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Telestream reveals ScreenFlow 4 update
Telestream's flagship screen-recording app, ScreenFlow, has been updated today. ScreenFlow 4 (US$99, $29 paid upgrade to owners of previous versions) adds a ton of new and improved features to the app, which is used for recording and editing screencasts and presentations. ScreenFlow 4 now runs as a fully 64-bit app in OS X 10.7 and 10.8, which Telestream reports "improves overall performance, memory usage, export speed, and scalability." The app can also record up to 2,880 x 1,800 resolution Retina displays while still producing relatively small file sizes. There are new organization tools to handle clips, support for close-captioning has been added and chroma key ("green screen") lets users add virtual studios or locations behind clips of narrators. Core Image filters and effects are supported, bringing a whole new palette of audio and video tools to the app. Existing ScreenFlow customers who purchased earlier versions of the app directly from Telestream can easily upgrade by going to ScreenFlow > Check for Updates, and then clicking the Install Update button. Once ScreenFlow 4 is installed, the upgrade license can be purchased by selecting Purchase > Purchase ScreenFlow Online. If you purchased ScreenFlow through the Mac App Store, check this page for details on how to upgrade. A video highlight of the new chroma key and effect tools in ScreenFlow 4 is available below.
MacUpdate bundle includes Parallels, Civ, ScreenFlow, ending soon
There's only about a day left as of this posting in the latest MacUpdate Bundle, and it's a phenomenal deal for sure. For $49.99, they're offering a cornucopia of great desktop software: Parallels 7, ScreenFlow 3, Civilization V (!), stream recorder Jaksta, encrypter Espionage 3, Speed Download 5, Attachment Tamer 3, KeyCue 6, A Better Finder Rename 9, and My Living Desktop 5. Any two of those apps are probably worth that price, but for this bundle, you can grab all of them together. The bundle lasts through Friday, so don't wait if you're thinking about picking it up. There's also a demo bundle for download if you want to try some of these apps out, and there are a few other deals in there too: Picking up the bundle gets you a discount on the Civ 5 Gods and Kings expansion, and for just spreading the word about the bundle, you can get Mac locking app Red Hand for completely free.
TUAW Best of 2011: Vote for the best Mac photo and video apps
The nominations are in, and the poll is ready to go! The TUAW Best of 2011 awards are all about you -- the readers -- and what you think is the cream of the crop of Apple or third-party products and software. To vote, select one entry from the top nominations made by readers. We'll be announcing the winner in just a few days. Vote early and often! Today TUAW is asking for your vote for the best Mac photo and video apps of 2011. While we received relatively few nominations in this area, there were several apps that stood out as potential winners in this category. Rather than have video and photo apps punching it out for the Best of 2011 title, I've decided to split the voting into both categories. In the video realm the new Camtasia 2 ($99.99) app pulled in the most nominations, while Apple's Final Cut Pro X ($299.99) was popular despite all the complaining when it was released earlier this year. ScreenFlow ($99.99), another screencasting app for Mac, will fight it out with Camtasia 2 for the honors. For photo apps, FX Photo Studio Pro ($39.99) grabbed the attention of readers, along with Sketcher ($14.99), Flickery ($9.99), and effect / texture app Flare ($9.99). Be sure to vote for one of each below -- one Mac photo app and one Mac video app. I'll announce the winners in a few days. %Poll-72024% %Poll-72020%
Best of 2011 Nominations: Mac photo / video apps
During December and January, The Unofficial Apple Weblog is soliciting your nominations and votes for the best products for Mac, iPhone/iPod touch, and iPad. We'll start with nominations in a category, and then tally your votes for the top-nominated products a few days later. The winner in each category receives the highly-coveted title of TUAW Best of 2011. Today's category for Best of 2011 nominations is Mac photo and video apps. Your Mac can manage thousands of photos and help you to create video masterpieces, so this is a crowded category. You might be a fan of Apple's iPhoto (US$14.99) or Aperture ($79.99) apps. Maybe you love to create HDR images with HDR Darkroom (on sale for $7.99) or apply stunning effects with FX Photo Studio ($9.99). The ease of use of Flare ($19.99) might be more your cup of coffee. Video fans might be excited about Apple's iMovie '11 ($14.99) or Final Cut Pro X ($299.99). Perhaps you're developing screencasts and use either ScreenFlow ($99.99) or Camtasia 2 ($99.99) in your work. Whatever your favorite Mac photo or video app is, we want to hear about it. Leave your nomination in the comments below. This is the last Mac-specific category for the 2011 awards -- tomorrow we'll begin gathering nominations for iPhone apps and accessories. Nominations close at 11:59 PM ET on December 15, 2011.
How to: Capturing iPad video with audio narration
Recently, Mike Rose asked me to check out an ongoing discussion over at the Telestream forums to see if I could assist one of the posters. Mike knew that Steve Sande and I were working on testing out a variety of iPad-to-computer screen capture solutions. He thought I might be able to help out Dr. J, host of the "Lighting the Lamp" podcast.
ScreenFlow 2.0: top Mac screen recording app gets even better
I have a handful of apps that I use to show off my Mac to those still stuck on the dark side (ahem, Windows users), and ScreenFlow is among them -- heck, it's even the app I use for screen recording Windows (via Parallels). Already the gold standard in the screen recording app genre on the Mac, Telestream's ScreenFlow adds a host of goodies in its 2.0 update. While the new features provide the means for you to enhance the look and feel of your screencasts, they're more notable for better facilitating your screencasting workflow; the end result is more of a one-stop shop for all your screencasting needs. The first new feature relates to media interaction and management within the app. ScreenFlow 2.0 now allows you to drag, drop and position content from your media list directly onto the main ScreenFlow video canvas. In addition, said media files are now saved within a package. This means that the media files (pictures, music, and movies) you used in your project will be bundled in one place, rather than scattered hither and yon on your hard drive. As a result, you no longer need to worry about the folder(s) you placed your media in. Prior to 2.0, freeze framing or adjusting the speed of a clip required you to use another video editor, such as iMovie or Final Cut, which was an annoyance given the fact that you had to export the video. In the 2.0 update, however, ScreenFlow has added built-in support for freeze frames and speed adjustments. And if you yourself need your own personal freeze frame -- er, break -- you can now do so without splitting up clips through the pause and resume feature of ScreenFlow 2.0. While stopping and recording results in a separate clip, pausing and resuming screen recording results in a single clip that can be moved through the editing process as a unit. As many screencasts eventually make their way onto YouTube, ScreenFlow has incorporated YouTube publishing within the app. No longer will you need to use your browser or export to an iMovie-compatible format to upload your screencast to Youtube. YouTube publishing includes support for distribution control, giving you control over whether or not you want your screencast available for public consumption. Other notable features in the 2.0 update include: • New keyboard shortcuts (for resizing the timeline, zoom in and out, and nudging clips) • Advanced audio edits and audio ducking • Action curves • Improved timeline performance and improved export performance • Support for exporting only part of the timeline instead of the entire document • Color correction • Live audio scrubbing • Snow Leopard optimization Mac OS X Snow Leopard provides built-in support for screen recording via QuickTime X, and this may serve as a "good enough" solution for basic screen recording needs. But, just as Little Snapper serves as a powerful and elegant screen capturing tool suite over the built-in capabilities in OS X (via command-shift-3 or via the "Grab" app) for more advanced uses, ScreenFlow serves as a compelling screen recording suite for those who want to add extra polish and sheen to their screencasts. And with the 2.0 update to ScreenFlow, Telestream has made adding that extra polish and sheen that much easier. A 30 day free trial of ScreenFlow 2.0 is available at the Telestream website. ScreenFlow 2.0 is available for USD $99, or as a USD $29 upgrade for owners of previous versions of ScreenFlow. Download and purchase links available here.
ScreenFlow 1.5, now with 100% more text annotation
For semi-pro and professional screencasters working on Macs, Screenflow has reigned for a year as the closest thing available to the Windows-only category leader Camtasia Studio. It not only records your screen, your video camera or iSight, your audio input and system audio simultaneously, it provides a full editing suite and allows callouts, edits and cuts to be made in post, within the application. It's been one year since the initial release, and the development of Screenflow has continued steadily ... despite company acquisitions. On the mutli-talented application's first birthday, parent company Telestream has announced version 1.5 with custom mouse cursors, WMV export, new audio effects, automatic stereo mixing of single-channel microphones and ... titling.
ScreenFlow 1.2 released
Vara Software's fantastic screencasting application, ScreenFlow, has just been updated to version 1.2. Brett and I have both raved about ScreenFlow in the past, but the more I use the program, the more I love it. If you are even marginally interested in doing screencasts, you owe it to yourself to give ScreenFlow a shot.Some of the highlights from version 1.2: French and German localization Redesigned keyboard modifier display You can now copy and paste clips and actions in the same document Lasso tool added to the timeline to select groups of clips Separate mouse click radar animation for mouse up and down General improvements to smoothness and memory usage You can see the entire list of changes/additions here. ScreenFlow won the Apple Design Award for Best OS X Leopard Application and Best OS X Graphics and Media Application at WWDC 2008 and for good reason -- it is one of the best native Leopard apps that I've come across, taking advantage of Quartz and Core Image to produce stunning results.ScreenFlow is Leopard only and is $99.99 US for new users. You can download a full-functioning trial program here (final video will have a watermark until the software is unlocked).
(Post) WWDC '08: Vara Software
I missed my chance to meet up with Vara Software at WWDC, which I was lamenting even before they went and won two Apple Design Awards, including Best Mac OS X Leopard Application. I called Paul Carnine, Vara's founder and one of its developers, to talk about the achievement, Vara Software in general, and their increasingly impressive software lineup. The software winning all of the acclaim right now is ScreenFlow, which we excitedly covered when it was initially released. With the last several releases it's become increasingly polished and continues to be one of the best screencasting applications on the Mac market. It's possibly the only application in it's category to rightfully bill itself as a complete "studio." Apparently Apple appreciates this one as much as I do.
ScreenFlow 1.1 picks up the pace
ScreenFlow 1.1 hit today, and there are over 80 fixes and improvements in the release notes for the current top-dog Mac screencasting application. If you weren't excited the first time we covered this, it might be time to look again. As for me, I had already forged a committed relationship with ScreenFlow. It's always a pleasure to see your partner get smarter and better looking after you tie the knot. The new version exports faster, thankfully. The press release says export speeds are up 20 to 40% (across most presets), but a little TUAW testing showed that the web-preset exports were 40% faster and then some. And that's with video and audio actions, embedded QuickTime video and an additional MP3 audio track. Export time was a drawback of version 1.0 that I was willing to live with, but I'm quite grateful that I don't have to anymore. I haven't experienced the oft-mentioned crashing that was plaguing some users, but improvements to overall stability may be of interest to those who have. There are interface improvements such as audio waveforms visible in the tracks, as well as the addition of markers which can be converted to QuickTime chapters. I won't drone on about the dozens of other fixes/changes right now but -- if release notes are your thing -- you can read them here. Or just grab the demo and see it in action. ScreenFlow has a price tag of $99 for a registered version, and 1.1 is a free upgrade for current owners.
ScreenFlow: The killer screencasting app is here
Whether you love them or hate them, screencasts made on Macs just got exponentially better. We at TUAW are in awe of the latest contender for your screencasting love: ScreenFlow, from Vara Software (the maker of Wirecast and Videocue). The feature set is, well, unbelievable in comparison to what is currently available on our platform of choice. And it's an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink solution, with a fantastic editor, amazing effects and simultaneous recording of a video camera (or iSight), your full screen, microphone audio and computer audio without even kicking up my fans. Am I gushing? Definitely. The fans on my MacBook Pro tend to go nuts after a little while of full-screen recording. Screenium was pretty good with that, but it was only a fraction of the solution that ScreenFlow seems to be. The real magic of ScreenFlow starts after the recording is finished. Once you're in the editor, you find that it's tracked all of your movements, foreground windows, keypresses, etc. with precision. You can cut and fade, zoom and rotate, add callouts for foreground windows or mouse clicks ... I'm still in amazement. No longer will I need Mouseposé; not only does it automate the process of highlighting the mouse position and calling out clicks wherever you want them, it relieves any need to be hitting hotkeys to turn it on and off while you record. Is this finally the Mac Camtasia? Quite probably. ScreenFlow costs $99.99 and is available for purchase. A fully-functional (watermarked) demo is right here along with a screencast that's seriously worth watching.
