Introducing Elmedia Player — and a giveaway
SWF & FLV Player for Mac was already a good option for playing Flash movies, but Eltima Software has cranked it up a notch and transformed it into Elmedia Player.
The free version has a slick all-in-one interface that supports the playback of Flash and other video formats such as Real video, Silverlight, AVI, MOV, MP4 and WMV. It really is nice to have all this functionality in a player that looks right at home on a Mac. You can also keep your videos organized in an iTunes-style library.
The handiest thing about Elmedia Player is the ability to use it for downloading movies. Just browse to the site you want to download from. This feature is only available in the pro version, which would normally set you back $19.95. But once again Eltima insists on giving stuff away.
Leave a comment below describing what you like about Elmedia Player — or a suggestion on how it could be improved — and we’ll send you a pro licence. Just be sure to fill in your email address so we can get hold of you. It will be kept private.
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who took part in the giveaway. We’ll pick the best comments and send out licences. Comments are now closed.
Posted Wednesday, August 4, 2010 in Reviews
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Permanent Eraser
When you empty the trash on your Mac, you’re simply telling the system to forget about those files. You could go a step further by Command-clicking on the Trash and using Secure Empty, which overwrites the data seven times. If that’s still not good enough, Permanent Eraser will overwrite your data 35 times, scramble the original file name, and truncate the file size to nothing.
Added to the Utilities section
Download site
Posted Saturday, July 31, 2010
'Comment-gate'
I found out about a Safari extension that allows for comments at Daring Fireball from a link at Daring Fireball itself. I’m not sure if that counts as irony, or merely happenstance.
In any case, I could hardly wait to try it out, because the site’s owner, John Gruber, is one of the most successful independent bloggers on the Web, and is also famously opposed to having comments on his site.
His reasoning, as I understand it, is that he wants his prose to stand alone, unsullied by what others have to say. If we want to rebut or dispute, we can do so on our own platform.
Some say he commits the same sin as Apple — creating a “closed” system. They say he should be “open” to the conversation. My opinion is that he makes a good point, and is entitled to run his site as he sees fit.
Out of curiosity, I installed the extension and checked out some of the comments. Most of them are thoughtful, some are pointless and some are crude. On top of that, the extension adds “with comments” to the site’s logo in the Marker Felt font that Gruber is known to dislike. It’s like adding insult to injury, much to the merriment of commenters who get the inside joke.
I allow comments at thriftmac, because I often get useful information — such as when someone tells me about a dead link, or lets me know that a certain app is no longer free. They also point out spelling or grammar mistakes, which I appreciate. Plus, they give me an idea of what programs people like the most. (Bomberman, anybody?) And, of course, the comments often amplify points in the article.
The difference, though, is that I’m in control. I can delete offensive remarks and block spam. With Gruber’s site hijacked by an extension, he is left to open to all sorts of mischief. That doesn’t seem fair.
What, then, is he going to do about this? I figure he’s up to one of five things:
a) Sweating bullets.
b) Steadfastly ignoring the whole thing.
c) Quietly working on a way to block it.
d) Preparing a press conference in which he demonstrates the whole thing is overblown.
e) Having a good laugh, because he was the one who created the extension in the first place and the joke’s on us. (Plus he can pull the plug at any moment.)
I hope it’s e.
Posted Thursday, July 29, 2010 in Opinion
VoteBundle has arrived
They may not be free, but they’re pretty darn cheap. Get $361.84 worth of Mac apps for only $39. That includes ShareTool, MacPilot, Flux, Process, YummySoup, MemoryMiner, Simon, CrossOver Mac Games, SpeedDownload, and Time Boxed. Share on Facebook and get DreamCapture as a bonus. I’m especially intrigued by Flux, which offers an innovative way to create websites.
If you’re at all tempted, show your support for thriftmac for using this VoteBundle affiliate link. We thank you.
Posted Monday, July 26, 2010 in Cool-stuff
Sanctioned Renegades
Multi-player first-person shooter has you and teammates going on missions against enemy combatants. Play in your web browser or download a standalone app for your Mac. The game — with no strings attached — is designed to push the limits of browser-based gaming technology.
Added to the Games section
Download site
Posted Saturday, July 24, 2010
Frogatto & Friends
Wonderful adventure game takes you on a quest with Frogatto the frog. Nice graphics and immersive music make for great gameplay, requiring agility to make it past obstacles and battle enemies.
Added to the Games section
Download site
Posted Saturday, July 17, 2010
A new wave for Seashore
It must have happened while we weren’t looking. Seashore — long a favourite of those needing a free Mac image editor — has been bumped to version 0.5.0 after languishing for years at or below 0.1.9.
It’s not yet considered stable, but we had no trouble putting 0.5.0 through its paces. The first thing you notice is the unified interface:
Compare it with the cluttered old one, which is spread across four windows:
It’s much easier to use the new way. The tool options are conveniently positioned across the top, and the layers are displayed logically on the left.
A feature comparison at the Seashore site shows that the program stacks up well against Acorn, Pixelmator, Photoshop Elements, GIMP, and even Photoshop.
But there are still a few crucial items missing. The developers are calling for help with full vector support, effects layers, performance, scripting, localization, and file formats — notably PSD, which would bring it in line with GIMP.
It’s good to see they would also like help with high-resolution icons. It may seem superficial, but many people base their first impression of a program on its looks.
The goal set for Seashore is to make it a good free alternative for the average user. This means we can forget about a free version of Photoshop, but it also means expectations for the app are realistic.
About all we can do here at thriftmac is cheer from the sidelines. If you’re a programmer, though, here’s your chance to help with a worthy cause.
Posted Sunday, July 11, 2010 in Updates
McSolitaire 3.0b2
McSolitaire is fast becoming the best Klondike solitaire game available for the Mac. The latest version, still in beta, features a variety of beautiful themes, including Wild West, Pirates and Casino. In addition, it is packed with great new features such as the ability to make the game solvable. You can also set the number of cards flipped from the deck and automatically finish a winning game.
Posted Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Updates
Pester
Set a time you have to do something and Pester will remind you by bouncing in the dock, playing a system alert, speaking a message (that you create), and displaying a message and the time. Actually, you have a choice — it will do some or all of those things.
Added to the Utilities section
Download site
Posted Tuesday, July 6, 2010
NeonPlat 2
Help Platdude jump between moving platforms, grab balls and throw them at bad guys. Object: fill in the white floors.
Added to the Games section
Download site
Posted Saturday, July 3, 2010
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