Macgasm » Reviews

Apple’s iPhone Your Life

Wayne Dixon — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:00:52 +0000

Apple is keeping their marketing machine running full force. Apple has added a new area on their website - iPhone Your Life. This new area has quite a few helpful sections.

iPhone Your Life attempts to help iPhone owners learn more about their phones. There are five sections to this part of the website: Around Town, World Travel, At Home, Getting Things Done, and Fun and Games.

Each of these sections provide useful information and links to applications that will help you get the most out of your iPhone. Let’s take the ‘Around Town’ section. On this page there are currently 18 different links to specific applications within the store.

This section gives links to YellowPages mobile, Urbanspoon, and even walking tours for New York City.

The Getting Things Done (GTD) page has all types of applications like Air Sharing, OmniFocus, and the Top 10 Paid Productivity Apps, both free and Paid.

Overall the website is a good location for anybody with an iPhone to go and get applications that might help. There are a few things that I don’t like about the website.

Within the Productivity Apps they have some ‘iTunes for Productivity’ links. But none of the links actually work. The links provided on the other pages do work, so I think this is just an oversight on Apple’s part.

If you know somebody who is a new iPhone user, I recommend sending them to this website in order to give them some ideas for applications.

Giving Thanks to Safari

Grant Brunner — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:16:50 +0000

I obsess over small things. The slightest thing can be a show stopper for me. It will come as no surprise that I spend a lot of my time inside of a web browser, so my obsessiveness has naturally spread there. In my day, I have used and evangelized many browsers. For over a year now, my browser of choice has been Apple’s Safari. This time of year is dedicated to giving thanks, so I wanted to show my thankfulness for such a useful browser. Here are the reasons why I prefer Safari.

• Inline search. Safari’s implementation is second to none. The search term is highlighted in yellow while everything else on the screen is dimmed.

• Syncing. All of my bookmarks sync through iTunes to my iPod Touch, and sync through Mobile Me to my other Macs.

• SnapBack. The orange button that sits in the address bar will bring me back to what I was looking at before I got distracted, and started clicking links.

• Standards compliance. Safari was the first browser to pass Acid2, and the developer builds of Webkit were the first to pass Acid3. The Webkit/Safari team is dedicated to being the best of the best.

• Private browsing mode. Sometimes I don’t want certain sites, illicit or not, to leave cookies or show up in my history.

• Keychain integration. All of my saved web information is kept in a secure database with an easy to use interface.

• Speed. From my friend’s 500 Mhz iBook to my 2.4 Ghz MacBook Pro, Safari is the fastest browser available. Not only does it render webpages speedily, but the browser itself launches in one bounce. Other browsers I’ve tried take a longer time to launch.

• RSS support. All of my RSS feeds sit in my bookmark bar, and the bookmark bar indicates when there are unread posts. Everything is handled in one application.

That is what I’m thankful for this year. Safari is a joy to use, and its many features make my life that much easier. What technology are you thankful for?

JVC Gumy Headphones: An alternative to Apple’s?

Wayne Dixon — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:00:59 +0000

I’ve owned an iPod since 2005. My first was the iPod Mini (Green) 4GB Model. I bought it at CompUSA right after the second generation came out and got a good deal on the first generation Mini. (I still have it, although the hard drive and battery are toast). I have been through 8 different iPods, including two iPhones. With each came the Apple headphones.

Like most people, I tend to use my iPod or iPhone constantly. With constant use, the headphones from Apple (or any headphones for that matter) tend to come worn and no longer decide to work. Typically, it’s one ear that decides to stop working, usually at the most inopportune time. Since I have been through almost every single pair of headphones from each iPod (I still have the headphones from my 3G iPhone) I didn’t want to keep buying the Apple headphones at $29 a piece. So I began looking for some cheaper ones. I reckon I’ve been through at least 15 pairs of headphones in 3 1/2 years.

Like I said, I use my iPod constantly and have been through 4 pairs of headphones in the last 5 months. Now, I haven’t been buying the Apple headphones since they are $29 US each. I had been buying the Phillips SHE2650/37 Black headphones with a case, since they were about a third the cost of the Apple headphones.

Recently, I found the JVC HA-F130-B headphones. This particular model black but they do come in a variety of colors. These are not bad headphones, but they are definitely not as good as others out on the market. They are a bit better and provide as much, if not a bit more, of the full quality that the Apple headphones.

Since these headphones actually have a better range than the Apple headphones, this should not be too surprising. These can do 16Hz ~ 20,000Hz, while the Apple headphones can do 20Hz ~ 20,000Hz.

Granted, I’m not an audio engineer and my ears aren’t attuned to having exact differences be noticed, but I can tell the difference with these headphones. One of the better aspects is that they will work with the first generation iPhone with the slim plug. So if you’re in the market for a cheaper alternative to the Apple provided headphones these are not bad choice. They can usually be had for around $10 at almost any electronics retailer.

I’m just wondering how long these headphones will last, since they are earbuds and I am hard on all headphones. If you happen to know of a good pair of earbuds that are durable, leave a message in the comments.

I love me some Sticky, Notes that is.

Corey Harris — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:37:24 +0000

There are very few things that I think are essential in life. The same holds true to the apps I put on my Mac and my iPhone. But the one thing that holds true for everything is Post-it notes or Sticky notes, be it on my desk for quick notes here and there, or on my mac using the stickies app. But now I have found the greatest of all. A stickies iPhone app. Yes, I said it. For 99 cents, you can have a great little stickies app for your iPhone. I hate spending money in the app store, but this has already turned out to be my most used app for little notes I need through out the day. The app is by Air-O-matic and is available at http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=295596954&mt=8 . The app gives you a basic sticky not that you can put any text on, then saves the note in your camera roll. Then you just need to set it as your wallpaper. The only thing that would make this app better is if it automatically saved as your wallpaper, so you wouldn’t have to go through the extra step. If you can spare 99 cents, I say go for it. Especially if you need a little reminder here and there right in front of your face.

One week in bed with the MBP.

Corey Harris — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:00:28 +0000

It’s hard to believe that the new Macbooks and MacBook Pros were just announced just over a week ago. I, like many, rushed out and bought a new MacBook Pro. This was an upgrade that I had been waiting for since June 2008. Let me just say, it was well worth the wait. First out of the box it is a sleek machine or tool. Start-up time is pretty amazing compared to my iMac and Macbook. The speed in which this wonderful machine launches applications is tremendous as well. I couldn’t wait to, pardon my phrasing, bust the MBP’s cherry. I immediately put Final Cut Express on it and started editing video. This is a task I normally do on an iMac and sometimes on my MacBook. Render speed for me was amazing. FCE was able to run smoothly with no lag whatsoever. The next thing I did was throw Spore on it. Spore is a game that I was unable to play on my iMac because of its graphic processor. I was actually able to evolve my creature on the MBP. After just having this computer for a week, I can hardly go back to my Macbook or iMac. I am that impressed with it.

Now the question is, would I recommend upgrading to this new MacBook Pro? Well if you are in the market for an upgrade then absolutely. But if you are happy with what you have, then there is no need to spend the money.

Now I have been hearing people complaining about the glass screen — that it is reflective. That is a BS excuse. I have no issues with reflection on it at all. The pictures that have been popping up around the net of the reflection are crap. Of course if you take a photo of the display with the flash on or the display off you are going to get reflection, that is common sense. I would say go to your apple store or department store that sells apple product and check on out for yourself.

Dish me some Bean!

Corey Harris — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:00:03 +0000

When it comes to applications for the Mac, I just can’t get enough of them. But when they are applications that I might actually use, that makes it better.

Bean is one of those apps that I happen to use a lot. If you haven’t heard of Bean, It is a simply rich text editor. You may ask why you need this app. Heck our macs come with TextEdit, or you are already using Pages or even god forbid Microsoft Word. Oh the Horror. But sometimes you don’t need all the power that you get with Word or Pages, and I want a little more than TextEdit. Heck I have never used a text editor that comes with a computer. But bean offers simple text editing, with a bit of power. You can easily format your text, and ad graphics. It will even read Word files. I have to say, I find myself using this little free application at least twice a week. In fact I use it most the time when writing a post for Macgasm. I use bean for notes all the time.

Now I know you may want a bit more, so I am going to go ahead and suggest if you want more, but for the same price as free, then you should go to openoffice.org and download that. They just released version 3 and it runs natively on Intel Macs now. In fact, it only runs on intel macs. But before we had to run in in X11. Now there is no need, and it is absolutely free. This is a full office suite, so you get all the bells and whistles

So check out both these apps. Both free and worth it.

Wurdle: an iPhone App Review

Wayne Dixon — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:37:04 +0000

Having an iPhone since Day 2 of its release (as in 06/30/07 not 07/12/08), I’ve been excited to get the application store and since it has arrived I’ve purchased and downloaded my fair share of the applications. One of which is Wurdle.

Wurdle is a simple concept. It is a word game that allows you to find words within a grid and you get more points for longer words. Much like boggle or a word-search, it’s a simple concept.

Wurdle has a myriad of options, as shown below.

I think the most useful option is the ability to pause a game (a new feature in version 1.1). This allows you to get some gaming time in while you’re waiting in line, on the bus, or in the elevator. Yet, if you get interrupted you will not necessarily lose your place.

While the ability to pause a game is nice, you do have the ability to try and one-up other players by submitting your score online. Not that I have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting to the top, it’s fun to try. There are a bunch of other options available as well. Like the ability to change the color of the tiles, size of the board, and the play length. Additionally, the longest words you locate are kept track of, so you can go back and looks at them.

The biggest downside is that it can be difficult, with the larger grid sizes, to be able to see or select the proper letter, thus wasting time by re-doing the entire word, or backtracking enough to get to the proper word.

Wurdle is $1.99 from the iPhone App store. It’s something I’d recommend. However, be forewarned that it is very addicting and one of the games that will be difficult to put down. So do be prepared to waste some time with the game.

Arrest that man, his iPod is naked!

Corey Harris — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:00:15 +0000

Now I don’t know about you, but I like to protect my stuff. Especially my expensive iPods and iPhone.

It seems that less people are doing this. Maybe because it is uncool. Kind of like when I was in school and the nerds all had pocket protectors and book keepers. But that is different. I paid good money for my iPods and iPhone and I want them to last.

There are several types of protection for your apple gear and hundreds of companies making silicone cases. I am only going to point out a few though. The first one is iSkin.com. iSkin is probably also one of the most known for making iPod, iPhone and other cases for your apple stuff. I personally only have one of their items though. That item is the revo2 for the iPhone. I have to say it does its job. It protects what I have spent a good part of my money on. However it is a silicone product which means that it will need to be cleaned and it does get stuck in your pocket on occasion. Most all of iSkin’s products are that of the silicone nature. But if you want to keep your stuff safe and still look cool, you might as well check them out.

The next company is iFrogz.com. I pretty much use iFrogz for all of my iPod needs. I have several cases from them for my shuffle, my iPod video, Touch, and Nano. They have fast shipping and great customer service. Again, they specialize in silicone so you have to deal with that, but their product is great. They even have an iPod Nano 3rd gen case that has built in speakers, It is great.

The last company that I will mention is contourcase.com . They make a great line of hard plastic cases for all lines of iPod/iPhone. I actually have two of their cases. I have a clear case that they put out for my iPhone and the white Flick case for my iPhone. Their cases are thin, and slick. This cuts down on the bulk that you may get with a silicone case. I actually love the flick case and highly recommend this case to any iPhone user that wants protection but doesn’t want it to show. You can’t even tell that I have the case on my phone hardly.

If you value your apple iPod/iPhone check out the sites.

http://www.iskin.com

http://www.ifrogz.com

http://www.contourcase.com

Edit your blog with MarsEdit

Joshua Schnell — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:00:44 +0000

I’m not an expert on MarsEdit, but it has been a pleasant experience for me over the last couple of days. I thought I would give it a go after a friend suggested it to me.

It lets me write posts to all my blogs remotely, without ever having to open up Wordpress. Essentially I get the “write” tab in Wordpress on my desktop, with a couple of exceptions.

Firstly, we can add our post to categories that are listed on the server, we can set the post status, comment options, and track back options right in the post.

We can also add media on the fly using the media tab, which actually has some functionality that makes the process of adding pictures quite simple. Flickr integration–yup that’s me below!

Now something that really irks me…a lot! Where’s my tagging option? It’s not on by default, and I have to go digging for it in the menu items. You also have the ability to add technorati tags, which I really don’t get…I mean, who uses Technorati? Also, the application allows html formatting which is to be expected, but doesn’t have any quick buttons to add links. Not exactly a time saver. I can crack out html, and I don’t mind doing it, but, sometimes I’d rather just click a button and past a link.

It widely supports a slew of blogging platforms (WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, Movable Type, LiveJournal, Drupal, and Vox). It can be hooked into those super popular text editors (BBEdit, SubEthaEdit, TextMate, or TextWrangler). It lets you get your work done, and previewed offline. Overall it’s handy, and something you should look into if you plan on getting into blogging.

NewerTech Bass Response Earbuds blow away Apple

Joshua Schnell — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:39:05 +0000

These earbuds have an amazingly full sound considering the pricepoint. At $19.99 they’re quite a steal, and easily sound better than the Apple iPhone earbuds that have shipped with my iPods and iPhone over the last year. The spec sheet says that they reduce noise an average of 42db, and, while I don’t have a means of seeing just how much noise these suckers would block out, I can concur that they make the typical room filled with chatter quite silent. At $19.99 you can’t go wrong, but I do have a couple caveats about the earbuds. While they have an amazingly full sound, they are also amazingly large. Ok, they probably aren’t “large”, and I’ve been told on a bazillion occasions that I have tiny ears. So they we’re not the most comfortable headphones I’ve used. But, to be fair, it’s me and not the headphones. I’ve passed them around to some family members and none of them experienced discomfort over a couple hours of use. On family member actually refuses to give them back. I smell a covert mission to retrieve these bad boys in my immediate future. Overall, I highly recommend these earbuds, and anyone looking to get the most bang for their buck should probably pick these up over those super crappy Apple earbuds.

Macgasm » Reviews

Apple’s iPhone Your Life

Related Posts

Giving Thanks to Safari

Related Posts

JVC Gumy Headphones: An alternative to Apple’s?

Related Posts

I love me some Sticky, Notes that is.

Related Posts

One week in bed with the MBP.

Related Posts

Dish me some Bean!

Related Posts

Wurdle: an iPhone App Review

Related Posts

Arrest that man, his iPod is naked!

Related Posts

Edit your blog with MarsEdit

Related Posts

NewerTech Bass Response Earbuds blow away Apple

Related Posts