Several Mac sites are reporting today that Apple has approached select iPhone developers to make “full resolution” versions of their applications for a demonstration in January, possibly January 26. Buckle up boys and girls. Tablet mania is about to find its fifth gear. If an announcement is approaching, we are bound to be flooded with “insider” information, most (if not all) of which will be complete speculation. Either way, I think the next few months are going to be interesting.
PGP – Snow Leopard Beta Report
A few weeks ago I took the plunge and began running the PGP beta on my Snow Leopard MacBook (learn more here). That is right. I installed software that both: 1) encrypted my entire hard drive and; 2) included the word “beta” in the title. This is not an act for the timid sane.
Having run it, I can report no problems so far. The login screen now has a bit more polish. I would give a screenshot but the system is at such a root level that screenshots don’t work until after the login. Likewise, there is no noticeable decrease in speed. The only time I notice PGP is when I boot up. Otherwise it remains happily invisible.
I would not recommend installing PGP as a beta unless you are a masochist (like me) but it looks to be well along in its development cycle and little birds are telling me January. As to the whole upgrade process, I’m still a bit miffed that they have my upgrade fee despite the fact there is no released version for Snow Leopard months after launch. This, however, is offset by knowing once again that upon reboot or shut down, my computer is locked up tighter than a Predator Drone.
Avatar – A Brief Review
This movie was shockingly good. Like “Dances with Wolves” dipped in chocolate covered awesomeness. Really. I’m sure several Macs gave up their clock cycles in the making of this film.
MacUpdate Bundle
Bundles on the Mac are kind of like reality TV. A few years ago they were new and unique and often tempting. Now there are many copycats and nobody really cares. However, the most recent MacUpdate bundle did catch my eye. It includes both PathFinder and Yep which are two excellent applications. They are also giving away MainMenu, which I recently reviewed. You can check out the bundle here.
Home Screens – Tim Verpoorten
I am starting a new series at MacSparky where, once a week, I will feature the iPhone/iPod touch home screen of some notable Mac podcaster, developer, or other interesting person. For the inaugural posting, I will be featuring Tim Verpoorten.
Tim is the producer and host of the Surfbits MacReviewCast Podcast where he, and his merry gang, regularly review Mac software and hardware. Tim has tirelessly put our 232 episodes and is still going strong. This podcast is special to me because it was the first one I ever submitted content on and I continue to contribute regularly. So here is the iPod Touch home screen of my friend, Tim.
David: What do you like best on your home screen?
Tim: I think that it’s important that the major utilities you use everyday on your home or office Mac are ported over to the iPhone/iPod touch platform. DropBox, 1Password, iDisk, Textexpander and Evernote are all apps I use everyday on both platforms. They make using a Mac a full time experience. Until recently, I had to use a Windows machine all day at the office and my Mac was only available to me at home, but with the iPhone platform, I was able to bring my Mac and my favorite apps, the ones that help me complete my everyday online activities, along with me wherever I went.
What is your favorite app?
Each app fits a purpose or solves a problem. But I think my favorite iPhone app is also my favorite Mac app, and that’s Evernote. It brings my whole world along with me wherever I am and whatever I’m doing. It’s a great app and a great app is great on any platform.
Which app is your guilty pleasure?
WordNerd is the game I open the most when I have a few moments to kill. I love all the graphic shooters, and RPG games such as Underground, but WordNerd gets played the most I think.
How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPod touch?
Between 4-8 times. I use it when commuting to the office and I use it during the day at the office, more when I did not have my new MacBook Pro at the work, and I use at home in the living room when I want to check email and browse from my recliner rather then getting up and going to my home office. It saves me a lot of grief when my wife wants me to share a movie or TV show with her before bed. š
What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPod touch?
Instant on and off and the ability grab Wi-Fi connections easily. It makes connecting to the Internet a real no-brainer.
If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone?
A SD card slot, and a USB port for plug-in accessories. (Maybe a printer)
Hazel Update
One of my very favorite Mac utilities, Noodlesoft’s Hazel released an update this week with several interesting feature addtions. You can now add sequential numbers to your rules and reference a source folder allowing you to mirror folder structures when moving and copying files. The update is free to registered users and a new license for Hazel is $22. You can learn more about Hazel at my review here and one of my favorite Hazel workflows here.
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Bad JooJoo
A long time ago I resigned myself to the fact that I will buy the long fabled Apple Tablet if it is ever emerges from the land of make believe. So my observactions of the whole JooJoo fiasco have been sporting at best. Andy Ihnatko, as usual, nails it.
Holiday Wallpaper
“Mac at Work” in Irvine, December 16
I’m looking forward to giving a warm-up of my “Mac at Work” presentation on December 16 at the Irvine Spectrum Apple Store at 8:00 a.m. Yes, I know it’s early but at least the store will be quiet and free of shoppers. See you there.