Macinblog's best of 02

Well, they all do it .. so here's my list of best software the year:

1. Chimera: the best browser for Mac OS X
2. Proteus: instant messenger client for major IM services
3. BBEdit: text editor and much more
4. Folder Synchronizer: keep your data in sync
5. OmniGraffle: efficient diagrams, charts and graphics
6. OmniOutliner: intelligent todo lists
7. WeatherPop: menubar weather report
8. Desktop Console: display your logs on the desktop
9. Mail: Apple's build in e-mail client
10. iSync: Apple's solution for keeping your address book in sync

Here's more information on my choices (actually, most of these applications are always loaded on my Mac):

1. Chimera: my best browser for Mac OS X Eventhough it's still in beta, you can't beat its page rendering and tab browsing. At last a small and fast browser without all the bells and whistles of a NS or an IE. it is surprising how stable it is for a 0.6. It became my main browser after 20 minutes use.. try it and adopt it. (Use ChimeraKnight to download the latest build). Cocoa / Freeware.


2. Proteus: instant messenger client for major IM services
   Well, if you are into IM, Proteus is for you. It can speak with the major IM services (ICQ, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL/AIM, Jabber,..), it sports a nice UI, entirely built in cocoa, it offers lots of options (personalized away messages, SMS relays, themes, etc.) File exchange is still missing, but this software is still in alpha (!). Cocoa / Shareware.


3. BBEdit: text editor and much more
   I don't think I could manage without BBEdit. I have been using it since version 1.0. The current version (7) offers numerous new features, such as CVS control, vertical text selection (a blessing if you work with fixed width matrices), syntax coloring, and much much more. Carbon / Commercial.


4. Folder Synchronizer: keep your data in sync
   If you happen to work on different computers as I do, this little application will save your life. I use it to sync my e-mail, bookmarks, current projects and downloads between my two workstations and my TiPB via my iPod. Not only does your data stay in sync, but it offers a backup option which saved my ass more than once. Carbon / Shareware.


5. OmniGraffle: efficient diagrams, charts and graphics
   Need to draw diagrams ? Charts ? Try OmniGraffle. A beautiful UI, with many intelligent tools will lead you to produce stuning graphics and diagrams. You can create your own sets of reusable objects, or download them from the net. Very intuitive, simple, and efficient. A real Mac app. Cocoa / Commercial.


6. OmniOutliner: intelligent todo lists
   Another OmniGroup app. The ideal application to maintain to-do lists, project ticklers, or any hierarchical data. Print nicely too. Cocoa / Commercial.


7. WeatherPop: menubar weather report
   I wiouldn't I couldn't live without this one, but I do like to have the weather forcast of my favourite locations handy up in the menu bar. There's nothing like dreaming of Kerala's 27 C when you are deep under the grey Geneva winter. % days forecast, current temperature, humidity, wind, visibility, sunrise & set, etc. Cocoa / Freeware (advanced version is shareware).


8. Desktop Console: display your logs on the desktop
   I know many of you consider this as geekware, but it it damn handy to have the content of a log file display on your desktop. Especially the FTP or web server one. Defaults to system log. Saves a window, nicely customizable. Cocoa / Shareware.


9. Mail: Apple's build in e-mail client
   Why mention Mail.app ? Well, I was an eternal Eudora user, used it from version 1.3 through 5.x, switched to Entourage when Mac OS X became my main OS (May 02), and chose to give Mail.app a chance after Jaguar was released. Eventhough it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of an Eudora or an Entourage, it is beautifully integrated in Mac OS X, and uses the system's Address Book. It is a small app, which works very nicely. It imported my 20K+ messages without a problem. It's junk mail filter (baysiean like Spamsieve) gives good results. It catches 90% of my junk, with no false positives. This app will be beefed up in the following releases. In the meantime, you can add plug-ins which enable PGP, priorities, inserts the user's picture from Address Book, and more. It deals properly with IMAP accounts too. There's a lot of talk around this app in Usenet and Apple groups, but it suit my needs. Give it a try. Cocoa / Built in Mac OS X.


10. iSync: Apple's solution for keeping your address book in sync
    Okay, this my hopeful-new-year-resolution-wish-in-the-sky. Still in beta, not doing a very good job, restricted and slow, but the idea is fantastic. Imagine keeping in sync your Mac(s), cell phone and PDA address books .. through the touch of one button. Wishful thinking ? Maybe, but a nice try either way. Let's wait the end of the beta testing period, or maybe MWSF, to know more about the future of this concepts (support for new phones ? PDA ?) Cocoa / Freeware.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU

Manage your Library Folders

Diablotin (1.2.6) allows you to manage items added to Mac OS X Library folders, like contextual menu items, fonts, internet plug-ins or screensavers ..

<http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/Diablotin.html>

MailPictures: add your face to your mail

Pick this one up on freshmeat. A bit useless, but fun ..

<http://www.nikwest.de/Software/>

<http://osx.freshmeat.net/releases/107418/>

MailPictures is a plug in for the Mail application shipping with Mac OS X. MailPictures allows you to have your image show up in your mail message when you send it to a user who has the MailPictures installed. It works completely transparent to the user, no further intervention is required. It also uses the build in mechanism provided by Mac OS X and (optionally .Mac) for storage and display of the images (see AddressBook application for more details). Personally this is not only a very geeky feature of Mac OS X, but an invaluable tool to recognize people who you only know by email.

freshmeat launches Mac OS X section

freshmeat launched their Mac OS X section! This is real good new for OS X geeks ..
<http://osx.freshmeat.net/>
Don't hesitate to submit your favourite applications and tools through freshmeat's submit link.
Connect, register and submit .. (FYI, my userid is davo39)

Microsoft to acquire Macromedia ?

Well, I hope this rumour doesn't turn out to be real ..

Microsoft Corp is believed to have trained its acquisition crosshairs on Macromedia Inc, lining up a deal that would throw enterprise Java into a spin, Gavin Clarke writes.

Industry and analyst sources believe Microsoft covets San Francisco, California-based Macromedia's Flash vector graphics design tool and player, which was radically updated this year.

[snip]

A Microsoft acquisition of Macromedia would inevitably see Flash, and Macromedia's other cross-platform tools, tailored purely for Windows and .NET.

Analysts believe Macromedia is ripe for acquistion. Revenue for the most recent four quarters has been flat while net income is in the red. Macromedia reported an $11.6m net loss, down from $70.7m, for the fiscal quarter to September 30 on revenue that fell 2.2% to $85.4m. For the six months period, Macromedia has narrowed its loss from $182.4m to $13.6m while revenue fell 3.4% to $169m.

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28667.html>

Kung-Log: manage your blogs

This week's discovery: a Mac OS X application to manage your Movable Type weblog. Edit, preview, publish. A real treat.

I need to keep the editing up know (if my cholecystitis permits it..)

Kung-foo.tv {chaotic intransient prose bursts} is well worth a visit too ..

NetNewsWire Pro currently in beta, does a good job to, eventhough I prefer Kung-Log's strait forward approach (eventhough I can't edit a recent post). NetNewsWire doubles as a RSS feed reader and NotePad. The good side is that it isn't limited to MT weblogs, it supports Blogger, Radio and others.

NetNewsWire Lite is a sole RSS reader, and does a good job of it adopting OutLooks's familiar 3 pane interface:

After iDress, here comes iSparx..

iSparx

iDress enabled label printing from the Address Book, iSparx enables shared contacts!

It makes use of RendezVous technology to share all contacts part of the 'isparx' group. A nice implementation of an LDAP server..

The Address Book is really becoming a hot app..

:)

New software releases

• Proteus 2.2a15
  Gets better all the time (added a cool SMS relay function)
• WeatherPop Advance 1.6.3
  Another favourite .. one of those menubar widgets I kept
• Extensis PhotoFrame 2.5
  Mac OS X compatible. Over 2000 frames available (when the CD ships on Dec 21th). Upgrade paths from versions 1.0 and 2.0
• Now Contact 4.2.6
  New release for Mac OS X
• Adobe InDesign 2.0.2
  Apparently, it's been pulled of VersionTracker ? I have the installer if anyone needs it.

Printing labels from Address Book

Incarna: Software & Services for Mac OS X

iDress offers to print labels from Address Book in all sorts of pre-formatted outputs (Avery, Dymo, envelopes, etc.)

We'll have to give this one a try ..

Secure web browser for internet in public spaces

www.appmac.com - AppMac software

wKiosk is a Mac OS 10 application for public internet access. Full screen mode, no access to the Finder or to the Dock, disable force quit, and more.

Looks like the ideal app for Macs in museums or other public places.

Web Confidential adds a list view

Web Confidential, password manager with encryption

Cool. Web Confidential adds a list view, and adopts a cocoa-like interface. let you know later on what I make out of this beta version (still can't make the sync work properly with my Palm..)

Entropy.ch

Marc Liyanage - Software - Mac OS X Packages

Two nice tutorials on how to install MySQL and the latest PHP module on your Mac.

New software releases

• Default Folder 1.6.4
  What more can you say on this utility?

• PGP 8.0
  The final version. Another essential tool for anyone concerned with his privacy (USD 35)

• Cocoa eFax 1.0.2
  Need a new fax machine? Try out this neat little cocoa application. It took me 10 minutes to pay the USD 10 :)

• Virex defs 021127
  When will McAfee implement an automatic update of these defs ?

• Analog 5.30a
  Another essential tool to process your web logs. Nice integration with Report Magic.

• Nikon Scan 3.1.4
  Nikon has AT LAST released a version of their software that is Mac OS 10 compatible .. but doesn't support the LS-2000. We couldn't wait and went with SilverFast.

• phpMyAdmin 2.3.3
  The essential tool for all MySQL managers

iPulse

Woaw. Ils l'ont encore fait. Iconfactory nous rÔø‡serve toujours de belles surprises. Ils sont surtout connu pour leurs icÔø‡nes, leur plug-in Photoshop pour les gÔø‡nÔø‡rer, et voilÔø‡ qu'ils nous proposent un voile graphique des battements de coeurs de notre Mac: iPulse. Sa forme circulaire et ces multifonctions ne sont pas sans rappeler les radars de divers jeux vidÔø‡os, ou les sÔø‡ries de Star Trek qui ont occupÔø‡s nos nuits.. A essayer absolument.

http://www.iconfactory.com/ip_home.asp