InfoClick and macOS Sonoma

InfoClick initially had issues on macOS Sonoma; crashes during system text decoding could be triggered by certain email content. We don’t know exactly what content caused crashes, but Apple appears to have fixed it.

If you’re using InfoClick on Sonoma we recommend that you update to macOS 14.2.1 or later. You do not need to update InfoClick

InfoClick 1.2.8 – M1 is Back

Are you an InfoClick user with a snazzy new M1 Mac? You’re in luck. InfoClick already has native support for Apple Silicon. However, the last version accidentally removed this support. InfoClick version 1.2.8 restores M1 support and includes a few other fixes.

If you’re not an InfoClick user please try our free demo. You don’t have to be angry at Apple Mail’s frustrating search any longer. InfoClick quickly finds your emails and shows you all possible remaining search criteria– unsuccessful searches are impossible.

InfoClick 1.2.7 released

We just released a new version of InfoClick, our Apple Mail search app. It provides an unrivaled view into the contents of your emails. There’s no more guessing whether or not to trust wishy-washy Spotlight search results. And InfoClick is incredibly fast. You see results and what other search terms are still available instantly.

This new version is a maintenance release with minor updates, mostly to improve stability. It’s free for all existing InfoClick users.

More Accurate Email Date Search
One small improvement in InfoClick version 1.2.7 is its handling of dates. InfoClick allows you to find all emails in a particular year, month, or day. But unfortunately the date field in emails can be unreliable for a variety of reasons. One example: spammers regularly mark an email’s date as a few days in the future. The idea is that this will sort the junk email topmost in any listings.

InfoClick now handles these erroneous dates more intelligently. If an incoming email’s date is in the future, or otherwise seems suspect, InfoClick may choose to use more trustworthy date information. That might include timestamps recorded by email servers as the email was passed around the network, or the local time of arrival.

Big Sur and Sandbox Folder Names

Apple made some changes to the file system for macOS Big Sur. The big underlying change is the new cryptographically signed system volume that prevents tampering with system data (for better and worse). There is also another little change to what you see in the Finder when you browse sandbox folders.

As you may know, every app that adopts macOS sandboxing is given its own sandbox folder. This folder holds all local information for the app, like your app preferences. If you don’t ever give a sandboxed app access to additional files or folders (eg: by choosing extra locations in file handling dialogs), then you can be sure that everything the app stores on your Mac is kept in its sandbox. It’s a great idea. Not only does it increase security, but it also makes apps easier to uninstall: just delete the app and its sandbox.

Each sandbox folder’s name corresponds to the app’s internal identifier. For example: Nisus Writer Pro’s sandbox folder name is com.nisus.NisusWriter. That’s perhaps a little obscure, but it ensures sandbox folder names are unique. All sandbox folders are stored in a single location on your Mac, inside your home folder at:

~/Library/Containers

Big Sur changes how container names inside that folder are displayed in the Finder. Instead of showing identifiers you’ll see actual app names. That is generally an improvement, but it does also create some confusion.

The above Big Sur folder listing shows the problem: apps with related services may have several sandbox folders, which now all display using the same name. There’s one for Mail’s Spotlight importer, another for Mail’s sharing extension, and so on. But there’s no way to know which folder is the primary sandbox for Apple Mail.

This impacts InfoClick, our email search app, because it’s no longer obvious which Mail sandbox folder stores your emails. The Finder and standard file dialogs on Big Sur simply won’t show you the real folder names. Luckily there is still a way to choose the proper folder using the Go To Folder command. You can still paste the folder’s path to ensure you select the proper folder.

Upgrades And The Mac App Store

We have been receiving quite a bit of email on this subject lately, so I thought I would explain how to qualify for upgrade pricing if you have purchased from the Mac App Store. 

The Mac App Store does not allow developers to offer upgrade pricing. That leaves customers with two choices:

  • Purchase Nisus Writer at full price on the Mac App Store. 
  • Purchase directly through our store.

If you would like to purchase through us to receive the upgrade discount, you can follow the excellent instructions Martin provided in our FAQ (which answers many, many Nisus app related questions). Alternatively, you can email your Mac App Store receipt as proof of purchase.

Please know that while we make more money from direct purchases, feel free to buy from wherever you like. All of our customers are treated and appreciated in the same way. 

Apple Silicon Support for InfoClick and Thesaurus

If the elves brought you a shiny new Apple Silicon Mac we have some app updates for you. The new versions of InfoClick (our email search tool) and Nisus Thesaurus now run natively on Apple Silicon.

Aside from Apple Silicon support, InfoClick version 1.2.6 includes a handful of bug fixes which are listed on the InfoClick release notes page. There are no other changes for Nisus Thesaurus.

Big Sur, Apple Silicon, and Nisus

We have received a fair amount of email asking us if our applications will be ready for the new Apple Silicon based Macs. The answer to this is that we will be ready when the first of the new machines are released near the end of 2020. Personally I am excited to see what the future will bring with these new Macs. 

We also receive quite a bit of email regarding macOS Big Sur and compatibility with Nisus apps. We have done some testing and so far it seems, apart from cosmetic issues, our apps are compatible with Big Sur, pending the final release of the new macOS. 

For the latest news on both of these issues, please keep your eyes on this blog and, if you haven’t already, subscribe to our newsletter. 

SummerFest 2020

Spring is gone, and I don’t think many of us will miss it. It’s now summer, a time of warm weather, lounging around (socially distanced of course), and SummerFest savings!

SummerFest is a collection of independent software developers who are creating great tools for organizing, writing, and delivering your thoughts and ideas. These are tools created with care, and refined by experience. This is high quality software, on sale now for a limited time.

As part of SummerFest, you can save 25% on InfoClick and the newly updated Nisus Writer Express and Nisus Writer Pro by using the coupon SUMMERFEST2020 at checkout in our store. You can also save at least 25% on the other apps in this year’s SummerFest by using the same coupon. There is a great collection of software this year, and the official SummerFest page has all the details.

Nisus License Lookup Tool

There are times, for whatever reason, that you need to find the license for your Nisus app. For example, you would like to upgrade to the latest version of Nisus Writer Express or Nisus Writer Pro. Perhaps you’re moving to a new computer and you need to install a fresh copy of InfoClick. How do you find your license?

Our Nisus License Lookup Tool, located on our main support page, will allow you to find your license and have it emailed to you. You just need the email address you used when you purchased your Nisus application and you will receive an email containing your license.

Launch InfoClick At Startup

InfoClick is a great tool for searching and finding email in Apple Mail. However, to get the most out of InfoClick you need to have it analyze and index your email constantly. Also, I’m impatient and I want things when I want them. The best way to do that is to have InfoClick launch at startup so that it can index new emails in the background. 

To do this, go to your InfoClick preferences and check “Open InfoClick automatically when you log in.” 

Once you do that InfoClick will launch at startup and will be ready to go when you need it. 

Catalina Compatibility Updates for Nisus Writer Pro, InfoClick, and Nisus Thesaurus

September should see the official release of macOS Catalina. To prepare for this we are rolling out macOS Catalina compatible updates to a few of our apps.

First up is Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.3 ($45 upgrade). This release fixes a few issues that were discovered after the release of Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.2:

  • Fixed issues with custom date/time stamps.
  • Callouts are correctly loaded from files.
  • Renaming a file from an external drive no longer cases future saves to fail.
  • Fixed a few issues with sections and breaks.
  • Compatibility fixes for macOS Catalina.

There are also a few minor fixes and changes, all of which can be found on the Nisus Writer Pro release notes page.

Next up are InfoClick 1.2.5 ($15) and Nisus Thesaurus 1.2. Both apps have the following changes:

  • Dark Mode.
  • Compatible with macOS Catalina.

Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.3, InfoClick 1.2.5, and Nisus Thesaurus 1.2 are available now on our site, the Mac App Store, and inside each app using the menu Check For Updates.

These are free updates to anyone who owns Nisus Writer Pro 3 or InfoClick.

WinterFest 2017

Winter is coming here. It’s time to take a deep breath and roll up your sleeves. The time for new plans and fresh projects and great new ideas.

This is the time of the year when we join up with like minded software developers who create world class research and writing software. WinterFest 2017 is a collection of fantastic software created by artisans and refined by years of experience, study, and old fashioned hard work.

We are happy to participate in this wonderful promo with such tools as Aeon Timeline, Bookends, DEVONthink Pro, HoudahSpot, Panorama, Scapple, Take Control Books, Tinderbox, TextExpander, PDFPen, TaskPaper, and of course, Nisus Writer Pro.

Use these special links to save 25% on Nisus Writer Pro, Nisus Writer Express, and InfoClick, or go to our WinterFest page. You can also use the coupon “WINTERFEST2017” at checkout. To save at least 20% on other excellent WinterFest software, or for more information on the other apps on the promo, please visit the main WinterFest 2017 page.

These are wonderful tools offered at a terrific and sustainable price, for a very limited time. Don’t miss out!

Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.7, Nisus Writer Express 3.5.7, and InfoClick 1.2.3

We have been very busy lately, and we are happy to show you some of what we have been working on. We have announced updated versions of Nisus Writer Express, Nisus Writer Pro, and InfoClick.

Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.7 adds support for the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro. There is also improved support for tabbed documents on macOS Sierra, along with other fixes and changes that can be found on the Pro release notes page.

Nisus Writer Express 3.5.7 also has support for the Touch Bar, and has many of the same fixes as Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.7. The list of changes and fixes can be found on the Express release notes page.

Lastly, InfoClick 1.2.3 is now available. Support for the Touch Bar has been added. InfoClick is now sandboxed, and that could mean you may be prompted to select your email folder the first time you use this new version. There are also a few fixes and changes, all of which can be read on the InfoClick release notes page.

Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.7, Nisus Writer Express 3.5.7, and InfoClick 1.2.3 are available now from the Mac App Store and from the Nisus Writer Pro, Express, and InfoClick update pages. They are free updates for our customers who own any version of Nisus Writer Pro 2, Nisus Writer Express 3, and InfoClick.

Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.7 and Nisus Writer Express 3.5.7 require OS X 10.8.5 or later. InfoClick 1.2.3 requires OS X 10.7 or later.

Nisus Writer Express, Pro, and InfoClick Updated

As I mentioned in a previous blog post we have updated Nisus Writer Express, Nisus Writer Pro, and InfoClick. These updates all contain the Sparkle security fix detailed here. As for the content of these updates, please read on.

Nisus Writer Pro

Along with the above mentioned Sparkle framework update, this new version fixes a bug where list items may not always update with the correct formatting, a localization issue with cross-references, and more. The complete list of changes and fixes can be found on the Nisus Writer Pro release notes page.

Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.4 is available now from the Mac App Store and from the Pro update page. It is a free update for our customers who already own Nisus Writer Pro 2.

Nisus Writer Pro 2.1.4 requires OS X 10.8.5 or higher.

Nisus Writer Express

Nisus Writer Express 3.5.4 also includes the updated Sparkle framework and includes a few fixes found since the release of Express 3.5.3. The complete list of changes and fixes can be found on the Express release notes page.

This new version is available now from the Mac App Store and from the Express update page. It is a free update for our customers who already own Nisus Writer Express 3.

Nisus Writer Express 3.5.4 requires OS X 10.8.5 or higher.

InfoClick

InfoClick 1.2.1 includes the updated Sparkle framework and a few fixes. The complete release notes for InfoClick can be found on its release notes page.

This new version is available now from our InfoClick update page. As of this writing, InfoClick is waiting to be reviewed in the Mac App Store. We will let you know when it becomes available there. This is a free update for our customers who own any version of InfoClick.

InfoClick 1.2.1 requires OS X 10.7.5 or higher.

Nisus App Updates

We have released updates to Nisus Writer Express, Nisus Writer Pro, and InfoClick. There are bug fixes and enhancements, but there is also a security update that should be explained.

We use an automatic update framework called Sparkle, which is used by many developers to keep your applications up to date. A few weeks ago a potential security risk was found in this framework. The details can be found in this iMore article, but to summarize the problem is applications using the Sparkle framework are potentially vulnerable to “man in the middle” attacks.

To eliminate this potential security problem in our apps we have updated the Sparkle framework to the latest version. We have also added https to our website to ensure communication between our apps and our website is secure.

While the risk of this vulnerability actually affecting users is low, there is still risk. Updating the framework and adding https across our site eliminates this vulnerability.

El Capitan Compatibility

El Capitan, or OS X 10.11, has been released and we know many of you are already using it. So it is probably a good time to talk about compatibility with our apps.

The latest versions of Nisus Writer Express and Nisus Writer Pro are compatible, apart from one issue. Hopefully Apple will fix that bug shortly.

The current version of InfoClick (1.1) will not by default detect email in El Capitan. We currently have a workaround but a newer version of InfoClick (1.2) will fix this issue. We hope to have InfoClick 1.2 released very soon.

Nisus Thesaurus is compatible with no reported issues.

If you do find a problem please let us know by sending an email to support or through the feedback reporter (Help > Send Feedback) within our apps.

Nisus App Updates

Now that Pro 2.1.1 is out, I’d like to talk about other things we are working on here at Nisus.

First up is InfoClick. Version 1.2 is now in beta testing. The focus of this version was adding a few highly requested features along with fixes and enhancements. InfoClick 1.2 should be released in weeks, but that’s dependent on how long the beta period will last. You just never know with these things.

Nisus Writer Express 3.5 should also be out fairly soon. This new version gains OS X Auto Save and Versions like its big brother, plus the usual bug fixes and enhancements. This also should be released soon, so stay tuned.

Lastly, I’d like to write about the Mac App Store situation. At this point, we are still working with Apple to get Pro 2.1.1 into the store. There are a few technical hurdles to overcome, and I can’t even begin to guess when Pro will be approved by Apple. Hopefully it will be soon, but we have no idea at this time.

Stay tuned to this blog or subscribe to our newsletter for more updates.

Yosemite Compatibility

Now that OS X 10.10, or Yosemite, has been released it’s time we talk about compatibility with the new OS and our products.

We ran many tests with the release version of  Yosemite and our current release versions of Nisus Writer Express, Pro, Thesaurus, and InfoClick. We have not found any issues: they all seem to be working as they should.

So if you are one of the brave early adopters of a new OS, feel free to use the latest versions of our apps with confidence. They should work as expected. However, if you do run into an unexpected problem, please let us know by sending feedback from within our apps or write to our support team. Your fellow early adopters will thank you.

InfoClick Named Macworld Gem

InfoClick was reviewed recently on Macworld and named a Macworld Gem. The review, titled “InfoClick review: Find what you’re looking for in Apple Mail” Dan Miller calls InfoClick “… essentially a supercharged search tool for Mail” and in his conclusion says “… if you find yourself constantly searching for (and not finding) messages in Mail, InfoClick could make your life a lot easier.”

You can read the entire review at the Macworld site.

Mavericks Compatibility Update

Apple is on the verge of releasing the next version of OS X, 10.9 Mavericks. We have tested all of our currently shipping apps in 10.9 and happily we have found all of our currently shipping applications should work with no problems. That means Express 3.4.5, Pro 2.0.6, InfoClick 1.1, and Nisus Thesaurus 1.1 are all Mavericks compatible.

Hopefully that will remain once the OS is actually available to the general public. If you do run into problems please let us know.