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Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT/10pm ET: Omni Edition!
New dial-in experience! Set up Fuze Meeting before the show if you want to join in live. Sunday Sunday Sunday!! Not just a football playoff Sunday, but also another TUAW talkcast! This week we'll be chatting with extra special guest Ken Case, CEO of OmniGroup. With a big birthday coming up, we'll chat a bit about how things have changed, and very likely how they've stayed the same. Reminder on new-style talkcasting: With some help from the fine folks at Fuze, we're using a new system to record the show. This should let everyone listen in live -- and, if you want, raise your hand as you would in the Talkshoe room to get unmuted and chime in. You can join the call in progress (meeting # is 20099010) at 10 pm ET from any computer via this link; if you download the Mac or Windows Fuze clients ahead of time, you'll get better audio and a slicker experience, but browser-only will work fine. Just click the phone icon to join the audio once you're in. Using an iPhone or iPad? Grab the native clients from the App Store and get busy. (Even Android users can join the party.) Still feel like using the conventional phone dial-in? Just call 775-996-3562 and enter the meeting number 20099010, then press #. While the Fuze web and native clients have a chat channel, we'd like to reserve that for host participants, requests to talk and other real-time alerts... so the full-on chat for the show will appear in a second Talkcast post at 10 pm tonight. You'll need Twitter, Facebook or Chatroll credentials to participate in the chat. We'll remind everyone to check back in at that time.
Omni Group starts shipping OmniOutliner 4
Omni Group announced today the availability of OmniOutliner 4. The outlining app helps you organize your to-do list, keep track of your expenses and log your notes. Like most Omni Group updates, the latest version of the app is a significant improvement over earlier iterations. OmniOutliner 4 has a bucket list of new items that are too numerous to mention. On the UI side of things, OmniOutliner 4 has been overhauled with a new UI. The biggest change you'll notice is the new sidebar, which replaces the old-style drawer from OmniOutliner 3. There's also an improvement in the way the app handles styles and themes, which brings some consistency when you are working on documents that are shuttled between the OS X and iOS app. Other smaller features include zooming, a new Resource Browser and redesigned Inspector window. The functional highlights include the inclusion of Smart Match technology, which is also present in OmniFocus. This feature will offer predictions as you type text into a pop-up List. An attachments option now allows you to append images, video, audio and even other OmniOutliner files to any Outliner document. For convenience, URLs are now clickable and will open in your default browser. If you don't like this auto-open, you can turn off this feature in the preferences. OmniOutliner 4 is available now from Omni Group's storefront and from the Mac App Store in the coming weeks. OmniOutliner will be available for US$49 for the standard version and $99 for the Pro version. Anyone who purchased OmniOutliner 3 since January 2011 will get a free upgrade. Customers who purchased OmniOutliner outside of this window will get 50 percent off the list price of $49.99 for the standard version and $99.99 for the Pro.
OmniGraffle 6 lands today in the Mac App Store
Omni Group recently updated OmniGraffle, its workflow diagramming app, to version 6.0. It was a major update that included a brand-new UI, Retina display support and a ton of new features. When it launched, version 6 was only available on Omni Group's online storefront. Omni Group announced that starting today, a Mac App Store version will be available for you to purchase and download. The Mac App Store app has all the features of the store-bought version. It even includes upgrade pricing via an in-app purchase. Omni Group is selling the standard version of OmniGraffle 6 in the Mac App Store for US$99, with an in-app purchase to unlock Pro features like AppleScript, Visio import/export and more. The amount of this in-app purchase will vary based upon whether you own a previous Mac App Store version of OmniGraffle. To receive the upgrade pricing to the Pro version, current Mac App Store customers must install OmniGraffle 5 from the App Store. Once version 5 is installed, you need to purchase version 6 from the Mac App Store for $99. Then open the newly installed OmniGraffle 6 app and select "Upgrade to Professional" from the menu. The app will ask you to locate your OmniGraffle 5 install. If you own the standard version of OmniGraffle 5, then you'll be prompted to spend $50 to upgrade to the Pro version. If you already own the pro version of OmniGraffle 5, the in-app upgrade to enable to the pro features of OmniGraffle 6 will be free. You can download OmniGraffle 6 from the Mac App Store starting today. A trial version is available from Omni Group's website.
OmniGroup overhauls OmniOutliner, OmniFocus and OmniPlan for iOS 7
The OmniGroup has overhauled its iOS apps for the iOS 7 release, including creating a completely revamped OmniFocus on the iPhone that is just a joy to use. OmniOutliner 2 adds a number of keyboard shortcuts and a redesigned Doc Picker, as well as new templates. The Doc Picker makes its way over to OmniPlan 2 as well and adds an in-app purchase for importing Microsoft Project files. For those who have had their OmniGroup apps from day one of their original release -- for me, that would be going all the way back to 2008 -- you will have to make a new purchase in order to upgrade. OmniFocus 2 for the iPhone is US$19.99; OmniOutliner 2 for iPad is $29.99; and OmniPlan for iPad is $59.99. The older versions of these programs have been removed from the App Store. I've been testing all three of these apps for the past week and will be presenting reviews on each within the next week.
It's time for an App Store pricing revolution
Loyalty is a powerful factor in consumer choice, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a company that has benefited more from customer loyalty than Apple. That's what makes the company's lack of support for software upgrade pricing so puzzling. Offering a discount on a new product (or more fleshed-out version of an existing product) to thank those who are already using your software is good business, and the lack of such an option on the App Store is, at this point, baffling. Remember how things worked before we had a one-stop shop like the App Store for our software needs? When a new or vastly improved version of an application was released, it would be offered at two different pricing tiers: Full price for new customers and a discounted price for those who already owned the previous version. This ensured that brand-new users paid their entry fee while giving returning customers more of a reason to upgrade, along with a pleasant feeling of being rewarded for their allegiance. The App Store has no such option, requiring updates either be applied to an existing product for free or be sold separately as an entirely new app with one price for all users. This structure works just fine for Apple's OS X upgrades, which are now priced cheaper than a trip to the gas pump, but Apple isn't relying solely on the revenue from each new version of OS X to pay its bills. Many of the App Store's developers, on the other hand, live or die by the sales of their software alone. When it comes to launching a new and improved version of an existing app, developers are already working from a disadvantage, and to not be able to offer a lower price to loyal users can be painful. "How much is the new version worth to me? I can already use the older app to do many of the same things, so the value of the upgrade is much lower to me: I can't justify the cost of making a full investment in the app all over again," Ken Case, CEO of The Omni Group, tells us. "As someone who has already invested in the previous version, what will make the investment worthwhile would be discounted upgrade pricing based on the relative increase in value of the new version, rather than having to pay for the full value of the app all over again. Otherwise, it may not be worth purchasing." The Omni Group -- developers of business and productivity software such as OmniGraffle and OmniFocus -- believes so strongly in the upgrade pricing strategy that it went so far as to create an OS X app called OmniKeyMaster that scanned for existing purchases and then offered customers discounts on upgrades from its own online shop. This is a fantastic solution, or at least it was for the few days between the announcement of OmniKeyMaster and the blog post by Omni detailing why the app would no longer be available. But can you really blame Omni for trying? Apple has left developers little choice but to attempt to sneak through loopholes in order to offer a pricing structure that has been an industry standard for decades. Apple is in love with simplicity, and a one-price-fits-all model is certainly simple. Unfortunately that simplicity comes at a cost to both developers and consumers, not to mention Apple itself. By not providing a paid upgrade option, developers are unable to offer loyal customers a break -- thus driving sales. Customers are hurt by not being able to take advantage of these would-be discounts, sometimes forcing them to purchase two different versions of a single product at each app's full price. Meanwhile, by incentivizing non-App Store purchases and forcing developers like Omni to promote upgrade pricing through their own online shops, Apple is missing its cut of the sales. Newer developers -- the ones that need a marketplace like the App Store the most -- are left with few options. What we end up with is an App Store filled with paid "Pro" versions of each app struggling for footing alongside free, stripped-down skeleton versions of the same apps. If the free iteration of the app in question offers an adequate experience, many customers won't see the value in the paid version. At the same time, if the freebie fall short, there's virtually no chance of getting a user to throw down the money for the real app. Some developers have found a way to promote new paid versions of their products -- such as offering limited-time launch discounts -- but this is a bandage on a hatchet wound. Sure, users who catch wind of huge launch discounts on new apps can benefit, but should those who happen to miss the chatter be punished? This strategy might work for apps that only cost a few bucks, but when these price cuts could have a noticeable effect on your bank account, like in the Mac App Store where software can run hundreds of dollars, it can often be the deciding factor when determining whether or not to upgrade. For its part, Apple hasn't officially come out for or against upgrade pricing as a practice, but if the company does indeed support the idea, it's clearly not very high on the priority list. Whether we can ever expect to see such an option is anyone's guess, but in the meantime we're missing out on a better version of the App Store that we should have had all along.
Apple stops Omni Group from offering upgrade pricing for Mac App Store apps
Last week we told you how The Omni Group released OmniKeyMaster, an app that works by searching your Mac for Omni apps from the Mac App Store and then lets you purchase the newest version from the web at upgrade pricing. At the time, I said OmniKeyMaster was a "clever way to get around the fact that the Mac App Store doesn't offer upgrade pricing -- something Apple will hopefully change in the future." As of today, OmniKeyMaster is no more. The company announced that OmniKeyMaster violates Apple's Mac App Store policies. Writing in a blog post, the company said: My apologies: I'm afraid we will not be able to offer upgrade pricing to our Mac App Store customers after all. So long as we continue to sell our apps through the Mac App Store, we are not allowed to distribute updates through other channels to apps which were purchased from the App Store. We still feel upgrade pricing is important for customers purchasing serious productivity software, since the initial value received from purchasing an app like OmniGraffle or OmniPlan is much different from the incremental value of upgrading that app from version 5.0 to version 6.0. We will continue to ask Apple to support upgrade pricing in the App Store, and I would encourage others to do the same, but until that happens, upgrade pricing will only be available to customers who buy our apps direct from our online store. This move will be sure to generate a lot of outrage -- particularly since Apple was no doubt behind the cessation of OmniKeyMaster. Hopefully the Cupertino company will one day allow app upgrade pricing in the Mac App Store -- something both users and developers want.
Omni Group releases OmniKeyMaster OS X app for discounted upgrades of apps bought in the Mac App Store
The Omni Group, makers of popular productivity apps like OmniFocus, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner and OmniPlan have released a small, free OS X app that allows users who have previously purchased versions of its software through the Mac App Store to qualify for upgrade purchasing through the company's web store for the next version of its apps. Called OmniKeyMaster, the app works by searching your hard drive for Omni apps from the Mac App Store. It then lets you purchase the newest version of the app at upgrade pricing. As Omni Group explains on their website: OmniKeyMaster is a simple app that finds App Store copies of Omni apps installed on your Mac, then generates equivalent licenses from our store -- for free. This gives Mac App Store customers access to discounted pricing when upgrading from the Standard edition to Professional, or when upgrading from one major version to the next. Another benefit: since they don't have to wait in an approval queue, our direct releases sometimes get earlier access to new features and bug fixes. OmniKeyMaster lets App Store customers access those builds, as well. OmniKeyMaster is a clever way to get around the fact that the Mac App Store doesn't offer upgrade pricing -- something Apple will hopefully change in the future.
OmniGroup releases OmniPresence, free sync technology for OS X and iOS
OmniGroup, the Seattle-based developers of OmniOutliner, OmniGraphSketcher, OmniGraffle, OmniFocus and OmniPlan, has announced that today they are shipping OmniPresence document syncing. OmniPresence rounds out the automatic syncing solutions that OmniGroup added first to OmniFocus in 2008 and OmniPlan in 2011. OmniGroup CEO Ken Case noted in a May 20 blog post that OmniPresence works well with Mac apps that support OS X Auto Save and Versions. To quote Case, "Using the same underlying document coordination as Versions, OmniPresence lets your app know when a document has been changed on another device, and double-checks to make sure it always syncs a current and complete copy of any documents currently being edited. OmniPresence can't prevent conflicting edits from multiple devices, but when that happens it automatically saves both versions of conflicting edits so that no edits are lost." OmniPresence is built on top of open web server technologies, which means that users can sync document using their own web server. Apache server, for example, is built into Mountain Lion Server, so any user or company can keep OmniPresence syncing running well into the future. Since many customers will choose not to set up their own servers, OmniGroup is scaling up their Omni Sync Server to support OmniPresence. Anyone who previously checked the "I am brave" box on sync.omnigroup.com should already have access. Developers will be able to see the source code to OmniPresence on github. A demo video of OmniPresence in action is embedded below. Show full PR text The Omni Group Releases OmniPresence: Free Sync Technology for OS X and iOS Customers now able to quickly and privately sync documents across multiple devices SEATTLE, Washington-May 23, 2013-The Omni Group, developer of productivity applications for Mac, iPad and iPhone, today announced the release of OmniPresence, a new way for users to sync documents. This completes the effort to bring full synchronization to each of the Omni Group's five applications. At the core of OmniPresence are open, free and tested technologies, chosen specifically so users can store their data anywhere. This is an approach vastly different from the proprietary - and sometimes short-lived - sync services on the market today. Put simply, OmniPresence syncs everything within a folder between many devices using a standard web server. Because of the way OmniPresence was designed, customers also have the advantage of being able to keep all data under their own control. This is sometimes a necessity for confidential data within companies. "OmniPresence is built to last," says Ken Case, CEO of the Omni Group. "Rather than building document syncing on top of a proprietary service that might not be available to you in five years, we built OmniPresence on top of open server technologies so that anyone can run their own service. If you're headed to Mars or Antarctica and want to be able to sync documents between devices while you're there, all you need is a run-of-the-mill server and OmniPresence." If customers aren't interested in self-hosting, many free web hosting providers offer the necessary support to get started. The Omni Group today also released a free and open-source framework for iOS developers to add support for OmniPresence to any document-based application on the iPad or iPhone. OmniPresence is a free download for the latest version of OS X, and is built into each of the Omni Group's document-based apps on the iPad: OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner and OmniGraphSketcher. These apps join OmniFocus and OmniPlan, bringing syncing to the Omni Group's entire family of products. ### About OmniPresence: OmniPresence brings syncing to the Omni Group's document-based applications for Mac and iPad. Built to last, it was designed with the user's privacy - and the data's portability - in mind. About The Omni Group: Founded in 1993 as a software consultancy and one of the first companies dedicated to developing software for OS X, the Omni Group is focused on making productivity software enjoyable to use. The employee-owned company is happy to call beautiful Seattle, Washington home.
Omni Group's Ken Case on OmniFocus 2 and the origins of the app
One of the true joys of attending Macworld is getting to talk to some of the best developers in the world. Among the best of the best in the Apple world is Ken Case, CEO of The Omni Group. Today the company officially announced OmniFocus 2, the next generation of its flagship task management / GTD (Getting Things Done) app. On Thursday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ken to discuss the upgraded app and see it in action. I was interested in finding out more about the history of OmniFocus, and Ken noted that the app was an outgrowth of users with OmniOutliner using it with a set of AppleScripts called "Kinkless GTD" by Ethan Schoonover. It made a rather good GTD tool, and added to Merlin Mann's efforts at proselytizing the Mac community to do GTD, the seeds of OmniFocus were planted. When The Omni Group decided to develop a dedicated GTD app, they invited Merlin and Ethan to come in and talk about their thoughts on what a Mac app should contain. That first meeting expanded into a long series of two-hour conference calls with the pair to iron out the initial generation of the app. As Case noted, the design goal was to "make a GTD app that didn't require a degree to use." OmniFocus 2 is an outgrowth of the highly successful app and the iOS version that came later, building on the power of the initial app and the UI of the iOS version. OmniFocus was a bit too intimidating for new users, and the reinvention of the app for iPad made it simpler tool to use. Some of the new features of OmniFocus 2 include a forecast mode, which gives users an idea of exactly what work is coming up in the near future and a UI that combines all navigation into one sidebar encompassing the project list, context list and the forecast view. Of course, OmniFocus 2 can be synced to iPhone and iPad. The new OmniPresence service will be published as open source, allowing synchronization of documents and data through virtually any WebDAV server. After the debut of OmniFocus 2 last night, Omni Group expects to go into a private test sometime this month with more than 10,000 people already signed up to give the app a try. After the private testing is complete, a "wide open" public test will gather further feedback. As Case mentioned, Omni Group will "ship no app before its time." The app will come in two configurations: a US$39.99 Standard Edition and a $79.99 Pro Edition. The Pro edition adds the option of designing and building custom workflows (available in OmniFocus 1 now), and support Perspectives and AppleScript. For more information, pop on over to Omni Group's blog and read the post from Ken Case unveiling OmniFocus 2 to the world.
Omni Group leads hands-on talks leading up to OmniFocus 2 announcement
One of the biggest compliments that OmniFocus receives is its high degree of customization. However, one of the biggest criticisms of OmniFocus is the steep learning curve -- something I've fallen victim to repeatedly since I purchased it in 2007. I had a chance to sit down with Omni Group's Kris Rapp as part of the OmniFocus Setup, which takes a look at in-depth productivity using OmniFocus. There are a number of talks and panels led by OmniFocus power users such as Asian Efficiency's Thanh Phan and A Better Mess' Michael Schechter, above. The best part about the one-on-one sessions was the chance to work with a member of Omni Group to grasp OmniFocus. Rapp went step by step through explaining the basics of the program and setting up a basic workflow to jumpstart my productivity. There are a number of support materials on the OmniFocus site for new users, but the person-to-person interaction helps you to get started. A few of the best tips that Rapp shared: Spend about two hours to initially set up the program, then reserve some time at least once a week to update it. Make this a standing appointment. Try to generalize things as much as possible. Don't create a folder for every project. Group them into broad categories such as Home, Work and Personal, then create projects from there. Don't try to use all the advanced features at once. You'll most likely use them as your database grows bigger, but it's easy to overwhelm yourself. The talks are leading up to the debut of OmniFocus 2 later today. The launch starts at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET at the Cartoon Art Museum.
OmniFocus for Mac goes free until OmniFocus 2's debut
The Omni Group has come up with a novel approach to dealing with the question of "should I buy OmniFocus now, or wait until I know what the next version is going to be like?" Since the company has already announced that the next major Mac version of its popular GTD-ready task manager will be unveiled on January 31 during Macworld 2013, it's making the current version of OmniFocus for Mac free to use until then. In order to start your test drive, you need to download OmniFocus for Mac from the Omni Group's website and register it with the following information: License Owner: Waiting for OmniFocus 2 License Key: KXKN-ZJDB-EJCX-LZHW-CFBF-QFC OmniFocus will continue to function until January 31 after that. Note that the free trial only works if you've downloaded OmniFocus from the site; it's still full price via the Mac App Store. The Omni Group has confirmed that it's working on a way to offer discounted upgrades from the Mac version of OmniFocus to OmniFocus 2 purchased via the MAS once the latter goes on sale. There's still no firm on sale date for OmniFocus 2, but those interested in beta testing the software can do so by signing up on the OmniGroup site.
Omni Group teases OmniFocus 2, OmniPresence and more for 2013
Those planning to make a New Year's resolution to (yet again!) get more organized should be glad to hear that Omni Group is planning a major update to its popular Mac-based task management software, OmniFocus, in 2013. The developer intends to take the wraps off OmniFocus 2 for Mac at an event on January 31 during Macworld in San Francisco. Omni's Ken Case took to the company's blog today to offer up some advance details on the app, the design of which will be informed by the iPad version of OmniFocus, including Forecast and Review modes. Case also revealed that OmniOutliner for Mac, the firm's organization tool, will finally see a fourth version released in 2013 (version 3.0 was introduced way back in 2005). Omni is working on a way for those who've purchased OmniFocus and its other products from the Mac App Store to register them and receive discounted upgrades from their site. Finally, Case announced OmniPresence, the company's new automatic document sync offering that will work with all of its products and which it will make available for integration into apps from others. What's more, it will allow users to utilize multiple cloud services -- including its own -- to sync different types of documents, or even host their own private cloud servers. OmniFocus 2, OmniOutliner 4 and OmniPresence are all due in Q1 2013. We'll have more details on them this time next month.
The Omni Group releases OmniPlan for iPad
Business users will be happy to know that OmniPlan from Omni Group is now available for the iPad. The project planning app is the last of OmniGroup's core productivity apps to hit the iOS App Store. As its name suggests, OmniPlan lets you manage your projects on your iPad. The app features a visual timeline that lets you see all the tasks and people associated with a project. You can easily edit each task and add new ones from the iPad. There's also a robust syncing feature that lets you share your projects with colleagues. When away from the office, you can sync your changes to a server as well as approve or reject changes from others who are collaborating with you on a project. OmniPlan is available for $49 from the iOS App Store. You can see a demo of the app below and read more about it on Omni Group's website.
OmniGroup has info for those syncing OmniFocus to MobileMe
Time is running out for OmniFocus customers who are still using MobileMe to sync their data. Apple is going to shut down the MobileMe service on June 30, 2012 and users need to switch their syncing services before this date. To help you transition away from MobileMe, OmniGroup lists several alternative syncing solutions, including its own sync server. Once you have chosen an alternative to MobileMe, OmniGroup also has a set of instructions that show you how to change the sync settings within OmniFocus. If you run into any difficulties, you can email or call their support team using the contact information provided on OmniGroup's website.
The Omni Group's Ken Case talks with TUAW at Macworld iWorld 2012
One of the most innovative and longstanding software development firms in the Apple ecosystem is The Omni Group. The company originally developed software for Steve Jobs's NeXT in the 1990's, created some of the first OS X software in the 2000s, and has gracefully made the transition to iOS with the advent of the iPhone and iPad. On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of talking with Omni Group CEO Ken Case about the company's latest technical achievement -- building Siri capabilities into OmniFocus for iPhone -- and the history of this venerable favorite of Apple fans worldwide. Over the next week or so, TUAW will be posting a number of interviews with both established development firms like The Omni Group and new startups that are just beginning to make their presence known in the Apple world. Be sure to visit often to check out our video offerings. You can check out more of our Macworld|iWorld 2012 coverage here.
OmniFocus gains TUAW Best of 2011 award for iPad productivity app
"What? I thought you already named a winner for the TUAW Best of 2011 in the iPad productivity app category!" Yes, yes we did. But there were some nomination and voting irregularities, not to mention that a number of TUAW readers let us know that our previously named winner had some serious issues. As a result, we're doing the right thing and giving the crown to its rightful owner -- OmniFocus for iPad (US$39.99). Not only did OmniFocus for iPad capture 26.9 percent of the reader votes fair and square, but the app has garnered a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on the App Store with almost 1,100 ratings over several versions. It's been a favorite of many of our bloggers as well, and received a nice writeup by Erica Sadun when it first arrived on the scene in 2010. Belated congratulations to Omni Group for their win for a stellar product.
OmniOutliner for iPad is now available
The Omni Group has brought OmniOutliner to the iPad. The app is more of a collection of functions that allow you to gather, categorize and later reference a variety of information. In fact, you can use OmniOutliner for spreadsheets, documents and even photo management. Putting all of that power on the ultra-powerful iPad will appeal to many people. OmniOutliner can be as simple or as involved as you like. Start with simple lists. Move on to hierarchical documents and tables. The iPad version offers the thoughtful design you'd expect from an app by the Omni Group. For example, you can indent rows with a tap while making a list, or utilize handy tap-and-hold contextual menus, like those found in OmniFocus for iPad. When it's time to share your data, OmniOutliner lets you export to your iDisk or WebDAV server, email your files or sync them with iTunes File Sharing. As for export formats, choose from plain text, simple HTML, dynamic HTML, or OPML. We'll have a more in-depth look at OmniOutliner for iPad soon. It's available now from the App Store at US$19.99.
How to: Capturing iPad video with audio narration
Recently, Mike Rose asked me to check out an ongoing discussion over at the Telestream forums to see if I could assist one of the posters. Mike knew that Steve Sande and I were working on testing out a variety of iPad-to-computer screen capture solutions. He thought I might be able to help out Dr. J, host of the "Lighting the Lamp" podcast.
OmniGraffle for iPad 1.4 out now
For those of you who don't know, OmniGraffle for the iPad (also available for the Mac) is a tool that helps you turn complex ideas and processes into clear, easily understood drawings, diagrams, charts, and the like. Basically, it's a great tool to illustrate stuff that would otherwise take too long to explain in words (for more information, our own Erica Sadun took a hands on look at the app back in April). Fans of OmniGraffle for iPad can now rejoice because its latest update has just been approved for the App Store. OmniGraffle for iPad 1.4 is iOS 4.2 ready. That means that when iOS 4.2 is released, OmniGraffle will support iOS multitasking and AirPrint. Additionally, this update introduces a whole host of new features, enhancements, and bug fixes. Some of the highlights include: an enhanced Document Browser with improved filtering and sorting, better stencil management (and you can make your own custom stencils from scratch), a new and improved Font Inspector popover and remote file syncing to iDisk (MobileMe) and WebDAV. That's just to mention a few. For owners of OmniGraffle, the update is available now through updates on the App Store. A list of all the new features and fixes can be found at the OmniGraffle website, here. And in case you missed it, The Omni Group has committed to developing for the forthcoming Mac App Store, too. All the details can be found here. [via Mac Stories]
Omni Group commits to Mac App Store development
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Omni Group has jumped aboard the Mac App Store train. Omni has long been a popular creator of Mac applications and has done pretty well for itself with the iOS apps that it has already released, with more on the way. On the day after the Back to the Mac event, Omni Group CEO Ken Case tweeted that the Mac OS X versions of all five of the company's Mac apps will also be available on the Mac App Store. That group includes the ever popular OmniOutliner, plus OmniFocus, OmniGraffle, OmniGraphSketcher, and OmniPlan. OmniFocus and OmniGraffle are already available for the iPad, with OmniGraphSketcher and the others promised soon. In all likelihood the vast majority of Mac developers will move into the App Store, with the likely exceptions of Adobe and Microsoft. For most developers, having an outlet built into the OS and avoiding the hassles of payment systems just seems like too good a deal to pass up. [via MacObserver]
