Softpedia >Mac >Desktop >EarthDesk >  Changelog

EarthDesk Changelog

What's new in EarthDesk 7.6

Dec 19, 2022
  • Adds support for changes to our data feed hosting infrastructure. If you are using a firewall, please ensure EarthDesk has access to: *.xericdesign.com.

New in EarthDesk 7.5 (Jan 13, 2021)

  • Universal Binary to run natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
  • The minimum macOS version is now 10.14.

New in EarthDesk 7.4.7 (Dec 18, 2020)

  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Preference Pane to not open when the Mac is conected to a display using a DisplayLink/USB adaptor or other unusual display configurations.

New in EarthDesk 7.4.6 (Nov 10, 2020)

  • Updates to support Big Sur (macOS 11) and fix minor interface glitches when running under Catalina (macOS 10.15).

New in EarthDesk 7.4.5 (Aug 9, 2020)

  • Updates to the earthquake download system.

New in EarthDesk 7.4.3 (Nov 10, 2019)

  • Fixes a bug that could cause a crash when closing the Manage Presets sheet in macOS 10.15.

New in EarthDesk 7.4.2 (Oct 28, 2019)

  • Fixes a bug that prevented the "Screen Saver Setup" button in the Advanced Tab from working correctly in macOS 10.15.

New in EarthDesk 7.4.1 (Oct 16, 2019)

  • Notarized by Apple for use in macOS 10.15.
  • Supports Dark Mode in macOS 10.14.6 and macOS 10.15.
  • The screen saver module now works in macOS 10.15.

New in EarthDesk 7.4 (Aug 12, 2019)

  • Notarized by Apple for use in macOS 10.15.
  • Internal layout changes to accomodate Apple's notarization requirement.
  • The minimum macOS version is now 10.11.
  • This also fixes a crash related to city labels in 7.4.0 (28D3) which was briefly available on our server.

New in EarthDesk 7.3.4 (Apr 30, 2019)

  • Changes to database locations in Manitoba and New Brunswick, Canada.
  • New icon for the International Space Station.
  • The default minimum earthquake magnitude is now 5.0.
  • A data key can now be replaced/renewed at any time. Previously data keys could only be updated within 2 weeks of expiration.

New in EarthDesk 7.3.3 (Mar 11, 2019)

  • Fixed a bug that could cause unnecessary downloads of earthquake, storm and satellite data during a wake from sleep, display connect/disconnect or in some unusual display and/or TV configurations.
  • Additional error logging in the subscription-based data feeds.

New in EarthDesk 7.3.2 (Feb 24, 2019)

  • Fixed a bug that caused a crash if corrupted tropical storm data was received.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause EarthDesk to skip a cloud download cycle when waking from sleep within 15 minutes of a scheduled update.
  • Additional error logging in the subscription-based data feeds.

New in EarthDesk 7.3.1 (Dec 30, 2018)

  • This adds support for our new cloud image and data feed hosting infrastructure.
  • The organization that has been providing our cloud image data for the last 16 years has informed us that they may be forced to end their service in March of 2019.
  • We have been working to adapt a new data provider, which has required quite a few changes to our hosting and data processing infrastructure. As part of these changes, we have added more detailed error logging to the cloud image download mechanism. If an error occurs during a download, EarthDesk will now report the error condition to our server on its next attempt to download the cloud image. This will help us as we migrate to our new hosting infrastructure.
  • We do not anticipate any interruptions in EarthDesk's cloud image data feed during the transition to the new system.

New in EarthDesk 7.3 (Nov 19, 2018)

  • Important: CRITICAL UPDATE! Please update to ensure continued access to live data feeds.
  • Changes to the structure of Tropical Storm data.
  • Security improvements for version checking and updates.
  • Various other changes to improve memory usage and performance.

New in EarthDesk 7.2.1 (Jul 30, 2018)

  • Important: Please update to ensure continued access to live data feeds.
  • Changes to the structure of Earthquake, Tropical Storm and Satellite data.
  • Various other changes to improve memory usage and performance.

New in EarthDesk 7.2 (Jul 27, 2017)

  • Added NASA's latest nighttime city lights image.
  • Various other changes to improve memory usage and performance.

New in EarthDesk 7.1 (Sep 7, 2016)

  • Added a screen saver module.
  • Moved the preset import/export options into the "Manage Presets" window.
  • Various other changes to improve memory usage and performance.

New in EarthDesk 7.0.3 (Aug 1, 2016)

  • We have released an update to EarthDesk to fix and improve things:
  • Fixed a bug that caused incorrect storm label sizes.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented resuming data downloads under certain error conditions.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the EarthDesk Core rendering engine to freeze.
  • Fixed a bug in the Position Sheet that prevented the vertical slider from deactivating.
  • Various other changes to improve memory usage and performance.

New in EarthDesk 7.0.2 (May 7, 2016)

  • We fixed a bug that occasionally resulted in downloading a standard-resolution cloud image instead of a high-resolution image when a data subscription was active.
  • The quality of the starfield background has been improved, especially on Retina screens.
  • A few locations in the Caribbean have been added to the database.

New in EarthDesk 7.0.1 (May 3, 2016)

  • Fixed a bug that caused the cloud updates to stop after waking from sleep.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the map elements (cities, earthquakes, grid lines, etc.) to be positioned incorrectly when Spanning was enabled on systems in which the main screen is a Retina device.
  • The graticule (grid lines) is now off by default. This will only affect new users. Existing users can turn off the graticule, if desired, by clicking the Graticule button in the Appearance tab and turning off the grid lines.
  • "New York" has been renamed "New York City" in the database.

New in EarthDesk 7.0 (Apr 28, 2016)

  • Minor updates to prevent caching of some downloaded data.
  • Rebuilt the project in Xcode 7.2 to track down and fix a bug in System Preferences.

New in EarthDesk 6.6 (Nov 11, 2015)

  • Improved stability and bug fixes.
  • Additional support for Yosemite and El Capitan.

New in EarthDesk 6.5.1 (Sep 24, 2015)

  • Adds support for OS X 10.11 (El Capitan).

New in EarthDesk 6.5.0 (Feb 16, 2015)

  • Improved compatibility with Yosemite (OS X 10.10).
  • Screen spanning now works in Mavericks (OS X 10.9) and Yosemite (OS X 10.10).

New in EarthDesk 6.4.0 (Jun 10, 2014)

  • Updated city database.
  • Changes to support future Mac OS X versions.

New in EarthDesk 6.3.0 (Jul 13, 2013)

  • Added a Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection.
  • Changes to support future Mac OS X versions.

New in EarthDesk 6.2.1 (Jun 22, 2013)

  • Fixes a rare bug related to ISS tracking that caused the map to not be displayed.
  • Minor logging and performance changes.

New in EarthDesk 6.2.0 (Jun 19, 2013)

  • Includes the new 2012 NASA night city lights map.
  • Fixes to better support ISS tracking with some network configurations.
  • Minor logging and performance changes.

New in EarthDesk 6.1.1 (Nov 19, 2012)

  • Fixes a bug that caused EarthDesk to hang for one minute per screen when the website hosting the International Space Station tracking data was unreachable.

New in EarthDesk 6.1 (Nov 1, 2012)

  • This update improves EarthDesk's appearance plus other minor changes:
  • City names can be shown in two different sizes on the map.
  • City names can be removed from the map, leaving only colored dots.
  • Fixed several entries in the city database.

New in EarthDesk 6.0.2 (Aug 17, 2012)

  • Fixed a bug that could cause the map to stop updating after multiple manual update checks.
  • Changes to the auto-updater to avoid performing an update from a background process.
  • When turning on clouds, an image will only be downloaded if the most recent one is stale.
  • Better support for uninstalling and updating when EarthDesk is installed for all users.
  • A reminder is now presented when a hi-res cloud license expires.

New in EarthDesk 6.0.1 (Aug 7, 2012)

  • This is an important update recommended for all users. This update fixes a bug that can cause the cloud updating mechanism to fail during a sleep/wake cycle resulting in download problems and failure to sleep.
  • Changes to the scheduling and control of cloud image downloads.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent the system from sleeping.
  • More detailed logging of cloud download events.

New in EarthDesk 6.0 (Aug 2, 2012)

  • All new city database with additional data.
  • Displays the current sun and moon positions.
  • Displays grid lines (graticule) on the map.
  • Creates named collections of settings (presets).
  • Adjustable slider for night shadow darkness.
  • Tracks the International Space Station.
  • New Globe and Azimuthal positioning controls.
  • Additional moonlight shading options.
  • Reorganized user interface improves usability.
  • Pinpoints user-selected cities on map.
  • Updated political map with current borders.
  • Suppors adding, editing and removing of cities.
  • Ready for Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8).
  • Faster performance and lower processor usage.
  • Up to 75% less memory than previous versions.
  • Improved appearance in Mission Control.
  • Supports modern machines with dual GPUs.
  • Supports MacBook Pro Retina Display systems.

New in EarthDesk 5.9.1 (Jul 29, 2012)

  • Fixed a condition that could cause the screen to briefly flash when updating the map image.
  • Changed how a cloud image is verified after downloading to avoid any QuickTime calls. In rare cases, the OS QuickTime system can stop responding and thus can't give a valid response.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the background to be black when using "Existing Desktop" as the background image in the Globe and other non-rectangular projections.

New in EarthDesk 5.9 (Jul 17, 2012)

  • The cloud data for free clouds has been increased to 2 megapixels.
  • The cloud data for paid clouds has been increased to 32 megapixels.
  • Added support for Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8).

New in EarthDesk 5.8.5 (May 19, 2012)

  • Fixes a visual glitch in the Living Earth map by removing a static line in the Pacific near South America.

New in EarthDesk 5.8.4 (Mar 7, 2012)

  • This update includes changes to ensure compatibility with future Mac OS X versions.

New in EarthDesk 5.8.3 (Jan 28, 2012)

  • This update fixes a bug that could cause the clouds to stop updating.

New in EarthDesk 5.8.2 (Jan 6, 2012)

  • Improves the cloud update mechanism for high-resolution cloud access.

New in EarthDesk 5.8.1 (Oct 31, 2011)

  • Improves the cloud displays for paid (high-resolution) as well as free (low-resolution) users. All users will benefit from general fixes which include better support for OS X 10.5 and stronger error checking and robustness related to the cloud image downloading.
  • Free (Low-Resolution) Users:
  • The cloud data has been increased to 1.125 megapixels (versus 0.5 in v5.8).
  • The clouds are now updated every 6 hours.
  • Paid (High-Resolution) Users:
  • The cloud data has been increased to a maximum of 18 megapixels (versus a maximum of 8 in v5.8).
  • The cloud update interval remains at 3 hours.
  • Note that the actual resolution used on your system will depend on your screen size and other factors.

New in EarthDesk 5.8 (Oct 12, 2011)

  • Adds support for high-resolution cloud access.

New in EarthDesk 5.7.3 (Aug 11, 2011)

  • Changes to support single or "all spaces" under Lion (OS X 10.7).

New in EarthDesk 5.7.2 (Jul 18, 2011)

  • Minor changes to ensure compatibility with Lion (OS X 10.7).

New in EarthDesk 5.7.1 (Apr 5, 2011)

  • Fixes a bug that would prevent EarthDesk from starting up if the "Restore Background" option in the Display Tab was not checked.
  • Options in the Shading menu are now renamed so that the same text is displayed in both the Display Tab menu and the menu bar menu.
  • Minor performance and stability enhancements.

New in EarthDesk 5.7 (Mar 23, 2011)

  • EarthDesk is now a full 64-bit app, including the background renderer.
  • Minor performance and stability enhancements.

New in EarthDesk 5.6.2 (Feb 23, 2011)

  • Reduces flicker when updating the map while spanning multiple screens.
  • Merged the App Store and Retail versions into the same overall project to make updates easier.

New in EarthDesk 5.5.2 (Jan 10, 2011)

  • Fixed a bug that could cause EarthDesk to not auto-launch.
  • Minor performance and stability enhancements.

New in EarthDesk 5.5.1 (Nov 1, 2010)

  • Fixed a bug in the Menu Control that could cause it to not re-open at login.
  • Minor performance and stability enhancements.

New in EarthDesk 5.4.1 (Jul 20, 2010)

  • Fixes a bug that could cause EarthDesk to launch when logging in, even if that option was disabled.

New in EarthDesk 5.3 (Mar 16, 2010)

  • Fixes a potential hang when exiting from the screen saver on 10.6.

New in EarthDesk 5.2 (Jan 20, 2010)

  • Added a new Shaded Relief map. EarthDesk now supports four different map styles.
  • Improved the cloud updating mechanism.

New in EarthDesk 5.1.1 (Nov 18, 2009)

  • Fixed a bug that displayed a corrupt cloud image, instead of re-downloading a fresh copy of the image.

New in EarthDesk 5.1 (Oct 27, 2009)

  • Added a contrast control for the cloud layer.
  • EarthDesk now handles wifi spots that require a user-login before full internet access is gained.

New in EarthDesk 5.0.2 (Aug 1, 2009)

  • Fixed a bug that could cause Earthdesk to display a partially downloaded cloud image.
  • EarthDesk now works properly even if a custom desktop picture has never been set.
  • The logging of console messages is now user-settable.

New in EarthDesk 5.0.1 (Jul 6, 2009)

  • Fixes a permissions bug that caused the list in the Locations Tab to be blank when installed for "all users".
  • Fixes a bug that prevented clouds from working or crashed on systems with non-English date formats.
  • Fixes a bug in the "borderless window" option that caused a rare crash especially when waking from sleep.

New in EarthDesk 5.0 (Jun 30, 2009)

  • Faster performance and lower processor usage.
  • Snow and vegetation change month-to-month.
  • Higher resolution cloud data on large displays.
  • Supports machines with dual GPUs.
  • Adjustable brightness and background color.
  • Starfield background for globe projections.
  • Updated political map color and boundaries.
  • Political map shows city lights and moonlight.
  • Centering menus are sorted alphabetically.
  • Globe can be re-positioned on the screen.
  • Simplified menu on single-display machines.
  • Checks for updates automatically.
  • Supports monitor attach/detach while running.
  • All desktop settings are now restored upon quit.
  • Existing desktop image aspect ratio is preserved.
  • Cloud capture and download times shown.
  • Easier install process for upgrades.
  • Softer evaluation watermark during trial period.
  • Rewritten from the ground up.
  • Rendering engine is now 100% Cocoa.
  • 32/64 bit application, ready for Snow Leopard.
  • No dependence on Carbon or QuickDraw.

New in EarthDesk 4.8 (May 7, 2009)

  • Increased the Living Earth map resolution by 25%.
  • Several miscellaneous internal improvements.

New in EarthDesk 4.7 (Mar 16, 2009)

  • Desktop images are now saved as jpeg files.
  • Preparation of the cache can now be turned off, resulting in faster startup times.
  • Several miscellaneous internal improvements.

New in EarthDesk 4.6 (Jan 23, 2009)

  • Increased the natural map resolution by 25%.
  • Several miscellaneous internal improvements.

New in EarthDesk 4.5 (Oct 20, 2008)

  • Prevents a crash or loss of cloud data when using a network that requires some form of web page login such as fee-based WiFi hotspots.
  • Several miscellaneous internal improvements.

New in EarthDesk 4.4.1 (Sep 15, 2008)

  • Fixes a rare bug in 4.4 that could cause licensed copies to display an unlicensed message.

New in EarthDesk 4.4 (Sep 3, 2008)

  • Detects and ignores cloud images that contain missing or partial data.

New in EarthDesk 4.3 (Jul 14, 2008)

  • Clouds now properly update when waking from sleep.
  • Major update to cloud server system - all users should update to v4.3 (or 3.6 for v3 users).

New in EarthDesk 4.2 (Apr 29, 2008)

  • Added a screen saver only mode.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the cloud server list to not update periodically.
  • Improved the communication between the EarthDesk prefpane and the rendering engine.

New in EarthDesk 4.1 (Nov 14, 2007)

  • Added a new natural map image, providing a true-color view from space.
  • Individual screens can now be turned on/off from the EarthDesk Menu Item.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause EarthDesk to not restore the desktop when quitting.
  • Several miscellaneous internal changes.