Native Instruments has annouced that the new Kontakt 1.5 demo version for Mac OS X is now online. The demo version contains several sample instruments (house organ, several basses, a drum kit, and some sample voice and speech examples) that illustrate the possibilities of the Native Instruments' sampler.

The demo version can be used in stand-alone mode or as a plug-in via VST, Audio Units and RTAS.

MakeMusic has announced the release of its much-anticipated Finale 2005 music notation software for Macintosh. Here's some of what's new in Finale 2005: Finale performance assessment, launch window, intelligent repeats, Row-Loff Marching Percussion Sounds, Third-Party Sound Font Support, grace note spacing improvements, transportable staff lists, new TG Tools Plug-ins, FinaleScript version 1.5, better View and navigation controls and more...

Info about Finale 2005 available on MakeMusic web site.

Granted Software announced today the immediate availability of Rax 1.1 for Mac OS X. Rax turns your Mac into a virtual rig for live performance, slaving instruments and effects from another app or offloading DSP to a second computer. With its streamlined UI, this is the easiest way to play AudioUnit instruments and process live audio through your AudioUnit effects. This new version features : MIDI Mixer control, 24 bit recording, native sample rate recording (no longer limited to 16 bits at 44.1kHz).

Rax 1.1 is a free update for registered users.

It had been rumoured for some time now, and today it is made official : Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, won't present the ritual opening Keynote of the Apple Expo in Paris on August 31st. Steve Jobs, who suffers from pancreas cancer, has recently undergone a surgical operation and has therefore announced that he wanted to have a rest in August.

This keynote (or rather what will be left of it) will be presented by Philip Schiller (Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing).