Amnesia: The Dark Descent released
Frictional Games, the makers of the Penumbra series, has announced that Amnesia: The Dark Descent game (http://www.amnesiagame.com) for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux is now available for instant download. It costs US$20..
Frictional Games says one of our goals with the game has been "availability," meaning that the game should be as available as possible for those that are interested in playing it. Because of this, the game is having a simultaneous launch on Mac, Windows and Linux. It also comes with four translations in addition to the original English version, is DRM free and available from most major online retailers in addition to our own online store.
Here's how the game is described: "Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a first person horror game with a focus on immersion. It is a game where atmosphere and story comes first. We hope that the game will be a breeze of fresh air, in a genre otherwise populated by "one-man-army action hero" sagas. In Amnesia you are almost completely...
Analyst weighs in on 'Antennagate,' lack of a Verizon...
According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, "Antennagate" -- the problems, or perceived problems, with the antenna on the iPhone 4 -- cost Apple 20% of sales -- but the lack of a Verizon iPhone is a bigger problem.
"Fortune" (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/08/antennagate-cost-apple-20-of-sales/) says those are some of the findings a survey released Wednesday by Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster. His team interviewed 258 cell phone users in downtown Minneapolis. Munster says:
° 177 respondents, or 69%, indicated that they were aware of iPhone 4 quality issues. Of those who are aware of the antenna issues, 20% indicated that they impacted their purchase decision.
° For every one respondent that acknowledged the antenna issue about three complained about the iPhone not being on Verizon.
° Despite this, Apple continues to sell iPhone 4s faster than it can make them.
iPad putting the smackdown on the entire PC industry
The iPad may not be cannibalizing Mac sales, but it’s putting the smackdown on the entire PC market -- and not just networks, UBS analyst Maynard Um told clients in a note today -- as reported by "All Things D" (http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100908/forget-netbooks-ipad-canniba...).
“Sales of traditional notebooks appear to be feeling pressure from the iPad, causing a scramble by vendors to launch iPad-like tablets,” Um says. “We believe that a majority of this impact is occurring on the lower end of PC sales as the iPad is priced close enough to this range that it becomes attractive to consumers looking to make purchases within this segment. We are not sold that the iPad is purely cannibalizing PC sales, as the functionality of the iPad can not yet fully match the functionality of notebook PC’s. However, consumers who purchase iPads may be more willing to delay purchases and upgrades of existing PC’s.”
He expects this trend to continue into 2011.
Apple posts Safari 5.0.2
Apple has released Safari 5.0.2 (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1070). The 37.56MB download requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or Windows XP/Vista/7.
According to Apple, the update contains improvements to compatibility and security. You can obtain it via the Software Update component of Mac OS X's Systems Preferences app.
Apple releases MobileMe iDisk 1.2.1
Apple has released MobileMe iDisk 1.2.1 for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. It's available at the Apple App Store.
According to Apple, MobileMe iDisk 1.2.1 fixes an issue that prevented some Keynote files and other package files from opening properly on the iPad. It also corrects a problem where rotated images wouldn’t display properly, and improves overall performance and stability.
Nikon releases two new CoolPix cameras
Nikon (http:///www.nikonusa.com) has released two new CoolPix cameras: the S8100 and P7000. Both will be available later this month. The S8100 has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$299.95; the P7000 is $499.95.
The S8100 offers a 12.1-megapixel backside illumination CMOS sensor and a 10X zoom that will capture fast-moving subjects in still images and HD (1080p) movies. It not only features high-speed shooting at five full resolution frames at up to 10 frames-per-second (fps), but a pre-shooting cache that records up to two shots before the shutter-release is fully pressed.
For fast action shots, the S8100's Sports Continuous mode records up to approximately 120 fps. With Subject Tracking, the S8100 automatically tracks a designated subject by activating autofocus (AF). The S8100 also adopts Nikon's exclusive Expeed C2 image processing engine, which is customized to each CoolPix model to further drive enhanced performance, outstanding image quality and HD video,...
Delegate 1.1 released for the Mac, iPhone, iPad
App4mac has introduced Delegate 1.1 (http://www.app4mac.com/delegate.html), an update of the to-do lists manager designed for the Mac, iPhone and iPad. It allows users to share a to-do list on the internet for remote access from any location.
Version 1.1 has new options to authorize the editing of a to-do list from a remote access and in the preferences to disable confirmation messages. It also: improves support of foreign languages; support of the iPhone/iPad version; user feedback; and the user interface.
Delegate has a built in tagging feature, which allows you to tag additional information to your tasks. This information can be anything you find necessary or helpful, such as due dates, priority levels, and contexts. It's compliant to GTD method Getting Things Done.
The Mac version allows users to share a to-do list on the Internet with a free online service powered by app4mac Delegate Server solution. Using this feature requires a user license. As an option, Mac users can use...
Sketch is new vector drawing app for Mac OS X
Bohemian Coding has introduced Sketch 1.0 (http://www.bohemiancoding.com/sketch), a vector drawing application for Mac OS X 10.6 and higher. Its intentionally minimalist design is based upon a drawing space of unlimited size and layers, free of palettes, panels, menus, windows, and controls.
Tools and modifiers are accessed as needed from drop-down graphical menus, and help/control dialogues open and close automatically. Sketch offers vector drawing and text tools and can be used in conjunction with the company's bit-mapped graphics editor, DrawIt for Mac OS X, as well as the portable SketchPad app for iPad.
In addition to a wide of object creation tools, Sketch features a host of object modification tools. These include: precise Boolean operations, join & split, decorate, transform, scissors, rotate, smart rotate, stroke width, patch, blob, eraser, distort, and mirror. Of special interest are dynamic Boolean operations on groups of vectors rather than complete shapes, and smart...
QNAP refreshes Business Series Turbo NAS line-up
QNAP Systems (http://www.qnap.com) has announced the fall 2010 refresh of its Business Series Turbo NAS servers for SMB and corporate users.
New are the 2-drive TS-259 Pro+, the 4-drive TS-459 Pro+, the 5-drive TS-559 Pro+, and the 6-drive TS-659 Pro+ with up to 12TB of online storage (using 2TB hard drives). The new Business Series Turbo NAS Pro+ models incorporate new dual-core Intel Atom processor D525 with 1.8GHz clock speed and 1GB RAM, which can achieve up to 116MB/second transfer rates (FTP/Samba reads).
Turbo NAS Pro+ series comes with the new version 3.3 of the QNAP NAS management software embedded as firmware. Contact QNAP for pricing options.
Raidon releases HyBrid RunneR iH2420
Raidon (http://www.raidon.com) has launched its first generation of HyBrid RunneR, iR2420 internal storage devices. It utilizes the speed performance of SSD and large capacity of HDD. It's based on RAID technology.
According to the folks at Raidon, the HyBrid RunnR provides optimum data access rate, while obtaining cost-effective capacity of HDD for instant backup or backup scheduling to secure the valuable data from the possibilities of SSD failures. What's rmore, the remaining capacity other than the reserved SSD backup sectors from HDD will also be partitioned into an individual volume to provide an additional storage space.
SSD can be individually taken out as a portable storage on field, and upon return insert the original SSD back into the iH2420, which will automatically backup the existing data from SSD to HDD. If in the event that SSD is damaged, you can replace it with a new SSD and iH2420 will recover the original data from HDD to the newly replaced SSD.
The iH2420 is...
Stellar launches Stellar Drive ToolBox for Mac
Stellar Information Systems Limited has released Stellar Drive ToolBox (http://www.drivetoolbox.com/), an utility to optimize the performance of your Mac's hard drive. It's an "all in one," pre-crash hardware maintenance utility that optimizes, protects, manages, repairs, and sanitizes your Mac hard drive volumes.
The Software is a combination of 13 hard drive maintenance and management tools. The modules include Surface Scan, Drive Initialization, Benchmark, Drive Performance, Volume Repair, Crap Remover, Drive Stats, Free Space Optimizer, Manage Volume, Stellar Shield Raw Data Editor, Wipe and Drive Clone
Stellar Drive ToolBox is available in both the CD and Download versions for single home user, Administrators, and Technicians. The single home user edition is available for US$99.
Details, speakers, topics announced for 2010 MacTech Conference
More details -- including the speaker list and topics -- are now available for the 2010 MacTech Conference (http://www.mactech.com/conference), which will be held Nov. 3-5, 2010, in Los Angeles at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City.
The MacTech Conference will have two separate tracks: one focused on IT, and one focused on programming/development. Sessions will focus on both desktop and mobile, with appropriate levels of attention paid to the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod. You can check out the speaker and topic list
(http://www.mactech.com/conference/sessions) for specific sessions. The conference will kick off on with a keynote by Andy Ihnatko at 10 am on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
"We're thrilled to welcome Andy as our keynote speaker," Neil Ticktin,
editor-in-chief/publisher, "MacTech Magazine." "As an internationally beloved tech journalist (not to mention that he's the technology columnist for the "Chicago Sun Times"), Andy is insightful, funny, and simply a pleasure to work with....
Enfocus announces PitStop Workgroup Manager
Enfocus (http://www.enfocus.com/contentpage.php?id=794) has announced PitStop Workgroup Manager, an efficiency tool developed to simplify the use of Enfocus PitStop Pro in multi-user, collaborative working environments.
PitStop Pro is designed to operate as a standalone desktop application, but in practice it is frequently used in workgroups, where people need to collaborate. This means different team members wish to share Preflight Profiles, Action Lists, Workspaces, etc., while the team manager needs to control the settings that are used. Although you can export the PitStop Pro Action Lists and Preflight Profiles for import by other users, there's been no way to manage this across a workgroup from a single central point and make sure that everybody uses only the latest settings.
PitStop Workgroup Manager solves this issue. To be released at the same time as new PitStop Pro 10, the Workgroup Manager runs on a central computer and allows one person to control the allocation of...
GameIntro Xcode project template for iPhone released
Michael Amorose has released GameIntro, an iPhone application template project for Xcode 3.2. It provides a starting point project for creating view-based iPhone game apps in Xcode.
GameIntro includes an application template that provides code and resources for displaying two company splash screens for iPhone games on startup, and an application icon. It's free and can be downloaded from the author’s web site (http://www.michael-amorose.com/software/cocoa_classes/index.htm).
Studiometry for Mac OS X updated to version 8
Oranged Software (http://www.oranged.net/) has released Studiometry 8, an update to the Mac OS X compatible software for companies to organize, plan, invoice, track and create with client and project data. The new version adds new icons, Blueprints for creating commonly used work items, a new calendar and more.
Studiometry 8 is available for US$199.95 for new licenses, and upgrades from Studiometry 7.x start at $59.95. Multi-User packs and bundles with our other apps are also available.
Apple releases iWeb 3.0.2
Apple has released iWeb 3.0.2 (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1104). According to Apple, this update refines comment and search support for blogs and podcasts published to MobileMe.
It also resolves some issues related to publishing sites to MobileMe. It's a 177.14MB download and requires Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later. You can obtain iWeb 3.0.2 via the Software Update component of Mac OS X's Systems Preferences app.
HyperDrive is new hard drive for the iPad
The Hypershop has released a HyperDrive hard drive (http://www.hypershop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IPHD%2D000) designed specifically for the iPad. It's an USB hard drive that can purportedly carry up to 750GB of HD 720p video and photos.
The HyperDrive can also be used to back up and view view memory cards without computers or external power. With it you can perform file and folder operations like copy, cut, paste, delete, rename, create new folder, sort file directory by name/date/type, format hard drive, erase card etc.
The HyperDrive lets you selectively copy single or multiple files/folders between memory card and internal hard drive. Pricing ranges from US$299 for a 120GB model to $399 for a 250GB version.
Analyst raises his forecast for iPhone activations by AT&T
UBS telecom analyst John Hodulik has raised his forecast for September quarter Apple (AAPL) iPhone activations at AT&T to 4.5 million from 2.5 million, which would be up from the 3.2 million activated in the June quarter, as reported by "Barron's" (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/09/07/apple-ubs-bumps-up-outlook-for-sept-qtr-att-activations/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+barrons/techtraderdaily/feed+(BARRONS.com+Blog:+Tech+Trader+Daily).
In response, Hodulik trimmed his third quarter EPS [earnings per share] estimate for AT&T to 55 cents, from 60 cents, to reflect the resultant pressure on the company’s margins. For all of 2010, he goes to $2.30, from $2.40; for 2011, he now sees $2.45, down from $2.55, notes "Barron's."
Gertrudis Graphics releases GMX-PhotoPainter for Mac OS X.
Gertrudis Graphics has released GMX-PhotoPainter (http://www.gertrudisgraphics.com/), an US$59 standalone Mac and Windows program that transforms an image (generally a photo) into an original artwork. With it, artists can start with an existing picture such as from a digital camera or scanner, a 3D rendering or painting from another program or imaging application.
GMX-PhotoPainter first performs a topological analysis of the image's content and builds a matrix of flow direction vectors. Users can then paint a few quick strokes across the desired features of their image. GMX-PhotoPainter uses this information to generate something that looks more like hand-drawn masterpieces, according to the folks at Gertrudis Graphics.
While one of the main goals of GMX-PhotoPainter is enabling users to create their own styles, there are a number of standard, "ready to use" styles which successfully imitate traditional media: Watercolor, Oil painting, Crayon, and Pen & Ink. Each of these comes...
Thursby Software releases ADmitMac PKI 3
Thursby Software Systems has released ADmitMac PKI 3, its third generation Mac-Windows integration software. It enhances security, increases efficiency, reduces identity fraud and protects personal privacy for government and enterprise clients integrating Apple Macs into their enterprise PC worlds using CAC and PIV smart card security, according to the folks at Thursby.
ADmitMac PKI now supports Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"), as well as Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") operating systems. It also adds formal support from Thursby for all of the U.S. Government CAC Next Generation cards, including Gemalto TOP DL GX4 144K and Oberthur ID One 128 v5.5 Dual. ADmitMac PKI continues to include all of Thursby's additional networking software from both DAVE and ADmitMac technologies including full OCSP, Microsoft DFS and single sign on over VPN support.
Thursby's software is engineered and supported by Mac-Windows specialists from Arlington, Texas. Their client-based solutions allow Macs to be...
Wordwide converged mobile device market projections raised 10%
The worldwide market for converged mobile devices (also commonly referred to as smartphones) is expected to grow 55.4% this year compared to 2009 amid greater-than-expected demand for the do-it-all devices. This is 10% higher than the previous forecast from the International Data Corporation (http://www.idc.com) "Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker."
IDC now expects mobile phone vendors to ship 269.6 million converged mobile devices this year compared to the 173.5 million units shipped in 2009. The increased market forecast for smartphones comes amid the launch of several new models, such as the BlackBerry Torch, EVO 4G, and the iPhone 4, in recent months.
"The smartphone is the catalyst behind the rebound in the worldwide mobile phone market this year," says Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "Additional product introductions and an expected flurry of smartphone buying activity in the second half of the year will push the...
LanSchool update brings Windows parity to Mac version
LanSchool Technologies, a provider of classroom management software, has updated the software for it teacher console for its classroom management software, to version 7.5. The upgrade brings the Mac version to feature parity with the Windows version, adds audio listening and broadcast for language labs, introduces efficient Multicast video distribution and playback and adds real-time keystroke alerting on banned words to help teachers control cyber-bullying in the classroom.
LanSchool 7.5 also sports a new wireless protocol increases performance and reliability. And the new version adds iPad, iPod, iPhone teacher and student support.
The LanSchool Mac teacher console runs on Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") or higher. It has the same basic layout and features of the Windows teacher console, but looks and feels like a Mac program. From the console teachers can teach, monitor and assess students running on Macs, PC and thin clients.
LanSchool 7.5 is a free upgrade for customers that purchased...
Mobile World Congress to adds MacWorld Mobile
The world's biggest mobile fair will host its first event for Apple developers next year "in a sign of Apple's huge influence over the industry, even though the company itself has never participated in the show," says "Reuters" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100907/tc_nm/us_apple_mwc_developers;_ylt=A...).
Mobile World Congress, which takes place in Barcelona, Spain, will add MacWorld Mobile to its new slate of events focused on developers. The event is scheduled for Feb. 14-17, 2011.
The GSM Association, which runs MWC, also said on Tuesday that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard's Palm would be its partners for this year's App Planet developer event, which is part of MWC.
CalDigit AV Drive now shipping
The CalDigit AV Drive (http://www.caldigit.com) is now shipping. It's CalDigit’s first single drive solution, and it has been completely optimized for audio and video.
The CalDigit AV Drive is also the first USB 3.0 drive for the Mac -- though the the Mac doesn't support USB 3.0. The dual interface drive also supports FireWire 800, which has been optimized and runs up to 30% faster than other FireWire 800 drives.
FireWire 800 will allow you to connect to your current computer. Then when you get the CalDigit SuperSpeed PCI Express Card or a USB 3.0 equipped computer, you will be ready to start using the CalDigit AV Drive at the fastest possible speeds, according to the folks at CalDigit.
The 1TB CalDigit AV Drive starts at US$199 and the CalDigit SuperSpeed PCI Express Card is $59. A 2TB version of the CalDigit AV Drive is also available.
Final Effects Complete 6 supports Adobe CS5
Boris FX (http://www.borisfx.com) says Final Effects Complete 6 AE (FEC 6 AE) is now available. FEC 6 AE brings over 110 designer effects and transitions to Mac and Windows versions of Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro CS5, CS4, and CS3.
The new release features support for native After Effects lights, on-screen overlay control widgets for streamlined workflow, audio-driven keyframe generation, and a new Compare Mode feature to compare the filtered result with the unfiltered source via either a side-by-side or live split-screen view. Each Final Effects Complete filter has been re-engineered for 64-bit operating systems.
Final Effects Complete 6 AE is available immediately through the Boris FX worldwide reseller channel and direct through the Boris FX web site for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$895. Owners of previous versions of FEC AE may upgrade for $295.
Apple zaps spam on its Ping music network
Apple has tweaked its new Ping social network for iTunes over the Labor Day weekend, cleaning out spams and scams that had appeared shortly after it launched last week, notes the "San Jose Business Journal" (http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/09/06/daily6.html?su...).
There are also new "back" and "forward" buttons added now to make Ping easier to navigate. On Friday Apple announced that in less than 48 hours since its launch on Wednesday, more than one million users have joined Ping, its new social network for music which lets users follow their favorite artists and friends to discover what music they’re talking about, listening to and downloading.
“One-third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping,” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “As many more people download iTunes 10 in the coming weeks, we expect the Ping community to continue growing.”
Ping lets you follow your favorite artists such as Lady Gaga, Coldplay, U2,...
Intuit updates QuickBooks for the Mac
Intuit (http://www.intuit.com) has announced QuickBooks 2011 for the Mac. The latest version of the financial software will be available Sept. 28 at a suggested retail price of US$229.95 for a single user license.
QuickBooks 2011 for Mac also features new reports and tools to help users track job-related mileage so they can claim the tax write-offs they deserve. Users can also customize reports and forms to reflect their brands and to show the exact data they need to show, says Dan Wernikoff, vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Financial Management Solutions division.
He adds that tTwo new features ensure that QuickBooks 2011 for Mac can grow as a small business expands:
° Multi-User Access allows up to five employees to simultaneously view and edit QuickBooks data files.
° User Permissions lets small businesses determine who can work in up to eight accounting activity areas. In addition, iChat integration allows logged-in users to communicate with each other using...
Extension releases Suitcase Fusion 3 with Adobe CS5 integration
Extensis (http://www.extensis.com) has announced the immediate availability of Suitcase Fusion 3, the newest version of the professional-grade font manager for Mac and Windows operating systems and WebINK (http://www.webink.com), their new web font rental service.
Suitcase Fusion 3 enables designers to browse, preview, select and manage fonts from the desktop to the web. Features of Suitcase Fusion 3 include:
° Integration with Adobe InDesign and Illustrator CS5 via font auto-activation plug-ins;
° Web font selection and management through the Extensis WebINK font rental service;
° Web Preview mode allows users to see effects of using desktop and WebINK fonts on any web site;
° The app suggests "more fonts like this" using QuickMatch technology to locate similar fonts;
° Application Sets that immediately activate selected fonts when an application launches;
° Font Snapshots for quickly creating PNG font previews;
° Updated and modernized user interface;
° Localization into French,...
Vitamin-R improves support for the Pomodoro technique
Publicspace.net has announced Vitamin-R 1.28 (http://www.publicspace.net/Vitamin-R/index.html), an update of its Mac OS X compatible productivity tool for creative professionals. The new version improves support for the Pomodoro productivity technique.
Vitamin-R is a collection of tools and techniques for managing attention and maintaining motivation. According to the folks at publicspace.net, it complements the task capturing and organizing features of modern to-do list managers by forcing you to concentrate fully on one task a time and keeping distractions at bay. It breaks down large, vaguely defined tasks into a series of short "time slices" of between 10 and 30 minutes, each with specific and actionable objectives.
Vitamin-R provides you with the "Now & Later Board," complete with FastType magic, to give you a place to quickly dump all those things that go through your head and allows to get back to the task at hand. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
Vitamin-R may be...
Calcine for Mac OS X gets new keyboard shortcuts
Tension Software has updated Calcine (http://pomola.com/products_calcline/calcline.html), a modern version of the desktop calculator, to version 2.1.1. The upgrade adds new keyboard shortcuts.
Calcline starts as a small window utility. Insert a mathematical expression to evaluate, and the software will do the work.
Calcline costs US$20, and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. Version 2.1.1 is a free update for registered users of version 2.x. For new users the cost is US$20. Calcline is an Universal Binary product, so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
Analyst says new Apple TV faces the toughest market yet
The latest version of the Apple TV may face a more challenging market than its predecessors, according to one analyst. Previous versions had difficulties gaining traction, and according to Paul Erickson, senior analyst at IMS Research, the new and improved Apple TV may encounter a similar fate.
According to Erickson, Apple’s price reduction and added content options might not be enough to attract mainstream consumers.
"Today’s competitors are devices that are already in, or going into consumer households -- Blu-ray Disc (BD) players, game consoles, and connected TVs," he says. "These devices already integrate similar access to paid and free content. The most significant are game consoles and BD players – both of which trump Apple TV in terms of must-buy priority for consumers.”
Erickson also cites these obstacles to Apple TV’s success:
° Domestically, pay-TV penetration is very high, and HD VOD and DVR services are well-adopted and already available from all major pay-TV providers...
'MUG Event Calendar': new iPods, new Apple TV, more
As many Mac User Groups in the northern hemisphere return from summer vacation, "The MUG Event Calendar" starts to fill up with presenters and presentations.
Apple Senior Systems Engineer Dave Marra will make two MUG stops on his perpetual user group tour: one in Connecticut and the other in Pennsylvania. Greg Scown of Smile Software will show off the company’s latest and greatest products at a California group, and Mac User Groups every where will be talking about last week’s Apple announcements about new iPods, a new Apple TV, a new version of iTunes, and more. Other topics that will be up for discussion include Google Docs, document scanning and archiving, DropBox, Mac freeware, video conferencing, iMovie, Blurb Booksmart and much more.
"The MUG Event Calendar" can be found at The MUG Center (http://www.mugcenter.com), an online resource for Mac User Groups. MUGs are good places for making new friends in the Mac community, imProving your computing skills, finding solutions to...
Lloyd's, Marsh, Cooper Gay, RK Harrison Group to use iPads
UK: Lloyd’s has joined with brokers Marsh, Cooper Gay and RK Harrison Group to trial the use of iPad in its underwriting room, reports the "Post Online" (http://www.postonline.co.uk/post/news/1731411/lloyd-s-trial-ipads?WT.rss_f=News&WT.rss_a=Lloyd’s+to+trial+Ipads+in+underwriting+process).
The trial will get underway any day now and will see the Apple tablets used as an alternative to the traditional underwriting slips. Lloyd’s said that the iPads will effectively be used as an "electronic slip case," enabling brokers to take documents in to the market electronically, review documents with underwriters and annotate them where required, notes the "Post Online."
iSuppli: Apple TV gives Apple entry into the Internet-enabled...
The new Apple TV (take three, if you will) will give Apple an entry in the market for Internet-enabled living room devices, the fastest-growing major segment of Internet-connected products, according to the iSuppli research group (http://www.isuppli.com).
Shipments of Internet-enabled living room devices -- a range of products including Internet-enabled TV sets, video game consoles and set-top boxes -- are forecast to amount to more than 430 million units in 2014, up from 99.3 million in 2009, says iSuppli. At a CAGR [compound average growth rate) of 34.1% from 2009 to 2014, shipments of the digital living room devices will rise faster than those of the other high-volume Internet-access platforms. Computers and smartphones, whose shipments will grow at CAGRs of 12.1% and 22.7%, respectively, during the same period.
While Job's demonstration of the Apple TV was impressive, the device still must contend with a host of competing players, according to Jordan Selburn, principal analyst for...
Agenda set for third annual Amsterdam FCPUG SuperMeet
The agenda has been set for the Third Annual FCPUG Amsterdam SuperMeet (http://www.supermeet.com) be held Sunday, Sept.12, at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in the heart of Amsterdam during IBC week.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the SuperMeet web site. Doors open at 16:30. As part of the Digital Showcase, there will be the inaugural "Open Screen Theater." Filmmakers and digital content creators wanting to "Get Seen" will have a 10 minute chance to do so in an informal, collaborative setting.
Scheduled to appear will be Joran Maaswinkel, senior editor of Bake Post, who will join Autodesk's Grant Kay to help demystify Smoke for Mac OS X. Warren Eagles, a color artist for more than 20 years on movies such as "The Great Raid" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," as well as TV series such as "Rush," will give an in-depth look and demo at the new DaVinci Resolve for Mac, including workflow demos within Final Cut Pro."
Max Burgess, offline/online editor at SpliceTV will...
Sunrise announces 2010 edition of A4M Mac telephone system -
Sunrise Telephone Systems KK has announced the 2010 edition of its A4M Macintosh Telephone System (http://www.sunrisetel.net/software/asterisk/a4m.shtml) based on a Mac OS X port of the Asterisk Linux PBX software.
The A4M software suite turns a Mac running Mac OS X (10.5 and 10.6) into a private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system and Voice over IP (VoIP) server. An optional ISDN adapter provides connectivity to ISDN telephone lines.
The 2010 edition consists of a telephony server, an auto-starter, a configuration engine, several system preference panes and a switchboard application. The Cocoa graphical user interface (GUI) based preference panes are designed to make the task of configuring the telephony server easy and intuitive, following the philosophy of ease of use of the Mac platform.
The software will be supported on all Macs running Mac OS X 10.5 or higher (Intel only). It will become available first for the Japanese market in late November or early December 0 for a...
QuickerTek introduces the Quicky3 USB device
QuickerTek has introduced its newest 802.11n device: the US$125 Quicky3 (http://www.quickertek.com/products/Quicky.php), the third generation Quicky. This 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHZ unit purportedly has a mile line of sight range, draws 50% less power then the first and second generations and has the theoretical limit of 300 megabits per second of 802.11n (the previous models were 802.11b/g which ran 54 megabits per second).
The Quicky3 has a detachable 5 dbi high gain antenna so that you can connect other antennas. It works on any Mac with any open USB port with operating system Mac OS X 10.4. and higher. The Quicky3 conforms to the wireless standards 802.11b/g/n, making it compatible with all networks and not exclusively AirPort networks.
In fact, according to the folks at QuickerTek it should work on most if not all wireless networks, especially modern ones like; D Link, Linksys and Belkin. Quicky3 supports 64/128~bit WEP, WPA2 (AES with IEEE 802.11x) and WPA(TKIP with IEEE 802.11x)...
Gallery Grabber QED is new image download tool for Mac OS X
Zenopolis has released Gallery Grabber QED 1.0 (http://www.zenopolis.com/software/gallerygrabber/), an image download tool for Mac OS X. With it links to gallery pages can be dragged to the Gallery Grabber interface or the application can be launched directly from a browser using a Safari or Firefox extension.
Gallery Grabber automatically detects the type of gallery it's processing; for example, whether or not there are thumbnails and whether or not the images are embedded on a second page. When more control is needed, the software's automatic behavior can be overridden, forcing a gallery to be downloaded using a chosen method. It extracts only the gallery images themselves, leaving banners, thumbnails and page design behind. Gallery Grabber doesn't work with all types of web galleries -- in particular, search engine results, Flash galleries and pages with frames.
Gallery Grabber QED costs US$5.0 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. It's an Universal Binary app so runs natively on...
CyberDuck update for Mac OS X adds Google Storage support
Developer David Kocher has updated Cyberduck (http://cyberduck.ch/) -- an open source FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Cloud Files andAmazon S3 browser -- to version 3.6. The upgrade adds support for Google Storage and file versioning in Amazon S3.
Google Docs support allows you to access your documents from within Cyberduck. It allows you to: download documents to various export formats; upload documents to your Google Docs account for storage or choose to convert documents to Google Docs format; and optionally convert PNG, JPEG and GIF images to Google Docs text documents using optical character recognition (OCR). Users with a Google Apps Premier Account can upload arbitrary files not supported by any of the Google Docs editor application.
Cyberduck 3.6 requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. It's freeware, but donations are encouraged to help fund further development.
SB2 launches Readner[In] for SketchUp
SB2 has launched Render[in], areal-time radiosity engine developed for SketchUp Free and Pro users. Now in beta testing, it purportedly gives SketchUp users definition, realistic renderings.
Render[in[ lets users: create a high definition rendering with no size limitation; use existing SketchUp parameters and add new ones; create a photo-realistic project environment (water, sand, grass) and a 3D sky with clouds; create artificial light sources; and see the final result in a real-time radiosity preview window.
Because Render[in] is fully-integrated into SketchUp, it uses the same settings. Once the model is ready, Render[in] offers realistic additions like a 3D sky, four types of clouds, and modifiable lighting sources. Render[in] also offers additional texture settings to choose from, like specular reflection and shininess, and auto-bump for materials.
The beta version is available for download at http://www.renderin.com ; just remember that beta software is unfinished software so...
KT Corp. to start offering iPhone 4 in Korea on Sept. 10
South Korea's KT Corp. says it will start offering the iPhone 4 in the country starting Sept. 10, reports the "Wall Street Journal" (http://macosg.me/2/te).
South Korea's second-largest mobile carrier by revenue said last month it would start offering the touchscreen device sometime in September and began taking pre-orders. The firm has an exclusive contract to offer iPhones in South Korea.
Ping users top one million in first 48 hours
Apple says that in less than 48 hours since its launch on Wednesday, more than one million users have joined Ping, its new social network for music which lets users follow their favorite artists and friends to discover what music they’re talking about, listening to and downloading.
“One-third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping,” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “As many more people download iTunes 10 in the coming weeks, we expect the Ping community to continue growing.”
Ping lets you follow your favorite artists such as Lady Gaga, Coldplay, U2, Jack Johnson, Yo-Yo Ma and more, to see what they’re up to, check out photos and videos they’ve posted, see their tour dates and read comments about other artists and albums they’re listening to. In addition, you can post your thoughts and opinions, your favorite albums and songs, the music you’ve downloaded from iTunes and the concerts you plan to attend.
iPhone/iPod/iPad apps for Sept. 3
Here are the latest iPhone/iPod touch/iPod/iPad apps announced. You can find 'em at the Apple App Store (http://www.itunes.com/appstore/).
Chiaro Software has announced the availability of FireRocker HD, its US$0.99 radio app for the iPad. It replaces the old radio app called Radio Tool X Deluxe; however, all users of Radio Tool X products may download the FireRocker equivalent product for free.
RinnApps has released ArtikPix 1.0.1 for iPhone/iPod touch. It's an interactive articulation app with flashcard and matching activities for children with speech sound delays. It provides an experience for children to practice sounds independently, with their parent or speech-language pathologist. ArtikPix 1.0.1 is available for free with the "th" card deck. Additional decks can be purchased in the app for $2.99 each, in groups, or all decks for $49.99.
3D Magic Kft.has introduced Assault Commando 1.0, a $1.99 game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. It's a top-down 3D shooter, set in the...
Android continues to gain in mobile OS market share
Android continues to put in a powerful performance as measured by the share of mobile web consumption attributable to devices running Google's operating system, as reported by the Quantcast (http://blog.quantcast.com/) research group. It's also catching up to iOS in OS share of mobile web consumption in the US (though it still has a ways to go to catch up).
In August Android took share from every corner of the market, putting in its best month share gain since November 2009. According to Quantcast, iOS has gone from about 68% of the market to 56% since May. In that time period, the Android has brown from less than 10% to 25%.
Color Converter upgrade can resize pictures
Economy-x-Talk has released Color Converter 3.0 (http://www.color-converter.com), an update of the color conversion tool for Mac, Windows and Linux systems. This tool encodes color values from and to any of the following color spaces: CMYK, H.Lab, HEX/HTML, HSV, RAL, RGB, XYZ and X11 Color Names. Additionally, it provides an RGB-based brightness value.
Color Converter can also analyze any area of your (primary) screen and display a color histogram based on the results of the analysis. A long list of X11 color names can be searched and color names can be converted to all other color spaces with a click of the mouse. With the release of Color Converter 3, Economy-x-Talk has added the ability to resize pictures.
Color Converter 3 is free a free update for current license holders of Color Converter 2. For new users the cost is just over US$10.
Playrix Launches Fishdom 2 Premium Edition for Mac
Playrix Entertainment has released Fishdom 2 Premium Edition for Mac OS X (http://www.playrix.com/games/mac/fishdom-2.html). The game is available exclusively on the developer's official web site. Fishdom 2 is the sixth title in the Fishdom series, not counting the game's recent adaptation for Facebook and soon-to-be-launched Playrix's first internal iPad port Fishdom HD.
In Fishdom 2 Premium Edition, players complete match-3 levels to earn cash that can then be used on building up the aquariums of their own design. Players create their Fishdoms by adding exotic fish, various ornaments and comfort items to their tanks. The Premium Edition is enriched with content such as Fishipedia of notable facts on Fishdom creatures and their real-world counterparts, original soundtrack, hidden object mini-games, themed desktop wallpapers and a bonus screensaver.
Fishdom 2 Premium Edition costs US$19.95. A demo is available for download.
Info needed on server security software for the Mac
Our next Migration Kit will look at retail management apps for the Mac. If you use or know of such goodies, drop me a line (dsellers@macsimumnews.com) no later than Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Migration Kits appear on Friday and round-up Mac solutions for specific industries and areas as dentistry, engineering, sales, etc. Also, if you have a particular migration topic you'd like us to cover, drop me a line, as well.
Digitimes Research: Apple to ship 20 million iPods by end of...
"DigiTimes" (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100903PD214.html) says that "market watchers" forecast that manufacturer Quanta will ship more than 10 million iPad touches for Apple by the end of 2010, "helping to ease the company's lower-than-expected sales of notebook products."
Digitimes Research senior analyst Mingchi Kuo predicts that overall iPod shipments will reach 20 million units with the iPod touch to account for more than 55% of that total. He thinks that the iPod nano and shuffle will each ship 20% and remaining 5% will be iPod classics.
FaceBook blocking Ping?
"All Things D" (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100902/facebook-blocked-api-access-to-ping-...) reports that, according to "sources familiar with Facebook’s platform," the site has essentially denied Apple’s Ping access to application programming interfaces (APIs) that would allow it to search for an iTunes user’s friends on Facebook who also had signed up for Ping, Apple's new social music network that's part of iTunes 10.
Normally, this API access is open and does not require permission. That is, per "All Things D," unless some entity wants to access it a lot. In that case, Facebook requires an agreement for reasons primarily centered on protection of Facebook user data and, of course, infrastructure impact.
With 160 million iTunes users, that could potentially mean a lot of impact. "All Things D" says sources told them that Apple and Facebook conducted negotiations about an agreement, but could not come to terms.
SageTV releases SageTV HD Theater 300
SageTV (http://www.sagetv.com) has released SageTV HD Theater 300 for US$149.95. It's a networked media player that lets you enjoy virtually any home video, music or photo from your home network in Full HD on your HDTV.
You can also search, browse and play internet video from YouTube and many other popular online video services on the SageTV HD Theater 300. It supports the latest HD audio formats, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD/MA for bitstreaming to your HDMI 1.3 receiver as well as two channel decoding to provide full audio support on all TVs in your home.
Setup with the SageTV HD Theater 300 involves connecting it to your HDTV and connecting to your home network. If you don‘t have a home network near the TV, the optional USB wireless adapter ($29.95) can be used -- or any USB storage will work as well. Any NAS with Mac or Windows compatible networking or UPnP can also be used with the SageTV HD Theater 300.
The SageTV HD Theater 300 can also work as a whole home HDTV DVR...
