fullscreen posts

Filed under: Software, Freeware, Open Source, Developer

XBMC on OS X releases version .1

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Feb 4th, 2008

Those following the XBMC (a.k.a. Xbox Media Center, although they'll probably need a name change soon, considering all the platforms they've jumped off to) development for the Mac have some good news coming to them: the release has reached version .1.

It's still as shaky as these things come, but new to this version are fullscreen support, "bleeding edge" ffmpeg libraries, and a regular FPS in video playback. It's still not anything the average user should be running, but as I said, for those interested in following along with the development, it should be welcome news.

The download is available from the wiki, and we're told it's now super simple to install (though actually running stably may be a little tougher) -- just drag into your Applications folder and cross your fingers.

Thanks, Yuval!

Update: They got that name change: here's the new site.

Tags: ffmpeg, fullscreen, os-x, version-.1, xbmc, xbox-media-center

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, Software, Video

24 Hours of Leopard: Improved DVD player

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 26th, 2007

Feature: The DVD Player is almost all new, with video improvements, an Autozoom feature, and a new interface.

How it works: Strangely, this big update has gone relatively unnoticed. But it will be noticed as soon as you put a DVD in-- the app has a whole new fullscreen interface, including a time slider, and what Apple is calling an "Image Bar" (those are artist's renditions, so hopefully it'll look a lot better than that), which will let you access your chapters while watching the movie. There's an AutoZoom feature to deal with letterboxing, and it will "float" above your other applications, making it easier to watch movies while you're supposed to be working. Finally, videophiles will be happy to know that Apple is promising better video quality with "Adaptive Video Analyzation technology." Sounds good to us.

Who will use it: Anyone who likes movies is the obvious answer here, but I'm going to go a little more subtle-- anyone who likes movies and working on their Mac. So, you know, Roger Ebert. And the folks at Pixar.

Tags: 24-hours-of-leopard, apple, dvd-player, features, fullscreen, image-bar, interface, leopard, os-x

Filed under: Video, Tips and tricks, iTunes

Swap full-screen Cover Flow and video in iTunes

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Apr 4th, 2007

Here comes the community at Mac OS X Hints with yet another cool trick which, in this case, should help us waste just a little more time in iTunes 7.1.1. I specify that latest version because this hint concerns Cover Flow's new found ability to run in full-screen mode: as it turns out, you can command-tab between a full-screen video and Cover Flow. This is enabled by the apparent fact that that cmd-tab doesn't toggle Mac OS X's app switcher when in iTunes is full-screened; you have to hit Escape to get out of this environment for cmd-tab to get back to its normal duties. This is a slick, very eye candy feature that, in a way, I am surprised Apple didn't do at least a little bragging about with the latest iTunes update.

Tags: cover flow, CoverFlow, full screen, FullScreen, itunes, switch, toggle, video

Filed under: Software

Think 1.0

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on Feb 5th, 2007

Applications that offer 'full screen' modes are all the rage now a days. The idea is that if you run one application in full screen mode you won't be distracted by all those other things that fight for your attention on your Mac.

The good people at Freeverse are savvy to this, but they figured why bother creating individual applications with a full screen mode when you can create an app that'll let any app have a full screen mode of sorts. Thus Think was born.

Think has a very cool Illumination Panel that allows you to pick from any of your currently running applications. As soon as you pick an app, Think throws up a backdrop (the color is up to you, though it defaults to black) that covers up the rest of your desktop (on your main monitor as well as any secondary monitors you might have) though the Dock remains visible. Think goes one step further and displays the icon of the currently focused app in its Dock icon, just in case you forget.

It is obvious that Freeverse spent some time thinking about this application. Now, what would you expect to pay for such an application? If you said nothing, not only are you cheap but you're also correct! That's right, Freeverse is giving this gem away (Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later is required).

Check out the gallery below for some screenshots.

Gallery: Think

Tags: freeverse, full screen, FullScreen, think

Filed under: Software, Productivity

Scrivener - the word processor with a cork board

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Feb 4th, 2007

Scrivener is a new word processor made for the messy, non-linear and notecard-slinging writers out there. Merlin Mann has been raving about it, and I can understand why: Scrivener's entire UI and workflow is designed around managing the pieces of whatever you're working on, allowing you to organize things like thoughts, outlines, pictures and dialog snippets with folders and keywords. The most interesting organizational feature, however, is a unique cork board UI on which you rearrange virtual notecards that contain summaries of whatever is in the document they represent. Hopefully, this allows many a college student and screen writer to stop jamming real cork boards in their bags when meeting for group projects.

Scrivener doesn't stop there: multiple document editing, full-featured outlining, full-screen editing and format-friendly exporting all round up quite a v1.0 debut. A 30-day demo is available, and a license runs $34.99.

Tags: cork board, CorkBoard, editing, editor, full screen, FullScreen, scrivener, word processor, WordProcessor, writing

Filed under: Software, Video

QTAmateur does full-screen playback, batch exporting, more

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Oct 30th, 2006

QTAmateur brings a lot of the handy QuickTime Pro features to the table without having to pay the $30 upgrade. Full screen video playback (with a more streamlined, iTunes 7-like video window) and batch exporting of any format QuickTime can read and write make for a handy little app.

QTAmateur is free, Universal and available from Mike Ash, a Rogue Amoeba programmer.

Tags: encode, export, full screen, FullScreen, quicktime, ub, universal, universal binary, UniversalBinary, video

Filed under: Software, Internet Tools

Shiira v2 beta released

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Aug 6th, 2006

Remember that Shiira v2 beta preview that delusions of grandeur had at the end of July? Well instead of simply reading about it, now you can take your own copy for a spin, as a public, localized beta has been released. Shiira, if you haven't been following the coverage as of late, is an open source and uniquely feature-packed browser based on WebKit, the same web (and also open source) rendering engine that powers Apple's own Safari.

Most of the new features that were previewed seem to be implemented, including the Shelf, Tab Exposé, a tab thumbnails option (instead of standard tabs found in Safari and Firefox), FullScreen Mode with a really slick and self-hiding navigation overlay, a palette replacement for the sidebar and more.

When this first landed on digg, the download was only a PowerPC build, but it has since been replaced with a true Universal version. So what are you waiting for? Get downloading!

Tags: beta, browser, expose, feature, features, fullscreen, safari, shelf, shiira, tab, update, webkit

Filed under: Software, Video, Universal Binary

Trans Lucy 2 is Universal and freakin' sweet

by Dan Pourhadi (RSS feed) on May 30th, 2006

My friend Clark, who seems to be my only resource for anything, pointed me in the direction of an incredible little app called Trans Lucy 2. It's a video/DVD-player that actually lets you modify the transparency of the video window and then overlay it on your screen, so you can watch whatever's playing while working/chatting/surfing in the background. Perfect for people with small screens, or folks (like me) who hate constantly moving around windows depending on what they want to do. Right now I'm watching a Thomas Jefferson biography (thanks, Netflix!) while talking via iChat and writing this post in Camino. Depending on what task I wish to focus on, I just change the focus of my vision. And it works really well.

A registered version of Trans Lucy 2 is $15, but you can download a demo version at www.translucy.com.

Update: seany explains the best benefit of Trans Lucy over other apps with similar functionality: "The nice thing about this is that you can 'click through' the movie and work as normal. In other apps, their windows are selected when you click anywhere. To all intensive purposes [sic], the app disappears except for the video. I find it great for following video tutorials as I can track the actions in real time without swtiching between windows."

Tags: dvd, full screen, FullScreen, trans lucy 2, TransLucy2, transparent window, TransparentWindow

Tip of the Day

Holding the Command key (aka the Apple key) and pressing Tab will cycle through your open applications. It's easier to Cmd-Tab if you are Copy (Cmd-C) and Pasting (Cmd-V) to and from various applications.

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