Tinderbox Gets Even Smarter (Sponsor)

This week MacSparky is sponsored by Tinderbox, the tool for notes. Tinderbox is a Mac App that lets you collect your thoughts and slice and dice them any way your brain prefers. With Tinderbox you can make a mind map, a check list, make timelines, charts, outlines, and more. My favorite feature is that you are not tied to any paradigm with this app. Put your data in and start moving it around to help your brain make connections that weren’t there before.


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Did you know that Tinderbox recently released version 7.3 with more than six dozen visible improvements and a bunch of new technologies?

Tinderbox can now look at your ideas from Notes, Evernote, Dropbox and more on iPhone and iPad. The new version also has quick links to connect notes instantly and composites to build big ideas from small notes. The new fonts also look fantastic on your Mac.

People use Tinderbox for writing, managing their business, project management and just about anything else where you can benefit from having your own digital personal information assistant.

Go check out the latest version of Tinderbox today. You can download the free trial and see this fantastic app for yourself.


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Rubbish Passwords

Every year, Splash Data reveals its list of the year’s most commonly used passwords. This year the usual suspects, like “123456” and “password”, are, again at the top of the list. I had to grin that “starwars” has made its way to the list this year at #16. Funny. I would have that guessed that #diejarjardie would rate higher.

If you’re reading this blog, I’m guessing you already have a good password system and are not using any of these rubish passwords. Your family and friends, however, are most likely using lots of them. If you are spending time with some of the damned over the holidays, send them the Splash Data list and try to get through to them just how dangerous these common passwords are. I’ve been using 1Password since it launched and that’s a good recommendation (use this link for 20% off) but regardless of what system you put them on, put them on something. 

Technology and the California Wildfires

Speaking of disaster preparedness, my friend, and fellow geek, Rogier Willems, had the latest wildfires show up on his doorstep. He had to evacuate in a hurry and reports in with some excellent advice. One mistake he reports is taking his networking gear when he left. This blinded his security cameras so he had no idea what was happening to his house while evacuated.

MPU 408: Disaster Preparedness



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This week’s MPU episode, which we recorded just days before the latest California wildfires, is all about emergencies and your technology. In additiona to disaster preparedness, this episode also covers personal emergencies, accident or illness, technology failures and even happy emergencies.

Sponsors include:

  • Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code MPU for free overnight shipping.
  • TextExpander from Smile Type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander from Smile.
  • 1Password Have you ever forgotten a password? Now you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Save up to 20% using this link.
  • Making Light Get (or give!) a candle subscription and make some new habits. Use offer code MPU10 to save $10 on a new subscription

Episode VIII


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Today marks general release of the latest Star Wars Movie. This will be episode VIII and, for me, continuation of a journey started when I was nine years old. I’ve got my Star Wars shirt on and wearing my Star Wars shoes (the same ones I wore a few years ago for Episode VII) and a group of friends and family ready to go see “The Movie” tonight. I’ve been intentionally laying low on social media the last few days and I’m ready to go be amazed. If you’re a geek like me, May the Force Be with You.

 

Getting Your Act Together with OmniFocus (Sponsor)



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This week, MacSparky is sponsored by OmniFocus, the best task management application for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. I use OmniFocus every day to stay on top of my commitments and avoid being a flake. Designed by the Omni Group’s crack team of programmers, UI designers, and artists, OmniFocus is super-flexible while at the same time being powerful enough to handle just about anything, even crazy people that simultaneously run law practices, podcasts, and publishing businesses. 

OmniFocus had a great 2017 with lots of new features and the app is easier than ever on iPhone and iPad, taking full advantage of all of the iOS 11 goodies. Just this morning I was sitting in Starbucks and dragging emails over to OmniFocus on my iPad creating email-linked tasks and feeling like I was living in the future.

As we head into the new year, this is a great time to make the switch to OmniFocus. Hit the ground running on 2018 with OmniFocus at your back and just see how much you can pull off next year.


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The Decision to Buy an iMac Pro

With all the news coming out on the iMac Pro, Jason Snell wrote a thoughtful piece over at Macworld about the pluses and minuses of the new machine. If my email inbox is any indication, this question is on a lot of people’s mind. Jason’s article explains some of the usage cases where the iMac Pro makes the most sense. The article also explains you may want it just because you want the biggest, baddest iMac out there. If that’s you, I get that. I’ve blown money on far dumber things than a kick-ass iMac.

One point I would make, however, is that if you just need raw power and you can afford to wait to see what Apple does with the new Mac Pro (presumably sometime in 2018), you probably should. My guess is that the new Mac Pro will have more processor speed and be more upgradeable than the iMac Pro, but also be more expensive and require you to buy a separate monitor.

As for me, I’m not tempted. My existing 5K iMac is chugging along quite nicely. The hardest thing I make this computer do is render iBooks and screencast videos and the standard iMac is very much up to that task.