D-Link plans Apple TV competitor

D-Link is planning to unveil a competitor to the Apple TV that provides the same basic purpose -- streaming media wirelessly from home computers to the television set-top -- at about the same price: $300. The device will likely become only the second such media streamer (behind the Apple TV) that supports 802.11n wireless networking, offering enough bandwidth for delivering rich content to high-definition sets quickly. Reuters reports "D-Link already sells these media devices, but they run at slower speeds than the Apple product, which is ahead of the rest of the industry. (Company spokesman Les Goldberg) said the new product will sell for $300, the same as the entry-level Apple TV model and go on sale in the United States during the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter -- before it starts selling it in other countries."

Final Cut Studio 2 reviewed...

PC Magazine has posted a review of Final Cut Studio 2, the latest version of Apple's professional video-editing suite. Besides Final Cut Pro 6, the suite includes Motion 3, which lets you create and manipulate three-dimensional graphics in the video frame over time; Soundtrack Pro 2 for altering the audio portion of your project; Color, which lets you maintain color consistency throughout your video; Compressor 3, which performs the encoding to a variety of formats and DVD Studio Pro 4 for creating and burning DVDs of the resulting movies.

Desktop sharing service supports 100 guests

The Glance desktop sharing service has increased its session size to 100 guests, with no change in price. The tool allows organizations and individuals to hold online training sessions and webinar events from any PC or Mac. It includes "StreamShaping," which allows guests on fast connections get the fastest possible updates. Those on slower networks see updates as fast as their connections allow. Guests connect instantly using their favorite web browser. The session host can then show slide presentations, websites, software applications and more. Previously, Glance subscribers were limited to 15 guests at a time. Glance Personal is priced at $50 per month.

Apple refurbished highlights: $849 MacBook

Apple's is offering deals on various hardware via its online store, which include $849 MacBooks as well as $1,099 iMacs and $2,199 Mac Pro desktops. The company's least expensive reconditioned notebook available is the White 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook with 512MB of memory, a 60GB hard drive, and a Combo DVD-ROM/CD burner for $849. Apple's refurbished 20-inch 2.16GHz iMac with a 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and a SuperDrive DVD/CD burner is also available for $1,099. The company's high-end Mac Pro workstation is also available for $2,199 (down from $2,499) with two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors, 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and a SuperDrive DVD/CD burner.

Universal no-DRM deal gauging non-iTunes sales?...

Universal's bid to try DRM-free music may simply be a way of testing how well the music label can survive in digital sales without relying on iTunes, according to a new report. Though Universal has now explained that the omission of the Apple store from the trial is to use it as a scientific control, Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan notes that Universal has omitted multiple larger music stores that could serve as better evidence of what selling unlocked songs might accomplish.

BenQ releases fast-response E-series LCDs...

BenQ has just unveiled a completely new series of computer LCDs it promises will blend style as well as performance. The E-series abandons the display maker's utilitarian roots with a deep black casing, stealth-mounted 2W chin speakers on most models, and ambient LED lighting for dark rooms. Every display is fast enough for movies with a 5ms pixel response time and relies on BenQ's custom Senseye image processing technique to automatically balance colors either for absolute accuracy in an sRGB mode or boosted colors in movie and photo modes.

Apps: message2net, FlightCheck, LaunchBar

• message2net 1.2.3 ($13) interface to store and sort all SMS messages. It supports Apple's Address Book and SIM-cards for easy contact management. Allows you to send, receive, answer, forward and archive SMS-messages on a Mac OS X computer using a connected mobile phone. The new version supports many recent mobile phones, offers interface improvements and the ability to send SMS to standard PSTN phones, if supported by the phone and network provider. [Download - 4MB]


• FlightCheck Pro 6.0.2 6.0.2 ($500) preflighting solution for desktop publishing apps. The new release has a modified QuarkXPress reader which will handle certain files previously listed unrecognized or locked, improved the initial scan time for certain PDF files, and adds a progress bar to the page layout window. Also, colors are now reported as used in Illustrator CS3 files (.ai and .eps files). [Download - 18.8MB]


• LaunchBar 4.3.2 ($20) search and productivity utility. The new release comes with a brand new look, includes new features like Instant Open (hold the last abbreviation key to open an item), Instant Send (for quickly sending selections to LaunchBar and beyond), text items, a convenient Calculator, Fast User Switching, Google Maps integration, improved support for third party apps (Firefox, Camino, iTunes, Cyberduck) and much more. [Download - 1.2MB]


• DEFCON 1.4.3 ($25) online, multiplayer strategy game inspired by the 1983 cult-classic film, WarGames; "evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion surrounding the Cold War era." This release fixes a potential exploit where fleets could be made to sail through land masses if sent to certain hotspots and made improvements which should help with problems creating games on a local network. [Download - 61.3MB]


• Freeway 4.3.3 ($110-290) Web site design tool that generates clean and efficient code. This update includes changes to text imaging, improvements in Photoshop import, and support for Safari 3 Beta. Freeway 4 is now also Leopard-ready. The update is free to all registered users. Freeway's rewritten text imaging takes full advantage of Apple's excellent font scalar and is now consistent with all Apple applications. Softpress has also improved the implementation of bi-directional text, an important part of its ongoing support for generating multi-lingual web sites. [Download - form]

Apple lawsuits: power adapters, receipts...

Two new class action lawsuits have been filed against Apple: one regarding the potential for identity theft allegedly set forth by information contained in online store receipts, and the other claiming that Apple's power adapter design infringes upon two patents for a similarly functioning device. AppleInsider reports that two Miami-Dade County citizens, Angely Maria and Todd Narson, have begun a class action suit in a local court that claims Apple has "recklessly disregarded" consumers' rights to have credit or debit card information kept secret under a section of the US federal government's Fair Credit Reporting Act. That act disallows companies to display a customer's credit or debit card's expiration date, as well more than the last five digits of the card's number. The suit alleges that receipts from Apple's online store have shown more information than allowed under the FCRA.

Zoho Viewer shares documents online

Zoho today released Zoho Viewer, an application that allows users to view, share, and embed important documents. Users can upload a Microsoft Office, PDF, or other document to Zoho Viewer and receive a link to that document. Users can share the link with others, who can view the document from their Web browsers. The software also allows users to embed documents into any other Web page, and the company has promised to provide API access to Zoho Viewer for application providers who need convenient document viewing capability. The service is available for free, and is designed to eliminate the need for email attachments by allowing users to upload documents directly to share with intended recipients.

USBFever.com rolls out iPhone KickStand case

USBFever.com today rolled out its iPhone KickStand Crystal Case, a protective case that supports the cellular handset like a photo frame either horizontally or vertically. The iPhone KickStand Crystal Case includes a removable belt clip that, when absent, provides an opening for a neck strap. The case offers cut-outs for access to all of the iPhone's key buttons and ports, conforming to the iPhone while guarding the screen from dust and scratches. The iPhone KickStand Crystal Case is priced at $17.

iRemember 2.1 improves undo, JPEG support

Intriguing Development today released iRemember 2.1, an update to the company's digital scrapbooking software for Mac OS X. The latest release greets new users with printed tutorials that help to create layouts in minutes, and adds iPhoto Photo Book sizes to the Scrapbook Setup dialog. The update boasts significantly improved undo support, better JPEG output, and more than 25 additional enhancements that improve speed as well as ease of use. iRemember is priced at $40, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. Upgrades are available to existing iRemember 2.0 users for free, while iRemember 1.x license holders can upgrade for $10.

PC Mag: Mac sales set to explode...

An industry commentator is arguing that sales of Apple's Mac computers are on the verge of a dramatic increase, moving past the 10 percent mark to 15 percent, 20 percent or even more of the market. A confluence of factors is cited: at a basic level, Macs are said to be easier to recommend in the current era, because they require far less technical support compared to machines running Windows; beyond issues with spyware and malware, the Mac OS interface is generally easier to use.

First printed full-color iPhone guide debuts

Apple's iPhone on Monday will have its own "ultimate guidebook" titled The iPhone Guide. The book, authored by tech author Scott Kelby and gadget guru Terry White, is said to be the first iPhone book in print. The iPhone Book's layout provides one full page for each topic discussed, and includes full-color photos to demonstrate covered topics. The title covers numerous topics from setting up wireless internet to watching videos, and is designed as the ultimate "how-to" guide for the iPhone. The iPhone Book is priced at $25, and will ship from online retailers like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com this coming Monday, August 13th.

MediaCentral 2.6.3 adds 25 new IP TV feeds

Equinux today released MediaCentral 2.6.3, an upgrade to its media center solution that adds more than 25 new IP TV feeds for a total of over 350 channels. The newly added channels include ABC, CBS, the Discovery Channel, MTV, Comedy Central, Rocketboom sequels, Macworld videos, and more. The latest release also includes European offerings like EuroNews, as well as several local technology and entertainment channels. MediaCentral 2.6.3 offers increased stability, improved performance, and increased compatibility with Apple's iTunes 7.3.2 software as well as several IP TV channels. In addition to various IP TV feeds, the application provides access to movie trailers, YouTube videos, music, movies, a Skype interface, iPhoto slideshows, and online albums like .Mac or Flickr. MediaCentral 2.6.3 is priced at $30 for the personal pack single, $40 for the personal pack pro, and $60 for the personal pack jumbo.

Apple update enables new keyboard functions

Apple has released a software update designed to enable the use of special functions labeled on the new keyboards that ship with its revamped iMac systems. One Apple Store in the state of New Jersey reportedly set up demonstration iMacs without proper keyboard mappings, ultimately disabling many of the functions that the new iMac aims to make easier. Volume control, eject, brightness, and media transport controls apparently failed to operate on the demo iMacs, according to one blogger. Apple's new update likely remedies this issue, negating the need for new users to seek council from more experienced friends or colleagues to remap the special functions. The update is available for free as a 32.1MB download, and requires Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later.

Onkyo readies high-end iPod speaker dock...

Adding to the ranks of high-end iPod audio, Onkyo today unveiled its CBX-Z10 and CBX-Z20 speaker docks. Either merges both a CD player and an iPod cradle so listeners have the choice of new and old formats from the same device. Although driven by modest 10-watt stereo speakers, the company's in-house AERO system uses passive acoustics inside the cabinet to enhance bass response while also bringing out more detail in vocals and other higher ranges. The Z20 in particular also has a larger cabinet design that further amplifies the sound and includes an extra damper to cut down on vibration.

Briefly: LifeShaker; 'worldly' soundtracks...

In brief: LifeShaker attempts to change up to-do list programs, SmartSound introduces more video soundtracks, and MacPractice keeps up to current standards. Funky Cloud has released the first public beta of LifeShaker, an atypical approach to to-do list programs. Rather than display items in a normal list or tree format, nine goals are presented in a grid, which can be "shaken" to bring new goals to the fore. Goals can in turn be broken into steps, but the program will only display the next available step in the grid, in an attempt to make tasks less intimidating. The beta is free, but expires on September 6th.

New iPhone TV ads appear on Apple.com...

Two new television adverts for Apple's iPhone have surfaced on the company's website titled 'Instead' and 'Amazing.' Both spots depicts an iPhone in the hand of an actor as the narrator offers subtle suggestions to potential cellphone owners. "Here's an idea. Instead of carrying an iPod and a phone, why not carry an iPod with all your favorite music and your favorite movies in your phone?" The second ad, Amazing, details the iPhone's built-in YouTube support as well some of the more standard feature. "It's amazing what fits in a pocket these days. Your favorite music, all your email, today's newspaper, endless entertainment, and of course a phone." [images]

'My iTunes' widgets track user tastes...

Apple has quietly deployed My iTunes, a series of Flash-based web widgets designed to track a user's preferences. Unlike those from sites such as Last.fm, it does not track songs actually played, but rather items like a person's most recently bought music and videos, as well as the most purchased artists in general. Another category lists music and videos that a user has given four- or five-star reviews. The widgets can also be displayed in three different sizes and five different shades, allowing them to better fit into site designs.

Microsoft launches SkyDrive online storage...

Microsoft today rolled out its new Windows Live SkyDrive service, a major reworking of the company's Live Folders online storage. The revamped site is likened to an Internet hard drive and is meant to remove the complexity associated with these services in the past; users can drag and drop as much as 500MB of files to a SkyDrive web page as though it were part of their own system, Microsoft says. Images now also display thumbnails that eliminate the guesswork in downloads, and any user has access to a list of recently visited public SkyDrives.

Universal tests DRM-free music, snubs iTunes...

Universal Music Group announced late yesterday that it will sell at least some of its music catalog online without copy protection over the course of the next few months. Considered an experiment by the major music label, the project will run between August and January and will gauge the effect that removing digital rights management (DRM) has on both sales and on piracy. There are no immediate conditions applied to the success of the test, but the company has implied that it will extend the test or make the DRM-free option permanent if the results prove worthwhile. The latter decision would likely make a significant impact on the music industry, as Universal is the largest global music label and could create a ripple effect for smaller labels.

ConceptDraw 7, MindMap get updates...

CS Odessa has announced updates for two of its most popular programs. ConceptDraw version 7.2, the newest version of the company's vector drawing and diagramming software package, has new extended user drawing capabilities and context sensitive help for any of the drawing tools selected for use. "Dynamic Help", which is a special "Inspector Pane," presents to users information about the drawing tools they are using. There are also improved HTML and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) exports. ConceptDraw 7.2 is free for registered users of ConceptDraw 7.0 and 7.1. Owners of version 6.2 and earlier can upgrade for $150.