This is only of interest if you are running Apache & PHP and want a local search proxy that works in all your browsers, but I've updated my Lazysearch script with slightly easier configuration and clearer (though still minimal) help. You can see what the help looks like here, and try a sample search here. Discuss

Another Monday announcement that I haven't heard much about -- OpenOffice.org (the application suite) has gone Golden Master, with a 1.0.3 version now downloadable. Discuss

Along with the new, improved Mail.app, a new Eudora beta (6.0b24) came out yesterday. Nothing major -- see the release notes. I'm running it now. One item of note -- Content Concentrator can now be configured (or disabled). Anyway, me and 300 megs of semi-archived e-mail say this is the least shitty client around. Mileage varies. Continue to discuss

Also of note for developers is Apple's preview of Xcode, a pumped-up reworking of Project Builder with geektastic stuff like distributed compilation (coordinated via Rendezvous), predictive compilation (compiling while you edit), and gcc 3.3 behind it all. [UPDATE: meatier page with more info for developers is here.]

This and other cool stuff unveiled at WWDC is summarized in this Macintouch report among other places.

Drool.

PowerMac G5

Good news on the open source OS X front: the Metapkg Alliance. The good people behind Fink, DarwinPorts, and Gentoo have agreed to cooperate (though not merge) in order to "increase quality, reduce duplication of effort, and thus deliver better results more quickly to the Mac OS X/Darwin user community." Can't argue with that. All-volunteer efforts fragment, implode, or stall out all too often -- this is good news. More info in their press release. Discuss

Welcome Mailsmith 2.0!

I still don't see IMAP on the list of features. You do get built-in support for PGP 8 and Apple Address Book though, while very cool...it still isn't enough to get me to jump.

Why do I have to have IMAP? I read my mail from at least four different locations and POP just sucks for that. But isn't IMAP just like using POP but leaving the message on the server? No. Server side folders are the main IMAP feature that I can't live without.

Anyway, I'm grabbing the demo now and I'll let you know if they stuck IMAP in as an easter egg.

Update: No sooner had I hit publish than I looked up to see that Daring Fireball had posted a note on the new Mailsmith as well. John mentions that IMAP people tend to throw a hissy fit (I hope I didn't come across that way) when they find out that IMAP still isn't in Mailsmith. He thinks that it's a strange thing to take personally. Me, I think it's a testament to how much people love products (read: BBEdit) from BareBones and want to use Mailsmith, but can't. John even points out, perhaps adding insult to injury, that if you don't use Mailsmith you are missing out on a "crackerjack email client."

Discuss

AAPL Gets an Upgrade

While not juicy technical news, it is nice to once again get the "analysts" to see that the iPod is a killer piece of hardware. It's sales are very important to Apple right now. Not only are the most likely contributing to increased system sales, people are still buying tracks from the iTunes Music Service at about a clip of 500k/week. Not bad.

The other main reason AAPL got a boost is that it was bringing iTunes to Windows. Truth be told, it's a freakin' huge market. "Apple is abandoning its long-standing strategy of confining its award-winning software to the Mac platform," said Charles R. Wolf.

Another reason they gave for a bump is the upcoming G5 or PPC 970. If you like down and dirty CPU reviews you need to read Jon "Hannibal" Stokes' articles at ArsTechnica: PPC 970 Part I, Part II. Discuss

Ob Request For Help: I own a Canon Powershot A40 and for as long as I've had it, I cannot get it to mount as a volume on the desktop. It shows up fine in iPhoto and Image Capture but unlike my old Kodak digital, it never makes its appearance as a mounted volume.

Anyone know what I need to do to make this so? Discuss

The folks at the MacGPG project have set up a MacGPG Store for all your crypto-wear needs (someone buy me the clock!) . Says Gordon Worley, the project's admin:

You can buy logo t-shirts, hats, mugs, bags, and other goodies. We offer them to you `at cost'; we earn no profit on them, so you get the lowest price possible.

Check it out and support them - the MacGPG project is pretty damned cool.

Random crazy question ...

Does anyone know of an IRdA dongle that connects via USB and that has MacOS/X drivers available?

I have some legacy kit that likes to talk infrared. And I've suddenly discovered that none of my newer Macs have IR ports any more, and an hour or two of google searching hasn't thrown anything to light. (Forget Omniremote -- it looks good at first, but it talks a different protocol, one used by remote control handsets, and can't do IRdA.)

Discuss

Alex King has created quite possibly the most install-intensive To Do list application ever: tasks.

Written in PHP and Javascript, tasks requires you to be running Apache, PHP and MySQL before you can even begin to jot down the things you'd like to do. That said: it's excellent! Extremely well-written, sporting an elegant UI, fast and responsive (by using DHTML where appropriate), tasks has become, in just two days, my favourite To Do list application. (And the part of me that also likes perl likes tasks a bit because of it's extreme geektastic barrier to entry :-)) If you happen to have the above-mentioned installed and you're looking for a task manager, check out tasks. Discuss

(As an aside: I'm also writing this post via Mozilla Firebird which is working ridiculously well under OS X).

"Security Update 2003-06-09 addresses a potential security issue when the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) is used to reshare a Network File System (NFS) mount. This update also addresses a situation where LDAP bind authentication requests may be improperly sent when using Kerberos authentication."

No KB article yet. Fire up Software Update if you want it, or use softwareupdate from the command line.

As a loyal member to the Cult of Launchbar, I feel duty bound to let you know there has been an update released. Fixes for all kinds of little things are in, AAC files, MPEG files, Addressbook scanning...it's all good. It does cost $19.95US, but it's probably the best $20 I've spent on software since BBEdit. Download 3.2.11.

The iSync upgrade provides support for a host of new devices which makes it possible to do the following (if this has been possible all along, I missed it and it's pretty damned cool):

Apple's Bluetooth support is exemplary. And it's worth taking stock. Macs can now send SMS from the Address Book application, and you can initiate and receive calls.

( The Register - Apple: Your smartphone's best friend )

A list of all supported devices can be found here. Discuss

iSync 1.1 Heads-up

If you are like me and generally ignore the "Before you install..." warnings from Apple, let me save you a few moments of grief if you use a Palm device with iSync. Download the new iSync 1.1 Palm conduit.

Yes, yes...it's listed quite clearly in small type at the bottom of the page. I just don't know how I missed it.

Update: The preferences for warning you about changes to data have changed. The default is now to warn you if more than 5% of the data will be changed. You can of course change it to 'any', 'more than 1%', or even 'more than 10%.'