Soundness says version 3 of its SoundSoap audio noise reduction software is now available on the Mac App Store in the Video category. SoundSoap 3 is designed to solve audio noise problems in videos and audio files like unwanted hiss and background noises, clicks, pops, crackles, electrical hum, and rumble. The latest version of the software adds new features, a new user interface, and 64-bit compatibility. SoundSoap 3 works as a standalone application or as a companion to iMovie, Final Cut Pro X, GarageBand, iPhoto, Premiere, Skype, and other audiovisual software. The standalone SoundSoap 3 application now features audio recording. After media files have been cleaned with SoundSoap, they can now be shared with one click directly to Facebook, Email, Messaging, AirDrop, and more. Pricing and Availability: SoundSoap 3.0.2 on the Mac App Store is a standalone application and costs $79.95 (USD). The SoundSoap 3 application requires Mac OS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later. The standalone version...

Simulation Curriculum (http://www.simulationcurriculum.com) has acquired Southern Stars Group's SkySafari apps for iOS, Mac OS X, and Android, as well as its SkyFi, and SkyWire hardware product lines. Simulation Curriculum Corp. is the publisher of the Starry Night and Layered Earth software. The acquisition also includes Southern Stars (http://www.southernstars.com) developers Tim DeBenedictis and Bill Tschumy. They'll join Simulation Curriculum, and continue to support and develop Southern Stars' products under the new company. The first new product to be released under the combined company is SkySafari 4, an update of Southern Stars' flagship mobile astronomy app. SkySafari 4 represents a complete overhaul of this award-winning product line for iOS 7, and is available on the Apple App Store now. SkySafari 4 will be offered at an introductory 50% discount through Jan. 20, 2014. "SkySafari and Starry Night are the two most well-known and highly regarded astronomy software...

VirnetX Holding Corp., an Internet security software and technology company, says the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has denied seven petitions for inter partes review (IPR) filed by Apple.  These petitions sought review of certain claims of VirnetX's U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135, 7,418,504, 7,490,151 and 7,921,211.  The USPTO found that Apple's petitions weren't filed within the time limit imposed by the statute and declined to institute inter partes review. 

Apple has updated Logic Pro X, its professional recording software, to version 10.0.5. The upgrade adds three new drummers and 11 new drum-kit designs. Also, volume and pan automation can now be used in XML interchange with Final Cut Pro X. Logic Pro X 10.0.5 is a free update for registered users. For new users the cost is US$200. It's available at the Mac App Store.

Apple has updated its Final Cut Pro video editing software with tweaks to accommodate the new Mac Pro, which goes on sale today. According to Apple, Final Cut Pro 10.1's features include: ° Optimized playback and rendering using dual GPUs in the new Mac Pro; ° Video monitoring up to 4K via Thunderbolt 2 and HDMI on select Mac computers; ° 4K content including titles, transitions, and generators; ° Libraries allow you to gather multiple events and projects within a single bundle; ° Easily open and close individual libraries to load just the material you need; ° Option to import media to locations inside or outside a library; ° Automatically back up libraries to a user-specified drive or network location; ° Project Snapshots let you quickly capture the project state for fast versioning; ° Non-rippling retime option; ° One-step Replace and Retime; ° Detach audio from Multicam Clips in the timeline to manipulate audio and video separately; ° Make video or audio-only edits into the...

Tension Software has updated CrytoEdit, a Mac OS X app for creating/editing "encrypted by default" documents, to version 2.0. It's been optimized for OS X 10.9 Mavericks. CryptoEdit can manage TEXT, RTF and RTFD (with images) formats. It saves documents on disk always as encrypted and is designed as a solution for managing reserved documents with formatted text and images. CryptoEdit requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher and costs US$5. For more info go to http://www.tensionsoftware.com .

The latest version of HDR Darkroom from Everimaging adds a bevy of new features. A new assortment of HDR styles gives users more options. The app also gets real-time processing. HDR, or high dynamic range, is a photo editing technique whereby three images of the same scene, each with different shutter speeds, are merged together with the help of computer software. The result is an image with more detail in both the lightest and darkest regions. In HDR Darkroom 3, an improved alignment algorithm corrects problems that arise when the camera moves from one frame to the next. Similarly, the advanced ghost reduction technology detects and removes moving objects from the frame. Hardware compatibility has also been improved with the release of HDR Darkroom 3. The software now supports more than 150 camera models, including Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic. HDR Darkroom 3, in both Mac and Windows versions, is on sale at http://www.everimaging.com with a 33% discount during the holidays....

Kai Aras has launched Ambify for Mac OS X. It generates visuals from any audio source including iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube — and even AirPlay devices such as iPhone or iPad. Ambify captures live audio and applies specially developed algorithms to analyze and visualize audio in real time. It uses Philips Hue bulbs, lamps, lightstrips and more. What's more, Ambify for Mac supports timing sensitive applications such as music videos, DJ or production tools. It comes with a graphic-driven visualizer that integrates with Hue-based effects. Ambify for Mac is available through Monday, Dec. 23, a 30% discount for US$14. It requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. Go to http://ambifyapp.com/mac.html for more info.

Ashlar-Vellum has released Graphite 9, a new version of their 2D/3D wireframe drafting program on both Mac OS X and Windows. The familiar Graphite interface has been updated to include optionally larger text and new icons that are designed to be easier to read on "super-high resolution" monitors. Also new are tool tips with click-through hyperlinks to documentation. New functionality in Graphic 9 includes the Stretch tool and the Copy along Path tool. The import/export capabilities have also been enhanced to included the latest DXF/DWG support up to 2013, PDF import and enhanced PDF export. With a new Unicode core, Graphite supports multiple foreign languages and alphabets for both the interface and the drawing document. Graphite 9 is a paid upgrade for those using Graphite v8 or for Cobalt and Xenon 8 users with a companion license to Graphite. Upgrades are available from previous versions from the past 10 years, with prices varying according to the age of the software. Go to http...

Boinx Software has updated iStopMotion, its stop motion animation tool for Mac OS X, to version 3.5. The new version adds support for live view with Canon DSLR cameras, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 40D, 60D, 60Da, Rebel XSi (aka the 450D in Europe / Kiss X2 in Japan), Rebel T2i (aka 550D / Kiss X4), and Rebel T5i (aka 700D / Kiss X7i). It also adds support for animated GIF export; you can save any sequence of up to 200 frames as an animated GIF right to a hard drive. Version 3.5 also adds: the ability to capture anything on your screen and turn it into an animation or time lapse movie; onion skinning; a rotoscope feature, a tilt shift filter, and chroma keying. iStopMotion 3.5 is available for US$49.99. It's a free update for registered 3.x users. Go to http://www.boinx.com/ for more info.

Lessonator has released version 1.0 release of its new music lesson and presentation authoring program for the Mac. Lessonator allows music teachers, students and hobbyists to create their own interactive music lessons without programming. Sporting a slide interface similar to Apple's Keynote, the app lets users create lessons by adding audio, video, movies, images and notation (standard and tablature) onto a multi-layered canvas. Slides look and operate just like other presentation packages, except each have a animated 3D instrument and music notation. Each slide is made of three graphical layers: back, 3D instrument and front.  Lessonator users can choose among a flexible set of slide templates for guitar, bases or keyboards. 3D guitars, bases and keyboards are generated on the fly from 2D CAD drawings. A visual chord sequencer is designed to help you define a MIDI background track for the duration of a slide. To celebrate the version 1.0 release Lessonator introduces the "Year Of...

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says Apple has been lying to consumers about its obligation to replace or repair faulty computers, iPhones, iPads and iPods, but has now promised to retrain staff and reassess claims stretching back two years, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. The consumer watchdog group says Apple misled customers into thinking they were entitled to less recourse than Australian consumer laws allowed. "The ACCC was concerned that Apple was applying its own warranties and refund policies effectively to the exclusion of the consumer guarantees contained in the Australian Consumer Law," ACCC chairman Rod Sims told The Herald. The competition watchdog could take Apple to court if it fails to follow proper procedures. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/n322u9f.

Zevrix Solutions has introduced Output Factory Server 1.0.4, a maintenance update to its output workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Output Factory Server automates printing and exporting from InDesign by processing files from watched hot folders and is a major upgrade of the company's program BatchOutput Server. The new version makes Output Factory Server a fully 64-bit native application, thus improving its performance and reducing the likelihood of memory-related errors. Output Factory Server can be purchased from the Zevrix web site (http://www.zevrix.com) for US$699.95, as well as from authorized resellers. A demo is available for download. BatchOutput Server users can upgrade for $349.97. Output Factory Server runs on Mac OS X 10.6-10.9 and works with Adobe InDesign CS3-CC.

Akitio has unveiled its newest Thunderbolt solution, the Thunder Dock.  The US$269 dock provides users access to data on both legacy and future storage drives by providing multiple host ports for USB 3.0, eSATA and FireWire 800.  In addition, it's also equipped with two Thunderbolt ports for daisy chaining additional Thunderbolt devices and storage. By connecting one Thunderbolt cable from the dock to a computer, users will receive instant access to all of the additional storage drives that are hooked up to the dock.  The Thunderbolt Dock is compatible with Thunderbolt 2. It comes in an aluminum casing. Go to Akitio.com for more info.

Whitelabel has released the RaveTouch Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, the latest addition to their line of wearable technology. Their Touch Control function is designed to recognize movement and allows you to control music playback functions by touching the headphones’ earpiece. With RaveTouch’s new NFC Pairing (Near Field Communication), you can \pair supported smartphones with your headphones by simply touching them together. Optional Bluetooth functionality for up to 12 hours means the headphones can be used wirelessly or through a wired connection to your audio device. Using the Touch Control on the left earpiece is simple. The perceptive function recognizes a tap on the earpiece using a single finger to pause music, a swipe up to turn up the volume and a swipe down to minimize sound. To skip to the next track, use two fingers to vertically swipe down or swipe up to play the previous track. RaveTouch headphones feature voice recognition and automatic shut-off. Collapsible, they can...

Simplest Ways has announced Superstring, which lets you create a lyric video. It's available at the Mac App Store in a free or pro (US$29.99) version. The latter lets you use effects, edit or remove the watermark, import Superstring data, or export your lyric video in more sizes than the free version. With Superstring, you select a song that you want to create a lyric video and find lyrics from ID3 tags. You can align the timing of lyrics by dragging, customize styles, colors, and more. Superstring requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. Go to http://www.simplestways.com/mac for more info.

Smile has rolled out PDFpen 6.1.2, an update to its all-purpose PDF editing tool for OS X. The update improves performance and reduces memory usage. PDFpen 6.1.2 also includes a number of minor fixes and improvements. The changes in PDFpen 6.1.2 have also been made in PDFpenPro 6.1.2, the pro version that can also convert websites into PDFs, automatically create fillable PDF forms, and construct document table of contents. PDFpen 6.1.2 works with PDFpen for iPad and PDFpen for iPhone, allowing editing across devices when used with iCloud or Dropbox storage. Users who wish to use iCloud must purchase PDFpen 6 from the Mac App Store. (Apple restricts iCloud access to applications purchased via the Mac App Store.) PDFpen retails for US$59.95, and PDFpenPro for $99.95. Family pack licenses, which cover up to five computers in one household, are $74.95 for PDFpen and $119.95 for PDFpenPro. Office pack licenses, which cover up to five users in an office, are $179.95 for PDFpen and $279.95...

Xojo has announced Xojo 2013 Release 4, an update of the development tool for web and desktop apps. Xojo is a multi-platform object-oriented application development tool that enables people to create applications for the desktop, web, web-mobile, and, soon, native mobile. Release 4 contains over 150 improvements, 14 changes and seven new features, including new framework Crypto functions, new examples and improved debugger functionality to allow for easier debugging of threaded code. 
Xojo is compatible with Mac OS X, Windows and Linux systems. Its available in a variety of pricing options, which you can find at https://www.xojo.com/store/index.php .

Quark has released QuarkXPress® 10.0.2, an update to its document processing software. QuarkXPress 10 users through Quark Update and is also available to download.

 QuarkXPress 10.0.2 addresses performance issues, offers stability improvements, and offers new functionality. For Mac OS X users, it now supports Spotlight and Quick Look so documents can be searched and previewed.

 For App Studio users, QuarkXPress 10.0.2 adds a new enrichment – 360° Images – that allows images to rotate completely within an app. The update also optimizes upload speed to my.appstudio.net and uses scalable vector graphics (SVG) for boxes in order to decrease issue file sizes and dynamically adapt to display resolutions. For more info go to www.quark.com/10.

Open Media has announced 4K Video Downloader, a new version of their most product available for Mac, Windows and Linux systems. 4K Video Downloader allows anyone to download video from YouTube as fast as your computer and connection will allow. The new version has a "gamification" feature that allows you to download more videos or audio in different modes. This new feature "turns the usual rutina-downloading into engaging social entertainment with levels and quests," according to the folks at Open Media. Keeping in mind that the gamification helps to learn about new functions of software more easily comparing with traditionals ways like how tos or other guides, Open Media LLC decided to simplify this learning process by implementing achievement badges with small explanations. 4K Video Downloader is a free download. Go to http://tinyurl.com/m2mu83t for more info.

Illwinter has brought Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension to Steam for Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. It costs US$34.99. Already the best selling Dominions game in the 15-year-old franchise, Dominions 4 brings the race to ascend to godhood to a new level of depth by adding capture objectives, co-op mode, more units, more spells, and more gods to the already overflowing level of detail that Dominions is famous for, according the folks at Illwinter. Find out more at the Steam page at http://store.steampowered.com/app/259060/ .   Here's how the game is described: "Dominions 4 is divided into three playable eras, early, middle, and late. Each era has different, yet connected, nations. Every nation has a variety of historical or mythological troops that are connected to real world history and mythos as well as various other benefits or detriments. Upon selecting a new nation you will also be given an option of would-be gods to select. "Every god is radically different with different...

In a series of court filings last week, Apple officially moved to halt the '"unconstitutional" compliance monitoring imposed as part of the government's e-book antitrust lawsuit, while the Department of Justice defended the monitor's actions and urged that the oversight be upheld, reports "AppleInsider." Michael Bromwich, the third-party monitor assigned to the case by presiding Judge Denise Cote, "is conducting a roving investigation that is interfering with Apple's business operations, risking the public disclosure of privileged and confidential information, and imposing substantial and rapidly escalating costs on Apple that it will never be able to recover," Apple's lead appeals counsel Theodore Boutrous argued in the company's motion. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/kaz7ugf .

Entitle, an eBook subscription service, has launched. The service, formerly named eReatah, allows members to read two books a month for US$14.99, three books a month for $21.99 and four books a month for $27.99. Members will own and have permanent access to any books they download regardless of their subscription status with Entitle, and these books can be read on up to six devices. Members can read books on the newly-launched Entitle e-reading app for iPad, iPhone and Android devices. Entitle members can download from a catalog of over 100,000 titles from over a thousand publishers, including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Kensington Books, Berrett-Koehler, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Workman Publishing, Sourcebooks, Open Road Media, RosettaBooks and many more. Over 50% of books in Entitle's catalog retail for over US$12.99, and include thousands of bestselling titles and new releases from authors such as Stephen King, Dan Brown, Doris Kearns Goodwin, JA Jance, Brad...

Enolsoft has released Enolsoft PDF to Text with OCR for Mac. It allows users to extract text from PDFs (including native and scanned PDF) or common images to save as plain text files. Enolsoft PDF to Text with OCR for Mac is available at a retail price of US$39. A demo is available for download. Go to http://tinyurl.com/n9rjkf3 for more info.