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Apple today released Final Cut Pro X version 10.0.3, a significant update to its revolutionary professional video editing application. Version 10.0.3 introduces Multicam Editing, which automatically syncs up to 64 angles of video and photos; advanced chroma keying for handling complex adjustments right in the app; and enhanced XML for a richer interchange with third-party apps and plug-ins that support the fast growing Final Cut Pro X ecosystem. It also includes a beta version of Broadcast Monitoring that supports Thunderbolt devices as well as PCIe cards. Final Cut Pro X version 10.0.3 is available from the Mac App Store for $299.99 (US) to new users, or as a free update for existing Final Cut Pro X customers.

StudioDaily’s Beth Marchant reports on “key features” delivered in
Final Cut Pro version 10.0.3. Marchant interviews Radical Media CTO Evan Schechtman — an early adopter of Final Cut Pro X — who calls version 10.0.3 “an even bigger deal than the original release,” noting that his company is “ready to transition completely to Final Cut Pro X now that broadcast monitoring and multicam editing are in the mix.”

With stock trading for January coming to a close today, Apple’s performance for the first month of 2012 has been notable, with the company’s stock riding strong earnings to a monthly gain of over 50 points that has increased its price by nearly 13%. Much of that gain came alongside Apple’s stellar earnings release one week ago, but Apple has continued to drift upward since that time and closed at yet another record high of $456.48 today after touching $458.24 early in the day’s trading.

Apple’s market capitalization now tops $425 billion, and a weakening of Exxon Mobil’s stock price over the past week has enabled Apple to open up a nearly $25 billion lead in the race for world’s most valuable publicly-traded company.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Dexim Visible Green iPhone Cable Makes Charging More Visible
• Steam Companion iPhone App Now Available to All Users
• Explore Strange New Worlds With Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon
• NASA Releases "Sector 33" Air Traffic Control Game
• Spigen Protects the iPhone's Screen With More Glass

Apple’s flirtation with ZFS, the file system backed by Sun, has been well-documented with rumors and speculation dating back to 2006. The interest was fueled in mid-2007 by a claim by Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz that ZFS would supplant HFS+ as the file system for Mac OS X Leopard. While ZFS did not materialize in Leopard, Apple clearly continued to work on the project, with claims of some support appearing in marketing materials for Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard.

Optimism surrounding that development was apparently premature, however, as all mentions of the file system later disappeared from Apple’s site amid claims that licensing issues had led the company to scrap the project. By late 2009, Apple had shuttered even its open source ZFS project site, indicating that it had abandoned all work on the project.

In March of last year, Ars Technica posted a lengthy profile of Don Brady, the 20-year Apple engineer who had helped transition to the HFS+ file system for Mac OS X and also headed up Apple’s internal ZFS team from 2006 until it was disbanded in 2009. As the report notes, ZFS offers a number of advantages over HFS+, including a 128-bit structure to address large file and volume sizes, as well as features for simplifying data management and increasing data integrity such as copy-on-write technology to preserve the file system structure should errors or failures occur while new data blocks are being written.

At one time, there was a lot of hope that Apple might transition from HFS+ to ZFS as a more modern replacement. In particular, ZFS’s automatic snapshot feature was believed to be the perfect fit for Apple’s Time Machine backup tool. When Snow Leopard was first announced in 2008, it was slated to have full read-write ZFS support, at least in the server version.

But when WWDC 2009 rolled around, all mention of ZFS support was scrubbed from Apple’s website. A patent infringement lawsuit was still pending between NetApp and Sun, with NetApp claiming that it held patents on copy-on-write. Furthermore, Sun’s CDDL open source license was also believed to make ZFS incompatible with Mac OS X, and that Apple couldn’t reach suitable license terms with Sun.

With Apple shutting down its ZFS project in 2009, Brady soon left the company to form his own venture, Ten’s Complement, with a plan to bring ZFS to the Mac. Brady and Ten’s Complement have been working on the project since 2010, with an extensive beta program having been underway for quite some time, and it now appears that the company is ready to begin rolling out its ZFS products under the ZEVO name. First off the line is the Silver Edition, which is now available for $19.95 and brings some of the basic advantages of ZFS to Mac OS X.

Z E V O’s Silver Edition brings you sophisticated ZFS storage technology in an easy-to-use solution.

It’s ideal for those wanting modern, reliable storage that is simple to set up, validate, and manage. Our Z E V O Storage Setup Assistant makes setting up a single disk for Z E V O a snap. In a few simple steps you’ll be up and running.

The company will soon be releasing its more advanced products, including the $39.95 Gold Edition with such features as Time Machine-like rotating data snapshots and data redundancy. A forthcoming Platinum Edition carrying additional features such as RAIDZ support, data deduplication, and an advanced management utility is set to launch this spring, with pricing yet to be announced. Finally, the company is also working on a Developer Edition that will offer a combination of GUI and command line interface tools for complete system control.

Ten’s Complement is not the only group to still be working on bringing ZFS to Mac OS X, as the MacZFS open source project continues to build on the foundation laid by Apple and Sun. But Ten’s Complement seems to be the first to bring ZFS to the Mac in a commercial package to facilitate implementation and maintenance of the file system for users looking at options for securing the integrity of their data.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Dexim Visible Green iPhone Cable Makes Charging More Visible
• Steam Companion iPhone App Now Available to All Users
• Explore Strange New Worlds With Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon
• NASA Releases "Sector 33" Air Traffic Control Game
• Spigen Protects the iPhone's Screen With More Glass

While most USB-charged Apple products like the iPhone and iPad come with a USB charging cable in the box, there is a thriving third-party market for these easily lost accessories. Dexim’s $20 Visible Green USB-Dock Connector cables have a distinctive twist: they use electroluminescence to “visibly show the electrical current flowing through the cable”. Completing the illusion is the fact that there are multiple speeds that the current can “flow”, adjusting with the battery life of the device it’s charging.

While perhaps not the most practical iPhone charger, particularly for bedside nighttime charging, the Visible Green cable is certainly the coolest.

Dexim’s Visible Green cables are available via a number of retailers, including Amazon and others.

Launched in beta last week, Valve has opened up its Steam iPhone companion app to all users.

The app allows Steam users to view their Steam friends list, see what games their friends are playing, and chat with players in-game.

Gamers can also browse and purchase from the Steam library of titles from the iPhone, to play later on a PC or Mac. However, there is no purchasing of iOS games through the app, something that, aside from the fact that Steam doesn’t support any iOS games, Apple would surely frown upon.

Steam Mobile for iPhone is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Late last year, research firm Canalys predicted that Apple might become the world’s largest PC manufacturer during the fourth quarter of 2011 if tablets were counted alongside more traditional computers. With the major firms now having reported their sales numbers for the quarter, Canalys has pieced together the numbers to confirm that Apple has indeed taken the lead on the strength of the iPad.

Canalys today announced that Apple, after reporting stellar results, became the leading worldwide client PC vendor in Q4 2011. Apple shipped over 15 million iPads and five million Macs, representing 17% of the total 120 million client PCs shipped globally in Q4. Overall, the total client PC market, including desktops, netbooks, notebooks, and pads grew 16% year-on-year. Excluding pads, the client PC market declined 0.4%.

The report notes that tablets such as the iPad accounted for 22% of PC sales during the quarter, with the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook also contributing to the strong tablet performance.

Based on data from Canalys and other research firms, it appears that the iPad would have been able to top the list even without the help of the Mac, which itself achieved record sales during the quarter. Apple sold 15.43 million iPads during the quarter, with Canalys, Gartner, and IDC all pegging non-tablet market leader HP’s shipments between 14.7 and 15.3 million units.

Whether or not iPads and other tablets should be counted as PCs has become a vigorous debate as observers take differing views on how “personal computers” should be defined. But with Apple making the iPad “PC Free” by eliminating the need to sync to a computer via iTunes and increasing numbers of consumers relying on their iPads for everyday computer functionalities such as browsing, email and music, as well as a broad array of apps, lines between the two types of devices are becoming increasingly blurred.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Explore Strange New Worlds With Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon
• NASA Releases "Sector 33" Air Traffic Control Game
• Spigen Protects the iPhone's Screen With More Glass
• Spin Doctor Brings Retro Mac Gaming to the iPhone
• Mujjo's Conductive Gloves Swipe to Unlock on a Cold Day

Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon is a one-button side-scroller in the vein of the Helicopter Game or Jetpack Joyride, but with its own unique twist. Players take control of Sir Benfro and his balloon as they explore strange and fantastic worlds filled with weird creatures, complete with wonderful sound effects and soundtrack.

Travel with inquisitive explorer Sir Benfro as he flies through fantastical new worlds filled with weird and wonderful creatures. Float into forests, across oceans and down to the centre of the Earth. But take care – you’re never far from bumping into the next bizarre beast.

Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon features four adventures. Magical fireflies named Light Emitting Daves power Sir Benfro’s balloon. You must fly as fast as you can to keep collecting the Daves and reach the end of each adventure. It’s a game for all ages with three difficulty settings to delight everyone from beginners to master balloonists.

Drawing inspiration from Victorian botanical illustration, puppet theatres, Terry Gilliam’s animations for Monty Python, the stylings of Studio Ghibli and Yimou Zhang’s film Hero, Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon doesn’t look like any other game on the App Store.

A companion children’s book called Sir Benfro’s Travels will be published by Thames & Hudson this autumn.

Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon is available for $0.99 for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

NASA, the U.S. space agency has released a new iOS game called Sector 33. The educational title aims to teach youngsters math and reasoning skills as they act the role of an air traffic controller in charge of ATC Sector 33 as they guide planes to San Francisco International Airport from the East over California and Nevada.

Players adjust multiple planes’ path and speed to safely reach a target location in the sky in the fastest time possible while keeping the plans a safe distance apart.

“Our hope is that Sector 33 will give students a sense of the importance of math in managing our nation’s air traffic and, at the same time, interest them in pursuing a career in aeronautics,” said Jaiwon Shin, NASA’s associate administrator for aeronautics research in Washington.

The math-focused game also aligns with the NASA Office of Education’s mission to engage students in activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Today’s students respond positively to experiential learning,” said Leland Melvin, NASA’s associate administrator for education. “Using an interactive game to spark their interest, while at the same time teaching them fundamental math concepts, is a win-win scenario. It is a perfect way to help cultivate the next generation of engineers and technologists.”

NASA is no stranger to iOS apps, having launched an iPhone app in 2009 to help users stay on top of the latest NASA news.

Sector 33 is available free for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Back in late December, reports surfaced indicating that Foxconn was planning a major expansion of its iPhone production capabilities in Zhengzhou, China, with the company reportedly investing $1.1 billion and working with the Chinese government to recruit 100,000 new workers to the facility.

M.I.C gadget now reports that the hiring notices have gone out and thousands of prospective employees have lined up to apply for the positions.

On the 30th of January, thousands of hopefuls stood for hours outside a labor agency located in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, the largest city of Henan province in north-central China. The lines stretched more than 200 meters along the road, and the people who were waiting in line with their applications just hope to get a job at Foxconn, as the electronics contracting giant ramps up its iPhone production at Zhengzhou plant.

The report cites articles from the Chinese media noting that many of the applicants have prior work experience, with some of them seeking to transfer from Foxconn’s other facilities in southern China to be closer to home.

Apple is of course in the middle of booming iPhone 4S sales following the device’s launch last October and is now turning its attention to the rapidly-growing Chinese market where the device launched on China Unicom earlier this month and is expected to launch on China Telecom as soon as late next month. The company is obviously also looking ahead to the next-generation iPhone hardware that most expect will debut later this year.

Foxconn and Apple have come under increasing scrutiny over the treatment of employees in Apple’s supply chain, with Foxconn being the highest-profile target due to its employment of hundreds of thousands of workers focused on manufacturing Apple products. Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed concern over some of the allegations presented in recent media reports while also pointing to the company’s continuing efforts on the workers’ rights front including ongoing audits and outside monitoring of workplace conditions.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Spigen Protects the iPhone's Screen With More Glass
• Spin Doctor Brings Retro Mac Gaming to the iPhone
• Mujjo's Conductive Gloves Swipe to Unlock on a Cold Day
• Sprint Joins AT&T and Verizon Offering Account Management iPhone Apps
• Intuit Releases Quicken Essentials on Mac App Store