Apple introduces two-step verification process for iCloud, Apple...
Apple has rolled out a new two-step verification service for iCloud and Apple ID users, reports "9to5Mac" (www.9to5Mac.com). This functionality greatly enhances the security of Apple accounts because it requires users to use a trusted device and an extra security code.
This security code can be sent via SMS or via the Find my iPhone iOS app (if it is installed). Users can now setup two-step authentication on their devices via the Apple ID website. Users need to access the security tab on this website to conduct the setup process.
Read more at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5570 .
FirmTek releases USB 3.0 trayless enclosure for Macs, PCs
FirmTek has shipped its bus-powered miniSwap/U3 with performance up to 440MB/second for new computers with USB 3.0 and legacy computers with USB 2.0 ports.
Designed for 2.5-inch solid state (SSD) and hard disk drives (HDD), the enclosure provides trayless, hot-swap, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 external enclosure support for Mac and PC computers. Multiple miniSwap/U3 enclosures can be connected to provide advanced RAID performance, expanded capacity, and simple or complex storage configurations.
The miniSwap/U3 trayless design supports standard 2.5-inch Serial ATA SSD or HDD 9.5mm height devices along with 7mm, 12.5mm and even larger disks up to 14.9mm. It's now available from FirmTek authorized resellers. Specially priced build-to-order miniSwap/U3 bundles with custom pre-installed SATA hard disks or SSD configurations are also available. For more information go to www.firmtek.com/seritek/miniswap-u3/ .
Apple top smartphone maker when it comes to customer satisfaction
Overall satisfaction among smartphone customers increases significantly as manufacturers continue to improve styling, feature sets, usability and software, according to new data from J.D. Power and Associates.
For the ninth consecutive study, Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones in customer satisfaction. Apple achieves a score of 855 and performs particularly well in physical design and ease of operation.
The research group's studies measure satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets and smartphones among customers who have used their current mobile device for less than one year. Satisfaction is measured in several key factors. In order of importance, the key factors of overall satisfaction with traditional mobile phones are performance (29%); ease of operation (26%); physical design (24%); and features (21%). For smartphones, the key factors are performance (33%); physical design (23%); features (22%); and ease of operation (22%).
The Wireless Smartphone...
Sonnet expands xMac mini server line-up
Sonnet has introduced the xMac mini Server 2H, a second model of the company's xMac mini Server Thunderbolt-to-PCI Express (PCIe) expansion system and 1U rackmount enclosure for a Mac mini with a Thunderbolt port.
The new xMac mini Server 2H enables the use of two half-length, full-height PCIe cards, allowing users to select from and install the majority of Thunderbolt-compatible cards into either slot. The original xMac mini Server accommodates one full-length, full-height PCIe card and one half-length, half-height (low-profile) card.
The xMac Mini Server 2H will be available in late April at a suggested retail price of US$1,295. The original xMac Mini Server is available now at a suggested retail price of $1,295. The xMac mini Server Quiet Fan Kitis available now at a suggested retail price of $79.95. More information on the products and compatible PCIe expansion cards is available at www.sonnettech.com/product/xmacminiserver.html
Artlandia brings SymmetryMill to SketchUp
Artlandia has released a new plug-in that makes Artlandia's cloud-based pattern design editor, SymmetryMill, available as an interactive texture editor in SketchUp.
The plug-in extends SketchUp's built-in texture library. It lets a designer interactively create and refine custom patterns and textures for specific models or products, such as apparel, furnishings, interiors and exteriors of buildings and vehicle.
Launched in September 2012, SymmetryMill, which works in web browsers, joined Artlandia's line of SymmetryWorks and SymmetryShop plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The latest plug-in connects SymmetryMill to SketchUp.
SymmetryMill's repeating patterns instantly become SketchUp's materials (textures). Editing a pattern automatically updates the linked SketchUp model. SymmetryMill pattern textures further behave as normal SketchUp materials, which can be applied with SketchUp's Paint Bucket tool, repositioned, distorted, painted on complex SketchUp models, and be...
Route1 releases MobiLINK
Routel -- a digital security and identity management company whose customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy and the Government of Canada -- has released MobiLINK 1.0. It's compatible with iOS devices.
MobiLINK is an authentication and secure access technology that enables users to securely access internal web-enabled applications and web resources from anywhere in the world. It's a real-time "out of band" tool to manage certificate based entitlements.
MobiLINK offers centralized policy management for application entitlements and authorized MobiLINK versions. For more info go to www.route1.com .
VidConvert now lets you convert to the WebM format
Reggie Ashworth has announced VidConvert 1.4.2 (http://www.reggieashworth.com/vidconvert), an update to his video converter for Mac OS X. It's designed to make converting your videos simple and easy.
VidConvert will convert just about any type of video into one of the many popular formats of today. You can create videos for your iPhone or iPad, for your Mac or TV, or formats such as DivX and MPEG.
Version 1.4.2 can now convert to WebM format and has Spanish localization. Also, an issue was fixed where the app icon might not show on PPC machines, and an issue was fixed where creating multiple DVD folders would not work as expected.
VidConvert 1.4.2 costs US$7.99 for a single user license. A demo that creates three-minute samples is available.
MathMagic Personal Edition for OS X conjures up version 8.5
InfoLogic (http://www.mathmagic.com/) has released MathMagic Personal Edition 8.5, an update of their multi-purpose mathematical equation editor for Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.
MathMagic Personal is a standalone equation editor for mathematical equations and scientific symbols. The upgrade adds various frame types, more sigma shapes, enhanced fences, faster typing of script values & LaTeX expressions, and more.
MathMagic Personal Edition 8.5 is available for US$69 (academic licenses are $49). The software is available in a fully functional trial version for up to 50 equations.
Bubble Browser for OS X gets faster background syncing, more
Macoscope (http://macoscope.net/en/) has announced Bubble Browser 2.0, an update to their Evernote-dedicated notes browser application. The new version offers faster background syncing, advanced searching, perspective switching, type-ahead suggestions and a redesigned interface.
Bubble Browser reuses web browser conventions and allows users to explore and visualize the structure of the users entire Evernote data. By providing a friendly, graphic desktop for Evernote notes, tags, notebooks and dates are presented as colorful and differently sized bubbles to expose most important piece of information in every given context.
Bubble Browser works with Mac OS X 10.8 and higher. It's free and is available worldwide in the Mac App Store in the Productivity category (http://tinyurl.com/bq4raur).
Samsung hopes to see nullification of more Apple infringement...
With 40% of the billion-dollar patent infringement verdict against it put on hold, Samsung is now asking for the court to appoint a new jury to determine whether 14 of its products infringed Apple's products at all, reports "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com). This could lead to a lower overall monetary judgment.
This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied the slide-to-unlock technology of its iPhone and iPad devices.
Dr. Web reports new adware trojans for the Mac
Russian anti-virus company Doctor Web is reporting that adware for Mac OS X has been increasing in number since the beginning of 2013.
Trojan.Yontoo.1 is the most prominent of them. It can download and install an adware browser plugin in an infected system, according to Dr. Web (http://tinyurl.com/c87upvm).
According to the company's analysts, the trend towards a growing number of adware for various platforms has persisted from early 2013. Criminals profit from affiliate ad network programs, and their interest in users of Macs "grows day by day."
Beauty Box Photo skin retouching plug-in gets a speed boost
Digital Anarchy has released Beauty Box Photo 3.0, an update of their digital makeup skin retouching plug-in for Photoshop and Aperture. Version 3.0 sports a speed increase by using OpenCL, a technology that runs on ATI and Nvidia graphics cards.
The plug-in also introduces new smoothing and masking algorithms that improves automatic masking, and adds shine removal for hot spots on skin areas. There are now over 30 preset Styles that photographers can choose from to make things even easier when getting the perfect look, says Jim Tierney, president of Digital Anarchy.
Beauty Box Photo runs in Photoshop CS3–CS6 (Mac) and Photoshop CS-CS6 (Windows), Aperture 3.x, and Photoshop Elements 9 - 11. The product runs on Mac OS X 10.5 and higher. Demo filters and samples are available at www.digitalanarchy.com .
Intertrust Technologies files infringement lawsuit against Apple
Intertrust Technologies, an early pioneer in digital copyright protection jointly owned by Sony and Royal Philips Electronics has filed a lawsuit against Apple for alleging infringing 15 patents related to security, reports "The Wall Street Journal" (http://tinyurl.com/bo47tfd).
The lawsuit covers most of Apple’s products and services, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, Apple TV, iTunes, iCloud, and the Apple App Store. Intertrust says it has a successful record of licensing its technology, with licensees including Adobe, Nokia, Samsung, HTC and LG Electronics.
Dept. of Defense to purportedly buy 65,000 iOS devices
The U.S. Dept. of Defense plans to purchase 650,000 iOS devices, reports "Electronista" (http://tinyurl.com/bu4mzpp).
That number includes 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod touches with the remaining 210,000 filled by various iPhones. "Specific models were not shared, and would likely be specified at the time of the cessation of sequester spending restrictions," says "Electronista."
Apple may face court-ordered penalties in privacy lawsuit
Apple may face court-ordered penalties over its information-sharing practices in a privacy lawsuit, reports "Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/btpe8uz).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal in San Jose, California, invited plaintiffs’ lawyers in the case to pursue sanctions against Apple after saying that the company’s document production “has more than doubled since the court got involved” in policing information-sharing obligations. The judge questioned Apple about e-mails or documents from employees that the company turned up only after the court ordered a review of its document-production process.
Apple lawyer Ashlie Beringer said Apple has made “Herculean efforts over the last two weeks” to rectify the problem, and that after another filing late last night, the company’s document production is complete, notes "Bloomberg."
In the lawsuit in question, Apple is accused of improperly collecting data on the locations of customers through iPhones, even after the device’s geo-location...
Adobe's software subscription model looking successful
Adobe has raised its full-year adjusted earnings forecast after reporting first-quarter results above Wall Street estimates as more customers chose its subscription-based model, reports "Reuters" (http://tinyurl.com/cpxx7tu).
The company raised its full-year adjusted earnings forecast to approximately US$1.45 per share from about $1.40 per share, above analysts' estimates of $1.41 per share. Adobe has been moving to a web-based subscription service Creative Cloud since last year from a licensing model.
"We're seeing higher-than-expected conversion rate to the paid model and that's a very positive sign. What that implies is that customers are happy," Edward Jones analyst Josh Olson told "Reuters."
Tabular is new tabular editor for Mac OS X
Chromatic Labs has released Tabular for OS X. It's a new tabular editor that lets you compose and practice music for the guitar and more.
Tabular lets you read and write music for guitar, bass, drums and more. It provides a way for musicians to learn new songs, write their own songs, or run through practice exercises for nearly any kind of stringed instrument or drum kit.
You can compose or transcribe music using tablature notation for stringed or percussion instruments. Tabular offers: full rendering of the musical staff; multi-track documents; MIDI playback with 53 different instrument sounds; configurable practice tools that can adjust playback speed automatically; and a built-in document library. You can import from Guitar Pro 5 or MIDI formats, and export to PDF, MIDI or plain text (ASCII) formats.
Tabular will go on sale March 26 at 20% off its regular price of US$24.99 (in other words, $19.99). The sale will last for one week. For more info go to http://chromaticlabs.com/...
JetBrains releases AppCode 2.0
JetBrains (www.jetbrains.com) has released AppCode 2.0, an update of the Objective-C IDE that integrates with the Kiwi testing framework and external documentation browsers. Pricing starts at US$99 for a personal license.
AppCode is designed to "bring the IntelliJ IDEA goodness into the life of Objective-C developers." Tightly integrated with Xcode, AppCode advances and extends its functionality, focusing on code quality, convenient code navigation, smart code completion, on-the-fly code analysis with quick-fix suggestions, and better code refactorings.
In comparison to version 1.0, version 2.0 is faster on big projects, offers several new important features and introduces dozens of improvements. It sports an enhanced coding assistance with numerous refactorings and code generation options, improved code and project navigation, even smarter code completion, and added first-class localization support.
AppCode 2.0 offers better device support and features easy switching between a...
Withings releases Smart Body Analyzer
Withings has launched Smart Body Analyzer, a "smart" scale capable of measuring heart rate and air quality, as well as traditional weight measurements and body composition for up to eight users.
It provides users with a health snapshot providing an overview of data: weight, fat mass percentage and heart rate. In addition to users’ physical data, Smart Body Analyzer also measures the air quality of its surrounding environment through temperature and carbon dioxide monitoring.
The Smart Body Analyzer can be set up with just a few taps from a smartphone or tablet (iOS or Android). Then, users just need to weigh themselves for the data to be automatically sent to the free Withings Health Mate application, which provides a detailed history of past weigh-ins.
Within the app, users can see the weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), fat mass, and heart rate recommended values for each user based on health professionals and the World Health Organization (WHO). Data is accessible from whichever...
Tokyo ReAnimator released for Final Cut Pro X
Noise Industries has introduced Tokyo ReAnimator exclusively for Final Cut Pro X. It provides tools that help clean up and repair dead pixels.
Lens dirt, sensor dust issues and other small-scale artifacts all disappear, leaving the filmmaker with high-quality shots, according to the folks at Noise Industries. You can purchase Tokyo ReAnimator for US$49 at http://tinyurl.com/btp3sng .
Apple hires Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch
Apple has hired Adobe Chief Technical Officer Kevin Lynch. He'll serve as the company's vice president of technology, and report to wireless hardware/chip engineering chief Bob Mansfield.
According to All Things D" (http://tinyurl.com/bokbtau) there's speculation that Lynch's role in spearheading Adobe's successful cloud software push may have appealed to Apple. Lynch turned in this resignation at Adobe on Tuesday.
Free Valentina Studio 5.1, Valentina DB & Reports Server...
Paradigma Software has announced the release of database and reports tool Valentina Studio 5.1 and the enterprise reports and database server Valentina Server 5.1 for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.
Valentina Studio lets you manage, query and administer popular databases including MySQL, Postgre, SQLite and Valentina DB. Valentina Server allows reports to be served from many database sources. Both Valentina Studio and Valentina Server are available in free configurations.
Valentina Studio 5.1 now allows reverse-engineering with creation and saving of diagrams; Studio Pro 5.1 allows forward-engineering features to modify schema and generate scripts. A new Data Transfer Tool allows the easy copying of few/all records from one DB [database] into another.
New SSH support allows highly secure connections to remote DB servers such as mySQL, PostgreSQL and Valentina Server. New SSH parameters can be embedded into Valentina Report templates.
Valentina Studio Pro 5.1 has additional features over...
Apple TV software revved to version 5.2.1
Apple has updated its Apple TV software to version 5.2.1. It sports a redesigned Hulu app, some bug fixes and more.
Apple TV 5.2.1 adds support for Music in the Cloud in Japan and Israel. Finally, it includes improvements for software updates, subtitles and general performance. The software can be downloaded via the Settings app on your Apple TV.
Two versions of Premiere Elements 11 Editor come to the Mac App...
Adobe has announced the availability of the Premiere Elements 11 Editor and Premiere Elements 11 Quick Editor in the Mac App Store, offering consumers the option of the full-feature Editor or a light version best suited for beginners.
Released in September 2012, Premiere Elements 11 features a refreshed interface with one-click options that take the work out of editing. The Premiere Elements 11 Editor offers two editing modes, Quick and Expert, with a full range of editing tools.
Premiere Elements 11 Quick features only the "Quick" editing options from the full-featured Editor, providing beginning users with powerful, intuitive tools to build great movies. One-click tools allow users to edit footage, apply pro-quality effects and sound, and easily share finished projects to virtually any screen.
Adobe Premiere Elements 11 Editor is available for download from the Mac App Store immediately worldwide for US$79.99 or as stated in local currency. Premiere Elements 11 Quick Editor can...
FileMaker serves up Made for FileMaker portal
FileMaker has announced Made for FileMaker, an online collection of nearly 300 FileMaker database solutions and resources in multiple languages from some of the world’s best FileMaker developers.
All products help users and developers get the most out of FileMaker, and are offered by approved members of the FileMaker Business Alliance. You can find them at http://solutions.filemaker.com/made-for-filemaker/ .
Visitors to Made for FileMaker will find solutions for many industries and tasks, including iPad and iPhone solutions. The listings also include dozens of plug-ins, developer tools, barcode readers and scanners, and books and training videos. Each listing includes a link to the developer’s site for more information and to purchase.
Made for FileMaker includes:
° Solutions optimized for iPad and iPhone: Showcases iOS solutions such as sales and customer management, asset tracking, in-field work order automation and more.
° Solutions for FileMaker 12: Highlights many solutions for...
Apple releases iOS 6.1.3
Apple has released iOS 6.1.3. It fixes a security hole in iOS that could let someone to bypass your iPhone's passcode lock. It also improves Apple Maps in Japan.
You can install the update via the Software Update section (under the General category) of the Settings app on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Or you can upgrade through iTunes.
Wacom introduces new 13-inch interactive pen display
Wacom has announced the Cintiq 13HD (http://cintiq13hd.wacom.com/en), a new addition to its lineup of Cintiq interactive pen displays. It combines a 13-inch HD screen, an adjustable stand and an improved Pro Pen.
The Cintiq 13HD works with both Mac and PC.computers. Its stand is optimized for use in a choice of four settings -- flat, 22 degrees, 35 degrees and 50 degrees. The screen displays 16.7 million colors and boasts 1920x1080 resolution are particularly beneficial to those working with intricate graphics or images.
As with all Wacom interactive pen displays, the Cintiq 13HD enables users to create directly on screen. It offers 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, as well as tilt recognition. The Pro Pen is cordless and battery-free.
The new Cintiq 13HD is priced at US$999.95. It's scheduled to be available in early April at Wacom's eStore and other select retailers.
INFRAWARE introduces POLARIS Office Enterprise SDK
INFRAWARE, a mobile software and service company, has released the POLARIS Office Enterprise software development kit (SDK) for mobile enterprise developers. It integrates INFRAWARE's leading mobile office solution, POLARIS Office, with new corporate security features including data encryption and dependable document security to support enterprise data protection requirements.
POLARIS Office Enterprise SDK enables mobile enterprise developers to access advanced features to protect corporate documents safely, according to Min Cheol Kwak, CEO of INFRAWARE. It directly downloads documents from corporate cloud storage and opens for viewing and editing through POLARIS Office.
When a document is closed, POLARIS Office Enterprise SDK uploads the file to corporate cloud storage, without leaving any trace on the user device. This protects against confidential data loss and leakage even when a device is lost, stolen or damaged.
INFRAWARE is now in partnership with numerous mobile...
MAXON announces strategic alliance with Adobe
MAXON, the developer of CINEMA 4D -- 3D animation software for film, broadcast and motion graphics professionals -- has entered into a strategic alliance with Adobe to further collaborate on technology "that provides creatives in the motion graphics and visual effects industry with new levels of digital media content creation."
As part of the alliance, both companies are expected to collaborate and engineer a pipeline between Adobe After Effects software and CINEMA 4D.
"CINEMA 4D is a leading 3D solution, and the one After Effects users have come to know and love because of its ease-of-use, speed, stability and especially tight integration with the 2D compositing application," says Harald Egel, co-founder and CEO, MAXON. "We look forward to continued collaboration between our programming and marketing teams to ensure that the interoperability of our software products makes a positive impact on artists seeking to easily and fully integrate 3D into their production pipelines."
"Adobe...
Ambrosia releases Soundboard 2.2.2 with new features,...
Ambrosia Software has released Soundboard 2.2.2, an update to the live sound effect playing software for Mac OS X 10.7.4 and higher. Like cart machines in broadcast radio studios, Soundboard lets you map sound effects, audio clips, or musical accompaniment to keys on the Mac keyboard, triggered with a single tap.
Soundboard 2.2.2 adds full Retina display support and implements copying of sounds via drag and drop. It also boasts improved compatibility with OS X Mountain Lion, an enhanced waveform editor, and numerous bug fixes and enhancements
You can control Soundboard via any MIDI device. MIDI effects such as panning and gain are automatically applied to Soundboard's output. You can have your sound play in its entirety with a tap, or have it run only while holding down your chosen MIDI trigger.
This is a free update to existing Soundboard 2.x registered users. For new users the cost is US$40. A demo is available for download. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/84ety35 .
PDFpen 6.0 adds the ability to export to Word format
Smile (www.smilesoftware.com) has announced PDFpen 6.0, the latest version of its all-purpose PDF editing tool. The upgrade of PDFpen features export to Microsoft Word format and a new editing bar for faster access to tools and properties.
PDFpenPro has added document permission setting and automatic form creation. The updated document window appearance is enhanced with a new dropdown menu to access sidebar options for search, annotations, thumbnails, and table of contents. Go to for details.
PDFpenPro 6.0 requires Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. It costs US$99.95 for single user license. Family and office packs are also available. Upgrades from earlier version are $30. Version 6.0 is a free upgrade to the Smile Store version for purchases made on or after Oct.15, 2012; no free upgrades are available in the Mac App Store.
HoudahSpot for Mac OS X updated to version 3.7
Houdah Software (www.houdah.com) has released HoudahSpot 3.7, an upgrade of its file search tool. The upgrade sports the ability to rename files right from the list of search results.
HoudahSpot now autocompletes criteria when searching for file kind or tags. Version 3.7 also boasts faster file operations. Finally, the context menu now opens quickly even when many files are selected.
HoudahSpot requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. It costs US$29 for a single user license. A demo is available for download.
PopChar X for Mac OS X revved to version 6.2
Ergonis Software (www.ergonis.com) has released PopChar X 6.2, an improved version of the company's Mac OS X tool for efficiently dealing with fonts and special characters.
The new version includes usability improvements that make finding and inserting special characters and umlauts easier than ever. The new version also supports Unicode 6.2, the latest release of the Unicode Standard. Plus, it adds a new font matching technique that finds fonts for font family names.
PopChar X 6.2 requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher. It can be purchased on the Ergonis Software website. The upgrade to PopChar 6.2 is free for anyone who owns a valid license for PopChar X 6. Upgrade paths are available for owners of older licenses.
Native Instruments Introduces Helios Ray
Native Instruments has released Helios Ray, a new Maschine Expansion providing sounds and beats drawing from London's broken beat scene and LA's abstract beat producers.
Containing three separate styles of drum kits as well as unique Melodic Kits and new Massive presets, Helios Ray is out now for Maschine and Maschine Mikro, with a compact version for iMaschine also now available as an in-app purchase via the Apple App Store.
Helios Ray contains three distinct styles of drum kits -- Vinyl, Digital and Analog. The Vinyl Kits provide vinyl kicks, finger snaps, shakers, vocal samples, claps, snares, crackle, record stops and more. They represent the loose, off-kilter hip-hop of LA's abstract beat scene.
The Digital Kits feature Brazilian and Latin percussion such as shakers, bongos and congas, and smooth, warm basses. They're designed for producers working in a nu jazz and broken beat style.
The Analog Kits contain gritty drums and percussion provided by classic hardware units. All...
Southern Stars launches Satellite Safari for iOS
Southern Stars (www.southernstars.com) has released a new iOS app called Satellite Safari. It's available at the Apple App Store (http://tinyurl.com/cjhj9k7) for US$2.99 (40% off the regular price) until April.
Satellite Safari is Southern Stars' "tour guide" to the universe of satellites that have been launched around Earth. Later this year, it can become your personal gateway to a real satellite in orbit that you can take pictures and send broadcasts from.
Satellite Safari is the official app of the SkyCube mission (www.skycube.com).
The SkyCube satellite is scheduled to launch and deploy from the International Space Station in September, 2013. When it does, you'll be able to request your own images of the Earth, and broadcast your own radio messages from orbit as "tweets from space," using this Satellite Safari app on your iPhone or iPad.
Until then, you can use Satellite Safari to learn more about the International Space Station and hundreds of other satellites already in orbit...
Apple releases Xcode 4.6.1
Apple has released Xcode 4.6.1, an update to its set of developer tools for Mac OS X.
Apple says it's been updated to support Mac OS X 10.8.3. It also fixes some bugs.
Xcode 4.6.1 is a 1.65GB download. It's free at the Mac App Store.
THX sues Apple for patent infringement
THX has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computer lineup infringe on its 2008 patent for speaker technology, reports "The MacObserver" (www.macobserver.com).
Here's a summary of the patent: "A narrow profile speaker unit comprises at least one speaker outputting sound towards an internal surface and through a duct with an output terminus, such as a slot, having a narrow dimension, effectively changing the cross-section of the speaker's audio output wave. A pair of speakers may face one another, outputting sound towards a common output slot. Multiple pairs of speakers may be used to form an inline speaker unit for increased sound output. A slotted speaker unit may include multiple speakers facing the same direction, towards a groundplane or reflecting surface, and having parallel apertures for allowing sound radiation. The speaker units may be integral with or attached to electronic appliances such as desktop computers or flatscreen devices, or...
Ohanaware announces Shine for Mac OS X
Ohanaware has released Shine, a photo enhancing application for Mac OS X (10.6 or higher). Its designed to enhance digital photos by using lighting effects such as Light Rays and Lens Flares, and enhancing the color of the photo by using gradient tints.
Shine also features other enhancing effects such as Sun, Dynamic Contrast, Highlight Glow and a "Light Fall Off" (also known as Vignette) effect. On OS X 10.7 and 10.8, the application can run in full screen mode.
Shine is available at Ohanaware's website (www.ohanaware.com) for US$9.99 for a single user license, discounted. That's a limited time price; afterward the price will be $19.99. A free (watermarking) trial can be downloaded from the Ohanaware web site.
Scrambler for Mac OS X adds more secure encrypted file format
Coding Turtle has announced Scrambler 1.2, an update to their encryption app for the Mac.
It allows users to encrypt their files and folders before sending them to other Macs over untrusted email, instant messaging or cloud-based services. Scrambler resides in the menu bar -- providing a small icon in the upper-right area of the screen. To encrypt, users drag files or folders on Scrambler's icon and type in a password via a small and non-intrusive pop-up window.
Version 1.2 adds a more secure encrypted file format. The new file format also produces more compact files -- about 25% smaller. Scrambler 1.2 adds the optional ability to automatically delete the original item(s) after encryption/decryption.
Scrambler 1.2 is available on the Mac App Store (http://tinyurl.com/d6y5qxk) for US$2.99. It is also available as a shareware from the developer's website (https://codingturtle.com/scrambler), where a free and fully functional five-day trial can be found.
Tim Cook drops from the top spot of top-rated CEOs
Career website Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com) released its latest report highlighting this year’s top 50 highest-rated CEOs. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unseated Apple CEO Tim Cook from the number one spot he held last year, notes "TNW" (http://tinyurl.com/cbbexpu).
Glassdoor compiled its figures based on more than half a million company reviews submitted by employees between Feb. 25, 2012 and Feb. 24, 2013. During the past year, Zuckerberg saw his CEO approval rating climb 14 percentage points to 99%, while Apple CEO Tim Cook fell to the 18th spot this year as he saw a decrease of four percentage points to 93%.
Apple sued over 'shoddy' retina display screens
An Apple laptop owner lodged a putative class action in California federal court on Wednesday accusing the company of tricking consumers into paying premium prices for MacBook Pro computers with "shoddy" retina display screens manufactured by LG Corp., reports "Law 360" (http://tinyurl.com/anaj9ck).
Although Apple advertises the MacBook Pro's liquid crystal display screens as the best of its kind, some of the computers contain LG screens that suffer from brightness, color and image display flaws while others feature better screens made by Samsung Corp., according to the suit. The suit says Apple has "tricked" some customers into buying MacBook Pros not having Samsung screens.
2K announces Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World...
2K and Firaxis Games have announced that Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World, the second expansion pack for the Civilization V, is currently in development and will be released this summer for Windows-based PC and brought to the Mac by Aspyr Media.
Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World brings a massive amount of new gameplay to the Civilization V experience, providing gamers with even more rewarding ways to achieve world domination, says Sarah Anderson, senior vice president of marketing for 2K. Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World provides new depth and replayability through the introduction of international trade and a focus on culture and diplomacy, she adds.
The player’s influence around the world will be impacted by creating a number of Great Works across a variety of crafts, choosing an ideology for their civilization, and proposing global resolutions in the new World Congress. As players move through the ages of history, they will make critical decisions...
PCI Geomatics software now supports SPOT-6 sensor
PCI Geomatics, a developer of remote sensing and photogrammetric software and systems, says it now supports SPOT-6 imagery within its software suite.
SPOT-6, a new satellite built and operated by Astrium was launched on Sept. 9, 2012, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. SPOT-6 is an optical imaging satellite capable of imaging the Earth with a resolution of 1.5 m Panchromatic and 6 m Multispectral (Blue, Green, Red, Near-IR).
"We have worked closely with Astrium and the European Commissions’ Joint Research Centre (JRC) to validate our software’s support for SPOT-6 imagery," says Dr. Philip Cheng, senior scientist at PCI Geomatics. "PCI’s customers rely on us to provide support when new sensors are launched. Adding support for SPOT-6 was relatively straightforward as the data format is very similar to other PCI supported sensors that have been recently launched by Astrium, such as the Pleiades Constellation."
The support for SPOT-6 will be available in the Geomatica 2013 SP2...
Syncro Soft revs Syncro SVN Client to version 8.1
Syncro Soft, the producer of Syncro SVN Client, has announced the availability of version 8.1 of its Subversion (SVN) client.
The upgrade offers support for committing changes to multiple repositories at once. Also, the functionality of the commit operation was enhanced and further improvements were added regarding the representation and deletion of working copy items.
Syncro SVN Client 8.1 can be freely evaluated for 30 days. You can download a copy at http://tinyurl.com/bv72vwl . It's compatible with Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and Solaris systems.
Syncro SVN Client with One Year Maintenance Pack costs US$59. Syncro SVN Client Site License with One Year Maintenance Pack costs $2,970. Volume discount rates are available starting with 5 licenses.
VueScan adds support for 339 Brother scanners
Hamrick Software, the developer of the VueScan scanning software, has released its latest version 9.2.10. It adds native support for 339 Brother scanners to VueScan Desktop.
Of these, 204 are network capable which means they will also work with VueScan Mobile. VueScan Desktop will work on Brother scanners directly for Mac OS X and Linux, which means that no Brother drivers are required. In addition, VueScan no longer needs a WIA driver on Windows or an ICA driver on Mac OS X.
VueScan Desktop now supports more than 2,100 scanners, and is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. Ed Hamrick, the developer of VueScan, says the software offers a full range of advanced features; including options for scanning faded slides and prints and automatically adjusting images to optimum color balance that reduces the need to manually do it in Photoshop. It includes built-in IT8 color calibration of scanners, producing colors that look true to life, batch scanning and other advanced and powerful...
Accounting Flowcharts offered for ConceptDraw PRO users
The new Accounting Flowcharts Solution extends ConceptDraw PRO 9 giving users the ability to draw flowcharts that represent accounting process that need to be described in an organization.
The accounting flowchart samples that are provided by this new solution illustrate a receiving process, purchasing process, payment process, and voucher payable process. ConceptDraw PRO runs on both Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows systems.
It retails for US$199; competitive upgrade pricing is available upon request. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/cqeu3rn .
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.8.3
Apple has released version 10.8.3 of Mac OS X Mountain Lion. Apple says it's is recommended for all Mountain Lion users and includes new features and fixes, including:
° The ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using your Mac's built-in camera;
° Boot Camp support for installing Windows 8;
° Boot Camp support for Macs with a 3 TB hard drive;
° A fix for an issue that could cause a file URL to quit apps unexpectedly;
° A fix for an issue that may cause Logic Pro to become unresponsive when using certain plug-ins;
° A fix for an issue that may cause audio to stutter on 2011 iMacs;
° A fix for an issue in Contacts that may cause cards to print out of order;
° A fix for an issue that may cause the desktop picture to change after logging out or restarting;
° A fix for an issue in Messages that may cause messages to appear out of order after waking from sleep;
° A fix for an issue that may cause the screen to display incorrectly after waking from sleep;
° Improves...
Remo Software launches PSD Repair Tool for Mac
Remo Software has launched a new repair tool to repair damaged PSD files. The Remo Repair PSD for Mac tool is for users who would like to repair corrupt Adobe Photoshop files.
It has a built-in engine to repair severely damaged PSD files on Mac and make them reusable again. The software recovers data, layers and formatting from any damaged Photoshop PSD.
Remo Repair PSD for Mac OS X and Windows is available for US$69 from the Remo Software website (www.remosoftware.com). A trial version is available for download.
Apple releases MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.0
Apple has posted MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.0 (http://tinyurl.com/c6gg9e8). It resolves a rare issue where users may experience slow frame rates when playing graphics-intensive games on the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
It also includes bug fixes for Power Nap, wake from sleep and fan control. MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.0 is a 504KB download and requires Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later.
Free update enhances App Studio support in QuarkXPress 9
Quark has announced an update to QuarkXPress that's available free of charge to all version 9 users. The update optimizes App Studio for QuarkXPress with improvements made to file size, font compatibility, and interactive features.
App Studio is the digital publishing solution that allows designers to create HTML5 apps for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire and Android devices with the page layout software they already know. The updates to QuarkXPress to enhance app creation with App Studio include:
° Issue file size optimization to create even smaller App Studio downloads;
° Option to embed any TrueType or OpenType font into App Studio layouts;
° New horizontal scroll box interactive enrichment;
° Scroll support for web views;
° The ability to add interactivity to anchored boxes;
° New “Open File” action for embedding additional media within HTML5 content
You can download QuarkXPress 9.5.1 at http://tinyurl.com/3rmaqwm .
