Chained commands. My love of this window resizing utility blooms like flowers in spring.
More on DuckDuckGo
It’s been about a month since I switched from Google to DuckDuckGo for my search engine. This far in, I’ve found the search results to be slightly slower (not enough to matter) and sometimes different from Google’s. In some case different means worse. In other cases, different means better. It feels like a wash to me.
Overall, I’m glad to have made the switch and don’t see myself going back. I like the clean way DuckDuckGo presents results and did I mention DuckDuckGo’s privacy policy?
I’ve picked up a few tips since my last entry on the subject:
- Use “ddg” as your trigger in LaunchBar or Alfred. It is easier to type than “duck”.
- Make a TextExpander snippet:
http://duckduckgo.com/?q=. Fire that off in your browser’s URL bar and start typing your search. I got that tip from Jason Rehmus, via Steven Hackett.
iCal 2 Week View
It always made me crazy how iCal can’t show a two-week view. With a one line terminal command, you can fix that.
Sponsor: TinyLetter
TinyLetter is the simplest way to send email newsletters. Creating signup forms is a breeze, and TinyLetter even makes it easy to reply to your readers individually. It’s also free.
TinyLetter doesn’t have all the features most email services offer. It’s built for people, not business. Just compose your message, send it to your readers, and find out what they think. That’s all there is to it. 
MPU Screencasts and OpenDNS
There is no Mac Power Users episode this week but I am pleased to announce we have an official MPU Vimeo page. As the year moves forward, Katie and I intend to add small screencasts to the page that naturally arise from show topics and discussions. Katie did a fantastic job of the first screencast explaining how to use OpenDNS. If you haven’t yet, you really should set up OpenDNS.
2012 and Big iPad Developers
I was reading MacStories’ coverage of Photoshop for the iPad and it got me thinking. I’m guessing 2012 will be the year that Adobe, Microsoft, and the other “big” developers get serious about the iPad. I hope they don’t blow it.
Thumbtack Pinboard Utility
While I’ve never met Don Southard, I’m a fan of his nerdery at DirtDon.com and writing at MacStories. Don just released an app, Thumbtack, a menu bar utility that gives quick access to your Pinboard account. Slick.
via Macdrifter
1Password Stores E-Mails
;)
Did you know that you can drag an e-mail from Apple Mail to 1Password? The fun begins later when you need that e-mail again. Just click the mail message in 1Password and it opens the mail message, even after you’ve buried the mail message in your archive. Pretty slick.
The Air Force and GoodReader
Apparently the Air Force cancelled a big iPad order because someone realized GoodReader’s developer is a Russian company. The whole thing is nutty. The Air Force could have used a home-grown PDF reader, like iPad PDFpen or baked their own.
Home Screens – Chris Foresman
Every year I yammer on about the Macworld friends that I only get to see once a year. One of those people is Chris Foresman. Chris is a really smart guy that covers the Apple beat for Ars Technica (Twitter). So Chris, show us your home screen.
What are your most interesting home screen apps?
That’s a tough question. I’d say for the most part my home screen apps are pretty pedestrian‹I chose them for maximum utility. However, I’m really liking Tweetbot; I recently added it to replace the official Twitter client, which is frankly getting to be a pain to use.
I also keep a lot of various photo-related apps in a folder because I’m a consummate iPhone snapper. Lately I’ve been getting into Snapseed, Pano, Diptic, and IncrediBooth.
*What is your favorite app?(
Another hard one. I’m inclined to say Buster, since I use it to navigate Chicago’s CTA busses and trains. Plus, I had a small hand in steering some of its UI conventions. On the other hand, I use Instagram almost daily. Love me some Instagram.
Apps I really like off the home screen: Netflix, iBooks, Kindle,
GarageBand, PNC Virtual Wallet, and Taxi Magic.
Which app is your guilty pleasure?
Probably Ticket To Ride Pocket. I’ve been playing it non-stop since it was released, even though it lacks the various maps and add-ons of the iPad version. Really liking the Game Center turn-by-turn integration, though it
has a few quirks. Just wish I knew more people that wanted to play!
What is the app you are still missing?
I guess Siri, since I still have an iPhone 4. 😉
How many times a day do you use your iPhone and iPad?
I tend to use my iPhone all day long, making calls, staying in touch with friends via Facebook and Twitter, and playing games whenever I have to wait on something. I’m also always taking pictures and posting them via Instagram.
My iPad largely sits idle by the bed, for the occasion I want to do some reading, play some iPad-only games, or do the occasional iPad review. I do like to take the iPad on trips though, if I can avoid taking my laptop.
What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?
Seamless syncing of important data. When Jobs said “iCloud was the future of Apple for the next decade,” I really hope he means it. I want ALL my data accessible from any of my devices. It will take some time to get there, but looks like Mountain Lion is making some strides in that
direction.
Thanks Chris.