WireTap Studio Makes Me Sound Fantastic [Review]

A few weeks ago we reviewed the Samson Meteor Mic, an ideal piece of hardware for podcasting. Spiffy hardware, though, is only half of a podcaster’s toolkit — the other half, of course, is capable software.

Ambrosia’s WireTap Studio ($70) fits that bill pretty well. It does almost everything one asks voice-recording software to do, and then some — it even has some nifty tricks up it’s sleeve that make it surprisingly useful for a wide variety of situations.

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Use Your iDevice to Spy on Your Neighbors or as a Nanny Cam [Daily Freebie]

AirBeam is a clever little app that lets you output realtime video from one iDevice (camera-equipped, obviously)  to another iDevice on the same local network. The app usually sells for  $4, but it’s free today through Saturday.

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Empire Building Sees Big Changes in Civilization V [Review, FAQ]

I have a friend I once queried about the contents of his PC gaming library. He looked at me a little quizzically, then replied that he had the only game one ever need play: Civilization. In that instance, it happened to be Civilization 4, Civ 5’s immediate PC predecessor, arguably considered the finest version of the series since Sid Meier’s original 1991 masterpiece.

He’s not alone. Press any gamer for a name that defines the category of turn-based strategy, and the answer will almost invariably be “Civilization.” Intelligent, beautifully crafted, incredibly detailed with finely honed gaming mechanics, the  games are as much a beauty to behold as they are immensely satisfying to play.

The latest installment, Civ 5 ($40), released for the Mac late last year and recently added to the Mac App Store, is the biggest departure from the series since the original.

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Lion DiskMaker Will Make A Bootable OS X Lion Disk For You In Just One Click

Despite Apple’s best efforts, you can make a bootable install disk of Mac OS X Lion… but it’s not for the faint-hearted, or those who aren’t tech inclined.

Luckily, there’s an even easier way to make a bootable OS X Lion disk now. It’s called Lion DiskMaker, and it turns making your own installable Lion USB key drive into a one-click affair.

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Watch Pirated Streaming of Apple’s Big Releases on the iPad [Daily Freebie]

That’s right  — the next time you watch a pirated feed bringing you announcement of the next iPhone (like, say, next month), you could be kicking back and watching it on the iPad, thanks to Ustream’s new iPad app.

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Say Goodbye to Boxed Software from Apple

Apple has begun to discontinue the selling of boxed software in its retail stores. OS X Lion was made available this morning as the first download-only version of OS X, and Apple is placing a strong emphasis on the Mac App Store as its main method of desktop software distribution.

Other flagship products from Apple, like Final Cut Pro X, have been also offered exclusively in the Mac App Store.

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This Free Utility Turn Your Screen Into a Möbius strip

OK, Wraparound is going to be one of those love it or hate it utilities.

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Arrange And Switch Windows And Tabs With Optimal Layout [Review]

Optimal Layout is a new window manager for OS X. It’s fully Lion compatible and available now on the Mac App Store.

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Cats on the Prowl: The Evolution of Mac OS X [Gallery]

The release of Mac OS X Lion culminates a decade-long software development process. Back in 2001 Apple introduced a new (and long awaited) replacement to the Classic Macintosh System Software, Mac OS X. How far we’ve come in ten years. As Lion goes on the prowl, we present a brief look back at Apple’s Big Cats over the years and review the Evolution of Mac OS X.

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Persona Mail Client Makes Email Look Like A Social Network

I dunno. You want years for a new email client, then two come along almost together. First we had Sparrow, which has won an army of fans in recent months – and now we have another newcomer, Persona.

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