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Mac Apps, Reviews, Previews, Interviews, and Giveaways.

Bento 2.0 Released With Many Exciting FeaturesYesterday

Last Week, I reviewed Bento 1.0, the extremely easy-to-use database tool designed for the Mac. Well, little did I know that only a week later Bento 2.0 would be released.

Bento 2.0 contains many nice new features, and a little layout adjustment. First, I will talk about the layout adjustment. In previous versions of Bento there was a panel on the right side of the window. This panel contained all of the fields for the current database. In 2.0, this has been moved over to the right side below the Library list. This gives you much more room for the database itself and makes Bento less cluttered. However, if you have a lot of libraries or fields, this can get fairly annoying.

Another layout change added in Bento 2.0 is the Table View. Before, it was really just a table with all of your records for a certain library. But 2.0 has added many more functionalities, making it even more like a spreadsheet. The biggest improvement here (and there are many) is the ability to change and add fields within the Table View itself. So, if you like a more classic database, you can do everything you need with just the Table View. It should also be pointed out that all tables (as in a fil

Notebook 3.0: A Truly Noteworthy UpdateOctober 10

If you are in school then you know how important it is to take notes, no matter what the class. The old way to do this on your Mac was to just create a lot of Pages or Office documents, and put them in a folder. That method starts to have major flaws once you reach maybe 15 different documents. Well, Circus Ponies brought virtual notebooks onto your computer once with NoteBook, and they’ve done it even better with NoteBook 3.0.

The first thing you will notice about NoteBook is how much it actually looks like a notebook. It has the fringes and everything! It makes it seem much more like taking notes than when done in Pages.

When you first open NoteBook you will be prompted with a dialogue that lets you create a new notebook from a starting point. You will notice that there are many options, so NoteBook is not really just for notes; it can be for anything that involves writing! The automatically selected option is Take Notes, which is what most people use it for. You can also choose to learn how to use NoteBook by just clicking Learn to Use NoteBook in a Few Easy Steps. If you

iShowU HD and HD Pro: A Super-HD UpgradeOctober 8

About a year ago shinywhitebox’s iShowU, the amazing and simple screen capturing app, was reviewed by Michael. Today, I am here to tell you about their newest versions of iShowU, called iShowU HD and HD Pro.

iShowU HD and HD Pro still have the same basis as iShowU: real time screen capturing. This means that there is no need to encode your move after it has been made, because it is being encoded in real time. This is a feature that, in my opinion, moves iShowU ahead of most other screen capturing apps. It also has the usual system audio and microphone recording, pausing, and mouse following.

One of the simplest ‘duh’ features that was added in HD and HD pro is custom backgrounds. Instead of having to use another app to cover everything on your desktop, and change to a simple wallpaper, you can just do it right in the app. In the advanced pane, just choose an image under the ‘Custom background’ field, and that will be set as your desktop every time it opens. If you want to have no icons on your desktop, just uncheck ‘Show icons on deskto

Bento: Making Databases Has Never Been SimplerOctober 6

If you have ever tried to use something like FileMaker Pro for making a simple and small database, you know how clunky and complicated it is. Maybe you’ve wanted to make a database, but didn’t want to spend $300+ on FileMaker Pro. Well, there is another option: FileMaker’s Bento.

Bento is a simpler and more Mac-like version of the FileMaker software. It works in the same way, so it’s not that big of a switch from FileMaker Pro. However, as I said, it’s simpler; it does not have all the features of FileMaker Pro, so if you need some of FileMaker Pro’s more advanced features, or if you are using databases professionally, I suggest you stick with FileMaker Pro.

When you first open Bento there will already be four databases in your Source List. These databases are Address Book, iCal Events, iCal Tasks, and Projects. The first one automatically syncs with Address Book, and the second and third automatically sync with iCal, so you never need to add a new item when you add a new task, event, or person. You may ask, “Why do I need a database for these things when they are already stored in their own applications?” Well, with Bento, you can add custom fields for t

Go Driveless with VolumizerOctober 2

I feel the need to apologize for what this post will do to your menubar. I know this is a personal struggle for you, and you don’t need MacApper as an enabler. So here it goes: I’m sorry, but this post will add another app to your menubar clutter. That said, I think it’s ok to embrace the clutter of a menubar in exchange for other things. When it comes to cleaning up your desktop, menu space is fair game, and this little app can do wonders removing volumes from the mess that is your desktop.

Check out the video for a tip on how to remove volumes from your desktop as well as access them using Volumizer.

By using Volumizer, you can easily access your volumes from the menubar, dock, or both. Using the Finder preference window to remove volumes from the desktop may not be your bag. Either way, Volumizer makes accessing your drives instant, even with loads of windows in between you and the desktop. Hopefully, this may be something that works for you and your workflow.  You can pick up your free copy of Volumizer from Greg Weston of Bastion Products.