ESRI and The Associated Press recently announced the latest release of MapShop. MapShop 1.5. is a robust tool for creating custom maps.

The system provides access to timely and accurate geographic map data and content, from global events to local street-level detail, assisting the user in the creation of all types of news and map graphics.

MapShop is a Web application for creating and customizing maps for output to editable EPS, GIF, shapefile, and other formats. MapShop 1.5 enhances the functionality and data offering in MapShop. The latest version includes the United States shaded relief imagery and a more detailed world basemap, including hot spots such as Afghanistan, as well as the ability to locate U.S. addresses and define cartographic style preferences.

Enfocus Software recently made its new Certified PDF workflow-based products; Instant PDF 2.0, PitStop Professional 5.0 and PitStop Server 2.0, available for download from the company’s newly revamped Web site.

In addition to information and downloads of the new Enfocus products, visitors to the new Web site will find resources and support.

New features found on www.enfocus.com include new comprehensive support pages where visitors have access to the Enfocus Knowledge Base including detailed information on a variety of topics relevant to Certified PDF workflow, as well as techniques for preflighting, auto-correcting and editing PDF documents. The site also offers free access to downloads of PDF Profiles and Action Lists for Enfocus Instant PDF, PitStop Professional and PitStop Server customers; the Enfocus User Group Forum, a new e-community providing a forum for exchange of tips, tricks, questions and ideas on using Enfocus solutions and other useful links including PDF-related sites.

Publishing professionals can create and exchange PDFs using tools from Enfocus’ newly expanded suite of applications now available for download, trial and purchase from the Enfocus Web site.s

RealTimeImage recently announced the availability of RealTimeProof Classic 4.0. It is the latest version of RealTimeProof Classic, offering improved client-side functionality and server feature additions such as thumbnails and Windows 2000 support.

RealTimeImage powers online proofing technology for the publishing industry. Browser-based and working with even a basic dial-up connection, RealTimeImage technology allows users to manage the online proofing and approval process using the actual production file. RealTimeProof Classic 4.0 is a local area network-based client-server software solution enabling fast and efficient image streaming of production files for collaborative, high-resolution, color accurate, online and remote proofing.

Extensis entered into a partnership with Wam!Net to sell integrated preflight and file-transfer solutions to customers in the print and publishing industries. Under the agreement, Wam!Net will now offer Extensis preflighting technology in its secure, fully managed file transport and content storage services. Preflighting services will be provided through Extensis Preflight Online, the company’s patent-pending Web-based preflighting service.

With an integrated Extensis/Wam!Net solution installed, customers can first run jobs through Preflight Online to make sure they meet the required print specifications and quickly move the files from their LAN to a dedicated Wam!Net network interface device for secure, managed transfer and delivery across the Wam!Net network.s

Knight Ridder Digital and the San Francisco-based LiquidSeats Inc. recently announced an expanded agreement to provide Real Cities users with the LiquidSeats’ StubHub Ticket Marketplace product. In the agreement, LiquidSeats will extend the StubHub product to Knight Ridder Digital’s owned and operated Real Cities Web sites including Philly.com, Miami.com and DFW.com. Each of these Web sites will have its own co-branded ticket marketplace, enabling users to buy and sell tickets through a convenient, trusted and easy-to-use system. The rollout on additional Real Cities properties comes after a successful initial offering of the StubHub product on BayArea.com.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution selected Bigfoot Interactive to create, track and analyze a customized email communications program.

Bigfoot Interactive, one of the leading providers of ROI-focused e-mail communications technology has implemented an event-triggered e-mail communications program for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s recently online career center. The e-mail program instantly notifies job seekers of potential positions that match specified criteria in their individual profiles. Bigfoot Interactive also assisted in integrating the newspaper’s job candidate, employer and e-mail databases.

The Cobalt Group and the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman announced the launch of an all-new online car-shopping Web site, StatesmanCars.com.

Cobalt, the leading provider of e-business software and services to the automotive retail market, the Statesman teamed up to bring car buyers in Central Texas convenient access to new and used vehicle listings from local dealers and private parties.

Buyers can build and find their dream cars, conduct side-by-side comparisons of various makes and models, locate a specific dealership and search its entire inventory, as well as request a price quote.

The Statesman selected Cobalt as its technology partner to design, build, host and maintain the auto classifieds section of Statesman.com. In addition, Cobalt is responsible for polling and managing the vehicle data of all participating dealers and private sellers, ensuring listings are refreshed daily for all site participants.

JobSource is a new free weekly employment guide and is a collaborative effort of BostonWorks, — the recruitment services division of The Boston Globe — Globe Specialty Products and a sister publication, The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

With an initial distribution of 100,000 copies, JobSource targets greater Boston-area employment seekers with interest in the fields of retail, sales, banking and finance, telemarketing, manufacturing, hotel and restaurant services and security.

The distribution channel will be high visibility blue, red and white boxes, strategically placed in more than 2,500 high-traffic areas. Distribution will also include the area’s busiest food markets, convenience stores, video stores, regional employment offices, and near college and university campuses.

E. W. Scripps Co. selected PowerOne Media Inc. to provide CarCast, its online automotive advertising product to 12 daily newspapers operated by media group. The 12 newspapers have a combined circulation of 600,000 subscribers.

PowerOne Media already successfully launched CarCast at each of the newspapers and has assisted in securing 85 automotive dealers to be associated with the online marketplaces.

Some of the Scripps newspapers using CarCast include, The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel, Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News, Ventura County (Calif.) Star and the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Knight Ridder Digital and uclick, a division of Andrews McMeel Universal recently announced a strategic agreement whereby uclick will manage branded comic and puzzle content for Knight Ridder Digital’s Real Cities local media network of Web sites.

Under the agreement, uclick will provide Knight Ridder Digital’s Real Cities Network with a variety of popular comics and puzzles from Universal Press Syndicate, Tribune Media Services and United Media. In several weeks, uclick will start delivering regionally branded comics and puzzles in the Entertainment channels to 27 Real Cities Web sites.

The Wall Street Journal Online will use comScore’s netScore service to provide insights on its audience segments — home, work, students and international — and to measure the purchasing power of its consumer franchise.

As part of the initiative, WSJ.com anticipates using netScore data to help improve its decision making in audience evaluation, promotion planning and advertising sales generation.

The patent pending technology used by comScore is based on an unobtrusive server network which captures the consumers’ complete details of their buying behavior, including products purchased, price paid and promotion used.

LexisNexis and Knight Ridder Digital announced the formation of an interactive content alliance.

Through the new partnership, Knight Ridder Digital is syndicating its content available to LexisNexis users. Additionally, LexisNexis will power access to on-point information to 17 Knight Ridder newspapers in 28 markets.

Twenty-eight daily Knight Ridder publications will be available to LexisNexis customers, many on the same day or within a day of publication, powered by Knight Ridder Digital. The offering includes major publications like The Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News among many others.

In a separate agreement, Knight Ridder newspapers and LexisNexis announced a new centrally administered information services contract to enable Knight Ridder professionals to access to the LexisNexis suite of information solutions.