bookmark_borderOn my Mac

Well I’ve had it for a while now so here are some of the goodies I have installed on my MacBook. I’ve tried a lot of apps over the past few months, the following are the ones I’ve settled on.

One thing to note is that there does seem to be a different kind of software community built up around Macs, and I guess it is because the audience (whilst growing rapidly) is still small in comparison to the Windows community. There also seems to be more of an emphasis of home/fun usage, something Apple have concentrated on in the PC vs Mac adverts. I’m still not yet using the Mac as my main computer, largely because I can’t get my wife off the damn thing.

I am using a lot of the Apple supplied applications, Address Book, iCal and things like that, so most of the applications I have downloaded are either specialist or fit with the way I use a computer.

Anyway, at the moment, I am using:

  • Adium – instant messaging client that supports all the major IM channels.
  • AppDelete – which provides an easy way to delete installed applications. Installation on a Mac is, mostly, very simple. Removal less so, hence the thinking behind this application.
  • Aurora – an MP3/iTunes aware alarm clock. Ideal when travelling, can wake the Mac from its ‘sleep’.
  • Bean – for basic word processing requirements
  • Cyberduck – FTP client
  • FuzzyClock – rather than 13:45, displays “quarter to two”.
  • Growl – a wonderful little app which provides subtle (skinnable) notifications for various system events. Extendible using plugins, and feels like it is part of the OS
  • iConiCal – sets the dock icon for iCal to the correct date. Normally it’s a static icon until you open iCal, this app runs at login to change the icon. WHY this doesn’t happen this way within the OS I have no idea.
  • iStumbler – a better way to discover what wireless connections your MacBook can ‘see’. Includes Wifi, Bluetooth and Bonjour connections.
  • MagiCal – a replacement clock and drop-down calendar. Ideal for a quick check on a date.
  • MarcoPolo – automatically runs scripts to change settings when you change your wireless connection. Handy for me as I take my MacBook into work on occasion, when it picks up the wireless connection at work, it mutes the sound.
  • QuikSilver – at one level a keyboard application launcher, on another level (which I’m not at yet) a hugely powerful tool to help automate and quicken basic tasks and file manipulation.
  • Seashore – a handy graphics app, good for quick edits.
  • Skim – a PDF reader.
  • TextWrangler – handy text editor with support for most text based filetypes, good for quick code hacks.
  • VLC – an excellent video player with support for, well, every type of video I’ve tried.

All of the above are free, as in beer (where DID that phrase come from?). I have donated to some, and have bought other apps, most notably Adobe PhotoShop, but those are the ‘finds’, the none obvious stuff which I highly recommend you check out.

One type of app I’ve yet to settle on is which web browser to use. I immediately installed Firefox to give me something familiar, and coupled with my use of Google apps and Google sync, it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime soon. Oddly though, I have far fewer extensions installed on my MacBook than I do on my PC.

There are three other items that I’ve purchased for my MacBook which I’d like to point out. One is a Radtech screen protector, a simple cloth would do to be honest, but this doubles up as a screen cloth for the shiny glass effect MacBook screen. The other is a set of Cool Feet, which sucker onto the base of the MacBook, helping circulation and cooling, and providing a nice typing elevation. Finally, my Wrapper, a customised sleeve for when my MacBook is fast asleep. Provides a little bit of protection and keeps it clean!

There are a myriad of other tweaks (check out the Kinkless Desktop and an application called ‘Hazel’ for a key part of my desktop workflow) but those are for another post. For now, the applications listed above should give you a good starting point, and none of them will cost you a penny.

bookmark_borderLost Contacts

No, not LinkedIn or FaceBook, I’m talking about contacts with phone numbers and addresses and so on, not the pseudo-friends that the current crop of social web apps favour.

You see, thanks to my Samsung mobile phone or, more specifically, the crap software that came with it, I’ve lost a lot of contact details. Not only have a lost entire contacts, but every remaining contact has been royally screwed up and now has only two fields, one a truncated name (think ‘GordonMcLe’) the other a phone number, with a mix of home, mobile and work, seemingly at random. For some people in my contacts that’s not a problem as I only have one number for them, for others it now means that I have an old work number rather than a mobile.

To say I’m slightly pissed off at this is an understatement.

I do have most of them backed up but, as I’ll need to do some manual work on these anyway, I thought I’d take the chance to investigate some alternative ‘contact management’ applications. As I’m pretty much web-centric with the rest of my personal information (email, calendar, to do lists) it’s a no-brainer that I’d like to do the same with my contacts. Highrise is an obvious choice but I’m not bothered about recording ‘interactions’, a simple address book style application is all I’m looking for, but so far I’ve struggled to find something that meets my needs.

A key requirement is that, somehow, I need to be able to sync my contacts with my mobile phone. I’m not that fussed if I need to use a couple of different applications for that step, but it must, must, must be transportable. I don’t want to be stuck with a bespoke application. I also want something that is either web-based or has a web interface, being able to add or edit my contacts when I’m not at home is a must. Syncing with my mobile helps with this too but I do prefer to be able to mass edit if required.

So, any suggestions? Preferably web-based, but will take Mac or PC if a web interface is available.

bookmark_borderWhilst I remember…

A few things I’ve been meaning to mention, none of which really warrant an entire blog post.

1. I’m rebranding
The “one man” brand is getting an update, and all of my sites will get a few design tweaks. Whilst I’m in the midst of that, is there anything I need to do for this site? I know about the comment numbers in IE (cropped on the left), and that the search isn’t working from all pages but, those aside, are there any other major issues that need fixed, or anything that you’d like to see?

2. Mac fanboys suck
I’m including Steve Jobs in that as he sets the trend. Googling for anything that includes the terms Mac and PC typically offers little value and LOADS of “PCs are fugly” type ranting by Mac fanboys. Not only does it make finding useful cross-platform information harder than it should be, it also reflects badly on the very brand the idiots are saying is “way better then (sic) PC, they suks (again with the sic)”.

Not only that but I increasingly find myself biting my tongue, and holding off pointing out that it’s not “PC” but “Windows” against which they rail. Idiots.

3. Mini Coopers are evil
I’m pretty sure that having driven my mate’s Mini Cooper around for the past couple of weeks is the reason I’ve got a sore leg. It’s the S Model so the clutch is pretty stiff, and coupled with a completely different driving position, has aggravated an old groin strain and isn’t helping my knee either.

Add in the fact that it is almost impossible to drive the damn thing slowly and wheeeeee it’s fun! Just wish the weather had been better, I’ve only had the roof down a few times. Nice wee car but I don’t think I could live with it to be honest, and I’m quite looking forward to getting my Civic back and returning to comfort.

4. Lurgy?
Louise spent most of last night hacking and coughing, and this morning I have the tell-tale signs of a slightly raw throat and sensitive ear. Great. Just in time for the weekend.

As a kid I used to get awful earache, and whilst I’m not sure if, medically speaking, that makes me prone to such but I am certainly very aware when anything starts up in that area.

Right, don’t expect much over the weekend.

Although I might post a joke that made my Mum laugh…

bookmark_borderSmall things matter

I’ve been pretty good about not fawning over my Mac too much, right? I mean this hasn’t turned into a fanboy style homage to Steve Jobs and all things Apple. Well, no more so than usual… I don’t think.

This does mean that I’ve had to fit the strong urge to blog about the myriad of small things that I’ve noticed when using the Mac, the myriad of things which go to show that attention to detail and spending time on small issues IS important. Of course the fact that the Mac software is pretty robust in the first place allows the developers at Apple a little more time to worry about such things but that just means that it’s good for the user.

There are many little things that make using a Mac fun. They are all simple and some would say pointless, but watching the screen rotate like it is on the side of a cube, spin round and stop at another desktop (when switching users) may not be necessary but does add to the overall experience.

As I say, I’ve not mentioned most of these as many other people have waffled on about them at great length.

But last night was the straw that broke the dromedaries back.

There are two user accounts on our MacBook, one for me, one for Louise. Similar to Windows XP you get a login screen when you first startup the Mac and as it is a laptop we have passwords on the logins.

Last night I was half watching the football, whilst the laptop started up, so wasn’t really paying attention when I typed in my password. It was then, with a sense of some disbelief that I saw the login screen shake its head at me.

Yes, that’s right. When you enter an incorrect password, the login screen shakes from side to side briefly, just like it is shaking its head.

Intrigued I entered another wrong password, and watched it again, and after the third try was even more impressed when the password reminder I had entered when I created the user account slide into view under the login screen.

THAT is attention to detail.

Yes a simple “sorry that’s the wrong password” message would do the same but that’s what makes using the Mac much more fun, much more engaging. I know the naysayers will say “but it’s a computer, it needs to be functional” and as I’ve said before, if that’s the way your mind works then fine. But you are missing the point, and no amount of explanation is going to convince you. Am I right?

bookmark_border37signals needs icons

Over the past few years, I’ve linked to various new web applications and many of them were created by 37signals (Basecamp, TaDa, BackPack and so on). I still use some of their apps but not as frequently as those offered by that other small web app company, Google.

Now I’ve contacted them about this in the past, but I think they need to better “productise” their applications. By that I mean, almost solely, that they need to provide icons, distinct well designed icons, for their applications.

Why?

Well this came to light recently as I tried, yet again, to tweak and streamline my browser (the application I use more frequently than any other). It also highlighted why I’m still using Firefox, namely because I’ve yet to find a need that a Firefox extension won’t scratch… meet.. whatever.

I’m a big fan of maximising space, particularly as I use a lot of web-based applications these days, and the more space they can get the better. However, those self-same, often used, web-based apps provide a problem. How do I quickly and easily access them? Well Firefox has a bookmark toolbar which you can customise to your own needs (right-click an existing link to delete, drag from the address bar (or any web link) to create a new link in the toolbar), and so I have my most often used applications linked from there.

For the record, those applications are:

  1. Google Mail
  2. Google Reader
  3. Google Calendar
  4. Google Docs & Sheets
  5. Google Calendar
  6. Remember the Milk
  7. 37signals TaDa List
  8. Side Job Track
  9. 37signals Highrise
  10. 37signals Basecamp for current project
  11. Google Reader Subscribe favelet

And here they are (with thanks to the Smart Bookmarks Bar and Favicon Picker extensions):

Firefox Bookmarks Bar

And yes, the order is quite specific. I use Mail and Reader multiple times a day, the Calendar and Docs & Sheets, and Remember the Milk a few times a week, the Ta Da list once a week or less. Side Job Track is used ad-hoc, I’m still testing Highrise, and the Basecamp link isn’t permanent. The Subscribe link on the far-right lets me “one-click” to add an RSS feed to Google Reader, and it’s easy to hit as it’s on the end of the list.

Ohh and the Smart Bookmarks Bar extension expands to show the text next to the icon, in case you were wondering.

So, having setup that toolbar, I immediately noticed that none of the 37signals links had icons attached to them. This is purely because they don’t have “favicons” assigned to their website, but it made me realise that Google are certainly taking the whole “product” thing seriously. There are plenty of rumours around that with a couple of extra purchases they will soon be placed, and may formally start to bundle, an Office equivalent. All free, all online.

Whilst the 37signals apps are all excellent, I think they are missing that leap. The leap that pulls people from their desktop apps, and it may just be that a simple icon is all that it takes.

If you start to think about your browser as a web desktop, then the bookmark toolbar becomes the place where your desktop icons live. It’s not a huge leap, and not an original thought either, I know others have pondered the same.

Whilst there is a mindshift required and a couple of missing applications to be created (drag and drop files to… where? if you are in a web browser that is pretending to your desktop??), it is feasible to think that your local computer will only ever really be used as a storage device, with all your applications running online. Certainly for most general tasks that is already possible.

Not everyone will embrace this idea, in fact I’d guess that most people are still against moving to web apps at all, but for those that have bitten the bullet, these small details could be all it takes between adoption and desertion. If another web app comes along that offers similar functionality, but makes its play from a “product” point of view then maybe the 37signals guys may have a bit of a fight on their hands.

For now though, they are still the best around at what they choose to do, and if you don’t read either of their blogs, then you should. Plus the Official Google Blog, obv.

bookmark_borderWho ARE you people?!

I continue to dip in and out of the current crop of social networking.. umm.. websites … applications? … ummm webapps.. or however the hell they are collectively known (I’m desperately trying NOT to use the “Web 2.0” tag here).

None of them have particularly stuck with me, at least not yet, and they all share one common theme. They all have their own little quirks and frustrations. One of which seems to be a common amongst most of them, although it’s demonstrated in different forms. I guess it might just be me, being the common point here, but ultimately my annoyance boils down to one thing, over and over again.

I don’t know who anyone is.

And yes, I ended a sentence with a preposition. Get over it.

I have a tendency to sign up to most ‘new’ things, even if it’s just to have a nosey around.. ohh ok, it’s purely so that I can snag the username “snowgoon”. Still. Sad, isn’t it.

However the annoyance comes when you start using these sites, and start getting other people “adding” you, or requesting that you add them to your network. Which, considering these sites are built for just such social networking, makes sense. But there is an inherent problem, and I’m sure by now you’ve all guessed what it is.. that’s right. I may know you from a blog, but that doesn’t mean I know your real name, and sometimes it’s vice versa (as in, I know the name but don’t recognise the ‘nickname’).

Considering these applications (Facebook, Twitter etc etc) are all almost entirely focussed on leveraging online communities, they all seem to miss two basic assumptions.

Assumption 1: I might not know the name, or nickname, of the person who wants to add me as their friend.

Suggestion: As well as the nickname, provide the real name of the person, and possibly a URL if they have provided one. Chances are I’ll recognise one of them.

I realise that finding the sweet spot for this approach is tricky, too much information and people will just get pissed off, too little and it’s useless. But I think providing a “little too much” information is better than providing “not quite enough”.

But it might just be me.

Assumption 2: The level of friendship seems a little odd.

Flickr, I think, gets this right. There you can have contacts, contacts who are friends, and contacts who are family. Ultimately that means I can have a long list of contacts, with subsets of those being friends and family. Most of the people who read this blog and who have a Flickr account are listed in my Flickr account as a contact.

Now, you could easily argue that Flickr’s contact listing options are a bit too minimalistic. But maybe that’s a good thing…

Compare this to Facebook which bombards you with choices, but still misses one main aspect. One aspect which seems stunningly obvious. One aspect which means I can’t see me using it all that often.

Apparently I can’t have ‘online friends’. Which means that, dearest reader, whilst I can add you as a generic contact in Facebook, I can’t specifically say that you are a “blog friend” or “online contact” etc etc. Apparently our relationship doesn’t matter unless it has been made physical in some way (ohh errr). If I used to work with you, if I met you at a party, if we had a shagged, they are all covered in the default options. OK, maybe not the last one.

And this is my problem with these sites. They don’t seem to value the relationships that can be built online. I consider several people —in fact now that I think about it, it’s more like 20… or more—whom I have never met but have swapped emails, IMs, and blog comments with, my friends. The obvious caveats apply, but ultimately I value the relationships I’ve built online.

Forgive me if the current batch of social networking websites don’t quite float my boat, but they just don’t share my values.

Now, if I could rate my contacts using a simple star system, well that’d be much better.

So, is it just me? Do you draw a distinct line between online and “real” friends? Or, like me, do you think it’s possible to have, and maintain, both?