Type of Article: MacMinute Web Site

The Omni Group has released a Mac OS X version of Oni (Cocoa), the third-person 3D action game developed by Bungie Studios. The futuristic game stars Konoko, a lead female character that mixes gunplay with hand-to-hand martial arts combat for a unique twist on traditional action shooters. Oni for Mac OS X requires OS X 10.1 or later and a copy of Oni for OS 9. Omni notes that the introduction and final cinematic movies have sound skipping issues on faster and dual-processor machines.

A ZDNet article explains that while Linux has been widely touted as having an integral role in the production of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, digital effects studio Weta Digital discovered that a high-end Power Mac G4 was the ideal solution for delivering hi-definition uncompressed frames in the production of the film.

Opera has released Opera 5.0b5 for Mac OS 7.5.3-9.2.2 and Opera 5.0b3 for Mac OS X, new betas of its alternative Web browser. The browser now offers a 30-day banner-free period, after which users must pay to use a banner-free version, as well as other improvements and changes.

Through December 31, MacConnection is offering Apple’s entry-level iBook for $894, after a $200 instant rebate and Apple’s $100 mail-in rebate. (MacMinute is not affiliated with MacConnecton in any way; we think many readers will be interested in this excellent deal.)

Tadd Torborg has posted a number of photos from last weekend’s grand opening of Apple’s retail store at the Cambridgeside Galleria in Cambridge, MA.