SniperSpy for Mac gets Stealth Webcam, Microphone Recording...
Retina-X Studios has released SniperSpy Mac (www.sniperspymac.com) 8.0. Using the remote monitoring technology, parents and employers can now silently watch the entire screen of their child or employee's Mac instantaneously from any location.
New features added into version 8.0 include Stealth Webcam and Microphone Recording to allow parents to hear and see the environment around their child's Mac. Another feature added is the ability to restrict applications and websites with the ability to restrict during a specific time period. Historic screenshots can now be viewed in the slideshow mode. Email reports can now be sent instantly or upon a schedule the user creates.
The hybrid surveillance system also displays full activity logs of keystrokes, chat conversations and other activities. SniperSpy Mac runs in extreme stealth mode and no mentions of the program are shown within the computer. The software runs in the background behind all other applications. After the software is setup on...
iWALK ships charging solutions for the iPhone 5
iWALK is now offering its charging solutions with the Lightning connector for the iPhone 5 in the form of the Apple-Certified Link Series and the ultra-thin Chameleon power case. Apple-Certified charging solutions with an integrated Lightning connector include the Link 1000i5, Link 1700i5 and Link 2500i5.
The Link Series is an Apple-certified, pocket-sized docking backup battery with three power levels. All models available in black or white and feature an LED power indicator, overcharge protection and pass-through charging that allows the backup battery and iPhone 5 to charge simultaneously.
The Chameleon is a slim, high capacity power case with 2000mAh of power for up to nine hours of extra talk time. Available in steel gray or white with an LED power indicator, overcharge protection, pass-through charging and on/off switch to save power when not needed.
iWALK’s new line of charging solutions is available at www.iwalkusa.com, select Sprint stores and retailers nationwide.
Razer introduces new membrane gaming keypad
Razer has released the Razer Tartarus, a membrane gaming keypad created with ergonomic comfort and customization options in mind, according to Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder. It's compatible with PCs and Macs running Mac OS X 10.6 and higher.
The successor to the Razer Nostromo, the Razer features 25 programmable keys including an eight-way directional thumb pad. The thumb pad is designed to allow gamers to move with more precision, while also acting as modifier keys, multiplying the keyset count by eight, providing 128 different command options.
With unlimited macro lengths and unlimited game profiles, the Razer Tartarus also provides users instantaneous switching between eight key maps, according ot Nostromo. The Razer Tartarus features full anti-ghosting, with backlit keys that give users total control in dark conditions.
The Razer Tartarus is enabled to be configured with Razer Synapse 2.0, the proprietary software that functions as the brain of the keypad. Razer Synapse 2....
Keizus announces Quadrapod + Clamp for smartphones, tablets
The Keizus Quadrapod + Clamp is a new, multi-functional tripod mount, stand and holder for smartphones and tablets.
The skeleton-like design resembles a crazy action figure and is made of two detachable parts, including the universal tripod clamp, and jointed mount that be configured in a variety of positions. The clamp fits any standard tripod that has a 1/4" - 20 head mount thread size. It can be used separately from the clamp for
smaller photo equipment.
The Quadrapod arms and legs are connected with flexible
ball joints, which are completely detachable from the body.The Keizus
clamp can be adjusted to accommodate different devices, and includes a
protection mechanism to prevent any damage to your phone/tablet.
The Keizus Quadrapod + Clamp is made from engineering plastic that is purportedly stronger than steel. You can see the toughness test vs. the GorillaPod in action at http://tinyurl.com/ms84hg9 .
The Quadrapod + Clamp combo is available in a snow-white and grey
color...
Wahoo Fitness introduces the PROTKT for the iPhone
Wahoo Fitness has rolled out the PROTKT, a weatherproof and shockproof Phone bike case. It's designed to provide users with a simple and secure solution to accessing their Apple smartphone through rain, dirt, snow and sweat. The
"Our new iPhone mounting system allows you to bring your iPhone 5 with you on any ride, in any conditions," says Chip Hawkins, CEO of Wahoo Fitness. "The PROTKT caters to all riders -- the cyclist dedicated to progress monitoring, the safety conscious adventurist who’s not afraid to stray from the beaten path, to the rider that doesn’t want to miss a beat by disconnecting from the world."
The PROTKT also comes bundled with the Wahoo Fitness app for cycling. which you can combine with fitness sensors to wirelessly monitor all your vitals. Pair your PROTKT’ed iPhone with the Wahoo Blue HR Heart Rate Strap to connect to your iPhone 5 and receive real-time heart rate data through the Wahoo Fitness app.
In addition, you can use the Wahoo Blue SC Speed and...
Booq expands its Boa collection
Booq has expanded their Boa collection to include the Boa brief laptop bag. Its water-repellent ballistic nylon exterior is designed to protect it from everyday hardships.
A padded laptop sleeve lined in genuine quilted nylon, shields any 15-17-inch Mac or 16.4-inch PC from unwelcome moisture and accidental scratches. A split-opening design and mid-size fit includes interior and exterior pockets for items such as iPad, iPhone, and other professional tools. The Boa brief is now available on www.booqbags.com for US$149.95.
Judge to bring Apple back into court on ebook price fixing case
Judge Denise Cote plans to bring Apple back into court in May, 2014, to determine what damages should be imposed on the iPad and iPhone maker in its ebook price fixing case.
She found Apple guilty of conspiring with book publishers to artificially raise book prices and is considering imposing harsh restrictions on Apple's contracts with publishers as well as limiting how the company can negotiate for new deals, reports "The MacObserver" (http://tinyurl.com/m3x4ggb). Naturally, Apple plans to fight the ruling.
Earlier this month the Department of Justice and 33 state attorneys general submitted to the court a proposed remedy to address Apple's illegal conduct, following the July 10, 2013, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York decision finding that Apple conspired to fix the prices of e-books in the United States. The proposed relief "is intended to halt Apple’s anticompetitive conduct, restore lost competition and prevent a recurrence of the illegal activities."
Passwarden 2.0 adds auto-login, in-app iOS browser
DAR Software has its brought password manager for iOS and Mac to a new level by implementing in-app browser, auto-login and auto-save capabilities with Passwarden 2.0.
The Mac version now features a series of extensions for popular Mac browsers. Passwarden is a digital wallet for different types of personal information, keeping all information encrypted and under protection of the master password.
What's more, the tabbed browser, embedded into Passwarden iPhone and iPad apps offers web-surfing experience, which eliminates the need to switch over to the native Safari browser, once the user is done with security sites.
Passwarden apps are distributed free of charge, provide certain evaluation options and offer pay-as-you-go pricing model that allows users with different needs to pay for the services they use when they need them. They're available at the Apple App Store for iOS and the Mac App Store for OS X.
They come pre-packed with one month of free synchronization and 10 slots...
Yojimbo for OS X gets new sync service support
Bare Bones Software (http://www.barebones.com) has released Yojimbo 4.0, an upgrade to the information organizer for Mac OS X. It introduces support for a new sync service that provides silent, transparent data synchronization across multiple Macs for service subscribers.
This feature grants data portability, making irrelevant which computer was used to access, add or modify any item stored in Yojimbo. Any Yojimbo customer who wishes to use this sync service may subscribe directly within the application. In addition, Yojimbo 4.0 adds full screen support for the main Yojimbo window and
for information item windows, along with updates for improved appearance on Retina displays.
Yojimbo 4.0 is available at a suggested retail price of US$30 for an individual license; $60 for a family-pack license for up to five people in a single household. All licenses provide for synchronization of multiple computers.
Subscription-based synchronization accounts are available for $2.99/month, with the...
Diagrammix for Mac OS X adds Vector Drawing Tools
Deep IT (www.deepitpro.com) has updated Diagrammix, a Mac OS X diagramming tool for building attractive diagrams with minimal effort, to version 2.6.0. The upgrade introduces an additional component, Vector Drawing Tools, that allows you to create your own shapes and lines and use them along with predefined shapes.
You can use Diagrammix as a fast business tool for illustration purposes. It offers several art elements and different connectors that let users prepare elements in vector drawing editors. Diagrammix has several palettes with elements specially designed for this release.
Once elements are connected by a line, they stay connected no matter how much you change them or move them around. That means the logical integrity of your diagram is preserved regardless of how you choose to position the elements. There are several connector styles: thin, thick, solid, dashed, dotted, with different arrows and colors, all with predefined styles. Work can be saved in a number of formats...
MaBaSoft rings up Currency Assistant 3.1.9 for Mac OS X
MaBaSoft (http://www.mabasoft.net/) has released version 3.1.9 of Currency Assistant for Mac OS X. In the new version of the conversion calculator, a new currency, the South Sudanese pound (SSP), has been added and he Croatian kuna has been moved to the European Union group after Croatia became the 28th European Union member on July 1.
Currency Assistant lets you convert between 175 world currencies (all major circulating currencies plus the 17 Eurozone legacy currencies) and automatically updates exchange rates over the Internet using the rates published by the European Central Bank, the Bank of Canada, the International Monetary Fund, and the Bank of Italy.
With Currency Assistant you can create multiple converters and manage currencies, import and convert series of amounts, calculate and convert the result of expressions, and quickly log, save, export, and print your conversions.
Currency Assistant requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. It's now 50% off and available for US$8.95 for new...
Better Finder Rename can now display invisible/ non-printing...
PublicSpace.net (http://www.publicspace.net) has released A Better Finder Rename 9.24, the latest version of its contextual menu plug-in that allows users to rename multiple files. The new version adds the ability to display invisible/ non-printing characters.
Better Finder Rename's renaming engine leverages all the latest Mac OS X technologies by using a 64-bit multi-threaded garbage collected architecture based around Leopard's Core Data database system. A Better Finder Rename sports an instant preview feature.
The tool features capture time and date extraction (EXIF JPEG and most RAW formats) for digital photographers, ID3 tag extraction for music lovers, regular expression support, plain-text file import for renaming from databases and many other features.
A Better Finder Rename is US$19.95 shareware for a single user license. Family, business and enterprise licensing is also available. Customers may chose to include a "forever upgrade" with their purchase. A Better Finder Rename...
QuickerTek doubles wireless speeds of older MacBooks
QuickerTek has created an upgrade for older MacBooks -- the US$149 Quicky -- to take advantage of the latest wireless technology: 802.11ac. An USB device allows older PowerBooks to have the quicker 802.11ac networking built into the latest MacBooks, the company says.
The reason for the effectiveness of the 802.11 AC Wi-Fi technology in the latest MacBook Air is that it uses wider RF bandwidth - 5GHz spectrum, higher modulation and a number of other technologies to boost wireless speeds. The 802.11a/b/g/n ac specification has an expected multi-station WLAN throughput of at least 1 gigabit per second and a single link throughput of at least 500 megabits per second (500 Mbps). Consequently, 802.11n is now half as fast as the new AC networking standard.
The AC Quicky uses the same chipset as Apple so users may know that their upgraded MacBooks, Pros and Airs maintain all of the compatibility that a new MacBook Air offers, according to QuickerTek CEO Rick Estes.. Networking drivers are...
Kinivo launches BTM440 mono headset
Kinivo has introduced their newest personal audio solution: the US$24.99 BTM440, a wireless Bluetooth-connected mono headset. Features include advanced noise cancellation through an optimized microphone and a lightweight, comfortable fit for extended wear.
Kinivo’s BTM440 integrated rechargeable lithium-ion battery purportedly delivers more than four hours of active talk time or 150 hours while in standby mode. To recharge Kinivo’s BTM440, simply plug the headset into the included micro-USB charging cable and connect to your computer or wall outlet
This sleek in-ear headset with a thin wraparound style is designed for extended wear, allowing users to stay comfortably connected for long periods of time, says Kinivo Vice President of Operations Neeraj Srivastava. BTM440’s microphone placement provides crystal clear phone calls, he adds.
Kinivo’s BTM440 is available now at Amazon.com and Kinivo.com.
TuneUp for Mac OS X gets a little Automagic
TuneUp 3.0 (www.tuneupmedia.com) for Mac and PC is now available for download. This updated version of the software that corrects track information and more is a stability release that tackles issues with crashing, hanging and freezing.
It also introduces Automagic, a new concept of how to organize digital music. Instead of dragging and dropping tracks you think are dirty or have the wrong metadata, it offers a fully automated process that will find and fix all the problems (mislabeled songs, missing album art, duplicates, etc.) in any music library -- at the same time.
TuneUp 3.0 also sports a revamped user interface. A free demo is available for download. It costs US$49.95 or $39.95 for an annual subscription and requires Mac OS X10.6 or later. The annual subscription license is valid for one year, but can be renewed. The one-time purchase license doesn't have an expiration date. Both licenses are issued per-computer and can be transferred up to five times.
VidConvert for Mac OS X revved to version 1.4.5
Reggie Ashworth has announced VidConvert 1.4.5, an update to his video converter for Mac OS X. The upgrade fixes various bugs in the Info panel and fixes various bugs in the Dutch localization. It also updates compatibility with the latest FFmpeg release (version 2.0 ), and can now convert from Apple Intermediate Codec (FFmpeg version 2.0 ).
VidConvert is a video converter designed to make converting your videos simple and easy. The software will convert just about any type of video into one of the many popular formats of today.
VidConvert requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It costs US$7.99 for a single user license. A demo is available for download at the product web site (http://www.reggieashworth.com/vidconvert).
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionaries available for Mac OS X
Paragon Software Group, a software developer for mobile devices and desktop computers, in partnership with Merriam-Webster, Inc., which specializes in language reference publishing in the U.S., has released 11monolingual and bilingual reference classics from Merriam-Webster for Mac OS X.
The apps are combined in a single Merriam-Webster’s Dictionaries in-app catalog app, allowing the user to immediately find the right dictionary, download it, and test it for free, before making the purchasing decision. The new app comes with a full version of Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary at a special price of US$0.99 for a limited time (the regular price $19.99 USD).
The apps require Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. For more info go to www.Merriam-Webster.com .
Markzware announces Q2ID for InDesign CC
Markzware has released Q2ID for InDesign CC on Mac and Windows platforms. It's an InDesign plug-in that supports the new Adobe InDesign CC version for the Creative Cloud.
The Q2ID for InDesign CC plug-in can convert QuarkXPress to InDesign CC, the new Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud version. Data conversion with the plug-in is enabled with a single click and re-creates QuarkXPress QXP content within a new InDesign CC (Creative Cloud) document. The Q2ID Adobe CC plug-in will convert QuarkXPress to InDesign CC, including such items as page positioning, fonts, styles, images, text attributes, tables, layers, blends, runarounds, linked text boxes, anchored boxes, Pantone colors, and color models.
The price of a 1-year subscription for this Adobe CC plug-in is US$199 and includes any upgrades, updates and bug fixes that occur within that 12-month time frame. For more info go to www.markzware.com .
Apple allegedly purchases Matcha.tv
Apple has purchased Matcha.tv, which makes a second-screen TV/video app, reports "VentureBeat" (http://tinyurl.com/mkxyo4y), quoting unnamed sources. Allegedly, Apple paid US$1 to $1.5 billion for the company.
Matcha.tv was an iOS app that provided a comprehensive overview of everything that’s available to watch via cable TV providers (Comcast), streaming video services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime), and digital video stores (iTunes, Amazon). Additionally, you could manage what you watched from a universal queue, get video recommendations, and connect with social networks to see what your friends were watching/liking. However, the service shut down back in May with little explanation, notes "VentureBeat."
Apple releases AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.6.4
Apple has released AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.6.4 (http://tinyurl.com/l4mrhwd). It's available for all Apple 802.11n Wi-Fi base stations including AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule. It contains fixes that:
° Resolve an issue that may cause AirPort Time Capsule to report that the backup disk is in use;
° Resolve an issue that may cause an IPv6 Tunnel error;
° Resolve an issue that may intermittently cause a loss in Wi-Fi connectivity with iOS devices.
Perceptive Automation revs its Mac home automation server
Perceptive Automation has introduced Indigo 6, an update to the company's intelligent home control server for Mac OS X. New with this release is support for many Z-Wave devices.
Indigo now has built-in support for three of the most popular home automation protocols: Z-Wave, INSTEON, and X10. Also new to this version are several usability, UI and server security improvements, as well as new plug-in APIs (application programming interfaces).
Indigo 6 Pro is available now for $199.95 and Indigo 6 Lite for $99.95 (USD), both through the Perceptive Automation website (www.perceptiveautomation.com). Owners of some previous versions of Indigo can get an upgrade discount to Indigo 6. Also available online is a 30-day trial copy of Indigo 6 Pro. Indigo runs on Mac OS X 10.5 or greater.
Pubblog releases PixSteward
Pubblog has released PixSteward (http://pixsteward.com) 1.0.7, an update of the Flickr backup and database for the Mac. It's a maintenance upgrade.
PixSteward lets users download their Flickr photostreams to their Mac, along with any titles, tags, descriptions, geographic info and EXIF data they've entered online. With the software's relational database, users can find, sort, and export single images or multi-picture sets from their Flickr archive even when they aren't connected to the Internet.
According to the folks at Pubblog, PixSteward is especially helpful for Flickr Pro users or those who need to manage multiple Flickr accounts. With Flickr Pro accounts, PixSteward downloads and stores the original images from Flickr -- JPEGs, GIFs and PNGs -- so artwork containing transparency or vector paths (Photoshop JPEG) is preserved. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and costs US$24.95. There's a $9.99 "lite" version available at the Mac App Store.
Daylite gets new record duplication on Mac OS X
Marketcircle has announced Daylite 4.3, an update to the suite for managing and growing business. Now, for the first time, Forms and Attachments are available on iOS devices using Daylite, expanding workflow possibilities beyond the desktop.
In addition, Daylite 4.3 on Mac OS X introduces a new Duplicate command for record duplication, saving time entering similar forms, projects, opportunities, tasks, appointments, notes and groups. The upgrade introduces smartlists for birthdays, anniversaries and age, which are of particular interest to financial planners. Not enough? The update provides more reporting options, more layout options, more calendar view options, more options for multi-column sorting, plus an enhanced mail assistant for Mail.app.
Additional, detailed information on all of the changes in Daylite 4.3, Daylite for iOS 4.3, Daylite Mail Assistant 4.3 and Daylite Server 4.3 can be found at http://www.marketcircle.com/daylite/fullreleasenotes/ .
Chronos announces PrintLife 1.1 with 30% discount
Chronos has announced the release of PrintLife 1.1, an app for creating print projects on OS X. What's more, today through Aug. 15, PrintLife is available at a 30% discount. Users simply need to enter "summer2013" when checking out to take advantage of this special offer.
PrintLife 1.1 adds:
° Support for greeting cards and invitations with multiple copies per page (2, 3, 4, and 6);
° Support for double-sided greeting cards and invitations;
° Support for folding documents (single-fold, double-fold, and tri-fold);
° The ability to edit the inside faces of greeting cards and invitations;
° The ability to edit a single face or multiple faces at once;
° The ability to save a document as a template so it shows up in the Template Chooser;
° Over 300 new templates for 2, 3, 4, and 6 per page variations.
PrintLife is regularly priced at US $49.99 and is available directly from Chronos (www.chronosnet.com). A family pack is also available for $89.99.
New iOS app helps consumers stay on top of their documents
FileThis, a Marin, California-based startup, has announced the availability of an iOS app for its FileThis Fetch service that lets consumers go paperless. The free FileThis Fetch app for iPhone and iPad fetches and delivers financial statements, bills and documents from banks, retirement funds, credit card and utility companies.
With the FileThis Fetch app, consumers can go paperless within minutes, according to Brian Berson, founder and CEO of FileThis. After signing up, users simply link their financial and household accounts with FileThis Fetch. All connections are setup with bank-level security.
FileThis Fetch automatically delivers documents as searchable PDF files to the user’s destination of choice including Evernote, Personal, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box. It also organizes them. Users are notified via email whenever new documents are available.
FileThis Fetch is available as a free App Store download on iTunes (http://bit.ly/19ZISRI). The free version lets users connect up...
Native Instruments introduces Traktor DJ Cable
Native Instruments has released Traktor DJ Cable, a compact audio splitter designed to complement mobile DJ setups on iPhone, iPad or laptops via the Traktor DJ app.
Traktor DJ Cable offers DJs a solution that splits audio from Traktor's virtual decks into two outputs. When used with Traktor DJ or Traktor Pro 2, this allows headphone track cueing.
Traktor DJ Cable is now available at retailers worldwide and at the NI Online Shop for US$19.99. For more info go to www.native-instruments.com/TraktordjCable .
Soundcast ships Melody wireless speaker system
Soundcast Systems is shipping its Melody wireless speaker system. It's a Bluetooth gadget in a 360-degree enclosure.
The Melody boasts a battery life of up to 20 hours and built-in Apt-X codec technology. It weighs in at nine pounds so, along with its built-in handle, is portable.
In addition to its wireless Bluetooth capabilities, Melody also includes a 3.5 mm input port for added convenience. It includes an A/C adapter, 12-Vvolt automotive adapter and USB charging cable, providing an array of charging options while at home or on the road. Melody, which retails for $449, is available now at select U.S.- based retailers. For more info go to www.FollowMelody.com .
WD founds Storage Products Association
WD has founded the Storage Products Association (SPA) with other hard drive companies to promote the merits and value of rotating magnetic storage technologies, as well as to make consumers and professionals aware of how critical hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state hybrid drives (SSHDs) are to their digital lives.
SPA members include HGST, Seagate, Toshiba and WD. The organization was founded to help storage manufacturers and users understand and support current and future storage needs, including the key role of hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state hybrid drives, in an effective storage mix for all consumer and business environments. SPA will provide education to its customers, partners, members and users of HDDs and SSHDs. SPA will also participate in industry and user events, and will publish materials about end users' storage needs and effective usage of a mix of storage technologies, says Tim Leyden, WD president.
"Every user of smart phones, tablets and personal computers...
CPUG Network announces Sixth Annual Amsterdam SuperMeet
The CPUG Network has announced the Sixth Annual Amsterdam SuperMeet, to take place Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in the heart of Amsterdam.
The Amsterdam SuperMeet promises to be the single largest gathering of Final Cut Pro, Adobe, Avid and Autodesk editors, gurus and digital filmmakers during the 2013 IBC Show. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the SuperMeet web site (http://supermeet.com).
The full agenda will not be announced until shortly before the event date; however there will be user driven presentations by Blackmagic Design, Adobe, Autodesk and iZotope and much more. Rounding out the evening will be the "World Famous Raffle," featuring a Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera and over Euro20,000 worth of valuable filmmaker-related prizes, which will be handed out to dozens of lucky winners.
PresenterCue available for Mac OS X
Nominari has announced presenterCue for Mac OS X. It's a free (well, sorta) app that lets the user input a list of speakers, then show them their remaining time on multiple displays as they speak.
Designed as a server/client system, its digital timer and color-coded prompter outputs to large LCDs, downstage monitors, prompter displays, and switching systems. The server can feed clients on a LAN, including iOS and OS X devices. .
presenterCue requires OS X 10.8 or later and is available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category (http://tinyurl.com/lycf6gy). A license, which allows the server to connect with a client, is available directly from Nominari (www.nominari.com).
JunkIt 1.0 Mail add-on released for Mac OS X
Todd's Apps has introduced JunkIt 1.0, their new Mail add-on for Mac OS X. It provides a method for preventing unwanted emails from piling up in your inboxes.
One of its JunkIt's features is "reverse highlighting," which is designed to help users focus on their most important emails. The app also comes with some other options, such as junking one-liner emails, specifying a mailbox for clean emails, as well as options for tracking those people who are spamming the most.
A demo version -- with all of the functionality of the full version but with reminders that pop up every once in awhile to remind users to purchase the full version -- is available at the Todd's App web site (http://tinyurl.com/kfft9zu). Registration is US$18.95.
Noise Industries releases Final Cut Pro X Swoosh
Noise Industries has just released SUGARfx Swoosh, a customizable plugin developed exclusively for Final Cut Pro X. It's designed to bring a cohesive graphic look to any project.
The plug-in offers 10 different Title generators as well as 20 Transition elements and more. Editors can drag and drop the element of choice, such as looping backgrounds, title pages, lower thirds and transitions, then customize. They're accessible in the Transitions, Generators and Titles browsers under the SUGARfx Swoosh category or under the "Swoosh" keyword in the Themes browser.
SUGARfx Swoosh is available now through FxFactory (http://tinyurl.com/k3xzvwx) for US$49.
Maintain serves up Cocktail 6.6.1 (Mountain Lion Edition)
Maintain has released Cocktail 6.6.1 (Mountain Lion Edition), the latest maintenance update for users running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. This version contains improvements on the "Clear user caches" procedure, adds OS X 10.8.5 compatibility, adds new settings to modify look of Launchpad and ability to refresh Launchpad contents or remove all apps from Launchpad.
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets users clean, repair and optimize their Mac.
Cocktail 6.6.1 (Mountain Lion Edition) requires OS X Mountain Lion or OS X Mountain Lion Server (10.8). Cocktail (Lion Edition) for OS X 10.7, Cocktail (Snow Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.6 and Cocktail (Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.5 are available for download from the Maintain website.
Cocktail costs US$14 for a single user license and is available for purchase from the Maintain website (http://maintain.se/cocktail). The license is valid for Mountain Lion, Lion and Snow Leopard and editions of Cocktail. Cocktail (Leopard...
KeynotePro launches new themes
KeynotePro has introduced two new themes -- Brighton and District for Keynote -- as well as expanded support for iOS devices.
Brighton (pictured) is described as a "curvaceous, deco-evoking Motion-Enhanced theme featuring a sea-side palette." District is a "modern, print-inspired geometric design including two distinct palettes."
iOS device support has been expanded with an iOS Quick-Launch feature on Keynotepro.com . It enables many of the most popular KeynotePro themes to be opened directly within Keynote for iOS without needing to first apply the theme on a Mac.
Brighton and District Standard Editions are available for immediate download for US$24.95 or in a bundle with two other Standard Edition themes for $64.95. Pro Editions contains both Standard and HD themes (800x600 & 1024x768(4:3) standard versions, 1920x1080 and 1280x720(16:9) & 1680x1050(16:10) HD Versions), and are available for $34.95, or in a bundle with 2 other Pro Edition themes for $89.85. Brighton and...
Awem launches Golden Trails 3: The Guardian’s Creed for Mac
Awem has released Golden Trails 3: The Guardian’s Creed for Mac. It's a hidden object game with the Templar setting that continues the Golden Trails series
Here's how the game is described: "What can the walls tell you? 18th century France still keeps the secrets of the Order of Knights Templar. Search for the truth together with brave Jacque in this hidden object game full of unexpected twists.
"Jacque regains consciousness in a tavern to find a strange seal on his shoulder. Who marked him and why? Join Jacque in his daring and full of dangers adventure as he tries to solve this riddle. Scour numerous locations, travel Europe from Paris to Vatican, explore ancient writings of the monks in search of the truth. Intriguing storyline, awe-inspiring mysteries of the Knights Templar, and tons of engaging puzzles await. Risk to start your adventure in this hidden object puzzle game Golden Trails 3: The Guardian's Creed!"
Golden Trails 3: The Guardian's Creed is available on the developer...
iDraw 2.3 adds Photoshop import/export
Indeeo has released iDraw 2.3 (www.indeeo.com/idraw/), an update to the Mac graphic design and illustration application. The new version features the ability to import layered Adobe Photoshop PSD files, preserving vector paths and layer style effects as editable objects.
The update also adds ColorSync color management, smart image masking, and a variety of new vector editing and dimensioning tools. Plus, it's been optimized for faster performance with a new OpenGL-based drawing engine.
iDraw 2.3 is available for purchase at the Mac App Store (http://tinyurl.com/pckr9e5) for US$24.99. Version 2.3 is a free update for existing users who purchased previous versions of iDraw on the Mac App Store.
Jumsoft updates its Toolbox for iWork collection
Jumsoft (www.jumsoft.com) has rolled out the first batch of fresh designs for its new Toolbox for iWork collection. The update consists of eight new themes of data visualization elements and 10 sets of badges, as well as extra slide sizes in the Layouts for Keynote designs.
The editable designs are designed for illustrating presentations, websites, text documents, and various other types of content. Toolbox for iWork incorporates 13 sets of templates and illustrations for Pages, Keynote, and Numbers
It requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later, Keynote 5.0 or later, Pages 4.0 or later, and Numbers 2.0 or later. Toolbox for iWork costs US$49.99 and can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/l4yxxew .
An update on Apple's ongoing legal battles ...
As noted by "Seeking Alpha" (www.seekingalpha.com), the International Trade Commission has declared (http://tinyurl.com/mdn7gsr) that several older Samsung phones (estimated to make up less than 1% of the company's phone sales) infringe on two Apple (AAPL) patents covering swipe gestures and headset detection circuitry. Samsung was cleared of infringing two other patents.
A federal appeals court ruling on an Apple request to ban over two dozen Samsung phones (generally older models) remains pending (http://tinyurl.com/ko82b7w). Separately, an NY judge has denied Apple's request (http://tinyurl.com/mghd5al) to temporarily suspend a July ruling in which the company declared guilty of conspiring with publishers to fix e-book prices.
Judge turns down Apple's request to suspend e-book ruling
A New York district court judge has denied Apple's request to suspend a ruling that found the company guilty of e-book price fixing while it seeks an appeal, reports "AppleInsider" (http://tinyurl.com/ltbwg7k).
Presiding Judge Denise Cote refused Apple's request to temporarily stay her decision, which would have given the company time to seek an appeal of the penalties laid out by the U.S. Department of Justice. In July, she found Apple guilty of colluding with HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group and Macmillan to fix the price of e-books sold through the iBookstore. The antitrust suit was leveled by the Justice Department, which focused on the company's "agency model" agreements that allow publishers to set their own e-book prices under most favored nations clauses.
Aerohive - Developer Interview
Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special free MacTech on iPad issues for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin and Bill Hoppin of Aerohive. Bill was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on Apple's announcements, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
Jumsoft updates its Toolbox for iWork collection
Jumsoft (www.jumsoft.com) has rolled out the first batch of fresh designs for its new Toolbox for iWork collection. The update consists of eight new themes of data visualization elements and 10 sets of badges, as well as extra slide sizes in the Layouts for Keynote designs.
The editable designs are designed for illustrating presentations, websites, text documents, and various other types of content. Toolbox for iWork incorporates 13 sets of templates and illustrations for Pages, Keynote, and Numbers
It requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later, Keynote 5.0 or later, Pages 4.0 or later, and Numbers 2.0 or later. Toolbox for iWork costs US$49.99 and can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/l4yxxew .
Apple facing a long day in court ....
Today's a big day for Apple as the company heads for the courtroom in three separate cases, two pertaining to its ongoing patent fight against Samsung and another regarding the U.S. Justice Department's e-books antitrust suit, as noted by "AppleInsider" (http://tinyurl.com/lz97zeh).
Another hearing is with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where both parties will argue what actions, if any, should be taken as a result of 2012's "Apple v. Samsung" jury trial.
One hearing involves the U.S. International Trade Commission, which is expected to yield a final ruling that could see the sales ban of certain Samsung devices alleged to have infringed on four Apple patents.
Finally, Apple is scheduled to meet with the U.S. Department of Justice to discuss the repercussions for being found guilty of colluding with HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group and Macmillan to fix the price of e-books in the iBookstore.
Apple's Board of Directors concerned about Apple's...
Apple's Board of Directors has expressed concern about the company's "pace of innovation" according to a report (http://tinyurl.com/mtwjwjf) from Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino, as noted by "MacRumors" (www.macrumors.com).
This is what Gasparino says in the video interview: "From what we understand, there is concern at the board level, sources are telling the Fox Business Network, about the pace of innovation over at Apple. What have they had lately? They had the iPad and a few other things, but they don't have anything innovating from what came from Steve Jobs and that concern is basically manifesting into pressure on Tim Cook to innovate, and to do something fast.
We should point out, this is an interesting boardroom drama. It does not mean that Tim Cook is out of a job or that there is a job search out there, we don't know that and I don't believe that is happening. In fact, sources inside Apple are saying that's not the case.
What we are able to confirm is that the...
SCSC releases Performance Probe for Mac OS X
Software and Computer System Company (SCSC) has released Performance Probe for Mac OS X. It's an operating system tool that allows a user to monitor the current effective loading of their systems.
There are three indicators on the application that correspond to I/O, memory, and CPU effectiveness. The displays show, for all practical purposes, the effective computing power that a user may have at a given instant.
Performance Probe will be included in all releases of Scannerz with FSE or FSE-Lite at no cost, and can also be purchased as a standalone product. The price for the standalone version of Performance Probe is US$7.95. For more info go to http://scsc-online.com .
Tekserve - Developer Interview
Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special free MacTech on iPad issues for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin and Aaron Freimark of Tekserve. Aaron was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on Apple's announcements, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
Apple is top smartphone manufacturer in the U.S.
comScore (www.comscore.com), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the "comScore MobiLens service," reporting key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry during the three month average period ending June 2013.
Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer with 40% OEM [original equipment manufacturer] market share, while Google Android led as the #1 smartphone platform with 52% platform market share.
Nearly 142 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (59% mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in June, up 4% since March. Apple ranked as the top OEM with 39.9% of U.S. smartphone subscribers (up 0.9 percentage points from March). Samsung grew its share two percentage points with the release of its new Galaxy S4 model, ranking second with 23.7% market share. HTC ranked third with 8.5%, followed by Motorola with 7.2% and LG with 6.6%.
Android ranked as the top smartphone platform in June with 52% market share, followed by Apple with...
RESTfmTools from Goya now includes syncing
FileMaker developer tool specialist, Goya, has announced that they've extended their RESTfm product with a web based syncing framework.
RESTfm is a RESTful Web Service application for FileMaker Servers, allowing full access to FileMaker tables and scripts from other apps. The new RESTfmTools showcases all of this functionality by providing working code to build syncing from FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Go into your own solutions.
RESTfm supports XML, JSON, FMPXML, html, text and a simple FileMaker format out of the box, and is extensible via XSLT to any other format. Plus, it does full CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) as well as a FileMaker Perform Script option.
RESTfmSync is part of the RESTfmTools package, included with every licence of RESTfm since 2.1.0. All of the code is included and unlocked for developers to extend on their own. As well as RESTfmSync, there is also web form POST functionality, PayPal IPN payment processing and FastSpring product validation.
RESTfm is...
Final Cut Pro X Luminaire Lighting Effects released by FxFactory
Noise Industries has introduced Luminaire by SUGARfx, available now in FxFactory.
Luminaire is a set of six matte-controllable and completely customizable lighting effect plugins, developed exclusively for Apple's Final Cut Pro X. Editors can simply drag and drop the desired Luminaire filter onto a video clip and customize effects for a unique look. Offering a wide variety of easy to understand parameters and the interactive On Screen Controls, Luminaire makes adding special lighting effects simple, according to the folks at Noise Industries.
SUGARfx Luminaire is available now through FxFactory for US$29. For more info go to www.noiseindustries.com .
Hewlett Packard - Developer Interview
Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special free MacTech on iPad issues for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin and Rick Spillers of Hewlett Packard. Rick was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on Apple's announcements, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
PCI Geomatics, IAVO-RS release 3D FeatureXtract
PCI Geomatics, a developer of remote sensing and photogrammetric software and systems, has teamed up with IAVO for the release of 3D FeatureXtract (3DFE).
By calculating feature heights and outlines of overlapping satellite or aerial imagery, 3DFE can model 3D features in a 2D environment, and it does this without any need for specialized hardware. The software was developed by scientists at IAVO, a research and development company based in Durham, North Carolina.
"3D FeatureXtract will allow customers to easily derive building footprints, a key requirement for producing true ortho image products from satellite or aerial imagery," says Peter Hazlett, desktop product manager at PCI Geomatics. "3DFE is easy to use and requires no special hardware -- anyone with basic computer skills can learn how to model in 3DFE in a matter of minutes."
PCI Geomatics is the global distributor for the software, with additional distribution through its international reseller network. To find out more,...
