The big news last week was Microsoft’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype, which we can only hope will result in a better interface for the Mac version of the Internet telephony program. In other news, the online password service LastPass acknowledged what might have been a security breach, and a number of small iOS developers were threatened with patent infringement letters from a company called Lodsys. Adam has all the details. Plus, we’re pleased to announce both a new TidBITS sponsor — Dolly Drive — and the release of our latest book, “Take Control of Scrivener 2,” which covers Literature & Latte’s award-winning tool for writers. Notable software releases this week include Sandvox 2.0, iPhoto 9.1.3, Corel Painter 12, Mactracker 6.0.1, Snapz Pro X 2.3.0, and Acorn 3.0.1.
In the largest-ever deal for Microsoft, the company has agreed to buy Internet telephony company Skype for $8.5 billion. Microsoft promises to continue to invest in Skype clients for non-Microsoft platforms.
Kirk McElhearn’s “Take Control of Scrivener 2” shows you the ins and outs of the powerful and flexible Scrivener 2, the acclaimed writers’ software from Literature & Latte that’s designed for long-form writing projects.
Please welcome our newest TidBITS sponsor, the backup service Dolly Drive, which brings online backups to Apple’s Time Machine!
The online password management site LastPass may have suffered a breach recently, and while there’s no direct evidence that customer data was stolen (and any that may have been taken was fully encrypted), the event highlights both the dangers of online storage and how responsible companies handle such situations.
Faced with a dead Mac Pro and a flashing power LED, Adam determines that he needs to reseat the memory in his Mac. But when a simple reseating doesn’t work, he has to go further to solve the problem.
Several small iOS developers have received patent infringement claims for using Apple’s in-app purchasing in their apps.
Notable software releases this week include Sandvox 2.0, iPhoto 9.1.3, Corel Painter 12, Mactracker 6.0.1, Snapz Pro X 2.3.0, and Acorn 3.0.1.
The beauty of the Web is that there are so many little facts that might be nice to know, and someone else has already shared them. That accounts for this week’s collection of links, noting 1Password’s creator’s name change, the appearance of the Library of Congress’s National Jukebox, and the tweaky fact that you can’t replace the new iMac’s main hard drive.