Robert's blog

The new version 1.6.2 fixes a few bugs that were just discovered after the last update two weeks ago. Additionally I have added a small convenience shortcut for accessing the toolbar search field: Command+Option+F. This is the same shortcut every Apple program and a lot of other 3rd party applications use. I didn't know and use this shortcut myself until recently, when a user on MacApper asked for it to be added. Small requests may get added quickly.

Find the complete release notes here.

Small update to version 1.6. The most critical bug was the handling of international characters in archive file names. This issue has been fixed.

Another important change is the elimination of the message box that popped up when you dropped an archive into an empty BetterZip window, the "Matryoshka warning." I thought that Matryoshkas are globally know, but it led to some users being confused, so I decided to remove the question and do what the user most likely intended to do: open the archive. If you drop an archive into a window that already contains files, it will be added. And if you really want to add an archive into an empty window, just hold down the command key while dropping the archive.

See the other fixes and changes in the version history.

I have just released BetterZip 1.6. The new version fixes some bugs, prevents BetterZip from hanging at two possible points, enhances Leopard compatibility, introduces a major speed-up when opening larger archives, and it gives you the option to directly extract an archive by double-clicking it in the Finder. Find all the details in the version history.

Speaking of direct extraction: I changed the keyboard shortcut from Command to Control+Command. For keyboard users the Command key was not a viable solution, since the key combination for opening a file from the Finder is Command+Down Arrow. Of course, BetterZip always detected the pressed Command key, and always started a direct extraction. Ugh. Pressing only Control on the other hand is not an option for mouse users, since holding Control and clicking will activate the contextual menu. Finally, holding down the Option key while clicking will close the active Finder window, and holding Shift will (possibly) change the selection before opening the archives.
A tricky situation, but Control+Command should work for everyone, and the new combination will quickly find its way into your muscle memory. Or you can use the new option on the General tab in the preferences window.

flickr.com is a great way to kill a day without actually wasting it. flickr is also a great way to share photos with friends and family. And there are many talented photographers who post their art to flickr for all the world to enjoy. Unfortunately, there is a lot of noise and distraction on a flickr page.

blackr is a bookmarklet I created which you can put in your browser's bookmarks bar. When you are on a flickr photo page or one of the "All sizes" pages, you can click the bookmarklet and it will hide everything on the page behind a soothing black canvas except for the photo.

Optionally you get a white border around the photo. artissoft told me that exactly 52.3% of all photographers prefer 12 pixel wide white borders around their pictures and I can understand why. Although I prefer the border version, there are a few pictures that look better without the border. And then there are photos that look better on a white background. Mostly with a black border, but again, there are exceptions. So, while blackr is active, you can toggle the four versions with your keyboard. Yeah, hotkeys!

I found blackr to run best with Safari and Camino. Firefox works perfectly well too and IE6+ works nearly perfectly. Guess which one was hardest to tame.

To see how it all works or to modify blackr (ipernity anyone?), get the complete zipped source here. Installing blackr locally is also very easy, but you will need a little Javascript knowledge. I have created a forum for blackr.

After installing blackr why not look over your Favorites again on black or on white.

My friend Wolfgang Ante from ARTIS Software and the legendary pixel magicians from the The Iconfactory have just released a major update of xScope, their «Swiss army knife for web and graphic designers».

The new version 2.0 has an extensive list of new features, but one stands out that will leave you speechless: Dimensions. This tool alone will save you minutes every time you use it. You click somewhere on the screen and it shoots laser beams (not real ones of course, no safety goggles needed) in all four directions and finds the nearest edges and measures the distances. Oh my, if only English was my mother tongue. Fortunately, they recorded a movie that explains everything. It's really ingenious. If you are a designer or developer, I urge you to give it a test run.