New & Noteworthy: dvMatte; Audiogalaxy settlement;

Microsoft lawsuit; product design; more

dvMatte 1.0 dvGarage's latest product is a utility that helps isolate objects (by creating keys) for miniDV, Hi-8, video, and film. It requires After Effects 4.1 or Premiere 5.0.

Music Industry Settles Lawsuit With Audiogalaxy From the Washington Post/TechNews: "File sharing service Audiogalaxy removed most of its music files for download Monday as part of an out-of-court settlement reached with the recording and music publishing industries. The agreement also calls for Audiogalaxy to pay the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Music Publishers Association a 'substantial sum based on Audiogalaxy's assets,' RIAA and the NMPA said in a release." More. (Thanks, Seth Anderson.)

Economists Push for Microsoft Penalties From the New York Times: "Days before closing arguments are scheduled in the Microsoft antitrust trial, a group of six leading antitrust economists has filed a last-minute brief urging the federal judge presiding over the case to impose tough penalties on the company." More.

Public Comments on U.S. v. Microsoft This section of the 2002 Federal Register contains public comments received on the Revised Proposed Final Judgment in United States v. Microsoft.

How to Design the Perfect Product From Fast Company: "The Apple iMac is a good example. While most personal computers come with lots of features and aren't that easy to use, the iMac has taken an alternative approach, which is virtually the opposite. It comes with a Zen philosophy: Let's be minimalist and give people what they need -- and only that." More.

The Next Lightbulb From Forbes: "It's a flashlight, and looks like millions of other ordinary flashlights. Press a switch and it lights up. Big deal. But it is a big deal to Chuck Swoboda, president and chief executive of Cree. What's producing the light is not a conventional flashlight bulb but a tiny chip inside a white light-emitting diode (LED) that's just as bright but consumes half as much power and lasts years longer." More.