Mac software

Apple raw update supports Fujifilm cameras

Apple has updated its raw-photo support so software like iPhoto and Aperture can handle images from several higher-end new Fujifilm cameras.

The update to OS X 10.8, aka Mountain Lion, lets Apple's software handle files from the Fujifilm X20, X100S, X-E1, and X-Pro1. The update arrived last week and only works if a person has iPhoto 9.4 or Aperture 3.4 installed, Apple said.

All these models use the unusual X-Trans sensor technology, which handles colors differently than traditional sensors with Bayer-pattern color filter arrays, so supporting them has been more difficult than conventional cameras. Adobe Systems' … Read more

Facebook Home, BitTorrent Sync, and Twitter Music: The Week in Downloads

Every week, we compile the best new reviews, products, and features from the Download.com software catalog and blog, package them up in a tidy little newsletter, and e-mail it out to all of our lovely subscribers.

If you are a registered CNET member, you can sign up for the newsletter yourself (it's listed as "CNET Download.com Software Dispatch" under "Software News and Reviews"), or check back every Tuesday to read our latest roundup.

Hands on with BitTorrent Sync

Announced back in January and subsequently thrown into private alpha, BitTorrent Sync ( Windows, Mac, Linux) rolled out its first version, available to the general public today. Rather than using a central online repository for your synced files, BitTorrent Sync uses the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol to transfer files between your various devices, using your rules and custom settings.

The latest version, 1.0.116, adds a few new features like one-way and one-time syncing as well as the ability to exclude specific files or subdirectories from syncing.

After spending a few hours today syncing various files across different Windows and Mac … Read more

Forget online drives, sync directly with BitTorrent Sync

If you do not trust online storage drives for file syncing across your devices or are frustrated with storage limits, there is another player in town. BitTorrent has released a new alpha version of its Sync software, which supports syncing folders across the Internet without going through an intermediary like Dropbox, Cloud Drive, or iCloud.

The Sync software uses the standard BitTorrent decentralized file-sharing technology to establish a secure file-synchronizing routine between your various devices. It does so by use of local peer discovery, peer exchange, and static known hosts as well as DHT and classic BitTorrent trackers to establish … Read more

How to add line breaks between list items in OS X Mail

When composing messages in OS X Mail, you have the option to use the program's built-in list tool to keep numbered or bulleted lists properly formatted, but you may find its formatting options to be a bit limited.

The list generator is not intended to be a complex option; however, by default it only displays one list entry per paragraph, so if you attempt to create a line break to separate list items or add multiple paragraphs per item, the default behavior is to simply append new list entries.

This can be a bit annoying to deal with, and … Read more

Mailplane 3 takes off

Mailplane is a standalone Mac OS X e-mail client that integrates the Apple and Gmail experiences. For six years, Mailplane has been putting the Gmail experience into a proper app with functionality like drag-and-drop attachments, program icons in the dock and tab switcher, and integration with Mac OS X contacts. The latest version 3 release boosts the program one large step forward, with a completely redesigned interface, attachment previews, and compatibility with Mountain Lion's Notification Center.

With version 3, Mailplane has done a bit more than refuel and de-ice the wings. Aside from the redesigned GUI, the app now … Read more

Finally, Twitter Music is available to all

You don't have to be the host of "American Idol" to use Twitter Music anymore.

A little more than a month after CNET broke the news that Twitter was working on a stand-alone music discovery app and a week after that app was rolled out to an invite-only group of celebrities and others -- including Ryan Seacrest -- the general public can now get its hands on the music discovery app.

Twitter officially unveiled #music on Thursday during "Good Morning America." The company later provided more details about the service in a blog post, saying … Read more

Leave a smaller PC footprint

Meson Player (32bit, 64bit, Mac)

Meson Player is a tiny music player without a conventional graphical user interface (GUI). The lack of a GUI puts the bulk of the application control in hot keys rather than the usual mouse and click. Using your keyboard's number pad, you can quickly skip tracks, turn volume up or down, and save and open playlists. Meson Player can handle a variety of audio file formats as well as Internet Radio playlists. Meson Player also supports the multimedia keys on some keyboards for advanced functionality.

Barely consuming any system resources, the software leaves a … Read more

Accuracy, schmaccuracy: 'iSteve' props go hilariously wrong

Comedy site Funny or Die beat out the competition in getting "iSteve," the first Steve Jobs biopic, out for viewing. Take that, Ashton Kutcher. In all that haste, Funny of Die may have cut a few corners as far as accuracy goes. That's left the film open for evisceration by Apple fans on high alert for anachronistic images.

The film is full of tripping Steve Jobs scenes, Bill Gates beating computer components with a hammer, and Steve Wozniak looking like he just wandered off the set of "Lost." It's also full of computer parts that just don't fit the time period. It's the sort of thing that will either make Apple fanboys giggle, or send them up in arms to the Internet to complain.… Read more

Apple issues Java, printer, iPhoto, and Aperture updates

Apple has issued a few updates for OS X users, including a new version of its in-house Java runtime environment, updated printer drivers, and new versions of iPhoto and Aperture.

The updates improve reliability, security, and compatibility overall, but for iPhoto and Aperture users Apple has specifically addressed the following details:

Photos can now be deleted from My Photo Stream by dragging to the Trash Photos can now be exported from Photo Stream using the Export command in the File menu Raw images manually imported from My Photo Stream are now editable Fixes a bug that could cause manually rotated … Read more