I’ve received several e-mails complaining about how posts have slowed down at MacSparky.com. I am finally able to explain why. A few years ago I realized that while a lot of people are carrying Macs to work, very few of these Mac workers are…
Continue reading →In Praise of OpenDNS
If you haven’t already, you really should set up OpenDNS on your home network. This free service provides a way to automatically block pornography, malicious Web content, and track stats on your Internet access. I have two young girls in my house and even…
Continue reading →Ristretto for iPad Review
Since my iPad first arrived, my poor MacBook has been increasingly neglected. The iPad goes with me everywhere. So the iPad needs a bag. Not just a bag for the iPad but one that can also hold the stand, the bluetooth keyboard, and the…
Continue reading →Scrivener 2.0 Sneak Peaks
As we get closer to the release of Scrivener 2.0, additional details are coming out. I’ve been working with the beta and I’m looking forward to writing an extended review when the product is released. In the meantime, there is some good early coverage…
Continue reading →Initial Impression: Dragon Dictate for Mac
I just spent the day working with Dragon Dictate for Mac, the successor to MacSpeech Dictate. My initial impressions are all positive. Implementation of the Dragon engine version 11 is fantastic. This thing is fast, really fast. The commands are much more intuitive. They…
Continue reading →ScanSnap + Hazel
I’ve been thinking about a workflow to automatically file documents with Hazel using highlighted terms since Fujitsu first added the ability to selectively apply optical character recognition. Brooks Duncan pulls it all together. As an aside, my not so scientific experimentation using the ScanSnap…
Continue reading →The Pomodoro Technique
I’ve talked a lot on the Mac Power Users about our sponsor Navel Labs and its Pomodoro Timer application. This has triggered a steady stream of e-mails about this kitchen timer based productivity system. The Pomodoro Technique is the inspiration of an Italian graduate…
Continue reading →BusyCal 1.5 Beta
The new BusyCal public beta allows you to sync with the new MobileMe calendar beta and other CalDAV servers. It also includes the ability to sync over your local area network and Google calendar. I’ve been running it since last week with no troubles.…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users: Keynote Pro Tips
I got to unload for an hour and a half about my thoughts and practices for presenting on a Mac in the most recent episode of the Mac Power Users. It was therapeutic. Get it on the Web or in iTunes.
Listen & read notes →MPU on MacVoices
It was my pleasure to record an episode of MacVoices Chuck Joiner all about the the Mac Power Users. In it Katie and I talked about the genesis for the show and how much fun it is. Chuck is the James Lipton of the…
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