"Packed with new features, Photoshop CS3 beta also includes a pre-release version of a major upgrade to Adobe Bridge, as well as a preview release of the all-new Adobe Device Central. Photoshop customers can use Adobe Device Central to design, preview, and test compelling mobile content, created specifically for smaller screens. This new tool, integrated in the Photoshop CS3 beta, simplifies and accelerates the creation of mobile content through a preview environment and built-in device profiles....

To utilize Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, customers require a serial number from either Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Creative Suite 2, Adobe Creative Suite Production Studio, Adobe Design Bundle, Adobe Web Bundle or Adobe Video Bundle. Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta is available in English only. Customers who have a valid serial number for all other language versions of qualifying Adobe products can download the software.
Without a serial number, users can still download Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, with the product expiring after two days. Customers must register online with Adobe or have an existing Adobe.com membership account to access the software."

I don't own a 'qualifying' product S/N (last PShop I bought was CS, not CS2) and don't think I'll bother with a signup for a 2 day trial but I'm sure this will be of interested especially to Intel-based Mac owners.
Update: Friday's news has First user feedback on Photoshop CS3 beta on Monday I posted a page with Photoshop filter tests comparing CS2/Rosetta vs the Beta CS3 on a reader's Mac Pro 2.66GHz w/2GB RAM.

" I have two SimpleTech SimpleShare NAS servers on my network. It is simple to access the drive by going to the "Go" menu and selecting the one of the servers by name, e.g., smb://SimpleShare. The SimpleTech is easy to use and the function is transparent for both OS X and for a PC. Setup and configuration is from a web interface.

The device comes with Retrospect backup software. The smaller drives 160 GB and 250 GB are frequently are on sale for close to $100. These drives are very quiet. The drives are fast enough to smoothly stream a 320 x 240 mpeg4 video over a 54 Mb wireless link. Measurements with Netspeedometer show 1.2 to 1.8MB/sec, which is reasonable for a 54 Mb wireless link.
-Rick B."

" I have 3 XIMETA NetDrives (NDAS not NAS) set up within my network.
(I assume these are Ximeta NetDisk models. For info on their NDAS (Network Direct Attached Storage) vs NAS, see this page. NOTE - you should also read EDN's "NDAS undressed: dissecting a NAS substitute" -Mike)
I am able to connect wirelessly to each drive and read/write to them as well. You must install software on each computer to use the drives, however. I have found 1 way around this: have a dedicated Mac (with software installed) mount the NetDrives. Then 'share' these drives so no everyone will be able to mount the drives as if it was a local drive. Speed is decent but it depends on the type of network you have (G vs B).

One problem I have had with the XIMETA drives is that the directory gets corrupted to the point of having to reformat the drive. I have not been able to figure out what causes this.
-Shihab "

"My Gen 5.5 iPod is solid as a rock - although I don't have 250 smart playlists. Maybe 30? (Paul asked he check them to see if any smart playlists were blank after the update.-Mike)
1.2.1 update fixed a bug for me where I if I selected AudioBooks from the iPod menu, chances were the next screen would be blank. 1.2.1 now shows me all my audio books!
-John"

(Paul's earlier problem report follows)

" Got a 5.5Gen 80GB Pod just a few weeks ago. It had a problem (never showed the "OK to disconnect" message), asked for a repair, they sent a refurb. Exact same problem (did all the usual troubleshooting stuff the first time). Concluded it was likely a bug.

They announce 1.2.1 iPod update (notes 'Bug Fixes") Like an idiot, I jumped on it. Disconnect message issue NOT addressed AND a really nasty bug surfaced. I make extensive use of (over 250) smart playlists that are designed to only display songs that do NOT have a >1 play count, By artist. When a playlist has no songs listed, it doesn't show on the Pod. Been that way since forever. NOW, every freaking playlist is listed. At this point, my guess is close to 80% of them are empty, i.e. there are NO songs listed.

Can't remember any time where I HAD to revert to an older version of anything, but I want (make that HAVE) to go back to 1.2. Obviously things have changed, no longer do we have those nice updater apps. Perhaps you may have come across some information about HOW one can downgrade a Pod's "firmware?"
(there's been threads on reverting back iPod firmware (often windows related users) before iTunes 7 (when there were separate iPod updaters) but none that I have seen for iTunes 7/updaters. He later wrote)

The thing I'm trying to figure out is exactly where iTunes actually stores the update... AND I think I have located it!
~/Library/iTunes/iPod Software Updates/
Here are the files:
iPod_25.1.2.1.ipsw
iPod_25.1.2.1.ipsw.signature
iPod_25.1.2.ipsw.signature
iPod_25.1.2.ipsw

I'm sure no chance to use the update mechanism, but ditching the 1.2.1 files SHOULD allow me to do a restore back to 1.2. BUT, now that this has happened, I'm actually thinking about maybe changing my methods... after all I went from a person with close to 70GB of music and a 20GB Pod to an 80GB Pod. Then again, if 1.2.1 doesan't fix the one issue that bothered me, why not go back?

I'm still scratching my head as to WTF is going on. The mystery deepens as I saw that an empty normal playlist is NOT listed on the Pod, it's only the smart ones that are blank. I've been trying to cajole someone who has 1.2.1 on a 5.5G Pod to see if they see the same issue. I'm also pretty convinced my original issue (freeze on eject, no "OK to Disconnect" message) is also in the software. Funny, when they were selling a ton less hardware things, I never found their software this buggy.
(From another mail this morning)
Well, looks like I'm screwed. Tossed the 1.2.1 files and tried a restore. (I wonder if it would have been better to use a system that hadn't downloaded the 1.2.1 update. Apple mentions several restore options in this iPod 5 R's page but no secenario is the same as Paul's. If it's a firmware bug it wouldn't help but I wonder if a simple reset of the iPod would have helped with the smart playlists.-Mike) It insisted on downloading the newer firmware and installing it after I chose restore. I'll let it run it's course, who knows maybe my issue will go away! If it doesn't, I could do the "pull the ethernet cable" trick so it can't go out to the net. Of course, they COULD have it engineered so it was impossible to do that, but doubtful, this hardware iosn't aimed only at the geeks who will always have an Internet connection! I'll keep you informed.
(his latest mail:)
... Looking at the date of the 1.2 update I do have, and engaging some semi dead brain cells, I DO remember doing a restore on the first Pod I got to try and "fix" the OK to Disconnect bug. When I DID that, it connected to Apple and downloaded something, obviously it was the 1.2 update.
BTW, doing a full restore did NOT fix all the blank smart playlists being listed on the Pod. Nor did a "reset." I'm thinking they intended it to be this way and that sucks.
Again, thanks so much for showing an interest in my little issue!
-Paul C. "

(UPDATE: See the Dec. 20th news page for Paul's later comments on How he reverted back to iPod 1.2 firmware which solved his problem. That page also has a note the 1.2.1 iPod update changing behavior of the iPod when used in Car adapters.) If anyone else has seen pros or cons with the iPod 1.2.1 update or has been able to revert their iPod video to a previous software version using iTunes 7, let me know. Thanks.

" Mighty Mouse Repair Guide is a step-by-step walkthrough on how to disassemble and clean your Mighty Mouse without damaging it. Perfect for those who have problems with unresponsive scroll wheels!"

" I don't want to bother you with every small update, but there have been a lot of changes to TiVoDecode Manager since your last post. (v1.1.6 linked in Monday's news.-Mike)
Version 1.5 adds preliminary support for on-the-fly transcoding to iPod-compatible Quicktime movies. Also, a lot of people were having problems with the 1.1.x versions, but feedback on 1.2+ has been very positive. (see linked page for version history) Thanks
-David B. "

" Mike, I was trying to get pricing and availability on the E5345 (Quad core) that would allow my MacPro to run 8 cpus at 2.33ghz.
Well, only one online site is listing it ($989+11s/h=$1000...ouch). And the supply won't be available till mid January of 1007. I don't think I'm ready to drop another $2000 for an upgrade! (Considering it was $2300 for my MacPro.)

At least the 3.0GHz 5160 has dropped to $856. Still, it's not a significant drop.
-Ed S."

Prices will fall over time as faster CPUs are released but Intel-based Mini owners also find the Core2 Duo current pricing can cost as much or more as the system, although some still did the upgrade. It's a big plus to have the option (socketed CPU), and hopefully system firmware updates won't have any sort of block for using later/faster CPUs (and as long as Intel doesn't change the CPU socket type). (I also hope Apple continues to use socketed motherboards for the Mac Pros, Minis and iMacs in the future.)
I'd be surprised if Apple didn't intro Quad-Core Mac Pros at MWSF and if so it will be interesting to see their prices and what will happen to prices on any inventory of current dual-core Mac Pros. (Apple's high-volume/OEM chip cost is much lower than end user/retail and they may negotiate better deals than the standard OEM pricing.) Typically the high end (std config) towers are appx $3000 and I wonder if they will keep a dual-core base model or have all models Quad Core. (And if the next Mac Pro will have a motherboard that doesn't require FB-Dimms.)

• PulpMotion for OS X ("Create fun animations using your own pictures, videos and music")
• DragThing 5.7 with dock themes released
• Jumsoft Unveils Keynote Backgrounds FX 1.0
• Nike+iPod raises RFID privacy concerns
• Gloomy iTunes predictions premature
• Apple denies download sales fall (on iTunes store/first half 2006)
• Skype to start charging for VoIP calls to regular phones, computer-to-computer calls to remain free. (yesterday's news had a link to Skype's free call plan to charge annual fee (starting Jan 1))
• IEEE accelerates schedule for new battery standard
• A first look at Firefox 3.0
• Halo 3 Beta registration tops 140,000
• Ubisoft on Reinventing Rainbow Six
• GarageGames Inc. releases Torque X Beta
• PS3 firmware 1.31 adds Final Fantasy XI support
• Release notes for ATI CATALYST v6.1.2 ref. drivers (for Bootcamp/XP users)