Default Folder X 4.3.6 is finally available, delivering a whole bunch of improvements and fixes.  And yes, it finally uses Sparkle to check for updates

If you use Default Folder X, make sure you update to 4.3.6 - not only does it address bugs in some of its own features, but it also compensates for a lot of the quirks and not-quite-right things in Snow Leopard.

For a full listing of changes and links to download it (in various languages), check the What’s New page. If you just want to grab the update right away, use this link:

http://www.stclairsoft.com/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?DX

As always, if you encounter problems or have questions, post a comment here or send an email to us!

In case you haven’t already seen the news at the Indie+Relief site or on Twitter, the Indie+Relief fundraiser pulled in more than $143,000 for earthquake relief in Haiti - that’s more than any of us ever anticipated! You can read the details at Justin Williams’ blog.

Thanks to everyone who bought software or participated last Wednesday - you’re all fantastic!  It’s really heartening to see the community come together when the need arises. A lot of people really stepped up to contribute.  THANKS!

- Jon

The earthquake in Haiti has nearly destroyed what was already a fragile country. Please join us in assisting in the relief effort.

On Wednesday, January 20 St. Clair Software and 100+ other developers are donating all sales to help provide medical care and supplies for Haitian earthquake victims. Please visit the Indie+Relief web site and purchase any products you need, think you might need or have even considered buying. All revenue will be donated to charities that benefit Haitian earthquake relief.

Even if you don’t purchase anything, donate to the charity of your choice.  Skip that latte and send water to people that desperately need it.  Skip that dessert and provide food or medicine. Or keep your lifestyle exactly the same and just donate a few dollars - it all adds up.  If you’re unsure which charity to give to, visit Charity Navigator, which breaks down the benefits (and costs incurred) for most major charitable organizations.

Sigh - and I thought we had everything completely tested this time…

You can get the new release of Default Folder X from the What’s New page, or just download it using this link:

http://www.stclairsoft.com/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?DX

Version 4.3.5 of Default Folder X remedies two things:

1. In Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and other Carbon applications, Default Folder X’s windows and controls could be left on-screen after a Save dialog went away.  This will no longer happen in 4.3.5.
2. The latest version of OpenMeta uses a different metadata keyword for storing tags in the extended attributes of files (this was not my choice). Because of this, it needs to ‘upgrade’ any tags that you’ve already attached to your files - it searches for them with Spotlight and makes copies of them under the new names. This is necessary if you want Default Folder X (and other OpenMeta-based tagging tools) to continue reading them, but can bog down your machine if you have lots of tagged files.

   Default Folder X will normally do this upgrade automatically. It does, however, take time and resources, so DFX now contains a hidden switch that lets you turn off this upgrade process until you’re ready for it to run.  To get to it, option-click on the Settings button in the DFX preference pane.  You’ll get this window:

   

   Just turn on that “DisableOpenMetaUpgrade” checkbox at the bottom.  Remember that you DO need to run the OpenMeta upgrade eventually or you’ll find that old tags won’t show up when you look at them with Default Folder X (though they’re still there).

   The one situation where you might want to leave OpenMeta upgrading disabled is if you’re using MailTags to tag your email messages and won’t need to access those tags with DFX or any other OpenMeta tagging tool.

Sorry for providing another update so quickly after the last, but it was important to get these changes out, especially #1.  We don’t want you to have problems with Save dialogs!

I’ve fixed a number of things in version 4.3.4 of Default Folder X.  If you’re using Default Folder X, you should grab the update - it’s free, and will run more smoothly on your system.  A full list of changes is available on the release page, or you can just download the installer here:

http://www.stclairsoft.com/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?DX

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and assistance with testing!