Andy McFadden has released version 1.2 of CiderPress, the ultra-powerful disk image utility for Windows. In addition to all the previous features, version 1.2 adds support for converting ShrinkIt file archives into ProDOS disk images and vice-versa, reading SSI’s RDOS disk format, encoding and decoding DDD images, bulk conversion of disk images from one format to another, and more..

Syndicomm programmer Eric Shepherd today released an update to DiskMaker, the popular disk image utility for the Apple IIGS. The new version fixes a bug handling DiskCopy 4.2 and Universal Disk Image files, and causes it to automatically highlight newly-inserted disks in the target disk picker window..

The folks at AtariArchives.org have done it again! The entire content of this book is now available online absolutely free of charge. Published in 1976, this 300+ page book is a fascinating look back at articles from the dawn of the personal computing age, including articles about early experiences operating retail computer stores, the 1976 Star Trek convention, videodisc systems, building a MITS Altair 8800, and much more..

The June issue of Call-A.P.P.L.E. has been released on the web and is now available for download by subscribers. This issue highlights the classic adventure and RPG games on Apple computers and has information on several upcoming downloads that will be available on the A.P.P.L.E. web site soon..

At the most recent meeting of the A.P.P.L.E. user group, Todd Nathan was assigned the job of sysop of the A.P.P.L.E. Crate BBS. He will be known as SDO on the service. Visit the group’s web site for more information on their BBS..

Tony Diaz, master of scheduling for KansasFest 2003, has posted an initial draft of the schedule of events for KansasFest 2003 to the KFest mailing list. While the list is considered too preliminary to post to the KFest web site, we can share that sessions include “Programming the Apple IIgs with a Macintosh” , “XML: It’s Not What You Think”, a Unix shell session, a TBA session from Call A.P.P.L.E., “Palm OS Programming for Apple II Jockeys”, “Desktop Publishing and Juiced.GS”, “Building Marinetti”, with more hopefully to be announced soon..

SunSpot.net has a fascinating interview with Steve Wozniak on its web site. Give it a read; it’ll whet your appetite for his keynote address at KansasFest next month!.

The A.P.P.L.E. user group will host an online chat at 6 PM Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, June 5. One lucky attendee will receive a free copy of the Woz Speaks DVD..

The A.P.P.L.E. user group announced this morning that on June 5th they will begin taking orders for a complete collection of Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine on CD-ROM. The collection will initially be available at a special reduced price of $99.95, which will last until June 15th..

The KansasFest web site now has a form you can fill out if you’d like to make a presentation, demonstrate a product, or otherwise fill space in the schedule of events. If you’re planning to attend this year’s event, and there’s anything you can and would like to show other people, please go fill out the form and sign up for a slot! We can always use more presenters!.