I’m not particularly excited about the new Aaron Sorkin movie on Steve Jobs. I don’t think the book that the movie is based on is very good and while I’m sure the movie will be full of drama, I can’t help but think the movie will make a lot of the same mistakes as the book. Nevertheless, I still want to see it. This Thursday, October 15, I’m going to go see the movie along with Adam Christianson from The MacCast and Victor Cajiao from the TerraTech podcast in Irvine California. If you’re in the neighborhood and want to watch it with some fellow nerds, join us. Afterwards, we’ll probably find a local bar to discuss the movie. You can get tickets at Fandango here.
Sponsor: OmniPlan 3 for the Mac
This week MacSparky is sponsored by OmniPlan 3 for the Mac
It has been four years since the last major update to OmniPlan and the recent release of version 3 is a doozy. OmniPlan brings the usual level of Omni-style attention to detail to a project planning application.
Like versions before, you can easily set up an outline and turn it into a Gantt chart. I use this with project planning in my day job and share the charts with clients. It lets everyone know when to expect things to start happening. As with every other Omni Group productivity application, everything looks gorgeous.
The new version includes a substantial number of brand new power features starting with network diagrams, which do a fine job of pushing my nerd buttons. With the network diagram, you can see the visual flow of your project and make connections and adjustments.
With the Pro version you get a multi-project dashboard that lets you track now only one but many projects going on in your company at the same time. The Pro version also has a reports feature that lets you see where things are working and not working. They’ve also added Monte Carlo simulation, which lets you run your project through different scenarios to see how it impacts the project outcome. It’s powerful stuff and it’s now in OmniPlan 3 for the Mac.
I’ve been using OmniPlan for some time and am going to start covering it in more detail here to explain where I can make it work for me. Learn more at the OmniPlan website.
The Big Mac Bundle
Stack Social’s shown up with a new Mac bundle worth consideration. For $17.99 you get 14 Mac Applications. Several of them are apps I currently use or have used. Take a look at the list below. That’s a lot of software for 18 bucks. Also, if you buy through the links in this post, I get some taco money. I love tacos.
Ember – This is one is a gem and the reason this bundle caught my eye. I use Ember to organize photos and screenshots for MacSparky projects.
Voila – This is another one I paid full price for. It helps you capture, record & then annotate screenshots and is a great companion for Ember.
Kinemac – I haven’t used this one yet but am looking forward to trying it out. It lets you create 3D animations.
RapidWeaver – This application lets you build and deploy websites from your Mac.
WiFi Radar Pro – Collect & troubleshoot network issues.
Candy Apple – Design creative masterpieces or edit & add effects w/ this pro vector drawing app.
Deliver Express – Standard – Create hot folders, then auto-send to up to 50 locations.
MacPilot – Turn hidden features on & off on your Mac to optimize your workflow.
Concealer – Protect sensitive files w/ passwords & encryption options.
SendLater – Schedule emails to send on a specific date or at a specific time.
Commander – Seamlessly interact w/ your files in a two-pane file manager interface.
MacBooster 3 – Maintain & optimize your Mac w/ performance enhancing tools & malware removal.
Levavo Blu-ray Ripper – watch Blu-rays on your computer, media players or other devices.
Picture Collage Maker – turn your images into unique collages, card, scrapbooks & more.
Relay FM App
If you are a fan of Mac Power Users, you should go ahead and download the new Relay app. A lot of work went into this app and it looks and works great. You can subscribe and follow Relay shows right in the application.
MPU 282: Making it up as we go along
We just published this week’s MPU live. Mark Metzger joined us to chat about File Maker. We also talked about cleaning up iOS, follow-up on Office 365 accounts and Google Docs, discuss Mac/PC hybrid setups, hear from a virtual assistant, share listener tips and tricks and Katie shares her experiences with the iPad Air 2.
Jazz Friday: Phil Woods at the Village Vanguard
Alto Saxophonist Phil Woods was an animal. I saw him for the first time in the late 70’s and it changed the way I thought about the saxophone forever. Phil played so fast and hard that it reminded me of a running out of control and always about to fall on my face. But Phil never fell down.
Some called him the “New Bird” because of the way he played so intensely like Charlie Parker. (He also was married to Bird’s widow.) I always thought of him as the jazz-hippie because I was introduced to him during his long-hair phase. For awhile, Phil lived in France and recorded avant-garde jazz with a group called the European Rhythm Machine. (A nice example of this music is their song, Chromatic Banana.) By the 70’s, Phil moved back to the United States, returned to more straight ahead jazz, and got a haircut.
Phil also played sax for many popular artists including Billy Joel and Paul Simon. Whether playing upbeat or a ballad, Phil Woods always played intensely. My pick, his Live at the Village Vanguard is on iTunes and features him powering through Webb City and equally nailing a ballad as only Phil could in Prelude to a Kiss. Like a lot of jazz artists, the best Phil Woods recordings are those made before a live audience.
Phil passed away last week at the age of 83. The below video is of Phil playing in Lincoln Center a few years ago. Even in his 80’s Phil Woods still could swing his ass off.
My Home Screen: iOS 9 Edition
While I’m usually featuring someone else’s home screen, with the release of iOS 9 and a few other developments, I thought I’d share my own home screen today. So, here goes.
My home screen is always in motion. For example, the Notes app is currently in my dock because I’m still testing it as a potential full-time notes solution. Camera is likewise in the dock because the 3D touch buttons on the Photos application icon make keeping the app on my home screen suddenly relevant again. Audible is another example. I don’t usually keep it on the home screen but I’ve been listening to James Corey’s Expanse Series so I want quick access.
Drafts is still a thing for me. Even with iOS 9, I like the ability to start dictating text with one press. I also admire the way Drafts keeps evolving to take advantage of new iOS features. It’s now 3D touch-friendly.
Unread is under new management but still manages to hold onto the whimsey that makes it my RSS tool of choice.
About two months ago, I got tired of looking at Tweetbot on the iPad and switched over to the native Twitter app. About the time I started figuring out the official app, Tweetbot released its new version with much better iPad support and I went back without thinking twice.
1Password is another application that I like to keep on my home screen. I’ve got so much data in there and want easy access. Secure notes are a great feature in 1Password if you want to keep something important behind a separate security wall.
I haven’t decided if the App Store deserves to be on home screen but with all the post-iOS 9 app updates, it’s going to stay there for at least the next month.
The strangest development is that my home screen is now my only screen. Katie Floyd made the suggestion in a recent episode of Mac Power Users. She split all her additional apps into just 4 folders. I tried it and was skeptical at first but I think I’m sold. The folders are Productivity, Reference, Utility, and Fun, I’ve put the most frequently used apps in each category in that first page and I can now get to my favorite apps without swiping away from the home screen.
My wallpaper is another thing constantly in motion. The current one is a picture of a gray brick wall that I like (for now).
If I were in charge at Apple, I’d continue to give iOS more power-user features. I understand how they want to keep things simple but as iOS evolves, the operating system needs more power tools. 3D Touch is a great start. It’s easy to use and easily ignorable. More of that please.
Fantastical for iOS 2.5
This week the other penny dropped for Fantastical. On the heals of their Mac update comes Fantastical for iOS 2.5. There’s a long list of updates and new features including things like 3D Touch on the new iPhones and multitasking.
For me, the big story here is the Apple Watch app. It’s always looked better than the native Calendar app but also been hampered by the fact it’s not a native application. It is now. The native app is much faster, now includes a Fantastical complication, and retains that clean Fantastical design. I’ve switched all my calendar complications over to the new Fantastical.
MPU 281: Dictation and Siri
Dictation and Siri have evolved a lot over the last few years. Katie and I spent some time on the latest Mac Power Users looking at available tools for dicatation. We also unloaded with all our latest Siri tips.
Apple Maps in 2015
Poor Apple Maps. It has been the whipping boy of the Internet for several years. Here is my favorite shot at Apple Maps from last season’s Silicon Valley.
For the first year after Apple Maps released, I kept Google maps on my home screen. However, after that Apple Maps improved enough to work for me. Moreover, the killer feature with Apple Maps is the Siri integration. I can be driving down the road, press the button for Siri and say “get directions home” or “get directions to Hippieland Granola Factory” and Siri does the rest of the work for me. It looks it up, opens the location in Apple Maps, and then initiates directions. This has saved my bacon plenty.
I still think this is a function of where you live. With me being in California, I suspect the Apple Maps problems got fixed a lot sooner than it would for someone who lives somewhere more remote. Nevertheless, if you gave up hope in Apple Maps, you should go look at it again. How-to Geek just did a comparison of the two services and found Apple and Google maps were a lot closer than they expected.