Kanex (www.kanexlive.com) has introduced what it says is the world's first Thunderbolt to eSATA adapter. It lets you connect your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac to an eSATA hard drive. You can also add an extra USB 3.0 port to your Mac or PC. The US$79.95 Kanex adapter supports both eSATA and USB 3.0 interfaces simultaneously. It's small and compact enough to take it with you when you're on the go.

Mobile Edge (mobileedge.com) has unveiled two new slim-line combination laptop and tablet cases. The new Tech Briefs are crafted using durable vegan leather and a tartan cotton-twill lining. The Tech Brief is designed for daily commutes or quick trips. They feature a separate padded compartment for both a laptop and a tablet. The padded fur-lined pocket will protect an iPad or other tablet from bumps and scratches. The integrated accessory organizer features pockets for a sSmartphone, flash drives, memory cards, pens and business cards. Two large exterior padded pockets provide storage for travel accessories or personal items. Dual wrapped handles and an adjustable, removable shoulder strap offer carrying options. The Tech Briefs are available in black and dark brown. Both cases carry a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$79.99 and are shipping now.

ZipZapMac (http://zipzapmac.com/) has updated Periscope Pro, an application that turns a Mac into a multi-featured video surveillance system, to version 2. The upgrade includes an all-new interface, an audio-activated recording trigger, support for IP Cameras with the auto-configuration system, and an in-app clip viewer. The motion-detection algorithm developed for Periscope Pro is user tunable and is purportedly comparable those used in standalone surveillance systems costing thousands of dollars. By automatically uploading clips to a free DropBox account, the user can view clips anytime. Periscope Pro can be set to shoot only when there's motion, that is, activity going on, capturing exactly what the user is looking for, saving enormous amounts of search time and storage. The user can choose everything from the sensitivity of the motion detection, to clip length, to alternate recording mode, including timed and continuous mode, and even video resolution. It can be set to start...

For 2013, worldwide public cloud services revenue reached a total of US$45.7 billion and IDC expects this market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% through 2018, according to the IDC research group (www.idc.com). "Data provides the edge to companies that can leverage their information for competitive advantage, through new products and services or an enriched customer experience. Software for data management, data access, and collaborative information sharing continues to lead the growth in the overall software industry," says Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief analyst at IDC. Two product groups comprise the total public cloud services market in IDC's software taxonomy: cloud Software and cloud infrastructure. Cloud software spending represented almost 86% of the total public cloud services market in 2013 while Cloud Infrastructure held the remaining 14%. The Cloud Software market includes two product categories: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-...

Splasm Software (http://www.splasm.com/returnlabels/) has released Return Labels, software for creating return address labels on your Mac. Features include rich text editing tools, built-in images, and the ability to import a contact from your Mac’s Contacts or Address Book. You can use any font of any style with Return Labels. The size, style, line spacing, and color are up to you. You can choose from a collection of images and pick accent and background colors for many of them. You can drag and drop any photo or image to add a personal touch to your labels. There’s no limit to how many labels you can make. Return Labels saves them so you can print them again any time. The app is available on the Mac App Store for US$4.99.

Here are the latest iOS apps. You can find them at the Apple App Store. Ryan Reynolds has announced Space Stack. It's a free, arcade-style game title that tests a player's timing and precision. It features 16 rounds of gameplay and presents you with a neon colored pyramid split into individual "stacks," with a single stack moving across the screen at all times. The game has only one direction: tap the screen to stop the stack. Pixel Trap has released Might Adventure. The US$2.99 app is a platformer cross with an action adventure runner. Players control three jumping friends across a quest through 40 magical levels and four worlds. Dim Sum Lab has introduced Sir Tapalot. In the free game, you play as the title character, fighting obese sprouts, sock puppets, alien species, ninjas, and other fear-mongering characters. Good.Co, has launched Journey, a free app that provides quizzes and assessments "for users to uncover the many different layers of their personalities." Karl Traunmuller...

SoundSight Headphones (SoundSightHeadphones.com) has announced what is says is the world’s first video recording headphones. Developed for iOS and devices, it allows you to record, video, edit, mix your music and video, and share the results. Features include: patent pending video recording and audio technology; the ability to record in up to1080 HD resolution; Hi-Fi studio sound with noise cancellation; USB audio out; the ability clip and mix your music for video content through the SoundSight app; a ColorTune feature to auto-suggest by matching video colors to music notes with a touch of the hand; and the ability to edit, trim and apply film look filters. SoundSight will sell a limited run of units priced at US$349 a pair, before the official release in spring of 2015 when the headphones will retail for $499 a pair.

Apple has released iTunes 11.3 for Mac OS X and Window. The update adds support for iTunes Extras in HD movies. With iTunes Extras, viewers can see cast interviews, exclusive clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and photo galleries along with a movie. HD movie extras are available on the Apple TV set-top box for those who've updated it with Software Update 6.2. HD movie extras support will come to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch when iOS 8 is released this fall. iTunes is free and available for download at the Mac App Store. The 11.3 update can be installed via the OS X System Preference's Software Update app.

Conner Productions (http://www.connerpro.com) has released Billow, a free Apple Free Final Cut Pro X template that features a billowing smoke effect and organic lights, coming together to make an introduction title. Using FCP X's customization options, you can customize the color of the smoke, the orientation of the effect, text size, and more. It's also possible to use a custom Drop Zone, allowing users to use images and logos instead of text. Billow was designed using Apple's Motion 5, and features organic lights, advanced compositing, natural film grain, and coloring effects. Conner Productions is offering Billow as a free download. It's fully compatible with Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5. There is no watermark and the title template is fully functional and customizable without limitations.

Here are the latest iOS apps. You can find them at the Apple App Store. Vision Genesis has published Daughters Of Zion Magazine for iPad, a digital Christian magazine that is published monthly on the Apple Newsstand. The magazine — which costs US$3.99 per issue — covers everything from parenting, dietary, health issues, relationship advice, motivational articles, encouraging words, and life transforming messages. Anuman Interactive has announced a "freemium" version of Gods vs. Humans. In the game, humans build a 10-story tower up to the world of the Gods. You embody one of the 20 gods or goddesses (four of them are hidden) to foil their bold attempt and stop them from getting into your world. OmNom Apps has released Word Search Master 1.0. It's a free app that offers an "elegant and fun way to search for words."

D-Link (http://www.dlink.com) has announced the DAP-2660, an US$229.99, 802.11ac wireless access point. Packaged in a low profile white housing, the DAP-2660 is designed for ceiling or wall mount applications in schools, office buildings, hospitals, government facilities, hotels, and more.   The DAP-2660 delivers wireless performance using the latest 802.11ac standard, with maximum wireless signal rates of up to 300 Mbps using the 2.4GHz band, and 867 Mbps using the 5 GHz band.   The DAP-2660 has internal antennas, is easy to install and can be powered using the included AC to DC adapter or directly via the network cable using Power over Ethernet from any switch or midspan injector that supports IEEE 802.3af, according to Steven Olen, director of product marketing, D-Link Systems. 

Thecus Technology Corp. has announced firmware enhancements on all consumer and enterprise NAS models. The company says updates to ThecusOS 5 and 6 mean enhanced capability and security across the entire Thecus NAS lineup. For the N2310, ThecusOS 6 is upgraded to offer multiple RAID volumes and RAID Encryption. Updates for the 2-bay N2520 and N2560 as well as the 4-bay N4520 and N4560 models offer enhanced UPS support and multiple RAID volumes. In addition, OpenSSL updates and bug fixes enhance security and reliability of these consumer and SOHO Thecus NAS models, according to the folks at Thecus. SMB NAS models such as the 7-bay N7710-G now support even more enterprise-class storage features with this latest firmware for ThecusOS 5. These features include updated OpenSSL for improved security and enhanced compatibility for numerous UPS. In addition, a beta update is available featuring Btrfs Snapshots for better backup capability and ESXi VAAI, enhancing virtualization performance by...

Insider Software (http://www.insidersoftware.com) has launched FontAgent Pro 6.2, an update to its USS$99.95, professional font manager for Mac OS X. FontAgent Pro provides a complete font management system that integrates diagnostics, repair, font selection, font book creation, and design tools in a powerful, yet simple application for creative professionals. New features in version 6.2 include: ° Auto-activation in Adobe Creative Cloud and Suite apps including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and   InCopy, as well as in QuarkXpress; ° Workflow Center for organizing, launching and updating automatic scripts; ° Smasher 3 software that provides automatic "set and forget" font, print and application cache maintenance; ° 1,350+ downloadable, verified, print and web fonts; ° Keyword-search engine for finding local and Internet fonts simultaneously. FontAgent Pro 6.2 — which works with Mac OS X 10.7 or higher — is free to all licensed users of FontAgent Pro 6 and FontAgent Pro CloudServer...

Intego, a provider of security products built exclusively for Mac users, has released Washing Machine 10.8.4 for Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. The upgrade enhances the functionality of the Duplicate cycle. Mac Washing Machine version 10.8.4 gives you more options for finding, verifying and selecting duplicate files. The app: ° Seeks out files the user no longer uses or needs and quickly cleans them from their machine, freeing up gigabytes of space and increasing Mac performance. These files include downloads, caches, logs and trash. ° Identifies duplicate files by analyzing the bits, and lets the user select which versions to remove. ° Creates Smart Folders. Smart Folders offer quick access to frequently used files and applications. Smart Folders can be added to Finder favorites. ° Shows what apps are used the most (or least) and allows the user to quickly drag the apps to or from the Dock. ° Moves files on the desktop to the appropriate finder folders or the trash. Washing Machine 2014 is...

Here are the latest iOS apps. You can find them at the Apple App Store. Peter Fischer has announced ClipUp. Originally developed for "on the go" investigative journalists the US$1.99 app is for anyone in need of organizational help, memory assistance and creative inspiration. Local Search Corp. has released 411.ca. The fee app lets users get the 411 in their neighborhood and explore popular local businesses, search for businesses via categories, filter searches to refine results, read reviews, access zoom-able maps and get directions, perform a Canada whitepage directory search, see "who called" via the reverse number look-up, and browse their search history. Mutlu Creative has introduced A Life Worth Dying. In the $2.99 memory game, you're about to die. Your goal is to remember a sequence of cues. If you can recall them correctly, you will trigger short video flashbacks. The videos are part of core gameplay, not just for cinematic effect.

mophie has announced a 64GB version of its Space Pack for iPhone 5/5s. It's available for pre-sale on mophie.com for US$249.95 and is due to ship by end of July. The folks at mophie claim the Space pack is the world’s first smartphone case with built-in storage for iPhone 5s/5, with 2GB and 16GB models having launched earlier this year. The 64GB model not only doubles the battery of iPhone 5/5s, but increases storage capacity, allowing users to keep more documents, videos (up to 28 hours), music (up to 18,000 songs) and photos (up to 32,000) than ever before. Available in soft touch black, the 64GB space pack uses a free iOS app — Space )(available at the Apple App Store) to access content within the Space Pack, allowing users to manage all their files via a local file management experience that doesn't depend on network or WiFi access.

Abacus has released Image Viewer 1.7, an upgrade of the Mac OS X app for viewing images and photos for an entire library. Users can open a file and then view all image files in that folder by clicking the mouse or pressing the keyboard. Version 1.7 adds the ability to delete via Move to Trash in menus and via Command-D. It also improvers performance. 
Image Viewer require Mac OX 10.7 or later. It's available at the Mac App Store for US$0.99. Go to http://abacusindustriesinc.com for more info.

Apple has updated iMovie for Mac OS X to version 10.0.4. It includes stability improvements and resolves issues that could cause it to quit unexpectedly. iMovie 10.0.4 is a free update for registered users. For new users the cost is US$14.99. It requires Mac OS X 10.9.2 and higher and is available at the Mac App Store.

Here are the latest iOS apps. You can find them at the Apple App Store. Fairytale Studios has released Preschool Aquarium. The US$0.99 app incorporates learning games designed bypreschool teachers and early learning psychologists. Corsegames has announced 2014 Soccer Triva. It's a free game (though it has in-app purchases and upgrades) that offers lots of soccer trivia questions. AweSoft has introduced AweNote 1.0 for the iPad. It's a $9.99 note taking application with features such as stylus note, text note, audio and video note, plus a range of built-in library of basic figures. Linkyun Game has launched Find Hidden Money. The free (for a limited time) game lets you "travel the five continents and pick up money in over 50 must-see sites all over the world." Joerg Piringer has unveiled unimator. It's a $0.99 text and sign animation app that lets you create quick text and sign animations.

Softobe has introduced PageMeUp 1.0.2 (http://tinyurl.com/ozgvtyr), an update of its layout editor for Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. It's a maintenance release with bug fixes and improvements. With PageMeUp, you create a document, choose its page format, size and background color, set the margins, bleed, custom guides, rows and columns and even apply RGB or CMYK ICC color profiles. Then you can drag, import or paste images and text onto the PageMeUp document and place/resize them on the page. A snap assistant helps you align the boxes on the page. You can edit and format your text, scale the images (custom, fit, fill), apply shadow, fill or gradient background, border, mask, rotation, opacity, flip, web links, page HTML metadata. Finally, you can print or export your work in PDF, HTML, TIFF, PNG or JPG formats with custom resolution, compression and ICC profile. PageMeUp is available as a full-featured demo. A single user license costs US$24. Version 1.0.2 is a free update for registered...

50 Cent's audio brand, SMS Audio, has announced availability of its Sports Collection. Endorsed by investor and partner, Carmelo Anthony, each pair features sweat-repelling nano technology to safeguard against moisture and withstand against extreme weather. The On-Ear Wired Sport (http://bit.ly/1mlZUhE) is foldable with perforated leather memory foam for breathability, a sweat-proof chamber within the ear cup and rubberized coating to resist chipping and scratches. Pictured, It has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$179.95. The $79.95 In-Ear Wired Sport (http://bit.ly/1oS2Pjx) features a stay-put, ear-hook design, tangle-free cord with three-click mic, and extra hooks and sound-isolation ear tips. The $229.95 On-Ear Wireless Sport (http://bit.ly/1xay6B5) has Bluetooth connectivity with on-ear control, a perforated leather memory foam for breathability, a sweat-proof chamber within the ear cup and rubberized coating to resist chipping and scratches. MSRP $229.95. The $149.95...

St. Clair Software has delivered Default Folder X 4.6.6, an update to their utility for Mac OS X. The Command-D keyboard shortcut now takes you to the Desktop instead of invoking the Duplicate command. Default Folder X enhances the file dialogs in all Mac OS X applications. Its custom keyboard shortcuts put your favorite and recent folders at your fingertips. It provides fast navigation to your files, convenient previews, integrated Spotlight tagging, and more. Default Folder X 4.6.5 is a free update for existing version 4 users. It costs US$34.95 for new users. Go to http://tinyurl.com/l5wtxoj for more info.

Times for Fun (www.timesforfun.de) has announced an updated release of FastCut 3.1.2 RT, its video editor for Mac OS X. The software provides 3D motion & effects keyframe animation, masking and keying, video transition and filter+special effects, an integrated ATSUI live title editor with title effects and more. Version 3.1.2 brings several new enhancements and bug fixes, including an issue with the threshold plugin. It also sports a new app icon. FastCut RT 3.1.2 requires Mac OS X 10.4 and costs approximately US$33. A demo is available for download. Version is a free update for registered users of FastCut 3 RT.

Addonics Technologies has announced the Internal GigaNAS Adapter, a solution for custom building your own high capacity network attached storage system, including private cloud storage. It's compatible with Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux 2.6.x and higher. The new adapter is designed to mount into a PCI slot of a desktop computer, server or a storage chassis with a centronic 50 connector cutout. With two SATA ports and one USB port, the new adapter  allows you to share up to 16 hard drives over a LAN with as much as 16TB per drive volume and up to 85MB/sec. transfer rate over a 1G network. The Internal GigaNAS Adapter is priced from $95. Go to http://www.addonics.com/products/nas4rm.php for more info.