Aquafadas (http://www.aquafadas.com) has updated PulpMotion and PulpMotion Advanced, slideshow and animation software for Mac OS X 10.4.11 ("Leopard"), to version 2.1. The upgrade integrates with iLife' 09 and takes advantage of the new Faces feature in iPhoto, both in the Standard and Advanced edition. Via drag and drop, you can use your "Faces" and create slideshow animations. PulpMotion will automatically turn the Faces information from your pictures into zones of interest and animate them in theme-specific ways. PulpMotion 2.1 also integrate a new version of an existing theme, Slideshow 3D '09, improved support for Lightroom 2 and various speed and memory improvements during export. A single user license for Pulpmotion is US$49. A single user license for Pulpmotion Advanaced is U$89. Upgrades to version 2 for free for registered users.

MacSpeech, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of MacSpeech Dictate 1.3, a significant update to the premier speech recognition solution for the Macintosh. Now, people can use MacSpeech Dictate to work with any document, including those that were not created with MacSpeech Dictate. MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 features a new "Cache Document" command that allows MacSpeech Dictate to read a document's contents, in order to navigate the document, and to enter and edit text. MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 also introduces an extensive new Help Book system, two new visual microphone status indicators, and new commands for "Cache Selection," "Press The Key," "Press The Key Combo" and "Cancel Training." MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 also fixes reported issues, adds several enhancements and is free of charge to all registered customers, using the "Check for Updates" feature. "MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 now lets you use speech recognition with any document you already have," explained Andrew Taylor, founder...

XChange International (http://www.xchangeuk.com) has announced Enfocus PDF?Standardizer 1.0. PDF Standardizer is an all-in-one PDF and color preflight and standardization tool designed for graphic professionals who want control of their PDF files. PDF Standardizer offers a way to create PDFs that comply to PDF standards such as ISO 15930-1 PDF/X1-a and Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG) specifications, as well as to color standards such as ISO 12647. It combines the functionalities of Alwan CMYK Optimizer, Enfocus FullSwitch and Enfocus PitStop Server. PDF Standardizer is a fully integrated software solution and isn't a bundle. It has a single installer and a single product key for all three components. What's more, it has a wizard to configure each flow as well as the flow's PDF and color settings. PDF Standardizer costs approximately US$9,154.

SanDisk Corp. (http://www.sandisk.com) has shipped the latest editions of its SanDisk ImageMate memory card readers, which are faster, smaller and sleeker than their predecessors, and featurw upgraded software applications. The ImageMate All-In-One and Multi-Card readers transfer data between a range of memory card formats and a host computer. The All-In-One memory card reader can reach speeds of up to 34 megabytes per second (MB/s) when using a SanDisk Extreme IV 45MB/s CompactFlash card, and the Multi-Card reader is capable of up to 30MB/second read and 27 MB/second write data transfer rates when using a SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition SDHC card. Sporting a black and metallic silver design, each reader's tripod base is detachable. In addition to the traditional drag and drop method, the new SanDisk ImageMate readers include a transfer button that automatically launches a user-defined application or web site. A single press of the reader's button will open a designated application...

Speck (http://www.speckproducts.com) has released new colors for its expanding line of SeeThru hard shell cases for the MacBook line: bright "hazard orange," along with purple, aqua and green. The new colors, available today for the 13-inch and 15-inch aluminum unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro, join the already available pink, red and clear offerings from Speck. Specifically designed for the new line of MacBooks, the translucent SeeThru hard shell case snuggly fits the unibody aluminum notebooks. The lightweight case snaps onto your MacBook or MacBook Pro. All SeeThru hard shell MacBook and MacBook Pro case colors are available today for US $49.95. The limited edition "hazard orange" colored SeeThru is available only online via Apple.com and SpeckProducts.com.

Aleratec, a developer and manufacturer of solutions for the Blu-ray, DVD/CD, Flash, HDD, USB duplicating, and DVD/CD publishing markets, has announced the stand-alone 1:1 HDD Cruiser, a high speed 1:1 hard disk drive duplicator that can copy a hard drive at speeds up to 70MB/sec. The 1:1 HDD Cruiser is a stand alone unit that has the ability to quickly make a copy of a SATA 3.5 inch hard disk drive, making it an essential tool for quickly installing or upgrading new computer systems. This innovative unit is also equipped with a USB 2.0 port that allows you to access both SATA drive bays from your computer. This USB access is a powerful feature to help you view and edit hard drives before duplicating. " The 70MB/sec copy speed of our new Aleratec 1:1 HDD Cruiser is twice as fast as many competitive offerings and it is equipped with quick load bays so there are no cumbersome external cables needed. It is a fast and convenient HDD duplicator. Just load your source and target drives in...

Enhance Technology (http://www.enhance-tech.com) has introduced the new StorPack S23T/S34T/S35T Series, which sports a new black and silver TeraStor Series T-shaped tray design that takes advantage of the embedded light pipes to the backplane for LED signals and added rear cooling fan for better performance. The new Enhance Technology's StorPack T Series comes with multiple removable drives trays, allowing users to add drives or increasing capacity as needed. The Series is constructed in black aluminum material with a cooling fan module and front to back vent airflow. The new StorPack T Series is a high density multi-disk storage backplane that allows multiple low-profile SAS or SATA hard disk drives to be mounted on the server or external disk array enclosures. It has an individual keylock for each hard disk for added security for mission critical applications and is designed to be removed or hot-swapped as required by user applications, allowing users to add drives or increasing...

Derman Enterprises has released Sync'Em 1.24, an update of the multi-sync hub for Macs that's designed to sync Microsoft Exchange, Google and Apple contact and calendar information. Sync'Em version 1.24 adds support for recurring and detached calendar events, support for Google App accounts, multiple usage and error-handling improvements and now also handles invalid dates returned from Google and multiple additional kinds of erroneous data returned from Exchange. Sync'Em is unique in its ability to multi-sync -- sync multiple configurations, each involving multiple information sources with each syncing bidirectionally or unidirectionally. Sync'Em has its own full-featured sync engine that syncs non-Apple sources directly, enabling it to sync Exchange-to-Exchange, Exchange-to-Google and Google-to-Google and perform multi-source conflict resolutions in one interaction. Today Sync'Em syncs Exchange, Google/Gmail and/or Address Book contacts and Exchange and/or iCal basic calendar events...

PreViser Corp. (http://www.previsor.com), which makes risk and disease analytic software designed to enhance treatment planning for patients affected by oral disease, has announced a cooperation agreement with MacPractice (http://www.macpractic.ecolm), a provider of dental practice management and clinical software running on the Mac. The agreement will involve cooperation in joint marketing and promotional activities and the integration of PreViser analytic technology into MacPractice DDS 3.6, making MacPractice the only native Mac compatible practice management software to integrate the PreViser toolset, according to MacPractice President Mark Hollis. "While Macintosh users represent a subset of computer users, they tend to be technically adept users who welcome innovation," says PreViser CEO Carl Loeb. "We are very excited about the opportunity to work with MacPractice in showing users of their software how PreViser can help enhance practice revenue, increase productivity, enhance...

Ross Video (http://www.rossvideo.com) has launched the new SoftMetal 3000 and 4000 Series Video Servers. The next generations in the SoftMetal family are integrated media servers that come with I/O and storage all contained in a compact 3RU package. The 3000 Series is a Server Class Platform available in either standard or multi-definition versions. The 3000 Series supports up to eight simultaneous record/play channels in SD and up to four simultaneous record/play channels in HD. It uses SATA drives and offers up to 14TB of media storage. The 4000 Series is a multi-definition server which supports up to eight simultaneous record/play channels in HD. It uses high performance SAS drives with a total capacity of up to 6.3TB. The 4000 Series is designed to support 1080p50 and 1080p60 3Gb/s operation. Shipments of both the SoftMetal 3000 and 4000 Series Servers start in March. SoftMetal Servers are designed to work in both live production and master control applications, offering file...

Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) has been released. This version addresses an issue in which Cocktail may stop responding during a scheduled clearing of system caches, adds clearing of the trojan Lamzev.A and the worm Inqtana.A as well as minor improvements on the clear potentially harmful files procedure. Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) is available for download from: http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/download.php Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Cocktail 4.3 (Leopard Edition) requires Mac OS X / Mac OS X Server 10.5 or later and is tested for compatibility with Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 10.5.6. Cocktail is a digital toolset with a variety of practical features that simplifies the use of advanced UNIX functions and helps hundreds of thousands of Mac users around the world to get the most out of their computers.

Collins America (http://www.collinsamerica.com/page4/page4.html) has begun accepting orders for its Danglet wrist and neck strap system for Apple's iPhone and iPod products. The warehouses in the U.S. and Europe are stocked and ready to ship orders placed from the Collins America web site to buyers in the U.S., Canada, and EU countries. Priced at US$14.99 (plus shipping), the Danglet is a strap adapter for the iPhone or iPod. Danglet orders include the Danglet adapter which clips securely into the Apple products' Dock connector jack, and two black nylon with metal clips straps -- one a seven-inch wrist strap, the other a 17-inch neck strap.

Native Instruments has introduced Absynth Spectral Expansion (http://www.native-instruments.com/spectralexpansion.info), the latest release in the Kore Soundpack libraries. The new collection provides sounds based on the semi-modular sound engine of the Absynth synthesizer. Absynth Spectral Expansion focuses on playable sounds that range from distinctive bass, keys, and piano to exquisite pads, bells and more. Ready for use in Kore 2 and the free Kore Player as well as in Absynth 4, the presets make use of the unique synthesis capabilities of Absynth. Absynth Spectral Expansion sports 1,600 sound variations, parameter assignments and musical metadata for the Kore Sound Browser. It's available for download in the NI Online Shop for a suggested retail price of US$59.

Genius (http://www.geniusnetusa.com), a brand division of KYE Systems Corp., has announced a new addition to the company's line up of digital tablets: the US$109 G-Pen F-509, for business professionals, graphic designers and artists on-the-go. Plug and play ready, the G-Pen comes with both Mac OS X and Window's Vista software. The G-Pen F-509 has 26 programmable hot keys for various functions to be used forshortcuts. The cordless pen features 1024 level pressure sensitivity and two buttons for controlling shapes and thickness. The G-Pen F-509 has a 5.25 x 8.75 inch working area and is transportable for use in a car, coffee shop or any type of mobile office. The tablet can be used to write, draw, sketch and/or sign documents. It's designed for those creative types who like drawing, bloggers, artists, and anyone craving a digital pen as opposed to a keyboard, which only allows typing, according to the folks at Genius.

Schmap GeoTweeter (http://www.schmap.com/geotweeter) is a new iPhone app that "puts the 'where' in your tweets." It's a free download at the Apple App Store. GeoTweeter appends a "schmap.me" map link to tweets, showing the user's current location, with an optional photo, notes and a configurable map icon. Previously saved places can also be retweeted, which is useful for recommending favorite restaurants etc. and inviting followers to tweetups.

MacPractice (http://www.macpractice.com), the Macintosh practice management and clinical application developer, announces the release of MacPractice DDS 3.6, the first complete Mac solution for a dental practice with an all-new innovative MacPractice Chart (restorative dental charting) and enhanced MacPractice DR (digital radiography and photo). MacPractice Chart graphically displays preexisting conditions, treatment plans, and treatment performed with just a click. Another click flips the screen to display the patient ledger with charges and payments. MacPractice is currently used by health care providers in 13 countries. MacPractice Chart supports US and International tooth numbering. In version 3.6, MacPractice DR sports a new interface and uses an enhanced device driver developed by MacPractice for SuniRay digital sensors, which deliver exceptionally high image quality with maximum diagnostic capabilities. SuniRay's ergonomic design and rounded corners ensure easy positioning...

Azure Talon Software (http://www.azuretalon.com/ has released iLaugh Lite, the free, ad-supported version of iLaugh 1.1, a joke database for the iPhone and iPod touch. It has sources containing a total of over 20,000 jokes. With iLaugh Lite and iLaugh 1.1 come three more great: Jokes.com, bash.org and bashfr.org. Also new in this release is automatic source updating, which means that a full application update won't be necessary for new sources to appear. Instead they will automatically update and become available as soon as they're released. Minor bug fixes and user interface improvements can also be found in iLaugh 1.1. iLaugh -- the non-ad supported version -- costs US $0.99 and is available exclusively through the Apple App Store.

ATTO Technology (http://www.attotech.com ) has released what it says is the industry's first 16-port 6Gb/s SAS/SATA Host Adapters, the ExpressSAS H60F and H6F0, as well as the release of the 4-internal/4-external port ExpressSAS H644, to its existing family of 6Gb/s SAS/SATA host adapters. Now available for original equipment manufacturers, the H60F, H6F0 and H644 deliver throughput of up to 600MB/second per port with the flexibility to connect to SAS, SAS2.0, SATA and SATA II devices. An expansion of ATTO's ExpressSAS 6Gb/s SAS/SATA host adapter product line, the H60F, H6F0 and H644 provide the fastest available connection to SAS/SATA storage in Mac, Windows and Linux environments, the company claims. The ExpressSAS H60F and H6F0 feature a two-host-adapters-in-one architecture with two independent controllers delivering 16 lanes of connectivity to achieve approximately 60 percent faster performance than competitive offerings, according to ATTO. The H60F, H6F0 and H644 all support...

Absoft Corp. (http://www.absoft.com) has announced Fx3 stand-alone debugger, a more advanced debugging option for Fortran developers on Mac OS X running on Intel Macs. It provides a full graphical interface for Fortran developers. Previously available only as part of Absoft's Pro Fortran suite, it can now be purchased as a stand-alone item and is compatible with Absoft Pro Fortran and Intel Fortran compilers, Apple C and gnu c compilers, and assembly language. Linux versions are also available. Prices start at US$99. Absoft says Fx3 is especially beneficial for the Mac OS X/Intel community because Fx3 is the only graphical Fortran debugger from a commercial vendor currently available for the platform. The alternatives are either command line or designed for C/C++ with no knowledge of Fortran, says Absoft President Wood Lotz. The Apple debugger included with Xcode has a graphical interface, but was designed for C/C++ and has no knowledge of Fortran. For example, customers using...

HolyWars Veteran (http://vitotechnology.com/iphone-holywars.html) is a new app for the iPhone that lets you create your polls and test other people opinions. It's available for US$2.99 at the Apple App Store. You can take or make quizzes. With HolyWars Veteran, you can take quizzes and evaluate your intellectual level. Make your own quiz and check out if other people are clever enough to answer it correctly. The more you give correct answers to quizzes, the more your rating grows. When people take part in your polls you can see blinking spots of different colors on the globe. They represent people's opinions all around the globe as every color corresponds to a particular answer. When you start HolyWars Veteran for the first time, the application determines your location and uses it to show the distribution of opinions on our planet when you choose an answer in other polls.

Sugar Games, the creator of such casual games as Rainbow Web and Rainbow Web 2, has released Wendy's Wellness (http://sugargames.com/wendys-wellness/), a new, US$19.95 time management game for Mac OS X (10.3 and higher). Here's how the game is described: "The story is set in a big bustling city, which does not have any wellness centers, so the citizens have no special place that would help them relax after a hectic workday and keep fit. You play as Wendy, who decides to start her own chain of wellness centers, and her uncle, a professional trainer, gives her help and useful advice. At first you have to deal with basic equipment and to do all the work yourself - but as the chain of centers grows and the number of customers increases, Wendy's wellness centers become well-equipped, glamorous and popular with the citizens. You need to use all your management skills to cope with the great number of customers and to hit the objectives of each level. But your hard work will be rewarded by...

Big Nerd Ranch Europe, provider of intensive training classes for programmers, system administrators and web developers, announced new dates for OpenGL Bootcamp in Europe, featuring instructor Jay Anderson and his co-instructor Carsten Haubold, for April 20-24, 2009. This intensive five-day class at the old monastery Kloster Eberbach near Frankfurt, Germany is the fastest way to master the ideas and techniques of OpenGL programming by focusing on advanced level visualization techniques and elevating the materials beyond simply video game development instruction. Students signing up before March 16, 2009 apply for the early bird fee and save ¤200. In modern application development OpenGL has become the standard-bearer in the visualization of 2D and 3D images in a wide spectrum of fields, from visually enhanced user experiences in general, to medical research and pharmaceuticals, rich data visualization, in addition to video gaming. Today, everyone doing any work concerning graphics...

Zevrix Solutions has released LinkOptimizer 3.2.7, a maintenance update to its workflow automation solution to optimize link size and resolution for Adobe InDesign. LinkOptimizer allows to reduce the size of InDesign jobs and increase the processing speed by eliminating excessive image data. LinkOptimizer automatically reduces the image resolution, scales and crops the images in Photoshop according to their dimensions in the InDesign document and the target resolution specified, and reimports them to InDesign at 100%. In addition, LinkOptimizer can automate the image color conversion, sharpening and merging of layers, as well as run Photoshop Actions during processing. The new update allows to process a wider range of links by ignoring rotation angles smaller than 0.01 degree. InDesign occasionally applies small rotation angles to some links which prevented LinkOptimizer from cropping the images. LinkOptimizer 3.2.7 can be purchased from the Zevrix Solutions web site, www.zevrix.com,...

LehrerOffice is a new product from Roth Soft (http://www.rothsoft.ch/realbasic/rsreport/). It's office software for teachers that's written in REALbasic. In order to create, design and print all the required reports, Roth Soft has written a whole set of Report-Classes (RSReport) in pure REALbasic. These are now available for download. With RSReport you can create static or dynamic reports in an object-oriented manner, show them in a print preview, print them or save as PDF files. It's compatible with Mac OS X and Windows systems without the need of any plug-in or PDF converter/printer. It's all written in pure REALbasic. The following basic drawing elements are available: elements: text, line, oval, rectangle, checkbox, image, RTF text, triangle charts and line and bar charts. A demo is available for download. Registration is US$89.