Universul Apple

Apple releases updates for iTunes, Logic suites: “Apple Tuesday afternoon released updates for iTunes, Logic Pro, Logic Express, and Main Stage, bringing bug fixes, enhancements and stability improvements to the range of software.

“

(Via AppleInsider.)

Snow Leopard changes the rules about opening files: “In Snow Leopard, you can no longer assume that double-clicking a document will open that document in its source application. Rob Griffiths discusses this change, and the implication for users, as well as a couple of workarounds and a suggested fix.




“

(Via Macworld.)

Snow Leopard tip: Minimize to icon: “

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, OS, Snow Leopard

The more we use Snow Leopard the more niceties we uncover. This week I found a simple little check box that has made my life infinitely more awesome. Yes, my entire life.

First, a bit of background. When Mac OS 10.0 was released in September of 2001, we all went crazy with the genie effect, watching windows slip in and out of the newly-introduced Dock with silky smoothness.* Window after window slid into place.

The problem was this: minimized windows moved neighboring icons aside, making everything a bit smaller and harder to identify. Eventually the whole mess became unusable. Sure, you could mouse over or check the identifying icon but ancient eyes like mine aren’t meant for such strain.

Snow Leopard has come to the rescue. Now you can minimize windows ‘behind’ their parent app’s icon. Here’s how. First. launch System Preferences and click ‘Dock.’ Then, select ‘Minimize windows into application icon.’ As Jeff Goldblum said, ‘There’s no step three.’ Now, minimized windows scoot behind your Dock icons and there’s no more crowding.

*OK, jaggy, halting smoothness. Still, it was cool. Mostly.

TUAWSnow Leopard tip: Minimize to icon originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read‘|’Permalink‘|’Email this‘|’Comments“

(Via TUAW.)

First Look: Minimalist time tracking on Mac using Minco: “

Filed under: Software, First Look, Snow Leopard

Mauritius is a minimalist island nation in the Indian Ocean, and from that tiny set of spots on the map comes a new Mac time-tracking application for anyone who needs to keep track of how much time they spend on tasks. Minco, now in public beta from Celmaro, is a minuscule Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard app that works with any application that supports iCal.

When Minco is launched, all you’ll see is a tiny clock icon in the menu bar. Clicking the icon opens a glossy transparent black display that shows either the time you’ve spent on a project or the revenue you’ve gained from doing billable work on that project. Clicking on the time or revenue counter starts the counter, which then disappears from view. When you stop the timer, a new calendar item is placed into iCal so that you can keep track of how your day was spent.

The iCal integration works the other way as well. Creating a To-Do item in iCal adds it to your Minco timer so that you can start tracking time. When you start up the timer, the iCal item shows up in your calendar with the phrase ‘…working’ attached. Publishing that calendar could be used to show co-workers or clients what you’re currently working on.

If you want to keep a log of what you do during your work days, Minco also writes your time log to a standard .csv file that you can import into Numbers or Excel for analysis. The company is considering writing other export adapters, although the existing adapter is amazingly flexible.

Celmaro provides a 14-day free trial download, and the software is available for US$9.95. I found it very unusual for a company to be charging for beta software, but then again, Minco is much more stable and usable than a lot of beta software I’ve used.

TUAWFirst Look: Minimalist time tracking on Mac using Minco originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read‘|’Permalink‘|’Email this‘|’Comments“

(Via TUAW.)

Snow Leopard’s Grand Central, Open CL boost app by 50%: “A developer reports seeing a 50% jump in real world performance after adding initial support for two new Snow Leopard technologies: Grand Central Dispatch and Open CL.

“

(Via AppleInsider.)