When a company goes public, early investors and company insiders are usually forbidden to sell their shares for a predetermined amount of time. When this so called lock-up period, usually 90 to 180 days long, expires and trading restrictions are removed, stocks typically fall as early investors are keen to cash in on their investments. The latest company to suffer such a sell-off is Twitter. On Tuesday, the company's lock-up period expired and despite prior claims of major shareholders not to sell, the company's stock price dropped like a rock during Tuesday's trading. At the end of the day, the stock had slipped almost 18% to close at an all-time low of US$31.85. No rule comes without exceptions though: In November 2012, when millions of Facebook shares became eligible for trading, many had expected the stock to take a nose dive after its rocky start to public trading. In the end the opposite happened: Facebook's shares climbed 12.6% marking the starting point of a rally that saw...

Belkin has released the US$99.99 QODE Thin Type for iPad Air (http://tinyurl.com/n7pb4k8). The keyboard features smart sensing technology that automatically turns it on when it's opened and off when it's closed. 
The QODE Thin Type also sports iOS-specific keys. It's made of anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum in a solid unibody design. The QODE Thin Type features Belkin’s TruType technology for a typing experience similar to that of a full-sized laptop. The keyboard offers up to 79 hours of active battery life and pairs with a one-touch Bluetooth key.

Padcaster is now shipping the Padcaster Air case, which transforms an iPad Air into an on-the-go video production studio. It's designed for both professional and amateur videographers. 
The Padcaster Air is an aluminum frame with an urethane insert that holds the Apple tablet in place. The frame can also be used as a standalone DSRL cage. Threaded holes lining the edges of the frame allow filmmakers to attach external mics, lights and other accessories. A standard -20 screw thread and locking pin design centered on the bottom of the Padcaster Air lets users connect it to a tripod, monopod or shoulder mount. The Padcaster comes in versions for the iPad 2, iPad third and fourth generations, and iPad Air. It is now available online (http://thepadcaster.com/) for US$149 (the original Padcaster) or $159 (the Padcaster Air). There's also a $99 version for an iPad mini.

Here are some of the latest product updates for Mac OS X. ° SubRosaSoft (www.subrosasoft.com) has announced FileSalvage 8, an update of its data recovery tool. The upgrade sports a new user interface and support for OS X Mavericks. FileSalvage 8 also has an improved integrated file preview. Whether you're searching for a PDF, or a Word document, the app will allow you to quickly inspect the initial scan result for the files you need back. FileSalvage 8 has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$89.95. Owners of FileSalvage 7 can upgrade for $29.95.

Harvard’s Institute of Politics conducted a national poll among more than 3,000 18- to 29-year-olds, covering topics that range from political views to the use of social media. 
This Statistica chart shows the percentage of respondents who have an account on a number of social platforms. The chart makes it very clear that, despite claims that Facebook is losing its appeal with the youth, it is still the most-used social platform among young adults by a wide margin.

Miln has launched Movie Splitter (http://miln.eu/moviesplitter/) for Mac OS X. The US$4.99 app splits movie files into smaller pieces for easier editing and sharing. Movie Splitter automatically detects chapter information embedded within a movie. It's designed for owners of Canon cameras with Hybrid Auto movie digest support . Movie Splitter takes advantage of a Mac's multiple operating cores and queues up movies for splitting in the background. It requires Mac OS X 10.9 or higher and is available at the Mac App Store in the Video category.

D-Link has announced the Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W215), its first product in a new line of Connected Home solutions designed to bring the convenience and flexibility of mydlink to everyday household electronic devices. The compact Wi-Fi Smart Plug allows users to monitor and control their home’s electronic devices from anywhere. Using the free mydlink app for iOS and Android smartphones or tablets, users can set power on/off schedules, turn devices on and off remotely and monitor energy usage at home or on-the-go.   With power scheduling features, the mydlink app can be used to create on/off schedules for home appliances and devices. The Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W215) is available for US$49.99 (EDLP).Go to www.dlink.com/dsp-w215 for more info.

FileMaker has announced a Buy One FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced, Give One Free promotion, a limited-time offer that allows those who purchase FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced (US$549) to receive a second downloadable copy for free from FileMaker. FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced, which includes everything in FileMaker Pro 13 plus a suite of advanced development and customization tools, lets you create and use custom business solutions that run on iPads, iPhones, Windows, Macs and the web. The offer applies only to FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced and is limited to one gift request per person, per household and per company between now and June 10, 2014. The promotion is valid for the downloadable versions of this product purchased from the FileMaker Store. This free version is a fully working, not-for-resale version of FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced for Windows or Mac. The offer is not valid in connection with any other rebates, discounts or promotions. Go to http://tinyurl.com/mgfsxmr for details.

Feral Interactive says LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will be released on the Mac May 8. The action adventure game will cost US$19.99 and will be available through Steam, the Mac App Store, the Feral Online Store, and third party sites. Here's how the game is described: "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes has more than 100 Marvel characters from Spider-Man to Captain America and the Hulk. The game is packed with a myriad of character abilities, combat-like action sequences, puzzle-solving, and legendary battle sequences, all in a fun and family friendly environment for every age." 
The game requires Mac OS X 10.8.5 or higher. Go to http://tinyurl.com/pbwoqgs for more info.

After extra deliberations, the jury in the Samsung-Apple legal battle over patent infringement awarded Apple another US$4 million in damages, notes "electronista" (http://tinyurl.com/klhf6sn). However, the jury didn't change its original damages award ($119.5 million). The jury handed back a verdict in the legal battle over patent infringement on Friday. The jury decided that Samsung must pay Apple US$119.6 million for infringing some of its patents, while Apple owes Samsung $158,400 for infringing some of its patents.

The Chinese smartphone market continues to play by its own rules according to data released by the Hong Kong based research firm Counterpoint. While most other smartphone markets are dominated by Samsung and Apple, the Chinese market, while also led by Samsung, is pretty evenly distributed between Samsung, Apple and a handful of domestic vendors. Chinese manufacturers such as Lenovo, Xiaomi and Coolpad are quickly gaining market share with handsets sold at prices that the international competition, Apple in particular, finds hard if not impossible to match. The accompanying graphic is courtesy of Statistica.com.

A California jury will enter another day of deliberations today in an effort to reach a verdict in the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Samsung, reports the Associated Press (http://tinyurl.com/nfbkazy). The four men and four women left the federal courthouse in San Jose on Thursday after a full day of deliberations, the article adds. They began deliberations after a month-long trial. This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied the slide-to-unlock technology of its iPhone and iPad devices.

MakeMusic has released PrintMusic 2014 (finalemusic.com/printmusic), a new version of the music notation software. Based on Finale, the updated version offers support for current operating systems, and file compatibility with Finale 2012, Finale 2014, and future versions of Finale. Finale PrintMusic offers the essential features of Finale for US$119.95 (upgrades from previous versions are $39.95). Notes can be entered with a computer keyboard, a MIDI keyboard, and by scanning existing sheet music. Orchestrations of up to 24 staves can be created, and individual instrument parts can be extracted. PrintMusic offers high-quality playback with built-in sounds, support for additional VST/AU instruments and MakeMusic’s exclusive Human Playback. In addition to printing sheet music, PrintMusic can also create audio and graphic files, Finale files (which can be shared with all Finale products, including the free Finale Notepad) as well as MIDI and MusicXML, which can be shared with other...

Econ Technologies (econtechnologies.com) has updated ChronoAgent for Mac to version 1.4.6 and released ChronoSync 4.5 public beta. The ChronoAgent update includes several fixes and support for the upcoming release of ChronoSync 4.5. 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. ChronoAgent 1.4.6 fixes include an issue waking a Mac from sleep to synchronize, online help system display problems, and a bug where ChronoAgent would loose connection with ChronoSync. This update also includes support for the upcoming release of ChronoSync 4.5 which will introduce a completely new Document...

ATTO Technology is shipping its 12Gb ExpressSAS SAS/SATA Host Bus Adapter (HBA). The 12Gb ExpressSAS (http://tinyurl.com/mng7efy) provides "fast and reliable storage connectivity while enabling scalability for next generation platforms and infrastructures," says Wayne Arvidson of ATTO. It's optimized for low latency and high bandwidth data transfer. The 12Gb ExpressSAS HBA offers eight or 16 port configurations, providing up to 1,200 MB/second per port. It connects to disks, JBOD, and RAID storage.

A new infographic released by ComputerSupport.com shows that cloud adoption rates are on the rise, echoing predictions throughout the technology and business sectors over the past couple of years. The infographic demonstrates that not only is the presence of cloud hosting increasing, but many people are enthusiastic enough about the cloud to recommend it to their peers. The infographic is based on a Microsoft study, which gauged cloud adoption rates among a wide range of organizations, found that the vast majority of organizations of all sizes use both Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and hosted infrastructure services. Both SaaS and hosted infrastructure services are currently being used most by organizations with less than 100 employees. Government and Education leads in outsourcing, with more than 60% of organizations reporting participation. This sector is also more likely to utilize Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). Small businesses lead in utilizing colocation services, which has...

M4VGear has released DRM Media Converter 1.0.7, an update to their DRM remover for Mac OS X. DRM Media Converter helps you remove DRM from iTunes purchases and rentals with subtitles preserved. Version 1.0.7 includes AppleScript and Automator support. It also enhances output video streaming on the Apple TV and Plex Media Server. M4VGear DRM Media Converter requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher and iTunes 11 or later and costs US $49.95. It's available at http://www.m4vgear.com/ .

Twitter's user growth is tapering off alarmingly quickly. With an active user base of now 255 million monthly active users, the apparent deceleration of Twitter’s growth suggests that the service will have a very hard time coming close to Facebook’s user base. Today's graph is courtesy of Statistica.com .

Red Giant Universe is a new community with access to an expanding library of new tools and effects for filmmakers & motion graphic artists. Membership in Red Giant Universe is free and allows members to take control of the future of Universe development. Available now are 50 free and premium visual effects plug-ins built on the Supernova platform. All the tools in Red Giant Universe exploit the power of modern GPU to render most effects in near real-time, according to Sean Safreed, co-founder and lead visionary behind Universe. Free membership includes the use of 31 effects and transitions, including blurs, glows, distortion, generators and 3D transitions. Tools in the free membership include transitions such as Swish Pan and 3D Shutter, as well as the Glo-Fi that creates pulsating, multi-hued glows for titling. Premium membership includes access to 19 tools, such as Knoll Light Factory EZ, Holomatrix, ToonIt (powered by Toonamation), and Retrograde, from CrumplePop and Red...

Revel Systems, which specializes in iPad POS solutions, has introduced a new hardware and software product bundle aimed at providing technology features for the visually impaired. The inherent touchscreen nature of iPad POS terminals are without tactile qualities, making them not fully accessible and independently usable by the visually impaired. Revel's new accessibility bundle allows its merchants and customers of restaurants, grocery stores, retailers and quick-serve establishments, to use Revel's platform. With the Revel Accessibility App, employees and customers have full access to the Revel back-end system as well as menu items, including the ability to add items to an order, add discounts to an order, pay with credit card or cash, delete items and even add modifiers to products. Through the tactile Bluetooth keyboard linked with the Revel Accessibility Mode, which makes commands audible, the new accessibility bundle allows all blind and visually impaired business owners,...

Pocket Mariner has launched a Mac OS X version of its SeaNav charting app. It allows Mac users to explore, plan, and navigate their trips in real time. SeaNav shows ship positions via Pocket Mariner's Internet AIS feed. Sailors using SeaNav on their Macs will enjoy plotting their courses using full color high-resolution graphics of the latest NOAA ENC Digital Vector Marine charts covering the USA, including the Great Lakes. 
SeaNav is available at the Mac App Store for US$19.99 and requires Mac OS X 10.9 or later. Go to http://www.pocketmariner.com for more info.

iwaxx has announced Debookee 3.0.1 for OS X, an update to their packet-capture tool and network analyzer. Debookee intercepts and reports traffic from any device currently on a network, including an iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, Mac, and others. Users are able to analyze the traffic of devices that cannot support packet-capture, such as mobile, tablets, etc. Debookee 3.0.1 features real-time packet capture analysis to extract requests details such as HTTP, DNS, TCP, DHCP and SIP. Debookee 3.0.1 is free to download from the iwaxx website (http://www.iwaxx.com). The free version of Debookee includes the full evaluation with all features but hides some results of the analysis. The full version of Debookee that enables the viewing of all results is available for US$29.90

Since many private startups decided to put off their IPOs and opt for larger rounds of financing, more than 30 companies are now valued at US$1 billion or more. You'll find the top 10 in our chart of today. The chart is furnished by Statistica.com.

Native Instruments has released LUCID MISSION, the latest addition to the MASCHINE Expansion range. It contains elevating kits, presets, and projects ready for instant use with the entire MASCHINE family. LUCID MISSION is available now at the NI Online Shop and runs in MASCHINE 2 software. A compact version for iMASCHINE is also available for purchase via the in-app store. LUCID MISSION contains a selection of eight full projects, 40 drum kits, 32 Drum Synth presets, and 50 MASSIVE sounds. Exclusive to the expansion pack are 50 new MASSIVE presets that cover a spectrum of sounds from leads, plucks, and basses to solid bass drums and percussion. A special kit consisting only of MASSIVE lead sounds with a multitude of variations allows on-the-fly sound tweaking and quick-access workflow. LUCID MISSION is available now at the NI Online Shop for US$49 and runs in MASCHINE 2.0. The iMASCHINE Expansion is available for download in-app through the Apple App Store for $0.99. Go to www.native...