Enterprise

We knew something was up when Amazon dropped the price of Parallels Desktop 5 to $20 yesterday.  It looks like a new version is now shipping to stores, though nothing has been announced from the company.

In the past, Parallels has given people who’ve purchased the previous version within the past two weeks of a new release a free upgrade, so it may or may not make sense to buy now for $20.

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Yet another move to end dependence on Flash, giant online video website, Vimeo, today introduces a new universal video player designed to work on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch (iOS) and Android devices.

The new player uses HTML5. The player will detect the appropriate codec, file size and bit rate for each device it sends content to. All videos will be viewable in the best-supported format through the universal player.

“With the latest generation of browsers and devices, we’ve had huge demand for an embeddable player that works with HTML5 and on devices like iPad and iPhone,” said Andrew Pile, vice president of product and development for Vimeo, in a statement.

The site is also adding a new

Move over iPad, here’s the touch-controlled tablet Mac from Axon Logic. A 1.6GHz 10-inch two-pound slice of special slate for Mac users, though it would be more accurate to describe this as a ‘Hackintosh’.

See, what Axon Logic have done is release the new tablet PC complete with a hidden EFI partition — which as Mac hackintosh heads know is a secret sauce they need for a relatively simple OS X install. Or any other Darwin-based OS.

According to Axon Logic:

Besides using only quality components, they are specifically chosen to be compatible with Darwin. That gives you the freedom to run, in addition to Windows and Linux, any* Darwin OS. Darwin and all of its required components such as the mach_kernel and kexts are on an EFI partition to make it effortless to install your favorite XNU/Darwin OS. Just pop in the disk, and follow the directions.

While the manufacturers are warning on licensing restrictions on the $750 tablet, which runs Linux and will also run Windows.

More stats:

• Processor: 1.6GHz Atom N270
• Memory: 2GB
• Screen Size: 10-inch, 1,024-x-600 resolution
• Hard drive: 320GB
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Removable battery
• Built in WiFi
• Speaker
• 3 USB ports, headphone, mic, Bluetooth, Ethernet, VGA and card reader.

Via: Crunchgear

Lightroom 3.2 and Camera Raw 6.2 are now available as Release Candidates on Adobe Labs. Lightroom adds direct publish functionality to Facebook and a few bug fixes, and both releases add new camera support. Direct download link.  Via Nackblog

Apple’s insanely powerful Mac Pro desktops are now available for pre-order, with shipping times of up to 2 weeks in the UK.

Announced in July, these new workhorses boast up to 12-core processors and are available in three base configurations with loads of customizable options to finesse your Mac for your needs.


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The latest Forrester research data suggests Apple’s iOS devices are already secure enough for deployment by enterprise users, as businesses grow ever more intrigued at the possibilities of Apple’s mobile devices.

Forrester does note that Research In Motion’s BlackBerry platform remains the most secure mobile OS, noting however that iPhones and iPads now “satisfy the basic security needs of most enterprises,” according to Andrew Jaquith, senior analyst with Forrester.

Computerworld offers a list of seven key areas in which Apple now offers basic security, including such things as email encryption, passcode locks, remote wipe, auto-erase after a specified number of unlock attempts and signed user configuration profiles.

These attempts mean, “The decision to support the iPhone and iPad in your enterprise is an easy call,” wrote Jaquith.

“Your rank-and-file employees want it, and your executives have likely already made many special requests to your IT team.”

While the iPad is seeing increased use in the enterprise, Forrester also warns that employers need to ensure workers stick to agreed security protocols, though that’s good advice for users of any device.

“With the right policies and technical controls, you can operate Apple mobile devices at least as securely as the typical corporate laptop, without malware and with an insurance policy (remote wipe) against theft or loss,” the analyst said.

These considerations have certainly driven councillors at UK’s Leicester City Council, who intend spending

Apple has settled one patent lawuit, been hit by another even as industry watchers ask if Apple has a plan to completely dominate the mobile industry through purchase of key component manufacturer, Infineon.

The latter speculation’s interesting. Apple’s plan to dominate the mobile market marries quite nicely with its increased focus on acquisitions, and even should the ARM/Apple rumors be nothing but hot air, then there’s some milage left in an Infineon purchase, even as AAPL demand locks others out from over-stretched component supply.

Rumors that Intel may acquire Infineon

in 3….2…..1…. Here’s the video!  By the way, was it ‘bring your kid to work and show off a new product’ day at Microsoft?  These guys look like teenage bloggers!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s62kJjdJVFI&w=640&h=385]

Apple will sell customers who ordered a Mac mini via the company’s online store in Taiwan their purchased computers at the price the machines were briefly advertised at — around a third normal price.

An error on Apple’s retail store meant 41,500 Mac mini orders were made at the price advertised, as we explained, Apple Taiwan Mac Mini price boo-boo makes a big brouhaha, Apple originally attempted to raise the cost to the normal price but got in hot water from Taiwan regulators for this.

Naturally, the deep discount (from NT$47,000 to an astonishingly good value NT$19,900) attracted plenty of attention, with numerous customers making orders (well, at that price?).

The pricing error occurred only in Apple’s online store for educational purchasers in that country. Apple will be verifying the eligibility under its educational purchase scheme for all customers who ordered at the lower price.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj5w9YqEAJM&w=700&h=415]

In passing I figured some may be interested in this ten-point list over at FutureMedica (“The future of healthcare and biotechnology”) which tells us all about ten different ways in which the iPad is changing healthcare.

The list pretty much underlines how the iPad is taking a chunk out of the tablet/netbook market.

It is also offering a much more user-focused way in which to navigate tasks you may once have engaged in using a notebook.

Take a look at the collection to find out about apps to help predict the risk of heart surgery, networked devices to assist in medical records; solutions for home doctor visits…

Want more?

Sure there’s more.

iPads are also seeing service as: Patient consultation devices; money-saving for hospitals; paperless doctor’s practices; tools for people with diminished motor skills; info apps for patients; X-ray image checking; patient monitoring and health education.

Oh, and the video up above (which could do with improving)? It shows iTriage, a free mobile healthcare app which lets you look up your symptoms, find diseases and medical procedures.

Quite a lot there, huh?

Certainly with so many flexible and useful uses it fully explains just how come Gartner and IDC don’t count the iPad as a PC sale (that’s a position those firms shouldn’t even attempt to maintain).

After all, where healthcare goes, the enterprise is bound to follow…

Microsoft is doing its best to tempt users to Office 2011 for Mac, despatching invitations to join the Mac 2011 beta testing cycle to some users.

The software is apparently currently at Build 100709. Invitations are being despatched at this time. There’s several new features to the new productivity suite, as detailed here.

As you may expect, restrictions apply. Sign up to the beta if you can promise and agree as follows:

“The Office for Mac 2011 beta is closed to the public, which means ALL Office 2011 tools and features are confidential and proprietary to Microsoft. By participating in the beta, you consent to a non-disclosure agreement which includes all forms of communication including print, broadcast, electronic, internet publications, social media networking sites, blogs, and verbal disclosure. The NDA will not lift until the product is public later this year. We will update on timing closer to the date.

According to Macrumors, Mac Pros are in short supply at many Apple stores around the country.  27-inch iMacs With Core i5-i7 processors are showing out of stock as well.

You know what that means, right? It means that Mac Pros are looooong overdue for an upgrade.  Will we see things like LightPeek/BluRay(no)/USB 3/HDMI-out/etc in Apple’s next Mac Pro update?

If you use Safari, disable your autofill imediately.  Apple enables this by default.  We’ll wait.

(Uncheck all)

Websites can now steal your Safari browser autofill information including Name, Address, Email, Credit Card etc. without a mention using a very simple exploit detailled by Jeremiah Grossman.

These fields are AutoFill

http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/957b8774

Engadget has the story. New tagline: “Be What’s Next”.  On logos it looks like Mighty Morphin’ Clippy is baaaack!!

It appears that today’s email stream between a disguntled iPhone 4 customer and Steve Jobs was probably a fake.  Fortune.com (who have some fantastic writers btw) is reporting that Apple PR told them the whole thing was faked.

BGR has updated their post with headers and iPhone 4 screenshots which seem to look pretty legit…at least a first glance.

I guess it comes down to: Who do you believe?  Apple PR or a random guy (above) who works in advertising.  Tough call.

So how many emails has Steve Jobs written?  Were they all faked?  Maybe he doesn’t write emails and this whole thing is just a huge hoax.

Some of us may remember when Adobe took a mighty leap into the print publishing market with the release of InDesign. For a few years after that Adobe grabbed marketshare from DTP standard Quark XPress as it developed an integrated system which became Creative Suite.

They were heady days.

Adobe fielded new technologies and moved far ahead of Quark, some believe. Quark

Let us not dwell right now on the continued Apple v Adobe war on Flash on the iOS platform, instead let us consider Adobe

Apple announced that it was changing its iPhoneOS to iOS today, which makes sense now that it has three device families (and likely more soon) all using the iPhoneOS operating system.  We originally reported the change back in January.

But why does iOS sound familiar you may be asking yourself? Oh yeah, it is the OS that runs the Internet.   Cisco’s routers have been running IOS for two decades. Luckily, Apple and Cisco trademark attorneys have a long relationship, as they hammered out the ‘iPhone’ trademark dispute just three years ago.  Today, Cisco announced via Blog that they had licensed the iOS name to Apple for use and their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Operating System.  They said in a statement:

Microsoft continues development of its Office productivity software for Mac 2011, introducing a third beta release of the productivity suite in advance of a final release scheduled for the end of the year.

Features and functionality appear to be becoming firmed up, with a new focus in this beta on the user interface and so on, MacRumors reports.

Yesterday’s Google I/O keynote is now posted online. I wonder if Steve Jobs would have kept Schmidt on the board this long had he known what was happening behind the scenes.  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xc_1Vv69k&w=700&h=400]

Don’t miss the Android vs. Apple iPad speed test below: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBQFXRW5ZiE&w=700&h=400]

Update: Apple has refuted this claim, commenting on rumors and speculation

Apple is putting the final tweaks to the next iteration of Final Cut Studio, offering new feature to take the professional video production system to a wider audience.

A report claims a person