EMET1  First off, not using 0.9.3 because it's an alpha. This is a review of 0.9.2.

Using uT in conjunction with TVShows to automate downloads. Had been using Azureus for a long time, but Az hangs up when TVShows drops a torrent. Since Az went to Vuze, it's gotten pretty bloated.

uTorrent:

UI: Very, very basic. If you are used to using Azureus in advanced mode, you'll go a little nuts looking for settings in uT.

Speed is excellent, really.

Easy to use. Had to make a few tweaks in the prefs and it was ready to go.

Worked with TV Shows effortlessly.

Stable.

It's free.

Haven't used the built in search, TVShows does the work for me.

But:

Won't stop seeding at set share ratio. Unacceptable. This is a basic feature that should work out of the box. You should be able to set it and forget it.

My overnight test: I set it to share 3:1, came back in the morning at it was still seeding a 6:1 This is a bug, according to the forums. A bug?

Can't find my overall share ratio, only the ratio for active files. Once I removed the file, there is nowhere in the app to find my stats. A web search tells me this is available on the Windows version. Why not the mac version? Again this is a basic feature that should be there out of the box.

Can't tell if the ipfilter is working. This is basic stuff. Az has a safepeer plugin that I can tell is working. The message log in uT said: Loaded ipfilter.dat (0 entries). This does not instill confidence.

Support: Website FAQ is for the Windows version only. Really, really frustrating, since the two apps are miles apart in development there should be two FAQs.

Conclusion: While I can see the appeal of this little client for basic users, it needs a lot of work to make it a viable alternative for more advanced users. Until they fix that share ratio bug, it's just not ready.  
(Version 0.9.3)

EMET1  I'm keeping an eye on this one.

Found out about this from Lifehacker.com.

And I love the idea! It will definitely let me use up things that get shoved to the back of the shelf. Using the app this morning, I found a can of soup that will expire this month. Wow, how long has THAT been in there?

But I can't give it a thumbs up yet.

In no particular order:

1. I want to sort everything in my items list by name. Can't figure how to do that. Clicked on the column header but nothing happened.

2. I want to search for items to add from all categories because items aren't where I would suppose they'd be. Can't do that.

3. Add my own categories (kosher, mexican, middle eastern). No way to do that.

4. Put items in different categories. Flour, sugar, baking powder, powdered sugar need a baking category. That reminds me, anyone know where powdered sugar is? I found brown sugar, but no powdered.

5. The "number on my shelf" is a little awkward. Sometimes it's logical (1 lb. coffee) other times frustrating (chocolate chips-I have two 12 ounce bags. It just seems odd to put 2 items without specifying how much in each bag. (I used the note field for the package size.)

6. I'd like to be able to add column headers to the list so I could view notes or stores. I like the idea of notes, for things like when I bought the coucous or the flour. Or add a purchased date into the item info that I can view in the column list.

7. That sync thing is always running. Can it have a "sync now" button in the lower left corner? (I don't actually have an iPhone, I was just testing all the features of the app.)

8. A few times, it froze or would not load an item I clicked on in my pantry list so I could change some details. Had to quit it and restart.

9. The ROV scanner is $300? Really? And how does that work? No details on the dev's website.

Integrating an iSight camera would be stellar, but you'd need an all-knowing, uber-database in the sky that has products from all over the world in umpty-different languages.

This software has huge potential and with some work from the developer and feedback and patience from users, it could become a must have app.

And I would pay for that.  
(Version 1.2.6.3)

EMET1  I got MacGourmet as part of a bundle (Dec 2008) and it's become one of my favorite apps. I'm boosting recipes from everywhere to add to my repertoire and creating a family recipe collection so we don't fight about what goes in Bubbie's Brisket.

This morning I downloaded and started playing with Pantry, a free app to track what's in your kitchen, create shopping lists, sync to the cloud and there's an iPhone app you can buy for 2.00 to download lists to your phone. I'm not going to keep it, but I can see some potential there, it's just missing some deal breaking features and it feels like a work in progress.

I've also found a website: supercook.com where you create an account, add in the stuff in your pantry and it will find recipes based on those ingredients. Excellently cool, but you can bog it down by adding too much stuff like too many kinds of cheese, too many spices and condiments. You have to remove items to winnow down the results. It works best with just a basic set of items. And you can get some bizarre results: based on my ingredients, I searched for a first course and dog bones appeared as #1 in the results followed by butterscotch filling. Now anyone with any common sense knows butterscotch filling is a main course and dog bones go with the after-dinner liquors. I mean, really!

Anyone see where I'm going?

I have a dream.

The absolute all-time, full-on, crazy cool cooking app in the entire known universe!

Step 1: Food: Add in the stuff you have (ooh, with a barcode scanner that uses your iSight camera and connects to an all-knowing database in the sky, I have a dream.) Expiration dates a must. (If I believe in it, the baking powder will work on the sheer force of my will! Wait, those raisins are HOW old?) I'll add dates myself, I'm not a total slacker.

Step 2: Recipes: Add your own or grab off the web. (Done. It's called MacGourmet. Dreams can come true.)

Step 3: Use Step 1 with Step 2 to find recipes you do have that use the ingredients you already have or (wait, it gets better)

Step 4: Search for recipes you don't have with the ingredients you do. (Galactically cool.)

Step 5: Shopping lists. Two kinds: What I need to restock from Step 1 because I'm running out and/or What I need to make recipes from Step 3 or Step 4. (That's it, I can die happy.)

Who's with me?

Anyway, thanks to:

Apple for the laptop and

MacGourmet Deluxe 1.2 or

MacGourmet 2.4 with

Nutrition 1.3.0

Cookbook 1.1.0

Meal Plan 1.1.0

or whatever goofy nomenclature the developers use for letting me dream.

And no, I'm not sharing Bubbie's Brisket recipe.  
(Version 2.4)

EMET1  Flash1296,

Can you clarify what Apple Uninstaller you used that reinstalls a previous version of Safari?

Is this specific to Safari 4?

Thank you.  
(Version 1.0b16)

EMET1  I've been looking for a replacement for PearLyrics and happened to see this on MacUpdate today.

This is just brilliant!

Here's why:

1. It works. (Been using PearLyrics but it just doesn't work very well anymore. No surprise there, but I was using out of loyalty to the developer and hadn't found another that worked.)

2. It embeds the lyrics in the song file, every time. (PearLyrics was spotty on this one)

3. Flip over the widget and click Editor. It shows you the lyrics it found so you can edit them or clear them and start over. No need to go to Get Info in iTunes to make corrections (yay!). Click Save to save changes.

3. You can also see a list of songs it found that may or may not match your search. Very handy for cover versions. Haven't seen that before on a lyrics widget.

4. You can adjust font size. Very handy for displaying lyrics on your tv.

5. Color of the widget can be changed. Helps you see the lyrics easier.

6. It has keyboard shortcuts! (see developer's website for a list)

7. Very fast.

It works even faster if you've got your artists as First Name, Last Name. I mention this because previous versions of iTunes sorted artists incorrectly (Ella Fitzgerald under E) so I had changed my artists to Last Name, First Name. Now iTunes has Sort By options, which makes that unnecessary.

9. It's pretty without being ostentatious. (This is what critics refer to as style)

10. In constant development since 2005. That's dedication.

I used TunesTEXT with Doug's AppleScripts for iTunes (NoLyrics to Playlist and NeedleDrop).

NoLyrics will find all your music without lyrics and corrals them in a playlist. I weeded out the instrumentals and stuff I knew it wasn't going to find lyrics for. Then ran NeedleDrop for 30 seconds for each song. TunesText found the lyrics for everything that was left (practically).

Really excellent work.   
(Version 0.8)

EMET1  May I second the Amen? An excellent breakdown of the basic differences between torrent apps.

Also, Azureus makes excellent use of plugins for bad ISPs (safepeer) and limit seeding per torrent (autopilot).   
(Version 4.2)

EMET1  10.4.11/Pithhelmet 2.8.4/Safari 3.2.1

I inadvertently updated to Safari 3.2.1 (without backing up my previous version) today and Pithhelmet crashed Safari every time.

After removing the Plugins folder from Library>Application Support>Simbl Safari ran fine. Since I can't live without my Pithhelmet, I had to rollback Safari, which is no easy process. It involved copying 3.1.2 version of the Safari app from another system and removing receipts on my system which is not for the faint of heart. Trust me, you do not want to do this.

Just a heads-up to those who might be wondering if Safari 3.2.1 is compatible with this version of Pithhelmet. On my system it's not.

I'm also leaving my 10.5.6 systems alone. Pithhelmet trumps Apple every time.  
(Version 2.8.4)

EMET1  Thanks for reminding me about Pacifist. Pithhelmet wouldn't install. Error message said it couldn't get past the preflight package. Pacifist installed it.  
(Version 2.8.3a)

EMET1  Problem: all my avi files took forever to load with QT 7.4.1 & Perian 1.1. Also, Front Row locked up when trying to play them, which was the deal killer for me.

Having spent waaay too long removing other bits from my QT Plugins folder, I realized Perian 1.1 was the last thing I had updated.

So, those who are having issues with Perian 1.1 & Quicktime 7.4.1 (which seems to be a lot of people including myself), fear not. Uninstall Perian in System Prefs. Download Perian 1.0. I got mine from

http://mac.majorgeeks.com/download6011.html

and install. It will ask you if you want to remove the newer version (well, duh), enter your admin password. The Perian pref pane will open. Now click install, admin password again.

I logged out and back in and all my avi files play like buttah. And Front Row and I are best friends again.

I'll keep the 1.0 installer for future troubleshooting.

Hope the awesome Perian guys still feel the love.

Torchwood rulez!  
(Version 1.1)

EMET1  I started using A-Dock in OS 9, as soon as it was released. I reviewed it when I moved to OS X, remarking on how much I respect the developer for keeping this marvelous software alive and improving it every step of the way.

As I was researching Leopard, one web site mentioned that A-Dock was a great replacement for the 3-D Apple Dock in 10.5. This was before this new version of A-Dock! Since then people have figured out how to mod the new dock to 2-D, but A-Dock is still a great alternative if you want the control-click expansion of docked folders, something I use all the time.

It's flexible, it's fast, it's cheap. It's an essential part of my OS X experience and I find myself looking for it when I'm using other people's Macs.

And no, I'm not in any way connected to the developer.  
(Version 1.4.7b3)

EMET1  This is one of those widgets that literally takes my friends' breath away.

I helped a friend set up her new MacBook and while she wasn't looking, I added TV Forecast. Showed her the two finger scroll, Spotlight, all the Tiger jewels but this, this stopped the show.

It is beautiful, elegant, actually usefui and works a treat. A must have for TV fans everywhere.

According to bigbucket's website, this widget has been downloaded 10,000 timies. If each person who uses it drops $5 via paypal...

If you love it and use it, send bigbucket a donation.  
(Version 1.0)

EMET1  Strange that the PLATFORM info hasn't been updated. Should be marked UNIVERSAL.

This little app lets you do it in one step what would take 6-8 steps using Teminal & Keyboard Shortcuts pref pane.

It's the first app I downloaded on my new MacBook Pro.  
(Version 0.1)

EMET1  Sofa Control 2.0b

With this app, I have broken my own record for the shortest time from install to payment. It took less than 10 minutes (only because I read through the tutorial) before I paypaled (it's a word!) the $10.

Why I love this app:

1. It allows me to trigger the visualizer in iTunes AND change playlists while the visualizer is running. This is the one feature that will blow my friends' minds.

2. The detail. It is absolutely beautiful, with the kind of style you'd expect from a Mac app. It builds on the best of Front Row, but ramps it up with it's own unique elements. I love the pixellating fade out of the interface. Mies van der Rohe was right.

3. It's not a one-trick pony. It has a huge feature set and is scriptable (if I knew applescript, which I don't but that's why I pay people like this to do it for me).

4. The best apps combine and balance style and substance. (It's not what you say, folks, it's how you say it). It's hard to make a tutorial sexy, but this developer did it.

5. It's freakin' cheap! $10-for all the features you could possibly want (and some you may never use).

This app is the chocolate sprinkles on the ice cream sundae that is my MacBook Pro.  
(Version 2.0b2)

EMET1  Try Audacity to cut your recordings into tracks.

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/8052  
(Version 2.1.1 (FV253))

EMET1  I've tried to use Keychain but I found the program very intimidating. I still use Keychain to store web passwords, but I really like the simplicity of Pastor for everything else. It also simplifies the instructions I put in my "in case of emergency" information that I gave to my next of kin. All they need is the password to my computer and how to access Pastor.  
(Version 1.7.3)

EMET1  Gotta tell ya, and this is coming from someone who actually shoots fireworks shows, this is one awesome screensaver.

Currently have it set for 20 shells.

Excellent use of 3-dimensional space.

Lots of different kinds of shells.

Complete customization of environment (moon, stars, ambient light, clouds).

Love the details: lens flares, smoke trails, wind speed, flying under the shells as they explode (it really does look like that).

No kaboom sound, it would be a nice option for us non-Intel users if it could be added at some point, but then I'd NEVER get any work done.

Runs beautifully on my dual 27.Ghz G5 with an Apple 23" monitor (duh!)

Looking forward to installing it on my 1Ghz Powerbook.

Well done all around.

Definitely my favorite screensaver.  
(Version 1.1)

MAAT  I had exactly the same problem printing to an HP 4550 laserprinter. It would spit out page after blank page and I couldn't stop it. I had to turn the printer off before it would stop.

I then tried creating the booklet with separate files for even & odd pages. Everything works fine. No extra pages, no blank pages.

Go to; Preferences>Options>Split the booklet into odd/even pages.

I didn't change any defaults in the print dialogue, I did check the "collate" box.

This program does, in fact, rule. I can't get InDesign to create a booklet as simply. I use CocoaBooklet for instruction manuals.

Send this developer some money!  
(Version 1.3.3)