Category: Mac

If you often find yourself running out of disk space, you may find yourself in somewhat of a pickle. While you could opt to upgrade your hard drive or SSD, that can be expensive, not to mention you actually have to wait for the drive to arrive. So, if you need to free up some disk space quickly, what can you do? Simple: you can grab a file compression app from the Mac App Store.

Since the Mac App Store is a big place, when searching for a file compression app, you may be overwelmed with choices. And as someone who has tried quite a few of these apps, I can assure you that some of them don’t work that well. Don’t let that scare you away from the whole compression category of apps though, as today we’re reviewing MoreSpace, a popular compression app which just recently hit the App Store for a mere $1.99. So, with such an attractive price-tag, does MoreSpace work? You’re about to find out!

How Does MoreSpace Work?

Good question. MoreSpace takes your file and compresses it with HSF+ compression. Apple introduced HFS+ compression with OS X Snow Leopard. They developed HFS+ compression to be a  super convenient way to compress files while still allowing them to be accessed via the same directory where they were originally saved. HFS+ compressed files also don’t need to be manually decompressed when used as OS X will do that for you in the background. HFS+ compression works with much any file type, though it works best with uncompressed text documents and databases.

Compressing Files With MoreSpace

MoreSpace allows you to manually decompress your compressed folders if needed.

When you first install MoreSpace, you may be a bit intimidated by the lack instructional mode. But fear not, once you get the hang of using MoreSpace, it’s a really easy application to use. When you’re ready to compress a folder, just hit the “Add Folder…” button which is located on the bottom lefthand side of the app. When you click on this, a Finder window will pop up, from here you can choose the folder which you’d like to compress. When you add a folder, it will automatically be compressed using HFS+ compression. Depending on the size of your folder, applying HFS+ compression may take a bit.

If for some reason you would like to manually decompress your files, you can do so by pressing the “decompress” button located next to your folder’s name in MoreSpace. This will remove HSF+ compression from your folder, reverting it back to its original size. On the other hand, if you add more files to a compressed folder and wish to compress the new files, you can press the “refresh” button located next to the file name. This will compress all new and uncompressed files within your compressed folder.

How Much Space Does MoreSpace Save?

I want to start off by saying that MoreSpace does work as expected. However, some users may be disappointed with how much space the application will actually save them. Why? Because, like I said before, HFS+ compression works best with text files. This is why when I made a folder filled with 6.2GB of random files (images, videos, etc), I only saved a mere 17mb. However, when I compressed my email inbox using the “Compress Mail…” button, I saved over 900mbs of space on a 1.9GB folder.

The User Interface

Once you understand what MoreSpace does, the application is really easy to use.

Since MoreSpace is a simple application, the application’s UI is simple as well. MoreSpace features a minimal interface which doesn’t hide any of the app’s features or controls. Because of this the app is easy to use once you understand its concept. And if you ever need any help with anything, you can press the help button located in the upper righthand corner of the application.

Should I Purchase MoreSpace?

Your mileage will vary with MoreSpace. If you have a ton of text documents, emails and other text-heavy files, you’ll save a ton of space with MoreSpace. On the other hand, if your drive is mainly composed of videos, photos and other media, you’re probably not going to find that MoreSpace is sufficient for your needs. However, I’d recommend that everyone who uses a desktop mail client purchase MoreSpace as it will save you a decent amount of drive space depending on the size of your inbox.

All in all, I can recommend MoreSpace at its $1.99 price tag. The app will save you money over purchasing a whole new drive for your Mac and is always there for instances when you need to free up a bit of space.

That just about concludes my review of MoreSpace. If you have experience with MoreSpace or any other HFS+ file compression application, be sure to drop a comment below telling us about your experience. If you prefer another file compression app to MoreSpace, let us know!

Finder is the first element of the Mac OS you interact with after booting your computer. On a fresh Mac with nothing installed, it is the only program that starts automatically. It’s such a central component of the system that you can never close it, and only restart it. Finder lets you mange the files and documents stored on your Mac. It’s where you interact with files, disks, and network volumes and therefore the main way to find your files and documents for all users and how you keep things organized the way you like.

In spite of this ubiquity, Finder has rough edges. For the power user there are many lacking features that would save time and speed up common operations. Two programs look to extend Finder by adding additional features and functionality. TotalFinder expands the functionality of Finder while Path Finder provides a full alternative to Finder with many additional features and functions. How helpful can they be? Let’s see.

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TotalFinder

TotalFinder works by extending Finder. TotalFinder is developed by BinaryAge and a 14 day trial is available on the company’s web site. The program ties directly into Finder and the current version only runs on Lion and Mountain Lion. An older version supporting Snow Leopard is still available, but updates do not support that version of Mac OS. After the trial you can purchase the software for $18.00.

TotalFinder’s Most Visible Change – The Addition of Tabs

I’ve used TotalFinder for so long that I’ve almost forgotten how Finder works without it. Probably the most notable addition TotalFinder makes to your experience is the addition of tabs to the Finder Window. Now when you open a new window, instead of a complete separate window you get a new tab in one window. The concept is similar to having multiple browser tabs open at one time and, in fact, the appearance reminds me a lot of Google Chrome.

TotalFinder Dual Mode

TotalFinder also provides a dual mode which let’s you display two windows together side by side. This doesn’t simply place the contents of the two tabs beside each other, but reformats the display on the right so that the files are on the left side of the window, next to the files on the right, and the folders are along the right of the window. This flipped second folder makes it easy to compare the contents of two folders or quickly move files between folders.

There are a few other smaller additions. You can sort the list of files and folders so that folders are always grouped together first instead of being spread among the other files contained in the current location. Keyboard shortcuts are added for moving files around. You can choose to display normally hidden files. There is also a Visor mode that allows you to keep a TotalFinder window at the bottom of the screen.

Path Finder

Path Finder is an additional application to extend the default Mac OS Finder. It comes from Cocoatech and a 30 day trial is available on the company web site. It supports Snow Leopard in addition to Lion and Mountain Lion. Path Finder is a more extensive addition to Finder than TotalFinder, but comes at a greater cost. Path Finder will cost $39.95 to purchase if you decide to keep after the trial ends.

The basic Path Finder window. It adds a number of views and ways to view your system and files including supports for tabs and a dual display mode.

Where TotalFinder seeks to tweak some of the rougher edges of Finder, Path Finder seeks to basically give you a framework within Finder to do whatever you want. The customizability is extensive and is built around modular views that that you can customize as needed. You can toggle windows showing more information when needed then move them out of your way when no longer necessary.

Path Funder allows you to dig deep into your files and folders in ways that otherwise would require a trip to the command line. You can create bookmarks to frequently accessed files and folders and store groups of tabs together for quick recall later. There are
It supports tabs and a dual pane view too, but adds more features such as the drop stack, a temporary holding place you can collect files into and then move or copy the contents of the stack in a single step. This is very handy when sorting files from multiple folders into another folder. You also can search for files based on criteria instead of just name and contents. Path Finder also lets you tag files to ease finding them again later.

In fact, Path Finder adds so many features it’s hard to discuss them all. For developers and designers, you gain direct access to Subversion and Git source control without needing the command line. Power users gain an integrated terminal window and the ability to run command line tools directly from the GUI. The program includes a hex editor along with text and image editors. It seems as though Path Finder was built with the idea of including everything anyone could want to interact with their file system. And for the most part it all works together and is clear to use.

Conclusion

Both programs provide a big jump in the ease of managing the files on your Mac. Almost any user can find benefit in TotalFinder. Tabs and dual view both come in handy quite often and for almost any user you’ll find enough to benefit you. For the power user, Path Finder offers a lot of addition functionality. It provides so many additional features that you’ll almost definitely find at least one that’s invaluable and probably more.

The key difference is the usage. TotalFinder integrates into Finder adding additional features and functionality directly to the program. Path Finder is a separate program that you can run in addition to Finder. As such the two programs do not conflict and can both be run on the same Mac and at the same time. Most of the time you’ll only run Path Finder when doing specific tasks.

Overall, both programs are stable and well written software that do their job. I think most users can benefit from the additional features TotalFinder brings to your Finder environment. If you spend any time managing files, then the extra features will save time and make this management easier. Power users will gain the most benefit from Path Finder. While an excellent program the additional features can be overwhelming at first and many only will benefit specific audiences.

Here on AppStorm we’re excited to let you know about the latest addition to the Tuts+ family — Crafttuts+!

Crafttuts+ is focused on teaching everything crafty — fundamental craft skills, decorations, ceramics, crochet, jewellery-making, embroidery, candles, paper-craft, knitting, woodwork, printmaking, as well as how to market, sell, and promote your craft work.

Whether you’ve never even wondered about your crafty side, or consider yourself an expert, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading to learn a little bit more about what we’ll be offering on the site…

It’s Craft, but Not as You Know It

It’s probably simplest to explain what you won’t find on Crafttuts+. We won’t be publishing half-baked tutorials with poor photography, incoherent steps, and mediocre outcomes. Nor will you find the type of craft projects that your nan might be interested in…

Crafttuts+ is all about teaching you how to embark on exciting craft projects that you’ll be desperate to try out. We’ll be publishing amazingly high-quality, clear, and visually impressive tutorials that are simple to follow. As well as fun one-off projects, we’ll have several sessions that take you through the basics of different types of craft — so you’ll have a solid place to start learning techniques to build upon later.

We’ll be publishing a combination of step-by-step written tutorials and screencasts/video lessons. In most weeks we’ll be publishing 4-5 high quality tutorials, so make sure to subscribe/follow Crafttuts+ below so you don’t miss a thing!

Find Crafttuts+ on Pinterest

We’ll be making the most of Pinterest, and carefully curating our own set of boards to keep track of our favourite crafty projects and inspiration.

As well as sharing our latest tutorials on there, we’ll be highlighting the work of our authors, favourite crafters, and much more!

Just click below to follow Crafttuts+ on Pinterest, and keep up-to-date with the site:

Follow & Subscribe

Don’t forget to follow Crafttuts+ on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and everywhere else! Here’s how to keep up to date with what’s going on:

• Follow @crafttuts on Twitter
• Like Crafttuts+ on Facebook
• Find Crafttuts+ on Pinterest
• Find us on Google+
• Subscribe via RSS
• Join the Newsletter

Thanks for being part of the site, and we hope you’ll enjoy all the crafty projects we have lined up over the coming weeks!

Win $300 in Our Pinterest Competition

To celebrate the launch, we’re running a competition to win $300 to spend on craft supplies and goodies! Whether you’re in need of new crafty supplies, books, materials, or anything else, this is your chance to win a fantastic prize.

Welcome to November, the month of Thanksgiving (and the presidential election) for Americans, the gunpowder plot to kill the king of England, and last, but not least, Sadie Hawkins Day. Now, if you’re done listening to Relient K’s classic song, we should get on with this week’s deals for the Mac. The picks for this week include Colorstrokes, File Organizer, Instalyrics, and Starscape. Keep reading for the full loot.

Is Anything Missing?

That’s all for this early-November edition of Mac.AppStorm’s weekly deals. If you’ve been adventuring around the Internet and have found another interesting app that’d fit in our weekly deals, do let us know in the comments. Also, if there’s some feedback you’d like to give on one of the apps mentioned in this post, feel free to do so below. See you next week!

iBooks Author first debuted at an unusually dedicated event on education in January this year. A nicely designed too, especially for free, the Mac app allows anyone to create rich, interactive textbooks that can be published on the iBookstore.

At their special event last month, Apple pushed out iBooks Author 2.0 and iBooks 3.0 with a few new, notable features. However, the digital bookstore is still yet to debut itself on OS X. But if you’d like to turn your NaNoWriMo book into a rich iPad reading experience, it might be just what you need. Let’s check out what’s new.

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iBooks Author 2.0

One of the big features for iBooks Author is the introduction of books in a portrait orientation. With a wide selection of physical textbooks opting for the portrait orientation, adding this to iBooks will make a significant difference for some publications, especially for those that might be haphazardly transitioning to digital. This addition comes alongside more templates from Apple.

iBooks Author now supports portrait books and includes a number of templates in the new orientation.

iBooks Author 2.0 also allows creators to embed fonts right into the book for use, giving better control over the appearance of type in a book. This might not seem like such a significant addition, but giving publishers, especially larger ones, more control over the design of their publication might just sway bigger adoption.

Furthermore, iBooks Author 2.0 now features better support for mathematical expressions, embeddable in books as LaTeX and MathML notation. This will certainly help better attract maths and science publishers to the platform due to a smoother, native option for expressions.

iBooks Author now supports embedding mathematical expressions and equations.

Other additions in version 2.0 include new widgets and interactive aspects, such as an iframe-style, scrollable area for storing content bigger than the size of the widget itself, optimisation of media files embedded in a book for the iPad, better support for controlling embedded audio, version numbering and optimisation for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

Still No iBooks for Mac

Unfortunately, iBooks Author 2.0 did not bring any other new Mac apps along for the ride. Any sort of iBooks for OS X remains MIA which is disappointing, since the drive on Macs in education could probably benefit from the same availability of textbooks and education resources being offered for the iPad.

iBooks Author is available for Mac, but the actual iBooks app isn’t.

The iPhone, of course, also runs iBooks but iBooks Author 2.0 hasn’t brought any support for it either. Both the iPhone and the Mac are not as perfect for this kind of media consumption, as the iPad is, but it would have still been nice for some type of support to be offered for them.

Newsstand

While we don’t expect Apple to necessarily build such features into iBooks Author, the release of some sort of tool for creating Newsstand content would have been a nice surprise. Unfortunately, such a wish did not come to fruition and simple, iBooks-style tools are yet unavailable for this type of content.

Tools for creating Newsstand content on OS X are still MIA.

It’s still very much a big wish of mine for Apple to bring easier tools for creating magazine content for the iPad. Easier creation of such materials means more chance of publishers, especially smaller ones without the time or money to create full-blown apps, adopting the platform, right?

Final Thoughts

iBooks Author 2.0 brings a number of new tools that will enhance the overall iBooks experience for both publishers and consumers. Both sides get to enjoy better support for maths, better design through embedded fonts and engagement with new interactive widgets.

For a free app, the new features in iBooks Author 2.0 are certainly not unwelcome. The app itself is great, but there’s still some steps to be made for Apple’s book and magazine ecosystem in general.

One source of frustration for Mac users, especially those switching over from Windows, is the inability to switch between windows of an application using command + tab. Fortunately, many developers have come to the rescue offering solutions that allow for switching between open applications and windows within the same app using a keyboard shortcut.

One such application is Optimal Layout . But to think of Optimal Layout as just an application switcher would be a serious understatement of this app’s capabilities. It’s more of an application / window switcher plus all-around window manager. This app has become indispensable for me in my daily computing. It is set to open at login and seems so natural to OS X that in my mind its functions should be standard in in the OS. Read on to find out why this app fits so well into daily computing on OS X.

Before Apple required sandboxing of apps in the Mac App Store, Optimal Layout  was available for purchase there. I have been in contact with the App’s developer, Benedict Lowndes, and he is still actively developing the app and it is available for purchase on Optimal Layout’s site.

Optimal Layout As Application Switcher

The inability to switch between windows is annoying, and mission control, while useful as a quick overview of all the apps running on your Mac, is not an ideal solution for quick window switching. Optimal Layout (OL hereafter) is a great utility app that gracefully corrects this shortcoming. The app lives in the menu bar and can be activated using a key combination of your choice. I use the command + tab key combo, replacing the native application switcher. Thus, hitting command + tab switches to the last open window, regardless of the app.

Pressing command + tab and then holding down the command key brings up a very useful interface for cycling through open windows. You even get a preview of the window on the right side of the interface! Other functionality is similar to the functioanlity of the native application switcher: keep pressing tab to cycle through the windows, you can also use the arrow keys or the mouse to select the window you need, add in the shift key with the tab key to reverse cycle through the windows.

This is Optimal Layout’s interface for window switching and resizing.

Besides switching between windows, OL allows users to take many other actions on windows. This is one area where OL is particularly useful. Here is a non-exhaustive list of actions you can take on windows using Optimal Layout that I find most useful (all of these shortcuts apply when Optimal Layout is in front, so the command key is being held down):

• Hide the window (command + H)
• Close the window (command + W)
• Quit the app (command +Q)
• Minimize the window (command + M)
• Zoom the window (command + G)
• Activate a search of open windows (command + F)

What about windows on other desktops? Right now, windows on other desktops are not shown in Optimal Layout’s list. Instead, applications on other desktops are shown at the bottom of the list. The ideal functionality would be to show the last used window regardless of desktop (or at least have this as an option). According to conversations I have had with the developer, this capability is in the works.

I can think of only one gripe I have with the way OL works as a window switcher—sometimes activation has a significant delay, even if I am not taxing my machine’s resources. Of course, performance and stability enhancements are on the horizon as the app is still being actively developed.

The look and feel of Optimal Layout’s list of windows is highly customizable—so for all you techy types out there, which I assume most of you are since you are reading this, have fun customizing your experience with the app!

Optimal Layout as Window Manager

OL stands out from the other window-switching utilities because of the added functionality it provides as a window manager, i.e. the ability to quickly and easily resize and move windows. In fact, you could argue that OL is more of a window manager than a window switcher. You know what? I am going to abstain from attempting to label this dynamic application.

Manage Windows When Optimal Layout is Activated

When OLis activated, the right-hand pane shows you a preview of the selected window. Hovering your mouse over this pane reveals a grid. Clicking and dragging on the grid allows you to resize the selected window.

Clicking on the right hand pane of Optimal Layout’s interface allows you to resize windows anywhere on the screen.

You can resize as many windows as you want as long as Optimal Layout is activated.

Alternatively, you can create predetermined positions in OL’s preferences and the positions are available when OL is activated. The buttons for the predetermined positions show up above the window preview in the interface.

Predetermined window positions can be accessed from the menu bar and from Optimal Layout’s interface.

Manage Windows Using the Menu Bar

If you so choose, predetermined window positions can also live in the menu bar. OL allows you to place icons in the menu bar that can be clicked to resize the currently active window (see the screenshot above).

The user has complete control over the number of positions presented in both the menu bar and in OL’s interface.

Manage Windows With Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard enthusiasts will appreciate the functionality of OL’s keyboard shortcuts for managing windows. The first way you can use the keyboard to manage windows is to assign keyboard shortcuts to the predetermined window positions. I use this to quickly assign windows to halves of the screen for comparison.

Keyboard shortcuts can be assigned to any predetermined window position created by the user.

OL also allows users to move windows without using the mouse. Holding down the keys alt + command you can move the active window around the screen using the arrow keys. “What about resizing windows without using a mouse” you ask? “I don’t like having to find the edge of a window and then click and drag to resize”. OL allows for resizing windows using the keyboard also. Hold down the keys shift + alt + command and use the arrows to resize the active window.

Conclusion

Optimal Layout not only replaces OS X’s built-in command + tab application switcher, it also adds functionality as a window manager that other window switching apps lack. There are a couple of things that need improving: performance and better management for windows in multiple spaces. That being said, all-in-all, this is a great utility that is indispensable for may daily computing.

I have not covered all of Optimal Layout’s features in this review. If you use Optimal and find a feature useful that is not mentioned here, let us know in the comments.

Not too long ago, we reviewed Parallels Desktop 7 and deemed it to be a great app for all those needing to run alternate operating systems on their Macs. Now the team behind Parallels has release a new version of their flagship app and we decided to take a renewed look to see if they managed to improve on an already excellent product.

Join us as we discover some of the improvements and tweaks Parallels Desktop 8 has to offer and work around the few snags we found along the way.
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Installing and Upgrading

The upgrade path from Parallels Desktop 7 to 8 is far from smooth. Prior to installing version 8 you are required to completely remove Parallels Desktop 7. In the process, you loose previous settings and are therefore forced to re-import all your existing Virtual Machines. While it is a simple task, it can quickly become tedious if you have numerous Virtual Machines, and quite frankly is the sort of thing that shouldn’t be necessary for a version upgrade.

You can alternatively select all your Virtual Machines in the finder, right click and choose to open in Parallels Desktop 8. Word of Caution: This will not only import all your Virtual Machines but also attempt to start them, which could result in a performance impact on your system.

On a more positive note, Windows Virtual Machines upgrade Parallels Tools automatically once started. For Linux Virtual Machines however you still need to manually update Parallels Tools. I stumbled into some problems here with missing kernel modules on some Linux Distributions, however reinstalling Parallels Tools a second time around solved this problem.

The Parallels Wizard shown when creating a new Virtual Machine

When creating a new Virtual Machine you are presented with the already familiar Parallels Wizard. Here you’ll find two new additions, Download Android Free and Install OS X Mountain Lion Using the Recovery Partition. The possibility to install OS X from the Recovery Partition was removed from version 7 with the advent of OS X Mountain Lion, although it was still possible to install from an install disk.

System Integration

Parallels Desktop 8 brings a slew of tweaks and improvements when it comes to integration with Mac OS X. It now boasts support for Mountain Lion’s Notification Center and even though I couldn’t reliably test this, Parallels states that Windows 8 Toast Notifications appear in Mountain Lion’s Notification Center (this has been noted elsewhere too so the problem doesn’t seem limited to my testing).

The previous version was plagued with reports of problems when working in Full Screen mode, but Parallels Desktop 8 seemingly ironed out all those wrinkles. It now supports OS X Mountain Lion’s Full Screen mode flawlessly. In a dual monitor setup you can even run 2 simultaneous Virtual Machines in Full Screen mode each on their own separate display. While on the topic of Full Screen mode, you can now switch to Full Screen or Coherence mode by simply clicking the buttons on the title bar of the Virtual Machine’s window.

Coherence mode does however continue to have the same shortcommings that were discussed in our previous review, namely the unsightly icons on the menu bar and the floating Start Menu along the bottom of the screen.

The improvements don’t end there though, Parallels Desktop 8 intelligently detects when you’re running on battery and disables non essential animations so as to preserve battery life. The ability to Drag and Drop files between Guest and Host is possible for both Windows and Linux Virtual Machines making sharing files even more seamless now.

Windows Virtual Machines can also take full advantage of your Mac’s bluetooth allowing you to send files to bluetooth enabled devices from within the Virtual Machine. There is also an extension installed in Safari that enables you to open the current page in Internet Explorer with a single click. For those running Windows 8 you’ll be happy to know that Coherence mode works correctly as do Metro Apps in Full Screen mode.

With a click of a button you can open the current Safari page in Internet Explorer.

Support for OS X as a guest operating system has also seen vast improvements. You are now able to use OS X in Coherence mode, copy and paste text and images between Guest and Host and use the same keyboard shortcuts to control the Virtual Machine.

Preferences and Settings

The Settings have also received some much needed attention in certain areas. One such area is the Shortcuts Pane (Keyboard Pane in version 7) in the apps Preferences. The manner in which keyboard shortcuts are set, not only for the app itself but for each individual Virtual Machine, has been greatly simplified. The settings are now clearer and easier to get to.

The Shortcuts are easily accessible and configurable. No need to dig through various layers to adjust them.

In a time of expensive SSD drives where disk space is a precious commodity, we see a much welcomed addition to the General Pane of the Virtual Machines Configuration Screen. It now shows exactly how much space the Virtual Machine is using and gives you the ability to reclaim space with a click of a button. While you can still perform this action from the Hardware Pane, this clearly shows that Parallels is looking to simplify things as much as possible for the user.

With a quick glance you can see just what is taking up space and with a press of a button reclaim some of it.

Conclusion

Although there were a few quirks with the instalation process, Parallel’s latest incarnation of their Virtualization Software for the Mac Desktop continues to impress. The speed improvements made in version 7 continue to progress in this version and for those in dire need of working with either Mac OS X (Mountain Lion) or Windows 8 in Coherence mode then this upgrade is a must.

Having said that however, Parallels greatest drawback is it’s price tag. If you already have Parallels Desktop 7 and don’t really need any of the features mentioned above then there isn’t much to gian from the $60.00 upgrade. However, if you have Parallels Desktop 6 and have been waiting then the upgrade is worthwhile for the speed improvements alone. Personally I’ll be sticking it out with version 7 for a while longer. What about you?

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.

On October 30th, as Hurricane Sandy was hounding the East Coast of the United States, Apple announced one of the biggest corporate reshuffles in their history, which some dubbed as the company’s biggest shake-up since Steve Jobs resigned from Apple in August 2011, shortly before his death from cancer in October. Soon after the announcement, however, it transpired that this was no ordinary reshuffle and the reasons for it were a lot more deep-rooted than we ever actually thought.

As an economist, this announcement caught my eye, not only because it’s Apple but really because I wanted to know exactly what actually happened and also how this restructuring will affect the company as a whole. Read on for my in-depth analysis.

What actually happened?

In short, there’s been a reshuffling of some of the top positions at Apple. Scott Forstall, who currently holds the title of Senior Vice President for iOS software, will leave the company from 2013 and John Browett, head of Apple’s successful venture into retail stores, will also leave at an unspecified date. Apple has promoted Craig Federighi, who joined Apple in 2009 after moving from Ariba, an e-commerce network (Federighi had previously worked at NeXT alongside Jobs) to the head of iOS software engineering, and Jonathan Ive, previous senior vice president of industrial design and the designer behind some of Apple’s most recognisable products, including the iPhone, iPod, iMac and iPad, will also assume responsibility for all of the company’s user interfaces.

Scott Forstall will leave Apple sometime in 2013.

Why has it occurred?

Apple has always been famed for its secrecy, so we’ll probably never find out why both Forstall and Browett, who hold (held) senior positions in the company, were ousted however we can certainly speculate on a few possible reasons.

When Steve Jobs ran Apple, Forstall was one of his closest allies and the two collaborated very closely on the overall concept, design and execution of iOS. According to an analyst, Forstall’s desire for more power at the company had always been apparent, however it may have been the iOS 6 Maps fiasco that was ultimately the final nail in the coffin for Forstall. Shortly after it was released, customers were complaining about mislabelled and inaccurate maps, sometimes showing local businesses that had been shut for years or towns in completely different locations, and Apple were caught for a second time round with egg on their face (the first was the Antennagate fiasco along with the release of the iPhone 4).

Forstall did not apologise publicly along with Tim Cook on the iOS 6 Maps issue.

Cook apologised publicly in an open letter on Apple’s website (you can still read it here) and even recommended third-party competition to customers until Apple sorted the issue out. What was apparent in the letter, however, was in my opinion the distinct lack of Forstall’s name – it was simply signed Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. It is extremely interesting to note that that Forstall’s group had actually gone ahead with the service, despite claims from some outside developers that the service was riddled with flaws and bugs.

The second victim of this corporate reshuffle is  John Browett, the former Senior Vice President of Retail. Browett, a Brit who had been poached by Apple from Dixons (a large British electronics retailer), was ousted after initiating unwelcome changes to staffing policies at Apple Retail stores worldwide (mostly related to pay and layoffs – the precise story is still unknown) and his admittance in August that “we messed up”. The dismissal of Browett may cause some within the company to question Cook’s leadership skills, as it was the CEO himself who personally hired Browett for the position. In one e-mail sent, Cook described him as the “best by far” and stated, “his role isn’t to bring Dixons to Apple, [it’s] to bring Apple to an even higher level of customer service and satisfaction.”

Where’s this going to leave Apple?

Corporate reshuffles are one thing, but when you are getting rid of some of the top figures in the company then it certainly does raise eyebrows. Even the investors didn’t take too kindly to it: Apple’s stock price opened on Wednesday (the NYSE was closed on Monday and Tuesday due to Hurricane Sandy) opened at $10 less than the previous day at 593.00. But probably the most pressing question is how does something like this affect the company as a whole?

Well, I would say for the better. The most important appointment for me is that Jonathan Ive is now head of all the company’s user interfaces, meaning that Ive will now be foraying into both the software side of the company, ultimately giving him the final say in the overall customer experience of Apple products which to this day is one of the things that sets it apart from the competition. We may see some of Ive’s design philosophies emigrating over to iOS (and what a welcome change that will be!) and into OS X. Forstall’s duties have been dividied up between Craig Federighi, who will take on iOS and the head of internet software and services Eddy Cue taking on Maps and Siri.

Gene Munsterm an analyst for Piper Jaffray wrote in the Financial Times:

The real story is that they’re [Federighi, Cue] trying to consolidate around Jony Ive.

An Apple with Jony Ive having the final say about both hardware and, ultimately, software, as well as the merging of some of the company’s main sections, such as Mac and iOS software, under one leader is the kind of Apple that Steve Jobs envisioned but never really saw to completion. Anyone who had read Walter Isaacson’s truly outstanding biography on the late Apple CEO will know that ever since Steve Jobs found Apple and designed its very first computer, he has been pushing for the extremely tight integration between hardware and software. That’s why both OS X and iOS will only (legitimately, anyway) run on Apple devices and why these devices that are maybe 4 years old still run the latest software.

Of course, it will take some time for these changes to filter through to all levels of the company. However I am confident that with this more efficient structure and sharp focus on more detailed tasks at hand, we as Apple customers are going to see some pretty big changes in the next couple of years – and I’m sure that these changes will be worth the wait.

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Doxie’s app sends your paper to Evernote, Dropbox, and even to friends or colleagues with iMessage on iPhone, iPad, and OS X – so it’s easy to share, back up, and access your paper everywhere you go.

Doxie is paperless for everyone – shipping late November for just $149. Reserve one now.

We’ve collected the top four reviews, roundups and how-to articles from across the AppStorm network in October. Whether you’re interested in Mac, iPhone, Web, Android, Windows, or iPad apps, there’s bound to be something you didn’t spot over the course of the month. Now would be a good time to explore a part of the AppStorm Network you’ve never seen before!

Thanks for reading AppStorm, and I hope you enjoy looking over some of our favourite posts from last month!

Best of Android.AppStorm

Best of iPad.AppStorm

Best of Windows.AppStorm

Best of iPhone.AppStorm

Best of Web.AppStorm

Best of Mac.AppStorm

Share Your Ideas

Is there something in particular you’d like to see on the site next month? We’d absolutely love to hear your suggestions for articles, topics and giveaways. Just let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading AppStorm!

If you’ve read a few of my articles in Mac.Appstorm then you’ve probably seen how big of a fan I am of Evernote. It’s a wonderful service: not only does it let you create, organize, and share notes easily, but it also lets you keep everything synced up and accessible through many places, like their website, and the iOS, Android and Mac apps.

The Mac app has been around for some time now, and even though it gets continuous support and works just fine, it has been in need of a UI overhaul for a long time. Well, just a few days ago the Evernote team revealed a new update that will bring a complete re-do to the app, and just now we’ve had the opportunity to test out the beta version of the new Evernote 5. Let’s see what’s new!

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Evernote 5 Beta

Getting Started

As it isn’t still a finished product, the Evernote 5 beta isn’t yet readily available as a normal Evernote client update. To test it out, you need to do a little bit more work than with a normal update. First off, you need to have an Evernote client installed in your Mac and it can’t be the one from the App Store, it needs to be directly downloaded from Evernote’s site.

Installing

Once you have your working Evernote Mac client, you need to go into the settings of the app and check off a box that reads something like “Update to beta versions when available”, under the Software Update tab. Once this is done you’ll be prompted to update and you will get a warning message to remind you that as a beta release, you might encounter a few bugs with the app and you might even experience data corruption and loss of your notes. Since we’re pretty intrepid here at Appstorm, we just skipped that part and jumped ahead to the good stuff.

New Looks

Evernote 5

The most noticeable new thing in Evernote 5 is definitely the new look of the app. While the old app was alright, it seemed a little plain and boring; there wasn’t much color to it and it just felt kind of old and out of place in a Mac environment, especially when we’ve seen new apps with amazing user interfaces, like Reeder.

Evernote 5 is noticeably better visually. Everything’s bigger, more colorful, easily accessible, and there have been a bunch of useless buttons that have been removed to make up for a cleaner, better looking client. The navigation is still based around a sidebar where the notes, notebooks, trunk and tags are accessible; and then there’s the main window where all the content is displayed.

New Features

The Evernote team has said that Evernote 5 contains “over 100 new features”, although as you might imagine, most of them are small details that are not as relevant as a few other standouts. Here are the most relevant new features that we found:

Smarter Search

Search

The search toolbar has gotten a lot better, as it now is a lot smarter at predicting what you’re looking for, and I’ve also noticed it being a lot faster than the previous search in the old Evernote client. There are also a few tweaks that you can make to your search, like searching by creation dates or specific tag and notebooks.

Atlas

Atlas

Atlas is a new feature that can help you locate where your notes have been created, geographically. If you access the Atlas through the navigation sidebar, you’ll be shown a few maps where you can locate specific notes based on where you created them.

Trunk

Trunk

The “Trunk” is a new sort of “market” for Evernote. Here you can find apps, devices, gear and information related to Evernote. It’s pretty much a showcase for cool similar things to Evernote, like the Found app or the new Moleskine notebook designed specifically with Evernote in mind.

Better browsing

Notebooks

Evernote 5 makes it easier to browse through your notes. It has a lot more useful views and sorting options, like arranging notebooks by their note count or the most recently updated ones. There’s also a new compartment in the sidebar where you can create shortcuts to notes or notebooks by simply dragging them there. This same space holds a section that will keep track of your most recently created notes, so that they’re always as easily accessible as your shortcuts.

Shared Notebook Notifications

In the activity button located on the toolbar, you can get notified of any changes that happen to your shared notebooks. And although I couldn’t get it to work in the beta, the Evernote team says that Mountain Lion’s notifications should also work with the shared notebooks updates.

Conclusion

For such a huge and well-supported app, I am surprised it took Evernote so long to get to this stunningly beautiful and completely functional release. Pretty much every other week there seemed to be a new update for the old client, improving the usability and coming up with small new features, but a complete re-do of the user interface was more than needed.

Basically, with Evernote 5 you get all the great functionality of the old client along with a few cool new features and a completely new look and feel to the app. While the new features aren’t anything groundbreaking and they might even come across as a gimmick (like Atlas), they’re much appreciated and you might even find a few cool uses for them. And with the new look, Evernote finally feels like a modern Mac interface-friendly app instead of just plain text, lots of buttons and no color at all.

You can think of Evernote 5 as a long overdue visual overhaul to an already great and very functional app. But have you tried it out yourself? What do you think of it?

Hot and fresh off the presses, here’s Mac AppStorm’s weekly news roundup.

Enjoy!

iTunes 11 will be delayed until November

Just as Hurricane Sandy was battering the East Coast of the United States, Apple dropped the bombshell that iTunes 11, the eagerly anticipated new version of its popular music software, won’t be released until November (the original date was October back at its announcement). According to Apple, the new version is “taking longer than expected” and that they “wanted to take a little extra time to get it right”.

The release of iTunes 11 has been pushed back to November from the original date of October.

The new version of iTunes will featured an overhauled, simpler interface, deeper iCloud integration and a revamped store (presumably to tie in with the redesign in iOS 6).

We’ll keep you updated on this topic as it happens.

Evernote 5 public Beta released

The public beta of Evernote 5 went live a couple of days ago, and it seems that the team really has been hard at work. There’s been a massive interface overhaul of the entire program and primarily the new version focuses on improving the way users manage and access their notes, tags, and notebooks. There’s a new sidebar allowing users to drag items into the Shortcuts area and you can access them quickly using the Command + 1–9 keys on your keyboard, just like your Bookmarks bar in Safari.

The new public beta of Evernote 5.

Evernote state that there’s over 100 new features in this release and they’ve summarised the main ones in their blog announcement of the release. Remember that there are some risks in using beta software, including data loss, so if you don’t want to lose all your Evernote data then I’d recommend that you wait until the final version goes live before downloading.

If you want to try out the Beta version, then head over to Check for Updates in Evernote (making sure that the Update to Beta versions when available option is selected in the Software Update pane of Evernote’s preferences) to download it. Unfortunately, if you’ve got a Mac App Store version of Evernote, you’ll have to wait until the final version is released (as beta versions of software are not permitted in in the Mac App Store).

iPhoto, Safari and Aperture updated

Along with the release of iOS 6.0.1 back on Thursday, Apple has also pushed out updates to iPhoto (version 9.4.2), Aperture (version 3.4.2) and Safari (version 6.0.2). The new versions of Aperture and iPhoto bring a couple of common improvements, including:

• Photos now can be added to shared streams or My Photo Stream by dragging them to “Photo Stream” in the source list.
• Multiple email addresses can now be copied and pasted in the “Shared with” field for shared streams.
• When more than five subscribers “Like” a photo in a shared stream, their names are now displayed correctly.

Both also have the usual array of bug fixes and modifications, with Safari 6.0.2 mostly patching up security issues. You can read the full changelog on Apple’s Support website for iPhoto 9.4.2, Aperture 3.4.2 and Safari 6.0.2 and to download the updates, head over to the App Store, where they should be waiting for you. Some users have reported that the Safari update wasn’t working (this was the case for me when I tried to update a couple of days ago) however the problem seems to have been fixed since.

Clear for Mac announced with iCloud sync

In response to the popularity of their iOS app, the developers of Clear have announced that the Mac version will be available in the App Store from November 8th, priced at $14.99. The app will feature the same intuitive gestures as in the iPhone version via the trackpad, such as left swipe for delete, right swipe for marking a task as completed and swipe up to get rid of all your completed tasks.

The new Clear for Mac, which is due to be released on November 8th.

Clear for Mac will also feature iCloud sync, so you can keep everything in sync across all your devices, as well as full keyboard navigation for quick and easy access. As mentioned above, it’ll be available from November 8th on the Mac App Store (you’ll have to be running Mountain Lion 10.8.2, however!).

Apple posts Samsung apology on their UK website

Remember when we reported on the latest happenings in the Apple v Samsung legal spat? Well, since then (and in accordance with a High Court ruling), Apple has had to issue an apology to Samsung, which has since been reproduced on their UK website.

On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple’s registered design No. 0000181607-0001

The apology then goes on to say (which was quoted by the judge presiding over the case):

The informed user’s overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following. From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back. They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool.”

The apology, however, did not confirm with the original terms of the ruling and has since been replaced with a more “toned-down” version, where copies of the ruling can also be read. Apple has also run a series of plain advertisements in the main British newspapers with the same text as the website.

The apology issued by Apple, which was printed in the main UK newspapers (in this case, the Guardian)

You can view the official statement on Apple’s UK website by heading over here.

Heard Anything Else?

If you’ve heard anything else exciting that’s happened this week then go ahead and post a link to it in the Comments section below for the benefit of our other readers!

Last month, Apple announced a 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display, an inevitability to replace the “previous-generation” 13″ MacBook Pro sans high-resolution display. While that old model remains available as a cheaper alternative for the holiday season, our guess is it will be completely removed from Apple’s lineup by the end of next year leaving not a single consumer-level Mac with an optical drive.

What started with the MacBook Air in 2008, and seemed like a crazy concept to an industry reliant on hard media, is now complete, four years later. With software distribution moving entirely to the web and entertainment increasingly being bought and stored in the cloud, the need for an optical drive is diminishing, right?

Take a Trip to 2008

It’s January 2008 and Steve Jobs is on stage at MacWorld. One of the key announcements of the presentation is the MacBook Air, a brand new MacBook line that completely foregoes the optical drive in favour of a much thinner form factor. The need for an optical drive is downplayed, with the alternative of living in iTunes’ world meaning one no longer needs bother himself with silly old disks.

Steve Jobs introduces the MacBook Air as a device without an optical drive.

Skip forward to 2012 and not only has iTunes continued to expand its library of content, it’s also available in more territories around the world. The MacBook Air has seriously evolved, becoming an affordable, flagship product rather than an overpriced, underpowered toy for the rich.

Then, in a year heavily focused on new hardware (compared to 2011′s heavy slant towards software) releases, Apple also launches a lineup of new, “next-generation” MacBook Pros that drop the optical drive, alongside a redesign of the iMac to drop a few pounds. Pounds that include that bulky optical drive. Form over function indeed.

Redmond, Start Your Photocopiers

Joking aside (especially since such a movement has been motivated by Intel, not Microsoft, who instead are focusing on tablet/laptop hybrids), the popularity of the MacBook Air has been met with similar “Ultrabooks”, Windows notebooks that share a number of key characteristics, most prominent being a radically thinner form factor.

Ultrabooks, too, are dropping the optical drive in favour of thinner bodies.

Ultrabooks differ from the MacBook Air in that the latter sits as Apple’s entry-level notebook, whereas Ultrabooks are very much premium machines. However, the movement shows a trend towards devices without optical drives on both sides. Add to that an increasing use of tablets and other mobile devices, and we have a world rapidly opting for digital mediums over physical alternatives.

Are We Ready?

The MacBook Air would have been an understandably controversial product in 2008 but things are different in the modern day. The Mac App Store has launched and, even if you don’t use that particular storefront, it’s uncommon to be picking up a disk to install some sort of software. For games, Steam launched on the Mac in 2010 and EA is set to launch Origin for OS X soon.

Likewise, iTunes continues to expand its content and reach. With the launch of iCloud last year, better tools are also brought for redownloading your content and having it available across platforms. It might not be perfect for those who own an expansive library of optical media, but younger generations born into a diskless world won’t noticed the change. At least, that seems like the big picture.

The iTunes Store provides a viable alternative to optical media for entertainment.

Final Thoughts

Apple’s given a strong four-year warning to critics of a world without optical media. It’s happening. If you’re up for entrusting your content to Apple, iTunes provides a very worthy solution and alternative to optical media. And the iMac and MacBook Pros simply stand as examples of the advantages of dropping such hardware.

With external drives available, the outdated hardware is there to be shared. It’s easy enough for a family or a business to share an external drive in the same way they do a printer, all while enjoying the benefits of it not being built-in.

Yet, the writing’s on the wall. The optical drive is dead and I, for one, am glad to be enjoying the advantages of not having one bulking up my Mac.

It sure is frustrating when an app you love gets sidelined by its developers. From the recent demise of Twitter for Mac, Sparrow being bought out by Google and promptly sidelined for Gmail.com, and Read Later being turned into Pocket for Mac and leaving Instapaper support behind, I’ve had a number of apps in my own workflow that have been abandoned lately.

It’s a normal problem we all face, and it’s not surprising at all when lite apps and games don’t get updated. But when something we rely on gets abandoned, it can be far more frustrating. You’re left with the option of continuing to rely on an app that might break with a future OS X update, or searching for something else that might fit the bill.

For me, I’ve given Pocket for Mac a shot, switching away from Instapaper for a trial run. I’ve bought Tweetbot, as I’d already been using its beta for months. But I’m still using Sparrow, as there’s no other mail app that works as good for me. I’m sure hoping something else better will come along before it gets abandoned for good.

How about you?

Recently, digital game distributors GOG.com launched a new catalogue of Mac OS X games. However, the launch doesn’t simply attempt to compete with rival Steam’s library of newer titles, like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Portal 2.

Instead, GOG.com launched with a big focus on classic titles, with such iconic games as SimCity 2000 and Theme Hospital. After we took a look at the service in general, in this article, let’s check out some of the nostalgia you can indulge in.

SimCity 2000

1995′s SimCity 2000 followed up the massive success that was the original SimCity. The series, of course, being an iconic city simulator that allows users to construct a metropolis while guaranteeing a steady supply of power, policing and more. Much like any games from EA/Maxis’s The Sims and SimCity lineup, there’s no real goal other than not turning your creation into an unprofitable failure.

SimCity 2000 added a whole host of new facilities such as schools, hospitals and prisons, tools to build roads, railways and airports, more types of power and other bureaucratic and diplomatic endeavors. It’s a game many of us grew up playing, and was the first GOG game we looked at here at Mac.AppStorm.

SimCity 2000 Special Edition is available from GOG.com for $5.99, a definite must-have buy, especially as newer versions of SimCity are not widely available for OS X (although next year’s refresh of the franchise will be released for the Mac).

SimCity 2000.

Theme Hospital

Theme Hospital, a 1997 release from EA, was one of the first video games I actually played and its release on the Mac was perhaps the most exciting announcement from GOG.com.

Theme Hospital is another iconic simulator but instead of micro-managing a bustling metropolis, you act as a hospital administrator, constructing and running a series of medical establishments. These begin with a small site setup for little more than general diagnosis and treating sick patients in wards and with pharmacies, eventually growing into massive facilities rapidly conducting surgery, educating new doctors and running research into new treatments.

My description might not portray Theme Hospital as the most enjoyable game, but it is a lot of fun and has a quirky charm. It, too, is available for $5.99 from GOG.com.

Theme Hospital

Fallout

Fallout throws you into a post-apocolyptic world after a nuclear war, tasking players to survive in an underground “Survival Vault” before you are forced outside into a dystopian land years after the collapse of civilisation.

Another classic game from 1997, Fallout plays in a world surrounded by violence, mutants and a constant threat as you attempt to fix a water purification system so that your fellow Vault Dwellers can continue to live without being exposed to the outside.

As is becoming the standardised price, Fallout is available for $5.99 from GOG.com.

Fallout

Dungeon Keeper

Another 1997 release, Dungeon Keeper allows players to jump into the namesake role, building and operating a dungeon while under constant fear of an attack of NPC whom seek the character’s accumulated goods.

The game spins itself as the opposite of similar games, instead portraying the player as the villain and the attacking NPCs as the actual heroes, being a “refreshing title for someone tired of rescuing princesses, saving worlds, and all that love, happiness and political correctness junk”.

Dungeon Keeper is available for, you guessed it, $5.99 at GOG.com.

Dungeon Keeper

Syndicate

Syndicate throws players into a futuristic world where corporate syndicates compete for dominance and you play as one of those very corporations.

Your objective is to achieve global dominance, using robotic agents to assassinate, infiltrate and overall criminalise your way to the top. You work area-by-area, eliminating rivals and slowly gaining the very dominance you desire.

Syndicate — which has actually been rebooted earlier this year, albeit not for OS X — is available for $5.99 on GOG.com.

Syndicate

Round Up

With the Mac only emerging as a viable gaming platform in the past few years — and, in some cases, is still not considered one — it’s easy to understand why some of our favourite games of yester-decade — nay — yester-century aren’t available for our beloved platform. Steam’s debut on OS X brought a number of fairly recent, popular games like Half-Life 2 and Portal 2 to the Mac, and setup a platform for future releases, but classic games from the ’90s were left out. Even Valve’s own games like the original Half-Life got left out in the cold grasp of Windows exclusivity.

These five games are but a handful of the new Mac games available through GOG.com. Be sure to explore their full catalogue and feed back your favourites!