FableVision Learning and Toon Boom Animation are bringing their best-selling Animation-ish software to the iPad in early Summer 2012. At the same time, they’re also going to reveal Animation-ish 2.0 for Mac and PC, which will provide key enhancements based on input from Animation-ish fans around the world.

As a kid, my interest in the Bible began not in church, but in this huge, old hardbound edition my parents had sitting next to the encyclopedias. Before I could read, I was fascinated by its gory, baroque depictions of decapitated giants and its brutal imagery of the crucifixion of Christ. That was the coolest Bible I’d ever seen…until perhaps now.

An asteroid the size of a house is whizzing by the Earth today—apparently the fifth closest fly-by of all time. Because it’s not going to crash into us, it’s been given the terribly boring name of Asteroid 2011 MD, as opposed to something fun like Death Harbinger or Violent Destruction from Outer Space. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to follow, and you can do so with the SkySafari 3 app from Southern Stars, available at half price in honor of the event.

I guess I understand the appeal of Thomas & Friends. They’re trains, after all. Trains are cool when you’re a kid, and they become cool again when you’re an adult. I’d prefer they not talk, either in children’s TV shows or in, say, Stephen King novels, but I’m not the target audience for either. I am, however, a game reviewer who can appreciate a good children’s game, and Thomas & Friends Misty Island Rescue is one of the better ones I’ve played lately.

Yesterday, Apple previewed their annual one-day-only Black Friday sale. Today, the full sale is in effect, and although the discounts on their own products are slight, they’ve announced significant savings on third-party products compatible with the Macintosh, iPhone, iPad and iPod lines. Save over $80 on cameras, $70 on headphones, $20 on games, $50 on speaker docks, and plenty more.

As a parent, I’ve never been a fan of young Dora. The kid yells too much. She and that blasted monkey just can’t hold a conversation without shouting at each other or, worse, at my kids. But the kids are more willing than I am to forgive (or tolerate) this constant shouting, so they’re happy to play the games. One of the latest for the Mac is Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure from Nova Development, and it’s a pretty good game.

MasterWriter is just a database, really, but it’s a database full of rhymes, phrases, parts of speech, word families, pop culture references and plenty of more, all of which place that perfect word or phrase right at your fingertips. It’s expensive, but it’s also convenient and powerful; you could likely make that money back in time saved, depending upon how serious you are about finding the perfect word, phrase or reference.

Mariner Software has turned 20—quite an achievement for a software company that started out competing against Microsoft with Mariner Write and Mariner Calc. They’ve since added numerous more proprietary programs, such as Montage, StoryMill, and MacJournal. And this weekend, the majority of their Macintosh products on sale for 40% off.

What, exactly, does a password manager need to win awards? Find out in today’s updates. While you’re there, check out some new Keynote themes, discover two ways to organize your movies, and spy on other peoples’ Macintosh screens. Then, use your newfound eavesdropping skills to get a job with the National Security Agency!

MacHeist is at it again with their outrageously cheap offer on a bunch of great Mac software. The current offer includes seven of the “top Mac apps” for only $19.95 when. If purchased separately at their original prices, these programs would cost over $260. The best part about it, though, is that 25% of your purchase will go to a charity of your choice. Some of the possible charities you could donate to include Save Darfur, World Wildlife Fund, Save the Children, and Prevent Cancer Foundation.