The MacTrack – iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch and Mac News

Los Altos, CA – Sonoma Wire Works announces a Holiday RiffRumble song contest for RiffWorks recording software users. Contestants worldwide will compete for $4120 in prizes, including a Dean Markley Acoustic Guitar, an iPod touch with FourTrack by Sonoma Wire Works, an Ultrasound AG30 Acoustic Guitar Amplifier, 12 sets of Dean Markley VintageBronze Guitar Strings, RiffWorks InstantDrummer Sessions by Discrete Drums, and Recording Magazines. RiffWorks T4 free recording software may be used to record solo entries and online collaborations with a holiday or winter theme. The power pop band, Rooney, will choose Grand Prize winner. Entries will be accepted for two weeks: November 24 – December 7, 2008. Votes accepted November 24 – December 14th. No purchase necessary and no entry fee.

Three Categories to Win

Grand Prize (Rooney’s Choice): Musician who enters the song chosen by Rooney band members, wins a Dean Markley DM-J360 E Acoustic Guitar. This flat-top jumbo acoustic recalls the Gibson J-160 that John Lennon used with the Beatles. It features book-matched mahogany back and sides, a solid mahogany neck, a solid book-matched spruce top, a slim 15th fret ebony fret-board, gold-plated tuners with simulated tortoise knobs, ivroid binding, and a gold-plated stereo input jack for a neck position installed custom pick-up with both volume and tone controls as part of the body. Includes hard shell case (MSRP $3250). 5 RiffWorks InstantDrummer Sessions by Discrete Drums ($49.95) and Recording Magazines ($19.95). Total Value: $3320

2nd Prize (Contestants’ Choice): Musician who enters the song that receives the most votes from the contestants wins an Ultrasound AG30 Acoustic Guitar Amplifier. The best selling compact acoustic amp on the market for the last 5 years is built to Markley’s specs for Ultrasound Amps. At 30 watts and just 20 pounds, the AG-30 is perfect for recording and coffee shop gigs. Feedback control, EQ shape control, effects loop, direct out, line out, headphone out, and a 5-year warranty fill out the features (MSRP $300). An Apple iPod touch 8GB (value $229) plus an iTunes gift card for Sonoma Wire Works FourTrack iPhone/iPod touch application ($9.99). 5 RiffWorks InstantDrummer Sessions by Discrete Drums ($49.95). Recording Magazines ($19.95). Total Value: $600 (USD).

3rd Prize (Most Public Votes): Musician who enters the song that receives the most shouts from the public wins 12 sets of Dean Markley VintageBronze Guitar Strings in a wooden gift box (MSRP $135). Five RiffWorks InstantDrummer Sessions by Discrete Drums ($49.95). Recording Magazines ($19.95). Total Value: $200 (USD).

About RiffWorks
RiffWorks easy-to-use guitar recording software includes automatic track creation, loop recording, guitar-oriented effects, InstantDrummer, professionally recorded drum tracks, online music collaboration, and song posting. RiffWorld rolls it all into a vibrant online community. RiffWorks Standard Pricing: $129 (USD).

About RiffRumble
RiffRumble song contests are hosted by Sonoma Wire Works on RiffWorld and sponsored by the hottest music industry companies. Sponsors for past RiffRumbles have included Line 6, IK Multimedia, Taylor Guitars, Seymour Duncan, Schecter Guitars, Recording Magazine, and more.

About Dean Markley Strings
Dean Markley Strings have been featured on thousands of recordings and at thousands more concerts for nearly 40 years. Dean’s lasting goal to provide “not just another string, but a better string,” is a commitment to helping electric, acoustic, and bass guitarists play and sound better by using the finest materials and innovative technologies.

Holiday RiffRumble
RiffWorks T4 Free Recording Software
Sonoma Wire Works
Dean Markley Strings

Headquartered in Los Altos and incorporated in 2003, Sonoma Wire Works develops high-quality, innovative products and services that help musicians enjoy playing, recording and sharing music. Sonoma Wire Works products have received multiple editorial awards for performance and innovation, including a NAMM 2008 Best in Show Trendsetter Award. (C)2008 Sonoma Wire Works. All rights reserved. RiffWorks, RiffWorld, InstantDrummer, the RW logo and the FourTrack logo are trademarks property of Sonoma Wire Works. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Derbyshire, UK – Arten Science is proud to announce the first release of R10Cipher. Many people do not realise that sending an email is the equivalent of sending a postcard, it’s contents are easily visible. For many companies, individuals and markets this is totally unacceptable and with the potential complexity and setup issues with the Public Key Encryption systems it makes sense to encrypt using a utility such as this.

R10Cipher can also be used in conjunction with Sicuro, our ‘Data Vault’ software that will be available before Christmas 2008. We have added the functionality of R10Cipher to Sicuro, so a user of Sicuro and a user of R10Cipher can share encrypted documents with no problems.

Features:
* Cross Platform, Mac OSX, Windows XP and Vista, Linux
* Fast / Secure Blowfish Encryption
* Lightweight – No Installation Necessary
* Extremely Simple to Use
* Online Help with Speech Capability
* 17 Page Manual supplied as PDF
* Print the Clear Text
* Let the Computer Speak the Clear Text
* Save and Open Encrypted Documents
* Trial Version Available for Download

Minimum Requirements:
* Mac OS X Version 10.4 or higher
* Windows XP / Vista
* Linux with GTK+ 2.x
* Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel
* G4 Processor, 1GHz or faster
* 10 MB Hard Drive space

Usage Scenarios / Examples:

Example 1: One to One Private Communications
Bill and Ted want to discuss plans for their next Excellent Adventure. Knowing that their email can be easily read they decide on a Shared Secret ‘Bill+Ted=Wyld”. They type their discussions into R10Cipher and save the encrypted text as a file which they attach to their emails. They are now secure in the knowledge that no-one can foil their plans.

Example 2: One to Many Private Communications
Bill and Ted decide they want to involve the Historical Babes in some of their plans, but not all. The four of them agree a Shared Secret and now Bill and Ted can communicate between themselves using their own Shared Secret and if they wish to include the Historical Babes they use the second Shared Secret agreed between the four of them.

Example 3: One to Many Private Communications over a Public Medium
Frodo is setting off on his next adventure and as is the fashion nowadays he wants to update the world with his travels via an online blog. With his new Macbook Air this will work great but there is some information he wishes only to be read by Merry and Pippin who are holding the fort for him back in Hobbiton.

Before he sets off the three of them agree on a Shared Secret and as Frodo updates the world via his blog he uses R10Cipher to append an encrypted entry on the end, knowing that the world can see but not understand his instructions, which are only for the eyes of Merry and Pippin.

Example 4: The benefits of Cross Platform
Unfortunately, small and sexy though it is, the Macbook Air is just a little bit too big (and lets face it – expensive) to take across Middle Earth, what with the Orcs and all. At the last minute Frodo switches to a Dell Mini 9 running Linux which came free with his mobile broadband card. Luckily R10Cipher works as well on Linux as it does on the Mac so Frodo has no need to change his plans.

Example 5: R10Cipher Not Just for Men
While Frodo is off on his travels his wife, feeling lonely, takes a lover. Knowing that the local Hobbiton ISP takes quite an interest in the emails to and from the villagers, they both use R10Cipher to arrange their rendezvous. Even hobbits need loving, besides it was rather selfish of Frodo to disappear like that for months at a time – and who knows what he got up to with Sam on that first journey to Mordor ?

Pricing and Availability:
Available Now. Priced at £10 for a single user (installation on two seperate computers allowed). A corporate site license is available for £100. All Arten Science products are available free of charge to Educational and Charity Organisations. Contact us with details of your organisation for a free license.

Arten Science
R10Cipher
Download R10Cipher
Purchase R10Cipher
Screenshot (OSX Version)
Icon

Arten Science was setup in 2007 to design, develop and market quality commercial software for the Apple Mac OSX (Universal Binary), Windows XP / Vista and Linux with GTK+ 2.x. We also provide Bespoke Software Development and Technology / Database / Security Consultancy services. In addition to creating new solutions for our customers, all of our commercial products can also be tailored, modified and enhanced to suit your specific requirements. We can help you to use software to solve business problems and create business opportunities. All Arten Science products are available free of charge to Educational and Charity Organisations. Contact us with details of your organisation for a free license.

Bangor, Maine – Hog Bay Software is delighted to announce TaskPaper 2.0, a simple yet surprisingly adept list maker. TaskPaper takes the humble to-do list to the next level with sophisticated presentation, data entry capabilities, and powerful retrieval. Yet, it retains the full power and interoperability of a plain text document.

A year in the making, TaskPaper 2.0 adds:
* A powerful new search system simple enough to immediately grasp but sophisticated enough for a power user
* A Quick Entry Window that can be accessed system-wide to capture your thoughts without disrupting your work
* Drag and drop support as well as keyboard shortcuts for rapidly managing your lists
* A customizable theme system to make your lists look the way you want
* A Projects Sidebar and Project Toolbar for one click access to any project
* Rich and complete AppleScript support to extend its capabilities
* A bunch of additional performance and small user interface improvements

TaskPaper is a refreshing alternative to more complex task managers. TaskPaper’s focus is on the fundamentals of creating and completing to-do lists. The interface is extremely clear and compact. Creating, completing, and deleting tasks can all be accomplished with a single keystroke. Information is stored in a simple text file that is easy to share, take with you, and edit – even when you’re stranded without TaskPaper. Even on Windows.

TaskPaper is a simple, but powerful application. It easily manages thousands of tasks in a single file. Its search and filter system provides flexibility that even the most powerful applications cannot match. TaskPaper’s full AppleScript support and plain text file format make it easy to integrate into your workflow in ways that are not possible with other tools.

Supported Languages:
* US English

System Requirements:
* Requires Mac OS X v10.5 or later

Pricing and Availability:
* TaskPaper may be purchased from the Hog Bay Software web site for $29.95 (USD).

Hog Bay Software
TaskPaper 2.0

Headquartered in in Bangor, Maine, Hog Bay Software was founded by Jesse Grosjean in 2001. With the goal to create simple, yet easy-to-use applications, Jesse’s aim is to seek user participation through a user-powered development process, with emphasis placed on extensibility.

Orem, Utah – Utah based Fiery Ferret is pleased to announce Lumen 2.3, an update to their relaxing puzzle game for iPhone and iPod Touch. A simple to play yet beautiful puzzle game, the objective of Lumen is to light up all the checkpoints on the board by bouncing, coloring, and maneuvering a laser beam through obstacles.

Lumen challenges the mind, but can be easily picked up or put down. Gamers can learn to play Lumen through the instructions, or watch a short video in-game. Careful attention to detail and the colorful graphics make Lumen a joy to play. There are no timers or scores and only five different pieces to learn, so it is easy to get started.

One of of the greatest things about Lumen is the online puzzle database. Lumen has access to over 2,700 puzzles submitted by other users, so gameplay is virtually unlimited. Gamers can have as much fun creating their own puzzles as solving others. A voting system was recently added that allows users to rate puzzles after completing them, ensuring that the real gems rise to the top. Over 50,000 votes have been cast to refine the puzzle database.

Version 2.3 comes packaged with over 150 of the top rated puzzles to play when not connected to the Internet. Lumen also includes an option to show labels on the colored pieces for those who have a hard time distinguishing colors. A handy guide is included for mixing laser colors to make Lumen easier for beginners to pick up.

As an interesting detail, Lumen has a hidden cheat which allows a user to reveal the solution to any puzzle. This was the first cheat for an iPhone game. Full instructions are at available online.

Supported Languages:
* US English

System Requirements:
* iPhone or iPod Touch 2.0

Pricing and Availability:
Lumen 2.3 for iPhone is only $1.99 (USD) and available exclusively through Apple’s App Store. New users can try out Lumen Lite, which offers a limited selection of puzzles for free.

Fiery Ferret
Lumen 2.3
Download and Purchase
Download Lite Version
Screenshot
Hidden Cheat

Located in scenic Orem, Utah, Fiery Ferret is a privately funded company founded in 2007 by Bridger Maxwell. With a focus on quality, Fiery Ferret’s mission is developing best-of-breed software for the Mac and iPhone platforms, complemented by first-class customer support. Copyright 2007-2008 Fiery Ferret. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Woodstock, Illinois – Thoughtful Tree Software is proud to introduce TunesBar 2.0, an iTunes extension for the Mac’s Menu Bar. Using TunesBar, users can quickly and easily glance in their menu bar to see what the title, artist, or album of the currently playing iTunes track is. This menu bar item is configurable in terms of which of these 3 pieces of info are displayed, and in what order, and the text is also dimmed when iTunes is not playing.

When TunesBar is in the menu, finding out the name, artist, or album of iTunes’ current track takes no more effort than moving looking up to the top of the screen. Users can choose to show any combination of this track information, in any order they prefer.

When iTunes is paused, TunesBar will dim, which will let users see visually the state of their music, which is especially helpful when the volume is low or if there are other sources of music in the area. For added convenience, a smart Play/Pause menu option has been added to the very top of the menu.

Just as in all other Thoughtful Tree Software applications, TunesBar provides an extra set of features to provide users with the most quality experience: Firstly, there is a built-in support menu for sending feedback, bug reports, or feature requests directly from inside the application. Also included is its ability to automatically check for its own updates. Finally, in the menu-bar menu, there is an option to set TunesBar to conveniently launch when a user logs in.

Feature highlights include:
* Set TunesBar to show artist, album, and/or track name
* Position any or all of these 3 items in any order
* Dims the displayed text when iTunes is paused
* Quickly pause or play iTunes from inside the TunesBar’s menu

Minimum Requirements:
* Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard or later
* Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel
* 892 KB Hard Drive space

Pricing and Availability:
TunesBar 2.0 is available for $19.99 (USD) for a single-user license. Also available is a Family Discount of 25% off when purchasing 4 or more licenses.

Thoughtful Tree Software
TunesBar 2.0
Download TunesBar
Purchase TunesBar
Screenshot
Screenshot/App Icon

Located in historic Woodstock, Illinois, Thoughtful Tree Software is a new, privately funded company founded in 2008 by Steven Degutis. Committed to providing the highest quality software, Thoughtful Tree Software was founded for the purpose of developing personal productivity software solutions specifically the Mac community, with a major emphasis on total customer satisfaction. As the skill set developed are diverse, the company has near-future plans for applications in other areas, such as graphics, drawing and internet chat. Copyright 2008 Thoughtful Tree Software. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.