Jumsoft has announced Keynote Objects FX 4.0, an update to its 3D image collection for Apple’s iWork suite. The upgrade brings the total number of objects up to 150, covering items ranging from classic furniture to gift boxes. The 50 new ones are geared towards sports and leisure. Each image is optimized for Keynote presentation use, at a resolution of 1024x768.
Microsoft this week said that it would venture into free productivity apps with a Starter Edition of Office 2010 for Windows. The special version will be free to use but will have feature-reduced versions of Excel and Word as well as ads that run in a sidebar with the app window. It will only come with a new PC rather than come as a download, but it will have an option to download a more complete version such as Home & Student Edition.
Apple has released a maintenance update for iWork '09, while adding several new features to iWork.com. The software update, v9.0.3, primarily focuses on improving stability and fixing several bugs. File sizes of Instant Alpha images have been reduced, while users have more control over file sizes of inserted movies.
Apple has made major alterations to its educational licensing program, ones which could potentially raise the cost of Macs for schools. The company is said to be abandoning a previous volume licensing scheme, which allowed institutions to buy Mac OS X at costs of $39 to $59 per copy, depending the amount of licenses ordered. Instead, schools must now pay for annual license renewals.
Thomson Reuters has released an update to its bibliography software, EndNote. The latest edition, X3, adds a variety of new referencing options and styles. Users can create multiple bibliographies within a single Word document, while references can be organized with both custom and smart groups. For chemistry journals, the software now allows composite styles that group citations by number and letter.
Axiotron has released the public beta version of Quickscript, a handwriting recognition application which can convert handwritten text and characters into digital type. The application recognizes 26 different languages including English, Korean, Japanese, and Arabic and can detect both printed and cursive writing. The program enables users to write in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Pages, TextEdit and other applications that accept text input.
MacMall is currently running an introductory promotion for Apple's Snow Leopard upgrade, along with the range of family packs and bundles. The basic upgrade for a single system is available to pre-order for $24.99, a savings of $4. The Mac Box Set is available for $149.99, a savings of $19, and includes the Snow Leopard Upgrade, iWork and iLife.
Jumsoft has launched Numbers Templates, a new collection of templates for Apple's spreadsheet software. The bundle is meant for both home and professional users, and handles recurring situations and calculations. The initial set includes 10 templates, such as Dinner Planner, Home Inventory, Invoice, Loan Comparison and Grocery List.
Jumsoft has expanded its clipart image package with the new Pages Clipart 4.0. The package consists of various clipart content that can be used for making documents more visually appealing. Pages Clipart 4.0 adds 100 new images to the package, bringing the total to 300. The update boasts both image themes and high-quality renderings.
Apple has posted a minor update for iWork '09, the company's in-house productivity suite. The v9.0.2 patch is said to implement only two changes: improved reliability when saving a document, and similar stability when playing a presentation more than once during a Keynote session. The update is a 42.75MB download from Apple's website.
In brief: A new iTunes visualizer, TRAKART has been released as a public alpha. The visualizer builds slideshows based on a song's lyrics, analyzing each track to extract keywords which it then uses to search Flickr. Images are then arranged into a slideshow which plays along with the song. Three guides have been released by Peachpit which teach users how to make better use of iLife '09, iWork '09 and GarageBand '09. The guides cover the basics of using each application, along with tips to create more professional products. Meanwhile, Ascender has released a new font style that is based on one of Goudy's original typefaces. The Friar Pro font is based on the original Friar typeface that was lost in a fire at Goudy's studio in 1939.
The first known botnet to exploit Mac OS X has been activated, security researchers claim. The network is believed to have been put in place by iServices, a Trojan infection accompanying some pirated versions of iWork '09 and Photoshop CS4. Although downloaded at least 20,000 times by the end of January, the Trojan's payload has remained dormant for some time, in the same manner as many Windows botnets.
Apple has released maintenance updates for iPhoto, iWeb and iMovie, along with general support updates for the iLife and iWork '09 software suites. The iPhoto 8.0.2 update improves overall stability, while addressing minor issues in Faces, Places, photo sharing, slideshows and other parts of the software. The download weighs in at 87.86MB. The iWeb 3.0.1 update is 14.23MB in size and fixes issues related to publishing to an FTP server and other minor bugs. iMovie 8.0.1 is a stability and usability fix, and is contained in a 24.53MB file.
Jumsoft has released an update to its collection of iWork templates, Pages Templates Pro, which now offers four new themes. The tools can be used to create colorful designs for small business documents, brochures, invoices, memos and business cards. The new themes include Temptation, Steady Idea, Cocktail, and Persuasion. The existing template packs include Frequency Modulation, Daintily Alive, Modern Furniture, Citrus Sunshine, Idée Fix, Midnight Sky, Autumn Leaves, and Black Velvet.
Apple on Tuesday released two new application updates, iLife Support 9.0.1 and iPhoto 8.0.1. iLife Support 9.0.1 is designed to improve overall stability while addressing a number of minor bugs. The new version is recommended for all users of Aperture, iLife '09, and iWork '09. The iPhoto 8.0.1 update also provides improvements to overall stability, with specific enhancements in areas such as Internet connectivity, keyword import, and slideshow export.
Apple has acknowledged file compatibility issues with the new iWork '09 software suite that was debuted at the Macworld Expo early in January. Users running iWork '08 will not be able to open files saved in the iWork '09 formats. The issue also applies to Numbers '08, Keynote '08 and Pages '08 documents that are opened and saved using iWork '09.
Apple has released updates for the iWork suite of programs including Keynote, Pages and Numbers. The Keynote 4.0.4 download addresses compatibility issues with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 and PowerPoint 2008, while fixing other general compatibility issues. The Pages 3.0.3 and Numbers 1.0.3 updates should also remedy general compatibility problems.
A new Trojan attack has been linked with illegal copies of iWork '09, says Intego. The security firm notes that in some copies of iWork found on BitTorrent sites -- and other pirating venues -- a Trojan dubbed OSX.Trojan.iServices.A is attached, masquerading in the form of a package file called iWorkServices. When the iWork installer is launched, iWorkServices is launched as well; while this may be halted by a request for an administrator password, Intego warns that Mac OS X 10.5.1 and earlier will install the Trojan without further prompting.
The iWork suite may be good, but it's not the most popular office suite for the Mac; many Mac users are forced to use Microsoft Office to maintain file compatibility with Windows counterparts. To improve iWork's file sharing capabilities, Apple is now beta-testing an online sharing site dubbed iWork.com.
Keynote is the oldest and most mature program of the iWork suite, which has regularly bested Microsoft PowerPoint in features and ease of use from its inception. With the latest version, Apple has continued innovating to keep Keynote '09 the star of the entire iWork suite.
As the last new application for iWork, Numbers introduced superior features, but lacked calculating firepower when put head-to-head with Microsoft's Excel. Numbers '09 attempts to remedy this problem, while building on the unique paradigm of a canvas where you place objects like tables, charts and shapes to create a visually-pleasing spreadsheet.
Pages has always been a decent word processor, but it’s never been powerful enough to replace Microsoft Word. Apple has, fortunately, boosted Pages '09 with more features in order to make it a better word processor, and an easier desktop publishing program. It may still not match Word feature-for-feature, but that could be a good thing, as what it does offer may be what you really need.
A First Look at iWork '09: Apple's senior marketing VP Phil Schiller announced iWork '09, with new templates across the board, support for sharing documents across the Internet via the new iWork.com, and numerous new features for Pages, Numbers and Keynote, which make up the suite. Schiller also announced a combo package of iWork and iLife. Keynote has added support for managing presentations from an iPhone or iPod touch.
We have a taken a close-up photos of the new iWork '09 productivity suite, introduced at Schiller's Expo keynote Tuesday morning. iWork features new templates in Pages, Numers and Keynote, and adds publishing to iWork.com for collaborative efforts or sharing with friends and family. Keynote '09 gains a magic move feature and can now be managed by an iPhone or iPod touch for running presentations. Pages '09 adds full-screen view and dynamic outline capabilities, while Numbers '09 gets new charting options and improved formula writing. See also Galleries for the Apple Keynote, iLife '09, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro and the Macworld Apple booth.
Without any mention of next-generation Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system, Apple's Phil Schiller on Tuesday morning quietly introduced a new bundle box set: the Mac Box Set, which includes the current generation OS, Mac OS X Leopard, as well as the new iLife '09 and iWork '09 updates--each of which are available separately for $129 (Leopard), $79 (iLife '09), and $79 (iWork '09). The latter require the former, thus making it more economical for those who have not
Complementing its iLife '09 debut, Apple has announced iWork '09, an upgraded productivity suite. The suite's presentation app, Keynote '09, has been enhanced with a new Magic Move feature, which lets users pick the start- and endpoints of objects, and in turn generate transitions automatically; some new transitions include text types such as swings and shimmering, and chart types like slides and rotations. New themes have been added, and users can now manage Keynote presentations from an iPhone or iPod touch. The Keynote Remote app is selling for 99 cents at the App Store.
Apple as part of its Macworld keynote introduced a public beta of iWork.com, an online complement to its offline iWork '09 suite. The web-based feature lets users share and collaborate on documents in multiple formats and and is accessible from any iWork app; users can also export documents directly to Google Documents to work on them from the web. The beta is available today for free, accessible from iWork '09, but will be part of a paid service when it goes live later in the year.
Despite the rumors of an iPhone "nano" and a tablet sized iPod touch, Apple is more likely to use the Macworld expo to announce updated versions of several existing products, according to a variety of sources. Analysts' forecasts have focused on a new line of iMacs and a refreshed 17-inch MacBook Pro utilizing aluminum unibody construction. The company could also be prepared to launch a new Mac mini and Apple TV, along with the latest versions of Time Capsule and iWork.
Jumsoft is shipping Keynote Objects FX 3.0, its latest art collection for Mac apps. Objects FX is in particular aimed at both Keynote and Pages, and supplies a variety of pre-rendered 3D images for inclusion in presentations or documents. Version 3.0 doubles the collection size from 50 to 100, in categories including the likes of parties, plants, and soft or metallic objects.
Jumsoft has released Pages Templates 3.0, a collection of 60 document templates for the iWork suite. The package includes 40 carryovers from the version 2.0 product, with 20 new templates, including extra brochures, invitations, memos, invoices, newsletters and more. The new templates focus on green, velvet and red color schemes, and have inside selections with up to 30 themed varieties.
Add-on producer iPresentee says it is now shipping Keynote Themes 3.0, an updated collection of its themes for Apple's presentation software. New to the pack are 10 more themes: Chocolate, Bloom, Book, Black Sea, Stripe, Blue Curve and Metal Lead, as well as Brown, Blue and Yellow versions of Conformation. Each contains a pre-arranged set of colors, fonts, backgrounds and frames, and can be scaled in resolution steps from 800x600 through to 1920x1080. Animation and effects can be added as necessary.
AntZero has released an update to AtomicView, a digital asset manager that allows users to organize and output images, video and sound. Version 1.1 incorporates support for more formats, such as EPS and SWF files, as well as iWork and InDesign documents. The program also sports a new interface for editing metadata, similar to the previous version, but cleaned up to make data entry more logical.
KeynotePro has announced the release of OM for Pages 08', an update to its set of templates to allow compatibility with Pages '08. The templates have been rebuilt using native shape objects allowing users to modify the templates to their specific requirements; colors can be changed, and photos can be replaced and shapes can be modified. This release has also had a new design added titled OhM (OM Helvetica), which builds on the core OM templates with a Robin's Egg Blue palette and and Helvetica Neue, providing a contrast against the original themes. Users opting for the Pro Edition will receive a few additional template including Meeting Notes, Project Proposal and Report templates.
KeynoteUser and iPresentee have released new products for Apple's iWork and iLife application suites today. KeynoteUser has announced its new Gradient Pack 08 theme set for Keynote '08, while iPresentee has launched iWeb Themes 2.0 for iWeb 2.0.
Jumsoft has recently released new Aperture Web Themes and Pages Templates 2.0 for iWork, which includes 40 high-quality and professional templates. The new Aperture themes include five separate designs: The Frames Gray Theme produces pictures that have a photo frame, with shadows that imitate the real 3D look of the photo; Grid Black Theme offers a frame for each picture and the gallery appears in a table form that "evokes the image of orderliness;" the iPhone Theme, described as both "modern and calm," frames all pictures and headings together; Rounded Black Theme, similar to the Grid Black Theme, offers a Rounded Black Frame for each picture that separates it from the others; and Mental Image Theme has attractive details for the top and the bottom of your picture gallery or journal pages.
Apple today released updates for iWork, bringing compatibility and performance fixes to the software suite. Notes on the updates are extremely vague, but Keynote 4.0.2 allegedly solves a number of performance issues when playing or exporting presentations. Pages 3.0.2 and Numbers 1.0.2 both received fixes regarding compatibility with Mac OS X, presumably Leopard.
An Apple lawsuit has resulted in the shutdown of one of the Mac community's most popular websites. Think Secret, originally started in 1998, was at one point one of the most popular sources for Apple news and rumors, particularly because its author, Nicholas Ciarelli (also known as "Nick dePlume"), was able to uncover otherwise confidential information. It is this that resulted in Apple legal action however, after a 2004 Think Secret report in which Ciarelli revealed iWork and the Mac mini before the company could announce it a month later at Macworld 2005.
