add-ons
Latest
Hawk Wings updates an already massive Mail plugin list
We mention Hawk Wings from time to time here on TUAW, as it's a great blog for all things Mail.app. One handy resource of Tim Gaden's Mail-obsessed blog that not everyone knows about, however, is its ever-growing directory of plugins, in which Tim relentlessly tracks and categorizes all the 3rd party add-ons, scripts, haxies, tweaks and other Mail goodies. The list was recently updated with 10 new entries, ranging from Note to Self (inspired by Leopard's Mail.app Notes feature) and a Return Receipts AppleScript (you know, that feature where you can bug email recipients with a 'yes I read this' dialog) to a Mail to Yojimbo script for those times when the 'print to Yojimbo' service is less than convenient.Check out the recent update and the full plugin directory for virtually any and every tool you could need to make Mail.app bend to your every whim.
On the Firefox 2.0 beta, extensions and compatibility
If you want to play with the Firefox betas, but don't want to break your existing extensions, there is an add-on available that can bring your existing extensions along for the 2.0 beta ride. Nightly Tester Tools is an add-on (extensions are being rebranded as 'add-ons' in the new Firefox) that brings a number of developer-related features to Firefox, but it does two fantastic things for regular end users like you and I: it can make *most* extensions/add-ons work with versions of Firefox they weren't necessarily meant to, even new ones you want to install.Long story short: the way I understand it, Firefox add-ons need to specify which version of Firefox they're compatible with, in case there is version-specific code they require to function. Most add-ons, however, don't have that version-specific code, so Nightly Tester Tools (basically speaking) futzes with add-on version lists so (ideally) more recent versions of Firefox - i.e. this shiny new 2.0 release - can use these add-ons just fine. The one catch I've personally run into is that it seems Nightly Tester Tools needs to be installed on a v1.5.x of Firefox in order to be able to work with v2.0 (ironic, isn't it?). I stumbled across this because I recently wiped my MacBook Pro and reinstalled Mac OS X (I needed to start from scratch to get that new version of Vista running on my MBP). Along with this fresh system, I tried installing Nightly Tester Tools into a Firefox 2.0 beta, and it wouldn't budge. Turns out I had to degrade to 1.5.x, install Nightly Tester Tools, then bump up to 2.0, but YMMV.I need to give a shout out to Download Squad, as it is they who first found this add-on which makes playing with Firefox betas so much sweeter.
PSP GPS add-on in the wild
You're probably getting pretty sick of toting around all those cables, adapters, and antennae required by the GPSP mod to get sat nav functionality on your PSP, so you'll be happy to know that Sony's official GPS add-on for its portable console has just been spotted in the wild. We've already seen pics (albeit crappy ones) of the wayfinding peripheral, but now we've got proof that it exists somewhere besides on a PowerPoint slide. Unfortunately there's really not much to see here (it's a little gadget sticking out of another gadget -- wow), and we've got no new info regarding functionality, pricing, or release dates. Still, when we come across something that we think you'd be interested in, we write a post about it -- that's how we do things around here. Sharing is caring, right?[Via DigitalBattle, thanks Tom]
Download.com posts list of top iTunes add-ons
I could've sworn that Download.com got rid of their Mac software section a while ago, but alas: digg submissions never lie. CNET's Download.com has posted a list of top iTunes add-ons for tackling everything from grabbing album art to watching who is listening to which songs from your library. Included in the list is RadioLover which lets you record streaming radio, as well as iPodRip with (thankfully) an accurate explanation as to why its abilities aren't included in iTunes itself. This list actually part of a guide Download.com wrote called iTunes Advanced, which includes some handy tips for things like adding an equalizer column to your list of songs to easily assign custom EQ settings to specific songs, as well as a list of hotkeys for the default iTunes visualization mode.Seasoned iTunes pros will probably balk at getting iTunes advice from Download.com, but there are probably at least a couple handy tidbits here for just about everyone.
Character Transfer Affecting Add-Ons?
In the wake of the paid character transfer service going live recently, a few players have apparently been experiencing some issues with their custom interfaces & add-ons after transferring their characters. Reader Sean Bonner reports that after his characters' move to the Eitrigg realm yesterday, he has been having many add-on problems, and this post over at Metroblogging also reports similar issues."6 months worth of interface development and addon fine tuning is UP IN SMOKE. When I started up...on Eitrigg all my custom interface, addons and macro preferences got left behind on Stormrage, or at least in the Stormrage folder. I figured out how to move my macro files over and now all 60 of my macros are available. But, I can't figure out which addon .lua files to move to restore my add-on preferences. I've made copies and dropped them in all the folders I can think of with no luck." Have any of you who have also transferred your characters experienced any problems after the move? Blizzard, any news on why this might be occurring? Chime in if you have any info on this problem; hopefully this can be brought to Blizzard's attention & the issues addressed.
Application Enhancer v2.0 goes Universal, with other enhancements
Unsanity has released a Universal Binary version of Application Enhancer, their software preference pane (and set of frameworks) that enables their various handy system hacks and UI additions. Along with Intel Mac compatibility, this update also includes enhancements like: Redesigned the preference pane to be simpler and more accessible. Now follows the precedent set by other Mac OS X services and disables itself if the shift key is held down while booting. While Application Enhancer and some of their products are Intel-friendly, you should check their full compatibility list for details on exactly which apps have made the leap, as some are in a public beta testing phase.Application Enhancer is free and available from Unsanity's website.
Add-On For Leaving Player Feedback
You know the feedback system on eBay? Where you can leave a scathing comment if the guy in Timbuktu who just sold you that life-size cut-out of Billy Dee Williams turns out to be a scam artist, and just sends you a 1/2 scale Billy Dee Williams instead? Well, a WoW player has apparently taken it upon himself to create just such a system as a UI add-on, so you can leave nasty feedback for that Human Warrior who bailed out on your group in the middle of Molten Core.The system is still in development, but I see a huge margin for abuse & error with a system like this, especially if anyone using the add-on can see comments left by others. There's not much to stop someone from doctoring up a bad rep for people they don't like for one reason or another. Then again, it is just an add-on...it's not like it will be mandatory.
Oblivion Orrery Pack on XBLM
The Oblivion Orrery Pack, which includes (according to Gamespot) "a new quest with original dialogue, journals, and rewards, access to the eponymous dwarven machine in the Imperial City's Arcane University, and new character powers based on the phases of the moon" is now available on XBLM for 150 MS points. I was about to complain that the announcement above was annoyingly premature, when the phase of the download moon suddenly turned in our favor. You can thank the Dwarven Gods because this add-on looks like a much better value than the over-priced horse armor that pissed off half of Tamriel. Is this pack worth the points?[Thanks Nick]
Updated Mods for 1.10
If you've logged into WoW since the new patch & found that your favorite add-on no longer works, head over to WoW Vault; they've posted a constantly-updating list of the latest UI add-ons to be updated for v1.10. Personally, I'm not a big user of add-ons & extras, but I do love my fishing buddy, and I'm glad to have him back!
Introducing Lua
One interesting aspect of World of Warcraft is the ability for end users to expand it with macros and add-ons, mainly to expand and modify the game's interface. While there are countless add-ons available to fill nearly every conceivable need, perhaps you'd like to try your hand at it yourself one day, in which case you may want to read up on Lua, the programing language behind WoW's many add-ons. This article at OnLamp introduces the basics of Lua as a programing language, and WoWWiki has a number of resources for using Lua in a Warcraft environment. And last but not least, Blizzard's own UI & Macros forum is a great place to ask questions and find answers.
