Apple is reportedly cutting 0.7% of iPad profits to give factory workers at Foxconn, a China-based unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry, a 20% raise, reports "DailyTech" (http://www.dailytech.com/Report+Apple+Cuts+07+Percent+of+iPad+Profit+to+...). The move follows a rash of recent suicides at the plant. Apple's products are almost entirely manufactured by Foxconn. The 20% raise won't hit Apple's wallet too hard, says "Daily Tech." It's estimated to raise the costs of labor for the iPad from 2.3% of the cost to 3%.

In a new report, IMS Research (http://www.fpdmarketresearch.com) says the success of the iPad is not slowing down the eBook reader market. Shipments of electrophoretic display (EPD) frontplanes were up over 20% in the first quarter of 2010 (Q1’10) with even faster growth expected in Q2’10. In addition, eBook shipments are expected to rebound from a seasonally weak Q1’10 and rise by over 30% quarter-over-quarter worldwide in Q2’10. Based on supply chain surveys, 2010 eBook shipments are headed to around 15M units, according to IMS Research. Amazon continued to dominate the global eBook market with a 48% share in Q1’10. Barnes & Noble rose to #4 with an 8% share with its innovative Nook product. Prime View International (PVI) widened its share advantage over its competitors in Q1’10 accounting for nearly 90% of the eBook display market. Its financials have also improved remarkably with its gross margins rising from -16% in Q1’09 to 30% in Q1’10, the highest among all TFT LCD...

Trailrunner (http://www.trailrunnerx.com/), a Mac OS X solution for folks doing long distance sports, has been updated to version 3.1. You can now send Trails to the iPhone and iPad versions of the app. With TrailRunner you can plan workout routes on a geographical map, export the route directions as small NanoMaps onto an iPod and import workout data from the Nike + iPod sports kit back into the workout diary. Other features are an exercise plan, .Mac weblog publishing, a GPS, GPX and KML import/export, an integrated map and elevation data download from global mapping services like USGS topo maps. TrailRunner is donationware. You can download the software, and, if you like it, make a donation to the developer.

RapidweaverTemplates (http:/www.RapidWeaverTemplates.com) has added new Rapidweaver themes to be used with Realmac Software's web site building application. They are: YellowPages, Summertime, Sunset, Nature and Sunny. The new collection complement the existing Rapidweaver themes. Each theme incorporates a number of different graphic elements that can be removed, moved and changed in size, opacity or color. RapidWeaver themes require Mac OS X with RapidWeaver 4.0 installed. Each RapidWeaver theme is available for US$12.99. The complete set of 18 RapidWeaver Themes may be purchased for $49.95. Samples and more information about RapidWeaver Themes are available immediately from RapidWeaverTemplates.

Mark/Space (http://www.markspace.com) has updated their all-in-one Android PIM and media synchronization software, The Missing Synv for Android. Version 1.4 brings phone-to-desktop calendar synchronization to Android phones. You can now synchronize Microsoft Outlook or Apple iCal calendars wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network or via Bluetooth.

 The Missing Sync for Android software is available for Windows PC and Mac computers and supports phones running Android OS, such as the Google Nexus One, Verizon Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Incredible.

 The calendar app included on Android-powered phones syncs with Google Calendar. To sync with a Mac or Windows PC, Mark/Space had to develop their own Android calendar app. Fliq Calendar is their full-featured calendaring app designed especially to synchronize with calendars from Outlook and iCal. Fliq Calendar works with The Missing Sync to keep calendar events updated and in sync between a phone and computer.

 In addition to calendar syncing,...

The Dept. of Justice's probe into Apple is expanding to include how the iPhone and iPad maker does business with media outfits in areas beyond music, according to "The New York Post" (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/apple_probe_grows_eC2Xojek2kBNijBO...), quoting "several," anonymous sources. According to these sources, the Justice Dept. has contacted a handful of the country's biggest media and technology companies to get their views on Apple, "which, after years of casting itself as the tiny outsider, has become an 800-pound gorilla calling the shots in several arenas," the article adds. Hollywood industry source purportedly said: "You can't dictate terms to the industry. The Adobe thing is just inviting the wrath of everybody." With the iPad, Apple has been criticized by many for banning Adobe's Flash, the web's most popular video software, from being used on the device.

Microsoft and Apple are in long-term talks about adding the Bing search service as a prominent option on the iPhone and not as a replacement of Google as has been rumored, according to"All Things D" (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100528/microsoft-talking-to-apple-about-bei...). Currently, Google is the default search on the popular mobile device, although you can switch the search option to Yahoo, if you wish. Microsoft wants to be added to the search options, "but has wanted to do so in a way that makes the choice more visible," according to "All Things D." In addition, Microsoft wants to make its Bing mapping more integrated with the iPhone, the article adds.

In a note to clients Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu is expecting some big announcements beyond iPhone OS 4 and a likely new iPhone at June's Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. Among them is a new Mac Pro. "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) concurs, expecting a pro Mac desktop that adds a total of 12-cores from Intel's latest Westmere architecture to the high-end desktop. (Apple is also expected to release a second LED-backlit Cinema Display, measuring 27-inches diagonally and resembling its existing 24-inch model," says "AppleInsider"). And Wu also thinks we'll see a revved MacBook Air and a web-based version of iTunes. “Sources tell me that in the past few weeks, Apple has started signaling to the labels that it’s interested in a web-based version of iTunes, its dominant music retail platform,” Wu has told clients. “But those conversations are preliminary at best. So if you’re expecting to hear about an ‘iTunes.com’ offering in the near future–like during Apple’s June 7...

Apple has bumped up its iPhone production plans, which include a Verizon iPhone that will be available for the holidays, according to a report at "TheStreet" (http://www.thestreet.com/story/10769660/1/apple-verizon-iphone-set-for-h...). Rodman Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar, who has been monitoring the production plans in Asia, says Apple has asked its supply and manufacturing partners to prepare for a production rate of four million iPhones a month by September, a 25% increase. The company has also told its manufacturing partner Asustek to plan on starting full-scale production of a CDMA version of the iPhone to be available at Verizon as early as November, the analyst adds. Most pundits think that a Verizon iPhone is inevitable and just a matter of time. However, the general consensus seems to be that it will be 2011 before such a device arrives. If Kumar is right, however, that timetable has been moved up.

By Gaurang Donovan Apple stated in its US press release of March h29 that the "iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores, most Best Buy stores, select Apple Authorized Resellers and campus bookstores." It seems that Apple has expanded slightly from the US model for Australia as it has been reported that the iPad is being sold in two large electronics goods centric chain stores, the largest national department store as well as the largest Apple Authorized Reseller in the country. Of course the iPad is available in all seven of the Apple Retail Stores and the Apple Online Store as well. The list includes: Electronics resellers: Dick Smith, JB Hi-Fi Department stores: Myer Apple Authorized Reseller: Next Bye This development has to be seen in favourable light as it becomes more important for the new Apple customer as well as the walk-in retail trade of far flung Aussie places. Sometimes people want to see the product before purchasing it and not just buy...

The Enterprise Desktop Alliance (http://enterprisedesktopalliance.com/) -- an organization to help IT departments integrate Macs into the corporate environment -- has opened a new survey to query IT administrators about whether they have non-Windows systems in their organizations, and if so, how many. The results of the survey will provide a refinement to the Enterprise Desktop Alliance's developing portrait of the distribution and management of personal computing devices in the enterprise. IT administrators are encouraged to contribute to the survey which will be online until June 21. To participate, click here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DFXRTWM?c=PR1 . Participants who complete the survey will qualify to win a US$50 Amazon Gift Certificate that will be given to one of each 100 respondents. The survey will provide baseline data about decisions large organizations are making about delivering computing services to employees, either through physical desktops and laptops, virtual...

Catalina Island’s brand new Pavilion Hotel (which opened May 14) is offering guests complimentary use of iPads to access the Internet and their morning newspaper during their stay. Guests will have at their fingertips free, instant access to the weather, their favorite newspapers, personal email, restaurant menus, information on Island tours and attractions, and live web cams all while relaxing in the new outdoor lounge or the indoor “library." The Pavilion Hotel is a 71-room, two-story; upscale hotel just 14 steps away from the beach. The design combines mid-century style with modern luxury and features a private outdoor living area for most of the ground level rooms, lush garden courtyard. Catalina Island is just 22 miles from Los Angeles.

AT&T’s Ron Spears, CEO of the telecom company’s Business Solutions unit, says four out of 10 iPhone sales are to enterprises, reports "ZDNet" (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/at-t-exec-4-out-of-10-of-our-iphone-sales-...). The exec made the comment t the Barclays Capital Communications, Media and Technology conference on Thursday. "ZDNet" says that Spears said that the iPhone is basically a computing device to enterprises and some of them are forgoing laptop purchases if an employee can get buy with Apple’s flagship phone. “If they’ve got a field service force that needs one or two applications on a daily basis; do they need to go out and spend $1,000 or $1,200 for a laptop and then worry about sort of the lifecycle costs of keeping up with the laptop?” he said. A similar case is likely to be made for the iPad. And you also have to wonder what sort of "halo effect" this will have on Mac sales in the enterprise.

Apple is now offering a way to let you self-publish books on the iBookstore. Or at least be considered for publication. A note at iTunes Connect (https://itunesconnect.apple.com/WebObjects/iTunesConnect.woa/wa/apply) describes it this way: "Use this application to tell us more about yourself and the content you are interested in distributing. We will contact you with your application status after we have reviewed it. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to get back to you as quickly as we'd like. While we're reviewing your application, it is not necessary to apply again. "This application is intended solely for use by persons who either own or control a catalog of content for digital distribution, or are an authorized representative of someone who does." When Apple announced the iPad, it also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, a way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. And Apple has plans for the...

J.P. Morgan analysts think Apple will begin targeting overseas sales of computers in the US$700-$1,119 . Mark Moskowitz and Anthony Luscri made the pronouncement in a letter to clients today, as reported by "Fortune" (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/27/how-the-mac-picks-up-an-easy-5-7-...). The analysts think Apple can add an incremental $5 to $7 billion to its revenue stream by increasing its international market share in the mid-range computer markt with an average selling price between $700 and $1,119. Moskowitz and Luscri that while Apple has been outgrowing the rest of the computer market by a factor of 2-to-1 over the past three years, most of that growth has been in the high end of the U.S. market. And although Apple has been making inroads in the mid-range market -- its U.S. share in 2009 was roughly 22% -- it currently has only a 2% share of the mid-range market overseas, notes "Fortune." The J.P. Morgan pundits think this could change quickly if Apple steps up its...

Hamrick Software has released Vuescan 8.6.33, a new version of the VueScan software for Mac OS X that's designed to let users produce better digital images from color snapshots, negatives, slides and documents. The new version adds support for searchable PDF files. The Standard Edition of VueScan costs US$39.95 and the Professional Edition is $79.95 for a single user license. Multi-user licenses are available. A fully functional, trial copy of VueScan is available for download from the Hamrick web site (http://www.hamrick.com).

WaveMaker Software (http://www.wavemaker.com) has released version 6.1 of its platform for Mac OS X, adding one-click deployment to Rackspace Cloud, OpSource Cloud and Eucalyptus Private Cloud. WaveMaker for Mac OS X is available under the Apache open source license, providing Apple developers with the features and benefits found in proprietary cloud development platforms such as Force.com and Azure. With WaveMaker 6.1, Mac developers can build SaaS-enabled web apps on OS X and deploy them to Amazon EC 2 with a single button click. Because WaveMaker was built using open source standards, it's a cloud development platform to support deployment to any cloud, running on any Java server and connecting to any database. Wavemaker also offers automated multi-tenant support. For this feature, WaveMaker's server-side security module automatically isolates all database access between the tenants or customers of a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application.

Tension Software has updated Invoices (http://www.pomola.com/products_invoices/invoices.html), a native Cocoa application to create and manage invoices in Mac OS X, to version 2.6.2. The upgrade improves the layout and adds an invoice type indication in the invoice table. Invoices (US$40) allows you to create a new invoices with all data without using the keyboard, only with the mouse and all from a single panel view. You can make two different type of invoices, Plain and Table, where description of sold goods and services can be managed in a different way. Invoices automatically calculates totals and taxes, in accordance with the set-up the user specified using his own country's rules. Invoices requires Mac OS X 10.4. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.

Riot Games, a leading independent developer and publisher of premium online video games, have announced that they're working with TransGaming to expand their debut title, League of Legends, and releasing a version for the Mac that will be available for download this summer. The new Mac version of the online multiplayer strategy game will be powered by TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine. The Mac version of League of Legends will have all the same game features as its award-winning PC counterpart, says Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games. Players can download the game for free from http://www.leagueoflegends.com and, after a short installation, begin playing instantly. Artwork, graphics, in-game items and controls will remain the same in the Mac version. League of Legends, Riot Games’ debut title, launched on Oct. 27, 2009 in North America and Europe. It's a session-based, multiplayer online game where rival teams compete for victory. League of Legends is rated "T" for...

Akvis (http://www.akvis.com) has released Akvis Sketch 11, an update of the software that converts photos to pencil and watercolor drawings. The new version is compatible with Photoshop CS4-CS6 64-bit on both Mac and Windows systems. Also two new interface modes (Express and Advanced) have been added. An Akvis Sketch Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for US$72. Registered users of the previous versions can upgrade to version 9.0 for $39. Or you can buy the Alchemy Bundle (which includes the Sketch, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Enhancer, LightShop, SmartMask and ArtSuite plug-ins) for $325. For business licenses consult the Akvis web site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop. The company offers free licenses to non-profit organizations. Akvis Sketch 11 is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher.

Data Robotics has announced integration of Drobo FS (http://www.drobo.com/drobo-fs), the Drobo designed for expandable file sharing, and Apple's Time Machine, an automated backup solution. The new Drobo FS with Time Machine integration offers Mac users a highly efficient and scalable shared storage and backup solution, according to Mark Fuccio, senior director of products and markets at Data Robotics. Drobo FS users are now able to pre-define a limit on how much storage will be used for Time Machine backups. Previously, Time Machine would consume capacity until it was gone and then delete the oldest backups to make room for new backups. The Drobo FS platform enables multiple Mac users on a network to automatically and simultaneously back up to the same Drobo FS. Powering Drobo FS is a dual core microprocessor: one core runs Drobo’s BeyondRAID code, while the other core runs an embedded Linux server for file sharing and running DroboApps from third party developers. Data Robotics has...

Apple zoomed past Microsoft as the world's biggest tech company as measured by market value on Wednesday. Apple's shares rose 1% on Nasdaq on Wednesday, pushing its market value up to US$225.1 billion and ahead of Microsoft's $222.7 billion, according to "Reuters" data (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100526/tc_nm/us_apple_stock_1). Apple shares were up 1% above $247 in late afternoon trading. Microsoft shares were down 2.2% to $25.50. Apple now only trails Exxon Mobile as the most valuable company in the US. Exxon's full market value is reportedly $283.06 billion compared to Apple's $227.10 billion. Microsoft's full market value is currently $226.72 billion.

Consumer Watchdog has called on the state attorneys general to investigate Google's WiSpy snooping in their respective states to determine what state laws were broken. "While the activity is likely a violation of federal laws, we believe there is a good possibility it also broke state wiretap, privacy and unfair business practices laws in many cases," wrote John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit group. "We call on each attorney general to investigate the extent to which this is the case in his or her jurisdiction." The letter, addressed to James McPherson, executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General, continued: "Google's claim that its intrusive behavior was by 'mistake' stretches all credulity. In fact, Google has demonstrated a history of pushing the envelope and then apologizing when its overreach is discovered. Given its recent record of privacy abuses, there is absolutely no reason to trust anything the Internet giant claims...

Quark has. launched a new Flash design competition that is open to designers who are creating Flash projects, such as web sites, banner ads, and online design portfolios, with QuarkXPress 8. The competition kicks off today and voting will begin at the HOW Conference 2010 being held in Denver June 6-9. Submissions will be accepted at http://www.ilovedesign.com from May 26 through June 30, 2010 and voting will be open Sunday, June 6-30. The designer who submits the best Flash project as determined by voters will appear in HOW Magazine’s blog, win membership to HOW’s Design Insider Program, and take home a pack of designer’s tools, including the new  Pantone Plus Series Guides, a Pantone ColorMunki and a VisTablet from VisTablet Systems.   To enter the competition, designers must submit SWF files created with QuarkXPress 8 to http://www.ilovedesign.com by 12 p.m. *Mountain Time) on June 30. For projects that are online as complete web sites and not available as separate SWF files,...

ATTO Technology has introduced the ATTO FastFrame 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapters, the latest in its portfolio of high-performance connectivity products. The FastFrame NS11 (single port) and FastFrame NS12 (dual port) leverage the Intel Ethernet 82599 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller to meet the bandwidth-intensive demands of high-performance, unified storage environments in performance IT and media and entertainment markets. ATTO’s FastFrame family of 10GbE network adapters are the first offerings in what will be an expanding FastFrame product family, according to Tim Klein, president and CEO of ATTO Technology. The FastFrame NS11 and NS12 will be followed by ATTO’s FastFrame Converged Network Adapters, featuring ATTO’s Fibre Channel driver technology, in the fourth quarter of the year. For more information on ATTO’s FastFrame family of 10GbE Network Adapters got o http://www.attotech.com/products/family.php?id=14 .

According to The NPD Group (http://npd.com/corpServlet?nextpage=corp_welcome.html), a market research company, Apple’s iTunes store continued to lead all music retailers, with 28% of all music purchased by U.S. consumers -- a gain of four percentage points since the first quarter of 2009. Amazon gained three percentage points to tie Walmart for second position at 12%t. Based on NPD’s latest music industry research, sales of digital tracks and albums accounted for 40% of overall music market share in the first quarter (Q1) of 2010, which is a five percentage point gain since Q1 2009. NPD’s data is based on a combined music-retailer ranking that reflects the combined sales of CDs and digital music downloads (i.e., 12 digital music track downloads are equivalent to one CD). When reviewing sales of digital music separately from CDs, NPD’s MusicWatch data revealed that iTunes’s share of the digital-music download retail market has remained essentially flat since Q1 2009 -- growing just...

Apple's stock market capitalization hasn't quite surpassed Microsoft's, but the value of its actual business is now higher, according to "Silicon Alley Insider" (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Its-Official-Apple-Is-Now-siliconalley-306...). Apple's business is now worth US$200 billion, while Microsoft's is only worth $197 billion -- at least by one simple calculation of enterprise value, the article says. A company's stock market capitalization includes the net value of the cash and debt on the company's books. To figure out the imputed value of the company's actual business (or enterprise value), you have to adjust for the value of those other things.

Apple has posted a Boot Camp update (http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/) for the recently refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's available for users running either 32- or 64-bit versions of Windows on their Macs. Boot Camp is designed to simplify Windows installation on a Mactel by providing a simple graphical step-by-step assistant application to dynamically create a second partition on the hard drive for Windows, to burn a CD with all the necessary Windows drivers, and to install Windows from a Windows installation CD. After installation is complete, users can choose to run either Mac OS X or Windows when they restart their computer. According to Apple, the Boot Camp update fixes an issue “that causes the Boot Camp Control Panel applet to display an error when the brightness tab is selected and an issue that results in no headphone sound.” The 32-bit update is 1.5 MB, and requires a 13-inch MacBook Pro running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. The 64-bit version is 1.03 MB...

Mercedes-Benz Financial (http://www.mercedesbenzfinancial.com/mbfsr/en/misc/index.do) says it's putting the iPad into the hands of its dealers, becoming the first automotive finance company to give dealers mobile access to its proprietary point-of-sale dealer system called MB Advantage. In doing so, Mercedes-Benz Financial is one of the first companies to adapt the consumer-oriented iPad as a mobile business tool. MB Advantage on the iPad will give dealership sales personnel instant access to marketing programs for specific models, quicker turn time on the credit application process, and increase speed and efficiency on the return of lease vehicles, according to Andreas Hinrichs, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz Financial. “We see the iPad providing wireless mobility, information and flexibility on the showroom floor,” Hinrichs says. “The iPad will provide a competitive advantage to our dealers by increasing their service levels through a more flexible financing process...

Rage Software has released Rage SERank 2.1 (http://www.ragesw.com/products/search-engine-rank.html), an update of the US$79.95 Mac OS X search engine rank checker for web site owners to track and monitor their search engine rankings. The upgrade adds the ability to check multiple web sites at a time, provides more options for safe search engine rank checks and adds new search engine scripts so you can check your rankings in even more search engines. Rage SERank will monitor search engine rankings for any number of keywords and display changes in a website's search engine rankings over any point in time. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. Version 2.1 is a free update for registered users of version 2.0.

Smith Micro has announced a new update to Poser 8, software for creating art and animation using 3D characters. Poser SR3 includes performance improvements based on Poser Pro 2010 development and integrated user feedback, as well as new functionality, such as: ° Improved rendering performance in several areas including strand based hair, 3D motion blur, raytraced refraction and texture caching. ° Version 2 of the new Poser Library and Content Management system. The Flash version of the new Poser Pro 2010 Library is included with Poser 8 SR3. It will replace the existing Poser 8 library and provide multiple column list views, improved search, improved drag and drop with auto-conforming and user customizable view settings. ° Auto-conforming with scaling feature debuted with Poser Pro 2010. This allows conformed clothing to match the underlying figure’s scaling factors. There are also new conforming settings for each figure found in the figure’s Properties. SR3 is available as a free...

Hillcrest Labs has unveiled the latest version of the Kylo browser, the free web browser for TV, which the company introduced earlier this year.  It was developed for households that connect their Macs or Macs to the TV. Kylo lets users visit sites across the web with a browser that was specifically designed to be viewed from a distance in the family room, living room, or dorm room. In addition, Hillcrest Labs announced that its companion product, the Loop pointer, is available at half price (US$49), from now through June 11 in celebration of the new Kylo release and in advance of Father's Day.   The Loop (pictured) allows you to control Kylo. It also lets you take total control of your computer's digital media. Music, videos, photos. The latest version of the Kylo browser (Kylo Beta 0.7) is available at http://www.kylo.tv and and lets you: hide Kylo's control bar and keyboard; configure Kylo's settings in order to access web site pages designed for other hardware platforms; enjoy...

EditShare, which specializes in cross-platform collaborative editing and shared media storage, has announced the Lightworks Open Source beta program. Lightworks Open Source is at open-source development initiative for a large-scale, non-linear editing (NLE) platform. It offers a gateway into the NLE's core engine, enabling the implementation of progressive features and workflows. Limited to 80 highly-experienced participants, the exclusive beta program offering includes imminent new features of Lightworks Open Source, including: project sharing, advanced 3D stereoscopic editing, Universal Media File support, native RED support, native 2K support, and integration with Avid and FCP. Qualified editors can apply to participate in the beta program before June 21 by visiting: http://www.editshare.com/betaprogram .

Many Tricks has released version 3.2 of Witch (http://manytricks.com/witch), its window switching utility for Mac OS X. The new version adds support for Spaces in Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). Spaces users can now work with windows in all Spaces using Witch 3.2. Users can optionally choose to see Space number badges on the window icons in Witch's switching panel. Witch 3.2 is a free update for all Witch 3 users. Witch 3 is US$19 for new users and $8 for users of Witch 2.x.

Sterne Agee analyst Vijay Rakesh is expecting Apple to really ramp up its iPad production. In a note to clients he says his checks with the company’s supply chain finds that the company has been been producing the tablet at a rate of 1-1.5 million units a month, higher than most estimates. "Barron's" (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/05/25/apple-ipad-productio...) reports that the analyst predicts production could crank up to 2.5 million units a month or more in the September quarter. He says that some previous manufacturing bottlenecks have been solved, though memory remains “a constraint.” Rakesh also says that checks indicate that new iPhones are coming in the September quarter. In fact, some pundits are expecting 'em to debut at next month's Apple Worldwide Developer Conference.


onOne Software says its Genuine Fractals Professional and Standard Edition plug-ins for Photoshop are now compatible with the new Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended Software. Owners of Genuine Fractals 6 can download the free update from onOne Software’s web site (http://www.ononesoftware.com/). This update isn't for Plug-in Suite 5 owners but rather for customers using Genuine Fractals 6 independently of Plug-In Suite 5. Owners of Plug-in Suite 5 should not install this update and should wait for the upcoming Plug-In Suite 5.1 update that adds Photoshop CS5 compatibility and 64-bit compatibility. Registered owners of previous versions of Genuine Fractals (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) can upgrade to the current version for US$99.95 plus shipping if applicable. Alternately, these customers may also upgrade directly to the Plug-In Suite 5, which includes all six of the onOne Software products for $399.95, plus shipping if applicable (electronic versions are available for download as...

Boris FX introduces Final Effects Complete 6 AE Boris FX (http://www.borisfx.com) has announced Final Effects Complete 6 AE (FEC 6 AE), which brings 120 designer effects and transitions to Mac and Windows versions of Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro CS5, CS4, and CS3. The new release features 12 new filters and transitions, faster rendering, audio-driven keyframe generation, customizable animated presets, and a new Compare Mode feature that enables users to compare the filtered result with the unfiltered source via either a side-by-side view or a live split-screen view. Each Final Effects Complete filter has been re-engineered for 64-bit operating systems. Final Effects Complete 6 AE will be available in the third quarter of the year at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$895. Owners of previous versions of Final Effects Complete AE may upgrade for $295. Customers who purchase Final Effects Complete 5 AE as of May 25 will be eligible to receive a free upgrade to Final...

FileMaker Inc. (http://www.filemaker.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, has announced a free way for students to organize their daily lives: the Bento 3 Student Survival Kit. When students download a free, 30-day trial of Bento 3 for Mac, they receive a set of ready-to-use templates for organizing lecture notes, courses, group projects, special events and job searches. The templates in the kit are an integrated set of student organizing tools. The Student Survival Kit works with Bento 3, FileMaker’s personal database for the Mac, and can be synchronized for use with Bento for iPhone and Bento for iPad (sold separately for US$4.99). Registration for Bento 3 is $49. 

iFunia, a developer of Mac multimedia processing tools, has launched a new version of its flagship product, iFunia Video Converter Pro Converter. This new version offers output options optimized for the iPad. You can now convert HD video to an iPad 720p h.264 HD video format. Besides converting video formats, iFunia Video Converter Pro can be used to convert between several HD video formats, including HD AVI, AVCHD M2TS, MTS, TS, HD MOV, HD WMV ,HD MP4, HD FLV, and more. With the program, customers will be able to watch converted HD video clips on almost any portable device including their iPod, iPhone, Zune, PSP, and several others, according to David Lee, senior product manager from iFunia. The program also supports simple video editing. Customers can trim a segment or crop the footage from their HD video and then make the conversion. The iFunia Video Converter Pro for Mac is now available through the iFunia web site (http://www.ifunia.com/video-converter-mac.html). Exclusively for...

Another day, another lawsuit. An Apple employee has filed a class action suit (http://appleemploymentclassaction.com/) in California against Apple. Representative plaintiff Steve Camuti filed a Complaint in San Francisco County Superior Court on Sept. 15, 2009. The lawsuit is on behalf of all persons employed in non-exempt (hourly paid) “Genius” positions in California. It alleges that Apple denied those employees rest breaks without paying wages for that time in violation of California law. The proposed plaintiff class seeks to recover unpaid wages, penalties, an injunction and other equitable relief and fees and costs for the period of Sept. 15, 2005, through the present.

Apple has launched its 2010 back-to-school promo (http://store.apple.com/us/browse/campaigns/back_to_school). Students and educators can buy a Mac and get a free iPod touch. If you’re a college student or a faculty or staff member at any grade level and you buy a new Mac with Apple education pricing from May 25 through Sept. 7, 2010, you can get a free 8GB iPod touch. You're also eligible for a US$50 discount on the MacBook, $100 off a MacBook Air, up to $200 off of a MacBook Pro, and up to a $100 on an iMac.

Kroll Ontrack (http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/apple%2Drecovery%2Dservices/) -- a provider of information management, data recovery, and legal technology products and services -- has announced improvements to its data recovery capabilities for Mac systems, addressing the surge in usage of Apple systems, services, applications and devices, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod. Through its Ontrack Data Recovery services, Kroll Ontrack’s proprietary Recovery Positioning SystemT feature adds a higher level of precision to the data recovery process, resulting in faster service and a higher quality data recovery, according to Todd Johnson, vice president of Ontrack Data Recovery operations, Kroll Ontrack. Ontrack Data Recovery engineers report that requests for Mac-specific data recoveries have doubled over the last three years, growing 117% from 2006 to 2009. Kroll Ontrack is equipped with data recovery technology for MacMail and Microsoft Entourage e-mail, as well as data recovery...

iLuv (http://www.i-luv.com) has announced their new line of peripherals for the iPad, Mac/PC desktops and laptops. The newest products in this line include three small and portable speaker options. The line-up includes: ° iSP130: Mini Clip Speaker (US$19.99), a speaker companion for any laptop. The USB powered iSP130 includes a built-in hanging clip for mounting; ° iSP150: Portable Speaker Bar ($34.99), designed for iPad, iPhone, iPod, laptops and other portable audio devices with a 3.5mm jack. It features a built-in power switch, volume control and  two power source options: USB or 4 AAA batteries; ° iSP170: Cube Speakers ($39.99), a small cubed designed, USB powered speaker solution designed for laptop users. The iSP170 is 2.8 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches in size and features built-in volume control.

HungrySeacow Software has updated YummySoup (http://www.hungryseacow.com/home/yummysoup.html), its recipe management software for Mac OS X, to version 1.9.4. BBCGoodFood.com and MyRecipes.com importers have been updated in the new version. YummySoup 1.9.4 is a free update for registered users; for new users the cost is US$20. A 15-day demo is available at the HungrySeacow Software web site. YummySoup is a Universal Binary app, so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

The popularity of the iPhone doesn't show signs of subsiding in Korea, with its sales surpassing 700,000 units as of May 22, just six months since its launch here, reports the "Korea Herald" (http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100523000165). It took 27 days for KT to increase its iPhone subscribers from 500,000 to 600,000, while it took only 25 days to add another 100,000 subscribers. An average of 4,000 users bought the iPhone per day since its rollout in late November, according to KT, the exclusive vendor of the smartphone in Korea, notes the "Herald." Meanwhile, the number of iPhone applications made by Korean developers is nearing 6,000, according to Dreamwiz, an iPhone app developer.

Elgato (http://www.elgato.com) has debuted the world’s only DVR solution that provides full access to premium cable or satellite TV content on a Mac -- EyeTV HD (US$199.95). Customers can now watch record, edit and enjoy cable and satellite in high-definition, including all their premium channels. What's more, EyeTV HD includes a dual-format capture mode that records in iPad and iPhone formats at the same time, allowing users to stream live and recorded TV to an iPhone or iPad using the optional EyeTV app. To use you simply connect EyeTV HD to the outputs of the cable or satellite receiver with the included component cables, and to the computer via USB. Then position the included infrared channel changer cable nearby. The EyeTV software setup assistant takes you through a configuration process. EyeTV HD records in the H.264 format for a high-definition digital picture. The H.264 format sports a compression ratio that produces a smaller file size when compared to MPEG-2 recordings. H...

Digital Anarchy (http://www.digitalanarchy.com/) has released a free 64-bit update for its Beauty Box skin retouching software. Beauty Box 1.0.1 is fully compatible with the Adobe CS5 Suite and runs natively in 64-bit host applications and operating systems. The plug-in provides a way of smoothing skin and removing blemishes in film, HD and video. It's regularly priced at USS$199. The skin retouching software works in After Effects 7.0–CS5, Premiere Pro CS4–CS5 and Final Cut Pro 6.0–7.0. On the Mac, the product runs on Mac OS X 10.4 and higher.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, in a note to clients, has raised her Apple price target from US$275 to $310 per share (from $275), and upped her 2011 iPhone sales estimates to 61.5 million units. She also says Verizon users really want an iPhone. Huberty told clients -- as reported by "Fortune" (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/24/morgan-stanley-ups-aapl-target-to...) -- that: ° The percentage of current iPhone customers planning to upgrade rose from 18% in November 2009 to 58% in March 2010. Huberty estimates that the combination of a growing installed base and a rising upgrade rate could yield 19 million upgrade units in 2011. ° Apple will probably cut the price of the iPhone 3GS to $99. If Apple and AT&T could also find a way to cut monthly service costs to $75 from about $90 today, demand for iPhones would increase by another eight million units per year, Huberty ° According to the Alphawise survey, 16.8% of Verizon subscribers say they are "very likely" to purchase...

Streaming Networks has released iRecord Music PMR-300 (http://www.irecord.com), an US$79.99, one-touch personal audio recorder that can directly record music and audio to portable media players (PMP), including all iPhone and iPod devices. The recorded files appear in the PMP’s playlist for immediate playback. iRecord Music can also record to its internal storage space of 2GB. The contents can later be synced to an attached PMP with a touch of a button. Virtually any analog source is supported by iRecord Music, with a gain selection switch that compensates for peak-to-peak variation of output signal levels of different analog sources. Supported audio codecs are MP3, AAC, WAV, and FLAC. iRecord Music is also a voice recorder and an audio player. Meetings, lectures and any other audio signal can be recorded using the on-board microphone. The USB cap of iRecord Music, housing a rechargeable battery, brings portability to iRecord Music when recording on-the-go or playing back from the...