TidBITS#966/23-Feb-09
=====================
Issue link: <http://db.tidbits.com/issue/966>
There's an undercurrent of keeping your Mac safe throughout this
week's TidBITS issue. First, Adam passes on news of a critical
vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, along with suggestions on
how to avoid being bitten by the current exploits. Jeff Carlson
points out that a part of anyone's backup strategy should be keeping
the power on, via a UPS. And Doug McLean shares details about the
liquid submersion indicators now built into all iPods, iPhones, and
MacBooks. But we're not going all paranoid on you - Adam also dives
deep into iPhoto '09 and returns with news that Apple seems to be
working on an iPhone application that tracks your location. Jeff
also explains how you can get a free Mac.com account for use with
iChat, since trial MobileMe accounts expire. And finally, Doug
contributes a roundup of his favorite screensavers that go beyond
bouncing a picture around your screen. We've also just published
"Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition," and our
Dutch and Japanese translations could use some more help. Notable
software releases this week include ScreenFlow 1.5, MercuryMover
2.0.3, TextExpander 2.5.2, MacBook SMC Update 1.3, WireTap Studio
1.0.8, Things 1.0.4, and the ConceptDraw WebWave plug-in for
ConceptDraw Pro.
Articles
Critical Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
iPhone to Add Location Logging?
Get a Free, Non-Expiring Mac.com Address for iChat
The Latest Details about Running Windows on a Mac
More Dutch and Japanese Translators Wanted!
Backups Need Power, Too
Liquid Submersion Indicators Reveal Accidental Dips
Top 10 Screensavers for the 21st Century
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 23-Feb-09
ExtraBITS for 23-Feb-09
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk for 23-Feb-09
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Critical Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
--------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10087>
Adobe has issued a security advisory warning about a "critical
vulnerability" in all fully patched versions of Adobe Reader 9 and
earlier, and in Adobe Acrobat 9 and earlier. Although the security
advisory makes no specific mention of the Mac, previous
vulnerabilities have been cross-platform, so there's no reason to
believe this one will be any different. Adobe expects to issue an
update for the latest versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat by
11-Mar-09.
<http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa09-01.html>
Details of the vulnerability? A malicious PDF could cause the
affected application to crash and could potentially allow an
attacker to take control of the computer. I know that's what we
always say, but in this case, there are reports of this
vulnerability being exploited in the wild, at least in the Windows
world.
Luckily, the security group Shadowserver has verified the exploit
with Adobe Reader 8 and 9 on Windows. Their posting explains that
the vulnerability relies in part on JavaScript, such that turning
off JavaScript is an easy way to mitigate the problem. In their
testing, a malicious PDF could still crash Adobe Reader if
JavaScript was turned off, but it couldn't take over the machine.
<http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Calendar.20090219>
To disable JavaScript, deselect the Enable Acrobat JavaScript
checkbox in the JavaScript pane of Adobe Reader's and Acrobat's
preferences.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-02/JavaScript-setting.png>
Since Apple's Preview and most, if not all, other Mac OS X PDF
readers cannot interpret JavaScript in a PDF, I suspect that they
would be unaffected by a malicious PDF. To change the default so all
PDFs open with Preview, choose File > Get Info (Command-I) for any
PDF, choose Preview from the Open With pop-up menu, and click the
Change All button.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-02/Reset-PDF-Open-With-setting.png>
It's distressing that Adobe's security advisory provides no
practical information that would help users protect themselves until
an update appears. Aside from the lack of platform-specific detail,
would it have killed Adobe to suggest that users turn off JavaScript
and avoid PDF files from dodgy sites?
iPhone to Add Location Logging?
-------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10083>
Could the iPhone soon be able to track your location in the
background as you walk around? A hint that such a capability is in
the works at Apple comes from a programmer friend who spent some
time spelunking around inside iPhoto '09, which shows traces of
being able to associate such GPS log data with photos.
That could provide geotagging information for photos taken with
another camera, or it might let you view a map of your travels, with
pins dropped where you'd taken photos with the iPhone.
My source points to an unused nib file within iPhoto as evidence of
this feature. As you can see from the screenshot and the text below,
it's assuming that there's a Location app on the iPhone, and that
app must be running to transfer location data to iPhoto.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-02/PhoneLocationBrowser-nib.png>
Activate the location application on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Once
selected, any available location information will be transferred to your iPhoto
library and associated with the photos in the selected event(s).
Elsewhere, in the iPhoto binary, there's also this string, which
appears to provide the iPhoto side of the directions:
Select an iPhone or iPod Touch from your list of named devices. Once
selected, the appropriate information will be transferred to your iPhoto
library and associated with the photos in the selected event(s).
The user experience seems rather convoluted, since the implication
from these strings is that you would have to select one or more
events in iPhoto, then launch the app on the iPhone to transfer
location information via Wi-Fi. Quibbling with the interface is
pointless, though, given that this feature is non-functional in
iPhoto '09, and there's no known Location app in the iPhone with
which to connect.
Setting the speculation phasers on stun, therefore, ponder the
following:
* One of the issues with the iPhone is that independent apps can't
stay active in the background, so GPS-based apps must be onscreen at
all times to capture location data. Apple isn't subject to that
limitation, so a Location app from Apple could track location no
matter what you're doing. Apple should open that capability up to
developers as well.
* The text mentions the iPod touch, which is a bit odd. Although the
iPod touch can figure out its location from nearby Wi-Fi networks,
the feature is worthless if you're anywhere but a heavily built-up
urban area. And of course, the iPod touch currently has no GPS or
camera. Could that be changing in a future model?
* One problem with using the iPhone's GPS constantly is that it drains
the battery in just a couple of hours. I can't really see this
feature being useful unless the iPhone were to get better battery
life while using GPS. Or, I suppose, the Location app could rely
largely on cell phone tower triangulation (which I suspect works
better inside buildings anyway), using GPS occasionally to improve
accuracy when available.
* The text talks about the location data being associated with "the
photos in the selected event(s)." That could be interpreted to mean
that the Location app's data could be used to geotag photos from
non-GPS-capable cameras, much as you can do now with a GPS data
logger device and a program like HoudahGeo or Ovolab's Geophoto.
Since so few cameras offer GPS support right now, those programs
remain extremely useful for automatic addition of location
information.
<http://www.houdah.com/houdahGeo/>
<http://www.ovolab.com/geophoto/>
* iPhoto '09 can already show you a map containing your geotagged
photos from the iPhone, and it can show a path between photos within
a map in a book, but it's just drawing lines between photo locations
- it doesn't actually know the path you took between the points
where you took the photos. This feature could enhance such maps with
your actual path.
In the end, there's no guarantee that Apple has done more than toyed
with the idea of garnering additional location-based data for
iPhoto's geotagging feature. Such a feature would need to be
designed and introduced extremely carefully, to ensure that users
had sufficient control over it to avoid privacy concerns, and to
ensure that the messaging around the app didn't give the wrong
impression. Given that many of the marketing blurbs for the GPS data
logging devices gleefully suggest privacy-infringing uses like
spying on a teenager, spouse, or employee, caution on Apple's part
seems entirely warranted.
Get a Free, Non-Expiring Mac.com Address for iChat
--------------------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10084>
A TidBITS reader writes:
It seems that as part of the conversion from .Mac to MobileMe, Apple no
longer allows expired MobileMe accounts to be used for iChat. My mother-in-law
got a 60-day free MobileMe account solely for iChat purposes. As soon as she
cancelled it (shortly before the free 60 days expired), she was no longer able
to use iChat.
It's true that a me.com address expires if you don't subscribe to
MobileMe within the free period. Apple is doing all it can to
encourage people to use the paid service. If you were a subscriber
to .Mac, the precursor to MobileMe, then you already have a mac.com
address that will work in the future, even if you opted to not renew
your .Mac/MobileMe account.
However, you can also create a free mac.com address for use with
iChat that won't expire. It can be used only for iChat, and doesn't
include email or any of the other MobileMe features, including
encrypted iChat messaging.
Here's how:
1. In iChat, choose Preferences from the iChat menu.
2. Click the Accounts icon at the top of the window.
3. Click the + (plus) button in the lower-left corner to create a
new account.
4. Click the Get an iChat Account button, which takes you to Apple's
site in your Web browser.
5. Fill out the fields in the Create Your iChat ID form and click
Continue. If your chosen screen name is already taken, you'll need
to come up with a new one.
6. Go back to iChat's preferences and choose Mac.com Account from
the Account Type pop-up menu.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-02/ichat_dotmac_account.png>
7. Enter your just-created user name and password in the fields
provided, then click Done.
This technique is also helpful for creating extra iChat addresses;
for example, it can be handy for people who want to separate work
and personal chats. When the account is enabled, you'll see two AIM
Buddy Lists, which you can populate separately and run
simultaneously.
The Latest Details about Running Windows on a Mac
-------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10085>
Now that running Windows on a Mac has become commonplace, you might
think that it's also become easy. Alas, the gods of technology have
yet to make it so, and making Windows run smoothly can still make
you want to rip your hair out. Of course, this fact also keeps Mac
writers like Joe Kissell busy, and, taking advantage of Joe's
unstoppable curiosity, we've just released his latest ebook, "Take
Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition," with coverage
of the latest versions of VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop,
VirtualBox, and Boot Camp.
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/windows-on-mac?pt=TB966>
The 167-page ebook helps you figure out which virtualization
software makes sense for you, round up the necessary hardware and
software, make any obligatory preparations (like partitioning with
the right format - FAT32, anybody?), and get it all working right
with hardware drivers installed, printers printing, anti-virus
software patrolling the perimeter, and so forth. Joe also gets into
the details of sharing files between Mac and Windows installations,
making the most of the snazzy new features in the latest versions of
Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, creating functional backups of
your Windows installation, and generally getting on with your life
while using Windows. To make the $10 ebook even more valuable, it
comes with coupons for $8 off VMware Fusion and $5 off Parallels
Desktop.
Since this book covers all the options for running Windows on a Mac,
those of you who are using or plan to use VMware Fusion will
probably be happier with Joe's "Take Control of VMware Fusion 2,"
which is also available for $10 and which also comes with a coupon
worth $8 off the purchase price of Fusion.
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/vmware-fusion-2?pt=TB966>
If you already own a previous edition of "Take Control of Running
Windows on a Mac," be sure to check your email for a discount update
offer, or find the update offer by opening the ebook and clicking
the Check for Updates button on the first page.
More Dutch and Japanese Translators Wanted!
-------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10090>
We're hard at work on bringing translations into our homegrown
TidBITS Publishing System as a way of making TidBITS even more
accessible to people who prefer to read in languages other than
English. But while we're enhancing our content management system,
our volunteer translators continue to put out issues of TidBITS each
week in other languages.
So, if you're bilingual in English and either Dutch or Japanese (all
three is not required!), we can use your help. Both our Dutch and
Japanese translation teams are running slightly short-handed and
could use a few more volunteers to spread out the effort. In
essence, you'd work with the other members of the teams to help
translate TidBITS from English into either Dutch or Japanese for the
thousands of people who read TidBITS in those languages.
You can read more about what's involved with both the Dutch
translation and the Japanese translation at their respective pages.
Thanks for any help you can provide, and do note that as a small
token of our appreciation, translators receive all Take Control
ebooks for free.
<http://www.tidbits.com/tb-issues/lang/nl/tidbits-nl/over-vertalen.html>
<http://www.tidbits.com/tb-issues/lang/jp/join_us.html>
Backups Need Power, Too
-----------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10086>
After learning our lessons the hard way, we at TidBITS are adamant
about backing up our data and evangelizing the importance of having
good backups. (For examples, see Adam's article "International
Verify Your Backups Day," 2009-02-13, Joe's ebooks "Take Control of
Mac OS X Backups" and "Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard," and
my own travails and successes recovering the contents of a failed
hard disk, "DriveSavers to the Rescue," 1999-08-30.)
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/10071>
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/backup-macosx?pt=966>
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/leopard-easy-backup?pt=966>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/5530>
But making copies of bits isn't the only consideration for keeping
your data intact. You need electricity to feed your computer and
hard drives - and that electricity needs to keep running, especially
in the event that the power goes out unexpectedly. An abrupt
shutdown can cause disk directory corruption, and power surges risk
overloading and damaging power supplies.
I was reminded of these facts recently when I was interrupted by a
shrill and sudden beeping from beneath my desk. A dreaded red light
appeared on the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) into which my
computer and accessories are plugged, indicating that its battery
was dead.
If you're not familiar with the device, a UPS is essentially a
multi-plug power strip with a built in battery that can keep
electricity flowing for several minutes in the event of a power
outage. It also provides protection from power surges and filters
the incoming power to reduce fluctuations. In my case, I was using
an old APC Smart-UPS 1000 I inherited from Glenn Fleishman when he
stopped running Web servers out of our shared office.
<http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SU1000NET>
The good thing about a UPS is that you can replace the battery
without replacing the whole unit. So I went to APC's Web site and
discovered that it would cost about $150 for a new battery.
While browsing APC's other offerings I came across the company's
Trade-UPS program. APC will give you credit toward buying a new UPS,
and also recycle your old one and pay for the shipping. The last
item is significant, since UPSes are quite heavy (the Smart-UPS 1000
weighs 46 pounds).
<http://buy.apc.com/commerce/storefronts/tradeups/tradein.aspx>
I entered my UPS and its serial number in the Trade-UPS page, which
gave me a point value of 1000; I would need to match that number in
new products to qualify for the discount and free return. The
Smart-UPS 1000 was built for a rougher load than what I was using it
for, so I figured I could get by with a UPS that didn't offer as
much capacity. But how to tell just how much I needed?
Once again, TidBITS search to the rescue! Adam wrote about buying a
UPS in 1999 (see "Don't Interrupt! A UPS Saves the Day, 1999-09-20),
in which he explained how to calculate the electrical load your
computer system will place on the UPS when the power fails:
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/5566>
[L]ook on the back or bottom of each of your devices for power draw ratings
in either amps or watts. If power draw is listed in amps, multiply it by your
line voltage (120 volts for North America, 230 volts for Europe, etc.) to find
the volt-amp (VA) load. If the power draw is instead listed in watts, multiply
by 1.4 to find volt-amps. The problem with this manual calculation is that
manufacturers tend to be conservative and publish the maximum power draw
possible, which would in turn cause you to buy a larger UPS than necessary.
Adding up the devices in my home office, I came up with a total of
1102 volt-amps. Not all of those were plugged into the Smart-UPS
1000 (which has a VA rating of 1000), but the number gave me a
reference for what to look for.
Going back to the list of recommended new products, I decided to buy
two smaller-capacity UPSes. I chose the Back-UPS LS, which has a
model that is rated between 500-700 VA. With the trade-in discount,
I was able to buy each for $128 (instead of the $140 list price).
<http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=22>
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-02/back-ups_ls700.jpg>
Although I ended up paying almost $300 (with tax and shipping),
instead of $150 to replace a battery, I now have two UPSes that
allow me to plug in equipment that previously was just in a power
strip and add more components if needed. And the Smart-UPS 1000
(along with an older, smaller UPS I retired ages ago) will soon be
headed back for responsible recycling, without my having to pay
shipping.
So when you're evaluating your backup system, don't forget to take
power into consideration. A backup hard disk can't help you if it
gets zapped by a blown circuit breaker or a lightning storm.
Liquid Submersion Indicators Reveal Accidental Dips
---------------------------------------------------
by Doug McLean <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10080>
While it's no news that water and electronic devices don't mix,
Apple has of late rolled out an interesting and little-known design
feature: the liquid submersion indicator (LSI). Now integrated into
the design of all Apple laptops, iPods, and iPhones, the LSI reveals
whether or not its host device has been subjected to liquid damage.
As Apple clearly states on its support pages, "Liquid damage repair
is not covered by the Apple one year limited warranty or the
AppleCare Protection Plan." Thus, if your MacBook Air or iPhone
receives an accidental dunking, you're not going to be able to
convince Apple to repair it for free. Not as long as you have an
iPhone or an iPod manufactured after 2006, or any laptop produced
since 2008 - all these models include an LSI.
For the iPod and iPhone, the liquid submersion indicator is usually
found in the headphone jack. Examining the inside of the jack with a
magnifying glass reveals a white dot at the end of the passage. This
dot turns half red or pink if the device has been submerged in
liquid. For the iPhone 3G the indicator is located on the bottom of
the connector housing, right under the 30-pin dock connector.
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3302>
While iPod and iPhone owners can view the LSI without disassembly,
the same is not true for the MacBook line. Apple doesn't say where
the LSIs in the laptops are exactly, but AppleInsider published a
diagram claiming to show their locations. The four LSIs in the
MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air are spread out in various
points below the keyboard where they'd work well for detecting
spilled liquid. Again, normally white, the indicators turn red when
exposed to moisture, but even getting to them to determine if there
was liquid damage can reportedly take a technician up to 2 hours.
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3425>
<http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/10/15/inside_the_new_macbooks_lsi_battery_hd_and_ram.html>
We can only assume that Apple's repair technicians had sufficient
evidence of people returning liquid-damaged devices under phony
pretenses to warrant the creation and implementation of these
indicators. It's also likely that the cost to incorporate the LSIs
in the new laptop models was small enough to make it worthwhile for
cutting down on repair fraud.
On the user end, the most obvious concern is that these LSIs will
somehow indicate liquid damage when the device hasn't been dunked.
In particular, people living in extremely humid climates have voiced
concern that the indicators could misinterpret environmental
conditions and prevent them from receiving deserved support. How
much of a concern this should be is hard to say, given that the
information available on the nature or composition of these
indicators is slim. We did find a note from an Apple repair
technician passing on the claim from Apple that the indicators are
"very accurate" and "will not be affected by humidity or
environmental factors."
<http://uhbookstorecomputers.blogspot.com/2009/02/liquid-submersion-indicators.html>
More troublesome might be actual exposure to liquid that activates
the LSI but does not, at that point in time, cause the device to
fail. Should the device need repair in the future for a seemingly
unrelated reason, that repair may be denied because of the LSI.
Water, for instance, doesn't itself necessarily damage electronics,
but can cause electrical short circuits that will. So if power is
removed instantly, and the device is allowed to dry, it may be fine.
Unfortunately, other liquids like coffee and soda may contain
corrosive substances or leave behind conductive residues even after
the liquid has evaporated. In such cases, the device may seem to
work properly for some time after the spill, but gradually become
flakier.
The moral of the story? You already know to try to keep liquids away
from your devices, but if the worst does come to pass, you'll just
have to own up to the mistake and pay for repair or replacement
unless you have computer insurance coverage from a company like
Safeware.
<http://www.safeware.com/>
Top 10 Screensavers for the 21st Century
----------------------------------------
by Doug McLean <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9845>
Now that screen burn is pretty much a thing of the past, we don't
really need screensavers anymore. And many people - quite reasonably
- prefer to have their computers go into energy-saver mode when
they're away for any significant amount of time. After all, what's
the point of displaying power-wasting patterns when you aren't
around to enjoy them? Fair enough, but there is still something to
be said for enjoying some interesting displays during those times
when you've just stepped back from the Mac for a short while. Today,
screensavers can do more than just display repetitive animations
(remember Flying Toasters from the After Dark screensaver?) and it's
worth investigating what's out there.
When I went in search of new and interesting screensavers, I was
looking for three things: screensavers that could change and develop
over time, screensavers that made use of input devices or updating
information, and screensavers that put a fun twist on age-old tricks
like clocks or photo slideshows. Here's a look at ten of the most
interesting and enjoyable screensavers I found kicking around the
Web. Unless otherwise noted, all these screensavers are free.
1) Electric Sheep
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Electric-Sheep.png>
Often cited as one of the best screensavers available, Electric
Sheep is both visually stunning and conceptually engaging. Named in
homage to the science fiction author Philip K. Dick's short story,
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" this open-source screensaver
connects 60,000 sleeping computers to generate morphing abstract
animations. The process is mediated by a genetic algorithm - the
animations (or "sheep") with high user ratings go on to reproduce
with other popular sheep and produce offspring with shared
characteristics. Unpopular sheep eventually die off and enter an
archive. Users can also edit and upload their own sheep into the
gene pool. The end result is a spectacular collaboration and
competition between human design and computer algorithms. Scott
Draves, creator of the software, discusses Electric Sheep in an
online video (at 2:40 in). From a user perspective - and it's not
often my art degree proves useful in writing technical articles -
this screensaver really has the most impressive visual abstractions
of any I've seen. But what really makes it stand out is the user's
ability to collect new animations, and to affect the production of
future ones through voting (via the Up and Down arrow keys). The
endless number of new and different visualizations provides a major
reason to keep turning it on.
<http://www.electricsheep.org/>
<http://blip.tv/file/1233576>
2) Surveillance Saver
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Surveillance.png>
For the security guard in each of us, Surveillance Saver pulls live
feeds from over 1,000 different surveillance cameras all over the
world. The screensaver shows live images of city streets, parking
lots, Internet cafes, university libraries, highways, and more -
from all over the planet. Each live feed remains on your screen for
2 minutes before changing to a new one - unfortunately at this time
there's no option to adjust cycle times. My favorite detail of this
screensaver is the information bar located at the bottom of each
feed informing you of the feed's location, local time, and
geographical coordinates. Despite the camera's typically mundane
shots, the prospect of viewing an unfiltered slice of life from
places like the Czech Republic or Iceland is enticing. The current
alpha version is a little buggy at times - sometimes I would see
only a black screen, or the live feed would freeze up into a still
image. But this is a screensaver with enormous potential - and
hopefully it will continue to develop in future versions with the
addition of some controls. Nonetheless the current version is still
worth checking out; it will certainly satisfy your inner spy. Though
it's worth asking: What do I do if I actually witness a crime?
<http://i.document.m05.de/?page_id=438>
3) BreveCreatures
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/brevecreatures.png>
BreveCreatures is a screensaver that simulates the evolution of
virtual creatures. Beginning with randomly generated
block-creatures, the screensaver uses a genetic algorithm to help
the organisms develop locomotive capabilities. Each creature is
plopped down in a simulated 3D world and has a set amount of time to
move as far as possible from the start point - denoted by a yellow
star. Some creatures never budge an inch, and others speedily
scramble off - it's fun to watch one plop down and wonder, based on
its shape and parts, whether it will have any success. The
screensaver progresses through successive generations, each
generation utilizing the qualities of the most successful creatures
from the previous group. The result is a slow evolution towards
mobility. Because the process can take hours or even days for
significant developments to occur, each time BreveCreatures is
activated it picks up where it left off. This is all surprisingly
enthralling to watch. I found myself unable to turn it off - saying,
"just one more" - wanting to see if the new creature would be the
new record setter. It was also amazing to leave the room for an hour
and come back to see the progress that had been made. An interesting
addition for future versions of this program would be a video
highlight gallery that details the game-changing creatures that
significantly pushed forward the evolution of your system.
<http://www.spiderland.org/breve/breveCreatures.html>
4) Chemical Burn
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Chemical-Burn.png>
Chemical Burn is a screensaver that displays a transportation
network simulation. Packets of data are randomly generated with an
assigned destination (or node); these packets then attempt to find
the fastest way to get to their node. Frequently used routes become
faster; in turn, becoming even more popular and also more visible.
You can also select to have nodes collapse at random, and be sent
"Packets of Death," which destroy the receiving node and the
transportation routes connected to it. However, the destruction of
nodes and routes results in newly formed ones, continuing the
system's process. Another option is the capability to determine the
initial number of nodes (more nodes result in a more complex, but
slower, system), as well as traffic and distance weighting options.
While the animation is rather simplistic - you could be watching an
old Atari game - it's fascinating and relaxing to watch. Just
imagine the possibilities if this were redesigned with high-end 3D
graphics.
<http://www.mikeash.com/?page=software/chemicalburn/>
5) Soundstream
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/soundstream.png>
Soundstream is a screensaver that responds to sound input, whether
it be ambient room noise, your voice, or your iTunes music.
Flurry-like particles move about the darkened screen, shifting in
color as they go. Any sounds registered by your microphone cause the
particles to expand in size and brightness as they move. The degree
to which the particles enlarge, brighten, or shift in color is
related to the volume of the input. You can control the number of
particles, whether they exist in 2D or 3D space, and the sensitivity
of the sound responsiveness. If you like Apple's built-in Flurry
screensaver, you'll love Soundstream. After the initial fun of
yelling at my computer to watch the particles explode, I discovered
the subtler pleasure of seeing the sounds of my house visualized
onscreen.
<http://www.pcheese.net/software/soundstream/>
6) iSight ScreenSavers
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/iSight-water.png>
The iSight Screensavers collection ($4.99 shareware) is a group of
six screensavers that utilize input from your iSight camera, or any
other QuickTime-compatible camera, to morph through various effects
(not unlike the effects within iChat or Photo Booth). The six
effects include Fluid, Particles, Champagne, Fire, Water, and
Flipping Grid. I found the most impressive of these to be Fluid and
Water - though it's worth trying all of them out. Like Soundstream,
the iSight Screensavers are cool because they constantly respond to
the real time input rather than merely drawing from a finite set of
options.
<http://majicjungle.com/screensavers.html>
7) TimeLapse Screensaver
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Timelapse1.png>
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Timelapse2.png>
TimeLapse is my favorite input-based screensaver. Like the iSight
Screensavers, it requires either an iSight camera or another
QuickTime-compatible camera. Once launched, TimeLapse begins taking
photos at designated intervals. Slowly, with the addition of each
new photo, it builds a time lapse animation. The screensaver shows
the animation in a loop, each time adding the recently acquired
photo or photos onto the end. Capture intervals, storage limits, and
playback speed are all adjustable. It's wonderful to see yourself
and your space captured in a time-lapse animation - and should you
leave your computer for a while, it's a fun way to catch up on what
happened while you were gone.
<http://2005to2007.fabrica.it/project.php?id=393>
8) Harry Potter Photo Show
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/HarryPotter-slideshow.png>
Many people enjoy using Apple's photo screensaver as a way to
shuffle through their digital photo collections. The Harry Potter
Photo Show screensaver offers a fun twist on that basic concept.
When launched, Harry wanders around a Hogwarts library casting your
photos as spells with his wand (above you can see Harry casting the
TidBITS masthead). The photos hang in the air flittering and
flickering as you would expect a good spell would do. You can adjust
the music, lighting quality, source folder, and how the sparks that
shoot out of Harry's wand act when casting. Despite the mediocre
animation - Harry looks a bit like a claymation Muppet and moves
around woodenly - it's surprisingly enjoyable to see him zap your
pictures with his wand.
<http://uselesscreations.com/mac/harrypotter/>
9) Pong Saver
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Pong-Saver.png>
If you often find yourself yearning for the video game aesthetics of
yore, you might enjoy this simple but amusing adaptation of a clock
screensaver. In Pong Saver, the score between the two sides reflects
the time in either a 24 hour or 12 hour notation. A hint for you
gamblers out there: Don't place any bets on the hour hand side - it
almost always loses to the minute hand side.
<http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/>
10) LotsaEscher
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/LotsaEscher.png>
Many people are familiar with the mind-bending illustrations of M.C.
Escher. The LotsaEscher screensaver takes a dizzying journey into
the heart of Escher's 1956 lithograph "Print Gallery." The
screensaver is based on the work of Hendrik Lenstra and Bart de
Smit, who, through an analysis of the mathematical structure of the
image, were able to uncover the mystery of the blurry white hole in
the center of the drawing, and were able to create a Droste image -
an image that contains itself in miniature. The screensaver zooms
infinitely into various versions of picture - you can select which
one in the Options panel. It's a vertigo-inducing way to spend some
time.
<http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/lotsablankers/lotsaescher.html>
<http://escherdroste.math.leidenuniv.nl/>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droste_effect>
11) Flurry Spoof
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-10/Flurry-spoof.png>
There's no point in downloading this gag screensaver, which is an
advertisement for the German jobsintown.de employment service; just
watch the preview on the site. It's a great spoof of Apple's popular
Flurry screensaver.
<http://www.avocada.de/2008/en/jobsintown/screensaver/>
**More Screensavers** -- As you might imagine this list only begins to
scratch the surface of the screensaver universe. If you're looking
for more, I recommend checking out Pure Mac Screensavers and
XScreenSaver as good starting points. Pure Mac Screensavers has a
wide variety of interesting programs - some of which made this list.
It's easy to navigate and many of the screensavers on the site are
worth trying out. There's also MacScreensavers, though this site
seems oriented toward promotional and pop-culture screensavers, most
of which are unimpressive examples of the screensaver genre.
<http://www.pure-mac.com/screensaver.html>
<http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/>
<http://www.macscreensavers.com/>
XScreenSaver was the standard screensaver collection on most Linux
and Unix machines running the X11 Window System. The first version
was released in 1992, and was ported to Mac OS X in 2006. Here
you'll find a wide array of older screensavers with some old school
graphics and some endearingly simple premises. (Thanks to reader Dan
O'Donnell for the tip on XScreenSaver.)
Oh, and if in your explorations you come across any screensavers
that seem interesting and weren't touched on here, I'd love to hear
about them. Happy screensaver searching! Enjoy!
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 23-Feb-09
---------------------------------------------------------
by Doug McLean <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10079>
ScreenFlow 1.5 from Telestream is the latest version of the highly
regarded screencasting software for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Changes
include titling and text support that enables users to add text
objects directly to the timeline, customizable mouse pointers, ten
new audio effects, the capability to mix mono microphones to stereo,
and integration with Telestream's Flip4Mac WMV which lends Windows
Media support. The update also addresses two critical bugs that
cause crashes after upgrading to Quicktime 7.6 - one when importing
QuickTime content, and one when exporting to your Apple TV, iPod, or
iPhone. The full list of bug fixes is available (as a PDF document)
from Telestream's Web site. ($99 new, free update, 6.2 MB)
<http://www.telestream.net/screen-flow/overview.htm>
<http://www.telestream.net/flip4mac-wmv/overview.htm>
<http://www.telestream.net/download-files/screenflow/rel_ScreenFlow_1.5.1.pdf>
MercuryMover 2.0.3 from Helium Foot Software is a minor maintenance
update to the keyboard shortcut utility for moving and resizing
windows. Issues that have been resolved include incompatibility with
Nvidia video cards, poor interface layout on smaller displays,
windows incorrectly centering when display sizes change, and the
frontmost application not being properly restored when dismissing
MercuryMover with its hot key. ($20, free update, 867 KB)
<http://www.heliumfoot.com/mercurymover/>
TextExpander 2.5.2 from SmileOnMyMac updates the typing shortcut
utility with several new features and some minor bug fixes. The
latest version enables users to create snippets from shell scripts,
assign those snippets abbreviations, and then trigger the shell
scripts with those abbreviations. Also new is improved format
handling when creating snippets from the clipboard, and a fix for a
bug that causes problems with updating URL-based snippet groups.
($29.95 new, free update, 3.6 MB)
<http://www.smileonmymac.com/TextExpander/>
MacBook SMC Update 1.3 from Apple is a specific firmware update for
the 2009 white polycarbonate MacBook. SMC stands for System
Management Controller, a micro controller located on the logic board
that is responsible for the computer's power functions. As such, the
update addresses issues causing slow startup times when starting up
from battery power only. (Free update, 4.3 MB).
<http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacBook_SMC_Update_1_3>
WireTap Studio 1.0.8 from Ambrosia Software is a minor update to the
tool for recording and editing audio on your Mac. The update brings
enhanced editor capabilities, improved handling of large files, a
fix for an issue that prevents new recordings from appearing after
creating or updating a library, a fix for a bug that causes problems
in LivePreview when opening particular file formats, and improved
support for iPhone exports. ($69 new, free update, 30.8 MB)
<http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/wiretap/>
Things 1.0.4 from Cultured Code is a maintenance update to the
Getting Things Done-inspired task manager. In the latest version,
adding a new task to a completed project now marks the project as
incomplete, adding a new task to a logged project now marks the task
as logged, and marking a task as uncompleted in a completed project
now marks the project as uncompleted. Additionally, dragging items
from the Trash to another area now marks those items as active. The
update also improves reliability and support for iPhone sync.
($49.95 new, free update, 4.3 MB).
<http://culturedcode.com/things/>
The ConceptDraw WebWave plug-in from CS Odessa is a new plug-in for
ConceptDraw Pro 8. ConceptDraw WebWave enables users to plan and
design Web sites quickly through Web site prototyping, page mock-up
creation, and site-mapping. The plug-in offers Web site content and
documentation functionality, site structure planning capabilities, a
Color Generator that enables users to design color schemes, and
access to additional Web-specific objects and template libraries.
ConceptDraw WebWave is also capable of managing project resources
with its capability to assign resources and generate to-do lists.
($99 when purchased with the $249 ConceptDraw Pro 8, not available
for separate purchase)
<http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/products/webwave/>
<http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/products/cd5/>
ExtraBITS for 23-Feb-09
-----------------------
by TidBITS Staff <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10089>
**XRoad's Map Apps Boast Turn-by-Turn GPS Directions** -- Despite the
belief that Apple wouldn't allow turn-by-turn directions in an
iPhone app, the recently released version 1.2 of XRoad's G-Map U.S.
West and G-Map U.S. East adds that feature. Unfortunately, still
absent are voice prompts, which XRoad attributes to Apple's
prohibitive policies. The two apps, covering the eastern and western
halves of the United States, are $19.99 each. (Posted 2009-02-19)
<http://www.macrumors.com/2009/02/19/turn-by-turn-iphone-gps-app-already-available-in-itunes/>
**Search the Web without a Browser** -- Still launching a Web browser
every time you need to do a quick Web search? There may be other,
quicker ways to get the information you need, as Joe Kissell
explains in this Macworld article. (Posted 2009-02-18)
<http://www.macworld.com/article/138782/2009/02/searchnobrowser.html>
**Improve Your Google Searches** -- If you're using Google to search
the Web and not finding the results you're looking for, you may just
need to refine your searches a bit. In this Macworld article, Joe
Kissell provides some Google search tips. (Posted 2009-02-18)
<http://www.macworld.com/article/138777/2009/02/searchgoogle.html>
**Go Beyond Google Searches** -- Believe it or not, there are other
(and sometimes more effective) ways to find information on the Web
than using the Google search box built into your browser. Joe
Kissell explores some of the interesting alternatives in this
Macworld article. (Posted 2009-02-17)
<http://www.macworld.com/article/138781/2009/02/beyondgoogle.html>
**Mobile Web Usability Stinks** -- Let's be real. Browsing the Web on
a mobile phone, even an iPhone, is a lousy experience in comparison
with using a full-fledged browser on a Mac. Jakob Nielsen explains
the problems and offers suggestions on how to improve mobile Web
usability in his Alertbox column. (Posted 2009-02-17)
<http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mobile-usability.html>
**The Tao of Backup** -- The software this 12-year-old site was
developed to promote may be long gone, but its lessons about backup
are timeless. "Remember, Grasshopper, to believe in one's backups is
one thing. To have to use them is another." (Posted 2009-02-17)
<http://www.taobackup.com/>
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk for 23-Feb-09
----------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10088>
**Microsoft Store** -- Readers envision what Microsoft's newly
announced retail stores will be like. (3 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2470>
**Time to kiss Eudora goodbye? Now what?** As Eudora continues to age,
are Mail and Entourage the only viable replacements? What about
Gmail? (72 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2471>
**Liquid Submersion Indicators Reveal Accidental Dips** -- Apple can
tell if your iPod, iPhone, or laptop has been exposed to liquid. (3
messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2473>
**Western Digital Passport Studio for G4 laptop?** A reader is looking
for portable storage to accompany his PowerBook or iBook, and hoping
for suggestions. (8 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2474>
**BSD UNIX - Basis for OS X?** If you want to poke around under the
hood of Mac OS X, be prepared to learn a host of different Unix
flavors. (15 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2478>
**Stolen Laptops Redux** -- After having two laptops stolen from a
hotel room in London, a reader wants to know what can be done to
restore his data and prevent future thefts. See what others do to
protect their precious electronics. (9 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2479>
**Get a Free, Non-Expiring .Mac Address for iChat** -- With other
types of addresses compatible with iChat (such as AIM, Jabber, and
Google Talk), what's the benefit of getting a free .Mac address? (3
messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2480>
**Free Hotmail POP3 Access Now Available in U.S. Too** -- Hotmail's
POP access does not appear to be active for all users, which could
be why a reader can't get it to work. (2 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2481>
$$
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