I haven’t tried it yet, but the new Mac OS 10.4.9 update fixes a problem in Aperture:

GPS metadata is preserved when image versions are exported.

And there was much rejoicing… Yay!

This is actually a really common problem with most photo-editing programs. You’re lucky if they retain much, if any, of the EXIF metadata for an image. All that time spent putting in Copyright, Headline, Caption, Location, Subject, etc. is usually probably lost the minute you export to JPG or upload to Flickr. It’s nice to see applications, especially professional-grade ones, supporting the additional metadata.

The Update addresses another issue I ran into the other day:

Addresses an issue in which incorrect encoding could be used for the files created by the “New Text File” Automator action on Intel-based Macs.

I was trying to setup Automator actions for my Pertelian X2040 LCD in an upcoming MacTech Magazine article. Now I can add lines for upcoming iCal events, Mail messages, and perhaps even pipe these out to my NabazTag!

RubyCocoa is a bridge between the Mac OS X Cocoa Framework API that makes it callable from Ruby code. You can create applications, objects, call Mac OS X Services. You can even call Applescript:

require 'osx/cocoa'
include OSX
def speak (str)
  str.gsub! (/"/, '\"')
  src = %(say "#{str}")
  NSAppleScript.alloc.initWithSource(src).executeAndReturnError(nil)
end
speak "Hello World!"
speak "Kon nich Wah. Ogan key desu ka?"

Ben Bleything submitted a talk to RubyConf, titled “Harmonize: Exploiting RubyCocoa and Sync Services for Fun and Profit” where he discusses making a wrapper around the SyncAPI in Ruby. (blog post introducing Harmonize)

RubyCocoa looks like it may have stagnated a little as the last release was November 2005, but perhaps with such a renewed interest in Ruby, and Mac OS X gaining popularity, perhaps new life with be breathed into it. Projects such as SyncBridge and Harmonize also obviously help.

Update: Check out the very good examples and information at RubyCocoa.com, including how to use your Apple Remote from RubyCocoa .