Stellar Data Recovery has launched Stellar Phoenix Macintosh Data Recovery 3.5 (http://www.macintosh-data-recovery.com/), an update of the application for retrieving lost data. The upgrade has a new bootable DVD feature. If your Mac won't boot up, this DVD overrides the operating system to permit access to data. The DVD is available in Stellar's boxed version or can be burned to DVD from the download version. Stellar Phoenix Macintosh Data Recovery is backed up with 24X5 technical support and also continues to offer advancements of the product through Live Updates option. It's an Universal Binary product that works on both Intel and Power PC Macs. A demo is available at the Stellar Phoenix web site. Stellar gives two options of purchasing this software. First one is downloading demo version via the Internet and activating it, and the second one is ordering a box version. They cost US$129 and $149, respectively, for a single-user license.

Aharon Rabinowitz and All Bets Are Off Productions have released The Crowd Control Library of Pre-Keyed Alpha Stock Footage (http://allbetsareoff.com/products/crowd-control/). Pricing ranges from US$10 to $50 per clip. Crowd Control is a stock-footage library of actors keyed out from their green screen background, and ready to be added directly into motion graphics, 3D architecture, and visual effects projects. It has over 45,000 clips and over 500 actors., Crowd Control has a variety of themes, including sports, holiday, romance, religion, fantasy and science fiction, as well as business and telecommunications. The format is QuickTime Pro. It's compatible with Adobe After Effects, Adobe Flash, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Avid Media Composer, Sony Vegas Pro, most 3D applications, most video editing apps and most compositing applications.

Feral Interactive (http://www.feralinteractive.com) has launched its own demo download area and is hosting its own demo server to expand the reach of its products. In addition, the area launches with a number of new demos. The site allows consumers to download via BitTorrent or via a direct download. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing communications protocol. Users can download the demos using a BitTorrent client program. If a direct download isn't available yet, it's likely a brand new demo, and Feral provide a direct link in the near future. A quick guide to using BitTorrent is available on the site for those not familiar with the technology. The following seven demos are now available: Colin McRae Rally Mac - Multiplayer Demo Universal; Black and White 2 Demo Intel; ToCA DTM V8 Demo Intel; ToCA Honda Civic Demo Intel; LEGO Indiana Jones Demo Intel; LEGO Star Wars II Demo Universal; and Ford Racing 2 Demo Universal.

Apple has introduced the all-new iPod shuffle, the world's smallest music player at nearly half of the size of the previous model, and the "first music player that talks to you." It's VoiceOver feature enables iPod shuffle to speak your song titles, artists and playlist names. The third generation iPod shuffle is smaller than a AA battery, holds up to 1,000 songs and has all of the controls located on the earphone cord. With the press of a button, you can play, pause, adjust volume, switch playlists and hear the name of the song and artist. iPod shuffle features a gorgeous new aluminum design with a built-in stainless steel clip that makes it ultra-wearable Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod and iPhone Product Marketing, notes that the iPod shuffle is based on Apple's shuffle feature, which randomly selects songs from your music library. And now, when you can't remember the name of a song or an artist playing, with the press of a button iPod shuffle tells you the name of the...

Newer Technology (http://www.newertech.com) has released a new version of its miniStack, a hub storage solution that now features up to 1.5TB of storage. The miniStack has FireWire 400, FireWire 800, USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces. Each miniStack model features a rear and side-powered hub port configuration with up to three FireWire 400 (one uplink and two additional) and four USB 2.0 (one uplink and three additional) ports. Designed to mirror the size and appearance of the Mac mini, the miniStack is also designed as a space-saving desktop hub for use with the new iMac and MacBook Pro 17-inch models. Its 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.5 case houses a single Serial ATA (SATA), 7200RPM hard drive up to 1.5TB. The NewerTech miniStack is available in two models priced starting from US$104.99: the "dual interface" miniStack v2.5 which features three FireWire 400 and three USB 2.0 ports and comes in 10 pre-configured 7200RPM solutions from 80GB to 1.5TB; and the "quad interface" miniStack v3 which offers one...

Tomorrow Mikogo (http://www.mikogo.com/Mac) will announce the availability of its latest version, Mikogo Beta for Mac computers, providing an online meeting solution to Mac users around the world. Designed for online meetings, web presentations, webinars and more, the beta version provides Mac users with a quick solution to start a meeting and invite both PC and other Mac users to view their screen in real-time over the web. Mikogo's cross-platform functionality also enables both Mac and PC users to join and view an online meeting started by a PC organizer. Once a meeting has started and participants are viewing the organizer's screen, users of the new version can enjoy the following features: screen sharing with up to 10 participants; a switch presenter; a participant pointer; pausing of transmission; the ability to copy/paste/email meeting info; voice conferencing service; and instant screen build-up. "Mikogo has already appealed greatly to the web and business community thanks to...

In a survey conducted by the Enterprise Desktop Alliance, 235 of the 314 respondents expect to increase the number of Macs within their organization. Less than 2% of the responding organizations said they expected to reduce the number of Macs. The survey also shows that productivity gains and employee preference are the primary drivers of enterprises adopting Macs, with lower cost of ownership also playing an important role. The respondents were IT administrators, nearly 60% of whom manage 100 or more Macs within a wide range of enterprise class organizations. Significantly, 91% of the IT administrators indicated that integration and management parity between Macs and PCs were major issues of importance to their organization. It is clear that organizations want to be able to manage all systems and platforms in one consistent manner. "The importance of integration and management parity with PCs is an indication that the Mac users realize that getting Macs is easier to do if they can be...

BrainBaths (http://www.brainbaths.com), a 3D sound application layered with binaural beats, premieres for the iPhone and iPod touch this week. It's available for US$0.99 at the Apple App Store. It's designed as a "virtual mind spa." Listeners can "immerse in a sound bath of powerful mind enhancing frequencies that tune the brain into deep states of relaxation, focus and peak performance."

Kerio Technologies, a provider of Internet security and messaging solutions and select member of the VMware Technology Alli (http://www.kerio.com/kms), which has achieved VMware Ready status. This designation indicates that Kerio MailServer Virtual Appliance has passed a detailed evaluation and testing process managed by VMware. VMware provides TAP program members with tools to develop products that are complementary to VMware virtualization software and deliver high-value solutions to joint customers. This new certification allows Kerio MailServer to be "dropped" into a VMware server infrastructure with standard configuration and doesn't require a separate OS installation. Once installed, Kerio MailServer Virtual Appliance can be administered remotely and updated like the standard product. Kerio MailServer 6.6 is immediately available on Cent OS. The product is localized into 16 languages.

Derman Enterprises announces Sync'Em 1.25, an update of the sync hub for Macs that's designed to multi-sync Microsoft Exchange, Google and Apple contact and calendar information. Sync'Em version 1.25 adds support for Exchange autodiscovery -- making it much easier to set up Exchange access in organizations were autodiscovery is configured -- as well as improving Exchange and Google sync performance while adding some user interface enhancements, fixing a memory leak and working around an Exchange server issue. Sync'Em is unique in its ability to multi-sync -- sync multiple configurations, each involving multiple information sources with each syncing bidirectionally or unidirectionally. Sync'Em has its own full-featured sync engine that syncs non-Apple sources directly, enabling it to sync Exchange-to-Exchange, Exchange-to-Google and Google-to-Google and perform multi-source conflict resolutions in one interaction. Today Sync'Em syncs Exchange, Google/Gmail and/or Address Book contacts...

JAZ Games (http://www.jazgames.com) has released Sounds of Adventure, a new game for the iPhone and iPod touch. It uses the built-in accelerometer on the devices to create a mix of sounds -- crack a whip, wield a laser sword, or snap nunchucks with a flick of the wrist. Here's how the game is described: "Once you have chosen your genre, choose your weapon. With a number of weapons and gear to choose from, you can don a Fedora and crack your whip, wield a laser sword, jump on your trusty gelding and gallop across the high plains firing your six-gun at fleeing bandits, or use your lightning-like fists and kicks to let your buddies know you are indeed "The Kung Fu Master." To engage the sounds, simply swing the phone from side to side, or up and down likes the weapon of your choice to make the sounds come alive." The Sounds of Adventure is available for download from the Apple App Store (http://tinyurl.com/anz3eu) for US$0.99.

Radical Breeze has released RadicalCodex (http://www.radicalbreeze.com/radicalcodexwin.shtml), an US$25 Mac OS X app for collecting and reading digital comic books. It supports the most popular eComic file formats (including CBR and CBZ), and sports advanced reading and organizing features. RadicalCodex provides a customizable interface for reading comic books, automatic bookmarking, and bookmark lists. You can view and search through your books with a customizable cover view, then organize your books into definable collections. You can even set a Comic Book page as your desktop background. Purchasing the Mac OS X version grants you the right to use both the Windows and Linux versions of RadicalCodex, as well.

Ambrosia Software has released Multiwinia, (http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/multiwinia), a real-time online strategy war game for the Mac. It costs US$19; a 30-day demo is availble for download. Here's how the game id described: "Multiwinia is a multi-player real time strategy war game unlike any other. A chaotic war is raging in a fantastic fractalized world populated by bloodthirsty little stick men with a mission: follow your orders to annihilate their enemies. They will do your bidding no matter what the cost: order them to take that hill, flank the enemy or run screaming towards the flame turrets. The Multiwinians are bent on destruction, and if a few hundred of them have to be incinerated to get that flag, so be it! Multiwinia is being developed in partnership with Introversion Software, and follows award-winning Darwinia, DEFCON and Uplink." Multiwinia requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later. It's Universal binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.

ASK Video Interactive Media, a creator of software tutorials on DVD, is now shipping the first DVD in a 4-part training series for Pro Tools 8. Pro Tools Level 1 (http://www.askvideo.com) is Mac and PC compatible and features 32 tutorial videos for more than three hours of instruction. Pro Tools 8 has a sleek new interface, tons of new virtual instruments, new scoring and MIDI options, and ASK Video new gets users started and PT veterans up to speed quickly, says Steve Kostrey, CEO of ASKVideo. From installation, setup, and a tour of the interface to recording, editing, and finishing up with three chapters on Boom, the MIDI Grand, and Eleven Free, Pro Tools Level 1 is targeted to all Pro Tools HD, LE, or M-Powered users. Pro Tools 8 Tutorial DVD Levels 1 is available for US$49.99. It requires Mac OS X 10.2 or higher.

Cocktail 4.3 (Tiger Edition)(/a), an update of the general purpose utility for Mac OS X, has been released. This version (http://cocktail.maintain.se) adds the ability to clear potentially harmful files such as most common trojans and worms (iServices.A, iServices.B, RSPlug.A, Jahlav.A, Lamzev.A, Leap.A, Inqtana.A, Astht.A, Astht.B, PokerStealer, etc.) or other files that may harm your system in any way, adds ability to clear CrashReporter and HangReporter logs, addresses an issue in which Cocktail may stop responding during a scheduled clearing of caches and fixes compatibility issues with QuickTime 7.6. Cocktail 4.3 (Tiger Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Cocktail 4.3 (Tiger Edition) requires Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server 10.4 - 10.4.11 and is tested for compatibility with Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 10.4.11. Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) for Mac OS X 10.5.x and Cocktail 3.7 (Panther Edition) for Mac OS X 10.3.x are...

Mesa Dynamics has updated Stainless (http://www.stainlessapp.com), the company's multi-process web browser for Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard"). Like Google's Chrome browser, each tab in Stainless runs in a separate process, offering increased browser performance and stability, as well as decreased overall memory usage. Although Chrome served as inspiration for the first release of Stainless, the current release marks the beginning of Mesa's endeavor to craft Stainless into a full-fledged browser with features not found in other products, according to the folks at Mesa Dynamics. Version 0.5 of Stainless introduces a feature new to web browsing called "parallel sessions," which allows a user to manage multiple log-in sessions to the same web site concurrently. For example, a user with three Gmail accounts may log into and use all of these accounts at the same time, each in a separate tab or window. The concept of parallel sessions in Stainless also extends to its bookmarks, which store...

Livescribe (http://www.livescribe.com) is shipping Livescribe Desktop for Mac version 1.0 (http://www.livescribe.com/install). Since its public beta release in November last year, the Livescribe Desktop for Mac software has been downloaded by over 20,000 Pulse smartpen owners. With Livescribe Desktop for Mac 1.0, notes and audio recordings can be transferred from a Pulse smartpen to a Mac computer, where they can be digitally stored, searched, and shared. The Livescribe Desktop for Mac software is compatible with all Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X 10.5.5 or higher. A short demo video of the Livescribe Desktop software is available at http://www.livescribe.com/smartpen/desktop.html .

Excel Software (http://www.excelsoftware.com ) has updated MacA&D -- a scaleable tool for drawing multi-level data flow diagrams, logical and physical data models and UML class diagrams -- to version 3.0. The new software is a Universal Binary application for native performance on all Mac OS X computers -- both PowerPC and Intel. The upgrade also has enhancements to the user interface, integrated help, manual set, report scripting engine, installer plus new features to add, remove, duplicate and individually lock or unlock editing on diagrams. MacA&D supports process, data, class, state, structure, object and task models with popular methods and extensive customization. You can create language independent models or generate source code for C++, Objective-C, Java, Delphi, PHP, SQL, C, Pascal, Basic and Fortran. MacA&D scales to large projects, multiple users, distributed team development and the integration of thousands of documents across the development process....

Blastwave FX (http://www.blastwavefx.com), a HD sound effects label, has released 20 sound effects libraries (http://www.blastwavefx.com/all_prodcats.php) on an USB flash drive. They're Mac and PC compatible. The libraries currently available on USB Flash Drive include: Ambience I, Animals I, Cartoon I, Emergency I, Fire I , Foley I, Horror I, Household I, Humans I, Impact I, Industry I, Musical I, Office I, Science Fiction I, Sports I, Technology I, Transportation I, Warfare I, Water I, and Weather I. Each library is delivered on a 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB USB flash drive depending on the format selected. Available formats include 16/44.1, 24/28, and 24/96 broadcast .wav files.

CyberTouch|AV (http://cybertouch.com/er1900x.html) has introduced the ER1900, the latest addition to its line of touch screen LCD monitors. Available now, The ER1900 is a professional-grade 19.0-inch integrated touch screen LCD monitor designed specifically for 19-inch rack mount applications. It utilizes a 19.0-inch wide screen diagonal color TFT LCD as display and a resistive touch screen as the input device. Touch screen communication to CPU is RS232 or USB. The ER1900 is designed for any application that uses racks. The wide-screen aspect ratio allows display of more information while reducing the number of screens and increasing interactive efficiency, according to the folks at CyberTouch|AV. Incorporating an 8-wire resistive touch screen, the ER1900's touch surface is protected by a chemical and abrasion resistant polycarbonate overlay. It responds to the touch of a finger, stylus or a gloved-hand. The ER1900 interacts with most software applications after installation of driver...

REAL Software, creator of REALbasic -- a cross-platform development tool for creating software for Mac, Windows and Linux -- is now shipping REALbasic 2009 Release 1. The first release of 2009 continues to focus on product quality and reliability, while introducing 27 new features and 100 improvements, according to Geoff Perlman, founder and CEO of REAL Software. Among other things, this release includes a new Quickstart window that helps new users get started developing software in REALbasic. Also, REAL Software recently launched a new Affiliate Program where developers, and those with a web presence, can help promote REALbasic 2009 Release 1. The Affiliate Program (http://www.realsoftware.com/affiliate) allows affiliates to advertise REALbasic on their own web sites, and REAL Software will pay a commission to the affiliate for each new license sale they generate. REALbasic is available in a free 30-day trial edition. REALbasic Personal Edition for Mac or Windows is priced at US$99....

Apple has introduced the new Mac Pro using Intel "Nehalem" Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture to deliver up to twice the performance of the previous generation system. The new Mac Pro starts at US$2,499. "The new Mac Pro is a significant upgrade and starts at $300 less than before," says Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The Mac Pro features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love." The new Mac Pro includes Intel Xeon processors running at speeds up to 2.93GHz, each with an integrated memory controller with three channels of 1066MHz DDR3 ECC memory that delivers up to 2.4 times the memory bandwidth while cutting memory latency up to 40 percent, he adds. Every Mac Pro comes standard with the Nvidia GeForce GT 120 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory, a high-performance graphics card with...

Delkin has launched a new line of VideoPro Flash memory cards (www.delkin.com/products/videopro) for recording Full-HD video. They'll be available in SDHC format. Delkin's VideoPro cards, when used with the company's ExpressCard adapters or USB 2.0 readers, reduce the time needed to download digital video files to a computer. The memory card line uses high grade SLC NAND flash products, advanced controller design, and quality control guidelines based on ISO:9001 standards, according to the folks at Delkin. The VideoPro line of memory cards is expected to ship worldwide by April. They will be offered in 4GB/1 hour, 8GB/2-hour, 16GB/4-hours and 32GB/8-hours -- on the HD Standard setting -- for SDHC format. Suggested retail prices are US$59.99, $99.99, $149.99, and $239.99 respectively.

The Tolis Group has released BRU Producer's Edition (http://www.productionbackup.com/) for Mac OS X. It's a tool for archiving creative artist sessions and is targeted to music, film and graphic arts pros. Producer's Edition (PE) lets users collect and organize assets and create session archives. It's compliant with the NARAS/AES standards document. QuickBackup and Advanced Backup Mode choices allows users to define how the archives will be created on either disk or tape, and the Doubler Archival Mode allows users to create two exact, simultaneous tape copies for error-free archival and asset delivery for commercial production. Producer's Edition costs US$499 for a single-user license. A five-pack license is $1,900, and a 10-pack license is $3,200.

NetGear (http://www.netgear.com) says it will soon start shipping new versions of its unmanaged series of network switches to provide small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with new options to reduce their network energy requirements. Aimed directly at SMBs and delivered via NetGear's reseller partners, both rack-mounted and desktop "green" switches incorporate new hardware that optimizes power efficiency and enables new power management modes that can reduce power consumption by as much as 52 percent, leading to significant savings on network energy costs, according to Sanjay Kumar, NetGear's director of SMB Switching Products. NetGear will provide a demo of these new switches and display its full line of SMB devices -- including the following ones -- at the CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany, March 3-8. The company is also expanding its ProSafe FSM line of Managed, Fast Ethernet switches for SMBs. The new ProSafe FSM Series of Layer 2 Fast Ethernet Switches are the first SMB...

√úbermind (http://www.ubermind.com/training/) is holding a WebObjects development course √úbermind WebObjects Training information (http://www.ubermind.com/training/webobjects.php) from March 23-27, 2009. The hands-on, five-day course will offer an under-the-hood look into designing, building, and deploying web applications with WebObjects based on Ubermind engineers' experience in the field. Class participants should have 3-5 months of Java or other object-oriented experience and a basic understanding of relational databases and HTML. In this course you will learn how to build dynamic, multi-tiered, database-driven applications. The class will also look into building web services that can provide an extension to the functionality of your iPhone application. Discussed will be tools, best practices, EOF (Enterprise Object Framework), web services, and deployment techniques. Space is limited, so early enrollment is recommended. The price for the five-day course is US$2,495.

Chronos LC (http://www.chronosnet.com) has released iClipboard 2.0, an update of the clipboard manager for Mac OS X. According to Robert McCullough, vice president of development at Chronos, it has 14 new features. They include: ° A clipboard menu in the menu bar for quick access to clippings; ° The ability to paste rich text clippings as plain text; ° A Rapid-Fire Clipboard that lets users quickly copy a bunch of clippings then paste them consecutively; ° Three options for controlling the clipping shelf height: Auto-adjustable, fixed height, user-adjustable; ° The ability to double-click clippings to paste them; ° Web clippings can now be edited; ° An Ignore Application list ensures clippings from those applications aren't recorded; ° There's a new, special hot key to open/close the clipping shelf; ° You can now name clippings so clippings can be identified by name; ° Clippings can be pasted using the system-wide Services; ° You can lock slippings and projects to keep important...

Zevrix Solutions (http://www.zevrix.com) has released BatchOutput 3.5, an upgrade to its solution to automate printing and exporting from Adobe InDesign. The new version adds the ability to automate export of InDesign documents to the InDesign Interchange file format (INX). With BatchOutput 3.5, users can repurpose multiple InDesign documents for its earlier versions with a click of a button instead of opening and exporting each document manually. With the software, users only need to select the files to output and adjust the settings, instead of opening and printing each document manually. For example, BatchOutput can be left printing or exporting hundreds of InDesign files overnight, and the completed job can be picked up next morning. BatchOutput also allows users to output InDesign documents as single pages, update links automatically, and output files invisibly for the user. BatchOutput automatically composes complex variable file names. BatchOutput 3.5 can be purchased from the...

Human Software (http://www.humansoftware.com) has updated HSC Edit for Aperture (Apple's software for pro photographers) to version 1.65. HSC Edit is an edit plug-in to Apple Aperture that offers more than 4,000 effects to apply on one or a set of images. Version 1.6.5 adds refined image denoising, a new dialog to layer multiple lights and a curves control that works with Lights or Ink values. Edit 1.65 is available for download at US$79.95 per module, 39.95 for the Multi-Curves module and 59.95 for the Image Enhancer or $299.95 as a bundle.

Contour Design (http://www.contourcase.com)has introduced the US$24.95 iSee inked, a collection of crystal clear cases with designer patterns etched directly into the case. They're available now for the iPod nano 4G in a variety of designs including: Swirls, Reverb, Argyle, Flourish, Squares, Circles, and Zebra. Made up of a clear polycarbonate material the two-piece snap together cases are protected with a scratch resistant coating. The lightweight case (0.7 ounce) also boasts full access to all controls and features a removable screen protector.

nova media (http://www.novamedia.de) has unveiled launch2net 1.8.8.4, which supports additional modems from Option, ZTE and Vodafone. At the same time, the price of launch2net has been reduced by 40 percent. launch2net is a mobile Internet connection wizard that allows you to establish mobile Internet connections worldwide. The software supports many mobile phones, most USB modems and datacards and already includes drivers and network access info. launch2net 1.8.8.4 features support for the Option ICON 431, Vodafone USB-Stick K3715, Vodafone MCC Option Express E3730, ZTE ExpressCard MF335, ZTE USB modem MF626 as well as for the ZTE USB modem MZ10. The new price is US$49.90. launch2net requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher.

Atelier Software has released Fanurio 2.0 (http://www.fanuriotimetracking.com ), an update of the Mac OS X time tracking and billing application designed for freelancers. The upgrade adds a new timesheet view, the ability to import timesheets from other users or computers and the ability to export time, invoices and payments to CSV or Excel. It also adds support for partial payments and client statements. With Fanurio you can organize your work, track time and create invoices. It's designed to help freelancers keep track of their time and work, and then invoice it to their customers. Every time you sign a contract, just add a new client to the application and create a project. During the project, you can add project items and expenses to account for your work. You can decide any time if an item is billable or not, and if it should be billed using an hourly rate or a flat rate. Billable items can later be added to an invoice. Partial invoices can be created anytime during a project....

Softhing has updated FTP Maker (http://www.softhing.com/ftpmaker.htm ) for Mac OS X 10.4 and higher to version 1.4.1. The app lets your clients and co-workers upload their files on your FTP server via drag and drop. The upgrade adds, among other things: FTP Port and Anonymous FTP to the settings; a Test Connection button; a feature to generate one single zip for uploaded items with custom prefix and suffix; and a checkbox to "Zip" every file before sending. With FTP Maker, the users will never be asked to specify your FTP address or username or password or any other setting. Here's how it works: launch FTP Maker, define your FTP address, username, password and folder and add your company logo, then click on the button "Create FTP Upload Application" to create the application to distribute to your client

Mobui Corp. (http://www.mobui.com ), a mobile application development agency, has launched Mobui Audience Chat, a mobile group chat product. The company says it's the first chat application made specifically for television broadcasters and studios. Mobui Audience Chat enables television audiences to interact with the shows they're viewing by posting opinions, comments, or questions in chat rooms using their mobile phone -- including the iPhone. The launch of Mobui Audience Chat enables television broadcasters and studios to immediately deliver mobile group chat services with the launch of new television programs or to enhance existing shows, according to John Burry, Founder and CEO of Mobui. Television viewers can use the product to ask a question of a show's host or a reality show cast-off to gain a "behind the scenes" perspective on the show as they watch it, he adds. Chat room postings can also be broadcast on the television screen as the show airs.

Proavio, U.S.A. (http://www.proavio.com), a developer of storage systems and tools for digital media production, has released their new FR line of hardware RAID-5 storage solutions with multi-interface connectivity for the Mac. Available in both desktop and rack-mountable models, the new FR line features Proavio's second generation multi-interface hardware RAID controller and a new instant RAID initialization process. A control panel provides complete, real-time control over system parameters including RAID settings and disk status. Connectivity options include FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0 and eSATA at 3Gb/second. A dedicated hardware RAID processor reduces system bottle-necks and provides a reduced rebuild window in the event of a disk failure. Four hot-swappable SATA disks allow replacement and capacity upgrades on the fly. EditBOX EB4FR models are available in capacities up to 4.0TB and available through authorized dealers world-wide. EB4FR-2.0TB starts at US$1,105.

The Omni Group has released four of their software applications as freeware: OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, and OmniObjectMeter. All versions are fully functional with no licensing restrictions, and are available at no cost from The Omni Group's web site: http://www.omnigroup.com/ "As a small company with limited resources, we have had to make some difficult decisions about where to focus our attention as our business continues to grow," says Ken Case, CEO of the Omni Group. "By making these applications -- which are not currently under active development -- available as free downloads, we hope that more people are able to enjoy using them without the barrier of cost." OmniWeb is a web browser. OmniDazzle is a set of visual screen effects that can be used for presentations or capturing screenshots. OmniDiskSweeper is a disk cleanup utility, and OmniObjectMeter is a Mac OS X memory optimization developer tool.

Syncro Soft Ltd, the producer of Oxygen XML Editor and Author (http://www.oxygenxml), has announced the immediate availability of version 10.1 of its XML Editor and XML Author containing a set of tools supporting all the XML related technologies. Oxygen combines content author features like the CSS driven Visual XML editor with a fully featured XML development environment. It has ready to use support for the main document frameworks DITA, DocBook, TEI and XHTML and also includes support for all XML Schema languages, XSLT/XQuery Debuggers, WSDL analyzer, XML Databases, XML Diff and Merge, Subversion client and more. Version 10.1 adds a new, redesigned XML Schema diagram that allows visual XML Schema editing, a new XML Schema documentation engine supporting multiple output formats, new features in the Author visual XML editing mode, improvements in the Outliner and content completion and updates the database support. The new version adds a new simplified and improved visual editing page...

Adobe has released an update to its Photoshop software, available immediately for existing Photoshop CS4 users. The Photoshop 11.0.1 update addresses key issues reported by customers that may impact performance. The update also includes the following enhancements: the ability to correctly recognize 3D textures edited by plug-ins; improved quality of Auto-Blend Layers (Stack Images); and fixes for issues that can be caused by corrupt fonts or when pasting formatted text. The Photoshop 11.0.1 update is available as a free download for existing Photoshop CS4 customers at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/ or through the Adobe updater via the application itself.

Digieffects (http://www.digieffects.com), a developer of visual effects software plug-ins, will launch the Natural Forces plug-in at the upcoming NAB 2009 show. It allows users to create and simulate a variety of natural phenomena such as flashes, fire, snow, rain, smoke, clouds, electricity, stars, and more. The plug-in will support Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Autodesk Combustion, and Boris RED. Pricing hasn't been announced. Digieffects will have a booth (SL2529D) in the Plug-in Pavilion at the NAB Convention in Las Vegas, April 20-23.

iFlyz (http://www.iflyz.com/) has announced iFlyz, an US$29.95 in-flight, hands-free solution designed specifically for air travelers. The iFlyz's suction cup grasps any device and is designed to relieve the strain of holding it for long periods of time while watching a movie, surfing through music or reading online. The iFlyz uses an adjustable clamp to attach to either an upright and locked seat tray or one that's open during drink or dinner service and has a flexible gooseneck that allows the attached mobile device to be turned any angle or direction. The device has a three step process: attach your phone or media player to the iFlyz suction cup; clamp it to a meal tray in either the stowed and locked position or unlocked and down position; and simply adjust the flexible gooseneck to the ideal angle. It's compatible with iPhones, iPod touches, iPods, Blackberrys, SmartPhones, and PMPs of various brands. The iFlyz is 5.5 inches long 2.5 inches wide, and weighs two ounces.

Aquafadas (http://www.aquafadas.com) has updated PulpMotion and PulpMotion Advanced, slideshow and animation software for Mac OS X 10.4.11 ("Leopard"), to version 2.1. The upgrade integrates with iLife' 09 and takes advantage of the new Faces feature in iPhoto, both in the Standard and Advanced edition. Via drag and drop, you can use your "Faces" and create slideshow animations. PulpMotion will automatically turn the Faces information from your pictures into zones of interest and animate them in theme-specific ways. PulpMotion 2.1 also integrate a new version of an existing theme, Slideshow 3D '09, improved support for Lightroom 2 and various speed and memory improvements during export. A single user license for Pulpmotion is US$49. A single user license for Pulpmotion Advanaced is U$89. Upgrades to version 2 for free for registered users.

MacSpeech, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of MacSpeech Dictate 1.3, a significant update to the premier speech recognition solution for the Macintosh. Now, people can use MacSpeech Dictate to work with any document, including those that were not created with MacSpeech Dictate. MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 features a new "Cache Document" command that allows MacSpeech Dictate to read a document's contents, in order to navigate the document, and to enter and edit text. MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 also introduces an extensive new Help Book system, two new visual microphone status indicators, and new commands for "Cache Selection," "Press The Key," "Press The Key Combo" and "Cancel Training." MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 also fixes reported issues, adds several enhancements and is free of charge to all registered customers, using the "Check for Updates" feature. "MacSpeech Dictate 1.3 now lets you use speech recognition with any document you already have," explained Andrew Taylor, founder...

XChange International (http://www.xchangeuk.com) has announced Enfocus PDF?Standardizer 1.0. PDF Standardizer is an all-in-one PDF and color preflight and standardization tool designed for graphic professionals who want control of their PDF files. PDF Standardizer offers a way to create PDFs that comply to PDF standards such as ISO 15930-1 PDF/X1-a and Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG) specifications, as well as to color standards such as ISO 12647. It combines the functionalities of Alwan CMYK Optimizer, Enfocus FullSwitch and Enfocus PitStop Server. PDF Standardizer is a fully integrated software solution and isn't a bundle. It has a single installer and a single product key for all three components. What's more, it has a wizard to configure each flow as well as the flow's PDF and color settings. PDF Standardizer costs approximately US$9,154.

SanDisk Corp. (http://www.sandisk.com) has shipped the latest editions of its SanDisk ImageMate memory card readers, which are faster, smaller and sleeker than their predecessors, and featurw upgraded software applications. The ImageMate All-In-One and Multi-Card readers transfer data between a range of memory card formats and a host computer. The All-In-One memory card reader can reach speeds of up to 34 megabytes per second (MB/s) when using a SanDisk Extreme IV 45MB/s CompactFlash card, and the Multi-Card reader is capable of up to 30MB/second read and 27 MB/second write data transfer rates when using a SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition SDHC card. Sporting a black and metallic silver design, each reader's tripod base is detachable. In addition to the traditional drag and drop method, the new SanDisk ImageMate readers include a transfer button that automatically launches a user-defined application or web site. A single press of the reader's button will open a designated application...

Speck (http://www.speckproducts.com) has released new colors for its expanding line of SeeThru hard shell cases for the MacBook line: bright "hazard orange," along with purple, aqua and green. The new colors, available today for the 13-inch and 15-inch aluminum unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro, join the already available pink, red and clear offerings from Speck. Specifically designed for the new line of MacBooks, the translucent SeeThru hard shell case snuggly fits the unibody aluminum notebooks. The lightweight case snaps onto your MacBook or MacBook Pro. All SeeThru hard shell MacBook and MacBook Pro case colors are available today for US $49.95. The limited edition "hazard orange" colored SeeThru is available only online via Apple.com and SpeckProducts.com.

Aleratec, a developer and manufacturer of solutions for the Blu-ray, DVD/CD, Flash, HDD, USB duplicating, and DVD/CD publishing markets, has announced the stand-alone 1:1 HDD Cruiser, a high speed 1:1 hard disk drive duplicator that can copy a hard drive at speeds up to 70MB/sec. The 1:1 HDD Cruiser is a stand alone unit that has the ability to quickly make a copy of a SATA 3.5 inch hard disk drive, making it an essential tool for quickly installing or upgrading new computer systems. This innovative unit is also equipped with a USB 2.0 port that allows you to access both SATA drive bays from your computer. This USB access is a powerful feature to help you view and edit hard drives before duplicating. " The 70MB/sec copy speed of our new Aleratec 1:1 HDD Cruiser is twice as fast as many competitive offerings and it is equipped with quick load bays so there are no cumbersome external cables needed. It is a fast and convenient HDD duplicator. Just load your source and target drives in...

Enhance Technology (http://www.enhance-tech.com) has introduced the new StorPack S23T/S34T/S35T Series, which sports a new black and silver TeraStor Series T-shaped tray design that takes advantage of the embedded light pipes to the backplane for LED signals and added rear cooling fan for better performance. The new Enhance Technology's StorPack T Series comes with multiple removable drives trays, allowing users to add drives or increasing capacity as needed. The Series is constructed in black aluminum material with a cooling fan module and front to back vent airflow. The new StorPack T Series is a high density multi-disk storage backplane that allows multiple low-profile SAS or SATA hard disk drives to be mounted on the server or external disk array enclosures. It has an individual keylock for each hard disk for added security for mission critical applications and is designed to be removed or hot-swapped as required by user applications, allowing users to add drives or increasing...

Derman Enterprises has released Sync'Em 1.24, an update of the multi-sync hub for Macs that's designed to sync Microsoft Exchange, Google and Apple contact and calendar information. Sync'Em version 1.24 adds support for recurring and detached calendar events, support for Google App accounts, multiple usage and error-handling improvements and now also handles invalid dates returned from Google and multiple additional kinds of erroneous data returned from Exchange. Sync'Em is unique in its ability to multi-sync -- sync multiple configurations, each involving multiple information sources with each syncing bidirectionally or unidirectionally. Sync'Em has its own full-featured sync engine that syncs non-Apple sources directly, enabling it to sync Exchange-to-Exchange, Exchange-to-Google and Google-to-Google and perform multi-source conflict resolutions in one interaction. Today Sync'Em syncs Exchange, Google/Gmail and/or Address Book contacts and Exchange and/or iCal basic calendar events...

PreViser Corp. (http://www.previsor.com), which makes risk and disease analytic software designed to enhance treatment planning for patients affected by oral disease, has announced a cooperation agreement with MacPractice (http://www.macpractic.ecolm), a provider of dental practice management and clinical software running on the Mac. The agreement will involve cooperation in joint marketing and promotional activities and the integration of PreViser analytic technology into MacPractice DDS 3.6, making MacPractice the only native Mac compatible practice management software to integrate the PreViser toolset, according to MacPractice President Mark Hollis. "While Macintosh users represent a subset of computer users, they tend to be technically adept users who welcome innovation," says PreViser CEO Carl Loeb. "We are very excited about the opportunity to work with MacPractice in showing users of their software how PreViser can help enhance practice revenue, increase productivity, enhance...