Over the last few years I’ve followed and backed my share of Kickstarter programs. Some turned out to be real duds, but other were programs that had some great ideas and turned out to be real winners. I found one I think will be a winner, Zendock from Zenboxx.

Zendock is a small, simple, but eloquent solution for docking your MacBook Pro. Plug in all your cables and connections into one end and just plug the other end into your MacBook Pro. The Zendock can be permanent solution on your desk, or a handy portable solution for the MacBook owner on the go.

Here is a link to a video that will show you exactly what the Zendock can do.
http://vimeo.com/63947876

Here is another one that might interest you.
http://vimeo.com/65358683

Time is running out. This friday the Kickstarter program ends and then you’ll have to wait to get the retail out later this fall. You can check out the Kickstarter page here.

I’ve used Mailplane as my stand-alone mail client on the Mac for years. I used it since my main account is Gmail based and all my other domain-based account are funneled through the Gmail account to take advantage of the spam filter.

Mailplane did everything I needed it to do. An adjustable toolbar that allows you to place every function within one click. It supported attachments, screen captures, and all the web-based Gmail layout and features. It was a solid and dependable email client.

Enter Mailplane 3. In addition to the features of Mailplane 2, it supports Gmail’s new compose mode, previews attachments in QuickLook, integrates with Mountain Lion’s Notification Center and looks gorgeous on Retina screens. Mailplane’s notifier tells you everything about unread messages. It integrates with Mac OSX notification center and the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode allows you to stay focused.

Mailplane talks to apps like Safari, iWork suite, iPhoto, Contacts, Evernote, Things, OmniFocus, Alfred and Lyn. Mailplane has also an AppleScript interface to automate some of your daily workflows.

Last but not least, Mailplane 3 integrates Google Calendar and features tabs to switch between accounts in a blink of an eye.

Mailplane 3 is $29.95 and less with upgrade prices.

Anyone that knows me, remembers that I’ve reviewed and have been very happy with the Tom Bihn bags for my laptops, iPads, or just basic backpacks and cases. So when I was approached by the PR firm for STM bags asking me to look at their new line of laptop and iPad bags, the Linear Messenger bag, I thought it was a great chance to see what was available.

For those of you that are not familiar with STM Bags, founded in 1998 in Sydney, Australia, STM Bags offers a full range of lifestyle-oriented laptop bags, iPad cases, iPhone cases and accessories. STM Bag’s mission is to provide a more comfortable, secure and stylish means to transport digital gear. All products are backed by a product lifetime warranty.

Here are the specs from the STM website:
*Main material(s): 300D velocity poly
*Lining: 200D water resistant polyester (laptop: 200g brushed nylex)
*Device space: 8.9 x 12.7 x 0.9 in / 22.7 x 32.5 x 2.4 cm
*Outer dimensions: 13.9 x 10 x 3.1 in / 35.5 x 25.5 x 8 cm
*Capacity: 610.2 cu in / 10 L
*Weight: 0.9 lb / 0.45 kg
and here are the highlights of the Linear Bag from their website:
*Soft-lined laptop section surrounded in high density padding for ultimate protection
*Comfortable and adjustable shoulder strap for the long haul
*Front slip pocket big enough for a 10″ tablet/iPad or notebook
*Front organisation pocket for keys, cards, pen, etc.
*Reflective tab for night time visibility
*Soft-lined zip pocket for phone, sunnies, camera, etc.
*Luggage pass-through for wheeled bag
*Designed to fit most 13″ laptops

I was sent the gray bag with a slight orange trim. I found the design to be attractive and compact. I was able to fit my MacBook Pro and my third gen iPad into the bag without a problem. The shoulder strap was comfortable and very sturdy. The zippers are solid and the material was just what I looked for in an everyday carry bag. The Linear is very light and built as well as you can find for a bag of this size and price. I trust it in an everyday environment for many years to come.

What would I liked to have seen? Maybe a few more pockets on the outside of the bag for easy slide in and slide out of items I need on the fly. Otherwise this bag has about everything you’ll need to take your laptop or iPad with you in style. You can find the STM Linear Messenger bag online for about $64.99. Compared to other high quality Messenger type bags, that’s a good price. Learn more about all the great products STM has at www.stmbags.com.

I’ve been a self-taught HTML writer since the early 1990s. During that time I designed hundreds of websites for local businesses and online businesses throughout the world. But in the past 10 years HTML has become much more difficult and i find that when I need to write a website I’m using a WYSIWYG editor like Dreamweaver. Basic HTML has been left for blog postings.

Therefore when David Sparks from MacSparky and Eddie Smith from Practically Efficient decided to release their new book Markdown I had to download it and see what all the fuss about Markdown was about.

The iBook is another of MacSparky Field Guides. They are well-written, and contain a combination of text, screencasts, and audio. They take a subject and cover it 360°. This iBook is no different. Markdown is covered in every conceivable way.

They start by teaching you all the major Markdown tags. They discussed how the tags are used and give you a screencast to show you how they’re used. When I finished that segment I was very comfortable in writing Markdown language for any webpage I may need from any text file I’ve created. Overall basic material but very well presented.

Next they discussed Markdown tools for the Mac and even a few for the PC. This was my favorite segment. Even though I use many of the apps they suggested I still learn much more about them and how they worked with Markdown. In fact, I found myself purchasing more apps after reading about them and seeing them in action. Just what I needed!

David and Eddie spend time showing you how they implement Markdown in their every day workflow. They also talked about using third-party apps to speed up the workflow. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Textexpander with Markdown. After a few hours I could see how Markdown could help me speed up my workflow every day and make me become a bit more efficient.

They spent time talking about Multi-Markdown and what it was and where it was going in the future. I thought the Brett Terpstra Markdown Services chapter was worth the cost of the iBook alone. Brett is a genius when it comes to making Markdown work with other apps and in this case, OSX. David and Eddie presented his Services and demonstrated them so I understood how best to use them and save tons of time and effort from everyday tasks.

Eddie and David finished off the book with interviews with the developers of Markdown and Multi-Markdown, and with well-known Mac folks that use and promote Markdown everyday. They discuss each other’s workflows and how they use Markdown to make them more efficient and save them time. A great listen.

Overall I am very happy with this iBook, it took Markdown and in one day taught me everything I need to know about using it, and making it a part of my workflow. I am certain I will become a more efficient Mac user with the knowledge gained. Thank you David and Eddie. Make certain you spend the $9 at the iTunes store and pick up a copy for yourself.

There are times I want my iPhone case to be mean and lean, then there are times I’m looking for total protection. Since I’ve owned an iPhone, there’s only one case company I felt confident in trusting my precious with when times were tough, iSkin.

iSkin make a lot of different styles of cases, but when they claim that the fuze 360 is “Ready for Action”, they mean it. The fuze 360 provides complete impact and shock protection and next-generation, high-impact screen protection for the iPhone 5. The fuze 360 is a two-piece case that gives you a soft inner layer for absorbing drops and bumps, while the outer layer is a hard shell that is impact-resistant. It has a brushed metal look on the front while the back and sides are rubber coated to prevent slipping.

The fuze 360 covers the iPhone 5’s home, volume, power and lightning port keeping them safely protected against wear, spills and other damage. I found all the ports were easily accessible and in the case of the power and volume, easily controllable. The headphone jack and the mute switch are the only ports left open.

Finally, the screen is not ignored. The fuze 360 comes with the super strengthening ProTouch® TITAN High-Impact Screen Film from iSkin. Unlike standard screen films, TITAN uses multi-layered technology to help prevent damage to the iPhone 5’s Retina display from unusually hard impacts. I used many screen protectors in the past but the Titan was the easiest to apply and had all the bases covered with a wet wipe and a dry lint free cloth included with the case.

The fuze 360 is a complete solution for your iPhone 5 protection. The retail price of the fuze 360 system is $49.99. The case is not the lightest or smallest solution you can find for an iPhone 5 case, but it’s built for durability, protection and safety. It definitely has that covered.

Last weekend was an exciting weekend for me. My last contract ran out on my iPhone 4 and I could finally purchase a new iPhone 5. (It’s these little Apple things in life that make me smile some days) . After picking up my new iPhone I had to find a case I liked. I had a few demos and review cases in my office, so I tried them and just wasn’t really happy. I like a case that I can easily slide in and out of my pocket, one that protects the corners and sides from hard knocks and the back from scratches while still being lean and looking good.

This week I received a TYLT Bumpr case for the iPhone 5. It fits my need perfectly. The case is really two cases in one. The first is a slim protective colored bumper case with a black protective back. It’s colored “bumpr” absorbs shocks and sits just far enough over the front edge to protect the glass when you lay it front face down on a table. It’s light-weight and the iPhone controls are a breeze to use thru the case.

The second case is a solid black bumper style that fits over the first colored bumper for a person looking for a more rugged solution. With this bumper over the first one, the iPhone can take a real lickin and not show the wear. It’s a little too much for my everyday needs, but if I am worried about an upcoming trip or travel, the second case would fit the bill.

The colors are red, blue, purple and yellow. I like the look of my purple case on my black iPhone and to this point, it’s the perfect solution for my needs. The MSRP is $29.99 and you can find the TYLT Bumpr case along with all the other great gear from TYLT at their Web site tylt.com.

Apple’s Boot Camp

Boot Camp is the first choice of users who use Windows applications that don’t have Mac counterparts or processor-grazing programs that don’t run well on virtual machines. For instance, French users of Partypoker.fr don’t have to use a separate unit just to play the standalone version of PartyPoker. Despite being dominated by Samsung in the smartphone market, France is definitely a Mac country, with the sales in France surging to a whopping number of 12% as PC market loses ground in Europe. While users can play the Instant Play version of PartyPoker via their browsers—including Apple’s very own Safari—the standalone PartyPoker client has advantages. Among many other features absent in Instant Play, the standalone client provides smoother graphics and richer animations, direct launch from desktop, and favorite features such as table tiling and cascading for multi-table users. Since there is no client for Mac, some users opt to install Boot Camp in order to run PartyPoker via Windows. The only blowback of Boot Camp is you have to restart your system every time you have to change operating systems.

Parallels Desktop

Since some users want to run Mac and Windows OS at the same time and the idea of rebooting your computer whenever you need to switch operating systems is just a pain in their bottoms. The fine folks from Parallels created a virtual machine that runs in your Mac OS, and this virtual machine holds another operating system such as Windows. While any Mac can surely run two systems at the same time without compromising the performance and speed, programs with intense processor and memory requirements will surely eat huge chunks of your processing power which might lead to slower systems or worse, the infamous Sad Macintosh screen. In our opinion, Parallels Desktop is ideal for light to medium programs such as PartyPoker, but not for heavy applications like Adobe’s Photoshop or Premiere.

So we suggest you start with the free alternative from Apple and if it doesn’t fit the bill for you, then look at one of the great third party alternatives such as Parallels.

(This has been a guest post from an advertising partner)

They are from top to bottom:
Schneider 3mm rollerball
Schneider 3mm gel pen
Tornado Retro 51 rollerball
Zebra Sarasa clip 3mm Gel
Lamy Al-Star Fountain Pen, 1.1 stub
TWSBI 540 Fountain pen Fine nib
Micron Pigma .04 Green
Marvy 4300 LePen Porous Point Marker Pen – Fine Point – Blue
Micron Pigma .04 Red
Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen – Pigment Ink – 0.8 mm – Black Ink
Leatherman Monarch 300 LED Flashlight
Uni-ball Kuru Toga Auto Lead Rotation Mechanical Pencil – 0.5 mm
Quill Blue Permanent Marker
Generic No-name touch stylist for my iPad.

My pen case is a Lihit Lab Teffa Case in orange. The back pockets behind the pens hold ink cartridges, USB stick, and a SD card. Feel free to comment on the choices or your choices, but understand that these are my carrying group, if I lose the case, it’s not the end of the world.

Edited Article Add-on:
I received a couple emails about what Fountain Pens I actually have other then these, so, off the top of my head, here’s a general roll-call.

Edison Collier unused just dipped.
Pelikan 405n and 605n
MontBlanc 144
2 Lamy Safari’s and 2 Lamy Al-stars
2 TWSBI 540 and a TWSBI Mini
Pilot Metropolitan
3 Vanishing Points (Red, Blue, and Black)
Pilot Sailor PG Slim 14K
5 Noodler’s Flex Pens
5 Hero misc
3 Esterbrooks
Dany and a Sensa
2 Watermans
And a few more I am forgetting right now.

Over the years I’ve reviewed the Fujitsu S1100 ScanSnap and the S1300 ScanSnap scanners. I loved them when I reviewed them and I still use them and love them to this day. But for some reason, I’ve never taken the leap and went totally paperless. Even with all the benefits of the S1100, and S1300, I still found the scanning could be tedious and time consuming, and the file handling afterwards would take several more steps to get the finished PDF file searchable and filed correctly. Now after a week of hands on with the new Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500, I really have no more excuses for going paperless.

The ScanSnap iX500 brings corporate features to desktop scanners. Some of the new features you’ll notice are one button searchable PDF creation, advance paper feeding system, fast 25 ppm color scanning, a 50 page document feeder, Wi-Fi scanning to iOS or Android mobile devices, updated and feature rich software, and finally the one feature you’ll never see, but appreciate, is the built-in “GI” microprocessor. Let’s look at these in a little more detail.

First, let’s start by reminding you that the iX500 has all the great features that it’s predecessors have. One button scanning, duplex scanning, multi-page scanning, paper feed detection, multiple paper size scanning and more. The iX500 just does them all faster, smarter and easier. For example, the iX500 is equipped with a dual-core CPU-mounted “GI” processor, the next generation of desktop scanning. It performs intelligent image functions dramatically faster for blazing new scanning speed. The “GI” will make automatic corrections and handle your image output. It supports Wi-Fi:WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) wireless LAN (IEE802.11b/g/n), and supports USB 3.0.

Next is the unique and amazing ability to scan directly to your iOS or Android devices without a computer. Fujitsu has an iPad and iPhone app (free, of course) that when on the same Wi-Fi network, allows you to press the scan button in the app and the iX500 will scan what’s in the tray and send it directly to the mobile device in PDF or Jpeg format. At first I thought that this was a nice feature that I would never use, but I was wrong. When I started playing with it, I realized how fast and how handy it was to get that document, drawing, photo, or note into my iPhone or iPad. As we all spend more and more online time in our mobile devices, eliminating one huge step, (like your computer), in the scanning process can save you a ton of time.

Fujitsu also added something I know very little about, but appreciate immensely, an advanced paper feeding system. They use the same technology thats in their professional grade scanners to achieve exceptional reliability by using “separation rollers” to minimize jams and multi-feeds. As I said, I know little about the technology, only that it sure seems to work. A 50 page feed at 25 ppm duplex color is impressive.

Finally I wanted to talk about the software package that comes with the iX500 ScanSnap. I’m going to ignore the Windows only software (ScanSnap Organizer and ScanSnap folder) that comes with the iX500 for obvious reasons and talk about the Mac and Mac/PC software only. Like all current ScanSnap models, the iX500 can link to cloud services such as Evernote, Google Docs™, Salesforce CRM. Now it adds syncing functions: Scan to SugarSync, Scan to Salesforce Chatter and Scan to Dropbox.

With CardMinder™ 4.1 adding and managing contact information is simple. Just stack the business cards in the feed and push the button. CardMinder™ 4.1 captures both sides and places the information into editable fields. CardMinder™ 4.1 recognizes 8 different languages too. You also get ABBYY FineReader which is a popular OCR software that allows you to scan printed documents straight into Word, Excel or Powerpoint. Of course we can’t forget about my favorite software, the ScanSnap Manager. It provides Mac users one button searchable PDF creation, access to intelligent features and custom scan settings (profiles) for simple operation with sophisticated results. For additional convenience and flexibility, the ScanSnap Quick Menu is fully customizable and automatically appears after scanning providing a quick and easy way to send those scanned documents to several popular “Scan-To” applications.

As you can see, the iX500 ScanSnap from Fujitsu has taken away any excuses I had for not going paperless. It takes the scanning process and makes it faster, more reliable, easier, with better results. The iX500 has a retail price of $495.00. Check it out and order today along with all the other great ScanSnap scanners from Fujitsu.

A funny thing happened on the way to this review, I fell in love with a wireless keyboard from Logitech, but not the one I initially planned to review. Let me explain.

I’ve been working with the Logitech PR folks for the last several years and have reviewed several of their Mac-based products. When the new Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard was announced I asked to be placed on the list for review units. After waiting for a few weeks I was notified that the unit was available and I could go to their Web site and place my order. While I was there, another keyboard caught my eye, so I decided to purchase the second one on a whim. More about that one later.

The Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch arrived and I immediately set it up on my office MacBook Pro which is docked and has an external monitor and had an old Logitech keyboard that was about to give up the ghost. I am also using a wireless Logitech 500 series mouse with this set-up. The pairing with the new Easy-Switch went flawlessly. It first found my MacBook Pro and then I paired it with my third gen iPad, and finally my iPhone 4. The Easy-Switch has three buttons that allow one-touch switching between three different Bluetooth devices. I already use the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover on my iPad, and I love it, but using the Easy-Switch keyboard with my iPhone was a wonderful experience compared to my stubby little fingers finding the correct keys on the virtual keyboard on the iPhone.

Some of the other features in the Easy-Switch were Laser-etched backlit keys that allow you to type easily in low light and even in the dark. Back lighting ensures the keys are sharp, bright and always easy to read in any light. Only the key characters are illuminated, so you see just what you need to see without distraction. It also has auto-adjusting illumination that automatically adjusts to suit the light conditions in the room. You can also manually adjust the brightness of the illumination using the F5 and F6 keys. I loved the hand proximity detection which is a motion sensor that detects your hands as they approach the keyboard and turns the backlight on/off to help you save power when you are not typing. The Easy-Switch has USB charging and special power management to give you the longest possible use between charges.

So what’s not to like about the Easy-Switch? It’s not really what I didn’t like, as much as what I needed in a keyboard. I have always used a full size keyboard and this Bluetooth model is smaller then a regular keyboard, similar in size to the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. I am also a person that loves the numeric keypad on the side of my keyboard and I use it regularly for work. The Easy-Switch also lays almost flat on the desk and I like a little angle to my keyboard when I type. Because of these three personal objections, the Easy-Switch was not a good fit for me at the office. I find it much more useful at home where portability and it’s compact size becomes more of a positive aspect then a negative one. It may be perfect for you, it’s a matter of how you use it.

So that brings us back to the second keyboard I ordered, it’s the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for the Mac. It’s wireless, but not Bluetooth. It turned out to be love at first sight. It fit all my needs for a keyboard, full sized, numeric keypad, Mac key layout, and so much more. It’s powered by light, Good-bye, battery hassles. Light keeps your keyboard charged and ready—even indoors. You pop the tiny Logitech Unifying receiver in your notebook and leave it there. You can even add more devices, I added the Logitech mouse I’m using. It comes in 5 colors, silver, black, blue, red and green. Set-up took seconds and the keyboard has movable feet on the bottom which allows me to angle the keyboard or type flat on the desktop. It’s only a third of an inch thick, but is solid as a rock when you type. As I mentioned, All the keys are exactly where you expect them to be, including music and brightness controls, command keys and the eject key. And it all works right out of the box. No software installation required. I love everything about this keyboard.

So as you can see, what started out as a review of the new Easy-Switch keyboard, turned into a review of the Wireless Solar K750 for Mac keyboard. As I mentioned, a keyboard is as individual of a choice as a mouse. Your needs may be different then mine and that’s just fine. I am certain of one thing, if you visit the Logitech Web site, you will find a keyboard that fits your needs.

The retail price of the Easy-Switch Keyboard is $99 and the Solar K750 is $59.