Mac OS  X Lion introduced the world to FileVault 2 Apple’s solution to full disk encryption. It is one of my favorite features in Lion, and it is definitely a welcome addition to Mac OS X. Just about anyone can use it to encrypt the startup disk on their Mac, but more importantly, they can use it to encrypt their USB thumb drives and SD cards. Why is that important?

It is important because USB thumb drives and SD cards are small and easily lost. If they are encrypted, you don’t have to worry about whether the content they carry falls into the wrong hands.

Adding to their now dizzying array of cloud-in-box hardware and desktop app that turns your Mac into a cloud server, Pogoplug has just unveiled a web-based cloud service that can be used as a standalone media storage option, and either accessed through a web browser, or through the desktop or Universal iOS app. And just like Apple did with iCloud, they’re giving the first five gigs away for free.

When you first hear about it, Blueprint 3D doesn’t sound like it could be a compelling iOS puzzle game – but it is.

The premise couldn’t be simpler. Each level shows you the blueprint image of an object, exploded in 3D so that the object itself isn’t immediately obvious. Your task is to move the exploded view around until its identity is revealed. That’s it.

Adobe recently announced that it was effectively killing Flash for mobile devices, and the company’s Principal Product Manager has felt the need to take to his blog and share the reasons that Flash failed.

Hardware fragmentation, the growth of HTML5, and Apple itself all played into Adobe’s decision to end Flash.

I fell in love with Super Mario Bros. when my parents bought me a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) for Christmas as a young boy, and I’ve been obsessed with Super Mario games ever since. There’s nothing that would please me more than having the chunky plumber in my pocket on my iPhone. But since Nintendo refuses to bring its titles to iOS, we’re forced to play the alternatives.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The absence of Super Mario has spawned a number of terrific platforming alternatives that are just as enjoyable. I’ve been enjoying a number of them over the years, and thought it was about time I shared the best of the bunch.

Oh, wow. The engineers over at app developing firm Applidium say they’ve cracked Siri’s security protocol wide open. In fact, using their method, they say that any app and any device can now use Siri in theory. In reality, though? There are a few obstacles remaining.

The Kindle Fire tablet and e-books will play a larger role in Amazon’s overall revenue, reaching 14 percent of the Internet retail giant’s 2013 income, an analyst said Monday. But Apple still doesn’t have much to worry about.

A new Apple patent that details battery and solid state drive configurations for the company’s MacBook Air suggests that future models will boast battery life that significantly exceeds the 7 hours offered by today’s ultraportable.

YouTube wasn’t supposed to be a music player, but that’s what a lot of people use it for. There are millions of songs on YouTube – the only problem is finding them.

That’s why you might enjoy a Mac app called Musictube, which takes the hard work out of finding and playing the songs you want. If you want a video jukebox on your Mac, this is it.

Deals.CultofMac.com is currently offering two great app bundles this week but both are ending soon. The Mac Productivity Mini-Bundle carries three great apps that will make life in OS X insanely easier and more simple. MenuEverywhere, Trembo, and Cinch will boost your productivity so you can spend less time fussing with the mundane tasks on your Mac and get to the fun stuff. This deal will be available for the next 10 days, saving readers $21 off the retail price. This deal is set to expire in 3 days, so get it now before it’s gone.

Here’s what these apps can do for you: