QNAP Systems has released the TS-x31 series Turbo NAS for SOHO and home users. Powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, it provides a solution for file storage, sharing, and data backup coupled with a cloud-based, note-taking application and a range of multimedia functions. Available in 1, 2, and 4-bay models, the TS-x31 series is designed as a network storage center for backup, synchronization, remote access, and home entertainment. With the Notes Station, the TS-x31 series allows users to create digital notes on their private cloud and share with friends and colleagues without paying monthly fees and knowing that sensitive information is fully under their control and not stored on a third party’s server. Users can edit their notes with the web-based editor, take screenshots with a Google Chrome extension or desktop Qsnap application, and create to-do lists & calendar alerts that can be synchronized to Google Calendar. Users can also enrich their notes with media files...

Pomfort (www.pomfort.com) has released an upgrade (version 4) to Silverstack, its media acquisition and data management tool for Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. Version 4 speeds up all backup processes with a tuned copy engine, and the checksum verification type "xxhash." What's more it adds support for Sony F55 / F65 RAW files and enables checksum verified copy processes to LTO tapes via LTFS. Silverstack 4 also sports features like cascading copy, export of still images from movies, a newly developed thumbnail report, and a new user interface. With the release of Silverstack 4 Pomfort introduces a new subscription license model. A yearly subscription for Silverstack can be purchased for US$390; the yearly subscription for Silverstack XT is $590. Pomfort also offers the possibility to rent Silverstack for 14 days, one month, or two months, and Silverstack XT for the duration of one month or two months. A 14-day trial version is available for download.

Plustek Technology (www.plustek.com/usa) has begun shipment of the Plustek PS 4080U, a workgroup document scanner. It features a scan speed of 40 pages per minute (80 images-per-minute in duplex mode), a 100-sheet feeder and a daily duty cycle of 4,000 pages per day. the Plustek PS 4080U is designed to be shared among a workgroup with applications requiring frequent scanning, says Robert Fuchs, Plustek marketing manager.  The US$649 scanner is bundled with a suite of document management and OCR software. Its feeder enables pages sized from 2”x2.5” up to 8.5”x10” to be scanned without sorting.  A special long-paper mode enables scanning of non-standard sizes: contract and loan forms, EKGs, oil well logs and strip charts.  Industry standard TWAIN ensure compatibility with thousands of scanning and imaging programs.  ABBYY FineReader Sprint is included to create and manage searchable PDFs.

Bombich Software (www.bombich.com) has released Carbon Copy Cloner 4, an upgrade to its bootable backup software for Mac OS X (10.8 and higher). The upgrade features a completely redesigned interface, editing of scheduled tasks, task history, a menubar application, task chaining, a command-line application option and includes "hundreds" of improvements and fixes. Carbon Copy Cloner 4 also includes a migration tool that can update existing Carbon Copy Cloner 3.5 tasks for use with CCC 4. Carbon Copy Cloner 4 retails for $39.99 USD (Personal and Household license); a Pro License for technicians is $100 USD. Volume discounts are available.

FacetCorp (http://www.facetcorp.com) has launched version 6 of FacetPhone, the business phone system that runs on Mac OS X. This release includes a mobile app, new call center functionality, enhanced reporting capabilities and computer telephony integration with more applications. The mobile app is initially only available for iOS devices. It provides many of the unified communications capabilities that are in the FacetPhone computer user interface. These include a list of users showing their status and location, instant messaging, visual call control and visual voice mail management. The app also provides sophisticated soft phone capabilities that go beyond other soft phones. For example, users can turn recording on and off during a call and managers can monitor and barge-in on calls from the app. Call center support now includes queue priorities and skills based call routing. This allows call centers to more effectively use their agents expertise. Based on a callers responses, their...

At the Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), Promise Technology (www.promise.com) announced the availability of two new storage solutions for the growing number of houses of worship that are increasingly recording and editing live video streams to more widely broadcast worship services, sermons, and music -- often with multi-camera recordings being delivered live to several locations and branches, or streamed online.  At WFX, the new Pegasus2 M4 SSD will be featured in demos for multi-camera environments and for high-performance live content delivery. Promise will demo the VTrak A3800 storage appliance with the new SANLink2 10G SFP+ and the VTrak G1100 NAS Gateway. The Pegasus2 M4 SSD is a 2TB (four x 500GB SSDs) Thunderbolt 2 RAID storage device that fits in the palm of your hand and can be transported to remote locations. The Pegasus2 M4 SSD (picture) maximizes the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2 at over 1300 MB/s, and can feed many ProRes 422 clips at the same time -- allowing...

Native Instruments (www.native-instruments.com) has released the Komplete Kontrol S-Series keyboards, and the latest generation of Komplete and Komplete Ultimate software bundles. The S-Series keyboards and accompanying Komplete Kontrol software unite all Komplete Instruments under a single, unified playing experience. Komplete Kontrol S-Series debuts several industry innovations never before available in a hardware controller. The release also welcomes the next generation of Native Instruments’ acclaimed Komplete Instruments and Effects suites, including six brand-new instruments, as well as several new additions. The prices of these bundles remain the same, increasing the saving to almost 90% over the cost of the instruments and effects when bought separately. Komplete Kontrol S-Series keyboards, Komplete 10, and Komplete 10 Ultimate are available now in stores and at the NI Online Shop with prices ranging from US$499 to $999.

Econ Technologies (econtechnologies.com) has updated ChronoAgent for Mac to version 1.4.7, which is read for the upcoming Mac OS X Yosemite. ChronoSync is an application that runs on a Mac that can synchronize, backup, and create bootable backups. ChronoAgent is a utility that runs on a destination Mac and communicates directly with ChronoSync running on another Mac.  ChronoAgent replaces Apple File Sharing providing a direct connection with full access to the destination Mac. ChronoSync costs US$40 and ChronoAgent is $10; all existing ChronoSync and ChronoAgent users update for free. ChronoSync runs on the source Mac and ChronoAgent runs on the destination Mac giving you a direct connection between two Macs. With ChronoSync on your Mac, you can synchronize, backup, and create bootable backups to anything you can connect to your Mac. ChronoAgent runs on a Mac and provides a direct connection to ChronoSync on another Mac or InterConneX on an iPhone or iPad. ChronoAgent for Mac runs on...

CS Odessa (www.conceptdraw.com) has announced a new graphical user interface solution for ConceptDraw Pro, which is now available in ConceptDraw Solution Park. The new User Interface Solution provides a toolset for developers and software product management professionals who use ConceptDraw Pro in their prototyping work. The new solution provides graphical user interface elements, ui patterns, and Apps icons that simplify user interface mockup for iOS applications. The User Interface Solution has been added to ConceptDraw Pro at no charge. ConceptDraw Pro is compatible with Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It retails for US$199. Version 10 is now included in ConceptDraw Office 2, which retails for $499.

Briksoftware has announced PDFKey Pro 4.0 (http://pdfkey.com) for OS X and Windows. PDFKey Pro is a utility that locks and unlocks password-protected PDF documents. You can lock PDF files by creating perfect copies. Users may protect with either (or both), a viewing password and a password to restrict usage permissions and more. PDFKey Pro requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher It costs $24.99. A demo is available for download.

Belkin (www.belkin.com) has introduced the Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD with cable, a docking solution for both Mac and PC computers. Equipped with two Thunderbolt 2 ports, it allows users to take full advantage of Thunderbolt 2 technology’s high-speed 20Gbps bandwidth, and provides transfers between laptops and up to eight other devices using one single Thunderbolt cable. It sports eight ports including support for HDMI, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, audio and Thunderbolt 2. The Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD supports up to eight devices connected directly to the dock, with support for up to four additional (five total) Thunderbolt devices through a daisy-chain setup. You can display a picture through either the HDMI or Thunderbolt 2 port at a resolution of up to 4K. The USB 3.0 ports open the ability to charge smartphones, tablets and other higher amperage devices, even when the host computer is asleep or not connected to the dock. It also offers Thunderbolt 2 data transfer speeds of...

Carnation Software has released MacWise version 14.2.5, an update to its terminal emulation software for the Mac. The upgrade is compatible with the upcoming Mac OS X Yosemite. MacWise (www.macwise.com) allows a Mac to be used as a terminal, connected to a host computer directly, by modem, local area network or over the Internet with telnet or ssh secure shell. The app emulates ADDS Viewpoint, Wyse 50, Wyse 60, Wyse 370, Televideo TV 925, DEC VT100, VT220 and Prism terminals. MacWise works with Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. It costs US$95 per user. Upgrades to version 14 from previous versions are $59 per user.

 Software and Computer System Company (http://www.scsc-online.com) has released Performance Probe 2.0 for Mac OS X. It's an upgrade of the operating system tool that allows a user to monitor the current effective loading of their systems. Version 2.0 includes a new heads-up display that can perform loading measurements, dynamically graph drive and network activity, and provide quick snapshots of the systems highest CPU and memory consumers. There are three indicators on Performance Probe 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. The price for the standalone version of Performance Probe is US$14.95. The tool is now a standard part of both the Scannerz with FSE and Scannerz with FSE-Lite packages. Version 2.0 is a free upgrade for registered users.

Apple has released iOS 8.0.2, an update designed to fix glitches with iOS 8.0.1. According to Apple, iOS 8.0.2: ° Fixes an issue in iOS 8.0.1 that impacted cellular network connectivity and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. ° Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store. ° Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode. ° Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library. ° Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. ° Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages. ° Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for & Purchases. ° Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups. ° Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari You can download the update from the Software Update section of the iOS 8 Settings...

Chronos has updated PrintLife, a tool for managing print projects on a Mac, to version 2. It adds: the ability to create a different design for each label on a page; the ability to create multiple pages of different labels; the ability to copy/paste entire label designs on a page or between pages, 10 new types of labels, 79 templates for new label types; support for new Avery greeting card/envelope stocks; 12 templates for new Avery greeting card/envelope stocks; and much more. PrintLife has a project for just about every occasion including greeting cards, collages, labels, letterhead, gift tags, contact summaries, certificates, photo pages, CD labels, raffle tickets, fax covers, activity lists, flyers, jewel cases, file folder tabs, invoices, activity summaries, invitations, posters, envelopes, name badges, and contact lists. It requires Mac OS X 10.9 or later. PrintLife 2 costs US$49.99 and is available directly from Chronos (www.chronosnet.com). A family pack is also available...

TransGaming Inc. in partnership with Konami Digital Entertainment, has announced that METAL GEAR will make its debut on the Mac platform, as METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE is now available for Mac.   Here's how the game is described: "METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE, originally developed by Kojima Productions and Platinum Games, expands the METAL GEAR franchise into exciting new territory with its frenetic action experience. The game seamlessly melds pure action and cinematic storytelling that surrounds Raiden, a child soldier transformed into a half-human, half-cyborg ninja, who uses his high-frequency katana blade to cut through anything that stands in his vengeful path."   METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB and is now available on the Mac App Store at a retail price of US$29.99. As a promotional launch special offer, gamers will receive a $5 discount available for five days only, expiring on Sept. 30. The game is also available on Steam.

Apple has released iOS 8.0.1, an update that brings several bug fixes to iOS 8, which was released last week. However, you need to be careful if you upgrade. The upgrade fixes an issue with HealthKit that prevented apps that support HealthKit from being allowed in the Apple App Store. According to Apple, iOS 8.0.1 also: ° Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode; ° Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library; ° Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus; ° Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages; ° Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases; ° Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups; ° Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari. You can download the update from the Software Update section of the...

Econ Technologies (www.econtechnologies.com) has introduced ChronoSync Express 1.0, the Mac App Store version of ChronoSync, the synchronization and backup utility for Mac OS X (10.8 or higher). It costs US$29.99 and is available in the Utilities category. ChronoSync Express can synchronize or backup to most anything you can connect to your Mac, including folders on your Mac, other Macs, PC's, and external drives. You can schedule or manually run your syncs or backups, and even run trial synchronizations to see what will happen before it happens. You can even sync to iPhones or iPads using the combination of ChronoSync Express and InterConneX. ChronoSync Express is fully compatible with ChronoAgent, so you can gain full access to all files and folders stored on remote computers. You can backup your data to a ChronoAgent equipped server or configure ChronoSync Express to function as its own backup server, pulling data from remote computers via standard file sharing or ChronoAgent.

CS Odessa (www.conceptdraw.com) has announced five additional new professional solutions for ConceptDraw Pro. They're available in in the ConceptDraw Solution Park. The new and updated solutions are: ° Network Layout Floor Plans (new) – samples, templates, and libraries for visualization of networks that allow you to create network layout floor plans, network communication plans, network topologies, and network topology maps. ° Rack Diagrams (new) – used to create drawings of rack diagrams and server rack diagrams layouts. ° Telecommunication Network Diagrams (new) – solution to illustrate computer systems networking and telecommunications diagrams for telecommunication illustration tasks; computer and telecommunications networks, call centers, GPRS networks, GPS navigation systems operation, mobile, satellite and hybrid communication networks, mobile TV networks, and wireless broadband networks. ° Vehicular Networking (update) - used to design vehicular networks diagrams and schemas...

Ergonis Software (http://www.ergonis.com) has released Typinator 6.2, the latest version of its tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos systemwide across all Mac OS X applications. The upgrade adds new built-in functions (Count, List, Any, Index). With an inclusion mechanism, text expansions can execute external scripts and include their results in the expansion. Typinator supports scripts written in in many different languages like AppleScript, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, and arbitrary shell scripting languages. Typinator requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. Mac OS X 10.7 or higher is recommended. Typinator can be purchased on the Ergonis Software web site for approximately US$32 for a single user license. A family pack for installation on up to five computers is $49. The upgrade to Typinator 6.1 is free for anyone who bought a license before Oct. 1, 2013.

DComplex (www.dcomplex.com) has released IP Camera Cloud for Mac. It's video surveillance software for home or small office. The product lets you record video from up to 20 IP cameras simultaneously on the Mac — or optionally copy the video to the cloud and store it there for 30 days. DComplex's remote access apps for the iPhone, iPad and Mac connect to the video recording Mac automatically, without the need to setup port forwarding or manually opening ports. The apps let you instantly respond to motion events, remotely watch live video, search and playback recorded video effortlessly. IP Camera Cloud requires Mac OS X 10.9 or higher. A seven-day demo is available for download. Pricing depends on the number of cameras being used and is based on monthly subscription pricing with no upfront costs. The price for each camera is US$3 per month. Optional 30-days video storage in DComplex's cloud servers is an additional $7 per camera per month. The companion iPhone/iPad app is free.

Karelia Software (www.karelia.com) has updated Sandvox, their web creation software for Mac OS X, to version 2.9. The upgrade introduces a new Vimeo object that makes it super easy to display videos hosted on Vimeo.com. Now, for the first time, website creators using Sandvox can simply choose the Vimeo object to embed Vimeo content on a website. Sandvox 2.9 also improves publishing performance, and now includes direct support for SSL security for FTP and WebDAV. The specific publishing connection protocols supported by the revamped, faster publishing engine include FTP with Implicit SSL, FTP with TLS/SSL, and WebDAV with HTTPS. Finally, new support for LetsMove, a technology acquired with Potion Factory, makes it even easier to install the app. Sandvox 2.9 requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher and costs US$79.99. It's available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. It is also available from The Karelia Store (https://secure.karelia.com/buy_now/). The Sandvox 2...

Feral Interactive says the racing game GRID 2 Reloaded Edition will be unleashed on the Mac Sept. 25. Developed and published by Codemasters for PC and consoles, it's the successor to GRID. When released, the game will be available for download from a variety of digital partner sites worldwide including the Feral Store, Steam and the Mac App Store. A Steam account is required to access online multiplayer features.                                                                            Here's how the game is described: "GRID 2 Reloaded Edition features ‘World Series Racing’, a disruptive new racing league with big ambitions. Players are challenged to become WSR’s star driver and build it into a top motorsport by facing off against rivals in a selection of electrifying competitions. Nerve-jangling duels on mountain roads, drift events through the city streets of Paris, Miami and Hong Kong and high-speed races on renowned GP circuits are all part of the competition. "GRID 2 Reloaded...

AOC (us.aoc.com) has announced the US$449 AOC 24-inch Gaming Monitor, powered by NVIDIA G-Sync technology and designed for competitive gamers. G-SYNC technology synchronizes display refresh rates between the monitor and the computer’s GPU to eliminate screen tearing and minimize display stutter and input lag, according to the folks at AOC. The AOC G2460PG display boasts 144Hz w/ 1 ms response time for blur-free images, 1000:1 contrast ratios, NVIDIA 3D Vision ready technology and AOC DialPoint Custom Crosshair function with six custom crosshair settings for lethal speed and deadly precision. It packs an integrated DisplayPort connector and five USB hubs. The ergonomic stand allows you to adjust the height, tilt and swivel, as well as pivot into portrait mode.