TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 3 January 2011

Mailsmith 2.3 — Stickshift Software has released an update to Mailsmith, the free email client alternative originally created by Bare Bones Software. The new Mailsmith 2.3 is the first version to require Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later. The update adds new menu options to Rebuild Mailboxes and Reconstruct Mailboxes, which the developer suggests should be used only exceedingly sparingly, and on the advice of “someone with access to the Mailsmith source code.” Also new in this version are advanced options (accessible only via Terminal commands) to disable Mac OS X’s warnings about launching file attachments, and another that
should improve launch times for folks who don’t use Time Machine. Detailed release notes (and instructions for those Terminal commands) are available at the Mailsmith Web site. Note that existing Mailsmith users must update to Mailsmith 2.1.5 before upgrading to version 2.3. (Free, 24.9 MB)

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VirtualBox 4.0 — Virtualization software VirtualBox has been updated to version 4.0. This major release reorganizes the software into a base package with numerous Extension Packs. The interface has been reworked significantly, and new virtual hardware has been introduced, too. Detailed release notes are available at the VirtualBox Web site. (Free, 79.2 MB)

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SpellCatcher X 10.3.7 — Bad spellers, untie! Rainmaker has released SpellCatcher X 10.3.7, a minor update that adds a few minor features, along with a few minor fixes. The software now includes a Quick Look generator, which can create previews of various SpellCatcher documents. Soft hyphen characters are handled better when spell checking, and the software now behaves better with Google Chrome. Also fixed are a potential crash and a problem with shortcuts imported from TypeIt4Me and TextExpander. ($39.95 new, free update, 21.4 MB)

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GraphicConverter 7.0.3 — Lemkesoft didn’t take time off to ring in 2011; the company instead was hard at work on GraphicConverter 7.0.3, the latest version of its popular image manipulation software. The update adds full screen previews for browser files and new preferences for handling selection handles and clipboard kind selection. The Find submenu has been optimized, a new keyboard shortcut for Zoom to 100% is introduced (Command-#), and more options for slideshow time intervals are available too. Full release notes are available at
Lemkesoft’s site. ($39.95 new, free update, 100 MB)

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iPhoto ’11 9.1.1 — Apple wants to make holiday photos even easier to share, based on its recent release of iPhoto ’11 9.1.1, which includes several specific fixes and improvements. Most notably, you can now set a preference to open a specific external email application when you send photos (rather than relying on iPhoto ’11’s built-in email capability), and two new email themes are available. You can choose whether to attach photos in small, medium, or large sizes when attaching them within iPhoto, too. Upgrading from earlier versions of iPhoto is now more reliable and preserves the sort order for events. Other
bugs addressed include duplicated photos in MobileMe albums, issues with sorting photos by rating, and problems with inaccessible text formatting controls when editing a photo calendar. ($49 new as part of iLife ’11, free update, 62.09 MB)

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Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.5 — Apple’s latest Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update extends Aperture 3 and iPhoto ’11 support to seven more cameras. Newly supported cameras include the Canon PowerShot G12, Leica D-Lux 5, Leica V-Lux 2, Nikon D7000, Nikon COOLPIX P7000, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The update is available via Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads page. Apple also publishes a full list of supported cameras. (Free, 6.3 MB)

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Opera 11 — If neither Safari nor Chrome nor Firefox tickle your Web browsing fancy, there’s always Opera 11, the latest version of the other, other, other browser. The address field is revamped, in an aim to “hide the complexity of long Web addresses.” A new auto-update feature ensures that your extensions and Opera Unite applications remain current. The Personal bar is gone, and in its place is the new Opera Bookmarks bar. Opera now supports extensions—which, like Safari’s, are based on HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Plug-ins (like Flash) now only load when you click on them, the Presto rendering engine is updated, the
Mail panel has undergone many improvements, and many other changes round out the release. (Free, 13.2 MB)

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Raskin 1.2 — The Finder alternative Raskin has been bumped to version 1.2. The zooming interface—named for the late interface guru and Macintosh pioneer Jef Raskin—now sports a new look, Bird’s-Eye Application Windows, automatic scrolling, and the capability to hide files and folders. Also new in this version is the enhanced drag-and-drop functionality, along with 40 other tweaks and fixes. ($49 new, 2 licenses for $55 through 15 January 2011; free update; 2.8 MB)

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Airfoil 4.0 — The kindly unicellular folk at Rogue Amoeba have released Airfoil for Mac 4.0, a substantial update to the company’s software for wirelessly sending audio from your Mac to other devices (including other computers, iOS devices, and Apple TV). Beyond its revamped interface, the new version of Airfoil packs in a variety of new features. Airfoil Speakers can now initiate connections back to Airfoil, so that you can start receiving audio remotely. And, with Airfoil Video Player’s new Web mode, you can watch Internet video and play the audio remotely, in sync. ($25 new, $10 upgrade, 11.1 MB)

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Evernote 2.0 — The Mac version of the software for memory-keeping service Evernote has hit version 2.0. New features include the capability to share your notebooks directly from the desktop software, without needing to visit the Evernote Web site. A new way to view and combine notebooks—called Stacks—also arrives in this version. Rounding out the release are a redesigned left panel to improve the experience for folks with lots of notebooks and saved searches, easier file attachment, support for up to 250 notebooks, and a new Getting Started Guide. (Free, 19.3 MB)

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iTunes 10.1.1 — Apple has released a minor update to its Swiss Army knife of desktop media and iOS syncing software, iTunes 10.1.1. The bugs fixed resolve an issue where music videos wouldn’t play back properly on certain Macs, and another where iTunes could unexpectedly quit when deleting playlists. Also corrected are syncing issues: one affecting PowerPC processor-based Macs and another where music videos wouldn’t sync to iOS devices. (Free, 90.5 MB)

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LED Cinema Display Firmware Update 1.0 — Since Apple always monitors issues with its displays closely, the company has released LED Cinema Display Firmware Update 1.0, a fix for audio problems with the company’s 27-inch LED Cinema Display. The update specifically corrects an issue where audio from your Mac can become inaudible when you’re piping sound through the Cinema Display, until you reconnect it or restart your Mac. The installer will place the firmware update in your Utilities folder and launch the updater automatically. (Free, 957 KB)

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Canon (2.4.1), FujiXerox (2.1), and Lexmark (2.3.1) Printer Drivers — Apple has released a trio of updates to its printer drivers for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. The updates provide the latest drivers for printers from Lexmark (version 2.3.1), FujiXerox (version 2.1), and Canon (version 2.4.1). More information on installing the updates, including a list of supported printers, is available on Apple’s Web site. (Free updates)

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Rumpus 7 — There’s a new Rumpus among us! Maxum Development has released version 7 of its software for running your own high-performance FTP and Web file transfer server. The new version can trigger automatic administrator messages when specific events occur, and enables the creation of Folder Triggers so specific users are notified when files arrive or change. Other key improvements include new built-in SSL support and a revamped Web File Manager. Also included are numerous improvements and simplifications for Drop Shipments and the control application. Enhanced Open Directory integration now allows for finer-grained
permission controls. ($269 new, free update from version 6, variable-pricing for upgrading from earlier versions, 10.8 MB)

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Sound Studio 4.0.1 — Felt Tip has released Sound Studio 4.0.1, a major update to its audio recording and editing software. The app now runs natively in 64-bit, though it still can run in 32-bit mode—and must to use certain plug-ins. The redesigned interface now consists of a single window. Other new features include output level meters, markers in the sidebar, simplified playback and recording transport, and improved AudioUnit hosting, along with many bug fixes. Sound Studio 4 requires an Intel-based Mac and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher. ($79.99 new, $30 upgrade, 8.6 MB)

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BBEdit 9.6.2 — Bare Bones Software has released version 9.6.2 of its powerful text editor BBEdit. As is the norm, the release is accompanied by exquisitely detailed release notes. Highlights include newly introduced syntax coloring and function navigation for JSON and automatic generation of XHTML markup when creating HTML5 documents. Several dozen bug fixes are included, too. Among them are fixes for several CVS and Subversion-related errors, improved performance when running Replace All on very large documents, a correction for the RGB values
of CSS’s green, and a fix for services returning UTF-16 data erroneously truncating that data. ($125 new, but on sale for $99 through 6 January 2011; free update; 15.9 MB)

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Disc Cover 3.0.1 — If your cover album needs an album cover, take note: BeLight has released Disc Cover 3, the latest version of its software for creating CD and DVD covers on your Mac. Version 3 introduces 140 new template kits, 30 new collage templates, 20 new LightScribe templates, and more than 15,000 new clip art images (in the Retail Edition). The software now includes support for seven industry-standard barcodes, and also packs in some interface niceties, among them a video tutorial, multitouch gestures, and improved Quick Look performance.

Version 3 also introduces support for duplex printers and multi-page booklets, along with improved iDVD importing. In addition, a variety of new text and layout options allow for ever more fanciful cover creations.

An even more recent 3.0.1 release fixes a variety of very minor bugs, including erratic behavior after using the Revert to Saved command and an Inspector window that could go missing. ($34.95 new for Standard edition; $44.95 new for Retail edition; $19.95 upgrade for customers who bought version 2 on or after 1 August 2010; 60.2 MB)

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Printopia 1.0.4 — Ecamm, the prince of prints, has released version 1.0.4 of its clever Printopia utility for the Mac—software that lets you use any printer with iOS’s AirPrint. If your Mac can print to it, Printopia enables your iPhone and iPad to print to it, too. The new version adds support for selecting your desired paper size, fixes compatibility issues with certain printers, and adds support for duplex printing to certain Canon printers. The Mac’s print queue window now opens if a printing error occurs, and interaction with the Mac OS X firewall is now improved, too. The update also corrects an issue where
Printopia could prevent automatic sleep. ($9.95 new, free update, 1.3 MB)

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Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 14.0.2 Update — Microsoft has released a stability-boosting Office for Mac 2011 14.0.2. The update improves reliability when opening Office for Mac documents with third-party software. It also addresses a hilariously recursive (and annoying) issue where the Office for Mac Updater asks you to close Microsoft AutoUpdate when installing Office updates, which could halt the update process itself. (Whoops!) Also included is a fix for an Outlook 2011 crash that could occur when you imported .pst files with blank category names. The update
applies to all versions of Office for Mac 2011. (Free update, 110.5 MB)

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