The folks over at Maintain have announced the release of Cocktail 4.1 for Leopard. In this latest version of their popular software, support has been added for clearing dynamic link editor’s shared cache, as well as support for clearing internet caches created by Flock. Many fixes have been implemented including fixes for issues with Safari 3.1 or later. The update is strongly recommended for users of Cocktail… Especially if you’re running Leopard OS X.

I can hear some of you saying, ‘Ok, what is Cocktail?’ It’s a cool general purpose utility for Mac OS X. In it, Cocktail provides you with the tools to optimize and get the most out of your Mac by removing and deleting un-needed files and junk. There’s a host of maintenance tools and interface tweaks, all available via an easy to use control panel. You can also clean, repair and optimize your system with the click of a button.

Cocktail 4.1 (Leopard Edition) is distributed as a Universal Binary and runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Cocktail 4.1 (Leopard Edition) requires Mac OS X / Mac OS X Server 10.5 or later and is tested for compatibility with Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server 10.5.2.

Older versions for Tiger and Panther OS X are also available for download from the Maintain website.

A single user license is available for $19.95. Other licenses are available including family packs, and more. To view pricing and for more info, click here. A free demo is also available from the Maintain website.

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Cocktail 4.1, Maintain Software

Recently, with the Apple Design Award deadline a few days ago, many applications have been updated and released. One of these was Comic Life Magiq, from Plasq. Comic Life Magiq is an entire new application, meant to be like a ‘pro’ version of Comic Life.

Plasq added many cool new features and an entire new look. One of the main features is the Magiq image editor. Using the image editor users can add many effects and change the colors of pictures. The image editor has an amazing tool for cutting out objects. Just draw a line on the inside of the object, and then one on the outside. Comic Life will find the border in between the line and cut the object out.

Check out the introductory video and download the demo at Plasq’s website.

Comic Life Magiq costs $44.95 or $29.95 to upgrade from Comic Life. Currently they are having a discount with the application selling for $39.95 or $19.95 for an upgrade. For more info or to purchase, hit up Plasq.

written by Jack \\ tags: Comif Life Magiq, plasq

Reinvented Software has announced the release of Together 2.1 for Mac OS X Leopard today. Together is a file organization application for storing, previewing, editing and searching all kinds of files. Version 2.1 introduces many new features such as .Mac sync, Favorites and Quick Look previews for its Shelf, saving web pages as PDFs and AppleScript support, plus improvements for Smart Groups, tagging, Spotlight integration, importing and a more customizable user interface.

Together 2.1 can now sync with .Mac, allowing members to access their library on multiple Macs. Together’s Shelf, a system-wide library browser that lives on the side of the screen, includes a new Favorites section for quick access to items and can now show Quick Look previews of items. Together’s innovative tag browser includes more control for system tags and the Library can be customized with a choice of icons sizes for items and groups and custom group icons.

Version 2.1 makes importing easier with a global import hot key and web browser bookmarklets, and it can import tags from files’ Spotlight comments. Also, Together can now show options when importing, so items can be tagged, rated, and labeled without leaving the current application.

Together can edit or preview many different file formats, include text documents, PDF files, images, movies, web archives and bookmarks, and will use Quick Look to generate previews for everything else. Version 2.1 adds the ability to generate PDF files from web pages which, unlike those created through printing, retain the original page’s appearance with background images and no pagination.

Together requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later, and is available from the Reinvented Software web site as a 15-day trial that can be unlocked upon purchase.

For more information visit Reinvented Software. Or click here to download now.

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Reinvented Software, Together 2.1

iPhysics has been available for quite some time now for the iPhone. It’s a handy little 3rd party game engine developed by r4m0n. With it you can install quite a few games that have incredibly accurate and lifelike physics… Cool beans!

At last count there was roughly 50 or so different packages/games/level packs available within the iPhysics folder in installer.app. So there are lots of titles to choose from for sure.

I’ve only recently re-installed iPhysics, as I had issues with it running on 1.1.1 and 1.1.2. Currently I’m on a jailbroken and unlocked iPhone running 1.1.3 and it works beautifully. I’ve got 3 games installed in iPhysics (Crayon Physics, Sandbox, and iPinball), and I have to say I’m enjoying them. iPinball is pretty darn cool as you can see from the video below. Does have a few bugs, whenever I try to turn up or turn down the volume, the screen flickers like mad… But other than that, all good. r4m0n appears to be working on the flicker problems, as you can see at his Wiki here.

If you can’t find iPhysics in installer.app, try the following steps:

1. Start Installer.app
2. Click on Sources
3. Click on Edit button, then Add button
4. Enter this URL: http://iphone.r4m0n.net/repos
5. iPhysics should now appear in Installer.app

My iPhysics appears in its own category as ‘iPhysics’. If you’re having trouble locating it, or making it available in your installer.app, let me know and I’ll be glad to help.

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: installer.app, iPhone Software, iPhysics, iPinball

Say that title 10 times fast… I dare you… iPhone Ranked First For Flickr Photogs, iPhone Ranked First For Flickr Photogs… Ok, ok, I’ll shut up!

The built-in camera on the iPhone could use a lot of things. One thing I’d love to see personally is a zoom lens… And while I’m at it I’d like to see more megapixels jammed in there as well, but I’m not too picky. For me, and my needs it serves me just fine. Flickr thinks the iPhone camera is just fine and dandy as well.

Recent Flickr data (chart above, via Flickr’s Camera Finder) shows that the iPhone is now the number one cameraphone used on the site.

So how does Flickr know what cameraphones are being used? They analyze the metadata attached to each photo as they are being uploaded to the site. Until now, the Nokia N95 had been the cameraphone of choice.

The iPhone does make it really easy to share photos via Flickr. If you search through installer.app you’ll find a program called ‘iFlickr‘. With it, you can easily upload your iPhone photos directly to your Flickr account. It’s quick, handy, and best of all it’s darn easy. You will of course need a Flickr account (free), but if you don’t have one, iFlickr will direct you to Flickr where you can create one right from your iPhone.

[via arstechnica]

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Cameraphone, Flickr, iFlickr, iPhone

So everyone in your block tells you that hotkeys are all the rage when it comes to real productivity, since your fingers are already on the keyboard… but then, if you are very uncomfortable pressing alt-command-X and then remembering the difference from alt-command-Y or alt-shift-X or….

Quite obviously, the idea of shortcutting certain tasks that are usually hidden in menus is a brilliant idea, but I guess no one would ever call this intuitive or easy to adapt to. Another problem: in a perfect world you have one hotkey for a certain task - and this is true for all other apps. So, no perfect world yet. Until you install the two software gems I am presenting here, that is.

1. Assigning custom shortcuts the Mac way: The first solution coming in mind is that you can define your individual shortcuts in the most intuitive way possible - and the app to this feature goes by the name Menu Master. Let me give you some examples how to use it:

- imagine your software has a fullscreen option (like a DVD player or a word processor, i.e. Word 2004) but no (or a weird) shortcut assigned to it. With Menu Master installed this is as easy as you could think: highlight the field in the menu you want to assign the shortcut for with your mouse and press the shortcut you define “fullscreen” in other apps - that’s it, the shortcut will work now in this app as well!

- Another example maybe most of you know: with command-delete you usually delete things in the finder, but for instance iCal has no preassigned shortcut for deleting entries. In my opinion deleting something should always be performed by the same shortcut, so highlight, pressing command-delete and that’s it… of course in iCal entries you can delete by simply pressing delete, but tell me how often did You try command-delete just because You’re used to it? I stopped counting

For more info on Menu Master (you can buy it for $10) click here.

2. What was that shortcut again? The second solution helps you stay on track with your shortcuts - is called KeyCue: this is how it looks like when it is switched on by the shortcut (default is pressing command for a while). This screen shows you, depending on the app you are using the shortcuts available - if you start pressing the shift or option key now the highlighting would change to the shortcuts in the list activated by command-option or command-shift, respectively. By finally pressing the activating key the window would disappear, having fulfilled its duty. What I am using many words for turns into seconds of your workflow assuring you to do precisely what you wanted to do.

Just let me finally comment on the congeniality of letting this window appear when you press the command key for a longer time: this actually should be the moment when you hark your brain for that darn shortcut to do this and that elegantly and fast. By displaying the reminder just moments after you started wondering, waiting might still be faster than fumbling with the trackpad, finding your cursor, pulling down the menu etc, etc…

To purchase or download a free trial of KeyCue, click here.

In installing the two aforementioned apps you should be able to adapt your intuitive idea of a shortcut into reality while, if your intuition changes, or you bluntly forget, there’s the time-saving reminder. One last comment: these apps are not freeware, I know, but as far as I overlook it, there is no cheaper alternative either and once having integrated these you’ll soon find them as indispensable and worth the money!

written by madmacmat \\ tags: KeyCue, Mac Productivity, Menu Master

I’ve had the NES emulator sitting on my iPhone for some time now, but I had no ROMs to speak of. I knew it was a piece of cake to find them, but the installation did require a few steps, and to tell you the truth I simply wasn’t interested enough to take the time.

I found the situation much like the original jailbreaking processes… Do this, then do this, hold down this button and stand on your right foot. I can’t say I enjoyed going through that regamarole… Until great apps like ZiPhone came out that made the process insanely easy.

The same thing is going on now with the NES Emulator for iPhone. Installing the app and ROMs is now incredibly easy.

First, you need to start with a jailbroken iPhone (of course). If your phone isn’t jailbroken, check out ZiPhone for a quick and painless method of jailbreaking.

Second, install the NES Emulator from installer.app. I believe the application is in the games folder.

Third, click on the ’sources’ button in installer.app. Click ‘edit’, then ‘add’ a source. When the URL entry screen pops up enter http://123locker.com and add the source.

Fourth, after you’ve added the source, go ahead and browse all packages available. Look for ‘NES Roms’ in the list and install. This might take some time as I think the source is getting bombarded with downloads. A side note here, I can’t guarantee the source will be up forever, so go ahead and get it now if you’re interested in playing a bunch of vintage NES games on your iPhone!

Finally, after the package is installed, open your NES Emulator and voila, check out all the games you have available! There’s a bunch, from Bubble Bobble, to Castlevania, Pinball, Mortal Kombat, Burger Time… and well, you get the picture. I haven’t counted but I’d guess there’s well over 50 titles for you to enjoy.

I’ve played some of the games and so far while I’ve got a kick out of it, I have to admit I find the controls a little hard with no actual tactile buttons. I find myself pressing in the wrong place to move left, move right, or what have you… But still, the emulator is a cool little app and the NES ROMs are all classics.

If you install this let me know what you think… and if you have any installation problems let me know!

Discuss the iPhone NES Emulator in the Forums >

[via VulturesonaCarousel.com]

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: iPhone, NES Emulator, ROMs

For all you news reader lovers out there, one of the bigger mac readers has been updated.

Two main issues have been fixed in this latest update, NetNewsWire 3.1.6bi. The first update corrects a memory leak that affects some users. Plus, loading news clippings at app startup is reportedly faster.

Personally, I’m still using NewsFire and it is working well, without a hitch. I used to use NetNewsWire (for quite a long time) until I started encountering refresh issues, and some other small glitches that I wasn’t too pleased about. I can only imagine that the bugs have since been fixed, but I am quite happy with NewsFire for the moment

You can download NetNewsWire 3.1.6b1 from the developers website.

I would love to hear about your experiences with NetNewsWire and/or NewsFire.

[via Yahoo! News]

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Mac RSS Readers, NetNewsWire Beta, NewsFire

The recent Camino 1.6 release caused 1Password to stop functioning properly. To fix the problem Agile Web Solutions have updated 1Password, the popular password management tool. The update is a free, and yes, now adds support for Camino 1.6.

If you’re new to 1Password, you can read more about it here. If you’re interested in purchasing, single-user licenses cost $34.95 USD and family licenses is are $49.95 USD. If you’re looking for a handy app that keeps track of all your web passwords, automates all your sign-ins, and guards from identity theft… You might want to give 1Password a try.

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: 1Password, Agile Web Solutions, Camino 1.6

This one is for the parents out there. Want a cool app to share with your kids and cultivate their creativity? Doozla is worth a look.

Doozla is plasq’s new full screen vector drawing app for kids. It features simple free-hand drawing tools, webcam and tablet support… There are even color-in templates that your kids can use like a traditional coloring book.

The app has four basic modes:

1. Drawing - Free-hand drawing on a background of your choice
2. Coloring In - A new take on the old school coloring book
3. Draw on Background - Draw your own characters and objects on top of the background scene
4. Webcam Drawing - Use your webcam to capture a picture and draw on top of it!

I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve got to say that Doozla looks like loads of fun for the youngsters. Doozla requires Mac OS X 10.4.6 or above and will set you back $24.95. A 30-day unhindered demo is also available. For more info visit the plasq website.

written by Mr. Mayor \\ tags: Doozla, plasq