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

Macintosh and iPhone software updates and announcements for March 11, 2009:

Macintosh

• publicspace.net announces the availability of version 1.6.6 of The Big Mean Folder Machine, their easy to use file/folder management utility. The new version adds new folder naming options and further optimizations to its processing engine.
• Like Thought is proud to announce Opacity 1.3, a major update to their screen graphics editor. Opacity streamlines the image creation workflow by combining a great vector editor and pixel editor with native support for all screen graphics formats. Version 1.3 adds an improved Pen Tool, improved Text editing, and several other new features that makes Opacity even better for designers. Opacity Express 1.3 is also available with the core features of Opacity 1.3 at a more affordable price.
• Ohanaware today announced Funtastic Photos, an update to their user friendly Photo Editor for the Macintosh platform. Funtastic Photos is a non-permanent and easily reversible photo editor, with over 50 simple to use 1-Click Styles, featuring an advanced effects engine and sharing capabilities. Version 1.0.4 includes 37 modifications to all areas of the product, including 7 new features.
• iPresentee has released Keynote 3D Stuff 2.0M, a package of 3D images to be used with Apple’s Keynote, iWeb and Pages. Keynote 3D Stuff package includes 115 different high quality, detailed, easy to use and attractive 3D objects for developing a great-looking presentation, website or document. From futuristic apple to pencil, from metal to glass objects, and a lot more.
• Creaceed has released Hydra 2.1 for HDR Image creation to improve user experience and HDR creation performance. Another major enhancement is the fact that you can from now on download either the stand-alone version of Hydra or the Aperture plug-in separately. Everyone can therefore select right from the start which version they would like to install.
• ManyCam 1.0 for Mac OS X was just released today, and is absolutely free. ManyCam allows you to use your webcam with multiple applications simultaneously. For example stream live from Ustream.TV while video chatting with iChat AV. You can also create your own custom webcam graphics and add them to your webcam, stream or use one of the thousands of graphics submitted by other users.
• Dare to be Creative Ltd. today announced the release of Sponge 1.2, an update to the system clean and optimize tool for Mac OS X. Sponge combines three techniques to reclaim disk space into a single tool: removing applications, finding duplicates, and finding large files and directories. The new version offers greater disk space savings by tracking down more installed applications and finding duplicates faster.

iPhone/iPod

• Hydrix today announced iCount for iPhone and iPod Touch. iCount is a simple and remarkably useful new application that allows the user to track the time of any activity or to keep count of anything they wish. Each time you record an action iCount gives that action a time stamp. This simple data can be exported to your favourite spreadsheet for further analysis. Perfect for anyone who needs to record their time for work or pleasure.
• Controlled entirely by orientation, Pulse is a unique game for iPhone and iPod touch involving sound, color, and hand-eye coordination. The goal is to “catch” all of the colored pulses emitted from the central orb. The player can be guided by either sight or sound as they rotate their device in sync with the ever quickening pulses. It’s simple fun for casual players, with a new kind of challenge for seasoned gamers as well!
• Kirk Tech has announced The Alarm Clock for iPhone and iPod touch. This is not just “yet another clock application,” it was designed to take advantage of everything the iPhone and iPod Touch have to offer to create the best possible alarm clock experience.
• The new Glacier National Park Notecast for the iPod Classic, iPod 5th Generation and iPod nano is now available on the Application Store for the iPod.  At 110 pages of interactive content, complete with photos, it’s a cutting-edge guide to all of Glacier National Park…and it’s all on the iPod.
• ACQYR has released the iAmHappy iPhone app with over 500 positive affirmations to help people through these uncertain times. With all the negativity swirling around us during this economic turmoil, it’s hard to keep a positive outlook and so this new iPhone application delivers a dose of positive affirmations. The positive affirmations have been specially crafted to transform your mental attitude and bring a more positive feeling in a negative world.
• The Retronyms, makers of the top selling iPhone app, Recorder, have developed a real-time GPS-based word building competition called Seek ‘n Spell. They think it’s the first iPhone game of its kind and will add a whole new genre of use for the iPhone as a mobile entertainment device.

Video Special

You’ve just gotta watch this. If ever a video made me want to buy a product, this is it.