Mac, iPod sales grow once again in February
Mac sales were up 43 percent year over year during the month of February, according to a note from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. As seen by Apple Insider, Munster forecasts that Apple will reach somewhere between 2.8 and 2.9 million sales in the March 2010 quarter, a number slightly above most Wall Street estimates. Similarly, iPod sales saw positive growth in both January and February, with a five and 10 percent increases respectively. February marks only the second month since October of 2008 that iPod sales have seen year-over-year growth, as the sales of traditional iPod models have been steadily (and expectedly) decreasing while Apple ramps up the hype on the iPod touch. This strategy has been working, as Apple reported in a recent earnings call that it had seen 100 percent growth in iPod touch sales year over year. With estimated iPad sales looking impressive already, it would come as no surprise if Apple saw decent overall sales numbers for the month of March. However, whether or not the iPad will eventually pilfer sales from Apple’s portable line and cut into overall margins remains to be seen. Read the comments on this post
published yesterday, 7 hours 56 minutes ago, ars-technica
Aliceís Tea Cup Madness and Edenís Quest debut for Mac
Macgamestore.com has announced two new games, Edenís Quest: The Hunt for Akua and Aliceís Tea Cup Madness. With Edenís Quest players take control of a famous archaeologist who has embarked on a treasure hunt on an isolated island. The game contains over 100 puzzles and riddles to solve, along with various hidden objects to find. During the main characters travels players can interact with a variety of characters spanning 20 different areas....
published yesterday, 8 hours 27 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
MyThoughts 1.1 adds new file exporting, printing options
Mode de Vie Limited has unveiled a new version of its Mac-based mind-mapping software, MyThoughts 1.1. The software allows users to create detailed brainstorming maps using a variety of text and images. New features found in v1.1 include improvements to the Auto Branch layout, expandable and collapsible branches, and a new function for panning large mind-maps. Additionally, the upgrade also provides a variety of exporting improvements and printing options....
published yesterday, 9 hours 12 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
onOne launches Free Editions of PhotoTools, PhotoFrame
onOne has launched new free versions of its PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5 plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop. PhotoTools is an image enhancement plug-in that delivers over 300 different photo altering effects. The Free Edition is based on the standard version of the software with a few less features included. It provides 15 of the most popular effects such as Bleach Bypass and Cross Process which are used to generate classic photographic effects, as well as tools for automatic skin smoothing....
published yesterday, 9 hours 12 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Wearable computing expert now Apple "prototype scientist"
Apple has hired an expert in "human-computer interaction for mobile applications" to complement its research and development in mobile computing, according to a new report from Computerworld. Richard DeVaul, known for his work in the field of "wearable computing," is Apple's newest senior prototype scientist. DeVaul originally studied architecture, anthropology, and physics at Texas A&M before working on a masters degree in visualization science. Before finishing his masters thesis on "novel dynamics constraints approximation algorithm for computer animation applications," DeVaul left Texas A&M to pursue an MD and later PhD degree in Media Arts and Sciences at MIT. While at MIT, he also worked as a research scientist at MIT's famous Media Lab. DeVaul's PhD dissertation revolved around a project called "Memory Glasses," which were designed to provide the wearer with context-sensitve cues to assist in memory recall. Much of the research focused on determining how to determine context, including using GPS location and accelerometer data—something that Apple's mobile devices can already provide. Research into how to present recall clues also showed that subtle, even subliminal information could prove useful in assisting memory—the same kind of subtle clues and interactions that are evident throughout the iPhone OS. After DeVaul finished his PhD, he spent the last six years working as the CTO and president of AWare Technologies, which he also co-founded. AWare originally focused on mobile monitoring technologies for athletic and military applications, as well as motion analysis for Olympic teams. The company later focused on adapting its technology to fitness tracking applications, including developing the StepTrak Lite activity tracking iPhone app. AWare's FitAWare system is similar in some respects to a system that Apple recently applied to patent that generates workouts that users can use to compete with each other as a sort of game. Apple has also teamed up with Nike in the past on the Nike+ run-tracking system as well as a system to track exercise on certain gym equipment, both of which interface with iPods and some iPhones. As Apple's senior prototype scientist, DeVaul reports directly to SVP of industrial design Jonathan Ive, ostensibly developing and building prototypes of mobile—and likely wearable—computing devices. Reportedly only seven people besides Ive and CEO Steve Jobs will even know what he is cooking up inside Apple's research labs. DeVaul will likely explore ways to make computing devices that are ever more mobile and constantly accessible, a job that fits Apple's direction as a mobile devices company. Read the comments on this post
published yesterday, 11 hours 55 minutes ago, ars-technica
XML Co-Founder Joins Google, Blasts iPhone
conner_bw writes "XML co-founder Tim Bray has taken the job of 'Developer Advocate' at Google. Don't other companies call that position 'Evangelist?' Because he sure doesn't mince words against the iPhone in his first sermon: 'It's a sterile Disney-fied walled garden surrounded by sharp-toothed lawyers. The people who create the apps serve at the landlord's pleasure and fear his anger.'" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
published yesterday, 12 hours 25 minutes ago, apple-slashdot
Novell shows way to port Xbox 360 games to iPhone, Android
Software developer Novell on Monday demonstrated new technology that should bring some Xbox 360 games to iPhone and Android users. MonoTouch, which recognizes the XNA 4.0 kit needed for the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7, will have the ability to convert the Microsoft libraries to both the Apple and Google platforms. Microsoft itself is not making such efforts, instead only bringing its games to Windows Phone 7 handsets....
published yesterday, 12 hours 32 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Lenovo intros multi-touch LCD, other widescreens
Lenovo has introduced three LCD monitors, the 21.5-inch L2261, 23-inch L2361p, and 23.6-inch L2461x. All have 1080p resolution, and the 23.6-inch model is one of Lenovo's first with multi-touch capability. This high-end model also has built-in speakers, a microphone, four USB ports and a 2-megapixel webcam. The panel is fast with a 120Hz refresh and musters 300 cd/m2 brightness, 1,000:1 contrast and a 5ms pixel response time....
published yesterday, 12 hours 47 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
GigaPan rolls out EPIC Pro camera panorama mounts
GigaPan on Monday introduced a new range of robotic camera panorama mounts. Now expanding to a trio, the line includes the EPIC, EPIC 100 and EPIC Pro. All are meant to produce multi-gigapixel images by stitching together hundreds of images thanks to included post-processing GigaPan Stitch software....
published yesterday, 12 hours 52 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Apple puts out Aperture SlideShow Support Update 1.1
Apple tonight released its second fix for Aperture 3 since launch. Aperture SlideShow Support Update 1.1 (3.3MB) mends video problems and specifically solves a problem with HD video playback in slideshows run on Snow Leopard systems. Regardless of size, audio and video should also now remain in sync after a video's length has been trimmed....
published yesterday, 13 hours 2 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network