Brand: MacNews

Thomson Multimedia SA and the Fraunhofer Institute, originally developers of the MP3 file format and encoder, have released the first MP3pro codec. While not compatible with Macs as of yet, the MP3pro format allows users to achieve quality equal to current MP3s at half the bit-rate, or half the file-size. Whereas 128-192Kbps is generally regarded as CD-quality for MP3, CD-quality for MP3pro is just 64-96Kbps.

Opera 5.0 for Mac Carbon Technology Preview 1 is the first public release of the Carbonized version of the alternative Web browser. Opera for Mac OS 8/9, currently at beta 3, has already been awarded much praise for being the fastest browser for the platform.

A Russian Web site has leaked details of Creative’s forthcoming SoundBlaster Audigy. While it’s unlikely that Creative, which recently began shpping its first sound card for Macs, will include Mac support (at least initially) for the Audigy, the product offers a glimpse of what’s to come, including a FireWire connector for transferring files faster to MP3 devices, a sign that Creative will soon be adding FireWire connectivity to its Nomad MP3 players.

Demand for DRAM will be the lowest ever this year, according to a report from memory maker Nikkei Microdevices. Despite rock bottom prices, the sagging economy and sluggish PC sales are to blame for this decline.

Mac dealers in the U.S. have begun to receive initial shipments of Apple’s new 17-inch Studio Displays. A number of independent dealers told MacMinute they started receiving anywhere between two and five of the mid-range, US$999 displays either last Friday or on Monday. All-important demonstration units were not part of those first shipments, they said. “We were pleasantly surprised when they came through the door,” one dealer told us.