Appletell

Pixelmator, which claims to be “Image editing for the rest of us,” comes full of all sorts of different features for a relatively small price ($59.00) compared to other graphic design/image software of this nature such as Aperture and Photoshop.  If what the app contained before wasn’t enough to cause you to buy it, the new update may help.  The Pixelmator team has now released version 1.2 Draftsman of it’s beautiful, GPU powered image editor that comes as a free update for people who already use the product.  One of the key features in this update is new rulers tool.  This tool allows users to have even more control of the alignment on the layers and includes many different units such as pixels and centimeters.  This update also comes with the usual bug fixes as well as an addition of some more Automator actions.

Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team says, “Pixelmator opened the door for all users to explore their imaginative side through image creation, editing, and enhancement.  Now with powerful, but easy-to-use rulers, guides, curves, auto enhance, color balance, and polygonal lasso tools, Pixelmator provides users with an even wider range of creative opportunities.” Sounds great to me.

If you own Pixelmator and have downloaded the new version, let us know how it is.  The new features sounds extremely great and useful, and we love to hear your feedback!

For those of you who use Aperture, a new version of the SDK for the popular photo management app has arrived. If you can’t remember straight, Aperture 2.1 added a greater ability to write and create plugins, extras, and even editing tools. A month later, the SDK has arrived, allowing the general public to stop looking at and finally create these add ons. Hopefully with the SDK out, Aperture’s functionality will be greatly improved (sorry, I’m a Lightroom fan.) The SDK is available for download from ADC, so go, check it out, and start coding!

[ADC] via [TUAW]

Apple today released Aperture 2.1, a great update that includes not only bug fixes, but some great new features as well.

From Software Update:

Aperture 2.1 updates various features of the application and addresses issues related to performance and overall stability. The updates include the following:

Dodge & Burn Plug-in. A sample plug-in is pre-installed, taking advantage of the Edit API introduced in Aperture 2.0. The plug-in adds brush-based tools for Dodge (Lighten), Burn (Darken), Contrast, Saturation, Sharpen and Blur.
Customize Default Adjustment Set. You can now specify which adjustments appear by default in the Adjustments Inspector/HUD.
Updated Crop Tool. A simplified UI makes it easier to preserve an image’s original aspect ratio, match the aspect ratio of your display, or use one of the standard preset aspect ratios.
Sorting in All Projects View. A contextual menu allows you to sort the All Projects view in ascending or descending date order.
Show on Map. A contextual menu allows you to choose the Show on Map by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) on an image that contains GPS data.
Access to Toolbar on Second Display. When using multiple displays in Full Screen mode, the Full Screen toolbar is now accessible on a second display.

More after the jump.

MORE »

If you’re a user of Aperture and like to shoot your photos in RAW format, you should install Apple’s latest software update. Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.0 brings extended support for RAW images to Apple’s Aperture and iPhoto ‘08 photo-organising software. The update includes support to the following new digital SLR cameras:

• Hasselblad CFV-16
• Hasselblad H3D-31
• Hasselblad H3D-31II
• Leaf Aptus 54S
• Leaf Aptus 65S
• Nikon D60
• Olympus E-3
• Pentax *ist DL2
• Pentax *ist DS2
• Pentax K100D Super
• Sony DSLR-A200
• Sony DSLR-A350

The update is only a 2MB download from either Software Update or Apple’s website, it doesn’t require a system restart either. If you have any of the new cameras mentioned above, this update will be necessary to you. Otherwise, you could just ignore it.

After releasing an update to Lightroom last week, they are now pulling it from their website and asking users to downgrade.

There are three major bugs. The first is an error with EXIF time stamps. “There is an error in the EXIF time stamp update technology that causes Lightroom to believe that the files are out of sync with the correct time stamp as displayed in Lightroom.” says Adobe. Essentially, it seems that this bug would shift all of your time stamps, which could be wuite a huge pain to return to their previous state.

A Windows only error involves DNG conversion. In Lightroom, Adobe has included technology that ensures the data in a DNG file is unchanged from the time of conversion to DNG. “Unfortunately,” says Adobe, “when converting to DNG using Lightroom 1.4 on Windows, the application will write an incorrect verification tag to describe the image data.” When Lightroom then tries to work with those files, it throws up an error because of it’s own mistake. Adobe recommends using the 1.3.1 converter to reconvert the DNGs if you have already done so with 1.4.

There is also a problem converting Olympus JPEG files in Lightroom 1.4

Users can download version 1.3.1 to downgrade to temporarily by following the link at the end of the article and using the download links there.

Read [Lightroom Journal]

Although I prefer Lightroom (as many of you may know), Aperture is a subpar, secondary alternative available from Apple. With 2.0 being released lately, many people were astonished that Aperture wouldn’t run on their systems, simply because they were too old. If you’re one of those people with an old processor or graphics card, today’s your lucky day, as someone has figured out how to install Aperture on any Mac, old or new. The process involves copying the Aperture batch package into a local directory, editing an installation script, and installing Aperture from the local, temporary script-edited installer. Of course, full, step by step instructions are available at MacOSXHints, and should work with any copy of Aperture 2.

[MacOSXHints] Via [Ars Technica]

The Software Update Icon began bouncing on Monday, this time with an update to GarageBand and Aperture.

Aperture 2.0.1 is recommended for all Aperture 2 users, and Apple states these fixes:

Upgrading libraries from earlier versions of Aperture
Publishing .Mac Web Gallery albums
Preview generation and deletion
Creating and ordering books
AppleScript support
Keyboard shortcut customization
Appearance of metadata overlays in the Browser, Filmstrip, and on light tables
Watermarking of emailed photos
Highlight Hot and Cold Areas
Loupe
Smart Albums
All Projects View
Straighten Tool
Filmstrip
Drag and drop import
Thumbnail generation
Import window
Export plug-in reliability

GarageBand 4.1.2 “improves overall stability and addresses issues with the automation of software instrument parameters, FireWire and USB based audio devices and Magic GarageBand.”

These updates will download through software update, and are also available at Apple.com.

MacRumors reports that a post in Apple’s Discussion Forums from Senior Product Line Manager for Photo Applications Joe Schorr hints heavily at Aperture 2.0, and soon.

As I’m sure many of you know, it’s not Apple’s policy to provide a public “ETA” on future releases, so I can’t post anything like a timetable for when support for the newest RAW camera formats will become available.

But I can tell you this. We at Apple are ACUTELY aware of the pressing need to get support for the newest round of camera into your hands as soon as possible. This is a top priority. We have members of our own team using these cameras, so you can imagine how interested we are in seeing this support integrated into the Mac OS and our photo applications!

We fully intent [sic] to give our customers what they need in this regard.

MacRumors also says that various sources indicate Aperture 2 in the coming weeks, one going as far as to say next week.

Read [MacRumors]

2008 is just around the corner, and what a better gift to give than to share all the memories you had just days ago. Apple’s renowned photo books and calendars are on sale until February 29th. The codes are good for both items created in iPhoto and Aperture, and will save you a decent 20%. If you’re purchasing a photo book, use the code NAWinterBook08, and if you’re purchasing a calendar, use the code NAWinterCal08. Remember, that’s 20% off your purchase, and it’s good until February 29th.

Via [TUAW]