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TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 03-Nov-08

  • Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.4 Update fixes a problem in Entourage introduced in the recent 12.1.3 update where Exchange accounts could not send or receive meeting invitations and responses. Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.3 is required for the update to work. It’s available as a standalone download or by choosing Check for Updates from the Help menu in any Office 2008 application. (Free update, 16 MB)
  • iKey 2.3.1r2 from Script Software is the first major update to the popular keyboard macro tool in a long time, after a new programmer took over the code. Version 2.3 fixes a number of user interface problems that cropped up when running in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, along with a Leopard-specific problem related to shortcuts that type text. The subsequent 2.3.1 and 2.3.1r2 updates fix new issues that caused problems in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. ($30 new, free update, 5.2 MB)
  • TextExpander 2.5 from SmileOnMyMac updates the typing shortcut utility with several new features and some minor bug fixes. Added features include customizable date and time math snippets – enabling users to add or subtract years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds from the current date and time. A new Internet productivity snippet group includes AppleScript scripts that automatically shorten URLs by utilizing online services such as TinyURL. And finally, a Symbol snippet group adds the capability to enter commonly used symbols such as copyright, trademark, euro, Command, Option, and Control. Bug fixes are unspecified other than one that,
    according to SmileOnMyMac’s Web site, enables, “%- and %+ to abandon or keep delimiter on a per-snippet basis.” ($29.95 new, free update, 5.6 MB)
  • SpamSieve 2.7.2 from C-Command Software is the latest update to the powerful Bayesian spam filtering software. Changes include improved filter accuracy, enhanced performance, refined error reporting, a training program bug fix that prevents the possibility of interruption, and a break into two separate plug-ins for Apple Mail – one for Mac OS X 10.4 and one for Mac OS X 10.5 and later – that auto-install based on your version of Mac OS X. ($30 new, free update, 5.6 MB)
  • Fission 1.6 from Rogue Amoeba updates the audio editor with several new features and bug fixes. The most significant addition is the MakeiPhoneRingtone feature that enables users to save any file, in any format, as an iPhone ringtone. According to Rogue Amoeba’s Web site, other changes include “…the ability to Insert Silence into a file, a command to set the exact location of the playhead, software updates via Sparkle, and almost two dozen additional improvements and bug fixes.” To find the full list of changes in version 1.6, from within the program go to Help > Fission Manual > Version History. ($32 new, free update, 3.2 MB)

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