CalDigit debuts Thunderbolt 2 RAID storage solution
CalDigit has announced the CalDigit T4 Thunderbolt 2 RAID storage solution for creative professionals. IT will be available in two versions.
Both versions feature dual Thunderbolt 2 ports for integration into any 4K post-production workflow. The T4 R is a RAID 0, 1, 5 and JBOD solution on the market. The device is predominantly intended to be used as a RAID 5 solution.
The T4 J is a RAID 0, 1 and JBOD solution. The T4 J is intended for users who either need outstanding performance (RAID 0) or a flexible JBOD device.
Both units fully support both 3.5-inch HDDs for up to 16TB of capacity, and SSDs for up to 4TB of capacity. Both units also have hot-swappable drives that can be used with CalDigit’s other storage solutions such as the CalDigit T3 and AV Pro.
The CalDigit T4 will be available in the third quarter of 2014 from the CalDigit Online Store and CalDigit Resellers worldwide. Pricing for the CalDigit T4 J starts at US$699 for 4TB. The T4 R starts at $799 for 4TB. Go to www....
EditShare's MAM, Ark solutions now integrate with iAvid...
EditShare says its Flow Media Asset Management (MAM) and Ark archiving/backup solutions now now integrate with the Avid ISIS 5500/5000 and 7500/7000 shared storage families. The new integration lets Avid ISIS facilities add EditShare asset management, ingest and archiving tools to their workflow.
EditShare Flow’s integrated asset management and ingest capabilities turn Avid or EditShare storage systems into end-to-end file-based workflow solutions. Ark Tape provides an integrated solution for customers who want to have a safe copy of their media that can be transported off-site — or for those who want an easy and energy-efficient solution for archiving media and projects from their Avid or EditShare storage systems.
Ark Disk is based on hard disks that are spinning all the time. Go to www.editshare.com for more info.
JMR ProBracket for the Mac Pro debuts at NAB
JMR Electronics is debuting its ProBracket family mounting hardware for Apple's 2013 Mac Pro at this week's National Association of Broadcasts (NAB) show. The American-made mourning brackets allow the pro desktop to be securely installed under a desk, aside a desk pedestal, to a wall, or into a rack cabinet.
The mounts let you mount the Mac Pro with its I-O ports available or hidden. Each mount includes cable management and secure integrated straps that hold the computer in place. Rubberized gasketed surfaces protect the Mac Pro from migration and scratches.
Each ProBracket is finished in high gloss, black, baked-on power coating over 18-gauge galvanized steel. Prices start atUS$79. Go to www.jmr.com for more info.
Seagate ships 'world's fastest' 6TB drive
Seagate is shipping what it says is the "world's fastest" drive for scale-out, cloud-based data centers. It's the 6TB hard disk drive dubbed the Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD v4.
Scott Horn, Seagate's vice president of marketing, says the drive enables faster data transfers by building on an eight-generation platform that lets it deliver up to a 25% increase in performance over competing 6TB drives. The Enterprise Drive utilizes the latest generation of 12Gb/s SAS and is also available in an enterprise-ready SATA 6Gb/s interface for simplified system integration.
The drive is shipping to select Seagate Cloud partners and resellers. It will also be integrated into Seagate's branded storage products later this spring. Go to http://seagate.com/www/6TB_Drive for more info.
Autodesk unveils Smoke 2015 for the Mac
Autodesk is unveiling Smoke 2015, the latest version of its professional video editing software, at this week's National Association of Broadcasts (NAB) show. In addition to new creative tools and performance enhancements, the software will now be available as a desktop subscription so customers can use it on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Smoke 2015 offers improved workflows with tools such as Final Cut Pro. It features 3D Tracker, a new Timeline FX workflow, added hardware support, and optimization for the new Mac Pro running Mac OS X Mavericks.
Smoke will soon be available via monthly, quarterly, and annual Autodesk desktop subscription plans. Customers who commit for more than a year save more than US$500. Subscription pricing will be available starting May 8 on the Autodesk eStore for $195 SRP/month, $545 SRP/quarter, and $1,750 SRP/year.
Tension Software announces Precise Screenshot 1.2
Here are some of the latest incremental product updates for Mac OS X.
° Tension Software (www.tensionsoftware.com) has updated Precise Screenshot, its Mac OS X tool for taking screen shots, to version 1.2.
The upgrade's status menu now offers a visual feedback for the timer and for when you're taking screenshots. Also, user-saved shot sizes are now sorted by area.
Precise Screenshot requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. It costs US$5 and is available at the Mac App Store.
FXHome announces HitFilm plug-ins for Final Cut Pro X, After...
FXHome has announced that many of its VFX, compositing, motion graphics, and grading effects will soon be available for the first time for Final Cut Pro X, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, and Apple Motion. They take the effects present in HitFilm 2 Ultimate to multiple platforms.
The plug-ins range from visual effects and professional green screening to procedural motion graphics and cinematic color grading. They'll be available starting April 16 for US$499. Go to FXHome.com for more info.
NAB: LaCie announces new Thunderbolt 2 storage solutions
At this week's National Association of Broadcasts (NAB) event, LaCie is announcing three new storage solutions featuring Thunderbolt 2 technology: The LaCie 8big Rack, 5big, and 2big.
The LaCie 8big Rack Thunderbolt 2 is the company’s first Thunderbolt 2 rackmount storage solution. It sports up to eight 6TB 7200RPM hard drives from Seagate for 48TB in an 1U size.
Now featuring Thunderbolt 2 technology, hardware RAID 5 and industry-leading capacity, the new LaCie 5big is nearly two times faster — delivering speeds of up to 1050MB/s. Thanks to Seagate’s new 6TB 7200RPM hard drives, it boasts a 20% capacity increase, which makes it the most compact 30TB storage device on the market. With these advances, the new LaCie 5big gives video professionals huge capacity and ample bandwidth for improving 4K workflows – right on the desktop.
The new LaCie 2big boasts a host of features including Thunderbolt 2 technology, hardware RAID and a new industrial design. It boasts speeds of up to 420MB/s...
ArtistInfo for Mac visualizes relationships among musicians
Metason has released ArtistInfo for Mac OS X. It's an app that consolidates information on musicians, music groups, producers and composers.
It's designed to enrich music played in iTunes, as well as aiding your search for info on artists and albums. It includes visualizations of networks among musicians.
ArtistInfo features background info formerly found on album covers and in CD booklets. It requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. It's available for US$5.99 at the mac App Store. For more info go to http://www.metason.net .
DRPU releases Bulk SMS for Mac OS X
DRPU has released Bulk SMS for the Mac. It lets you send an unlimited number of text messages from your computer to mobile phones.
Bulk SMS works with all commonly used GSM, Android and Windows-based mobile phones to transmit text messages from anywhere without an Internet connection. It costs US$69.
Disksomnia 4.0 for Mac OS X gets rewritten menu bar
Digital Heaven has announced Disksomnia 4.0, an upgrade of their Mac OS X utility that stops hard disks from going to sleep. The new version sports a completely rewritten menu bar that works in the background to keep disks awake, even those that ignore Energy Saver preferences.
Disksomnia 4.0 requires Mac OS X 10.7.3 or higher. It costs US$9.99 and is available at the Mac App Store. Go to http://tinyurl.com/nx7ekh for more info.
PDF Signet for Mac OS X revved to version 1.3
Vaclav Slavik has announced PDF Signet 1.3, an update to his productivity app for OS X. PDF Signet is a tool for digitally signing PDF documents with certificates.
The new version adds compatibility with smartcards and eToken devices, enabling users to sign documents safely and securely. PDF Signet uses OS X technologies such as Keychain, Services, Automator and AppleScript.
PDF Signet 1.3 is US$9.99 and available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. Go to http://pdfsignet.com for more info.
Maintain serves up Cocktail 6.8.6 (Mountain Lion Edition)
Maintain has released Cocktail 6.8.1 (Mountain Lion Edition), the latest maintenance update for users running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. This version ability to clear saved application states and the "Utilities" menu that allows quick access to miscellaneous utilities and assistants. It also contains improvements on the "Search for corrupted preference files" procedure.
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets users clean, repair and optimize their Mac. It requires OS X Mountain Lion or OS X Mountain Lion Server (10.8). Cocktail (Lion Edition) for OS X 10.7, Cocktail (Snow Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.6 and Cocktail (Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.5 are available for download from the Maintain website.
Cocktail costs US$19 for a single user license and is available for purchase from the Maintain website (http://maintain.se/cocktail). The license is valid for Mountain Lion, Lion and Snow Leopard and editions of Cocktail. Cocktail (Leopard Edition) is distributed as freeware...
The radio trumps online services for music discovery
When it comes to discovering new music nothing beats the good old radio. That's according to the results of an Edison Research survey which finds that 35% of Americans, who try to keep up with the latest music, consider FM/AM radio their number one source to keep up with the latest trends.
Personal recommendations are also popular when it comes to music, with 21% of the respondents mostly relying on their social circle to stay up-to-date. Among the plethora of online music services, surprisingly, YouTube is the most important one for music discovery, 9% of the respondents find new tunes on Google's video portal. The chart is provided by Statistica (http://tinyurl.com/n4eqls8).
Apple, Microsoft, others partner for PAI group
A diverse group of g companies — including Apple, DuPont, Ford, GE, IBM, Microsoft and Pfizer — have launched the Partnership for American Innovation (PAI) to safeguard America’s position as a global innovation leader. Former U.S. Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) Director David Kappos, now a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, is a senior advisor to the group.
"As director of the USPTO, I saw firsthand the significant role the patent system plays in encouraging inventors, promoting investment in innovation, and creating jobs," Kappos says. "Now is not the time to gamble with America’s innovation engine — once patent protections are eliminated, they cannot be restored."
He adds that the members of the PAI are committed to the following principles:
° The American economy is best served by a strong patent system that protects high-quality innovation in all fields of technology.
° It is critical to our global economy that IP is respected by all participants in the system.
° The USPTO...
Lenmar introduces ChugPlug, an external portable power pack for...
Lenmar Enterprises has released the ChugPlug, a portable power pack and battery charger for the MacBook. It's designed for the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Marty Goldberg, president of Lenmar Enterprises, says the ChugPlug provides an additional three hours of power for the 13-inch MacBook Pro and four hours for the MacBook Air. It's designed to be the same height and weight of Apple's 60-watt MagSafe and connects with the MacBook power adapter.
The ChugPlug is available now for pre-order at a retail price of US$159.99 and will begin shipping mid-April. For more info go to www.lenmar.com/chugplug .
Apple's WWDC 2014 kicks off June 2
Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 2 through June 6 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At this year’s five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X.
Apple says WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions, over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies and fine tune their apps, as well as the Apple Design Awards which showcase the best apps from the past year.
Developers can apply for tickets via the WWDC website (developer.apple.com/wwdc) now through Monday, April 7, at 10 a.m. (Pacific), and tickets will be issued to attendees through random selection. Developers will know their status by Monday, April 7 at 5.
There will also be 200 Student Scholarships available, giving students around the world the chance to earn a free ticket (developer.apple.com/wwdc/students). This year the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and its...
Product Manager for Mac OS X gets redesigned user interface
Tension Software (www.tensionsoftware.com) has launched Product Manager 2.0, an update of its Mac OS X app to manage company products from different standpoints. The new version has a redesigned user interface.
Product Manager is document based and can managed an "unlimited" number of documents, each with an "unlimited" number of products subdivided into families. Version 2.0 also adds a customized layout of values for any product, customizable label descriptions, and more.
Product Manager requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher and costs US$40. It's available from the Tension Software web site and the Mac App Store.
Graphic Node unveils a new suite for iWork
Graphic Node has expanded its assortment of iWork templates with the release of Suite for iWork. It features a mixture of 576 templates — from business proposals and newsletters to posters and certificates — for Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.
You can customize the templates to your requirements. Suite for iWork requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. It's available on the Mac App Store for US$$9.99. Go to http://graphicnode.com for more info.
Scourge: Outbreak now available on Steam for the Mac and PC
Tragnarion Studios says that Scourge: Outbreak, a futuristic, squad-based, third person shooter, is now available on Steam for the Mac and PC.
The game offers eight-player, player-vs.-player modes (DeathMatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag) in five maps. There's also a six hour-plus co-op campaign for four players in which each player has unique narrative elements.
The game is available in a variety of bundles. For more info go to http://store.steampowered.com/app/227560/ .
RunServer introduces Classic Solitaire for the Mac
RunServer has introduced Classic Solitaire for Mac OS X. It's a copy of the original Klondike Solitaire card game.
Classic Solitaire feels like the old game, but sports high resolution cards redraw for Retina displays. The game requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later and costs US$0.99.
It's available on the Mac App Store in the Games category. Go to http://runserver.net/apps/ for more info.
Are landline phones becoming endangered?
According to data provided by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (PDF), landline phones are gradually losing relevance in the United States. The CDC has tracked phone ownership by U.S. households as a by-product of its biannual National Health Survey since 2004.
Since then the percentage of households that have a landline phone has dropped from 92.7% to 58.1%t, while the percentage of households with cellphones only has risen from 5% to 39.4%. Go to http://tinyurl.com/nyrymwz for more info.
MacPaw releases Hider 2 for Mac OS X
MacPaw has released Hider 2 for Mac OS X. It's an app designed to keep your personal data safe.
Hider 2 both hides and encrypts (AES 256) all kinds of files and folders on your Mac. Hidden files can't be spotted by the Finder or Spotlight.
Hider 2 normally costs US$19.99, but is being offered at a special release price of $9.99. Go to http://tinyurl.com/mcat8rg for more info.
Mimecast brings its enterprise cloud services to Mac users
Mimecast — a cloud email security, archiving and continuity service —is bringing its enterprise products to Mac users via a native app, Mimecast for Mac.
The app lets enterprise users benefit from the cloud services previously only available for users of Microsoft Outlook for Windows or web portal users. Mimecast for Mac gives you access to your email when your primary services does down, spam management, and the ability to search everything in your personal email.
It also lets you send large files securely. Go to http://tinyurl.com/qelgbme for more info.
Quark launches Creative Pro Bundle offer
Quark Software Inc. has announced a special and limited-time offer to creative professionals who want to upgrade to QuarkXPress 10. Anyone who purchases QuarkXPress 10 as an upgrade or new full product will have the option to receive a bundle of tools for creative professionals worth more than US$1,000.
The new Creative Pro offer from Quark includes Markzware ID2Q XTension, Corel AfterShot Pro, Linotype FontExplorer X Pro, five professional Linotype OpenType Pro fonts and a copy of QuarkXPress 9, which allows users to open legacy files older than version 7. To learn more about the details and how to purchase the Go Pro bundle please visit: www.quark.com/CreativePro.
Sky Battles launching on Steam Greenlight
Magnetic Studio says its air combat game, Sky Battles, will launch on Stream Greenlight in mid-2014. It will be available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android platforms.
Here's how the game is described: "Sky Battles is a game where you battle against large iron beasts with different abilities. Krakens, dragons, robots and helicopters seek you out. Barrel roll, dodge, dive bomb and out wit these hellish behemoths.
"There are two game modes that will keep players entertained. The single player mode involves destroying large mechanical bosses and collecting gems, all within a limited time. Collect gems and destroy big bad bosses before time runs out. The online multiplayer modes allows players to dogfight against human opponents online. Multi-platform in multiplayer is supported, allowing PC players to combat against mobile based players. The games also has upgradable weapons like missiles, air mines and cloaking and fantastic dynamic environments."
Go to http://madpoet0204.tumblr.com/...
Red Giant announces BulletProof 1.2
Red Giant has announced BulletProof 1.2. The update brings more camera support and other improvements to the footage backup and preparation tool.
In addition to the current support for Canon and Nikon DSLRs and GoPro cameras, BulletProof now includes support for Panasonic and Sony DLSRs, and for the Canon C-series and XF-series cameras. The app is designed to solve several issues such as reliable back-up.
BulletProof 1.2 beta will be available soon, with a release in the second quarter for US$199. It's a free upgrade for existing users of BulletProof 1.0. Learn more at http://redgiant.com/bulletproof.
Splice 2 for Mac OS X gets new user interface
einstein's legacy has released Splice 2.0.1. Splice is a movie management utility for Mac OS X. Targeted to professionals and amateur video content creators, it's a tool for organizing and joining a collection of video clips together into a single movie.
The 2.0.1 update introduces an enhanced user interface, movie segmentation and content sharing via e-mail or popular internet services like Vimeo. Splice 2.0.1 requires Mac OS X 10.8.5 or higher.
It costs US$9.99 and is available at the Mac App Store. Go to http://www.einsteinslegacy.com for more info.
Apple updates iWork apps, Safari
Apple has updated its iWork apps for the Mac and for iCloud. It's also revved Safari.
Pages 5.2, Keynote 6.2, and Numbers 3.2 sport new templates, new effects and transitions, enhanced AppleScript support, as well as support for the "view only" setting for docs you share on iCloud. The iCloud version of the apps gets Retina display support and the ability to open iWork or Microsoft Office docs directly in iCloud Mail.
Apple has also released Safari 7.0.3. The new version of the web browser lets you turn off push notifications from specific websites and adds support for webpages with generic top-level domains. It also fixes some bugs and improves search functionality.
Imagineer Systems introduces Mochalmpot+ for Nuke
Imagineer Systems has released Mochalmport+ for Nuke. It allows visual effects artists to work on complex compositing and tracking projects using their "go to" visual effects apps.
Mochalmport+ offers a workflow between mocha and Nuke. NUKE products are compositing tools. You can learn more about them at http://tinyurl.com/otp92el . mocha products combine planar tracking with tools for roto, object removal, lens calibration, stabilization, and more.
MochaImport+ for NUKE is available for purchase through Imagineer Systems or aescripts + aeplugins for US$123. Go to http://tinyurl.com/nj6ua4x for more info.
Theme Inn launches templates for Microsoft Office for Mac
Theme Inn has unveiled a new suite of templates for use on Microsoft Office for the Mac. It sports 262 templates for Word, 30 spreadsheet templates for Excel, and 10 presentation themes for PowerPoint.
Suite for MS Office costs US$39.99. It's available at the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. Samples can be viewed at Theme Inn's website (www.themeinn.com).
VisionTek announces memory upgrades for the 2013 Mac Pro
VisionTek Products has announced high-performance Error Correcting Coe 1866MHz, quad-channel matched module memory upgrades up to 64MB for the 2013 Mac Pro. The company says their memory products can save you up to 36% on Apple's factory installed upgrades.
The upgrade options are:
° 16GB (1 x 16GB) PC3-14900 DDR3 1866MHz ECC RDIMM Module US$219.99;
° 32GB (2 x 16GB) PC3-14900 DDR3 1866MHz ECC RDIMM Kit $429.99;
° 48GB (3 x 16GB) PC3-14900 DDR3 1866MHz ECC RDIMM Kit $639.99;
° 64GB (4 x 16GB) PC3-14900 DDR3 1866MHz ECC RDIMM Kit $829.99.
Go to www.visiontek.com for more info.
iPad Air, iPad mini with LTE available in China
Apple has announced TD-LTE capable models of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display that bring LTE performance to customers in China.
They join TD-LTE also accommodate the TD-SCDMA mobile standard, and join existing iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display WLAN + Cellular models in support of Personal Hotspot connectivity and other advanced cellular technology (GSM/EDGE, DC-HSDPA, HSPA+) to provide Chinese customers cellular access to whichever iPad model they choose.
CleverFiles announces Disk Drill 2.2 (plus a special promotion)
CleverFiles (www.cleverfiles.com) has released Disk Drill 2.2, an update to its Mac OS X data recovery software.
Disk Drill allows you to save HFS+ metadata, preserve copies of trashed files, monitor internal and external drive S.M.A.R.T. status, and rescue files from almost any type of storage device. Version 2.2, a free upgrade to current users, adds partition rebuilding and recovery algorithms as well as adds a set of new file signatures to Deep Scan.
CleverFiles is offering a special, limited time promotion: simply mention Disk Drill on your Twitter or Facebook account to get a 30% discount or mention it on both and get 60% off. That brings the price of Disk Drill PRO to just $35.60 (USD). Click the Promotion box at the top of the Disk Drill homepage for more information.
einstein's legacy introduces MovieBriefs 1.0.1
einstein's legacy has announced MovieBriefs 1.0.1. It's an update of the Mac OS X video utility for creating image contact sheets from your movies by extracting up to 400 images and displaying them in an onscreen grid.
MovieBriefs, not only prints and exports overview images, but users may also create dynamic slide shows and share images via e-mail or with popular internet services like Facebook and Twitter. Version 1.0.1 contains: contact sheets, a time range slider that gives you control over what portion of the clip will be used to generate the contact sheet; slide show features; and more.
MovieBriefs 1.0.1 is available for US$9.99 from the Mac App Store (in the Video category). It requires Mac OS X 10.8.5 or higher. Go to http://www.einsteinslegacy.com for more info.
Red Giant announces upcoming Magic Bullet Looks 2.5
Red Giant has unveiled Magic Bullet Looks 2.5, an upcoming free update for current users of Looks and the Red Giant Color Suite. The free update includes new color correction tools, better previewing of presets, and a major bump in speed.
Magic Bullet Looks 2.5 will be available in Q2 as a free upgrade for current users of Magic Bullet Looks 2. Learn more about the Magic Bullet Looks 2.5 upgrade at http://redgiant.com/magicbulletupgrade.
Voxeet 3DHD audio service comes to the Mac
Starting April 2, immersive audio conferencing provider Voxeet will make available for the first time a Mac version of its free 3DHD wide band audio service. It will require Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks or later.
Originally designed for mobile devices, Voxeet's conference call service has been expanding its audio offering to laptops and desktop softphones. The latest version (2.0) also includes dial-in functionality that lets customers use public switched telephone network (PSTN) numbers in more than 40 countries. You can learn more at Voxeet.com.
LaCie Fuel for the iPad, Mac doubles storage capacity
LaCie (www.lacie.com) is doubling the capacity of its Fuel wireless drive for the iPad, iPhone or Mac. Next month it will be available in a 2TB model for US$249.99.
The Fuel provides wireless streaming of up to five devices without an Internet connection. It can create its own Wi-Fi network and act as a hotshot when connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
The Fuel is Airplay compatible, scan mirror content on a larger screen. It has a 10-hour battery life and works with the Seagate Media app that offers navigation of media libraries and documents on an iPad, iPhone, Android device, or Amazon Kindle.
30% of U.S. adults get news on Facebook
According to Pew Research's "State of the News Media," the role that social media plays in the spreading of news isn’t as big as many people tend to believe.
The only social network that is really relevant as a news source is Facebook with 30% of U.S. adults at least occasionally using it to get news. Social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are not only used to connect with friends and acquaintances, but also to stay on top of the endless stream of news we are exposed to online. However, not every social network doubles as a news aggregator, notes Statistica (http://tinyurl.com/lub2b7a).
PluralEyes to feature improved support for AVCHD cameras
Red Giant has previewed PluralEyes 3.5, an update to its Shooter Suite’s automated audio/video sync tool. The software analyzes the audio from all devices and automatically syncs them with the touch of a button.
Version 2.5 features improved support for AVCHD cameras, including support for spanned clips. In addition, PluralEyes’ Replace Audio feature now supports many more media types than before.
PluralEyes 3.5 beta will be available soon, with a release in the second quarter for $199. Existing users of PluralEyes qualify for a $79 upgrade. Customers who buy PluralEyes are eligible for a free PluralEyes 3.5 upgrade when it ships. Learn more at http://www.redgiant.com/products/all/pluraleyes/.
NeoFinder for Mac OS X gets a speed boost, more
Norbert M. Doerner has released a new version (6.5) of NeoFinder (formerly CDFinder) with a speed boost, the ability to catalog more media formats, native support for App Nap in Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the addition of catalog thumbnails for RED video files, and more.
NeoFinder is designed to make it easier to keep track of your digital files, photos, songs, movies, fonts on hard disks, USB sticks, server disks, Blu-ray disks, DVD-ROMs, CDs and other digital media. It generates thumbnails and reads metadata during cataloging for search possibilities.
NeoFinder 6.4 requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. Version 6.x is a paid update to licensed users of CDFinder with update price starting at approximately US$25. For new users the cost is $40. Version 6.4 is a free update to all NeoFinder customers. For more info go to www.cdfinder.de .
Shade 3D 14.1.1 fixes, improves 3D printing, 3D Modeling
Mirye Software has given us Shade 3D 14.1.1, an update of the professional 3D modeling, rendering, animation and 3D printing tool software. The upgrade introduces a 3D Printing Assistant, 3D printing diagnostic and analysis tools, new Poser 3D options for character animation, and more options for 3D game developers.
Shade 3D 14.1.1 is available in Professional (US$499), Standard ($249) and Basic ($99) releases on Mac OS X and Windows. A "sidegrade" is available for Autodesk Softimage users to Shade 3D Professional for $199 from the now discontinued Softimage 3D modeling, rendering and animation tool set.
Shade 3D 14.1.1 is available through the Mirye Software website (http://www.mirye.net). The update is a free upgrade to existing Shade 3D 14 customers.
New Adobe Muse templates available
Muse Templates Pro Company has rolled out new Adobe Muse Templates with parallax scroll effects. The templates provide designs for websites that are created with Adobe Muse software.
Parallax scroll effects let you add moving different elements of the website into different directions while scrolling through the pages. The new templates are Midnight, Motion and Traveling.
Adobe Muse templates and widgets are available on Muse Templates Pro Company's website (http://www.musetemplatespro.com). The Muse Templates Pack costs US$19.99. Every single template can be purchased separately for $9.99 each. One template is offered for free. Mac or PC with Adobe Muse software is required to use the templates.
MyThoughts for Mac OS X gets revamped interface
Mode de Vie Software has released MyThoughts 1.4, an upgrade of their mind mapping software for Mac OS X. The new version sports an updated user interface for Retina displays, better searching, custom keyboard shortcuts, sharing techniques, and more.
MyThoughts lets you create "brain friendly" mind maps. It comes with a media browser containing over 3,000 images and icons. iPhoto is integrated into the media browser and lets you drag and drop images from your photos into MyThoughts.
The app requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. it costs US$49 for a single-user license and $69.90 for a five-license family pack. Educational pricing is also offered. Go to www.mythoughtsformac.com for more info.
RE:Vision Effects releases ReelSmart Motion Blur 5
RE:Vision Effects has released ReelSmart Motion Blur 5 with GPU support for Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer/Symphony/Newscutter, The Foundry Nuke, Assimilate Scratch, and Sony Vegas Pro.
ReelSmart Motion adds more natural looking blur to a sequence. You can add as little or as much blurring as you need, or even remove motion blur. Also included in some RSMB versions is a feature that allows you to blur with user-supplied motion vectors that, most likely, come from a 3D animation system.
Demo versions of ReelSmart Motion Blur 5 are available for download. Pricing depends on which software you use with with. Go to www.revisionfx.com/products/ for more info.
Streaming music adds fuel to digital music growth
Global digital music revenues reached an all-time high of $5.9 billion last year as revenues from streaming services, both ad-supported (+17.6%) and subscription-based (+51.3%), saw strong growth that outweighed a slight decline in download sales (-2.1%), according to Statistica (http://tinyurl.com/n8mp662).
Looking at the past five years, downloads are still up by more than 50%, however, the recent slowdown suggests that the download market may have peaked, while streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio are just taking off. Considering the slowdown in download sales, it makes perfect sense that Apple is reportedly thinking about launching an on-demand streaming service that goes beyond iTunes Radio.
URL Extractor for Mac OS X upgraded to version 4.2.2
Tension Software (http://www.tensionsoftware.com) has revved URL Extractor — the Mac OS X tool for extracting URLs and emails from the web, search engine and local files — to version 4.2.2. The new version boasts an improved refresh of the extracted URL list and better "Stop Extraction" in long extraction operations.
URL Extractor requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. It costs US$50 and is available from the Tension Software web site and the Mac App Store.
Scratch, Scratch Lab software upgraded to version 8
Assimilate has rolled out version 8 of its Scratch and Scratch Lab software to allow encoding of Apple ProRes files on Microsoft Windows 7/8-based PCs.
The Scratch data-centric DI system is an end-to-end cinema and broadcast imaging tool. Artists on-set or in post production can now use both the OS X and Windows versions of the software. It supports most popular digital workflows, including, RED, ARRI, Sony F65 and F55, Canon 5D, Phantom, GoPro and more.
Assimilate offers pricing options for individual artists or studios: annual subscription, daily/monthly rental, site license, or purchase. Scratcj is priced from US$20,995 and Scratch Lab from $5,990 for an annual subscription and from $150 and $50, respectively, for daily rental. Go to http://www.assimilateinc.com for more info.
ATTO Tech launches Thunderbolt 2-enabled Desklink devices
ATTO Technology has announced an extension of its Desklink Device family, adding Thunderbolt 2 support. Desklink Devices now sport transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps, according to the folks at ATTO.
The ThunderLink Deskline Devices are designed to enable reliable access to data intensive applications such as 2K, 4K, and 3D stereoscopic film, multiple layers of uncompressed, real time effects and high-definition video and audio editing. To ensure cross compatibility, ATTO Thunderbolt 2 products have multiple operating system support, port and driver options, and more.
ATTO’s Thunderboldt 2 ThunderLink series includes: ThunderLink FC 2162 Thunderbolt 2 to 16Gb Fibre Channel Desklink Device; ThunderLink NS 2102; Thunderbolt 2 to 10GbE (SFP+ LC optical) Desklink Device; ThunderLink NT 2102 Thunderbolt 2 to 10GBASE-T (RJ45 copper) Desklink Device. Go to www.attotech.com/thunderbolt for more info, including pricing
Song Buddy is a free, 'intelligent' music player for...
Wide Angle Software has given us Song Buddy, a free Mac version of its "intelligent" music player. Using digital fingerprinting technology, it lets you get more info on artists you're currently listening to and suggested similar artists that may appeal to you.
Song Buddy also lets you search for an artist by name. The app provides information about the artist's releases, including current and upcoming music, as well as concert dates and locations. The dat is updated daily.
Song Buddy is free and available at the Mac App Store. It requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. Go to www.wideanglesoftware.com for more info.
