RedSweaterSoftware
Latest
Why apps in Mountain Lion might need to see your address data
In OS X Mountain Lion, Apple has added extra protection around the address book and restricted apps from gaining access to the contents without a user's permission. This added security is beneficial for users, but it poses a communication problem for developers who need to access the address book for feedback or crash reports, says Daniel Jalkut in a post on his Red Sweater blog. Developers who generate a bug report or feedback request within their app must deal with the foreboding dialog shown above when they try to populate the fields of a contact form using data contained in the "Me" card. Not only does the dialog confuse the user, it also makes it appear that the app is doing something nefarious when it's actually not. Working off a tip from Panic founder Cabel Sasser, Jalkut has devised a way to add a friendly tone to the dialog that'll explain to users why the app needs to pull information from the address book. According to Jalkut, you can modify the Info.plist file and add a string for the NSContactsUsageDescription key. This key will tell the user why the app needs the contact information and will appear the first time the app tries to gain access to the address book. You can read more about this solution on Jalkut's Red Sweater blog and in the documentation on Apple's website. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Mountain Lion: Get your RSS button back in Safari 6
One of the most irritating omissions from Safari 6 -- the default Web browser in OS X Mountain Lion -- is that the RSS button has been removed from near the address bar. In fact, Safari no longer supports RSS feed reading natively, either. The feature page for Safari on Apple's site makes no mention of RSS now, leaving Mac users to rely on other browsers or standalone clients for RSS reading. Even with the removed reading capability, the RSS subscribe button is missed. It made it a one-click solution to subscribe to an RSS or Atom feed on any website providing such a feed. Now developer Daniel Jalkut (Red Sweater Software) has stepped in with a free, "beta-quality" Safari extension to bring the feature back to Safari 6. The Subscribe to Feed extension (link to blog post) adds a button to your toolbar that, when clicked with a page open that is offering an RSS or Atom feed, opens the feed:// link and opens your default news reader. If a website doesn't offer a feed, the button remains grayed out. It should be noted that if a website already provides an RSS button, clicking it performs the same action. However, Jalkut's extension works well for those sites that do not have an obvious RSS button but are still providing a feed. Many thanks to Daniel for this outstanding service to the Mac community.
MacTech 2010: Daniel Jalkut on the Mac App Store and more
Daniel Jalkut of Red Sweater Software (creator developer of MarsEdit, a TUAW favorite app for blogging) gave a talk at MacTech 2010 this morning about unit testing Mac apps, and while his developer talk was mostly over our heads, he did kindly allow us to corner him afterwards to chat about the state of Mac development and what he expects out of Apple's upcoming Mac App Store. Like most of the developers we've met up with at the conference this week, Jalkut is hesitant but optimistic about the way the Mac App Store will work. His most recent issue is with so-called "land grabbers" on the App Store -- some developers are already grabbing up names (since submissions just started recently), and Jalkut is worried that Apple regulations means he won't be able to call his upcoming iPhone app by the same name as his widely used Mac app. "Which, as you can imagine," he told me, "is kind of a challenge and a problem."
Red Sweater releases Black Ink 1.1.3, promises Tumblr update for MarsEdit
Daniel Jalkut over at Red Sweater Software has updated crossword puzzle software Black Ink to version 1.1.3, which adds new puzzle sources and fixes some bugs. The Little Rock Daily Record stopped publishing its crossword puzzle online, but Jalkut added crosswords from the Chicago Reader, Onion AV Club, and Chronicle of Higher Education to replace it. The update also addresses bugs with puzzle opening and printing. The update is available from Red Sweater's website, or from within the application. Also, on his blog, Jalkut mentioned forthcoming updates to MarsEdit, after working with Tumblr to improve their API. He plans to release an update, version 2.3 with Tumblr support, "as soon as possible."
Twitter undo AppleScript
If you use Twitter via the web, you can simply click the trash can next to that last tweet that had a typo or - *gasp* - you realized all too late shouldn't be public. If you use something like the TUAW favorite Twitterrific from the Iconfactory, however, you're at a loss, as it features no such trash can. Fortunately, Daniel Jalkut (of such fine Red Sweater Software products as MarsEdit, FlexTime and FastScripts) has posted enough embarrassing tweets to warrant the creation of a Twitter undo AppleScript that automates the deletion if your previous tweet, and he is provided it free of charge from the Red Sweater Blog. By default, all you need is Jalkut's excellent FastScripts product (either the commercial version or its free little brother), and you can simply follow his brief instructions to get set up with a Twitter safety net. Note that if you use external apps like Twitterrific you won't actually see the tweet disappear from your account. However, if you see the delete confirmation that Jalkut's script is designed to display upon successful operation, the tweet should actually have been deleted and you can check your actual Twitter.com account page to be sure.
Black Ink 1.0
Now, I'm not a big puzzler myself, but I do know lots of people out there enjoy the thrill of completing a tough crossword puzzle. Red Sweater Software has just announced the release of Black Ink 1.0 (formerly MacXword, Red Sweater Software has been on an acquisition tear as of late). Black Ink downloads puzzles from a number of free sources (including the NY Times). It allows you to print out puzzles for solving on the go, and it also includes a timer so you can brush up on your competitive crossword skills.Black Ink costs $24.95 and there is a 30 day demo available. Users of MacXword can upgrade for $9.95 (with a valid serial number).
MarsEdit 1.1.3
Just a scant 4 days since Red Sweater Software acquired MarsEdit there is a new point release available. Now that's quick turnaround. MarsEdit 1.1.3, as you can imagine, is mostly a bug fix release but it is free to registered users and fixes the following things: Fix a bug with LiveJournal blogs that contain Unicode chars Fix the infamous "Preview Flickering Images" bug Fix a slow memory leak when text filters are applied in preview Sparkle, everyone's favorite updating engine, has been added as well. I can't wait to see what future releases have in store for us.
MarsEdit acquired by Red Sweater Software
MarsEdit is my blogging client of choice. It is simple, straightforward, and streamlined (unlike Ecto, which I also use and enjoy). Today we found out that MarsEdit, formerly of Ranchero which itself was acquired by NewsGator, has been acquired by Red Sweater Software. This is good news for all MarsEdit uses since NewsGator is much more focused on NetNewsWire, and the future of MarsEdit didn't look too clear.Check out this Q&A with Brent Simmons, creator of MarsEdit, and Daniel Jalkut, the man behind the Red Sweater, for some insights into the future of MarsEdit. Updates to MarsEdit 1.x will continue to be free for registered users, and new users can pick up a copy for $24.95.
FlexTime 1.0
FlexTime 1.0 has just been released and time obsessed Mac users rejoice! What is FlexTime? Some might call it a timer, but it is a very advanced timer. You can build 'routines' based on timed intervals, which in turn can cue you with a number of different cues (i.e. it can play a sound, run a script). This is a very slick app that some people will find extremely useful.FlexTime 1.0 will run you $18.95 and requires 10.4. There is a 30 day demo available.
