Aqua Connect and Ashbourne Technology Group have announced a new partnership designed to provide hosted services on the Mac platform. The Aqua Connect Terminal Server previously had been unavailable as a hosted service, however the new offering will allow customers to take advantage of the Mac terminal services without purchasing a dedicated server.
Canto has announced Cumulus 8.1, an upgrade to the company’s digital asset management (DAM) software. The update turns the Cumulus Cross Client into a standalone version of Cumulus, letting users create new catalogs on a local computer, open catalogs served by Cumulus Servers, and update metadata and assets between the two. For comparison purposes, visual representation of two selected assets has been added.
Dell on Wednesday introduced six new inkjet all-in-one printers geared for home and business use. All of the models feature print speeds of up to 33 pages per minute in monochrome or 25 pages per minute in color. Monochrome copy speeds are claimed to reach 25 pages per minute, with color copies processed as fast as 21 pages per minute. All "w" variants feature integrated wireless connectivity, while an optional Bluetooth dongle can be connected to the USB Pictbridge port.
Enhance Technology has launched the EnhanceRAID TS800 series, a new desktop RAID line. The series includes four main models based on connection options: IP (iSCSI), SC (SCSI), SS (SAS) and FC (Fiber Channel). Each is powered by an 80-plus efficient power supply, and includes an integrated hardware RAID controller. Eight removable, key-locked drive trays are available, with light pipes displaying disk activity.
SGI has introduced the Altix UV, a new series of supercomputers geared for large databases or analysis operations. The computers are based on Intel's Nehalem platform, with support for configurations utilizing quad-, six, or eight-core Xeon CPUs. Devices can be scaled to integrate up to 2,048 cores, with architectural provisioning for up to 262,144 cores.
CalDigit has announced increased storage support in terms of its hard drives and several of its RAID storage systems. The company’s previous hard drives were only available in capacities up to 1.5TB, but can now range up to 2TB at no extra cost. Enhancements have appropriately been made to the company’s CalDigit VR, HDElement, HDOne and HDPro RAID systems. Capacities can now extend from 4TB up to 16TB, or as much as 32TB when combined with other supporting systems.
Banking institution Wells Fargo has released CEO Mobile, a new iPhone application. Separate from the company's regular banking app, CEO Mobile is designed to handle corporate and commercial transactions. Users can monitor balances, approve payments and view ongoing account activity.
GroupLogic has introduced MassTransit 6.1, the newest version of its server-based file sharing utility for Mac. The update delivers features geared towards both new and advanced users, including added support for Linux web clients, as well as international file and folder names with advanced Unicode Double-Byte Character Set (DBCS) capabilities. Other changes include new reports to help optimize file transfer performance, and automated Active Directory account provisioning and management tools.
Servoy has launched an update to its hybrid SaaS software, Servoy. Version 5.0 can run on dedicated servers or in a cloud-based operation, with the ability to handle both SaaS and Back hybrid applications from a single codebase. It offers real-time clustering and support for load balancing, including geographic load balancing and fail over.
Chronos on Monday released updates to its SOHO Notes and SOHO Organizer software. The company claims to have rewritten the core engine from scratch, enabling faster performance and a variety of new features. With the companion iPhone app, Notes8 now allows users to synchronize with with the handset via Wi-Fi. The interface has been improved with Cover Flow and Icon views.
BCMonaco has announced its latest point-of-sale utility designed for professional restaurants, bcResto. The software provides tools for managing daily restaurant tasks such as taxes, orders, tables and waiters, along with organizing products and prices. Users can also keep track of both sales statistics and cash, while keeping a detailed record of individual waiter bills. Additional money management features include summarized bills, tickets and receipts, and the ability to automatically change prices based on percentages.
Arten Science has launched new contact-management software, ContaX. The new software allows storage and viewing of contacts, with communication and interaction available between contacts. It has a flexible database that can be stored anywhere, including hosted or synchronized services like an iDisk or DropBox. It can be used by individuals or expanded to small-business levels, and can communicate across OS platforms. The new software is compatible with R10Cipher for encrypt text and e-mail; it is also compatible with R10BatchMail for sending batches of e-mails.
Lenovo on Monday introduced the ThinkCentre A70z, an all-in-one system geared for small- and medium-size businesses. The systems offer a choice between Intel Core2 Duo or Celeron Dual Core processors, with hard-drive options reaching up to 500GB. A DVD drive, webcam, integrated speakers, and optional Wi-Fi components round out the specs.
Despite resistance, the iPhone is slowly being adopted by more and more corporate enterprises, says Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank. The analyst estimates that approximately 2 million iPhones will be in enterprise use by the end of 2009, whether bought directly by IT departments or by workers receiving reimbursements. Such sales could give Apple a 7 percent marketshare, a substantial increase over the 2 percent achieved in 2008.
Excel has introduced QuickLicense Server 1.0, an application for generating a vendor-branded floating license system. Under such a system, a server and monitor pairing keep track of protected programs. Tools in QuickLicense allow users to configure a server, observe its operations, and alter the number of purchased licenses, and well as manage the number of protected apps that can be used at a customer site.
Primera has announced PTPublisher, new burning and printing software for the Mac. The app is based on the Roxio burn engine and allows users to burn or print discs through any networked Primera disc publisher. A real-time status bar displays bin levels, ink levels and system errors, while administrator functions give control over an authorized user list and password assignments, as well as e-mailed status notifications.
CrushFTP has released an update to its self-titled FTP software. Version 5.0.3 offers improved user-management functionality and options for consolidating multiple Virtual File Systems. SSH port forwarding has been added, along with support for additional FTP servers when acting as a FTP Proxy/Protocol Translator.
Absoft has launched Pro Fortran 11 for the Mac. Version 11 includes both 32- and 64-bit compilers, allowing developers to design code for Mac, Windows and Linux using a single code source. Similarly present is support for OpenMP multi-core parallel programming standards when using Nehalem-era Xeon processors.
Extensis has released v2.1 of Universal Type Server, the company's font management software. Users can centrally control libraries and permissions, determining which fonts are used and by whom. The program also auto-activates fonts for Adobe and Quark utilities, while checking for corruption issues.
NVIDIA has teamed with a rendering technology company, mental images, to introduce the RealityServer platform for cloud computing. The technology integrates GPUs and software capable of supporting 3D web-based applications for consumers and enterprise users.
KnowledgeMiner has released v2.0 of KnowledgeMiner (yX) for Excel, a data mining tool. The software scrutinizes Excel spreadsheets for patterns, highlighting trends in a more explicit fashion. It can also use data to generate predictions based on algorithms. Among the new features in v2.0 is support for 64-bit processing, which accelerates computations by scaling to the number of cores present on a Mac.
Global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney has placed Apple on its Global Champions 2009 study. Apple was third overall, behind Nintendo (1st) and Google (2nd) in the study which focused on companies that outperformed peers over the past five years. Most of the top 25 companies managed 15 percent growth, compared to an average 8 percent growth for the entire sample of 2500 companies. Apple managed 41 percent median sales growth and 24 percent growth in median value.
CoSoSys has released a new version of Endpoint Protector 2009, its data-loss prevention and endpoint security application. The update adds support for Mac OS X Snow Leopard, along with the soon-to-be-launched Windows 7. Endpoint Protector is designed to protect confidential data, and provides tools for monitoring and controlling activities on other systems. File tracking lets users see copy sources and destinations, as well as determine which files can be copied.
NewsGator has formally announced TapLynx, a new development framework for iPhone and iPod touch applications. Titles produced through the framework are meant to display constantly-updating media content, delievered via RSS feeds. Text, images and video clips can be arranged inline, and sharing options can be integrated in the form of e-mail, Twitter and Facebook support.
Noting the rise of Macs in the workplace, McAfee has released Endpoint for Mac, allowing centralized anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall control, as well as application protection. The software allows IT administrators to use the same basic security console that works with Windows machines for their Mac users.
Both Apple and Psystar have filed separate motions, requesting a summary judgement from Judge William Alsup in a San Francisco court, says AppleInsider. The two hearings are both set for November 12th, the outcome of which could determine whether the trial will take place in January. Apple has asked Alsup rule that Psystar infringed on its copyrights and violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by selling third-party machines that run Mac OS X. Apple believes the company has violated laws by circumventing its operating system's disc protection methods.
Group Logic has announced a partnership with Symantec in developing a file system archival (FSA) scheme for Mac-based organizations. The arrangement combines Symantec's Enterprise Vault with Group Logic's ArchiveConnect, and promises to reduce storage costs as much as 60 percent.
Apple will amend its App Store policies to allow Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) apps to be submitted, according to The Associated Press. The company's decision comes following AT&T's announcement that it will expand Internet calling services on the iPhone to include VoIP. "We will be amending our developer agreements to get VoIP apps on the App Store and in customers' hands as soon as possible," said an Apple spokesperson.
IBM has released v8.5.1 of Lotus Notes and Domino, the company's enterprise-level collaboration packages. Through Lotus Notes Traveler the software now has native iPhone support, allowing Domino to automatically sync e-mail, contacts and calendars. Push e-mail is supported, and owners of iPhones can work offline if need be.
Apple has launched a legal challenge against Woolworths, prompted by the latter company's new logo that resembles the well-known Apple symbol, according to The Age. Woolworths, the largest retailer in Australia, insists its new logo is a stylized "W" or a piece of fresh produce. Apple conversely believes the icon is too similar to its own and has set out to convince IP Australia, the Federal Government agency that governs trademarks, to stop Woolworths' application from proceeding.
Equinux has released a major upgrade to its IPSec-based VPN client, VPN Tracker 6. The new version features the Secure Desktop, which provides simpler organization of daily tasks, applications and file servers, and lets users configure the program to remember specific VPN connection settings. The upgrade also delivers improved integration with business operations, by enabling automatic creation of VPN tunnels that can be shared with multiple apps running on virtual machines; similarly new is DHCP renewal and rekeying, which can extend the duration of connections.
A small but significant number of corporations are switching from BlackBerries to iPhones, a new report claims. Citing various industry sources, including a "top sales executive" from a major cellphone carrier, the report suggests that several factors are spurring a transition. Predominant is cost, since a company with a thousand workers may spend tens of thousands of dollars handling BlackBerry services, a consequence of hosting internal servers or relying on outsourcing.
MacPractice has released an upgrade for its iPhone framework, iPhone Interface 2.0. The code allows doctors who also have the MacPractice desktop software (MD, DDS, DC or 20/20) to remotely connect to an office database for schedule access, patient records, appointment histories, prescription histories and alerts. It supports VPN access for keeping records secure.
Intuit has unveiled Quickbooks for Mac 2010 with built-in credit card processing, access to the company's new payroll service and several enhancements designed to improve ease of use. Also included is My Time, a new standalone application for time tracking and billing.
Windows users have again been pressed into downloading an unneeded program through Apple's Software Update utility, MacNN can confirm. The latter is requesting that users download iPhone Configuration Utility 2.1, which is identified as an update rather than just an optional add-on. The program is unimportant to the general public, intended for enterprise management of iPhone apps and profiles.
Werck BV has launched a major upgrade to its Mac-only point-of-sale software, Checkpoint 3. The app delivers tools for managing inventory stocks and can be used to handle a variety of cashier tasks including sales, receipts and invoices. The latest version offers a re-designed product manager, several function and performance improvements, and a new EnStore pay-as-you-go web store for Canada and the US. For simpler item management users can now add barcodes to products, which can be printed on either Avery or Dymo labels.
ATTO and LaCie have announced a new partnership to deliver enterprise-level storage systems. The collaboration pairs ATTO's ExpressSAS R380 SAS/SATA host adapter with LaCie's 12big Rack Serial, along with the Celerity FC-42ES Fibre Channel host adapter and the 12big Rack Fibre storage system. The combination of products is designed for environments requiring RAID protection or fast transfer speeds, such as editing multiple streams of uncompressed HD video.
TeamViewer has added enhanced instant messaging and customized TeamViewer QuickSupport to its cross-platform desktop-sharing software. TeamViewer V4 now features group chat with multiple partners for sharing files and information, along with status updates, and the ability to log on and receive messages that had been sent while the user was away.
HP has introduced its latest product for businesses, the SkyRoom videoconferencing system. At the basic level, users can view webcam streams from other attendees present at virtual meetings or chat sessions. If the workers are collaborating on a 3D model or other document, the relevant application and project can be made visible to all viewers.
MOST Training & Consulting has released Mac HelpMate version 3, an update to the Mac OS X remote support software. The software has automatic screen sharing launch support and a dashboard widget for launching a help session. Mac HelpMate has configurable proactive alerts, which allow IT managers to monitor any disk, both local or network on the network, e-mailing an alert when a disk falls below a certain percentage of free space and when kernel panics or S.M.A.R.T errors occur or a Time Machine backup fails.
Hardware builder SGI has begun selling the Octane III, a computer it is claiming to be its first personal supercomputer. Unlike most supercomputers, the system is designed to operate as a workstation, sitting in a regular office environment connected to standard power outlets. Owners can configure an O3 to use as many as 80 cores, and as much as 1TB of RAM.
Trend Micro has released an update to Security for Mac, its threat protection software designed for enterprises. Version 1.5 features improvements to manual scan performance when using the Quick Scan utility. The Cocoa client user interface has been revamped, while enabling automatic registration with the server.
TigerLogic has released Omnis Studio 5, an upgraded application development suite. Mac, Linux and Windows versions are available, and the software can create web- or enterprise-level apps which tap into a variety of database formats. These include Oracle, Sybase, DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MS SQL Server.
ConjureBunny has launched an update to its educational organizational tool with flowchart and mental diagram creation capabilities, Conjure 4.1. The latest version adds over 20 new features and enhancements, including the ability to run the app on multiple monitors, and improved Spaces support allowing users to select a specific background for each individual Space. The application can now run from any thumb drive or MobileMe disk, enabling users to transport important notes and documents.
Intuit has released the QuickBooks 2009 for Mac R8.2 patch, adding Snow Leopard support to the small-business financial software. The update also fixes a series of problems including an issue that prevented customer product codes from completing registration, along with errors that appeared during importation of IIF files with large customer lists. The release also improves stability with print previews or or application of report filters in the Vendor Phone list report.
Arkeia has launched Arkeia Network Backup 8.1, an update to its cross-platform backup software. Version 8.1 brings Snow Leopard compatibility and Custom Restore Objects (CROs) that give system admins the ability to assign restoration rights, enabling end users to restore their own systems. With CROs in place, users can recover a volume without requiring IT workers and without the delays of waiting for assistance.
Microsoft has announced a reorganization of its Office 2008 for Mac product lineup. The software now comes in just two main editions: Home & Student, and Business. The latter is new, adding a series of differences on top of the regular releases of Word, Excel, Entourage and PowerPoint.
Apple is distributing a collection of v2.2 updates for Xsan, its SAN (storage-area network) management software. These include patches for the administrative component, in both Leopard and Snow Leopard varieties. Each corrects similar flaws, in areas such as listing computers connected to a SAN, or displaying when LUNs have been truncated.
Through its open-source Mono Project, Novell has released MonoTouch 1.0, a software development kit for the iPhone and iPod touch. The SDK allows programming apps within Microsoft's .NET framework, which incorporates languages such as C#. Most iPhone development is handled using C and Objective-C, which Novell notes will necessarily exclude many people working with .NET.
Downloaders of the iPhone 3.1 firmware are experiencing a variety of problems, according to talk on Apple's support forums. Perhaps the most serious involves occasional total shutdowns, which occur without warning. Affected iPhones can be revived, but only after a manual reboot.
