Mobile Apple Me

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Mac Software, Originals

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for February 23, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• Yummy Software has announced Yummy FTP 1.8.2, an update to their popular FTP client for Mac OS X. Built from the ground up as a native OS X app, Yummy FTP was designed with the goal of providing a reliable, powerful, yet easy to use file transfer utility. Version 1.8.2 gains a Transmit favorite import capability, amongst several other enhancements, as well as some bug fixes. Yummy FTP has gained a reputation for being the fastest, most reliable, and most flexible FTP client available.
• Araelium Group has announced DMG Canvas 2.0, an update to its disk image creation application for Mac OS X. DMG Canvas builds disk images from template documents designed using a slick graphical WYSIWYG editor, and allows users to specify the license agreements displayed when the disk image is mounted. Version 2.0 offers advanced background layout with customizable text and image objects, and much more.
• iUseMac has announced it will be featuring the popular racing game for Mac—Island Racer—for 24% off on Tuesday February 23th and Wednesday February 24th. iUseMac offers popular Mac applications at reduced prices for limited time periods. Island Racer is a casual racing game full of fun for your Mac. Select from different cars and colors to race in head-to-head competition. Island Racer can be played solo, against the computer, or online against another player.
• Coming off the success of one of the most popular products ever to be introduced into the Mac accessory world, the DP200, Atlona Technologies has gone a step further from their DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter, attempting to further MDP compatibility with other digital formats. Atlona has announced the release of a new version of the DP200 with the ability to convert HDMI sources like the Xbox360, PS3, Cable or Satellite Receiver, Blu-Ray Player, Apple TV into MDP. This USB Powered HDMI to Mini DisplayPort Converter, the AT-DP200HD, is an adapted version of Atlona’s wildly successful DP200, designed to convert HDMI signals from to a Mini DisplayPort Connection featured on popular Mac displays such as the Apple LED 24” cinema display or the iMac 27”.
• The Mac Sale has announced it is running a third Mac software bundle. The new bundle launches very soon, and all Mac users are encouraged to visit The Mac Sale online to register their interest. An email will be send out when the bundle become available for sale, and pre-registration ensures you won’t miss out. The bundle includes everything from games to development tools, and from office utilities to multimedia.
• Creaceed has announced the immediate release and availability of their Hydra 2.2 HDR plug-in. The upgrade addresses a major feature request from the HDR user community: an HDR Lightroom Plug-In. All features of Hydra’s Stand-Alone Version are available in the HDR Plug-In which is compatible with Lightroom 2 (32 and 64 bits).
• Independent software developer Martin Wengenmayer has announced Cheetah3D 5.3, a major update to his popular 3D modeling solution for Mac OS X. Developed from the ground up utilizing the latest Cocoa technologies, Cheetah3D is a lean, fast, and elegant 3D modeling, rendering, and animation package with an easy learning curve. Version 5.3 adds 64-bit support for Intel Macs, a completely rewritten Render Manager, various Altivec/SSE optimizations and improved handling of poses.
• Independent game developer Enkord, Ltd. has announced Jurassic Realm 1.9, their new action puzzle game for Mac OS X. Uncover the secrets of ancient Jurassic Realm and solve all of its fascinating puzzles. Explore ancient, prehistoric lands searching for images of long-lost dinosaurs in this exciting action puzzle game. At the players disposal is a huge map with great number of roads and pathways to travel. Version 1.9 includes improved collapse, explosive power-ups and exciting brick-breaking.
• LaCie has announced the next generation of network storage devices for small to medium-sized businesses: the LaCie d2 Network 2 (single disk), LaCie 2big Network 2 (two disks) and LaCie 5big Network 2 (five disks). Delivering superb data access of up to 70 MB/s, these professional, reliable central storage devices allow users to share files instantly or back up any PC or Mac on a network. These complete backup solutions are Time Machine compatible and include Genie Backup Manager Pro (Windows) and Intego Backup Manager Pro (Mac). With these applications you can make encrypted, compressed backups, restore office files, and even perform disaster recovery.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• Justnine has unleashed more hell on earth with an updated version of their popular game, HellKid, for Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch, and they’ve also made available a free version of the game. To the uninformed, HellKid features Devi the devil, a little red-hot monster from hell determined to become human because of his fascination and interest in humanity (good grief!). On the surface, HellKid is a conventional 2D side-scrolling platform game where your objective is to collect enough human souls to escape from hell, but HellKid also includes a lot of added twists and features.
• Independent developer Esa Helttula has released Lattice Multiplication 1.0, a new educational math app for iPhone and iPod touch. Lattice Multiplication 1.0 allows the user to study and practice the ancient and very efficient lattice algorithm for multiplying large numbers. The app has an intuitive interface with customizable colors and other settings.multiplications. Long Multiplication features an intuitive interface with customizable colors and other settings.
• Miller Studios has announced Silly Story Maker 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Silly Story Maker is a fun, educational sentence making game that allows you to create simple sentences by combining thirty basic words and phrases. Select a word or phrase from each category in the app and click play. Featuring beautiful graphics, multiple playback voices, and over 7,500 possible word and phrase combinations, Silly Story Maker promises fun for everyone.
• California based PhatWare Corporation has announced WritePad Professional Edition 3.0, an advanced organizer for iPhone and iPod touch devices. WritePad Professional Edition is based on WritePad 3.0 handwriting recognition technology, and allows users to organize tasks, events, notes, and voice notes in multiple folders within a single application. The new version also allows users to search for text in different folders and fields. The search result is presented in a single view for easy navigation.
• Freeverse’s newest release, Zombie Cannon Carnage, is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The highly anticipated zombie ragdoll-blasting game centers on three intergalactic zombies who crash-land on our lovely little Earth and try to launch themselves back home into space. Use the Zombie Cannon to fire your zombie into the night sky, and activate your Jet Pack to rocket through the city avoiding everything from air conditioners to the pesky Police Helicopter.
• Collins Research Inc. has announced Custom Hangman for iPhone and iPod touch. The Custom Hangman game is truly habit-forming that allows players to select a category of their interest from which the app will generate an animated hangman game with a fun pirate-themed background. Several word lists are already pre-loaded into the app so players can challenge themselves from subjects ranging from SAT vocabulary words to Twilight terms.
• Games developer and publisher iFun4all has announced the (delayed) premiere of Crap of Defense for iPhone and iPod touch, along with its shocking trailer.
• Disney Interactive Studios has announced the availability of Alice in Wonderland – An Adventure Beyond the Mirror for the Apple iPod and iPod touch. Inspired by the highly-anticipated 3D fantasy adventure “Alice in Wonderland” from Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton, the app is priced at $4.99 and lets users play as Alice through up to 10 multi-level environments, hundreds of puzzles and curious challenges, all while encountering her famous childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Apple News, Conferences, Macworld, iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Macintosh / Apple Hardware, Peripherals, Speakers and Headphones

One of our favorite things to do each year at Macworld Expo is to wander the show floor with no pending meetings, and no agenda other than to see what we can find. Many of the venders are the same each year, using the expo as a time to launch variations of similar products. That’s fine, as that’s what Macworld Expo is for, but it really starts to get fun when you stumble upon the booth of a new hardware or software developer happy to demonstrate something you’ve never seen before.

Here are Appletell’s three most surprising finds of Macworld Expo 2010: a Twitter service for businesses, a photocard app for the iPhone, and a speaker system for everyone.

Bill Stiteler

It’s hard to say if there’s a “find” on the show when it’s half the size; not much can be lost. But as a social media wonk, I was intrigued by Tap 11’s product pitch: a business backend for Twitter and the like that gives you backend data on your clickthroughs, the best time to post, and so on.

Still in private beta, so we’ll have to wait to see how well it works when it comes out.

Product [Tap 11’

Ed McKell

My most surprising find of the show was not from an exhibitor, but rather from Guy Kawasaki’s presentation. His final guest was Bill Atkinson discussing his PhotoCard app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

I was really impressed with the quality and capabilities that this app has, from creating not only virtual postcards like many other apps but also beautiful full color postcards that are printed out and sent for you at a reasonable price.

Product PhotoCard

Kirk Hiner

Last year, I picked Linx’s Dragon-I speaker/dock station as my most surprising find. As much as I hate to do it, I’m going with speaker again this year, albeit of a greatly different type: the Edifier E3350. The “opera house” design is instantly appealing, and the 2.1 system comes in six eye-catching metallic colors.

The two 9W satellite speakers and 32W down-firing subwoofer (with separate bass control) provided a rich, full sound that could even be discerned on the show floor, but that’s not why I picked them. Rather, it’s the rotary volume control that can be placed anywhere on your desk for easy access, and that includes a headphone jack for when those around you don’t need to hear what you’re listening to. These are simple features that many of the best speaker manufacturers often overlook.

Product Edifier E3350

Full Story » | Written by Ed McKell for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Mac Software, Games

Big news this morning is that Freeverse has been bought out by games publisher ngmoco following a major infusion of funding for the latter company.

It’s a smart purchase: Freeverse has made several games for the App Store which turn up in the Top Picks section, but Mac users of another decade will remember them as the makers of oddball games like Burning Monkey Solitaire and more offbeat “toys” such as Sim Stapler and, of course, Jared, Butcher of Songs. In recent years, though, Freeverse shifted away from OS X development to focus on the more lucrative iPhone/iPod touch market.

No word yet on how the purchase will affect Freeverse in terms of corporate identity (and how odd it is to type that phrase when referring to the makers of Jared), whether they will continue as a distinct unit inside ngmoco or be absorbed entirely. We’ll update you when we know more.

Via Touch Arcade

Full Story » | Written by Bill Stiteler for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Features, Opinions and Editorials, Originals

Sex might sell, but Apple doesn’t care. If you’ve browsed the App Store before, you may have found that a large portion of apps are what we like to call “risqué.” Apple’s position on this topic has never been concrete in nature, and they’ve changed their mind yet again. Last week, Bill Stiteler wrote about Apple’s removal of some specific sexy apps on the App Store, but more details have surfaced since then.

As you can see on the graph above from AppShopper, the bulk of these dangerously sexy apps were removed on February 18th.  A normal day may see around 100 apps removed, but on the 18th nearly 4,000 were taken down. It’s said that, in all, over 5,000 apps were removed as a result of “numerous complaints,” or so says Apple.  This is a significant decision considering that this accounts for about 5% of the App Store. And, in the end, I’m thankful; not because I hate competition or freedom to release any kind of app that you want, but because most (I said most, not all) of these were useless or redundant in nature anyway. So, good riddance!

If you pay attention to the stream of new apps that launch on the App Store on a daily basis, which I do, then you already know that several times daily a long string of repetitive app titles comes along.  These apps are often essentially galleries embedded in an app.  Do we really need 4,000+ apps that are just galleries full of scantily clad women?  Save the knee jerk response, because the answer is actually no.  HTML is perfectly capable of performing the tasks that most of these apps did, and better yet, they don’t fill the App Store with junk.

But again, my opinion here doesn’t cover everything.  Apple isn’t exactly consistent with what they bar from or permit in the App Store, and many apps were likely removed unnecessarily as a result of their recent change of mind, and that’s always unfortunate for legitimate developers.

I’d be interested to see if the nature of these “numerous complaints” were in the same spirit of my thankfulness for the reduction of useless clutter and junk from the App Store, or if these were actually complaints about adult content.  I’m doubting Steve will ever allow the Adult iTunes Store, and for this I am thankful.

I may regret this, but I would like to hear what you think about this in the comments.

Read MacRumors and Appletell

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »