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TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 11 August 2014

GraphicConverter 9.3 — Lemkesoft has released GraphicConverter 9.3 with several newly added features. The venerable graphic conversion and editing utility now has support for recording mouse clicks, exporting keyword palette entries as a text file, applying a browser extension filter to folders, and exporting a lossy PNG file. Other additions include the Lens Correction, Gradient Intensity, and Edges effects. GraphicConverter 9.3 also improves the speed of the browser, adds alpha channel support to multicrop, improves the Save for Web dialog, ensures the browser info pane remembers the last selected
tab, and fixes several instances of possible crashes. Note that the Mac App Store edition is still stuck on version 9.2.1 as of this writing. ($39.95 new, free update, 239 MB, release notes, 10.7+)

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Mactracker 7.3.3 — Ian Page has released Mactracker 7.3.3, which adds recent releases for the MacBook Pro (see “Apple Upgrades 2014 MacBook Pro CPUs and RAM, Lowers Prices,” 29 July 2014) and 21.5-inch iMac (see “Apple Introduces Entry-Level iMac for $1,099,” 18 June 2014). The popular encyclopedia of Apple products gains details about the latest OS X and iOS releases, the 16 GB configuration of the iPod touch (5th generation), and the Apple Lisa and Apple Lisa 2. It also updates Support Status for Apple’s latest Vintage and Obsolete
products. (Free from Mactracker Web site or Mac App Store, 34.6 MB, release notes)

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Airfoil 4.8.8 — Rogue Amoeba has released Airfoil 4.8.8, a small but important update to the audio transmission utility. The release addresses several changes that Apple made to its Gatekeeper system and restores compatibility for those running (the as-yet-unreleased) OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks and later. Additionally, update improves how it filters its background processes for the Source pop-up menu, restores the capability to capture Text to Speech audio, and provides relevant track titles to Nicecast when using Airfoil Speakers. ($25 new with a 20 percent discount for TidBITS members, free update, 14.9 MB, release notes, 10.7+)

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iTunes 11.3.1 — Apple has released iTunes 11.3.1 with a couple of podcast-related fixes. The update squashes a bug that prevented subscribed podcasts from updating with new episodes and rectifies an issue that caused iTunes to become unresponsive while browsing podcast episodes in List view. iTunes 11.3.1 is available as a direct download from Apple’s iTunes Web page or via Software Update. (Free, 229 MB, 10.6.8+)

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Carbon Copy Cloner 3.5.6 — Bombich Software has released Carbon Copy Cloner 3.5.6, a small maintenance release for the backup utility. The update improves the implementation of a bug fix that was introduced in version 3.5.5 related to handling corrupted Access Control List entries, fixes a Drobo-related issue that resulted in the backup task being aborted prematurely, improves filtering of errors caused by a Synology NAS file sharing server’s inability to serve up Synology-proprietary extended attributes, prohibits copying a source volume with ownership disabled directly to the startup disk, and withdraws a configuration change
that did not improve detection of dropped connections to a remote Macintosh. ($39.95 new, free update, 10.8 MB, release notes, 10.6+)

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Hider 2.1 — MacPaw has released version 2.1 of its Hider app, which enables you to hide and encrypt private data on your Mac (see Nick Mediati’s review, “Hider 2 Promises File Privacy for the Masses,” 8 May 2014). The update restructures the vault database for improved handling of unforeseen interruptions and adds advanced secure erase options added that make traces of hidden files unrecoverable. Hider 2.1 also introduces the capability to select a custom primary vault location on your drive, improves the workflow for external drives, adds a user interface state preservation,
improves compatibility with FAT and ExFAT external drives, and adds drag-and-drop support for the Hider menu bar icon. A free 15-day trial is available at the MacPaw Web site, and Hider 2.1 is available via the Mac App Store. ($19.99 new, free update, 5.7 MB, release notes, 10.8+)

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DEVONthink/DEVONnote 2.7.7 — DEVONtechnologies has updated all three editions of DEVONthink (Personal, Pro, and Pro Office) and DEVONnote to version 2.7.7, adding recognition of source code files from Apple’s new Swift programming language (for more on Swift, see Michael Cohen’s “Swift: Who Is Apple’s New Programming Language For?,” 12 June 2014). The three editions of the DEVONthink document and information manager also improve the speed and reliability of importing and indexing
files; retain more metadata in exported documents; pre-fill the Save panel with tags (when running OS X 10.9 Mavericks); ensure that scroll position, insertion mark position, and selection are retained when toggling views; scale images in new formatted notes or notes imported from Evernote; and work around unspecified issues with the Yosemite Public Beta. All editions of DEVONthink and DEVONnote now require 10.7.5 Lion at minimum if purchased from the DEVONtechnologies Web site. If you purchased DEVONthink Personal or DEVONnote from the Mac App Store, 10.8.3
Mountain Lion or later is required. Note, however, that both of those Mac App Store titles have yet to be updated to version 2.7.7 as of this writing. (All updates are free. DEVONthink Pro Office, $149.95 new, release notes; DEVONthink Professional, $79.95 new, release notes; DEVONthink Personal, $49.95 new, release notes; DEVONnote, $24.95 new, release notes; 25 percent discount for TidBITS members on all editions of DEVONthink and DEVONnote. 10.7.5+)

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