 |  The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com другие подписчики этой ленты также читают >> |
- VacuumMail: Automate Vacuuming Your Mail Index
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools
A while back we mentioned a neat trick for speeding up Mail.app by "vacuuming" its SQlite database. Now the original source of the tip, Tim Gaden over at Hawk Wings, points to Leland Scott's VacuumMail, which utilizes a little AppleScript and launchd to automate this process. Tim also notes that if the default time of 1pm on Tuesday isn't to your liking, you can change it using Lingon.
VacuumMail is a free download.
[Via Hawk Wings]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/18/vacuummail-automate-vacuuming-your-mail-index/#comments - Tux Paint: Open Source Kids Paint Program
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Freeware
Tux Paint is an open source, cross-platform kids' painting program. As you can see above it has a simplified (and definitely not Mac-like) interface. You can do the normal sorts of things you would expect (draw with lines, shapes, etc.), but one feature that the kids really like (according to the official TUAW kid testers) is the availability of "rubber stamps." These are basically pre-made shapes / images that you can stamp on the canvas (like the penguin to the right of "TUAW"). It only comes with a few, but there is a separate stamps package you can download to get "hundreds" more. In addition, the features list includes several "Magic" (i.e. special effects) tools like "Grass," "Bricks," and more. As you use the tools there are a variety of sound effects as well (squeaking erasers, etc.). Although, it's definitely not the most Mac-like program in the world, you can't complain about the price and looks like it could keep the kids occupied for a while. And yes, I am trying to blind you with this screenshot!
Tux Paint is a free download (for OS X, Windows, various Linux flavors and more).Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/18/tux-paint-open-source-kids-paint-program/#comments - 10.4.9 Adds USB Camera Support for iChat; Xbox Camera Works
Filed under: Multimedia, Software Update, Apple
Here's a nice, easily overlooked tidbit from the release notes to the 10.4.9 update that we mentioned before: Apple has added support for USB Video Class cameras in iChat without the need of a third party driver a la iChatUSBCam from ecamm. A user in the MacRumors forums reports that the the Xbox Live Vision Camera (~$40) now works natively with the Mac. This should presumably be the case with other USB Video Class cameras as well, and while I would probably prefer a model from Logitech, the Xbox camera is widely available and relatively inexpensive. With iSights now unavailable this lends credence to the rumor of some sort of USB iSight replacements (or maybe Apple is just going to stay out of the webcam business altogether, given that iSights are built-into so many models now).
[Via Digg]
Thanks to those who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/18/10-4-9-adds-usb-camera-support-for-ichat-xbox-camera-works/#comments - The Dangers of Updating: Don't Do Anything While Optimizing
Filed under: Tips and tricks, Software Update, Troubleshooting
Gruber points to this post by Rosyna at Unsanity regarding a bug in Apple's Software Updater. According to Rosyna, "when you see the 'Optimizing System Performance' phase of a software update, Mac OS X is really updating prebinding. Updating prebinding has a very, very nasty bug in it... If multiple processes are updating prebinding at the same time, then it is possible for a system file to be completely zero'd out. Basically, all data in the file is deleted and it is replaced with nothing." Yikes! Rosyna claims most of the problems that arise from software updates are manifestations of this bug. The upshot: "When 'Optimize System Performance' appears during the update process do not touch your computer and definitely do not launch any applications." I know some are inclined to blame the Unsanity APEs for pretty much any and everything, but I think it's worth considering what Rosyna has to say.
In response to this Gruber points to a old post of his own on updating (we even mentioned it back in the day). Basically, Gruber advises waiting a full day until after the update is released, then installing the update clean (with no other applications running), letting it finish, and then rebooting. These seem like prudent steps, and probably worth the hassle in order to avoid the prebinding bug.
Update: fixed.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/17/the-dangers-of-updating-dont-do-anything-while-optimizing/#comments
| rss2email.ru | отписаться: http://www.rss2email.ru/unsubscribe.asp?c=6894&u=24004&r=484673635 управлять всей подпиской: http://www.rss2email.ru/manage.asp читать наш блог: http://www.olevarty.ru |
