Internet Tools
AmazonWatcher looks for Amazon deals
AmazonWatcher is a simple application that, well, watches Amazon. After putting in the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) for whatever you want to watch, the application can be set to alert you whenever the item is in stock (if you’re still waiting for a Wii, for instance) or when the item drops below a certain price. In addition to sounding an alert AmazonWatcher can send you an email or even automatically order an item if you have Amazon’s 1-Click active for your account.
AmazonWatcher is a free download for Mac (or PC). The website does not indicate whether or not this application makes use of Amazon’s affiliate program when ordering.
[awatcher Via jkOnTheRun]
Popularity: 3% [?]
Consumer Reports pans Safari’s lack of phishing protection
Consumer Reports, in its annual internet security survey, recommended that Mac users avoid Safari because of its lack of phishing protection. Instead, they recommend users install Firefox 3 or Opera 9.5 as their default browsers, since both will warn users before displaying the contents of sites known to be source of scams and personal information theft.
Jeff Fox, technology editor at Consumer Reports, noted that “e-mail is the weak vector on the Mac,” meaning that most successful phishing attacks on Mac users arrive via email.
“Windows users are used to being paranoid about not clicking [links in phishing emails],” he said. “Mac users aren’t, even though they say, ‘Antivirus software, who needs it?’”
As we’ve mentioned before, 1Password does a great job of adding phishing protection to Safari. Also, always be extra-wary of clicking links in emails from people you don’t know.
[Via Computerworld.]
Popularity: 7% [?]
Freeway 5.2 available with new MobileSafari support
Softpress Systems has released Freeway 5.2, which includes new tools for building web pages for iPhone and iPod touch. Freeway is WYSIWYG website creation software that features a traditional, page-layout approach and omits the need to write any code (unless, you know, you really want to handcraft your HTML).
New in version 5.2 is the ability to create iPhone home screen icons and custom links to iPhone applications like Mail, Phone, Maps, and YouTube. Also, Freeway helps prepare QuickTime videos for playback on iPhone under a variety of network conditions.
Additionally, Softpress has published a best practices document for publishing web sites for the iPhone and iPod touch. The “Building websites for the iPhone with Freeway” document can be found on the Softpress website.
The update is free for registered users of Freeway 5 or higher. For new users, it’s available in two flavors: Freeway 5 Express ($79) and Freeway 5 Pro ($249). The differences between the two versions are available here.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Easy iWeb Publisher 3.0.3
Although I’ve written a book about iWeb, I often tell my clients to avoid using it for their websites if they’re planning on hosting anywhere but on MobileMe. Why? When you post to MobileMe from iWeb, you “Publish” and your site is uploaded. Minor changes to a site only take a few seconds to upload, since iWeb uploads only the changed files to your web server. That doesn’t happen when publishing to other servers. Instead, you publish to a local folder, and then usually upload the entire folder to your web server. That can take a long time with a large site.
Plyxim’s Easy iWeb Publisher 3.0.3 fixes that problem. The shareware ($7 donation requested) application makes it simple to publish to any web host. It’s an ftp client that takes the local folder you’ve published your iWeb site to, compares it to the folder on your web server, and then uploads just the files that have changed.
I’ve found that Easy iWeb Publisher works much faster than most dedicated ftp clients when syncing iWeb files that have been changed, added, or deleted. Until Apple fixes iWeb ‘08 to make publishing easier for people who don’t use MobileMe, this is a great way to work with your own hosting. [plyxim]
Popularity: 6% [?]
Panorama Enterprise Server
When I saw the words Provue Development and Panorama in a press release this morning, I felt like I was suddenly transported back to the 80s. When the Mac first came out in 1984, Provue was there with the first real database manager for the Mac (OverVue). It’s great to see that they’re still developing innovative products like Panorama Enterprise Server. The $399 Panorama Enterprise Server is a RAM-based database server for Mac OS X 10.4 and above.
Panorama Enterprise Server works with Provue’s desktop database application Panorama 5.5 to create network-based databases. It distributes RAM-based copies of shared data across a network in a mesh architecture. By distributing the load of common database actions over a number of machines, speed is improved dramatically.
Another unique feature is that users can disconnect from the network, work offline, and their database changes sync back up to the rest of the meshed computers when they are reconnected. Panorama Enterprise Server has remote configuration, management, and debug tools to keep DBAs happy, as well as automatic backup of live databases. Designers will like the visual design tools for building HTML and CSS-based forms, and support for Google Analytics.
Provue offers a 45-day free trial of both Panorama 5.5 and Enterprise Server. [provue]
Popularity: 7% [?]
