The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Looking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your hosthttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/looking-for-free-iweb-hosting-heres-how-to-use-dropbox-as-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/looking-for-free-iweb-hosting-heres-how-to-use-dropbox-as-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/looking-for-free-iweb-hosting-heres-how-to-use-dropbox-as-your/#commentsFiled under: iLife, How-tos, Freeware, Internet Tools

Since iWeb comes with just about every Mac, it's surprising that it isn't used by more Mac users. For some people, coughing up US$99 a year for MobileMe hosting is the barrier, but there are other ways to get your iWeb pages out where the world can see them.

Last night, while participating in a recording of the MacJury podcast, one of my gift ideas was to sign somebody up for a free trial of Dropbox and show them how to use it for syncing all sorts of things. While I was touting all of the things that Dropbox can be used for, I pulled up the Dropbox wiki for reference, and I noticed a link for Tips and Tricks. One of the tips was "Use Dropbox to host a website."

iWeb is one of my personal specialties, so I immediately wondered if someone could use Dropbox to host an iWeb site. Within two minutes, I had my answer and an idea for a how-to post. Follow along as I show you how to publish your iWeb site on a free Dropbox account.

Note: As our commenters point out, even though the suggestion for website hosting comes direct from the Dropbox wiki, the service is not intended for 'production' web hosting. A few personal pages or a testing site shouldn't cause you any grief, but Dropbox does reserve the right to turn off your public links if the system detects unusual levels of bandwidth consumption.

Continue reading Looking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your host

Looking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your host originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your host originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dropboxfree web hostingFreeWebHostingiwebSteven SandeFri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 ESTChrome for OS X before 2010http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/chrome-for-os-x-before-2010/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/chrome-for-os-x-before-2010/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/chrome-for-os-x-before-2010/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet, Internet Tools

Google is making some big announcements today during their Chrome OS press event. In addition to the official announcement for Chrome OS they also let another little tidbit of information loose:

"Just this year alone in Chrome, there's tons of new stuff coming. Before this year gets over, we'll have 3 more announcements to make. Chrome for Mac will be ready, very close to launch."

That's some pretty good news for those of you out there who are running the developer preview and are looking forward to integrating Chrome into your daily browsing.

Chrome for OS X before 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chrome for OS X before 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>browserchromechrome osChromeOsgoogleAron TrimbleThu, 19 Nov 2009 14:30:00 ESTCamino 2.0 offers Tab Overview and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/camino-2-0-offers-tab-overview-and-more/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/camino-2-0-offers-tab-overview-and-more/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/camino-2-0-offers-tab-overview-and-more/#commentsFiled under: Software, Freeware, Internet Tools, Open Source

Camino seems a bit like the half-forgotten poor sister of Firefox. The goal of the Camino project is to produce a truly OS X-native browser built on the same Gecko rendering engine that drives Firefox. While it was popular among certain Mac geeks for a while (I even remember using it when it was still called Chimera), it seems like it's fallen somewhat out of favor of late given the richness of browser options on the Mac. No doubt part of this was the lack of significant development.

Well, no more. Camino is back with a new version number and lots of interesting new features. Perhaps chief among them is the new Tab Overview, which is a little like Exposé for open tabs. It also features improvements in handling tabs, Growl integration, phishing and malware protection and more.

Camino 2.0 is a free download from The Camino Project for OS X 10.4 and later.

[via Daring Fireball]

Camino 2.0 offers Tab Overview and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Camino 2.0 offers Tab Overview and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>browserCaminointenetintenet toolsIntenetToolswebMat LuThu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 ESTGrackle68k: a Classic Mac OS Twitter apphttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/17/grackle68k-a-classic-mac-os-twitter-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/17/grackle68k-a-classic-mac-os-twitter-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/17/grackle68k-a-classic-mac-os-twitter-app/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet Tools

It's always nice to own the latest and greatest Apple hardware, but some of us still use vintage machines. I've got a G3 All-In-One on my workbench that displays iFixIt PDFs while I work. I'll admit that I've wanted to tweet from that machine from a dedicated app, and now I can.

Grackle68k is a Twitter application for OS 9 through System 6. Yes, System 6! It's quite bare bones and low on bells and whistles, but it works. You'll have to enter your credentials every time you launch Grackle68k unless you're comfortable using ResEdit (if you're using this app, you likely are).

I played with this briefly on ny G3 and had fun. If you've also got a basement full of legacy Macs, give this a try. If only I still had that Powerbook 150...

Grackle68k: a Classic Mac OS Twitter app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Grackle68k: a Classic Mac OS Twitter app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>legacyos 9Os9system 6System6twittervintageDave CaoloTue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 ESTDropbox is taking suggestions on new features, vote for resource fork support!http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/13/dropbox-is-taking-suggestions-on-new-features-vote-for-resource/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/13/dropbox-is-taking-suggestions-on-new-features-vote-for-resource/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/13/dropbox-is-taking-suggestions-on-new-features-vote-for-resource/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet Tools

Dropbox, one of my current top 5 favorite apps, has opened voting for their features roadmap. Some neat suggestions so far, but the most cryptic of the top 5 is among the most useful for Mac users: resource fork support!

For those less technical among us, the resource fork is metadata attached to a file that helps Mac OS better understand a file. Things like custom icons, folder info, spotlight comments, openmeta tags, and even file type are defined here. This is how Mac OS can do extension-less file names. This resource fork information is stripped in many backup applications (including Dropbox).

Go vote this feature request up (sign-in required) so we can all rejoice!

Here's the top 5 requests at time of writing:

Selective sync. Ability to choose which files or folders get sync'd to which computers.
Watch any folder. Sync folders outside the My/Dropbox folder
Share folders without forcing other members to lose space.
Email files to Dropbox.
Mac resource fork support

Dropbox is taking suggestions on new features, vote for resource fork support! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dropbox is taking suggestions on new features, vote for resource fork support! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>DropBoxfeature requestsFeatureRequestsresource forkResourceForkMatt HeeremaFri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 ESTBritish carrier O2 to unlock out-of-contract iPhoneshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/09/british-carrier-o2-to-unlock-out-of-contract-iphones/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/09/british-carrier-o2-to-unlock-out-of-contract-iphones/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/09/british-carrier-o2-to-unlock-out-of-contract-iphones/#commentsFiled under: Internet Tools, iPhone

In an interview with Times Online, Matthew Key, head of O2, shared his company's plans to allow users of out-of-contract iPhones to switch to other providers:

"Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator...."

Of course, this hinges on other carries -- namely Vodafone and Orange -- ending O2's exclusivity. Both Vodafone and Orange are scheduled to start selling the iPhone next year. O2 first announced UK pricing in June of this year.

That's good news for users in Britain and makes me wish the same were true in the US. While I love my iPhone, AT&T often ruins the experience with dropped calls and "fewer bars in more places." The thing is flawless on Wi-Fi; hit-or-miss via 3G. A part of that is likely due to my location (my neighborhood makes that town in Deliverance resemble Gotham), but I'm certainly not the only one complaining about coverage.

[Via Wired]

British carrier O2 to unlock out-of-contract iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

British carrier O2 to unlock out-of-contract iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>iphoneo2orangeukVodafoneDave CaoloMon, 09 Nov 2009 21:00:00 ESTSave URLs for later with Quiet Readhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/save-urls-for-later-with-quiet-read/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/save-urls-for-later-with-quiet-read/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/save-urls-for-later-with-quiet-read/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet, Internet Tools

Bambooapps has released a simple and useful utility called Quiet Read that has earned a spot on my Mac's menubar. With a simple drag-and-drop, it lets you save a web page for later review.

Of course, there are many apps that do this, including Instapaper and Evernote. Instapaper gets the job done via a bookmarklet; just give it a click while at the desired URL and it's saved. Evernote does pretty much the same thing, thought their bookmarklet behaves differently between Safari and Firefox. In addition, they have the Mac application for tagging and organizing.

I spent the day using Quiet Read instead of the other two. Here's what I liked and disliked. First, adding a URL is as easy as possible. Simply drag it out of your browser's address bar and drop it onto the menu bar icon. The display keeps track of how many you've collected. A tidy drop-down lets your browse the saved articles for easy selection.

What I disliked is that once an app is gone, it's gone. Instapaper saves read articles.

But Quiet Read isn't Instapaper. If you're looking for a free, simple way to save articles for later reading (and you're running 10.6 or later), Quiet Read could be the solution.

Save URLs for later with Quiet Read originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Save URLs for later with Quiet Read originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bambooappsinstapaperinternetquiet readQuietReadutilitiesDave CaoloSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:00 ESTSquarespace hosting/CMS service launches iPhone apphttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/06/squarespace-hosting-cms-service-launches-iphone-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/06/squarespace-hosting-cms-service-launches-iphone-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/06/squarespace-hosting-cms-service-launches-iphone-app/#commentsFiled under: Software, Blogging, Internet Tools, iPhone, App Store

After a long wait, Squarespace customers finally have an iPhone app of their own. Squarespace is a hosted blogging/CMS service that competes with the likes of WordPress.com and Typepad. Having used all three, I can say that interacting with Squarespace (posting, changing your site's look and feel, etc.) is unlike the others. Instead of a separate control panel/dashboard, Squarespace previews changes in real time on the same screen. It's really nice.

The iPhone app [iTunes link] seems to be an extension of its browser-based sibling. For example, check out the live preview mode pictured at right. You can also manage multiple accounts, post, upload multiple images at once (awesome) view stats and more. The UI looks nice as well.

While bloggers on other platforms have had compatible apps in the App Store for a while now, this is Squarespace's first solution. We're eager to play around with it. Squarespace for iPhone is free and requires a paid Squarespace account.

Squarespace hosting/CMS service launches iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Squarespace hosting/CMS service launches iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeAppStoreblogbloggingcmsiphonesquarespaceDave CaoloFri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 ESTiPhone apps that bloggers will lovehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/iphone-apps-that-bloggers-will-love/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/iphone-apps-that-bloggers-will-love/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/iphone-apps-that-bloggers-will-love/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet Tools, iPhone, App Store

wpbeginner has posted a terrific list of 10 iPhone apps that every blogger will love. The first item on the list is, as you'd expect, WordPress for iPhone. Version 2.0 was released earlier this week and it's a huge improvement over its predecessor. It supports blogs powered by both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org. WordPress 2.0 for iPhone is free.

Add as many blogs as you like and manage comments, posts and pages all from the app. Adding new pages and posts is as easy as editing existing ones. Best of all, you can delete, edit approve/unapprove and spam comments with a few taps.

Of course, not every blogger uses WordPress, and the other apps on the list acknowledge this. Shape Writer aims to make it easier to enter text by letting you trace the "shape" of a word rather than type its letters. Proper names and acronyms can be "taught" to the app by typing them once. They'll be traceable from that point on. Shape Writer costs $3.99US.

Also on the list is Jott, a voice-to-text app that records your voice, converts it to text and lets you send the result nearly anywhere, including a WordPress or Blogger blog (as well as Twitter, Facebook and more). I haven't tested it, so I can't speak for how well it works. If it does what it claims (speak up if you've used it), Jott for iPhone will make it much easier to publish long posts from your iPhone (provided that it supports your preferred platform). Jott for iPhone is free and requires a Jott Assist Plan, which starts at $3.95/mo. Mel reviewed the similar Voice on the Go service last week.

Visit wpbeginner for the rest of the list. As for me, I get a lot of use out of Instapaper (for reading reference articles when I'm away from my computer) and Evernote (pretty much the same reason) among others. If you want the simplest blog-from-your-iPhone solution, check out Posterous. All you need to do to set up and maintain a Posterous blog is send an email to post@posterous.com. It doesn't get simpler than that.

[Via Wired]

iPhone apps that bloggers will love originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone apps that bloggers will love originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeappsAppStoreblogginginternet toolsInternetToolsiphoneDave CaoloSun, 01 Nov 2009 08:00:00 ESTBitlbee and Rooms: Accessing AIM Chat Rooms from your iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/30/bitlbee-and-rooms-accessing-aim-chat-rooms-from-your-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/30/bitlbee-and-rooms-accessing-aim-chat-rooms-from-your-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/30/bitlbee-and-rooms-accessing-aim-chat-rooms-from-your-iphone/#commentsFiled under: iPod Family, Internet Tools, iPhone, App Review

We're a pretty AIM-based blog around these parts. The fact that Weblogs, Inc. is owned by AOL may or may not play a role in that. Regardless, we TUAWians spend a lot of time in AIM chat rooms. The App Store's lack of AOL chat room support has been a real burden when we're out on the road with iPhones.

I was delighted when a recent tweet put me in contact with Björn Teichmann, author of the iPhone IRC application Rooms [iTunes link]. Rooms, claimed Teichmann, could bring AOL chat rooms to our iPhones.

Teichmann sent over a promo code for his app, which normally retails for $1.99, and spent a few hours getting me up to speed on AOL chat rooms using his software. Let me explain: It's not that setting things up ended up being difficult to accomplish, but rather there weren't a lot of clear and available instructions for doing so. What Teichmann worked out over those hours was a somewhat reliable way to access AOL chat rooms via IRC.

Read on to learn more about his solution...

Continue reading Bitlbee and Rooms: Accessing AIM Chat Rooms from your iPhone

Bitlbee and Rooms: Accessing AIM Chat Rooms from your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bitlbee and Rooms: Accessing AIM Chat Rooms from your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AIMAIM ChatAIM Chat RoomsAimChatAimChatRoomsAOLircIRC ClientsIrcClientsRoomsErica SadunFri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:00 ESTMac 101: Publish iWeb '09 sites to FTPhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/26/mac-101-publish-iweb-09-sites-to-ftp/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/26/mac-101-publish-iweb-09-sites-to-ftp/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/26/mac-101-publish-iweb-09-sites-to-ftp/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet Tools, .Mac, Mac 101

More Mac 101, our series of tips and tricks for novice Mac users.

Now that the winter holidays are almost upon us, we're thinking about sharing stories, photos, and movies with far-flung relatives and friends. There's a slew of ways to get this done, and this post focuses on creating a simple site in iWeb '09 and publishing it not to Mobile Me, but to your own host via FTP.

If you're unfamiliar with iWeb '09, I'll say this: It does what it does well. If your goal is to share photos, movies and stories with minimal fuss and zero coding, iWeb will work. When I travel, I typically create an iWeb gallery and movie page. Yes, there are many other options, but this one works for me.

If you'd rather not publish your iWeb site to MobileMe and have access to FTP, you're in luck. The setup is simple. First, create your site. Next, click the title of your site in the iWeb '09 sidebar (this doesn't work with previous versions of iWeb) to reveal the publishing options. In the first drop-down menu, select "FTP Server." Give your site a name and enter a contact email.

Below that, enter your FTP settings. You'll need your server address, username, and password. Next, enter the path to the directory (http://mysite.com/paris, for example). Just make sure the directory already exists on your server or you'll get an error. It won't hurt to test the connection at this point by clicking the button that's available for just that purpose.

Finally, enter your site's URL and then click Publish. Off it goes! If you set it up correctly, your iWeb-powered site will be uploaded to the proper place on your site. Subsequent updates require re-publication, so just hit that Publish button again when you're done making changes

That's it! Have fun sharing your holiday experiences with iWeb '09.

Mac 101: Publish iWeb '09 sites to FTP originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mac 101: Publish iWeb '09 sites to FTP originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ftphow toHowToilifeiwebmac 101Mac101web publishingWebPublishingDave CaoloMon, 26 Oct 2009 15:30:00 ESTGoogle Chrome released for Machttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/23/google-chrome-released-for-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/23/google-chrome-released-for-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/23/google-chrome-released-for-mac/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet, Internet Tools

Google has released an official developer preview of Google Chrome for the Mac. Rather than digging through nightly development builds, you can download the developer preview of the WebKit-based browser at Google's official webpage.

Chrome sports several features similar to Safari 4 in Snow Leopard, such as sandboxing - each tab runs as its own process, so if one crashes, it doesn't bring down the whole browser. It also sports the "tabs on top" interface present in some builds of the Safari 4 beta released earlier this year. Some people hated tabs on top in Safari, but others eventually got used to it and even missed the feature when it was omitted from the final release of Safari 4; if tabs on top is your thing, then Chrome has you covered.

Chrome supports importing bookmarks, settings, and history from whatever browser you're currently using, so if you're curious to see how it runs on a Mac, go ahead and give it a try. Let us know in the comments if you run into any issues.

[Via Download Squad]

Google Chrome released for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google Chrome released for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>betabrowserschromegooglegoogle chromeGoogleChromeChris RawsonFri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:00 ESTCreate GrabUp-style functionality with Dropbox and Jinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/16/create-grabup-style-functionality-with-dropbox-and-jing/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/16/create-grabup-style-functionality-with-dropbox-and-jing/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/16/create-grabup-style-functionality-with-dropbox-and-jing/#commentsFiled under: Software, How-tos, Tips and tricks, Internet Tools

Before Snow Leopard was released, we were enjoying GrabUp for super-simple sharing of screenshots. It was a great little utility: After a brief setup, it automatically sent any screenshot to its servers (or your own) and added the resulting URL to the Clipboard. It was fast and very useful.

Snow Leopard killed it by changing the naming convention of screenshots. The developers haven't fixed it (in fact, Google now throws up a danger warning when I try to access the site) and it looks like they aren't going to. We posted a fix not too long ago, and today we found another approach on the Dropbox wiki that uses Dropbox and Jing. You get free online storage for up to 2GB of screenshots, and an easy way to get the URL of your screenshot where you need it in a hurry.

Here's how it works. First, download and install Jing (it'll work with the free version -- more on that later) and get a Dropbox account (again, the free version will work). Once your Dropbox install is all done, create a destination folder in your Dropbox's Public folder -- maybe "screenshots," for example. Now it's time to fill in the Jing preferences. Read on...

Continue reading Create GrabUp-style functionality with Dropbox and Jing

Create GrabUp-style functionality with Dropbox and Jing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Create GrabUp-style functionality with Dropbox and Jing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dropboxgrabuphow toHowTojingsnow leopardSnowLeopardDave CaoloFri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 ESTClickToFlash makes the web a nicer place to visithttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/14/clicktoflash-makes-the-web-a-nicer-place-to-visit/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/14/clicktoflash-makes-the-web-a-nicer-place-to-visit/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/14/clicktoflash-makes-the-web-a-nicer-place-to-visit/#commentsFiled under: Internet Tools

"Ever wanted to rid the web of the scourge that is Adobe Flash, but still retain the ability to view Flash whenever you want?" When it comes to sales pitches, that one is pretty difficult to beat.

Ever since Flash was unleashed on the web, it has been used for obnoxious and annoying ads. About the only web technology which has been more frequently abused is the animated GIF. For as long as I can remember I have disabled Flash, or plugins entirely, to avoid the annoyance. Firefox users have had extensions which manage flash, but Safari/Webkit users have been left out in the cold.

Several months ago someone created a now-defunct project on Google code simply called "clicktoflash". The premise was simple: replace all instances of Flash with a subtle grey box, and if you want to load it, click it (hence the name). The project was abandoned and deleted nearly as quickly as it appeared, but fortunately it had already been "forked" by Jonathan 'Wolf' Rentzsch who now maintains clicktoflash at github (which reminds me, TUAW is now on Github too).

Newer versions include the ability to "white list" a domain (meaning that Flash will always load for pages from certain sites) or load every Flash object on a page, rather than having to click all of them separately. It will also alert you of new versions and lead you through the installation process in a matter of clicks.

If you visit YouTube you will also find that if you control-click on movies, you are given a chance to load either the Flash OR H.264 versions of movies, or open the movie in QuickTime Player, or download the H.264 version. That alone makes it a great addition to any Mac. Be sure to checkout the settings under the Safari > ClickToFlash menu for additional controls.

I first learned about ClickToFlash from John Gruber who noted ClickToFlash is "a legitimate browser plugin that goes in ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/, not a dirty input manager hack. I can't remember the last time a piece of software made me this happy." I have to agree. ClickToFlash is a perfect example of "addition by subtraction" proving that you can make something better by taking something else away.

ClickToFlash is a free download and supports Tiger, Leopard, and Snow Leopard. It requires Safari 3 or higher.

ClickToFlash makes the web a nicer place to visit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ClickToFlash makes the web a nicer place to visit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>browserclicktoflashpluginsafariTJ LuomaWed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 ESTGoogle Chrome browser for Mac coming later this year? You can test it now.http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/12/google-chrome-browser-for-mac-coming-later-this-year-you-can-te/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/12/google-chrome-browser-for-mac-coming-later-this-year-you-can-te/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/12/google-chrome-browser-for-mac-coming-later-this-year-you-can-te/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet Tools, Beta Beat

Despite rumors that the Google Chrome Web browser for Mac would not ship until 2010, it appears that the golden version of the new browser may be heading to Macs a lot sooner than expected.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that CEO (and former Apple board member) Eric Schmidt and co-founder Sergey Brin had a few things to say about the new browser, including (according to 9to5Mac) that Chrome browser for Mac will ship in "a couple of months."

Apparently, the relatively slow adoption of the beta version of the browser has been due in part to the fact that development of the Mac version has lagged behind work for other platforms. To quote Schmidt, "The fundamental story about Chrome is speed. We were hurt by slowness to bring out a Mac version. People who move to Chrome have trouble moving back because of the speed."

The Mac beta version is available and can be downloaded by those who are willing to use a browser without certain privacy features that is "not appropriate for general consumer use." I've had it on my Macs for about the last week and have been impressed with the speed of page rendering, although not with the current compatibility with some sites.

So, TUAW readers -- is Google Chrome (the browser, not the OS) too little, too late? Or is it a web browser that will make a difference on the Mac platform? Voice your opinions in the comments section below.

Google Chrome browser for Mac coming later this year? You can test it now. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google Chrome browser for Mac coming later this year? You can test it now. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>betabrowserchromegooglemacSteven SandeMon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:00 ESTFarFinder remote access tool: on sale and iPhone savvyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/farfinder-remote-access-tool-on-sale-and-iphone-savvy/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/farfinder-remote-access-tool-on-sale-and-iphone-savvy/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/farfinder-remote-access-tool-on-sale-and-iphone-savvy/#commentsFiled under: Software, Odds and ends, Internet Tools, Deals

I'm a sucker for anything that allows me to get secure remote access to my home machine, so when I saw that FarFinder, the remote access tool from FlyingMac, was on sale for US$20, I jumped on the chance to buy it. It'll be on sale until October 22nd, so if you want to get the application for US$15 less than the normal price, you'll want to head over to the FlyingMac site right now. The family license is US$20 off during the sale, and is available for US$45.

The last time someone at TUAW wrote about FarFinder was back in 2008, when blogger Mat Lu referred to it as "your Finder on the web." That's a perfect way to describe FarFinder, since it makes your Mac's files and folders (plus any network-attached or external drives that are mounted) available to you from most web browsers and your iPhone (see screenshot at right).

FlyingMac offers a 20-day free trial of the application. One thing I really like about FarFinder is that once you've purchased it, there are no extra subscription fees. That means that US$20 price will give you service forever...or at least until there's a major upgrade you need to purchase.

Continue reading FarFinder remote access tool: on sale and iPhone savvy

FarFinder remote access tool: on sale and iPhone savvy originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

FarFinder remote access tool: on sale and iPhone savvy originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appfarfinderiphoneremote accessRemoteAccesssoftwareSteven SandeFri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:00 ESTAt Bat ramps it up for the playoffshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/08/at-bat-ramps-it-up-for-the-playoffs/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/08/at-bat-ramps-it-up-for-the-playoffs/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/08/at-bat-ramps-it-up-for-the-playoffs/#commentsFiled under: Software, Internet Tools, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Major League Baseball's At Bat for the iPhone and iPod Touch is one of my all-time favorites. I've sung its praises before, so I'll spare you the details. Just know that At Bat brings real-time stats, streaming audio and video of pro baseball games to your iPhone and iPod touch. Last month they added in-app purchases that let you grab a live game for $0.99US.

Now that the post season has begun, they've improved the app again. You can watch live post season games through the World Series with 7 camera angles to choose from. Or you can watch a split screen of four camera angles simultaneously. Admittedly, those four screens are tiny on an iPhone's screen but it's still fun. Switching from one angle to another is quick and simple.

At Bat costs $9.99 per season and is completely worth it. I use it every day to watch games, get stats, read stories, check standings and more. There's a free "lite" version as well [iTunes link], which provides real-time scores and schedules.

At Bat ramps it up for the playoffs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At Bat ramps it up for the playoffs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app reviewapp storeAppReviewAppStoreat batAtBatiphoneipod touchIpodTouchmlbDave CaoloThu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:00 ESTFive Apps for leaf-peepershttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/five-apps-for-leaf-peepers/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/five-apps-for-leaf-peepers/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/five-apps-for-leaf-peepers/#commentsFiled under: Software, Features, Internet Tools, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

It's autumn here in the northern hemisphere, and where I live, in New England (and elsewhere around the US too), that brings leaf-peepers. What's a leaf-peeper? It's a tourist, typically from New York or New Jersey, who visits rural New England to observe the beautiful autumn leaves. It's a big deal for us. Each year we New Englanders take a break from eating cranberries, disavowing the Red Sox and pahkig the cah in Harvard yahd to view nightly news reports on peak leaf-viewing projections, which states are changing first and at what rate, etc.

Fortunately, there's an app for that. Five, in fact, and here they are.

Rest Area

If you're traveling from out-of-state, you could encounter unfamiliar highways ... not good when you got to go, if you know what I mean. Is the next rest area 5 miles away or 35? Rest Area [iTunes link] knows the answer. It displays the nearest pit stops as well as what facilities each one has, like bathrooms, vending machines, restaurants, etc. Rest Area costs $0.99US.

Gallery: Autumn Apps

Leaf ID

Locavore

Rest Stop

Autumn

Park Maps

Continue reading Five Apps for leaf-peepers

Five Apps for leaf-peepers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Five Apps for leaf-peepers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>5 apps5Appsapp storeAppStoreautumnfive appsFiveAppsiphoneipod touchIpodTouchnew englandNewEnglandDave CaoloThu, 01 Oct 2009 16:30:00 ESTSkype 2.8 for Mac gets update for Snow Leopardhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/skype-2-8-for-mac-gets-update-for-snow-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/skype-2-8-for-mac-gets-update-for-snow-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/skype-2-8-for-mac-gets-update-for-snow-leopard/#commentsFiled under: Software, Video, Internet Tools

Skype 2.8, with hot fixes for Mac OS X 10.6, is available for your downloading pleasure. It's a micro update of the summertime release of Skype 2.8; the version number is now up to 2.8.0.722. The release date is listed as September 17.

Version 2.8, originally released in July, included features like screen sharing & improved audio codecs that had been around in the Mac beta and the PC version of Skype for awhile. Version 2.8 also included Skype Access, which is a pay as you go public Wi-Fi service based on the Boingo network.

This latest update adds a bunch of fixes for Snow Leopard. Skype has very detailed release notes if you are so inclined.

Skype is a very popular solution for free audio and video chatting and instant messaging. The app also provides many paid services to allow you to call cellular and wired phones anywhere in the world at low rates, and to forward calls to your chosen phone when you are offline.

Skype [iTunes link] also runs on the iPhone, but only works on Wi-Fi. (Thanks AT&T and Apple.)

You can download the update to Skype by using the 'check for updates' feature built into Skype, or go to the Skype Mac web page and grab it there. It's a 44 MB download.

Thanks to Ben for the tip and additional information from Skype Journal

Skype 2.8 for Mac gets update for Snow Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Skype 2.8 for Mac gets update for Snow Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>audioscreen sharingSkypesnow leopardSnowLeopardupdatevideo chatMel MartinThu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTFound Footage: New & improved TankedCam, now with even more iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/found-footage-new-and-improved-tankedcam-now-with-even-more-ipho/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/found-footage-new-and-improved-tankedcam-now-with-even-more-ipho/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/found-footage-new-and-improved-tankedcam-now-with-even-more-ipho/#commentsFiled under: Hardware, Humor, Video, Odds and ends, Internet Tools, Found Footage, iPhone, iPod touch

Remember Pete's FishCam? Just before Christmas of 2008, we did a short post about Pete Raumann's web app that he developed that allowed him to watch his fish tank, turn the light on and off, and even open and close a treasure chest in the tank.

Pete's now presenting the newly renamed TankedCam to the world, and you get to be in control! While he still won't let you feed his fish (he doesn't want them floating upside down in the tank), you can now get in on the fun of watching and annoying the tank population by heading to either http://www.tankedcam.com or the iPhone / iPod touch-friendly http://m.tankedcam.com.

In his latest hit video, Pete uses an iPod touch and the latter link to control the tank that's in the background. I was playing with this last night while watching TV and trust me, the fish tank was much more interesting than the show. Pete has added an air stone that you can turn on and off, a dinosaur tank ornament with a mouth you can open and close, and one cam that you can pan left and right. A tap on your iPhone screen brings you to a stationary upper camera with a scuba diver that you can control in real time, another air stone controller, and a water pump that you can use to add water to the tank.

If you think that the latter control is going to let you flood Pete's office from your iPhone, you're wrong -- the system is set up with a level controller so you won't be able to add water beyond a certain level in the tank. This is a fun demonstration of remote control via iPhone, so be sure to give it a try. I've included some screenshots from last night's eerily-lit iPhone fish-bothering session, as well as some shots in the light of day. Enjoy!

Gallery: TankedCam

The front page

Eerie night scene!

More control

Now shut your mouth!

In the light of day

Found Footage: New & improved TankedCam, now with even more iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: New & improved TankedCam, now with even more iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aquariumdinosaurfishiphoneipod touchIpodTouchremote controlRemoteControlSteven SandeThu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST