Maintain has released Cocktail 6.6 (Mountain Lion Edition), the latest maintenance update for users running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets users clean, repair and optimize their Mac. This version resolves a number of issues discovered in the previous release and addresses minor compatibility issues with OS X 10.8.4 and Safari 6.0.5. Cocktail 6.6 (Mountain Lion Edition) requires OS X Mountain Lion or OS X Mountain Lion Server (10.8). Cocktail (Lion Edition) for OS X 10.7, Cocktail (Snow Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.6 and Cocktail (Leopard Edition) for OS X 10.5 are available for download from the Maintain website. Cocktail costs US$14 for a single user license and is available for purchase from the Maintain website (http://maintain.se/cocktail). The license is valid for Mountain Lion, Lion and Snow Leopard and editions of Cocktail. Cocktail (Leopard Edition) is distributed as freeware and doesn't require a license.

Mac-friendly cloud service, MacMate, says they've revamped their packages and now offer a free 10GB Disk version, which pits their service directly with other popular cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive. MacMate Disk also includes its filesharing feature with upgrade options up to 2TB, as well as a free iOS app for accessing your files on the move.. MacMate has made s upgrades to their paid-for cloud packages, too. MacMate Pro their all-inclusive flagship version now comes with four times as much space --- now with 100GB as standard. MacMate Classic now includes web hosting for less than $5 per month. For more info go to www.macmate.me .

Slickwraps is expanding their line to include protective, customizable cases. The idea behind the case is to allow consumers the ability to customize the look of their device with skins, while providing the durable protection of a hard card, CEO Jonathan Endicott says. The Case features a recessed back, allowing customers to interchange the style and color of their case with removable inserts. In addition to the case and back insert, most styles will also include a front wrap and sidepieces to completely customize the iPhone 5. The Case itself has a one-millimeter front lip for screen protection, as well as textured rubber sides to enhance grip. 

 Along with their popular vinyl Wood, Color, Brushed Metal, Glow-in-the-Dark and Camo Series, Slickwraps is also introducing natural materials into their line. The Natural Series will include real wood, leather and cork. For more info go to www.slickwraps.com .

Feral Interactive says the multiplayer action role-playing game The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is coming to the Mac. Developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for consoles and PC, the game will be released on Aug. 29. Here's how the game is described: "The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is the untold story of three adventurers, Eradan the ranger, Andriel the elf and Farin the dwarf, who form their own fellowship and journey through Middle-earth to protect the North from Sauron’s malevolent forces. "Players can embark on the quest alone, playing as each of the characters in turn, or with a friend in co-operative multiplayer mode. They will forge a new path that will take them to hitherto unvisited domains of Middle-earth as well as legendary locations such as Rivendell and the Misty Mountains, encountering both well-loved characters and new arrivals such as Belaram, one of the Great Eagles of Middle-earth, whom they can summon...

BearExtender has introduced two new Wi-Fi solutions for Mac users. BearExtender 1200 (pictured) is a 1200mW receiver for the long-range 2.4 GHz 802.11n band. It's available for pre-order for US$49.97 and will ship Aug. 15. BearExtender Turbo is a high-speed 802.11ac receiver shipping in October; pricing hasn't been announced. It features a maximum throughput speed of 867 Mbps that's purportedly to three times faster than modern 802.11n equipped Macs. Drivers for the upcoming OS X 10.9 Mavericks are currently under development for all BearExtender models, according to the folks at BearExtender. They will be released as a free software update. For more info go to www.BearExtender.com

Apple's iTunes Radio, due this fall, has its work cut out for it -- but also plenty of opportunities. Consumers paying for on-demand music streaming services will total 29 million worldwide at the end of 2013, show the latest forecasts from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). Accounting for 32% of the premium subscribers, Spotify is expected to close the year as the leader, trailed by Deezer, SK Telecom’s MelOn, and rounded out by Rhapsody and Sony. The subscriber base is forecasted to reach 191 million by end-2018. "The past two years have seen a remarkable international expansion of streaming as a distribution model, but in terms of its long-term potential we’re still only scratching the surface," ABI Research Senior Analyst Aapo Markkanen says. "That’s also something to stress when discussing streaming’s role as a source of artist income. At end-2013 the cumulative revenue from premium subscriptions will amount to less than $5 billion, yet we expect this all-time pot to exceed $46...

The New Trent Powerpak+ is a new portable battery pack for charging most USB-based devices while on the go. Featuring 13,500mAh of power and a 1A and 2.1A port, it can juice up both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. 
The Powerpak+ fits into any back pocket, purse or carry-on. The battery pack can be easily recharged via the convenient integrated micro USB port. The New Trent Powerpak+ is available now for US$69.95 at NewTrent.com and Amazon.com.

Trakdot is now shipping Trakdot Luggage devices. Created by GlobaTrac, they can be placed in any checked bag and will alert the user by reporting city and airport location in real time to any cellular telephone via text or e-mail. 
Trakdot promises to help travelers and airlines quickly resolve the problem of misdirected luggage, particularly in situations where late check-ins may cause luggage to miss a flight, says CEO Harry Steck, 
After traveling in "airplane mode" in flight, upon landing, the luggage locator system automatically transmits city-specific information on the whereabouts of checked baggage. Even if the Trakdot-protected bag doesn't reach the desired destination, passengers will still have the assurance of knowing the location of the luggage, says Steck. Once the device is registered on the Trakdot website and placed inside a checked bag, it will deliver location information directly to the user’s mobile phone or SMS device via text or email. Trakdot users who have...

iblazr, an external flash for mobile devices, is available for pre-order and will ship in December if its Kickstarter fund-raising efforts are successful. The tiny device uses four CREE LED lights that provide enough light for great photographs, any time of day or night, says iblazr founder Vlad Tislenko. The flash is much more powerful than any smartphone’s built-in flash, and it adds flash to devices that currently don’t have it, including the iPad and other tablets, he adds. Additional features include a continuous light mode, changeable brightness, and a built-in, USB rechargeable battery. In addition, the iblazr team developed propriety free app to maximize the benefits of the flash. The app allows iblazr to synchronize with the device’s camera shutter, use it with both back and front cameras, and adjust the brightness of the light.   The iblazr is equipped with a built-in battery to prevent drainage of power from the device. The 200 mAh rechargeable battery purportedly lasts up...

Zensorium, creators of sensing devices and solutions to improve your quality of life, has unveiled the Tinké with a Lightning connector for iOS devices. The Tinké uses optical sensing technologies to capture blood volume changes and quantifies your fitness and relaxation levels into indexes for easy comparison, says Juliana Chua, Principal of Zensorium's Business Innovation Group. Zensorium encourages that these indexes trend alongside one another to easily understand your fitness progression from your iOS device, he adds. The Zensorium Tinké with Lightning connector is scheduled to be available in October. You can reserve one at shop.zensorium.com for US$119.

MaBaSoft (http://www.mabasoft.net) has released World Clock Deluxe 4.11, an update of its Mac OS X tool for companies and organizations regularly communicating with people across the world, for frequent travelers, and for home users having family or friends in other countries or time zones. Version 4.11 now has a Meeting Planner pane that allows you to find the best time for an online chat, a conference call or videoconference across different time zones. With World Clock Deluxe you can display multiple clocks in a configurable horizontal or vertical palette, in the menu bar, and in the Dock, and show the time in over 1,600 cities and 200 time zones, including Greenwich Mean Time and Coordinated Universal Time. The app also lets you calculate time conversions between different cities or time zones and show the current weather all over the world. World Clock Deluxe requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later. It costs US$10 for registered users of version 3.x and higher and $19 for new users....

iPhone and iPod touch photographers who want to get twice as close to the action and get clear close-ups now have a solution: the new olloclip telephoto lens and circular polarizing  lens (CPL). It's designed for capturing a close-up photo or video at half of the effective distance. The fixed 2x magnification optical lens slides on and off. Available for the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S and iPod touch (fourth and fifth generations), the olloclip telephoto lens is manufactured using a multi-element coated, optical quality, precision-ground glass lens and aluminum body.    The olloclip telephoto lens sports a circular polarizing  lens (CPL), which blocks out light coming in at user-adjustable angles. The CPL can also be used directly on the iPhone camera or on the olloclip 3-in-one lens system with fisheye or wide-angle lenses (sold separately).   The lens will be available at olloclip’s website at https://www.olloclip.com/order/ and through major retailers including Apple in July and...

Bubble Chart Pro, which lets you create bubble charts, has been revved to version 5.0. New features include custom legends for tracking groups of bubbles, ability to use short text and date values in charts, common U.S. and European number formats, and more. Bubble Chart Pro is available in three versions. With Bubble Chart Pro, managers can create bubble charts in as few as four clicks. They can modify and drill-down into the underlying data by directly interacting with the bubbles on the chart so they can model different scenarios. In addition, the bubble charts are fully-customizable, so managers can get the look that they want. Bubble Chart Pro PLUS adds a SMART prioritizer that assigns an objective value score for each project based on the business' strategy and goals. The SMART prioritizer is built on research by scientists from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Southern California. Bubble Chart Pro OPTIMAL adds a fast optimizer. Bubble Chart Pro has editions for both Mac and...

Apple and Google's Motorola have dropped 14 patents from litigation in the Southern District of Florida, reports "FOSS Patents" (http://tinyurl.com/l866olz). This narrows the claims to a total of eight patents in the lawsuit, which is slated to go to trial next year. This is part of an ongoing battle. Apple has alleged that Motorola infringes 24 of its patents (21 of them with Android-based phones, the remaining three with set-top boxes and DVRs), while Motorola previously asserted 18 patents against a variety of Apple products (mostly but not exclusively iPhone, iPad and iPod). Litigation between the two companies has taken place in several different federal courts.

Epson America has expanded its lineup of professional-grade scanning solutions with the introduction of the WorkForce DS-510 sheet-fed scanner. It comes with a software package including Epson Document Capture Pro, color and image adjustment capabilities, OCR software, and TWAIN and ISIS drivers. The WorkForce DS-510 is Mac and Windows compatible. Epson Document Capture Pro software allows users to immediately scan to popular cloud services including Google Docs, MS SharePoint, and Evernote with one touch, and easily access documents from multiple devices or share with others, says Mark Pickard, senior product manager, Document Scanners, Epson America. It also enables users to manage and route documents by scanning directly to email, FTP sites or any computer folder. The WorkForce DS-510 is compatible with most office software programs, and includes TWAIN and ISIS drivers allowing businesses to customize scanner applications. Businesses can also leverage networking capabilities using...

Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews. If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special WWDC free MacTech on iPad issues for MacTech Magazine here. This video features Neil Ticktin interviewing Matt Bauer and Rory Lonergan of Code 42 Software. Matt Bauer was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on Apple's announcements, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.

Graphic Node has announced another update to its assortment of templates for Pages. The company added six new packs to the Templates Pro for Pages collection for Apple's word processing software, expanding the selection to a total of 35 lines of templates. Most of the templates were created for basic, one-page documents while the Brochure contains eight different page layouts. All templates are available in both U.S. letter and A4 formats. The Templates Pro for Pages set has been created for business use. Each pack included in the application contains six matching document templates for brochures, letters, envelopes, business cards, invoices, and memos. Templates Pro for Pages requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 or higher and iWork 08 or later. It can be viewed and purchased on Graphic Node's website (http://graphicnode.com) and in the Mac App Store (http://tinyurl.com/mhgukmh). Templates Pro for Pages 1.3 costsUS$48.99.

Aperio Lux has announced uDesktop NEXT for OS X. It’s a desktop wallpaper application that lets users choose from many hi-res images. There are 35 categories of images. Wallpapers are available in 16 resolutions for everything from the iPhone and iPad to the MacBook Pro with Retina display. Users may download as many wallpapers as they wish. Image categories include: 3D, Abstract, Animals, Architectures, Aviation, Birds, Black & White, Calendars, Cars, Cartoon, Cats, Colors, Fantasy, Fire, Flowers, Food, Glass, Holidays, Insects, Interiors, Love, Misc, Monuments, Mountains, Music, Nature, Ships, Space, Sports, Technical, Textures, Underwater World, Water, Weapons. What’s more, calendars are available for every month. uDesktop NEXT requires Mac OS X 10.7.4 or higher. It’s available for US$2.99 till July, 31 and $4.99 afterward. It’s available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Lifestyle category (http://tinyurl.com/lcwj668).

SecureMac (www.securemac.com) has updated PrivacyScan, Mac OS X software to protect online and offline privacy by shredding files that can be used to track your web browsing habits and computer usage, to version 1.3. The upgrade adds support for Opera 15 and Chromium. PrivacyScan's shred functionality is able to overwrite sensitive data up to 35 times, helping you wipe your tracks to ensure privacy. PrivacyScan 1.3 is available for US$14.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category (http://tinyurl.com/d97pm83). It requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.

Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews. If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special free MacTech on iPad issues for MacTech Magazine here. This video features Neil Ticktin and Mahmoud Hafez of AppAdvice. Mahmoud was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on Apple's announcements, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.

Last week, the Apple Developer Center was hacked, and the company acknowledged that some developer information may have been stolen. However, even after notifying the public of the issue through the developer center website, and putting up a system status page, it seems scammers aren’t giving up. While the Developer center outage persists, a new phishing scam related to the outage has hit, reports "TechnologyTell" (http://tinyurl.com/py58lc8). Several developers say that soon after Apple’s update that they received an email with instructions for developers to log-in and change their passwords in order to secure their account. The scam mentions the recent developer outage to make the email look as real as possible. "In fact, it does look very real at a quick glance, and even uses Apple’s signature white, gray and blue for emails," notes "TechnologyTell." "However, if Apple did send out an official email to change passwords, it would mean that large parts of the developer center are...

Remoter Labs (www.remoterlabs.com) has announced Remoter 1.6 for Mac OS X (10.6.6 and higher), an update of the productivity app that allows users to remotely control Macs via Screen Sharing, and Windows or Linux PCs using the VNC or RDP standards. The sports a new look and feel. Other additions include font smoothing, engine updates, better keyboard shortcut, multi-monitor support and backups with Dropbox as well as a flurry of bug fixes. Remoter offers one of the fastest implementations of the VNC and RDP protocols on the Mac platform, according to the folks at Remote Labs. It uses Bonjour for set-up. Features include sound redirection, RDP, Telnet and SSH, which also allows for secure VNC/RDP over SSH. Port-forwarding and/or dynamic DNS is no longer needed in order to establish connections from outside the computer's network. Servers can be sorted by name, type or usage, and a search box allows to easily find the desired server. Wake-on-LAN support is also built-in. When the server...

Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews. If you aren't currently a reader of MacTech Magazine, check out the special free MacTech on iPad issues for MacTech Magazine here. This video features Neil Ticktin and Ouriel Ohayon of Appsfire. Ouriel was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on Apple's announcements, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.

Sonocent has introducedAudio Notetaker to the U.S. market. It's an assistive technology learning software solution for K-12 and higher education markets. Audio Notetaker enables students and professionals with specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia and ADD/ADHD, to more effectively process information, according to Dave Tucker, director for Sonocent. With the software, a student can efficiently integrate, organize, and prioritize this information; he adds. Audio Notetaker is Mac OS X (10.5.8 and higher) and Windows compatible. For more info go to http://www.sonocent.com/en/download . A 30-day demo is available for download.