Filed under: Software, Internet Tools

Evernote announced a new extension to their platform today, Trunk. It's essentially an App Store for Evernote, highlighting applications, hardware and platforms created by third parties which integrate with Evernote in various ways. Trunk offers easy access to new tech for users, as well as a means for third-party developers to capitalize on their work.

Evernote has been a shining example of making good on the "Freemium" business model, where you offer a basic service for free and provide an upgrade path to paid plans (in Evernote's case, a $5 per month Premium plan). It's a very common business model on the 'net, but not everyone manages to turn a profit on it to the extent that Evernote has. The announcement of the Evernote Trunk includes the promise of an App-Store-esque model for developers to make money and share in profits.

Among the developers featured on the Trunk and in today's press conference were Egretlist, Voice2Note, SAP StreamWork and social application Seesmic. The latest version of the Evernote Mac client has a button in the top toolbar for Trunk, where you can see services, mobile and desktop apps and hardware which can be added to Evernote to expand its functionality. Some services are free, some are premium. Voice2Note, for example, adds search to voice notes and the ability to add notes via your phone. 5 transcriptions per month are free, but you pay about $30 a year for unlimited transcriptions plus the ability to tag notes by adding "tag with..." to the end of an audio note.

Social notebooks from the likes of BlackBook and Make Magazine are now available through Trunk as well. Evernote also mentions potential future enhancements such suggestions (similar to SpringPad, I assume) and semantic analysis.

Notable, but not part of any press coverage today, is a change in the tag display of the new Mac client. Selecting View > Show Unassigned Tags will trim the visible tags in the sidebar down to just tags related to the current search or selected note. It's a major improvement to usability and one I'd been hoping would show up for quite some time.

Evernote is a free service which can be upgraded to transfer 500MB per month and store any type of file for $5US per month or $45US per year. The desktop client for Mac is free, and so are the iPhone and iPad versions (the iPad app is especially cool). Take a look, and check out the Trunk to see what functionality you might want to add to Evernote.

TUAWAnnouncing Trunk, an app store for Evernote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPhone

Last week, Patently Apple got a hint of a new app/service from Apple called iTravel, an official app that would allow you to make and check-in travel reservations with just your iPhone. Apparently it's farther along than we thought, because a new app co-sponsored by Apple in a Montreal newspaper appears to show off the app itself, including an on-screen seat display while checking in, a "My Flights" section for flight tracking, and a "Find Flight" search button.

PA suggests this is all being done in time for something called the Travel Distribution Summit on June 17, but I can think of another conference in June that might have Apple showing off new official applications. It's not 100% clear that the app in the ad is a brand new app by Apple, but in addition to the Concert Ticket+ patent that appeared a while back, it's a safe guess that Apple is cooking up some new utility software. We'll have to keep eyes out during WWDC and see what we can find.

[via 9to5Mac]

TUAWRumor: Apple's iTravel being previewed in other markets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 04 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPhone

9to5Mac reports that new features have been added to the iPhone's multitasking bar as of the release of iPhone OS 4 beta 3 earlier today. Swiping left from the multitasking bar now accesses a new set of controls. On the far left is an orientation lock, which disables the iPhone's auto-switching between portrait and landscape orientation. This achieves via software the same thing as the iPad's dedicated orientation lock hardware switch. It will make using the iPhone in a reclined position much easier; no longer will the iPhone switch between orientations seemingly at random as you're catching up on e-mails just after waking up. And there was much rejoicing.

To the right of the orientation lock is a set of three controls for play/pause and track skipping in the iPod app, as well as a dedicated icon for the app itself. It seems likely this will replace the current "notification window" method for accessing iPod controls via a double-tap of the Home button.

Cool bit of functionality coming soon in the iPhone OS 4.0 release.

[Via MacRumors]

TUAWiPhone OS 4 beta 3 adds orientation lock, iPod controls to multitasking bar originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 04 May 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software

Filemaker Pro 11 was released earlier this year with a slew of new features, including native charting, recurring imports and "snapshot link," which lets you share and edit a found set of records with a remote colleague. Today, Filemaker has upped the ante by releasing a free Business Productivity Kit and 30-day free trial of Filemaker Pro 11.

The kit is a collection of ready-to-use templates for business owners who don't have the time or inclination to build a system for themselves, but want to get right to work. It includes solutions for tracking customer and vendor contacts, sales, product information, invoicing and shipping.

Of course, if you want to get in and fiddle with the solutions, that's no problem. You can enter layout mode, tinker with scripts, etc. So not only are they useful out of the gate, but the templates also offer an opportunity to see how a well-made solution is put together.

There's both a Standard Edition of the productivity kit (for companies selling goods) and Service Edition (for companies providing services) available. Both require Filemaker Pro 11. If you don't have it, don't worry. The kit includes a 30 day trial. Have fun and get to work!

TUAWFileMaker releases free business productivity kit, 30-day trial originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 04 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPad

The Dropbox team updated the Dropbox app today with full iPad compatibility and the option to choose which app will open a document. It's a very welcome refresh for an application that many users (myself included) depend on. As usual, the app is free. Let's look at the improvements.

First of all, the cosmetic changes. While in the landscape orientation, Dropbox offers the same split view that Mail and several others use. Pictures and documents look great and legible on the large screen. Across the toolbar are icons to jump to your favorites, adjust your account settings, email a public link to a file (or copy it to the clipboard), mark a file as a favorite and finally choose an app to open a file.

In portrait orientation the sidebar disappears and you're left with a full-screen view of your document and a few icons at the top. It looks super.

I flipped through a multi-page PDF document as if it lived on my iPad, then sent it to GoodReader just as easily (for the record, GoodReader can also access your Dropbox files directly). Other apps that handle PDFs include QuickOffice and Air Sharing HD. You say you don't have any of those apps? No problem. Dropbox will suggest apps that support a given document type, complete with icon, brief description and purchase link.

It gets better: Microsoft Office docs (.doc/docx, .xls/xlsx, .ppt/pptx) can be sent to their corresponding iWork apps for editing. I took a huge PPT file from Dropbox (about 400 slides), sent it to Keynote, and it opened right up, looking good.

The new build is a solid update that makes Dropbox a pleasure to use on the iPad. The UI is uncluttered, files look great (especially in portrait mode) and it's simple to send a file to your favorite app. What's not to love?

If Dropbox doesn't float your boat, check out Pogoplug (and its accompanying iPhone app), a USB NAS adapter that gives you network access to your data from home and on the road.

TUAWDropbox app brings iPad support, fantastic external editing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 04 May 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Steve Jobs

Apple has posted their Thoughts on Flash, signed by Steve Jobs himself, which echos a lot of the commentary that you've probably already read on why Apple isn't supporting Flash on iPhone OS devices, and why they plan to block apps that allow Flash programs to be recompiled into iPhone OS programs, especially games.

Beginning with citing their long-standing relationship, Steve outlines six points: openness, "the full web", security and performance, battery life, touch, and the drawbacks of relying on third-party development tools.

In case anyone has been unclear thus far, or has been waiting for a version of the iPhone OS that supports Flash, here is your clear and unmistakable sign: you will never see Flash on an iPhone OS device. Steve's letter addresses the "why not?" questions.

TUAWApple posts thoughts on Flash originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gaming

I fell in love with racing games thanks to Ridge Racer for the original Sony Playstation. I played the whole franchise, beat every track and learned the intricacies of every car. Even today I'll pull out the Playstation Portable for a run around Ridge City. Could another racer grab me the way RR had?

Thanks to Firemint, the answer is yes. Real Racing HD (RRHD) looks great, sounds great, features well-conceived depth of play, effective use of the accelerometer, customization and more. In fact, it's one of the apps I use to show off the iPad.

When the game is first launched, you're presented with a cinematic* and then the welcome screen. Before you go tapping around, take a moment to enjoy it. The camera gently sways back and forth. Your current car can be seen in a bay (more on that later). Light plays across the car in the foreground.

All right, enough of that. Let's get behind the wheel.

TUAWTUAW Review: Real Racing HD rocks the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software

Transmit is the FTP client by Panic that has won legions of fans (myself included). After 5 years of version 3.x, Panic has finally released version 4.0 with a new UI, faster performance, and a slew of hot new features.

Transmit 4 is a near-total re-write of the application. The most notable change is the UI. Gone is all the white and Aqua-style drop-downs. This version offers a nice path bar and custom icons for your favorites (use theirs or supply your own). There's a new sync button and for the first time, Coverflow and thumbnail view. Finder classics like disclose folders and color-coding are now in place, and the beefed up progress bar tracks both overall progress and individual files. Nice!

I've only used the demo briefly this morning (we'll have a full review up at a later date), but it's noticeably faster than its predecessor. Panic claims a 25% speed increase over version 3, and I don't doubt it. Not only does Transmit seem faster when transferring files, but just moving between directories is very snappy.

The most impressive feature I found during my brief testing this morning is Transmit Disks. This allows you to mount any favorite in the Finder, even if Transmit isn't running. You're free to interact with the disk as you wish once it's mounted. It's quite nice.

As I said, we've got a full review forthcoming. For now, we can say that Transmit 4 is well worth your attention. A sleek, modern look, greatly increased speed and new features like Transmit Disks make version 4 a must-update for all users.

A full license costs US$34. Users of version 3.x may upgrade for $19. Anyone who bought Transmit 3 on or after March 1st, 2010 can upgrade for free.

TUAWTransmit 4 offers new features, faster performance originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Beta Beat

Apps like Things and OmniFocus are (still) the big contenders for your task-management dollars, but there are plenty of fresh ideas popping up from "smaller" developers. For example, ThinkingCode just released an exciting public beta: version 2 of Dejumble, their entry into the task manager market. We've been watching Dejumble since its early days, and it's always been a fairly unique player ... though not necessarily cut out for heavy-duty task management. Version 2 is taking a crack at changing that.

A streamlined interface is the base for a faster task entry system and great new search features. The tagging system is easily navigated with mouse clicks, and it works with smart folders (as you'd probably expect). In addition to projects and tags, tasks can have subtasks, so advanced organization is possible. It's looking impressive, for an early beta. While it's very usable right now, there's much to do before final release.

I corresponded with the developer last week, and got a list of features planned for implementation before 2.0 is officially released. Online sync, a more finely-tuned "Smart Bar" and other navigation improvements for large task lists, as well as further Mac integration (AppleScript, Automator, Services hotkey for note capture) are all promising. Also among the standout features in the roadmap is an iPhone (and, potentially, iPad) companion app, with iCal/over-the-air syncing. The iPhone app is, apparently, very close to being ready and should be available in time for the 2.0 desktop release.

The planned price for Dejumble 2.0 will be US$39, but it's a free upgrade for current customers and pre-orders will start soon at $20US. If you do grab the beta, be sure to stop by the support forum, get the latest news, and leave your feedback to help shape the final version!

TUAWBeta Beat: Dejumble 2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software

Intuit has added new features to Quicken Essentials for the Mac, dropped its price by twenty dollars, and is offering the difference as a refund to those who bought it at the original price of US$69.99.

Two major new features will be added to the software by the end of April; users will be able to protect imported files and export data to the spreadsheet software of their choice. In addition, Intuit has listed several features it plans to add throughout 2010, including options to export tax-deductible items to software like TurboTax, to track budgets across several months, and accept investment holdings data from brokerages that do not provide downloadable data for Quicken.

The new, lower price is live on the site right now. Customers who purchased Quicken Essentials before April 19th, 2010 are eligible for a $20 refund for a limited time. You'll find full details here.

We took at good look at Quicken Essentials for the Mac and spoke with Aaron Patzer, the VP/GM of Intuit's Personal Finance Group, back in February.

TUAWQuicken Essentials adds features, drops price originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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