It’s great to see KIT featured on Apple’s Productivity Tools Hot Picks and I’ve received some great feedback about the changes in the new version too. All this is a relief after such a hiatus!

Anyway, I just remembered that I still haven’t blogged about the new site, i use this. The newest and coolest kid on the block, this site has been described as a cross between MacUpdate and Digg, but I don’t think that description really does it justice. In any case, it’s very Web 2.0.

On the site, currently Mac OS X only, is a list of apps. If you use the app, you can click “i use this” to show you like and use it. All users keep a list of apps of their own, you can see who uses a particular app and apps can be tagged so you can find similar ones. Plus you can build a network of friends, see what they use, and there are RSS feeds aplenty too.

All this makes it such a different approach to traditional download sites with their flakey search, rigid categories, random reviews and ratings and download figures that may bear no resemblance to how many people actual really like and use the app every day. It’s also so quick and simple to show what you like that’s it’s actually a lot of fun, and you can see what’s hot that day too, making it great for finding new, happening stuff.

Right now, the site is in beta but working well and growing quickly. I only added Keep It Together yesterday and Feeder is on there too, both could do with a bit of a boost. 😉

… Done it yet?

I released Keep It Together 1.2 today. For anyone who doesn’t know, KIT is my other application that’s been a little neglected of late, thanks to Feeder. The product page says it best:

KIT is like a magic scrapbook for everything you want to keep. Text, documents, images, movies, sounds, web pages and bookmarks can all be dragged to KIT for safe keeping, previewed, collected together in different ways and found again in an instant.

This version is so much better than the last one, I’m really pleased with it. The release notes tell the story of how much has changed. I started working on something more or less like this version just over a year ago. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my bank balance) podcasting exploded with its inclusion in iTunes and Feeder started to take over my life. It’s only these last couple of months that I’ve had time to work on anything else.

As a result, a lot of things had been piling up for ages – redesigning the website, rewriting my store and administrative backend in Ruby on Rails (because the last system was done in J2EE and I couldn’t work with that any more and I hatehatehate PHP), getting the dreaded books up to date, doing my tax return, etc. I also had to work out what to do next.

So, now everything is sorted out and has calmed down I can devote my attention to both my applications. Expect KIT to continue to evolve alongside Feeder.

Finally, if you read this blog and like the look of KIT, use the following discount code when you check out to save yourself $5 and get KIT for $19.95:

That code will only last a month, expiring at Midnight, PDT on August 25, 2006.

Feeder is reviewed on Episode 6 of the NeatLittleMacApps podcast with Frank De Graeve. Each episode of the NeatLittleMacApps podcast features a single application, gives an overview of their capabilities, a quick walkthrough and usually some special offers and/or prizes too.

In the beginning there was nothing…

No wait, there was something. There was an RSS-feed creation tool called Feeder. And then there was podcasting.

Ok now combine this with a developer who updates his software so fast that he must be psychic, and you get probably the best and most used podcast/rss-feed creating App out there.

Thanks, Frank! For every app Frank reviews, he gives a developer tip such as a feature request, something he thinks is not quite right or whatever.

I won’t spoil the podcast by revealing that here, but I will say: yes, that is becoming one of the most requested features for Feeder, something like that is coming and you might be pleasantly surprised at how it works out.

It’s a great review of Feeder, check it out as there is also the chance to win some free copies and a promotional code. 🙂

Feeder 1.3.5 is now available and this includes support for the new iTunes podcast categories Apple introduced with iTunes 6.0.5 last week.

Feeder will upgrade any existing categories using the same mappings as FeedBurner, so all you need to do is publish your feed again. You may want to review the new categories to see if any of those fit your podcast better – you can do this in the iTunes section of the Info drawer.

Apple says it could take up to two weeks for changes to your categories to take effect in the iTunes Music Store, so bear that in mind when checking your changes. It also appears to be taking some time for the new categories to be populated, but I understand Apple is working on that.

FeedValidator has also been updated to support the new categories, so if FeedValidator says your feed is valid and you are having problems with the iTunes Music Store, your best course of action is to check Apple’s Producing Podcasts discussion forum, otherwise please get in touch.

Apple has reorganised their podcast categories with the release of iTunes 6.0.5 and podcasters listed in the iTunes Music Store will have received an email informing them of the new categories.

Expect a Feeder update soon to deal with these changes. Thanks. 😀