Archive for the 'Software' Category
Apple took a leap into the enterprise market last Friday with the release of the iPhone firmware 2.0, a free downloadable upgrade for current first-generation users and pre-loaded on the 3G iPhone. The vault was the inclusion of full native support for Microsoft’s heavily used corporate email server, Exchange. Now, business men and women around the globe would be able to get their email on their iPhone in real-time. In other words, when new email appeared in their Inbox on their Mac or PC at the office, it would also be on the iPhone. This method is termed “push” as in pushing email to your phone rather than the phone checking for new email every 15, 30, or 60 minutes per user defined settings.
Push email has its advantages, like being constantly up to date with your email, but it also has some nasty cons. Users that see a large influx of email coming in throughout the day will find heavy battery usage due to the constant pushing of messages. Instead of holding off at a minimum of every 15 minutes to get your email, now your messages are filling up your iPhone every minute a new message is sent to you. If you receive 10 messages in 15 minutes, your iPhone will have 10 active sessions with your Exchange server within those 15 minutes. Multiple this by the hours in your day of heavy traffic and you’ll notice a red battery on your iPhones screen real fast. Add the 3G iPhone to the mix and it may be at 20% by the end of lunch. Not that this problem isn’t reserved just for Exchange users, but also Apple’s new MobileMe is effected by this issue as well. Anytime high traffic email is pushed to your iPhone, your phone will be draining its battery very quickly.
There are ways around this battery dump for your iPhone. In the Settings section, you will find the third icon labeled “Fetch New Data”. Tapping this brings up various settings. The first is “Push” which lets you turn it on or off. If you have more than one push account, say your Exchange server at work and your personal MobileMe, you can tap the “Advanced” selection on the bottom of the screen and then individually disable push for each account to allow you to retain, say your work email to be pushed and not your personal mail.
Push technology is not a new problem for batteries and it’s one Apple needs to actively find a solution to. Other manufactures such a Research In Motion (BlackBerry) have made great strives in keeping the battery juiced throughout the day while still receiving lots of email. If Apple wishes to overtake the millions of BlackBerrys in the enterprise, it needs to get this battery drain plugged.
Ergonis Software today announced the release of Typinator 3.1, the latest version of its highly acclaimed tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos system-wide across all Mac OS X applications.
The new version integrates the recently released HTML snippets set providing over 100 abbreviations for elements of the HTML 4.01 standard. Typinator 3.1 also improves compatibility with many popular applications like Coda, VMWare Fusion, Butler, Zend Studio, and others. In addition to many functional improvements, the menu bar icon has been redesigned to better match the style of Apple’s menu extras - and for the user interface purists, it can now even be turned off. Visit Ergonis Software’s website at http://www.ergonis.com/typinator to learn more about all changes in the release and to download and try the new version.
Typinator is a powerful, yet elegantly simple solution that works across all applications to detect specific sequences of typed characters and automatically replace them with text snippets, graphics, URLs, dates and special characters.
For business users, Typinator leads to a layer of operational consistency and productivity across heterogeneous applications. A standard customer service response, a signature image on an email, a clause in a contract – each of these can be inserted in any application with just a couple of keystrokes. For technical users, Typinator automates typing of code and the implementation of documentation standards.
Visit Ergonis Software’s website at http://www.ergonis.com/typinator to learn more about the changes in the release and to download and try the new version.
Availability and Pricing:
Typinator can be purchased securely on the Ergonis Software website. The upgrade to Typinator 3.1 is free for anyone who purchased Typinator in the last 2 years. For information about purchases, including enterprise licenses, volume discounts, and upgrade pricing offers, visit the website at http://www.ergonis.com/typinator.
Instead of purchasing Typinator by itself, customers can get the Macility Productivity Bundle that also contains two of the company’s other productivity tools, PopChar X and KeyCue. The pricing of the Productivity Bundle represents a saving of more than 35% over the separate purchase of its components. More information about the Productivity Bundle can be found at http://www.ergonis.com/productivity.
Typinator 3.1 requires Mac OS X version 10.4 or newer, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) is recommended.
James Tagg, Truphone’s CEO, said: “What Truphone for the iPhone does is really simple but absolutely sensational: it gives people low-priced international calls, whether they want to phone someone abroad or avoid roaming charges when making calls from abroad.
“With just a few clicks to download and install Truphone, anyone can afford to take their iPhone on holiday this summer – or call their friends and family abroad,” he added.
Truphone enables an iPhone to make calls to any number over the internet instead of over GSM, at Truphone’s fabulous internet rates. The rates are especially competitive for international calls, including landlines in 40 countries at GBP0.03 [USD0.06] per minute and mobiles at just GBP0.15 [USD0.30] per minute. To Canada, the USA and China, even calls to mobiles are just GBP0.03 [USD0.06] per minute.
Making a call using Truphone is exactly like making any other call on the iPhone: a single touch to bring the dialler up on the touch screen, touch-dial the number or choose from the iPhone’s own address book, and a touch to start the call. [Visit www.truphone.com/iphone to see a preview video of Truphone on the iPhone.]
Truphone for the iPhone is available to download from Apple’s new App Store for free. There are no monthly subscriptions or other charges. Visit www.truphone.com/iphone for more information.
Truphone pricing
Wi-Fi calls to countries in the Tru Zone always cost the same amazing flat rate, from anywhere in the world. This means a Truphone call on your iPhone to Sydney or London or Moscow or Rio always costs just 3p/6c per minute to landlines and 15p/30c per minute to mobiles. The majority of the world’s mobile users are in the Tru Zone - it includes the UK, Brazil, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, almost all of Europe, and loads more countries besides. Calls to USA, Canada and China are even lower still: a flat 3p/min to call landlines and mobiles. Customers receive free credit worth GBP2.00 [USD4.00] when they first sign up for Truphone.
) and not everyone likes iSync on a Mac. That’s where NovaMedia comes in and helps those that do wish to have a “like-one” relationship between Mac and cellular phone. FoneLink is a pretty impressive phone “suite” that will synchronize data between your phone and a Mac.
SMS message management, which includes backup and restore, using a Time Machine like interface called Time Tunnel is just one part of bring the ease and look of the Mac to FoneLink. With the addition of Quick-Sync and Quick-Text as well as support for a slew of new phones, FoneLink 2.1 may be the answer for many phone users out there looking to start a relationship between their phone and Mac.
Previous users of FoneLink will get 2.1 for free while new users can purchase it for about $34 and is available for download via a demo version from NovaMedia’s site.
“FireStarter” created NAPALM in response to the Linux desktop burner, Compiz Fire (YouTube link). FireStarter states that they will continue to develop the fun desktop burner if “interest is manifested” as according to the download page. There’s a community page and all to start that manifest under.
Sorry all you DOS-based Windows users with 9’s in the name (or a proper noun), but you’re out cold as this only runs on true 32-bit OSs by Redmond. You, unfortunately, will have to waste $5.
If you’ll be one of the millions upgrading to the 3G iPhone or sticking around with the original Super Smartphone Friday, we’ve got good news for both of yous. Well known, respected, and top sellers in their categories, SplashData will release SplashShopper, SplashID, and SplashMoney on July 11th at the Apple App Store.
Frustrated shoppers will finally be able to shop without having to wait in grocery store isles while their web application slowly updates their list. With the power found in Palm, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry versions, but the ease and look-and-feel of the iPhone, relief will come to millions of those hitting the stores this weekend. Phew! SplashShopper (screenshot pictured) will help keep your various list, to do’s, and other custom lists in check. Add the ability to share your list with friends and family as well as being able to sync your lists wirelessly (yah!), SplashShopper’s six years of mobile app’in experience will trump anything else released Friday.
SplashID (view screenshot) is another new App Store arrival from SplashData that will do more than just store passwords. Keeping your information protected with sweet encryption, SplashID has been protecting users web logins, passcodes, account numbers, and such since 2001 on Nokia S60, Palm, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry. Now add the iPhone to that list come end of the business week.
Rounding out things with a splash will be SplashMoney (see screenshot). Where Intuit has ignored Mac users for years with quality software and even more the mobile market, you can have something better for your iPhone Friday. Like SplashID and SplashShopper, SplashMoney will wirelessly sync with your desktop via the SplashSync tool keeping your personal financial data current. You’ll have complete tabs on your bank accounts and credit card charges where ever you and your iPhone will be. No Internet connection needed!
SvenOnTech has loved SplashData products from the beginning (we used its Palm and Windows Mobile stuff) and are looking forward to reviewing its iPhone offerings. But you can trust our pre-recommendation when tell you SplashData is all good.
Our beloved Ringo has just added some new free ringtones for all of those using Ringo. Made exclusively for Ringo, you won’t find these ringtones anywhere but at www.ringomo.com. Ranging in a mix of Classical, Country, Rock, Salsa (mmmm, salsa and chips) and Ragtime, you’re phone will keep things interesting with every call.
If you don’t know about Ringo, then read our review and find out why we loved it. It works for BlackBerry, WIndows Mobile, and the beloved (but forgotten?) Palm OS. With its easy to user interface and ability to play MP3s for ringtones and messages tones, why wouldn’t you get Ringo now? Ringo is available at ringomo.com for US$19.95.
Verizon Wireless, the nation’s leading wireless service provider, and Loopt® announced today that Verizon Wireless customers can now access Loopt’s interoperable location-based service.
Loopt allows friends who opt in to be located by other friends to show where the friends are located and what they are doing via detailed, interactive maps on their mobile phones. Loopt helps friends connect on the go and navigate their social lives by orienting them to people, places and events. Users can also choose to permit sharing of location updates, geo-tagged photos and comments with friends in their mobile address book or on online social networks, communities and blogs.
“Loopt helps Verizon Wireless customers stay connected to friends and share their location in a fun and interactive way,” said Ryan Hughes, vice president of digital media programming for Verizon. “Loopt enhances our customers’ real world experiences by helping friends stay informed of their friends’ lives.”
“We are on a mission to deliver Loopt to consumers everywhere, and by offering our service to Verizon Wireless customers, we’re significantly closer to achieving that goal,” said Sam Altman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Loopt. “With Loopt, Verizon Wireless customers now have a powerful tool to navigate their mobile lifestyles and easily connect with people and places around them.”
Loopt, the social mapping industry leader, offers the most intuitive and effective privacy controls and security features for end users. Loopt is 100 percent permission-based and users share location information only with their known friends via private networks. In addition, Loopt users can easily turn location-sharing on or off at any time on a friend-by-friend basis or for all friends at once. Loopt regularly works with organizations such as the Family Online Safety Institute, ConnectSafely.org, the Center for Democracy & Technology, Progress & Freedom Foundation’s Center for Digital Media Freedom, and the Internet Safety Task Force.
Loopt is available today on select Verizon Wireless phones for $3.99 monthly access in the Tools on the Go, Featured Applications and Community shopping aisles in the Get It Now® virtual store. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled handset and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.
MacGourmet Deluxe brings recipe collection and organization into the digital age. Users are able to create, edit and share recipes; make wine and cooking notes, and easily import recipes found on the Web and expand their collection. Recipes can be published to a .mac account or to a personal Web site. MacGourmet Deluxe can also create a shopping list that can be printed or exported to a PDA.
Even more exciting in the introduction of MacGourmet Deluxe is an industry first feature - the Cookbook Builder. Using a recipe collection, the user can build, print and share their own cookbook. The Cookbook Builder allows the easy addition of images, chapters and text pages. Saving it as a high resolution PDF, the cookbook can be printed out on a desktop printer or through a print-on-demand source.
Also in this release of MacGourmet Deluxe:
A Mealplan feature to create a weekly meal plan with iCal integration.
Access to the USDA Nutritional database.
The ability to view the nutritional value of recipes.
All-new shopping list editor, with simple pantry/favorites and column ordering/hiding functionality added.
The addition of a number of award winning recipes.
Pricing and Availability:
MacGourmet Deluxe is now available on the Mariner Software Web site at www.marinersoftware.com. The shipping version will initially be offered in English and sell for $49.95USD ($44.95 download). Support for more languages is expected in the near future. MacGourmet Deluxe requires Mac OS 10.4 or higher. The standard version of MacGourmet will continue to be available on the Advenio Web site. Registered MacGourmet customers may upgrade to MacGourmet Deluxe for a special price in the Mariner Software eStore.
Just the other day, I ran into a printer driver issue. The CD-ROM the HP LaserJet 4200 that came with the printer didn’t seem to want to print graphics or reports properly. HP’s web site didn’t feel like offering up the latest driver as 404s kept coming up. So in the end, I used the old retired PC, with the proper drivers on it, as a printer server. Maybe I should have gone to Xerox’s site for the driver instead. Yes, I said Xerox.
Xerox has just informed SvenOnTech of a printer driver that not only works on every Xerox printer, but nearly every printer (PostScript enabled printers). The Xerox Mobile Express Driver automatically detects your location (laptop or desktop) based on your network and updates its list of preferred printers. Every time you print, you have a list of online and available printers. You do nothing but click that Print icon! The Xerox Mobile Express Driver allows you to sort printers based on status, location, name, and so forth. You can find out in-depth detail about each printer to find the one that best meets your needs. Everything is automatic as it configures the printer for you.
The best thing about this driver is if you’re a road warrior and find yourself in many offices with various printers, you’ll now be able to print to them without having to call IT or go to a manufacturers web site that may be down for a model specific driver. The Xerox Mobile Express Driver takes care of this all for you. Nice.
This is a Windows only driver (Mac OS X has a built-in generic PostScript driver already) and can be downloaded and installed for free.