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Sandvox adds iWeb migration assistant to scrape your iWeb/MobileMe site
The June 30 sunset date for MobileMe is only a few short weeks away. If your website is built with iWeb and hosted on MobileMe, there's no time like the present to get it shifted over to more permanent hosting. To better serve iWeb users looking to move their existing sites into Sandvox, Karelia has introduced a new migration assistant in its version 2.6 update. This tool allows you to enter the URL for an iWeb-based site, and then it scans for key text and image elements as well as links and page structure. It's a make-do solution that works around the need to parse and process iWeb's proprietary project files. Instead of reverse-engineering Apple's format, Sandvox scrapes your site to recover key website content. It then provides a rough outline that you can then customize inside the app. The transfer is not perfect. You will need to inspect and correct fine details like page names, on occasion. But by preserving your content and site structure, you won't have to copy and paste those years of blog posts, or re-create those photo albums that you worked so hard on. A company spokesperson explained to TUAW that while they couldn't offer a native import feature, they wanted to reach out to iWeb users and offer the simplest possible transfer solution -- imperfect as it is -- so users could quickly get up to speed with Sandvox sites. Of course, the iWeb application itself will still keep working past June 30; if your site isn't hosted on MobileMe, it's not at risk right now. The new assistant is due to go live in the Mac App Store today, and is a free upgrade for existing purchasers.
Sandvox 2 features major overhaul, Objects Menu, more
Sandvox by Kareila Software will celebrate its fifth birthday this year. The festivities begin with Sandvox 2.0, a major update to the WYSIWYG Web editor for the Mac. With more than 5 dozen new or improved features, such as the super-handy Objects Menu and full HTML5 compliance, Sandvox 2 is ready for weekend Web warriors and small business owners alike. Here's my look at Sandvox 2. UI Web editors like Sandvox are meant for those who wish to create websites without touching HTML. That's a large number of users, like new parents, baseball coaches and small business owners. The common thread among them is the need for simplicity. Fortunately, Sandvox 2 meets that need. The main UI window is familiar to anyone who's used iTunes, Pages or iWeb. On the left-hand side you'll find thumbnails of pages. On the right is the page you're currently working on. A customizable toolbar allows easy access to your favorite functions. Working on a page, be it a blog, gallery, form, etc. is as easy as editing text. Simply type (or paste rich text) and Sandvox handles the code for you. Adding interesting elements -- what Kareila calls Objects -- is also a breeze, as this article will point out later. Also, an inspector lets you fine-tune page elements. Adding YouTube videos, Amazon product links and more is drag-and-drop easy. As for looks, Sandvox 2 ships with about 60 themes, while third-party theme developers extend the options even further. In short, Sandvox 2 looks good, and the UI is simple enough for its intended audience.
