MacNews Latest News

ZAGG debuts new iPad mini accessories

dsellers — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:44:12 +0000

ZAGG has introduced two new keyboard accessories for the iPad mini. The ZAGGkeys Cover and ZAGGkeys Folio are "ultra-thin" Bluetooth keyboard accessories built with a patent-pending hinge system that offers a range of viewing angles up to 135 degrees.

The new ZAGGkeys Cover is the most versatile Bluetooth keyboard on the market and the thinnest at just 6.3mm, boasts Kent Wuthrich, executive vice president of marketing for ZAGG. It features a hinge that lets users position the screen at virtually any viewing angle as well as reverse the iPad mini for a one-piece reading and playing mode.

Senate says Apple sheltered $44 billion from taxes

dsellers — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:15:26 +0000

Senate investigators are accusing Apple of wiring together a complicated system to shield billions of dollars in international profits from both U.S. and foreign tax collectors, reports "Politico" (http://tinyurl.com/kp3hh77).

A report released ahead of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s inaugural Capitol Hill appearance today alleges the tech giant took advantage of numerous U.S. tax loopholes and avoided U.S. taxes on US$44 billion in offshore, taxable income between 2009 and 2012. Apple denies this.

AppDelete for Mac OS X adds updated user interface

dsellers — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:39:32 +0000

Reggie Ashworth (www.reggieashworth.com) has announced AppDelete 4.0.7, a new version of his application deletion utility. The upgrade sports an upgraded user interface and more.

FMStudio Pro updated for Dreamweaver CS6, FileMaker Server 12

dsellers — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:29:30 +0000

FMWebschool has announced FMStudio Pro 1.1.3, bringing new updates for Dreamweaver CS6 and FileMaker Server 12. This combination of technologies enables a direct connection from FileMaker to Dreamweaver.

Experts will appreciate the ability to rapidly create and deploy FileMaker driven websites, according to the folks at FMWebschool. Beginners to web publishing can now build FileMaker websites without knowing PHP by using the simple drag and drop tool-set and live data features, they add.

Kool Tools: NewTech miniStack MAX

dsellers — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:04:13 +0000

Newer Technology's miniStack MAX, is now available in DVD/CD only read/write optical drive models for computer users that don’t require the Blu-ray functionality of other miniStack MAX models.

As the only four-in-one external drive, optical drive, SD card reader and USB powered hub solution on the market, the miniStack MAX supports multiple interfaces for plug and play storage of entire music, photo and video libraries, as well as burning backups via the internal optical drive, with new and legacy Macs or PCs.

Noise Industries offers Andy Mees Safe Guides plug-in

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:11:57 +0000

Noise Industries has added Andy Mees' free Safe Guides plug-in to the FxFactory family of plug-ins and generators. Designed for use in Final Cut Pro(R), Motion, Premiere Pro and After Effects, Safe Guides includes preset guides for 4:3, 14:9 and 16:9 title and action safe areas, an EBU/BBC compliance override and center cross marker.

Apple releases Tim Cook's official statement to Senate

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:46:12 +0000

Apple has released Tim Cook's official statement to the Senate ahead of his Tuesday appearance at a hearing on corporate tax payments.

Eerie Studios releases Junk Punk 3D for the Mac

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:52:01 +0000

Eerie Studios' Junk Punk 3D is now available on the Mac App Store (http://tinyurl.com/me6te83). It requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher and costs US$1.99.

 Here's how the game is described: "Junk Punk 3D is the successor to Junk Punk. It is a fast-paced action game about free running, fast reflexes and competition. As the player, your ultimate goal is to get as far as you can, without falling down, in which case your only option is to try again. Compete against yourself, your friends or the entire world."

matchTag 1.5 optimized for Mountain Lion

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:47:34 +0000

Nominari has released matchTag 1.5 for Mac OS X (10.7.2 or higher). The app can update the title information in an iTunes music collection and amend, either completely or selectively, the missing data from the iTunes Store. Version 1.5 has been optimized for Mountain Lion.

matchTag facilitates the iTunes ID that was written into the new file during download and allows for either individual tags or for the whole set to be amended or replaced. MatchTag also has an option to download a cover image thumbnail.

Image Resizer Deluxe for Mac OS X gets text antialiasing, more

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:35:17 +0000

Lifeware Solutions has announced Image Resizer Deluxe 1.1, an update to their photo editing app for Mac OS X. The upgrade adds text antialiasing and fixes the preview size.

Image Resizer Deluxe provides tools to resize and rename large numbers of photos to reduce their size, and make them ready to be sent over email or posted on the web. You can add text, watermarks, border effects, change color depth, apply color effects and more.

Kool Tools: SMS Log, Call Log, Fliq for Mac

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:47:52 +0000

Today our Kool Tools includes three products/services that all work together: SMS Log for Mac, Call Log for Mac and Fliq for Mac.

iStopMotion for Mac OS X gets screen capture feature

dsellers — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:23:37 +0000

Boinx Software has updated iStopMotion, its stop motion animation tool for Mac OS X (10.7.4), to version 3.1. The new version includes a screen capture feature that provides animators with a new medium for animating.

iStopMotion 3.1 is localized in English, German, French, Japanese and Russian. It's available for US$49.99 both from the Mac App Store and the Boinx Website (www.boinx.com/).

Apple to suggest changes to U.S. corporate tax laws

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:15:34 +0000

Apple, which holds US$102 billion in cash and investments outside the U.S., will suggest changes to corporate tax laws to encourage companies to bring more cash into the country, reports "Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/an63hjh).

microLARGE Software Taskdesk for the Mac

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:46:55 +0000

microLARGE Software has introduced Taskdeck, a task and to-do list app for Mac OS X (10.7.4 or higher). It costs US$7.99.

Taskdeck promises a minimalist, keyboard-driven user interface with features like tags, attachments, drag 'n drop prioritization, searching and filtering. Related tasks are grouped into lists, with each list showing a badge that indicates the number of open, due, or overdue tasks.

Paddle launches demo/trial framework for Mac developers

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:31:38 +0000

Paddle has announced Paddle for Developers. It's a simple framework allowing Mac software developers to create trial and demo versions of their Mac applications.

The Paddle framework, in its basic installation, allows users to offer a trial/demo version and take payments in-app. The framework can purportedly be added to an existing Mac application in as little as five minutes.

PDFpen for Mac OS X upgraded to version 6.0.3

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:55:43 +0000

Smile (www.smilesoftware.com) has announced PDFpen 6.0.3, the latest version of its all-purpose PDF editing tool. The upgrade adds support for the Polish language OCR, and includes numerous fixes.

The changes in PDFpen 6.0.3 have also been made in PDFpenPro 6.0.3, the pro version that can also convert websites into PDFs, create fillable PDF forms, automatically create form fields in non-interactive PDF forms, construct document table of contents, and set document permission settings that restrict saving, printing, and copying.

MacA&D 4.1 adds business process models

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:53:56 +0000

Excel Software (www.excelsoftware.com) has announced enhancements to its MacA&D application for requirements management, system and software design, code generation and report generation.

The newly added Business Process Model Notation supports Collaboration, Process, Choreography and Conversation diagrams. The new release includes color and editing features in the Table editor, improved integration between diagram and definition entries for requirements and use cases, plus usability enhancements to menu commands, toolbars, tool palettes, cursors and diagram drawing.

PhotoBulk image editor for Mac OS X upgraded to version 1.5

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:42:07 +0000

Eltima Software (http://mac.eltima.com) has updated PhotoBulk, a bulk image editor for Mac OS X (10.7 and higher), to version 1.5. The new version allows for faster changing of the watermark position int he preview window and the ability to choose the most precise position for your watermark per-pixel.

PKard for Mac includes support for CAD dual persona Mac users

dsellers — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:19:57 +0000

Thursby Software Systems has released a free update of its PKard for Mac software, including support for CAC dual persona Mac users.

With an ever-increasing number of citizens working as contractors within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the government needed a way to represent both roles on one common identification card. Instead of the standard DoD identification smart card (called a CAC or Common Access Card by the U.S. government), the DoD developed a card that could represent the individual in both roles. Thus, a CAC card supporting a "dual persona" was developed.

Apple releases MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:28:16 +0000

Apple has rolled out MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0. It addresses a storage firmware issue that, in rare cases, may cause a system to fail to recover from a crash.

Apple says it's recommended for MacBook Air (mid 2012) models. MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0 is available via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.

Apple posts iTunes 11.0.3

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:26:12 +0000

Apple has revved iTunes to 11.0.3. According to Apple, it includes a dramatically simplified player, a completely redesigned Store, and "iCloud features you'll love." Per Apple's release notes, this is what you get with iTunes 11.0.3:

° Completely Redesigned. iTunes makes it more fun to explore and enjoy your music, movies, and TV shows. You'll love the beautiful edge-to-edge design, custom designs for each album, movie, or TV show in your library, and getting personal recommendations any time you click In the Store.

iLuv now shipping Aud 5 Lightning connector dock

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:44:34 +0000

iLuv Creative Technology is shipping its first audio dock designed specifically for Apple Lightning devices: the Aud 5 Lightning speaker dock. Originally unveiled at the 2013 International CES in January, it allows users to enjoy their music from their iPhone 5 or iPod while simultaneously charging their device.

Fair Labor Association: long hours of work still a Foxconn issue

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:23:47 +0000

The Foxconn Technology Group faces a “challenging” task in trying to meet a July deadline for cutting work hours to comply with Chinese law, according to the labor monitor appointed by Apple, its largest customer, according to "Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/bfxg4kt).

On the bright side, Apple has resolved 98% of the 360 issues raised by the Washington-based Fair Labor Association, the group said in a new report. The company has improved safety conditions, including testing sprinklers and maintaining equipment, and increased membership in worker unions.

Mercury Elite Pro Qx2 gets USB 3.0 support -- with an adapter

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:10:37 +0000

Other World Computing (OWC) says its OWC Mercury Elite Pro Qx2, a hardware RAID data storage/solution, now supports USB 3.0 performance when paired with the Newer Technology eSATA to USB adapter.

The adapter, which utilizes an available eSATA drive port, offers a plug and play connection to USB 3.0-equipped Macs or PCs for sustained data transfer rates of more than 200MB/s from the Qx2.

MCE announces internal Blu-ray player

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:56:52 +0000

MCE Technologies has announced what it says is the first ever internal drive for the iMac, and Mac mini that plays Blu-ray movies with the included Mac Blu-ray Player software.

The drive also reads and records to DVD and CD-recordable media like the original Apple SuperDrive it's designed to replace -- so it only works with Macs that have a built-in SuperDrive. The drive is compatible with Apple's DVD Player application for the playback of DVD movies, as well as with Finder Burning for burning DVDs and CDs at the Finder level.

Kinvio rolls out new BTH240 Bluetooth headphones

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:49:06 +0000

Kinivo has released the BTH240 Bluetooth-connected headphones. The on-ear wireless headphones provide hands-free calling via a built-in noise canceling microphone.

Apimac releases HTML Stripper for the Mac

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:01:53 +0000

HTML Stripper is a new Apimac application for capturing and cleaning up from HTML code tags the text of any web page. To use you just drag and drop an .html file, portion of code or, even a web address from Safari on the application's window, and the app will serve up text without formatting and code tags.

Thanks to the Strip Clipboard function, text can be copied and automatically cleaned up and be ready to be pasted into your favorite application. HTML Stripper requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher.

Apple’s App Store marks 50 billionth download

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:03:44 +0000

Apple has announced that customers have downloaded over 50 billion apps from the AppleApp Store (excluding re-downloads and updates). Customers are downloading more than 800 apps per second at a rate of over two billion apps per month, the company says.

The 50 billionth app was Say the Same Thing by Space Inch, which was downloaded by Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio. He received a $10,000 App Store Gift Card to commemorate this historic milestone.

Kool Tools: Shape Pop Transitions for Final Cut Pro X

dsellers — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:26:50 +0000

Noise Industries has added Shape Pop from Stupid Raisins to its range of plug-ins offered through FxFactory. Available for Final Cut Pro X, Shape Pop consists of 30 customizable transitions that break up video into shapes to reveal the incoming clip.

Shape Pop consists of 30 customizable transitions that break up video into different shapes to reveal the incoming clip. You can drag and drop transitions for straightforward projects, or fine-tune transitions with Shape Pop's custom tools to achieve the desired look. It's plug and play with circle, square, triangle and diamond templates.

Final Cut Pro X Title Pop effects released on FxFactory

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:57:59 +0000

Noise Industries has introduced Title Pop to plug-in platform, FxFactory. Developers Stupid Raisins and CineFlare have teamed up to create a title pack that gives editors the ability to create titles for footage.

Does the Pentagon raise its security risks by approving Apple, Samsung devices?

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:47:01 +0000

"Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/bzodlrd) reports that the Pentagon risks exposing itself to hackers by opening its communications networks to Apple and Samsung smartphones and tablets, according to cybersecurity officials.

The Pentagon plans to give employees the flexibility of connecting devices such as Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones and Apple iPads to unclassified networks -- a market long dominated by BlackBerry. However, this will create more vulnerabilities to cybersecurity breaches, Pat McGarry, principal systems engineer at Ixia, a network security company, told "Bloomberg."

Apple, Lenova only computer makers to see growth in western Europe

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:39:14 +0000

Computer shipments in Western Europe declined by 20.5% during the first quarter of 2013, with the only vendors to see shipments grow were Lenovo and Apple, according to the Gartner research group. The latter returned to the top five for the first time since 2011.

Apple releases iMovie 9.0.9 on OS X

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:13:14 +0000

Apple has released iMovie 9.0.9 for Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later. It addresses issues where iMovie does not recognize video cameras connected to your Mac.

iMovie 9.0.9 also improves compatibility with projects imported from iMovie for iOS and includes stability improvements. It's available at the Mac App Store or at http://tinyurl.com/aohgjqf .

Freshcode releases DropClip for Dropbox

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:53:09 +0000

Freshcode has introduced DropClip for Mac OS X. It's a Dropbox add-on that lets you direct people to Dropbox files you've shared with them.

To use you right click on a file or folder in a shared Dropbox folder and choose the Copy DropClip link. Users can then paste the URL link it creates in Mail, Gmail, Skype or any other type of communication tool to send it to a co-worker, a friend or family.

WD announces My Passport Ultra line of portable hard drives

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:40:09 +0000

WD has released its My Passport Ultra line of portable hard drives, which combine additional layers of data protection with USB 3.0 connectivity in a slim, compact design and four color choices.

Available in 500 GB, 1TB and new 2TB capacities, My Passport Ultra portable hard drives have built-in WD SmartWare Pro backup software with Dropbox integration, hardware encryption and password protection. A protective pouch is included with the My Passport Ultra to help shield it.

Sandvox 2.8 for Mac OS X adds Retina display support, more

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:55:18 +0000

Karelia Software (www.karelia.com) has updated Sandvox, their web creation software for Mac OS X, to version 2.8. The upgrade can optimize website image content for viewing on Retina displays.

Sandvox 2.8 also introduces two new designs, new LinkedIn and Pinterest sharing buttons, a new social media sharing bar and more. The app also includes two new modern design options, offering left or right sidebars suited for showcasing photographs and galleries.

MEI Portico updated to version 2.5

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:49:03 +0000

Managing Editor (www.maned.com) has released MEI Portico 2.5, the latest in the Adobe development partner's lineup of solutions for publishers.

MEI Portico lets publishers create custom branded user interfaces for their mobile and tablet apps. The new version of MEI's custom storefront software lets app publishers present content items other than traditional folios in their apps.

Kool Tools: MacTuneUp 7.0

dsellers — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:39:12 +0000

As most of us need -- or at least want -- faster Macs, Macware's updated MacTuneUp (now up to version 7.0) can provide speed boosts for our current machines.

The software discovers and fixes problems, restores hard disk space, maximizes Internet performance, securely erases files and folders, removes unwanted apps, guts unnecessary language files, makes Macs boot faster, and more. Features of version 7.0 include:

° More in-depth and faster scanning of your Mac;
° Removal of unnecessary language files that come preloaded and take up hard drive space;

Apple sued over defective iPhone power buttons

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:57:08 +0000

A Florida woman is seeking more than US$5 million from Apple on behalf of thousands of iPhone owners who allegedly bought phones with defective power buttons that would not lock or turn off, reports "GigaOm" (http://tinyurl.com/cweh8dv).

D-Link shipping new 802.11AC routers

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:43:16 +0000

D-Link is shipping a new line of AC Routers with the availability of the Wireless AC1750 Router (DIR-868L), Wireless AC1200 Router (DIR-860L), Wireless AC1000 Router (DIR-820L) and Wireless AC750 Router (DIR-810L). They have street prices of US$169.99, $149.99, $119.99 and $79.99, respectively.

Apple wants to add Galaxy S4 to a second patent case

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:17:24 +0000

Apple wants to add Galaxy S4 to a second patent case against Samsung, reports "FOSS Patents" (http://tinyurl.com/dyavkwk).

Narrowing will occur in several steps until the spring 2014 trial, the article adds. Ultimately, by February 6, 2014, the parties will have to limit their asserted patents claims to five (per side) and their accused products to ten (per side). The purpose of the responses Apple and Samsung submitted yesterday was to identify 22 accused products per side, notes "FOSS Patents."

Expeditions: Conquistador coming to the Mac

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:53:19 +0000

Expeditions: Conquistador, a tactical role-playing game, will be available for Mac, PC, Mac and Linux systems on Steam on May 30. It will also be available on GOG.com, Gamersgate and several other platforms.

Penclic releases the Bluetooth B2 Mouse

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:46:16 +0000

Penclic has released the Bluetooth B2 Mouse, it's available at Amazon.com for US$89.95. It's Mac and PC compatible.

The Bluetooth B2 Mouse wirelessly connects to your computer. It sports five click buttons with a scroll wheel and laser pointer. The mouse operates without the use of a mouse pad.

According to the folks at Penclic, the Bluetooth B2 Mouse -- available only in white -- will run two months on one charge with its rechargeable battery. It has a wireless reach of up to 16 feet.

EditShare ships Field 2 portable shared storage

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:39:28 +0000

EditShare has released the Field 2, its next-generation portable shared storage solution with integrated asset management.

The turnkey platform includes file ingest, advanced project sharing/bin locking, and archiving capabilities in an all-in-one, high-performance and rugged chassis. Designed for on-location shoots, ENG trucks and remote offices, the new Field 2 is durable, light and compact and meets airline carry-on regulations.

Bits&Coffee brews BatchPhoto 3.7 for the Mac, PC

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:58:59 +0000

Bits&Coffee has released BatchPhoto 3.7, an update of its all-in-one photo manipulation program for Mac and PC that lets photographers, web designers, business people, and families enhance photos. To use you select a group of photographs, and, with a single operation edit, resize, convert, watermark, and rename every image in the group.  

Kool Tools: iOS compatible Fitbit Flex

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:58:20 +0000

Fitbit's Flex is a first-of-its-kind, activity tracking wristband that syncs wirelessly on-the-go via Bluetooth 4.0 to select iOS and Android devices.

AppDelete optimized for Mac OS X Lion

dsellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:51:07 +0000

Reggie Ashworth (www.reggieashworth.com) has announced AppDelete 3.2.9, a new version of his application deletion utility. The upgrade has been optimized for Mac OS X 10.7, supports new languages and more.

Petition launched to keep Adobe Creative Suite perpetual license

dsellers — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:04:33 +0000

Adobe's announcement that it will drop its traditional, perpetual license model for Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and its other professional creative apps in favor of a Creative Cloud software subscription model rubbed lots of folks the wrong way. Now there's a petition to keep the Creative Suite perpetual license model alive, notes "The MacObserver" (http://tinyurl.com/bpox6gd).

Big changes reportedly coming to AppleCare

dsellers — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:36:46 +0000

Last week Apple informed its tech staff that major changes to the AppleCare and AppleCare+ service programs will be enacted starting this fall, "with a broadening of current policies likely to cut costs and make the service more attractive to consumers," according to "AppleInsider."