The demo is available for download over on their website (along with a freaky live action trailer that means someone had to get dressed up in green paint and go Orc-crazy). Just the other day, I said I hadn't had a Mac-only gaming experience worth recommending this year, but maybe I spoke too soon. Horde of Orcs might be just the thing to finish off 2007 right.
Freeverse releases a Horde of Orcs on the Mac
The demo is available for download over on their website (along with a freaky live action trailer that means someone had to get dressed up in green paint and go Orc-crazy). Just the other day, I said I hadn't had a Mac-only gaming experience worth recommending this year, but maybe I spoke too soon. Horde of Orcs might be just the thing to finish off 2007 right.
Fluid makes site specific browsers easy
We've covered the concept of site specific browsers before. Basically these are stand-alone browsers designed to work with just one website, e.g. Gmail. Fluid takes this idea to the next level by automating the process of creating Webkit based site specific browsers. When you launch Fluid it asks for the URL and name of the site, and then it creates a Cocoa application just for that particular site. The reason that this is handy is that it separates your general browsing (and related crashes) from your Gmail, facebook, etc.
Fluid is in beta and can be downloaded from Todd Ditchendorf and requires Leopard.
Fluid is in beta and can be downloaded from Todd Ditchendorf and requires Leopard.
More YourHead plugin goodness for RapidWeaver
I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of the web development application RapidWeaver, but I don't consider it complete until supplemented by a variety of excellent plugins from YourHead software. We've covered their excellent WYSIWYG plugin Blocks before and now they have a couple of new plugins that add some neat features. First up is PayLoom (jointly developed with YabDab) which makes it easy to set up a webstore on the internet using PayPal's Shopping Cart service. Second is a new beta plugin called Kwix that makes it easy to create fluid animated menus on RapidWeaver pages, and best of all it's compatible with the newest Blocks beta as well. With the MacUpdate Bundle we've been posting about being extended, now is a great time to get into RapidWeaver development.
PayLoom is $19.95 and a demo is available. Kwix is still in beta but is available for download from YourHead.
PayLoom is $19.95 and a demo is available. Kwix is still in beta but is available for download from YourHead.
iTunes: Canadian TV Store debuts
As predicted, the Candian iTunes TV store debuted today. The pickings are a little bit slim at the moment. NBC seems to be missing-in-action and I can't find episodes of Canada's Next Top Model (featuring my favorite small orange man). Still, you can pick up episodes of South Park, Little Mosque on the Prarie, South Park, Avatar, South Park, NHL matches, and South Park.
Shows cost $1.99, Canadian, each.
Pro Tools LE controlled with an iPhone
According to Create Digital Music an experienced Pro Tools developer named Alex le Lievre has managed to hack together a Pro Tools LE remote using his iPhone. As you can see from the above video the remote allows him to control Pro Tools and get live feedback from it on an iPhone or iPod touch. Alex is not releasing the software yet because he wants to sell it come February when the iPhone SDK is released "if Apple lets [him] once they certify [his] code." In any case, just getting this to work is rather impressive. There are more details at Create Digial Music.
[via Digg]
Reducing PDF file size with a Quartz filter
Apple has an interesting video tip up this week on reducing the file size of graphic intensive PDFs created from the Print dialog. In their example they make a PDF from a Keynote presentation containing lots of graphics, and substantially reduce its size by selecting the "Reduce File Size" Quartz filter in the ColorSync options of the Print Dialog before choosing "Save as PDF..." from the PDF drop-down menu. In their example, without the filter the resulting PDF is 5.3MB and with the filter it's only 632KB. So I thought I'd give it a try on some of my own documents. But then I ran into a problem.
The Print dialog ColorSync access to Quartz filters has disappeared in Leopard. The video tip was made with Tiger; it seems a little bit ironic that they would release it now with a feature that is no longer available in Leopard. However, digging around a little bit I discovered a work-around. The Quartz filters are still available on the Save dialog box in the Preview application (above). So to achieve the same effect when you're in the Print dialog instead of choosing "Save as PDF..." from the drop down menu rather hit the "Preview" button, which opens the PDF in the Preview application. You can now "Save as..." and when you do the Quartz filter drop-down menu will appear, including the "Reduce File Size" filter. Give it a name and save it and you'll have your smaller PDF.
In my own testing using the "Reduce File Size" filter did noticeably degrade the quality of images in the PDF, but the file size savings were significant as well. It would actually be nice if there were more granularity so you could have some control over the compromise between file size and image quality. Nonetheless, if you have to shrink a graphics intensive PDF for emailing, etc. this can be a handy tip.
YouTube Find: Mobile browser showdown
The iPhone's data connectivity is arguably the one thing that people begrudge. The device experience is fantastic, until you try and browse 'the proper internet' via your mobile network. At this point, most are thinking "Why EDGE, Steve, Why?", and those who chose to plunk down the bills for another phone (N95 anyone?) grin smugly. But this smugness might be short-lived, for the folks at Blackfriars Marketing have stumbled across a German YouTube clip proving that the width of your 'tube' might not be the only deciding factor. In this case, it's the hardware used to process 'the proper internet'.
Now you're probably thinking 'huh?' but let's put it this way: the iPhone's connectivity may be slower, but once the data is there, the hardware in the svelte enclosure gets the data in front of you faster than other handsets out there. The other browser in the video coughs and splutters whilst the limited hardware scrambles to show the content.
So what does this really tell us that we already know? Yes, the iPhone OS is snappy and suave. Yes, the screen is simply stunning. And yes, desktop-class Mobile Safari means we can see the full internet. And yes, we'd love to see some 3G-love come to the iPhone (this video merely re-inforces that). But the video also reminds us of something that, in the face of iCriticism, gets quickly overlooked: the iPhone clearly isn't a mobile telephone platform. It's a mobile computing platform, and under the hood we've got a lot to be thankful for.
Video and Nokia-fan-abating disclaimer after the break!
Now you're probably thinking 'huh?' but let's put it this way: the iPhone's connectivity may be slower, but once the data is there, the hardware in the svelte enclosure gets the data in front of you faster than other handsets out there. The other browser in the video coughs and splutters whilst the limited hardware scrambles to show the content.
So what does this really tell us that we already know? Yes, the iPhone OS is snappy and suave. Yes, the screen is simply stunning. And yes, desktop-class Mobile Safari means we can see the full internet. And yes, we'd love to see some 3G-love come to the iPhone (this video merely re-inforces that). But the video also reminds us of something that, in the face of iCriticism, gets quickly overlooked: the iPhone clearly isn't a mobile telephone platform. It's a mobile computing platform, and under the hood we've got a lot to be thankful for.
Video and Nokia-fan-abating disclaimer after the break!
TIME magazine anoints iPhone best gadget of the year
No big surprise here, but TIME magazine has anointed the iPhone as their best gadget of 2007. Their blurb seems just about exactly right: the "iPhone changed the way we think about how mobile media devices should look, feel and perform." And their only complaint? Again, no surprise, it's AT&T. I suspect this is only the beginning of the iPhone's reign across the top of best of 2007 lists.
MacUpdate promo bundle unlocks PulpMotion, deal ends tonight
The good news: against expectations (well, mine anyway) the MacUpdate Promo bundle has sold well enough to unlock the final application in the ten-pack, the Aquafadas slideshow creator PulpMotion. You now have until shortly after midnight ET to get the full bundle for $49.99; see my earlier post for the full app list.
The bad news: right now it appears that http://mupromo.com is responding only intermittently, perhaps due to heavy volume. If you can't get to the site immediately, wait a few minutes and try again.
Update: The original deadline appears to have applied only to unlocking the full bundle; you now have another eight days to buy, if you choose.
The bad news: right now it appears that http://mupromo.com is responding only intermittently, perhaps due to heavy volume. If you can't get to the site immediately, wait a few minutes and try again.
Update: The original deadline appears to have applied only to unlocking the full bundle; you now have another eight days to buy, if you choose.
Anxiety iCal ToDo management
Anxiety is a new Leopard-only "lightweight To-Do management" tool that integrates with iCal and Mail to give you easy access to your To-Dos in a sleek interface. It displays either all of your To-Dos or To-Dos from a single iCal calendar in one of those translucent HUD palettes that are becoming so popular these days. It also offers easy To-Do creation with a single click on the check-mark on the top right of the interface. In some ways it's like a stand-alone version of DoBeDo Dashboard widget that we recently posted on. You can use either the Dock icon and a menubar item to hide the palette (and either can be turned off).
Anxiety is a free download from Model Concept (donations requested).
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Anxiety is a free download from Model Concept (donations requested).
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
iTunes: Free Tuesday
TUAW is pleased to present you with a selection of free songs and videos from around the world. Many of these iTS items won't be free for long, so grab your copies before the week is up. And don't forget: If you want to buy these on your iPhone or iPod touch, make sure to sign into your account in iTunes before you sync.
Once again, the US store has a week with no new videos. Between the writers strike and NBC pulling their content, one starts to wonder when and if any free TV episodes will appear. Personally, I'm a huge fan of these--they have helped me discover any number of new TV shows in advance of their premiere. Right now, I'm addicted to "The Shot", a show I only became aware of from the free first episode on iTunes.
Woz animatronic features in Epcot ride
Disney's Spaceship Earth went through a little reinvigorating recently, and as you may have heard, when it reopened, there was everybody's favorite computer tinkerer sitting at a desk working on an Apple prototype-- the one, the only Woz. Originally, Jobs was rumored to make an appearance on the historical ride inside Epcot Center, but no-- Disney ended up going with the huskier and more bearded of the Apple founders.
You can click on the pic above (or hit the Read link below) for a bigger version of the image, to take it all in. The vintage Popular Mechanics on the wall behind the wooden monstrosity that would later become the Apple is a nice touch, as is the multiple pizza boxes behind him.
You can click on the pic above (or hit the Read link below) for a bigger version of the image, to take it all in. The vintage Popular Mechanics on the wall behind the wooden monstrosity that would later become the Apple is a nice touch, as is the multiple pizza boxes behind him.
TUAW Buyers Guide: Gifts for gamers
If you're shopping for one of us this holiday season, here's a quick guide to a few good gift ideas.
Remove iTunes DRM easily and quickly with iMovie HD
Fortunately, as long as you can hear the music you buy, there'll always be a simple way around the DRM, and 5thirtyone has put together this simple writeup explaining how to break iTunes DRM with a tool you've already got on your Mac: iMovie. Essentially, you load the DRM-ed file as a soundtrack in iMovie, export it as an .aiff file back into iTunes, and then convert it in iTunes back to AAC. Simple enough.
This makes you question why DRM is there in the first place. Sure, the record companies might be pushing it on Apple, but if it's this easy and simple to do, exactly what leg are they standing on to justify it in the first place?
Ask TUAW: Picking boot OS, RF remotes with Front Row, Finder view options and more
We're still catching up on some of our Ask TUAW question backlog. So in this round we'll tackle questions on RF remotes and Front Row, Leopard compatibility problems, view options in the Finder, getting rid of duplicate files, using an EFI bootpicker, and more.
As always your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. And now to the questions!
As always your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. And now to the questions!
Continue reading Ask TUAW: Picking boot OS, RF remotes with Front Row, Finder view options and more