DeskSpace 1.5.6.3 Released

October 30th, 2009

DeskSpace 1.5.6.3 has been released. It contains the following additions and improvements:

  • Bug Fix – Fixed a bug where DeskSpace would sometimes crash on activation after the computer was unlocked or returned from standby, or after a screen saver was canceled.

You can visit the DeskSpace page to find out more about DeskSpace, and visit the Online Store to buy DeskSpace 1.5.6.3.

DeskSpace 1.5.6.2 Released

October 25th, 2009

DeskSpace 1.5.6.2 has been released. The main new feature in this version is one that many users have been asking for for a long time – the ability to maintain the order of windows in the taskbar when you switch between desktops.

DeskSpace 1.5.6.2 includes the following minor bug fixes and compatibility improvements:

  • New Feature – The order of windows in the taskbar is now maintained (as much as possible) when switching between desktops.
  • New Feature – DeskSpace now includes an Italian localization.
  • New Feature – When first run, DeskSpace now automatically detects the operating system language.
  • New Feature – Improved desktop cube activation speed.
  • New Feature – Improved desktop switching speed when switching to a desktop with the same wallpaper.
  • New Feature – DeskSpace now handles hung and crashed applications better than before.
  • New Feature – Improved compatibility with MailWasher Pro, Propellerhead Reason, Steam, Tencent Traveler, and XemiCo Desktop Calendar.
  • New Feature – The DeskSpace system tray menu has been tweaked to make the desktop names and pictures more visible.
  • Bug Fix – Reduced desktop icon flashing when switching to a desktop.
  • Bug Fix – Fixed a bug where an incorrect string was displayed in file selection dialogs.
  • Bug Fix – Under Windows 7 is is now possible to drag windows to another desktop using the bottom edge of the screen.
  • Bug Fix – Due to new mouse behavior in Windows 7 the middle mouse button did not always work.
  • Bug Fix – Fixed a bug where the desktop selector combo box background was displayed incorrectly on computers using the Silver Windows XP theme.
  • Bug Fix – Fixed a bug where some applications could not be clicked on in the Manage Desktop Windows applications list.
  • Bug Fix – Fixed a bug where pressing the activation hot key plus an arrow key very quickly caused DeskSpace to stay in the desktop cube view until the space bar/escape/middle mouse button was pressed/clicked.
  • Bug Fix – Fixed a bug where the default DeskSpace settings were sometimes corrupted when DeskSpace was first run.

You can visit the DeskSpace page to find out more about DeskSpace, and visit the Online Store to buy DeskSpace 1.5.6.2.

DeskSpace 1.5.6.1 Released

October 1st, 2009

DeskSpace 1.5.6.1 has been released. This version includes minor bug fixes and compatibility improvements:

  • New Feature – Improved compatibility with Windows Sidebar.
  • Bug Fix – All window filters are now saved correctly.
  • Bug Fix – When dragging windows on multi-monitor systems, DeskSpace now correctly recognizes all screen edges.
  • Bug Fix – When activating the desktop cube via middle mouse click or a mouse hot spot, the cube no longer zoom outs and then immediately zooms back in.
  • Bug Fix – It is now possible to hide the desktop cube by releasing the activation hot key in the situation where, with DeskSpace configured to not show the desktop cube when the activation hot key was pressed, the activation hot key is pressed and the desktop cube is then shown by pressing an arrow key.

You can visit the DeskSpace page to find out more about DeskSpace, and visit the Online Store to buy DeskSpace 1.5.6.1.

Otaku Software Expands Into Asia

September 28th, 2009

We’ve been sitting on this news for quite some time, but with the release of DeskSpace 1.5.6 it’s finally time to announce that we’ve opened an office in Penang, Malaysia. Why Penang? Well…

Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang.

On a more serious note, Penang is known as the Silicon Valley of the East and is home to companies such as Dell, Intel, AMD, and Motorola. With fantastic Government support for information technology and world-class universities, it’s the perfect place to grow our company.

Multimedia Super Corridor, Penang.

What does this mean for Otaku Software? Firstly, we’re using Penang as our Asian sales base, helping us to forge stronger ties with software and hardware companies in the region. Secondly, our products are also being partly developed in Penang. With more more hands on the job we can deliver better quality software, on a much faster schedule.

I’m proud to announce that DeskSpace 1.5.6 is the first of our products to be fully developed by Otaku Software Malaysia, and is an example of the level of quality and polish we’ll be bringing to all our future releases.

DeskSpace 1.5.6 Released

September 28th, 2009

We’ve just released DeskSpace 1.5.6. This version includes a completely revamped desktop management UI, and adds the ability to choose a name and picture for each desktop. Desktop names and pictures appear throughout DeskSpace, including the desktop cube view:

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

They also appear in the DeskSpace system tray menu:

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

and in the desktop management dialogs. You can choose a name and picture for each desktop using the new Manage Desktop Names and Pictures dialog:

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

We’ve updated the desktop management dialogs to reflect the new Windows Vista/7 graphical style, and we’ve worked hard to improve the usability of each dialog:

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

DeskSpace 1.5.6.

The full list of new features and bug fixes in DeskSpace 1.5.6 is as follows:

  • New Feature – You can now assign a name and picture to each desktop.
  • New Feature – Desktop management user interfaces have been completely revamped with improved usability and a Windows Vista/7 graphical style.
  • New Feature – You can now switch to a desktop by clicking on it in the DeskSpace system tray menu.
  • New Feature – Added built-in English (UK), French, German, Spanish, and Japanese language support.
  • New Feature – You can now turn off recognition of Command Line and CygWin windows (improves performance).
  • New Feature – Changing graphical settings (e.g. the background image or sky box) is now much faster.
  • New Feature – Improved graphical performance.
  • Bug Fix – The delay in displaying the desktop cube that occurred after returning from a screensaver, standby, or after unlocking the computer has been completely eliminated.
  • Bug Fix – DeskSpace is now fully compatible with Windows 7 desktop wallpapers.
  • Bug Fix – Improved compatibility with Yahoo! Widgets.
  • Bug Fix – Improved compatibility with World of Warcraft.
  • Bug Fix – DeskSpace now correctly loads all language localization files.
  • Bug Fix – Switching between languages is now much faster.
  • Bug Fix – Fixed graphical animation glitch that occurred when moving to the bottom of the desktop cube.
  • Bug Fix – The cube reflection now fades out much sooner when moving to the bottom of the desktop cube.

You can visit the DeskSpace page to find out more about DeskSpace, and visit the Online Store to buy DeskSpace 1.5.6.

DeskSpace 1.5.6 Preview

August 17th, 2009

We’re busy working on DeskSpace 1.5.6 and hope to release it in the near future. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak at one of the new features in 1.5.6, named desktops:

DeskSpace 1.5.6 Preview.

Helping you keep your video card drivers up to date

August 13th, 2009

To get the most out of DeskSpace and TopDesk we recommend keeping your video card drivers up to date. To help you do this, we’ve added added an NVIDIA driver download widget to the Otaku Software Help page, and along with links to the ATI and Intel video card driver download pages.

If you’d like to upgrade your video card drivers but don’t know which video card you have, contact us and, as always, we’ll be happy to help.

Looking for Italian Translator [Updated: The position has been filled]

July 16th, 2009

We’re currently looking for an Italian translator to localize new versions of DeskSpace and TopDesk. If you’re interested, please contact us.

More Twitter

July 14th, 2009

If you’d like to keep up to date with the latest Otaku Software news or if you’d just like to talk to us, you can now follow Otaku Software on Twitter at @otakusoftware.

As always, you can also follow me personally at @otaku_jstewart.

Upgraded Forums

July 7th, 2009

The Otaku Software forums have been upgraded to phpBB 3. We’d been using phpBB 2 since 2004, and while it continued to perform admirably, it was starting to get a little bit long in the tooth.

The new forums have, amongst other things, better support for uploading images, a more modern look, and much better security.

We hope you enjoy using the new forums, and as always, please let us know if you experience any problems.