In a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty says if were to launch a full-fledged television set (the rumored "iTV"), it could cause total average annual U.S. household spending on Apple products to double to US$888 by 2015. She said that Apple's U.S. household spending doubled following the launch of the original iPhone, from $150 per year in 2007 to $295 in 2010. She expects that the iPad will double that spending again, to an average of $635 per household, per year by 2013. "Given a 97% TV household penetration and a 61% broadband household penetration in the US along with an expected high price (and value) point, an Apple TV is likely to generate a similar increase in average household spend, with some help from iPad and iPhone growth," Huberty wrote.

Aaron Sorkin -- who has been hired to write a screenplay based on Walter Issacson's best-selling "Steve Jobs" biography -- hasn't yet figured out how to put the life of the Apple co-founder on the silver screen, but he's certain it's not going to be a straightforward biography, notes "Reuters" (http://macte.ch/D0QYQ). Sorkin, who won an Oscar for his screenplay of Facebook film "The Social Network," says he'll be looking for an element of tension or an obstacle in Job's life on which to hang the movie, the article adds. He also said that Apple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak has been hired by the film studio as a "tutor" on all the technical aspects of computers and on Jobs himself. The movie project is being produced by Mark Gordon, Scott Rudin and Guymon Casady. Published late last year, "Steve Jobs" was Amazon’s best-selling book of 2011. In addition, the biography ranked #1 among bestselling hardcover books by a 2:1 margin, with sales of 2,246,569 in 2011, according to "Publisher’s...

Digital Anarchy has announced Beauty Box 2.0, an update of their skin retouching product. Version 2.0 boasts a speed increase by using OpenCL, technology that runs on ATI and Nvidia cards. The new product also introduces a new smoothing algorithm that improves automatic masking, and adds shine removal for hot spots on skin areas. Host app support now includes Final Cut Pro X, and support for OpenFX applications is in development. "Our biggest request has been for increased speed, and this 2.0 release delivers on that," says Digital Anarchy President Jim Tierney. "Beauty Box is now about 300% faster on most video cards. The best part is that it’s as great as ever at producing subtle skin smoothing that looks beautifully realistic." Beauty Box Video 2.0 is regularly priced at US$199, but will be on sale for $139 until June 1. Upgrades are priced at $59 (regularly $89) until June 1. Beauty Box Video runs in After Effects 7.0–CS6, Final Cut Pro X, Final Cut Pro 7, and Premiere Pro CS4–...

LaCie (http://www.lacie.com) has announced a new 2-bay network-attached storage solution (NAS): the LaCie 2big NAS with a design by Neil Poulton. It's available in 0TB and 6TB capacities with pricing starting at US$299. Powered by a 2GHz processor and improved file system, the 2big NAS delivers speeds up to 100MB/s, ensuring employees can share files from any Mac, PC or Linux workstation, according to Erwan Girard, Professional Business Unit manager at LaCie. It offers multiple levels of security including RAID 1 for data mirroring. LaCie 2big NAS ensures a complete backup of any Mac, PC or Linux workstation. Users can choose from the popular Time Machine and Windows 7 Backup software, or the included LaCie backup software. Consistent automatic backup means users can restore lost files instantly, says Girard.

The Tiffen Company (http://tiffen.com/) says its digital filter suite, Tiffen Dfx 3, is now available for use on Apple Final Cut Pro X (10.0.4) and Motion 5 (5.0.3). The Tiffen Dfx digital filter solution simulates 2,000  popular Tiffen glass filters, specialized lenses, optical lab processes, film grain, exacting color correction plus natural light and photographic effects. It's targeted to video editors, directors of photography and still photographers. Tiffen Dfx for FCP X and Motion 5 is available for US$599. In addition to supporting Apple Final Cut Pro 10.0.4 and Motion 5.0.3, one Tiffen Dfx 3 video/film plug-in license will also run in Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro 6 & 7 and Avid editing systems if installed and activated on the same machine. The Tiffen Dfx 3 photo plug-in is available for $199.95. One Tiffen Dfx photo plug-in license will run in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, and Apple Aperture if...

Recosoft Corp. (http://www.recosoft.com) has released PDF2Office Professional 6.0, an upgrade to its PDF conversion solution for Mac OS X. The new version contains a modern 64-bit conversion core and over 200 new features and enhancements. PDF2Office converts PDF and XPS files into editable Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OmniGraffle and other common file types by recreating the intended construction and layout of the document. Version 6.0 supports Windows XPS documents and converts them to Excel, Word, PowerPoint and other formats. PDF2Office Professional 6.0 now also converts PDF files and XPS files to layered OmniGraffle documents where text, tables and graphics are placed on separate layers. PDF2Office requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 and higher. It's available in the following configurations: PDF2Office Professional 6.0 ($99); PDF2Office Professional 6.0 Education license ($69); and PDF2Office Professional 6.0 upgrade license ($59.99 ). Customers who purchased PDF2Office Professional 5.x...

Excel Software (http://www.excelsoftware.com) has announced Safe Activation Service 3 for software activation and licensing.   The Safe Activation service launched in 2007 was later expanded with advanced license release, restore, suspend, reset and subscriptions features in 2009.  Safe Activation Service 3 adds integrated order processing, event driven actions, daily account backups, additional licensing, vendor branding and customization features.  The online service is used by software publishers to automate software protection, activation and license management. Service 3 adds a modular order processing system to existing license management capabilities. A configurable order completion process can be integrated with any shopping cart or payment processing system. Serial numbers can be automatically assigned to purchased products and presented immediately to a customer by web page or customized email message.  endors configure orderable items, associated serial numbers, allowed...

iLuv Creative Technology (http://www.i-Luv.com) is shipping their new line of premium audio and charge/sync data cables, including DualJack. The line includes: ° DualJack, an US$29.99 combination sync and charge cable for both Apple mobile devices and most smartphones. The hinge design houses both connectors, an Apple connector and a micro-USB, so you don’t have to carry two different cables. ° Stereo Audio Cable ($19.99), designed for optimal acoustic delivery for Apple and other mobile devices. Available in three-foot and six-foot sizes, these straight shielded aux-in cables are built for connecting your device to your car or home audio system. ° Coiled Stereo Audio Cable ($19.9) -- a six-foot coiled shielded aux-in cable designed for use at home or on the go. The coil design helps resists tangles.

On Sunday, May 20th, 2012, the first annular solar eclipse in the United States since 1994 will take place. To celebrate this spectacular celestial event and help millions of people follow it across the world, Southern Stars has released a major update to its SkySafari apps for iOS, Mac OS X, and Android. SkySafari 3.5 is the only iOS astronomy app that correctly displays both solar and lunar eclipses from any place on Earth, according to Southern Stars founder Tim DeBenedictis. Now, the Plus and Pro versions of SkySafari 3.5 add a new twist, he adds. "You can now leave the surface of planet Earth, and view eclipses and other celestial events from any place in the solar system," Tim DeBenedictis says. With this new ability to fly into orbit around other objects in the Solar System, SkySafari Plus and Pro give you a unique perspective on events like this Sunday's solar eclipse, he adds. By watching an eclipse from the Moon, for instance, you can visually see where the Moon's shadow...

Here are the latest incremental updates for Mac OS X apps. Pixelmator, the image editor for Mac OS X, has been updated to version 2.0.4 Available at the Mac App Store, it offers improved workflow, minor user face improvements and more. Macoscope has announced HUDTube 1.4.1 (http://hudtu.be/), an update of the Mac OS X software that lets you enjoy browser-free videos. With the new version you can send your .mov and .mp4 movies to Apple TV without having to add them to iTunes. Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has released Output Factory 1.2.1, a feature update to its professional solution to automate output from Adobe InDesign. The new version adds support for PNG transparency in InDesign CS6 and introduces new file queue management options. Remoter Labs (http://remoterlabs.com) has launched Remoter VNC 3.6, an update to their productivity app that allows users to remotely control Macs via screen sharing, and Windows or Linux PCs using the VNC or RDP standards right from their...

The article says the company is buying equipment from SunPower Corp and startup Bloom Energy to build two solar array installations in and around Maiden, North Carolina, near its core data center. Once up, the solar farm will supply 84 million kWh of energy annually. The sites will employ high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced solar tracking system. Later this year, Apple also intends to build a third, smaller, bio-gas fuel-cell plant. The two solar farms will cover 250 acres, among the largest in the industry, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer told "Reuters." Apple plans on using coal-free electricity in all three of its data centers, with the Maiden facility coal-free by the end of 2012, the article adds. Last year it was announced that Apple would build a data center in Catawba County on the outskirts of Maiden. Maiden and Catawba County agreed to US$7.3 million in incentives for Apple in order for them to build the center there. The company will build a 500,000-square-foot...

In a recent court filing noticed by Total Telecom, Kodak accused the Cupertino company of trying to interfere in its upcoming patent auction in order to avoid paying US$1 billion in penalties and royalty fees, reports "TUAW" (http://macte.ch/6JM6U). According to the court document, Kodak says Apple shouldn't be allowed to claim ownership of a key Kodak imaging patent that describes a method of previewing a photo on an LCD. Kodak argues that the International Trade Commission and a US District Court have denied Apple's ownership claims, the article adds. Apple, however, continues to assert that Kodak misappropriated its technology to get the patent. Apple sued Kodak in April 2010, about three months after Kodak accused Apple and Research In Motion of infringing a patent related to ways of previewing images. Apple's countersuit said Kodak devices copy the technology that it uses in Macs, iPhone, iTunes and Photo Booth involving image processing, energy management and memory design.

"The Next Web" reports that Apple has won its dispute over the iPhone5.com domain, after it took its complaint to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The WIPO recently posted to its website that the domain has been "terminated," with the domain owner expected to have relinquished ownership, the article adds. The iPhone5.com domain is now being held by brand protection agency Corporation Service Company, "which may have been used by Apple to take ownership," says "The Next Web." Before this development, the domain was active and hosted a discussion forum devoted to smartphones. Apple may have the domain name, but it seems more likely the next gen iPhone will simply be called "the new iPhone." For more info go to http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/05/17/apple-wins-dispute-over-iphone5-c... .

Viaden Mobile has launched the Mac version of its All-in Fitness application. It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher, costs US$1.99 and is available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Health & Fitness category. All-in Fitness is an app for working out, scheduling fitness sessions and activities and tracking all kinds of fitness progress. Starting off with the creation of a fitness plan, it involves the user in a regular sports and activity routine. Users are free to choose one of the ready-made workouts or create one themselves with the help of All-in Fitness' exercise database. One-time and regular activities can be included into the fitness schedule.

Lusso Cartella (http://www.lussocartella.com) has expanded its line of luxury cases with a case for the 15-inch MacBook Pro 15. The handmade leather sleeves feature Artisanal leathers. The sleeves are available in the following colors: Confidence Mocha / Suede Dark Brown; Confidence Brown / Suede Medium Brown; Confidence Black / Suede Cobalt Blue; and Confidence Black / Suede Red. Pricing starts at US$139. "We are delighted to announce our exciting new line of MacBook Pro 15-inch cases," says Sharon Cantwell, vice president of Marketing for Lusso Cartella. "So many of our iPad Customers requested sleeves for their MacBook Pros that we could hardly say no. Like our other product lines, the MacBook Pro series offers a wide range of both classic and fashion finishes, that is sure to delight our current customers while attracting new ones." Lusso Cartella has announced a limited time, "Like Us on Facebook" discount. Go to their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/lussocartella), like...

Today's special deal is Porthole for Mac OS X. It's being offered for US$7.99; the regular price is $13. To take advantage of this special pricing go to http://www.mupromo.com/deal/1867/6603/porthole . Porthole is a tool that lets you stream the music from your favorite music player such as Spotify or Pandora to your Airplay speakers, Apple AirPort Express and Apple TV. The setup wizard will have you going in no time.

Job listings for Apple Retail store leader positions in Shenzhen and Chengdu hint at the company's plan to expand its retail operations to new cities in China, reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) In 2010, Apple reportedly revealed to its shareholders plans open a total of 25 brick-and-mortar stores over the course of two years. However, as "AppleInsider" notes, the company doesn't appear on track to meet that goal, as it currently has just five retail stores on the Chinese mainland -- two in Beijing and three in Shanghai. According to a job listing for a "Store Leader" posted to the Hong Kong version of the JobsDB website, Apple Asia is looking to capitalize on the China opportunity with retail expansions to two new cities. Also, a mall in Dalian China has begun advertising that it will soon have "Apple's world's biggest flagship store." However, reports have disagreed on whether the business will be an official Apple Retail store or a reseller, notes "AppleInsider."

Trams (http://www.trams.co.uk/) has joined the Enterprise Device Alliance, (http://enterprisedevicealliance.org/). The EDA is an organization designed to provide information to IT managers and administrators about the ways they can leverage their Windows infrastructure, management tools and expertise to easily integrate Macs into their organizations.  Mike Saunders, business development manager at Trams, says the company has joined the EDA to help further the organization's goal of making it easy to deploy, integrate and manage Macs, iPhones and iPads in a Windows environment. Trams will co-host a range of EDA programs, including a  June 19 luncheon for IT professionals and a webcast of industry experts from the EDA and WindowsITPro exploring the challenges and solutions for integrating, securing and managing personally owned (BYOD) devices into Windows environments. Established in 1990, and the largest B2B Apple Reseller in Europe, Trams is an IT Solution provider that offers service...

Skyport Wi-Fi Key (http://www.venstar.com/Thermostats/) for the ColorTouch residential thermostat.  It connects to Venstar’s Skyport Cloud Services, which, when used with Venstar’s new mobile application, allows users to remotely monitor and control their home thermostats. Compatible with iOS devices, the Mac, Blackberry, Android and PCs, the ColorTouch residential thermostat with Skyport Wi-Fi Key is priced under $300 (estimated consumer cost).   Using the ColorTouch mobile application on their smartphones or tablet computers over Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G, or over the Internet, users can control their energy usage and reduce energy costs from any location, at any time. The ColorTouch thermostat Wi-Fi Key transforms the thermostat into a Wi-Fi device that allows users to monitor and control their home thermostats from any compatible mobile device or computer via Skyport, saus Steve Dushane, president and CEO of Venstar. The new ColorTouch residential mobile application allows users to...

Here are the latest incremental updates for Mac OS X apps. Noise Industries (http://www.noiseindustries.com) has updated its free Pan and Zoom plug-in to offer support for Apple Final Cut Pro X, alongside Motion and Adobe After Effects. The Pan and Zoom generator allows editors to create the effect made popular by Ken Burns. Users can achieve stunning animations without a single keyframe. Pan and Zoom is supported in Final Cut Pro 6, 7 and X, Final Cut Express 4, Motion 3, 4 and 5 and Adobe After Effects CS4, CS5, CS5.5 and CS6. Teorex has announced a new version of Inpaint, its solution for quick removal of unwanted objects from digital photos. The new version's Multi View feature is based on a conceptually new method, enabling the users to make a "perfect" picture out of several shots of the same scene. Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has released InPreflight Pro 2.10, a compatibility update to its document preparation solution for Adobe InDesign. The new version makes...

Apple has responded to those participating in a class-action suit accusing the company of deceptive advertising around Siri‘s capabilities, arguing the complainers are simply out to make money, reports "SlashGear" (http://macte.ch/6zTrF). Siri is Apple's voice-activated "personal assistant" that was introduced with the iPhone 4S. Here's Apple's description of Siri: "Siri on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back." In a new, filed motion to dismiss the suit, Apple suggests that rather than having legitimate issues with the accuracy of the “beta” virtual personal assistant system on the iPhone, those taking part in the class-action motion can only give vague indications of how Siri has let them down, notes "SlashGear." In March a man named Frank Fazio sued Apple, claiming the voice-activated Siri...

Worldwide sales of mobile phones to end users reached 419.1 million units in the first quarter of 2012, a 2% decline from the first quarter of 2011, according to the latest data from the Gartner research group (http://www.gartner.com). The data also shows that, although Apple only sells smartphones, it represents almost 8% of all worldwide mobile phone sales, making it the third-largest handset maker. "Global sales of mobile devices declined more than expected due to a slowdown in demand from the Asia/Pacific region," says Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. "The first quarter, traditionally the strongest quarter for Asia, which is driven by Chinese New Year, saw a lack of new product launches from leading manufacturers, and users delayed upgrades in the hope of better smartphone deals arriving later in the year." Samsung became the world’s top mobile handset vendor during the quarter, displacing Nokia which had held the No. 1 spot since 1998. Samsung’s mobile phone...

Academy Award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin will adapt "Steve Jobs," a motion picture based on the best-selling biography of the Apple co-founder by award-winning journalist Walter Isaacson, it was announced by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures. The project is being produced by Mark Gordon, Scott Rudin and Guymon Casady. Published late last year, "Steve Jobs" was Amazon’s best-selling book of 2011. In
addition, the biography ranked #1 among bestselling hardcover books by a 2:1
margin, with sales of 2,246,569 in 2011, according to "Publisher’s Weekly." Sorkin won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work
on "The Social Network." His other screenplays include "Moneyball," "Charlie Wilson’s War," "The American President," "Malice, and A Few Good Men."

WaterField Designs (http://www.sfbags.com/) has introduced the CitySlicker, an urban MacBook Air case with an old-world spin made with modern material. Designed to enhance the Air's lightness without adding bulk, the CitySlicker is compact, even with accessories, according to Gary Waterfield, WaterField Designs founder. The design combines three layers of protection using impact-resistant plastic, high-grade neoprene, and a padded liner to keep the Air safe from unexpected dings. The CitySlicker MacBook Air Case combines ballistic nylon with a distressed, leather flap that snaps into place, giving the ultra-modern case its old-world twist. The flap covers an accessory nook with four stretchy pockets to keep items snugly in place. A back, semi-opaque pocket with a self-locking zipper stows thin items or accessories. You can opt to tuck it under an arm, or to add a handle, a strap, or both. The CitySlicker is available exclusively at the SFbags dot com online store in four colors:...

Samson’s (http://www.SamsonTech.com) Carbon 49 USB MIDI Controller, designed with the iPad in mind, is now available for US$89 . 
The Carbon 49 offers players a semi-weighted keyboard comparable in feel to that of pro-level instruments, according to the folks at Samson. Its 49 velocity-sensitive keys allow you to capture the full dynamics of a performance. In addition, the Carbon 49’s dedicated Transpose and Octave buttons, as well as its classic Pitch Bend and Modulation wheels, allow you to expand the keyboard. The Carbon 49 boasts an assignable data encoder and volume slider. For editing, players can use the shift key to adjust up to 14 performance-related control parameters. Also, the Carbon 49’s 3-digit, 7-segment LCD, displays the behavior of every function in real-time. For added versatility, the Carbon 49 includes traditional MIDI out, sustain pedal input and USB connections. The Carbon 49 features an integrated iPad slot and can be used with your favorite MIDI apps via Apple’...

Sorenson Media (http://www.sorensonmedia.com) has announced the immediate availability of Sorenson Squeeze 8.5. This latest version of Squeeze is the purportedly the fastest version yet of the encoding and transcoding application. It provides speed increases, based on process improvements in the Squeeze video encoding engine, including: ° Single output acceleration: Full Squeeze 8.5 optimization for each of the major output formats, including MP4, QuickTime (MOV), WebM and Matroska (MKV). Parallel rather than sequential processing now drives the Squeeze engine. A significant re-architecture enables the application to systematically break decoded, compressed video files into separate content chunks and partition these simultaneously across multiple CPUs for processing. ° Intel Quick Sync optimization: Sorenson Media has collaborated with Intel engineers to optimize Squeeze 8.5 for Intel’s Quick Sync platform and codec, including optimization for Intel’s Second Generation (Sandy Bridge...

Today's special deal is Thumbs for Mac OS X. It's being offered for US$6.99; the regular price is $9.99. To take advantage of this special pricing go to http://www.mupromo.com/deal/1858/6603/thumbs . Thumbs is a "personal assistant" for movie stills and thumb sheets. It lets you generate images for your media collection. Thumbs is designed for web developers, videographers, artists, and, well, anyone who wants to spend more time focusing on their art and less time with the task of making thumb sheets.

A federal judge has denied petitions by both Apple and a group of five major publishing houses to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing the companies of collusion in e-book price fixing, reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). Judge Denis Cote of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York handed down the e-book price-fixing suit's first substantive ruling, the article adds. In the ruling, Cote cites several examples of possible collusion between Apple and the publishers. Last month the United States Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, Hachette SA, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster in New York district court, claiming collusion over eBook pricing. Apple and Macmillan, which have refused to engage in settlement talks with the Justice Department, deny they colluded to raise prices for digital books, the article adds, quoting unnamed "people familiar with the matter." The companies will reportedly...

"Bloomberg" reports (http://macte.ch/3139P) that Walt Disney's ESPN sports network is talking with Apple about including the WatchESPN application on the Apple TV, according to network executive, Sean Bratches. ESPN subscribers with AppleTV would purportedly gain access to the network’s Internet service on their sets. The sports network, which today announced programming for the TV season starting in September, said a deal isn’t imminent, according to "Bloomberg."

In a note to clients -- as reported by "The Mac Observer" (http://www.macobserver.com) -- Sterne Agree analyst Shaw Wu says Apple is scaling back production of the iPhone 4S due to a fall refresh of the smartphone. He thinks Apple will ship 26-28 million iPhones during the current quarter. "We have picked up from our supplier checks that build plans for current iPhones have been reduced significantly. We are hearing a magnitude of down 20%-25% Q/Q from 35.1 million units in the March quarter," Wu writes. "From our understanding, the reason for the reduction is not demand related but rather due to the upcoming 6th generation iPhone refresh likely in the September-October timeframe. It appears that Apple is opting to be conservative with its suppliers to factor in a potential two-quarter pause ahead of the refresh and also to manage inventory."

At Adobe’s annual Digital Publishing Summit, Adobe (http://www.adobe.com) announced a series of new features for Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) that will purportedly allow media companies and corporate publishers to deliver unparalleled reach and monetize their content in new ways. New features include: ° Content Viewer for iPhone, which allows media and corporate organizations to target digital publication delivery across iPhone and iPod touch devices in addition to the iPad, Kindle Fire and Android tablets. ° New social sharing capabilities that encourage readers and customers to share articles on Facebook, Twitter and via email directly from within their Digital Publishing Suite applications. ° Extended font embedding rights -- Digital Publishing Suite customers can now enjoy extended rights from a select portion of the Adobe Type Library. ° Alternate Layouts in Adobe InDesign CS6 -- design and production teams can save time and accelerate workflows by using Alternate Layout...

The results are in, following a 12-week pilot study by Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine’s Health Sciences Library to train and track users of iPads to determine the effectiveness of the device and applications as a tool for medical education. The reviews by students were overwhelmingly positive, with the majority of participating students reporting that the iPad saved them time, gave them easier access to educational resources, improved ability to take class notes and to share information with other students, and helped organize their studying. Students and faculty anonymously listed the iPad’s top strengths as its portability, the ease of accessing materials and the note-taking and annotation capabilities. Weaknesses included a difficult-to-use on screen keyboard and the inability to view Flash content. "It made life easier," said one student who participated in the study. "Overall, the iPad was useful in that it allowed me to study while on the go and saved time by...

Intel (http://www.intel.com) has announced the expansion of the Intel Xeon processor portfolio with new products "designed to address a broad and emerging set of server requirements and provide IT managers with additional choice and flexibility." Could they appear in an upcoming refresh of the Mac Pro (assuming Apple has such a refresh planned)?   The company introduced 28 processors across three product families: eight processors from the Intel Xeon processor E5-4600 product family and nine processors  from the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family designed to complement the already available Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family. The company also announced availability of eleven processors from the Intel Xeon processor E3-1200 v2 product family.   In quantities of 1000, the Intel Xeon processor E5-4600 product family ranges in price from US$551 to $3,616, Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family ranges from $188 to $1,440 and the Intel Xeon processor E3-1200 v2...

StarTech (http://www.StarTech.com) has launched a new line of Thunderbolt cables with a variety of lengths including .5m (1.6ft), 1m (3.3ft), 2m (6.6ft), and the first 3m (9.9ft) Thunderbolt cable available. Keith Rodrigues, senior product manager for StarTech's cables product line, says each of the cables are constructed using the active components required to support the full, high-bandwidth capability of the Thunderbolt interface: 10Gbps (bi-directional), for inter-connecting devices such as Thunderbolt-equipped external RAID enclosures and other applications such as daisy chaining Thunderbolt devices. The cables will be available for purchase from technology resellers including CDW, Amazon.com, Newegg.com, Tiger Direct and PC Connection. The cables will also be distributed by Ingram Micro and SYNNEX Corp. Pricing starts at US$48.99.

Akitio has added the Cloud Hybrid to the company’s expanding personal cloud server product line.  This hybrid enclosure combines a personal cloud network attached storage and USB 3.0 direct access storage.   Akitio’s Cloud Hybrid attaches directly to the home network, providing access to all data within the home network. Equipped with an UPnP-AV media server, users can stream content within their local network to any available UPnP-AV and DLNA compatible devices.  Data can also be uploaded to the network drive and shared from multiple workstations via SMB, WebDAV or FTP connection.   This hybrid enclosure offers remote Web-based access for users on the road. With the help of WebDAV, users can manage and view files in the Web browser or through Akitio’s free mobile app on an iPhone or iPad.  Akitio’s Cloud Hybrid is available for purchase starting at US$99. It can be found at http://www.Akitio.com, as well as various Akitio retailers and distributors.

Here are the latest incremental updates for Mac OS X apps. AKVIS (http://www.akvis.com) has updated three of its artistic programs: Sketch 13.5, ArtWork 6.5, ArtSuite 8.0. Bugs have been fixed, and the plug-in versions are now compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS6. EaseUS Software has updated CleanGenius, which lets you scan and clean your Mac, to version 4.0. The upgrade offers the ability to add animation effects, support for drag-and-dropping one or multiple folders or volumes to scan, and more. CleanGenius is available on the Mac App Store. Drag-N-Scale (http://www.ttpsoftware.com/Products/drag-n-scale.html) -- which lets you scan images visually -- has been updated to version 2.6. The upgrade gets an user interface makeover and performance enhancements. UltraMixer (http://www.ultramixer.com/), DJ mixing software, has been revved to version 4.0. It adds automatic takeover, mix-broadcasting features, as well as support for line-in channels.

Apple has released Flashback Removal Security Update and Leopard Security Update today. Flashback Removal Security Update for Mac OS X 10.5 removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware. If the Flashback malware is found, a dialog will notify you that malware was removed. In some cases, the update may need to restart your computer in order to completely remove the Flashback malware. Flashback Removal Security Update for Mac OS X 10.5 is a 1.23MB download. Leopard Security Update 2012-003 disables versions of Adobe Flash Player that do not include the latest security updates and provides the option to get the current version from Adobe's website. It's a 1.11MB download. Both updates are available via the Software Update component of Mac OS X's Systems Preferences app. Each update requires Mac OS X 10.5.8.

Speaking exclusively to "Computing" (http://macte.ch/yom19), Kaspersky Chief Technical Officer Nikolai Grebennikov said his firm had recently begun the process of analyzing the Mac OS platform at Apple's request. However, that's apparently not the case. "Mac OS is really vulnerable, and Apple recently invited us to improve its security," he said. "We've begun an analysis of its vulnerabilities, and the malware targeting it." Grebennikov told "Computing" that, in his personal view, Apple does not take security seriously enough. "Our first investigations show Apple doesn't pay enough attention to security," he said. "For example, Oracle closed a vulnerability in Java, which was a target for a major botnet several months ago." However, "The Mac Observer" (http://www.macobserver.com) reported Monday afternoon that Kaspersky issued a statement saying that comments claiming that Apple had asked the firm for security help were taken out of context. "It would appear, however, that Kaspersky...

Marware (http://www.marware.com) has partnered with the National Military Family Association (http://www.militaryfamily.org/) and will donate a portion of all sales revenue from Marware between May 14 and May 28 to help support military families. Marware offers accessories and cases for the new iPad, iPhone 4S, Kindle Fire, Kindle and Kindle Touch, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Blackberry Playbook, MacBook and iPod, as well as electronics and accessories. The National Military Family Association was founded in 1969 by a handful of military wives who wanted to make sure their widowed friends were properly taken care of. The association's mission is to fight for the benefits and programs that strengthen and protect uniformed services families and reflect the Nation's respect for their Service. Not only does the National Military Family Association support military families; they are military families. Spouses, parents, and family members make up their staff and board positions.

The Alice Dev Team has introduced MenuMate 1.0 for Mac OS X. Developed exclusively to help users get access of an app's menu bar item whenever it's necessary, the app displays a copy of an app's menu bar items whenever the user wants, right next to the cursor. "All you need to do is assign a hotkey or mouse button (other than left or right) to it," says Stanislav Kuptsov, CEO of the Alice Dev Team. "If you have a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, you can use Magic Prefs (free) to create a virtual centre button for them. To access MenuMate's preferences, just click on the octopus icon in the menu bar." MenuMate hooks itself into the Mac's menu bar. The icon has to be accessed only once, in order to configure the app. MenuMate requires Mac OS X 10.6. It costs US$4.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category.

Apple is number two on Forbes' list of "America's 25 Fastest Growing Tech Companies" (http://macte.ch/7KwES), surpassed only by LinkedIn. Here's what Forbes has to say about Apple: "We know that it dominates the market for mobile computing. We know it faces challenges from the loss of Steve Jobs. We know that it’s building a giant bagel-shaped campus in Cupertino. The known unknowns are when it will introduce the next iPhone or iPad or a TV. How much of a threat is Windows 8 to the tablet business? Can Tim Cook really fill Steve’s shoes? "And then we get to the juicy part. The unknown unknowns. We can’t tell you what those are; that’s why they’re unknown unknowns. (Duh.) But the unknown unknowns are what really drive the stock. Did anyone see the iPad coming? Did you really think the App Store would change the face of the software industry? The crucial question for investors is how much weight you give to things you can’t begin to imagine."

Today's special deal is Zepheer for Mac OS X. It's being offered for US$6.99; the regular price is $9.99. To take advantage of this special pricing go to http://www.mupromo.com/deal/1865/6603/zepheer . Zepheer is a brand new, and gorgeous photo editing app. Zepheer is designed to be a best friend of every photography enthusiasts on Mac OS. This small app delivers dozens built-in photo styles and allows to make your photos warm, charming, beautiful, impressing, to give them the soul - even when the photos were taken with a low-end camera and bad conditions.

Here are the latest incremental updates for Mac OS X apps. Eltima Software has announced SyncMate Plus 3.7 (http://mac.eltima.com/syncmate-plus.html), an update to its productivity application for Mac OS X. It allows you to sync contacts, calendars, and Reminders/To Do on Mac with cloud storages like iCloud, Yahoo! contacts, Yahoo! calendars, Fruux, Memotoo, and more. Version 3.7 adds the support of several CardDAV/CalDAV-enabled services. Whetstone Apps (http://whetstoneapps.com/) has rolled out DayMap 1.5, an update to their productivity app for Lion. It offers a way of organizing and scheduling projects and tasks in a Project Outliner and Weekly Scheduler. Version 1.5 offers a system-wide keyboard shortcut to add tasks quickly to the Inbox. Ripeware has updated Presentation Prompter, an app that turns your Mac into a teleprompter, to version 5.0. It's built for live performers, speakers, newscasters, actors, narrators, and anyone who has ever used cue cards or read from a script....

On May 1, Apple filed a motion in the Northern District of California alleging that Samsung intentionally destroyed documents it was obligated to hand over as part of the discovery process, an act referred to as "spoilation of evidence" in the legal parlance, reports "NetworkWorld." The article says that Apple wants the Judge to instruct the jury as follows: 1. Samsung had a duty to preserve relevant evidence, failed to do so, and acted in bad faith in failing to meet its legal duty. 2. The jury may infer that documents Samsung failed to produce would have been advantageous to Apple's position. 3. If the jury finds Samsung liable for infringement, they may presume that the infringement was "intentional, willful, without regard to Apple's rights."

On Thursday Judge Lucy Koh, the Korean-American federal judge presiding over Apple's two California lawsuits against Samsung, entered an order in response to the parties' proposals to further narrow their claims as well as a subsequent filing by Apple, reports "FOSS Patents." So it seems a summer trial is still a possibility. Apple will be allowed to reassert any intellectual property rights withdrawn from this lawsuit in subsequent actions, "FOSS Patents" notes. For details go to http://www.fosspatents.com/2012/05/apple-samsung-summer-trial-still.html . Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. A week ago a German court dismissed two cases brought by Apple and Samsung against each other as part of the ongoing legal battle.

In what may be a sign of the end-of-time, Brad Arkin, Adobe's senior director of security, products and services, has applauded Apple's move to block outdated versions of his company's Flash Player, notes "Computerworld" (http://macte.ch/9Wy02). Earlier this week Apple updated its Safari web browser, patched four vulnerabilities and instituted a new feature that pulls out-of-date copies of Flash Player from the system. Users who want to view Flash content can upgrade to the current version of the browser plug-in. In a blog (http://macte.ch/GAvyM) Arkin had this to say: "we welcome today’s initiative by Apple to encourage Mac users to stay up-to-date: With the Apple Safari 5.1.7 update released today, Apple is disabling older versions of Flash Player (specifically Flash Player 10.1.102.64 and earlier) and directing users to the Flash Player Download Center, from where they can install the latest, most secure version of Flash Player. For more information, visit http://support.apple.com...

Bang & Olufsen says its BeoSound 8 iPhone/iPod/iPad docking station is getting a wireless update. The new BeoPlay A8 sound system extends the functionality of the best-selling BeoSound 8 by adding Apple AirPlay to connect ones iPhone or iPad. The new BeoPlay A8 streams music with AirPlay. The sound system will recognize your iPhone or iPad, and then ask if you prefer to listen to your music through its balanced set of two-way speakers and Class D amplifiers. According to Henrik Lorensen, vice president for B&O Play, the BeoPlay A8's five-inch midrange/bass speakers output 70 watts of fully integrated Class D amplifiers, and the 3/4 inch tweeters are powered by 35 watts each. Designed by David Lewis Designers, BeoPlay A8's clean lines and flat front conceal the 1.3 litre volumes of the speaker casings, whose cones have no parallel surfaces to create standing waves, he adds. You can adapt the sound mode to BeoPlay A8's location in the room to further enhance the listening...

Digital Rebellion has released Pro Versioner for Mac, a tool for automatically backing up your work as you save and keeping track of versions over time. Pro Versioner is a 64-bit upgrade to FCP Versioner that offers a complete user interface overhaul. The app automatically takes screenshots of your workspace and allows you to annotate backups to help differentiate between them. Versioner keeps all of today's backups and then whittles them down as time goes on. Pro Versioner is now app-agnostic. It can be used with any host application including Final Cut Pro 6 and 7, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro. Pro Versioner is available for US$59 or $19 for users of FCP Versioner. A free 15-day trial is available from the Digital Rebellion web site (http://www.digitalrebellion.com).

Harman International Industries says two styles of JBLheadphones designed in partnership with country music icon Tim McGraw will be available in May from the nation’s leading retailers. The JBL Artist Series headphones by McGraw are available in on-ear and in-ear styles.  The on-ear headphones (pictured), which rest on the listener’s ears, include a comfort headband for lengthy listening periods, such as a cross-country flight. The headphones fold for carrying in a backpack or briefcase. The Tim McGraw on-ear headphones are available in black or white and have a suggested retail price of US$129.95.   The in-ear headphones have a closed-back design to reduce outside noise so listeners hear music clearly at lower volume levels. The in-ear headphones ship with three styles of swappable silicon sleeves so users can adjust for a comfortable and snug fit for long listening periods. The in-ear headphones include a Tim McGraw-branded carrying pouch, are available in black or white, and have a...