Filed under: Internet Tools, Developer

Over at the Official Google Mac blog they've announced the release of App Engine Launcher for Mac OS X. Basically, its a Mac-native project manager for creating web applications to run on Google App Engine, which allows third-party developers to write web applications that run on Google's infrastructure. The Launcher makes it a matter of a couple of clicks to create and (when finished) deploy projects to Google. In the words of author John Grabowski, "with the Launcher, you can focus on your app instead of the tools."

The App Engine Launcher is available for download with the Google App Engine SDK at Google Code.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Software, Internet Tools

Leech is a download manager from Many Tricks that seems to take a "less is more" approach to controlling downloads. With the newly released version 1.1 it integrates with Safari, Camino, and OmniWeb via a SIMBL plugin (or, as some insist, hack), allowing it to take over downloads from any of those browsers. In addition to pausing and resuming downloads, Leech also features a rule based system that allows you to control what happens to files once they're downloaded, filing them to different folders or opening them in different applications according to file type. It also features drag and drop of URLs onto its Dock icon, Keychain integration, and a full searchable history menu.

Leech is €9.95 (~$15) and a demo is available. Registered users of other download managers can get a 30% off coupon.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Video, iTunes, Apple TV

In a recent Ask TUAW we addressed a question about getting divx video files to register properly as TV Shows in Front Row. In the discussion that followed one of our readers suggested VideoDrive as an easy way of accomplishing this. Basically, VideoDrive allows you to import your videos into iTunes without converting them, while still having full control over the metadata, including the tags that control placing videos either in the TV Shows or Movie categories. That way they will appear in the appropriate submenus in both Front Row and on the Apple TV. VideoDrive can also download cover art form Amazon as well as clean up file names and more. Keep in mind, however, that the appropriate codecs must already be installed to use this (check our Perian for this purpose).

VideoDrive is €12.99 (~$20) and a demo limited to 12 videos is available for download.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Odds and ends, Open Source, Found Footage

Lux is an experimental framework that brings full screen multi-touch to OS X. As you can see in the video above it allows a quasi-iPhone like experience in OS X. The project is scheduled to go live in June. Over at Gizmodo they have an interview with the developer, Christian Moore, who talks about the project and how it was built.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Software, Freeware

Up until today, entering to-do info into iCal was an exercise for my mouse-clicking finger. I'd click iCal in the Dock, click again on that little pushpin icon, and then finally double-click to create an empty to-do task to fill in. One more double-click, and I could actually edit the to-do and put in the information I needed.

Enter FlexTD from flexgames. It's another unitasker, but it does one task very well - just hit a pre-defined hotkey and it brings up a transparent edit window. Type in your to-do, press return, and the info is entered into your favorite Mac calendar app.

One suggestion for the developers; the hotkeys only go up to F8, and I'd love to be able to assign something to F13 through F19 on my keyboard. How 'bout it?

The app is free, appears as a pref pane in System Preferences, and can start up at login. Many thanks to flexgames for a nice productivity booster!

Tip 'o the TUAW homburg to Elsa for the news!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: iPod Family, Developer, iPhone

If you lost out on the chance to attend WWDC 2008 and your development focus is the iPhone, you're in luck. iPhoneDevCamp 2 is scheduled for August 1 - 3, 2008 at the Adobe offices in San Francisco. A follow-up to the first iPhoneDevCamp held in early July of 2007, iPhoneDevCamp 2 is a non-profit event dedicated solely to development of applications for iPhone and iPod Touch using the native SDK and web standards.

As an attendee, you'll work with other developers to create new iPhone/iPod Touch apps, learn how to migrate Mac apps to the Apple handheld platform, and find out how to test and optimize your apps. If you're a Cocoa Touch developer, web developer, UI designer, or tester, this is the place to be the first weekend of August. The registration links aren't yet up and running, but be sure to bookmark the iPhoneDevCamp 2 site for future reference.

A big TUAW thank you to Raven for the tip!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Accessories, MacBook Air

Playing on the MacBook-Air-in-a-manila-envelope meme started by Steve Jobs at Macworld Expo 2008, Marware has announced the sexy leather C.E.O. Envi sleeve for the MBA. The $89.99 C.E.O. Envi features a premium leather exterior and a soft lining, and is designed to be used either on its own or in another bag. A magnetic closure keeps the sleeve safely shut, while the interior lining protects the exterior of the MacBook Air from scratches.

Of course, it's too late for my MacBook Air, which is beginning to look a bit scuffed up on the bottom. But I may still look into one of these sleeves as a way of preventing even more scratches.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Audio, iPod Family, Multimedia, Software, iPhone

Back in 1984, Roland released the TR-909 drum machine as a successor to their legendary 808. Over the years, the 909 became one of the most influential and widely-used instruments in the history of electronic music, right up there with the Minimoog and the AKAI MPC sampler.

Now you can pick up IR-909, a free iPhone / iPod Touch version of the 909 over at roventskij.net. It has the 909's 16-step sequencer, eight drum sounds, and four pattern storage.

The minimal, lovely interface is close enough to the 909 for aficionados of the original hardware without sacrificing usability on the iPhone / iPod Touch's small screen.

IR-909 may not be a full-fledged replacement for your software sampler or old-school hardware 909...but I'm betting it's fun to play with on the bus or the train. Or hook it up to a pair of portable speakers and get your "Planet Rock" on anywhere and everywhere. 'Cause I know you got the funk in you.

[via Create Digital Music]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: iPod Family, Software, iPhone

Here's an iPhone app with some potential. Greg Elliot of Poke has released SynchStep, an app for iPhones and iPod touches that chooses songs based on your walking pace. The project began before the iPhone, conceived as a self-contained MP3 player with the necessary hardware. Upon the advent of the accelerometer-toting iPhone/touch, it became more feasible to bring the idea to the masses.

The app has a simple, good-looking interface. I couldn't get it to work very well, though, after about 20 minutes of building and analyzing playlists followed by many carefully paced steps. Quite a few people witnessed me walking quickly by, only to see me pass a while later at a much slower pace, repeated ad nauseum nauseam with an increasingly frustrated look on my face.

I love the concept, though. I want it to work and I'm hoping I'm just doing something wrong. Maybe you should give it a try. I've always wanted a real-time, personal soundtrack. Coincidentally, the previous name for the project was PersonalSoundtrack, which I mention only because I like the former moniker slightly better for its more intimate connotations. Now, back to walking around like I'm in a Monty Python sketch.

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Filed under: Apple, Graphic Design

As reported elsewhere, Apple today won two Black Pencil awards from D&AD, a British organization (or "organisation," I suppose) that promotes the very best of design around the world.

This year, the iPhone and aluminum iMac both took home the top award. The iPod touch received second prize (a Yellow Pencil), and the iPod nano and aluminum keyboard were each nominated. Apple has won six Black Pencils since 1999.

This year, six Black Pencils were awarded, though some years D&AD hand out zero (Graphic designers, for example, were a little miffed this year that none of their work was good enough). Sixty-four Yellow Pencils were handed out, among 143 total nominations.

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Filed under: Accessories, Macbook Pro, MacBook

FastMac announced a new line of Mac notebook chargers today. FastMac found a work around for Apple not licensing the MagSafe chargers. TruePower U-Charge allows you to charge your notebook's batteries externally. Note that this does not power the Mac, it only charges batteries.

This charger will charge iBook G3/G4 12", PowerBook, MacBook, and MacBook Pro batteries without skipping a beat. FastMac also has plans for a 14.4V charger that would charge batteries for the clamshell iBook, iBook G4 14", and Ti PowerBook 15".

The TruePower U-Charge comes in 2 different colors (black and white) to match your machine better. The prices for these chargers start at $69.95. You can purchase the U-Charge on the FastMac website.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Audio, Software, Freeware

If you frequent the library (or quiet places) then Breakaway could be a god-send. You'll never be afraid of your headphones becoming unplugged when you have John Mayer playing loudly in iTunes. If you have ever used an iPod, then you know that when you unplug your headphones while playing a song it is automatically paused; Well, Breakaway does this for your Mac and iTunes.

You can choose from many different settings in Breakaway, including setting triggers and fade in/out speeds. The only downside to this application is that it doesn't work with USB headphones, only ones plugged into the audio out port on your Mac. However, this freeware is handy to have around.

You can download Breakaway for free from the developer's website.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: WWDC, Developer

Okay I promise this is that last time I'm talking about the WWDC schedule (I can't speak for my confreres). Earlier today Brett posted on a nice Ruby script to convert the data to a readable PDF. Yesterday when we first noted that the WWDC schedule was available I complained about the lack of iCal compatible files and apparently Adrian Kosmaczewski agreed. He proceeded to cook up a little script to make the necessary conversions. You can download iCal format ics files for the iPhone, Mac, and IT tracks at his website.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Audio, iPod Family, Freeware, iPhone

One of the features of a lot of iPhone wannabes is a built-in FM radio so you can listen to your local stations. Why limit yourself to local stations? FlyTunes is a free streaming radio service that gives you access to over 375 channels of music, news, and sports on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Most of the channels are EDGE-friendly, so there is no need for a WiFi connection. To sign up for the service, all you need to do is point Safari on your iPhone or iPod Touch to flytunes.fm, and then follow the on-screen instructions to sign up.

How well does it work? Pretty darned good! It took me a minute to figure out that I needed to tap on the play button twice - once to bring up a small arrow and another tap to bring up the QuickTime player and start the stream. It only took about 5 seconds for the stream to queue up and start playing, and I didn't hear a hiccup once during about 5 minutes of listening over an EDGE connection.

Head on over to flytunes.fm and get your fill of free tunes today!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Cool tools, WWDC

Developers and other WWDC attendees looking for a simple printout of the sessions and labs at the conference may be disappointed with the results when printing out Apple's (very slick) Ajax calendars. You could save the pages to PDFs and have a calendar format, but for the purposes of a nice, list-format printout, I can't find a printable version. It's entirely possible I'm not looking hard enough, but at least one other person had the same problem ... and was resourceful enough to come up with a solution. Johannes Fahrenkrug is making available a Ruby script that will make a PDF with a nicely formatted table of all the sessions and labs offered at WWDC.

You can grab the script at his blog and running it is a simple matter of unzipping and executing the wwdcpdf.rb file from Terminal (or wherever you like to do such things). The output is a simple table format with some classic Helvetica action. Those familiar with FPDF may be able to get more artistic with it, or simply build off of the existing code to output in other print or screen-friendly ways. Given that it's based off of an XML file, you can even do some sorting and filtering with a little bit of Ruby magic. Johannes states that he'd be happy to see the script enhanced!

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Filed under: Software, Freeware

We've all been there: you have the Dock set to auto hide and you miss the Mail.app notification telling you there's new mail. Well, don't miss that presidential e-mail again with Mail Unread Menu. This little app sits in your menu bar awaiting your e-mail.

This menu bar application can replace right-clicking on the Mail.app icon in the dock. You can check for new mail, compose a new message, and view the new messages broken down by mail boxes. This application did, however, seem a bit laggy in updating the unread mail count.

You can download Mail Unread Menu 3.1 for free (donations accepted) by visiting the developer's website.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: iPhone

In a short press release today, Orange announced it would bring the iPhone to "customers in Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and Orange's African markets later this year." The company offered no other details.

For some of these countries, it means that many carriers will be providing service for iPhone.

Thanks to everybody who sent this in!

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Filed under: Cult of Mac, Apple

John Mayer has been closely related with Apple for years. He has played after multiple keynotes and he got his MacBook Air earlier than anyone else. I wonder how Apple feels about his latest blog posting? Yeah, that's right, his new cell phone is a... erm, how should I put this nicely... a Blackberry? Seriously, John, did you ever even consider that your friend Steve might give you an iPhone?

We first noted John's two-timing tech ways when Blackberry/RIM sponsored his concert tour in the summer of 2007, but we always held out hope that his heart was in the right place. So much for our shattered popstar dreams.

[via Gizmodo]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: iPod Family, Software, iPhone

Gallery: PhoneView

Remember iPhone Drive? And MegaPhone? Well, Ecamm's pretty sure they're (finally) not going to get sued with their newly renamed "PhoneView." Along with the new name for the iPhone/iPod touch data access tool, PhoneView delivers an overall software refresh.

You can now add and edit notes without rebooting after each change -- wait until you're done and tap "Apply Changes" for a single reboot instead. There's also undo/redo support for the notes editor. There's a new search feature for music, contacts, SMS, etc.

Read on for more details.

Continue reading Ecamm releases renamed PhoneView

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Filed under: Freeware, iTunes

Potion Factory brainiac Andy Kim has just unleashed a new free app on the world - I Love Stars.

This little app does two things very well. First, it displays your iTunes rating (from zero to five stars) in the menu bar for the song that is currently playing, and second, I Love Stars lets you change the rating. All this is done without having to flip between programs. Just glance at the menu bar to see the current rating, or drag across the stars to change your rating.

While Alton Brown may frown upon tools that don't perform a multitude of functions, this is one little app that any iTunes fan could love.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments