Appletell | Apple, Mac, iPhone, iPod | News, Rumors, Reviews, How-Tos

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 5, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• Hyperbolic Software has announced Tidy Up! 2.2.0, the latest version of the award-winning duplicate finder and disk tidying utility. Tidy Up! has become a must-have utility to reclaim disk space being taken up by duplicate files and packages. Tidy Up! locates duplicate items using a wide range of criteria including owner application, time created or modified, name, label, extension and content. Version 2 introduces nearly 50 new features to this already comprehensive tool.
• Zenopolis has released Tiptoe 1.0, a new privacy application for Mac OS X. Tiptoe is the first Mac privacy application to bring a “private browsing” like feature to all sorts of applications. This initial release supports 15 popular Mac applications, enabling users to run these applications without a trail of their actions being stored. The ability to reset (remove) existing privacy data is also included. Tiptoe is $19.95 (USD), a Universal Binary for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later.
• St. Clair Software has announced the release of Default Folder X 4.3.6. Default Folder X enhances the file dialogs in all Mac OS X applications. It provides fast navigation to your files, convenient previews, integrated Spotlight tagging, and more. Version 4.3.6 addresses issues with Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac OS 10.4 Tiger, Google Chrome and PhotoMechanic, as well as providing smoother and more consistent operation overall.
• ExactCODE GmbH has announced the upcoming major update of ExactScan 2. The next version 2.10 features a new, unique TWAIN Bridge to enable third party applications to utilize ExactScan’s built-in drivers and image processing. Additionally the new version adds automatic color detection, automatic source selection and more OCR languages. ExactScan 2.10 is currently Beta, and will be available as free update for ExactScan 2 users at the end of March, Q1, 2010.
• Art Authority is a new application for the Macintosh and iPhone, which Open Door Networks believes is an invaluable and very affordable resource for anyone interested in Western art” students, teachers, and art lovers. The app’s 1,000+ artists and 40,000+ works of art are by far the most available for either platform. A release for the iPad is also planned.
• Zevrix Solutions has announced that BatchOutput Server, its output workflow automation solution for InDesign, is selling at 50% off on maczot on March 9th. Originally developed for a major publisher in the United States, the software automates InDesign output by processing files from hotfolders. BatchOutput Server offloads printing and exporting to PDF and PostScript to a central system leaving operator workstations free from the output process.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• Treebune’s app and web service that allows users to send instant messages from their page or Facebook profile went free the other day, releasing a fully functional Lite version of our app pushme.to. They have chosen not to limit any functionality, so the app has all the goodness of the paid version, including web widgets, Facebook support, unlimited message and image sending both from web to iPhone and between iPhones. The unobtrusive ads can be switched off using in app purchasing. User accounts are 100% compatible with Full version.
• Bottoms Up is a tongue-in-cheek “beer goggles” game that challenges players to show their beer sliding and drinking prowess. As a reward, girls in the bar get friendlier and, needless to say, hotter. Jyke the Bartender, spokesperson for Bottoms Up, indicated “I like to think of this as part of community service I do for hapless guys who walk in my bar and complain about not getting the girls around them.”
• Zidware, Inc. has announced My Colorz & Shapes, their newest educational iPhone app to join My Alphabet, My Numberz, Matheroids and ABC Invaders into the Nanoschool Kids series of personal learning for children. My Colorz & Shapes is a powerful way for young preschoolers to learn basic color and shape recognition as they read their way within a virtual classroom environment with active participation from the Nanoschool friends.
• TAS Productions has announced the release of Sleeping Pill 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch devices. Sleeping Pill is specifically designed to help you sleep. The developers researched various methods for accelerating the sleeping process and created a precise 3 stage procedure. Stage 1 helps clear your mind so you can relax and free yourself to fall asleep. Stage 2 - Helps you relax and relieve stress, while Stage 3 helps your eyes tire.
• Connect2Media has started offering its innovative iPhone and iPod Touch puzzler Timeloop free of charge. Timeloop follows a charismatic, yet clumsy janitor android called Nik as he attempts to save a space lab from destruction after an experiment goes horribly wrong. With many scientists to rescue and a horde of feline test subjects to contend with, it’s needless to say that everyone’s having a bad day.
• Apps & More Software Design, Inc. has announced Job Timer, a task time tracking and reporting solution designed to be run by Script Timer, its popular script, Automator workflow, and application scheduling utility for Mac OS X. With minimal setup Job Timer can automatically keep track of the time spent on files belonging to any number of specific jobs, with no need to have to remember to start or change timers.
• eeThree Software, recipients of 3 MacWorld “Best in Show” Awards, announced its first game: ImageQuest 1.0. A pictonym puzzle game for the iPhone OS, the player is asked to find the single word that links together a group of pictures. The challenge is to quickly identify the pictures, and keeping the question category in mind, type in the word that solves the puzzle. Players are scored for accuracy and speed, may advance through 30 levels, and can compete on-line.
• Independent iPhone developer Robert Chitoiu has announced the release of Balance Forecasting 2.2 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Balance Forecasting helps the user be more organized when it comes knowing how much money will be in their account on any given day in the future. At the same time, it provides a simple and streamlined user interface for accomplishing this task.
• Quirky has officially released Wrapster—a community developed earbud cord management solution. With Quirky’s Wrapster, you can say good-bye to annoying tangled earbud cords. Simply wrap your cords vertically around the Wrapster from bottom to top to keep them in place. Once wrapped, pop the earbuds through the two designated holes at the top of the Wrapster to keep them from dangling.