Mac OS X Lion arrived a little over a month ago, but one thing it came without was the iTunes widget for Dashboard. I used this widget a lot, and was a bit annoyed that one of the things I liked a lot in OS X was removed. After a quick Google search, I found a kind person who had taken the widget from a Snow Leopard install and kindly uploaded it. In case it ever goes down over there, I thought I would add it to my site for download as well. Just click here to download it and double click on the .wdgt file to install it into Lion. I’m happy to report that it works without a problem and it’s great to have it back.
MKV2VOB Mac Port
If you’re like me and use the PS3 as a media hub in your living room, mkv2vob is a vital tool for converting videos to play on the PS3. Last December I started using an 11″ MacBook Air as essentially my main computer (I have a more powerful Windows notebook I open up every now and then for some heavy lifting), and a replacement for mkv2vob is one piece of software I’ve never been able to find. I’ve came across software like Playback, which can convert MKV files, but 3,500 Yen (about US$43) is a bit pricey for something that mkv2vob does for free. I’ve played with getting it installed via Wine and Wine Bottler, but for some reason I could never get it to work.
A few days ago I ran across someone who has used Wine to make a standalone mkv2vob Mac app that can easily be installed like any other app. It’s called simply mkv2vob Mac, and it does indeed install effortlessly and work flawlessly. I was able to use it to quickly convert some of my videos the other night without a problem, and now there’s one less reason for me to fire up my Windows notebook. I just wanted to share my finding with other Mac users who may have been looking for a similar solution, and also to thank the author. I’ve also made it available for download on this site, in case the files over at SourceForge ever get moved or deleted.