Appletell

Have you ever wished you could create your own cookbook using the same software you use to create your delicious cooking recipes? I have, and now I can. Mariner Software has released MacGourmet Deluxe 1.0. This application allows you to keep track of your recipes and wine collection in one convenient application. But what I really like is the fact that “create your own cookbook” feature.

I love cooking, so naturally I downloaded the software to my 17” MacBook Pro. I’ve used many recipe applications in the past, and it’s similar to a few of them I have used. MacGourmet Deluxe allows you to whip up your own recipes, edit them, share them with your friends and family, and post them on the web. Free recipes are also included with this application. If you’re a meal planner, MacGourmet has you covered. Not only do you have the option of creating your own meal plans, you also are able to integrate them with iCal.

More features after the break.

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Sybase announced that it would be launching a new software for the iPhone that will let users access their email in a secured environment. This new program will be similar to the ones used in BlackBerry and Palm Treo handsets and will be made available to iPhone users sometime before the end of this year.

Although there are not to many details given by Sybase yet, one thing was confirmed though regarding this new program, “It will be secure enterprise grade”. And perhaps this is more than enough reason to anticipate this new program as it was what made RIM’s BlackBerry devices and Palm Treo’s popular among business mobile phone users.

Sybase has been known as a reliable business software maker not only among these two smartphone manufacturers but with other smartphones running on Symbian OS and Windows powered mobile devices. Adding the same secured mobile email program to the iPhone would certainly elevate the iPhone into the ranks of business oriented smartphones.

And so now we wait for the exact date when this made for iPhone program will be launched. Sybase says it will be soon. In the 3G iPhone perhaps?

Via [I4U News]

• Apple releases list of most downloaded iPhone games of 2008
• What is going to happen at Macworld 2009?
• Palm watches wistfully as HTC buys other design firm

The Google Application Engine Team and the Google Mac team have released a new App Engine Launcher made specifically to run on Mac OS X. For those not in the know, Google App Engine is Google’s way of providing users a platform to run their web applications on Google’s infrastructure. Developers don’t have to maintain any servers and are provided with some Google hosted storage and bandwidth for free. Just by uploading their applications to Google’s server, developers can let their users access their applications on the web.

With the new Google App Engine Launcher for Mac OS X, Mac application developers can improve their App Engine development experience by managing their list of applications. Developers can run, browse, deploy and view logs for their applications with few simple clicks. Even better is the the App Engine Launcher’s drag and drop, editor integration and quick links to local developer console features. Developers will also have their own live application dashboard.

The Google App Engine SDK can be freely downloaded from http://code.google.com/appengine/downloads.html.

Via [The Apple Blog]

• Sick of forgetting all your license codes, and web logins? Take a look at Wallet 3
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GhostReader, a nifty text-to-voice conversion software has been updated with the 1.5 release for the Mac OS X. The new release added some natural-sounding Czech, Polish, Swedish and Finish voices as well as some enhancements to the existing voices that the software has. In addition, a pronunciation editor was also introduced to help in modifying/editing the way a word is pronounced, including abbreviations. Even more sweet is the software’s ability to directly export documents to iTunes.

Additionally, the GhostReader 1.5 is now compatible with DOCX and ODT documents. The export to iTunes features also runs in the background, so you won’t get disturbed while doing other things. Aside from these, GhostReader 1.5 is now more responsive when you are speaking selected text and it even works in floating windows now.

If you’re a registered user of the previous version of the GhostReader, you can upgrade to the 1.5 release for free, while those who will use the software for the first in their Macs will need to shell out $39.95. The software works with Macs running OS X v10.4 or later.

Via [Yahoo News] Product [GhostReader]

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• Vlingo does more than voice dialing on the iPhone
• Sick of forgetting all your license codes, and web logins? Take a look at Wallet 3

iPhone application developer Intelliborn has just released a new killer application for the iPhone called the IntelliScreen. This new application compiles weather, e-mail, SMS message, RSS feeds, news, sports and wheather widgets and displays them to your iPhone’s “Slide to Unlock Screen.“

The application allows for the display of four widgets at the same time and you can easily switch reading from one widget to another in a jiffy.

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Developed by Hanwang.com.cn, HWPen is a new third-party application availible for jailbroken iPhones and iPod Touches.  This handwriting recognition app can understand both English and Chinese language input, but it is still in beta so I imagine more language support will be coming as it progresses.  You can find a full forum discussion about this app at modmyifone and can install it by adding “iphonecake.com/src/all” as a source on Installer.app.

I’m sure you all remember Apple’s infamous Newton product that came with handwriting recognition, and I’m guessing the service is a lot better on an iPhone than a Newton.  At least I hope so because I don’t think we want another Simpson’s episode about the iPhone.  Let us know what this application is like if you have installed it and whether or not it is worth downloading.

• Apple releases list of most downloaded iPhone games of 2008
• What is going to happen at Macworld 2009?
• Apple releases the top 10 applications downloaded at the iTunes Store for 2008

Props to Mac OS X Hints for a great tip that allows you to preview all of your downloads automatically using Quick Look. This can all be accomplished with just two simple steps and a couple minutes of your time.

All you need to do is download and install the Quick Look Droplet. Upon installing it go into the settings for your browser of choice and change the browser preference for automatically opening files types (mp3s, PDFs, Word docs, etc.) to open with the Quick Look Droplet rather than Preview, Quicktime, etc. Changing from opening in regular apps to opening with Quick Look helps speed up things, especially with PDFs and Word documents.

Download the Quick Look Droplet here.

Read [Mac OS X Hints] Via [Lifehacker]

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• Vlingo does more than voice dialing on the iPhone
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Apple has sent out an invitation to press contacts inviting them to an iPhone/ iPod Touch SDK “Roadmap” meeting.

In an invitation sent to reporters, Apple wrote, “Please join us to learn about the iPhone software roadmap, including the iPhone SDK and some exciting new enterprise features.“

9to5Mac reports that “the event will largely cover enterprise topics like Exchange and Lotus Notes syncing.“

Apple on Tuesday released iPhone and iPod Touch Firmware 1.1.4, which was listed as 165 MB of bug fixes, but also likely laid groundwork for the SDK, which will allow for third party iPhone/iPod native applications. Currently the onyl way to get applications on the iPhone is through web-apps, which run through Safari and are not native, or Jailbreaking your iPhone/iPod Touch, which voids your warranty.

• Apple releases list of most downloaded iPhone games of 2008
• Apple releases the top 10 applications downloaded at the iTunes Store for 2008
• What is going to happen at Macworld 2009?

No, they haven’t released version 1.0, but 0.9.2. This update is Leopard only, so Tiger users, don’t get too excited, but for Leopard users, there is no reason not to update. One of the most important updates is the notable, Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC3) sound in MP4 files for the recently updated AppleTV (which now supports 5.1 audio). Another useful feature is the addition of iPhone native sizes in the presets.

Handbrake is a Mac app that beats any other app that of its kind in the market. Handbrake is an encoding application that supports a large variety of formats for almost devices. For podcasters or anyone releasing video, this is a must have tool to make sure all of your viewers can view your content.

What are you waiting for, download this open-source and free app now at http://handbrake.fr/.

Via [Macenstein]

• PlayStation 3 firmware 2.53 available now, may make you yawn
• What is going to happen at Macworld 2009?
• Vlingo does more than voice dialing on the iPhone

Leopard is out, and Delicious Library 2 is about to be released. I frankly don’t see why they haven’t shipped it already, as Leopard was originally supposed to be done in June. Whatever. After this long wait though, Delicious-Monster, the company behind Delicious Library has leaked some more details on their upcoming release. We already knew about DL2’s iTunes integration and HTML export, as well as some beeeautiful Leopard iCandy. Now Wil Shipley, developer of DL2, is saying that they have decided to cancel the pro version, and include all of the pro features into the One Delicious Library 2 To Rule Them All™ version. I’m all for having a less Windows Vista-like product. Also, pricing has been announced. DL2 will cost $40, the same price as it is going for today. If you bought it before December 1st, you can upgrade for $20. And even better, if you bought it after December 1dt, you get to upgrade for free. Thanks Delicious Monster! DL2 will probably ship around Macworld in January, and they have a private beta going out before Christmas.

Via [Ars Technica]

• Vlingo does more than voice dialing on the iPhone
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• Blackberry and MySpace release app