macOS – MacFamilyTree 8.1

Product Announcement – Synium of Mainz, Germany has released a huge update for MacFamilyTree, their popular genealogy app to discover your family history. Version 8.1 answers the frequently asked question “How can I work on my family tree and do genealogical research with other family members?” – and does it in a unique way . MacFamilyTree 8.1 introduces CloudTree Sync&Share – powerful, one of its kind, and free for all users of MacFamilyTree 8.1.

CloudTree Sync&Share creates a revolution in digital genealogy. No other service provides such speedy synchronization across any number of devices – directly from within the app, at no additional cost, and in line with the highest data protection standards. The iPhone and iPad version of MacFamilyTree, called MobileFamilyTree, has been updated to, offering the same set of features.

Real-time collaboration and Sync:
MacFamilyTree 8.1 for Mac and MobileFamilyTree 8.1 for iPhone and iPad come with the brand new CloudTree feature – it is now possible for the first time to work on the same family tree with any number of users and in real time, without any additional cost. All changes to your tree will be transferred and available to all other users invited by you within a few seconds. Apple is known for its highest-level data protection standards. CloudTree operates in compliance with these very standards.

Sync via CloudTree – and still have all your information stored locally:
Although all entries are synced via CloudTree, all your information is still available locally on your Mac, iPhone or iPad, allowing you to continue your genealogical research when your device is offline. CloudTree will automatically sync any changes once you reconnect to the Internet.

Sync in record time:
Instead of having to sync the complete document, CloudTree allows you to sync only the changes you’ve made to it. While this may sound like an obvious feature to many users, it is not. In the past, iCloud had to upload and download the complete file. However, going forward, if you enter a person event, CloudTree will sync only this one item. Get ready for a dramatically accelerated syncing experience requiring very little data transfer. This allows you to easily sync your data over mobile networks as well.

MacBook Pro 2016 and Touch Bar Support:
You surely heard about the new MacBook Pro. It offers the new Touch Bar which allows every application to display a context sensitive toolbar right above the keyboard. MacFamilyTree 8.1 comes with full Touch Bar support assisting you to navigate between sections, quickly jumping back to the previously opened section and adding relatives with a single finger tap.

Other new features in version 8.1

• Improved place selection and management
• Better Web Site export performance
•  Improved configuration of the Kinship report
• Timeline chart can now be filtered using Smart Filters
• Place list can now be sorted by state, county and country
• Many new Smart Filter options added
• Sidebar list in the Interactive Tree, Charts and Reports can now be collapsed on iPads

MacFamilyTree 8.1 and MobileFamilyTree 8.1 are available exclusively at the Mac App Store and App Store. MacFamilyTree 8.1 requires a Mac with OS X 10.10 Yosemite or higher – macOS 10.12 Sierra is recommended. MobileFamilyTree 8.1 requires an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 8 or later – iOS 10 is recommended. Using CloudTree requires macOS 10.12 Sierra or iOS 10 and a free Apple iCloud account.

macOS – Data Shredder for iOS

Product Announcement  – ProtectStar of Miami, Florida has released Data Shredder for iOS 2017 – formerly iShredder – their data shredding utility that easily erases and wipes data on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Anyone can simply connect their iOS device to their Mac, and quickly and efficiently delete and overwrite all data from the device.

Data Shredder for iOS 2017 uses data shredding techniques that go beyond international standards set by state and military organizations for secure data deletion. Data Shredder’s data erasing algorithms have been analyzed by government authorities and independent security organizations to ensure the app does exactly as advertised, destroy all personal data on the device beyond any hope of recovery.

Data Shredder for iOS 2017 is available in two versions, the Professional Edition offers 10 different data shredding methods, completely wiping all free space and overwriting the storage area, to completely shred all of the stored data. Data Shredder Military Edition offers 17 erasing algorithms in total, while also offering an integrated secure file explorer.

Data Shredder for iOS Professional Edition include:

• Compatibility with all iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models
• Compatible with all iOS versions
• Securely erases the free space
•  Completely wipes all data on the device
• Includes 1 year of technical support and free upgrades
• 24/7 support via e-Mail

Data Shredder Military Edition Includes the above features, plus:

• Offers the ability to wipe data from Apple TV units
• Additional military level deletion algorithms
• A 50-cycles wiping method ProtectStar(TM) Secure Deletion Algorithm(R)
• An integrated secure file explorer

Data Shredder for iOS Professional edition uses certified deletion algorithms, including: DoD 5220.22-M ECE, Peter Gutmann, DoD 5220.22-M, HMG Infosec No.5, US Army AR380-19 and more. The Data Shredder for iOS Military Edition uses those same shredding algorithms, plus makes use of enhanced military deletion methods like NATO standard, US Navy NAVSO P-5239-26 (MFM & RLL), USAF AFSSI-5020 and Canadian CSEC ITSG-06.

System Requirements:

• Mac OS X 10.11 or later
• Internet connection for activation and updates
• 30MB Hard Drive space

Data Shredder for iOS 2017 Professional Edition is just $29.90 USD (or an equivalent amount in other currencies) and is available through the ProtectStar website. Data Shredder for iOS 2017 Military Edition is just $49.90 USD. A Windows version will be available January 2017.

macOS -PDF2ID 4.6

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See my new macOS Software Directory and find what is available for the Mac!

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Product Announcement – Recosoft Corporation of Osaka, Japan, the developers of PDF conversion software and plug-ins for Adobe(R) InDesign(R), released PDF2ID Standard and PDF2ID Professional v4.6; the latest PDF to InDesign conversion plug-ins for InDesign CC 2017. PDF2ID v4.6 includes support for Adobe InDesign CC 2017 for both the Mac and Windows platforms. Additionally, PDF2ID v4.6 contains improvements in reconstructing PDF tables as InDesign tables. PDF2ID v4.6 also adds several stability improvements and an enhanced PDF graphics to InDesign graphics conversion.

PDF2ID converts PDF and Windows XPS files into fully editable InDesign files allowing PDF and XPS file content recovery and reuse within InDesign. PDF2ID is the de-facto PDF conversion plug-in for InDesign, allowing anyone to open, convert and edit PDF and XPS documents in InDesign; eliminating the need to acquire additional PDF and XPS conversion tools.

Key New Features:

• Integration with InDesign CC 2017: PDF2ID has been enhanced to operate seamlessly with InDesign CC 2017
• Table Construction enhancements: The table reconstruction of PDF2ID has dramatically been improved to recognize even more different type of data as a table
• Compound path and other graphics enhancements: Improvements have been made to handling and application of Compound paths and graphics for better reproduction in InDesign
• Stability Improvements: Many improvements have been made further improving the stability of PDF2ID

System Requirements:

• macOS 10.6.8 or higher
• Intel based Mac
• InDesign CC, CC 2014, CC 2015 or CC 2017
• Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10
• Minimum Pentium III computer
• InDesign CC, CC 2014, CC 2015 or CC 2017

PDF2ID v4.6 is a free release for all PDF2ID v4.5 Standard/Professional licensees. PDF2ID v4.6 is available immediately in the following configurations from the Recosoft web store (per license):

• PDF2ID Standard v4.6 US$199.00
• PDF2ID Professional v4.6 US$299.00
• PDF2ID Standard v4.6 Upgrade US$99.00
• PDF2ID Professional v4.6 Upgrade US$149.00

macOS – Cocktail 10.1.2

Product Announcement – Maintain of Ekero, Sweden has released Cocktail 10.1.2 (Sierra Edition), the latest maintenance update for users running macOS Sierra 10.12. The update is highly recommended for all users of Cocktail (Sierra Edition).

What’s New:

• Added ability to customize the layout – change the number of rows and columns of icons – of Launchpad (Interface – Misc)
• Addresses an issue in which Cocktail may fail to display Time Machine log (System – Time Machine)
• Addresses an issue in which Cocktail may fail to delete items from encrypted disk images (System – Trash)
• Resolves a number of other issues discovered in the previous release
• Updated Help files

Cocktail is a general purpose utility for macOS that lets you clean, repair and optimize your Mac. The application serves up a perfect mix of maintenance tools and tweaks, all accessible through a clean and easy to use interface. Cocktail’s features are arranged into five categories that helps you manage various aspects of your computer. It also comes with an automatic Pilot mode that allows you to simply press a button and relax, knowing that Cocktail will take care of the rest.

Disk:

• Automatically check S.M.A.R.T. status of disks
• Enable or disable journaling
• Set disk sleep (spindown) time
• Modify standby delay
• Change other disk sleep settings
• eject CD/DVD

System:

• Run periodic maintenance scripts
• Purge inactive memory and optimize virtual memory usage
• Manage Spotlight indexing
• Erase Spotlight indexes
• Modify Time Machine settings
• Rebuild Launch Services and Help databases
• Rebuild Mail’s Envelope Index
• Update locate and whatis databases
• Force empty the Trash
• Change startup mode or set startup delay
• Disable startup sound
• Disable Gatekeeper
• Disable Notification Center and App Nap

Files:

• Clear system caches
• Clear user caches
•  Clear font caches
• Clear virtual memory swap files
• Clear temporary files
• Clear Internet caches
• Clear cookies, download lists, form values and history files
• Clear Adobe Flash Player caches and cookies
• Clear applications caches
• Search for corrupted preference files
• Delete unnecessary localization (language resources) files
• Clear and manage (view, print and save) log files
• Delete invisible DS Store files
• Delete locked or inaccessible items

Network:

•  Change speed, duplex and MTU of network cards
• Easily optimize network settings for common connection types
• Modify IP configuration parameters
• Configure File Sharing settings

Interface:

• Customize look and features of Finder, Dock, login window and other system services
• Modify hidden settings of Safari, iTunes and Launchpad

System Requirements: Cocktail (Sierra Edition) requires macOS Sierra 10.12 to run. Cocktail (El Capitan Edition) for OS X 10.11, Cocktail (Yosemite Edition) for OS X 10.10, Cocktail (Mavericks Edition) for OS X 10.9 are Cocktail (Mountain Lion Edition) for OS X 10.8 are available for download from Maintain website.

Cocktail is $19.00 (USD) for a single user license and available for purchase from the Maintain website. When unregistered, Cocktail runs in demo mode and will expire after the tenth launch.

macOS – Cascable Transfer

Product Announcement – Cascable of Stockholm, Sweden has released Cascable Transfer, a powerful tool for wirelessly importing photos from your WiFi-enabled Canon, Nikon, Olympus or Sony camera directly into your Photos library, Lightroom catalog, or anywhere else on your Mac. Whether you’re on the road and need to quickly import some photos for a quick edit, or are at your workstation and don’t want to deal with a mess of cables and memory card readers, Cascable Transfer will prove to be an essential part of the photography toolkit for the professional and amateur photographer alike.

Cascable Transfer provides an intuitive and powerful user interface for previewing and selecting photos to import, and out-of-the-box will integrate with your photography workflow and let you get started right away. For advanced users, Cascable Transfer provides controls for customising how photos are sorted on disk as they’re copied, and how RAW JPEG photos are handled – meaning Cascable Transfer can fit right in with any photography workflow.

Cascable Transfer is available to get started with for free from the Cascable website, and will cost $14.99 USD (or your local equivalent)Please visit Cascable online for more information on Cascable Transfer, including screenshots, photographs and detailed user guides.

macOS – Typinator 7

Product Announcement – Ergonis Software of Perg, Austria has released Typinator 7, a new milestone in the steady development of their highly acclaimed text expander. With a long list of compelling new features and slick enhancements, Typinator 7 impressively emphasizes its role as the leading text expander on macOS systems.

Typinator 7.0 offers powerful interactive forms with multi-line text fields, alternatives (shown as pop-up menus or combo boxes), and options (shown as checkboxes, which can be used to select one of two given text fragments).

Ergonis Software again managed to add powerful new functionality without introducing additional complexity. Instead, expansions are now easier to define and modify than ever with Typinator’s new “assistants” for editing the various fields. If you select a marker that has a special meaning inside an expansion, Typinator displays a short description and a gearwheel icon to open the assistant for easily editing the marker without the need to know the syntax of the marker.

Another major feature of Typinator 7 is doubtlessly Publish & Subscribe, a versatile concept to share abbreviation sets with other Typinator users. You can, for example, publish a Typinator set for other team members, who can subscribe to the set and remain in sync with the master copy as you make changes.

Typinator 7 furthermore offers a long list of major and minor new features and enhancements and improves compatibility with many third-party applications. Visit Ergonis Software’s website to learn more about the changes in this release and to download and try the new version.

Typinator is a powerful, yet elegantly simple solution that boosts your productivity by automating the process of inserting frequently used text and auto-correcting typing errors. Across all applications, it detects specific sequences of typed characters and automatically replaces them with text snippets, graphics, URLs, dates and special characters.

System Requirements:

• Requires Mac OS X 10.6 or newer
• Fully compatible with macOS Sierra (10.12)

Typinator can be purchased securely on the Ergonis Software website for 24.99 EUR. The upgrade to Typinator 7.0 is free for anyone who purchased a license for Typinator 6.x on or after January 1st 2016. Upgrade paths are available for owners of older licenses. For information about purchases, including enterprise licenses, volume discounts, and upgrade pricing offers, see the company’s web site.

MacBook Pro 15-inch Staad Attache

Product Announcement – WaterField Designs of San Francisco, California has released  the Staad Attache, a beautifully-designed, unique laptop bag now in a custom-size for Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. With its novel military buckle, densely padded laptop compartment and clean, modern lines, the handsome Staad laptop bag blends high functionality with elegant style, bridging the gap between casual messenger bag and formal briefcase. WaterField Designs has been designing and manufacturing custom laptop sleeves, bags, and cases for digital gear in its San Francisco studio since 1998.

The Staad’s thoughtful design anticipates users’ every need. A customized internal pocket protects the 15-inch MacBook Pro with dense foam on all sides and is covered by a scratch-free liner. Two interior pockets keep accessories within easy reach. The Staad’s slim main compartment features a gold liner enabling users to quickly spot individual contents. A large front pocket opens on two sides with sleek waterproof zippers and includes a scratch-free interior pocket for the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus.

A black ballistic or waxed canvas base sports a full-grain, distressed leather flap. A unique clip developed by the military – once used to instantly access ammunition – opens the bag with a “quick flick.” To reduce shoulder and back fatigue, a comfortable and adjustable suspension shoulder strap can be worn messenger style or over one shoulder; alternatively, a leather-lined handle provides a more formal carrying option. The premium, full-grain leather improves with age for a stunning overall look.

WaterField offers a full lineup of bags and cases customized to carry and protect Apple’s new MacBook Pro series. The Maxwell Sleeve, SleeveCase, Dash Sleeve and Suede Jacket sleeve all offer various levels of protection in custom-fit sizes. Bags with built-in, cushioned MacBook Pro 15-inch compartments include the Field Muzetto and Muzzeto Leather bags, the Staad and Bolt Backpacks, the Bolt Briefcase, the HardCase and WaterField’s signature Cargo bag.

Staad Attache Dimensions:

• 13-inch – 14 x 10.5 x 1~3 inches; 1.8 lbs.
• 15-inch – 16 x 11.25 x 1~3.5inches; 2.15 lbs.

Staad Attache Price – 13-inch: $229. 15-inch: $239 (USD). Colors: Lightweight brown waxed canvas or black ballistic nylon body. Full-grain leather flap and accents in black, chocolate or grizzly.

The James Webb Space Telescope

A nice, brief video that tells what we can expect from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Planned for a 2018 launch, it will be a replacement for the Hubble and will give us a much deeper reach into the universe.

Classic Film “Metropolis” Basis of Miniseries

The 1927 classic Science Fiction movie “Metropolis” is to be the basis for a miniseries project. This is being developed by Sam Esmail who created the “Mr. Robot” series. I’ve seen the original black and white move a couple of times, though it has been years. The dystopian society depicted in the movie might make a good story line. We will see when and if the miniseries is finished.

macOS – iFoto FilmSim

Product Announcement – iFotosoft of Hangzhou, China has released Photo FilmSim which provides gorgeous film presets and camera profiles to produce stunning results. Just import photos to apply legendary analog film rendering for Kodak, Fuji and Ilford camera profiles. It always provides some unique styles to your photos with the advanced calibration technology.

iFoto FilmSim is a film pack with four analog film profile solutions with dozens of revolutionary camera profiles. The different contrast, saturation and special of analog film color mode bring out numerous of stunning photos effects. You can also choose between Black & White, Ferric Sulfate, Gold, Selenium and Sepia.

It is not only an excellent color-rendering program, but also reproduce the authenticity and natural look of film with analog film grain. The effects are able to custom grain, dust and scratches that enhance the feeling of the traditional photograph.

The film pack works with JPEG, TIFF and most of the RAW formats. And the super easy to use interface just make sure you can design stunning photos with analog film as your imagination.

Just share photos with analog film effects to Facebook and other social media within one click. Syncing output with AirDrop and Photos to other devices directly from the program. And sending photos to friends via Email is also supported.

Key Features:

• Advanced calibration technology with legendary analog film effects.
• Analog film color rendering for Kodak, Fuji and Ilford film camera profiles with desired results.
• Reproduce the authenticity and natural look of film with analog film grain
• The different contrast, saturation and special of analog film color mode bring out numerous of stunning photos effects.
• Custom grain, dust and scratches that enhance the feeling of the traditional photograph.
• The program works with JPEG, TIFF and most of the RAW formats.
• Super easy to use interface just make sure you can design stunning photos with analog film as your imagination.
• Share photos with analog film effects to Facebook and other social media within one click.
• Sync output with AirDrop and Photos to other devices directly from the program.
• Send photos to friends via Email within the program.

The filmpack including the following camera profiles:

• Kodak Ektachrome 100VS
• Kodak Ektachrome 25
• Kodak Ektachrome 64
• Kodak Ektachrome 200
• Fuji Astia 100F
• Fuji Provia 100F
• Fuji Velvia 50
• Generic Fuji Astia 100VS
• Generic Kodak Ektachrome 100VS
• Generic Kodak Ektachrome 64
• Generic Fuji Provia 100F
• Generic Fuji Velvia 100
• Kodak Portra 160NC
• Kodak Portra 160VC
• Fuji Superia Reala 100
• Fuji Superia X-tra 800
• Fuji Superia HG 1600
• Kodak BW 400CN
• Kodak Tri-X 400
• Kodak T-Max 3200
• Fuji Neopan Acros 100
• Ilford Pan F Plus 50
• Ilford XP2
• Ilford Delta 400
• Ilford HP5 Plus 400
• Ilford HPS 800
• Kodak Elite 100
• Fuji Superia 200

iFoto FilmSim for Mac is just $39.99 USD (or an equivalent amount in other currencies), and is available worldwide exclusively through the iFotosoft website. A free trial version is available.