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Nov 11
Atmosphere intelligence company launches developer program

Cumulonimbus has announced its exclusive Founding Developer program today for its app, PressureNet.

The peer-to-peer weather forecasting and data platform seeks 10 experienced developers to join its exclusive group. PressureNet is an atmosphere data and software intelligence company with a mission to dramatically improve weather and climate forecasting.

"As we further built-out our app, we want to invite just a handful of top-notch developers to work with us on this scientific app," says Jacob Sheehy, CEO and Co-Founder of PressureNet. "Since we will be choosing just 10 people to be part of our Founding Developers program, this will be a great opportunity for developers to showcase their skills and gain recognition in the community."

Utilizing smart phone sensors to garner data and create better forecasts, the PressureNet app developers will build one of the largest live atmosphere observation networks in the world, he adds. Developers will help create an open...

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Nov 11
15 new fonts added to the Free Fonts - Christmas Collection

128bit Technologies (http://www.macappware.com) has released Free Fonts - Christmas Collection 2.0, an update to their holiday collection of free fonts available on the Mac App Store.

Fifteen new royalty free fonts have been added to the original collection, bringing the total number of Christmas fonts to 40. All are in OpenType font format, and can be used for any personal and business project.

Free Fonts - Christmas Collection requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later. It's free and available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Graphics & Design category.

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Nov 11
ChapterWork now available in the Mac App Store

einstein's legacy (http://www.einsteinslegacy.com) has released ChapterWork, a Mac OS X utility for working with chapter tracks and markers in your digital movies.

Built on Apple's AVFoundation technology, ChapterWork frees is designed to free users from using labor-intensive text-based tools and provides a simple and effective graphic interface for creating, updating and internationalizing chapter tracks in your movies, according to the folks at einstein's legacy. ChapterWork allows you to share the completed output movie via e-mail or using Internet services.

ChapterWork requires Mac OS X 10.9 or higher. It's available for US$19.99 from the Mac App Store (in the Video category).

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Nov 11
Panolapse expands Mac OS X tools for timelapse photographers

Panolapse (http://www.panolapse360.com/) has expanded its timelapse software for Mac OS X and Windows with advanced features to support professional photographers.

Panolapse, a program which simulates camera motion using software-based perspective-correction, has introduced the RAWBlend feature for creating smooth transitions of light and color over time to assist in difficult time-lapse sequences (such as sunrise or sunset time-lapses). The update also introduces tools for deflickering, animating panoramas, and auto-exposure.

The deflicker tool enhances smoothness of a video sequence by analyzing pixel-level brightness of each image, and then averaging out the brightness of each frame over time. Panolapse has also added support for animating 360-degrees equirectangular panoramic image files, enhancing its movement simulation capabilities.

Panolapse is free to download with output...

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Nov 11
Apple, Alibaba Group may be teaming up for a payment alliance

A payment alliance between Apple and the Alibaba Group Holding, a Chinese e-commerce company, is in the works, according The Wall Street Journal (http://tinyurl.com/p4lwshr). Apple Pay may be embedded in Alipay, Alibab's payment system, to operate in mainland China.

This could help tackle policy issues. In return, Apple may help Alibaba expand its business in the US. Apple and Alibaba are currently discussing the specifics of a possible partnership, says the WSJ.

"One possible scenario is for Alibaba’s financial affiliate, which owns the Alipay electronic-payment business in China, to provide back-end services for Apple’s Apple Pay payment system, allowing iPhone users to pay with Apple Pay using the money from their Alipay accounts," the article adds.

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Nov 11
World Clock is ready for Mac OS X Yosemite

Komarov Mobile (http://www.komarov.mobi/) has updated World Clock, their Mac OS X app that lets users convert one or multiple time zones with a simple flick or add events to their calendar with a single tap, to version 1.2.

The update features support for OS X Yosemite. It also provides users with: at-a-glance time data; an interactive widget for "Today's View," an updated look/feel; a faster way to add cities and time zones, an arrow identifying current location, and more.

World Clock works with Mac OS X 10.9 or higher. It costs US$4.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category.

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Nov 11
Yummy Software releases Yummy FTP 1.10.1 for Mac OS X

Yummy Software (http://www.yummysoftware.com/) has released Yummy FTP 1.10.1, an update to their FTP + SFTP + FTPS file transfer client for OS X. It's a maintenance upgrade.

Its multi-connection file transfer engine is coupled with an "intelligent" recovery system to automatically handle most file transfer issues. This is complemented by a dual pane user interface

Yummy FTP requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. It costs US$14.99 and is available directly from Yummy Software, or from the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. Upgrades cost $10. Customers who purchased since Aug. 1, 2014, can obtain a free upgrade.

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Nov 10
Accordance Bible software updated to version 11

Accordance Bible Software (http://www.accordancebible.com) has released Accordance 11, a major upgrade of its Bible study software for Mac and Windows computers. David Lang, vice president of development, says it includes the following new features:

° A new Research Tab (replaces Search All) designed to make it easy to see which results are most relevant to your study;

° A new Info Pane that dynamically displays which commentaries from your Accordance Library are most relevant to your passage along with other content.

° A new Quick Entry feature that begins suggesting terms as soon as you start typing in a search field;

° User notes now support Unicode content and can be applied to any title in your Accordance Library;

° Improved library organization brings over 20 distinct categories for organizing your personal Accordance Library;;

° Bookmarks can now be...

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Nov 10
Apple selling Nova iPhone flash in its stores

Apple is now officially selling Nova (www.novaphotos.com), the first wireless, Bluetooth flash for the iPhone.The accessory is available online at the Apple Store and will be available at select Apple stores in the U.S. and Canada later this month.

Nova is an US$59 peripheral that fits in a wallet and can go everywhere your iPhone does. It sports a Bluetooth connection and purportedly packs 10 times the number of LEDs as alternative options to provide greater control over photos.

Nova lets you position and angle the light where you need it. It also offers a custom option to select from cool to warm and soft to bright light using 40 LEDs set behind a built in diffuser.

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Nov 10
Money ready for Mac OS X Yosemite

Jumsoft (http://www.jumsoft.com) has upgraded Money, its finance and budgeting application for Mac OS X, to version 4.6 features a number of interface and functionality improvements designed for full compatibility with OS X Yosemite.

Money provides small businesses and home users with a tool to track their finances. Version 4.6 includes various fixes of the CSV export functionality, improved data downloads from Bank of America, French localization improvements, and other minor fixes and refinements.

Money requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. It costs US$38.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Finance category.

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Nov 10
Bare Bones Software has released BBEdit 11.0.1

Bare Bones Software has released BBEdit 11.0.1, a maintenance upgrade to its professional strength HTML and text editor. The update builds on a modernized foundation with newly overhauled systems for Find Differences, Clippings, and syntax coloring. Plus, it adds dozens of enhancements and new features.

In total, BBEdit 11 includes more than 200 additions and refinements to this award-winning HTML and text editor. For example, the new Find Differences workflow provides a more efficient single-window presentation of results for both file and folder comparisons, says Rich Siegel, founder and CEO of Bare Bones Software. A new sidebar for folder comparisons identifies mismatched files and makes easy the process of copying files to bring two differing folders into harmony, he adds.

BBEdit 11.0.1 requires Mac OS X 10.8.5 or later. This update is free
of charge to all BBEdit 11 customers. For more information on BBEdit, or to download a fully functional demo version,...

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Nov 10
Audio Switcher for OS X gets re-configured preferences management system

Spike Software (http://www.spikesoft.net) has launched Audio Switcher 2.0.3, a Mac OS X utility that allows you to switch your audio input and output between different audio devices.

Automatically detecting when your audio devices are connected or disconnected, the tool resides in the Status Bar. Version 2.0.3 introduces a re-configured preferences management system, improved auto-launch support and a few bug fixes.

Audio Switcher requires OS X 10.7 or later and costs US$4.99. It's available at the Mac App Store in the Utilities category. Current users can receive the free 2.0.3 update via the Mac Store.

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Nov 10
Imation launches the LINK Power Drive for the iPhone

Imation (www.imation.com) has launched the LINK Power Drive. The new device brings flash storage and battery-charging capabilities together in a single unit for the iPhone and other iOS devices.

The Imation LINK Power Drive offers a charging source for someone on the go. Its 3,000 mAh-rechargeable battery refreshes the iPhone and iPod touch, saving users the hassle of locating power outlets, says Toshi Hokari, executive director, marketing and product development, Imation.

In addition, it provides the added convenience—even while recharging—of streaming photos, videos and music to and from an iPhone and the Imation LINK Power Drive. With its light weight and compact size, the drive fits easily in a bag or purse.

The Imation LINK Power Drive will be available in the U.S. this month in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities for the anticipated retail price of US$99.99 (16GB), $119.99 (32GB) and $149.99( 64GB...

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Nov 10
iOS improves in the latest Good Mobility Index Report

Good Technology, which specializes in secure mobility, has announced key findings from the "Q3 2014 Good Mobility Index Report" (http://tinyurl.com/muccoz4). This quarter, the rise in custom app development catapulted this category from the fourth most activated app category to number one on the Good Dynamics Secure Mobility Platform.

This quarter, Apple's iOS reversed its decline in activations from quarter two, picking up two percentage points, representing 69% of all activations. The release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus accounted for this gain. Additionally, the report findings showed that iPhone 6 outpaced iPhone 6 Plus in its first partial month, representing 85% of these new devices to be activated.

This quarter’s Mobility Index Report confirms enterprises are moving to secure app-to-app workflows, enabling organizations to transform their businesses, while protecting sensitive...

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Nov 10
AppleXsoft File Recovery gets new wizard interface, more

AppleXsoft Software has cooked up a new version of AppleXsoft File Recovery, a do-it-yourself recovery software tool for Mac OS X. Version 5.5.3.7 has a completely new wizard interface.

It also sports a reconstructed recovery engine, plus advanced tools such as SMART, Bad Block Diagnostics, Imaging tools, Disk Copy, E-Mail Recovery, Hex Viewer, and etc. The data recovery can be completely controlled due to flexible parameter settings.

The new version of the software sells for $99.95. It's available at http://tinyurl.com/l5z6xw8 .

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Nov 10
Power APP has released Disk Cleaner! with data analysis for Mac OS X

Power APP (http://www.powerapp.ch) has introduced Disk Cleaner! 1.0 for OS X, a Mac app to clean the hard disk from leftovers and unnecessary files.

It can "intelligently" detect and remove browser cache files for all modern browsers. Disk Cleaner! can remove application, caches, old log files, browser preview images and more.

The app requires Mac OS X 10.10 or later. It costs US$2.99 and is available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category.

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Nov 10
Noizio is ambient sound setting utility for Mac OS X

Noizio (http://www.noiz.io) has released its self-titled app for Mac OS X. The software is designed to drown out the noise of the street and allow you to concentrate on the work at hand.

On the other hand, it can also set the mood for a romantic evening or lull you to sleep, according to the folks at Noizio. It sports an ambient sound equalizer for creating a mixture of ambient sounds.

Noizio comes with eight ambient sounds: Coffee Shop, Thunder, Rain, Fire Crackle, Crash of Waved, Gusts of Wind, Sunny Outdoors, and Crickets in the Night. It requires OS X 10.7 or later. Noizio is free and available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Music category.

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Nov 10
Synology releases DiskStation Manager 5.1

Synology has released DiskStation Manager (DSM) 5.1, the latest version of its NAS operating system. According to CEO Alex Wang, some of the improvemnts include:

° Comprehensive security measures: Security Advisor analyses system settings, password strength, network preferences and removes known malware. In addition, AppArmor blocks malicious programs from accessing unauthorized system resources, while packages can now be digitally signed to avoid any use of tampered executable.

° Increased productivity: Proxy Server speeds up Internet browsing while securing the network thanks to its various caching, filtering, and authentication options. File Station can now connect to a remote FTP or WebDAV server. The new CardDav servers allows contact synchronisation among compatible devices.

° More integrated cloud: Data can be synced with more public cloud including OneDrive, Box and hubiC. Cloud Sync and all Cloud Station’s client software allow users to select which...

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Nov 07
IDC confirms that Mac has 13% of U.S. market share

The IDC (www.idc.com) research group has confirmed its preliminary personal computer shipment numbers released last month, confirming that the Mac hit its highest ever share of the U.S. market at 13%.

Apple regained the place in lost to Lenovo in April moving back into third place behind HP at 28% and Dell with 24%. Rounding out the top five are Lenovo and Toshiba.

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Nov 07
Ring Menu for Mac touted as a Dock replacement

The Ring Menu application for Mac can now be downloaded from the Mac App Store. It adds a circular menu containing apps, files and folders around the mouse cursor that responds to trackpad gestures and keyboard shortcuts.

Ring Menu also introduces a new gesture to the trackpad of your Mac: the three finger rest. Put three fingers next to each other on the trackpad for a short period of time and the Ring Menu will appear around the mouse cursor. Several other gestures as well as the option to open Ring Menu using keyboard shortcuts are also available.

The menu can be easily customized using drag and drop to add new apps, files and folders or to reorder the current menu items, says its developer, Daniel Schroth. Ring Menu comes in six different colors to match any wallpaper and taste. It features a dynamic item zoom that magnifies the items under your mouse cursor.

Ring Menu requires OS X 10.9 or later. It's free and available at athe Mac App Store in the...

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MacTech Blog

Nov 11
Study: 62% of consumers are unfamiliar with smart home...

According to a new report from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) approximately two-thirds of U.S. broadband households are unfamiliar with smart home products or services. Further, few consumers know what smart home devices and services are, who sells them, or where to buy them.

Parks Associates with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) analyzed the results of a Q2 2014 survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households. The results include recommendations for the connected home industry, analysis of consumer demand for smart home products, and strategies to raise awareness of smart home devices and their sales channels.

"Today, smart home service providers control almost every aspect of their offerings while consumers make only one choice - the service provider," says Tricia Parks, CEO and Founder, Parks Associates. "Deploying open solutions that give consumers a degree of control...

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Nov 10
Money ready for Mac OS X Yosemite

Jumsoft (http://www.jumsoft.com) has upgraded Money, its finance and budgeting application for Mac OS X, to version 4.6 features a number of interface and functionality improvements designed for full compatibility with OS X Yosemite.

Money provides small businesses and home users with a tool to track their finances. Version 4.6 includes various fixes of the CSV export functionality, improved data downloads from Bank of America, French localization improvements, and other minor fixes and refinements.

Money requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. It costs US$38.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Finance category.

| Read more »
Nov 10
Independent ad technology to reach $6 billion in 2014

The independent ad technology market is explosive, showing 52% annual growth from 2011 through 2014, with nearly a US$6 billion expected market size in 2014. In addition to revenue growth, the pace of acquisition has been frantic, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

Acquisitions from publishers reduces the independence of providers, although they continue to have public platforms. Some of the major recent publisher-acquisitions have included Facebook (LiveRail), Twitter (MoPub), Yahoo (Flurry), AOL (Adap.tv) and Comcast (FreeWheel), with strong focus on bringing ad technology in-house.

In addition, consolidation among independents, such as Ooyala’s just announced acquisition of Videoplaza continues to change the landscape. Adobe and Criteo lead this space, with 17% and 15% market share, respectively. Adobe’s advertising business was built from the Omniture acquisition, with additional...

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Nov 07
U.S. retailers anticipate 4.1% increase in total...

After a tumultuous first half of the year and unremarkable back-to-school results, U.S. retailers have emerged with an optimistic outlook for the upcoming holiday season. According to a recent BDO USA survey (http://bdo.com), chief marketing officers (CMOs) at leading U.S. retailers forecast a solid 4.1%increase in overall holiday store sales.

This year’s projection falls directly in line with the National Retail Federation’s 4.1% expected increase in holiday sales, and is a full percentage point higher than actual retail sales gains in the 2013 season. Overall, a majority (65%) of retailers believe sales will increase this year, with only 12% expecting a sales decrease. The increased optimism in growth likely points to ongoing improvements in the broader economy: housing markets are recovering, the employment picture is slowly rebounding and consumer confidence is rising, though still volatile.

Amidst ongoing hype...

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Nov 06
Residential smart light bulb market to approach a...

The market for connected LED or “smart” light bulbs is in its embryonic stage of development, with shipments totaling fewer than 2.5 million units in 2013.

However, falling LED prices and the endorsement of ZigBee Light Link as the preferred connectivity solution by a number of leading lighting manufacturers means that annual smart bulb shipments are set to increase to 223 million by 2020, achieving a total installed base of over 400 million, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

"Because of the additional dimensions smart lighting brings to the consumer lifestyle, including lighting automation, and because of its carbon footprint efficiency, this industry will rapidly become one of the key technologies that could bring IoE closer to consumers," Malik Saadi, practice director at the research company. "Because of the additional dimensions smart lighting brings to the consumer lifestyle,...

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Nov 05
IDC: public IT cloud spending with reach $127 billion...

Public IT cloud services spending will reach US$56.6 billion in 2014 and grow to more than $127 billion in 2018, according to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (www.idc.com), which is about six times the rate of growth for the overall IT market. In 2018, public IT cloud services will account for more than half of worldwide software, server, and storage spending growth.

Among the factors driving public IT cloud services growth is the adoption of "cloud first" strategies by both IT vendors expanding their offerings and IT buyers implementing new solutions. More importantly, IDC believes the cloud services market is now entering an "innovation stage" that will produce an explosion of new solutions and value creation on top of the cloud.

Many of these new solutions will be in industry-focused platforms with their own innovation communities, which will reshape not only how companies operate their IT,...

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Nov 04
Video delivery requires new codecs, improved network...

Standards committees and industry consortiums are working through a number of video standards to support UltraHD video as well as the next-generation of mobile video services, such as HEVC and DASH packaging, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). 

However, some pain points remain unaddressed by the majority of vendors going in predictable directions; meanwhile, a few trailblazers are working on disruptive innovations, says the research group. Areas such as the inability of TCP delivery to keep up with high throughput demands, the lack of perceptual tools in modern codecs, as well as the inefficiency of storage within CDNs all pose significant additional challenges within the ecosystem.  A number of innovative companies, from startups to more mature businesses, are addressing these issues: bitmovin, beamr, Akamai, Aspera (part of IBM), Vantrix, and Conviva.

"Of the areas we examined,...

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Nov 03
Revenues for aftermarket accessories to hit US$51...

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) says that mobile phone accessories in the aftermarket will generate revenues of US$51.1 billion by the end of 2014.

Protective carry cases continue to generate the highest revenues and shipment numbers (US$13 billion and 556,855,035 respectively) with additional chargers and memory cards among the other major contributing product categories.

"Consumers are seeking additional protection for their smartphones, with most modern devices coming with larger screens and therefore more susceptibility to damage if dropped or carried in a pocket unprotected," says Thomas McCourtie, research analyst at ABI Research. Some protective cases also offer compartments to store debit and credit cards, and with an increasing number of consumers opting to pay for goods and services via contactless payment systems, there is more of an incentive to carry all essential items (phone and...

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Oct 30
U.S. broadband households watch 17.4 hours of non-...

New research from the Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) research group shows the average U.S. broadband household now watches more than 17 hours of non-linear video per week, compared to 11.5 hours of linear video.

"Non-linear video accounts for 49% of the video consumed on the TV, and it is already the majority, 60%, of TV video viewed by consumers 18-24," said Barbara Kraus, director of research, Parks Associates. "Growing consumer demand, alongside new OTT service announcements from HBO and CBS, is driving all players in the video ecosystem to add streaming capabilities to their devices."

Parks Associates research shows consumers are also using connected CE for purposes outside video. Nearly 40% of U.S. broadband households that use the smart TV as their primary connected device regularly access and spend at least one hour per week using Facebook on this device.

"We are at...

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Oct 29
64% of U.S. broadband households have Internet-...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) says that 64% of U.S. broadband households have an Internet-connected CE (consumer electronic) device and 55% have an OTT [over-the-top] service subscription. This is an area poised for strong growth following HBO's announcement that it will launch a stand-alone HBO Go service, notes the research group.

"The HBO OTT service announcement should not really be a surprise given the overall trends in the video service space," said Brett Sappington, director, research, Parks Associates. "HBO has been aggressive in the online space for some time, first testing a direct-to-consumer approach in Europe through HBO Nordic, its OTT video service offering. Competition in this space is set to increase massively as pay-TV providers, broadcasters, cable networks, and other content producers introduce new OTT services. In our research reports, we analyze the...

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Reviews and Kool Tools

Epson's US$349.99 WorkForce WF-100 (epson.com/workforce) is described as "the world’s smallest and lightest mobile printer." We'll take Epson's word for it, but can verify that the printer sports built-in wireless... Read more »
Carbon Technologies' "Yosemite Server - Foundation Services," (http://tinyurl.com/lddczfu) written by Reid Bundonis and available exclusively in the iBooks format in the Apple iBooks Store for US$12.99, focuses on the... Read more »
Unlike Mac OS X and Windows, Linux gives users complete control—if they know what to do with all that power. There are countless ways to tweak and customize Linux (and just as many ways to break it!), and author Brian... Read more »
False Victories' Cartographer 1.0 (http://tinyurl.com/m7gu5vb) is a new maps app for Mac OS X (10.9 or later). It's available at the Mac App Store in the Developer Tools Section for US$13.99. Cartographer allows... Read more »

News Scanner

Tuesday November 11

22:59
Apple rumored to turn huge downtown LA building into...

A new rumor claims Apple has leased a large part of the Broadway Trade Center, a five-story, 1.1 million-square-foot building located in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., and is looking to convert the space into a mini campus complete with Apple Store.

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21:41
Innovative new Type Nine keyboard for iOS 8 takes...


Gather round, children, and let Grandpa Beasley tell you a story about the olden days. Long before these newfangled iPhones and Androids existed, most people didn’t have full keyboards on their cell phones, unless they were using a BlackBerry (but that’s a story for another time). In order to type out our text messages, we had to use “T9″ keyboards that required you to press the numbers on the dialpad a few times to select each letter individually.

And now, youngin’s, you, too, can experience all of the fun and frustration of ye olde keyboards right on your iPhone. All you have to do is log into the App Store and download one of those fancy “app” things you’re all so keen on. It’s called Type Nine,...

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21:14
Flagship Apple Store and office space rumored for...

Apple may be preparing to move into the historic Broadway Trade Center in downtown Los Angeles according to the latest rumor from ifo Apple Store. The company has reportedly leased the building for use as office space as well as a retail outlet.

Additionally, the report claims that some of that office space will be dedicated to the recently acquired Beats by Dre, which took up residence in a brand new Culver City facility earlier this summer.

The five-story structure was built in 1908 and boasts 1.1 million square feet of floor space. Apple would be a prime candidate for the space as the city continues a ten-year initiative to “Bring Back Broadway” by reviving the...

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20:10
UBS raises AAPL target to $125, cites iPhone 6 Plus...

Financial analyst Steve Milunovich from UBS has raised that firm's target price on Apple stock by $10, to $125, based on a survey showing strong demand for the iPhone 6 Plus in China and other countries. Polling some 4,000 respondents across the US, UK, Italy and mainland China, Milunovich found strong demand for the larger, 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in all the countries, but particularly in China. The 64GB model appeared to be the most popular choice among potential buyers, which included a third who are current Samsung phone owners....



...

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19:28
Apple's iOS 8 now on 56% of devices as adoption...

Adoption numbers for Apple's iOS 8 are leisurely plodding along, with the latest statistics showing 56 percent of users are now running the latest operating system nearly two months after launch.

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18:43
Quirky and GE unveil new suite of affordable smart...

Smart home technology startup Quirky, in partnership with GE, on Tuesday introduced a new line of economical smart home products that works together with its Wink hub and app ecosystem to control everything from HVAC to garage doors.

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18:19
AAPL closes at new high, closes in on split-adjusted...

Apple's stock closed at a new "all-time" high today, settling at $109.70 per share after an intra-day high of $109.75 -- breaking the record set just over a week ago. The company, now valued at $643.37 billion -- more than a third more than the next most valuable publicly-traded company -- may be within sight of besting its own split- and buyback-adjusted all-time high and market capitalization records, which would currently be around $113.86 per share and $667.77 billion, respectively....



...

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18:00
Today in the App Store -- the best free apps, new...

Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.

Apps Now Free

Slow Fast Slow [iPhone;...

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17:49
Apple Could Turn to Alibaba for Apple Pay in China

An Alibaba executive claimed on Tuesday that his company was in discussions with Apple about cooperating on a mobile payment solution for the Chinese market. Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai said in an interview that the two companies were talking without claiming they were close to a deal.


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17:00
Drone Video Shows Progress at Apple’s Spaceship HQ

Construction of Apple's so-called Spaceship HP-or Apple Campus 2.0, as Apple calls it-is really progressing. New drone footage posted to YouTube in the form of a trailer with a dramatic soundtrack, shows just how far the massive building has come. The foundation of the outer ring have been laid, and structural walls abound. Check it out.


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16:40
Cult Comedy Classics: 4 Movies for $29.99

We're trying something new for today's daily deal, a bundle of four movies for $29.99. Our friends at Stack Social put together a deal with NBC Universal for Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, Neighbors, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Those are all great movies (IMO), and our deal is through Flixster, one of Ultraviolet's services, and that's part of what makes this an experiment for us: it's a great deal, but we don't know if you're interested in a service like Ultraviolet, so let's find out! With this deal, you get HD versions of the movies (no special features), and you can download them or stream them. Flixster works on Macs, PCs, iPhone, iPads, and iPod touches, as well as some high end Android devices. There are also flixster apps on Roku, some TVs, and some Blu-ray players.


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16:33
How to Fix Safari Push Notifications in Yosemite

If you’ve visited any of the 9to5 sites in Safari on OS X 10.9 Mavericks or 10.10 Yosemite since early 2014, you may have opted into website push notifications. Powered by PushUp Notifications, which integrates closely with WordPress, 9to5mac alone has over 400,000 subscribers receiving breaking Apple news the moment a hot story is published. On a busy news day, we’re delivering over 2 million unique notifications.

Unfortunately, the underlying Safari Push Notifications service on Apple’s end has some bugs on OS X 10.10 Yosemite. PushUp is reporting that...

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16:25
XSAN and 4K video editing

Forums: Hardware

I currently have an Apple Xsan 3 deployment using Mavericks Mac Mini MDC Atto Thunderlink to FC,  Promise 610f RAID with a JBOD and a Qlogic 5602FC 4GB switch.

I was originally looking to simply upgrade my storage as our editors are working in ProRes422 in Final Cut ProX without any issues. As our Promise RAIDs were going out of warrantly, I felt comfortable replacing the RAID and building a new volume on new RAID hardware. But then... I was told in the middle of 2015 we will need to be able to edit 4K.  I did some Googling and see there is a wide variety of 4K formats. I am currently trying to nail down the format they will be using. I am also trying to nail down how many streams, I will need to feed to our edit stations. 

Has anyone worked with 4K on an Apple Xsan? I am a bit confused on the requirements... from what I have read 4Gb FC is not...

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16:11
Best Buy to offer deals on iPad Air 2, Macs for...

The "doorbuster" deals for Best Buy's Black Friday event have been published, and reveal that the chain will offer discounts on various Apple products, among other items. Of particular interest is a $100 discount on all models of the new iPad Air 2, reducing the entry-level model's price to just $400 but also applying to all other capacities, including the Wi-Fi + Cellular models. Macs, iPods, iTunes gift cards and even Beats headphones will also see discounts....



| Read more »
16:00
Is Apple about to offer higher quality music...

For quite some time, a portion of Apple's customers have wanted higher quality audio files from the iTunes Store. Apple uses AAC coding for the iTunes Store, which is lossy, but a shade better than standard MP3 files. Competitors are now pushing...

| Read more »
15:40
Overcast 1.1 adds CarPlay, iPad layout and landscape...



Overcast 1.1 is out now, bringing several big improvements to the podcast client. The update adds rotation support for the iPhone, which is particularly helpful for people with car docks that enforce landscape device orientation. Arment tastefully uses popovers for the playback settings, a UI element that is generally underused on the iPhone.

For iPad, the app is now truly optimized for the larger canvas, making liberal use of split views and modal sheets. Given that Overcast prides itself on a clean appearance, a native iPad UI for navigation...

| Read more »
15:26
FCC pushing submission, vote on proposed net...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) won't be holding a vote on net neutrality during its December meeting, as the agency says it needs more time to consider the options. The announcement comes only a day after US President Barack Obama offered the FCC support to reclassify broadband and other wireless Internet services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934....



| Read more »
15:13
Apple's Device Enrollment Program extended to...

Apple on Tuesday announced businesses and educational institutions can now use the Device Enrollment Program (DEP) with devices purchased through Apple Authorized Resellers, while support for the service has been extended to include 26 countries.

| Read more »
15:06
Apple deals: Macs as low as $769

This week at Apple's online store find low prices on refurbished Mac models starting as low as $769. The refurbished 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of PCIe-based flash storage has been dropped by $130 to $769. Priced at $799, after a $150 discount, is the refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air with a 1.3GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage....



| Read more »
15:05
Firefox Develops a Case of Selective Amnesia


Mozilla on Monday announced an updated version of its open source browser complete with a new Forget button aimed at protecting users' privacy. "Forget gives you an easy way to tell Firefox to clear out some of your recent activity," explained Firefox Vice President Johnathan Nightingale. "Instead of asking a lot of complex technical questions, Forget asks you only one: How much do you want to forget? Once you tell Firefox you want to forget the last five minutes, or two hours, or 24 hours, it takes care of the rest."

| Read more »
15:04
DealNN: monitors, printers and more

This week at Newegg.com get a great deal on a bundle that includes a 28-inch Acer widescreen LED backlight LCD monitor and a Canon ImageClass MF3010 monochrome laser printer. These items carry a retail cost of $700, but are only $400 when purchased in this bundle. That's a savings of more than $150 over buying these items individually anywhere else....



| Read more »
15:00
The iPhone apps you'll never get to use

The App Store has a ridiculous number of apps, but there are some iOS applications that you'll never get a chance to use unless you find yourself employed by Apple. The apps range from a basic space flight game used to check accelerometer function to...

| Read more »

Rumor Scanner

Tuesday November 11

18:42
iOS 8 Now Installed on Nearly 60 Percent of Active iOS Dev...

After seven and a half weeks of availability, Apple's mobile operating system is now installed on 56 percent of iOS devices, according to the latest data posted on Apple's App Store support page for developers.

iOS 8's installation numbers have increased approximately four percent over the past two weeks, which means iOS 8 adoption has jumped eight percent in the past month. During Apple's October 16 iPad event, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iOS 8 was installed on 48 percent of devices as of October 13. Before that, as of September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 percent of devices, indicating that adoption is steadily increasing after several weeks of stagnation.

The boost in...

| Read more »
15:19
UBS Analyst See's Demand for Apple's New Phablet...

A little over a month ago we reported that Apple had to adjust their iPhone Plus orders twice just to keep up with demand. The day before that we reported that 3 out of 4 Korean consumers want an iPhone 6 Plus over a Galaxy Note 4. Today, Apple's first phablet is continuing to win consumers vote all over the world including the U.K, Italy, and beyond.

| Read more »
14:43
Nautilus Brings HealthKit Integration to Exercise Equipmen...

Nautilus, the company behind the Bowflex line of exercise equipment, today announced that its Bowflex Max Trainer models have gained HealthKit integration, making them one of the first fitness products to support Apple's new health initiative. Support will also be coming in the near future for the company's Nautilus 616 cardio product lineup.

With HealthKit integration, Bowflex users can now see their Bowflex workouts displayed in Apple's Health app, which is able to offer up dashboard data like calories burned, heart rate, time spent working out, and distance traveled. Data is acquired from the existing Bowflex Max Trainer app that transfers workout data from the exercise equipment using Bluetooth.

The Bowflex Max...

| Read more »
14:41
TSMC may Purchase Key Plant to Lure More of Apple's B...

More Apple Business Please: Today news out of Taiwan states that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest semiconductor OEM and the major chipmaker for Apple, is considering ...

| Read more »
14:07
Apple, HP, Microsoft and others could Greatly Benefit from...

According to a new report published late this afternoon, Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft are likely to be some of the big beneficiaries if a deal reached between China and the U.S. leads to slashed tariffs on a range of technology products around the world, including videogame consoles, advanced chips and prepaid cards. U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled the deal Tuesday, saying it would "contribute to a rapid conclusion to the broader negotiations in Geneva."

| Read more »
13:34
Bloomberg Interviews the FCC Commissioner on Net Neutralit...

Yesterday we covered US President Obama's statement about net neutrality wherein he stated that "An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life. Today FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel discussed President Obama’s net neutrality stance.

| Read more »
12:56
Russia's Currency Drop makes a new iPhone 6 a Screami...

Russia, Land of Cheat Vodka and iPhones: John Heisel, Moscow-based vice president of sales and trading at Renaissance Capital Holdings Ltd. Told Bloomberg that while sanctions and the ruble’s ongoing collapse had made his grocery bill jump by 25 percent, at least one thing has gotten cheaper in dollar terms: iPhones.

| Read more »
12:08
Judge Lucy Koh Orders Apple to face lawsuit over iMessage...

In May we posted a report titled "New Class Action Lawsuit Filed against Apple Concerns Android Phones & iMessage." The plaintiff in that case, Adrienne Moore, filed the class action lawsuit against Apple because when she switched from her iPhone 4 to a Galaxy S5, she was no longer able to receive iMessages from her friends with iPhones. Today, Apple was ordered ...

| Read more »
10:29
Apple Will Face Lawsuit Over Phone-Switching iMessage Issu...

Just two days after introducing a tool allowing users to deregister their phone numbers from iMessage, a judge has ruled that Apple will face a federal lawsuit over the issue. Apple allegedly failed to notify consumers that leaving the iMessage system and switching to an Android phone would prevent them from receiving messages from other iPhone owners.

According to Reuters, Judge Lucy Koh has ruled that former iPhone customer Adrianne Moore's lawsuit, filed earlier this year, will be allowed to continue. Moore's lawsuit alleges that she ceased receiving messages after she switched to the Samsung Galaxy S5 from an iPhone 4, which interfered with...

| Read more »
10:00
Construction at Apple Campus 2 Progresses, Work on Structu...

Construction at Apple's spaceship is progressing at a rapid pace, with workers on site at the campus seven days a week. A new photo shared by the City of Cupertino suggests Apple is almost finished with the foundation of the structure and has begun construction on the actual circular-shaped building.

Back in October, the foundation was nearly done, so it is not surprising that construction has progressed to the actual structure itself. Though much of the construction is hidden behind privacy walls, Apple continues to have two enormous concrete mixers on site, as well as other heavy construction machinery.

Over the weekend, a YouTube user who has been capturing a series of videos of the Campus 2 site with a drone shared a...

| Read more »
09:26
Alibaba's Jack Ma Talks about taking Alipay Going Pub...

It was reported on CNBC earlier today that Executive Chairman of Alibaba Jack Ma said on Tuesday that their finance services arm "will definitely go public," ...

| Read more »
08:39
Best Buy Discounting iPads, iPhones, Macs, and More for Bl...

Major retailers are gearing up for the upcoming holiday shopping season, which officially kicks off on the post-Thanksgiving shopping day of Black Friday. Following leaked Black Friday sales flyers from both Sam's Club and Target, Best Buy today published its door buster deals ahead of the November 28 shopping holiday.

Similar to Target, Best Buy is discounting all iPad Air 2 models, with prices starting at $399 for the 16GB WiFi-only version. While Target is offering a $140 gift card, Best Buy is offering a more straightforward but smaller $100 discount off the purchase price of the device. Best Buy also is slashing the price of the iPad mini 3 by $75, lowering the cost of Apple's latest tablet to $324.99 for the base 16GB WiFi model.

Customers looking for Mac hardware...

| Read more »
08:21
Even North Korea's Kim Jong-un loves his iPhone 6

Apple's product appeal is not only for the rich and famous around the world. It's also the favorite choice of dictators. A new report out of Seoul Korean today notes that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a preference for Apple products which has led to a iPhone craze in their country, even though very few are likely to be in a position to get one.

| Read more »
07:06
Here's why an Apple + Alibaba Payment System Alliance...

Earlier today we posted a report about a possible Apple + Alibaba payment system alliance. If you had any doubts as to why Apple would be interested in such an alliance, perhaps this next report will open your eyes.

| Read more »
06:07
Negotiations in Play for Apple + Alibaba Payment Alliance

On October 28 we reported that Apple's CEO Tim Cook was in China and one of his primary goals was to talk to the Chinese government about Apple Pay ... Today we learn that there's a possible payment alliance being ironed out between Apple and Alibaba.

| Read more »
04:23
Alibaba and Apple in Talks Over China-Focused Payments Par...

An Alibaba executive said today that the Chinese e-commerce company and Apple are currently in talks over a partnership to provide a payments solution for China, reports The Wall Street Journal. The comments were shared by Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai, who also noted that the partnership would focus on Apple's presence in China and that the details are still being worked out.

A partnership between both companies could potentially see Alibaba's Alipay electronic payments service integrate with Apple Pay to provide a comprehensive mobile payments solution for the Chinese market. The comments from Tsai come weeks after Alibaba founder Jack Ma...

| Read more »
03:28
Apple Granted 46 Patents Including Design Patents for Mac...

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 46 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's design patent for their new Mac Pro ...

| Read more »

Monday November 10

16:15
Apple Expanding Focus on Enterprise, Developing Dedicated...

Apple is planning an aggressive expansion into the enterprise market, hiring a sales team focused on talking with key enterprise customers, reports Reuters. The sales team may also work alongside "a dozen or so" developers focused on creating corporate-facing apps.

Apple is said to have developed partnerships with several app development startups, including ServiceMax and PlanGrid, both of which build customized industry-specific apps. ServiceMax, for example, already has customers that could be valuable to Apple, including Procter & Gamble and DuPont. Apple is also pursing other relationships with similar corporate app developers, possibly for an initiative aimed at providing custom-made apps for corporate customers.

Apps developers and other sources familiar...

| Read more »
15:37
WSJ Posts Full Video of Tim Cook Discussing Apple Pay, App...

In late October, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage at the WSJ.D conference in Laguna Beach, California, where he commented on an array of topics including the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Apple TV, the discontinuation of the iPod classic, and more.

While we covered the content of interview at the time, The Wall Street Journal has today posted the full 30 minute video of Tim Cook's appearance at the conference, which is well worth watching in its entirety.

Some highlights of the video include an explanation of why the iPod classic was discontinued (it's impossible to get the parts),...

| Read more »
15:14
Apple's iPhone 6 is Dominating Japan's Smartphon...

Apple fans in Japan love the iPhone 6: Today it's being that Apple’s iPhone is dominating Japan’s smartphone sales once again.

| Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Tuesday November 18

12:00
iAd Producer 5.0.1 Now Available

iAd Producer 5.0.1 Now Available

| Read more »
12:00
iAd Producer 5.0.1 Now Available

iAd Producer 5.0.1 Now Available

| Read more »

Tuesday November 11

08:00
De-clutter your inbox in Office 365

Brian Shiers is a senior product marketing manager and Kumar Venkateswar is a senior program manager on the Exchange team.

Today we are beginning the roll out of Clutter to Office 365 business customers, which brings the power of Office Graph to your inbox. Clutter is designed to help you focus on the most important messages in your inbox. It uses machine learning to de-clutter your inbox by moving lower priority messages out of your way and into a new Clutter folder. Ultimately, Clutter removes distractions so you can focus on what matters most.

The Clutter experience

Take a look at this video to learn how Clutter helps you keep focused on the most important items in your inbox.

How Clutter works

Clutter learns from your actions to determine the messages you are likely to ignore. As less important messages arrive, they are automatically...

| Read more »
07:00
Making it easier for teachers and students to work...

Microsoft Office has long been a staple in the teacher toolkit for communicating and collaborating with their classes. Today we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve made it easier for teachers to get Office on all their devices—while storing and sharing class material with students using OneDrive.

Last week we were excited to share with you the next steps in bringing Office to everyone, on every device. The updated Office apps for iPhone and iPad and the upcoming Android and Windows 10 apps are full of great features to help students and teachers do more and achieve more. When combined with an Office 365 subscription and full Office, they can do even more and the experience can be incredibly impactful on classroom collaboration and learning outcomes.

Millions of teachers and students are already eligible through their school to...

| Read more »
06:00
How Product Managers Feel When New Features Are...

You get requests for features. Lots of requests. What do you pick? Why? Sure, vote up, vote down, statistics, choosing people you respect, looking at potential new customers, and tons of other attributes go into this, but at the end of the day, there’s a judgement call. And some people hate what you pick. But sometimes, everyone is into it. Yup.

| Read more »
06:00
Introducing Skype for Business

Today’s post was written by Gurdeep Pall, corporate vice president for Skype.

Yesterday we kicked off a global conversation about how Microsoft is reinventing productivity—across the board—to create a world where people can truly make the most of their time and lead more fulfilling lives.  Connecting people across all of life’s moments—to talk, to share, to collaborate—is at the heart of helping people make the most of every moment.  To that end, and for our business customers, we are bringing together the familiar experience and user love of Skype with the enterprise security, compliance and control from Lync to create the most loved and trusted communications platform for doing things together.

A decade ago, Skype broke down the distance barrier by bringing people together from all over the world.  It forever changed the way people shared their lives by getting friends and family...

| Read more »

Monday November 10

14:00
OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 (14B23) Now Available

OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 (14B23) Now Available

| Read more »
14:00
OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 (14B23) Now Available

OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 (14B23) Now Available

| Read more »
09:00
Leadership in telephony is about much more than...

 BJ Haberkorn is the director of product marketing for the Lync team.

Last month Gartner published the 2014 Magic Quadrant for Corporate Telephony, and I am thrilled to see Lync’s placement this year in the Leader’s Quadrant for the first time. In the report, leaders are defined as “high-viability vendors with broad portfolios, significant market shares, broad geographic coverage, a clear vision of how telephony needs will evolve and a proven track record for delivering telephony solutions.” The report also notes that “companies are increasingly focusing their business strategies and acquisition decisions around unified communications and collaboration (UCC) technology; it is supplanting the historical domain of corporate telephony.”

...

| Read more »
05:00
qlmanage

QuickLook scans file contents before you open those files. Usually this just lets you view a file quickly. But you can also use this same technology from the command line to bring about a change to the Finder without actually opening a file. To access QuickLook from the command line, use qlmanage.

qlmanage -p ~/Desktop/MyTowel42.pdf

While open, click the space bar to go back to your Terminal session. The most notable use case here is that when you use qlmanage you don’t run the risk of changing the date/time stamp of the files.

| Read more »
04:19
TA14-310A: Microsoft Ending Support for Windows...

Original release date: November 10, 2014
Systems Affected

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system

Overview

Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Server 2003 operating system on July 14, 2015.[1] After this date, this product will no longer receive:

  • Security patches that help protect PCs from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software
  • Assisted technical support from Microsoft
  • Software and content updates

Description

All software products have a lifecycle. End of support refers to the date when Microsoft will no longer provide automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance.[2] As of July 2014, there were 12 million physical servers worldwide still running Windows Server 2003....

| Read more »

Saturday November 8

05:00
How Product Managers Think Users Will React To New...

Friday November 7

12:00
Office 365 news round-up

We forget sometimes how quickly and completely mobile technology has transformed the world of computing. Not so long ago, when you wanted to use a computer, you had to go to wherever it was located. Early mainframe computers were as big as a room, and early PCs were called desktop computers for a reason. Mobile technology changed everything. Today, we have smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers. They’re easy to carry around, they all have far more computing power than those early mainframe and desktop computers, and we can use them virtually anywhere.

To make your mobile devices and portable computers even more useful, Microsoft recently made Office available to more people in more ways. Just this week, we released new Office for iPhone and Office for iPad apps and updates, previewed the new Office for Android, and announced the upcoming touch-optimized Office apps for Windows. To make sure users...

| Read more »
09:00
Tackle your next group project with Word for iPad...

Group projects in particular are an integral part of every student’s curriculum, but sharing the work and getting the project submitted on time is not always easy. This past spring we released Word for iPad and just yesterday Word for iPhone with some great tools to help you with your schoolwork!

To give you an idea of how Word on your mobile devices can help save the day, imagine the following situation:

A group of students are taking a course on digital media and have been tasked with writing a group report on the impact of social media on online fundraising. Emily, Anne and Josh are paired up by the professor and begin brainstorming ideas at the end of class. Emily opens Word on her iPhone and begins taking notes on areas the group would like to cover in the report. Before the end of class, the team already has an outline for the report.

Emily...

| Read more »
05:00
Yosemite and statshares in smbutil

The statshares option has an -m option to look at a mount path for showing the path to the mount (e.g. if the mount is called krypted this should be something like /Volumes/krypted):

smbutil statshares -m /Volumes/krypted

When run, you see a list of all the attributes OS X tracks for that mount path, including the name of the server, the user ID (octal), how SMB negotiated an authentication, what version of SMB is running (e.g. SMB_1), the type of share and whether signing, extended security, Unix and large files are supported.

Additionally, if you’d like to see the attributes for all shares, use the -a option after statshares:

smbutil statshares -a

Overall, this is a nice health check type of verb for the smbutil command that can be added to any monitoring or troubleshooting workflow. Other verbs for smbutil include lookup, status, view, and identity. All are very helpful in troubleshooting connections to smb targets.

| Read more »

Thursday November 6

09:47
What’s new: October 2014

October featured updates pretty much across all Office 365 services. First was the launch of Office Sway, the first completely new Office experience in over a decade. Students and teachers can look forward to updates for OneNote, a new class notebook app, Office Mix and more. Office 365 small and midsize business customers have new subscription plan options, security and protection services released plans for tons of new innovation rolling out now and in the first half of 2015. And communication on Mac OS X got better with a new Outlook for Mac app, and an updated Lync for Mac. Leave us a comment to let us know what your favorite new feature is. If you missed last month’s updates, see What’s New: September 2014.

Office 365 Personal, Office 365 Home and Office 365 University updates

...

| Read more »
06:00
Bringing Office to everyone

Today is the next step in bringing Office to everyone and on every device with the start of Office for Android tablet Preview, new Office for iPhone apps, updated Office for iPad apps and more.

Check out the Official Microsoft Blog for details on how we’re continuing to help people use Office everywhere so they can do more and achieve more. For a sneak peek and links to download the apps, see below. And check back here on Office Blogs for ongoing updates on today’s news.

Office for iPhone

The new Office for iPhone apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint offer the same beautiful iPad experience, optimized for the iPhone. Customers can download the new apps today.

...

| Read more »
05:00
Directory Utility in Yosemite. I’m not Dead Yet…...

The Directory Utility application has moved to /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications. Once open, you can use it to bind to directory services, change search policies and even dink around with NIS if you still rock the flannel with your ripped up jeans. But, the thing that I tend to do in Directory Utility the most is look at user and group attributes. To do so, open Directory Utility and click on the Directory Editor tab. In the bar directly below, you’ll see Viewing and In Node. The Viewing option is what type of object you’re going to look at. The In Node option shows the directory domain you’re viewing. Below, we show the local users in /Local/Default. 

Click on a user and you will see all of the attributes that exist for that user. Not all users are created equal when it comes to attributes, so if you’re looking for a specific attribute then you...

| Read more »

Wednesday November 5

09:00
From Inside the Cloud: What does Microsoft do to...

Chang Kawaguchi is a group engineering manager for security for Office 365, Travis Rhodes is a lead security software engineer for Office 365 and Vijay Kumar is a senior product manager for Office 365.

If you have been following the From Inside the Cloud series, we regularly bring you an insider’s view on how we operate and manage the Office 365 service for security, privacy and compliance directly from the people behind the service.

Recently, there have been a number of cyber security related news articles about vulnerabilities and exploits. If you are wondering if the Cloud increases your data risk, in this week’s episode we focus on the measures that our engineering team has in place to prepare for emerging security threats to the Office 365 service.

As we explain in this short video, we operate under the assumption that no computer system is perfectly secure, so we invest...

| Read more »
08:00
Upgrade to OS X Yosemite

Installing OS X has never been easier than in Yosemite. In this article, we’ll look at upgrading a Mac from OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) to OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). The first thing you should do is clone your system. The second thing you should do is make sure you have a good backup. The third thing you should do is make sure you can swap back to the clone should you need to do so and that your data will remain functional on the backup. Once you’re sure that you have a fallback plan, let’s get started by downloading OS X Yosemite from the App Store. Once downloaded, you’ll see Install OS X Yosemite sitting in LaunchPad, as well as in the /Applications folder.

Open the app and click Continue (provided of course that you are ready to restart the computer and install OS X Yosemite).

...

| Read more »
07:47
Garage Series: Office 365 identity just got easier...

Want to know the most efficient way to get your users and co-workers into the cloud? This week Jeremy Chapman is joined by Paul Andrew to explain identity options and demonstrate a few tools to make it easier to synchronize your directory services with Office 365 and Azure Active Directory.

A few weeks back we used PowerShell and a CSV file to try and get 150 users into Office 365 in the 8.5 minutes it took the space shuttle to reach orbit. From an identity perspective, that was just showing one of several ways to get users into Azure Active Directory and Office 365. This week identity expert, Paul Andrew, joins me to discuss the options for managing user accounts and passwords. There are three primary options and a few new tools to get users into Office 365 and other Microsoft cloud services:

  1. Cloud ID –  where user accounts and...
| Read more »
05:00
Yosemite Server Guide/Page Live

A blog is a great way to communicate information. But pedagogy, yo… Blogs are not great ways to teach in a guided manner. But they can be. So with a little Table of Contents, or a Guide of sorts, you can easily communicate in a fashion similar to a book. And this makes the third annual OS X Server Guide that I’m publishing in this manner; the guides for Mavericks and Mountain Lion are  still available. I doubt I’ll ever actually bother to take them down.

I’ve been working on getting the annual guide up for a few weeks and while there are still some posts remaining, but it’s basically done (some articles just haven’t gone up yet, but they’re basically written). So, if you’re fighting the good fight (and I do think it’s a good fight) and rolling Yosemite Server, click over on http://krypted.com/guides/yosemite-server for the latest guide, covering OS X Server...

| Read more »

Technology Showcase

Sep 17
Video showcases iOS app built with Xojo

Xojo Inc., the company formerly known as Real Software, has posted a video of an iOS app that was built with Xojo. Xojo is an object-oriented, cross-platform software development tool that enables developers to create software for OS X, Windows, Linux, the web and mobile.

The video showcases all the native controls and gives an overview of Xojo's support for building iOS apps. Building native iOS apps with Xojo is the same as building a web or desktop app as you do today. You can view the video at http://tinyurl.com/nvexpk7 .

Developers can use the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) of Xojo for free, and will only need to purchase a license once they want to build a distributable version of their application. Licenses are purchased per target platform, including Web, Desktop, Database, Console, and Xojo Pro, which is a bundle license that includes all deployment licenses plus an added...

| Read more »
Feb 14
A look at SkySafari for iOS, Mac OS X and 2012 DA14

This Friday, Feb. 15, a 180,000-ton asteroid with the thrilling name of "2012 DA14" will fly past the Earth. Don't worry, we're not talking a "Deep Impact" scenario. Which is good, right? And you can follow the asteroid using Apple devices.

The 50-meter space rock will come within 17,200 miles of earth -- that's closer than our orbiting geosynchronous communication satellites. Although we don't have to worry about a collision, the passage of 2012 DA14 is a record close approach to the Earth for an object of this size.

Southern Stars has released update to its SkySafari Plus and Pro apps for iOS, Mac OS X, and Android to let you track 2012 DA14. If you want to track the asteroid you'll want the updated apps. Why? Because the Earth's gravity affects the asteroid's orbit so severely, most desktop planetarium programs -- and all other mobile apps -- will completely fail to predict the asteroid's position correctly, says Southern Stars founder Tim DeBenedictis.

...

| Read more »
Jan 05
Fusion Drive now available on entry-level iMacs

Apple's Fusion Drive Apple is available as a build-to-order option for the 21.5-inch, 2.7GHz 21.5-inch iMac model. Previously, it was only offered for the high-end 21.5-inchers and the 27-inch iMac.

Apple says the Fusion Drive gives customers the performance of flash storage and the capacity of a hard drive. It combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimize read and write performance. Apple says the Fusion Drive adapts to the way you use your iMac and automatically moves the files and apps you use most often to flash storage to enable faster performance and quicker access.

| Read more »
May 02
Satechi Divoom iBase Dock Station available for iOS...

Satechi (http://www.Satechi.net) has released the Divoom iBase Dock Station for the iPod, iPhone or iPad. The US$44.99 device combines a speaker system and docking station.

The Satechi Divoom iBase Dock Station features four full range neodymium dynamic drivers and a 20.6 ounce speaker. Additionally, it has a vertical support to ensure the iOS device is secured in place. The Satechi Divoom iBase Dock Station is also compatible with other MP3 players via the 3.5mm line-in jack.

| Read more »
Dec 16
Appcelerator offers '4 Steps to creating a mobile...

Appcelerator has published a white paper on "4 Steps to creating a mobile development strategy."

"Companies now have a window of opportunity to think about how mobile can transform their business as radically as the web did," says AppCelerator. "By making mobile a part of their overall digital strategy, companies can transform their relationships with their customers in even greater ways than they did with the web."

The white paper tells you how this can be accomplished. Appcelerator (http://www.appcelerator.com/) is a company that helps web developers create mobile, tablet and desktop applications.

| Read more »
Sep 19
InterMapper publishes white papers on network...

InterMapper has published four white papers on network monitoring, mapping and alerting and InterMapper. You can find them all at
http://www.intermapper.com/resources/whitepapers.aspx .

The papers look at "Top 8 reasons SMBs need to monitor their networks," "top 8 considerations for selecting SMB network monitoring software," "10 steps to streamline the deployment of network monitoring software for SMBs," and "6 ways to calculate returns from your networking monitoring investment."

InterMapper is Mac OS X compatible network monitoring software. It uses SNMP to monitor the network infrastructure, and has probes for monitoring many kinds of servers, including web, mail, LDAP, FTP, etc. More information and a free 30-day demo are available at the product Web site (...

| Read more »
Aug 11
Video tour of new Data Rescue Center headquarters...

The Data Rescue Center, a a data recovery company founded in 2009 and a division of Prosoft Engineering, recently opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Livermore, California. You can get a video tour of it at http://www.thedatarescuecenter.com/company_background.html .

In June of 2010, the Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering finalized the purchase of a building in Livermore near the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Work immediately began on the design and construction of the new recovery lab facility.

In late January of 2011, both The Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering moved all operations to this new facility. It boasts a Class 2 UL-Listed Vault and extensive security features.

The ISO 5 / Class 100 Cleanroom exceeds all manufacturers specifications for cleanroom recovery environments, according to...

| Read more »
Mar 11
Video looks at 'Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut...

Future Media Concepts has posted a video on "Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut Pro." It teaches you how to make your colors "pop" in footage in Final Cut Pro. You can find it at
http://www.fmctraining.com/fmc.asp?w=blip_AYHdkS4C .

Future Media Concepts is a digital media training center representing the leading software manufacturers, including Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Boris FX, Digidesign, NewTek and Softimage. Headquartered in New York City, FMC now operates 5 additional digital media training facilities located in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Orlando and Chicago.

| Read more »
Oct 04
Video showcases Zco's services

Zco Corp. (http://www.zco.com) has posted an overview video for their technology showcase. You can view it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzE89z-jexA .

Zco can help you build custom software, as well as market it. The company developsb oth industrial strength backend applications using .NET, PHP and Java as well as apps for all major mobile platforms, including the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7, WebOS and Symbian.

Zco can also help you promote your products and services using search engine optimization and social media optimization techniques, HD video, stunning graphics, 3D animation and video effects, press releases, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and Bing.

| Read more »
Aug 26
Video looks at digital storytelling features of...

A new online video (http://www.memoryminer.com) shows some of the best ways for using MemoryMiner, a digital storytelling application for Mac OS X. Designed an an complement the iLife suite, the software is all about capturing and exploring your life memories.

MemoryMiner allows anyone to zero in on the stories depicted in their photos by linking them to each other based on people, places and time. While photos are used as the starting point, the goal is always uncovering the backstory.

With MemoryMiner, you can directly record audio or video to capture the backstory of a photo. You can attach documents, web URL's, or other media to add depth and context. Each photo becomes a frame in a storyboard that can be browsed by periods in a person's life, where people overlap, by place, by time, or any combination.

MemoryMiner requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs...

| Read more »
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Software Updates via MacUpdate

Google Chrome 38.0.2125.122 - Modern and...
Google Chrome is a Web browser by Google, created to be a modern platform for Web pages and applications. It utilizes very fast loading of Web pages and has a V8 engine, which is a custom built... Read more
Tidy Up 4.0 - Find duplicate files and t...
Tidy Up is a complete duplicate finder and disk-tidiness utility. With Tidy Up you can search for duplicate files and packages by the owner application, content, type, creator, extension, time... Read more
Adobe Flash Player 15.0.0.223 - Plug-in...
Adobe Flash Player is a cross-platform, browser-based application runtime that provides uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across browsers and operating systems.... Read more
Firefox 33.1 - Fast, safe Web browser. (...
Firefox for Mac offers a fast, safe Web browsing experience. Browse quickly, securely, and effortlessly. With its industry-leading features, Firefox is the choice of Web development professionals... Read more
TextSoap 7.4.3 - Flexible text editing u...
TextSoap is for people who work with text. TextSoap effortlessly cleans up text from endlessly different formats. Wash away unwanted characters, spaces, tabs. Fix paragraphs with hard returns at the... Read more
Pixa 1.1.5 - Quickly and easily organize...
Pixa is an image-organizing application. The new app functions well, is easy to use, and helps people organize their images quickly and easily on their computers. For those who prefer not to use the... Read more
Yummy FTP 1.10.1 - FTP/SFTP/FTPS client...
Yummy FTP is an FTP + SFTP + FTPS file transfer client which focuses on speed, reliability and productivity. Whether you need to transfer a few files or a few thousand, schedule automatic backups, or... Read more
X Lossless Decoder 20141109 - Encode, tr...
X Lossless Decoder (XLD) is a tool for OS X that is able to decode/convert/play various 'lossless' audio files. The supported audio files can be split into some tracks with cue sheet when decoding... Read more
Monosnap 3.0.1 - Versatile screenshot ut...
Monosnap lets you capture screenshots, share files, and record video and .gifs! Capture: Capture full screen, just part of the screen, or a selected window Make your crop area pixel perfect with... Read more
DiskCatalogMaker 6.4.11b2 - Catalog your...
DiskCatalogMaker is a simple disk management tool which catalogs disks. Simple, light-weight, and fast. Finder-like intuitive look and feel. Super-fast search algorithm. Can compress catalog data... Read more

Latest Forum Discussions

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MORPG Darkness Reborn has an Official Re...
MORPG Darkness Reborn has an Official Release Date Posted by Jessica Fisher on November 11th, 2014 [ permalink ] GAMEVIL has announced that their live MORPG, | Read more »
Save the Bears! Candy Crush Soda Saga Av...
Save the Bears! Candy Crush Soda Saga Available Today Posted by Jessica Fisher on November 11th, 2014 [ permalink ] Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad | Read more »
Car Breakers Review
Car Breakers Review By Jennifer Allen on November 11th, 2014 Our Rating: :: FLINGING FUNUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Flinging a crash test dummy is kind of fun, as Car Breakers demonstrates.   | Read more »
Lipa Knight Review
Lipa Knight Review By Amy Solomon on November 11th, 2014 Our Rating: :: BRIDGE BUILDING FUNUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Lipa Knight is a thoughtfully developed logic and reasoning app children and their adults will... | Read more »
Seasonality Go Review
Seasonality Go Review By Jennifer Allen on November 11th, 2014 Our Rating: :: VARIED WEATHER REPORTINGUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Get detailed weather reporting quickly via Seasonality Go.   | Read more »
.NOON Review
.NOON Review By Jennifer Allen on November 11th, 2014 Our Rating: :: TWITCHY CLOCKSUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Tapping on a clock at just the right moment can be surprisingly fun, if basic, when it comes to .NOON... | Read more »
Beep-Beep! RGB Express Update Coming Thr...
Beep-Beep! RGB Express Update Coming Through Posted by Jessica Fisher on November 11th, 2014 [ permalink ] Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad | Read more »
Overview Calendar Review
Overview Calendar Review By Jennifer Allen on November 11th, 2014 Our Rating: :: CLASSY ORGANIZINGiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Organize your life in a more stylish way than usual, thanks to... | Read more »
Jet Run: City Defender Review
Jet Run: City Defender Review By Jordan Minor on November 11th, 2014 Our Rating: :: PRETTY, SIMPLEUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Jet Run: City Defender’s beauty might be its own worst enemy.   | Read more »
This Week at 148Apps: November 3-7, 2014
Expert App Reviewers   So little time and so very many apps. What’s a poor iPhone lover to do? Fortunately, 148Apps is here to give you the rundown on the latest and greatest releases. And we even have a tremendous back catalog of reviews; just... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Satechi Launches Multi-Functional Edge Wirele...
Your humble servant isn’t much of a gamer, but I’m a big fan of gaming mice, which typically feature higher tracking precision and rugged construction along with comfortable ergonomics than “regular... Read more
LINK Power Drive Combines Flash Drive and Pow...
Imation Corp. has announced the Imation LINK Power Drive — a new device that brings flash storage and battery-charging capabilities together in a single unit for the iPhone and other iOS devices. “... Read more
Sale! $200 off the 15″ 2.2GHz Retina MacBook...
 B&H Photo has the 2014 15″ 2.2GHz Retina MacBook Pro on sale for $1799.99 for a limited time. Shipping is free, and B&H charges NY sales tax only. B&H will also include free copies of... Read more
Roundup of Apple refurbished iPads
Apple dropped prices recently on Apple Certified Refurbished iPad Airs and iPad mini 2s, with models available starting at $249. Apple’s one-year warranty is included with each model, and shipping is... Read more
13-inch 2.6GHz/256GB Retina MacBook Pro now o...
 Best Buy has dropped their sale price on the 13″ 2.6GHz/256GB Retina MacBook Pro to $1349.99, or about $150 off MSRP. Choose free home shipping or free local store pickup (if available). Price valid... Read more
Today’s lowest prices on 2014 MacBook Airs, u...
The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished 2014 MacBook Airs available for up to $180 off the cost of new models. An Apple one-year warranty is included with each MacBook, and shipping is free.... Read more
New 1.4GHz Mac mini on sale and in stock for...
B&H Photo has the new 1.4GHz Mac mini in stock today and on sale for $459.99 including free shipping plus NY tax only. Their price is $40 off MSRP, and it’s the lowest price available for this... Read more
21-inch iMacs on sale for up to $150 off MSRP
B&H Photo has 21″ iMacs on sale for up to $150 off MSRP including free shipping plus NY sales tax only: - 21″ 1.4GHz iMac: $999.99 $100 off - 21″ 2.7GHz iMac: $1199.99 $100 off - 21″ 2.9GHz iMac... Read more
27-inch 5K iMac available for $2449, save $50
Amazon.com has the 27″ 3.5GHz 5K iMac available for $2449 including free shipping. Their price is $50 off MSRP, and it’s currently the lowest price available for this model from any reseller (outside... Read more
Roundup of Mac Pro sale prices, save up to $3...
B&H Photo has Mac Pros on sale for up to $350 off MSRP. Shipping is free, and B&H charges sales tax in NY only: - 4-core Mac Pro: $2649, $350 off MSRP - 6-core Mac Pro: $3739.99, $260 off... Read more

Jobs Board

Project Manager / Business Analyst, WW *Appl...
…a senior project manager / business analyst to work within our Worldwide Apple Fulfillment Operations and the Business Process Re-engineering team. This role will work Read more
Project Manager / Business Analyst, WW *Appl...
…a senior project manager / business analyst to work within our Worldwide Apple Fulfillment Operations and the Business Process Re-engineering team. This role will work Read more
*Apple* Solutions Consultant (ASC) - Apple (...
**Job Summary** The ASC is an Apple employee who serves as an Apple brand ambassador and influencer in a Reseller's store. The ASC's role is to grow Apple Read more
Position Opening at *Apple* - Apple (United...
…customers purchase our products, you're the one who helps them get more out of their new Apple technology. Your day in the Apple Store is filled with a range of Read more
Position Opening at *Apple* - Apple (United...
**Job Summary** The Apple Store is a retail environment like no other - uniquely focused on delivering amazing customer experiences. As an Expert, you introduce people Read more
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