Apple may have the biggest U.S. corporate offering on record
Apple, seeking to help finance a $100 billion capital reward for shareholders with borrowed money, is selling its first bonds in almost two decades in what may be the biggest U.S. corporate offering on record, reports "Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/cyfujku).
The article notes that Apple intends to issue debt as soon as today, including floating-rate notes maturing in 2016 and 2018 and fixed-rate securities due in 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2043, according to a regulatory filing. Proceeds may help the company avoid repatriation taxes on its $102.3 billion of funds held overseas as CEO Tim Cook returns an additional $55 billion to shareholders through 2015 to compensate for a stock that’s been hammered by signs of slowing growth.
"You’ll see a meaningful amount of interest,” Ashish Shah, the head of global credit investment at New York-based AllianceBernstein LP, which oversees $256 billion in fixed- income assets, told "Bloomberg." “It’s a high- quality name which brings in a lot of...
Wacom announces Cintiq 22HD touch
Wacom has announced the Cintiq 22HD touch, a new addition to its expanding interactive pen display portfolio, now featuring multi-touch. It's due in May for US$2,499. You can order it at select reseller locations and Wacom's eStore (https://store.wacom.com/us/).
Combining multi-touch with Wacom's pen technology, the new Cintiq 22HD touch offers an immersive on-screen experience and a more intuitive and natural way to work, according to the folks at Wacom. Additional features including a 21.5-inch, full HD display, an ergonomic rotating stand and 16 customizable ExpressKeys.
The Cintiq 22HD touch is Mac compatible and works with touch savvy applications such as Corel's latest Painter 12.2 update and Autodesk's Mudbox and Sketchbook Pro. It offers a wide-format, full HD LCD with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and 16.7 million colors.
The adjustable stand allows for real display rotation, offering both landscape and portrait viewing angles as well as the option to set an incline between 10...
Judge sets new trial date in Apple vs. Samsung battle
A federal judge has set new trial dates in November to decide whether US$450.5 million of damages awarded by a jury to Apple in a patent dispute with Samsung should stand, reports "Reuters" (http://tinyurl.com/dyl9kkb).
In March, Judge Lucy Koh slashed a $1.05 billion jury award by more than 40% and set a new trial to determine damages. On Monday the judge ordered that the new trial on damages should take place between Nov. 12 and 18.
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.
Apple takes ownership of imaging patents acquired from Kodak
Filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show the transfer of a number of patents from Kodak to Apple has begun, with the letter taking ownership of several patents covering aspects of digital photography, reports "AppleInsider" (http://tinyurl.com/c7dth6b)
The patents in question -- 8,432,479, 8,432,472, 8,432,456, and 8,432,461 -- cover measurement of range using a zoom camera, displaying and sharing digital images, and wireless sharing of digital images via a network. "Apple will likely put the patents to use further protecting from litigation its bestselling line of iOS devices, as well as its Mac computers," notes "AppleInsider."
In 2011 Kodak offered to sell 1,000 patents related to digital photography. The company had been losing money despite its efforts to convert from film to digital photography.
All My Gods Free released for the Mac
Realore has announced All My Gods Free for Macintosh, a free trial version of its god-sim strategy game. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 and is available at the Mac App Store (http://tinyurl.com/d9wx3t9).
Here's how the game is described: "All my Gods allows players to immerse into the atmosphere of Ancient Rome and play as a young aspiring godling. The mission is to develop into a mighty Roman god and build a great Empire. With the release of All my Gods Free players have a chance to feel what it's like to be a Roman god without paying a dime.
"The game begins when one of the oldest gods, Saturn, decides to retire and wants his son to take his place. Other Roman gods decide that first Saturn's heir has to prove that he is worthy of their trust and divine powers he is about to receive.
"All my Gods is a city-building god-sim strategy that allows players to immerse into the atmosphere of Ancient Rome and play as a young aspiring godling. The mission is to develop into a mighty Roman god...
GoZync updated to version 3.172
SeedCode has announced GoZync 3.172. A collaboration between SeedCode and Geist interactive, it's an update of the unlocked framework that lets developers add synchronization to FileMaker Go solutions, enabling their users to work offline.
The latest build of GoZync speeds up synchronization by pulling data down to mobile apps even faster. Also, since GoZync is unlocked and written solely in FileMaker Pro, it is easy to add this speed boost to existing deployments by replacing a few scripts, according to the folks at SeedCode.
Build 3.172 is a free update for existing users. For new users the cost is depends on the version you by. You can find details at http://www.seedcode.com/cp-app/ste_cat/gozync#licenses .
MaxUpgrades announces SSD SATA module for the iMac
MaxUpgrades has announced the SSD SATA Module with heat sink for the iMac 2012 models. It's available in an US$99.95 single SSD drive kit and a $119.95 dual SSD drive kit.
SSD SATA Module with heat sink for iMac 2012 Models enables the iMacs to use dual standard 2.5 inch Form Factor SSDs, or an SSD + HDD configuration. It also fulfills RAID 0 or RAID 1 requirements of identical SSDs of same capacity, make and model,with the highest capacity and maximum Performance SSDs available in standard 2.5-inch form factor (such as the Crucial 960GB M500 Samsung 840 Pro series.) For more info go to www.MaxUpgrades.com .
Kingston Digital releases Wireless Reader, battery charger
Kingston Digital has released the MobileLite Wireless. the next generation of the innovative Wi-Drive portable wireless storage device for Apple iOS and Android devices.
The new reader is enhanced as it wirelessly streams movies, music, photos and documents from USB Flash drives, microSD (with included adapter) and SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, says Craig Tilmont, wireless products business manager, Kingston. MobileLite Wireless also serves as an emergency mobile charger when the user’s phone battery gets low.
Use is as simple as plugging in any USB Flash drive into the USB port to watch and share movies or view and share files wirelessly on mobile devices. The SD/SDHC/SDXC slot enables sharing of images with friends and family by removing the card from a camera and plugging it directly into the MobileLite Wireless. The included adapter allows the same access and sharing for microSD cards used in many mobile phones and tablets.
MobileLite Wireless also serves as an emergency backup battery...
Apple wins court ruling against Golden Bridge Technology
Apple has won a court ruling that it doesn’t infringe patent claims brought by intellectual property licensing firm Golden Bridge Technology, reports "Bloomberg" (http://tinyurl.com/bltvnws). The company sued Apple in 2010 over patents for boosting connections in mobile networks.
U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson in Wilmington, Delaware, also canceled a jury trial that was scheduled to begin today over two patents for 3-G network communications held by Long Branch, New Jersey-based Golden Bridge. Golden Bridge sued Apple in 2010 over patents for boosting connections in mobile networks.
"The record evidence remains consistent with the finding of non-infringement," Robinson wrote in an order April 25 affirming earlier decisions on the patent descriptions, notes "Bloomberg."
Golden Bridge plans to appeal.
Lifeware releases Deluxe Moon Pro for Mac OS X
Lifeware Solutions has announced Deluxe Moon Pro 1.0, a lunar cycle application for Mac OS X (10.6 or higher). It costs US$0.99 and is available at the Mac App Store in the Education category (http://tinyurl.com/cezw5cz).
Featuring an animated interface, Deluxe Moon Pro provides comprehensive information on the Moon, moon phase times via animated interface and multiple interactive tools to explore the Moon. The app includes specific gardening advice based on the current moon phase, precise times of the moon phases, animated Zodiac circles, moon horoscope, calendar and more.
Winter Wolves releases Bionic Heart 2 for the Mac
Winter Wolves has released Bionic Heart 2 for the Mac. It's a "deep and dark, sci-fi visual" novel/game told from four points of view.
Here's how Bionic Heart 2 is described: "Take control of Luke, Tom, Tanya and Tina. Each character has their own personality, complete with quirky traits that could potentially whip the story straight into a plot twist. Bionic Heart 2 is the only visual novel featuring a scene with TWO talking brains! The game also features beautiful manga artwork, a full original soundtrack, and meaningful choices that will have repercussions on the whole universe."
You can download the demo and buy the game from Winter Wolves website at www.winterwolves.com/bionicheart2.htm . It costs US$19.99 to purchase.
Pdf-Office Professional updated to version 11
Universe Software has updated pdf-Office Professional, the PDF form creation software, to version 11. Created PDF forms can be saved locally without restrictions in Adobe Reader XI completed, or be sent as an email attachment.
Additionally, AdobeLifeCycle created PDF forms that can't stored in the reader XI can now be read in and saved again. In pdf-Office Pro 11, editing has been enhanced to provide word processing functions, such as indents, even hanging, tabs, etc. These functions are also available in text boxes, offering professional text formatting. Further improvements have been adapted in almost all program areas.
The pdf-Office Professional interface is similar to that of Microsoft Word. Texts can be entered directly, while form fields, graphics, etc., can be positioned by drag and drop. You can add form fields with additional calculations or JavaScript to the template. Forms created in pdf-Office Professional can be shown using a launcher for Acrobat Reader immediately...
Apple to challenge damages award to VirnetX
Apple will challenge a November 2012 jury verdict that awarded $368 million in damages to Nevada patent-holding company VirnetX, a filing with U.S. regulators showed -- as noted by "Macworld" (http://tinyurl.com/bwfn5qv)
In a Form 10-Q filed this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Apple said it had not yet recorded the millions owed to VirnetX on its balance sheet. "The Company is challenging the verdict, believes it has valid defenses and has not recorded a loss accrual at this time," Apple said in the SEC filing.
VirnetX filed its lawsuit against Apple in August 2010. The company claimed that Apple’s FaceTime and Message, a video chat application and SMS text-replacement, respectively, infringed on four of its patents.
Apple offering some developers another chance at WWDC tickets
"MacRumors" (http://tinyurl.com/ba8bg) says that Apple is offering some developers a second chance at tickets to the 2013 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, which is slated for June. The tickets sold out in under an hour after they went on sale Thursday.
However, developers who tried to purchase tickets got error messages stating that their purchase requests were unable to be processed. Red Sweater Software founder Daniel Jalkut told "MacRumors" that Apple contacted some registered members of its developer program to offer them a second chance to purchase a WWDC ticket.
Apple will hold WWDC 2013 June 10 through June 14 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At the five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X. For more info go to developer.apple.com/wwdc .
By the way, if you going to be in San Francisco during WWDC 2013? MacTech is sponsoring ALTWWDC. Sign up for updates at
http://altwwdc.com/updates/
Also, if you are looking for...
PC shipments post steepest decline ever in a single quarter
Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013 (1Q13), down -13.9% compared to the same quarter in 2012 and worse than the forecast decline of -7.7%, according to the "International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker."
The extent of the year-on-year contraction marked the worst quarter since IDC began tracking the PC market quarterly in 1994. The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.
Despite some mild improvement in the economic environment and some new PC models offering Windows 8, PC shipments were down significantly across all regions compared to a year ago. Fading mini notebook shipments have taken a big chunk out of the low-end market while tablets and smartphones continue to divert consumer spending, says IDC. Apple fared better than the overall U.S. market, but still saw shipments decline as its own PCs also face competition from iPads.
PC industry efforts to offer touch...
PDFpen for Mac OS X upgraded to version 6.0.2
Smile (www.smilesoftware.com) has announced PDFpen 6.0.1, the latest version of its all-purpose PDF editing tool. The upgrade supports toggling autosave, reduces memory usage, and includes numerous fixes.
The changes in PDFpen 6.0.2 have also been made in PDFpenPro 6.0.2, the pro version that can also convert websites into PDFs, create fillable PDF forms, automatically create form fields in non-interactive PDF forms, construct document table of contents, and set document permission settings that restrict saving, printing, and copying.
PDFpen 6.x works with PDFpen for iPad and PDFpen for iPhone, allowing editing across devices when used with iCloud or Dropbox storage. Users who wish to use iCloud must purchase PDFpen 6 from the Mac App Store. (Apple restricts iCloud access to applications purchased via the Mac App Store.)
PDFpen retails for US$59.95, and PDFpenPro for $99.95. Family Pack licenses, which cover up to five computers in one household, are $74.95 for PDFpen and $119.95 for...
Quark XML Author now supports Japanese
Quark says Quark XML Author now supports the Japanese language with a fully-localized and integrated user interface.
Quark XML Author is the add-in to Microsoft Word that enables the creation of structured XML content through the familiar Word interface. With Quark XML Author all content creators, not just technical experts, can create valid XML-based content components.
Now Quark XML Author supports Japanese-speaking content creators as well as users from around the world who create Japanese-language materials. In addition to a fully localized and integrated user interface, Quark XML Author now supports Microsoft IME and Microsoft Office IME (2007/2010) for Japanese, including keyboard and IME Pad support. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/byjvekf .
Apple WWDC 2013 has sold out of tickets
Apple has sold out of Worldwide Developer Conference 2013 tickets already -- this time, in just over an hour beating last year's pace and record. Apple has promised to early copies of OS X 10.9 and iOS 7.
Are you going to be in San Francisco during WWDC 2013? MacTech is sponsoring ALTWWDC. Sign up for udpates at
http://altwwdc.com/updates/
Also, if you are looking for the ultimate developer experience MacTech Conference 2013 will have a developer track. If you want to get time with some of the best and brightest in the industry, you'll want to sign up for this very special developer experience. For more info go to
http://www.mactech.com/conference/about
Interested in speaking in either the developer or IT tracks? The call for speakers for MacTech Conference has just opened at
http://www.mactech.com/conference/speakers-app
MacBook Pro + Parallels Desktop = the 'best Windows PC...
A new report (www.soluto.com/reports) from Soluto a Web service company, quantifiably concluded that the "MacBook Pro is the best Windows PC on the market," beating out traditional PCs.
The report based its findings on a number of criteria including application crashes, blue-screens-of-death, long boot times, etc. According to the report, "if you’ve ever looked for an excuse to buy a MacBook -- now you have it."
On a related note, millions of people improve their Windows on Mac experience by using Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, the No. 1-selling solution for simultaneously running Windows and Mac apps side-by-side without rebooting. Parallels Desktop will even simply move your entire PC to your Mac so you can have everything you need on one computer.
Parallels Desktop (www.parallels.com) is also a great way for people to run more than on version of Windows on a Mac, which comes in handy if you want or need to run Windows XP, Windows 7 and/or Windows 8. A free trial of Parallels...
AKVIS announces new frame pack for ArtSuite
AKVIS has announced a new frame pack for AKVIS ArtSuite: the Spring Pack with 50 hand painted designs. These frames are designed to "make you feel nature's great awakening, warm rays of the sun, exciting scent of the spring, and love in the air, and hear songs of birds."
ArtSuite lets you frame your photos, make personalized greeting cards and posters, decorate your family album. The program contains templates and texture samples.
Now eight themed packs are available: Baby Pack, Wedding Pack, Travel Pack, St.Valentine Pack, Sports Pack, Christmas Pack, Winter Pack, and the new Spring Pack. AKVIS also offers a free set of frames.
The additional frame packs can only be used in the standalone version of AKVIS ArtSuite, not in the plug-in version. On the Mac platform, it requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. A 10-day demo of ArtSuite is available for download at www.akvis.com . Registration is US$69. The Spring Pack sells for $12.
China court fines Apple for copyright breach
A Beijing court has ordered Apple to compensate three Chinese writers for selling their works via its app store without getting their permission, reports "ZDNet" (http://tinyurl.com/avpg77f), translating an article from the "China Daily" newspaper.
The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court ruled in favor of the authors. Apple will have to pay them in excess of 730,000 yuan (about US$118,000) for the infringement. Apple had not gotten permission before selling their books on the Apple App Store, according to the court. The presiding judge, Feng Gang, said Apple has the duty of checking whether the books uploaded by third-party providers are in line with current laws.
E-Book Systems launches Mac FlipViewer Xpress Creator 1.0
E-Book Systems has announced FlipViewer Xpress Creator 1.0 (http://www.flipviewer.com/en/index_en), a wizard-based software solution for Mac OS X. It's being offered an an introductory price of US$750. You can request a trial version at www.flipviewer.com/contact .
FlipViewer Xpress Creator enables publishers and corporations to create and publish page-flipping digital publications. It conveys the FlipBook in a 3-D page flipping interface, where pages are displayed like those in a real book. The created FlipBook can then be hosted on any web server for online viewing or distributed through any media for offline viewing.
Once the FlipBook is created, it can be easily viewed by the FlipViewer Xpress viewer. This is a viewer which can run on many different operating system platforms including Mac and Windows, as well as mobile gadgets such as iOS devices. The displayed thickness of the FlipBook in FlipViewer Xpress is indicative of the number of pages inside, allowing readers to "thumb"...
Literature & Latte introduces Scapple for Mac OS X
Literature & Latte has introduced Scapple, a project planning and organization tool for Mac OS X (10.6.8 or higher).
Scapple is designed to help you get ideas down quickly and make connections between them. More like a freeform text editor, it allows you to make notes anywhere on the page and to connect them using straight dotted lines or arrows.
Creating notes can be done by double-clicking anywhere on the canvas and then typing. Making connections between ideas involves dragging and dropping one note onto another. Notes can also be dragged from Scapple into Scrivener, Literature & Latte's content-generation program.
Scapple is now available for purchase from www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php for US$14.99. A fully-featured, 30-day trial is also available for download.
Mail Designer for Mac OS X revved to version 1.3
Equinux has updated Mail Designer for Mac OS X (10.5.8 and higher) to version 1.3. The upgrade sports an interface to send and distribute mail designs and newsletters with Campaign Monitor.
Mail Designer allows users to create individual mail designs for newsletters, offers, invitations or personal emails that can be sent to customers, colleagues or any larger group of recipients. Each design can be saved as a template and sent through Apple Mail. To keep things simple, a variety of predefined layout blocks including headlines, text objects and multicolumn layouts can be dragged, dropped and rearranged, says equinux CEO Till Schadde. Numerous textures and background patterns are also included.
Artists, agents and businesses can integrate their own cooperate designs into Mail templates and integrate dynamic content. Mail Designer includes graphics, text-objects and dynamic and customizable text and image placeholders. With tools, rulers and guides, users can create customer newsletters...
Native Instruments introduces Pulswerk Expansion for Maschine
Native Instruments has released Pulswerk, a new Maschine Expansion designed for minimalistic house and techno. It was created by sound designer Denis Gökdag, the creator of NI's Maschine Expansion Transistor Punch, and the name behind Surround SFX and Zynaptiq.
Aside from its 30 drum kits, Pulswerk contains 20 Special Kits created exclusively with pitched sound sources. The Expansion also features an array of Multi-Effect Kits containing pre-sequenced, tempo synced effect chains and 60 new Massive presets.
Pulswerk is available at the NI Online Shop for US$49. A compact version of Pulswerk is also available for iMaschine in the in-app store for $0.99. For more info go to www.native-instruments.com/Pulswerk .
JPEG Repair for OS X gets faster scanning, recovery engine
Stellar Data Recovery has revved Stellar Phoenix JPEG Repair, an app for repairing damaged JPEG/JPG image files, to version 2.0. The new version sports a faster scanning and recovery engine.
A free version of the software can be downloaded from www.stellarinfo.com/ .A full version of Phoenix JPEG Repair is available for US$39.
AT&T activates 4.8 million iPhones in first fiscal quarter
AT&T, in announcing the results of its first fiscal quarter, said it had activated 4.8 million iPhones during the period. The Apple smartphone accounted for 80% of AT&T's six million total smartphones.
During the fiscal quarter, AT&T reported strong earnings per share and cash flows in the first-quarter driven by strong mobile data growth, solid postpaid net adds and continued strong gains in U-verse services, says Randall Stephenson, company chairman and CEO.
"Our wireless network performance continues to be terrific," he adds. "And that helped drive our best ever first quarter for smartphone sales, improved wireless churn and strong growth in mobile data revenues. We also posted record sales of our U-verse high-speed IP service. Across all of these areas, we’ve built a solid foundation for future growth in mobile Internet and IP broadband, which will only expand as we progress with Project VIP.”
For the quarter ending March 31, AT&T's consolidated revenues totaled...
Sprint sells 1.5 million iPhones in first fiscal quarter
Sprint Nextel Corp. has reported operating income of $29 million for its first fiscal quarter. The company's adjusted OIBDA [operating income before depreciation and amortization] of US$1.5 billion was the highest in nearly four years.
Sprint (www.sprint.com) reported smartphone sales of five million. Of that number, 1.5 were iPhones with 43% being sold to new Sprint customers. Eighty-six percent of quarterly Sprint platform postpaid handset sales were smartphones.
"This is a transformative year for Sprint and we’ve gotten off to a good start," says CEO Dan Hesse. "Record Sprint platform service revenue and subscriber levels fueled our performance."
Alien Skin Software announces Exposure 5
Alien Skin Software has announced Exposure 5, the new version of its flagship photography effects software. The tool is designed to help digital photographers achieve accurate film simulation using a range of creative effects.
Exposure 5 can be used as a plug-in with popular host software or as a stand-alone program. The upgrade brings creative tools of traditional film photography to the world of digital, such as the look of discontinued films, darkroom tricks, and trendy lo-fi camera quirks, according to Terence Tay, designer of the new Exposure 5 software. Classic films like Kodachrome, Polaroid and even Panatomic-X are accurately simulated, he adds. Hundreds of preset effects can be applied with a mouse-click. Exposure 5 includes both Color and black-and-white processing so there's no need to switch between tools.
Exposure 5 will be available in June at www.alienskin.com for US$199. Owners of any version of Exposure may upgrade for $99. Free upgrades will be automatically sent to...
FileMaker survey: companies now mobilizing in-house business...
Move over, road warriors, and enter the new era of productivity warriors. Many businesses are now using mobile devices to automate inside their building or company campus, according to a recent survey by FileMaker, Inc. (www.filemaker.com). Further, businesses are building custom solutions to automate and “mobilize” processes in nearly every department.
Database software maker FileMaker -- with millions of deployments, including more than 500,000 downloads of FileMaker Go, a free app for accessing FileMaker databases from iPad and iPhone -- polled customers on their use of mobile devices to boost business productivity. The research included a survey of 499 customers who have deployed FileMaker solutions on iOS devices as well as an analysis of 102 mobility case studies.
"The next wave of business mobility, fueled by iPad and iPhone-equipped 'productivity warriors,' is delivering real ROI [return on investment] by automating processes in the building and on the company campus," says...
Dates, details for Apple's 2013 WWDC announced
Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 10 through June 14 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At the five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X.
WWDC will also feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies, as well as the Apple Design Awards, a showcase of the most outstanding apps available through the Apple App Store and Mac App Store. Tickets for this year’s WWDC go on sale Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m. (Pacific).
"We look forward to gathering at WWDC 2013 with the incredible community of iOS and OS X developers," says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we’re excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps. We can’t...
DEVONtechnologies rolls out spring updates
DEVONtechnologies has released maintenance updates for all their commercial products from DEVONthink over DEVONsphere to DEVONagent, as well as their freeware products EasyFind, PhotoStickies, and XMenu.
The updates are free and recommended for all users. The overall reliability and performance of all apps have been enhanced, according to the folks at DEVONtechnologies. Other improvements include various minor changes to the user interface that make the workflow with DEVONthink and DEVONnote smoother. Go to http://www.devontechnologies.com for more info.
MPEG2 Works for Mac OS X revved to version 5.0.1
MPEG2 Works (www.mpeg2works.com) -- a Mac OS X tool for video formats re-conversion, encoding and manipulation -- has been revved to version 5.0.1. The upgradoffers faster conversion and encoding, improved audio handling and some minor interface changes.
MPEG2 Works 5 is available at the product web site. It costs US$25 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
Typinator 5.5 for Mac OS X adds calculation fields
Ergonis Software (http://www.ergonis.com) has released Typinator 5.5, the latest version of its tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos systemwide across all Mac OS X applications. The upgrade introduces calculation fields, which provides text expansions for users without any programming skills.
With a simple inclusion mechanism, text expansions can execute external scripts and include their results in the expansion. Typinator supports scripts written in in many different languages like AppleScript, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, and arbitrary shell scripting languages.
Typinator requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. Mac OS X 10.6 or higher is recommended.
Typinator can be purchased on the Ergonis Software web site for approximately US$32 for a single user license. A family pack for installation on up to five computers is $49. The upgrade to Typinator 5.5 is free for anyone who owns a license to Typinator 5.x.
CS Odessa upgrades ConceptDraw PRO
CS Odessa has announced free upgrades to the company’s ConceptDraw PRO business graphics and diagramming package.
ConceptDraw PRO 9.4 features an enhanced startup wizard, new connectors technology and ConceptDraw Solution Park additions to help users produce professional results more quickly.The new startup wizard allows users to determine optimal settings such as page orientation, grid marks, snapping, object dimensions and other settings from the outset, eliminating the need to go back and change settings once document construction is underway.
The 9.4 release also features Smart Connectors with Arrows 10 technology to streamline object linking. Now users can automatically redraw linked object connectors as they adjust object positions within business graphics. The new technology works with older ConceptDraw PRO files, automatically updating document formats.
In addition to the launch of ConceptDraw PRO 9.4, CS Odessa has also rolled out new ConceptDraw Solution Park enhancements,...
Apple more than doubles capital return program
Apple has announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a significant increase to the company’s program to return capital to shareholders. The company expects to utilize a total of $100 billion of cash under the expanded program by the end of calendar 2015.
This represents a $55 billion increase to the program announced last year and translates to an average rate of US$30 billion per year from the time of the first dividend payment in August 2012 through December 2015.
As part of this program, the Board has increased its share repurchase authorization to $60 billion from the $10 billion level announced last year. This is the largest single share repurchase authorization in history and is expected to be executed by the end of calendar 2015. Apple also expects to utilize about $1 billion annually to net-share-settle vesting restricted stock units.
Additionally, the Board has approved a 15% increase in the company’s quarterly dividend and today has declared a dividend of $3.05...
Apple reports second quarter fiscal results
Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal 2013 second quarter ending March 30. The company posted quarterly revenue of US$43.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $9.5 billion, or $10.09 per diluted share.
These results compare to revenue of $39.2 billion and net profit of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 37.5% compared to 47.4% n the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 66% of the quarter’s revenue.
The company sold 37.4 million iPhones in the quarter, compared to 35.1 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold 19.5 million iPads during the quarter, compared to 11.8 million in the year-ago quarter. The company sold just under 4 million Macs, compared to 4 million in the year-ago quarter.
"We are pleased to report record March quarter revenue thanks to continued strong performance of iPhone and iPad," says Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and...
ITC dismisses Motorola Mobility complaint against Apple
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has dismissed a complaint by Google-owned Motorola Mobility accusing Apple of infringing on patented technology that makes touchscreens ignore fingers when people are holding smartphones to their ears for calls, reports "ZDNet" (http://tinyurl.com/brycsyv).
The filing by acting ITC secretary Lisa Barton indicated that the investigation into the Motorola complaint filed in late 2010 has been terminated. The ITC reasoned that the technology at issue in the patents wasn't original enough to support the accusation.
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.
Document Templates for Pages released
Infinite Loop Apps has released Document Templates for Pages on Mac OS X. It features a collection of 60 document templates for commercial and personal use.
The app provides options for creating content ranging from flyers and business cards to greetings and invoices. Also, the designs range from modern to retro.
Designs are sorted into 10 categories: Brochures, Business Cards, Calendars , Cards & Invitations, Envelopes, Flyers, Forms, Letters, Newsletters and Reports. Specific documents like Newsletters, Reports or Brochures have different layouts.
All the objects used in the Document Templates for Pages can be moved, resized, removed. All templates are available in the A4 and US Letter sizes, except for items like envelopes and business cards that come in the specific size. T
Document Templates for Pages requires iWork '08 or later and Mac OS X 10.6 or later. It costs US$5.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Graphics & Design category (http://...
WD ships 5 mm 2.5-inch hard drive
WD is shipping what it says is the world's first ultra-slim 2.5-inch, 5 mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), which are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments.
With 500GB of storage capacity and models with high performance-enabling solid state hybrid drive technology, this slim product line helps to address the tradeoffs system designers often make between capacity, physical size and performance, says Matt Rutledge, vice president of WD's client computing business unit.
The new drives are aimed to increase internal storage capacity while enabling it to fit into smaller device slots, he adds. Shipping today to select industrial distributors and OEM [original equipment manufacturer' customers in 500GB capacities, WD Blue 2.5-inch 5 mm hard drives have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US $89. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/c4nz8dy .
Noise Industries announces Ripple Timelines for Final Cut Pro X
Noise Industries has released Timelines from Ripple Training, an US$59 plug-in designed exclusively for Final Cut Pro X.
Ripple Timelines is a collection of eight transition effects that create graphical timelines for videos. Each transition is customizable, allowing editors to change just about any detail including colors, background graphics and text. A Director’s View provides a bird’s eye view of transitions, complete with explanatory text guides and on-screen controls for adjusting the layout of transition video clips and drop zones.
You can choose from preset camera animation styles, and even adjust the preset to create the exact framing desired. For more info go to www.noiseindustries.com .
Akitio releases 256GB SSD Thunderbolt storage solution
Akitio has released a new 256GB, one-bay, bus-powered Thunderbolt storage solution. It's a follow-up to the company’s 120GB SSD solution, which was previously launched in 2012.
Akitio has upgraded the 120GB SSD to meet the demand of consumers by rising up to the challenge and offering an upgraded 256 GB SSD version of the Neutrino Thunderbolt, says Richard Wright, director of Global Distribution, Akitio. In addition, the 256 GB version is the fastest one bay bus powered external storage device on the market today with 464 MB/s data transfer speeds, he adds.
Akitio’s 256 GB Neutrino Thunderbolt Edition is available for purchase at an manufacturer's suggested retail starting price of US$339.99. It can be found at Akitio.com, as well as Amazon.com and other various Akitio retailers and distributors.
Belkin releases NetCam HD Wi-Fi Camera
Belkin has announced its next-generation NetCam HD Wi-Fi Camera that provides users with instantaneous access via a smartphone or tablet to pets, children and other family members at home in 720p high-definition (HD) video resolution and digital audio.
The newest addition to the popular NetCam product family, NetCam HD features a streamlined setup process that allows users to operate the camera’s functions in two simple steps, says Mike Chen, senior director of product management, Belkin. Utilizing an iOS or Android device, users download Belkin’s free NetCam app and then connect the camera to their home’s Wi-Fi router to begin streaming video and audio to their mobile device. With the NetCam app, users can also customize the camera’s offerings by enabling email notifications when motion is detected or record video directly to their phone or tablet.
Belkin’s NetCam HD Wi-Fi Camera is available for purchase now at belkin.com, Amazon.com, Verizon, Target stores and other major retailers...
Logitech unveils FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for the iPad
Logitech introduced two new products to its tablet accessories lineup with the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad (pictured) and the Logitech Folio for iPad and iPad mini. They protect the front and back of your tablet, says Mike Culver, vice president of brand development for tablet accessories at Logitech.
Both are offered in a range of colors from electric blue and sunflower yellow to Mars red orange, and in an array of on-trend fabrics from matte leather to finely woven cotton. The Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio features the first Bluetooth keyboard with its keys fused into an interior fabric.
Its full-size keys give you the tactile feedback you’re used to in a traditional keyboard, but in a sleek new look, says Culver. The keyboard folio’s high-end fabrics are treated with a coating that's liquid repellent. Hidden magnets hold your iPad in two positions, snapping your tablet into typing mode and ensuring the folio stays shut when you’re moving around.
Designed for...
Nest partners with energy companies
Nest Labs (www.nest.com) -- founded by Apple alums Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers -- has announced that the company is partnering with certain energy providers in the U.S. to offer more than 90 million people the opportunity to earn money and save even more this summer.
Together with NRG Energy, its subsidiaries Reliant and Green Mountain Energy, National Grid, Austin Energy and Southern California Edison, Nest is enabling instant rebates and exclusive offers for the Nest Learning Thermostat. It's also introducing new ways to save energy with Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings services.
Rush Hour Rewards helps people earn money or credits from their energy provider by using less energy when everyone else is using more. With Seasonal Savings, a Nest thermostat uses its knowledge of a customer’s schedule and preferences to gradually fine-tune the temperatures in the schedule to help save more energy. Both services are powered by Nest’s proprietary Auto-Tune technology and offered only...
'Antennagate' checks arriving
The US$15 "AntennaGate" settlement checks have started arriving for qualifying iPhone 4 users, as noted by "TUAW" (http://tinyurl.com/dyrsbwv).
The checks are a settlement for those who filed a claim in a class action lawsuit against Apple for "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4–particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."
"Antennagate" is the popular term used for reported glitches with iPhone 4 call reception.The settlement comes from 18 separate lawsuits that were consolidated into one.
TP-LINK delivers gigabit switches for businesses
TP-LINK has delivered a series of gigabit Ethernet switches targeted to businesses looking to upgrade their LAN. The Jetstream 24-Port and Jetstream 24-Port PoE, respectively.
They feature 4 Gigabit SFP slots. L2 Managed Switch allows an office infrastructure to provide Ethernet connection to computers. With the PoE functionality, the TL-SG3424P is an efficient and cost-effective choice for small business networks to work with wireless access points, surveillance cameras, VoIP phones and other PoE supported devices, according to the folks at TP-Link. It eliminates cable clutter by using the existing power lines to transfer both power and data.
TP-LINK's answer to affordable green technology is its unmanaged switch (the TL-SG1008PE product, which is due later this quarter). With 8-ports and PoE technology it provides a way to expand a wired network by transferring power and data over a single Ethernet cable while consuming just 124W (up to 30W per port) For more info go to http://www...
Intel doubles speed of Thunderbolt data transfer technology
Intel has doubled the speed of the Thunderbolt data transfer technology, which will soon shuttle data between host computers like Macs and peripherals at a rate of 20Gbps.
As noted by "Computerworld" (http://tinyurl.com/dym2qg7)) this is the first big speed boost for the interconnect, which has held steady at a 10Gbps data transfer rate since the technology's introduction in early 2011. The enhancement will give Thunderbolt an edge over USB 3.0, which transfers data at 5G bps.
The speed boost comes through a new Thunderbolt controller chip code-named Falcon Ridge, notes "Computerworld." The controller chip will go into production by the end of this year, Intel said.
Home 3D scanner launched
Two Canadian inventors and their company, Matterform, have launched a home 3D scanner for US$599 and exceeded their crowdfunding goals in the first three weeks of their campaign. Their scanner, the Photon, is designed to allow anyone to turn physical object into a digital 3D model on their computer, then print the file using a 3D printer or use it in 3D designs or animations.
"It works by shooting dual laser lines at an object as it rotates 360 degrees, taking pictures with a HD camera along the way, and using software to create a digital 3D model on your computer in as little as three minutes," says Drew Cox of Matterform. "Once the file is created, it can be modified, reproduced on a 3D printer to create copies of the original object, used in animations or 3D designs, or saved to keep a digital archive."
Launched via a 35-day crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, Matterform blasted through its initial fundraising goal of $81,000 in one week and has now raised over $330,000. There are...
NEC rolls out new 24-inch LED-backlit pro monitor
NEC Display Solutions of America has announced the 24-inch MultiSync P242W-BK and P242W-BK-SV, entry-level professional desktop widescreen monitors with LED backlights.
The MultiSync P242W display (pictured joins the MultiSync P Series family, which features standard-gamut monitors designed for web, high-end desktop and photography. Its white LED-backlit AH-IPS panel only requires 29 watts of typical power while its ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display’s brightness based on lighting conditions, says Art Marshall, product manager for Professional and Medical Displays at NEC Display Solutions.
The P242W offers an array of connectivity options with DisplayPort, DVI-D, HDMI and VGA inputs. Additionally, it’s USB with DisplaySync Pro feature can be used to operate two computers with only one keyboard and mouse.
The MultiSync P242W-BK-SV features hardware color calibration using the NEC SpectraViewII color calibration solution. The kit, which is compatible with both Mac...
