Microspot (http://www.microspot.col.uk) has updated the DWG Viewer for Mac OS X (10.4 or higher) to version 1.7. DWG Viewer is a program based on Microspot's MacDraft Professional which opens AutoCAD DWG files created on Windows PCs. It opens the layouts as well as the model and allows you to show, hide or grey the individual layers and zoom in and pan around the document. Mark-up tools are available to draw red ellipses around points of interest and add textual annotation. The resulting document can be printed and/or exported as a PDF file, so it can be sent to co-workers that do not have the DWG Viewer application. Version 1.7 has a customizable tool bar for quicker access of menu commands and a new and an improved Layers palette, which gives more control of the visibility of the layers in multilayer documents. There are now customizable scales that can be used to fill in gaps in the standard scales and the rulers displaying decimal units now have 10 subdivisions rather than eight...

Ambrosia Software has updated their screen capture utility, Snapz Pro X (http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/utilities/snapzprox/), to version 2.3.2.  This updated version, which is free to all registered users of Snapz Pro X 2.x, offers improved video capture performance and enhanced microphone recording quality. Snapz Pro X 2.3.0 is a Universal Binary, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later -- and is compatible with Lion. For new users the cost is US$69.

Paragon Software Group (PSG) has released three solutions for Mac users working in a dual OS environment or planning to upgrade to Mac OS X Lion -- NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5, Virtualization Manager for Mac and a beta version of CampTune X. NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5 (US$19.95) is a standalone application for dual-boot users designed to eliminate barriers between Windows and Mac operating systems, and ease data manipulation and data transfer. It adds NTFS file allocation system support to Mac OS X, including Lion, allowing the operating system to access any NTFS-formatted drive. You can download it at http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/ . CampTune X is a next-generation utility that changes volume sizes in dual-boot Mac OS X/Windows systems by adding more space to one volume at the expense of another. It's a native utility that adjusts volume size in a few clicks without the need to boot to a special environment. Paragon CampTune X is open to beta testers and can currently be...

Despite the consumer electronics industry's much-publicized successes, its last ten years have been marked by some remarkable failures, according to "Consumer Electronics Daily" (http://www.consumerelectronicsdaily.com/). A whole range of products and innovations, such as HD-DVD, DVD-Audio and the Super Audio CD, left a lasting impression not for transforming society, but for barely leaving the gate, the publication says in a four-article retrospective to mark its 10th anniversary. The rocky launch of 3D TV has many wondering if it will join the long list of heavily hyped failures, the publication says. The report details how Warner’s decision in 2008 to exclusively support Sony’s competing Blu-ray format dealt HD DVD a fatal body blow. DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD, two formats launched with the promise of huge mass-market adoption, earned the support only of a small cohort of audiophiles. More recently, the report says, 3D TV’s shaky launch leaves its future uncertain. Consumer...

Context-aware technologies will affect US$96 billion of annual consumer spending worldwide by 2015, according to Gartner (http://www.gartner.com). By that time, more than 15% of all payment card transactions will be validated using context information, says the research group. "Context-aware computing is the method by which new experiences are constructed that blend information from mobile, social, digital and physical world sources," says William Clark, research vice president at Gartner. "The disruptions caused by context-aware computing will include major user, technology and business shifts, including the use of model-driven security in fraud detection and prevention, convergence in television, game, Web and mobile advertising, and new styles of application programming. The advanced use of personal information in customizing user experiences will result in the interest of governments in regulating contextual information access and control." Gartner estimates that by 2015, 40% of...

Briksoftware has introduced FNable 1.0, a productivity app for Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. It costs US$1.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. FNable serves as the caps lock for your FN key. It runs in the background and can quickly change your special keys to function keys. The applications that use function keys are remembered; every time you switch to such an application, the function keys will be available. While you can add FNable to your menu bar, you can also place it in your menu's corners. You can still use the special keys while your function keys are active. Just hold down the FN key when clicking the function keys.

ION (http://www.ionaudio.com) has announced the Piano Apprentice, which transforms iPad, iPhone or iPod into a personal piano instructor. The Piano Apprentice app -- a free download from the Apple App Store -- is designed by ION to work with Piano Apprentice, which can also be used as a controller for other apps, including GarageBan. Piano Apprentice operates via CoreMIDI, making it capable of controlling any CoreMIDI app. In the app of the same name, piano players follow Emmy award-winning piano instructor, Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston, who demonstrates hand positions while the Piano Apprentice keys light up in time with the song. Piano Apprentice’s design places Scott’s hands on-screen directly above your hands. Other modes will teach aspiring pianists how to read sheet music by highlighting musical notes, or allow them to play the piano at any octave they choose. The keyboard itself is touch-sensitive, allowing for a range of volumes and more expressive music creation, says...

Just Mobile (http://www.just-mobile.com) has launched the US$39.95 Xtand Go, a flexible, in-car gadget mount. It can be used to secure your iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 to your windshield or dashboard while you drive. The Xtand Go can rotate 360-degree and allows you to position your iPhone at exactly the right angle. Included glue-free Go Buttons can be used on iPhone with a case, iPod touch, sat-navs, smartphone and music players.

Unmarked Software has announced TextSoap 7.1, an update to their text processing and editing utility for Mac OS X. The upgrade extends its easy access approach by providing new hot key access to cleaners within other apps and supporting direct cleaning of clipboard contents. TextSoap allows users to directly clean text within most applications with a hot key. Hot keys can be configured to access any cleaner directly or to provide a popup menu of cleaners specified by the user. TextSoap 7.1 also extends its conditionals feature with results modifiers. Conditional actions allow users to specify text or attributes matches and then apply any number of actions to that match. Conditional results modifiers allow adjustments to those matches. Using the invert matches modifier, users can indicate what not to match and then invert the results. The new version also adds a new cleaner to correctly capitalize common tech names and includes dozens of improvements and fixes. The TextSoap 7.1...

iSMEStorage (http://www.smestorage.com) now supports over 30 storage clouds and, using its CloudDav feature, can enable direct editing of documents in iOS app such as iWork. Users can upload files directly to the iPad and iPhone via a web interface as well as from standard FTP clients over Wi-Fi. Popular clouds such as DropBox, Amazon S3, Google Docs, SkyDrive etc are able to be directly accessed using the WebDav protocol in editing applications. CloudDev works with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and requires iOS 4.1 or later. It's available in the Apple App Store for US$4.99.

Apple has announced the iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour 2011. Apple says that "we're taking iOS 5 on a world tour and we want you to come along for the ride." All iOS Developer Program members are eligible to attend. However, space is limited and priority is given to those with an app on the App Store. You can find the locations, dates and agenda at http://developer.apple.com/techtalk/ .

Media tablet shipments surpassed netbook shipments this quarter, reaching 13.6 million units, compared to just 7.3 million netbooks. Netbooks had previously led the way with 8.4 million shipments in the first quarter of 2011 (1Q11), compared to just 6.4 million media tablets, according to new data from ABI Research (http://www.abiresearch.com). "This is a trend that we do not expect will reverse," says Jeff Orr, group director, mobile devices. "As they are different segments, this is not a direct replacement behavior, but a changing of leadership for the most interesting device type." Driving media tablet interest is Apple’s iPad 2. Sixty-eight percent of the media tablet shipments in 2Q11 consisted of iPad models. Consumers are choosing tablets over netbooks for a number of reasons. "Media tablets are perceived to be easy to use, compared to the keyboard and mouse interface of a netbook computer," says Orr. "Those who have avoided PCs because they are difficult to use -- think the...

Good Technology (http://www.good.com) -- which provides secure and managed enterprise mobility for the iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile platforms -- has released its quarterly data report detailing the changing landscape of IT and mobile enterprise technology. In the third quarter of 2011, Apple devices held onto their lead in the enterprise deployments, while Android smartphones gained steady ground in terms of activation volume among the thousands of enterprise and public sector Good Technology counts as customers. "This quarter, we saw Android smartphones gain in percentage of total activations," says John Herrema, senior vice president of Corporate Strategy at Good Technology. "This is likely due to consumers holding back purchases of new iPhones in anticipation of Apple's latest release (the iPhone 4S) -- as our reports indicate, consumers are setting the agenda for enterprise mobility. Looking forward to Q4, 2011, we expect to see the iPhone 4S to be the catalyst for an...

Anuman Interactive's Journey to the Center of the Moon is now available at the Macgamestore (http://www.macgamestore.com). It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and costs US$9.95. 
Here's how the game is described: "Open your mind and let your imagination run wild as you embark on a fascinating journey to a far star. An epic graphic adventure set in the 19th century in the fantastic and extravagant universe of Jules Verne. "Following the best-selling adventure game Return to Mysterious Island comes a new and enthralling instalment in the Jules Verne collection inspired by the novels From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon. "Play as the eccentric Michel Ardan and partake in a conquest to the far side of moon. Alone in this mysterious place, explore the ruins of an abandoned temple and witness amazing events. Make fantastic discoveries and venture into the centre of the moon itself as you try to find a way back home to Earth."

Double Fine's Psychonauts is now available at the Macgamestore (http://www.macgamestore.com). It requires Mac OS X 10.6.8 or higher and costs US$9.99. Here's how the game is described: "This classic action/adventure platformer from acclaimed developers Double Fine Productions follows the story of a young psychic named Razputin. In his quest to join the Psychonauts -- an elite group of international psychic secret agents -- he breaks into their secret training facility: Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp. But this is no average psychic summer camp! "A mysterious villain has kidnapped Raz's fellow campers and stolen their brains. Now he must use his psychic powers of Telekinesis, Levitation, and most of all his ability to project himself into the minds of others—to find the loose noodles and keep them from falling into the wrong hands. Fight mental demons! Uncover hidden memories! Sort emotional baggage! Explore the fantastic realm of the inner mind!"

Canon U.S.A. (http://www.usa.canon.com) has introduced a "revolutionized" EOS-1D series camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. As the new leader in Canon’s arsenal of professional DSLRs, the EOS-1D X will be a high-speed multimedia juggernaut replacing both the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV models in Canon’s lineup, says Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. Enhancing the revolutionary image quality of the EOS-1Ds and speed capabilities of the EOS-1D series, the EOS-1D X DSLR features an 18-megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor, Dual DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processors, 14-bit A/D data conversion and capable of shooting 12 frames-per-second (fps), he adds. The Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera is scheduled for March 2012 availability and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of US$6,800.00. A WFT-E6A Wireless File Transmitter is scheduled to be available at the...

Mirko Viviani has released Lyn 1.1.1 for Mac OS X, an update to his lightweight image viewer and browser designed for photographers, graphic artists, and web designers. It's a maintenance update Lyn natively supports such popular image formats, as JPEG, TIFF, JPEG2000, PNG, TGA, RAW, HDR, OpenEXR, PPM, PFM, animated GIF, etc. The app accommodates images of virtually any size and supports multi-core processing and multiple monitors. With its combined swap, tiling, and on-the-fly scaling technology, Lyn can load and display high-resolution, progressive images. In addition, the app supports single or multiple monitors, and Camera RAW and DNG files from most DSLRs. Lyn requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. It costs US$20 and is available directly from the Lyn website (http://www.lynapp.com/). A demo is available for download.

Reggie Ashworth has updated VidConvert, his video converter for Mac OS X, to version 1.1.3. The upgrade improves the built-in logic to create higher quality conversions. Also, "Bits per Pixel" has been added to the Info panel. VidConvert It will convert just about any type of video into one of the a variety of formats, allowing you to create videos for your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV. To use you add a file, select a format and a quality, and click convert. Optionally you can change your save folder from the main window. For advanced users you can select the Advanced quality if you choose to allow such options as custom Frame Rate, Bit Rate, etc. But for most users simply choosing Normal or High quality should be sufficient. After your conversion is finished simply add more files or quit VidConvert and the job is done. Supported formats include iPhone, iPod, iPad, QuickTime, .mp4, MPEG-1 and 2, DivX, Xvid, and audio only formats such as .mp4 and .m4a. VidConvert can add iTunes...

Raskin Software (http://raskinformac.com/) has updated its self-titled Raskin application -- a zoomable single surface Finder alternative for the Mac -- to version 1.5. The upgrade lets Raskin connect to external drives and file servers and automatically recalls preferences and settings the next time the device becomes available. Raskin requires Mac OS X 10.6.3 or higher. It's available for US$24.99 at the Mac App Store or the Raskin Software web site (http://www.raskininformac.com). A 30-day demo is available for download at the latter. Raskin 1.6 is a free update for registered users.

SoftLayer Technologies -- which specializes in cloud, dedicated, and managed hosting solutions -- has announced a partnership with OS Nexus and the launch of QuantaStor Storage Servers. They're compatible with Mac OS X, Windows andLinux. QuantaStor Storage Servers offer the OS NEXUS QuantaStor Storage Appliance OS, a virtual storage solution designed for global manageability, on SoftLayer Mass Storage dedicated servers. The SAN (iSCSI) + NAS (NFS) storage system delivers advanced storage features including, thin-provisioning, and remote-replication, according to Nathan Day, chief scientist for SoftLayer. QuantaStor Mass Storage Servers pricing starts at US$1,039/month for up to 12 drives and $1,139/month for up to 24 drives. Visit softlayer.com/dedicated/specialty-mass-storage/ to order.

Western Digital (http://www.westerndigital.com) has extended the suspension of its operations in Thailand. Over the weekend, rising water penetrated the Bang Pa-in Industrial Park flood defenses, inundating the company's manufacturing facilities there and submerging some equipment. At the other company manufacturing location in Thailand, Navanakorn Industrial Park, the park flood defenses were breached on Monday morning local time and water has begun to flow into the park threatening the company's facilities there. All WD employees in Thailand remain safe, the company says. The company's other facilities in Malaysia, Singapore and the U.S. are fully operational. WD now expects that the flooding of its Thailand facilities, combined with flood damage to the company's supply chain in Thailand, will have significant impact on the company's overall operations and its ability to meet customer demand for its products in the December quarter.

Apple has launched "Remembering Steve" (http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/), a web page featuring testimonials and tributes to the company's co-founder and long-time CEO. So far, over a million people have shared their thoughts with Apple. You can view some of these messages at the "Remembering Steve" page and share your own at rememberingsteve@apple.com .

C Spire Wireless says it will launch iPhone 4S in the U.S. in the coming weeks. Pre-registration go to http://www.cspire.com/iphone . C Spire Wireless is a wireless communications company that offers personalized wireless services designed just for them. The company claims to be the first provider in the U.S. wireless industry to personalize customers’ experience by "offering apps that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards for using their phone in new ways."

Carnation Software's BestEmulation Lite terminal emulator for Mac is now available in the Mac App Store in the Business category. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher and costs US$19.95. BestEmulation Lite allows a Mac to be used as a terminal, connected to a host computer with a serial connection or by modem with emulations for VT100 and VT220 terminals. The app remembers the last 40 pages that appear on your screen, regardless of whether the data has scrolled across the screen or the screen has cleared. Video attributes such as inverse and underline are also saved, including colors. This means that you can use the scroll bar to scroll back to previous screens to look at the data or print a scrolled-back page or copy a selection into the clipboard. BestEmulation LIte supports AppleScript commands. Many functions can be controlled by a script (such as transferring data to and from the host, sending commands to the host and messages to the Mac user). Scripts compiled as applications...