The Parallels website provides instructions on getting a Mavericks virtual machine running. Desktop 8 for Mac currently costs $60, and requires OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.4, or 10.8. The public release of OS X Mavericks is due to ship sometime in the fall.

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The latest version also offers new usability and performance enhancements for what the company calls its “carrier-grade” anti-spam protection which relies on real-time feedback from its installed base to refine spam algorithms. The free Basic version will protect one email account in any one of the supported programs, while the Pro version ($20 per year subscription) can protect an unlimited number of email accounts.

The Pro mode also offers the ability to trust specific contacts (or the user’s entire address book), the capability to manually screen message folders, and automatic spam deletion in older email. The Basic version can be upgraded to Pro by simply enrolling a subscription.

The post Cloudmark Launches Mac Version of DesktopOne Anti-Spam Filter appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Regarding 2013-004, Apple cautions that the patch will uninstall the Apple Java plugin from all browsers. It also removes the Java Preferences app, which is no longer needed for configuring settings.

Both updates are available either through Software Update or the Mac App Store.

The post Apple Releases Java Updates for Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Configurator features three workflows to let administrators prepare new iOS devices for immediate distribution, supervise devices that need to maintain a standard configuration, and assign devices to users, according to the company. Adminstrators can update, configure, install apps and data and set limits for as many as 30 devices at a time. It allows devices to be enrolled in third-party mobile-device management solutions, and can be used to personalize devices for specific users.

The free app includes a built-in editor to create and install configuration profiles, the ability to import apps and sync them to new devices (requires membership in the Volume Purchase Program for schools or businesses), can add users automatically via Open Directory or Active Directory, organize supervised devices into custom groups and sync documents between assigned devices and Configurator. Admins can also import and export documents between their Mac and Configurator.

The program requires OS X 10.7.5 (Lion) or later.

The post Apple Releases Major Update to Configurator – Its iOS Mass-Deployment Tool appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Adobe has formally released the full Adobe Creative Cloud software, marking the next generation of its venerable Creative Suite and officially making its subscription-based, cloud-authorized software the default option going forward. Although the company will continue to sell copies of Adobe CS6 — which features a traditional “perpetual” license — for the time being, the new “Adobe CC” package features a number of enhancements to each of the programs within that are not available to non-Creative Cloud subscribers.

In addition, the online gallery and creative community Behance, purchased by Adobe last year, has been integrated into the Creative Cloud suite as an optional showcase and storage medium for work produced by the programs. The company is celebrating the new release with a multi-project collaborative art project, called Create Now: A Celebration of Creativity.

The update is available immediately to existing Creative Cloud users, and owners of the latest CS6 software can activate the new updates by signing up for a subscription. New users will need to download the apps from Adobe and activate them with a Creative Cloud subscription, which can be on a flat-rate annual subscription, a month-by-month subscription or on a single-app level if required. Existing customers going back to CS3 can get a discount on annual full and single-app subscriptions for the first year to ease the transition and get up-to-date in one go.

The Creative Cloud apps come with 30-day free trials and 2GB of cloud storage. Single-app subscriptions are $10 per month for the first year for existing customers, $20 per month after that, but do not require an annual commitment. Access to the complete suite starts at $20 per month for the first year for CS6 users and $30 per month for CS3 and later users for the first year ($50 per month for new clients). After the first year, the full suite costs $50 per month on an annual commitment, or $75 per month on a “cancel anytime” subscription. There are separately-priced plans for business and teams, and a discounted price for students and teachers. The annual commitments include 20GB of cloud storage.

The new Creative Cloud suite was first unveiled in May and allows files to be easily shared via Adobe’s cloud storage to Macs, Windows computers, iOS and Android apps as well as Behance. In addition to all of the Creative Cloud applications, CC members also gain free access to Behance ProSite to make portfolio websites, the Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) to turn publications into iPad periodicals, and PhoneGap Built to create other types of mobile apps. Also included is Adobe TypeKit for use on websites, and the company says that a future update will bring over 700 fonts to members as well — along with new ways to manage, buy and sync other fonts.

The release formally introduces Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, Dreamweaver CC and Premiere Pro CC among other programs. Together, the new versions offer hundreds of new features.

Adobe says that Photoshop CC includes new sharpening technologies, Camera Shake Reduction, an all-new Smart Sharpen, Adobe Camera Raw 8 and direct upload to Behance among other features. Illustrator also gains direct Behance uploading, along with a new Touch Type tool that allows text manipulation while remaining editable — and works with a mouse, stylus or multi-touch device. The program can now enable painting with a brush made from a photo, and lets Air, Pattern and Scatter brushes contain raster images. InDesign CC has been essentially re-written with a new architecture that dramatically improves performance, and Adobe Muse offers artists and designers the ability to do in-browser editing, creating HTML-based websites without coding.

Premier Pro CC offers new editing features, customizations and improvements — including new color workflows, the Lumetri Deep Color Engine for grading, After Effects CC for motion graphics and visual effects, and 3D integration with the new Live 3D Pipeline with Cinema4D integration. In addition, there are all-new versions of Adobe Speedgrade CC, Audition CC for audio editing, Prelude CC and Adobe Story CC Plus. Edge Animate CC works with animated and interactive content using HTML, CSS and JavaScript, along with Dreamweaver CC which now has a much stronger emphasis on CSS and a visual CSS Designer tool. Adobe Flash Pro CC has also been rebuilt to be much faster and more reliable.

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XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be available on iOS devices this Thursday, June 20, for $19.99. Commanders of the XCOM Project will now have mobile access across iPad 2+, iPhone 4S+ and fifth generation iPod touch devices.

The iOS XCOM is a the PC experience with the exception of the head-to-head multiplayer, which will be added at a later time as a free update.

The post XCOM: Enemy Unknown Hits iOS on June 20 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The app as a whole has been given a “cleaner” look, including more space for columns and tweets. Other new features include tweet translations, and enhanced filtering. Interactions can be filtered by mentions, retweets, favorites, followers or lists, and search columns can be filtered according to engagement — meaning minimum numbers of retweets, favorites, or replies.

TweetDeck is a free download, and requires OS X 10.6.

The post TweetDeck for MAC Gets New UI Featuring Columns Sidebar appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The program can now import, preview and organize Web fonts, and allows selected elements on any website to be previewed within FontExplorer X Pro so that users can visualize the site with custom font, color and spacing of text choices. It also now supports SkyFonts, a service for trying out, installing and synching desktop fonts from either Fonts.com or Google Fonts across workstations. Existing Fonts.com Master and Professional subscribers can take full advantage of the new update, with access to more than 20,000 Web fonts and 7,000 desktop fonts — as well as Monotype’s Typecast web design application and a copy of FontExplorer X Pro (either v4.0 for Mac or v2.4 for Windows).

Selected fonts can now be displayed as a slide show, and can overlay documents to help designers gauge how font selections will appear. A new “mini-view” keeps the program’s main window small, allowing design apps more room while still letting users access their own font libraries. The Smart Sets feature now supports multiple languages as well as more OpenType features within certain fonts. The main font list also inherits the OpenType improvements, and can now preview fonts using either a multi-line or “waterfall” type preview.

FontExplorer X Pro sells separately for $89 (or €89 including VAT) directly from the company’s website. Users who have FontExplorer X Pro 2.0 for Mac can upgrade to version 4.0 for $39, while Windows 2.0 customers will receive the 2.4 update for free. Customers who bought FontExplorer X Pro after March 1 of this year will also receive a free upgrade.

The post FontExplorer X Pro Updated to Version 4.0 – Supports Website Font Preview, Fonts.com appeared first on Takes On Tech.

During primetime television alone, there are between 88 and 100 million Americans engaged on Facebook – roughly a Super Bowl-sized audience every single night. The recent “Red Wedding” episode of Game of Thrones, received over 1.5 million mentions on Facebook, representing a significant portion of the 5.2 million people who watched the show. And this year’s Oscars buzz reached an all-time high on Facebook with over 66.5 million interactions, including likes, comments, and posts.

Now you can:

• Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar. For example, #NBAFinals.
• Click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram.
• Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results.

Facebook said it will make the clickable hashtags available to users in the coming weeks, beginning on Wednesday. Though hashtags haven’t worked on Facebook until now, many people were using them anyway, having grown accustomed to them on Twitter and Instagram.

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The lock screen has been been given an updated appearance, as has the weather app with new animations and a new view of multiple cities at one time. The calendar app is better at scrolling and landscape support. The OS has a new swiping gesture that brings back the previous screen. Game Center supports multiple pages of games within folders. Notification Center is now visible from the lock screen, and the today screen shows more detail about the day, including transit times. Control Center offers faster access to wireless radios and is available from any part of the UI.

Multitasking now works across all apps within iOS, and iOS 7 introduces a new multitasking screen. Multitasking uses intelligent scheduling, opportunistic updates, and adapts to network conditions to fetch background data when apps aren’t being used to conserve battery life.

The Safari browser adds iCloud keychain, smart search, shared links, reading lists, and better tab support. Many of these changes are available in the desktop version of Safari, as well. iOS 7 adds support for AirDrop, which can be used to share files with others nearby via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. The camera sees a number of improvements, and allows people to swipe from camera mode to camera mode, such as from standard to panorama.

The Photos app also sees an update, and will help organize photos by putting them into “moments” based on date and location. It also adds a number of filters and editing tools, as well as more advanced sharing capabilities.

Siri has been updated to respond to more natural language requests, and can do things like play voicemails or open Twitter. iOS 7 brings with it car integration with a number of 2014 models by a handful of manufacturers, and will show up on the car’s in-dash system.

It also offers a new version of the App Store, which improves app discovery, such as the ability to see apps that are local, and adds automatic app updates. Other new features include a new activation lock for stolen phones, night mode within Maps, FaceTime audio for high-quality calls, notification sync across devices, message/phone blocking, and better business support.

iOS 7 will work on many of its newer iOS products, including the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5; the iPad 2 and later; the iPad Mini; and the fifth-generation iPod Touch. It will be available this fall.

The post iOS 7 Adds Gestures, Lock Screen, Notifications and More appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Early developer versions of the apps can be reached via Apple’s iCloud beta page. Compatible Windows browsers should at least include Chrome and Internet Explorer, but Apple has yet to comment on alternatives like Firefox or Opera.

The post iWork App Coming to iCloud Later this Year appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The Advanced Healing Brush, which helps fix irregularly-shaped imperfections such as dust spots, and the Upright tool which automatically straightens objects are two of the new editing abilities. Users can also apply off-center or multiple vignettes in a single image with the Radial Gradients tool.

Video can now be added to slideshows alongside still images and music; the Book models adds new abilities to create, personalize and print photo books from a variety of pre-designed templates and now allow users to create their own templates. The new Smart Previews lets photographers make edits to images offline, which are then applied to the original images when the library housing them is reconnected.

The post Adobe Releases Lightroom 5 to Creative Cloud Members appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The new iPad version allows users to minimize a playing video and search for new content. Small and short-duration chips can be viewed as a preview, giving users a better venue for evaluating content while perusing the app. Contextual selection after tapping on a program shows the first, next, or latest episode to watch, depending on the user’s history with that content.

Also added to the app are editorially-curated collections, such as previous and current E3 coverage, and improved search. The app itself is free, but with a subscription required to view all content.

The post Hulu Updates the iPad Experience with Third Version of the App appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The previous update, which came out in April, fixed an issue with Nikon P7700 raw-format images, correctly displayed them in the import windows, and fixed a problem that would cause Aperture to quit during large imports. It also addressed a couple of minor issues with the Shared Photo Stream function, allowed thumbnails to have names longer than 250 characters, and fixed a multiple warning dialog issue when web albums were synced after waking from sleep.

As with all 3.4.x releases, the program requires users to be running OS X Lion 10.7.5 or Mountain Lion 10.8.2 or later. The full update comes in at 523.15MB and is available either through the Software Update mechanism or directly from Apple’s Support Downloads page.

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There so far appear to be no feature additions in the release, which is available for both Mac and Windows users. The last update brought the surprise addition of an enhanced Songs view, and a better MiniPlayer incorporating a progress bar and the ability to enlarge album art.

The post iTunes 11.0.4 Fixes Sync, iTunes Store Login Issues appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The app is also Apple’s first for WWDC to incorporate Passbook support, which should make it easier to register at Moscone West.

The main function of the app is providing times and locations for WWDC events, which can be folded into a custom schedule. It also provides access to news, maps, and notifications, plus event feedback and daily submitted photos. Apple remarks that when viewing videos, positions will be synced between iOS devices.

The post The Official iOS App for WWDC 2013 Is Out! appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The app is now better able to handle natural language search requests and is faster as transcribing them on the fly. The browser can also speak results back to the owner, as well as display the relevant search results on the screen. Last, Chrome for iOS is faster at rendering web pages.

The browser is free to download from the iTunes App Store.

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Designed from the ground up as a live service, the ever-expanding universe of Plants vs. Zombies 2 continues the epic struggle of plants defending your brainz against zombies from your backyard through the vast reaches of time, both past and future. New worlds with new levels, plants, zombies and new ways to play will be released on an ongoing basis.

Also returning for the sequel is Crazy Dave, the addled neighbor who serves as a guide for players and shopkeeper for special plant upgrades and other tools and weapons. New touch-screen power-ups, plant food that supercharges plants, and novel new game mechanics that both help and hinder players’ efforts to thwart the zombie hordes will enthrall existing fans and new players alike.

Free to download, Plants vs. Zombies 2 will expand and extend the classic gameplay of the original and provide players with dozens of all-new levels, plants and zombies across multiple worlds at no cost. While the vast majority of the game will be entirely free to play (players can face every zombie and access every level in every world at no cost), Plants vs. Zombies 2 players will also be able to purchase upgrades and other in-game items.

“It’s about time!” said Allen Murray, Senior Producer for Plants vs. Zombies 2. “We’re confident that players will see the love and attention we’ve put into this game. We’ve created wild new ways to experience the plants and zombies you know and love as well as packing the game with tons of completely new content, and we’re still hard at work coming up with even more cool stuff that will keep ‘Plants vs. Zombies 2′ fresh and evolving in the months and years following launch.”

The post PopCap Games Dishes More Info on Plants vs. Zombies 2 for iOS appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The Studio in-app purchase ($10 for iPhone or $15 for iPad users over the original $20 AmpliTube cost) turns AmpliTube 3 into a full-fledged Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that features a full bass and guitar rig, effects, a programmable drum generator, compatibility with other audio apps through Audiobus, and a waveform-based editing suite fully capable of arranging, editing, mixing and mastering complete musical pieces. A full set of commands — such as cut, copy, paste, split (at playhead), normalize and delete — is available, along with cropping and fade-creation tools. Version 3.0 is a free upgrade to previous users.

On the iPhone, AmpliTube can now handle up to four tracks with the Studio IAP, and up to eight tracks on the iPad. The guitar/bass rig includes a tuner, selectable stomp box effects, virtual amplifiers from makers like Fender and Ampeg, effects collections from artists like Slash and Jimi Hendrix, selectable speaker cabinets and microphone models. When used with the iRig HD, AmpliTube 3 also offers four new free gear models: the Metal 150 and Metal W amps, and the X-Flanger and Wharmonator “Whammy” pedals.

In addition to all that, the program comes with a rehearsal mode that lets users load pre-recorded material into it and change the tempo or pitch if desired in order to facilitate playing along. The program can also be used simultaneously with other audio apps, particularly IK Multimedia’s own SampleTank and iLectric apps. The program supports up to four outside audio programs in conjunction with itself, meaning users can set up a wide variety of sounds to record alongside their own playing.

As an adapter, iRig HD is fully compatible with any mobile recording app, such as Garageband, but does offer four new virtual amps and effects when used with AmpliTube. The device can also be used on Lightning-equipped Mac notebooks and desktops, and comes with the AmpliTube Custom Shop for Mac users. The app includes the ability to purchase virtual amplifiers and effects from top manufacturers a la carte, and the company has included AmpliTube Metal (a collection of high-gain amps and stomp boxes) for free with the purchase of the iRig HD. The plug-in also works with Garageband, Logic and other DAW software.

The device offers pre-amp gain control, 24-bit A/D conversion and is completely self-powered by either the USB or iOS device connection. The instrument connector is a Hi-Z input jack, and the unit is ultra-compact and lightweight. It is available now from IK Multimedia direct and should soon be available at local music speciality retailers.

The post IK Multimedia Launches iRig HD and AmpliTube 3.0 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Smaller changes include real-time and offline “beeping” at friends, redesigned pop-up alerts, and JVC App Link Mode support. Access to the inbox, Foursquare check-ins, and a three-state mute button have been added to the main menu, and map editors have been given access to three new moods: 8-Bit, Robot, and T-Rex.

The Waze app is a free download, and includes native iPhone and iPad interfaces.

The post Waze 3.7 for iOS Is Released – Now Supports Facebook Events appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The changes center on the addition of tabs to the inbox that are meant to help organize different types of emails into categories, such as updates, deals, messages from friends, and so on. Users can choose which of the five tabs they see in their inbox, and the order in which the tabs appear. Messages can be moved between tabs and certain senders can be prioritized to always be visible in the primary tab.

The new mobile apps, which will become available gradually over the next few weeks, default to the primary tab view, but make it easy to view and interact with emails in the other tabs. According to Google, users can switch off the tabs and stick with a classic view of Gmail if they so wish.

The post Gmail Updates the Inbox with Tabs for Organizing Emails appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Among the existing models affected are the Fuji Xerox “D” series, the FX-Apeosport-IV series, the FX DocuCentre-IV series, the FX Document Centre “C” series, and the FX DocuPrint “C” series. Added in the update were some additional models in the FX DocuPrint series. The CM 405, CM 305, M355 and P355 along with the P455 have been added. All updates include the mentioned changed for both the Kanji edition and English.

A copy of the combo update can be downloaded from Apple’s Support website.

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The interface sports dockable tabs and a fullscreen mode, and canvases up to 40 megapixels for Pro users. Images can be saved either in a native Flame Painter format or as JPG, TIF, BMP, or PNG files. Alternately, graphics can be shared with an online gallery.

The fully-featured Professional edition of Flame Painter is $60. A Personal edition costs $30, and aside from basic feature differences is limited to three layers and non-commercial use. Both versions come in OS X and Windows flavors.

The post Flame Painter Goes To Version 2.0 – Expands Brush, Layer Options appeared first on Takes On Tech.

A casualty of the new system is Flickr Pro, which  has been excised, as Yahoo wished “everyone to have professional quality photo  space and sharing.” An additional terabyte of storage can be purchased by  users,  called “doubler.” Double storage sells for $500 per year, and is  ad-free.

Flickr is compatible with OS X, Windows XP SP3 and above, iOS,  and Android 4.1 and above. The free version is ad-supported, with an ad-free  version available for an additional $50 per year.

The new release brings comes with revamped Android app, similar to the iOS application launched  in  December. CEO Mayer boasts that the new app “maintains your photos’ original  quality, so every image you take, edit, share, or view on your phone or tablet  looks spectacular.”

The new Flickr is now live.

The post Yahoo Launches New Flickr – 1TB of Free Storage, New Android App appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Symantec announced the availability of Norton Zone, a secure file sharing service that allows users  to easily and safely access, sync and share photos, videos and documents.

The  new cloud file-sharing service leverages Norton’s security expertise to keep  data safe. Norton Zone provides 5 free GB of storage and users in the US can  now  purchase additional storage if they need it. Symantec never claims  ownership over any data that is uploaded to the service, and all files uploaded  to Norton Zone are encrypted.

Norton anti-malware scanning technology  automatically checks content for viruses and other threats before it is shared.

Key Features

• Access files from any device, anywhere (supports iOS, Android and Windows RT)
• Automatically scan for viruses before you share a file
• Control who can access your shared files
• Automatically sync files across devices

Norton expects to announce additional updates to the service later this year  with “new feature modules and enhancements.”

The post Symantec Debuts Norton Zone Secure Cloud Storage appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The Windows app allows for offline playback, and  incorporates a new “instant search” feature which also permits playing music  straight from search results.  The app download is free, and like other  versions  of Cloud Player provides cloud access to any music a person has bought  through  Amazon, as well as up to 250 uploaded songs.  Offline playback can  include  anything a person has in their iTunes or Windows Media Player  libraries;  alternately, the app can be used to export Amazon tracks in the  opposite  direction.

The post Amazon Launches Native Cloud Player for Windows appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The public preview, downloadable from June 26th to coincide with the Build developer conference in San Francisco, will be usable on both Windows 8 and Windows RT. A leaked build of Windows Blue showed it as having improved multitasking, deeper SkyDrive integration, updates to the side Charms, and a wider choice of Live Tile colors and sizes. The “Start” button, used in prior versions of Windows, could also make a comeback in the update.

While Microsoft has confirmed a date for the public preview, it has not clarified when exactly Windows 8.1 will become available to end users during Tami Reller talks at JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston. A comment on the Windows blog, that it will be out “later this year,” reinforces comments made by chief marketing officer and chief financial officer Tami Reller last week. At that time, Reller confirmed the sale of 100 million Windows 8 licenses, and hinted at the sale of sub-8-inch Windows 8 and Windows RT devices in the future.

The post Microsoft Makes Windows Blue Officially Windows 8.1 – Update Will Be Free appeared first on Takes On Tech.

While currently restricted to the iPad users, the new feature brings the software in line with the functionality of the current web and TV app. At the end of a TV episode Netflix will minimize the credits and cue the next episode in the season. If users do nothing, then the episode will will automatically begin playing within 10 seconds.

In addition, post play also works for movies by providing users with three recommendations of other movies they may enjoy.

The post iPad Netflix Now Cues TV Episodes Automatically appeared first on Takes On Tech.

“It is a whimsical colorful game with an emphasis on playful exploration and creativity,” Hogg explains. “You take on the role of a curious flying snake-like character. A Technicolor, calligraphic, worm-like, kite-like being!”

“One of the main aims for Hohokum is to create something where the usual pressures of videogames – constantly being told to do things, fearing failure and being challenged to earn progress – were all absent,” Hogg says. “This is quite a challenge, but we’re really excited about how it’s coming together. There are goals and secrets to discover. There are even Trophies. But at its heart Hohokum is a playground, a place to wander about, perhaps even lose yourself in.”

The post Hohokum Comes to PS3 in 2014 appeared first on Takes On Tech.