Apple discussing alternative iTunes models?...

Apple is reportedly discussing a new iTunes store business model with record companies which would grant iPod owners unlimited access to the library by paying a slight premium for the devices. According to The Financial Times, the plan resembles the Nokia "Comes with Music" deal, wherein Nokia pays record companies almost $80 per handset; Apple is reportedly limiting its offer to $20 per device.

Adobe developing Flash for iPhone via SDK...

Adobe is in the process of developing its own Flash client for the iPhone, company chief Shantanu Narayen told investment experts during a conference call (registration required). The executive revealed that Adobe has obtained the publicly available Software Development Kit and intends to release a version of the animation plugin through the App Store as soon as the software is completed. Narayen stated that analysis by the company suggested a form of Flash could be developed without requiring special access to Apple's mobile Safari browser and that it would be an important launch regardless of how it arrives.

700MHz auction ends, FCC waits to reveal winners...

The 700MHz FCC-led wireless auction today ended with an estimated revenue of $20 billion, says Molly Peterson of Bloomberg.com. While the FCC hasn't disclosed the actual winner of the auction, this brings a close to a nearly two month long bidding war between 214 companies, including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Google. Analysts for the FCC expected the auction to raise between $10- to $15 billion.

Briefly: Madden NFL 08 review...

In brief: We have a review of Madden NFL 08, one the best of the Electronic Arts Intel only Mac titles so far, the Fujitsu ScanSnap S300M is now available, MAXPower wireless hardware price drops are in effect, a quarter million users have downloaded bento, and MP3-based swim workouts have been released ... We have posted a review of Madden NFL 08, one the best of the Electronic Arts Intel only Mac titles so far. Madden requires a simple drag-and-drop install. Before you play, you must enter the authentication code, register it on the site, and we recommend you check for updates. Madden NFL 08 has a memorable soundtrack, offering a mix of rock, rap, and R&B tracks. The tracks were not jarring or obtrusive

Apps: VPN Tracker, MacGPS Pro

• VPN Tracker 5.1 ($90) IPsec based VPN client for Mac OS X. VPN Tracker 5.1 incorporates client provisioning for WatchGuard devices and lets administrators rollout VPN access for large numbers of users. VPN Tracker 5.1 now supports Watchguard's easy-to-configure Mobile User VPN. The client provisioning functionality in VPN Tracker 5.1 is completely compatible with the current Peak- and Core product lines of WatchGuard. [Download - form]


• MacGPS Pro 7.6 ($50) software that connects GPS receivers and Macs. It works with Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers for transferring Waypoints, Routes, Tracklogs, and GPS satellite Almanacs. It works with many brands of GPS receivers for a realtime display of GPS information on a moving map on the desktop. Version 7.6 adds support for all the Garmin Colorado series of GPS receivers. This new version also stitches together maps that have differing datums and displays the track log name in the track point display window. MacGPS Pro requires Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later (for Garmin USB connection, Mac OS X 10.3.8 or later), works with Leopard.


• German-English dictionary (free) plugin for Mac OS X 10.5 Dictionary.App that provides the complete german-english dictionary of the well-known dict.cc-Site for offline use. Works in Dictionary.App and other core OS X services like Spotlight or Dictionary-Widget. [Download - 125MB]


• ChordMate 1.2 ($15-$40) digital chord book. Organize chords by their musical quality, ease of play, or fret. This release has the ability to Copy/Paste Chord Diagrams: you can create chord charts, mail interesting chord voicings to your friends, and annotate your favorite songs; Capo: You can tell ChordMate to place a capo on any fret and Alternate Tunings: Players who do not use the standard EADGBE tuning can tune ChordMate to match their guitar. [Download - 476KB]


• Entrance 1.2 ($40) a MySQL browser with charts. This version includes a "crosstabs" tool that makes it possible for MySQL users to do pivot table analysis from the desktop. The Entrance Tools menu also includes tools for transposing tables, consolidating table columns, line and curve fitting, and interpolation. The new features will be demonstrated in the Entrance booth at the upcoming MySQL Conference, April 14th-17th, in Santa Clara. [Download - 1.7MB]

StrapWrap keeps portable devices, accessories nearby...

DLO today unveiled the StrapWrap, a universal neoprene case designed to attach to almost any bag strap so that users can keep iPods, cellphones or other digital devices close by. The sleeve features an extra-wide Velcro fastener that keeps devices securely fastened to a strap, with padded neoprene covering most of the inserted device. DLO is shipping the StrapWrap currently for $20; it is available from most nationwide retailers.

Apple clarifies iPhone SDK beta state...

Apple today released a note to developers who were earlier temporarily rejected from the iPhone SDK beta. According to iLounge News, the note claims that Apple is currently at full capacity for the current beta stage, saying that it would expand the beta program shortly, after it has control over the current round of developers. The email thanks users for their patience in the matter, and says that Apple will contact a second round of developers once the first is properly sated.

Major security update fixes AFP, CUPS, more...

Apple today unveiled Security Update 2008-002, which provides a number of fixes for several system vulnerabilities found in AFP, CUPS, AppKit, and several other system-level resources. Most of the vulnerabilities revolve around maliciously crafted URLs granting access to system-level privileges, while others allow users to bypass system security. The majority of fixes are for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and Tiger Server users, while some apply to the 10.5 Leopard equivalents.

Intel NetBook computer leaked?...

A secret in spite of the sibling NetTop platform's unveiling, photos and specifications have allegedly leaked for Intel's forthcoming NetBook. An employee with a US OEM claims to have obtained a sample system, intended for educational purposes; the computer runs Windows XP Pro, and operates on a 900MHz Celeron processor with 512MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive and an Ethernet connection. The screen measures nine inches, and a conspicuous handle allows quick transport.

iPhone users more likely to access rich content...

M:Metrics, a mobile metrics research group, has found the iPhone to be the great game-changer for the wireless industry, saying that it effectively lives up to the hype surrounding the device. Mark Donovan, senior analyst for M:Metrics, said that the iPhone is "compelling consumers to interact with the mobile web," citing "off-the-charts" usage for tasks including text messaging and mobile video. The firm's figures show that 85-percent of all iPhone users access news and other remote information during January.

Rogers to carry 7.2Mbps ExpressCard modem...

Canada's Rogers Wireless will be the first carrier in carrier in the world with a new ExpressCard modem, Novatel has announced. The Merlin X950D is a quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band HSPA modem, able to fit into both 34 and 54 ExpressCard slots. Notable however is that the modem supports not only 2.1Mbps HSUPA, but 7.2Mbps HSDPA, twice as fast as most 3G networks worldwide. Rogers has yet to launch 7.2Mbps speeds, but is rumored to be testing the technology in limited fashion.

Intel, MS team on multi-core CPU research...

Intel and Microsoft Research today said they would work together to research parallel computing for both home and work PCs. As part of a $20 million joint investment, the two companies will help fund Universal Parallel Computing Research Centers at both the University of Berkeley and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The institutions will help develop more advanced ways of programming for and using processors with multiple cores, including operating systems.

iPod Touch price dropped to 199 euros?

yooph.nl reports on a banner appearing on the Dutch Apple Store showing the iPod Touch priced at 199 euros, a steep drop from the previous 279 euro price. Official store prices are still listed at 279 euros for 8GB, 369 euros for 16GB and 459 euros for 32GB. The apparently leaked banner has led to speculation that price drops for the iPod Touch may be on the way worldwide. Apple COO Timothy Cook recently said that Apple's focus in its iPod division over the past few months was the introduction and rollout the iPod Touch. He sees getting the "first mainstream WiFi portable platform" out as a big strategic move.

Panasonic intros wide-angle, touch Lumix...

Panasonic is expanding the top end of its Lumix point-and-shoot camera line with the FX500. The compact focuses on optics rather than just its 10-megapixel sensor; the 25-125mm lens is capable both of wide-angle shots and zooming to 5X, allowing the camera to catch both unusually large subjects as well as long-distance shots. Panasonic also claims a unique interface that combines both a touchscreen and a directional pad for users who want either the relative ease of the former with the option of falling back to physical controls.

Intel provides more Nehalem details...

The upcoming Nehalem processor design will not just be an upgrade to existing processors but a complete replacement for the Core architecture, Intel has explained as part of a press briefing. It will be built on the same 45 nanometer manufacturing process as today's Penryn architecture but is designed to be extremely scalable: in addition to scaling from as few as two cores per chip to as many as 8, Nehalem can be optimized to run efficiently in notebooks or at full speed for servers and workstations.

Quake Wars for Mac OS X ships...

Aspyr Media has begun shipping id Software's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for Mac OS X throughout North America. The game was built using id Software's MegaTexture rendering technology and features strategic team play, persistent character promotions, and an arsenal of weapons and vehicles in objective-based battles. "Battles rage on stunning battlefields inspired by tropical, arctic, temperate, urban and desert locations both online and offline against lethal A.I. combatants." Players choose to battle as one of five unique classes in either the human Global Defense Force (GDF) or the Strogg armies, each augmented with specialist weapons and combat hardware. Troops can use more than 40 vehicles, deployable structures, and defense systems like quad-bikes, tanks, and alien walkers.

Toshiba, Samsung lead Greenpeace rankings...

Japan's Toshiba and Korea's Samsung are the most environmentally friendly of the major electronics manufacturers, claims Greenpeace. The activist group has published a new edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics, ranking producers of consumer electronics against each other in terms of factors like pollution and recycling. Toshiba has leaped ahead six positions to tie the previous leader, Samsung, due to continued improvement in areas of both recycling and electronic waste; Samsung's static ranking, meanwhile, is attributed to an "incomplete" product takeback policy.

PDFpen 3.4 speeds up, adds fixes...

Smile On My Mac has released the v3.4 update to PDFpen, its tool to assist with managing PDF files. Users can edit and resize blocks of content, overlay new material such as digital signatures, and perform tasks such as as creating a new document out of the pages from several others. The patched program is said to improve the performance of adding imprints to large files, as well as speed the opening of documents within Mac OS X 10.4.11 and 10.5.x.

Genius launches GHP-05 headphones...

Genius released a premium headphone set Tuesday which reportedly offers a more 'live' listening experience thanks to a new 3D surround technology. The GHP-05 Live features an integrated DRD True 3D surround sound system said to enhance bass and dynamic range. According to Genius, the technology allows for pronounced low bass while delivering high treble levels along with well-defined vocals.

SSD notebooks suffer 30% failure rates?...

At least one major computer manufacturer is encountering an unusually high rate of failure among notebooks equipped with solid-state drives (SSDs), according to a report by analyst group Avian Securities. Declining to name the company in question, manager Avi Cohen of the research firm claims that a major PC manufacturer is seeing returns of at least 20 percent and as much as 30 percent of the SSD systems it sells. Most of these, or up to 20 percent, are from drives which failed outright, though Cohen doesn't say whether this stems from the storage itself or the controller chip, which manages data transfers between the SSD and its host computer.

Stats: iPhone/iPod browser share growing rapidly...

The number of Americans browsing the web via the iPhone and iPod touch rose dramatically between December and March, according to StatCounter. The web tracking company reports that figures rose 64 percent in the period, from 0.14 to 0.23 percent of surfers; while the amount is dramatically smaller than that using desktop browsers such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, it is far in excess of some other cellular technologies, such as Nokia's. People browsing from Nokia devices represent just 0.01 percent of the US market.

Adobe pulls Lightroom, Camera Raw updates...

Adobe has taken the unusual step of withdrawing updates for two key pieces of photography software: Lightroom, its editing and management tool, and Camera Raw, its plug-in for support of RAW files. The principal issue is in the time stamping in EXIF information, as both Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 may decide that files are out of sync with its own information, and impose their own (incorrect) stamp on the original file. Images are otherwise unaffected, and the XMP sidecar files and metadata should remain accurate.

TiVo intros new Desktop with iTunes podcasts...

TiVo this morning pushed out an update to TiVo Desktop that helps turn its DVRs into networked media hubs. The new version stresses the ability to pull podcasts and can either recognize them directly from iTunes on a networked PC or else pulls them directly through RSS subscriptions; on Series 3 units, this also includes 720p HD podcasts. Customers can also use the Season Pass feature normally used for recorded TV shows to monitor web video sources and add new videos from folders on a local PC without adding them to the list by hand.

Apple launches Safari 3.1...

Continuing its spate of updates on Tuesdays, Apple has released Safari 3.1, the latest version of its proprietary web browser. The update supports the new audio and video tags of the HTML 5 standard, and is claimed to be the first browser with support for CSS animations, as opposed to static sheets. The software also introduces support for CSS web fonts, which gives designers the ability to pick custom styles without worrying about the ones a visitor already has.

Samsung preps ultra-thin 8MP phone camera...

Samsung this morning revealed what it says is one of the world's smallest high-resolution cameras yet. Although capable of 8-megapixel shots, the new camera is roughly as wide as a coin and a third of an inch thick, allowing it to fit into far thinner and more compact phones than even many 5-megapixel cameras. The sensor is also more powerful than most at its size with up to ISO 1600 light sensitivity, anti-blur and noise correction, and both face and smile detection for portraits.

iTunes Store issues credits for WGA strike...

Apple is offering a gesture of appeasement to customers affected by the recent Writers Guild of America strike, according to an official bulletin. The company notes that those who bought a Season Pass at the iTunes Store -- granting them access to a season of a TV show at a discount -- may still be waiting for some episodes of a show to appear, and in some cases may not receive the full value of what they paid for. This is unavoidable, as the networks themselves may not be producing the remaining episodes.

Apple outpaces PC industry in sales for February...

Apple's computer sales in the US have grown considerably from last year – at 60-percent unit growth and 67-percent revenue growth – granting it 14-percent of all computers sold for February. According to AppleInsider, Apple's laptop systems saw the largest growth, representing a 64-percent increase in units sold, and 67-percent increased revenue, suggesting strong acceptance of the company's new ultra-portable, the MacBook Air.