The Steam gaming service and Valve gaming engine from Valve (http://www.valuesoftware.com) will steam up things on the Mac starting May 12. Steam and Valve's library of games include Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life series. "As we transition from entertainment as a product to entertainment as a service, customers and developers need open, high-quality Internet clients," says Valve President Gabe Newell, "The Mac is a great platform for entertainment services." "Our Steam partners, who are delivering over a thousand games to 25 million Steam clients, are very excited about adding support for the Mac," adds Jason Holtman, director of Business Development at Valve. "Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge. For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam...

Apple will be closing its retail stores in the U.S. Friday afternoon from 4-5PM to get ready for the launch of the 3G version of the iPad. Some folks who have pre-ordered 'em may receive them prior to this time. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad have a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model. The iPad is sold in the US through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. AT&T offers an iPad data service for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. For US$14.99 per month, you get 250GB; $29.99 gets you unlimited storage. Data plans for iPad include access to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide at no additional cost.

Mac users who have long been at the mercy of arcane permissions from Mac OS X's Unix underpinnings can now regain mastery of their Macs with "Take Control of Permissions in Snow Leopard," the latest title in the Take Control library about Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). Written by Unix guru and Mac aficionado Brian Tanaka, the 91-page ebook mixes how-to details and troubleshooting tips with just a certain amount of theory as it explains permissions in relation to how to keep files private, copy files to and from servers effectively, work with accounts and groups, configure ACLs, set the Ignore Permissions option for external disks, repair default permissions, and delete those files that just won't die. The ebook may be purchased for US$10 at http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/snow-leopard-permissions . For those who want to learn advanced concepts, the ebook also delves into topics like the sticky bit, symbolic versus absolute ways to set permissions, and how to work with bit masks. In...

Akvis Software has released Akvis MultiBrush 4.0 (http://akvis.com/en/multibrush/index.php) for Mac and Windows systems. The app lets you retouch damaged photos and enhance portraits. Version 5.0 includes a new Artistic Tools palette with tools such as Oil Brush, Roller, Felt-tip Marker, Chalk, Artistic Pencil, Artistic Spray, and Artistic Eraser for adding artistic effects to images. The Standard Tools palette has been expanded and improved. There's a new Spray tool, and new parameters for selecting the color of pencils and brushes. You can change the shape of a pencil and the angle of brushes. Also the parameters of the Smudge tool have been changed. MultiBrush now lets you edit an image in layers. In the Layers palette, layers can be added, reordered, their visibility can be switched on or off, and they can be arranged in groups. There are two kinds of layers, raster and artistic, which can be edited by the standard and artistic tools, respectively. The layer Blending Options...

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics (http://www.strategyanalytics.com), global smartphone shipments grew 50% year-over-year, to reach 54 million units in the first quarter of 2010 (Q1 2010). This was the strongest period of growth for almost three years and smartphones continue to lead the handset industry out of recession, according to the research group. "The global smartphone market will head in two broad directions this year," says Neil Mawston, director at Strategy Analytics. "Some smartphone vendors, such as Nokia, will chase growing mid-tier volumes in emerging markets such as China and India. Other brands, such as Motorola, will focus on mature markets like the US and explore a new wave of services beyond Internet browsing and email such as high-quality video and navigation." RIM shipped 10.6 million smartphones worldwide in Q1 2010, beating Apple’s record 8.8 million units during the quarter. RIM has become the largest mobile device vendor of North...

John Shegerian, chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (http://1800recycling.com), a recycler of electronics and e-waste, has issued a statement about the success of the iPad. In his statement, he refers to the iPad as a “perfect example of a future trend” of the electronic waste recycling and urban mining industries. Shegerian said that Apple’s massively popular tablet device is the kind of significant innovation that creates enormous new opportunities across multiple industries while it triggers the public to discard older devices now rendered obsolete by the newer, user friendly technology the iPad provides. “It’s a rare occurrence, but once in a while a consumer electronics product comes along --he flat screen television for example – that captures the imagination and interest of the public so well that the product immediately becomes a ‘must have’ item and part of modern culture,” says Shegerian. “Apple’s iPad is such an item. We at ERI marvel at visionary...

Many Tricks has released version 3.1 of Witch (http://manytricks.com/witch), its window switching utility for Mac OS X. The new version adds a couple of new features, improves on many behaviors, and fixes a few bugs. In version 3.1, the Witch panel appears after a very short delay, so it can be used (as with Command-Tab) to toggle between two open windows without seeing the Witch panel flash onscreen. A major memory leak has been identified and plugged. Witch no longer uses increasing amounts of RAM over time, and uses less RAM overall than version 3.0. Updated help files explain all of Witch 3's features. Version 3.1 handles Parallels' windows more gracefully when Parallels is running in Coherence or Crystal view modes. Hidden windows are now shown with a translucent icon, so they can be easily identified at a glance. Witch 3.1 is a free update for all Witch 3 users. Witch 3 is US$19 for new users and $8 for users of Witch 2.x.

Apple has released version 3.0.3 of Aperture (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1040) its software for professional photographers. This update improves overall stability and fixes issues in a number of areas. According to Apple, the key areas addressed include: ° Applying adjustments such as Retouch or Chromatic Aberration; ° Creating and using Raw Fine Tuning presets; ° Viewing, adding and removing detected faces; ° Switching target printers and paper sizes when printing; ° Duplicating Smart Albums; ° Repairing and rebuilding Aperture libraries; ° Reconnecting referenced files; ° Working with GPS track files in Places; ° Searching for keywords in the Query HUD or Keyword Controls. Aperture 3.0.3 is a 69.4MB download. It requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher.

The WebObjects Community Association and BoxOffice Tickets have announced 2010's World-wide WebObjects Developer's Conference (http://www.wowodc.com), the annual conference dedicated to WebObjects, Apple's enterprise-class web application development framework. This three-day event will be held Aug. 27-29 in Montreal at the Hotel Gouverneur Place Dupuis. Sessions and Hands-On Labs will be led by WebObjects experts from around the world. The past few years have seen substantial new development surrounding WebObjects, one of Apple's most mature and time-tested technologies, says Pascal Robert, event organizer and Steering Committee member. Its behind-the-scenes roll in the iTunes music store and the App Store have driven development both by Apple and the global WebObjects community, bringing substantial updates to existing functionality and dramatic new features that keep WebObjects on the cutting edge of internet-enabled application development, he adds. Sessions and hands-on labs will...

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been named to the "2010 TIME 100" (http://www.time.com/time/specials/bestworst/0,32232,1984685_1984745_1985...), TIME Magazine's list of "the people who most affect our world." It's his fifth appearance on the list. 
Jeff Koons, an artist living in New York City, offered these thoughts on Jobs for the TIME list: "Apple's core ideal has always been to make people's experience of computing as accessible and pleasurable as possible. As a young man, Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, decided to be the Beatles of computing. I once said that I make what the Beatles would have made if they made sculpture, and I can appreciate how Steve, 55, applies their ethos of optimism to his work. The tools he has given us, from the Macs at my studio to the iPhone in my pocket, are like clean, new windows, fitting between our selves and our work elegantly, naturally and unobtrusively. It's great to see Steve stay true to his vision. I can imagine some young artist saying today, 'I make...

Intelligent Assistance has released Matchback Magic (http://assistedediting.com/MatchbackMagic/), software that adds matchback information to Final Cut Pro media files to make them very robust through many postproduction workflows, according to Intelligent Assistance CEO Philip Hodgetts. “With Matchback Magic it doesn’t matter if an editor or assistant renames clips or file names, or even if they lose reel name or Timecode reference," he says. "The conform to master media will still happen correctly.” Matchback Magic adds metadata into the media file that's carried with the file, regardless of what happens inside Final Cut Pro or to the file. At the end of the editorial process, Matchback Magic extracts that information and provides either a fully conformed (to the original high quality media) Final Cut Pro Sequence, or an ALE file for conforming a Cinema Tools database, or even an Excel spreadsheet for manual conforming. The Matchback Magic demonstration version, freely downloadable...

Atlona Technologies (http://www.atlona.com) has introduced the AT-HD620, an HDMI to Mini DisplayPort Converter capable of up-converting incoming video signals to dual-link resolutions up to 2560x1440. The US$279 converter -- due to ship May 1 -- solves compatibility issues that have been plaguing HDMI users looking to take advantage of the technologies offered in new Mini DisplayPort displays, such as the 27-inch iMac and the 24-inch Cinema Display, according to the folks at Atlona. The new AT-HD620 will scale any HDMI input to match native resolution of either display. With the AT-HD620, a host of new image enhancing technologies are available to users looking to connect an HDMI source to an MDP display. The unit features an HDCP compliant HDMI input, as well as a Mini DisplayPort input that functions as a pass through for Mini DisplayPort sources. This unit can switch between the two inputs, allowing users to use both a connected Mini DisplayPort computer such as a MacBook Pro,...

Apple plans to charge close to US$1 million for ads on its mobile devices this year and perhaps even more to be among the first, ad executives told the "Wall Street Journal" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870364830457521241150098304...). The execs say they're used to paying between $100,000 and $200,000 for similar mobile deals. The "Journal" says Apple is making waves on Madison Avenue with its price tag, which comes with initial demands for greater control over advertisers' marketing campaigns. "It's a hefty sum," says Phuc Truong, managing director at Mobext, a mobile marketing business owned by Havas SA whose clients include Sears, Choice Hotels, Amtrak and Volvo. "What Apple is trying to do is certainly above and beyond what's been done in the past." At the April 8 unveiling of iPhone OS 4.0, Apple debuted iAd, Apple’s new mobile advertising platform, which "combines the emotion of TV ads with the interactivity of web ads," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said. Today, when...

Future Media Concepts (FMC) -- a digital media training organization for postproduction, broadcast, and content creators -- has announced the latest additions to its Mac IT Academy curriculum: Apple's Snow 303 T3: Mac OS X Security and Mobility 10.6 and Xsan 301: Xsan 2 Administration "Train-The-Trainer" courses. Launching in April and May, these "Train-The-Trainer" courses, offered only by select training companies worldwide, will incorporate FMC's manufacturer authorized training curriculum. Available at select FMC branch locations beginning in April the four-day "Snow 303 T3: Mac OS X Security and Mobility 10.6" course prepares Apple Certified training professionals for implementing and delivering Apple's Snow 303 course. The Snow 303 T3 course is designed for Apple Certified Trainers looking to add the ability to deliver the Snow 303, Security and Mobility course to their repertoire. It covers DNS, VPN, firewalls, certificates, and proxy servers, as well as being able to...

NZWidgets has released SmuginProForAperture (http://nzwidgets.com/smugin/SmuginProForAperture/SmuginProForAperture.html), a new plug-in for Aperture, Apple's software for pro photographers. The plug-in allows the uploading of images to the SmugMug photo and video sharing site. SmuginProForAperture's features include: caption and keyword handling; hierarchical gallery selection based on category and subcategory; and manual or template based gallery creation. The plug-in adds custom fields to the Aperture metadata for exported images. The generated custom fields can then be used to create smart albums of all images that have been uploaded to SmugMug, or to a specific album. Each image can be exported to a different gallery if required. You can choose whether to replace an existing image with a new version or add a second version of the same image to a new gallery. SmuginProForAperture uses Growl (if installed) for status notifications. SmuginProForAperture 1.0 costs US$19.99. A demo is...

In case you hadn't noticed, Apple CEO Steve Jobs isn't a big fan of Adobe Flash, a multimedia platform that is popular for adding animation and interactivity to web pages. And in an online post (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/) he tells why -- and why he doesn't want Flash on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. "I wanted to jot down some of our thoughts on Adobe’s Flash products so that customers and critics may better understand why we do not allow Flash on iPhones, iPods and iPads," Jobs says. "Adobe has characterized our decision as being primarily business driven – they say we want to protect our App Store -- but in reality it is based on technology issues. Adobe claims that we are a closed system, and that Flash is open, but in fact the opposite is true. Let me explain." You can read his entire post for details, but here's a summary of his anti-Flash arguments: ° Flash products are 100% proprietary. ° Adobe has repeatedly said that Apple mobile devices cannot access...

CrispSofties (http://www.crispsofties.com/) has updated its iPod.iTunes music synchronization tool to version 4.5, which has been tweaked for iTunes 9.1.1. iPod.iTunes does real add-synchronization, even in two directions if desired. The source can be either the iPod or the iTunes library. The software evaluates the source for songs, videos, podcasts and/or playlists that are not in the target and only adds these seamlessly, avoiding duplicates. Unlike iTunes' own synchronization iPod.iTunes generally does not delete content in the target. iPod.iTunes can also transfer song dependent data like "My Rating", "Last Played", "Play Count", album artwork, etc. iPod.iTunes can be used for: keeping files and playlists on different Macs and iPods up to date; doing a full restore of songs, videos and playlists from iPod; reversing the accidental deletion of songs, videos and/or playlists in iTunes, if these are still on your iPod; transferring an iTunes library from one Mac to another via the...

Here are the latest iPhone/iPod touch/iPod/iPad apps announced. You can find 'em at the Apple App Store (http://www.itunes.com/appstore/). Yellow Field Technologies and Coach Joe Beer has announced MyZones 1.0, exclusively for the iPhone and iPod touch. The US$3.99 app calculates training heart rate zones that can be used by runners, cyclists, triathletes from keen fitness enthusiasts to focussed racers. MyZones can calculate your personal zones from maximum heart rate, race HR data, or professional lab test results. SplashData has rolled out SplashID, a new version of its $9.99 secure password manager for the iPad. It offers an interface for storing, organizing and accessing passwords, PINs, account numbers, frequent flier numbers, and any kind of information that needs to be readily available yet completely secure. It provides iPad users with both AES and Blowfish encryption, a password strength meter, a web browser plug-in with web form auto-fill and much more. The Epilepsy Therapy...

Apple could put its next-generation iPhone on sale during the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), "sources familiar with the situation" tell "Mashable" (http://mashable.com/2010/04/28/apple-iphone-launch/), the "Social Media Guide." "Over the last two years, Apple has revealed both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS at WWDC," the article says. "However, the release of the actual iPhone hardware has traditionally come a few weeks after the announcement. Our sources say that Apple may break that tradition this year by shortening the timetable. An immediate release would also break another tradition: Apple fans camping out in front of Apple stores just so they can get their hands on the company’s newest product." Indeed, the iPhone and the iPad are getting the lion's share of attention from Apple regarding WWDC, which will be held June 7-11 at San Francisco's Moscone West. Apple says "this year’s WWDC offers developers in-depth sessions and hands-on working labs to learn more about...

Other World Computing (OWC) has announced a price drop of up to 20% off on its entire line of NewerTechIntelligent Battery Charging/Conditioning Stations, which are designed to keep batteries in optimal charged condition for maximum "unplugged" usage. Available immediately and starting at US$119.95, the NewerTech Intelligent Battery Charging/Conditioning Station is available for the a variety of Mac notebooks. For details go to http://eshop.macsales.com/search/charger+conditioner .

Apple set a new record last Friday, closing at US$270.83 a share. And three Apple execs took advantage of that. "Fortune" (http://macosg.me/2/6m) notes that "among the people lucky -- or prescient -- enough" to sell before the stock dropped to $256.41 in mid-morning trading Wednesday were three senior Apple officers: Scott Forstall, senior vice president for iPhone software; Mark Papermaster, senior vice president of devices; and Betsy Rafael, vice president, controller and chief accounting officer. According to SEC Form 4s filed Tuesday, the trio sold a total of 61,632 preferentially owned shares between Friday and Monday at prices ranging from $267.01 to $271.43 a share. Total proceeds: $16.5 million.

Needham & Company analyst Charles Wolf told clients in a note today that Apple's retail stores have attracted lots of users from the Windows world and play a pivotal role in the Apple-Microsoft competition. "[The Apple Stores] have become a magnet in attracting Windows users to the Mac platform," says Wolf. He says that -- as Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer has said -- that Windows users purchased half of the 606,000 Macs sold in the stores during the March quarter, he added. Needham estimates that, since 2004, more than 18 million Windows users have switched to a Mac. "Mac sales in the March quarter were almost four times higher than they were in the second quarter of fiscal 2004," wrote Wolf. He adds that Windows switchers have more than doubled the size of the Mac installed base. The analyst said that same-store sales rose 8% in the March quarter of 2010, thanks to a 22.3% year-over-year increase in Mac sales, even though no new Macs weren't introduced during...

Twelve South (http://www.twelvesouth.com) has introduced its first accessory designed exclusively for the iPad: the US$39.99 BookArc, which supports the iPad for comfortable viewing, charging, and hands-free use in either portrait or landscape positions. The BookArc for iPad is made from heavy gauge steel. A soft silicone cushion enables the iPad to be viewed in four different positions. One side holds iPad with a tilted viewing angle, in both portrait and landscape positions. Turn the BookArc around, and it stores iPad upright in portrait or landscape positions. All available positions offer access to the Dock Connector for charging and syncing. "The iPad is great in your hands, but it’s not always a 'handheld' product," says Andrew Green of Twelve South. "There are many situations where iPad is best used self-supported. That’s where BookArc for iPad takes over. The BookArc’s flexible positioning, especially in landscape mode, allows you to place and use iPad the way you want....

BenQ (http://www.benq.com) has announced the E1260 HDR (High Dynamic Range) camera. It sports 12 megapixels, a 28mm 4x optical wide angle zoom lens, the ability to shoot 720p movies, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, an advanced smart scene mode, a G-Sensor application and HDR image enhancement technology. 
The E1260 comes with an upgrade on the advanced smart scene modes compared to its predecessors, automatically detecting up to 12 different scenes: Landscape; Portrait; Backlight; Backlight Portrait; Night Scene; Night Portrait; Macro; Sunset; Text; Foliage; Snow and Still Mode. Other features of the E1260 include: Auto Face Tracking; Blink Detector; Self/Love Portrait; Beauty Enhancer; Smile Catch; Smart Focus; File Management; Auto Rotation; 3 Second Prerecording and Super Shake-Free (S.S.F.). The E1260 comes in “Metallic Gun-Metal Gray” and “Metallic Blue." It will be available worldwide in May. Pricing hasn't been announced.