VueScan 8.6.33 for Mac OS X adds support for searchable PDF...
Hamrick Software has released Vuescan 8.6.33, a new version of the VueScan software for Mac OS X that's designed to let users produce better digital images from color snapshots, negatives, slides and documents. The new version adds support for searchable PDF files.
The Standard Edition of VueScan costs US$39.95 and the Professional Edition is $79.95 for a single user license. Multi-user licenses are available. A fully functional, trial copy of VueScan is available for download from the Hamrick web site (http://www.hamrick.com).
Pragmatic Studio brings iPhone training to Reston, Virginia
The Pragmatic Studio (http://pragmaticstudio.com/) has opened registration for their iPhone development training course in Reston, Virginia, on July 20-23. In this four-day, hands-on course, participants will learn how to create iPhone applications with guided instruction from two experienced iPhone developers and authors.
Topics include: "Intro to Objective-C," "Xcode and Interface Builder," "Cocoa Touch APIs and Design Patterns," "View Controllers," "Navigation and Tab Bar Controllers," "Table Views," "Keyboard Input," "Core Data," "Custom Drawing," "Touch Events," "Core Animation," "Photos," "Networking," "Performance and Debugging" and practical tips, tricks, and techniques used by the experts
Early bird registration is US$1,595; regular registration is $2,195. Alumni and group rates (three or more participants) is $1,895 per person.
WaveMaker 6.1 for the Mac delivers cloud portability
WaveMaker Software (http://www.wavemaker.com) has released version 6.1 of its platform for Mac OS X, adding one-click deployment to Rackspace Cloud, OpSource Cloud and Eucalyptus Private Cloud.
WaveMaker for Mac OS X is available under the Apache open source license, providing Apple developers with the features and benefits found in proprietary cloud development platforms such as Force.com and Azure.
With WaveMaker 6.1, Mac developers can build SaaS-enabled web apps on OS X and deploy them to Amazon EC 2 with a single button click. Because WaveMaker was built using open source standards, it's a cloud development platform to support deployment to any cloud, running on any Java server and connecting to any database.
Wavemaker also offers automated multi-tenant support. For this feature, WaveMaker's server-side security module automatically isolates all database access between the tenants or customers of a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application.
SoftRAID for Mac OS X updated to version 4
SoftRAID LLC (http://www.softraid.com/) has released SoftRAID 4.0, a major upgrade to its RAID management software for Mac OS X.
Users have taken one of the mirror disks to a secure location as part of a mirror backup. Periodically, the mirror disk gets brought back to the Mac to be rebuilt (resynchronized) with the volume. With 1TB volumes, this rebuild process can take several hours. Now SoftRAID 4.0 introduces Fast Mirror Rebuilds. With Fast Mirror Rebuilds, SoftRAID keeps track of which parts of the volume are used when a mirror disk is not present, and only rebuilds those sectors when the other mirror disk is reconnected, according to Mark James, vice president of SoftRAID This allows users to rebuild there mirror volumes in minutes rather than hours, he adds.
SoftRAID version 4 brings many additional new features to the Mac for the first time. These features include: email notification of errors and events which occur with your SoftRAID volumes, a Command line interface for...
Invoices 2.6.2 for Mac OS X improves interface for new users
Tension Software has updated Invoices (http://www.pomola.com/products_invoices/invoices.html), a native Cocoa application to create and manage invoices in Mac OS X, to version 2.6.2. The upgrade improves the layout and adds an invoice type indication in the invoice table.
Invoices (US$40) allows you to create a new invoices with all data without using the keyboard, only with the mouse and all from a single panel view. You can make two different type of invoices, Plain and Table, where description of sold goods and services can be managed in a different way.
Invoices automatically calculates totals and taxes, in accordance with the set-up the user specified using his own country's rules. Invoices requires Mac OS X 10.4. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
Launch2net Premium update offers additional modem support
Nova media has updated launch2net Premium (http://www.novamedia.de), its 3G connection manager with the ability to share your Mac's 3G connection with iPads and other devices. Version 2.0.3 offers support for additional modems from HUAWEI, ZTE and includes minor bug fixes.
Launch2net Premium can replace different connection managers from network operators and modem manufacturers, making a mobile online experience much more enjoyable, says Jan Fuellemann, PR spokesperson at nova media. Using the integrated Mobile Hub, the 3G connection can instantly be shared with iPads, iPod touches and other WLAN capable devices, he adds. Besides the ability to establish a 3G connection with most modems and most network operators, launch2net Premium offers a full fledged SMS text message manager as well as a statistics.
Launch2net Premium 2.0.3 is available today for download at nova media's web site. It's a free update for current users. For new users a single license of launch2net Premium is...
League of Legends game coming to the Mac this summer
Riot Games, a leading independent developer and publisher of premium online video games, have announced that they're working with TransGaming to expand their debut title, League of Legends, and releasing a version for the Mac that will be available for download this summer.
The new Mac version of the online multiplayer strategy game will be powered by TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine. The Mac version of League of Legends will have all the same game features as its award-winning PC counterpart, says Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games. Players can download the game for free from http://www.leagueoflegends.com and, after a short installation, begin playing instantly.
Artwork, graphics, in-game items and controls will remain the same in the Mac version. League of Legends, Riot Games’ debut title, launched on Oct. 27, 2009 in North America and Europe. It's a session-based, multiplayer online game where rival teams compete for victory. League of Legends is rated "T" for...
Remote access company launches viewer for Mac
Remote access company RemotePC (http://www.remotepc.com) says you can now remotely control your PC from a Mac.With the Remote Access Viewer for Mac, users can now connect remotely to any other Windows computer.
Remote Access Viewer for Mac is currently available for Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.5 on Macs with Intel processors. It's available by subscription: US$4.95 per month for one PC and $9.95 per month for up to three PCs.
The RemotePC utility can connect to one or more computers from a single platform, with each interface presented through a web browser.
Akvis Sketch ready for Photoshop CS5
Akvis (http://www.akvis.com) has released Akvis Sketch 11, an update of the software that converts photos to pencil and watercolor drawings. The new version is compatible with Photoshop CS4-CS6 64-bit on both Mac and Windows systems. Also two new interface modes (Express and Advanced) have been added.
An Akvis Sketch Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for US$72. Registered users of the previous versions can upgrade to version 9.0 for $39. Or you can buy the Alchemy Bundle (which includes the Sketch, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Enhancer, LightShop, SmartMask and ArtSuite plug-ins) for $325.
For business licenses consult the Akvis web site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop. The company offers free licenses to non-profit organizations. Akvis Sketch 11 is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher.
CopyCatX 5 ready for Snow Leopard
SubRosaSoft.com has released CopyCatX 5.0. for Mac OS X (http://subrosasoft.com/OSXSoftware/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPat...). This updated version of their drive duplication software offers faster performance, file and folder copying, a streamlined and easier-to-use interface, and compatibility with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
CopyCatX utilizes sector copying instead of the “file-by-file” copy employed by most backup software. Sector copying enables the user to retain every detail of the original drive --from bootablity to the icon locations. CopyCatX is neither file system nor OS dependent; it can y make an identical copy of Mac, Linux, Windows, TiVo or other drives.
In addition to copying the entire volume or device, the latest version of CopyCatX offers the option to copy specific files or folders. This allows the users to copy only the essential file(s) they want to back up, and not spend time backing up the entire device. Presets for Mail, Pictures, Movies and...
Data Robotics develops integration between Drobo FS, Time...
Data Robotics has announced integration of Drobo FS (http://www.drobo.com/drobo-fs), the Drobo designed for expandable file sharing, and Apple's Time Machine, an automated backup solution. The new Drobo FS with Time Machine integration offers Mac users a highly efficient and scalable shared storage and backup solution, according to Mark Fuccio, senior director of products and markets at Data Robotics.
Drobo FS users are now able to pre-define a limit on how much storage will be used for Time Machine backups. Previously, Time Machine would consume capacity until it was gone and then delete the oldest backups to make room for new backups. The Drobo FS platform enables multiple Mac users on a network to automatically and simultaneously back up to the same Drobo FS.
Powering Drobo FS is a dual core microprocessor: one core runs Drobo’s BeyondRAID code, while the other core runs an embedded Linux server for file sharing and running DroboApps from third party developers. Data Robotics has...
Report: DRM must evolve or die
A new report from Arthur D. Little’s -- a global management consultancy specializing in strategy and operations management, serving major corporations and organizations worldwide -- examines the current state of play in Digital Rights Management (DRM) and concludes that systems must evolve to deliver both acceptable content protection for owners and maximum interoperability for users, otherwise DRM may be abandoned altogether.
While DRM has been used since the early days of digital content distribution, it has long been a source of controversy, with complex proprietary systems creating integration headaches for manufacturers and distributors, and preventing end users from legitimately sharing content across different devices and platforms says the Little report. The rise of digital piracy can even be part-blamed on the inflexibility of traditional DRM systems, with users resorting to file sharing as not only the cheapest, but also easiest way of accessing and sharing content, it adds...
Apple now second-most-valuable company in the US
Apple zoomed past Microsoft as the world's biggest tech company as measured by market value on Wednesday. Apple's shares rose 1% on Nasdaq on Wednesday, pushing its market value up to US$225.1 billion and ahead of Microsoft's $222.7 billion, according to "Reuters" data (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100526/tc_nm/us_apple_stock_1).
Apple shares were up 1% above $247 in late afternoon trading. Microsoft shares were down 2.2% to $25.50. Apple now only trails Exxon Mobile as the most valuable company in the US. Exxon's full market value is reportedly $283.06 billion compared to Apple's $227.10 billion. Microsoft's full market value is currently $226.72 billion.
New Logic Pro tutorials available from macProVideo.com
macProVideo.com, a supplier of Audio DAW tutorials for Mac computers, has released a new tutorial-video program that shows how to professionally score videos, film, and other motion pictures.
The tutorial is called "Logic 203: Logic's Music-For-Picture Toolbox," and it contains over 2.5 hours of pro-level training you can download and stream to your computer, iPhone, or or iPad using macProVideo.com's N.E.D. tutorial-video players.
The tutorial is available for US$29.50 directly from the company's web site. You can also join macProVideo.com's Online Tutorial Library and stream all of the company's 160-plus tutorials (Including this tutorial) to your iPhone, iPad, or computer for $25 a month.
Consumer Watchdog wants probes into Google's WiSpy snooping
Consumer Watchdog has called on the state attorneys general to investigate Google's WiSpy snooping in their respective states to determine what state laws were broken.
"While the activity is likely a violation of federal laws, we believe there is a good possibility it also broke state wiretap, privacy and unfair business practices laws in many cases," wrote John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit group. "We call on each attorney general to investigate the extent to which this is the case in his or her jurisdiction."
The letter, addressed to James McPherson, executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General, continued: "Google's claim that its intrusive behavior was by 'mistake' stretches all credulity. In fact, Google has demonstrated a history of pushing the envelope and then apologizing when its overreach is discovered. Given its recent record of privacy abuses, there is absolutely no reason to trust anything the Internet giant claims...
MMEmail plug-in ready for FileMaker Pro 11
Comm-Unity Networking Systems (http://www.cnsplug-ins.com/) has updated its MMEmail FileMaker Pro plug-in to version 1.1.4. The upgrade offers full compatibility with FileMaker Pro 11.
MMEmail has a built-in email window that allows the end-user to compose an email message as if they were using a normal email client. From within the email window, you can set the To, Subject, and Body, as well as Attach files. You can use a special Auto-enter Hierarchal Menu of predefined email addresses to populate the To field. The Subject and Body of your message can contain Merge Fields to grab information from the current record before sending the message.
Merge Fields can be inserted with a contextual menu. You can select attachments via a file dialog as well as selecting container fields from a menu. When you click the Send button, the email window can automatically send the message, or store entered values for use with a non-window email function. You don't need an additional email client to...
Quark launches Flash design competition
Quark has. launched a new Flash design competition that is open to designers who are creating Flash projects, such as web sites, banner ads, and online design portfolios, with QuarkXPress 8.
The competition kicks off today and voting will begin at the HOW Conference 2010 being held in Denver June 6-9. Submissions will be accepted at http://www.ilovedesign.com from May 26 through June 30, 2010 and voting will be open Sunday, June 6-30. The designer who submits the best Flash project as determined by voters will appear in HOW Magazine’s blog, win membership to HOW’s Design Insider Program, and take home a pack of designer’s tools, including the new Pantone Plus Series Guides, a Pantone ColorMunki and a VisTablet from VisTablet Systems.
To enter the competition, designers must submit SWF files created with QuarkXPress 8 to http://www.ilovedesign.com by 12 p.m. *Mountain Time) on June 30. For projects that are online as complete web sites and not available as separate SWF files,...
NewerTech announces NuRAM memory upgrade kits for Macs
Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech) has announced its new NuRAM Memory Upgrade Kits, which it says are the lowest priced DDR3 1066MHz RAM upgrades on the market and offered in up to 16GB for iMac and Mac mini desktop users and MacBook/MacBook Pro notebook users.
They're available as:
° NuRAM 4GB DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Module (1 x 4GB memory module), US$134.99;
° NuRAM 8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Kit (2 x 4GB matched memory modules), $249.99;
° NuRAM 16GB DDR3 SO-DIM Memory Kit (4 x 4GB matched memory modules), $495.99.
For more info go to http://www.newertech.com/products/nuram.php .
ATTO introduces new 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapters
ATTO Technology has introduced the ATTO FastFrame 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapters, the latest in its portfolio of high-performance connectivity products.
The FastFrame NS11 (single port) and FastFrame NS12 (dual port) leverage the Intel Ethernet 82599 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller to meet the bandwidth-intensive demands of high-performance, unified storage environments in performance IT and media and entertainment markets.
ATTO’s FastFrame family of 10GbE network adapters are the first offerings in what will be an expanding FastFrame product family, according to Tim Klein, president and CEO of ATTO Technology. The FastFrame NS11 and NS12 will be followed by ATTO’s FastFrame Converged Network Adapters, featuring ATTO’s Fibre Channel driver technology, in the fourth quarter of the year. For more information on ATTO’s FastFrame family of 10GbE Network Adapters got o http://www.attotech.com/products/family.php?id=14 .
Apple OSes accounting for more of Europeans' web browsing
Apple’s piece of the web browsing pie sits around 10% in the US when you take all of its platforms (Macs, iPhones, iPod touches, iPads, etc.) into account and is growing every day.
It doesn’t as big a percentage in Europe, but info from AT Internet says Apple’s operating systems are accounting for more pageviews every day, as reported by "HardMac" (http://macosg.me/2/bf). Apple’s market share is around 6.8% in Europe, having grown 2.3 points since last November.
"Apple has now a 6.8% market share, growing by 2.3 points since last year. If Apple is still far behind Windows, its share went up by 50% last year," says "HardMac." "We are still far in Europe from the 10% market share Apple has in the US, but things are going the right way."
iTunes accounts for 28% of music purchased by US consumers
According to The NPD Group (http://npd.com/corpServlet?nextpage=corp_welcome.html), a market research company, Apple’s iTunes store continued to lead all music retailers, with 28% of all music purchased by U.S. consumers -- a gain of four percentage points since the first quarter of 2009.
Amazon gained three percentage points to tie Walmart for second position at 12%t. Based on NPD’s latest music industry research, sales of digital tracks and albums accounted for 40% of overall music market share in the first quarter (Q1) of 2010, which is a five percentage point gain since Q1 2009. NPD’s data is based on a combined music-retailer ranking that reflects the combined sales of CDs and digital music downloads (i.e., 12 digital music track downloads are equivalent to one CD).
When reviewing sales of digital music separately from CDs, NPD’s MusicWatch data revealed that iTunes’s share of the digital-music download retail market has remained essentially flat since Q1 2009 -- growing just...
Analyst expects new iPhone, no other big news, at WWDC
In a note to clients today -- as reported by "Fortune" (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/26/what-steve-jobs-has-up-his-sleeve...) -- Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said the 2010 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference is shaping up to be a "non-event." He's anticipating a new iPhone, but little else.
Munster thinks the new iPhone will sporth video conferencing features, a thinner design, an improved rear camera, better battery life and higher capacity (32GB/64GB). He doesn't expect it to go on sale (at the current $199/$299 price points) until mid to late June. Like other analysts, he expects the iPhone 3G to go out of production and the price of the iPhone 3GS to drop to $99.
Munster doesn't think we'll see an iPhone introduced for Verizon. Nor does he expect a look at the next version of the Mac OS X, though he rates that as "possible."
Apple will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address by CEO Steve Jobs on Monday, June 7, at 10 a.m....
Apple's actual business value now higher than Microsoft...
Apple's stock market capitalization hasn't quite surpassed Microsoft's, but the value of its actual business is now higher, according to "Silicon Alley Insider" (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Its-Official-Apple-Is-Now-siliconalley-306...).
Apple's business is now worth US$200 billion, while Microsoft's is only worth $197 billion -- at least by one simple calculation of enterprise value, the article says.
A company's stock market capitalization includes the net value of the cash and debt on the company's books. To figure out the imputed value of the company's actual business (or enterprise value), you have to adjust for the value of those other things.
Apple, HP to look into suicides at China supplier
Apple and HP said they’ll examine the working conditions of their Hon Hai Group supplier, a labor-rights group called for a boycott of iPhones assembled by the Taiwanese company, and a "China Daily" newspaper editorial questioned Hon Hai’s “humanitarian concern” following several workers' suicides, reports "Bloomberg Businessweek" (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-26/hon-hai-opens-plants-as-hp-a...).
Gou’s move to open the factories to the media highlights the scrutiny the company is facing because of the suicides, according to UBS AG analyst Arthur Hsieh.“This has never been seen before, it’s really unusual times," he told "Bloomberg."
There have been nine suicides and two attempts at the China operations this year, a Hon Hai official said yesterday. Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group, employs about 800,000 workers in China making electronics for customers including Apple, HP and Sony.
Apple posts Boot Camp update for 13-inch MB Pro
Apple has posted a Boot Camp update (http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/) for the recently refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's available for users running either 32- or 64-bit versions of Windows on their Macs.
Boot Camp is designed to simplify Windows installation on a Mactel by providing a simple graphical step-by-step assistant application to dynamically create a second partition on the hard drive for Windows, to burn a CD with all the necessary Windows drivers, and to install Windows from a Windows installation CD. After installation is complete, users can choose to run either Mac OS X or Windows when they restart their computer.
According to Apple, the Boot Camp update fixes an issue “that causes the Boot Camp Control Panel applet to display an error when the brightness tab is selected and an issue that results in no headphone sound.” The 32-bit update is 1.5 MB, and requires a 13-inch MacBook Pro running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. The 64-bit version is 1.03 MB...
AdMob: iPhone OS leads Android OS 3.5-to-1 worldwide
AdMob (http://metrics.admob.com) -- one of the world's largest mobile advertising networks -- has compared unique devices running the Android and iPhone operating systems (OS) in its network in the April 2010 "AdMob Mobile Metrics Report."
The Android OS had its greatest concentration of unique devices in North America (75%) in April 2010, followed by Asia (12%) and Western Europe (11%). iPhone OS devices are more broadly distributed worldwide, but also had its greatest concentration in North America (49%), followed by Western Europe (28%) and Asia (14%).
In the US there was a 2-to-1 ratio of iPhone OS devices to Android OS devices; worldwide, that ratio expanded to 3.5-to-1. In AdMob’s network there were 8.7 million unique Android OS devices and 10.7 million unique iPhones in the U.S. in April 2010. But when non-phone devices running the iPhone OS -- the iPod touch and iPad --– are included, the number of unique devices jumps to 18.3 million in the US. Worldwide, there were 11.6...
Mercedes-Benz Financial equips dealers with iPads
Mercedes-Benz Financial (http://www.mercedesbenzfinancial.com/mbfsr/en/misc/index.do) says it's putting the iPad into the hands of its dealers, becoming the first automotive finance company to give dealers mobile access to its proprietary point-of-sale dealer system called MB Advantage. In doing so, Mercedes-Benz Financial is one of the first companies to adapt the consumer-oriented iPad as a mobile business tool.
MB Advantage on the iPad will give dealership sales personnel instant access to marketing programs for specific models, quicker turn time on the credit application process, and increase speed and efficiency on the return of lease vehicles, according to Andreas Hinrichs, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz Financial.
“We see the iPad providing wireless mobility, information and flexibility on the showroom floor,” Hinrichs says. “The iPad will provide a competitive advantage to our dealers by increasing their service levels through a more flexible financing process...
ExactScan Pro update for Mac OS X supports new scanners
ExactCode has updated its ExactScan Pro (http://www.exactcode.de/site/products/exactscan/) scanning software for Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) to version 2.10. The upgrade adds intelligent de-skew flatbed scans, as well as support for various new scanners models, improved scan speed and more OCR languages.
ExactScan includes built-in drivers for over 180 document scanners, including devices from Avision, Kodak, Oki, Visioneer and Xerox. Together with the Spotlight indexing services built into Mac OS X since 10.5 ("Leopard") this features form a document management solution suitable for small-office and home-office (SOHO) environments. What's more it has image enhancement algorithms that can recognize automatically how the images and documents have to be cropped and de-skewed.
ExactScan comes with support for many languages (English, Dutch, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Simplified-Chinese, Traditional-Chinese) and works with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. The pro version of...
SERank for Mac OS X can now check multiple websites at once
Rage Software has released Rage SERank 2.1 (http://www.ragesw.com/products/search-engine-rank.html), an update of the US$79.95 Mac OS X search engine rank checker for web site owners to track and monitor their search engine rankings.
The upgrade adds the ability to check multiple web sites at a time, provides more options for safe search engine rank checks and adds new search engine scripts so you can check your rankings in even more search engines.
Rage SERank will monitor search engine rankings for any number of keywords and display changes in a website's search engine rankings over any point in time. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. Version 2.1 is a free update for registered users of version 2.0.
Jedit X text editor update for Mac OS X improves Find Panel
Artman21 (http://www.artman21.com/en/jedit_x/) has updated Jedit X, the Cocoa-based text editor for Mac OS X, to version 2.21. The Find Panel has been improved to be resizable and its layout also has been revised.
There are also other changes. The input completion is now available also in the find and replace fields in the Find Panel. The title of the button "Find All" and "Replace All" vary with changes in the search modes. The specification of the checkbox "Search Backward" has been changed not to affect the behavior of the menu "Find > Find Next/Find Previous." And version 2.2.1 improves the find/replace field synchronization between the Find Panel and Find Result Replace Panel.
Jedit X is an Universal Binary app so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. The cost is US$28 for a single-user license, though version 2.21 is a free update for registered users.
Poser 8 update offers performance improvements
Smith Micro has announced a new update to Poser 8, software for creating art and animation using 3D characters. Poser SR3 includes performance improvements based on Poser Pro 2010 development and integrated user feedback, as well as new functionality, such as:
° Improved rendering performance in several areas including strand based hair, 3D motion blur, raytraced refraction and texture caching.
° Version 2 of the new Poser Library and Content Management system. The Flash version of the new Poser Pro 2010 Library is included with Poser 8 SR3. It will replace the existing Poser 8 library and provide multiple column list views, improved search, improved drag and drop with auto-conforming and user customizable view settings.
° Auto-conforming with scaling feature debuted with Poser Pro 2010. This allows conformed clothing to match the underlying figure’s scaling factors. There are also new conforming settings for each figure found in the figure’s Properties.
SR3 is available as a free...
Justice Department examining Apple's digital music tactics
The Justice Department is examining Apple’s tactics in the digital music market for digital music, and its staff members have talked to major music labels and Internet music companies, reports "The New York Times" (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/technology/26apple.html), quoting "several people briefed on the conversations."
The antitrust inquiry is in the early stages, these people say, and the conversations have revolved broadly around the dynamics of selling music online. However, But thosebriefed on the inquiries also said investigators had asked in particular about recent allegations that Apple used its dominant market position to persuade music labels to refuse to give the online retailer Amazon.com exclusive access to music about to be released, adds the "Times."
Apple is the largest seller of online music in the U.S., with 69% of the market, according to data from the NPD Group, research firm. Amazon’s MP3 store was in second place, with an 8% share. Apple is also the...
Hillcrest Labs releases new version of TV web browser
Hillcrest Labs has unveiled the latest version of the Kylo browser, the free web browser for TV, which the company introduced earlier this year. It was developed for households that connect their Macs or Macs to the TV.
Kylo lets users visit sites across the web with a browser that was specifically designed to be viewed from a distance in the family room, living room, or dorm room. In addition, Hillcrest Labs announced that its companion product, the Loop pointer, is available at half price (US$49), from now through June 11 in celebration of the new Kylo release and in advance of Father's Day.
The Loop (pictured) allows you to control Kylo. It also lets you take total control of your computer's digital media. Music, videos, photos.
The latest version of the Kylo browser (Kylo Beta 0.7) is available at http://www.kylo.tv and and lets you: hide Kylo's control bar and keyboard; configure Kylo's settings in order to access web site pages designed for other hardware platforms; enjoy...
VMware Fusion 3.1 concentrates on speed, graphics improvements
VMware, which specializes in virtualization solutions, has released VMware Fusion 3.1 (http://www.vmware.com/fusion), an update of the solution for running Windows on the Mac. Pat Lee, director, personal desktop products VMware, says the focus of the update was to beef up graphics performance and speed while maintaining reliability.
With faster application launching, more seamless scrolling, quicker resume from suspend, and better overall disk performance, VMware Fusion 3.1 delivers 35% better end-to-end performance compared to its predecessor, VMware Fusion 3.0, Lee says. He adds that the update beefs up Windows Aero performance and OpenGL 2.1 support for Windows Vista and Windows 7. (Aero he graphical user interface and the default theme in most editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.)
In fact, it delivers up to 5X better 3D graphics performance, according to Lee. VMware Fusion 3.1 is also supported and recommended by Autodesk for AutoCAD 2011.
VMware Fusion 3.1comes with the...
EditShare announces beta program for Lightworks Open Source
EditShare, which specializes in cross-platform collaborative editing and shared media storage, has announced the Lightworks Open Source beta program.
Lightworks Open Source is at open-source development initiative for a large-scale, non-linear editing (NLE) platform. It offers a gateway into the NLE's core engine, enabling the implementation of progressive features and workflows.
Limited to 80 highly-experienced participants, the exclusive beta program offering includes imminent new features of Lightworks Open Source, including: project sharing, advanced 3D stereoscopic editing, Universal Media File support, native RED support, native 2K support, and integration with Avid and FCP. Qualified editors can apply to participate in the beta program before June 21 by visiting: http://www.editshare.com/betaprogram .
UI Browser update for Mac OS X adds Accessibility features
PFiddlesoft has released UI Browser 2.1.0 (http://pfiddlesoft.com/uibrowser/), an update to the assistant for GUI scripting with AppleScript on Mac OS X. The new version adds support for Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6 Accessibility features.
Version 2.1.0 also:
° Allows users to make UI Browser a accessibility process without enabling global access for assistive devices;
° Allows users to enable global access for assistive devices, if desired, without opening System Preferences;
° Generates an AppleScript handler that allows any GUI Scripting script to enable global access for assistive devices on the fly without requiring users to open System Preferences;
° Adds a new Follow Focus mode that automatically tracks UI elements as keyboard focus changes.
Also, The PFAssistive and PFEventTaps Frameworks are now installed separately as shared frameworks in /Library/Frameworks, where they are available to any application that needs them. The frameworks support and enhance Apple's Accessibility and...
Witch for Mac OS X conjures up version 3.2
Many Tricks has released version 3.2 of Witch (http://manytricks.com/witch), its window switching utility for Mac OS X. The new version adds support for Spaces in Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
Spaces users can now work with windows in all Spaces using Witch 3.2. Users can optionally choose to see Space number badges on the window icons in Witch's switching panel.
Witch 3.2 is a free update for all Witch 3 users. Witch 3 is US$19 for new users and $8 for users of Witch 2.x.
Study: iPads putting the hurt on netbooks
With the Netbook Summit in San Francisco underway, and Apple's iPad shaking up the mobile computing market, Retrevo.com has released a new "Pulse" study about the mobile computing market. Following are some highlights of the study:
° After the iPad was announced in January, 40% of people surveyed held off on buying a netbook, and bought an iPad instead.
° Thirty percent of people surveyed held off buying a netbook after the iPad was announced in January. Then, they bought a netbook.
° Of people currently looking to buy an iPad or netbook, 78% of them are leaning toward an iPad and 22% are leaning toward a netbook.
° Of people who bought a laptop or netbook last year, 35% choose a netbook and 65% chose a laptop.
°Of people who are looking to buy either a laptop or a netbook this year, 35% are looking to buy a netbook, while 65% of them are looking to buy a laptop.
Retrevo.com says Apple may have grabbed 30% of those netbook buyers who held off purchasing a netbook and eventually...
Analyst: iPad production could crank up to 2.5 million units a...
Sterne Agee analyst Vijay Rakesh is expecting Apple to really ramp up its iPad production. In a note to clients he says his checks with the company’s supply chain finds that the company has been been producing the tablet at a rate of 1-1.5 million units a month, higher than most estimates.
"Barron's" (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/05/25/apple-ipad-productio...) reports that the analyst predicts production could crank up to 2.5 million units a month or more in the September quarter. He says that some previous manufacturing bottlenecks have been solved, though memory remains “a constraint.”
Rakesh also says that checks indicate that new iPhones are coming in the September quarter. In fact, some pundits are expecting 'em to debut at next month's Apple Worldwide Developer Conference.
Google releases non-beta version of Chrome for the Mac
Google has introduced the "stable channel release" of Google Chrome for Mac (http://www.google.com/chrome), providing their very first non-beta release of the web browser for the Mac. It comes with a host of new features.
You’ll be able to synchronize not only bookmarks across multiple computers, but also browser preferences -- including themes, homepage and startup settings, web content settings, preferred languages, and even page zoom settings. Meanwhile, for avid extensions users, you can enable each extension to work in incognito mode through the extensions manager.
The Google for Mac release also incorporates HTML5 features such as Geolocation application programming interfaces, App Cache, web sockets, and file drag and drop. Google has also given Chrome’s bookmark manager a facelift with HTML5.
In recent weeks, Google has been beta-testing Adobe Flash Player integration into Chrome. "While Flash Player integration in the browser is not included by default in today’s stable...
Genuine Fractals adds support for Photoshop CS5
onOne Software says its Genuine Fractals Professional and Standard Edition plug-ins for Photoshop are now compatible with the new Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended Software.
Owners of Genuine Fractals 6 can download the free update from onOne Software’s web site (http://www.ononesoftware.com/). This update isn't for Plug-in Suite 5 owners but rather for customers using Genuine Fractals 6 independently of Plug-In Suite 5. Owners of Plug-in Suite 5 should not install this update and should wait for the upcoming Plug-In Suite 5.1 update that adds Photoshop CS5 compatibility and 64-bit compatibility.
Registered owners of previous versions of Genuine Fractals (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) can upgrade to the current version for US$99.95 plus shipping if applicable. Alternately, these customers may also upgrade directly to the Plug-In Suite 5, which includes all six of the onOne Software products for $399.95, plus shipping if applicable (electronic versions are available for download as...
LaCie announces Rugged Safe hard drive
LaCie (http://www.lacie.com) has announced the LaCie Rugged Safe hard drive, offering multiple levels of data protection. The Rugged Safe features "unbreakable" 128-bit AES hardware encryption, biometric authentication technology, and a shock-proof enclosure.
Designed for people on the go, the LaCie Rugged Safe is bus-powered through USB or FireWire and is compatible with Macs or PCs. Where other safe products require software installation on every workstation, the Rugged Safe is plug and play. Once configured, it will grant a user access to his or her data on any computer with a single finger swipe.
The Rugged Safe combines a 128-bit AES encryption engine and biometric fingerprint access -- preventing unauthorized access. Professionals can protect and share sensitive files or intellectual property with up to 10 registered users, according to Erwan Girard, LaCie Business Unit manager.
The Rugged Safe was designed by the designer, Neil Poulton. With its protective rubber bumper...
Boris FX introduces Final Effects Complete 6 AE
Boris FX introduces Final Effects Complete 6 AE
Boris FX (http://www.borisfx.com) has announced Final Effects Complete 6 AE (FEC 6 AE), which brings 120 designer effects and transitions to Mac and Windows versions of Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro CS5, CS4, and CS3.
The new release features 12 new filters and transitions, faster rendering, audio-driven keyframe generation, customizable animated presets, and a new Compare Mode feature that enables users to compare the filtered result with the unfiltered source via either a side-by-side view or a live split-screen view. Each Final Effects Complete filter has been re-engineered for 64-bit operating systems.
Final Effects Complete 6 AE will be available in the third quarter of the year at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$895. Owners of previous versions of Final Effects Complete AE may upgrade for $295. Customers who purchase Final Effects Complete 5 AE as of May 25 will be eligible to receive a free upgrade to Final...
Seydoggy offers Havnit RapidWeaver theme
RapidWeaver theme designer Seydoggy (http://www.seydesign.com) has released Havnit Ultimate, a new theme to date that introduces "smart navigation," "smart layout" and an advanced built-in slide show. It also embraces technologies like CSS3 and HTML5.
"Theme developers previously had to account for end users' choice to opt into or out of some of RapidWeaver's built in features by creating numerous and often insignificant theme options," says SeyDoggy lead developer Adam Merrifield. "Havnit's new smart layout is able to automatically detect and account for the presence of a footer, a breadcrumb, enabled navigation, and even ExtraContent."
Following the trail blazed by a few other RapidWeaver theme developers, SeyDoggy is adopting future forward methods and employing the new HTML5 and CSS3 working drafts, he adds. Because of this, SeyDoggy is fast tracking on their upcoming modern browsers support policy by a few months. Havnit officially supports IE8+, Safari 4+, Firefox 3.5+, Opera 10...
FileMaker offers Bento 3 Student Survival Kit
FileMaker Inc. (http://www.filemaker.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, has announced a free way for students to organize their daily lives: the Bento 3 Student Survival Kit.
When students download a free, 30-day trial of Bento 3 for Mac, they receive a set of ready-to-use templates for organizing lecture notes, courses, group projects, special events and job searches. The templates in the kit are an integrated set of student organizing tools.
The Student Survival Kit works with Bento 3, FileMaker’s personal database for the Mac, and can be synchronized for use with Bento for iPhone and Bento for iPad (sold separately for US$4.99). Registration for Bento 3 is $49.
FontAgent Pro adds auto-activation support for Adobe CS5
Insider Software has announced the immediate availability of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop CS5 auto-activation plug-ins for FontAgent Pro for Macintosh. With this release, FontAgent Pro becomes the only font manager to offer auto-activation support for Adobe Creative Suite 5 applications.
FontAgent Pro auto-activation plug-ins can be used on machines running Mac OS X 10.3.9 through 10.6 -- as well as Classic applications. The latest plug-ins provide auto-activation for Adobe Creative Suite 5 using FontSavant technology that ensures you always auto-activate the right fonts in your documents.
All FontAgent Pro auto-activation plug-ins offer Universal Binary support so run natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Version 4 of FontAgent Pro is required to use the new CS5 plug-ins to ensure correct font activation.
Users of earlier versions must purchase an upgrade to Version 4 to use the plug-ins. Current licensed users running FontAgent Pro 4 or later can download the latest...
iFunia Video Converter Pro adds iPad options
iFunia, a developer of Mac multimedia processing tools, has launched a new version of its flagship product, iFunia Video Converter Pro Converter. This new version offers output options optimized for the iPad.
You can now convert HD video to an iPad 720p h.264 HD video format. Besides converting video formats, iFunia Video Converter Pro can be used to convert between several HD video formats, including HD AVI, AVCHD M2TS, MTS, TS, HD MOV, HD WMV ,HD MP4, HD FLV, and more. With the program, customers will be able to watch converted HD video clips on almost any portable device including their iPod, iPhone, Zune, PSP, and several others, according to David Lee, senior product manager from iFunia.
The program also supports simple video editing. Customers can trim a segment or crop the footage from their HD video and then make the conversion.
The iFunia Video Converter Pro for Mac is now available through the iFunia web site (http://www.ifunia.com/video-converter-mac.html). Exclusively for...
AT&T launches pilot WiFi project in Times Square
AT&T (http://www.att.com) has launched an AT&T Wi-Fi "hotzone" in New York City's Times Square, providing coverage for AT&T customers visiting and residing in New York who use Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, laptops, netbooks and other devices.
The new Wi-Fi coverage zone is a pilot deployment to explore the use of Wi-Fi to provide an additional mobile broadband option in areas with consistently high 3G traffic and mobile data use. It will hopefully alleviate some of the 3G congestion for iPhone users in that neck of the Big Apple.
AT&T has installed Wi-Fi service in the north central part of Times Square, near 7th Avenue between 45th and 47th Street, to provide a large outdoor hotspot zone that AT&T users can access using any Wi-Fi enabled device. The AT&T Wi-Fi hotzone at Times Square is available at no additional charge for nearly 32 million AT&T customers with qualifying smartphone, 3G LaptopConnect and AT&T High Speed Internet plans.
Apple sued for denying Geniuses rest breaks
Another day, another lawsuit. An Apple employee has filed a class action suit (http://appleemploymentclassaction.com/) in California against Apple.
Representative plaintiff Steve Camuti filed a Complaint in San Francisco County Superior Court on Sept. 15, 2009. The lawsuit is on behalf of all persons employed in non-exempt (hourly paid) “Genius” positions in California.
It alleges that Apple denied those employees rest breaks without paying wages for that time in violation of California law. The proposed plaintiff class seeks to recover unpaid wages, penalties, an injunction and other equitable relief and fees and costs for the period of Sept. 15, 2005, through the present.
Walmart cuts price in half on 8GB iPhone
Walmart has lowed the price of the 16GB iPhone 3GS from US$197 to $97. You still, of course, must sign up for the two-year service contract.
Also, the 32GB version is still $297 at the giant retail chain. There are rumors that Apple will announce a new iPhone at June's Worldwide Developer Conference.
