Week-end Reading: audio for Games

Want a good book for the week-end?
Something easy to digest not to heavy, but highly informative....?

Pick-up New Riders Audio for Games; Planning, Process and production by Alexander Brandon.

Mister Brandon is the creative (sound effect) force behind more than a dozen game titles. Unreal was one of them.
In case you want to know about is influence over the game process, just turn the sound off on your favourite game; Then it hit you big! Without the sound effects a game is well, just a game. Follow him in this great book as he lead you from the core concept of creative sound effects and music for games. You will be expose to all the process and technology that this sound effects master has to offer with generous review of process and art.
Not to be missed.

Audio for Games, Planning, Process and Production
Alexander Brandon
New Riders
ISBN 0-7357-1413-4

Apple Store offers discounts on iMac, iPods Today Only

The Apple Store is offering several promo in its one-day only post-Thanksgiving sale. One day only.
So if you want to save; now is the time.

Apple still on track to launch iTMS in Canada this month

The Globe and Mail has confirmed that Apple is still on track to introduce a Canadian version of its iTunes Music Store before the end of the month.

A Free Video Poker Game for Mac OS X: UglyPoker

Mac Games and More has published its first game for Mac OS X. The game is a free, video poker game called, “UglyPoker,” and was made possible by a collaboration of independent developers, http://www.phelios.com, http://www.winterwolves.com, and the designers at http://willbe.planet-d.net/ . UglyPoker was made with the game engine, PTK.
Want to deal...?

Blizzard ships World of Warcraft

Blizzard Entertainment on Tuesday shipped World of Warcraft, its first entry into the popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) genre. The game ships in North America, Australia and New Zealand for Mac and PC in both Standard and Collector's Editions .

Bluetooth update improves performance, reliability

Apple has released Bluetooth Module Firmware Update 1.2. The company indicated that this firmware update improves the update installation process itself, and also enhances performance and reliability when working with Apple's Wireless Keyboard and Mouse.

iPresent It puts slideshows on iPod photo

ZappTek announced the release of iPresent It 1.0, a new application that converts PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, as well as PDF files, into slideshows that can be loaded on an iPod photo and displayed from there. It saves them as albums in iPhoto, ensuring that changes to a presentation are made in the iPod photo version when it's synced to your Mac again. Full (no limits) and trial version available now for download Give it a try.

New Fast DVD Copy 3.1 enhances dual-layer support available

Velan Software announced that Fast DVD Copy 3.1 is now available for download from its Web site. Fast DVD Copy 3, which was released last month, enables you to make archival copies of audio and data CDs, DVD videos, DVD-ROM discs and PlayStation 2 games. The new version offers an updated video compression algorithm for better video quality, support for dual-layer burners using DVD+R9 media on Mac OS X v10.3.6 and several other performance enhancements and bug fixes. This is a free upgrade for registered owners of version 3.0. This is a great product that is worth is weight in gold.
Part of the Digital Dispatch list of best of 2004. A true Must Have!

Analyst forecasts 23.5 million iPods by 2006

Another well-respected Wall Street analyst has pointed to Apple's continued success with the iPod as drawing new customers to the Macintosh fold. Needham & Co.'s Charles Wolf has issued a 27-page note to his clients suggesting that Windows users could have 100 million iPods in hand by 2008. If only a small number of those users bought Macs, Mac sales could surge, according to Wolf. 100 Million iPods owners can't be wrong.....

MacMice intros USB MIDI keyboard for GarageBand

MacMice on Wednesday announced that GarageKey is now available for pre-order and will ship on Dec. 12. GarageKey is a MIDI keyboard that connects to your Mac via USB and integrates with GarageBand. It features 37 full-size keys and octave up and octave down buttons as well as riser legs that enable you to stow your Mac's keyboard under it when necessary. MacMice does not list the minimum version of Mac OS X required. We believe that this new addition to MacMice line of product is a superb idea. Kudo to MacMice for thinking "off the box". This is the same people that brought you earlier on this year the "Ultimate 3 buttons mouse" (see earlier Digital Dispatch Report) that we rated Product of the month.

Mac Uru cancellation may dim Half-Life 2 hopes

Cyan Worlds Inc. on Wednesday confirmed a rumor circulated since earlier this year: Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is not coming to the Macintosh after all. "We are extremely disappointed to have to announce today that the Mac port of Uru is officially cancelled," the company noted in an update to the Web site posted on Tuesday. The news of the cancellation has potential ramifications for Mac gamers beyond just Uru: Ages Beyond Myst.

First Canadian Apple Store confirmed for Yorkdale Shopping Center

Canada's first Apple retail store will touch down in the Yorkdale Shopping Center in Toronto, Ontario, according to confirmation received by AppleInsider. The store is set to open by the Summer of 2005.
Who's next: Vancouver, Montreal?

Book of the Week: Secrets of Home Theater

This is the one!
If you ever wanted to know it all before purchasing any or all components for a Home Theater; techtv / peachpit press Secrets of the Home Theatre is the only book on the subject you will ever need to read.
More than 2oo pages long this reference book reads (almost) as fast as a good thriller.
The 12 chapters burst with tips and tricks about the selection, purchase, set-up and total enjoyement of your Home Theatre. Easy to follow step by step have left us with the feeling that we where in total control of all the new technologies offered to us. Everything suddently sound and look better in our digital recreation room. No matter what your budget is, author Mike Wood will help you select and assemble your perfect home theater. Kudo to Mike Wood, techtv and Peachpit press to bring us such a great book.

The Secrets of Home Theatre get a perfect 5* out of 5*


The Secrets of Home Theater
Mike Wood
techtv / Peachpit press
isbn 0-321-27836-4

Apple products cheaper to buy over the border, say Canadian Mac-heads

Since 2002, the American dollar has depreciated in value against the Canadian dollar,
from US$0.61 = CA$1.00 to US$0.84 = CA$1.00.
Over this period, many PC makers have reduced the Canadian price of their products, to
reflect the increased value of the Canadian dollar. Yet, the prices of Apple products
have remained unchanged.
How can Apple increase their market share in Canada by this policy?
We already import oranges, why not Apple?

Software Detects the True Artist

Dartmouth College computer scientists create software that uses statistical techniques to authenticate art, to sort out real works from fakes. Their first finding: A painting purportedly by Perugino may have been done by four different artists.
Now if they can only make one that detect genuine quality in a head of state!

Adobe announces 2005 Design Achievement Awards

Adobe today announced a call for entries in its Fifth Annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards.
More info. at www.adobe.com

iDockCover offers wood finishes

Westshore Craftworks has announced the introduction of its exotic, hardwood iDockCovers.
That "wood" make a great present for the hollyday season!

More than 5,000 turn out for London store opening

BBC News reports that over 5,000 Apple fans were waiting at Apple's new Regent Street retail store in London less than an hour after the store had opened.

XM Radio Online adds Mac support

Along with two new music channels, XM Satellite Radio today announced that its Internet radio service is now available to Mac users.

BBC 'podcasts' radio show

The BBC has begun offering, on a trial basis, a download of the BBC Radio 4 history show "In Our Time" in MP3 format. You can move the file directly to iTunes and synchronize it with your iPod or use a utility such as iPodderX to subscribe to the "podcast" through an RSS feed and have it automatically saved and transferred to iTunes each time a new edition is available. The BBC has not said how long it will offer "In Our Time" as an MP3 file, although it is soliciting feedback on the download page.

iCal updated

Apple on Monday released iCal 1.5.4, an update that offers better security when importing events with alarms as well as other performance improvements. You can run Software Update to get the new version or visit the iCal download page to get the full application. You'll need iSync 1.2.1 or higher to synchronize your iCal data with another Mac or a cell phone or PDA, as well as a .Mac membership or access to a WebDAV server to publish your calendar online.

Xserve shipments soar 119 percent

Shipments of Apple Computer Inc.'s Xserve 1U rackmount server soared in the third quarter of 2004, growing 119 percent over the same period last year, according to a report by market research form Gartner Dataquest. Analysts expect triple digit growth for the Xserve could continue into 2006 before it levels off.