Softobe (www.softobe.com) has unveiled FoldersSynchronizer 4.3, an update to their tool to sync and backup on OS X. It lets you sync and backup files, folders, disks and boot disks. It grants several options like Timers, Multiple Folders, Filters, Exclude Items, Auto-Mount Volumes, AppleScripts, Conflicts Management, File Copy Preview, execute an incremental or an exact copy, include locked files, log files and more. With FoldersSynchronizer 4.3, you can now properly register the product entering your Serial Number and Email. Once registered you don't longer need the RegistrationFile.txt used in the previous versions. It adds the "Swap Source and Destination folders" button to the Console panel. It works for Single BackUp tasks only. This version is compatible with OS X 10.9 or higher. FoldersSynchronizer 4.3 costs $40 for a single user license.

Apple has struck a deal to power all of its Singapore operations with renewable energy, reports Reuters (http://tinyurl.com/o926259). It will be the first company in the city to run exclusively on renewable energy. Starting in January, solar energy developer Sunseap Group will provide Apple with 100 percent renewable electricity from its portfolio of solar energy systems built atop more than 800 buildings in Singapore. The Apple partnership will also give Sunseap financing to complete the solar project, Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, told Reuters.

Zevrix Solutions has announced Output Factory 1.5.40, a maintenance update to its output automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Output Factory lets users print and export multiple InDesign files with an array of time-saving options. The software offers batch processing, export as single pages, variable file names, layer versioning and more. The new version improves batch processing reliability in situations where large volume of InDesign files or layers are being exported to PDF and other formats. Output Factory can be purchased from the Zevrix website (www.zevrix.com) for US$169.95. A “lite” version is $120, and the server version is $300). A demo is available for download. BatchOutput users can upgrade to Output Factory for $85. Output Factory requires Mac OS X 10.6-10.11 and Adobe InDesign CS3-CC 2015.

IK Multimedia is shipping iRig Acoustic (www.irigacoustic.com), an US49.99 guitar mobile microphone/interface specifically made for acoustic guitars. Inspired by a documentary on flamenco guitar master Paco de Lucia, it’s a compact, patent-pending clip-on acoustic guitar microphone/interface for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Android devices. iRig Acoustic features miniature microphone technology. It simply clips onto the rim of a guitar or ukulele's sound hole. iRig Acoustic also features monitoring and line-output capabilities for recording and performing live. iRig Acoustic is designed to work with the new AmpliTube Acoustic app (available at the Apple App Store), which features a setup and calibration process that optimizes iRig Acoustic to match the response of the miked acoustic guitar. iRig Acoustic is then able to capture and reproduce the true sonic character of the selected guitar with sound comparable to a properly placed, large-condenser studio microphone. Users create...

Houdah Software (www.houdah.com) has announced HoudahSpot 4.1, an update to the file search utility for OS X. The tool builds upon Spotlight and adds a criteria editor, customizable results display, search templates, preview of text matches and more. HoudahSpot 4.1 brings new features and a French localization. HoudahSpot is now availble in English, German and French language versions. Houdah Spot requires OS X Yosemite or El Capitan. It costs US$29 for a single-user license. A demo is available for download. A family license is available for $44. Upgrades are priced $17 and $26, respectively. HoudahSpot licenses purchased on or after Nov. 1, 2014, are valid for both HoudahSpot 3.x and 4.x versions.

Waves Audio, a provider of digital signal processing solutions, is now shipping the Waves Greg Wells VoiceCentric plugin, part of the Waves Signature Series. It’s the first in a line of Greg Wells Signature Series plugins, created in collaboration with multiple GRAMMY-nominated producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer Greg Wells. Greg Wells VoiceCentric is a plugin featuring one main control and three additional controls for Wells' customized Delay, Doubler and Reverb settings. The plugin gives you quick access to Greg Wells’ sonic signature. It normally costs US$149, but is on sale for $99 for a limited time. Go to www.waves.com/plugins/greg-wells-voicecentric for more info.

Nexmo has announced the availability of the Verify SDK for iOS Android and JavaScript operating systems and programming languages. It allows developers to add phone verification with a single line of code for password replacement, 2-factor authentication, or user and transaction verification to their applications. Verify SDK is a white-labeled SDK that allows developers to manage user identities across multiple devices and platforms without building a complex user management backend. Complimenting Verify API, Verify SDK adds a new level of security by tying phone numbers to unique device IDs, and introduces a subscription model, complementing the unique pay-per-conversion billing method. With one line of code, Verify SDK delivers user verification and authentication out of the box and saves development and design resources. Verify SDK offers the UX framework for verification right from the UI to collect a user’s phone number, the UI displayed when a user receives a code, and the UI...

Zevrix Solutions has announced Deliver Express 2.5.3, a compatibility update to its automated solution to send and share files across the Internet and local networks. Deliver Express processes files automatically from watched hot folders and can serve multiple users on a network with a single copy of the program. The software offers email notifications, file compression, detailed history and more. The new version makes Deliver Express compatible with Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Deliver Express can be purchased from the Zevrix website (www.zevrix.com)The license prices are based on the maximum number of allowed destinations and range from US$29.95 to $299.95. The update is free for licensed customers. A demo is a

NewerTech has announced the NewerTech HDMI Headless Video Accelerator, a simple adapter that plugs into the Mac mini’s HDMI display port to make display-free “headless” Mac minis used as storage and media servers think that there’s a display attached. Using the adapter, video drivers are loaded and the GPU (graphics processing unit) is fully activated for 100% full video performance with no more choppy images or mouse lags, according to the folks at NewerTech. Plugging the NewerTech HDMI Headless Video Accelerator into the HDMI port of your mini activates its GPU, even without a display, emulating resolution displays up to 1080p, so your remote interface works exactly how you'd expect. The NewerTech HDMI Headless Video Accelerator is available for US$19.50 through Other World Computing (http://tinyurl.com/po9mxlk) and major retailers.

The Alchemist Guild has announced TaskCard 2 for Mac OS X. It’s an update of the app for writing outlines, taking notes, to-do lists and organizing projects. Version 2.0 offers full support for sticky notes, integration with Mac events, simple bullet lists with row numbering and tabbed cards and more. According to the Alchemists, the new version was designed from the ground up to be a totally unique experience on the Mac while taking full advantage of the latest features OS X. TaskCard 2 requires Mac OS X Yosemite or El Capitan. A demo is available for download; registration is US$15.

IK Multimedia has announced Miroslav Philharmonik (www.philharmonik.com), its expressive orchestral collection for Mac OS X and Windows. Made in conjunction with master musician Miroslav Vitous, it comes with over 1,000 new sounds that include strings, woodwinds and brass in both solo and ensemble forms. In total, Miroslav Philharmonik offers a 55GB-plus content library with over 2,500 instruments sampled in high-resolution audio with multiple articulations plus over 30 professional quality effects, three playback engines, a synthesizer section, a built-in mixer and more. Miroslav Philharmonik 2 can be purchased as a direct digital download from the IK store or select music retailers worldwide, or as a boxed version with a USB flash drive.  Current owners of Miroslav Philharmonik can pre-order the upgrade for $199.99 for direct download or $229.99 for a boxed copy.  Users with qualifying IK software can get pre-order crossgrade for $299.99 for a direct download or $329.99 for a boxed...

Apple has announced that the iPad Pro will be available to order online Wednesday, Nov. 11, from Apple.com and will arrive at Apple’s retail stores, select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers starting later this week. The Apple Pencil and Apple’s new Smart Keyboard, will also be available to order. “The early response to iPad Pro from app developers and our customers has been incredible, and we’re excited to get iPad Pro into the hands of customers around the world this week,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said in a press release. “iPad Pro is the most powerful iPad we’ve ever made, giving users the ability to be even more creative and more productive with the epic 12.9-inch Retina display, powerful 64-bit A9X chip and groundbreaking Apple Pencil and new Smart Keyboard. We can’t wait to see what they do with iPad Pro.” The iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and $1,079 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB model and comes in...

FileMaker solutions provider, 24U Software (http://www.24usoftware.com/), has announced 24U Toolbox Plug-In 2.0, an update to their data processing extension for FileMaker Pro 13. 2 4U Toolbox Plug-In is designed to help FileMaker developers in their daily work by providing a toolbox of the most commonly needed simple but powerful functions. Version 2.0 brings full 64-bit support for FileMaker Pro with improved stability on server, as well as a better registration interface. 24U Toolbox Plug-In is available as shareware. User can install it and try it out for 14 days for free. After this period, 24U Toolbox Plug-In can stop working and require a registration code. Licenses for 24U Toolbox Plug-In start at US$49 per user and $499 per server. Existing customers can upgrade to the new version at 50 percent off the regular price if placing order within 14 days upon release, and 30 percent off if buying later. Customers who have bought 24U Toolbox Plug-In within the last 30 days before...

Walgreens Balance Rewards members can now use their account through Apple Pay without separately scanning a Balance Rewards card or barcode. More than 85 million active Balance Rewards members will have the ability to earn and redeem loyalty points via Apple Pay, the easy, secure and private way to pay, says Sona Chawla, president of digital and chief marketing officer for Walgreens. Users can simply add the Balance Rewards digital card to the Wallet app in iOS 9 and use it at checkout with Apple Pay. Members hold their iPhone near the contactless reader with a finger on Touch ID and the appropriate rewards information will be sent. With they Apple Watch, you can just double-click the side button, select your Balance Rewards card, and hold the face of Apple Watch up to the reader. Apple Pay works with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and Apple Watch.

SoftRAID has released SoftRAID Lite, a software RAID utility powered by the SoftRAID 5 engine. SoftRAID Lite replaces Apple RAID, which is no longer supported in Mac OS X El Capitan. It’s designed to make it easy for Mac users to create and manage software RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays. RAID functionality was removed from Disk Utility in El Capitan, leaving a gap in functionality for users that want to take advantage of RAID to improve system reliability and performance. SoftRAID Lite restores software mirroring (RAID 1) and striping (RAID 0) to the Mac, while adding the advanced features and disk health monitoring of the SoftRAID engine. SoftRAID Lite volumes are bootable and can be used on any Mac running OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or later. SoftRAID Lite has nearly all the features of the professional version of SoftRAID, except for RAID 4, RAID 5, RAID 1+0 support, Email Notification, and the command line interface. SoftRAID has also introduced the SoftRAID forum, an online knowledge...

Graphic Node (http://graphicnode.com) has released Bundle for iWork 4.0 for OS X, a revamped application previously marketed as Set for iWork. Bundle for iWork packs over 2,000 unique designs for Pages documents, 270 spreadsheet templates for Numbers, 116 slideshow themes for Keynote, and 1,170 images for illustrating users' content. Beside the new name, this version will feature over 400 previously unreleased designs, and full support for OS X El Capitan. There’s also a price drop from $49.99 to $39.99. After the latest update, Bundle for iWork carries a selection of designs: over 2,000 unique designs for Pages documents, 270 spreadsheet templates for Numbers, 116 slideshow themes for Keynote, and 1,170 images for illustrating users' content. They cover everything from brochures and business cards to vacation planners to photos and 3D objects. All templates are available in the US and international paper sizes. "This is our key product for iWork, so we pay special attention to...

The app economy is maturing, opening up opportunities for a growing middle-class of app developers and companies to make it big. This is the key finding of The Millionaires Index, a research “snapshot” released as the first phase of a new research program spearheaded by Pollen VC (https://pollen.vc/#/), a FinTech company giving developers quicker access to their app store revenues, together with Priori Data (www.prioridata.com), a data-driven mobile app store intelligence company. The Index reveals that a total of 1,887 app developers and companies have already generated $1 million in revenues from a mix of app purchases and in-app purchases in the last 12 months. The research draws on recent app store data and a review of “ranked”' apps, defined as apps that have been listed among the top grossing apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play to track growth in the number of Long Tail app developers and map their monthly revenues. Key findings include:   °  Games continue to be the...

Dozens of U.S. enterprises are still using Apple mobile apps seeded with malware for a clever hacking scheme revealed last month known as XcodeGhost. The computer security firm FireEye said it detected that 210 enterprises that are still using infected apps, showing that the XcodeGhost malware "is a persistent security risk," according to computerworld.com. Last month, more than 4,000 applications were found to have been modified with a counterfeit version of Xcode, an application development tool from Apple. The malicious version, dubbed XcodeGhost, adds hidden code to apps, which can collect identifying information about a device or even open URLs. In October Apple issued a statement in response to the XcodeGhost, saying that it has removed all infected apps it is aware of from the App Store and is working with developers to ensure they are using a legitimate version of Xcode. "We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software,"...

Static Z Software (http://staticz.com) has announced Sound Siphon 2.0.2, an update to their audio capture application for Mac OS X. The $39 app makes your Mac's audio output available as an audio input device. Version 2.0.2 sports a public API (application programming interface) for third party developers, enabling them to access Sound Siphon's application audio capture abilities. Now a developer can add the ability to record application audio to their own Mac app. A demo is available for download.

Apple has made available betas of Mac OS X 10.11.2, iOS 9.2, and tvOS 9.1 to developers. tvOS is only compatible with the new fourth-generation Apple TV with Siri Remote. (By the way, Apple is again warning that devices running iOS 9.2 can’t be restored to earlier versions of iOS.) The new betas are available through the Software Update section of the Mac App Store and through the Apple Developer Center (https://developer.apple.com).

Boris FX has announced Boris Continuum Complete 10, brand new plug-in tools designed for Avid Media Composer, Symphony and NewsCutter. New features include integrated mocha technology for planar motion tracking and masking, BCC Beauty Studio, a skin smoothing and retouching plug-in and BCC Title Studio, Boris FX's next generation 3D titling and motion graphics tool. It includes new filters, new transitions, and a new subscription/rental option. "BCC 10 builds on our company history of developing advanced and accelerated 3D titling, effects, and finishing tools," explains Boris Yamnitsky, president and founder of Boris FX. "The addition of Title Studio, Beauty Studio, mocha, new filters, and new transitions makes this our largest release to date and we are excited about early customer response. Beta testers from the Avid editing community have given us excellent feedback and we next look forward to delivering BCC 10 for Adobe, Apple, Resolve, and more hosts very soon." BCC 10 for...

Flexera Software (http://www.flexerasoftware.com/) — a provider of next-generation software licensing, compliance, security and installation solutions for application producers and enterprises — announced the latest release of its universal enterprise app store, App Portal. The new release provides support for the growing number of enterprises who want to deliver cloud apps to their employees, support Mac environments, and track time and cost savings associated with implementing a self-service enterprise app store, according to Maureen Polte, vice president of Product Management for Flexera Software. He adds that it’s the only universal enterprise app store that also delivers back-end governance, like software license management, approvals and workflow, which can be implemented stand-alone or within an organization’s IT Service Management system such as ServiceNow or BMC Remedy. App Portal now offers self-service provisioning of Salesforce.com, Microsoft Office 365, Box, and other...

Apple, Amazon, Google, PayPal and Intuit have formed Financial Innovation Now (www.financialinnovationnow.org), a financial services lobby a coalition “that will promote policies to help foster greater innovation in financial services.” “Innovation is coming to financial services, and now is the time for Washington to help enable a modern financial system that is more accessible, affordable, and secure,” Brian Peters, executive director of Financial Innovation Now, said in a press release “This alliance of remarkably innovative companies brings a new voice to Washington’s financial conversations, and we look forward to engaging on a wide range of opportunities. Whether it is protecting consumers, growing small businesses, or promoting financial literacy and savings, Financial Innovation Now wants policymakers to understand how new technologies can help solve today’s policy challenges.” The organization and its member companies believe that financial innovation will empower consumers...

Zevrix Solutions has announced ArtOptimizer 2.7.8, a compatibility update to its workflow automation solution for Adobe Illustrator. ArtOptimizer allows users to reduce the size of Illustrator links and speed up processing by automatically eliminating excess image data and performing essential image adjustments. The software lets users save gigabytes of disk space, accelerate file output and cut costs through faster processing. The new version makes ArtOptimizer compatible with Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. ArtOptimizer can be purchased from Zevrix website (www.website.com) for US$119.95, as well as from authorized resellers. A demo is available for download. ArtOptimizer requires Mac OS X 10.5-10.11 and Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop CS3-CC 2015.