IDG announces Independent Developer Pavilion...

IDG World Expo has announced the Independent Developer Pavilion, a new floor area dedicated exclusively to independent Mac software developers. Available for Macworld 2010, the area is intended to attract attention from media, shoppers, industry and potential investors. When taking part in the Pavilion, developers are asked simply to bring a notebook and their product, as IDG will provide the remaining services and equipment.

MCS Music sues Microsoft, Yahoo, Real Networks...

MCS Music America has filed a lawsuit against Real Networks, Yahoo and Microsoft over alleged music copyright infringements earlier this week. The copyright administration company claims the defendants breached copyright on several pieces of music and their artists. MCS represents a large number of other plaintiffs and says streaming music services such as Rhapsody, Zune and Yahoo Music allow users to retain the copyrighted tracks for an extended period of time, saying the defendants are required to obtain the rights for such a form of distribution.

iPresentee announces iWeb Intros add-on...

iPresentee has announced iWeb Intros, a set of Flash welcome clips meant for Apple's iWeb design tool. The templates can either stand on their own, or be incorporated into an existing static template. Arrangements in the initial package include Desert, Groove, Paint, Splatter, Dreamy Intro and Multilingual Greetings.

Facebook iPhone app to get image zoom, uploads...

Facebook is preparing an update to its popular iPhone app, with several features designed to take advantage of the latest firmware, according to Inside Facebook. Facebook 3.0 integrates a new menu selection for news feeds, along with a section for organizing events or sending RSVPs. Users can create new photo albums, view profile picture albums or upload content, while image viewing supports zoom.

TurningPoint AnyWhere 2.0 upgrades interface...

Turning Technologies has launched a new version of its poll creation and sharing software, TurningPoint Anywhere 2.0. The software features a floating toolbar, which allows users to poll in any application and receive a display of both questions and results. Version 2.0 delivers an improved interface, a function for creating and storing questions in advance, and dynamic charts for real-time results during polling.

Broken iPhone screens now replaceable at retail...

Owners of an iPhone with a broken screen can now have the display replaced at an Apple Store, reports say. Apple has typically kept most of its iPhone repairs out of retail, instead relying on central facilities to have a device fixed if it is not simply swapped. Replacing a display involves a special machine, which removes the old one using suction, allowing a new one to be attached with minimum struggle.

Sprint plans 3G femtocell before AT&T...

Sprint this week staked its ground and claimed it would be the first US carrier to have a 3G femtocell. The company was already the first American firm to have any kind of femtocell in the Samsung Airave but now says to Unstrung that it should beat AT&T to having a device that can share 3G data with the home, improving reception for some smartphones and other devices that don't have their own Wi-Fi. Most current femtocells only boost voice service by creating a miniature cellular signal that pipes all data through a home Internet link.

Microsoft to sell Windows 7 family packs...

An investigation of Microsoft's licensing for Windows 7 has revealed today that the company plans to introduce a Family Pack bundle for the new OS when it ships in October. Kristan Kenney has found installation rights for "qualified" Family Pack owners that give owners of that special copy the option of installing it on two extra PCs without encountering activation problems. The Family Pack only appears for the Home Premium edition's license and not for Professional or Ultimate.

iPhone 3GS behind AT&T's 'best-ever sales day?'...

The iPhone 3GS launch on June 19th produced a "best-ever sales day" for AT&T's retail stores, a leaked memo is said to claim. The carrier similarly notes that it experienced its second-largest amount of one-day foot traffic, and the most transactions and upgrade eligibilities it has ever had to process. This comes despite also recording the largest-ever number of phone and feature orders through the AT&T website.

EU scraps plan to tax phones with GPS, TV...

In some good news for local cell phone manufacturers, the European Union's plan to introduce new taxes for handsets sold throughout Europe has been scrapped, says a Wednesday report. The new taxes would have raised prices customers pay for new phones and most likely lowered the sales numbers of an already falling market. The decision came from Sweden, which hosts the rotating presidency of the EU, and will mean the Customs Code Committee will continue to treat cell phones as duty-free items.

Palm Pre demand has 'settled'...

Sales of the Palm Pre have cooled off to where supply is keeping up with demand, JPMorgan analyst Paul Coster said in an investment note today. He believes that about 270,000 Pres will have shipped in the first month of sales but that waiting lists have largely been reduced, revealing a near-ideal balance in what Palm ships each day. About 40,000 of the smartphones are estimated to now ship each week through Sprint directly, while more should also arrive through Best Buy and Radio Shack.

Apple aims for patents on iPhone RFID, haptics...

A variety of Apple patent applications have been newly published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, exposing possibilities the company has been considering for the iPhone and iPod touch. Unusual filings include one for an RFID tag reader, which would be embedded within a handheld's touchscreen, allowing users to scan an RFID tag simply by passing the device over top. An iPod or iPhone could alternately be made to operate as a tag itself, quickly transmitting information such as personal identification.

LG prepping Black Label iPhone challenger, more...

LG is developing a new designer phone that would specifically target the iPhone, the company's wireless chief Ahn Seung-kwon told Korea's Yonhap today. Only providing a teaser, he says the future device would ship in the fall and come within Black Label series that has so far been reserved for LG's best non-smartphones, such as the Arena and Viewty.

AMD Radeon HD 4200 to fight NVIDIA's 9400?...

AMD is developing an integrated graphics chipset for budget PCs that could take the performance crown in the category, a leaked roadmap shows. Codenamed RS880 but likely to be badged Radeon HD 4200 when it ships, the design will have a new graphics core that should run about 15 percent faster than "anything comparable" on the market, implying that NVIDIA's GeForce 9400 or 9400M may be the primary targets. The Inquirer adds that it should support AMD's Stream general-purpose computing technology and, by extension, would eventually support OpenCL.

Apple working to patch iPhone SMS vulnerability...

Apple is working to fix a critical vulnerability in the iPhone's text messaging function, says security researcher Charlie Miller. Presenting at the SyScan conference in Singapore, Miller explains that while he has agreed with Apple to avoid details -- at least until the next Black Hat USA meeting -- he can say that the vulnerability might allow a hacker to run exploits on a remote phone, using code sent through SMS. In theory an affected phone could be used to track a person's location, or listen in on ambient conversations; alternately, it could be made to participate in a botnet or a denial-of-service attack.

Current CULV notebooks too cheaply built...

Many of the Windows PC makers building ultraportable notebooks based on Intel's low-cost CULV platform are learning first-hand that their cheaper case designs aren't enough to sustain the systems, a research note from AmTech analyst Doug Freedman says. Many of the companies design the systems with plastic shells to keep their prices down but are discovering that the cases are cracking, often forcing major replacements. Which companies are affected aren't mentioned, but Lenovo and MSI are some of the first making systems in the category with the IdeaPad U350 and X-Slim line respectively.

Sonos readying touchscreen controller...

Sonos is poised to update its veteran home audio controller with its first touchscreen model as a leak has shown this morning. Where the existing controller depends on button controls and a small screen to steer the wireless audio system, the CR200 spotted by Automated Home would have a much smaller overall profile but a larger touchscreen as its near-exclusive interface. All the multi-room audio selection and track queuing of the current model appear to carry over, as would a charging cradle for power.

Gridiron launches Flow product management app...

Gridiron Software has launched its workflow tool for professional product management, Gridiron Flow. The application provides creative professionals and workgroups with the ability to see, access and share project files within one interface. Gridiron Flow was recently available as a public beta and has added several new features with its full release, such as Share Maps and support for Adobe CS4. Other functions provide users with real-time access tracking, and time-tracking of how much time was spent on a file or project.

Electric Rain releases Swift 3D 6.0 update...

Electric Rain has released Swift 3D 6.0, the latest update to its standalone 3D modeling and animation tool. Swift 3D allows designers to build and export vector and raster-based 3D animations for Macromedia Flash, as well as QuickTime, AVI and other formats. Version 6 delivers additional support for Boolean Operations, bump map texture, and soft shadow, and is said to provide five-times faster Raster Rendering speeds. Support has also been added that allows users to export to Papervision 3D 2.0 and Collada .dae formats, while automatically creating the full Papervision project.

Psystar ships new clone, vows to "battle Goliath"...

Despite a recent Chapter 11 filing and the continuing legal battle, Psystar has introduced a new Nehalem-based clone. The company distributed an e-mail introducing its "fastest and most quiet computing configuration available," while reminding customers that the bankruptcy proceedings will not put an end to its continuing operations, according to ChannelWeb.

OmniGraphSketcher app builds graphs for presentations...

The Omni Group on Wednesday released OmniGraphSketcher 1.0, a program designed to help users build graphs for presentations. The tools combine data plotting capabilities of charting applications, but with a simple interface similar to a basic drawing program.

FireFox 3.5 has hidden multi-touch gesture for tabs?...

MacMagazine has released a tutorial on how to enable multi-touch gestures in Firefox 3.5. The gestures allow users to alternate tabs via twisting. By opening a new window or tab in FireFox and typing “about:config” into the address bar, users can gain access to a filter list; in some cases a warning message may pop-up when loading the filter list. Users then search for “browser.gesture” within the filter search bar, in order to get a full list of settings which consists of controls and gestures.

Syntext releases Serna free XML editor open-source...

Syntext has released its Serna Free XML editor as open-source software. The application is a WYSIWYG XML editor designed to help writers freely author XML documents and allows users to work with DITA, DocBook and other common XML formats. To help in reducing time from the authoring process, composite documents are rendered using XSLT and XSL-FO, in order to achieve a print-like sequence. Other features include full support for UNICODE, and a multilingual spell checking function based on Aspell library.

iPhone 3GS narrowly leads Consumer Reports ratings...

The iPhone once again leads Consumer Reports' smartphone ratings, beating competing products such as the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm. The organization considered Apple's new 3GS handset to lead in categories such as battery life, multimedia, navigation and Internet browsing, while integrating a superior display.

Hammacher Schlemmer intros The Only 3D Webcam...

Hammacher Schlemmer has introduced The Only 3D Web Camera, a new webcam that records three-dimensional videos. The device integrates two cameras which record slightly different images that are combined to create a stereoscopic image. Video is captured with 800x600 pixel resolution at 15 frames-per-second, with the ability to focus on objects as close as 12-inches away. The camera can also provide 2D picture-in-picture or side-by-side videos, along with typical webcam feeds.

MacSpeech releases legal version, software update...

MacSpeech has released MacSpeech Dictate Legal, and MacSpeech Dictate 1.5.2. The Legal version provides speech recognition tools for legal professionals and their support staff. Users can create legal petitions and briefs or build client consultation records. Text and commands can be dictated directly into applications, with support for more than 30,000 words and legal-specific terms. The software is bundled with a USB headset that provides a microphone for input.

AT&T network delaying iPhone voicemail alerts?...

Several reports suggest AT&T may be experiencing problems with delayed alerts for voicemail messages sent to iPhones. Tech support representatives provided more insight to Glenn Tenney, a computer security expert who recently noticed that many messages took days before being listed in the iPhone's visual voicemail.

Apple already dropping NVIDIA chips?...

Apple and NVIDIA may be engaged in a fierce dispute that could exclude NVIDIA graphics chips from future Macs, according to sources reportedly aware of the talks. They claim to SemiAccurate that Apple views NVIDIA's proposals for renewed deals as "arrogance" and that much of the argument centers on the overheating material that triggered widespread failures in all GeForce 8400M and 8600M mobile graphics chips. The Mac firm has had to extend MacBook Pro warranties for up to three years and may be skeptical of NVIDIA's insistence that newer models aren't at risk of the same problem.

LightWorks 8.1 extends real-time rendering...

LightWork Design has announced the latest version of its 3D rendering engine, LightWorks 8.1. The code is designed for developers of 3D graphics software, and allows them to create a wide range of rendering functions and simulated effects such as radiosity and ambient occlusion. Version 8.1 focuses on real-time rendering, and includes improvements to EPix output such as anti-aliasing. When using programmable shading, real-time rendering has been given support for soft shadows and shadow catching.

Cadent adds cloud service to wineCellar 2.0...

Cadent Computing has released wineCellar 2.0, adding a new cloud service called Cadent Cloud. The new cloud service allows wineCellar 2.0 users to sync wines entries and then access the information via a desktop web application or a mobile Internet site that is iPhone compatible. Up to 500 Wines can be synchronized in the cloud at any given time and the first year of the service is free to licensed users, with additional years of service costing $15 per year.

Nisus Writer Pro 1.3 upgrades document manager, more...

Nisus has added a new document manager and other new features to its word processor in Nisus Writer Pro 1.3. The document manager can now manage any file located on internal or external drives. Users can create file groups or use predefined smart groups. Version 1.3 also adds a style library, a selection history, menus that convert to toolbars and an advanced search that utilizes Apple's Spotlight technology. Automatic character, word and paragraph counts are new, along with an option for automatic capitalization of the first words in each sentence.

OWC offers 4GB RAM, 6GB Kits for iMac, White MacBook...

Other World computing has launched new Memory upgrades for Apple iMacs (Early 2008 models) and the 2009 White MacBook 13". The iMac offerings include a new DDR2 800MHz 4GB module and 6GB kit, allowing for a 5GB or 6GB setup that is not available from Apple. The 4GB memory module is $150 and the 6GB combo, which includes both 4GB and 2GB RAM modules, costs $170. OWC also has 2GB and 1GB options at substantially reduced pricing vs. Apple factory charges. The memory sticks carry a lifetime OWC warranty.

AT&T to offer BlueAnt Q1 Bluetooth headset...

AT&T on Wednesday announced it will soon begin offering the BlueAnt Q1 voice controlled Bluetooth headset at its retail locations and online store. The headset, first released at the start of April, has noise-cancelling functionality and allows users to control it via voice commands. Integrated multipoint technology lets users pair up the headset to up to two different handsets at the same time.

Uniea reveals updated cases for iPhone 3GS...

Uniea has announced three iPhone 3GS case updates and a new hip case. The U-Suit Premium, U-Skin, and U-Suit Folio Premium have all been upgraded. The U-Suit Folio Premium, a soft leather flip-case, now allows access to the headphone jack and the volume control. The U-Suit Premium is another leather case, which has gained three material options: original, Napa and black Intrecciato.

EU roaming price caps come into effect...

The previously promised cap on roaming rates for phone calls made from cellular devices went into effect today. The European Commission-mandated cap applies to calls made throughout the 27-country union, and is estimated to save consumers as much as 60 percent in cellular phone bills. The new limits will drop the price of making a call in a country other than one's home to the equivalent of 61 cents per minute, excluding sales tax, from 65 cents. Receiving calls will fall from 31 cents to 27 cents.

Zer01's unlimited cellular now live, minus iPhone...

Zer01 today kicked off the launch of its self-titled Zer01 Mobile cellphone service. Roughly as promised, the service uses custom software and a unique network trick to funnel both data and voice through a VoIP system rather than the usual network, bypassing most of the costs associated with running a usual cellular plan. To exploit the uncapped data, it now has built-in access to NetMovies downloads from the company's front-end app.

Apple updates MobileMe with iPhone features, more...

Apple has detailed a series of recent changes to MobileMe, its online hosting and sync service. Many of these are iPhone related, for instance allowing iPhone 3GS owners to upload a video to a Gallery album, or if no album exists, create a new one automatically. Contacts and calendars can be merged on the first sync of an iPhone or iPod touch, and when deleting a MobileMe account or disabling sync, handheld devices retain information. This includes associations between ringtones and contacts.

Apps: Cocktail, iPod Access Photo, TorrentDam, Layers...

Cocktail 4.4 (Leopard Edition) ($20) is designed to allow access to some of the more complicated functions within the Unix shell. The latest version adds the ability to reset home directory permissions and access control lists, while providing options to set Time Machine's backup intervals and other settings. The new release also expands support for network interfaces and Safari 4. [Download - 1.9MB]

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NVIDIA Ion sequel to be much faster?...

The sequel to NVIDIA's Ion platform could be much faster than its predecessor when it ships, leaks today would show. While the current graphics and chipset combo is based on the GeForce 9400M and has just 16 visual effects cores, Fudzilla now hears that it will have 32 cores, potentially doubling the amount of simultaneous effects it can handle at once. The difference will have the most dramatic effect on 3D but could also impact general-purpose computing tasks that need CUDA or OpenCL.

New Greenpeace guide lauds Apple, attacks PC makers...

Large PC builders are dragging their feet when it comes to environmental promises, claims Greenpeace. The activist group has once again updated its Guide to Greener Electronics, which assigns relative rankings to major high-tech corporations. A new development is the assignment of "penalty points" to major PC builders, including HP, Dell and Lenovo. The companies have delayed plans to strip PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from computers, Greenpeace says, and in the case of HP, none of its current systems have reduced toxicity.

USB 3.0 PCs due before end of the year?...

The next-generation USB 3.0 interface may reach customer PCs before 2009 is out, despite an earlier report to the contrary. Industry members believe Taiwan-area PC makers will be the first to release computers equipped with USB 3.0, as working prototypes of the interface, which promises 5GBps transfer speeds, are abundant at computer technology shows. These included PC hosts transferring data to connected external SSDs and interoperability between components from different vendors.

O2 UK sells out of iPhone 3GS...

O2 UK has sold out of the iPhone 3GS, according to the carrier's inventory tracker. Citing "phenomenal demand," the company says it has run out of stock for every ordering method, including online, by phone and at retail locations. More stock is only expected by the end of the week, though O2 adds that the iPhone 3G remains available everywhere.

Pioneer adds 4 Elite receivers with iPhone hooks...

Pioneer on Wednesday brought out four new home theater receivers to its flagship Elite lineup, including the top-rung SC-27 and SC-25, as well as the slightly lower-end VSX-21TXH and VSX-23TXH. All four have a customized USB/composite cable that allow users to integrate their iPhones and iPods into their home theater audio systems. Once connected, the Apple devices can be controlled via the systems' remote controls, and their content sent to 2nd and 3rd zones setup in the home. The SC-series units are meant to reproduce uncompressed Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks found in movies recorded on Blu-ray Discs. Both have a Direct Energy HD Class D amp based on ICEpower.

Microsoft picks ad firm for "Pink" phone...

Microsoft has picked the ad firm that will represent its "Pink" smartphone interface, sources said Wednesday. AdWeek hears that a contract bid has been won by McCann Erickson's TAG group, trumping others. The leak doesn't include any details of what "Pink" involves but adds that McCann already handles advertising for Windows Mobile, supporting the phone connection.

Macs on upswing in 2009 after shaky start...

Mac sales are on the rebound following the terrible early months of 2009, says Morgan Stanley analyst Kathryn Huberty. While growth has sat in negative territory for a good deal of the year, a fact typically attributed to global recession, May saw shipments climb 25 percent month-over-month, as compared to overall market expansion of only 1 percent. NPD figures have continued to rise in recent weeks, spurred by the announcement of updated MacBooks.

Palm Pre to get UK launch info next week...

Palm today told the UK press that it will hold an event July 7th regarding the Pre. The company stops short of confirming it as a launch event, but it's commonly assumed by Pocket-lint and others that the gathering next week will provide details of Pre with GSM and HSPA-based 3G and will likely include a release window as well as details of which carriers will sell the smartphone. Pricing is also a possibility.

iPhone 3.1 beta tweaks Voice Control, baseband...

More features from the iPhone 3.1 beta have been discovered, according to reports. Aside from enabling MMS by default, and allowing third-party apps access to the video editing interface, the new beta is said to finally allow use of Voice Control through a Bluetooth connection. iPhone owners should thus be able to speak commands into a Bluetooth headset, as opposed to Apple's earbuds or the iPhone's built-in microphone.

Alienware reveals own 16:9 mainstream LCD...

Alienware today quietly introduced its own desktop display built both for gaming and movie viewing. The OptX AW2210 is intended as a multi-role display with a 21.5-inch, 1080p LCD that has not only DVI for computers but, in a rarity for the class, dual HDMI ports. Viewers can hook up a pair of HD sources like a Blu-ray player or game console and maintain their native aspect ratios without losing access to the computer.