Apple App Store

645 Pro MkII app update

Screen Shot 2013-07-07 at 7.26.10 PM

This morning jag.gr (makers of 6×6, 6×7, Pure Shot and Field Cam) released the most significant update to it’s flagship 645 Pro camera app. As a long time user of the app I found that the update made the whole 645 Pro experience so much more user friendly. The interface has had a complete re-design and is simply more intuitive and pleasurable to use. Many of the standard features are still there (exposure lock, focus lock, white balance lock),

Screen Shot 2013-07-07 at 7.43.03 PM

whilst the re-designed Back Selector, Film Mode Selector and Photo Filter Selector

Screen Shot 2013-07-07 at 8.34.36 PM

open up flow style interfaces that make the selection of options for these functions a breeze.

IMG_6453

IMG_6456

If the previous model had options for selecting filters I was never able to find it. But with the MkII a great range of filters are available along with an incremental adjustment wheel (lower right) which allows you to set a percentage level for the filter strength. This makes working, particularly in Black and White, a rewarding experience. The addition of graduated neutral density filters is also a great plus for landscape work in either colour or black and white.

Screen Shot 2013-07-07 at 7.56.09 PM

IMG_6460

IMG_6458

Full GPS data, ISO, shutter speed, camera battery level, file compression and film type are viewable in the standard workspace.

The full set of features along with a down-loadable pdf manual can be found over at jag.gr

If you haven’t used this app yet all I can say is that you are missing out.

Photography Apps for iPhone

Here is a list (with links) of some of the most widely used photographic apps for iPhone. I have used these extensively and found them to work really well, either as standalone apps, or in combination with others. These are not in any particular order of importance or significance.

  1. Hipstamatic
  2. Plastic Bullet
  3. Camera +
  4. Swanko Lab
  5. Cross Process
  6. DXP
  7. Diptic
  8. Retro Camera
  9. Lo-Mob
  10. Cool FX
  11. Photo FX
  12. Dynamic Light
  13. Blur FX
  14. Slow Shutter
  15. Noir
  16. PhotoForge2
  17. Instagram

All’s well that ends well, or is it?

At long last the issues with Aperture have settled down and the app is behaving normally. I read periodically on forums that users are still unsure of the viability of installing 3.1. The only caution I would mention is just be aware that once your libraries are updated you cannot revert to a previos version of Aperture, it’s a one way street, and if you get stuck, heaven help you. Having said that the 3.1.1 update has it’s merits and is worth the effort. Although in the interim when Aperture was down I discovered that Lightroom is no lightweight and is a serious contender. Apple beware, Adobe are doing their homework.

The update solution and now obviously the crash solution are posted here for reference.

 

Aperture 3.1.1 update solution

The following actually works in terms of allowing an install of the 3.1.1 update for Aperture, where the update is downloaded from Aperture support.

  1. Open the Applications folder.
  2. Drag the Aperture application to the Trash.
  3. Open the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
  4. Open the Terminal application.
  5. On the command line, type the below command (which is case-sensitive) and then press Return:  (or copy and paste)
    sudo pkgutil --forget com.apple.pkg.Aperture
  6. When prompted, enter your user password and press Return.
  7. Insert your Aperture disc and install Aperture.

Then run the update installer package,

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3805

Have yet to find a solution for Aperture crashing on opening…..have done everything possible.

Getting Service

After an extensive search of the App Store I find what I have overlooked, the little Support button on the main page under Quick links.

Once you get to the Mac App Store support page you only have two options for Contact; Applications, which drew zero result, none of the FAQ’s related to my problem, and there was no option for Contact, and Accounts and Billing.

So it was off to Accounts and Billing.

Whilst Accounts and Billing may seem to be an odd place to end up with a problem like this, it was the only place where I could post information, and get some sort of response. Maybe it will end up in the right hands further down the line, wish me luck.

 

 

 

Clicking on the Applications link simply gives you this

and there is not much you can do with it. Can you imagine trying to explain the content of the last two posts over the phone?

So I had to provide a brief outline in the space provided and a link to this post, what are my chances?

The saga continues | App Store Blues

After purchasing the boxed edition of Aperture and installing it on my system, (read previous post….. App Store Blues), I discovered that I cannot update Aperture to 3.1.1

I downloaded the update from the link on the App Store, because it is no longer available through ‘Software Update’ on OSX 10.6.6, and despite not having 3.1.1 on my system, the App Store update persirtently told me that I did.

I ran the installer and got this warning when running 3.1.1 update.

The new boxed version is 3.1 (this is the installed version)

and the App Store update tells me I have 3.1.1 installed, (3.1.1 is the version available at the App Store)

It’s problematic that only a direct update via the update tab on the App Store is now the only way to update this software, (even though this was not purchased through the App Store) particularly when the software update mechanism process at the App Store is unable to correctly identify the installed software version.

One can only hope that users of Final Cut and Logic are not forced go this way.

Apple App Store Blues

I’d read about it and periodically heard first and second hand accounts about people experiencing problems with Apple products and services and sat back thinking wow… that’s never happened to me, at least not until today. In 7 or so years of using Apple products and software, not so much as a hiccup has come my way. Faith in all things Mac justified. Yesterday (10th Jan) in the early evening, unknown to me,  all that was about to change. The new Apple App Store was open and software was going at ridiculously cheap prices, but my radar was down and my default “hang on a bit, why so cheap’ warning light failed. Seduced by the possibility of obtaining the updated version of my much used and heavily relied upon, Aperture, for a song, I succumbed to temptation and made my purchase from the newly proclaimed ‘Queen of Cloudland’.

Suspecting all was well and that Apple would have all bases covered, I completed the transaction and the paid for the upgrade which seamlessly downloaded and installed without a glitch. I upgraded the libraries, despite the warning that upgraded libraries would not be accessible to earlier versions of Aperture….trusting soul that I am, what could possibly go wrong? Once installed, Aperture 3 exceeded my expectations and I can certainly say that if you are considering the purchase, do so with complete confidence, just not from the App Store.

Day 2

Prepared for a substantial rework of some of the 15,000+ images stored across a number of drives/libraries, I hit the Aperture icon and it bounced away happily and then died. I waited about 10 minutes just in case this was a one off anomaly, but nothing……
I checked the status of the app and found that it was open but not responding, just my desktop staring me in the face, waiting, like someone outside a closed bank. Force quit and re open, the ritual seemed endless.

Maybe I need to re-install, where’s the dmg from yesterdays download and install? There is none!
Despite the App Store Help site touting that a saved copy of the app could be used to reinstall, no option for saving the install dmg appeared at any time during the download and install of Aperture 3 and a thorough search failed to locate it. Not only did I not have a dmg of my purchased software, you also don’t get a serial number. Whilst you get an order number on your receipt, an order number does not prove you have the product, where as a serial number does, so how are you supposed to obtain support for a product that you can’t prove/verify you own? What if the serial number is on the splash screen? Great……but I can’t even raise the splash screen. A better option is required for crashes like this.

Things were not looking good. Suddenly the extra you pay for the boxed version began to make sense, more outlay but….you have the install disk, serial number and a support ID number. My options were getting thin. After a thorough scouring of the App Store support site I scored a zero return, what happened to the traditionally good backup provided by Apple?  Bright idea…what if I download the 3.1.1 update and reinstall this over the existing installation. Back to the App Store, follow the links for Aperture to the in-store page that has the updates, download and install, error message “you can only install updates for this product from the App Store”, hadn’t I just done that?
I realised I was lost in glitch city, what to do next?

Search installation problems where Aperture crashes on opening, only an old one that was resolved in Aperture 3.0.1

What if I copy the app form the applications folder to an external drive aka the ‘save your copy to an external drive’ song from the help pages. It was an outside run that I know to be risky, but with no other options available at the moment…… Copy and transfer back, half way through the process ” you do not have permissions required”
Back to the applications folder and try to re open “You can’t open Aperture because it may be damaged or incomplete”
Suddenly I’m in no man’s land.

What if I re-install my copy of Aperture 2 and download my purchase from the App Store? Aperture 3 is no longer on my system, so if the “if you delete your software you can reinstall it from the App Store as long as it’s still available” is correct advice, I should be able to remove and re-install.
So I re-install Aperture 2, update it to 2.1.4 so that it runs on OSX 10.6.6. Back to the App Store, click on purchases,  ‘Aperture 3 is already installed’ ……….no it’s not. Aperture 2.1.4 is,
and no option available to re-download the software that I had paid for.

$100 down the drain. Only option now is to purchase the boxed edition and get on with life, otherwise my libraries become coffins.

If you use this application professionally and you are considering upgrading or purchasing for the first time, stay away from the App Store, buy it boxed online or from a local retailer.  I’ve certainly taken a hard lesson today and won’t be back under any circumstance until Apple get their act together and provide the basics, like most other online traders that allow you to purchase via download, do.

It’s irresponsible for Apple; and ultimately damaging to their reputation, to offer software that is used professionally without appropriate backup and support. Great software, lousy delivery and support from the App Store for this application.