RadTech releases DockExtender
RadTech (http://www.radtech.com) has released the DockExtender, an
US$14.95 data extension cable for Apple 30-pin devices. It allows you
to dock your iPod or iPhone from a distance, or while in a case.
A small diameter, flexible cable provides connection pathways for
power, audio output, USB data sync, play controls, accessory power
and composite video. The DockExtender doesn't, however, support
S-video output or input for recording audio. It's compatible with the
iPhone, iPod (touch, classic, video), & iPod nano (second and third
generations).
'Ultimate Mac Handbook' now available
Jeff Graber, owner of the Mac Support Store in Brooklyn, has
published "The Ultimate Mac Handbook: connect with your inner Mac
Genius! (https://www.createspace.com/3397323) . The 90-page book is
available for US$10
Graber says the book was written to offer "an insightful and witty
book on what you didn't know your Mac could do." It's filled with
advice, facts, tips and trick.
Graber has been using a Mac since 1984. He has published articles at
Macsimum News and is a member of the Association of Macintosh
Trainers. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, two kids and
one cat.
Zevrix updates BatchOutput for Snow Leopard
Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has announced BatchOutput
3.5.4, a maintenance update to its professional solution to automate
printing and exporting to various formats from Adobe InDesign. The
new update introduces compatibility with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow
Leopard") and addresses some Flash export related issues.
BatchOutput automates InDesign output workflow of printers, ad
agencies, service providers and publishing houses. With the software,
users can select the files to output and adjust the settings, instead
of opening and printing each document manually. For example,
BatchOutput can be left to output hundreds of InDesign files
overnight, and the completed job can be picked up next morning.
BatchOutput also allows users to output InDesign documents as single
pages, update links automatically, and output files invisibly for the
user. The software automatically composes complex variable file
names. Because BatchOutput can run in the background, it allows users
to keep...
Snard launcher ready for Snow Leopard
Gideon Softworks has updated Snard
(http://www.gideonsoftworks.com/snard.html), the "the Swiss Army
Knife of launcher programs" for Mac OS X, to version 2.6. The upgrade
is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
Snard can be used as a system menu or as a hot key activated pop-up
menu. It also supports the use of hot keys. Snard provides many of
the functionalities of the old Apple and Application menus, yet it
can be customized.
Snard 2.6 requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It costs US$10.
CalDigit shipping 2TB drives
CalDigit (http://www.caldigit.com) is now offering support for 2TB
hard drives. Previously 1.5TB drives were the maximum capacity
available to users. CalDigit is now offering a 33% increase in
storage at no additional cost and, lesser capacity products now have
a lower price tag.
The CalDigit VR is now available in capacities up to 4TB. Supporting
a quadruple interface for easy connectivity, the CalDigit VR's
modular design also provides two hot swappable drive modules. It
sports a front LCD and includes software for configuration and
monitoring. It has support for RAID 0, 1, JBOD and SPAN. The CalDigit
VR starts at US$49.
The HDElement is an external storage solution that harnesses the
power of the CalDigit RAID Card. It's now available in capacities of
up to 8TB, in the same compact enclosure. The CalDigit RAID Card
provides RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and JBOD support to the HDElement, and with
three ports up 24TB of storage can be run off a single card (up to
32TB combined with internal...
Grappling Hook game comes to the Mac
SpeedRunGames has released Grappling
Hook(http://ghook.speedrungames.com/), an US$19.95, first-person
action puzzle/platform game, where you use a grappling hook to
overcome various challenging obstacles by performing incredible moves
and fast combinations of daring tricks.
The game features 22 dynamic, animated levels, 30 achievements and
176 challenges. Eight additional free levels will be released within
the next two weeks. A free, five-level demo is available for download.
The game is available for Mac OS X and Windows. A Linux version will
follow soon. The Mac version requires at least a 2GHz processor, 1GB
of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce 7600/ATI Radeon X700 graphics card.
Dover Studios releases Maya Surface Materials, 2 Edition training
Dover Studios has released Maya Surface Materials 2nd Edition, their
latest visual effects training video. It provides visual effects
artists with an introduction to texturing and surface materials in
Maya.
The second edition has been completely updated and features 1080p
high definition video. Visual effects artists, Andrew Hazelden and
Russell Hazelden, share tips and techniques that will help you create
realistic surface materials.
Maya Surface Materials 2nd Edition begins with an overview of the
many render nodes available in the Hypershade. Topics include:
exploring common material attributes, shading models, specular
highlights, texture mapping, 3D projections, IPR rendering and
raytracing. The video shows in detail the methods used to render
reflective metallic and glass surfaces, and discusses photographic
techniques used to create environment maps. Both the Maya Software
and Mental Ray renderers are used throughout the video.
For more information visit http://www.DoverStudios...
DataLore is new Spotlight front end for Mac OS X
XtraLean Software has released DataLore 1.0f for Mac OS X. It's a
front end to Spotlight hat makes it easier and faster to search and
share files both locally on one's own computer, and on the network,
according to its developer, Hagen kaye.
He says the app uses a "Search-as-You-Type" technology for finding
files fast. It also employs "Text Shorthand" and "Special Characters"
for highly defined or more complex search patterns. DataLore is both
a Dock application and menu-bar app. The companion menu bar
application acts as a mini-server for controlling remote access for
network searches.
DataLore lets users search filenames, file types, content and more.
The search can also be restricted to search only filenames. Users can
narrow down their search results by filtering the results list by
file type or by searching using special characters to define the
search by date range, Boolean operators, wild cards, exact matches,
plus much more.
Other features include filter searches by file type...
Paradigma Software ships Valentina DB 4.3
Paradigma Software (http://www.valentina-db.com) has released
Valentina DB 4.3, an update of the columnar database for business and
developers, and and Valentina Reports 4.3, the cross-platform
database reporting solution for Windows and Mac OS X.
Valentina Database Technology Release 4.3 includes over 40 user
requested improvements to all Valentina DB products. You can now
return statistics about Valentina Server through PHP based server
calls, return names of registered databases and more. There are new
view related features; you can create temporary views not saved with
db.close and create a view if the view doesn't already exist.
Now multiple ->Operators can be chained together. Valentina for Cocoa
includes improvements to class-based database development and date
handling, as well as additional code examples. Example code was
updated for Valentina for REALbasic to account for changes in file
handling in REALbasic. Because of the integration between Valentina
database and...
Snapz Pro X improves QuickTime performance
Ambrosia Software has updated Snapz Pro X
(http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/utilities/snapzprox/), its screen capture
software, to version 2.2.1. The upgrade improves performance when
saving QuickTime movies and fixes some bugs.
Snapz Pro X allows you to effortlessly record anything on your
screen, saving it as a QuickTime movie or screenshot that can be
e-mailed, put up on the web, or passed around however you want.
Snapz Pro X is free to all registered users of Snapz Pro X 2.x. For
new users the cost is US$69. A demo is available for download.
Snapz Pro X 2.2.1 is a Universal Binary, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9
or later, and is compatible with MacOS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
Media 100 announces support for Blackmagic Design Video I/O cards
Media 100 (http://www.media100.com) -- a provider of advanced editing
systems for the corporate, broadcast, post production, and new media
industries -- has announced that Media 100 Suite Version 1.1 is now
available. Media 100 Suite 1.1 adds support for Blackmagic Design's
Intensity Pro, DeckLink SDI, DeckLink Studio, and DeckLink HD Extreme
video cards.
Released in August, Media 100 Suite brings editing and compositing to
Mac OS X. It takes advantage of many QuickTime codecs including
DVCPRO HD and Apple ProRes 422. Apple Final Cut Studio and Adobe
After Effects integration lets users share projects among Final Cut
Pro, Color, and Media 100 and export timelines from Media 100 to
After Effects. Editors can export legacy Media 100 projects to Final
Cut Pro for further editing and revisions, export Final Cut Pro
sequences into Media 100, or export a Media 100 sequence to Color for
color grading.
In addition to Blackmagic Design video I/O cards, Media 100 Suite
supports Matrox MXO2, AJA...
Recosoft announces PDF2Office for iWork
Recosoft Corp. has announced
(http://www.recosoft.com/company/press/news10152009.htm) PDF2Office
for iWork, a new tool to convert PDF documents into fully editable
iWork '08/'09 files for the Mac.
PDF2Office for iWork converts PDF files to the iWork '08/'09 document
type, replicating every page in a PDF file into an equivalent page to
the Keynote and Pages formats. It creates paragraphs, reconstructs
tables and regroups independent graphics elements: at the same time
it achieves a high-degree of layout reconstruction resulting in an
effortless and transparent PDF document data recovery and re-use
within Keynote/Pages, according to the folks at Recosoft.
PDF2Office for iWork is slated to ship in November in single user,
family pack, SOHO (small office/home office) license configurations.
Inquiries for PDF2Office for iWork are being accepted via the contact
page available on the Recosoft web site.
RbApp development tool updated to version 2.3
Excel Software (http://www.excelsoftware.com/) is shipping RbApp 2.3
for REALbasic developers. RbApp is a collection of reusable classes
for developing Mac OS X and Windows software using the REALbasic
programming language from REAL Software.
RbApp 2.3 has new properties, methods and events within some
components. The new release has been updated to support the latest
2009 R4 release of REALbasic from Real Software.
RbApp 2.3 supports REALbasic 2005, 2006 and 2007. It's been tested on
PowerPC and Intel Macs and Windows 98 through Vista. RbApp is US$295
for a single user license. It can be added to a Mac or Windows
REALbasic program using a step-by-step procedure. It includes sample
applications, source code examples, a printed and PDF Developer's
Guide and royalty-free distribution of RbApp code compiled into
applications.
TypeStyler released for Mac OS X
Strider Software has debuted TypeStyler (http://www.typestyler.com)
for Mac OS X; it's an update to the Mac design software. It costs
US$179.95, and a fully functional, 60-day demo is available for
download.
The updated typographical design environment is Universal Binary so
runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It works with Mac OS X
10.5 ("Leopard") and 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). This latest release of
TypeStyler now includes the tools from PosterMaker Plus for poster
and banner printing and a new 3D Visualizer for package design and
prototyping.
TypeStyler provides access to distortions, path editing, glows, soft
shadows, texture fills, transparency, lighting and much more. Users
can import and export in a variety of formats, including PSD with
layers, PDF, GIF, JPEG, PIG, TIFF, and EPS. TypeStyler works great as
a stand-alone environment, yet also as a great companion too with
illustration and page-layout programs like Adobe Photoshop,
Illustrator, Quark XPress as well as...
Innovelis introduces patent-pending headphone cord management
Innovelis has released CordFits (http://www.CordFits.com), which
enables headphone cord length customization and tangle-free cord
storage.
Headphone designers include extra cord length to ensure the cord is
never too short. This approach ensures the cord is never too short,
but it often forces the cord to be too long, says Wes Schwie of
Innovelis. CordFits prevent the extra cord length from getting in
people's way, he adds.
"CordFits let people shorten their headphone cord length to fit their
style, and when they are done listening, they can quickly store their
cord without tangles," says Schwie. "Now people can listen to their
favorite pair of headphones without the cord getting snagged and
having to untangle the cord each time they want to use the
headphones."
Innovelis offered a sneak peek of CordFits earlier this year at the
2009 Macworld Conference & Expo and the International Consumer
Electronics Show. They're based on a patent-pending system of pulleys
and channels....
iSkin launches new ProTouch keyboard projects
iSkin (http://www.iskin.com) has released the next generation of its
ProTouch keyboard protectors.
The new line-up -- which includes ProTouch Classic, FX and Vibes --
provides protection against food spills, dust, key wear and more,
while embedded Microban antimicrobial product protection helps
inhibit the growth of odor and stain causing bacteria on the product,
according to the folks at iSkin.
Additionally, a newly re-engineered design optimizes the way each key
is protected, allowing a comfortable, non-obtrusive typing
experience, they add. The ProTouch Classic is available in one color
(for MacBook keyboards) or three colors (for Apple Aluminum
Wired/Wireless keyboards), and retails for a suggested US$24.99.
Educational institutions are also eligible for volume discounts when
purchasing directly from iSkin.
The new ProTouch FX -- designed specifically for MacBook, MacBook Pro
and MacBook Air users -- features color-printed key caps against a
glow-white background for enhanced...
Softpress releases Freeway 5.4.2; launches Intaglio promotion
Softpress Systems (http://www.softpress.com) has eleased version
5.4.2 of Freeway, its web site design software. This latest update
includes native support for Intaglio files to allow easy editing of
drawings and illustrations.
For a limited period, Softpress is offering a free copy of Intaglio
for every full-priced purchase of Freeway Pro made through either the
Softpress Store or through the Apple Store. You can learn more about
the Intaglio bundle at
http://www.softpress.com/offers/intagliobundle.
Intaglio from Purgatory Design offers graphic manipulation tools.
Able to convert most Mac legacy files, Intaglio harnesses the full
power of Quartz and CoreImage. Intaglio normally sells for US$89.
Freeway 5.4.2 is a free maintenance update for all registered owners
of Freeway 5. Freeway 5 Pro and Freeway 5 Express are available for
purchase and immediate electronic delivery directly from the
Softpress Store. Freeway 5 Pro is $249, and Freeway 5 Express is $79.
Existing Freeway users...
Mixamo extends support for Autodesk 3ds Max bipeds
Mixamo (http://www.mixamo.com) has announced support for Autodesk 3ds
Max software biped system control rigs, streamlining animation
workflow for 3D artists and game developers.
Previously relying only on traditional motion-capture and keyframing
processes to animate biped characters, 3ds Max users are now able to
obtain access to Mixamo's online collection of customizable,
motion-capture quality character motions and bake them directly onto
their bipeds. Mixamo accelerates productivity of artists and game
developers by allowing the creation of premium 3D character
animations up to five times faster than current industry averages,
according to Marc Stevens, Autodesk vice president, Games Group.
Mixamo allows animators, game artists and 3D professionals to browse
through a collection of 3D character motions developed from actual
motion-capture data. After selecting a desired animation, a user can
customize the motion using director-level, slider-based controls in
real-time. Users may...
Three Musketeers role playing game released for the Mac
Dingo Games has released The Three Musketeers: The Game
(http://www.dingogames.com/three-musketeers-game/) for the Mac.
Available exclusively online, the US$24.98 game closely follows the
plot of the original "Three Musketeers" novel. The adventure story
and the rarely used setting of 17th century France make this game a
unique experience.
Players take on the role of the young gentleman d'Artagnan as he sets
off for Paris in hopes of becoming a Musketeer. Soon after arriving,
d'Artagnan finds himself in duels with each of the famous three
Musketeers: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. By fighting alongside them,
he is able to prove that he has the heart of a Musketeer and is
accepted by them as a friend. When the evil Cardinal Richelieu
launches a plot to disgrace the queen, only d'Artagnan and his three
friends can defend her honor.
Created by independent developer Dingo Games, the game features an
old school top-down perspective with hand-drawn 2D graphics. Players
gather loot, duel...
DropFrame ready for Snow Leopard
LAJ Design has updated DropFrame
(http://www.lajdesignsw.com/dropframe/), a cross-platform application
that allows you to add a picture frame to your images, to version
1.0.4. The upgrade is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard")
and Windows 7.
With DropFrame you can either use a computer generated frame or use a
picture of a frame. If you use a picture of a frame, you can decide
if you want to have the frame picture scale to match the image or
have the frame picture tiled to the picture (to keep its original
proportions). Unregistered versions can save a default frame.
Registered versions can save and load frame configurations.
DropFrame is shareware and costs US$12.50 to purchase. The Mac
version is Universal Binary, so runs natively on both PowerPC and
Intel Macs.
Curio 6.1 for Mac OS X adds style-able index cards, more
Zengobi has released Curio 6 (http://www.zengobi.com/curio), an
upgrade of the note taking, mind mapping, brainstorming, and task
management application for Mac OS X. The upgrade adds completely
style-able index cards for jotting down and organizing notes.
Version 6.1 also adds a decoration image well for associating an
image with a figure, smarter text exporting of multiply selected
figures and other features and fixtures. Using Curio's freeform
interface and tools, you can gather, associate, and recall your
ideas, while managing all the notes and documents associated with
your project.
Curio is available in two editions: Standard (US$99) and Professional
($149, US$69 academia). Discounted Curio 6 upgrades are available to
current Curio 5 (and earlier) customers. Version 6.1 is a free
upgrade to registered users of version 6.0.
Epson expands photo printer line with PictureMate Charm
Epson (http://www.epson.com) has released the PictureMate Charm, a
new entry in its photo printer line. It's compact and portable and
can print 4 x 6 inch photos with true-to-life skin tones, detail and
sharpness in as fast as 37 seconds, according to Stacey Tieu,
associate product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America.
The true-to-life prints last up to four times longer than
traditional, film-processed photos, resisting fading up to 96 years
under glass and over 200 years in dark album storage, he adds. The
PictureMate Charm offers one-touch printing with or without a
computer. It features a 2.5-inch LCD screen to view, crop and print
photos, as well as remove red eye and select photo layouts and color
tones such as black and white, sepia or color.
PictureMate Charm also prints from memory cards with built-in card
slots, and prints wirelessly from PDAs and digital camera cell phones
with an optional Bluetooth adapter. It prints on glossy and matte
paper with Epson's...
MacSpeech certifies Plaintronics Calisto Headset for use with
MacSpeech (http://www.macspeech.com) has announced the Plantronics
Calisto Headset with Bluetooth USB Adapter is now certified for use
with MacSpeech Dictate, the speech recognition solution for the Mac.
By combining the Calisto Headset with Bluetooth USB Adapter and
MacSpeech Dictate, customers can now use a single wireless headset
for dictation and control of the Mac, that can also simultaneously
pair to a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device, such as the iPhone, to
make and receive calls, according to Andrew Taylor, founder and CEO
of MacSpeech. The Calisto Headset with Bluetooth USB Adapter is the
only Bluetooth-enabled device certified for use with MacSpeech
Dictate, he adds.
The Calisto Headset with Bluetooth USB Adapter is available today for
use with MacSpeech Dictate 1.5.5 or higher. MacSpeech Dictate
requires Intel-based Macintosh hardware and requires Mac OS X 10.5.6
or higher.
Currently registered customers of MacSpeech Dictate 1.5 are being
notified about special pricing...
WD unveils WD TV Live HD media player with network capability
WD (http://www.westerndigital.com) has introduced the US$149.99 WD TV
Live HD media player featuring network capability and Full-HD 1080p
resolution. The new WD TV Live HD media player makes it easy for
anyone to play HD (high definition) videos stored on USB and network
drives, as well as Internet content from popular web sites, on the
biggest screen in their home -- their HD television, according to
Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD's branded products
group.
The network capability of the WD TV Live media player enables users
to stream or transfer movies from Macs, PCs or a network-attached
storage device such as WD's My Book World Edition(TM) and WD
ShareSpace network drives to their HD TVs. The WD TV Live media
player also allows users to stream rich content from YouTube, Flickr
and Pandora.
Like the first-generation WD TV HD media player introduced last fall,
the WD TV Live media player connects directly to a users' HD TV and
plays almost any file stored on a...
Toon Boom's entire product line ready for Snow Leopard
Toon Boom Animation (http://www.toonboom.com) has announced that its
entire line of products is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow
Leopard").
All software for kids, home users and professionals were thoroughly
tested and proved to be running smoothly on the new operating system,
according to Joan Vogelesang, president and CEO at Toon Boom. Only
Toon Boom Studio and its plug-in required a new build which is
available to all Studio 5 customers.
ATTO, Maxx Digital offer RAID solution for Final Cut Pro
ATTO Technology (http://www.attotech.com), a provider of storage
connectivity and infrastructure solutions for data-intensive
computing environments, and Maxx Digital
(http://www.maxxdigital.com), a storage solutions provider for
high-performance digital media markets, have announced that the ATTO
ExpressSAS R380 SAS/SATA RAID Adapter is exclusively being used as
part of Maxx Digital's Final Share Storage System to provide a
high-bandwidth, RAID-protected, shared storage solution for Final Cut
Pro users.
The ExpressSAS R380, a 3Gb/s SAS/SATA x8 PCIe adapter, as part of the
Final Share storage solution, provides an Ethernet-based SAN that
allows video professionals to work with uncompressed SD, ProRes422HQ
and DVCProHD on Macs. This low cost storage solution offers
integration and setup with minimal ongoing management or
administration and incorporates the ATTO R380 for high-performance
connectivity and RAID protection, according to Tim Klein, president
and CEO of ATTO Technology.
The...
ProStor releases InfiniVault Model 5
ProStor (http://www.prostorsystems.com) -- which specializes in
enterprise-class removable disk storage systems for business backup,
archiving and retention management -- has announced the general
availability of the new ProStor InfiniVault Model 5.
ProStor InfiniVault Model 5 is designed for the storage needs of the
SMB (small-to-medium businesses) that may have two different data
retention requirements, and where two copies of the data are
necessary for disaster protection. It's an integrated storage
appliance in a tower design with five slots for RDX removable disks
and a 1.8TB file area that can manage 250 million files.
Using 500GB RDX removable disk cartridges, ProStor InfiniVault Model
5 is able to keep 2.5TB (5TB compressed) data online (in RDX
removable disk cartridges) and an infinite amount of data capacity
offline. In an application requiring two separate retention periods,
the Model 5 can be configured to provide self protection while
allowing RDX removable disks to be...
Viper SmartStart lets you start your car with an iPhone or iPod
Fracture 1.5, Constrictor 3.1 released by Stick Software
Stick Software (http://www.sticksoftware.com/) has announced version
1.5 of Fracture, their screensaver for Mac OS X, and version 3.1 of
Constrictor, their screen shotshot utility. Both are now compatible
with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
Fracture generates a variety of fractal images based upon
mathematical formulas such as the Mandelbrot Set. If you have
multiple processors, it will use all of them to calculate its images
as quickly as possible. If you have multiple monitors, it will
display fractals on all of them, in any of several different
multimonitor modes. It's also user controllable.
Constrictor helps you take screenshots, using a positionable frame to
grab the right area every time. Snapshots can be scaled, framed and
feathered by Constrictor, to save you from having to post-process
your shots manually. They can be saved in five different file
formats, copied to the clipboard, or even, using Constrictor's
AppleScript support, e-mailed.
The apps cost US$10 each. Demos are...
Prosoft Engineering releases Data Rescue 3
Prosoft Engineering (http://www.prosoftengineering.com) has released
Data Rescue 3, a new version of the data rescue utility for Mac OS X.
Improvements have been made to speed and overall performance as well
as an all-new user interface with new features like FileIQ, says Greg
Brewer, CEO of Prosoft Engineering,
Data Rescue is a hard drive and file recovery software for the Mac.
It works even when your hard drive fails to mount or boot. The
software doesn't attempt any repairs to the drive it's scanning; it
focuses on data recovery, not hard drive repair. You will need to
save your recovered files to either an internal or external hard
drive (USB or FireWire), removable media device (such as a Zip or MO)
or a networked drive.
There are two ways to run Data Rescue 3. You may run it from the Boot
DVD or you may run it as an application, depending on your
circumstances. Data Rescue 3 costs US$99 for a personal use license
and $249 for a professional use license.
Atlona Technologies releases the latest series of Matrix...
Atlona Technologies (http://www.atlona.com), a solutions based
manufacturer of audio video products, has released their new line of
Matrix switchers for component, composite, and S-Video applications.
Because this new series of units are matrix switchers, any number of
the inputs can be routed to any number of the outputs independently;
or the same input can be routed to all outputs simultaneously, or any
other combination.
For AV component switching needs, there are the AT-COMP-42M (US$399)
and AT-COMP-88M ($1,999). The COMP-42M offers four component inputs
and two component outputs, while the COMP-88M offers eight inputs and
eight outputs. Atlona's new Component Matrix Switchers feature
lossless component with stereo audio and digital optical/coaxial.
These componentswitchers feature manual, infrared remote, or RS232
control.
For composite/S-Video, Atlona has released the AT-SAV-42M ($189) and
the AT-SAV-84M ($699). The SAV-42M has four composite and four
S-video inputs going out...
Omni Group, David Allen Company bring work-life management system
The Omni Group has announced a partnership with The David Allen
Company, founded by David Allen, author of "Getting Things Done: The
Art of Stress-Free Productivity." The companies will be working
together to support the Getting Things Done methodology through the
Omni Group's task management application, OmniFocus.
Directly inspired by the GTD methodology, OmniFocus is a personal
productivity solution for the Mac, iPhone and iPod touch. OmniFocus
for Mac is now listed as the recommended Mac GTD solution on The
David Allen Company's online store. OmniFocus for iPhone and iPod
touch is available from the Apple App Store.
OmniFocus is designed to quickly capture your thoughts and allow you
to store, manage, and process them into actionable to-do items,
explains Allen. Tasks can be assigned to projects and stored within
contexts (for example: "Home", "Work", or "Garden"), with built-in
visual cues that highlight the next action you need to take care of.
More information about OmniFocus...
Mariner Software updates Contour story development app for Mac OS
QNAP (http://www.qnap.com) has expanded their Turbo NAS lineup with
the addition of the TS-210 desktop NAS server targeted specifically
at the SOHO (small office/home office)and prosumer market segments.
The TS-210 supports up to 2 3.5-inch SATA hard drives with up to 4TB
of total capacity (using 2TB drives) and features a Marvell 800MHz
CPU and 256MB DDRII memory which purportedly provides sustained high
performance with low power consumption. The TS-210 can be configured
to RAID 1 for high data redundancy.
The TS-210 also supports iSCSI Target service with Thin Provisioning
and a Gigabit LAN port, features generally found on much higher end
NAS servers. The TS-210 is equipped three USB ports (one on the front
and two on the back) for expanding the storage capacity, printer
sharing, or data backup to an external storage device. It's
compatible with Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and UNIX systems.
It features a built-in UPnP/ DLNA media server (with TwonkyMedia
enabled) supporting a range...
Quark adds new functionality to the Quark Dynamic Publishing
Quark (http://www.quark.com) made two
announcements at the IFRA in Vienna, Austria,
including the introduction of Automation Services
for Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution (Quark
DPS). The updates announced today are built into
Quark Publishing System (QPS), a core component
of Quark DPS. New Automation Services allow users
to automate routine manual publishing tasks and
enhance XML support throughout the publishing
process.
Automation Services automate routine publishing
tasks and increase XML support throughout the
publishing process to enable the efficient
delivery of content across print and digital
media from one source, according to the folks at
Quark.
Automation Services enables producers of
richly-designed communications and technical
publications to overcome dependency on
programmers and labor-intensive manual tasks,
resulting in reduced costs and faster delivery of
content across print and digital media, says PG
Bartlett, senior vice president of product
management for Quark...
File Stitcher ready for Snow Leopard
Pariahware has introduced version 2.1 of File Stitcher
(http://www.pariahware.com/filestitcher.php), an utility that
provides users an easy way to merge either MP3 files or text files
together. The upgrade is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow
Leopard").
To use File Stitcher, drag and drop files into the window and click
the "Stitch the files" button to start the process. A progress bar
will show the process, and after MP3s are merged, the user has the
option of editing the ID3 tags for the new file.
File Stitcher is shareware and costs US$15 to register. Version 2.1
is a free update to registered users of version 2.0. An unregistered
copy will work in a limited mode, allowing only two files to be
merged or stitched at a time. File Stitcher requires Mac OS X 10.4 or
higher.
File Recovery ready for Snow Leopard
AppleXsoft Software (http://www.applexsoft.com) has updated
AppleXsoft File Recovery to version 2.0, adding compatibility with
Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). AppleXsoft File Recovery allows users
to recover lost data systems that have encountered volume corruption,
accidental deleted, formatted partitions or file system corruption.
File Recovery for Mac costs US$99 and works with Mac OS X 10.3.9 or
higher.It's compatible with HFS, HFS+, HFSX file systems.
WoodWing Software unveils next version of its Enterprise
WoodWing Software (http://www.woodwing.com) has unveiled the next
generation of its Enterprise publishing system. Enterprise 7 offers
flexibility when it comes to the integration of social media into
modern multi-channel publishing environments, according to Erik
Schut, president of WoodWing Software.
Also, the planning of editorial content can now be based on instant
analysis of online reader interests, while the new Search 2.0
provides highly relevant results when doing research, he adds.
Enterprise 7 comes with Content Station 7, a new version of the
client application that provides publishers with the ultimate tool to
plan, produce and manage content for multiple destinations.
WoodWing Enterprise 7 can publish to virtually any channel, including
Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube. More traditional channels such
as web, mobile, e-mail, SMS and print are also covered. Enterprise 7
has the open-source Apache Solr search engine on board, and the
generated Faceted Search results are...
MacTech 25: Most Influential, Cast Your Vote
MacTech 25:
Cast Your Vote in People's Choice
Community chooses the most influential people in Mac technical community
Voting Ends October 31st
MacTech Magazine has opened voting for the MacTech 25. The MacTech 25 list
is a compilation of the most influential people in the Mac technical
community. It allows the community to recognize those who are the most
influential -- through their work, writing, or any other effort they may
make.
The MacTech 25 is designed to recognize the technical contributions of
developers, writers, bloggers, problem-solvers and personalities to the
Macintosh technical community. The MacTech 25 is not a popularity contest,
nor is it to "pick your favorite CEO." We're looking for the most
influential in the Mac TECHNICAL market.
The results will be presented in an upcoming issue of MacTech, and
announced in the months to come.
We want the community to determine the 25 most influential Mac technical
people for 2009 by voting for the MacTech 25, and the best way...
Future Media Concepts adds professional certification testing to
Future Media Concepts (FMC) -- an authorized digital media training
organization for postproduction, broadcast, and content creators,
announced that they're working alongside Pearson VUE
(http://www.pearsonvue.com) for test delivery.
Pearson VUE specializes in computer-based testing for information
technology, academic, government and professional testing programs.
Testing is offered exclusively through FMC Washington, D.C. using the
Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center network of more than 5,000 sites
in 165 countries.
Pearson VUE's real-time testing system allows FMC to administer a
variety of their Adobe Certification examinations through a
centralized scheduling system. Pearson VUE also provides FMC with
instantaneous access to reporting and tracking, alongside 24-hour
technical support.
FMC Washington D.C. is currently offering Pearson VUE certification
testing for a variety of Adobe software, including: After Effects,
Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects. For a...
Adobe unveils Photoshop.com Mobile for the iPhone
Adobe has introduced the Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone application,
delivering Adobe digital-imaging technology to users on the go.
Photoshop.com Mobile provides consumers a way to edit photos, apply
effects and share images instantly with friends, says Doug Mack, vice
president and general manager of Consumer and Hosted Solutions at
Adobe.
Integration with users' free Photoshop.com accounts enables photo
sharing and data back-up, saving them valuable space on their
iPhones. The application is available free of charge at the Apple App
Store.
Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone provides an experience to view photos
with full-screen previews and edit images with gesture-based editing.
Consumers can transform their photos with edits like crop, rotate and
flip. Users can correct and play with color by adjusting the
saturation and tint, enhancing the exposure and vibrancy and
converting images to black and white.
Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone also offers special effects. The
Sketch tool...
Syncro Soft announces new release of Oxygen XML Editor, Oxygen
Syncro Soft Ltd, the producer of Oxygen XML Editor and Author, has
announced the immediate availability of version 11 of its XML Editor
and XML Author containing a comprehensive set of tools supporting all
the XML related technologies. Oxygen combines content author features
like the CSS driven Visual XML editor with a fully featured XML
development environment. It has ready to use support for the main
document frameworks DITA, DocBook, TEI and XHTML and also includes
support for all XML Schema languages, XSLT/XQuery Debuggers, WSDL
analyzer, XML Databases, XML Diff and Merge, Subversion client and
more.
Oxygen XML Editor 11 comes with new features covering both XML
authoring and XML development like: integrated documentation for XSLT
stylesheets, improved support for very large documents, an XQuery
debugger for the Oracle Berkeley DB XML database, MathML rendering
and editing support, DITA 1.2 features, a smarter Author mode for an
improved visual editing experience, and XProc...
Sonoma Wire Works acquires DrumCore, KitCore, Famous Drummer
Sonoma Wire Works (http://www.sonomawireworks.com), makers of
RiffWorks recording software and the FourTrack and InstantDrummer
iPhone Apps, has acquired the entire Submersible Music product line,
including the DrumCore and KitCore software and drum content.
Submersible was created by Paul Allen, the philanthropist and
Microsoft co-founder, to help him in his own songwriting. DrumCore
(http://www.drumcore.com) gives songwriters and composers access to
grooves and instrument sounds of over a dozen famous drummers and
percussionists. It includes a groove library of both audio loops and
MIDI files plus a VST/AU/RTAS software instrument loaded with the
drummers' sounds for Mac and PC systems. KitCore and KitCore Deluxe
offer most of the features found in DrumCore, but include only the
MIDI content (grooves and a drum instrument).
Content is arranged into song-like GrooveSets, that group related
loops, fills and variations together and supports typical song
variations for verse/chorus/etc...
MacTech Surveys Apple Ecosystem Economic Outlook
MACTECH SURVEYS APPLE ECOSYSTEM ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
- 70.7% of respondents feel good or great about their next 6 months
- Nearly 90% see 2009 as almost as good or better than 2008
- MacTech sees 13% increase in ad revenues 2009 over 2008 YTD
- 72.9% feel good or great when asked about the Apple/Mac segment
Westlake Village, CA -- October 8, 2009 -- MacTech(r) Magazine today
announced the results of its latest economic outlook survey of the Apple
market ecosystem. The survey asked five questions about the experience
companies are having in the Apple related markets. Despite a generally
gloomy or worse feeling towards the general U.S. economy, the Apple related
markets are fairing well and many are actually forecasting growth.
"The MacTech team decided to survey those in the market after seeing three
significant trends starkly contrasting the general U.S. economic news.
First, MacTech experienced a 8% increase in advertising revenues for the
first three quarters of 2009 when compared to...
O'Reilly releases 'Missing Manual' for Snow...
O'Reilly has released "Mac OS X Snow Leopard: The
Missing Manual"
(http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596153298/?utm_content=Snow+Leopard+TMM&u...)
by David Pogue. It offers info, tips and tricks
for using the latest version of Mac OS X.
The US$34.99 book looks at, among other things,:
° The rewritten Finder, 64-bit mode, Microsoft
Exchange compatibility, build-them-yourself
Services and keyboard shortcuts, self-waking
networked Macs, and more;
° The Dock, the Mac OS X folder structure, and Mail;
° Safari 4 and QuickTime X.
"Steve Jobs said that Apple was going to 'put a
pause on new features' in Snow Leopard, but not
everyone got the memo," Pogue says. "An insane
amount has changed -- tiny, tweaky things,
under-the-hood things, and even some big,
routine-changing things. Writing the ultimate,
complete, most entertaining guide to all of it
was absolutely exhausting, but I guess somebody's
got to do it."
Cheetah3D for Mac OS X sprints to version 5.0
Independent software developer Martin Wengenmayer has updated Cheetah
3D (http://www.cheetah3d.com/) -- software for modeling, animating
and rendering 3D objects -- to version 5.0. The upgrade adds a
completely new node-based material system, optimized render engine,
extended modeling tools, and small user interface enhancements.
Cheetah3D 5.0 sports an optimized raytracing core that supports up to
16 CPU cores, new pre-made materials, pivot points, a new bevel tool
and bend modifier, a new tag selector to accelerate the work flow,
the ability to export to static Collada files and automatic texture
reload. It's also been localized in German.
Cheetah3D costs US$149 for a single user version. Registered users of
versions 1.x through 4.x can upgrade for $69. Cheetah3D requires
requires at least Mac OS X 10.4 and 16MB of VRAM. It's a Universal
Binary product, which means it will run natively on both PowerPC and
Intel Macs.
Faronics Insight now available for Mac OS X
Faronics has released Insight 7.4, an update of the tool that
empowers instructors to educate, monitor, and communicate with an
entire class from one central computer. The latest version of Insight
allows teachers to run the console within the Mac OS X operating
system.
Insight 7.4 also features expanded internet controls for Internet
Explorer 8 and Mozilla Firefox. The software allows instructors to:
monitor user computers; blank user screens; mute audio; remote into
their computers; open, close, block applications and web activity on
user workstations. Contact Faraonics for pricing options.
SmartOffice PS282 Scanner now compatible with Kodax software
Plustek Technology (http://www.plustek.com/usa) -- a manufacturer of
consumer, prosumer, professional and office imaging devices
(including portable scanners, sheet fed/flat bed scanners, wide
format scanners and IP cameras) -- has announced that the SmartOffice
PS282 Scanner -- which has a list price of US$399 -- is now certified
for use with Kofax VirtualReScan (VRS) and compatible with other
Kofax software (http://www.kofax.com) such as Kofax Capture, Kofax
Express and any other application supported by Kofax VRS.
Kofax VRS helps the Plustek SmartOffice PS282 reduce the time
involved in manual document preparation and enhances the quality of
scanned images, enabling faster processing, fewer data errors and
increased productivity for organizations in paper-intensive business
environments, according to the folks at Plustek. The SmartOffice
PS282 is a compact high-speed sheetfed scanner.
Features include 600-dpi resolution, a scanning speed of 25-ppm and
full color duplex scanning (...
Snow Leopard seminar coming later this month
Sewelltech and Apple are co-sponsoring a seminar on Mac OS X 10.6
("Snow Leopard") later this month. It's a free, half-day event, but
you do have to register (go here:
http://www.sewelltech.com/snowleopard/).
It will be held in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 13, New York on Oct. 15,
Dallas on Oct. 20, Chicago on Oc. 22, Los Angeles on Oct. 27 and San
Francisco on Oct. 29. The seminar will look at best practices for
deploying, managing, and securing the Mac for the enterprise.
InPreflight for Adobe InDesign adds Snow Leopard support
Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has updated InPreflight Pro
-- its quality control, packaging automation and preflight reporting
solution for Adobe InDesign -- to version 2.6.12. The new version
adds support for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
InPreflight provides a preflight solution for service providers,
printers, ad agencies, designers and publishing houses. It gathers
information about document fonts, colors and links and lets users
locate potential problems according to preflight presets. The
software is also a packaging automation solution that allows users to
preflight and package multiple documents. Among other abilities, it
can collect all files into one folder, eliminating the need to
collect the same links multiple times for each design. In addition,
InPreflight lets users print graphic preflight reports and save them
as fully searchable interactive PDF files, providing an easy way to
analyze, archive and send reports to service providers.
InPreflight Pro/Studio...
Workgroups 2010 ready for Snow Leopard, Window 7
MetaCommunications (http://www.metacommunications.com) has announced
the immediate availability of Workgroups 2010's built-in rapid
development tool for IT departments and developers in marketing,
creative design, packaging and prepress industries. The new
development environment provides IT groups and developers with the
ability to build and deploy database, workflow, and document
management applications.
While the development tools in the new Workgroups 2010 suite are
primarily intended for developers with basic to advanced knowledge of
JavaScript and SQL, more experienced developers can extend
functionality with plug-ins and integrate with third-party systems
using .NET plug-ins, SOAP, JSON, and more, according to Robert Long,
executive vice pesident of MetaCommunications.
Concurrent with the release of the new development tools available in
Workgroups 2010, MetaCommunications also launched a Developer Center
community web site. The new Developer Center provides Workgroups...
