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TUAW Tip: iPhoto '08 does selective importing
Praise the heavens, do a little dance and buy Apple's iLife engineers a beer - iPhoto '08 finally solves a long-standing annoyance by allowing selective importing. In previous versions, iPhoto simply offered a big fat 'Import' button, giving you no choice in which images to bring over from your digital camera or mobile phone. Convincing me to agree with folks who say iPhoto is finally learning a few tricks from its older bigger brother Aperture, I plugged in my iPhone today to perform my first import into the new iPhoto, and I caught these two options: Import Selected and 'Hide photos already imported.' The new import dialog itself has been updated, presenting thumbnails of all the photos on the device you plugged in. This new Import Selected option allows you to manually select as many or as few images as you like (either by holding the command key to select individual photos or holding shift to select a range) and only import those. The 'Hide photos already imported' option, circled at the bottom left of the iPhoto window (above), is really handy for those who often import pictures off devices like mobile phones but would prefer to permanently keep at least some of them on the device for good posture. Toggling that will hide and review all the photos you've already imported, allowing you to keep those photos out of your way or reveal them to ensure your libraries are still in sync. This is a great new feature that should bring smiles to both heavy and casual photo importers alike. I think I speak on behalf of a lot of iPhoto users when I say: thank you Apple.
TUAW Exclusive: Pixelmator in-depth screencast
Back in May we scored a short intro screencast of Pixelmator, an upcoming image editor that looks to give Photoshop a run for its money. Incorporating open source software and some of the great image tools that Apple provides to developers in Mac OS X, Pixelmator looks like it could very well bridge that massive gap between powerful editors like Photoshop that operate in their own realm and all the handy toys in your Mac, like the iPhoto media browser and iSight camera.Unfortunately, Pixelmator got delayed a bit (hey, it's software, it happens), and according to the development blog, a private beta is scheduled to begin August 16th. Since we all have to wait a bit longer to see more of Pixelmator, we figured it was about time to score another exclusive video of Pixelmator in action - and score we have! Embedded in this post is a three minute Pixelmator demo screencast that covers a lot more features in action than we've ever seen before. Selection tools, a unique gradient tool, text, transformation, adding layers and moving images from one document to another, the photo browser that allows access to your iPhoto library, snapping a pic from iSight, color correction and some wild, wild filters and effects - all in this video that even WWDC attendees didn't see! If you've been waiting to see some more meat of what Pixelmator will be capable of, you owe it to yourself to press play above.Needless to say, I'm pretty darn excited for Pixelmator, especially since it'll only cost $59 once released, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy for review as soon as the team is ready.
Graphic Converter 6 released
Graphic Converter from Lemkesoft is an arguably under-appreciated photo editor and basic organizer for Mac OS X. Provided free on some (maybe all?) Macs that Apple ships, it is a quietly powerful app for performing a good number of photo editing and basic retouching, and it even includes a basic photo organizer á la iPhoto, Lightroom or Aperture. For even more features, Lemkesoft just released a new v6 of Graphic Converter, bringing a long list of new and updated features, including: a save for web option basic layer support 'go to photo position' in Google Earth rulers for measuring various aspects of images support for Microsoft's new free-to-use HD Photo image format that rivals JPG compatibility with the Leopard beta and a ton more My download is still working its way to 100%, so check out the new features for yourself or download a demo. If you were a customer of this month's MacHeist / MacUpdate promo in which you scored a license for Graphic Converter 5.x, you'll be happy to know you should be receiving an email (if you haven't already) with your new license for v6. Otherwise, Graphic Converter costs just 29.95 Euros / 34.95 USD.
FlickrShop: Upload images from Photoshop to Flickr
The wait has been a long one, but Flickr superpowers have finally arrived for Photoshop in the form of FlickrShop. As you can see, most of the basics are all available, such as tagging, adding to existing photosets or creating new ones, setting privacy and even specifying dimensions so you don't have to do any of that heavy lifting with the Photoshop file itself. The plug-in seems to work pretty well, though you can only upload one image at a time due to Photoshop's single document UI. Still, FlickrShop is a free plug-in from PixelNovel so it gets a thumbs up from me. Two versions are available - one for Photoshop CS2 and another for CS3.
The DS Life: Leg Show
The DS Life is a new weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at gmail dot com.This week's gam-filled shot comes from "Asianleggy," a professional photographer whose collections you might already be familiar with, depending on how deviant your tastes are. Step past the post break for the full image and some notes on his previous work.
TUAW has 1000 Skitch invites to give away!
[Update 2: The invite window is now closed! Thanks for participating everyone, invites should be sent out soon![Update: The plasq folks have informed us that the response to this invite offer has been absolutely amazing; well over 1000 requests. The good news? They have agreed to send invites out to every genuine request they have received so far. Cut off point is 12pm PST today. Your invite should be on its way later today or early tomorrow!]We've been talking up Skitch - a fantastic and powerful screenshot snapping and sharing app from plasq - for quite some time here on TUAW (if you want to take a peek, watch this video tour of Skitch in action). The only problem is: since its introduction at Macworld '07, it's either been in a private beta or, more recently, a tight invite-only public beta, making it hard to get your hands on a copy. Fortunately, all that finally changes today for 1000 of you - because we have a big ol' batch of invites to give away! Amidst all the time they're spending on polishing Skitch, their MySkitch picture sharing service (for the record: Skitch works with Flickr and even .Mac as well), and a new m.myskitch.com site they launched just in time for the iPhone, the kind crew at plasq were awesome enough to give us 1000 invites to give to you, our dear TUAW readers! As icing on the cake, they made the process about as easy as it can get by putting together an automated invite system: simply email [sorry, invites are now closed] from the address you want tied to your Skitch account, and you're done! Wait a little while for your sweet, sweet Skitch beta invite to arrive, and soon you can be Skitchin' and sharin' with the rest of us.Please help us make this a great experience for everyone. Companies run beta invites like this not only to help generate buzz for the product, but to ensure that they can sustain their services and provide a solid software experience for everyone. Don't send multiple emails from different addresses or re-send your request. We've never done a beta invite this way before, but the plasq crew know what they're doing and you'll receive your invite soon enough. With that said - go get Skitchin'!
TUAW Tip: Aperture keyboard shortcuts for scrolling through your library
Click To Play play_blip_movie_291511(); One of the things I mentioned in my Aperture podcast that I love so much about this app is its plethora of features designed especially to increase efficiency for power users and pro photographers. This tip centers around Aperture's keyboard shortcuts that allow for some very useful navigation and scrolling of the library browser, which is the pane that displays thumbnails of all the images in the currently selected album, project or folder. Instead of just explaining the shortcuts or giving you a screenshot, however, I thought I would go one step further and put together a short demo video of the shortcuts and the browser in action, additionally pointing out the small shuttle control on the right that helps detail just how quickly you're scrolling. It isn't anything fancy, but it should give you an idea of just how cool and actually useful this feature is.For those who want the actual keyboard shortcuts, they are: J, K and L to scroll up, stop and scroll down, respectively.
TUAW Tip: Apple TV, iPod and more can sync photos from Aperture
Since I committed to stepping up to Aperture from iPhoto, I've been slowly learning that Aperture really isn't left out in the cold in terms of integrating with other applications or syncing photos to devices like the iPod and Apple TV. If you don't have Aperture installed, you simply won't see it as an option in things like Apple's system-wide Media Browser or iTunes for photo synching; that's what caught me, since I've been running my entire iTunes library on an older iMac downstairs, and Aperture on my MacBook Pro. Today I decided to tinker with a few things by plugging an iPod into my MacBook Pro, and suddenly I caught this option in iTunes for Aperture. This setting also appears in the sync options for the Apple TV as well, and works just as you expect; you can chose to sync your entire photo library, or you can pick and chose albums (or Projects, as they're called in Aperture), complete with image counts for every album in the list.This should be great news for anyone who, like me, previously thought Aperture couldn't play with all the system-wide integration that iPhoto enjoys.
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.
Nokia's E90 launch party held in Jakarta
It's no secret that the actual launch of Nokia's E90 was imminent, and while you've had plenty of time to read reviews, stare at press shots, and drool over hands-on photo sessions, now it's time to party. A camera-wielding blogger was able to drop in on the fairly large launch event held in Jakarta and snap a few photos of geeks grappling to boot theirs up the fastest. Of course, we're sure you wish you were somewhere amongst the hordes, but feel free to leap on through for more of the action -- and to think, just under a month ago some impatient soul paid a whopping $5,000 for this bad boy.
TUAW Exclusive: Video of Pixelmator in action
Click To Play The moment I saw John Gruber link Pixelmator - a powerful new Core Image-based image editor with support for layers, a wide variety of tools, iLife/iPhoto, Automator and more - I had to get a closer look. I remember the days of Apple hyping Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and all the power of Core Image, and then never seeing a formidable editor make use of them. Sure there are a few apps that make use of Core Image in one way or another, but nothing really struck me as truly leveraging all there was to leverage in Apple's Core image.While Pixelmator may technically be vaporware according to Gruber, I managed to snag an exclusive demonstration video of the app in action from its developers, brothers Aidas and Saulius Dailide (who you might be interested to know also founded Jumsoft). The demo showcases some impressive Pixelmator features, including working with multiple layers and objects, opening Photoshop files and moving layers from one image to another, taking a picture with an iSight camera and embedding it into the current working image, and even some slick blending modes.From what I see here, I can definitely say 'wow', especially since Pixelmator is expected to ship in late July for only $59. Stay tuned for more info as soon as we can nab it.
FlickrMate bundle for TextMate
Brett Terpstra at the Circle Six Design blog just can't seem to stop making cool stuff, especially when it comes to bundles for TextMate. You might know his work from other plug-ins and bundles such as his WordPress theming bundle we mentioned, as well as his most excellent AutoTag bundle for blogging to WordPress blogs. Not content to work merely with words, Brett has created a FlickrMate bundle that offers an impressive suite of options for interacting with Flickr and embedding images in any HTML or Markdown document you're working on. You can search the text and tags of just your photos, or across the entirety of Flickr. An 'upload and embed' command is also available for uploading a new image up to Flickr and either linking or embedding it in the document you're working on. You can also browse your own Flickr account with a simple viewer that organizes your photos by sets. Basically: Brett made one of - if not the - coolest Flickr blogging plug-ins, which just happens to work with the powerful and flexible TextMate, and all he asks for any of his creations is a donation. If you find his hard work useful, I definitely recommend you show him some PayPal love.
Fade resistance test takes a look at photo printers / paper
Although we've already seen that truly fade-free inkjet prints just aren't really attainable with modern technology, a thorough (albeit unscientific) review of some six photo printers and seven types of photo paper literally showcased how close we can come. The test consisted of hanging the prints on a window facing the sun for 11 solid months, whilst the control photographs stayed under wraps to use for comparison. In what was easily the worst performer of the bunch, Samsung's SSP-2040 (pictured above) was nothing short of dreadful, while Kodak's EasyShare PP-500 and Canon's Selphy DS810 delivered only marginally better results. Epson's Picture Mate 100 did a fair job of wowing the critics after looking at the previous attempts, but the real winners came when HP's PhotoSmart 385 and PhotoSmart Express kiosk stepped up to the plate. Of course, results were judged with mere eyes, but the folks at PixInfo couldn't tell a difference between the original and the sun-blasted copy on either of these machines, and while it does sound a bit too good to be true, make sure you click on through for the stunning proof. Still, it's doubtful that any of these devices can produce shots that last for decades on end without any hint of fading or discoloration, but if you're looking for the best money can buy this day in age, be sure and hit the read link for the full skinny.
Archos 204 compact DAP announced
Following up on the recent razzle-dazzle 704-WiFi hype, Archos busts out with a much lower-key product: the 204 DAP. The 204 packs in 20 hours of playback time for MP3, WAV, and WMA files and uses a USB 2.0 connection. You can peep photos (JPEG only) on it, but no video, which is fine since it'd be quite squint-inducing on the 1.8-inch OLED display. Costing approximately €179 (about $235), the no-frills 204 offers a generous 20GB HDD in place of the more progressive features and styles seen in similarly priced DAPs and PMPs. The Archos 204 DAP will be available soon throughout Europe and on the Archos site. [Thanks, Voland]
Sharp HN-IR1 beams cameraphone pics on your HDTV via IrSS
Sure, there's already a way to beam high-definition content onto your TV if you keep all of your media stored on your iPod, but for whimsical shooters that wield their cameraphone or IrSS-enabled digital camera most of the time, Sharp's kicking out a bantam liaison just for you. Designed to ideally operate with high-speed infrared devices, the HN-IR1 enables cellphones and other IrSS gizmos to transmit high-quality photos wirelessly, where it's then channeled onto your set at resolutions up to 1,920 x 1080. Of course, it'll automatically downscale if you aren't plugged into an HDTV, and interestingly enough, it purportedly interfaces with a few of Sharp's AQUOS HD recorders in order to burn your photos to HDD / DVD. The wee device checks in at just 3.1- x 2.8- x 1.1-inches, handles photos up to eight-megapixels, and boasts a maximum transmission rate of 4Mbps, and while no exhaustive list of compatible devices was noted, a good deal of NTT DoCoMo handsets should fit the bill. So if you never seem to have time to transfer your photos over to entertain the family with a big screen slideshow, those in Japan can snag the HN-IR1 in late April for ¥14,000 ($116).[Via Impress]
Archos 704 photographed in the wild
Hot on the heels of Archos releasing the source code for its Generation 4 lineup of portable media players comes a bevy of snapshots of the company's elusive 704 "mobile DVR," complete with claims that it's already available for purchase in some parts of the world. While we'd seen a few grainy photos of the unit before, and just recently got a bit more information regarding the innards, we finally have something substantial to go by. According to an ArchosFans user, his shiny new 704 supports the DVR Station used by the 604, offers up just 40GB of internal storage, and comes with a pair of USB 2.0 ports, headphones, cabling, two styli, an 800 x 480 resolution display, wireless remote, charger, and the obligatory WiFi functionality. It was noted that the 40GB of built-in space was a small letdown, but the ease of hooking up an external HDD somewhat "mitigated that limitation." Still, you better know quite well that this will make all your dreams come true, because ringing up at $1,099SGD ($717), this thing doesn't come cheap -- but even if you're not down with coughing up that much dough for this bad boy just yet, feel free to click through for a few more glamor shots of a retail 704.[Via GenerationMP3]
Sony's Jack Tretton and the $1200 quote
Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO, has always been good for some mind-blowing quotes begging to be written down by any journalist within earshot. However, nothing, and we mean nothing, can compare to the latest one in EGM's March issue: "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1200 bucks for it." And every reader collectively gasps.The guys at Penny Arcade wrapped themselves in the gooey goodness of that quote already and we'd certainly like to point out our photos from January (there's about $24,000 in that photo alone). The reason we're showing January images is becase an editor's note on the EGM piece says the interview took place in early Jan. 2007. Seriously though, even the EGM guys in the same interview say, "But we called 18 random retailers, including Best Buy and EB Games, and half of them had PS3s in stock ... some had as many as 20 in the store." Come on kids, everyone in the pool, Uncle Jack is giving out free money.
Thumbscrew Your Thumbnails
If you want to add a little pizzaz to thumbnails of your pictures (e.g. for posting on your website, etc.) then Thumbscrew is for you. You just drag and drop your images on the little application window and it will automatically create rotated (i.e. screwed) thumbnails like the one to the right. You can set the amount of rotation, thumbnail size, and there's even Growl support. Thumbscrew is a free download from Urbanape. [Via FreeWareMac]
Booth tours in the galleries
We've been combing the extensive Macworld Expo 2007 floor since Tuesday and have posted some more booth tour galleries for your viewing enjoyment. Almost everyone has a presence here of some sort (sadly, almost), so we're doing our best to hit as may of the booths we can. As of this post, we have a couple handfuls of booths up, including Belkin, Crumpler, iSkin, Marware and plenty more, with even more on the way. If you couldn't make it to Macworld, these booth tours and video coverage are your next best chance.
TUAW Galleries = fun!
So something we want to do this year is give all the homebound Apple fans a taste of what it's like to BE at the crazy madness that is Macworld Expo and Conference 2007. And as we all know, pictures say a lot (video says more, and we'll be posting those later). So keep your eyes on our gallery pages. Plus you'll notice the Featured Galleries to the right over there, just itching for a click. Enjoy!
