After months working on their new UVI-Engine (used in MachFive and other hot software), Ultimate Sound Bank is proud to present their new virtual instrument "Plugsound PRO". Basically, Plugsound PRO is THE ultimate sound workstation dedicated to both studio or live performances. Users can easily manage instruments and grooves in a single ergonomic interface. Plugsound PRO includes a massive 8 Gb core library that can be extended indefinitely through specific extension cards just like we use to do in dedicated synths like the Roland JV series.

Renoise is now available as 1.5.2 Universal Binary version. It has been updated to support both PowerPC and Intel Macintosh computers. If you have an Intel Macintosh, you can expect Renoise to run faster. Renoise is the next generation of music tracker software, combining studio quality sound and virtually infinite expandability with a clear and concise interface putting every parameter and option literally at your fingertips!

FXpansion announces the release of BFD Converter. This little utility application allows users of BFD to import sounds from Toontrack's Drumkit From Hell Superior and Custom & Vintage. The BFD Converter application creates new BFD-format sounds from the Toontrack data installed on your hard disk.

BFD Converter is available for Mac OS X and costs $45 or 35 euros. Please note that you must own BFD and the Toontrack libraries in order to use BFD Converter.

Apple announces that, beginning today, the MacBook Pro also offers the new glossy widescreen display as a CTO option on both the 15-and 17-inch models at no additional cost. New MacBook Pro range and costs :

- The 15" 2 Ghz MacBook Pro ships now at $1,999.00
- The 15" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro ships now at $2,499.00
- The 17" 2.16 Ghz MacBook Pro ships now at $$2,799.00.

And that's time to say good bye to the 12" MacBook Pro...

The very-long-awaited Intel-based MacBook, which was slated for January, then March, then April is now shipping on the AppleStore. Apple announces that the new consumer laptop, successor of the old iBook now features :

- The 1.83 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099 (US), includes: 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness; 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 667 MHz front-side bus; 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB; 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive; Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950; Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);built-in iSight video camera; Gigabit Ethernet port; built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port; one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog; Scrolling TrackPad; the infrared Apple Remote; and 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

- The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes: 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness; 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 667 MHz front-side bus; 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB; 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm.

- The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes: 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2, 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 667 MHz front-side bus; 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB; 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm.