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Pixelmator 3.0 FX now available with Layer Styles, Liquify Tools and new Mavericks features

My favorite Photoshop Mac replacement, Pixelmator, has just received a massive 3.0 update. Now rechristened as Pixelmator FX to reflect the newly acquired capabilities, it brings the much needed Layer Styles and Liguify Tools, both building on top of the recent 2.2 update which dates back as recently as two weeks ago.

Pixelmator 3.0 also supports new features introduced in OS X Mavericks (a free upgrade) and introduces a new image editing engine which the team claims make Pixelmator "a top-quality, full-featured image editing app for the Mac”...

Redesigned, re-engineered and 64-bit optimized iLife suite now available on iOS and Mac

After showing off the new versions of iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand for the iPhone and iPad at its keynote earlier today, Apple's made the updated iOS and Mac editions of these apps available for download on the App Store and Mac App Store.

The apps come with a revamped user interface, iOS 7 style app icons and a host of new features and capabilities, including AirDrop sharing and 64-bit support which makes browsing and editing "faster and smoother than ever". Jump past the fold for the download links and release notes...

Free OS X Mavericks update now available in the Mac App Store

Earlier today, Apple announced that this year's OS X update would be free for the first time ever to current Mac users. That's right, as long as you have a compatible Mac computer, you're eligible to get OS X Mavericks for free.

The update is a big one, bringing about several UI changes, new applications like Maps and iBooks, and a number of new features like Finder tabs and tags and quick reply for messages. And it's now available for download...

Safari 6.1 is out, brings Shared Links, Power Saver, Sidebar and more to Mountain Lion

In addition to a host of updates to its various iOS apps, Apple following today's iPad keynote has released the Safari 6.1 update, bringing some of the features that are part of the free OS X Mavericks update to Mountain Lion Macs. These include the Shared Links feature, the new Sidebar and Power Saver which improves battery performance when browsing plug-in heavy web pages on notebook systems...

Previous app versions coming to Mac App Store, too

A little over a month ago, Apple started letting customers download older versions of App Store apps. This handy new capability was designed to allow folks on legacy hardware to download the last compatible app version for their outdated iOS build. Up until then, the most recent app version available had used to render all of the previously submitted app builds inaccessible in the Mac App Store.

The same 'Previous Versions' feature is now coming to the Mac App Store, writes Apple in its memo to the registered Mac developer community, adding devs can now "let users download an older version” of their apps. I've got more information right below...

Relive every moment: you can now stream the iPad keynote from Apple’s website

Apple's iPad keynote video is now available for streaming straight from its website. It works on mobile or desktop, and through a web browser, but you'll need the QuickTime plug-in installed in order to enjoy the presentation on beige Windows boxes. If history is an indication, the clip should hit YouTube and iTunes in a couple days tops.

Until then, block out the next 86 minutes of your life, sit back and relax, grab some popcorn and enjoy as Apple CEO Tim Cook and his sidekicks Phil Schiller (SVP of Worldwide Marketing), Craig Federighi (SVP of Software Engineering) and Eddy Cue (SVP of Internet Software and Services) deliver the latest on the Retina iPad mini, iPad Air, 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros, the next-gen Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks and iLife/iWork...

Apple says next-gen Mac Pro will be available in December, starting at $2,999

It's the iPad day and Apple CEO Tim Cook has just finished his usual barrage of Apple biz stats at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco. After saying that Mavericks is available today as a free Mac App Store download and taking the wraps off the updated and cheaper 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros, the company has now formally announced that its next-generation Mac Pro - pitched as "the future of the pro desktop" - is going to ship in December, costing just $2,999 for the entry-level configuration. I've included a few more tidbits right after the break..

Apple unveils new 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pros, drops price tags

Apple continues to run through its iPad keynote, and now that Craig Federighi has announced that OS X Mavericks is going to be available as a free update, Phil Schiller has taken the stage to talk about the hardware that'll run it.

Two new MacBook Pros have been introduced thus far, a 13-inch and a 15-inch. Both of them have been updated with Intel processing chips to increase performance and battery life, and both have received $200 price reductions...

Apple to devs: send us your Mavericks apps

Apple has begun sending email notices asking its registered Mac developers to submit their OS X Mavericks-optimized apps. The timing of the communique is especially eyebrow-raising given the October 22 media event invites went out today as "we still have a lot to cover".

Jumping ahead of oneself, one might conclude this signals an imminent Mavericks release. In reality, it'd clearly make more sense to release Mavericks alongside the refreshed Mac notebooks.

For what it's worth, a source that stepped forward this morning has pinpointed an October 24 or 25 release date for the upcoming Haswell-based MacBook Pros...

Valve shows off Steam Controller with popular Mac games

Valve caused quite a stir claiming its upcoming Steam Controller was designed to work without a hiccup with all the games on Steam, including the older titles in the catalog and the ones that were not built with controller support in mind. To prove its point, the company has released a nice video demonstrating Steam Controller with a number of popular Mac games sold on Steam, such as Portal, Counterstrike and Team Fortress. Give it a watch right after the break...

iPad event pegged for October 22

According to AllThingsD, the reliable technology blog operated by The Wall Street Journal, Apple will be holding an iPad focused event exactly two weeks from today, on October 22. Now, Apple typically likes to run its big media events on Tuesdays and October 22 is a Tuesday. It's also six days before Apple's upcoming fiscal 2013 fourth quarter earnings release so it should be a boon for the stock price.

And as per the obligatory "people familiar with Apple’s plans" (read: Apple's public relations department), the invitation-only event will focus on new iPads, though new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks should get some stage time as well...