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   TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 30 September 2013

   TidBITS Staff

   Pixelmator 2.2.1 -- Despite receiving a seemingly minor numerical tick
   to version 2.2.1 (from the previous 2.2), [1]Pixelmator introduces a
   new file format to its popular and attractively priced image editing
   and manipulation app, claiming significant performance improvements.
   (If you're unfamiliar with Pixelmator, be sure to read Michael Cohen's
   review, '[2]Can You Replace Photoshop with Pixelmator?,' 17 May 2013.)
   In addition to greatly speeding up the opening and saving of image
   files, the new Pixelmator file format saves edits in the background
   while you manipulate images, and it now saves individual edits to
   iCloud (rather than saving the whole image file each time). The new
   file format also introduces a progress bar for a better idea of where
   you're at while opening and saving, and it offers enhanced Quick Look
   support. Additionally, Pixelmator adds a checkbox option that enables
   you to choose to open and save images in the new file format or in
   their original format.

   Beyond the new file format, Pixelmator improves the Effects Browser
   with the capability to open highlighted effects by pressing Return as
   well as adding more keywords for quickly finding the right effect.
   Third-party effects are better organized and gain a tooltip so you can
   view full titles. Other changes include the addition of a
   Command-Option keyboard shortcut to compare how an image looks with and
   without an effect, improved accuracy while previewing the Sharpen
   effect, a more precise eyedropper for the Replace Color and Select
   Color tools, and more flexibility in previewing images while applying
   an effect or using the Select Color and Refine Selection features.
   ($14.99 new from the [3]Mac App Store, free update, 41.6 MB, [4]release
   notes)

   [5]Read/post comments about Pixelmator 2.2.1.

   Typinator 5.7 -- Ergonis has released [6]Typinator 5.7, enhancing the
   way the text-expansion utility pulls together variable parts of
   expansions with optional default values. If a default value is present,
   the input field contains the specified string rather than what was
   entered the last time the expansion was used. The update also fixes a
   problem where some input fields weren't recognized if they immediately
   followed another marker; works around issues in IntelliJ, PhpStorm,
   WebStorm, and PyCharm that inserted the current clipboard when
   attempting multi-line expansions; fixes a bug that created different
   types of line breaks in some applications; and provides a workaround to
   a problem with certain multi-line expansions in Microsoft Word.
   ('¬24.99 new with a 25 percent discount for [7]TidBITS members, free
   update, 5.5 MB, [8]release notes)

   [9]Read/post comments about Typinator 5.7.

   TextExpander 4.1 -- Preparing for the upcoming release of OS X 10.9
   Mavericks, Smile has released [10]TextExpander 4.1 with new Security &
   Privacy settings as well as a lengthy laundry list of improvements and
   fixes. The typing shortcut utility gains an Emoji snippet group,
   enables you to type Command-Return to complete a fill-in window,
   improves the performance of snippets containing multiple embedded
   images, adds capitalization correction in applications such as Mellel,
   sets the CPU to idle 30 seconds after an expansion or capitalization
   correction, and gives you the option to convert existing snippets when
   changing the default snippet type. ($34.95 new with a 20 percent
   discount for [11]TidBITS members, free update, 8.6 MB, [12]release
   notes)

   [13]Read/post comments about TextExpander 4.1.

   ReadKit 2.3.1 -- Webin has released [14]ReadKit 2.3.1, a maintenance
   release with a number of fixes that also improves sync speed and
   overall performance. The RSS client and read-later app adds image
   caching for RSS services, mark as read/shared options and tag
   completion for Pinboard and Delicious sharing, OPML export for RSS
   feeds, and a preference to preload original pages in the background.
   The update also fixes a bug with marking Feedly items as read; a
   problem with sharing an article's title on Twitter, Facebook, Messages,
   and Mail; a crash when adding new subscriptions on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion;
   display notifications in Notification Center; and several validation
   issues. Normally priced at $4.99, ReadKit is on sale for a limited time
   for $1.99 from the [15]Mac App Store. ($4.99 new, free update, 3.9 MB,
   [16]release notes)

   [17]Read/post comments about ReadKit 2.3.1.

References

   1. http://www.pixelmator.com/
   2. http://tidbits.com/article/13775
   3. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixelmator/id407963104?mt=12&at=10l5PW
   4. http://www.pixelmator.com/blog/2013/09/24/pixelmator-2-2-1-out-now/
   5. http://tidbits.com/article/14145#comments
   6. http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/
   7. http://tidbits.com/member_benefits.html
   8. http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/history.html
   9. http://tidbits.com/article/14140#comments
  10. http://www.smilesoftware.com/TextExpander/
  11. http://tidbits.com/member_benefits.html
  12. http://www.smilesoftware.com/help/TextExpander/releasenotes.html
  13. http://tidbits.com/article/14134#comments
  14. http://webinhq.com/apps/readkit/
  15. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/readkit/id588726889?mt=12&at=10l5PW
  16. http://webinhq.com/blog/its-all-about-performance/
  17. http://tidbits.com/article/14130#comments

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