Volume Number: 26
Issue Number: 08
Column Tag: Editorial

From the Editor, August 2010

Coming up in the fall, in November, specifically, is the first ever MacTech Conference. It's a technology conference that is focused to developers and IT practitioners that work mainly on the Mac platform. The reaction has been really great and has been having a bit of a 'halo-effect' on all things MacTech. This month's magazine issue takes advantage of this with authors new and experienced. We balance topics from the 40,000 foot view, right down to the microscopic.

The cover article comes from recurring author (and MacTech Conference speaker) Rich Warren. "From the iPhone to the iPad" covers the issues involved with taking an already-written iPhone app and converting it to the iPad. It sounds easy, but there's really a lot to account for.

New author (and MacTech Conference Speaker) Nathan Toups writes this month about "The Knowledge Bias." As techs, we're sometimes too mired in details and comfortable patterns to really connect with what is going on. Read Nathan's article to find ways to help you combat these tendencies.

Long-time MacTech contributor Mihalis Tsoukalos brings up an important topic: localization. This time, he talks about localizing Dashboard Widgets. You want your software used all over the world, don't you?

José Cruz, another long-time contributor to MacTech writes about Apple-Scripting with SatImage. SatImage is a scripting addition that adds new methods to work with text and functions for math to AppleScript. When you need to push AppleScript a bit, SatImage is an ideal way to wring performance out of AppleScript.

This month's MacEnterprise column by Greg Neagle (also a speaker at this year's MacTech Conference) updates an older column on managing Firefox. This is a particular challenge, as Firefox, in its quest to remain similar in its cross-platform experience, doesn't always do things in a very Mac-like manner. Greg has been through this backwards and forwards at this point, so if you need to manage Firefox in your environment, there's no one better to learn from.

Mike Hjörleifsson brings us all another installment of CoreSec. This month, Mike talks about multi-factor authentication and features an interview with Sven Gossel, CEO of Charismathics, whose company specializes in smart cards and public key infrastructure.

This month's Mac in the Shell column talks about tips and tricks to make working in the bash shell faster and easier. *That* makes you more powerful. These tips are short and manageable—easy to add into your repertoire one at a time.

In the MacTech Spotlight, we feature Jayson Adams from Circus Ponies Software. You're using Circus Ponies award-winning organization tool Notebook, right? Jayson's history goes beyond traditional Mac development. Check out what brought him to where he is now in this month's MacTech Spotlight.

Thanks to all of the loyal readers of MacTech for keeping MacTech the journal for Macintosh and Apple technology. We hope to see you at MacTech Conference in November (http://www.mactech.com/conference). Until then, see you next month right here in print.

Ed Marczak,

Executive Editor