LaCie has introduced its most complete HD multimedia hard drive player, combining Full HD 1080p playback, unsurpassed format compatibility and DLNA media server functionality - LaCinema Classic HD, design by Neil Poulton. Users can browse, play and share HD media collections from anywhere in the home, directly on HDTV. The LaCinema Classic HD offers a timeless and sleek design making it a great addition to any TV setup. Providing the widest media format compatibility, LaCinema Classic HD will play all your files without concern - from the most popular DivX format to high-quality MKV H.264 video format via its HDMI 1.3 connection. Uncompromising support for Dolby Digital audio quality enhances the LaCinema Classic HD, as well as your entertainment viewing experience. The LaCinema Classic HD keeps it easy - use it as an external hard drive to load media from your Mac or PC. Then, simply connect the LaCinema Classic HD to your HDTV for instant playback. Acting as a DLNA media player,...

Callpod (http://www.callpod.com) has released the Fueltank Uno, a small, rechargeable battery that lets you charge an iPhone, iPod or other portable device 3-5 times off on Fueltank Uno charge. The Fueltank Uno can charge one small electronic device without the use of an outlet. It contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The Fueltank Uno has more than four times the capacity of a standard mobile phone, according to the folks at Callpod. The Fueltank Uno uses device-specific adapters covering more than 3,000 different devices from all major manufacturers including Apple, RIM/Blackberry, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony, Jawbone, Plantronics, Nokia and many others. The device adapters work with all of Callpod's power products. The Fueltank Uno costs US$39.95 and is available at Best Buy.

Extensis has released Portfolio NetMediaMAX, an add-on for Portfolio Server 9. This Mac compatible, media-processing software lets digital imaging professionals automate their media workflows for increased productivity and faster turn-around times. Seasoned designers and marketers spend significant time performing repetitive production tasks as part of their imaging workflow. The NetMediaMAX add-on for Portfolio Server manages this repetitive work for faster production, according to Martin Stein, vice president of Products and Services at Extensis. Complex export operations no longer require manual work and multiple applications, meaning users spend more time on their core tasks, translating into faster output and profits for organizations, he adds. NetMediaMAX offers graphical tools to simplify processing tasks, so file conversions are created on the fly for faster output. Templates can be utilized to accomplish common batch-processing operations -- such as file resizing and format...

Stardom (http://www.raidon-usa.com) has announced the Safe Capsule, a two drive, RAID 1, protected storage solution for use with Apple's Time Capsule. It's a hard drive product that allows you the ability to add more network storage (up to 2TB), for safely storing your photo, music or data files with Stardom's RAID 1 protected mirroring technology. You can remove, replace or upgrade drives thanks to the Safe Capsule's modular design. The Safe Capsule features an auto-rebuild feature, with a LED rebuild status display. In the event that a hard drive fails, data can easily be rebuilt. The Safe Capsule can also be configured for two drives running independently with storage of up to 4TB. The Safe Capsule conforms in size to the Time Capsule unit. You can stack the Time Capsule onto the Safe Capsule and connect via the USB port and your safe network storage is ready to go. The Safe Capsule is also sharable by multiple users thanks to Time Capsule's networking capability. The Safe Capsule...

Freeverse has updated Comic Life (http://plasq.com/comiclife/)-- software from developer plasq for creating comics, picture albums and instruction booklets, to version 1.5.1. The upgrade features several fixes for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). Compatibility with .PSD, .EPS and .AI files has been improved for use in comic documents, and other minor fixes have also been made. Comic Life Deluxe costs US$29.95 and is available from Apple Stores and better Mac retailers worldwide. A 30-day demo is available for download. Comic Life requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher.

Opera (http://www.opera.com) has released Opera 10.10 with Opera Unite, a powerful technology for personal content sharing directly between all your devices. Opera Unite is available as a standard feature in Opera 10.10, available free from http://www.opera.com/. To mark this release, Opera is inviting the world to join our journey to reinvent the Web. By wrapping both a Web browser and a Web server into one package, Opera Unite challenges the conventional, semi-private methods of sharing the content that really matters to people everywhere. "We promised Opera Unite would reinvent the Web," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. "What we are really doing is reinventing how we as consumers interact with the Web. By giving our devices the ability to serve content, we become equal citizens on the Web. In an age where we have ceded control of our personal data to third-parties, Opera Unite gives us the freedom to choose how we will share the data that belongs to us."

TwelveSouth (http://www.twelvesouth.com) has announced the BassJump, a portable, USB powered subwoofer that turns a MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air into a portable sound system. It's available now for US$79.99. The BassJump sound and power comes from one single USB connection. Proprietary software blends the sound output of the BassJump subwoofer with the output of built-in MacBook speakers for enhanced sound performance. BassJump makes the great sounding, built-in MacBook speakers sound even better by adding mid- and low-frequencies for a fuller, richer sound, according to designer Andrew Green. It's perfect for small offices, hotel rooms and other near-field listening environments, he adds. Along with making your iTunes library sound better, BassJump also adds feeling and depth to video games, streaming videos and Internet radio, says Green. Behind the sleek, minimalist design of BassJump is a custom DSP-based software that blends the BassJump subwoofer with the MacBook...

Ashampoo GmbH & Company has released Ashampoo Cover Studio 2 for Mac (http://www.ashampoo.com/mac), a new version of the tool for creating disc labels, covers and booklets. The upgrade adds covers, a faster editor and more new features. Ashampoo Cover Studio 2 supports all standard disc, case and booklet and label formats. You can design and print printable discs (DVD, CD, Blu-ray), jewel cases, slim cases, Blu-ray cases and booklets. Printing directly onto printable discs means no messy label alignment with special tools. With Ashampoo Cover Studio 2, you can import your track data from your discs. The software reads the track data from your discs directly into pre-formatted tables in your design. You can enter or import your title and track data, select a theme and print. Ashampoo Cover Studio 2 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, and is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard").

Intego (http://www.intego.com), the Macintosh security specialist, says that, for the third time this month, malware targeting the iPhone has surfaced. This new malware, that Intego calls iBotnet.A, is, according to the company, "by far the most sophisticated iPhone malware yet: it is not only a worm, capable of spreading across a network, but also hijacks iPhones or iPod touches for use in a botnet." Intego says it's important to note that standard, non-jailbroken iPhones or iPod touches are not at risk. The company adds that it's extremely dangerous to jailbreak an iPhone because of the vulnerabilities that this process creates. (Estimates suggest that 6-8% of iPhones are jailbroken.) Jailbroken iPhones at risk are those where ssh is installed, and where the default password has not been changed. This worm starts by searching its local network, as well as a number of IP address ranges, for available devices to infect. The address ranges it scans include those of ISPs in the...

Cocktail 4.5 (Leopard Edition), an update of the general purpose utility for Mac OS X, has been released. This version adds the ability to clear data detectors caches and the ability to clear QuickLook caches. Cocktail 4.5 (Leopard Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Cocktail 4.5 (Leopard Edition) requires Mac OS X / Mac OS X Server 10.5 or later and is tested for compatibility with Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 10.5.8. You can download it here: http://cocktail.maintain.se Cocktail (Snow Leopard Edition) for Mac OS X 10.6 and Cocktail (Tiger Edition) for Mac OS X 10.4 are available for download from the Cocktail web site.

iFixit has released over 200 repair guides, covering every Mac mini and most iMacs produced by Apple since 2004. All iMac and Mac mini repair manuals are immediately available for free on http://www.iFixit.com. The repair manuals include in-depth disassembly guides, model identification tips, troubleshooting techniques, and upgrade information. The 241 new repair guides use 1,452 photos to communicate each step of the repair. iFixit is also launching an iMac parts store with hard drives, RAM, power supplies, disassembly tools, and more. "We have been pummeled with requests for iMac parts for years, and I finally couldn't take it anymore," says iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. "That's right, we are now accepting money in exchange for iMac parts."

Autodesk, Inc., will host its annual 3December event to celebrate 3D computer graphics, and the artists who create them. Running from Dec. 1-10, the event will include live and virtual activities that connect thousands of 3D artists from around the world. Attendees will be able to share their work, learn from top digital entertainment professionals, and network with other artists. This year's 3December is cosponsored by Dell Precision, the exclusive technology partner for the event, as well as Wacom and Intel. 3D artists around the world can join the 3December Online celebrations on AREA, Autodesk's digital entertainment and visualization community The virtual event, at area.autodesk.com/3december beginning December 1, will offer: ° A free Autodesk MasterClass about how Liquid Development's creative team developed assets for "The Beatles: Rock Band" ; ° An interview with award-winning filmmaker Chris Landreth about his production workflow; ° A live presentation by Lightstorm...

Nexsan (http://www.nexsan.com), a storage system provider, says it's doubled the capacity of the SATABeast storage system from 42TB to 84TB in only four units (4U) of rack space. It's designed for data intensive storage applications that require 24x7 online data access. The system's chassis design reduces hard drive stress with anti-accumulative rotational vibration and horizontal midplane cooling technology supporting what is purportedly one of the lowest storage system maintenance rates in the industry. As with all of the company's storage systems, the Nexsan SATABeast features AutoMAID (Automatic Massive Array of Idle Disks) technology for policy-based power management. The Nexsan SATABeast is available immediately through the company's worldwide channel network. Pricing for a fully populated SATABeast with 2TB drives starts at US$38,000 and scales based on configuration options.

AKVIS Software has released version 10 of AKVIS Sketch for Windows and Macintosh. The software converts photos to color and B&W pencil drawings and watercolor paintings. Version 10.0 has a new tool - Stroke Direction, which makes the effect of a hand-drawn sketch yet more realistic thanks to the ultimate control over the hatch direction. New presets have been added, the Preview Window improved and other features made available. The program is now compatible with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6). The plug-in version also works with Photoshop CS 4 64 bit and PhotoShop Elements v. 8. This version competes with hand drawn art in flexibility and will spur the creativity of the user. AKVIS Sketch is an award-winning program for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings. The program has already won the recognition of professionals and delighted home users with its neat results. However, there is no end to perfection and the company released a...

Paramount Digital Entertainment and TransGaming announced today that Mac users will soon be able to download the Star Trek: D-A-C video game via TransGaming, Inc.'s GameTreeOnline.com digital distribution platform in North America. Star Trek: D-A-C is a fast-paced, top-down space shooter where up to twelve players can compete in intergalactic battles between Starfleet and the Romulan Empire. Star Trek: D-A-C for Mac will be available for download in December through GameTreeOnline.com/paramount/star-trek-dac/. Star Trek: D-A-C supports online multiplayer, online co-op and single player gameplay. There are four different game types - Survival, Team Deathmatch, Conquest and Assault. In the single-player Survival Mode, Starfleet captains have only three lives to blast through waves of enemy ships. When destroyed, enemy ships and drones drop special ability and score pick-ups, and players are challenged to grab as many as they can before their lives run out. Top scores will move players...

Adobe today announced the Photoshop Camera Raw 5.6, Lightroom 2.6 and DNG Converter 5.6 Release Candidates, available for immediate download on Adobe Labs. The term 'release candidate' means this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing to provide the highest quality experience for customers working on a variety of hardware and software configurations. The updates add raw file support for 19 new popular camera models, including the Canon EOS 7D and Nikon D3s, with additional DNG support added for the Leica M9 camera model. A full list of the newly supported cameras is below. The Release Candidates also provide a fix for an issue affecting PowerPC customers using the final Lightroom 2.5 and Camera Raw 5.5 updates on the Mac. The issue, introduced in the demosaic change to address sensors with unequal green response, has the potential to create artifacts in the highlight area while using the Highlight Recovery tool in raw files from Sony, Olympus,...

Today at the Interop Conference in New York, Synology America Corp. (http://www.synology.com) launched the new DS410j, a new breed of four-bay NAS boasting the perfect combination of features and performance with an affordable price tag for home and small business users. The DS410j is designed for busy home networks and entry-level businesses who want the flexibility of a multi-drive NAS that can grow with them but need a feature rich and affordable unit. "This much power and functionality has never been available in a single unit at this price point before the DS410j", says Doug Self, product specialist at Synology America Corp. "Now entry-level businesses and home users have a solution that is affordable and best of all, doesn't compromise on reliability or features," adds Self. The DS410j new design is cable-less, which means that installation of hard drives is effortless and with each bay capable of supporting up to 2TB HDDs (up to 8TB total), the DS410j is an affordable...

Syware, a developer of mobile database development tools for business and personal productivity, has announced an opportunity for developers to get an early look at its next major release of their flagship product, Visual CE. Visual CE 12.0 will add support for a variety of new features including a macro debugger, tabs, updatable grids, and synchronization to multiple desktop databases. These are just a few of the new features available. Current licensees can purchase an upgrade to Visual CE 12.0 beta now and will be sent the production release at no additional charge, as soon as it is available. Those who do not yet have a Visual CE license of any type can buy the 12.0 beta now to get started and will also receive the production release at no additional charge, as soon as it is available. Pricing and upgrade instructions are available on the Syware web site (http://www.syware.com).

Retina-X Studios has announced the immediate availability of AceSpy for Macintosh computers. Using this new spy technology, users can silently monitor everything their child or employee does on the computer and Internet. AceSpy Mac brings to OS X the same technology used by AceSpy for Windows for over six years. AceSpy Mac runs in total stealth mode and no mentions of the program are shown on the Desktop, Dock, Applications Folder, Force Quit Applications menu or Menu Bar. After the software is set up on the Macintosh, it silently records actual screenshots every sixty seconds by default. It also captures text logs of keystrokes typed, entire chat conversations, applications ran and web site visits with complete content recording. Any concerned parent or employer can know the complete truth, with pictures. All logs can be viewed on the Macintosh by pressing a secret set of keys together at once, which brings up a password box. After the password is typed, users can view a full-screen...

Marware is shipping the EcoSleeve (http://www.marware.com/products/iPod-nano/EcoSleeve-for-nano-5G) for the fifth gen iPod nano 5G. Priced at US$19.99, it's the company's latest eco-conscious case. The EcoSleeve for iPod nano 5G is made from 100% cotton canvas. This soft, stretchy Eco-Fabric feels better, is better for the environment, and keeps your iPod secure while providing access to all the functionality and features of your nano, according to the folks at Marware. A thin bottom flap secures the nano and keeps the docking port covered and away from dust or dirt. Open the flap and you can sync or charge right in the case. The EcoSleeve also sports a clear vinyl cover to protect the screen and click wheel.

Dauger Research (http://daugerresearch.com/pr/poochv1.8.shtml) has updatedPooch (Parallel OperatiOn and Control Heuristic application) and Pooch Pro clustering software to version 1.8. The upgrade is ready for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). Updates are shipping to Pooch users whose subscriptions are active. The new Pooch also ships with the Pooch QuickTime Exporter for video compression on Mac clusters. For new users Pooch 1.8 is available for US$175 for the first compute node, then $125 for each node thereafter. Pooch Pro 1.8 is available for $200 for the first compute node, then $150 for each node thereafter. Pooch requires networked Macs and/or Xserves running Mac OS X 10.2 or later, and/or Mac OS X Server 10.2 or later.

Art.Station is a new audio-enhancing iPod dock from the David Wiener Collection (DWC). It's sculpted from a block of solid T6 airplane aluminum and purportedly "delivers a jolt of dynamic impact to compressed music file" by using DWC*Aphex, an exclusive audio-enhancing circuit. The Art.Station also lets owners charge their iPods or iPhones and play them through any stereo or powered speaker system and improve the system's performance at the simple flip of a switch. RCA input jacks let users also enhance the audio from a XBox, PlayStation and Nintendo systems, satellite radio, cable converter boxes, computers, and just about any another other audio source. The Art.Station features convenient connections, a hand-polished chassis, and a set-up process that takes about a minute. Available now, the Art.Station, is already in demand by select retail and online (http://www.dwcollection.com/artstation) outlets at a suggested price of US$499.95.

FileMaker, a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, has announced the Bento 3 Holiday Pack (http://www.bentotrial.com/holiday/), a free way to get organized for the holidays that works with Bento 3, the personal database from FileMaker that's designed especially for Mac OS X. The Bento 3 Holiday Pack includes a 30-day trial of Bento 3, plus two festive themes and two additional templates (beyond the 35 that come with Bento 3) to help plan parties and organize a gift list. The gift list tracking template tracks gifts both given and received, tracks thank-you notes and even provides a place to store comparison-shopping details. The Holiday Party Planner stores a guest list which links directly to the Mac Address Book, a to-do list which links directly to iCal Tasks, recipe files, food and beverage list, the menu and more. The Bento 3 Holiday Pack also works with Bento for iPhone, so customers can work on holiday planning on an iPhone or iPod touch, and then synchronize the information to...

Red Giant Software has released Holomatrix (http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/categories/motion-graphics/holo...), an After Effects plug-in that lets you "control your reality and offers a new dimension in effect generation," according to Aharon Rabinowitz, director of marketing at Red Giant Software. Many science fiction feature films and TV shows feature holographic communication and interfaces. Red Giant Holomatrix allows you to recreate that effect with just a few clicks. The package includes 30 presets that turn ordinary footage into animated sci-fi holograms, mimics bad TV reception and creates realistic looking digital signage. Holomatrix is available now for US$99. Holomatrix is also being offered with Digieffects Damage for a total of $149 (which lets you save $49).

Nemetschek North America says the second edition of the "Residential Garden Design with Vectorworks Landmark" tutorial (http://www.nemetschek.net/training/guides.php), from Tamsin Slatter, is now available for purchase. This tutorial offers Vectorworks software users a method of learning the process of residential garden design from the start of the project-drawing or importing site surveys-through managing resources; creating hard landscaping, planting plans, and 3D perspective drawings; to rendering with Renderworks. Focusing on the traditional flow of a project, this book teaches the tools needed in order to complete a 2D plan and 3D visualization simultaneously, according to Slatter. Slatter, a well-known Vectorworks trainer and consultant in the UK, has based this second edition on Vectorworks Landmark version 2010. Suited for both students and professionals, this manual is especially targeted to landscape designers who are relatively new to using Vectorworks software. Currently...

The Runtime Revolution programming tool has been updated to version 4.0. The new version brings the ability to deploy your application straight to the web, without recoding or writing a line of HMTL. Just select "Build for Web" from the file menu and exactly the same application as you previously deployed on the desktop can run in any standard web browser, according to Kevin Miller, Runtime Revolution CEO. The software works on Mac, Windows and Linux systems. "The last two years have seen the most impressive growth in our business, pointing to a correlation between a tough global economy and the resourcefulness of professionals who need to do more with less," he adds. "Our goal is to enable rapid creation of applications, and that's exactly what we're doing with Rev 4.0. With a free version and Web plugin, anyone can begin writing software right away -- empowering students to model and explore the real world, businesses to excite customers with new products, or organizations to...

Native Instruments has introduced Sonic Fiction (http://www.native-instruments.com/sonicfiction.info), a new Kore-Powered instrument that combines field recording with synthesis into "an arsenal of hundreds of genuinely otherworldly sounds." Designed by sound design artist, Jeremiah Savage, and usable with Kore 2 and the free Kore Player, the instrument provides musicians and producers with a resource for movie and game scoring, modern sound design and various electronic music styles. The sounds in Sonic Fiction are inspired by science fiction scenarios and concepts. Sonic Fiction provides 100 KoreSounds with eight morphable sound variations each, resulting in 800 individual sounds. Parameter assignments allow for immediate sound tweaking in Kore 2 and Kore Player. Full musical metadata for all presets also makes Sonic Fiction integrate with any individual collection of Kore-Powered instruments.

GryphonClaw announced their paste bin web site (http://code.gryphonclaw.net) for REALbasic code. It's specifically designed for highlighting REALbasic code. Features include: Line Numbers (shows line numbers on pastes); Private Pastes (you can optionally make the paste private and not show up in the list of all pastes); and Password Protection. With the latter, if you elect to make your paste private, you can add a password to it to add another level of protection.

Troi Automatisering has released Troi Grabber Plug-in 2.1 for FileMaker Pro 10. It's a tool for grabbing images from a video input source and putting them directly into a FileMaker container field. The new version adds an extra imageName parameter to the Grab_OpenImageGrabWindow and Grab_GrabImage functions, which allows specification of a custom image name for the returned grabbed image. This is an optional parameter. All from within FileMaker Pro 10 you can: preview the image stream from the video input source; crop pictures to grab only the desired part of the video image, rotate pictures before grabbing, grab pictures from a video input source and put them into your FileMaker database, record a movie from a video input source for a specified number of seconds or until the mouse is clicked and save the movie to a specified file on the hard disk, and get timecodes of a recorded movie; you can get the timecode of the beginning of the movie, of the end of the movie, the timecode at...

Marware (http://www.marware.com) is shipping the Eco-Runner for the fifth gen iPod nano. The Eco-Runner for nano 5G is made from Eco-Prene and is an environmentally friendly case for the eco-conscious jogger or exercise enthusiast. The design details look like muscle fibers when you wear it. The armband extension strap allows this case to be worn on your wrist or upper arm, and a bottom adjustable strap allows room for the Nike + Sport Kit receiver. The Eco-Runner is available in black, blue and pink Eco-Prene. Eco-Prene is made from sponge-like limestone. This is combined with recycled rPET to create an end result which looks and feels like neoprene, only far less toxic and more sustainable because it doesn't contain high levels of petroleum or PVC, according to the folks at Marware. This material meets all RoHS standards, and all adhesives used in this product are non-toxic. The Eco-Runner comes with a clear vinyl cover that protects the nano screen and Click Wheel. It also comes...

Orbicule, developers of innovative Mac software, today announced Undercover 1.5, a major update to their theft-recovery software for iPhone and iPod touch. The new version uses push notifications to remotely launch Undercover on the stolen phone, making the theft-recovery software even more effective. "Theft is a significant threat to iPhone owners, given the device's value and mobility" said Peter Schols, president of Orbicule. "Thanks to the push notification feature, our clients can now remotely activate our location tracking software if their iPhone is lost or stolen. Undercover is the first theft-recovery app for iPhone to do that." When outside, Undercover uses the built-in GPS to locate a lost or stolen device. Inside, the system tracks its location based on Wi-Fi networks and cell towers. Users can then login to their account to view the phone's location. In case of theft, users can report the iPhone stolen and remotely activate Undercover. Within seconds, Undercover will...

Black Cat Systems has released version 2.0.0 of Audio Toolbox (http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/audiotoolbox.html). This new version adds Universal Binary support, as well as a waterfall spectrum display. Audio Toolbox is an audio function generator for the Mac. Using no additional hardware, you can produce sine, square, triangle, and sawtooth waveforms of any frequency up to 22 kHz, as well as generate noise. Audio Toolbox can be used to create all sorts of sound effects. You have full control over the frequency, type and volume of each sound produced. You can generate up to 13 different waveforms, enough for entire octave. Each waveform can be routed to either the left or right channel, or to both. The amplitude of each waveform may be adjusted, as well as the volume on each channel, which is a mix of any waveforms routed to that channel. In addition, there's a sweep generator. Super for producing "Whoop Whoop" sounds, sirens, and more. Generated sounds can be saved as WAVE...

Two new ebooks in the Take Control series, "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps" and "Take Control of iPhone OS 3," provide an in-depth look at the iPhone and its core apps. These practical, hands-on guides walk readers through the most effective ways to use numerous features and help readers avoid problems. Most of the information is also applicable to the iPod touch, and the differences are called out. "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps" lists for $10; "Take Control of iPhone OS 3" lists for $15. Both books are available from http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/ individually and in a discounted bundle. In "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps," (http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/iphone-apps) Mac expert and highly regarded technical writer Jeff Carlson shows readers how to make the most of Apple's core iPhone apps. He provides clear, concise explanations on how to use the iPhone for both work and play - from sending email and Web surfing to playing games and managing photos. Apps covered include...

ThePowerXChange, the source for extended technology, has released the free "X-PDF 9 & Crossroads Workflow Solutions Guide, North American Edition" providing product details and system requirements for tools available for PDF creation, correction, preflight and delivery. The guide includes categories for Automation, Creation, Editing/Management, Output/Imposition, Preflight and a new section dedicated to Crossroads Workflow Solutions that support the Switch workflow technology from Enfocus. The 53-page guide is available as a free PDF download at the ThePowerXChange.com web site (http://thepowerxchange.com/).

Boris FX (http://www.borisfx.com) has released Flicker and Shake, a free update for Boris Continuum Complete 6 FxPlug users. It's an an auto-animating filter that uses bursts of synchronized Exposure, Glow, Blur, X or Y displacement, and RGB channel offset to create a flicker effect for video or graphics elements. The flicker effect has been made popular by recent television commercials and film trailers. Flicker and Shake works in Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion. The filter is part of the Boris Continuum Shaders category of real-time FxPlug filters that take advantage of the latest Mac OS X OpenGL technology.

Recosoft Corp. (http://www.recosoft.com) has introduced PDF2Office for iWork, which converts PDF documents into editable Keynote and Pages '08/'09 files, allowing you to recover and reuse PDF content within iWork, Apple's US$79 suite of products. PDF2Office for iWork has been designed specifically for the iWork user, providing an interface to convert PDF files to the iWork format, while offering options to fine-tune the conversion result. It creates paragraphs, reconstructs tables and regroups independent graphics elements. PDF2Office for iWork works with Keynote and Pages '08/'09. The app is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.x.. It costs US$59 for a single-user license, $79 for a five-user family pack and $99 for a five-user, small office license.

Livestream (http://www.livestream.com), a live Internet video platform, has announced the immediate availability of its free service for streaming live to the iPhone and iPod touch. Using Livestream Procaster, users can stream live from their webcam, video camera or even broadcast their Mac or PC desktop. Livestream producers can start streaming live to the addressable iPhone and iPod touch audience over 3G or Wi-Fi connections, with less than five minutes of setup, according to Livestream CEO and co-founder Max Haot. He says that Livestream is the first to offer a turn-key streaming service that uses the new H.264 HTTP live streaming functionality included in the native QuickTime player that Apple has pre-installed on the iPhone. This means that Livestream producers don't need to obtain Apple App Store approval to launch their own iPhone live streaming channel, nor do their viewers need to install any application. Streams are viewed using the iPhone's Safari browser. Livestream has...

Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has released BatchOutput DOC 2.0.6, a maintenance update to its output automation solution for Microsoft Word on Mac OS X. The new version has been optimized for Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). The software provides advanced solutions for enterprise and office publishing environments through automation of printing and professional PDF output. With BatchOutput DOC, users select the files and adjust the output settings, and the software will do the rest automatically. For example, BatchOutput can be left to output hundreds of Word files overnight, and the completed job can be picked up next morning. In addition to batch printing, BatchOutput DOC allows to carry out professional PDF production directly from Word. Version 2.0.6 addresses some file naming related issues. BatchOutput DOC is a part of the Zevrix BatchOutput family which also includes similar tools for Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe InDesign. BatchOutput DOC 2.0.6 can be...

Macessity has released the NX Stand (http://www.macessitywebstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=NXSTAND), an US$59.59 stand for laptops. You can pre-order now; it's due to ship Nov. 16. NX Stand allows your closed laptop to stand up vertically in a cushioned slot. It also sports a 4-port USB 2.0 hub, even room to hide your external hard drive. The NX Stand has a steel design and aluminum color powder coat paint. It works with all 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch Apple laptops. It provides access to all ports and drive slots, and provides a hot air relief opening.

O'Reilly Media has released "iPhone Game Development," (http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596159856) an US$34.99, 255-page book designed to teach game development basics and iPhone programming fundamentals. The authors are Paul Zirkle and Joe Hogue. This book was written to help readers learn the technical design issues particular to the iPhone and iPod touch, and suggests ways to maximize performance in different types of games. You also get plug-in classes to compensate for the areas where the iPhone's game programming support is weak. Topics include: ° Learn how to develop iPhone games that provide engaging user experiences; ° Become familiar with Objective-C and the Xcode suite of tools; ° Learn what it takes to adapt the iPhone interface to games; ° Create a robust, scalable framework for a game app; ° Understand the requirements for implementing 2D and 3D graphics; ° Learn how to add music and audio effects, as well as menus and controls; ° Get instructions for publishing your...

iPresentee (http://www.ipresentee.com), a developer of add-ons for Apple's iWork and iLife applications, has released Keynote Themes 8.0, a collection of themes to be used with Keynote. Keynote is Apple's presentation component of the US$79 iWork suite. Keynote Themes 8.0 includes six new themes: Brilliance, Shining Waves, DNA Chain, Space Drops and Live Mosaic. The new Keynote Themes collection offers a variety of presentation styles with coordinated fonts, colors, backgrounds, bullets and picture frames. Each theme is available in standard or HD formats. Keynote Themes has up to 22 different master slide layouts. Creating a presentation using new Keynote themes is exactly the same as creating a presentation using the usual themes. You can: add, edit, and format text; add photos or movies; use Keynote's transitions and special effects. Keynote Themes 8.0 includes an installer to make sure the themes end up in the right place and will be displayed in Keynote's themes menu...

Native Instruments (http://www.native-instruments.com) has released Maschine 1.1, an update of its next-generation groove production studio for beat creation and arrangement. The system combines a software sequencer and sampler with an integrated performance controller. Maschine is built on a combination of groove box and drum machine workflows. To allow producers to incorporate external gear into their Maschine projects, the new version adds MIDI I/O functionality. Hardware synthesizers and similar devices can now be controlled from the Maschine sequencer both through polyphonic tracks and from individual monophonic sounds within a Group, while a special "Batch Setup" function makes it easy to set up MIDI input configurations in existing projects. Maschine 1.1 also adds support for REX files, enabling users to include pre-sliced loops in their projects that sync to tempo automatically. Any pattern in Maschine can also be directly exported as an audio file into a host sequencer or...

Native Instruments has introduced the Berlin, New York and Vienna Concert Grand as well as Upright Piano, four software instruments that offer detailed reproductions of some of the world's most revered pianos. Previously available within the Akoustik Piano, these instruments (http:// www.native-instruments.com/Kontakt_powered_pianos.info) can now be purchased individually or as a bundle. All four pianos are powered by the Kontakt engine, and are playable in the free Kontakt Player as well as the full Kontakt sampler. Berlin, New York, Vienna Concert Grand and Upright Piano are available in the NI Online Shop for US$79 per individual instrument. A bundle of all four instruments is available for $189.

Other World Computing (http://www.macsales.com) is now offering the Axiotron Modbook tablet Mac at reduced pricing. The company has announced an US$500 price reduction and expanded options on the Modbook. OWC, as a fully certified Axiotron Authorized System Manufacturer (AASM), has also reduced the price of its MacBook to Modbook Modservice conversion by 40%. Custom configured 13.3-inch Modbook tablets now start from US$1,599 with standard Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13GHz processor, 2GB of memory, 160GB internal hard drive, an 8X Dual-Layer SuperDrive, Airport Extreme 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth, and Mac OS 10.6.x ("Snow Leopard") installed. Exclusively for OWC customers, a built in WAAS enabled GPS is also included for no additional cost. Customers may also custom configure their Modbook with up to 6GB of memory, Solid State Drives (SSD) up to 256GB, and hard disk drives for up 1.28TB (1280GB) of total internal storage capacity and have it shipped within 48 hours. Owners of an existing...

nPulse Network Systems (http://www.npulsenetworks.com) has released the nPulse HammerHead 10 Gbps Capture and Replay system based on the Napatech NT20E 2 x 10 Gbps In-line adapter. HammerHead is the a traffic testing product that provides full line-rate 10 Gbps packet capture, record-to-disk and replay capabilities. "Capturing, recording and generating 10 Gigabits per second of traffic on a sustained basis are difficult technical challenges, and existing approaches have relied on proprietary hardware and software solutions. However, proprietary 10 Gbps solutions are very expensive, and out of reach for most enterprises," says Peter Shaw, vice president of marketing for nPulse. "With HammerHead, we have solved this problem using off-the-shelf hardware components combined with Napatech's adapter, dramatically reducing cost without sacrificing performance." nPulse employed Napatech's PCI-Express based NT20E network adapter to ensure accurate packet capture and replay performance in...

ATTO Technology (http://www.attotech.com), a provider of storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions for data-intensive computing environment, has announced that their FastStream Storage Controller has been certified with the Fibrenetix E4 storage system. The FastStream is engineered for real-time applications which require managed latency and feature ADS and DriveAssure technology to ensure best-in-industry data transfers for high-bandwidth applications while preventing premature drive failures and drive slow downs providing uninterrupted access to data, according to James U'Ren, FastStream product manager for ATTO Technology. FastStream Storage Controllers allow multiple workstations to share a pool of RAID-protected SAS or SATA storage without using a Fibre Channel switch. Using the FastStream with SAS drives protected by RAID 5 provides support for up to five streams of 10-bit uncompressed HD video with performance up to 1400MB/second. The FastStream provides shared...

Group Logic (http://www.grouplogic.com), a provider of enterprise-class connectivity solutions, has announced y the general availability of MassTransit 6.1. This new release includes a new web portal for occasional users, a completely redesigned user interface for power users and a number of new enterprise infrastructure features. MassTransit provides a file transfer solution for infrequent file transfers, a powerful tool for high volume, high frequency transfers and automated tools for system-to-system file transfers. It provides your organization with a single tool for defining and enforcing file transfer access rights and for monitoring all file transmissions, according to T. Reid Lewis, CEO of Group Logic. Users can log into their MassTransit-powered corporate file transfer website and within three clicks begin sending files as large as many gigabytes securely over HTTPS. There's no browser plug-in or FTP client to install and typing a few characters of the recipient's name...

Universal Studios Home Entertainment (http://www.universalstudios.com), or USHE, has launched an array of enhanced iPhone and iPod touch-enabled features and social web-based offerings with the release of upcoming titles "Bruno," "Funny People," "9," "American Pie Presents: The Book of Love," "Public Enemies" and "Inglourious Basterds," all available this holiday season. These innovations include the pocket BLU app, which offers iPhone and iPod users touch further enhancements to the Blu-ray experience, and social BLU, which offers Blu-ray users more ways to interact with their Facebook and Twitter networks through an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. Additionally, USHE will unveil an all-new redesign of its BD-Live Center on "Funny People," which makes the dynamic content on the multimedia portal easier to access, more engaging, and easier to use, according to Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. On future releases, Universal will deliver even more...

CalDigit (http://www.caldigit.com) is now offering support for 2TB hard drives. Previously 1.5TB drives were the maximum capacity available to users. CalDigit is now offering a 33% increase in storage at no additional cost and, lesser capacity products now have a lower price tag. The CalDigit VR is a two-drive RAID system and is now available in capacities up to 4TB. It sports a quadruple interface; its modular design also provides two hot swappable drive modules. It has a front LCD and includes software for configuration and monitoring. The CalDigit VR offers support for RAID 0, 1, JBOD and SPAN, the CalDigit VR packs a ton of performance into a small package. Pricing starts at US $499. The HDElement is a flexible external storage solution that harnesses the power of the CalDigit RAID Card. It's now available in capacities of up to 8TB, in the same compact enclosure. The CalDigit RAID Card provides RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and JBOD support to the HDElement, and with 3 ports up 24TB of storage...