photools.com IMatch Overview - Import and Export
Wow. They are SERIOUS about letting data flow in and out. A big plus. I also looked at ThumbsPlus for image management on the PC. It uses an Access database, so it's very easy to get data in and out, but I found the scanning workflow awkward. I was using a beta so I couldn't consult the help files to learn more.
IMatch costs $50, so it's not extremely cheap. I do like their attitude though.
Maybe they'll do a Mac version :-).
Update: Still not quite right for my scanning project, the workflow is too awkward. SnagIt may still be my best bet, together with some renaming tool. (SnagIt bogs down with even small image collections because the browser regenerates the thumbnails on each viewing.)
One surprise with both ThumbsPlus and IMatch is one can't create an EXIF header for an imported JPEG. One can edit existing EXIF data, but one can't add new data. This is very annoying. I'd like a scanned image to have an EXIF data for when the image was taken, not the date it was scanned!
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Servant Salamander File Manager - Norton Commander Clone #452
Servant Salamander File Manager - Homepage
Cute. Commander -> Salamander, Master -> Servant. I'll test this one too.
Any application that spawns as many clones as Norton Commander has, over 15 years since it vanished, was doing something right.
Update: It's missing the critical Norton Change Directory feature, but the developer tells me it's high on their priority list. WinNC.Net is missing it as well. Only Total Commander has it, but their implementation is a bit awkward. Given the size and complexity of modern drives I think to be useful today NCD would need to be constrained to a given directory structure. I believe the WCD utility allows this.
Update 10/12/04: I ended up primarily using WCD to find directories along with some extensions the developer suggested that unified WCD with Windows Explorer. As for Salamander, I discovered there was some kind of Windows extension loaded on startup that lived in my TEMP folder. I don't like that kind of uninvited guest -- even if it is probably fully benign. I uninstalled Salamander.
Cute. Commander -> Salamander, Master -> Servant. I'll test this one too.
Any application that spawns as many clones as Norton Commander has, over 15 years since it vanished, was doing something right.
Update: It's missing the critical Norton Change Directory feature, but the developer tells me it's high on their priority list. WinNC.Net is missing it as well. Only Total Commander has it, but their implementation is a bit awkward. Given the size and complexity of modern drives I think to be useful today NCD would need to be constrained to a given directory structure. I believe the WCD utility allows this.
Update 10/12/04: I ended up primarily using WCD to find directories along with some extensions the developer suggested that unified WCD with Windows Explorer. As for Salamander, I discovered there was some kind of Windows extension loaded on startup that lived in my TEMP folder. I don't like that kind of uninvited guest -- even if it is probably fully benign. I uninstalled Salamander.
Total Commander - another Norton Commander derivative
Total Commander - home
Now I'm uncovering an array of these clones. And, if I type a few names into Google, I start discovering more of them.
This one is a tiny executable. It's a text mode windows program, so a bit ugly by modern aesthetics. Very fast. It does have the Norton Change Directory feature I need, though again that's not pretty. The desktop integration is a bit odd -- I don't see an obvious quick key to get to the desktop though it is a menu option.
It's not as elegant as the original, but it might work. I'm starting to get a list of the alternatives.
Now I'm uncovering an array of these clones. And, if I type a few names into Google, I start discovering more of them.
This one is a tiny executable. It's a text mode windows program, so a bit ugly by modern aesthetics. Very fast. It does have the Norton Change Directory feature I need, though again that's not pretty. The desktop integration is a bit odd -- I don't see an obvious quick key to get to the desktop though it is a menu option.
It's not as elegant as the original, but it might work. I'm starting to get a list of the alternatives.
Bug Me Not Firefox Extension: the cyber war continues
Digital Media Minute - Bug Me Not Firefox Extension
This is a paradigmatic hacker solution to a stupid real-world problem. Like most such solutions it's somewhat ethically dubious, and comes with a peculiar risk.
Almost all news sites require registration of some sort now. I could handle this for a few sites across which I used the same authentications, but I can't do it when my username must vary, especially since I regularly use at least 3 machines. It's completely impractical. If the news sites all used the (evil) Microsoft Passport tool I'd be ok with that. If they all agreed on a central authentication authority, I'd be ok with that. Yes, they all want to spam me -- but that's ok. That's what my Yahoo address is for.
So now I'm using BugMeNot. It works very well. It's also something that IE will never be able to do.
Risk? Ahh, there is risk. I'm using the same credentials as many other people. Some of them will use them on not-nice web sites, or may be guilty of crimes of one sort or another. Of course they won't have a fixed IP address, but I do. So when Ashcroft invokes his Patriot act to trace down a credential, they may come for me.
Welome to 2004, 20 years past Orwell's 1984.
BugMeNot.com is a nifty online service that allows you to bypass compulsory registration at many popular sites like Business Week and the New York Times for example. As cool as the service is, it can be annoying to use as once you get to a site that requires registration, you must open a new window to visit bugmenot.
But now a BugMeNot Firefox Extension is available that will make searching this resource possible by simply right mouse-clicking on the site.
This is a paradigmatic hacker solution to a stupid real-world problem. Like most such solutions it's somewhat ethically dubious, and comes with a peculiar risk.
Almost all news sites require registration of some sort now. I could handle this for a few sites across which I used the same authentications, but I can't do it when my username must vary, especially since I regularly use at least 3 machines. It's completely impractical. If the news sites all used the (evil) Microsoft Passport tool I'd be ok with that. If they all agreed on a central authentication authority, I'd be ok with that. Yes, they all want to spam me -- but that's ok. That's what my Yahoo address is for.
So now I'm using BugMeNot. It works very well. It's also something that IE will never be able to do.
Risk? Ahh, there is risk. I'm using the same credentials as many other people. Some of them will use them on not-nice web sites, or may be guilty of crimes of one sort or another. Of course they won't have a fixed IP address, but I do. So when Ashcroft invokes his Patriot act to trace down a credential, they may come for me.
Welome to 2004, 20 years past Orwell's 1984.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
macosxhints - Panasonic KX-P 7105 printing in OS X 10.3.4 - installing new GIMP Print drivers
macosxhints - Panasonic KX-P 7105 printing in OS X 10.3.4
I've had so many problems with OS X printing I'll try the GIMP install referenced here.
I've had so many problems with OS X printing I'll try the GIMP install referenced here.
FireWire Depot - FireWire 1394a 1394b hardware
FireWire Depot - FireWire 1394a 1394b hardware
Good resource, a web site/vendor devoted to firewire solutions. The SATA bridge is interesting.
Good resource, a web site/vendor devoted to firewire solutions. The SATA bridge is interesting.
Macintouch: Recording Audio on an OS X machine
Reader Report: Recording Audio
A great series of reader reviews covering use of the machine alone (iBook), use of an iPod, and use of a separate Olympus or SONY recording device (USB or CF based).
A great series of reader reviews covering use of the machine alone (iBook), use of an iPod, and use of a separate Olympus or SONY recording device (USB or CF based).
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