BeaTunes for Mac OS X gets new interface, much more
Tagtrum has released version 3.0 of BeaTunes (http://www.beatunes.com), the iTunes add-on for Mac and Windows. The new release sports enhanced musical key detection, improved library inspection, a complete user interface overhaul and support for non-iTunes music collections.
BeaTunes can detect various types of metadata, such as beats-per-minute and musical key, as well as find and fix typos and inconsistencies such as misspelled artists and rarely used genres. It analyzes the color and tempo (BPM) of your songs, intelligently creates playlists of matching songs, corrects your iTunes Music Library (typos, wrong genres, etc.), lets you blog about your playlists and more.
A seven-day demo version is available at the product web site. Registration is US$31.95. Upgrades to version 3.0 from 2.x are $11.95. beaTunes requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher. A demo is available for download.
Freeway 5.5 Express launched in the Mac App Store
Softpress' (http://www.softpress.com) web design application, Freeway 5.5 Express, is now available in the Mac App Store. Pitched at the consumer/home user market, it's being offered at a special introductory price of US$29.99.
Freeway Express requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher and is based on a DTP application, not an HTML editor. This means it works like any drag and drop application. And there's no need to know HTML.
What's more, Softpress offers a free download of its Freeway companion Showcase gallery and slideshow app to all Mac App Store Express purchasers. Showcase lets you create a gallery or slideshow from scratch in minutes, with thousands of fully-customizable option, says Softpress Managing Director Richard Logan.
SweetP bakes up Cookie 1.7 for Mac OS X
SweetP Productions has announced Cookie 1.7 (http://www.sweetpproductions.com), an update to their cookie and browser history management utility for Mac OS X (10.6.6 and higher). It's available at the Mac App Store for US$14.99.
Cookie is designed to help you to manage exactly who can access information about your online activities. It scans your computer for all types of cookies, from all the top browsers, and can be configured to remove all unwanted tracking-advertising cookies.
Data can be stored on your computer without you even knowing in a multitude of different formats: cookies, Flash cookies, databases and local storage. Cookie scans your computer for all types of cookies.
Version 1.7 adds a first-run configuration wizard and an option to import favorites from browser bookmarks. It changes the color of the tracking cookie count in the status line on the cookies tab to red, to make it more obvious that the red colored cookies, are in fact tracking cookies. It now hides if no...
ATTO Technology provides Mac connectivity with modular storage...
ATTO Technology has announced a new solution enabled by ATTO’s Celerity Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters(HBAs) with Multipath Director technology.
Professionals in the digital media market demanding high-quality storage can now take advantage of HP’s P2000 G3FC Modular Smart Array(MSA) storage system in Mac environments for the first time, enabled by ATTO’s proprietary technology, according to Tom Kolniak, director of products at ATTO Technology.
Only ATTO’s Multipath Director, when combined with ATTO’s 8Gb/s Celerity Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters, offers the market a highly-available, high-performance storage solution, he adds. This combination allows HP to provide solutions in vertical markets formerly outside its usual channels.
ATTO’s Celerity line of HBAs are Fibre Channel cards with 8Gb/s speeds.
For more information on this solution, and how to purchase, to to http://www.attotech.com/solutions/HP .
TidBITS Publishing offers 'Take Control of TextExpander...
TidBITS Publishing has announced the latest title in their Take Control series -- "Take Control of TextExpander," by Mac expert Michael E. Cohen. In the ebook, he helps readers take advantage of the power of TextExpander 3, a text expansion utility from Smile.
Cohen first teaches TextExpander newbies how to create "snippets" of text (like an address) that can be inserted into text in nearly any application by typing a short abbreviation (for example, addd). Once readers are comfortable with TextExpander's core controls and options, he explains TextExpander's sophisticated options for inserting and working with snippets, including how to use snippets on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch using Smile's TextExpander touch app.
The 93-page ebook is available for US$10 at http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/textexpander . The book was created in partnership with Smile.
'Get' gets center stage at London SuperMeet
AV3 Software has announced its presence at the upcoming Second Annual London SuperMeet at the Kensington Conference & Event Centre in London on Thursday, June 23.
The FCPUG SuperMeets are the largest gatherings of Final Cut editors, HDSLR filmmakers, digital content creators, and gurus on the planet. AV3 Software will showcase its dialog search tool for Final Cut Pro editors, Get, for SuperMeet attendees. Get, the dialog search tool for FCP editors, is used by a wide range of professionals around the world, from documentary editors to filmmakers, TV production studios, and more, says Doug Hynes, director of products, AV3 Software.
The Second Annual London SuperMeet will commence on Thursday, June 23, at the Kensington Conference & Event Centre in London. Doors open at 16:30 for the SuperMeet Digital Showcase, featuring 18 vendors and plenty of networking opportunities. Early-bird tickets are on sale now for £10.00. For more info on registration, ticket options, and a full...
Elite Mac Care announces Personal Training Services for...
Elite Mac Care (http://www.elitemaccare.com/) is a new service for those switching from Windows to the Mac -- or those simply needing help. Instruction can range from basic operations, all the way up to trouble shooting common issues.
Elite Mac Care also offers purchasing help when buying a new Mac, guiding you through the maze of models, services, and warranties. This service comes with a free one-hour "Getting Started" lesson for your new Mac.
Elite Mac Care can work with clients at their New Jersey office or via a public place. Group training is available as well, and we will supply free Wi-Fi Internet access for the entire lesson. For info go to the company web site.
Graphic Node adds 50 3D objects to its stills collection
Graphic design company, Graphic Node (http://www.graphicnode.com/) has announced an update to its Stills pack of images for Apple's iWork.
With the addition of 50 brand new 3D objects, the Stills collection now contains 700 images. Stills subjects range from office stationery and medical appliances to food, with a sizable selection of fruits and appliances. With Stills, users can decorate presentations, invitations, Web pages, posters, newsletters, and a variety of other documents.
Stills requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher and costs US$19. Users can view samples of the illustrations and purchase the Stills pack on the Graphic Node Web site. The bundle doesn't require installation and can simply be saved wherever users find it convenient.
Flexiglass for Mac OS X gets new screen layouts
Nulana has updated Flexiglass (http://nulana.com/flexiglass), an application for management of Mac OS X windows, to version 1.2. The upgrade adds new screen layouts and ability to restore window to its original position.
With Flexiglass, windows can be moved, resized, maximized and closed with a mouse, trackpad multi-touch gestures, and keyboard shortcuts. Application settings can be modified to move and resize, real zoom and quick layouts to suit user needs and preferences.
Flexiglass supports English, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Flexiglass requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. For new users the cost is US$7.99, though version 1.2 is a free update for registered users. A demo is available for download.
Brain App now has 15 exercise modes
Games developer Chris Mayer has updated Brain App (http://www.brainapp.net), the brain training software for the Mac, iPhone and iPad to version 1.5.
Brain App presents a variety of rapid-fire math problems in quick succession to exercise the brain. There are now 15 brain exercise modes in five exercise types.
Brain App 1.5 is available from the Mac App Store for US$3.99. On the Apple App Store, the iPad version is priced at $2.99, and the iPhone version is $1.99.
Apple cuts iCloud deal with Universal Music Group
Apple has cut a licensing deal with Universal Music Group that will enable Apple's online music store to offer songs from the largest of the four top record companies, according to "CNET" (http://macte.ch/jEK2u), qutoing "sources with knowledge of the talks."
The agreement means Apple now has the rights to offer recordings from all of the major labels. In addition, Apple has reached agreements with some of the large music publishers, the sources told "CNET."
Apple will announce its "cloud"-based service, dubbed iCloud, on June 6 at the kickoff of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple didn't disclose whether iCloud would include any music features, but "CNET" says "we do know that Apple managers have sought for more than a year to create a music feature for the service."
Most ACU students would buy an iPad for digital textbooks
Three-quarters of college freshmen surveyed said they would be willing to personally purchase an Apple iPad if at least half of their textbooks were available digitally, according to new research findings from Abilene Christian University’s 2010-2011 mobile-learning projects.
A majority of these students at the Abilene, Texas, school rated reading on the iPad as “more convenient” than reading from traditional paper textbooks, though they rated paper texts as "easier" when asked to compare the two. The announcement is the first in a series of research findings ACU will release from its 2010-11 empirical evaluations and digital text studies, conducted in ACU's Mobile-Learning Fellows program and in other faculty exploration projects. The ACU Connected website (http://www.acu.edu/technology/mobilelearning/Research/index.html) has details of each study.
Over the past year, researchers at ACU have begun to investigate student perceptions of both the iPad and the digital content available...
Apple releases WWDC app, posts the schedule
Apple has released an iOS app regarding next week's Worldwide Developer Conference and released the official schedule.
The free app is designed for both the iPhone and iPad. It's designed as a mobile guide to the conference and lets you access a range of conference information, such as the conference schedule. You can also use the app to make a reservation at the User Interface, App Review, iTunes Connect, Program Support, or Developer Publications.
Meanwhile, a schedule of the detailed list of WWD sessions, labs and special events can be found at http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/schedule/ . The conference will run June 6-10 at the Moscone West in San Francisco.
Apple updates Xprotect malware definitions
Following the appearance of a new variant of the MacDefender fake antivirus, Apple has issued an update to its Xprotect malware definitions. This update detects this new variant, and alerts users to the presence of the new variant, which Apple calls OSX.MacDefender.C.
Mac security specialist, Intego (http://www.intego.com), says "the cat and mouse game has begun." The people behind this malware have shown that they can react very quickly, and Apple has reacted rapidly as well.
Intego says VirusBarrier X6, with its current threat filters, already detected this variant without the need for an update, because of the multiple techniques it uses to detect malware. In addition, VirusBarrier X6 can detect malware downloaded via any application, while Apple’s XProtect system only functions with files downloaded by certain programs, notably Apple software such as Safari, Mail and iChat.
Apple tops list of 2011 Supply Chain Top 25
Gartner (http://www.gartner.com) has released the findings from its seventh annual Supply Chain Top 25, and Apple tops the list. The goal of the Supply Chain Top 25 research initiative is to raise awareness of the supply chain discipline and how it impacts the business, according to the research group.
"Four key themes emerged this year among the leaders, including how they deal with volatility, their approaches to value chain network integration, their focus on sustainable execution and their abilities to orchestrate," says Debra Hofman, research vice president at Gartner.
Apple held onto the No. 1 position for the fourth year in a row. The company continued to post strong financials and top-of-the-line voting scores. Research In Motion, which was new to the list last year, rose to No. 4 this year with enviable financials and solid votes. Amazon, another newcomer last year, rose five spots to No. 5 in the 2011 ranking. Colgate-Palmolive, rising steadily since 2009, moved to No. 13...
Wi-Drive expands iPad, iPhone and iPod touch storage...
Kingston Digital, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, has announced the Wi-Drive (http://www.kingston.com/flash/wi_drive.asp), built to address the increasing storage needs of Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users.
The Wi-Drive is a a wireless, portable storage solution that allows users to expand the number of documents, images, music and video files they can access from Apple devices. The combination of this storage expansion, file sharing and a rugged portable form factor makes it a perfect companion device, says Andrew Ewing, Flash memory business manager, Kingston.
The Wi-Drive, along with its app from the App Store, allows users to stream videos, access music or share files with other Apple device owners. The pocket-sized drive utilizes Flash-based technology to store data from USB-compatible computers.
These files are then easily retrieved via Wi-Drive’s built-in wireless signal without requiring cables or an Internet connection. Three users can work...
Zoom's R8 is tool for capturing audio on-the-go
Zoom’s new, US$299 R8 (http://macte.ch/oTDXT) is a tool for capturing audio on-the-go. It combines four production tools in one compact device.
In addition to being an 8-track playback/2-track simultaneous recorder that utilizes SD memory, the R8 is an audio interface, a control surface and a pad sampler. The R8 will fit in a guitar case, for a flexible, multi-track solution,says James Tsaptsinos, Samson’s vice president of Sales.
With a sampler function that consists of eight voices, the R8’s built-in drum sounds can be triggered using eight pads to assign sounds to each track and create loops. You can also use the unit’s drum machine to create original backing beats, or output a metronome for tempo control.
Not only does the R8 offer over 500 drum patterns to work with, it also includes a 2GB SD card containing 500MB of drum loops recorded by Big Fish Audio. It comes with a 2GB SD card and supports up to 32GB SDHC cards for a maximum of 100 track hours. Using SD media for...
iOS developer conference, One More Thing, coming in August
MacTalk co-founder and editor, Anthony Agius, has announced his first post-MacTalk project, after deciding to sell MacTalk in early March. One More Thing is an iOS developer conference being held in Melbourne, on Saturday, Aug. 13.
Agius says it will showcase Australia's leading independent iOS developers, giving attendees an opportunity to learn from their stories, and apply them to their own App Store careers. The aim of this conference is to give an insight into how Australian developers are achieving success on the App Store, and forging full-time jobs and careers out of cultivating their ideas and publishing their creations on Apple's App Store, he adds.
One More Thing 2011 will be held at Revolt Theatre, Kensington, Victoria. For more info or to register go to http://onemorething.com.au .
Drive Genius 3 LE available at the Mac App Store.
Prosoft Engineering says Drive Genius 3 LE is now available at the Mac App Store for US$59.99.
The special Mac App Store version of Drive Genius 3 allows you to work on your external, non-startup drives, says Greg Brewer, CEO of Prosoft Engineering, Inc. Customers can purchase Drive Genius 3 LE directly from their dock via the App Store and begin improving the performance of their external hard drives, he adds.
This special LE version is offered with limitations vs Drive Genius 3. For more information go to http://www.prosofteng.com/products/drive-genius-le.php . You can upgrade from the LE version to the full version of Drive Genius for $39.
Loop Business Expo coming to Chicago in August
Loop USA Inc will be hosting a Loop Business Expo (http://www.loopbusinessexpo.com) on Aug. 23 at the Embassy Suites located at 511 North Columbus Drive in downtown Chicago.
The Expo is designed to offer an opportunity for Apple users to learn how to incorporate the company's technology in their business. Participants will see presentations from Microsoft, Canon, Xtuple, VMWARE, and many more.
Registration for this event costs US$9.95. The fee entitles you to a $50-value gift that includes a one-year subscription to i.Business magazine and a special gift from one the vendors. Registration also gives you the opportunity to win over $5,000 in door prizes and raffles.
OWC announces new memory upgrade kits for Mac Pros
Other World Computing (http://www.macsales.com) says its MaxRAM Certified Triple-Channel Memory Upgrade Kits are the industry’s first 16GB module based upgrades to provide up to 96GB for all Apple Mac Pro 2009 (Nehalem) and 2010 (Nehalem and Westmere) models.
These new 16GB per module kits are available in the following options:
° 48GB (3x16GB) PC3-10600 ECC DDR3 1333/1066MHz Triple-Channel Set, US$1,599.99;
° 96GB (6x16GB) PC3-10600 ECC DDR3 1333MHz Matched Modules, $3179.99;
° 2GB modules and kits for up to 16GB from $34.99, 8GB kits from $137.99;
° 4GB modules and kits for up to 32GB from $64.99, 16GB kits from $254.99;
° 8GB modules and kits for up to 64GB from $189.99, 32GB kits from $729.99.
To assist all Mac Pro owners in selecting the correct memory upgrade for any of the 2006 to current Mac Pro models, OWC has created a e guide that shows the correct memory type and options specific to each of the different Mac Pro models. Go to http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Mac-Pro-...
LaCie demonstrates 'ultimate Thunderbolt configuration...
LaCie has unveiled a Thunderbolt technology demonstration at the Intel booth (#M0410) during Computex 2011, from June 1-4, in Taipei, Taiwan.
The demonstration will showcase multiple LaCie Little Big Disks Thunderbolt Series in a daisy chain, delivering speeds up to 835MB/second. According to LaCie, that's the fastest performance achieved by any mobile storage solution.
Designed as a configuration for video professionals and demanding users, the LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt Series is the first peripheral to showcase daisy chain capability between a high-end display and multiple storage devices, with no compromise in performance, says Erwan Girard, Professional Business Unit Manager, LaCie. For example, a professional display such as LaCie’s 324i, together with up to five additional hard drives can deliver enough bandwidth to support several 1080p uncompressed streams of HD video in Final Cut Pro, he adds. Professionals can connect to the entire configuration with a single...
Sample Logic announces Rumble and Fanfare
Sample Logic and System Blue have joined forces on two products: Rumble (US$299.99) and Fanfare ($399.99), a set of Kontakt Player virtual instruments that combine traditional marching drums and brass with cinematic sound design.
Rumble (www.samplelogic.com/Rumble.html ) and Fanfare (http://www.samplelogic.com/fanfare.html) feature the DCI World Champion Blue Devils drum and bugle corps and was recorded by Leslie Ann Jones on the Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound (a Lucasfilm Ltd. Company). The former will ship Aug. 8; the latter sometime this fall. Both are available for pre-order.
Rumble delivers a set of marching drum samples. Each instrument was captured using modern film score recording techniques at multiple dynamic levels, round-robins, and at close, mid, and far microphone placements,.
Fanfare features an array of marching brass instruments recorded both on the scoring stage and on the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium (home of the Buffalo Bills). The indoor recordings were done...
Seapine ALM 2011.1 available for developers, testers
Seapine Software has released Seapine ALM 2011.1, the latest version of its suite of tools for application lifecycle management. The new version includes enhanced test case management, more administrative options, and increased automation technology support for TestTrack, Surround SCM, and QA Wizard Pro.
Also, improvements have been incorporated into the product suite to enable better creation and re-use of test cases, tracking test execution progress, and ensuring adherence to best practices and compliance requirements during testing, says Jeff Amfahr, director of product management, Seapine Software. The company added workflow history diagrams and improved task board and traceability reports to TestTrack, as well as extensive TestTrack TCM enhancements.
A new QA Wizard Pro features include a new Keyword View, status tool enhancements, and general report improvements. In addition to the Microsoft Silverlight support added in 2011.0.1, Seapine also added support for the regression...
AppViz 2.0 adds iAds, automated downloads
IdeaSwarm (http://www.ideaswarm.com) has released AppViz 2.0, a new version of their desktop analytics tool for Mac OS X and iOS developers. It's designed to help developers download and visualize their application sales.
AppViz features a dashboard that displays an overview of product sales and trends, as well as a graph view for more in-depth analysis. Version 2.0 builds on the feature set of 1.0 and adds new features including iAds, automated downloading, improved rankings, & support for the forthcoming Mac OS X Lion.
AppViz 2.0 requires Mac OS 10.6 or later. A single license costs US$49, and a five-license business pack is available for $99. Customers of 1.0 will receive the upgrade for $25. Site licensing is also available.
Dejal announces Simon 3.1 for Mac OS X
Dejal Systems (http://www.dejal.com/simon/) has updated Simon, a server monitoring tool for Mac OS X, to version 3.1. The upgrade includes improvements and fixes around scheduling tests and more.
Dejal Simon checks websites and other kinds of services for changes or failures, with notification and reporting options. You can receive notification of changes, failures, and/or recoveries via various Actions and more.
Services include Web (HTTP) to check web pages (including secure ones, and supporting POST and cookies), FTP files and directory listings, DNS, Ping servers, see Twitter updates, watch a local application, capture periodic screenshots, watch for System Log Errors, and more. Plus, you can add your own services via custom port connections, AppleScripts, shell scripts, or Perl, PHP, Python, etc.
You can use filters to avoid dynamic content and detect changes in the output of the service and other filters. With Simon, you can can look at multiple portions, or the 10th occurrence...
FoldersSynchronizer updated To Version 4.0.8
SoftoBe (http://www.softobe.com has updated FoldersSynchronizer, its Mac OS X tool for backing up and synchronizing files, folders and disks, to version 4.0.8. It's a maintenance update with some bug fixes.
FoldersSynchronizer is an US$40 app for Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 that synchronizes and backs-up files, folders and disks. The user can choose one or more pairs of files, folders or disks and then they will be synchronized or backed-up.
FoldersSynchronizer lets you organize your sync and backup in several sessions to save to a file for a later reuse. On each session you can apply special options like Timers, Multiple Folders, Filters, Exclude Items, Auto-Mount local and remote volumes, launch your own AppleScripts, set how to resolve conflicts, execute an incremental or an exact copy, and include locked files.
FoldersSynchronizer lets you specify global settings like whether the software should display a preview panel listing all the files FS is going to copy, replace and delete. You...
iSale 5.8 For Mac OS X improves eBay integration
Equinux (http://www.equinux.com) has released iSale 5.8, the latest version of the eBay auction tool. Users can now submit their online auctions easier; the new version also improves overall eBay integration.
iSale helps users take advantage of their social networks. With its Facebook integration, users can inform friends about running auctions by posting a note on their wall. Next to the image iSale also includes a direct link to the auction. In order to get a better picture of buyers, iSale also uses Google Maps to show where in the world they are located and eases up the whole after sales management when an auction is finished.
iSale supports online storage accounts of two or more gigabytes with Google's free Picasa Web Album photo service. All thumbnails images now appear in the correct size in auctions when using the eBay picture service.
iSale 5.8 costs US$39.95, though it's a free update for registered users of version 5.x. Upgrades from previous versions to 5.x are $19.95....
Maintain Serves Up Cocktail 4.9.3 (Snow Leopard Edition)
Maintain has released Cocktail 4.9.3 (Snow Leopard Edition), the latest maintenance update of Cocktail (http://www.maintain.se/c) for users running Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").
The new version adds clearing of the latest variants of the Mac Defender (Mac Protector, Mac Security, Mac Guard) trojan. It also contains improvements on the "Check S.M.A.R.T. status at startup" procedure, as well as updated Automator actions.
Cocktail 4.9.3 (Snow Leopard Edition) requires Mac OS X/Mac OS X Server 10.6 or later and is tested for compatibility with Mac OS X/Mac OS X Server 10.6.5. Cocktail (Leopard Edition) for Mac OS X 10.5 and Cocktail (Tiger Edition) for Mac OS X 10.4 are available for download from the Maintain web site.
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for Mac OS X that offers a variety of practical features designed to simplify the use of advanced UNIX function. A single user license costs US$14.95.
Pixel Research Labs rings up Ringer 1.3
Pixel Research Labs has released Ringer 1.3 (http://pixelresearchlabs.com/ringer), an update to their $0.99 iPhone ringtone creation tool for Mac OS X 10.5 and higher. It's also now available at the Mac App Store.
Ringer allows users to choose any non-protected file from their iTunes library or any media file on their system that can be opened by QuickTime and turn it into a unique ringtone. Version 1.3 includes 30 pre-made ringtones and a new ringtone navigator to jump directly to anywhere in your song.
Ringer 1.3 also preserves relevant song metadata, including cover art. And a new recent songs menu lets you quickly make a ringtone from a recently played song
With Ringer's built-in waveform editor, precisely select the exact start and end points of a ringtone. Preview it exactly as it will sound on the iPhone. Press the create button, and Ringer will make the ringtone and automatically import it into iTunes where it will be ready to sync to the iPhone.
Avenza releases MAPublisher 8.5 for Adobe Illustrator
Avenza Systems -- producers of the PDF Maps app for iOS and geospatial plugins for Adobe Creative Suite, including Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop -- has released MAPublisher 8.5 for Adobe Illustrator. This release is now fully compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS5.1, part of the new Creative Suite 5.5 family.
Avenza President Ted Florence says that major features and new functionality are already being planned and developed for the next release of MAPublisher. It's map production software for creating cartographic-quality maps from GIS data.
Developed as a suite of plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, MAPublisher leverages the graphics capabilities of this graphics design software for working with GIS data and producing high-quality maps.
MAPublisher 8.5 for Illustrator is available free of charge to all MAPublisher customers with an active maintenance subscription and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users at US$599. New licenses are $1,399. Academic, floating and volume pricing...
Avast releases new Mac antivirus beta
Avast Software has released a beta version of its avast! free antivirus for Mac. The new app is available for downloading and testing at the avast! user forum (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=78646.0).
“It’s time for Mac users to start thinking about an antivirus app and this beta shows what they will need for their protection,” says Ondrej Vlcek, chief technical officer of Avast. “The Mac has long had a ‘cloak of invulnerability’ because its small market share made it a fringe target for malware. As Mac sales surge it is becoming a natural target for malware such as the Pinhead and Boonana Trojans or the MacDefender fake antivirus.”
Avast! Mac beta comes with three separate shields -- Web, Mail, and File system --and an on-demand scanner. The Web Shield is a completely new build, monitoring and filtering all HTTP traffic from the Internet before sending it on to the browser.
Vlcek says the new Mac antivirus will be a free product that will eventually replace the current avast...
Apple, others sued; lawsuit involves 27-inch iMac and more
Another day, another lawsuit. Apple, Intel and HP been hit with a patent infringement lawsuit that takes issue with, among other things, the iMac and its use of Intel processors, reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).
The lawsuit was filed this week by X2Y Attenuators. The company claims Apple's 27-inch iMac, utilizing a 3.2Ghz Intel Core i3 processor, is in violation of five patents it has registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as is HP's TouchSmart 610 Series PC.
X2Y Attenuators (http://www.x2y.com/) describes itself as an "Intellectual Property Company that develops advanced passive component solutions for the electronics industry. Founded in June 1996, the company is headquartered in Nevada and has its main office in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Eric Schmidt: want security? get a Mac
Asked for his advice on Internet security at the D9 conference in California, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said: “You could use a Mac instead of a PC.”
A former member of the Apple board of directors, he also told the D9 conference in California that computer users would be safer using Google Chrome as their web browser and should activate two-factor identification on Gmail, reports "The Telegraph" (http://macte.ch/PnOdA). Schmidt also included Apple as one of his ‘Gang of Four’ major technology platforms.
He said that Google dominates information, Facebook in identity and social networking, Amazon in shopping and Apple in making “beautiful products." Schmidt joined Apple's board of directors in 2006, but stepped down in 2009 as Google began entering more of Apple's core businesses with Android and the Chrome OS. It was felt that his effectiveness as an Apple Board member would be diminished, since Schmidt would have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to...
NetMarketShare: Mac OS X down slightly; Safari, iOS up
According to the latest market share survey from NetMarketShare (http://www.netmarketshare.com), the Mac OS X market share dipped slightly last month, while Safari and the iOS' market share rose a bit.
According to the report, among operating systems, Mac OS X had 5.32% of the global market share in May compared to 5.40% in April (that's global market share; in the US it's almost 10%). 5.40% was the highest percentage ever for Mac OS X. Windows remains dominant with 88.69% as of May. That's down from 88.91% in April.
When it comes to browsers, Safari had 7.28% in May compared to 7.15% in May, while Internet Explorer had 54.27% Firefox had 21.71% and Chrome had 12.52%. That compares to, respectively, April percentages of 55.92%, 21.80% and 11.57%, respectively, for the browsers.
The iOS's market share also rose, according to NetMarketShare. It had 2.38% of the global market share in May compared to 2.24% in April.
NetMarketShares' monthly surveys don't measure market share in terms of...
Guy Kawasaki to keynote MacTech Conference 2011
MacTech Magazine, the journal of Macintosh technology, says industry legend Guy Kawasaki, the original Mac evangelist, will give the keynote speech at MacTech Conference 2011 (http://www.mactech.com/conference/), which will be held Nov. 2-4, 2011 at the Sheraton Universal in Los Angeles, California.
MacTech Conference is targeted to IT Pros, Enterprise, and Apple developers. The event is specifically designed to not only have the highest quality content from experts across the industry, but enhance the "people experience" as an immersive event filled with constant opportunity to network with peers and meet new people.
Kawasaki (http://www.guykawasaki.com/about/) is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions," and the former chief evangelist of Apple. He has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.
"We're thrilled to have Guy as our keynote speaker. Time and...
Analyst thinks iCloud will tie in with new version of iOS
RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky told clients in a note -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) that he expects Apple's upcoming iCloud service as more than just a digital "locker" service that will store users' file. He thinks the "cloud" based service will let the company target iPhones at 5.1 billion handset users worldwide, compared to 1.3 billion computer users.
Abramsky envisions a new version of iOS (version 5, perhaps, which Apple will discuss at next week's Worldwide Developer Conference) where users no longer need to tether to a machine to upgrade their software, making the addressable market much larger. The analyst also said that iCloud could allow Apple to exploit three competitive advantages: licensing and digital rights management, consumer friendliness, and an installed base of more than 200 million iOS devices, plus iTunes users.
"Apple's licensing relationships and 'controlled' platform may appeal to studios/publishers seeking to...
iPad 3 unlikely to sport AMOLED panel display
Rumors that Apple hopes to use AMOLED panels for the iPad 3 have been dismissed by industry sources as the capacity of AMOLED panels is still too low, according to "DigiTimes" (http://www.digitimes.com).
This means it would be unlikely for firms to meet the large demand from Apple. South-Korea based Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) announced its 5.5G facility will begin operations for AMOLED panels two months ahead of schedule, "Digitimes" reports, quoting unnamed industry sources.
Taiwan-based panel makers pointed out that Samsung tablets have not all adopted AMOLED panels. Only its Galaxy S II smartphones feature AMOLED panels, so it's unlikely that the iPad 3 will adopt AMOLED panels. It's more likely for Apple to adopt AMOLED panels in products after the iPad 3, says "DigiTimes."
AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) is a display technology for use in mobile devices and televisions. OLED describes a specific type of thin film display technology in which organic compounds...
Apple's 'pay per install' ban brings no joy to...
Tapjoy (https://www.tapjoy.com/) -- a company that specializes in "monetization and distribution services for social and mobile gaming applications, MMOs, virtual worlds, social platforms and other publishers selling virtual goods or premium digital assets" -- says Apple’s ban of a popular kind of promotion on the iPhone is hurting mobile game developers, reports "GameBeats" (http://macte.ch/W77gn).
Tapjoy and Apple held talks on the ban in the past few weeks, but Apple’s hard-and-fast ban on “pay per install” incentive promotions remains in place, the article adds. Apple was concerned that game developers were paying Tapjoy to rocket their games to the top 25 ranks of the App Store, unfairly gaming the system and hurting the quality of the game rankings, says "GameBeats."
However, Tapjoy said such incentivized promotions are common and that their use has enabled game developers to create a predictable and stable business on a platform that has a lot of competition. CEO Mihir Shah...
Apple's 'pay per install' ban brings no joy to...
Tapjoy (https://www.tapjoy.com/) -- a company that specializes in "monetization and distribution services for social and mobile gaming applications, MMOs, virtual worlds, social platforms and other publishers selling virtual goods or premium digital assets" -- says Apple’s ban of a popular kind of promotion on the iPhone is hurting mobile game developers, reports "GameBeats" (http://macte.ch/W77gn).
Tapjoy and Apple held talks on the ban in the past few weeks, but Apple’s hard-and-fast ban on “pay per install” incentive promotions remains in place, the article adds. Apple was concerned that game developers were paying Tapjoy to rocket their games to the top 25 ranks of the App Store, unfairly gaming the system and hurting the quality of the game rankings, says "GameBeats."
However, Tapjoy said such incentivized promotions are common and that their use has enabled game developers to create a predictable and stable business on a platform that has a lot of competition. CEO Mihir Shah...
Analysts says tablet build plans are down by10% since March
J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz tells clients in a note -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- that aggregate tablet build plans have declined by roughly 10% since early March. He thinks this means that "non-Apple tablet hopefuls have adjusted to the weak showing so far."
Describing the trend as an "early dose of reality," the analyst noted that the market has yet to see a high-volume tablet competitor to the iPad. Moskowitz cites Asustek’s Eee Pad Transformer, Motorola’s XOOM, RIM’s PlayBook, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab as examples of tablets that have failed to gain traction and whose makers have consequently reduced build plans.
Mac Defender malware returns in another variant
Less than a day after Apple tackled the malware threats in OS X with an updated implementation of its malware detection technologies, the MacDefender malware developers have issued another variant that bypasses Apple's definitions to root out and remove the malware, reports "CNET" (http://macte.ch/ocaIR).
"ZDNet" (http://macte.ch/BE1qX) says the new variant comes as a download called "Mdinstall.pkg" and will run without being detected by Apple's new security implementations. It also shows that the malware developers are very actively trying to circumvent Apple's efforts; the file's time stamp shows that it was issued less than 8 hours after the security update for OS X was released.
Despite this new variant, Apple's security update will still detect and remove older variants of the malware.
Apple to open second Charlotte, North Carolina retail store
Apple will open a second store in Charlotte, North Carolina, inside the Northlake Mall on the city’s north side, reports "ifoAppleStore" (http://macte.ch/q7cc1).
According to a job listing and just-issued building permits, the future store will occupy space on the second level of the mall, about 16 miles north of the existing SouthPark location, the article adds. When the second Charlotte store opens, it will be the fifth Apple retail store in North Carolina.
Gemini ships FirstMix USB DJ controller
Gemini (http://www.geminidj.com) has announced the availability of the FirstMix -- an USB DJ Controller for aspiring DJs.
It connects to a laptop or desktop via USB and allows users to DJ with their iTunes or other music library by navigating through folders and tracks with the browse function. Once a file’s been loaded, the touch-sensitive jog wheels let you scratch or can be used to bend the pitch of a track.
FirstMix also has a Sync feature that allows the DJ to combine two separate tracks and beat match the tempos. You can spice up tracks with effects and reverse, as well as adjustable bass and treble. You can record a set and share on Facebook or SoundCloud.
The FirstMix ships with Cross LE DJ software from MixVibes and is also compatible with Traktor, Virtual DJ, Algoriddim’s DJAY and other popular DJ software. Priced at US$99.95, the FirstMix is available at retailers like Pro Sound Stage and Lighting, Musician’s Friend and more.
LogicalVue announces SQLVue 4.1
LogicalVue Software has announced SQLVue 4.1 (http://www.logicalvue.com/products/sqlvue), an update to their IDE for SQLite developers. With it you can edit table data using the data editor.
SQLVue 4.1 sports an all-new table designer that lets you create and alter tables without using SQL. You can now create Views from SQL statements and export database table structure as SQL commands to include in your apps. You can also create demo databases using the Chinook sample database.
This SQL editor will auto-complete SQL commands, table names and column names. SQLite a free, open-source, single-user database engine. It's used by a wide variety of applications and development tools, including Mac OS X (CoreData), iOS, Real Studio, Adobe Flex/Air, Google Gears, Bento and more.
SQLVue uses a tab-based design familiar to most developers. Other features include: full code completion (for SQLite syntax and your table and column names); full display of database Pragma values; and a table editor...
Zevrix delivers Deliver 2.3.4 for Mac OS X
Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has delivered Deliver 2.3.4, an update to its automatic solution to send and share files across the Internet and local networks. The new version lets admin users view destination passwords in clear text.
Deliver lets users send files to remote and local destinations with automatic e-mail notifications, compression, encryption and other capabilities. It supports FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, MobileMe, AFP, SMB and local servers, and lets users send files to multiple destinations at once.
Deliver can be purchased from Zevrix for US$19.95; it's free with the purchase of BatchOutput for InDesign). A demo is available for download. Deliver requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
ConceptDraw Project can now import/export MindManager files
CS Odessa says ConceptDraw Project 6 (http://www.conceptdraw.com) has gained the capability to import and export Mindjet MindManager files. Now MindManager users will have access to the Project management capabilities of ConceptDraw Project.
ConceptDraw Project can import and export MindManager files that have been built with either the Mac or PC- based product. MindManager users can now gain access to not only ConceptDraw Project, but also the full capabilities of ConceptDraw Office.
Users’ capabilities are now extended with their ability to manage larger Projects using ConceptDraw Project. ConceptDraw Project, using CS Odessa’s INGYRE2 technology, is a component of ConceptDraw Office.
ConceptDraw Pro, an application in ConceptDraw Office, provides the ability to render, from a Project’s data, visually oriented reports. Also, with the latest generation of ConceptDraw products, CS Odessa has also introduced ConceptDraw Solution Park, which contains solutions that extend the...
MacProxy 2.0 adds support for HTTP/web proxy protocols
Tidal Pool Software has announces MacProxy 2.0, an update of the software that provides system-wide network proxy support for the Mac.
The upgrade offers support for HTTP/web proxy protocols, including transparent, non-transparent, and connect. There's also SSH tunnel support, multiple user support and more.
MacProxy forwards network traffic from applications that don't support proxies and avoids complex setup for applications that do. The app allows you to surf the Internet from behind a firewall, tether your Mac to a smartphone, and navigate the Internet anonymously.
A variety of SOCKS and HTTP/web proxy protocols are supported and a proxy checker, to determine the type of proxy server, is included. Built-in SSH tunnel support provides secure Internet access.
MacProxy 2.0 is available immediately for download and is priced at US$29.99. A free, fully functional, 30-day demo is available at the product web site (http://www.tidalpool.ca/macproxy/). It requires an Intel-based Mac...
Lodsys sues seven iOS developers
Another day, another lawsuit. Lodsys (http://www.lodsys.com) filed suit against seven developers for patent infringement in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The patent holding firm has been targeting small iOS developers with notices of patent infringement for providing in-app purchase and/or Apple App Store purchase links within their apps.
The company said developers had to obtain a license within 21 days or face the prospect of a lawsuit. Lodsys has been criticized by some for targeting app and website publishers instead of Apple itself.
On May 22, Apple’s chief lawyer Bruce Sewell announced that Apple’s license to the Lodsys patents gave Apple’s third party developers complete and “undisputable” freedom to use the covered inventions without paying royalties or fearing lawsuits.
"“Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patents and the App Makers are protected by that license,” Sewell wrote."Thus the technology that is targeted in your notice letters is...
Apple releases Security Update 2011-003 (Snow Leopard)
Apple has released Security Update 2011-003 (Snow Leopard). You can obtain it via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.
Apple says Security Update 2011-003 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.7 and is a 2.36MB download.
