11/20, 5:55pm
Version 7 adds more Windows disk support
SubRosaSoft has upgraded its file recovery software, FileSalvage 7. The software recovers deleted files, as well as files lost in an accidental reformat or initialization. It works on multiple file systems, recovering files from Mac OS hard disks, iPods, flash cards, Linux and Windows disks or Boot Camp partitions. The software is also claimed to work with scratched CDs. The interface provides previews of recoverable files, with options to reconstruct file names of many formats such as JPG, MP3 and M4A.
more
11/20, 5:45pm
Tracker also publishes to iChat, Adium
Celmaro has released a new time-tracking application, Minco 1.0. It is designed as a minimalist tracker for time, tasks or earnings, and can fully integrate with iCal. The software runs in the system menu and offers visual representations of time spent on tasks, with options to produce time logs in multiple formats. The earnings capabilities include projecting or displaying the results of a task, day, week, month or year. The new software also has built in tagging options.
more
11/20, 5:40pm
Next Windows again on 3-year schedule
Microsoft should once again release its next mainstream version of Windows about three years after the last, a roadmap obtained this week reveals. The schedule has the major revision, tentatively titled "Windows 8," launching in 2012 or about three years after Windows 7. It will purportedly keep in step with a rhythm developed by Microsoft that has Microsoft launching major releases four years apart, as Windows Server 2008 is considered a major release where its R2 upgrade and even Windows 7 are both treated as "release updates."
more
11/20, 5:25pm
New word processor features simple drag-over menus
Herraiz Soto, an independent creative agency, has launched Ommwriter, a new word processor with a "Zen-like meditative focus." The software offers a choice of ambient music themes that play in the background, along with a variety of keyboard audio-feedback themes designed to make typing a pleasant experience. The software works within one window, with drag-over activated menus to the right of the workspace.
more
11/20, 5:00pm
Also incorporates Stroke Direction tool
AKVIS has introduced a new version of one of its photo effects apps, Sketch 10. The software converts photos into simulated watercolors and pencil drawings. The upgrade provides a new effects tool called Stroke Direction, which offers control over hatch direction and enhances realism. Three new presets have also been added, along with support for Snow Leopard and Windows 7.
more
11/20, 4:45pm
Eye-Fi card now allows selective uploads to sites
In Brief: Mozilla has already released a third beta of the upcoming Firefox 3.6 update, bringing a variety of bug fixes and security enhancements. Eye-Fi has updated its photo uploading utility with Selective Share, a new feature that allows users to selectively share only certain pictures on sites such as Flickr.
more
11/20, 4:15pm
Motorola says update will fix Droid camera issues
Motorola today confirmed it will soon fix the problems with its Droid phone's camera by releasing an automatic over-the-air update to the handset. The Android handset's 5-megapixel camera has been said to have trouble focusing and producing red corners in images when photos are being taken. The intermittent problem has been blamed on an unusual timing bug where particular states of the clock create problems with the autofocusing system. Users can simply change the date on the phone to resolve the issue, although a permanent fix is apparently due soon.
more
11/20, 4:10pm
MS refutes talk of NSA-made security hole
Microsoft in a response late Thursday rejected assertions that it has put in a security "backdoor" at the request of the National Security Agency. The denial comes after the NSA's information assurance lead, Richard Schaeffer, told a US Senate terrorism subcommittee that the agency had worked with Microsoft to improve Windows 7's "security guide" and sparked fears that the government had deliberately left a secret window the NSA could use to spy on users.
more
11/20, 3:40pm
Utility provides OS X remote desktop
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.
more
11/20, 11:05am
Cross Client now a standalone app
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.
more
11/20, 10:25am
Should restore support for 'hackintosh' netbooks
A workaround has been developed to restore Atom processor support in Mac OS X 10.6.2, a Russian hacker claims. The technique relies on a custom version of the Mach kernel, which must be installed using Terminal because of the need to gain root access. Once active, the kernel should support so-called hackintosh netbooks, most likely to use Atom chips.
more
11/20, 9:15am
High-end production suite making platform debut
Autodesk will soon launch a Mac version of Smoke, a demonstration at Japan's InterBEE expo confirms. The software is a high-end video production suite, costing approximately $15,000. It is capable not only of conventional editing tasks, but also handling audio, painting, text and various visual effects.
more
11/20, 12:15am
QuarkPromote.com for small businesses
In brief: To help U.S college and graduate students dealing with heavy educational-based costs, Microsoft's MacBU has announced a special deal for the Office 2008 for Mac, dropping the price by over 70 percent. Office 2008 Business Edition provides a series of different applications to help support all areas of education, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Entourage 2008, and Document Connection for Mac with SharePoint support.
more
11/19, 10:55pm
Boot Camp download fixes optical audio issue
Apple on Thursday released an update to its Server Admin utility for Snow Leopard Server, as well as Boot Camp drivers for Windows. Server Admin tools 10.6.2 includes the latest releases of iCal Server Utility, Podcast Composer, Server Admin, Server Monitor, Server Preferences, System Image Utility, Workgroup Manager, and Xgrid Admin.
more
11/19, 10:25pm
New puzzle adventure game
Big Fish Games has released Drawn: The Painted Tower, a new puzzle-adventure game for the Mac. Players must travel through painted worlds and unravel the secrets of the Painted Tower in order to rescue a girl named Iris. Each floor of the tower has been locked by a curse, which requires players to solve a series of puzzles in order to unlock. Players will also meet a variety of different characters throughout the game, some of which will help the players succeed while others will try and stop them.
more
11/19, 9:35pm
Game features online multiplay, four game modes
Paramount and TransGaming have announced a December release for a Mac version of Star Trek: D-A-C. The new game is a top-down space shooter game pitting Starfleet against the Romulan Empire, supporting online multiplayer for up to 12 players, online co-op and single-player gameplay. Gameplay options include survival, team deathwatch, conquest and assault. Defeated ships offer new abilities and score pick-ups in survival mode, while conquest and assault gameplay involve attacking or defending sectors of space.
more
11/19, 8:55pm
Update handles ZIP archives that fail Zip64 specs
Dragan Milic has released Springy 1.6, adding several new capabilities to the archiving software. Springy can open and browse the contents of an archive or a disk image without extracting any files, and can extract all content or specific files from an archive. It can modify an existing archive or disk image, with options to add, overwrite, delete or rename contents. It also supports both extraction and archiving contents via drag-and-drop.
more
11/19, 8:20pm
Ebbinghaus exports card decks to iPhone
Christian Kienle has introduced Ebbinghaus 3.0, the latest version of the flash card application for organizing cards into decks, folders or "smart decks." All cards will be displayed within a table, while a progress indicator shows overall performance. The update features a study function that displays the cards consecutively, allowing users to type in an answer, while smart decks can be configured to contain only certain sets of cards.
more
11/19, 7:55pm
Layout templates can be exported to JSON format
Ringce has announced the final release of Slammer, a layout and geometry utility for Mac OS X. Designed for both graphic designers and app developers, the layout tool can be used for creating blueprints, customizing borders and size presets, or saving and exporting templates. Version 1.0 includes improvements to the Unibody theme and introduces customizable themes, enabling users to alter the six built-in themes or create new ones. Layout templates can be exported to JSON format, helping to integrate Slammer creations with other apps.
more
11/19, 5:55pm
Twitter apps get location awareness
Twitter today added its promised geolocation feature for tweets. The addition gives any app using the API, but not the Twitter site itself, the option of tagging posts with a location as well as to automatically draw on the location for position-based features, such as finding tweets in a certain area. It isn't exclusive to GPS-equipped devices and will work with Wi-Fi and other methods that can generate the relevant data.
more
11/19, 4:45pm
MS shareholder meeting shows share worries
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer today warned at a yearly shareholders' meeting that the company needed to improve the standing of Windows in the future. The executive was emphatic that Microsoft was still in a comfortable position with "96 out of 100" choosing Windows worldwide but acknowledged that Apple had cut into Microsoft's share in the past year. He downplayed the amount, labeling it a "a couple of tenths of a percent" but added that even the claimed amount was significant and worth fighting for.
more
11/19, 4:40pm
Boosts rewrapping speed
Divergent Media has released an update to its M2T/MTS batch converter, ClipWrap 2.0. The program converts HDV or AVCHD files into QuickTime movies that can be used with any QuickTime-based application. Features in v2.0 include enhanced speed when rewrapping files, as well as additional format support.
more
11/19, 4:35pm
Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 coming soon
Microsoft announced on Thursday it will soon release Power Pack 3 for Windows Home Server. The update is meant to improve the integration of Windows Home Server with Windows 7 and Windows Media Center by allowing backup and restore of Windows 7 comptuers, Windows 7 Libraries integration, new features in Media Center and added support for netbooks. Windows Home Server is meant for network-attached storage devices.
more
11/19, 2:20pm
Coverage of Google desktop OS unveiling
Google provided its first public details of Chrome OS at a special event today. Electronista supplied coverage of the just-ended even; all updates are listed in reverse chronological order. Among the news unveiled are the first public view of the OS, that there will be no beta today and that the platform is being open-sourced early as Chromium OS a year ahead of its planned late 2010 release.
more
11/19, 1:55pm
Sony in talks with Mozilla on new PS3 browser?
Sony's PS3 gaming console may soon benefit for the Mozilla Firefox web browser, according to a rumor in a Wednesday PSInsider report. The source is said to be close to Sony, and indicates the two companies have been in talks regarding the matter. Whether a deal has been reached in the negotiations is not known, the source points out.
more
11/19, 10:15am
Update includes over 50 changes
Agile Web Solutions has released the completed version of 1Password 3, its web login utility. The software generates custom passwords for websites, remembering login information for automatic insertion later. Users can also save content related to online shopping, such as credit card numbers.
more
11/19, 9:05am
Display update addresses iSight problems
Apple has released two new software updates, beginning with a firmware update for the 24-inch LED Cinema Display. The update fixes an error with the built-in iSight camera, which may not be detected as intended by some programs. Downloaders must have an Intel Mac, as well as Mac OS X 10.5.8 or 10.6.2.
more
11/18, 8:10pm
Updates support new cameras from Canon, Nikon, etc
Adobe has announced several release candidates for updates to its RAW and DNG file utilities, Photoshop Camera Raw 5.6, Lightroom 2.6 and DNG Converter 5.6. The updates extend file support to 19 new camera models including Canon's EOS 7D, Powershot G11 and S90; the Nikon D3s, Olympus E-P2, Pentax K-x, Sigma DP1s, Sony's A500/550/850, and several others.
more
11/18, 6:55pm
Flash blocking improved with new features
The Camino Project has released an update to its self-titled browser for Mac OS X. Version 2.0 adds a tab overview feature that allows users to quickly browse all open tabs in a layout preview. Tabbed browsing has also been improved with drag-and-drop rearranging, a scrollable bar, and a dedicated menu listing all of the open tabs.
more
11/18, 4:45pm
Software to run HTML and protected H.264 video
Microsoft on Wednesday released an early beta version of the upcoming Silverlight software. Version 4 adds a variety of new features including the ability to integrate HTML content within applications, while Google's Chrome browser will also be supported. The company claims performance optimizations allow apps to start quicker and run up to twice as fast as they would with Silverlight 3.
more
11/18, 4:05pm
Browser ingests, renames, geotags photos
MacNN has reviewed Photo Mechanic, a professional photo browser that offers options for renaming, captioning and geocoding groups of photos. Photos can also be rotated, watermarked and given new metadata, as well as saved to backup. When browsing, images can be displayed in a contact sheet or else zoomed in for detail.
more
11/18, 1:40pm
Includes floating notes, Mail links
Urban Design has released Qu-s 1.5, an update to its desktop organizational utility. A notes system lets users save links, schedule tasks and create lists which can include checkboxes or graphic pointers. Version 1.5 now supports Snow Leopard in 32- and 64-bit modes, along with floating notes, and linking notes to Mail messages.
more
11/18, 1:00pm
Creates sci-fi style holograms
Red Giant has released Holomatrix, an After Effects plug-in which simulates the look of animated sci-fi holograms. Thirty built-in preset options include Ghost, Bad Reception and Security Cam. Within them, users can fine-tune over 80 different properties.
more
11/18, 12:50pm
Internet Explorer 9 still early
Microsoft on the second day of its Professional Developers Conference by providing an early look at Internet Explorer 9. The new browser is just three weeks into development but is already expected to significantly outperform its predecessor. The new version will take advantage of hardware acceleration from graphics chipsets that support D2D in DirectX to offload many of the visual elements of browsing, such as maps or sub-pixel rendering. Microsoft's aim is to let the hardware "shine through" in the browser, chief software architect Steven Sinofsky said.
more
11/18, 11:15am
OS likely to have major interface changes
Apple is in early development of the next major version of Mac OS X, evidence suggests. The information comes by way of the open-source launchd framework, which is used to boot Mac OS X and manage its processes. The framework's codebase was recently updated, and a posted changelog contains the entry "< rdar://problem/7386864> 11A47: SecurityAgent no longer visible via Accessibility."
more
11/17, 10:30pm
Supports H.264 and VP6 codecs
Adobe has announced an update to its live audio and video capturing utility, Flash Media Live Encoder 3.1. The app is designed as a media encoder that streams both audio and video in real time to Flash Media Server software or the Flash Video Streaming Service. Users can perform up to three simultaneous encodes and save data to a local file during encoding. The upgrade provides support for Mac OS X, while retaining all of the features of FMLE 3 for Windows.
more
11/17, 8:05pm
Software can launch some applications on clusters
Dauger Research has announced Pooch and Pooch Pro 1.8 with new support for Snow Leopard. The clustering software provides a graphical user interface for its supercomputer-compatible parallel computing utiliities. Version 1.8 can configure, manage, monitor and maintain Mac clusters (also Linux clusters) and uses technology like BSD-standard sockets for communications, POSIX-standard paths for file access, and Apple's open source mDNS library.
more
11/17, 7:00pm
Software supports scrobbling, tagging, more
Snarb.tk has released a public beta of its new iTunes controller, Everplay. The new media player offers playback of music from iTunes libraries and Last.fm online radio services. It can browse and search for individual tracks, with metadata and playcounts both updated on the next launch of iTunes. Everplay also supports a jukebox mode for making playlists on the fly.
more
11/17, 5:55pm
Public Chrome OS preview soon
Google's rumored Chrome OS release should primarily center on its first public demo of the platform, a notice tonight. An event is said due on Thursday that should include a "complete overview" of the web-centric OS, including its technical underpinnings as well as demos. It's now thought by TechCrunch that a code release is possible but that a more formal release isn't coming until 2010.
more
11/17, 5:25pm
Records iPhone Simulator screen
Just About Managing has announced SimCap 1.0, an iPhone Simulator screencapture utility. The title is designed for developers creating App Store images, or else professional demonstration videos. Extended sequences of stills can be captured, aiding with action shots. When recording video, users can choose whether or not to display cursors or gestures.
more
11/17, 1:05pm
Also gains CloudFront, Rackspace configurations
Developer David Kocher has introduced an update to his Mac FTP client, Cyberduck 3.3. The new version has been rebuilt using the Rococoa framework, in order to provide both Snow Leopard and 64-bit support. Other changes include a new application icon, restored PowerPC support, and an Octal input field for permissions.
more
11/17, 8:25am
Flash and AIR betas also bring HW decode
Adobe today fulfilled earlier promises and provided betas for both Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2. Both are the first from Adobe to have a Flash layer that supports multi-touch input, including gestures such as pinching to zoom the window. Flash Player specifically gets H.264 hardware decoding through newer video chipsets and, initially for Windows PCs, can significantly reduce the workload on the CPU or a notebook's battery.
more
11/16, 8:55pm
New offerings for Canon, Brother, HP, Lexmark
Apple on Monday released a wide range of new printer drivers for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The drivers add compatibility for many printers and scanners manufactured by Canon, Brother, HP and Lexmark. Users with devices not supported by the drivers included on the original v10.6 installation DVD can use Software Update to automatically check for new drivers after the printer or scanner is connected to the Mac.
more
11/16, 4:45pm
Software attemps to simplify photo processing
onOne has published Photo Essentials 3, an updated version of its extension for Photoshop Elements. The add-on attempts to simplify certain tasks in Adobe's software, such as color correction, framing, enlargements and background removal. The latest edition introduces Make It Cool, a module which applies effects from a list of over 40, including sepia toning and simulated HDR (high dynamic range).
more
11/16, 4:45pm
Palm releases webOS 1.3.1 for Pre, Pixi
Palm on Friday announced users of the Pre smartphone on both the Sprint network and Bell in Canada will receive an automatic over-the-air software update to webOS 1.3.1. The Palm Pixi, released on Sunday, shipped with the updated operating system as well. A number of new features are made possible with the new OS, and some known issues were resolved. One such new feature is the integration of Yahoo contacts, calendar and messaging into Palm Synergy, along with Outlook EAS, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn accounts. The Yahoo contacts and calendars can also be integrated into the Pre's respective applications, while Yahoo! IM can be used in the webOS Messaging app.
more
11/16, 4:00pm
WM 6.0, 6.1 phones get Windows Marketplace
As promised, Microsoft has released the Windows Marketplace app for Windows Mobile handsets running on the older 6.0 and 6.1 build of the OS. Devices equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5 already have Windows Marketplace preloaded. The free-to-download application store is available for both touchscreen and traditional handsets, and will allow users to browse and download apps from the store.
more
11/16, 3:35pm
Feature tweask include smart sorting
Cynical Peak has released v2.3 of Rivet, its Mac media streaming software. The app shares music, video, photo and podcast content with consoles on a local-area network, namely the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Material can be pulled direclty from Aperture, iPhoto or iTunes libraries, though video can only be streamed from custom folders.
more
11/16, 3:10pm
Samples inspired by science fiction
Native Instruments has released Sonic Fiction, a new Kore instrument featuring "otherworldly" samples. The software provides a variety of field recordings such as volcanic mudpots and television static, among others. Users can select a sample and apply the synthesis and sound processing functionality of Absynth, Kontakt and Kore engines.
more
11/16, 11:30am
Also intros rough Modern Warfare 2 compatibility
CodeWeavers has posted the first beta of CrossOver Games 8.1.0, a significant update to the company's Mac virtualization software. The program runs Windows games within Mac OS, potentially eliminating the need to use Boot Camp, or even own a copy of Windows. Version 8.1.0 is concentrated on support for Left 2 Dead 2, set to be released November 17th. COG owners should already be able to play the demo.
more
11/16, 10:45am
Apps sync Mac content with smartphones
Mark/Space has launched two important Mac applications, The Missing Sync for Android and GoGadget for webOS. After a month's delay, the former is now in public beta, and can now sync content such as music, video, contacts, photos, ringtones and miscellaneous files to an Android-based smartphone. Data is pulled from the likes of Address Book, Entourage, iTunes and iPhoto.
more
