Native Instruments has introduced Scarbee Funk Guitarist (http://macte.ch/bja96), a new Kontakt-based software instrument that puts a "virtual funk guitar" at the hands of producers. For use in the Kontakt 4 sampler and in the free Kontakt Player, it provides a range of rhythm guitar lines for funk, soul, hip hop, house, pop and other contemporary styles. At the heart of Scarbee Funk Guitarist is a phrase concept that allows users to combine different guitar grooves and chord types via the MIDI keyboard. The integrated groove sequencer maintains a constant rhythmic flow, while articulations like up and down strokes, mutes, hammer-ons and slides are triggered automatically by the script-based engine of the instrument. Scarbee Funk Guitarist is based on over 3,000 chords that were recorded in various voicings, multiple velocities and with all relevant articulations, resulting in over 130,000 individual chord samples. For the sampling process, a specially modified guitar with hand-...

Manhattan Edit Workshop (http://www.mewshop.com) is now an official Avid Authorized Training Partner. The Manhattan-based training center now offers authorized classes in Pro Tools 9 that are compliments to the array of post-production and content creation classes already offered. To initiate Mewshop's new Avid Pro Tools Authorized Training, the facility is offering three new authorized instructor-led classes that are designed to get students up-to-speed with the robust new Pro Tools 9, says Josh Apter, owner and founder, Manhattan Edit Workshop. These include: Pro Tools 101: An Introduction to Pro Tools, Pro Tools 110: Essentials of Pro Tools, and Pro Tools 130: Pro Tools for Game Audio. Mewshop offers student loans for courses that total more than US$2,500. Students may take a combination of courses together, or a single course that equals that amount.

Blackmagic Design will host a series of free DaVinci Resolve for Mac training workshops in association with the Boston Final Cut Pro User Group (BOSFCPUG) on Tuesday, March 15. Two two-hour sessions, hosted by FilmSystems' David Catt, will provide an introduction to the DaVinci Resolve for Mac non-linear color correction system, showcase proper set up and integration tips, provide how-to’s and detail Resolve features and capabilities. Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve is a color correction solution for Mac OS X and Linux computers. For more event information and to register for one of the workshops, go to http://bosfcpug031511.eventbrite.com/.

Readdle (http://www.readdle.com) has updated its application for editing PDF forms and annotating PDF documents. PDF Expert 2.2 is now able to flatten signature, filled forms data, and annotations, making it possible to protect PDF files from editing and view all annotations within any PDF reader application. The latest version of PDF Expert for iPad makes the flattening process "flawless," taking just a single tap to flatten a PDF file before emailing it, says Readdle CEO Igor Zhadanov. One of the long-standing benefits of the PDF format is that it allows users to add notes, comments and highlights to PDF file, he adds. PDF Expert extended this capability making PDF annotations editable on the iPad. While lawyers tend to protect document from being changed, professors, students and medicals might well need the ability to edit existing annotations, says Zhadanov. Another feature that can come in handy is emailing PDF files along with the annotations summary to overview quickly all...

Apple has updated its MacBook Pro family with next generation processors and graphics, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime HD camera. Featuring the very latest dual-core and quad-core Intel Core processors, the entire MacBook Pro line is up to twice as fast as the previous generation, according to Apple.   “The new MacBook Pro brings next generation dual and quad Core processors, high performance graphics, Thunderbolt technology and FaceTime HD to the great design loved by our pro customers,” says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro.” Starting at US$1,199 the new 13-inch MacBook Pro features Intel Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors up to 2.7GHz and Intel HD Graphics 3000. The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models feature quad-core Core...

LaCie (http://www.lacie.com) has announced plans for the LaCie Little Big Disk featuring the all-new Thunderbolt technology, developed by Intel and brought to market with collaboration from Apple. Designed to store large audio and video files, the LaCie Little Big Disk will bring a new level of performance to creative workflows with ultra-fast data transfer, complete system backup in minutes, and faster content editing than ever before, says Philippe Spruch, chairman and general manager, LaCie. Thunderbolt technology delivers bandwidth at 10Gbps and runs two protocols (PCI Express and DisplayPort) simultaneously over a single cable for connectivity to high performance peripherals like the LaCie Little Disk and high-resolution displays. The LaCie Little Big Disk can deliver multiple streams of HD video and offload hours of content in minutes without compromising bandwidth and performance, says Spruch. With the LaCie Little Big Disk, speeds that previously were only available from rack...

Apple's FaceTime video chat app for Mac OS X has left beta testing and is now available at the Mac App Store for US$0.99. FaceTime was first introduced with the iPhone 4. FaceTime for Mac makes it possible to communicate with anyone on an iPhone 4, iPod touch, or Mac from your Mac. If you use one of the new MacBook Pros you get 720p clarity. All you need is an Apple ID and an email address and you’re ready to roll. To start a video call with someone, find her entry in the contacts list. FaceTime works with Address Book so you don’t have to enter your contacts from scratch.

CalPERS wins 'high profileThe California Public Employees' Retirement System has won a "high-profile" victory in its effort to pressure Apple to reform the way the tech giant's board members are elected, reports the "Sacramento Bee" (http://macte.ch/AHbQC). At Apple's annual shareholders meeting in Cupertino, California, on Wednesday, shareholders approved a CalPERS proposal to adopt a majority vote requirement for board elections. The CalPERS proposal is non-binding, but puts pressure on Apple to approve the plan, says the "Bee." Currently, nominees to the Apple board who are unopposed don't need a majority of shareholders' votes to be elected. A nominee could win election with only one "yes" vote. Shareholders who don't like a particular nominee can "withhold" their vote, but it has no practical effect. For the past year, CalPERS has been pressuring Apple and 57 other companies to adopt a majority-vote rule for board elections.

Thousands of federal public servants in Australia could soon have their work laptops replaced with iPads, reports "The Sydney Morning Herald" (http://macte.ch/2c0T8). Senior officers in the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs are trialling more than 40 iPads. The trial is expected to conclude in early March. "The Herald" says the department will then decide whether to roll out "thousands of the tablet computers."

This week marks the official release of Mantis -- a socially-developed task lamp and monitor light -- at the Quirky online store (http://macte.ch/ktYsB) for US$29.99. It's a clip-on light that brightens your workspace, with minimal interference to your surroundings. Mantis is portable and battery operated so you can take it with you and use it to illuminate your keyboard, bookshelf, worktable, or any other low-lit spot. It's designed to function either as a clip-on or free standing. Mantis comes fully equipped with 11 bright LED's and two light settings. Its replaceable batteries provide 30 hours of light and automatically shut off after two hours of use. The unit itself is nine inches wide, with a removable clip designed to clamp onto any monitor, laptop, or shelf.

CRU-DataPort has introduced the ToughTech Duo, an US$499 portable, RAID storage systems that works with two 2.5-inch notebook drives or solid state drives that to back-up or store data. Designed for professional photographers and digital media users while on location or in the studio, ToughTech Duo maximizes storage in a mini footprint (3.5 x 6.26 x 1.34) to ensure data integrity and protect digital assets. It guards against data loss by writing the same information in real-time to both drives. It also saves from costly system downtime as the system can continue to run while the ToughTech Duo restores data on the hard drive, according to the folks at CRU-DataPort. Connecting to any host computer via FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0 and eSATA provides flexibility, while the eSATA interface option offers the fastest transfer rates, they add. ToughTech Duo also supports bus power with an included FireWire cable. The ToughTech Duo sports a multi-country compatible AC power supply. A Kensington...

Mariner Software (http://www.marinersoftware.com) has released Paperless 2.0, providing a digital document solution for the home and business. The new version lets you create, manage and store any type of paper and digital document. Paperless 2.0 has multiple new features, including the ability to create expense reports, pie-charts and contact reports. In addition, the user can create custom field types such as text, currency and checkboxes. Data entry is eased with automatic matching of thousands of popular U.S. merchants, says Michael Wray, president of Mariner Software. This version of Paperless includes an expanded use of Fujitsu's ScanSnap scanners with support for the Fujitsu S1500M, S1300 and now the S1100, Fujitsu's mobile scanner. In addition, more scanners are supported through Apple's Image Capture, providing users of Paperless 2.0 multiple scanner option. The new version of Paperless is available for sale and for trial as a download only from the Mariner Software website...

Containing nearly 500 cocktails and wines of the world, Cocktails for Mac 1.0 (http://www.jonesapr.com/newsite/?page_id=785) contains a cornucopia of cocktail content. The app features a variety of popular drinks with pictures, step-by-step preparation and interesting cocktail trivia. Featured cocktails are organized by topic, organized in two-page spreads tailored to take advantage of wide screen displays. Not just an encyclopedia of cocktails, it contains a complete integrated mixologist guide. Cocktials requires Mac OS X 10.6. It costs US$4.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Lifestyle category.

Apple shareholders have rejected a plan requiring the company to disclose a succession plan for its chief executive officer, reports the "Associated Press" (http://macte.ch/pByVa). That's according to preliminary voting results announced today at Apple's annual shareholders meeting. Apple didn't provide the voting breakdown. Also, at the meeting, as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com), the company said its North Carolina data center is expected to open this spring, and will support the iTunes and MobileMe services. The facility will also support Apple's corporate systems. "But it's the uses for iTunes and MobileMe that will undoubtedly fuel speculation about Apple's long-rumored plans for a cloud-based iTunes streaming service," says "AppleInsider."

If CEO Steve Jobs -- now on a medical leave -- were to step down from Apple, it wouldn't have a material impact on customers' buying intentions, according to a new survey from RBC Capital Markets and ChangeWave, as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). The companies recently conducted a survey of 3,091 respondents between Jan. 31 and Feb. 9, asking them about a hypothetical scenario in which Jobs might depart Apple. Of those surveyed, 93% said they would likely continue buying Apple's products or wouldn't actively change their purchasing decisions if the company's co-founder weren't running the show. The latest results are a change from June 2008, when a previous survey found that 18% of respondents said they would be less likely to buy Apple products if Jobs weren't with the company. Analyst Mike Abramsky said the results show that Apple may be bigger than its CEO, notes "AppleInsider." Consumers may now have a higher comfort about the company without Jobs at...

By 2014 Apple's iPad business will be worth over US$17 billion, according to a new study by Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com). By way of comparison, the worldwide smartphone market will be worth $ 65 billion by 2014 while the portable market will be worth $195 billion, according to the research group. Worldwide shipments of dedicated eReaders -- products like Sony's eReader and the Amazon Kindle -- will reach 7.2 million units in 2014, down from a high of 10.4 million units in 2012. Meanwhile, worldwide shipments of media tablets will soar from 7.1 million units in 2010 to over 64 million units in 2014, according to Research and Markets.

Apple sat atop the product placement charts for 2010 after getting Macs, iPads, iPods and other items featured in 30% of the top movies at the U.S. box office in 2010, reports Brandchannel (http://www.brandchannel.com). Nike, Chevrolet and Ford tied for second place, each appearing in 24% of the top films. Sony, Dell, Land Rover, and Glock appeared in at least 15% of the #1 films.  Apple-branded products appeared in more than one-third of all number one films at the US box office between 2001 to 2010 (making 112 of the 334 #1 films in America since 2001). That is second only to Ford (144 of 334) and well ahead of third place Coca-Cola (96 of 334). In fact, Apple products appeared in more top films in the last decade than McDonald's and Nike combined (92). Pretty impressive, considering that fewer than 15% of American computer-owning households have an Apple. (That figure, by the way, is up from 9% in 2008 — an indication that Apple product placement may be paying off.) 

Those numbers...

Another day, another lawsuit. Or at least a continuation of one. Elan Microelectronics plans to continue its patent lawsuit against Apple over multitouch technology and says a reported US$100 million settlement proposal from Apple was untrue, reports the IDG News Service (http://macte.ch/8Gpfa). In March 2010 the Taiwanese maker of chips and touch-screens asked the U.S. trade agency to ban the import and sale of some Apple products, including the iPad, because of alleged patent infringement. The company claims Apple “knowingly and deliberately” used Elan’s technology, while continuing to introduce infringing products The petition also seeks to ban imports of the iPhone and iPod touch products, Elan said in the complaint. Elan sued Apple in April 2009 , alleging infringement of two of its touch screen patents, The lawsuit alleges that Apple products -- including its MacBook, iPhone and iPod touch -- use technology that infringes on two of Elan’s patents. -- Dennis Sellers

A group of video editors were on the Apple campus in Cupertino, California, recently in order to preview the new version of Final Cut Pro, reports "TechCrunch" (http://macte.ch/L99tT), quoting unnamed sources. Purportedly, the next version of the professional video editing software will be “the biggest overhaul to Final Cut Pro since the original version was created over 10 years ago." One of the "TechCrunch" sources described the new release as encompassing everything from low level architectural changes to a complete redesign of the user interface. Early reports from people who have demo’d the new Final Cut Pro say that the changes are “dramatic and ambitious” and should alleviate concerns that Apple has shifted its video editing focus from the professional to the consumer space, shutting down work on FCP, adds "TechCrunch." Apple plans on releasing the new product this spring, perhaps in a launch coinciding with the National Association of Broadcasters conference, the article...

FileMaker, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, has announced schedule highlights for the FileMaker Developer Conference 2011, the largest annual gathering of worldwide FileMaker independent and corporate database developers, trainers and users. It will be held Aug. 2-5, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, San Diego. Attendees will save up to US$300 off the full conference registration price, paying $1,295 (or US$1,949 for the Gold Conference registration package, which includes pre-conference and FileMaker Training Series sessions, as well as the FileMaker Developer Conference), by taking advantage of the limited-time “early bird” discount, available until June 17. Attendees will receive complimentary copies of FileMaker Pro 11 Advanced and FileMaker Go for iPhone and iPad. Conference goers will learn how to build more professional databases, extend solutions to the web and deploy custom solutions for the iPhone and iPad. In addition to increasing their technical expertise,...

Southwest Airlines has launched InAirtainment as a website that sells music, TV shows and movies through Apple's iTunes Store, reports "Variety" (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118032639). Southwest said it receives a small percentage of the sales generated by each download. Apple's iTunes Affiliates program typically pays a 5% commission for revenue generated by links to the iTunes store from websites and emails. Southwest's site launched by offering a playlist of 20 free songs from artists "about to fly" in their music careers, says "Variety." "We want our customers to be able to find all their travel needs at Southwest.com and a big part of traveling is loading up on songs, movies, and all the television you've missed during the week," Southwest spokesperson Whitney Eichinger told "Variety." "Our new InAirtainment page allows customers an easy in to iTunes and we offer special deals to customers booking through our site like the 20 free songs we are offering with the...

Easynth has released version 2.67 of its ForeUI prototyping tool (http://www.foreui.com/). The upgrade allows you to add a comment on any entity in the action editor. ForeUI is a tool to create static or interactive prototypes for websites/software in your mind. Your prototype will be skinnable, and you can change its style from "hand drawing" to "wire frame," 
and to native OS styles. The behavior of prototypes can be defined with flow charts to handle specific events. The prototype can be exported to wireframe images, PDF documents or DHTML simulation. The created prototypes will be useful for idea sharing, design review, feedback collection or usability testing etc. ForeUI requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. The cost is US$99 per user for a lifetime usage license.

SmileOnMyMac (http://www.smileonmymac.com) has updated TextExpander, a Mac OS X utility that lets users define abbreviations for frequently-used text strings and images, to version 3.2.4. The update adds a new HTML/CSS predefined snippet group that takes advantage of the fill-in snippet format, which handles input of multiple variables. When one of the new HTML/CSS fill-in snippets is triggered, the user can manually enter the attributes of HTML tags and CSS definitions, such as width, height, and URL. Fill-in snippets were first introduced in TextExpander 3. The regular cost of TextExpander is US$34.95 for a single user license or $44.95 for a five-pack family license. A 30-day fully-functioning demo of TextExpander can be downloaded at the SmileOnMyMac web site. Upgrades to TextExpander 3.x from earlier versions costs $15. Version 3.2.4 is a free update for registered users of version 3.x. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later.

Intel plans to roll out Light Peak, a high-speed connection technology that Apple is also likely to adopt, says "CNET" (http://macte.ch/iP2Uy), quoting an unnamed "industry source familiar with the details of the event." Intel released a statement to the media today saying that on Thursday in San Francisco it will "host a...press briefing to discuss a new technology that is about to appear on the market." "Maybe not coincidentally, Apple is expected to roll out new MacBook Pros -- and possibly other products -- on Thursday, notes "CNET." Intel has said in the past that the first products using Light Peak should appear in the first half of 2011. When Intel initially demonstrated Light Peak at its developer conference in 2009 it used a machine running Apple's Mac OS X. Light Peak paves the way for a new generation of extreme computer input and output (I/O) performance, delivering 10Gb/s of bandwidth, with the potential ability to scale to 100Gbs over the next decade, according to David...