If you are a photographer who cannot yet use the raw format for your new camera in Apple's Aperture or iPhoto programs, then Apple has released an update that might help.

Apple is continuously adding support for the various raw formats to its programs, and regularly releases Digital Camera RAW updates for Aperture and iPhoto. The latest update, released today, adds support for the following camera makes and models:

• Canon PowerShot G1 X
• Nikon D4
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX1
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ35
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ38
• Samsung NX200
• Sony Alpha NEX-7
• Sony NEX-VG20

The update is a small 7.5MB download from the Apple Support Web site, but can also be downloaded using Software Update on Macs that have Aperture or iPhoto installed and that are running OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.1, or later.

Do keep in mind that while this update makes possible handling raw file formats in Apple's programs, it will not add support for other programs like those from Adobe or other developers. Therefore, if you use Photoshop, Lightroom, or other photo management tools with your camera then be sure to check those tools' support Web sites to see if and when similar compa... [Read more]

Sure, it's nice, but you may want to wait a bit before buying.

On Friday, Apple's third iteration of the iPad arrives in stores.

With a higher-resolution display, a 4G LTE connection, and a better camera, the tablet isn't a completely new device, but that hasn't stopped it from sending consumer interest through the roof. Already Apple has sold out of online preorders, and analysts are suggesting that the company could sell a record-breaking 1 million iPads on the first day of sales alone.

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High-ranking Mozilla staff, believing they've lost a fight to keep patent-encumbered technology off the Web, have concluded it's time to change course and support H.264 video technology.

The H.264, a "codec" to encode and decode video for more efficient storage and streaming, is widely used in everything from video cameras to mobile-phone processors. However, it's encumbered by patent royalty payments that go against Mozilla's goal of fostering an open Web.

The patent issue led Mozilla to strongly endorse Google's alternative VP8 codec that's part of its royalty-free WebM project. But WebM just isn't catching on, and Google hasn't fulfilled a promise to remove H.264 support from Chrome to try to promote WebM, so Mozilla Chief Technology Officer Brendan Eich and others responsible for Firefox have reluctantly endorsed a change of plans.

"The pressure to promote WebM was needed from a bigger player than Mozilla, and it was needed a year ago," Eich said in a long mailing-list discussion. "It might not have worked then, even with Google on-side. Now, with just Mozilla going it alone, all we do is kill our mobile initiatives in order to appear pure...That does not serve our mission or users."

Those Mozilla representatives who came around to H.264 endure... [Read more]