May 09 - 04:50pm EDT   Syncro Soft has released the v9.2 update to Oxygen XML Editor, a cross-platform, WYSIWYG XML toolset, which provides a variety of services including XQuery debugging. It is available solo, or as an Eclipse IDE plug-in. The new version of the software improves DITA support, with a new DITA maps manager, and a toolchain for generating DITA output in formats including HTML, XHTML and PDF. The newest DITA Open Toolkit is integrated through normal transformation scenarios support. [full story]

May 09 - 04:10pm EDT   Google is hosting a new extension for Mac OS X Leopard, called AppMenuBoy. Like Quay, the program addresses an interface change to Leopard, in which Apple removed hierarchical menus in the Dock. This has been partially restored in Mac OS X 10.5.2, which lets users set the Applications menu to list mode when dragged into the Dock, but this is not the same as in Tiger, which presents submenus for anything under Applications. [full story]

May 09 - 03:20pm EDT   CTM has released FoxTrot Professional Search, a tool for running deeper searches into Mac file systems. The app extends past filenames to search for content within metadata, as well as the text inside of PDF, HTML, e-mail and word processing files. Search results are categorized and ranked on relevance, and users can maintain multiple indexed collections and timed updates, without having to launch the program. [full story]

May 09 - 02:50pm EDT   Autodesk has released the 2009 edition of SketchBook Pro, its painting and illustration program, designed for users of tablets and tablet PCs. The new application is compatible with Mac OS X Leopard, and boasts new support for Adobe Photoshop, allowing users to import PSD files for detailed drawing. Appropriately, SketchBook layers now support general locking and transparency locking, and the active layer is highlighted with an orange outline, which also sports interface controls such as a thumbnail view. [full story]

May 09 - 01:50pm EDT   Microsoft today said it would appeal the nearly $1.4 billion fine levied against it by the European Commission earlier this year. The company has not explained its specific motivations behind the objection, but says the move is an effort to "seek clarity" from the Commission's court and that Microsoft's opposition with the appeal is to the fine itself rather than the ultimate verdict. [full story]

May 09 - 12:55pm EDT   Sun Microsystems on Friday introduced a new update for xVM VirtualBox, adding support for Mac OS X and Solaris, making it the first open sourcevirtual machine to support both operating systems. According to The Inquirer, Sun is offering both a free open source version which has no usage restrictions, as well as a free licensed version with more features for individual home users. Business customers are required to pay for licenses, should they want the full version. [full story]

May 09 - 11:50am EDT   uncomplex has released a public beta of Mailplane 2.0, an upcoming revision of its Gmail client. The app is effectively a site-specfic web browser, and is intended to make Gmail more seamlessly integrated with Mac OS X. Users can for instance quickly browse and attach files from iPhoto and iTunes libraries, and convert or resize images as necessary. Multiple Gmail/Google Apps accounts can be switched to without signing in and out, and the app can bet set to launch directly from Address Book, Safari, or anything else with a "mailto:" URL. [full story]

May 09 - 11:10am EDT   Coder Rainer Brockerhoff has released a fresh update to Quay, a Dock extender for Mac OS X Leopard. The app restores hierarchical menus to the OS -- last found in Tiger -- and also lets users sort Stacks in a variety of ways. Quay can be set to work only with specific Stacks, and can be toggled off completely by holding down the Option key. [full story]

May 09 - 10:35am EDT   Softpress has released the first major update to Freeway 5, its WYSIWYG web design tool. The base application distinguishes itself with features such as CSS menus, and Google and script.aculo.us Actions; new in v5.1 is the ability to publish a feed from a page, using the RSS Feed Action. Designers can now also import SVG vector graphics, whether for conversion to JPEG, GIF or PNG, or simply as a pass-through to a finished page. [full story]

May 08 - 05:10pm EDT   plasq has released Comic Life Magiq 1.0 for Mac OS X, its photo-comic desktop publishing software designed for all ages and skill levels. Built from the ground up to leverage the power of Mac OS X 10.5 core technologies, the software utilizes Image and Core Animation for unique visual effects and elegant layouts. The included Image Editor offers tools for smart cut-out, warping and smudging, painting, skinning, green-screening and more, while the comic page layout engine can handle complex and creatively-curved comic panels, speech balloons and captions. Users can also easily drag pictures, captions, lettering text ('ka-blam!') and speech balloons to quickly develop ... [full story]