Digital Film Tools says its Film Stocks plug-in (http://www.digitalfilmtools.com/filmstocks/) now supports Apple Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5. Existing Film Stocks video/film plug-in customers will receive this upgrade at no charge. Film Stocks offers a range of preset looks, as well as the necessary controls to create analog film stock presets from scratch, including color correction, curves, colored filters, sharpness, diffusion, vignetting and film grain. Users can apply one of the many presets and customize the settings or create their own looks and simulations and save them as presets to use in the future or share with colleagues. The Film Stocks photo plug-in is available now for US$95. It's compatible with the following applications: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture. The Film Stocks video/film plug-in is available now for $195 and is compatible with the following applications: Adobe After Effects CS5 and up, Adobe Premiere...

Griffin Technology (http://www.griffintechnology.com) has announced the latest edition to their lineup of DriveSafe products: SmartTalk Solar, an US$69.99 hands-free, solar-charged speakerphone for smartphones. Compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled phones, SmartTalk Solar’s motion-sensing Auto Connect links to paired smartphones as soon as you enter the car. The multipoint pairing feature allows connection of two different phones simultaneously. SmartTalk Solar mounts to the windshield with the solar panel facing the glass, keeping the internal battery charged for extended talk time. You can answer and place calls using a single large button, or activate the smartphone's voice command features to keep your hands on the wheel when making or receiving calls.

FoneStand (http://www.fonestand.com/) for iPhones and other smartphones is a new, US$10.99 stand/dock that provides users with hands-free use of their devices. It's designed for use with apps like Skype and FaceTime. Available in black or white, the FoneStand is made from an engineered plastic material featuring an anti-slip pad and anti-slide feet. You can use it with or without a protective case.

Recosoft Corp. has released PDF2Office for iWork 2.0 (http://macte.ch/syy8p), an upgrade to the company's PDF converter for iWork. A 64-bit Mac OS X application, version 2.0 contains over 50+ new feature enhancements and much more PDF2Office for iWork allows you to recover, reuse and re-source the contents stored in PDF files. It converts PDF files into editable Numbers, Keynote and Pages files by recreating the intended construction and layout of the document, all automatically without any manual intervention.. With PDF2Office for iWork 2.0, you can convert PDF files to the Numbers format. A new Format for iOS option optimizes the resulting files for viewing/editing on the iPaD, iPhone and iPod. A new Font substitution mechanism has been introduced so that each font that couldn't be matched be substituted with a specific font. You can also now batch convert PDFs with a single-click to Numbers, Pages and Keynote formats. PDF2Office for iWork 2.0 requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 and higher and...

Here are the latest incremental updates for Mac OS X apps. OfficeTime (http://www.officetime.net) has released the latest update to its Mac and PC versions of the time and expense tracking software, now offering improved synchronization with iCal or OfficeTime on an iPad or iPhone. Opera Software has served up a beta version of Opera 12, codenamed “Wahoo”, the latest entry in Opera’s long line of desktop web browsers. You can find it at http://www.opera.com/browser/next . Apimac says Secret Folder 8.2 is now available on the Mac App Store. Secret Folder let you hide files and folders from the prying eyes of other people using your Mac. Adobe has announced the availability of Lightroom 4.1 release candidate 2 on Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom4-1/).This update corrects issues reported from the initial Lightroom 4.0 release and Lightroom 4.1 Release Candidate. 

As more and more companies adopt a “Bring Your Own Device” philosophy, the most successful technology brands are creating powerful mobile computing devices that span both work and play, reports the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ) study. EQ is a yearly study that measures the perceptions of 38,500+ American consumers about more than 1,500 lifestyle, product, and service brands. Apple at the top of the technology tree 
Apple swept the computer, tablet computer, and mobile phone categories in the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study. Not far behind Apple in the computer category is Hewlett Packard. HP is followed by Dell, SONY and Lenovo, which complete the list of brands that rank above the category average Samsung Galaxy, Sony Tablet, Motorola Xoom, and Lenovo ThinkPad follow Apple iPad in the tablet computer category. Though Apple leads the clustered field of mobile phone manufacturers, HTC catapults to second in brand equity without doing any direct advertising and preferring a channel...

In a note to clients -- as reported by "The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal" (http://macte.ch/ykE1c) -- Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White raised his estimates after the company's big earnings this week, predicting it will become the first trillion-dollar company sometime next year. That is based on White raising his stock price target to US$1,111 a share from the $1,001 estimate he projected earlier this month. "Apple's performance once again demonstrated how quickly Apple fever is spreading around the world and this trend continues to drive meaningful upside in the company’s financial results," the analyst says, adding that "negative vibes" that drove down the company's stock this month will be replaced by fears of missing its next big up-swing. White also bases his prediction on his belief that the company will roll out an Apple-branded HDDTV, an "iPad mini," the iPhone 5 and a new relationship with China Mobile within the year.

Another day, another lawsuit. Potter Voice Technologies, a small Colorado company, is suing Apple, Google, Microsoft and just about all smartphone companies for patent infringement. According to the IDG News Service (http://macte.ch/IGgEo), 15 vendors and their affiliated companies have been sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The suit revolves around Apple’s Siri technology and Google Voice Commands, as well as a technology called Windows Speech Commands. It cites a single U.S. patent, number 5,729,659 for a method and apparatus for controlling a digital computer using oral input. The patent was issued to Jerry L. Potter in 1998. Other companies named in the suit include Nokia, Research In Motion, Samsung Electronics, Sony, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility, ZTE, Huawei Technologies, Kyocera, Sharp and Pantech.

Today's special deal is Contour for Mac OS X. It's being offered for US$7.49; the regular price is $14.99. To take advantage of this special pricing go to http://www.mupromo.com/deal/1823/6603/focus . Focus adds depth to your photos by focusing on a subject and adding lens blur to the background. You can create lens blur and "tilt & shift" effects on a photo by choosing subjects to be in focus and let the app do the blurring. With Focus you can review your results immediately with a LiveBLUR algorithm designed to ensure that your photo will look exactly like the one you can make with a professional lens and pro-level skills.

ColorWare (http://www.colorware.com) has released the Special Edition Illusion Beats Studio Headphones. For a limited time, the company is offering the headphones with an iridescent finish.  Depending on the viewing angle, this unique, iridescent paint has a dramatic color changing effect, even in low-light environments, according to ColorWare CEO Justin Cisewski. ColorWare offers three different color shifting paint finishes including: blue-to-red color shifts from blue to warm red, purple and copper; red-to-gold color shifts from red to orange, gold and slights hints of maroon; gold-to-silver color shifts from gold to radiant, yet icy, silvery blue and green The Illusion Beats by Dre headphones cost US$1,000 and include an embroidered, black Ultrasuede carrying case. The headphones will ship in two to three weeks.

Musubo has brought its carrying solutions for the iPhone 4/4S to the U.S. The company's collection includes the Retro (pictured), MatchBook Pro, Rubber Band and the Sneaker. The Retro is an US$34.99 s retro chic case that provides dual layer protection with a strong polycarbonate shell and soft silicon cushioned interior. It includes a folding video stand for on-the-go entertainment and comes in black, red, blue, silver and white. The $34.99 MatchBook Pro's black frame encases a row of matchstick replicas that also function as a built-in kickstand. The matchstick’s silicon tips snap securely into the sides of the case to store flush against its back and provide a sturdy grip when using the matchsticks as a kickstand in landscape mode. The $29.99 Rubber Band is a rubber band-inspired case made from a soft-touch material. Its built-in loop lets you personalize your case with decorative charms. The case comes with a folding viewing stand for watching videos and is available in chartreuse...

According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as reported by "MacRumors" (http://www.macrumors.com), John Browett, Apple's new senior vice president of retail, has officially started work with the company and has received a 100,000 restricted stock units to entice him to a long term commitment. Browett comes to Apple from European technology retailer Dixons Retail, where he has been CEO since 2007. He will be responsible for Apple’s retail strategy and the continued expansion of Apple retail stores around the world. Prior to joining Dixons Retail, Browett held a series of executive positions at Tesco plc including CEO of Tesco.com. Earlier in his career he advised retail and consumer goods clients at Boston Consulting Group. He holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and an MBA from Wharton Business School.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal in San Jose, California, has ruled that Samsung has violated court orders in a patent-infringement case by failing to produce documents referencing Apple features and designs, reports "Bloomberg" (http://macte.ch/h4Yg1). "The scale of Samsung’s production and the burden placed on it by the compressed case schedule and the numerous claims at issue are not in doubt," Grewal wrote. "That burden, however, does not negate Samsung’s obligation to comply with no fewer than two court orders specifying the production of documents that reference Apple’s products." In its lawsuit, Apple claims that Samsung’s 4G smartphone and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer, among other products, infringe its patents. In December, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh of San Jose ruled against Apple’s request to block Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung from selling that phone and tablet in the U.S.

Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 11 through June 15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At this year’s five-day conference, developers will learn about the future of iOS and OS X, according to Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. WWDC will also feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers as well as the popular Apple Design Awards, a showcase of the most outstanding apps from the past year, he adds. 
"We have a great WWDC planned this year and can’t wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers," Schiller says. "The iOS platform has created an entirely new industry with fantastic opportunities for developers across the country and around the world." Developers will be able to explore the latest innovations, features and capabilities of iOS and OS X Mountain Lion and learn how to enhance the functionality, performance, quality and design of their apps....

iHome has announced the availability of its new Executive Work Station, the iDM5 for smartphones and tablets, such as the iPhone and iPad. Its compact footprint features a full size QWERTY keyboard accompanied by built-in speakers, a microphone, and two USB ports for charging multiple devices simultaneously. Whether video conferencing, typing up reports, making calls or streaming music, the iDM5 is the perfect product for the multi-tasker, says Evan Stein, director of Marketing, iHome. A 2012 CE Innovations Honoree, the iDM5 is a full sized, ergonomically angled QWERTY keyboard speaker system that lets you type on your tablet or smartphone, while simultaneously streaming your favorite music, all via a wireless Bluetooth connection. The built-in mic allows you to use the unit as a speakerphone for video conferencing, while two USB ports ensure your other devices never run out of power. You may also play music from any audio device through the universal 3.5mm aux line-in jack. The iDM5...

Limit Point has released Panorama 1.0 for Mac OS X and iOS. With it you can create high-resolution panoramas on your Mac or iOS device. Panorama extends the capability of your digital camera by stitching multiple overlapping pictures into panoramas. The software removes artificial warped curvature of straight edges, creating a more realistic panorama. The Mac version also creates photomontages with variable width blending. The Mac OS X version is available in the Mac App Store at an introductory price of US$19.99. The iPad version is available at the Apple App Store in a free, ad-supported version or an $0.99, no-app version.

iLoveHandles has announced the rather strangely named Boring Bags (http://macte.ch/qL3AT), messenger bags for 15-inch and 17-inch laptops. They're made in Portland, Oregon, from dark grey waxed canvas, plaid flannel lining, heavy-duty cotton webbing strap, and cast-metal hardware. According to the folks at iLoveHandles, the Boring Bags are boring on the outside and less boring on the inside. Each plaid is available in limited quantity, and patterns change frequently. Pricing starts at US$129.95.

Manhattan has unveiled the US$69 Stealth (http://www.manhattanstealth.com), "a mouse for the tablet generation." It's Mac and PC compatible. With its contoured design, Stealth lets you access and interact with web content with a tap or swipe of your finger. The front control area of the touch mouse is set-up to allow completely intuitive Web browsing, and an experience much more akin to using a tablet or smartphone than a traditional mouse, according to Dave Sousa, global brand manager for Manhattan. Left click and right click functions are still there, but is accomplished with a \tap of your finger, as opposed to a "click," he adds. A slide of your finger over the center of the the Stealth results in the scrolling of web pages and other online content.

Here are the latest incremental updates for Mac OS X apps. Ergonis Software has released PopChar X 5.2, an update to their tool for finding and inserting special characters. It's now a universal 32/64-bit binary and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or newer to make best use of current system architectures. Version 5.2 also sports a new technique for inserting characters and comes with a simpler and faster animation when the PopChar window opens and closes. Vjoon (http://www.vjoon.com), a provider of cross-media publishing solutions and a global Adobe Digital Publishing Suite reseller, says vjoon K4 will be fully compatible with Adobe Creative Suite 6 within the second quarter of this year. Customers can use vjoon K4’s automated workflows and CS6 to quickly format their layouts for different page sizes, orientations and output devices. Ken Winograd and Space-Time Associates (http://www.winograd.com) have updated TinyBooks Pro, their Macintosh accounting and bookkeeping program, to version 7....

Apple has announced the financial results for its fiscal 2012 second quarter that ended March 31, 2012. The company posted quarterly revenue of US$39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $24.7 billion and net profit of $6.0 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 47.4% compared to 41.4% in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64% of the quarter’s revenue. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 88% unit growth over the year-ago quarter. The company sold 11.8 million iPads during the quarter, a 151% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold four million Macs during the quarter, a 7% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.7 million iPods, a 15% unit decline from the year-ago quarter. "Our record March quarter results drove $14 billion in cash flow from operations," says Apple Chief Financial Officer...

Google has rolled out Google Drive -- a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. You can upload and access all of your files -- including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond. Google Docs is built right into Google Drive, so you can work with others in real time on documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Once you choose to share content with others, you can add and reply to comments on anything (PDF, image, video file, etc.) and receive notifications when other people comment on shared items. With Google Drive you can store and access your stuff from just about anywhere. You can install Drive on your Mac or PC and can download the Drive app to your Android phone or tablet. Google is also working hard on a Drive app for your iOS devices. You can search Google Drive by keyword and filter by file type, owner and more. Drive can even recognize text in scanned documents using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. You can get...

New research released by security software company, Sophos (http://www.sophos.com), reports "a disturbingly high level of malware" on Mac computers -- with both Windows and Mac threats being discovered. Sophos experts analyzed a snapshot of 100,000 Mac computers running its free anti-virus software, and discovered that one in five machines was found to be carrying one or more instances of Windows malware. Although Windows malware on Macs won't cause symptoms (unless users also run Windows on their computer), it can still be spread to other computers. Additionally, Sophos's analysis shows that 2.7% (one in 36) of Macs were found to be carrying Mac OS X malware. "Some Mac users may be relieved that they are seven times more likely to have Windows viruses, spyware and Trojans on their Macs than Mac OS X-specific malware, but Mac malware is surprisingly commonly encountered," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "Mac users need a wake-up call about the growing...

Apple has offered to settle the row over ebook price fixing in Europe, but it’s still holding out in the US, reports "Macworld UK" (http://macte.ch/lus2c), According to reports, European Union competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia has said Apple and all the publishers, other than Penguin, have agreed to settle, at least in Europe. Apple has been sued in Europe, the U.S. and Canada for collaborating with publishers to "fix" ebook prices. The brouhaha centers on Apple's move to change the way that publishers charged for e-books as it prepared to introduce its first iPad in 2010. Traditionally, publishers sold books to retailers for roughly half of the recommended cover price. Under that "wholesale model," booksellers were then free to offer those books to customers for less than the cover price if they wished. Apple suggested moving to an "agency model," under which the publishers would set the price of the book and Apple would take a 30% cut. However, Apple also insisted that...

AT&T (http://www.att.com) has reported first-quarter results highlighted by strong 4G mobile data sales and wireless margins, and solid revenue and earnings growth. And it continues to move lots of iPhones. AT&T sold 5.5 million smartphones, exceeding a first-quarter sales record set last year. Smartphones represented more than 78 percent of postpaid device sales. At the end of the quarter, 59.3 percent, or 41.2 million, of AT&T's postpaid subscribers had smartphones, up from 46.2 percent and 31.5 million a year earlier. Both iPhone and Android device sales remain strong. iPhone sales were helped by AT&T's 4G network, the company says. In the quarter, the company activated 4.3 million iPhones, with 21% new to AT&T. "We continue to capitalize on our terrific momentum in mobile Internet," says Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. "Smartphone and branded computing device sales continue to set a record pace, mobile data revenues were up nearly 20 percent,...