Macintosh/iPhone software update round-up – March 20-21, 2009

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for March 20-21, 2009:

Macintosh

• Candywriter has announced the release of World of Blackjack for Mac OS X. World of Blackjack is a comprehensive blackjack simulation that recreates the unique table experiences of popular casino destinations including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Macao, and Monte Carlo. World of Blackjack has been designed for both the avid player and novice alike and includes detailed play analysis, report cards, strategy cards, hints, lifetime statistic tracking, and 22 card counting systems.
• Milk Farm Software today announced the release of version 1.1 of Chronograph, the Mac OS X Application for tracking project time. Add your projects, divide them into tasks and start the timer. With its intuitive interface, Chronograph makes time-tracking and reports-generation as unobtrusive as possible. Chronograph started as extremely simplistic app and version 1.1 brings major usability improvements.
• Macgamestore.com has announced the release of Sally’s Spa for the Macintosh and popular digital download application, Mac Games Arcade. Sally’s Spa is the sequel to the hit casual game title, Sally’s Salon. After a much needed break from life in the hair salon business, Sally and her friend Nell are teaming up to take the Spa world by storm. Visit 10 gorgeous Spa locations spread across the world, on a quest to melt away everyone’s stresses by relaxing in your Spa.
• Carbonite has announced the general release of its online backup solution for Mac. Carbonite, the leader in online PC backup, has combined the successful features of its popular backup services with the unique needs of Mac users to create a simple, reliable and secure online backup solution for Mac. The product features simple set-and-forget backup for those who want to have an automated backup process they don’t have to manage. For those interested in being more involved, Carbonite has several features to manually manage the backup process.
• illumineX has announced a free software give-away to Macintosh User Groups as part of their 2009 MUG sponsorship program. In exchange for a banner link on the MUG web site, participating MUGs will receive ten licenses for HoppiX. Each Macintosh User Group can use the software however they like: raffle the software to raise money for the MUG, or give away the licenses as door prizes to boost meeting attendance.

iPhone/iPod

• CMG Research Ltd today announces the release of Sudoku Grab 1.3, their puzzle grabbing and playing tool for iPhone. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s unique abilities and interface, Sudoku Grab uses the iPhone’s camera to grab an image of a sudoku puzzle from a newspaper or a book. The image is then located and processed automatically using optical character recognition (OCR). The numbers are recognized, ready to play.
• Tired of not getting your share of the applause? With iApplaud you can have the applause you desire at the touch of a finger. Just select one of the 20 premium professionally sound quality clips and have your personal crowd ready to applaud you on command. Give positive feedback to your friends and co-workers in any occasion.
• Want to make your friends laugh at the best/worst possible times? Well now you can with i-Laugh’s 20 high quality digital laugh sounds to fit any occasion. Play them during that boring work meeting or have fun with friends at a restaurant or just hanging out.
• Smule has released an enhanced version of the acclaimed Ocarina. With Ocarina 1.3, you can now play it using touch or wind. This feature enables the product to have compatibility with 2nd generation iPod touch devices. Users of the iPhone will have access to both modes: wind via blowing against your microphone, or touch. In touch mode, you only need to hold down holes to create sounds and music.
• mStation | mophie has announced the immediate availability the latest Juice Pack which is designed to offer second generation iPod Touch users twice as much time to watch, rock, surf and send. The juice pack is a rechargeable lithium polymer battery in the form of a non-slip, soft grip case, offering many fantastic features.