This Week in Mac App News and Deals

Hello again, readers.

Here we are trying to make the weekend closer for you. In this edition you’ll find out about the Aereo problems, the folding of the Ambrosia Software development team and the rumored roadmap for the upcoming Office releases. Then, of course, we’ve also got the best deals of the week for you to spend your hard-earned cash wisely. Don’t miss our reviews for the discounted apps, which are linked through the favicon right next to them.

Have a nice reading!

News from the World of Apps

Apple’s Pandora-like iRadio Service to Launch in 2013?

Rumor? Kind of. It has been reported previously that Apple was in negotiations with major music labels aiming for a satisfying pay-per-play cost. ITunes is among the main sources of digital music in the actual world and this next step from Apple is definitely a success by anticipation. If you use a music streaming service like Pandora or Spotify, would you move to the rumored iRadio?

News Corp. to Take Fox Off Air If Courts Back Aereo

First you ask: What is Aereo besides the newest headache to TV broadcasters? Long told shortly, it is a tiny antenna that receives live TV on your devices for a fee. The issue is that the broadcasters don’t see a penny since Aereo works under the sheets and they did what they do best: went to court. And lost. Now News Corp., which owns 27 TV stations in 9 of the biggest U.S. cities, and countless affiliates all over the US, flinches and threatens to make Fox cable-only if the courts don’t stop the service.

This is the Aereo antenna that allows users to stream broadcasting waves.

This is the Aereo antenna that allows users to stream broadcasting waves.

Former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson out as JCPenney’s CEO

Ron Johnson is the guy who created the concept of an Apple Store. He did so well at Apple that he left in the lookout of new challenges. Unfortunately, he failed at the department store, as reported by the NY Times. What is really interesting is that Apple has an opening perfectly fit for Ron to join the Cupertino team again as SVP of Retail, empty since last October.

Roadmap suggests that a new Office for Mac is only coming in 2014

Everybody has been talking about how this roadmap reveals that Office for iOS and Android is only coming at late 2014, however, it also unveils the release for brand-new, touch-based, OS X versions with the metro-style UI which became so common. We’ll hear again in next October, when Microsoft is expected to release the new version for Windows. We’d appreciate the sneak peek (and OneNote for Mac).

Will we ever have OneNote for Mac? Maybe next year.

Will we ever have OneNote for Mac? Maybe next year.

Ambrosia Software lays off its developing team, has reportedly folded

End of an era, so long and thanks for all the fish, ambrosia. On to the next adventure tweets a developer from Ambrosia, company responsable for Snapz Pro X, iToner and WireTap Studio, along more concerning reports from its development team, what seems to be a dismissal of the company. We’re still waiting for an official confirmation; however, future seems dark for the company. Best of luck to the developers.

Bungie’s Pathways Into Darkness comes back to Mac for free

Once upon a time, 20 years ago, a company called Bungie released a revolutionary first-person shooter called Pathways Into Darkness. Years later, the same company released Halo (which was planned as a game for Mac). Almost as a celebration, the game was recreated from scratch and is now available for free download at the AppStore.

Pathways Into Darkness is pure nostalgia hitting the Mac App Store.

Pathways Into Darkness is pure nostalgia hitting the Mac App Store.

RunRev ships first version of LiveCode

LiveCode is a successful Kickstarter campaign to improve LiveCode into an open-source tool for everyone to create apps for several platforms. Did you ever had an idea for an app but no clue how to code it? This promises to be the solution. You can download the first release for free at their website and learn a bit more about it.

The Best App Deals for Your Mac

Hey, just a quick note on the Deals section: you’ll notice the Mac.AppStorm favicon sitting besides a few of the apps listed here, click there and you’ll be taken to our review of the application. You’re welcome, just trying to make your life easier.

Win a Free Copy of Radium 3 from Mac.AppStorm!

Win a copy of Radium 3 and get all the internet radio in your menubar

Get all the internet radio in your menubar

Solar Walk $9.99 > $4.99 

Koku $29.99 > $14.99 

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (NEW) $24.99

MacJournal $39.99 > 19.99 

Mariner Persona $49.99 > $24.99 

Give real depth to your characters with Persona.

Give real depth to your characters with Persona.

Montage $49.99 > $24.99

Contour $49.99 > $24.99

MacGourmet Deluxe $49.99 > $24.99

Paperless $49.99 > $24.99

Mental Case $29.99 > $14.99 

Cut the excuses and study efficiently with Mental Case.

Cut the excuses and study efficiently with Mental Case.

Pathways into Darkness (NEW) FREE

StoryMill $49.99 > $24.99

WhatSize $14.99 > $1.99

Hider $9.99 > $1.99

OCRKit $49.99 > $29.99

Interesting Reads for the Week

Visceral Apps and You

Material Honesty On The Web

Wrangling email: How I keep my inbox under control

Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell on “Finding The Next Steve Jobs”

Did We Miss Anything?

That’s all of the news, deals, and interesting links for this week, but if there’s anything you think we missed, be sure to let us know in the comments below. Otherwise, check back next Thursday for more Mac news, deals, and more!

    

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