| MacUpdate Weekend Sale | :This weekend MacUpdate has slashed prices on Painter 12 and Painter Lite. Painter 12 retails for $429, but has been reduced by 54% to $199. Painter Lite has seen a 58% price cut from $69 to $29. Hurry, because these deals are only available until May 19th 2013. |
Light Blue Software has updated its photographic business software, Light Blue: Photo v2. The software manages digital files, publishes online photo albums, handles finances and tracks photoshoots. It offers customizable invoices, galleries, brochures and personalized communications for individual clients. The database, built on FileMaker, helps users manage images, orders and invoices.
Maxprog has introduced MaxBulk Mailer 7, the latest version of its mail-merging and bulk mailer tool. The app includes document and contact management features, with support for a variety of different text formats and multiple lists. The new version offers additional protection against crashes during mail deliveries, allowing users to continue sending a message after the crash has been resolved, as well as added support for wider range of languages such as Swedish, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch.
MetaCommunications has released a new version of its management software suite for marketing, publishing and print businesses, Workgroups 2010. The upgrade delivers hundreds of new features including a document organizer and a browser-based proofing tool, along with a community website for users, workgroups developers and administrators. With the new document proofing tool users can create or view comments on PDF documents and image files as part of a review, as well as open a proof review session from system-generated e-mails.
Microsoft and Nokia on Tuesday announced a new alliance designed to expand reach of business software onto the Symbian mobile platform. Initial work will focus on integrating Microsoft's Office Mobile tools, business communications technology and device management software.
IGG Software has released iBiz 4 and iBiz professional, upgrades to its time-tracking, billing and project management software. iBiz 4 features customizable templates for statements, invoices and reports, new graphics powered by Core Animation, and an iCal sync engine for projects, events, and invoice due dates with alarms. A variety of interface refinements has been made including a new pop-up inspector to help edit project information, and a modified main window to help users access and organize to-do’s, files, and events.
The PandaWare Company has released an upgrade to its time and expense billing software for the Mac, TimeCache 8. The update focuses on improvements to reports and invoices, and provides more customization options for sub-sorting and sub-totalling, the ability to produce instant reports and invoices from saved settings, and an option for using a PDF file as a report or invoice background. Version 8 also comes with a “quick-invoice” feature that helps deliver simpler invoice creation for all projects.
Xsilva (Booth No. 314) this week will offer previews and demos of LightSpeed 3.0, its revamped retail point-of-sale (POS) application. Expected to ship in the spring of 2009, LightSpeed combines a POS functions for front-counter retail with back-office functions such as inventory management, order processing and billing. Version 3.0 will feature a new point-of-sale screen, a host of new features for multi-store retailers and support for the latest version of Xsilva’s e-commerce solution, Web Store 2.0.
IGG Software today released iBank 3 Public Beta, a trial version of its financial management application for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The software includes iBank for iPhone, a Web-based iPhone application that allows users to enter transactions from an iPhone on-the-go. The update powers a redesigned interface with Mac OS X Core Animation technology, and a new view allows users to 'flip' through transactions presented professionally designed category images. iBank 3 Public Beta requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later, and the full version will ship in February for $50.
Xsilva Systems recently unveiled LightSpeed 2.5, an update to its Mac OS-based point of sale system, introducing features such as Leopard compatibility, iPhone integration, and CoverFlow. Retailers are able to track sales, payments, returns, and invoice counts over various periods of time using the iPhone App, LightSpeed Stats. Stats can also show information regarding which employees are currently clocked in for work and how much time they've spent on Jobs and Tasks, and the app links employee contact information to the iPhone so that emails and phone calls to staff require only one tap. LightSpeed 2.5 is available from select retailers, as well as the Xsilva online store, starting from $750.
MYOB US today unveiled the latest version to its small business accounting software, AccountEdge 2008, introducing a new command center, better Mac OS X App integration, and more. The company says the redesigned command center is more than just a cosmetic fix, offering quick-access task drawers that store common functions. AccountEdge 2008 can now integrate with both iCal and .Mac services, allowing users to set reminders and to-dos, and to back up their accounting information to iDisk. A new enhanced search function allows users to search contacts, items, transactions, and other databases for information such as postal codes, item descriptions, and first name, among others. MYOB AccountEdge 2008 is available directly from the company's online store for $300, and requires a G3 with 128MB of RAM running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
Veteran Mac developers The Omni Group have been producing OS X software since its inception, initially creating OmniWeb and porting Bungie's Oni to the platform. Having since blossomed from its humble beginnings by introducing many different applications for home and business, The Omni Group has unveiled its latest product, OmniFocus – an application designed to help personal and small business users stay on top of their tasks and duties. By using a trim application window and Apple app integration, OmniFocus hopes to offer an easy-to-use, albeit powerful, experience.
The Omni Group today announced a public beta of its new task management tool, OmniFocus. The software is designed to quickly capture thoughts and ideas, allowing users to store, manage, and process them into active to-do items. Tasks can be assigned to projects with built-in visual cues that accentuate the next required action. OmniFocus also features a number of efficient tools, such as a quick entry panel, import options for kGTD documents, iCal syncing, project and task filtering, file attachments, saved viewing perspective, and much more. The Omni Group is offering a special pricing strata for pre-orders at $40, with the OmniFocus' final pricing at $80 when it ships on January 8th.
As announced on Tuesday morning, FileMaker Pro is known for its versatile, multi-platform database creation capabilities, allowing users to design and put into practice custom front-ends for business and personal use alike. For most users that don't have experience with coding or scripting, however, FileMaker proves to be quite unapproachable, as a database without coding is little more than a set of static fields and text. Today, FileMaker has introduced Bento – a new addition to their product family that aims to change the perception of versatile database deployment.
Miami-based developer Objective Decision introduced an update to its contact managing software Contactizer Pro 3.5, and unveiled a new product, Contactizer Express 3.5. Designed for casual users, Contactizer Express is built on a number of core technologies from Contactizer Pro. While the apps are universal, Objective Decision has not yet encorporated Leopard compatibility. Pro users will discover an augmented interface, and the addition of a Merge Key Panel which allows users to access tasks from within the calendar view. Contactizer Express and Pro are available from the developer's website, with Express at $60, and $120 for Pro; both have options for licensing.
The Mac Business Unit at Microsoft has released a fifth sneak peek of Office 2008's development status, touting Entourage 2008 improvements alongside broader PowerPoint 2008 functionality. The latest update of Office 2008 includes an improved calendar user interface with color-coded categories, status indicators, and flexible To-Do list management to help manage schedules. The latest revision of Office 2008 also offers dynamic guides for PowerPoint 2008 to easily align text and graphics, improved presenter tools for Mac users only that enables greater control over timing as well as pacing, and a new condensed thumbnail view to ease design consistency while better coordinating the flow of PowerPoint 2008 slides.
VMware on Monday announced VMware Fusion 1.1, a new update to its desktop virtualization software for Intel-based Macs as a well as new utility to automatically convert virtual machines created by third-party applications such as Parallels Desktop. VMware Fusion allows Mac users to simultaneously and seamlessly run Mac OS X, Windows and other PC-based applications on the same Mac. The free update -- immediately available for all VMware Fusion 1.0 customers -- includes over 25 enhancements and improvements, including, support for Mac OS X Leopard, improved 3D graphics with experimental support for DirectX 9.0, improvements to VMware Fusion's Unity feature, and support for Microsoft Vista Boot Camp partitions as virtual machines.
MetaCommunications has announced the availability of an upgrade to Job Manager, its financial management add-on for Workgroups 2007. Job Manager handles tasks such as estimates, costs, reporting and invoices; new to v4.5 is a completely rewritten automated billing system, which is now controlled via a web browser, with supported applications including Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer on both Mac and Windows systems. The interface has also been simplified, and automated invoicing intended for creative and prepress businesses now supports partial and progressive workflows.
Yugma recently announced that its web-based screen sharing service is certified to work with all desktop platforms, including Mac OS X and Linux. The software is designed to allow off-site team members to collaborate on a group project, or to provide users with the capability to display desktop contents to many users at once – for a meeting or web-based seminar, for instance – across the internet. Yugma also allows for attendees to contribute to the session using a mouse and keyboard, and it provides whiteboard-type functionality for these users. The basic account is free, but advanced functions and support options are reserved for premium account holders, pricing for which starts at $10 per month. For a complete feature list and video demo of the service, visit Yugma.com.
Visto today released Visto Mobile for iPhone, a mobile application that enables iPhone users to securely access corporate email from Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes directly on the handset without downloading additional software or changing security policies. Visto today also unveiled new functionality for directory lookup using the iPhone's Safari Web browser, enabling users to search for any contact to take any number of actions -- like placing a call, sending an email or retrieving driving directions -- by selecting the contact's phone information. Visto Mobile for iPhone is priced from $10 per device per month.
Software developer 1360 Studios has released Transcript Manager Pro, which it claims is the "first ever" real-time transcript management software for the Mac. The software is designed to allow attorneys to connect to court reporters while in deposition or court, and get a live feed of the court transcript. Released for Windows last year, 1360 said it decided to release a Mac version of Transcript Manager Pro to allow clients to run the software on their platform of choice, rather than conforming to a standard. The software is available from 1360 Studio's website for $650.
In the months leading up to the launch of Office 2008 for Mac OS X, Microsoft is launching a new promotion dubbed the "Suite Deal!" in which users can save up to $500 by purchasing qualifying Office 2004 for Mac products and receive a copy of Office 2008 for Mac Special Edition for the cost of shipping and handling ($7). The new promo ups the ante over its previously announced 'technology guarantee' by offering a free upgrade to the Special Edition version of the fully-native Mac Office 2008, which includes the Office 2008 applications as well as Microsoft Expression Media digital asset management system. Users who buy Office 2004 for Mac Standard Edition, Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher Edition, or Office 2004 for Mac Standard Edition Upgrade will receive Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition as a complimentary upgrade. Consumers in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico are eligible to cash in on this Super Suite Deal. The promotion is good through January 14, 2008,.
CS Odessa today released ConceptDraw Mindmap 5.2, a revision of its mind mapping business productivity software that is compatible with Apple's new Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system. ConceptDraw Mindmap 5.2 also adds Quick Look support, integration with iCal, and a renewed user interface that supports Leopard's rich visual appearance. The application is designed as a simple tool that supports mind mapping and brainstorming techniques, as well as numerous other personal productivity methodologies. Support for Quick Look -- Apple's new technology in Leopard that offers advanced previewing capabilities -- enables users to preview maps in the Finder without opening them in the actual application. ConceptDraw Mindmap 5.2 is priced at $200 for the pro edition or $120 for the personal version, with free upgrades available to all registered users of ConceptDraw Mindmap 5.x.
Centrify today announced that it has added support for Leopard to its DirectControl software for Mac OS X. Users of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard can utilize security with single sign-on and administrative control provided by DirectControl's Active Directory-based management and Group Policy support. "Centrify is proud to deliver support for the newest release of Mac OS X, and we believe this is representative of our continued efforts to make the Mac work seamlessly in the enterprise," said David McNeely, director of product management for Centrify. A preview version of Centrify DirectControl for Mac with support for Leopard is already available, and the application is scheduled to ship in mid-November for $60 per workstation and $350 per server.
Excel Software today began shipping MarketBuddy 1.0 for Mac OS X and Windows systems. The software is designed to reduce human effort required to market any product or service using the internet, both by storing as well as organizing marketing contact information and automating common marketing activities. MarketBuddy 1.0 posts news to websites as well as press release distribution sites, lists items in product directories as well as white papers, and fills in Web forms or uploads trial/shareware to software sites automatically. The application also manages email lists, sends newsletters, and enables users to support customers while tracking sales leads. MarketBuddy 1.0 is priced at $200 and requires Mac OS X 10.1 or later.
Apple on Thursday posted updates for its application for controlling remote desktop computers. According to the company, the Apple Remote Desktop 3.2 update (ARD 3.2) can be installed on computers that have Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later; it is a Universal Binary updater application that will upgrade Apple Remote Desktop v3.0 or v3.1 installations on an Intel- or PowerPC-based Macs. Apple Remote Desktop Admin 3.2 allows you to control or observe Apple Remote Desktop version 2.0 or later and 3.0 and 3.1 clients, while the client is necessary for all (remote) client desktops.
Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (Mac BU) has released its third sneak peek of Office 2008 for Mac, offering more details on the software suite's new Ledger Sheets feature. "The Mac BU is giving you a deeper look at [Ledger Sheets] that can make any Excel user look like a pro – even those with 'grid fear'!" Ledger Sheets are designed to harness the power of Excel by simplifying the process of handling common financial management tasks with the help of pre-formulated cells. Accessible from the Elements Gallery, Ledger Sheets streamline tasks for users who aren't experts at Excel while improving convenience for proficient users. "Home and small business users can easily balance checkbooks, track accounts or manage investment portfolios without having to fuss with formulas."
Modeless Software has introduced Liquid Ledger 2, the first major upgrade to its personal finance software for Mac OS X. The new version introduces investments and check printing and a redesigned user interface. The tool allows users to record bank account, credit card, and investment transactions; track income and expenses; design and print checks; manage a household budget; manage foreign currency accounts; generate reports and graphs; and much more. With the new investment tools, users can also record the purchase and sale of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, track resulting capital gains and losses, and estimate the market value of their portfolio.
Microsoft on Tuesday quietly posted another security update to its Office 2004 for Mac suite. Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.8 Update, the company said, fixes "a vulnerability in Word 2004 that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code." In addition, the update also includes several other unspecified improvements to improve security and stability, according to the release notes. The 9.1MB update requires that users install Office 2004 11.3.7 update, which was released in mid-August. Last month the company announced its Office 2008 for Mac product line-up, which will bring both native operation on Intel-based Macs as well as XML file format compatibility when it is available on January 15th.
MakeMusic has announced the release of Finale PrintMusic 2008, an upgrade to the company's music notation software that provides support for the Windows Vista operating system, compatibility with files made with Finale 2008 and several new features, including a powerful new mixer; the ability to import and export TIFF graphics; new Document Styles for easy personalization of new scores; a new Selection Tool; and improved cut/copy/paste/insert for better workflow. The company also said the update brings improved music scanning, an updated Setup Wizard, and expanded Documentation. PrintMusic is available for $100; while upgrades from any earlier versions of PrintMusic are $30. Five seat LabPacks are also available.
Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (Mac BU) today unveiled its second sneak peek of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, which showcases the revamped Toolbox with true one-stop destination for some of the most useful tools in Office for Mac. The new feature combines the original Office for Mac Toolbox and Formatting Palettes into a single user interface, providing Mac users with an Object Palette as well as Animation Settings, Citations, and a Formula Builder. The sneak peak includes plenty of screenshots covering the Toolbox, Elements Gallery, Document Elements, Publishing Layout View, OfficeArt, SmartArt Graphics, Building Charts, and "My Day." Details on the Toolbox are highlighted with tips on finding what you need and customization options. [updated]
Microsoft on Tuesday announced its expanded product line-up for the Universal version of Office 2008 for Mac, which is expected to be available on retail shelves on January 15th, 2008. The delayed product launch will include three separate Office 2008 for Mac products, including a Special Media Edition and a Home & Student Edition. The Office 2008 for Mac core suite ($400) includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage along with Microsoft Exchange Server support and Automator tools, while the Office for Mac Special Media Edition ($500) combines Office 2008 applications with the Microsoft Expression Media digital asset management system. The special education and consumer version, Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition ($150), provides the basics of Office 2008 for Mac for home and school users: it includes three user licenses for use by consumers and students but does not include connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server or support for automated workflows.
Mark/Space on Monday announced The Missing Sync for iPhone. Expected to ship in the fourth quarter 2007, The Missing Sync for iPhone will provide data migration of contacts, tasks, events and photos from Palm OS, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphones, as well as the ability to archive, browse and search iPhone Call Log, SMS text messages and Notes. Missing Sync's new the migration assistant includes the software and step-by-step on-screen guide needed to bring existing contacts, tasks, events and photos from supported Palm OS, Windows Mobile or BlackBerry smartphones to the Mac and iPhone. Once migration is complete, instructions are included to safely clear data from the previous device, making it ready to responsibly pass on.
Marketcircle today released Daylite 3.5, a major update to the Mac business productivity software that uses Apple's Sync Services to bring Daylite contacts, appointments, tasks, and reminders to Apple's iPhone and iPod as well as other mobile devices. Designed for the unique needs of Mac-based businesses of 1-50 people, Daylite 3.5 helps users organize at every stage of the business cycle, from identifying and qualifying opportunities to delivering projects. The update features new syncing abilities that allow users to select and sync distinct contact categories, and introduces more than 300 contextual help articles via Apple Help that aim to expose little-known Daylite features to more users. Daylite 3.5 is a free upgrade for Daylite 3.x users, and requires iSync 2.4 or later to connect to regular cellular phones. New licenses are priced at $150.
MacPractice has released MacPractice 3, its new server-based physician practice management application that uses MySQL 5 Enterprise to support a slew of new features. MySQL 5 Enterprise also lays the groundwork for future releases of MacPractice EMR and MacPractice DR in October, as well as MacPractice Tooth Chart in the first quarter of 2008, according to the company. The update enhances MacPractice's interface to maximize the use of screen real estate, and adds a treatment plan ledger to MacPractice DDS to support phases as well as scheduling of phases of treatment. Drag-and-drop functionality eases the process of creating temporary and permanent treatment plan options. The company offers software for medical doctors (MD), dentists (DDS), chiropractors (DC), and ophthalmologists as well as optometrists (20/20).
A new page has been posted to the Microsoft Mac Business Unit's site demonstrating many of the new features in Office 2008 for the Mac, which is due to be delivered sometime in the first half of 2008. The site previews Elements Gallery, a user interface that gives users quick access to tools and formatting options within applications. There's also Document Elements which automates document tasks, such as adding a table of contents, bibliographies and headers and footers.
CS Odessa today released ConceptDraw 7.3, the latest revision of the company's vector drawing and diagramming software. ConceptDraw 7.3 includes Presentation Mode along with Microsoft PowerPoint export capability and faster importing of Microsoft Visio-generated XML drawing files. The latest release supports Mac OS X as well as Windows, enabling users to create organization charts as well as flowcharts and business graphics. The new Presentation Mode allows users to create slides as separate pages using the versatile drawing tools built into ConceptDraw 7, and also makes use of more than 10,000 pre-made shapes suitable for creating any type of business or technical diagram, according to CS Odessa. The update also adds Dynamic Help alongside greatly improved HTML export functionality. The upgrade is free for ConceptDraw 7.x users, and is priced at $300 for new licenses (system requirements were unavailable).
Oranged Software today released Accounted 1.0 following a beta version that the company released early this month for testing purposes. Accounted is a finance management application that supports double entry accounting as well as accounts receivable/payable. The software allows users to work with split transactions or print checks, and displays several totals at the bottom of the program via a "Totals Ticker" that scrolls across the screen. Accounted supports transactions, tracks payees, automatically generates charts, tracks recurring transactions, and allows users to pay bills from Accounts Payable items. Accounted 1.0 features asset and liability accounts, several new actions in the transactions list, new interface features/options, and random sample data generation. The software is priced at $60 and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
CS Odessa has announced the general availability of ConceptDraw Project 4. The newest release of the project management software adds a "Resource Usage View," enhanced Microsoft Project compatibility, a redesigned tabular project interface and a number of commonly requested usability improvements. The new "Resource Usage View" in Project 4 permits project managers to quickly ascertain a view of resource loading and task allocation for each available resource. The user interface has undergone some important changes in version 4, providing quicker navigation between projects and different status views. ConceptDraw Project 4 is an Universal Binary application and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or greater to run. ConceptDraw Project 4 is priced at $200.
I.R.I.S today rolled out its IRISCard 4 family of A6 color business card readers, which it claims are the smallest and fastest available. The device is compact and light, powered by USB to quickly scan business cards and store the information for later. Smart tools allow efficient contact management via search, sort, and export functionality. The device takes just six seconds to scan a business card in its standard configuration (400 dpi), while a fast scanning mode (300 dpi grayscale) scans at speeds of up to 3 seconds per card. The latest revision of the IRISCard brings USB 2 connectivity alongside support for 600 dpi color scanning and enhanced software. The IRISCard 4 works with Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows systems, recognizing business cards from 217 countries. The IRISCard 4 Mini is priced at $130, while the IRISCard 4 Pro is available for $200. The IRISCard 4 Corporate and Corporate for Microsoft Dynamics CRM are priced at $300 and $350, respectively.
KeynotePro is has announced the release of Tokyo RPG '08 themes for Keynote '08. The themes are described as having a "bold modular design with classic structured type in a trio of eye-catching colors that are well suited for a wide variety of high-tech, corporate + finance or general-purpose presentations or topics." The new set has "EP Theme" variations optimized for use on the iPod and iPhone. The themes are now built entirely with native shape objects and placeholders, and users can change the soft electric background to a tinted variation, gradient or another photo altogether. There are up to 36 Master Slides (Pro/HD version) in a wide range of text and photo-oriented layout options, including both stand-alone and multi-image slides. Tokyo RPG '08 is available for immediate download for $20.
Group Logic today released MassTransit 5.1, the latest revision of its enterprise software designed to simplify the exchange of digital files while ensuring accountability. The update makes it easier for untrained users to successfully send large folders to remote destinations, and adds support for Active Directory-based passwords as well as Single Sign On (SSO) for easy access to MassTransit's browser-based file transfer client. MassTransit 5.1 is a free update to all licensed MassTransit 5.0 users that have an active support contract (pricing and system requirements were unavailable).
Oranged Software's Studiometry 5.0 is the latest version of its complete solution for companies to organize, plan, invoice, track and create with Client and Project data. Version 5 adds new features such as summaries, multi-page invoices and reports, detailed estimates and comparisons and more. According to the company, the upgrade also takes older features and gives them new life with improved capabilities. "The main window, for example, now shows the number of outstanding invoices, incomplete to-do's, and running timers for each Project, giving users an instant overview of the company's current situation," the company said. Studiometry 5.0 is available now as a paid-for upgrade for $50 and includes free updates throughout the next until Studiometry 6 is released. The full version is $210 with additional licenses available for $130.
Atelier Software today released Fanurio 1.7, a time tracking and billing application designed for freelancers. The software allows users to organize work, track time, and create invoices. Users can add new clients each time a contract is signed, and can add project items as well as expenses to the account for work performed. The software supports setting any item as billable at any time and distinguishes whether the billing should be hourly or flat rate. Users can add billable items to invoices, create invoices even before a project is finished, and can work with multiple projects simultaneously. Time spent on each item is recorded using a timer or is entered manually, and Fanurio features an iTunes-like mini view that gives users quick access to the timer. Fanurio is priced at $40 and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
As part of teaser campaign leading to the Office 2008 launch, Microsoft has announced new features that it will add to Entourage 2008, including new direct access to "Out of Office" ("OOF") features and improved Exchange support in Entourage. The company said that Office 2008, recently delayed until January of 2008, has updated Exchange support as well as will offer improved calendaring support. "We’ve worked closely with enterprise customers to prioritize features and improvements in Entourage 2008," the company wrote in its corporate blog. "As well, we have established an unprecedented level of collaboration between the Entourage team and the Exchange team, and we will continue to invest in strengthening that relationship to ensure that future versions of Entourage work great with Exchange."
OpenOSX has released v2.0 of OpenOSX Office, a Mac OS X equivalent of the GNOME Office suite for Linux systems. All of GNOME Office's applications are bundled together, among them AbiWord, the Gnumeric spreadsheet, and the Gimp image processor. The second edition is native to both Intel and PowerPC Macs, but most importantly introduces Gnucash, a financial program that tracks accouns, stocks, incomes and expenses. SodiPodi, meanwhile, hs been replaced with the Inkscape vector graphics software. Existing programs have all had their versions updated to the latest available, with a particular emphasis on Gnumeric, which now has database support. Prices for Office start at $30, and Mac OS X 10.4 with X11 is required.
Planamesa has released NeoOffice 2.2.1, the latest version of its OpenOffice-based suite for the Mac. Critical to the update is the support of the native Mac OS X spellchecker, as well as Address Book. Users can now also open "most" Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 documents, and print in resolutions higher than 300dpi. Users of X11, meanwhile, can download a coinciding version of RetroOffice. Both suites require Mac OS X 10.3 or later and 400MB of hard disk space.
DEVONtechnologies today released DEVONthink Professional Office 1.3.2, the latest release of the company's information management application. DEVONthink Professional Office 1.3.2 adds support for MailTags 2.0 notes, allows users to set the resolution as well as the compression of PDF documents generated by the built-in IRIS OCR (Optical Character Recognition) engine, and supports ExactCODE's ExactScan software driving Avision document scanners. Users can set a default encoding for email import that is used when the to-be-imported email message does not provide encoding information itself. DEVONthink Professional ($80) and Professional Office ($150) require Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
Conceptualize Solutions today released Punch It 3.0, a FileMaker Pro based employee time management system that allows small business employers to move beyond a time clock in favor of a software system that improves accuracy while lowering cost of ownership and providing a faster payroll process. Punch It offers unlimited punches per employee per day, as well as automatic daily and weekly overtime calculations. The software supports bar code scanning functionality and multi-level security safeguards, and works without a FileMaker database in single computer mode. Punch It is priced at $35 for a single computer license, while a network multi-user license is available for $150. The application is also available in an unlocked, customizable developer version that is compatible with FileMaker 7/8/9 for $250.
On Friday, IBM released Lotus Notes Domino 8 for Windows Vista and XP, but said that the Mac version would not be released until next year. The new release features a redesigned user experience, a new look and feel, as well as dramatically enhanced functionality for organizing messages and threads with the intent of structuring inboxes to deal with floods of email. A Mac OS X release was conspicuously absent from the announcement, however. We spoke with IBM the story behind current Mac development of Lotus ND8, when we can expect a release, and what users look forward to in the update. The IBM executives we spoke with said that Louts Notes Domino's stronghold in the Mac universe is with advertising/publishing agencies and educational institutions. However, they described a "new cachet" surrounding Macs in business, and says they "see the growth" already underway on an enterprise level. To that end, the company is investing heavily in developing the next release, ND8, for the Mac. "We want to get it right," IBM told MacNN. "In fact, the version we're currently running on a widescreen iMac looks better than the Windows release."
Universe Software has released pdf-Office Professional 7.0, extending functionality of the PDF form creation software and incorporating a Windows Vista look/feel. Pdf-Office Professional aims to provide an intuitive way of making interactive PDF forms without the need for training, producing forms that users can simply fill out electronically on the screen and print. The software supports up to 128-bit encryption for data protection, and the technological software platform is updated to use the latest version of Java 6 to ensure absolute independence from hardware as well as software constraints. Pdf-Office Professional 7.0 is available for Mac, Linux, and Windows systems. The Mac edition requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later and is priced at $135.
