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Genius EasyPen and MousePen graphics tablets play on both sides of the fence
Genius, a regular purveyor of cheap and cheerful technology, has today announced a pair of "dual platform" tablets that play nice with both Windows and Mac OS. The EasyPen i405 comes with 28 programmable hot keys, a software bundle, 4 x 5.5-inches of real estate and a $79 price tag. This is trumped by the MousePen i608, which throws in an optical mouse, a 6 x 8-inches working area and -- best of all -- one more hot key to program. Bargain hunters out there might want to prick up their ears, as the MousePen is already available at Amazon and Newegg at prices south of $60, far below its suggested retail price of one Benjamin -- hey, it's no Wacom, but it certainly won't dent the wallet too bad.
Friday Favorite: Scrivener
Not long after I bought my first personal Mac in late 2004, I stumbled across an article that mentioned Ulysses, a text editor geared toward creative writers -- essentially the marriage between a word processor and project management software. It allows you to have all documents within a writing project at your grasp. As a journalist and author, Ulysses was a dream come true, but expensive. Costing more than $100 at the time, it didn't fit into a journalist's salary. I wound up using CopyWrite for a time and was fairly satisfied with it until I read in a forum that people were having luck with a program which, at the time, was called Scrivener Gold. I gave the free beta a try and was blown away by the program's potential. When the full-fledged release of Scrivener came out in early 2007, I bought a license as a birthday gift for myself. Scrivener pulls all the things needed for a complete writing project -- be it writing a script, novel, research paper or newspaper/blog articles -- together in one location and has so many features that even after nearly three years of use, I don't think I've fully explored all that it has to offer. I recently started work on writing my first graphic novel, and have really gotten the chance to flex Scrivener's muscles.
Missing Sync beta available for Pre
Palm would have us all believe that the "cloud," a dash of EV-DO, and a smidge of WiFi are all you need to get your webOS-based device synced to the rest of your world, but back in the real world, we all know that's not necessarily the case. MarkSpace -- well-entrenched in the world of getting BlackBerrys, Windows Mobile phones, and everything in between to play nice with Macs -- has released a beta version of The Missing Sync for Pre, letting you sync your music, bookmarks, ringtones, files, pictures, and just about everything else using its Proximity Sync tech which automatically hooks into your machine when it's in WiFi range. It's free for the time being while it's in testing, but don't use it unless you're willing to shell out should you get hooked -- the final retail version will run $39.95 when it's available.[Via PC World]
TUAW at WWDC 2009: We want to hear from you
It's that time of year again. In the US, schools are emptying, weather is heating up and all sorts of developers are readying to wend their way to San Francisco for Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference, or WWDC. Sure, the noncoding masses are expecting a hardware announcement (new iPhone, anyone?), but developers are really salivating over improvements to OS X in the upcoming Snow Leopard (10.6) release, and iPhone OS 3.0. After all, with great hardware comes awesome software. Apple might even have some surprises in store for us.TUAW will be at WWDC during the week, and if you're a developer for iPhone or the Mac, we want to talk to you! Be sure to polish your elevator pitch, as we'd like to shoot as many demos as possible. Plus, we're attending the Parallels party (RSVP here), the iPhone Launch Party and maybe a few others, so there will be plenty of chances for your shot at fame. If you'd like to get in touch with us before the event, you can email us at wwdc at tuaw (dot com). See you in San Francisco! You can also join us online and on the phone during Sunday night's talkcast, where we'll be talking about the final round of preconference rumors and expected announcements.For those you not attending, stay tuned to TUAW as we liveblog the keynote, dig into the announcements, and show the newest of the new apps being demoed at the event.
Curse Client for Mac
Update: Since this article was published, Curse has launched their "premium" service. This review applies to what is now the premium Curse Client, which requires a paid subscription. The feature set of the free client is much more limited.Curse Client for Mac has been a long time in the making. With the 3.0 version that came out recently, they finally have a client that appears to run (on Intel/10.5 Macs, anyway), even if it does display a wxWidgets error upon first launch (which can safely be ignored). I've been using it to manage my addons for the past week in order to bring an informed review, so here goes. The first thing you notice about Curse Client is that it just doesn't look like a Mac app. It's got these weird tabs up top with icons in them, the main icons for initiating events are unfamiliar and un-Mac-like, and it summons odd progress bars that float on top of all your other windows in the lower-right-hand corner (odd progress bar depicted at right).
Frozen in Time by Time Machine
There is more fallout from the current Leopard update to version 10.5.6. Many users are flocking to the Apple support forums to share their tales of woe about Time Machine failures after the update. (Ironically, Time Machine was on the list of items that received bug fixes). Upgraders are seeing Time Machine stall, fail to identify the target hard drive, lock up while Time Machine is 'preparing' to backup, and other assorted glitches. There is no guarantee that these issues were caused by the update to 10.5.6, but users are seeing a lot of problems in parallel to the software changes. MacFixit has quite a bit of guidance on the Time Machine issues. One of the most interesting observations is the long pause while 'preparing' to backup. It seems TM needs to do a deep traversal of the data because it sees a lot of file changes to copy, as would be expected with a major software update. The advice is to wait it out and and eventually TM is likely to get going. I had the same issue and eventually stopped the process, erased my TM drive and started again. That was after more than 2 hours of 'preparing'. It looks like I might have been better off to wait. I had hoped 10.5.6 would fix the occasional TM error I get telling me that the backup failed, but then when I try again, everything is fine. I spent a good hour on the phone with Apple support on this problem some months ago, but didn't get anywhere. Many others have seen this rather arcane message and reported it. Hopefully it will be fixed in the next OS update. It's good to keep in mind that most people updated without any dire consequences, but there are enough people grumbling that it merits a closer look by Apple.
Poll: Which OS do you prefer?
We were just wondering for no particular reason: which OS do you prefer? %Poll-21907%
Rock your clipboard with CopyPaste Pro
Described as "Time Machine for the clipboard," CopyPastePro takes your Mac's clipboard way beyond simple temporary storage. There's a multiple clipboard option of course, but CopyPaste Pro also lets you edit the contents of a given clipboard (or "clips" as they call them) with its built-in word processor, create an archive of previous clips and even review clips via a "clip browser," which resembles Mac OS X's application switcher.If you're one of those users who just can't live with the standard Mac OS clipboard, check out CopyPaste Pro.CopyPaste Pro requires Mac OS X version 10.4.x or 10.5.x. For a short time, users of CopyPaste can upgrade to CopyPaste Pro for $20US. On May 12th, the price will go up to $30US.
So what other tricks can we expect from Leopard?
Along with today's announcement of Leopard's release date, Apple has also now updated the Mac OS X site to reflect all the enhancements you can find in the latest release of OS X. So, what's new? Apple, clearly keen to show what they've been working on in the last few months (what with the delay n'all), have listed all 316 features, categorised them and allowed you to peruse them at your leisure. Here's just a few that caught my eye: AppleScript can now read and write plist files (whilst a little thing, and a niche feature at best, this is promising if you're wanting to backup items such as serial numbers for applications from the application plist files, and do it in AppleScript) .Mac syncing of more system items (Dock items, Dahsboard widgets, Mail notes and, it appears, even the entire System Preferences) TextEdit now support Open Document and Word 2007 files. Open panels now have a Media Browser tab, allowing you to open items directly from the relevant location. Library Randomization - identical to Windows Vista's Address Space Layout Randomization, meaning that people looking to exploit Mac OS X can't rely on system code being at a specific memory address (i.e. it's harder to persuade an OS X system process to execute malicious code). Whilst Apple has always touted the more robust security of Mac vs Windows, it's good to see they're not sitting on their laurels and becoming complacent with OS X. Also of note is the digital signature technology in all the Leopard applications (and third-party developers can sign applications too). I've always believed this to be a technology that would be used in any iPhone SDK, so seeing it within XCode is a promising move - even if the possible use of Digital Signing in an iPhone SDK is pure conjecture on my part. Front Row now sports the Apple TV interface, and the integration with the Apple Movie Trailer site. iChat has seen a smorgasbord of new features added - Photo Booth effects, new media codecs, video and audio chat recording, tabbed chats, the ability to hide your own local video from a chat window, and screen sharing. The list goes on. After a somewhat disappointing WWDC Keynote this year, the '300+ feature' proclamation has reassured me that Apple hasn't necessarily lost its way as a desktop OS and computer company. 26th October just cannot come quick enough.
Nokia rolls out iSync plugins
One of the great joys of Mac OS is arguably its unified device synchronization under the auspices of iSync (insert cookie-cutter statement regarding iPhone irony here). For S60 users, that joy just got a little more all-encompassing and more official, thanks to a bounty of fresh plugins released by Nokia to support the latest and greatest models for calendar and contacts synchronization in OS X 10.4.9 and above. Heck, even the barely-released N76 is on the list, so if you're rocking Cupertino's and Espoo's finest, get thee thy plugin and prosper.[Thanks, Abdul A.]
Missing Sync goes gold for BlackBerry
Hear ye, hear ye, Mac faithful: your definitive BlackBerry solution has arrived. Mark/Space has just completed its beta cycle for Missing Sync's BlackBerry variant and it's available to buy. Besides the obvious sync capabilities, the product adds a couple nifty features like iTunes synchronization and charging via USB (nice). Get it for $40 now -- or, if you're migrating from another Missing Sync version and tossing that Windows Mobile device, just $20.[Via TUAW]
Mac OS X Leopard pushed back for Vista support?
Given that the last Leopard rumor we heard was that it'd actually be shipping early (like, this month), we're not sure how much stock should be put in this latest one, but according to DigiTimes, the word from "industry sources" is that the OS has now been postponed, all the way 'till October. Supposedly, the delay is necessary in order to add support for Vista to the integrated version of Boot Camp, which those same sources say Apple wants so it can increase its chances of grabbing more of that coveted PC market share. While we can't say if that's true or not, we are fairly confident that this won't be the last Leopard rumor we hear before its release, whenever that may be.
Parallels to turn it around, help Mac OS onto generic PC boxen
With the popularity of software like Apple's Boot Camp and SWsoft's Parallels, it's no secret that people want to run Windows and Mac OS on the same box, but who says that it has to be an Apple box? Well, Apple does, and the company has staunchly defended itself from the porting of OS X into the mad world of PC generics (not with total success, of course). But with mounting pressure from users and increasing software support from VMware and SWsoft, Steve Jobs might have to let go of his tight grasp on his shiny blue OS -- or at least turn the other way as OS X makes its way onto those vile, inferior, and cheaper x86 machines without his blessing. On that front, there's good news on the horizon: it turns out an upcoming version of Parallels just so happens to "make it easier to run Mac OS on a non-Apple computer," by some unknown but welcome means. VMware's own upcoming virtualization software for the Mac has been hamstrung by the trouble VMware has gone through trying to get Apple's blessing, and SWsoft's Parallels has been "crippled" in particular ways to make it more difficult to get Mac OS onto a non-Apple machine, but it seems like it's only going to get harder for Apple to have it both ways, and Intel's inclusion of virtualization in its own chips just compounds the "problem." Michael Dell has also reconfirmed his desire to pre-load Mac OS onto his own boring boxes "if customers wanted it and Apple would license it on reasonable terms," but that tantalizing offer doesn't seem to have swayed Apple yet.[Via Techmeme]
Leopard makes an Amazon appearance
Apple's next-gen OS, Mac OS X 10.5, aka Leopard, is expected to ship in Spring '07. This is not a secret. But somehow we feel better when Amazon confirms it for us. As Nelson pointed out in the iWork '07 on Amazon comments, they are already listing Leopard with a note that says "Scheduled to ship in spring 2007." Amazon is conveniently offering to email you when it's available for purchase. I guess Mac lovers who plan to be in hibernation for the next 3 months might need that.Thanks Sean and Nelson!
Bounty makes Mac-BlackBerry tethering a reality
It seems almost criminal that Mac users have been thus far denied the basic human right to tether the immensely popular BlackBerry 8700 series devices to their Macbooks, but thanks to a little elbow grease, determination, and nearly $700 in cold, hard cash, the world's wrongs have been righted. An intrepid character by the name of Daniel Pasco has claimed the bounty offered by Alex King, challenging folks to come up with a solution for using an 8700 as a Mac OS X compatible modem. So far, Mr. Pasco's solution has apparently been verified with the 8700g on T-Mobile and the 8703e on Verizon and Sprint, though we imagine Cingular's would work just the same. In the short term, it looks like the rough cut of the software will be available only to people that had contributed to the reward, but the solution will hopefully find its way into the public domain down the road.[Via TUAW]
All the cool things your Mac can do
I know your Mac is really cool, and you know it's really cool, but do all of your friends (especially those using Windows)? One of the things I really enjoy is gloating showing off some of my Mac's more interesting tricks, a job made easier by this cool list at Silver Mac. They describe one of my favorite tricks right off the bat: If you highlight at word in any cocoa app (like Safari) and hit Command-Control-D, a small window will appear with the dictionary definition and part of speech of that particular word. Move the cursor from word to word, and see their respective definitions. The article also describes how to invert your screen's colors, create a quick text clipping and more. Check it out, and really "wow" your friends.
Apple OS X 10.5 "Leopard" officially debuts
We came for the Mac Pro, but we're staying for Leopard, Apple's long awaited followup to OS X 10.4, released April of last year. Apple is promising a spring '07 release, and with all of those playground-style put downs of Vista they've been throwing around at WWDC, we don't think a targeted similarity in launch times is out of the question.Leopard will feature the new and/or improved: 64-bit Cocoa and Carbon application support, right beside 32-bit apps, all native. Time Machine - Automatically backs up every version of your files to a hard drive or server. Includes snazzy 3D Time Machine view (pictured) to browse through older versions of folders. Boot Camp - "Even better." Ships with Leopard. Photo Booth - With expanded camera support. Spaces - Apple's term for virtual desktops. Allows you to group different applications together in their own environment for different tasks, and allows movement of windows between "spaces." Spotlight - Can search other machines over a network. Boolean operations, application launching, and recent items will also be added to the search tool. Core Animation - Developer architecture to create moving eye candy with little code. Universal Access - VoiceOver enhancements, Braille support, closed captioning and improved navigation. Mail - Stationary (templates), Notes (specially highlighted self-sent emails) and To-Do lists all built in. Dashboard - New Dashcode tool allows visual template-based Widget development. There's also a new Web Clip app that takes any part of a web page and turns it into a Widget. iChat - Allows multiple logins, invisible mode, animated buddy icons, video recording and tabbed chats (hooray.) There's also photo booth effects, iChat Theater (slideshows, Keynote presentations and videos displayed over video chat), and photo/video backdrops. Enhanced Parental Controls Xcode 3
Life changing software
James Fee has posted about software that changed his life, and it struck me as a very powerful idea. Can a bucket of bits and bytes really change anyone's life? The more I thought about it, the more I knew it was true. Software can change lives, it has certainly changed mine.Back to James for a moment. He lists the following software as life changing (for him): Hypercard ArcInfo BBEdit Freehand ArcView Not too shabby. This, of course, got me thinking about the software that has had an impact on my life. Mac OS 8.6 sprung immediately to mind. That's what my first Mac ran, and it was the first time that I felt like I was working with a computer instead of at a computer (a subtle, but telling difference). 8.6 was my entrance into the Cult of Mac and now look at me! I'm a titan of the Mac web and I have owned more Mac gear should be allowable by law.So, dear readers, has any software changed your life?
Mac sharing tool, Connect360 hits 2 dot oh
Attention Mac using 360 owners! The outrageously good Connect360 keeps getting better: they've just released version 2.0 with some pretty significant changes. They've made it Universal so it will run natively on the new Intel Macs; it's now a preference pane instead of a standalone app, offering a much more suitable interface for the functionality; and plenty of bug fixes and performance enhancements (the entire changelog is available after the jump). Best of all, 2.0 is a free upgrade for registered users!Connect360 allows people who like both their game systems and computers to be elegant and attractive to enjoy some of the media extending capabilities of the 360. It's limited to iTunes and iPhoto integration, while video playback is still reserved for a Windows Media Center PC... for now.See also:Major update to Connect360; Mac users feel lovedConnect360 connects your Mac to your 360[Via Xbox-Scene]
I can't use a Mac unless...
I set up a lot of out-of-the-box Macs at work. If I'm getting them ready for life as a general workstation machine, I just give them my usual run through. However, If I'm lucky enough to be working on a machine that I'm going to be using, I can get everything set up the way I like it. In short, I can't use a Mac unless... All Finder windows are set to column view. Seriously, icon and list view are just infuriating to me at this point. I don't know how I used list view so happily for all those years with the "classic Mac OS." The desktop bears only one single icon. That icon is the hard drive. I cannot understand people whose desktops are so littered with icons that the desktop picture is barely visible. I don't know how they find anything, or even focus on the screen. I'd need a Ritalin smoothie to use that machine. The Dock is transparent and borderless. I started using TransparentDock a while ago, and now the sight of a white Dock just irks me. Speaking of the dock... The hard drive and Applications folder are in the Dock. But that's a given, right? Quicksilver is installed. That's right, I can't use a Mac that doesn't have Quicksilver installed. I find myself hitting Command-space on other machines all the time, as it's ingrained in my muscle memory at this point. I can hit Command-space-m- (for Mail) Return without even thinking about it. I have a two button mouse. Just try it for a week, you'll never go back. So, there you have it. What's your list?
