Archive for the ‘Software’ Category
Panic Launches Transmit 4.0
Posted in Software, on April 27th, 2010 by Carlos.
Just as expected, Panic unveiled Transmit 4.0 today in the wee hours of the morning. I scooted over and downloaded myself the update. Sorry Flow, I don’t think I’ll be going back to you as an FTP client. The first thing you’ll notice is a much cleaner look to the UI. Not that the previous version was cluttered, but it certainly was starting to look tired.
One of their biggest features is they’re claiming that Transmit 4.0 uploads files a helluva lot faster than version 3. I posted a WordPress site up to a temporary folder on my host just to give it a shot. Well it certainly was faster than version 3 (it took only a few minutes), but I’m going to have to try things a little more to see if it was living up to the difference they are claiming. I already have a host that doesn’t allow for terribly fast uploading, so it may be unfair for me to test it based on that alone.
Perhaps one of the coolest new features in Transmit 4.0 is the ability to mount a favourite FTP, S3, etc. drive into Finder, similar to what iDisk does. You don’t even have to have Transmit open to access these disks. Having these discs accessible in Finder means you can save a document from Pages, for example, and save it directly to a remote location. In a way it’s like DropBox, but you cut out the middleman.
Unfortunately the ability to set the maximum number of simultaneous transfers for uploads/downloads cannot be set independently of each other. Maybe I’m the only one on the planet that would find that useful. Oh well.
Give Transmit 4.0 a whirl for yourself. I mean, sure it’s still just an FTP program, but it has some pretty powerful features that will probably make you want to take a closer look. Upgrading from Transmit 3 costs $19 USD, whereas the full version is $34. At these prices folks, help a developer out and be sure to buy the software. A free trial version is also available. [Transmit 4.0]
Panic to Unveil Transmit 4 in T minus 6 Days
Posted in Software, on April 21st, 2010 by Carlos.
I’ve been a long time user of Transmit, a well-rounded FTP client for the Mac developed by Panic. I admittedly switched to Flow when it was included in a MacHeist promotion to see if there were any features that might beat out Transmit. To be honest, I wasn’t blown away by Flow, but kept using it because I had already bothered to move my bookmarks over. So we’ll see what Panic has in store when they release Transmit 4. It doesn’t look like Panic is unveiling any details about the app yet, but I’m sure they’ll be including something nifty as per Panic’s usual style.
I find the feature that seems to always elude these FTP applications is the ability to set file upload and download limits independently of each other. I would like to download more files at once, but don’t want to upload more than one file at once. Is it that difficult to include this feature? Bleh.
Keys Software Must Haves: CSSEdit by MacRabbit
Posted in Software, on April 20th, 2010 by Carlos.
There are tools that I use so frequently that I don’t even realize that I’m using them anymore. They integrate themselves into my workflow practically to the point as to which they ARE my workflow. One of these tools is CSSEdit by MacRabbit.
CSSEdit makes laying out your web templates as comfortable as it possibly can be (thanks IE, you do suck, as per the CSSEdit icon pictured above). As the app’s official site suggests, it truly is an app for CSS newbies and power users. In fact, I would take it one step further and say it turns CSS newbies into power users. CSSEdit takes a different approach from other web design packages like Coda, Espresso (also from MacRabbit) and Dreamweaver in that it strictly focuses on CSS file editing. There are a few features that really make this app shine.
Live Preview Live preview let’s you override a site’s current CSS file with one that you specify. Then, with its built-in Webkit based browser, you can see live changes to your layout as you edit your CSS file. You don’t have to hit save, you don’t have to refresh. It happens right before your eyes as you type.
X-Ray Inspector This nifty feature let’s you view CSS elements on a given website, and tells you what styles are applied to it, and even the parent CSS elements that it belongs to. I find this tool specifically useful for beginners who want to understand how the various CSS elements interact with each other to create a layout. I also find it useful to see what is broken on a layout I’m working on. Identifying the ‘broken’ element with the X-Ray Inspector saves time hunting for the pesky DIV box that isn’t cooperating.
Group Styles When you start getting familiar with CSS, you will quickly realize how large CSS files can become, and just how much of a pain in can be to find a particular style in a swamp of lines of code. CSSEdit allows you to create groups and sub-groups that help you manage your styles a lot easier.
Milestones Ever try to fix one CSS problem only then to realize you broke another? CSSEdit will let you save Milestones so that you can quickly go back to a version of your CSS file that was working.
These are only a handful of the features that make CSSEdit a powerful tool. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, this is a tool that really defines my workflow. I have found it to be an indispensable tool. Even as I get more and more comfortable with CSS, there are still problems that CSSEdit helps me debug with ease. Sorry Windows users, CSSEdit is Mac only. It retails for $41.30 CAD, and a trial version is available. Check it out! [CSSEdit on MacRabbit]
Photoshop CS5 (64-bit) Blows CS4 (32-bit) Out of the Water
Posted in Software, on April 19th, 2010 by Carlos.
John Nack, Principal Product Manager for Adobe Photoshop, has posted some rather impressive speed benchmarks comparing the soon-to-be-shipped Photoshop CS5 64-bit vs the 32-bit CS4 counterpart. CS5 outperforms CS4 in every test that was run from 1.4 – 2.4 times faster. From time to time I work with large files that put a strain on my system, but given CS5 can take advantage of more system RAM that I actually have a available, I should realize some improvements.
I’ll admit one of my greatest disappoints with CS4 was that Adobe didn’t make it 32-bit, while our Windows brethren got to enjoy an extra 32 bits of bittage. It’s good to hear that the initial results are showing that 64-bit was worth the wait. Let’s hope that tests run by non-Adobe employees turn out to be similar! [John Nack on Adobe via Daring Fireball]
Keys Software Must Haves: Reeder for iPhone (RSS Feed Reader)
Posted in Software, on April 16th, 2010 by Carlos.
I couldn’t handle following the goings-on of the web and the world if it weren’t for RSS feeds. Having all my news come to me in a single location, instead of having to visit website after website has transformed the way I, and many other people, consume information. The various web apps, desktop apps and iPhone apps all fight for supremacy to establish themselves as the best method in which to track and read your RSS feeds. As a long time user of NetNewsWire, I’ve found it difficult to switch to other readers as I’ve liked having a desktop app and iPhone app that are in sync with each other, and really, didn’t expect I would need to try any other RSS feed reader.
Well things changed yesterday when I was perusing the App Store and noticed Reeder, an app by developer Silvio Rizzi. With its high rating, nice icon (yes, I judge Apps by their covers) and syncing capabilities with Google Reader, I had to give it a shot. First and foremost, the app is beautifully designed. It is not gimmicky in it’s design, which I find can just get in the way of reading feeds, but it’s a heck of a lot more interesting than NetNewsWire, as an example.
Its user interaction methods are also unique, for example, to get to the next article you can scroll down to the end of the article, and slightly hold the position for the app to suck you into the next article (next/previous buttons are also their for the old-fashioned). I already mentioned that the app syncs with Google Reader, but this is a major reason why I like this app. As NetNewsWire still wins hands-down for me on the desktop, I still wanted to have RSS feeds that were in sync. If I’ve read it on my iPhone, I would want it updated on my desktop. Given that NetNewsWire now also syncs with Google Reader, this still happens, even though I’m not using the NetNewsWire iPhone app. Other features include a multitude of sharing options (Twitter, Instapaper, etc.), as well as the ability to lock the app in portrait mode – especially important for those who like to lay in bed reading articles. It can also cache images for offline viewing – that might be especially handy for those who have iPod Touches, or limited data plans that would be consumed too quickly with downloading RSS feeds over the cell network (Matt – this applies to you!).
My one gripe with the app so far, is that there doesn’t seem to be an ability to zoom into a photo in an article. Sounds silly, but I subscribe to Get Fuzzy and Dilbert via RSS, and in portrait mode, the comics are just too small to read. Switching to landscape makes things easier, but then I obviously can’t take advantage of locking the orientation to portrait. Hopefully the developer looks into adding some of that functionality.
Reeder is $2.99 on the App Store. Give it a try today, follow the links here: [Reeder App Website or Reeder on iTunes App Store]
Adobe Creative Suite 5 (CS5) to Ship Mid-May – Pricing Announced
Posted in Software, on April 12th, 2010 by Carlos.
Adobe has announced that the CS5 entourage of products will be available mid-may and is up for pre-order on their website now. Also, the pricing has been made official. Here are some of the different packages available and pricing grabbed from their website:
- Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium will sell for $1899 USD, upgrade for $599 USD
- Adobe Creative Suite 5 Web Premium will sell for $1799 USD, upgrade for $599 USD
- Adobe Creative Suite 5 Production Premium will sell for $1699 USD, upgrade for $599 USD
- and the Death Star of the Adobe CS5 lineup, Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection will sell for $2599 USD, upgrade for $899 USD
As always adoption of the new software suites is generally slow in the professional realm as printers and agencies have to evaluate the costs, budget for it and finally upgrade all their machines. I have a couple clients that are quick on the upgrade so I’ll be waiting for their cue before I take the plunge. [Adobe via BusinessWire via Gizmodo]
Twitter Buys Tweetie – Tweetie becomes “Twitter for iPhone”
Posted in Software, on April 9th, 2010 by Carlos.
On the heels of the Twitter for BlackBerry app being released, Twitter has announced that it has purchased Tweetie – one of the most popular iPhone Twitter apps available. In doing so, it will become THE official Twitter app for the iPhone, becoming “Twitter for iPhone”… best of all, they’re scrapping the $2.99 price tag and making it free. Well, best of all that is if you haven’t already purchased the app like I have. Regardless, that’s a great step forward, and it’s great to see Twitter picking one of the best Twitter apps out there on the market! Here’s an excerpt from Twitter’s official blog:
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve entered into an agreement with Atebits (aka Loren Brichter) to acquire Tweetie, a leading iPhone Twitter client. Tweetie will be renamed Twitter for iPhone and made free (currently $2.99) in the iTunes AppStore in the coming weeks.
So let’s see what Twitter does with the app. I’m sure they’ll be throwing Twitter branding on it and changing the app icon, but the functionality of the app is great, so hopefully there aren’t too many changes.
John Gruber (of Daring Fireball fame) had a hunch something was up when Tweetie developer Atebits did not release a native Tweetie app for the iPad.
I wonder what will be come of the Tweetie desktop app? I suppose since the iPhone app will be renamed, then Tweetie will continue to exist as a desktop app. [Twitter]
There You Have It: iPhone OS 4.0 to Bring Multitasking and More!
Posted in Software, on April 8th, 2010 by Carlos.
Photo credit: Gizmodo
Today Apple announced that their next version of the iPhone OS, version 4.0, will in fact allow third-party app multitasking which is one feature of the 100 Apple claims will be available to consumers. So how will you multitask? You simply double click the Home button to reveal a dock at the bottom of the screen that displays apps you currently have open. In case you’re wondering what the big deal is – well if you are listening to music in a third-party app such as Pandora or SIRIUS Satellite Radio, you will now be able to continue listening to it when you leave the app. Also, you will have the opportunity to use VOIP phone software such as Skype, allowing you to receive a call even when you don’t have the Skype app running in the foreground. I’m looking forward to it! Heads up though, multitasking will only be available on the iPhone 3GS and forward!
Other features coming in 4.0 are:
- Folders for your apps… you can now categorize your apps into folders to help reduce clutter. My first folder – Crappy Apple Apps I Don’t Use.
- Wallpaper for homescreen… finally you can specify a background image for your homescreen. I think I’ll make mine a slightly lighter black.
- Unified inbox… see all your inboxes at once rather than having to switch back and forth between them.
- Fast Inbox switching… in case you don’t want to see all inboxes at once (I don’t), then switching between inboxes is faster!
- Threaded messages… display your emails like Gmail does in message threads. I never got the hang of it… but worth a shot. They’ll have to update the Mac Mail app though so that they bring some consistency
- Open attachments with apps… if you have downloaded an app from the App store that opens specific files, you can now open email attachments using those apps
- iBooks… I’ll care when we can purchase books from the iBookstore in Canada.
- Enterprise friendly features… such as better encryption, mobile device management, wireless app distribution and a slew of other features I’ll likely never use.
- Game center… here’s a cool one. It’s a social gaming platform where you can find people to play games with. Think of it as an XBOX Live type of deal for the iPhone games!
- iAd… a simpler way to be annoyed by ads when using your iPhone, which coincidentally costs you more than you’d like to admit. In all seriousness, this gives developers another way to earn income.. especially great for independent developers. Apple will be giving 60% of ad revenue back to the developer.
iPhone OS 4.0 will be available this summer. iPhone OS 4.0 will be available on the iPad in the Fall. [Gizmodo and Engadget]
Update: Apple has posted their official page for iPhone OS 4.0. Doesn’t look like the original iPhone will be taking part in any of the festivities.
Adobe Photoshop’s Puppet Warp Feature
Posted in Software, on April 5th, 2010 by Carlos.
Another nifty feature being built in to Photoshop called Puppet Warp. If you read the comments on the Gizmodo page, this has apparently been in Adobe After Effects since CS3. Still neat though. I’ve had to recreate wires that twisted and turned a specific way, and I’m hoping a tool like this would make things a little easier! [Adobe You Tube Vid via Gizmodo]
Apple to Unveil iPhone OS 4.0 this Thursday
Posted in Software, on April 5th, 2010 by Carlos.
In a somewhat unexpected move (given the very recent commercial release of the iPad), Apple will be offering developers a preview of the next version of the iPhone OS this Thursday. My gut tells me (it’s been awfully talkative after the Easter feast) that they will be unveiling a slew of features that will further entice those folks sitting on the fence about the iPad. I’m hoping for multitasking and built-in Slap Chop. [Gizmodo]
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