Focal-JMLab, one of the few french companies in the monitoring market, announced new digital monitoring systems, SM11 and SM 8, bundled with a PC/Mac software called "Focal Manager".

The SM11 is an amplified speaker (250 W – 150 W), mostly designed for numerical projects, and made to be integrated in 5.1 systems by adding dedicated speakers (SM11-C center and SM11-S subwoofer). The SM8 is SM11's younger brother, it has the same conception.

Doug's AppleScripts has updated Make Mine MPEG-4 to version 4.5. Make Mine MPEG-4 is a $7 shareware which allows you to import and encode iTunes CD tracks as MPEG-4/AAC files (.m4a, .mp4, or .mov) while taking full advantage of QuickTime Pro export settings, including Audio Quality, Streaming and Compatibility settings.
New In Version 4.5 (free for registered users): support for Panther, option to convert iTunes AIFF tracks, eject a CD after conversion.

Channel D announces the availability of the Mac OS X native version of its audio signal analyzer and signal generator suite, Mac the Scope / Waavebox.
Mac the Scope 4X 4.1 comprises a versatile signal generator, vector FFT analyzer, sonogram display. The new version includes support for CoreAudio. The software runs on any 500 MHz or faster Macintosh with Mac OS X 10.1 or later. The software delivers optimum performance with Apple's Mac OS X Panther, OS X 10.3. Pricing ranges from US$49 to $449 depending on configuration, which is customizable.

The Apple Store is open again, and Apple announced some new products. The first news : Apple unveiled its new iBook line, all featuring PowerPC G4 processors. The new iBook generation contains three models, all shiping with a combo drive) :

- iBook 12" with 00MHz PowerPC G4 for $1,099.00
- iBook 14" with 933MHz PowerPC G4 for $1,299.00
- iBook 14" with 1GHz PowerPC G4 for $1,499.00

And regarding the eMac : the two models Combo and Super drive now ship with a 1 Ghz G4 processor, and Apple lowered prices for the eMac line : $799.00 for the combo drive and $1,099.00 for the SuperDrive .

In a CDR-info article, Michael Golacinski, Memorex' CEO, says that supply shortages, rising costs from overseas disc manufacturers and stringent enforcement of patent royalties will increase CD-R and CD-RW media prices 10 to 15 percent beginning january 2004.

Note that costs have increased 35 percent this year ...So, as you have done for the cigarettes, just stock.