Apple has released two software updates. The first, an update for iLife '09, improves the overall stability of resources shared by all of the iLife '09 applications, including the Media Browser and the iPhoto slideshow. Additionally, the shared Media Browser is updated to add compatibility with the newly released Aperture 3.

Digital Camera RAW has been updated to add new digital cameras to the list of supported devices, as well as to ensure compatibility with the newly released Aperture 3.

New cameras and formats include:

Canon PowerShot S90

Canon sRAW

Canon mRAW

Leica D-LUX 4

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

Both updates are available via Apple's Software Update service, located under the Apple menu.

Apple today announced the availability of Aperture 3, the latest release of its photo editing and library management software. Aperture 3 incorporates many of the features first seen in iPhoto, including Faces and Places, which allows you to quickly create photo libraries based on common locations or people within images.

Courtesy of Apple

A new Brush feature has been added for image editing. Brushes let you paint effects onto your images. Brushes can detect edges and apply changes only within the edges. Who said drawing outside the lines is always good? You can use the Brush feature to apply 15 different pre-assigned effects including dodging, burning, polarizing, and blur. Additionally, the Brush-based effects don't require building layers, saving you time and tedium.

Aperture 3 also adds new slideshow themes and support for bringing together photos, text, audio, and HD video to create an astounding presentation of your images.

Aperture 3 is available starting today, for $199. Existing Aperture users can upgrade for $99.

It's Macworld time again, and this year two things come to mind. First, February is just so wrong a time to hold Macworld. I know. It makes a lot of sense from the viewpoint of IDG, the parent company of Macworld Expo, because there's no competition with other conventions. It used to be you had to choose between CES and Macworld each year. Now, if you're so inclined, you can hit both. Still, it just doesn't seem right to have Macworld Expo in February.

And second, Macworld seems to be on track for a large attendance, even without the pull of Apple and Steve Jobs' keynote address. Thirty thousand people pre-registered, and over 300 vendors will be there. That means it's likely to outperform last year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

There's also a lot of excitement about add-on product announcements for the new iPad, plus seminars and events designed specifically for iPad devotees and those who are on the fence.

Macworld Expo 2010 looks like it will be a roaring success. I'm glad to hear everything is going well. Macworld was always one of the most fun conferences around, at least in the technology sector. The stories I could tell you... But I can't, because I was sworn to secrecy.

If you're attending Macworld, leave us a comment and let us know how it's going!

Dragster 1.1.0 from Ambrosia Software is an elegant and easy-to-use drag-and-drop file transfer utility. Dragster resides in the Dock, so it's always available and never in the way. When you wish to transfer a file or folder, simply drag the item to the Dragster dock. A pop-up menu will appear with a wide choice of destination locations.

Dragster from Ambrosia Software

Destination choices are user configurable. The predefined locations are: Local Folder, Flickr, Email, Server, iDisk, Picasa, YouTube, Bluetooth, and iChat. You can also create shortcuts for commonly used locations. For instance, you can have shortcuts that point to multiple local folders, letting you easily move files to your Pictures folder or your Music folder. Likewise, you can configure the Server destination to support multiple locations, such as the root folder for two different web sites you maintain.

Dragster is a 64-bit universal binary application that works in OS X 10.4 or later.

Dragster is $19. A 30-day demo is available.

See other software choices from Tom's Budget Software Picks.