"The Wall Street Journal (http://macte.ch/SkdcV) and other sources are reporting that a large explosion ripped through a Foxconn plant in southwestern China Friday night, killing at least two people and suspending production at the facility. Foxconn -- which manufacturers, among other things, the iPad 2says the situation has been brought under control by the fire department and the "cause of the explosion is being investigated by local police." The company said it is cooperating with the investigation and production at the site has been suspended until the investigation is completed. A statement from the news department of the Chengdu Municipal government said two people are confirmed dead and 16 injured, including three seriously. The government appeared to rule out foul play, saying the explosion didn't have a human factor.

Apple is continuing to fight its corner over the use of the term 'App Store' and is still arguing that it is not a generic term, reports "The Inquirer" (http://macte.ch/7SmSl). "Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words 'app store' together denote a store for apps," said the company in a recent filing in a California federal court. Apple sued Amazon over its use of the term back in March, having already sent it three cease and desist letters. Last month Amazon has responded in court to Apple's trademark infringement lawsuit over the use of the term "App Store," which Amazon has contended is generic and should be free to use. Amazon's response was filed in a U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California. The company says it doesn't need to obtain a license or authorization from Apple to use the term "app store." "No such license or authorization is required because 'app store' is a generic term, and Amazon's use of the term causes no likelihood of...

MacGameStore (http://www.macgamestore.com/) has released Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Brotherhood as a digital download through its web site, with both Standard and Deluxe editions available. Here's how the game is described; "Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his enduring struggle against the powerful Templar Order. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire Brotherhood who will rally to his side. "And for the first time, introducing an award-winning multiplayer layer that allows you to choose from a wide range of unique characters, each with their own signature weapons and assassination techniques, and match your skills against other players from around the world. It's time to join the Brotherhood." Assassin's Creed Brotherhood requites Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. The Standard Edition is now available for download for US$49.95. The Deluxe version is also available for download for $59....

Shipments of traditional PC-type tablet PCs will be dwarfed by the newer media-type tablets like the iPad, with the media category outshipping the PC variety by a factor of 10 during the period from 2010 to 2015, according to IHS iSuppli (http://www.isuppli.com). From 2010 to 2015, a total of 888.7 million media tablets will be shipped, compared to just 88.8 million PC tablets. A total of 45.2 million PC tablets will be shipped in 2015, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 81.5% from 2.3 million units in 2010. In contrast, media tablets will reach 262.1 million units by 2015, rising at a 72.1 percent CAGR from 17.4 million units in 2010. Media tablets, built on ARM microprocessors and utilizing mobile operating systems, have already surged past the 25 million sales mark -- easily surpassing the last decade’s worth of fully configured PC tablet sales, says iSuppli. “While there’s clearly a need for tablet PCs with full PC functionality, the media-type tablet pioneered by...

PADACS (http://www.padacs.com) has begun shipping its refreshed range of Bluetooth keyboard cases, the Toccata 2 and Rubata 2 (pictured), for the iPad 2. First launched last year for Apple’s original iPad, the keyboard cases are designed to provide a conveniently-sized physical keyboard for the iPad inside attractive cases. The US$59.95 PADACS Toccata 2 Bluetooth Keyboard Case contains a 9.2 x 5.3 inch QWERTY silicone keyboard that's large enough to type on without adding to the iPad case size. Charged by an included USB cable, the Lithium battery-powered keyboard runs for as long as 45 hours. The Toccata 2 has been redesigned to hold the 33% slimmer iPad 2, making the entire Toccata 2 case both thinner and sleeker. The $79.99 the PADACS Rubata 2 iPad Keyboard Case provides a premium cover with a built-in hard plastic shell Bluetooth keyboard with special iPad keys. Having undergone a total transformation, it's now made from synthetic leather and has a redesigned hard shell...

China Mobile says it has reached consensus with Apple using its fourth-generation technology on iPhones to be offered by the Chinese mobile services provider. However, China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou told "MarketWatch" (http://macte.ch/EL5tf) that talks with Apple on launching the iPhone remain ongoing. He also declined to elaborate on exactly what has been agreed with Apple. Apple reps had no comment.

Digital Charts has announced Child Growth Charts 1.1, an update to the US$19.99 parenting application for Mac OS X (10.6 and higher). Child Growth Charts allows parents to track their child's growth from 0-36 months. Parents will be able to see how their child compares to the rest of the population with their position and history. Version 1.1 includes an updated user interface, new printing features, bug fixes and updated documentation. The Child Growth Charts uses official CDC charts; the child's statistics are super-imposed directly onto the CDC charts for comparison. The charts can be zoomed in and out using the pinch and stretch features of a track pad. All the major measurements used to check a child's progress are supported in weight, height and head circumference Metric and American System units are supported with conversion between the two. Records can be kept for all the children in the family. A free trial version is available at the Digital Charts web site (http://www....

Ohanaware has released HDRtist Pro 1.0.2 (http://www.ohanaware.com/hdrtistpro/) for Mac OS X 10.5 (or higher) running on an Intel Mac. InstallEasy has been improved for Snow Leopard users. Version 1.0.2 also adds support for 16-Bit Photoshop files and fixes some bugs. HDRtist Pro is the more advanced version of Ohanaware's freeware HDRtist. It's been designed to provide more creativity with HDR images, while maintaing an easy-to-use interface, according to the folks at Ohanaware. Utilizing Apple technology, HDRtist Pro is able to wield and manipulate 128-bit floating-point images (that's 16,843,009 times more precision than a JPEG photo). The app's engine has been designed to work with multiple exposures, single RAW images, and can make single JPEG images look like HDR. One-click styles, editable HDRs, and a "drop-N-click" system are all featured in HDRtist Pro. HDRtist Pro costs US$29.99 for new users. Version 1.0.2 is a free update for registered users.

Well, it seems that it's Apple, not Intel, that has trademarked "Thunderbolt." It's been previously reported that the technology was developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple. Perhaps that collaboration was greater than anyone suspected. "MacNN" (http://macte.ch/2oMcG) says Apple is "making claims to the Thunderbolt trademark in the U.S. and Canada, based on an earlier filing last November in Jamaica." Thunderbolt is a new high-speed computer connection technology that brings together high-speed data transfer and high-definition (HD) display on to a single cable. And it's already appearing on Macs -- in the revamped 2011 MacBook Pro and iMac lines. Running at 10Gbps, Thunderbolt technology can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds, according to Mooly Eden, general manager, PC Client Group, Intel. The vision for Thunderbolt technology (formerly codenamed “Light Peak”) is to move media faster, simplify connections between devices, and foster new and exciting...

Worldwide mobile communication device sales to end users totaled 427.8 million units in the first quarter of 2011, an increase of 19% from the first quarter of 2010, according to Gartner (http://www.gartner.com). Smartphones continued to outpace the rest of the market, and a newly competitive mid-tier smartphone market will drive smartphones into mass adoption and accelerate this trend, says the research group. Apple sold 16.9 million iPhones to end users worldwide, more than doubling its sales of iPhones year-on-year. This market-beating growth came from all regions: the iPhone is now available in 90 countries from 186 communication service providers (CSPs). “This strong performance helped Apple consolidate its position as the fourth largest brand in the mobile communication market overall,” says Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. “Considering the higher than average price of the iPhone this is a remarkable result and highlights the impact that a strong...

Apple and Google smartphones may come under tighter regulation in Europe after a data protection panel ruled that data on the location of their users should be classed as private, the "Financial Times" reports (http://macte.ch/HjkZb). The proposals by the panel, which advises the European Commission, are a first step to formulating a law on mobile phone location data, and could be written into Europe's revised Data Protection Directive this year, the article adds. The panel said companies should get permission from smartphone users before collecting user-location data and should specify what purpose the data are being used for.

Mophie (http://www.mophie.com) says the juice pack plus is now compatible with all iPhones. It costs US$99.95. The enhanced capacity iPhone 4 rechargeable external battery case more than doubles the time to rock, talk, surf and send, according to the folks at mophie. In tandem with the launch, the company has designed a special edition purple juice pack plus case. The plus boasts a 2,000 mAh battery capacity. Designed for iPhone 4 power and protection, the case has a thin and light-weight design, a dual injected rubber grip, and is only one millimeter thicker than mophie's flagship case, the juice pack air. The special edition purple juice pack plus, of which only 3,000 were produced, features a purple band around the edge of the case. Additional colors include black-on-black, and black with cyan, magenta or yellow banding.

iPhone app developer Rod Cambridge has released his first book, entitled "How NOT To Write an App" (http://macte.ch/Hm7jc), which is aimed at anyone looking to develop an app for the smartphone and tablet platforms. In this eBook Cambridge uses his developer experience to take the reader step by step through the things that should, and shouldn't, be done when creating an app for Apple's iPhone or its rivals, including Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Mobile devices. "How NOT To Write an App" is currently being featured by Apple in the "New & Notable" section of their iBookstore (for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch), and is also available at Amazon's (Kindle) bookstore, Barnes and Noble (Nook), Diesel eBook Store, Stanza, Smashwords, and more, for US$4.99.

XtremeMac (http://www.xtrememac.com) has announced its new InCharge Bluetooth (BT) series featuring the InCharge Home BT and Auto BT. Both “made for iPod, iPhone, iPad” devices -- which cost US$79.99 each -- let you turn your home music system or car stereo into a wireless audio solution. The InCharge Home BT (Figure A) is a wireless audio receiver and 10 watt USB wall charger. Users can connect the provided 4ft. AUX cable from the InCharge Home BT to a home stereo, turning it into a Bluetooth-enabled audio receiver.  Users can t their stereo system to their Bluetooth enabled iPhone, iPod or iPad allowing for wireless audio playback.  Features include a Bluetooth LED status indicator and low profile design allowing access to a second wall outlet. InCharge Home BT includes a four-foot 30-pin to USB cable for charging while streaming music wirelessly. The InCharge Auto BT (Figure B) plugs into the car’s line-in jack and provides three functions in one compact device -- hands-free...

Mucho Software (http://muchosoft.com/) has updated MuchoThumbs Pro, which lets you create thumbnails of web sites, to version 4.5. This version brings full compatibility with Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It also boasts faster startup and faster folder reading, saves plug-ins in Application Support, fixes various little bugs and provides a Spanish translation. Version 4.5 is a free upgrade for all 4.x users. For new users the cost is US$40.

NCP engineering (http://www.ncp-e.com/) has announced the availability of a new entry version of its IPsec VPN client suite compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 and Snow Leopard 10.6 operating systems. It enables remote workers to securely connect to their corporate networks. IPsec VPN supports authentication and features NCP's Path Finder technology, which is used in conjunction with the NCP Secure Enterprise Server. It also includes a personal firewall and FIPS inside The NCP Secure Mac Client supports the Extensible Authentication Protocols (EAP) MD5 and Transport Layer Security (TLS). Companies that use 802.1x-enabled switches or Wi-Fi access points can further prevent unauthorized users from entering local area networks (LANs). NCP has also integrated a split tunneling mode into its IPsec VPN client. Split tunneling allows for concurrent connections to target systems within the Internet and to the company network through the VPN tunnel. This new configuration regulates which DNS...

Apple is expanding its Internet infrastructure with a new data center in Silicon Valley, as it prepares to bring additional server and storage capacity online later this year, reports "Data Center Knowledge" (http://macte.ch/GHlrU). The new server space, housed in a third-party facility, will be smaller than the huge data center that Apple has built in North Carolina. The new data center will provide additional IT capacity at a time when Apple is rumored to be developing new cloud computing services delivering streaming media, which could include music, video and file storage, notes "Data Center Knowledge." In April, Apple signed a seven-year lease for 2.28 megawatts of critical power load in a new data center being built in Santa Clara, California, by DuPont Fabros Technology (DFT), a eveloper of wholesale data center space, the article adds. The lease is scheduled to commence in the third quarter (July to September), when the building opens. Apple has built a data center in...

Apple products are a key factor in Intel's plans for new processors, Tom Kilroy, a senior vice president at the company, told the Reuters Global Technology Summit (http://macte.ch/QVGzx) in New York. "We work very closely with them and we're constantly looking down the road at what we can be doing relative to future product," he said. "I'd go as far as to say Apple helps shape our roadmap. Apple -- they push us hard." Intel chips power Macs, but Apple designed its own processors for the iPhone and iPad using technology licensed from Britain's ARM Holdings. Kilroy played down suggestions that ARM processors could eventually unseat the world's top chipmaker in personal computers.

Another day, another lawsuit. Apple and other companies, including HP, are being sued by a company called Linex Technologies for patent infringement. The company accuses Apple of violating two of its patents related to the design and implementation of antennas. Both patents refer to a plurality of signals sent and received wirelessly with a number of antennas, reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). The accused Apple products cited in the complaint are the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule, the article adds. "Defendants' Accused Products infringe the asserted claims by receiving and processing multiple spatial streams using multiple receive antennas," the complaint reads. The lawsuit was filed with the International Trade Commission. Linex, a Florida company that licenses wireless technologies, also filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the District of Delaware against the same companies (which include Aruba Networks, Meru...

Parallels (http://www.parallels.com) has launched Parallels Transporter, an application designed to make the move from a Windows PC to a Mac easy by automatically transferring music, pictures, Internet bookmarks, documents and more. Parallels Transporter is available on the Mac App Store for US$0.99 for a limited time (it's normally $39.99)   Parallels has shipped more than three million copies of its award-winning Parallels Desktop for Mac software. The Parallels Transporter app is designed for Mac users who may not need to run Windows on their Mac at all. It's a simple way to bring everything you need from your PC together on your Mac without wasting your valuable time or incurring the expense of hiring a technology service to do the work, says Kim Johnston, vice president of Marketing for Parallels.   Parallels Transporter Agent collects data on your PC and uses your wireless network or an external storage device to transfer it to Parallels Transporter on your Mac. Parallels...

The Byte-dock (http://www.byte-dock.com) is an upcoming dock that will will offer owners of Apple’s flagship range of laptops the functionality of a desktop computer at home or in the office. And it supports Thunderbolt. The MacBook Pro is inserted into the docking station and connects with all peripheral equipment plugged into the dock, such as an external keyboard, monitor, mouse, printer or phone charger. Although the Byte-dock is specifically designed for the MacBook Pro range, plans are in place for it to become compatible with other Apple MacBooks. The Byte-dock also includes full Thunderbolt functionality, which has been developed by Intel and Apple. Users can also have FireWire 800 devices, Ethernet and audio cables plugged into the dock and the MacBook will connect to them. The Byte-dock comes with two usb ports, one mic/line in, one audio out/headphone socket, one FireWire 800 socket, one Thunderbolt port (used in conjunction with the HDMI video cable shipped with the dock)...

Bloop (Bloop: http://bloop.it/) has released Fresh Feed and Fresh Feed Pro 1.5.2, updates to its lightweight news notifiers for Mac OS X. The new versions add Google Reader support, a quick preview, Speech and more. With the apps, you can select some of your RSS or Atom feeds, and each time new information arrives, Fresh Feed will inform you with an alert sound. You can read the title and the source of the news. If you want to read more, it's possible to delve into the subject matter by viewing a preview from a pop-up menu. Once you have read the news in detail you can share it on Twitter, Facebook or directly open the web page associated with the article. Fresh Feed can even read the title of the feed through the special option "Speech" so that way you can carry on with your work without interruption. The pro version boasts features like the possibility to add feeds from Google Reader and from a browser by right clicking on the URL. You can also visualize article previews. Fresh...

Before Dawn Solutions has released Nuggit/Nuggit Express, a text editor for Mac OS X 10.6.6 and higher. It costs US$9.99 and is available at the Mac App Store and the Before Dawn website (http://www.beforedawnsolutions.com). Nuggit/Nuggit Express is based on the skEdit code base, so it is able to share bundles, scripts and snippets with skEdit. It brings a clean and efficient interface to text editing tasks without compromising on the tools, according to the folks at Before Dawn. Features include: configurable editor and file management; tabbed windows to edit multiple files without clutter; a code navigator to quickly jump between sections of code; line numbering; bracket matching; block indenting; and more. It's also AppleScriptable.

MultiEducator (http://www.multieducator.net/) has introduced JFK for Kids 1.0 for iOS or Mac OS X. It's a multimedia biography of President John F. Kennedy 51 years after his taking office. JFK for Kids is designed especially for kids in grades 3-5. Featuring 14 chapters, there are 100 high-resolution photographs, a three-minute video summary, 12 archival video clips, audio clips, and a historical timeline. The reference app is fully searchable. JFK for Kids is MultiEducator's first kids' biography, and draws on their encyclopedic multimedia biography, "JFK Historymaker," which was written by the company's president, Marc Schulman. The app also features: an Info button for additional information about each photo, audio, video, and text entry; a search function; a Favorites library; Recently Viewed content; an illustrated JFK Timeline from May 29, 1917 to November 22, 1963; Introductory and Concluding Videos; and a brief set of instructions on using the app. JFK for Kids 1.0 for iOS...