Korean government wants iPhone users to be able to choose their...
The Korean government has asked Apple to allow Koreans to use their own choice of basic search platform on the iPhone, an official told "The Korea Herald" (http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/03/29/20100329...?). Currently, the default search engine is Google.
The Korea Communications Commission, the country's telecom regulator, is looking into whether the practice restricts consumer choice, according to the "Herald." "We are considering whether Google as the default search engines restricts user choice ... If necessary, we will seek policy measures," the official told the publication. "Key is to give consumers the option to choose their mobile search engines."
MultiMode for Mac OS X now lets you adjust input gain
Black Cat Systems has updated MultiMode (http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/multimodeOSX.html), a Mac OS X application that lets you Mac decode several different modes of non-voice communication often heard on shortwave, to version 6.1.0. This version adds the ability to directly adjust the input gain (volume) of sound devices.
MultiMode is an US$89 application that lets your Mac decode and transmit several different modes of non-voice communication often heard on shortwave and ham radio. It allows you to decode and display morse code, RTTY, FAX, SSTV, ACARS, PSK31 and many other modes on your Mac, without any extra hardware. MultiMode now also allows you to transmit in most of the modes of operation. A lite version is also available which decodes CW, RTTY, and weather fax modes, which is ideal for the sailor and boating enthusiast.
MultiMode Lite is also available, which offers reception of CW, RTTY, and FAX modes only. MultiMode LIte is ideal for sailors who need to be able to...
CosmoPod Safari extension update improves QT movie import...
Cocoamug Software, developers and publishers of great Mac software, has released CosmoPod 4.3.1 (http://www.cocoamug.com/cosmopod/index.html), an update of the Safari extension that lets you download Flash videos from web sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion, etc. The upgrade mainly improves the application capability to import QuickTime movies.
CosmoPod can automatically convert downloaded files to an Apple device friendly format, tag them and add them to iTunes. Additionally, you can convert most video already on your hard drive via drag and drop so can be used as a tool to import your DVD collection to your Mac, iTunes, AppleTV, and iPhone.
CosmoPod costs US$12. Version 4.3.1 is a free update for registered users of version 4.x. CosmoPod 3 and earlier users can upgrade for $3.90.
Apple hiring for North Carolina data center
Apple is ramping up hiring for its North Carolina data center. Apple has posted 10 new jobs on its web site for Maiden, North Carolina, about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte. reports the "Associated Press" (http://macosg.me/2/1l).
The positions include maintenance and electrical technicians, a shift supervisor, and site administrators. Another nine job openings in Charlotte and Hickory may be related to the data center, which is expected to employ about 50 full-time workers, says the "Associated Press."
Last year it was announced that Apple would build a data center in Catawba County on the outskirts of Maiden. Maiden and Catawba County agreed to US$7.3 million in incentives for Apple in order for them to build the center there. The company will build a 500,000-square-foot facility along U.S. Highway 321. However, no one knows exactly what the data center will be used for.
Apple runs out of first-week delivery iPads
The ship date for iPad pre-orders, originally set to guarantee delivery by April 3, had been pushed back to Tuesday, April 12, and the the option to reserve an iPad for pick-up at an Apple Store has disappeared from Apple.com entirely, reports "Fortune" (http://macosg.me/2/1k).
However, those who had pre-ordered before March 27 are still scheduled to get their iPads next Saturday. At least those who ordered the Wi-Fi only versions will; the Wi-Fi + 3G model will hit US store sleeves in late April. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
The Wi-Fi iPad sells for a suggested retail price of US$499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB models. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized...
Apple CEO one of the 'most respected CEOs in the world...
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has once again made the "30 most respected CEOs in the world list by "Barron's" (http://online.barrons.com/article/SB126964409156568321.html?mod=BOL_hpp_...).
"Probably the world's most valuable CEO is Steve Jobs of Apple, as shown by stock dips on news of his medical problems," Barron's says. "Apple recently hit a record, with a market value topping $200 billion, a reflection of the Street's confidence that a healthy Jobs (at least from what we can tell) continues to keep Apple ahead of the game. Jobs likely accounts for $25 billion or more of Apple's market value."
Apple now owns iPad trademark
Apple now owns the iPad trademark. The trademark was filed by Fujitsu in March of 2003 for their iPad wireless handheld computing device used by retailers. Records at the U.S. Patent and Trademark office show that the trademark was assigned to Apple on March 17, reports the Patent Authority (http://patentauthority.com/2010/03/apple-buys-ipad-trademark-from-fujitsu/).
As of January, it was reported Apple had reportedly taken advantage of the fact that Fujitsu stopped responding to requests by the US Patent and Trademark Office, who declared the "iPad" name "abandoned," then began pursing it again last year. Apple had filed three petitions to extend the deadline to take the name away from Fujitsu.
Apple execs sell shares
More than a million restricted shares of Apple stock that seven of them were granted on Dec. 14, 2005 became fully vested Wednesday. The next day, with Apple opening at an all-time record high, four of them sold off all those shares pursuant, as the SEC Form 4 has it, to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, reports "Fortune" (http://macosg.me/2/18).
Chief Operating Office Tim Cook was the "big winner," the article adds. He sold 300,000 Apple shares at prices ranging from US$226.9 to $230.7, for a total of $68.8 million -- $32 million of which was set aside for taxes.
"Fortune" reports that three other officers also dumped their restricted shares Thursday. Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer sold 200,000 shares and cleared $45.98 million. Ron Johnson, senior vice president for retail sold 200,000 shares and cleared $45.95 million. Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, sold 150,000 shares and cleared $34.47 million.
Three other senior staffers -- Serlet Bertrand (...
Apple looking for cellular technology software manager
A new job posting (http://jobs.apple.com/index.ajs?BID=1&method=mExternal.showJob&RID=35157...) shows that Apple is looking for a cellular technology software manager to manage the cellular protocol software team, responsible for the design, implementation and integration of layer 1-3 protocols for iPhone.
According to Apple, the position will be responsible for ensuring appropriate cellular technology development and execution, KPI performances and interoperability of cellular technology on various platforms, R&D of new protocol and standards, as well as working with cross-functional teams to deliver the best customer experience on cellular. The person hired must have knowledge of: one or more multiple cellular technologies (WCDMA/UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, LTE etc.)
Apple is apparently ramping plans for advanced 3G and 4G coverage. The job listing may also hint at another US carrier in addition to AT&T either later this year or, more likely, in 2011.
Credit Suisse firm predicts Monster fiscal quarter for Apple
Credit Suisse has raised their Apple target from US$275 to $300, reiterated its Outperform rating and calling for a Monster quarter. According to "StreetInsider" (http://macosg.me/2/17), in a note to clients, the firm made these points:
° Apple's March quarter revenue and EPS (earnings per share) should be $12.26 billion and $2.57 billion, respectively.
° On a calendar basis, Credit Suisse expects respective revenues and EPS of $59.43 billion and $13.23 for 2010. For fiscal 2011, the firm is now looking for respective revenues and EPS of $65.34 billion and $14.55. For calendar 2011, they are now expecting revenues and EPS of $66.32 billion and $14.72, respectively.
° Apple will sell 1.08 million iPads in the June quarter, 4.81 for calendar year 2010 and 8.73 for calendar year 2011.
° In calendar year 2010, Apple will ship 7.41 million iPhones, and 52.36 million in calendar year 2011.
° Apple will move 11 million units in the March quarter.
° Mac estimates were already optimistic, so...
Vodafone Essar to sell the iPhone 3GS in India
Vodafone Essar, India's third-largest mobile operator says it will begin selling the iPhone 3GS in the country, effective immediately, reports "Reuters" (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE62P09C20100326?feedType=RSS&feedNa...).
India's top mobile firm Bharti Airtel also said earlier this week it would start selling iPhone 3GS in the country as of today. The company has previously sold the iPhone 3G, but not the faster version of the Apple smartphone.
Apple owners nearly 40% more interested in the iPad than non-...
Even though the iPad doesn’t officially become available for another week, awareness is strong among certain key demographic groups, according to a new report by The NPD Group, a market research company.
The report report found that awareness is highest among current Apple owners, (82%), consumers with $100,000 or greater income (80%), and 18-34 year olds (78%). Those demographic groups are the ones with the most interest in buying an iPad. Only 18% of all consumers surveyed expressed a real interest in owning an iPad while 27% of 18-34 year olds and 24% of Apple owners said they were extremely or very interested.
One of the main reasons Apple owners are interested in the iPad is because it’s an Apple product, says The NPD Group (which is no big surprise, is it?). Thirty-seven percent cited “liking the Apple brand” as a top reason for their interest in the iPad. That tied with “multi-touch screen”, which was also the number one reason driving interest among 18-34 year olds. The 18-34...
Apple juggles panel makers to avoid iPad delays
Taiwan-based TPK Touch Solutions has seen Apple shift orders for iPad-use projected capacitive touch panels to fellow maker Wintek because of TPK's delayed shipments, according to "DigiTimes" (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100326PD213.html), which quotes industry sources" on the news.
Wintek has recently announced a plan to set up a touch panel module production line in Dongguan, southern China. The company is evaluating another plan to expand the capacity for front-end touch panel production, adds "DigiTimes."
The iPad -- now available for pre-order -- is due to hit the stores April 3. At least the Wi-Fi only versions will; the Wi-Fi + 3G model will hit US store sleeves in late April. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
The Wi-Fi iPad sells for a suggested retail price of US$499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB models. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in...
Apple plans third Italian retail store, this one in Turin
Apple has begun to search for employees for its third retail store in Italy. It will be in Turin (Torino), a city in northern Italy.
Turin was the site of the 2006 previous Winter Olympics. The story there will be the third after the one in Rome, which opened three years ago, and the one in Carugate (Milano), which opened last September. You can read more (in Italian) here: http://www.setteb.it/?p=8494 .
Radio Shack to become second-largest, third-party iPhone...
Radio Shack will soon become the second-largest third-party retailer of Apple's iPhone by storefronts when it launches a front-page promotion to celebrate the rollout of the touchscreen handset to thousands of its shops nationwide, according to an "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) report.
Starting March 28, the specialty electronics retailer will offer the iPhone in 3,000 of its 4,500 stores in the US, "completing a first-phase expansion that will see it leapfrog both AT&T and Best Buy in terms of the number of brick-and-mortar retail locations that will stock the device for walk-in activations, but not necessarily in terms of volume sales," the article says. Only big-box retailer Walmart will offer the device in more stores.
"AppleInsider" says Radio Shack plans to promote the iPhone on the cover of its March 28 circular, at what it claims are the lowest prices ever offered for the touchscreen handset nationwide -- essentially US$5 off the manufacturer's suggested...
TechRestore offers 1TB hard drive upgrade for MacBooks, MB Pros
TechRestore (http://www.techrestore.com) has begun offering an US$329 1TB Drive Upgrade service for MacBook and MacBook Pro systems that includes same-day and overnight installation, data transfer and free shipping.
The new 1TB laptop drive is compatible with 13-inch and 15-inch inch MacBook and MacBook Pro Unibody systems and the original MacBook Pro 17-inch models. TechRestore's high-speed same-day and overnight hard drive upgrade service includes installation by an Apple Certified Technician of the new drive into the users MacBook or MacBook Pro, data transfer from the old hard drive onto the new drive and Free return shipping.
An exact clone of the users data is transferred to the new drive, ready for immediate use when their Mac is returned to them, says Shannon Jean, founder and president of TechRestore. Clients also have the option of having their old hard drive installed into an external enclosure.
Atlona Technologies releases new HDMI switcher
Atlona Technologies (http://www.atlona.com), a solutions manufacturer of audio video accessories, has released the newest addition to their HDMI switcher line with the 2x4 HDMI1.3 distribution amplifier, the AT-HD-V214. It has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$499.
Users looking to switch two sources to multiple HDTVs are often forced to purchase both switchers and splitters in order to accommodate both their two sources, and video amplification. The AT-HD-V214 is designed to address the matter.
The AT-HD-V214 is a 2x4 HDMI 1.3 Distribution Amplifier designed to work as a splitter for all HD video applications. With two HDMI 1.3 Inputs this unit also boasts four HDMI 1.3 mirrored Outputs, allowing all outputs to switch to a specifically desired source.
Atlona’s AT-HD-V214 allows any digital video source with HDMI outputs (such as: DVD, Satellite, Cable Box, PC, Xbox360, PS3 and more) to connect to upwards of four simultaneous HD displays. With the added HDMI1.3...
Larry Jordan Final Cut Studio newsletter for March released
Larry Jordan, digital media analyst and teacher of Final Cut Pro, has just released the March edition of his free monthly Final Cut Studio newsletter. Published each month for the last six years, each issue is packed with techniques, tips, and the latest industry news.
The March issue includes over 42 pages of information covering all aspects of Apple's Final Cut Studio. Each issued is designed to help editors get the most out of Apple's Final Cut Studio. You can find it here: http://www.larryjordan.biz/newsletter .
Graphic Inspector update for Mac OS X addresses stability issues
Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has updated Graphic Inspector, which checks entire folders of graphic files for potential problems, to version 1.7.3. The new version addresses stability issues related to metadata extraction routines.
Graphic Inspector lets graphic professionals et crucial info on multiple graphic files instead of checking them manually. Users automatically get information on multiple raster and vector files. Graphic Inspector will display the file kind, color mode, resolution, compression, color profile, spot colors, fonts, metadata and other attributes.
With its checkup presets, Graphic Inspector lets users create custom control settings and locate files with unwanted attributes. For example, users can make Graphic Inspector warn them about all files whose color mode is RGB, format -- JPEG, resolution is below 200 dpi, ICC profile doesn't contain "USWebCoated" etc.
Graphic Inspector costs US$39.95. A demo is available for download. The 1.7.3 update is free...
CTM releases FoxTrot Professional Search 2.6, Server for Mac OS...
CTM Development (http://www.ctmdev.com) has released FoxTrot Professional Search 2.6, a 64-bit update to their networked document indexing and retrieval solution for Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher.
Developed with law firms, media and mobile professionals in mind, FoxTrot Professional Search locates documents and their content using multiple categorization of search results, ranked by relevance. Utilizing the latest Cocoa technologies, the application works directly with PDF, HTML, word processing, e-mail and multimedia metadata.
FoxTrot Professional Search 2.6 and FoxTrot Search Server are available immediately. A single user license is priced at approximately US$133. A five-user license (which includes peer-to-peer sharing) is available for about $266. A 10-user license also includes FoxTrot Search Server for approximately $522.
FoxTrot Professional Search 2.6 is available as a full-featured 30-day demo. FoxTrot Search Server is available as a full-featured 60-day demo.
FoxTrot...
ADE to advocate for increased minority access to broadband...
he Alliance for Digital Equality (http://www.alliancefordigitalequality.org) leadership -- including Chairman Julius H. Hollis, Vice Chairman Manuel (Manny) A. Diaz and Senior Advisor Shirley Franklin -- traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to advocate for increased minority access to broadband technology.
Their trip follows the recent release of the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan, and served as an opportunity for the ADE leadership team to begin dialogue with key policymakers, thought leaders and the media regarding the plan's implementation.
"Following the release of the FCC's National Broadband Plan, we hope to draw attention to the millions of un-served and underserved Americans who do not yet have Broadband Internet access," says Hollis. "There is still a digital divide that exists today. In fact, statistics suggest that African-Americans and Latinos are not making use of home broadband and Internet technology as extensively as the rest of the...
Apple releases iMovie 8.0.6
Apple has released iMovie 8.0.6, an update of the video editing component of the iLife suite. Apple says the update improves reliability when working with videos from Aperture and is recommended for all users of iMovie '09.
You can obtain the update via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.
Apple updates Aperture to version 3.0.2
Apple has released version 3.0.2 of Aperture, its software for professional photographers. The update improves overall stability and fixes issues in a number of areas.
You can find a list of all the changes at http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2518 . Aperture 3.0.2 requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later and Aperture 3.x.
Dragster file transfer utility for Mac OS X revved to version 1....
Ambrosia has updated Dragster (http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/utilities/dragster/), an US$19 file transfer utility for Mac OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") or later, to version 1.1.1. The upgrade, free for registered users, fixes various issues and improves key functionality.
Dragster works via drag and drop and can send files via email, upload them to remote servers, copy them to your iDisk, or copy/move files anywhere on your local drives. Dragster lets you set customizable "shortcuts." There's a contextual menu component to Dragster, so you can right-click or control-click a file in any program, and send that file to one of the shortcuts you've set up. The utility fully supports Apple's Bonjour technology.
Dragster supports FTP, SFTP, SCP, SMB (Windows File Sharing), as well as AFP (AppleShare) for file transfers. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
POP3it Pro for Mac OS X ready for FileMaker Pro 11
Comm-Unity Networking Systems has released POP3it Pro 4.1.8 (http://www.pop3itpro.com/), an update of the email downloading and importing plug-in for FileMaker Pro. The upgrade fixes some bugs and brings full compatibility with FileMaker Pro 11.
POP3it Pro allows you to connect to a POP3 Email Server and download email directly into your FileMaker Pro database. The plug-in also allows you to import email directly from the mailbox storage files of email clients like Thunderbird, Eudora, and Apple Mail.
This version is a free upgrade for anyone with a 4.x license. All you need to do is download the latest version and install it. Your existing registration and settings will be imported into the new version.
For new users a single user license for the client version of POP3it Pro is US$65. To use the server edition of POP3it Pro, you'll need to purchase at least a 10-user license for $319.
Analyst raises iPad sales estimate for fiscal 2011 from 5.5...
BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman is predicting a 17% increase in Mac sales, a new iPhone in June and higher iPad sales than many expect.
According to "Forbes" (http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/25/bmo-ups-its-ipad-...), he says that his initial estimate -- that Apple would sell 2.5 million units in fiscal 2010 and 5.5 million in fiscal 2011 -- was conservative. He's raised his fiscal 2011 estimate to 7.2 million — a 30.09% increase.
The iPad -- now available for pre-order -- is due to hit the stores April 3. At least the Wi-Fi only versions will; the Wi-Fi + 3G model will hit US store sleeves in late April. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
The Wi-Fi iPad sells for a suggested retail price of US$499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB models. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729...
MyService Offers 1TB MacBook Pro hard drive upgrade
MyService (http://www.myservice.com) has announced a new 1TB hard drive upgrade for the MacBook Pro. These new Scorpio Blue drives by Western Digital are the largest mobile drives available.
MyService has these drives in stock and the complete upgrade service is US$345. The price includes the new 1TB drive, round trip shipping, professional installation and data transfer.
Your old hard drive is returned to you and can be used for backups. Since MyService is an Apple Authorized Service Provider, the 1TB upgrade won't void your Apple warranty. These drives are slightly higher than standard 2.5-inch drives but fit perfectly in all Unibody MacBook Pros, the 13-inch MacBook Unibody and the 17-inch (Silver Keyboard) MacBook Pro, according to the folks at MyService.
Maintain releases Cocktail 4.7.2 (Snow Leopard Edition)
Maintain has released Cocktail 4.7.1 (Snow Leopard Edition), the latest maintenance update of Cocktail (http://www.maintain.se/c) for users running Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
The new version fixes some bugs and adds: a "Show full folder path in window title" setting; a "Don't remember open windows when logging out" setting; an "Enable Remote Disc access" setting; an "Enable Quick Look folder previews" setting; and an "Always show Quick Look preview" setting.
This version adds compatibility with the upcoming Mac OS X 10.6.3 and ability to stop Cocktail from logging out, restarting or shutting down the computer at the end of a scheduled programme. The update also features improvements on the clear Adobe Flash Player caches and cookies procedure as well as overall performance improvements.
Cocktail 4.7.2 (Snow Leopard Edition) requires Mac OS X/Mac OS X Server 10.6 or later and is tested for compatibility with Mac OS X/Mac OS X Server 10.6.3. Cocktail (Leopard Edition) for Mac OS...
iPad's iBookstore to feature books from the Gutenberg...
The iBookstore for the iPad will feature the Gutenberg Project catalog for free, according to the AppAdvice web site ("http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/03/exclusive-ipad-ibooks-features-gutenberg-project-library/).
The Gutenberg Project (http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page) is a free online digital library supported by volunteers. It already includes over 30,000 free eBooks from the public domain.
The iPad will come with an iBookstore app. will feature books from major and independent publishers. The free iBooks app lets you buy books from the iBookstore. Once you’ve bought a book, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. Just tap it to start reading.
Apple signs deal with Samsung for an extra three million iPad...
Apple will pay Samsung nearly a quarter of a billion dollars as part of a new pact that will see the Korean electronics maker become the second major supplier of 9.7-inch display screens for current and future versions of the iPad, reports http://www.appleinsider.com) -- quoting "The Korean Times".
The deal will guarantee Apple a supply of an extra three million displays for the device -- which goes on sale April 3 -- over an unspecified amount of time. A high-ranking industry representative told "The Korean Times" that: "The most expensive component in the iPad is the display and touch-screen interface that costs $80 for all models. The 9.7-inch display is more than twice the size of the iPhone 3GS screen and costs five times as much."
Ooyala to launch video solution for the iPad
Ooyla (http://www.ooyala.com), a provider of end-to-end video platform applications and services, says it will support full video delivery to iPad when the Apple product launches on April 3.
Ooyala's integration with iPad will help newspapers, magazines and other publishers create rich and engaging iPad experiences for their readers, all managed with the same Ooyala video platform they use for their web site, says Bismarck Lepe, president of Product at Ooyala. The company already helps publishers deliver video directly to the iPod touch, iPhones and other connected devices.
An intelligent video embed lets the Ooyala player automatically recognize each device and adjust video quality and format for the best possible viewing experience, Lepe adds. This intelligent video embed has been a part of Backlot, Ooyala's video publishing platform, for over a year.
Publishers who already deliver video to iPhone will be able to deliver video immediately to iPad. Other publishers should contact...
Easy Barcode Creation update for Mac OS X adds three...
Easy Barcode Technologies (http://www.easybarcodetech.com/ebc.html) has released Easy Barcode Creator 2.6, an update to the company's flagship product for Mac OS X and Windows. The new version adds three major improvements for users:
° Easy Barcode Creator now integrates directly with the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for one click barcode generation.
° The app can now launch much faster than before!
° It can now save POSTNET barcodes as grayscale TIFF images.
Easy Barcode Creator generates vector EPS graphics for use in industry-standard desktop publishing products like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop - or just import into Word or a drawing program. It costs US$128.
AdMob: iPhone accounts for 50% of smartphone requests in...
AdMob (http://www.admob.com) -- which stores and analyzes handset and operator data from every ad request in its network of more than 15,000 mobile web sites and applications -- says that, in February, smartphones accounted for 48% of its worldwide traffic/
That's up from 35% in February 2009. The strong growth of iPhone and Android traffic, fueled by heavy application usage, was primarily responsible for the increase, AdMob says. Although the share of feature phone traffic in AdMob’s network declined from 58% o 35% year-over-year, absolute traffic from feature phones still grew 31%.
Mobile Internet devices experienced the strongest growth of the three categories, increasing to account for 17% of traffic in AdMob’s network in February. The iPod touch is the top mobile Internet device and is responsible for a vast majority of this traffic; other devices include the Sony PSP and Nintendo DSi. Highlights from the February 2010 AdMob Mobile Metrics Report include:
° The iPhone OS...
Layer Groups 2.0 InDesign plug-in available as public beta
DTP Tools is offering a public beta version of the new Layer Groups 2.0 plug-in with more than a doubled feature set.
The plug-in is CS5 ready and upgrade from any previous version of Layer Groups and InDesign is free as all DTP Tools plug-in upgrades always are. The public beta offers a: listing of objects in the layer on current spread; a listing of objects in the layer in the document; and the ability import layers including structure and content from other documents
The 14–days trial version , for InDesign CS – CS4, and for Mac OS and Windows, is available for immediate download at http://www.dtptools.com/layergroups ; just remember that beta software is unfinished software so use with care.
Today for iCal users beefs up Microsoft Exchange support
Second Gear (http://secondgearllc.com) has released Today 2.2, an update of the US$15 Mac OS X application for managing iCal events and tasks. The new version adds support for viewing and creating data using Microsoft Exchange, the collaborative email and calendaring solution used in many businesses.
Exchange supports requires taking advantage of Mac OS X 10.6's native Exchange support in iCal and Mail. Today 2.2 also has several small user interface enhancements. For example, hovering over an event's title will now display its location and calendar colors are now apparent when creating new events or tasks.
Today distinguishes between different events based on the calendar color you define in iCal. Assign a keyboard shortcut, and you can toggle Today's visibility in a split second. Adding new events and tasks can be accomplished in the same way. You can also schedule next week's meeting or a quick task in Today. No iCal required.
It synchronizes calendar information from an iPhone...
Zevrix releases LinkOptimizer 4.1.11 for InDesign
Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has released LinkOptimizer 4.1.11, an update of its workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. The new version addresses several performance and stability issues related to link analyzing, image processing and software compatibility.
LinkOptimizer lets you reduce InDesign job size and speed up processing by eliminating excess image data and performing essential image adjustments.
LinkOptimizer Light 4.1.11 can be purchased from the Zevrix Solutions web site for US$239.95 , as well as from authorized resellers. LinkOptimizer works with Mac OS X 10.4.2-10.5 and InDesign CS-CS4.
Version 4.1.11 is free for LinkOptimizer 4.x users and a $95.98 to upgrade from previous versions. A demo is available for download.
LightSpeed upgrade adds new POS screen, Multi-Store Pro, more
Xsilva Systems (http://www.xsilva.com/explore) has released LightSpeed 3.0, an update of the multi-user Point of Sale (POS) system built exclusively for Mac OS X. The upgrade features a new point-of-sale screen, new features for multi-store retailers, including a new solution called Multi-Store Pro, and expanded support for Xsilva’s e-commerce solution, Web Store 2.0.
Built on a scalable OpenBase SQL foundation, it offers sales, service, tracking and purchasing tools that employ SQL searches, natively multi-user operation and "intelligent" workflows. LightSpeed also features administration and reporting tools. Pricing starts at US$749.
LightSpeed is Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher.
Existing users of LightSpeed will receive upgrade license keys for LightSpeed 3.0 if they had a valid support and upgrade subscription as of Oct. 1, 2009. If a customer would like to have their upgrade license key expedited, they can...
Hackers take down iPhone, Safari, IE, Firefox in contest
Hackers took down Apple's iPhone and Safari browser, Microsoft's Internet Explore 8 (IE8) and Mozilla's Firefox within minutes at this week's Pwn2Own contest, reports "Computerworld" (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174078/iPhone_Safari_IE8_Firefox...).
The two-man team of Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann exploited the iPhone in under five minutes, said a spokeswoman for 3Com TippingPoint, the security company that sponsored the contest. The pair also walked away with US$15,000 in cash, a record prize for the challenge, adds "Computerworld."
Iozzo, an Italian college student, works for Zynamics, a company headed by noted researcher Thomas Dullien. Weinmann is a post-doctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Algorithms, Cryptology and Security at the University of Luxembourg.
Jerome York felt Jobs mis-handled announcements regarding his...
Last week Apple Board member Jerome B. (Jerry) York died from a brain aneurysm. And according to the "Wall Street Journal" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870426650457514193392147604...), he wasn't happy with the way Apple CEO Steve Jobs handled his past illnesses.
The article says he had strong feelings about the way Jobs handled disclosures about his leave of absence for health reasons in January 2009. In an interview with "The Wall Street Journal" last year, York said he almost resigned when told of the seriousness of Jobs's illness. York felt Jobs should have publicly disclosed his health problem three weeks earlier in a news release that announced his decision not to appear at the Macworld trade conference, he adds.
York said the concealment "disgusted" him, adding that the only reason he didn't quit at the time was because he wanted to avoid the uproar that would have occurred once he disclosed his reason. "Frankly, I wish I had resigned then," he told the "Journal...
Take Control ebook explains DEVONthink 2 information manager
To mark the recent release of the popular information management application DEVONthink 2, TidBITS Publishing Inc. has published a new ebook, "Take Control of Getting
Started with DEVONthink 2."
Designed to help Mac users fight information overload by storing and indexing digital documents and clippings of all sorts, including scanned paper bills and receipts, DEVONthink provides tools to organize, find, and view vast amounts of stored data.
Written by Joe Kissell and created in collaboration with DEVONtechnologies, the ebook explains DEVONthink's core concepts and guides readers through many aspects of putting DEVONthink to work. The US$10 ebook can be purchased at http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/devonthink-2 .
Toshiba introduces new capacity 2.5-inch hard drive
Toshiba America Storage Device Division (http://www.toshibastorage.com) has announced two additions to its 5,400 RPM line of 2.5-inch hard disk drives. In the standard 9.5 millimeter-high, two-platter design, the company says the MK7559GSXP HDD incorporates both the industry's highest areal density and capacity at 750GB.
Toshiba also introduced a new three-platter 12.5-millimeter-high platform with the MKxx59GSM series, which offers 750GB and 1TB of storage. These capacity points were predominantly supported by larger form factor 3.5-inch HDDs until the introduction of high-end 2.5-inch solutions.
To deliver these next-generation storage capacities, Toshiba has implemented Advanced Sector Format technology in both families. This technology uses 4K byte-per-sector formatting and improved error-correcting code (ECC) functions, providing maximum data integrity and making efficient use of the storage surface area, says Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device...
Glasses free 3D apps coming to the Mac, iPhone
3D Eye Solutions (http://www.3deyesolutions.com) has begun beta testing for its glasses free 3D application for the video game platforms such as, the Mac, iPhone, Nintendo Wii and PC. The company says it's developing a new render engine that is more flexible in design and can be integrated with multiple gaming systems.
3D Eye Solutions is beta testing of its glasses free 3D application for the Nintendo DS, Microsoft Xbox, and the Sony PlayStation and expects its beta test to be completed by the end of the third quarter. The application is based on a server and new file format that will enable state synchronization of player appliances and the server.
The application is developed mainly for use on glasses free systems; however, it's also compatible with 3D video game systems with glasses. In addition, this application will enable 3D Eye Solutions to be able to convert in "real time" across multiple platforms including cinema and television, according to Michael Gibilisco, CEO of...
Survey: iPhones present greatest smartphone security risk
iPhones present the greatest smartphone security risk to the enterprise, according to a recent survey from nCircle (http://www.ncircle.com), a network security and compliance auditing firm.
The online survey of 257 security professionals was conducted between Feb. 4 and March 12, 2010. In addition to smartphones, the survey covered a range of security topics including healthcare, cloud computing and social media. Key findings include:
° 57% believe that the iPhone carries the greatest security risk.
° 39% ranked Google Android as presenting the highest risk.
° 28% named Blackberry the riskiest.
° 13% ranked Nokia as having the highest risk.
° 58% of respondents have a corporate smartphone security policy in place.
° 65% of enterprises with a smartphone security policy enforce it.
“The general consensus is that Apple continues to do only the absolute minimum to address enterprise security and supportability requirements,” says Andrew Storms, director of Security Operations for nCircle...
Speed Download for Mac OS X speeds to version 5.2.14
Yazsoft (http://www.yazsoft.com) has released Speed Download 5.2.14 the latest version of its Mac OS X download manager that combines four products: a download manager with auto-resuming downloads, a secure FTP client, a file sharing utility with full encryption, and .Mac/iDisk/WEBDAV connectivity.
The upgrade offers optimized performance, better compatibility and more. Speed Download requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher. It costs US$25 for a single-user license. Speed Download is available in US English, French and Polish localizations.
PulpMotion upgrade for Mac OS X adds new animation engine, more
Aquafadas (http://www.aquafadas.com) has updated PulpMotion and PulpMotion Advanced, slideshow and animation software for Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") or later, to version 3.0. The new versions sport a new animation engine written from the ground up.
Version 3.0 also adds: animated text; a new repository of transition effects; Image Media functionality that now includes animation options within all the themes; more themes; improvements in the interface and workflow; and enhanced export and sharing functionality.
PulpMotion 3 costs US$129 for PulpMotion Advanced and $49 for PulpMotion Standard. Complimentary upgrades are available to customers who purchased PulpMotion on or after Jan. 1. Other upgrade options are available to existing PulpMotion customers who purchased before this date.
Wikipedia Suffers Global Outage
Wikipedia posted the below on their blog at:
http://techblog.wikimedia.org/2010/03/global-outage-cooling-failure-and-...
Global Outage (cooling failure and DNS)
Due to an overheating problem in our European data center many of our servers turned off to protect themselves. As this impacted all Wikipedia and other projects access from European users, we were forced to move all user traffic to our Florida cluster, for which we have a standard quick failover procedure in place, that changes our DNS entries.
However, shortly after we did this failover switch, it turned out that this failover mechanism was now broken, causing the DNS resolution of Wikimedia sites to stop working globally. This problem was quickly resolved, but unfortunately it may take up to an hour before access is restored for everyone, due to caching effects.
We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.
Update: Unfortunately, for many, this outage seems to have lasted longer than an hour. It appears that many ISPs...
Main way folks will use the iPad: working on the go
Sybase (http://www.sybase.com), which specializes in enterprise and mobile software, has announced the results of a survey on mobile device usage, finding that the top reason U.S. consumers would use a tablet device such as the Apple iPad is for working on the go.
The study findings reveal that consumers are increasingly demanding mobile devices that blend consumer and enterprise functionality, exposing an unexpected emphasis on the iPad’s suitability for work-related activities, and demonstrating the iPad’s potential value to information workers. Additionally, the study demonstrates that consumers want more access to information and work applications on their mobile devices, pointing to continuing challenges for businesses in enabling employees to effectively work on the go.
Sybase says the role of new tablet devices such as the iPad has been a subject of great debate recently, and while the study shows that entertainment activities such as watching video and playing games are some...
OmniGraffle update now Snow Leopard compatible
The Omni Group (http://www.omnigroup.com/) has released version 5.2.2 of OmniGraffle, an upgrade of the Mac OS X diagramming application. The update adds a preference to disable multitouch trackpad gestures and a hidden preference to disable scroll wheel zooming for Magic Mouse users who want to avoid using momentum scrolling.
Version 5.2.2 also enables Option-Command-click to select different Bézier control points where multiple Bézier lines are connected. What's more, OmniGraffle 5.2.2 provides many improvements to shared layers and Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard") compatibility, along with fixes to a number of crashes when working with Visio files, PDFs, and subgraphs.
OmniGraffle 5.2.2 is available for US$99.95, though it's a free update for registered users of version 5.x. Upgrades from OmniGraffle 4 are available for $39.95. OmniGraffle Professional 5 is available for $199.95 with upgrades from OmniGraffle Professional 4 costing $74.95. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.6.
Creative Suite 5 to launch April 12
Adobe says that Creative Suite CS5 will be launched on April 12. No details have been given except that the Mac version of the suite will be Intel only and written in Cocoa.
The CS5 release will be the first major update to the company's flagship publishing applications since Creative Suite 4 was introduced in September 2008.
Apple, Army meet to discuss handheld solutions for soldiers
The US Army reports (http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/03/22/36178-army-apple-meet-to-discuss-ha...) that leaders from its technology command visited Apple in Cupertino, California, to discuss the use of Apple products in Army business and battlefield operations.
Maj. Gen. Nick Justice, Research, Development and Engineering Command commanding general and key members of his staff traveled to Apple headquarters on March 5. Apple officials reportedly gave the Army group tours of its laboratories and other facilities and talked about some examples of where the military is already using Apple technology. The Army's research and development command is evaluating commercial hand-held solutions such as iPad, iPhone, iPod, iMac, and MacBook platforms.
"The Army is moving away from big-green-box solutions and toward those that will adapt along with our warfighters on the battlefield," Justice says. He adds that the Army recognized the billions of dollars invested by industry to develop its...
