Brand: MacNews

VersionTracker notes that Wacom has posted version 4.70-6 of the drivers for its graphics tablets, including the Intuos, Graphire, PL, ArtZ, ArtZ II, UD, PenPartner, ArtPad, and ArtPad II. The new drivers contain bug fixes and brings them up to parity with the Windows drivers. The drivers are for Mac OS 7/8/9 — drivers or OS X are not yet available.

Panic, creator of the popular Audion MP3 player, has posted Transmit 1.7b1, a Carbonized version of its FTP client for Mac OS X. The public beta adds a complete Aqua interface, improved stability, wheel scrolling, live resizing, and preliminary long filename support, among other changes. Transmit is US$24.95 shareware, and a free upgrade for previous owners. The final version will also support System 7.5 and above.

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus’ latest column in the Houston Chronicle, titled “OS X: You don’t have to use it just because you have it,” takes a look at new Macs that ship with OS 9 and OS X and what’s different between them and previous Macs.

Aspyr Media today announced that it has begun shipping American McGee’s Alice for Mac. The highly acclaimed third-person action/adventure game challenges players to aid Alice as she attempts to figure out what’s gone wrong in a twisted Wonderland. The game sells for US49.95, and ships Carbonized for Mac OS X.

A New York Times article, as noted by MacSurfer, discusses the value of “good looks,” taking a look at the demise of the Power Mac G4 Cube and extending the importance of aesthetics to other products. “Sometimes the coolest of the cool just can’t survive the heat. With 20/20 hindsight, it is easy to see that the pricey Cube was doomed. But nobody knew that a year ago.”