A little midnight snack… if you will

Our good friends at Apple have released Mac OS 10.5.7 Update. It’s a rather large update, I will admit (450MB):

The 10.5.7 Update is recommended for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac. For detailed information about security updates

You know where to go to get it: Go to your Software Update (and I would recommend doing it overnight since it is so large). Check out Apple’s site if you want more info.

As you may know, there are over 100 different apps for using Twitter. However, it seems to me the Windows gets all the good ones. It just so happens that I came up with a great Twitter app that is Mac only.

Nambu is a native Mac OS X application that supports a number of services, such as FriendFeed and Identi.ca, but is extremely strong as a Twitter application, as it has built-in support for tr.im and pic.im.

Nambu has three different views: Standard list view which will automatically integrate tweets from multiple accounts into a single timeline- great if you have multiple accounts from multiple services. Three-pane view, somewhat similar to Mail, with a sidebar allowing you to choose between accounts. And then there is multi-column view which allows you to choose what appears in each column: main timeline, replies, sent messages, etc (a lot like TweetDeck). Also, replies are threaded- a nice touch.

So if you’ve been unhappy with some of the Twitter applications out there, give Nambu a try. It’s Mac OS X only, and it’s free. And if you like Nambu, there’s an iPhone version, too. Tweet on!

Nambu [via TUAW]

Kensington is sure getting on the right track with their latest keyboard incarnation. Introducing the Ci70 Keyboard. Why I am I raving about this keyboard? Because it’s got additional USB ports.

It’s got two easy-access USB 2.0 ports allow a quick connection to cameras, MP3 players, thumb drives an a built-in mini USB connector with cable allows easy downloads of content from your camera or mobile phone. The Ci70 has a 35% smaller footprint and low-profile design saves desk space and reduces clutter. Also included are Five keyboard hot keys for instant access to mail, media, search and more and Media keys offer volume control, track control, play and pause.

The Ci70 works with both PCs and Macs thanks to it having both a Windows key and a Mac Command key- very very cool. The Ci70 will run you about $49.99 and you can pre-order now, shipping soon (hopefully).

Product Page [Kensington via Gizmodo]

If you are Mac user, you may want to hit up the software updater tonight before bed (if you do such a thing). Apple is pushing three updates: An iTunes 7.6.2 update to “to improve stability and performance” (as the story usually is), a QuickTime 7.4.5 update which promises “fixes that enhance reliability, improve compatibility with third-party applications, and address security issues”, and thirdly, A Front Row 2.1.3 update which will provide you “bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility.”

Be warned, though, the total update size is over 110MB (so if you have a slow connection, it’s gunna be a while). You can get these update by opening up Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update). Update away!

One of the big complaints about Microsoft Office 2007 (and Mac Office 2008- which I now use) is that it saves in their new file format (ie: .docx instead of .doc). This isn’t a huge deal for me, as my school uses Office 2007. My church, on the other hand, still uses Office 2003. Short of upgrading the church, it’s time for intervention on your part. Yeah, you can save in the 2003 format, but we want to do that automatically. I’m showing you what to do in Word, but it’s the same steps for Excel and PowerPoint. Here’s what to do:

In Windows:
1.) Click on the Office Button in the upper left hand corner.
2.) Now click the Word Options button in the menu.
3.) Click on the Save tab, and then change the drop-down menu for “Save files in this format” to be “Word 97-2003 Document”.

On a Mac:
1.) Go to the Word menu, and down to preferences.
2.) Under the Output and Sharing area, click “Save”.
3.) Mid-way down, find the “Save Files As” dropdown, and select “Word 97-2003 Document”.

And presto, you’ve got compatibility. This will sure make life a heck of a lot easier until everyone gets to upgrading. Save away!

Today’s download, doesn’t apply to me, as my Mac is a laptop. But if you have desktop Mac that is left on all night, this can prove to very useful, especially if you like to run stuff overnight. Say you are completing a big BitTorrent download or something along those lines—you may have been woken up by an unexpected beep from that always-on Mac. Easy fix with SoundAsleep.

SoundAsleep sets up a mute schedule for your Mac, muting and unmuting the system sound at times you specify. It does one simple thing, so whether you’re using it for a quiet computer at night or you just have a quiet schedule you’d like to keep up with, Sound Asleep is for you.

SoundAsleep is the perfect companion for any desktop Mac. It’s free and Mac only. Now if only my new MotoKrazr did the same thing….

SoundAsleep [via Lifehacker]

Now this is my kind of download: useful and practical. If you’ve been embarrassed by accidentally unplugging your headphones from your laptop and blasting “Pour Some Sugar on Me” to the rest of the world (I’ve done it), then Breakaway could be what you’re looking for.

Simply stated, Breakaway will automatically pause your iTunes music anytime your headphones are unplugged. That’s it. There are some customizable options behind that, but that’s it.

Okay, so that’s the only thing it does, but it’s useful. Breakaway is Mac only and is 100% free.

Breakaway [via Download Squad]

WINDOWS AND MAC OS X Need to do some quick math that can’t be done on your fingers? Give Calq a try.

Calq is an easy to use, on demand calculator. The idea behind Calq is to have a calculator handy when you need to do some basic calculations quickly. It’s there when you need it, and it’s not in the way when you don’t need it.

Calq can run in your Mac menubar or Windows tray. If you choose, can just have the program run in the background with no icons. You can select a hotkey to launch the calculator, and when you press that hotkey, the Calq window displays for you to enter your calculations. Neat eh?

Calq is Windows and Mac OS X and is free. Enjoy!

Calq [via Download Squad]

Considering I just bought an AirPort Express about two months ago, I was very upset to see this. Apple has gone ahead an made an overhaul to the AirPort Express, giving it 802.11n wireless.

The AirPort Express, as you know, is a simplified and compact wireless base station. It allows up to 10 networked users, and includes called AirTunes, which allows you to wirelessly stream music. It includes a mini-jack for speakers, a USB port for remote printing, and a single Ethernet port.

Okay, you already knew what I just told you. I’ll have you know that the AirPort Express went almost 4 years without a redesign- thats right: June 2004. Which means (A.) I should have known better than to buy one and (B.) it’s now really stinkin’ fast.

The AirPort Express ships immediately and goes for $99.

AirPort Express [Apple]

If you’re like everyone else on the internet, you have that nice little Yahoo or Live Mail (formerly hotmail) email account that you can only check through a webpage. Wouldn’t it be great to send and receive from insde Outlook or Thunderbird? Too bad they charge a butt load of money for it. Good thing there’s FreePOPs.

FreePOPs is an easily extensible program, which allows access to the most varied resources through the POP3 protocol. Mainly, it can be used to download mail from the most famous webmails, but it could also be used as an aggregator for RSS feeds and much more. This way it is possible to get all your messages in your favorite email client.

So basically, it goes to the web based client and downloads the messges and puts them in your email client of choice. Cool, eh? FreePOPs is available for just about every platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, and even BeOS). The best part? It’s free.

FreePOPs [Official Site]