Realmac Software has released the Clear App for Mac. It requires Mac OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion or higher. It's a "list and to-do app." Clear App has the ability to store your lists in iCloud which allows you to manage your lists on both iOS and OS X. It also sports a gesturally-driven way to switch lists, and pasting of multiple tasks into a list. Clear for Mac is available exclusively on the Mac App Store. It's available for US$6.99 for a limited time. To download and purchase go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear/id504544917?ls=1&mt=12 .

LaCie (www.lacie.com) has announced the PetitieKey, the next generation of the iamaKey. It's available in 8GB, 15GB and 32GB models with pricing starting at US$14.95. The LaCie PetiteKey keeps the design and key shape with keychain hole. However, it's nearly 30% smaller to more easily fit in a pocket or on a key ring. With Private-Public software and Wuala Secure Cloud Storage, users can password protect and back up their data. The USB key’s metal shell is waterproof up to 100 meters. The thumb drive protects data even if it’s dropped in a mud puddle or put through the washing machine, according to the folks at LaCie. Plus, the key’s cap-free connector is scratch-proof, so it won’t get scuffed by other keys in a pocket, purse or backpack.

DC Entertainment says its entire line of periodical comic books are now available for download from the top three e-bookstores including the Apple iBookstore, Kindle Store and NOOK Store. "We were the first to offer our entire comic book line same-day digital and now we are the first to offer fans the convenience of multiple download options," says Jim Lee, co-publisher, DC Entertainment. "As e-readers and tablets continue to explode in popularity it’s important for us to offer consumers convenience and choice in how they download digital comics and graphic novels and these new distribution deals with the top three e-bookstores do just that." In addition to now being available for direct download through the top three e-bookstores, DC Entertainment will continue to deliver periodical comics online at www.readdcentertainment.com, through the DC Comics and Vertigo apps, and all comiXology platforms.

Sonoma says its US$199 GuitarJack Model 2 audio interface for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is compatible with Apple's new iOS devices using the Lightning to 30-pin adapter cable. GuitarJack connects a range of instruments, microphones, and other audio hardware to iOS devices via 1/4-inch instrument and 1/8-inch stereo mic/line inputs and an 1/8-inch stereo/line output. It boasts input level control with 60 dB of gain plus 12 dB pad for 72 dB of adjustment, configurable Lo-Z and Hi-Z modes, and more. GuitarJack Model 2 works with Sonoma's iOS apps, which are compatible with iOS 6, as well as third party apps like GarageBand. GuitarJack Model 2 costs US$. For more info go to www.sonomawireworks.com/guitarjack/guide/#devices .

Binary Formations and LittleFin, makers of competing home inventory management applications for the Mac, are joining together to raise money in support of the relief effort for those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. For 24 hours on Friday, Nov. 9, both companies will offer their respective applications, Home Inventory (top photo) and Compartments (bottom photo), at a discounted price of $7.99 (47% off). All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the American Red Cross. Compartments is available at the Mac App Store and from the LittleFin Software website (http://littlefin.com/compartments.html). Home Inventory is available in the Mac App Store and from the Binary Formations website (http://machomeinventory.com/).

About Objects has added a new, five-day Intermediate iOS Development course to its public training schedule. The course will cover topics of interest to iOS developers who already have hands-on experience on the platform. The new course will be offered at About Objects headquarters in Reston, Virginia, beginning in January 2013. In addition, several private, onsite deliveries have already been scheduled in December and January. Pricing for public training has been set at US$3,250 per attendee, which covers tuition as well as extensive, take-home course materials. Information and pricing for onsite delivery is available on request. For details to go www.aboutobjects.com .

AppyFridays is launching our first bundle today with six Mac apps, including MacCleanse, Musictube, Hider and Tunes Cleaner. All apps together would cost around US$90, if purchasing from the Mac App Store. AppyFridays is offering them for free until Nov. 19. For more info go to www.appyfridays.com/new .

AT&T says it will enable FaceTime over Cellular at no extra charge for iOS 6 customers with an LTE device on any tiered data plan.  AT&T will also continue to offer FaceTime over Cellular to customers with any AT&T Mobile Share plan, as well as FaceTime over Wi-Fi, which has always been available for all customers.  AT&T expects to roll out this functionality to customers over the next eight to ten weeks.    As part of its commitment to serving customers with disabilities, AT&T is also making FaceTime over Cellular available to deaf and hard of hearing customers who qualify for special text and data-only packages. For more info go to www.att.com .

The iPad makes up 54.5%of mobile web traffic on websites using the OnSwipe (www.onswipe.com) site optimization service compared to 19.05% of web traffic coming from the iPhone and 26.45% coming from other mobile devices. OnSwipe's data comes from more than 1,200 websites using its service with a sample of more than 29.5 million unique visitors. The company "makes it insanely easy for a publisher of any size to make their existing content a beautiful app-like experience in the browser."

In a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com) -- Sterne Agee analyst -- says manufacturing of the iPhone 5 is revving up and Apple should sell 46.5 million total smartphone units in the December quarter. That would be a big quarter-over-quarter increase from the 26.9 million iPhone units Apple shipped in the preceding September quarter. We says the supply chain bottleneck for the iPhone 5 has since moved from components to the assembly of the device itself.

Another day, another lawsuit. Delaware VirnetX and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) have jointly filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, reports "Patently Apple" (http://macte.ch/UJDIj). The plaintiffs claim that most of Apple's mobile devices such as the iPhone that connect to Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion supporting the VPN On-Demand functionality infringe on four of their patents, the article adds. Their complaint says that "at least Apple's servers and other Apple computers that support the VPN On Demand functionality, when configured and operating in a system as specified by Apple."

According to Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytic.com), Samsung’s Galaxy S II was the most widely available smartphone in the first half of 2012. Samsung pipped Apple to the top spot with the Galaxy S II i9100 (16GB), closely followed by Apple’s iPhone 4S 16GB, says the research group. The Galaxy SII is available from every network operator and retail channel analyzed by the Strategy Analytics. The key finds of the report include: ° Samsung’s Galaxy S II i9100 (16GB) shows universal availability (only absent from the iStore shelves); the Apple iPhone 4S 16GB comes in a close second. ° Nokia’s Lumia 800 gained traction early in its lifecycle being available through 77% of global channels just months after launch; beating Samsung’s heavily publicized Galaxy S III i9300 16GB launched in Q2 2012. ° HTC’s One X quad-core device (launched at MWC in February 2012) came in 12th place showing across two-thirds of shelves. ° The HTC Wildfire S and RIM Blackberry Curve 2 8520 entry level...

Edifier has introduced the e10 Exclaim, an active bi-amped 2.0 speaker system designed to complement a computer system, television or mobile device, Thanks to full integral DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and DRC (Dynamic Range Compensation), Exclaim delivers superb tonal balance regardless of volume setting, and keeps any possible distortion at an absolute minimum, according to the folks at Edifier. Each speaker is driven by its own internal amplifier, combining for 36 watts RMS of power to drive a total of six internal active speakers. In addition, two passive radiators are utilized in the midrange/tweeter housings to raise efficiency and dynamic range. Plus, the addition of 2 supplementary passive radiators is used to augment deep bass and performance from the woofers. You can connect an audio device using the 3.5mm auxiliary cable (included). Built-in volume and power/standby controls are located on the side of the master speaker unit. Edifier’s Exclaim is currently available...

MapiCases has announced 12 new styles of protective cases for the iPhone 5, including premium leather snap-on, belt holster, wallet, pouch and ultra slim models. The lineup consists of 12 new cases and one combo set: ° Ainos Wallet Flip Case: The Ainos wallet case (top photo) flips open to reveal an edgeless cover that allows complete access to the screen. Three cardholder slots on back of the case store ID, cash, keys or cards. The flip feature allows for both protection and complete access while your device is still secure inside the case.   ° Alinda Leather Belt Case: The Alinda belt case is a holster style cover with a leather bound belt clip that rotates 360 degrees so users may orient the device at any angle. Magnets flap forward to secure the iPhone inside the soft, lined case. ° Fits Slim and Soft Leather Pouch: The Fits is a leather pouch style case with a slim design that hugs tight to the iPhone 5 with y access at any time. The leather pouch is lined with soft material to...

xDev has announced the iXtreme (www.ixtreme.com) via the crowd-funding site Kickstarter at over 50% discount to retail. iXtreme is an adventure and gaming case for the iPhone 4 and 5. The specialized case features: a tough composite outer shell; a shock-isolating inner liner; water- and dust-resistant sound portals; an integrated three-point mounting system with one-finger release; an 180° three-element wide-angle lens and lens guard; and a viewing kickstand. The inner liner can be used as a daily-use case when the mounting features of the outer shell aren't required. The liner is also designed to hold the lens independent of the shell. The company says it's testing additional lenses. The iXtreme allows the use of the phone features while in the case, including the headphone jack. The case allows an iPhone owner to use their phone as a mountable point of view (POV) camera. It also simulates the feeling of a traditional camcorder and serves as a gaming console steering wheel when using...

Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps: Apple has posted updated drivers for Lexmark and Canon printers. You can obtain them via the Software Updates component of the OS X Systems Preferences app. RAGE Software has rolled out SEIntelligence 2.7, an update of the search engine optimization (SEO) software. The software compares any website with the current top ranking websites in all major search engines. Version 2.7 can now get many more back links for any website. It also adds support for HTML 5 based websites and adds support for retina based Macs. Claus Zimmermann has announced Heavy Rotation for iTunes 1.1 (http://heavyrotation-app.com), a new version of his OS X app that offers a way to access all the tracks you're currently playing the most in iTunes. Version 1.1 is a maintenance update. DropDMG (http://c-command.com/dropdmg/), which lets you create and work with disk images, has been revved to version 3.2. Its user interface is now fully optimized for Macs with Retina...

Eddie Cue, Apple’s senior vice president Internet Software and Services, has joined Ferrari's board of directors. Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said Cue's "huge experience in the dynamic, innovative world of the Internet will be of great assistance to [the company]." "I am pleased and proud to become a member of the board. I have personally dreamed of owning a Ferrari since I was 8 years old and have been lucky to be an owner for the past 5 years. I continue to be awed by the world-class design and engineering that only Ferrari can do," says Cue, commenting on his nomination to the board.

Apple told a judge that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 device infringes its patents, and sought to add the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system to an existing lawsuit against Samsung in California, reports "Reuters" (http://macte.ch/gcsny). Apple made the arguments yesterday to U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal in federal court in San Jose, the article adds. Apple’s bid to expand the lawsuit follows Samsung’s Oct. 1 move to add patent infringement claims against the iPhone 5 in the same case. Apple won an US$1.05 billion jury verdict against Samsung on Aug. 24 in a separate patent case in the same court. This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied the slide-to-unlock technology of its iPhone and iPad devices.

Just days after the iPhone 5 went on sale in India, most retailers are already out of stock, reports "The Wall Street Journal" (http://macte.ch/X29Fn). "We were sold out within 24 hours of launch. It’s all gone," Himanshu Chakrawarti, chief executive of The MobileStore., a retailer that stocks iPhones and which has 900 outlets across India, told the publication. About 10,000-15,000 units were shipped to India for the first round of sales, according to the "WSJ." Overall, specialized distribution companies and mobile phone companies have together placed orders with the Cupertino, Calif. company to ship 100,000 iPhone 5 units to India to be sold in the first month, the article says, quoting unnamed analysts.

Google’s mobile maps product saw its market share in China decline by close to 50 percent in the third quarter due to Apple switching to its own maps product for its iOS 6 upgrade, according to a Beijing-based research firm -- as reported by the "IDG News Service" (http://macte.ch/9St40). At the end of the third quarter, the company’s market share fell to 9%, making it the sixth largest vendor in China’s mobile maps sector, according to Analysys International. It the previous quarter Google's market share was 17.5%. The dips is mainly due to the Apple Maps app introduced in iOS 6, according to Yi Jingxue, an analyst with Analysys International. With its introduction Apple ditched Google Maps.

Macs are great for beginners, because the basics are easy. The challenge comes when you want OS X to do things your way. For Mac users who want to travel beyond the basics, there's "Master Your Mac" (http://macte.ch/3OHWp) from No Starch Press. The 424-page, US$29.95 book by Matt Cone takes users to the next level with tutorials on how to change hidden defaults, enable undocumented features, repair disk permissions to improve performance, monitor their systems, and even create a bootable USB drive for emergencies. Readers will also learn how to: ° Automate tasks with AppleScript, triggers, and Automator macros; ° Handle massive amounts of email and media with synced accounts and spam filters; ° Turn their Macs into a file or Web server; ° Create Safari extensions and use site-specific browsers; ° Secure their Macs with firmware passwords, firewalls, FileVault full-disk encryption; ° Install the best apps to boost productivity and fix everyday annoyances. Cone, a freelance writer...

ASUSTOR has launched the new AS 6 Series, the first NAS that features System Sleep Mode (S3).  The new app-based NAS combines supercharged performance with low power consumption, according to the folks at ASUSTOR.. Intel technology also makes it possible for the devices to boast HDMI outputs that allows for the playing of HD video and multimedia directly to HDMI-ready displays.  All models in the series come preloaded with ASUSTOR Data Master (ADM), an operating system for storage devices. Additionally, the 6 Series also provides added functionality through ASUSTOR’s App Central, which offers a variety of apps.   Pricing on the AS 6 Series ranges from US500 to $1,050. For more info go to www.asustor.com .

EarMaster ApS has released version 6 of its ear training software, EarMaster Pro (www.earmaster.com). It costs US$59.95 and is compatible with Mac OS X (10.5 and higher) and Windows. Building upon the legacy of successful previous versions, the radically overhauled EarMaster Pro 6 has been designed for all musicians and singers at any level. It includes over 2000 new lessons available through two omplete courses:  a standard course (all styles) and a Jazz course (with swing rhythms and jazz chords). According to the folks at EarMaster ApS, the activities included in EarMaster Pro 6 enable trained but also untrained musicians to practice their abilities to identify by ear, transcribe, sight-read and play back intervals, chords, scales, rhythms and melodies. Most of the new features and improvements of EarMaster Pro 6 are user requests that the company received from various users from around the world. EarMaster Pro 6 has also been vastly reworked under the hood, packing a new sound...

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, which specializes in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, and the Open NAND Flash Interface Workgroup (ONFI) has announced the publication of JESD230 NAND Flash Interface Interoperability Standard (Package). This jointly developed document defines a standard for NAND flash device interface interoperability. JESD230 is available for free download from both www.jedec.org and www.onfi.org. JESD230 addresses signaling descriptions, packages, definitions, abbreviations and conventions, and is backwards compatible with existing technologies to the greatest degree possible, according to Amber Huffman, senior principal engineer, Intel Storage Technologies Group and chairperson for the ONFI Workgroup Board of Directors. The standard will help enable the design of interoperable systems that can support Asynchronous SDR, Synchronous DDR and Toggle DDR NAND flash devices, she adds.