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TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 5 March 2012

Mac OS X 10.7.3 Supplemental Update — Apple has released Mac OS X 10.7.3 Supplemental Update, a tiny update to Lion that “resolves an issue when restoring a Mac from a Time Machine backup.” That’s it, Apple offers no other information. We’re guessing the issue in question was important enough to warrant this release now, instead of rolling it into a future system update. The update is small: only 38 KB on my MacBook Pro, although the standalone download is 24.55 MB. (Free, 24.55 MB)

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Hazel 3.0.1 — Noodlesoft has released Hazel 3.0, a paid upgrade to its file cleanup utility that features a revamped rule engine. At its core, the new rule engine uses a prediction engine so that Hazel wakes up only when it needs to, and it no longer polls the disk (save for a few exceptions), resulting in use of fewer system resources. The new version should also work better with external drives, as it won’t constantly re-run a rule if the drive is unavailable. Among Hazel’s many new features, highlights include scheduling support for rules via the new Current Time attribute, a new Sync action to synchronize
(one-way) a file or folder to another location, conditions for matching files when sorted for most/least recent, the capability to pause rule processing on a folder, and the capability to export custom tokens via AppleScript for use in patterns of subsequent actions. The new user interface enables you to reorder conditions and actions by dragging and uses popovers for easier rule editing. It’s rounded out by “tons of fixes and tweaks.” A quick 3.0.1 release addresses some crashing bugs and user interface problems. ($25 new, $10 upgrade, 4.7 MB, release notes)

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GraphicConverter 7.6.2 — Lemkesoft has released GraphicConverter 7.6.2, an update to the well-regarded graphics software that adds a number of new features. The new version’s additions include an unexplained Equalizer, support for IptcCore contact data, a shortcut for the Xe847 filter, font preview in the font popup, an indicator for display of images with unapplied XMP changes (used by Adobe Lightroom), and trackpad zooming during a slideshow. The update also fixes a possible bug with the Clipboard on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, a crash during export of a slideshow as a movie, and many smaller bugs.
($39.95 new from Lemkesoft or from the Mac App Store, free update, 124 MB, release notes)

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DEVONthink Personal, Pro, and Pro Office 2.3.3 — DEVONtechnologies has updated all three editions of DEVONthink (Personal, Pro, and Pro Office) to version 2.3.3. All three of the “smart information assistant” software titles add support for Adium chatlog files and Google Chrome bookmarks, improve indexing of OmniOutliner 3 files, add a contextual menu command for updating saved bookmarks, and provide more reliable indexing of Web archives with Safari 5.1.x or later. The Pro and Pro Office releases add a Delete Database option to the contextual menu for moving databases to the Trash, improve display
of unread items in news feeds when the option to display numbers inside groups is switched off, and fix instances where moving unsaved documents to other databases did not save them. For a complete list of additions, fixes, and improvements, see the release notes for the Pro Office edition, which covers all three editions. ($49.95/$79.95/$149.95 new, free updates, 17.7 to 28.6 MB)

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Firmware Update for MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008 Models) — Apple has released MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.8, which specifically targets 15-inch models released in late 2008. This update resolves a graphics issue that may cause the internal display to flicker. To ensure you get the firmware update only if it’s necessary, we recommend relying on Software Update; if the update doesn’t appear for you, it’s not appropriate for your Mac. (Free, 1.8 MB)

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HandBrake 0.9.6 — Continuing on its 12- to 14-month release trajectory, version 0.9.6 of the open-source video conversion program HandBrake has been released with a long list of encoding updates, tweaks, and bug fixes. At the top of the list, the release improves audio gain control, adds the MPEG-2 video encoder as well as AAC and FLAC (MKV only) audio encoders, improves handling of DVD subtitles, and improves the decomb filter. The release does not fix a break that occurred when VLC 2.0 was recently released (VLC provides the necessary DVD decrypting libraries) but the release notes provide a link to download the required libdvdcss
library file if you have updated to VLC 2.0. Live Preview window widgets are updated to work under Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, but support for 10.5 Leopard has been taken away. Be sure to read the detailed release notes for a complete list of updates and fixes, and to download the VLC library file. (Free, 7.1 MB)

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Fetch 5.7.1 — Fetch Softworks has released Fetch 5.7.1, a maintenance update for the venerable file transfer client that’s full of fixes and corrections. The new version features a change in SFTP behavior to honor SSH config settings and avoid requiring a dummy password for connections using public key authentication. It fixes crashes in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion caused by the 3ivx video codec, and in 10.4 Tiger when Fetch was launched; instances where certain failed downloads weren’t automatically retried; and a problem that caused slow file list acquisition for folders with more than 10,000 items. Feedback is improved during
mirror and large transfer operations, as is compatibility with servers that take more than 30 seconds to start or finish a transfer. ($29 new from Fetch Softworks or the Mac App Store with a 20-percent discount for TidBITS members and free for educational users, free update from 5.5 or later, $10 upgrade for earlier purchases, 11.3 MB, release notes)

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TextExpander 3.4.1 — Gearing up for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Smile has released TextExpander 3.4.1, which has been updated with the Smile developer ID that is used by Mountain Lion’s Gatekeeper security feature (see “Gatekeeper Slams the Door on Mac Malware Epidemics,” 16 February 2012). The release also improves expansion reliability in iWork applications, solves many instances of transposed letters, adds two use properties to AppleScript support, and adds a new Sort by Most Used capability. It’s rounded out by several
minor fixes. ($34.95 new with a 20-percent discount for TidBITS members, free update, 5.9 MB)

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iMac Wi-Fi Update 1.0 — Apple has released the iMac Wi-Fi Update 1.0, which is recommended for all iMacs released since late 2009 that are running Mac OS X 10.7.3. The update resolves an issue that can prevent an iMac from automatically connecting to a known Wi-Fi network after waking from sleep. It’s available for direct download, but it’s easier to get through Software Update, where it will appear only if it’s necessary for your iMac. (Free, 25.81 MB)

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