Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news – February 23, 2010

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for February 23, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• Yummy Software has announced Yummy FTP 1.8.2, an update to their popular FTP client for Mac OS X. Built from the ground up as a native OS X app, Yummy FTP was designed with the goal of providing a reliable, powerful, yet easy to use file transfer utility. Version 1.8.2 gains a Transmit favorite import capability, amongst several other enhancements, as well as some bug fixes. Yummy FTP has gained a reputation for being the fastest, most reliable, and most flexible FTP client available.
• Araelium Group has announced DMG Canvas 2.0, an update to its disk image creation application for Mac OS X. DMG Canvas builds disk images from template documents designed using a slick graphical WYSIWYG editor, and allows users to specify the license agreements displayed when the disk image is mounted. Version 2.0 offers advanced background layout with customizable text and image objects, and much more.
• iUseMac has announced it will be featuring the popular racing game for Mac—Island Racer—for 24% off on Tuesday February 23th and Wednesday February 24th. iUseMac offers popular Mac applications at reduced prices for limited time periods. Island Racer is a casual racing game full of fun for your Mac. Select from different cars and colors to race in head-to-head competition. Island Racer can be played solo, against the computer, or online against another player.
• Coming off the success of one of the most popular products ever to be introduced into the Mac accessory world, the DP200, Atlona Technologies has gone a step further from their DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter, attempting to further MDP compatibility with other digital formats. Atlona has announced the release of a new version of the DP200 with the ability to convert HDMI sources like the Xbox360, PS3, Cable or Satellite Receiver, Blu-Ray Player, Apple TV into MDP. This USB Powered HDMI to Mini DisplayPort Converter, the AT-DP200HD, is an adapted version of Atlona’s wildly successful DP200, designed to convert HDMI signals from to a Mini DisplayPort Connection featured on popular Mac displays such as the Apple LED 24” cinema display or the iMac 27″.
• The Mac Sale has announced it is running a third Mac software bundle. The new bundle launches very soon, and all Mac users are encouraged to visit The Mac Sale online to register their interest. An email will be send out when the bundle become available for sale, and pre-registration ensures you won’t miss out. The bundle includes everything from games to development tools, and from office utilities to multimedia.
• Creaceed has announced the immediate release and availability of their Hydra 2.2 HDR plug-in. The upgrade addresses a major feature request from the HDR user community: an HDR Lightroom Plug-In. All features of Hydra’s Stand-Alone Version are available in the HDR Plug-In which is compatible with Lightroom 2 (32 and 64 bits).
• Independent software developer Martin Wengenmayer has announced Cheetah3D 5.3, a major update to his popular 3D modeling solution for Mac OS X. Developed from the ground up utilizing the latest Cocoa technologies, Cheetah3D is a lean, fast, and elegant 3D modeling, rendering, and animation package with an easy learning curve. Version 5.3 adds 64-bit support for Intel Macs, a completely rewritten Render Manager, various Altivec/SSE optimizations and improved handling of poses.
• Independent game developer Enkord, Ltd. has announced Jurassic Realm 1.9, their new action puzzle game for Mac OS X. Uncover the secrets of ancient Jurassic Realm and solve all of its fascinating puzzles. Explore ancient, prehistoric lands searching for images of long-lost dinosaurs in this exciting action puzzle game. At the players disposal is a huge map with great number of roads and pathways to travel. Version 1.9 includes improved collapse, explosive power-ups and exciting brick-breaking.
• LaCie has announced the next generation of network storage devices for small to medium-sized businesses: the LaCie d2 Network 2 (single disk), LaCie 2big Network 2 (two disks) and LaCie 5big Network 2 (five disks). Delivering superb data access of up to 70 MB/s, these professional, reliable central storage devices allow users to share files instantly or back up any PC or Mac on a network. These complete backup solutions are Time Machine compatible and include Genie Backup Manager Pro (Windows) and Intego Backup Manager Pro (Mac). With these applications you can make encrypted, compressed backups, restore office files, and even perform disaster recovery.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• Justnine has unleashed more hell on earth with an updated version of their popular game, HellKid, for Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch, and they’ve also made available a free version of the game. To the uninformed, HellKid features Devi the devil, a little red-hot monster from hell determined to become human because of his fascination and interest in humanity (good grief!). On the surface, HellKid is a conventional 2D side-scrolling platform game where your objective is to collect enough human souls to escape from hell, but HellKid also includes a lot of added twists and features.
• Independent developer Esa Helttula has released Lattice Multiplication 1.0, a new educational math app for iPhone and iPod touch. Lattice Multiplication 1.0 allows the user to study and practice the ancient and very efficient lattice algorithm for multiplying large numbers. The app has an intuitive interface with customizable colors and other settings.multiplications. Long Multiplication features an intuitive interface with customizable colors and other settings.
• Miller Studios has announced Silly Story Maker 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Silly Story Maker is a fun, educational sentence making game that allows you to create simple sentences by combining thirty basic words and phrases. Select a word or phrase from each category in the app and click play. Featuring beautiful graphics, multiple playback voices, and over 7,500 possible word and phrase combinations, Silly Story Maker promises fun for everyone.
• California based PhatWare Corporation has announced WritePad Professional Edition 3.0, an advanced organizer for iPhone and iPod touch devices. WritePad Professional Edition is based on WritePad 3.0 handwriting recognition technology, and allows users to organize tasks, events, notes, and voice notes in multiple folders within a single application. The new version also allows users to search for text in different folders and fields. The search result is presented in a single view for easy navigation.
• Freeverse’s newest release, Zombie Cannon Carnage, is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The highly anticipated zombie ragdoll-blasting game centers on three intergalactic zombies who crash-land on our lovely little Earth and try to launch themselves back home into space. Use the Zombie Cannon to fire your zombie into the night sky, and activate your Jet Pack to rocket through the city avoiding everything from air conditioners to the pesky Police Helicopter.
• Collins Research Inc. has announced Custom Hangman for iPhone and iPod touch. The Custom Hangman game is truly habit-forming that allows players to select a category of their interest from which the app will generate an animated hangman game with a fun pirate-themed background. Several word lists are already pre-loaded into the app so players can challenge themselves from subjects ranging from SAT vocabulary words to Twilight terms.
• Games developer and publisher iFun4all has announced the (delayed) premiere of Crap of Defense for iPhone and iPod touch, along with its shocking trailer.
• Disney Interactive Studios has announced the availability of Alice in Wonderland – An Adventure Beyond the Mirror for the Apple iPod and iPod touch. Inspired by the highly-anticipated 3D fantasy adventure “Alice in Wonderland” from Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton, the app is priced at $4.99 and lets users play as Alice through up to 10 multi-level environments, hundreds of puzzles and curious challenges, all while encountering her famous childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter.