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Sunday, July 20, 2003
NewsHunter
2.1.3 Released
A bug in the Post Pictures window has been fixed. Users of Outlook
and Outlook Express should now be able to properly view images encoded
by NewsHunter.
The Post Reply window is much more usable now that the "Post" button is no longer the default button. Hitting the Return key will no longer post a reply but will insert a return into the reply field. Doh!
Friday, July 4, 2003-Independence Day (US)
NewsHunter
2.1.2 Released
In 1776 the 13 original colonies declared their independence from
the British Empire. To celebrate, we are releasing NewsHunter 2.1.2.
NewsHunter 2.1.2 continues to carry the torch of liberty to all freedom
loving folks the world 'round.
This release see the addition of a check box on the "Home" tab that lets you change the way article queues are processed. You can still access this option via the "Document Options..." button but we received so many emails asking how to download only queued articles, that we decided putting a check box right there on the "Home" tab might be a good idea.
Changes to the "Subscribe to Newsgroups" tab will also be evident. You can now select a contiguous range of newsgroups and use the new buttons to subscribe to them or unsubscribe from them all at once. You no longer have to double click each newsgroup one by one.
The were also several minor bug fixes which most likely did not affect any users since they went unreported for who knows how long.
Monday, May 26, 2003
NewsHunter
2.1.1 Released
NewsHunter 2.1.1 now lets you select Rosetta as your yEnc and/or
MIME helper application.
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Revised
News Server Lineup
The news servers have been upgraded and a new server lineup is in
effect as of today. Please update your news reader application. For
more information click here.The
following news servers are now active:
main.parker-news.com
binaries.parker-news.com
binaries2.parker-news.com
adult.parker-news.com
Saturday, May 3, 2003
NewsHunter
2.1.0 Gets Completely New Article Queue Window
The single most popular request has been for us to speed up the
Article Queue window. In response, we have completely rewritten the
Article Queue window for NewsHunter 2.1.0 and it is many many times
faster than in previous releases. We think you will be pleased with
the results.
Sunday, April 6, 2003
NewsHunter
Gets Bug Fixes
NewsHunter 2.0.11 fixes a few small but annoying bugs. Among these
are bugs that caused images to be rendered incorrectly and/or scaled
incorrectly in Player windows and on the Decoding tab of NewsHunter
documents.
Saturday, March 29, 2003
Archer
and ArcherPro Updated
Archer and ArcherPro have been updated. A bug which caused some
imgages to be positioned incorrectly has been fixed.
Sunday, March 23, 2003
News
Server Upgrades
The upgrades to the news servers is nearly complete. You should notice
dramatic improvements over the next week as we complete our tasks. Thanks
for your patience.
Saturday, March 08, 2003
News
Server Upgrades
Over the next couple of weeks, the news servers will be receiving some
upgrades. The upgrades will further improve retention and completion of
articles. During the upgrades, you may notice the usual inconveniences
associated with such activities. Please be patients.
Sunday, February 23, 2003
NewsHunter
2.0.10 Released
This release includes several bug fixes.
CListBox
Error 104 Fixed
This bug would cause NewsHunter to display an error dialog box which would
interrupt downloading operations. The bug has been fixed.
CNStyleGrid Error H-20 Fixed
This bug would cause NewsHunter to display an error dialog box which would
interrupt downloading operations. The bug has been fixed.
NOTE: To suppress the display of error dialogs in general do this:
- Select Utilities -> Error and Event Log
- Click the Options tab
- Put a check mark in the "Avoid displaying error dialog boxes." option
- Close the Error and Event Log window
Clear Decoded Files List Bug Fixed
This bug would cause NewsHunter to not save the setting for the "Clear
list after decoding this many files" option on the Decoding tab. This
bug has been fixed and the Decoding tab will clear the list properly when
this option is set.
Delete Raw Files Pref Works Correctly
This bug caused NewsHunter to save raw files even when the preference
was set to delete them. To set this preference select NewsHunter Preferences...
from the NewsHunter menu. Since there may already be files in the Raw
Files folder, it is suggested that you drag the Raw Files folder to the
Trash Can before setting this option
Saturday, February 15, 2003
ArcherPro
3.1.0 Released
ArcherPro 3.1.0 introduces some nice improvements to our popular multimedia
viewer. The biggest change is the addition of the Background Menu. This
menu lets you change the background color for each image individually.
As usual, each command has a keyboard equivalent. The new commands on
the Background Menu let you:
- Change the background color using the standard Color Picker window.
- Adjust the background color up or down in small increments.
- Reset the background color to the default.
- Reset the background color for all images to the default.
- Open the Preferences window where you can set the Default Background
Color.
A New preference has been added that lets you change the Default Background Color. All images that you have not specifically set a color for will use the Default Background Color.
Tuesday, February 4, 2003
Columbia
Remembered
Please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives for science.
Donations for the 12 children of Columbia's astronauts can be mailed to
the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, P.O. Box 34600, Washington, D.C.
20043-4600. No web site has been established as of yet.
Columbia:
Seven New Stars
Please take a moment to visit, download, and display Columbia: Seven New
Stars on your web site. Designed by Mando Gomez, this gracefully austere
banner is most appropriate. You can view the banners here:
http://columbia.mandolux.com/
Sunday, February 2, 2003
Archer
2.3.2 Released
Archer 2.3.2 makes some nice improvements to our popular freeware multimedia
viewer application. You can now change the background color in three different
ways. You can use the Color Picker window to select a color. You can also
use the "." (Period) and "," (Comma) keys to adjust
the background color in small increments. A bug which caused images to not
be centered when toggling between full screen and normal mode has also been
fixed. Download a copy today!
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Breaking
News - CThreader Done
As part of our efforts to develop NewsHunter 3, we have ported some open
source code. This is the CThreader
based on code developed by Jamie Zawinski and used in Netscape Mail
and News 2.0 and 3.0,in Grendel, and several other applications. NewsHunter
3 will be among these applications. When we release NewsHunter 3, we will
also release the source code for this portion of the program.
Saturday, January 18, 2003
ArcherPro
Receives Praise
In a recent review, Al
Fasoldt praised ArcherPro. "[ArcherPro] has another
advantage nothing else can touch: ArcherPro is the fastest image viewer
OS X has ever seen." writes Fasoldt. Read the complete
review on the San Diego Union-Tribune web site.
Tuesday, December 12, 2002
Purchasing
with Foreign Currencies
Some people have asked why we do not accept other currencies for our other
products. Why just the ones in the Special Offers? This is not true! You can
purchase any of our products through PayPal using the following
currencies: US Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Euro, British Pounds, and Japanese
Yen. PayPal will handle the conversion for you. How? When
you get the the payment page click on the 
to read about how PayPal handles the conversion.
Saturday, November 29, 2002
Foreign
Currencies Now Accepted
We are now able to process your order in several different currencies via
the PayPal system. In the near future, we will also be able to accept foreign
currencies through the eSellerate system as well.
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
NewsHunter
2.0.8 Released
This release fixes a bug that caused some MasterSplitter segmented files to
be assembled incorrectly or not at all. Several other minor bugs where fixed
as well.
Sunday, November 24, 2002
Kitty
Hip Hop
Check out the latest flow from DJ Scratching Post and MC Meow Mix.
Don't be surprised if you play this one about ten times. It's just that good!
[Kitty
Hip Hop]
Saturday, November 16, 2002
Archer
2.3.1 Released!
Archer, our free multimedia viewer for Mac OS X, has received a minor update
which finally fixes a bug that caused some images to be rendered incorrectly.
Saturday, November 9, 2002
ArcherPro
3.0 Released!
ArcherPro 3.0.0 is now available. Exciting new features await you! New in
this release: Pan Image, Tag Image, Export Tagged Images Only, Warn On Delete,
and more! Download a copy today!
Wednesday, November 6, 2002
Conspiracy
Site!
Here's another web site devoted to the far-out and not-so-far-out. Feel free
to check it out:
Rense.com
Monday, November 3, 2002
ArcherPro
3.0.0
Another new command has been added to ArcherPro. The Clear All Tags command
will let you remove all that tags that you have set. ArcherPro 3.0.0 should
be released sometime this week.
Sunday, November 3, 2002
ArcherPro 3.0.0
Because we have added so many new features to ArcherPro, as well as to eliminate
confusion between Archer, we will be releasing the next version of ArcherPro
with a new version number.
In addition to the new features discussed previously, we have also added a new command. The Tag Image command lets you tag images. When you then export the images using the File -> Export Slideshow... command, you will be given the choice of exporting the entire slide show or only the images you have tagged.
Web Site Work
We are continuing to improve the web site. Please be patient
Saturday, November 2, 2002
ArcherPro 1.1.4 - Soon!
We have a new version of ArcherPro almost ready for release. New in this
release is the Panning option. Normally, you can drag images to the Finder
or another player. However, in ArcherPro 1.1.4, when you press the "G"
key on your keyboard, instead of dragging the image, you will be panning the
image. This will let you view images that are larger than your screen when
Actual Size is turned on.
ArcherPro 1.1.4 will also have a new preference that will let you determine whether or not you want to be warned when deleting an image.
This version also includes more bug fixes with the seemingly never-ending scaling problem. This time we finally got someone with a couple of brain cells to point out the actual lines of code that were messed up and exactly how to fix them.
Home Page Redesign
We have done a little redesign on the home page. It seems to be cleaner
and better organized.
Sunday, October 20, 2002
ArcherPro 1.1.3 and
Archer 2.3 Released
Archer and ArcherPro have both been updated to address a bug that caused certain
images to be scaled incorrectly.
Thursday, October 17, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.7 Released
The much anticipated 2.0.7 release is here. NewsHunter 2.0.7 sees some exciting
improvements. You can now compact the NewsHunter database by selecting "Compact
Database" from the Utilities menu. If you run NewsHunter unattended,
you can now configure the Decoding tab to clear the list of decoded files
periodically which will speed things up. There are also several bug fixes.
Chief among these is the stomping of a bug that caused NewsHunter to forget
to create the Decoded Files folder under certain situations. More...
Sunday, October 6, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.6 Released
NewsHunter 2.0.6 fixes yet another bug in the filtering engine. There is also
improved error handling in this release.
Sunday, September 29, 2002
ArcherPro 1.1.2 Released
ArcherPro 1.1.2 is now available for download. This release fixes a bug that
caused registered copies of ArcherPro to revert back to an unregistered state.
Sunday, September 22, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.5 Released
NewsHunter 2.0.5 is now available for download. This release sees improvements
to the Friend Filter mechanism, fixes to the Default Folders preference, elimination
of the LoadFile/Analyze File errors, and improvements to the database. And,
as a result of code optimizations, the new version is also nearly one megabyte
smaller than previous releases.
Monday, September 16, 2002
Who Is in Charge of
Updating the News!
Apparently no one. It has been a long time since anyone updated the news section.
Lately, I have been on a sort of home-improvement jag: virtually not literally
that is. I spent the entire weekend watch shows like This
Old House, Ground
Force, Changing
Rooms, Trading
Spaces, and Bob
Vila's Home Again. It is amazing there sheer number of hours devoted this
genre of programming. I could have watched non-stop for an entire weekend.
Sadly, only Trading Spaces and Changing Rooms operated with budgets that poor
people like me could afford. Bob Vila's projects are truely spectacular in
scope, detail, and expense. That is all.
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
September is the Worst
Month - But We'll Make it Better
Don't you hate September? I know I do. It's a month that sits between summer
and fall, between sultry and shivering, and between excitment and examinations.
We understand. So, to usher in yet another disappointing September, Parker
Software is having a September Insanity Sale. For the entire month, you can
order a copy of NewsHunter at 50% off and get a FREE copy of ArcherPro! Wow.
Thursday, August 29, 2002
Smudgicons Are Here!
Did you ever want to see your favorite pet bouncing up and down on your Dock?
Well now you can! Simply order a Smudgicon! Once you have placed
your order, email us with your receipt and the picture you want to turn
into an OS X icon and we'll do the rest. Of course, you don't have to send
us picture of your pet: any picture will do as long as it is not pornographic
in nature.
How to Leave a Professional
Telephone Message
When you call a business after hours, or if you get directed to someone's
voice mail, please follow this simple procedure:
- CLEARLY and SLOWLY state your name
- CLEARLY and SLOWLY state the name of the company you represent
- CLEARLY and SLOWLY state your area code
- CLEARLY and SLOWLY state your telehpone number
- CLEARLY and SLOWLY state your message
Note how important it is to CLEARLY and SLOWLY provide this information. Don't
just mumble a bunch of crap into the phone and expect someone to make sense
out of it. Oh yeah, and don't just say things like "Call me" or
"This is Jim. Where's my report." Follow this advice and you will
be leaving professionally designed messages in no time. And people will think
you have your act together.
Sunday, August 25, 2002
NewsHunter for 50%
Off When You Register Your Free Copy Archer!
When you register your free copy of Archer, you are provided an opportunity
to get a registration key for NewsHunter at 50% off the regular price!
Simply follow this link which takes you to the Registration
page. Simply click the Buy button next to the Archer product. Archer is added
to your shopping cart. If you scroll down a little bit, you will see the NewsHunter
for Archer Owners deal. Take advantage if this special deal today!
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Two for Tuesday
Twoday we point you twoward a web site designed just for twins! Twinsworld
Monday, August 19, 2002
A New Week Begins
Welcome to the new week. While we have little to report this morning, we would
like to thank everyone for the outrageously insane responses to NewsHunter
2.0.4. However, several people have mentioned problems with Friend Filters.
Please remember to turn off your Friend Filters unless you have an immediate
need for them. We plan on introducing an option that will let you do this
right from your NewsHunter documents in a future release.
Wednesday, August 14, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.4 Released
- Friend Filters, RegEx, and More!
NewsHunter 2.0.4 now implements Regular Expressions to search for patterns
in the overview file instead of particular strings of information. This greatly
improves the accuracy of the download engine. Also new in this release are
Friend Filters. Friend Filters let you specify what gets download instead
of what doesn't get downloaded. They are the opposite of regular filters.
There have also been improvements made to the MasterSplitter utility. There
are several more incredibly exciting improvements that you can read about
on the NewsHunter product page.
ArcherPro 1.1.1 Released
This version of ArcherPro fixes
a problem with the splash screen displaying incorrect information. There are
also some clarifications in the ReadMe file on how to use the Destination
Folders window.
Thursday, August 8, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.4 Update
NewsHunter 2.0.4 is nearing release. Some of the things we have fixed include;
problems with the MasterSplitter Utility that prevented it from assembling
segmented files correctly, problems in the Post Pictures window, and some
other bugs.
Several people asked that we add the ability to add text to the images that are posted with the Post Pictures window. We have done this and it is now possible to include text that appears before the image and text that appears after the image.
We are hoping to have this release ready to go in the next few days.
ArcherPro for Windows
on the Way?
Someone is currently mucking around with a Windows version of ArcherPro. It
is still in very early development and we have no idea when it will be finished.
We just thought you might like to know what's going in the back room.
Tuesday, August 6, 2002
No News Today
There is nothing noteworthy going on here today.
Saturday, August 3, 2002
ArcherPro 1.1 Released
- Now with Destination Folders
ArcherPro 1.1 has a new feature called Destination Folders. By dragging
folders into the Destination Folders window, you can configure ArcherPro
to rapidly copy the displayed image to any of eight user-defined locations.
For more information, please see the ArcherPro
information page.
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.3 Released
Finally. NewsHunter 2.0.3 is now available for download. For more information
on this ultra exciting release, please see the NewsHunter
or NewsHunter Classic
information page.
Monday, July 29, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.3 Update
We have completed NewsHunter 2.0.3. Hopefully, we will be able to release
it in the next couple of days.
Smudgicon Released!
|
"Give me a treat or I will kill you." |
Whew! Aren't you glad Smudgicon is finally available! This is an Iconographer
file of Smudges - a giant 32-pound Main Coon cat that scares the
dog. Replace your NewsHunter icon with the Smudgicon and you'll
be the coolest cat on the block! Yeow! |
Sunday, July 28, 2002
Archer 2.2 Released
- It's free!
Archer, our free multimedia viewer, has just received a few improvements.
Cursor key navigation is finally supported, windows now re-size correctly
when the Dock is visible, and long filenames now display correctly when the
Show Info option is enabled.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.3 Update
Work still continues on this release. What's the hold up you ask? We are currently
re-writing the Article Queue window. So far, we have removed almost 99% of
the flakiness and have improved the coolness by about 22%. We were forced
to sacrifice some speed in order to achieve a higher level of stability. There's
a bunch of other improvements as well. We think everyone will be pleased with
this release.
Where's My Sky Bar!
Where's my Bun?
Did you ever wonder what became of that favorite candy that you can't seem
to find anywhere anymore? Well chances are you can find and buy that favorite
candy at Hometown Favorites.
That's right, all the snacks and candies that you thought where no longer
being produced, are probably available online! Sadly Pillsbury Space Food
Sticks, Hipolite Marshmallows, and others are apparently gone forever. How
do I know this? Hometown Favorites has a list of all the items that are no
longer produced. Get your snack on!
Friday, July 19, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.3 Update
We are currently working on NewsHunter 2.0.3 which will see some long-awaited
fixes. Major among these is long filename support.
PublixDirect - Groceries
Delivered with a Smile - by Mike Tercel
I tried out publixdirect.com to
see how this online grocery shopping thing is supposed to work. The Frosty
Paws frozen dog treats, Milk Chocolate Milano cookies, and all other items
arrived in excellent condition. And everything was delivered by friendly people.
An excellent service. It was very cool to open the door and see a bunch of
groceries that I didn't have to drive to the store and get. Here is a sample
of what I had delivered:
1
$2.37 $2.37 Hormel Spam 12 Oz
1 $6.49 $6.49 Folgers Classic Roast Instant
Coffee 12 Oz
1 $5.99 $5.99 Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne
Wash 6 Fl Oz
1 $3.59 $3.59 White Castle Cheeseburgers
6 Count 11 Oz
1 $2.69 $2.69 Stouffer's HomeStyle Veal
Parmigiana With Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce 11.6 Oz
1 $2.69 $2.69 Stouffer's HomeStyle Salisbury
Steak With Grilled Onions 9.6 Oz
1 $3.99 $3.99 Alpo Master's Choice 4 Inch Beef
Basted Bones 3 Count
1 $2.59 $2.59 Frosty
Paws Treats For Dogs, Frozen 4 - 3.5 Oz Cups
1 $2.49 $2.49 Land O Lakes Sweet Cream
Salted Butter 4 Sticks 16 Oz
1 $1.85 $1.85 Publix Whole Milk With Vitamin
D 0.5 Gal
1 $1.69 $1.69 Carnation Coffee-Mate Non-Dairy
Creamer Toasted Almond 16 Fl Oz
1 $5.99 $5.99 Downy Enhancer Calming Mist
Fabric Conditioner 40 Fl Oz
2 $0.99 $1.98 Purina Whisker Lickin's Cat
Treats Beef Flavor 3 Oz
2 $1.99 $3.98 Purina Whisker Lickin's Cat
Treats Tartar Control Tuna Flavor 4.5 Oz
1 $2.49 $2.49 Reynolds Wrap Heavy
Duty Aluminum Foil 50 Sq Ft
1 $3.99 $3.99 Publix Resealable Sandwich Bags
200 Count
1 $1.59 $1.59 Charles Chips Potato
Chips Original 6 Oz
1 $6.89 $6.89 Beck's Imported Beer 6 -
12 Fl Oz Bottles
1 $2.59 $2.59 Pepperidge Farm Cookies
Milk Chocolate Milano 6.25 Oz
1 $14.99 $14.99 Bounty Paper Towels
15 Rolls
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.2 Released
NewsHunter 2.0.2 sees still more
improvements to the Article Queue window. It has a new layout and improved
searching. For example, when you search for something, instead if simply being
flagged in the Status field, only articles that match your search criteria
are displayed. Once you have queued files, you can click the Show All button
to re-load the complete list.
NewsHunter Classic
2.0.2 Released
NewsHunter Classic 2.0.2
sees still more improvements to the Article Queue window. It has a new layout
and improved searching. For example, when you search for something, instead
if simply being flagged in the Status field, only articles that match your
search criteria are displayed. Once you have queued files, you can click the
Show All button to re-load the complete list.
Monday, July 15, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.2 Update
We are currently working on adding some new features to the Article Queue
window as well as fixing some bugs. We hope to have this version released
some time this week. Beep.
Friday, July 12, 2002
NewsHunter Classic
2.0.1 Released
NewsHunter Classic is now available for download. This release sees improved
article queueing, improved rendering in Player windows, and more. See the
NewsHunter Classic product
page for details.
Thursday, July 11, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.1 Rocks!
- So Say Users.
NewsHunter 2.0.1 is apparently a cool application. We truly appreciate all
of the feedback, comments, suggestions, praise, and criticism we have received.
We will try to implement as many of the new feature requests as soon as we
can. Thanks!
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.1 Released
- Yikes! It's Ready Already!
NewsHunter 2.0.1 (OS X only) is now available. This release sees improved
article queueing, improved rendering in Player windows, and more. See the
NewsHunter product page for details!
Tuesday, July 9, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.1 Update
NewsHunter 2.0.1 is nearing completion. This release will fix several bugs
as well as introduce a new and much improved article queue window. You will
now be able to search for articles, save your searches, and more. The articles
you have queued will now appear in a separate list as well.
Thursday, July 4, 2002
NewsHunter Classic
2.0 Released
We have released NewsHunter Classic 2.0 today. Please see the NewsHunter
Classic product page for details.
Wednesday, July 3, 2002
Welcome Mac Fans!
Parker Software Development, Inc. is proud to announce our Mac Fans Special
Offers Program. If you are a Mac Fan, please click
here to read information on how to obtain insane discounts on all of our products.
If you are not already a Mac Fans member, please visit
the Mac Fans web site.
NOTE: We are sorry but no discounts can be applied to our News Service.
Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Fourth of July Sale
Announced
See the top of the page for details.
Monday, July 1, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0 and
Article Queues
We have received a few reports about the Article Queue window and NewsHunter
2.0. The problem manifests itself when the "Download the Overview and
Select the Articles You Want to Download..." command is selected when
using a new, untitled NewsHunter document. When encountered, it will look
like there are no headers to queue. To fix the problem, save your NewsHunter
document before downloading the overview.
Procedure 1
- launch NewsHunter
- select File -> New
- select File -> Save
- download the overview
Procedure 2 - use this
if Procedure 1 has no effect
- launch NewsHunter
- select File -> New
- select File -> Save
- close the NewsHunter document
- select File -> Open and open the document you just saved
- download the overview
Sunday, June 30, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0 Released
- classic version on the way...
NewsHunter 2.0 has been released. Screen
shots can be found here. We are still preparing the Classic version and
hope to have that done this week. NewsHunter 2.0 is a major rewrite and really
improves the overall coolness of the application. Check
it out!
Friday, June 28, 2002
City Skylines
Everything you ever wanted to know about skyscrapers and city skylines can
be found at SkyScrapers.com. This
is an excellent site and is loaded with all sorts of interesting information.
How does your country rate in overall tall-building construction? Find out
now! And if you want to see pictures of skylines from all over the globe,
you should pay a visit to ScraperVille.
Olde Frothingslosh
- Better Things for Better Living Through Chicanery
You've never heard of Olde
Frothingslosh? Obviously you have never plumbed the depths of the beer
can collecting underworld. Olde Forthingslosh created some of the funniest
beer cans ever. See pictures of the cans (yeah, I actually still have my Olde
Frothingslosh cans), read the stories, feel the love. And don't forget to
order a GalacticKegger
- that's 5,300 gallons of the beer with the "foam on the bottom.".
Castles of King Ludwig
II
This is the sovereign that is responsible for building all the fairy tale
castles in Germany. However, did you know that he also had constructed a special
locomotive just for him? It's true. And you can see pictures of this train
as well as the castles commissioned by this eccentric king at German
World.
Medieval Mustard
Did you ever want to make a lot of mustard the old fashioned way? Well Grey
Dragon has the recipe for this and hundreds of other midieval foods.
How to Use a Japanese
Toilet - And Other Japanese Info
Did you ever want to travel to Japan? Well, before you go, you should check
out some of the Japanese sites dedicated to educating silly foreigners on
how to behave properly. For example, many areas of Japan employ toilets that
may confuse people who have never seen them. In this humorous
and informative presentation you can learn the proper way to use a Japanese
toilet. And if you want the skinny on how not to look like a complete idiot
when visiting Japan, you will want to take a look at Japan-Guide.com's
directory of everyday living.
NewsHunter 2 Update
NewsHunter 2.0.0 is complete and we have begun developing the documentation.
We will be ready to release NewsHunter 2.0.0 one week before Mac Expo. We
think this release will address many of the requests we have received from
our customers.
Friday June 21, 2002
The Weekend Arrives
Today is Friday. Rest assured that we are working feverishly to complete NewsHunter
2. The final build will probably be this weekend. As soon as that is completed,
we will move right into developing the documentation. It is too late in the
development cycle to accept any more feature requests. Any requests submitted
will be implemented in future releases of NewsHunter.
Tuesday June 18, 2002
Another Special Offer!
For the next few days we will be offering NewsHunter, ArcherPro, and one free
month of news service for the insane price of $24.95. If you purchased each
of these products individually they would cost you more than $88.00. You save$63.90!
Man, are we crazy or what! This offer has ended.
Monday June 17, 2002
NewsHunter 2 Update
To make things easier for first-time users, we have improved the "out
of box" experience for NewsHunter 2. Upon running the program for the
first time, NewsHunter will guide you through the process of setting everything
up. Then, once the setup procedure has been completed, NewsHunter will automatically
create a new document and begin downloading the list of newsgroups from your
news server. Naturally, experienced users can bypass the setup procedure.
Friday June 14, 2002
Parker Now Accepting
PayPal Payments
We are now accepting payments using the PayPal system.
Wednesday June 12, 2002
Parker + MacFans =
Big Big Savings!
Check us out on MacFans.com. And don't
forget to join so you can receive discounts and special offers on Parker products
and all sorts of cool stuff.
Onions in My Eyes
There's not much going on here today. For some good laughs, don't forget to
check out The Onion.
Monday June 10, 2002
NewsHunter Sale!
Until Wednesday, May 12, 2002, we are offering NewsHunter for only $24.97.
That's 50% off the regular price of $49.95. This offer has ended.
Friday June 7, 2002
Mr. Parker to Issue
Corporate Memorandum
Rumors have been circulating all week that Mr. Parker will be releasing a
corporate memorandum. What the contents of this memo are is anyone's guess.
If it follows the line of thought found in previous memos, then it most likely
be filled with random babbling mixed with a generous helping of word salad.
Watch for this memo. We will post it as soon as we can.
Yoplait Whips! Found
to be Delicious
After being influenced by the recent ad campaign heralding the arrival of
their newest yougurt concotion, the Parker Software Fine Foods Division decided
it was time to review Yoplait Whips! for themselves. Each of the six different
flavors (Strawberry Mist, Rasberry Mousse, Cherry Chiffon, Key Lime Pie, Peaches
'n Cream, and Orange Creme) was delivered to our labs for testing. In every
instance, our staff of Yogurt Analysis Experts agreed that each and every
flavor was found to be of "Delicious" quality. To find out more
about this stunning new development in the Yogurt Sciences, please visit Yoplait.
Wednesday June 5, 2002
NewsService Now Available
Parker Software is now offering news service. Please see the News
Service page for more information.
Tuesday June 4, 2002
NewsService Update
The news servers are now online and we will begin offering news service tomorrow.
Woo Hoo!
Monday June 3, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0 Update
The current build of NewsHunter 2.0 now sports a Read Newsgroups tab. This
tab lets you select a news server, click on newsgroup, and read the articles.
It's simple and very easy to use. Since it runs in its own thread, you can
read articles while downloading binaries.
Winternet Users Please
Note
If you use winternet.com as your service provider, please be sure to turn
authentication off when setting up your news server. If you turn authentication
on, you will receive errors if you are already dialed in to their network.
Although NNTP servers should be happy to authenticate you even if it is not
required, in this instance errors will be generated.
Friday, May 31, 2002
The Weekend Arrives
This is Friday and everyone is going home early. We suggest you do the same.
Thursday, May 30, 2002
Insanity Takes Control
After hours of reasoned discussion, heated debate, and childish bickering,
Mike Tercel, after wearing all involved down to bloody stumps, stepping on
egos, and questioning the judgment off all, won an important victory today.
Thus, Parker Software Development is "proud" to announce the
One Day Insane Madness Sale. This special offer lets you get a free NewsHunter
registration key when you purchase a copy of ArcherPro. That's a savings of
$49.95! This offer has expired.
Wednesday, May 29,
2002
NewsHunter 2.0.0 Screen
Shots
We have posted some NewsHunter 2 screen shots. Each screen shot has a brief
description. To view the screenshots
click here.
Tuesday, May 28, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0.0 Update
- Screen Shots Coming Soon!
- NewsHunter 2 is nearing completion. We have done a couple of cool things
to the Decoding Tab. Previous builds would display a list of all the files
that had been downloaded, their current decoding status, and if decoded their
location on your hard drive. The latest build introduces an image viewer next
to the list. This lets you cursor through the list and see each decoded image.
If you don't like an image, simply hit the "D" key or click the
"Delete" button to delete the image from your hard drive. If the
file is an audio file or a movie file, you can double-click it to open the
appropriate application. This will make it much easier to breeze through downloaded
files deleting the images you don't like.
- This build also introduces support for yEnc encoded files.
- The next build should introduce simple reading and posting via the Reading tab. The reader will run in its own thread that way you can read newsgroups while also conducting downloading activies. Cool.
Thursday, May 23, 2002
ArcherPro is a Hit!
Thanks for Making the ArcherPro introduction so successful. And for those
of you haven't registered: Register today! Beep!
Wednesday, May 22,
2002
News Servers Almost
Ready!
Parker Software News Service is almost ready for prime time. We will be offering
3 Gigabytes of unthrottled data transfer per day for only $7.95 per month.
We are hoping to bring everything on line by Monday! This is great news service
for a great price!
Tuesday, May 21, 2002
NewsHunter / ArchePro
Combo Pack Announced
For a limited time, you can get the power of NewsHunter and ArcherPro for
one low price. Take advantage of this great offer before it ends!
Monday, May 20, 2002
ArchePro Released
That's right! ArcherPro is finally available. This new program builds upon
the basic functionality found in Archer to deliver a truly easy to use multimedia
viewer for OS X. Like Archer, ArcherPro makes extensive use of single keystroke
access to almost all commands. Unlike Archer, ArcherPro lets you save your
slide shows, export your slide shows, disable warning dialogs, and more! This
is probably the best little multimedia viewer out there. Check out ArcherPro
today!
Friday, May 17, 2002
Shameless Bid for Email
Addresses to Begin Soon
Why try to hide it. That's right, Parker Software will soon begin a shameless
campaign to capture your email address so we can send you mailings. How do
we plan on implementing this evil plan? Well, what we are going to do is begin
an announcement list. This list will be used to announce the release of updates
and new products. Those foolish enough to join this list, will also receive
special discounts, access to beta software, and freebies. So, if you like
getting free crap, discounts on software, and other stuff you should join
the Parker Software Announcement list as soon as we get around to setting
it up. We'll keep you posted and will provide a link that will enable you
to join when the time comes.
Thursday, May 16, 2002
I Have Like Five Minutes
to Do This
Time is tight so there will be no meaningful update today. However, here's
a cool link which chronicles the history
of the Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Good Feedback
We have been receiving a lot of good feedback from NewsHunter and Archer users.
We would like to thank everyone for taking the time to email us with their
praise, suggestions, and happy thoughts. A special thanks to a mysterious
user known only as "RC" for some insights into NewsHunter. A lot
of what has been suggested is already being integrated into upcoming releases.
If you have a suggestions, please feel free to email
us.
Wednesday, May 15,
2002
News Service to be
Available Soon
That's right. We will soon be providing news service. It will be fast, relaible,
and affordable. We are currenlty in the testing phases and hope to have the
service available by the end of the month if not sooner. This will be great
for people who need access to big, fast news servers because their ISPs only
provide rudimentary service if any at all. We'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, May 14, 2002
Zeek Wants a Cinema
Display
Today, amidst the XServe announcement from
Apple Computer, Inc., Zeek excalimed, "I want a Cinnamon
Display!" Several people tried to explain to Zeek that the correct name
was the "Cinema Display".
Zeek was having none of it and insisted that Mr. Parker and The
Commander drive immediately to the local
Apple Store and get him a Cinnamon Display. Mmm. Tasty.
No One Knows Where
Chad Is
Chad Max has dissapeared. If you know where he is please email
us.
Monday, May 13, 2002
ArcherPro Update
Development on ArcherPro, our newest application, is nearing completion. ArcherPro
has some cool new features. For example, ArcherPro will now let you save your
slide shows as ArcherPro documents. Well, maybe that's not the coolest thing
in the world, but many people requested it.
However, what is cool is opening an ArcherPro document, going to the Play menu and selecting "Auto Load". When you do this, the next time you launch ArcherPro, that document will automatically load itself. You can Auto Load as many ArcherPro documents as you like. Imagine having several of your favorite slide shows load themselves automatically with a single click. Pretty cool.
In order to achieve this, we have implemented a hybrid document/database architecture. This means that some information is stored in your ArcherPro documents and some information, such as what ArcherPro documents to Auto Load, is stored in your ArcherProDB database.
Another new feature, which will also make it into our free program, Archer, is the ability to view images and movies at actual size.
Of course, ArcherPro has the same easy-to-use interface as Archer and all the commands can be accessed with a single keystroke, command-key, or menu command.
Friday, May 10, 2002
There's Nothing Going
On Here Today
Today is Friday. That's all we have to say.
Thursday, May 9, 2002
Search Engine Coming
Soon
We will be turning on the search engine for Parker Software fairly soon now.
For those of you who need to search the site and don't care about looks, you
can access the search page from here.
There's A Bit of Confusion
Around Here
There is a great many people who do not know the difference between a honey
bee and a bumble bee. To calm your jangled nerves, you can visit this site
to learn all about the gentle bumble bee and its nimble cousin, the honey
bee. So wing on over to "Discover
the Bumble Bee".
Mother's Day is Approaching
Read about the dirty and sordid history
of Mother's Day in this fascinating little article by Holly Hildebrand.
The Kings and Queens
of England
Did you know that the United States of America was once a colony of the British
Empire? It's true! We revolted a couple hundred years ago. However, many people
in the states still retain a fascination with the British monarchy,
royalty, nobility,
and the peerage.
Wednesday, May 8, 2002
New Quote Now Available
for Use
Once in a while, a turn of a phrase captures world attention, sinks into the
cultural psyche, and permanently embeds itself in the human experience. Today,
Mike Tercel coined such a phrase. Trapped in the pressure cooker of the daily
commute, Tercel uttered these words. They are sure to find a place in everyone's
vocabulary.
"Existence isn't worth the effort." - Mike Tercel, 2002
Funny Things Make People
Laugh
Sometimes a web site grabs your attention and just won't let go. It claws
at your subconscious until you are forced to visit the site again and again.
My Cat Hates You is such a web
site. It is literally filled with hundreds of pictures of cats expressing
what can only be termed as "pure hatred". Each picture is accompanied
with a small caption. This is a very funny site. You go now!
There also sites that seem to hang around forever. For those of you who have never seen Simon's Lists, you should check it out. It is a compendium of the odd, weird, and just plain shocking. If this site doesn't make you laugh, you're probably dead.
Tuesday, May 7, 2002
NewsHunter and NewsHunter
Classic 1.5.5 Released
NewsHunter and NewsHunter Classic have been released. You can download a copy
from here.
This is Pretty Cool
Here is a cool web site that you should visit. It is called Molecular
Expressions. After getting to the site, you should click on the Powers
of Ten link.
What the Heck is Sonoluminscence?
Basically it is the generation of light from sound. Not even The
Who had this kind of audio power. Read more about it over at the Scientific
American web site.
Best Rock Band of All
Time Releases New CD
That's right boys and girls. The band from The
Great White North is getting ready to unleash a blizzard of rock and roll
coolness. Rush, "a band that
just won't die", according to Mike Tercel, is releasing Vapor
Trails. Get your copy today at CDNow!
Remember, Rush is, in the opinion of many, is a very influential band that,
while rarely garnering popular appeal, has nevertheless left its mark on many
of today's rock acts.
Monday, May 6, 2002
Archer Pro Update
Archer Pro development proceeds. We are currently looking at two different
approaches, document based and database driven, and we are leaning heavily
on the database driven design. What does this mean? Well, basically it means
that there will be no such thing as an Archer Pro document. When you launch
Archer Pro, you will have access to a list of "Players". This will
provide a more convenient way to keep your collections organized.
NewsHunter 1.5.5 Update
NewsHunter 1.5.5 is completed and we are now preparing to deploy it. This
release fixes a bug that caused certain segmented files to be assembled and
decoded incorrectly. It does not, however, address the bug that causes files
to be named incorrectly. We are still trying to figure that one out.
NewsHunter 2.0 Update
NewHunter 2.0 development is proceeding smoothly. We will try to put up some
screen shots. The new interface is going to make using NewsHunter about a
gazillion times easier. And, with the inclusion of Archer technology, viewing
downloaded files will be much easier.
What's Up With All
the Stupid Links?
When I was living in my old apartment, there
was a huge Cuban
Anole that lived in a tree outside my den. I named the critter "Puffy"
because I had just seen the movie "There's
Something About Mary" and I thought the little
dog in the movie was funny. I thought it would be a study in contradiction
to give the lizard a name that is not descriptive of its physical
characteristics. Cuban Anoles, as you may not know, are not puffy, fluffy,
furry, or cute. In any event, I logged all of Puffy's comings and goings in
a field log. Naturally, the field
log was for my own personal
edification. When I moved to my
new digs, I lost contact with Puffy. I hope he is doing well and that the
new people are also feeding him mashed up bananas.
Friday, May 3, 2002
Archer Pro Update
Archer Pro, a program based on Archer but with advanced features,
is currently under development. We're hoping to get this program out as soon
as possible. It should retail for anywhere between $10 and $25 dollars. The
original Archer will still be free.
NewsHunter 1.5.5 Update
As reported earlier, there is a bug in NewsHunter 1.5.4 that causes files
to be named incorrectly. NewsHunter 1.5.5, which we hope to have available
early next week should fix this problem.
Thursday, May 2, 2002
Funny Things Make People
Laugh - by Mike Tercel
Many years ago, when I was on a consulting gig for The
National Science Foundation, I would sometimes spend time surfing the
web - on the tax payers' money mind you. This was during that dark days when
Apple was trying to figure out if they
were going to buy Be or if they
were going to bring back Steve
Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and along with
them, the good folks over a NeXT,
including the way cool Avie
Tevenian. Anyway, I came across a web site called Tomato
Nation. The site is written by Sarah D. Bunting and, apparently, a
few cats that seem to have invaded her home. This girl is simply the funniest
one-woman show on the web. So, if you like to laugh and if you think funny
things are funny, then surf on over to Tomato
Nation today and get yer fill of humor.
Chad Max Resurfaces
Chad made an unexpected call today from his Las
Vegas studio. After talking with Mr. Parker and Tak Keung, Chad boldly
announced that he was going to be doing some more work on the web site. While
details are sketchy, we are pretty sure that Chad will do some cool stuff.
Wednesday, May 1, 2002
I am Going Home
Stricken down with a mysterious
illness, Mike Tercel decided to go home early. Thus, there will be no
more news for today. Beep.
Tuesday, April 30,
2002
Register Your Copy
of Archer and Save Big!
Archer is a great application: small, lightning fast, flexible, and best of
all totally FREE. Now, when you take the time to register
your copy of Archer, you will receive a special URL that gets you a 50%
discount on NewsHunter and NewsHunter Classic. Don't miss out on this special
offer. It won't last forever.
NewsHunter 2.0 Development
Update
Another handy feature has been added to NewsHunter 2.0. In older releases,
NewsHunter would just pile
up all the raw files it had downloaded into a folder named Raw Files. NewsHunter
2.0, however, will now organize raw files the same way it organizes decoded
files by placing them in folders named after the newsgroup from which they
originate.
NewsHunter 1.5.4 Bug
Alert
A bug
has been found in NewsHunter 1.5.4 that causes files to be named improperly.
The result is that files appear to be plain old text documents. The file is
actually OK, but needs to be opened and saved in an editing program like Adobe
Photoshop. This bug will be fixed in 1.5.5 which should be out shortly. We
are very sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused.
Alex is on His Way
to the Office
Rumors are spreading that Alex is actually on his way into the office. Please
be advised that this may or may not be the case. He called from his cell phone
and said, "Right. I am on my way in now." Mind you that it is already
1:25 in the afternoon. Apparently he is on the beach
"working" or something like that.
Monday, April 29, 2002
Registration Key Confusion
Resolved
We have received several emails from people expressing concern that if they
were running OS 9 and OS X, that they would have to purchase two separate
registration keys. This is not the case. NewsHunter and NewsHunter Classic
registration keys are interchangeable.
NewsHunter 2.0 Development
Update
As you may know, development on NewsHunter 2.0 had been suspended during the
recent madness. We are glad to report that development on this totally new
version of NewsHunter has once again resumed. A few of features recently added
include Auto Folder Creation, which will automatically create download folders
named after the newsgroups, Synchronize Newsgroups, which will update newsgroup
information without downloading anything, and a Newsgroup Subscription tab,
which eliminates the need for the Newsgroup Manager window.
Thursday, April 25,
2002
Web Site Down and then
Back Up
Our web site was down for a couple of hours this morning. Sorry about that.
New Icons Created
Unsatisfied with the last batch of icons, Chad Max unilaterally decided
that new icons were needed. While not actually making the programs run better,
the new icons will look much nicer on your dock, desktop, and elsewhere in
your file system. The new icons should be integrated into the installers this
weekend.
Wednesday, April 24,
2002
This Has Nothing to
Do with Parker Software
Mike Trivisonno likes Futurama. Please help him save the show!
JPEG Files Cause Problems
for One User
We have received a report from one user who has encountered a problem while
downloading some JPEG files.
Apparently, the files are assuming the creator and type of a rich-text document.
The files really are JPEG files and can be opened and viewed normally. We
have been unable to duplicate the problem here and are asking users for further
input. If you have encountered this problem or if you have a workaround, please
let us know.
Dog Smells Funny
The small dog owned by Derek Tak Keung smells bad. "All I know is
that stink is being detected at both the front and rear ends," commented
Derek. "I think he transfers the stink from the rear to the front by
way of the tongue," Keung concluded. The dog, with the given name of
Einstein, will now be known
as Stinky Puppy.
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Buttered Muffin for
Breakfast
Derek Keung was shocked to learn that for two days in a row the local McDonald's
was unable to fulfill his order correctly. Imagine the stunned looks when
this morning Derek unveiled what was supposed to be a Sausage McMuffin. Sadly,
in turned out to be an english muffin buttered on only one side. "What
is this?" questioned Derek as he flapped the almost-toasted food item
in the still morning air of Conference Room B. "That's not even on the
menu," commented one employee refering to the partially buttered muffin.
Cat Eats Cockroach
The cat pictured above was caught chasing, attacking, and eating a cockroach
last night. Apparently when everyone is asleep, Smudges the Cat, stalks the
apartment looking for tasty morsels to eat. When confronted with his cockroach-eating
problem, Smudges replied, "Meow."
Monday, April 22, 2002
Parker Software - Cadre of Clowns
"It's important to have the .htaccess file configured properly."
muttered Chad. Today, thousands of unsuspecting clients tried to download
files only find that their broswer window filled with garbage: harking back
to the early days of web surfing when every new MIME type encountered required
a trip to the Helper Applications Preference. After a good deal of nonsense
and general clowning around, it was
discovered that the .htaccess was not configured correctly. Once the problem
was repaired, downloads proceeded without incident. Cudos to the tech support
staff.
Man! Is it Hot or What?
Stiffling heat grips
the offices of Parker Software today as the AC system chokes on its own juices.
Mike Tercel, who blocked his air conditioner vent because he "likes the
heat", was heard commenting, "Man! It too hot even for me."
Employee comments ranged from, "What an idiot." to "Freaking
idiot." to endless jags of swearing.
Banners Still Not Ready
"Screw you,
I'm going home." was all Chad had to say. Instead of working over
the weekend, Chad and his girlfriend, Carol, took off for a two-day funfest.
Naturally no banners were to be found on the FTP server this morning, prompting
Derek to exclaim, "What the hell is going on here!"
Internet Now on Computers
The internet is now available on computers. So says Homer
Simpson.
Friday, April 19, 2002
The Site is Live
Shocked employees arrived at work this morning only to find that the Parker
Software Development, Inc web site had gone "live". This means that
everything is in place for valued customers to download and purchase software.
Sadly, however, the marketing campaign is still awaiting several critical
elements. Mr. Parker is conducting meetings to determine if we can begin a
low level roll out while we wait for the banner ads and such.
Mike Tercel Goes to
Arby's for Lunch
"I'm hungry", was all Mike Tercel had to say as he shuffled to the
parking lot. About an hour later, he returned with a bag of roast beef sandwiches
which were placed next to the box of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts left over from
breakfast. "I think he needed to get something to eat because he was
hungry." observed one particularly sharp employee. "I don't understand",
commented Derek. "This sort of thing happens every day and I seem powerless
to stop it.", he observed.
Thursday, April 18,
2002
Standy By... Beep!
All attempts to contact Chad have failed. We did however manage to have a
nice conversation with Carol. She told us that Chad was in a meeting and that
he could not be disturbed. "Lies! All lies!", screeched Zeek Keung
as he stomped off to find something to eat. We hope to re-establish communication
with that of the Chad in the near future. Please stand by....
Basic Structure of
Web Site Complete
In a shocking display of internal motivation, Mike Tercel today went over
the web site and added all the necessary links needed for us to "go live".
Although not nearly as adept as Chad Max, Mr. Tercel was able to hook us up
so that we can begin hawking our wares to the general public. Congratulations
to everyone for making this transition as difficult and as painful as possible.
You all suck.
Wednesday, April 17,
2002
No Icons Can be Found Anywhere
Shocked workers expressed dismay that no icons could be found anywhere. The
lack of icons is delaying the final touches on NewsHunter, NewsHunter Classic,
and Archer. When asked, Chad Max said, "Icons? What the hell are those?
I work only in oil-on-canvas". Stupified employees could only stare into
the distance and wonder how this could be happening.
Mr. Parker Stalks Hallways
After the stunning revelation uttered by Chad Max, Mr. Parker and his odd-looking
friend known only as The Commander, stalked the halls of Parker Software Development,
Inc., making unintelligble beeping noises. Bino brought his dog into the office.
Merica (dumbass name for a dog, isn't it?) quickly found and bit the ankle
of The Commander, who scurried for cover in the back room.
Tuesday, April 16,
2002
Up and Running Very Soon Comment Workers
"We'll be up and running in a few days.", "Go live is imminent.", "We'll be
ready to launch in the near future." These and other encouraging comments
have been overheard in the cubicles of the programming department. While we
cannot fully endorse these remarks, it does appear that Parker Software Development,
Inc. and Eridanus, Inc. are very near to completing their respective tasks.
This can only mean that we will be ready to go live in a very short time.
Monday, April 15, 2002
NewsHunter 2.0 Development Suspended During Transition
Baker 2.0 development has now been suspended while we transition to Parker
Software Development, Inc. The new program will now be refered to as NewsHunter
2.0. Development on NewsHunter 2.0 is scheduled to resume on April 25, 2002.
The release date has also been moved forward and we expect betas to begin
shipping in the third quarter.
What is an Identity
Kit Anyway?
Since so many of you have asked, we have decided it was best to address
that question here. Basically an identity kit is a fancy phrase used to describe
the overall look and feel of a product or corporation. In this case, we are
creating new identities for the old Baker and Baker Classic programs. Of course,
simply changing the name to NewsHunter doesn't do any good by itself. What
we needed was a whole new identity to reflect the name change. So we solicited
the input and services of Level Multimedia. There, artist Chad Max was selected
to hold our hands through the process and to develop some killer graphics.
All of these grahpics taken together are refered to as an Identity Kit. So
now, we hear people in the office saying things like, "Did they finish the
Archer identity kit yet?", or "Where's the id kit for NewsHunter 2.0", and
so forth. Not as mysterious as is sounds, is it.
