MacHeist is at it again with their outrageously cheap offer on a bunch of great Mac software. The current offer (entitled the nanoBundle 2) includes seven of the “top Mac apps” for only $19.95 when. If purchased separately at their original prices, these programs would cost over $260. The best part about it, though, is that 25% of your purchase will go to a charity of your choice. Some of the possible charities you could donate to include Save Darfur, World Wildlife Fund, Save the Children, and Prevent Cancer Foundation.

The application included in this bundle are MacJournal (a writing application), RipIt (for DVD importing), Clips (clipboard and snippet manager), CoverScout (iTunes cover art finder), Flow (file transfer), Tales of Monkey Island (a game), and RapidWeaver (website creation). While the first five of those will be received when you purchase the bundle, the last two must be unlocked. As it stands now, Tales of Monkey Island will be unlocked once 50,000 bundles have been sold and RapidWeaver will come after that.

Even if you don’t need any of the application (which would be hard to believe), simply purchasing a bundle will be helping people in need. If you do decide to do so, though, make it quick as the bundle is only available for about a week or so, and the offer will soon be gone. Go buy it now!

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Provides: Template based database creation and management
Format: Digital download or CD
Developer: FileMaker, Inc.
Minimum System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.5.7, 867MHz PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel processor, 512MB RAM, CD drive
Processor Compatibility: Universal
Price: $49.00 single user, $99.00 family pack
Availability: Out now
Version Reviewed: 3.0.2

I’m the target audience for Bento 3, and that makes this a fairly easy review to write. I love having database functionality at my disposal, but I’ve never wanted to bother with learning FileMaker just to keep track of my CD collection, family recipes or the Appletell writing staff. More importantly, I didn’t want to pay for the functionality of FileMaker when I knew I wouldn’t use it beyond 20% of its capabilities.

So, I’d end up buying multiple proprietary database programs. One for tracking movies and CDs. One for books. One for recipes. This was more expensive than it needed to be, but it did the job…until the iPhone came along. Suddenly, I was lamenting the fact that I couldn’t take my database programs with me, so I had to buy more for the iPhone, few of which synched with my desktop apps.

Now, there’s Bento 3. It’s to database programs what RapidWeaver and iWeb are to web development. There are more powerful, more functional, more expensive database programs out there, but through a simple interface and a wealth of pre-made templates, Bento 3 offers all the tools that many of us need. What’s more, it’s made by the same company that makes FileMaker Pro, likely the best database program available on the Mac, and arguably on all platforms.

Oh, and it has an iPhone app to which it can easily sync.

Bento comes with 35 pre-designed templates that’ll help you get started with the program. Track and organize your digital media, car maintenance schedule, diet plan, classroom, expenses, health records, and plenty more straight out of the box. The templates are all attractively designed, which makes the program a bit more fun to work with. You never feel like you’re working on an Excel spreadsheet, for example, but rather playing with a family scrapbook. Yet, the results are professional enough to share with clients and such.

In addition, each template can have multiple themes, so you’re likely to find something that pleases you without having to tinker around on your own. Although additional user and professionally designed templates are available, I don’t see that you can download additional themes to apply to your databases.

But okay, so it’s pretty. Is it functional? Yes. Renaming, adding/deleting, and changing the placement of fields is as simple as selecting the field and altering it as you see fit. Any changes you make to a field are carried across all of the entries in that database, but don’t affect new databases created using that same template. Also, if you are syncing up Bento 3 with your iPhone, template field changes are not automatically pushed through. More on that relationship in a bit.

Perhaps the greatest strength in Bento 3, however, is its ability to communicate with programs you’re already using. Content can be imported from spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel and Numbers by simply copying the information you want and pasting it into Bento’s list view. It can then be displayed and organized in methods much more attractive and accessible than you’ll be able to achieve in their source programs (especially Excel). Understand, though, that changes made to the data in Bento 3 aren’t pushed back to the source programs. And considering that Bento 3 isn’t as powerful as those programs when it comes to number crunching, you’ll only want to do this when you’re ready to display them or when you’re ready to abandon them for good.

But it’s not all business with Bento 3. It can be used to view your iCal, Address Book, and even iPhoto databases as well (that’s really all those programs are, after all: databases). Updates to these programs are automatically reflected in Bento 3, but as with Excel and Numbers, changes made in Bento aren’t pushed back.

This shouldn’t stop you from using Bento, however, to handle your photos and videos. The list view makes it much easier to find what you’re looking for, especially if sorting by date. There’s an iPhoto-like thumbnail view that also displays any special information you’ve entered, but it’s too small to read on my 13” MacBook, and therefore quite useless to me. The photo detail mode, however, does a fantastic job of displaying appropriate information, provided you’ve entered it.

And that’s the major catch to Bento 3. One of its greatest strengths is its ability to find and sort information based on the details you’ve provided. Want to see all of your concert photos or of a particular person in one quick step? Just do a search for that in Bento, and you’ll get what you need, provided you’ve taken the time to properly tag everything. Although Bento does pull in photos from iPhoto, for example, it doesn’t pull in any tags you’ve assigned, including Faces and Places. And when you add them in Bento, as mentioned, they aren’t pushed back to iPhoto. So, you’re essentially managing two databases, albeit for different purposes.

“But hold on here, Hiner,” I hear you saying, “didn’t you tell us that Bento 3 eliminates the need for managing information in multiple databases?” Yes, I did say that, and it’s true. But if you take advantage of all of Bento 3’s tools, there’s going to be some overlap with the programs it needs to provide certain capabilities.

Plus, there’s that iPhone compatibility I told you about. My Bento for iPhone review covers that functionality in greater detail, but I’ll reiterate here how great it is to have the ability to sync my recipe database with the iPhone via Bluetooth at the press of a single button. I’m not taking my MacBook with me to the grocery store, after all, but my iPhone will be there. Same goes for books, contacts, etc. I can easily enter the information on a by-God keyboard, importing photos and screenshots and such, then sync it up so I can call upon the information whenever I need it (and where I’m more likely to need it than when I’m sitting at a computer desk). The syncing isn’t perfect, as certain fields don’t hook up properly and changes to the templates aren’t carried through, but the basics of it are fine if you know the limitations going into it.

Bento 3, therefore, fills that gap between those who manage huge, complex databases or know how to create their and those of us who need database functionality but aren’t interested in learning how to build them from scratch. The template system is great out of the box, and more are uploaded to the library regularly. If you do need to tweak a template, you can, and it’s not too difficult to pull information in from your current programs, although you won’t be able to push it back.

Of all the features, though, my favorite is the ability to sync with the iPhone app. There’s some room to grow there and some bugs to work out, but I’m pleased thus far. I imagine my wish list for features in Bento 4 for Mac and Bento 2 for iPhone will grow the more I use them, but I also imagine that FileMaker is working on these without me having to tell them to. They’re handy like that.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 25, 2010:

Macintosh

• TheMacBundles has announced the release of its first bundle of 2010. The new bundle of 12 highly rated titles represents a saving of over 88% off the retail value of the bundle. Even Mac users that work with Windows and PC users will benefit from the bundle due to software in the bundle that brings great Mac features to Boot Camp users, users of virtualization software, and PC users. Also, 2 new weekly specials have been added to TheMacBundles’ website.
• .com Solutions Inc. has released FmPro Migrator Platinum Edition 5.46 with PHP and BASIC to revTalk Conversion Features. The BASIC and PHP to revTalk conversion features included with FmPro Migrator Platinum Edition help automate the conversion of PHP and BASIC code into the Rev development platform. Rev and the revTalk language can be used to deploy applications to MacOS X, Windows and Linux desktops, as a Web browser plug-in revLet, the server and mobile devices.
• The agenda has now been set for the Ninth Annual San Francisco SuperMeet to take place on Friday, February 5, 2010 at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, CA. Doors open at 3:30PM and presentations begin at 7PM and continue until 11:00PM. This SuperMeet promises to be the single largest gathering of Final Cut Studio, Adobe and Avid editors, gurus and digital filmmakers in the Bay Area for all of 2010.
• Mental health software company Optimism Apps has announced Optimism 3.2, its popular mood chart and health planning application for OS X. At its core Optimism helps a person to monitor the triggers and warning signs of a decline in their mental health, and develop strategies that help them to remain well. Database fields can be customized to be very specific to the individual’s circumstances. Version 3.2 continues to develop the charts to improve the contextual information available.

iPhone/iPod

• Kind Eagle, LLC has introduced TrackGeek 2010, their news-based running application for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Designed to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, TrackGeek is an annual app specifically developed for the running community, offering the latest breaking headlines and stories from Hayward Field to Heartbreak Hill. Get the 2010 events schedule, twitter updates, browse photo galleries, direct links and more.
• Frolicware has introduced AutoPark 1.0, their new parking reminder and locator for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, AutoPark keeps track of time left on the meter and sends warning alarms to avoid parking tickets. It also helps users find their parked car using the iPhone’s built-in GPS, remind them what level they parked in parking lots, as well as find nearby services.
• Apps Mobilis has introduced The Hare and the Tortoise 1.0, a great story for young children and their new animated audiobook for iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique abilities and peerless interface, The Hare and the Tortoise is a Moving Audio book based on the classic fable by Aesop. It features a beautifully illustrated, narrated story, and offers a compelling way to keep young children engaged.
• Fairlady Media has introduces Stinky Socks 1.0, their hilarious laundry-sorting game for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Stinky Socks is a fun family-oriented game where players help poor Fred deal with the laundry. Sort laundry and match socks as they zip across the laundry line before the dirty pile hits the ceiling. Stinky Socks features six levels of game play with new characters, challenges, and more.
• HourFace turns a face photo into a 3D face, and can make it look older and younger. Just take a photo of someone’s face and upload. In a minute, the 3D face is downloaded and starts moving and blinking like a real human. The face gradually becomes older (increasing skin blemishes, wrinkles, and slack). If you turn the iPhone, the face becomes younger (clearer skin, eyes get bigger, etc.).
• Supportware has released Coconut Riot 1.0.1, their exotic themed physics game for iPhone and iPod touch devices. In Coconut Riot you play a native with some serious tiki-issues! You must help him retrieve his inner peace. What better way to achieve this then by using your explosive coconuts to destroy all the tikis that are left on the island. With a great mix of puzzle-elements, realistic physics and action, this game is for everyone.
• The first Magnetic Sports Soccer update is now available on the AppStore. The update includes world cup game mode for single player, an improved online match system, new openfeint version 2.4, and bugfixes. In Magnetic Sports Soccer you play with your finger to pass the ball to your teammates and shoot to score.
• CAZE has released their JADE Polish metallic case, a new and transparent metallic case for iPhone 3G/3GS. JADE Polish is the World’s First Metallic Transparent iPhone case which is available in 4 fashionable colors: Green, Silver, Purple and Rose Gold. It has an ultra-thin wall thickness as ZERO 5 and a shiny surface as its other metallic cases. iPhone users can see through the Apple logo or any other decorations on the iPhone after putting on the JADE Polish.
• WellAlright has released BandMate 2.0, an update to their personalized concert calendar for the iPhone and iPod touch. BandMate makes it easy to find the live music events that matter most to an individual. By analyzing the music already on the user’s iPod, BandMate highlights upcoming concerts for both the bands a user already listens to along with other artists that the user would most likely be interested in. Version 2.0 includes many new features.
• Zattikka has announced they have found a solution to Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday is known as the most depressing day of the year because it falls near the middle of Winter, in the distant memory of Christmas, at a time when most of us have failed at our New Year’s resolutions. The solution to those blues is Pink Monday, the day that marks the arrival of Balloon Headed Boy, now free forever, on the iPhone.
• Divine Robot has announced Eveningstar 1.0, their new sci-fi shooting game for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Eveningstar plays over 9 unique levels of adrenaline pumping action in dangerous surroundings swarmed with giant spiders, mutant worms, buzz bombs, enemy ships and other dynamic hazards. Superb graphics, Hollywood-style orchestral soundtrack and sound effects will inspire players to make their way through numerous obstacles and get ready for alien annihilation.
• dBelement has introduced Reader for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Fall in love with reading all over again. Reader is a revolutionary webapp that works completely offline. You can start adding and Reading books within minutes. Reader lets you set an auto-scroll speed to have your book scroll-up like movie credits. The auto-scroll feature challenges you to read faster, it also reduces outside distractions. You will find yourself finishing your books faster while retaining more.
• Cathy’s Book, the first interactive teen novel, was created by Sean Stewart, Jordan Weisman and illustrated by Cathy Brigg. Part romance, part thriller, part mystery, readers experience the story by calling phone numbers, searching websites, examining evidence, discovering secrets, and exploring locations hidden in the pages of Cathy’s private sketchbook. This new app re-imagines the original story in a groundbreaking, multimedia-enhanced edition exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Provides: Car diagnosis tools/reporting
Developer: CarMD
Minimum System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.4.4 and up, 100MB disk space, 256MB RAM, USB port, Internet
Processor Compatibility: Intel or PowerPC
Price: $98.99
Availability: Out now
Version Reviewed: Software 3.0.3 and Firmware 1.3.13

CarMD aims to make car diagnosis something anybody can do on their own instead of paying an auto mechanic. With a small and simple piece of hardware and a huge online database of error codes, they do it surprisingly well. And speaking as someone who knows nothing more than how to pump gas into his car, this relatively cheap product can be both extremely interesting and very helpful. Here’s how it worked for me.

CarMD comes with what you see in the image at the top right of this post. To get it started, you insert the CD into your computer to install the application. While most of the work is done online for this service, the desktop application serves as a bridge to the internet software. Once you have this done, your’e already ready to diagnose your car. First, you must use CarMD’s connector locater website to find where the data plug is on your car. According to their website, all cars since 1996 are required to have this plug in order to read data off of the onboard computer about error codes with the car. This is exactly what auto mechanics use at their shops.

Once you know where the plug is (mine was extremely to access), you simply plug the hardware in. If you hear two beeps, it means it was successfully connected. Then, you wait until you hear four beeps which confirms that the error codes were successfully received from the car. For me, this only took a few seconds. However, the site does note that some cars may need the ignition to be in the “On” position for this to work. The device does have a screen, but I didn’t even need to look at that.

From here, you simply use the USB cable that comes with the device to plug it into your computer. It automatically finds the device and launches the CarMD service online. If it’s your first time with this car, you’ll need to enter the VIN and mileage for CarMD to use with their software (this will automatically find your make and model). Once that’s done, the real magic begins.

At first, you are presented with a screen much like the one below:

The CarMD came at what I guess you could call a fortunate time for me as my check engine light happened to be on. And certainly enough, the product did realize this and presented me with a page confirming it. The page above is known as the summary page, and it will give you a nice overview of what the device found to be the state of your car. As you can see, it tells you whether you would pass an emissions test, the approximate cost of the repair, and the error code it encountered, as well as report any recalls that may have taken plan with your car. While this page is nice, it doesn’t really help you with where to go next. That’s where the cure page comes in handy.

The cure page contains details on how to go about fixing you car and what the cost may be. As you can see, my car’s issue wasn’t a very cheap one in terms of approximate labor costs. That said, when I did eventually take my car to the auto mechanic, the “Most Likely Fix” was in fact the issue with my car, according to the mechanic. Furthermore, they were right on with the cost of the fix, as well (the mechanic charged me around $300 for the work).

CarMD claimed that they get the same exact codes as the auto mechanic would. Therefore, when I took my car in, I opted to have the mechanic run his own diagnostic to confirm this. He did so, charged me $50 for that part of the repair, and came to the same conclusion as CarMD. As you can see, having this product could easily provide a nice opportunity to cut diagnostic charges from auto mechanics. At about $100, it will pay for itself in only two visits, not even considering how helpful it can be just to run every once in a while.

On top of the summary and cure page, the online site also has a diagnosis page like the one above. This page is meant to provide an extremely in-depth explanation of not only what the problem is, but also what could have caused it. This is perfect for someone like me who knows almost nothing about the engine of a car. Furthermore, it went right along with what the mechanic told me when I took my car in before I even showed him the printout from CarMD. Oh, and yes, the webpage does make it extremely easy to print out a few pages containing all of this information to show other people such as mechanics.

Overall, my experience with this product was fantastic. Not only was it extremely simple to learn how to use, the data it provided me with was right on target with the auto mechanic in pretty much all regards. The web interface for the product is easy to follow. My only real issue with the experience was the desktop software. The only real use of it is telling you which firmware you have on the hardware connector device (and probably for updating it). Other than that, it basically just provides links to various parts of the CarMD website and doesn’t even close with the system wide Cmd-Q hot key. While the need for it is there, it is very small, so CarMD could improve this software to make it as useful and seamless as the rest of their product.

CarMD does also sell an extension cable for the hardware connector in case the connector on your car is harder to get at than mine was. I highly recommend the CarMD to anyone who is frustrated by the confusion of car repairs what exactly is needed when the check engine light comes on. However, it’s also useful just to check in on your car every once in a while to see what the engine’s computer has to say.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 22, 2010:

Macintosh

• iFunia has released iFunia AVCHD Converter for Mac, a new application designed to help Mac users convert AVCHD video into any video format. The program lets users work with most AVCHD video files recorded by Panasonic, JVC, Canon, Sony and more AVCHD camcorders. It enables converting AVCHD M2TS, MTS, MOD, TOD video to all popular video formats, including HD.
• RAGE Software has announced the immediate availability of their Step by Step iWeb SEO Instructional Video Tutorial. The iWeb SEO Video provides easy to follow steps to getting your iWeb site listed in search engines, attracting more search engine visitors and exposing your website to your target market. Combined with the free iWeb SEO Tool software, iWeb users can finally achieve the same, or better, search engine rankings that other websites have enjoyed for years.
• Agile Web Solutions has announced 1Password 3.0.4, an update to its award-winning password and identity manager for the Mac. 1Password is a highly secure database to keep track of web site logins, secure notes, identities, credit cards, bank accounts, and software registration information. This deceptively minor update adds over 60 new features, changes, and fixes, and is available free to registered users. 1Password 3 is compatible with Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard.
• Mien Software has released MediaEdit 3.1.8 for the Mac, a consumer-level video editing tool which supports standard painting tools and multiple layers. Designed specifically for moviemakers, amateur photographers and new creative artists, MediaEdit 3 can edit virtually all QuickTime compatible formats. This update improves stability and support for Snow Leopard. Built completely from the ground up with the latest video editing technologies. Add video, audio, photo, and text with ease.
• Swann Security has announced the newest addition to its Advanced Digital Wireless range, the ADW-400 Digital Guardian Camera & Recorder. This plug & play security kit pairs a high-resolution wireless camera with a sleek digital recorder that creates an advanced and completely secure DIY home surveillance solution.
• friedEgg Limited has announced friedEgg Touch 1.5, an interactive data analysis tool for Mac OS X. This latest release focused on usability, especially the formatting of charts and the use of the filters. In addition, there are further performance improvements and several bug fixes. friedEgg Touch allows the user to interact with their data by directly manipulating a chart. This enables complex analysis, across many dimensions, in easy steps.
• Uniea has launched a brand-new promotion for Valentine’s Day. From now until February 14th, if a customer buys a case at unieastore.com, they can get a second matching case for 40% off. This is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift and a really great deal. At the bottom of every product page at unieastore.com, there is an option box to choose a matching case for 40% off.

iPhone/iPod

• Each person’s DNA is unique, like fingerprints. DNA profiling is often used in parental tests or forensics because this genetic “barcode” identifies a person unmistakably. My DNA utilizes your personal information such as name, birthday and height to create such a barcode, without the need for real blood, hair, or saliva samples.
• 99Games has announced the release of its brand new game, CupidStrikes. The game has been specially created for people in love to celebrate Valentine’s Day. CupidStrikes requires a player to aim the Cupid’s arrow towards gifts floating in bubbles to reach each level’s target. Each gift won awards a certain amount of points to the player. Beautiful graphics enhance the gameplay experience and add to the charm of the game.
• Casual Distrction Games, LLC has announced SaveEarth 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. SaveEarth takes the traditional retro missile arcade game and adds a full 360 degree playing field. Color also now plays a critical role, as defensive missiles must match the same color as incoming missiles. Missiles are launched by touching the screen and multiple missiles can be launched at a time by dragging. As the game progresses, more and more missiles come faster and faster.
• Attaching your iPhone to your thigh isn’t as crazy as you might think. Mounting your iPhone to your thigh with Thiphone while commuting, flying, sitting, etc. is a really smart and easy way to keep your iPhone secure and accessible.
• Ph03nix New Media, a leading game development company focused on creating inspiring and engaging games for audiences of all ages, has announced that their ground-breaking iPhone Game Rebate program is now available to users in the UK. Now iPhone and iPod Touch users from Canada, the United States and now the UK can enjoy a $1 rebate on the purchase of any game from the App Store until Jan. 31.
• A new genre redefining physics-driven shooting game—Eveningstar for the iPhone/iPod Touch—is now available on the App Store. Underground puzzles, unexplored worlds, fierce attacks of savage monsters, nine thrilling levels to survive, a completely unique weapon, live physical forces and even more exciting features await iPhone owners when they download Eveningstar.
• MotionPortrait, Inc. is to start providing PhotoSpeak Player, the limited-feature version of their iPhone application PhotoSpeak, for free download as of the 22nd January 2010. PhotoSpeak is an iPhone application that allows you to create a speaking 3D image with a single headshot picture. You can make the image say a message you recorded and even upload the video to YouTube for everyone to share. PhotoSpeak has been downloaded over 70,000 times since its launch on the 23rd October last year.
• Sounds Broken Inc. has announced gogoDocs 1.0, a Google Docs reader for the iPhone. gogoDocs keeps all of your documents handy by syncing with your Google Docs account. gogoDocs downloads documents to your iPhone while online, then lets you view them any time. Background syncing, blazing fast pdf viewer, automatic bookmarking, document filtering, and document sharing make gogoDocs an essential tool for all Google Docs users.
• Independent software developer Widemouth has introduced ColorMagine 1.0, a coloring application for the imagination. ColorMagine features a unique random pattern generator and a simple and fluid user interface to make creating and coloring patterns easy and fun. ColorMagine is designed to enable quick and accurate creation of beautiful images. With shake to undo, pan and zoom and a sliding cross hair, it is easy to place color exactly where it is wanted. The only limit is imagination.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 21, 2010:

Macintosh

• Ortelius 1.0.5, the vector-based map illustration tool for Mac OS X, was released today for download. Ortelius is loaded with hundreds of map styles and symbols, dozens of royalty-free vector map templates, and special cartography tools that help you streamline the creation of custom map graphics, plans, and scaled drawings. Ortelius 1.0.5 is a free update for existing users and is available as a free download for evaluation.
• Conceited Software has announced Linkinus 2.1.2, an advanced chat app for Mac OS X. Linkinus 2 provides a rich, social IRC experience, featuring embedded media, short URL expansion, message starring, combined chats, emoticons, and much more. Assign colors to chat participants, grouping consecutive messages into a unique block, customizing emoticons, smart scrolling, putting the spotlight on specific channel users, jumping to highlights and being alerted of relevant content automatically.
• Xeric Design has announced EarthDesk 5.2, an update to its award-winning, real-time dynamic desktop map. EarthDesk replaces your static desktop with an image of the Earth showing current sun, moon and city illumination, as well as real-time global cloud coverage, allowing you to track hurricanes and other weather systems on your Macintosh or Windows desktop. Version 5.2 adds a fourth map style - a new high-resolution shaded relief map. The cloud updating mechanism has been greatly improved.
• Macware today announces DiskTools Pro 3.6.0, a free update to users of its popular Mac utility suite software. DiskTools Pro is a total system utility for the Mac, and the only one that allows you to schedule when to perform important tasks such as file defragmentation, backup and bad sector repair in a single, easy-to-use interface. Version 3.6.0 features major enhancements with the defrag tool, along with other new features and options.
• Marware Inc. has announced Project X 2.0, project management software for Snow Leopard, is now available. Project X 2.0 takes a redefined approach to traditional project management by simplifying the usage and focusing on collaboration, communication, and management. Save time, money, and get organized with Project X 2.0. Project X 2.0 is ideal for projects such as: event planning, house renovations, creative designing, construction management, travel and many more.
• Twelve South has introduced BookBook, a unique new leather MacBook case that looks just like a vintage book. Designed exclusively for Apple MacBooks, BookBook features a hardback cover and a padded leather spine that keeps your Mac safe and secure as you shuttle it from place to place. Since it looks like a vintage book, BookBook also disguises your Mac, reducing the risk of theft. BookBook for 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro is available now at http://twelvesouth.com for $79.99.
• danholt4mac today released Calories 2.1 an update to it popular nutrition tracking software for Mac OS X. Calories is a perfect compliment to body building, fitness and other sports. Users caring about their body and their health will be pleased by Calories 2’s new options. Version 2.1 comes with a new feature for activities. Calorie consumption by sports or other activities can now also be tracked and will be recorded for the calorie balance.
• Humble Daisy has announced its Happy Anniversary Macintosh sale for ProfCast. The company is offering a 75% discount on single license purchases of ProfCast between January 24th and January 29th, 2010. ProfCast is a versatile, powerful, yet very simple to use tool for recording and distributing lectures, special events, and presentations as podcasts. It’s perfect for professionals and educators alike who need to provide a more flexible, richer media to supplement traditional pedagogical tools.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced File Courier 1.1, an update to its professional digital delivery solution with emphasis on needs of graphics industry professionals. File Courier delivers files and folders to FTP and local destinations and sends automatic e-mail delivery notifications. The software can also create a lo-res version of PDF file, compress items and protect deliveries with password. The new update implements a more robust, powerful e-mail engine and expands FTP options.
• Since its release in the US, the Withings WiFi Body Scale has taken additional steps in expanding its connectivity by sharing its platform with a number of growing partners. Due to the scale’s built-in ability to receive updates wirelessly and seamlessly, Withings has been able to partner with many popular websites that focus on coaching and fitness. To date, Withings has partnered with various overseas websites plus US based companies DailyBurn.com and its 350,000 members, RunKeeper.com that has had over 900,000 iTunes app downloads, FitOrbit.com and gymtechnik.com. By offering this added connectivity to these popular fitness sites, Withings is giving their customers more outlets to track their progress.

iPhone/iPod

• KApps has announced A Text 2 Speech Caller 1.0, their free app for iPhone and iPod Touch. A Text 2 Speech Caller is an entertaining and useful new app that allows you to call your friends, family, and coworkers and deliver a message using high tech Text-to-Speech technology. The application is a breeze to use: simply enter the recipient’s phone number and your message. A Text 2 Speech Caller is great for delivering messages to land lines without disturbing others.
• Independent software developer Robert Landis is pleased to introduce SpotACop 1.0, his new cop and law enforcement locator for iPhone 3G and 3GS devices. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, SpotACop allows anyone to see where police officers are currently spotted by other drivers. To prevent from getting a speeding ticket, SpotACop also issues a warning to let drivers know to slow down before they approach one of these areas.
• WebIS Inc. has announced a major update to its Calendaring/To Do application for the iPhone, Pocket Informant. This release adds many major new features such as Tags, TextExpander Touch integration, redesigned search view, and literally a hundred other different improvements. Also included is public beta support for Desktop Outlook sync. And finally from January 20th through the 21st we are donating all proceeds to Doctors without Borders for Haiti relief fund.
• Super Happy Fun Fun has announced the first app update for their fast-paced wintery racer, Snowboarding TnT. The new version will up the downhill challenge with the addition of a new Black Diamond course, “Thunderbolt,” and will be available as a free download for anyone who has previously purchased Snowboarding TnT on the App Store.
• What better way to welcome the New Year than by getting into trouble with Adam? Yes, he’s back and in more danger than the last time. Adam’s Trouble will pull you into a killer adventure that’s as exciting as it’s frustrating. Help Adam to safety through 25 levels that will make the Spanish inquisition look like fun. There are bigger enemies to dodge, more friends to be rescued, power ups to be used and more than enough doors, locks, keys and gases to leave you dizzy with confusion.
• EUROCOMP has announced PocketCAS 2.0, its well-acclaimed Computer Algebra System for the iPhone and iPod touch. PocketCAS is a very advanced computer algebra system which turns an iPhone or iPod touch into a device capable of calculating complicated mathematical problems in just seconds. Apart from a new visual theme and an improved mathematical keyboard, the update features a new function plotter as well as native support for several physical units.
• Nickelodeon [iTunes App Store link] has announced the availability of new apps for the iPhone and iPod touch based on some of its most popular television properties and proprietary websites.  “iCarly: Sam’s Remote” and “Go, Diego, Go: Musical Missions” join recently launched Nickelodeon apps including “SpongeBob Tickler,” “SpongeBob Jellyfish Jam,” AddictingGames’ “The World’s Hardest Game” and “iParkIt,” “Shockwave Daily Jigsaw to Go” and “Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom.”  Nick’s full suite of apps have had more than 4.5 million downloads worldwide since the launch of its first app in February 2009.
• Parasol has released Revolve 1.0, an experimental ambient reaction game for iPhone and iPod touch. Combining abstract visuals and soothing ambient music by Jori Kemppi with addictive gameplay, Revolve is at the same time a relaxing and challenging gaming experience. The rules are simple: Touch the screen when a circle is in the zone of the same color. Accuracy is rewarded, missteps are punished severely.
• Nor Eagle has released their latest game—Fumbers—a numbers game that its developer claims will help fight Alzheimer’s Disease. Its mechanics fits perfectly with the cognitive reserve theory. Studies suggest that exercising your brain might help prevent the effect of the disease.
• Coladia has announced Secret of the Lost Cavern Episode 3 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Secret of the Lost Cavern is an episodic adventure game that plunges the player into an inspiring journey that takes place during the Paleolithic period in prehistoric time, 15,000 years B.C. The gameplay and each puzzle were redesigned to take unique advantage of the touch capabilities of the iPhone. 3D graphics and videos were also optimized for an unparalleled visual quality on mobile devices.
• CBTReferee is an application that provides users with mobile tools to assist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy—a type of psychotherapy that involves journaling and reflecting to deter dysfunctional emotions and feelings. Simple and convenient, the app supplies a platform for users to jot down their thoughts and learn from them while on the go .
• The Digital Lifestyle, an online video channel of Apple-related news, reviews and lifestyle information is launching a new show aimed at connecting users with app developers. The iPhoneDevShow is a live weekly show, highlighting two or three app developers, talking about their apps, the app store, and answering questions from viewers. They will talk about their favorite apps and comment on developing for the platform.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 20, 2010:

Macintosh

• hField Technologies has just launched a new generation of software for its world-renowned Wi-Fire for Macintosh. Now, Mac users who love the Wi-Fire’s long range and high performance get the comfortable look and feel they’re used to with Apple’s AirPort.
• Green & Slimy Software has released Thoughts, a new note taking application for Mac OS X. With Thoughts users can organize their notes using the familiar page, notebook and shelve metaphors. In addition, Thoughts provides advanced text formatting, including adding images, creating tables and exporting to common Word processor formats. Additionally, Thoughts allows exporting to common file formats, such as Microsoft Word, PDF and OpenOffice.
• Mac Bundle Box has announced its seventh promotion. Mac Bundle Box will be donating 10% of its revenue to the Haiti Earthquake relief effort to help the more than 3 million people that have been injured or killed in the recent earthquake. The bundle consists of 6 premier Mac applications from a wide variety of categories. The aim of this Mac Bundle Box promotion is to raise money for the Haiti relief for two weeks whilst still being able to support independent Mac software development.
• Pubblog has announced the release of FileMyFiles, a new file organizing utility for Mac OS X. With one click, FileMyFiles will clean up your Desktop. With one click FileMyFiles will copy your important files and folders to your laptop when you go on the road. With one click FileMyFiles will copy them back to your desktop computer when you return. You can even schedule FileMyFiles to automatically organize all the files in a list of all of your important folders.
• Acclivity has announced the release of AccountEdge 2010, the latest version of their premium small business accounting software for Mac. The latest version of AccountEdge comes packed with the most requested updates and features as asked for by our users. Among the notable new features are integration with Sofa’s web store Enstore, more detailed tracking of item information, profitability of a sale analysis, and bank deposit slip printing.
• Maintain has announced Cocktail 4.7 (Snow Leopard Edition), the latest maintenance update of Cocktail for users running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. This version adds clearing of Adobe Flash Player caches and cookies, as well as clearing of Google Chrome cookies, form values, history and page icons. The update also features overall performance improvements and addresses minor compatibility issues with Mac OS X Server.
• BKeeney Software, Inc. has announced Font Pilot 2.5, an update to its popular font management software for Mac OS X. Font Pilot allows users to view their collection of fonts, as well as uninstalled fonts, quickly and easily. Additionally, Font Pilot offers numerous other features, such as the character map, key combo list, and print engine. Version 2.5 has several new enhancements that make getting font metrics and details easier than ever.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced BatchOutput 3.6, an feature update to its popular professional solution to automate printing and exporting from Adobe InDesign. Developed originally for one of the largest Canadian ad agencies, BatchOutput offers output of multiple files as single pages, link auto-update, variable file names and other time-saving features. The new update lets users auto-preflight final PDFs with Acrobat droplets, as well as export InDesign files to TIFF, PNG and other image formats.
• Objective Decision has announced the release of Contactizer 3.8.4, an update to their popular CRM application for Mac OS X. Contactizer is an all-in-one solution for managing, sharing and organizing personal and business information. Contactizer Pro 3.8 makes contact management experience more efficient, productive and inventive thanks a wealth of high-performing and innovative features.

iPhone/iPod

• Blokuz is a collection of three unique puzzle games, all of which are sold separately through the App Store from independent developer, Pythongem. By purchasing the trio of games as one combined download, puzzle maniacs save money and gets triple the fun!
• daisyamerica LLC and Adelante Consulting Inc. have announced the Legend of Dagad Trikon 1.0, an action-packed fantasy ebook application by Gregoire de Kalbermatten for iPhone and iPod touch. Journeying through Africa, Europe, India, and America, it tells of prophecies hidden by the Avasthas, an enlightened race who vanished eons ago and a search for the greatest prize that mankind can attain: the secret to how we can transcend the human mind itself.
• Independent developer Steve Jarman has released Weave 1.1, an iPhone-centric monitoring and alerting solution for Windows-based hosts. This agent-based system allows server administrators and engineers to receive notifications of potential problems within their IT infrastructure, as well as providing the ability to perform numerous management tasks remotely via their iPhone or iPod Touch device, from any location, all via a standard internet connection.
• PhoneFreelancer is the premiere location for people looking to have their million dollar app idea made a reality. Users post their app project, get free quotes, and find a talented developer to help make their idea a reality. PhoneFreelancer aims to become the premiere location for iPhone app entrepreneurs to connect with talented iPhone developers from all across the world. PhoneFreelancer does one thing and one thing very well, it bridges the gap between idea people and iPhone developers.
• List Logic Software has released List Master 1.5 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. List Master is an easy to use, intuitive and versatile app that allows for complete customization of lists. The all-in-one organizer lets users manage their data, add photos and customize all aspects of their lists, by simply tapping the screen. All list data is viewable in a single screen, portrait or landscape, eliminating the need to flip between screen pages to read.
• BetterQOL, Inc. has announced the release of iHeadache 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users and iHeadache 1.0 for BlackBerry users. iHeadache is an expert system for classifying, analyzing and tracking all facets of headache pain and disability, including symptoms, triggers and medications. It is the only App that delves into a fully comprehensive analysis of headaches and their triggers. The application creates custom reports for physicians and stores fifteen months of detailed headache data.
• BetterQOL, Inc. has announced the release of iHeadache 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users and iHeadache 1.0 for BlackBerry users. iHeadache is an expert system for classifying, analyzing and tracking all facets of headache pain and disability, including symptoms, triggers and medications. It is the only App that delves into a fully comprehensive analysis of headaches and their triggers. The application creates custom reports for physicians and stores fifteen months of detailed headache data.
• Urban Anomaly has released 311 Universal 2.01 for iPhone users who appreciate a way to report non-emergency issues easily and in less than 60 seconds. The app works with iPhone tools to enable citizens to bring problems to the attention of city and municipal governments in a fast, user-friendly format. Version 2.01 includes a pinpoint tool that improves the accuracy of the iPhone’s GPS coordinates, and also provides the physical address of the problem.
• 88 Vroom LLC has introduced The SciFi Collection 1.1, their new out-of-this-world eBook reader for iPhone and iPod touch. Packed with 100 of the some of the greatest Science Fiction short stories, novellas, and full-length novels, The SciFi Collection is quite possibly the largest stand alone science fiction compilation for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Its easy to use and eerie interface will give users chills. The SciFi Collection is perfect for the science fiction fan in everyone.
• GPS navigation pioneer ALK Technologies has announced CoPilot Live Directions, their full turn-by-turn GPS navigation app for iPhone devices. CoPilot Live Directions takes a more flexible approach to map management. As with all CoPilot Live products, detailed street maps are stored on the phone, not downloaded per trip. Customers can choose how much or little of North America’s road network they wish to store on their iPhone.
• Hendrickson Software Components has announced ValentineMaker 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. ValentineMaker can create and email Valentine’s Day greetings using the photos from the user’s photo library. It is a must-have app for iPhone and iPod touch users who want a fun and easy way to send Valentine’s Day greetings to loved ones. Great for letting the people in your life know that you are thinking about them on Valentine’s day.
• Happymagenta has announced Scany 1.5, an update to their popular network exploration tool for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s peerless capabilities, Scany will effortlessly scan individual hosts or network ranges on the Internet or LAN for running services as well as dig for other useful information. Scany recognizes names of networking capable devices such as game consoles, media servers, TVs, receivers, players, printers, web cameras, and many others.
• Juicy Bits has released Nature Images 1.0 for iPhone, a free app that contains 108 high quality macro photos from a photographer whose work is included in major operating systems and whose photos are among the most popular wallpaper images in the world. With over 3 million downloads, these close-up images already grace the desktops of computer users everywhere, and they’re now available for the iPhone and iPod touch.
• You don’t have to be a complete gadget freak to get fed up with the multitude of chargers you need these days to keep all your mobile devices up and running.  But all that could be about to change, with the new WildCharger Pad that offers hassle-free power and makes charging up as easy as simply putting your device down. Placing any WildCharger enabled device flat on the pad automatically activates the charger and begins refilling the battery, and a Universal PowerDisc with 8 connectors means that there’s practically nothing you can’t hook up. Even better, it can charge up to five devices in one go.
• Electric Pocket has released a great new update to MailTones for iPhone. First, Electric Pocket was hearing from a lot of IT people and other types of professions who need to be able to respond quickly to a support call at all hours of the night. Those users had the idea to forward their pagers through MailTones so they would know by the sound of the tone that the message was a high priority. The new extra-loud-and-long “alarm” tone that was just added to MailTones is in response to their requests, so they hear it when they’re asleep too! Second, MailTones is now compatible with the 2nd Gen iPod touch.
• National Geographic’s premiere app World Atlas is now available on Apple iTunes. The app offers iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to explore the globe in numerous ways, including the “antique” view, the classic ocean or political view, and the Satellite view. World Atlas showcases how National Geographic’s app development team is furthering National Geographic’s vision to deliver rich interactive experiences across platforms and engage audiences in new and exciting ways.
• Mine Blast puts you in the role of a miner who is charged with extracting valuable gems. Unfortunately, all they gave you are explosives. Mine Blast is a unique and devilishly addicting puzzle game that requires some good tactical thought. Observe, strategize and carefully position each explosive within a mine’s pit to blast all of the gems free. Careful, though…not enough of a blast and each gem will stay wedged within the rock. Too many simultaneous blasts and you may just shatter the gems to pieces.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 19, 2010:

Macintosh

• Karelia Software has announced the immediate availability of Sandvox 1.6.6, a maintenance update to its award-winning website creation application for Mac OS X. This update, free to all registered users, fixes a few minor issues, improves website compatibility with iPhone web browsers, and improves upon visibility of Sandvox-built websites to Search engines. Karelia Software also announced that it will be participating in tomorrow’s “Indie Relief” charity event.
• Redcort Software has announced Virtual TimeClock ‘10, their industry leading time and attendance software for Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers. With new break and lunch time tracking capabilities, Virtual TimeClock delivers valuable features to help employers better manage employee payroll costs. Virtual TimeClock ‘10 has enhanced the powerful report writer with over a dozen new features that make getting the desired timecard report simple and intuitive.
• OCRKit 1.0 has brought a streamlined and easy to use text recognition to the Mac. OCRKit transforms images and PDF files into searchable PDFs. With built-in OCR allows for editable PDF files with a simple drag and drop and to find them with the Mac’s built-in Spotlight desktop search. OCRKit ships as a native, Intel Macintosh application focusing on usability. It supports many OCR languages, and even more user-interface translations.
• Washington based Calf Trail Software, LLC has announced Sesamouse 1.0, a free new utility for extending the gesture capabilities of the Magic Mouse. Sesamouse imitates real multitouch trackpad gestures and touches from the Magic Mouse. Pinch magnification, rotation and swipes are not sent as keyboard events, but real gestures and touches to Cocoa applications. The utility is free, but user donations are encouraged to help businesses in Haiti rebuild.
• ProteMac has announced ProteMac Security Suite 1.0 for Mac OS X. ProteMac Security Suite is an internet security package for comprehensive protection of Mac computers against all kinds of software threats, such as spyware, Trojans, viruses, unwanted intrusions and network attacks. Offering powerful protection, reliability and simplicity, it is aimed to protect both individual computers and corporate networks from dangerous attacks that may generate from internet or local network.
• equinux has released VPN Tracker 6.1 - a new update to its market-leading IPsec-based VPN client for Mac OS X. VPN Tracker 6.1 supports the SonicWALL TZ 100 and TZ 200, the latest additions of the TZSeries UTM appliances that are aimed at small to mid-sized businesses. VPN Tracker now includes Mode Config support for additional VPN gateways and has greater interoperability with a range of other devices, thereby making it simpler to configure and administrate Macs in a virtual private network.
• Today marks the official release of The Space Bar—community developed office accessory to help you maximize the use of your desk space. The Space Bar is designed to house your desktop clutter while also providing additional USB ports for your gadgets. The Space Bar is simple and elegantly designed and provides you with More Space, More Ports, and Less Clutter.
• The new headphone from Urbanears is designed to be the perfect classic product, utilizing innovative functions and performance with todays technology. The Plattan—which collects its name from Stockholm’s most central and classic meeting point—is the rendezvous of timeless features and pioneering solutions in contemporary design and function.
• The second release from Urbanears is the Tanto, their tribute to the ‘80’s revolution in mobile music, updated with the latest technology and is designed for maximum mobility without the compromise of performance. The Tanto takes you back in time and away from downtown Stockholm. Named after a vibrant park in the South Central area of the Swedish capitol, the design and function of the Tanto reminds you where headphones once came from. But it also shows where we are going.
• ScreenSavrz for iMac protect your display and case from dust, soiling, fingerprints, etc when not in use. They also clean and polish your screen or case anytime without sprays or wet wipes. And if your display has already taken a hit, simply dampen ScreenSavrz with water and polish away any existing scuffing you might have.
• Twelve South has announced it is participating in Indie+Relief, a one day sale of Apple-related products and iPhone apps to raise funds for Haitian earthquake relief. On January 20, 2010 Twelve South and other participating developers have pledged to donate proceeds from the sale of their products to various charities focused on Haitian earthquake relief. Twelve South in particular will donate $5 for every BassJump Subwoofer for MacBook ($79.99) and BackPack Shelf for iMac ($29.99) it sells directly on twelvesouth.com. Twelve South will then donate its proceeds to the American Red Cross. For more information on Indie+Relief and to see a complete list of participants, please visit IndieRelief.com.

iPhone/iPod

• Componica has announced Memorize Words: Spanish 1.7 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. The application uses a highly researched theory of memorization to teach users foreign language vocabulary that will be retained long term. Using a special algorithm within the iPhone application, Memorize Words tracks the progress of the user and adjusts itself to the optimal learning conditions of that student.
• In a society where everyone is mobile and social networking has become more important than ever, independent developer Jonathan Teboul has made available for Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch the ultimate contact organizer. With ContactsPlus you have the ability to easily create, organize and delete groups of contacts in your address book. You have the ability to view the photos of your contacts directly in the lists with their phone number or email. ContactsPlus also allows you to flip through your contacts photos, either all of them, or the favorite ones, using CoverFlow. You can also set up reminders for birthdays or other special days of your contacts, and sort your contacts by more than 10 filters!
• To help aspiring iPhone developers and newbies take their first leap into the world of iPhone programming, EDUmobile will be conducting Series of iPhone Webinars throughout 2010, called “Kick-Start Your iPhone Programming.” The first webinar of the series will be conducted on 6th and 13th February at 11am EST for duration of one hour by Sushant Das the Head Tutor at EDUmobile. There are only 50 free spots open. A few bonuses will be distributed at the end to all attending.
• California based PhatWare Corporation has announced WritePad Spanish Edition 3.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. WritePad Spanish Edition offers natural handwriting recognition input in the Spanish language in addition to keyboard entry and integration with Bing Translation services. WritePad recognizes cursive, print, and mixed handwriting styles. To enter the text you can simply write with your finger on the iPhone screen in either landscape or portrait mode employing your own handwriting style.
• About Objects, Inc. is offering its popular series of iPhone development classes in Reston, VA during March, 2010. This series of courses lets developers ‘right-size’ their training by choosing the exact courses they need. The courses are designed to give attendees not only a firm grounding in iPhone development, but also solid insight into how things work under the covers so they truly understand what’s going on in their code.
• Momento is a unique diary writing application for the iPhone and iPod touch, which provides a quick and easy way to privately record moments throughout your day. Momento also connects with social web services such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Last.fm to import all or your past tweets, statuses, photos and loved tracks, effectively compiling a diary of your day to day activities.
• Niles Technology Group, creators of Achievers Writing Center essay writing apps, is aware that the economy has put a squeeze on many school budgets. To do its part in advancing technology in education amid declining resources, Niles Technology Group is donating iPhone apps to schools. High schools, colleges, and universities in the US are eligible. Individual teachers and professors can also apply for their classes. Application deadline is January 26, 2010.
• Software Ops LLC will participate in Indie Relief and donate one days proceeds to the relief effort happening in Haiti. They have selected their two best sellers to participate in this effort My Eyes Only and My Eyes Only-Photo. The one days proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross by January 22nd. It is Software Ops’ hope that their donation—along with millions of other donations from Americans—can be a turning point for the people of Haiti.
• Cramzy has announced the release of Experimenter 1.0 for iPhone and iPod devices. Experimenter features 14 home science experiments which everyone can easily perform at home. You will not need any special equipment or ingredients, but mostly stuff you can buy from the local supermarket. The title stands for those who decide to try the experiments and have fun themselves. The footage you will see teaches you step-by-step how to perform physics and chemistry experiments.
• Zombies are on the loose and invading your iPhone and iPod touch in the newly announced Dawn of the Dead game, created by Bytemark Games and Universal Partnerships & Licensing. Based on the smash hit movie of the same name, the Dawn of the Dead App takes you inside the legendary Crossroads Mall in a series of intense and terrifying levels as you fight to survive an onslaught of bloodthirsty zombies.
• Humble Daisy, Inc will participate in Indie Relief and donate one days proceeds to the relief effort happening in Haiti. All profits from ProfCast and SonicPics will be donated to Unicef to aid their Haiti relief efforts. Indie Relief is a charity event to raise money for Haitian earthquake victims through the sale of Mac and iPhone software. Over 125 companies are participating with over 200 applications available. Users can also donate directly, without purchasing the apps.
• Armor Games has announced a kingdom-sized update for their medieval rock-slinger, Crush the Castle. The puzzle-action game challenges players to rain down destruction on increasingly fortified castles. Armed with a trebuchet (a specialized and highly accurate style of catapult), players hurl projectiles over and through castle walls to crush both the castle and its royal denizens. This iPhone classic is the heir to the realm of its father, the wildly successful flash-based Crush The Castle.
• Gravity Applications has announced the release of Appfinder 1.2.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch. Appfinder allows people to use their social network to discover the best apps by sharing their favorites with their friends and vice versa. It allows users to connect to their friends via Facebook and Twitter, thereby making it very easy to use existing social networking connections. Users are encouraged to add their own favorites, thereby automatically sharing their favorites with their friends.
• SPIL Games has announced the release of its first game for the iPhone and iPod touch: Beauty Resort 2. Now available in the iTunes App Store, this spa-themed time management game allows gamers to help salon-owner Heather build her spa business into a beauty empire.
• MORapps, an adventurous new mobile application company, has just released a surprisingly simple app called BoldIt. Essentially, BoldIt allows the iPhone user to flash large, bold messages on the screen of their phone. These easy-to-read messages can even be seen from across the room.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 18, 2010:

Macintosh

• Mac-Chi has released WhoPaste 4.3, their popular contact utility for Mac OS X. With a single keystroke, WhoPaste can create contact records from the selected text in web pages, e-mails messages, or even spreadsheets. WhoPaste supports Marketcircle’s award winning Daylite, as well as Apple’s Address Book, Google’s Contacts, and Entourage. Version 4.3 adds dynamic rule management, implementing opportunity creation in Daylite, and expanding the custom data extractions available for Daylite.
• Yazsoft has announced the Playback Media Server - Console Giveaway. From Jan 17-Feb 14, 2010, we will be giving away 3 PS3/XBOX consoles to 3 lucky winners accompanied by a free Playback license valid for 3 Macs. No purchase required to enter. The 3 winners will be selected by random draw the shortly following Feb 14, 2010. All users that actually do purchase a license during this period will automatically get double the entries for the draw as a token of thanks.
• Zykloid Software has announced Posterino 1.6.3, a maintenance update to their popular life poster and postcard creator for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, Posterino creates life posters, photo collages, frames, postcards, greeting cards and contact sheets from digital images. Posterino supports auto-placement of photos, export of posters or postcards, custom template creation, and various image manipulation routines such as cropping and rotation.
• Tellini has announced Wiz Solitaire 1.45 for Mac OS X. Wiz Solitaire is a collection of several classic card games with the possibility to create and use beautiful decks with your favorite pictures. Wiz Solitaire supports different deck formats allowing you to choose between thousands of available card sets. You can also easily create your own decks with the included Deck Editor.

iPhone/iPod

• Ever wish you could beat the jerks on the street or boring colleagues during the meeting? Now, you can do it with BeatHim free for iPhone. Just point your iPhone camera on the person you hate, then you could throw many “bloody” weapons on the guy or girl to release your negative emotions: sharp knifes, beer bottles, lightening stroke, or just put Manneken Pis to pei on him. After that, don’t forget to take a photo immediately and share what you have done to all your friends through e-mail or Facebook.
• Hunter Research and Technology has announced Theodolite 1.1 for iPhone. This novel multi-function augmented reality app serves as a compass, GPS, map, zoom camera, and two-axis inclinometer. Based on the concept of a centuries-old astronomical instrument, Theodolite overlays real-time information about position, altitude, bearing, and horizontal/vertical inclination on the iPhone’s live camera image, turning the iPhone into a sophisticated location-aware viewfinder.
• Larry Roy has released ATC Pro 1.3 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. ATC Pro is a realistic sim application that puts users in control of the flow of aircraft in and out of airports. All aspects of flight safety are up to the user. The realistic air traffic control simulation app features a host of options and scenarios guaranteed to engage and excite users. ATC Pro utilizes a USGS map approach for more interesting and realistic playing experiences.
• Awakin Digital Publishing has released Titanifacts 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The developer has added even more to the already feature-rich app, including new clips and content about the legendary Titanic. Users can now even view Titanic Island movies without WiFi. Titanic fans have eagerly embraced this app to engage with other Titanic enthusiasts, see the photos and access unique events, information and features not found elsewhere.
• Flux Visual has released Hookah 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users looking for a realistic smoking app. Hookah is the most realistic smoking app on the market, with authentic sounds, amazing life-like graphics and animation, all of which gives users the sense of smoking satisfaction. The best part of all is the fact with Hookah there is no offending smell and no health risks associated with this now taboo pleasure.
• Joost Verrijt and AppsAnomalous have released MyWiki 1.1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. MyWiki is the ultimate in information and workflow management, allowing users to create, link, edit and access personal and professional information in customized formats. The app is easy to use by beginner and seasoned Wiki creator alike. Each page created in the app can contain user inserted text, photos, specified font formatting, links to other articles and lists.
• Independent developer Brice Milliorn has announced My Pocket Mistress 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Experience the hottest interactive video application available on the App Store. Over 30 minutes of Footage from 21 Videos plus 36 Audio Phrases and 150 Photos. My Pocket Mistress moves, she’s interactive, and most importantly she’s real. Yes she’s real! She’s not some 3D rendered mannequin. Seriously, why would you want to buy an application of a dancing mannequin?
• Brace yourself with sword, shield and mind for tricky puzzles. HandyGames kicks off the new decade with the innovative puzzle game IQ Knights. With its unique mixture of chess and dice game and more than 50 challenging levels, IQ Knight provides many hours of puzzle entertainment.
• QSoft has announced Tap Tap Cash 1.2, an update to their popular tap for gold game for iPhone and iPod touch. Tap Tap Cash is an addictive and very fast paced game where players have to collect as many bags of gold coins as possible in 30 seconds. Tap a bag, and the number of coins in the bag is added to the score. Players can publish their score to Facebook and Twitter for 500 bonuspoints each. Every week, the top 3 scorers are rewarded a big cash prize via PayPal.
• Artificial Life, Inc., and Starz Digital Media have announced the launch of the official mobile game for the Starz Entertainment TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premieres on Jan. 22, 2010. The game takes players into the world of gladiators where blood and brutality bring honor. Players embark on a journey of intense battles and fight for the freedom and survival of the Thracian hero. Characters, weapons and locations are realistically modeled after items and events from the original TV series along with special scenes produced by Starz Media that are featured in the game. The game offers various game modes to cater to different playing styles: Story Mode, Quick Fight, Challenge Mode, and Head-to-Head Mode.
• In an effort to provide support for the Haiti earthquake victims, Atlanta based SimpleLeap Software has announced that 100% of all sales of their popular Mac study app, Cram for Mac, will be donated to the American Red Cross for the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. As a bonus to participants, the first 25 people to purchase Cram for Mac on January 20th will receive their popular iPhone and iPod Touch study app Cram for free.
• Matrix has announced the launch of its proprietary V Phone offering wireless and mobile VoIP software for the iPhone platform. The V Phone sip client is targeted at IP Telephony companies that are or intend to provide voice and telephony services to end-users. It has the immense potential to be a forerunner in the supply of software to VoIP Service Providers and Internet Service Providers.
• No Tie Software has introduced 9,999 Ringtones Uncensored and AutoRingtone TEXT-TO-SPEECH, both for iPhone and iPod touch devices. AutoRingtone and Ringtones Uncensored give users exactly what they want in a ringtone, using text-to-speech in 20+ voices, with 100+ introductory sound effects. Now you can have each caller’s name, title, and a personal message spoken out loud. No more guessing who is calling or whose phone is ringing.
• Freeverse has announced that it has partnered with AppRelief.com to aid Haiti quake victims. App Relief is a group of App developers donating their app sale proceeds to the Haitian Earthquake relief effort through the Red Cross. From now until Wednesday, Freeverse will donate 100% of its share of profits from the popular iPhone and iPod Touch game Skee-Ball, which has sold over a million units since its October release.
• Valentine’s Day can be really exhausting. Everyone is all mushy, trying to find the perfect Valentines Day gift and perfect way to celebrate. Skip the hooplah and just have a good time with Valentine’s Memory Match Game. This is the perfect app for children, teenagers, and adults. Use the Valentine’s Memory Match Game to develop your memory, cognitive, and language skills while having fun. Play the classic Match game with a few modern twists.
• AppFury, LLC. has announced SOHOinmypocket 1.2 for iPhone and iPod devices. SOHOinmypocket is a necessity for everyone exploring the SoHo and NoLita neighborhoods of New York City, whether you’re a local or new to town. All those great boutiques, restaurants, bars, hotels, and more jammed into 50 city blocks. SOHOinmypocket is the ultimate shopping map and directory, updated monthly, to help guide you through all there is to do and see in SoHo.
• Tank Raider is the highly addictive debut game from Sunday Studios. Tank Raider is an intuitive and fast-paced strategic shooter for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The game plays out across three beautifully illustrated levels. It sees you the player venture out into the terrain to collect as many gems as you can and bring them back to your base. Remember though, raiding bases is the name of the game. With three opponents each vying for the top spot you have no alternative but to head into enemy territory to steal what you can.
• iFun4All has announced that Sexy Maid Service, its first subtle erotic game for iPhone and iPod touch, is now available on the App Store. Sexy Maid Service pays respects to the pin-up phenomenon with its beautiful, hand-drawn graphics and features a sexy home maid, Megan, as its main character. The player helps Megan to clean the mansion before its owners return home by collecting vicious dust balls falling from every corner. Thanks to its arcade nature, Sexy Maid Service is a game with great replayability, that is easy to get into and that can be played both in short bursts and in longer sessions.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 15, 2010:

Macintosh

• Following the recent earthquake in Haiti, Maintain has decided to temporarily offer all customers a 30% discount on all licenses of Cocktail. During this period the revenues will be donated to charities who actively help the people affected by this disaster. The sale will be on from Saturday until Sunday so make sure you take this opportunity to help out and get something great in return. Cocktail is an award winning general purpose utility for Mac OS X.
• Yazsoft has released ShareTool 1.3.7 a major new update to its award winning utility for Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. ShareTool lets you connect to all of the Bonjour services on your home or office network from anywhere in the world securely over a 100% SSH encrypted connection. This includes iTunes Music Sharing, Screen Sharing, File Sharing, printing, and much more. Version 1.3.7 includes many under the hood performance tweaks and optimizations.
• Booq has designed the sleek and compact Taipan lift. With the ability to open 180 degrees, Taipan lift’s design is checkpoint friendly and in most cases allows the laptop to remain in the bag while passing through security. Equipped with a large front pocket designed to hold a boarding pass, wallet, water bottle, and other quick access items, this innovative bag makes it easy to navigate through security points, check-in desk, and all other stops along your way to the gate. Available at booqbags.com and retailers throughout the country, booq combines sophisticated design and functionality to deliver high-quality bags and cases for the next generation of ambitious professionals.
• Hyperbolic Software has announced Tidy Up! 2.1.4, the latest version of the award-winning duplicate finder and disk tidying utility. Tidy Up! has become a must-have utility to reclaim disk space being taken up by duplicate files and packages. Tidy Up! locates duplicate items using a wide range of criteria including owner application, time created or modified, name, label, extension and content. Version 2.1.4 introduces nearly 50 new features to this already comprehensive tool.
• Macgamestore.com has announced the release of Shaman Odyssey - Tropic Adventure on its web site. Created by Cateia Games, Shaman Odyssey - Tropic Adventure is a strategy/simulation game. As your village’s shaman, it will be your job to make your villagers happy and productive while exploring various tropical islands. Collect ingredients and prepare various magical potions. Protect villagers from ghosts, pirates, sharks and more.
• In response to the recent humanitarian disaster in Haiti, UNIEA will donate 10% of all its online sales this weekend to the Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. UNIEA encourages people to give whatever they can to proven humanitarian relief services, such as the Red Cross, CRS, and other well-established organizations, in an effort to ease the suffering of the people of Haiti and help them to rebuild and restore their country.

iPhone/iPod

• Biscuit Games, developer of iPhyzzle, has just released their newest game, Colosseum, on the App Store. Colosseum takes you back in time to a period of history where only the strongest survive! In this colorful medieval adventure game, it is your task to hack-and-slash your way through an unlimited number of stages, in a quest to survive the endless number of enemies having no other agenda than your destruction.
• Software developer GhostBird Software has announced the release of The Raging Dead on the iTunes App Store. The Raging Dead is a zombie simulation set in an urban environment where the goal is to save the human population and their city. Using a small arsenal, defend the city from hoards of raging zombies that threaten to infect the entire population.
• Flirtomatic, one of the most popular social mobile services used by young adults, makes flirting easier and more fun than ever with the release of Flirtomatic for the iPhone.  Available for free at the Apple iTunes Store, the award-winning service is now available to all iPhone and iPod Touch users to meet, flirt, and have fun online.
• Snipe Inc. Dev Team has released Listenial, a music player that allows you to create a playlist easily and play music quickly on iPhone and iPod touch. Its quick flicking operation reduces lost queueing time to listen to music and play a playlist without hassle.
• Chess Elite is an iPhone game that allows players to play chess against other human opponents and rank the players based on their win-loss record. 99Games, creators of Chess Elite, is now organizing a Chess Elite contest and awarding a sleek MacBook Pro as the grand prize to the best chess player!
• Anusen has released Math Magic 2.7 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Math Magic presents simple math problems that small children can answer by tapping the screen. Developers tested the program before its release and kids approved of the application unanimously, citing the fun factor. They loved solving the problems, hearing the real voice encouragements and receiving rewards, while their parents liked the fact that their children were learning so quickly and easily.
• T-Minus 5 has released Transport Me Up 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app is a simple to use, yet cutting edge technological tool for users to track and be advised of their commuting schedules. Transport Me Up utilizes GPS meta-data and a user’s recurrent transportation patterns to assess daily commuting needs. Thanks to user input and filtering, the app only shows the desired types of transportation, along with departure times and locations.
• The binary family GmbH has released iKitty 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. iKitty gives users a pet that they can carry around in their pockets. The first app that allows users to be either nice or mean to a kitten, iKitty was inspired by the infamous cat juggling scene in the movie, “The Jerk”, starring Steve Martin. Developers loaded the app with extra features to ensure a realistic and satisfying experience, regardless of whether a user is naughty or nice to the cute little feline.
• MyNature Inc. has released MyNature Animal Tracks 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. This is the first app on the market that can identify animal tracks using smart phone technology. Users can learn about the animal whose tracks they’ve found, see images, listen to the sounds they make and even find out what animals may be in the area where they are. Using categorized track illustrations, users can match what they’ve found against the listings in MyNature Animal Tracks.
• Shufflegazine—an Apple lifestyle magazine for the Middle East—has announced the immediate availability of an application for iPhone and iPod touch that gives readers full access to the magazine on their favorite mobile device. Readers can download individual issues of the magazine, including back issues, or subscribe to automatically receive future issues when they’re published. The magazine will be available for iPhone on the same day the print issue comes out each month.
• Independent developer Esa Helttula has released Long Division 1.0, a new educational math app for iPhone and iPod touch. Long Division allows the user to solve long division problems step by step and animates all the steps. The app can be used to teach and study the long division method. The method breaks down a division problem into a series of easier steps. The app is easy to use and it has an intuitive interface with customizable colors and other settings.
• rapidrabbit has announced a new version of the AppButler that integrates social features into this unique tool. The AppButler automatically observes the AppStore and keeps track of every app. A special algorithm calculates a score for every app which represents the number of ranks the app has gained in the biggest AppStore markets within 24 hours. Users can now update their twitter timeline and facebook stream to let their friends know about new apps they have found.
• TapFactory Apps has announced they are now offering their official Three Wolf Moon iPhone app free for a limited time. The app, titled Three Wolf Moon HowlTone Generator, is co-released with The Mountain’s new glow-in-the-dark version of the company’s top-selling Three Wolf Moon t-shirt. The new glow-in-the-dark shirt will only be available through the app and will be offered at 25% off retail price until February 29th, 2010.
• Quapps Interactive has announced Yakshemash 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Yakshemash is a hilarious soundboard of over 80 voice clips from The Main Man From Kazhakstan. Any of our 82 studio recorded voice clips can also be set as your ringtone making yakshemash even more value for money. Each clip has been recorded and re-recorded until we were completely happy.
• Weiner Family Studios has announced they are donating all proceeds from its well-received iPhone application, A Family Matters, to a Haiti relief fund this week. A Family Matters is an iPhone and iPod touch application that allows families to enjoy deeper more meaningful conversations. What Family Matters gives you is a set of questions and activities designed to help you communicate more effectively with your children.
• Cloud Factory, Inc just announced that their Simplenote app for the iPhone and iPod touch is now free to download on iTunes.  Simplenote is an elegant notes app that can sync effortlessly with your computer.
• Independent developer, GameFront, has released Magic Ludo into the App Store. Magic Ludo is an adoption of the classic and popular board game, and is free to download featuring extra content such as additional boards and levels available through micro transactions at regular updates.
• Griffin Technology Inc. has announced the latest case designs from Griffin + Threadless. The Co-Op Initiative partnership marks its expansion to iPod touch, as well as into the UK, with three new designs.
• Announcing a new app from BlackMuse Software: Audio Class Notes - Record and Tag Lectures. Audio Class Notes allows you to record your lectures, and tag and describe important points so you can listen to them again quickly at a later time. Take your classroom with you with Audio Class Notes! No other application currently in the store makes recording and tagging sound files quite so easy.
• Slap Happy Apps has announced iStooges 1.0, a fun new app for iPhone and iPod touch. More than just your typical sound board app, with iStooges you can recreate those classic slap fights made famous by The Three Stooges. iStooges includes 72 hilarious motion-activated sound effects and voice clips from your three favorite knuckleheads. Select your Stooge, and use your device’s built-in accelerometer to slap, punch, poke, and plink away.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 14, 2010:

Macintosh

• Stand By Soft has released RationalPlan 3.16.0 for the Mac OS X Snow Leopard platform. RationalPlan is a project management software application developed to assist project managers in creating plans, tracking progress, allocating resources, managing budgets and analyzing workload. Besides the upgrade to Snow Leopard the new version comes with a significant increase in execution speed for resource sheets, file type association on silent install.
• Cocoatech has released Path Finder 5.5.7, an update to their advanced file management utility for Mac OS X. Path Finder looks and operates much like the Finder, but with hundreds of additional tools and a focus on single-window use. The new version adds a few new features, such as Growl notifications, while tremendously improving launch times and overall performance. Version 5.5.7 adds one big new feature for developers: and updated SDK with support for custom icon overlay plugins.
• Recosoft Corporation has started shipping PDF2Office Professional v5.0 for Macintosh. PDF2Office Professional v5.0 contains over 100+ new features and enhancements; a major new element of PDF2Office Professional v5.0 for Macintosh is the capability to convert PDF documents to the Microsoft Excel formats. Additionally, PDF2Office Professional v5.0 has been designed to operate with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard impeccably.
• Yazsoft has announced Playback 1.2.4, an important update to their popular zero configuration media server for Mac OS X. Playback allows anyone to share their media with any Playstation 3, Xbox 360, or other supported UPnP compatible device. Playback can also share media stored in folders or even make entire disks available to a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. By default, Playback will share almost any content on the users system. Version 1.2.4 includes many new improvements.

iPhone/iPod

• BlockChalk is a location-based app that lets you leave notes in your neighborhood. You can leave notes (“chalks”) on your block, your street, at the coffee shop, or anywhere you happen to be. Other BlockChalk users nearby can reply to you publicly or privately. The app also lets you set your “home neighborhood” so you can keep up-to-date with the latest chalks near home. It also includes support for push notifications so you can be notified when there are new chalks in your home neighborhood or when someone replies to something you’ve written.
• Will Gear, LLC has released Hot Chick-O-Meter 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app rates and allows for customized ratings of photographs of women, otherwise known as ‘Hot Chicks’. Users take a photo with their iPhone or iPod Touch and let the app assign a rating or they can do that themselves. Users can share the entertaining results with friends via email. Men can get feedback from their friends when they meet a new woman they’re not sure about.
• One Moxie Ventures, LLC has released Wheel of Doom 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. This latest release from One Moxie Ventures doles out punishments to misbehaving children with a spin of the wheel. The app removes parents from the friction of the moment while making an immediate decision on an appropriate penalty for inappropriate behavior. Wheel of Doom takes it out of the parents hands, shifting focus for both parties, which may help provide a cooling down period.
• Imobin today released Call Meet Calendar Premium 1.3 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app offers the ultimate in event reminder and meeting communication tools. It boasts unique features such as direct call launching, iPhone calendar syncing and quick, and easy contact selection for smooth scheduling, meeting reminders and more. The app alerts users to an upcoming appointment, even if the iPhone and iPod Touch is in standby mode or the user is in another application.
• JT Enterprises has released MathCents 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. MathCents combines education and fun to teach kids and adults the identification and counting of American coins. The game quickly becomes addictive because of its timed action, amusing response to wrong answers and simulated financial rewards. The app can played one user at a time but the collection of quarters enables the game to become a multi-player challenge.
• Deep Pocket Series LLC has introduced A Love Reminder 1.0, their unique pretexting utility for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Designed to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and interface, A Love Reminder serves to help busy individuals keep in touch with loved ones by texting them reminders on the date and hour they choose. Whether it’s a birthday or anniversary, A Love Reminder is perfect for anyone who wants to send reminders for any special occasion.
• Rainmaker Research Inc. has announced Spell Catcher X 10.3.3, a significant update to the industry’s most advanced collection of writing productivity tools. Spell Catcher provides spell checking in sixteen languages, and much more. Version 10.3.3 adds 64-bit support on Mac OS X 10.6, updated linguistics and languages, and many other new features and changes. Spell Catcher X 10.3.3 is a free update for Spell Catcher X 10.3 owners.
• Infinity Softworks, Inc. has announced powerOne 1.0, their financial and real estate calculator for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. powerOne includes almost 60 pre-installed calculations for finance, real estate, mortgages, investing and conversions, a high-powered algebraic and RPN calculator. Additional calculations can be programmed making powerOne infinitely expandable. Calculations are displayed in simple forms, called templates, that make what-if scenario analysis fast and easy.
• Joseph and Valerie Nardone have announced the release of their iCelebrity Reporter and iCelebrity Sightings iPhone apps. Using the GPS feature of the iPhone, these apps send mappable celebrity sightings to a database which then makes the sightings available to other app users. The apps and the database contain features that protect the safety of the celebrities.
• With the new high-tech bags by Vienna-based design label Urban Tool, iPod and iPhone can be controlled directly through the bag. This way, the popular music player can remain safely stored inside, while you select songs, adjust the volume or pause the music – all through an interface on the carrying strap of the two high-tech bags, “i-hopHolster” and “i-caseBelt.”
• Affinicore, Inc. has announced Park’n Find 2.2, a major update to its popular parking spot locator for iPhone devices. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Park’n Find takes the frustration out of finding the car in a large parking lot. Users are guided with a map that automatically zooms and pans to keep the path to their parking spot in focus. Version 2.2 features several user requested features.
• Bowers Technologies, Inc. has announced that they will be giving away 10 free copies of their upcoming iPhone app, iPastor. iPastor is a valuable tool for pastors, ministers, missionaries, church staff, and even volunteers to effectively and efficiently serve the church members. Entries can be pastors, ministers, missionaries, church staff, or volunteers who have an iPhone or iPod Touch. People wishing to submit entries to the contest can visit Bowers Technologies online.
• Games industry veteran Hayden Scott-Baron goes indie and makes an iPhone game. Tumbledrop is cute, addictive and occasionally maddening. Remove the shapes to safely land the pink star, but watch out! One wrong move could send it tumbling into the wate!  Crazy interlocking shapes add to the fun and the challenge. Tumbledrop was originally released as a browser game in October 2008, receiving the Unity 2008 Award for best gameplay. Now sporting new features, more levels, and a score-based ‘quick-play’ mode Tumbledrop is ready for iPhone. With a unique queueing interface it’s now even easier to control and ideal for the touch-screen.
• VerySoftware has announced Valentine Gift Finder 1.0, their free Valentine’s Day app for iPhone and iPod touch. Valentine Gift Finder helps find the perfect gift for your Valentine. VerySoftware teamed up with Prezzybox, one of the best gift providers, so that you can treat your loved ones with something special. Get up to 33% discount and save up to 1/3 on gifts when using Valentine Gift Finder. You will be pleasantly surprised what a wide range of presents Valentine Gift Finder provides.
• Coladia has announced Secret of the Lost Cavern Episode 2 for iPhone and iPod touch. Secret of the Lost Cavern is an episodic adventure game that plunges the player into an inspiring journey that takes place during the Paleolithic period in prehistoric time, 15,000 years B.C. The gameplay and each puzzle were redesigned to take unique advantage of the touch capabilities of the iPhone. 3D graphics and videos were also optimized for an unparalleled visual quality on mobile devices.
• SimGym LLC has announced SimGym 1.0, their latest mobile fitness app for the iPhone and iPod touch devices. SimGym puts power and proficiency of a personal trainer in the palm of your hand. Developed by a team of renowned fitness professionals, SimGym not only demonstrates what exercises to do and how to do them instantly, it also tracks progress for each exercise easily and effectively, allowing the user to spend more time working out and less time thinking about it.
• To the flocks of players not yet acquainted with Woolly The Jumper, Assyria Game Studio is giving the hordes of potential players an opportunity to try out a Lite version of the game featuring Farmer Brown on his jet pack, and of course, Woolly the sheep with his fluffy coat!

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 13, 2010:

Macintosh

• Elgato has announced EyeTV One, an easy-to-use TV tuner for DTV antennas. EyeTV One delivers digital TV and HDTV channels straight to a Mac or PC, enabling users to watch and record the huge variety of TV shows that are broadcast over-the-air for free. The new EyeTV One offers an uncomplicated way to connect a computer to a DTV antenna and at just $119.95 USD, it’s an affordable alternative for an HDTV and full-featured DVR.
• FileMaker, Inc. has announced the Bento 3 Contact and Customer Manager, a customized set of three new templates that make it easy for Mac users to organize all their contacts and customer details in one place – the perfect solution to a very popular New Year’s resolution. The Bento 3 Contact and Customer Manager includes a free 30-day trial of the popular Bento 3 personal database for Mac, plus three professionally designed, ready-to-use templates including customer and client contacts, sales receipts, and sales opportunities.
• Steven Riggs has announced TimeTable 1.9 for Mac OS X. TimeTable allows you to easily export iCal calendar data and analyze and total the number of hours recorded on your calendar. TimeTable reads and filters iCal calendar data and calculates the hours spent in the events. Version 1.9 brings a new TAB separated values export and a new option to take the carriage returns from the CSV and TSV exports.
• MacRailSoft has announced RailModeller 4.0, a major update to their solution for creating layouts for model railroads and slot cars on Macs. Version 4.0 is the biggest release of RailModeller in years and delivers long anticipated features like full three-dimensional planning and support for layers, improved 1:1 print outs and countless other improvements. Close to 200 libraries are included, providing tracks and accessories from virtually any manufacturer of model railroad tracks.
• iPresentee has released their Keynote 3D Stuff 3.0 package of 3D images for Apple’s Keynote, iWeb and Pages. Keynote 3D Stuff collection includes 181 different high quality, detailed and attractive 3D objects. This new collection includes everything from people silhouettes to a pencil, office objects like computers and file cabinets, household items such as lamps and chairs, whimsical items and more. All Keynote 3D Stuff objects feature transparent backgrounds.
• Intego has announced VirusBarrier X6, the latest version of its acclaimed antivirus and anti-malware software for mac OS X. VirusBarrier X6 now provides comprehensive protection from both malware and network threats. VirusBarrier X6 is the only antivirus program for Mac that includes full antivirus and anti-malware protection together with a two-way firewall, network protection, anti-phishing, anti-spyware features and more.
• Unreal Mojo has announced readMe 1.0, a simplified no-frills e-book reader for iPhone and iPod touch. readMe has enough features and comfort for users to enjoy reading e-books on the iPhone while at the same time to not overload users with information and various settings. It is simple, convenient and easy to use application that won’t get in the way of the user trying to enjoy a good book on the iPhone or iPod.
• Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the postproduction and broadcast markets, has announced that new development partner, PHYX Inc., has released PHYX Keyer for the FxFactory platform. PHYX Keyer is a brand new collection of keying plug-ins designed to work inside Adobe After Effects CS3 / CS4, Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion and Apple Final Cut Express applications.

iPhone/iPod

• Tired of wasting time stuck in traffic? Ever leave work to get home in time for dinner or your son’s game only to realize you’ll be late due to an unexpected traffic jam?bWhen you know where you’re going and just want to get there the fastest way possible, INRIX Traffic! Pro gets you there. INRIX Traffic! Pro always knows the fastest routes and expected arrival times for the places most important to you. It’ll even tell you the best time to leave so you spend less time stuck in traffic and more time doing the things you love.
• Paul Wood Software Technologies has released Soccer ON 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. For coaches, players and fans alike, Soccer ON is a useful and portable tool that allows anyone in the Soccer playing community to track a variety of different stats about themselves, their team, or their children. It’s unique GPS and photo features make it a one of a kind tool in the Soccer community. Packed with features, the application is useful for any level of Soccer enthusiast.
• Melodeo today announced the next generation of nuTsie, its industry-leading cloud-based music platform.  This major advance in the platform delivers the full iPod experience to any connected device plus significant improvements, including wireless syncing, smart caching and unlimited new music discovery.  The new nuTsie platform is currently being made available as embeddable software to mobile carriers, mobile device manufacturers and others eager to provide a solution for the 400 million-plus consumers who currently manage their media in iTunes™ and want to be able to access that media anytime, anywhere.
• Impiger Technologies has launched the world’s first Mardi Gras game on iPhone. This was created for Phillip Rochelle. Based on the events of the carnival celebration ending the day before Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras! is sure to get kids and adults excited. It’s a colorful game in which players toss souvenirs to the Mardi Gras crowd and earn points. And the accompanying festive music is awesome.
• Pigobo Limited has announced Maria’s Spanish Class 1.0 and the free Maria’s Spanish Class Lite for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Maria’s Spanish Class has been designed from the ground up by a real native Spanish teacher with years of teaching experience. A fully comprehensive Spanish learning tool, with Maria’s Spanish Class you will actually learn Spanish from complete beginner all the way to intermediate level.
• One design classic deserves another, and so Proporta has developed a new case for the Apple iPhone 3GS. Handcrafted from the finest quality patent leather, the Patent Leather Apple iPhone 3GS Pouch – Union Jack boasts a luxurious lining, Proporta standard protection for your iPhone and space for your credit and debit cards.  But what really makes this case so desirable is the stylish handstitched Union Jack design that means the pouch is just as beautiful as the device it holds.
• CampusBooks.com has released iBookstore 2.0, an update to their popular search engine and price-comparison tool for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, iBookStore is a powerful free solution that saves time and money by connecting students with the best deals on the textbooks they need and want. Version 2.0 leverages Pic2Shop technology for bar code scanning and retrieval of book information.
• More Birthdays serves primarily as a birthday reminder by pulling information from your phone contacts as well as Facebook friends so you’re sure not miss another important day! There are a few birthday apps currently in the iTunes store, but unlike Reminder Pro (which only works with existing contacts and costs $1.99) or Birthday Notification (which interfaces with Facebook but has no way to send a greeting within the app), the More Birthdays app offers it all.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 12, 2010:

Macintosh

• Pixel Research Labs released Ringer 1.1, their iPhone ringtone creation tool for Mac OS X. Ringer 1.1 adds several new features while maintaining its ease of use. Users can now adjust the scale of the waveform. Video is previewed while playing or scrubbing a movie. Ringtones can now be saved anywhere without importing into iTunes as either an m4r or m4a files. Undo support has been added. Twitter support has been added; tweet a description about the ringtone.
• Ergonis Software has released Typinator 3.7. It offers quicker access to the text snippets window and allows to instantly pause and resume Typinator. The new version also utilizes Ergonis’ new easy installation and upgrade technique, making the installation of Typinator a breeze. Furthermore, Typinator 3.7 delivers further speed enhancements and increased compatibility with Mac OS X 10.6 and many applications like Mail, Safari, Google Chrome, SubEthaEdit, and Eudora.
• Tropical Software has announced TopXNotes 1.5, an update to its award-winning personal note manager for Macintosh. Version 1.5 has a completely modernized User Interface including a new, customizable toolbar, rewritten NoteOrganizer, two finger scrolling, new icons, and several more cosmetic improvements. TopXNotes allows people to create, collect, store, and retrieve all the bits and pieces of information they find themselves inundated with on a daily basis.
• CoLinkers, a new, groundbreaking Facebook application that allows people to enhance the way they network with friends, has just been launched and will soon be available in Facebook’s applications section. The new app offers a variety of useful features that allow Facebook users to easily update their work status, make job and personal recommendations for their friends, and give other professional feedback. Given the current global economic downturn and rising unemployment, CoLinkers believes that its new Facebook app offers out-of-work users a new platform for networking with friends in order to find new job opportunities.
• Digi Ronin Games has announced that Mary Kay Andrews: The Fixer Upper, a colorful and clever hidden object casual game for PC and Mac, is now available for download purchase from your favorite casual game portal. Based on The Fixer Upper by New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews, the game features a rich and engaging storyline that takes you from the high-powered intrigue of national politics to the small-town hilarity of home renovation. Along the way, you will delve into over 10 “mini-games”, based on more than 20 impeccably detailed scenes from the book, search for items and clues to reveal the smartly woven story, as well as meet fun and fleshed-out characters who will unveil key information and assign important tasks.
• Apparent Software has announced Cashculator 1.1, a major update to personal finance application for Mac OS X. Cashculator is a Mac way to track a cashflow. It is a different kind of personal finance application. Instead of focusing on the past and logging previous transactions, it focuses on future by forecasting your financial situation. It allows making better decisions regarding your personal finance or small business. Version 1.1 adds several much requested features.

iPhone/iPod

• Get rid of the high priced iTunes Music Store. Galatta Top 10 is an uniquely designed music streaming app which lets you hear and enjoy the latest Top 10 Telugu songs. The app gets dynamically updated using the latest online compilation of Top 10 Telugu Movie Songs and Internet Music listeners statistics from www.galatta.com. Galatta Top 10 users has no need to search the Internet for any Top Indian Music lists, since the app gets updated, automatically and regularly. Galatta Top 10 is available for other major Indian Languages such as Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.
• Gingers Labs, Inc. has announced three new versions of its advanced soundAMP hearing application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. The three new apps include: soundAMP Lite, the highest quality introductory hearing app available on the App Store today; soundAMP 2.0, which features the most advanced multi-band sound processor available in a low-cost consumer electronics device; and soundAMP R that combines the highest quality hearing device with a full-length recording feature. All three versions of soundAMP are available on Apple’s iTunes App Store today.
• Space Lama has introduced their first green postcard app, WorldCard. WorldCard is the first LBS postcard application. It uses the iPhone’s location feature to automatically find the user’s location and provide suitable postcard suggestions listed by the nearest city. WorldCard also provides the richest postcard selections of over 450 hot-sale photos from the world’s top 100 travel cities.
• PhatWare Corporation today releases WritePad German Edition 3.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. WritePad German Edition offers natural handwriting recognition input in the German language in addition to keyboard entry and integration with Bing Translation services. WritePad recognizes cursive, print, and mixed handwriting styles. To enter the text you can simply write with your finger on the iPhone screen in either landscape or portrait mode employing your own handwriting style.
• Brisk Mobile Inc. has released Fluffy Farm 1.0.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Fluffy Farm is a line-drawing game that keeps players hopping, offering fast-paced action that belies its gentle, innocent sounding name. Although the game concept is simple, it presents challenges that keep players on their toes and coming back for more Fluff wrangling. Keep Fluffs from running into each other and feed them. Once a user has grown them as large as possible, move them onto the conveyor belt.
• Ross Kimes has released Storm Spotter 1.0.3 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Storm Spotter is the only app that provides up to the minute weather data using multiple sources at the same time. It also allows for frame by frame radar animations and GPS positioning, showing a user’s location in relation to an oncoming storm. Developed by a storm chasing, meteorology major from the University of Oklahoma, Storm Spotter was programmed to provide the most complete weather coverage possible.
• Juan Pablo Re has released Doodle Puzzle 1.0.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. This new type of sliding puzzle is similar in basic concept to a Rubix cube but involves sequential numbering. Doodle Puzzle is played by sliding tiles into place making the fewest moves possible. With one hundred playing levels and five degrees of difficulty, Doodle Puzzle is the most unique and challenging app on the market these days, making it perfect for die-hard puzzle addicts.
• Matthew Lazar has released Stock Genie 1.0.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app breaks down the details of daily stocks and picks the best one, based on fifteen different criteria, to display for a user’s consideration. Stock Genie presents users with the single best pick of the day, along with pertinent information about that stock. Stock Genie has been tracked and found highly accurate and profitable by Tickerspy.
• Roze Development, LLC has released iDoggy 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The iDoggy application provides photos, as well as information about more than 150 dog breeds, including temperament, shedding characteristics, size and energy. iDoggy is a portable encyclopedia about dogs that helps owners choose the perfect breed for them and their family, right from their iDevices.
• In a move to support the iPhone developer community, Edovia and FutureTap announced they have open sourced their InAppSettingsKit framework. The framework allows iPhone developers to include settings in their apps maintaining the same user interface known from system Settings. An increasing number of iPhone apps use in-app settings instead or in addition to settings accessible via the System Settings app.
• Makeshift Games has announced Depict 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Depict is a free Pictionary-like drawing game that lets players compete with friends and strangers around the world. The drawer’s job is to draw something that will get everyone else to guess the correct word. Version 1.1 brings in-app purchases, enhanced moderation controls, and improved stability.
• PocketMac has announced RecoverMySmartphone, a new service that helps smartphone users save their digital life. Until now, when a smart phone was dropped in the toilet or otherwise damaged the only option was to throw it away, and all the data with it. RecoverMySmartphone recovers that data from damaged smartphones and makes it possible to transfer it to new ones. Over 500 makes and models of phone are supported.
• JAMF Enterprises, LLC has announced Houseplant 411 v1.1, an upgrade to its best-selling indoor houseplant consultant application for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Houseplant 411 is a simple yet powerful tool which can help diagnose plant problems and restore the health of indoor plants. Version 1.1 adds 20 new houseplants to its database bringing the total to 70. An entirely new section on plant propagation has been added and is appropriately linked to individual plant screens.
• Factory Media has announced the release of thirteen iPhone applications available for download from the iTunes 9 App Store. Factory Media’s strategic partnership with Pixels Mags means the estimated 50 million iPhone and iPod users in 77 countries worldwide will now be able to choose from action sports magazine Apps: Moto, Onboard, Dirt, Boards, Cooler, Dig BMX, Kingpin, Ride UK BMX, Sidewalk, Surf Europe, The Surfers Path, The Bicycle Buyer and Whitelines.
• Contact Plus Corporation has released Trumpet Pro and Trumpet Pro Lite for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Trumpet Pro was designed to help all levels of trumpet players master the craft of playing the trumpet. Trumpet Pro is a fingering practice app therefore the user has no need to tilt or blow into the iphone to make sounds. It enables trumpet players to master scales, intervals, chromatic exercises and difficult music passages.
• Carnation Software has released Say it & Mail it 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Say it & Mail it is the quickest and easiest way to email a voice memo to yourself or to others. This new version lets you ‘Shake it & Mail it’. You can optionally shake your iPhone or iPod touch to start and stop recording. Then just one tap to email a voice memo. Great way to send anyone a detailed email without using the keyboard. Emailed voice memos are compatible with Mac, PC and any other computer.
• Tagcrumbs, the Internet platform for sharing your favorite places, is now offering a free application for the iPhone and iPod touch. With Tagcrumbs, everyone can remember and recommend exciting locations to swim, dive and climb as well as famous landmarks, stunning viewpoints or remarkable architecture. Tagcrumbs is not a game with check-ins, but rather an application for travelers and place experts to create and present locations of their field of interest.
• SharedPlan Software, Inc has announced Prospector 1.1, their latest app for iPhone and iPod devices. Prospector works with people to manage the project of getting their next job. Finding job prospects isn’t the hardest part; working through them until a job offer is accepted is. Prospector helps untangle all the information on job prospects: job titles and salaries, companies and contacts, appointments and todos, and overall progress through interviews.
• All Art Media, Inc. has announced the launch of VegEZ for iPhone and iPod Touch. Created by Delicious TV, VegEZ features 50 of Delicious TVʼs newest and most popular recipes along with 32 companion videos that offer step-by-step instruction, meal variations, and practical tips along with ingredient lists for shopping, bookmarked favorites, and email links to share recipes with friends.
• Technical Made Easy has announced Stupid Points 1.0, a fun new game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Has someone around you said something so off the wall that you just couldn’t let it go? Well, Stupid Points lets you keep track of it so you can tease your friends and/or family about it later. Now you can keep a detailed “loser log” in your pocket at all times. While this fun little game is geared towards the younger teenage groups, adults can have fun with it too.
• Little Grey Media has announced an iPhone version of Vector Runner. Your goal is to survive for as long as you can. Your racer speeds down a 3D track in a groovy retro-styled world, accelerating to break-neck speeds that will have you on the edge of your seat in no time. Avoid the obstacles and EMP mines, and try to collect the power cubes for extra points, shield recharges, and temporary invincibility. You steer your racer by tapping on the sides of the device with your thumbs.
• You can tell a lot from a person’s voice…or can you? Who Said It? will challenge your ears and provide the perfect distraction while you’re supposed to be doing something worthwhile and constructive. It’s easy: Hit the ‘Play’ button, listen, guess the age and gender then hit ‘Submit’ to see how well you can read people just from hearing a ten second voice clip. Then, for even more fun, record your own voice, enter in your stats, and now you’re part of the world’s best voice recognition game!In addition, there’s a point and ranking system that will keep you coming back to put your skills up against the world’s.
• Snappy Touch has announced Flower Garden 2.1 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. The latest update of Flower Garden for the iPhone includes an in-app Flower Shop where users can buy more seed types, extra pots, new garden space, and even fertilizer! Additionally, a new seasonal seed pack, Seeds of Winter, is available with eight winter-themed seeds. Flower Garden is currently featured on the App Store as an Apple Staff Favorite.
• Ultrasone Inc. has announced the release of its latest special edition headphone: Edition 8 Palladium. Based off the design of the original Edition 8 headphone, these new special edition headphones incorporate lavish accoutrements to create the best sounding and most elegant pair of Ultrasone headphones to date. The Edition 8 Palladium is a luxurious black and silver closed-back headphone that employs Ultrasone’s latest S-Logic Plus technology, resulting in an impartial acoustic feeling that affords the listener the utmost spacious tonal perception.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

According to Wikipedia, Subversion, or SVN, is “a version-control system to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation.” A system such as this is extremely popular for software developers when they are working on projects so that they always have all the versions of their application, but it can also be used for projects and sharing files in general. I’ve found it to be extremely helpful when working with a group of people who all happen to be on the same local network (or even for personal use locally on a hard drive). Macs come with the back end of SVN installed, so you won’t need to worry about that. However, you will need to find a GUI to use with SVN if you aren’t a command line junkie, and that’s where SvnX comes in.

SvnX is a free application that allows Mac users to more easily alter and access SVN repositories (where your revisions are held) on a local network or even your own machine (click here to download it). While there are applications such as Versions that I’ve been told work extremely well and appear to have beautiful and easy interfaces, they can cost upwards of $50. SvnX is a great application to use before you make the plunge into one of these more expensive options in my opinion. Here’s how to get SVN set up on your Mac using SvnX.

First, you need to create a repository where you’ll be keeping your files. If you don’t already have one you’re trying to access, this can be done pretty easily through the Terminal.app on all Macs via a few commands.

1. Type the command “pico .bash_profile” - This will open a command line text editor and create a file to edit.
2. Type “export PATH=/opt/subversion/bin/:$PATH” into the file. Then hit Ctrl-X, the “y” key, and “Return” in that order to save the file.
3. Type “. .bash_profile” into the command line.
4. Finally, to create the repo, use “svnadmin create <repo_name>” where <repo_name> is whatever you want. This will create a folder in the directory you are in on the Terminal. So, for instance, if you want it on your desktop, type “cd Desktop” into the command line before this final command to change the directory.

Now that we have the repo set up, we can actually begin using SvnX to access and alter it. To do this, simply open SvnX.app and click the plus sign in the “Repositories” window. In here, enter a name by which to reference the repo as well as the URL of it (either the location of the folder you just made in the previous step or wherever your existing one was). You will also type your username and password here, although these may be simply left blank. Once the profile is created, you can double click it to try connecting to it. If all goes well, the files you may have already had will show up in the window, and you will be able to browse them. It will look a little like the screen shot below.

The whole point to creating a SVN repo, though, is being able to work on the files locally and then update (called commit) them back to the repo. If you successfully connected in the previous step, click the “SVN Checkout” button on the interface and then the location you want the local copies of the files to be. This path will then automatically show up in the “Working Copies” window, and the files on the server will be placed there for you to work on. For some people, the SVN repo and the working copies may be on the same drive if you just want to use the repo locally for yourself.  Note that these cannot be located in the same path because the repo has a special folder structure for it and is meant to keep revisions, not just the most recent copy. For instance, your paths may look similar to those below (note: this repo is on a local network hard drive, not my local drive):

As of now, you should have both a local copy of the files and access to the files in the repo. Now, you can simply begin working on the local files in the folder in the window “Working Copies.” Once you have edited one or more of the files here, double clicking the path in the SvnX interface will display a window listing the altered files. This is where you then commit (update) the changes to the repo as a new revision of the files for the other people who may be using it to see. To do so, you simply pick the altered files you want to commit, click “Add,” then click “Commit.” From here, you can add a message to go with the revision to keep track of what was changed from the previous revision.

These files will then show up as the most current in the repo, but all of the past revisions will also now be viewable in the “Repositories” detail window. And there you have it, you are now updating and keeping track of all your file revisions in a SVN repo. I’ve found this free application to work quite well once you get over the learning curve. While it isn’t the cleanest interface or easiest to use, it certainly gets the job done at the end of the day.

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 11, 2010:

Macintosh

• Ten One Design, LLC has announced its newest application for use with MacBook trackpads, Inklet. It provides professional graphic designers and beginner sketchers alike the opportunity to practice and fine-tune their artistic skills without the high costs associated with premium drawing tablets.

iPhone/iPod

• TextExpander touch, the iPhone version of SmileOnMyMac’s customizable typing shortcut tool, is now integrated in Twittelator Pro and Twittelator Free from Stone Design. Twittelator users can expand their TextExpander snippets while typing within the Twittelator app. The TextExpander touch Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows iPhone developers to integrate TextExpander functionality into their applications, consists of a free TextExpander engine library and sample code.
• Indie software developer Ricardo Batista has introduced True SMS - Life Saver 1.0, his new and unique texting auto-responder for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s touch interface, True SMS allows anyone to respond to SMS messages without having to type any text. By providing a pre-populated list of user-customized responses, the user can simply select a response from the list and click the Send Button to reply to any text message. Drive, Work and Play Safe.
• 3D Magic Kft. has launched their Promo Dispenser website, a unique and free service for iPhone developers to promote their apps and games by giving away promotional codes. It serves as a unique opportunity for users to get paid apps and games for free downloading them directly from iTunes. Since the launch of the website nearly 500 developers took the opportunity to register and promote their apps by giving away more, than 5000 promotional codes in a controlled environment.
• Little Guy Games has released Battle Blasters for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Battle Blasters is an original, arcade style, 1-on-1 fighting game where the guns are big and the battles are fierce. It’s the year 3042, and the ultimate form of entertainment is the Battle Blasters tournament, which pits the world’s best fighters against each other in gun-blasting death matches. Take control of a roster of futuristic combatants trained in the art of armed conflict. To succeed, you will need to determine your opponent’s fighting style, avoid his attacks and unleash your own devastating specials and combos.
• Alfredo Delli Bovi has announced Cosmetifique 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Cosmetifique will revolutionize the way of manage your cosmetics. Offering a simple and intuitive design, Cosmetifique shows you the quality of the INCI of your cosmetic products. When you look for ingredients Cosmetifique will show you bubbles of different colors that will enable you to check the danger of the ingredient. With Cosmetifique you will be able to share your products via mail, via Facebook or Twitter.
• iHome, a leading supplier of innovative iPhone/iPod speaker solutions, has announced that iHome+Sleep, a free app for the iPhone and iPod touch, is currently available for download on the iTunes App Store. iHome+Sleep is the first application for iPhone and iPod touch created by iHome, the makers of the industry’s first iPod docking alarm clock.
• The Realtor.com Real Estate Search iPhone app is a free application delivering the most comprehensive real estate search experience for on-the-go consumers. This feature-rich app makes it easy for buyers to get details on their ideal property, find it using the GPS feature, take pictures from their iPhone, save notes using the app’s Ratings and Notes feature, and then send a link to that property in real time via email, Twitter or Facebook to family, friends, or a Realtor.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 8, 2010:

Macintosh

• Everyone knows that backups are essential to protect against file corruption, hardware failure, and theft, but to go beyond the limited security of turning on Time Machine or copying a few files to a disc, Mac users can now turn to “Take Control of Easy Mac Backups,” by award-winning author and backup guru Joe Kissell.
• RadTech’s innovative and versatile OmniStand provides several important benefits for notebook computer users: an adjustable desktop and/or low counter stand, an ultra-efficient cooling aid that doesn’t require power or tie up a USB port, and a compact form-factor that can be stowed in most any computer sleeve, bag or pack.

iPhone/iPod

• One half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.1 For the millions of workers whose pain is caused by long hours seated at a computer, relief has finally arrived in the new Computer Relief (Computer Rx - YogaMD) iPhone app now available in the iTunes App Store
• To celebrate the new year—and as a way of introducing themselves to the tens of millions of new players getting iPhones and iPod touches over the holiday—Appy Entertainment is having a sale. For the weekend of January 8-10 only, all of their apps are only $0.99.
• Zidware, Inc. has announced Matheroids 1.0, their innovative educational app for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Matheroids was created by parents as an amazingly simple way for young children to learn basic number recognition and sequencing as they play their way through a hip space arcade game. It is part of their new Nanoschool Kids series of personal learning apps for children that will cover basic comprehension, math, science, geography, reading and more.
• WeBe, a computer mouse app for the iPhone or the iPod touch, lets you have all the functions of a normal Bluetooth mouse in your pocket. The screen of the iPhone or iPod touch serves as a trackpad.
• Joseph Collins has released Man Laws 1.4 for iPhone and iPod Touch. With a mixture of humor and familiar situations, Man Laws provides lots of unique and funny insights into the male psyche. The app offers to demystify some of the quirks of male behavior in a humorous way, helping men and women alike to better understand the sometimes zany, often unpredictable things that those of the masculine gender are prone to say and do. It’s as close to an instructional manual for men that there is.
• S&H Entertainment Localization has released The Roadie 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The Roadie must save the world from alien robots while avoiding an electrified wall that follows closely behind. This character driven game features fast-paced, non-stop action with an original heavy metal soundtrack for insanely addictive gameplay. To effectively rid the world of these alien pests, The Roadie must successful play his guitar in time to the app’s original heavy metal soundtrack.
• Deep Powder Software has released Grave Sites 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app offers the most comprehensive biography and grave site location information available in any app of its kind. In depth chronicling and GPS locating, along with flexible features, means an easy yet fully encompassing learning experience. The app provides detailed biographies of thousands of well known figures from both current times and history.
• JENS Ltd. has released Paradise TV 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. This application is the hottest thing to hit the market in recent memory, offering fifty top-quality video clips and one hundred photos of some of the sexiest, most gorgeous models in the world. Coming from JENS, developers of the steamiest apps available, users already know the product will surpass their expectations.
• Aero Visions International Inc. has released iHUD 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. iHUD is an application that turns an iDevice into an aerospace inspired mobile glass cockpit. The app offers a fun way to teach, see, and learn about how motion and force effects the vehicle they are riding in. With the iHUD application, an iPhone becomes a mobile visualization tool, depicting extraordinary graphics with a simulated horizon and features for relaying and displaying pertinent data.
• PatternBlox is a simple game of matching colours with objects. The objects in this case are amoebas. These are of different colours and are in blocks of different colours. The aim of the game is to match the correct coloured amoeba with the matching coloured block. You can swap places of two amoebas at a time by selecting them. It is not necessary that they have to be next to each other. So get clicking, swapping and matching!
• eComposite has released 321run 2.0 for iPhone devices. Version 2.0 adds a complete online experience, allowing users to share their runs and challenge others. The free website is directly connected to the app, allowing to easily share your run with others, instantly after you run. 321run is a focused app to track your runs and train yourself running, from beginner to intermediate and even expert levels.
• Independent software developer Steve Glinberg has announced the release of KidCalc Math Fun 1.10, the tenth update to his popular animated math flash cards and learning activities app for iPhone and iPod touch. This new version of KidCalc Math Fun adds Valentines Day themed graphics and Number Tracing. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities, KidCalc helps teach math to children, ages 3-8 years using holiday themed graphics, engaging animations and voice-overs.
• Happymagenta has released Spyglass 1.3, an update to their popular digital compass and HUD display for iPhone 3GS devices. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities, Spyglass turns any 3GS iPhone into a real-time digital spyglass and heads-up display with a live compass, GPS information, as well as tilt horizon - right over the live feed from the built-in camera or a map. Version 1.3 users can save pictures into the album, show location pin on a map, and much more.
• Etre Touchy would like to introduce you to this season’s new and improved range of gloves. Etre Touchy gloves are a fun way to keep your hands warm and dry while using mobile phones, music players, portable games systems, cameras and other electronic devices. Their missing thumb and index fingertips allow you to touch, tap, stroke, slide and pinch these devices’ displays in any way you desire.
• Life today is a hectic, stressful and mundane existence. We are all bogged down by our daily chores and find little or no time to relax. To help us make our lives better the Ojas Foundation has come up with a wonderful collection of mantras and chants. Listening to Ojas on your iPhone or iPod touch will definitely help make a difference to the chaos around us. The entire collection of 61 tracks is divided into six sections, each catering to an important aspect of human life.
• Creative firm FORM has released Abandoned 1.11, a niche, community-driven virtual tourism app for iPhone and iPod touch. Abandoned lets users explore, discover, and share abandoned locations across the United States. Currently in Apple’s Top 20 Paid Travel apps list, and recently featured in Apple’s “What’s Hot list,” Abandoned allows users to become armchair explorers of modern-day ruins, from empty asylums to shipwrecks under the Great Lakes.
• XCool Apps has announced iType2Go Pro 1.01, their revolutionary new app for iPhone and iPod touch devices. iType2Go Pro lets you see what’s in front of you and your surroundings while you type, walk and email. It puts the camera’s view directly beneath the message that you are composing, giving you enough visual aid to help avoid obstacles. iType2Go Pro also lets you update your Facebook and Twitter status from within the app.
• EuroSmartz has announced ClipPrinter 1.1.1, its latest printing application for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. ClipPrinter enables users to easily copy, print, transfer or save and categorize copied items from other iPhone or iPod Touch apps, or to an Apple Mac or Windows PC. EuroSmartz was the first company to bring the functionality of printing photos, contacts, email and more to the iPhone when it released Print n Share in February 2008.
• Random Support, LLC has announced NIOSH Chemical Hazards 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. The NIOSH Chemical Hazards app implements the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Safety from the CDC and NIOSH. In addition to offering the complete contents of the traditional Pocket Guide, it includes quickly accessible and fully searchable indexes by Chemical name, CAS Number, or RTECS Number as well as the ability to easily create a custom index containing the most frequently used reference chemicals.
• Quapps Interactive has announced Bunny Bang 1.0, their new game for iPhone and iPod touch. Bunny Bang is a fast paced action game that sees you solve codes in order to save Bunny. You have 60 seconds to solve the code and prevent the explosion. When you have selected numbers our number watcher will inform you if you have any correct numbers or if any are in the correct positions. It is then up to you to figure out the combination before time runs out and save the bunny from rabbit stew.
• Macsoftex has announced iTost 1.1, their collection of Russian toasts for iPhone and iPod touch. The Master toast or toaster is a key figure for any celebration. It was he, with toast, parables, and life histories who leads the table and creates a cheerful mood of celebration. In order to learn how to speak beautifully toasted, not necessarily be a philologist or a professional toast-master, to be observed.
• Independent software developer Alex Roberts has announced Mercury 2.0, a visually distinct weather application for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Get visual weather information wherever you find yourself in the world. With up to the minute temperature and conditions; forecasted temperatures; precise sunrise and sunset information; and user defined locations. Mercury gets out of your way with a clean and elegant interface, and shows you exactly what you need to know.
• Vuzix Corporation has unveiled a new line of eyewear accessories for its Wrap series of video eywear at this year’s 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show.  Accessories include the Wrap VGA Adapter, Wrap 6 Degrees-of-Freedom Tracker, Wrap Power Sled, Wrap CV Recharge Pack, Wrap Style Lens options and a Deluxe Carry Case. These new products transform the Wrap line into the first-ever pair of upgradeable video eyewear. These innovative upgrades offer consumers the ability to purchase a product that can adapt to a user’s specific needs.
• Monster and Beats by Dr. Dre have announced the official introduction of Diddy Beats, the latest addition to the hugely popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphone family from Monster. Created in conjunction with music entrepreneur and fashion icon Sean “Diddy” Combs, Diddy Beats integrate Dr. Dre’s incredible club-level bass, amazing clarity and sonic power into an elegant, sophisticated in-ear design. With their sleek black and silver chrome finish they look as great as they sound.
• Monster and Beats by Dr. Dre have announced a revolutionary new addition to their popular headphone family: Beats by Dr. Dre Spin Professional Headphones. A breakthrough in professional music listening and creative equipment, the Beats Spin headphones were developed through the collaborative efforts of legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre, Monster and Jimmy Iovine. The new over-ear Beats Spin headphones combine sophisticated construction and advanced sonic technologies to deliver the power, extra durability and sound isolation that until now has been lacking in professional headphones. Beats Spin headphones are tailored for use by working DJs, producers, engineers and musicians, both in the studio and onstage.
• Ph03nix New Media has launched the iPhone Game Rebate program, the first system that provides cash rewards to purchasers of iPhone games. The innovative new rebate program lets iPhone game publishers and developers reward their customers with cash incentives, while users can enjoy discounts of 50% or more on newly released games.
• Will Evans Apps has announced the release of StickMan Movies, a collection of short movie clips for iPhone and iPod Touch. In StickMan Movies, the popular StickMan figure undertakes a series of mini adventures, fighting sharks, robots and other stick figures.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 7, 2010:

Macintosh

• SpectorSoft Corporation has announced Spector Pro Mac 2010, the industry’s first and most comprehensive monitoring and surveillance software for the Mac platform. Three new Activity Recorders capture all online searches, programs run and files transferred, in addition to keystrokes, chats and instant messages, emails sent and received, and more. Spector Pro mac 2010 adds powerful blocking capabilities, keyword alerts, and an intelligent “Internet Lingo” translator.
• Just Mobile Ltd. has announced two new product members to help organize your work space and with style which complements the latest Mac computers.
  • Just Mobile Mtable is a solid stand, designed to let you slide a MacBook underneath and put a Cinema Display on top. You can also put an iMac or MacBook on it and store your keyboard below the Mtable. Made of 100% aluminum, it matches the metal finish on the Mac computers.
  • A tools design from Denmark, Just Mobile Alupad is a mouse pad with an anodized aluminum surface ensuring lasting durability with style. Alupad supports all optical mice for precise movements. The sleek design complements perfectly Mac desktops and laptops and also adds a clean and modern look to your work space. Non-slip feet keeps Alupad staying secure on your desk.

iPhone/iPod

• Avallon Alliance is starting the New Year with a worldwide launch of the game Car Troller. Car Troller is very simple yet addictive game built around controlling of traffic stream and aimed to make user’s reaction fast. The first iTunes users, who have already downloaded this game, appreciated it positively and called “one of the most addicting apps.”
• SpaceLama has announced two important changes to their photography app, SelfPhoto. First, they just release v2, which added face detection, a timer, and Facebook/e-mail integration. Second, SelfPhoto is now free for all users.
• Kuyi Mobile has released SOW 1.0.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The virtual garden app teaches the basics of planting and harvesting for profit, while bringing awareness to the Green Revolution. Users plant and tend their own gardens, track their revenues and learn how their planting impacts the planet. There are lots of tools, tips and a tutorial to assist in the growing process, so the application is good for any level of gardening experience a user may have.
• Sky Games LLC has released Total Blockout 1.2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Total Blockout offers stimulation, which helps to improve brain function through the use of strategy development within a fun game atmosphere. Logical and analytical skills are naturally enhanced while finding a polymino puzzle solution. Total Blockout can help children increase spatial attribute development, while teenagers will experience an advantage in logic and strategic learning from playing the game.
• Beigoma are small, cast-iron spinning tops that are spun in a game that has been played for many generations in Japan. i-Blade [iTunes App Store link] for iPhone and iPod touch is a simulation of this traditional Japanese game. It is easy to play, and you can get the opponent’s Beigoma if you win.
• JENS Ltd. has released Starz 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Starz pushes the limit in this app, providing the first near topless photos and videos ever approved by Apple. The application features fifty gorgeous women clad only in bikini bottoms, two stars and a contagious smile. Developers have made the Starz interface very easy to use, so no learning curve is necessary for operating the application.
• Smiley Cat Software has announced the latest release of its popular educational mathematical app—Math Seeq—and its free counterpart—Math Seeq lite. Math Seeq is an educational game that teaches you about mathematical sequences and series while having fun. You are told what the sequence will be and what the first number is. You must select the next correct number in the sequence from numbers that are moving around the screen.
• Notebook Press has released iPause 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. iPause is the first and only meditation labyrinth app in the iTunes store. Tracing the only path leading from the beginning to the end of the labyrinth gives users the opportunity to draw their minds away from daily chaos. Background music is optional, preferred by some to further help in reaching a state of relaxed calm. This app provides a choice of six different, beautiful labyrinth designs for their meditation.
• Michigan based Humble Daisy has unveiled SonicPics, which allows users to create and narrate custom photo slide shows on their iPhone or iPod Touch. SonicPics makes it easy to add images from the iPhone’s photo library or camera, arrange the photos however you would like and then record a voiceover narrating the images as you swipe through them. Once you are finished, you can create an enhanced m4v video with your images synchronized to your narration, complete with chapter markers.
• Titoo has released Droplets 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. While the game app is easy to play, users find that it is very difficult to put down. The simple interface means there’s no complicated learning curve, making it faster to become totally involved in trying to get the droplets to hit their correspondingly colored puddle. This app quickly becomes a fun and easy obsession. It has been tested and two-year-old approved for fun and learning.
• Intersect World LLC has released Sports Radio 3.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The already insanely popular app now offers users the freedom to work and play in other areas online while listening to their favorite sports channels. Sports fans can enjoy any of the hundreds of sports stations, regardless of what else they may be doing. This kind of customer centric service is helping the developers realize their goal of one million downloads in a year.
• Deep Powder Software has released Yo Mama 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Yo Mama is a calendar driven program that delivers a new Yo Mama joke to users’ iPhone or iPod Touch every single day. The app delivers fresh daily Yo Mama chuckles to iDevices, which can then be emailed or used as the perfect comeback in certain situations. The app’s many features make Yo Mama easy to use, as well as a source of daily entertainment.
• GO! GO! Rangers! is a strategy game in which monsters are defeated by handling the Hero, who is the member of Rangers. It is a tough game system for which the strategy side was considerably strengthened from the battle system of the J-RPG style. It’s turn-based, and the Hero and the Monster can act only once a turn, using movement and an action.
• Straandlooper Animation has announced what it believes to be a first today, the rollout of their exciting 52 part animated kids TV series Lifeboat Luke, as interactive games called “spotisodes.” Available for the iPhone and iPod Touch they will be released every Friday throughout the year on the iTunes App Store.
• IvySkin has announced its new line of peripherals for the Apple iPhone. The announcement comes on the first day of 2010 International CES Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Included in IvySkin’s new line of offerings are the Zappak, the SmartCase, the SmartCharger and the CardClip. IvySkin will show its full line of accessories and peripherals for the iPod, iPhone and Mac products at its booth # 4224 in the iLounge Pavilion.
• Every Day a Holiday, LLC has introduced Every Day a Holiday 1.0, their new holiday calendar and planner for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Every Day a Holiday features over one thousand unique and standard US holidays offering thousands of activities and resources that is sure to thrill children and captivate adults alike - all for less than the price of a movie ticket.
• Happymagenta has announced that its networking utility Scany, has ranked as the top selling networking app in the US iTunes Store. This state of the art and extremely powerful networking utility searches the Internet, LAN or any network range for connected hosts and devices, services they run and lots of other interesting info. Scany has been featured by Apple in the “What’s Hot” category and reached the Top 100 Paid Apps ranking in the US reaching the #6 position in the Utilities category.
• Looking for something different at CES this year? Then iWave has what you want. The company, which specializes in bringing glam and style to the lives of technology enthusiasts, will be launching four hot new Collections at the big show in Vegas this January: Grass Roots Collection, Urban Collection, Crystal Clear Collection and Audio Customs Collection—all featuring innovative design elements and aesthetic appeal to jazz up ordinary lifestyle electronic products.
• With its expansive new range of earphones, Sennheiser is taking music on the move to another level. Altogether the 22 new models, designed specifically for use with portable players, offer a first-class audio experience and the Sennheiser quality you have come to expect. Each set of headphones features fashion-forward designs to complement any taste.
• Invotrak has released Invotrak 2.0, a completely revamped version of its free invoice and timesheet tracking application for the iPhone. The Invotrak app connects to the Invotrak website and allows users to manage their complete billing cycle, from tracking project work to creating professional invoices, monitoring payments, and more. Professionals working remotely will especially appreciate the built-in timer to accurately record their project time.
• Case-mate has announced the launch of three new hero products for the brand: go Bare, the first solution-free protective film; I Make My Case, the first iPhone case do-it-yourself design tool; and Hug, the first charging pad to come out of the partnership with the Wireless Power Consortium.  All three products will be available in January 2010.
• Orbit Media, an innovative developer of social networking and mobile search applications for today’s most popular smart phones and portable devices, today announced that Orbit, the first cross-platform, cross-network, cross-device social phonebook application, is now available for download to the iPhone through the Apple App Store.
• IK Multimedia has announced the release of GrooveMaker Reggaeton, the latest application in the GrooveMaker range of remixing apps for the iPhone/iPod touch. This new style-based app allows anyone to create and share non-stop reggaeton tracks for remixing, multimedia and movie soundtrack compositions on the go, in real-time, just like a professional DJ or music producer.
• Smartphone application developer SplashData, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Iambic, Inc., a pioneer in the development of mobile productivity software. Iambic’s flagship application, Agendus, is an award-winning calendaring and time management solution for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS and Symbian devices.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 6, 2010:

Macintosh

• LaCie has announced the LaCie CooKey and LaCie WhizKey, designed by 5.5 Designers. The new USB flash keys are modeled after the award-winning LaCie iamaKey, which was recently issued a 2010 award by the internationally recognized Observeur du Design.
• Both Apple and Star Trek have very passionate fans. It turns out many of those passionate fans overlap, and love both Apple and Star Trek. The Digital Lifestyle is bringing them together in a weekly event called Star Trek Saturdays. Each Saturday, beginning January 16th, the site will post a full-length episode of Star Trek, starting with the first episode of the original series.
• Second Gear has announced the immediate availability of Today 2.0, the latest version of its popular calendaring application. Today makes it easy to get a one day snapshot view of your upcoming events and tasks in a compact window. No iCal required. Version 2.0 adds “Tomorrow’s” events plus global event and task creation capabilities. Today also features usability improvements, completely revamped UI, 64-bit Support.
• LaCie has unveiled LaCinema Mini HD, the all-in-one Wi-Fi High Definition media center. Its amazingly small and stylish design packs a big punch, bringing your HD movies, photos and music collections to your widescreen TV in full 1080p resolution. LaCinema Mini HD bridges the gap between the computer and entertainment worlds in full HD quality. Featuring built-in high-speed 802.11n Wi-Fi, LaCinema Mini HD brings a DLNA® media player and server to your home without wires.

iPhone/iPod

• The Oracle of Aveon Video Fortune Teller is a downloadable moblie application that provides whimsical fortune telling for the user. Similar to reading a daily horoscope, the user will consult the Oracle for a short and humorous fortune telling experience. The fortune telling software is based on the ancient Chinese divination system of the iChing and uses the characters, themes and artwork from Aveon, a media property wholly owned by Aveon Productions.
• Up-frontier, Inc. has announced The Celestial Railroad, a stunning new visual interpretation of a classic 20th-century tale from Japan. This 4K high-definition digital animation for the iPhone and iPod touch is available immediately from the Apple App Store. Kenji Miyazawa’s moving story about two friends on a beautiful yet unsettling journey through the Milky Way is presented by KAGAYA. This globally renowned digital artist is known for paintings of constellations and celestial fantasies as well as lyrical other-worldly scenes and striking compositional techniques. All of these strengths contribute to a captivating retelling of The Celestial Railroad in outline, an experience that is further enhanced by beautiful music from KAGAYA’s younger brother, Rei Kagaya.
• Assyria Game Studio has announced free, lite versions for their iPhone games Woolly the Jumper and Future Racer.
• Factory Media has announced the release of a video sharing application for the iPhone. The launch of Apple application for the market leading video and community platform MPORA expands its current 3.8 million monthly unique user base. An estimated 50-million iPhone and iPod users in 77 countries worldwide will now be able to watch over 25,000 extreme sports videos on the MPORA video app for free.
• ASC Software has announced Shoot On Sight Pro 1.0, their augmented reality shooting game for iPhone devices. Grab Shoot On Sight Pro and start shooting friends and foes without worrying about physically hurting them or paying for each shot fired. Each shot taken gets saved in iPhone’s image gallery allowing the user to share their exploits with the world. With an arsenal of weapons at their disposal and many configurable options, creativity is only limited by the user’s imagination.
• Software Ops has released My Eyes Only-Photo 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. My Eyes Only Photo is designed to secure your private photos by password protecting and encrypting photos. It uses 256 bit RSA encryption built into the iPhone and supported by Apple. Version 2.0 adds the ability to select any number of photos and send them in an MMS message, email, copy them to the clipboard, or move them to different folders.
• As iPod touch sales and adoption by children continues to increase, so does the need for reliable parent resources. Geared toward parents searching for the best kid-friendly apps, GiggleApps focuses on applications ranging from toddlers to teens, but also includes apps for parents and users of all ages. Children can grow with their new devices, by adding new apps to continue to challenge them educationally and to help them explore new interests, such as music, new languages, reading, and more.
• Excelltech Mobile has released Ringing Relief 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Ringing Relief lets tinnitus sufferers choose from one of many hum sounds which when listened to for 90 seconds should help cure persistent ringing. Ringing Relief serves to help concert goers should they forget their earplugs and others who encounter an unexpected noise that keeps their ears ringing.
• Readdle has announced ReaddleDocs 2.0, their revolutionary file manager, document reader and attachment viewer for the iPhone. ReaddleDocs 2.0 challenges standards of alternative document viewers with a new user interface and more than 100 new powerful features. PDF viewer that supports text reflow mode and embedded links, built-in text files editor, email browser that can access and save email attachments directly from the application are just a few to mention.
• Blue Lightning Labs has announced that their popular iPhone application Mathemagics has been selected as an App Classic. Dubbed as “The AppStore’s missing Hall of Fame”, App Classics calculates and selects the all-time most popular high quality apps available on the AppStore. Mathemagics, an application for learning to mentally calculate math problems at phenomenal speeds, has garnered outstanding reviews and continues to amaze users.
• Dramatic Applications has announced Pilates for Pregnancy 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch, based on the top rated Sarah Picot’s Prenatal Pilates DVD and her “Pilates and Pregnancy Workbook.” Pilates for Pregnancy acts as your own personal trainer for your commitment to stay in shape during pregnancy and prepare your body for labor and delivery. It also acts as your pregnancy coach guiding you with checklists and questions tailored to each trimester of pregnancy.
• Lilliput Labs Pty Ltd has announced WebPresenter 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. WebPresenter allows web developers and designers to demo their iPhone optimized websites running on an actual iPhone or iPod touch for the first time. Using the open VNC protocol, wirelessly connect your iPhone or iPod touch to a computer and stream the rendered website using the iPhone’s built in WebKit browser to that computer.
• Vision Smarts has released the pic2shop Web Integration Kit, a companion to their free barcode scanning application for iPhone devices. Developed specifically for online retailers, shopping portals and web developers alike, the pic2shop Web Integration Kit offers the ability for their online customers to lookup a product by simply scanning a barcode from an iPhone. Instantly access product information, read user reviews, or buy online, all in real time.
• iWave unveiled its new Audio Customs Collection at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. Inspired by the hottest graffiti artists in the country, this alternative Collection of iPhone/iPod cases, earbuds, headphones and speakers, offers a funky twist to ordinary electronics.
• TuneBug has unveiled a line of new products that will transform the current landscape for mobile speaker products.  Using NXT’s patented technology, Tunebug’s line of products generates sound waves that pass through the surfaces it rests on, turning those surfaces into speakers. One of the first sound generators from their line to be showcased includes the Shake, a small attachable device for bike, ski and skateboard helmets which create surround sound inside of the helmet by “exciting” the entire helmet surface which then becomes a speaker. Tunebug is also releasing the Vibe, an ultra portable SurfaceSound speaker for your desktop, tabletop, and other available surfaces.
• Technocel has announced their latest innovation, the Technocel Ear Vibe, the first stereo headset that vibrates to the beat of your music, providing you with the ultimate music listening accessory. The Ear Vibe will literally vibrate when your tunes hit the low frequency bass, taking your listening experience to the next level. It features high-fidelity stereo sound and includes a microphone for hands free voice calls for clear conversation and music. The Ear Vibe is compatible with most mobile phones that have music playing capability, as well as all mp3 players including the Apple iPod.
• Finger Physics is free to download today and today only. In case you’re not familiar, Finger Physics is an addictive puzzle game where you manipulate patterns of falling shapes to find a solution to the puzzle. Get it before you need to pay for it.
• Technocel has announced their latest line of cases for iPhone, Palm and BlackBerry users including Slider Skins, the Holster/Shield Combo and the Rib-Cage. Providing a stylish design that blends into your handset, these cases are currently available for MSRP $19.99 (Slider Skins), MSRP $39.99 (Holster/Shield Combo) and MSRP $29.99 (Rib-Cage Shields).
• WaveMachine Labs has announced Voice Band 1.0 for the iPhone. Voice Band turns your voice into a musical instrument, allowing you to create complete songs by simply singing a melody into your iPhone. A built-in recorder lets you create songs one instrument at a time. Voice Band works in real time as you sing, and includes ten instruments: two electric guitars, bass, saxophone, two synthesizers, organ and drums.
• Mobilize Faith, LLC has announced Bible Memory 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Bible Memory makes it easier and more fun to build Bible knowledge and memorize scripture. It solves many of the barriers associated with creating a daily, weekly or monthly practice of memorizing scripture. Bible Memory puts 250 categorized verses in four translations at users’ fingertips wherever and whenever they have a free moment for quiet study and reflection.
• Cignias has launched its free iPhone app, MusicNAO, and announced the general availability of its NAO Music System line of products, including NAO Symphony and NAO Symphony Noir. The NAO Music System offers listeners a dynamic, high-quality music solution that allows an iPhone or iPod touch to control and play music through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 5, 2010:

Macintosh

• AppZapper has announced AppZapper 2.0, “the uninstaller Apple forgot,” for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Mac users can quickly remove unwanted applications with a familiar drag and drop interface. Version 2.0 has increased ease of use and added long-term value with the new Hit List and My Apps features. My Apps turns applications you’ve purchased into an easily accessible trading-card style collection. Browse all installed applications using the handy new Hit List feature.
• Snarb.tk has released Everplay 1.0, the first sharp version of the successor to their popular iTunes controller Cover Stream. A light-weight, stand-alone media player, Everplay merges your iTunes music library with Last FM web and radio services. It lets you browse, search and play your iTunes playlists in one simple, carefully designed and easy-to-navigate Cover Flow window, listen to personalized radio and take full part of the social music community.
• Boinx Software has released BoinxTV 1.5, a major update to its live-video production software that turns a Mac into a TV studio. The new version is optimized for Multicore-Macs and offers improved stability and performance. The update is free for all current BoinxTV users. With BoinxTV, you can create stunning studio shows, podcasts, sports events, concerts, interviews, sermons, lectures, seminars and more, using your Mac and multiple cameras.
• Swann Security has announced its latest innovation in covert surveillance: PenCam Mini Video Camera & Recorder. Like its predecessors, the PenCam is an advanced all-in-one surveillance system that easily allows anyone to make their own hidden videos. Swann’s next generation PenCam Mini Video Camera & Recorder now shoots both video and still images in much higher resolution, so users can share quality AVI videos and still images on social media sites like Facebook, Youtube and MySpace.
• SmileOnMyMac has announced that TextExpander touch is now integrated in the apps Pocket Informant, GarageSale, NoteStuff and Auteureist. Users of these apps can expand their TextExpander snippets while typing within these apps. TextExpander touch is the iPhone version of SmileOnMyMac’s customizable typing shortcut tool. To celebrate the integration, TextExpander touch is on sale for 60% off until through January 12, 2010.

iPhone/iPod

• Up-frontier, Inc. has announced ITALY 1985-1990 and FLANDRE 1996-1997, two photo books for the iPhone and iPod touch. Naomi Kawakami is one of Japan’s top commercial photo portrait artists, the photographer of such cultural icons as Quentin Tarantino, John Lurie, Jim Jarmusch, Bryan Ferry, Charlie Watts, Philip Glass, David Bowie, Van Dyke Parks, Serge Gainsbourg, Michael Nyman, Julee Cruise, Sylvie Vartan and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The list goes on…
• nuTsie has announced immediate availability of Effin Genius, an iPhone app that streams unlimited new music based on the songs on the user’s iPhone or iPod. Effin Genius quickly learns about the music on an iPod or iPhone and then creates and plays new playlists based on the music already on the device.  The new playlists are generated by nuTsie’s unique recommendation engine that taps into billions of pieces of data nuTsie has collected from iTunes libraries over the last three years. 
• Talky clock is a useful clock that announces the time in the robot voice. It also features an alarm, 12/24 hour display switching, English and Japanese voices, 5 colors, and a sleep function (screen brightness adjustment).
• Apress has announced iPhone Design Award-Winning Projects, their latest book about building apps with good design, parsimonious code, and aesthetic appeal. Learn hard-won lessons straight from the 2009 winners of the Apple Design Awards for the iPhone. Directly from a series of interviews with the leading developers of ubiquitous iPhone apps such as Tweetie, Facebook, Topple 2, foursquare, AccuTerra, Exit Strategy NYC Subway Map, Postage, Wooden Labyrinth 3D, Prowl, Instapaper, and more.
• SiVola, LLC has announced iGift4u 2.3 for iPhone and iPod touch. iGift4u enables individuals and businesses to easily build their iPhone presence, advertise on the iPhone and benefit from the virality of social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The application lets users share multimedia content such as virtual gifts, videos, quotes, and pictures. iGift4u has been recently nominated in the Top 10 Social Networking applications for the 2009 Best App Ever Awards.
• Cramzy has announced Ananga Ranga 1.0, their new kamasutra app for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Originally created each position in Ananga Ranga was represented by beautiful and detailed 3D models. Ananga Ranga represents 50 of the best sex positions, each of them tested and rated by a member of Cramzy’s core team. For each posture, one can see three angles of the position, informative description and rating. The rating can be easily changed when one tries the posture him or herself.
• ASD Soft Company has announced Masha and the Bear, a new cartoon series for iPhone. Laugh at the interesting adventures of a naughty little girl Masha and her friend the Bear and watch the beautiful old story in a new adaptation. The series tries to introduce eternal truths to a child in a clear and entertaining way, to present the world in its diversity and to reveal positive features of any situation.
• ASD Soft Company has announced Zoo lines 1.0, a new version of the well-known puzzle game Lines for iPhone and iPod touch. This interesting addictive game consists of 25 levels with amazing pictures of animals. Your aim is to clean the field from balls forming lines or some other chosen figures and to open pictures. Balls of different color and new types make the game more challenging and exciting.
• TimeStream Software has released the new Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Notescast, turning iPod Classics and nanos into eReaders.  Now, for the first time ever, iPod users can read 12 classic tales of mystery on their iPod legacy device wherever they go and whenever they want. This new Notescast is the perfect story for introducing people to the idea that their iPod is a powerful new eReader.
• TimeStream Software has announced a new Application Store for the iPod Classic, iPod Video and iPod nano. Now, what the App Store is to the iPhone, Notescasts is to the iPod legacy devices. Notescasts is a digital download store which allows anyone to develop and post their own Notescasts or download a Notescast to their iPod from a growing selection of free and inexpensive titles.
• There are many games people play on Facebook, MySpace and other social platforms, but once they quit, the social network the fun is over. A new cross-network massively multiplayer online game—Urban War—works with a single user account across all platforms, so users can play it on Facebook, on MySpace, on the web, and even on their iPhone, and the progress is tracked and saved. Moreover, Urban War is free to play but there’s still a possibility to buy different things to accelerate the progress.
• PhatWare Corporation has announced PhatNotes 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. PhatNotes is the first notes organizer to offer natural handwriting recognition input in addition to keyboard entry as well as full synchronization with PhatNotes Desktop software. Version 1.1 offers the ability to transfer multiple notes between separate databases via clipboard. It also includes an improved search in the List View, and numerous improvements in the PhatNotes text editor.
• From the makers of Skee-Ball and Flick Fishing comes the classic arcade basketball game! The officially licensed NBA Hotshot features true 3D graphics, realistic physics, and addictive gameplay in both timed and un-timed modes. Sink baskets to fill up your prize meter and then claim team balls from each of the NBA teams. Freeverse has gathered all of its technology to re-create this classic coin-op game. Full-motion graphics, true physics and Local networking with up to five players. Online achievements and leader boards are provided by the Plus+ system for more depth and let you compete against friends and the world.
• Technocel has announced the Technocel PowerPak XT and PowerPak DUO; two portable battery and home charger all-in-one solutions. Both new versions feature larger batteries than their prior model and the PowerPak DUO will feature dual USB ports. These powerful recharging solutions will replace all your chargers with a single universal solution that will safely power your USB devices at home, in the car, at the airport, or anywhere else. The PowerPak XT will be available for MSRP of $49.99 and the PowerPak DUO will be available for MSRP of $59.99 at Technocel.com on January 31, 2010.
• Indie developer Marcus Roskosch has announced Quotes and sayings 1.03 for iPhone and iPod touch. Quotes and sayings features thousands of English quotes from hundreds of authors around the world. Impress friends and relatives just by asking if they know what Abraham Lincoln said about being rich or what Barack Obama recently said about bureaucracy. Using full text search it is possible to search for people or even for quotes.
• PressOK Entertainment has launched updates for both the Free and Full versions of Finger Physics, the addictive, finger-pleasing puzzle game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. With the second update, PressOK has given fans a total of 45 new levels for the Full version, and 18 for the Free version in less than a month.
• IDAPT, a Spanish company specializing in mobile energy technology, is announcing its portable charging systems product line for 2010. The three models in the IDAPT line—i4, i3, and i2—will be showcased at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. IDAPT charging stations bring a complete and affordable solution to consumers with multiple mobile devices that each have unique charging cords. Its simple interchangeable tips system allows users to charge up to four devices at once without the mess of four different tangled wires, or the need for more than one outlet plug. 

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for January 4, 2010:

Macintosh

• XChange UK and ThePowerXChange have announced a new promotion starting January 4th, 2010, that offers users a free Xdata for QuarkXPress with their purchase of QuarkXPress 8 full versions or upgrades. Users save and can utilize Xdata for any type of database publishing, achieving immediate return on investment with the first use. Additionally, Quark have extended their popular QuarkXPress 8 “Buy One Get One Free”.
• Bitnotic has announced Bitnotic Chill 1.5, a major upgrade to its ambient music soundtrack software for Mac OS X. Bitnotic chill combines music theory, probability, and an artist’s ear to play an endless stream of unique songs. The style of music can be described as ambient, New Age, electronica, or minimalist. While chill’s music is random, users shape the style using the provided controls. Version 1.5 offers improvements throughout the program and new features such as a drum track, and more.
• Designed for the Wacom Intuos4 and Bamboo ranges, the be.ez LA robe Tablet range of sleeves provides ultimate protection in a contemporary and sleek design.  Ideal for the mobile user, the be.ez sleeve keeps the Wacom tablet secure, scratch free and accessible at all times. Designed in black with a contrasting green interior, the be.ez LA robe Tablet range is made from a high quality, soft and lightweight low resilience polyurethance shape-memory foam (LRPu).  The sleeve is 5mm thick, adding very little bulk or weight when carrying the tablet around.  It features an inner lip for storing the pen and pen tips to avoid misplacing them or causing any damage to the tablet.  The sleeves can be carried alone or neatly tucked away in a bag to ensure ultimate protection from knocks, dust and scratches. 

iPhone/iPod

• ReBounce is the first title from Romper Games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Gain style points and create massive chains in this iarcade game that matches your skill against gravity and growing columns of marbles. Simple controls allow anyone to interact directly with the world. Use your finger to take control and drag-release the puck in any direction to add speed and easily move around the screen.
• On December 29th, version 2.0 of Space Invaders Infinity Gene for iPhone/iPod touch was released to the App Store. While Taito has done some minor tweaking in the past, this free update adds a considerable number of new features. The game is now OpenFeint-compatible (with leaderboards and achievements), and offers new levels with alternate boss enemies. The Music Stage feature has been upgraded with a rating system allowing players to share song recommendations with friends.
• Appnoose has announced a one week sale on its Apple Staff Favorites and Financial Times featured Health and Fitness App ITGO - Interval Trainer GO. ITGO is an Interval Trainer for the iPhone and iPod Touch which has been designed to make weight loss easier and more exciting by automating cardiovascular Interval Training changes with visual, audio and vibration alerts. ITGO offers dual music playlists that switch fast and slow songs or podcasts with interval changes.
• Byte Squared has announced the release of Doc2 3.0, an update to its word processor application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Doc2 now includes support for the Microsoft Word .doc format and integration with Google Docs. Doc2 features easy character and paragraph formatting, copy and paste, with up to 100 levels of undo/redo. There is support for tables, as well as images. Auto-correction and auto-completion and searching of text within documents is also included.
• Izatt has announced it is offering the full version of MileBug for 50% off as a New Year Sale. To start off the new year right for tracking miles and expenses, Izatt is offering MileBug at a substantial discount through January 15th. Version 1.5 has arrived with great new features such as Frequent Trips and Expense Tracking. MileBug helps those driving their own vehicles for business, charity, medical, or other reasons receive their reimbursement and/or tax deduction.
• Doc² is a Microsoft Word compatible word processor for the iPhone and iPod Touch that provides formatted text editing, including character and paragraph formatting, undo/redo and auto-correction/auto-completion. It also includes the ability to insert images and tables (something neither Docs to go, nor QuickOffice provides). Developers Byte² believe this word processor now sets the bar for Microsoft Word compatible word processors.
• Mastertronic has just released Postman Pat for the iPhone. Based on the popular series aimed pre-school kids, since its first screening on BBC1 in 1981, the series has remained a firm favourite and is currently airing on CBeebies channel. Embark on a journey full of fun and surprises with Postman Pat and his black and white cat Jess, as they deliver the mail in the valley of Greendale and encounter numerous adventures along the way.
• Holmenkollen Ski Jump 2 is now available for iPhone and iPod touch. This is a follow-up to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump flash game, launched december 2006, which was played more than 25 million times in its first two months online. In the current release, the online highscore has been deactivated. It will be activated in an upcoming release.
• Super Happy Fun Fun has announced the release of their latest touch-screen title, Star*Burst for iPhone and iPod touch. Star*Burst is a new generation of match-three puzzle gameplay, designed by the creator of popular 90s arcade game KLAX. With Star*Burst, Super Happy Fun Fun serves up a clever combination of engaging, fast-paced action, classic puzzle heritage and fresh social features, complete with dazzling 3D graphics, animations and effects.
• 99games has released Create a Mall for iPhone and iPod touch. Create a Mallputs you in the shoes of Kelly, who is out to change the world, one mall at a time. Help Kelly build a chain of amazing shopping malls across different cities and turn her into a mall-building magnate. Use your shopper’s instinct to make the right decisions on which stores to set up. Next, upgrade these stores to increase the popularity of your mall. Think ahead to manage the labor and resources on each level. It’s your job to make the cash registers go ka-ching!
• Beiz Ltd. has released Lola’s Flag Adventure 1.0, their first children’s flag game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Lola’s Flag Adventure features high-quality voice guidance, easy-to-use interface and thoroughly designed panda graphics. It includes two games: a memory game for children who cannot read yet, and flag trivia for older children. The game provides fun and challenge both for preschoolers and junior school children.
• The Second Annual Best App Ever Awards nominees have now been announced and the voting is open. Sponsored by 148Apps, this is the second annual competition is the iPhone OS Application achievement awards to recognize the best iPhone apps and games in the iTunes App Store in 2009. The goal is to help publicize the very best apps available, not just the best-selling apps.
• IPhoideas has announced the release of Dirty Message; write on a dirty rear car window get away whit it. Express yourself and share your creations. Dirty Message lets you create cool messages and drawings just as if you were drawing on a dirty rear car window. Take your dirt car canvas everywhere and share your creations with only one tap by posting on your social network.
• Spielhaus has released their latest update for Today Todo Pro, an unusual task management app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Today approaches the crowded segment of productivity apps with a fresh take on usability. Designed with the strict policy of “fewest taps possible” in mind, Today uses the built-in tilt sensor of the device to speed up entering tasks. Following this philosophy the user navigates through the app by interacting with the main design element: the sun.
• iPhone developer Nor Eagle has announced Farting Boobs 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch, an application they claim will redefine the platform. Farting Boobs successfully combines two of the most popular tasks in one single pleasant to use interface.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 31, 2009:

Macintosh

• Indie software developer Patrick Stein has introduced JollysFastVNC 1.0, his powerful new ARD and VNC client for Mac OS X. Perfect for IT managers, web developers and casual users alike, JollysFastVNC was developed from the ground up utilizing the latest Cocoa technologies. It organizes the most useful features within an elegant user-interface that is powerful, intuitive and quick to work with. JollysFastVNC is very fast, and aims to be the best and most secure VNC client on the Mac platform.

iPhone/iPod

• Surprise family and friends this holiday season by sending a colorful greeting card—personalized with your own voice—right from the iPhone. Greet, the iPhone Greeting app has been developed by Texas-based Impiger Technologies, who specialize in Mobile Applications for the global market. Users can choose from a colorful range of 63 cards for different occasions. Be it for Christmas, New Year, Birthdays, Anniversaries or Valentine’s Day. iPhone users can scribble personal messages on the ecards, record wishes in their own voice, and mail them out. One can even respond to emails with a ‘thank you” ecard.
• Giovannini Simone has announced Enigmo! 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Enigmo! is a new iphone application in where you can test your intelligence. Solve the many riddles divided in the 3 categories: logic, mathematic and various. Train your mind or challenge your friends and show them who’s the smartest. No constraints of time, no classification is only available to your head to prove a real Einstein or a dummy.
• Every year, getting organized is one of the top New Year’s resolutions made. Daze End Software is offering Listmaker and Action Lists as the way to get things done. Listmaker is a general purpose list manager offering a clean, minimalist feel that keeps it easy to use. Action Lists helps you keep your project and context lists, as well as an Inbox where you can place quick notes until you can sort through them later.
• Hungry Animals is a fun-filled arcade style game where the objective is to feed the falling food to one of three animals as the speed gradually increases. It is highly entertaining and addictive, with players competing to see who lasts the longest and gets a higher score.
• Zattikka has announced the launch of a new game for the iPhone and iPod touch—Phantom Mansion: The Orange Library—the second episode in the critically acclaimed Phantom Mansion: Spectrum of Souls series. In Phantom Mansion: The Orange Library, players take on the role of Hector the Spectre Detector and must make their way through 26 levels of challenging puzzles in a creepy haunted mansion. Using crates, switches and keys, players will need to retrieve all the skulls whilst avoiding collapsing floors, zombies, skeletons and the dreaded void.
• bitCycle has announced Drunkalizer 1.0, their entertaining sobriety checker for iPhone devices. Using the iPhone’s built-in microphone, record your friend’s voices and play them back through Drunkalizer’s revolutionary anti-sobriety filtering to hear what they’ll sound like when they’ve had a few. Drunkalizer is not a scientifically proven sobriety check, nor a portable breathalyzer. However Drunkalizer is great fun and perfect for New Year’s parties everywhere.
• TallyZoo, the easiest way to track, visualize, and share the important data in your life, is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch. It syncs with TallyZoo.com, and many users are using it to track new years resolutions—habits that they want to track or change next year.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 30, 2009:

Macintosh

• Ambrosia Software has announced the release of Soundboard 1.0.5. Like cart machines in broadcast radio studios, Soundboard lets users map sound effects, audio clips, or musical accompaniment to keys on the Mac keyboard, easily triggered with a single tap. Soundboard answers the needs of podcasters and broadcasters everywhere looking for an elegant way to instantly incorporate sound clips into their live performances, or to quickly and efficiently use onboard audio to create custom musical mashups.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced the release of ArtOptimizer 2.3.1, an update to its workflow automation solution for Adobe Illustrator. ArtOptimizer allows to reduce Illustrator job size and speed up processing by eliminating excess image data and performing essential image adjustments. The software lets users save gigabytes of disk space, accelerate file output and cut costs through faster processing. The new version addresses a critical issue related to image processing.
• Uniea has put together a New Year’s promotion at the last minute. The code is “newyear” and it is good for 20% off on any purchase in the online Uniea store. The offer is valid From 1/1 to 1/3 only and is valid worldwide.

iPhone/iPod

• Pocket Organ C3B3 is a musical keyboard application for iPhone/iPod touch that simulates the Hammond Organ. The sound is generated with the synthesis of the waveforms from “Virtual Tonewheel System” controlled by 9 drawbars like the actual Hammond Organ. You will be surprised at the real sound generated from this App! Pocket Organ C3B3 is a Hammond Organ in your pocket.
• Atrium Designs LLC has released Pocket Girlfriend version 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app’s updated features make it the perfect, interactive lady friend. Pocket Girlfriend is portable, customizable and even sexier than before. Additionally, the new version makes it possible to add voice recordings to the Pocket Girlfriend list of assets. Pocket Girlfriend has been rated the number one top paid entertainment app in five countries.
• Spiked Bat Productions Inc. has released Bobble Boxers 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The game places hilarious bobble head characters with their own special fighting moves into boxing matches against each other or human players. The app’s unique multi-player functionality allows users to pit their chosen Bobble Boxer against another player’s for hours of addictive fun. Each one has their own special signature fighting moves to use during a bout.
• PureBlend Software has released TuTuneMe 1.0, a unique, highly customizable, gesture-based music player app for iPhone and iPod touch users. Optimized to make listening in the car more convenient, safe, and fun. From a distance, the app’s interface is easy to see and use. Intuitive gestures play/pause music, switch songs/playlists, adjust volume, and much more. TuTuneMe users can customize the app’s gesture actions and visual themes.
• Quadion Touch has announced the release of Rune Trails 1.0, a fresh and entertaining puzzle for iPhone and iPod touch. Rune Trails is a challenging brain teaser that will just keep you coming back for more. The goal of the game is really simple: Rely on wits and strategy to stay alive as long as you can. Intuitive and very easy to learn, Rune Trails features simple yet challenging gameplay that is extremely addictive and fun.
• Matrix Knowledge Management Pty Ltd has announced the V Phone 1.0, an app that lets iPhone users make VoIP calls and send SMS messages over the internet. As well as the ability to make VoIP calls, the V Phone has the distinct advantage over its competitors of being able to send text messages using your VoIP Provider. The iPhone mobile voip app integrates with your phone’s contacts making it easier for users to make a call or send a text message.
• 288 Vroom LLC has released 100 Horror Stories And Sounds 1.0, a slick new eBook reader and sound effects player for iPhone and iPod touch. There are 100 great horror short stories, novellas, and full-length novels, possibly the largest horror collection in a stand alone app. 20 high-quality, eerie sounds of storms, screams, ghostly music, and things that go bump in the night set the perfect mood for a good horror story. Perfect for the horror fan in everyone.
• David Ross Software has announced Uni Sudoku 1.3, one of the most highly rated Sudoku apps for iPhone and iPod Touch. Enjoy 10,000 puzzles of five different difficulties or enter puzzles from your favorite game book, newspaper or website to solve. Version 1.3 offers subtle refinements and improved graphics to the game. You can now flip the device 180 degrees for left-handed controls. There is also a new option for darker pencil marks, and much more.
• The folks at Creative:Interactive, Inc. love baseball and they love the Sox. Join them in counting down the days until their own Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees at Fenway Park during the season opener on April 10, 2010. This iPhone app will be a hit with Red Sox fans counting the days until spring training and opening day arrive. The app also features a slideshow of 10 great photos of Fenway Park and some of our favorite players. Half the net proceeds from the sale of the app will be donated to the Red Sox Foundation.
• Vitaliy Pronkin has announced availability of FingerDancer 1.4 for iPhone and iPod Touch. FingerDancer is unique simple yet addictive fast paced multitouch game. The goal of the game is to touch colored circles continuously appearing and disappearing on the screen. The update introduces several difficulty modes and game levels, OpenFeint integration, gameplay and UI improvements, support for iPhone OS 2.2.1
• CMG Research Ltd has announced Sudoku Grab 1.7.4, an update to their popular application for iPhone and iPod touch. Sudoku Grab uses image processing techniques to locate the puzzle in the camera view and then applies OCR to identify the digits of the puzzle. The user can then “grab” the puzzle and store it in their puzzle book. This update adds an Augmented Reality mode where the solution to the Sudoku puzzle is superimposed on top of the live camera feed.
• Scosche Industries has announced its 2010 iPod/iPhone accessory lineup. The new lineup will feature a variety of products that complement the various iPod and iPhone models, enabling Scosche customers to Listen, Power, Protect, and Connect.
• One app development company thinks friends should tell friends about an App Store holiday sale that will make their new iPhone or iPod touch a true file-sharing device – for 30 to 40 percent less. For a limited time this holiday season, Avatron Software has “slashed” the prices of its two acclaimed productivity apps: Air Sharing is 40 percent off, or $2.99, and Air Sharing Pro is 30 percent off, or $6.99.
• Braineo is a simple game with virtually no learning curve…and it’s free. In Braineo, you are shown an image for a limited amount of time and then it flips over (disappears) so several multiple-choice questions can be asked about the image. The questions start out easy and get harder as time goes on. It’s fun and easy because every answer is shown to you, but you soon find out that sometimes it is hard to recall details you just saw (unless you are that Mentalist guy on that popular TV show).

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 29, 2009:

Macintosh

• Welcome to Macintosh will make its exclusive North American television premiere on CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, on Monday, January 4th at 9:30 PM ET. Welcome to Macintosh is an independent documentary highlighting Apple Inc’s history and fan following. The documentary was recently made available on the iTunes movie store where it reached the top 10 in documentary sales and rentals.
• Yazsoft has released a major new update to ShareTool. Developed for Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, ShareTool is an award winning utility that lets you connect to all of the Bonjour services on your home or office network from anywhere in the world securely over a 100% SSH encrypted connection. This includes iTunes Music Sharing, Screen Sharing, File Sharing, printing, and much more. No configuration. No complication. No server or technical skills required. Just a mouse click.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced a New Year Sale with 20% discount on everything in Zevrix online store. The offer is valid from December 28 to January 4 and applies to both single products and bundles. Zevrix produces such popular InDesign plug-ins as LinkOptimizer and BatchOutput, as well as solutions for graphic files checkup, PDF workflow automation and digital delivery.
• Safeguard your laptop and other gear inside the rugged STM Convoy. Features a concealed laptop compartment and a suspended foam cell to fully protect your laptop on all sides. It comes loaded with utility pockets and compartments with plenty of space for peripherals, books, folders and accessories. Convoy’s ergonomic harness system makes a heavy load completely manageable.
• TranslateIt! Team has announced a 50% off sale on TranslateIt! till 10th January 2010. TranslateIt! allows you to look up words on the fly. Just hover the pointer over an unfamiliar word and see its translation in a pop-up window. TranslateIt! offers several methods: translation from clipboard, drag-and-drop translation, manual input of queries in the main window, and double-click translation of words in dictionary entries displayed in the main window.

iPhone/iPod

• Godzilab Games has announced the release of the first content update of iBlast Moki. It was approved in just 5 days; a record. They added 15 bonus levels with completely new graphics, a new doodleland world with its own Plus+ leaderboard, a major redesign of the editor with a new intuitive manipulation interface, a tool to dress your own levels with the vegetation used in game, improved tutorial in Mokiland, bug fixes, and perfomance improvements.
• Pocket Watch Software has announced ActivePrint 7.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. devices. With ActivePrint you can now print to any printer that your PC can print to over your Wi-Fi network or over the internet using your iPhone’s EDGE or 3G network. Print photos from the photo album or device’s camera, contents of the clipboard, contacts from the address book, web pages, and much more. ActivePrintoffers support for practically any printer available in the market.
• Cloudburst Research today released AutoStitch 2.0 for iPhone devices. AutoStitch creates high-resolution images of up to 20 megapixels using the iPhone’s own camera, and allows iPhone users to create poster-quality images that can exceed those from even expensive dedicated cameras. This extraordinary resolution is achieved by a fully automated approach for seamlessly stitching together multiple images taken from a single location.
• 24x7digital has announced Aw Craps! 1.6, a major update to their popular casino game for iPhone and iPod Touch. With its realistic table layout, game play, stick calls and dice rolling, Aw Craps! takes you onto the casino floor and into the action, allowing seasoned shooters to hone their skills, as well as allowing beginners to learn enough to hit the casino tables. Version 1.6 offers many enhancements, including a new 3D animated, full table rolling mode and much more.
• code.aplus has announced Quickie 1.0, a brand new to-do application for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Quickie is a breath of fresh air in the crowded field of Productivity applications. Featuring a beautiful interface and audio cues, Quickie offers simplicity and ease-of-use and is perfect to quickly type-in any kind of list, for just about anything that needs to be written down quickly, in 30 seconds or less.
• Random Ideas has announced the release of iZen Garden 2, a new version of its award-winning relaxation app for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. iZen Garden is a beautiful and detailed Zen Garden simulator that helps you center your mind, relax your psyche, and relieve your stress. This version adds dozens of new features, including a meditation timer, more placeable objects, more sound tracks, and the ability to share your Zen with your friends and family.
• ThinkFAST, Inc. has released Geek Logik for iPhone and iPod Touch. Wouldn’t it be great if there were clear-cut answers to all of life’s questions. Based on the bestselling book by Garth Sundem, Geek Logik harnesses the awesome powers of math and humor to open a massive can of whoopass on uncertainty. Simply set sliders to answer humorous questions and Geek Logik runs the numbers and kicks out an answer. Perfect for the geek in your life.
• Apress has released More iPhone 3 Development: Tackling iPhone SDK 3, their latest book digging deeper into Apple’s SDK. Authors Dave Mark and Jeff LaMarche cover topics like Core Data, peer-to-peer networking using GameKit and network streams, working with data from the web, MapKit, in-application e-mail, concurrent programming, and debugging applications.
• Tapunited has announced My Town Contacts 1.0 for iPhone devices. My Town Contacts is a new contact management app with One-Tap-Dialing that gathers in one place all the numbers and information you need to feel safe, secure, and totally together. The ones that could save your life and the ones you love. My Town Contacts makes your life easier by prompting you to add in information on your town: for the library, town hall, schools, local pharmacy, and your favorite restaurants and stores.
• Izatt has announced the release of MatchTunes 1.0, its 41st app for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. MatchTunes is the game of matching song clips from the user’s own iTunes library. Choose to match on music clip, song, album, or artist. Select the genre of music to play with or select all to draw from across all genres on the iPhone. Play a 2-player game to challenge others. Players can submit their best scores via OpenFeint to prove to the world they know their music.
• Stephen Covey, author of the best-seller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Jennifer Colosimo, chief learning officer at FranklinCovey Co., have launched the app to help people find career fulfillment in these tough economic times. The app is a companion to their newly released book, Great Work, Great Career: How to Create Your Ultimate Job and Make an Extraordinary Contribution. (It can be used in conjunction with the book or alone.)
• The iPod Classic, nano and Video now join the Kindle and nook as eReaders with Notescasts. iPod owners are downloading Notescasts from a growing list of titles covering a broad range of topics, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Top 10 Yosemite Hikes, a Guide to Glacier National Park, Cycling Guides, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Secrets, Disneyland Guide and more.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 28, 2009:

Macintosh

• Final Cut Studio, Adobe and Avid editors and digital filmmakers from around the world will gather together for the Ninth Annual San Francisco SuperMeet, to be held on Friday, February 5, 2010 at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, CA. Free educational workshops will be offered during the day by Canon, Adobe, Autodesk and Red Giant. Bay Area filmmakers will have a chance to screen content in the SuperMeet Digital Showcase featuring over 30 software and hardware developers.
• Apparent Corporation has certified Barcode Producer, its award-winning barcode generation software for Mac OS X and Windows, as ready for 2010 barcode industry standards, including GS1 DataBar requirements for coupons. Barcode Producer 5.7, released today, updates the software’s integrated Symbology Guide and documentation for the new year’s standards. Apparent’s unparalleled experience in the barcode industry offers its customers a complete range of products and solutions.
• Houdah Software has announced HoudahSpot 2.6, an update to their acclaimed Spotlight front-end for Mac OS X Leopard. With HoudahSpot, users may create detailed queries to pinpoint the exact file they want to get to. With its all-in-one interface, results are shown next to the search query. Version 2.6 brings many subtle enhancements. This is a recommended update for all Leopard and Snow Leopard users.
• Mariner Software can’t thank everyone personally for supporting them this past year, but they can have one last blowout on all the software products featured in their online store. It’s their way of saying thanks. Happy Holidays from Mariner Software.

iPhone/iPod

• Mac and White has announced Pingi 1.0, its latest isometric Slap’em Up game for iPhone and iPod touch. Take control of a noble penguin on the noblest of quests. Defend the spirit of Christmas by defeating every evil penguin trying to steal Santa’s gifts. Pingi can be upgraded at the end of each level with numerous options. Make Pingi healthier, quicker, stronger, or make him throw powerful Snowballs to make him a formidable Protector of the Gift Pile. Don’t disappoint Santa!
• CAZE has released INITIAL, a new and unique Swarovski case for iPhone 3G/3GS. CAZE believes that iPhone users should have a choice to personlize their cases so they artfully handcrafted Swarovski iPhone case in 26 Distinctive, Exclusive Swarovski Letter Designs. CAZE used Zero 5, the World’s Thinnest transparent iPhone case for crystal embellishment, so the INITIAL crystal case has the thinnest possible wall-thickness and can fully protect the chrome edges and corners of an iPhone.
• Excited Pixel has released Chirp Flow 1.0, its free, real time Twitter app for iPhone and iPod touch. Utilizing Twitter’s real time streaming API, Chirp Flow can be used to get real time updates at conferences, concerts, protests, meetings and any other event. Chirp Flow allows users to engage in a conversation that, when spoken, might be disruptive if articulated acoustically.
• Freeverse has announced that NBA Hotshot for the iPhone and iPod touch will be available soon on the iTunes App Store. NBA Hotshot is an officially licensed, casual pick-up-and-play arcade experience that incorporates the responsive and authentic flick-based shooting controls from Freeverse’s hit Skee-Ball.
• Charlie’s Games has announced their 2 for 1 Holiday Special offer. Until the first of January 2010 gamers can get Charlie’s Games two latest releases, Irukandji and Bullet Candy Perfect for a donation. What’s more, you can also opt to send the games to a friend. Irukandji is a fun score attack shoot-em-up, set in an abstract underwater trench. Bullet Candy Perfect is a fun shoot-em-up game, with sharp, super smooth 3D graphics and a cool techno soundtrack.
• Izatt has announced the release of MileBug 1.5, the latest update to its flagship app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. In response to customer feedback, version 1.5 comes with great new features such as Frequent Trips and Expense Tracking. MileBug helps those driving their own vehicles for business, charity, medical, or other reasons receive their reimbursement and/or tax deduction. Track your miles, get your deduction!
• The Prometheus Institute has introduced Do-It-Yourself Democracy, an iPhone app that allows any California resident to interact with all three levels of government—federal, state and local—to help solve city pollution, graffiti, police corruption, potential environmental hazards and much more.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 24, 2009:

Macintosh

• Digital Rebellion LLC has announced FCP Versioner, a utility to automatically back up Final Cut Pro projects in XML format and generate changelogs to show modifications between revisions. FCP Versioner is an essential tool in managing Final Cut Pro projects, providing feedback to producers and ensuring that projects are safely backed up in case of disaster. Versioner also offers a wealth of options for managing backups to ensure they don’t consume too much disk space.
• Playrix Entertainment has made its first published title—Elementals: The Magic Key—available for the Apple Macintosh line of personal computers. In Elementals: The Magic Key, players plunge into the world of magic and mystery inhabited by elementals. Their mission is to help Albert, a young magician, restore the Key of Eiron and save the unique world of elementals by solving puzzles, hunting for hidden items and winning board battles.
• Opcoders has released GraphicDesignerToolbox 1.3.0, a free update to their powerful Mac OS X graphics editor. It provides adjustable building blocks which allows for extensive tweaking and re-use. Perfect for web designers that need to compose seamless tiling textures, trim pixels, prepare thumbnails and add shadows, plus much more. The big task of adding help to all building blocks is now completed, more than 120 pages with illustrations have been written.
• MacFriendly has announced their Bundle of 12 applications for Mac users will end this December 29, 2009. Available for only a limited time, the bundle represents a savings of over 85% off the list prices. The bundle includes the latest version of each application. Additionally, one bonus applications will be added to the bundle for all customers when 750 bundles have been sold. The MacFriendly Bundle provides an unprecedented selection of high quality software at unprecedented low prices.

iPhone/iPod

• Australian application developer Syncode has released Syncopy—a productivity application for the Mac, iPhone and iPod touch, created to help users unify their clipboard. Syncopy securely transmits your clipboard between the Mac, iPhone and iPod touch.
• Musician’s Little Helper is a little application that allows the user to create a random set of notes in various scales and play and edit them. Useful if you need a little inspiration.
• Suponix has announced iRoach 2.0, an arcade game for iPhone and iPod Touch. iRoach is a funny game with superior graphics of cockroaches and other insects. When you squash them, see them torn into pieces with insides flowing out. Besides new insects to hunt for, the game has brand new Christmas interface and game graphics. The game utilizes the iPhone’s touch screen interface and brings excellent gaming experience. A new version of the game is rated highly by players.
• SeeItWithUs has announced Video Zoom 1.0 for iPhone 3GS devices. Digital zoom for iPhone 3GS Camcorder is a feature requested by millions of 3GS users is finally on the App Store. It’s the first digital zoom solution for iPhone’s camcorder. While there have been several apps on the app store which enabled digital zoom functionality on the iPhone’s still camera, a similar feature for the 3GS video camera was much awaited.
• App Cubby and Honeywell Consumer Products Group have announced the release of Gas Cubby by FRAM, a free, sponsored version of App Cubby’s critically acclaimed iPhone app Gas Cubby. All iPhone and iPod Touch owners can download the app and use it to optimize fuel economy and better maintain their vehicle. With a focus on ease-of-use, Gas Cubby by FRAM supports multiple vehicles, and offers excellent charts for miles-per-gallon, gas price, gas expenses, as well as service expenses.
• IK Multimedia has announced the release of a new application for the iPhone/iPod Touch: GrooveMaker Reggae. This new style-based app allows anyone to create and share non-stop reggae tracks for remixing, multimedia and movie soundtrack compositions on the go, in real-time, just like a professional DJ or music producer.
• Daze End Software has announced Listmaker 1.2, a new version of their list manager for the iPhone and iPod touch. Listmaker is a simple tool for storing and organizing user-created lists. Major features include support for nested sublists and web synchronization. This new version adds often requested features such as searching, and the ability to create lists from the contents of the iPhone’s clipboard.
• Daze End Software has released Action Lists 2.2, a new version of their task manager for the iPhone and iPod touch. Action Lists is designed specifically for the popular Getting Things Done methodology created by David Allen. Action Lists has many GTD-specific features. Version 2.2 adds user requested features like searching and the ability to create tasks from the contents of the iPhone’s clipboard.
• The Sherlock Holmes Quiz app is now on the App Store. This is a quiz of your detective knowledge. The game has four challenging levels and each level covers questions on Sherlock Holmes’ day to day life, mysteries, villains, and all those wonderful films with the great duo. The aim is to finish the final level and become an all-knowing fan.
• The Movie Buff app is now on the App Store. Who stared in Sherlock Holmes, Who directed Star Wars? Too easy for you? Not to worry, Movie Buff will test you to the limit…was it Eva Gardner or Susan Hayward in Mogambo? Movie Buff is a fun Movie quiz and with over 2,000 questions it promises hours of entertainment. This is a race against time to get those tricky questions right. The more you answer correctly, the more time you get. So, if you were really good, you will get the longest quiz. Not only that, Movie Buff figures out what is your favourite movie genre, as well. You might be surprised!
• Sulaba, Inc. has announced Journal Diary 1.1.4 for iPhone and iPod touch. Journal Diary lets you record your memories, thoughts, ideas and special events with not just written words but with voice recordings, pictures, and emotions as well. Journal Diary can also be customized for password protection with its handy Vault. Keep discreet information like bank account numbers, logins etc in a safe. The main features are divided into 5 modules and the help section provides tips for their usage.
• Sulaba, Inc. has announced PMP Cheat Sheet 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. The PMP Cheat Sheet features a concise set of project management processes, formulas, terminologies and notes used for quick reference. It can be used as a memory refreshing tool by a seasoned Project management professional or as a simple, basic and brief instruction set for accomplishing a specific task by a novice Project manager.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 23, 2009:

Macintosh

• File transfer specialists Pro2col have demonstrated their commitment to the Mac marketplace with the release of a new, Snow Leopard compatible client application for Hermstedt’s StingRay File Transfer Appliance. In addition, June 2009 saw the release of Hermstedt StingRay on an improved, more robust 1U hardware platform. Early 2010 will see the release of StingRay 2.6, incorporating a host of new features and functionality designed to further simplify and streamline large file transfer.
• Green & Slimy Software has announced that it will be offering preorders for Thoughts, their upcoming note taking application for Mac OS X due to be released in January 2010. As part of the preorder users will receive two applications for free: Yum, a recipe manager, and Family, a genealogy application to create family trees. As a further bonus all customers who blog or tweet about the bundle will receive the batch image editor ResizeMe for free as well.
• baKno has announced baKno Solitaire, a stylish new game for Mac and Windows. baKno Solitaire is a collection of the most popular solitaire games, with beautiful handcrafted card sets that are showcased and controlled in a 3D view with easy manipulation, board rotation and zoom. It includes some all-time favorites, such as Klondike, Freecell, Spider, Cruel and Canfield. Gamers can choose from five different card sets.
• Independent developer Joshua Garnham has released Spark, a powerful light-weight to-do and note taking app exclusively for Mac. Spark is an astoundingly light-weight to-do app, incorporating an ‘Apple’ style interface to fit in with your other Apple apps. Spark is an easy to use app and perfect for reminders. Spark has already received a great welcome into the Mac world by a number of websites that have reviewed it. Spark will also sync automatically with iCal when any tasks in Spark change.

iPhone/iPod

• BubbleFly is a game of skill and finesse of balance and breath. With skills you never knew you had, challenge yourself and others to see who can bubble fly the best. Bubble Fly is one of those apps that appeals to all ages by challenging players to use both the accelerometer and microphone in game play. Players blow up bubbles and then guide them towards targets with the iPhone/iPod Touch accelerometer.
• Tapstic has released Heroes Battle 2.0 in different versions (Free, 200, 500, 1500, 3500) on the AppStore. Heroes Battle is an MMORPG that rely on a strategic battle concept addressed to a large public. You can battle your friends, family, coworkers and world players in this epic online multiplayer game as you compete to be the most powerful or trendy heroic force of your community. Start out as a simple human and work your way up to become the new urban hero/villain of the world with your own unique appearance.
• Hot Chili Apps has announced Attack! Mad Bunnies 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Attack! Mad Bunnies is a big fun shooting game that utilizes the iPhone’s features for the worldwide hunt for a bunch of bunnies gone crazy. Due to a technical flaw in a chemical factory viruses were released into a nearby river. They have turned cute little bunny-wunnies into fearsome rabbits terrorizing mankind globaly. All players to arms for a heroic fight against these rabbits in order to save mankind.
• MadSharkGames has announced FingerStone 1.0, their new puzzle game for iPhone and iPod Touch. The FingerStone goal is to collect all of the diamonds by sliding the stone to unlock the exit in each level. The game starts simple and quickly progress to levels that require your brain to work. FingerStone is offer a wealth of very well designed puzzles all wrapped around one simple mechanic. The game introduces new elements as you go along to either help or hinder you.
• Polar Bear Farm has announced ShowTime 2.0 for the original iPhone and 3G devices. ShowTime records video at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels at a frame rate of 6 frames per second; twice that of popular existing video recorders on the App Store. 16-Bit audio is recorded at 22.05kHz sample rate. The video is compressed using Motion JPEG file format, which can be played back on all major computer platforms. Video recordings can be emailed from the phone.
• Independent game developer Glenn Corpes has announced Ground Effect 1.1, an update to his hover racing title developed exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Ground Effect is a silky smooth arcade racer which is unique, simple, fast and set on the smoothest and most detailed landscape yet seen on this platform. Ground Effect has received a very warm reception from gamers and reviewers and been deemed “Hot” as well as “New and Noteworthy” by Apple since its release on November 5.
• Order Mapper, Inc. has announced that the 1.2 update to their Order Pizza iPhone app is ready and available for download. The new version of the app, which allows users to order pizza from virtually any pizzeria in seconds, boasts improved search results with more local pizzerias, and built-in map functionality that shows where the pizza’s coming from.
• Orbital v1.2 introduces the new mode, Supernova, which incorporates the most requested features as determined by a fan poll. The new shot mechanism allows you to pinpoint your orb placement by touching, dragging the laser guide, and releasing to shoot. The most requested feature update was chain reactions; so now orbs can explode nearby orbs and players earn bonuses for pulling off chain reactions.
• SouthPeak Games has announced the arrival of Schrödinger’s Rat for the iPhone and iPod touch. In Schrödinger’s Rat, players must guide a chalk ball through mazes full of items like quantum fur balls, disappearing walls, and mercury pools, which may help or hinder their efforts. There are 117 mazes in the game, each a test of an element on the periodic table.
• Faber Acoustical, LLC has announced that SignalScope Pro 1.2 is available for download on the iTunes App Store. SignalScope Pro 1.2 includes all the functionality of SoundMeter, the original sound level meter app for iPhone. Updates to SignalScope and SoundMeter are also now available for download. SignalScope Pro turns an iPhone or iPod touch device into a hand-held dynamic signal analysis tool, with support for 1/3-octave real-time spectral analysis.
• Viaden Media has announced Strip Poker 1.0, a new online poker application for iPhone and iPod touch. The solution is a technologies-based application for enabling iPhone and iPod Touch users play Texas Hold’em and 5 card Draw poker with an illusion of a real life play. The main zest of the game is having beautiful girls as game opponents. 6 variants of the Strip Poker application are currently available for iPhone gamblers. 3 versions with limited functionality can be downloaded for free.
• Habit Changer, the first online source of programs that give participants the tools to make positive and lasting life changes, has announced it has released its second iPhone application, Habit Changer: Feeding Your Kids. The free iPhone app shows parents the steps they need to become aware of bad eating habits and encourage their children to choose and eat healthier foods on their own.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 22, 2009:

Macintosh

• Ambrosia Software, Inc. has announced the release of WireTap Anywhere 1.0.6, the professional audio routing and mixing tool for Mac OS X. This updated version is free to all registered users of WireTap Anywhere 1.0.x, providing fixes and enhancements. With WireTap Anywhere, any program that produces audio can appear as an audio input device, allowing you to record or process it in any other application that can record from a microphone or other audio input device.
• Vemedio published the new version 1.5 of Snowtape today. Snowtape is the missing iTunes recording function. The pleasure of online-radio is brought onto the desktop, and users can record the transmission. Song information such as title, artist, and album cover are automatically sought out on the internet. The recordings can be processed later and directly transmitted to iTunes.
• Macvide has announced VideoFlash Converter 3.1, an update to their video to Flash conversion utility for Mac OS X. VideoFlash Converter allows conversion of QuickTime compatible video files to Adobe Flash. All of the most popular formats are supported, and helps bridge the gap between many video standards. VideoFlash Converter offers an easy-to-use interface that guides the user through the conversion process.
• ProteMac has announced ProteMac Meter 3.4, an update to their network Activity monitor and network traffic logger utility for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, ProteMac Meter allows control network activity for every application on your Mac, showing you exactly what was transmitted and to where. ProteMac Meter provides real-time processes monitoring and shows the history of every network activity.
• Indie developer Jendrik Bertram has announced iFlicks 1.2, an update to his popular video management utility for Mac OS X. Featuring a natural, easy-to-use interface, iFlicks will import video files into iTunes to play in iTunes, Front Row, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV. Easily import video collections into iTunes and categorize them with a variety of information, such as title, episode, director, cast, genre, and much more. Version 1.2 offers improved conversion speed and adds a rule system.
• Paramount Digital Entertainment, Bad Robot Interactive, CBS Consumer Products and Naked Sky Entertainment have announced that the Star Trek: D-A-C video game is now available to Mac users for download via TransGaming Inc.‘s GameTreeOnline.com digital distribution platform in North America. Star Trek: D-A-C is a fast-paced, top-down space shooter where up to 12 players can compete in intergalactic battles between Starfleet and the Romulan Empire.

iPhone/iPod

• The 2009 Best App Ever Awards nomination period is quickly drawing to a close. The awards team has been tracking the leaders in each of the 56 categories. With less than two weeks to go in the nomination process for the 2009 Best App Ever Awards, the 148Apps team is proud to present the top nominees in all open categories. All app nominations must be submitted online at the Best App Ever site through December 31, 2009.
• Thor, Freeverse’s newest side-scrolling action game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, is available to download now on the iTunes App Store. Throughout the game from Icelandic developer On the Rocks, players battle as the title character, guiding him through four different worlds, tapping and swiping through enemies and obstacles. The worlds take users through six earth, four ice and three air based levels to gather energy orbs, lightning bolts, and special items to power Thor’s hammer Mjolnir.
• A new version of Flower Garden and Flower Garden Free has been approved with the most significant update since its original launch back in April. The Flower Shop provides in-app purchases for more seed types, extra pots, new garden space, and even fertilizer! More seeds and pots has been the most-requested feature by fans for many months.
• JENS Ltd. has released Top 100 Video 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app consists of 100 sizzling hot videos of glamorous lingerie, swimwear and bikini models, all strutting their stuff. With fifty minutes of playtime, this app is gaining popularity right out of the iTunes gate. There are one hundred gorgeous models in the Top 100 Video app, all of whom love to be filmed in action.
• Mooee Company Limited has introduced PIN Locker 1.1, their new utility to store multilingual passwords and important information on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed specifically to handle multi-lingual customers who require a multilingual customization for their information and passwords needs, this simple App fits that need perfectly. The ultra flexible customization is a plus for users who want to make sure their information look exactly as they want.
• Blood’NGuns is a hardcore dual thumb zombie shooter with a large arsenal of weaponry and power ups for slaughtering the enemy, with up to 80 zombies attacking you on screen at the same time. Dynamically generated arenas and 6 nonlinear sandbox game play modes will keep you challenged indefinitely. Did they mention lots and lots of blood?
• LateNiteSoft has announced Sketches 2.0, an update of the popular drawing app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Sketches allows users to easily jot down their notes and scribble their thoughts using their fingers, illustrating their ideas with colourful diagramas, notes and sketches. Version 2.0 sports an innovative UI and a host of new and advanced features, while keeping the ease of use of the classic application.
• Russell Wilson has released Mahjong Wall 1.0, a new game for the iPhone and iPod touch. Mahjong Wall was designed for shorter periods of cell phone play while still offering more mystery, strategy, and challenge than other mahjong tile games. Gameplay includes building the Great Wall by removing matching free pairs of tiles, changing Season tiles and using Special Moves to free blocked tiles, and completing the Wall by deducing the Joker’s mystery partner.
• Opt-6 Products has released Five Square 1.0, a brand new card game for iPhone and iPod touch. Written for the iPhone platform, Five Square is a single-player solitaire card game which adds an element of strategy. The interface for playing the game is intuitive and streamlined. With a beautiful set of custom-drawn cards and well-placed sound effects, users have said that the application is a pleasure to use.
• EcoSnoop for iPhone and iPod Touch has been released. EcoSnoop blends environmental activism and responsibility with social networking. Then backs it up with the power of the iPhone’s easy access camera and GPS tagging capabilities to create a new tool that is both easy to use. While EcoSnoop has its roots in the iPhone, a back end website is available for viewing cases as well. Integration with Facebook and Twitter will allow cases to gather awareness even quicker within communities.
• Vision Smarts has announced pic2shop 3.0, a major update to their free comparison shopping utility for iPhone devices. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, pic2shop is a state-of-the-art barcode scanner. As easy as snapping a picture of a barcode, instantly make a purchase in the store, or buy online, all in real time. Quickly access online product information for informed purchase decisions, online reviews and much more.
• infiniteNIL has updated Numerology, its numerology application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Numerology 1.8 uses the Facebook Connect API to add the ability to publish reports to the user’s Facebook wall, and to quickly import data from their Facebook friends. A free lite version limited to 2 profiles is also available. Numerology is an application that helps you use the ancient science of numerology to gain insight into yourself and other people. It’s a great icebreaker for parties as well.
• nFinity has announced the launch of its new and free EZ iPhone Ringtones service designed to give iPhone users a quick and easy way to create quality custom iPhone ringtones. With EZ iPhone Ringtones, iPhone owners can now produce quality ringtones simply by recording songs from their own music libraries, recording ambient sounds and sound effects from the world around as well as, recording greetings of friends and family.
• Sigster, LLC has announced the release of Urban War for the iPhone and iPod Touch, the first true cross-platform social game that offers users a full-fledged in-game social network with a single account across multiple platforms including Facebook, Myspace, and UrbanWar.com. The consistency across multiple platforms and devices combined with a simpler user interface makes it extremely convenient and easy to navigate, but almost impossible to quit. Urban War is a fast paced strategic role-playing game that will challenge your instincts to exist in a world laid to waste by greed and violence.
• Kabuki Vision has released NoteMaster 3.0, an update to their popular note-taking app for iPhone and iPod Touch. NoteMaster makes it easy to create great-looking notes by inserting images, photos, and headers right inside the text. Fonts and backgrounds can be selected for each note for a customized look. Version 3.0 adds the ability to customize notes with a choice of stunning backgrounds.
• Psychoz Interactive has announced its first iPhone/iPod touch title: Dead Strike. Fight your way through a sprawling 3D, zombie-infested city as four survivors attempt to stop an outbreak of the living dead. The creation of an antidote depends on the group delivering a sample of the deadly virus to a hospital on the other side of the city. But as the foursome’s grim fight for survival continues, it becomes apparent that there’s more to the virus than anyone thought possible. As the group are systematically hunted by these abominations of nature, they soon discover that these cannibalistic monsters aren’t as mindless as they look.
• Turing Studios has released FuturesLive 1.0 for the iPhone, a state-of-the-art finance app with powerful features for future and commodity traders. It comes packed with an extensive set of tools, such as quotes, charts and news that will surely satisfy the demands of any trader. It provides an intuitive interface to keep track of hundreds of pre-loaded future contracts available on the major futures exchanges.
• Pagehand has announced the release of LaunchCodes 1.0, an application that restores the creator code functionality that Apple dropped with OS X 10.6. With LaunchCodes, Snow Leopard users can once again double-click on files and have them open in the application that created them, rather than a default application determined by the file extension. LaunchCodes adds an icon to the menu bar that allows users to enable or disable creator-code-launching at any time.
• Stone Design has released Twittelator Pro and Twittelator Free, new versions of its top-selling iPhone Twitter client. Featuring full landscape mode, tweet your playing song and album art, DM conversation mode to see conversation between you and another, pull down compose to see tweet you’re replying to, update bio & photo, geotagged tweets show pin to get map, drag down to refresh, find people by name, hashtags defined, email whole list of tweets, plus many fixes and stability enhancements.
• Panasonic has released a new shaver iPhone application designed to help you find the perfect beard and stash for this holiday season. The Beard Buster [iTunes App Store link] iPhone application is designed to help males sculpt the best look for their face.  Of course to help you in the quest for perfect facial hair, the iPhone application features Panasonic’s Multi-Flex Wet/Dry Shaver.
• Hot Chili Apps has announced Heart Buttons 1.0, the latest app lending the iPhone a very personal touch. Good friends and dear relatives will be represented by a customized icon in the address book and one can get in touch directly by hitting the heart icon. Phone calls, emails and texts are becoming a lot easier, faster and much more sincere. Heart templates are available in different designs, from romantic to funny or crazy.
• Zidware, Inc. has announced Pinball Wizard! 1.0, their highly awaited changeable iPhone game. Inspired by flashy American-made pinball machines found in arcades during the 1970’s, Pinball Wizard! features movable or changeable playfield parts, allowing players to flip on their customized games. Pinball Wizard! truly captures the arcade experience allowing you to compete or post your high scores locally or globally via the Wizard leaderboard. Be careful not to TILT.
• SpongeBob Jellyfish Jam is an application for the iPhone and iPod touch which consists of three fully-fledged mini-games: “Bubble Bongos,” “Jellyfish Groove” and “Let’s Rock!” Players dive into the world of Bikini Bottom and groove their way through the exciting and varied levels of the three mini-games, which help to train players’ musical abilities as well as their sense of rhythm and reaction in a playful way. Players can gauge their skills against friends and other SpongeBob fans all over the world by posting their high scores on Facebook.
• Critical Thought Games and Imangi Studios have announced that the first free update to their electrifying collaboration, geoSpark, is available on the App Store. geoSpark 1.1 brings a slew of improvements to the addictive, fast-paced puzzle game.
• Hooked In Motion has announced that iCollect Movies has reached #33 in the Reference category in just a matter of 4 days. iCollect Movies is a UPC barcode scanning application for iPhone and iPod Touch. The app is cataloging movies from users at an incredible rate, with over 3000 new UPC barcodes with pictures and information being added to the central database daily, and increasing.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 21, 2009:

Macintosh

• Insider Software has released Smasher 1.8 with Snow Leopard Compatibility. Smasher assures proper font operation in Mac OS X and creative and business applications such as Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and QuarkXPress. Users can preempt cache corruption and prevent font problems with two clicks in Smasher’s set-and-forget interface. Smasher fixes common font problems such as garbled text, erroneous font substitutions, font-related crashes and much more.
• iSkysoft Studio has released the updated DVD Burning Software, DVD Creator 2.0 for Mac, which enables users to experience enough freedom to burn almost any popular video formats into DVD Disc, DVD Folder, ISO File, or .dvdmedia according to user’s real needs, while providing several options like trim, crop, add watermark or special effects to edit the video.
• GroupSmarts, LLC has announced MemoryMiner 2.0, a major update to their award-winning Digital Storytelling solution for Mac OS X. A fantastic complement to the iLife suite, MemoryMiner lets anyone zero in on the stories depicted in their photos by linking them to each other based on people, places and time. Using simple drag and drop actions, users can specify who is in the picture, where it was taken, when, and most importantly, what’s going on.
• Bookshelf Apps has announced SongBook Mac 2.0 for Mac OS X. SongBook Mac is an application for controlling network music streamers from Hi-Fi manafacturers such as Linn, Naim, Digital Fidelity, T A and many others. Browsing network music collections is quick and simple with SongBook. Three views are provided, a Listing view, an Album Art view, and CoverFlow navigation. Users can filter music using the seach box, and build up a playlist using drag and drop or with the Shuffle function.
• Tellini has announced Tablatures 1.21, the first and only Mac OS X editor for PowerTab tablatures. It is an essential tool for guitar players wishing to learn new songs as well for trainers. Tablatures offers advanced playback - follow the playback on screen, loop over selected parts, slow the tempo down for practice sessions. Export tablatures in MIDI format for playback or use in other applications. Version 1.21 adds an option to change the size of chord names.
• Jumsoft has expanded its Goodies bundle, a collection of applications and designs available from its Web site free of charge. The company boosted its highly popular set with ten holiday-themed stationery templates for Apple Mail and a whole line of add-ons for various Web site creation tools. It includes varied themes for Keynote, as well as an assortment of Keynote objects that offer users an ever-expanding variety of designs for their business and personal needs.
• Mac-Chi has announced WhoPaste 4.1, an update to their powerful contact utility. WhoPaste is a powerful front-end utility for Apple’s Address Book, Marketcircle’s Daylite, Google’s Contacts, and Microsoft’s Entourage. WhoPaste creates contact records directly from web pages, emails, text documents and spreadsheets with a single keystroke. Version 4.1 provides for assigning computed Daylite values, introduces two new modes of operation, and significantly enhances the extraction process.

iPhone/iPod

• Technical Made Easy has announced Vital Records 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Now anyone can easily get information for any location in the United States on how to get Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Marriage Licenses and Divorce Decrees. Vital Records provides a comprehensive state-by-state breakdown including fees, phone numbers and addresses, down to the county level.
• 99Games has announced the update of its hugely popular word game, WordsWorth. The game had received rave reviews from word-game fanatics all over the world after its release last year. It was the top-selling word game and also got featured in the “What’s Hot” section across several App Stores
• White Birds Productions and Bulkypix have announced Babel Rising is now available on iPhone and iPod Touch for a special launch price of $0.99. Babel Rising is an action puzzle game offering hours of gameplay. The challenge is simple: unleash your powers to prevent the humans from building the tower.
• Cramzy has announced that at the end of the year they’ve decided to support the Christmas spirit and donated 5% of their annual profit from the Apple AppStore earnings to charity. The money were spent for a sports gym for a children garden, where more than 380 kids play every day.
• Florida based D1Bru LLC has announced SMF Tai Chi HR 1.0.1477, an update to their popular mind-body exercise application for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Sun Moon Foot Tai Chi reveals how to maximize the body’s stability while in motion. Tai Chi develops the balance and motor mechanisms in the body. Understand balance by watching how to position and strengthen key anatomical elements, like the body’s core.
• Apimac has announced Self Timer 1.0, a new camera timer application for iPhone devices. Self Timer allows you to delay the shutter release, giving you time between pushing the button and taking the actual photo. Once you push the button, a beeping sound is emitted which becomes faster as the moment of the shot approaches. Photography buffs will appreciate that the time delayed shutter release reduces camera shake on long exposure photographs. Self Timer allows a delay of 2, 10 or 15 seconds.
• Assyria has announced Woolly the Jumper for iPhone and iPod touch. Using the iPhone’s touch screen, players must calculate the angle and power of Woolly’s jumps in order to successfully move between cliff edges in this vibrant 2D platformer. You must help Woolly travel through the seasons quickly enough to avoid Farmer Brown closing in on his jetpack, and robbing the adorable Woolly of his fluffy coat.
• On5 games Ltd. has announced Charadium 1.0, a new analogue of the well-known charade game. Charadium is a multiplayer app for the iPhone that brings gaming for everyone to enjoy. The player draws the charade using their fingers on the touch screen while the other player has only about a minute to guess and type the word. To win the round you have to understand and type the word before the other players do.
• Incredicode has announced inPictures 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. inPictures is a game that helps improve your cognitive and visualization abilities. It promotes use of your imagination, visualization, and reasoning skills in a unique way. Have you ever stared up at the clouds and been transfixed by the shapes you saw? A seemingly endless parade of wispy representations of everyday objects? inPictures captures this same spirit of visual perception, shape recognition, and imagination.
• Spil Games has announced the release of its first game for the iPhone and iPod touch: Beauty Resort 2. Now available in the iTunes App Store, this spa-themed time management game allows gamers to help salon-owner Heather build her spa business into a beauty empire.
• Apalon has announced 100 Nazi Scalps 1.0, a new game for iPhone and iPod touch devices. This game allows players become a brave American soldier in bloody missions of World War II. 100 Nazi Scalps is an arcade styled game with unmatched graphics and sounds. It allows gamers to fully immerse into the authentic atmosphere of WW2. Players will have to save the sergeant, hold the position until the squad arrives, kill Nazis or even get more scalps.
• Visual Creative Studio has announced Enhanced Press, their new new reading system that aims to make paper support out-of-date. Every single product will have its own personality, and all will be developed for the best visualization on iPhone and iPod Touch. Lancio s.r.l., the main company in the field of photonovels, has been to create a series of full-blown iFiction, moving to the iPhone format the best photonovels created in the last fifty years.
• JMan Entertainment and Marketing brings entertainment talent from the USA, Europe and around the world together for its latest iphone application: iPoser [iTunes App Store link]. iPoser supercharges your iPhone with a blast of photo / graphic fun functionality. A simple iPoser application download from Apple’s app store puts a unique toolset at your fingertips. Your iPhone already has an abundance of photos and graphical images that iPoser lets you blend into unique compositions to send, share and plaster across you favorite social network such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
• Swann Security has debuted its latest all-in-one security solution, the DVR4-2500 Security Recorder Kit with Internet Viewing. Swann’s latest kit is comprised of the DVR4-2500 recorder, four indoor/outdoor cameras with night vision, a remote control, mouse and all the cables, connectors and adaptors needed to set up the system. The DVR4-2500 also features remote viewing capabilities over the internet and for the first time, is capable of streaming live and recorded video to the iPhone.
• Habit Changer, the first online source of programs that give participants the tools to make positive and lasting life changes, has announced it has released its first iPhone application, Habit Changer: Money and You, which incorporates easy step-by-step features to help promote healthy finances for participants.
• Independent developer Esa Helttula has released three Math apps for iPhone and iPod touch. Esa had an idea: teach column addition to his daughter using an iPhone. With 100,000 apps, surely there must be several apps for that. Well, there were no apps where the user could actually solve the problems herself. There are now; an app for Column Addition, Column Subtraction and Long Multiplication.
• Skyworks Interactive has announced the release of the next iPhone hit game, Slapshot Frenzy. Test your one-timing skills to see if you can get the biscuit between the pipes.  In Free Skate Mode, you have two minutes to practice your shots without defenders.  In Classic Mode, the pressure is on to make every shot count.  There are three action packed periods of 2 on 2 Hockey.  You must work with two players to face-off, pass and shoot to score as much as you can in 4 and a half minutes. 

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 18, 2009:

Macintosh

• YourHead Software today announced the release of Kiwi 1.0, a themeable Twitter client for Mac OS X. Kiwi is a full-featured Twitter client that supports multiple accounts, groups, searches and rules/filters. Kiwi also gives users the power to change the look, or theme, to match their desktop. Kiwi comes with nine built-in themes, with more available online. Plus, Kiwi is extensible with an API for building themes from HTML and CSS.
• Hyperbolic Software has announced Tidy Up! 2.1.3, the latest version of the award-winning duplicate finder and disk tidying utility. Tidy Up! has become a must-have utility to reclaim disk space being taken up by duplicate files and packages. Tidy Up! locates duplicate items using a wide range of criteria including owner application, time created or modified, name, label, extension and content. Version 2 introduces nearly 50 new features to this already comprehensive tool.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced a $50 price reduction on PDF Checkpoint, an automated PDF preflighting and conversion solution which combines both power and simplicity. Remarkably fast, PDF Checkpoint preflights, exports as images, splits and reduces size of multiple PDF files, and allows to route files according to preflight results. The price decrease is intended to make the program more affordable to the users of PDF workflows with less demanding production requirements. The program price has been decreased to $69.95 (down from $119.95).
• Eternal Storms Software has announced the immediate availability of flickery 1.7. flickery is a unique desktop flickr client for Mac OS X 10.5 which combines the flickr photo-community with the ease-of-use and elegance of Mac OS X. Easily upload photos and videos to your Flickr photostream, organize items in photosets and groups, browse Favorites, and more. flickery 1.7 features preferences for users to customize the look and feel of the application and many minor improvements.

iPhone/iPod

• Taito has rolled out a major update for the iPhone edition of Bust-A-Move / Puzzle Bobble. In addition to adding some extra polish and making some minor fixes, they’ve also added in-app purchase support in the form of Bub’s Shop. Here, players can acquire a number of fun extras, including a new Cooperative Play mode (a first for the Bust-A-Move series!) that allows two people to play together using a single iPhone or iPod touch. And for those players who have mastered the original 180 Story Mode stages they’ve also made available several 50-stage Puzzle Packs.
• The classic edition of Space Invaders for iPhone was updated over the weekend with OpenFeint support, a first for any TAITO game. Achievements and global leaderboard support are among the new OpenFeint-related features now available.
• j2sighte has released A Doodle Fly 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Featured by Apple in the “What’s Hot” section, A Doodle Fly provides custom fun and creativity. Users can draw or import their own character to fly to the moon and find out if the Ancient Chinese were right about a rabbit living on the lunar surface. A Doodle Fly is the developer’s follow up to their hit game, A Doodle Flight.
• Global Delight has released a Pro version of Camera Plus for the iPhone. Camera Plus Pro aims at making the iPhone the default camera for any occasion with its capturing, editing, sharing and managing options. With features such as Point Zoom, Timed Capture, Burst Mode, Filters, Anti-Shake, Flash, Crop and more, Camera Plus Pro provides the user with a lot of flexibility for capturing pictures and editing them.
• ClickSpace Technologies Inc. has released Tap Forms Database 1.8.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Tap Forms Database is the ultimate organizational tool. It takes care of all recorded data, eliminating the need for additional programs. The app offers an impressive form format to hold an extensive array of information. Its ultra secure environment is passcoded, lockable and uses a strong, government sanctioned encryption.
• Quapps Interactive has announced Willville & Graytown’s Sarcastic Soundboard 1.0 for iPhone and iPod devices. Willville & Graytown’s Sarcastic Soundboard is a soundboard of 36 sarcastic remarks to be used in any situation with hilarious consequences. Ever wanted to tell somebody they are boring when telling you large story’s? How about the awkward fake laughs when somebody tells an unfunny joke? Be the envy of your friends with the only sarcastic soundboard on the AppStore.
• Koolhaus Games Inc. has announced the release of iMP: Surf the Music 1.3, a new music game created specifically for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Players generate their own funky soundtracks by gathering bits of funk to trigger music loops and audio accents. Different versions of the soundtrack can be created providing a unique and fresh audio experience. Intuitive tilt controls and simple to pick up game play will provide hours of fun for casual and seasoned players alike.
• Sit-Net SA has released The Brand Generator Pro 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The only iPhone app of its kind, The Brand Generator Pro creates marketable brand names using data derived from semantics and trends. The Brand Generator Pro is driven by market positioning linked with last trends semantic suffixes and prefixes. This app is the brainchild of a veteran marketing professional and has been designed to produce similar results to that of expensive, specialized agency software.
• TimeStream Software has released the new Adventures of Tom Sawyer Notescast, turning iPod Classics and nanos into eReaders. Now, for the first time ever, iPod users can read this classic American tale on their iPod legacy device wherever they go and whenever they want. True love, buried treasure, a haunted house, a mysterious cave and even murder await Tom and his friends in this true American classic.
• GameFly has announced the GameCenter 1.1 update. The updated app, now available on the Apple App Store, includes more video game screenshots, hi-res videos for most of the 5,000 titles included in the app, expanded news coverage from Shacknews.com, and performance enhancements designed to increase usability for iPhone and iPod touch users.
• Bottle Rocket Apps has announced Prairie Chute 1.5, an update to their popular “pick up and play” casual game for iPhone and iPod touch. Prairie Chute features a parachuting prairie dog that you must safely guide to the right hole. Its starts off fairly easy, but after a few rounds buzzards, coyotes, land mines and electric fences will try to impede your progress. Players can chart global high scores and collect achievements through the Agon social network.
• Easy Beat is a fun and easy type of beat box application. You can record 9 different sounds and use them instead of drums or percussion. There are no difficult tasks necessary to create your own sound pads. Tap recording icon and make 9 sounds into the microphone. The application creates the sound for each button automatically. Then, select your favorite music from your ipod library and arrange it with your pre-recorded sounds.
• Herp Games has announced Imagine the Scale 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. This entertainig educational app takes the user on a journey through the relative size of things in our universe. One can zoom in from the dimension of one billion light years to the realm of the atom. The overall style and design of the application focusses on the experience of a beautiful and relaxing flight through the displayed objects accompanied by a soothing piano background music.
• Maverick Lifestyle Corporation has announced the availability of the Nica Bluetooth Home and Car Bundle. The special bundle package includes the Nica headset, Car Dock and Desk Dock in a single package, offering a complete solution for Bluetooth users who want the convenience of a headset in the car as well as in the office or home.
• Have a talent for outfitting the fashion-challenged, rescuing the latte-starved and making Romeo and Juliet inspired love connections? Then Clueless [iTunes App Store link] from Paramount Digital Entertainment on the iPhone and iPod touch is for you. Now available for purchase at the App store, Clueless is like, the ultimate high school challenge where players must tap into their inner social goddess to make their friends runway fantasies and cute boy dreams come true. Avoid making friends cry “as if!” by matching them up with all the items they crave to land a ride to the next level.
• iPhone 3g/2g users can now record videos on their phones without having to jailbreak. iVidCam encodes recorded videos as mp4 video files, 3-7 fps, impressive 280x380 resolution, no recording time limit, and allows users to wifi transfer their recorded videos to their desktop for safe keeping. iVidCam is currently priced at only $1.99 (launch sale price). iVidCam Free has just been approved as well and features all the iVidCam paid features but with a banner in recordings.
• Appliya Studio, one of Japan’s premier iPhone app publishers, is pleased to announce the beta release of their latest iPhone App publication tool, the App Builder. App Builder is a web-based system that allows anyone to make a fun iPhone app utilizing images from Flickr. You can add any of the countless Creative Commons images on Flickr to your custom app, or add photos from your own Flickr account. For a limited time, users can take advantage of the following offers:
• Red Cabana Studios has announced R.O.F.F.L.E., an all-new action game for the iPhone and iPod touch. R.O.F.F.L.E. is a unique sandbox-style platform shooter - you spawn enemies when you want, kill them when and how you want.  Experiment endlessly, no pressure - these enemies don’t attack (until future updates).  Solid gameplay, an epic soundtrack, and the addicting cycle of completing achievements to unlock new weapons and maps keep you coming back for more.  Frequent updates with new Weapons, Maps, Achievements and more.  Be sure to watch the the action-packed Preview Trailer!

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 17, 2009:

Macintosh

• Synium Software has announced Foodurama for Mac OS X. Foodurama helps you keep track of what you eat. Not only does Foodurama log all the dishes and beverages you’ve had today, but it also suggests what to eat to ensure a balanced diet. No matter whether you’re trying to stay in shape or regain last year’s physique, Foodurama will enhance your awareness. Foodurama immediately saves all data and incorporates it in its calculations.
• iPresentee has released iWeb Themes for Business 6.0 to be used with Apple’s Web site building application. iWeb Themes for Business with flash is an outstanding solution, combining iWeb and Flash into one great product. The package includes five new superb themes animated with flash: Black Stallion, Business Bubble, IT Solutions, Night Club and Stage. This version also includes five ordinary themes with static backgrounds. They can be easily customized, and still retains the perfect design.
• Jumsoft has released Mail Stationery 3.0, its stock of templates for Apple Mail. Mail Stationery offers 100 new, premium-quality stationery templates. In addition to the traditional line of greetings, invitations, newsletters and other purpose-oriented categories, users will find two fresh sets with distinct design themes; Ink Sense and Cardboard Gallery. Designed specifically for Apple’s e-mail program, the Mail Stationery series offers a creative and versatile approach to composing e-mails.
• Be.ez is proud to announce a new addition to their popular LArobe Allure line of protection sleeves for notebooks: LArobe Allure Red Kiss. Available exclusively at Apple Stores, the special edition Red Kiss sleeve features a new eye-catching red with red stripes pattern that gives notebooks a touch of class while protecting them from the hazards of a mobile lifestyle.
• MemoryAmerica.com has released the 64GB RAM kit for the Mac Pro 2009.
• LaCie, in collaboration with Symwave Inc., has announced the industry’s first dual hard disk RAID storage solution based on the new SuperSpeed USB (3.0) standard. LaCie’s 2Big USB 3.0, a dual-disk RAID 0/1 storage solution, powered by Symwave’s USB 3.0 standard-compliant dual SATA and RAID bridge controller, reaches the highest throughput ever achieved in a USB 3.0 external storage product—setting a new standard in the dual disk market. The 2Big USB 3.0 will be available in up to 4TB capacities and is bundled with award-winning backup software for both Mac and PC users.

iPhone/iPod

• Weily Apps, an educational partnership, has announced the release of [my]PhotoMatch and [my]PhotoMatch for Tots. Available for $.99 at Apple’s iPhone App Store, the [my]PhotoMatch apps allows users to take advantage of the capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch user interface to play a fun, customizable version of the classic ʻconcentrationʼ type matching game.
• Moak-1 Co., Ltd., has released a new iPhone application, iJinja, from a new brand “nenet” on the Apple AppStore. iJinja is a humor application serving up jokes in the form of fortunes one might receive from oracles at Japanese jinja Shinto shrines.
• Hate you ex? Hate your boss? Hate your in-laws ? Make their pictures look really funny or wicked with PIC picASso. It’s hassle free; just push one button. Select from your photo albums or simply use the iPhone camera to take a picture of your friends, family or pets.
• Thomas Brown has released AstroZapper 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Zap dangerous, oncoming asteroids in space. Users have a choice of three different ships to use, all of which have weapons to blast away the danger and avoid getting hit. The incorporation of real Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Telescope, and other NASA source images into the app adds a heightened sense of realism and fun. The developers have combined the best of classic arcade with authentic space technology.
• Emerald City Coaching Ltd. has released LifeCheck 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app is a portable life coach dedicated to improving people’s life happiness level. Users just answer a few questions, read the analysis and consult the rotating wheel to see where they need to take action. Progress is charted in the history over time to provide encouragement and continuing movement forward.
• TapFactory Apps has announced Stick It 2.2, a new version of their highly successful lockscreen reminder for iPhone and iPod Touch. Stick It is a utility that allows you to quickly and easily take notes, customize their look, and create wallpapers for your lockscreen to use as quick reminders. Take notes on the fly with Stick It’s quick loading, visually appealing, and easy to use interface. Use Stick It to create personal reminders, shopping lists, and more.
• DataSupply Inc. has introduced Fitness Pro 1.0, their new fitness trainer and exercise reference utility for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Fitness Pro features a unique library of over 350 clear and understandable exercise routines. Featuring a natural user interface, Fitness Pro embraces a scheme metaphor where each routine is categorized for the specific exercise allowing anyone to easily stay in shape.
• DP Stuff has released 80s Scramble 1.0, an addictive word game for the iPhone and iPod touch. 80s Scramble uses song titles from all the greatest 80s hits. The player picks a year from the 80s. A song title then appears with all letters missing except for the first letter of each word. The missing letters are scrambled at the bottom of the screen. Once the title is complete, the user can click a link to preview or purchase the song on iTunes.
• Marware has announced the Accent carrying case for the iPod touch 2G. This slim, fashionable patent-leather flip-top case for iPod touch 2G provides the perfect balance between protection, ease of use, and aesthetics. The Accent line is available in five tasty colors: blueberry, bubble gum, lemon ice, orange sorbet, and vanilla. The subtle pattern on the front is decorative, without being overly flashy. When closed, the Accent is a slim, stylish flip case protecting the iPod touch.
• Avaak, the creator of the Vue personal video network, is now taking its innovative wireless camera system to the next level of mobility and convenience with the launch of the VueZone, an Apple iPhone app. The VueZone enables users to remotely view their homes and businesses and check in on their friends and families while on-the-go, all with the touch of a finger.
• Speck has teamed up with ARTSPROJEKT Global Creative Network, a community-based online product platform, to turn some of the world’s most renowned and “up and coming” independent artists loose to “remix” the Speck Fitted case, taking one of the best-selling iPhone 3G/3GS case designs to a new level of functionality and personal style. The first three artist designs in the Speck Fitted ARTSPROJEKT Collection will be available in an extremely limited edition of 250 each worldwide, with only the first 100 released prior to Christmas.
• Good.iWare has announced the launch of GoodReader Lite, a free version of its document viewer for iPhone and iPod Touch. GoodReader Lite is identical to the full version in the number of features, but limits the user to storing five files only at any given time. As with the full version, GoodReader Lite excels at enabling iPhone and iPod Touch users to open and view very large PDF and TXT files. The app offers text search capabilities, plus active hyperlinks, enabling users to more easily navigate within the document or launch a linked document or website.
• Trip Journal is the ultimate trip tracking, recording, documenting and sharing solution that is currently available for the iPhone. Use Trip Journal to document your vacation experiences and share them with your friends and family. Impress your friends by sending them real time updates from the places that you are visiting, and let them know about what you have been doing lately. Share with them your recorded information (as a nicely designed export file that incorporates your traveling route that can be instantly viewed by your friends on Google Earth together with the places that you have been visiting, the geotagged pictures that you have taken with the phone’s camera, and the notes or comments that you have been writing during your journey).
• If you’re a seafood lover and an iPhone fan, it’s your lucky day. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s popular Seafood Watch guides, including the sushi guide, are now available on your mobile phone to help you make sustainable seafood choices quickly and easily—whether you’re at your favorite restaurant or sushi joint, or shopping at your local market. The guides identify which fish are good options and which to think twice about because they’re overfished or contain contaminants like mercury.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 16, 2009:

Macintosh

• Spiderweb Software has released Avernum 6 v1.0.1, a free update to their Indie Macintosh fantasy role-playing adventure. This upgrade fixes a handful of minor bugs and makes the game overall somewhat easier. Avernum 6 is a fantasy role-playing adventure set in Avernum, a nation of miners, adventurers, and misfits in an enormous series of tunnels far below the surface of the world. However, the combined blows of a devastating famine and an invasion of the savage, reptilian slithzerikai has at last threatened the survival of your homeland. Only you have the chance to lead your people to safety.
• app4mac has released the final version of Projector 2, a powerful project management application for Mac OS X. Projector provides all the tools you need for professional project management. It is designed to keep track of tasks and calculate a project’s cost. Whether your job calls for managing large construction projects, complex media activities or detailed time schedules, creating, tracking and managing your projects will be much easier.
• Widget Press, Inc. has introduced FormEntry 1.0 for Mac, their new form application development tool for Mac OS X. FormEntry features point and click development for iPhone and iPod touch applications. With zero programming required, creating form based applications for iPhone or iPod touch devices is now simple and straight forward. Drag and drop controls, add icons, update parameters and custom edit each post setting. And, build it all with a single mouse click.
• Maxprog has announced iCash 6, its personal finance and money manager for Mac OS X and Windows. iCash can serve several small accounting needs for either private users, clubs, associations, self-employed, or small business, making keeping track of incomes, expenses and Bank transactions a snap. Version 6 is available now in English, German, French, Swedish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese on Maxprog website with a lot of new features and improvements.
• Goya has announced BaseElements 2.6, the latest update to the ultimate FileMaker Pro developer tool for analysing, documenting and completely cross-referencing every element in FileMaker Pro database systems. The integration of fmSearchResults adds a fast solution-wide search to BaseElements so that you can find any text used anywhere in your solution. Additionally, the new localisation functionality will extend its reach beyond the English speaking FileMaker world.
• Twelve South has introduced the SurfacePad, a super soft, ultra-thin layer of luxury leather that dresses up and protects the keyboard deck/wrist rest area of MacBook Pro from scratches, dirt and discoloration. SurfacePad is available now in Smooth and Pattern styles for the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro. The retail price is $39.99 for both sizes, and the product is available immediately.
• Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio, has sounded a rallying call for past players of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) with their new Call to Arms Reenlistment Campaign. All past subscribers of WAR are invited to return to the game between December 16th-23rd to receive special in-game item rewards and ten (10) free days of game time to discover why WAR is now even better than ever!
• Tagtraum industries has announced beaTunes 2.1, an update to the popular iTunes library management and music analysis tool for Mac OS X and Windows. The new release features a 64Bit Mac version as well as increased speed, automatic lyrics import and improved duplicate detection. It can detect various types of metadata, such as beats-per-minute and musical key, as well as find and fix typos and inconsistencies such as misspelled artists and rarely used genres.

iPhone/iPod

• EyeTV 3 users can now stream live television over a 3G connection to an iPhone. With Elgato’s new EyeTV Live3G web app, you can watch live TV and EyeTV recordings anywhere. The web app connects your iPhone to your Mac at home. It uses state-of-the-art HTTP Live Streaming technology to deliver high quality video streams without sacrificing battery life. The Live3G web app is available immediately and is part of EyeTV 3.3, a free update for EyeTV 3 users. The web app complements Elgato’s recently introduced EyeTV app for the iPhone, which delivers live TV to an iPhone over a Wi-Fi connection.
• Strimko is a logical puzzle game based on the popular web-based puzzles of the same name. Constructed on a similar concept to the popular Sudoku, but with its own unique logic, it will provide a continuing challenge to puzzlers who are looking for a new type of puzzle. Strimko puzzles are compact which means that they are ideally suited to the the iPhone. All puzzles are hand-crafted by experienced puzzle designers to provide an ongoing challenge and attractive puzzle designs that will challenge experienced puzzlers, yet be accessible to casual players.
• Big in Japan has announced that ShopSavvy 1.1 for iPhone is now available for free download at Apple’s iTunes Store. The new and improved version of ShopSavvy features a number of enhancements based on feedback from iPhone users. ShopSavvy enables users to comparison shop on the go for more than 20 million products at more than 20,000 retailers worldwide, simply by scanning the product’s barcode using the phone’s built-in camera.
• Korotoff Republic has introduced Your name in Japanese 1.0, its completely new language translator for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, “Your name in Japanese” is a transliteration table which maps English letters into Japanese sounds in a unique and systematic way. The application is useful for study purposes, such as the persons origins, as well as choosing a name or a nick suitable for them.
• Zicron Software Limited has introduced Gift Box 1.0, their new shopping and gift organizer for iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Gift Box serves uniquely as a gift notebook, allowing shoppers to take a photo of any item, keep track of how much it cost, and what store it was in. Collect gift ideas all year round, keep a personal wish list, email gift ideas to friends and family, and more.
• Obvious Matter has announced DiskLibrary 1.9.6, their easy-to-use disk cataloging solution for Mac OS X. DiskLibrary is indispensable if you have a lot of media to keep track of. DiskLibrary catalogs not just your complete file structure, it also creates thumbnails, and stores metadata, for most popular media formats. DiskLibrary is capable of importing export formats from CDFinder, FileFinder, WhereIsIt, DiskCatalogMaker X and DiskTracker. Version 1.9.6 offers many performance improvements.
• PressOK Entertainment has launched updates for both the Free and Full versions of Finger Physics, an insanely addictive puzzle game that pits your fingers against the, (supposedly) infinite power of the laws of physics. The new update, now available for download, adds 9 new levels to the Free version, and 27 new levels to the Full version of Finger Physics.
• Herp Games has announced that Defend Your Phone 1.1 is now available for download at Apple’s iTunes App Store. This major update introduces a tutorial and help system. The game combines two very popular game genres: The strategy and weapon upgrading from popular tower defense games and the finger flicking action from defend your castle games. The player has to defend his phone against waves of enemies that try to push it off the screen.
• Speed Forge Extreme, the high-speed 3D combat racing game for iPhone and iPod touch developed by RatSquare has hit the app store. Speed Forge Extreme combines high-speed combat and explosive on the iPhone and iPod touch. Race and Battle modes showcase devastating impacts, powerful weaponry and stunning 3D environments as players race hovercrafts over the Martian planet surface.
• Mission: Deep Sea, an underwater action-adventure game is now available. The year is 2016, and gamers play the role of a soldier who has a synaptic link to a loggerhead sea turtle. Innovative use of the touch screen allows players to use their fingers to move the turtle’s flippers in multiple directions as it navigates through stunning underwater environments.
• MyWeather, LLC, an industry-leading developer of digital weather and traffic content, is pleased to announce the release of Huafeng Weather for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Huafeng is the only officially authorized weather services provider in China. Huafeng Weather has recently gained special notoriety for its inclusion in Apple’s TV commercial campaign There’s An App for That, now airing in Beijing, Shanghai and other select cities in China.
• CAZE has released animal print cases, new Swarovski crystal cases for iPhone 3G/3GS. Animal prints are hot this fall and winter, Zebra and Leopard print are classy and sassy without being trashy. CAZE believed this trend will remain strong in 2010 so they decided to embellish its Zero 5, the World’s Thinnest iPhone case, with Swarovski crystal in two most frequently used animal prints: Zebra and Leopard.
• Visit Paris, created by Geodio, allows you to discover the history of the France‘s capital city through 50 creative videos and a GPS system. Relive in pictures the building of Notre Dame cathedral, or the last days of doomed Queen Marie Antoinette. Meet Eiffel before his Tower, learn what’s under Sacré Coeur church, see where the Statue of Liberty was born, and the unknown Louvre…
• ColcaSac brings new-look Kindle cases and iPhone/iPod cases just in time for the holidays. Each ColcaSac sleeve is unique and a breath of fresh air from the carbon copy neoprene competition. Each design adds an original flavor unseen in Kindle, iPhone/iPod and MacBook sleeves today including the natural appeal of the original sleeve made from all-natural environmentally friendly fabrics. Review samples available.
• Disney Interactive Studios has announced the latest (and loudest) addition to its slate of Apps, The Muppets Animal Drummer [iTunes App Store link]. Available now on the App Store for $1.99 The Muppets Animal Drummer puts iPhone and iPod touch users in the drummer’s seat for a game that will test the skills of every wannabe rock drummer out there. Watch and listen to Animal play, then match Animal’s beat and timing to score points and unlock new songs.
• Tunewear has announced it is now shipping the GameHandle compatible with iPhone 3GS/3G and iPod touch 2G. GameHandle gives you a better grip on iPhone or iPod touch when playing action and racing games. Take your mind off the grip and put it into the game.
• GameFly would like to remind of their free iPhone app: GameCenter, the complete one stop destination for video game information, offering users access to information on more than 5,000 video games across all major platforms. The app offers up-to-the minute news, videos, screenshots, release dates, user reviews, gameplay controls, cheats, codes and more.
• Penpower Inc’s WorldCard Mobile App for the iPhone 3GS allows business users to take photos of business cards and have them inserted directly into the user’s contact book. The application recognizes cards in seven different languages making it the ideal iPhone app for the business user. WorldCard Mobile uses Penpower’s proven OCR technology to provide superior recognition quality, allowing for text detection from many cards other readers cannot access at much faster speeds.
• Marware is pleased to announce the ClearShell for the iPod nano 5G is now shipping. The ClearShell is made of clear and durable polycarbonate with a smooth finish. The ClearShell allows for easy access to the headphone jack, hold switch and dock connector, and the design makes inserting or removing your iPod nano a snap. Clear protection and a slim design let you show off your nano’s true colors. The ClearShell comes with Marware’s Lifetime Warranty.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 15, 2009:

Macintosh

• TheMacBundles have announced the release of its final bundle for 2009. The new bundle of 12 highly rated titles will expire on 12/20/09. The diverse collection of titles in the bundle enhance iPhoto and iTunes, enhance printing in OS X, enhance the viewing of photos, enhance the Finder, enhance working with audio files, improves upon the functionality of the Dock, and much more! Additionally, two new weekly specials have been added.
• Insider Software, Inc. and Moksa, Inc. has announced the release of TypeTrax for Cumulus 8, Canto’s industry-leading digital asset manager. TypeTrax effortlessly manages Adobe InDesign CS4 project workflows and associated fonts with Cumulus. As designers import InDesign projects into Cumulus, TypeTrax automatically imports all the fonts and files required. Cumulus and TypeTrax automatically preflight the job to ensure that all required fonts, images and resource files are included.
• Noodlesoft has announced Hazel 2.3.5 for Mac OS X. Hazel is a housekeeper for your folders and files. Using Hazel’s powerful rule engine, you can easily create workflows that keep your files organized automatically. Version 2.3.5 adds numerous features, improvements and fixes. It expands on its existing renaming abilities providing a way to renumber files sequentially. Users can now reference the source folder in rules, allowing them to mirror folder structures when moving and copying files.
• Florida based Skydda Design has introduced the BambooBook, their new premium quality case for Apple Macbook Pro 13 inch computers. A unique combination of beauty and function, the BambooBook is manufactured of exotic bamboo and lined with plush, padded suede fabric. Its brushed metal hardware and contoured shape perfectly complement the fine aesthetics of the Macbook Pro. Finally, a case to transport and protect every MacBook that is its equal in elegance and design.
• Charlie’s Games has announced Irukandji, their fun score attack shoot-em-up for Mac OS X. Irukandji is set in an abstract underwater trench. You fly your ship against the flow of hundreds of animated sea monsters, blasting your way to the final showdown. Unlock a variety of different ships, each with its own unique weaponry and play style which offers a different way to play the game. There are also 10 challenging achievements to attempt, and on-line high scores for each ship.
• KavaSoft has released KavaTunes 4, the web jukebox for iTunes. KavaTunes makes websites that look and work just like iTunes. Visitors can browse, search, play and download your music and videos from any web browser. KavaTunes 4 has an all-new interface that matches iTunes 9 and the new iTunes Store. The home page features a collage of cover artwork and artist photos, sliding galleries of most played, recently added, and recently played albums, and much more.
• HyperOffice has released a beta version of cloud-computing software that reinvents the company’s award-winning collaboration and communication tools for small and medium-sized businesses. The private beta is available immediately to qualified customers and prospects upon request.
• LaCie has introduced the most compact 2.5” hard drive on the market: LaCie Rikiki, in metal. Measuring just a mere 110cm³, its sophisticated form factor holds up to 640GB of media that you won’t mind storing in a pocket or purse. Encased in brushed, sturdy aluminum, the LaCie Rikiki, which means “tiny” in French, represents a resilient aesthetic that protects your media from everyday blunders and unwelcome fingerprints. Its lightweight design makes it a perfect companion for keeping your digital world close at hand.
• Atlanta based Qoppa Software has announced PDF Studio 6.10, a complete PDF editor that works on Windows, Mac and Linux. PDF Studio is a powerful, easy to use PDF editor that provides a large number of functions on PDF documents at a fraction of the cost of other PDF tools. Version 6.10 is based on a brand new PDF reader and parser engine which is faster and uses less memory allowing to open bigger PDF documents in less time.

iPhone/iPod

• Looking for a good way to waste both time and money and get your iPhone involved? Then check out the top 20 most outrageous and useless iPhone apps. They are offensive, at times expensive, and serve not a single useful purpose. Also, some of the apps tend to be on the disgusting side.
• Alarm Gamer [iTunes App Store link] is an alarm app. However, it’s somewhat different. If the alarm is activated, the game automatically starts and you have to clear the game in order for the alarm to stop. “If you want to falling back to sleep, you have to do it. This app is like a joke app. Please just have a fun when you get up.”
• iCeramic Art [iTunes App Store link] is an application that allows you to experience throwing clay on an iPhone. Rub the clay’s surface with your finger to shape and design. Use two fingers to rotate the view and mold pottery from the clay. Save your work as a ceramic art image, and you can output the image in OBJ format and attach it to email if you have an iPhone 3G.
• Game developer Gallen Technologies, LLC has recently announced Sphere Raider for iPhone/iPod touch. The game combines a unique design and easily playable interface, planned to deal with each player’s mind. Player’s call it the little pal in the phone. Sphere Raider brings exhilarating game play, and designed to hold a universal appeal and is enjoyed by all ages. Sphere Raider feature ten skill levels with new and exciting graphics at each level.
• Incredicode, Inc. has officially announced the availability of version 1.0 of inPictures for iPhone and iPod Touch users.  In stark contrast to many of the current gaming titles in the App Store, inPictures focuses on exercising your brain instead of simply driving a car or chasing a bad guy.  inPictures promotes use of your imagination, visualization, and reasoning skills in a unique and addictive way.
• Beanheads Consulting, Inc. has announced Sort Shots 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Sort Shots allows users to easily find photographs and videos based on Rating, Category, Type, Favorites or Date. Categories are completely customized by the user. Tap on play and watch a slideshow of your sort results. Click on a button to share the photo on Twitter or upload it to Facebook.
• UK based Quapps Interactive has announced Burp Speak 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Burp Speak allows you to select words and add them into sentences before pressing play to hear the sentence played back in real burps. Each word has been burped and recorded exclusive for this application. Select your words and form your sentence then simply press play to hear the entire sentence spoken back using 100% genuine burps.
• Bains Software has updated instaplaylist, their flagship app for iPhone and iPod touch. instaplaylist is the universal remote for music. It allows users to create and manage a playlist of YouTube music videos from their iPhone or iPod touch. The videos play on the user’s computer while they control playback from their iPhone. The app is available for free on the App Store for a limited time.
• A new window with new information and few more surprises to be discovered for the holidays are only some of the beautiful features of Star Walk v3.4 (free update), now also selected by Apple as one of the best app for 2009. If you like the sound of this try and play with our Star Walk Challenge, a new, free, easy to use but yet challenging game to augment your adventures in the universe from the developers of Star Walk.
• Tapbots has announced Pastebot 1.0, their powerful new clipboard manager for iPhone and iPod Touch. Pastebot stores text and images copied from your iPhone and iPod Touch. Copy something you want to save, run Pastebot and it automatically gets imported for you to access later. Copying something back to the clipboard is as easy as tapping it. With the companion Mac app, Pastebot Sync, magically push text and images to your phone over Wifi by simply copying them.
• Bitolithic has released Twiku 1.1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Twiku unleashes a user’s inner poet but keeps them within the maximum character limit for Twitter. It is a unique application that marries Twitter and Haiku for tightly written, creative tweets. It not only satisfies seasoned poets, it also is a great place for the novice to learn about the Haiku form of verse. Twiku aims to help anyone turn their tweets into beautiful, interesting poetry.
• Following the success of the Viz Roger’s Profanisaurus Application, Dennis Publishing’s second application—Mobile Tips—includes tips and tricks for using your iPhone, a comprehensive selection of application reviews, and the latest iPhone news from Know Your Mobile’s website. Covering tips ranging from how to manage contacts, add privacy settings and hints to get you typing faster on the iPhone’s keyboard, Mobile Tips is the most extensive iPhone user guide out there.
• BCNmultimedia has announced Children’s Bible 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. The full color Children’s Bible app tells the stories of the Old and New Testament in seven different languages and is the first comic book style Bible to be made available to iPhone and iPod Touch users. Just in time for Christmas, BCNmultimedia is offering the story of the First Christmas free with download. Readers can purchase additional packs containing stories and activities from within the application.
• Veiled Games has announced Outnumbered 1.0, their newest 3D multiplayer survival game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Built from the ground up to be an addictive multiplayer experience, one player controls the ONE, a robotic surrogate, and attempts to survive as long as possible against the unstoppable masses of enemies. The other player controls the MANY, and commands the very enemies attacking the ONE.
• Elements2Dance has released songvoo free, their updated iPod music player app for iPhone and iPod Touch. This update adds many groundbreaking features including Twitter integration, auto-tweet, landscape mode, custom user-backgrounds, song sharing and discovery, and is now available as a free download. songvoo serves as a great companion for both casual user and music professionals alike, or anyone who has a large, constantly changing music collection.
• IK Multimedia is proud to announce the release of the first artist created GrooveMaker app for iPhone/iPod Touch: GrooveMaker Rock Ace by Skunk Anansie’s guitarist Ace. This is the latest addition to the Groove-Maker range of 9 currently available titles. GrooveMaker Rock Ace is designed for non-stop, in your face, rocking -Grab a tasty guitar riff, throw in some massive rock beats, then add a bone crushing bass line! Anyone can now create and share non-stop metal and rock tracks for DJing, remixing, multimedia and movie soundtrack compositions on the go, in real-time, just like a professional DJ or rock producer. Skunk Anansie are back and this is your chance to groove like a rock star!
• OpenPorch has announced Teleporter, a travel quiz game for the Apple iPhone and a fun, virtual way of traveling the globe. With challenging questions, scenic photos and entertaining YouTube videos about travel destinations worldwide, Teleporter is designed for people who love travel and want to learn more about fascinating places and people on the 197 million square miles that make up this Earth.
• Mardi Gras 2010 is your complete iPhone app for Mardi Gras 2010. Mardi Gras 2010 gives you access to all parades in the Greater New Orleans area and surrounding cities. You have access to all krewe’s websites, parade times, date, location, and routes. With Locate Me you are able to pinpoint your location on a map which will help you find your parade route.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 14, 2009:

Macintosh

• iSkysoft Studio has announced the release of iPhone Ringtone Maker v1.5 for Mac, which provides users a brand new experience on making characteristics and distinctive iPhone ringtones with Recorder, Groove Box, Ringtone Manager, Transfer to iPhone straightly and other new functions based on retaining almost all the original functions and features of V1.0.
• app4mac has released Jump 1.2, an improved version of its cool utility designed for Mac OS X. With Jump, users can quickly access to their Applications, Documents and Folders. When there is not enough space in the Apple Dock, you can use Jump to store an endless number of items! It can be used in conjunction with the Apple Dock or as its replacement. Until the end of December, Jump is cheaper with a special coupon code.
• .com Solutions Inc. has released FmPro Migrator Developer Edition 5.35 with major enhancements to the Servoy Migration Feature. FmPro Migrator Developer Edition enables Servoy developers to realize dramatic productivity gains by re-purposing existing Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro solutions into the Servoy development environment. A recent project containing over 1500 FileMaker layouts required less than 5 minutes of computer processing time to perform the conversion.
• Yazsoft has announced Playback 1.2.2, an important update to their popular zero configuration media server for Mac OS X. Playback allows anyone to share their media with any Playstation 3, Xbox 360, or other supported UPnP compatible device. Playback can also share media stored in folders or even make entire disks available to a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. By default, Playback will share almost any content on the users system. Version 1.2.2 offers enhanced EyeTV support and more.
• Eltima Software has recently released SyncMate 2.4, a handy Mac OS X sync tool. It allows syncing data on your Mac with multiple devices, including Windows Mobile or Nokia S40 phones, other Macs or PCs, Google accounts, Sony PSP, USB flash drives, and more. As SyncMate supports Google Contacts and Google Calendars synchronization, you can easily sync your Mac Address Book and Calendar entries with your Android phone.
• QuickerTek has announced their new 5dbi whip antenna for the latest crop of Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops models. This antenna upgrade attaches to the internal Apple AirPort card through the ExpressCard slot or the security slot-depending on the MacBook/MacBook Pro. There are no additional software to use, so your MacBook/Pro works the same before and after the upgrade is installed. A detailed installation manual and all the tools required are included with the kit.

iPhone/iPod

• LetsTans contains 190+ different puzzles with 60+ Tangram shapes, classic and new. There are three gameplay modes: Replica, Arcade, and Classic. All puzzles are hand-crafted. Additional features include an advanced hint system, time counter, neat graphics, sounds, animations, and landscape orientation in Arcade mode.
• Revo Solutions and Bulkypix have announce that Magnetic Sports Soccer is now available for iPhone and iPod Touch for a special price of $0.99. Magnetic Sports Soccer (Football) is based on the classic table soccer game where players were mounted on a spring right in the middle of a shallow pit. The developers implemented magnetic forces together with the shallow pit for a more dynamic and spectacular game. Moreso, now you can move your goalkeeper and even tilt the board.
• ItalyGuides has introduced The Vatican Museums 1.0, their new interactive travel guide for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, The Vatican Museums feautures interactive maps, two hours of audio guides and over 170 breathtaking photos. This is the start of a mysterious and fascinating trip. Take an interactive voyage across more than 20 centuries of creativity through which art and history intertwine.
• MindTapp has announced PhotoNest 1.0, its new photo sharing tool for iPhone and iPod touch. PhotoNest eliminates having to click on a link to see what photo your friend has uploaded. It goes through your Twitter feed and looks for photos posted and then pulls them out and puts them into a scrollable stream of pictures very similar to your favorite Twitter client except built specifically for photography.
• The world turns! With mischievous Whirls threatening to take over, can you spin your world and clear them all in time? Whirl’d! is a fast-paced action color-matching game which throws you in the ring with the Whirls, hilarious characters with special powers. Your goal is to clear each of the 99 levels (10 in the free version) and becoming the reigning Whirl’d champion.
• Happymagenta has announced Scany 1.4, an update to their popular network exploration tool for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s peerless capabilities, Scany will effortlessly scan individual hosts or network ranges on the Internet or LAN for running services as well as dig for other useful information. Scany recognizes names of networking capable devices such as game consoles, media servers, TVs, receivers, players, printers, web cameras, and many others.
• Toolsfactory Software has announced the release of rubiTrack for iPhone 2.0, a GPS recorder and analysis tool for iPhone 3GS and 3G devices. With rubiTrack for iPhone you can turn your iPhone 3GS and 3G into a fully fledged activity recorder and management device with rubiTrack. With rubiTrack you can record and manage all your outdoor activities like biking, running, walking and hiking. rubiTrack for iPhone comes with visual chart and track features that let you analyze workouts quickly.
• Triplespin has announced GMate Mail 1.4.2, an update to their popular Gmail enhancing solution for iPhone and iPod Touch. GMate Mail is the only GMail application in the AppStore with support for Photos, GPS, Templates and one touch switching between multiple accounts. GMate Mail works with the both offline GMail as well as old style connection-only GMail. It provides direct support for standard GMail accounts or those hosted via Google Apps. GMate Mail only connects via SSL.
• Dingbats are an empire—they appear every day in over 100 newspapers, and are the subject of one of the most popular boardgames ever. Now, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary, the Sellers family has launched Dingbats as an iPhone and iPod game, containing 15 levels of the very best puzzles.
• EDUmobile has announced they are now offering their iPhone development course for free to the first 10 early bird students, on a first-come first-served basis. To avail of the offer, the student must currently be enrolled in any school or college across the globe. Students, simply need to enter the promo code STUDENTOFFER while registering, and they must have a .edu email address and/or provide proof that they are in college.
• Cloudlark, LLC. has announced BeGOOD! 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch. BeGOOD! encourages positive behavior in parents and children alike and is always handy on your iPhone or iPod Touch. It is based on traditional behavior charts, and provides parents with a behavior reward point system that’s fun and easy to use. Today’s kids are technologically savvy and BeGOOD! both engages them and entertains them, making good behavior fun.
• Zattikka, a leading online and mobile gaming company, has announced the launch of three exciting new iPhone game titles in the App Store: Finger Frenzy World, Phantom Mansion: The Red Chamber, and Blocks With Letters On ‘A’. Each iPhone title is based on world-renowned flash games featured on Gimme5games.com.
• WellAlright today has announced Tipsee Tip Timer Free 1.01, their comprehensive gratuity management system for the iPhone and iPod touch. Tipsee makes it easy for a diner to not only calculate and fairly apportion the total check, but also to keep track of dining experiences and expenses. Tipsee is also the only tip calculator to include a user programmable tip timer. This updated version now includes French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish language support.
• Hanged, a haunting cinematic word game experience for the iPhone and iPod Touch, is now available on the iTunes App Store. The highly anticipated interactive art piece features the art of Patrick Dorian. Hanged combines deconstructed elements of the common word game hangman with captivating stop-motion animation and realistic water effects for an iPhone game unlike any other.
• RadTech’s ProCable 30-pin to USB & 3.5mm line out audio is a lightweight and flexible cable that allows you to tap the high-fidelity line-out audio from an iPod or iPhone and feed it directly into a home or auto sound system. This cable also allows you to charge and power said iPod or iPhone via a standard USB port. Combine with RadTech’s ACpower USB charger for home set-ups, or with RadTech’s AutoPower in-vehicle charger when using the cable in a vehicle.
• UsTwo’s “cool’ectible” series is back, this time with the launch of the .. (the Dot 2).  The player is a white dot whose existence is dependent on eating the blue dots (food) whilst avoiding the red triangles (death). Game play manifests itself in a 3D world with a rolling landscape, which speeds the white dot through its quest for survival. See how long you can survive.
• Treebune s.r.l. has announced Pushme.to 1.0, a new iPhone App and web service, that enables its users to exchange free instant messages between its users. The service aims at a broader audience, since the sender is not required to own an iPhone. It offers a more comfortable way of instant communication, where you can use both your iPhone and you computer to manage your inbox and send messages.
• zinc Roe has announced three new Tickle Tap Apps available just in time for the Holidays. Tickle Tap Apps transform long trips and line-ups into fun and educational experiences for young children. Give the gift of learning with age-appropriate iPhone apps that are both engaging and rewarding. Tickle Tap Apps are developed by child gaming experts, vetted by educational researchers and tested by kids. These entertaining apps inspire preschoolers to laugh and learn at the same time.
• Makeshift Games has announced Depict 1.0 for iPhone or iPod Touch. Depict is a Pictionary-like, multiplayer drawing game that lets players compete with friends and strangers around the world. It’s the first and only multiplayer game to leverage OpenFeint and SmartFox Server to connect friends from Facebook, Twitter, and other OpenFeint games. The drawer’s job is to draw something that will get everyone else to guess the correct word.
• Acute Games has announced the release of Urban Rivals for the iPhone and iPod touch. Urban Rivals is a successful online trading card game where users discover, collect and play with over 500 trading cards, engaging in live combat against players all over the world.
• Rescue Cleaner is the only one of more than 100,000 apps on the Apple iTunes App Store that benefits animal rescue organizations. It features videos of six dogs, two cats and a ferret that are put to work inside your mobile device cleaning your screen with their tongues!
• ePapyrus has announced both Chinese and Korean versions of PDF-Pro for iPhone and iPod Touch. The Korean version was specifically created to target Korean iPhone users who will be purchasing through the newly opened App Store in Korea. In conjunction with this launch, ePapyrus is offering a 40% holiday discount for its wildly popular English version of PDF-Pro for iPhone and iPod Touch.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 10, 2009:

Macintosh

• Yazsoft today released a major new update to ShareTool. Developed for Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, ShareTool is an award winning utility that lets you connect to all of the Bonjour services on your home or office network from anywhere in the world securely over a 100% SSH encrypted connection. This includes iTunes Music Sharing, Screen Sharing, File Sharing, printing, and much more. No configuration. No complication. No server or technical skills required. Just a mouse click.
• Synium Software has announced the availability of iFinance 3.1, the well renowned personal finance software. This release marks the introduction of reconciling, the new Database Manager, immensely improved performance throughout the entire application as well as compatibility with our brand new application for the iPhone and iPod touch. iFinance 3.1 is free for customers of Versions 1 or 2. iFinance Mobile is available from the iTunes App Store.
• SintraWorks has announced PDFClerk Pro 3.9.4, an update to their popular PDF Document Editor for Mac OS X. PDFClerk Pro is an editor with unique capabilities. It is designed to make standard operations easy, while allowing ample adjustment to more complicated workflows for those with advanced needs. Version 3.9.4 expands the page merging options and includes bug-fixes. In addition, during the month of December, the first 250 copies sold get 50% off, by using coupon code SWPDFX.
• The curvaceous allure of the new 13” white unibody polycarbonate MacBook becomes even more attractive, robust and personalized with the addition of a Speck SeeThru or soft-touch SeeThru Satin hard shell case! The new cases are available now at Apple stores, apple.com and speckproducts.com.
• Apple’s Core Animation framework enables Mac OS X, iPhone, and iPod touch developers to create richer, more visual applications–more easily than ever and with far less code. Now, there’s a comprehensive, example-rich, full-color reference to Core Animation for experienced OS X and iPhone developers who want to make the most of this powerful framework.
• DEVONtechnologies, LLC has released the eighth and supposedly last public beta of version 2.0 of all editions of its information manager DEVONthink as well as of the smart note-keeper DEVONnote. The new release brings a polished appearance, a heavily revised column view, a much simplified installation, lots of additional and revised smart templates as well as, finally, tagging including support for OpenMeta.

iPhone/iPod

• Picture Sketch Pro turns any pictures into artistic sketches with millions of random sketching styles. Just push one button, and Picture Sketch Pro will do all the hard work. Select from your photo albums or simply use the iPhone camera to take a picture of your friends, family or pets. There are three color modes from which to choose: color, sepia, and black-and-white.
• Deep Powder Software has released Pro Poker Log 3.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The app has been developed to allow poker players to record in-depth details of games, which may help to increase their wins. Pro Poker Log tracks and organizes playing times, location, blinds, rakes and tournament fees, as well as the amount of money won or lost. It has a simple interface which makes it easy for anyone to use.
• Deep Powder Software has released U.F.O. Sightings 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users who love to read all the details of alien visitation. Interest in alien sightings and spacecrafts is almost as old as time itself. There are millions of people worldwide who actively seek information and offer first hand accounts of what they believe to be, valid U.F.O. sightings. The thousands of accounts offer enough details to keep readers happy for a long time.
• Appnoose LTD has announced Gorilla Monkey Crunch Lite 1.0 for iPhone/iPod touch. The Lite version features all the same functions as the fully paid version except that it does not have the Global high scores using Openfeint, does not save the game on exit or interruption & is ad supported. Gorilla Monkey Crunch Lite is a 2D arcade style action game for players from 6 to 96. Your goal is to knock out as many Monkeys as you can from their rafts as they pass below by dropping coconuts from above.
• AppAppers has released iJog 1.0 for iPhone users. The tracker app combines a clean, simple interface with accurate GPS technology that records time and distance, even if users are listening to music while they run or jog. iJog takes care of all trip calculations, even the course traveled, average speed, trip time and the number of calories burned. Users no longer need to manually calculate their pace or progress.
• Dramatic Applications has announced Fight Lights 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Fight Lights offers a unique way for avid sports fans to show support for their favorite team. Enter your favorite teams’ names, select their uniform colors from a color picker provided, then flash your team’s colors with special effects. This is not just for Pro sports and college sports, Fight Lights can be used in any sporting event at any school or league regardless of the players age.
• Zentity has announced Touch Carrom 1.1.1, the most realistic Carrom board game on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Touch Carrom is a popular, fun and exciting implementation of the Carrom board game played all over the world. Touch Carrom brings the power of touch controls to the game with the passion and skills just like the real game. Touch Carrom features beautiful graphics and natural equipment simulation, with engaging game play, intuitive touch controls and more.
• SwimMan, the originator of waterproof and shockproof audio players and headphones, has now waterproofed Apple’s new 3rd generation iPod Shuffle using its proprietary internal waterproofing technology. In waterproofing the 3rd generation Shuffle, SwimMan makes it the perfect iPod for workouts, water sports, or any extreme activity.
• Pingysoft has announced Ring it Up 3.1, a major update to their popular and highly rated mobile point-of-sale solution for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed to leverage the iPhone’s portability and intuitive touch interface, Ring it Up is a portable point-of-sale application for the “Entrepreneur on the Go.” Ring it Up allows anyone who runs a small business to make a sale or capture expenses wherever they happen to be. Version 3.1 incorporates barcode scanning and more.
• Toronto based WorshipApps has introduced SongSuggest 1.0, their new and powerful praise worship application for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities, SongSuggest helps worship leaders select familiar songs for their music sets/services. SongSuggest features over 600 songs beloved by congregations from around the world, and offers easy one-click search for online lyrics, chords, videos, and audio sorted by theme, key and/or tempo.
• MapItApps has announced H1N1 Map - Outbreaks Near You 2.2 for iPhone and iPod touch. Also known as the swine flu, the application tracks specific locations of epidemic H1N1 outbreaks. H1N1 Map includes 30,000 records, fatalities, and can plot phone address book so users can see outbreaks near their family and friends. This revolutionary tool has five key features which will help people around the world to be more socially aware of the locations hardest hit by the H1N1 virus.
• Matteo Rossi has released WiFiPhoto 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch. With a simple and elegant interface, WiFiPhoto makes it easy to download photos from iPhone and iPod Touch to any computer over a wifi network without USB cables. The new update makes it possible to watch slideshows directly on a TV screen connected to a game console. WiFiPhoto is a fast and straightforward way to transfer photos instead of using emails.
• Good.iWare has announced the latest version of its GoodReader file viewer application for iPhone and iPod Touch, which includes “PDF Reflow” - the most anticipated feature for PDF file readers. A beta of the PDF Reflow feature was available in the previous version, and the final release of it is included in the newest version along with other improvements.
• Tarver Games, an IP design house developing quality games and applications for multiple platforms, has announced Ghosts Attack is now available in the App Store. Tarver Games is co-founded by veteran video game designer Chris Cross of EA’s Medal of Honor fame, and global business consultant Quinn Banks.
• Kayak, the world’s leading travel search engine, today announced the launch of version 2.0 of the Kayak for iPhone application. Building on Kayak’s early success in the mobile online travel category, the new app adds Kayak’s trips management tool and includes several usability enhancements and faster search performance.
• Red Cabana Studios has announced R.O.F.F.L.E., an all-new action game for the iPhone and iPod touch. R.O.F.F.L.E. is a unique sandbox-style platform shooter - you spawn enemies when you want, kill them when and how you want.  Experiment endlessly, no pressure—these enemies don’t attack (until future updates).  Solid gameplay, an epic soundtrack, and the addicting cycle of completing achievements to unlock new weapons and maps keep you coming back for more.  Frequent updates with new weapons, maps, achievements and more.
• Entetrainer Ltd. has announced Speedhero 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. A sports radar for your iPhone, Speedhero is built for speed shooting. Just select your distance, place your iPhone and you’re ready to start speed shooting. Whether it’s your soccer shot, tennis smash, volleyball spike or ice hockey shot. Test your speed, challenge your friends, and share your results on Facebook or Speedhero. Use it in training, compete against the pros, or just have fun.
• zinc Roe Games has released two more apps in their Tickle Tap Apps series. Field Flier is an imaginative app that lets preschoolers explore a day in the life of Robin the bird. Pattern Painter enables preschoolers to learn and draw shapes at their own pace.
• The new Playboy iphone app [iTunes App Store link] gives fans of the magazine a glimpse of the latest issue, along with exclusive content such as free Rabbit Head and Playmate wallpapers, and a Playmate video clip. Each month, users can download a new edition of the app on the same day Playboy’s new issue hits newsstands.  Archived editions will be available through in-app micro-transactions with the launch of the Jan/Feb double edition (available 12/18).

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 9, 2009:

Macintosh

• Wondershare has released an update to Free YouTube Downloader for Mac with a brand new cocoa-based user interface and enhanced performance. Got a leaked YouTube home video of Taylor Swift in a bikini? Or want to playback the latest viral video “Pink Glove Dance” on YouTube? Downloading and collect them with Free YouTube Downloader.
• CoreMelt has announced the Show Us Your Pixels Competition. Entries will be accepted from 7th December 2009 until February 7th 2010. The grand prize is a Sumatran Adventure Trek with Rainforest Rescue to help support their rainforest salvation projects. With sponsors like AJA, Black Magic Design, Crumpler, Art Beats and many more, this is a competition not to be missed. Competition categories include best existing work, best student work and best rainforest themed work.
• FileMaker has announced new dates and a new headquarters hotel with a lower room rate for its 2010 Developer Conference. The 15th annual FileMaker Developer Conference will be Aug. 15-18, 2010, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, which offers a limited number of rooms for DevCon attendees at $149 per night. DevCon attendees are strongly urged to make reservations at the Sheraton (1-877-734-2726) before low-priced rooms sell out.

iPhone/iPod

• Alawar Entertainment has announced Hotel Mogul 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch, their 13th game by the global developer. Hotel Mogul is a fast paced business and economic simulation game based off of their PC game of the same name. In Hotel Mogul, the player takes the role of the business savvy Lynette, who sets out to reclaim her families hotel empire after her ex-husband underhandedly snatches it out from under her.
• QuinnScape has announced aQ’s Pro Slider Puzzle 2.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. The aQ’s Pro Slider Puzzle family of apps include six theme-focused apps, plus one all-inclusive 6-in-1 Combo app. This 6-in-1 slider puzzle includes “Full Screen, Full Fun,” “Puzzle Your Pic,” “Shake to Shuffle,” “Numbered or Not,” “Wallpaper This!” and “Save for a Rainy Day.”
• Indie software producer Satosoft has announced MP Expenses 1.0, their third application exclusively for iPhone and iPod Touch. MP Expenses features the information that UK MP’s have tried to cover up for years by giving you the ability to view each MP’s expenses. You can also send them an email to their own email address. Additionally, you can ring their Parliamentary office or Constituency office or even view their website.
• Skewsoft has announced Sums 1.1, an update to their popular ledger and tally sheet utility for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities, Sums provides an intuitive, paper-like interface that lets users enter, edit, rearrange, and delete figures quickly and easily. Write a budget, track expenses, balance the checkbook, tally game points, log mileage, or manage any other list of numbers.
• Bowers Technologies, Inc. has introduced Crime Stats 1.0, their new crime statistics inquiry application for iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique abilities, Crime Stats serves to empower people by providing them detailed crime information about more than 8,700 cities within the United States. More importantly, the crime statistics are ranked in relation to the rest of the nation so it allows you to compare cities to the national average.
• Avallon Alliance, Ltd., is offering users the chance to put their spy skills to a test in the first meta-quest at App Store. Developers have just launched the last free promo game from Kellie Stanford: Turn of Fate collection for iPhone/iPod Touch and ensures that special rewards will be given to everyone who collects all 8 free mini games. The quest starts right now.
• Plinkk Photography today are proud to release Second Shootr 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch app store. Second Shootr is a revolutionary digital photography assistant for professional wedding photographers. Second Shootr helps photographers with the less exciting planning and administration, enabling them to have their mind on the task of capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments. Second Shootr is customisable to your wedding photography business.
• Talking Carl has landed in the AppStore. Talking Carl repeats anything you say with an hilarious voice. He can also be poked and pinched, and you can even tickle him to make him laugh out loud.
• From the photography experts at Joby—creators of the award-winning Gorillapod line of flexible tripods and the Gorillamobile iPhone stand—comes the Gorillacam, a free, feature-packed camera application for the iPhone. Designed to extend the iPhone’s native camera functionality, the Gorillacam adds many features that are unavailable in the basic camera application, including a self-timer, time-lapse, and continuous rapid-fire shooting.
• The unofficial force—the Baker Street Irregulars—have arrived on mobile devices. GOSUB 60, an independent innovator and publisher of mobile entertainment, has announced their latest game: Sherlock Holmes: The Game is Afoot. With a sleek combination of hidden object” and spot the difference gameplay, this game is anything but elementary.
• In SEED 1: Rise of Darkness, players adventure within a thriving fantasy-RPG universe developed by CH Games. Players begin their adventure as an unskilled apprentice, who must defeat enemy monsters and complete quests to discover new weapons, skills and spells. Eventually, they will become a powerful hero who can change the fantasy world of Kalikoop forever.
• Dale Webb of The Protocol Centre in Coral Gables today has released Etiquette Avenue 1.3, the newest upgrade to her popular iPhone application. Etiquette Avenue tackles the sticky, greasy, drippy world of dining etiquette. With the “Food for Thought” upgrade, users can access screens of tips and advice on handling messy meals and confusing cuisine in professional situations.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 8, 2009:

Macintosh

• SpectorSoft Corporation launches eBlaster mac 2010, the latest update to its best-selling remote monitoring software for the Mac platform. With this major upgrade, SpectorSoft expands the capability of parents or business owners to monitor their children or employees from a remote location. This new Version adds tools to record Web Mail such as Google Gmail, Yahoo Mail and others, plus new Web Site and Chat Blocking and Advanced Keyword Alerts to warn of potential danger.
• Vinotekasoft has announced Vinoteka 1.5.3, an update to their ultimate wine cellar management solution for Mac OS X. In a unique and gorgeous interface showing bottles, cellars and tasting notes, Vinoteka brings the best wine cellar management experience to Mac users. Customizable and user-friendly, straight-to-the point and nevertheless very professional, Vinoteka is the ultimate companion every wine lover needs. Version 1.5.3. sports many new feature improvements and a recommended update.
• Burn37.com Inc. has announced GuestReel for Mac OS X. GuestReel allows you to easily setup a video guestbook at your wedding or other special event without the need for a lot of time, experience, or money. GuestReel transforms your guestbook into an interactive experience for everyone. GuestReel clips can be uploaded to the web, burned onto DVD, embedded into wedding day footage, and enjoyed repeatedly.
• Yazsoft has announced Playback 1.2.1, an important update to their new zero configuration media server for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, Playback allows anyone to share their media with any Playstation 3, Xbox 360, or other supported UPnP compatible device. Playback can also share media stored in folders or even make entire disks available to a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. By default, Playback will share almost any content on the users system.
• Macvide has announced iPod Converter 3.2, an update to their video to iPhone/iPod mp4 conversion utility for Mac OS X. iPod Converter allows conversion of video files to mp4 iPod video. MacVide iPod Converter provides powerful functions to set different settings for your video files. iPod Converter offers an easy-to-use interface that guides the user through the conversion process. Version 3.2 features improved the video engine, 3x processing speed, Snow Leopard support and more.
• Ironic Software has announced Yep 2.0, an update to their popular document management software for Mac OS X. Yep is aimed at helping indivduals and small companies track and organize their documents. It automatically tracks the most common types of documents, and documents of any kind can be managed as well. Yep also has an auto filing feature that can help even the hopelessly disorganized types. Yep 2.0 also features a true document scanner.
• danholt4mac has released Calories 2, a major upgrade of the beloved tracking daily nutrition software for Mac OS X. Calories 2 has been completely revised and reengineered introducing a bunch of new features. Calories 2 now offers weight tracking with automatic BMI-calculation and calendar. Thanks to the new weight-panel you can now collect weight data and even more data from body analysis scales. Calories 2 can access and fetch data from the brand-new Withings WiFi body scale.
• be.ez, designer of fashionable accessories for the mobile lifestyle, has announced the latest addition to its line of laptop carrying cases for the popular 13” MacBook (Pro). The new LA garde robe bag is the perfect companion to be.ez’s top-selling LA robe sleeve for Apple laptops. The LA garde robe can be bought individually for $34.95 from December 10th or with a LA robe sleeve to complete the set for $49.95 from Feb 2010.

iPhone/iPod

• 148Apps announced the call for entries for the second annual Best App Ever Awards, which recognize practical, creative, technical, and whimsical achievements in iPhone applications and games. Submissions are now being accepted in 56 categories. Created with the goal of building public awareness of the very best apps available, not just the best-selling apps, the Best App Ever Awards has a broad set of award categories covering both apps and games. The categories focus on the quality of the app design, the overall usefulness, and the fun factor.
• Lucky Me Lite is a series of 14 mini games which helps test your luck. At the end of the 14 games, you get your luck score with a fortune quote which describes how good or bad your luck is heading to. Lucky Me Plus is now a loaded iPhone/iPod touch game with 14 back to back games, and lot of customizing features. It comes with a customized play list and a quick luck option, and allows users to ‘tweet’ their scores apart from a few more exhilarating features.
• 99Games has announced the release of its brand new game, Pocket Clinic. The game challenges the players to don the coat of a doctor and separate the infected and good cells in a tissue into two different zones. Pocket Clinic offers 20 levels of addictive game play and 2 distinct game modes: Timed and Challenge. The game supports accelerometer as well as multi-touch mode, and the players can post their high scores on Facebook or Twitter.
• Appnoose, Ltd., who recently released Gorilla Monkey Crunch for the iPhone and iPod Touch, have launched a competition to win an iPod Touch by being the first player to register a score of 10,000 using the installed OpenFeint global leaderboard. Contestants need to have Gorilla Monkey Crunch, a free OpenFeint account and contact Appnoose via Twitter after they have achieved 10,000 or more points.
• ShadesCases Inc. has released all new Shades for the new iPod nano5G with Camera. The cases cover the entire iPod nano including the screen & click-wheel, but leave an opening for the video camera. Shades for nano 5G come in 10 colors that compliment the nano’s vibrant colors or choose Clearly Original to keep the cool sleek look of the iPod itself.
• Connect2Media have come up with another App Store gem in Arachnadoodle [iTunes App Store link], available now on the Apple App Store. On sale at the special promotional price of $0.99/£0.59/0.79€, the game has already drawn comparisons to Peggle. In the game you control of Boris the spider. Using your finger to aim and determine strength, you fire the lovable arachnid around various rooms of the house in order to link pins and create webs. Once all the pins are connected your iPhone belts out Wagner’s “The Ride of the Valkyries” and a sweeping swarm of flies sweeps across the screen. How many flies become ensnared in your wicked web depends on how complex it is.
• Low Grav Racer 2 [Tunes App Store link], the instantly playable arcade racer, is back and this time it’s bigger, better and faster. In Low Grav Racer 2 you race across 18 planet and space system based tracks from the Dante Nebula to the Arkonian Rift. Low Grav Racer 2 combines intense high speed racing and shoot-em-up action to create a unique handheld experience, only on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• TuneWear announced today that it is now shipping the new slim case series PRIE Ambassador SMART for iPhone 3GS/3G. The Ambassador SMART cases are made from high quality leather and are available in Black with Red stitch, Black with White stitch and White with Pink stitch.
• ADS Software Group Inc. has introduced Classical Music 1.0, their new classical music compilation and quiz for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities, Classical Music is an educational database of 50 music compositions of the most famous composers of all time. Music aficionados can listen to a short passage of every composition, view a short biography of each artist, and purchase the full version of the composition from iTunes.
• Daze End Software has announced the release of Listmaker 1.2, a new version of their list manager for the iPhone and iPod touch. Listmaker is a simple tool for storing and organizing user-created lists. Major features include support for nested sublists and web synchronization. This new version adds often requested features such as searching, and the ability to create lists from the contents of the iPhone’s clipboard.
• Oneapp has introduced The Laughman 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. The Laughman now allows you to bring contagious laughter wherever you go. The Laughman features the world famous laughs of Doug Collins, a bus driver from Tennessee said to have the most contagious laugh in the world. Collins, who was tested by MTV and even examined by Neuroscientists, can often cause rooms of people to burst into laughter simply by laughing.
• Niles Technology Group has announced their Achievers Writing Center apps for iPhone and iPod touch. Achievers Writing Center apps are revolutionizing how high school and college students write essays and papers. The apps make it easier to be more successful at writing, and they also significantly reduce the time and money required to produce excellent work. For a fixed, affordable price, each app comes with professional writing center services and more.
• Toughturtle LLC has released StockWatch Lite 1.0, a free version of their popular investment-tracking iPhone and iPod Touch App StockWatch. StockWatch Lite is a great entry point into tracking your personal investments and getting a glimpse of the power and features of the full version of StockWatch. StockWatch Lite is the perfect App for all investors to keep an eye on their favorite stocks, track their portfolios and holdings, and much more.
• Geospace and developer RogueSheep announced today that the Word Spin Lite [iTunes App Store link] game for iPhone and iPod touch is now available for free from the App Store. The Word Spin App combines the elements of popular word games, crossword puzzles and word searches into a portable game for iPhone and iPod touch. The app is a great way to sharpen language skills by identifying words and anagrams from two to eight letters in length.
• Carnation Software has released Say it & Mail it Lite 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch, and it is free. Say it & Mail it Lite is a quick, easy way to email a voice memo from your iPhone or iPod Touch to yourself or to others. No typing required—a fast and easy way to send a detailed email without using the keyboard. Email address and subject line are autofilled. Emailed voice memos are compatible with Mac, PC and any other computer.
• PhatWare Corporation has announced PhatNotes for iPhone 1.0 and PhatNotes Desktop 5.5, their award-winning professional strength notes organizer for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. PhatNotes delivers the most advanced and simple-to-use notes synchronization. It offers both handwriting recognition input and keyboard entry as well as advanced note editing features such as shorthand, customizable auto-corrector and user dictionary, and spell checker.
• JustPurePics has released Sexy AppBox 1.6 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Sensual lingerie, sexy glamour, beauty unleashed, and seven more applications are now united under one cover. Sexy AppBox features 50 most seductive shots from each of these collections. Now users get ten times more photos of gorgeous females at the price of just one application. Each shot was made by well-known professionals in the area of female beauty and photography.
• Scosche Industries, a leader of iPod, iPhone and mobile electronics aftermarket accessories, announces the launch of the free Scosche Application for iPhone.  The free Scosche App is the first application that allows users to instantly find aftermarket accessories specifically designed for their vehicle.  The simple-to-use application also includes all of Scosche’s iPod and iPhone accessories.  With the Scosche application, users can easily find accessories, email results to friends, easily purchase an accessory directly from the app, and simply locate dealers in the area all from their iPhone or iPod touch.
• Now you can get a graph of your night’s sleep with your morning coffee. The new version of the Sleep Cycle alarm clock for the iPhone will not only wake you up at the perfect moment, it will also show you a graph of your night’s sleep. The Sleep Cycle alarm clock is the best-selling iPhone application that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase—a natural way to wake up where you feel rested and relaxed. With the recent upgrade to version 2.0, we have included the feature that has been requested most by our users—the ability to see a graph each morning of how you’ve slept.
• FutureTap has announced Where To? 2.5, the popular points of interest finder for iPhone and the several times awarded NAVIGON MobileNavigator work together seamlessly. The MobileNavigator is able to be started via the AppInteract-Interface directly out of the Where To? application and users will be guided to searched points of interest. Location Based Services and real Turn-by-Turn navigation never have been so close before.
• 288 Vroom LLC has introduced 301+ Short Stories Lite, the free version of their top-selling eBook reader for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed for iPhone and iTouch devices, 301+ Short Stories Lite is quick, easy, and entertaining reading for on-the-go or anytime. The app features continuous and page by page scrolling modes, automatically bookmarks each story as needed, and more. Sit back and unwind to a taste of over 300 of some of the greatest short stories of all time.
• Heavenspot, an independent digital creative agency, and its sister company AppWagon, are collaborating with Grammy award-winning artist and philanthropist, Ziggy Marley to create the musician’s first iPhone application Ziggy Marley’s Music Mixer. Available today, the application features five brand new socially-conscious tracks created exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• Online brokerage site ZipRealty.com has announced the launch of its free real estate app for the iPhone and iTouch, making it easier than ever for people to find their dream home. The app searches Multiple Listing Service “for sale” homes in over 4,800 cities, offers price estimates from other online sites, and showcases homes that recently sold in the user’s desired neighborhood. Also, thanks to location-based GPS technology, buyers can now search homes for sale within the neighborhood of where they’re standing at that moment. 

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 7, 2009:

Macintosh

• Stand By Soft has released RationalPlan 3.15.7, a powerful project management software application developed to assist project managers in creating plans, tracking progress, allocating resources, managing budgets and analyzing workload. The new version comes with a significant increase in its execution speed, more task types, silent install possibility on Windows and some more interface improvements.
• TheMacBundles has announced the release of a new December Bundle. For each of the first 3 weeks in December, a new bundle of 12 highly rated titles will be released. Each bundle will feature a combination of new tiles and titles from the previous week’s bundle. This provides users with a unique opportunity to find the combination of high quality software that best meets their needs while also saving a bundle of money. Two new weekly specials also will be offered each week.
• MacVide has announced MacVide 3gp Converter 3.1, an update to their mobile video conversion utility for Mac OS X. 3gp Converter allows video conversion to mp3 mobile video. All of the most popular formats are supported, and helps bridge the gap between many video standards. MacVide 3gp Converter offers an easy-to-use interface that guides the user through the conversion process. Version 3.1 features improved the video engine, 3x processing speed, Snow Leopard support and more.
• iWebTemplate today announces iWeb iPhone Templates for Apple’s web construction application. Perfect for click and mortar, website or any online business, these new iWeb Templates were produced for constructing resolution specific websites to be viewed with iPhone and iPod touch devices. These templates feature five unique customizable themes and will work equally with other mobile devices. This release extends iWebTemplate’s position as a leading supplier of themes, templates, and more.
• Divine Fiat today announced Contemporary, their new theme for Apple’s Keynote Presentation Software. The Contemporary Theme has a colorful but understated way of presenting ideas and images. The American Typewriter font against the subdued and textured backgrounds of tan, orange and two tones of green brings a crisp contemporary style to your presentations. The photo frames slightly hovering with a gentle shadow completes the look.
• Tycoon Games has announced the release of Heileen 2: The Hands Of Fate, the sequel to one of their most popular games, Heileen. The game takes place on a mysterious Caribbean island where Heileen was shipwrecked at the end of the first game. Her ex-slave friends Robert and Ebele will help her survive, but when Heileen discovers a deck of tarot cards representing the seven deadly sins and the seven godly virtues, she realizes the power of the cards can help her unlock the secrets of her past and shape her future. With the tarot cards, she can escape from the island, find her true love, meet pirates, or do nothing at all. Will Heileen be a saint or a sinner? It’s all in the hands of the player.
• The Infinite Kind has announced Moneydance 2010, an update to their full-featured personal financial management application. With a familiar checkbook-register interface, Moneydance includes features such as online banking, online bill payment, investment management, budget tracking, scheduled transactions, check printing, detailed graphs, reports, and much more. Moneydance 2010 includes a simplified yet more powerful interface and streamlined online functions.

iPhone/iPod

• In Bloodstream Raiders [iTunes App Store link], gamers take control of a single white blood cell and travel inside veins and arteries through major organs—including the heart, lungs and liver—attempting to rid the human body of an influenza virus by firing antibodies at waves of deadly virus cells. While journeying though the body you will encounter cholesterol, red blood cells, platelets, bacteria, stronger mutations of the virus, as well as anti-viral, which can be collected within the bloodstream and used to unleash a stronger attack, obliterating any virus cells nearby.
• Designed by and made for real deejays, Sonorasaurus is the mobile DJ solution you’ve been waiting for. Boasting unparalleled performance, Sonorasaurus is a serious DJ offering that sports two independent decks, each with their own dedicated effects module, gain adjustment, parametric EQ, virtual LED level meter and touch sensitive pitch controls. Because Sonorasaurus contains everything you need, it lets you fit the whole experience right in your pocket! Carry your turntables, mixer and music library all on one device, without either the cost and bulk of professional hardware equipment.
• EeryLab has announced a new Adubble update is available on the Apple App Store. The latest update, version 1.3, includes integration with the social gaming network OpenFeint, bringing global leaderboards and achievements to the world of Adubble! Now players can compete for high scores with their friends, complete alternative goals by unlocking all 30 achievements, and brag on Twitter and Facebook.
• Tasa Graphic Arts, Inc. has announced Arches National Park Geology Tour 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. The app provides an extensive, visually rich description of the geology of the park written and narrated by geology professor Deborah Ragland, Ph.D. Listen to the narration as you hike the trails, study the photos and animations before your visit, or just take a virtual trip. The app is completely self-contained. Narration is available, with just a touch, for each photo, illustration, and animation.
• ADS Software Group Inc. has announced ART 4.4, an update to their very popular and critically acclaimed pocket art gallery, slideshow and quiz for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and interface, ART is a database of over 6000 masterpieces featuring 204 famous artists with full biographies. Art students, beginners and hobbyists alike can browse online galleries of works and save images to their gallery, and more.
• Profusion Studios has introduced iStunt 1.0, their new 2D Snowboard game for iPhone and iPod touch. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, iStunt is an addictive 2D game with a strong emphasis on physics. Perform amazing stunts while snowboarding through impossible scenarios in a unique game experience. iStunt features 20 unique levels which require earned skills during gameplay.
• Press Start Studio and Bulkypix have announce that Twin Blades is now available on iPhone and iPod Touch at a special launch price of for $0.99. Twin Blades is a frantic shooter game set in a medieval era with unique manga-like graphics. Help the nun defeat evil with some heavy zombie-killing action across multiple environments, venture through the city market, the cemetery, a chapel in ruins and the city’s outskirts to purge the town of all its living-dead inhabitants. Buy new skills and powers and upgrade them as you progress day after day. Manage carefully your energy by slicing zombies with your mighty scythe in order to use the destructive powers of your artillery.
• TriX Software has announced the free TrailBlazer Lite for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Perfect for walkers, runners, cyclists, and hikers, TrailBlazer is the ultimate way to monitor speed, record and review paths, and share travels. In addition to a map showing current location and path travelled, graphs of speed and altitude over the last 2 minutes up to 2 hours are easily accessible. Wireless download your tracks using just a web browser and display the path you travelled in Google Earth.
• Francis Dierick has announced ElevatorPitch for iPhone and iPod Touch. ElevatorPitch teaches entrepreneurs, salespeople and evangelists how to be convincing when it matters most. The application offers a countdown timer for elevator pitch practice and allows the user to store a picture and some notes in the application. With ElevatorPitch in his pocket the user is always ready to deliver at the touch of a button.
• Pixelglow Software has released Instaviz 1.5, the latest version of its diagram sketching software for iPhone and iPod Touch. Instaviz uses Recog, a new shape recognition engine based on advanced fuzzy logic and trained on over 2,500 sketches drawn by real users. Instaviz also uses Graphviz, the industry standard for automated graph layout. Version 1.5 features animated diagram changes, better scrolling and zooming, and batch file operations.
• 2XL Games has announced the release of their newest entry on the iTunes App Store: 2XL Fleet Defense, a 2D airplane blast-‘em-up with deceptive depth and the pick-up-and-play appeal that mobile gamers crave. The game starts off with your F-35 jet taking off from an aircraft carrier deck in the middle of the ocean. The first wave of enemy planes and ships are easy to tackle—just tap them to lock on and fire. As players progress through the game they must devise a strategy to blast the opposing forces before they destroy the carrier.
• Sinecure Industries has announced the release of Halp! The Advice Generator. Undecided on career goals? Unsure how to make an impression? Looking for some advice on snacking? Anyone could use some advice now and then, and Halp! delivers over 700 pieces of advice on the go. The app picks a random piece of advice and presents it to the user. It then gives them the opportunity to reload new advice each time they shake the phone.
• Cloud Factory, Inc has released the update to their popular Simplenote app for the iPhone and iPod touch.  Simplenote provides a more robust note taking app that can sync effortlessly with your computer. The latest version includes many highly requested features to make it even better. Putting in months of development, and incorporating great feedback from a dedicated community of users and developers, Cloud Factory has been able to optimize Simplenote for smarter wireless note syncing, quicker load times, better note searches, and a refined API that supports a fantastic array of third party Simplenote apps.
• TextExpander touch, the iPhone version of SmileOnMyMac’s customizable typing shortcut tool, is now integrated in the apps SimpleNote and Notebooks. Simplenote and Notebooks users can seamlessly use their TextExpander snippets while composing notes in those apps, rather than first composing in TextExpander touch. To celebrate the integration, TextExpander touch is on sale until Sunday, December 13, 2009.
• rapidrabbit has announced AppButler 1.0, a new way to discover the AppStore. AppButler automatically observes the AppStore and keeps track of every app. A special algorithm calculates a score for every app which represents the number of ranks the app has gained in the biggest AppStore markets within 24 hours. Users can determine a score threshold and the categories they are interested in. Based on these settings the user will be informed via push if the AppButler has found something for them.
• iMediapp has announced iPilule 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. iPilule helps every women with an iPhone keep track of her birth control pills schedule. Using the iPhone’s powerful Push notification feature, iPilule sends a daily reminder at the time she choses. The application automatically calculates when to stop and when to reactivate notifications based on the day she started her pill tablet.
• Prairie Design Group and software developer NaNil have announced their FanGuide Series of interactive, multimedia iPhone apps. Architectural enthusiasts won’t have to worry about awkward guidebooks, unruly maps or rented listening devices any longer. Each app features text, maps, photos, audio and bonus video for a self-contained “offline” experience on any iPhone or iPod Touch. The app offers web access directly to specific building or house museum websites that are open to the public.
• Sweb Apps, the Web site that lets anyone build a great-looking, highly-functional mobile application for their business, today announced that they will defer all set-up fees for non-profit organizations through June 30, 2010. Now non-profits will be able to customize a professional-quality iPhone application to promote their organization in just 30 minutes—even if they don’t have a technical background to create one on their own.
• Newsy, a multi-source video news service producing daily videos for web and mobile devices, has debuted a new version of its popular free iPhone app that deepens and enhances news consumption for mobile users. Newsy is the only news service that analyzes the key differences in how a story is being reported by various news organizations around the world.
• Shoot. Reveal. Share. imphoto Pro is the first streamlined photo application which not only delivers perfect pictures from your iPhone photos but takes just seconds from start to publish. Shoot a photo, automatically reveal the detail to make it perfect, and then share it via social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Picasa, as well as emailing, saving before/after shots to your albums. It’s smooth and effortless, and gives unmatched quality pictures with just one tap.
• Macsoftex has announced iAlcohol Lite 1.2, a free version of their blood alcohol content app for iPhone and iPod touch. Intuitively easy to use, iAlcohol determines the level of alcohol in the blood and calculates the required break in driving. The formula calculates the influence of factors on the duration of the phases of alcohol intoxication, providing 90% accuracy. The application will help you choose a suitable drink and the amount you are allowed to consume within this interval of time.
• Deepak Chopra has released a new iPhone app called Stress Free. The app represents the first time such a program is being released directly in an interactive mobile format, without first being released in a book. Its self-guided program walks users through a set of stress-reduction activities and skills. Throughout each step, users are personally coached by Dr. Chopra in a series of activity-specific videos.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 4, 2009:

Macintosh

• Markzware has released PageZephyr, a content search and extraction engine. PageZephyr has been developed using Markzware’s Common Reader Architecture, the high-performance technology at the heart of Markzware’s current and future products. PageZephyr technology makes it possible to search proprietary documents, then takes that to a higher level allowing you to examine and extract text from the most popular publishing native file formats, such as Adobe InDesign, or QuarkXPress.
• app4mac has released Projector 2.0, a powerful project management application for Mac OS X. Projector provides all the tools you need for professional project management. It is designed to keep track of tasks and calculate a project’s cost. Whether your job calls for managing large construction projects, complex media activities or detailed time schedules, creating, tracking and managing your projects will be much easier. Projector 2 is a complete rewrite with a new user interface.
• app4mac has released Twin 1.2, a powerful online backup solution for Mac OS X. Twin is a true Mac product that preserves Finder info, resource forks, ACLs, Privileges and comes with an elegant user interface and a powerful assistant. Twin is very flexible, and compatible with most Internet servers: FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, MobileMe. It even supports offline backups to external drives. Version 1.2 is a major update of the core engine for a better performance and more.
• Since shortly after World War II ended, history buffs have debated “What if?” scenarios. The Hearts of Iron series has long given players the opportunity to play with such situations to their hearts’ content, and Paradox Interactive’s Hearts of Iron III offers the deepest experience yet. The Mac OS X version of the game is available now from Virtual Programming.

iPhone/iPod

• Hyperdevbox Japan has announced the release of LoveCatch 1.0, a cute and fun Puzzle/Action game for iPhone and iPod Touch. You incarnate AI-KUN, a little cute Love Angel who has the mission to spread love by collecting flying hearts before they crash on the ground. The game uses a brilliant combination of Smart Gesture Recognition and Action Touch. LoveCatch is aimed to anyone looking for a polished cute and casual game to enjoy alone or with family.
• Chaotic Box has announced the availability of Pollywog 1.0, a whimsical dodge’m/racing game for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Guide Pauly the Purple Pollywog on a quest for floating yum yums! Dodge obstacles at super speeds, collect time-bending powerups, and blast your way past the finish line to earn awards and unlock new levels. Pollywog features a polished graphic style, realistic 2D physics, and a fun original soundtrack written exclusively for the game.
• Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzhauer, author of famed children’s book My Beautiful Mommy has introduced the most advanced beauty makeover App to the iTunes store: iSurgeon. iSurgeon is an innovative App for the iPhone/iPod Touch, which combines personal image modification with high tech gaming features.
• Fragmental is a challenging and visually-impressive puzzle game, similar to a 3D version of Tetris. It features a fully-rotational camera, move/rotate buttons on each falling piece, great-looking backgrounds/environments, various gameplay modes, world-wide leaderboards, and more.
• Mean Girls: High School Showdown is the ultimate high school showdown played out in Match Three battles. Players take on the role of a new student who finds herself thrust into the psychological warfare and unwritten social rules at North Shore High. When she’s adopted by two rival cliques, it’s up to the player to decide who rules the school. Stand up to the Plastics, or join them? Crush the other students’ spirits or earn their respect? It’s time to see how dirty high school battles get.
• ToDo Group is much more than just a simple task manager. ToDo Group works as a collaborative to-do where more than one user connected from anywhere in the world can add, delete or edit tasks within the same folder. It also serves as manager of private folders using conventional tasks. Your friends may assist you when carrying out a project, write the grocery list or just provide ideas. All tasks are grouped into folders and these can be shared (public) or private. The public ones are assigned to one or more users / friends who can make changes inside the folder.
• TuneWear has today it is now shipping the BoomTune Bomb II Stereo compact speakers with big stereo sound for an improved portable sound experience. Available in matte black or bright red jewel, the size is compact enough to carry in your hand.
• Critical Thought Games and Imangi Studios have announced that geoSpark is now available for purchase in the App Store. In geoSpark, an assortment of colorful neon “Sparks” fly across the iPhone or iPod Touch screen, and players are tasked with preventing any two different Sparks from colliding. Similar Sparks must be chained together by dragging them across the screen—the more Sparks eliminated in one swipe, the more points awarded.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 3, 2009:

Macintosh

• iPod and iPhone owners want to be able to access all their media from their devices, but sometimes media isn’t in the right format to load. As a catch-all solution for Apple users, Wondershare’s iPod Toolkit for Mac is a suite of tools to get your media converted and loaded onto your device with only a few clicks. The powerful program suite can rip DVDs and convert various video and audio formats for playback on iPods and other Apple devices and can also transfer iPod music and movies between the device and Mac/iTunes easily. Wondershare iPod Toolkit for Mac features Video to iPod Converter for Mac, DVD to iPod Converter for Mac and TransPod for Mac, all in one neat package.
• Blue Crowbar Software has released LightBrush 1.0, a plug-in that provides simple image editing for iPhoto, Apple’s popular photo management application. With LightBrush, photos can be improved with tools such as Dodge and Burn, which are often used by professional photographers to add a finishing touch to their photos. LightBrush features many useful brush styles, and controls are available for adjusting the brush size, brush softness and brush strength.
• Toolsfactory software has announced the release of rubiTrack 2.1, a GPS enabled activity tracking software for the Mac. rubiTrack lets you display, analyze and organize your outdoor and indoor workouts for sports like running, biking, hiking, skiing and all other activities where you log GPS data or monitor heart rate. rubiTrack reads tracks from GPS enabled devices like the Garmin Forerunner, Garmin Edge, Nike iPod, Suunto and Polar devices and the iPhone 3GS and 3G.
• Recosoft Corporation has announced PDF2Office Professional v5.0 for Mac OS X. PDF2Office Professional automatically converts PDF documents to the Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, RTF and other formats, recreating the intended construction and layout of the document: forming paragraphs, applying styles, regrouping independent graphic elements, extracting images, creating tables, and processing headers/footers, endnotes/footnotes and columns/sections.
• Booq, a leading brand of premium laptop carrying cases for creative professionals, has released the Taipan shadow. Taipan shadow blends a slick messenger bag style with a professional appearance. Available at booqbags.com and retailers throughout the country, booq combines sophisticated design and functionality to deliver high-quality bags and cases for the next generation of ambitious professionals.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced BatchOutput 3.5.6, a maintenance update to its popular professional solution to automate printing and exporting from Adobe InDesign. Developed originally for one of the largest Canadian ad agencies, BatchOutput offers output of multiple files, single page output, link auto-update, variable file names and other time-saving features. The new update addresses an issue related to timely dismissal of program alerts.

iPhone/iPod

• Wondering whether your back yard or office park can accommodate a wind turbine? Now there’s an app for that. Mariah Power, manufacturer of the Windspire wind turbine for consumers and businesses, today announced the availability of the free Windspire Me iPhone app. Intended to get people excited about wind as an alternative energy source, Windspire Me lets users measure wind speed in their home yards or outdoor office spaces simply by pointing their iPhones skyward.
• Global home furnishings company IKEA is set to make the IKEA Catalogue 2010 available to customers via Apple iPhone. The iPhone application will be initially launched to the UK market with the UK version of the catalogue available to download from 3 December 2009 for immediate use. This will allow users to simply flip through the pages of the UK catalogue on an iPhone and discover products for every area of the home, from kitchens and bedrooms to living rooms.
• Prop Group, LLC has released the physics-based iPhone game: Payload. In the game, you use tilt and tap to drive the game’s character, “Buck,” in his truck across various landscapes, catching falling items to earn his Payload (your score). Drive through quarries, forests, cities, and the Arctic Tundra. Catch as many items as you can, but beware of items too big to catch. A two ton boulder could crush the truck. Catch items to increase the payload. Catch more than a few items in a row to multiply your score and get medals.
• VernX is an original action puzzle game. The goal of the game is to guide 50 particles from start to finish while avoiding obstacles. Built from the ground up with a custom game engine that allows for a unique experience. Interact with up to two hundred and twenty moving objects on screen at any given time.
• Apress, Inc. has announced their latest book: iPhone User Interface Design Projects. Developers need more than a great idea and flawless code; eye-catching and functional user interface design is essential. Apress’s latest book iPhone User Interface Design Projects, presents practical advice on user interface design from ten innovative developers who have pondered how best to make use of the iPhone’s minimal screen real estate.
• Indie game developer Assyria Game Studio has announced Picnic Panic for the iPhone and iPod Touch is now available on the App Store. Set in picturesque picnic settings, this fast, frantic defence game needs a set of delicious picnic food to be protected from an onslaught of hungry insects. Using the touch screen, points in Picnic Panic are scored for each bug you can splat, while splatting bugs of the same type in a row will provide an ever-increasing bonus until a different bug gets hit. Earn the highest scores by chaining together bugs of the same variety, while defending as much of the picnic as possible—it’s game over when all the precious food is devoured.
• Jagex Games Studio has announced the launch of its first game for the iPhone and iPod Touch: BounceDown. They have made the game completely free to say “Thank you” to the Jagex community, so, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch head over to iTunes to download it right away. FaceBook users can also show off their highscores to their friends via its FaceBook App.
• TapFactory Apps has announced TweetVid 1.0, a new app for the iPhone 3GS that is the easiest and most elegant way to record and upload your videos to Twitter. With a sleek and easy to use interface, TweetVid uses the free TwitVid uploading service to upload videos to your Twitter account. Record a video from within the app or select one from your Camera Roll. TweetVid posts to TwitVid’s site, then publishes the link as a post to your Twitter Account.
• be | daronco has announced Glimpse 2.0, an update to their location aware image capturing solution for iPhone devices. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities, Glimpse combines time lapse video with GPS location data to give users a completely new way to take and view photos. As the video plays back in the top half of the screen, the user’s location will be traced on a Google map in the bottom half of the screen. Version 2.0 introduces the new Glimpse Cloud service.
• The memory game evolution has started. After 500 years, the cards are finally moving thanks to Devart’s Floating Memory for iPhone and iPod touch. This simple addition creates a fantastic new experience.
• Readdle has announced Scanner Pro 1.2, the latest version of their popular iPhone application which transforms the device into portable scanner. Version 1.2 introduces integration with Print n Share from EuroSmartz, the all round iPhone printing application. This integration will enable owners of the both applications to seamlessly scan and then print documents. Another anticipated addition is the ability to upload scanned documents to Dropbox cloud storage.
• OEM Inc. has announced that eight Jammit bundles featuring some of the best rock of the last four decades are now available on the App Store. Aspiring drum, bass, and guitar players can learn from 24 master recordings of their favorite artists, including classics like James Gang’s “Funk 49” and recent hits like Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs.” Jammit bundles are available now on the App Store for $6.99 (each bundle includes three master recordings).
• rapidrabbit has announced yukendo 1.0, their latest puzzle game for iPhone and iPod touch. yukendo is an addictive Sudoku variant. With intuitive touch controls, clear graphics and a global highscore list, yukendo takes number crunching to another level. Beginners and Sudoku masters alike can choose from a wide variety of level sizes and difficulties. The wide variety of level sizes and difficulty levels allow a short game on the bus or a full afternoon filled with number crunching.
• Super Happy Fun Fun, along with partner TiltnTwist LLC, has announced the release of an upgraded edition of Snowboarding TnT for the iPhone and iPod touch. Snowboarding TnT is a fast-moving, downhill challenge that lets players tilt and twist their iPhones to control the downhill action, avoid obstacles and perform whacked-out tricks. Gamers can race against the clock as they maneuver through slalom gates and jumps to earn points and unlock new tracks. Players can also perform over 30 airborne tricks and maneuvers to boost their scores.
• DSstyles today announced its official Crystallized ID from Swarovski. DSstyles official website contains more than 30 different designs being displayed on iPhone cases. All these designs can be applied on any cell phones or gadgets. Can’t find your style? Don’t worry, you can use their live chat function and talk to their designers and they will work with you.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 2, 2009:

Macintosh

• Arten Science has announced their R10Office CRM and Productivity Suite designed specifically for individuals, clubs, groups and small businesses. The R10Office Suite will let you store, view, interact and communicate with your contacts, customers, prospects, network and suppliers more easily and efficiently than ever before. The four applications that make up the R10Office CRM and Productivity Suite feature an elegant, intuitive Interface and tight integration with the other R10Office products.
• publicspace.net has announced A Better Finder Rename 8.44, an update to their popular file, music and photo renaming utility. A Better Finder Rename is a sophisticated tool that caters for the full range of file renaming tasks encountered by the modern creative professional. Its streamlined interface includes a instant preview feature that eliminates guess work and reduces error. The new release adds support for using roman numerals in file names.
• Amuse, Inc., has announced My Living Desktop 4.5, an innovative Macintosh application that replaces the standard desktop with a video desktop that plays high-definition movies of the user’s choice. My Living Desktop 4.5 provides Mac users around the world with an engaging and innovative way to enhance their Mac experience. My Living Desktop 4.5 boasts an extensive collection of stunning, high-definition movie videos shot from all around the globe.
• Samson Technologies has announced the availability of the new Q2U Recording Pack with HP20 headphones. Samson designed the Q2U as a high-quality microphone to meet all live sound and digital audio recording needs. A dynamic handheld microphone, the Q2U features both an XLR output and a USB I/O allowing it to be plugged directly into a live sound console or any computer with a USB input.

iPhone/iPod

• Juicy Bits has introduced Spy Pix 1.0 for iPhone, a new app that makes it easy to hide and send secret messages in plain view. Spy Pix uses steganography to hide one image inside of another decoy image. To casual viewers, only the decoy image is seen. However for seasoned spies, the image can be decoded with Spy Pix to reveal a hidden message. On receipt of an encoded image, an on-screen slider is used to decode the image and reveal a secret message.
• Unicorn Multimedia has released Joovia Extreme Sports 1.0, a great new game for iPhone and iPod touch. Joovia Extreme Sports Episode One is a fast paced action-sports game that involves a cute redhead that you need to protect from a variety of flying objects. Apparently she thinks tennis is only fun if it’s dangerous. This tennis game has 30 different levels in which the player must protect Joovia. This game is unpredictable fun and will instantly become a favorite of many iPhone gamers.
• CVZ Productions has released Daily Tracker 4.0, a major update to their popular personal organizer for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and interface, Daily Tracker allows users to track virtually anything. Version 4.0 features voice notes, GPS map locations and numerous usability improvements.
• With the free dailyplaces iPhone App you can memorize nice places or settings, share them with friends and other mobile or internet users, and search for interesting places nearby. Every place can be also published at the individual dailyplaces website, as well as sent to the Twitter network.
• Kabuki Vision has released NoteMaster 2.3, an update to their popular note-taking app for iPhone and iPod Touch. NoteMaster makes it easy to create great-looking notes by inserting images, photos, and headers right inside the text. Fonts can be selected for each note for a customized look. Other features include categories, password-protection, hyperlink detection, full-text search, e-mail, and syncing with Google Docs. Version 2.3 allows font selection and supports hyperlinks.
• Daze End Software has released Action Lists 2.2, a new version of their task manager for the iPhone and iPod touch. Action Lists is designed specifically for the popular Getting Things Done methodology. Action Lists has many GTD-specific features, and this new version adds user requested features like searching and the ability to create tasks from the contents of the iPhone’s clipboard. Data in Action Lists can be syncrhonized with the popular, and free, Toodledo web service.
• The Planet 51 Grand Prix is about to start. Join Chuck and his friends as they battle it out to win the tournament of a lifetime. Race with the coolest Planet 51 characters and compete in death-defying tracks full of twists and turns, shortcuts and obstacles. Explore and be part of the fantastic world of Planet 51, now available for the iPhone and iPod touch!
• Ilium Software has announced eWallet 7.0, the latest version of their award-winning secure password manager software. For one low price eWallet can be used on any Windows Mobile device, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod touch, Windows PC, laptop or Windows netbook. One of the most anticipated features in this upgrade is image syncing from the desktop to the device.
• AdrenalineApps has announced Where R U? 1.0 for iPhone devices. Where R U? leverages the new push notification of the 3.0 OS. It enables iPhone users to find other iPhone users or let them know where they are with a touch of a button. Where R U? is a bi-directional location application where iPhone users don’t have to call, text or email their location. The recipient can either press “Here I Am!” or “Not Telling You!”

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