A survey of technology directors in U.S. school districts found that all of them are testing or deploying the iPad and expect tablets to outnumber computers in the next five years, notes "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray revealed the results of the survey of 25 educational technology directors at a conference on the integration of technology in the classroom. The poll found that all of them were utilizing the iPad in schools, while none were testing or deploying Android-based tablets. "While this may be expected due to limited availability of Android tablets early in the tablet cycle, we also see it as evidence of Apple's first mover advantage," Munster told clients, as noted by "AppleInsider." "We also see a trend in education (which is mirrored in the enterprise) that familiarity with Apple devices among students (or employees) is causing a demand pull within institutions to also provide Apple devices." IT directors who...

Apple engineers are purportedly contacting some iPhone 4S owners to try to solve problems with battery life on the new device, after some people have seen dramatic drops in longevity compared to previous models. One owner has told "The Guardian" (http://macte.ch/3wvhN) that Apple contacted him directly and asked him to install a monitoring program on the phone to try to diagnose the problem, which is so far unexplained. In its data sheet for the iPhone 4S, which was released earlier this month, Apple quietly noted that the standby time for the new phone would only be 200 hours -- compared to 300 for the iPhone 4, and 250 hours even for the original 2007 iPhone. The company did not offer any reason when asked why by "The Guardian." However, Apple did note that other lifespans such as 3G talktime were as long or longer than previous models.

Written by two veterans of the Apple world, "Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant" is a short, US$4.99 ebook that teaches readers how to use Siri. Siri, introduced with the iPhone 4S, lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Apple says that you can ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. I haven't tried it, but Apple says Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back. What differentiates Siri from competing technologies is its ability to not only recognize words spoken in a normal tone of voice, but its capacity to pick up on the contextual meaning of a phrase, according to Apple. "Talking to Siri" offers practical, how-to advice mixed with examples. Tutorials show you how to set up Siri in your preferences, and how to manage the interactive conversations you have with your voice assistant. Talking to Siri was written by two veterans of the Apple world, Erica...

TRENDnet (http://www.trendnet.com) has released the 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD Media Bridge (model TEW-680MB), which purportedly the highest wireless connection speeds available for up to four media center devices such as media players, gaming consoles, Internet televisions, and NVRs. The US$169.99 device helps ensure that the wireless component of an overall network does not produce lag or jitter when wirelessly streaming HD movies and more to a media center, according to Zak Wood, director of Global Marketing for TRENDnet. Dual Band technology provides the option of connecting either over the common 2.4GHz wireless network or over the low interference 5GHz network. A popular network configuration when connecting to a Dual Band router is to dedicate the router's 5GHz band to the TEW-680MB and the 2.4GHz band to laptops and mobile devices, according to Wood. The TEW-680MB needs to be connected to a 450Mbps router, such as TRENDnet's TEW-692GR, in order to maintain 450Mbps...

Mireth Technology (www.mireth.com/shredit.html) has released version 6.0.2 of ShredIt X, its file shredder and hard drive cleaner software for Mac OS X.  The update is a maintenance release. ShredIt is privacy software for Mac OS X that erases data so it can't be recovered. It can be used to erase files, folders, disk free space, previously deleted files, hard drives, external drives, network drives and CD-RWs. It comes with a range of features, including built-in safety features along with advanced shredding features such as, government standards compliance and a configurable overwrite pattern. ShredIt X is available for immediate download, or on CD-ROM, starting at US$24.95. Registered users of previous versions of ShredIt X can upgrade for free. Educational pricing and volume discounts are available.

Apple’s Apple Lossless Codec, or ALAC, used to create lossless music files that are compatible, has gone open source, and is available under the Apache license. Details can be found at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 . The Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) is an audio codec developed by Apple and supported on iPhone, iPad, most iPods, Mac and iTunes.  ALAC is a data compression method which reduces the size of audio files with no loss of information.  A decoded ALAC stream is bit-for-bit identical to the original uncompressed audio file. The Apple Lossless Audio Codec project contains the sources for the ALAC encoder and decoder.  Also included is an example command line utility, called alacconvert, to read and write audio data to/from Core Audio Format (CAF) and WAVE files.  A description of a 'magic cookie' for use with files based on the ISO base media file format (e.g. MP4 and M4A) is included as well. On his "Kirkville" blog (http://macte.ch/bJFaT), author and reviewer...

Apple gained share and posted the third-highest growth rate of any top five mobile phone vendor but dropped to the number five position globally, according to a new IDC report (http://www.idc.com). Global iPhone shipments declined sequentially during the same quarter that company founder Steve Jobs handed the CEO reins to Tim Cook, according to the research group. The decline, not coincidentally, happened as Apple readied itself for the 4S launch, which many waited for. Apple's ability to upgrade 3GS users to the 4S, for example, and make continued inroads into developing economies, where it has been less successful, will help dictate the company's smartphone fortunes in the future, according to IDC. The research group says Apple has 4.3% market share globally; that's up 21.3% year-over-year. Ahead of it are Nokia (27.1%), Samsung (22.3%), LG Electronics (5.4%) and ZTE (5.4%). The worldwide mobile phone market grew 12.8% year over year in the third quarter of 2011 (3Q11), as...

Aperio Lux has released uDesktop 1.0 for Mac OS X, an app that lets you access thousands of widescreen wallpapers for the desktop of your Mac. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher, costs US$1.99 and is available at the Mac App Store in the Lifestyle category. All images are grouped by category and resolution. You can browse the images by date acquired or popularity. uDesktop lets you not only download wallpapers for your desktop but also to access all previously downloaded ones from the Downloads section. uDesktop lets you set the selected image not only on the main and secondary monitors but also on both of them at once. You can also set it up so the image installs automatically at downloading or so that the image changes automatically on a timer.

Norton by Symantec has announced expansion of its NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk service to include support for Macs and Mac OS X applications. This personal IT help desk service for consumers and small businesses with up to 10 computers now offers multi-platform support for Mac systems and applications, as well as Windows-based systems and many digital devices. With Norton market research finding that U.S. households have an average of 4.5 devices between desktop computers, laptops tablets, mobile phones and more, Ultimate Help Desk provides one-stop remote help. According to a recent Norton research study, 11% of U.S. households use a combination of Mac and PC-based computer systems at home.  Both Mac and PC users cited performance degradation and Internet connection problems as the most common issues encountered.  One in four PC owners and one in three Mac owners expressed interest in a third-party technical support plan that would provide year-round technical service coverage for...

RAGE Software has released SEIntelligence (http://www.ragesw.com/products/seintelligence.html) native, professional Search Engine Optimization software for Mac OS X. It costs US$199.95, and there are no subscription or monthly fees. SEIntelligence tracks a website's top competitors with the current high ranking websites in all major search engines. It then uses statistical analysis to compare a user's website with their competition, outlining what aspects of a website need to be optimized in order to achieve higher search engine rankings, according to the folks at RAGE Software. SEIntelligence also provides "Off Page Optimizations" reports, which includes analyzing incoming links from third party websites and social media marketing strategies. The app can purportedly discover the link strategies used by a website's competitors. SEIntelligence is built for popular Mac web building applications including iWeb, RapidWeaver, Sandvox, Dreamweaver and more. In addition, SEIntelligence can...

Feral Interactive has released the US$29.99 action-adventure game LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for the Mac. It's developed by TT Games and LucasArts. Here's how the game is described: "LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is a tongue-in-cheek take on the entire Clone Wars era that recreates scenes from the hit animated television show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as fan-favorite moments from the theatrical Star Wars saga. Featuring 16 different star systems, 32 story-based missions, 48 bonus levels and over 100 playable characters, this is the biggest LEGO Star Wars video game to date.  "Players will combat Separatist forces aboard the massive battleship the Resolute, blast off in their favorite ships in multi-layered space battles, and destroy hundreds of droids in strategic ground battles new to the series. Whether Padawan or Jedi Master, players of all skill levels can take on the Sith in single player mode, or with their friends and family during drop in/drop out co-...

Other World Computing (http://www.macsales.com) has announced two enclosure solutions for utilizing the factory Flash SSD from any 2010 or 2011 Apple MacBook Air model as an external drive. Both the OWC Mercury On-The-Go (S$69) and OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini enclosure ($109.99) solutions provide MacBook Air owners continued external use of the factory drive. They also offer a method of data migration when upgrading to the higher capacity and higher performance of an OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD.

Ergonis Software (http://www.ergonis.com) has released KeyCue 6, an update of the keyboard shortcut "cheat sheet." The new version offers extended shortcut descriptions for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, as well as descriptions of universal text editing and navigation shortcuts. Up to now, KeyCue showed only keyboard shortcuts that are included in the applications' menus. Many applications, however, offer further shortcuts that cannot be found in the menus and were therefore not included in KeyCue's shortcut overview. With KeyCue 6, users can now define their own shortcut descriptions for their favorite programs, and KeyCue merges them with the shortcuts found in the menus. KeyCue uses the same key symbols that are used throughout Mac OS X, but some of these are obscure and need an explanation, especially for users who are new to the Mac. Switchers will particularly appreciate the new legend, according to the folks at Ergonis. Like the shortcut table itself, the legend is compact...

CoSoSys has released a new version of their flagship device control and data loss prevention solution, Endpoint Protector. The new version ensures complete control over the latest portable and mobile devices available, according to CoSoSys CEO Roman Foeckl. It's also compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 ("Lion"). Offering enhanced protection, increased effectiveness and the fastest implementation time in its segment, the out-of-the-box hardware and virtual appliance is now available for small, medium and large companies and organizations, he adds. By continuously adapting to new and highly spread security threats affecting both small businesses and large corporations, Endpoint Protector 4 focuses not only on proactively protecting company networks from data loss, leakage and theft by blocking, controlling and monitoring all ports, but also on offering complete detailed reports on the information transferred in and out of the network. Endpoint Protector 4 is designed to minimize internal...

Black Cat Systems has released DX Toolbox version 3.7, an update of the Mac OS X radio propagation/conditions analysis and forecasting tool for amateur radio operators, shortwave listeners, and other radio enthusiasts. This version adds a SWBC (Shortwave Broadcast) lookup tool that has information about over 12,000 shortwave radio transmissions. Broadcasts can be searched by station name, frequency, time of transmission, and country. Those broadcasts currently on the air can be shown. This makes it easy to find and tune into international shortwave broadcasts, according to the folks at Black Cat. DX Toolbox us designed to help amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners estimate radio propagation conditions. Several propagation forecasting charts are available to estimate signal levels and path conditions between any two points on the Earth. DX Toolbox sells for US$24.99. A feature complete demo is available at the product web site (http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/...

The Pixelmator Team (http://www.pixelmator.com/) has released Pixelmator 2.0, the latest version of its image editing app that provides tools to create, edit, and enhance still images. It's available at the Mac App Store in the Graphics & Design category for US$20 and requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. Pixelmator 2.0 features new drawing and retouching tools, Content-Aware Fill, a Healing Tool, a Smudge Tool, and more. Designed from the ground up for Mac OS X 10.7 ("Lion"), the new version supports Lion features such as Full Screen, Versions and Auto Save, and is available from the Mac App Store The new drawing tools in Pixelmator allow users to add, create, combine and edit vector shapes easily, says Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team.. In addition to Pen and Freeform Pen tools, Pixelmator also includes pre-drawn shape tools for quickly adding triangles, lines, circles or rectangles into compositions. Fill and stroke settings for created shapes, as well as shadows, can be...

Apple is rolling out an in-store pickup option for online purchases. Place an Apple order online, and you can pick up your order at your nearest Apple retail store -- that is, if you live in San Francisco. The program allows U.S. customers to elect in-store pickup for their purchases instead of home delivery. It appears that you can choose to pick up almost any computer, accessory, or custom configuration, though more complicated orders tend to come with a longer waiting time, notes "PC World" (http://macte.ch/FSUKF). Apple is using three stores in the Bay Area city as a testing ground for the program, with other U.S. stores coming soon, the article adds.

The Federal Court of Australia will fast-track Samsung Electronics' appeal against a ban on its Galaxy Tab 10.1 as Apple goes after online sellers who are still selling the tablet despite the injunction, reports the "Sydney Morning Herald" (http://macte.ch/2WLp5). Apple won an injunction against Samsung earlier this month in Australia, temporarily preventing the sale of the Galaxy 10.1 tab. Apple accused Samsung of copying its iPad. But while local retailers like Harvey Norman have been prevented from selling the device, several online sellers have been ignoring the injunction and offering the tablet to Australians, says the "Herald." Apple is now going after them, threatening legal action. MobiCity.com.au and dMavo.com.au have both received threatening legal letters, the article adds.

In a new study (http://macte.ch/KskMX) Forrester Research says it's time for IT in the enterprise to support Macs. That's pretty shocking as Forrester has long been "the voice of Windows in the enterprise," notes "Fortune" (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com). However, Forrester's new study fins that Mac users are more productive and, in face, "Mac users are your heroes and you should enable them, not hinder them." "Mac users are drinking furniture polish in back hallways, getting their fix from fellow bootleggers who have blazed the trails around IT's prohibition," writes David K. Johnson for Forrester Research in an introduction to their study. "End user computing professionals steeped in two decades of Microsoft management traditions are either prohibiting Macs on the company network or limiting their support to executives only. It's time to repeal prohibition and take decisive action. This document is the first in a collection in which we'll introduce you to a new class of Mac users,...

PBS announced today that "Steve Jobs--One Last Thing" has been added to the primetime lineup following the premiere episode of Nova, "The Fabric of the Cosmos." Through interviews with colleagues and others who knew Jobs, "Steve Jobs--One Last Thing" provides an inside look at the man and the major influences that helped shape his life and career. Titled as a play on the famous catchphrase used by Jobs at his product launch presentations, "Steve Jobs--One Last Thing" premieres on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 10-11 p.m. (Eastern) on PBS (check local listings). "Steve Jobs--One Last Thing" features interviews with, among others, Ronald Wayne, co-founder of Apple with Jobs and Steve Wozniak; Ross Perot, who invested in NeXT Computer when Jobs was running out of money; Walt pre, principal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, who interviewed Jobs every year from 2003-2010; will.i.am, frontman and producer for The Black Eyed Peas, whose "I Gotta Feeling" currently ranks as the most...

Minder Softworks has announced Stock Keeper (http://www.mindersoftworks.com/products/stockkeeper/), a new digital asset management application for Mac OS X 10.6 or later. It costs US$19; bulk discounts and global licenses are available. A 30-day demo is available for download. Stock Keeper allows graphic designers, multimedia producers, software developers, and anyone who uses digital media to manage their digital assets. It helps users to find and save stock media online using a built-in web browser, save files from their hard drive, manage usage licenses, and more.

Stock Keeper doesn't force a user to work within a defined workflow, but is flexible enough to adapt to any workflow, says programmer Michael LaMorte. For those who use stock photography and download media from online, it has a built-in web browser and groups of bookmarks it calls Web Search Groups that open in tabs. It comes with 28 sources for online media, but users can add their own, and create their own search...

Equinux has updated Mail Designer for the Mac to version 1.2. Designs can now be exported as an HTML document. The new HTML export plug-in will create a folder containing a HTML document and associated images. Users can also choose to export their design with a custom image URL, which makes it easy to send newsletters with mail services while externally hosting the images. The 1.2 update also makes numerous improvements to the tools built-in to Mail Designer; for instance, it makes it easier to create emails with multiple column layouts, image placeholders and custom backgrounds. Layout blocks can now be duplicated via a menu bar command and have all been adjusted in width so they can be combined more easily. Background image compatibility has also been improved, so backgrounds look better in Outlook, Gmail and Thunderbird. Mail Designer 1.2 also adds support for Mac OS X 10.7 ("Lion") features, including full-screen mode and resume. Equinux is releasing a software development kit...

Seagate has released a firmware upgrade (http://macte.ch/F6iae) for the GoFlex Satellite to enhance existing features and provide customers with the ability to experience music the way they’ve come to expect on an iPod, iPad or Android device.   Last spring Seagate introduced the storage product that allows people to wirelessly extend the storage of their mobile device to accommodate streaming of HD video, and other files. The new firmware upgrade provides enhancements that include sort options for music, slideshow effects, existing playlist support, iTunes playlist export and music cover art among other advances. 

Universe Software has updated pdf-Office Professional, the PDF form creation software, to version 10, which offers improvements in image processing and can now correct most of the errors in imported graphics. The pdf-Office Professional interface is similar to that of Microsoft Word. Texts can be entered directly, while form fields, graphics, etc., can be positioned by drag and drop. You can add form fields with additional calculations or JavaScript to the template. Forms created in pdf-Office Professional can be shown using a launcher for Acrobat Reader immediately after creation to test functionality, so you can check for possible data entry errors. All additions to the template and the PDF template itself can then be saved together as a new PDF file. pdf-Office Professional supports all PDF security settings, including 128-bit encryption for ideal document protection. Once created, templates can be altered or added to at any time. pdf-Office Professional is compatible with Mac OS...