HoverZoom - A New Safari Extension

Today, Aug 7 2010, marks the release of HoverZoom, the newest in a growing list of Safari Extensions from Side Tree Software.

HoverZoom is based on a deceivingly simple question; Why do I have to click through multiple pages to see the large versions of images? Say a friend posts new pictures on Facebook, or Flickr, or MySpace. Now, instead of going to the photo gallery and then flipping back and forth between opening the images in tabs, or going through them one-by-one slideshow style, you can simple hover the mouse over the images you'd like to see enlarged!

There is a built-in delay before image zooming begins to prevent unwanted zooming as you move your mouse over a page. Currently this means that the mouse must remain still on an image for about a second before zooming will start. While an image is zoomed, you can quickly mouse to other images you'd like to see enlarged as well and avoid the delay.

Here's a screenshot of HoverZoom in action, with the cursor hovering over a thumbnail in the upper left of the page:

Once you get used to hovering over images to see them enlarged, it's really hard to imagine the web working any other way. I find myself wanting this functionality everywhere, and I'm sure support for more sites will be added to the extension in future.

Currently HoverZoom supports images on Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Picasa, Twitter, Digg, PhotoBucket, Imgur, and Amazon. If there are other image hosting services or social networks you'd like to see supported, send in some feedback at the Contact Page and it will be looked into.

So, what are you waiting for, go check out HoverZoom at the Extensions page today!

WebWatch - A New Safari Extension, and Other Updates

I'm proud to announce the release of WebWatch, the newest Side Tree Software Safari Extension.

The WebWatch Safari Extension helps you stay focused and productive on the internet by placing a little stop watch in your toolbar. You can click it to reset the stop watch, and mouse over for a more detailed estimate of your time online. Additionally, it features an optional Reminder that can be triggered after a period of time. The Reminder is most useful when you want to surf the net periodically to get a break from other tasks (studying for school exams, say), without getting too distracted.

A number of the other Safari Extension are getting updates today as well. You can check them all out at the Extensions page.

And remember, feedback is encouraged! Even if there isn't time to respond to every email, they do get read.

CustomSearch 1.1

Today brings the immediate availability of CustomSearch 1.1, a Safari 5 Extension to easily search and share on the web, right from your toolbar or via right-clicking. (Screenshots at the homepage)

This version brings a couple new features, and some important changes. Previous versions used two URL entry fields for each search; a "Pre" and "Post" field, which would be wrapped around the search term. To facilitate some new features and allow for new functionality in the future, 1.1 uses one URL field with variables to indicate where a search term should go. If you're upgrading from a previous version, fear not, your settings will be automatically converted to the new single-field format.

The new variable allow inserting Selected Text, Link URLs, Image Source URLs, and the Current Page's URL into a search. What does this mean? Well you can now create an entry to facilitate right-clicking an image to search for it on TinEye, or clicking a toolbar item to share the current page on Facebook. There are several pre-written entries included for such functionality. A full list of the variables you can use is available at the homepage.

A couple examples:
• TinEye: http://www.tineye.com/search?url=#SRC_OR_URL#
• Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/share?v=3&u=#SRC_OR_URL#&t=#TEXT_OR_TITLE#

Additionally, CustomSearch 1.1 increases the maximum number of search entries from 8 to 16, allowing you even greater flexibility. So go check it out at the homepage, and send in feedback!

Billboard 1.1

Today I’m proud to announce the release of Billboard 1.1, an iTunes controller and status display (Intel/PowerPC, MacOS X 10.4 or better). Available to purchase for $19.95 (USD)

The big new feature in this release is Lyrics support. There's a new Info panel for displaying Lyrics and Episode Descriptions, as well as an optional autoscroll mode for lyrics.

The bulk of other changes deal with the Browser, and Kiosk mode. There have been numerous minor tweaks and updates in these areas which should give a better overall experience.

One change I particularly enjoy is the addition of a play button over genres in the Radio listing. Now you can simply go to the Radio, and click to play a random station from a genre of your choice. Just click the button again to play another random station.

You can read the complete change log at the Billboard homepage.

Billboard 1.0.5

Billboard has come a long way from its initial release in mid-2009, and today I'm pleased to announce an update to Side Tree Software's popular iTunes add-on.

This release is mainly focused on bug fixes and performance improvements. iTunes 9.1 brought some changes in the way iTunes reports playlist information, and Billboard 1.0.5 has been updated to support these changes. But most importantly, you should now see better responsiveness than in the past while Billboard loads album art.

Special attention has been paid to improving the Kiosk (aka "Party") mode. You can now disable playback controls while still allowing access to the iTunes Browser. This way people can add songs to your chosen playlist ("iTunes DJ" being the default) while still being prevented from messing around with playback. And in similar fashion, the Kiosk preferences now include the ability to choose which playlists your guests will see (or none at all if you want).

There are other numerous smaller fixes and tweaks to improve the overall experience as well, so go grab the latest version from the Billboard homepage! (Full changelog available there as well.)

Tribbi 1.0

Today I'm pleased to announce the first game from Side Tree Software; Tribbi.

Tribbi is a "falling blocks" game, with a twist. The goal of course is to clear out as many rows as possible. But, each time you clear rows, the board rotates 90 degrees left or right. In effect, each game is played against two alternating walls of the board.

As you progress through the levels, new pieces are unlocked for ever-varied gameplay. Additionally, the sound effects are spatially related to where the piece is on the board, for increased immersion.

Tribbi can be purchased for USD $10 from the product page. So, go try it out and leave some feedback in the comments!

Billboard 1.0

Today I’m proud to announce the release of Billboard 1.0, an iTunes controller and status display (Intel/PowerPC, MacOS X 10.4 or better). Available to purchase for $19.95 (USD)

This release brings a number of bug fixes and improvements throughout.

Most of the focus in development of 1.0 went into the Browser, which now sports an alternate "Grid" view, in addition to now being resizable. Just grab that middle divider and drag to resize the Browser as you see fit! There's also a new Single-Click option for the Browser, which should make interaction on touch screens easier.

There are a couple changes in the way Kiosk mode works. Most notably is the fact that it no longer relies on administrator authorization to enter/exit Kiosk mode. Instead, you'll be asked to set up a Kiosk password. This is so that you can easily allow another person to enter/exit Kiosk mode without having to tell them your system password.

One minor feature in 1.0 which I particularly enjoy is the new Share feature in the Tunelink menus. I listen to a lot of internet radio, and I'm always Tunemarking songs that come up which I like. Frequently I want to share these discoveries with friends in a quick manner, by sending them a link. The Share feature allows me to quickly and easily post a link to the song at Facebook, Twitter or MySpace, or just copy the link for pasting into say, an ongoing IM.

Well, that pretty much covers the big overview of changes in 1.0, you’ll find the complete change log at the Billboard homepage.

I'd like to thank everyone who has sent in feedback in the run up to 1.0, a number of the bug fixes and improvements are thanks to input from users like you!