Norrkross Movie 1.2 improves audio control...

Norrkross Software has released version 1.2 of its video editing, compositing and effects application that offers realtime, non-destructive video effects and unlimited layers with transparency compositing. Norrkross Movie 1.2 improves the audio control, user interface and adds a new French localization. The software can be used to edit video in multiple layered tracks, add movie titles, or use the green screen effect. Leveraging a simple user interface that can be used with little or no training, Norrkross Movie can be used to quickly put together a video clip for YouTube or to make an advanced animated multi-track movie.

Keyboard Maestro 3.0 adds new macros, actions...

Stairways Software today announced Keyboard Maestro 3.0, a new version of its productivity enhancer for Mac OS X. Version 3 adds new ways to create macros, including recording, new ways to trigger macros, new actions, simplifications and an improved user interface. With Keyboard Maestro's macros, users can control applications, windows, or menus; insert text; open documents, applications or URLs; execute scripts; control the system or iTunes; and more using the touch of a key, click of the mouse, or as scheduled action. Users can also trigger macros when an application is launched or running and over the Internet using Keyboard Maestro's built-in web server.

MS, News Corp to team up on Yahoo bid?...

MySpace parent company News Corp. is looking to join Microsoft as a partner in the latter's attempt to take over Yahoo, say apparent sources in touch with the Wall Street Journal. Without going into details, the paper suggests that News Corp. is in "serious" discussion to contribute to the deal. The combination would potentially help overcome Yahoo's frequent rejections of Microsoft's overtures, which argue that the original $31 per share bid for Yahoo undervalues the search firm.

DLO HybridShell, VideoShell case for iPhone...

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters today announced two new clear shell-style cases for the iPhone, the HybridShell and VideoShell. The HybridShell provides a clear polycarbonate covering for the iPhone, with an included Surface Shield screen protector, but adds several textured silicone nubs on the back, allowing it to stick to flat surfaces. Digital Lifestyle Outfitters is selling the HybridShell for iPhone for $25, and is currently available at select resellers.

RocketRAID 3522 now boots Mac OS X...

HighPoint Technologies has announced that the RocketRAID 3522 now supports booting Mac OS X on Apple Mac Pro (2006-2007) models. The RocketRAID 3522 has a dual mini-SAS interface that supports up to eight external direct connect SATA hard drives. Some of the new features available in the RocketRAID 3522 include selectable RAID block sizes for application tuning. Advance RAID level 0,1,5,6 and new RAID 3 support. Upgradable firmware support via the HighPoint web GUI and 32-bit EFI boot capability with Mac Pro 2006-2007 models. Booting support for Mac Pro 2008 models will be coming soon and requires an firmware upgrade through the HighPoint web management GUI.

Briefly: LAbeace Classic case review...

In brief: We have a review of the LAbeace Classic 13" MacBook shoulder bag, the iLEVL holder for iMac has debuted, a Desktop Transporter unlimited license has been unveiled, VMware Fusion is holding a video contest, a Desktop Transporter unlimited license is available, and we've postd a MacFamilyTree review ... We have posted a review of the LAbeace Classic 13" MacBook shoulder bag from French company, Be•ez (be easy). It's a less expensive, but fine looking bag. The quality construction combined with its unique design makes it a good fit for students and others with lightweight needs. From the outside, it looks remarkably similar to Booq bag products, but that's as far as the similarity goes. The 1682D nylon outer fabric wears well and all the stitching is finished off nicely. This black bag comes with a variety of interior fashion colors, but simple black or white piping gives it an outward business look.

Solo unveils Urban At Ease designer bag for laptops...

Solo today unveiled a new designer bag made for 15-inch laptops called the Urban At Ease Laptop Messenger Bag, constructed from a durable matte canvas fabric, with an oiled leather trim and padded corduroy sleeve. The sleeve stretches to fit almost any 15.4-inch laptop, and features several interior, side, and rear organizers. The Urban At Ease Laptop Messenger Bag is currently available for $95, in either black or olive finish.

Microsoft labels Yahoo/Google deal monopoly...

Microsoft tonight quickly responded to Yahoo's Google ad trial, attacking the deal as a potential move towards a monopoly. The Windows developer argues that any more permanent agreement would place "over 90%" of all search ads under Google's control and would shut out attempts by other firms to offer alternatives. Microsoft says that its own proposed takeover would be more beneficial by establishing a second major search ad provider.

First Look: SpaceNavigator, 3D mouse...

For most people, a mouse or trackpad is all they need to choose commands or navigate their way around a user interface. However, for anyone involved in computer-aided design (CAD), architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), geographic information systems (GIS), or any other application that offers a 3D interface, an ordinary mouse or trackpad may be too clumsy to use, requiring multiple clicks just to do a simple task. For those who need a more intuitive way to navigate through 3D interfaces, 3dconnexion offers a mouse specifically designed for laptops, called the SpaceNavigator.

Yahoo 'poisons' well, to test Google AdSense...

Yahoo this afternoon made the unusual announcement that it would start a trial of Google's AdSense for Search service. The experiment will see Google's keyword-sensitive ads appear along some search results for visitors to the Yahoo website coming from the US. Starting the trial doesn't commit the company to the practice and will account for just three percent of all searches run on Yahoo's site, leaving the search engine firm's premium partners unaffected.

Adobe releases Media Player 1.0...

Adobe has released v1.0 of its free, self-titled Media Player, in both Mac and Windows versions. The application is built on AIR technology, and plays various resolutions of Flash video, from 480i through to 1080p. While users can play clips downloaded via web, Adobe is focusing heavily on streaming or downloading content directly from within the browser; the company has signed deals with CBS, Comedy Central, PBS and other companies, in order to have their broadcasts included in a default catalog.

Safari: most popular mobile browser in US...

StatCounter today revealed that Safari is the most popular web browser in use in the United States, surpassing Windows Mobile, Palm, and Opera by a wide margin. According to Yahoo, Safari occupies 0.23 percent of US web traffic, with Nokia devices coming in at around 0.08 percent. Internationally, however, their positions are reversed: Nokia was found to have the top tier spot with 0.25 percent share, while the iPhone came in second with 0.08 percent.

Analysts: Windows' monolith design collapsing...

Microsoft may have no choice but to break up Windows into many different versions if it wants to avoid serious long-term problems with its code, according to analysis by Gartner analysts. Neil MacDonald and Michael Silver of the research group note that the operating system is being asked to cover too many aspects of computing, creating a "monolithic" code base that is both too demanding on some classes of hardware and consumes too much space. The company's decision to extend Windows XP for budget systems is a sign that Vista has stretched too far, Gartner's experts note.

WD Passport Essentials drives get colorful...

WD's compact Passport Essential portable drives are now available in 11 colors, the company announced on Wednesday. Each color is available with a choice of 120GB, 160GB, 250GB or 320GB internal 2.5-inch HDDs. The Passport Essential drives are cleanly styled and simple to use, featuring just one USB connection for power and file transfer, and are compatible with both PCs and Macs. Windows users have the benefit of 128-bit data encryption.

Crucial first major with DDR3 notebook RAM...

Crucial has announced itself as the first major memory producer to offer DDR3 RAM for notebook computers, opening the door to systems based on Intel's upcoming Centrino 2 platform. The 204-pin memory holds its advantage over DDR2 by running both at a higher clock speed and offering more overall bandwidth. Its 1,066MHz rate matches the system bus of faster upcoming Core 2 Duo and Extreme processors while also offering 10.6GB per second of headroom through improvements made to DDR3 itself. The combination doubles the practical data rate of 800MHz DDR2 memory, Crucial estimates.

HDElement 4-bay storage launched at NAB...

CalDigit has announced HDElement, a new compact 4 bay storage device that works in conjunction with the CalDigit RAID card offering full hardware RAID capabilities. Users can connect up to 3 HDElements to the CalDigit RAID card. The HDElement is also bootable. CalDigit's RAID Shield GUI allows users to manage drives, run performance checks and monitor system settings are a snap. In the event of any errors, alerts or changes to the RAID array can send an email notification. The CalDigit RAID card offers dedicated Intel processor, and 256MB of built-in cache memory. This gives true hardware RAID capabilities via PCI-e expansion slot.

Needham: Palm, RIM feel pinch from iPhone...

Both Palm and the BlackBerry's creator, Research in Motion, are likely to feel a continued squeeze on their bottom lines as a result of the iPhone, according to separate investment notes from Needham & Co. The financial researchers note that both smartphone producers are most likely to feel added pressure because of the emergence of the consumer smartphone market, which doesn't share the same values as the business market. Services such as near-instant "push" e-mail are only a small factor for most home users, according to analyst Charlie Wolf. While that feature has helped the BlackBerry cement its position in the workplace, most home users are equally concerned with media playback as well as web access.

Parallels Server beta 3 released

Parallels Server Beta 3 has been released, adding an integrated toolset that includes Parallels Tools, Parallels Image Tool and Parallels Transporter (a P2V and V2V migration tool) to the hypervisor solution for server virtualization. Parallels Server includes support for Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT-x) hardware acceleration technologies, 32- and 64-bit platform and guest OS support, and 4-way guest SMP and multi-core CPU support. The new release also adds open APIs and SDK for extensible management, allowing third party tools vendors to add support for Parallels Server. Also new is a command line interface (CLI), and scripting (including Python) allowing automation of common server tasks from the command line.

O2 limiting most 3G users to 128Kbps...

The British division of O2 is deliberately limiting the speeds its 3G customers can operate at, representatives have admitted. Most customers, it says, are being artificially restricted to 128Kbps, equivalent to an ISDN landline connection. By default only customers paying £35 or more per month are being given access to O2's top speeds, rated at 384Kbps; business customers are also being upgraded automatically, as deemed necessary.

Investor: MS 'blundered' in threats towards Yahoo...

Microsoft "blundered" this weekend when it threatened to underbid in a hostile takeover of Yahoo, according to one of the latter company's major shareholders. Bill Miller, the portfolio manager for Legg Mason, states that his company is ready to back Yahoo's desire to stay independent, which is aided by its 7 percent control. This makes Legg Mason the second most powerful shareholder for Yahoo, behind only Capital Research & Management.

Papaya attempts to simplify remote filesharing...

Sweden's Lighthead Software has released the first version of Papaya, a tool for quick filesharing with distant parties. It operates as a web server, automatically producing URLs that can be sent to peers; once configured, users need only drag files to the program's Dock icon to enable sharing. Users can also choose to share folders, whether as groups of files or as compressed ZIP or TAR archives. Compression is handled by Papaya itself.

ViewSonic photo frames bring video, widescreen...

ViewSonic today preempted Mother's Day by a sweeping launch of ten different digital photo frames, including its inaugural large widescreen model. The DPX1002WD (shown) is the company's first 10-inch unit to switch to widescreen and has one of the highest resolutions at its size, displaying both BMP and JPEG images at up to 1024x600. The wood-frame display also serves as a full-fledged media player with support for the MPEG-1/4 and Motion JPEG video formats commonly found in digital cameras as well as MP3s for audio. Images are relatively vivid with a 400:1 contrast ratio and 400cd/m2 brightness.

Portrait Professional headed to Macs...

Anthropics Technology has announced that Portrait Professional, a tool currently only available for Windows, is at last being ported to Mac systems. The software is intended mainly for professional photographers or graphic designers, by addressing common problems in the appearance of models. Using sliders, editors can remove blemishes, grease and sweat, smooth out pores and wrinkles, and adjust color factors such as hue, temperature and skin tan.

Australian iPhone due this summer, non-exclusive?...

Australia may be receiving the iPhone as soon as this summer, rumors suggest. The country's local edition of Macworld cites "reliable sources," who at first indicated that the iPhone would not come to the country until next year, but then pointed to a release date in either June or July. This is said to be bolstered by talk from resellers contacted by MacTalk Australia, who are proposing a release date in the final week of June. Representatives for Apple, however, have denied speaking with resellers on the matter.

Nokia Tube spotted, lacks multi-touch?...

Nokia's vaunted Tube cellphone may not be the company's flagship phone and will have a limited touchscreen, according to leaked info at Symbian Freak. The device, now said to fall outside of the expected Nseries line, is claimed to lack support for any controls similar to multi-touch on its roughly 3.2-inch display and is shown with a matching stylus, suggesting the device may need help from a pen rather than operating solely from fingers, as with its target at Apple.

Java-to-iPhone conversion software enters beta...

New Zealand's Innaworks has introduced the first limited beta of alcheMo for iPhone, a conversion tool for developers. The software is mainly intended for mobile game developers, who typically write their games in Java code; because the native iPhone platform uses Objective C however, developing for it can be unusually complicated. alcheMo is theoretically able to convert J2ME code for the iPhone instantly, without any need for manual adjustments.

In-Stat: digital 40% of all music in 4 years...

Direct music downloads should make up a full 40 percent of all music sales in the space of four years, according to a new study by In-Stat. Research by the company suggests a blossoming of online purchases to the point that two out of every five legal music acquisitions in 2012 will have been made for an Internet-sourced copy instead of a physical copy. The anticipated surge is attributed to much more widespread access to high-speed Internet connections as well as a continued preference for single songs over whole albums and digital libraries that more closely match what's available at retail.

Inspector 2.0 supports FM Pro 9, DDR, more...

FM::Nexus today unveiled Inspector 2.0, a new version to its FileMaker database inspection tool, adding support for FileMaker Pro 9, scripting, calculations, and ESS tables. FM::Nexus says that users are able to use Inspector to provide extensive reports and optimizations to FileMaker databases in real time, as well as adding an "instant search" for layout objects. Inspector 2.0 is currently shipping for $400 for a single user, with special upgrade pricing available for v1.x users.

MCE debuts FireWire solid state drives for DV cams...

MCE Technologies today unveiled the QuickStream SS, a self-powered solid-state drive designed for standard and high-definition video capture. The QuickStream SS is ideal in situations where vibration or other environmental factors contribute to a less-than-desirable shooting environment for standard platter-based capture methods. Size configurations were not mentioned, but MCE will ship both a 2 hour and four hour model, for $1800 and $2800 respectively.

Flickr announces video uploading service...

Flickr today launched a video hosting service to run alongside its image equivalent, which already boasts around 42 million monthly visitors. The move comes in response to findings that 40-percent of surveyed individuals use their digital cameras to capture short video clips, with 55-percent of those surveyed sharing movies with others directly on the camera, and an additional 20-percent who don't share them once they are captured.