PGP Desktop, Snard

• PGP Desktop 9.0.6 ($60) updates the security tool that uses encryption to protect data while at rest on a system (files, disks) and while it is in motion (email, instant messaging). Version 9.0.6 supports recent changes to Verizon POP server CAPA responses, which violate widely accepted standards. PGP Desktop provides security for individual desktops, enabling organizations to protect sensitive information for a single person without changing the existing IT infrastructure or disrupting work processes.


• pearPlay 0.1 (free) is a Dashboard widget to assist iTunes with song-preview playback. By playing the next preview just prior to the current preview finishing, pearPlay ensures constant music previews via the iTunes Music Store without pause. The widget features an adjustable preview length, though the author notes that anything above 30 seconds will prevent pearPlay from continuing on to the next preview. [Download - 77KB]


• Master the Facts Multiplication 4.1 ($10) is a "no-nonsense" drill and practice quiz application aimed at teaching multiplication math facts. The update allows students and teachers to toggle between English, German, and Spanish language program prompts via the Preferences menu option. The company boasts that students using Master the Facts Multiplication may demonstrate improved multiplication skills on quizzes and tests by practicing 10 minutes per day. [Download - 2.1MB]


• Snard 2.4.8 ($10) updates the enhanced launcher program, offering native support for both Intel and PowerPC-based Macs. Snard can be used as a system menu or as a hotkey activated popup menu, and supports the use of hotkeys. The software makes use of "Worksets" to specify a list of files to open with one click, and can easily open applications as root. [Download - 1.9MB]


• ChangeUnits 2.1 (free) is an Excel add-in providing unit conversion that can be parsed, as well as conversion to and from standard metric Meter-Kilogram-Second (MKS) units. ChangeUnits allows units to be expressed in Excel as simple combinations of pre-programmed base units. The software also changes to and from standard metric MKS units, which is useful for editing programming formulas. [Download - 384KB]


• Sleep Monitor 2.1.1 (€20) gathers information over days, weeks, and months to build a complete picture of a Mac's energy use. Background monitors record information about battery levels, recharging rates, periods of sleep, shut down, and usage. The update is a Universal Binary offering native support for Intel-based Macs, and introduces numerous bug fixes. Version 2.1.1 also incorporates Spotlight support. [Download - 1.3MB]

by MacNN Staff