mac diddy

Snow Leopard users who check Software Update will find that Apple has already released 10.6.1, just two weeks after the release of the operating system.

From Apple:

• compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems
• an issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly
• some printer compatibility drivers not appearing properly in the add printer browser
• an issue that might make it difficult to remove an item from the Dock
• instances where automatic account setup in Mail might not work
• an issue where pressing cmd-opt-t in Mail brings up the special characters menu instead of moving a message
• Motion 4 becoming unresponsive

Edit: I’ve figured out the issue and rather than edit the heck out of this post, I’ve created a new post with instructions.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my Lide 80 scanner has been working fine in Snow Leopard, despite the fact that it hasn’t been officially support since 10.4. Well this seems to have generated some interest from frustrated Lide 80 users, so I thought I’d give a few tips:

• Be certain to download the most recent versions of the drivers/software from Canon’s site. Despite the fact that version numbers haven’t changed in years, it does appear that Canon has updated the files themselves.
• If the software installer is problematic, you might try logging in as the root user in order to install the software.
• You’re going to need Rosetta installed. The 10.6 installer doesn’t install this by default, but you can install it after-the-fact from the installer disk. This will allow the older CanoScan software and drivers to function in 10.6.

I am able to scan both through the Photoshop plug-in and with the CanoScan software. To scan through Photoshop, you must open the application with Rosetta. To do this, find the application and select it, click command-i for Get Info, and check the box to open it in Rosetta.

Hopefully this will help you get some more life out of your Lide 80. If you found this helpful or have any questions, please feel free to use the comments section by clicking the number to the left of this post.

Update: The game subcategories have reappeared, now underneath the right column. Still no subcategories under some of the other genres, but perhaps this is a sign that those are coming.

Along with the shiny (and slightly buggy) new version of iTunes release on Wednesday, Apple updated their iTunes store. With the tens of thousands of apps available, App Store users have been pining for better tools with which to navigate, sort, and explore the myriad of offerings. So naturally expectations were high for the new iTunes 9 combined with the new iTunes store.

Sadly, not only have expectations not been met thus far, but many users have found the new interface to be a significant step backwards when it comes to browsing apps. This author would argue that the only thing the new format improves is Apple’s ability to spotlight apps of their choosing, while presenting major obstacles for users to navigate on their own.

In the old App store, you might click on Games, the fastest growing category in the App Store. You would then be brought to a page which spotlighted a bunch of apps and more importantly, gave you a bunch of subcategories to help you browse. You could limit your browsing to categories you enjoyed, like Strategy, Puzzle, Action, Word, RPG, etc. Now instead you just get 661 pages of apps with very few sorting options. Also gone is the useful ability to sort by customer rating.

You might notice a Browse option hidden in small text at the bottom of the App Store home page. This takes you to a text-based list with hardly any sorting options. Want to browse the medical apps? Well no subcategories there. Just 1,361 apps on one page without even icons to catch your eye. Just the names of apps, prices, and developers to go by. And while you can add sort options like Ratings in the View Options, they don’t seem to work. Click on Games and you do get subcategories here, but with 4,708 Puzzle games alone, you’ve got little to work with other than the massive list of app titles.

While a few bugs (like the occasional unexpected quit in iTunes 9) are par for the course, these larger issue make the launch of the new iTunes feel premature. As the App Store grows quickly and shows few signs of slowing down, good apps are getting lost in the massive shuffle and Apple should know that we need better tools to sort through all of the noise. I’ve made my noise about it and you could let Apple know that you want the same through their feedback options, listed below.

iTunes Feedback

Apple Feedback Page

Of course, it’s not all gloom and doom. As I mentioned previously, the added ability to organize your current apps through iTunes is a welcome addition and the iTunes LP functionality shows lots of promise. With some bug fixes, I’m certain the Apple will get the new iTunes at least up to par with the old iTunes where app browsing is concerned. But as the App Store multiplies, will par still be good enough?

Amongst other improvements, the iPhone 3.1 software update released today allows you to organize and re-order the apps on your iPhone through a new interface in iTunes. Users will likely find this to be a handy alternative to the clunky click-and-drag system on the iPhone itself. The new iTunes interface presents a clean and responsive means to shift apps around your iPhone.

Just prepare to allow for plenty of time for the update to complete. By the time iTunes automatically downloaded and installed 3.1, backed up the updated phone, and then re-synched, I had counted close to 40 minutes total for my 16GB iPhone 3G.

AT&T has announced that the long-awaited MMS feature would be coming to U.S. customers this September 25th. It is well known that iPhone users have already put incredible strain on AT&T’s data network, so their official line is not surprising:

The unique capabilities and high usage of the iPhone’s multimedia capabilities required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from Day One.

The availability of built-in MMS on the iPhone should at last put an end to the current cumbersome method of receiving an image through the Messages app, where users must leave the app to visit a website and enter a unique username and password for each multimedia message they receive. This was particularly tedious before the recent addition of copy and paste functionality in iPhone 3.0 software.