Adobe, Microsoft teaming up to take on Apple?
Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer and his entourage held a secret meeting with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. Among the topics: taking on Apple, according to the "The New York Times" (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/microsoft-and-adobe-chiefs-meet...), quoting "employees and consultants to the companies who were involved in the discussions that took place or familiar with their organization."
The meeting, which lasted over an hour, covered a number of topics, but one of the main thrusts of the discussion was Apple and its control of the mobile phone market and how the two companies could partner in the battle against Apple, the article adds. A possible acquisition of Adobe by Microsoft were among the options.
Logitech releases Speaker Lapdesk N550
Logitech (http://www.logitech.com) has unveiled the US$59.95 Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550, a lapdesk that the company says creates a theater-like entertainment experience around the home. A follow-on to the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700, which is designed for laptops up to 16-inches, the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 is for laptops that are 14.1-inches or smaller.
The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 features integrated stereo speakers that sit on either side of your laptop. The lapdesk’s 4-layer, heat-shielding design, combined with the soft, air-mesh fabric, helps make laptop use more comfortable, according to Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for laptop accessories.
The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550’s angled base raises your laptop screen to a comfortable viewing position, and integrated foldable bumpers on the lapdesk surface help keep your computer in place, he adds. There’s no software to install; you simply plug a single cable into your laptop's USB port to...
OWC developing enterprise class PCIe solid state drive solutions
Other World Computing (http://www.macsales.com) has begun developing OWC Mercury Extreme Pro Enterprise PCIe Solid State Drive (SSD) Solutions that will feature the SandForce SF-2000 second generation processor announced today and being demonstrated by SandForce at Storage Networking World next week.
OWC’s 8x and 16x PCIe SSD cards will be available with up to eight SSDs for capacities up to 3.2TB, offer up to 4GB/s sequential Reads/Writes and up to 480K IOPS, provide 28% over provisioning for data reliability, and double data encryption for security assurance. Exact pricing and model configurations for the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro Enterprise PCIe Solid State Drive (SSD) cards will be announced in early 2011.
AirRadar network scanner gets overhauled interface, more
Koingo Software has introduced AirRadar 2.0 (http://www.koingosw.com/products/airradar.php), an update of its free Mac OS X software that allows users to scan for wireless networks in range of their computer, compile favorite and filter lists, and view detailed network information. You can also use it to automatically join the best open network.
Version 2.0 features an overhauled user interface and some new features. One of the highlights is Assistant, which scans the local area and reports back with the WiFi channels that are in use and which ones would be ideal for creating a new network. Channels are ranked based on the number of networks sharing them, and the noise level.
Also new in this version also is the ability to create Smart Collections. These are much like Spotlight saved searches in the Finder of Mac OS X. You specify a criteria to match, and networks which meet that criteria are automatically listed when they are found. Create a Smart Collection to only list all open...
Karelia iMedia browser revved to version 1.2.3
Karelia Software has updated its free iMedia Browser (http://www.karelia.com/imedia/), an utility to add the familiar "media browser" experience to just about any Mac application, to version 1.2.3. It fixes a few other issues, especially with how the application handles updating itself if you choose to access the iMedia window via a small icon in the menu bar rather than the dock.
Built from the ground up to resemble the media browser found in several Apple applications, the Karelia iMedia Browser is a stand-alone utility that can be used to access a user's library of photos, sounds, movies, or bookmarks.
The Karelia iMedia Browser allows users to browse their libraries of photos (iPhoto, Aperture, and Pictures folders); music (iTunes library, GarageBand songs, and Music folders); movies (from iTunes, iPhoto, and Movies folders), and bookmarks (from several leading web browsers). It can be activated either from the dock or from a small icon in the menu bar.
The Karelia iMedia Browser...
JPMorgan analyst raises Apple target price to $400
"Bullish, but not banking on the Verizon iPhone," JPMorgan has upped Apple's price target to US$400 Thursday, reports "TheStreet" (http://macosg.me/2/xq).
JPMorgan analyst Mark Moskowitz told clients that the Verizon iPhone -- if and when it arrives -- will boost Apple's earnings 11% annually, or $2 a share. But Moskowitz isn't basing his financial projections or his $400 price target on the possibility of the iPhone going to Verizon, but on current iPhone and iPad sales.
Apple to settle alleged stock-option backdating lawsuit
Apple has agreed to settle a securities class-action lawsuit related to alleged stock-option backdating for US$16.5 million, the New York City Employees’ Retirement System said Wednesday -- as reported by "MarketWatch" (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-settles-backdating-suit-with-nyce...).
NYCERS initially filed suit as lead plaintiff against Apple almost four years ago, alleging that the consumer-electronics maker improperly backdated stock options for employees between 2001 and 2006. In a statement Wednesday, New York City Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo said the settlement with Apple includes $14 million to be distributed to shareholders, “along with the establishment of key corporate-governance reforms at the company.”
For example, Apple has agreed to take a closer look at so-called clawback provisions for executive-compensation grants, and to amend its insider-trading policy to “provide enhanced compliance requirements,” Cardozo said.
"MarketWatch" says Apple also has...
Autodesk expands SketchBook product line
Autodesk has announced a series of updates that provide a new look and feel to the Autodesk SketchBook product line, spanning both the desktop and apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
“The latest releases mark an important step forward, offering a complete suite of sketching and illustration products that address a more complete spectrum of form factors and capabilities," says Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president of the Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk.
Autodesk SketchBook Pro 2011 sports a new user interface and toolbar designed to provide more intuitive access to key SketchBook Pro tools, together with enhanced brushes that enable users to more easily switch between drawing modes for lines, rectangles, circles, along with more extensive customization.
Autodesk SketchBook Designer 2011 illustration software joins the SketchBook product line. Formerly known as Autodesk Alias Sketch, Autodesk SketchBook Designer provides professional designers and artists from all...
Report: flood of iOS, Android devices revolutionizing enterprise...
Good Technology, which specializes in multiplatform enterprise mobility, has released its first quarterly data report detailing how the rapid adoption of Apple's iOS and Google's Android devices is revolutionizing enterprise mobility marked by a fundamental shift to device choice, multiplatform support, and the rapid adoption of tablets.
The "Good Technology Device Activation Report for 3rd Quarter 2010," based on data aggregated from thousands of Good's enterprise customers, illustrates this fundamental shift in the mobility industry.
"It's an exciting time in the industry," says John Herrema, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Good Technology. "More than ever, consumers are strongly influencing IT decision makers based on their personal mobility choices. The adoption of Good's by thousands of enterprise to secure and manage these new platforms gives us unique insight into the devices and platforms that enterprise end users are choosing and with our quarterly analytics...
ZooGue releases version 2 of ZooGue iPad Kase
ZooGue (http://www.Zoogue.com) has announced version 2 of their ZooGue iPad Kase for the Apple tablet. Inventor Tim Angel says the new version -- due to ship in mid-October -- boasts the same functionality as its predecessor but uses even better quality materials.
As a fully adjustable iPad case, the ZooGue Kase V2 also features a wider charger port cutout, now 1.5 inches long, to accommodate camera accessories. The shorter lip over the screen and special Velcro design is sharp and practical for all users, says Angel.
Western Digital rolls out new home network drive
Western Digital has introduced its MyBook Live home network drive, which gives users storage of and access to their content among consumer-grade network drives and provides a set-up for centralizing a home's digital media.
The drives present a way to consolidate movies, music, and photos in one location while providing access to digital content from multimedia devices in the connected home. My Book Live home network drive's built-in media server works with any Mac or PC connected to the home network and allows you to stream digital media to a television set through a DLNA-certified multimedia device such as WD TV Live Plus HD media player, Blu-ray Disc player, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 game console. Users can also play music and videos stored on their drive in iTUnes as well as view their digital photos on their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with the swipe of a finger through the included WD Photos app.
Users can also access and share all the content and files stored on the My Book...
SerialMailer for Mac OS X updated to version 7.1
Falkon Ware (http://www.falkonware.com) has updated its SerialMailer bulk email app for Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) to version 7.1. The upgrade shows personalized subject and attachments on the preview screen.
The software helps with sending mass communications to large groups like customers, students, employees, family or friends. The full version of SerialMailer costs US$34.95. The update to version 7.1 is free for everyone who registered an older version of SerialMailer after April 1, 2010. Otherwise it costs $14.95.
Vitamin-R offers Noise Machine integration
Publicspace.net has announced Vitamin-R 1.31 (http://www.publicspace.net/Vitamin-R/index.html), an update of its Mac OS X compatible productivity tool for creative professionals. The new version offers integration with Publicspace's new Noise Machine product, which is free for registered Vitamin-R users.
Vitamin-R is a collection of tools and techniques for managing attention and maintaining motivation. According to the folks at publicspace.net, it complements the task capturing and organizing features of modern to-do list managers by forcing you to concentrate fully on one task a time and keeping distractions at bay. It breaks down large, vaguely defined tasks into a series of short "time slices" of between 10 and 30 minutes, each with specific and actionable objectives.
Vitamin-R provides you with the "Now & Later Board," complete with FastType magic, to give you a place to quickly dump all those things that go through your head and allows to get back to the task at hand. It...
GraphicConverter update improves 1080p scaling
Lemke Software has updated Graphic Converter (http://www.lemkesoft.com/index.html), an image editing tool for Mac OS X, to version 7.0.1. The new version lets you scale to 1080p with and without a border added. Also, Japanese localization has been added.
GraphicConverter converts pictures to different formats and has tools for picture manipulation. With it you can import about 200 graphic file formats and export approximately 80 graphic file formats. It's a Universal Binary product, so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
GraphicConverter costs US$39. Site licenses are also available. It requires Mac OS 10.5 or later. Version 7.0.1 is a free update for registered users of version 7.x.
Mailplane for Mac OS X flies to version 2.2.1
Uncomplex gmbh has released Mailplane 2.2.1 (http://mailplaneapp.com), a new version of the Google Mail client for Mac OS X. The upgrade adds support for two-factor Gmail authentication.
Acting as a site specific web browser for Google's Gmail, Mailplane is a full fledged Mail client for the Desktop. It integrates the Gmail web interface into the Mac experience. It supports multiple Gmail and Google Apps accounts and lets you switch between accounts without the need to sign in/sign out from the Gmail accounts.
With iLife integration, you can browse and attach files from your iPhoto and iTunes libraries. Downloads can be directly imported into iPhoto as well. The integrated screenshot tool lets you take and attach a window, screen or region.
You can drag and drop files and images on the dock application icon, or any Mailplane window to create and upload attachments. With automatic photo optimization, image attachments can be converted and resized to make the message even smaller....
YummySoup for Mac OS X heats up to version 2.0.7
HungrySeacow Software has updated YummySoup (http://www.hungryseacow.com), its recipe management software for Mac OS X, to version 2.0.7. You can now drag and drop images from the image boxes right into your directions. There's also a new Command-Up and Command-Down to create ingredients in the recipe editor.
YummySoup! 2.0.7 sells for US$30, but version 1.x owners can upgrade for $10. Version 2.0.7 is a free update for registered users of version 2.x. A 15-day demo is available at the HungrySeacow Software web site.
YummySoup is a Universal Binary app, so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Judge gives Apple time to dispute patent infringement ruling
A federal judge has postponed his final ruling in the patent infringement lawsuit a Yale professor won against Apple, giving the company more time to dispute an US$625 million penalty, reports "Computerworld" (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9189699/Judge_gives_Apple_tempora...).
In an order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Davis spelled out a schedule that gives Apple and Mirror Worlds until the end of November to submit additional post-trial arguments. Apple is challenging a jury verdict in which the computer maker was ordered to pay as much as US$625.5 million to a company called Mirror Worlds for infringing patents related to how documents are displayed digitally.
Apple was ordered by a jury to pay damages to Mirror Worlds for infringing patents related to how documents are displayed on a computer screen. A federal jury in Tyler, Texas, awarded $208.5 million in damages for each of the patents infringed.
In 2008 Mirror Worlds Technologies, a Texas based...
Analyst: next gen iPad launching soon
In an Oct. 6 research note to clients -- as reported by "Forbes" (http://blogs.forbes.com/elizabethwoyke/2010/10/06/analyst-sees-45-millio...), Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White says that Apple is developing a smaller version of the iPad and suggests that sales numbers of the original iPad could reach 45 million in 2011.
Those estimates are higher than those of other analysts. Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster recently predicted that Apple would ship 21 million units of the iPad in 2011. Apple hasn't revealed sales figures since late June, when it announced that it had sold more than three million iPads during the device’s first 80 days of availability. It is expected to give an update when it reports earnings on Oct. 18, notes "Forbes."
There's been speculation that Apple may roll out a thinner iPad with a built-in camera and mini-USB drive. How much thinner? Seven inches, by several rumors.
'WSJ' says Verizon-compatible iPhone to be mass...
"The Wall Street Journal" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870373580457553619164934757...), citing "people briefed by Apple," says Apple will begin mass producing a new iPhone before the end of 2010 that will allow Verizon Wireless to sell the smartphone early next year.
The new iPhone would be similar in design to the iPhone 4 currently sold by AT&T but would be based on an alternative wireless technology called CDMA used by Verizon, these people said. Current iPhones only work on GSM networks, including that of the iPhone's exclusive U.S. carrier, AT&T Inc.
If it actually happened, this would be the first time Apple has produced a version of the iPhone for a CDMA wireless network, which is different from AT&T's GSM technology. In cellular service there are two main competing network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Both boast "3G" standards, or 3rd generation technologies.
As noted by "...
Motorola sues Apple for patent infringement
Another day, another lawsuit. Motorola says its subsidiary, Motorola Mobility, has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and certain Mac computers infringe Motorola patents. Motorola Mobility also filed patent infringement complaints against Apple in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of Florida.
Overall, Motorola Mobility's three complaints include 18 patents, which the company says relates to early-stage innovations developed by Motorola in technology areas found on many of Apple's core products and associated services, including MobileMe and the Apple App Store. The Motorola patents include wireless communication technologies, such as WCDMA (3G), GPRS, 802.11 and antenna design, and key smartphone technologies including wireless email, proximity sensing, software application management, location-based services and multi-device synchronization.
Motorola Mobility has requested that...
Mariner Software serves up MacGourmet 3.0
Mariner Software has updated MacGourmet Deluxe (http://macgourmet.com/), its recipe and cooking software for Mac OS X, to version 3.0. The new version offers an entirely reworked user interface, as well as significant feature additions and updates which include an all new Recipe Import Assistant, Chef View and Shopping List functionality.
MacGourmet Deluxe 3.0 combines recipe and wine collection with simplified organization. Users will be able to create, edit and share recipes; make wine and cooking notes, and with the new Recipe Import Assistant, import recipes found on the web and expand their collection.
Recipes can be published to a MobileMe account or to a personal Web site and are now easily organized with steps enabling the user to add images, labels and highlighting. The latest version of MacGourmet Deluxe includes 150 hand-picked recipes that can be added to an existing collection, printed or shared in a cookbook.
A new Chef View with speech recognition, Apple Remote...
ComScore: iPhone has 24.2% of US smartphone market
ComScore (http://www.comscore.com), which measures the digital world, has released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending in August.
The report ranked the leading mobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and smartphone operating system (OS) platforms in the U.S. according to their share of current mobile subscribers ages 13 and older, and reviewed the most popular activities and content accessed via the subscriber's primary mobile phone. The August report found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 23.6% market share, while RIM led among smartphone platforms with 37.6% market share.
For the three month average period ending in August, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 23.6% of U.S. mobile subscribers, up 1.2 percentage points from the preceding three month period. LG ranked second...
Apple developing new form factors for iPhones?
Apple is currently working to expand the iPhone line, and may offer larger and smaller models as soon as early 2011, Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu has told clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).
He said his checks with sources in Apple's overseas supply chain have indicated that the company is working on new iPhone models with both larger and smaller touchscreens. Wu thinks the products could launch in 2011, and on new carriers other than the currently exclusive AT&T.
"Our sources believe these likely represent new high-end and low-end iPhone models to complement its current iPhone 4," Wu told investors. "One possibility we are picking up is a "mini" or "nano" iPhone with a smaller candybar form factor leveraging technology in its new mini touchscreen iPod nano."
The analysts thinks the new phones could become available on U.S. carriers other than AT&T, including Verizon, T-Mobile and/or Sprint. When? In early to mid 2011.
Analyst: Apple TVs selling out at retail stores
JMP Research analyst Alex Gauna is telling clients -- as reported by "Barron's" (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/10/06/nice-hobby-apple-tv-...) -- that the new Apple TV is selling out in many of Apples U.S. retail stores. He says his checks find that “the new Apple TV product has continued to sell out in Apple stores across the nation after its launch last week.”
“We were not particularly surprised when we couldn’t get our hands on the Apple TV over this past introductory weekend in San Francisco, but when the scarcity persisted into this week it got us to checking and we subsequently learned that stores across the nation were selling out of their inventory on the same day as receipt in Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C., and online representatives corroborated this strength extends beyond our 20+ store checks," he tells clients.
Gauna believes Apple TV is selling at a pace at least one quarter to one third that of the iPad, or at least one million units a...
Analyst: the Mac to gain from computer, smart phone, tablet...
Apple stands to benefit from the growing overlap of the computer, smart phone and tablet markets, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek told clients Tuesday -- as reported by "Bloomberg Businessweek" (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9ILOK5O2.htm), initiating coverage of Apple's stock with a "Buy" rating.
"We see plenty of more runway for (Apple), including considerable (2011) catalysts and a tablet market that we think is being vastly underestimated by the Street," Misek wrote in a note to investors.
He adds that Apple's cross-platform operating system, its content offerings and app strategy are helping the company continue to gain computer market share. The analyst pointed to huge addressable markets and relatively low penetration so far.
Steve Jobs most admired entrepreneur among teens
When asked which entrepreneur teens admire most, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reigns supreme in the 2010 Junior Achievement Teens and Entrepreneurship survey sponsored by Sam's Club. Nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) named the Apple co-founder as the most admired entrepreneur, down from 35% in the 2009 survey.
Even with Facebook at more than half a billion users, and the recently released movie about its origins, "The Social Network," Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg only received 9% of votes for most admired entrepreneur. Who beat him out? Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling at 17 %, Oprah Winfrey at 14% and music mogul Jay-Z at 13%. Zuckerberg tied with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
So what qualities do these teens admire most in these entrepreneurs? Riches and fame? Those responses earned a mere 10% of teens' votes. Top for teens is making a difference and being successful in multiple fields. Thirty-one percent of teens admire entrepreneurs who make a difference in people's lives and...
CEO: AMD not for sale, but ...
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) isn't for sale; however, the chip maker will listen to interesting proposals, its chief executive said when asked about Oracle's recent interest in the sector, reports "Reuters" (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69525920101006?utm_source=feedburn...).
"AMD is not for sale, but we are happy to listen to any proposal which is in the interest to our shareholders," CEO Dirk Meyer told an industry conference in Barcelona on Wednesday.
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said last month his company is eyeing more acquisitions to bolster its technology and that a microchip company could be a good fit. There have also been rumors that Apple might be interested in purchasing AMD, though I'm dubious about this.
In April there were rumors that Apple and AMD execs are talking about the former using the chips of the latter in upcoming products. Rob Enderle, principal analyst with the Enderle Group, even said there's a slim chance that something more could be in the works....
Live Interior 3D for Mac OS X adds 16 adjustable dormers
BeLight Software (http://www.belightsoft.com) has released Live Interior 3D 2.5, an update to its interior design software for Mac OS X that lets users create house, office and apartment interiors with 3D walk-throughs.
The new version introduces 16 adjustable dormers to the Object Library to help you transform your dusty attic into a well lit livable loft. BeLight also added five new roof templates to the Roof Assistant. The update also enhances the user interface and program performance. Live Interior 3D now has a video tutorial window that lets you watch online training videos right from inside the program interface. The Roof Inspector controls, as well as Google SketchUp and 3DS import have been improved
Live Interior 3D is available in standard (US$49.95) and pro ($129.95) editions. Version 2.5 is a free update for registered users of version 2.x.
Live Interior 3D is Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It works with Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5.
InDesign Image Catalog updated to version 4.0
Chris Paveglio has released ID Image Catalog 4.0. ID Image Catalog (http://chris.paveglio.com/#idimagecatalog), an update of the app that allows users to make InDesign contact sheets or catalogs of images and graphics. An InDesign layout is generated with the image, file information, and optional information the user needs like placement size, full path, as well as a number of layout options.
Users can choose to use any document size preset save within InDesign. Version 4.0 includes a number of new features, bug fixes and performance enhancements. For example, it includes grouping of image and text frames, facing pages pages option, and option to skip page one (to use as a title page), increased text frame size, use of object styles on all frames for easier customization, automatic updates, as well as a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Standard options include number of images per page, and whether to use a document title or to not include the file name under each...
Pixelmator for Mac OS X adds WebP support
The Pixelmator Team (http://www.pixelmator.com) has updated Pixelmator -- a US$59 GPU-powered image editing tool for creating, editing and enhancing still images -- to version 1.6.2. The upgrade, free to registered users, adds support for the new WebP image format.
WebP is an image format developed by Google that can be used on photographic images. Other changes in Pixelmator 1.6.2 also includes minor improvements and several bug fixes.
Pixelmator is based on Core Image and OpenGL technologies that use Mac's video card for image processing. Core Image and OpenGL utilize the graphics card for image processing operations, freeing the CPU for other tasks. If a high-performance card with increased video memory (VRAM) is present, the user will find real-time responsiveness across a wide variety of Pixelmator operations, including editing tools, color correction tools, and filters, according to Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team.
Pixelmator supports more than 100 different file formats...
ooSooMpro is new task management solution
Arten Science has announced ooSooMpro (http://www.oosoom.co.uk/), their cross platform, Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) and Windows task management and encrypted document management solution. According to the folks at Arten Science, the idea behind ooSooMpro is simple: to get on with the job in hand you need to get thoughts of what needs doing and what needs remembering out of your head and safely and securely logged, in a way that means you can find them later when needed.
Supposedly, ooSooMpro doesn't attempt to force a predetermined "methodology" on you, but has a free format allowing you to use it however you like. It's also a secure digital filing system. Drag and drop your PDF files, JPG files, DOC files, etc, into ooSooMpro to file them away quickly.
Tasks and Vault Items and Documents within ooSooMpro can be encrypted. This allows you to use ooSooMpro to store confidential information such as passwords, serial numbers, credit card numbers, bank details, etc. You have the option, on...
White, brown, pink, noise generator released for Mac OS X
Publicspace.net has released Noise Machine 1.0 (http://www.publicspace.net/NoiseMachine/), a white noise and soundscape generator for Mac OS X. The US$9.95 app is designed to help users block out workplace noise and create a more productive work environment to suit individual mood.
Noise Machine can generate white, brown and pink noise. It also features a range of natural and artificial soundscapes to suit different moods. Designed to be as unobtrusive and simple to use as possible, Noise Machine's icon "lives" in the menu bar and is accessible at any time via a click. The menu bar item allows users to choose among a range of sounds, adjust the volume and change the sound output device.
Noise Machine is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 and higher. It's Universal Binary so runs on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
Family, business and enterprise licensing are also available. Customers may chose to include a "forever upgrade" with their purchase. Noise Machine is free for registered users of...
Epson delivers new VS200 projector
Epson America (http://www.epson.com/projectors) has announced the newest high-brightness, low-cost projector in the VS-series. The VS200 provides SVGA resolution and 2,300 lumens of color and white light output(2) for bright presentations and vibrant color in any business setting, at a price point of US$429.
The Epson VS200 offers USB connectivity and "instant setup" for Mac OS X and Windows that instantly displays images on both the projector and computer by connecting a USB cable. And leveraging the latest 3LCD, 3-chip technology, the Epson VS200 delivers amazing, true-to-life color and detail for powerful presentations, says Jason Meyer, product manager, Epson America. 3LCD technology provides a light engine. Also, in contrast to 1-chip DLP technology, 3LCD requires, on average, 25% less electricity per lumen of brightness.
The Epson VS200 offers control features such as Instant On/Off that enables presenters to avoid delays by instantly powering on and off the projector with no...
'MacVoices' looks at taking control of iPhone basics
On the new "MacVoices" (http://www.macvoices.com), Karen Anderson, long an editor of Take Control books, talks about authoring her first title, "Take Control of iPhone Basics, iOS 4 Edition."
She discusses why you can be happy with an iPhone 3GS, especially if you have limited needs, but why the iPhone 4 is still at the top of the heap. No matter which iPhone you select, Anderson helps you get more out of it by reviewing some of the features built in to both the device itself, as well as iTunes that are often overlooked,
including Visual Voicemail and prevention of duplicate app purchases.
Along the way, she touches on HDR photography, using the iPhone 4's flash, the usability of FaceTime, the need for a "data strategy" for media purchasing and data syncing, and offers some unusual app recommendations.
"MacVoices" is an Internet show and podcast that delivers in-depth discussions with the most influential people in the Mac industry, as well as "the individuals who are out there making...
RAIDON launches new one to four bay, USB 3.0, disk array storage...
RAIDON (www.raidon.com.tw/ is releasing the new 3.5-inch, USB 3.0 external storage family. The devices support functions including JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 5.
The USB 3.0 family shares identical HDD tray modules that facilitate HDD installations or replacements. According to the folks at RAIDON, this brings convenience to data exchange from management among storage devices, especially between GT1650 and GT5630 for demands of JBOD function.
What's more, RAIDON has also released two types of USB 3.0 PCI Express cards to both desktop and notebook users for external storage expansions. You can use them in Mac Pros. In fact, this is the only way you can use USB 3.0 at full speed since Macs don't yet offer support for the standard. USB 3.0 devices will run at USB 2.0 speeds on Macs unless you have a Mac Pro with a PCI Express card.
Sony Online bringing Free Realms to the Mac
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), in collaboration with TransGaming, has announced that Free Realms for the Mac is currently in development. Scheduled to release later this fall, Free Realms Mac users will play together in the family-friendly online world with the over 14 million existing registered players on the PC.
“There is no denying the overwhelming player demand for Free Realms on the Mac platform, of which we plan to deliver very soon,” says John Smedley, president of SOE. “For the first time ever, SOE is developing synchronous gameplay for Mac and PC players and we are thrilled to tap into TransGaming’s Mac development expertise to bring this functionality to fruition.”
Free Realms players on the Mac platform will experience consistent controls and functionality and will be integrated on the same game servers as PC players. Mac users will also have full access to the existing Marketplace and community forums.
Free Realms is an online, interactive virtual world that offers...
Remote Buddy update adds iTunes 10 support
Iospirit has updated Remote Buddy (http://www.iospirit.com/remotebuddy), Mac OS X software for controlling Macs remotely, to version 1.16.5. The upgrade adds support for iTunes 10 and Manta TR-1 receivers.
Also, Remote Buddy users running Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard") can now create and control audio, video and screen recordings in QuickTime Player X using their remote control. All drivers included in Remote Buddy now come in versions for 32-bit and 64-bit systems.
Remote Buddy is available for US$30, though version 1.16.5 is a free update for registered users. The software is Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Remote Buddy requires Mac OS X 10.4.6 or higher.
ChronoSync for Mac OS X gets customizable toolbar
Econ Technologies (http://www.econtechnologies.com) has updated ChronoSync to version 4.1.1. The upgrade adds a customizable toolbar.
ChronoSync is an automated synchronization and backup application for Mac OS X. It runs natively on both Power PC and Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. Demos are available for download. For new users ChronoSync costs US$40. As always, all existing ChronoSync users can update for free.
DropDMG for Mac OS X updated to version 3.0.3
DropDMG 3.0 (http://c-command.com/dropdmg/) -- a new version of the tool for creating Mac OS X disk images -- is now available. It's a maintenance upgrade with some bug fixes.
DropDMG works with Mac OS X 10.5 or later. Version 3.x costs US$24; it's a $12 upgrade for registered users of previous versions. Version 3.0.3 is a free upgrade for registered users of version 3.x.
BoinxTV update for Mac OS X adds new templates
Boinx Software has updated BoinxTV, a live‐production software for video podcasters that turns any recent Mac into a TV studio, to version 1.6. The new "Conference Recording" template comes complete with new layers for creating customizable opening credits, placing a source in an area defined by four arbitrary screen points, automatic crawls, sidebar options and an iPhone demo layer complete with iPhone 4 artwork.
The new template simplifies presentation preparation. In addition, the Axis camera layer now supports Mac OS X 10.5.8.
Version 1.6 also features BoinxTV's rendering engine for enhanced performance on multi-core/hyperthreading-based Macs. A fail-safe auto save function ensures that if your system crashes, you will not lose your BoinxTV footage.
BoinxTV uses various inputs like video cameras, microphones, and pre‐recorded material like movies and sound clips. Those inputs can be used in any number of "layers" that can be stacked on top of each other, toggled on and off...
SoniVox ships vocal production synthesizer
SoniVox (http://www.SoniVoxmi.com) has released the first instrument from their new Nemesynth Audio Research Group: Vocalizer, an US$149.99 vocal production synthesizer.
It couples a new technology synthesis engine with an open input based architecture. Vocalizer is one part effect plug-in and one part virtual instrument. Vocalists, non-vocalists and producers feed Vocalizer any audio source, and it re-pitches, effects, and re-synthesizes the original source into a new sound.
Vocalizer also works well with other types of inputs. Drum and percussion tracks fed through Vocalizer result in complex synth lines that perfectly sync to the original dry drum & percussion parts, according to the folks at SoniVox.
IMS Research: will Google TV make Apple TV irrelevant?
Google’s partial unveiling yesterday of its content partners and strategy for Google TV provided insight into the company’s television strategy. According to Paul Erickson, Senior Analyst at IMS Research (http://www.imsresearch.com), the capabilities and product reach of Google TV may make another high-profile over-the-top (OTT) video play, Apple TV, largely irrelevant to consumers over time.
“Apple TV has struggled to capture mainstream consumers," says Erickson. "Now, the product is squeezed between OTT capabilities on game consoles and Blu-ray players, and the search-augmented, integrated television+OTT video experience that Google TV is slated to deliver across TV and set-top box form factors. Google’s strategy to make the Google TV experience compatible with cable, satellite, or terrestrial broadcasts will enable the product to have greater impact than Apple TV. This is also due to broad content support, with Google TV supporting a larger selection of content partners that is...
WD releases new external hard drive product lines
Western Digital (http://www.westerndigital.com) has introduced its new My Passport Essential portable hard drive (pictured), My Passport Essential SE portable hard drive and My Book Essential external hard drive.
All three drive families come in a variety of capacities and offer USB 3.0 connectivity (which will run at USB 2.0 speeds on Macs as they don't support USB 3.0 yet). My Book Essential is now available in a 3TB capacity, in addition to 1TB and 2TB capacities.
My Passport Essential, still WD's smallest portable drive, is available in a 500GB capacity and comes in five colors: Midnight Black, Cool Silver, Real Red, Pacific Blue and Arctic White (Arctic White is only available in the EMEA and APAC regions). My Passport Essential SE portable hard drives are available in 750GB and 1TB capacities and come inblack, silver, metallic blue and metallic red colors. The pocket-sized My Passport portable hard drives are powered directly through the USB cable; no separate power supply is...
EarthCam Control Center 7 app customized for iDevice users
EarthCam (http://www.EarthCam.net) has released the Control Center 7 app for their clients who use the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. It's free at the Apple App Store and allows the user to immediately view and control their public and private video cameras from around the world in real-time over WiFi, 3G and Edge.
For non-EarthCam clients, the app provides an interactive demo of one of their cameras at Ground Zero in New York City. Features include the ability to remotely operate the pan, tilt, zoom controls, access presets and view any archived images from a graphical calendar interface.
Additionally, users are able to utilize the built-in camera on the iPhone to take pictures and videos from project sites and automatically upload them into EarthCam's easy-to-use online system and share share progress and comments with team members. EarthCam clients can also monitor connection speed, solar power status, battery charge, weather data and view the camera's position on Google maps. With...
iPhone interest among high schoolers at an all-time high
Interest in the iPhone among high schoolers is up sharply since the launch of the iPhone 4 to a new all-time high, according to the Piper Jaffray research firm -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com)
The firm recently completed its 20th bi-annual teen survey, a national study which polls around 6,000 students around the country about their interest and buying patterns in mobile phones, portable media players and online music services. The study shows the percentage of teens that own an iPhone currently sits at 14%, which is essentially unchanged from the same survey conducted last year. However, interest in purchasing an iPhone in the next six months rose to an all-time high of 33%.
On the other hand, Apple's market share among teens in the portable media player category fell to 78% from 92% in a similar study six months ago. Share gains from Sony and the "other" category -- comprised mostly cheaper music players -- could be causing this decline, Piper Jaffray...
New Syncplicity Business Edition sports Mac support
Syncplicity, which specializes in cloud based file management solutions, has launched a new version of its Syncplicity Business Edition, which combines Mac support and newsfeeds with the company’s IT console for centralized administration.
The latest Syncplicity Business Edition release provides full synchronization, backup, and file sharing for Macs, including large files and transfer resumption, with all existing Syncplicity supported endpoints such as PCs, file servers, and cloud applications like Google Docs. The Syncplicity Newsfeed feature allows users to see the latest real-time activity around files and folders they're working with or collaborating on.
The IT management layer offers reporting and administration, giving companies the ability to protect users from data loss, to ensure users have anywhere access to their files, set file management policies to secure corporate data, and easily configure and support multiple users, says Leonard Chung, CEO of Syncplicity.
A...
PanzerCAD releases CameraMatch 2011 for the Vectorworks 2011...
Nemetschek Vectorworks says that PanzerCAD (http://www.panzercad.com) has released the 2011 version of its CameraMatch plug-in to be compatible with the Vectorworks 2011 line of software products.
The CameraMatch 2011 plug-in allows a user to align a 3D model view to a photograph. With this plug-in, a user can also superimpose the rendered model into the photograph, saving time by eliminating the need to spend hours creating models of a project's surroundings, says Matt Panzer, owner of PanzerCAD. Some of the new features in CameraMatch 2011 include:
° A rewritten view calculation procedure that makes calculated views more accurate and allows for more difficult situations;
° Mask Object's new Clone Mode -- the feature allows a Mask object to shift the photo image it displays, which lets a Mask object behave similar to the Clone tool in many image-editing applications
° New Shadow object, which allows shadows and shading to be placed over the rendered image, eliminating the need to...
Razer releases special editions of MMO gaming mouse
Razer (http://www.razerzone.com) has launched a new suite of Razer Naga Special Edition gaming mice -- the Razer Naga Maelstrom Special Edition and the Razer Naga Molten Special Edition.
The Maelstrom Special Edition features the same 17 MMO-optimized buttons with macro functionality as its predecessor. However, this mouse has a whirlpool of entrancing blue light emanating from its swirling core.
In addition to the Maelstrom version, Razer also introduces the Molten Special Edition, which glows a fiery red hue. Along with the lava-red fissures cutting a jagged path across the mouse, the MMO-optimized buttons glow a blazing crimson color.
They're US$79.99 each. The special edition mice will be available in November.
PHYX offers new 'freebie' plug-ins
Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the post-production and broadcast markets, says development partner, PHYX has released freebie plug-ins for the FxFactory platform.
The PHYX Freebies utilities plug-ins provide users with a way to export and convert color channels and sharpen image edges with the Color Channel and Edge Sharpen tools. The PHYX Freebies are completely free for everyone and support the latest versions of Apple Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express Motion and After Effects.
The PHYX Freebies utilities plug-ins are offered as free downloads via the Noise Industries website. To download the freebies, go to http://www.phyxware.com/NI_Freebies_01.html .
FxFactory Pro is available for US$399. Additional plug-ins are available for free or commercially starting at a price point of $29.
Report: tablets becoming 'next big thing' in the...
After a lackluster initial reception in the 2000s, tablet computers are finally becoming the next big thing in personal computing. Apple’s iPad has led the charge so far, but according to the latest Sector Focus commentary by Turner Investments (http://www.turnerinvestments.com), tablet computers generally may capture 20% of the U.S. computer market by 2013, up from less than 1% in 2009.
Turner, an investment firm based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, publishes Sector Focus commentaries monthly as part of the continuing efforts of its five analyst teams to monitor the market sectors for its growth-stock portfolios.
Entitled "Tablet Computers: an Idea Whose Time has Come at Last," the piece was written by Turner’s technology-sector analysts: Tara Hedlund, portfolio manager/security analyst; Dan Hirsch, security analyst; Mike Lozano, security analyst; Chris McHugh, vice chairman and senior portfolio manager; and Bob Turner, chairman and chief investment officer. Initial iPad sales have been...
