Macintosh/iPhone software update roundup – October 28th, 2009

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for October 28, 2009:

Macintosh

• IntelliScanner Corporation has announced IntelliScanner Comic Edition 200, the smart barcode scanner and software package that automatically organizes comic book collections and other media items. It automatically identifies comic books by issue number, providing full details like the title, date, writer, penciler, inker, and more. IntelliScanner bundles an award-winning USB barcode reader and comic database software, making it easy to track and inventory collections.
• CTM Development has announced FoxTrot Professional Search 2.5, an update to their popular networked document indexing and retrieval solution for Mac OS X. Developed with law firms, media and mobile professionals in mind, FoxTrot Professional Search helps locate documents and their contents using multiple categorization of search results, ranked by relevance. Utilizing the latest Cocoa technologies, the application works directly with PDF, HTML, word processing, e-mail and rich-media metadata.
• Xeric Design has announced EarthDesk 5.1, an update to its award-winning, real-time dynamic desktop map for Mac OS X. EarthDesk 5 was entirely rewritten in Cocoa, adds many new features and is compatible with both Leopard and Snow Leopard. Version 5.1 adds a new cloud contrast control, fixes minor bugs and has several internal improvements. EarthDesk replaces your static desktop with an image of the Earth showing current sun, moon and city illumination, and more.
• ExactCODE GmbH has released ExactScan 2.8, a major update to their modern and easy-to-use scanning software Mac OS X. ExactCODE continues to provide automated and intelligent document scanning for the Macintosh. Version 2.8 adds support for several portable document scanners, including the all-new Avision AV50F, as well as other popular devices such as the Visioneer RoadWarrior or Xerox Travel Scanner 100. OCR quality, PDF compression and accuracy are further improved as well.
• iPresentee has released iWeb Themes 6.0 for Apple’s popular web site building application. iWeb Themes 6.0 includes five new remarkable themes animated with flash: Personality, Simple, Town, Violet and WildLife. In addition new package of themes includes five ordinary themes with static backgrounds. iWeb Themes with flash is a new outstanding solution combining iWeb and Flash into one great product.
• XChange UK has announced a free Adobe InDesign Server and Automating Adobe Creative Suite 4 seminar. On 23rd November at Adobe offices in Regents Park London, users can learn how implementing InDesign Server can automate the design, layout and typographical abilities of Adobe InDesign CS4. In addition, there will also be demonstrations of Switch solutions from Enfocus that provide configurable automation of Adobe CS4 applications for a variety of publishing environments.
• Karelia Software has announced Sandvox 1.6.5, the award-winning website building application for Mac OS X. This is a maintenance update, free to all registered users. Through the entire month of November, Karelia is offering a promotion where Mac users can get a free license to Sandvox Pro by purchasing one year’s worth of web hosting from either A2 Hosting or Server Logistics via the links on the Karelia Hosting Comparison Chart web page.
• SkypeCap has announced SkypeCap for Mac 3.6, an update to their Skype video and audio session recorder for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, SkypeCap for Mac allows recording of audio and video conversation from Skype to video and audio files. SkypeCap for Mac saves your Skype sessions so that you could hear and watch them again later or share them with someone else. It fully integrates the process into the Mac experience by allowing human interaction during recording and conversion.

iPhone/iPod

• Appliya Studio, a provider of customizable template platforms for the creation of iPhone applications, is holding a photo contest for Halloween 2009. Contestants only need to submit their best Halloween photos to Appliya Studio, and the winning photos will become part of free iPhone apps that will be available worldwide.
• Codium Labs, LLC has released Babelshot 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Babelshot allows automatic real-time translation of printed text using the iPhone’s camera. Busy professionals and foreign travelers can use Babelshot to instantly translate items like restaurant menus, hotel booklets, product manuals, or snippets from books and newspapers. Babelshot incorporates innovative image processing algorithms coupled with state-of-the-art Tesseract Optical Character Recognition engine.
• iWater Flow, now available on iPhone and iPod Touch, brings out the child in you. Use the jets of water and tilt the game to place the rings on the spikes. Test your dexterity with this reproduction of the water toys you played with as a child. The controls are the same, and you will soon be reaching your top scores again.
• Fluttr from indieSpring tasks you with saving a butterfly from an explosive end by sweeping aside flowers, poking away bees and pinning up spiders. Easy to pick up and play, with quick, fun gameplay paced gently in a unique artistic setting. Fluttr is built upon the torque iT2D platform from GarageGames, and is also available as a free download for PC & Mac.
• IGG Software has announced iBank Mobile 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch. iBank Mobile harnesses the power of the desktop version of iBank for Mac to check account balances, enter transactions and categorize expenses, even in foreign currencies. Designed to sync seamlessly with the full edition of iBank, iBank Mobile also works as a separate, stand-alone app for handheld finance management. Version 1.1 adds running balances to transactions, as well as several other enhancements and fixes.
• Graphiclife has announced Tweetspotting 1.0.1, a powerful Twitter client for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Tweetspotting allows you to browse tweets from all over the globe. Explore any location and find out what people are thinking, doing and saying. Tweetspotting also includes a real-time friend tracker that will help you find and follow your friends. Tweetspotting will automatically post your current location to the Twitter servers while you’re on the move.
• Marware has announced the Sport Grip for the iPod nano 5G, their newest lineup of slim silicone cases. The Sport Grip provides smooth, stylish, slip-free silicone protection for the ultimate soft carrying solution. The Sport Grip for iPod nano is slim, comfortable, and is made with an antimicrobial additive. The Sport Grip allows for easy access to all iPod nano buttons and ports, and comes with Marware’s Lifetime Warranty.
• Legacy Effects, one of Hollywood’s most respected special makeup and animatronic effects companies, brings its famed design skills to the small screen of the Apple iPhone and iTouch with the release of its first iPhone App, iMut8r. The new App allows users to take photos of friends and family and transform or “mut8” them into their own custom versions of classic creatures and monsters.
• Gendai Games has announced the introduction of the GameSalad Membership Program and the conclusion of the iPhone Early Access Beta Program. Members of the GameSalad Membership Program now have the ability to publish their GameSalad-made games to the iPhone at the cost of only $99 per year for an Express membership. The GameSalad Membership Program features two tiers of membership: the $99 Express membership intended for casual and prosumers, and the $1999 Pro membership intended for studios and professional developers.