Archive for the 'Linkage' Category

Today the MacEnterprise project will be hosting a live webcast on the Leopard Wiki Server. The MacEnterprise project is a fantastic resource for IT professionals who need to support Macs in the enterprise. Apple’s Senior Product Manager, Nader Nafissi, will provide an overview of the features and services in Mac OS 10.5 Server’s newest collaboration and communication tool.

Unlike a lot of Apple’s bundled open source server tools, the wiki is a homegrown solution. Apple’s engineers have done extraordinary work, which is saying quite a lot considering we are talking about a wiki.

Yesterday, TweakerSoft’s VectorDesign was revealed as the final app for the current MacHeist 2 Bundle. As Pixelmator is to Adobe PhotoShop, VectorDesign is to Adobe Illustrator. For those of us who want to be able to create and edit vector graphics (.svg, .eps, etc.), but don’t want to spend several hundred dollars, VectorDesign looks to fill the void.

MacHeist aims to bring the best shareware from the brightest independent Mac software developers to the masses. We’ve already highlighted the contents of the bundle, but since then all of the original apps have been unlocked - Speed Download has been included, and two games from FreeVerse have been added as well. So now VectorDesign has been included as well.

Today is the one day in every Apple fanatic’s calendar year that anything can happen. Steve Jobs himself, will be kicking off the Macworld keynote in San Francisco today. Last year, he unveiled the iPhone and this year, the rumors are high for an Apple ultra-portable (Macook Air?), an AppleTV update, or even a Mac based tablet. The keynote kicks off at 9AM PST / 12PM EST with Steve Jobs taking the stage in the Moscone Center. If you aren’t fortunate enough to see the iCEO in the flesh, there are many sites covering the keynote. Here are some of my favorites.

MacHeist II is shaping into another really great success this time around as they quickly approach their target of $100,000 for charity. The screenshot and video capture utility Snapz Pro X (a $69 program) was just recently added to the bundle, which seemed to cause a flurry of purchases. I think in the next 24 hours or sooner we should see the bundle fully unlocked and Pixelmator also added to the package.

Update: The recently released image editing app Pixelmator has also just been added to the bundle, making it an extremely attractive offering at only $49. Also a portion of the money collected is going to several worthy charities.

This years Macworld event running January 14th-18th in San Francisco is easily the most popular and widely discussed Macworld event ever. With over 400 exhibitors, tons of buzz about potential hardware releases, and lots of BOOM from the Steve, we will all surely be encompassed by the reality distortion field well before the week ends.

The blogosphere has been super busy the last few weeks with rumors, red herrings, and buzz on what to expect at this years Macworld. Here is a list of my favorites.

If there was one significant announcement in Mac shareware this year, it would be the MacHeist 2 bundle. Just announced minutes ago, the bundle is a seriously good deal.

Over the past month or so, MacHeist members were involved in several missions (or heists), where each heist would unlock a small set of Mac apps. At the end of it all the bundle would be unlocked for all to be purchased.

Even before the unveiling, there was a general feeling that the bundle would be amazing; I mean, just look at their Macworld ad:

The second iteration of MacHeist seems to be rapidly approaching the “Bundle” release stage of its life cycle. According to an e-mail sent out by the MacHeist team, “…be sure to drop by at 7PM EST on Tuesday for the big bundle reveal party. We promise it’ll be the biggest, best Mac bundle ever…”

While the contents of the Bundle can be likened to the secrecy of an Apple keynote, some slips have been (intentionally?) let out, and some of the included software seems to have been revealed. Read along to see what’s bound to show up.

A few weeks ago the nice guys at Sumo sent me one of their Omni beanbag chairs, and first off, I have to mention that I don’t think I’ve used my desk much since. Being a tech writer, and this a mac-oriented blog, you may ask: Of all random things, why a beanbag?

Well, this really just isn’t your run-of-the-mill beanbag, it’s at the top of it’s class. The first thing I noticed when it showed up on my doorstep was the pure size of it, however, that’s in now way a bad thing. Once I unpacked it all, there really was no other option than to let it catch your fall.

As much as we all enjoy the user interface of Mac OS X, sometimes we need a change. The Mac community has been responsive to this need of many people. As a result we’ve see many app like CandyBar and Shapeshifter. But where do we go to find these wonderful enhancements to our favorite Graphic User Interface?

MacintoshGUI is a site that showcases one Mac goodie everyday, either an icon, desktop, theme or any other GUI enhancers you would like to submit which you can use to customize your Mac. With ratings, user submissions, and a linear archive system, it’s really easy to share your favourite Mac-design related GUI goodies.

We strive to review and preview the latest and greatest applications for OS X here at Macapper, but if there is one thing I have relied on over the years, it has been several Mac Software download sites. They have pointed me in the right direction when looking for even the most obscure application. And as this blog and others can attest to, there are so many obscure and cool apps floating out there.

This list is by no means definitive but here is a list of my 7 must-know software download repositories for the best in Mac software, and more. Let me know if I missed any!

You probably read the title wondering, “What is Magnetism Studios?” It is more likely that you have heard of Monkey Business Labs or Insanely Great Tees. Well Magnetism Studios is a new parent company created to combine Monkey Business Labs and Insanely Great Tees along with some other cool new stuff under one roof. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to Joshua Keay, one of the masterminds behind it all.

As the Christmas season approaches, I am starting to see a change in the Mac development community, and I have a sense that things are really changing for the better. When I used to use Windows, many of the programs I bought were in boxes from stores. But now that I use a Mac, things are quite different. The developers are different. The apps are different. And I think that the Mac development community is undergoing a monumental change this Christmas season.

Joel over at MacUpdate has just sent word that the MacUpdate Promo team has now launched their 2nd bundle promo. The first MUPromo bundle about half a year ago was a huge success, and this time around there is some more really great software up for grabs. If you haven’t heard of the MacUpdate bundles they are quite a unique way to save a really significant amount of skrill on Mac software.

The deal works by buying the 7 program bundle at $49.99 within the 9 day cut-off point (started just now). So right off the bat you get $234 worth of software for $49. That’s quite a savings.

Yesterday afternoon, I received an email from Realmac Software that informed me of a promotion that goes by the name of “Give Good Food to Your Mac.” At first I thought “Huh? Is this a software bundle dedicated to diet and recipe apps? That sort of sounds like an oxymoron bundle…” After clicking through to the special “VIP” preview page, I saw that it was actually something completely different.

Browsing through Flickr earlier today, I discovered a lot of photos of the Leopard launch from around the world. The images really made me wish I could have been in line myself today, but then again from the look of the size of some of the queues, maybe it’s more fun just gandering at them from my desk.

Without further ado, here is the Leopard launch, from six different locations. Special thanks to the Flickr users for providing these great images.