Boris FX updates Boris Continuum Complete 6

Boris FX has released a free minor update to its Boris Continuum Complete plug-in set for video editing and compositing software. The 6.0.4 update cover the Adobe (AE), Apple (FxPlug) and Avid (AVX) versions of the tools.

The update improves integration with Apple's Motion. The BCC 6 FxPlug’s 3D Objects filters now allow 3D extruded text, logos, and EPS graphics to respond to Motion’s native camera.


The BCC Optical Stabilizer, which automatically smoothes or completely eliminates shaky camera motion, now provides more feedback during the image analysis process. In addition, a new Autoscale option automatically transform scales a locked down clip so that it fills the frame or composite window.

BCC AE filters such as Optical Stabilizer, Corner Pin, Match Move, Witness Protection, and Motion Blur are now available in Premiere Pro Version 4.1. BCC 6’s Animated Presets option has been extended to include the BCC 3D Objects category of filters. This feature lets users save animated effects for use in other projects or BCC hosts.

The new Swish Pan Transition filter for BCC AVX enables editors to create fast, camera pan-style transitions between clips. The filter is fully automated and includes controls for the velocity of the pan with on-screen display of the ease-in and ease-out curve.

BCC 6.0.4 FxPlug introduces official support for Mac OS X Snow Leopard as well as Apple’s new Final Cut Studio release and Avid’s new editing software releases: Media Composer 4, Symphony 4, and NewsCutter 8.

Boris FX updates Boris Continuum Complete 6

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John Mayer’s Battle Studies released in NovemberApple issues security updates for Leopard, Tiger

Autodesk suit could affect secondary software sales

A judge Tuesday heard arguments in a dispute over software sales that could potentially have repercussions on the secondhand sale of virtually any copyright material.

The suit was filed by Timothy Vernor, a seller on eBay, after Autodesk, citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, asked eBay to remove some of its software products that Vernor had listed for sale there, and later to ban him from the site.


Autodesk suit could affect secondary software sales

Vernor had not illegally copied the software but was selling legitimate CDs of the products secondhand. For that reason, he argued, he was not infringing Autodesk's copyright.

Autodesk countered that because it licenses the software, rather than selling it outright, a licensee does not have the right to resell its products.

"The deal between Autodesk and the licensee is [that] you pay us for the software and you're not going to be able to sell it on the used market," Michael Jacobs, an attorney with Morrison and Foersters who is representing Autodesk, said in court on Tuesday.

If the court sides with Vernor, the fundamental economics of Autodesk's business will be upset, he said.

While Jacobs acknowledged that this isn't a case where software was illegally copied, he argued that the end result is similar. That's because the original owner of the software can continue to use the software while the original CD is resold to someone else, without Autodesk profiting from the second sale.

In fact, Vernor originally bought the software from someone else, so Autodesk also argued that Vernor had unlawfully acquired it, because the software license did not give the original owner the right to sell it to him.

Vernor's lawyer responded that while Autodesk can call it a licensing arrangement in which it retains title to the software, in reality it is selling a product that an end-user then owns.

"There's no way for Autodesk to control the software once it's in the stream of commerce. The particular copy of software gets full value up front. Autodesk doesn't ask for periodic payments," said Greg Beck, a lawyer from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen who is representing Vernor.

He drew a parallel with copyright books. Most books include the line "all rights reserved" in the front. That means someone who buys the book can't make copies of it or read it as a dramatic performance to a crowd. "That's different from saying you don't own the copy of the book you purchased. You do own it because you have the right to keep it or destroy it or burn it or do whatever you want to that copy, even though you don't have the greater rights," he said. By the same token, someone who buys a piece of software has the right to resell the software CD, he said.

If the person who sold the software to Vernor keeps a copy of it, in violation of the agreement with Autodesk, that doesn't make Vernor responsible for infringement, he argued. "That's the case with any copyrighted material. You never know for sure when you buy a book if the person [who sold it to you] has made a copy," Beck said. "You have no way of knowing."

Indeed, Beck has argued that the case could have wider ramifications for consumers. "If copyright owners could restrict resale of their products with these so-called agreements, used book and record stores would soon disappear," he said in a statement when Vernor's case was filed.

The two-hour hearing, in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, was in response to motions for summary judgment filed by both sides. The judge can now rule for Vernor or for Autodesk or send the case to trial.

Beck expects the judge to rule for one party or the other, and for the loser to appeal. Early last year the judge declined a request by Autodesk to dismiss the case.

While Jacobs said the software industry is watching the case closely, few companies have commented on it publicly. Microsoft, the Software and Information Industry Association and the Washington Technology Industry Alliance did not reply to requests for comment.

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Scareware sellers poison 'iPhone MMS' search results

Criminals have poisoned major search engines for terms related to the MMS capability of Apple’s iPhone, now available to US customers, and are using the results to steer users to fake Windows security software downloads, a researcher claims.

Up to the top six results for search phrases about iPhone and SMS are poisoned,” said Stephan Chenette, the manager of security research at Websense. “This obviously has to do with the iPhone’s new MMS feature,” he added, referring to the launch last Friday by AT&T of its Multimedia Message Service for the popular iPhone.


“The hosts involved were registered just three or four days ago,” Chenette said.

Late Friday morning US time, AT&T fired up its MMS service, one of the most long-awaited features for the iPhone.

When users click on one of the poisoned search results, they’re redirected to a malicious site promoting “scareware,” the term used to describe phony security software that claims a PC is heavily infected. The software duns users with bogus pop-up warnings until they fork over up to $50 (30) for the useless program.

It’s all too easy for cyber criminals to poison search results with links to malware or other malicious content, said Chenette. “They have millions of bots at their fingertips,” he said, “and with that control, they can sway the results of any search engine at any time.”

This campaign, however, was clearly aimed to coincide with AT&T’s launch of MMS for the iPhone. “People want to know how to use [MMS], how to send multiple pictures at the same time, things like that,” said Chenette.

Scareware sellers poison iPhone MMS search results

Attackers poison search results by creating massive numbers of useless Web sites on the bots they control, or by using previously-hijacked sites. Those sites are all packed with credible content, news and headlines in many cases, that has been copied from legitimate sites. All such sites point to a single “landing page” URL, which in turn sends users to a number of different, and often shifting, servers hosting malware, in this case Windows scareware.

When the search engines’ spiders crawl the Internet, and index the fake and real sites that have the landing page URL, their algorithms are essentially tricked into pushing it to the top of any search result for the key phrases in the stolen content.

“The botnets give them much more power this way than if, say, they were just using them for spam,” he added.

The only defense is to be wary of what’s clicked in a search result.

“This isn’t going away, it’s too successful of a tactic,” said Chenette. “[Attackers] are taking the way that engines are populating their results and using it to their advantage. There’s nothing search engines can really do about it unless they redesigned how they create results from the ground up.”

As Chenette hinted, this is far from the first time that scareware makers have poisoned search results to shill their worthless software. In February, for example, they used Google’s own Trends, a tool that highlights the most popular searches of the past hour, to dupe users into clicking on rogue security software downloads.

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Researcher: Hackers pay 43 cents per hijacked MacJackson’s sperm flown to London

Entry-level white MacBook could add built-in battery

You can add built-in batteries to rumours of a new slimmer lighter entry-level white MacBook.

Apple's "cutting-edge internal battery technology" is part of a white MacBook refresh due sooner than later according to AppleInsider. The company's built-in batteries have not been a hit with all Mac users, due to the fact they cannot be easily replaced without a visit to Apple.


Entry-level white MacBook could add built-in battery

Cnet adds that low-cost Intel ultra-low-voltage "ULV" processors like the SU4100 or SU7300 are likely to be part of the new models, boasting extra-long battery life, some claiming up to 10 hours.

AppleInsider also now believes the new MacBook could debut alongside new iMacs, rumoured to be available as early as next month.

A new iMac is likely to be thiner and come with what one analyst describes as "smoothed or rounded edges."

The Mac enthusiast Web site also reported that the 13-inch laptop would come with a slimmer, lighter enclosure and restructured internal architecture.

In August, AppleInsider quoted Ben Reitzes, an analyst with Barclays Capital, who believed a price cut was on the horizon for the cheapest MacBook currently available on the market.

"We [...] believe the MacBook line needs to be revamped (there is only one MacBook available now, an old white model) and that we could see a lower priced line soon, positioned below the new MacBook Pro models."

In May, Apple adjusted the price of the entry-level white 13-inch MacBook from 719 to 749 on the Apple UK store following a specification upgrade, while the price remained the same in the US at $999.

In January, the price increased from 704 to 719, when Apple added improved NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics cards.

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Nevercenter intros CameraBag Desktop for Mac

Following the succes of an iPhone version, Nevercenter has introduced CameraBag Desktop for Mac.

CameraBag features adaptive photo filters, which brings the "magic" of analog film processing to digital photos by recreating signature looks from popular classic cameras and film techniques says the company.


"Digital cameras have replaced film for all but the most die-hard photographers, but something was lost in that transition. Before the digital era, a photographer's choice of camera and film had nearly as much artistic impact as the subject matter," runs the company's blurb. "Rediscover the fading, tinting, blurring, chemical processing techniques, and "happy accidents" which gave film photos life."

CameraBag’s newest filter, Colorcross, simulates a film developing technique known as cross processing, which results in a strong, colour-swapped look frequently used in fashion ads and album covers.

"Multi-filter" mode meanwhile, allows users to layer filters while an "Reprocess" button offers photo editing by subtly re-tuning the filters each time the button is pressed, for infinite variations.

The 1.19 CameraBag iPhone application has been in the top ten Photography apps since its release, and has reached as high as number two among all paid apps in the App Store insists Nevercenter.

CameraBag Desktop for Mac costs $19, around 12. Minimum system requirements are Mac OS X 10.4, Intel or PowerPC based Mac.

Nevercenter intros CameraBag Desktop for Mac

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Researcher: Hackers pay 43 cents per hijacked Mac

A network of Russian malware writers and spammers paid hackers 43 cents for each Mac machine they infected with bogus video software, a sign that Macs have become attack targets, a security researcher said on Thursday.

In a presentation at the Virus Bulletin 2009 security conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Sophos researcher Dmitry Samosseiko discussed his investigation of the Russian “Partnerka,” a tangled collection of Web affiliates who rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars from spam and malware, most of the former related to phony drug sites, and much of the latter targeting Windows users with fake security software, or "scareware."


But Samosseiko also said he had uncovered affiliates, which he dubbed “codec-partnerka,” that aim for Macs. “Mac users are not immune to the scareware threat,” said Samosseiko in the research paper he released at the conference to accompany his presentation. "In fact, there are ‘codec-partnerka’ dedicated to the sale and promotion of fake Mac software."

One example, which has since gone offline, was Mac-codec.com, said Samosseiko. "Just a few months ago it was offering [43 cents] for each install and offered various promo materials in the form of Mac OS ‘video players,’"he said.

Another Sophos researcher argued that Samosseiko’s evidence shows Mac users, who often dismiss security as a problem only for people running Microsoft’s Windows, are increasingly at risk on the Web.

“The growing evidence of financially-motivated criminals looking at Apple Macs as well as Windows as a market for their activities, is not good news - especially as so many Mac users currently have no anti-malware protection in place at all,” said Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at UK based Sophos, in a blog entry on Thursday.

Hackers pay 43 cents per hijacked Mac

Mac threats may be rare, but they do pop up from time to time. In June 2008, for example, Mac security vendor Intego warned of an active Trojan horse that exploited a vulnerability in Apple’s Mac OS X. Last January, a different Trojan was found piggybacking on pirated copiesof Apple’s iWork ’09 application suite circulating on file-sharing sites.

Mac OS X’s security has beenroundly criticised by vulnerability researchers, but even the most critical have acknowledged that the Mac’s low market share - it accounted for just 5 per cent of all operating systems running machines that connected to the Internet last month - is probably enough protection from cyber criminals for the moment.

Samosseiko’s paper on Partnerka can be downloaded from Sophos’ site (download PDF).

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Report: Apple to unveil new iMacs by mid-October

Apple will refresh its iMac desktop computer within a matter of weeks and will unveil the first revamp of the all-in-one's exterior since mid-2007, a prominent Apple enthusiast site reported on Thursday.

According to AppleInsider, Apple will introduce new iMacs sporting a new enclosure "anytime between next week and mid-October."


Taiwanese manufacturers have been producing the redesigned iMacs for the past two weeks, sources told the Web site, and other clues, including $100 to $200 discounts on existing models to volume customers, point to an imminent release, said AppleInsider.

But details are few and far between. Although the site said its sources claimed the redesigned iMacs will sport a thinner design, perhaps one that mimics the look of Apple's LED-backlit Cinema Display line introduced last December, information about other enhancements, tweaks and additions was scanty. One possibility: an internal Blu-ray optical drive.

The last time Apple updated the iMac was in early March 2009, when the company doubled the amount of RAM, increased storage space and dropped in faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors while keeping prices stable for all but one model, the least-expensive 24-in. iMac.

At the time, one analyst called the refresh "underwhelming" and "exactly what you'd expect from Apple, more stuff for the same price."

The recent gossip of upcoming new iMacs got the attention of a pair of industry analysts, who agreed that an iMac overhaul is long overdue. But they split on whether the timing is on the mark.

"Apple's desktops, as a percentage of their total [system] sales, continue to decline," said Stephen Baker, an analyst with retail research firm NPD Group. Baker said the talk of an iMac refresh made sense because of the long stretch since the line last saw a redesign, and because Apple would like to give its desktops a chance to compete with laptops.

Apple to unveil new iMacs by mid-October

NEXT: What's likely to be included in the refresh

Continued... 1 | 2 | NEXT >



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Report: Twitter valued at $1 billion in new deal

Twitter is nearing a deal for as much as $100 million from a group of investors who say they believe the Internet short messaging giant is worth about $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site.

A group of investors including mutual fund giant T. Rowe Price and several private equity firms and venture capital companies are expected to sign the deal with Twitter soon.


Twitter valued at $1 billion in new deal

The money will give Twitter more time to figure out a business model. Twitter currently brings in no steady revenue and has only recently talked about working out advertising deals next year.

A spokesman for T. Rowe Price declined to comment on the deal.

Insight Venture Partners, a private equity firm, as well as Spark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners are other groups involved in the current Twitter deal, the Journal says.

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YouTube to offer film rentals?Gary Go releases free twitter song

ustwo intros The Dot game for iPhone created in 48 hours

Creative design studio ustwo has introduced the The Dot for iPhone and iPod touch.

The Dot - or simply .™ - promises addictive gameplay - red triangles are poison, blue circles are food. If you don't eat, you shrink and die.


Part of a suite of forthcoming applications, each will be created spontaneously in 48 hours with the emphasis on intuitive fun gaming.

Available from the Apple iTunes Apple Store The Dot costs 59p and requires

ustwo are the team behind hit iPhone applications Steppin and MouthOff. The team recently released a free version of MouthOff.

ustwo intros The Dot game for iPhone created in 48 hours

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Gary Go releases free twitter songKiloo and Manomio intros Commodore 64 Emulator for iPhone

China clamps down on Internet ahead of 60th anniversary

Security forces with black masks and machine guns on the streets of China's capital are just the more visible side of a security clampdown in the country this month: there is also its secretive battle to control the Internet.

The heightened security comes ahead of a massive military parade Beijing will hold in the heart of the city next week to celebrate China's 60th anniversary of communist rule, an event the government hopes will showcase the country's development and go untarnished by security threats or shows of dissent. China's newest nuclear missiles will be included in the arsenal of weapons and equipment shown off in the parade, according to state-run media.


Security measures have included a crackdown this month on online tools that help users circumvent the "Great Firewall," the set of technical measures China uses to filter the Internet, according to providers of the tools.

"They put more resources into the blocking," said Bill Xia, president of Dynamic Internet Technology, which makes a widely used anti-censorship program called Freegate.

"It has been getting worse and worse this month," he said.

Many expatriates and savvy locals in China rely on Freegate as well as proxy servers and virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass blocks that China places on Web sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. But accessing some of those tools has become more difficult in recent weeks.

China clamps down on Internet ahead of 60th anniversary

China has always blocked IP (Internet Protocol) addresses it believes are used by Freegate, which routes users' communication through foreign IP addresses to grant access to Web sites blocked in China. But this month it became more aggressive and began blocking a wider range of IP addresses, risking taking down unrelated targets in order to hit more Freegate users, Xia said. The moves have left most users unable to use the program, prompting Xia's company to ready an updated version of Freegate that will be available in a few days.

China also cranked up its efforts to stifle Freegate ahead of another sensitive date this year: the 20th anniversary of its bloody crackdown on student democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989.

Measures China uses to limit access to certain Web sites include altering entries in the DNS (domain name system), which translates URLs like www.google.com into the numeric IP addresses used to relay information online, and resetting a computer's connection when it tries to visit a banned site. The country's police force also patrols the Internet for sensitive or pornographic content.

Authorities appear to have stepped up efforts to block other circumvention tools as well. China-based users of Hotspot Shield, another popular program that encrypts and reroutes online activity, have had problems accessing the program's Web site since last month, a representative of developer AnchorFree said in an e-mail.

China last month also started blocking the Web site of Blacklogic, a VPN provider, a company representative said, though the Web site can currently be accessed from China. The company had to switch to a new tunneling protocol when some users recently became unable to connect to any servers, the representative said.

"I'm unable to tell you with a 100 percent guarantee what [technical] measures are taken in China to interfere with our service, but these measures are being taken," the representative said.

Not all VPN providers appear to have been affected. China has mainly blocked free VPNs and proxies while allowing similar paid services, a representative of VPN provider 12vpn said in an email.

Blocked Web sites

Accessing blocked Web sites is fairly easy in China and many users do so through free Web-based proxies. Most VPN users in China are expatriates, but more local Chinese may be signing up as well. 12vpn and other tool providers said their number of China-based users rose after early July, when China blocked Facebook and Twitter.

Some VPN providers declined to comment for a news story for fear of drawing China's attention and potential restrictions on VPNs.

At least one Chinese city has adopted a further measure to monitor Internet traffic. The southern city of Guangzhou this month ordered Internet service providers to install "security monitoring" software on all servers and threatened punishment for failure to do so, according to government notices posted on the blog of one data center management company.

Two such software programs, called Blue Shield and Huadun, were recommended in one of the government notices. Huadun's Web site says the program helps server owners remove illegal and pornographic content from their systems.

The software is meant to "create a favorable online environment" for China's National Day celebration next week, the government orders said. A representative of the data center company reached by phone said it put the orders on the blog for reference by clients and that the order applied only to Guangzhou.

Some of China's new security measures could remain in place long after the 60th anniversary celebrations, but others are likely to be lifted. China has long gone through cycles of blocking and allowing access to Web sites such as YouTube and Wikipedia, and updates to Freegate have repeatedly allowed the tool to bypass evolving government security measures against it.

Still, Chinese users have posted skeptical notes on Twitter about China's newest Internet controls. When asked if Twitter and Facebook would be unblocked after the National Day celebration next week, one user said they would not.

"Last year we had the Olympics, this year is National Day (which actually happens every year), and next year is the World Expo," the user wrote. "Actually, every year and every month and every day are sensitive."

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Freecom outs first ever USB 3.0 hard drive

After 8 years of success the USB 2.0 standard has begun its long journey into obsolescence. Dutch storage company Freecom has announced the first mainstream storage product based on 'SuperSpeed' USB 3.0.

Buyers will be interested to hear that the new external Hard Drive XS 3.0 doesn't cost the earth at 99 for a 1TB drive, even though that excludes the 22.99 for a desktop PCI-bus controller necessary to make it work at its intended throughput. Laptop users can pair it with a 25.99 plug-in PC Card to achieve the same effect.


The company is also supplying drivers to make USB 3.0 work with Vista and XP. Windows 7 should have 'native' drivers from not long after launch, or users will hope so. Apple is not yet supported by the XS 3.0.

As upgrades to 3.5 inch external drives go, this one looks like a good deal. USB 3.0 boosts the theoretical data throughput of USB storage devices to 4.8Gbit/s from USB 2.0's now rather tardy-sounding 480Mbit/s. Even taking in account protocol overhead, that should still dramatically reduce data transfer times at a moment when larger files sizes are starting to become commonplace.

"We now can transfer a 5GB movie in just 38 seconds - it's unbelievably fast," said Freecom's managing director, Axel Lucassen. Assuming that USB 3.0 scales proportionately, USB 2.0 would have transferred the same file in six and a half minutes.

Freecom outs first ever USB 3.0 hard drive

Lucassen also put his finger on another application that should be boosted by the arrival of USB 3.0, namely transparent encryption. "The Hard Drive XS 3.0 also outperforms the competition in terms of security. Our USB 3.0 solution will have high-speed hardware encryption with AES 256 bit - this is not only the fastest but also the safest storage solution on the market," he said.

Built-in encryption is a well-kept secret of many of Freecom's portable external hard drives, but the technology has struggled to fulfil its promise due to worries over throughput. External hard drives using integrated encryption have a deserved reputation for being slow, and the interface is one factor in that.

USB 3.0 is designed to have other advantages such as the ability to power more powerful devices straight off the SuperSpeed bus, getting round the need for a power adaptor for certain classes of device. Power draw is one of the reasons why external SATA hard drives have never taken off. USB 3.0 can also cut power drain when those devices are not in use.

More generally, to permeate every type of computing device, USB 3.0 will need native support at OS level. That is the point of USB of whatever generation. Users can plug in a range of devices and they will just work without extra software being a necessity. Having to load a driver for every USB interface or device is clearly no more than a stop-gap solution.

As far as storage goes, it's been the '3.0 week' all round, Seagate having announced the first SATA 3.0 hard drive designed to raise internal hard drive bus performance.

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Computer Warehouse expands, finally moves after 15 years

Computer Warehouse (CW), the award winning Apple Authorised Reseller has moved after 15 years.

Computer Warehouse, along with professional divisions, CWPro - Professional Audio and Video - and TSC - machinery for musicians - are expanding into an 18,500 square feet purpose built studio and demonstration facility in Park Royal.


Previously Cream recording studio complex, Computer Warehouse will be renting out facilities to audio and video clients under the brand Cream Recordingstudios and theWhite Rooms. The studios were designed by the legendary Recording Architecture, who boast a previous client list of Abbey Road,Lansdowne,EMI and Phoenixsound (Pinewood).

The move is directly designed to service CWPro’s expanding client base in the pro audio and video market says the company. Already certified as Apple solution experts, CWPro and TSC have recently reaffirmed our relationship with Yamaha and Roland to be authorised dealers.

"The company has changed significantly over the last year and this move compliments everything we are doing with the direction of the company, of course many of our higher profile clients in the music industry will also benefit from the new facilities," said Chairman and CEO Jonathan Cole.

The company are also building a real Computer Warehouse - an extended showroom facility - within the new warehouse aimed at retail customers.

Over the next few weeks Computer Warehouse will be hosting a series of events to show of the new facility, details of which will be available on the company's website.

Computer Warehouse can now be found at:

2 Premier ParkPremier Park RoadLondonNW10 7NZ

Customers can ring 020 8400 1234 for more details or visit www.computerwarehouse.co.uk/moving.

Computer Warehouse expands, finally moves after 15 years

Computer Warehouse expands, finally moves after 15 years

Computer Warehouse expands, finally moves after 15 years

Computer Warehouse expands, finally moves after 15 years

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New Apple Store opens in Norwich, Saturday 26 September

Apple opens the latest Apple Store in the UK this Saturday 26 September with a branch in Norwich.

The store, which opens at 10 am, will showcase the latest Macs, iPods and iPhone along with the usual range of accessories.


New Apple Store opens in Norwich, Saturday 26 September

The Apple Store is at Merchants Hall, Chapelfield, Norwich, NR2 1SH.

Chapelfield offers over 90 shops, cafes and restaurants.

Opening times are Mon - Wed: 9 am - 6 pm, Thu: 9 am - 8 pm, Fri - Sat: 9 am - 7 pm, Sun: 11 am - 5 pm.

A map and directions can be found at www.apple.com/uk/retail/chapelfield.

According to the Norwich Evening News, despite the closure of two other shops, Diva and Punkyfish in the shopping centre, the city's retail experts hope the imminent opening of the Apple Store and Java, a furniture and interiors shop, bodes well for city shopping.

New Apple Store opens in Norwich, Saturday 26 September

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£100 TomTom Car Kit for iPhone 3GS now available to order (UPDATED)

The Apple Store is now listing the TomTom Car Kit for iPhone 3GS or iPhone 3G for 99.95.

The unit is available to order with a shipping time listed as 2-3 weeks.


The unit promises safe and secure docking and the freedom to take calls on the move and play your favourite tunes over your car stereo.

The makers claim the TomTom car kit's built-in receiver increases GPS performance even in high-rise urban areas.

The kit is compatible with the TomTom for iPhone navigation application, now available from the Apple iTunes App Store, and introduced in August.

£100 TomTom Car Kit for iPhone 3GS now available to order (UPDATED)

The TomTom application includes the 'exclusive' IQ Routes technology assumptions, which bases its routes on the actual experience of millions of TomTom drivers to calculate the fastest route and generate the most accurate arrival times in the industry says the company.

The technology empowers drivers to reach their destination faster up to 35 per cent of the time says TomTom.

The TomTom application comes with an extensive safety camera database including verified safety camera information in 11 European countries. Drivers are informed ahead of time about any safety cameras on their route, encouraging road safety, while saving money on fines at the same time.

Other features include fast route planning and clear voice instructions, automatic re-routing if a turn is missed, route demo or map of route when trip planning and the latest Tele Atlas maps for each specific application and area.

£100 TomTom Car Kit for iPhone 3GS now available to order (UPDATED)

Multiple display options include iPhone landscape and portrait navigation view, night and day colour mode for optimised screen visibility in varying light conditions and the ability to change view settings with the option of 2D or 3D map displays.

TomTom for iPhone adds multi-touch gestures such as tap, swipe, pinch and zoom to operate the application and zoom in and out of the map and easy navigation to contacts in address book, while the user interface is available in 18 languages.

Available from the Apple iTunes App Store TomTom UK & Ireland costs 59.99 and requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update.

TomTom currently offer similar iPhone applications covering US and Canada (59.99), Western Europe (79.99), Australia (44.99) and New Zealand (54.99).

Update

TomTom has sent out a short press release after our story which confirms the car kit does not include the TomTom for iPhone application.

"TomTom announces today that the TomTom car kit for the iPhone will have a recommended retail price of 99.99."

The TomTom car kit will be available this October and will be sold separately from the TomTom app. It will be compatible with the iPhone 2G, 3G and 3GS."

The original Apple Store ad this morning had said: "You get both the TomTom navigation app for your iPhone 3GS or 3G and the docking kit to hold your iPhone securely in place on your dashboard or windscreen." Hence the confusion.

[Via www.spider-mac.com]

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Blurb offers prizes for best books in new competition

Blurb, a creative publishing and marketing platform for user-created books, has announced the Best Blurb Books competition.

Blurb users can enter under three categories - Family, Pets or Travel - with a grand prize winner in each category of $3,000, with a runner up winning $1,000.


Blurb offers prizes for best books in new competition

People's Choice winners will receive Blurb Gift Cards.

Each category will be judged by an expert in that field says Blurb.

The travel section will be judged by Lori Barbely, Islands magazine, pets by Christopher Ameruoso fromPaw Print magazine and family by April Peveteaux of Babble.

Submissions will be accepted until the 22 October 2009. Users need to download the Blurb BookSmart 2.0 to get started.

More details can ne found here.

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Stitchtastic brings cross-stitch design to Mac OS X

Severn Software has introduced Stitchtastic 1.0. billed as an easy to use cross-stitch design application for the Mac.

Stitchtastic provides a suite of design tools and also a photo-to-pattern feature to convert photos to cross stitch patterns.


The software promises fine control over colour and tools to create a design intuitively.

"Stitchtastic represents all the qualities of the Mac experience. It is user-friendly and quick to master. We truly believe this is the best cross-stitch design software on the Apple Mac," said Severn Software MD, Mark Allen.

Stitchtastic requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher, Intel or PowerPC Mac and costs 59.95.

Stitchtastic brings cross-stitch design to Mac OS X

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Lancashire fresher students get iPhone app

The University of Central Lancashire in Preston is offering fresher students particularly a new iPhone application that will provide details of campus facilities and local amenities.

"At the beginning of term you're always being stopped by students asking for directions, now they're going to have the information they need in their pockets," Director of learning, Michael Ahern told the BBC.


"As they roam around the campus they can get information about lecture theatres, places to eat and libraries," added Ahern, who believes this is the first such iPhone application for a university in the UK.

UCLan aims to give students and staffaccess to core services, with access to various news feeds, 53 Degrees events information as well as ticket booking.

The application offers campus and building maps with a A-Z of buildingsand associated facilities, TAG - The Alternative Guide, a student information site written by students, a Services Locator and various online resources.

Available from the Apple iTunes App Store UCLan is free and requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update or later.

Lancashire fresher students get iPhone app

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Linuxcon: Future of Linux is laptops, mobiles rather than desktops

Leaders in the Linux community seemed resigned to the fact that Linux still hasn't made headway in the desktop market, but they made it clear on Monday that their success in other markets, such as mobile, is at least as important.

At the Linuxcon event in Portland, Oregon, panelists on one session that included Linux's founder, Linus Torvalds, seemed ambivalent when asked whether next year is finally the year for Linux on desktops.


Future of Linux is laptops, mobiles rather than desktops

"I don't know that it's important that everyone or some large percentage of the user population is using Linux as a desktop," said Ted Ts'o, chief technology officer for the Linux Foundation.

Bob Sutor, vice president for open source and Linux in IBM's software group, outlined what he sees as possible scenarios for desktop Linux in the years to come. One is that it just dies. "Or, we stop using desktops, so who cares," he said.

Apple and Microsoft each could end up with about a third of the market, with Linux getting the rest, plus or minus 32.9 percent, he joked.

"If the Linux desktop gets into the double digits across a broad range of people, it's probably time to claim victory," he said.

Rather than dwelling on the lack of success for Linux in desktops, though, leaders focused on other successes.

Linux and Tivo

"Linux has incredible market share on the client, just not on the desktop," said Dirk Hohndel, chief technology officer of Intel's Open Source Technology Center. Routers, wireless access points and TiVo boxes all use Linux, he said.

"Linux is used every day by every person in the modern world," said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation. That's because popular Web sites such as Google and Facebook employ Linux, as do commonly used devices such as cable TV set-top boxes.

The leaders were particularly excited about progress in the mobile-phone market. Google's Android and Palm's Pre operating systems are built on Linux, and the LiMo Foundation supports a set of Linux technologies for mobile phones. Nokia uses Maemo, a platform based on Linux, for its mobile Internet devices.

In addition, the Linux community has high hopes for regaining lost ground in the netbook segment. Zemlin hinted at an announcement planned for later this week about new netbooks based on Moblin, a Linux-based operating-system project spearheaded by Intel.

That potential may be behind the satisfaction that Torvalds seems to have with the current state of the Linux kernel. He couldn't point to anything specific that he hopes to see in the kernel.

"I don't have features I'm looking forward to that would be impossible due to the model and the way the kernel is organized," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's already done what I want it to be able to do for a long time."

He's also happy with improvements to the Linux development model, which has made his job easier merging new code into the kernel. Now, working on Linux is "an absolute pleasure," he said.

That doesn't mean he had no criticism, however. "We are not the streamlined, small, hyper-efficient kernel I envisioned 15 years ago," he said. "Our kernel is huge and bloated. Whenever we add a new feature, it only gets worse."

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Brian Eno intros Trope for iPhone, iPod touch

Ambient music pioneer and former Roxy Music star Brian Eno has released Trope for iPhone and iPod touch.

The application via Opal, is the work of Eno along with musician and software designer Peter Chilvers. Trope is a follow up to Bloom, an Eno application from 2008, which was billed as part instrument, part composition and part artwork.


"Trope is a different emotional experience from Bloom - more introspective, more atmospheric. It shows that generative music, as one of the newest forms of sonema, can draw on a broad palette of moods," insists Eno.

Available from the Apple iTunes App Store Trope costs 2.39 and requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update or later.

Brian Eno intros Trope for iPhone, iPod touch

Also new on the iTunes Store from the same Opal team is Air, a generative audio-visual work created by Chilvers and vocalist Sandra O'Neil.

Based on concepts by Eno, Air costs 1.19 and requires the iPhone 2.2 Software Update or later.

Eno is also known for his innovative work as a producer including a series of best selling albums from U2.

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SlingPlayer for iPhone launched across Europe

Sling Media has released SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone and iPod touch customers across Europe, with the Wi-Fi version of the application now available in 16 additional countries.

The application was first made available to iPhone and iPod touch customers in the US, Canada and the UK in May 2009.


Sling Media, a subsidiary of the EchoStar Corporation, has yet to have the the 3G version of the application approved outside the US.

"We are disappointed that Apple has not yet approved the 3G version of the SlingPlayer Mobile application for iPhone and iPod customers outside the US," said John Gilmore, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sling Media.

"However, we are very excited to launch the Wi-Fi version - it gives our European customers access to the full spectrum of viewing choices on their iPhone or iPod touch when connected to a Wi-Fi network - the ability to watch and control both their live TV from home - local channels, local sports, video-on-demand and pay-per-view - as well as their home digital video recorder (DVR)."

The lack of 3G support is highlighted in App Store customers reviews. "Come on Apple approve it. Sling over 3G is the real benefit of this app," writes customer Maletomnow. "BlackBerry, Nokia's Sony Ericsson's can all do it, why not iPhones? We all pay enough for them."

"Are we being dictated to by Apple and our service providers?" adds customer Kevin Hancox. "I know the 3G issue isn't Sling's fault, but seems to be very restrictive of Apple."

When your iPhone or iPod touch is connected to a Wi-Fi network, the SlingPlayer Mobile software application connects to your Slingbox SOLO or PRO and allows you to watch and control your home TV.

Change channels, control your DVR and watch favourite shows via your iPhone or iPod touch says the makers.

Available at the Apple iTunes App Store SlingPlayer Mobile costs 17.99 and requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update or later.

SlingPlayer Mobile is also now available across Europe in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

SlingPlayer Mobile requires a compatible SlingPlayer. More details can be found at www.slingmedia.com.

SlingPlayer for iPhone launched across Europe

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Palm dumps Windows Mobile phones

Palm said it will stop developing new phones running Windows Mobile software, instead focusing future development on its new WebOS operating system.

The news came as the struggling handset maker reported widening losses for the quarter during which it started selling the new Palm Pre, the first device to run WebOS.


Losses for its first quarter reached $164.5 million, compared with a loss of $41.9 million in the same period last year.

Nevertheless, the results beat analyst expectations. Adjusted sales were $360.7 million, better than the $297.7 million anticipated by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Palm shipped a total of 823,000 smartphones during the quarter, a 134 percent increase over its fiscal fourth quarter of 2009 and a year-over-year decrease of 30 percent.

The decrease from last year means that the Pre isn't making up for declining sales of the older Palm products. So far, the Pre is available to Sprint customers in the US and only recently Bell Mobility in Canada.

Palm has already signed contracts with additional operators to bring phones using WebOS to new and existing markets, said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and CEO of Palm. The Pre is scheduled to debut later this year in Europe with Telefonica. The newest WebOS phone, the Pixi, will come out from Sprint before the end of the year.

Even so, Palm doesn't expect WebOS phone sales to make more of a dent in the company's financial results even next quarter. Palm said it expects adjusted revenue for its second quarter of between $240 million and $270 million, lower than first-quarter revenue.

Rubinstein defended the relatively slow ramp-up of the Pre by comparing it with the Centro, an earlier Palm device that was an unexpected hit. That phone started off slowly too, but ended up being sold by about 30 operators around the globe, he said. "I expect a similar trend" for the Pre, Rubinstein said.

Palm dumps Windows Mobile phones

In the future, Palm plans to focus solely on WebOS rather than developing phones that run operating systems from other vendors like Microsoft. "While there are still Centros and Treos moving through the channel, our future engineering efforts are based around WebOS," Rubinstein said. The Centro runs Palm OS, Palm's previous operating system, and the Treo runs Windows.

The appeal of the Pre to business customers - a segment that Windows has traditionally appealed to - may have helped Palm decide to focus on its own phones and drop Windows. "We found early on that demand [from businesses] was stronger than expected," Rubinstein said. As a result, Palm has accelerated updates to the WebOS platform, such as improved Exchange security policies, that business users want, he said.

Though Palm probably did not make up a major share of Windows sales, the news is probably a blow to Microsoft, which has struggled to keep up in an increasingly competitive mobile market. Updated Windows phones running version 6.5 will come in early October, but the more significant upgrade - the apparent response to the launch of the iPhone two years ago - won't arrive until next year.

"Palm has been and remains a great partner to Microsoft, and they are one of the many companies we work with to deliver a compelling range of mobile offerings," a Microsoft spokesman said in a statement.

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LaCie portable DVD±RW drive gets makeover, new software bundle

Macworld Awards 2009 nominee LaCie has introduced a new look portable DVDRW drive that also includes a refreshed software bundle.

Designed by award winning UK-based industrial designer Sam Hecht, the LaCie portable DVDRW drive comes in a new sleek black design, which the makers promise is light and small enough, less than an inch tall and weighing under a pound, to be easily portable.


Mac users get Toast 9 Basic from Roxio, while PC users get Creator Suite 10 also from Roxio bundled with the portable drive.

The LaCie portable DVDRW drive is also equipped with LightScribe, technology that allows you to burn silkscreen-quality labels directly onto CDs and DVDs with a laser instead of a printer.

LaCie portable DVD±RW drive gets makeover, new software bundle

"The new, black, Sam Hecht Portable DVDRW offers mobility, simplicity, and of course style – without compromising the key features that complement their computing systems and their lifestyles," said Christelle Dexet, Mutimedia Product Manager. The drive is well suited to netbooks and the MacBook Air suggests LaCie, which omit optical drives to save space.

The LaCie portable DVDRW drive has a SRP 64.99 and is available from stores and online. More information can found at www.lacie.com.

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Pure promise Internet radio for the Facebook generation

Pure, a leading manufacturer of DAB and Internet radios, has announced the Sensia, billed as the world’s first high resolution DAB digital and Internet-connected radio with an unique, large colour touchscreen.

The Sensia, available in a range of swductive colours, is aimed at the Facebook generation who want more than to simply listen to music.


The Sensia will offer users a chance to scroll and spin lists, tap to select, slide controls and swipe to change views, interacting with Internet and radio content.

These, include podcasts and listen again services, along with some custom iPhone style Pure Apps such as weather, news, Picasa, Facebook and Twitter, and when available station slideshows.

Pure promise Internet radio for the Facebook generation

The Sensia comes with a 5.7 inch 640 x 480 high resolution colour touchscreen, 15 RMS per channel speakers, 30W RMS total, input for iPod or MP3 player, alarm, countdown timer, sleep timer, headphone socket and remote control.

A moulded stand is supplied, which Pure insists allows the user to angle the radio to an optimum viewing position.

The Sensia is also a media streamer enabling users to listen to music stored on a home computer or network storage device via Wi-Fi.

Audio codecs supported include WMA (Standard V9), WAV, AAC, MP3, MP2, Real Audio (cook). Media streaming requires UPnP server or Mac or PC running UPnP server software, which Pure says is supplied upon registration to www.thelounge.com, Pure's own radio and media portal.

The device surports the following wireless connection: 802.11b and 802.11g supported with WEP and WPA/WPA2 encryption.

The Pure Sensia will be available in time for Christmas with a SRP of 249.99 and comes with a two-year guarantee.

More information can be found at a dedicated Pure site www.touchmyradio.com.

Pure promise Internet radio for the Facebook generation

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Very first Macintosh Plus given to Star Trek's creator up for auction

The very first Macintosh Plus 1Mb personal computer - serial number F4200NUM0001 - is up for auction.

The computer was given to screenwriter and producer Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, by Apple as a gift.


The Macintosh Plus came with 1 Mb RAM, upgradeable to 4Mb, and supported the double-sided floppy disk format and was the first Mac with a SCSI port for fast data transfer to and from an external hard drive.

Released in 1986, the Macintosh Plus introduced RAM expansion from 1MB to 4MB and the SCSI peripheral bus. It came two years after the original Macintosh, which was released in 1984.

The Macintosh Plus featured a not so stylish beige-coloured case with 9 inch display, 3.5 inch floppy drive that included the short keyboard, external floppy drive, mouse and Apple logo padded carrying case, for those with the strength to carry the computer around.

Very first Macintosh Plus given to Star Treks creator up for auction

"An incredible artifact with a wonderful association between the visionary computer designer/manufacturer and legendary Star Trek creator. Accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from Gene Roddenberry’s son, Rod," the online auction listing can be found here.

Roddenberry developed Star Trek in 1964, it went on to have worldwide success, spawning several hit spin-off shows and big screen film outings. He died in 1991 of heart failure, his ashes, along with those of Timothy Leary, launched into orbit aboard the Pegasus XL rocket.

The current bid for Roddenberry's Macintosh Plus is $1,600 (around 980), plus premiums, taxes, fees and shipping.

The auction ends on 9 October 2009. Happy bidding.

Very first Macintosh Plus given to Star Treks creator up for auction

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Bare Bones releases Yojimbo 2.0

Bare Bones Software on Tuesday announced the release of Yojimbo 2.0, an upgrade to their information organizer for Mac OS X.

It costs $39 (25.59) for an individual license or $69 (45.27) for a family pack. Upgrades from 1.x are $20 (12).


Yojimbo is a free-form information organiser. It lets you collect different data types ranging from text to passwords Web bookmarks, serial numbers, PDFs, images, Web archives and other data. Features include a built-in search engine, data encryption, copy-and-paste and drag-and-drop support, support for Mac OS X Sync Services and more.

New to the 2.0 release is the new Tag Explorer system, which lets you navigate through the contents of your Yojimbo library by filtering items based on whatever tag you've selected. New commands have been employed for adding, removing and setting tags for a specific item.

The Quick Input Panel has been changed to accept dragged images, set "date imported," figure out titles for untitled URLs, and now lets you set more metadata for items when they're created.

A new "New Image" command has been added, the search field has been enhanced to provide completions for tag and label names, fixes to reported issues have been made, and much more.

System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later. Yojimbo is compatible with Snow Leopard.

In related news, Bare Bones Software also released Yojimbo 1.5.2, a maintenance update to Yojimbo's earlier release which "addresses reported issues."

Bare Bones releases Yojimbo 2.0

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GEAR4 intros CarDock FM Follow Me for iPhone, iPod

GEAR4, the Mac, iPhone and iPod accessory manufacturer, has introduced the GEAR4 CarDock FM Follow Me for iPhone and iPod.

An in-car charge dock and FM transmitter, GEAR4 claims unique Follow Me technology - when used with RDS radios - adjusts both the FM transmitter and the car radio to a clearer frequency at the touch of a button.


Some SatNav application users can also hear the turn by turn directions through the car radio.

GEAR4’s CarDock FM Follow Me plugs into a car’s 12V cigarette lighter, taking power from the car and charging up the iPhone. A fully adjustable arm and changeable iPhone and iPod holders promise a perfect fit.

The GEAR4 CarDock FM Follow Me has a SRP of 49.99/€69,99 and is available from most major high street retailers.

GEAR4 intros CarDock FM Follow Me for iPhone, iPod

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BT planning to bring 2Mbps broadband to 'notspots'

Around 140,000 homes currently located in Internet 'notspots' could be getting broadband access thanks to Broadband Enabling Technology (BET), which is being trialled by BT.

The ISP and broadband infrastructure provider is running a pilot scheme of the technology, which can provide a stable internet connection as far away as 12km from a telephone exchange, using a dedicated copper line, in eight areas of the UK including Berkshire, Worcestershire, and Northumberland.


BT planning to bring 2Mbps broadband to notspots

The scheme is expected to start on 30 September. At present the maximum distance for a stable connection is 5km.

BET was initially trialed in Scotland and saw copper lines of between 7km and 12km offering a stable 1Mbps connection. BT said that if a second copper line is available, the two can be bonded together to create a 2Mbps connection.

This will go some way to providing a minimum 2Mbps internet connection to everyone in the UK, as detailed in the government's Digital Britain report.

Recent research by the BBC and broadband website SamKnows revealed there are currently three million homes in the UK that are unable to achieve the minimum 2Mbps speed.

BT said it would begin rolling out the technology nationwide in 2010 if the pilot scheme proved successful and funding is secrred.

John Small, managing director of service delivery for BT Openreach said: "By rolling out BET, we can help customers and assist the Government to realise its aim for a universal 2Mbps broadband service."

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FreeHand fans fight on despite Snow Leopard

Fans of vector tool FreeHand are fighting on despite the application struggling to perform fully under Apple's recent Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard update.

Some bugs when running FreeHand 11.0.2 in OS X 10.5 and 10.6 require complicated workarounds.


FreeHand fans fight on despite Snow Leopard

Some examples include:
• PDF export does not support overprint colours or bleed.
• Gradients often break: gradients within an EPS export may contain white lines, gradients within a PDF export may get breaks at the edges.
• Fonts often don't print correctly (requires conversion to paths prior to printing).
• Does not run natively on Intel Macs.

The bugs have been noted by the FreeFreeHand Organization, a group dedicated to keeping the application alive, who point out the application will still work for those running Snow Leopard, after installing Rosetta, the binary translation software that makes PowerPC-based applications run on Intel Macs.

The group was formed earlier this year by the designer and illustrator Thomas Th Hrlimann, former Art Director of Macworld and Computerworld Switzerland, who has worked with FreeHand since 1987 (Aldus version 1.0), and Jabez Palmer of Bez Design, Seattle , whose first experience with MacDraw on a Macintosh Plus in 1986.

The FreeFreeHand Organization aims are to ensure updates are made available and the current owner agrees to release FreeHand code and licensing to the opensource community for maintenance and further development for an agreed-upon price. The group currently has 1777 members. Full details of the campaign can be found at FreeFreeHand.org.

FreeHand is an award winning tool for creating vector illustrations, which was discontinued when Adobe bought Macromedia. Adobe claimed the application was similar to Adobe Illustrator and one had to go.

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Apple presents free Mark Newton photography web seminar

Apple is offering photographers and enthusiasts a chance to join acclaimed sports and fashion photographer Mark Newton for an exclusive web seminar and interactive Q&A session.

The event takes place online between 7 pm and 8 pm (UK time) on the evening of Thursday 24 September 2009.


Mark will be highlighting his tools of the trade including Apple's own Aperture, which lets you import, manage, and enhance your photos in one integrated workflow.

"Aperture puts you in charge of the image. You have complete control and there are no surprises. It gives you peace of mind on location - you can keep shooting until you know you’ve got the image you want," insists Mark.

You can sign up now to this exclusive free event here.

Apple presents free Mark Newton photography web seminar

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Adobe releases Lightroom 2.5, Camera Raw 5.5

Adobe Systems on Tuesday announced the release of Lightroom 2.5 and Camera Raw 5.5, updates to its photography and digital photo decoding software, respectively.

Both are available for download through Adobe's Web site or through the update mechanisms in Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2.


Adobe releases Lightroom 2.5, Camera Raw 5.5

Adobe's Tom Hogarty posted the information to the Adobe Blogs. The "final" release of Camera Raw 5.5 comes following the release of a "final candidate" version for testing.

Both releases update support for new digital camera models. Newly supported cameras include Nikon's D300s and D3000, Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic DMC-GF1 and DMC-FZ35 cameras.

Adobe notes that in Europe and Japan, the DMC-FZ35 is sold as the DMC-FZ38, and has metadata differences that won't be supported until the next revision.

Adobe notes an important under the hood change: Both software updates correct demosaic algorithms for cameras that use Bayer sensors with "unequal green response."

This includes models from Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony. The change provides "only a subtle visual improvement to the processing of those raw files."

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Apple answers Tiger to Snow Leopard upgrade question

While Apple's latest OS Snow Leopard costs a reasonable 25, those Mac users upgrading from the earlier Tiger OS need to invest in the Mac Box Set.

The new Mac Box Set - featuring Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, iLife ’09, featuring iPhoto ’09, iMovie ’09, GarageBand ’09, iWeb ’09, and iDVD and iWork ’09, Apple’s productivity suite for home and office including Pages ’09, Numbers ’09, and Keynote ’09 costs 129 and 179 for the Family Pack.


Apple answers Tiger to Snow Leopard upgrade question

The Snow Leopard Family Pack costs 39.

However, as many users and Mac specific sites have discovered, a 25 copy of Snow Leopard will upgrade just fine on anyone running Tiger on an Intel based Mac.

The snag, doing so breaks Apple's end user licence agreement (EULA), as Alan Eyzaguire, director of software product marketing at Apple Europe - and Middle East and Africa - told The Guardian.

"Technically, yes, it would upgrade a Tiger install," Eyzaguire told The Guardian's Charles Arthur, "but in the licensing, no," finally answering a question about the need for Tiger users to invest in the Mac Box Set rather than a copy of Snow Leopard.

Eyzaguire insists that the Mac Box Set has been "incredibly popular", but when asked about how many copies have been sold added, "We don't give numbers."

An Apple spokesman helpfully dug out the precise bit of the agreement for The Guardian:

If you have purchased an Upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard license [which is what comes in the Snow Leopard box], then subject to the terms and conditions of this License, you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer as long as that computer has a properly licensed copy of Mac OS X Leopard already installed on it. If you have purchased a Family Pack Upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard license, then subject to the terms and conditions of this License, you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on up to a maximum of five (5) Apple-branded computers at a time as long as those computers are located in the same household (as defined above), are used by persons who occupy that same household, and each such computer has a properly licensed copy of Mac OS X Leopard already installed on it. The Family Pack Upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard License does not extend to business or commercial users.

You can read it yourself at Apple legal (PDF).

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802.11n Wireless-N standard ratified after six year wait

After more than six years, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) has succeeded in getting the 802.11n standard for wireless networking officially ratified.

Following on from 802.11a/b/g, and also known as Wirless N, 802.11n boosts Wi-Fi throughput speeds to more than 300Mbps. In principle it could go to 600Mbps. Wireless N supports multiple anntennae in routers, so it should offer more reliable connectivity.


802.11n Wireless-N standard ratified after six year wait

Now that 802.11n has been officially ratified, products will no-longer carry the terms 'pre-N' and 'draft-N'.

Bruce Kraemer, chair of the IEEE Wireless LAN Working Group, said: "This was an extraordinarily wide-ranging technical challenge that required the sustained effort and concentration of a terrific variety of participants

"When we started in 2002, many of the technologies addressed in 802.11n were university research topics and had not been implemented."

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Bowers & Wilkins intros Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker system

Home theater and hi-fi speaker specialists Bowers & Wilkins has introduced the Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker system.

The Zeppelin Mini is a more compact version of the award winning B&W Zeppelin speaker, which received a Macworld Editors' Choice and five star review in 2008.


The speaker system makes use of key technology such as Nautilus, Flowport, that combines with digital advances such as Digital EQ to provide a clean, room filling sound along with quality base levels. The sound also benefits from new DSP-intensive projects such as the in-car system developed for the new Jaguar XJ says the company.

Bowers & Wilkins intros Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker system

Key differentiating features between the Zeppelin and Zeppelin Mini, include an updated docking arm. The addition of USB connectivity allows the Zeppelin Mini to bypass the analogue output stage of any iPod, providing access to the very best digital sound an iPod has to offer insists B&W.

The docking arm now rotates 90 degrees to allow for a more varied viewing angle, for watching videos, viewing podcasts and selecting tracks via the iPod's Cover Flow.

The Zeppelin Mini also adds the ability to stream music direct from your Mac or PC via a dedicated USB socket, which also offers the advantage of letting you synchronise your iPod or iPhone with your computer.

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini will available in the UK from October 2009 with a SRP of 299.

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Stormfront opens latest Apple store in Windsor

Apple Premium Reseller, Stormfront has opened its latest store in Windsor at the weekend, adding to stores in Canterbury, Exeter, Maidstone, Plymouth, Salisbury, Wimbledon and a base in Exeter where the company has a service centre.

The new Windsor store carries a full range of the latest Macs, iPods and accessories for all things Apple.


Stormfront opens latest Apple store in Windsor

The Stormfront Windsor store opened on Saturday with a range of special offers and prizes.

In the last 2 years, Stormfront has launched five Apple Premium Reseller stores across the south of the UK, and the Windsor store creates seven new jobs in the area with more store openings and job opportunities planned before Christmas.

The new Stormfront store is located at 14 Peascod Street, SL4 1DU, 0800 612 1044, situated opposite Marks and Spencer and next to Waterstones. Opening time details can be found here.

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Gary Go releases free twitter songApple Premium Reseller Store opens in Wimbledon Saturday

Apple updates Snow Leopard, releases Mac OS X 10.6.1

Less than two weeks after it rolled out Snow Leopard, Apple released the first update to its new OS. Included in the OS X 10.6.1 update are a number of stability and compatibility improvements as well as patches for security issues, among them including the more recent version of the Flash plug-in for Safari.

The Flash issue is notable as the Snow Leopard installer was criticised for installing an older version of the plug-in that contained security vulnerabilities even if the user already had a more recent version installed. The 10.6.1 update deploys the most recent version of the Flash plug-in, 10.0.32.18.


In addition, 10.6.1 makes some updates to device compatibility, specifically involving some models of Sierra Wireless 3G modems as well a situation in which Snow Leopard might not correctly display display printer drivers in the Add Printer browser.

It also fixes an an issue that could cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly and one that could make it difficult to remove something from the Dock. It also irons out a problem where Motion 4 might become unresponsive.

Apple updates Snow Leopard, releases Mac OS X 10.6.1

A couple of bugs in Mail were fixed as well, including an instance in which the program’s auto account setup might not work, a problem experienced when sending mail with some SMTP servers, and an issue where the Command-Option-T shortcut unexpectedly brought up the special characters menu in both Mail and TextEdit.

The 75.1MB update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and is presently available via Software Update.

Apple also released Mac OS X Server 10.6.1 on Thursday, which fixes the reliability of services using Grand Central Dispatch and duplicate serial number alerts on servers with multiple network interfaces, as well as including assorted security patches. The 71.57MB update is recommended for all users of Snow Leopard Server and is available via Software Update and Apple's Support Downloads page.

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Apple issues security updates for Leopard, TigerSnow Patrol announce special UK tour

Apple’s Rock and Roll event now available on iTunes

Yesterday, Apple published a streaming QuickTime video of its Rock and Roll event and they’ve now made it available as a free podcast episode on the iTunes Store [iiTunes link].

It weighs in at 850MB and presumably contains the entire keynote, including the performance by Norah Jones at the end.


I say “presumably” because I wasn’t actually able to download it when I tried. iTunes kept running into some error, even though all my other podcasts are being downloaded just fine.

Maybe it’s just that the traffic is too high right now and I’ll have better luck later. Let us know how it works out for you in the comments.

Apple’s Rock and Roll event now available on iTunes

[via Smoking Apples]

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Palm brings iTunes synching back to the PreTina Turner live DVD

Extensis Suitcase Fusion 2 adds Snow Leopard compatibility

Extensis, the digital assets and fonts management software specialists, has announced Suitcase Fusion 2 is now fully compatible with Apple's new Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Suitcase Fusion 2 version 13.2, adds Snow Leopard compatibility, support for TrueType Collection (.ttc) fonts, including updated Snow Leopard system fonts, import and export of font sets, and additional improvements and fixed issues.


The update also adds Adobe InDesign and Illustrator CS2 plug-ins powered by Font Sense technology.

The update is free to Suitcase Fusion 2 users, while all current users of Suitcase Fusion 1 are eligible for upgrade pricing.

The Extensis Total Control Tour 2009 continues across the UK, with the creative tour running into October. The free half-day seminar series feature the newly released Universal Type Server 2 for font management and Portfolio Server 9 for digital asset management.

The Total Control Tour 2009 continues:

September 17, Hove
September 22, London
September 23, Cheltenham
September 24, Edinburgh
September 30, Bristol
October 7, Dublin
October 20, London
October 28, Norwich

Full details including venues for the Total Control Tour 2009 can be found here.

Extensis Suitcase Fusion 2 adds Snow Leopard compatibility

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Check Off 4.0 adds Snow Leopard compatibility, refined interfaceSnow Patrol announce special UK tour

Apple issues security updates for Leopard, Tiger

On the same day that Apple released the first update to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, the company also issued a slew of security updates for Tiger and Leopard users.

Updates are available for Tiger PPC, Tiger Intel, Tiger Server PPC, and Tiger Server Universal; as well as Leopard and Leopard Server.


Apple has updated its Security Updates Web page to include the new versions, known as Security Update 2009-005.

All updates simply says that they are “recommended for all users” and that they improve the security of Mac OS X.

The updates should be available via OS X’s Software Update mechanism.

Apple issues security updates for Leopard, Tiger

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Gary Go releases free twitter songApple releases Java update for Leopard

IBC 2009: Adobe Flash Access 2.0 boosts saleable online video

At the 2009 IBC tradeshow in Amsterdam, Adobe has announced Flash Access 2.0. Previously known as Flash Media Rights Management Server, Flash Access 2.0 is a scalable, flexible content protection solution that enables publishers to protect and charge for online Flash video and other interactive content.

Content protected with Flash Access 2.0 will play back securely on an upcoming version of Adobe Flash Player software, which is scheduled to ship early next year. Adobe Flash Access 2.0 is designed to support a wide range of business models, including electronic sell-through, rental and video on-demand, for streaming or download.


IBC 2009: Adobe Flash Access 2.0 boosts saleable online video

"With Adobe Flash Access 2.0, media publishers can rely on robust protection for premium content to support new, emerging business models for rich, interactive online experiences," says Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe.

Using cryptography, Adobe Flash Access 2.0 will provide a robust environment to protect content so it remains safe from tampering or capture throughout its lifecycle, according to Adobe. Content can be securely bound to an individual device or to a domain, which may represent a household. Flash Access 2.0 now supports output protection, enabling content providers to specify requirements for protection of analog and digital outputs, providing additional safeguards against unauthorized recording.

Flash Access 2.0 supports distribution of standards-based MPEG 4 (H.264) content as well as the FLV file format through a variety of distribution mechanisms, including progressive download, streaming and download for local playback. Protected content can also be played back in rich Internet applications (RIAs) that run outside the browser using Adobe AIR. Developers can create cross-operating system RIA solutions with Adobe AIR that include local libraries of content, advanced download managers, and highly interactive user interfaces.

Adobe Flash Access 2.0 is offered as a Software Development Kit, enabling Internet-scale deployments and ease of integration into existing software and services such as order management, subscription databases, access control, and LDAP-based Active Directories.

Adobe Flash Access is planned for release in the first half of 2010.



Sergeant set to release new single, albumIBC 2009: Adobe Story public preview released

IBC 2009: Adobe Story public preview released

Adobe Systems has announced the public preview of Adobe Story, the company's new collaborative script development software, at the 2009 IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) trade show in Amsterdam.

Adobe Story, which debuted in April at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show, automatically turns script content into metadata that can be used throughout the digital video workflow.


"Video creators understand that the key to workflow optimization is metadata," said Jennifer Taylor, Adobe's Director of Flash Content Creation and Distribution.

"It's best to capture metadata as early in the process as possible."

The preview version of Adobe Story is available for free at Adobe Labs.

Adobe Story is designed to be part of the planning and pre-production phase of the video workflow and will be integrated with other Adobe products, including future versions of the Creative Suite family, Adobe says. Adobe Story is designed to help simplify production, reduce costs, and streamline operations for camera operators, editors, directors, and others involved in video project development.

Once information, such as script location and character biographies are captured or entered into Adobe Story, the metadata will automatically flow into other products in the Creative Suite Production Premium toolkit, improving the efficiency of capturing clips and editing footage.

“Today, broadcast and media companies are looking for next-generation video workflows that transform how content is created and consumed,” said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe. “By capturing valuable script information in the pre-production phase, Adobe Story provides these companies with a groundbreaking new tool that can radically streamline production workflows, reduce overall costs, and make entertainment more interactive and engaging.”

Scriptwriting generally includes several phases: outline, several drafts, final draft, shooting script, and creation of a production shot list to accompany the final script. Adobe Story is designed to help simplify and accelerate this process. With Adobe Story, project participants also get a visually rich environment to share ideas at will.

Users can employ the software’s industry standard formatting to create a script from scratch or import scripts into Adobe Story from applications such as Microsoft Word and Final Draft, or export into Adobe PDF, text, XML, Movie Magic, and CSV.

IBC 2009: Adobe Story public preview released

Participants can use Adobe Story to work online and offline and automatically synchronize input and comments once they connect to the Internet. During this phase, the software automatically captures metadata such as scene locations and other pertinent information to create a more efficient workflow.

When the video production is ready for online distribution, the metadata can also help viewers discover and search through content to find favorite characters, episodes, or scenes, making the viewing experience more interactive.

Adobe is demonstrating Story at IBC from 11 through 15 September.

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