The release of any major update to OS X usually marks a steady stream of software updates from third-party developers, who spring into action to make sure that their applications are ready to run on the latest Apple OS. Snow Leopard is no different, with many developers follow last week’s OS update with releases of their own. Here are Monday’s batch of applications updated for OS X 10.6 compatibility.
1Password
Agile Web Solutions says that Mac users who’ve upgraded to Snow Leopard can continue to use its 1Password password management utility to store passwords and fill in registration and browser forms.
Version 2.9.31 of the utility works out of the box on Snow Leopard and almost all supported browsers, Agile Web Solutions says. To use the 1Password plugin for Safari in Snow Leopard, users should run the browser in 32-bit mode; no configuration is needed for 1Password plugins for Firefox, Camino, OmniWeb, and NetNewsWire.
The developer is also promising a major new upgrade that will introduce the ability to view a keychain in Windows or Linux, a new user interface, and a tagging system. In addition, the forthcoming 1Password 3 promises complete 64-bit support for Snow Leopard and Safari. Agile Web Solutions promises users who upgrade to Snow Leopard and run 1Password 2 will get an invite to beta test version 3.
AssistiveWare apps
AssistiveWare makes an entire series of applications aimed at users with physical, speech, and language impairments. On Monday, the developer announced OS X 10.6 compatibility for five of those programs—KeyStrokes, Proloquo, SwitchXS, LayoutKitchen, and GhostReader.
KeyStrokes offers a fully-functional virtual keyboard for disabled users. Proloquo is a multilingual speech and communication product aimed at users who cannot speak to their computer as an AAC device. SwitchXS provides full emulation of a mouse and keyboard. LayoutKitchen is a keyboard, speech panel, and scan panel editor for the other three applications, while GhostReader is a multilingual document and selection reader that also converts text to iTunes files for your iPod.
SmartSleep
Developer Jinx.de has added Snow Leopard compatibility to its SmartSleep preference pane. SmartSleep.prefPane lets you set the sleep state of your Mac; the preference pane can also trigger sleep mode when your laptop battery drops below a certain point.
The latest build of SmartSleep adds64-bit support in addition to Snow Leopard compatibility. It also fixes some bugs and permissions on the installed directory.