Sears, Kmart team with Sonic to launch movie download service
Sonic Solutions (http://www.sonic.com) says that RoxioNow platform licensee, Sears, has officially launched its online movie download service, Alphaline Entertainment (http://alphaline.roxionow.com).
The new service enables Sears and Kmart customers to download entertainment online, including new movies on the same day they are released on DVD and Blu-ray disc. Sonic is working with Sears on a multi-phase rollout that includes making the service available from a broad range of connected devices and ensuring compatibility with studio-supported digital programs.
The RoxioNow platform serves a broad range of premium content, including new movies and next-day TV programs, to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics, according to Mark Ely, president of Strategy, Sonic Solutions RoxioNow enables storefronts for brick and mortar retailers, cable operators, computer manufacturers, game system vendors, consumer electronics makers, and Hollywood studios' direct-to...
Creastoric introduces Log Leech for Mac OS X
Creastoric Software (http://creastoric.com) has introduced Log Leech for Mac OS X. The US$10 app allows you to view your system logs in an easy-to-understand format.
Log Leech allows you to search, sort, and filter log entries. Whenever an application on your system encounters something unexpected, it typically creates a log entry in a hidden file called the Console Log. While every Mac comes with a utility to view this file, it unhelpfully displays every log entry from every application in a big jumbled mess, according to the folks at Creastoric Software.
Using an innovative user interface, Log Leech makes it easy to find and view the information that each application is reporting, they add. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or higher. Log Leech is Universal Binary, so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
LightFrame for Mac OS X gets new tools
Corner-A today has released LightFrame 2.3 (http://corner-a.com/lightframe), an update of the app for Mac OS X 10.6 and higher. The new version offers new tools (a text tool, sprite layers, crop & resize) and brings new resources and built-in presets.
LightFrame is a solution for framing digital photos with your Mac. It supports all image formats that are supported by Mac OS X, including RAW images.
LightFrame costs US$30. Version 2.3 is a free update for registered users of version 2.x.
NewPCgadgets offers 'kickstands' for iOS devices
NewPCgadgets has introduced Smartphone Coasters (http://newpcgadgets.com/products/smartphone_stand/index.html), which lets you hold your iPhones or iPod touch at a 60 degree viewing angle. They're made of stainless steel and cost US$3.99 each.
"Now instead of laying your phone down on the table, or keeping it in your pocket, you can stand it up at an easy to view 60 degree angle," say the folks at NewPCGadgets. "Parents can use the Smartphone Coaster to entertain their children with games or movies; professionals attending a business lunch or dinner will love the ability to view text messages and incoming calls faster.
Apple leads tech sector among companies providing value to...
Tech, media, and telecom companies in emerging markets and those considered "digital innovators" are among the world's tops in providing value to their investors -- and that includes, of course, Apple, according to a new study by the Boston Consulting Group (http://www.bcg.com/).
The report "Swimming Against the Tide: How Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Companies Can Prosper in the New Economic Reality" found that seven of the top 10 telecom performers, five of the top 10 media performers, and four of the top 10 technology performers are in India, Taiwan, Mexico, China, and other emerging markets. But global companies tuned into the digital revolution, such as Apple and Google, are also tops in rewarding their investors, notes "CNET" (http://macte.ch/k5ZoD).
Covering the period from 2005 through 2009, the report examined the total shareholder return (TSR) of 126 different companies throughout the world. The best performers in the technology sector were Apple, MediaTek, and...
TimePreserver lets you archive Time Machine backups
Dalamser has released TimePreserver (http://www.dalamser.com/TimePreserver/index.html), an US $35 app for Mac OS X 10.5 and higher that lets you make archives of your Time Machine backups stored on a Time Capsule. A demo is available for download.
To user you attach an external disk to your Mac, run TimePreserver, and then store the disk away from your Mac and Time Capsule. Re-attach the disk and run TimePreserver to update the archive. You can use multiple external discs in rotation to provide extra protection. A minimum of two is good, always keeping one in a different location.
According to the folks at Dalamser, the advantages of using TimePreserver are:
° Complete archive of the Time Capsule without it being unusable for hours;
° Integrity of the Time Machine backups is protected;
° TimePreserver understands Time Machine backups unlike generic backup applications.
Apple to announce latest financial results Jan. 18
Apple will a conference call for the press and analysts to discuss the financial results of its first fiscal quarter on Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 2 pm (Pacific).
A link to the conference call webcast will be provided at a later date. Sales of Apple's entire product line (Macs, iPhones, iPod, iPads and Apple TVs, as well as software) are expected to be good to excellent.
New Apple TV sales top one million
It's official: sales of the Apple TV has topped one million units, reports "All Things D" (http://macte.ch/R4n07). Apple had said this would happen before the end of the Christmas weekend.
With the latest rev of the Apple TV (US$99), you can watch HD movies and TV shows, stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe, all on your HD TV. iTunes users are now renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day, according to Apple.
Now with AirPlay, recently available in iOS 4.2, users can wirelessly stream their music, video and photos from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to their new Apple TV. Users can also control Apple TV with their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch using the Remote app, available as a free app on the App Store.
Folx 2.0 beta available for Mac OS X
Eltima Software has released a beta of Folx 2.0 (http://mac.eltima.com/folx_request.html), their download manager for Mac OS X. Just remember: beta software is unfinished software so use with care.
Folx can download not only common files, but also torrent content. The version 2.9 beta includes innovations in torrent client as well as in Internet download manager functionality. One of the novelties added to Folx is iTunes integration. The beta version is free and available for testing.
Those who buy Folx 1.0 since the release of Folx 2.0 beta and the until the official Folx 2.0 release will receive guaranteed free upgrade to new innovated version. Folx Pro is available for US$19.95 and offers such features as: splitting downloads in up to 10 threads, scheduling the download tasks at the most convenient time, automatic smart speed control, built-in torrent search on multiple trackers with one click in Folx app, and more.
Invoices 2.8 for Mac OS X improves print support
Tension Software has updated Invoices (http://www.pomola.com/products_invoices/invoices.html), a native Cocoa application to create and manage invoices in Mac OS X, to version 2.8. It's a bug fix release that also offers improved support for printing using European A4 and USA Letter paper format with custom invoice layout for each one
Invoices (US$40) allows you to create a new invoices with all data without using the keyboard, only with the mouse and all from a single panel view. You can make two different type of invoices, Plain and Table, where description of sold goods and services can be managed in a different way.
Invoices automatically calculates totals and taxes, in accordance with the set-up the user specified using his own country's rules. Invoices requires Mac OS X 10.4. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
Monterey College of Law expands iPad program
In August, the Monterey College of Law in Santa Cruz, California became the first in the country to integrate iPads into its bar-review curriculum, which helps students prepare for the California State Bar. When classes resume next month, the 20 faculty members who teach courses the bar exam covers at the four-year law school, will receive iPads, reports the "Santa Cruz Sentinel" (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16940474).
This year, the devices were included in the cost the students pay for the bar-review curriculum, or BARBRI, Mitchel Winick, the college's dean, told the "Sentinel." Almost all the students participated, but starting next year, the entire program -- including the iPads -- will be included in the cost of tuition, about $15,000 per year.
Winick acknowledged that students can access the same information from an iPad as they can on a laptop, but it's easier and more convenient to carry around the former. Preparing for the bar takes up to 600 hours of study...
Apple tops Amazon Christmas lists
As of Dec. 25, Apple's products topped the most-gifted items in all the categories on Amazon in which it competed except television and video products (where Roku reigned supreme). However, there were some discrepancies, however, between what people wished for and what was purchased for them, reports "Fortune" (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/25/apple-tops-amazons-most-gifted-li...).
Apple TV, for example, was the No. 1 "Most Wished For" product in TV and video and Roku No. 2. Although Macs were the top four most-wished for desktop computers, they took only the top two spots in the Most Gifted and Bestseller lists.
Happy holidays from all of us
"MacTech," "MacNews" and "AppleCentral" will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the holiday weekend with our families and friends. We wish all our readers and advertisers the very best of the season. May you have a safe, and warm, weekend.
Apple spends relatively little on lobbying efforts
Apple, easily the most influential company in consumer technology today, spent relatively little on lobbying efforts in Washington -- only US$340,000 -- this year, reports "All Things D" (http://macte.ch/6UA2K).
A list of lobbying funds from other companies include Verizon ($3.83 million); AT&T ($3.47 million); HP ($1.63 million); Microsoft ($1.63 million); Oracle ($1.6 million); Google ($1.2 million); IBM ($1 million): Yahoo ($540,000); Facebook ($120,000).
"As you can see, the CRP shows that, among computer and Internet companies, Microsoft was the leading lobbying spender for the first nine months of the year," notes "All Things D." "The wireless industry’s trade association, the CTIA, led the pack in the telephone equipment and services category, spending more than $6 million.
Jobs named 'Person of the Year' (and gets praise from...
The "Financial Times" (http://macte.ch/eSQnC) has named Apple CEO Steve Jobs as "Person of the Year." And he also got a shout-out from the President of the United States.
Jobs is described by the "Financial Times" as "a stern taskmaster who understands the art of the possible, rather than a long-range visionary. That means pushing relentlessly forward rather than milking old successes – even ones as significant as the iPod.”
Jobs’ perfectionism during Apple product launch events, his mastery of the “Reality distortion field” -- "is ability to convince onlookers that technologies that would seem unformed in other hands have reached a peak of perfection at Apple" -- and the way he has successfully bounced back from last year’s liver transplant are other qualities praised by the "Financial Times."
And if the "Financial Times" naming him as "Person of the Year wasn't enough for Jobs, President Obama also cited him (http://macte.ch/J7UXI) as an example of the American Dream.
"We celebrate...
Cherokee, Apple partner to put language on iPhones
The Cherokee Tribe has worked with Apple to develop Cherokee language software for the iPhone, iPod and -- soon -- the iPad, reports the "Associated Press" (http://macte.ch/9VGQr). Computers used by students at the tribe's language immersion school already allow them to type using Cherokee characters.
The goal, Cherokee Chief Chad Smith told the AP, is to spread the use of the language among tech-savvy children in the digital age. Tribal officials first contacted Apple about getting Cherokee on the iPhone three years ago. It seemed like a long shot, as the devices support only 50 of the thousands of languages worldwide, and none were American Indian tongues, "but Apple's reputation for innovation gave the tribe hope," says the AP.
After many discussions and a visit from Smith, Apple surprised the tribe by coming through this fall. "There are countries vying to get on these devices for languages, so we are pretty excited we were included," Joseph Erb, who works in the Cherokee Nation'...
Apple files trademark for Express Lane
Apple has filed a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for "VoicePass" in the "Construction and Repair Services" category, reports "Patently Apple" (http://macte.ch/BRMKN). The serial number of the patent is 85200810.
Express Lane (http://macte.ch/MpCyO) is a support site from Apple that helps customers nail down issues by selecting a product category, a particular product from that category, and the problematic part comprising that product. Customers can then enter the product’s serial number, even describe the issue, while Apple will do its best to provide recommended support documents.
If this doesn't work, there's a “Contact Options” page is presented to the user. Several customer service options are available, depending on the nature of the problem.
Apple shares hit all-time high
Apple stock finished Wednesday up 0.29% at US$325.16 with an average volume of 17.71 million shares. In the pre-market hours Thursday, Apple shares were trading down 0.05 percent to $325.00 on the NASDAQ stock market.
Apple's market cap hit $298.27 billion on Wednesday, leaving it ahead of rival Microsoft, which has a market cap of $241.16 billion. This makes it the the largest technology company in the world and second largest company in market capitalization, reports the "International Business Times" (http://macte.ch/zUAzc).
In September, Apple overtook PetroChina to become the world's second largest company by market value. However, it still has a long way to go to pass Exxon Mobil Corp. in the market capitalization, where the oil giant retains the top spot with a whooping $367.10 billion, notes the "Times."
Apple files trademark for 'VoicePass'
Apple has filed a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for "VoicePass" in the "Construction and Repair Services" category, reports "Trademarkia" (http://macte.ch/BRMKN). The serial number of the patent is 85200930.
It's for "Installation, repair, maintenance and servicing of computers and of electronic, electromechanical, optical, magnetic and electrical equipment for use with computers; technical services and support; web based support and diagnostic services by using resources and tools for computer software and computer hardware provided on-line and over telecommunications networks; support services available computer network or the Internet, or over a telecommunications network; multimedia technical services and support; information relating to installation, maintenance, repair, servicing and updating of computers transmitted through mail shots, e-mail updates, e-mail support notices, and over telecommunications networks; installation, maintenance, repair and servicing...
MacTVision HD lets you watch over 2,600 TV channels on your Mac
MacTVision Technologies today announces MacTVision HD for Mac OS X, an update to their app that allows users to watch over 2,600 free, popular TV, news, sports, and specialty channels on their Mac, instantly, on demand.
The app features searchable, updating, interactive TV listings, including over 13,000 programs with thumbnails and descriptions. Displayed in full screen mode, MacTVision's scrollable database of listings appear in a window that occupies the top one third of the Main window.
The Listings window contains nine columns, and listings may be ordered according to any of the nine columns: Name (of TV show), Type (TV, Streams, Videos, Radio, or Media Apps), Category (Movies, Action, Comedy, etc.) Language (English, Spanish, German, etc.), Favorites, Rating, My Rating, Details (short summary), and Featured. Selecting a popular show from the Name column -- such as "Desperate Housewives" -- brings up three new windows that occupy the bottom two thirds of the screen: Summary,...
Flickery update for Mac OS X automatically converts RAW files
Eternal Storms (http://www.eternalstorms.at) has updated their flickr client, flickery, for Mac OS X 10.5 or higher to version 1.9.2. The update automatically converts RAW files and offers converting options for video files so they can be uploaded.
With flickry, you can browse flickr's photos, view and comment on pictures of your friends, or upload and manage your own photos and favorites. flickery offers three ways of viewing photos: the miniature-overview of the photos where you can see multiple pictures at a time; the full-window-view, which lets you view one photo at a time in detail; and the full-screen view.
As a special offering through the holidays, flickery is 25% off (approximately US$13.45) until Jan. 3. Also, users who purchase (or have purchased) flickery in December have the chance of winning one of seven flickr pro accounts.
Flickery is available in a 15-day fully functional demo. After the trial period has expired, users can purchase the application for $13.45 until...
iWeb Themes Park releases two free holiday themes
Just in time for Christmas, iWeb Themes Park is offering a discount for all combo packages. In addition, the company is offering two free iWeb themes for December-ending festivals,
The themes require a Mac with iWeb from iLife '08, iLife '09 or iLife '11. Two iWeb themes dedicated for Christmas and New Year events are free for everyone. In addition, and only for the Christmas holiday, each combo package, which includes 10 different iWeb Themes, can be purchased with a 50% discount for $14.99 instead of $29.99.
Elegant Chaos releases Neu 1.0.2 for Mac OS X
Elegant Chaos has announced Neu 1.0.2 (http://www.elegantchaos.com/neu), a minor update to their file making utility for Mac OS X.
Neu is designed to make it easier to create new documents in the Finder without you having to open an application first. It does this by adding menus and global keyboard shortcuts that can be triggered from the Finder, or any other application. Neu lets you choose what to make from a list of templates. You can also trigger Neu from any application using a special key combination.
Changes in the 1.0.2 release include:
° Double-clicking on a license file will now launch Neu and register the license.
° Symbolic links are now handled in the path to templates.
° A Quit button has been added to the "Presence" preference when in "Stealth" mode.
° Template windows are now resizeable, and have a number of visual improvements.
° The default templates have been updated
Neu requires Mac OS X 10.6.5 or higher. It costs US$10, though version 1.0.2. is a free update for...
MathMagic Pro 7.2 adds support for Math Speech
InfoLogic has announced MathMagic Pro Editions 7.2 (http://www.mathmagic.com/product/pro.html) for Mac OS X. for Mac OS X, an update of the math equation editor for students and publishers. The upgrade adds a new Math Speech format.
Mathematical expressions can be saved in a standard English text as we normally read math equations by mathematical notation. For example, "b + c = d" is converted to "b plus c equals d". This works for long or complex equations as well. The English text can also be imported into equations. Math Speech text can be read out using the Speech Synthesis by Mac OS X or any 3rd party Text-To-Speech service over the internet.
MathMagic can also speak any math expression using a Text-To-Speech service. Plus, it reads various math formats including LaTeX and MathML and saves in high quality formats.
MathMagic 7.2 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. The upgrade applies to all MathMagic Personal Edition and Pro Editions
MathMagic Pro Edition 7.2 is available now for US...
Cronette adds new data column
Tension Software has updated Cronette (http://pomola.com/products_cronette/cronette.html), a Cocoa task launcher for Macs and Mac servers, to version 1.4.1. The upgrade adds a new data column in the table to identify a task by type.
Cronette lets you specify tasks to be launched automatically by the Mac. It can be used on unattended Mac Servers or also on regular Mac workstations for tasks to execute during the night or for recurring tasks to be performed on a regular basis. It provides different type of launch tasks: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.
Any task can be specified to launch different type of execution: open applications or documents from disk; open different type of URL; execute different type of actions: restart, shutdown, sleep; sending a message to the log; execute a complex UNIX command.
Cronette costs US$30 for a single user license, though version 1.4.1 is a free update for registered users. A demo is available for download. Cronette requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher...
Page Director ALS now compatible with InDesign CS5, QuarkXPress...
Managing Editor says Page Director Ad Layout System 5.6.1, ALS for Magazines 5.6.1 and AdForce 5.6.1 are now available.
MEI's flagship product and its related technologies have been upgraded for compatibility with the latest pagination software from Adobe and Quark. ALS 5.6.1 works with enhanced versions of MEI's Ad Import plug-in and ALS XT, which allow users to export issues to Adobe InDesign CS5 and QuarkXPress 8.5.
MEI has also updated its FiFi, Fido and Split & Folio XTs and plug-ins for compatibility with QuarkXPress 8.5 and InDesign CS5. FiFi and Fido restore file-path information for ad files after ALS pages have been imported so lost file links can be updated; Split & Folio lets users split up an InDesign or QuarkXPress document to deal out as single pages or page ranges while preserving the original file's information.
New versions of ALS for Magazines, MEI's automated ad-layout solution built specifically with magazines in mind, and AdForce, the company's...
Apple, others sued over ... you guessed it ... patent...
Another day, another lawsuit. A company called Hybrid Audio is suing Apple, Dell, HTC and other companies of infringing a MP3-related patent for "Signal Processing Utilizing a Tree-Structured Array," reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).
The application references "audio signals," but makes no mention of MP3 files or the MPEG-1 Layer III standard. However, the lawsuit targets Apple, HTC and Dell for creating devices that allow playback of MP3 files, notes "AppleInsider."
The iPod nano, iPhone 4, iPad, MacBook Pro, and iTunes software are specifically mentioned in the lawsuit. The suit targets products "that contain or use hardware and/or software for processing audio information in accordance with the MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) standard," according to "AppleInsider."
As part of their compensation, Hybrid Audio is seeking a judgment and order requiring each Defendant named in the lawsuit to pay Plaintiff damages including treble damages for willful infringement. The...
Calpers wants Apple to change how board members are re-elected
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers) -- the largest public pension in the U.S. -- is seeking to change the policies of Apple and 57 other large companies that make up a portion of its nearly US$200 billion U.S. portfolio. It wants Apple to change it he way it handles board of director elections, according to "The Wall Street Journal" (http://macte.ch/bYNA5).
Members of the board can currently be re-elected by a single "yes" vote in uncontested elections. Calpsers wants Apple and other U.S. companies it invests in to adopt rules requiring directors to win a majority of the vote, saying that will make board members more accountable to shareholders, says the "Journal."
Calpers said Apple resisted its request, so the pension fund submitted an advisory shareholder resolution to force the issue. The measure is set to come up for a vote at the iPhone maker's annual meeting in February.
GEAR4 offers UnityRemote for iOS devices
GEAR4 (http://www.GEAR4.com) has announced the U.S. availability of UnityRemote. Now available through Amazon for US$99, the UnityRemote device turns any iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into a universal remote control.
It enables users to control everything from TVs to Hi-Fis, Blu-Ray players to digital TV boxes -- anything that has an infrared receiver -- using one single device, according to GEAR4 CEO Tom Dudderidge. UnityRemote works with two parts -- an app, which is downloaded for free from the Apple App Store, and a small device that can be placed anywhere in the room.
The UnityRemote device receives a Bluetooth signal from the Apple device, and then sends an infrared command in 360 degrees via five infrared transmitters to the device to be controlled.
After launching the app, users select the device to be controlled from a long list of manufacturers. If the device to control isn't listed, UnityRemote can "learn’"how to control the device.
Users can also set up "actions" for...
Fake (and dangerous) iTunes e-mail making the rounds
E-mails purportedly coming from iTunes and bearing "iTunes account may be suspended" in the subject line have been hitting inboxes in the last few days, according to "Help Net Security" (http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=1576).
The message reads: "Dear iTunes Customer, it is possible that your account password has been stolen. 4 different IP addresses have been used to login to your account within the last 24 hours. Please visit the bellow link and read what to do and how to contact support department."
If you click the link in the message, you're taken to fake Apple support page. Although it doesn't ask for any confidential info, "the site silently serves a malicious script that tries to exploit vulnerabilities in older versions of Java and Windows Help to gain access to the system and download and install malware," says "Help Net Security." Users that patch their OS and software regularly are safe from this attack, the article adds.
NewerTech announces NuStands for the iPad, Mac mini
NewerTech has announced NuStand alloy stands for the iPad and Mac mini.
The iPad version is designed to eliminate hard-to-view flat and unstable/unsafe "prop" viewing of an iPad. Featuring an, aircraft grade aluminum body and silicone center, the NewerTech NuStand Alloy for iPad gently yet securely holds an iPad up to a 15 degree angle in either portrait or landscape positions for personal viewing preferences. The open design provides full access to all ports for using, viewing and charging an iPad.
By orienting the 2010 Mac mini into an upright vertical position, the NewerTech NuStand Alloy for Mac mini (pictured) provides a secure way to display a 2010 Mac mini. Besides creating a custom appearance and easier access to all ports and connections, the NuStand Alloy for Mac mini main benefit is greater placement flexibility of a 2010 Mac mini on a crowded desktop or in a space limited home theater cabinet, according to the folks at NewerTech. Non-skid rubber feet provide stable...
Photoshopped fake iPad Mini picture?
By Greg Mills
As anyone who spends much time on the Internet knows, Photoshopping pictures can create very convincing evidence to support absolute speculation.
There is a picture circulating online that, in my opinion, has been intentionally modified to drop a small image of an "iPad Mini" into a staged picture. See http://www.cultofmac.com/famous-taiwan-race-car-driver-claims-he-has-an-... .
The full picture shows a man holding an iPad in each hand. The picture was staged with him holding a real iPad in his left hand and holding up an empty right hand up in the same position as if he was holding a smaller iPad. If you capture the pixels where his finger nails intersect the smaller iPad you will notice there are vertical lines in the pixels and no horizontal breaks in the pixelation of the same color.
That is a clear sign the picture was doctored to add the downsized iPad. The picture is a fake in my opinion. Also, the scale of the "mini" iPad is just a bit too small as it is...
Analyst: Apple needs an app store for the Apple TV
Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu said in a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- that though the Apple TV is starting to take off -- Apple says sales will top one million this week -- sales of the $99 set-top box just aren't enough to have a major effect on Apple's bottom line.
He says the million unit sales figure is "positive, but fairly immaterial." If the device continues to sell a million units per quarter, it would amount to US$400 million in annual revenue -- just a drop in the bucket for a company expected to earn $88 billion in revenue in its fiscal year 2011, Wu says.
Despite this, the analyst thinks the Apple TV is now positioned to become a "more material contributor and game changer in the TV space." On the other hand, he believes a major catalyst for the set-top box would be the addition of an App Store, allowing users to download new applications -- especially games -- for the Apple TV.
Darkest of Days game comes to the Mac
You're our last, best chance to keep history intact, so no pressure, buddy." That's Kronotek's Agent Dexter speaking to the player in Darkest of Days (http://www.vpltd.com/software/dod/), Virtual Programming's latest release for Mac OS X. Gamers step into the time-traveling shoes of Alexander Morris, who Agent Dexter plucks from the ranks of General Custer's army during the Battle of Little Big Horn. Now he must travel through history and relive some of its most famous events while protecting those whose survival is crucial to the space-time continuum.
Players' quest to keep the space-time continuum intact begins with the Civil War's Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Tannenberg during World War I. They soon learn that a mysterious organization called the Opposition is using its own time travel technology to stop them from protecting a Union Army corporal and a Russian Army officer. Darkest of Days' storyline later takes players to a World War II POW camp and Pompei on the day in 79...
AnyBizSoft posts beta of PDF Editor for Mac
AnyBizSoft, a Wondershare company focused on PDF solutions, has released a public beta of PDF Editor for Mac beta.
With the integration of their existing PDF to Word conversion technology, this new released program not only enables users to edit PDF text, insert images, and annotate on PDF files, but also allows users to convert PDF to Word on Mac OS X. Just remember: beta software is unfinished software so use with care.
Also, AnyBizSoft PDF Editor for Mac Beta’s Keycode is giving away a free Christmas gift. Keycode’s giveaway program is held on AnyBizSoft PDF Editor for Mac Beta’s official product page (http://www.anypdftools.com/pdf-editor-for-mac.html). After downloading the program, users need to click Get Keycode Now button to find the get keycode area. By filling out the username, e-mail address and clicking Send me Keycode button, Keycode of AnyBizSoft PDF Editor for Mac Beta will be sent to user’s mailbox immediately.
Another analyst thinks Apple will enter the TV market
Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White told clients -- as reported by "Forbes" (http://blogs.forbes.com/ericsavitz/2010/12/21/apple-when-will-they-start...) -- that Apple will eventually start making television sets. He thinks that Apple “has larger ambitions” in the TV market, and contends the current generation Apple TV is “just the beginning of something much larger.”
“In our view, Apple is one of the few companies in the world that will be able to offer consumers a broad digital media ecosystem with iTunes, iBooks and the App Store,” he says. "Additionally, Apple arguably offers the most aesthetically pleasing consumer electronic products in the world. Keep in mind, the TV is at the center of living rooms around the globe, and an Apple TV would likely be a big hit, in our view. We believe existing LED LCD TV makers will be hard pressed to compete with Apple in the LED LCD TV market due to the ecosystem Apple has been developing across its portfolio over the past several years...
Apple posts iPhone Configuration Utility 3.2
Apple has released iPhone Configuration Utility 3.2. It's a 10.17MB download, requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and can be downloaded via the Software Updates component of Mac OS X's Systems Preferences app.
The iPhone Configuration Utility lets you create, maintain, encrypt, and install configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications, and capture device information including console logs. Apple hasn't said what's changed with version 3.2.
Configuration profiles are XML files that contain device security policies, VPN configuration information, Wi-Fi settings, APN settings, Exchange account settings, mail settings, and certificates that permit iPhone and iPod touch to work with your enterprise systems.
Intego updates VirusBarrier X6
Intego (http://www.intego.com) has released an update to VirusBarrier X6, the company’s program that protects Macs from malware and network threats. This update, version 10.6.10, offers enhancements and performance improvements, improves overall stability, supports general compatibility issues, and addresses a number of other minor issues.
VirusBarrier X6 users can download the update through NetUpdate, Intego’s tool for updating its software. This update is free for all users of VirusBarrier X6.
UK teen found guilty of fraud on iTunes, Amazon
A UK teen named Lamar Johnson has plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud. He and his band used stolen credit cards to purchase something like $750,000 worth of their own music from both Amazon and the iTunes Store between January 2008 and June 2009, reports "engadget" (http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/22/uk-teen-buys-750-000-of-his-own-music...).
While Johnson will find his sentence tacked onto the 5-year jail term he is currently serving for grievous bodily harm, the rest of his 12 member "band" will have to wait until they appear in court in January to discover their fate, the article adds. The name of the band hasn't been disclosed.
Cakewalk announces free Sonar X1A update
Cakewalk, a developer of products for music creation and recording, has announced a free update for Sonar X1 Producer, Studio, and Essential. All registered Sonar X1 customers can download the free Sonar X1A update at http://www.catwalk.com .
The Sonar X1 Update has been split into two parts. The first update, X1A, addresses usability enhancements and overall stability issues across the entire application. The next update X1B, will address a number of additional issues based largely on customer feedback. Availability of the Sonar X1B update will be announced in the first quarter 2011.
A comprehensive list of what is included in the Sonar X1A update can be found at http://www.cakewalk.com/support/kb/reader.aspx?ID=2007013216 .
Evom lets you watch Flash videos anywhere
The Little App Factory has released Evom (http://thelittleappfactory.com/evom/), a free Mac OS X app that lets you "watch Flash videos anywhere."
You can use it to convert your movie files for playback anywhere. Drag files, folders, or links into Evom to start. Converted media files are exported into iTunes or saved to your desktop.
You can download Flash videos from web sites to iPods, iPhones, iPads, and many other devices. Drag a link or URL into Evom to start. The software takes advantage of your Mac’s multi-core processor.
Apple releases iPhone 9.1.1
Apple has released iPhone 9.1.1. It's a 62.09MB download, requires Mac OS X 10.6.3 or higher and can be downloaded via the Software Updates component of Mac OS X's Systems Preferences app.
According to Apple, this update adds new email options to iPhoto '11. It also improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.
Apple sued for violating digital video compression patents
Another day, another lawsuit. A lawsuit against Apple (as well as Canon, LG and TivO) was filed Monday by a patent holder named Multimedia Patent Trust in a U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California. It's aimed at, well, just about all of Apple's product line, notes "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).
The complaint cites four U.S. patents granted to a number of different inventors between 1990 and 1996. All four inventions granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are related to digital video compression techniques. Apple is specifically accused of violating the first three with hardware it makes that plays video. In addition to hardware, the suit also names a number of Apple's software products, including Final Cut Studio, iTunes and iLife.
Multimedia Patent Trust states that it informed Apple of its alleged violations on March 15, 2007. "Appleinsider" say the trust wants Apple to pay a "reasonable royalty on all video-capable products sold by Apple...
Analyst: Verizon 'excited' about carrying the iPhone...
In a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu says Verizon is "still excited" about launching Apple's iPhone early next year "to combat slowing Android momentum in the US."
He says the confirmation of Verizon's interest in launching the iPhone, "despite it already carrying a full roster of competing operating systems including Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows, and webOS," provides additional support for data reported earlier showing a sharp decline in Verizon's growth from Android following the launch of iPhone 4.
Last week, Apple Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told clients that he thinks Apple will sell nine million Verizon iPhones in 2011. What's more, he says that estimate may be conservation. Munster thinks that Apple could sell closer to 20 million iPhones at Verizon next year.
The analyst thinks Verizon will activate 25 million smartphones next year. His estimate of nine million would only...
FCC approves 'Net Neutrality' rules; Woz's take
The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved a "high-level rules of the road" designed to ensure that internet providers grant everyone equal access to the web.
But the 3-2 vote immediately came under attack from both flanks, with Internet-freedom advocates saying the new rules don't go far enough and critics saying the government should stay out of online business altogether, notes "CNN" (http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/12/21/fcc.net.neutrality/index.html). In announcing the proposed rules this month, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said they would require high-speed internet providers to treat all types of web content equally.
Unfortunately, the FCC held most discussions behind closed doors, until this morning's debate and final approval of the regulations. If you care about this issue -- and you really, really should -- read Apple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak's letter to the FCC (http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/steve-wozniak-to-t...) on keeping...
Number of households with multiple iPads on the rise
The iPad is so popular there’s an increasing wave of two or more iPad households, according to the YouGov research firm (http://today.yougov.co.uk/sites/today.yougov.co.uk/files/Tablet_ownershi...), as noted by "9to5 Mac" (http://www.9to5mac.com/43762/yougov-survey-shows-rise-of-the-two-ipad-ho... ). According to the study of 1,674 Brits, 17% iPad owners say there's more than one of the Apple tablets in their household.
Thirty-seven percent of iPad owners said their household has multiple iPads because their partner uses theirs. Seventeen percent say yet another member of their household uses their tablet, and 18% say their children use it.
Despite this, 19% of those surveyed are considering purchasing another tablet in the future and 16% are uncertain. Among iPad owners, 71% said they'd buy another of the Apple tablets.
And in another YouGov study of 1,997 British online adults shows that many among them planned ahead to avoid the high-street crowds, instead choosing to go online...
NPR: Ping one of the worst ideas of 2010
NPR has named Apple’s Ping -- a social network for music -- one of the worst ideas of 2010. The reason, says NPR, relates to Apple’s inherently closed nature, reports "Ericric" (http://erictric.com/2010/12/21/npr-names-apples-ping-one-of-the-worst-id...).
“Why Ping has floundered can be summed up in a sentence: Apple doesn’t like sharing, thus, it is difficult for them to build a social network,” says Latoya Peterson.
"Riddle me this: How did the Apple crew create a social networking site for music way back in September, but only introduce a way to swap playlists four months later?" she says. "Considering how important playlists are to the organization of a healthy music collection, one would imagine that type of functionality would have been ready at launch. But don’t let the new functionality fool you -- Ping restricts even this sharing to songs that already appear in the iTunes store. That great band you saw in concert and bought their $10 CD? They don’t make the cut. Picked up a...
Mac OS X Downloads site will no longer offer apps as of Jan. 6
Apple has sent an e-mail message to registered developers, telling them that on Jan. 6 -- when the Mac App Store launches -- the Mac OS X Downloads site will no longer offer apps.
Apple tells developers to submit their software to the Mac App Store instead. Said store "will be the best destination for users to discover, purchase, and download apps," the company says.
Craig Federighi, vice president of engineering for OS X, demoed Lion at the Back to the Mac event in October. The Mac App Store brings the Apple App Store experience to Mac OS X, making discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever, he said. Like on the iPad, you purchase apps using your iTunes account and they download and install in just one step.
The Mac App Store will be available for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard") on Jan. 6. And it will be built into next year's Mac OS X Lion.
Israeli hospital equips its doctors with iPads
Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center (MYMC) is the first Israeli hospital to give iPad technology to its doctors, for use both on and off-site. Medical staff can now check patient records, test results, hi-resolution X-rays and CT scans, report on patient progress and plan ongoing treatment using the Apple tablet.
MYMC has embraced this latest and most desirable technology by investing in iOS 4.2, customized for use in Hebrew. This allows clinicians instant touch-screen access to patient records and medical information via secure password-protected internet. MYMC's IT team have programmed the iPad to interact with the Microsoft Chameleon program used by the hospital.
"The picture quality on the iPad screen enables our doctors to check high-resolution x-ray and scan images, either on the wards or from outside the hospital, and to diagnose and prescribe treatment immediately at any time," says Dr. Yoram Liwer, CEO of Mayanei Hayeshua. ."The iPad is recognized today as a leading medical tool...
New Apple TV sales to top one million this week
Apple says it expects sales of its new US$99 Apple TV to top one million units later this week. The new Apple TV offers a way to watch HD movies and TV shows, stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe, all on your HD TV.
iTunes users are now renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day, Apple says. Now with AirPlay, recently available in iOS 4.2, users can wirelessly stream their music, video and photos from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to their new Apple TV. Users can also control Apple TV with their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch using the Remote app, available as a free app on the Apple App Store.
