🔗 iLok Cloud - Maybe people will not feel absolutely miserable authenticating Pro Tools?

PACE Launch iLok Cloud - Cloud Based Alternative To Hardware iLoks — Pro Tools Expert:

PACE Anti-Piracy, Inc. introduces an entirely new approach to software license protection—iLok Cloud. With iLok Cloud, software publishers can offer their users quick and easy access to their licenses from any computer with an Internet connection. iLok Cloud has the same level of robust security as the current iLok USB smart key, which will remain as an option along with machine-based licenses.

Today, PACE Anti-Piracy announces the imminent launch of iLok Cloud. With iLok Cloud, software publishers that use PACE’s licensing system will have a third option to offer their users, in addition to the previously available iLok USB smart key and machine-based licenses.

Upon launching iLok Cloud protected software, the users will be prompted to provide their username and password. That’s it—the iLok protected software is now ready for use, without any dongles or having to use a specific authorized computer. It’s easy, iLok Cloud protected software can be used anywhere, and iLok Cloud takes the risk of lost or damaged iLok USB smart keys and computers out of the equation.

The iLok is one of the primary reasons I stopped using Pro Tools years ago. Hopefully this is a step towards iLok getting out the way of people using professional music software.

🔗 Marco Arment releases public beta of his podcasting tool, Forecast

From Jason Snell’s Six Colors blog...

Forecast: A must-have tool for Mac podcasters—>

Marco Arment’s Forecast is a newly released (into a public beta) Mac MP3 encoding and tagging tool for podcasters. It’s a tool that Marco built a couple of years ago to serve his own needs, and for the last 18 months or so I’ve been using it (in a private beta) to encode most of the podcasts that I create. Here’s an overview of how Forecast works and what it does.

I have been waiting for this for a long time.

Marco is behind Tumblr, Instapaper, and now the great podcast app, Overcast. He is an avid podcaster and really knows his stuff. I can’t wait to take this for a spin while editing my next show. The feature I am perhaps looking the most forward to is the ability to import Logic markers as chapters.