Black Pixel has announced the release of its first major in-house app, Kaleidoscope 2, an app that helps coders, writers and others to compare the differences in folders, images, text, and more.

NewImage
The Next Web's Matthew Panzarino has a lengthy interview with the team behind the app, including former Apple employee Michael Jurewitz, who left Apple for the company earlier this year. Panzarino describes the app thusly:

Kaleidoscope 2 is a lovely comparison app that allows you to take two or more files, folders or images and compare them to one another. The applications are broad, with benefits that swing from developers on one end to those simply looking to compare two images side-by-side. It has full integration with Git, Subversion, Mercurial, and Bazaar. The app can be used as the default conflict resolver for code with its command line integration or simply to check the changed passages in a collaborative word document. It’s beautifully designed, fast and wonderful to use. It’s become an essential part of my toolkit already.

Black Pixel acquired Kaleidoscope and Versions last year, as well as the popular RSS reader NetNewsWire. Version 2 of Kaleidoscope is the first major bit of software that Black Pixel has put its own name on -- previously, the company focused on developing apps for outside clients.

Kaleidoscope 2 is currently available as a public beta with a 15-day trial. Users can purchase it during the beta period for $34.99, half off the final retail price of $70.

Top Rated Comments

ELMI0001 Avatar
169 months ago
Was hoping this was related to Kaleidoscope theme switcher from OS 9 days.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mactendo Avatar
169 months ago
Was hoping this was related to Kaleidoscope theme switcher from OS 9 days.

Yeah, it immediately came to my mind also) Those were the days )))
http://kaleidoscope.net/schemes/schemespotlight.shtml (http://kaleidoscope.net/schemes/schemespotlight.shtml)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
169 months ago
kdiff3 hands down, people.
Don't kid yourselves and go for that instead.

I wish there were ready binaries available for the latest build though, because my attempts at compiling are unsuccessful. meh.

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
InLikeALion Avatar
169 months ago
I work as a web developer and we have guys who run Windows in virtual machines 24/7 simply to use Beyond Compare for real compare/merge. NOTHING on OS X compares to the necessary and comprehensive features it has.

If K2 covers our needs, shelling out $70 a license won't be a problem. After all, pros pay $1200+ for Creative Suite for each member of their designer & developer teams. People doing this for real need pro software and know they have to pay for it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tienthinhbk Avatar
169 months ago
this CompareMerge app also can do compare and merge with only 9$.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id571389471?mt=12 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id571389471?mt=12)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Poisednoise Avatar
169 months ago
Yeah, it immediately came to my mind also) Those were the days )))
http://kaleidoscope.net/schemes/schemespotlight.shtml (http://kaleidoscope.net/schemes/schemespotlight.shtml)

Good old Arlo Rose. The hours I spent on my theme.....
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...