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Manage multiple cameras with Cameras
Flexibits has just released Cameras, an application designed to manage multiple camera hookups on your Mac. With Cameras, you can direct which programs launch when you connect any number of photo-related devices to your computer; including digital cameras, the iPhone or a digital media reader. Cameras installs a preference pane in System Preferences. The first time you connect a new device to your Mac and start to sync it, the device will show up in the preference panel. From there, you can choose what that individual camera does when connected. It's a simple, great application for managing different cameras and keeps unwanted programs from opening when you connect them and works well when multiple devices are developed. Cameras is a free download and requires OS X. 10.4.11 or later.
RetroMacCast interviews Rob Janoff
The guys over at the RetroMacCast sent us a link to their latest episode, featuring an interview with none other than Rob Janoff, the designer of Apple's old rainbow Mac logo. The interview starts a little less than halfway into the show, and it's cool to hear a voice right out of Apple's past. They talk about the inception of the logo -- how Apple came to Janoff's firm and what they originally asked for in terms of a design. He actually had very little guidance when first creating the logo, and in fact hadn't seen any of Apple's branding or even heard of the company before he created the now-iconic image. He also talks about how lucky he was in choosing the image -- he saw it as a pretty obvious choice to use a picture of fruit for a company named after said fruit, but like any great logo, there ended up being layers of meaning behind that apple bite (or byte, as he points out).Nothing really earthshaking in the interview (he hasn't had contact with Apple since, and even he says that the mythology behind the company has much more to do than just the familiar logo), but hey, if you're hanging out today during Memorial Day and need something interesting to listen to while barbecuing, you can tune in and learn a little bit about Apple's corporate history.
Klipsch Image S4 impressions
Klipsch has never really been a company to cater to the low-end, but there's likely never been a time in the outfit's history to better introduce a lower-end pair of earbuds than right now. The Image headphone line, which started in August of 2007 when the X10s launched at $349, has grown a few members since. Today, we're talking a look -- er, a listen, actually -- at the $79 Image S4 in-ear headphones, and while these are far from "cheap," they're definitely in the realm of feasibility for anyone considering a set of 'buds that are marginally more awesome than the stock ones bundled with PMPs these days. Head on past the break for a few impressions.%Gallery-51558%
Pixelmator 1.4.1 brings noise filter, Pixelmator Learning with it
Our friends over at Pixelmator have released a new update, and while it's not quite as big as their point versions, it does add a few new features and a nice online guide to the program. The main new feature in-app is a noise filter that allows users to add random specks and pixels to an image, creating a little more realism and mess to whatever shapes they're working on. But the bigger addition is out-of-app: they've created an online Learning database with tutorials, tips, and lessons on how to make the most of the image-editing app. There's actually quite a bit of stuff there now, from text and video tutorials to even third-party tutorials submitted by users. If you are interested in learning more about how to use Pixelmator, definitely give it a look. They've also updated the user manual, too, so if you haven't seen that in a while, that's worth checking out as well.There are also a few performance updates and bugfixes -- here's the list if you want to check it for something you're interested in. I still don't see my personal issue on there: it seems like whenever I switch between the Spaces on my Mac that hold iTunes and Pixelmator, the OS doesn't want to stay put -- it keeps jumping back to the iTunes Space while I'm trying to work on Pixelmator. Of course that might be an iTunes issue, but hopefully the Pixelmator team is looking into it.Other than that, it's still a great app for editing and resizing images, and at $59, is definitely cheaper and simpler than investing in a big Photoshop suite. The 1.4.1 update will show up automatically for current users, and the app can be downloaded as a free trial from their site.
New Starcraft 2 screens 'make it rain' zerglings
Click above to play "Where's Waldo's half-eaten corpse?" What's this, more StarCraft II screenshots? Admittedly, we're a bit powerless to stop ourselves from looking at these 10 or so new images from a Fansite kit that Blizzard discreetly updated (our compatriots say only eight of these are new, but we count two more that we've never seen before). If you take nothing else from these screens, just remember that zerg rushes still elicit a sensory overload billed directly to your occipital lobe. Latest pics are in the front of the gallery. So Blizzard, how about a public beta soon to feed our addiction? %Gallery-3311% [Via Big Download]
Read first issue of Dead Space comic online ... legally
Image Comics and Newsarama have made the first issue of the Dead Space comic book available to read online. The story in the six-part series takes place prior to the events of the video game on the USG Ishimura. Some finer details of the game might be spoiled by reading the comic, but those who've finished the game will get more backstory without having to read Ishimura crew logs. The comic series was originally released earlier this year and is also available now in a collected hardcover edition. If you want to know more of our thoughts about Dead Space, be sure to check out our "Game of the Year" post about this "strategic dismemberment" thriller.[Via Big Download]
TapTapTap creates 10,000 iPhone apps mosaic
This is awesome. TapTapTap, in order to celebrate over 10,000 apps in the App Store, has created a mosaic of (what else?) an iPhone loaded up with apps -- out of the icons of App Store apps. It's crazy. You can see the entire thing full scale over on Flickr, and World of Apple is selling a poster of the image for $50 if you want to jump right over all the trouble of printing it out yourself..There are quite a few Apps I don't recognize in there, but I did notice the WebMD app, the Warcraft Characters app, Pyrus, NetNewsWire, and a few others I've got installed on my own iPhone. Very cool idea, and very neat way to show off just how many thousands of apps have arrived in the App Store already. Thanks, Alex!
Terminal Tip: Stop disk image verification
Sure, we've all wanted to stop the pesky "Disk Image Verification" process that starts when you want to open that .iso, .dmg, or other disk image. While this process is a precaution against possibly installing/using corrupt files, sometimes it is completely unnecessary. To stop disk image verification forever, just open Terminal and type: defaults write com.apple.frameworks.diskimages skip-verify TRUEIf you want verification enabled again, type the same command, replacing the "TRUE" with "FALSE." While verification is off, we recommend only using disk images from trusted sources.
Blizzard's "Next-Gen MMO" is not the project codenamed "Hydra"
We've been speculating about Blizzard's next MMO for quite a long time. We're not just talking about the splash screen from last week (which panned out to be Diablo III, a non-massive game). There have been job postings on the company's website advertising various positions in a team working on a "Next-Gen MMO," which is confirmed as a totally new title, not an expansion for World of Warcraft. There have also been murmurs of a project codenamed "Hydra." We've always wondered -- are Hydra and the Next-Gen MMO one and the same?Now we have our answer: no. A reader of our sister site WoW Insider noticed a caption that read "Hydra" on an image (above) in Blizzard's Diablo III gallery. Yep, Diablo III is Hydra. So if your sole interest is Galaxy of Starcraft, move along now. Hydra is not the savior you've been waiting for. And as WoW Insider noted, Blizzard is working on three different projects at once. That's a lot on its plate. Now that Diablo III has been announced, we're not expecting any news about the Next-Gen MMO anytime soon.[Via WoW Insider]
Iris: One window image editing for Leopard
After a public beta that started at Macworld Expo 2008, Nolobe today shipped Iris, a new image editing application for Mac OS X. Nolobe is the same company that brings the world Interarchy, a popular advanced FTP client. What separates Iris from the competition is the single-screen user interface that dispenses with a lot of the traditional floating palettes that clutter screens with other applications. While it's a 1.0 release, a quick tour of the trial download shows that Iris is a surprisingly full-featured image editor supporting most major file formats, advanced compositing tools, and color correction machinery that lets you fix or enhance your favorite photos.Iris requires Leopard, and can be purchased from Nolobe for $79. If you'd like to take Iris for a spin, download the free trial.
Fake guilds in WoW
I don't like to call attention to trolls on the internet; I think they're vile little beasts who need to be put out old-school DnD style with a roll of a six sided die and a cast of a flaming arrow. But one thing in particular some trolls are doing has caught my attention: a fake WoW guild being as annoying as possible on the forums.I won't name this guild's name, or tell you where they're from, since I don't need them tracking me down in game or getting a bigger head. What they do to annoy the frack out of everyone (and that was my obligatory Battlestar Galactica reference for the week) is pretty lame - they post updates to bosses they haven't killed. For instance, right now they're claiming they've downed Brutallus. They even have a clearly photoshopd kill picture to prove it. However they haven't, and if you look at their armory profiles no one in the guild is above Kara level gear.This guild will go and post in progression threads, taking up page after page of space. Eventually these threads have to be closed since they become full, and new ones started. However the trolls are right there to start everything again. 99% of the people on the realm ignore them, however there is always the 1% that gives them the attention they desire.What can be done about this?
Fake Howling Fjord map released [Updated]
(click on image for larger view) WoW Insider has come across a potentially leaked image of a map of the new Howling Fjord zone. This information comes hot on the heels of our announcement yesterday of the closed alpha testing of Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion to World of Warcraft. The image has been posted today at several spots around the internet.Howling Fjord will be one of the two starting points for those entering into Northrend. The other starting zone will be the Borean Tundra. Wrath of the Lich King will raise the level cap to 80, introduce the Death Knight class, new PvP warfare, and new group and solo play.WoWWiki has the image listed as a "player made" image. However, the image itself has been found around several other galleries on the internet, and there is no credit to the original author on the image. Additionally, the map itself closely resembles the terrain and layout of the zone that was playable at Blizzcon in 2007. We'll keep an eye on this, and other Wrath of the Lich King media that might be legit, and get you all the latest information when we know it. Stay tuned!Update: The map is a fake, produced and propagated by user Kanaru on WoWWiki. Welcome to the World of Fakecraft. %Gallery-5525%
Rumorang: The 'final' Smash Bros. Brawl roster
Rumors of the final Smash Bros. roster (past the 25 officially announced characters) are nothing new, but with the game's Japanese release nearing, such rumors seem to be reaching a fever pitch. The latest fuel for the fire is the above picture, which purports to show a final roster of 44 characters from the Japanese version of the game. The screen has been floated on a number of sites with varying degrees of credulity -- it was even included at the beginning of a very official-looking GameTrailers video introducing moves for three of the confirmed new characters in the game.So is this the holy grail of Brawl information? As much as we'd like to believe it so, we just can't. For one thing, the background seems to be taken directly from this official image of a much smaller select screen. Everything matches a little too perfectly, from the transparent background image to the floating cursor in the bottom left corner. For another thing, the images many of the "newly revealed" characters are 2D drawings that don't match up well with the 3D renderings for the officially revealed characters. Even for those that are renders, a closely matching source image can usually be found with a quick Google image search, suggesting an overzealous photoshopper.Still, we'd be more than happy to be wrong on this one and to be able to play with this impressive list of Nintendo favorites come March 9. For those who want to cover their ears and hold out a shred of hope, check out a full list of the supposedly "revealed" characters below the jump.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in, whether they believed it or not]
Mac Automation: image tweaking plug-in for Finder
Here's a task that most computer users run into on a daily basis: cropping and dealing with small image tweaks. This could be a daunting task if it were not for the Mac and Automator. In this how-to, I will show you how to make a small Finder plug-in that will allow you to manipulate images quickly. Please note, some of the actions required for this how-to are dependent upon Pixelmator being installed. For this automation, you will need the following Automator actions (in the same order): Get Selected Finder Items Transform Images (this action is only available when you install Pixelmator)
Blazing fast image viewing with Photon 1.0.2
Photon just loaded 839 JPEG image previews for me in under 2 seconds. That's expletive worthy speed. And when it loads the full image, it's just as fast, even with RAW format images. And it loads every pixel of a RAW image. If you set the preview mode to fit-to-screen, clicking the image gives you a loupe-style zoom to full resolution. It reads photos–from folders or directly from cameras/memory cards–with a feature they call "Instant Import". I plugged in a camera and by the time I had looked back at the screen, it had recorded all of the images on the card. Photon serves one purpose, but serves it well. It helps you do a rough cut of large batches of images before heading into Lightroom or Aperture for more advanced procedures. It lacks any form of image flagging, has limited viewing of metadata fields (the columns in the HUD aren't individually expandable or adjustable) and no search feature of any kind. It basically provides a very fast, very streamlined interface for creating collections ("stacks") of images and–once you've bought the full version–exporting them with options to convert the format to jpg, png, psd and more. It does provide histograms, which is handy for deciding on which RAW images you're planning to keep. A demo of Photon is available for download, and costs $49 to purchase. That's shown as a markdown from $69, but I'm unsure if that's a limited-time offer.
Smudge photos with Seashore
If you're looking for a quick and dirty way to smudge sensitive information in photos before putting them online then give Seashore a whirl. We've written about this neat little open source Mac-only app before and think it's great for basic image editing and touch-ups. To smudge parts of a photo, simply open the Seashore toolbar, then open the photo you want to edit. Select the "finger" icon from the left side of the toolbar and right-click on the mouse while dragging the cursor across the area you want to blur. Save the photo and you're done. Be advised, however, your blurring efforts can be undone just as easily so if you need to hide extremely sensitive information, you'll need to use another method.
Klipsch's IMAGE earphones deemed "world's smallest"
While JAYS' q-JAYS claimed to be the "smallest earphones on the market" just days ago, we doubt Klipsch would be willing to agree. Turns out, the firm's IMAGE earbuds are also proclaiming that they are the "world's smallest and lightest in-ear earphones," and while we haven't seen the ruler busted out just yet, we fear it may be needed to settle this obvious conflict. Regardless, these 'buds utilize patent-pending Contour Ear Gels, KG926 balanced micro-armatures, aluminum bodies that are finished in anodized copper, and come with 50-inch long vinyl cables. Ready for a November release, the IMAGE earphones will ring up at $349 and will arrive with a carrying case and pouch, a 1/4-inch / airline adapter, five sets of ear gels, and a cleaning tool to boot. Click on for a literal hands-on shot.
New Crystal Chronicles screens just make the wait seem longer
Next spring is starting to feel so far away, especially since we've seen so much media on Ring of Fates already. It's starting to feel as though we can cobble everything together and just pretend we have the full game ... and we're not sure if that makes the waiting easier or harder. But we'll take what we can get and pretend to be happy. Just ignore our twiddling thumbs.Famitsu has a new set of screenshots up, complete with a few details on the battle system -- racial factors contributing to attacks -- and all we can say is that it's a good thing we've got another Square Enix RPG coming to tide us over. [Via 4cr]
Skitch opens doors with invite-only public beta, begins sending out copies
We may have been playing with Skitch and teasing you with screenshot galleries since the app's debut at Macworld '07, but today is the day that some of you can finally start teasing someone else for a change. That's right: the plasq crew have officially opened the flood gates and have begun sending out Skitch beta copies to users who signed up (you can now sign up at the official Skitch site). Not everyone will receive their copy right away, mind you: by 'invite-only public beta,' I mean that copies will more or less be sent out at a moderate but steady pace and only to those who sign up, as plasq wants to make sure they can maintain control over testing (after all: it is still a beta) and ensure their slick MySkitch photo sharing service can handle the load.That said, if you get a copy, start testing away! It's a beta, so it'll act funny and it just might eat the family cat. Just remember: Skitch will be a commercial app when released as a 1.0 (though no official word on price yet), and the plasq crew is still kicking around whether they need to split some services or features off into a Pro version, so send in that feedback.
Pyro 1.6: Campfire client gains search, drag and drop file transfer enhancements and more
It's been over a year since we first mentioned Pyro, the powerful Mac OS X client for 37signals' Campfire web-based chat service for groups and businesses. While I personally didn't pick up a copy back then since I wasn't a Campfire user, I'm not entirely familiar with every change that has come since April '06. Still, even the most recent list of changes warrants Pyro another mention, especially since I'm looking at using Campfire for a few uses and projects. In addition to already offering a dashboard and central location for all your Campfire chats and displaying message status alerts in the Dock icon, check out what's new in Pyro 1.6: Any file type can be dragged onto Pyro to share in a Campfire chat Pyro will automatically zip a folder or .APP Dragging an image from a web browser will insert a URL for that image instead of uploading it Campfire's new sidebar search field now works in Pyro Support for the new WebKit installed by Safari 3 beta (mentioned on the Pyro development blog) and of course, bug fixes As Campfire's example uses page details, there are a lot of great scenarios for such a slick web app, and Pyro looks like the perfect tool to bring together the coolness of Campfire with the power of Mac OS X. Surprisingly, Pyro is still offered free, and even though Campfire primarily focuses on business users by offering a few paid accounts, it too has a free account with which you can register and tinker around to see if Campfire is right for your use.
