OF INTEREST

Apple Computer has announced a developer's release of Apple Game Sprockets, an SDK for creating multimedia and Internet-enabled games for Mac OS-based computers. Using the SDK, all Mac OScompatible games can feature real-time 3-D graphics, 3-D sound, Internet support, speech recognition, and input device/monitor control. Available royalty-free to developers, Game Sprockets includes the final release of QuickDraw 3D RAVE (Rendering Acceleration Virtual Engine), a multiplatform technology that enables you to incorporate plug-and-play 3-D acceleration hardware.

The Apple Game Sprockets is a set of APIs designed to work with other Apple multimedia technologies such as QuickTime, QuickTime VR, QuickTime Conferencing, and QuickDraw 3D. You can mix-and-match individual sprockets to best enhance and complement the existing features of your title.

The current Apple Game Sprockets SDK includes: NetSprocket, an Internet connectivity and multiplayer gaming API; SoundSprocket, a 3-D sound and Sound Manager API; SpeechSprocket speech-recognition API; InputSprocket, digital-joystick control and input-device API; DrawSprocket, multiple buffering/display control API; and QuickDraw 3D RAVE, a multiplatform 3-D graphics API.

1 Infinite Loop

Cupertino, CA 95014

http://www.dev.apple.com/games

AstraTek is previewing its Visual LAN Probe (VLP) for Sybase, a design and debugging tool used for Sybase-based client/server network development. Using frame recognition technology, VLP decodes network frames into Sybase SQL API calls. VLP translates network frames into Sybase SQL API calls so that you can view the data stream in the Sybase SQL language, instead of in strings of cryptic hex code.

VLP analyzes the network stack from the datalink layer to the application layer, showing SQL API calls in ODBC, DBLib, or CTLib. VLP runs on any Windows NT workstation or server in a Sybase environment. VLP starts at $995.00.

130 Liberty Street MS2088

New York, NY 10006

http://www.astratek.com

NobleNet has announced its EZ-API family of Component APIs. EZ-APIs supposedly simplify the integration of industry-standard and custom APIs and enable you to enhance API functions. With the tool, multiple APIs can share client, server, and network resources. Component API technology automatically multiplexes API calls over a single network connection between client and server and presents them to the server as a single-user process. By tightly integrating multiple APIs on the server, application efficiency is increased and servers can take on multiple API personalities. Additionally, EZ-APIs encapsulate each API function call in a modifiable source-code wrapper on both the client and server, allowing you to add enhancements to standard APIs such as security, auditing, compression, naming, and caching. This is achieved without modifying API behavior.

The first member of the EZ-API family, the OneDriver ODBC SDK, relocates the ODBC API from the Windows client to NT or to a variety of UNIX platforms. The SDK includes all necessary communications software to connect Microsoft Windows 3.1/95/NT clients to any standard TCP/IP server platform. OneDriver ODBC works with any ODBC-compliant database or front-end development tool including Visual Basic, PowerBuilder, Delphi, and Microsoft Access. The NobleNet OneDriver ODBC SDK is priced at $2500.00 per server for an unlimited number of users. Supported client platforms include Windows 3.1/95/NT, and server platforms include NT, Sun Solaris, HP/UX, and IBM AIX

337 Turnpike Road

Southboro, MA 01772

http://www.noblenet.com

Willows Software and Borland International have announced a strategic technology alliance to provide Borland's OWL as a cross-platform development solution.

Implemented on top of Willows' TWIN APIW, OWL will provide the application framework necessary to easily build crossplatform applications. OWL 5.0 provides splash screens, dockable toolbars, splitter windows, and several gadgets to speed up the development process. Additionally, OWL provides synchronization objects for multithreaded development and eases the transition to 32-bit development by supporting both 32- and 16-bit development, including 16-bit emulation of most Windows 95-based common controls.

TWIN APIW and OWL will be distributed by Willows on its TWIN APIW CD for an annual subscription fee of $250.00.

Willows Software Inc.

12950 Saratoga Avenue, Suite A

Saratoga, CA 95070-4670

http://www.willows.com

ILOG and SunSoft have announced an alliance to build a bridge between Java and C++. The TwinPeaks project will pave the way for Java-ready C++ components. The technology will support both standard C++ and ANSI C components. The bridge is a gateway program that allows C++ components to be recognized and used by Java through an automatically generated interface. A C++ component has two elements: an interface or header file and the object code. The TwinPeaks bridge will read and analyze the header file and produce both a Java interface file and a thin layer of Java/C++ bridge code, which translates API calls and data formats between Java and the object code of the existing component. Through this translation, Java will be able to recognize and use existing C++ components.

2005 Landings Drive

Mountain View, CA 94043

http://www.ilog.com

NuMega Technologies has announced BoundsChecker 4.0 and SoftICE for Windows NT. BoundsChecker 4.0 is integrated into the Microsoft Visual C++ Developer Studio debugger. This allows BoundsChecker to detect hidden errors as you step through the code using the Visual C++ debugger without having to leave the Developer Studio to locate, evaluate, or correct errors. BoundsChecker's OLECheck features detect OLE Interface leaks and invalid parameters and return codes for over 70 OLE interfaces. BoundsChecker ensures that all interfaces are correct, execution is error free, and the software is dependable. BoundsChecker 4.0 also offers support for Delphi 2.0 and ApiGen, a utility for the validation of user-extensible API calls.

BoundsChecker 4.0 is available in Professional and Standard Editions for Windows 95/NT. BoundsChecker Professional Edition sells for $999.00, while the Standard Edition lists for $299.00.

NuMega Technologies Inc.

Nashua, NH 03060-7780

http://www.numega.com

ClassAction, a collection of Windows API tools for Visual Basic, has been released by the Crescent Division of Progress Software. With ClassAction, you can access Windows functionality without resorting to C. ClassAction also gives you an extensive library of error codes and conditions. The tool is available for $139.00.

Crescent Software

Bedford, MA 01730

http://www.progress.com/crescent

Softimage, a subsidiary of Microsoft, has announced its Softimage Software Developers Connection, a program that features technical and marketing support and a new Softimage SDK. The SISDK, which supports both Windows NT and Silicon Graphics platforms, provides you with direct access to animation and modeling (SAAPHIRE toolkit), rendering (mental ray toolkit) and motion-capture controls (Channels toolkit) in Softimage 3D. Applications can run as stand-alone programs or be fully integrated into Softimage 3D for Windows NT and Silicon Graphics IRIS systems.

3510 Boulevard St. Laurent, Suite 400

Montreal, Quebec Canada H2X 2V2

http://www.softimage.com/

Microsoft has announced the release of Visual C++, Version 4.1. This release includes support for the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), third-party ActiveX Controls (formerly known as OLE Controls), and performance enhancements for managing large projects. Visual C++ 4.1 delivers reusable components through Custom AppWizards, ActiveX Controls, and MFC 4.1 This update includes support for Windows NT and Windows 95.

Features new to VC++ 4.1 include: MFC for ActiveX Servers for creating interactive Web applications using the Microsoft Internet Server API (ISAPI); an ISAPI Extension Wizard for creating Internet server extensions and filters; VRML support from Template Graphics Software through a Custom AppWizard and ActiveX Controls; and Developer Studio Web Favorites, which lets you access your favorite World Wide Web sites from within Developer Studio.

Current VC++ subscribers will automatically receive Visual C++ 4.1. For new users, the VC++ Subscription Edition is available for approximately $499.00.

Microsoft Corp.

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA 98052

http://www.microsoft.com/devonly

NetManage has announced a set of Internet ActiveX Controls called the "Internet Control Pack." Jointly developed by NetManage and Microsoft, these controls let you integrate Internet functionality into your development projects. The Internet Control Pack will work with all Microsoft enhanced ActiveX Controls and Microsoft development tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual FoxPro, and Access, as well as any development environment that supports ActiveX Control tools like Borland's Delphi. The Internet Control Pack covers a wide range of Internet protocols including Winsock, HTML, HTTP, FTP, NNTP, and SMTP/POP3.

10725 N. De Anza Boulevard

Cupertino, CA 95014

http://www.netmanage.com

Mystic River Software has announced a scripting tool to support Microsoft's ActiveX interface. The tool is based on Mystic River's SBL, an embedded language for Visual Basic. The company also said it is extending its technology to provide cross compatibility between Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) and Java. VBScript, a subset of Visual Basic for Applications, will be integrated into Web browsers and is designed to allow ActiveX controls, applets, and other objects embedded in HTML documents to interact. SBL is currently available for the Windows 3.1/95/NT, the Win32s API, NLM, OS/2, Mac OS, the PowerPC, and UNIX.

Mystic River Software

125 Cambridge Park Drive

Cambridge, MA 02140

http://www.mysticriver.com

Centigram Communications has announced that its TruVoice Version 5.0 English SDK is now available. The TruVoice SDK supports the Microsoft Speech API used in Windows 95/NT. TruVoice converts any text into spoken English and includes an intelligent preprocessor for reading e-mail messages, fax headers, and other messages. An extensive set of context-sensitive rules compensates for poorly crafted text commonly found in these message forms. This "text scrubber" also makes interactive voice-response (IVR) systems more cost effective to implement, as there is no need for a system or database administrator to make time-consuming corrections to database information before the text is sent to the converter. The TruVoice SDK for Windows sells for $295.00.

Centigram Communications Corp.

91 East Tasman Drive

San Jose, CA 95134

http://www.centigram.com

Scientific Software Tools has announced LabOBJX Real-Time Chart, a Visual Basic custom control for charting real-time data. LabOBJX Real-Time Chart maximizes visual display rates for creating realistic and fast oscilloscope and strip chart displays. The control works with all versions of Visual Basic, Delphi, and C++ compilers that support Visual Basic control technology.

LabOBJX Real-Time Chart's flexible input data format eliminates the need to preprocess data before plotting. Users can input data as signed and unsigned 8-, 16-, and 32-bit integers, 32- and 64-bit floating-point values; scalars, xy-pairs, x-vectors, y-vectors, xy-pair vectors, column- and row-major xy-arrays. The control also allows charting of selected rows or columns from arrays as well as charting every nth sample.

LabOBJX Real-Time Chart supports up to 32,767 channels and viewports and 16,384 points/channel screen updating. It also features adjustable priority. A library of Visual Basic, Delphi, and C++ source- code example programs are included, as well as a context-sensitive on-line help system. LabOBJX Real-Time Chart sells for $199.00.

Scientific Software Tools

19 East Central Avenue

Paoli, PA 19301

http://www.sstnet.com

ZyLAB has added a 32-bit Windows 95/NT-compatible toolkit to its family of full text search and retrieval software. With the 32bit toolkit, you can develop applications in Visual C 4.x and Visual Basic 4.x. The 32-bit toolkit makes use of multiple threads in environments that facilitate multithreading.

19650 Club House Road, Suite 106

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

http://www.zylab.com