Logitech (http://www.logitech.com) has unveiled the Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i and Logitech Portable Speaker S125i. The former purportedly delivers up to 20 hours of listening time, while the Portable Speaker S125i lets you "crank up the bass in your bedroom, kitchen, living room -- even in your backyard." With the US$129.99 Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i, you can play and charge your iPhone and any iPod model with the dock connector. According to the folks at Logitech, its power-saving mode allows for a full days (or nights) worth of music on a single charge. The S315i supports the iPhone and all iPod models with Universal Dock Connector; it also supports other portable music players via 3.5 mm auxiliary input. The $69.99 Logitech Portable Speaker S125i -- due next month -- plays and charges any iPod model, and boosts songs with extra bass at the push of a button. It runs on AC or battery power. It works with any iPod model with a Universal Dock connector (except third-...

SmileOnMyMac has updated PDFPen (http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpen/download.html), its PDF editing and form-filling tool for Mac OS X, to version 4.2. The update adds support for documents encrypted with 128-bit AES encryption. PDFpen costs US$49.95, and PDFpenPro is $99.95. Family pack licenses, which cover up to 5 computers in one household, are $74.95 for PDFpen and $129.95 for PDFpenPro. Upgrades from earlier versions of either application are $25, and free to users who purchased after June 1, 2008. Upgrades from any version of PDFpen to PDFpenPro 4.0 are $50. PDFpen 4.2 and PDFpenPro 4.2 require Mac OS X 10.4 or later. An Intel 1.8GHz processor or above is recommended for OCR. Demo versions are available for download.

ProVUE Development has released Track Magic Pro, a Mac OS X based management and analysis tool for Ruby on Rails. Track Magic Pro allows developers and administrators to access, analyze and modify database tables directly, bypassing the standard Rails web interface. Track Magic Pro works with existing Rails applications without modification, and can be used both during development and with live production Rails applications. Features include: ° Rapid data analysis with no coding, including crosstabs, charts and interactive data outlines; ° Local RAM caching of open tables for fast searching and analysis; ° "Round Trip" data modification, both on and off-line; ° Quickly pre-process and import legacy data without programming; ° Interactive graphical interface for creating printable mailing labels, forms, and reports; ° Automatically create test fixtures; ° Build hybrid web/desktop applications; ° Visually catalog and organize all of your Rails applications and hosts; ° Interactive...

RadTech (http://www.radtech.com) has introduced the US$14.95 Styloid 2.0 stylus for capacitive touch screens, such as those on the iPhone and iPod touch. Patterned after a writing instrument, Styloid allows precise control of both touch screen interfaces and the small buttons found on modern digital devices. According to the folks at RadTech, it's useful for users with large fingers or long nails who typically have difficulty manipulating small target screen elements and buttons. It purportedly even works while you're wearing gloves. The Styloid features a hard-anodized aluminum barrel with polished stainless steel accents and a pocket clip. It's finished in satin black, and is free of any sharp edges.

equinux (www.equinux.com) has released Summer Spirit Cards, a set of 20 nifty greeting cards for Mail. Summer Spirit Cards enable everyone to share their favorite summer snapshots with personal greeting cards. Summer Spirit Cards ship with the Stationery Pack Browser to help you find the perfect greeting card. You can sort all available templates by category and keywords or, if you're looking for something specific, you can also type in your own search terms. For a big picture, you can view the templates with the Quick Look window. Summer Spirit Cards include 20 mail templates and are available now for $19.95 at the equinux Online Store. For a limited time, chic Summer Spirit Cards boxes will be available at Apple stores nationwide. There's also a reduced price family pack available for use on up to five Macs for $29.95.

VITO Technology has updated Task2Gather (http://task2gather.com/site/iphone.html), an online task manager. It's been revved for iPhone OS 3.0 and now supports Push Notifications. With the free desktop client available, all functions get synchronized on the web and on the iPhone. The new version also has a new look&feel to it that always help. Task2Gather keeps all tasks in the "web cloud"; data is accessible anytime from iPhone, Mac or PC. The app has an hierarchic structure: every task can be divided into several sub-tasks, and these sub-tasks can be divided further without limit. Since the tasks created in Task2Gather are stored online, they can be shared. After sharing tasks users can assign the "new-comers" responsible for task completion. Task2Gather is available for US$2.99 at the Apple App Store.

Cocktail 4.4.1 (Leopard Edition), a general purpose utility for Mac OS X, has been released. This version addresses compatibility issues with Firefox 3.5 and Flock 2.5 web browsers, adds clearing of the latest variants of the RSPlug (Jahlav) trojan horse, adds Mac OS X 10.5.8 compatibility and contains other minor bug fixes as well as updated Automator actions. The update is highly recommended for all users of Cocktail (Leopard Edition). Cocktail 4.4.1 (Leopard Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. It 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 10.5.4. Cocktail 4.4.1 costs US$14.95 for a single user license. It's a free update for registered users of version 4.x. Youc an find it here: http://cocktail.maintain.se

Rage Software has released iWeb SEO Tool 1.5 (http://www.ragesw.com/products/iweb-seo-tool.html), an update of their utility for iWeb users to optimize their web sites for search engines. It's free for all iWeb users. (iWeb is the web creation component of Apple's iLife suite.). The upgrade lets you add Google Analytics, or any other web site analytics code to your iWeb website. It also adds faster publishing to MobileMe and FTP servers. iWeb SEO Tool runs on Mac OS X 10.4 or later. With iWeb SEO Tool users can add page title tags, meta tags and alternative image text without having to mess with the underlying HTML code. Combined with Rage Software's suite of search engine optimization (SEO) software, iWeb users can now compete fairly with all other web sites for top search engine rankings, the company says.

iHome has released the iP1 Speaker System for iPod/iPhone. It's the first product introduced in the company's new Studio Series which features Bongiovi Acoustics' Digital Power Station (DPS) technology. It sports a processor that actively scans the recorded material and compensates for any deficiencies across the audio frequency spectrum, effectively restoring it to the sound the artist originally intended to be heard, according to Evan Stein, vice president of Marketing, iHome. The iP1 Speaker System for iPod/iPhone outputs 100 watts of premium sound through four-inch woofers and one-inch silk dome tweeters that are powered by Bongiovi Acoustics' proprietary DPS, and comes with a full-function remote control and component video outputs for connecting to a variety of video equipment. The iP1 Speaker System for iPod/iPhone is currently available for purchase at Apple retail stores and Best Buy, as well as on iHomeaudio.com for a suggested retail price of US$299. For more...

Intelligent Assistance has add yet another metadata workflow tool to their range: the Sequence Clip Reporter, which is designed for producers or editors who have to generate clip or music reports of completed documentary programs. Sequence Clip Reporter takes an XML export from your finished, edited Final Cut Pro Sequence and generates a video clip usage report; or audio clip usage report (for selected tracks). Both reports are formatted as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Sequence Clip Reporter generates an Excel Spreadsheet with: the clip name, sequence start time, sequence end time, duration, path to clip, description, comment and master comment fields. Reports can be further processed in Excel for formatting and additional detail, if required. Sequence Clip Reporter joins Intelligent Assistance's recently released exceLogger for merging Final Cut Pro XML and Excel spreadsheets for advanced logging and miniME for exploring and remapping hidden QuickTime metadata from Final Cut Pro XML...

Boris FX (http://www.borisfx.com), a developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, has updated Boris Continuum Complete 6 FxPlug (BCC 6 FxPlug) for Apple Pro Video Applications to version 6.0.4. It's revved for Final Cut Studio 3 and introduces support for Final Cut Pro 7 and Apple Motion 4. Other new features include a revamped Optical Stabilizer for Final Cut Pro with automated scaling and an interactive user interface. BCC 6 FxPlug brings over 200 filters to Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Final Cut Express. In addition to new features included with the recently-released Boris Continuum Complete 6 AE for Adobe -- such as Extruded Text, Splines, and Shapes -- BCC 6 FxPlug takes advantage of Apple FxPlug's real-time architecture for simultaneous live previews of dozens of preset transitions, glows, and color and film look effects in a newly-designed effects browser window. The initial release of BCC 6 FxPlug features over a dozen new FxPlug Shaders. Many of the...

Yenco has released Agenda 4.0.9 (ttp://www.yenco.com/agenda/), an update of the Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) app that keeps track of your events and tasks, lets you enter your thoughts, and create calendar or journal web sites. The upgrade adds the ability to set the name of the directory folder when creating a calendar or journal web site with the iEvents feature and includes updated help content. It's also built on the new Framework 2.0.5 project, which has improved database code for more reliable performance. Agenda 4 is a shareware application. You can evaluate it free for 15 times to try out its features and decide if you like it before you buy it.

Sennheiser Communications (http://www.sennheiserusa.com) has released the US$169.95 PC 300 G4ME headset. The tiny, portable headset is designed for people who love gaming, chatting, listening to music and watching movies on their laptops and portable media players. It utilizes capsules from Sennheiser's CX 300-II ear-canal phones. The PC 300 G4ME includes a Sennheiser microphone, an in-line volume control and three sizes of soft silicone sleeves. The headset uses two 3.5 mm plugs to connect to computers: one for the headphones and the other for the microphone. The package also includes a quick-disconnect 6.5-foot extension cable. The headset and extension cable can be packed away in the supplied pouch.

Sonivox (http://www.sonivoxmi.com) has released Aggro Electro Boom, a virtual instrument plug-in for Mac and PC systems. It's designed for contemporary beat creation for hip hop and electronic music producers. Aggro is the latest in the company's "Playa" product family and carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$149 and an introductory street price of $99. Its user interface allows integration of midi keyboards and MPC pad controllers, bridging the gap between MPC style beat creation and the computer-based virtual instrument environment. Aggro is packed with more than 4GB of instruments, including basses, leads, pads, construction kits and more. The app sports over 400 instruments, 15 user programmable and assignable pads, and over 50 pad layouts.

Iospirit has updated Remote Buddy (http://www.iospirit.com/remotebudd), Mac OS X software for controlling Macs remotely, to version 1.1.4. The upgrade features a major update to the app's built-in AJAX Remote, a web 2.0 application enabling iPhone and iPod touch users to control their Mac over their local Wi-Fi network. Remote Buddy costs US$27.50, though version 1.1.4 is a free update for registered users. The software is Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Remote Buddy requires Mac OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") or higher. The addition of gesture control to Remote Buddy's AJAX Remote allows gesture control of everything that can be controlled by Remote Buddy. Among many others, this includes Front Row, DVD Player, iTunes, EyeTV, VLC, iPhoto, Preview, Acrobat, PowerPoint, Keynote, Photobooth, Plex, Boxee, XBMC and Hulu Desktop. (img src="{filedir_1}TipJarIcon.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" class="left" width="100" height="100" /)(B)If you like what you...

macProVideo.com has released new tutorial called "Pro Tools 402: Mixing Pop in Pro Tools" (http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/protools402). This new tutorial takes you through the process of mixing a pop song for radio, CD, or Internet delivery. You'll learn how to mix drum kits, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and keyboards. Of particular note, there's a large section on mixing both Lead and Backup vocals to provide the type of presence that makes vocals truly sparkle in the mix. This four-hour tutorial is produced by Chris Potter, Sarah McLachlan's lead engineer. This tutorial is available for download from macProVideo.com's web site for US$49.50. Or you can subscribe to their Online Tutorial Library for $25 a month and watch this (and all other) macProVideo.com tutorials.

Newer Technology (NewerTech) has announced the NewerTech Intelligent Battery Charging Stations for pre-June 2009 MacBook 13-inch "unibody" and MacBook Pro 15-inch "unibody" notebook batteries. The two new charging/conditioning models expands NewerTech's station models for iBook G3/G4, PowerBook G4, and all pre-unibody Macbook and MacBook Pro notebooks. Available immediately for US$149.95, the Intelligent Battery Charging Station is designed for users who have one or more batteries and want to keep their batteries in optimal charged condition. The two-bay design enables one battery to be charged while another battery is being conditioned and then charged. The charging/conditioning stations have a two-year warranty. For more information, see: http://www.newertech.com/products/charger_cond.php

Redcort Software (http://www.redcort.com) has released Virtual TimeClock '09 Basic Edition, an entry level addition to their Mac OS X compatible clock software suite. Virtual TimeClock software helps businesses of every size easily manage their employee time and attendance. The new Basic Edition offers a simplified feature set and lower price (US$79). However, "the Virtual TimeClock DNA is still present, meaning it's powerful and reliable software backed by Redcort Software's 20 years of time clock software experience," to Keith DeLong, founder and CEO of Redcort Software. Virtual TimeClock Basic Edition is a targeted to businesses with up to three employees. As employees or time clock software needs increase, customers can upgrade their time clocks to either Virtual TimeClock Pro or Virtual TimeClock Network Edition. A demo is available for download.

Kroll Ontrack (http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com), a provider of Ontrack data recovery solutions and legal technologies products and services, has launched a global Data Recovery Portal for Apple customers. Through its Ontrack Data Recovery services, Kroll Ontrack offers data recovery solutions for Apple customers with Mac systems, servers, applications, files, operating systems as well as iPod and iPhone devices. Kroll Ontrack is able to work directly with Apple's Service Providers to provide global, data recovery service in localized languages to Apple customers, according to Tood Johnson, vice president of Ontrack Data Recovery operations. Specifically, Apple Service Providers now have y access to a new customized web portal to register data recovery jobs for their customers in real time as well as direct and immediate connectivity to data recovery specialists and engineers, he adds. Once the data recovery job is registered via the portal, customers will receive automated updates...

Agile Web Solutions has updated (a href="http://1password.com"TARGET="_blank")1Password(/a) and 1 Password Pro, password managers for iPhone, to version 2.2. 1Password 2.2 gains new features like Quick Copy and Paste and the option for a complete database reset, while 1Password Pro 2.2 syncs folders from 1Password for Mac and copy multiple fields to the clipboard. And, for a limited time, 1Password Pro is still on sale for almost 50 percent off its regular price. In 1Password, a number of features were changed or fixed, including the use of auto-capitalization in Notes fields, new support for Landscape Mode in List View, Detail View, and Web Browser View, and the ability to rearrange tabs in the toolbar. In addition to 1Password 2.2's improvements, 1Password Pro 2.2 gains two exclusive new features for better integration with both 1Password for Mac and Safari on the device. 1Password Pro now synchronizes folders from 1Password for Mac to help organize all your items. Users can now...

PC Tools has released iAntiVirus 1.0 (http://www.iantivirus.com), an anti-virus and anti-spyware tool, designed specifically for the Mac operating system. Providing real-time protection and comprehensive system scanning, iAntiVirus is designed to detect and remove Mac specific threats ensuring your Mac remains safe, says Simon Clausen, vice president, PC Tools He adds that iAntiVirus is a dedicated Mac only solution that doesn't contain unnecessary information about Windows based threats, keeping the memory footprint and system impact to an absolute minimum. The software detects and removes viruses, spyware, keyloggers, Trojans and, in particular, socially engineered threats which, for example, can propagate without user awareness through instant messenger and P2P file sharing applications. iAntiVirus is designed to work silently in the background when in monitoring mode. Threats are automatically blocked and removed with minimal system impact, Clausen says. A small alert window is...

Freeverse's Sound Studio (http://freeverse.com/soundstudio), an audio editing and sound creation Mac application developed by Felt Tip Software, has been updated to version 3.6. The upgrade sports more Core Audio formats and introduces IMA 4:1 for iPhone development. AudioUnit plugins and Resampling have been tweaked for maximum efficiency, and there are new toolbar adjustments. The update is free for all Sound Studio 3.0 owners. For new owners the cost is US$79.95. Sound Studio can digitize and master records and tapes, adjust levels, effects, and crossfades in 32-bit accuracy and more. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher.

WorldSync, Inc. today shipped fmDataGuard 2.0, automatic change logging, backup and recovery software, now with zero initialization delay and dramatic performance increases. Now for the first time, fmDataGuard customers see a regular run-time speed increase anywhere from a significant 50 percent to a dramatic 200 percent, depending on their configuration. In addition, fmDataGuard customers no longer experience any waiting period for initial log creation. Combined, elimination of an initialization delay and the stunning performance increases provide data protection with low overhead. fmDataGuard provides solutions built with FileMaker Pro software with the technological basis for regulatory audit trail compliance, logs all data views and changes, and allows for instant data rollback or quick recovery from a crash or corruption. fmDataGuard 2.0 introduces a new Log Reflection feature that allows end-users to hover over any field to quickly access log information about its change history...

Audio-Technica (http://www.audio-technica.com) has released 11 new ATR series microphones esigned for home recording, live performance, computer and camcorder use and other non-professional applications. The new include the ATR1500, ATR1300, ATR1200 and ATR1100 vocal/instrument mics, the ATR6550, ATR6250, ATR4697 and ATR3350 specialty mics, the ATR4700 and ATR4600 computer mics and the ATR5200 headset microphone. The ATR1500 dynamic vocal/instrument microphone (US$49.95) is engineered for clear, detailed vocal and instrument reproduction. Built for on-stage use, its cardioid response pattern reduces pickup of sounds from the sides and rear, for improved isolation of the vocalist or instrument being miked, and resistance to feedback. The ATR1500 features metal construction and an on/off switch, and comes with a detachable 15-foot XLR cable and stand clamp. The ATR1300 ($29.95) dynamic microphone has a unidirectional pickup pattern for smooth, focused response without feedback. It's...

Intelligent Assistance has released two new pieces of software for smoothing the path to more extensive logging and to view and remap hidden metadata so it's visible in Final Cut Pro. exceLogger (http://assistedediting.com/exceLogger/) merges Final Cut Pro XML with log notes made in Excel; you can use all the formatting and features of Excel while you log existing media. You can add log notes to trimmed media, or create new subclips from within Excel. You can merge the results in exceLogger and update the project with all the new information. Clips are created, updated and linked to media in Final Cut Pro. miniME (Metadata Explorer) reads the QuickTime metadata that Final Cut Pro has imported from non-tape sources, but isn't visible in Final Cut Pro itself. se the export XML and open it in miniME to view the hidden metadata or export it to an Excel spreadsheet. Buy the software and you can remap the data back to visible fields in Final Cut Pro, merging data from multiple sources into...

Apple has announced the launch of the iTunes Store in Mexico (http://www.itunes.com/mexico) with a large selection of Mexican and international music from all the major labels and hundreds of independent labels. Launching with a catalog of millions of songs, the iTunes Store in Mexico features Mexican artists including Paulina Rubio, Vicente Fern√°ndez and Zoe and a wide range of international artists including Shakira, Lady Gaga, Green Day and thousands more. With most songs priced at 12 pesos and most albums at 120 pesos, the iTunes Store in Mexico is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. "The iTunes Store in Mexico is off to a great start with music from all of the majors and hundreds of indie labels," says Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of Internet Services. "And the revolutionary App Store in Mexico gets bigger and better with great new apps using amazing new features, and we can't wait to see what developers come up with next...

Sourcebits Technologies has released Funbooth 2 (http://www.spoonjuice.com/funbooth/) for Mac OS X. It's a consumer Mac app done entirely in Cocoa using Xcode 3.1 for Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") and later. Funbooth uses advanced face-tracking algorithms to perform real-time tracking of faces using an external iSight camera or the built-in iSights on Macs. Its features range from customization of videos and photos using archived properties to creating new properties to editing the existing ones. Funbooth provides users with variety of inbuilt props for both photos and videos. It also facilitates users to add a customize prop as per there interest and creativity. With it you can share video and photos through various channels such as flickr, YouTube, e-mail and FTP. Funbooth sports advanced face detection and built-in controls. This feature allows users to adapt their camera's output in real-time.

Vemedio has released its first application for the iPhone and iPod touch, called SnowRemote, and updated its Snowtape radio software Snowtape. SnowRemote enables the user to remote control Snowtape wirelessly within his local home network. SnowRemote syncs wirelessly with the brand new version 1.2 of Snowtape. It enables the user to quickly browse through hundreds of radio stations, search using genres and countries, search by keywords and remotely mark stations as favorite, says Martin Hering, founder of Vemedio. The integrated playback controller allows for changing play/pause and start and stop recording the program, as well as changing the playback volume. It also displays current album artwork if available. The new version of Snowtape features an improved search algorithm for album artwork, a better handling of deleted items and a search for stations by country. There are now over 1000 high quality radio stations available. Snowtape is available in English, German, Japanese,...

Derman Enterprises has released Sync'Em 1.3.3 (http://www.syncem.com), an update of the sync hub for Macs. The upgrade adds support for basic Google calendar events and the new Google contact fields. In addition, 1.33 improves the default handling of Exchange's FileAs/FileAsMapping fields when syncing and fixes an obscure syncing issue with such fields. With Sync'Em, you can sync your Exchange, Google and/or Address Book contacts and sync your Exchange and/or Google contacts across multiple Exchange and/or Google accounts. Soon you'll be able to sync your Exchange, Google and/or iCal calendar events/tasks and sync your Exchange and/or Google calendar events/tasks across multiple Exchange and/or Google accounts. You can do this without installing software on your Exchange server. A demo is available for download. Sync'Em is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher and costs US$39.95 for a single user license. Version 1.3.3 is a free update for registered users.

Workamajig (http://www.Workamajig.com), Creative Management's software program for ad agencies and others in the creative and design industries, has been updated to version 10.2.7. The new version improves its iPhone access features and also sports enhancements for the Safari 4 web browser on the Mac and PC platforms. Users of the Workamajig Project Management Software can now access the most popular areas of Workamajig from their Apple iPhone and other mobile devices, including Dashboard, Time Entry, Calendar and My Items to Approve, says Ron Ause, Workamajig's director of marketing. As always with Creative Manager's products, no installation or conversion are necessary, and all updates are at no cost to the over 18,000 users of Workamajig. All client logins and vendor logins are always free. All updates are deployed using Workamajig's own Auto-Updater, which allows them to deploy updates to all hosted sites, and to clients' servers at any time.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization focused on providing educational tools to help children in developing countries "learn learning," will partner with PocketMac for a fundraising promotion. All fundraising efforts will be related to PocketMac's RingtoneStudio 2 for iPhone (http://www.CreateiPhoneRingtones.com/), software to create iPhone ringtones. For every copy of RingtoneStudio 2 for iPhone sold during August and September, PocketMac will donate US$10 to OLPC (http://www.laptop.org). RingtoneStudio 2 for iPhone is available now for $29.95.

Software Architects (www.softarch.com/SA_ImageFlow/) has released CoverFlow Software Developer Toolkit for Mac OS 10.5 ("Leopard"). It provides developers with a way to add a customized "Coverflow like" dynamic visual interface to their Mac applications. Designed for developers using the Cocoa framework, the software development kit saves development time when compared to integrating native Apple Cover Flow, and it provides the option for customizing the visual display to match the developer's application, according to the folks at Software Architects. Features include: ° An Interface Builder Plugin with which you can bind your data to the ImageFlow view without writing code; ° Wide support for standard image formats; ImageFlow leverages the NSImage class to provide support for a range of image formats and data sources; ° Background image processing; the application's main thread isn't blocked while images are being processed; ° Customization; you can choose the background and edge...

Native Instruments has introduced Essential Bass (http://www.native-instruments.com/essentialbass.info), a new US$79, KORE-powered instrument that provides an arsenal of visceral, production-ready bass sounds. It's based on the KORE Player and its integrated synthesis and sample engines, and covers the full spectrum of the bottom end, from classic acoustic and electric bass to vintage analog sounds and innovative synthesizer tones. Classic instruments in Essential Bass include fingered, picked and slapped electric basses from sample producers Scarbee and Pettinhouse, as well as an exclusive antique upright bass. These instruments are complemented with a selection of bass tones that take advantage of the integrated Absynth, FM8, Massive and Reaktor engines. A further section provides a range of classic subtractive synth bass sounds. Essential Bass utilizes manysoundshaping features of the KORE platform, and can be used both within the free KORE Player and with the full-featured KORE 2...

Peachpit has announced the publication of Apple-certified guides to Apple's brand new Final Cut Studio, and the launch of the accompanying Final Cut Pro resource center (http://www.peachpit.com/finalcutstudio) . The step-by-step, Apple certified guides include broadcast-quality lesson and media files and are the approved curriculum for all Apple Certified training. Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 7 (http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321635272) shows readers how to cut a scene from the TNT television series, "Leverage," create a promo for SeaWorld's Believe documentary, and master effects as they edit a segment of Playing for Change. They'll learn to mark and edit clips, mix sound, add titles, create transitions, and more. In Apple Pro Training Series: Motion 4 (http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321635299) , readers learn how to harness Motion's behavior-based animations, particles, filters, effects, keying, tracking, and 3D capabilities to...

Hawking Technologies -- a developer of wired and wireless networking solutions for home, workgroup, and corporate users -- has introduced the US$29.95 Easy-Link Data Sharing Hub (http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/productlist.php?CatID=36&FamID=121&P...). The Data Sharing Hub lets users copy files from one computer to another at speeds of up to 480Mbps . In addition, the Easy-Link Data Sharing Hub features three USB ports for extra USB devices. This HU2P4 is pre-installed with file exchange software and connects to the USB ports of any two computers. When plugged in, the HU2P4 instantly reads files from the two computers and displays them side by side. You can drag and drop files from one computer to another to begin transferring. In addition, the built-in USB ports allow you to connect and access your camera, USB flash drive, and other USB devices.

Cakewalk (http://www.cakewalk.com) has announced new additions to the growing line of hardware products, designed in conjunction with Roland. Three new USB audio interfaces -- the UA-4FX, UA-25EX, and UA-101 -- provide a solution for the mobile musician and/or recording studio to connect and capture audio to a Mac or PC. The UA-25EX is a professional-level, 2x2 24-bit/96 kHz USB audio interface. It's equally suited in the project studio or as a mobile solution on the road for high quality audio recording and music production, according to the folks at Cakewalk. The UA-4FX is a compact, portable 24-bit/96 kHz USB audio interface featuring Roland COSM preamp emulation technology and effects. The Cakewalk UA-101 provides up to 24-bit/192 kHz audio quality. It sports multiple I/O options, professional grade mic preamps with +48V phantom power, built-in analog limiter, zero latency direct monitoring, and more -- all housed in a half-rack, solid metal enclosure. All three will be available...

Objective Software (http://www.obdev.com) has released the game Pebbles for the Mac, the iPhone and the iPod touch. The Mac version is totally free; the iPhone/iPod touch version -- available at the Apple App Store -- is being offered free for one month. Here's how the game is described: "The basic principle of the game is irresistibly easy: from the edge, you throw a pebble into a square playing field. When one stone lands on another of the same color, this stone as well as all bordering stones of the same color disappear. The goal is, of course, to empty the field -- so far, so good. "Yet, this simple concept leads to surprisingly challenging functions, and the variety of strategic possibilities make Pebbles an absorbing game. A window above the playing field shows which stone is going to come next. Knowing which stone is going to follow is a deciding factor in the game's strategy. "Choosing the sequence of the moves with care is also very important: a well positioned pebble can do...

WoodWing Software is entering the web-to-print market with the release of Brand Station (http://www.woodwing.com/en/brand-station). Whereas most such solutions are separate systems, Brand Station integrates transparently with the company's Enterprise content publishing platform, providing workflow, media asset management and multi-channel publishing at the same time, WoodWing President Erik Schut. Brand Station is easy to install and to use, as users only need a Web browser, he adds. The web-to-print process involves a brand owner, designers and brand users. Designers create templates according to the corporate design. The brand owner approves the templates and provides them via the Web to a controlled group of brand users (e.g. the subsidiaries). These users can access the templates through their web browser and generate print-ready files. Brand users can't change the design; they can only customize the templates with their own information. A brand owner can request an optional...

AJA Video Systems (http://www.aja.com), a provider of professional video interface and conversion solutions, has released a new software version for its KONA line of video playback and capture cards: KONA LSe, LHe, LHi and the top-of-the-line KONA 3. The KONA family is AJA's line of 10-bit uncompressed capture and playback cards for video and audio input and output on the Mac platform. The version 6.5 software provides support for the new Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Pro 7, as well as Apple's new ProRes 422 (LT), ProRes 422 (Proxy), and ProRes 4444 formats, and is available for download free of charge to current KONA users. According to AJA Video President Nick Rashby, new KONA 6.5 software upgrade features include: ° Closed Captioning support for Final Cut Pro 7, MacCaption, VTR Xchange and AJA TV via QuickTime Closed Captioning Tracks (KONA 3, LHe, LHi and LSe); ° Full VANC data capture and playback support on a per-frame basis for all Apple ProRes formats; ° Expanded KONA LHi...

Prosoft Engineering has updated Drive Genius (http://prosofteng.com/newdesign/products/drive_genius.php) to version 2.2, which is ready for the upcoming Mac OS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard"). The new version also sports Improved defragmentation functionality, enhanced repartition performance and other improvements. Drive Genius 2 is a disk utility with features that allow you to maintain your hard drives. It offers disk defrag, directory repair, repartition on-the-fly and more. Drive Genius 2 costs US$99 for a personal use license. Updates to version 2.2 are free for registered users of version 2.0.

Eye-Fi (http://www.eye.fi) has unveiled the Eye-Fi Geo card, a new, US$59.99 wireless SD memory card exclusive to Apple that allows users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera to a computer and offers lifetime geotagging service. Available today in all Apple stores and online, the Eye-Fi Geo card is the latest addition to the Eye-Fi product family that's built to integrate with Mac products and applications, including iPhoto '09 and '08, the iPhone and MobileMe. "Apple users want simplicity and an effortless user experience, so it's not surprising that a significant number of our users are on Macs," says Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi. "The Eye-Fi Geo is the perfect companion for iPhoto's new 'Places' application to pinpoint photos on a digital map so memories are displayed in a richer, more meaningful way." The Eye-Fi Geo wirelessly uploads photos straight to a folder on your computer or Apple's iPhoto gallery where they arrive automatically geotagged with location...

iPresentee (http://www.ipresentee.com), a developer of add-ons for Apple's iWork and iLife applications, has released iWeb Themes 5.0 to be used with Apple's Web site building application, iWeb. iWeb is part of the iLife bundle. iWeb Themes 5.0 includes five new themes: Amber, Flowered, Blue-Black, Claret and Free-liver. The new release extends iPresentee's iWeb themes collection up to 45 themes. Each iWeb theme has 10 templates instead of ordinary eight. iWeb Themes 5.0 includes following templates: Welcome, About Me, Photos, My Albums, Movie, Blog, Podcast, Blank, My Hobbies and News. iWeb Themes 5.0 can be customized. Each theme incorporates a number of different graphic elements which can be removed, moved and changed in size, opacity or color. They contain several different page layouts. The new iWeb themes are compatible with iWeb 2.0 and iWeb 3.0 versions. Each iWeb Theme is available for US$10. The set of five new themes may be purchased for $25. Samples and more info about...

(a href="http://www.macprovideo.com" TARGET="_blank")macProVideo.com(/a), a company that specializes in training videos for Apple software, has released the first in a new series of Logic 9 tutorial videos, called "Logic 9 First Look." This tutorial-video details many of the new features of Logic Pro 9. It's available for free here: http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/logicfirstlook In this new title you'll explore the new interface features of Logic 9, while learning how this new version better optimizes CPU usage. You'll explore the new Notes function and the novel "bounce in place" feature. You'll also get an introduction to Flex Time Editing, the convert to sampler instrument function, and the new Amp designer and pedalboard plug-ins.

MakeMusic has released SmartMusic 2010 (http://www.smartmusic.com), an update of the music learning software for band, orchestra and choir. Compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard"), the software adds a new Home Screen designed to make getting started even easier. Music titles, assignments and all of SmartMusic's features are now accessed from one place and downloading additional titles is purportedly faster and more efficient. The stand-alone digital recorder can now record anything (with or without a metronome) and SmartMusic 2010 is fully compatible with files created in Finale 2010. MakeMusic CEO Ron Raup says searching for repertoire in SmartMusic is faster and more efficient, allowing users to filter results by instrument, skill level, state list and genre. Educators and students will enjoy improved playlists with method books, exercises and Finale-created files, he adds. The SmartMusic Gradebook and student assignments can now be accessed from within the SmartMusic application...

Nemetschek North America is pleased to announce that Jonathan Pickup's latest training guide, "3D Modeling in Vectorworks," is now available. The tutorial is a workbook for anyone seeking to learn how to free-form model with Vectorworks. It's filled with exercises aimed at building a foundation of 3D Vectorworks skills. Specifically, the tutorial will show users how to create 3D forms through the use of extrudes, sweeps, solids, NURBS, loft surfaces, and 3D primitives. Although the tutorial is based on version 2009, it can be used successfully with prior versions of Vectorworks, according to Pickup. In addition, the manual is appropriate for both students and professionals and provides a very practical approach to learning 3D Vectorworks skills, he adds. The hard-copy workbook comes with a companion CD that contains exercise files and the entire manual as a PDF file with embedded instructional movies. Each workbook retails for US$75. This tutorial is part of Nemetschek North America's...

Booyah (http://www.booyah.com) -- a Silicon Valley start-up founded by former games industry veterans Keith Lee, Brian Morrisroe and Sam Christiansen -- has launched its first product Booyah Society, the first social game based on real-life achievements for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's available for free at the Apple App Store. Booyah Society is the kernel product for Booyah's long-term vision, says Booyah CEO Keith Lee. Booyah's goal is to help people to improve their lives and catalyze mass action through an artfully stylized, immersive app that blends game mechanics and emergent social behavior, he adds. Booyah Society allows iPhone and iPod touch users to track their activities, earn recognition for their accomplishments, and participate in positive social engagement. Via a customizable 3-D avatar that resides in a designed world, Booyah members can track their daily accomplishments in real-time with nine activity zones that help to categorize and visualize activities....

Tycoon Games has released Bionic Heart, an US$19.99 science-fiction visual novel/game for Mac, PC and Linux systems. It's available for download here: http://www.tycoongames.eu The game is set in the not too far future of London 2099, where climatic catastrophes have changed the Earth's climate permanently. In this interactive novel, bionic beings and complex technologies, clash with complicated relationships and even more complicated romance. Wise decisions build relationships with other characters, but one wrong move could ruin a friendship forever. Riva Celso, programmer/designer of Tycoon Games, says that Bionic Heart blends romance and comedy with philosophy as the players walk the line between scientific advances and love and friendship. The full version comes to life with over four hours of voice acting and beautiful artwork. he adds.

Realmac Software (http://www.realmacsoftware.com) has released LittleSnapper 1.5, an update of the tool for designers and developers to take and catalogue screen--shots and "webshots" -- full--size screen--shots of web pages. It now supports more types of media than ever before -- and you can browse each type using the sidebar's new Types section. LittleSnapper 1.5 sports a new screencapture engine that provides the user with improved full-screen, area and window snapping. The new snapping engine also allows for multi-window snapping, and LittleSnapper can composite the windows into one image. The upgrade also features: a new Tag Management HUD and tag auto-completion; Quick Look support for all snaps; and an image cropping feature. Users can now store Photoshop documents within your LittleSnapper library. LittleSnapper 1.5 now uploads to Realmac Software's new Ember image-sharing service. As well as handling the taking of shots, LittleSnapper also allows users to organize, categorize...

Xmultiple (http:?/www.xmultiple.com) has released the X-Power 1, an US$29.95 USB rechargeable battery/backup charge/sync cable for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's available in different lengths: six inches, 20 inches, 30 inches, and in a retractable cable design. The X-Power 1 is designed to serve as a portable back-up power source for your iPhone or iPod touch when you intend to go mobile away from a power source. To use you plug the X-Power1 into a USB outlet and the X-Power1 charge/sync cable circuitry will charge the Apple device.