Author: mactech

An Interactive Week article discusses Apple’s transition to Mac OS X, noting that the success of the operating system has shifted almost exclusively from Apple’s shoulders to that of developers, many of whom are experiencing some difficulties with the transition.

An interesting article at TheStandard discusses severe lag in the improvement of computer displays, noting that while processor performance tends to double every 18 months, display quality has been improving by just eight percent a year. Indeed, today’s monitors offer similar resolutions as their five-year old predecessors, and physical size has remained stangnant at around 20-inches for more than a decade.

Richard Kerris, head of Alias|wavefront’s Maya for Mac project, has left the company as well as eight other unnamed individuals, reports Macworld UK. It’s unclear what impact Kerris’ departure will have on the software, which many perceived as a large feature in Apple’s cap. Maya is one of the world’s most powerful 3D environments, and the announced of a Mac OS X version made headlines last year. Maya is currently scheduled for release in mid-summer.

Olympus has introduced the D-370 digital camera, a 1.3 megapixel digital camera that features USB auto-connectivity (no drivers needed), 2 MB of built-in internal memory with support for SmartMedia cards, 6-mode flash, and a QuickTime movie mode. The camera carries a US$249 price tag, although Olympus expects the camera will sell for $50 less than that.

As part of its effort to be profitable, Excite@home today announced that it will be closing its media operations in France, Germany, and Spain due to the poor condition of Internet advertising. The company will instead focus its efforts Excite UK and Excite Italia.