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May 22
The Omni Group releases OmniPresence

The Omni Group has released OmniPresence, a new way for users to sync documents. This completes the effort to bring full synchronization to each of the Omni Group’s five applications.

OmniPresence syncs everything within a folder between many devices using a standard web server. Because of the way OmniPresence was designed, customers also have the advantage of being able to keep all data under their own control, says says Ken Case, CEO of the Omni Group. This is sometimes a necessity for confidential data within companies, he adds.

The Omni Group today also released a free and open-source framework for iOS developers to add support for OmniPresence to any document-based application on the iPad or iPhone. OmniPresence is a free download for the latest version of OS X, and is built into each of the Omni Group’s document-based apps on the iPad: OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner and OmniGraphSketcher.

These apps join OmniFocus and OmniPlan, bringing syncing to the Omni...

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May 22
Data Rescue 3 named 'Best Mac Hard Drive Recovery Software'

Prosoft Engineering's Data Rescue 3 has been named "The Best Mac Hard Drive Recovery Software" by the review site TopTenReviews. It was rated number one out of the other seven recovery programs.  

Data Rescue 3 scored a perfect 10, meeting all the criteria in the review at 100%. The utility was launched in 2002 and has continued to be the most-awarded Mac hard drive recovery software on the Mac market.

Data Rescue 3 works even when your hard drive fails to mount or boot. It's available for purchase at www.prosofteng.com for US$99.

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May 22
Apple: Samsung's Galaxy S4 infringes on five patents

Apple wants to add the new Galaxy S4 to an ongoing case involving Apple and Samsung being heard in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division, according to a new filing with that court, reports "Macworld" (http://tinyurl.com/p4fww6e)

"Apple obtained the Galaxy S4 on April 27 and immediately began its infringement analysis, including Samsungs customizations of the Android Jelly Bean platform, covering the eight asserted patents," Apple stated in the filing, adding that it tested S4's sold by AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. "That analysis revealed that the Galaxy S4 infringes five of Apples asserted patents in the same ways as Samsungs already accused products," it added.

This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied...

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May 22
Oscar Winner Tom Rolf to headline the London SuperMeet

The Creative Pro Group Network have announced that the London SuperMeet will return to the Great Hall at the Kensington Conference and Event Centre in London, England on Friday, June 28.

This SuperMeet follows the success of the recent Las Vegas SuperMeet held in April during NAB Show 2013. Tickets are on sale now. Oscar winning film editor Tom Rolf is set to headline. Doors to the SuperMeet will open at about 17:00 with the SuperMeet Digital Showcase.

Rolf is perhaps best known for editing Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" (for which he received a British Film Academy nomination). He was awarded an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Philip Kaufman's "The Right Stuff." In addition to ACE Eddie nominations for "The Horse Whisperer" and "The Right Stuff," Rolf also received the ACE Eddie Award in 1984 for his work on "WarGames" and a Career Achievement Award from ACE.

The final agenda will not be announced until shortly before the event date; however there...

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May 22
EPI unveils three extended resolution displays

Philips Monitors's brand licensing partner, EPI, has announced three new extended resolution Philips displays that offer multiple simultaneous inputs, allowing users to see more and do more on one screen.

The US$799 P-Line 27-inch Quad HD Monitor (272P4QPJKEB) is designed for professionals who require a display with image definition and greater content density within the conventional 16:9 screen shape. The $699 P-line 29-inch UltraWide Monitor (298P4QJEB) is also aimed at the professional user, but provides an expanded UltraWide 21:9 screen space with an ergonomically adjustable stand .

Bringing movie-watching and gaming to the next level, the Philips Brilliance 29-inch $599 UltraWide Monitor (298X4QJAB) also provides an UltraWide panoramic view and brilliant colors but is designed specifically for the home user, according to the folks at EPI.

Both of the P-Line professional displays are available through CDW and other resellers, the leading provider of...

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May 22
Autodesk Announces Smoke 2013 Extension 1

Autodesk ha announced Autodesk Smoke 2013 Extension 1 professional video editing software, which is due to ship May 29. The upgrade will feature enhancements to help improve functionality, add flexibility and increase speed.

The Smoke 2013 Extension 1 release will introduce support for Blackmagic video IO devices: DeckLink (PCIe video boards); UltraStudio (Thunderbolt boxes) and the Intensity product line. Other new features and improvements include:
Trim View and new dynamic trimming tools for faster editing

° Support for SonyRAW footage from Sony F5 and F55 cameras;

° Improved conform workflow with Apple Final Cut Pro X allows more accurate translation of speed changes and ability to conform ARRI Alexa ProRes files;

° Improved feedback mechanisms to help editors better track background processes, monitor renders and identify errors;

° Improved performance in MediaHub when navigating large data sets;

° Improved 3D compositing...

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May 22
CheckBook Pro for Mac OS X now supports iCloud syncing

Splasm Software has updated CheckBook Pro (http://www.splasm.com/checkbook/), its personal finance manager for the Mac, to version 2.5. You can now sync accounts with iCloud on Mac OS X Mountain Lion and sync accounts with others on a local network.

Version 2.5 offers full Retina display support. It's also "sandboxed" for the Mac App Store on OS X Lion and Mountain Lion.

This update is free for all licensed users. Fully functional free trials for CheckBook 2.5 and CheckBook Pro 2.5 allow unlicensed users to create 100 entries per account. Both applications have special pricing for a limited time from Splasm Software. CheckBook is available for US$11.99 USD (regularly $14.99), and CheckBook Pro is on sale for $19.99 (regularly $24.99).

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May 22
JAK streaming USB gadget ready for iOS devices

bCODA, a manufacturer of wireless accessories and devices, has announced the availability of its new smartphone app for the JAK streaming USB product. The free app is used in conjunction with the JAK to wirelessly stream content from a smartphone or tablet to an audio/video system, PC or a mobile entertainment system via Wi-Fi.

The JAK multi-share, streaming USB is a portable content streaming device for smartphones and tablets. The JAK works with any USB 3.0-enabled host device and is backwards compatible with older USB versions. With its plug and play interface, the app is available for free from the Google Play or iTunes stores.

You can create playlists for music and videos, sync the playlist to JAK and stream to a big-screen product. The JAK can be connected to as many as 20 other devices for continuous streaming with no loss in audio or video quality, and no need for extra cables or time to transfer files, according to Hugh Park, president of bCODA USA. The JAK...

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May 22
KeyCue 6.5 teaches Sibelius shortcuts

Ergonis Software has announced KeyCue 6.5, an update to the cheat sheet for learning and remembering keyboard shortcuts. It includes shortcut descriptions for the popular music notation software Sibelius. The descriptions can be imported in KeyCue to reveal 272 hidden keyboard shortcuts in Sibelius.

With KeyCue, whenever the command key is kept pressed for a while, the software displays a table with all keyboard shortcuts available in the currently active application, systemwide hotkeys, as well as key combinations for triggering macros in Keyboard Maestro, QuicKeys and iKeys.

KeyCue requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or newer and is fully compatible with OS X Mountain Lion. The upgrade to version 6.5 is free for anyone who owns a valid license for KeyCue 6. Upgrade paths are available for owners of older licenses. For information about purchases, including enterprise licenses, volume discounts, and upgrade pricing offers, go to the Ergonis Software web site (...

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May 22
Avenza releases Geographic Imager 4.2 for Photoshop

Avenza Systems -- producers of MAPublisher and MAPublisher LabelPro cartographic software for Adobe Illustrator as well as MAPdataUSA, MAPdataCanada and MAPdataWorld royalty-free GIS data sets -- has released Geographic Imager 4.2, which adds support for new formats.

This includes writing to the DEM TIFF format that saves raw DEM values and exporting web tiles to Google Maps or Microsoft Bing Maps format. In addition, there are a number of new features and enhancements.

This release also is also available at the Geographic Imager Basic license level which provides support for the geospatial framework in Adobe Photoshop as well as limited import and export abilities at an introductory price level. Also new in this release is the addition of the Georeference feature with the Geographic Imager Basic license.

Geographic Imager 4.2 is and free to all Geographic Imager Maintenance Program members and at US$319 for non-maintenance upgrades. New fixed licenses start...

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May 21
No one 'laid a glove' on Tim Cook at his Senate grilling

No one laid a glove on Apple CEO Tim Cook, not even the subcommittee's "hostile chairman," in his appearance before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to explain the company's offshore tax practices, according to "CNNMoney" (http://tinyurl.com/lbfvd5x).

Cook's testimony was "calm and precise," and "the senators, for their part, were mostly respectful -- and on occasion fawning," the article adds.

"Claire McCaskill (Dem., Mo.) couldn't say often enough how much she loved Apple," notes "CNNMoney. "Ron Johnson (Rep., Wisc.) praised the company's tax minimization strategies as shareholder friendly. Rob Portman (Rep., Ohio) only wanted to talk about his tax reform proposals. Rand Paul (Rep., Ken.) thought the committee owed Apple an apology. John McCain (Rep., Ariz.), after a bout of tax dodging rhetoric, wanted to know why his iPhone was constantly updating its apps."

...

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May 21
Native Instruments introduces Abbey Road 50s Drummer

Native Instruments has introduced Abbey Road 50s Drummer, a new Kontakt instrument featuring the sound of two classic drum kits from the 1950s.

The kits provide the distinctive drum sound of the era. Recorded with both state-of-the-art and period equipment at Abbey Road Studios in London, 50s Drummer also includes a groove library, mixer presets, and a new set of brush articulations, delivering the authentic feel of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country, and jazz from the 1950s.

Abbey Road 50s Drummer is available at the NI Online Shop for US$99. For more info go to http://tinyurl.com/mg2byeu .

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May 21
I.R.I.S. releases IRISScan Book 3, Executive

I.R.I.S. has released the IRIScan Book 3 and IRIScan Book 3 Executive. These portable scanning solutions are battery‐powered, enabling mobile users to easily capture paper documents, receipts, photos and more without the use of a computer.
 
The IRIScan Book 3 and IRIScan Book 3 Executive scan directly to an included MicroSD card in black/white or color with 300, 600 and 900 dpi scanning resolutions. No driver installation is required; simply connect the scanner with the included USB cable or insert the MicroSD card into the computer.

The IRIScan Book 3 is powered by 3 AAA batteries and comes with Readiris Pro 12 to convert the paper documents, PDFs or image files into editable and searchable digital text. 

IRIScan Book 3 Executive is Wi-Fi compatible and, by using the IRIScan Book app, users can send PDFs or JPEGs to the cloud, smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop. The IRIScan Book app can be downloaded for free for both iOS and Android devices.

...

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May 21
RE:Vision Effects releases RE:Match for Nuke and Fusion

RE:Vision Effects has released RE:Match for The Foundry's Nuke and eyeon Fusion. It addresses common problems on multicam and stereo shoots.

RE:Match is a set of plug-ins to match one view of video or film to another so that it looks as if it was shot with the same camera and settings. The software assumes that both image sequences are taken roughly at the same location, but perhaps were not shot at the same time or from the same point-of-view.

For general multicam shoots RE:Match matches, as best it can, one sequence's overall color appearance to match that of another. For stereo pairs, RE:Match can further refine the overall color match by taking into account that the two views are captured at the same time with a relatively small distance between the views.

In addition, RE:Match is also able to propagate color changes into areas that are present in only one view. RE:Match can also make other details, such as reflections, specular highlights, and lens...

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May 21
Bracketron releases new USB charger

Bracketron has released the Twist & Charge USB Charger, a solution to overcrowded outlets that provides an USB charging port for mobile devices without blocking or taking up an AC outlet.

It allows users to add an USB charging port to any standard AC outlet. The design features one surge-protected USB outlet that rotates up to 270 degrees. The device is compact and small enough to toss into suitcases. The Twist & Charge USB Charger will be available for purchase on June 19 for US$17.95 at Bracketron.com .

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May 21
CS Odessa rolls out new tools for ConceptDraw Project

CS Odessa has unveiled a new set of tools and features for ConceptDraw Project to give users more control over project views and resource-allocation. ConceptDraw Project 6.4 is being enhanced with the addition of new resource types, custom filter tools, and a new set of printing options.

The upgrade has enhanced options for selecting resource types. The newly defined resource types will allow users to better describe their resources and resource behavior within a project, according to Olin Reams, general manager, CS Odessa. The additional resource types provide better insight into the resource components that compromise a working project, he adds.

To complement the new task and resource features in ConceptDraw Project, there are newly designed filtering tool that allows users to make custom views for their projects. ConceptDraw Project 6.4 allows for custom views to be created and saved for use later on.

ConceptDraw Project 6.4 has also been updated to allow...

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May 21
HGST introduces Travelstar 5K1500 for the mobile market

HGST says it's offering the highest storage density (MB/mm3) of any hard disk drive (HDD) today. The new Travelstar 5K1500 is the industry's first 9.5mm, 1.5TB mobile hard drive and features the industry's highest capacity in a standard 9.5mm design, the company says.

The Travelstar 5K1500 delivers high shock protection, low power and solid performance to meet the growing demands for a variety of market segments, including notebooks, external hard drives, gaming consoles and all-in-one desktop, according to Brendan Collins, vice president of product marketing at HGST. It offers 50% more capacity than currently shipping 1TB 2.5-inch 9.5mm HDDs and 200%more capacity than single-disk 500GB 7mm or 5mm 2.5-inch HDDs, he adds.

Smaller than current 15mm or 12.5mm 2.5-inch HDDs, the Travelstar 5K1500 drive features a standard 9.5mm form factor. It has 0.5 watt low power (idle) consumption and 5,400RPM performance

Travelstar 5K1500 drives are expected to ship in June....

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May 21
ZAGG debuts new iPad mini accessories

ZAGG has introduced two new keyboard accessories for the iPad mini. The ZAGGkeys Cover and ZAGGkeys Folio are "ultra-thin" Bluetooth keyboard accessories built with a patent-pending hinge system that offers a range of viewing angles up to 135 degrees.

The new ZAGGkeys Cover is the most versatile Bluetooth keyboard on the market and the thinnest at just 6.3mm, boasts Kent Wuthrich, executive vice president of marketing for ZAGG. It features a hinge that lets users position the screen at virtually any viewing angle as well as reverse the iPad mini for a one-piece reading and playing mode.

The ZAGGkeys Cover also features backlit keys in seven color options and three lighting levels. A battery purportedly keeps the Cover going for up to three months of normal use before it needs to be charged, while a magnetic closure protects the screen during transport. The ZAGGkeys Cover will be available in both silver and black, matching the back finish of the iPad mini. It's...

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May 21
Senate says Apple sheltered $44 billion from taxes

Senate investigators are accusing Apple of wiring together a complicated system to shield billions of dollars in international profits from both U.S. and foreign tax collectors, reports "Politico" (http://tinyurl.com/kp3hh77).

A report released ahead of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s inaugural Capitol Hill appearance today alleges the tech giant took advantage of numerous U.S. tax loopholes and avoided U.S. taxes on US$44 billion in offshore, taxable income between 2009 and 2012. Apple denies this.

The bipartisan Senate probe also charges that the company's long established foreign entities, based in Ireland, don’t actually have tax-resident status there or anywhere else. Apple conducts most of its international business in the European country to take advantage of lower tax rates, according to the congressional report.

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May 21
AppDelete for Mac OS X adds updated user interface

Reggie Ashworth (www.reggieashworth.com) has announced AppDelete 4.0.7, a new version of his application deletion utility. The upgrade sports an upgraded user interface and more.

You can drag any item that can be uninstalled onto AppDelete: spplications, widgets, preference panes, plugins, screensavers, etc. You can also activate AppDelete in many ways: dragging items onto main window, onto dock icon, selecting in menu, right-clicking using AppDelete workflow, dragging from Launchpad, and throwing items in the trash. When the preview screen appears you can uncheck any items you would like to exclude.

You also have several choices: delete the items, log only the items, or archive (copy) the items to a .zip file for safekeeping or reinstall at a later date. The items you delete will be moved to the trash and arranged in a folder so that you can see exactly what was deleted and you know exactly...

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MacTech Blog

May 22
App revenues to exceed $20 billion in North America in...

Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) estimates that mobile app revenues in the U.S. and Canada will reach nearly US$22 billion in 2017, fueled mainly by in-app purchases and in-app advertising revenues.

"Tablet owners show a greater tendency than smartphone users to make in-app purchases, with more than 20% having upgraded from a free to a paid version of an app," said Harry Wang, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. "The mobile app market has entered a new, more mature stage where companies need to employ precise segmentation and deployment strategies in order to generate consumer interest and realize successful monetization."

Apps are also increasingly becoming embedded in real world objects - with companies such as Johnson Controls wiring commercial buildings, or Samsung launching Android-controlled fridges, adds Steve Willmott, CEO of 3scale. "his shift begins to...

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May 21
More than one in two people will be covered by LTE-FDD...

LTE-capable networks will continue to mushroom around the globe through 2018. In particular, frequency-division duplex (FDD) networks will see their population coverage expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33% between 2012 and 2018 to hit 57%, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

Time-division duplex (TDD) networks will gain ground at a more rapid rate of 43% during this period but will only reach 52% population coverage due to fewer licensed markets currently, according to the research group. This overall picture is consistent with the contracts awarded to vendors thus far this year. Slightly more than half of the contracts concluded are related to LTE-FDD.

"However, LTE-TDD will start to close the gap," says Ying Kang Tan, research associate at ABI Research. "Dual-mode device chipsets supporting both variants as well as converged FDD/TDD network solutions are already...

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May 21
2020: 30 billion-plus devices will wirelessly connect...

ABI Research's (www.abiresearch.com) latest data on the Internet of Everything (IoE) shows that there are more than 10 billion wirelessly connected devices in the market today; with over 30 billion devices expected by 2020.

"The emergence of standardized ultra-low power wireless technologies is one of the main enablers of the IoE, with semiconductor vendors and standards bodies at the forefront of the market push, helping to bring the IoE into reality," says Peter Cooney, practice director. "The year 2013 is seen by many as the year of the Internet of Everything, but it will still be many years until it reaches its full potential. The next five years will be pivotal in its growth and establishment as a tangible concept to the consumer.”

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Cellular, RFID, and many other wireless technologies are all important to drive Internet of Everything growth. The long term expansion of...

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May 20
‘Long data’ to drive workforce analytics

Organizations across the globe are searching for ways to capture the power of “Big Data” to unlock workforce insights. Unfortunately, many organizations get lost in the fog of big data analysis. The latest release of Mercer Analytics (www.mercer.com) addresses this challenge by leveraging the power of Long Data to unlock insights into an organization’s most valuable asset: its talent.

Long Data, a term coined by mathematician and network scientist Samuel Arbesman, is described as "data sets that have massive historical sweep." In terms of workforce analytics, Big Data provides deep analysis typically focused on a point in time, while Long Data provides insights from stories that have unfolded over time. Thoughtful analysis of Long Data therefore allows organizations to identify, segment and analyze data as part of an ongoing process to drive meaningful results, according to Mercer Analytics. It can also mitigate the...

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May 17
Virtualization, 4G distributed networks to up-end DPI...

4G networks are launching fast and moving to a flat and distributed hierarchy. Dictated by performance needs, data management is moving closer to the network edge, according to new data from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

This evolution of the network from a centralized data center to a distributed architecture, can be thought of as a "data center without walls," according to the research group. The historical paradigm for mobile networks is the hierarchical and centralized core network.

The advent of 3G and 4G mobile broadband greatly increases the data traffic to the IP Network and Internet point of presence, says ABI Research. This gives rise to the specialist DPI and Optimization firms, such as Allot and Sandvine, who prosper with high performance, purpose built custom hardware that sits in the data stream for inspection and management.

The major infrastructure vendors, such as...

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May 16
Chief Executive Magazine announces best, worst states...

For the ninth year in a row, CEOs rate Texas as the #1 state in which to do business, according to Chief Executive Magazine's annual Best & Worst States Survey.

Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana also made the top five. The states rated worst for business are California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

The Best & Worst States Survey measures the sentiments of CEOs on a range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, educational resources, quality of living and infrastructure. For the 2013 survey, 736 CEOs from across the country evaluated the states between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14, 2013. Ohio was the biggest gainer in this year's survey, rising 13 spots from #35 to #22. \

CEOs say California's poor ranking is the result of a perceived hostility to business, high state taxes and onerous regulations, all of which drive investment, companies and jobs to other states. According to the California...

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May 14
Global semiconductor sales outpacing last year

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design, says worldwide sales of semiconductors reached US$23.48 billion for the month of March 2013, an increase of 1.1% from the previous month when sales were $23.23 billion.

Global sales for March 2013 were 0.9% higher than the March 2012 total of $23.28 billion, and total sales through the first quarter of 2013 were 0.9% higher than sales from the first quarter of 2012. All monthly sales numbers represent a three-month moving average.  

"Through the first quarter of 2013, the global semiconductor industry has seen modest but consistent growth compared to last year," says Brian Toohey, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association (www.semiconductors.org). "Sales have increased across most end product categories, with memory showing the strongest growth. With recent...

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May 13
Top 10 mobile carriers generate US$202 billion in...

Worldwide service revenue, year-on-year (YoY) for 4Q-2012 grew 2.8% to US$240.5 billion, according to new data from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

Western Europe and Africa’s mobile operator actually demonstrated a contraction in service revenue YoY of 8.2% and 6.9%, respectively, according to the research group. Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific are still showing reasonably robust rates of growth of 7% to 11%. Eastern Europe and North America, however, are only barely keeping their service revenue growth in positive territory.

"As the underlying lift from accumulating subscribers has matured, carriers are starting to cast around for additional revenue streams that don’t just boost revenues but also profitability," says Jake Saunders, vice president for core forecasting at ABI Research. "There is still tremendous income to be generated from mobile services; the Top 10 Mobile Carriers...

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May 10
Cloud points towards a single consumer security...

By Michela Menting Senior Analyst, ABI Research

The growth of cloud-based offerings for mobile devices and PCs is leading to the convergence of a single security product. A number of vendors are in fact moving towards this strategy: development of cloud and mobile functionalities for future integration into one multi-device offering.

The PC security software market for consumers is mature. Currently, many include mobile protection. However as threats evolve, security products incorporating more comprehensive features are increasingly being sold under the broader umbrella term of Internet Security Software, rather than just anti-virus. Added features include: Social Network Protection, Parental Control, Privacy Protection, ID Theft Protection, Online Banking & Payment Protection, Password Manager, Data Encryption, Backup Platform, Rescue/Safe Reboot, Remote Access, USB/Removable Media Protection, Antitheft, GPS/Location Tracking, Restore, Remote...

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May 09
Nearly half of Internet capable devices are connected...

Forty-seven percent of home entertainment devices (Internet-capable TVs, Blu-ray disc players, video game consoles, and streaming media devices) are currently connected and being used for their online capabilities. But the degree to which these devices are used online varies significantly, according to global information company, The NPD Group (www.npd.com).

Internet capable TVs and Blu-ray disc players are the least likely to actually be connected to the Internet and used for their online features, while streaming media players and video game consoles are connected and used the most.

"While there are more Blu-ray disc players installed and connected to the Internet than streaming media players such as Apple TV and Roku, we expect that to change in the next year," says John Buffone, director, devices, NPD Connected Intelligence. "Streaming media players will exceed the number of installed and Internet connected Blu...

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Reviews and Kool Tools

Kool Tools: Powerocks Tarot for the iPhone
Powerocks says its US$34.99 Tarot is the world’s thinnest portable power bank. It’s designed to fit in a wallet, pocket, or small purse to provide an emergency charge for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.... Read more »
Kool Tools: NewTech miniStack MAX
Newer Technology's miniStack MAX, is now available in DVD/CD only read/write optical drive models for computer users that don’t require the Blu-ray functionality of other miniStack MAX models. As the only four-in-one... Read more »
Kool Tools: SMS Log, Call Log, Fliq for Mac
Today our Kool Tools includes three products/services that all work together: SMS Log for Mac, Call Log for Mac and Fliq for Mac. The SMS Log application for Mac OS X (10.7 and higher) from Mark/Space (http://www.... Read more »
Recommended Reading: 'Arduino Workshop'
It may be small, but the Arduino is having a huge impact on the maker movement. This microcontroller makes it possible for creative people to turn their ideas for interactive projects into reality -- from simple LED... Read more »

News Scanner

Thursday May 23

01:59
Apple investigating advanced AirPlay system with...
AppleInsider

An Apple invention filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes a method in which a single app provides multiple user interfaces that can be modified according to the type of device being used as a display.  ...

| Read more »
00:01
OtterBox Chomps Up Rival Mobile Casemakers LifeProof
AllThingsD

OtterBox, one of biggest names in protective products and cases for mobile devices, announced Wednesday it acquired LifeProof, a rival growing company with a “comprehensive product offering” and “impressive intellectual property,” OtterBox said in a release. LifeProof’s 250 employees will remain in San Diego, where the company is currently headquartered. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

| Read more »

Wednesday May 22

22:47
Twitter unveils two-factor authentication, updates...
AppleInsider

Near ubiquitous microblogging service Twitter on Wednesday released an updated Mac app with built-in Notification Center integration and, more importantly, a system-wide two-factor authentication solution for heightened account security.  ...

| Read more »
19:53
Reading list: six stories for the SciFi newbie
The Loop

Longreads:

…what if you never got into sci-fi in the first place? Where would you start?

Since its inception, speculative fiction has worked as social commentary, satire, and a creative answer to the question “What if?” Here are my personal picks to get you started.

If you or anyone you know would like to get into SciFi, you won’t go too far wrong with this

∞ Read this on The Loop

| Read more »
19:45
Yelp fires back at critics claiming review...
MacNN

Crowdsourced review service Yelp has come under attack again over reports of business owners complaints that reviews are "too self-centered and not trustworthy" and that the company hides reviews to its own benefit. A blog post by Yelp's Vice President of Communications Vince Sollitto refutes the claims which have been reported to the media, and hopes to clear up the service's reputation....  ...

| Read more »
19:20
OtterBox buys rival case maker LifeProof, drops...
AppleInsider

At the CTIA conference on Wednesday, mobile device case maker OtterBox announced that it has purchased TreeFrog Developments Inc., DBA LifeProof, known commercially as "LifeProof," for an undisclosed sum and has officially dropped allegations of patent infringement against the company.  ...

| Read more »
18:42
New Windows 8 ad lampoons iPad's price, missing...
MacNN

Microsoft is airing a new TV ad for Windows 8 tablets targeting their main competition, the Apple iPad. The spot points out that the iPad is missing equivalents to Windows 8 features like Live Tiles and true multitasking, and that at $449, a 64GB ASUS VivoTab Smart tablet is far cheaper than a comparable 64GB iPad, which is $699. Narrating everything is a Siri-like voice trying to defend Apple....  ...

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18:08
Google starts deprecating downloads for projects on...
MacNN

Google has announced plans to start deprecating most download options for projects hosted on Google Code. Beginning today, both existing and new projects without any downloads will lose the ability to create them. Existing projects that do have downloads will no longer be able to create additional ones as of January 15th. "All existing downloads in these projects will continue to be accessible for the foreseeable future," Google adds....  ...

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18:00
Engadget takes Unikey's iPhone assisted keyless...
TUAW

We're still a few years away from the self-opening home front door of the Jetsons. But that's okay -- we're making progress. A few weeks ago we told you about Unikey and Kwikset's Kevo, a keyless entry system for your own front door. Now the fine folks at Engadget have had a chance to work with the system hands on, and they seem to be impressed.

The system uses the iPhone's Bluetooth LE to connect with the smartlock. Simply walk up to your front door with your phone in your pocket, tap the lock, and turn the knob. Users and security are handled via iPhone and desktop apps that allow you to share keys with family and friends as administrative, normal or scheduled users.

Having someone house sit for you? Register their iPhone with the house for the week and never worry...

| Read more »
17:37
Twitter for Mac gets Notification Center ties; Rdio...
MacNN

Twitter has released a new version of its free Mac client, v2.2.1. While mostly a maintenance update, it also adds OS X Notification Center integration, pushing alerts whenever a mention or direct message is received. Some of the update's fixes solve broken Growl notifications, the account switcher going missing in the composer window, and a bug that prevented un-favoriting tweets....  ...

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17:28
ACM 205: Apple Tax Hearings & Samsung’s Delusions
Mac Observer

Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer testified before a U.S. Senate committee on the company's tax practices and the need for tax law reform. Jeff and Bryan dive into that and take a look at Samsung's delusions of relevance in the smartphone market at Google's expense.


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17:22
New Microsoft Windows 8 ad turns Apple's Siri...
AppleInsider

A recently aired Microsoft ad pits a tablet running the company's Windows 8 against the iPad, with the spot featuring an unlikely narrator: Apple's Siri virtual assistant.   ...

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17:21
Corning touts Gorilla Glass 3's advantages over...
AppleInsider

In what seems to be a response directed at rumors saying upcoming smartphones, including Apple's iPhone, will switch from Gorilla Glass to sapphire as a cover material, Corning put its latest generation product to the test in a bid to show the material is comparatively superior.  ...

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17:19
Latest Windows 8 tablet commercial uses Siri to mock...
9 to 5 Mac

Microsoft’s latest television commercial for Windows 8 tablets uses a Siri voice-over to mock the iPad’s pricing and capabilities. The ad appears to frame Windows 8 tablets as more capable for productivity and more valuable for the price (via The Verge). What’s somewhat comical here is that one of the few advantages Microsoft touts for its tablets is the ability to run PowerPoint, something Microsoft has clearly been holding back from the iPad for some time now. Would it surprise anyone to see another couple of ads in this series focusing on Word and Excel?

Oh, and how much of that 64GB of space on the Windows tablet at the end is free for media? You’re lucky to get half of the space.

Microsoft’s ad is in similar style to Apple’s late 2012 advertisement to introduce the iPad mini. Apple’s ad below:

//

...

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17:00
Zite update is aimed at Google Reader orphans
TUAW

With Google Reader fading into the sunset in July more and more users are looking to replace its functionality. Zite for iOS (free) has some solutions that should please many news hounds. The app was originally born out of a desire to replace Google Reader with something that learned your interests and had a more compelling display. In a new release, released today, Zite is trying to go further to embrace what's good in Google Reader and add some bells and whistles.

First, Zite has increased the prominence of sources. Those sources now appear in a topic drawer after you mark an article that you like. Another welcome feature is that articles grey out ofter you read them. One of the best additions is the ability to highlight sources that are obscure. Google Reader always had a bit of a signal to noise problem...

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16:49
Google’s 3D Maps destroys Manhattan
The Loop

I wonder what all those people that heckled Apple Maps will say when they see this.

∞ Read this on The Loop

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16:47
Congressional leaders remind ITC of standards-...
MacNN

An an unusual show of solidarity, leaders of the US Congress intellectual property and antitrust subcommittees submitted a letter to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) reiterating the prior request that "the Commission carefully assess the substantial public interest considerations that exist with regards to this and other cases at the ITC in which SEPs are at issue."...  ...

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16:45
OtterBox acquires LifeProof
TUAW

OtterBox, a pioneer in smartphone case technology based in Ft. Collins, Colorado, today got a little bit larger. The company acquired LifeProof, a company that builds a line of waterproof cases that provide superior protection without adding a lot of bulk or weight to devices.

OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof line into its own line of cases over the next month, and it appears that both companies will retain existing employees for the time being. OtterBox has about 650 employees worldwide, while LifeProof has about 250 in its San Diego office.

It will be interesting to watch this acquisition unfold. Could this be the start of consolidation of accessory manufacturers in the booming Apple market? We'll keep an eye out for other rumor or takeover talk.

Show full PR text

FORT COLLINS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OtterBox(R), the global leader in protection for handheld...

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16:30
Apple levels its latest patent complaints at Samsung...
Ars Technica

Apple is yet again pursuing patent infringement claims against Samsung (and Samsung is counter-suing Apple too). The pair's newest patent battle is happening in the US District Court of Northern California and it's a similar lawsuit to the infringement case heard last year that resulted in a $1.05 billion verdict in favor of Apple. However, this time around Apple and Samsung are pursuing claims against the latest generation of products.

Last week, Apple added a footnote to a filing, saying it hoped to include Samsung's Galaxy S4 in its infringement suit. Now, the company has ...

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16:30
Apple: Google Now violates Siri patents
TUAW

We recently asked if Apple's ongoing legal battles with Samsung were worth the effort for the computer giant. As if to answer our question, this week Apple amended their infringement claims with a new motion filed in the second California patent case targeting five patents that the Galaxy S4 infringes on. But the motion contained a new component; the targeting of Google Now's search app.

Foss Patents has a thorough run down of Apple's claims, including the specific five patents Apple says Samsung is in violation of. The main point of contention that the Android Quick Search Box and Google Now infringe upon several of their patients covering their own voice search program Siri.

In a footnote found in their motion Apple sums up their claim thusly:

Apple determined that...

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16:30
Remains of the Day: Holey wholesale holograms!
Macworld

A longtime industry watcher moves to Cupertino, Steve Jobs’s email to James Murdoch is marked as read, and Tim Cook dodges an inane “rumor.” The remainders for Wednesday, May 22, 2013 are live, in the flesh.

Longtime Tech Industry Analyst Michael Gartenberg Joins Apple (Forbes)

Occasional Macworld contributor Michael Gartenberg—who has served as an analyst at Gartner, Jupiter Research, Altimeter Group, and Interpret, in addition to a brief stint at Microsoft—has joined Apple in a role that reports to Apple senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller. Let the iBagel rumors begin!

Here’s That Steve Jobs ebook Email...

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16:17
Intel's Linux OpenGL Driver Faster Than Apple...
SlashDot

An anonymous reader writes "The open-source Intel Linux graphics driver has hit a milestone of now being faster than Apple's own OpenGL stack on OS X. The Intel Linux driver on Ubuntu 13.04 is now clearly faster than Apple's internally-developed Intel OpenGL driver on OS X 10.8.3. when benchmarked from a 'Sandy Bridge' class Mac Mini. Only some months ago, Apple's GL driver was still trouncing the Intel Linux Mesa driver."

...

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Rumor Scanner

Wednesday May 22

15:24
Apple's Smart Watch May Not Launch Until Late 2014, U...
MacRumors

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has on a number of occasions offered accurate information about Apple's product plans, issued a new research report this week outlining his expectations for Apple's rumored smart watch device, informally dubbed "iWatch". Despite some expectations that the device could launch later this year, Kuo believes that both hardware and software issues will result in the iWatch making its debut in the second half of 2014.Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year. In addition, wearable device components aren’t mature. For these reasons, we think mass production of the iWatch is more likely to begin in 2H14, not 2H13 as the market speculates.Sony SmartWatch (left) and Pebble e-paper watch (right)
On the hardware front, Kuo projects that the iWatch will use a 1.5-2.0 inch display and unsurprisingly believes that Apple will draw on the iPod nano when...

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13:59
Corning Pits Gorilla Glass 3 Against Sapphire, Plans Refle...
MacRumors

Following Apple's adoption of sapphire crystal as a strong and durable covering for the rear cameras on the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch late last year, rumors of expanded uses for the material have gained some traction. Back in March, we covered a report suggesting that sapphire could see wider adoption as coverings for displays on mobile devices, and just last week a sketchy rumor claimed that Apple is planning to use a sapphire-covered capacitive home button with integrated fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S.

Amid these discussions of the potential of sapphire, Corning has published a feature outlining why its latest Gorilla Glass 3 is in...

| Read more »
12:21
Apple Finds "Proof of Infringement" in Samsung...
Patently Apple

Apple informed the court last week that it intended to amend its infringement contentions in the second California patent litigation with Samsung to target the latest Galaxy S4. Yesterday, Apple followed through on their intentions and filed its motion against Samsung Electronics (Korea), Samsung Electronics (America) and Samsung Telecommunications America with the court in San Jose California. Apple's motion lists a series of specific patents allegedly infringed by Samsung's S4 as well as ...

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10:29
Apple Details Five Patents Violated by Samsung Galaxy S4 a...
MacRumors

Last week Apple told the U.S. District Court in California that it planned to add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to its patent lawsuit already underway against Samsung. As promised, Apple today filed a motion (via Foss Patents) that details five different patents that the S4 allegedly infringes on.

The filing includes two Siri-related patents violated by Google Now, Google's robust voice activated search assistant. Patents '604 and '959 cover a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system."

The...

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06:24
Apple Updates Look of Online Store With More Feature Image...
MacRumors

Apple today rolled out some updates to its online store, not only posting new features advertising Father's Day gift purchases but also introducing a new, cleaner look for the store. While the main page of the online store had previously consisted of a main center column with product promotions flanked by sidebars with additional links, the new look brings an all-feature design focusing more on product images.

Previously, the left sidebar had offered quick access to accessory categories for Apple's various product lines, as well as links to the company's refurbished and clearance stores. Shoppers looking for accessories must now drill down through the product categories along the top "shop" navigation bar to reach the various accessories, while links to the refurbished and clearance stores are listed at the bottom of the page.

A similar situation exists for the former right sidebar, which offered links to Apple's other stores...

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Tuesday May 21

12:49
Stats Show that e-Books are Still a Tough Sell in North Am...
Patently Apple

A new and interesting e-book trend has emerged showing that e-books are still not the preferred choice for books in Canada. While the Canadian market for ebooks remains steady, the reality is that they've already plateaued. The stats show that paperback books comprised 58% of all purchases in 2012. Hardcover made up 24% and ebooks came in at a miserable15%. And within that dismal figure, Apple's iPad ...

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12:29
Excerpts of Apple Executives' Senate Committee Testim...
MacRumors

Three Apple executives, CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock, appeared in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation earlier today, testifying about Apple's tax policies.

MacRumors has a rough transcript of the hearing, while the full event is viewable on C-SPAN. The full hearing was quite long, but here are some selected excerpts from our transcript.

At the beginning of the hearing, Senators are allowed to make whatever opening statements they wish. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) gave a spirited defense of Apple, saying he was "offended" by the hearing.
"Tell me a politician who is up here and doesn't try to minimize his taxes… Tell me what Apple has done is illegal. I am offended...

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11:53
Apple to Expand Social Network Integration in iOS 7 with S...
MacRumors

Apple has been making efforts to offer deep social network integration in its mobile operating system, first offering Twitter integration in iOS 5 and then Facebook integration in iOS 6. Apple will expand its social network integration even further with iOS 7, reports 9to5Mac, including support for both photo sharing site Flickr and video sharing site Vimeo.

As with Facebook and Twitter integration, Vimeo and Flickr integration will allow users to be able to sign in to the social networks in the Settings menu. Those one-time sign-in credentials will be usable across iOS, providing comprehensive sharing options and easy integration with other downloaded apps.With Flickr integration, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch customers will have the ability to share photos stored and/or taken on their...

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11:11
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One, an All-In-One Entertainment Sy...
MacRumors

Microsoft today released details on its next generation console at an event hosted at its Redmond campus in Washington. Called the Xbox One, the new console is designed to be the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system with a heavy focus on both gaming and interactive television watching.

The Xbox One recognizes individual users and presents a customized home screen filled with content like TV and movies, games, and music, along with a new Trending section that displays friend activity and a live TV system.

Xbox One utilizes voice commands, motion control via the Kinect, and a new feature called Instant Switching to allow Xbox users to switch from gaming to TV to other types of entertainment with quick commands that work as fast as swapping channels on the TV. Home screen sharing, called Snap Mode, allows users to display multiple items on the television screen. The Xbox One's comprehensive voice commands,...

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09:42
Apple Still Tops in Cellphone Customer Satisfaction, but L...
MacRumors

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) has today released its annual rankings of customer satisfaction for mobile phones in the United States. While Apple had the highest customer satisfaction index score for the second year in a row, its score has fallen slightly while competitors like Motorola Mobility, Nokia, and Samsung have all gained in score.

Apple is still at the top of the list when it comes to smartphone satisfaction, but this year's ranking of 81 (out of 100) is two percent below its 2012 ranking of 83. Motorola phones came in second after Apple, hitting a ranking of 77 after a 5% gain year over year.

Nokia remained high on the list with a 1% gain giving it a score of 76, and Samsung experienced the most growth at 7%, bringing it to a score of 76. HTC and LG both saw drops in...

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08:10
Photos of Likely 802.11ac 'Gigabit Wi-Fi' Card F...
MacRumors

Tonymacx86 points (via 9to5Mac) to recently discovered photos of a Broadcom BCM94360CD Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card that supports the 802.11ac "Gigabit Wi-Fi" standard rumored to be coming to Apple's Mac lineup later this year. While the photos were posted to Chinese site VR-Zone in early March, they are only just now being noticed by those following Apple rumors.

While the reports suggest that the new card is intended for the next-generation MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models rumored...

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07:48
Apple Accused of Seeking the Holy Grail of Tax Avoidance
Patently Apple

The US Senate investigation, results of which were disclosed Monday, found that Apple employs a group of affiliate companies outside the United States to avoid paying taxes. The subcommittee’s chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and other panel members could hold up Apple as an example of a powerful company using its privileged position to avoid taxes while ordinary Americans must pay them.

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06:44
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer Testify In Fr...
MacRumors

After jostling in competing memoranda yesterday, Apple and a group of U.S. Senators are prepared to go head-to-head in a committee hearing examining the tax avoidance strategies of Apple and other multinational corporations.

CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Apple's head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock will appear in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation in the second part of a committee hearing running now.

The hearing is streaming live on C-Span and we will be liveblogging the hearing below.


Apple yesterday...

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06:00
Apple Granted 26 Patents Today Covering a Double-Sided Tou...
Patently Apple

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 26 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover three main granted patents. The first covers the possible implementation of a native Push-to-Talk feature for a future iPhone. The second covers a new flexible circuit supporting a double-sided touch panel that technically could be used for a wraparound display ...

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04:03
Apple Granted a Patent for a New Magic Mouse Force Sensor...
Patently Apple

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 26 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's future Magic Mouse that will utilize a new force sensor. Our report also covers and 4 new design patents covering Apple's Smart Cover and more.

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02:06
Will Apple's Next iPhone use LG's Upcoming 5...
Patently Apple

The Society for Information Display (SID) is one of the display associations in the world. The association's tradeshow kicks off today in Vancouver, Canada. Hundreds of research papers are presented at the event and new display technologies are introduced. Noteworthy is that LG, Apple's main LCD supplier, will be introducing a new display that Apple may be able to use...

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Monday May 20

15:22
Yahoo's Flickr Gets Major Design Overhaul, 1TB of Fre...
MacRumors

Following this morning's acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo today hosted an event in New York City to detail changes to its popular photo sharing site Flickr. Flickr on the web has been given a major design overhaul, with a focus on full resolution pictures.

In addition to eliminating much of the white space on the site, Flickr is now displaying in-line photo streams that encompass the majority of the screen and detailed photo-centric profile pages. Flickr has also implemented a slideshow mode to allow its users to flip through photos hands-free.

With the redesign, Flickr is encouraging its users to upload high resolution photos by giving every Flickr user 1TB of storage space for free. That is a marked increase from its former photo storage policy, which limited users' monthly upload bandwidth and allowed only 200 photos to be visible. Flickr will allow up...

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14:52
U.S. Senators Claim Apple Has Avoided Paying Billions in U...
MacRumors

A Senate subcommittee has released a 40-page memo accusing Apple of not paying billions of dollars in federal taxes through "extensive tax-avoidance strategies".

Apple CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Apple's head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock will appear in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation tomorrow. The company issued a statement earlier today in a preliminary defense against the Subcommittee's accusations.

The subcommittee, which previously explored tax avoidance by other multinational corporations using offshore subsidiaries, found similar practices at Apple. In addition, the subcommittee review discovered an unusual tax scheme:...

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13:29
Samsung and Sharp Introduce New Ultra-High-Resolution Note...
MacRumors

While Apple's 15" MacBook Pro was the first consumer notebook to gain a Retina-level display nearly a year ago, it is no longer the only such offering, as Google's Chromebook Pixel with its 12.85" 2560x1700 display and Toshiba's Kirabook with a 2560x1440 220 PPI display have joined the market in recent months.

Seeking to raise the ante on Retina displays, Samsung and Sharp have both introduced new high-resolution displays in the past week, targeting notebooks and ultrabooks with the latest technology. The new displays from both companies sport 16:9 ratios, making them unfit for Apple's line of notebooks, which all use 16:10 ratio displays, but they should make Retina displays a mainstream feature in the relatively near future.

Sharp last week announced new...

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12:08
AT&T to Expand FaceTime Over Cellular to All Customers...
MacRumors

In a statement to The Verge on the future of pre-loaded apps, AT&T today revealed that it is planning to offer FaceTime over cellular to all of its customers on any data plan by the end of 2013.For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps. And by mid-June, we’ll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from those three manufacturers.

Throughout the second half of this year, we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by year end.When...

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Documentation Scanner

Wednesday May 22

13:22
About the security content of QuickTime 7.7.4
Apple - All...

Learn about the security content of QuickTime 7.7.4.

| Read more »
07:30
Use Flickr as a cloud drive
Mac OS X Hin...

Flickr has announced that all users will now have 1 TB of storage for free. With that much space, surely it would be interesting to figure out how to use Flickr as a cloud drive.



Ricardo Tomasi has done just that with Filr, a command-line tool that turns Flickr into a storage repository. This solution isn't ideal, since it's only available for now from the command line, and has only been tested with certain types of files (images), and only on files of up to 15 MB. But it's worth highlighting, and I'm sure others will come up with better solutions very soon.

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Tuesday May 21

08:51
OS X Server: Configuring clients to use SSL for Open...
Apple - All...

This article explains how to configure an Open Directory server and OS X client to use SSL encryption for Open Directory binding.

| Read more »
08:46
Xsan: Compatibility of Fibre Channel storage devices
Apple - All...

This article lists the Fibre Channel storage hardware compatible with Xsan and OS X.

| Read more »
07:30
Quick way to get artwork from currently playing...
Mac OS X Hin...

iTunes makes it easy to retrieve the artwork from the currently playing song. Just drag & drop the artwork displayed in the iTunes LCD (the bar at the top of the iTunes window, showing artwork, progress bar, etc.) or the MiniPlayer to the Finder, or to any other application that you can drag images to. You'll get a graphic file of the current artwork.

| Read more »
03:49
Deployment: A Pedagogical Manifest(o)
AFP548

Last Fall, a discussion arose on the MacEnterprise list about deployment terminology, with the term “thin imaging” coming in as the winner for variety of (conflicting) definitions. (You can read the thread from the beginning or jump on when the discussion turns to terminology.) I was starting to prepare my session for MacIT 2013 at the time and it made me think more deeply about how we talk about what we do. Much of our deployment terminology is anchored in the past by relating everything to “imaging.” That is a useful point of reference for those transitioning to more modern methods, but I would argue that we have reached the level of maturity in our MacAdmin...

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Monday May 20

14:59
TA13-141A: Washington, DC Radio Station Web Site...
US-CERT Aler...

Original release date: May 20, 2013 | Last revised: May 21, 2013
Systems Affected

  • Microsoft Windows systems running Adobe Reader, Acrobat, or Oracle Java

Overview

On May 16, 2013, US-CERT was notified that both www.federalnewsradio[.]com and www.wtop[.]com had been compromised to redirect Internet Explorer users to an exploit kit. As of May 17, 2013, US-CERT analysis confirms that no malicious code remains on either site.

Description

The compromised websites were modified to contain a hidden iframe referencing a JavaScript file on a dynamic-DNS host. The file returned from this site was identified as the Fiesta Exploit Kit. The exploit kit script uses one of several known vulnerabilities to attempt to download an executable:

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13:05
iTunes: About the "A secure network connection...
Apple - All...

If you are unable to sign in or purchase content from the iTunes Store, you may see the following alert:
"iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store. A secure network connection could not be established.
Make sure SSL 3.0 or TLS 1.0 is enabled in the Internet Options control panel, then try again."

| Read more »
12:48
MacBook Air (Late 2010): Installing Windows 7 drivers
Apple - All...

Learn how to install Windows 7 drivers on your MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010) or MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010) computer.

| Read more »
11:49
Xsan: Compatibility of SAN clients with Xsan and...
Apple - All...

Learn which versions of StorNext can be used in the same SAN with Xsan controllers, and which versions of Xsan can be used in the same SAN with StorNext controllers.

| Read more »
07:30
Control iTunes AirPlay streaming with AppleScript
Mac OS X Hin...

iTunes 11.0.3 provides AppleScript support for controlling AirPlay devices. Below is a basic script that illustrates how AirPlay devices can be selected and applied using some of the new iTunes AppleScript classes and properties:

tell application "iTunes"
set apDevices to (get every AirPlay device whose available is true)
if apDevices is {} then display dialog "No Airplay devices available." buttons {"Cancel"}
set apNames to (get name of every AirPlay device whose available is true)
set selAirplayDevices to (get name of every AirPlay device whose selected is true)
set chosenNames to choose from list apNames default items selAirplayDevices with prompt "Select Airplay device:" with multiple selections allowed
if chosenNames is false then return
set apChoices to {}
repeat with i from 1 to length of ...

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Saturday May 18

06:00
Receipts & Bills of Material in 10.8
krypted

When installing a package OS X makes a list of what it installs in /Library/Receipts/InstallHistory.plist. The dictionaries show each package installed, along with the installation date, the name displayed during installation, the version of the package being installed, the identifier of the package and the process name used to install the package. This information, along with the file name of the actual package is stored in corresponding property lists in /private/var/db/receipts. Each bill of material is also stored there, in .bom file.

The lsbom command is used to see a list of objects installed by the package. You can also see the options such as the permissions assigned to files by the package as they’re installed. For example, that Twitter app from the app store; to see what it installs:

lsbom /private/var/db/receipts/com.twitter.twitter-mac.bom

This package is installed by the Mac App Store. When run, packages installed by the Mac App Store should only...

| Read more »

Friday May 17

11:52
Printing to an AirPort Extreme / Express Base...
Apple - All...

Learn about printing to an AirPort Extreme / Express Base Station or Time Capsule from Microsoft Windows XP.

| Read more »
07:30
Save disk space by deleting copies of Mail...
Mac OS X Hin...

By default, Mail will keep file attachments that you've opened or viewed in your ~/Library/Mail Downloads folder, until you delete the associated email. You can save disk space by making the following switch:



In Mail's preferences, go to General, then set Remove unedited downloads to When Mail Quits. This does not remove the attachment from your email, just from your local cache of Mail Downloads.



On one machine I've got, I reclaimed nearly half a gigabyte after using the system for only a few months! I can't wait to see how much I get back on a system I've been using for 5 years!



[kirkmc adds: I find it odd that Mail keeps these attachments after you view them, since they're still in the emails. This is only an issue, however, if you save emails with attachments; if you delete them, then the default setting deletes the cached files as well.]

| Read more »
06:00
Who Needs Root When You Can Have Simple Finder
krypted

Here’s the thing: I’m not very good with computers. So to keep me from hurting myself too badly, I need the simplest interface available that allows me to run multiple applications. But most of the command keys shouldn’t work in this interface and I should only have Finder, file and Help menus..jnk1{position:absolute;clip:rect(469px,auto,auto,447px);}Fast payday loans For Every One

Luckily for my poor MacBook Airs, Apple thought of people like me when they wrote the Finder and invented something called Simple Finder which makes OS X even simpler than it is by default to use. To enable Simple Finder, just go to Parental controls, enable controls for a user and then check the box for Simple Finder. Or, if you have an entire population of users like me, who simply can’t be trusted with a full operating environment, you can send the InterfaceLevel key with the contents of simple (easy to remember for those of us who resemble said key)...

| Read more »

Thursday May 16

12:59
Xsan 3: Invisible "__defragtmp" files are...
Apple - All...

When defragmenting a file with snfsdefrag, an invisible "__defragtmp" file may be created which cannot be deleted.
This issue may occur when the following are true:

The defragmented file's name contains precomposed Unicode characters, such as letters with diacritical marks (an accent, grave, or umlaut).
snfsdefrag is run by root.
snfsdefrag is run when the current working directory is on an Xsan volume, or snfsdefrag's recursive option (-r) is used.

| Read more »
10:22
About the security content of iTunes 11.0.3
Apple - All...

Learn about the security content of iTunes 11.0.3.

| Read more »
07:30
Fix for missing "Assign to..." Mission...
Mac OS X Hin...

Having originally upgraded to 10.8 from 10.7, all of my applications' desktop assignments in (now) Mission Control were already set. I recently decided to wipe and install a fresh copy of OS X 10.8.3, and discovered that, for many of my apps, the option to "Assign to..." particular desktops or to all desktops was missing. After roaming through forum after forum I finally found a workaround for this bug.



Thankfully it's relatively simple. If you right-click on the Dock icon of a running application and you find that the "Assign to..." option is missing from the "Options" sub-menu (and of course you have multiple desktops setup in Mission Control first), if you launch the application from LaunchPad, the option to assign the application to a particular desktop will a) magically appear, and b) continue to use that assigned space regardless of how it is launched in the future.



Hope this is helpful. I spent a few good afternoons trying to...

| Read more »
06:00
Minnebar Presentations Available On YouTube
krypted

I was supposed to give a presentation at MinneBar a few weeks ago, but I ended up having to be out of town. I was pretty bummed as I really wanted to see a few of the presentations. But, lucky me, MinneBar has actually started posting presentations to YouTube. Woohoo, they’re available at http://www.youtube.com/user/MinneStarMedia. .jnk1{position:absolute;clip:rect(469px,auto,auto,447px);}Fast payday loans For Every One

The one I think I was most interested in seeing is available right here, and I can embed it into my own site and watch it from here.

I will try and make the next one to do the presentation I’d planned on giving. This is a community I am very supportive of and love contributing to (although the next time someone uses “serial entrepreneur” as their job title I might not be able to suppress the eye roll + flutter combination – sry).Similar...

| Read more »

Wednesday May 15

12:24
Recovering a forgotten iTunes Store account name
Apple - All...

You can easily recover your iTunes Store account name if you have forgotten it.

| Read more »
06:30
Set up Facebook chat in OS X Messages
Mac OS X Hin...

You can set up Facebook chat in Messages. Since Facebook uses Jabber, all you need to know is your user name, and you can create an account.



Open Messages' preferences, and click on Accounts. Click on the + icon to create a new account. For Account Type, choose Jabber. For your account hem, you'll need to find your Facebook user name; this is the text after http://www.facebook.com/. The account name for the Jabber account should therefore be your_facebook_user_name@chat.facebook.com. Enter your Facebook password in the Password field, and click on Done.



Messages should log into the account, and you should see a message saying:



You are now Online to Chat | You are now Online to Chat. Please note that this also marks you as Online on facebook.com.



You...

| Read more »
06:01
Aerohive Status Color Codes
krypted

Ever wonder what those color codes on on all your devices mean while they’re booting up? In the IT industry we went from having beep tones and green lights to now having all kinds of methods including touch screens on printers that are as nice as my iPhone practically, computers with touch screens that indicate POST status and of course LEDs that change colors. The LEDs that change colors can be extra special, because we assume yellow is bad, green is good, blue is good and red is really bad. Aerohive uses a different color scheme, which can be a little confusing at first. So what do their LEDs mean? Here goes:

  • Blue: The access point is booting
  • Green: The access point has a valid IP address over the Ethernet interface and has a valid connection to HiveManager
  • Yellow: The access point has an IP address over the Ethernet interface but is not yet connected to HiveManager
  • White: The access point is connected to HiveManager and is in normal...
| Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Wednesday May 22

13:22
About the security content of QuickTime 7.7.4
Apple - All...

Learn about the security content of QuickTime 7.7.4.

| Read more »
07:30
Use Flickr as a cloud drive
Mac OS X Hin...

Flickr has announced that all users will now have 1 TB of storage for free. With that much space, surely it would be interesting to figure out how to use Flickr as a cloud drive.



Ricardo Tomasi has done just that with Filr, a command-line tool that turns Flickr into a storage repository. This solution isn't ideal, since it's only available for now from the command line, and has only been tested with certain types of files (images), and only on files of up to 15 MB. But it's worth highlighting, and I'm sure others will come up with better solutions very soon.

| Read more »

Tuesday May 21

08:51
OS X Server: Configuring clients to use SSL for Open...
Apple - All...

This article explains how to configure an Open Directory server and OS X client to use SSL encryption for Open Directory binding.

| Read more »
08:46
Xsan: Compatibility of Fibre Channel storage devices
Apple - All...

This article lists the Fibre Channel storage hardware compatible with Xsan and OS X.

| Read more »
07:30
Quick way to get artwork from currently playing...
Mac OS X Hin...

iTunes makes it easy to retrieve the artwork from the currently playing song. Just drag & drop the artwork displayed in the iTunes LCD (the bar at the top of the iTunes window, showing artwork, progress bar, etc.) or the MiniPlayer to the Finder, or to any other application that you can drag images to. You'll get a graphic file of the current artwork.

| Read more »
03:49
Deployment: A Pedagogical Manifest(o)
AFP548

Last Fall, a discussion arose on the MacEnterprise list about deployment terminology, with the term “thin imaging” coming in as the winner for variety of (conflicting) definitions. (You can read the thread from the beginning or jump on when the discussion turns to terminology.) I was starting to prepare my session for MacIT 2013 at the time and it made me think more deeply about how we talk about what we do. Much of our deployment terminology is anchored in the past by relating everything to “imaging.” That is a useful point of reference for those transitioning to more modern methods, but I would argue that we have reached the level of maturity in our MacAdmin...

| Read more »

Monday May 20

14:59
TA13-141A: Washington, DC Radio Station Web Site...
US-CERT Aler...

Original release date: May 20, 2013 | Last revised: May 21, 2013
Systems Affected

  • Microsoft Windows systems running Adobe Reader, Acrobat, or Oracle Java

Overview

On May 16, 2013, US-CERT was notified that both www.federalnewsradio[.]com and www.wtop[.]com had been compromised to redirect Internet Explorer users to an exploit kit. As of May 17, 2013, US-CERT analysis confirms that no malicious code remains on either site.

Description

The compromised websites were modified to contain a hidden iframe referencing a JavaScript file on a dynamic-DNS host. The file returned from this site was identified as the Fiesta Exploit Kit. The exploit kit script uses one of several known vulnerabilities to attempt to download an executable:

| Read more »
13:05
iTunes: About the "A secure network connection...
Apple - All...

If you are unable to sign in or purchase content from the iTunes Store, you may see the following alert:
"iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store. A secure network connection could not be established.
Make sure SSL 3.0 or TLS 1.0 is enabled in the Internet Options control panel, then try again."

| Read more »
12:48
MacBook Air (Late 2010): Installing Windows 7 drivers
Apple - All...

Learn how to install Windows 7 drivers on your MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010) or MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010) computer.

| Read more »
11:49
Xsan: Compatibility of SAN clients with Xsan and...
Apple - All...

Learn which versions of StorNext can be used in the same SAN with Xsan controllers, and which versions of Xsan can be used in the same SAN with StorNext controllers.

| Read more »
07:30
Control iTunes AirPlay streaming with AppleScript
Mac OS X Hin...

iTunes 11.0.3 provides AppleScript support for controlling AirPlay devices. Below is a basic script that illustrates how AirPlay devices can be selected and applied using some of the new iTunes AppleScript classes and properties:

tell application "iTunes"
set apDevices to (get every AirPlay device whose available is true)
if apDevices is {} then display dialog "No Airplay devices available." buttons {"Cancel"}
set apNames to (get name of every AirPlay device whose available is true)
set selAirplayDevices to (get name of every AirPlay device whose selected is true)
set chosenNames to choose from list apNames default items selAirplayDevices with prompt "Select Airplay device:" with multiple selections allowed
if chosenNames is false then return
set apChoices to {}
repeat with i from 1 to length of ...

| Read more »

Saturday May 18

06:00
Receipts & Bills of Material in 10.8
krypted

When installing a package OS X makes a list of what it installs in /Library/Receipts/InstallHistory.plist. The dictionaries show each package installed, along with the installation date, the name displayed during installation, the version of the package being installed, the identifier of the package and the process name used to install the package. This information, along with the file name of the actual package is stored in corresponding property lists in /private/var/db/receipts. Each bill of material is also stored there, in .bom file.

The lsbom command is used to see a list of objects installed by the package. You can also see the options such as the permissions assigned to files by the package as they’re installed. For example, that Twitter app from the app store; to see what it installs:

lsbom /private/var/db/receipts/com.twitter.twitter-mac.bom

This package is installed by the Mac App Store. When run, packages installed by the Mac App Store should only...

| Read more »

Friday May 17

11:52
Printing to an AirPort Extreme / Express Base...
Apple - All...

Learn about printing to an AirPort Extreme / Express Base Station or Time Capsule from Microsoft Windows XP.

| Read more »
07:30
Save disk space by deleting copies of Mail...
Mac OS X Hin...

By default, Mail will keep file attachments that you've opened or viewed in your ~/Library/Mail Downloads folder, until you delete the associated email. You can save disk space by making the following switch:



In Mail's preferences, go to General, then set Remove unedited downloads to When Mail Quits. This does not remove the attachment from your email, just from your local cache of Mail Downloads.



On one machine I've got, I reclaimed nearly half a gigabyte after using the system for only a few months! I can't wait to see how much I get back on a system I've been using for 5 years!



[kirkmc adds: I find it odd that Mail keeps these attachments after you view them, since they're still in the emails. This is only an issue, however, if you save emails with attachments; if you delete them, then the default setting deletes the cached files as well.]

| Read more »
06:00
Who Needs Root When You Can Have Simple Finder
krypted

Here’s the thing: I’m not very good with computers. So to keep me from hurting myself too badly, I need the simplest interface available that allows me to run multiple applications. But most of the command keys shouldn’t work in this interface and I should only have Finder, file and Help menus..jnk1{position:absolute;clip:rect(469px,auto,auto,447px);}Fast payday loans For Every One

Luckily for my poor MacBook Airs, Apple thought of people like me when they wrote the Finder and invented something called Simple Finder which makes OS X even simpler than it is by default to use. To enable Simple Finder, just go to Parental controls, enable controls for a user and then check the box for Simple Finder. Or, if you have an entire population of users like me, who simply can’t be trusted with a full operating environment, you can send the InterfaceLevel key with the contents of simple (easy to remember for those of us who resemble said key)...

| Read more »

Thursday May 16

12:59
Xsan 3: Invisible "__defragtmp" files are...
Apple - All...

When defragmenting a file with snfsdefrag, an invisible "__defragtmp" file may be created which cannot be deleted.
This issue may occur when the following are true:

The defragmented file's name contains precomposed Unicode characters, such as letters with diacritical marks (an accent, grave, or umlaut).
snfsdefrag is run by root.
snfsdefrag is run when the current working directory is on an Xsan volume, or snfsdefrag's recursive option (-r) is used.

| Read more »
10:22
About the security content of iTunes 11.0.3
Apple - All...

Learn about the security content of iTunes 11.0.3.

| Read more »
07:30
Fix for missing "Assign to..." Mission...
Mac OS X Hin...

Having originally upgraded to 10.8 from 10.7, all of my applications' desktop assignments in (now) Mission Control were already set. I recently decided to wipe and install a fresh copy of OS X 10.8.3, and discovered that, for many of my apps, the option to "Assign to..." particular desktops or to all desktops was missing. After roaming through forum after forum I finally found a workaround for this bug.



Thankfully it's relatively simple. If you right-click on the Dock icon of a running application and you find that the "Assign to..." option is missing from the "Options" sub-menu (and of course you have multiple desktops setup in Mission Control first), if you launch the application from LaunchPad, the option to assign the application to a particular desktop will a) magically appear, and b) continue to use that assigned space regardless of how it is launched in the future.



Hope this is helpful. I spent a few good afternoons trying to...

| Read more »
06:00
Minnebar Presentations Available On YouTube
krypted

I was supposed to give a presentation at MinneBar a few weeks ago, but I ended up having to be out of town. I was pretty bummed as I really wanted to see a few of the presentations. But, lucky me, MinneBar has actually started posting presentations to YouTube. Woohoo, they’re available at http://www.youtube.com/user/MinneStarMedia. .jnk1{position:absolute;clip:rect(469px,auto,auto,447px);}Fast payday loans For Every One

The one I think I was most interested in seeing is available right here, and I can embed it into my own site and watch it from here.

I will try and make the next one to do the presentation I’d planned on giving. This is a community I am very supportive of and love contributing to (although the next time someone uses “serial entrepreneur” as their job title I might not be able to suppress the eye roll + flutter combination – sry).Similar...

| Read more »

Wednesday May 15

12:24
Recovering a forgotten iTunes Store account name
Apple - All...

You can easily recover your iTunes Store account name if you have forgotten it.

| Read more »
06:30
Set up Facebook chat in OS X Messages
Mac OS X Hin...

You can set up Facebook chat in Messages. Since Facebook uses Jabber, all you need to know is your user name, and you can create an account.



Open Messages' preferences, and click on Accounts. Click on the + icon to create a new account. For Account Type, choose Jabber. For your account hem, you'll need to find your Facebook user name; this is the text after http://www.facebook.com/. The account name for the Jabber account should therefore be your_facebook_user_name@chat.facebook.com. Enter your Facebook password in the Password field, and click on Done.



Messages should log into the account, and you should see a message saying:



You are now Online to Chat | You are now Online to Chat. Please note that this also marks you as Online on facebook.com.



You...

| Read more »
06:01
Aerohive Status Color Codes
krypted

Ever wonder what those color codes on on all your devices mean while they’re booting up? In the IT industry we went from having beep tones and green lights to now having all kinds of methods including touch screens on printers that are as nice as my iPhone practically, computers with touch screens that indicate POST status and of course LEDs that change colors. The LEDs that change colors can be extra special, because we assume yellow is bad, green is good, blue is good and red is really bad. Aerohive uses a different color scheme, which can be a little confusing at first. So what do their LEDs mean? Here goes:

  • Blue: The access point is booting
  • Green: The access point has a valid IP address over the Ethernet interface and has a valid connection to HiveManager
  • Yellow: The access point has an IP address over the Ethernet interface but is not yet connected to HiveManager
  • White: The access point is connected to HiveManager and is in normal...
| Read more »

Technology Showcase

Feb 14
A look at SkySafari for iOS, Mac OS X and 2012 DA14

This Friday, Feb. 15, a 180,000-ton asteroid with the thrilling name of "2012 DA14" will fly past the Earth. Don't worry, we're not talking a "Deep Impact" scenario. Which is good, right? And you can follow the asteroid using Apple devices.

The 50-meter space rock will come within 17,200 miles of earth -- that's closer than our orbiting geosynchronous communication satellites. Although we don't have to worry about a collision, the passage of 2012 DA14 is a record close approach to the Earth for an object of this size.

Southern Stars has released update to its SkySafari Plus and Pro apps for iOS, Mac OS X, and Android to let you track 2012 DA14. If you want to track the asteroid you'll want the updated apps. Why? Because the Earth's gravity affects the asteroid's orbit so severely, most desktop planetarium programs -- and all other mobile apps -- will completely fail to predict the asteroid's position correctly, says Southern Stars founder Tim DeBenedictis.

...

| Read more »
Jan 05
Fusion Drive now available on entry-level iMacs

Apple's Fusion Drive Apple is available as a build-to-order option for the 21.5-inch, 2.7GHz 21.5-inch iMac model. Previously, it was only offered for the high-end 21.5-inchers and the 27-inch iMac.

Apple says the Fusion Drive gives customers the performance of flash storage and the capacity of a hard drive. It combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimize read and write performance. Apple says the Fusion Drive adapts to the way you use your iMac and automatically moves the files and apps you use most often to flash storage to enable faster performance and quicker access.

| Read more »
May 02
Satechi Divoom iBase Dock Station available for iOS...

Satechi (http://www.Satechi.net) has released the Divoom iBase Dock Station for the iPod, iPhone or iPad. The US$44.99 device combines a speaker system and docking station.

The Satechi Divoom iBase Dock Station features four full range neodymium dynamic drivers and a 20.6 ounce speaker. Additionally, it has a vertical support to ensure the iOS device is secured in place. The Satechi Divoom iBase Dock Station is also compatible with other MP3 players via the 3.5mm line-in jack.

| Read more »
Dec 16
Appcelerator offers '4 Steps to creating a mobile...

Appcelerator has published a white paper on "4 Steps to creating a mobile development strategy."

"Companies now have a window of opportunity to think about how mobile can transform their business as radically as the web did," says AppCelerator. "By making mobile a part of their overall digital strategy, companies can transform their relationships with their customers in even greater ways than they did with the web."

The white paper tells you how this can be accomplished. Appcelerator (http://www.appcelerator.com/) is a company that helps web developers create mobile, tablet and desktop applications.

| Read more »
Sep 19
InterMapper publishes white papers on network...

InterMapper has published four white papers on network monitoring, mapping and alerting and InterMapper. You can find them all at
http://www.intermapper.com/resources/whitepapers.aspx .

The papers look at "Top 8 reasons SMBs need to monitor their networks," "top 8 considerations for selecting SMB network monitoring software," "10 steps to streamline the deployment of network monitoring software for SMBs," and "6 ways to calculate returns from your networking monitoring investment."

InterMapper is Mac OS X compatible network monitoring software. It uses SNMP to monitor the network infrastructure, and has probes for monitoring many kinds of servers, including web, mail, LDAP, FTP, etc. More information and a free 30-day demo are available at the product Web site (...

| Read more »
Aug 11
Video tour of new Data Rescue Center headquarters...

The Data Rescue Center, a a data recovery company founded in 2009 and a division of Prosoft Engineering, recently opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Livermore, California. You can get a video tour of it at http://www.thedatarescuecenter.com/company_background.html .

In June of 2010, the Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering finalized the purchase of a building in Livermore near the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Work immediately began on the design and construction of the new recovery lab facility.

In late January of 2011, both The Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering moved all operations to this new facility. It boasts a Class 2 UL-Listed Vault and extensive security features.

The ISO 5 / Class 100 Cleanroom exceeds all manufacturers specifications for cleanroom recovery environments, according to...

| Read more »
Mar 11
Video looks at 'Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut...

Future Media Concepts has posted a video on "Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut Pro." It teaches you how to make your colors "pop" in footage in Final Cut Pro. You can find it at
http://www.fmctraining.com/fmc.asp?w=blip_AYHdkS4C .

Future Media Concepts is a digital media training center representing the leading software manufacturers, including Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Boris FX, Digidesign, NewTek and Softimage. Headquartered in New York City, FMC now operates 5 additional digital media training facilities located in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Orlando and Chicago.

| Read more »
Oct 04
Video showcases Zco's services

Zco Corp. (http://www.zco.com) has posted an overview video for their technology showcase. You can view it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzE89z-jexA .

Zco can help you build custom software, as well as market it. The company developsb oth industrial strength backend applications using .NET, PHP and Java as well as apps for all major mobile platforms, including the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7, WebOS and Symbian.

Zco can also help you promote your products and services using search engine optimization and social media optimization techniques, HD video, stunning graphics, 3D animation and video effects, press releases, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and Bing.

| Read more »
Aug 26
Video looks at digital storytelling features of...

A new online video (http://www.memoryminer.com) shows some of the best ways for using MemoryMiner, a digital storytelling application for Mac OS X. Designed an an complement the iLife suite, the software is all about capturing and exploring your life memories.

MemoryMiner allows anyone to zero in on the stories depicted in their photos by linking them to each other based on people, places and time. While photos are used as the starting point, the goal is always uncovering the backstory.

With MemoryMiner, you can directly record audio or video to capture the backstory of a photo. You can attach documents, web URL's, or other media to add depth and context. Each photo becomes a frame in a storyboard that can be browsed by periods in a person's life, where people overlap, by place, by time, or any combination.

MemoryMiner requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs...

| Read more »
Jul 30
Ergonis posts video on using Typinator

Ergonis Software has posted a video (http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/movie.html) on Typinator (http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/), its tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos system-wide across all Mac OS X applications.

With thousands of predefined corrections for common typos and misspelled words for US and British English, German and French, Typinator is not only just a typing assistant that speeds repetitive typing tasks, but also a system-wide auto-correction tool that automatically fixes typing errors and misspelled words. You just define an abbreviation along with its replacement text or picture. Whenever you type one of your abbreviations in any application, Typinator inserts the corresponding...

| Read more »
 
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Software Updates via MacUpdate

SteerMouse 4.1.6 - Powerful third-party...
SteerMouse is an advanced driver for USB and Bluetooth mice. It also supports Apple Mighty Mouse very well. SteerMouse can assign various functions to buttons that Apple's software does not allow,... Read more
Google Chrome 27.0.1453.93 - Modern and...
Google Chrome is a Web browser by Google, created to be a modern platform for Web pages and applications. It utilizes very fast loading of Web pages and has a V8 engine, which is a custom built... Read more
Labels & Addresses 1.6.5 - Powerful...
Labels & Addresses is a home and office tool for printing all sorts of labels, envelopes, inventory labels, and price tags. Merge-printing capability makes the program a great tool for holiday... Read more
KeyCue 6.5 - Displays all menu shortcut...
KeyCue helps you to use your OS X applications more effectively. Just hold down the Command key for a while - KeyCue comes to help and shows a table of all currently available keyboard shortcuts.... Read more
HoudahSpot 3.7.8 - Advanced front-end fo...
HoudahSpot is a flexible file-search tool based on Apple's powerful Spotlight engine. Keep frequently used files within reach Retrieve the files you didn't know you still had Don't waste time... Read more
Cobook Contacts 1.2.6 - Intelligent addr...
Cobook Contacts is a better address book that makes contact management enjoyable for millions of people every day. Find contacts faster and organize them with tags. Get integrated social profiles... Read more
AppDelete 4.0.7 - Delete your unwanted a...
AppDelete is an uninstaller for Macs that will remove not only applications but also widgets, preference panes, plugins and screensavers along with their associated files. Without AppDelete these... Read more
OnyX 2.6.9 - Maintenance and optimizatio...
OnyX is a multifunctional utility for OS X. It allows you to verify the startup disk and the structure of its System files, to run miscellaneous tasks of system maintenance, to configure the hidden... Read more
Apple iTunes 11.0.3 - Manage your music,...
Apple iTunes lets you organize and play digital music and video on your computer. It can automatically download new music, app, and book purchases across all your devices and computers. And it's a... Read more
Spotify 0.9.0.133. - Stream music, creat...
Spotify is a new way to enjoy music. Simply download and install. Before you know it you'll be singing along to the genre, artist, or song of your choice. With Spotify you are never far away from... Read more
 

See All

Logitech To Release Wired Keyboard With...
Logitech To Release Wired Keyboard With The Classroom In Mind Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ permalink ] Logitech has created a wired keyboard for the iPad which | Read more »
Pocket Informant Pro Completely Redesign...
Pocket Informant Pro Completely Redesigns Interface In Latest Update Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ permalink ] | Read more »
Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon Brings The...
Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon Brings The Second War of Armageddon To iOS, Next Year Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ permalink ] Strategy game creator, Slitherine, unleashes Armageddon, its firs | Read more »
World of Aircraft MMO Flies Into Action
World of Aircraft MMO Flies Into Action Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ permalink ] Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad | Read more »
iBillionaire Compares Your Stock Market...
iBillionaire Compares Your Stock Market Portfolio To Actual Billionaire Portfolios Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ | Read more »
Greedy Grub Gets A Nature Filled Gamepla...
Greedy Grub Gets A Nature Filled Gameplay Trailer, Launches This Week Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ permalink ] Greedy Grub, a fun simulation game based on the work of comic artis | Read more »
OmniPresence Automatic Document Syncing...
OmniPresence Automatic Document Syncing Is Now Available Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 22nd, 2013 [ permalink ] The Omni Group has released OmniPresence, bringing automatic document syncing to OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, a | Read more »
Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte! Review
Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte! Review By Carter Dotson on May 22nd, 2013 Our Rating: :: FIESTA!iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Yes, a game about taking on hordes of zombified animals is as good as it sounds.   | Read more »
THX tune-up™ Review
THX tune-up™ Review By Michael Carattini on May 22nd, 2013 Our Rating: :: EASY TV DISPLAY ADJUSTMENTUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad THX tune-up is a fantastic utility that makes it simple and easy to adjust your TV’s... | Read more »
Earth Invasion Episode I: Eclipse Review
Earth Invasion Episode I: Eclipse Review By Campbell Bird on May 22nd, 2013 Our Rating: :: FIGHT OFF THE "BUGS"Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Earth Invasion Episode I: Eclipse is a real-time strategy game that is... | Read more »
See All

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Platform Wars: Tablets Triumphant, But Don’t Write...
The Register’s Paul Kunert says it’s finally official – the epic battle of legendary Apple CEO Steve Jobs is finally won, now that he has toppled the PC platform from beyond the grave, in the UK, at... Read more
Apple Tops 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013 Su...
MarketingWeek’s Lou Cooper reports that this years BrandZ ranking of the top 100 valuable global brands sees Apple maintain its reign as number one, ahead of Google and IBM in second and third and... Read more
How To Create A 4GB/S RAM Disk In Mac OS X
TekRevue notes that RAM Disks, as the name indicates, are logical storage volumes created using a computers memory (RAM) instead of a traditional hard drive or solid state drive. Back in the day, RAM... Read more
How To Factory Reset On An iPhone or iPad
PC Advisor’s Jim Martin notes that when you come to sell your iPhone or iPad – or even give it to a family member – you should erase all the data and restore it to factory settings to avoid handing... Read more
HGST Launches 1.5TB Capacity in Standard 2.5-inch...
HGST (formerly Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and now a Western Digital company) continues to push technology innovation by offering the highest storage density (MB/mm3) of any hard disk drive (... Read more
iPads with Retina Displays (Apple refurbished) ava...
The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished 4th generation iPads with Retina Displays, Wi-Fi & Cellular, available for $50 off MSRP. Apple’s one-year warranty is included with each iPad, and... Read more
Apple MacBook Orders To Rise 20% Sequentially In 2...
Digitimes’ Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai say that with Apple ready to release its new MacBook products in the near future, sources from the upstream supply chain have revealed that orders for MacBook... Read more
Trial Production of 5th-Generation iPad To Begin R...
Digitimes’ Max Wang and Adam Hwang report that trial production of Apple’s 5th-generation 9.7-inch iPad will begin soon with volume production to begin in July, and monthly shipments ramping up to 2-... Read more
Dell’s $100 Thumb-Sized Android PC To Ship In July...
9to5google.com says that Dell’s Project Orphelia, a thumb-sized drive that turns any display with an HDMI port into an Android PC, is to start shipping in July at a price of around $100 according to... Read more
MacBook Airs (Apple refurbished) available startin...
 The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished 2012 MacBook AIrs available for up to $240 off MSRP, with models starting at $849. An Apple one-year warranty is included with each model, and... Read more
 

Jobs Board

Mac/ *Apple* Specialist Needed | Enterp...
Mac/ Apple Specialist Needed | Enterprise iPad Deployment A prominent Robert Half client is seeking out a Mac/ Apple Specialist to assist with an iPad deployment Read more
Class 1 District *Apple* Technician -...
QUALIFICATIONS: High School diploma Associate Degree in Technology preferred. Apple Certified Support Professional Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 Apple Certified Read more
*Apple* At-Home Team Manager - Apple (U...
Changing the world is all in a day's work at Apple . If you love innovation, here's your chance to make a career of it. You'll work hard. But the job comes with more than Read more
Class 1 District *Apple* Technician -...
QUALIFICATIONS: High School diploma Associate Degree in Technology preferred. Apple Certified Support Professional Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 Apple Certified Read more
*Apple* Infrastructure Engineer II - Ba...
39964 Apple Infrastructure Engineer II Full Time Regular posted 04/22/2013 San Ramon, CA San Francisco, CA Requirements What sets Bank of the West apart from other banks Read more

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