GE seems a somewhat odd entity to be pioneering Mac deployment, since it still carries associations of being the lumbering giant and paragon of ’80s and ’90s big business it was under Jack Welch. But the company has a now one-year-old project that allows employees to choose either Mac or Windows PCs as their work computer, and according to the Wall Street Journal, it now has about 1,000 Macs in active use, with that number expected to rise.

That’s just a small fraction of GE’s 330,000 total computers, but it’s a start, and the gap will likely narrow as employees become aware of the program; GE hasn’t been trumpeting the news internally yet. For a rough comparison of where future adoption might take the Mac at GE, consider that 10,000 GE employees now use iPhones as their official work device, after the company began supporting them in 2008. There are 50,000 BlackBerry devices in use, but iPhones have made up considerable ground in four years time.

Private industry is one place Apple’s presence is growing, but it’s also having big impact in government. At the level of local government, especially, the idea of using iPads to take over some tasks and replace paper is catching on. Software provider Granicus recently released its iLegislate iPad app targeted specifically at government customers, and told us it’s already in use by over 1,500 governments.

One of iLegislate’s customers, the government of Maricopa, Ariz., says the use of iPads by 15 members of its local government, including the mayor, council members and city directors and managers, has allowed them to increase transparency by making more materials available to the public digitally, and save over $5,000 annually in printing costs, plus more in staff time just assembling print packages. Maricopa’s experience sounds strikingly similar to what we heard about Cornelius, N.C.’s findings following a pilot project of its own using the iPad as a tool for making local government more efficient.

Maricopa has experienced a whopping 4,000 percent growth in population during the past decade, and the iPad, partnered with the Granicus software, is seen by the city as a way to help quickly scale its infrastructure to cope with the expansion. Apple’s iPad holds appeal as a way to quickly cut costs, with a green, future-proof solution that can leverage IT initiatives already in place at governments.

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Trenches II ($1.99 iPhone, $2.99 iPad) is the latest in a lineup of World War I-themed games from Thunder Game Works. Falling somewhere between Plants vs. Zombies  and Flight Control, Trenches II offers slightly more advanced, compelling gameplay, so much so that it approaches the realm of real-time strategy gaming.

The game’s training mode leaves a lot to be desired, with constant, annoying pop-ups, but you can get the hang of things without the tutorial. The basics are as follows: As time passes, you earn money to buy more troops. Troops advance from left to right with the swipe of a finger or two.  You do need to be careful though, as your troops will need to be directed to bunkers and other objects on the battlefield to take cover.

You can lead British, French or German troops into battle. Game strategy comes in the form of which type of troops you buy when. There are sharpshooters, engineers, medics, spies, and flamethrower units to name a few. Along the way, you earn Perk points, which can be used to unlock new troop types and upgrade existing ones. For the impatient, there are in-app purchases to accelerate the earning of Perks.

The more rewarding part of the game, and what makes it a great game for a weekend, is definitely the Skirmish play mode.  In it, you need to scope out a battlefield with airships, and then decide how to deploy your troops. The challenge comes from knowing when to invest in an engineer, and when to invest in a rifleman. The resemblance to Flight Control comes in directing different groups of troops to different points on the battlefield.  This adds a lot to the overall feeling you get of being a real-time field commander.

The iPhone can seem a little tight in terms of available screen real estate with Trenches II, so if you have an iPad, that’s the way to play.

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Final Cut Pro X 10.0.1, available through the Mac App Store right now, brings Xsan integration for distributed remote collaborative editing; XML support, which will allow project and event info to be imported and exported to external programs; and simplified export of audio, video and graphics with a new “Roles” feature. Other new additions include GPU-accelerated exports and full-screen mode for OS X Lion users, among others.

Still missing are oft-requested features like multi-camera support, but many of those are coming in 2012, according to Apple Director of Pro Video Product Marketing Richard Townhill, who spoke to Macworld about the release. Apple is clearly intent on keeping its earlier promises to disgruntled Final Cut customers, many of whom found the changes in FCP X to be more of a backslide as opposed to forward progress.

In order to convince those customers to take a second look, Apple has also introduced a free 30-day trial version of FCP X. True to the company’s dictum that the Mac App Store shall contain no trial software, the demo is available directly from its website. The trial can live comfortably alongside an existing Final Cut Pro install, so pros who want to give it a shot don’t have to worry about being unable to go back once the 30 days are over.

Apple may have made some serious miscalculations about what its pro customers were looking for with the initial release of FCP X, but version 10.0.1 shows for a fact that it is highly motivated to make amends for that lack of foresight. XML support in particular really unlocks the app’s potential, opening up editing to integration with lots of third-party apps. We’ll see if this update is enough to convince more pro customers to upgrade, or if users wait to see what other changes Apple introduces down the road.

Note that at the time of this writing, the update wasn’t yet live in the Mac App Store, and the Final Cut Pro X trial download link redirects to the Aperture demo. We expect Apple to resolve both of these issues shortly.

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One of the benefits of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is that you don’t have to stand in line to buy it or order the software online. Instead you just click over to the Mac App Store and hit “download.” While that’s awfully convenient for many of us, what about those who don’t have a consistently decent Internet connection? Or the ability to get online at all?

Well, Apple isn’t about to miss out on those sales. The company is going to put its brand-new operating system on a USB stick and sell it for $69. That is quite a bit more than the $29 it costs to download the application. Alternatively, Apple is also offering the option to go into an Apple Store and download Lion to your computer.

This should make the transition to Lion easier in emerging markets that have less-than-reliable web infrastructure. Those are markets in which Apple is starting to find some traction, as Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer explained on Tuesday during the company’s third-quarter 2011 earnings report. He noted that the surge in Mac and iPhone sales during the quarter were boosted by new Apple customers in China, other Asia Pacific region countries, the Middle East and Brazil.

Sales of the new Lion-on-a-stick will come some time around the end of August, though no specific release date has been announced.

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One company that’s a perfect example of how to do Apple-based brand extension right is Wacom. The iPad, arguably, represents a considerable threat to their consumer drawing tablet business. The iPad can’t replicate the pressure sensitivity of Wacom pen tablets, of course, but for users that may otherwise have opted for Wacom’s entry-level Bamboo product, that may not be that much of an issue.

Rather than try to fight encroachment by Apple’s tablet, Wacom has embraced the device, releasing a Wacom-branded Bamboo Stylus for use with the iPad’s capacitive touchscreen. There’s also now a complementary app called Bamboo Paper that furthers the brand and acts as a marketing tool for the Bamboo Stylus.

A similar app called Moleskine is an example of how brands need to be really careful about how they represent themselves in the App Store. Moleskine is the maker of pocket paper notebooks and sketchbooks that take their design from the kind of notebooks used by people like Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway. The app is a digital notebook, but it dilutes the brand rather than serving it by not living up to the quality expectations customer associate with Moleskine.

The lesson is that if you aren’t willing to put any real time or effort into your brand extension, you’re better off not trying it at all. Unless, that is, you opt for something small, pretty and clever instead of something ambitious and useful. For brands that don’t need to worry about whether or not they need to rethink their business model down the road (as Wacom and Moleskine may have to do if consumer tablets catch on and continue adding features), a little goes a long way.

Such is the case for Vipp, whose iconic metal waste bin is a design classic. Vipp wisely recognized that the interests of Mac buyers are closely in line with their target customer base, and so released a tiny app that does just one thing: replaces the OS X trash can in the Dock with a Vipp pedal waste bin. It’s animated, installs and uninstalls with just a single click, and it looks great.

An Apple tie-in is a good way to build a brand, but putting an ugly product or one that doesn’t work well on hardware that excels in both categories will only hurt, not help. Instead, brands that take the time to come up with something clever or useful will be the ones that successfully reach out to the lucrative market segment made up of Apple customers.

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Mueller believes that even though Lodsys may oppose Apple’s motion to intervene, the Mac maker is likely to be admitted as a defendant, in which case it has already submitted its answer to Lodsys’ complaint of infringement, and its counterclaim. Apple also cites a number of other precedent-setting similar cases where tech companies were allowed to intervene in patent disputes, which back up and strengthen its motion. If Apple joins as a defendant, Mueller thinks it’s very likely it will take on any legal costs incurred by its developer partners.

Apple’s answer to the Lodsys complaint basically echoes what Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell said in a public letter from the company to Lodsys, claiming Apple is licensed to use the patents, and that the license “expressly permits Apple to offer and otherwise make available to its Developers products and services that embody the inventions contained in the patents in suit.” Apple’s argument rents on the doctrines of patent exhaustion and first sale, which would allow the products and services provided by Apple to developers to be used free of any patent infringement claims. As Mueller has noted before, it isn’t necessarily an airtight defense against the claims made by Lodsys, but Apple appears to be sticking with it, rather than trying to invalidate the four patents held by Lodsys, as analysts firm ForeSee Results Inc. is attempting.

I talked to Mueller about why Apple is sticking so closely to this defense. He said, “Apple does a lot of inbound patent licensing,” and the Lodsys patents are actually part of a batch of “30,000 other patents from Intellectual Ventures” that it also licensed, and Apple also “regularly does license deals with many others.” It’s key that Apple win on these grounds, then, to avoid being made to pay twice for patents already licensed in other cases, too. In fact, as mocoNews points out, Apple states upfront that this case could have tremendous impact on its fortunes, when it says in its filing that “Apple’s interest is direct, very real, and of extraordinary importance to the continued success of Apple’s business.”

When asked how far he thinks this might escalate, Mueller said that while “usually the most probably outcome would be a settlement,” in this case it’s “possible that Apple makes this a matter of principle, with a view to many other cases in which patents that Apple has licensed might be asserted against iOS developers.” Apple would then want to score a precedent-setting win against Lodsys, rather than just agree to pay a settlement to make it quietly go away, in which case others could come calling looking for double-dip license payouts.

Since Lodsys clearly seems to have targeted small developers first in a district court that appears to decide quickly and historically favor patent holders with the aim of overwhelming the developers, it’s great to see Apple support those developers in a way that also offsets their financial burden. Mueller points out that one Android app is included in the current lawsuit, and Google has yet to act. “It’s important that Google make this a matter of principle and defend, alongside Apple, [...] and clarify what it will do if other Android app developers also get sued,” Mueller says.

Any company that depends on the support of third-party developers and makes use of software development toolkits will want to watch this case closely, because the outcome could have a significant impact on development as a whole.

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1. Multi-touch gestures. As laptops with trackpads now account for nearly 75 percent of Apple computer sales, OS X Lion gives full consideration for multi-touch gestures. These gestures also help bring some UI conventions from iOS devices to the desktop OS.
2. Full-screen apps. While developers have always been able to create full-screen apps, it takes quite a bit of extra work to get it right. Apple has added specific features to Lion to make it easier for apps to go full-screen. This is another nod to the importance of the laptop market with smaller built-in screens.
3. Mission Control. Integrates the best of Exposé and Spaces and ties it to gestures to make it even easier to switch between apps. This type of quick switching is particularly important with full-screen apps.
4. App Store. The Mac App Store has been a great success. Apple is adding new features like in-app purchase for Mac apps and delta updates to reduce the size of downloads.
5. Launchpad. A new way to launch apps. My impression is that full-screen makes the dock less usable and Apple is experimenting with creating an easy way to use gestures to bring a list of apps up on screen.
6. Resume. Developers can now take advantage of system-level features in Lion to automatically save the current state of applications. Now when you relaunch the app, it will automatically resume exactly where you left off, with window positions, pallettes, documents, etc. exactly as it was.
7. Auto-save. We’ve all lost work at one moment or another because we forgot to save a document. Lion now brings auto-save to every application and integrates closely with the next feature…
8. Versions. Because apps are auto-saving documents frequently, Lion keeps track of all the previous versions of that document. You can browse old versions much like Time Machine for backups of older files.
9. AirDrop. A simple way to share files over a local-area network, Airdrop will automatically discover other Macs nearby and help you securely transfer files with your permission and confirmation from your colleague.
10. Mail. The new Mail app has been updated to use all these new features of Lion and work well in full-screen mode. There’s a new Conversation view that brings threaded email to the Mac and some new search magic to make it easier to find the message you are looking for.

I’m not sold on full-screen apps and the associated changes to Mission Control and Launchpad, but Resume, auto-save and Versions will make users’ lives much easier. What is your favorite new feature in OS X Lion?

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The new $49 bundle includes Parallels Desktop 6.0, which allows you to run a Windows installation in a virtual machine on your Mac without rebooting. It won’t be as powerful as if you opted to create a Boot Camp partition to house Windows, but it will run without a reboot, and in a window on your OS X desktop, allowing you to drag-and-drop files between operating systems and more. Parallels is normally $79 on its own.

MacUpdate is also offering Civilization IV as part of the deal. It’s the predecessor to Civ V, which is the most recent installment in the world-domination strategy game series, but it wears its age well. I lost huge chunks of my life to Civilization IV, but it was well worth it.

Other highlights from the pack include TechTool Pro 5, which Dave Greenbaum recently recommended as one of the essential hardware diagnostic and repair tools for Mac owners.TechTool Pro 5 normally retails for around $100. 1Password is also included, which is a great app for managing your various online accounts, logins, bonus point memberships, credit cards and more, and which also works with an iOS app for cross-platform syncing.

The MacUpdate Bundle also includes its own desktop app, which provides a nice third-party alternative to the Mac App Store when it comes to keeping your app collection organized and up-to-date. In total, there are 11 apps included in the bundle, so head on over to the deal site to check out the complete list. As always, the MacUpdate Bundle is a limited time offer, so you have two weeks to decide whether or not you’re into the deal.

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The following four bundles expire between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31. As tends to be the case with these bundles, there’s usually a standout app or two which make the bundle worth the price tag, then you get a handful of other stuff. The rest can be pretty hit or miss, but if you can get one or two great programs at less than retail, then anything else is just gravy. The best part is, if you or someone you know is new to Mac and could use some great software, bundle deals like these are a terrific place to start!

Titles in bold italics highlight some of the apps that really make the bundles worth the cash.

MacPromo.com
10 OS X Apps for $49.99
Ends Dec. 31

• TypeIt4Me
• Personal Anstispam
• PathFinder
• MacFreelance
• Folx Pro
• DragThing
• Keyboard Maestro
• CuteClips
• Name Mangler
• Personal Backup
• First 5000 buyers also get Star Wars: Empire at War

Indie Mac Gift pack
6 OS X Apps for $60
Ends Dec. 31

• Delicious Library 2
• Acorn 2
• MarsEdit 3
• Radioshift
• SousChef
• Sound Studio 4

Humble Indie Bundle
5 OS X Games (playable on Steam) for… well, you actually get to set your price!
Ends Dec. 25

• Braid
• Cortex Command
• Machinarium
• Osmos
• Revenge of the Titans

MUPromo Bundle
11 Mac Apps for $49.99
Ends Dec. 23

• 1Password
• MacFamilyTree
• DEVONthink
• Flux
• Default Folder X
• Art Text + Fonts
• Swift Publisher
• Chronories
• Interarchy
• Typinator
• WhatSize
• Tweet the Bundle, and get Process free
• Sign up for the newsletter, and get Image Tricks Pro free

For this writer’s money, the MacPromo and the MUPromo bundles seem to have the best line-ups. They include what are widely known as some of the more popular programs for the OS X platform — with the likes of Pathfinder, DragThing, 1Password, and Default Folder X to name just a few. However you want to slice it, these bundles represent some good deals, but they’re as fleeting as the Christmas season, so act quick if you’re interested.

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MacGraPhoto 2 represents the trend that’s become popular during the last few years of offering bulk discounts for Mac software, a model embraced by the popular MacHeist bundle, among others. Like last year, the MacGraPhoto bundle will cost buyers $39.99. That’ll get you $444 worth of software.

Here’s a list and brief description of what’s included:

• AtomicView. This is, basically, an iPhoto or Aperture alternative that lets you organize, browse and convert photos, video and sound. It actively uses your Mac’s GPU to provide advanced multi-threaded task management and quick-scrolling. Looks like a very handy tool for the amateur multimedia enthusiast, or even the budding professional.
• Sandvox. It’s a website builder that offers templates, live previews, and is tailored to both beginners and professionals. It’s an iWeb alternative that’s a little more flexible, without the learning curve that comes with Dreamweaver.
• Snapshot. This app lets you prepare your digital images for printing. It supports cropping and framing, multiple layouts and even some fun features like borders and speech bubbles. It’s perfect for those who don’t want to get into something like Photoshop, but do want to make sure photos look good before printing.
• Sketch. This is a vector drawing app that keeps things very simple, and focused on your drawing. The canvas is continuous and supports unlimited layers, so that you can just get down to work.
• ImageFramer. This app is dedicated entirely to putting frames on your photos, and also allows you to do things like add watermarks and batch frame entire sets of photo files. It could be handy if you’re creating a gallery website to show off your painting, for instance.
• Layers. Take a screencap of your desktop as a layered .PSD file with Layers. That means things like palettes, toolboxes, icons, and the dock are each captured on separate layers. This is a great tool is do a lot of work with screenshots.
• Hydra. This app allows you to create HDR photos from multiple image files. You don’t need to use a tripod with Hydra, as is often the case with HDR photo apps. It also comes with a plug-in for Aperture and Lightroom, so you can create HDR photos right in those applications.
• Posterino. This is a poster, collage, postcard and greeting card creation app for the Mac. Just pick a template, choose an iPhoto album or specific photos, and you’re on your way.
• Swift Publisher. A desktop publishing app that lets you layout, design and print flyers, booklets, brochures and more, Swift Publisher comes with many bundled templates, and a variety of editing tools. One reviewer described it as what “Apple’s Pages should have been.”

The bundle also comes with a bonus app called DVD-Library that lets you catalog manage, and even backup your DVDs on your Mac. My DVD collection is virtually non-existent these days, but for those with lots of physical media still taking up shelf space, this app could help.

All apps included in the bundle are Apple Staff Picks and have been rated four stars or higher by sites like MacUpdate and Macworld. MacGraPhoto 2 is available for another 19 days, and there are trial versions available for many of the included apps, so you can take your time making a decision. For my money, though, Layers alone is worth the price of admission.

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