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Aperture Automator Actions
[Aperture](http://www.apple.com/aperture/) is in users hands now, and the reviews are a bit [mixed](http://arstechnica.com/reviews/apps/aperture.ars/), to put it [mildly](http://www.frostbytes.com/twiki/bin/view/Main/ApertureReview). But hey, it wouldn't be the first time a 1.0 didn't live up to the hype. Aperture comes preloaded with a set of Automator actions: *Retrieve Item References, Store Item References, Assign Keywords to Images, Export Images, Set Image Rating, Set IPTC Tags, Choose Albums, Choose Projects* and *Import Photos.* Assuming you aren't [obsessing](http://homepage.mac.com/foamx/Aperture%20vs%20C1/index.html) over the quality of Aperture's raw conversion, these actions should be handy in enhancing your imaging workflow.
News Briefs
[MacWorld](http://www.macworld.com) is featuring an [excerpt](http://www.macworld.com/2005/11/secrets/tcoautomator/index.php) from the eBook [*Take Control of Customizing Tiger*](http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-customizing.html?14@@!pt=MW-EXCERPT-TCCT2) on some Automator basics ... also at MacWorld, [Ben Long](http://www.completedigitalphotography.com/) has written [Automate Photoshop chores](http://www.macworld.com/2005/11/secrets/decdigitalphoto/index.php), a tutorial aimed at photographers looking to automate repetitive Photoshop actions ... along the same lines, [MacNN](http://www.macnn.com/) has reprinted [*Building an Automator Action*](http://www.macnn.com/articles/05/11/07/automator.action/) from [MacTech](http://www.mactech.com/), a very concise tutorial on creating your own actions with Xcode.
Definitely a Treat: Mac OS X 10.4.3 Update Released
[Apple](http://www.apple.com) has released the [Mac OS X 10.4.3 updater](http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301984). This update brings a slew of improvements and fixes to Automator (now at version 1.0.2 build 63), the most we've seen yet; it will take some time to verify all of these! Read on for the full list. More »
Automator QuickPick for Backup 3
Apple's Backup was one of those utilities that should have been better than it turned out. The interface was weird, the options obfuscated and the file scanning slower than any reasonable person should endure. [Backup 3](http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/backup.html), which appears to be something of a ground-up rewrite, solves nearly all those problems. I actually use the thing now; it's oddly fun creating backups, and even more so checking the logs and seeing they actually _ran_.
Backup 3 has _QuickPicks_, which are basically shortcuts to backing up folders associated with specific apps (it's not immediately obvious, but QuickPicks appear when you manually add a new item to a backup set.) The folks over at [Wishingline](http://www.wishingline.com/notebook/archives/2005_09.php#000767) have created a bunch of custom QuickPicks, including one for Automator. Worth checking out.
Stuffit 10 Adds Automator Support
[Allume Systems](http://www.allume.com/mac/index.html) has released [Stuffit Deluxe 10.0](http://www.stuffit.com/mac/deluxe/index.html), a major upgrade to the venerable compression application. Stuffit 10 adds a new JPEG compression algorithm and Automator support, including the ability to compress and expand StuffIt, Zip, and Tar archives. Stuffit Deluxe 10.0 is available now for $79.99 and upgrade for $29.99.
News Briefs
Matt Neuburg, author of [AppleScript: The Definitive Guide](http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/applescpttdg/), will be speaking at the Applescript Pro Sessions, running October 31-November 4 in Chicago. The [session](http://www.scriptingmatters.com/aspro) will cover AppleScript Studio and Automator, including using Studio to create custom Automator Actions.… [MacDevCenter](http://www.macdevcenter.com) has posted [*What Is Automator (and Can It Make Your Life Easier)*](http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2005/09/06/what-is-automator.html), a solid and somewhat critical overview of Automator.
Macworld Poll: Automator Neglect?
A [Macworld UK](http://www.macworld.co.uk) poll, indicating that only 8% of respondents use Automator, is discussed in this [article](http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=12464&Page=1&pagePos=3). User's primarily found the interface daunting or slow, and Apple's included actions limited.
With a response of 1,165 votes, it's not particularly comprehensive (175 voters aren't even using OS X 10.4, which is a bit disingenuous). Still, valid points are raised; despite the myriad of third-party actions available online, many users are simply not aware of them, and the interface can be buggy and slow. MacSlash readers have also [chimed in](http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/26/1034215) on this subject.
DEVONthink Pro Debuts
[Devon Technologies](http://www.devon-technologies.com) has released [DEVONthink Professional 1.0](http://www.devon-technologies.com/news/news.php), a personal file management system. DEVONthink includes 14 Automator actions and 10 sample workflows, and is available for $75.
Intaglio Actions
[Intaglio](http://www.purgatorydesign.com/Intaglio/index.html), the *"traditional Macintosh drawing & illustration application"* from [Purgatory Designs](http://www.purgatorydesign.com/) now includes nine Automator actions, including *Get Selected Intaglio Graphics, Group Intaglio Graphics, Open Images in Intaglio* and *Rotate Intaglio Graphics.* Intaglio costs $89 for a single user license, and a [demo](http://www.purgatorydesign.com/Intaglio/download.html) is available.
DeBabelizer Pro 6 Creates Custom Actions
[Equilibrium](http://www.equilibrium.com) is now shipping [DeBabelizer Pro 6](http://www.equilibrium.com/Internet/Equil/Products/DeBabelizer+Pro+6/DeBabelizer+Pro+6.htm). This update includes 50 Automator actions and a powerful new feature which enables users to create customized actions from DeBabelizer workflows. A 30-day trial is [available](http://www.equilibrium.com/Internet/Equil/Support/DeBabelizer/DeBabelizer+Downloads.htm).
David Pogue Automator Podcast
[David Pogue](http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/au/347) has created a [podcast](http://downloads.oreilly.com/mac/2005_08_09.mp3) covering Automator (other podcasts are [available](feed://www.oreillynet.com/pub/feed/32?format=rss2)). In the 4 minute session, Pogue discusses *"...how to use Automator to automate backups, zip up applications, and set alarms for automatic processing."* Thanks to David for mentioning this site in his podcast.
OttoMate Automator Web Test Actions
Developer [Todd Ditchendorf](mailto:todd@ditchnet.org) is announcing the release of [OttoMate Automator Web Test Actions](http://www.ottomate.org), *"a suite of four Automator Actions that allow you to graphically configure user-acceptance tests for your web-based applications via Mac OS X's Automator application.*" The actions are *Assert Attributes of Current Webpage, Set Form Values in Current Webpage, Click Link or Button in Current Webpage,* and *Do Specified JavaScript in Current Webpage.*
FileMaker Releases Automator Actions
[FileMaker](http://www.filemaker.com/) has released the set of "technology preview" Automator Actions for FileMaker Pro 7 as originally [reported](http://www.automatorworld.com/2005/05/01/filemaker-pro-7-adds-automator-support/). The [download](http://www.filemaker.com/support/downloads/tech_preview/index.html) consists of 15 actions, including *Find FileMaker Pro Items, Close Database, Get IDs of Current Records, Get Record Data* and *Go to Layout*. A comprehensive ReadMe is included.
Script Timer 2.3 Released
[Apps & More Software Design](http://www.appsandmore.com/) has released [Script Timer 2.3](http://appsmore.theboss.net/script_timer.htm), a script and application scheduling application for Mac OS X. Script Timer *"lets you schedule the execution of AppleScript, perl, and shell scripts, and can also be used to schedule the execution of Automator workflows (OS X 10.4 and up only) or applications."* Script Timer is available as a 30-day trial, with user licenses starting at US$12.
Automator = Profit!
[Apple Developer Connection](http://developer.apple.com) (ADC) has posted [*Using Automator to Expand the Market for Your Software*](http://developer.apple.com/macosx/automatormarket.html), an overview for developers to aid them in leveraging Automator to grow marketshare. According to Apple, Automator is *"...a delivery mechanism for a developer to increase sales and gain mindshare with customers who might not otherwise realize that the product has value.*" The article goes on to describe how and why, including examples.