MacEdition Pro News : December 3, 2001: Voyeur, auteur, provocateur
by MacEdition Staff (feedback)
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For those who think DVDs carry an excessive amount of data
The folks at Mireth technologies have updated MacVCD (mentioned in an earlier ProNews) to Version 3.0. So what’s new in this release?
Vancouver, Canada, November 13, 2001 – The Mireth Technology Corporation has released version 3.0 of MacVCD. MacVCD is the easy way to play Video CDs on the Macintosh. MacVCD features:
- Full screen display, even on large monitors
- Automatic Video CD format recognition and file chaining
- Auto Play and Auto Eject
- Easy to use standard Macintosh interface including both a movie controller and keyboard control
- Track and chapter selection support
- Audio channel selection to support both multi
- language and karaoke soundtracks
Version 3.0 adds the following features:
- Auto eject and auto play preferences.
- Auto hide menu bar and auto hide controller preferences
- Comprehensive HTML formatted documentation
[...]
For more information please see: http://www.mireth.com/pub/mvme.html
And for those with a directorial bent
While VideoClix™ from eLine Technologies promises click-and-drag simplicity, it is a little different from iMovie. While it doesn’t come bundled on every Mac and it costs a skosh more, it does offer greater user interactivity.
Vancouver, Canada – Nov 14th, 2001 – eline Technologies today announced the launch of the company’s new interactive video authoring application, VideoClix™, for Mac OS and OS X.
VideoClix is the premier software enabling content producers to build rich interactivity right into “Video Objects”. This feature, also known as “Video Hotspots,” allows viewers to get feedback by clicking on actual items in the video, purchasing the products, playing along in game shows or voting without even having to stop the stream.
VideoClix is the easiest, most cost effective and potent tool for creating entertaining and engaging videos for use in DVD/CD ROMs and the Internet. It’s based on groundbreaking standards such as Apple’s QuickTime and MPEG4. There is no cumbersome scripting language involved. A simple click-and-drag can add breath taking interactivity and unleash any video assets’ maximum potential, be it through product placement in music videos to educational kiosk systems. VideoClix provides the right punch for these challenging times!
VideoClix-enabled content can be served from any HTTP or RTSP server, tie into any database or eCommerce back-end and does not require additional plug-ins to view or interact with the content. The system provides companies with accurate consumer behavior and vital marketing data as well.
File formats are QuickTime® movies: MPEG1, AVI, Flash and DV. Single user is priced at $399; Government and educational discounts are available.
Interact with sample projects and download a trial version at: http://www.VideoClix.com
USB, USB, m-o-u-s-e
All of Apple’s portable offerings already come FireWire-enabled (including the iPod), yet the company has so far given USB 2.0 the big swerve. Keyspan, never one to leave a device unconnected, has now provided a third party alternative.
Las Vegas, NV – November 12, 2001 – Keyspan, America’s #1 USB connectivity products vendor*, announced its Keyspan Hi-Speed USB 2.0 CardBus Card. This card enables any laptop with a CardBus slot to connect to USB 1.1 and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 devices.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 operates at speeds up to 480 Mbps – forty times faster than previous USB technology. A new generation of lightning-fast Hi-Speed USB 2.0 devices are now being released. These devices include hard drives, CD-RW’s, scanners, and printers.
The Keyspan Hi-Speed USB 2.0 CardBus Card ships with a small power adapter. Use of the power adapter is optional – and guarantees that a full 500mA of power is delivered when both ports on the card are in use. Cards that draw power solely from the CardBus slot are not able to supply 500mA via its ports as provided for in the USB specification.
This CardBus card is the second Hi-Speed USB 2.0 upgrade card available from Keyspan. In May of this year Keyspan released a five port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 PCI Card.
The Keyspan Hi-Speed USB 2.0 CardBus card ships on November 27 at an MSRP of $99. Resellers may order this SKU now at Ingram Micro, Tech Data, and other Keyspan distributors.
So for those of you who must have a laptop with all the bells ’n whistles, snap it up (and no, it won’t work with the iPod)...
Looking for old ProNews segments? Check out our index at http://old.macedition.com/news/. Do you have news releases or tidbits of interest to the Macintosh professional? Send them to pronewsnotes@macedition.com.