UPDATED –Tax-preparation software by Intuit (800/446-8848, www.turbotax.com ): TurboTax Deluxe — Intuit has dropped the MacInTax name — adds automated tax-return features that let users automatically download tax information from participating companies and financial institutions. TurboTax Deluxe sells for $50.
–Adobe Premiere (800/833-6687, www.adobe.com ): Premiere 6.0 adds extended digital-video support and one-step Web-output tools. The DV-editing application sells for $349; existing users can upgrade for $149. The software will ship in the first quarter of 2001.
ANNOUNCED –The departure of company founder and chairman Tim Gill from Quark (800/676-4575, www.quark.com ): In October, Gill sold his 50-percent stake in the design and desktop publishing software company he founded in 1981. He plans to devote his time to philanthropic efforts.
–Certification of Macs for E-Business Suite, from Oracle (800/672-2531, www.oracle.com ): Macs with Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mac OS 9.0.4, and Macintosh Runtime for Java can now access Oracle’s Web-based business applications.
RELEASED –New handhelds from Handspring (888/565-9393, www.handspring.com ): The $449 Visor Prism features a full-color display and a rechargeable battery. The $299 Visor Platinum is a faster version of Handspring’s handheld PDAs.
–An analog-to-DV converter from Formac Electronic (925/251-0100, www.formac.com ): Formac Studio is a video digitizer that converts captured video and DV to DV streams, and transfers QuickTime movies to VHS. At press time, pricing hadn’t been set for the product, which was scheduled for a December release.
–A FireWire tape drive from Imation (888/466-3456, www.imation.com ): The Travan 20GB FireWire Drive comes with Retrospect Desktop Backup software from Dantz and sells for $499.