Mac News Review

Windows User Finds OS X Means Working Quicker, Will iOS Kill the Mac?, Gmail Backup, and More

This Week's Apple and Desktop Mac News

Compiled by Charles Moore and edited by Dan Knight - 2012.01.27

Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered in The 'Book Review. iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV news is covered in iOS News Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.

News & Opinion

Rumor Roundup

Reviews

Apple Updates

Products & Services

Software

Desktop Mac Deals

News & Opinion

Longtime Windows Fan: Mac OS X Means Working Quicker

Pocket-Lint's Paul Lamkin says he didn't come into this experiment as a member of the anti-Apple brigade, being a happy iPhone and iPad owner, but that he is "a PC" because he settled down with Windows when he was young, made a commitment, and stayed faithful ever since.

However, he says that the new MacBook Airs with their svelte figures and their alluring aluminum finish and the giant displays of the 27" iMacs glowing from the window of the Apple Store have caused his loyalty to falter, so he decided to try Mac OS X at least for seven days

After a somewhat rocky start, he says he began to get a taste for the Mac way of doing things, and he even loves the Dock

And after signing up for an Apple Store One to One session, he says he was basically falling in love with Mac OS X.

He also notes that while he's quite a well oiled machine with Photoshop or Paint.net on a Windows PC, he can honestly say that, on his first attempt at doing photo editing on a Mac, it was much quicker.

By the seventh day, "it just feels right," says Lamkin.

"If that makes me a fully fledged fanboy, then so be it. Nothing really feels weird or different anymore, it just feels easier.... Without doubt, I was able to work quicker on a Mac than I ever have done with a Windows PC and I'm still a noob don't forget. And yes, I'm also aware that I've now become one of those Mac bores that I used to loathe."

Will the Success of iOS Kill the Mac as We Know It?

So asks ZDNet's David Morgenstern, who notes that Apple this week announced its best quarter ever for Mac sales (5.2 million units) and tens of thousands of Apple fans gathering for the weekend's annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco, so surely this moment must be one of the greatest for Mac users in the platform's 28 year history.

Or not. Morgenstern observes that many longtime professional users of the Mac are worried - very worried - by the smoke signals coming out of Cupertino, compelled to wonder whether Apple will continue making a computing solution for the rest of us or for all of us. Of concern is Apple's evidently wavering commitment to technology that supports its creative professional market.

He cites several worrying signs, to wit:

  • a new App Sandbox requirement for all apps submitted for the Mac App Store
  • shaky support for AppleScript scripting due to the Sandboxing requirement appearing to be in conflict with it
  • changes to Final Cut Pro X
  • the Mac/iOS Merger - iOSification of the Mac OS, which in his and many other Mac OS veterans' estimation amounts to dumbing things down way too far.

Morgenstern cites a rumor floating around the developer community that Apple wanted even more iOS integration in Lion, the objective being a single OS that will run on handheld, tablet, and portable/desktop. "This would be a disaster," he contends. Your editor agrees, a case in point being the iPad's single screen interface finding its way into Lion and Mac apps. As Morgenstern observes, not everyone is a consumer market or enterprise customer.

Well stated.

Publisher's note: In the minds of many longtime Mac users, Apple has already done so by eliminating the MobileMe features - syncing calendars, bookmarks, and contacts, for instance - in its headlong dash to create the iCloud service, which requires OS X 10.7 Lion or Windows (Vista or 7). Factor in killing off Rosetta and forcing users to choose between their familiar PowerPC apps and Apple's latest operating system, and there's another arrow pointing Apple's direction away from the past. Finally, its control over the Mac App Store is going to make it more and more difficult for developers to market Mac software in any other way, giving Apple ultimate control over the platform - just like iOS. dk

Interview with HackintoshUK

HackintoshUK is a new UK company that sells "Hackintoshes" - PCs that run Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Recently, MacNews/MacTech interviewed Tristan Kirkpatrick of HackintoshUK to get some details about the company - including how they planned to avoid the fate of Psystar.

Prices start at £389 (about $611) for the Hackintosh Mini, which has a 3.1 GHz Core i3 CPU with Intel HD Graphics 3000, 4 GB of system memory (expandable to 16 GB), a 320 GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a SuperDrive, and OS X 10.7 Lion. The Mini has three PCIe expansion slots, four SATA II (3 Gbps) ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and appears to have at least one empty drive bay. This compares very favorably with Apple's Mac mini, which retails for £529 in the UK, no longer includes a built-in optical drive, and has no expansion slots.

Rumor Roundup

Apple to Adopt 802.11ac Gigabit WiFi This Year

AppleInsider's Daniel Eran Dilger reports that Apple is expected to rapidly deploy support for the new 802.11ac specification this year, adding so called "Gigabit WiFi" to new AirPort base stations, Time Capsule, Apple TV, notebooks and potentially its mobile devices.

Dilger notes that the new 802.11ac standard supports much faster wireless networking speeds than the existing 802.11n specification in use on current Mac, AirPort and iOS devices).

Publisher's note: Apple has a long history of embracing 802.11 specifications before they have been finalized. The original clamshell iBook from 1999 was the first notebook computer to support 802.11b (using Apple's proprietary AirPort Card). It took a while for the 802.11g specification to get nailed down, but when it was finalized in late 2003, Apple's first generation of Aluminum PowerBooks supported it using Apple's AirPort Extreme brand. Like most of the industry, Apple included hardware to support 802.11n WiFi in early 2007, long before the specification was finalized in 1998. One advantage of 802.11n is that it can use the 5 GHz spectrum as well as the 2.4 GHz spectrum used by 802.11b/g. Since cordless phones and microwaves can interfere in the 2.4 GHz range, this is a real benefit. 802.11ac is designed to use the same 5 GHz band and is expected to be finalized in late 2012. Sadly, although 802.11n has been around for years, a lot of Internet service providers (for instance, AT&T U-verse, which we use here at Low End Mac headquarters) are still providing 802.11g WiFi routers. dk

Reviews

Logitech Solar Keyboard and the Scroll Lock/Num Lock Keys

MacOSXHints' robg writes:

"I wish it had a Caps Lock warning LED, and that AppleScripts assigned to F-Keys didn't need the fn modifier key to toggle them (oddly, this is not an issue with the Windows PC version of the Logitech Solar 'board)."


Logitech Solar Keyboard (Windows version)

He notes that the Logitech Solar Keyboard lacks a few other things, including dedicated Scroll Lock and Num Lock keys, that you usually find on other keyboards. I hadn't noted that, but robg says they're useful if you working in Excel, which I don't use, and after some trial and error, and some Googling, he figured out how to turn them on and off.


Logitech Solar Keyboard for Mac, silver version with pink stripe

Editor's note: I use a Logitech Solar Keyboard for Mac. It's not the perfect keyboard, but it's a very good one, and not having to mess around with batteries is a huge advantage. See my 'Book Mystique review of on PBCentral.com. cm

Publisher's note: I haven't yet seen a wireless keyboard with LEDs for Caps Lock, etc., as this would be an unnecessary drain on the battery. As a longtime computer user (going back to the Apple II+ and Commodore VIC-20), I have to say that I find light colored keys vastly preferable to black keycaps, something that really came home to me with my 15" Titanium PowerBook G4 in 2001 with its dark keyboard that was so hard to read in low light. It's great to see Logitech and others - Apple included - offer white keyboards. I am especially happy with the Macally iKeySlim (less than $24 from Amazon.com!), a white USB 2.0 keyboard that I reviewed in 2010 and have used ever since. dk

Apple Updates

EFI Firmware Update 1.5 for Mid 2010 Mac mini

Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.5 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on Mac mini (Mid 2010) models and addresses an issue where the setting to restart after a power failure may not be retained.

For more information about Lion Recovery, please visit this website: http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/

The Mac mini EFI Firmware Update will update the EFI firmware on your computer. Your computer's power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source. When your Mac mini restarts, a gray screen will appear with a status bar to indicate the progress of the update. It will take several minutes for the update to complete. Do not disturb or shut off the power on your Mac mini during this update.

Boot ROM or SMC Version Information: MM41.0042.B03

File Size: 3 MB

System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.7.2

Products & Services

Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired - and Secretive - Company Really Works

Adam Lashinsky's Inside Apple reveals the secret systems, tactics and leadership strategies that allowed Steve Jobs and his company to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for its products.

If Apple is Silicon Valley's answer to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, then author Adam Lashinsky provides readers with a golden ticket to step inside. In this primer on leadership and innovation, the author will introduce readers to concepts like the "DRI" (Apple's practice of assigning a Directly Responsible Individual to every task) and the Top 100 (an annual ritual in which 100 up-and-coming executives are tapped a la Skull & Bones for a secret retreat with company founder Steve Jobs).

Based on numerous interviews, the book offers exclusive new information about how Apple innovates, deals with its suppliers and is handling the transition into the Post Jobs Era. Lashinsky, a Senior Editor at Large for Fortune, knows the subject cold: In a 2008 cover story for the magazine entitled The Genius Behind Steve: Could Operations Whiz Tim Cook Run The Company Someday? - he predicted that Tim Cook, then an unknown, would eventually succeed Steve Jobs as CEO.

While Inside Apple is ostensibly a deep dive into one, unique company (and its ecosystem of suppliers, investors, employees, and competitors), the lessons about Jobs, leadership, product design, and marketing are universal. They should appeal to anyone hoping to bring some of that Apple magic to their own company, career, or creative endeavor.

  • List Price: $26.99
  • Amazon Price: $16.19

FrostWire Distributes 2.5 Million Free Albums

PR: FrostWire proves BitTorrent file sharing empowers artists and levels the playing field for new comers giving them a zero cost distribution channel in front of a world wide audience that demands free music.

FrostWire

Celebrating 2.5 Million Free and Legal Creative Commons licensed album downloads via FrostWire promotions in less than a year, FrostClick.com presents the FrostWire Creative Commons Mixtape 2.

Side A of the Mixtape contains a track from each one of the albums featured on FrostWire during 2011 from vibrant hip-hop beats, through catchy pop to powerful electronic synths, anybody can find their new favorite artist.

Featuring Kellee Maize, Bryyn, Azoora, Elemint, Baiyu and many others, both new and established artists who understand that the future of the music industry lies in setting their music free to roam the world. This ever-growing distribution model brings even more opportunities for monetization, reputation build up, culture creation and establishes stronger and more meaningful connections between artists and their fans.

Narrowed down to the best of the best Creative Commons licensed songs, Side B contains 12 additional tracks hand-chosen out of hundreds of amazing free albums reviewed by the FrostClick team last year. Its a gem in itself, showcasing the breadth and quality of free and legal content available online under Creative Commons.

Music speaks for itself FrostWire just gives it a louder voice.

"It was by far the most valuable promotion I've ever done for my music career. I've done over 50 online marketing endeavors for my music, and none compare to the exposure I've gained through FrostWire." says Kellee Maize, an independent female rapper.

When asked for comparison with other digital distribution channels and its costs Kelle Maize goes on to say: "FrostWire jump-started my music career by giving away my album for free to over 130,000 people. Paying for that type of exposure would have cost me over $50,000 on other outlets such as taking out FaceBook ads or Google PPC"

After sharing her music for free on FrostWire, Kellee Maize talks about how she is connecting with her fan-base on social networks "Because of FrostWire I've accumulated over 100,000 Facebook and Twitter followers."

FrostWire, one of the leading open source peer-2-peer file sharing applications, works with FrostClick.com, a free and legal content review website, to actively promote and help distribute Creative Commons Licensed content to its wide user base. FrostWire is available absolutely for free for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.

Software

BackUp Gmail Utility

PR: Davide Gullo's BackUp Gmail creates a local backup of your Gmail account.

Claimed to be lightweight, silent, and reliable, BackUp Gmail is touted as the easiest way to back up your Gmail account and protect your data.

A lightweight Status Bar App that works in background, BackUp Gmail connects automatically with your account and backs up any new messages.

You can access your data whenever and wherever you want. All emails are in plain text (.eml format) and the relationships are stored in a SQLite DB.

You can personalize how the backup is performed and setup your destination folders as you wish. You decide if you want an hourly or daily backup of your account, and set the times yourself.

BackUp Gmail Features

  • can access your data whenever and wherever you want
  • Install it and forget about it
  • is a lightweight Status Bar App that works in background
  • can personalize how the backup is performed and setup your destination folders as you wish
  • decide if you want an hourly or daily backup of your account, and set the times yourself

You'll need some Gmail settings.

You can read the FAQ here.

New in Version 1.1

  • Added more info about Error connection and Availability test

System requirements:

  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later
  • 64-bit processor

The app can currently be purchased at a special promotional price of $1.99. This special offer will last just a few months.

aText Text Macro Utility

PR: Tran K. Nam's aText 1.5 is an auto-typing utility that recognizes custom abbreviations you type and automatically replaces them with snippets you've defined.

aText

This release adds Search Snippets with a hot key, wildcard searches, suggestions for snippet abbreviations with a hot key, and other changes.

aText accelerates your typing by replacing abbreviations with frequently used phrases you define.

E.g. make an abbreviation myname to insert your name First Middle Last in any application.

With aText you can easily avoid typing the same thing over and over.

aText also makes it easier to type symbols as well as images and formatted text.

aTextMore Features

  • Insert the current date and time in any format
  • Embed clipboard content within snippet, embed snippet within another, send keys, use editable fields in snippet.
  • Reposition the cursor in the expanded snippet.
  • Built-in snippet groups for misspelling correcting, HTML and JavaScript coding.
  • Import data from TextExpander, TypeIt4Me.

New in Version 1.5:

  • New: Search Snippets with hotkey.
  • Wildcard Search.
  • New: Suggest snippet abbreviations with hotkey.
  • Change setting "Expand at delimiter (discard delimiter)" to "Expand at Tab or Enter key".
  • Bug fixes.

aText

System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 or later

$4.99

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For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4, iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.

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Windows User Finds OS X Means Working Quicker, Will iOS Kill the Mac?, Gmail Backup, and More

Mac News Review

Windows User Finds OS X Means Working Quicker, Will iOS Kill the Mac?, Gmail Backup, and More

This Week's Apple and Desktop Mac News

Compiled by Charles Moore and edited by Dan Knight - 2012.01.27

Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered in The 'Book Review. iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV news is covered in iOS News Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.

News & Opinion

Rumor Roundup

Reviews

Apple Updates

Products & Services

Software

Desktop Mac Deals

News & Opinion

Longtime Windows Fan: Mac OS X Means Working Quicker

Pocket-Lint's Paul Lamkin says he didn't come into this experiment as a member of the anti-Apple brigade, being a happy iPhone and iPad owner, but that he is "a PC" because he settled down with Windows when he was young, made a commitment, and stayed faithful ever since.

However, he says that the new MacBook Airs with their svelte figures and their alluring aluminum finish and the giant displays of the 27" iMacs glowing from the window of the Apple Store have caused his loyalty to falter, so he decided to try Mac OS X at least for seven days

After a somewhat rocky start, he says he began to get a taste for the Mac way of doing things, and he even loves the Dock

And after signing up for an Apple Store One to One session, he says he was basically falling in love with Mac OS X.

He also notes that while he's quite a well oiled machine with Photoshop or Paint.net on a Windows PC, he can honestly say that, on his first attempt at doing photo editing on a Mac, it was much quicker.

By the seventh day, "it just feels right," says Lamkin.

"If that makes me a fully fledged fanboy, then so be it. Nothing really feels weird or different anymore, it just feels easier.... Without doubt, I was able to work quicker on a Mac than I ever have done with a Windows PC and I'm still a noob don't forget. And yes, I'm also aware that I've now become one of those Mac bores that I used to loathe."

Will the Success of iOS Kill the Mac as We Know It?

So asks ZDNet's David Morgenstern, who notes that Apple this week announced its best quarter ever for Mac sales (5.2 million units) and tens of thousands of Apple fans gathering for the weekend's annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco, so surely this moment must be one of the greatest for Mac users in the platform's 28 year history.

Or not. Morgenstern observes that many longtime professional users of the Mac are worried - very worried - by the smoke signals coming out of Cupertino, compelled to wonder whether Apple will continue making a computing solution for the rest of us or for all of us. Of concern is Apple's evidently wavering commitment to technology that supports its creative professional market.

He cites several worrying signs, to wit:

  • a new App Sandbox requirement for all apps submitted for the Mac App Store
  • shaky support for AppleScript scripting due to the Sandboxing requirement appearing to be in conflict with it
  • changes to Final Cut Pro X
  • the Mac/iOS Merger - iOSification of the Mac OS, which in his and many other Mac OS veterans' estimation amounts to dumbing things down way too far.

Morgenstern cites a rumor floating around the developer community that Apple wanted even more iOS integration in Lion, the objective being a single OS that will run on handheld, tablet, and portable/desktop. "This would be a disaster," he contends. Your editor agrees, a case in point being the iPad's single screen interface finding its way into Lion and Mac apps. As Morgenstern observes, not everyone is a consumer market or enterprise customer.

Well stated.

Publisher's note: In the minds of many longtime Mac users, Apple has already done so by eliminating the MobileMe features - syncing calendars, bookmarks, and contacts, for instance - in its headlong dash to create the iCloud service, which requires OS X 10.7 Lion or Windows (Vista or 7). Factor in killing off Rosetta and forcing users to choose between their familiar PowerPC apps and Apple's latest operating system, and there's another arrow pointing Apple's direction away from the past. Finally, its control over the Mac App Store is going to make it more and more difficult for developers to market Mac software in any other way, giving Apple ultimate control over the platform - just like iOS. dk

Interview with HackintoshUK

HackintoshUK is a new UK company that sells "Hackintoshes" - PCs that run Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Recently, MacNews/MacTech interviewed Tristan Kirkpatrick of HackintoshUK to get some details about the company - including how they planned to avoid the fate of Psystar.

Prices start at £389 (about $611) for the Hackintosh Mini, which has a 3.1 GHz Core i3 CPU with Intel HD Graphics 3000, 4 GB of system memory (expandable to 16 GB), a 320 GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a SuperDrive, and OS X 10.7 Lion. The Mini has three PCIe expansion slots, four SATA II (3 Gbps) ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and appears to have at least one empty drive bay. This compares very favorably with Apple's Mac mini, which retails for £529 in the UK, no longer includes a built-in optical drive, and has no expansion slots.

Rumor Roundup

Apple to Adopt 802.11ac Gigabit WiFi This Year

AppleInsider's Daniel Eran Dilger reports that Apple is expected to rapidly deploy support for the new 802.11ac specification this year, adding so called "Gigabit WiFi" to new AirPort base stations, Time Capsule, Apple TV, notebooks and potentially its mobile devices.

Dilger notes that the new 802.11ac standard supports much faster wireless networking speeds than the existing 802.11n specification in use on current Mac, AirPort and iOS devices).

Publisher's note: Apple has a long history of embracing 802.11 specifications before they have been finalized. The original clamshell iBook from 1999 was the first notebook computer to support 802.11b (using Apple's proprietary AirPort Card). It took a while for the 802.11g specification to get nailed down, but when it was finalized in late 2003, Apple's first generation of Aluminum PowerBooks supported it using Apple's AirPort Extreme brand. Like most of the industry, Apple included hardware to support 802.11n WiFi in early 2007, long before the specification was finalized in 1998. One advantage of 802.11n is that it can use the 5 GHz spectrum as well as the 2.4 GHz spectrum used by 802.11b/g. Since cordless phones and microwaves can interfere in the 2.4 GHz range, this is a real benefit. 802.11ac is designed to use the same 5 GHz band and is expected to be finalized in late 2012. Sadly, although 802.11n has been around for years, a lot of Internet service providers (for instance, AT&T U-verse, which we use here at Low End Mac headquarters) are still providing 802.11g WiFi routers. dk

Reviews

Logitech Solar Keyboard and the Scroll Lock/Num Lock Keys

MacOSXHints' robg writes:

"I wish it had a Caps Lock warning LED, and that AppleScripts assigned to F-Keys didn't need the fn modifier key to toggle them (oddly, this is not an issue with the Windows PC version of the Logitech Solar 'board)."


Logitech Solar Keyboard (Windows version)

He notes that the Logitech Solar Keyboard lacks a few other things, including dedicated Scroll Lock and Num Lock keys, that you usually find on other keyboards. I hadn't noted that, but robg says they're useful if you working in Excel, which I don't use, and after some trial and error, and some Googling, he figured out how to turn them on and off.


Logitech Solar Keyboard for Mac, silver version with pink stripe

Editor's note: I use a Logitech Solar Keyboard for Mac. It's not the perfect keyboard, but it's a very good one, and not having to mess around with batteries is a huge advantage. See my 'Book Mystique review of on PBCentral.com. cm

Publisher's note: I haven't yet seen a wireless keyboard with LEDs for Caps Lock, etc., as this would be an unnecessary drain on the battery. As a longtime computer user (going back to the Apple II+ and Commodore VIC-20), I have to say that I find light colored keys vastly preferable to black keycaps, something that really came home to me with my 15" Titanium PowerBook G4 in 2001 with its dark keyboard that was so hard to read in low light. It's great to see Logitech and others - Apple included - offer white keyboards. I am especially happy with the Macally iKeySlim (less than $24 from Amazon.com!), a white USB 2.0 keyboard that I reviewed in 2010 and have used ever since. dk

Apple Updates

EFI Firmware Update 1.5 for Mid 2010 Mac mini

Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.5 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on Mac mini (Mid 2010) models and addresses an issue where the setting to restart after a power failure may not be retained.

For more information about Lion Recovery, please visit this website: http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/

The Mac mini EFI Firmware Update will update the EFI firmware on your computer. Your computer's power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source. When your Mac mini restarts, a gray screen will appear with a status bar to indicate the progress of the update. It will take several minutes for the update to complete. Do not disturb or shut off the power on your Mac mini during this update.

Boot ROM or SMC Version Information: MM41.0042.B03

File Size: 3 MB

System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.7.2

Products & Services

Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired - and Secretive - Company Really Works

Adam Lashinsky's Inside Apple reveals the secret systems, tactics and leadership strategies that allowed Steve Jobs and his company to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for its products.

If Apple is Silicon Valley's answer to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, then author Adam Lashinsky provides readers with a golden ticket to step inside. In this primer on leadership and innovation, the author will introduce readers to concepts like the "DRI" (Apple's practice of assigning a Directly Responsible Individual to every task) and the Top 100 (an annual ritual in which 100 up-and-coming executives are tapped a la Skull & Bones for a secret retreat with company founder Steve Jobs).

Based on numerous interviews, the book offers exclusive new information about how Apple innovates, deals with its suppliers and is handling the transition into the Post Jobs Era. Lashinsky, a Senior Editor at Large for Fortune, knows the subject cold: In a 2008 cover story for the magazine entitled The Genius Behind Steve: Could Operations Whiz Tim Cook Run The Company Someday? - he predicted that Tim Cook, then an unknown, would eventually succeed Steve Jobs as CEO.

While Inside Apple is ostensibly a deep dive into one, unique company (and its ecosystem of suppliers, investors, employees, and competitors), the lessons about Jobs, leadership, product design, and marketing are universal. They should appeal to anyone hoping to bring some of that Apple magic to their own company, career, or creative endeavor.

  • List Price: $26.99
  • Amazon Price: $16.19

FrostWire Distributes 2.5 Million Free Albums

PR: FrostWire proves BitTorrent file sharing empowers artists and levels the playing field for new comers giving them a zero cost distribution channel in front of a world wide audience that demands free music.

FrostWire

Celebrating 2.5 Million Free and Legal Creative Commons licensed album downloads via FrostWire promotions in less than a year, FrostClick.com presents the FrostWire Creative Commons Mixtape 2.

Side A of the Mixtape contains a track from each one of the albums featured on FrostWire during 2011 from vibrant hip-hop beats, through catchy pop to powerful electronic synths, anybody can find their new favorite artist.

Featuring Kellee Maize, Bryyn, Azoora, Elemint, Baiyu and many others, both new and established artists who understand that the future of the music industry lies in setting their music free to roam the world. This ever-growing distribution model brings even more opportunities for monetization, reputation build up, culture creation and establishes stronger and more meaningful connections between artists and their fans.

Narrowed down to the best of the best Creative Commons licensed songs, Side B contains 12 additional tracks hand-chosen out of hundreds of amazing free albums reviewed by the FrostClick team last year. Its a gem in itself, showcasing the breadth and quality of free and legal content available online under Creative Commons.

Music speaks for itself FrostWire just gives it a louder voice.

"It was by far the most valuable promotion I've ever done for my music career. I've done over 50 online marketing endeavors for my music, and none compare to the exposure I've gained through FrostWire." says Kellee Maize, an independent female rapper.

When asked for comparison with other digital distribution channels and its costs Kelle Maize goes on to say: "FrostWire jump-started my music career by giving away my album for free to over 130,000 people. Paying for that type of exposure would have cost me over $50,000 on other outlets such as taking out FaceBook ads or Google PPC"

After sharing her music for free on FrostWire, Kellee Maize talks about how she is connecting with her fan-base on social networks "Because of FrostWire I've accumulated over 100,000 Facebook and Twitter followers."

FrostWire, one of the leading open source peer-2-peer file sharing applications, works with FrostClick.com, a free and legal content review website, to actively promote and help distribute Creative Commons Licensed content to its wide user base. FrostWire is available absolutely for free for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.

Software

BackUp Gmail Utility

BackUp GmailPR: Davide Gullo's BackUp Gmail creates a local backup of your Gmail account.

Claimed to be lightweight, silent, and reliable, BackUp Gmail is touted as the easiest way to back up your Gmail account and protect your data.

A lightweight Status Bar App that works in background, BackUp Gmail connects automatically with your account and backs up any new messages.

You can access your data whenever and wherever you want. All emails are in plain text (.eml format) and the relationships are stored in a SQLite DB.

You can personalize how the backup is performed and setup your destination folders as you wish. You decide if you want an hourly or daily backup of your account, and set the times yourself.

BackUp Gmail Features

  • can access your data whenever and wherever you want
  • Install it and forget about it
  • is a lightweight Status Bar App that works in background
  • can personalize how the backup is performed and setup your destination folders as you wish
  • decide if you want an hourly or daily backup of your account, and set the times yourself

You'll need some Gmail settings.

You can read the FAQ here.

New in Version 1.1

  • Added more info about Error connection and Availability test

System requirements:

  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later
  • 64-bit processor

The app can currently be purchased at a special promotional price of $1.99. This special offer will last just a few months.

aText Text Macro Utility

PR: Tran K. Nam's aText 1.5 is an auto-typing utility that recognizes custom abbreviations you type and automatically replaces them with snippets you've defined.

aText

This release adds Search Snippets with a hot key, wildcard searches, suggestions for snippet abbreviations with a hot key, and other changes.

aText accelerates your typing by replacing abbreviations with frequently used phrases you define.

E.g. make an abbreviation myname to insert your name First Middle Last in any application.

With aText you can easily avoid typing the same thing over and over.

aText also makes it easier to type symbols as well as images and formatted text.

More Features

  • Insert the current date and time in any format
  • Embed clipboard content within snippet, embed snippet within another, send keys, use editable fields in snippet.
  • Reposition the cursor in the expanded snippet.
  • Built-in snippet groups for misspelling correcting, HTML and JavaScript coding.
  • Import data from TextExpander, TypeIt4Me.

New in Version 1.5:

  • New: Search Snippets with hotkey.
  • Wildcard Search.
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aText

System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 or later

$4.99

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