Prosoft Engineering (http://www.prosoftengineering.com) has announced Drive Genius 3.1 with Live Defrag at this week's Macworld Conference & Expo. "We are excited to release this new version of Drive Genius 3 that no longer requires users to boot from the DVD or a second drive to use the Defrag function for the boot drive," says Greg Brewer, CEO of Prosoft Engineering. “The Defrag feature is one of the most popular, award-winning features that Drive Genius 3 offers. Booting from the DVD has long been one of the cumbersome steps involved to defrag. Now users can simply install it as an application and efficiently begin improving the performance of their hard drives." Drive Genius 3.1 also comes on a bootable DVD that incorporates Apple’s latest boot technology which now supports all the newest machines from Apple, he says. Drive Genius 3.1 costs US$99 for a personal license.

App4mac has introduced Imagerie 1.0 (http://www.app4mac.com/imagerie.html), their new image editor built for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). It features layers management, vector tools, gradient editor and a history navigator. Imagerie is especially made to be flexible, very speedy and clear while doing common editing. No complex windows or hidden features. According to the folks at App4Mac, Imagerie makes it y easy and speedy for everyone to edit an image. Its features range from "basic and effective pimp-up to high-class filters for sophisticated stuff." Imagerie is available for approximately US$38 until the end of March. It's a special introductory price. Updates are always free for lifetime. Imagerie is also coming soon to the Mac App Store.

WaterField Designs (http://www.sfbags.com/) has announced the SuperDrive Sleeve, a new protective case custom fitted for Apple's MacBook Air SuperDrive. Mobile MacBook Air users may now carry a SuperDrive in the light and protective SuperDrive Sleeve that safeguards the device with ballistic nylon and shock-absorbing neoprene padding. The sleeve is cushioned with high-grade neoprene wrapped in black, ballistic nylon shell with a small tab at the bottom of the case to assist in removing the device. Users tuck the USB cord into a flush stretch pocket along the backside of the case. The SuperDrive Sleeve is available for US$25. Its available now at the WaterField Designs online company store.

Likewise, which specializes in helping businesses and educational institutions manage IT environments with mixed operating systems, has announced a program that enables educational institutions of all sizes to take advantage of reduced pricing and cross-platform expertise to better track, authenticate and secure Mac, Linux and Unix systems. It will be demoed at this week's Macworld Conference & Expo.   The competitive pricing of Likewise Enterprise for Education, along with volume discounts, helps universities and school districts achieve significant cost savings, says Arne Gallagher, director of worldwide education sales at Likewise. Also, Likewise Open, an open source and free product, can integrate small groups of computers using Microsoft Active Directory. No additional hardware is required to set up Likewise, so schools don't need to worry about additional budget for servers.   Johns Hopkins University, a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, was among the...

Noise Industries has announced its latest FxFactory freebie plug-in pack, Manifesto. The titling plug-ins provide new and current FxFactory users with a way to generate titles in Apple Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, Motion and After Effects. Manifesto comes in two variants: a static title generator and a title roll/crawl generator. With Manifesto, no keyframes are required for animation. The text of choice is scrolled in and out of frame automatically based on the length of the generator track. This feature also lets users match a title roll (or crawl) to the duration of a different clip. Manifesto can reference an existing RTF file on disk, allowing users to rely entirely on an external program for text input and layout. Users can create animations at any frame rate with built-in motion blur and the ability to reduce interlacing artifacts. You can use external media to determine which portions of the title are visible, or vice versa. Manifesto is offered as a free download via...

The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled that the action brought by Kodak against Apple and Research In Motion Limited is invalid and not infringed, reports "24/7 Wall Street" (http://macte.ch/IMayK). Kodak argued that all the digital cameras in these consumer electronic devices and smartphones were infringing Kodak’s patent and intellectual property for previewing images on digital camera-enabled devices. The Kodak patent covers the technology related to a method for previewing images. "24/7 Wall Street" says Kodak will continue its fight and noted that the ITC had previously upheld the patent in its case against LG and Samsung.  Kodak also noted that Kodak has licensed this patent in question and others to technology companies like LG, Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Olympus, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, and Sony Ericsson.

Appcelerator and IDC (http://www.idc.com) surveyed 2,235 Appcelerator Titanium developers from Jan.10-12, 2011 on perceptions surrounding mobile OS priorities, feature priorities, and mobile development plans in 2011. With 85 new, primarily Android tablets announced at CES, developers are pushing these devices to the top of their priority list. This quarter’s report shows that Google has nearly caught up to Apple in smart phone popularity and is closing the gap in tablets. Microsoft and RIM made solid gains through their product line update, while Google TV and Apple TV interest dropped off. As these trends unfold, IDC says it's becoming clear that the days of mobile app experimentation are over. This year, developers and businesses expect to triple their app development efforts and the average developer is now building for four different devices, says the research group. Meanwhile, a dramatic increase in the integration of geo-location, social, and cloud-connectivity services...

Panasonic has introduced the LUMIX DMC-ZS10 as the newest member of its LUMIX ZS-Series of digital cameras. It sports a 24mm ultra-wide-angle and 16x optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmar and features full-High Definition 1920x1080 video recording capability, a newly-adopted large 3.0-inch, 460,000-dot Smart Touch Intelligent LCD --which allows for Touch Zoom, Touch Auto Focus (AF), Touch Shutter, and Touch Playback.   The LUMIX ZS10 also features a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) function allowing geotagged images to be pinpointed via online maps and shared with friends and families. The camera also features the new Panasonic 3D Photo mode, which produces a realistic 3D photo by taking 20 consecutive photos and overlaying the two best images that provide a 3D image that can then be played on a Panasonic VIERA 3D HDTV, according to David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. The format of the 3D image is compatible with MPO, and can...

Synology America Corp (http://www.synology.com) has released its latest DiskStation for home and small office use: the DS411slim. Using 2.5-inch drives, the compact DiskStation allows for full RAID redundancy while minimizing energy usage and noise. Utilizing Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), users can create redundant volumes up to 3TB. The DiskStation consumes fewer than 17 watts in use and 9.6 watts in hibernation. The DS411slim boasts a faster processor than the previous DS409slim and more RAM (now 256MB). Bundled with Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) 3.0, the DS411slim offers numerous tools to home users. In addition to the expected file sharing and backup, DSM 3.0 includes an integrated DLNA-certified media server to stream music and videos to compatible media players.   Surveillance Station 5, Synology's included network video recorder (NVR) software, lets users turn their DiskStation into a surveillance system. Compatible with over 750 models of IP camera, Surveillance Station...

MLstate -- a start-up which was the Laureate of the French Ministry of Research Innovation Contest three years ago -- says it has rewritten the whole server technology, bringing verifiable security to web applications. The result is described as a breakthrough: all SQL and similar database injections; all buffer overflows are eliminated. Now, thanks to this One-Pot Application (OPA) technology, creating an Intranet and other web applications is simplified. iServer is the Web 2.0 collaborative portal for Ma from MLstate. iServer features a web site, intra and extranet and a social network, all combined in one. Among its features: workgroups, blogs, forums, wikis, calendars and more. iServer combines an exclusive technical structure introducing enhanced Administrator Experience (AX). It integrates Web 2.0 tools necessary to collaborate and communicate, and with an ongoing focus on user experience (UX). A Mac Mini is purportedly sufficient to power a 50-people Intranet, for less than US$...

Toon Boom Animation (http://www.toonboom.com) has released Flip Boom Classic 5, an update of the animation software for children. The upgrade includes a sound library of over 100 sounds. Additionally, over 75 new templates have been added. Flip Boom Classic costs US$39.95 and works with Mac OS X 10.5 and higher.

Chris Whitmore, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, told clients in a note -- as reported by "ZDNet" (http://macte.ch/G1LjQ) -- that the iPhone 4 just seems to be getting started in the enterprise. "We have been testing iPhone 4 and 3GS hardware running a Good Technologies application for the past 2-3 months to trial enterprise email on iPhone for DB," he writes. "Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Email is served using Microsoft exchange through a Good Technologies interface which looks and feels like accessing a Gmail account on the iPhone. We found enterprise email on iPhone was a fantastic experience as it was easier/faster to access data (touch UI) than on the Blackberry. It was also great to only have to carry one device for personal and corporate email access. There were two drawbacks to the enterprise App on iPhone using Good: 1) ‘pull email’ was limiting as it doesn’t fetch emails in the background (other UIs like MobileIron allow ‘push email’), and 2) the hardware...

RedleX (http://www.mellel.com) has announced Mellel 2.8, an upgrade to its word processor for Mac OS X. Mellel heads in a new direction in preparation to joining the Mac App Store. Mellel 2.8, introducing Track Changes and advanced Sort, comes with a much lower price tag - 20 percent across the board (US$39 instead of $49 for the regular version, $29 instead of $35 for the educational version) and eliminates for-pay upgrades. All upgrades from now on will be completely free to all Mellel users. "Apple's Mac App Store, where Mellel is headed, is a game changer -- a revolution in the making, that's going to shake the Mac Software development to the core," says Eyal Redler, RedleX's CTO. "The Mac software market grows in leaps and bounds -- it quadrupled over the last few years and now runs at a pace of more than 16 million new Macs every year. Most of the people who buy those machines are newcomers who were weaned on buying music and applications from within the Apple store -- buying...

It's been reported that the iPad 2 will sport an astounding resolution of 2048 x 1536. IDC research manager Tom Mainelli thinks the Apple tablet will indeed sport such a high resolution -- but not until generation 3. "Our sources say Apple has requested that manufacturers begin work on displays with that resolution for the iPad 3," he tells "PC World" (http://macte.ch/xHlHR). "I don't believe anybody is ready to produce that resolution in volumes at this point. And Apple is going to require huge volumes for the iPad 2." Media tablet shipments will grow from about 17 million units in 2010 to 44.6 million units in 2011, IDC forecasts. Apple iPads made up 90% of the tablet volume in the third quarter of 2010. "We expect Apple to continue to own the lion's share of that market in 2011," Mainelli told "PC World."  

Fountainhead International has introduced StretchPro 1.0 for Mac OS X (10.5 and higher) and Windows systems. It's a video-guided stretching app. Users can set reminders to perform simple stretches to help avoid muscle strain, fatigue, stress, and injury. Videos demonstrate the correct way to exercise the eyes, neck, shoulders, back, chest, fingers, wrists, and legs. Users may select any one of 26 videos, focus on one area, or view them all. The app can be set to provide reminders three ways: fixed interval (e.g., every two hours), specific time (e.g., daily at 3 pm), or keyboard strokes & mouse movements (e.g., every 10,000 keystrokes). StretchPro 1.0 is normally US$10, but is available now at the special introductory price of $5. You can download it from the Fountainhead International Group web site (http://www.fountainheadint.com).

Fabrix (http://www.fabrixcases.com) has announced the Satchel felt cases for the new Macbook Air 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch notebooks. These old school inspired cases are made using industrial grade 100% wool felt and matched with tanned brown calf leather. Taking several design cues from the traditional satchel bags, the satchel is a slim remix that's custom-fitted to the for the new Macbook Air models. Its design revolves around a flap that's flanked by two leather straps, riveted with sets of bronze hardware. A specially designed adjustable sling strap comes together with the case and can be attached to the top of the case for full slinging action. The Satchel is available in two sizes, one for the Macbook Air 11.6-inch and the larger version fitted for the Macbook Air 13.3-inch. The prices are US$79.90 and $89.90, respectively.

Stairways Software (http://www.stairways.com) has released Mounties Feedback Trainer 1.0 on the Mac App Store for US$9.99. The app was designed to help you learn to correctly identify feedback tone frequencies, a skill needed by budding sound engineers and useful for any musician. You can use Mounties Feedback Trainer train your ear to detect the various frequencies and then test yourself to see how well you know which frequency is which. It includes includes a built-in equalizer so you can adjust the volume of the tones for the variable output of your particular speakers. Mounties Feedback Trainer requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or greater.

Apple has allegedly named a new director of global security -- David Rice, who's currently a consulting director of policy reform for the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a faculty member at the Institute for Applied Network Security, and director of The Monterey Group, a cyber-security consulting firm, reports "PC Mag" (http://macte.ch/1NbEW). Apple hasn't confirmed such a hire. Speculation suggests that Rice will be heavily involved in enterprise security surrounding the iPad and iPhone, "an area that Apple's been interested in for some time now," says "PC Mag." Those who know Rice describe him as a deeply respected name in IT security circles who not only can speak the kind of language that makes CIOs comfortable, but can also back up that language with the skills and knowledge to match, says Arik Hesseldahl at "NewEnterprise" (http://macte.ch/9lVHt).

Bare Bones Software (http://www.barebones.com) has updated BBEdit and TextWrangler for Mac OS X. BBEdit 9.6.3, an update to its strength HTML and text editor, is a maintenance release that fixes reported issues and adds several refinements. The update is available free of charge to all registered BBEdit 9 customers. For new users it has a suggested retail price of US$125. Any registered owner of BBEdit prior to version 9.x can upgrade for $30. TextWrangler 3.5.3 is an update to the text editor. The new version is a maintenance release that fixes reported issues. All Mac OS X users may download TextWrangler 3.5.3 free of charge from the Mac App Store or the Bare Bones Software web site.

Limit Point Software has released Mailings 2.0.01, an update of the application for batch emailing that delivers any web page or plain text document with attachments to multiple recipients for marketing, news announcements, product updates, etc. Mailings delivers web pages, plain or HTML text documents to multiple recipients for marketing, news announcements, product updates etc. It integrates with mail clients, most common browsers, Address Book and Entourage. Mailings is Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4.4 or higher. It costs US$19.99 and is available at the Mac App Store. A demo can be downloaded at the product web site, (http://www.limit-point.com/Mailings/Mailings.html).

Verizon tells "The LA Times" (http://macte.ch/WuCA1) the Verizon iPhone 4's Personal Hotspot feature will pause web data when a call is taken on the handset.

 Ken Muche, a Verizon spokesman, said that the company has a policy of pausing any web data on any phone with Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities when a call comes in and is answered, so as to maintain the call's quality.

"If you do two things at once and you do both of them poorly, what's the point?," Muche told the "Times." "That's part of the reason we don't have the same dropped call issues that other carriers do. We really do believe that a phone is only as good as the network it's on and this is the way we have always looked at it and that's why we aren't willing to sacrifice call quality." While using the Personal Hotspot on the Verizon iPhone, or any other phone with the feature if a call isn't answered web data will go on uninterrupted, he said. If a call is answered, the web data is paused and the Wi-Fi signal returns when the...

The most likely use of Apple's secret US$3.9 billion long-term supply investment is for tens of millions of displays for the iPhones and iPads the company plans to sell in the near future, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said in a note to investors, as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). 
She estimated that Apple's $3.9 billion investment could purchase about 136 million iPhone displays, or approximately 60 million iPad displays. If those displays were coupled with touch panels, the money could buy Apple 100 million iPhone panels, or 40 million for the iPad, Huberty adds.

iFunia has announced 3DGallery for Macintosh. It's a 3D photo gallery maker that can turn digital photos into a flash image presentation. Users can view their photos in 3D and upload the 3D flash photo gallery to liven up web sites or blogs. You can add photos and music and choose from a variety of preset 3D flash gallery templates to create personalized flash galleries for sharing. iFunia 3DGallery for Mac is priced at US$39.95 for a personal license. A commercial license is also available. For more info or a demo go to the iFunia web site (http://www.ifunia.com).

Apple has added Foxconn Electronics, Foxlink, Gold Circuit Electronics and Epistar as component suppliers for the upcoming iPhone 5, scheduled for launch during the summer (or perhaps the fall), says Chinese-language "Economic Daily News " -- as reported by "DigiTimes" (http://macte.ch/9Ph5X). Foxconn will become the iPhone 5's new earphone supplier, the article says. With a shortage of HDI boards, Apple has also purportedly added GCE as a supplier, but will continue to source from Compeq Manufacturing and Unimicron Technology. And ED chipmaker Epistar could break into Apple's supply chain after forming a strategic alliance with Japan's Toyoda Gosei, which also provides Epistar access to Toyoda technologies, says "DigiTimes."