Disc Cover gets 140 new temples, more, in version 3
BeLight Software has updated Disc Cover (http://www.belightsoft.com/products/disccover/overview.php) - its Mac OS X software for designing CD/DVD labels, covers, inserts, jewel cases and more -- to version 3.0. The upgrade features 140 new templates, 30 artistic collages, support for multi-page booklets, a completely redesigned Assistant, lyrics and video frames import, adds vertical text tool, and more.
For new users the cost is US$34.95 for a downloadable version and $39.99 (plus shipping and handling) for a boxed version. All previous Disc Cover customers receive a gift of over 15,000 high-quality clipart images upon upgrading to version 3. Those who purchased Disc Cover on or after Aug. 1, 2010 will be provided with a free Disc Cover 3 license code. All others can upgrade for $19.95.
Apple tweaks iPod water damage policy
Apple has made changes to its internal screening process pertaining to iPod liquid damage, a source tells "The Boy Genius Report" (http://www.bgr.com/2010/11/09/apple-amends-internal-ipod-water-damage-po...).
"Apple builds a series of Liquid Contact Indicators (LCI) into its iPod line of devices. When these LCIs come in contact with moisture, they become activated. In the event of a warranty claim or other repair, the LCIs indicate to Apple that the device in question may have been affected by a liquid," says "BGR." "Employees of Apple Stores and AppleCare Repair Centers then have specific guidelines used in the event liquid damage is suspected. Previously, the presence of an activated LCI within the headphone jack was cause enough for employees to state that an iPod may have been damaged by water or another liquid. Now, employees must first inspect the iPod for other signs of liquid damage before reaching that conclusion. It is currently not known if the new policy applies to...
Verizon airs iPad ad
Verizon has begun airing its first television commercial for the iPad since the carrier began offering the device paired with a MiFi mobile hotspot in its retail stores in October.
"The Next Web" (http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2010/11/09/video-verizons-brand-new-ipad-co...) notes that the ad "certainly does two things we haven’t really seen in an iPad commercial before: it shows it working with a mobile hotspot and emphasizes the ability to use it outside." The tagline of the ad is: "Introducing iPad on Verizon. All the magic of iPad. All the nationwide power and reliability of Verizon."
Medical tech firm buys 4,500 iPads
Medical technology company Medtronic (http://www.medtronic.com) has bought 4,500 iPads for its employees. The purchase possibly makes the medical device company one of the “earliest and biggest corporate buyers” of the tablet computer, according to "Computerworld" (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/352494/Meet_the_CIO_Who_Bought_4_...).
Medtronic, headquartered in Minneapolis, has six major businesses that focus their efforts around a condition or therapy type: Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management, Spinal and Biologics, CardioVascular, Neuromodulation, Diabetes, and Surgical Technologies.
Medtronic bought the Apple tables to help employees better share information with customers, physicians and one another, company spokesman Brian Henry told the "Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2010/11/09/medtronic-snaps-up...). The company -- which has around 43,000 employees -- will mainly use the iPads for corporate and sales purposes rather than...
Enterprise Desktop Alliance conducts survey on Xserve demise
On Nov. 5, Apple announced that it was no longer going to ship the Xserve effective Jan. 31, 2011. The Enterprise Desktop Alliance -- an organization to help IT departments integrate Macs into the corporate environment -- has opened a new survey to see what you think about this move.
"If you have Xserves, we want to hear your opinion on this transition," says the EDA. " What will you do for those Xserve based services and applications, when will you do it, and what do you think it will cost? Please go to the Xserve transition survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8P68F8?c=email) and let us know what this change means to you. We are also offering a $50 Amazon gift certificate to one of every 100 respondents. We will be publishing the results of the survey and hope to do so as soon as next week."
Apple buys Wi-Gear?
A source told "9to5Mac" (http://www.9to5mac.com/) that Apple bought Wi-Gear, a Bluetooth wireless headphone designer in San Francisco two months ago for an undisclosed sum.
WiGear, now closed, is perhaps best known for its iMuffs. iMuffs were wireless headphones that let you pause, rewind, adjust volume and change tracks right from the headset without touching the iPhone. You could also answer incoming calls directly from the headphone using the integrated microphone, enjoying the same automatic music suspension that you get on your iPhone when a call comes in.
Designed to be worn behind the neck, iMuffs weighed just 2.2 ounces and were powered by a rechargeable lithium battery providing up to 20 hours of continuous playback time on a single charge. iMuffs were charged using any computer's USB port or through an included travel charger.
'Glassmate' hits iPhone case makers
Apple’s retail stores have suspended sales of iPhone 4 slider cases because of concerns about trapped dirt causing scratches and cracks -- the so-called “Glassgate” issue, reports "Cult of Mac" (http://www.cultofmac.com/67948/67948).
The ban is impacting at least half-a-dozen case makers who expected to have a blockbuster holiday season, a source who works in the case industry and asked for anonymity, told Leander Kahney of "Cult of Mac." The story says Apple is investigating whether the constant action of sliding cases on and off the glass-backed iPhone can cause scratches and eventually cracks.
"Cult of Mac" says the iPhone 4′s back is not made from the same toughened Corning Gorilla Glass used on the front. The "Glassgate" issue purportedly isn't affected by snap-on cases.
Security research criticizes Safari's 'phone call...
A security researcher says Apple has made a poor security decision by allowing Safari to honor requests from third-party applications to perform actions such as making a phone call without warning a user, reports "Computerworld" (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9195578/iPhone_s_Safari_dials_cal...).
Safari, like other browsers, can launch other applications to handle certain URL protocols. These might be in clickable links, or in embedded iframes. An iframe containing a URL with a telephone number, for example, will cause Safari to ask if the user wants to make a phone call to that particular number, Nitesh Dhanjani, a security researcher, on the "SANS Application Security Street Fighter" blog (http://blogs.sans.org/appsecstreetfighter/2010/11/08/insecure-handling-u...). Users can tap a button to make or cancel the call.
However, "Computerworld" notes that Dhanjani found that behavior changes in some cases. For example, if a user has Skype installed and stays logged into the...
SafeEyes offers YouTube filtering for the Mac
Now families with Macs can block the unwanted content on YouTube without blocking the entire site with the newest Mac edition of InternetSafety.com's Safe Eyes, a Mac family Internet manager with intelligent YouTube filtering.
Safe Eyes 3.6 for Mac eliminates the need to make all YouTube videos off-limits simply to shield children from those that are off-color and otherwise objectionable -- including 5,700 clips about phone sex, 287,000 tagged bra, and 907,000 labeled porn. While forbidding access to all YouTube content is still an option, the software now has the ability to:
° Filter videos on the YouTube site on a clip-by-clip basis.
° Enforce tighter controls than YouTube's own self-policing system, which enables site users to voluntarily flag videos as unsuitable for viewers under 18 but has no automated rating capabilities.
° Simultaneously screen YouTube videos embedded in Facebook, emails, blogs and elsewhere.
Parents can configure Safe Eyes to selectively filter YouTube...
Sococo Team Space available for the Mac
Sococo (http://www.sococo.com), a provider of communication services, has added Mac support to its flagship product, Team Space, a service for distributed teams. Team Space is built on Sococo's communication platform.
Sococo provides always-on smart spaces that help people communicate more naturally and effectively, says Ken Rosen, principal, Performance Works, Sococo. Smart spaces automatically connect people with multi-channel communications and enable them to visualize where they are and what's going on around them, he adds..
Team Space is an always-on service that promotes more effective communication. It presents an intuitive visual layout that depicts an office floor plan with individual offices, conference rooms and common areas. Visual cues allow you to see who's in the office, who's busy, who's free and who's meeting with whom.
A click allows you to enter any room and be instantly connected to all those within with voice, chat, and multi-screen sharing. Since Team Space...
Duracell introduces wireless USB charger
Duracell (http://www.duracell.com) has introduce the US$34.99 Duracell myGrid, a wireless USB charger. It's a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery that gives users the freedom to stay connected to devices they value most without the hassle of searching for an outlet.
The Duracell myGrid USB Charger is compatible with devices such as smart phones, e-readers, MP3 players, portable gaming devices, GPS units, Bluetooth®headsets, and virtually anything else that can be connected with a USB cable. Recharging the Duracell myGrid USB Charger is simple as it is compatible with the Duracell myGrid charging pad ($69.99). Users drop the Duracell myGrid USB Charger onto the myGrid and go, or it can be charged through its USB input.
OWC expands Mercury On-The-Go Pro line
Other World Computing (http://www.macsales.com) has added four new 750GB 7200 RPM models to its OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro bus powered portable storage solution line.
The Mercury On-The-Go Pro is a pocket-sized portable storage solution for Mac or PC users featuring FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 3, and/or USB 2.0 interfaces. Available with up to 1.0TB of storage capacity, the Mercury On-The-Go Pro can hold up to one million JPEG photos, 500 DVD movies, 76 hours of digital video, or 350,000 MP3 songs.
The Mercury On-The-Go Pro 750GB 7200RPM line features four models, including: a “Triple Interface” model for FireWire 800/400 and USB 2.0; a “Combo Interface” model for FireWire 400 and USB 2.0; a USB 3.0 “SuperSpeed” model for USB 3/2.0 Backwards; and a USB 2.0 model all available immediately priced from $134.99 from Other World Computing. In addition to the newest models, Mercury On-The-Go Pro models are available with up to 1.0TB in 5400RPM models and also available with Solid State...
FxFactory Slideshow Plug-in CoverFlux 2 released
Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the post-production and broadcast markets, says FxFactory development partner, idustrial revolution, has released a major update to its "freebie" slideshow generator, CoverFlux.
The new CoverFlux 2 is completely re-written, bringing faster rendering and over 10 unique features to its "iTunes-style" image browsing effects. Powered by FxFactory, CoverFlux 2 is free for users of Apple Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, Motion and After Effects.
CoverFlux 2 is completely free, with no watermark when registered. With 10+ new features, users can now select the depth of the stack, the number, the angle, the depth of field of the display, add round corners, soft edges, travelling gloss to highlight edges, and more.
Users can load, reorder and rename the files using the built in file browser. It has an option to choose the auto-animation feature or manual keyframe control to jump forward or backwards to any image in the stack. CoverFlux 2...
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga ships Nov. 12
Feral Interactive says LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga will ship to stores on Friday, Nov. 12, bringing the videogame franchise to the Mac for the very first time.
Developed by TT Games and LucasArts, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga uses LEGO bricks to recreate the scenes, characters and settings from all six Star Wars movies in a universe packed with 36 levels of action and humor. As characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2, players live out the scenes from the movies -- while building objects out of LEGO bricks and knocking them down, and collecting LEGO studs to unlock new characters and content. The game will also feature enhanced multiplayer co-op abilities that allow a second player to join the fun, dropping in at any time to help the first player complete missions or master tricky tasks.
The game will retail in North America for US$39.95. It’ll be available through retailers and online download services. It’s currently available to pre-order from...
Dragon Stop Motion for Mac OS X roars to version 2.3
D-Zed Software has released Dragon Stop Motion 2.3 (http://www.dragonstopmotion.com/), an update to their professional stop motion animation software for Mac OS X and Windows. The upgrade includes a variety of new features that expand on the application's support for monitoring, exporting, composing, animating, automating lighting, and automating 3D shooting.
Designed specifically to meet the needs of feature film, commercial, broadcast television and independent film, Dragon Stop Motion controls digital still and HD cameras for shooting single frame animation and effects.
The Auxiliary Monitor feature allows the user to send the main view to a second monitor (video village). The Image Sequence Export provides flexibility in choosing image formats for frame export, as well as customized naming, etc. Advanced Composition Guides emulate ground-glass with single-screen setup.
Punch-In for Animation gives animators using Canon or Nikon live view magnification the ability to punch-in...
Brosix Business instant messenger updates its free trial program
D-Bross has updated its free trial program for Brosix 3 (http://www.brosix.com/), the newest version of the instant messenger software, now available for Mac and Linux systems. It provides instant messaging combined with collaboration tools such as file transfer, voice chat, video chat, whiteboard, screenshot and co-browse.
"In the initial versions of Brosix, it was available for Windows users only. Brosix recognized a need from its customers for more system options so they wouldn't have to worry about whether or not their computer could use Brosix," Stefan Chekanov, owner of Brosix, says.
Besides using Brosix on almost any computer, it can also be placed on a zip drive and loaded remotely so installation isn't required. Brosix specialized in providing free and paid enterprise instant messaging solutions for companies and individuals that wish to communicate with their co-workers, clients, and family on a secure, encrypted network.
A demo is available for download. Brosix for...
iHub Basic updated with iOS 4.2 compatibility
Nova media (http://www.novamedia.de) has updated iHub Basic for Mac OS X to version 1.0.3, a free upgrade for registered usres. The US$29.95 software syncs contacts and calendars automatically and wirelessly between Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod touches in any local network.
Version 1.0.3 adds compatibility with iOS 4.2. It also fixes some minor bugs when working with address book groups and large amounts of data.
The software installs on a Mac and shares selected calendars, contacts and address book groups. Other Macs and iOS devices on the same network can access and edit any shared data. iHub Basic doesn't require any additional client software as it uses the open standards CalDAV and CardDAV which are supported by default by Mac OS X and iOS.
"Thanks to iHub Basic, there is no need to store sensitive on any far-away cloud service," says Jan Fuellemann, spokesperson of nova media. "In addition, the user does not have to use a cable and run iTunes just to add an appointment in the...
USB Fever releases HDMI Dongle for iOS devices
USB Fever has released the HDMI Dongle (http://www.usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=2076 ) for the iPad, iPhone 4 and fourth generation iPod touch.
The US$69.99 dongle lets you transmit the video and audio on your iOS device to an HDTV or HDMI AV device. It's plug and play. No external power supply is required, and you don't have to jailbreak your Apple device.
Courier for Mac OS X adds MobileMe
Realmac has updated Courier (http://www.realmacsoftware.com/courier/), a tool that allows you to share files, images, photos, movies and more with online services such as Flickr and Facebook, to version 1.1. The upgrade adds support for MobileMe.
To use Courier, you create an Envelope, drag on the stamp icons for the services you want to send files to; then just drag and drop on the files you want to deliver. The stamp icons are for seven built-in plug-ins for file sharing with Amazon S3, Ember, Flickr, Facebook, FTP / SFTP, Vimeo and YouTube.
Once everything's been uploaded, Courier ensures links to the published files are ready for use. Realmac keeps the history of all uploads so you can retrieve links to each file.
Courier is an US19.95 (for a limited time) tool. Version 1.1 is a free update for registered users. Courier requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher and a 64-bit Mac.
Verbatim releases Store 'n Go USB drive
Verbatim (http://www.verbatim.com) has released the Store ‘n’ Go Clip-it USB drive, which lets you combine digital and hardcopy files. The US$19.99, paperclip-like device simply snaps onto documents, folders and envelopes like a paperclip.
It's available in 4GB capacity and comes in five colors: pink, green, blue, orange and black. The new device is exceptionally lightweight, adding no additional postage cost when sent along with paper documents in the mail, says Mark Rogers, Verbatim product manager, Flash. The Store ‘n’ Go Clip-it USB drive will be available beginning in December.
Stairways Software releases Switcher Maestro 1.0 for the Mac
Stairways Software has released Switcher Maestro 1.0 (https://sites.fastspring.com/stairways/instant/switchermaestro), a new utility for launching applications on the Mac. It takes the window and application switching features of Keyboard Maestro and adds a new app launcher.
At the recent "Back to the Mac" event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave a glimpse of Launchpad, which will eventually bring the iPhone/iPad home screens to the Mac so people "don't have to go hunting around for their apps." However, the folks at Stairways Solutions say that organizing applications on the iPhone has never seemed like much fun to us, so they've got their own solution -- press a hot key, type a few characters of the application name, press return and your application launches.
You can see a video of Switcher Maestro at http://files.stairways.com/movies/switchermaestro/launch.mov. The utility requires Mac OS X 10.5 or greater and is native PowerPC, Intel and Intel 64-bit.
Switcher Maestro is licensed on a...
SOHO Organizer now supports new MobileMe calendars
Chronos (http://www.chronosnet.com) has released SOHO Organizer 8.5, an upgrade to their personal/business productivity suite. The new version adds support for Apple's new MobileMe calendars.
"Apple recently rewrote their MobileMe calendars so that they're based on CalDAV (an industry standard for calendars)," says Robert McCullough, vice president of Development at Chronos. "SOHO Organizer 8.5 can now access these new MobileMe calendars directly without syncing via Apple's Sync Services technology. Our customers will be thrilled as this has been a heavily requested feature."
SOHO Organizer is a productivity suite consisting of three applications that work together: SOHO Organizer, SOHO Notes, and SOHO Print Essentials. SOHO Organizer helps users increase their productivity by managing their tasks, calendars, contacts, and notes.
A fully functional 30 day trial version can be downloaded from Chronos' web site. SOHO Organizer costs US$99.99. A family pack is also available for $179.99...
Raidon launches new USB 3.0 disk array storage devices
Raidon (http:/www.raidon.com.tw) has released new one to four bay, USB 3.0 disk array storage devices. (Just remember that Apple isn't officially supporting USB 3.0 at this time, so the devices will run at USB 2.0 speeds on Macs.)
However, Raidon has also released two types of USB3.0 PCI Express Cards to both desktop and notebook users for external storage expansion. They will apparently work with MacBook Pros and Mac Pros.
Adobe Audition for the Mac available in public beta
Adobe Audition for the Mac, an all-in-one professional audio toolset for recording, mixing, editing and mastering, is now available in public beta. You can obtain it at http://www.adobe.com/go/audition_labs .
A de-hummer and de-esser will be new features when Audition for Mac is released. Additionally, a volume leveler will be new when Audition for Mac is released, though it is currently included in Soundbooth.
Jason Levine, Adobe Audition senior worldwide evangelist, told "Mac News" that Audition is the "most commonly encountered computer software" encountered in radio stations and that a Mac version has been requested for over 10 years.
"There's always been a hole in the Mac platform for audio editing and mastering tool. The Mac version of Audition will be all-new, not just a PC port," he says. "It's targeted to broadcast and post-production environments and emphasizes speed and processing. Also, its files will integrate with Adobe Creative Suite 5."
Just remember that beta...
Adobe updates Open Source Media Framework
Adobe has released an update to Open Source Media Framework (OSMF), an open framework for building custom media players.
OSMF was developed to help streamline media player development by allowing developers to assemble pluggable components to create high-quality, full-featured playback experiences. Version 1.5 supports all of the Multicast features recently launched Flash Media Server 4, including: native IP Multicast; Application level Multicast (peer to peer) and Multicast Fusion
OSMF 1.5 also supports stream reconnect so that if a network connection is lost, it will seamlessly switch to another available network. OSMF 1.5 can be downloaded for free at http://www.osmf.org .
Apple to open two new retail stores Nov. 13
Apple is set to open two new retail stores on Saturday, Nov. 13.
Apple Store University Park Mall is located at 6501 North Grape Road, Mishawaka, Indiana 46545. Apple Store Summit Mall is located at 3265 West Market Street in Akron, Ohio 44333. Both will open to the public at 10 am (Eastern) on Nov. 13.
Monotype Imaging introduces the Harmonia Sans Family
Monotype Imaging Holdings, a provider of text imaging solutions, has added the Harmonia Sans family to the Monotype typeface collection. The suite features 17 fonts that can be licensed and downloaded from the company’s Fonts.com, Linotype.com and ITCFonts.com stores.
Harmonia Sans is also available for web site design from Fonts.com Web Fonts. Designed by Jim Wasco in collaboration with George Ryan, both of Monotype Imaging, it combines calligraphic proportions with geometric letterforms inspired by sans serif typefaces such as the Futura and ITC Avant Garde Gothic designs.
Harmonia Sans includes five weights that range from light to black. Each has a cursive italic counterpart. Condensed designs are available for the regular, semi-bold and bold weights, in addition to four monospaced designs. All 17 Harmonia Sans fonts are available as OpenType Pro selections, which allow for the automatic insertion of old style figures, arbitrary fractions, tablular figures, proportional figures...
iWork '11 waiting for launch of Mac App Store?
"AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) says iWork '11 is ready to go and is simply waiting for Apple to launch the Mac App Store.
Introduced at October's "Back to the Mac" event, the Mac App Store will be built into Mac OS X Lion, when it prowls in 2011. However, Apple is releasing a version for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard") before year's end.
Craig Federighi, vice president of engineering for OS X, demoed Lion at the Back to the Mac event. 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.
App updates are delivered directly through the Mac App Store, so it’s easy to keep all of your apps up to date. The Mac App Store will be available for Snow Leopard within 90 days and will be included in Lion when it ships next summer.
Quoting "people familiar with the matter," "...
DxO Optics updated to version 6.5
DxO Labs (http://www.dxo.com) has released the latest version of its image enhancement software for photographers: DxO Optics Pro 6.5. Along with providing photographers with high dynamic range (HDR) capability from a single RAW image, version 6.5 improves accessibility and productivity.
DxO Optics Pro 6.5 and upgrades for both Mac OS X (10.5 and higher) and Windows will be offered at a 30% holiday season discount through Dec. 25. Here's a list of what's new in version 6.5:
° HDR rendering from single RAW shots to reveal the full dynamic range of high contrast scenes without the need for bracketing;
° Improved RAW conversion engine for automatic processing and productivity at any ISO ranging from 100 to 100,000;
° Integration of Lightroom 3 support;
° Numerous interface improvements, including a new large preview window for detailed inspection of images before adding them a project;
° Support for new cameras.
DxO Optics Pro v6.5 for Mac and Windows, Standard and Elite editions, are...
ExactScan Pro update sports more OCR languages, more
ExactCode has updated its ExactScan Pro (http://www.exactcode.de/site/products/exactscan/) scanning software for Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) to version 2.12.1. The upgrade 11 sports new OCR languages, improved barcode recognition as well as several improved user interface localizations.
ExactScan includes built-in drivers for over 180 document scanners, including devices from Avision, Kodak, Oki, Visioneer and Xerox. Together with the Spotlight indexing services built into Mac OS X since 10.5 ("Leopard") this features form a document management solution suitable for small-office and home-office (SOHO) environments. What's more it has image enhancement algorithms that can recognize automatically how the images and documents have to be cropped and de-skewed.
ExactScan comes with support for many languages (English, Dutch, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Simplified-Chinese, Traditional-Chinese) and works with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. The pro version of the software costs...
Jobs: hardly anyone was buying the Xserve
French site "MacGeneration" is reporting (http://www.macgeneration.com/news/voir/175852/xserve-pour-ainsi-dire-per...) that one of its readers emailed Apple CEO Steve Jobs to inquire about the reasons behind the decision to discontinue the Xserve rackmount server.
Jobs reportedly sent one of his succinct replies from his iPhone. He simply said, "Hardly anyone was buying them."
Apple will continue to sell its rack-mount server product through Jan. 31, 2011, and will continue to honor warranties and support contracts. Apple has posted a Xserve Transition Guide (http://images.apple.com/xserve/pdf/L422277A_Xserve_Guide.pdf).
Every Xserve ships with an unlimited client edition of Leopard Server, offering support for Mac, Linux and Windows clients without the added cost of client-access licenses. Leopard Server sports Server Assistant and Server Preferences, which allow even nontechnical users to quickly manage users and groups on the server and easily set up key services, according to...
.Mac HomePage ends today
On July 7, 2009, the .Mac HomePage web application was discontinued by Apple. Now the company is discontinuing HomePage viewing as of Nov. 8 (that's today).
As of July 7, MobileMe users were no longer be able to create new pages or edit existing pages using HomePage. HomePage was the web site creation tool in Apple's US$99-per-year .Mac suite of Internet services (formerly .Mac, now MobileMe).
Last month Apple sent a letter to MobileMe subscribers that read:
"Over a year ago, we retired the .Mac HomePage application for publishing new pages, but allowed previously published pages to remain viewable on the web. On November 8, 2010, we will discontinue online viewing of photos, movies, and files shared using .Mac HomePage.
"Please note that your content will not be deleted. Any photos, movies, or files you have published using HomePage will continue to remain on your MobileMe iDisk in the Movies, Pictures, or Public folders. We recommend MobileMe Gallery as a great way to share photos...
Melbourne docs to get iPads
A re-elected Victorian government in Melbourne, Victoria, would employ an extra 2,800 doctors, nurses and other health professionals to treat hundreds of thousands more patients under a $1.5 billion health package, as well as provide an iPad for every doctor working in a public hospital, reports "The Age" (http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-election-2010/record-investment-...).
The article says the package would cover: the recruitment of 2,800 front-line health professionals over the next two years; $618 million to treat an extra 315,000 emergency patients; and $344 million to ensure more than 620,000 people get the elective surgery they need. It also includes $340 million for specialist services, like chemotherapy and intensive care; $36 million to provide dental care for more than 70,000 extra patients; and $33 million to create new doctor-training posts, half of which will be in the bush.
Imposition Wizard 1.8 released for Mac OS X
Applications for Life Company has released Imposition Wizard 1.8 (http://www.impositionwizard.com), an update to their professional level, standalone imposition software for Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
As a standalone application, Imposition Wizard doesn't require any third-party software, it just reads and writes PDF files. Version 1.8 sports several small improvements, and features a two-up preview mode, reads bleed and trim data from source files, as well as allows to rotate sheets and define their default parameters.
Imposition Wizard supports all main imposition schemes: Booklet, N-Up, Step & Repeat, Cut Stack. It allows to reorder pages of source documents, supports custom crops and bleeds of source pages, allows to define padding for sheets and trim the unused space. Imposition Wizard supports creeps for booklets, it performs saddle stitched and perfect binded impositions and much more. This software can solve most imposition tasks and can be controlled using AppleScript.
One...
PDF Checkpoint gets maintenance update
Zevrix (http://www.zevrix.com) has updated PDF Checkpoint, an automated PDF preflighting and conversion solution, to version 1.2.1. It's a maintenance update.
PDF Checkpoint lets users review and analyze preflight results. The program is equally suitable to process hundreds of files as well as single PDF documents.
PDF Checkpoint checks fonts, colors, images and metadata of multiple PDF files and lets users instantly identify potential problems according to user-defined preflight profiles. Preflight profiles let users check PDF for specific attributes, such as image resolution, color model, PDF/X compliance and others. PDF Checkpoint can also route PDF into success/error folders according to preflight results and generate preflight report for each file.
With PDF Checkpoint, you can export PDF pages into TIFF, JPEG and other formats as RGB, CMYK or Grayscale images. You can specify image resolution and scale. You can also split multipage files into single page PDF documents. Users...
Rutgers Mini MBA program provides students with iPads
The Rutgers Mini MBA Program (http://www.cmd.rutgers.edu/index.html?utm_source=BW&utm_medium=pr&utm_co...) is offering an accelerated Social Media Marketing Course from Dec. 6-10, on the Piscataway, New Jersey campus. All of the students enrolling in the course will receive iPads.
This Social Media Certificate Program has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Labor for workforce training grants. Funding may be available for those receiving unemployment benefits. iPads will be an integral part of the 10-session Rutgers Mini MBA Program, which provides new career skills in a field that is defined by social media technology and change, says Eric Greenberg, the Faculty Chair of the Mini-MBA: Social Media Program at the Center for Management Development (CMD).
The cost of the Social Media Certificate Program is US$4,995, which includes all instructional materials on a pre-loaded iPad and fees. The Rutgers Mini MBA Program may qualify for corporate tuition reimbursement....
Toshiba introduces blade-type SSD modules
Toshiba has announced the Blade X-gale SSD series, a new form factor in high capacity, high performance solid-state storage. Available now, the new drives are offered in capacities of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, with a maximum sequential read speed of 220MB per second and a maximum sequential write speed of 180MB/s.
They's designed for for integration into space-sensitive products, including tablet computers, laptops, mini-mobile and netbook computers. As mobile devices get smaller and lighter, yet even more feature packed than ever, the SSDs inside them -- the heart of storing all of the music and other entertainment data -- must be even smaller, and much thinner.
Scott Nelson, vice president, Memory Business Unit, Toshiba America Electronic Components, says Toshiba's new 64GB and 128GB Blade X-gale SSDs are the thinnest available within the company's comprehensive portfolio of SSD solutions. At a thickness of 2.2mm, the modules are 42% thinner than that of a typical mSATA SSD, and...
Mac Marshal advances to version 2.0
ATC-NY has just released two new versions of Mac Marshal (http://www.macmarshal.com) to fight cyber crime. Mac Marshal 2.0 automates the forensics process for a cyber investigator.
It scans a Macintosh disk, automatically detects and displays Mac and Windows operating systems and virtual machine images, then runs a number of analysis tools to extract Mac OS X-specific forensic evidence written by the OS and common applications.
Mac Marshal Forensic Edition runs on an investigator's Mac workstation to analyze a disk image. Mac Marshal Field Edition runs on a Mac target machine from a USB drive. It extracts volatile system state data, including a snapshot of physical RAM. The Field Edition also analyzes disk-based data, with the same capabilities as the Forensic Edition.
Highlights of the new features available in Mac Marshal 2.0 include:
° Streamlined analysis, including Spotlight searches, on E01-format disk images.
° New analysis tools including system configuration analysis and...
Apple is e-reader manufacturer most likely to impact publishing...
Publisher members of the Audit Bureau of Circulations and ABC Interactive are implementing plans for harnessing the mobile market’s potential and focusing on strategies that increase revenue from the distribution channel. And they've found that Apple currently leads the pack of manufacturers offering e-reader and tablet devices, but some concerns may drive publishers to other devices.
Eighty-six percent of respondents said that Apple is the e-reader manufacturer most likely to impact the publishing market. However, only 11% of survey respondents said they were satisfied with the analytics and subscriber data they receive from Apple. Only 19% said they were content with Apple’s app business model.
According to the new survey from ABC and ABCi, “Going Mobile: How Publishers Are Solidifying Strategies and Adapting to the Mobile Market" (http://www.accessabc.com/press/press110410.htm), publishers see digital distribution of their publication as an increasingly important element of their...
iZotope announces Nectar vocal suite
iZotop has announced Nectar (http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/nectar), a new plug–in that includes a complete vocal processing toolkit and is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 and higher. It offers dozens of professionally designed vocal production styles powered by 11 processing modules.
Users will select an included style and then customize it with faders tailored to that style. For further customization of their vocal sound, users can switch to the Advanced View and access all of the controls of the underlying modules that power the plug-in, says Hart Shafer, Vice President of Product Management for iZotope.
Nectar includes Pitch Correction, Breath Control, Compressors, DeEsser, Doubler, Saturation, EQ, Gate, Limiter, Delay, and Reverb modules. Breath Control offers users a target mode, which allows them specify the desired level of breaths detected in the track. Pitch Correction includes both auto and graphical pitch editing controls.
iZotope Nectar is designed for audio...
Bank of America, Citigroup eyeing the iPhone
Bank of America and Citigroup are considering whether to let employees use an iPhone as an alternative to Research In Motion.’s BlackBerry for corporate e-mail, reports "Bloomberg Businessweek" (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-05/bank-of-america-citigroup-sa...), quoting " three people familiar with the plans."
The banks are testing software for the iPhone that’s designed to make it secure enough for company messages, said the people, who didn’t want to be named because the plans aren’t public. The tests are the latest sign that RIM may be losing its tight grip on the corporate smartphone market, says "Bloomberg Businessweek."
Apple introduces Mac Pro Server configuration
After announcing that the Xserve is being at the start of 2010, Apple has quietly introduced a new server configuration option for the Mac Pro. The configuration starts at US$2,999.
The new Mac Pro Server configuration includes a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Xeon processor, 8GB of RAM, two 1TB hard drives, an ATI Radeon HD 5770 video card with 1GB of RAM, and Mac OS X Server with an unlimited client license. Build-to-order options offer up to two 2.93GHz six-core Xeons, as well as up to 8TB of storage across all four drive bays. Also optional are Fiber Channel, hardware RAID cards and Xsan 2.
UA becomes RTAS developer for Avid Pro Tools
Universal Audio (http://www.uaudio.com) has announced that it's an Avid RTAS developer, and that the UAD-2 platform is now compatible with Avid’s family of Pro Tools music creation and audio production solutions.
While a significant percentage of the 40,000 UAD Powered Plug-In users worldwide are already using Pro Tools solutions, with this agreement, these users will be assured of an improved workflow in the future, says Universal Audio Inc founder and Chairman Bill Putnam Jr.
He says that, in particular, by combining the new Pro Tools|HD Native PCIe card and UAD-2 DSP Accelerator PCIe cards, Pro Tools|HD Native users can have the best of both worlds: an industry leading digital editing and mixing platform working on the power of the host CPU, and a library of classic analog emulation plug-ins developed in partnership with Neve, Manley, Roland, Empirical Labs, Fairchild, Pultec, Teletronix, dbx, Studer, Lexicon and more.
Launch2net Premium update improves stability, more
Nova media has updated launch2net Premium (http://www.novamedia.de) its 3G connection manager with the ability to share your Mac's 3G connection with iPads and other devices. Version 2.1 improves stability, adds better support for VPN and Prepaid connections.
Launch2net Premium can replace different connection managers from network operators and modem manufacturers, making a mobile online experience much more enjoyable, says Jan Fuellemann, PR spokesperson at nova media. Using the integrated Mobile Hub, the 3G connection can instantly be shared with iPads, iPod touches and other WLAN capable devices, he adds. Besides the ability to establish a 3G connection with most modems and most network operators, launch2net Premium offers a full fledged SMS text message manager as well as a statistics.
Launch2net Premium 2.1 is available today for download at nova media's web site. It's a free update for current users. For new users a single license of launch2net Premium is priced at...
Another Foxconn worker commits suicide
Another worker has committed suicide at the south China manufacturing complex of iPhone maker Foxconn International Holdings, whose clients include Apple, HP and Sony, reports "Reuters" (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A41M920101105?utm_source=feedburn...).
It's the latest in a string of employees who have jumped to their deaths this year. The employee "fell to death" early on Friday at one of Foxconn's manufacturing facilities in the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Shenzhen, Xinhua News Agency reported.
"The death was confirmed by the municipal government. No further information was immediately available," Xinhua said.
Say goodbye to Xserve
Apple will discontinue its Xserve rack-mount server in January. Why? “Since its introduction in the fall of 2009, Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server has become Apple’s most popular server system," the company says.
Apple will continue to sell its rack-mount server product through Jan. 31, 2011, and will continue to honor warranties and support contracts. Apple has posted a Xserve Transition Guide (http://images.apple.com/xserve/pdf/L422277A_Xserve_Guide.pdf).
Every Xserve ships with an unlimited client edition of Leopard Server, offering support for Mac, Linux and Windows clients without the added cost of client-access licenses. Leopard Server sports Server Assistant and Server Preferences, which allow even nontechnical users to quickly manage users and groups on the server and easily set up key services, according to David Moody, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Mac Product Marketing.
Leopard Server includes Podcast Producer, a way to automatically publish podcasts to iTunes or...
Apicorn introduces 750GB Aegis Padlock Drive
The Apricorn Aegis Padlock drive is now available in 750GB, 500GB, and 250GB capacities. It uses a physical numeric keypad instead of a biometric reader or software to give you access to the drive's storage.
The benefits of the keypad are that you can use the drive on any computer, plus you can share the drive with a group via the PIN number. You can also set the drive with guest PINs for flexibility, though this requires an installable utility.
The Aegis Padlock has security features including either 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption, military grade FIPS PUB 197 validated encryption on the 256-bit model, a wear resistant keyboard, Apricorn's Variable Time Circuit (VTC) technology, and Apricorn's "brute force, self destruct" feature.
The Aegis Padlock starts at US$89 for the 128-bit encrypted 250GB drive, all the way up to $199 for the 256-bit milspec model 750GB drive. The drives are available now from resellers in the U.S., Canada, and online at http://www.apricorn.com .
Playback sports more aggressive service discovery
Yazsoft has introduced Playback Media Server 1.7.1 (http://www.yazsoft.com/products/playback/information/), an update of their zero configuration media server for Mac OS X 10.5 and higher. The upgrade sports a more aggressive service discovery. Also, iTunes movies are now sorted properly.
Playback can share media stored in folders or even make entire disks available to a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. No configuration is required. By default, it will share almost any content on the users system. And Playback automatically integrates with iTunes, iPhoto, and Aperture. Users can share all content from these applications transparently or choose specific playlists and albums.
Those who like to tinker will appreciate Playback's built-in Access Control List (ACL) and bandwidth throttling. The ACL allows users to control which devices have access to their media. Bandwidth throttling limits the transfer rate from the computer to their UPnP device. This allows others on the network to do other...
Softpress offers discounted Pixelmator as a companion product
Following the release of Freeway 5.5, the upgrade to its family of web design tools, Softpress (http://www.softpress.com) has announced a special deal on a companion application, Pixelmator.
"Freeway 5.5 has been a great success, with rave reviews and lots of excitement from our users," Softpress Managing Director Richard Logan says. "As a 'thank you' for our supporters, we have arranged to add Pixelmator 1.6.2 to our list of deeply discounted companion products. Alongside Intaglio and Easy Web Animator, Pixelmator will make it a real joy to create modern leading-edge websites, reliable email newsletters and stunning presentations within Freeway. Both professional and novice users will benefit from the innovative and powerful features of these applications for the creation of stylish, dynamic and standards-compliant output. Thanks to all and Enjoy!"
Award-winning Pixelmator from the Pixelmator Team will be offered exclusively to registered Freeway owners at US$39, nearly 35% off its...
Soundboard update adds Soundpipe technology, more
Ambrosia Software has updated Soundboard (http://www.ambrosiasw.com/dl/soundboard) for Mac OS X to version 2.0. Like cart machines in broadcast radio studios, Soundboard lets users map sound effects, audio clips, or musical accompaniment to keys on the Mac keyboard, triggered with a single tap.
The new 2.0.0 version features major functionality upgrades, such as our new Soundpipe technology, which allows users to route audio to other applications (such as GarageBand) for recording. Other features include a totally redesigned one-window user interface, with improvements such as per-effect fader controls, Duck and Pause All controls, and more.
Soundboard’s 32 triggers can also be used to build custom mashups from your onboard audio. You can create intros and fades, crop at will, and apply filters to your audio without fear of losing your original file.
You can control Soundboard via any MIDI device, and MIDI effects such as panning and gain are automatically applied to Soundboard's...
