Expansion pack released for Amazon Princess game
Following the success of Loren The Amazon Princess fantasy RPG, Winter Wolves has released its expansion to the game, The Castle of N'mar.
The expansion enriches the game by adding thrilling non-linear quests into unexplored lands, several new playable characters, and brand new quests that give more insight into existing party members. It all begins when Amazon scouts have gone missing while investigating disturbances in the cursed land of N'mar. It's now up to Loren and her companions to find out what is really plaguing the dark castle by the sea.
The Castle of N'mar requires Loren The Amazon Princess to play, and it is available for Mac, Windows and Linux systems. The main game has a free demo available on the official website (www.winterwolves.com). Registration for the expansion costs US$9.99.
HP rolls out LaserJet printers for business
HP has announced two new LaserJet printers designed for small to midsize businesses (SMBs) that allow them to create professional-quality color documents. They are:
° The HP LaserJet Pro 200 color M251 series, which sports features such as a touchscreen and walk-up USB port provide access to print jobs, allowing users to manage documents directly on the device. The printer also simplifies wireless connection set-up with HP Auto Wireless connect.(
° The HP LaserJet Pro 200 color MFP M276 series streamlines paper-based tasks with built-in print, scan, copy and fax functionality, accessible directly from the device’s color touchscreen or the walk-up USB port. By scanning and saving documents to their network or email, users are given access to materials that are securely stored in the cloud.
Availability of the HP LaserJet Pro 200 color M251 series and the HP LaserJet Pro 200 color MFP M276 series varies by country. Additional information about new HP imaging and printing devices is...
B.A.S.E jumps onto multiple platforms
YoYo Games says that B.A.S.E. Jumper, the latest game to be made in-house using the company’s GameMaker: Studio technology, has launched simultaneously on the Mac App Store, Apple App Store, iTunes, Amazon AppStore, Chrome, Facebook, YoYo Games Website (HTML5), Google Play, NOOK and Samsung’s Tizen App Store.
Here's how the game is described: "B.A.S.E. Jumper sets players the task of completing incredibly dangerous B.A.S.E. jumps from buildings, antennas, spans (as in bridges) and earth (as in cliff tops). Players must guide the titular B.A.S.E. Jumper to terra firma and into the safety of his friends as the local sheriff patrols, hell-bent on catching the player in the act.
"Obstacles such as cranes, boulders, trees, bungee jumpers and zip liners all conspire to get in the way of each descent, with each discipline coming with its own unique set of obstacles according to theme. A jump from a building will see cranes and police nets in the way, while a jump from a power line antenna...
SCOtutor for Mountain Lion tutorial now on Mac App Store
ScreenCastsOnline (screencastsonline.com) has released SCOtutor for Mountain Lion, a new video tutorial app. It's available at a special launch price of US$5.99 at Mac App Store.
SCOtutor for Mountain Lion takes you through the basics of Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Don McAllister shows you how to get the most out of Apple's new operating system by following this study guide. It's packed with over two hours of HD video tutorials, organized into 30 lessons.
Mac OS X software updates for Oct. 1
Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps:
Telestream (www.telestream.com) has revved ScreenFlow, its tool for making a screen recording, to version 3.0.8. The upgrade offers Retina display support.
Ntractive (www.ntractive.com) has updated Elements CRM, the company's Mac Customer Relationship Management solution, to version 4.2.1. It adds compatibility with Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
Carnation Software has released MacWise 14.0.2 (www.macwise.com), an update to its terminal emulation software for the Mac. It's a maintenance release with some bug fixes.
Propaganda Productions (http://www.propagandaprod.com) has announced Deja Vu 4.4, an update of the software for backing up your files. It's been tweaked for better Mountain Lion compatibility.
Paragon Software Group (http://www.paragon-software.com) has given us NTFS for Mac OS X 10.0.1 -- an update of the software designed to eliminate barriers between Windows and Mac operating systems, and ease data manipulation and data...
iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps for Oct. 1
Here are the latest iPhone/iPod touch/iPod/iPad apps. You can find 'em at the Apple App Store (www.itunes.com/appstore/).
Goodapps has announced Envelope HD 1.0 for the iPad. The goal of the US$1.99 game is to overlap geometric shapes by dragging points with your finger. As the complexity of its levels increases, Envelope introduces aslider for checking shape overlapping steps until it's fully completed.
Syncode has released Birder for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The $4.99 app combines a field guide and field report for the common birds of Britain and Ireland to help enthusiasts better track, identify and record bird sightings.
Authors Nahia del Valle and Alex Lamikiz have introduced Pirates The BookGame 1.0 for iPad. The $1.99 app combines reading and gaming. Created for children, parents, and teachers, the app features 12 mini-games, animations, and texts.
OrionArts has unleashed a troop of destructive monsters called Toyzilla 1.0 The free game features Pokemon-like...
Data Engine Technologies sues Apple for patent infringement
Another day, another lawsuit. Apple is being sued by Data Engine Technologies for patent infringement, reports "The Mac Observer (www.macobserver.com). The suit claims Apple's Numbers spreadsheet software violates its patent (number 5463724) for an "improved spreadsheet interface with user-familiar objects."
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division. The summary of the patent in question reads:
"An electronic spreadsheet system of the present invention includes a notebook interface having a plurality of notebook pages, each of which may contain a spread of information cells, or other desired page type (e.g., Graphs page). Methods are provided for rapidly accessing and processing information on the different pages, including displaying a plurality of page identifiers for selecting individual pages, and further including a preferred syntax for referencing information. Additional methods are provided for editing cells and blocks of...
Apple's share of smartphone market grows to 1-in-3...
ComScore (www.comscore.com), which "measures the digital world," has released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending July 2012. Among the results: Apple's share of the U.S. smartphone market grew to 1-in-3 subscribers.
The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.6% market share. Google Android continued to lead among smartphone platforms, accounting for 52.2% of smartphone subscribers, while Apple secured 33.4%.
For the three-month average period ending in July, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM [original equipment manufacturer] with 25.6% of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with 18.4% share. Apple continued to gain share in the OEM market, ranking third with 16.3% of mobile subscribers (up 1.9 percentage points),...
Tim Cook addresses iOS Maps controversy
Apple CEO Tim Cook has published a public letter on the much-maligned Maps app in iOS 6. It reads:
To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our...
iPhone 5 ads perform well with consumers
Ace Metrix (www.acemetrix.com), which specializes in analytics for television and video advertisers, says its studies show that that the new ads for the iPhone 5 performed extremely well among U.S. TV viewers.
The top two iPhone ads -- one that portrays the new panoramic photo feature and another that reveals the new headphones -- ranked among the top three mobile phone ads year-to-date. Those ads out-performed their two counterparts from Samsung which mixed Galaxy S III features with a poof of the Apple fanboy lines.
"While they are still neck and neck with Samsung from ad effectiveness perspective in the mobile phone category, Apple’s performance in promoting the iPhone 5 was an improvement vs. many of the recent celebrity efforts for Siri," says Peter Daboll, CEO of Ace Metrix. "However, the iPhone 'launch' ads almost always perform well – part of the 'i-phoria' that accompanies these new product introductions."
While the new iPhone ads appealed across demographic breaks, they...
iPhone 5 costs $0.41 per year to charge
The iPhone 5 costs approximately US$0.41 per year to charge, according to new data from OPower (http://macte.ch/xV0YE), which analyzes energy data.
Using an Watts Up Pro Electricity Consumption Meter, OPower measured how much electricity it took to charge each phone from 0% to 100% full. They took those results and modeled them across a year.
"Even if we consider just the 170 million iPhone 5’s that are projected to be sold globally in the next year, their aggregate electricity requirements are nothing to sneeze at," says OPower. "The collective annual electricity consumption of the iPhone 5’s sold within 12 months will be equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 54,000 US households (roughly equivalent to the size of Cedar Rapids – the second largest city in Iowa)."
Libratone introduces portable AirPlay speaker
Libratone (www.libratone.com) has announced the Libratone Zipp, a portable, battery-powered, wireless speaker that works with Apple's AirPlay without the need for a Wi-Fi network and complicated setup.
A full charge purportedly provides up to eight hours of playtime wired and up to four hours using the wireless connection. The Libratone Zipp features changeable wool covers in eight colors. It works with the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Mac, as well as a PC.
Developed especially for Libratone Zipp, PlayDirect technology makes it possible to stream music with or without the need for an in-home Wi-Fi network, says Tommy Andersen, CEO of Libratone. This Libratone-only feature is an easy-to-use, ideal solution for picnics, camping trips and other outdoor activities, he adds.
PlayDirect works in conjunction with AirPlay technology, creating a direct Wi-Fi connection between the Libratone Zipp and any compatible device, such as an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or computer. The slick Libratone...
SQLiteDoctor makes a house call on OS X, Windows
SQLabs has announced SQLiteDoctor for Mac OS X and Windows. It's an application developed to recover corrupted SQLite databases.
Though SQLite is resistant to database corruption, it's not immune and, in some cases, a special tool like SQLiteDoctor is required in order to be able to fully restore your damaged SQLite database.
SQLiteDoctor requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher or Windows XP/Vista/7. A single license is US$49. Company and multiplatform licenses are also available. For more information, please visit the SQLabs website (www.sqlabs.com/).
Sharp: we're making plenty of iPhone 5 screens
Sharp says it's making "adequate volumes" of displays for the iPhone 5, reports "Reuters." A company exec says a possible bottleneck in supplies of screens may have eased, the article adds.
Analysts have blamed a shortage in display supplies for leaving Apple with too few iPhones to meet demand at its launch this month. At the end of August three weeks before the new iPhone went on sale, Sharp, which was supposed to be mass producing at its Kameyama plant in central Japan, had fallen behind schedule, a source earlier told "Reuters."
However, that's been resolved, a Sharp executive told the publication at a press briefing in Osaka, western Japan, speaking on the condition that he remained anonymous.
CamRanger enables wireless DSLR camera control with iPad, iPhone
CamRanger (www.camranger.com) has introduced theCamRanger device and associated iOS app that enables wireless tethering control of Canon or Nikon DSLRs from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
CamRanger offers a high level of camera control, with no computer or Internet required. Advanced features -- such as live view, touch focusing, image capture, full image resolution viewing, movie recording, change settings and more -- are all controlled wirelessly from an iOS device.
From an iOS device CamRanger provides control of a camera, including the following features: live view, touch focusing, image capture & photo viewing, the zoom in on full resolution images (JPG and Canon RAW), movie recording with touch focusing on select cameras, the ability to view and set camera settings, focus stacking, intervalometer (time-lapse), and HDR bracketing. It also gives control over more advanced settings such as shooting mode, image format, focus mode, and exposure compensation and bracketing.
The...
Future sees Apple Newsstand sales pass $8 million mark
Magazine publisher Future "hinted: that :it will upgrade its digital strategy later this year, as it announced impressive sales at Apple's Newsstand, reports "paidContent" (http://macte.ch/8hWQ0).
"Sales of digital editions on Apple devices have passed £5 million ($8 million) in the period since the Apple Newsstand was launched in October 2011," the company reported in Thursday’s interim trading update.
Future publishes "T3," "Tap!," "Guitarist," "PC Gamer," "Total Film," "Simply Knitting," "Edge" and lots of other magazines. Newsstand was introduced by Apple in iOS 5.
China Publishing House wins suit against Apple
"The Beijing Times" reports -- as noted by "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com) -- that a Chinese court ruled in favor of the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House in its suit against Apple that claimed the U.S. company was liable for the sale of unauthorized digital copies of its encyclopedia found on the App Store.
First filed in 2010, the suit claimed apps being sold through Apple's App Store contained pirated versions of the copy-written encyclopedia. Apple argued that it had no involvement in the development of the third-party apps; however, the court ruled the company was responsible as it both approved and profited from the apps' sale. The publisher originally asked for RMB 530,000, or about $84,200. However, the final judgment by Beijing's Second Intermediate People’s Court was RMB 520,000, or $82,600, notes "AppleInsider."
Element Case releases Sector for the iPhone 5
Element Case (www.elementcase.com) has debuted the Sector 5 FE (First Edition) case for the iPhone 5. It sports a modular "multi-link" design with individual links CNC machined in the USA from aircraft grade 6061 aluminum billet.
It also boasts special non-disclosed aerospace grade polymers to prevent signal loss. US made Stainless steel fasteners are used to attach the links to form an ultra-strong, feather light design, according to Jeff Sasaki, founder and lead designer.
The Sector 5’s new multi-link perimeter frame design is comprised of eight individual links to create a modular design that allows endless customization or upgrade possibilities, he adds. A single screw removal system allows the multi-link design to "unfold" for quick installation.
The interchangeable back plate on the First Edition model will be genuine Ultrasuede with more back plate options to come on later models including carbon fiber, genuine leather and more. Available now for iPhone 5, and with a limited...
Veyl Products gives us KidSafe smart phone cover
Veyl Products (veylproducts.com) has introduced the US$12.95 KidSafe smartphone cover. It works with the iPhone and other devices.
The slip-on case provides parents with peace of mind that their smart phones will not be compromised by curious kids’ sticky fingers and germs, as well as their potential spills and accidents, says Renee Anderson, co-owner of Veyl Products and designer of the KidSafe phone cover. The case is designed so that the child can continue to play and operate the device while it is in the case, protected.
Constructed of a soft polyester material with the look of high grade leather, the KidSafe Cover is available in black with aqua blue detail and black with hot pink detail. The KidSafe will accommodate nearly any smart phone due to its universal design and soft, flexible material, Anderson says.
MacGameStore releases MacGameStore app for Mac OS X
MacGameStore (www.macgamestore.com), an online store for digital downloads of Mac Games, has announced its MacGameStore App, which provides an easier shopping experience to get the latest Mac games. It requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, is free and is available exclusively through the MacGameStore website.
MacGameStore has an extensive library of Mac Games with new games being added daily. This new app provides game screenshots, game trailers, community reviews, and game ratings. The app utilizes the cloud so games are downloaded quickly and allows customers to store their games in the cloud.
WD rolls out 4TB WD RE SAS, WD RE SATA hard drives
WD says it's expanding its enterprise-class storage offerings with the release of new WD RE SAS and WD RE SATA hard drives in capacities up to 4TB.
Available immediately in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB and 4TB capacities for nearline SAS and 2TB, 3TB and 4TB for SATA, the 3.5-inch WD RE SAS and WD RE SATA hard drives offer a combination of enterprise-class features and superior capacity to meet the growing demands of conventional business-critical environments as well as the high-capacity and performance requirements of cloud and scale-out computing, according to Doug Pickford, senior director of business marketing for WD's enterprise business unit.
Available through select distributors and resellers, the 3.5-inch WD RE SAS and WD RE SATA hard drives are covered by a five-year limited warranty. Additional information about WD RE SAS enterprise hard drives and limited warranty terms may be found on the company website at http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=580 and WD RE SATA enterprise...
Moneydance 2012 boogies onto the Mac
The Infinite Kind has announced Moneydance 2012, an update to their personal financial management application for the Mac. The upgrade is ready for Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and offers built-in syncing with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
It also offers: internalized data storage to allow for upcoming improvements; an increased level of data file encryption; minor user interface improvements; and enhancements to behind-the-scenes online banking functions. The software requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher.
Moneydance 2012 combines a checkbook-register interface with features such as online banking and bill payment, investment management, budgeting, scheduled transactions, detailed graphs, reports, and more. In addition to improved features and performance, Moneydance is now available for purchase through the Mac App Store.
Moneydance can import your finances directly from Quicken Essentials for Mac. You can also send payments and bank online with hundreds of supported banks....
Quark unveils publishing platform for customer communications
Quark has announced its new enterprise publishing platform for customer communications: Quark Publishing Platform, an integrated solution that automates the creation and delivery of interactive content across print, Web, and digital formats.
As an open solution, Quark Publishing Platform is architected to work with existing enterprise infrastructures and business systems to optimize the publishing process. According to Ray Schiavone, president and CEO of Quark, with it enterprise content creators, IT departments, and business managers can build systems to produce, manage, and deliver content related to: research reporting for capital markets; regulatory compliance; intelligence; technical product marketing; case management; eGovernment; and other content-centric business solutions
The modules of Quark Publishing Platform allow users to:
° Automatically assemble and deliver content to print, PDF, HTML5, Web, XML, tablet and mobile apps, and other digital formats;
° Reduce cycle-time...
Mac OS X software updates for Sept. 28
Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps:
Maintain (maintain.se/cocktail) has announced Cocktail 5.3.6 (Lion Edition), the latest maintenance update for users running OS X Lion 10.7. Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets users clean, repair and optimize their Mac. Version 5.3.6 adds compatibility with Gatekeeper in OS X Lion 10.7.5 and contains improvements to the Pilot scheduler.
Hyperbolic Software (www.hyperbolicsoftware.com) has served up Tidy Up 3.0.3, an upgrade of the duplicate finder and disk tidying utility. The upgrade introduces a new user interface, the ability to search for duplicate folders by content and more.
Magican Software (www.magicansoft.com) has released Magican 1.2.0, an update of the the freeware the provides a "Mac healthcare service" with anti-virus, system cleaning and monitor, performance tune-ups and app updates capabilities. The upgrade sports a quarantine in security center that allows the user to remove suspected viruses or...
iPhone 5 to be available in more countries, on more carriers...
The iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on Friday, Sept. 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
It will also be available through several regional U.S. carriers. They include Appalachian Wireless, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, Cricket, C Spire Wireless, GCI, Golden State Cellular, Next-Tech Wireless, nTelos and Pioneer Wireless.
Amazon asks judge to throw out Apple claim
Amazon.com has asked a federal judge to throw out Apple's false advertising claim in a lawsuit challenging the online retailer's use of the "app store" name, reports "Reuters" (http://macte.ch/c6v8l).
Last year Apple sued Amazon, saying the online retailer is using Apple’s “App Store” trademark for a mobile-software developer program. In a complaint filed March 18, 2011, in federal court in northern California, Apple accused Amazon.com of trademark infringement and unfair competition and asked for a judge’s order to prevent the company from using the "App Store" name, as well as for unspecified damages.
Apple registered for a trademark on the term App Store on July 17, 2008. It has been using the name since then to refer to its applications store for iOS devices. Earlier this year it also launched the Mac App Store.
"Amazon has begun improperly using Apple’s App Store mark in connection with Amazon’s mobile-software developer program," Apple said in the complaint. Amazon also plans to...
TwelveSouth introduces HiRise for the iMac
Twelve South has introduced the HiRise, a height-adjustable stand designed exclusively for the iMac and Apple Cinema Displays. Crafted from extruded aluminum and stamped steel, it elevates an iMac or monitor, allowing the user to adjust the height of his screen to create a more comfortable, ergonomic workspace.
Along with raising the height of Macs, HiRise creates a stealthy desktop storage bay for connected gear or personal items, according to Andrew Green, creative director of Twelve South. It's compatible with all current iMac and Apple Displays and is available at TwelveSouth.com for US $79.99.
The HiRise has an internal metal support shelf that lets you adjust the height of your iMac in one of six internal positions. The HiRise shelf can also align the screen height of an Apple Display, side-by-side with your iMac for a dual-display setup.
Another highlight of HiRise is the hidden storage it adds to your workspace. You can remove the magnetically-held front faceplate to reveal...
TV to drive global demand for 3D-ready devices
The 3D display market is set to grow from 50.8 million units and US$13.2 billion in revenue in 2011 to 226 million units and $67 billion in revenue in 2019 worldwide, according to the NPD DisplaySearch (www.displaysearch.com/)"3D Display Technology and Market Forecast Report."
3D TVs contribute heavily to this projection and create the largest revenue stream with anticipated growth from 25 million units in 2011 to approximately 180 million units in 2019. If/when the rumored Apple-branded HDTV arrives (the "iTV"), perhaps it will include 3D support (hopefully, without those clunky glasses). If not, maybe a 3D "iMac TV" next year.
"Despite some industry sentiment that the 3D bubble has burst, we expect 3D to continue to grow across several categories including TVs, portable devices, and public displays," says Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, Vice President of Emerging Display Technologies, NPD DisplaySearch. "In 2008, the 3D display market was under 1 million units and $902 million in...
OnDevice: iOS 6 leads to dip in satisfaction among iPhone users
According to a new survey from OnDevice (www.ondeviceresearch.com) -- as reported by "TechCrunch" (http://macte.ch/uzFkS) -- iOS 6 is actually leading to a decrease in satisfaction among iPhone users.
The research group's survey of just under 16,000 iPhone owners in the U.S. found that compared to iOS 5, those with iOS 6 were slightly less satisfied with their devices. The drop is small, "but still noteworthy because On Device says this is the first time it’s seeing a drop in satisfaction," notes "TechCrunch."
"We have always seen an increase in device satisfaction as consumer upgrade their mobile operating system from one version to another," On Device CEO Alistair Hill said. He added that especially compared to the jump between iOS 4 and iOS 5, which shows strong improvements, the drop from iOS 5 to iOS 6 seems especially unusual.
Consumers have not responded well to the replacement of Google Maps with Apple’s own mobile maps offering, which seems to be the primary source of a lot...
Online ads and the iPad: The banner is still king
Tobii Technology (www.tobii.com), which specializes in eye tracking and gaze interaction, in partnership with Mediative (www.mediative.com.) -- a digital marketing company specializing, among other things, in market-leading digital performance analysis -- has released the findings of a new eye-tracking study, revealing that, regardless of device, the leaderboard banner ad remains the most visible and effective way to reach consumers online.
The study compares the consumption of online ads between a traditional computer and an iPad.
"The ways users consume media differ widely across devices, leaving mobile decision-makers to question the most effective placement and potential ROI [return on investment] of their advertising," says Gord Hotchkiss, chief strategy officer at Mediative. "Because of Tobii’s eye-tracking technology and analysis, we are now able to provide both quantitative and qualitative data that will support these decision-makers on how to best allocate their media spend...
HDMI version of Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt Docking Station announced
Matrox has introduced the Matrox DS1 series of Thunderbolt docking stations that brings all the productivity benefits of a desktop computer to MacBook Pro and MacBook Air users, according to Charles Amyot, Matrox product manager.
From a single Thunderbolt connection, users can add multiple peripherals including either a large DVI or an HDMI display, a full-size keyboard, and a mouse. A gigabit Ethernet port provides connectivity to a wired corporate network.
One SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port is located on the front of the unit, plus two USB 2.0 ports, a microphone input, and a speaker/headphone output are also provided. The US$249 Matrox DS1 sports as solid aluminum construction and space-saving design.
It will be available in December. For more info go to http://www.matrox.com/docking_station/en/ds1/ .
Griffin, Otis James team up for iPhone cases
Griffin Technology and Otis James, a Nashville-based tie and hat maker, have partnered to create a line of handmade sleeves for the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 which will be sold exclusively in Griffin’s London store and on Griffin’s website.
The sleeves offer a slim, pocketable protective case with a front pocket that stores credit cards and cash. Every detail is hand-finished, down to the stamps on the labels. The Otis James cases are available for US $75 at www.griffintechnology.com/otis-james .
Foxconn: no deaths, no product delays in recent riots
Apple manufacturing partner, Foxconn Electronics has issued a statement related to the recent riots at its Taiyuan facility in China saying that production lines that were temporary halted to assist the investigation by local police on Sept. 24 have already resumed operations, reports "DigiTimes" (www.digitimes.com).
The company adds that the facility isn't responsible for any product assembly so there'll be no effect on shipments of products such as the iPhone 5. Responding to news reports that deaths occurred during the conflict, Foxconn said there were no deaths and all the injured are currently "being carefully attended to," adds "DigiTimes."
Chief shipping iPad mounting solutions
Chief (www.chiefmfg.com) is shipping new mounting solutions for the iPad. They include:
° Portable interface brackets that work with Kontour series desk mounts and all generations of the iPad. The snap fit is designed for easy removal for the user on the go. This model is designed for holding your tablet in the perfect location while at your desk.
° The tamper-resistant interface bracket that works with Kontour series desk mounts and wall mounts. It accommodates the two newest iPad generations and is designed for public spaces in corporate and digital signage environments. The tamper-resistant design deters theft and safeguards connections for cable charging and syncing.
° The flush mount solution secures your iPad to a wall or desk in any position you need. This solution works with the two newest iPad generations and is designed for more permanent installations. The tamper-resistant case also protects connections for cable charging and syncing.
A weight plate accessory also is...
WaterField iPhone 5 cases fit within third party shells
WaterField Designs (http://www.sfbags.com) has introduced specially-sized, protective iPhone 5 cases -- the iPhone Wallet (pictured), the Smart Case, the Suede Jacket, the Hint -- in sizes to fit the Apple smartphone when encased in a third-party, play-through shell.
WaterField also offers snug-fitting sizes of each of these cases for the "naked" iPhone 5. All products are manufactured in San Francisco. Cases begin shipping this week from WaterField's workshop. Prices range from US$10 to $45.
Dolly Drive pushes up REVO launch
To accommodate Apple MobileMe users who will begin getting charged for iCloud storage above 5GB on Sept. 30, Dolly Drive (http://www.dollydrive.com) says its new storage, backup and sync platform, REVO, will be made fully available ahead of its planned October 10th launch.
Dolly Drive provides more than twice as much online storage to MobileMe users for the same price as Apple's iCloud and provides more features including protection from file corruption and deletion, as well as hard drive saving virtual file storage, according to CEO Anthony Palermo. MobileMe users were provided 20 GB for US$40 per year of Apple's iCloud service as a replacement. Dolly Drive offers more than twice as much storage for the same price with an additional 5GB reward each month that brings the total to over 100GB of storage by the end of the first year. Dolly Drive also offers a number of larger plans.
Dolly Drive REVO is an all-in-one sync, store and backup service designed for the Mac experience. In...
FileMaker Design Studio scheduled for October
The Craft of FileMaker will be hosting their next Design Studio for FileMaker Pro Developers Oct. 22-24 in New York City.
This three-day training will be led by veteran FileMaker Developer's Conference speaker, Don Levan, president of Vanguard Custom Software and Founder of the Craft of FileMaker. Attendees of The Design Studio will learn to design applications, conduct design research, Prototype and Test Designs, identify and use design patterns, and more.
Registration for the class is US$1.499. The Studio is being held at the 825 3rd Avenue (50th Street) in the heart of New York City. The Studio will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptop computers. Paper, sharpies, sticky notes, and six-up templates will be provided. Participants will receive a recommended reading list in advance of the Studio. Participants are responsible for their own meals. For more info go to http://fmcraft.com/ .
Pomfort's LiveGrade Pro packs Pandora Pluto support
Pomfort, a provider of professional software for data and color management on the film set, has released LiveGrade Pro. It's an extended version of the onset color management product LiveGrade that includes features such as support for Pandora's Pluto and automated ASC-CDL exchange with the Codex recorders.
LiveGrade Pro has been specifically designed to interactively adjust and preset looks on the live-image of SDI signals of digital film cameras, according to the folks at Pomfort. This gives the production team the opportunity to visualize color corrected images onset for review and to export CDL and LUT files to subsequent post-production tools.
The new LiveGrade Pro version enables the user to choose between a hardware setup with Blackmagic's HDLink and Pandora's Pluto. This option provides greater flexibility to the needs of different color management workflows onset, according to Steve Brett, innovator of Pluto and founder of Pandora.
Pomfort LiveGrade Pro is available for US$...
Another zero-day Java bug discovered
Adam Gowdiak, the founder and CEO of Security Explorations, has uncovered a new critical zero-day vulnerability in all currently-supported versions of the java software from Oracle, reports "Computerworld" (http://macte.ch/NA3kC)
The bug can be leveraged to hijack a machine equipped with Java, letting attackers install malware on the system. Macs and PCs are equally at risk if their users have Java installed, notes "Computerworld. All currently supported versions of Java -- including Java 5, Java 6 and Java 7 -- reportedly contain the bug.
The Art of Documentary Editing workshop returns
Manhattan Edit Workshop, a digital training destination for post-production and content creators, has announced the return of its five-day intensive workshop, The Art of Documentary Editing, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
Taught by Janet Dalton, MEWshop's director of education and freelance editor, and MEWshop owner and filmmaker Josh Apter, students will explore the many techniques of documentary editing. While students will learn and explore the technology used for documentary editing, they must come to the class with experience in Final Cut Pro, Avid or Premiere Pro.
Students may enroll in a certified Avid Media Composer 6, Premiere Pro CS6 or FCP X class prior to the Art of Documentary class and receive a 15% discount on both classes. Students are welcome to take material from the class to use on their personal reels.
Register before Oct. 5 and you can save US$200. The regular cost of the workshop is $1,395. For more info go to http://macte.ch/aEBe3 .
Mac OS X software updates for Sept. 27
Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps:
MacXDVD Software (www.macxdvd.com) now boasts an advanced DVD decryption technology of their highly-rated DVD ripping software-MacX DVD Ripper Pro 3.9.11. The new version has been upgraded to add a new DVD navigator analysis scheme, providing a solution for newly released DVDs amongst similar products. This upgrading also brings a new profile for Apple iPhone 5 to fully embrace the audio and video format for iPhone 5.
Zevrix Solutions (www.zevrix.com) has updated BatchOutput PDF, a solution for printing multiple PDF documents, to version 1.0.5. The new version offers improved compatibility with certain HP OfficeJet printers.
Dropbox (www.dropgox.com), a service that lets people store and share data, has been revved to version 1.4.17. The upgrade sees the button to quit the app relocated to the Preferences window.
Aquafadas (www.aquafadas.com) has released MotionComposer 1.5.1 , an update of its software for creating interactive Web...
Apple files opposition to lifting ban on Galaxy Tab sales
Apple has filed an opposition to Samsung's motion to lift the U.S. ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet sales. Apple won the preliminary injunction as part of its ongoing legal battle with Samsung over mobile device patent infringement claims.
Florian Mueller of "FOSS Patents" (www.fosspatents.com/) writes: "When Judge Koh denied Samsung's request to stay the injunction a few months ago, she referred to Samsung's statements on the absence of major harm, for example, "that 'sales of the accused Galaxy Tab 10.1 will soon fall to zero' because it is near 'the end of its product lifecycle,' and that the injunction would not have 'a significant impact' on its business since 'the successor model to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is already on the market,'" said Florian Mueller of Foss Patents. "Apple's brief today notes that Samsung wanted to have those passages redacted, but Judge Koh decided that these should be in the public record."
This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung...
Samsung, Google execs to meet -- and discuss Apple?
Samsung's Shin Jong-kyun will meet with Google CEO Eric Schmidt in Seoul tomorrow, and "it's a safe bet the topic of Apple will come up," according to "CNET."
The meeting comes a little more than a month after Samsung lost a major patent case to Apple in the U.S. A California jury verdict found that Samsung knowingly infringed on Apple patents and awarded the iPhone maker more than $1 billion in damages.
Google tried to distance itself from the verdict, saying that the patents in question "don't relate to the core Android operating system." However, the ongoing legal battles "do ultimately pose a problem for Google," notes "CNET."
Read more at http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57520476-94/samsung-google-execs-to-mee... .
Preschool University offers Sound Beginnings for OS X
Preschool University (www.preschoolu.com) has introduced Sound Beginnings 1.0 for Mac OS X, the fourth in their series of educational apps designed to help young children learn to read. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and is available free through the Mac App Store in the Education category.
Utilizing Montessori principles, Sound Beginnings helps build strong phonics skills and helps develop foundational reading skills, according to Preschool University President Richard Colombini. Six learning games offer practice using the sounds and not the names of the letters, and lowercase instead of uppercase letters at the beginning, middle, and end of words.
Sound Beginnings includes six interactive games, where players match the correct letter/sound to the first, middle, or last sound of the word identifying a pictured object. The first three games, in order of increasing challenge, ask the child to select the correct letter/sound for the beginning, end, and middle of a word.
My Alarm Clock comes to the Mac
Apalon has released My Alarm Clock 1.0 (www.apalon.com/) on the Mac App Store. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher, costs US$0.99 and is available in the Utilities category.
My Alarm Clock turns the Mac into an alarm clock that sings users' favorite songs, provides designer themes and current weather information, and a sleep timer. You can choose from analogue and digital, modern and classic, retro and futuristic skins. My Alarm Clock also provides multiple alarm support.
Book shares management lessons from Steve Jobs
Jay Elliot, founder and CEO of Nuvel, a software development company based in Los Gatos, California, had the privilege to manage side by side with Steve Jobs as a former Senior vice president at Apple from 1980-1986. Now he's written a book, "Leading Apple with Steve Jobs: Management Lessons from a Controversial Genius."
Elliot was personally hired by Jobs, just in time to accompany him on the last of his historic visits to Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center -- visits that changed the course of computing. From spending time with Jobs, he believes there is a great deal that the average manager or leader can learn from Jobs approach to motivating people, pursuing excellence, and leading innovative teams.
In "Leading Apple with Steve Jobs: Management Lessons From a Controversial Genius from Wiley Publishing, Elliot offers an insider's account, sharing Jobs’ basic strategies for leading teams, and the techniques that made them so innovative. This book is organized around key management and...
Addonics announces 1U RAID rack family
Addonics Technologies (www.addonics.com) has announced the Addonics RAID Rack family of 1U rack-mount chassis with removable drive systems for attaching four 3.5-inch SATA hard drives of any capacity to a system via a single eSATA, USB 3.0, Firewire 800 or mini SAS connection.
The family is designed to offer storage solutions for video storage or any application that requires a high capacity, reliable storage system. The four drives can be configured as a RAID group or as independent drives.
You can start your RAID Rack with just one hard drive and expand by adding more hard drives as your storage requirement grows. You have a choice of models with Port Multipliers or with direct drive connection via eSATA or mini SAS cables. Drives are added or removed directly like tape cartridges. The RAID Rack is multi-OS compatible depending on the host controller.
One of the new 1U RAID Rack models is the R1ESU3F (pictured) that comes integrated with a hardware Port Multiplier with RAID...
Centrify delivers solution for Mac OS X smart card support
Centrify Corp., a provider of security and compliance solutions, has released its free Centrify Express for Smart Card offering, enabling federal government employees and contractors with Macs to securely access web sites, virtual private networks and encrypted email using smart card authentication.
The simple installation and use of Centrify Express for Smart Card allows employees to use their personal Mac system on the road or at home to securely access critical information, according to Greg Cranley, director of Federal Sales at Centrify. Supported smart cards include the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, the Common Access Card (CAC) and the CAC Next Generation (CAC NG) card.
Centrify DirectControl Express for Smart Card is a free offering based on the same technology as the Centrify DirectControl for Mac OS X Smart Card Edition deployed today across federal, defense and first responder communities. Centrify Express products have been acquired by more than 100,000 IT...
LaCie announces USB 3.0 Thunderbolt series
LaCie says its Rugged hard drive is the first storage solution to feature both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 technology on a high-performance SSD. These cutting-edge technologies make the new LaCie Rugged the fastest bus-powered solution on the market, according to CEO Philippe Spruch.
The LaCie Rugged delivers speeds up to 380MB/s, making it the fastest bus-powered product ever, he adds. Respectively, the hard disk version performs up to 110MB/s, a 35% mprovement over FireWire 800, according to Spruch.
Because USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, the user can connect it to any standard computer. The LaCie Rugged is also fully bus-powered through the included USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt cables.
It's MIL-compliant for data protection from accidental drops up to 1.2 meters (four feet). Thanks to SSD technology, it can resist intense vibration and shock, says Spruch. It iincludes AES 256-bit encryption software to protect files from prying eyes or theft.
The Rugged USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series, design...
Route1 unveils MobiKEY Classic 2 for Mac OS X
Route1 (www.route1.com), a digital security and identity management company, has introduced the US$95 MobiKEY Classic 2 (MC2), a tool for Mac OS X users who require security when accessing data remotely.
The MC2 is a smartcard embedded device that allows subscribers to remotely access their office computer, network and other digital resources from anywhere at any time. The first security tool ever made available for private enterprise that is configured for Mac OS X (and Windows), it doesn't require any pre-installed software to work on a guest computer or other remote device, according to Route1 CEO Tony Busseri, CEO.
It's completely clientless and driverless. Pocket sized the MobiKEY employs an identity-based access system that lets employees work from anywhere at any time - without compromising electronic security, Busseri adds.
