Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) has been released. This version addresses an issue in which Cocktail may stop responding during a scheduled clearing of system caches, adds clearing of the trojan Lamzev.A and the worm Inqtana.A as well as minor improvements on the clear potentially harmful files procedure. Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) is available for download from: http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/download.php Cocktail 4.3.1 (Leopard Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Cocktail 4.3 (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 10.5.6. Cocktail is a digital toolset with a variety of practical features that simplifies the use of advanced UNIX functions and helps hundreds of thousands of Mac users around the world to get the most out of their computers.

Collins America (http://www.collinsamerica.com/page4/page4.html) has begun accepting orders for its Danglet wrist and neck strap system for Apple's iPhone and iPod products. The warehouses in the U.S. and Europe are stocked and ready to ship orders placed from the Collins America web site to buyers in the U.S., Canada, and EU countries. Priced at US$14.99 (plus shipping), the Danglet is a strap adapter for the iPhone or iPod. Danglet orders include the Danglet adapter which clips securely into the Apple products' Dock connector jack, and two black nylon with metal clips straps -- one a seven-inch wrist strap, the other a 17-inch neck strap.

Native Instruments has introduced Absynth Spectral Expansion (http://www.native-instruments.com/spectralexpansion.info), the latest release in the Kore Soundpack libraries. The new collection provides sounds based on the semi-modular sound engine of the Absynth synthesizer. Absynth Spectral Expansion focuses on playable sounds that range from distinctive bass, keys, and piano to exquisite pads, bells and more. Ready for use in Kore 2 and the free Kore Player as well as in Absynth 4, the presets make use of the unique synthesis capabilities of Absynth. Absynth Spectral Expansion sports 1,600 sound variations, parameter assignments and musical metadata for the Kore Sound Browser. It's available for download in the NI Online Shop for a suggested retail price of US$59.

Genius (http://www.geniusnetusa.com), a brand division of KYE Systems Corp., has announced a new addition to the company's line up of digital tablets: the US$109 G-Pen F-509, for business professionals, graphic designers and artists on-the-go. Plug and play ready, the G-Pen comes with both Mac OS X and Window's Vista software. The G-Pen F-509 has 26 programmable hot keys for various functions to be used forshortcuts. The cordless pen features 1024 level pressure sensitivity and two buttons for controlling shapes and thickness. The G-Pen F-509 has a 5.25 x 8.75 inch working area and is transportable for use in a car, coffee shop or any type of mobile office. The tablet can be used to write, draw, sketch and/or sign documents. It's designed for those creative types who like drawing, bloggers, artists, and anyone craving a digital pen as opposed to a keyboard, which only allows typing, according to the folks at Genius.

Schmap GeoTweeter (http://www.schmap.com/geotweeter) is a new iPhone app that "puts the 'where' in your tweets." It's a free download at the Apple App Store. GeoTweeter appends a "schmap.me" map link to tweets, showing the user's current location, with an optional photo, notes and a configurable map icon. Previously saved places can also be retweeted, which is useful for recommending favorite restaurants etc. and inviting followers to tweetups.

MacPractice (http://www.macpractice.com), the Macintosh practice management and clinical application developer, announces the release of MacPractice DDS 3.6, the first complete Mac solution for a dental practice with an all-new innovative MacPractice Chart (restorative dental charting) and enhanced MacPractice DR (digital radiography and photo). MacPractice Chart graphically displays preexisting conditions, treatment plans, and treatment performed with just a click. Another click flips the screen to display the patient ledger with charges and payments. MacPractice is currently used by health care providers in 13 countries. MacPractice Chart supports US and International tooth numbering. In version 3.6, MacPractice DR sports a new interface and uses an enhanced device driver developed by MacPractice for SuniRay digital sensors, which deliver exceptionally high image quality with maximum diagnostic capabilities. SuniRay's ergonomic design and rounded corners ensure easy positioning...

Azure Talon Software (http://www.azuretalon.com/ has released iLaugh Lite, the free, ad-supported version of iLaugh 1.1, a joke database for the iPhone and iPod touch. It has sources containing a total of over 20,000 jokes. With iLaugh Lite and iLaugh 1.1 come three more great: Jokes.com, bash.org and bashfr.org. Also new in this release is automatic source updating, which means that a full application update won't be necessary for new sources to appear. Instead they will automatically update and become available as soon as they're released. Minor bug fixes and user interface improvements can also be found in iLaugh 1.1. iLaugh -- the non-ad supported version -- costs US $0.99 and is available exclusively through the Apple App Store.

ATTO Technology (http://www.attotech.com ) has released what it says is the industry's first 16-port 6Gb/s SAS/SATA Host Adapters, the ExpressSAS H60F and H6F0, as well as the release of the 4-internal/4-external port ExpressSAS H644, to its existing family of 6Gb/s SAS/SATA host adapters. Now available for original equipment manufacturers, the H60F, H6F0 and H644 deliver throughput of up to 600MB/second per port with the flexibility to connect to SAS, SAS2.0, SATA and SATA II devices. An expansion of ATTO's ExpressSAS 6Gb/s SAS/SATA host adapter product line, the H60F, H6F0 and H644 provide the fastest available connection to SAS/SATA storage in Mac, Windows and Linux environments, the company claims. The ExpressSAS H60F and H6F0 feature a two-host-adapters-in-one architecture with two independent controllers delivering 16 lanes of connectivity to achieve approximately 60 percent faster performance than competitive offerings, according to ATTO. The H60F, H6F0 and H644 all support...

Absoft Corp. (http://www.absoft.com) has announced Fx3 stand-alone debugger, a more advanced debugging option for Fortran developers on Mac OS X running on Intel Macs. It provides a full graphical interface for Fortran developers. Previously available only as part of Absoft's Pro Fortran suite, it can now be purchased as a stand-alone item and is compatible with Absoft Pro Fortran and Intel Fortran compilers, Apple C and gnu c compilers, and assembly language. Linux versions are also available. Prices start at US$99. Absoft says Fx3 is especially beneficial for the Mac OS X/Intel community because Fx3 is the only graphical Fortran debugger from a commercial vendor currently available for the platform. The alternatives are either command line or designed for C/C++ with no knowledge of Fortran, says Absoft President Wood Lotz. The Apple debugger included with Xcode has a graphical interface, but was designed for C/C++ and has no knowledge of Fortran. For example, customers using...

HolyWars Veteran (http://vitotechnology.com/iphone-holywars.html) is a new app for the iPhone that lets you create your polls and test other people opinions. It's available for US$2.99 at the Apple App Store. You can take or make quizzes. With HolyWars Veteran, you can take quizzes and evaluate your intellectual level. Make your own quiz and check out if other people are clever enough to answer it correctly. The more you give correct answers to quizzes, the more your rating grows. When people take part in your polls you can see blinking spots of different colors on the globe. They represent people's opinions all around the globe as every color corresponds to a particular answer. When you start HolyWars Veteran for the first time, the application determines your location and uses it to show the distribution of opinions on our planet when you choose an answer in other polls.

Sugar Games, the creator of such casual games as Rainbow Web and Rainbow Web 2, has released Wendy's Wellness (http://sugargames.com/wendys-wellness/), a new, US$19.95 time management game for Mac OS X (10.3 and higher). Here's how the game is described: "The story is set in a big bustling city, which does not have any wellness centers, so the citizens have no special place that would help them relax after a hectic workday and keep fit. You play as Wendy, who decides to start her own chain of wellness centers, and her uncle, a professional trainer, gives her help and useful advice. At first you have to deal with basic equipment and to do all the work yourself - but as the chain of centers grows and the number of customers increases, Wendy's wellness centers become well-equipped, glamorous and popular with the citizens. You need to use all your management skills to cope with the great number of customers and to hit the objectives of each level. But your hard work will be rewarded by...

Big Nerd Ranch Europe, provider of intensive training classes for programmers, system administrators and web developers, announced new dates for OpenGL Bootcamp in Europe, featuring instructor Jay Anderson and his co-instructor Carsten Haubold, for April 20-24, 2009. This intensive five-day class at the old monastery Kloster Eberbach near Frankfurt, Germany is the fastest way to master the ideas and techniques of OpenGL programming by focusing on advanced level visualization techniques and elevating the materials beyond simply video game development instruction. Students signing up before March 16, 2009 apply for the early bird fee and save ¤200. In modern application development OpenGL has become the standard-bearer in the visualization of 2D and 3D images in a wide spectrum of fields, from visually enhanced user experiences in general, to medical research and pharmaceuticals, rich data visualization, in addition to video gaming. Today, everyone doing any work concerning graphics...

Zevrix Solutions has released LinkOptimizer 3.2.7, a maintenance update to its workflow automation solution to optimize link size and resolution for Adobe InDesign. LinkOptimizer allows to reduce the size of InDesign jobs and increase the processing speed by eliminating excessive image data. LinkOptimizer automatically reduces the image resolution, scales and crops the images in Photoshop according to their dimensions in the InDesign document and the target resolution specified, and reimports them to InDesign at 100%. In addition, LinkOptimizer can automate the image color conversion, sharpening and merging of layers, as well as run Photoshop Actions during processing. The new update allows to process a wider range of links by ignoring rotation angles smaller than 0.01 degree. InDesign occasionally applies small rotation angles to some links which prevented LinkOptimizer from cropping the images. LinkOptimizer 3.2.7 can be purchased from the Zevrix Solutions web site, www.zevrix.com,...

LehrerOffice is a new product from Roth Soft (http://www.rothsoft.ch/realbasic/rsreport/). It's office software for teachers that's written in REALbasic. In order to create, design and print all the required reports, Roth Soft has written a whole set of Report-Classes (RSReport) in pure REALbasic. These are now available for download. With RSReport you can create static or dynamic reports in an object-oriented manner, show them in a print preview, print them or save as PDF files. It's compatible with Mac OS X and Windows systems without the need of any plug-in or PDF converter/printer. It's all written in pure REALbasic. The following basic drawing elements are available: elements: text, line, oval, rectangle, checkbox, image, RTF text, triangle charts and line and bar charts. A demo is available for download. Registration is US$89.

Vibration (http://www.dld-llc.com/Diffraction_Limited_Design_LLC/Vibration.html) is a new vibration spectrum analyzer using the built-in accelerometers inside the iPhone and iPod touch. It acquires and displays time series data, optionally removes DC bias, applies a Hamming window and performs an FFT on each channel to produce frequency spectra. The accelerometer has a sensitivity of approximately 0.02g and a range of +-2g making the iPhone and iPod touch sensitive enough to analyze the vibration of most moving machinery. The software was written to simulate the familiar oscilloscope based spectrum analyzer. Sample rate and sample delay are easily adjustable using sliders and the user can select the length of the data acquisition and the vertical scale used for the display. Once the settings are configured to your preference, press the sample button and the data is acquired. The time series display also reports the rms amplitude of each of the individual traces as well as the rms...

iVideo (http://ivideoapp.com/), a movie organizing and sharing app for Mac OS X (10.3 and higher) has been updated to version 4. The new version improves web page creation, batch exporting, network sharing, multiple library support, online bookmarks, and smart playlists. The update also includes a number of bug fixes. iVideo lets you create one place for your movies -- whether they be in separate folders, external hard drives and CDs, or even online -- and then share them. A demo is available for download. Registration is US$20 for a single user license; discounts are available for multiple licenses.

VMWare has released VMware Converter 4.0. You can run this virtual machine on Macs as well. VMware Converter enables you to convert Microsoft Windows and Linux based physical machines and third party image formats to VMware virtual machines. VMware Converter 4.0 includes: ° New physical to virtual machine conversion support for Linux (RHEL, SUSE, and Ubuntu) as source; ° New physical to virtual machine conversion support for Windows Server 2008 as source; ° Support for converting new third-party image formats, including Parallels Desktop virtual machines, newer versions of Symantec, Acronis, and StorageCraft; ° Hot cloning improvements to clone any incremental changes in the physical source system during the P2V conversion process; ° Workflow automation enhancements to include automatic source shutdown, destination start-up as well as shutting down one or more services at the source and starting up selected services at the destination; ° Target disk selection and the ability to...

Mirye Software (http://www.miryestore.com) -- the publisher of Shade 9, a curved surface 3D suite of tools for modeling, animation and rendering -- has announced five 3D model collections in the Shade Complete Collection series. Each collection includes an assortment of models in the native Shade format, including the models themselves and several example scenes. The models work with Shade 7 or higher on Mac OS X and Windows and range in pricing from JS$29-49 each. The collections include: ° Volume 2: Japan City. Hundreds of modern urban buildings, including universal skyscrapers and also authentic modern buildings; ° Volume 3: Transportation. Over 400 medium resolution automotive models, including sedans, formula racers, classic cars, SUVs, industrial and more; ° Volume 4: Rock Band. Modern instrument collection, electric and bass guitars, complete drum sets, speakers and microphones; ° Volume 5: Orchestra. Wind, brass, and string instruments in quantities for creating your next...

Managing Editor Inc. (http://www.maned.com), a provider of software solutions for the publishing industry, has announced that the vjoon K4 Publishing System is now compatible with Adobe Creative Suite 4. The newly released Version 5.9 R8, along with new versions of add-ons and related products, makes K4 the first full-featured publishing solution to work with CS4, according to Linda Bruce, vice president of sales at MEI. The K4 layout and editing plug-ins for Adobe InDesign and Adobe InCopy, as well as all K4 modules, including K4 Web Editor, K4 File Manager and K4 Overview, have been fine-tuned to work with the latest Adobe CS4 software, she adds. In addition, popular K4 plug-ins Notes Manager, Overset Manager and Revision Manager have also been enabled for use with CS4. vjoon (formerly SoftCare) adapted its K4 modules to the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite within just three months of CS4's launch at IFRA Expo 2008. Additionally, the K4 Web Editor has been upgraded to run on...

From the VMware blog at: (http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2009/02/vmware-fusion-202-now-availab...) Videos included at the above URL. VMware Fusion 2.0.2 Now Available: Import Parallels Desktop 4 Virtual Machines and More! We're proud to announce our latest maintenance release of VMware Fusion 2. VMware Fusion 2.0.2 is a free update for all VMware Fusion 1.x and VMware Fusion 2.x users. VMware Fusion 2.0.2 fixes a number of bugs, while adding some much-requested enhancements. You can read all about it on the release notes, but the highlights are below. You can go grab the bits here. Import Parallels Desktop 4 and Parallels Server Virtual Machines At Macworld we had the pleasure to announce that we had overcome Parallels Desktop to become the top selling Windows on Mac product for all of 2008. One of the reasons why people are switching to VMware Fusion in droves is because we make it so easy to switch, with the ability to import your existing Parallels Desktop virtual machines...

LightWork Design, a supplier of rendering solutions for developers of advanced 3D computer graphics software, today announced the release of its first Service Pack for LightWorks 7.9. "We're very pleased to bring this first Service Pack release of LightWorks 7.9 to our customers" said Graeme McCarthy, Director of Product Services at LightWorks. "With this Service Pack, we're providing a host of fixes for our customers and their users that will deliver a marked improvement in render quality, such as improved gamma correction for texture input as well as numerous other enhancements including improved Japanese dialogues". "We're also really excited about the new features planned for the next full version of LightWorks" continued McCarthy. "LightWorks version 8.0 is planned for release in March 2009 and it will introduce a new style of rendering for our users, giving them an enhanced workflow and user experience". The Service Pack is available as a download for both Windows and Mac...

The Abvent Group, editor and publisher of Artlantis software (http://www.artlantis.com), has released three new Media CDs designed to enhance the Artlantis Media collection. The Animated People Business 1 and Animated People Casual 3 CDs, created from the aXYZ Design Collection, can be used for both animations and still images. Users can set the built-in behaviors of these objects with the same ease they place them into an Artlantis scene -- via drag and drop. Each CD includes ten 3D human models in business or casual clothing, with five pre-calculated behaviors each. The colors of the clothes can be changed, as well. Objects are optimized to 3,000 faces per character. Developed by Abvent and Bionatics, the 3D Asian Trees CD is the next edition in the most realistic plant library available to designers and architects. Based on the natural genetic coding of the plants, leaves, bark, flowers, and fruit are all realistically simulated, according to the folks at the Abvent Group. The CD...

AnalystSoft has updated StatPlus:mac (http://www.analystsoft.com/en/products/statplusmac/), a mathematical and statistical analysis suite for Mac users adding new types of graphics and calculations. The updated statistical package is now available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Russian languages, and is offered at discounts to multiple license buyers and educational facilities. The new volume discounts are structured to make StatPlus:mac affordable during the current economic downturn, and make the cost of the powerful statistical package almost an order of magnitude lower than ever before. StatPlus:mac has all the features from Microsoft Analysis Toolpak offered in Excel 2004. However, unlike Microsoft Analysis Toolpak, StatPlus:mac is available in Excel 2004 and 2008. The new release adds more types of data analysis and processing, as well as a number of brand-new graphs, including statistical charts and ever control charts like CUSUM and XBar chart. StatPlus is...

mStation|mophie has announced the Juice Pack Air ( http://www.mophie.com/products/juice-pack-air), the world's thinnest apple-certified external battery for iPhone 3G. The rechargeable 1200 mAH lithium polymer battery housed in an ultra-thin case virtually doubles the amount of time you have to rock, talk, surf, and send. Juice pack air will be available to consumers world-wide this spring at Apple stores and mophie.com for $79.95 in Black, White, and Purple. Juice pack air features an innovative "standby mode" that allows users to control when they want to take advantage of additional battery support versus simply using it as a protective case. The integrated 4 LED charge status indicates how much juice is remaining in the external battery. Unique pass-through design allows users to simultaneously charge their juice pack air and sync their iPhone 3G with iTunes with the included USB cable. "The juice pack air is a simple yet elegant battery boosting solution for iPhone 3G power...

Escape Studios is offering a "Camera Tracking for VFX" course. The new online course teaches the art of mixing computer-generated objects into real-life footage. "Camera Tracking for VFX" covers background, workflows and best practices in a flexible online format that includes over 12 hours of video content. For more information, or to register, please visit http://www.escapestudios.com/en_GB/training/online-courses/online-camera... The course covers software applications PFTrack 5 and Maya Live, part of Autodesk Maya, showing techniques that are applicable to all software packages. A basic understanding of Maya is required, but the course assumes zero prior knowledge of camera tracking and takes students to an advanced level. After completing the course, students will be well-versed in tracking, solving and adjusting shots, as well as techniques for manipulating footage, according to Dominic Davenport, CEO and founder of Escape Studios. A series of accompanying online videos is...

iSkin (http://www.iskin.com) has introduced the iSkin solo FX, an US$32.99 iPhone 3G protector "that blends glitz and glamour with fashion-forward design features." Inspired by the iSkin solo, the solo FX's high-gloss bodysuit is accented with a designer pattern. What's more, its protective screen film doubles as a mirror when the iPhone's asleep. The solo FX features integrated volume and power button coverage, unobstructed access to all ports and controls, and a "grippable" surface. The solo FX is offered in four spring fashion-inspired color options: "Breeze" (translucent blue), "Passion" (translucent red), "Lush" (translucent green) and "Sunset" (translucent orange), and is compatible with the iSkin revoClip for solo belt holster (sold separately on iSkin.com).

Tekkeon (http://www.tekkeon.com)has released its industrial-grade, high temperature version of the r myPower ALL plus lithium polymer battery. For use as portable power with portable instruments and equipment, or as an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) for battery backup, Tekkeon's new myPower ALL Plus MP3450i universal battery provides instant power for devices that require between 5V and 19V. The voltage on this new battery is fixed for the connected equipment, or can be quickly changed to meet the power needs of a wide range of devices. Like its predecessors, myPower ALL Plus MP3450i is lightweight and uses visual indicators to identify the exact power level. In addition, this version includes 16 preset voltages and an on/off switch that preserves power when the battery is not in use. An optional extended battery, model MP3450-10, can be added to myPower ALL Plus to further extend the additional battery hours. Mounting brackets are included with this optional battery to combine...

NiXPS has released a new version of its cross platform XPS tools facilitating the use of XPS in professional document management environments. NiXPS View provides basic cross-platform XPS viewing with powerful tools such as detailed zoom, quick search and text selection; for full XPS inspection on both Mac and PC. The new NiXPS View v2.6.1 now also features PDF export, making file exchange easy for everybody. The addition of the PDF export feature makes NiXPS View v2.6.1 unique in the market. It is a great companion for those users who want to take full advantage of the built-in XPS capabilities of their desktop. NiXPS Edit goes beyond cross-platform viewing and brings full-fledged XPS editing to the desktop; like object editing, inspection, document and page manipulations and more. New for NiXPS Edit v2.6.1 is the improved interactive text-editing tool, which greatly simplifies text correction, making it as easy as 'click and correct', and allowing quick, last minute corrections. "...

Vertus, a graphics and imaging software developer, has released Play With Pictures, a new image composition application, that's designed to let users of any age take ordinary photos and turn them into imaginative compositions, then print or save them for use at home or on social networks. Play With Pictures lets users cut out an unlimited number of people and props from images using a straightforward technique that resembles paint-by-numbers. The cut-outs are then layered onto a background of choice using a set of tools. "The idea of using software to create humorous cut-out images isn't a new concept, but eliminating the complicated mechanics of Photoshop and other intimidating design programs will, for the first time, make once complex techniques available to entirely new audiences," says James Carr-Jones, president and CEO of Vertus. Because layering portions of multiple images together often makes the composition look disjointed, Play With Pictures provides an automatic...

Tech Restore has posted a new, stop-motion take apart HD video of their Overnight ModService. You can watch the conversion of a standard MacBook into the tablet Mac in under two minutes here: http://techrestore.com/blog.shtml The video is brought to you in wide-screen. Also, for a limited time, get your MacBook upgraded to a Modbook, for US$1,149. That's $150 off the normal price of $1299.

SecuTech Solution (http://www.eSecuTech.com) released a special version of software license solution--UniKey Special for e-Learning. This solution is specially made for e-Learning providers to offer people to learn anytime and anywhere online, including training, the delivery of just-in-time information and guidance from experts. This solution combines a hardware key-UniKey, providing licensing method with envelope-base automatic implementation and API-based implementation. UniKey Special for e-Learning consists of several parts, such as Flash (swf and flv) protection, Authorware protection, Director protection, Realbasic protection, Video (avi, rm,rmvb, and mpeg) protection, e-Book protection, and general API protection for various programming languages. UniKey Speical for e-Learning solution provides supports for numerous language to meet the flexibility of learning, training, and education software. In order to improve the relationships between vendors and customers as well...

DB Solo LLC has released version 3.7 of the DB Solo SQL Query Tool, the latest upgrade to DB Solo's sophisticated cross-platform Database Query Tool. DB Solo provides developers and adminstrators with a wealth of advanced features such as visual explain plan, database data & schema comparison tools, import/export tools and a schema scripting tool. DB Solo SQL Query Tool is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Solaris platforms. DB Solo supports all major DBMS products available today, including Oracle, SQL Server 2000, 2005 and 2008, DB2, Sybase ASE/ASA, H2, Postgres, MySQL and Solid. New features in version 3.7 include a new Result Set Comparison Feature and support for SQL Server Agent. SQL Server Agent support includes the ability to view and edit Operators, Jobs and Alerts. Other new features include support for custom key bindings, XML and Excel export formats as well as support for parametrized queries. Additionally, the Schema Browser now allows one to change...

Accessory label Lapàporter (http://www.lapaporter.com) from Berlin has introduced a new line of iPhone sleeves and other products. According to company rep, Natalie Werner, Lapàporter stands for "an elegant and feminine line of handbags and accessories for electronic devices." "Lapàporter is finally bringing protective designs for mobile phones, iPhones and iPods on the market that are not only practical but also attractive, stylish and elegant," she says. "Lapàporter goods are produced with great care in Germany. These handmade items are created with the finest attention to detail to assure you they are of highest quality. Seasonal highlights are produced as limited editions that are only available from the Lapàporter online boutique."

Information Appliance has released PocketMac Backup for SalesForce, a SalesForce backup solution for Mac users. It gets contacts from customers' SalesForce accounts and saves them to the Mac OS X Address Book. It does this automatically, every 15 minutes, with no user involvement. The software also saves backups of calendar and task data to iCal as well, so that users can keep track of appointments even without Internet access. PocketMac Backup for SalesForce runs on Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") and retails for US $34.95. More information about the PocketMac Backup for SalesForce can be found at http://www.pocketmac.com/product.php?id=37

Blastwave FX (http://www.blastwavefx.com), a HD sound effects label, has released Free Sound Effects Download Pack #1. The Free Sound Effects Download Pack #1 contains 68 sound effects selections from 40 Blastwave FX libraries. Sonic novelties include angry goat bleating, bursting fireballs, robot footsteps, a pixie dust fly-by, digital glitch, low frequency tremors and more. The Free Sound Effects Download Pack #1 is available for download at www.blastwavefx.com/i25/Blastwave-FX-Free-Sound-Effects-Download-Pack/in... The 68 sound effects included Free Download Pack are available for all to use on a royalty-free basis via a Creative Commons License and contain selections from the 40 Blastwave FX collections produced to date, including Sonopedia, Blastwave Imaging Elements, Radio Meltdown, Pop, Buzzsaw, LFE and more.

Appropos Mobile and online trip planning service TripIt have announced FlightTrack Pro, the next generation of the flight tracker for the iPhone and iPod touch. Travelers simply forward their airline confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and FlightTrack Pro automatically provides real-time flight cancellations, delays, gate changes, route maps, 10-day weather forecasts and more. FlightTrack Pro is the first application to synchronize TripIt itineraries to its service on iPhone and iPod touch, according to Ben Kazez, founder, Appropos Mobile. FlightTrack Pro's itinerary synchronization is powered by the TripIt application programming interface for sharing travel itinerary information among travel web sites, travel suppliers, travel agents and related travel services. FlightTrack Pro is available at the Apple App Store for US$9.99. For more info go here: http://www.approposmobile.com

Maintain has released Cocktail 4.3 (Leopard Edition). Cocktail (http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/index.php) is a general purpose utility for Mac OS X. The application serves up a mix of maintenance tools and interface tweaks, all accessible via a comprehensive graphical interface. This version adds ability to clear potentially harmful files such as most common trojans (Services.A, iServices.B, RSPlug.A, Jahlav.A, Leap.A, Astht.A, Astht.B, PokerStealer, etc.) or other files that may harm your system in any way, adds ability to clear CrashReporter and HungReporter logs as well as fixes compatibility issues with QuickTime 7.6. Cocktail 4.3 (Leopard Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Cocktail 4.3 (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 10.5.5.

Seapine Software (http://www.seapine.com), a provider of application lifecycle management (ALM) solutions, has announced the release of Surround SCM 2009, a major upgrade to its software configuration management application. The new version brings mission-critical enterprise-level configuration management capabilities to software development teams of all sizes. "Surround SCM 2009 is our most ambitious version since the product's initial release," says Richard Riccetti, president and CEO, Seapine Software. "The move to relational databases for storage of all data, not just metadata, opens new scalability, reporting, and high availability options for our customers, our partners, and Seapine. In addition, Surround SCM's labeling feature was completely rewritten. Labels are now on par with branching, giving customers much more flexibility over when to branch code and when to label." Key new Surround SCM 2009 features include the following: ° RDBMS-based data storage: enhances Surround SCM...

Channeling the shrunken nature of Mikey from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Innovative Language Learning company has mimicked that miniaturization by encapsulating the benefits of classroom, text book, tutor, and software program all into one prepackaged iPhone application. By using the touch-screen you can listen to pre-recorded lessons and dialogues, record yourself, search the entire application, read over 35 pages of text-book style lesson notes and listen to about two CDs worth of audio, including a compact version of our podcasts, according to Peter Galante, COO of Innovative Language Learning. Pocket Italian (http://www.innovativelanguage.com/products/pocket) is compatible for all of the touch-screen versions of iPhones, iPods, and iTouch devices and can be purchased at the Apple App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=300631...) for US$4.99 for a limited time. The app is currently available in Arabic, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean,...

Boris FX, a developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, announced that Boris Continuum Complete 6 AE (BCC 6 AE) is now available. BCC 6 AE brings nearly 200 filters to Mac and Windows versions of Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. The new release features 13 new filters including Extruded Text, Extruded Spline, Type-On Text, Layer Deformer, Smooth Tone, DV Fixer, and Pixel Fixer. In addition, BCC 6 AE delivers workflow enhancements such as support for After Effects' Camera and Lighting System, the ability to import After Effects mask paths into BCC 6 AE filters, saving and loading of XML-based animated presets, a single-click custom preset navigation tool, and motion tracking data import and export in an industry-standard format. According to Boris Yamnitsky, president and founder, Boris FX, other BCC 6 AE feature highlights include: * The ability to import AE Mask Paths into Boris Continuum Complete Filters. From 3D text on a path to custom bevel profiles and...

A company called iPerform3D (http://www.iperform3d.com) is offering what it calls an alternative to Apple's "Learn to Play" feature in GarageBand '09, offering pro/celebrity music instruction. iPerform 3D's solution is the 3D Guitar Learning System, which is Mac and Windows compatible. iPerform3D's newly launched 3D Guitar Learning System uses motion-capture and 3D animation technology. The company says this marks the first time that sophisticated motion-capture technology -- previously limited to big-budget film and video game companies like Sony and Electronic Arts -- is available beyond rarified videogame and entertainment circles via a patented application of the technology. Unlike DVDs or online video lessons, this system gives guitarists complete control, allowing them to rotate and zoom the "virtual" camera to any angle, even "behind" and "through" the instructor's guitar neck. iPerform3D technology also allows guitarists to slow lessons down without changing pitch, or loop a...

RE:Vision Effects (http://www.revisionfx.com) has expanded support of its DE:Noise FxPlug plugin set for Final Cut Pro and Motion to include Final Cut Express. DE:Noise is a plugin set that removes excessive noise and artifacts in one tool. It handles spurious frame-to-frame defects ranging from fine digital and electronic noise to blotchy spots (e.g. dirt on the film). DE:Noise combines proprietary motion estimation (optical flow) techniques with feature-sensitive, edge-preserving spatial filtering methods to reduce the visual impact of various problems such as: noisy video (that can happen with low-light capture), excessive film grain, prefiltering noisy greenscreens before keying, CG renders affected by ray-tracing sampling artifacts, dust captured during film scan/transfer and printing, snow, drop-outs and many other defects. DE:Noise is available as an FxPlug plugin for Final Cut Express 4.0.1 and up, Final Cut Pro 6.0.1 and up, Motion 3.0.1 and up. It costs US$149.95.

equinux (http://www.equinux.com) has expanded its TV software The Tube with two free iPhone apps to let you integrate the iPhone into the TV experience. With Live TV, users can stream live TV programs directly to their iPhone from their Mac with The Tube. With TubeToGo, you can access TV recordings on their iPhone whenever and wherever. You can even program recordings in The Tube on the go. Live TV shows live television in an optimized resolution for the iPhone when it is in the same WLAN as The Tube software. As soon as an iPhone is registered with The Tube, all currently available TV channels will be available with a click. It's also just that easy to change channels in "Live TV" and even start a recording, according to equinux CEO Till Schadde. With TubeToGo, iPhone users can watch The Tube recordings on their iPhone via the internet. Additionally, they can program recordings in their personal electronic program guide (EPG) and manage the complete recordings archive on the go....

EuroSmartz (http://mobile.eurosmartz.com) has released Print & Share for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's available for US$9.99 at the Apple App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=301656...). Print & Share enables users to print photos, email, email attachments as well as files transferred from laptop or desktop computer (Macs or Windows systems). You can print single or multiple photos. You can view files in formats such as doc, Excel, TXT, HTML, PDF and more. You can print email from various email accounts. With Print & Share you can create, edit and print text documents, drag 'n drop files to folders and select and print multiple contacts. You can print via WiFi or a cell network.

BargainTravel.com, an online travel agency specializing in international flights, has released Travel Toolkit for the iPhone (a href="http://www.bargaintravel.com/iphone_application_support.html). It provides flight status, airport status, TSA alerts, ticket price comparisons, airline phone numbers and airport codes. Other features of the application include directions to airports via Google Maps, current weather conditions at airports, departure and arrival gates and more. The developer of the application, Bargaintravel.com has also developed other travel applications for Apple Dashboard and Yahoo! Widgets in addition to operating their nine-year old travel site.

lastminute.com has launched a new, free talking 2009 phrasebook (http://www.realwire.com/writeitfiles/sixinarow.png) for iPhone and iPod touch users in the UK. Developed by Coolgorilla, the phrasebook is available in six different language versions: French, German, Greek, Italian Portuguese and Spanish, and can be downloaded by visiting Apple's App Store. Using the talking phrasebook consumers can ask for directions, hire a car and even engage in small talk. Each one contains over 500 sound files covering a variety of elements of the holiday experience including eating, travel, even flirting. The app allows consumers to search for a phrase in English and press "select." Their iPhone then pronounces the phrase in the foreign language with a real, native accent. The text translation is also provided on the screen.

The Method (http://www.Method-Solutions.com), formerly Method Solutions LLC, in partnership with Slapdash Games, has released Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville for the iPhone and iPod touch. Priced at $4.99, it's available at the Apple App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=302934...). A free "lite" version is also available ( http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303525...). Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville allows players to compete for the coveted "Best in Show" in the Superstar Homes Magazine Parade of Homes. Residents of Sunnyville search for hidden swag in eccentric homes to complete the ultimate in home decor. Players can also renovate antiques for that special touch. Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville features: 12 unique locations to hunt for hidden objects; 16 creative repurposing projects, to help players turn trash into treasure; and decorating functions, to help players become a "Superstar...

Aleratec (http://www.aleratec) -- a developer and manufacturer of solutions for the Blu-ray, DVD/CD, Flash, HDD, USB duplicating and DVD/CD publishing markets -- is launching the next generation of its stand-alone HDD Cruiser, a hard disk drive duplicator and sanitizer all in one unit. The 1:5 HDD Cruiser will duplicate up to five HDDs simultaneously. It can also sanitize up to six HDDs to assure that confidential data is unreadable, according to Perry Solomon,president and CEO of Aleratec. The sanitizing capability is particularly important with the rapid advancement hard drives, and upgrading drives in systems is commonplace, he adds. The 1:5 HDD Cruiser is a stand\-alone unit so no computer is required for operation. The Cruiser's drive bays are equipped loading doors; open the drive bay door to load or unload a drive. When customers purchase one Aleratec 1:5 HDD Cruiser for use with SATA hard disk drives, they qualify for one Aleratec 1:3 HDD Cruiser for use with PATA hard disk...

VMware, which makes virtualization solutions, has announced what it says is the first open source client for virtual desktop infrastructure, VMware View Open Client. VMware View enables IT organizations to host user desktops in the datacenter, while letting users access their personalized desktop environments from almost any device, at any time, says Jocelyn Goldfein, vice president and general manager of VMware's Desktop Business Unit. Now, VMware is providing VMware View Open Client for partners, enabling them to use VMware View source code to optimize their products to deliver virtual desktops to users. In addition, partners will be able to use the source code to help accelerate the development and delivery of solutions for enterprises to provision and manage thousands of virtual desktops simply, securely and at substantially lower operating costs, Goldfein says. VMware View Open Client is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1 (LGPL v 2.1) and is...