Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. iPad, iPod,
iPhone, and Apple TV news is covered in The
iNews Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Apple Updates
Products & Services
Software
News & Opinion
Mac Market Growing Way Faster than Windows
The Street's James Rogers reports that Apple's Mac products are
being boosted by "stellar enterprise sales", thus increasing the
pressure on PCs running Microsoft's Windows software, citing Needham
& Company analyst Charles Wolf, who notes, "At 23.5%, Mac shipment
growth in December was a multiple of the PC market's growth rate of
just 3.4%."
Link:
Apple Mac Market Growing Faster than PCs
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion on Track for Late July?
9 to 5 Mac's Mark Gurman reports that six Mac OS X 10.7 Lion manuals
have already appeared on Amazon.UK, with most of them pointing to late
July for Lion's release date, with one early August date and another
late August release date, making it a fairly safe surmise that
OS X 10.7 will reach consumer hands some time after the WWDC in
June, but that wouldn't rule out a detailed exposition of what's coming
with Lion being part of the WWDC agenda.
Link:
Mac OS X Lion on Track for a Late July Release?
The Macintosh's Future? Think iOS Convergence
In his Monday Note Blog this week, former Apple exec and BeOS
founder Jean-Louis Gassée ponders whether there is a future for
the Macintosh, noting that with Apple's smartphones and tablets making
so much money and taking up so much media bandwidth, one has to wonder
how the Mac will hold up.
Gassée examines the significance of recent changes in the Mac
ecosystem, such as the new MacBook Air and the Mac App Store, and
predicts that the Mac's future will be predominantly portable.
Link: What Future for
the Macintosh?
Switching to Mac Buyer's Guide
AppStorm's Connor Turnbull says:
"There are many reasons you might want to switch to a Mac: design,
software, sheer awesomeness. Whatever your reason, you might not yet
have your heart set on a specific machine, but don't worry, I am here
to fix that very issue.
"Apple have six main product lines for Mac OS X: MacBook, MacBook
Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro. That's a whole lotta Mac.
But, whether you're a student wanting a notebook to write essays at
Starbucks, or a hardcore, photo/editing user who wants a desktop,
there's a Mac that's perfect for you.
"Today we'll take you through each of the six product lines and also
tell you whether its the right time to buy, who each model is best
suited for, and where you should purchase from...."
Link: Switching to Mac:
The Complete Buyer's Guide
The Untold Story: How Jef Raskin Helped Invent the
Mac and Apple's 'Walled Garden'
The late Jef Raskin is widely
credited with being the true father of the
Macintosh, and his son Aza, writing for Fast Company, relates how
while recently sifting through some of his dad's old documents he came
across a February 16, 1981 memo detailing the genesis of the Macintosh
- written in reaction to Steve Jobs taking over management of Apple
hardware development.
Raskin says that while reading through his father's notes, he was
struck by how many of the core principals that Apple still holds were
set in play three years before the Macintosh was released,
noting that this is particularly important in understanding Apple's
culture and why we have the "walled garden" experience of the iPhone,
iPad, and the App Store, and Apple's core principle of innovation being
prioritized over backwards compatibility - its willingness to ditch the
old for innovation.
Link: The Untold Story
of How My Dad Helped Invent the First Mac
Apple Updates
Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.6
The Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.6 adds RAW image
compatibility for the following cameras to Aperture 3 and iPhoto
'11:
- Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D / Kiss X50
- Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D / Kiss X5
- Olympus E-5
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100
- Pentax K-r
- Pentax K-5
- It also addresses processing issues for the following cameras:
- Nikon D7000
- Nikon COOLPIX P7000
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
For more information on supported RAW formats, see https://support.apple.com/kb/HT3825
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.8 or Mac OS X 10.6.5 or later
Link: Digital Camera RAW Compatibility
Update 3.6
Products & Services
Whirl Laser Mouse with Anti-Gravity Comfort
Pivot
PR: Smartfish introduces anti-gravity comfort in a
computer mouse - the Whirl Desktop's patented ErgoMotion pivot system
makes your mouse feel like it's "floating on air". The only mouse with
gravity defying comfort pivot technology
For laptop use, its time to get rid of that old-fashioned miniature
mouse and upgrade to the comfort of the Whirl Mini Notebook Mouse with
ErgoMotion - claimed to be the world's first truly ergonomic compact
mouse. No other portable mouse offers the fluid, air-like comfort of
the patented ErgoMotion pivot system, which the developers claim will
let users say good-bye to aches and pains while using a computer mouse,
whether right- or left-handed.
The
perfectly portable Whirl Mini Notebook Mouse with ErgoMotion combines
the natural comfort of the patented ErgoMotion pivot system with three
most sought-after computer mouse features: Up to 800-dpi hi-def laser
sensitivity, 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity and extra long battery
life.
The ErgoMotion pivot system designs to reduce risk of Repetitive
Stress Injury (RSI) by adding motion. The magic of the function is how
it naturally adapts to your hand motion rather than the other way
around. While other computer mice require your hand and wrist to remain
in a fixed position, the Whirl Mini pivots naturally as you move,
automatically changing its angle infinitely to match your wrist and
hand. The mouse will lean, swivel or pivot with your movement so your
hand and wrist are never in a fixed position, creating a comfortable
and healthy mousing experience. This mouse rocks - literally.
The Whirl
Mini Notebook Mouse with ErgoMotion is intended to feel like its an
extension of your arm, the patented innovation of ErgoMotion redefining
comfort for a Computer Mouse by going well beyond merely providing an
ergonomic grip while following your motion by creating a Dynamic
Neutral Position no matter what direction or angle you are moving. This
is claimed to virtually eliminate the possibility of static joint pain
by allowing full circulation through your wrist and hands throughout
the day.
The 2.4
GHz nano-tranceiver lets you mouse around wirelessly, with a
nano-tranceiver that can usually reman in a USB port when you go
mobile.
The Whirl Mini features a laser tracking engine that's far more
sensitive and responsive on more surfaces than traditional optical
technology. That means it can track with precision on nearly every
surface with no mousepad required.
Ambidextrous Design
Smartfish's Whirl Mini is designed for both left and right-handed
users.
The Whirl mouse is available in six colors: metallic red, metallic
black, metallic blue, silver, metallic white, and carbon fiber.
System
Requirements
- Mac
- Mac OS X (10.2.8 or later)
- USB port
- PC
- Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
- USB port
A portion of Whirl Mouse proceeds are donated to the Hospital for
Special Surgery Rehabilitation Education Fund.
$49.95
Link: Whirl Laser Mouse
with Anti-Gravity Comfort Pivot
Matias Releases Dvorak Keyboard for Mac and PC
PR: Matias released its new Dvorak Keyboard for PC and Mac -
a USB keyboard with an onboard switch hardwired to the Dvorak
layout.
Most famously used by Apple
cofounder, Steve Wozniak, the Dvorak layout was scientifically designed
by University of Washington Professor August Dvorak to reduce typing
fatigue and increase typing speeds.
The world's fastest typist (Barbara Blackburn) used a Dvorak
keyboard to reach peak speeds of 212 words per minute - more than 17
key presses each second.
"The nice thing about this new Matias Dvorak Keyboard is that it's
easily switchable. You just push a button," says Matias CEO Edgar
Matias. "This makes it easier for Dvorak and non-Dvorak typists to
share the same equipment. If your spouse, coworkers, or lab mates do
not share your love of Dvorak, this keyboard will keep everyone
happy."
The Matias Dvorak Keyboard for PC & Mac sells for $99.95 and is
available now from matias.ca and select Matias Authorized
Resellers.
Link: Matias Dvorak
Keyboard for PC & Mac (available for order through Amazon.com,
Apple Store, MacMall, and several other resellers)
Software
AKVIS Sketch Converts Photos into Pencil Sketches
and Watercolor Paintings
PR: AKVIS releases Version 12 of AKVIS Sketch for Windows and
Macintosh. The software converts digital photos into amazing pencil
sketches and watercolor, charcoal, and pastel drawings. It's a
wonderful tool for those who have always wanted to draw but didn't know
how.
Version 12 introduces the new
Smudging parameter which creates the effect of smearing hatching in
midtone areas without affecting the contour lines of the drawing. The
algorithm handles semi-processed images more effectively. They are now
simpler and more exact.
AKVIS Sketch is an award-winning program for conversion of photos
into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings. The program has already
won the recognition of professionals and delighted home users with its
neat results. However, there is no end to perfection and the company
released a new version of AKVIS Sketch with many improvements.
Now you don't need to be a pencil virtuoso to feel like an artist.
All you need to create your original work of art is good taste and
AKVIS Sketch.
Sketch's efficient method creates realistic color and B&W
drawings that imitate the technique of graphite and color pencil,
charcoal and watercolor painting.
In contrast to standard filters (like the built-in filters in
Photoshop or PSP) that offer an approximate sketch, AKVIS Sketch comes
very close to the hand-drawn works of a human artist. Getting a similar
result with the standard tools would require expertise in image editing
and extensive manipulation with layers, masks, brushes and applying
filters.
AKVIS Sketch can add background
effects to the resulting pencil drawing. Create a blend of a drawing
and a photo; imitate motion or add a time machine effect by swirling
the background. Put an accent to certain parts of the image by blurring
the rest of it in an artistic way. It proves especially useful when the
final drawing contains too many details on the background that divert
attention.
You can personalize your work of art by adding an inscription (a
signature or a greeting) to your pencil drawing. Also, the parameters
on the Canvas let you add a rough surface to your image, as if it had
been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.
AKVIS Sketch has a neat interface with a few sliders. At first you
can process the image with the default settings and then touch up the
photo adding color, or trying different techniques - from pencil to
charcoal or watercolor. You can make the hatching denser or finer and
change the pitch angle of strokes, or add/remove the original
colors.
Home users will no doubt like the neat result of the photo-to-sketch
conversion. Using AKVIS Sketch can be fun. Make a pencil portraits as
gifts for your relatives and friends, a watercolor drawing obtained
from your last nature shooting can decorate your room, or you can
convert any photo to an original drawing to print on a T-shirt.
The program can be helpful to
designers who need to quickly bring images to one style for a website
or an advertisement booklet - a wonderful tool for those who have
always wanted to draw but didn't know how.
This photo to sketch software is available in two versions as an
independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor.
The plugin version is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop
Elements, Paint Shop Pro etc.
Refer to Check the compatibility page for more details.
The plugin version of Sketch offers Batch Processing support that
allows you to automatically convert a series of images. Just create an
Action in Photoshop or a Script in Corel Paint Shop Pro and apply the
plugin with the same settings to a folder full of images. You can even
create comics from home videos in this way.
Try the software for 10 days free of charge. When the evaluation
period is over, you must enter a registration key to continue.
System requirements:
- Operating system:
- Windows XP/Vista/Win 7 32/64 bit
- Mac OS X 10.4-10.6 32/64 bit
- Minimal and recommended system requirements:
- Win
- Minimal: Pentium III, 1 GB RAM, 100 Mb HDD; screen resolution
1024x768; video card Direct X8 compatible, 32 Mb, color depth 32
bits
- Recommended: Core Duo, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB HDD; screen resolution 1280 x
1024; video card Direct X8 compatible, 128 Mb, color depth 32 bits
- Mac
- Minimal: Intel/G4, 1 GB RAM, 100 Mb HDD, screen resolution 1024 x
768
- Recommended: Intel/G5, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB HDD; screen resolution 1280 x
1024
The plugin version of AKVIS Sketch is compatible with Adobe
Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint,
Corel PaintShop Photo Pro, etc. AKVIS Sketch runs on Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/Windows 7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6. To use the
plugin you must have a photo editor supporting plugins installed on
your computer.
You can order AKVIS software online via the stores: Plimus or
Cleverbridge. Each offers different payment methods (credit card, bank
transfer, PayPal, phone, etc.).
Choose the license type and currency to order the program. You can
order the program in American Dollars, Euro or other currency. In the
latter case the price will be recalculated into your preferred currency
(will be converted from the EUR price as a basis).
When the payment is effected you will get a license key to your
e-mail within minutes.
AKVIS Sketch Home License (plugin or standalone) sells for $72 or 55
Euro.
Users of versions 9-11 of Sketch can upgrade to v.12 for free.
AKVIS software is available on a DVD. To order the software on DVD
(for an additional fee of $19.95 or 14.95) you should select the DVD
option when you fill in the order form (next step, in your basket).
Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS
Alchemy bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Refocus,
Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite,
SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) for $325, huge savings
over purchasing each separately.
The DVD "AKVIS Graphic Tools" contains trial versions of all AKVIS
programs (so even if you buy several programs one DVD will suffice),
tutorials in PDF and movies. All these materials are also available
online for free.
Link: AKVIS Sketch
Times for Fun Releases Red Pill 1.0.2 OS X Image
Editor
PR: German software
developer Times For Fun has announced Red Pill 1.0.2, a free update to
its new image editor for Mac.
Red Pill is a simple, yet powerful image editor. It offers a dozen
useful tools and handles big images with ease - as fast as
Photoshop.
Red Pill features:
- tools like magic wand, paint brush, paint bucket, clone stamp
- transform, adjust filter
- paste into command, float/anchor selection
- unlimited undo
- resize, rotate, flip image
- quick save command, file manager
- batch processing
- smart fill (similar to content-aware fill, a major feature of PS
CS5)
New in version 1.02:
This bug fix release features the following enhancements:
- [Fix] problem fixed: selection created with magic wand tool was one
pixel too far down
- [Fix] problem moving the selection using the arrow keys fixed
System requirements: Red Pill is built for Mac OS X, requires at
least Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and is a Universal Binary.
A trial version is available for your downloading pleasure.
Red Pill is published as shareware/nagware. A nag dialog box appears
after the first seven application launches and frequently reminds you
to register and pay for the application.
Red Pill can be purchased for EUR 17.
Link: Red Pill
Cars 2: The Video Game Revs Up for Summer 2011
Release
PR: Disney Interactive Studios today announced that
DisneyPixar's Cars 2: The Video Game is coming to major platforms this
summer. Unveiled at the American International Toy Fair in New York
City, Cars 2: The Video Game will allow players to jump into the Cars
universe with a brand new international spy theme. The game will
feature an array of beloved Cars characters competing in action-packed
spy adventures, as well as world-class racing. Inspired by the upcoming
DisneyPixar animated film, Cars 2: The Video Game is slated for release
this summer.
The
combination of racing, international locations and spy themes, and the
beloved Cars characters makes Cars 2: The Video Game a truly unique
game for players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy.
Cars 2: The Video Game brings players inside the international
training center CHROME (Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and
Motorized Espionage), where they choose from more than 20 different
characters and train to become world class spies. As part of their
international training, they will participate in simulated hazardous
missions using high-tech gadgets to evade and slow down
adversaries.
Avalanche Software, video game developers of the critically
acclaimed Toy Story 3: The Video Game, are back in the drivers seat for
Cars 2: The Video Game, working in close collaboration with Pixar
artists to bring the humor and personality of the feature film to
life.
"Cars is one of Pixar's most successful and treasured franchises, so
we are thrilled to be working with Avalanche Software again to extend
our creative vision of the Cars 2 universe into the interactive
medium," says Jay Ward, Cars franchise guardian at Pixar Animation
Studios. "Avalanche Software has the technology, experience, and
history in working with us to create the best-looking Cars video game
to date."
"The team at Avalanche Software is working on exciting ways to
combine the power of the franchise with new storylines and characters
in Cars 2: The Video Game to create something unlike any other racing
game," says John Blackburn, vice president and general manager of
Avalanche Software. "The combination of racing, international locations
and spy themes, and the beloved Cars characters makes Cars 2: The Video
Game a truly unique game for players of all ages and skill levels to
enjoy."
Cars 2: The Video Game will feature connectivity with the World of
Cars Online a free-to-play browser-based, virtual world based on the
hit DisneyPixar animated Cars universe. Players will be able to
discover an exciting new world beyond Radiator Springs with Mater,
Fillmore, Sarge, and others as they gain rewards in the video game and
then use them to unlock new items in the World of Cars Online.
Cars 2: The Video Game will be available on major video game
platforms this summer including PlayStation3 computer entertainment
system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC/Mac.
Released in 2006, DisneyPixar's feature film Cars has become
a leading boys franchise generating an impressive $2B in annual global
retail sales for a total of $8B to date. Winner of the Golden Globe for
Best Animated Feature, Cars went on to gross $462M in global box
office sales. Its supported across The Walt Disney Company through
films including the highly anticipated release of Cars 2 in
Disney Digital 3D, consumer products, live theater productions, park
attractions including Cars Land planned for launch in 2012, music, a
web site Disney.com/Cars, TV
including the popular series of short form content: Cars Toons, home
entertainment, video games including Cars and the upcoming June release
of Cars 2: The Video Game supporting all major platforms, a virtual
world WorldofCars.com, and
books with more than 75 new titles releasing throughout 2011
domestically, in addition to more titles on digital books and mobile
applications.
In DisneyPixar's Cars 2, star racecar Lightning McQueen
(voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of
Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in
Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever
World Grand Prix to determine the worlds fastest car. But the road to
the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and
hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing
adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn
between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing
the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super
spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning
spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Maters
action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the
streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the
whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast,
complete with menacing villains and international racing
competitors.
John Lasseter returns to the drivers seat to direct this follow-up
to his 2006 Golden Globe-winning Cars. Cars 2 is co-directed by
Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar-winning film Ratatouille, and
produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate
producer, Up; visual effects executive producer, Star Wars: Episode
III Revenge of the Sith). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011,
and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D in select
theaters.
Link: Cars 2:
The Video Game
Desktop Mac Deals
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
