DEVONagent beta available

, and showcasing at this week's Expo. Version 2.0 of DEVONagent features a completely overhauled user interface, a topics visualizer and hundreds of new features and detail enhancements. The installation of add-on scripts has been simplified as well, and all additional items are installed automatically if needed. A new contextual menu extension inserts a "Search with DEVONagent" item into other applications' contextual menus. A Dashboard widget gives access to DEVONagent from any application by activating the Dashboard.

Version 2.0 includes 135 hierarchically organized search plug-ins that connect it to common and rarely used search engines. Fourteen scanner plug-ins post-filter find web pages by formal criteria such as linked images, office documents, thumbnail galleries or desktop pictures.

Language filters for eleven languages and five non-latin writing systems filter web pages that do not match a selected language, and secondary queries can be used to fine-tune search results if the number of pages returned by a search run is too large.

The built-in Safari-based web browser now features tabbed browsing, optionally clears all caches and history files after quitting for privacy, and supports Mac OS X's spell checker and completion. JavaScripts that try to zoom the window to full screen can be blocked, and the improved download manager is now able to start and stop the queue at any time, and is more compatible with certain forwarders.

DEVONagent 2.0 comes with enhanced automation features and an expanded AppleScript dictionary. Scheduler and actions have been separated, and actions can now be attached to every search set, not only to scheduled sets. Actions can be executed after each search run and include: bouncing of the Dock icon, zooming and bringing the search window to the front, archiving the results or adding them to DEVONthink, playing a sound, speaking a text, sending a digest by e-mail to a given address or executing an AppleScript script. Automator actions let even non-experienced users create simple workflows.

The final release is expected at the end of the first quarter of 2006, with price set at $50. Registered users may upgrade for $20.

by MacNN Staff