New MacBook and MacBook Pro

It is Tuesday again. This time Apple announced some very nice updates to the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. They include processor and hard drive bumps. Likewise, the MacBookPro 17″ is now getting an LED display and the MacBook Pro line is getting the MacBook Air gestures on the track pad. You can see the product details here.
I know several people who have been waiting for this update (including my friend Victor from the Typical Mac User podcast) and I expect we’ll be seeing reviews of the new hardware in no time at all.
I’m still quite satisfied with my slightly aged MacBook Pro. If any readers are buying one of the new machines, chime in on the comments.

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Website Woes

Today I upgraded Wordpress and managed to thoroughly botch things up. I was using an old template that had fits after I upgraded. Thankfully, I got things sorted out with a new template that is nearly identical to the old one. I’m still dealing with “issues” in the banner but hope to have those sorted out soon.
Once again, my pal Darren Rolfe from Macwingnut totally saved my bacon with getting the logo on a new banner. Things are busy in the office but I should have the site further tuned up in the next few days or possibly the weekend.

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Default Folder X Gets an Upgrade

One of my favorite Mac applications, Default Folder X, got a new release this week. In addition to the usual bug fixes there are several new features including the following:
* Added an option to display the toolbar as a gray sidebar for those users that don’t like the HUD look.
* The preview generator has been rewritten, greatly improving performance and reliability, especially on Mac OS 10.4. Previews are also now created for many types of text files that weren’t supported before on Leopard, and text, html, and rtf files now have previews under Tiger.
* Copy and Paste now work in Default Folder X’s Spotlight keyword windows.
* Provided an option to turn off graphical UI effects like windows fading in and out, animated window resizing, and menus swooshing around.
* If you drag the preview window smaller, it will stay that size when another preview is displayed. To return the behavior to the default “automatic resizing” mode, resize the preview window so its lower edge is at the bottom of your screen.

I’m a big fan of Default Folder X. I reviewed it here and did a somewhat dated screencast on it here.

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BusySync Review Gets a Raincheck

I seem to have come down with a rather nasty flu. I was all set to make BusySync this week’s feature review but, alas, my voice currently sounds more like a cement truck than a human. Rest assured the feature review will be back next weekend and publish with the MacReviewCast. In the meantime here is a hint.
I really like BusySync.

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Andy Ihnatko Takes OmniFocus for a Spin

I’m a big fan of both OmniFocus and Andy Ihnatko so when Andy took OmniFocus for a spin without cracking the manual or any other preparation I knew I would be in for some laughs. As Andy attempts to trundle through the application he brings back a few memories of me through the beta process. Hang in there Andy, it will come together.
Interestingly, Ken Case from Omni submits a few comments providing some good application tips so at the end it actually gets educational.
Check it out.

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A Lawyer’s Take on Macworld 2008

In addition to being an affirmed Mac geek, I am also a lawyer. So as I spent the last several days talking to developers and roaming the halls of Macworld, a few things in particular got me excited about practicing law with my Mac.

Macbook Air

Apple’s new machine is a real eye catcher. It is just three pounds and manages to keep a 13 inch monitor. While this would be really nice for the roadwarrior or running around in depositions and trial, the $1800 price tag makes me look twice. If you really need thin and are willing to sacrifice a bit of functionality (no ethernet or firewire) you may want to check it out. I’m sticking with my Macbook Pro for the time being.

MacSpeech

For those of you former PC users who miss having DragonDictate in your toolbelt, fret no more. I was never a big fan of iListen, but the folks at at iListen recently acquired the license for the Dragon recognition engine for use on the Mac. Their new product, MacSpeech Dictate will be releasing next month and looks fantastic. I spent about an hour at their booth and am very impressed. I also watched David Pogue fawn over it as it produced very accurate and quick results.
I wasn’t alone in my opinion that this product will change things. It was one of the “Best of Show” award winners by several publications. Put this one at the top of your list for productivity boosters.

OmniFocus

I’m a big fan of the Omni Group applications. I use OmniOutline, OmniPlan, and OmniGraffle to manage much of my caseload. I got in early on the beta of their OmniFocus task management application and it was just released as a 1.0. This application is fantastic for keeping all the plates in the air. I did an extended review of it at Macsparky.com
I talked to the folks at Omni and they are going to do everything in their power to get these applications on the iPhone once the iPhone SDK releases.

BusySync

For the small offices that don’t need the expense of a server but want to sync iCal calendars between multiple desks, there is a great little application called BusySync. For a cost of $20 per computer, you get seamless bonjour and net syncing between machines. They have a new version due out soon that will also allow for Google calendar syncing.

Bento

FileMaker is the best application for database intensive solutions. If you are running a small practice, FileMaker’s smaller application, Bento, looks really robust.

Billings and Daylite

Marketcircle continues its place at the top of small office management software. They had a nice booth and made regular presentations. I was unaware of some of their interesting add-on products like Daylite Delivery and the FileMaker connector. These guys fill a very particular niche.

Fujitsu ScanSnap

I love my Fujitsu ScanSnap. It is a reliable, fast scanner with a small footprint. Now they have a portable version, the S300M, that retails at $295 and looks perfect for those depositions on the other side of the country.

Smart Board

Smart Technologies has a very impressive device you install over your LCD television that allows you to create a virtual white board like you are John Madden. The price point is steep. I was told “around $5,000” but it sure is nice.

Storage – Drobo and TimeCapsule

While TimeCapsule is aimed as a consumer device, 1TB storage with a built in wireless “N” router is a pretty attractive product.
I was also impressed with the Drobo that allows you to drop up to four swappable drives in with no headache. Interestingly, if you pull out a drive while it is running (or if the drive dies), Drobo automatically moves the data around to protect its integrity. The Drobo device costs $500 without any drives.
For all of you Mac lawyers, I highly recommend visiting Macworld sometime when you get a chance. Not only will you find some great tools for your practice, you’ll probably have a good time while you are at it.

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Macworld Adventures, Day 1

So my day began .. well .. in the dark. I had to wake up at 4 a.m. to catch my flight to the bay area. I knew I was a geek, but this brings it all to a new level. Just a word to the wise, if you ever decide to carry on a Blue Snowball microphone on an airplane, make sure you tell the TSA about it first. It is after all round and full of electronics. They spent quite a bit of time looking at mine but eventually decided I was not a threat to national security. At least not today.
I arrived in Oakland at 8 and then took the various busses and trains necessary to get me to downtown San Francisco. I had intended to meet up with Victor from TheTypicalMacUser podcast where all of us plebeians would follow the keynote on iPhones, Macbooks, and other things Apple. Fortunately for Victor however, he managed to get into the keynote. So it was just Jonathan Cost, from MacTipsDaily at ThinkMac.net and I waiting for the exhibit halls to open. Jonathan and I were lucky to get down to the doors early. Very quickly, there were a LOT of people waiting behind us.

We were lucky to get in just as the doors open and some of the first people to get our hands on the new MacBook Air. It is quite an impressive bit of engineering. I just can’t get over how small it is.

As readers will know, I had my heart set on an iTablet. I’m sure this machine will be very popular but I’m happy with my MacBook Pro. There are a lot of missing features and it is pretty expensive.
The improvements to the Apple TV are really exciting. I used the new interface and watched HD movies on it. I’m thinking this may spell the end of my Blockbuster subscription (which just got more expensive).
The iPhone 1.1.3 upgrade is also a nice upgrade. It looks like things are getting ready for the SDK. I’m going to be talking to Omni and Barebones about this tomorrow.
I gave an extended interview to Steve Stanger tonight at the MacAttack so you can get a lot more information listening to that. For tonight I think I need to get some dinner and some sleep.

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MacHeist 2

The latest MacHeist is live. The bundle includes one of my absolute favorite Mac applications, 1Password. I already own a few of the applications but it still may be worth it for me, especially if they unlock Pixelmator. Twenty Five percent of the proceeds go to the charity of your choice. It is such a good deal that it makes me wonder if there is anything left for those hard working developers? Anyway, if you are interested head over to Macheist 2.

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More Love for Scrivener

I’ve been neck deep in work the last few days but in catching up with the news I noticed my favorite Mac word processor, Scrivener, got some nice press in the New York Times. Virginia Heffernan explains:
Our redeemer is Scrivener, the independently produced word-processing program of the aspiring novelist Keith Blount, a Londoner who taught himself code and graphic design and marketing, just to create a software that jibes with the way writers think. As its name makes plain, Scrivener takes our side; it roots for the writer and not for the final product — the stubborn Word. The happy, broad-minded, process-friendly Scrivener software encourages note-taking and outlining and restructuring and promises all the exhilaration of a productive desk: “a ring-binder, a scrapbook, a corkboard, an outliner and text editor all rolled into one.”
Ring, scrap and cork sound like fun, a Montessori playroom. But read on — and download the free trial — and being a Scrivener-empowered scrivener comes to seem like life’s greatest role. Scriveners, unlike Word-slaves, have florid psychologies, esoteric requirements and arcane desires. They’re artists. They’re historians. With needs. Scrivener is “aimed at writers of all kinds — novelists, journalists, academics, screenwriters, playwrights — who need to refer to various research documents and have access to different organizational tools whilst aiming to create a finished piece of text.”

For loyal readers however, this should be old news since I already reviewed Scrivener right here.

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Animator vs. Animation – Very Click-Worthy

If you need a laugh, click this link. Alan Becker created an ingenious little animation where the animator draws a stick figure with the intention of torturing him. Unfortunately for the animator, the stick figure has different ideas.

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