MacResearch

Whilst Excel has been around on the Mac platform since 1985 and is probably the leading spreadsheet application, the data analysis capabilities and statistical analysis is still rather limited. Whilst these limitations may not be an issue for financial or accountancy uses they are a significant obstacle towards scientific use. There are a large number of data analysis tools available on the Mac platform but many are expensive and/or not particularly user friendly.

LigandScout from inte:ligand is a software tool that allows to rapidly and transparently derive 3D pharmacophores from structural data of macromolecule/ligand complexes in a fully automated and convenient way. There is a free evaluation that can be downloaded from the website you just need to register to get a one month evaluation license. It runs under MacOSX, Windows and Linux and I should say from the outset that this feels very much like a proper Mac OS X application not a UNIX port.

I recently had to set up a system to keep track of the chemicals used in the lab, to keep the inventory consistent with regulatory agencies. It started as a simple Excel workbook, but I soon felt the need for something a little more user-friendly. It seemed like the perfect occasion to finally wave goodbye to FileMaker Pro 5 (yes, it still runs on Leopard!) and instead give Bento a try. Bento is supposed to be the light version of FileMaker Pro (and is in fact sold by the same company), and my needs seemed to fit its promises quite well. Bento is also often referred to as the missing database app of the iWork suite, bringing the same simplicity and user interface that is normally expected from Apple's software (well, and of course, you may know that FileMaker is actually part of Apple). Here is the spoiler: I am glad to report that Bento did live up to these expectations. Read the whole review below...

Sometimes you're really blown away when you see a brand new application, by its great functionality, or by a beautiful and elegant user interface, and sometimes by both. Screenflow from Vara software is one of the latter category, you might have seen screen recording software before but this one definitely sets the bar.

In 'Showcase' reviews, the reviewer is the developer. No claim of objectivity is made, but it’s a chance for the developer to show off his/her app. Here, MacResearcher, David Gohara talks about Tator, a program for remotely changing and managing passwords on Unix and Unix-like systems.

I thought I'd use Showcase to let people know about an application I've been working on and using here to make password changing and management a bit easier. We all know that as part of a good security model, we should change our passwords from time to time. For IT folks, this is especially important on managed systems, or simply out of necessity due to computer break-ins or turnover of personnel. One barrier to regularly rotating passwords is the amount of time and coordination it takes in medium to large environments. And given all of the regular responsibilities we all have, password changes are often the last thing to be considered.

In 'Showcase' reviews, the reviewer is the developer. No claim of objectivity is made, but it’s a chance for the developer to show off his/her app. Here, software developer, ex-postdoc, Peter Schols talks about his professional journey and presents Undercover, a Mac OS X application that uses a variety of slick tricks to help recover your stolen mac (see end of article for a discount for MR readers).

About two years ago, I decided to turn my hobby into a living. I quit my job as a postdoc at the K.U.Leuven Biology department and started Orbicule, a brand new Mac software company. When thinking about an inaugural development project, I was reflecting on the challenges we faced at our lab, which is almost Mac-only. As Mac OS X had become quite mature and many third party apps were available, one of the biggest problems at that time had nothing to do with the Mac itself, but rather with protecting it: our department had been plagued by computer theft. At the same time, I was reading on rumor sites that Apple was planning to add built-in iSight cameras into its laptops. Things started coming together and I decided that we would create the first Mac-only theft recovery application...read more...

Here are the links to a series of articles on MacResearch called ‘Showcase’. The idea behind Showcase is that developers get to champion their own applications. It’s a bit like an application review, except that the reviewer is the developer, and absolutely no claim of objectivity is made. It’s a chance for developers to show off what their app can do, and make the case for why they think it is cool. You can decide for yourself whether you believe their story. Developers interested in participating should email showcase [at] macresearch.org.

• Straighten the Learning Curve with Mental Case
• Undercover recovers your stolen mac, anywhere in the universe
• Tator - Batch password changing and management
• LabChart 6 for Turn-Key Data Acquisition

ChemAxon are a software company that produce a variety of cheminformatics applications and software development modules.

ChemAxon are a software company that produce a variety of cheminformatics applications and software development modules. A key driver for development has been maintaining portability among various operating systems and a focus on web-based integration thus they have made extensive use of Java. Many of the tools are free to academics or for evaluation and they have a reputation for being very active partners in collaborations.