mac os x

The Panther is Out

Mac OS X 10.3 Panter is upon us. There are upsides and downsides to any software update. Don’t get caught with incompatible software after you upgrade.

mu The Panther is OutSubRosasoft

Though panthers aren’t much of a threat in New Zealand, the folks at SubRosasoft are ready. Their main software lines have all been updated for OS 10.3, making them the first disk utility to declare compatibility that I am aware of.

mu The Panther is OutUnsanity

The makers of “haxies” have updated several of their popular OS tweaks for Panther, including SafariNoTimeout, Menu Extra Enabler and their Application Enhancer. These are must-downloads for anyone updating.

mu The Panther is OutTinkerTool

For the rest of you that can’t leave well enough alone, the hidden option enabler TinkerTool has been declared compatible with 10.3.

mu The Panther is OutCoolBackground

Keeping in the spirit of making Panther your own, CoolBackground is an OS 10.3 compatible application that turns your desktop background into a screensaver. Now you can show off that G5 and Quartz Extreme like never before.

Best of luck to those of you upgrading. Let’s hope Panther is a temperamental cat.

Brian

mu The Panther is OutDownloads provided by MacUpdate

The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!

quarktrash The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!

We at MacMerc.com believe that a change is afoot.

For years QuarkXPress has been the application of choice for print designers
and production artists. It was the industry standard. Quark rarely updated the
application and migration to full version upgrades was almost always rocky.
In spite of this, Quark’s hold on the print industry went virtually unchallenged
for years… until Adobe InDesign hit the scene.

Now, while facing the growing pains of adopting a Mac OS X workflow and learning
the quirks of QuarkXPress 6, many studios are opting to abandon QuarkXPress
and turn instead to Adobe InDesign CS for its vast array of features and significant
savings (QuarkXPress 6 by itself demands a price similar to the entire Adobe
CS collection).

InDesign converts, feeling the joys of their liberation from Quark, evangelize
to suffering QuarkXPress users in a way unlike I’ve seen any group promote software
before … with the possible exception of Mac OS X evangelism.

To those clinging to their aging QuarkXPress workflows, and suffering with
the limitations and incompatibilities that that system imposes, the question
was posed: What would it take to make you switch to InDesign? The answers given,
both in
the forums
and in the field, included concerns about legacy jobs originally
built in QuarkXPress, time required to learn InDesign CS and, more often than
not, belligerent reluctance on the part of the people who make the buying decisions
to make the change.

In the hope of alleviating a few of those concerns, MacMerc.com has brought
together some of the brightest minds and leading authorities in software tools
and training to help one lucky winner finally make the switch to InDesign and
say goodbye to QuarkXPress. We have have contacted Scott Kelby at KW Media Group
and secured a copy of “Adobe InDesign CS Killer Tips” (US$29.99)
as well as a one year subscription to “Mac Design Magazine”
(US$19.95). We have arranged with the Total Training to award not only a copy
of “QuarkXPress to Adobe InDesign CS – Making the Switch” (US$49.99)
but the complete 4 DVD “Total Training for InDesign CS” (US$249.99).

Late Addition: O’Reilly Digital Media has graciously
agreed to supply our winner with a copy of “Adobe InDesign
CS One-on-One”
(US$44.95) which is not only a great print
resource and training tool, but includes an additional 2 hours of training
with Deke McClelland.

How cool is that!?

You’ll learn time saving killer tips from the easy-to-reference book written
by Scott Kelby. You’ll have new techniques for using numerous design applications
(including InDesign) delivered to your door every other month with Mac Design
Magazine. You’ll get 3 hours of training hosted by the always-entertaining Deke
McClelland which will help you make the switch. And an additional 12 hours of
in-depth training with Steve Holmes, who walks you through Adobe InDesign’s
features like no instruction manual ever could.

With all of this free stuff, you should have no excuse not to switch to Adobe
InDesign… well, no excuse unless you didn’t have Adobe InDesign. That is why
MacMerc.com has gone the extra mile and approached Adobe in order to be able
to put the cherry on top of this already impressive collection of prizes. Our
lucky winner will get Scott Kelby’s InDesign book, a one year Mac Design Magazine
subscription, two Total Training InDesign products and a copy of Adobe InDesign
CS for Mac (US$699.00). That’s over US$1000 worth of Quark dumping incentive!!

What’s the catch?

In order to qualify for this contest, you must reside in Canada
or the continental United States, you must accurately fill out the entry page
questionnaire and submit an original composition– a “Dear John” letter
to Quark explaining why “it’s over” and why you have left QuarkXPress
to start a new life with Adobe InDesign CS. Entries must be submitted via the
online form on this site by no later than 11:59pm PST on October 31, 2004. The
compositions will be judged by MacMerc.com staff and the writer of the chosen
composition will be awarded our grand prize. (No runner up prizes or cash
equivalents will be awarded and the judges’ decision will be final. Staff and
employees of MacMerc.com, KW Media Group, Total Training and Adobe are ineligible.)

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top left The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!About
Scott Kelby:
Scott Kelby is Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Photoshop
User magazine, Editor-in-Chief of both Mac Design magazine, and Nikon’s
Capture User magazine, and President of KW Media Group, Inc., a Florida-based
software training and publishing firm. Scott is an award-winning book
author and is a frequent speaker at trade shows and conferences around
the world.

indesignKT sm The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!Adobe
InDesign CS Killer Tips
:
If you’ve ever wondered how the InDesign pros get twice the work done
in half the time, here’s how: They know every inside tip, every hidden
keyboard shortcut, and every little trick that gives them the edge.
They know the fastest, smartest, and most efficient way to do just about
everything. In short, they know all the “tricks of the trade.”
But now you can too.

cover The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!Mac
Design Magazine
:

Mac Design Magazine focuses on all topics relating to Macintosh computers
and users. Includes tips; letters from the editor; and articles on topics
such as digital camera shootouts, stock photography, the state of the
Mac, QuarkXPress vs. InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, new Apple products,
ideas, and criticisms.

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Adobe Creative Suite Training

About Total Training:
Total Training is Adobe Systems’ preferred video training
partner, offering CD-ROM and DVD training titles for virtually every
product in the Adobe software line. This includes Video Workshop
discs that Adobe includes in its software packages to get its users
up to speed quickly on its new product features. With thorough,
comprehensive, and hands-on training techniques, Total Training
has developed an instructional methodology that helps users quickly
grasp and retain product usage knowledge for even the most complex
software packages. And with a host of engaging expert presenters
such as noted artist and author Deke McClelland (“Photoshop Bible,�
“Photoshop for Dummies�), professional designer and animator Steve
Holmes, and Acrobat authority Ted Padova (“Acrobat Bible�), Total
Training viewers receive the ultimate in software expertise.

QuarkXPress
to Adobe InDesign
:
Packed with three hours of informative tutorials, this
step-by-step video instruction guides you through the steps to move
from QuarkXPress to Adobe InDesign CS, without skipping a beat on
your current projects.

Total
Training for Adobe InDesign CS
:
Hosted by Steve Holmes, your instructor for this DVD video
series says this about why you should switch to Adobe InDesign CS;

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Watch
a video clip!

quicktime The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!

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“Adobe InDesign CS has so many features it is nigh on impossible
to say just one that would make you consider it above Quark. Everything
it does is better than Quark, faster, easier, more flexible, more
fun than Quark. Integration with Photoshop and Illustrator, the
main stays of design and imaging, is so much more than you can imagine.
You can do things in InDesign which are impossible even in Photoshop!
The sheer control of typography, especially with the use of OpenType
technology, opens the doors to creativity with type unheard of in
Quark – seriously! And the robust, built-in print and PDF workflow
makes output fast, efficient and wonderfully accurate. So what reason
do I give to suggest you switch to InDesign? None – only that InDesign
IS the reason to switch!” – Steve Holmes

To help you go from apprentice to InDesign expert, Total Training
has developed this engaging and memorable video training series.
Presented on four DVDs by Adobe software expert and professional
designer Steve Holmes, you’ll walk through all the fabulous features
in InDesign CS, learning techniques and getting tips and tricks
all along the way. Plus, you’ll receive an additional CD with project
files on it, which will allow you to follow Steve and work on designs
on your computer as he does in the training.

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A Special
Offer from Total Training: Free Adobe training CD (includes shipping).

(not connected with this contest — go
get it!)

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adobeindesign1on1 The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!About
Deke McClelland:
Deke McClelland is a popular expert and lecturer on Adobe Photoshop
and the larger realm of computer graphics and design. Having written
more than 70 titles translated into 25 languages with 3 million copies
in print, Deke is perhaps best-known for his long-running Photoshop
Bible, the most successful third-party book about digital imaging.

Adobe
InDesign CS One-on-One
:
In Adobe InDesign CS One-on-One, Adobe Certified Expert Deke McClelland
delivers twelve step-by-step lessons, more than 500 full-color photos,
diagrams, and screen shots, multiple-choice quizzes, and Extra credit
tips and tricks. Included are two hours of video instruction on CD to
get you building real-world projects while mastering fundamental and
advanced concepts, best practices, and techniques.

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About Adobe:
Adobe helps people and businesses communicate better through its world-leading
digital imaging, design and document technology platforms for consumers,
creative professionals and enterprises. For more information about Adobe,
visit www.adobe.com.

About Adobe
InDesign CS
:

All-new Adobe InDesign CS software takes page design to a new level,
combining extraordinary production power and creative freedom with
innovative cross-media support. Through its tight integration with
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat software, this essential
upgrade from InDesign 2.0 helps you produce pages quickly and output
them reliably.
indesign The Great Quark to InDesign Migration Contest!

 

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Download
the Adobe InDesign CS Tryout

(free registration with the Adobe site required,
not connected with this contest — go get it!)

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Sorry, we are no longer accepting entries. Stay tuned for the results.

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Free VPN, Secure too

What is SSH tunneling?

SSH is a secure way to log on to a computer remotely. Mac OS X has SSH built-in. Tunneling is using an encrypted SSH connection to forward ports.

Why would you want to do this? SSH tunneling can secure VNC sessions over the internet. In fact, you can route any kind of TCP traffic like HTTP and FTP. The next two utilities make it easy to connect securely over an SSH connection.

Fugu

We’ve featured Fugu for its SFTP capabilities. This utility also creates tunnels for accessing other services on SSH connected machines.

fugussh Free VPN, Secure too

You’ll need to know the IP of the remote Mac and the ports you want to forward. Once connected, you can use your local IP (127.0.0.1) to connect to the remote Mac in VNC or your application of choice.

JellyfiSSH

This utility is a bookmark manager for connections to Unix machines. It will manage saved connection settings for remote Macs.

jellyfissh Free VPN, Secure too

As you can probably guess, this utility is for more than remote terminal sessions. You can save tunnel settings for each connection making it easy to reconnect your frequently used tunnels.

HamachiX

If you more of the zero-configuration type, you’ll be interested in Hamachi. This free VPN application uses a free online service to connect your and our friends’ computers to a network you create. Hamachi navigates NAT firewalls to join computers on these networks.

hamachix Free VPN, Secure too

HamachiX is a OS X front-end for a terminal client made by the Hamachi project. With a little work you can stream your iTunes to other Macs or PCs all over the ‘net.

Happy VPN tunneling!

Brian