Brand: MacNews

Merant announced today plans to extend its DataDirect ODBC technology to Mac OS X. DataDirect will enable Macintosh software developers to connect their Mac OS X applications, including Microsoft Office, FileMaker or any ODBC-enabled application, to industry-leading databases including SQL Server, Sybase and Informix.

DataViz has updated Documents To Go, their utility for Palm OS handhelds. With Documents To Go you don’t need to specially format your desktop files for the handheld. Simply drag your files into the desktop application and the next time you synchronize, those files will be moved to the handheld. Handheld files retain formatting such as bold, italics, underlines, justifications, indentations, auto bulleting and numbering, and tables.

Further price cuts from Palm or Handspring aren’t likely, News.com is reporting. The companies have matched the others price cuts but IDC analyst Kevin Burden said any further cuts would lower profit margins, which neither company, especially Palm, can afford.

IBM has released an update for ViaVoice Enhanced edition. This update is only available as a CDROM only. You must call 1-800-TALK-2-ME (1-800-825-5263), press 3 (Speak to a Voice Systems Agent), and then press 8. Please ask the agent for the ViaVoice for Mac Version 2.0.3 Update CD.

Following Apple’s remarkable first retail weekend and several announcements at their Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose by CEO Steve Jobs, global investment banking firm, Goldman Sachs & Co. analyst Joseph L Moore rated the company new “market outperform.”