Are you looking to combine the best bits of Windows 7′s desktop with your Snow Leopard-powered Mac? HyperDock 1.0 aims to fill in the gaps by bringing two of Windows 7′s best features — pop-up thumbnail previews of open windows and programs, and the ability to quickly and easily snap two windows side-by-side on-screen — to the Mac desktop.

Once installed, the program adds itself to the System Preferences pane, making it possible to bring order back to a cluttered collection of windows simply by rolling your mouse over a program and window icons in the dock. A small pop-up window displays thumbnails of all open windows; select a window to view it full-screen or close it directly from the pop-up.

If you roll the mouse over the iTunes dock icon you’ll get a preview of the currently playing song along with a limited number of playback and rating controls; the iCal icon displays a list of upcoming events. Better still, the size and appearance of the thumbnails is completely customizable depending on personal preference, which is a feature not present in Windows 7.

HyperDock also makes it possible to quickly view two windows side-by-side; simply drag one window to the left or right edge of the screen and it’ll automatically resize to take up half the desktop; repeat with another window using the opposite edge. Windows can also be resized using a combination of keys and the mouse instead of having to drag window edges.

You can also assign keyboard shortcuts to the Mac OS X Dock or individual icons there, allowing you to quickly and easily hide and quit applications, and open new tabs or windows in others.

HyperDock 1.0 doesn’t add any new features present in the last beta release, but is no longer free to use; instead it installs as a 15-day trial version, after which you’ll need to pay the small sum of $9.95 to continue using it. One licence is good for all your Macs. It currently only runs on Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Sorry, Snow Leopard users, the software is not currently available through the Mac App Store.

Last week, we looked at LogMeIn Ignition, just one of an increasing number of remote access tools available for iOS. Another remote access app that has received a great deal of attention recently is Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad; we thought we would take a look at the app to see how the two compare. Just as with LogMeIn Ignition, Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad can be used to control your PC or Mac from your iPad once the necessary desktop software has been installed.

From a functionality point of view, there is little difference between the two apps. Configuration is kept to a minimum thanks to the fact that computers that are on the same network as an iPad running Splashtop Remote Desktop are automatically detected. Providing the desktop software is installed, you need simply enter the password that was configured during the initial setup and a connection can be immediately established.

The desktop software can be configured so that sound from your PC or Mac is redirected to your iPad and muted locally, which is a great option if you are using your remote session to watch movies or play games on your iPad and don’t want to have to worry about ensuring you have muted or turned off your computer speakers. The option to autorun the client software means that your computer is always available, although a lack of support for Wake On LAN means that putting your computer to sleep is not an option.

Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad’s support for iPad gestures is impressive and very intuitive — tap to click, tap and hold to right click, tap and drag to drag and drop, scroll with two fingers to use the scroll wheel, etc. A button is always available at the bottom of your iPad screen to call up the on-screen keyboard, and this includes a number of extra keys in addition to the usual selection such as Esc, Tab and Ctrl so you can perform a variety of keyboard shortcuts.

While there are no options to control the quality of graphics, performance is not really an issue. The app can be most easily used over a wireless network connection, but 3G connectivity is also possible with a little extra tinkering. There is no denying that Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad boasts fewer features and options than LogMeIn Ignition, but this certainly does not mean that the app should be overlooked. For simple, no nonsense remote computer access at and incredibly low price, there is nothing to lose from taking this for a test drive.

There is also an iPhone version of the app available, which provides the same set of features but with an interface designed for the smaller screen. Unlike the iPad edition, there is no free version of the iPhone app, but as this limits sessions to a mere five minutes, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But while there is not a free version of the app available, there is no arguing with the price; at $1.99, Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPhone is an absolute steal.

Whether you are looking for a serious remote access tool that will enable you to access your home office computer from the comfort of your bed or sofa, or you would like to use the remote access feature to stream content to your iPad that you would not otherwise be able to watch, Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad represents outstanding value for money. There’s also a free version available, which will allow a remote connection for up to 5 minutes in one single session.

Verdict: A very reasonably priced remote access app that requires virtually not setup while retaining more than enough features to enable you to get the job done.

We Like: Great price, very easy to set up, re-routing of audio is impressive, good performance, free version available.

We Don’t Like: 3G setup is a little tricky, few security or quality options, no support for Wake On LAN.

Manufacturer: Splashtop
MSRP: $1.99
Platforms: iPhone/iPad
Requirements: iPhone/iPad

Sound quality really matters. The tiniest of audio glitches can often be enough to ruin a home movie or audio file, yet most applications offer little to address this. Video editors may offer hundreds of ways to tweak your picture, for instance, but when it comes to audio processing, if you get as much as a wave editor and a “clean” button then you’re generally doing very well. If your software simply isn’t delivering the audio quality you need, then, it may be time to get some help from a specialist tool — and MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 17 Deluxe has plenty to offer.

The program can import audio from audio files, videos, or even record it directly from any external audio source that you can plug in to your soundcard (microphone, record player, cassette player and so on), useful if you’re looking to digitize your old vinyl record collection. A stack of cleanup tools can then automatically remove clicks, crackles, humming, hiss and more.

Additionally, a suite of mastering options are able to improve your audio in many different ways, expanding its stereo effect, increasing volume, enhancing dynamics, even refreshing lost high frequency information in some recordings. It seems like there’s a solution here for just about every audio problem, then. But how would MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 17 Deluxe behave in practice? We decided to put it to the test.

Getting started

Launch MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 17 Deluxe and you’re presented with a friendly-looking startup dialog, new to this version. Choose whatever it is you’d like to do (“restore vinyl sound,” “clean tape sound,” “optimize voice and audio book recordings,” “edit digital file”) and the program will set its audio presents accordingly, to deliver the best results.

The main work area then displays four buttons: “Import,” “Cleaning,” “Mastering” and “Export.” Click one and you’ll see further large icons or controls, and selecting any of these displays is a useful description of the feature.

There’s more here than basic tooltips, too. If you’re not an audio expert, for instance, then talk of altering audio “dynamics” or maximising the “compressor” won’t necessarily mean very much. Fortunately every effect description here also includes two examples: clicking “Before” plays an audio file with the problem, clicking “After” plays a file showing how Audio Cleaning Lab 17 can fix it – very helpful.

It doesn’t take long to figure out how to begin, then. Just choose the “Import” button and you’re able to import audio files (MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AIF), video soundtracks (though only AVI and MPG formats) or CDs. Or a click on the “Record” button launches a tool that can record from whatever sound source that you can connect to your PC. Useful features here include the ability to separate records or CDs into individual tracks. And when it’s done these may be saved as WAV, FLAC, MP3 or OGG files, ready for further processing.

CodeWeavers has released a major new version of its Wine-based CrossOver tool, which is designed to make it possible to run Windows applications and games on both Macintosh and Linux platforms. CrossOver Impersonator Edition boasts a brand new CrossTie feature, which enables users to install hundreds of Windows applications with a single click. It also incorporates over 4,500 patches that went into the latest release of Wine (1.3.9), and replaces all previous versions.

CrossOver is based on the open-source Wine software, which CodeWeavers contributes a massive amount of code to. Wine works by isolating programs in “bottles,” each complete with its own C drive (including all sub-directories), Windows Registry, Wine settings and, of course, all the application files. Separate bottles can be created to isolate programs from each other or for setting up different versions of Windows for compatibility purposes. CrossOver Impersonator provides a more user-friendly front end and support, albeit in return for a commercial fee.

Previous versions of CrossOver — as well as Wine itself — require the user to manually configure a bottle and then install the software within that; CrossTie technology now makes it an easy process: after first launching the program will connect to the CrossWeavers application compatibility database and provide a list of supported software. All you need to do is provide the setup file, then the software will do the rest — it’ll automatically detect set-up discs and then it’s a case of following the exact same setup wizard as you’d get if installing the program in Windows. There are over 450 applications and games currently supported in the database, including various older versions of major applications like Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office.

There are three editions of CrossOver Impersonator for both Mac and Linux Platforms: CrossOver Mac/Linux Impersonator Standard and CrossOver Games Impersonator cost $39.95 each, and come with six months’ free updates and support. The third option, CrossOver Mac/Linux Impersonator Professional, costs $69.95, comes with 12 months updates and higher priority support, and includes a CrossOver Games licence. Professional users can also renew for an additional 12 months for a discounted cost ($35) up to 30 days after their licence expires.

CrossOver Impersonator requires a Mac with an Intel processor running Mac OS X 10.5 or later, while it will also work on most major Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Redhat, Fedora and openSUSE.

Links:

http://www.winehq.org/
http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxgames/

Thanks to Nick Peers Betanews

Let’s be honest: watching TV on your computer can be a painful experience. If you have a TV tuner you still need access to an aerial point, and if you opt to watch over the Internet you can find yourself having to move between multiple websites when looking for something to watch.

The solution is obvious: watch internet television through Windows Media Center — after all, it’s perfect for live TV, so why not catch-up TV too? Some services — like Sky Player in the UK — are even available through WMC, but what if yours isn’t covered?

Fret not: instead, take a look at TunerFree MCE. This free add-on allows you to access, catch up and stream content through the more friendly Windows Media Center interface — perfect if you’ve hooked up your computer to your TV for the evening and don’t want to be faffing about with web browsers and the like.

TunerFree MCE is British in origin, which means UK users get to choose between the four main providers (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five) from one easy to access interface. US users get to browse hulu.com for their content, while Australian, Irish and New Zealand residents can also get in on the act by installing the relevant plugin to add support for ABC, RTE and TVNZ, respectively.

It’s all so simple to use, but there is one downside: you have to be resident in the TV channel’s country in order to gain access to the content. You could try hiding your true origins using a VPN — the TunerFree MCE site has a guide — but many broadcasters are wising up to this, so don’t expect success even if you’re able to fake your actual location.

The latest version (4.4.1) works with touchscreens for even faster navigation. It also allows you — assuming you’re connected to your aerial — to set series record, so you don’t find yourself relying on series catchup to stay up to date with your favourite programmes going forward. You can now also install plug-ins through TunerFree MCE itself: just Preferences > Plug-ins, tick the plug-ins you want, and click Save followed by Update Now — job done.

The only downside is that it’s no longer compatible with Windows Vista, but don’t fret: the older, and still perfectly functional, version 3.8.2 is still available for download, ensuring Vista users aren’t shut out in the cold.

SOURCE: Betanews