MacEdition Pro News : May 23, 2003
New, improved and lemon refreshed
by MacEdition Staff (feedback)
Feedback Farm
Have something to say about this article? Let us know below and your post might be the Post of the Month! Please read our Official Rules and Sponsor List.
Forums
Want to dig even deeper? Post to the new MacEdition Forums!
In this issue
- Zip utility for Mac OS X unveiled
- Movie effects packs released
- Batch downloading improved
- Snagging Web sites made easier
- Billing for time made better
- Addressing information needs
- Interesting updates
Zipit, pal!
Those living in a cross-platform world doubtlessly are aware of the ubiquity of ZIP format on the Windows side of things.
Somebody at SubRosa Software has probably lived the consequences of that reality a time or two and decided to do something about it.
The company release ZipX a US$12.95 utility to create and decompress files in that widely used format.
“The easy-to-use SubRosaSoft ZipX allows you to create and use industry standard .zip compressed archives. This is the normal file format that Windows users utilize for archiving, email, and storage.” Explained Ben Slaney, author of ZipX. “To compress a file or folder, simply drag the file or folder you want to compress to the ZipX icon, select your destination, and the archive will be saved.”
The New Zealand based company also released a new version of DiskGuardian, a comprehensive disk diagnostic and repair utility. Disk Guardian makes use of the SMART technology embedded in current hard drives to predict disk failure. There are also maintenance and repair tools included with the US$69.99 program.
Big, Bold and Bundled
Stupendous Software released a couple of new effects bundles for Apple’s movie.
The Hawaii-based firm released a Big and Bold set, a collection of 40 titling effects which can the customized in terms of their motion and additional graphical elements. The other set, entitled Masks and Compositing, allows the user to superimpose one clip over another through the use blue and green screens.
Both packages can be purchased separately for US$25 and are free to those who purchased the Stupendous Bundle, a US$200 collection of the company's 13 effects packages.
An improved scooper
Inventive Inc. has tuned up their batch downloading utility to give the program handy set of tools for file management.
What’s new in version 1.1:
- added ability to reload downloaded items
- any duplicate pictures in a picture set are automatically ignored now
- fixed a bug that would occur when trying to scoop password protected web pages
- the contents of the address area now changes to reflect the selection in the picture list
- provided additional options for mouse button during slideshows
- “http://” will now automatically be added to addresses in the address area if it’s missing
- fixed a bug that sometimes occurred when users were trying to purchase iScooper
- various minor bug fixes and enhancements
The US$19.95 Mac OS X utility is available through the Inventive site.
A better dumper
Max Programming LLC updated Web Dumper, to allow users to skip files in downloads and adding support for Windows Media files.
What's new in this release?
- Preferences now include an easy way to skip files using custom rules.
- Proxy Authentication support.
- Support for URL tag.
- Support for FRAME SRC tag.
- 'BASE HREF' tag better support.
- Windows Media Video added to map.
Web Dumper is a Mac OS X utility which allows users to download Web sites to their hard drives for off-line viewing. The US$14.90 utility is available from the Mac Programming site.
Max Programming also updated iCash, the company's US$25 personal finance management software giving the program contextual menu support, adding a new queries panel and giving the program the ability to duplicate transaction records.
Watching the clock
Montreal-based firm Logiciels Malus Softwares released a new version of Sambucus, the company’s time tracking software.
Sambucus is a time-tracking application that is flexible and easy to use, aimed at freelancers, small businesses or anyone else who might have the need to track the time spent on various tasks and then report about it. Through a simple interface, the user can manage the time spent on different projects, each divided into one or more tasks. Furthermore, notes can be saved for each task and each project. Like all Malus products, Sambucus is offered in both English and French versions, and the “Undo” function is only limited by the amount of memory allocated to the application; this way the user can safely try-out features, knowing that the action can be undone.
The new release of the US$20 title largely addresses the handful of bugs the program had.
I got your number
Centromedia released a new version of Address Office, providing better support for Australian and Canadian postal codes, allowing windows and text to be resized and adding a human voice for the Mac OS X dialing function.
Address Office is a cross-platform personal information manager that allows the user to store notes on client files, launch email programs from within the program and calls out phone numbers to the user. The freeware program can be downloaded from the Centromedia Web site.
Qwickie updates
PUBLICSPACE.NET has done a little fine tuning to a couple of their programs.
The company added an on-line manual to it Finder utility A Better Finder Rename. The manual is also able to be incorporated in the help system for the Finder plugin which allows the user to rename files through the use of a contextual menu.
PUBLICSPACE also updated MacBreakZ, adding Dutch localization to the program. MacBreakZ is an ergonomic assistant which schedules keyboarding breaks to help computer users avoid Carpal Tunnel and Repetitive Stress injuries.
Looking for old ProNews segments? Check out our index at http://old.macedition.com/news/. Do you have news releases or tidbits of interest to the Macintosh professional? Send them to pronewsnotes@macedition.com.