I'm always a little depressed when someone beats me to writing a cool article, and this one was on my list. In this case, however, Adam Pash at Lifehacker has done a fine job of explaining a neat hack for many consumer-grade Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras. CHDK, for Canon Hacker's Development Kit, is a non-destructive firmware enhancement that adds six categories of features: Enhanced ways of recording, including support for raw format images, longer video times, and additional video compression options. Additional data on the camera's LCD, including a histogram, battery life indicator, depth of focus, and more. More photographic settings, such as longer exposure times, faster shutter speeds, and automatic bracketing of exposure. Scripts that can automate various camera functions. Scripts are written in a version of BASIC. With these scripts, you can do things like take multiple photos with different exposures, or even take a picture when the camera detects motion. Remote control of the camera (either taking a picture or running a script) via the camera's USB connection. Add various new capabilities to the camera, such as a file browser for the memory card, games like Reversi, and so on. CHDK works with a number of Canon models, though not all of them, so you'll need to check the compatibility list before going any further (and no, as far I can tell, no other manufacturer's cameras have any CHDK-like hacks). What's especially nice about CHDK, apart from all the useful functionality it provides, is that it modifies the camera's firmware only when you explicitly load it, and everything is back to normal when you next power up the camera. Have fun hacking!  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac. Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology. Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79. Visit:  

Hard on the heels of my discovery of a version of GrandPerspective that lets you peer into your Time Machine backups to see what big unnecessary files they contain, here comes tms, a command-line tool by Robert Pointon that lets you explore your Time Machine backups in ways that were previously impossible. To use tms at this early stage you have to be willing to fiddle with the command-line in Terminal. (If there is eventually a GUI version, one would expect it to be pretty great, since Pointon is the author of the astonishing fseventer, which lets you track every file change on your hard disk in real time.) But I know you're curious, so laugh insanely and give it a try. Start by downloading tms. Move the resulting zip file to your Desktop and double-click it. A folder called "tms" appears on your Desktop. In the Terminal, say: $ cd Desktop/tms $ sudo cp tms /usr/local/bin You'll be asked for your password. You have now installed tms so that it's available as a command-line tool. To test that this is so, say: $ tms help You'll see a list of available sub-commands (to use them, precede them by "tms"). For example, let's learn the status of our Time Machine backup: $ tms status /Volumes/SecretSharer: name=... /Volumes/SecretSharer/Backups.backupdb/hume: name=... /Volumes/SecretSharer/Backups.backupdb/hume/2008-05-01-100145: num=205 ...2008-05-01-10:01:45.551763 (The ellipses indicate places where I've omitted parts of tms's response.) Okay, so tms sees my backup disk (SecretSharer) and it tells me that my most recent backup is number 205 and was performed on May 1 at 10 AM. Now let's track a file backwards through time. Hmmm, I wonder how many versions of different versions of iTunes I've stored since I started keeping Time Machine backups? $ tms log /Applications/iTunes.app ...num=1 oldest=2007-11-01-10:33:29 newest=2007-11-05-03:38:41 ...num=40 oldest=2007-11-05-20:10:38 newest=2008-02-12-06:32:14 ...num=199 oldest=2008-03-12-19:49:47 newest=2008-04-04-17:38:20 ...num=202 oldest=2008-04-05-13:56:09 newest=Current So I've got four versions of iTunes stored; besides the current version, there's the version in the snapshot of April 4, the version in the snapshot of February 12, and the version in the snapshot of November 5 of last year. Sure enough, if I enter the Time Machine interface, select iTunes, and use the backwards-arrow to move backwards in time, those are the four versions I'm shown. So with tms, I'm exploring my Time Machine backups without having to use the Time Machine interface! Next let's get a list of all snapshots: $ tms snapshots ...num=205 ... complete=2008-05-01-10:01:45.551763 ...num=204 ... complete=2008-04-25-08:35:39.562235 ...num=203 ... complete=2008-04-09-10:04:04.166687 ... So my most recent snapshot is 205. How big is it? How much had to be backed up in that snapshot? It turns out that every time Time Machine does a backup, it keeps extensive log information about what happened. But it isn't normally willing to show you that information! With tms, you can see it: $ tms snaplog 205 ...num=205 state=4 type=1 ver=1 start=2008-05-01-10:01:33.086632 ... Running preflight... Calculating size of changes Should copy 3027 items (663.7 MB)... And now for the moment of truth. Okay, tms: so between snapshots 204 and 205, what changed? Exactly what did snapshot 205 actually back up? $ tms delta 205 204 The result is a long list of files. Each file's pathname is followed by one of three symbols. A right-arrow means that this file didn't exist in the previous snapshot. ... SunFlower.app: -> Makes sense; I only recently installed SunFlower. A left-arrow means the file was deleted; it exists in the earlier snapshot, but not in the later. ...Desktop/classicaland.com:index.asp.webloc:

Those who read about (or watched) Adam's April Fools talk already know about Cornell's IT Architecture Forum, a monthly seminar series I've been organizing for over two years. This month's session, by popular demand, was a roundtable about supporting Macs in a Windows-heavy world, and the session video is online if you'd like to watch it. We talked about the sharp rise in Mac market share on college campuses and using Entourage as an effective client in a Microsoft Exchange environment, but one of the things that impressed me most was a Cornell staffer's demonstration of using Apple's Workgroup Manager application to manage Active Directory accounts in a Windows Server 2003 environment. Shukwit.com has a variety of scripts useful for integrating Mac OS X and Active Directory.  Copyright © 2008 Mark H. Anbinder. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac. Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology. Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79. Visit:  

Recently I've heard the name Myanmar pronounced several different ways on news broadcasts, and I was curious to know what the officially correct pronunciation was. So I looked it up in Leopard's built-in dictionary. Wow. Other dictionaries offer a wide range of suggested pronunciations, but Apple's definitely takes the cake. Update -- A couple of people wrote to say that Dictionary on their systems (running Mac OS X 10.5.2, just like mine) had the correct pronunciation shown. Reader Jonathan Lundell solved the mystery. Dictionary has three different options for displaying the pronunciation key, which you can select in the Preferences window: US English (Diacritical), US English (IPA), and British English (IPA). It turns out that only the two IPA (international phonetic alphabet) choices show the pronunciation of "Burma"; the US English (Diacritical) pronunciation is correct. Mine is set to US English (IPA). Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac. Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology. Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79. Visit:  

Freeway 5.1 from Softpress Systems enhances the recently revised Web page authoring tool with support for publishing RSS feeds, support for the SVG graphics format, more flexible in-flow block items, and numerous bug fixes. ($249 Pro/$149 Express new, free update) Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 from VMware adds support for multiple displays (up to 10) - all accessible within virtual machines running Windows on your Mac. It also introduces experimental DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 3D support, provides an easier way to import a Parallels Desktop virtual machine or a copy of Windows running under Boot Camp, improves printing from within Windows, enhances the user interface in numerous ways, and fixes several bugs. The company has stated that the upgrade will be free to registered owners of version 1.x when it ships. ($79.99 new, free while in beta, 299 MB) CopyPaste Pro 1.0 from Script Software is a complete rewrite of the long-standing multiple clipboard utility, giving it a snazzy new interface akin to Mac OS X's application switcher for navigating through previous clipboards and archived clipboards. You can now edit clipboards with an integrated editor called Bean, and CopyPaste Pro is now much faster than previous versions, particular on Intel-based Macs and in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. ($20 new, 2.3 MB) Opal 1.2 from A Sharp brings some new Leopard-specific features to the outlining application (the successor to the popular Acta outliner of yesteryear). Also new in Opal 1.2 is the capability to limit how much of an outline is copied to the clipboard, import of RTF files as outlines, grammar checking, and fixes for a number of bugs. Opal 1.2 requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard; version 1.1.1 remains available for those using Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. ($32 new, free update, 2.7 MB) Caboodle 1.1.4 from Dejal Systems fixes bugs in the free-form and field-based snippet keeper. The update resolves problems related to spell checking, creating child entries, exporting and more. Caboodle is unusual among snippet keepers in that it allows free-form storage of text and graphics (including Web links, various types of lists, and tables), but also lets you create specific fields for different types of structured data. Caboodle also supports attaching arbitrary files, can encrypt entries, and more. ($14.95 new, free update, 4.5 MB) DocHaven 2.0.5 from Holy Mackerel Software fixes some minor bugs in the cross-platform document management software that enables workgroups to check documents in and out of a virtual library that tracks multiple versions of documents. DocHaven works with Mac OS X 10.3 or later, Windows 98 or later, and Linux, and it relies on MySQL for its database backend and FTP for document delivery. ($40 per user new, free update, 12.1 MB)  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac. Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology. Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79. Visit:  

Congratulations to Paul Schumann of mac.com, Kelly Greenwood of juno.com, and Rachael Watson of hotmail.com, whose entries were chosen randomly in last week's DealBITS drawing and who received a copy of the $40 HoudahGeo photo geocoding software, as did Aleta Watson of cox.net, who referred Rachael to this DealBITS drawing. If you didn't win, don't fret, because you can save 20 percent on HoudahGeo; it's only $32 through 18-May-08 if you use coupon code "DEALBITS08" when ordering from Houdah Software. Thanks to the 480 people who entered this DealBITS drawing, and we hope you'll continue to participate in the future!  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. Make friends and influence people by sponsoring TidBITS!Put your company and products in front of tens of thousands ofsavvy, committed Macintosh users who actually buy stuff.More information:  

According to a story by Ina Fried in CNET's Beyond Binary blog, Microsoft has rescinded its offer to purchase Yahoo. In early February, Microsoft offered Yahoo $31 per share (see "Microsoft Bids $44.6 Billion for Yahoo," 01-Feb-08). Although speculation about the offer provided fodder for innumerable news stories and blog posts, in the end, it came down to money. Microsoft upped its offer to $33 per share, adding another $5 billion to the purchase price, but, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's letter to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, Yahoo's board of directors held out for $37 per share, a level to which even Microsoft wasn't willing to go. In theory, Microsoft could have taken the offer directly to Yahoo's shareholders, but Ballmer felt Yahoo would take steps during the process (most notably, forge a closer relationship with Google) to make the company undesirable as a takeover target for Microsoft. So we're back to where we started, with Microsoft still looking for ways to fend off the hard-charging Google while still raking in $14.1 billion in profits on $55.1 billion in sales in 2007, making it the most profitable technology company according to Fortune. That's well ahead of Google ($4.2 billion in profits) and Apple ($3.5 billion). Whatever problems Yahoo may have had before, the company's handling of the Microsoft offer would seem only to have worsened them - see Kara Swisher's report on the mood of Yahoo executives in All Things Digital.  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MARK/SPACE, INC: The Missing Sync provides the very best in synchronization for Mac users with BlackBerry, Palm OS, or Windows Mobile devices. Integrates with Address Book, iCal, Entourage, iPhoto, and iTunes.  

iPhone Effect -- An AdWeek article argues that the iPhone is pushing companies to take mobile marketing seriously. (4 messages) AppleWorks Replacement -- A reader discovers a replacement for AppleWorks Spreadsheet in DataGraph. (2 messages) How long is AT&T's Exclusive Contract with Apple? Is Apple's five-year exclusivity deal with AT&T a lock, or will the provider market open up once owners' two-year service contracts are up? (13 messages) Skating Now Possible on the River Styx! Canada is finally getting the iPhone. (1 message) First Look: The Linux-Based Paragon Rescue Kit for Mac OS X Lite -- Joe Kissell solicits feedback on an article about this new data recovery software. (16 messages) Selectively Pruning Time Machine Backups -- The mechanisms for deleting portions of a Time Machine backup are confusingly opaque. (5 messages) OmniFocus: the interface is weak but the project is willing -- Readers respond to Matt Neuburg's review of OmniFocus. (5 messages) auto-filing of read mail in Apple Mail -- More Eudora-to-Mail woes, this time the inability to automatically file read messages. However, the solution might be tackled from the opposite direction. (3 messages) Using MacBook power adapter with MacBook Pro -- The two adapters output different power levels, but seem to work fine on either machine. What's the difference? (8 messages)  Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. Fetch Softworks: Fetch 5.3 has a new look for Leopard,and new support for Leopard technologies. And you canupload with the oldest technology of all, Copy and Paste!Download your free trial version!  

The Apple TV, the company's "hobby" (according to Steve Jobs) media playback device, added to its appeal last week with a pair of movie-related announcements. First, it's now possible to purchase movies directly from the Apple TV; before, they could be bought only from the iTunes Store on a computer. Movies for sale are available only in standard-definition resolution, not HD, even when an HD rental is available for the same title. This feature appeared briefly several weeks ago, inconveniently the day I submitted the final version of my latest book, "The Apple TV Pocket Guide, Second Edition," to Peachpit Press. I wasn't able to successfully purchase anything on my Apple TV at the time, however, and Apple didn't get back to me with an answer before the capability disappeared. The other news from last week goes beyond the Apple TV. A collection of movie studios announced that movies would be available for the Apple TV and other on-demand services on the same date that DVDs are released. Previously, Apple's position was that movies would be available for rent or purchase 30 days after the DVD release date (no doubt a limitation imposed by the studios at the time). The participating studios include 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment, and First Look Studios. The new policy has been slowly adopted for weeks. The Oscar-nominated film "Michael Clayton" appeared for rent at the iTunes Store and on the Apple TV when the DVD was made available, but the timing also coincided with the Academy Awards. I'm guessing the success of that movie on iTunes (where it remained the top rental for several weeks) helped convince other studios that the 30-day limitation was silly. Could this be the start of a clue among the movie studios? I'm not holding my breath. But it does show that they're finally realizing that although the main content may be the same - the movie - a DVD and a digital download are different offerings. People who purchase DVDs want higher video quality, something they can grab off the shelf that doesn't require an Internet connection, and the multitude of extras available on some DVDs. People who rent or purchase movies from direct services like the Apple TV are looking for near-instant gratification (depending on the capacity of one's Internet connection) and, most of all, convenience. Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac. Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology. Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79. Visit:  

Online backup provider Mozy (now part of EMC, which also owns Retrospect) has announced that their Mac software has reached version 1.0 after more than a year of public beta testing (see "Two Online Backup Services Announce Public Betas," 2007-04-30). MozyHome for Mac offers unlimited online backups for a flat fee of $4.95 per month (a free 2 GB account is also available). The Mac MozyHome software is a 4.8 MB download. MozyHome uses 448-bit Blowfish encryption for your files as well as 128-bit SSL to protect data while in transit. During incremental updates, the software copies only the portions of files that have changed (block-level incremental backup), reducing the time backups take to complete - a particularly welcome feature for those who want to back up large files that change often, such as Entourage databases and disk images used by virtualization software. Mozy also stores multiple versions of each backed-up file so that you can restore it to its state from any point in the past 30 days. Users can restore files using the Mac client software, download them from the company's secure Web site, or order DVDs (at an extra charge) containing their data. Version 1.0 contains many changes from the beta versions, including support for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Mail messages, and files with resource forks. Formerly, backups ran automatically, whenever files changed; now, you can opt instead to run backups on an explicit schedule. You can also now throttle the program's bandwidth (at all times or during certain hours). In addition, version 1.0 features a long list of bug fixes and performance improvements. MozyHome, as the name suggests, is for individual users. Mozy also announced that business versions of its service, MozyPro and MozyEnterprise, will become available later this year. Pricing details were not released. I've become increasingly enthusiastic about online backup services as their costs have come down and feature sets have improved (see "Online Backup Options Expand," 2007-04-09), though speed will likely always be a concern, given the significant amount of data most of us have to back up and the limited upstream bandwidth of most consumer-level broadband services. I'll be interested to see how the new version of Mozy stacks up against competitor CrashPlan, which has so far held the lead in both breadth of features and performance.  Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. Bare Bones Software's BBEdit 8.7 -- Latest version offers amajor interface overhaul, new prefs, text clippings, improvedJavaScript, new Ruby/SQL/YAML/Markdown support, code folding.Over 160 new features in all! .  

My article about New York Times's design director Khoi Vinh's comment that he and his staff still hand code their HTML stirred a fair amount of both nostalgic and contemporary reverie among TidBITS readers (see "Hand Coding HTML Is Still in Vogue," 2008-04-28). Slashdot picked up Vinh's comment separately, and many readers there seemed to misunderstand - they thought Vinh was saying that every page on the New York Times site was being created by hand. One commenter wrote, "Handcoding takes far more time than is necessary in a changing scenario of today's news. Effort not proportional to returns. As a shareholder, i [sic] would sue them for wasting money." Of course, as other Slashdotters contemptuously replied, the New York Times is database-driven, and Vinh and his staff are hand coding templates, not pages. Readers at Lifehacker were much more clued in when they commented on my article. It's fascinating to see people cast off the opprobrium that sticks to hand coding HTML, and proclaim how great it is. But this set of responses made me realize that my headline was perhaps confusing: Hand coding seems to imply that every page is written by hand. In fact, we at TidBITS, the folks at the Times, and people at millions of sites around the world are hand crafting our HTML. We use HTML like a chisel, and enjoy the feeling of manual tools. Others may use jackhammers, and that's their choice. Stand up today and be counted as an HTML handcrafter. I feel a "ye olde" coming on. Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MARK/SPACE, INC: The Missing Sync provides the very best in synchronization for Mac users with BlackBerry, Palm OS, or Windows Mobile devices. Integrates with Address Book, iCal, Entourage, iPhoto, and iTunes.  

Last week I got a press release about a new utility called Paragon Rescue Kit for Mac OS X Lite. It described a Mac backup and data recovery program, now in public beta testing, and invited potential testers to download a bootable disk image that could be burned to a CD and try the software out. The developer plans to offer this free Lite version as well as a paid full version later on. That all sounds fine, and I'm always interested in learning about new Mac utilities, especially when backups are among their capabilities. I'd previously written nice things about the company's NTFS for Mac OS X software (see "NTFS Options for Mac Expand, 2007-12-09), and I had high hopes for this new utility. But as soon as I downloaded the Paragon Rescue Kit disk image, I knew something was very different. It contains no Mac software at all - it's a Linux disk image. I was aware that one could, with a bit of hacking, get an Intel-based Mac to run Linux, using the same mechanism that Boot Camp uses to run Windows. It had never occurred to me that you might be able to boot your Mac from Linux on a CD, and certainly the thought of using a Linux-based repair utility on a Mac never crossed my mind. But I went ahead and burned a disc and started up from it to see what it could do. Because the software is still in beta, I'm not going to review it at this point, just offer some initial impressions. Mostly, however, I'm interested in getting feedback from other TidBITS readers on both the concept of a Linux-based utility for your Mac and the particular approach this tool is taking. Is it just me, or is this a highly wacky - and somewhat disturbing - idea? Philosophically I'm kind of bothered by the notion of using Linux (or any other OS) to repair my Mac. Maybe that's just an unwarranted bias - but I do have to wonder if other operating systems are in principle up to the task of dealing with all the picky details of Apple's HFS+ file system. On the other hand, Paragon says that the CD you burn is capable of booting Intel-based PCs as well as Macs. The notion of a single, multiplatform data recovery tool is somewhat intriguing, provided that it works properly (and comprehensibly) on all supported platforms. Obviously, that's going to mean that the look and feel won't match every system it's used on. Even so, my first impressions were not favorable. The first thing I noticed when I rebooted from the CD was that the user interface is rather inelegant - it looks like a thinly veiled Windows XP interface, with a few Aqua-like controls added just for the sake of appearance. As I continued trying out the software's features, I was struck by the fact that it's not merely un-Mac-like, it's not even user-friendly as Windows or Linux programs go. For example, you're supposed to be able to connect to a network so that you can restore files to a network volume. The only connection that appeared was for my computer's built-in Ethernet interface, and I couldn't connect to any network volumes with that, so I followed the instructions to add another interface (hoping to select my AirPort card). This procedure presented me with a long list of unfamiliar network card names and numbers, none of which resembled "AirPort." (I was unable to figure out which option to choose, so I had to do without network access.) These are the sorts of things that typical Mac and Windows users never expect to have to puzzle through, certainly not under the stress of trying to recover lost data from a damaged drive. Other aspects of the interface were similarly baffling. Of course, this is a beta version, and it's entirely possible the interface will improve before the final release. Issues of operating system and user interface aside, let's look at what this software actually does. Basically it has three major functions. First, it can back up disks - even your Boot Camp volume, whether formatted as FAT32 or NTFS - using a fast and efficient sector-by-sector copying method. Second, it can restore backups. And third, it can recover (some) files from volumes that are corrupted, even some that can't be mounted at all in Mac OS X. Unlike many disk utilities, it does not repair damaged drives, and does not claim to recover deleted files. Of these features, I find backup and restoration the least interesting - speed gains notwithstanding, it's just too inconvenient to reboot my computer from a CD every time I want to back it up. That means I'd back up less frequently. Other programs capable of making bootable duplicates may be slower, but they can run in the background while my Mac is busy doing other things, so my workflow isn't interrupted. To be fair, if I didn't already have a backup of a drive, I could imagine wanting to back it up - to whatever extent possible - after the fact in the event of a drive failure, especially if I were worried that any disk-repair utility might make matters worse or that the drive would have to be reformatted. But I can't imagine doing this on a regular basis, or restoring a disk this way. File recovery from a damaged drive could be useful, though it's difficult to say whether Paragon's approach would be better, in real-world situations, than those used by, say, Alsoft's DiskWarrior or Prosoft's Data Rescue II. Am I unreasonably mistrusful of using another operating system to repair a Mac? Am I too picky about user interface niceties? Is the idea of backing up your Mac using a CD actually a smart one in some way I haven't noticed? TidBITS readers, take a look at Paragon Rescue Kit for Mac OS X Lite and share your impressions via TidBITS Talk.  Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social NetworksCreate a complete social network with your company or group'sown look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.Take a guided tour today  

Time Machine users, rejoice! Pierce T. Wetter III has released a modified version of the open-source GrandPerspective utility (see "GrandPerspective and WhatSize Identify Disk Pigs," 2007-10-12) - a version that understands the use of file and folder hard links peculiar to a Time Machine backup. You can use this modified GrandPerspective to scan your entire Time Machine backup folder. For one thing, this tells you immediately how big your Time Machine backup really is (something that's surprisingly hard to find out otherwise). But, even more important, you can now look for large files that are either (1) one-time entries you didn't really need backed up, or (2) repeated backups of some large, occasionally changing file. For example, in this screen shot, the large file selected, artsyPhotos.ivc, is unnecessarily backed up three times (it's the same as the large green file in the center and at the top-center of the picture). You can then recover some space by entering Time Machine and expunging backups of the troublesome file, as you see me doing here. (See where the Action menu says "Delete All Backups Of...?" It deletes all copies of the file from the backups folder.) If the presence of large unnecessary backups is diagnostic of some flaw in your backup strategy, you might also like to modify your Time Machine preferences to exclude, explicitly, the troublesome file(s). I recovered about 10 GB of backup drive space instantly by discovering large files that I had unnecessarily and inadvertently backed up. Also this is a great way simply to find out what the heck is in your backups folder!  Copyright © 2008 Matt Neuburg. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. GET FETCH 5 FOR FREE! Fetch Softworks makes Fetch, the originalMacintosh FTP client, free for educational and charitable use.Fetch 5.3 includes a new look and Leopard technology support.Apply today at !  

Microsoft plans to break their customers' ability to play MSN Music-purchased songs on computers other than those that are currently authorized after 31-Aug-08. When the Zune was introduced in late 2006, Microsoft abandoned its long-time PlaysForSure digital rights management (DRM) system that embeds information in media to control playback. You can read a lovely, snarky annotation of Microsoft's letter to its MSN Music purchasers at eWeek Microsoft Watch. The Zune Marketplace uses a different DRM system that's compatible with only the Zune. Microsoft currently sells no unprotected music, while Amazon's entire digital music catalog is DRM-free, and a subset of the iTunes Store is sold without device and playback locks. Geoff Duncan wrote about the new and old DRM systems in "Of the Zune, DRM, and Universal Music," 2006-11-13. Users can continue to play MSN Music audio indefinitely on any machine authorized before 31-Aug-08, and can transfer and authorize songs on up to 5 computers total for any one song until that date. However, because Microsoft's system works on a per-song basis, if someone transferred a large library to another computer, they would need to authorize each song - one source says by starting to play each song, which must be an overstatement - before the August 31st deadline. After that point, music will continue to play only on previously authorized computers. Anyone forced to reinstall Windows, upgrade, or add a new machine is out of luck. Microsoft suggests burning songs to audio CDs, although it doesn't mention the necessary second part of that transaction, which is to rip the music back as unprotected MP3, AAC, or even lossless music files. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has challenged Microsoft's action as part of their long-running battle against DRM. The EFF is not against copyright, ownership, control of usage, royalties, or reasonable limitations. Rather, they believe DRM is an ineffective method to provide such controls, because DRM punishes only those who opt into it by broadly restricting personal use rights that are encoded in both law and judicial decisions. These rights include being able to make reliable backups, play media on any device one owns, and choose when and how to pause and resume playback; various DRM systems restrict different sets of personal use rights. [Editor's note: For a detailed academic look at the implications of how the content industries are encapsulating intentionally fluid laws into rigid DRM technologies, see Tarleton Gillespie's "Wired Shut." -Adam] Microsoft is engaged in what many opposed to DRM view as the worst-case scenario: a company sells a lot of media with DRM, then prevents users from continuing to use the media within the constraints imposed on the system, and offers no recompense or reasonable option to work around the shutdown. What's odd, of course, is that Microsoft is neither going out of business (obviously) nor shutting down MSN. Rather, they made a business decision to shift their entire protected music approach to a new one because PlaysForSure wasn't reliable enough for them to eat their own dog food. This also left in the lurch lots of their partners who had stuck with PlaysForSure through thick and thin. It's a crummy decision. Microsoft could have used technology to unlock all the music purchased, even if that required them to make additional payments to the copyright holders. They could have chosen to run their DRM authorization servers indefinitely. They could have done lots of things. Instead, they chose the worst possible solution. The EFF suggests that Microsoft either refund all purchases or provide DRM-free replacements. They also make the implicit point that given the aggressive tactics used by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which includes filing suits against dead people and grandmothers without computers, Microsoft should provide full documentation of purchases so that if their users choose to burn music to CD, they could later prove that they legitimately purchased that music. I don't know of any individuals who enjoy DRM; this move certainly strengthens the hands of all DRM opponents by providing a case in point: the day the music died. Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MARK/SPACE, INC: The Missing Sync provides the very best in synchronization for Mac users with BlackBerry, Palm OS, or Windows Mobile devices. Integrates with Address Book, iCal, Entourage, iPhoto, and iTunes.  

After a recent meeting with some members of our neighborhood association, of which I presently have the misfortune to be Treasurer, I departed with my head spinning. Several complicated action items for me had arisen; how was I to keep them all straight? Worse, in two weeks I was leaving for Portland (to speak at a documentation writers' convention) and Seattle (to visit an old friend), and each wing of this trip involved many preparatory tasks. How could I get all of those, plus the neighborhood association stuff, done in time? No problem. The instant I got home, I did a massive brain dump into Omni Group's OmniFocus. Immediately, my mind was relieved; the stress was gone. What's more, in those two weeks before my departure for Portland, I accomplished all the necessary tasks and then some - productively, without strain, without overwork, and without worry. The purpose of OmniFocus is to implement the philosophy and techniques of Getting Things Done (GTD). My experience testifies that it accomplishes that purpose. Indeed, OmniFocus is the best GTD implementation I've ever used. Nonetheless, I do not yet recommend it for general use, because, in my opinion, problems with the interface would actually prevent most users from freely accessing and manipulating their data. A Little Background -- Doubtless you know by now what GTD is; if not, you might want to skim Jeff Porten's discussion of Mac GTD applications ("Getting Things Done With Your Macintosh", 2006-07-24), and my own review of Thinking Rock ("Get a Piece of the Thinking Rock", 2006-10-09). In that review, I mentioned Ethan Schoonover's Kinkless GTD. It was an attempt, using AppleScript, to "misuse" OmniOutliner Pro as a GTD application. The idea foundered against some major limitations in OmniOutliner's interface and functionality - and not for any want of trying on both sides, since as Ethan was hammering against the doors of OmniOutliner's limits, Omni, in evident enthusiasm over his efforts, kept widening those doors, tweaking OmniOutliner to accommodate him. After years of futility, Omni finally did what they should have done all along: they opted to develop a full-fledged GTD application themselves. OmniFocus is the result. (And, incidentally, they hired Ethan Schoonover as well.) The GTD Structure -- The GTD mentality relies upon a multi-dimensional classification of each task. There are two primary dimensions. On the one hand, a single atomic task - called, in OmniFocus, an action - is usually part of a project: it is a step along the way to accomplishment of a larger goal. And, an action typically has a context, the physical reality required for the action to be accomplished. For example, to "prepare for the Portland trip" (a project) I had to "stop the mail temporarily" (an action) and "pack my bags" (another action). Actually, packing my bags was so large and opaque that I broke it down further into a list of things I wanted to remember to pack; an action with subactions in OmniFocus is called a group. Stopping the mail could be accomplished only "in the village" (a context; that's where the post office is); packing an item could be accomplished only "at home" (another context). The idea is that a context can be consulted, when appropriate, for the next pending actions; for example, when I'm going into the village, I can take that opportunity to accomplish pending "in the village" actions from any projects. To express this, the OmniFocus window toggles between two major complementary modes. In Project mode (as I call it; OmniFocus, wrongly in my view, terms it "Planning mode"), projects and their groups and their actions are displayed in a hierarchy, with each action's context shown secondarily in a column; a sidebar (similar to iTunes) clumps projects into "folders" for easier classification and access. In Context mode, contexts and their actions are displayed in a hierarchy, with each action's project shown secondarily in a column; the sidebar organizes contexts hierarchically among themselves. There are actually three kinds of projects or groups. A sequential project or group's actions must be performed in order; a parallel project or group's actions can be performed in any order. Or, a project can be a list of single actions, meaning that it isn't really a project at all; it's just a convenient clumping of unrelated tasks. These differences are germane to the question of what needs doing: in a sequential project or group, the first uncompleted action "blocks" the others (they can't be performed at all). Time and Tide -- OmniFocus also has an inspector window, consisting of four panes: action, group, project, and context. The inspector window exists partly to help you access minor settings that aren't readily visible in the main window interface (such as, "When a new action is created in this project, what context, if any, should be automatically assigned to it?"), and partly to help express the dimension of time: an action, group, or project can have an estimated duration, a start date, a due date, and a completed date, or might be periodic or repeating. There are also outline columns for estimated duration, start date, and due date; unfortunately, there is no outline column for the completion date, which means that you can't easily learn what actions you completed on a certain date. Even worse, there is no indication in the outline that a repeating action is repeating; as a result, when you check off a repeating action as completed, it simply reappears unchecked, ready for the next repetition, and unless you consult the inspector, you don't understand why. In my opinion, the inspector window's role is problematic here. The main window should express, somehow, everything important about every action; the inspector might function as a convenient secondary interface, but consultation of the inspector should never be required in order to know or do something. Additional columns, and perhaps some use of badging for repeated actions, should suffice. Another problem is that the temporal dimension really demands a calendar component, including calendrical views and some sort of reminder alert system. (OmniFocus can sync with iCal, but actions become iCal To Do Items, not Events, so they don't appear on iCal's calendar; syncing is thus fairly pointless. For prior art, Omni might consult IN Control, the long-abandoned but still unequalled master model of a columned outliner with searching, filtering, and superb calendar integration.) Getting Stuff In -- Like Thinking Rock, OmniFocus has a brainstorming mode where you just enter actions as they occur to you. Such actions go into a special region called the Inbox. You can enter actions directly in rapid-fire style (type an action, hit Return, type another action, hit Return), or indirectly from elsewhere: either you use a "quick entry window" summoned by a global keyboard shortcut in any application, or you can copy selected text from any application to the Inbox through a Service. The idea is that from time to time you will study the Inbox and dispose of its contents. One approach is to assign each Inbox action a project and a context; you then choose Clean Up, which whisks the actions out of the Inbox and into their assigned projects. Alternatively, you can drag an Inbox action into its "real" location among a project's actions (easiest if you open a second window). Alas, some actions ("try to take over the world") are worthy but not currently feasible. I'd like a place to put such actions, so they are off my mind but still, somehow, on my plate. Thinking Rock lets me move such actions into simple lists of "future items" and "information items"; OmniFocus doesn't. I tried creating an "Unfeasible" project; but its actions showed up inappropriately among do-able actions. My workaround is to mark the "Unfeasible" project as being "On Hold". A more serious problem is the Inbox's peculiar status. To me, actions in the Inbox are actions; but OmniFocus doesn't agree. For example, I might assign an Inbox action a context, but then leave it untouched, uncertain what more to do with it. In Context mode, such an action is not displayed at all. That seems wrong, somehow. Getting Stuff Out -- The reason for using a Getting Things Done application is to get things done. For that, you need first to know the status of everything: what actions there are, what's left on your plate. In short, you need to find out what to do. Then, when you've done something, you need a way to specify that it's done. To help you discover what to do, OmniFocus lets you group and filter your actions in various ways. (Indeed, you are filtering your actions most of the time, since you rarely want to view completed actions and projects.) Some of these ways of grouping and filtering are a little peculiar. For example, when you filter your outline to see just the "Next Action" within each project or group: For a list of single actions, you see all its actions. (Fine.) For a sequential project or group, you see just the first action. (Fine.) For a parallel project, you see just the first action. (Why, if the actions are parallel?) But for a parallel group, you see all its actions. (Fine, but why this difference from a project?) I find the behavior for parallel projects counterintuitive. It turns out, however, that to get the behavior I expect, I can filter differently, asking to see just "Available" actions. It took me much deliberate experimentation to discover this, and I worry that most users will be misled or confused. I worry still more that users won't even realize they are viewing a filtered version of the outline. Nothing about the interface warns you that you aren't seeing all your actions; this can give you a false impression, and can result in seemingly inexplicable behavior. I'd like to see the window's title change, perhaps, or a watermark behind the outline; or OmniFocus could copy Opal, which writes "Filtered" at the bottom of a filtered outline window. Each action and group has a checkbox, and a project can have Active or Complete status. The intent is that you check off each action as you complete it. So, then, wouldn't you expect that when you've checked off all actions in a group, the group would automatically be checked, and that when you've checked off all groups and actions in a project, the project would automatically be marked Complete? Well, neither of those things happens. Evidently you are expected to discover manually that all actions of this group or project are checked, and deal with the situation manually (check the group, or mark the project Complete, yourself). But in that case, what's the point of having a computer? A pencil and a notebook would be a more helpful interface. There is no way to find groups or projects all of whose actions are completed, so how on earth are you supposed to know? And another thing. It often happens to me that I switch from Project mode to Context mode and find my actions are gone! After a moment of heart-stopping panic, I realize that for some inexplicable reason, Context mode has appeared with all the context headers collapsed - the triangle next to each context points right, not down. Just click each triangle, or choose View > Expand all, and the actions are back. The same sort of thing often happens when I use "grouping"; for example, to discover what actions have pending due dates, you can group projects by "Due". But the "Due within the next week" heading is collapsed, so you think that no projects are due within the next week - wrongly. Indeed, this entire issue with collapsed headers makes me wonder whether the hierarchy, in a mission-critical task list such as OmniFocus, should be collapsible in the first place. Perhaps a full-fledged outliner is not an appropriate vehicle for GTD after all. What we've seen is that instead of warning you that your view of the outline is filtered, OmniFocus makes you figure it out; instead of helping you find completed groups or marking them completed, OmniFocus makes you do it all manually; instead of revealing the actions you're seeking, OmniFocus hides them by collapsing headers. In short, when it comes to extracting information, finding your actions and learning what needs doing, OmniFocus makes things harder than they should be. In effect, OmniFocus misleads you; and when you're under the strain of trying to get things done, that's bad. You constantly have to be alert so as not to be misled by the interface. It's not so serious if you're experienced and persistent, and if you've relatively few actions and projects; but for most users, I think, using OmniFocus effectively would be quite challenging, especially as the database of actions becomes large. Interface Woes -- Much of OmniFocus's interface is non-standard. Instead of using standard Cocoa "widgets" within the window, the Omni folks, for no reason that I can see, have invented their own - and they don't work very well. The result, for me, is that the interface is largely unpredictable, intransigent, or annoying. Rather than extend this article with a catalog of detail, however, I've moved the discussion over to a couple of screencasts (which, by demonstration, make the problems easier to understand) on a separate Web page. If you want to hear me rant and sputter over OmniFocus's interface, that's the place to go. The online help is poorly presented, with inadequate navigation, and without "breadcrumbs" to show you where you are; the style is unnecessarily snarky ("click the kinda arrowy-looking button"). Conclusions -- With all these gripes, you might think my assessment of OmniFocus would be largely negative. It isn't. I would still insist that OmniFocus is the best expression of GTD on the Mac that I've ever used. Its existence has relieved me of stress and helped me accomplish more in less time. Gradually, I've become relatively proficient with it, and have grown fairly accustomed to its quirks. If OmniFocus were a public beta, I'd be unhesitating: "Go for it!" I'd cry. "Join the beta party, submit plenty of feedback, and help improve this interface!" But OmniFocus isn't a beta, and its price seems out of proportion to the state of its development. I've raved in the past about Omni's interfaces; OmniGraffle is brilliant for drawing diagrams, and OmniPlan is an astounding accomplishment, a triumph of interface ingenuity and the first project management application I've come even close to comprehending. I've little doubt, and much hope, that the same standards of excellence can be applied to OmniFocus; when OmniFocus has the fluid usability of Omni's other applications, I'll be eager to recommend it. OmniFocus costs $79.95. It requires Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later; a trial version is available as a 6.7MB download.  Copyright © 2008 Matt Neuburg. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. GET FETCH 5 FOR FREE! Fetch Softworks makes Fetch, the originalMacintosh FTP client, free for educational and charitable use.Fetch 5.3 includes a new look and Leopard technology support.Apply today at !  

There used to be an advertisement - I forget what it was for, exactly - that portrayed the user sitting in an armchair facing his computer, with his hair, his dog, and everything else in the room streaming backward, blown by the metaphorical force of whatever was happening on the computer screen. Well, that user is me using Vara Software's ScreenFlow. It isn't just good: it's eye-opening. I quite frankly had no idea that an application could look and act like this. This program has knocked my socks off - with my shoes on. ScreenFlow makes screencasts. A screencast, in this context, is simply a screen capture movie - a movie of your computer screen, capturing what you do (and, optionally, what you say). This might not seem sexy to you, but please accept, for purposes of discussion, that to some of us, screencasts are very, very important. As a documentation writer, I have to explain to users how to work with software. As a beta tester, I have to describe to a developer how to trigger a bug. As a dutiful son, I have to show my mother how to remove Bookmarks Bar items in Safari. In all these cases and many more, I find that one moving picture is often worth ten thousand words. In the past, I always made screencasts with Ambrosia Software's Snapz Pro X. But without prejudice to Snapz Pro - a wonderful utility, which I use constantly - it has never worked as well as it should have for movies. It has no option to compress sound, so narrated movies are always huge; therefore, I always have to recompress afterwards (I use the wonderful QTAmateur for that, as I'm too stingy to pay for QuickTime Pro). Plus, I've never found a setting where onscreen text appears in crisp focus in the resulting movie. With ScreenFlow, these problems are gone; but that doesn't begin to explain what's great about ScreenFlow. Let me talk you through the process of making a screen capture movie with this amazing program. Ready When You Are, Mr. DeMille -- With ScreenFlow running, and with your recording options set up, you signal to ScreenFlow that you want it to start recording. (You can use a status menu, the Dock menu, or a global keyboard shortcut for this.) Your screen is momentarily covered by a dark transparent curtain, along with a window that counts down ("5, 4, 3, 2, 1") to the moment when recording will start. The curtain vanishes, and the "camera" is rolling. You do and say whatever you want to make a movie of, and then signal to ScreenFlow to stop recording (in any of the same ways whereby you signaled it to start). Now, with most screen capture programs, that's effectively the end. (Snapz Pro, for example, when you finish recording, puts up a window where you can enter your QuickTime export settings; at this point, you either save the movie or you don't, and that's that.) But with ScreenFlow, things are only beginning. You suddenly find yourself rocketed into a window that looks very much like iMovie HD - the good old iMovie, the one with timelines at the bottom, remember? There, top and center, is the screen capture you just made. Below it are simple video controls to play, rewind, and advance the movie, and a sound level meter. Below that are your timelines: typically, one for the video, one for the narration. What's happening is that you're now in a document, within a movie editing application. ScreenFlow is offering you a chance to edit your movie before exporting it. You can edit now, or you can just save the document (and even quit ScreenFlow) and return to it later. What sort of editing can you do within ScreenFlow? Well, for starters: You can select a region of the timeline and cut it - good for removing that unnecessary throat-clearing at the start of the movie. You can split a timeline, grow or shrink a timeline segment, and move timeline segments around. You might use this to improve the synchronization of narration and video, or to remove poor narration. You can add existing media, such as MP3 music or a JPEG picture, to the document. Newly added media appear in a media area at the upper right, much as in iMovie, ready to be dragged into a timeline. Thus you might add background music, or a title. You can create a new recording - sound, video, or both - and add it to the file as new media. Thus you could redo segments of the narration, or possibly the entire narration (in fact, you can watch the existing video in ScreenFlow while recording new narration). You can crop the movie frame. Unlike, say, Snapz Pro, where you specify a screen region before recording, ScreenFlow records the whole screen and lets you crop later. Even when you crop the movie frame, ScreenFlow still remembers the entire captured screen (this point will be important later). You can make other adjustments to your timeline media. For example, you might alter the audio volume, or change the video scale. You can also change video transparency (good for that title we added earlier). You can make adjustments to video media within the movie frame. For example, suppose that as you recorded the screen, you also had ScreenFlow record an image of you, using your computer's built-in iSight. (Oh, did I neglect to mention that you could do this? Silly me.) When you watch the resulting movie in ScreenFlow, the image of you is a small frame at the lower right, superimposed on the image of your computer screen. If that isn't where you want it, you can reposition it. You can also resize it, rotate it in three dimensions, and even add a reflection and a shadow. But please, don't get carried away. Okay, fine, get carried away! Lights, Camera, Actions -- But wait, there's more - a lot more. You can also add "Actions" to your movie. To understand, imagine that you are a music engineer. As the musicians play, you are twiddling dials to raise and lower the sound level on various tracks. Now imagine that this twiddling is itself somehow recorded. That's what an Action is: it's a specification of a twiddle, to be applied as the movie plays. For example, earlier I said that you could alter the audio volume. But what if you want to duck the audio volume - lowering it, not as a whole, but starting some distance into the movie? Simple. Position the playhead at the point where you want the volume to duck, select the audio clip in its timeline, and click Add Audio Action. Now lower the audio volume with the slider. Done! To change the rate at which the volume reduces, widen or narrow the Audio Action, which appears as an overlay on the audio timeline. You can do the same thing with video. Recall my example where there's a small image of you superimposed on the image of your computer screen, and you reposition it. If you reposition it as part of a Video Action, the resulting movie will show the image of you moving from one spot to another. Similarly, earlier I mentioned that the whole screen is captured. But suppose you want to zoom in on one area of the screen, or pan a cropped movie from one area of the screen to another. Again, you can do this with a Video Action. To pan a cropped movie, for example, you'd add the Video Action, then slide the crop region to the desired part of the screen. Thus, by splitting your video into multiple clips and using Video Actions, possibly along with additional media, you can get some very cool transition effects even though ScreenFlow lacks QuickTime "transitions" in the iMovie sense. I'm Ready For My Close-up -- But wait, there's still more. It turns out that while it was capturing your screen, ScreenFlow was also recording a lot of extra information. You can manipulate that information, as desired, in parts of the movie. For example, ScreenFlow has remembered all the keys you pressed during the screen capture. Suppose you want all or part of your movie to show the viewer what those keys were. To do so, you add a different kind of Action - a Screen Recording Action. One of the options here is "Show Keys Pressed"; the result is that, once this Action takes effect, key presses are represented textually in a rectangle in the middle of the movie. Similarly, ScreenFlow has remembered the cursor position and mouse clicks throughout the screen capture, so if you want an enlarged cursor in your movie, or if you want mouse clicks represented visually or audibly, you can have that too. Thus, instead of using another utility such as Mousepose and setting it up beforehand to get these effects, I can just make my screen capture and then include the effects later. Coolest of all the effects you can add during editing are "callouts." Here, a region of the movie is isolated, to call the viewer's attention to it; the rest of the screen can be darkened and blurred, and the isolated region can be enlarged, as if someone had stuck a magnifying glass over it. You can isolate in this way a circular area around the mouse cursor or a rectangular area matching the frontmost window portrayed in the movie. Closing Credits -- When you're ready to export your movie, you have access to the full range of QuickTime compression codecs and settings for video and audio, as well as scaling; you can also elect to chapterize your movie using markers you've placed in the timeline. This is only an export and your ScreenFlow document is still a saved document, so if you're not satisfied with the resulting movie - the exported movie is too big, the scaling is too small, you'd like to change some editing decisions, whatever - you can always alter the document, export again with different settings, and so on. And by the way, the exported movies are gorgeously, perfectly focused; the viewer can see every detail of what was on your screen. ScreenFlow is a stunning, clean, clear, beautifully designed application. I understood most of it within about 10 minutes of trying the demo (whose limitation is that exports are watermarked); but the application also includes very good online documentation, including a tutorial that corresponds to a tutorial document embedded in the application. Also, there are (of course!) some online screencast tutorials, created with (of course!!) ScreenFlow itself. ScreenFlow costs $99.99. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, a G4 or better (or Intel), and Quartz Extreme capability; and the availability of some features may depend upon the quality of your graphics processor. The demo is a 4.7MB download.  Copyright © 2008 Matt Neuburg. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MARK/SPACE, INC: The Missing Sync provides the very best in synchronization for Mac users with BlackBerry, Palm OS, or Windows Mobile devices. Integrates with Address Book, iCal, Entourage, iPhoto, and iTunes.  

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 1 from Apple installs Java SE 6 version 1.6.0_05 on your Mac, making it possible to run Java applications built for Java 6. Or rather, it does if your Mac is a 64-bit Intel-based Mac that's running Mac OS X 10.5.2, since it won't install on any PowerPC-based Macs or older Intel-based Macs using the Intel Core Duo (versus the Intel Core 2 Duo). Java 5 remains installed, and remains the default version, even though Java 6 has been out since December 2006. (Free, 57 MB) iMac (Early 2008) ATI Radeon HD Graphics Firmware Update 1.0.1 updates the firmware of the ATI Radeon HD 2600 or 2400 XT graphics card in certain recently released iMac models to improve system stability. Apple's download page explains how to determine if your iMac needs the update, but I suspect that it's best to assume that Software Update will give this update to you if you need it. The updater requires Mac OS X 10.5.2, and won't do anything if its not necessary for your computer. (Free, 848K) 1Password 2.6.1 from Agile Web Solutions enhances anti-phishing features and Web browser support in the password management and form filling utility. 1Password 2.6 provides optional integration with the PhishTank anti-phishing service, adds automatic detection of changed online passwords via Change Password pages, and optionally makes pronounceable passwords via the Strong Password Generator. The update also adds, restores, or improves support for OmniWeb 5.7, the site-specific browser Fluid, the latest Camino nightly builds, and Firefox 3. ($34.95 new, free update, 14.5 MB) Synchronize Pro X 6.0 from Qdea makes the file synchronization and backup utility significantly more aware of changes that require backup. The new version uses Leopard's FSEvents technology to speed up filesystem scanning time, can trigger backups whenever a folder's contents change, and provides a Web-based interface for monitoring of backup status. ($99.95 new, $49.95 for a two-year license renewal, 2.9 MB) Infovox iVox 1.2 from Acapela Group and AssistiveWare adds new voices and a pronunciation editor to the collection of international voices that works with any Speech Manager-compatible application (see "Macs Speak Clearly with Infovox iVox," 2007-09-06). The update includes new voices for Finnish, Swedish, Czech, Icelandic, Polish, and Turkish; the final four require Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, whereas the first two work with 10.3.9 and later. The pronunciation editor enables users to add abbreviations or change the pronunciation of individual words. (Prices vary by language) MacPilot 3.0.1 from Koingo Software adds hundreds of new customization options to the system tweaking utility, bringing the total to over 600. MacPilot helps users customize the Dock, the Finder, Safari, and many other applications by providing a graphical interface to settings that would otherwise require entering commands in Terminal. MacPilot 3 is fully compatible with both Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard, documents all the changes it can make, and can reset options to the default. ($19.95 new, free update for purchases after 31-Oct-07 or $9.95 otherwise, 8.1 MB) Tinderbox 4.2.4 from Eastgate Systems fixes some cosmetic bugs in the flexible note taking and outlining utility, and fixes some problems with opening old documents on new machines. See "Light Your Fire with Tinderbox," 2002-10-14, for a review of an early version; check the Related Articles list on our site for additional coverage of Tinderbox and similar programs. ($229 new, free updates for purchases in the last year or $90 otherwise, 16.5 MB) Microsoft Messenger for Mac 7 enables Mac users to participate in corporate messaging systems run by Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, complete with audio and video support. (The audio and video support is available only for the corporate service, but not when chatting directly with other Windows Live users using the personal service.) Messenger 7 also makes it possible to search an address book, adds Bonjour support for detecting presence, and more. Messenger 7 won't replace iChat, but it will make using a Mac in a corporate environment easier, and will simplify chatting with Windows Live users. (Free, 21 MB) DiscLabel 5.2.1 from SmileOnMyMac adds support for the Dymo DiscPainter direct-to-CD printer, along with other unspecified enhancements and fixes. ($35.95 new, free update, 12.6 MB) TextExpander 2.1.1 from SmileOnMyMac fixes bugs in the recent release of the typing shortcut and abbreviation expansion utility. Bugs fixed include problems with post-expansion cursor positioning, delimiters that use the Shift key, and more. ($29.95 new, free update, 3.9 MB)  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MacUpdate Parallels Bundle: Get Parallels and 9 more top Mac appsfor only $64.99 (regularly $474.76)! MacUpdate sold over 27,000bundles in 2007, and this year's bundle will be even more popular.Time-limited offer - buy today!  

The iPhone may not be any more accessible to those with hearing or speech impairments, but it's now more affordable on a monthly basis. AT&T has introduced a $40-per-month Text Accessibility Plan available through the company's National Center for Customers with Disabilities. The plan includes unlimited SMS messaging and unlimited EDGE data, along with 40-cent-per-minute voice usage and Apple's Visual Voicemail. Customers who qualify can purchase and activate an iPhone as if they were applying for a regular service plan, and then contact AT&T's center to have the plan changed to this new offering. This plan is essentially the same as the most expensive messaging package available as an add-on for existing AT&T customers who upgrade to an iPhone - that unlimited messaging plan also costs $40 per month - without any requirement for a voice plan. For other customers, AT&T requires at least a $40-per-month voice calling plan, which would be the equivalent of 100 minutes of calls made per month using this new offering. A separate iPhone TTY (teletype) adapter ($19) allows the use of standard TTY equipment for relay calling, although relay calling requires the use of voice minutes. Apple documents its iPhone accessibility features, although the iPhone lacks a common feature ensuring hearing-aid compatibility that is not yet mandated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The FCC apparently started enforcing a requirement on 18-Apr-08 after cellular telephone carriers failed to hit a mark that 50 percent of all cell phone models offered have one or both of two forms of hearing-aid compatibility.  Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MacUpdate Parallels Bundle: Get Parallels and 9 more top Mac appsfor only $64.99 (regularly $474.76)! MacUpdate sold over 27,000bundles in 2007, and this year's bundle will be even more popular.Time-limited offer - buy today!  

If you're bilingual in English and either Dutch or Japanese (all three is not required!), we can use your help. Both our Dutch and Japanese translation teams are running slightly short-handed and could use a few more volunteers to spread out the effort. In essence, you'd work with the other members of the teams to help translate TidBITS from English into either Dutch or Japanese for the thousands of people who read TidBITS in those languages. You can read more about what's involved with both the Dutch translation and the Japanese translation at their respective pages. Thanks for any help you can provide, and do note that as a small token of our appreciation, translators receive all Take Control ebooks for free.  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. GET FETCH 5 FOR FREE! Fetch Softworks makes Fetch, the originalMacintosh FTP client, free for educational and charitable use.Fetch 5.3 includes a new look and Leopard technology support.Apply today at !  

With an unusual Monday morning product announcement, Apple released an update to its line of aluminum-clad iMac consumer desktops. The 20-inch and 24-inch flat-panel all-in-one computers now sport faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, replacing the previous slate of 2.0, 2.4, and 2.8 GHz processors with 2.4 and 2.66 GHz options in the 20-inch form factor, and 2.8 and 3.06 GHz processors in the 24-inch units (see "Apple Releases New Aluminum iMacs, Refreshes Mac mini," 2007-08-13). The iMacs can be customized with up to 4 GB of RAM, as well as larger SATA hard drives, up to 500 GB in the $1,199 low-end configuration and up to 1 TB for the $2,199 high-end iMac. Hard-core gamers will love the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS video card with 512 MB of video memory in the top-of-the-line iMac configuration (and available as a $150 option on the 2.8 GHz 24-inch model). Apple says its testing with Quake 4 demonstrates twice the performance from the Nvidia graphics card over the ATI Radeon HD in the other iMac configurations. (The first three iMac models offer varying Radeon cards with 128 or 256 MB of memory.) Copyright © 2008 Mark H. Anbinder. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social NetworksCreate a complete social network with your company or group'sown look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.Take a guided tour today  

In MacNotables #819, I chatted with Chuck Joiner about the 18 years of TidBITS, analyzed Apple's Q2 2008 financial results, and provided a live performance review of the new Snowflake from Blue Microphones. Worth a listen.  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. Bare Bones Software's BBEdit 8.7 -- Latest version offers amajor interface overhaul, new prefs, text clippings, improvedJavaScript, new Ruby/SQL/YAML/Markdown support, code folding.Over 160 new features in all! .  

Some dear friends from Australia just passed through Ithaca on a tour of North America, so we took them around to our picturesque gorges and waterfalls, where they snapped picture after picture of the falling, flowing water, something of a novelty to people from arid parts of the world. They had already accumulated 10-12 gigabytes of photos on their trip and with another four weeks to go, I can only imagine how many they'll end up with. But that poses a problem - how will they remember in the future whether a particular beautiful landscape was from Ithaca or Hammondsport, or whether a close-up of some flower came from Montpelier, Vermont or Jasper in Alberta? One solution could come from HoudahGeo, Macintosh software that helps you "geocode" your photos - attach latitude and longitude coordinates to them - by matching the date and time stamps on the photos to a GPS track, by using Google Earth to point at the correct locations, by using HoudahGeo's built-in map, by connecting photos to GPS waypoints, or by entering coordinates manually. Once photos are geocoded, you can use that information to browse and find particular photos, and you can also publish your photos directly to Flickr or for viewing with Google Earth. In this week's DealBITS drawing, you can enter to win one of three copies of the $40 HoudahGeo. Entrants who aren't among our lucky winners will receive a discount on HoudahGeo, so be sure to enter at the DealBITS page. All information gathered is covered by our comprehensive privacy policy. Remember too, that if someone you refer to this drawing wins, you'll receive the same prize as a reward for spreading the word.  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. MacUpdate Parallels Bundle: Get Parallels and 9 more top Mac appsfor only $64.99 (regularly $474.76)! MacUpdate sold over 27,000bundles in 2007, and this year's bundle will be even more popular.Time-limited offer - buy today!  

Converting (local) Time Machine backups to Time Machine sparsebundle (network) -- A reader wants to know how to restore a Time Machine backup stored on a connected hard disk now that the drive is connected to a Time Capsule. (1 message) Problem with Entourage 2004 (vers. 11.4.0) -- An old rule that references an AppleScript script prevented Entourage from checking mail; in the meantime, readers highlight several troubleshooting resources. (7 messages) Printing text messages -- MegaPhone makes it easy to transfer files to the iPhone for easy access. (5 messages) Printer sharing problem -- A shared printer stops working; is Leopard to blame? The solution may require spelunking among the printer drivers. (4 messages) Strange Behavior with Gmail & Two Macs -- What could be causing Gmail to ignore some messages for one machine but not the other? (5 messages) **not so negative at all...** The only perceived downside to Apple's latest quarterly earnings was flat iPod sales, but is 10 million really bad news? (2 messages) Dealing with FLAC audio files -- iTunes won't play FLAC-formatted audio files, but a few other utilities can help. (10 messages) Shell scripting Classic with bash? A reader is looking for help in updating data that previously ran only under Classic on the Mac so that it can be read under Windows (on a MacBook Pro). (3 messages) New HP 2133 Mini-Notebook -- How does HP's new mini-notebook compare to the MacBook Air? (2 messages) QuickTime SWFs -- Built-in Flash support appears to have been removed in the latest version of QuickTime. What options are there for easily ready .swf files (other than Flash Player)? (3 messages)  Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. StuffIt Deluxe 12: breakthrough compression of MP3 files, PDFs,iWork and MS Office files! Reduce JPEG file sizes with no loss inquality, burn to CD/DVD, back up archives to iDisk and more. Buytoday for only $59.99!  

Shortly after I moved to France last year, Glenn Fleishman offered to introduce me to his contacts at a company called Violet that's based here in Paris. (And thus, by the way, it's pronounced "vee-oh-LAY.") Violet is best known as the developer of the Nabaztag Internet-enabled rabbit, and this product sounded sufficiently wacky that I was delighted to pay its creators a visit. It turned out they're located just down the street from me, about a ten-minute walk away, and I'd unknowingly passed their offices dozens of times already. So I set up an appointment, and Morgen and I met with Rafi Haladjian (one of the Nabaztag's inventors) and Jean-François Kitten (yes, apparently his real name) for a personal, hands-on demo of the Wi-Fi bunny. That was more than seven months ago. Ever since, I've intended to write about the Nabaztag and the philosophy behind it, but every time I've started pondering what to say, I've gotten profoundly stuck. Even now, I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. I believe I could argue with equal conviction that this device is surprisingly useful or a ridiculous waste of $165. In any case, there's certainly more to this gadget than meets the eye. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of view), little appears to have changed in the Internet rabbit arena since last fall, so I believe my observations are still pertinent. Nabaztag Basics -- First things first: how does one pronounce this strange word? I wrote it phonetically in my notes the way its designer said it - roughly, "NAB-us-tag," where the stress is on the first syllable and the middle vowel is a schwa. It's the Armenian word for "rabbit," and it seems to make as little sense to French-speaking people as it does in English. In case you've not kept up with the news in rabbit technology over the past few years, let me give you a quick description of the Nabaztag. It's a rounded conical hunk of plastic about 9 inches (23 cm) tall (including the two protruding ears), with eyes and a nose painted on front, a belly-button microphone, and a single button on top - but no other visible user interface. You plug in the AC adapter (it doesn't work with Energizer batteries, sorry) and it connects to the nearest open Wi-Fi network. (There are provisions to use password-protected networks, too, though they require a bit of fiddling to set up.) When the bunny powers on, several multicolored LEDs glow from behind the plastic case, and the motorized ears spin around in a manner that would surely be quite painful for a real rabbit. Then you go to a Web page to register your adopted rabbit - yes, they say "adopt" to mean "buy" - and specify a bunch of preferences and personal information such as where you live and what kinds of news and music you're interested in. From then on, your Nabaztag becomes an interactive network appliance that can do any or all of a long list of things. For example, various combinations of lights (solid or blinking, in different configurations and colors) could indicate: The current or predicted weather The status of stocks or other financial indices of interest to you The air quality outside How many new email messages you have in your inbox Whether someone has left you a voice message The built-in microphone and speaker extend the list of capabilities much further. To mention just a few examples, the Nabaztag can: Read headlines from your favorite RSS feeds in a synthesized voice Play Internet radio stations or podcasts Announce the current time periodically Act as a non-real-time intercom with another Nabaztag - press the button, record a message, and it's sent to someone else's rabbit for playback Respond to spoken commands (a recording of your voice is sent to Violet's servers, where it's run through a speech recognition algorithm and the resulting command is sent back to your Nabaztag) Oh, and let's not forget the ears! Normally they spin at various times without any particular meaning. But you can configure them in arbitrary positions and send them to your friend's Nabaztag (alone or along with a voice message) - and your friend's Nabaztag's ears will assume the same positions. (For example, point both ears down to mean "I'm sad" or whatever.) Hey, who needs video, voice, text, or even flashing lights when we have digital semaphores! For some reason, this capability tickled me more than anything else the little bunny can do. (Oh, and if you pair your Nabaztag with someone else's to "hard-wire" messages like ear positions between the two rabbits, that's called marrying them. Yep. To the best of my knowledge, though, they only reproduce within Violet's factory.) Last but not least is a built-in RFID reader. The idea is that you buy special RFID tags called "Ztamps" to stick on your keys, glasses, and other objects. When these objects come into proximity with your Nabaztag's nose, it notices they're there and can take whatever action you want, such as playing a sound or sending a message. As far as I can tell, the Ztamps aren't yet available separately, but Violet does sell a variety of Ztamp-equipped children's books (in French only, for now). When your child holds one of these books up to the Nabaztag, the rabbit reads the book aloud. That's right: your robot rabbit can relieve you of the tedium of bonding with your kids by reading them their bedtime story. (I have yet to see a child interact with a Nabaztag in person, and I'm thinking it's possibly best that way.) Although the Nabaztag comes pre-configured to deliver certain kinds of information right out of the burrow - um, box - the company expects and encourages extensive personalization and even hacking; they also offer an API for third-party developers to create their own applications and services. (Some Nabaztag services are free, by the way, while others require a paid subscription.) There's even a healthy aftermarket for replacement ears in a variety of colors and patterns. By the way, I should mention that the current generation of Internet rabbit is called "Nabaztag/tag" - I guess that's Armenian rabbit-speak for "rabbit 2.0" - the original Nabaztag, which is still available for about $95, doesn't include the microphone or RFID reader, and doesn't support WPA encryption or streaming MP3 audio. The company representatives I spoke to said that future generations would be designated with additional "/tag" endings. Perhaps they'll come with a selection of RFID Nabaztag/tag/tag tags. Down the Rabbit Hole -- All right, so you can buy this groovy little bunny appliance thingy that can do a million and one things, but who really needs one? The candid answer, according to Violet's Haladjian, is no one. He'd be the first to admit, he says, that Internet rabbits aren't going to change the world, that he's not looking to build the future of his company on plastic bunnies. The Nabaztag is simply the first example of a larger idea Violet is trying to promote - that of leveraging the power of ubiquitous wireless Internet access to turn ordinary objects into smart objects. We're accustomed, he explained, to having a computer screen (or, at least, some kind of screen) mediate our experience of the Internet. But although computers make good all-purpose tools, there's life beyond the PC - and there are other, simpler and more direct ways to use that near-universal connectivity. So think of the Nabaztag as a rather elaborate proof of concept for a future in which lots of friendly little objects can do lots of useful things by virtue of being connected to each other and to a global source of infinite data. Violet's ambition is to connect everything in the world, and they're starting by connecting small, familiar-ish objects. That word "friendly," by the way, is key. As an example, Haladjian cited home automation systems, which have been around for decades, but which, he says, are still complex and intimidating enough to scare away many people. A little rabbit with funny ears and a single button, on the other hand, isn't intimidating. You interact with it in natural ways like talking to it and holding objects in front of it rather than by connecting wires and looking at a screen and typing or mousing. So it hints at a more user-friendly future of invisible computing in which much simpler objects with embedded computers replace many of the functions for which we currently rely on full-blown desktop or laptop computers. This idea, of course, is not unique to Violet or the Nabaztag. For example, a company called Ambient offers a number of small Internet-enabled devices, such as the $150 Ambient Orb, which glows in different colors to indicate information like traffic, weather, and stock prices; and the $124.99 Ambient Umbrella, whose handle glows when rain is expected. You can buy standalone devices to stream Internet radio, and even the Apple TV is a type of Internet appliance. (There's also the $179.95 Chumby, a little Wi-Fi-connected gadget that can serve up the time, weather, traffic, news, music, and so on - though unlike the others mentioned here, it still relies on a conventional LCD screen to display data, making it more like a keyboard-less computer than an appliance; see "Chumby: The Beanbag Computer," 2007-12-14.) In any case, the Nabaztag is the only one I can think of with anthropomorphic (or, uh, kuniklomorphic) characteristics. The question is why someone might find a Nabaztag (or any other such appliance) worth buying when their existing, conventional computer can do almost all the same things (though I've never seen a Mac with motorized ears). The Violet reps suggested that the Nabaztag is especially good for applications that aren't worth your full attention - for providing information in the background, perhaps even while you're focused on some other task on your computer. I think that's on the right track. I can attest that as an introvert, I'd be much less distracted by unobtrusive glowing lights on a device over on the table than by something popping up on my screen all the time, and I might even be more inclined to report my status or mood using rabbit-ear semaphores than typing a tweet or changing my iChat status (see "Instant Messaging for Introverts," 2008-04-04). Multiplying Like Bunnies -- Apparently enough people have seen past the weirdness of the Nabaztag's design to make it quite a successful product. In fact, according to Violet, when the original Nabaztag was introduced in 2005, their first 5000 units sold out in 10 days, even though it was the middle of the summer and the device had been advertised only by word of mouth. However, I must confess that I am not myself a Nabaztag owner. Though I left the Violet offices fully convinced of the coolness and usefulness of the Nabaztag, it didn't meet my "can't-live-without-it" test, and I'm not inclined to collect toys just for their conversation value. (Plus, you know, $165 buys a lot of French pastries. Gotta have your priorities.) My sense, from looking at the activity level of various blogs and forums devoted to the Nabaztag, is that the device's earlier popularity is waning. Violet has been slow to release promised improvements (such as the Ztamps, which had been scheduled for delivery last October), and I've seen no sign of the impending arrival of a Nabaztag/tag/tag. But that may be a moot point, because Violet's stated intention is not to put a Nabaztag in every home. They've got loftier goals, and for all I know, they may be well on their way to meeting them. As for me, I can certainly get behind the concept of invisible computing, and I can see the value of having lots of smart objects in my home. They may even enhance my communication with others in a way that ordinary computer software never could. The Nabaztag in particular may not quite scratch my itch, but I'll be watching future developments in this area with great interest. Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. Fetch Softworks: Fetch 5.3 makes FTP and SFTP easy!Upload, download, mirror, and manage your Web site. Dozens ofnew features to make file transfers easier and more reliable.Get your free trial version at !  

We're pleased to announce version 1.1 of troubleshooting guru Ted Landau's "Take Control of Your iPhone," which is updated for the iPhone 1.1.4 software and chock full of the latest advice for getting the most out of your iPhone, including information about syncing, how EDGE and Wi-Fi interoperate, the latest features in Maps, configuring Mail, hacking your iPhone, creating (or buying) ringtones, dealing with your battery, and much more. The ebook also has a strong problem-solving focus, so if your iPhone is behaving badly, you'll likely find a solution. (Existing owners of the ebook can upgrade for free by opening the PDF and - at the top right of page 1 - clicking Check for Updates.) The ebook normally costs $15, but you can get it for $7.50 if you act quickly, because we're having a 50 percent-off sale on all ebooks through 29-Apr-08. Look for the iPhone ebook on the Lifestyle tab in our online catalog. When you click through from this post, the necessary coupon code will be applied automatically in the first screen of the cart. (Note that you can select multiple ebooks from the different tabs in the catalog's tabbed interface before clicking the Buy Selected Ebooks button to add them to your cart.)  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License. READERS LIKE YOU! Support TidBITS with a contribution today!Special thanks this week to Michael Sciascia, Henrik Munster,Mark Rothstein, and Ian Campbell for their generous support!  

Back in 1994, when I first learned to write HTML code for display in NCSA Mosaic, I thought, "There's got to be a better way." After all, I was coming off nearly a decade of typesetting and working with desktop publishing, starting with a Mac Plus and PageMaker 1.0 at my high school's newspaper. The code never bothered me; I had also learned in high school how to code on a Compugraphic typesetting system that used a similar method of embedded tags for formatting. But this was 1994! Surely, a graphical editor existed that would put a nice wrapper around HTML's intricacies. It's therefore rather amusing to recognize that after 14 years of such editors - FrontPage, PageMill, GoLive, Dreamweaver, and many others, with few surviving the hecatomb - hand coding still rises to the top as the preferred method of building pages. Khoi Vinh, design director at The New York Times, noted in a recent reader Q&A segment on the Web site, "It's our preference to use a text editor, like HomeSite, TextPad or TextMate, to 'hand code' everything, rather than to use a wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) HTML and CSS authoring program, like Dreamweaver. We just find it yields better and faster results." (GoLive, by the way, bit the dust today.) Vinh isn't really dissing Dreamweaver here; rather he's pointing out something that I've seen develop organically over the last 14 years: graphical tools don't work well with the template-based systems that drive most Web sites of any scale, including TidBITS and The New York Times. Most Web sites aren't built from static pages, but are collections of widgets, server-side scripts, IFrames (for embedded content drawn from other servers), and placeholders that insert information built in a content management system (CMS). These tend to be highly idiosyncratic. Even when purchased as a commercial system, the customization often makes it impossible for a graphical Web tool to provide proper editing and previewing. In these systems, a template defines how a page is built when a particular request comes in. When you ask db.tidbits.com for "/article/9569," for instance, that's not a static page in an article directory. Our system breaks that request down into a query for an article with a GetBITS number of 9569. The system pulls in data from several tables in a database, and plops the results into a template that also references a variety of dynamic elements that need to be inserted, such as ads and links to TidBITS Talk discussions. That's what's fed out to you as a Web page. This kind of hand coding isn't precisely the same as writing each page of HTML by hand; rather, it's more like handcrafting a prototype, such as a sculpture or machine part, which is the reference used to create mass-produced objects. A small imperfection in the prototype mars all the copies. We built a CMS behind TidBITS to help manage the flow of content, and to make ourselves at least a little more agile. If you're a long-time reader, you'll note that we produce more content on a regular basis than we used to because the CMS streamlines a hunk of the process we had before. (We're still working to further streamline and extend our TidBITS Publishing System so we can hav