GizMac's Aluminate protects 3G Nanos...

GizMac's previously announced combination aluminum-polycarbonate case for the 3G iPod nano, the Aluminate, is now shipping. First unveiled in January, the Aluminate case protects the entire Nano, including the screen and click wheel. The case can be secured by using either the included lanyard or carabiner. The Aluminate for 3G Nanos comes in five different colors: black, silver, blue, pink and green. It is available for $30, and includes two colors in the same pack.

PulpMotion 1.5 adds anti-aliasing, optimized exports...

Aquafadas today unveiled PulpMotion 1.5, an update to its utility designed to make and share video montages, adding a few new features. PulpMotion 1.5 enhances the quality of exported video, and also includes anti-aliasing techniques to remedy the appearance of "jaggies" in video footage. Aquafadas also implemented a new Museum theme called RainbowMuseum, allowing users to change various colors and textures in the design. New users can purchase PulpMotion 1.5 for $45, with a free upgrade available for registered users.

Briefly: Stereo Orb, Rush's Mac rant...

In brief: We have a review of mStation's 2.1 Stereo Orb, a Toon Boom Harmony update has been released, Rush Limbaugh complains about Time Machine, Back to My Mac, and there's a new fix for AppleScript's interaction with Google Desktop in Leopard ... We have posted a review of mStation's 2.1 Stereo Orb, which provides deep, rich bass and upscale features at a lower price than most other systems with a sub-woofer. This charming, yet innocuous little ball packs quite a punch. The matching colored plastic covered dock attachment is interchangeable with any of the six included iPod adapters. These are held in place by rubber rings, which is another sign of attention to audio detail, especially in a device that is designed to put out a lot of bass.

Apps: Graph Paper Maker, MacTFTP...

• Graph Paper Maker 1.8 ($20) lets you create your own custom sheets of graph paper. It is ideal for students, teachers, engineers, scientists, researchers, businessmen, and others who need to create specialized sheets of graph paper. The latest release of Graph Paper Maker adds an option for using the Hydraulic (1.85 power) scale, an option to directly set the maximum scale value for an axis, and several bug fixes. [Download - 1.4MB]


• MacTFTP Client 1.2 ($12) enables send and receive, provides for multiple, simultaneous transfers, and more. It also provides an optional password field required by some devices such as the Linksys series of routers. The new version is now a Universal Binary that will work natively on all Macs running MacOS X 10.3.9 or later. [Download - 2.8MB]


• CGIScripter 2.83 ($20) multi-platform development tool for generating Perl CGI scripts for 9 different database servers. The 2.83 update is a maintenance release including fixes for generating DB2 database scripts and a re-compile of the program as a MacOS X Universal Binary application, compatible with MacOS X Leopard. [Download - 2.6MB]


• iGet 2.7 ($200) file transfer tool designed specifically for the Mac. It allows users to log into their accounts on remote Macs and browse, search, and download the files they need. It can stop and resume file and folder transfers, displays the real Mac icons and Finder labels for remote files, understands Mac aliases and can perform Mac-specific tasks like putting files into the Trash remotely. [Download - 7.8MB]

ZeusDraw 1.3 adds CMYK, PDF vector functionality...

Chromatic Bytes recently unveiled ZeusDraw 1.3, an update to its vector-based illustration and design software, adding a number of new or enhanced features. ZeusDraw can now use either the RGB or CMYK color model with new documents, as well as color profile for color management in the document space. Users can now perform bitmap exports in either CMYK or grayscale. New users can purchase ZeusDraw for $90, while a 30-day demonstration version is available for download as well.

Expo organizers post session videos...

Organizers of the Macworld Expo have posted numerous videos of special sessions held at the conference. Featured videos include Microsoft Office 2008, Digital Photography Safari, and iPhone Super-Session. Other videos are categorized under Mac OS X, Applications, Photography, Design, iPod, and Technology. Various videos include Best of Leopard OS X Hints, Mac OS X Features You Don't Use but Should, Real World Mac Troubleshooting, and Running Your Mac Clean and Mean.

Skype update adds 38 bug fixes, Leopard compatibility...

Skype Technologies recently unveiled Skype for Mac 2.7.0.257, bringing with it 38 bug fixes, and much tighter compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Among the Leopard-specific fixes, Skype would sometimes crash when ending video calls, or when moving the "Send Video" windows. In addition, chat window emoticons would sometimes be shown in the wrong "Space" in Leopard; this has been resolved. Skype 2.7.0.257 is available for download from Skype's website.

First Look: SuperDuper! 2.5...

Sometimes backing up your crucial files is not enough. Ordinary backup programs may copy your files and Time Machine can retrieve files that you may have changed or deleted. Unfortunately, if your Macintosh hard disk completely fails, backups and Time Machine can only recover your data, but they won’t help get your Macintosh back up and running in a hurry. That’s where SuperDuper! comes in to save the day. Instead of just copying individual files, SuperDuper! clones your entire hard disk, preserving your complete Macintosh program settings and files. SuperDuper! can even share an external hard disk with Time Machine. Now Time Machine can protect individual files while SuperDuper! protects your entire hard disk.

Softpress to ship Freeway 5 on March 27th...

Softpress Systems today announced that both Freeway 5 Pro and Freeway 5 Express will ship on March 27th, 2008. Freeway is designed for developers who prefer to focus on design issues, rather than coding. The update brings the ability to create CSS menus, personalized blogger templates, and a range of dynamic effects from fade to pulsate. Freeway 4 Pro users can upgrade to the latest release for $70, while upgrades from Freeway 4 Express to Freeway 5 Express are available for $40. A public beta version of the software is available from the company's website.

Vara ships ScreenFlow screencasting app...

Vara Software today began shipping its ScreenFlow screencasting software package for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The software features screen, camera, and audio capture systems alongside advanced timeline-based editing features. Users can mix down a screencast with effects like 3D or 2D zoom and pan, mouse callouts, foreground window callouts, picture-in-picture, reflection, drop shadow, and more. ScreenFlow is priced at $100 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later.

OWC unveils Mac DVD/CD burner upgrades...

Other World Computing (OWC) today unveiled new Superdrives and CD burners for all Mac computer models. The company's drive upgrade -- the 20X DL SuperDrive DVR-115D -- reads as well as writes DVDs, CDs, and dual-layer DVDs. Capacity for dual layer DVDs is 8.5GB at speeds of 10X; regular DVDs for 4.7GB capacity at 20X; and CDs for 700MB at 40X. "For most Macs, this is an incredibly easy upgrade and one of great return for anyone who's currently making or planning to make their own DVDs or CDs," OWC said. The new drives are priced from $30 and up.

FlowerVest iPod touch, nano cases debut...

Agent 18 today debuted two new FlowerVest cases for Apple's iPod touch and iPod nano players. The cases come in two designs which include pink with pink flowers and brown with blue flowers, aiming to protect the iPod while adding style with a floral print featured on both front and back. Touch FlowerVest cases are made from soft silicon and easily slip onto the iPod touch, providing full access to ports as well as the touch screen interface. Touch FlowerVest cases are priced at $30, while Nano FlowerVest cases are available for $20.

Kollective.de unveils Tinbot iPod cases...

Kollective.de today unveiled The Tinbot, a new generation of iPod cases featuring original designs from trendsetters in contemporary art. The cases aim to protect the iPod within, and feature art from vinyl toy designers Mad, Sket-one, and Christopher Lee. The company is offering a matte white Tinbot that users can customize on their own. Tinbot cases are priced at $30 and work with iPod video as well as iPod classic models.

Launch2net ready for new AT&T modems...

Nova Media today highlighted launch2net -- an application that handles setup as well as connections to the internet for PC card and ExpressCard modems -- on the heels of AT&T's new LaptopConnect modems. "If you need a bit more than just a connect/disconnect button, launch2net is the right software for you." said Jan Fuellemann of nova media. "launch2net offers advanced statistics, auto-connect, disconnect after a certain time or traffic spend online, a menu icon so the software does not have to be running to establish a connection and more." Launch2net is priced at $110, and requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later.

Artlantis 2 preview reveals shader creator...

Artlantis has unveiled a preview of Artlantis 2, detailing the 3D rendering application for quick and easy creation of high-quality real-time still images and animations. The software is designed for ease of use with an intuitive interface, boasting full radiosity with global illumination and real sky simulation capability. Artlantis 2 features automatic light adjustment to dynamically balance lighting levels in scenes from dawn to sunset (pricing was unavailable, and a release date is pending).

VisualHub 1.31 updated for Apple TV Take 2...

Techspansion has released VisualHub 1.31, an update to its universal video conversion software for Mac OS X that works with Apple TV 'Take 2.' VisualHub eases the conversion process while offering pros an advanced panel for changing all pre-set aspects of encoding. "Converting a bunch of AVI files to a DVD shouldn't require a Computer Science degree," the company writes. "Getting movies from your digital camera to your iPod shouldn't take hours." The software is priced at $24, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Google: iPhone searches dwarf rivals...

Google has announced that Apple's iPhone is dwarfing the competition in Internet searches, with Web surfers using the iPhone 50 times more than any other mobile handset. "We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again," Vic Gundotra, head of Google's mobile operations told the Financial Times at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The results are bolstering Google's confidence about generating revenues from the mobile Internet arena.

iChat Pro simplifies iChat's interface...

Infinis Design recently unveiled iChat Pro, a reskinning feature for Apple's iChat application that simplifies the user interface to be more compact. Designed for users that are comfortable with using right-click contextual menus to navigate the application's functions, iChat Pro removes the somewhat redundant communication buttons at the bottom of the buddy list, and trims extraneous features from the top. iChat Pro is free to install for all users of iChat.