Updated May 13, 2003

Photoshop Killer Costs Under $100
    Adobe's Photoshop may be the top dawg in the image-editing market, but based on our review of Paint Shop Pro 8.0, its days are numbered. This awesome program offers almost everything in Photoshop for much, much less. If you want to retouch your images and can't stomach software that costs more than your digital camera, find out why this is the editor for you! http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd/cts?d=75-1-1-1-137055-48-1 

Software breaks data-transfer record
    Traffic-sensitive transmission tool could speed science and entertainment. http://www.nature.com/nsu/030324/030324-7.html 

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER SKINS ARE VULNERABLE TO ATTACK
    Microsoft has identified a security problem in Windows Media Player 7.1 and 8.0 (Media Player for Windows XP). The flaw involves skins, or overlays of custom graphics, used to dress up the program.
A victim could be tricked into downloading a file touted as a custom skin. Instead, it could be malicious code that would install itself on the victim's computer. The code could be used to seize control of the computer. The newest Media Player, Version 9, is not affected. Microsoft has more information and links to updates at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-017.asp and http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-017.asp 

SERIOUS FLAW REPAIRED IN MICROSOFT'S PASSPORT
    A Pakistani security consultant, whose Microsoft Passport account was repeatedly hacked, found a serious flaw in the system. It allowed him to get into the accounts of others, where he could potentially steal credit card numbers or other sensitive data. He reported the flaw on the Internet, and the company fixed it.
    The flaw was critical. Microsoft touts Passport as a one-stop place for consumers to enter their personal information. Businesses then use it to validate purchases. The flaw affected 200 million accounts, according to Microsoft. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating this latest report. An official said that under an agreement with Microsoft, the flaw could result in a huge fine. I don't trust the security of Passport. I have not put my personal information there. Learn more here: http://www.microsoft.com/security/passport_issue.asp 

Security Holes in RealPlayer, QuickTime
    Security flaws in two of the most popular digital media players have put millions of PCs at the mercy of attackers. http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/2173361 

Fizzer Worm Shows No Sign of Fizzling
    Fizzer continues to spread rapidly as anti-virus experts race to analyze the code of what they say is one of the more complex worms in recent memory. http://eletters.eweek.com/zd/cts?d=79-22-2-3-89362-2451-1 

AMD, Fujitsu - Pan for the Flash?
    ANALYSIS: It was the worst kept secret in tech and now the two companies will join forces to battle Intel's lead in the Flash memory market. http://siliconvalley.internet.com/news/article.php/2173531 

Microsoft Sets Its Office 2003 Lineup
    As Microsoft announces its six-SKU lineup for Office 2003, it decides to limit availability of its newest Office applications, OneNote and InfoPath. http://eletters1.ziffdavis.com/cgi-bin10/flo/y/eUW50Dw5sJ0DUm0vhw0AO 

SONY UNVEILS NEW STORAGE TECHNOLOGY
    Sony Electronics has introduced a disc drive and 23.3GB-capacity disc media based on its new blue laser data-storage technology. Both rewriteable and write-once versions of the discs will be available when Sony begins shipping this summer. Costs are expected to be around $3,000 per drive and $45 per disc. In related news, Sony announced that a video-recording system based on a similar blue laser optical technology will debut this fall. The new system will let newsgathering crews and digital-format cinematographers capture video directly onto the disc media, forgoing the use of digital videotape. http://www.sony.com/news 

A 21.3-INCH LCD MONITOR FOR HIGH-END PROS 
    Eizo Nanao Technologies' new 21.3-inch FlexScan L985EX monitor is made for graphic designers, engineers, architects and others who require onscreen color accuracy. According to Eizo Nanao, the LCD monitor's proprietary color-enhancing technology makes it suitable for demanding, high-end applications. These enhancements include 10-bit gamma correction, better color-matching software, six-color control adjustment and six contrast modes. The FlexScan L985EX costs $2,999. http://www.eizo.com 

Secret Details on Photoshop 8 Revealed
    Our industrious team of reporters just won't quit! This week we scooped the world with details about Adobe's upcoming products, including a new Photoshop, Version 8, due by the end of the year. What'll the latest version of the popular image editor bring? How about non-square pixels? Non-destructive filtering? We've got all the details on a slew of enhancements to Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign too! http://eletters1.ziffdavis.com/cgi-bin10/DM/y/hUdM0EOIEH0HX60vub0Aw 

FINAL CUT PRO 4
    Apple has released the next generation of its hugely successful video-editing package, Final Cut Pro. The fourth iteration has more than 300 new features, including full support for 32-bit per channel video editing and a new real-time effects package. For the full story, click here: http://www.computerarts.co.uk/news 

DIGITAL CREATORS COMPETITION 2003
    Canon has announced the third round of its annual competition designed to spot talented new digital creatives. There's more than £75,000 in prize money and a star-studded judging panel, so competition is bound to be tough. An exhibition of last year's winners is currently touring. For the full story, click here: http://www.computerarts.co.uk/news 

NASTY BUG IN LATEST XP UPDATE SLOWS SYSTEMS DOWN
    While rushing to get Server 2003 out the door, the Windows team made a major blunder with its latest interim release of Windows XP, which is automatically downloaded using the Windows Update feature. Reports from all over the Web verify that this latest version actually slows many systems to a crawl. Ouch! We've got details on which XP version to watch out for and how to get it off your system. http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,4248,1037305,00.asp  According to Microsoft, there's a problem if you have your antivirus' autoprotect feature on during the installation. If you uninstall the update, turn off the antivirus software and then reinstall the update. It shouldn't affect your performance.

PRINT DISC LABELS WITH NEW EPSON INKJET
    In addition to printing photos, Epson's new Stylus Photo 900 inkjet printer can print directly onto recordable CDs and DVDs without adhesive labels. Text and full-color graphics can be printed onto the discs with the printer's six-ink-cartridge setup. The printer comes with a tray that protects the CD or DVD during printing as well as label-printing software. The Stylus Photo 900 will be available at the end of this month for $199. http://www.epson.com 

Matrox Multi-Monitor Series (MMS)
    As the leading premium multi-monitor graphics solution, the Matrox Multi-Monitor Series (MMS) line of products represents our long-standing tradition of providing the most comprehensive and highly advanced solutions in the industry: http://www.matrox.com/mga/start/newsletter/apr_2003/mms.cfm  To pre-order your Matrox G450 MMS graphics card today: http://www.matrox.com/mga/start/newsletter/apr_2003/g450mms_preorder.cfm 

Matrox Parhelia graphics card offers unique TV preview support for Adobe® Photoshop®
    Matrox Graphics Inc. is pleased to announce a new What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) plug-in for Matrox Parhelia, offering a unique TV previewing capability for Adobe® Photoshop® 6.0 and 7.0: http://www.matrox.com/mga/start/newsletter/apr_2003/photoshop.cfm 

HP Photosmart 850
    With an 8X zoom lens and 4-megapixel resolution, this reasonably priced digicam is sure to attract attention from photo enthusiasts. But does it stand up to scrutiny when it comes to image quality and performance? Read our review to find out. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=79-rsQHIEBHvL3NNyUg3gQHnw-OZacR 

PAINT SHOP PRO 8
    Jasc Software is now shipping copies of Paint Shop Pro 8, its comprehensive and easy-to-use image-editing package. Affordably priced, Paint Shop Pro has a wide following with home and business users - it delivers usability without sacrificing functionality. This version has a number of useful new features, largely aimed at workflow improvement. For the full story, click here: http://www.computerarts.co.uk/news 

MASK PRO 3
    Mask Pro 3, Extensis' solution for creating cutouts in Photoshop, looks like a substantial release, with a host of ingenious new features for making cutouts simpler. Click here to read the review: http://www.computerarts.co.uk/reviews 

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