Monkeybread Software has released version 1.2 of the MBS REALbasic Updater Kit, which is designed to help you in adding an automatic update feature to your application. Version 1.2 fixes a few bugs and improves the language handling.

The Updater Kit requires REALbasic 2008 or newer and a license of the MBS REALbasic Complete License. It's available for US$99. You can learn more and try the sample application at
http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/realbasic/UpdaterKit/ .

Remo Software has announced a series of data recovery software tools (http://recovermac.remosoftware.com) for the Mac. Remo Recover (Mac) is an exclusively designed application with all-round poise of simplified recovery tasks and sophisticated recovery technology, according to the company.


It's available in two different editions, Remo Recover (Mac) - Pro Edition & Remo Recover (Mac) Media Edition. The former provides a dual mode of recovery tasks, including photo recovery. Remo Recover - (Media Edition) is designed for regular users and for advanced photographers to recover photos, videos, music and RAW image files from portable storage devices and hard drives. The Advanced mode offers scan options to accomplish tasks such as deleted/lost file recovery, formatted/lost volume recovery, from storage devices having healthy or corrupt HFS or HFSX file system.

The Pro Edition...

Best Buy has set a target to collect one billion pounds of old or obsolete electronics and appliances for recycling.

Starting April 22, the company is asking consumers nationwide to pledge online to “Recycle It On,” encouraging increased use of its comprehensive, convenient recycling and trade-in programs. The one billion pound goal is a significant increase over current levels and is intended to help increase responsible consumer action and capture a greater share of the current electronics waste stream, says Paula Prahl, senior vice president, communications, public affairs, and corporate responsibility, Best Buy.

She says the company's recycling programs collected 120 million pounds of electronic goods in 2009 from U.S. consumers, including 60 million pounds of electronics and 60 million pounds of appliances. The company anticipates meeting the new goal in several years. Starting Earth Day, April 22, consumers can take the pledge to recycle, and encourage others...

Yesterday the 'Net was abuzz with reports that Apple would ship its 3G enabled iPad on May 7. Wrong. Today Apple announced that the Wi-Fi + 3G models of the device will be delivered to US customers who’ve pre-ordered on Friday, April 30, and will be available in Apple retail stores the same day starting at 5 p.m.

Apple retail stores will offer a free Personal Setup service to every customer who buys an iPad at the store, helping them customize their new iPad by setting up their email, loading their favorite apps from the App Store, and more. US Apple retail stores are also hosting special iPad workshops to help customers learn more about this magical new product.

The iPad is available in Wi-Fi models in the US for a suggested retail price of US$499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB models. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available on April 30 in the US for $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB versions.

The iPad is sold in the US through the...

Grantwood Technology has released an updated RunWallet (http://grantwoodtechnology.com/runwallet/), an $11.99 armband product designed to carry IDs, emergency contact information, bank cards, credit cards, car keys, car remotes, house keys, hotel keys, cash/coins during exercise, with the added ability to carry the iPod shuffle or anything else that can be clipped to it.

The RunWallet is a soft, neoprene arm wallet that can accommodate the above items in a secure Velcro closure. Each RunWallet consists of a flexible armband strap that can accommodate both large and small arms.

As a fitness wallet, the RunWallet can be attached to the supplied armband, or can be attached to your shoe, attached to a belt or placed in a pocket. New to the RunWallet is a lanyard to fold over to use as needed. It also has a clear front face which allows items to be clipped to it,...

Dekorra has updated EasyDraw (http://www.eazydraw.com/whatsNew.htm), its vector drawing app for Mac OS X, to version 3.4.1 The new version adds support for the required page size for iPad development.

It provides proper drawing size support for the main icon, Apple App Store icon, small icon and launch screens for the iPad and iPhone. EasyDraw 3.4.1 also provides a few new features and minor bug fixes for the recently released version 3.4.0, which introduced SVG support.

Version 3.4.1 requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.

EasyDraw 3.4.1 is a free upgrade for licensed owners of EazyDraw version 3.x license and a US$35 upgrade for owners of EazyDraw version 2.x. For new users the cost is $95 for the downloadable version.

Mariner Software (http://www.marinersoftware.com) has released MacJournal 5.0, the latest version of the journaling software. It adds a "None" option to the settings for smart journals so you can set up a smart journal where none of the listed checks are true.

For example, the entry does not contain a certain tag. English-only until localizations can be updated.

MacJournal 5.2.1 is now available for download and requires Mac OS 10.4 or 10.5. It costs US$34.95 for the download version. Registered MacJournal 3 and 4 customers can upgrade for $19.95 on the Mariner web site with their serial number. Version 5.2.1 is a free update for registered users of version 5.x.

Hamrick Software has released Vuescan 8.6.26, a new version of the VueScan software for Mac OS X that's designed to let users produce better digital images from color snapshots, negatives, slides and documents. The new version adds more info to Release Notes for each scanner and fixes some bugs.

The Standard Edition of VueScan costs US$59.95 and the Professional Edition is $79.95 for a single user license. Multi-user licenses are available. A fully functional, trial copy of VueScan is available for download from the Hamrick web site (http://www.hamrick.com).

You can now use your iPhone or iPod touch to "pay for lattes, pastries and other items at more than 1,000 Starbucks locations," reports "Computerworld" (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/348055/Starbucks_Tries_Mobile_Pay...).

In these select stores, you can pay for your coffee using just the Starbucks Card Mobile app on your iPhone or iPod touch. Enter your card number and your device will display a barcode you can use the same way as your Starbucks Card to make purchases.

You can download the Starbucks Card Mobile app free at the Apple App Store.You can find a list of participating stores at Target, Seattle or Silicon Valley by going to http://www.starbucks.com...

The week's "MUG Event Calendar" is filled with special guests and presentations.

Apple Senior Systems Engineer Dave Marra will be making an appearance at a regional computer festival, and Apple Systems Engineer Aaron Davis will make the first of several appearances on his iPad tour in Washington D.C. In a rare double-header presentation, Paul Kent will join Ted Landau at a California group, while author Jeff Carlson will do a virtual presentation to an Ohio group, and Chuck Joiner will be the guest auctioneer at a Pennsylvania’s annual auction. James Lee of Tropical Software will visit a Florida group and Peter Christianson of Strider Software will be featured at a California group.

Of course, the iPad is on everyone’s list, but other topics in this week’s schedule include a seventh anniversary Final Cut Pro User Group celebration, iWork, Mac security, home automation, security, MobileMe and the just-released Adobe Creative Suite 5.

"The MUG Event Calendar" can...

Another day, yet another lawsuit. Apple is countersuing Kodak, claiming the company's devices copy the technology that it uses in Macs, iPhone, iTunes and Photo Booth involving image processing, energy management and memory design.

Apple wants all Kodak devices that violates two of its patents (6,031,964 and RE38,911) to be banned from being sold. The countersuit was filed in the California Northern District Court.

In January Kodak filed lawsuits against Apple and Research In Motion Limited (RIM) alleging the infringement of Kodak digital imaging technology. The Kodak complaint, filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), specifically claims that Apple’s iPhones and RIM’s camera-enabled BlackBerry devices infringe a Kodak patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images. Separately, Kodak filed two suits -- also in January -- against Apple in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York that claim the infringement of...

MacPractice -- the developer of MacPractice MD, MacPractice DDS, MacPractice DC, and MacPractice 20/20 -- has launched new iPad integration solutions that allow dentists to use MacPractice DDS, DR (Digital Radiography/Photo) and EDR (Electronic Dental Record) on an iPad.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with requests from dentists who want to use MacPractice DDS and MacPractice Endo on an iPad,” says Mark Hollis, president of MacPractice. “The interface solutions we have tested make it possible for dentists to use this incredible device to chart existing conditions and treatment, enter visit notes and review x-rays and photos with a patient in the treatment room.”
 
Besides qualifying its MacPractice iPhone Interface for use on the iPad, the new iPad interface solutions leverage collaborative technologies to make the total functionality of MacPractice DDS available on an iPad, including EDR, prescriptions and e-Prescribe, scheduling and more. The new MacPractice for iPad...