Apple expands refurb Aluminum iMac offering

Apple's supply of refurbished current-generation Aluminum iMacs has grown to include three versions. Apple's reconditioned current-generation iMacs -- which feature black glass and polished aluminum construction -- include the 20-inch 2.0Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo model with 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive CD/DVD burner, and 128MB of video memory for $1,049; 20-inch 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo model with 1GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive CD/DVD burner, and 256MB of video memory for $1,299; and the 24-inch 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo model with 1GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive CD/DVD burner, and 256MB of video memory for $1,549.

Briefly: Speeding up Aperture...

In brief: 32 ways to speed up Aperture, Linotype Cosmiqua -- a new Kobayashi typeface, a new Photoshop CS3 book has been released, the weirdest unboxing of an iPod Shuffle ever, and Miglia has expanded its distribution ... Steve Weller has put together a comprehensive list of ways to speed up Aperture. Some are quick, some are cheap, some are neither. Among them: "Turn Off Spotlight If you have images on a drive or partition separate from your boot disk, disable Spotlight for that drive. This will prevent the OS from attempting to index and reindex the library and its images and will make things a little faster."

Apps: Tidy Up!, Transmit, Sound Byte

• Tidy Up! 1.3.1 ($30) search for duplicate files and packages; by the owner application, content, type, creator, extension, date modified, date created, name, label, visibility and more. You can also search by the tag, duration and bit rate of MP3s and AACs audio files, search the content of the iTunes, iPod and iPhoto databases, search the messages of Mail and synchronize deletions with iTunes, iPhoto and Mail. The new release adds German localization. [Download - 8.3]


• Transmit 3.6.3 ($30) FTP client. Transmit 3.6.3 improves Transmit's compatibility with Leopard, fixing a few known Leopard issues (including a potential crash with playing a sound when a transfer is complete) and improving our user interface. It also offers fixes for everyone, including better Amazon S3 compatibility and more. [Download - 8.2MB]


• Sound Byte 3.4.4 ($40) turns your Mac into a" cart machine" for playing sound recordings, such as music and special effects. The latest version of Sound Byte includes these changes: The "Click Restarts Playback" option is now also available on a per cart basis, added icons for play list files, and playlist windows retain their last position and size. You can select up to 75 recordings per rack (screen) and assign a button to each. [Download - 4MB]


• FND (film is not dead) 1.0 ($13) allows you to store, in one place, all your knowledge and experience about film development, completed with times, dilutions, and your notes about any particular film or developer, or combination of both. FND also helps you in the development process, thanks to its built-in timer. A timer that suggests when you should agitate your development tank (every 30 seconds), and that can go fullscreen, so you can see how much time is left from your bathroom sink. [Download - 1MB]


• CoachStat Baseball Version 1.2 ($60) team management and statistics program for schools and other organizational baseball teams. This release adds the ability to keep track of league standings, opponents scores, and generates html pages of league standings. Features include complete demographic information, medical data and pictures for team mates and a one-window interface for game day entries. [Download - 18.6MB]

SeV intros 19 new iPod-friendly garments...

ScotteVest today introduced a full line of clothing designed for Apple's iPod that includes 19 different garments, ranging from jackets and vests to hoodies, pants, t-shirts and polos. The new technology-enabled clothing (TEC) also includes two new women's garments designed to answer the demands of women who would rather not carry a purse. ScotteVest clothing features patented 'Personal Area Network' technology that allows users to wear clothing without any visible wires, and connects devices through a hidden conduit system.

Apple ups iPhone limit to five in US, UK...

Now that sufficient quantities of iPhones are in circulation, Apple recently raised the limit that customers can purchase from two to five. SetteB.IT reports that out of the 1.4 million sales in the US, 18-percent have not been registered with AT&T, which the company assumes are currently in Europe for the most part. Originally, customers paid with a credit card, and Apple would use this to ensure that no more than two iPhones would be sold to the same person. The iPhone is available through either the wireless carrier or Apple's stores in the US and Great Britain, but French and German customers have to purchase their phone from Orange and T-Mobile stores, respectively.

MacPractice EMR Ability for MacPractice MD...

MacPractice has released MacPractice EMR Ability for MacPractice MD. The new software is the only single-vendor fully integrated EMR and practice management solution designed for Mac OS X, according to MacPractice. Doctors can create and interact with clinical data including Health History as well as Clinical Notes via graphic annotations. MacPractice EMR Ability is priced at $2,500 plus $500 annually for support and updates.

Piranesi, 3D tool, gets UI refresh...

Informatix Software has announced the release of Piranesi version 5 for Mac OS X. The 3D painting and rendering application for creation of photorealistic and non-photorealistic artist impressions is used in landscape design and construction, interior design, product design and development and computer-generated animation. The new release includes a user-interface overhaul, as well as various functional enhancements. It is also now a Universal Binary with complete optimization for Intel-based Macs and Leopard compatibility.

KeynotePro releases 'Oak Park' Keynote theme...

KeynotePro today released Oak Park for Keynote '08, a new theme for Apple's Keynote software designed to bring the Arts & Crafts movement design approach into the digital age. The theme boasts a richly-textured and hand-crafted look with a restrained, user-driven design, according to KeynotePro. "The included master slides - a range of standard, Caption Style and Book Style designs - blend classic layout with hand-detailed linework and accents to give your presentation a subtly organic, almost hand-drawn feel." Oak Park standard edition is available for $20, or in a bundle with two other standard edition themes for $50.

iPhone encroaching into corporate space...

The iPhone is gaining popularity with businessmen and corporations in spite of its focus, Reuters writes. The phone is nominally a combination of an iPod with typical smartphone applications, but its execution is such that major companies -- like SAP and Salesforce -- have allowed sales and finance teams to use it for work outside the office. SAP recently announced that it would release an iPhone version of its customer relationship management software, but more importantly, before new versions were available for traditional "business" phones such as the RIM BlackBerry or the Palm Treo. The cause of this was reportedly SAP's own salespeople, who were demanding the iPhone due to ease-of-use.

Tunewear ships PRIE TouchStand leather case...

Tunewear today began shipping the PRIE TouchStand leather case for iPod touch. The soft black leather enclosure is designed for versatility as well as style, allowing users to open the flip cover for full access to the iPod touch's multi-touch display and home button. Closing the case provides protection for the iPod within, while a wide clip enables users to attach both iPod and case to a belt or or pocket. The Tunewear PRIE TouchStand is priced at $30.

Apple Japan starts new 'Lucky Bag' deal

Apple's Japanese online store has once again launched a "Lucky Bag" deal to coincide with the holidays. From now until December 25th, visitors to the site will be able to enter to buy one of 200 bags, 10 going up each day, for 35,000 yen after tax; the key is that shoppers will never know exactly what is in the bags until January 2nd, when they finally ship. Apple will say however that the bags should contain handpicked assortments of iPod accessories, along with other music items.

Apple unveils 'Now What' Get a Mac ad...

Apple has unveiled another 'Get a Mac' ad featuring Justin Long and John Hodgman as 'Mac' and 'PC' titled 'Now What.' The new spot begins with the usual introductions, after which Hodgman brings light to the fact that large numbers of people are currently looking to purchase computers. Long agrees, but acts surprised when Hodgman introduces his new book titled 'I want to buy a computer, now what?' Following a short explanation of Apple Stores and the ease of purchasing the right Mac with the help of Apple's personal shoppers.

Apple coffers filled to over $15 billion...

Apple is hoarding more money than virtually any other tech company in the United States, regulatory findings show. The company currently holds $15.4 billion in unused reserves, more money than even IBM, Intel or Google. Only Microsoft and Cisco have a greater amount, and nearly a third of Apple's stockpile -- $5 billion -- was added in just the last year. This is in part because the company does not pay dividends, buy major companies, or repurchase much stock.

Europa Universalis 3: Napoleon's Ambition...

Virtual Programming has released Europa Universalis 3: Napoleon's Ambition as a digital download. The game challenges players to delve into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare, and diplomacy while exploring historical content. The Napoleon's Ambition expansion takes Europa Universalis III players into the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, spanning up to the year 1820. Europa Universalis III: Napoleon's Ambition is priced at $20, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

O2: 75 percent of iPhone buyers will be new...

Eventually, three out of every four buyers of the iPhone in Britain will be people switching to O2, says incoming CEO Matthew Key. Key is replacing Peter Erskine, who was responsible for brokering the deal with Apple to launch on November 9th. Reuters notes that the terms of the deal have never been made public however, except to say they involve revenue sharing; similarly, both Key and Erskine are refusing to say exactly how many iPhones have been sold since the product's UK debut, except that the number is within expectations.

First Look: Algoriddim's Djay 2.0 software...

Mixing music as a disc jockey can be an cluttered proposition, requiring turntables, a mixer, expensive needles, among other pieces of equipment. A decent collection of vinyl can also prove to be unwieldy for some who don't have vintage record or specialty shops nearby. Algoriddim's Djay 2.0 provides users with most of the resources they will need for doing gigs and live parties. By using an iTunes library to provide mixing material, users require little more than the app, a Mac some headphones and speakers, maybe a USB audio interface if they want to do some of Djay's more advanced features.