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Posts Tagged ‘Mac’

Chrome Is Rapidly Approaching Firefox In Extension Numbers

It was only December when Google officially launched extensions for its Chrome browser. Almost immediately, there were 500 extensions in the gallery as many developers had been working on them for a while. Today, Google is saying that number is now past 3,000. And that’s significant because it’s already pretty close to the browser known for its extensions (which it calls “add-ons”), Firefox.

The exact number of add-ons for Firefox is a bit unclear. If you go by the category counts on the add-on site, there are 11,623. But it’s hard to know for sure if there is any overlap between the categories (I couldn’t find any, but I’m not sure there isn’t). More significantly, if you go by Mozilla’s statistic site where they tout their numbers, they claim to only have around 6,000 add-ons. To quote them, “Over 6,000 free, community contributed Add-ons for Firefox – more than for any other browser“. And in case you think this data is out of date, notes other 2010 milestones, such as the launch of Firefox 3.6.

On its add-ons page, Mozilla notes that there have been over 1.8 billion add-ons downloaded and over 170 million in use. But neither of those numbers are the total number of add-ons, just how often they’ve been downloaded in total and the total (including the same ones) currently in use by people. Both of these numbers would blow away the still much smaller Chrome, obviously.

So, depending on what number you go with, Chrome already has either half or one quarter the number of extensions Firefox does — in just a few months. Why? Well, certainly there’s a lot of excitement around Chrome right now, which was just released in beta for Mac and Linux at the end of last year. In fact, certain statistics have it as the only major browser that grew in size last month. But for extensions specifically, the rapid growth is likely due to just how easy they are to make for Chrome and maybe more importantly, submit to the extension gallery.

Mozilla has done a number of posts recently on its Add-ons Blog to talk about the add-on approval process (here’s a good one from last month). Much like Apple App Store, Firefox add-ons much be reviewed and approved before they can go live. Chrome Extensions, on the other hand, go live immediately except for a handful that access things such as files on a users computer (those are flagged to be reviewed). Almost all of the extension developers I’ve talked to prefer Google’s method, and most of them develop for both. The quick rise in number of extensions for Chrome seems to speak to that.

Mozilla is trying to do something about the ease of development too. Its new Jetpack project allows developers to create add-ons using HTML, CSS, and Javascript — exactly how developers create Chrome extensions. So if this method of development catches on, it could help Firefox maintain its extension lead.

The battle continues.

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How to use the updated Instapaper Pro with Tweetie 2

Filed under: iPhone

Instapaper Pro has been updated to version 2.2. Its creator, Marco Arment, wrote about some of the process behind adding a new feature called “Return to Position.” If you enjoy hearing developers sweat the details, it’s a great read. There’s also a full changelog for those who want more details on the new version.

I’ve been using Instapaper Pro a lot more recently after making a few changes to my workflow on my iPhone and Mac. I setup the “Read Later” bookmarklet installed properly from the Instapaper website. (An even easier method is to use Quix which I mentioned the other day.) I also started following the “companion site” Marco started especially for Instapaper called “Give Me Something To Read” which is a selection of interesting articles hand-picked by Richard Dunlop-Walters.

The last step was setting up Tweetie 2 on the iPhone to send web pages I wanted to read later to Instapaper. This is pretty simple given Tweetie 2’s built-in Instapaper integration. Just tap the “forward arrow” button at the bottom-right corner when reading a web page from Tweetie 2’s integrated browser and then choose “Read Later.” The first time you do that, it will ask for your Instapaper login/password. After that pages will be sent directly to Instapaper for your later reading.

As I have been getting more interested in putting Instapaper to fuller use, I stumbled on Marco’s instructions on how to use Instapaper’s formatting tool (or “mobilizer”) for all web pages which are opened in Tweetie 2. Despite the fact that these are published on Instapaper’s website, few people seem to know about it.

Read on to see how to to configure Tweetie 2 to take full advantage of Instapaper’s formatting tool. Instapaper Pro has been updated to version 2.2. Its creator, Marco Arment, wrote about some of the process behind adding a new feature called “Return to Position.” If you enjoy hearing developers sweat the details, it’s a great read. There’s also a full changelog for those who want more details on the new version.

I’ve been using Instapaper Pro a lot more recently after making a few changes to my workflow on my iPhone and Mac. I setup the “Read Later” bookmarklet installed properly from the Instapaper website. (An even easier method is to use Quix which I mentioned the other day.) I also started following the “companion site” Marco started especially for Instapaper called “Give Me Something To Read” which is a selection of interesting articles hand-picked by Richard Dunlop-Walters.

The last step was setting up Tweetie 2 on the iPhone to send web pages I wanted to read later to Instapaper. This is pretty simple given Tweetie 2’s built-in Instapaper integration. Just tap the “forward arrow” button at the bottom-right corner when reading a web page from Tweetie 2’s integrated browser and then choose “Read Later.” The first time you do that, it will ask for your Instapaper login/password. After that pages will be sent directly to Instapaper for your later reading.

As I have been getting more interested in putting Instapaper to fuller use, I stumbled on Marco’s instructions on how to use Instapaper’s formatting tool (or “mobilizer”) for all web pages which are opened in Tweetie 2. Despite the fact that these are published on Instapaper’s website, few people seem to know about it.

Read on to see how to to configure Tweetie 2 to take full advantage of Instapaper’s formatting tool.

TUAWHow to use the updated Instapaper Pro with Tweetie 2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 3 available now

Filed under: Apple, iPhone, SDK

The new beta version of the 3.2 SDK (beta 3, for those of you keeping track) is now available for download. The Apple developer site will likely be getting slammed over the next hour or two, so plan your downloads accordingly. The beta is available to all paid members of the iPhone developer program, with at least the $99/year membership. You will need your credentials to sign in and download the new SDK.

As usual, the new beta SDK is under NDA, so please go check out the details for yourself to get further information about the changes between this beta and the last. Good luck, and happy programming!

Update: 6PM Pacific. It’s baaaaaaaack.

Update: Here then gone? Readers report that Apple seems to have pulled Beta 3 for the moment and when I returned to Apple’s iPhone developer site, I saw the same. Watch this space. We’ll update as we find out more.

Update: This was not an accidental upload, per Michael Jurewitz, the Mac and IPhone Applications Frameworks and Developer Tools Evangelist:

TUAWiPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 3 available now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macworld 2010: Telltale Games live in our booth

Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, Software

We’re cleaning out the video files from the chaos of Macworld last week, and while we’ve already shared with you an interview that we did with Dan Connors of Telltale Games (who just recently announced that they’re bringing their whole catalog over to the Mac), his co-founder Kevin Bruner also stopped by our booth live on the show floor to chat about gaming on the Mac and why Telltale has made the leap to our side.

You can watch the interview in two parts after the link below. In addition to telling us about his company and their big Mac Revolution, Bruner also shared with us his own passion for Apple’s machines, including how he went into hock to buy a Newton on day one, and what he thinks of the iPad as a gaming device. Click on to see our chat, won’t you?

TUAWMacworld 2010: Telltale Games live in our booth originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beamz laser instrument allows even the tone deaf to rock out for $199

Truth be told, we weren’t sure what to make of this laser harp-looking contraption when we saw it across the room at the International Toy Fair. Eloquently dubbed the Beamz Interactive Music System, it has six laser beam “strings” that when struck by a hand or finger produces one of 100 instrumental sounds. Here’s the catch, though: the standing instrument must be connected to your PC via USB so that it can use its speakers. We think it’s sort of a bummer that you have to be attached to your computer to rock, but the PC software (we’re told Mac is on the way) lets you easily assign an instrument to the laser strings and also includes a variety of popular songs to jam along with. Though it’s been around since 2008, Beamz seems to have wised up and lowered the original $600 pricetag to $199. We realize we could continue to describe this digital instrument in length, but we’d rather you just watch us “play it” and royally embarrass ourselves after the break.

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Beamz laser instrument allows even the tone deaf to rock out for $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OreObject SPHEREtouch mouse is a $155 ball of touch-enabled steel

Dare we say that circular-shaped mice are actually becoming a trend? Swooping in like a ball on Newton’s Cradle is the OreObject SPHEREtouch mouse to knock the Jelfin mouse on its head. Though this time we’ve got to admit the pricey SPHEREtouch has us rather intrigued. Not only is the handmade mouse available in your choice of steel, titanium and platinum, but OreObject has shaken things up with a large horizontal scroll wheel and two touch-sensitive buttons. Mac and PC compatible, it all sounds interesting and looks very pretty until you realize that the steel version starts at $155 and that the platinum one will set you back $225. For that kind of money, we’d at least expect them to cut the cord for some Bluetooth. But hey, if you’ve always wanted at least one indestructible ball of steel that source link has your name all over it.

Continue reading OreObject SPHEREtouch mouse is a $155 ball of touch-enabled steel

OreObject SPHEREtouch mouse is a $155 ball of touch-enabled steel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Google Chrome Release Adds Support For 1,500+ Extensions, Bookmark Sync

PC users, rejoice, for Google has just announced that there’s a fresh, stable release of Google Chrome for Windows, with added extensions and bookmark sync features.

You can check for the new version manually if you’re already using Google Chrome for Windows (go to Settings > About Google Chrome), or you can wait for the new release to be automatically updated within the next week.

Google previously launched extensions on the beta channel, and says over 1,500 have now made their way to the extensions gallery. The other new feature baked into the Chrome browser for Windows, Bookmark sync, is particularly useful if you use more than one computer, as it enables you synchronize your browser bookmarks on all of your machines.

To those using Google Chrome on Linux, extensions are enabled on the beta channel only for now. As for Google Chrome for Mac, the search giant requests you keep hanging tight: extensions, bookmark sync and more should make their way to the beta ’soon’. Or, you could use the dev version of Chrome for Mac, which already supports extensions.

Web developers and designers might want to dive into the new features of this Chrome release on the Chromium Blog, as it includes a number of fresh HTML and JavaScript APIs.

If you’re using a version of Chrome with extensions support, also make sure to install the TechCrunch one. It works like a charm.

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Grab the Cheetos, it’s time for TUAW TV Live (5 PM ET)

Filed under: Humor, Video, Odds and ends

Today marks the fourth episode of TUAW TV Live, our regular Wednesday Ustream broadcast featuring news, reviews, and discussion of eveything Apple.

Join TUAW lead blogger Steve Sande in the chat by watching the live stream in the window below (starts at 5 PM ET, 2 PM PT), then using the chat tool to add your voice to the chorus of Mac and iPhone goodness. You can also view the show by visiting http://ustream.tv/tuaw.

Past episodes are available for viewing at the same location on Ustream.

TUAWGrab the Cheetos, it’s time for TUAW TV Live (5 PM ET) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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