Finally recognizing the iPad and iPhone as important business tools, Apple has started a new volume purchasing program for businesses.
∞ Amazon plans tablet for fall
“Amazon.com Inc. plans to introduce a tablet computer before October, said people familiar with the matter, in a move that will heighten the online retailer’s rivalry with Apple Inc.” This Wall Street Journal article has Yukari Iwatani Kane’s byline on … Continued
∞ Doxie personal, portable scanner adds Lion, Yojimbo support
Apparent has announced updates to its tiny Doxie portable scanner. The software update is available for free from the Doxie Web site.
∞ Gratuitous Tank Battles game coming soon
Game developer Positech Games is following up their successful game Gratuitous Space Battles with Gratuitous Tank Battles. The game is in development for Mac OS X and Windows, and is due out later this year.
∞ Bus-powered Guardian MAXimus mini RAID now 2TB
Newer Technology has introduced a new 2 terabyte (TB) version of its MAXimus mini portable RAID hard disk drive. It costs $300.
∞ Sandvox updated for Lion, offers iWeb transition deal
Karelia Software has updated its Sandvox Web site creation software to version 2.1. The update is compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion.” Sandvox 2 costs $77.
∞ EA buys PopCap for $650 million
The numbers were off but the news was right: Electronic Arts (EA) has purchased casual game publisher PopCap Games for $650 million. The deal is expected to close in August.
∞ iWeb, iDVD updated
Apple has updated iWeb to 3.0.4 and iDVD to 7.1.2. Both updates are available through the Software Update system preference. You can also download them from the Apple Support Downloads Web page.
∞ Parallels offers Enterprise Edition
Parallels on Monday announced Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac Enterprise Edition, a new version of their virtual machine software for Mac OS X. It’s available to businesses as an annual subscription service.
∞ Turn your iPad into a Star Trek PADD
If you’ve ever wanted to turn your iPad into a Personal Access Display Device – a PADD, a seen in Star Trek – here’s your chance. CBS Interactive on Monday released Star Trek PADD for the iPad. It costs $4.99.
∞ Apple updates iLife '11 apps
Apple has updated three of the applications it includes in its iLife ’11 suite of applications – iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto. The new versions, 9.0.4, 6.0.4 and 9.1.5 respectively, are available for download through the Software Update system preference.
∞ Pangea iOS games go free, Monday only
Pangea Software has announced that they have made their games for iOS free, for Monday only. The company is marking its third anniversary on the App Store by making their entire catalog of iOS games free. The sale lasts from … Continued
∞ Study: iOS games make more revenue from in-app purchases
A new blog post at mobile apps analytics firm Flurry underscores the importance of so-called “freemium” apps at generating revenue for developers.
∞ IDC: iPad still leads tablet market, which lags overall
A new report from International Data Corp. (IDC) shows that the “media tablet” market isn’t as strong as previously thought, though the iPad is still the most dominant device.
∞ App Store tops 15 billion downloads, $2.5 billion paid to devs
Apple on Thursday announced a milestone for the App Store: more than 15 billion apps have been download from the App Store.
∞ Airfoil 4.5 improves iOS, iTunes, AirPlay support, more
Rogue Amoeba has announced the release of Airfoil 4.5, and it’s a significant update to the audio software for Mac OS X. Changes include improved iOS, iTunes and AirPlay support, and much more.
∞ Griffin, Crayola introduce software and stylus for iPad
Griffin Technology and Crayola on Wednesday announced the release of Crayola ColorStudio HD for iPad. It’s software that combines with an “iMarker,” a marker-shaped stylus which lets kids draw and create on their iPad. The software is available for free … Continued
∞ Study shows iOS users play, pay for more games
If you’re an iOS developer chasing the money by making a game, you’re on the right track, if a new study from Nielsen research is any indication.
∞ Official Pokémon game coming to iOS
Kotaku reports that an official Pokémon game is coming to iOS and Android this summer called Pokémon Say Tap? BW. This marks the debut of an official Pokémon game for smartphones.
∞ Skype 5.2 for Mac brings group screen sharing, video in call control bar
Skype has announced the release of Skype 5.2 for Mac, a new version of its popular voice, video and chat software. The new update is available for download.
∞ AT&T insurance picks up where AppleCare leaves off
AT&T will soon make its Mobile Insurance program available for iPhone users, MacRumors reports. The program costs $4.99 per month and carries a $50 or $125 deductible, as well.
∞ 'Trend…against' cell phone/brain cancer link
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently made headlines when it called cellphones “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” A new review of research from Britain, the U.S. and Sweden says there is, in fact, no evidence linking cancer and cell phone use, … Continued
∞ Report: Samsung drops lawsuit against Apple, but continues counter-claim
Bloomberg reports that Samsung has dropped its lawsuit against Apple, but the legal feud isn’t over between the two companies – not by a long shot.
∞ Apple seeds Lion GM to developers
Apple on Friday released a Gold Master (GM) build of Mac OS X “Lion” to developers. It’s no great surprise, since Apple already announced July as the release month for Lion, but it’s a good sign that Lion’s release may … Continued
∞ Bungie returns to the Apple fold, sorta
Bungie is the video game developer behind the legendary Halo franchise, so when it makes a move, gamers and game industry analysts tend to pay attention. Now the company’s turning its sites to mobile and social gaming with a new … Continued
∞ Thunderbolt RAID beats pants off FW 800
When connected to the iMac, the R6’s AJA System Test read scores came in at 566MBps—6.8 times faster than the DS4600 using FireWire 800. Even more impressive was the R6’s 644MBps AJA System Test write score, which is 11.5 times … Continued
∞ Enough with the *gates already
Big or little, significant or silly, real or faux – doesn’t matter. It gets gated. This has been an annoying practice for years. It’s knee-jerk. It’s easy. It’s boring. Worst of all, it suggests a false equivalency. Watergate was serious … Continued
∞ Apple posts Final Cut Pro X FAQ
Apple has posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list for Final Cut Pro X, its recently released pro video editing software. The FAQ seeks to answer some questions that users transitioning to the new software have asked.
∞ Blizzard makes World of Warcraft free, up to level 20
Blizzard has announced World of Warcraft “Starter Edition,” a new version of the game that is free to play – up to a point. Gamers who download the software will be able to play as much as they want, but … Continued
∞ Twelve South intros new BookArc for MacBook Pro
One of my favorite Apple peripheral makers, Twelve South, on Tuesday introduced a newly redesigned BookArc made especially for Apple’s most recent refresh to its line of MacBook Pro laptops. The new BookArc costs $49.99.