OneApp Software has released an update to Wecan English-Italian Dictionary, brining the translation software to version 5.9.2. This product offers Italian translations of English words. The new version includes more than 25,000 words. According to OneApp:

OneApp Software has released a new version of its popular Wecan English-Italian Dictionary a translation dictionary which now has over 25,000 English words with Italian translations. Wecan English-Italian Dictionary is a popular shareware dictionary for Macintosh, Power Macintosh, PowerBook, iBook and iMac users.

The dictionary collects all the entries that match what you've entered, and displays the English and the Italian side-by-side. You can copy words from the dictionary and paste them into another document. You can collect English words (with their Italian translations) in a separate window and study them together. If you have Apple Text-to-Speech you can listen to the English vocabulary, and you can type or copy other English text into a separate window and the program will read it aloud. The user can easily create additional plug-in dictionaries to supplement the dictionary provided with the program.

You can find more information on the Dictionary at the company's web site. The product is priced at US$329, and the upgrade is free to registered users. Version 1.5 will be available sometime in the spring of 2000.

Synthetik Software has released a new version of StudioArtist, a product the company bills as a graphics synthesizer. The new version, 1.1, includes several new features, and the company has announced another version, 1.5, to be released this spring. According to Synthetik:

Synthetik Software today announced several new enhancements to its award winning software Studio Artist, the worlds first graphics synthesizer. Studio Artist 1.1 offers a host of new features, including enhanced interactive paint tools, support for embedded alpha channels in movies and source images, multiple movie compositing, real time intelligent image mosaicing, enhanced batch processing, and time-based particle and paint effects. Version 1.1 is available at the show in a new boxed version that includes a printed user guide and full color printed tutorial. Synthetik is also demonstrating features from the upcoming Studio Artist 1.5, scheduled for a spring 2000 release. Version 1.5 offers editable keyframe time animation of all of the different features available in Studio Artist, greatly expanding the range of visual effects for movie processing as well as interactive 2D painting. Version 1.5 also includes many additional new features, including a new resolution independent core effects processing module called the Texture Synthesizer, intelligent auto-regionization, and new gradient effects.

Studio Artist Knows how to Paint and Draw

Developed by Synthetik Software Inc., Studio Artist is the first commercial program for computer artists that incorporates research results from cognitive neuroscience investigations into the nature of visual perception in the brain. The program uses human visual modeling to construct an internal representation from a source image that is used to direct smart assisted painting and drawing. The result is Studio Artist knows how to paint and draw. Studio Artist combines dynamic user-configurable painting and drawing tools along with a complete image processing and video effects suite. A unique hybrid imaging model allows individual paint strokes to have the visual richness of raster paint with the editability of vector paths. Dynamic expressive paint tools or custom art processes can easily be constructed and applied to still images or motion sequences. Users can either paint and draw manually or direct Studio Artist's automatic Intelligent-Assisted painting actions. The over 800 factory presets shipped with Studio Artist barely scratch the surface of the potential visual looks and tactile feels that can be created within the program. Each Preset consists of hundreds of fully editable parameters that can be individually adjusted to control the look and feel of the paint. These synthesizer parameters can also be interactively modulated while painting. This immense flexibility allows artists to create their own art tools or processes with unique visual appearance based on their own personal tastes.

Enhanced Time-Based Effects

Studio Artist 1.5 Paint Action Sequences are now fully automatable over time via keyframe editing on an animation timeline. Every editable parameter within Studio Artist can be animated over time. This includes everything in the four main effects modules as well as all of the extensive selection options available within the program. This vastly extends the range of possible video effects available within Studio Artist. Paint animation is not just for video effects. Studio Artist's animation capabilities open up a whole new world of potential interaction for 2D artists. Paint animation can be used to perform complex area fills and striking 2D visual effects. Studio Artist's graphics synthesizer is unique in bridging the gap between traditional 2D painting or drawing and motion-based effects.

New Core Processing Module

Studio Artist 1.5 includes a new core processing module, the Texture Synthesizer. Studio Artist's Texture Synthesizer provides a wide range of resolution independent visual effects. The Texture Synthesizer is based on a sophisticated texture generator with integral effects processing and extensive modulation capabilities. Like all of the core visual processing modules, editable Texture Synthesizer presets can be built and categorized for easy access while working. By combining the core visual processing modules of the Paint Synthesizer, Texture Synthesizer, Image Processing Operations, and Image Warping and Morphing, an unlimited number of visual effects can be generated for use in painting on 2D canvases or within video sequences.

You can find more information on StudioArtist at the company's web site. The product is priced at US$329, and the upgrade is free to registered users. Version 1.5 will be available sometime in the spring of 2000.

This week's Mac Show dives into KidSafe, Apple's new web access control software. The Mac Show is a weekly live QuickTIme streaming broadcast with industry personalities hosted by Shawn King. According to The Mac Show:

Our Roundtable Discussion last week was the best one we've ever had! We'll revisit the subject once OS X is commercially available.

This week, we'll discuss the issues, pros and cons, surrounding KidSafe, one of Apple's iTools. Michael Penwarden, Editor of Macworld magazine and Lisa Schmeiser, Senior Editor at Macworld.com will join us to help us figure out what KidSafe is and what it means to Mac users.

We will begin a new series of interviews with 'Mac Web Personalities' to give our listeners a better sense of who these folks are. The first will be with Rodney O. Lain. Rodney writes 'The Realist' for MyMac.com and the 'iBrotha' column for MacAddict.com and is one of the most interesting people you can read about on the Net!

As usual, we'll have T-shirts from About.com and Redhook to give away, and we finally draw for the copy of Madden NFL 2000 and an Official NFL football signed by John Madden himself!

Make sure you tune in this and every Wednesday evening for the most fun you'll have listening to your Mac! And 'double your pleasure, double your fun' by joining us in our Chat Rooms on the World Without Borders site at http://www.wwbchat.com or join us on the dal.net servers on IRC in the #themacshow Channel.

Head over to The Mac Show for more information and the show!

Epson has announced that they will begin shipping the Expression 1600 scanner this week. The Expression 1600 is the first FireWire/1394 scanner capable of 1600 dpi resolution. The company is offering 4 different configurations of the Expression 1600 targeting different segments of the market. The scanner itself offers high resolution scanning and is aimed at the mid to high end of the market. The company is also providing bundled software. According to Epson:

Epson America Inc., a leader in high-quality, award-winning imaging products, today announced that it will begin shipping this week the Expression 1600, the industry's first scanner on the market to offer IEEE 1394/FireWire connectivity.

The Expression 1600 also is the highest resolution and fastest graphics scanner in its class. The new scanner is available in four cross-platform software configurations: Special Edition, Artist, Professional (Pro) and Professional FireWire (Pro FireWire) models. The Expression 1600 utilizes Epson's MatrixCCD(tm) and Micro Step(tm) Drive technologies, which enables it to achieve a powerful 1600 x 3200 dpi true hardware resolution. This precision coupled with high performance and fast scanning speeds make the Expression 1600 an excellent tool for graphic arts, photography and pre-press professionals.

The Expression 1600 features Epson's built-in ColorTrue® II Imaging System -- the custom engineered integration of superior hardware, optics and image processing. Utilizing the ColorTrue II Imaging System, the Expression 1600 produces scans with amazing detail, color accuracy and performance. The Expression 1600 includes a new 1600 dpi CCD sensor and is able to achieve a true hardware resolution of 1600 x 3200 dpi with Epson's Micro Step Drive technology. This technology features a precision stepper motor that enables the Expression 1600 to scan by 'half stepping' in the vertical direction, thereby doubling resolution to achieve 3200 dpi.

To provide excellent color accuracy, the Expression 1600 offers 36-bit color depth both internally and externally. The Expression 1600 has a high dynamic range with a Dmax of 3.3 to capture greater detail in highlight and shadow areas for such uses as scanning film negatives and transparencies. With the Expression 1600's unique Dual-Focus Mechanism, the focal distance can be changed to 2.5 mm above the glass scan bed. This eliminates light refraction and avoids the 'Newton Ring' problem common in less sophisticated scanners. Additionally, the Expression 1600 uses a Xenon cold cathode fluorescent lamp to provide a high-intensity light source. By utilizing this type of light source, the Expression 1600 is instantly ready to scan without warm-up time.

EPSON Expression 1600 Pro FireWire

The Expression 1600 Pro FireWire model is a complete solution for graphics professionals, featuring one of the fastest peripheral connection technologies available today -- IEEE 1394/FireWire. With its FireWire connectivity, the Expression 1600 offers increased speed, versatility and convenience for graphics professionals and business users who require an efficient scanning solution. FireWire connectivity supports data transfer rates up to 400Mbs per second, making it the ideal choice for high-speed scanning.

By incorporating FireWire connectivity, the Expression 1600 offers the speed advantage of high-speed SCSI transfer devices coupled with the ease-of-use found in USB. It also provides the ability to daisy chain up to 63 devices without additional hardware and supports cable length up to 14 feet. Additionally, FireWire offers hot-pluggable connectivity, which allows users to add and remove devices without having to 'reboot' each time.

The IEEE 1394/FireWire interface is included with the Pro FireWire model and available as an option for the other Expression 1600 models.

Special Edition Configuration

The Expression 1600 Special Edition (PC/Mac) model includes the Epson TWAIN Pro scanner driver and the Epson TWAIN Pro for Networks driver.

The Expression 1600 Artist (PC/Mac) model includes the following for PCs with Windows 95/98/NT 4.0 and Power Macintosh with Mac OS 7.5 or later:

• EPSON TWAIN Pro
• EPSON TWAIN Pro for Networks
• Adobe® PhotoShop 5.0 LE
• MonacoEZcolor® 1.5
• NewSoft(tm) Presto! PageManager® for Epson
• Xerox® TextBridge® Classic OCR Software

The Expression 1600 Pro model (PC/Mac) includes everything bundled with the Artist model with the addition of a transparency unit.

The Expression 1600 Pro FireWire model (PC/Mac) includes the same bundle as the Artist and Pro models, a transparency unit, plus the installed FireWire card.

FireWire 2 Go for Windows is priced at US$149. The company has not yet added information about the PC version of this product, but those interested can contact the sales department of the company from their home page.

The Expression 1600 Pro FireWire is priced at US$1399, the Expression 1600 Artist is priced at US$899, the Expression Pro is priced at US$1099, and the Expression 1600 Special Edition is priced at US$799. You can find more information on the product line at Epson's web site.

The Mac Observer Spin: It's great to see Epson go for the FireWire/1394 market so vigorously. Their attention raises the bar with other vendors which is always good for bringing new products to market. This product marks a very nice FireWire/1394 option for mid and high end professionals.

Last week's PMA show in Las Vegas showcased several promising new digital cameras, many featuring resolution beyond 2 megapixels. Our picks are the Olympus C-3030 Zoom and the Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro.

The Olympus C-3030Z builds on the success of the C-2000 and C-2020 which we reviewed in December, 1999. We haven't made any secret of the fact that the C-2020 is our favorite digital camera -- and neither has the rest of the world. It's now the top-selling digital camera worldwide. The 3030Z has all the features of the 2020, and adds:

• 3.4 megapixel resolution
• Quicktime capability now with audio capture
• 4-second audio sound bites you can attach to still pictures
• 3.5 frames/second with no delay
• USB port
• more external flash capabilities
• more manual controls including more shutter speeds

As always, what's most important about the C-2000/3000 series is the overall design -- the ergonomics, the handleability, the style. Nobody comes close to Olympus in this respect, though you can certainly see Sony trying, with its similar-looking Cybershot series. The Cybershot DSC-S70 has a lot of great features but just doesn't get the style and usability intangibles right.

The C-3030 will sell for $999 when it comes out in May, 2000. The C-2020 will sell for $799.

The Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro

In spite of a cumbersome name, the Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro could change the professional digital SLR market just the way Olympus changed the viewfinder category with the C-2000.

The S1 is upfront about being a professional camera: it doesn't even come with a lens! You have to supply your own -- which is not hard because the camera has a Nikon F lens mount and thus accepts the Nikkor lenses that have been one of the main standards in professional photography since the 1960s. What sets the S1 apart is resolution -- 6 megapixels -- at under $4000. This has never been achieved before. Fuji accomplishes this breakthrough with a new proprietary CCD design. According to Fuji, 'Recognizing limitations in conventional charge-coupled device (CCD) design, Fujifilm developed a new, radically different CCD with larger, octagonal-shaped photodiodes situated on 45-degree angles. This pattern increases sensitivity, improves signal-to-noise ratio and offers a much wider dynamic range, all attributes that result in sharper, more colorful digital images.'

The proof will be in the manufacturing run, but at PMA, where the prototype was being shown, PMA attendees picked prints from the S1 as best in the under-$5000 professional category.

Other notable features include ISO 1600 capability, the capability to use all three of today's preferred storage media (SmartMedia, CompactFlash, and IBM's microdrive), 1.5 frames per second even in top resolution mode, full manual control, and multiple metering capabilities. One of my favorite features, though, is perhaps the most primitive: a good old fashioned, mechanical cable release. That's going to make a lot of people in the professional photography community happy -- none more so than me.

Powerlogix has announced the release of some beta software for Umax owners and owners of their PowerForce G4 cards. Both releases fix some bugs those users may have experienced. According to Powerlogix:

Powerlogix, the leader in Power Macintosh processor products, today announced the release of the beta version of the E100 Enabler and an update to the Altivec Enabler.

E100 Enabler pertains to Umax clones only and allows the network half of the E100/S900 high-speed ethernet/SCSI card to function correctly with the PowerLogix's G3/G4 Cache Profiler software.

The Altivec Enabler extension is required with all PowerForce G4 upgrades to take advantage of programs, such as Adobe Photoshop 5.5, that use Altivec code. The Powerlogix Altivec Enabler software requires Mac OS 8.6 or later. Mac OS 9 is recommended.

This update fixes the possible corruptions identified in earlier versions of the software. With the 1.0 enabler, the output is incorrect due to a register being corrupted. MacsBug (and other debuggers) can now access the altivec saved state for debugging purposes if Virtual Memory is off. It is recommended that anyone using the 1.0 enabler on a B&W switch over to this one.

You can find more information and download links for the software at the company's web site.

MDG Computer Services has released the latest beta of the powerful web server/e-commerce solution, WS4D/eCommerce 3.2b11. WS4D provides a complete web hosting solution while simplifying e-commerce management for web masters. According to MDG:

WS4D can publish unlimited databases, handle your shopping carts/credit card authorization, without programming, scripting, Perl, ASP, C++, CGI's, Plug-Ins, and doesn't even require a database (since it is built in). Databases, Search and Results Forms are defined completely in HTML. Publish your databases/storefronts in hours, not months!

New in this version:

• Auto creation of PDF's of Confirmation Orders
• Auto Printing of approved/completed web orders
• GST/PST Tax Support
• New Tag <User_Platform>, returns Mac, Win, Other
• New Tag <User_Browser>, returns NetScape, Microsoft, Other
• Added Product Actions - Sending E-mail/Adding Realms after Order is approved via Authorizenet
• Added POP support for module WS4D/E-mail-Search
• Supports Unique Products on StoreFront
• Ability to Show Quantity Available
• Different HTML Pages for each Product
• Ability to Send E-mails per product after order is Approved
• Ability to Add User To Realms per product after order is Approved
• Expiring Users for Realms
• Bug Fixes

WS4D/eCommerce 3.2b11 is available as a free download. You can find more information at the MDG Computer Services web site.

MacHack 2000, the marathon programming conference, is gaining momentum and sponsors. MacHack is one of the premiere events in the Mac programing universe, and the addition of a slew of new sponsors has helped insure that this year's MacHack will be no different. According to MacHack organizers:

As the year progresses, MacHack is pleased to welcome a number of sponsors to this year's conference.

Stuff Your Face, Stuff For Students

Macintosh mainstay and long time MacHack sponsor, Aladdin Systems, has pledged their support to the conference for another year. Counted on for late night pizza in the past, this year will be no different. Three nights of dining in the wee hours are courtesy of the gang in Watsonville.

Support for students is an important part of the conference and Aladdin has a hand in that as well. All student registrants will receive a bonus package of Aladdin products to enhance their conference experience.

The Sound and The Fury

Masters of Mac audio encoding and makers of N2MP3 and MPegger, Proteron, will be bringing their 'sound experience' to the conference.

Proteron also promises unnamed 'swag' to be given out to conference attendees on site. Without revealing the surprise, Proteron promises it will be cool.

Carnival Funhouse Microsoft Style

Not to be outdone, the gang in Redmond has joined the MacHack frenzy. Mr. Softy's minions have pledged their support for one of the conference round table rooms to be aptly renamed the 'Microsoft Carnival Funhouse!' for the duration of the conference. No guarantees, but with a name like that, events in that room can't help but be exciting.

MacHack 2000 will take place June 22-24, 2000, in Dearborn, Michigan. Online registration is US$425, with a limited number of student seats available for US$50. You can find more information at the MacHack 2000 web site.

The Mac Observer Spin:This is some great news for the attendees at MacHack 2000. Microsoft's involvement is a big coup for the conference as well. This conference, as well as the WWDC, are both important indicators of how healthy the Mac market is. The more developers for the Mac platform, the more apps there are available. The more apps there are available, the more customers. More customers means more money for more developers, and we come full circle. It's good to see the conference be able to attract great companies like Aladdin, Proteron, and Microsoft as sponsors.

DXoft has released a new version of the FileMaker based utility, Software & Hardware Tracker. Version 3.3.5 allows users to keep track of important system information, such as registration codes and passwords, for a particular system. According to DXoft:

Main changes in version 3.3.5:

• Updated some value lists to include recent PowerMacs' specifications (the AGP bus for instance).
• Revised the documentation to warn against using versions of FileMaker Pro 5 prior to 5.0v2.
• Updated the demo records.

About Software & Hardware Tracker:

Software & Hardware Tracker is a collection of FileMaker Pro 3.0/4.0 relational database which will help you collect, store and organize useful information (such as registration codes, serial numbers, product notes, etc.) about all your computer products (hardware and software). Relying on the standard Internet Config system, Software & Hardware Tracker is perfectly integrated with your other Internet software. It also keeps track of all your contact information for software and hardware developers, distributors and places of purchase, turning it into a powerful contact and Internet bookmark manager.

Software & Hardware Tracker is compatible with FileMaker Pro 5 once converted to the new version's file format. The conversion happens automatically when one opens Software & Hardware Tracker using FileMaker Pro 5 or later.

Hardware & Software Tracker is available for US$25. Registered users of version 3.x are encouraged to download the new version for free. You can find more information at the DXoft web site.

Mac Cards, a Mac-centric online 'e-card' company has released ten new designs, just in time for Valentine's Day. The cards are perfect for any Mac geek on your Valentine list. According to Mac Cards:

The site's creator, Simon Jones of MELT internet design, predicted the ten special Mac Cards would be hugely popular in the 'romantic rush' up to Valentine's day. 'These cards are going to fly out the door!' said Jones. 'This time of year is obviously a popular time to send virtual cards and we wanted to give visitors to our site some really cool Valentine cards which lack the 'cheesyness' of so many other e-card sites out there.'

The Valentine cards have a cheeky style, typical of the U.K. based web site. One of the ten new cards features Apple's logo slightly altered to be a heart shape, making up the message 'I [love] you'. Another has a single power button on a white background with the message 'You turn me on'.

The Mac Card site has been online since the last summer and requires no special software downloads or plug-ins to use. Visitors to the web site are presented with thumbnail versions of the cards which they can click to see the full scale Mac Cards and then send them. The selection of cards is updated on a regular basis. Users can even add themselves to a mailing list to be informed of when new cards are added to the site.

Mac Cards are free. You can find their full selection of e-cards at the Mac Card web site.

Sig Software has updated the automated e-mail customization utility, Email Merge, to version 1.8.5. Email Merge allows users to send out 'customized' versions of a mass e-mail. The new version adds support for FileMaker 5. According to Sig Software:

Email Merge is an intuitive program for creating mailings of individualized e-mail messages. It takes a database and a message template, and merges the two to rapidly and effortlessly create customized e-mail messages in Outlook Express, Eudora, Claris Emailer or Mailsmith.

Version 1.8.5 adds support for version 5 of FileMaker Pro, allows the display font to be selected (for non-Roman scripts) and includes various other minor improvements.

Email Merge is available as shareware for US$30. You can find more information at the Sig Software web site.