Here’s a great trick from Macosxhints.com — set up your Mac to automatically preview all downloads with Quick Look.
It’s a simple two-step process. First, install the Quick Look Droplet, a simple application that displays any file with Quick Look. Next, set your browser preference to automatically open certain file types (say, PDFs, Word documents and JPGs) with the droplet. It’s much snappier than launching Preview or Word.
Sling Media have been talking about creating a version of their SlingPlayer software for the iPhone since April 2007, and the demand for just such an app hasn’t let up since. We heard rumors that the development team there were looking at the iPhone SDK and considering the possibilities, and now Dave Zatz from Sling has confirmed that, if they can satisfy the tech side, there’ll likely be a client release on the horizon.
“We were definitely one of those 100,000 who downloaded the iPhone SDK, which we’re currently evaluating. We know it’s a hot platform and we’ll see what our options are” Dave Zatz, Sling Media
Released today, Aperture 2.1 introduces an open plug-in architecture that lets photographers use specialized third-party imaging software from right within Aperture. In fact, customers downloading the Aperture 2.1 update will receive a sample plug-in available for immediate use. Developed by Apple, the Dodge & Burn plug-in adds brush-based tools for dodge (lighten), burn (darken), contrast, saturation, sharpen and blur. Aperture 2 customers can download the free Aperture 2.1 Update by visiting the Aperture download site.
Earlier this week, Karelia released Sandvox 1.2.7. If you’re unfamiliar, Sandvox is a great WYSIWYG website development application. It’s really fun to use, and features .Mac and iLife integration, templates you’ll actually want to put up on your site and a great user interface (in fact, it was the runner up in Apple’s 2007 Design Awards for Best Mac OS X User Experience).
Version 1.2.7 is a minor update, but includes some important changes, like
There’s more, of course, and you can get the full run down here. Once you’ve got your Sandvox site up, share it at Sandvoxed.
Sandvox now requires 10.4.11 or 10.5.x, is a Universal Binary and comes in both pro ($79US) and “regular” ($49US) versions. Version 1.2.7 is a free upgrade for registered users.
Independent filmmaker Bob Radler has two very different documentaries currently in production: “Turn It Up!” and “SS United States: Lady in Waiting,” reports Jim Dalrymple (macworld.com). While both films offered rather unique challenges, Radler overcame every one — thanks to his MacBook Pro and Final Cut Studio. “Final Cut Pro was a godsend,” said Radler. “Using Final Cut Studio literally saved me tens of thousands of dollars.” In fact, he says “he couldn’t have made the movies as efficiently and economically as he did without Final Cut Studio and his Macs.”
Apple have today released an updated version of the iPhone SDK, the package necessary for developers to code sanctioned third-party applications for the cellphone (and its iPod Touch PMP counterpart). Beta 2 is primarily notable for adding Interface Builder, the drag’n’drop GUI development tool which allows, as its name suggests, coders to put together interfaces for their software. According to the SDK readme file, the rest of the changes are generally tweaks in response to known issues, although there are still outstanding problems Apple are yet to address.
Today Apple has released an update to their photo workflow app, Aperture. Aperture 2.1, a free update for all Aperture 2.0 users, adds a new, and open, plugin architecture to Aperture. This means it will now be much easier for developers to extend Aperture’s builtin capabilities by writing little bits of codes that plug into the Aperture frameworks (hence the name).
Apple is already working with some developers, and is including a dodge and burn plugin of their own with Aperture 2.1. Aperture 2.1 is available now, and if you don’t already have Aperture it will cost you $199 (or $99 to upgrade from Aperture 1.0).
It’s just a matter of time until somebody ram-raids an Apple Store, gets caught, and blames Steve Jobs for making products so alluring that they were morally obliged to steal them. Perhaps that should be the defence strategy for a couple of dastards in Salem, MA, who were caught by police after stealing 332 iPhones from the Rockingham Park Apple Store; they’ve apparently been swiping the coveted handsets since last year, and have taken $132,468 worth of stock in total.
In that folder filled with photos, how can you quickly find the one you want — without even launching an application? With Quick Look. One of the great new features of Mac OS X Leopard, Quick Look lets you scan a collection of images, text files, PDF documents, movies, Keynote presentations, Mail attachments, and Microsoft Word and Excel files. Find out how you can take advantage of Quick Look in the latest Quick Tip of the Week.
It’s not often that we get to do an advice column here, but let’s see how this goes. An email arrived at the office just the other day…
Dear Aunt TUAW,
I work in the engineering college of a large private university, where I manage 6 Mac-based labs. I just tried to order myself a brand new Mac Pro to replacing my aging PowerMac G5 and was told by my dean that the college would no longer be buying Macs because they had absolutely no place in the engineering industry. He said that from this point forward, the college “would only be buying Windows computers, period!”
I know that he is wrong and that there are engineers that use Macs professionally and I can give a few examples to support that. If I am going to win this argument I’m going to need a lot of proof.
Signed,
Mac-lorn Admin
Dear Mac-lorn Admin,
Darling, didn’t you realize the Mac Pro is a Windows machine, and a darned speedy one? Last time I checked, Boot Camp + Mac Pro = a Windows dream! The adult in us loves the reliability and UNIX backbone, but the kid in us loves the GUI and tasty frosting! Having a single machine that can do double or triple duty with Mac apps, BSD/Linux engineering power and Windows compatibility would be the envy of any right-minded academician.
Still, we know that logic isn’t going to sway that mean ole dean of yours. TUAW readers, can you help Mac-lorn? Leave us your testimonials about using Macs in your professional lives — particularly in engineering or in higher ed — in the comments.
Love,
Auntie T.