WWDC Interview: Appfluence
While in San Francisco, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at Apple's WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special WWDC free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) and Pablo Diaz-Gutierrez of Appfluence at WWDC. Pablo was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
Online petition says Final Cut Pro X isn't a 'pro...
Now there's an online petition stating that "Final Cut Pro X is not a professional application" (http://www.petitiononline.com/finalcut/). The petition reads:
"To: Apple, Inc.
"We, both the editors and affected filmmakers who rely on Final Cut Pro as a crucial business tool, do so in the same way Photoshop, Maya, Pro Tools, and other industry-standard applications are relied on by leading post-production environments. Many have invested hundreds of thousands (some even millions) of dollars in creating Final Cut Pro based companies. These are now threatened by a 'prosumer-grade' product upgrade of Final Cut Pro 7 titled 'Final Cut Pro X,' and will likely put several of these companies out of business. The costly process of migrating studio hardware and software is a major burden, especially on studios that have made recent upgrades to support Final Cut Pro. If many had known of the Final Cut Pro X release prior to investing in expensive hardware and software licenses, most, if not...
WWDC Interview: Clickable Bliss
While in San Francisco, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at Apple's WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special WWDC free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Victor Agreda, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, The Unofficial Apple Weblog) and Michael Zornek of Clickable Bliss at WWDC. Michael was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
Focusbar released for Mac OS X
Macoscope has released Focusbar 1.0 (http://focusbarapp.com/) for Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher. It's available for US$0.99 in the Mac App Store in the Productivity category.
This small Mac app is designed to help you focus on one task at a time. You press Start Activity, type your task and press enter. Focusbar's window will show up on your screen from time to time, reminding you that it's time to work on what you have planned.
Sketcher is new photo styler for Mac OS X
Neatberry has announced Sketcher 1.0 for Mac OS X (10.6 and higher) and Windows.
Sketcher is a cross-platform application that allows users to convert digital images into pencil, watercolor, pastel or oil painting works of art. Features include: various target artworks support; built-in textures library; a Texturize filter; and more
Sketcher costs US$14.99. It's available from the Neatberry website (http://neatberry.com). A demo is also available for download.
Apple has almost 40% of Australian smartphone market share
Sales of iPhones soared 13% in the three months from December 2010, making Apple the lead mobile phone vendor in Australia accounting for almost a third of total sales in the first quarter of 2011, according to data from the IDC research group -- as reported by "ITWire" (http://macte.ch/JwkP0).
In the Australian smartphone market, Apple now holds close to 40% market share, up almost 10% since December 2010. Android, in second place, holds nearly 30% of the market, and Symbian has plunged to third with 22% of the smartphone market.
IDC says Apple is likely to experience a dip in the third quarter as the market eases in preparation for an expected new iPhone model in quarter four. Meanwhile, the wide range of Android flagships that will launch in Q2 and Q3 should see strong growth, says IDC.
Analyst: iPhone 5 to start production in August
In a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty says her talks with "unnamed individuals in Taiwan" indicate that Apple will begin production of the iPhone 5 in mid to late August.
She added that, based on her intelligence, the new handset will launch and be available to consumers sometime near the end of the third calendar quarter of the year, which ends September. Lower priced iPhones and an Apple-branded TV may also be in the works, the analyst said.
"We also believe Apple is in the early design stages for a TV, which could add $19 billion and $4.50 of annual revenue and EPS longer-term," Huberty told clients. In March, the analyst reported that checks in Asia suggested Apple was working on a "Smart TV prototype."
FileMaker to showcase solutions at ISTE conference
FileMaker Inc. (http://www.filemaker.com) will showcase a variety of desktop and mobile database solutions for educators, administrators and students (booth # 852) at this year’s International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference and exposition June 27-29 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Activities in the FileMaker booth include:
° Live demos for the first time at ISTE of the new FileMaker Go for iPhone and iPad, FileMaker’s database apps for iOS from FileMaker. Educators can use FileMaker Go to verify student class schedules in the hallway, evaluate teachers in the classroom, track computer equipment used within a school district, and more.
° The new FileMaker Go 1.2 apps for iPhone and iPad.
° FileMaker Pro 11 demonstrations, including charting and reporting features to assist teachers, IT coordinators, and administrators with managing student information, monitoring school operation and meeting state and federal reporting requirements.
°...
N.O.V.A. 2 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance launches on the Mac App...
Gameloft has launched N.O.V.A. 2 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance (http://www.near-orbit-vanguard-alliance.com/) on the Mac App Store. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 and costs $9.99.
Here's how the game is described: "Six years have passed since the events depicted in the first episode. Humanity is now thrown into a bloody civil war fought on one side by the central government of the Terran Orbitals and the self-appointed Human-Alien Alliance; a new organization with a mysterious origin and agenda. Kal Wardin left active service in N.O.V.A. years ago and now lives among the colonists of the desert planet Scorpius. But war never spares even the most peaceful places."
N.O.V.A. 2 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance offers 13 chapters, over a dozen weapons and three special powers (Freeze, Slow Time and Disc. You can have 1-10 players online or locally. The game has five modes (Free for All, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Freeze Tag, and InstaGib).
CursorFinder available at the Mac App Store
Nanotalons has released CursorFinder (http://www.cursorfinder.com/), an utility that removes the hassle of locating your cursor. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later, costs US$0.99 and is available exclusively at the Mac App Store in the Utilities category.
"Everyone's witnessed that career-making presentation that was derailed by a mouse cursor," says Henry Borja, Founder of Nantalons. "It's embarrassing watching someone stumble around during their demonstration trying to find their cursor. Our app addresses that very issue."
CursorFinder offers programmable keystrokes, multi-monitor support and a menu bar icon can be disabled for discrete usage.
Silverstack provides new feature for metadata transfer to Media...
Pomfort, a software provider for digital film production workflows, has extended its Silverstack SET with new features for metadata transfer from the film set to Avid Media Composer.
Silverstack SET is software for media management, quality check and back-up on the film set; it's tailored to the needs of digital film production workflows. The new transfer feature of Silverstack SET enables users to enrich their standard editorial workflow with information from the film set.
Silverstack SET's clip library automatically collects all descriptive and technical metadata from movie files during offloading and quality check. This information can now be transferred from the clip library to the Media Composer via AVID Log Exchange (ALE) files.
A 14-day trial version is available as a free download on the Pomfort website (http://pomfort.com/). Pricing ranges from US$265 to $650 depending on your film production hardware. Silverstack SET requires an Intel Mac with Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.
FoneSync for Android released for Mac OS X
Nova media has released FoneSync for Android, a utility to synchronize Address Book contacts, iCal calendars, iTunes playlists and iPhoto albums between Android smartphones, Android tablets and Mac OS X.
"FoneSync does not need any cloud service, and it does not suffer from annual fees. It works fast and locally via USB and keeps the data private," says Jan Fuelleman of nova media. "FoneSync for Android is distributed through the Android Market and additional Android App Shops. The purchase of the app includes the Macintosh software, which is then installed from the Android device onto the Mac."
FoneSync for Android is available for smartphones and tablets from Google Nexus, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. It requires Android OS 2.2 or higher and Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. Support for additional manufacturers will be available soon. FoneSync for Android is available for approximately US$14 in the Android Market (http://macte.ch/oeftA).
Back to the Future: The Game comes to the Mac
Telltale Game's Back to the Future: The Game is now available as a digital download title from the Macgamestore (http://www.macgamestore.com). It costs US$19.95 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later.
Here's how the game is described: "The Future is Back and this time it's playable! Get all five episodes for one price. Marty McFly and Doc Brown return in a completely new Back to the Future adventure.
Six months after the events of the third film, the DeLorean Time Machine mysteriously returns to Hill Valley -- driverless! Marty must go back in time and get aid from a resistant teenage Emmett Brown, or else the space time continuum will forever be unraveled!"
Media Converter available at the Mac App Store
iFunia has announced Media Converter 3.0 for Mac, an update to the company's conversion software. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later and is available at the Mac App Store.
iFunia Media Converter is also on sale with a limited time price reduction from US$48.99 to $24.99 for a limited time. This special offer only available through the Mac App Store. You can download a free trial version of the application from iFunia online (http://www.ifunia.com).
Media Converter is an all-in-one solution for Mac users to convert video and audio, and rip DVDs. Mac users can convert videos/audios between various formats and rip DVD movies to video and audio formats for use on an iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, iMovie, FCP and more.
Valentina 4.9 adds Query Statistics Profiling, more
Paradigma Software has released Valentina 4.9, an update of the cross platform columnar database system. The upgrade includes several new features and improvements, including Query Statistics Profiling and Client Caching of Server-Side Cursors.
Query Statistics Profiling allows database administrators to diagnose performance bottlenecks in queries. Client Caching of Server-Side Cursors allows any Valentina Client to cache data from server-side cursors.
Valentina DB 4.9 incorporates improvements for XML exports, SQL dump import and exports, highly efficient macros for C++ developers, 64 bit signed .NET development, and compatibility with REAL Software's REAL Studio Web Edition. It also includes improvements in layouts, including expressions within the HTML control, aspect control of embedded and field pictures.
Valentina Studio is Paradigma Software’s visual database development tool for database design, administration and visual report building -- both for local databases as well as...
WWDC Interview: Kitty Code
While in San Francisco, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at Apple's WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special WWDC free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) and Ilene Jones of Kitty Code, LLC at WWDC. Ilene was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
WWDC Interview: iPhorex
While in San Francisco, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at Apple's WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special WWDC free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) and Christopher Gnanakone of iPhorex, LLC at WWDC. Christopher was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
WWDC Interview: MacPaw
While in San Francisco, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at Apple's WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.
If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special WWDC free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
This video features Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) and Oleksandr Kosovan of MacPaw at WWDC. Oleksandr was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
MobileMe to shut down June 30 2012
Say goodbye to iWeb publishing, the MobileMe Gallery, and iDisk, according to a new Apple web site (http://www.apple.com/mobileme/transition.html) of "frequently asked questions about the MobileMe transition and iCloud.
"The core services provided by MobileMe have been rewritten to work seamlessly with iCloud," says Apple. "MobileMe will no longer be available as a paid sync service. If you had an active MobileMe account as of June 6, 2011, your service has been extended through June 30, 2012, at no additional charge. After that date, the MobileMe service will no longer be available."
MobileMe services coming to iCloud are Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Bookmarks, Find My iPhone, and Back to My Mac. In addition, the following new services will be available in iCloud: iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud
automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books, and backup and restore
Note that if you have an active MobileMe account when you sign up for iCloud, you’ll...
Apple expected to ship eight million MacBook Airs in third...
Makers in the upstream supply chain for Apple laptop products will run in full gear starting July preparing for new MacBook Air models expected to arrive next month, reports "DigiTimes" (http://macte.ch/NCLOm), quoting sources in the supply chain. The new Airs are expected to ship when OS X Lion begins to prowl and include Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt technology.
Apple is expected to take deliveries of over eight million MacBook Airs in the third quarter, nearly doubling from the previous quarter, says "DigiTimes."
The publication's sources have also raised the projected shipments of MacBook laptops for 2011 to 15 million units, compared to 13 million forecast previously.
Apple sues Samsung in South Korea
Apple has filed a patent lawsuit against Samsung in South Korea, reports "Bloomberg" (http://macte.ch/YQSjp). The lawsuit was filed with the Seoul Central District Court on June 22 and is the latest volley in the legal war between the two companies.
When contacted by "Bloomberg," Steve Park, a Seoul-based spokesman for Apple, referred to the company’s earlier statements. The company said on April 18 that Samsung “blatantly” copied its technologies and designs.
On June 17, Apple amended and expanded its complaint against Samsung, asserting more patents and other intellectual property rights than before against an extended list of allegedly infringing product.
In April Samsung filed patent lawsuits against Apple over the U.S. firm's iPhone and iPad after Apple claimed Samsung's smartphones and tablets "slavishly" copied its products. This followed an Apple lawsuit filed on April 15 in the U.S. that claimed Samsung's mobile phones and Galaxy Tab "slavishly" copied the iPhone and iPad....
Gartner: major marketing vendors increasingly eyeing the iPad
By 2016, 50% of all major marketing automation vendors will develop applications specifically for Apple's iPad, according to Gartner (http://www.gartner.com). As more consumers purchase and use media tablets, such as the iPad, they are becoming increasingly prevalent in the workplace and enterprise vendors are responding accordingly, says the research group.
"The initial use of iPads and tablets by marketers will be the extension of existing marketing applications, such as campaign management and marketing resource management (MRM) functionality, to be supported by the device, either disconnected or connected to the network and home-based application," says Kimberly Collins, managing vice president at Gartner. "By 2014, 65% of major marketing automation vendors will extend 25 percent of their functionality to the iPad. MRM vendors will lead this charge with adaption of functionality for reviews and approvals. Marketing fulfillment vendors are likely to enable access to content via...
iAd Producer update improves handling of TrueType fonts
Apple has updated iAd Producer (http://developer.apple.com/iad/iadproducer/) to version 1.2. Among other things, it improves the handling of TrueType fonts.
Ad Producer automatically manages the HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript behind your iAd. For advanced developers, iAd Producer offers sophisticated JavaScript editing and debugging, along with a powerful extension mechanism that enables them to create and re-use their own page templates and components
iAd Producer is available for download on Apple’s developer web site. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.5, Safari 5 and iOS SDK 4.0.
iAds combine the emotion of TV advertising with the interactivity of Internet advertising, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple has iAd commitments for 2010 totaling over US$60 million, which represents almost 50 percent of the total forecasted US mobile ad spending for the second half of 2010, says Jobs.
He adds that iAd, which is built into iOS 4, allows users to stay within their app while engaging with the...
Apple releases Security Update 2011-004 for Leopard
Apple has released Security Update 2011-004 for Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard"). It improves protection against the Mac Defender trojan horse and other potential security issues.
Security Update 2011-004 is available for Leopard and Leopard Server. You can obtain it via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.
Active Storage delivers higher density ActiveRAID systems
Active Storage (http://www.activestorage.com), which specializes in high-performance storage solutions for media and creative professionals, has released higher-density versions of ActiveRAID, its RAID storage solution.
The new systems offer 48TB of storage capacity in three rack-units (3RU) and deliver higher throughput in post and broadcast production SAN environments with the same ease of deployment and management for which ActiveRAID is known, says Mark Lonsdale, senior vice president of Engineering of Active Storage.
The new systems are available in both self-contained high-availability Active/Active RAID configurations and add-on expansion systems. Systems are compatible with all modern operating and file systems and highly optimized for use in Apple Xsan and StorNext SAN configurations.
48TB configurations are available immediately from Active Storage resellers worldwide in US$25,999 and $23,999 configurations.
Reason Disco School boogies from Propellerhead
Propellerhead Software has released Disco School ReFill (US$99) for Reason, the company’s computer based award-winning music production system.
The Reason Disco School ReFill (http://macte.ch/EkOoZ) library explores the classic sounds that came out of three of disco’s biggest capitals: New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. It offers six songs in three different keys, from simple two-chord progressions to more complex themes.
All sounds of Reason Disco School are sourced from the complete songs; each composed, arranged and produced for Reason Disco School. The musical elements -- bass, drums, guitars, strings, keyboards, percussion and horns -- are provided in Propellerhead’s tempo-independent REX format, and easily fit into any modern club track or old-school hip hop production, or as a starting point for song creation.
Included in the ReFill iso a collection of multi-sampled drums for use with Reason’s NN-XT sampler and Combinator device. Additionally, for club music, Disco...
Transposer adapts 2.5-inch SATA SSD to a 3.5-inch drive tray
Sonnet Technologies has introduced its US$39.95 Transposer (http://macte.ch/cTor6) universal 2.5-inch SSD to 3.5-inch drive tray adapter. It secures the smaller SSD drive to its heat-sinking aluminum frame, and the assembly is installed into any 3.5-inch drive tray.
With a 2.5-inch SSD attached, the Transposer adapter mimics the geometry of a 3.5-inch drive and mounts to trays that bottom-mount or side-mount 3.5-inch drives. The Transposer adapter's SATA connector is positioned to plug into a backplane as the tray is inserted.
Transposer is compatible with 3 Gb/s and 6 Gb/s SATA (or single connection SAS) SSDs and hard disk drives. The Sonnet adapter supports 7mm to 15mm 2.5-inch drives. Standard position mounting holes on the bottom and side of Transposer give it the flexibility to be used anywhere a 3.5-inch drive is normally used, including computer drive bays and side- or bottom-mount trays for drive enclosures, says Sonnet CEO Robert Farnsworth.
Transposer's specially...
Speck releases CandyShell Wrap for the iPad 2
Speck (http://www.speckproducts.com) has redesigned its CandyShell Wrap case for the iPad 2. It’s slimmer, lighter and has an integrated detachable cover.
The US$32.47 CandyShell Wrap has a shiny, black hard shell exterior and a shock-resistant rubberized interior that work together to protect the Apple tablet from the inside out. The front cover folds back to become a viewing stand, and the case has a flip-back panel for use in a dock or with a keyboard.
Final Cut Pro X training coming to New York
Manhattan Edit Workshop (Mewshop), a digital training destination, has announced what it says is New York's first hands-on training course for the new Final Cut Pro X – "Hands-on With FCP X."
You can register at http://macte.ch/QRoCe . Mewshop trainer Ari Feldman will present students with a two-day training course in Apple's revamped editing suite. On July 9 and 10, participants will receive guidance on the inner workings of Final Cut Pro X.
"Hands-on With FCP X" is set to take place on Saturday, July 9, and Sunday, July 10, 2011 from 10 am to 5 pm (Eastern) at Manhattan Edit Workshop, 80 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1501, New York City. Early bird pricing is available now through June 30 for US$299. Standard registration, from July 1 – July 7, is $499. As an additional offer, students who bring their own laptops with FCP X installed will have the opportunity to take Mewshop's training media home with them after class.
MacProVideo offers free FCP X
MacProVideo (http://www.macProVideo.com) has released new tutorial-videos for Apple's Final Cut Pro X. This includes a free 44-minute introduction to Final Cut Pro X that shows all of the new features in Apple's flagship video editing software.
These tutorials are produced by Apple Courseware author Michael Wohl (one of the original designers of the Final Cut Pro software). MacProVideo says you can "learn deep insider secrets about the Final Cut Pro X software from a person who has been instrumental to the development of this software since day one."
Human Software releases Edit 3
Human Software (http://www.humansoftware.com) is introducing Edit 3 for Apple Aperture, Adobe Lightroom 2/3, Photoshop CS3 to CS5 and Elements for Mac OS X.6 and higher.
HSC Edit is made of different modules that can be purchased individually, or the whole as a bundle at a special introductory price of US$199.95. With the software, you can manipulate layers of images right inside Apple Aperture or Adobe Lightroom.
New brushes for Photoshop released
Graphicxtras (http://www.graphicxtras.com/) has released their new brush sets for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. The sets include spiral brushes, star brushes, swirl brushes, arrows, Christmas, flame fire, scrap booking, text and more.
The brushes can be used with most of the Photoshop brush tools such as paint, blur, art history, clone as well as pattern stamps. The brushes section now includes 142 sets of brushes and over 15,000 brushes in total.
They work with Photoshop 7 or later and Photoshop Elements 2 or later. All Creative Suite sets can use the brushes. The brush packs are priced at US$7.99 each; they're download only.
Accounted available in the Mac App Store
Accounted, the double-entry accounting system software from Oranged Software (http://www.oranged.net) is now available at the Mac App Store. It's being offered at 50% off its regular price of US$39.99 for the first week. You can find it in the Business category.
Registered users of Accounted can also update to the latest version (3.0.1) for free. The upgrade includes updates and improvements. Optimized performance, improved importing capabilities, and several minor bug fixes are on the list of updates. You can grab this version at the Oranged Software web site.
No Harry Potter on the iBookstore for now
If you were hoping to see Harry Potter books on Apple's iBookstore, you're out of luck for now. Digital versions of the books are coming, but to author J.K. Rowling's own Pottermore instead.
Pottermore is an upcoming website designed to "build an exciting online experience around the reading of her hugely successful Harry Potter books, and is partnered by Sony." For this collaborative project, Rowling has written extensive new material about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories.
Pottermore will also incorporate an online shop where people can purchase exclusively the Harry Potter eBooks. As the Pottermore Shop develops, it is intended that it should include further products designed specifically for Harry Potter fans, offering a potential outlet for Sony products and services related to Pottermore.
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.6.8
Apple has released Mac OS X 10.6.8 (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4561). It's recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.
Apple also released the 10.6.8 update for Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4560). You can obtain the updates via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.
Analyst: iPhone in China offers $70 billion revenue opportunity
Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities thinks the growth of mobile Internet in China "opens up a whole new world" for the iPhone.
In a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- he estimates that the high-end mobile phone market in China represents between 100 million and 125 million subscribers. In his view, that equates to a total potential revenue opportunity of US$70 billion.
"The numbers speak for themselves," he says in a note to investors. "For example, Apple generated approximately $5 billion in revenue from Greater China during (the first half of fiscal 2011) or 10% of sales compared to $3 billion for all of (fiscal year 2010)."
White thinks Apple and China Mobile are close to a deal, perhaps with a lower priced smartphone in the works. He thinks a "mini iPhone" would expand Apple's customer base in countries like China, and other developing nations around the world.
ComScore: iPad dominates the tablet category across geographies
ComScore (http://www.comscore.com), which "measures the digital world," has launched Device Essentials, a new service reporting on digital traffic by device, which includes computers and other devices, defined as mobile phones, tablets, music players, e-readers, gaming devices, and other web-enabled devices.
Based on comScore’s global Unified Digital Measurement (UDM) data, which utilizes census-level information from tagged web page content, Device Essentials includes comScore’s first publicly available data showing device activity by connection type and device category. It sheds light on traffic patterns by device across geographies.
One of the most rapidly emerging digital traffic trends occurring across many countries is the impact of the iPad and other tablets. In comScore's below of 13 countries covering five continents, the iPad is currently the dominant tablet device across all geographies, contributing more than 89% of tablet traffic across all markets.
The iPad’s...
iPhone is top selling handset at AT&T, Verizon stores
The BTIG (http://www.btigresearch.com) research group says a new study -- as reported by "AllThingsD" (http://macte.ch/LYOjn) -- show that the iPhone is Verizon's top-selling handset five months after the Apple smartphone came to the carrier.
Of the Verizon stores surveyed by BTIG, 51% said the iPhone was their top-seller. An additional 38% said it was tied for first with a rival Android device, typically the Samsung Droid Charge or the HTC Thunderbolt.
At AT&T stores, the iPhone was even more dominant; 65% of them named it as their top selling phone. Another 31% said the top seller was an Android device.
In all, 58% of the stores BTIG called named the iPhone as their strongest selling phone. An additional 20% said it shared that honor with a competing device.
Bio of Steve Jobs to debut on 'CNBC Titans' tonight
An hour-long biography of Apple CEO Steve Jobs will kick off this year's "CNBC Titans" series.
It will debut Thursday at 9 p.m. EST -- and run again at 10, 12 a.m. and 1 a.m.). For more info go to http://www.cnbc.com/id/43298711/ .
Apple updates Epson, Lexmark drivers
Apple has updated its Epson and Lexmark printer drivers for Mac OS X 10.6.
Epson 2.7 Printer Drivers (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1398) is a 961.5MB download. Lexmark 2.5 Printer Drivers (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1397) is a 147.5MB download.
Pioneer AppRadio utilizes iPhone, iPod touch
Pioneer Electronics (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/) says the AppRadio is now available for immediate purchase at a retail price of US$399.
It's an in-vehicle product designed to utilize the processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps of the iPhone and iPod touch (fourth generation) as the primary source for its information and entertainment capabilities.
Pioneer’s AppRadio also features a capacitive touchscreen that enables control of most functions using similar touch and motion gestures as many of today’s smartphones, but in a larger 6.1-inch screen designed specifically for safer in-vehicle operation. For safety and convenience, AppRadio features built-in Bluetooth for hands free calling and an input for an optional vehicle mounted rear facing back-up camera, says Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for the car electronics division of Pioneer Electronics USA.
The latest update to Pioneer’s AppRadio app now adds access to the iPhone’s Contacts,...
Wi-Ex launches iPhone signal booster
Wi-Ex (http://www.wi-ex.com/index.aspx), a provider of consumer and commercial cell phone signal boosters, has launched the zBoost Metro YX540iP iPhone Signal Booster initially available exclusively at Amazon.
The US$299.99 zBoost Metro YX540iP is optimized for use with the iPhone allowing users to take full advantage of their iPhone's voice, data and Internet services, including 3G high-speed data, according to Sharon Cuppett, Wi-Ex's vice president of marketing. It includes a US$15 apps gift card and a zBoost Your Business Application Guide featuring iPhone and iPad apps for the business user or teleworker on the go.
Designed for use in a single-story urban living building, the zBoost Metro YX540iP iPhone Signal Booster boosts indoor signal for multiple users operating any mobile device that operates on the 800 and 1900MHz frequencies including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Sprint. It includes everything a user needs to boost their signal up to 1,500 square feet...
Souffle is new SWF previewer for Mac OS X
Eltima Software (http://mac.eltima.com) has released Souffle 1.0, a SWF previewer for Mac OS X (10.6 or higher). It's free and available worldwide exclusively in the Mac App Store in the Utilities section.
Souffle allows previewing Adobe Flash files without the necessity of opening them. To search for any SWF file on a Mac with the software installed, enter in Spotlight or in the Finder search line the required dimensions, height and width, or duration, in seconds, of the SWF file.
Souffle will also show detailed information about selected SWF files. This includes their dimensions, duration, Flash version, frames per second and more.
G-Technology delivers wireless storage for iOS devices
G-Technology by Hitachi (http://www.g-technology.com/) has introduced its G-Connect wireless storage solution, the first in a family of products providing instant, wireless storage and 802.11n Wi-Fi Internet access for an iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices.
The G-Connect solution provides on-the-go wireless access to content that’s not already loaded on your iOS devices, including your movies, music, books, photos and documents. No Internet connection is required. G-Connect provides access to five-plus simultaneous devices, depending on the workload, and supports up to five SD or three HD video streams at once.
When connected via Ethernet to a network, the G-Connect drive becomes your own personal cloud or Wi-Fi Internet access point, allowing you to surf and stream content, wirelessly, at the same time. You can access and view content on the G-Connect solution with a mobile iOS app, which will be available in the Apple Store or through your browser.
The G-Technology G-Connect...
Park Baseball 12 swings onto the Mac
OOTP Developments has released Out of the Park Baseball 12, an update of the baseball sim that runs on the Mac OS X, Windows and Linux operating systems.
Leading off OOTP 12's lineup of features is a complete roster set, from the major leagues to the rookie level. Thousands of real players, from power hitter Albert Pujols to young pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, are individually rated based on updated statistics and realistic contract data. All of 2010's top draft picks are included, too.
OOTP lets players run a major league team from top to bottom, setting lineups and pitching rotations, determining defensive and offensive strategies, and making dozens of game-time decisions, such as when to steal a base or employ a hit-and-run. The game offers a play-by-play text stream, combined with a visual representation of what's happening on the field and such audio effects as the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd.
Between games, players define scouting budgets, make trades, handle...
Dalamser announces Folder Dater and Date Paradox Resolver
Dalamser (http://www.dalamser.com/) has announced two Mac OS X apps: Folder Dater, a utility for setting folder time stamps based on their contents to enhance sorting in the Finder, and Date Paradox Resolver, a maintenance tool for resolving paradoxical date stamps. Both apps are available immediately from the Mac App Store for $3.99 each.
While Folder Dater and Date Paradox Resolver are related, in that they both process date stamps, their purpose and behavior are distinct and they're designed to complement each other. Folder Dater is an utility that assists in maintaining collections of documents in the Finder as folder modification dates change as part of normal operations.
Date Paradox Resolver is a maintenance tool for dealing with abnormal paradoxical situations. It handles files and folders.
Akvis Makeup lets you add glamour to portraits
Akvis (http://www.akvis.com) has released Akvis MakeUp 1.0 for Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) and Windows. Akvis MakeUp automatically smoothes small defects on the skin, making it radiant, beautiful, pure and even, as you can see on artistic images, according to the folks at Akvis.
The software is designed for tasks such as processing marriage photographs or graduation party photos. Thanks to the Batch Processing feature, you won't need to process every picture, but can apply the chosen settings to a whole folder with the event shooting.
The program is available in plug-in and standalone versions. The plug-in version is compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS5 64-bit.
To use, open a portrait with Akvis MakeUp and click on the Run button. The software will retouch and freshen up the skin without changing other aspects of the photo.
There are two modes -- Express and Advanced. In Express mode you can do the correction with a single click using the default settings, while in Advanced mode you...
D-Link releases Amplifi family of home networking solutions
D-Link (http://www.dlink.com) has announced its Amplifi family of home networking solutions.
The Amplifi product line includes the HD Media Router 1000 with HD Fuel (DIR-657) for managing high bandwidth HD traffic and streaming, the Whole Home Router 1000 (DIR-645) and Wi-Fi Booster (DAP-1525) with exclusive SmartBeam technology for pushing wireless signals into the farthest corners of homes to deliver whole home coverage, and PowerLine 500 products (DHP-500AV, DHP-501AV, DHP-540) for adding bandwidth over existing electrical wiring.
Pricing ranges from US$119.99 to $199.99. Go to the D-Link web site for details.
SyncMate Plus now available in the Mac App Store
Eltima Software (http://www.eltima.com/) says SyncMate Plus 3.1 is now available in the Mac App Store. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later and costs US$39.99.
SyncMate Plus allows syncing Mac with mobile phones, online accounts, other computers, portable devices and mounted storage devices. It allows syncing contacts, calendars, images, videos, music, folders, bookmarks, notes and lots more between Mac and supported devices.
With SyncMate Plus you can view and manage SMS messages on your Mac and mount Windows Mobile or Android devices as Mac disks. Supported devices can be connected to a Mac via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB or Ethernet (connection type depends on the device you are going to sync with your Mac).
Device compatibility: Android 1.x, 2.x devices; Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, 6.1, 6.5 devices; series 40-based Nokia (phones with Bluetooth only); PSP (running Firmware 2.7.1 or higher); Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 running MS Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010.
PDFPen 5.4 lets you extract, edit files from multi-file PDF...
SmileOnMyMac has updated PDFPen (http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpen/download.html), its PDF editing and form-filling tool for Mac OS X, to version 5.4. The update adds the ability to extract and edit files from multi-file PDF collections. Aside from Adobe Acrobat, PDFpen is the only Mac PDF editor that can open PDF collections.
In addition to all the changes made in PDFpen, PDFpenPro 5.4 also features improved Table of Contents editing. PDFpenPro has all the features of PDFpen, and it can also convert websites into PDFs, create fillable PDF forms, and construct document Table of Contents.
PDFpen costs US$59.95, and PDFpenPro is $99.95. Family pack licenses, which cover up to five computers in one household, are $74.95 for PDFpen and $129.95 for PDFpenPro. Upgrades from earlier versions of either application are $25, and free to users who purchased after Feb. 14, 2010. Upgrades from any version of PDFpen to PDFpenPro 5.0 are $40.
PDFpen 5.4 and PDFpen Pro 5.4 require Mac OS X 10.6 or...
