Cjed Audio News 2008-07


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07-31-08 / 10:59 PM : discoDSP Discovery / Nord Lead 2 emulation (cjed)

Discovery is a virtual analog plugin (AudioUnit and VST, universal binary) for OSX, that provides 2 oscillators per voice (4 layers/8 oscillators total), an arpeggiator, an FM modulation mode (that is 2 operators then), 8 filter types, an unison mode, effects. We can download a demo version here and listen to audio examples. It can import Nord Lead 2 sysex, but without guarantee it will sound identical.
It is priced 99$ and we can read a review at soundonsound about Disco DSP Discovery version 2 (2004).

07-31-08 / 10:44 PM : VMware Fusion 2.0 beta2 available (cjed)

A beta 2 of VMware Fusion is available here. Among other new features it brings 1080p HD video support, uses even less CPU resources, and 3D support for games has been enhanced (notably DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 performance - allows to run Gears of War, Portal, Half Life 2, etc.).

07-31-08 / 10:28 PM : StarWars Movies Duels JKA mod (cjed)

In the same principle as Kotf, a new Jedi Knight Academy mod, StarWars Movies Duels, allows to relive famous scenes from the first 3 movies. The available 1.0.1 version provides 10 duel type scenes, however the 2.0 version being worked will include more complex single player missions (and also a .rar installer - only .exe for the 1.0.1 version).

07-30-08 / 10:06 PM : Read pdfs offline on the iPhone (cjed)

To read pdfs on the iPhone we have to access the file url from Safari, or open an attached file to an email. With a jailbroken iPhone we can access to the iPhone file system through Ftp transfer (place file in /var/mobile/Media), and then open the file from Safari using an url scheme like file://path.

We can expect soon (when the AppStore will be highly profitable and when a files sign feature has been added to the OS) a firmware update that allows filesystem browse and transfer through USB. For now the limitation (that can be bypassed) prevents massive pirating of AppStore applications and games.

07-29-08 / 11:53 PM : JK video with JkPro mod (cjed)

Here is a long video of Jedi Knight (DF2) using a mod named JkPro : This mod is created to improve gaming quality in online gameplay. The weapons are replaced by a brand new pack of fresh weapons. It includes an M16 assault rifle, Ak-47, Spectre, and much more... The weapon are also more fun to shoot than the originals from the game..
We can also find some resources about JK here.

07-29-08 / 11:42 PM : RealSamples/BestService/EW Early pianos (cjed)

BestService, EastWest and RealSamples announced 8 new samples libraries they developed together : Dulcitone Celesta, Early Pianoforte, English Harpsichord, English Spinet, Grand Piano, Italian Harpsichord, Dutch Harpsichord and Pianoforte. Each is priced 179$ and audio demos are available.

07-27-08 / 07:38 PM : EastWest PLAY 1.0.079 update (cjed)

EastWest released some days ago a 1.0.079 update to PLAY (173 Mb). Among the bug fixes it it said to bring better performance. We can suppose that, as since the latest public version (1.0.056) there was indeed 23 development versions and many months. We hope this improvement also applies for the PowerPC macs.

07-27-08 / 07:25 PM : Adsense : unlock the account (cjed)

Since some weeks the adsense banner displayed general interest announces instead of commercial ads, and I didn't understand well the logged message in the Adsense management interface. In fact I received a letter from Google, that included a verification code that has to be put through the interface. This is now required even below the 100$ payment stage (26$ for me in 3 years).

We can also in the account options choose the payment mean and devise. Finally we have to click on a link to send fiscal informations, but in fact it does nothing if we are outside US (no additional informations required, and nothing sent).

07-27-08 / 03:34 PM : iPhone3G / iPod 1 : audio quality (cjed)

We remember the lower audio quality problem with 6G classic iPods (use a Cirrus Logic DAC instead of the Wolfson from previous iPods - there is to note however that no other audio players or phones company provides better audio quality than Apple's devices). Good news, the l'iPhone3G still uses a Wolfson DAC, a newer model in fact, the WM6180C (replaces the Wolfson WM8758 from the first iPhone, whose quality was said to be average to bad, so even such a famous company can produce low cost chips that aren't of audiophile quality).

At iLounge forums we can read mixed reviews about the iPhone3G audio quality :

- The sound quality at reasonable volume levels, particularly in the bottom end is really poor. I started noticing soon after I purchased it that the bass was distorting noticeably, and when there was a lot of degradation of sound quality over a wide range of frequencies. I tested it with 3 pairs of headphones (cheap $10 Sony, decent $100 Sennheisers, and some high end Denon reference headphones). In all three tests the bottom end was muddy, indistinct and worst of all was noticeably distorting... the better the headphones you use with an iPhone, the more noticeable the problems are due to the more accurate.
- My iPhone 3G doesn't have any of the distortion you are talking about. Bass is crisp and clear on my AKG K27i headphones. In fact, I have to say that my iPhone actually sounds noticeably better than my old 30Gb 5G iPod.
- I'm really happy with the iPhone sound quality. My previous iPod, a monochrome 4g finally gave up the ghost a few months ago, but going by my ears' memory of it, the iPhone 3g sounds better
- The sound quality and volume of my new 3G beats the pants off any mobile phone I have ever used.

It is clear that Apple had to make cuts somewhere to reduce the iPhone3G price as they did. However, after some listening, despite the low output level provided with the AKG 240M headphone (very high impedance, 600 Ohms) that prevents a fair comparison, the iphone3G sound seems well balanced (homogenous, with detailed high end, percussive sound and very good - too much precise ? - spatialisation and wide audio field).
Using the same headphone with a first generation iPod (used a Wolfson WM8721 as we can see on that tab) with unlimited audio level, the low end seems much punchy (stronger kicks) but a bit muddy/less precise. However the spectral basis seems larger, with far more less holes, what leads to a warmer and stronger sound (the high end seems reduced, not as high than with the iPhone3G).
Globally the iPhone3G sound is more precise, lacking nothing technically (the iPod 1 seemed to enhance too much the bass frequencies, and sounded muddier), but the later provided a warmer and stronger sound. Such remarks about the iPhone audio quality remind what was said about the Cirrus Logic converters from 6G classic iPods, compared with the Wolfson DAC from previous iPods. So it is possible to produce a low cost audio DAC with great specifications, but without an audiophile sound (requires rounded and full frequencies, where low cost components lead to a thin sound).

The ipod 1 from 2001 was priced 500$ initially, that is the same as now iPhone3G. The later is 3 times thinner whereas it includes ten times more components (cellphone chips, GPS, Wifi, etc.). The ipod 1 featured a minimalistic user interface (but very efficient), and only included a hard disk and the DAC (besides the main processor). So it was more obvious (and wise in an economic manner) to put a great audio converter in such an audio player. This is however something to moderate, considering the high integration level reached these days for electronic chips, and the iPhone3G production scale, nothing to compare with the first iPod production numbers (was the first audio player of that generation, and only worked with mac).

07-27-08 / 12:25 PM : Attention à la marche TV game : D-50 jam ? (cjed)

In the TV game Attention à la marche at TF1 channel (France) we can listen to (while the ask jingle) a jam type sound that reminds a lot a jam sequence from the D-50 (a jam is a short samples sequence, there are about ten in the D-50 PCM memory, from position 90 to 100. There is also even greater jams in the D-20, used in the famous patchs OneNoteJam and IronWorks).

As the D-50 samples are caracteristic (and have a strong aliasing) it shouldn't be a wave sequence from the Wavestation (copied years later the Roland idea - with very similar jams but less warm sounding) nor a brand new sequence created from scratch.

07-26-08 / 11:31 PM : Tascam stops GigaStudio (cjed)

Tascam announced they have decided to stop GigaStudio development (software sampler for Windows). The support will end late 2008. An open source movement emerged, Open Giga Studio. Then Kontakt is the cross platform virtual sampler reference.

07-26-08 / 11:25 PM : id Software confident for iPhone games market (cjed)

John Carmack from id Software speaks about his strong interest for iPhone games development (among these a port of Quake, Wolfenstein and/pr Orcs & Elves). He states that the iPhone is as powerful as an Xbox or PlayStation 2, and includes even more onboard memory. He is very confident on this gaming market profitability.

07-26-08 / 11:15 PM : iPhone final SDK / firmware 2.1 beta (cjed)

While the iPhone SDK has been available in final version since some days (with a great new 200 pages documentation), informations about firmware 2.1 (expected September) have emerged : support for cust&paste, new localization APIs (direction and velocity). Meanwhile the 2.0.1 firmware (mainly bug fixes) should ne released in early August.

07-26-08 / 10:53 PM : Cases and covers for iPhone3G (cjed)

Any iPhone owner couldn't stand a streak on the touchscreen... despite the screen being announced as very strong. Most people have fear when discovering the Apple logo during the iPhone startup (it isn't a streak nor a bug) !

There are many accessories to protect the iPhone : protection covers/films (see this cet article about Proporta, or Exim SPUC, or ZAGG invisibleSHIELD, or Power Support Anti-Glare).
We also find on the AppleStore many cases : Belkin (transparent acrylique), Contour Flick, Gear4 IceBox Pro, Belkin silicone case.

07-26-08 / 10:07 PM : iPhone3G volume control : bug ? (cjed)

At certain time, the iPhone3G virtual volume slider (in iPod mode) stops working (does not respond anymore to touch) when at full right (max volume). Then it can't scroll back to left... it works again after many try (using the physical volume button to lower it a bit helps). Sometime we have juste to press a bit below the slider axe, but other times it doesn't help. So the touch management software for the volume control seems to work a bit randomly, as if it felt to sleep after some idle time. The problem doesn't occur at the left end.
In other modes (virtual keyboard, grid icones) the lower right area seems working well, so it should be a software bug only, or it might be a feature that prevent unwanted volume change (such as an automatic hold mode), but why only at the right end ? (this position is only used with high impedance headphones, like the AKG 240M - 600 Ohms).

Hopefully, thanks to this tip we can drag the virtual volume slider from another part of the touchscreen.

UPDATE : after having tried the tip I discovered that you just have to move the finger a bit above the slider cursor (after the initial pressure) before moving it back to left (as a curve path to unlock it). Then it works all the time, so perhaps it is intended to work that way. However the problem doesn't appear in the upper right nor on the left side.

07-26-08 / 09:30 PM : Details on Orange Origami Star subscriptions (cjed)

Here are important precisions about the Orange Origami Star subscriptions : SMS are free and unlimited the evening and weekend, but are priced 13 cents daytime. Moreover, emails sent or received through Mail app (except webmails) are all priced 9 cents/kb of data uploaded or downloaded (no 10Mb included data, this option is only available with Origami First subscriptions). Finally there isn't access to Orange Wifi hotspots. However internet access is free and unlimited (included Youtube).
About Visual Voice Mail (not included, only for iPhone subscriptions), it is selective (direct) access to vocal messages (without having to listen to all of them), nothing to do with video conferencing, that isn't available with the iPhone (only still camera).

07-26-08 / 12:28 PM : Freebox v4 compliance test / wifi card (cjed)

As it becomes more problematic since owning the iPhone not being able to make the Wifi work with the Freebox v4 (fitted with the Free WPCB-115G Wifi PCMCIA card), I made new search as some users also faced this problem (their Wifi card also worked on another Freebox, but not theirs).

On that site we can look up at a compatibility table between Wifi cards (among those Free cards) and the various Freebox versions. We can identify the freebox version through this table, comparing the freebox MAC adresse value with those listed (are of type 00:07:CB:xx:yy:zz).

Then I launched OSX Network utility, and under tab Netstat I displayed routing table informations. In the Gateway column I found an adresse starting with 0:7:cb:f:yy:zz. Then I have only one hexa number, f, so it is the xx part start, and the end part is empty. It corresponds to 15 value, so my freebox version is v4B (also printed on the back - ADSL04 -, so base V4, but this information isn't as reliable). The V4B version is listed as incompatible with my Free WPCB-115G wifi card (this is a 802.11g card - 54Mbps -, only compatible with V4C and V4R, because V4 and V4B have slower PCMCIA interface, 16 bits) !

07-24-08 / 11:56 PM : New MacPro in 6 months (cjed)

Apple should unveil new MacPro in January, 2009, fitted with new Intel Nehalem processors. These notably use an ultra-fast interconnection bus, that reminds the one found in old G5s. It seems they will include SSE4.2, and not the more expected AVX.

07-24-08 / 11:45 PM : iPhone and 3G networks (cjed)

About the 3G+ network stability problem encountered by some people with the iPhone3G, Apple might release a firmware update in August, that would fix it (in the meantime Orange may be working on tuning its network). The 500Mb/month limit is likely to be changed to 1Gb, and iPhone subscriptions pricing should evolve.
Forums also deal with Mail2web, that allows to use Mail.app without having messages being counted (10Mb limit with Origami subscriptions).

07-22-08 / 11:06 PM : Wakfu trailer (cjed)

A video of the game Wakfu, presented more than a year ago, is available here.

07-22-08 / 11:04 PM : Apple : record results and upcoming products (cjed)

Apple presented record results for the last quarter, and is expected to unveil revolutionnary new products in late 2008. Some mentioned a MacBook Touch for October (a tablet mac).

07-21-08 / 10:41 PM : Lennardigital Sylenth1 v2.0 (cjed)

Lennardigital announced a 2.0 version of their virtual analog synth plugin Sylenth1. It is now also available for MacOSX (Intel mac only) in VST format, and later in AU format. It provides 4 oscillators free of aliasing on the whole frequency range, that generate up to 32 voices (8 unison voices per oscillator) per note (16 notes polyphony, that is 512 voices !). Programmed in C++ and assembly with SSE optimizations, it uses few ressources. Audio demos are available. It is priced 139 euros.

07-21-08 / 10:30 PM : Salon de la Musique 2008 (cjed)

The Salon de la Musique 2008 will finally take place September, 12-15 (Paris, Porte de Versailles, Hall 4), with an entry fee of 12 euros. Hopefully we learn that the concerts events will be outdoors this time.s

07-21-08 / 10:26 PM : Neverwinter Nights 2 review (cjed)

Maclife.com provides a review of Neverwinter Nights 2. The storyline and deepness seem good, however the graphics are reported to be weak (and the game is Intel mac only).

07-21-08 / 10:18 PM : Cybersaurus et 3D Zapman pour iPhone (cjed)

The site iphone3dgames provides two games for iPhone, Cybersaurus and 3D Zapman (a 3D Pacman). We can download demo versions here (for firmware 1.1.4 only for now, so not iPhone3G compatible). Prices of the full versions are respectively 9,99$ and 6,99$. A jailbreaked iPhone is required to install packages from the repository.

07-20-08 / 08:34 PM : MAME on iPhone (cjed)

A port of MAME on the iPhone, iphone-dsl-mame, has been available for a year. However only the source code is provided (no package for Installer.app), so a connection at the SVN repository from Xcode and compilation is required.
Moreover performances doesn't seem good as stated by engadget. It doesn't seem really an iPhone limitation, as other emulators perform better. We learn through the comments that there should be something wrong with the access to the video buffer, that isn't direct.

Notably with the SDL framework used, that is cross-platform, it is likely that the APIs used are generic and not the most powerful available : so it might not use the NSImageRep to display points (a well known optimization, as Quartz only deals with Bezier paths and rectangles - that are slower to display). I don't think direct access to the video memory is available through Cocoa, as it isn't mentioned in the Cocoa Programming book (only deals with the NSImageRep optimization). It is true in fact that SDL is C/C++, so Carbon at end.

07-20-08 / 08:11 PM : quake4iphone in early development (cjed)

The author of psx4all and gpSPhone emulators for iPhone at ZodTTD.com, started porting Quake for iPhone and iPodTouch (quake4iphone project). We can see a stunning video of the early development version.

07-20-08 / 07:06 PM : Emulators for iPhone3G / ZiPhone / Cydia (cjed)

On the iPhone, besides some free games available on the App Store (and other commercial games, whom some are still great - and that is just a start), we can install 3 emulators :
- a NES emulator, NES.app (however the installation package for use with the iPhone Installer app isn't available yet),

- psx4all (from ZodTTD), a Playstation 1 emulator. The supported games list is limited and performances are variable (from 5 times slower than the native console to acceptable performance - 16-30 fps at best). We can read a tutorial at ituto.fr (also a video walktrough), and see videos of running games (Medal of Honor and Driver). The PS1 games (compatibles archives are : .ISO .BIN .IMG .Z .ZNX) weight however from 250Mb to 700Mb.

- gpSPhone 1.5.0, a GBA emulator. We can read a full tutorial here (installation, games roms transfert) or there (also here).

In all cases, we have to gain access to the iPhone filesystem (transfert through SSH from a PC - use WinSCP - or a Mac - use Transmit) in order to copy games roms (and PS1 bios for psx4all), at specific places. The emulator application has to be installed through the iPhone Installer app (we enter the internet url from the repository - then a Wifi or 3G connexion is required).
Hower the iPhone OS does not allow to install anything else than application available from the App Store ! The iPhone OS has then to be jailbreaked using an utility, ZiPhone, that isn't available yet for iPhone3G and 2.0 firmware (used a trick from the firmware 1.1.3 that has been fixed in 2.0 version).

UPDATE : the iPhone-dev-team just posted an update to its tool, Pwnage Tool (version 2.0), that allows jailbreak (installation of other applications than those at the App Store) for iPhone3G (2.0 firmware). This tool (universal binary for Leopard, with a great user interface) takes care of the installation into the iPhone of a new application, Cydia, that works the same as Installer.app, but without any limitation. See also first reviews and tips at Macbidouille forums.

07-20-08 / 04:58 PM : SIM contacts import on iPhone (cjed)

The site ituto.fr provides a tutorial about importing contacts from a SIM card onto an iPhone v1. It isn't required anymore since the iPhone3G and the 2.0 firmware (adds this feature).

07-20-08 / 03:36 PM : iPhone / Orange : internet & subscription switch (cjed)

Swith to french mode to read my iPhone3G transition experience and problem with internet facuration by Orange while the subscription transition. For now i've removed the SIM card and I use the iPhone as an ipod + wifi (and later GPS), games and development (iPhone SDK) test.s

07-17-08 / 11:44 PM : Terminator Salvation (cjed)

The next Terminator (so the third wasn't the last), Terminator Salvation, is announced for May, 27, 2009. And the main character will be played by Christian Bale ! We can watch the teaser in HD format at Yahoo.

07-17-08 / 11:35 PM : The iPhone3G is as powerful as a Dreamcast (cjed)

Recently the iPhone3G was considered more powerful than the Nintendo DS but a bit less than the PSP, and Sega states it is in fact as powerful as the old Dreamcast. At Gizmodo some find the iPhone touch controls not appropriate for gaming (no keys and no joystick), and hope new accessories will be available in the near future.

07-17-08 / 12:22 AM : id Software Rage published by EA (cjed)

Next id Software game, Rage, based on the new id Tech 5 engine, will be published by EA. Previously id Software games were published by Activision, but their relationship remains strong (they are working together on the next Wolfenstein game). We can read a full interview of John Carmack at Ign.

07-16-08 / 11:56 PM : Star Wars: Force Unleashed for iPhone (cjed)

LucasArts announced that Star Wars: Force Unleashed is being ported to iPhone by THQ Wireless, and that it will be available the same day as the console version (September, 16). It is a slightly scaled down version, but it is still really 3D (OpenGL ES) : the view point (camera) is still (static) for each scene, but the environment and models (animated) are true 3D as in the console version.
The actions are made by describing gestures using the touchscreen (sabers swing paths or force effects to targets), as with KHOTOR, and the gameplay has been revised so that it isn't overcomed as a limitation. We can discover a stunning video (8mn).
Then the progress potential (in terms of quality) for iPhone games (compared with the first games - some of whose are really stunning) is great, and games editors commitment is a real success.

07-16-08 / 11:36 PM : Prices and subscriptions for iPhone 3G (cjed)

The iPhone 3G will be available tomorrow through mobile replacement plan (PCM) for 2400 Orange points (I discovered I have 2450 now after 2 years and a half of subscription), priced 199 euros (8 Gb model). We may keep our current subscription, however it doesn't seem useful (no internet service and no mail with a 2h classic subscription at 32 euros).
Indeed it is better to switch to an Origami star 1h+1h subscription (32 euros/month, 1h full time + 1h from 8pm to 8am and weekend) or Origami star 2h+2h (38 euros/month). These subscriptions offer unlimited internet (maps, meteo, youtube, streaming of radios and video), unlimited sms (8pm to 8am and weekend, or 0,13 cents/sms), mail (limited to 10Mb/month - higher price beyond, but webmails like Gmail are unlimited), 500Mb data transfer limit per month (suspended until next month beyond).

07-15-08 / 11:10 PM : VLC 0.8.6i (cjed)

A new version of VLC, the 0.8.6i, is available. It is mainly bugs and security fixes.

07-15-08 / 11:06 PM : OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta 2 (cjed)

A beta 2 of OpenOffice.org 3.0 is available here (now for Intel mac only). It is the Cocoa version, that should soon replace NeOffice (the later uses a partial rewrite in Java, however the Cocoa/Java bridge has been deprecated by Apple).

07-15-08 / 01:16 AM : Podcasts and songs (cjed)

In April, 2006 (just before the trip to Majorque !), we could discover a spanish podcast, ESPECIAL CTIA Wireless 2006 Comunicando podcast 68, where many songs were used : OscarWide, Stairy, Slumbering, Liquid, SO_AllWays, PBreak, SO_HNSEpic. We then could find another podcast, RMC Les Rétros Sport de l'Année 2006.
Since, most songs are listed in various podcasts (or radio) sites : TruMix.com, Touslespodcasts.com, www.01men.com, www.01podcast.com, www.podcastdirectory.com, www.mediafly.com, fr.podemus.com, mp3ky.net, www.leradiophone.net, etc.

07-15-08 / 12:48 AM : MelGrand for seaplane movie (cjed)

The song MelGrand was used for a video (seaplane above Brienz lake - Bönigen, July 4-6, 2008) featuring nice landscapes. The second music (from another artist whose name I asked for) reminds the ambience from Ushuaia.

07-15-08 / 12:09 AM : Omnisphere contest winner songs (cjed)

Spectrasonics presents the winners of the Omnisphere composition contest. There was initially 3 prices set, but due to the number and quality of the compositions entries, 11 songs were finally selected. They are provided for listening.

07-14-08 / 11:52 PM : New 3G iPhone : 1 million in three days (cjed)

From Friday (iPhone3G shipment in 21 pays) to Sunday, one million units were sold, while this number was reached after 74 days for the first iPhone (was limited to US initially). We can read a first review at Gizmodo.
A new games portal site for iPhone has been opened, Touch Arcade.

07-14-08 / 10:49 PM : Monolith & fireworks (cjed)

Here is a song made exactly 2 years ago :
HarpMonolithYear.mp3

07-10-08 / 11:26 PM : iPhone firmware 2. / AppStore online (cjed)

Apple released the iPhone firmware 2.0 (installation is done through iTunes 7.7), and the AppStore can be reached here. Among audio applications, only Pianist and Drummer from MooCowMusic seem really valuable, and rightly priced (5,99$ and 4,99$ respectively). On the games area, besides Super Monkey Ball, Enigmo and Cro-Mag rally, we can find Moto Racer. Other stuff is like returning back to Oric and MO5 ages technically... so we can expect far more better soon.

07-09-08 / 10:12 PM : Digitalsoundfactory : Ensoniq MR/ZR sample (cjed)

Digitalsoundfactory presents two new samples libraries (Soundfont format) recorded from Ensoniq instruments : the first brings 512 instruments (57Mb) taken from the Ensoniq MR-76 (Urban Dance and Real World sound sets : Percussion, Elec Piano, Koto, Drum Kits, Basses) and is priced 59,95$. The second includes 512 instruments (91Mb) from the Ensoniz ZR-76 (Piano - but not the original one, that had to be substituted due to licence restrictions -, Keyboards, Basses, Guitars, Synths, Strings, Drum Kits) and is priced the same. Audio demos are available.

07-08-08 / 11:58 PM : ILIO Origins : another ethnic samples library (cjed)

Besides Quantum Leap RA, MOTU Ethno and BestService Ethno World 4, there is to consider Origins from ILIO in the ethnic samples category. The DVD (EXS and Giga formats only) includes 3,5 Gb samples, and it is priced 279$. Audio demos are available.

07-08-08 / 11:51 PM : Multiwinia preview (cjed)

IGN.com provides a preview of Multiwinia, the online multiplayer version of the famous Darwinia. The development team added at the last time a first person view option. The game is expected September on PC, and December on Xbox console. We can hope a mac port from Ambrosia Software.

07-08-08 / 11:38 PM : Intel : laptops CPU at 25W max (cjed)

Intel plans to lower the acceptable typical power consumption for laptops processors, down to 25W (from 35W today). The Centrino 2 platform will bring Core 2 Duo processors that meet this requirement, and that range from 2,26 to 2,53 Ghz, and provide a 1,066MHz bus and DDR3 memory.
The G4 (MPC7455) used up to 35W starting from 1Ghz, and Intel should unveil soon ultra low power processors (ATOM platform), that only use 5W power and that are even more powerful.

07-06-08 / 10:07 PM : Kotf finally available (cjed)

Kotf, the famous JKA mod that seemed a fake (years of wait, never fullfiled release dates) and faced strong accusations (was said to be a collection of work done by others mod teams - whose permission wasn't asked for -, might use copyrighted material, and has been sold for months) is finally available for free (see the torrent link - 1,25 Gb - and the details).
The installer is a .exe application, so it must be run under Windows to grab the .pk3 files in order to make it work with the OSX version of JKA. From comments at youtube it might not contain any virus, however as it is a .exe application a lot of care is required.

07-06-08 / 01:25 AM : Dark Forces JKA mod demo 3 / DarkXL (cjed)

The Dark Forces mod for Jedi Knight Academy, whose second demo had been released a year ago (included the first 3 levels of the original 14 levels game, that were fully reworked), is now available as final version (480Mo)... however it only features the first 6 levels (not the full 14 levels as originally planned). No future version is announced.
Through the site DF-21 we can discover the project DarkXL, that is a full rewrite of Windows DF engine code to support 3D acceleration and high resolution (see screenshots in the thread). It uses the original game data files and so it will work will all original levels (14) and mods. A second version (extended) will add new features : real-time lighting, slopes, dual adjoins, vertical adjoins, better model support (md2 and/or md3) and more..
There is to consider that the mac version of Dark Forces was still really enhanced compared with the PC version (provided twice the PC version resolution). The DarkXL developer seems ok for allowing someone to make an OSX port.

Update : the original team indeed seems to have stopped the work on DF mod. Their final version only includes the first 6 levels, however they also provide all their remaining resources (extras_dfmod_2008.zip), as well as a near completed level (8. Robotics Construction Facility). Moreover a new moders team have taken the materials and work since March, Dark Forces Mod, Part 2 : we can see the development state of the 8 remaining levels when they took them, and see their progress on their blog (also some screenshots).

About the Jedi Knight mod for JKA (df2mod), a conversion tool has been done (can convert JK .jkl map files to JKA .map files - Quake3/Radiant format), but the main work (textures recreation) has yet to be done. For that purpose they created a thread recently.

07-06-08 / 12:34 AM : Star Wars Force Unleashed : not on PC (cjed)

LucasArts announced early this year that Star Wars: Force Unleashed (due Septembre, 16, 2008) will finally ship on consoles only. Then a petition has been created to put pressure on the game editor.
However, once the game sales (on consoles) have been great (there was probably a deal with the consoles makers, as such a game can have a huge impact - for example it could help making PS3 sales stonger), it is likely to ship on PC... and why not on OSX.

07-04-08 / 11:36 PM : AKG K240 MKII (cjed)

AKG presented the K240 MKII, an enhanced version of the classic K240 S (studio). We can find it around 139 euros (100 euros for the old 240S, whose many find better, as new AKG sound is reported to be less warm - see reviews of the K271S).

07-04-08 / 11:27 PM : EastWest RA / Bestservice special offers (cjed)

EastWest announces a RA special offer this weekend only (349$).
On another hand Bestservice offers one product (of the same price or less) for any product buyed this month (July). Elligible products list can be found here.
Finally Univers-sons announces massive price drops.

07-04-08 / 10:55 PM : App4mac Sequence : screen video capture (cjed)

App4mac presents a new screen capture (image and video) tool, Sequence. It can capture the whole screen or parts (with focus effect if needed), and also videos played from a webcam or DVD Player. It is programmed using Cocoa and uses Core Animation, QuickLook, QTKit, Core Image, iChat Theater. It is priced 19$. A demo version is available (it adds a watermark in images and videos).

07-04-08 / 12:21 AM : Quartz2D animation : QuartzComposer / Python (cjed)

The site idrankthekoolaid provides an article that shows how to easily create an OSX screensaver using QuartzComposer only. The animation definition is made by graphically assembling modules, transformers and generators (LFO, etc.) to modify the shapes and paths (see also a tutorial on ADC site).
We can also look at an ArsTechnica article about using Quartz2D from Python, and the NodeBox application, that allows to create complex Quartz2D animations using Python language.

Finally we can find Pycairo, a binding to use the graphical Cairo framework (multi-plateform, is based on Quartz on the OSX version) from Python.

07-03-08 / 11:34 PM : QuickTime scripting from javascript (cjed)

At digitalmedia.oreilly.com we can read an article that shows how to control QuickTime sequences from javascript. We can also discover a demo of Orao, a QuickTime medias video player made using QuickTime javascript scripting functions, that provides these features :
Clean fast forward, Fast rewind, Jog Shuttle, Frame by frame step forward and backward, Direct access to any frame, Precise information about the currently displayed frame, Precise information about the amount of already downloaded data (in progressive download), Selection control (constraint the navigation within the video), read of any format, Encrypted cache, no easy way to pirate the video, even in progressive download.
This solution is sold by Opsomai company, and is used notably by the INA.
At the vrarchitect.ne blog the writer exlains why QuickTime is better than Flash, and that Flash isn't used in any VOD.

Finally, on ADC site about QuickTime scripting from javascript, we learn that the other way (call javascript from a mov container) still existed but was removed starting QuickTime 7.1.5 verison due to security concerns.

07-03-08 / 12:19 AM : Akkord Resort on Youtube (cjed)

Akkord Resort is now also available at Youtube. The sound is mono (converted to mono through the Youtube reencoding process, the tricks - on PC - to keep stereo sound don't work anymore). The similarity (fortuitous) with the famous song Gate 22 from Pascale Picard seems then a bit more obvious.

07-02-08 / 11:59 PM : Cubase 4 : price drop (cjed)

Steinberg announced a Cubase 4 price drop (full version) : the product is now priced 599 euros. It doesn't apply to Cubase Studio 4 (cheaper), but the upgrade price to Cubase 4 (full) from Studio is also droping (199 euros). Now the full Cubase 4 suite is closer from Logic Studio (still 100 euros less expensive).

07-02-08 / 11:49 PM : Adobe Reader 9 (cjed)

Adobe provides Adobe Reader 9, that is said to be more reliable for complex PDF renderings and color rendering, and that allows to play Flash or Shockwave videos embedded in PDF documents, and adds support for collabrative work (revision mode). We can read the full features list here.

07-01-08 / 11:32 PM : Chessmaster 9000 UB update / LEGO WeDo (cjed)

Feral provides an universal binary patch for Chessmaster 9000.
On another area LEGO unveiled a robotic initiation kit, WeDo, that includes an USB interface for PC, 158 brightly colored LEGO elements (including gears and levers), one motor, one motion sensor and one tilt sensor.

07-01-08 / 12:39 AM : Bela D Media Tenor DLV Tools (cjed)

Bela D Media presents Tenor DLV Tools, the first library of its upcoming Vocal Tools collection, that brings presets phrases : Latin Phrase Control, Moving Phrase Control, Phrase Elements, Phrase Elements II, Pure Phrase . It uses Kontakt 2 or 3. These models however doesn't seem as flexible as Symphonic Choirs WordBuilder.
Vocal Tools Classical Edition The Tenor is priced 100$ (600Mb of samples and 56 Kontakt .nki instruments files).

07-01-08 / 12:33 AM : OSX : 10.5.4 update (cjed)

A 10.5.4 update to Leopard is available. The details can be found here, there doesn't seem to be major fixes.

07-01-08 / 12:26 AM : ZDNet overclocking tool for MacPro (cjed)

ZDNet provides a tool to overclock the MacPro. On the latest revision a restart allows for the system to take into account the new clock and to display the right informations.