games are not dead on the Macintosh. There are<br />
millions of users who play games on their Mac. They will continue to want<br />
new games in the years to come.</p>
<p>There are millions of people who will be moving up to Rhapsody next year<br />
and they are going to want games. Believe it or not, the Mac's market<br />
share is actually growing again.</p>
<p>Mac OS is not dead!!! In fact, it is more alive than it has been in years.<br />
Copland was meant to be a replacement. Rhapsody is meant to serve a whole<br />
different set of markets. As such, the lifeline of Mac OS has been<br />
extended considerably.</p>
<p>Having a project go into maintenance mode right now doesn't mean that it is<br />
dead, and it doesn't mean that Apple doesn't care about it any more. If<br />
Apple didn't care about the technology they would just lay everyone off.<br />
The fact that they have decided to keep even a small team around to<br />
maintain things is a good sign. Apple is in a serious cash crunch right<br />
now. We've cut ourselves down to what we consider to be the absolute<br />
minimum projects and staff necessary to make a serious comeback. Sprockets<br />
are part of the stuff that is staying. Apple feels that we're important<br />
enough to continue to spend money on. If they are willing to spend _some_<br />
money, they can be persuaded to spend _more_ money in the future.</p>
<p>Operating this lean will help us save a ton of cash and get back to<br />
profitability. It will help us build up our reserves. By reducing<br />
ourselves to the minimum we can see what we really _need_ to survive.<br />
Several months from now, when the money is coming in again, and when we<br />
have a clear picture of who needs more funding and how much, the staffing<br />
and project problems that we perceive today will start to get fixed.<br />
Better late than never.</p>
<p>IN CONCLUSION:<br />
--------------</p>
<p>I know that a lot of this sounds like marketing speak. I know it sounds<br />
suspiciously like things that we've all been hearing for years. Believe<br />
me, I know exactly how you all feel. I was a commercial game developer for<br />
four years before coming to Apple to work on the Sprockets. The above<br />
statements are my personal opinions based on my first-hand observations of<br />
what has been happening here during the past several weeks. We're going to<br />
make every effort to move forward with the Sprockets and make it an even<br />
better technology. We've just had our paced slowed. But, we're here now,<br />
we'll be here tomorrow. We'll make sure that the Sprockets keep on working<br />
well into the future. Stick with us if you can.</p>
<p>Thanks,<br />
Chris De Salvo<br />
Tech Lead, Game Sprockets<br />
Apple Computer, Inc.</p>
<div class="links"><ul class="links inline"><li class="comment_forbidden first last"><span><a href="/user/login?destination=comment%2Freply%2F78426%23comment-form">Login</a> or <a href="/user/register?destination=comment%2Freply%2F78426%23comment-form">register</a> to post comments</span></li>
</ul></div>
</div>
<div class="left_inner_box_bottom"> </div>
</div>
<!--[if !IE]> End left box inner page <![endif]--></div>
<!--[if !IE]>End left content<![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]>Start right content<![endif]-->
<span class="field-content"><a href="http://forums.applecentral.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/537782/Analyst_sees_iPad_killers_less#Post537782" target="_blank"> Analyst sees iPad killers le...</a></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field-title">
<span class="field-content"><a href="http://forums.applecentral.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/537649/Small_business_accounting_soft#Post537649" target="_blank"> Small business accounting so...</a></span>
<span class="field-content">Introducing the App Hall of Fame!</span>
</div>
<div class="views-field-body">
<div class="field-content"><div class="body-row" id="body-row-213485"><div style="background:#F5F5F5;">App discoverability continues to be a real issue. With the fast churn of apps in the App Store, an app has only a few weeks of promotional life in it before it‚Äôs largely forgotten. There are a few things developers can do to fix that, but those... | Read more »</div></div></div>
<span class="field-content">Gobliiins Are Coming</span>
</div>
<div class="views-field-body">
<div class="field-content"><div class="body-row" id="body-row-213486"><div style="background:#F5F5F5;">In the midst of the huge Q4 launch schedule, the cult classic, Gobliiins, as well as the rest of the trilogy, are being ported to the iPhone in all of their original glory. The Goblins trilogy was a quirky Atari/Amiga game series from the early 90‚Äôs... | Read more »</div></div></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field-title">
<span class="field-content">myPhoneDesktop – Chrome to iPhone Extens...</span>
</div>
<div class="views-field-body">
<div class="field-content"><div class="body-row" id="body-row-213469"><div style="background:#F5F5F5;">Anyone who has used myPhoneDesktop knows that it is a fantastic tool for streamlining your onscreen workflow. Instead of having to type line after line into your phone directly, you can use myPhoneDesktop to type from your computer directly into... | Read more »</div></div></div>
<span class="field-content">AutoVerbal Talking Soundboard Pro helps...</span>
</div>
<div class="views-field-body">
<div class="field-content"><div class="body-row" id="body-row-213471"><div style="background:#F5F5F5;">Being able to speak and communicate with others is something that many of us take for granted. It‚Äôs not so easy for many folks though, in particular for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, as well as those who have suffered various brain... | Read more »</div></div></div>
<span class="field-content">Get Your Roast Right With ‘Time To Roast...</span>
</div>
<div class="views-field-body">
<div class="field-content"><div class="body-row" id="body-row-213473"><div style="background:#F5F5F5;">Roasting meat, in the cooking world, is about as simple as it gets. The greatest roast recipe I‚Äôve ever found is from Michael Ruhlman‚Äôs website, with the recipe titled, ‚ÄúThe World‚Äôs Most Difficult Roasted Chicken Recipe.‚Äù | Read more »</div></div></div>
MacTech is a registered trademark of Xplain Corporation. Xplain, "The journal of Apple technology", Apple Expo, Explain It, MacDev, MacDev-1, THINK Reference, NetProfessional, Apple Expo, MacTech Central, MacTech Domains, MacNews, MacForge, and the MacTutorMan are trademarks or service marks of Xplain Corporation. Sprocket is a registered trademark of eSprocket Corporation. Other trademarks and copyrights appearing in this printing or software remain the property of their respective holders. Not responsible for typographical errors.
</div>
</div>
<div class="footer_bottom"></div>
</div>
<div id="bootom_foo_ter">All contents are Copyright 1984-2010 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by <a href="http://www.icreon.com">Icreon</a>.</div>
<div id="newuser-popup" style="font-size:14px">Greetings, and welcome to the new MacTech web site! Our home page is designed to be your <cite>Industry Dashboard</cite> -- so you can have a snapshot of all that's relevant in the industry in one easy location. Many readers tell us that because the information is updated so frequently, they are now checking the site multiple times a day.
Here's a quick run down of the features on the new web site, which can be subtle.
<UL><LI>We're running regular raffles. If you want free stuff make sure to register. <a href="/register">It's easy and only takes a minute!</a>
<LI>Registering for the site allows you greater functionality.
<LI>The first few blocks are original content from MacTech (for geeks) and our sister web site, MacNews (for general users)
<LI>Below that are MacTech's scanners, which scan the web and organizes it into News, Rumors, and Documentation. Updated every 15 minutes.
<LI>Our Whitepapers, Screencasts, and Videos section give you insight into great products
<LI>The Community Search narrows your search to the most relevant of Apple related sites for better results
<LI>The forums give you a place to ask questions, and share your knowledge.
<LI>Our partners at MacUpdate, MacPrices.net and the Jobs Boards keep you up to date
<LI>Want to see all the news in one big list? Check out our new <a href="/firehose">Information Firehose</a>
<LI>And, don't forget the Apple Central area, and ads throughout the site. Advertisers are what make the site possible</UL>
We truly hope you <a href="/register">register</a> so that we can keep you up to date about new features as they are implemented. And, please use the BETA button in the top right to provide us any feedback, suggestions or bugs. We love to hear from you. </div>
<!--[if !IE]>End pop_up<![endif]-->
<!-- Google Analytics now handled by Google Analytics Module in drupal -->
<!--VISISTAT SNIPPET//-->
<script type="text/javascript">
var DID=13280;
var pcheck=(window.location.protocol == "https:") ? "https://sniff.visistat.com/live.js":"http://stats.visistat.com/live.js";
