The Latest Thinks . . .

Can it be true? Review and approval times for app updates at the iTunes App Store suddenly comparable to VersionTracker, MacUpdate, and Upload.com? Apparently so. Apple's developer portal "iTunes Connect" was shut down for upgrades from Dec 23 to Dec 28 and it appears they spent the time wisely, emplacing a radically turbo-charged approval process. Reports indicate typical turnaround time has plummeted to an average of 22 hours, compared to a week or more before the overhaul. [updated]

This release brings the Lite version of ChordCalc into full parity with ChordCalc 1.0.4, with the most accurate chord notation, an extended keyboard with musical symbols, better highlighting on the Scale screen, and other enhancements.

FretPet 1.2.4 adds keyboard shortcuts to the Filters menu, fixes an issue with playback being interrupted by menus, and now includes Sparkle to automatic check the internet for version updates. Also fixed Kagi Registration module connection problem.

Download FretPetX124.dmg (Disk Image, 4.6 MB)

Tonight's petcast composition comes from Tucker Stilley, whose website The Permanent Record features creative works in various forms of media. As a working artist and composer, Tucker is distinctive in that he's paralyzed by Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurodegenerative disease made famous by Lou Gehrig and Stephen Hawking. Since all his work in FretPet has to be done using a head mouse and remapped buttons, he's had to improvise to produce a more conducive workflow. Using multiple document windows as scratchpads, he develops his compositions in chunks before recombining them to produce a finished piece. Tucker has loads of feature suggestions for FretPet which I surely hope to incorporate as time allows. The artwork featured here is a detail from Tucker's painting "Hardest Thing."