G5 has released The Ghost Archives: Haunting of Shadey Valley for Mac OS X. It's available at the Mac App Store for US$4.99 through Feb. 28 and $6.99 afterwards. Here's how the game is described: "You're an employee of S.O.U.L., the agency that helps ghosts find eternal rest. In this mysterious thriller, you'll have to uncover the many secrets of Shady Valley and fulfill tasks that keep restless souls in this world. "Upon your arrival in an abandoned mining town you will be greeted by a large, hulking ghost named Norman Macabre,' who will not only care for your safety but also watch every step you take. As the story goes, the villagers who died here with unfinished business have become earthbound souls who cannot cross over. Allegedly, Norman died in an accidental house fire. He asks you to find his wife and beg her for forgiveness for a crime he committed in the past. "This won't be easy as many more people are involved into this spine-chilling story and desperately need your help...

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com), global smartphone operating profit reached US$21 billion in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2014. The Android operating system captured a record-low 11% global smartphone profit share during the quarter. In contrast, while Apple's iOS took a record-high 89% profit share. Global smartphone operating profit grew 31% annually from US$16.2 billion in Q4 2013 to US$21.2 billion in Q4 2014, notes the research group. "Apple iOS continues to tighten its grip on the smartphone industry," says Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics. "Apple's strategy of premium products and lean logistics is proving hugely profitable. Android's weak profitability for its hardware partners will worry Google. If major smartphone manufacturers, like Samsung or Huawei, cannot make decent profits from the Android ecosystem, they may be tempted in the future to look at alternative platforms such as Microsoft, Tizen or...

Movavi Photo Editor (http://www.movavi.com/photosuite), a photo editing toolkit for Mac OS X (10.6 and higher) and Windows, has been revved to version 2.0. The upgrade adds such new features as background removal, which lets users delete the existing background in a photograph and replace it with solid color fill or even a totally different image. Photos can also be saved with a transparent background in .png format. The user interface of Movavi Photo Editor has also been enhanced. All the tabs have been moved to the right-side of the application window so users can navigate all the main features - adjustment, rotation and straightening, crop, text, resize, object and background removal, and export. Using the text addition, users can enter a comment or caption in any size, font, or color above the edited photo. The text addition tab contains all the settings anyone might need: text rotation, opacity, alignment, text and outline color, font, etc., so it’s easy to add comments and...

Altium (www.altium.com) has announced the availability of a new C compiler for the Generic Timer Module (GTM-IP MCS) from the Robert Bosch GmbH. The GTM IP module forms a generic timer platform for complex applications in the automotive industry like power train, power steering, chassis and transmission control. To serve these different application domains, the GTM provides a wide range of timer functions like counters, multi-action capture/compare, PWM functions, duty-cycle measurement and many more. The GTM also features internal RISC-like programmable cores for data processing and complex output sequence generation. The IP is designed to run with minimal CPU interaction and to unload the CPU from handling interrupt service requests as much as possible. The first stable release of the C compiler for the GTM/MCS will be available in March. In the course of the year the new C compiler will be included in and fully integrated into new releases of TASKING’s automotive tool suites for...

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (www.morganstanley.com) says that, using their iPhone 6/6Plus, clients can add their Morgan Stanley Debit Card to Apple Pay to pay for purchases in stores or within apps. Once the Morgan Stanley Debit Card is securely added to Apple Pay, clients can hold their Apple smartphone near the contactless reader and, with the touch of a finger, the payment is made. When shopping within apps on their iOS device checking out can be as easy as selecting Apple Pay and placing a finger on Touch ID, says Eric Heaton, head of Morgan Stanley’s Private Banking Group. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management clients’ account security is a key priority for the firm. The Apple Pay feature, which doesn't share the actual debit card number with the merchants or transmit it with payments, supports that goal, Heaton says. Instead of using the Morgan Stanley Debit Card number, Apple Pay assigns a unique Device Account Number that is encrypted and stored in the secure element on the...

iOS and Android have inched closer to total domination of the worldwide smartphone market in both the fourth quarter (4Q14) and the calendar year 2014 (CY14). According to data from the IDC research group (www.idc.com), Android and iOS accounted for 96.3% of all smartphone shipments, up slightly from 95.6% in 4Q13 and from 93.8% in CY13. In terms of year-over-year shipment growth, Android outpaced the overall smartphone market for CY14 (32.0% vs 27.7%, respectively) while iOS beat the market in 4Q14 (46.1% vs 29.2%, respectively). "Many of the same drivers were in play for Android and iOS to tighten their grip on the market," says Ramon Llamas, research director with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "A combination of strong end-user demand, refreshed product portfolios, and the availability of low-cost devices – particularly for Android – drove volumes higher." What will bear close observation is how the two operating systems fare in 2015 and beyond, he adds. Meanwhile, Samsung experienced...

WaterField Designs today announces the new Padded Gear Pouch. Available in waxed canvas or ballistic nylon with vegetable-tanned, premium leather accents, this accessory pouch protects and organizes with padded pockets, self-locking zippers and water-resistant textiles. The Padded Gear Pouch features one main compartment with several padded pockets and one front pocket with two organizational mesh pockets inside. Each compartment closes with self-locking zippers. Both the tan waxed canvas and the black ballistic nylon color choices offer water resistance. According to the folks at WaterField, the Padded Gear Pouch is useful for: ° Tech professionals: iPad mini in large padded pocket, portable mouse and hard-drive in smaller padded pockets, headphones and wallet in main compartment. Front pockets for keys and additional cables. ° Travelers: eyeglasses in large padded pocket, phone, medications and headphones in smaller padded pockets, passport, wallet and boarding pass in main...

Zevrix Solutions (www.zevrix.com) has released Output Factory 1.5.18, a maintenance update to its output automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Output Factory automates printing, exporting and post-processing from InDesign and offers batch processing, export as single pages, variable file names, layer versioning, preflighting, output history and more. The new version addresses an issue in which a bug in InDesign installation could result in incorrect output results. Output Factory can be purchased from the Zevrix website for US$169.95. There's a "lite" version for $120 and a server version for $700. A demo is available for download. BatchOutput users can upgrade to Output Factory for $84.97. Output Factory requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and Adobe InDesign CS3-CC 2014.

Klevr Furniture has announces their Storage-Top Desk for Mac, a functional design built specifically for iMacs and MacBooks. Each desk is made to order and conveniently stows away cables, power adaptors, and additional clutter. Table-top notches are strategically placed for MacBook and iMac connectors, and movable panels allow easy access to storage. It's designed to offer plenty of work space for a Mac user and provide storage underneath for printers and accessories. The desktop has three movable panels, each containing portholes for various devices. The center panel contains a central notch for the iMac's rear plugs, while the two other panels offer notches that line up with the ports on the sides of MacBooks. Additional front and back notches are available for supplementary devices and wires; plus they double as finger-grooves for easy removal of panels. Panels glide on felt-lined rails and hang aside the desk when accessing the storage compartment. The two side panels are 12...

Apple has announced a €1.7 billion plan to build and operate two data centers in Europe, each powered by 100% renewable energy. The facilities, located in County Galway, Ireland, and Denmark’s central Jutland, will power Apple’s online services including the iTunes Store, App Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri for customers across Europe. "We are grateful for Apple’s continued success in Europe and proud that our investment supports communities across the continent," said CEO Tim Cook in a press release. "This significant new investment represents Apple’s biggest project in Europe to date. We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations, creating hundreds of local jobs and introducing some of our most advanced green building designs yet." Apple supports nearly 672,000 European jobs, including 530,000 jobs directly related to the development of iOS apps. Since the App Store’s debut in 2008, developers across Europe have earned more than €6.6 billion through the worldwide sale of apps. Apple...

DEVONtechnologies (http://www.devontechnologies.com) has updated all editions of its Internet search and research tool DEVONagent to verson 3.9. DEVONagent is a research assistant equipped with artificial intelligence. It searches multiple sources for relevant results, and gives you power tools for your research. The new version cleans up the user interface, comes with an improved see-also algorithm, is faster, and fixes some bugs. The updates are free and recommended for all users. All editions of DEVONagent require an Intel-based Mac and OS X 10.7.5 or later (in the Mac App Store: OS X 10.8.3 or later). They can be downloaded from DEVONtechnologies online and be test-driven for free before they need to be properly licensed. All editions of DEVONagent are also available in the Mac App Store. DEVONagent Pro and Express can be bought as part of bundles together with DEVONthink in DEVONtechnologies' online shop. DEVONagent Pro costs US$49.95 ($49.99 in the Mac App Store). DEVONagent...

Vandaurico has announced VizMac, a Visio viewer for OS X (10.6 or higher) that allows anyone to view, save and print Visio drawings and diagrams on their Mac. The utility enables users to discover the advantages of using Visio drawings, charts, and illustrations in a Mac environment. Visio files saved as binary (.vsd) files must first be decoded using the VizMac web service before being able to view the drawing or diagram in VizMac. This transaction takes place in the background and is transparent to the end user. VizMac costs US$3.99. It's available from Vandaurico online (http://www.vizmac.com) or on the Mac App Store.

KOAMTAC (www.KOAMTAC.com) has updated its iOS, Android, and Windows compatible software development kit (SDK).   The upgrade offers APIs (application programming interfaces] s that communicate between all major smart devices, PCs, KOAMTAC KDC Bluetooth barcode scanners, transaction and mobile POS companions. The SDK enables developers to integrate support for all these features into mobile application and provides their customers with full barcode and payment solutions with a single SDK.     KOAMTAC says the SDK doesn't require the developer to have extensive source code knowledge. All programming will refer to the KOAMTAC proprietary developer program known as, KTSimpleDemo. This is a simple source code tool provided within the new software. What's more, developers will not need to change existing application source code, and may simply update the SDK by utilizing these features.   Developers may take advantage of the complimentary version 3.0 SDK, as well as, enjoy the full benefits...

MCE Technologies (MCE) is shipping the MCE Fovea Extreme 3, a portable, lightweight, USB 3.0 slot-loading optical drive that allows access to all Blu-ray, DVD, and CD optical disc formats on Macs with no built-in optical drive. It can read and record data and high definition video to 25GB, 50GB, 100GB, and 128GB Blu-ray recordable discs, as well as M-Disc Blu-ray media. Included with the drive is Mac Blu-ray Player software, allowing the playback of commercial Blu-ray titles in high definition directly on the Mac. In addition to playing and recording Blu-ray media, the drive plays and records all DVD and CD formats as well. The Fovea Extreme 3 measures only 5.6 x 5.9 x 0.75 inches and weighs in at only 11 ounces. It retails for US$119 and is available immediately at http://tinyurl.com/mby29pg.

RESCUE COM (http://www.rescuecom.com) has released a new Computer Repair Report outlining the top problems technology users experience. This report is a refresh of a previous report on the top computer problems; it covers all technology, including tablets, smart phones and Internet-connected devices. The computer repair report details the top 10 problems that plague technology in 2015. To create the 2015 Computer Repair Report rankings, RESCUECOM performed a study of the technology and computer repair service calls for the past 12 months. The top problems, explained in full in the 2015 Computer Repair Report: are Internet connection problems (27.7%); viruses (19.3%); a slow computer (16.4%); computer and tablet hardware (8.1%); computer startup problems (7.3%); trouble with e-mail (6%); (tie) data transfer or recovery (4%) and printer setup or troubleshooting (4%); Windows OS troubleshooting (3.9%); application troubleshooting (1.8%); and user-caused problems (1.4%). The top three...

 Zevrix Solutions (www.zevrix.com) has released BatchOutput PDF 2.2.13, a maintenance update to its solution to automate PDF printing with watched hot folders on Mac OS X. With BatchOutput PDF, users only need to drop PDFs into hot folders and the files will be printed automatically using the assigned output preset. The software saves customers the time and effort of opening and printing each document manually. The new version improves the app's ability to reprint processed files and optimizes job folder handling. BatchOutput PDF can be purchased from Zevrix for US$24.95 (the server version is $99.95), as well as from authorized resellers and the Mac Apple Store. The update is free for licensed users of version 2. A demo is available for download. BatchOutput PDF requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher (some features require Mac OS X 10.7 or later).

Virtual Space OOO has introduced 3D Molecules Edit & Test 1.0 (http://tinyurl.com/nra3ljf), a chemistry app for Mac OS X. It allows anyone to build and manipulate 3D molecular models of organic and inorganic compounds. The key features are 3D printing support and a "test yourself" mode that allows students to check their knowledge of the 3D structure of molecules. 3D Molecules Edit & Test is designed especially for high school and college chemistry students learning about molecular bonding and orbitals with the aid of 3D visualization. The molecules can be visualized in 3D using stick, ball and stick and space-filling (CPK) models. Important information about the molecule can be displayed. For example, it's possible to visualize the atomic orbitals, see electronic effects using arrows and identify bond lengths and element symbols. 3D Molecules Edit & Test requires OS X 10.7 or later. It costs US$6.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Education...

Checkmarx (www.checkmarx.com), an application security firm, says its source code analysis solution now fully supports code written in the growingly popular Python and Groovy programming languages. Checkmarx develops software solutions to identify security vulnerabilities in web and mobile applications as they are being created. It's designed to help companies and organizations secure their mobile and web applications by providing a solution that identifies software security flaws at any stage in the development process, ensuring that any flaws that may have been overlooked are caught well before the software is released. The company’s technology scans un-compiled/un-built source code quickly and effectively, identifying security vulnerabilities and regulatory compliance issues that are then reported to developers and security auditors with guidelines to fix them, says Maty Siman, chief technical officer of Checkmarx.

Paragon Software Group (PSG) has launched Paragon Disk Wiper 15 for Mac OS X Free (http://www.paragon-software.com/home/dw-mac/). It's a utility to clean hard disks and SSDs or permanently erase critical data on separate partitions or entire hard disks. With Disk Wiper for Mac, wiping is not accomplished under Mac OS X, but from a special Linux-based flash stick that can be easily created from the program. After booting the Mac from this device, the Wipe Wizard can irreversibly remove confidential data in just a few easy steps, according to the folks at PSG. Multiple sanitization methods are available: SSD Trim (recommended for SSDs), selecting a specific algorithm, or a user-created method. Unlike traditional HDD-based wiping methods, SSD Trim works very quickly and is completely safe for SSDs, claims PSG. Paragon Disk Wiper 15 for Mac OS X Free supports OS X 10.6 and higher. Paragon Mac ToolBox portal with additional solutions for dual-boot users is available at the PSG website.

SavvyDox (http://www.savvydox.com) has announced a new HTML5 browser-based reader for Mac OS X (10.8 or later) that allows users to review, suggest changes and approve documents from any browser, at any time, whether on a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. The solution is designed to enable groups of people to effectively collaborate on writing and reviewing complex documents. Users can post due dates for review and approvals, control printing privileges and create and respond to proposals with multiple contributing authors. What's more, iPhone users have access to a dedicated app that's free to download from the Apple App Store. SavvyDox's presence on this platform complements its current availability on Mac, PC and iPad readers.

Polished Play has introduces Core Animator 1.0, an animation tool for Mac OS X. Available at the Mac App Store, the utility was developed to help designers, animators, and developers bring more creativity and interactivity to their apps. Core Animator allows iOS and Mac developers to create animations and export them to native Objective-C or Swift code. Users can visually create 2D animations based on properties such as translation, scale, rotation and opacity. Several options help to smooth out the animations and give them life. The interaction of all animations can be seen together in a project preview. Finally, native Objective-C or Swift code is generated for use in Xcode and Interface Builder: Core Animator will save you time and money requires OS X Yosemite or later. For a limited time, it's on sale for US$79.99 (20% off) and available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Developer Tools category. A trial version of the tool is available at the Polished Play website (...

Graphic Node has again expanded its assortment of iWork templates with a new update of Set for iWork. The pack for Apple's Pages, Keynote, and Numbers contains over 3,000 templates and images, while the recent update includes a new Graphics category and reduces the size of the download. Set for iWork covers everything from brochures and business cards to vacation planners to photos and newly added flat icons. Set for iWork includes: over 1,500 designs for Pages documents, 210 spreadsheet templates for Numbers, 93 slideshow themes for Keynote, and 1,100 images for illustrating users' content. They cover everything from brochures and business cards to vacation planners to photos and newly added flat icons. Set for iWork 2.1 requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher and costs US$49.99. It's available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. For more information and design samples, users can visit Graphic Node's web site (http://graphicnode.com/).

Prosoft Engineering (www.prosofteng.com) has released Drive Genius 4.0.1, an update of its US$99 collection of software tools to speed up, clean up and protect your Mac. It's a maintenance upgrade. Drive Genius 4 sported a new, enhanced interface that allows for running tools on multiple drives simultaneously.  The DrivePulse tool alerts you to hard drive issues before they become major problems. Drive Genius 4.0.1 is optimized for Yosemite and works with Mac OS X 10.8.3 and up. The new BootWell tool lets you create a special secondary drive to Defrag or Repair your main hard drive. You can also personalize and organize your Mac’s drive and folder icons with IconGenius.  

Apple has made its iWork apps — Pages, Numbers and Keynote — available to users of beyond Mac OS X and iOS apps. Yep, that means Windows and Android users. The apps are accessible to users without an Apple device through the iCloud Beta program. Anyone can sign up for an Apple ID to access Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for free. Each account comes with 1GB of complementary iCloud storage. Previously, you could only create an Apple ID login on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. In order to register an Apple ID, go to beta.icloud.com and click the link below the sign-in area that allows users to create an account. Users can then create a login with any email address.