Apple updates today QuickTime to 7.3 and iTunes to 7.5. The last requires the 7.3 version of QuickTime. iTunes 7.5 brings support for iPhone activation anywhere it's available and for a musical game on the iPod nano, classic, and 5G, plus bug fixes and performance enhancements.

We strongly suggest not to update in a pro environment or if you're using Pro Tools or Logic with sound to image jobs on the go. At least until the road is known to be safe, that is.

"About QuickTime 7.3 for Leopard
QuickTime 7.3 addresses critical security issues and delivers:
- Support for iTunes 7.5
- Updated support for creating iPhone-compatible web content
- Updated JavaScript support in the QuickTime Web Plug-in
- Numerous bug fixes

This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users."

If you purchase Linplug Octopus Dual-Matrix synthesizer until the end of November from Linplug webshop, you will receive the Summa Signature soundset (250 patches) for free. it's a 49 euros/ $59 give-away. You can hear the soundset from linpug website here

Octopus is VST and AU, for Mac and windows and costs 129 Euros/$149

Toontrack Music offers for free their Solo and SoundMover apps to all the registered users of EZ Drummer and Superior samplers. Solo is ToonTrack host application, providing standalone, multi-instance operation for ToonTrack samplers. SoundMover is a small utility for EZdrummer users on Mac OS who want to move their libraries on another hard drive.

Solo specifications:
• Stand alone operation of Toontrack samplers
• Optimized for real-time, low latency operation
• Full ASIO/Core Audio/Core MIDI support
• Routable mixer with support for up to 16 physical OUT
• Each instance can be assigned a discrete MIDI channel
• Support for specialist MIDI controllers

Solo System Requirements:
• Windows XP SP2, PIII/Athlon 1,8GHz with 512 Mb of Ram
& ...

To celebrate its 20th anniversary in a proper manner, Ueberschall releases 5 units of a so-called Retrofit Series. each includes 3 sampling CD. the 15 CDs are all part of their most popular sample sets. The Units are:
- Essentials of the Order (Techno Trance Essentials, House Essentials, Loop Essentials)
- ComfortZone(Brazil Electro, Easy Listening, Rhodes Attacks)
- AntiGravity Maneuvers (DnB Resonance, DnB Flashtrackz, 2 Step Garage)
- Astral Electro Flux (Electro Shock I, Electro Shock II, Techno Identity)
- Sensory Disruption (F.A.S.T. Animation, Special Sound Effects, Jingle FX)

All the CDs are in the Elastik player format, for Mac And Windows, in AU, VST and RTAS. Price TBA

Apple revamps a little the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. The MacBook turn to the Santa Rosa Intel configuration: 2 and 2.2 GHz, 800 MHz of front bus, up to 4 GB of RAM, and a GMA X3100 GPU from Intel, using 144 MB of the RAM, prices unchanged. The drives are from 80 to 250 GB. The MacBook Pro can reach now 2.6 MHz and have a 250 GB hard drive. The base prices have not changed.

Applestore UK