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07:17
Judge: court will likely rule Apple worked to inflate ebook prices

In a pre-trial "tentative view," Judge Denise Cote said the U.S Department of Justice will likely be able to prove that Apple colluded with major book publishers to falsely inflate the prices of e-books sold through the iBookstore, reports "Reuters" (http://tinyurl.com/nfw824c).

While she stressed that the view was not final and that she had read only some of the evidence so far, her comments could add to pressure on Apple to settle the lawsuit, in which the Justice Department accuses the company and five publishers of conspiring to fix e-book prices, the article adds.

"I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books, and that the circumstantial evidence in this case, including the terms of the agreements, will confirm that," Cote said.

Orin Snyder, a lawyer for Apple...

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06:50
Disk Order for Mac OS X gets a Dropbox plug-in

LikeMac Group (www.likemac.ru/english/) has released Disk Order 3.2.4, an update of the double-pane file manager for OS X with advanced features. A Dropbox plug-in is now included.

It makes it possible to browse through files on a server, download and upload, or even view and edit them. Simple file dropping is also supported.

Disk Order is designed to makes file management easy. It lets you browse archives like regular folders, connect to FTP(S) servers, view/edit files and other. It's also supplied with plugins which allow to download music from iPod/iPhone/iPad, provide Dropbox support and enable other useful features.

Disk Order 3.2.4 requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher and an Intel Mac. It can be downloaded free of charge on 30-day trial term basis. The full version can be purchased for US$29.95.

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04:07
Spatial Infographics Solution comes to ConceptDraw Pro

CS Odessa (www.conceptdraw.com) has introduced a Spatial Infographics Solution for ConceptDraw Pro 9. The new solution permits users to draw professional infographics that orient viewers so they can be self-directed to a point of interest.

The maps and images are scalable vector images that can be exported to Adobe PDF format, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, graphic image file, or HTML. ConceptDraw Pro 9 supports Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. The ConceptDraw products are licensed per user and users have the capability of running ConceptDraw on either supported operating system with their purchased product.

ConceptDraw Pro has a suggested retail price of US$199. It's available as a standalone product. It's also included in ConceptDraw Office suite ($499), which in addition to ConceptDraw PRO, the ConceptDraw Office suite includes ConceptDraw MindMap and ConceptDraw Project.

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04:04
PDF Nomad 2.0 adds scanning, OCR, more

SintraWorks has updated PDF Nomad, a PDF editor for Mac OS X (10.7 and higher), to version 2.0. The upgrade adds scanning, OCR, AppleScript support, automatic page deskewing, bookmarks management and more.

PDF Nomad's features include simple text search and extraction, file merging, page splitting, form creation, markup and annotation, booklet/magazine creation and more. You can create and fill out PDF forms, mark-up text and annotate pages with rectangles, ovals, arrows, lines and more.

With PDF Nomad, you can resize whole documents to a different page size with a single command, or resize individual pages with drag and drop, shifting page contents as needed. You can export individual pages as bitmaps (jpg, png etc.) or create spoken audio files from the document's text.

PDF Nomad 2.0 is normally available as a single-user license for US$49.99 from both the Mac App Store and from the SintraWorks website (...

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04:02
Akvis Retoucher 6.0 gets batch processing

Akvis has released Akvis Retoucher 6.0 for Mac OS X and Windows systems (http://akvis.com/en/retoucher/index.php), an update of the app for restoring damaged photos by removing dust, scratches, stains, and by reconstructing the missing parts of a photo automatically.

Version 6.0 adds a Batch Processing feature that lets you automatically process a series of images. Also, there are some bug fixes.

Registered users of Retoucher can upgrade to version 6.0 for free, except the owners of the old Business version. They must pay $19 for an upgrade to the new version. A free evaluation download of Akvis Retoucher 6.0 is available at the Akvis web site. It sells for US$87.

The software can be used as a standalone application and as a plugin to image editors (Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro, and other image editors). It runs on Mac OS X 10.4-10.8, both 32 and 64 bit...

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May 23
WWDC keynote to take place Monday, June 10

Apple today said the keynote address for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference will occur on Monday, June 10, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, reports "All Things D" (http://tinyurl.com/oqp7syh). However, the speakers haven't been announced.

Apple will hold WWDC 2013 June 10-14 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At the five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X.

WWDC will also feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies, as well as the Apple Design Awards, a showcase of the most outstanding apps available through the Mac App Store and Apple App Store. For more info go to developer.apple.com/wwdc .

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May 23
Security expert: Mac users too lax in security measures

A report from Norman Shark’s security analyst team entitled Operation Hangover details a cyber campaign that is believed to be gathering information from national security targets and private sector companies mostly based in Pakistan, but also in the UK and United States. The Operation Hangover campaign is reliant on previously identified vulnerabilities in popular software (such as Word) and browsers (including Java).

If left unaddressed Operation Hangover will purportedly cause "lasting damage" to UK businesses. What's more, the failure of Mac users to recognize that there may be a threat to their systems, Kaspersky security expert David Emm told "Macworld UK."

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May 23
Ireland: we didn't give Apple any special tax treatment

Remarking on a U.S. Senate investigation that claims Apple avoided taxes on tens of billions of dollars by holding significant profits in three Irish subsidiaries, Ireland’s Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the country did not work out special corporate tax rate of only 2% with Apple as rumored, according to "All Things D" (http://tinyurl.com/q52z832).

"I do not want to be the whipping boy for some misunderstanding in a hearing in the U.S. Congress," Noonan said during a parliamentary committee meeting on Wednesday.

In other words, if Apple was able to markedly reduce its tax bill in the U.S. and the rest of the world, "it was because of a gap between different tax jurisdictions, not some magic deal with Ireland," notes "All Things D."

"Maybe there was a magician, but the magician wasn’t living down in Cork,” Noonan said. "Because [Apple] is not tax resident in Ireland, [it is] not...

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May 23
WaterField Designs debuts leather Finn wallet

WaterField Designs has unveiled its new fine leather Finn wallet. It costs US$29.90 and is available at http://tinyurl.com/qamsm6e .

The naturally deer-tanned leather Finn comes in six color choices and two sizes: a compact version for cash and cards and a slightly longer version sized to also fit an iPhone 5 or similar-sized smartphone. The Finn is designed to fit into men's pants pockets without causing "wallet bulge."

Self-locking zippers secure all contents. Two interior side pockets organize cash, cards, ID and receipts.

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May 23
ChronoSync for Mac OS X updated to version 4.3.8

Econ Technologies has updated ChronoSync to version 4.3.8, which contains several new features and fixes. ChronoSync is the automated synchronization and backup application for Mac OS X that can synchronize, backup, and create bootable backups.

Version 4.3.8 changes the logic that tests to confirm an SMB volume is still mounted to improve compatibility with certain NAS devices.

All existing ChronoSync users update for free. For new users the cost is US$40. A demo is available for download from the Econ Technologies web site (http://www.econtechnologies.com).

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May 23
TrendNet ships AC1200 dual band wireless router

TrendNet has shipped the AC1200 Dual Band Wireless Router (model TEW-811DRU), which is designed to easily handle multiple HD streams in a busy connected home. It costs US$157.99

It generates an ultra-high performance 867 Mbps Wireless AC network and a 300 Mbps Wireless N network to connect mobile devices and computers to the Internet, according to Zak Wood, director of marketing at TrendNet. Beamforming technology boosts connectivity by directing the strongest signal to the location of each connected device.

You can plug in a USB flash or network attached storage drive to share HD videos and music across the network. Gigabit ports on the back of the router maintain high speed wired connections. You can create a secure isolated guest network for guest Internet access. Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) connects other WPS supported wireless adapters at the touch of a button. For more info go to www.trendnet.com ....

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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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MacTech Blog

May 24
Tablet apps processor revenue jumped 83% in 2012

The global tablet applications processor market showed an impressive 83% year-on-year growth in 2012 to reach US$2.7 billion, according to Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com).

The research group notes that Apple continued its dominance in the tablet applications processor market with 48% revenue share in 2012. NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Samsung and Qualcomm made up the rest of the top-five vendors. Strategy Analytics identified that a handful of Chinese tablet chip vendors captured 20 % volume share between them.

"NVIDIA led the non-iPad tablet market with 27% revenue share in 2012," says Sravan Kundojjala, senior analyst, Strategy Analytics. "NVIDIA scored high-profile design-wins such as the Google Nexus 7 and Microsoft Surface RT, which fueled 83 percent year-on-year growth in its tablet applications processor shipments in 2012. Strategy Analytics states that NVIDIA is well-...

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May 23
Enterprise Mobile content management subscribers to...

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) predicts subscribers of enterprise mobile content management (MCM) solutions will grow at double-digit rates to over 110 million by 2018. Smartphone subscribers of MCM will grow at a modest 12% YoY [year-over-year] whereas corporate-liable tablet subscribers will grow 21% over the next five years, according to the research group.

North America and Western Europe are the largest subscribing markets;.Asia Pacific will stay in the number three position throughout the forecast period but grow nearly twice as fast as the regional leaders.

"As the Bring-Your-Own-Device phenomenon becomes more widely accepted within enterprises, more corporate content is being placed in the cloud using consumer-grade storage solutions. As such, more corporate content is susceptible to leakage and theft, placing a higher need on mobile content security and protection," says Jason McNicol,...

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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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Reviews and Kool Tools

Kool Tools: Kensington USB 3.0 docking stations, multi-display adapters
Thank you, Kensington. The company has made its line of USB 3.0 Docking Stations and Multi-Display Adapter products compatible with Mac OS X. Now sporting a new DisplayLink driver for the Mac, Kensington’s productivity... Read more »
Kool Tools: Sonnet xMac mini Server
Sonnet has introduced an upgrade of its xMac mini Server, a Thunderbolt-to-PCI Express (PCIe) expansion system and 1U rackmount enclosure for a Mac mini with a Thunderbolt port. The xMac mini Server accommodates one... Read more »
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 »

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Friday May 24

13:30
Friday Favorite: Type2Phone
TUAW

Type2Phone ($4.99) is one of the most practical tools in my development toolbox. It emulates a Bluetooth keyboard from your Mac. With it, you type to your iOS device using your normal desktop keyboard.

While this may not sound like a big thing for many iOS users -- after all, the onboard keyboards and new dictation features streamline text entry -- it is a huge deal for devs and IT coordinators who have to keep typing similar things into apps and settings, over and over again.

For example, take Game Center development. You usually work with many different accounts, testing to see how access works for new users, for those with a good history of application use, or for those who have unlocked certain achievements. In a normal debug session, you may sign out and sign in with various credentials dozens of times. Type2Phone makes that a practical exercise...

| Read more »
13:00
Judge reportedly leaning towards DoJ in Apple ebook...
TUAW

In less than two weeks, Apple will head to trial over allegations that it colluded with five publishing houses in an effort to inflate the price of e-books. Indeed, the Justice Department last week released internal Apple emails which it claims supports the allegation that Apple was a "ringleader" in a price fixing conspiracy.

In one such email, Apple executive Eddy Cue explained to Steve Jobs that he was able to secure a deal with Random House by threatening to block an app of theirs from getting into the App Store.

With a trial on the matter scheduled to kick off on June 3, Bloomberg reports that U.S. District Judge Denise Cote -- who happens to be overseeing the trial -- expressed confidence that the government will be able to prove its case against Apple.

I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple...

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12:44
2 Mac Tips for Moving Your Dock & Guarding Your...
Mac Observer

Two readers ask Nancy Carroll Gravley questions about the Dock and Passwords.


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12:30
Ailing Mac? Try Drive Genius 3
TUAW

When your Mac starts acting unreliably your first line of defense is Apple's Disk Utility, but that solves a small number of problems, such as permissions and disk verification and repair. A good second line of defense is Drive Genius 3 for Mac from Prosoft Engineering. Drive Genius offers repair and maintenance utilities you can use to make sure your hard drive runs at maximum efficiency.

This US$99 suite of programs includes the following modules: Information, Defrag, DriveSlim, Repair, Scan, DrivePulse, Integrity Check, Initialize, Repartition, Duplicate, Shred, Benchtest, and Sector Edit. When you launch Drive Genius you can choose any one of the available utilities from a set of icons displayed across two screens. Each module presents an option to choose a drive, volume or files and folders on the right, depending on the utility's purpose...

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12:26
Adobe Flash Player updated to 11.7.700.203
PowerPage

Never look an update in the mouth.

On Friday, Adobe released Flash Player 11.7.700.203 for Mac OS X, a 16.9 megabyte download via MacUpdate. The new version adds the following fixes and changes:

Fixed:
- Audio stream cuts off on certain websites after 10-60 seconds(3541383).

Known Issues:
- Some newer AMD Graphics Processing Unit drivers exhibit rendering issues in certain circumstances (3431502).

- Webcam fails when used in conjunction with Microsoft Kinect (3482709).

- In AIR for iOS, cannot package localized swf...

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12:11
Best Buy to offer $50 off all iPhone 5 & 4S...
AppleInsider

Starting this Sunday, electronics retailer Best Buy will be offering $50 off the purchase of any new iPhone model with a service contract, marking a rare discount opportunity for Apple's smartphone lineup.   ...

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12:00
Backblaze Mobile for iPhone provides on-the-go...
TUAW

Backblaze, the online backup company that has made TUAW headlines with its innovative open-source 180 TB Storage Pods and drop-dead simple Mac backups, today announced a way to get mobile access to your backed-up data. Backblaze Mobile for iPhone (free) works for any current or future Backblaze customers running an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5.1 or later.

After logging into a Backblaze account with user credentials, users are presented with stats for each computer backed up on the service including the number and size of files stored and when the last backup was performed. There's a browser for going through backups to look for specific files, and any file can be downloaded to the iOS device to be used or shared with others.

The Backblaze service is priced from as low as US$3.96 per month when pre-purchased for a year or more, or can be subscribed to...

| Read more »
11:31
Rains once more cause damage at Apple's Fifth...
AppleInsider

Weather woes continue at Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City, as rain is once again seeping into the retail location, and now Apple's SoHo location is said to have been suffering from the same problem.   ...

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11:30
US FDA begins investigating smartphone medical apps
MacNN

The US Food and Drug administration has begun investigating an iOS medical app available on the App Store to find out why it wasn't pre-approved by the agency and has begun the process of setting up guidelines for apps that make health- and medical-related claims. Currently, the agency only closely regulates some specific apps tied to medical hardware that would have dire consequences if they didn't work as advertised....  ...

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11:29
Briefly: Upcoming Moshi Codex case update, Akvis...
MacNN

Moshi has announced that it will be releasing a second generation of its Codex MacBook cases later this summer. Designed in variants for the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro, the updated Codex case features a new binding for added durability and is now fully approved by the TSA. Other features include full access to all ports, a water-resistant coating, and soft interiors for protection from shocks and scratches. Codex will be available in both Steel Black and Brushed Titanium for the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro for $75. It will be available in Steel Black for the 11-i... ...

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11:00
AT&T's GoPhone prepaid brand to fully...
TUAW

AT&T's prepay GoPhone service is to include an iPhone purchase option as of today. The service will also gain the addition of 4G LTE and HSPA+ support, according to MacRumors. GoPhone lets users sign up for AT&T service without joining a contract. Previously, iPhone owners could sign up for the service but they would have no access to cellular data. With the update expected to roll out today, iPhone owners will be able to access all of AT&T's services on a GoPhone contract, including 4G LTE and Visual Voicemail.

MacRumors says that iPhone owners will have three options for GoPhone service. The highest priced one is a US$65 plan that offers unlimited texts and calls and one gigabyte of data. AT&T is also offering $50 and $25 plans that include text and calls, but users will have...

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10:49
Judge Thinks Apple Will Lose E-Book Price-Fixing Case
SlashDot

Nerval's Lobster writes "Apple could face a difficult time winning its court case against the U.S. Department of Justice over e-book pricing, according to the federal judge overseeing the trial. 'I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books,' U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said during a May 23 pretrial hearing, according to Reuters, 'and that the circumstantial evidence in this case, including the terms of the agreements, will confirm that.' Apple's legal counsel is a bit perturbed over her comments. 'We strongly disagree with the court's preliminary statements about the case today,' Apple lawyer Orin Snyder wrote in a statement also reprinted by Reuters. The Justice Department has asserted that Apple, along with those publishers, conspired to raise retail e-book prices in tandem 'and eliminate price competition, substantially increasing prices paid by...

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10:30
AltWWDC announces AltLabs dedicated lab space
TUAW

No WWDC tickets? No matter. AltWWDC is a free, five-day event that will be held in San Francisco June 10-14, 2013. Today, the group has announced AltLabs, which will serve as dedicated lab space for attendees. Each lab will be staffed by helpful folks who are there to answer your questions or just act as a sounding board.

In addition, several special labs have been announced, including one on connectivity and web services, hosted by Matt Thompson of Heroku and AFNetworking; Isaiah Carew of Kiwi and Kirby Turner. You'll find the full run-down here.

Keep an eye out for familiar faces while you're there, including our own Victor Agreda, Kelly Guimont and Brett Terpstra.

AltWWDC announces AltLabs dedicated lab space originally appeared on...

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10:30
Briefly: Logitech Wired iPad Keyboard announced,...
MacNN

Logitech has announced a new iPad keyboard designed specifically for classroom use. Featuring a spill-resistant design and full sized keys, the Wired Keyboard for iPad requires users to simply plug in either the Lighting or 30-pin connector to begin typing. In addition to the standard QWERTY keys, the keyboard also offers several shortcuts for quick access to function such as copy and paste, Siri, and app switching. The Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad with the Lightning Connector is expected to be available in the US in August 2013, while the 30-pin model is planned to launch in October 2013.... ...

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10:14
Judge in E-Book Pricing Case Thinks Apple's...
AllThingsD

Apple hasn’t formally argued its position in the U.S. government’s e-books antitrust case against it; indeed, the trial hasn’t even begun. Yet already the federal judge presiding over the hearing has gone on record as saying Apple is likely to lose the case.

Asked during a pretrial hearing Thursday for her thoughts on a likely outcome, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said her view is that the U.S. Justice Department will prevail over Apple.

Said Cote, “I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books, and that the circumstantial evidence in this case, including the terms of the agreements, will confirm that.”

Though delivered with a caveat noting that she has not yet...

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10:00
Best Buy to begin month-long iPhone sale on Sunday
TUAW

AllThingsD is reporting that Best Buy plans to begin a monthlong iPhone sale on Sunday. iPhone prices will drop by US$50 when bought in conjunction with a two-year contract from AT&T, Sprint or Verizon. All current models of the iPhone -- iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 -- are included.

This coming Monday in the United States is Memorial Day, and the weekend prior is a big shoppers' weekend. Best Buy is also offering discounts on several popular Android handsets, but those discounts are expected to expire on June 1. There's no word on why Best Buy's iPhone sale will carry on for an entire month, but it could be that the company is trying to move inventory before any potential iPhone announcements this summer.

Best Buy to begin month-long iPhone sale on Sunday...

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09:54
∞ iPhone 5 TV Ad: Music Every Day
The Loop

Lovely.

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09:53
Apple drops refurbished fourth-gen iPad, mini prices
iLounge

Apple has dropped its prices on refurbished fourth-generation iPads and iPad minis in its online store. Refurbished fourth-generation iPads are now $419, $499, and $579 for Wi-Fi 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models, and $529, $609, and $689 for corresponding Wi-Fi + Cellular models. Refurbished iPad…

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09:49
Apple likely guilty of e-book conspiracy, judge says...
Ars Technica

The Department of Justice's claim that Apple led a conspiracy to raise e-book prices is on the verge of going to trial. It will be decided by a judge without the help of a jury—and that judge is already leaning toward ruling against Apple.

"I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books, and that the circumstantial evidence in this case, including the terms of the agreements [between Apple and publishers], will confirm that," US District Judge Denise Cote said during a pretrial hearing yesterday, according to Reuters.

The US government accuses Apple of being the "ringmaster" in a conspiracy with e-book publishers to fix the standard...

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09:38
Apple trolls us with ‘iWatch’ tease in latest iPhone...
9 to 5 Mac

Here’s an amusing little image for your Friday: the screenshot above is a clip from Apple’s newest “Music Every Day” ad, which was posted on their YouTube channel last night.

If you pay attention at around 0:30 in the commercial, you’ll see what would almost appear to be someone wearing a large, wrist-device while listening to music on their iPhone.

While obviously Apple wouldn’t leak a real product through their advertisements, we can’t help but think that this is perhaps a subtle troll on Apple’s part.

//


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09:36
Haswell chips could bring 50% more battery life to...
AppleInsider

The next generation in Apple's MacBook line could see 50 percent greater battery life thanks to the processors expected to go into them, according to Intel.  ...

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09:30
The Week in iOS Apps: Music all around you!
Macworld

Like music? Like making it? Discovering new artists? Figuring out who the heck is singing that song on the TV commercial? We’ve got you covered in this week’s roundup of new and updated iOS apps.

The Doors

Father! Yes son? I want to buy the $5 The Doors app for iPad, which features more than 700 images and over 100 music and sound clips featuring Oliver Stone’s favorite band. There are also a half-dozen short films—we call them videos now—featuring some of the band’s most beloved songs. C’mon baby, take a chance with us.

Guitar! by Smule

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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Rumor Scanner

Friday May 24

12:46
Apple's Latest TV Ad: Music Every Day
Patently Apple

In April, Apple introduced a quiet yet creatively styled TV ad called "Photos Every Day." For May, Apple has introduced a new ad in this series simply titled: "Music Every Day." The message quietly states that "Every day, more people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phone."

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11:33
iPhone Urinalysis App Draws U.S. Government Scrutiny
MacRumors

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a letter to BioSense Technologies over its iPhone uChek urinalysis system, asking why its medical app hasn't been cleared by the agency. The app is one of the first that turns the iPhone into a medical device, designed to read urinalysis test strips that are normally examined by users and compared to a color-coded chart.

With the uChek system, patients can take a picture of the strip with the iPhone's camera and then receive an automated readout of parameters like glucose, urobilinogen, pH, ketone and more. The app also stores results which then can be analyzed over time.

Though medical device makers have adopted the iPhone for some measurements like blood glucose monitoring for diabetics, large scale use of smartphones and tablets as a replacement for existing medical devices has yet to take off -- likely due in large part to government regulation of...

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08:14
Apple Slashes Prices on Refurbished iPad Mini and iPad 4 M...
MacRumors

Apple today significantly reduced prices on refurbished models of the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad, with all models now carrying approximately 15% discounts relative to brand-new units.

iPad mini

- 16 GB Wi-Fi: $279, down from $299 previously and $329 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi: $359, down from $389 previously and $429 brand-new
- 64 GB Wi-Fi: $439, down from $489 previously and $529 brand-new

- 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $389, down from $429 previously and $459 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $469, down from $519 previously and $559 brand-new
- 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $549, down from $619 previously and $659 brand-new

Fourth-generation iPad

- 16 GB Wi-Fi: $419, down from $449 previously and $499 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi: $499, down from $549...

| Read more »
06:30
More Details on Jony Ive's Flat iOS 7 Design: Heavier...
MacRumors

9to5Mac shares more details on Jony Ive's redesign for iOS 7, noting that not only will it bring a flatter look to the operating system but also more emphasis on black and white design elements.Sources have described iOS 7 as “black, white, and flat all over.” This refers to the dropping of heavy textures and the addition of several new black and white user interface elements. [...]

For the upcoming operating system, which Apple says will be unveiled at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, Ive has not simply picked areas of the software design to tweak. He has essentially made his mark on every corner of the operating system, according to descriptions from sources, all while mostly keeping the essence of what has made iOS so ubiquitous.The report walks through a number of specific changes appearing in the current development version of iOS 7, including changes to...

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05:52
Did you hear the Joke about Android being the Market Leade...
Patently Apple

In March we posted a report titled "In the Real World, Apple's iPhone and iPad are Still King." In that report we clearly stated that "In the real world, Apple's iPhone and iPad are still king in their respective categories. Nothing has changed except for the press's view of the world. The established press has created this grand consumer mirage that's a true disservice to the overall market. The press is mentally stuck in using a "volume" of cell phones metric as a measurement of technology leadership.

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Thursday May 23

19:33
AT&T's GoPhone Prepaid Brand to Gain iPhone and L...
MacRumors

MacRumors has learned that AT&T's GoPhone prepaid wireless brand will be undertaking a significant expansion of its services starting tomorrow, offering support for the AT&T's fastest LTE and HSPA+ data networks for the first time and also adding official support for the iPhone.

Until now, GoPhone has allowed iPhone users to sign up for service, but without cellular data access. With the changes coming tomorrow, the iPhone will have access to the full range of AT&T services through GoPhone, including LTE data and Visual Voicemail.

GoPhone will support three service plans for the iPhone, including the high-end $65/month plan that offers unlimited calls and texts and 1 GB of data. Users can also opt for cheaper $25 and $50 plans, but they must purchase...

| Read more »
19:12
Apple Posts New iPhone TV Ad 'Music Every Day'
MacRumors

Apple started running a new iPhone ad this evening called 'Music Every Day', the second in a series that launched last month with a spot entitled 'Photos Every Day'. Both ads in the campaign focus on people actually using the phone, rather than just the phone itself.

Every day, more people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phoneIn a series of colorful clips, the iPhone is used by owners to listen to music at school, in the shower, at the gym, at a club, at a swim meet and more.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes?
•...

| Read more »
14:32
Microsoft Inaccurately Depicts Windows Tablet as Larger th...
MacRumors

To go along with two previously released anti-iPad Windows 8 tablet ads, Microsoft has released a side-by-side comparison of the iPad and various Windows 8 tablets, such as the ASUS VivoTab Smart, the same tablet that was used in the aforementioned ad.

In the comparison, Microsoft points out the many reasons why the VivoTab is superior, noting its thinner size and lighter weight. Microsoft also includes a diagram of the 9.7-inch iPad next to a 10.1-inch widescreen tablet that looks visibly larger. That image is not to scale, however, as Elliot Temple of Curi.us (via Daring Fireball) details in a blog post.

Microsoft has drawn a 10.1 inch tablet 36% larger than a 9.7 inch tablet (140x78 pixels vs 102x79). This is so far...

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13:18
New Colors Rumored for iPhone 5S and Lower-Cost iPhone, Du...
MacRumors

Macotakara has released a report with new details on a number of upcoming products, including the rumored low cost iPhone, the iPhone 5S, and the iPad 5. Citing information from several different sources, the site suggests that the low cost iPhone may ship in a number of different colors and that it will begin trial production soon.

Color choices for the low cost iPhone remain murky, as the site has heard rumors from two different sources. The first source said that the low cost iPhone will come in colors that include navy, gold orange, white, and gray, while a second source named white, pink, green, blue, and yellow orange as the available colors. A common theme, however, is that the low cost iPhone will not include a black option.

Rendering of low cost iPhone in multiple colors...

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13:16
While Apple & Google App Stores Reign Supreme, Microso...
Patently Apple

New research surfacing today highlights the size of the task facing the vendors eager to become the 'third ecosystem' in mobility. Apps have become fundamental to how consumers use, personalize and engage with their mobile devices and connected services. While the iOS and Android duopoly is firmly in place when it comes to App availability at their respective App Stores, Microsoft and BlackBerry are feverishly battling it out to gain that third spot in the App Store market.

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11:47
Apple Invents New Touch Pad Electrode Design & Diamond...
Patently Apple

Last week we learned about Apple inventing an all-new touch sensor panel that would support larger displays like those found on a MacBook Air or Pro. Today, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals yet another major touch related invention relating to an all-new touch pad electrode design which is to reduce the effects of noise and thermal drift and to provide users with more precision in their interaction with a touch display. Another invention covered in our report covers an amorphous diamond-like carbon coating for increasing the thermal conductivity of the structural frames of any Apple mobile device that is battery-powered. We close out our report by covering a new camera patent and providing you with a list of continuation, provisional and divisional patents that were published today that may interest some.

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09:54
Apple Confirms WWDC Keynote Presentation Will Be Monday Ju...
MacRumors

In an unsurprising announcement, Apple has confirmed that the keynote address for the Worldwide Developers Conference will be at the Moscone Center on June 10, the first day of the conference.

The company did not disclose any speakers or agenda, but Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stage with other Apple executives to present new versions of both OS X and the iOS operating systems.

Prior WWDC keynotes have started at 10 AM Pacific time.

Tickets for the 2013 WWDC sold out in two minutes this year, an all-time record for the event.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update
•...

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08:59
Thanks to Apple, Samsung Opens New Patent Business in Wash...
Patently Apple

Yesterday we reported that Apple had found proof of patent infringement deep inside Samsung's source code, and today we find out that little trickster Samsung is now opening a new company in Washington called Intellectual Keystone Technology (IKIT). The new company is being set up ....

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07:38
Apple's Tight Control Over Components Keeping iPhone...
MacRumors

MarketWatch takes a look at the state of the repair industry for the iPhone 5, noting that costs for display replacements remain very high eight months after the device's launch in the United States. The report points to Apple's tight control over components as being the major contributor to high costs, even as the device's new design makes it simpler to replace the display than on previous models.There is a tight control on iPhone 5 components in the market, [repair firm iCracked founder AJ] Forsythe says. “Market forces determine the price,” he says. “Apple sells about 300,000 iPhones a day and, as the repair market grows, prices will get lower.”

“Apple controls everything from the manufacturing to the gear for the iPhone 5,” says Jeff Haynes, editor at deal site TechBargains.com. As the iPhone 5 is larger than the 4, the cost for replacement parts rises, he says.The display is...

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07:33
Foxconn Reveals New Carbon Nanotube Display Technology
Patently Apple

Some of the major mobile device players in the market have been seeking replacements for indium tin oxide (ITO) used in today's touch panels in the hopes of resolving technological issues and related costs. Hon Hai's Foxconn subsidiary who makes most of Apple's devices including the iPhone and iPad has recently acquired new carbon nanotube (CNT) technology from ...

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05:56
Apple's Intelligent Orientation-Based Audio Coming to...
Patently Apple

On May 23, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals an all-new intelligent audio system that is coming to future iDevices that will be based on a device's orientation rather than depending on its fixed speakers. Depending on the way the user is holding their iDevice and which content they're enjoying, Apple's new audio processing router will ensure that the very best audio output configuration is chosen using its intelligent audio mapping system.

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03:49
Apple Reveals New Two-Way "Airplay" Interactivit...
Patently Apple

On May 23, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals Apple's next generation of "Airplay" that will be able to operation in a two-way manner that is also interactive. Apple also hints that the separate devices of an Apple TV and a Television could be combined into a single device, an Internet-enabled television.

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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...

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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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Documentation Scanner

Friday May 24

07:30
Create secure passwords with Siri
Mac OS X Hin...

Siri's ability to access Wolfram Alpha lets you access a huge amount of interesting data by talking to an iOS device. One useful thing thing Siri can do for you is ask Wolfram Alpha to generate a very secure, random password.



To do this, invoke Siri, then say "Wolfram password," or "Wolfram Alpha password." This retrieves an 8-character random password, along with a list of a half-dozen others. You can also have Siri get longer passwords, if eight characters doesn't ring your bell. Say, "Wolfram 14-character password," for example.



The downside to this is that you can't copy this password, and once you've switched away from the Siri results, you can't get them back again. So you need to either type this password on a computer or other iOS device, or write it down. Either way, make sure you delete it, or store it in some sort of encrypted file.

| Read more »

Thursday May 23

10:44
Notes from “Security: Locking Down OS X Without...
AFP548

These are some resources from my Security session at PSU MacAdmins 2013:

Slides - PSU MacAdmins 2013 Security

Web resources:

Managing OS X – Payload Free Package template

Matt’s Mac Blog - Making use of the /etc/authorization file in Lion / 10.7.x

Scripts:

View the code on Gist.

View the code on Gist.

View the code on Gist.

About Samuel Keeley...

| Read more »
07:30
Put Mac to sleep with Drafts on iOS
Mac OS X Hin...

Agile Tortoise's Drafts is a nifty tool for writing texts and doing things with them on an iOS device. I use it mostly for the more comfortable writing environment, and send texts as emails or tweets, but there's an entire sub-culture that's been hacking Drafts to do many things. (Check out the Drafts actions directory.)



David Sparks posted an interesting use of Drafts (credited to Milosz Bolechowski; I couldn't find the original on his site), together with noodlesoft's Hazel - a tool that automates tasks on your Mac - to put a Mac to sleep. In essence, Hazel looks for a file named "MB sleep" in a the Drafts folder in his Dropbox folder; when it finds that file, it puts the...

| Read more »

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 »

Documentation Scanner

Friday May 24

07:30
Create secure passwords with Siri
Mac OS X Hin...

Siri's ability to access Wolfram Alpha lets you access a huge amount of interesting data by talking to an iOS device. One useful thing thing Siri can do for you is ask Wolfram Alpha to generate a very secure, random password.



To do this, invoke Siri, then say "Wolfram password," or "Wolfram Alpha password." This retrieves an 8-character random password, along with a list of a half-dozen others. You can also have Siri get longer passwords, if eight characters doesn't ring your bell. Say, "Wolfram 14-character password," for example.



The downside to this is that you can't copy this password, and once you've switched away from the Siri results, you can't get them back again. So you need to either type this password on a computer or other iOS device, or write it down. Either way, make sure you delete it, or store it in some sort of encrypted file.

| Read more »

Thursday May 23

10:44
Notes from “Security: Locking Down OS X Without...
AFP548

These are some resources from my Security session at PSU MacAdmins 2013:

Slides - PSU MacAdmins 2013 Security

Web resources:

Managing OS X – Payload Free Package template

Matt’s Mac Blog - Making use of the /etc/authorization file in Lion / 10.7.x

Scripts:

View the code on Gist.

View the code on Gist.

View the code on Gist.

About Samuel Keeley...

| Read more »
07:30
Put Mac to sleep with Drafts on iOS
Mac OS X Hin...

Agile Tortoise's Drafts is a nifty tool for writing texts and doing things with them on an iOS device. I use it mostly for the more comfortable writing environment, and send texts as emails or tweets, but there's an entire sub-culture that's been hacking Drafts to do many things. (Check out the Drafts actions directory.)



David Sparks posted an interesting use of Drafts (credited to Milosz Bolechowski; I couldn't find the original on his site), together with noodlesoft's Hazel - a tool that automates tasks on your Mac - to put a Mac to sleep. In essence, Hazel looks for a file named "MB sleep" in a the Drafts folder in his Dropbox folder; when it finds that file, it puts the...

| Read more »

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 »

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

Evernote 5.1.1 - Create searchable notes...
Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at anytime, from... Read more
SketchUp 13.0.3688 - Create 3D design co...
SketchUp is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program that enables you to explore the world in 3D. With just a few simple tools, you can create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions,... Read more
Flavours 1.0.8 - Create and apply themes...
Flavours allows users to create, apply, and share beautifully designed themes. Classy - Give your Mac a gorgeous new look by applying delicious themes! Easy - Unleash your creativity and make your... Read more
GarageSale 6.6b10 - Create outstanding e...
GarageSale is a slick, full-featured client application for the eBay online auction system. Create and manage your auctions with ease With GarageSale, you can create, edit, track, and manage... Read more
Twitter 2.2.1 - Official Twitter client...
Twitter (was Tweetie) is a Twitter client with a variety of features. Important Note: As of January 2011, AteBit's Tweetie application has been acquired and renamed by Twitter. Version 1.2.8 of the... Read more
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
Delicious Library 3.0.2 - Import, browse...
Delicious Library allows you to import, browse, and share all your books, movies, music, and video games with Delicious Library. Run your very own library from your home or office using our... 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
 

See All

Kite Surfer Review
Kite Surfer Review By Rob Rich on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: MAKE SOME WAVESUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Kite Surfer looks good and controls great, although it’s also a little light on content.   | Read more »
Spottlife Review
Spottlife Review By Lee Hamlet on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: CATEGORIZE YOUR SOCIAL LIFEiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Spottlife is a new way to view and interact with the world’s most popular... | Read more »
Plasma Pig Review
Plasma Pig Review By Jordan Minor on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: THAT'LL DO, PIGUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad This porky pig needs a light touch.   | Read more »
Hipstamatic Oggl Review
Hipstamatic Oggl Review By Chris Kirby on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: HIP YET AGAIN Remember Hipstamatic? It’s back with a host of features to challenge the likes of Instagram.   Developer: Hipstamatic Price: Free Version... | Read more »
How I Used RadarScope To Track The Oklah...
It could have easily happened that my life would have taken me down the road of becoming a meteorologist. However, that didn’t happen and I found myself becoming a journalist instead. My passion for weather is still present and I have a good... | Read more »
Tetris Blitz Review
Tetris Blitz Review By Carter Dotson on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: TREPAK BLITZUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad There’s fun to be had in short bursts with Tetris Blitz, but it just feels way too engineered to be fun... | Read more »
Dumb Ways to Die Lets You Save Cute Litt...
Dumb Ways to Die Lets You Save Cute Little Creatures…Maybe Posted by Andrew Stevens on May 24th, 2013 [ permalink ] Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad | Read more »
Nikko RC Racer Review
Nikko RC Racer Review By Jennifer Allen on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: STRAIGHTFORWARD RACINGUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Fun for five minutes, Nikko RC Racer lacks some serious staying power, feeling all too... | Read more »
Delifishes Review
Delifishes Review By Lee Hamlet on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: YOU JELLY?Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Playing Delifishes brings back memories of the first generation of mobile games, which is by no means a bad... | Read more »
4 Kingdoms Review
4 Kingdoms Review By Campbell Bird on May 24th, 2013 Our Rating: :: YET ANOTHER KINGDOM GAMEiPad Only App - Designed for the iPad 4 Kingdoms offers familiar menu-based, freemium management gameplay with a fresh coat of cosmetic... | Read more »
See All

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Apple drops prices on refurbished iPads and iPad m...
 Apple today dropped prices on Apple Certified Refurbished iPad 4s and iPad minis with some models now available for up to $140 off the cost of new models. Apple’s one-year warranty is included with... Read more
Should You Upgrade To OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion This...
If you haven’t upgraded to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion by now, there’s probably a case to be made for just holding out with whatever earlier version you’re using until we see what Apple brings forth with... Read more
Apple Tops Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 Rankings Fo...
Gartner, Inc. has released the findings from its ninth annual Supply Chain Top 25. The goal of the Supply Chain Top 25 research initiative is to raise awareness of the supply chain discipline and how... Read more
7-inch Tablets: What User Experience Benchmarks Sh...
A new Tablet User Experience Research survey by Pfeiffer Consulting indicates that user experience with tablets and smartphones is one of the most important aspects of the overall perceived value of... Read more
PayPal Global Study Spells Doom for the Wallet – C...
PayPal has revealed the findings of a global study that paints a dim future for the wallet. A vast majority (83%) of respondents across five countries indicated they wished they didnt have to carry a... Read more
How to Set Up Your Mac to Allow AirPrinting From i...
mac.tutsplus.com’s Jordan Merrick says: AirPrint is a great feature of iOS that provides a simple way of printing documents from your iPhone or iPad directly to an AirPrint-compatible printer with no... Read more
Price drop on refurbished 15″ 2.3GHz MacBook Pro,...
 The Apple Store has lowered their price on Apple Certified Refurbished 15″ 2.3GHz MacBook Pros to $1449 or $350 off the cost of new models, including free shipping. Apple’s one-year warranty is... Read more
Memorial Day Weekend iMac sale: $150 off MSRP
 Best Buy has iMacs on sale for $150 off MSRP on their online store for Memorial Day Weekend. Choose free home shipping or free instant local store pickup (if available): - 27″ 3.2GHz iMac: $1849.99... Read more
Economic Conservatives Defend Apple’s Tax Strategy
Given Apple’s longtime reputation as the particular darling of the liberal lefty end of the spectrum, it’s been facinating to see mostly prominant conservatives rallying to the defense of Apple’s... Read more
Is Apple Losing Its “Cool” Cachet With The Popular...
SMH’s Steve Colquhoun notes that while Apple has again been rated as the world’s top brand this week, a leading social researcher warns the company and its products are losing touch with Generation Y... Read more
 

Jobs Board

*Apple* Retail - Manager - Apple Inc. (...
Job Summary Keeping an Apple Store thriving requires a diverse set of leadership skills, and as a Manager, you’re a master of them all. In the store’s fast-paced, Read more
*Apple* Account Executive - CompuCom (U...
Apple Account Executive Job Location US-IL-Des Plaines Posted Date 3/27/2013 Req # 2013-4905 Apply/Socialize: * Apply Now! * Email this opportunity to a friend or Read more
*Apple* - Solution Architect - CompuCom...
Apple - Solution Architect Job Location US-TX-Dallas Posted Date 4/18/2013 Req # 2013-4932 Apply/Socialize: * Apply Now! * Email this opportunity to a friend or Read more
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
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

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