This week’s focus falls squarely on utilities, with Adam’s follow-up about Aladdin Desktop Tools; the second part of Tonya’s look at desktop launching programs, this time focusing on Square One; and Patrick Pruyne’s detailed review of Conflict Catcher 3. Also check out announcements of a new version of the Apple QuickTake digital camera and of updates to two essential Internet utilities for Mac users, Anarchie 1.5 and Internet Config 1.1.
InfoSeek has made a number of changes recently that might be of interest. They've added a 20 cent per search "pay as you go" plan and a $1.95 per month for 10 free searches plan for less frequent users, brought online several new databases of information (including a database of 200,000 Web pages), made the full text of InfoWorld part of the Computer Periodicals standard collection rather than a premium collection, and created a Personal Newswire service that enables you to record and replay frequent searches
New Heights of Anarchie -- Peter Lewis has released version 1.5 of Anarchie, his highly-regarded Macintosh FTP and Archie client. Version 1.5 now includes Internet Config support, the ability to send raw FTP commands (such as the ever-useful SITE INDEX), improved Finder-like behavior in its directory windows, more complete URL support, and improved file uploading (including handling of MacBinary mode)
Internet Config 1.1 -- Peter Lewis and Quinn have also released Internet Config 1.1. As originally reported in TidBITS-255, Internet Config stores a central set of global Internet settings for use by Internet Config-savvy applications, such as Anarchie, NewsWatcher, and NewsHopper
Apple QuickTake 150 -- Following on the mixed success of the QuickTake 100, Apple has introduced an improved version of the QuickTake in an effort to show that it's still serious about the digital camera market
My review of Aladdin Desktop Tools in TidBITS-275 prompted a number of email messages last week, a few due to an oversight about SpeedyFinder7, and a few due to points I missed or cut for space reasons.
First, I must clarify that SpeedyFinder7 has been removed from distribution
It's time for Part II of our three-part series on desktop launcher programs, those programs that supplement the way your Finder works by giving you tiles that represent your files, folders, and disks
Casady & Greene's major upgrade of Conflict Catcher moves the previously shadowy task of system extension management to front and center. No longer content with being just an indispensable aid in ferreting out incompatible system components, Conflict Catcher 3 offers enhanced features, easy control via the menubar, and much more.
Duct Tape and Baling Wire -- In earlier days, system extensions were the exception rather than the rule