FlickrExport iPhoto plugin updated

Filed under: iLife, Software, Open Source

Huzzah! My favorite iPhoto plugin has been updated today. FlickrExport is plugin for iPhoto 4 and 5 that makes it so very easy to send photos from your iPhoto library directly to your Flickr account. Use it to add Flickr tags and descriptions to your images, alter their size and set privacy restrictions, all from within iPhoto.

Changes in version 1.3.0 include the ability to convert non-JPEG images to JPEG prior to upload, support for Unsanity’s Smart Crash Reports and some bug fixes. You can read the full change log here.

FlickrExport requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later, iPhoto 4 or 5 and is donationware.


[Via MacUpdate]
 

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iPod update fixes “blinking” shuffles

Filed under: Troubleshooting, iPod Family, Software Update

In a follow up on Damien’s question, it looks like the iPod software update that came out today does in fact fix the orange-green flash of death that was plaguing so may iPod shuffles as of late. According to iLounge, this update seems to have finally gotten rid of that annoying problem. So, shuffle-toting TUAWers, what has your experience been? Is your iPod behaving itself now?
 

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More iTunes purchase issues

Filed under: Troubleshooting, iTMS

You may remember the issue Apple was having a week ago with the iTunes Music Store. For some odd reason, it was telling shoppers that albums could not be purchased because they were "…being modified." I ran into this myself, and there were a number of related posts on Apple’s discussion boards. Tonight (it’s 8:36PM EST as I write this) I’m having another issue. I get the error message pictured above when I try to purchase just about anything:

"The iTunes Music Store is unable to process purchases at this time. Credit card processing is temporarily unavailable. You may continue to browse the store. Please try to make your purchase again later."

So far, it’s shown up when I try to purchase a single, an album, a TV show and a music video. The "credit card" part is kind of odd, as I’m using Paypal. Also, I’ve recreated the error across two machines on two different networks with two different iTMS accounts. Am I alone in this?
 

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You’re in charge: iLife ‘06

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iLife

Back in August, we refered to an article by James Stoup at Apple Matters that asked the question, "What’s next for the iLife suite?" Mr. Stoup had some great suggestions, like an end-user CGI tool he dubbed "Animator," which would make 3D animation accessable to the likes of you and me (Think "Pixar lite"). Also, Mr. Stoup feels it’s high time we got an Apple-branded WYSIWYG web editor that wrapped power, elegance, the iApps and .Mac into one happy, aqua package. I’d get behind that. More after the jump.



I suggested an application I tentatively named "Podcaster" (I think
that name is actually in use now) that, as an integrated member of the
iLife suite, would make podcasting as easy as pie. Today, with Macworld
looming and new technology like FrontRow and Photobooth available to
us, I thought it would be fun to revisit the question. So, what would
you add? You had some great suggestions last time. In fact, reader benedict murray’s idea now seems quite prophetic:

"…Apple
could really do with an elegant Television DVR and organizer. With that
Apple touch we all know’n'love. Like Tivo to Go but more universal,
maybe bring out a nice bit of hardware as well. I am supremely jealous
of Media Centre PC, and with a TV app we’d be so close…and then the
rumours can flood over about a Video iPod."

So, what do you say? You’re in charge. 

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Free music with CliffsNotes purchase

Filed under: Audio, iTMS, Odds and ends

Is this really a good idea? (Begin old man mode) When I was in high school, I succumbed to the temptation that is CliffsNotes. Now, before you attack me, understand that I realize that CliffsNotes make wonderful study companions, and when paired with the books they summarize, are very useful. However, I often read them instead of those particular books, and as a result had only a rudimentary understanding of many of history’s great works of literature. No, I’m not proud (end old man).

Today, students can grab two free songs from the iTunes Music Store with the purchase of any CliffsNotes product. From the website:

• Complete your online purchase as usual
• Watch your inbox for an e-mail message containing your code(s)
• Redeem your code(s) at the iTunes Music Store

Get ‘em while they’re hot, folks. Just read the books, too, ok?

[Via MacDailyNews]
 

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Creativebits reviews FontExplorer

Filed under: Software, Freeware

Creativebits has posted a nice review of FontExplorer. Dubbed "iTunes for fonts," FontExplorer is the free application from Linotype that makes browsing, sorting and using of your font collection terrifically easy. It’s also winning lots of fans, like our own Scott McNulty. From the review:

"I didn’t call it the iTunes of fonts for nothing: it has a beautiful
user interface in metal, which is similar to iTunes. At the right of
the main window there is the font library, which you can make Smart
Fontlists with similar to smart playlists…FontExplorer also has a few things that are similar to iTunes: a
font store, for instance…you can
buy fonts thru Linotype’s website." Check it out. FontExplorer requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later.
 

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Poll results: Would you buy a media center Mac mini?

Filed under: Macworld, Hardware, Rumors, Video, Surveys and Polls, Mac mini

Yesterday, we asked if you’d purchase a souped-up media center Mac mini if such a machine were announced at the upcoming Macworld Expo. In our highly unscientific poll, the majority of respondents (1,198 out of 2,829 of you) answered, "Can I preorder one now?!?" I have to agree. Such a device would be most welcome.

A few of you expressed concern about what kind of output the mini would be able to muster. Reader Eric Carroll asks, "Assuming it would output at 1080i and or 720p natively (hell or even if
they sold me a DVI to Component convert for like $100-$200) I would
order one of these on announcement day. It’d be great for TVs with DVI
in or HDMI in, but what options are there for those of us who have TVs
with only Component in?" Hey, I’ve got one of those ancient TVs. Luckily, Eric goes on to answer his own question by hooking his Mac running FrontRow up to a projector. Nice.
 

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Mail quits counting for a German Mac user?

Filed under: Humor, Internet Tools

Hawk Wings found a great post on a fscklog that (barring any Photoshop work) is evidence that Mail just might eventually throw in the towel if you don’t keep up with your email reading duties. I ran the German blog post through Babelfish, but it wasn’t much help; no word on how many messages it took to make Mail crack, nor which version of OS X this is on. Either way, I think it’d be great if more developers worked some humor like this into their apps. I bet something like this could easily take some frustration off those tough "I almost threw my computer out the window today because…" days.
 

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Process-eating Bug in Firefox 1.5 for Mac OS X

Filed under: Bugs/Recalls, Internet Tools

There’s a bug in the Mac OS X version of Firefox that has been around for more than three years, and in the latest version released yesterday, the bug is still present.



When you click and hold to highlight some text on a webpage in Firefox, your computer’s processor(s) spikes to 90-100% usage until you let go of the moust button. While this is not a problem for every Mac OS X Firefox user, it is definitely a problem for laptop users. A pegged processor, even for a second or two, will kick on a Powerbook or iBook’s fan(s) and therefore more rapidly drain the battery.

As much as I like Firefox, this is a problem that should’ve been fixed a long time ago. Some people are reporting that the same processor spiking occurs when navigating around in Google Maps, as well as many Web 2.0 apps (that use Google’s API).

This problem does not affect non-Mac OS X versions of Firefox, or other browsers on the Mac platform.

Correction/Note: Deerpark is the development code name for Firefox 1.5, and I’m running the G5-optimized version on this G5 I’m in front of. When the app was recompiled from the sourcecode, the name wasn’t changed, which is why it shows up as Deerpark.
 

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The story behind the BBEdit universal binary

Filed under: Software

When you think text editors on the Mac BBEdit is the first program you should think of (though I use the free TextWrangler which is also produced by Barebones). BBEdit is one of those big ticket applications that the Mac OS would be naked without.

Thus, Barebones went about creating an universal binary so that BBEdit will run on the Intel Macs that are coming sooner, or later (depending on what rumor sites you read). You can read all about the fairly smooth process that they went though. This should put many smaller developers at ease, since BBEdit is such a complicated application.

[via the Daring Fireball Linked List]
 

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