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

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for December 16, 2009:

Macintosh

• Spiderweb Software has released Avernum 6 v1.0.1, a free update to their Indie Macintosh fantasy role-playing adventure. This upgrade fixes a handful of minor bugs and makes the game overall somewhat easier. Avernum 6 is a fantasy role-playing adventure set in Avernum, a nation of miners, adventurers, and misfits in an enormous series of tunnels far below the surface of the world. However, the combined blows of a devastating famine and an invasion of the savage, reptilian slithzerikai has at last threatened the survival of your homeland. Only you have the chance to lead your people to safety.
• app4mac has released the final version of Projector 2, a powerful project management application for Mac OS X. Projector provides all the tools you need for professional project management. It is designed to keep track of tasks and calculate a project’s cost. Whether your job calls for managing large construction projects, complex media activities or detailed time schedules, creating, tracking and managing your projects will be much easier.
• Widget Press, Inc. has introduced FormEntry 1.0 for Mac, their new form application development tool for Mac OS X. FormEntry features point and click development for iPhone and iPod touch applications. With zero programming required, creating form based applications for iPhone or iPod touch devices is now simple and straight forward. Drag and drop controls, add icons, update parameters and custom edit each post setting. And, build it all with a single mouse click.
• Maxprog has announced iCash 6, its personal finance and money manager for Mac OS X and Windows. iCash can serve several small accounting needs for either private users, clubs, associations, self-employed, or small business, making keeping track of incomes, expenses and Bank transactions a snap. Version 6 is available now in English, German, French, Swedish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese on Maxprog website with a lot of new features and improvements.
• Goya has announced BaseElements 2.6, the latest update to the ultimate FileMaker Pro developer tool for analysing, documenting and completely cross-referencing every element in FileMaker Pro database systems. The integration of fmSearchResults adds a fast solution-wide search to BaseElements so that you can find any text used anywhere in your solution. Additionally, the new localisation functionality will extend its reach beyond the English speaking FileMaker world.
• Twelve South has introduced the SurfacePad, a super soft, ultra-thin layer of luxury leather that dresses up and protects the keyboard deck/wrist rest area of MacBook Pro from scratches, dirt and discoloration. SurfacePad is available now in Smooth and Pattern styles for the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro. The retail price is $39.99 for both sizes, and the product is available immediately.
• Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio, has sounded a rallying call for past players of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) with their new Call to Arms Reenlistment Campaign. All past subscribers of WAR are invited to return to the game between December 16th-23rd to receive special in-game item rewards and ten (10) free days of game time to discover why WAR is now even better than ever!
• Tagtraum industries has announced beaTunes 2.1, an update to the popular iTunes library management and music analysis tool for Mac OS X and Windows. The new release features a 64Bit Mac version as well as increased speed, automatic lyrics import and improved duplicate detection. It can detect various types of metadata, such as beats-per-minute and musical key, as well as find and fix typos and inconsistencies such as misspelled artists and rarely used genres.

iPhone/iPod

• EyeTV 3 users can now stream live television over a 3G connection to an iPhone. With Elgato’s new EyeTV Live3G web app, you can watch live TV and EyeTV recordings anywhere. The web app connects your iPhone to your Mac at home. It uses state-of-the-art HTTP Live Streaming technology to deliver high quality video streams without sacrificing battery life. The Live3G web app is available immediately and is part of EyeTV 3.3, a free update for EyeTV 3 users. The web app complements Elgato’s recently introduced EyeTV app for the iPhone, which delivers live TV to an iPhone over a Wi-Fi connection.
• Strimko is a logical puzzle game based on the popular web-based puzzles of the same name. Constructed on a similar concept to the popular Sudoku, but with its own unique logic, it will provide a continuing challenge to puzzlers who are looking for a new type of puzzle. Strimko puzzles are compact which means that they are ideally suited to the the iPhone. All puzzles are hand-crafted by experienced puzzle designers to provide an ongoing challenge and attractive puzzle designs that will challenge experienced puzzlers, yet be accessible to casual players.
• Big in Japan has announced that ShopSavvy 1.1 for iPhone is now available for free download at Apple’s iTunes Store. The new and improved version of ShopSavvy features a number of enhancements based on feedback from iPhone users. ShopSavvy enables users to comparison shop on the go for more than 20 million products at more than 20,000 retailers worldwide, simply by scanning the product’s barcode using the phone’s built-in camera.
• Korotoff Republic has introduced Your name in Japanese 1.0, its completely new language translator for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, “Your name in Japanese” is a transliteration table which maps English letters into Japanese sounds in a unique and systematic way. The application is useful for study purposes, such as the persons origins, as well as choosing a name or a nick suitable for them.
• Zicron Software Limited has introduced Gift Box 1.0, their new shopping and gift organizer for iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities and touch interface, Gift Box serves uniquely as a gift notebook, allowing shoppers to take a photo of any item, keep track of how much it cost, and what store it was in. Collect gift ideas all year round, keep a personal wish list, email gift ideas to friends and family, and more.
• Obvious Matter has announced DiskLibrary 1.9.6, their easy-to-use disk cataloging solution for Mac OS X. DiskLibrary is indispensable if you have a lot of media to keep track of. DiskLibrary catalogs not just your complete file structure, it also creates thumbnails, and stores metadata, for most popular media formats. DiskLibrary is capable of importing export formats from CDFinder, FileFinder, WhereIsIt, DiskCatalogMaker X and DiskTracker. Version 1.9.6 offers many performance improvements.
• PressOK Entertainment has launched updates for both the Free and Full versions of Finger Physics, an insanely addictive puzzle game that pits your fingers against the, (supposedly) infinite power of the laws of physics. The new update, now available for download, adds 9 new levels to the Free version, and 27 new levels to the Full version of Finger Physics.
• Herp Games has announced that Defend Your Phone 1.1 is now available for download at Apple’s iTunes App Store. This major update introduces a tutorial and help system. The game combines two very popular game genres: The strategy and weapon upgrading from popular tower defense games and the finger flicking action from defend your castle games. The player has to defend his phone against waves of enemies that try to push it off the screen.
• Speed Forge Extreme, the high-speed 3D combat racing game for iPhone and iPod touch developed by RatSquare has hit the app store. Speed Forge Extreme combines high-speed combat and explosive on the iPhone and iPod touch. Race and Battle modes showcase devastating impacts, powerful weaponry and stunning 3D environments as players race hovercrafts over the Martian planet surface.
• Mission: Deep Sea, an underwater action-adventure game is now available. The year is 2016, and gamers play the role of a soldier who has a synaptic link to a loggerhead sea turtle. Innovative use of the touch screen allows players to use their fingers to move the turtle’s flippers in multiple directions as it navigates through stunning underwater environments.
• MyWeather, LLC, an industry-leading developer of digital weather and traffic content, is pleased to announce the release of Huafeng Weather for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Huafeng is the only officially authorized weather services provider in China. Huafeng Weather has recently gained special notoriety for its inclusion in Apple’s TV commercial campaign There’s An App for That, now airing in Beijing, Shanghai and other select cities in China.
• CAZE has released animal print cases, new Swarovski crystal cases for iPhone 3G/3GS. Animal prints are hot this fall and winter, Zebra and Leopard print are classy and sassy without being trashy. CAZE believed this trend will remain strong in 2010 so they decided to embellish its Zero 5, the World’s Thinnest iPhone case, with Swarovski crystal in two most frequently used animal prints: Zebra and Leopard.
• Visit Paris, created by Geodio, allows you to discover the history of the France‘s capital city through 50 creative videos and a GPS system. Relive in pictures the building of Notre Dame cathedral, or the last days of doomed Queen Marie Antoinette. Meet Eiffel before his Tower, learn what’s under Sacré Coeur church, see where the Statue of Liberty was born, and the unknown Louvre…
• ColcaSac brings new-look Kindle cases and iPhone/iPod cases just in time for the holidays. Each ColcaSac sleeve is unique and a breath of fresh air from the carbon copy neoprene competition. Each design adds an original flavor unseen in Kindle, iPhone/iPod and MacBook sleeves today including the natural appeal of the original sleeve made from all-natural environmentally friendly fabrics. Review samples available.
• Disney Interactive Studios has announced the latest (and loudest) addition to its slate of Apps, The Muppets Animal Drummer [iTunes App Store link]. Available now on the App Store for $1.99 The Muppets Animal Drummer puts iPhone and iPod touch users in the drummer’s seat for a game that will test the skills of every wannabe rock drummer out there. Watch and listen to Animal play, then match Animal’s beat and timing to score points and unlock new songs.
• Tunewear has announced it is now shipping the GameHandle compatible with iPhone 3GS/3G and iPod touch 2G. GameHandle gives you a better grip on iPhone or iPod touch when playing action and racing games. Take your mind off the grip and put it into the game.
• GameFly would like to remind of their free iPhone app: GameCenter, the complete one stop destination for video game information, offering users access to information on more than 5,000 video games across all major platforms. The app offers up-to-the minute news, videos, screenshots, release dates, user reviews, gameplay controls, cheats, codes and more.
• Penpower Inc’s WorldCard Mobile App for the iPhone 3GS allows business users to take photos of business cards and have them inserted directly into the user’s contact book. The application recognizes cards in seven different languages making it the ideal iPhone app for the business user. WorldCard Mobile uses Penpower’s proven OCR technology to provide superior recognition quality, allowing for text detection from many cards other readers cannot access at much faster speeds.
• Marware is pleased to announce the ClearShell for the iPod nano 5G is now shipping. The ClearShell is made of clear and durable polycarbonate with a smooth finish. The ClearShell allows for easy access to the headphone jack, hold switch and dock connector, and the design makes inserting or removing your iPod nano a snap. Clear protection and a slim design let you show off your nano’s true colors. The ClearShell comes with Marware’s Lifetime Warranty.