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Stikkit web service has all sorts of Mac OS X integration
Stikkit is a new web service in the same organizational vein as Backpack, but it employs some pretty wild tricks and technology to help get your productivity on. The idea behind Stikkit is to get rid of the manual page organization that locks you into one form of hierarchy or another by allowing you to create simple text notes, and organizing your information by watching the language you use in these notes. Tags also play a heavy role here, but for example: if you start writing some ideas down in a note, but then start a new line with "buy eggs," Stikkit now knows you just created a todo, and it automatically lists that note in your todo section, but it can also list the note in your bookmarks section if, say, you add a link to a site you need to visit at a later date. Stikkit is also smart enough to catch notes with a person's name, phone number and IM name, as it will then file that under your peeps section as a contact card. It's a pretty wild system that I urge you to check out, and they have a few screencasts listed on their main page to help you get your feet wet. But why am I telling you all this, you ask? Well, Stikkit is gaining some pretty impressive Mac OS X integration that makes using this service a real dream. First up is a 'New Stikkit Package' created by Nik, one of their enthusiastic users (found via DF). This bundle of tools allows you to create a new Stikkit via AppleScript, your favorite app launcher like Quicksilver or LaunchBar, and even a Service (you know, Apple Menu > Services) which lets you create a Stikkit from text selected in almost any Mac OS X application. It's a pretty handy bundle that offers a lot of flexibility in how you work with Stikkit. Another really impressive integration trick this service has is accepting drag and drop calendar events from iCal. I found this screencast on Stikkit's blog which demonstrates literally dragging an event from iCal onto a new Stikkit note in a browser, and the note collects all the info it needs like the name, date and time of the event, and even any notes you might have added in iCal. I was impressed to discover that this even works with Firefox, where traditional Mac OS X drag and drop goodness like this tends not to play. If you've been looking for a handy online PIM to store your stuff, Stikkit is a great option, though due to its unique technology, it might take some getting used to. I urge you to check out their screencasts to get started, and then move on to cool tools like Nik's package if you catch the bug.
Actiontastic GTD app updates with iPod syncing, more
The GTD space has been heating up lately, and Actiontastic seems to be the innovative leader, at least since I've been considering giving these apps a whirl. Jon Crosby, the developer, added a Quicksilver action early last month, and now he's gone and raised the bar with iPod syncing. In a long post that refreshingly summarizes what all this GTD (Getting Things Done) business is about, as well as his approach to the process with Actiontastic, Jon also lists a number of major improvements to this latest release, v0.83. The new iPod syncing feature works with any iPods that support notes, but it isn't the only update in this release. Check out the bottom of Jon's post for the full detains on all the changes and tweaks, but read the whole thing if, like me, you've been trying to understand what all this GTD stuff is about. This is the first time I've really felt like someone explained the concepts well, and the fact that he's illustrating them with his app certainly doesn't hurt.Actiontastic is a Universal Binary, still in beta and at least for the moment: free. I can't tell if Jon plans to charge for it when it goes 1.0 official. Anyone know for sure?[via Hawk Wings]
Woz visits Microsoft, shares words of wisdom
Woz's appearances in the media have, of late, have revealed more of his prankster hobbies than the seasoned legend of the computer age we know him to be. Recently, the Woz visited none other than Microsoft to give his book tour's speech, and David Weiss of the MacBU blogged some interesting notes from the event. While I'm sure he had his trusty lasers and Segway in tow in one way or another, Weiss's notes refreshingly cover more of the meat from Woz's speech, including remarks on everything from chip design, Steve Jobs' programming abilities (which I'm glad to finally have confirmation on) and the more human side of technology. It's an intriguing post that's making me wish I could drop in on one of his talks.[via MacUser]
Patch 1.12: PTR and Patch Notes
The number of available character transfers to the test realm reset sometime Friday evening - usually a sign that the public test realms are coming online soon. The rumors flying around on the forums garnered an official response from Tseric, who said that efforts were made to get the PTR online Friday, but it was likely to be pushed back until Monday. However, a lucky group of people were, apparently, able to download the new patch and find patch notes for it. I know you're curious, so read on for all the details.
Develop: Everything you know about MMOs is wrong - apparently
Thomas Bidaux of NCsoft Europe didn't pull any punches with his presentation at the UK's Develop conference. Instead, the MMO giant's director of product development outlined four major ways in which the MMO world will be turned on its head. Or, rather, the 'online' world -- rather than limit himself to MMOs, Thomas talked about online games as a whole.
Develop: Game design ideas worth stealing
Game development gets accused of stagnation on a near-daily basis, and yet recent games have all featured innovative steps that can appeal to a variety of players. From minor design choices which somehow redeemed a title, to major decisions shaping the entire nature of a game, it's easier than you might think to make a difference. Margaret Robertson of EDGE gave her top picks from the last year or so's crop of games at the Develop Conference; read on for the lowdown.
Chronos replaces StickyBrain with SOHO Notes 5.5
StickyBrain, one of the leading 'digital junk drawer' apps that recently entered a 4.1 beta testing phase, has been officially discontinued by Chronos in favor of SOHO Notes 5.5. Current registered users of StickyBrain 4.0 will receive an upgrade to SOHO Notes for free, while users who own licenses for any previous StickyBrain versions (1.x, 2.x and 3.x) can upgrade to SOHO Notes 5.5 for a mere $25, the price offered in the past for upgrading from StickyBrain 3.x to 4.x.Why is StickyBrain being dissolved in favor of SOHO Notes, you ask? Chronos has published an announcement and FAQ explaining the decision, but here's the short version: SOHO Notes is basically the big brother of StickyBrain; they're almost the same app, derived from the same codebase, except SOHO Notes included three key features that Chronos used to charge extra for: SOHO Notes can synchronize notes between multiple computers using a .Mac account (seamlessly, in the background). SOHO Notes can access multiple note databases simultaneously. SOHO Notes is multi-user capable which means users can share notes with others over a network using the product's client/server technology. Now, with SOHO Notes taking the helm, its price has dropped to $39.99 to keep it more in-line with StickyBrain's previous price, as well as the competition like Yojimbo and DEVONthink. Feature-wise, this new version of SOHO Notes 5.5 offers some powerful new goodies, such as the ability to import and catalog almost any kind of file, send notes to your blog, a DockNote that makes it easy to get info both in and out, audio recording notes, full-screen editing of notes, a Daily Journal/Diary category that can automatically date/time stamp notes and much more.Whether you love your hate StickyBrain SOHO Notes, this should be good news for the 'digital junk drawer' market, as this price drop and the new features should help keep everyone's innovative juices flowing.
New Packrat version adds true list and note creation
A new Packrat version (version 0.84 build 220) has enabled 100% edit-ability of lists and notes on pages, including the create of new lists and notes on pages that previously had none. To facilitate this, a new 'Action' button has been added to Packrat's toolbar, containing 'create new note/list' commands for your productivity pleasure.To find out more about the update, check the blog of Rod Schmidt, Packrat's developer.
Packrat can now edit Backpack notes, too
I don't mean to post an update every time the developer of Packrat sneezes, but this one is for those anxiously waiting for editing functionality (including when offline) with their Backpack account. I just noticed on Packrat's product page that the feature list now says: "New: edit your lists and notes." Sure enough, it works just like the lists update I mentioned a week ago.Packrat offers a free demo, and a license will run you a mere $24.95.
AquaMinds NoteShare 1.0
AquaMinds, makers of the popular NoteTaker, has released NoteShare 1.0, a "powerful desktop application for creating, publishing and sharing media rich, multi-page notebooks." NoteShare allows you to "instantly" share a notebook for presentation or collaborative editing across a room, a network or even the web. Interestingly, their product page states that you don't even need hosting space in order to publish and share a notebook.While NoteShare sounds like an interesting product for its target users, AquaMinds is a little slim on details as to whether NoteShare represents a new level of note taking and rich media abilities above and beyond their NoteTaker product. However, since NoteTaker sells for $70 and NoteShare is priced at $150 for a 3-machine license, I'd bet the premium price is all about that collaborative ability, rather than some fancy new note taking features. If all this notebook sharing business has your interest piqued, AquaMinds offers a 30-day NoteShare trial; just follow the link on the right here.
Packrat 0.8 - edit Backpack lists, display images
In mid-April, Rod Schmidt asked for feedback as to whether he should release editing features in Packrat, his Backpack syncing client, as he develops them. From what I saw, the response was largely in favor of doing so, and yesterday Rod announced on his blog that Packrat 0.8 has taken the first step in this direction. Users can now edit lists in Packrat, then sync up the changes to their Backpack account. This new version can also display inline images (but not linked images) as long as you've already downloaded them, of course. This is a pretty big deal if you're a Backpack fan, especially since I'm fairly certain Packrat is the first app that has this kind of potential to become a true, offline-capable Backpack client.Swing on by infiniteNIL Software to grab a demo of Packrat, a license will cost $24.95. If you want to get involved or offer some feedback, be sure to check out the Packrat discussion group and and Rod Schmidt's blog for development updates.
