Mac Mini Vault (http://tinyurl.com/phc3xnq) has announced a partnership with Watchman Monitoring (http://tinyurl.com/6j93q25), a provider of Mac-based monitoring. This partnership will include integration of advanced and proactive monitoring for Mac Mini Vault customers. Beginning today, all Mac Mini Vault customers at the Enterprise service level will have free access to the Watchman Monitoring agent and monitoring results. The agent will monitor system details and watch for potential issues. The Watchman Monitoring agent is a small piece of software that detects physical and operational errors, reports system statistics and data points. It inspects system details, looking for potential issues with memory, disk, software, and backup systems.

Atama has released Sesame2, a Bluetooth Smart keyfob and companion application to lock your Mac or Windows PC. A second generation update of the original Sesame product, Sesame2 boasts an external redesign in addition to further enhancements such as longer battery life, shorter locking distance and increased Bluetooth signal stability. The device enables users to lock their computers whenever they walk away from the computer, preventing anyone else from accessing files, programs, the email client or anything else that might be open on the desktop. When the user returns to their desk, their Mac or PC is automatically unlocked. Thanks to the use of Bluetooth low energy technology, Sesame2 locks your Mac or Windows PC without draining your battery, says Eric Ferraz, CEO of Atama. It's available for pre-order now for US$49 at the Atama website (http://atama.io/sesame2).

Bjano has rolled out iStat Menus 5 (http://tinyurl.com/meyfoge), an update of its menubar-based system monitoring tool for Mac OS X. It has eight separate menu extras for monitoring CPU usage, memory, hard disks, networking, temperatures and more. Version 1.2 includes numerous improvements, including processes monitoring; enhanced Date & Time; enhanced bandwidth monitoring; better temperature and fan support; better support for temperature sensors in G4 PowerBooks, the latest iMacs and Intel based Xserves; disk performance monitor; and much more. iStats Menus requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. It costs US$16 for a single user license or $24 for a family pack. Upgrades from version 3.x or 4.x are $9.99 for a single user license or $14.99 for a family pack.

Graphic Node (http://www.graphicnode.com) has introduced Set for iWork Plus 1.0, a new collection of iWork templates designed to help OS X users make the best of Apple's iWork productivity applications. The new pack for Apple's Pages, Keynote, and Numbers contains over 3,000 templates and images, including Graphic Node's first set of 50 scrapbook templates. All templates are editable and available in the US and international paper sizes. The designs range from traditional and formal to friendly and unconventional. Set for iWork Plus requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later, Pages '09 or later, Keynote  '09 or later, and Numbers '09 or later. For a limited time, it's available for US$39.99 at the Mac App Store in the Productivity category.

Miavy Systems (http://tinyurl.com/pdhkcc7) has released version 1.3 of the My Family Tree app. The upgrade comes with major changes to its user interface and a fresh new look. The new version drops OS X Lion compatibility and requires OS X 10.8 or later. Unlike previous versions of the app, the newly released version comes with a demo which is available for download on its website (http://tinyurl.com/o3362r9) The full version of the app continues to be available on the Mac App Store for US$19.99.

Available today, the new Philips 28-Inch 4K Ultra HD Display (http://tinyurl.com/mrlra6p), model 288P6LJEB, delivers four times as much detail as 1080p Full HD. The monitor is available now at Amazon.com for a special price of US$599. The Philips UltraClear Display combines 4K UHD high resolution with a color depth of 1.07 billion colors. It provides UltraClear 3840x2160 pixel images at 60hz and a 1ms response. The 28-inch monitor includes built-in stereo speakers for multimedia, and MHL technology for mobile device connectivity (though iOS devices don't currently support the technology). The Philips UltraClear Display provides a plethora of connectivity options and comes equipped with HDMI, DisplayPort, Dual-link DVI and VGA SmartConnect ports. It also features MultiView functionality. This technology enables active dual connect and view so that users can work with multiple devices like a computer and laptop side-by-side simultaneously. The display's SmartErgoBase allows the monitor...

Addonics Technologies (www.addonics.com) has announced the Sapphire family of Write-Protect readers that treat hard drive, SSD or flash media as READ only storage to protect against virus contamination or data tampering. There are two Sapphire Write-Protect readers — a 3.5”/2.5” HDD reader and a 2.5” HDD/Flash reader. Both are equipped with an interface bridge that disables the write function at the hardware level. This allows you to access data on the hard drive or flash media without the risk of accidentally erasing or altering content on the drive. The interface bridge is a permanent feature and can’t be disabled. It protects users from accidental or intentional erasing or destruction of data, according to Addonics President Bill Kwong. Software hacking can’t be used to circumvent the write protect function, he adds. Forensic investigators can quickly discover if the interface bridge was tampered with and replaced with a read/write enabled board.   Both models come with built-in...

Flying Pig (www.flyingpigcorp.com) has released Edouard 1.6, an update to its business management system for Mac OS X. The upgrade brings new localizations, bug fixes and performance improvements. Designed for small and medium-sized businesses, Edouard supports classic business needs such as inventory management, contacts, purchases, sales, production, accountancy and more. It runs on Mac OS X and iOS. for a free update. Prior to purchase, Edouard remains available as a time and feature unlimited demo. Licensing options for Edouard include: ° In-house: at US$1,499 per connection slot, it's a final cost (no recurrent fees) and includes a full and unlimited worldwide support. Discounts for volume licensing are available. °* Cloud: at $99 per connection slot per month. Cloud servers are available 24/7 worldwide and managed by Flying Pig. This includes all minor and major software updates. Licenses can be purchased at any time using Flying Pig's online store.

Mac users now have three new ways to manage bookmarks in their web browsers. Sheep Systems (sheepsystems.com) has announced three new apps: Smarky, Synkmark and Markster have been spun out of BookMacster, its master bookmarks manager app for the Mac. The three new apps are each focused on a particular use case. All are compatible with Apples iCloud, and correctly push changes to iOS devices when exporting to Safari. Smarky (US$11.95)is for organizing and alphabetizing Safari bookmarks. Synkmark ($16.95) lets you organize and keep Safari, Google Chrome and Firefox bookmarks in sync. Markster ($16.95) lets you directly access bookmarks in a Central Store from within any app.

OWC has released the ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition, an external storage device that can connect to the newest Mac Pro via single or dual ThunderBolt 2 cables. It has capacities ranging from 4TB to 20TB, and sustained data rates up to 675 MB/s for RAID 5 performance. OWC offers a BYOD solution with the ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition Enclosure Kit to add up to four drives, SSDs, or a mixture of both hard drives and SSDs for customizable performance to meet specific storage and backup needs. In addition, users can also set up RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, or 1+0 arrays using SoftRAID that also includes drive monitoring, e-mail notification, and rapid rebuild capabilities.   OWC’s ThunderBay 4 is available for immediate ordering in configurations ranging from US$649 to $1,769.99. Go to http://tinyurl.com/mo3x2xn for more info.

MAXON has unveiled CINEMA 4A Release 16 (R16), the next generation release of the company’s industry-leading 3D motion graphics, visual effects, visualization, painting, and rendering software application. It's available for Mac OS X and Windows. In addition to workflow enhancements, CINEMA 4D R16 delivers new features including a modeling PolyPen "super tool," a Motion Tracker for easily integrating 3D content within live footage and a Reflectance material channel that allows for multi-layered reflections and specularity. CINEMA 4D Release 16 is scheduled to ship in September. Pricing and upgrade information is available at www.maxon.net.

Last month, Apple announced it would no longer develop Aperture, its software for professional and prosumer photographers. Adobe wants Aperture users to move to its own Lightroom software and has created a guide for those who are interested in transitioning from Aperture to Lightroom. It's available for download at http://tinyurl.com/mulcpee. Additionally, Adobe has other resources (http://tinyurl.com/kz8dtvj) to help you learn Lightroom. Lightroom is a cornerstone of the new Creative Cloud Photography plan which gives users Photoshop, Lightroom and Lightroom mobile for $9.99/month. 

Didstopia has announced Fokus for Mac OS X. The US$4.99 app is designed to keep you focused on your current task by dimming all other windows except the currently active one. The folks at Didstopia says this helps to reduce eye strain and headaches. Fokus also lets you choose the best brightness for background windows. The software works with most applications and windows. Fokus 1.0.0 is available worldwide through the Fokus website (http://didstopia.com) and through Didstopia Shop. It requires Mac OS X 10.9 or higher.

ESD (http://www.elevated-dev.com/) has announced fScanX 1.8.4 for Mac OS X, an update to their scanning application. It adds support for the Fujitsu fi-7160, fi-7260, fi-7180 &and fi-7280 document scanners. fScanX provides the ability to scan single or double-sided documents in color, grayscale or monochrome at up to 135 pages per minute. In addition, the package includes an Automator action for workflow development, and a command-line utility for complete scripted control of scanning functions. fScanX is licensed on a per-scanner basis: US$149-$1,999, depending on the model. It's compatible with 64-bit Intel Macs running OS X 10.7 and later.

Pocket Watch has released the ActivePrint Cloud Server. The standalone box makes almost any USB printer or available network printer compatible with iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. This is done by making each printer available through AirPrint, ActivePrint Cloud Print, and Google Cloud Print services simultaneously. You simply plug the ActivePrint Cloud Server in to an Internet connected router or a cable/DSL modem, and it's ready to go. The ActivePrint Cloud Server is about the size of a couple of iPhones stacked together. It's compatible with network and USB printers from many popular printer manufacturers including HP, Canon, Brother, Xerox, Epson, Lexmark, and more. The ActivePrint Cloud Server is available for pre-order (http://tinyurl.com/p35bh85) for US$149.95. All pre-orders will be shipped by Aug. 18.

Apple’s own CDN (content delivery network) has gone live in the U.S. and Europe, reports Seeking Alpha (http://tinyurl.com/ls3z3hg). The company is now delivering some of their own content such as new releases of Mac OS X and iOS directly to consumers. What's more, Apple has interconnect deals in place with multiple ISPs, including Comcast and others, and has paid to get direct access to their networks, says Seeking Alpha. As a result the company has more than 10x the capacity it had previously. “With Apple planning to release the beta version of their next desktop OS today, Yosemite (10.10), and with iOS 8 expected to come out this fall, Apple’s putting in place a lot of capacity to support upcoming software releases. Apple is still using Akamai and Level 3′s CDN services for iTunes (Akamai), Radio (Level 3) and app downloads, but over time, much of that traffic will be brought over to Apple’s CDN,” Dan Rayburn, an expert on the streaming media industry, writes for Seeking Alpha. “...

Fireebok Studio has released iCloud Extractor 1.0.0, a Mac application that allows users to download and extract their photos, videos, contacts, call history, notes, calendar events and reminders, as well as bookmarks from the iCloud backup file. From iCloud Extractor’s main window you can login using your Apple ID and view a list with all available downloads that is automatically retrieved from your iCloud. Once you’ve selected the desired backup file, the app downloads the data and allows you to browse through your camera roll, photo stream, app photos and videos, text messages, notes, contacts and more. Thanks to iCloud Extractor, you can extract iCloud backups to your Mac’s hard drive and make your data freely available. Once your backups are stored on your hard disk, you can delete old or unnecessary backups in order to reclaim storage space. Although iCloud Extractor helps you view the thumbnail of the extracted pictures, it doesn't allow you to preview them directly from within...

Native Instruments continues the #futureofdjing discussion started in the first video with MK, aimed at exploring how technological innovation plays a role in shaping the future of DJ culture. The second in "The Future of DJing" video series features Berlin techno giants Pan-Pot describing how live remixing has transformed their sound and the importance of using technology to develop a personal style. The #futureofdjing discussion continues in the coming weeks over social media with more opinions and topics. The second video of "The Future of DJing" series featuring Pan-Pot is available at http://tinyurl.com/nf4vkol .

Econ Technologies has updated ChronoSync to version 4.5.2, an update of the automated synchronization and backup application for Mac OS X (10.6 and higher) that can synchronize, backup, and create bootable backups. It's a maintenance release that includes enhancements to bootable backups and over 30 features and fixes. For new users the cost is US$40. A demo is available for download from the Econ Technologies web site (http://www.econtechnologies.com).

Paragon Software Group (www.cambridge.org) has released Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary app for Mac OS X and iOS. It's available for US$14.99 at the Mac App Store and Apple App Store, respectively. The dictionary app is based on the classic version of Daniel Jones's guide to contemporary pronunciation for British and American English, and is designed to meet the needs of English language learners striving to perfect their pronunciation of even the most challenging words, such as "though" and "honour," personal names, company names, technology and science definitions, and more.  The app includes the full wordlist and sample entries to preview before buying. Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary also allows users to navigate through and try out the dictionary, as well as experience the most advanced search and learning features.

CS Odessa (www.conceptdraw.com) has released a building plan addition to ConceptDraw Solution Park. The addition to ConceptDraw Pro and ConceptDraw Solution Park vector libraries offers improved building plan and office layout capabilities. The new solutions in ConceptDraw Solution Park extends ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software with building elements. The solutions contain samples and libraries for drawing reflected ceiling plans, school and training plans, seating plans, office layout plans, and security and access plans. The materials added to the Solution Park make the drawing of plans and layouts a snap. These new additions to the ConceptDraw Solution Park are free for current users of ConceptDraw Pro 9.5 or greater. The new solution in the ConceptDraw Solution Park includes collections of templates, samples, and libraries of vector stencils and icons that support the drawing of building plans and office layouts. ConceptDraw Pro is compatible with Mac OS X...

Music software company XILS-lab has released XILS DeeS, a de-esser plug-in for all major Mac (OS X 10.5 or higher) and PC (Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8) compatible formats for ridding voice recordings of all sibilant-related defects while preserving precious characteristics to produce perfect-sounding results. XILS DeeS is available to purchase as a straightforward serial number-protected plug-in for an introductory discounted price of approximately US$79. As for Sept. 1, the price will be $119. It can be purchased at the XILS-lab web store (http://tinyurl.com/mrjdh7y). XILS DeeS can be directly downloaded as a 32- and 64-bit-compatible effects plug-in for Mac (AAX, AU, RTAS, and VST) and Windows (AAX, RTAS, and VST) at http://tinyurl.com/m5bhlyt .

Connected Data, the creator of the Drobo line of smart storage solutions, has launched its Drobo Mini with Solid State Disk (SSD) drives. The company says they deliver as much as 80% more performance compared to a Mini configured with traditional spinning hard drives. The Drobo Mini connects via Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 and features four 2.5-inch SSD drive bays with an mSATA accelerator option in a package that is rugged, compact and portable, weighing less than three pounds. Like all Drobo products, Drobo Mini protects data without user intervention, even in the event of multiple SSD drive failures. The Drobo Mini with SSD is available today in three capacity bundles of 1TB, 2TB and 4TB starting at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US $1,199 through www.drobostore.com and select channel partners.

WaterField Designs (http://www.sfbags.com/) has unveiled a new 15-inch Outback Solo to fit the larger upgraded MacBook Pro Retina and a new 13-inch Indy leather satchel (pictured) to fit the smaller Retina model. The Outback Solo sports a rugged look, combining waxed canvas with premium leather. The Indy's soft high-grade leather develops a rich patina over time. Both look professional enough for business meetings and fashionable enough for anywhere else, says WaterField owner, Gary Waterfield. The 15-inch Outback Solo costs US$119 and has an optional shoulder strap for $19. The 13-inch Indy is priced at $199. Shipping begins no later than Aug. 15.