Launching Blogo 1.2 beta
Posted by Ben Jackson Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:22:41 GMT
Yesterday Brainjuice launched Blogo 1.2 beta 2 (a release candidate, or preview of the final version), the new version of our blog editor for the Mac. After a low-profile launch of version 1.1 (due to it being less stable than we would have liked), with this version we've gotten much closer to what we planned for the application.
Together with the launch, other good news: a new site with a lot of new content, including a series of 8 screencasts to be launched together with the final version. And this time, we've (finally!) taken the leap and translated our site for international audiences (Brazil and Portugal will be the first to benefit). We've also earned another mention from Apple, this time in the development area, and have maintained our status as the only blog editor included in the official "staff picks".
But then, you didn't come to hear about us. On to the new features:
Stability and performance
We received more than a few complaints about instability in the first version, many due to problems with third parties (RubyCocoa still has some bugs to work out and is slowly but surely being overshadowed by MacRuby on Leopard, and Twitter's server crises took their toll on Blogo as well). With those issues resolved, and our application performing well, Blogo can finally live up to its potential: to be the definitive solution for Mac bloggers.
Interface redesign
Definitely one of the most important changes. We refactored the entire interface, redesigning all of the buttons and freeing up 20% more space for the editor. We also added a quick access button for the categories list, making the process even easier. And we opted for the black interface as a default, giving a more professional look to the application and making it fit in better with Leopard (though the blue version is still available in the preferences for those who miss the old style).
New Rich / HTML editor
Blogo now has new formatting controls, along with more options in the Format menu: change case, citations, and lists among others. And for the career nerds, a much-requested function: an HTML view in the editor. Now you can directly edit the code, inserting scripts, styles and anything else you'd like to include in your post. We've also included an interesting footnotes system popularized by Gruber, which is simple and easy on the reader, including backlinks to return to the source of the footnote.
Improvements to the image editor
The goal is that the user will never have to open up an external image editor. Just drag, set the size (including different sizes for thumbnails and full-size images), adjust the crop and you're done. Not to mention the fact that Blogo now accepts almost every type of image file you can throw at it, from raw image formats to TIFF, PSD and even EPS and PDF, including recognizing transparency. Drag, drop, edit and post. It's as easy as that.
Optimized fullscreen
The idea is for the user to be able to write an entire post without leaving the fullscreen mode, with nothing else interfering in the process. Now the interface allows the user to edit the title and tags and browse for files, as well as being more "ergonomic" and comfortable on different size monitors. And the new black background makes this editing mode look even sleeker.
Twitter Support
Inasmuch as we intend to make Blogo a multi-platform blogging client, the inclusion of Twitter (the most popular microblogging platform) is an obvious addition to the application. And with this version, we worked hard to bring even more value to the medium, with an interface which—while simple and intuitive—allows the user to take full advantage of what the service has to offer. With Blogo, not only can you keep tabs on your friends and followers, you can also send direct messages, generate microURLs (using services like the popular tinyURL and twurl), and even post images through Twitpic by dragging the files onto the editor.
Ping.fm: spread the word
Ping.fm is an aggregator where you can register the social networks which you are a member of, and then post to all of them at once. With the new support for Ping.fm, Blogo now indirectly supports around 25 new platforms through the service, including the well-known Tumblr, Pownce, Plurk, Facebook among others. If you want, you can also merge your Twitter and Ping.fm accounts in Blogo, guaranteeing that your posts will be linked automatically on all of the networks supported by Ping.fm.
Support for new weblog platforms
In spite of its focus as a content management platform, Drupal has the third largest audience, losing out only to Blogger and Wordpress, and we would be remiss to ignore its relevance to the future of blogging. So with this version, we've added support for posting to Drupal through Blogo: all that's needed is a short permissions setup in the site's administration panel. We've also added support for Expression Engine, another much-requested platform. We'll be adding more systems soon, so keep an eye out for more news on this front.
Integration
By adding our "Send To Blogo" bookmarklet to your favorites bar, you can post to your blog or Twitter directly from your web browser with one click. Even better: Blogo will recognize services like YouTube, Vimeo, Blip.fm, Flickr and Picasa and offer to post a video or slideshow instead of the standard link. You can also post directly from our favorite RSS client, NetNewsWire, if you prefer. No complications.
Monetize your blog easily
And now, a welcome addition for the pro-bloggers: Blogo now recogizes ads from AdSense, boo-box and others just like any other snippet or embed: just paste the code into the editor. Now it's even easier to compose your ads within your post.
Introduction of the offline mode
Another much-requested function, offline editing is now possible in Blogo. No internet connection? Write, edit and preview your post, then save a local draft to publish when you get back online.
Bye Bye, Tiger
This may be the least welcome news, but on the other hand will allow us many, many more options as we move forward with Blogo's development. This will be the last version (after all of the requisite bugfixes) which will have support for Tiger. In other words, by version 2.0, Blogo will be Leopard Only, opening even more avenues for us to make the application better.
We hope that a week of beta testing should be enough for us to tie up any loose ends and get all of the bugs fixed. For this to happen, we need your help, by testing our software and giving us your feedback. In order to get our friends moving, we have decided to do a promotion: anyone who tests during the beta period will have a discount of 20% off Blogo, either before or after the launch.
Just add your email with the form on the download page before launch and we'll send your coupon when we launch.
