Update : Bug-bashing Bento 2.0v5 [MacOS]

FileMaker issued an update to their Mac database application Bento this morning. Bento 2.0v5 is a bug-fix release, with no new features added to the application.

According to the download notes, Bento 2.0v5:

• Resolves an issue related to duplication of Address Book and iCal information when synchronizing with Bento for iPhone and iPod touch. They've also posted details on removing duplicate entries.
• Resolves an issue related to library icons when importing library templates. This issue was originally reported as fixed, but Filemaker has updated the release notes and now indicates that it is NOT a fix in this build.
• Resolves an issue related to importing Bento databases to FileMaker Pro

The download weighs in at 76.1 MB, while the expanded disk image is a full 127.9 MB in size and replaces the existing Bento installation. FileMaker also notes that this release includes the changes that were delivered in Bento 2.0v4, which added compatibility with Bento for iPhone and iPod touch as well as improved performance of the application.

Citrix Receiver [ iPhone ]

Citrix, the folks who provide a popular way to run applications on remote servers using a thin client, have announced the immediate availability of Citrix Receiver for iPhone (click opens iTunes). We saw the Citrix guys running around the show floor at Macworld Expo this year, surreptitiously demoing an early build of this app to anyone who walked within range.

Receiver is a free app that enables iPhone and iPod touch users to run any Windows application as a service on their device. Connecting to a Citrix XenApp environment, iPhone fans can securely work with apps from Oracle, SAP, McKesson, Cerner, and other vendors. The only information sent over the wireless connection consists of screen taps and gestures, keyboard input, and screen updates, so it is simple to keep data secure.

Receiver for iPhone uses Citrix HDX to deliver high-definition content to the device so that Flash and Silverlight content can be viewed as well. Flash on an iPhone -- now there's an idea!

In enterprises such as hospitals that depend heavily on Citrix already, Receiver is going to be "well received." This should help Apple's iPhone sales efforts in the enterprise market really take off.

Bento [ iPhone ]

FileMaker, Inc. provided one of the surprise announcements of the last couple of weeks with the introduction of Bento for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed a both a standalone database management application and companion app to the Mac version, Bento for iPhone is an inexpensive, well-designed, and usable app for collecting, searching, and displaying information.

TUAW has been able to put Bento for iPhone through its paces both as "just" an iPhone app, and as a synchronizable add-on to the desktop Bento. Check out my review of the app by clicking Read More.
TUAW readers who were listening to the TUAW Talkcast on Sunday, May 10th, are aware of the discussion that took place during the show. A few of us were describing apps that we've installed on our iPhone that we're not using, or are not likely to use. For example, several of us brought up the fact that we were initially enthused about Evernote as a common, cloud-centric location to keep all of our digital stuff. However, some of us find ourselves not using Evernote for one reason or another.

I commented that I felt the same way about Bento based on my use of version 1.0 of the desktop application. In the old days of System 7, I used FileMaker frequently, not only for large flat-file databases but for personal databases that weren't really covered by any of the included Mac apps of the day. With the advent of OS X, I stopped using those databases. When the desktop version of Bento arrived I thought it might be time to try another database app, and since it wasn't as complex as FileMaker, I figured I'd be using it constantly.

I was wrong. Instead of capturing my time spent on consulting gigs in Bento, I found myself using my time-honored system of capturing the start and end times for work on an iPhone or Post-It® note for future invoicing. When it came to the integration between Bento and Address Book, I found I didn't want to add extra information to my contacts. The same with the iCal integration -- I just didn't find it necessary to link Bento and those other apps. When Bento 2.0 came out and was a paid upgrade, I decided not to bump myself to the new version.

Along came Bento for iPhone, and the lure of integration between the iPhone and desktop versions of the application got me excited again. After working with the app in concert with the 2.0 desktop version for a week or so, I'm surprised to find myself starting to think of ways that I can use Bento to hopefully bring a bit of organization into my life. Will I actually use it? Time will tell, but I don't like to use overly complex apps and Bento is not a complex or difficult app to learn or use.

So enough of this rant, already! Let's get on with the review.

Bento for iPhone and iPod touch (click opens iTunes) is a US$4.99 companion to the popular personal database application from FileMaker, Inc. with the same name. The app weighs in at about 3.0 MB, which is surprisingly small considering that 26 pre-designed templates are included. Then again, the templates really don't consist of much in terms of graphics; they're simply lists of fields that have been predefined by Bento. There's a Cover Flow-like interface that you can flip through showing all of the templates and what they're used for.

Those templates are the same as those that are provided with the Mac edition of Bento. For a complete list, visit this page and click the "View templates" link about halfway down. In addition, there's a blank template for creating your own customized library on the iPhone.

In the business analysis classes I teach in my real job, I often talk about the value of keeping an updated issues list to track and resolve problems associated with IT projects. I was pleased to see that one of the templates included with Bento was for issue tracking. After tapping on the Create Library button, Bento created a library (database) with a sample record. All records are listed in a view that looks suspiciously like Contacts on the iPhone. The letters of the alphabet are listed down the right side of the iPhone screen, with a search field at the top. There are also icons at the top of the screen for setting sort options and display fields, as well as adding a new record.

You then begin to tap through the pre-assigned fields, entering information along the way. In this particular example, there are twelve fields including Status and Date Created. I usually have a Date Closed field in my issue databases, and I also like Project On Hold as a status. Fortunately, changing the fields in the Bento templates is a piece of cake.

Tapping on the Fields button at the top of a record takes you into a Modify Fields screen where you can add or edit fields. You can't change the type of an existing field; if you wish to do that, you need to delete the field, then add it back in as a separate type. To add a field to a library, you tap on the plus sign icon in the Modify Fields screen. A standard rolling picker appears, with fifteen different fields types including Media (a picture, movie or sound), Address (which includes all parts of a street address), URL, and IM Account to name a few. Tap the create button, and you're asked to enter a name for the new field. Tap the create button again, and either the field is added to your library, or you're asked to enter other attributes (like the choices available in a Choice field) for the field. If you want a certain field higher or lower in your record, you tap an area on the far right of each field name listing, then drag the field up or down.

That's all there is to taking one of the standard Bento templates and tweaking it to your personal preferences. I found this to be very easy to do, and much faster to perform than on some of the other personal iPhone databases on the market.

So what about syncing the library with my Mac? Tapping on the Sync button at the bottom of the Bento screen the first time provides you with a Help screen with instructions on how to set up syncing. As with several other iPhone apps with Mac or PC companions (Mark/Space's Missing Sync for iPhone and Fliq apps, for example), setting up the sync requires that Bento be running on both devices and that a four-digit code that is generated on the iPhone be entered into a special screen on the Mac. Pairing the devices in this way assures you that nobody else can accidentally sync their Bento information to your iPhone and vice-versa. You can, however, set up syncing with multiple Macs on the same WiFi network if you'd like and then set up only certain libraries to sync with specific Macs.

Where this feature could be powerful is in an office environment. Let's say that you need to have time billing information sent to an accountant, order information sent to an order processor and prospect contact information sent to a marketing rep. It would take no time at all to set up the Bento libraries on the individual computers in the office, then add the sync links so only the appropriate information is synced to a specific computer.

After pairing is completed, all you need to do to start syncing is tap that sync button again. I found the syncing process to be lightning-fast. It took no time at all to sync even fairly large (600+ record) libraries between my Mac and iPhone.

As with the first version of many iPhone apps, Bento has some minor bugs. When attempting to add a Project library to my iPhone, the app crashed. The next time, the same action worked perfectly. There are also some tasks that you may want to perform on the Mac version of Bento only. For example, the Project library has a field for linking to Team Members. On the Mac, the Team Members field links to the Address Book so you can pull up all contact information for a person through one simple click and drag. There's no similar ability on the iPhone version. Likewise, Bento for iPhone doesn't show tasks or events from iCal like the Mac version does, since the iPhone OS (at least in its current form) doesn't allow apps other than Calendar to access that information. And let's face it; data entry is a lot faster and more convenient with a real keyboard than it is with a virtual one. You should probably only enter data into Bento for iPhone when you're in the field, otherwise depending on the Mac's keyboard and mouse for speedily entering your records.

FileMaker provides a caveat that the iPhone product may not support large databases "due to mobile device memory limitations". More information about that and other limitations can be found in the Bento knowledgebase.

Can you use Bento for iPhone without the Mac version? Of course. But I honestly feel that the true power of Bento for iPhone is to use it as a mobile extension of the Mac version. I always thought Bento would be a great tool for doing a home inventory, but with Bento for iPhone I can finally realistically think about walking around my house, entering info into the iPhone and snapping pictures, and then sending the results into my Mac with the tap of a button. Had it not been for Bento for iPhone, I wouldn't even be considering using Bento on the Mac.

As a US$4.99 standalone personal database app for the iPhone, Bento stands alone as a professional and fast solution. It's even more outstanding when paired with the US$49 Mac version. How good is the iPhone version of Bento? I'd love to see it bundled with every iPhone sold. 'Nuff said.

File Magic 2.0 [ iPhone ]

File Magic 2.0 (click opens iTunes) is the newest entry into this market from SplashData, an app development firm with years of history in the mobile space. As with the other apps of this type, File Magic provides a way to send files from a Mac or PC to an iPhone or iPod touch, then view those files on the handheld.

For those of you who are using Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, you'll be happy to know that File Magic supports the XML-based .xlsx, .docx, and .pptx file formats for viewing, as well as a number of other document, sound, image, and video file formats. Like Quickoffice, File Magic does not support any of the iWork file formats.
One feature that I felt was a bit of a throwback is the use of a dedicated application on the desktop for transferring files back and forth. While the software, File Magic Desktop, is available for free for both Windows and Mac, you need to download and install the desktop software on any Mac or PC you're going to use File Magic with. Other apps now use Bonjour or web browsers as a way to transfer files without a dedicated desktop app. The last thing I want to have to do is remember to load software onto a computer in order to move data; I'd prefer to just use the tools that are already part of the operating system or default software.

File Magic 2.0 differentiates itself from many of the other file viewing / transfer apps in that it can send files to and receive files from other iPhones on the same Wi-Fi network that are also running File Magic. Those files, of course, can only be those that are actually stored by File Magic; you can't send photos, address cards, or other such iPhone-specific items to other users.

I'm not sure why, but File Magic 2.0 was slower in terms of performing file transfers than similar apps. For example, the large files and folders that I sent to my iPhone with Quickoffice moved very quickly. With File Magic, the same transfers were relatively slow, and several times I had the app actually lock up during a transfer, forcing me to restart the app and try the transfer again.

Depending on your personal preference, you may be thrilled or dismayed by the user interface on the iPhone. The app uses a large, bold-face font to label different folders for different types of files. Those who are app design purists will be appalled, while those who are tired of squinting at tiny type in iPhone apps might rejoice. For me, it's a mixed blessing because I think it's easier to read, but it isn't as nice looking as some of the other apps of this genre.

While using File Magic 2.0, I experienced several bugs. First, importing a PowerPoint file never worked properly for me. My test files are all about 100 slides in length and contain graphics, and when opened on the iPhone, I only saw three slides in each file with none of the graphics appearing. Second, if a file was large (13 MB for one Word document), an error message was displayed telling me that I shouldn't continue to try to open the document, and then File Magic crashed. For small files, File Magic 2.0 worked fine.

As for the pricing of File Magic, US$4.99 is about average for this type of app. Quickoffice Files (click opens iTunes) is less than half the price at US$1.99, Files (click opens iTunes) is more expensive at US$6.99. At the same price is the much more capable Air Sharing (click opens iTunes), which uses WebDAV and Bonjour on the PC or Mac instead of a proprietary desktop application, and which also has the ability to view those pesky iWork documents.

Personally, I think that file transfer and viewing functionality should be built into the iPhone. Most other smartphone platforms have done this for years, and it seems odd that it isn't already in the iPhone. Perhaps we'll see this as a surprise addition to iPhone 3.0? Who knows...

What's your favorite file transfer and viewing app on the iPhone? Leave your comments below, and be sure to check out the gallery for images of File Magic at work.

Twin 1.0 for Mac OS X

Time Machine made it easy for Leopard owners to back up their Macs on local external hard drives, and lately we've seen a number of online backup services such as Carbonite, BackBlaze, and MozyPro debut for the Mac platform. These online services are great (I personally use BackBlaze), but there's a monthly cost associated with them. What if you already have access to a large volume of server space?

App4Mac has just announced Twin 1.0 for Mac OS X (US$39.67, €29.00), an online backup solution that works with all sorts of servers: FTP (all varieties), WebDAV, Amazon S3, and even MobileMe. Unlike many of the other online solutions, Twin claims that it retains all the Mac OS X file metadata, ACLs, and privileges, and your data is kept safe with AES-256 "Jack Bauer quality" encryption. In addition to the online backups, you can use Twin for backing up your files to local drives and have the backups begin when the external drive it plugged in.

I'm impressed with the powerful scheduling capabilities of Twin, which include a way to use logical operators to determine exactly when backups should proceed or not. Having an offsite backup is that extra bit of security that every Mac user should have. Check out the gallery below for some screenshots of the app in action. You can also download a free, limited-capability trial of Twin if you're interested in kicking the tires.

Convertbot

Last October, we posted about another iPhone app -- Weightbot -- written by Mark Jardine and Paul Haddad at Tapbots. Now the company has shipped their second app, an iPhone conversion calculator called Convertbot (iTunes link).

Like Weightbot, Convertbot is a classy-looking and extremely functional iPhone app. Every detail of the user interface shows obvious thought, resulting in an app that is easy to use and look at. As with Weightbot, Convertbot also features sound effects that provide an extra level of fun.

What can you convert with Convertbot? Temperature, time, volume, work, angles, area, currency, length, mass, power, pressure and speed. How do you do it? There's a rotating selector wheel on the Convertbot screen to choose the type of conversion (temperature, for example), and a button to select the units (degrees Fahrenheit, for instance). To enter the known unit, you tap the converter display to bring up a keypad for tapping in numbers. As you tap in the numbers, Convertbot is busily converting the units.

If you're an aspiring developer and want to see a well-designed app, or if you're an iPhone or iPod touch owner who just likes cool apps, check out this US$0.99 app. There are tons of conversion apps in the App Store, but Convertbot is just too nice to pass up.

Daylite Touch

Marketcircle has made a name for themselves with their Daylite Productivity Suite, which is a powerful customer management, calendaring, and project management tool. On Tuesday, Marketcircle announced the availability of Daylite Touch, an iPhone / iPod touch companion to Daylite, in the App Store (click opens iTunes).

TUAW is currently working on a full review of the latest releases of Daylite, the new Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch, so this is just a cursory overview of the iPhone app. From what we've seen during the last few weeks of use, the app is a worthy companion to Daylite and offers much of the powerful capabilities of the desktop package in a handheld format.

Perhaps the most impressive tool in Daylite Touch is its ability to sync to a remote Daylite Server. Daylite Server is required if someone wishes to use both Daylite on the Mac and the iPhone, and it has just been shipped with the new Daylite 3.9. The sync capability includes a remote wipe function, important for organizations that have deployed groups of iPhones loaded with Daylite Touch and syncing to company-proprietary information.

Daylite Touch is free for download, but requires that a $49.99 annual license be installed on the server. While this may seem a bit expensive, it's an absolute bargain for any person or organization that wants the power of Daylite in their pocket or purse. Stay tuned for our upcoming full review of Daylite 3.9, Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch.

MLB.com At Bat 2009

Opening Day of the Major League Baseball 2009 season is just around the corner, and MLB.com At Bat 2009 (click opens iTunes) has been released. Beware -- this post contains bad baseball metaphors.

This year's app has all the tools. After you agree to a list of Terms and Conditions as lengthy as a major-league player contract, a list of all of the games currently in progress or scheduled for the day appears. Starting on April 6th, every game will have Gameday enabled, which lets you view stats and a pitch by pitch recap of what's happening. Tapping a player's name brings up a virtual baseball card, complete with career and season stats and a line score for the game in progress.

Also on April 6th, a new feature will touch all the bases -- live Gameday Audio from either the home or visiting team radio announcers streamed to your iPhone. As with last year's At Bat app, you'll be able to pull up video clips of games shortly after key plays occur.

Do you miss plays while buying a beer or standing in line for the men's room? No problem, since the app also has a live box score.

MLB.com At Bat 2009 hits a home run! You can get the entire season (including postseason play) for US$9.99. Note that you'd pay $14.99 for just the Gameday audio on MLB.com. There's also a rookie (lite) version available for free that doesn't include the streaming audio. Check out the gallery below.

Geocaching 2.0 for iPhone 3G

Hey, it's your resident geocaching geek here. I was scoping out iPhone app updates tonight and was pleased to find that Geocaching.com's official application for the iPhone 3G has been updated to version 2.0. In case you're not familiar with the terminology, geocaching is a game/sport/hobby in which participants use a GPS receiver and information on the Geocaching.com website to find hidden containers with logbooks and loot.

When the Geocaching 1.0 launched, a lot of iPhone-carrying cachers were less than thrilled with the app. You still needed to switch to Safari to check out hints and see where local caches were in relation to your coordinates. In addition, the app was slow and the compass pointer was often inaccurate.

It's obvious that the developers from Groundspeak were listening to the criticism, as Geocaching 2.0 (click opens iTunes) has added speed, embedded maps (topo or street) showing the location of nearby caches, and the ability to save caches for offline use. If you don't like the maps, you can view single caches on your choice of Google, Windows Live Search, or Yahoo Maps.

Version 2.0 retains the ability to submit field notes for found caches, which was added in an interim update. The app is $9.99, and well worth the cost if you'd like to try geocaching but don't want to spend money on a dedicated GPS receiver. Be sure to check the app page on the Geocaching site for scads of screen shots.

iPhone app update: JetSet Expenses 1.2.1

TUAW did a first look of BriteMac Software's JetSet Expenses 1.1 for iPhone last September, and with time the app has added functionality and stability. JetSet Expenses 1.2.1 (click opens iTunes) has recently appeared in the App Store, and the changes look great:

• Expense type detail reports now have totals so that they have the same level of detail as summary reports
• Mileage totals are now in the detailed expense report
• Billable expenses are now broken out and totaled separately
• A report is now marked as submitted when it is emailed or sent to Google Docs
• Now supports up to 6 different payment types
• A personal balance shows the difference between the expenses you paid versus expenses allowed to you
• Can now mark expenses as either billable or reimbursable
• Mileage support for business, medical, charity, and one more user-defined type
• JetSet Expenses now follows local currency and date formatting
• An improved user interface; you can enter as much or as little data as needed for reporting

I use JetSet Expenses to track my business travel expenses, and the latest version has improved an already good app.

There's a two-week sale on JetSet right now -- the usual US$9.99 price has been halved to US$4.99. BriteMac has also released a free version for those who want to test-drive JetSet Expenses. Version 1.3 is forthcoming in the future, with support for multiple currencies.

First Look: Fliq Tasks

Mark/Space has added another member to their rapidly growing family of iPhone file transfer applications. The new baby in the family is Fliq Tasks, which joins Fliq for Mac and Windows, Fliq Notes, and Fliq for iPhone.

As with Fliq for iPhone and Fliq Notes, Fliq Tasks is available in the App Store for free (click opens iTunes). Mark/Space is providing their iPhone applications for free, while charging for the Mac and Windows "host" software. Fliq for Mac and Fliq for Windows are available for US$19.95 (US$49.95 for a 3-pack) each.

If you want to transfer files between iPhones over a Wi-Fi network, all you need are the free iPhone apps. When you add the functionality of transferring information to and from your Mac or PC, you'll have to purchase the desktop applications.

Fliq Tasks is a full-featured task manager with big, clear, and easy-to-use interface similar to that found in Fliq Notes. Tasks can be listed by name, date due, category, and priority. You can add categories to better match them to your requirements, and there's a simple setting to hide completed tasks. Using the soon-to-be-released Fliq 1.1 for Mac or Windows, you'll be able to send or receive tasks from your iPhone to your big computer.

Current Fliq users should be sure to give Fliq Tasks a try, and the price is definitely right. Check out the mini-gallery below for more screenshots.

tart your lectures: ProfCast 2.3.0 arrives

Educators and professionals who need to record and podcast lectures often turn to Humble Daisy's ProfCast, a tool for adding enhancements to PowerPoint or Keynote slideshows to create powerful podcasts.

ProfCast today received a major update to version 2.3. The original app allows recording of live presentations, syncing slides with an audio track, and full RSS feed generation and publishing support. The new version incorporates several improvements, the most significant being support for PowerPoint 2008.

The app now automatically detects whether Keynote or PowerPoint is being used for a presentation, and then begins the process of recording and publishing the lecture with all slide timing and voice narration.

Humble Daisy also killed a number of bugs from the previous version of ProfCast, and version 2.3.0 is a free upgrade to existing owners of the application. The program is $59.95 for first-time buyers, and educational discounts are available. ProfCast can be purchased from the online store.

Parallels Desktop 4 updated

Popular virtualization software Parallels has been updated to build 3810. The software offers many upgrades and fixes, including Windows DirectX 9.0 with Shaders Model 2 support, as well as "experimental" support for Snow Leopard and Windows 7 beta.

The "experimental" caution, as you might surmise, means not all features will work. For example, in Snow Leopard, there is no USB support, and Parallels notes there is no shared networking support.

Parallels has been running a competitive race against VMware Fusion as each software solution tries to out-feature and outperform the other.

The Parallels update can be downloaded at this link, or you can select "check for updates" from the Parallels application help menu.

A complete list of the enhancements in this build can be found here. Some users are reporting faster performance and some improvements with use of peripherals.

Apple releases Safari 3.2, including security updates

The latest update to Safari was released earlier this afternoon. According to Software Update, Safari 3.2 "features protection from fraudulent phishing websites and better identification of online businesses." You should also note that this update includes the latest security updates.

You can find exactly what changed with the security update by visiting Apple's support note. You can download this update by opening Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update), or by visiting Apple's support website.

Win one of 10 copies of Logbook

The application gives you a simple user interface with which you can 

 

update your status and add completed tasks. If you're having a hard 

 

time remembering to update your Journal, have Logbook remind you 

 

every x number of minutes, and only between certain hours. In 

 

addition, you can set a keyboard shortcut for showing/hiding the

 

application in the menu bar.

Perilar brings Ultima-style RPG [ iPhone ]

Man, for all of the great games on the iPhone already (I've been really enjoying Lexitron lately), what we really need is a good old-fashioned, both complex and charming RPG. Arcade games are fun and all, and they just keep getting better, but what the iPhone really needs is a sink-your-teeth-in fantasy world, complete with dragons to slay, swords and magic to wield, and XP to earn.

Perilar might just be that. It's based on the old Ultima-style turn-based RPGs, and the tiled graphics aren't much to look at these days, but it sounds like good (Net)hacking, slashing, and exploring fun. We're still not talking about the peak of the iPhone's potential as an RPG machine, but Perilar looks like a good first step.

And the best part is that there's a Java version out right now, so you can try before you smack down the $4.99 price. I'm definitely planning on picking it up. Until we get a great original, and solidly addictive fantasy RPG on the iPhone, Perilar seems like it'll help scratch that itch.

Project X 1.5 updated : more speed and features [ MacOS ]

Don't be shocked, but here's some non-iPhone news!

Marware's project management application for Mac OS X, Project X, has received a feature and bug fix update. Project X version 1.5 requires Leopard and offers a pile of enhancements over previous versions:

• New flexible licensing system
• 60% speed improvement
• A duplicate command for duplicating tasks, milestones, resources, etc...
• Resources are dispersed to all child tasks when you drag and drop resources on subprojects.
• New project templates for Law, Marketing, Software, and more

As a former Project Manager for a large multinational corporation, I can see where this application would have limitations for large projects. However, it is a great way for smaller workgroups who use Macs to set up and track their projects. I'm impressed with the way that Project X integrates iCal, Mail, and web sharing.

Project X version 1.5 is a free update to current owners of the application. There's a free demo available for download, or you can purchase Project X for $199.95 online or from a number of Apple Stores. If you're new to the profession of project management, be sure to visit Marware's online training page for tutorials and links to PM sites.

Sandvox 1.2.8 [ MAcOS ]

Karelia Software announced the availability of Sandvox 1.2.8 this week. If you're unfamiliar, Sandvox is a very nice and lightweight WYSIWYG web editor for Mac OS X (we've written about Sandvox before) that makes publishing easy. With iLife integration, attractive themes and more, you'll be happy to use it for that quick and easy site you want to publish with a minimum of fuss.

Karelia has always offered .Mac integration, and version 1.2.8 offers compatibility with MobileMe. Other changes include an updated iMedia Browser which supports iPhoto Events and multiple Aperture libraries.

Sandvox requires Mac OS 10.4 or later, is universal and comes in both pro ($79US) and standard ($49US) versions. Version 1.2.8 is a free upgrade for registered users.

Sandvox 1.2.8 [ MAcOS ]

Karelia Software announced the availability of Sandvox 1.2.8 this week. If you're unfamiliar, Sandvox is a very nice and lightweight WYSIWYG web editor for Mac OS X (we've written about Sandvox before) that makes publishing easy. With iLife integration, attractive themes and more, you'll be happy to use it for that quick and easy site you want to publish with a minimum of fuss.

Karelia has always offered .Mac integration, and version 1.2.8 offers compatibility with MobileMe. Other changes include an updated iMedia Browser which supports iPhoto Events and multiple Aperture libraries.

Sandvox requires Mac OS 10.4 or later, is universal and comes in both pro ($79US) and standard ($49US) versions. Version 1.2.8 is a free upgrade for registered users.

Adobe ships Lightroom 2 [ MacOS ]

Adobe announced today that Lightroom 2, a major update to their photography workflow app, is now available. Lightroom 2 will cost you $299, with an upgrade price of $99, but it includes a host of new features, improvements, and general whizbangery.

The biggest news for Mac users is that Lightroom 2 is Adobe's first native 64-bit app for OS X. Also new in Lightroom 2:

• Libraries can span harddrives
• Customizable print templates
• Smart Collections to automatically organize photos

And much more. The Lightroom 2 Learning center has a nice list of new and improved features. And to help you Lightroom 1.0 users decide whether or not to upgrade Adobe has a comparison of Lightroom 1 vs. Lightrooom 2.

Lightroom 2 requires OS X 10.4 or above, and a 1 GHz G4 processor or better.