Briefly: PulpFx Abstract 1.1 released, iWebTemplate themes

Aquafadas has released a new version of PulpFx Abstract, a collection of generators for animated slideshows in Final Cut Pro, Motion, Final Cut Express and After Effects. The v1.1 update features two all-new generators, Small Moves and Sphere, along with added options for editing titles and managing the order of images. Also included is the ability to choose between several transitions with the Light Slice and Static Pulse generators. A trial version of the software can be downloaded from Aquafadas' website; a full license costs $49.

iLife '11 set to go 64-bit, drop iDVD?

Some significant changes are coming to the next iLife suite, a "well-informed" source claims. The software is first of all said to be going 64-bit, potentially providing significant performance boosts within Snow Leopard. Allegedly being dropped as a default app is iDVD, Apple's disc-authoring tool, which as been available for Macs since 2001. While it should still be an option, people will have to download it, the source says.

Briefly: GameAgent expands to Europe, iWebTemplate bundles

Aspyr has expanded its GameAgent digital download store to residents of the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The move marks the first time that Aspyr's catalog of Mac titles have been available outside of North America. Europeans looking for boxed games, meanwhile, can expect to see those become available later this summer. In celebration of various announcements, Aspyr and GameAgent customers can take advantage of a 15 percent discount on any product until July 28th; the company has also announced the launch of its own customer support forums, allowing users to communicate with each other on a variety of topics.

Briefly: Demo Cup open for submissions, iWeb Themes 8.0

The Open World Forum is currently looking for people to showcase open-source products at this year's Demo Cup, which will be a part of the Open Innovation Awards. Twelve companies, selected from written applications, will be nominated and asked to give eight-minute presentations of their work to both an audience and a jury of experts. Submissions should arrive before July 15th, and consist of a 5- to 10-page executive summary and an initial draft of the storyboard for the demo presentation. Finalists will be selected by July 31st, with a main event set to take place October 1st in Paris, France.

Briefly: AKVIS updates add 64-bit, new iWebTemplate themes

AKVIS has posted updates for five of its photo editing applications, which include Enhancer 11.5, Noise Buster 7.5, Coloriage 7.5, ArtSuite 6.5 and Magnifier 3.5. The patches address a variety of bugs and add full 64-bit support, thereby improving compatibility with Photoshop CS4 and CS5. The tools let users enhance detail, reduce noise, modify colors, resize images and apply artistic effects. Upgrades are free for registered users; new customers can buy the titles as standalone apps or as plug-ins for Photoshop/Photoshop Elements.

Briefly: Mobile Mac Maintenance, five new iWeb themes

Maintain has released a new iPhone app containing guides and advice for Mac owners. In particular the

Briefly: Hotspots for O2 UK iPhones, iWeb iPhone templates

One of Europe's largest mobile Wi-Fi providers, The Cloud, has announced that it is launching a free application for all O2 iPhone users. The new application, FastConnect, provides users with access to all of The Cloud's 22,000 wireless access points around Europe, including all paid-for access hotspots. The software includes a built-in hotspot locator that can automatically connect to a hotspot when in range. Also included is a searchable directory that allows users to locate hotspots across Europe and view directions on a map.

Briefly: FotoMagico 3.2 beta, iWebThemesPark adds new themes

A public beta of FotoMagico 3.2, a tool for creating slideshows with photos and music, has been released by Boinx Software. With the new release of FotoMagico users are able to animate stills in Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Adobe After Effects. This new support has been made possible through the use of a new QuartzComposer plugin and the latest FxPack from Noise Industries. In addition, screensavers created with the new release are now 64-bit compatible, support for the FotoMagico Remote for iPhone has been added to FotoMagico Home, and several other small issues have been updated. The beta is available for download from the companies website and the final version will be a free update to current 3.x license owners. FotoMagico 3.2 Home can be purchased for $29, while FotoMagico 3.2 Pro, which includes PhotoPresenter 4 is available for $149.

Briefly: Strainer file renaming utility, Free iWeb themes

BKTools recently announced the launch of its first Macintosh software product, Strainer. The new application has been designed to help users quickly rename groups of files. Users can define a set of rules that determines which characters to remove or replace in a filename and then drag a group of files to be modified. Each filename will be edited based on the users preferences and if users are not happy with the outcome they can choose to undo the changes. A free demo of the software is available or a full license can be purchased for $14.

iWebThemesPark launches 10 themes for iWeb, offers 11th free

iWebThemesPark on Wednesday released a package with ten new themes, along with a free theme, for Apple's iWeb software. Each of the themes provides eight fully-customizable templates including Welcome, About Me, Photos, My Albums, Movie, Blog, Podcast and Blank.