Much like death and taxes, another inevitable fact of life is change. When it comes to products and services, often change is for the better and helps a product or service improve and attract new customers while solving some of the complaints of existing ones.

That’s one of the things Google is trying to accomplish by giving its relatively new, yet successful with over 170 million users, social media service Google+ a facelift. The changes, announced late yesterday and rolling out for all users over the next few days, introduces a more “functional and flexible user experience.”

The new interface focuses largely on customization and Google’s Hangout video chatting service which gets new features to make it easier to discover conversations and new profile pages. There’s also a new navigation bar perched to the left of the screen.

This so-called “ribbon of applications” can be dragged, dropped and placed in any order. The new interface also features a Facebook-like chat bar on the right with a “Trending” widget to help users discover popular topics. There’s also a dedicated Hangout page which will help users by giving them quick access to popular hangouts, tips and live broadcast.

For more on the new design, click through to check out Google’s official video on the subject.

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In what seems like a response to two websites claiming a virus “outbreak” on Mac computers which exploits a Java vulnerability, Apple today issued a new software update for Macs running Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The update, which is called Java for OS X 2012-002, supposedly addresses this vulnerability, although Apple doesn’t say that in the info released with the update.

In fact, in true Apple fashion, the update only says it delivers “improved compatibility, security and reliability” and little else. Although, as this update comes cloesly after Russian anti-virus experts Dr. Web revealed earlier this week news of the “Flashback” trojan virus and its supposed infection of over 600,000 Macs worldwide, Apple’s timing of the update is a bit convenient if it isn’t targeted directly at this exploit.

According to the Dr. Web report, the trojan can intercept sensitive information such as passwords and transmit them to somewhere else. It also claims 57 percent of the infected Macs are located in the US and 20 percent are in Canada. There’s even some on Apple’s Cupertino campus which, if true, is pretty amusing.

Regardless of wether you think viruses exist for the Mac or not or think this is all a big hoax, there’s no reason not to update your Macs. It’s a simple process through Software Update. Why take a chance?

With the exploding popularity of smartphones like Apple’s iPhone, there was also a corresponding rise in the number of people taking photos with those devices. One of the most popular photo apps ever to hit the iPhone is Instagram.

Since its release, Instragram has been exclusive to the iPhone. However, as we previously told you, that exclusivity is now at an end because, as of today, the app has been released for Android.

In case you haven’t used Instagram (you really should, btw), the app allows users to capture photos and edit them using a number of filters that give images a cool “retro” look. Users can also use selective focus tools to enhance and customize photos further.

Said pictures can then be shared with other Instagram users and also on Twitter, Facebook or via email. Filters can be applied to images imported from a device’s camera roll as well.

The new Android version of Instagram supports devices running Android 2.2 or later. It is available immediately for free in the Google Play store.

PAX East is a week and a half away and if you’re going to the convention now’s really the time to start planning what panels you’ll be attending, which booths you absolutely have to check out, and which musical guests you’ll be rocking out to at the nightly concerts. Luckily, there’s a nifty app called Guidebook, and the guys at Penny Arcade have released an entire digital guide for PAX East, so you’ll be able to plan your entire weekend right on your mobile devices.

Download the app via the appropriate app store and once you’re in, search for the PAX East 2012 guide. It has everything you’ll need to successfully survive PAX East: the entire schedule of panels, concerts, and tournaments, map of the area including restaurants and bars to check out, a full list of all the musical guests, exhibitors, and shuttle schedules to the various hotels and venues. Within the app, you’ll be able to design your own schedule for the convention, add to your “to-do” list, and track the #PAX hashtag on Twitter.

There’s even a section detailing the Boston Indie showcase, a fantastic bunch of games that everyone, attending the convention or not, should check out, since they’re all mobile based.

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When it comes to image manipulation tools, the granddaddy of them all has to be Adobe Photoshop. Go to pretty much any company that spends any time manipulating images and they will have Photoshop. It is, to all intents and purposes, the standard against which all others are measured.

It’s been quite some time since Adobe launched a new version of its Photoshop software but finally, that time has come. Well, at least in the form of a new Beta.

Late yesterday, the company released Photoshop CS6 beta into the wild. It features a new, faster and more modern user interface, re-engineered design tools and content-aware patching.

“Photoshop CS6 will be a milestone release that pushes the boundaries of imaging innovation with incredible speed and performance,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “We couldn’t wait to share this beta of Photoshop CS6 with our customers and are looking forward to hearing from them and seeing the ways they are incorporating the beta into their daily creative workflows.”

If you want to check out the new beta it would help to have fast internet. The file weighs in at about 1GB. PC users need to have a 2GHz or faster processor with at least 1GB of RAM and be running Windows XP SP3 or Windows 7. Mac users need multicore Intel processor, 1GB of RAM and OS X 10.6.8 or newer.

The Photoshop CS6 beta is available now from Adobe’s website. Expect the final version sometime in 2012.

If you want to know more, click through for the full press release from Adobe.

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In addition to movies, TV and comics, we also like tech and gadgets here at The Flickcast. We also like to help support cool projects when we find them.

And really, what could be cooler than a $25.00 Linux-powered computer about the size of a credit card you can order right now? Well, probably quite a few things but stil, that doesn’t mean it’s not cool too. What am I talking about?

Well, a bunch of enterprising folks got together and formed the Raspberry Pie Foundation with the goal of making a computer that could be sold for $25.00. They succeeded but, unfortunately, have run into a bit of a “manufacturing hiccup” on their way to shipping the devices.

According to the company, the computers were accidentally equipped with non-magnetic ethernet jacks, which would result in a lack of network connectivity. However, according to the company, it is “a very minor problem to fix, and the factory is nearly done working on replacing them on the first set of boards.”

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You have to hand it to the Hacker community. They are indeed persistant. Not even 24 hours after Apple updates iOS to version 5.1, there’s already a tethered tool available to jailbreak it.

Now, we don’t necessarily condone that kind of behavior around here (at least publicly) and we are just providing this as a public service and not endorsing it one way or the other. However, according to the website Redmond Pie, the iPhone Dev Team has updated its Redsn0w too which will enable users to jailbreak their iOS 5.1 devices.

The jailbreak is tethered, however, so you’ll have to connect your IOS device to a computer each time you power it on. However, expect that limitation to be lifted shortly, a it usually is.

This exploit works for all devices running iOS 5.1, except for the Phone 4S and iPad 2. Those are going to take a bit longer too.

Enjoy your “new” iDevice.

(thanks to Redmond Pie for the image)

In addition to all the great new software for iPhones and iPads such as an update to iOS 5.1 and a brand new version of iPhoto for iPads, Apple has also issued updates to the Mac versions of iPhoto, iTunes, GarageBand and Xcode as well.

The update to iPhoto sees it hit version 9.2.2 and brings security and stability updates as well as the ability to delete images from Photo Stream. The latest version of iTunes, now at 10.6, adds the ability to play 1080p HD movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store.

For Garage Band, the update brings it to version 6.0.5 and according to Apple “…supports general compatibility and addresses overall stability and performance.” These including the following:

• Updates compatibility with GarageBand for iOS projects
• Fixes a playback issue with the GarageBand Lesson preview videos
• Corrects issues with some software instruments triggering incorrect or stuck notes

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As we first told you a few weeks ago, Microsoft has today released the first “Consumer Preview” of the latest version of its Windows software. The new software has been dubbed Windows 8 and is, according to Micsosoft, is “Windows reimagined and reinvented from a solid core of Windows 7 speed and reliability.”

According to the company, here’s what you can expect from the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:

Windows 8 Consumer Preview is a prerelease version of Windows 8 that focuses on people and apps and gives you powerful new ways to use social technologies to connect with the people who are important to you. Windows 8 Consumer Preview is built on the rock-solid foundation of Windows 7 and has the security and reliability features you expect from Windows, but we’ve made it even better. It’s fast, and it’s made to work on a variety of form factors—especially the new generation of touch devices.

Well, there you go. You can go to Microsoft’s website and download Windows 8 to try for yourself. Although, unless you have a touch monitor you won’t be able to experience it exactly as it was intended.

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With all the speculation and hype surrounding Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iOS, it’s nice to actually get some concrete details about the company’s next version of the OS that powers its Mac hardware. That’s right, the cat-themed software is back and this time around it’s called “Mountain Lion.”

Apple today released details of the next version of its Mac OS, also known by the more technical name as Mac OS X 10.8, and they are going to be good news for those of you wishing your Mac was more like your iPhone or iPad. Some of the highlight of the new release include the arrival of iMessage on the Mac as well as Notification Center.

Other new features include Game Center integration, AirPlay mirroring, enhanced iCloud support and a number of redesigned apps. A developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion will be released on Thursday of this week and the updated OS will become available to end users this summer.

For more, check out the full press release from Apple after the break.

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Even though we are mostly Mac and Apple users here at The Flickcast, that doesn’t mean we don’t know or care that another, more popular, company exists that provides software to run computers and the like. That company is, of course, Microsoft.

With Windows 7 being our favorite version of the OS so far, Microsoft is going to have to go a long way to convince us that they have something better up their collective virtual sleeve. That something is, at least according to them, Windows 8.

We will all get a chance to see if they are right come February 29 when the company releases what they are calling a ‘Consumer Preview’ of the new version of Windows. The company will reportedly announce such a preview at a special, invitation-only event in Barcelona.

It’s interesting that they aren’t referring to this release as a “Bata.” I guess that has too much of a stigma of unfinished software or something that still needs a lot of work. The truth is Windows 8 probably still does need a lot of work and a big service pack will follow its final release as it does for most Windows versions. Not that Apple and most other software companies are immune to updates, they aren’t of course.

Still, we do like the looks of Windows on the smartphone so if Windows 8 is anything like that, it might be worth checking out later this month. What do you guys think? Are you going to take the plunge and try out the Windows 8 preview?

Back in the early days of non-linear video editing Avid was the king. Their software was used in pretty much every situation and they dominated the post-production landscape for film and TV.

Then, Apple came out with Final Cut Pro and things changed. Plus, Avid ended up having some issues of its own which hindered it further.

Now, with Apple having issues with Final Cut Pro X, Avid has released its first application to compete with Apple’s iMovie mobile. The app is called Avid Studio for the iPad and is currently available in the App Store for an introductory price of $4.99. After 30 days it will increase to $8.

With this app just being released, its too early to tell if it will knock Apple’s iMovie off its perch as the iOS editing app du jour. However, it does have some nice features and a few iMovie doesn’t have, so chances are people will at least give it a chance — especially at that low price point.