Brand: MacNews

Secur Products has released the US$49.99 Solar Media Player (www.securproducts.com), a zippered speaker with a built-in solar panel, to protect and charge phones in any outdoor situation without missing a beat.

To use you unzip the Solar Media Player, connect a phone or MP3 player, zip it closed and the Solar Media Player will simultaneously function as a speaker and solar phone charger. It’s rainproof, dust proof and shock proof. Once a smartphone or MP3 player is safely stowed inside, it will be protected from the elements and accidents.

Applied Acoustics Systems (www.applied-acoustics.com) has released the Raw sound bank for the Ultra Analog VA-2 synthesizer and AAS Player plug-ins in collaboration with artist and sound designer Andre Ettema.

This collection of 100 signature presets is divided into six categories: Bass, Effect, Keys, Leads, Movers, and Pads. The regular price is US$39. However, until March 17, the Raw sound bank is available at the special introductory price of US$29.

Red Giant has announced a new Volume Licensing Program (VLP) for its lineup of plug-in suites, designed to meet the demands of larger organizations. Targeted to customers who require 10 or more floating licenses, the Volume Licensing Program is designed to remove the tedium of software deployment and management.

IBM researchers have created a new tool for iOS and Android mobile applications expected to potentially benefit as many as one billion people with disabilities worldwide, including those who are vision and hearing impaired, as well as the elderly. The new Mobile Accessibility Checker (http://tinyurl.com/qccdd37) is an automated test to help strengthen the accessibility features of mobile applications, says Frances West, IBM’s chief accessibility officer.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) has joined the growing ranks of financial institutions that now brings Apple Pay. It’s offering the Apple payment service to all its PenFed Visa credit and debit cardholders and American Express Cardmembers.