Norton Commander -- for OS X?

Macintouch writes:

Xfolders 1.1 is a Mac OS X file manager that displays two directories at once in side-by-side panes and provides Norton Commander-style keyboard operation as well as drag-and-drop and menu commands. Along with move/copy/delete/rename, it provides control of file and folder permissions, bookmarks and a bookmark manager for folders, Finder integration, intelligent path navigation, toolbar access to system utilities, and other features. This release adds an integrated Spotlight search, more versatile search and compare options, support for zip/unzip, faster copying, and other improvements. Xfolders is free for Mac OS X 10.4.

The author's web site has a screen shot that shows the same function keys I remember from the original Norton Commander. NC/DOS was one of the best products I've ever used on any platform -- a true classic. I used FileCommander for OS/2 for a while, it came close. This app is pretty new, so it's worth checking out the versiontracker and macupdate responses. Too bad this German company doesn't have an XP version.

I'll give it a try and update this post with what I learn.

Update 2/24/06: I tried it and it wouldn't launch. I suspect it wants to run in admin mode; I always run in regular user mode. Deleted immediately. If an OS X application won't run in user mode then there's a very high probability that it's junk.

Amnesty fixes OS X Widgets and brings them to Panther

$20. I have to try this. OS X's Widget implementation is absurd. Who needs yet another layer besides the desktop and the application layer? This app lets widgets live in the desktop and in 10.3.x. I've got to give it a try. (Via Macintouch)

Mesa Dynamics

Amnesty Widget Browser is a utility for Mac OS X Tiger and Panther (10.3.9) that allows Dashboard widgets to have expanded capabilities as they run directly on your desktop via a convenient icon in your system menu bar.

Widgets loaded in Amnesty Widget Browser run completely outside of Apple's Dashboard environment, maintain their own preferences and feature adjustable display settings such as window level (desktop, standard or floating), opacity (transparency) and shape (now you can rotate and scale your widgets so they fit on your desktop where you want them). And to keep things nice and tidy, groups of widgets can be arranged into multiple virtual workspaces that can be called up —by menu or hot key—to your screen at any time.

Best of all, this 'independence' from Dashboard means Panther users can—for the first time—get in on Apple's widget experience, using Amnesty Widget Browser to run many third-party Dashboard widgets (a library of sample widgets is also bundled with every copy).

And Amnesty widget technology also powers our freeware Amnesty Screen Saver, which lets you get widgets all the way out of Dashboard (and into your screen saver).

So whether you're a Tiger user looking for a way to keep the Weather widget embedded in your desktop, or a Panther user who wants to try out the latest and greatest Dashboard widgets, Amnesty Widget Browser offers something for everyone. Download your copy today and take your widgets out for a spin.

iPhoto Dumb Albums

Grrr. iPhoto "Smart Albums" are basic Boolean queries. That's all they are. Unlike iTunes, you can't create complex queries by nesting multiple Smart Albums. In other words, you can't include a 'smart album' in a query, only a regular album.

So you can't create complex Boolean queries of the form (a OR b) AND (c or d).

I so need Aperture. I'm grinding my molars down waiting for 1.11 to come out. I don't trust 1.0, since Apple's quality control budget is apparently measured in pennies.

Griffin AirClick RF iPod Remote: The 433.92MHz problem

The Griffin AirClick is supposed to control an iPod from up to 60 feet away (presumably that's with no intervening objects, no interfering signals, and a fresh battery). I'm getting a line of sight range of about 10 feet, and about 12 inches if a wooden door is in the way.

Oookaaay. Not great. Why? Griffin makes good stuff and the build quality of this device seems very good. On the other hand it's not just me. I knew from the Amazon reviews (far and away the best source of product information on the net) that other people are getting similarly awful results. The happiest users used it on a bicycle with a range of 3 feet (yes, that's a rude and dangerous way to ride). Of course I knew that beforehand, and since I paid $20 for this device (on sale since it's incompatible with newer iPods), I'm not all that annoyed.

Griffin's tech support article tells part of the story:

I am getting short range, what can I do? - Griffin Technology:

The most likely variable to cause this issue is RF interference. There are several things that can cause RF interference such as speaker systems, CRT monitors, wireless phones, or wireless networking devices [jf: anything that uses the ubiquitous 433.92MHz frequency]. If you suspect such a device is causing your issue, the following steps should help you isolate the source of the problem.

Move to another room, away from the source of the interference. Test the AirClick again by having another person hold the iPod with the AirClick connected. Slowly walk away from that person while pressing buttons on your AirClick remote. When the the iPod/AirClick stops receiving commands from the remote, have the other person signal you. Make note of the distance you have now covered. If that distance is greater than the distance you were getting with the iPod near the source of the interference, then most likely your AirClick is working correctly. If the two distances are the same, try replacing the battery inside the remote. You can open the Remote Control unit by removing the three small screws, and replace with a CR2032-type battery or equivalent.

I'll test outdoors to check the battery, but I suspect the key problem is use of the unregulated 433.92 FM range. This range is commonly used for home security systems, and we have a home security system. We also have an 802.11b LAN and a wireless phone, but I think they're well out of range. My money is on the home security system.

For now it works a bit less well than an IR remote, but it's not completely useless. Worth about what I paid.

This may explain why most vendors stick with IR remotes. We need a different RF technology for workable remote control devices. Bluetooth won't do, it's short range and penetrates poorly. Maybe ultra-wideband.

I would recommend against buying any device that relies on the 433.92 frequency -- alas, I suspect that's almost everything for now.

Update: See this.

PatioTunes: iTunes remote control for XP, OS X and Fast User Switching

Is this the holy grail? I've tried all kinds of tricks to do remote control of iTunes. None have worked, AirTunes has been a bust for me. I've tried NetTunes, SlimServer's software, various AppleScript hacks, VNC, TuneConnect, and about half a dozen others. I've also reviewed Sailing Clicker and considered the Griffin remote.

Everything I tried foundered on the shores of Fast User Switching, performance and usability issues, or Apple's FairPlay DRM scheme. I finally realized that AppleScript wasn't going to work because Apple doesn't really support AppleScript with FUS (makes me think they're going to sunset AppleScript ...). [1]

The only thing that looked promising was running a web server using CGI Scripts. Looked like a lot of time to setup, but it sorts out the FUS issues.

Then, in a recent search, I came across Mindola Software: PatioTunes. This could be it - but testing is early. I've already found one nasty bug; the author makes the common mistake of thinking everyone runs as Admin (bad, bad, bad practice). If you install this as admin then run it from a non-admin session the internal web server files are inaccessible. Dumb. I changed permissions and will write the author.

Ok, that aside, it's impressive. It's a Java web server that communicates with iTunes, perhaps via AppleEvents. Anything that runs a browser can access it, the only glitch is some obscure browsers need a manual refresh to see new playlists. Unlike the Apache solution you don't have to hand-build playlist references, it gets the playlists itself.

Cost is $15. Well worth it if it works!

[1] I took the easy solution and bought myself a new 30G iPod. The old one is now a fixed music server, permanently plugged in. It lives by the stereo. Since it's a 3G iPod I ordered a very cheap FM remote from Griffin (all the 3G/4G peripherals are being dumped because they don't work with the video iPod or Nano).

Update 2/18: The author is now working on the permissions problem. I don't think they'd understood it before. The author was likewise rather surprised to learn that PatioTunes is compatible with Fast User Switching. I guess it was a happy side-effect of using the web server approach. I re-enabled my OS X firewall adding an entry for the PatioTunes default port.

Sync iTunes Libraries Between Two Macs

I use the "drag music file to client iTunes" method to update my wife's iTunes database when I add music to the main library. There may be another approach: ReelSmart.com: iTunes Tip #35: Sync Libraries Between Two Macs.

This method uses a shareware sync software utility.

Favorite OS X Apps: Reelmsart.com

I came across this page while deciding whether to test PatioTunes: ReelSmart.com: Top Picks. An impressive list. By their software you shall know them. I'm adding him/her to my bloglines subscription. Another value indicator: a dog's picture is used as a favicon and author profile image.