Anyone that knows me, knows I love to talk about freeware, I love to talk about menubar apps, and I love to talk about utilities that do one thing, but do it very well. Today I wanted to tell you about an application I found that’s a perfect trifecta, it’s called PleaseSleep from DragonOne Software.
PleaseSleep is a freeware Mac utility that sits in your menubar and does one thing, it controls how and when your Mac sleeps. That may not sound like an application that you need, but believe me, I sure needed it. My Mac Pro would never stay sleeping, within minutes of sleep, some network activity or timed activity on the hard drive would wake it up and the cycle would just continue. We all know that putting your Mac to sleep and waking it up again, over and over is not good for the hard drives. I needed a solution.
PleaseSleep can force your Mac to sleep. PleaseSleep sits in the background and waits for the sleep timer you set in Energy Saver preferences pane. Depending on the preferences you set, PleaseSleep will try to put your computer to sleep when the scheduled sleep timer kicks in. PleaseSleep is very easy to configure, you can enable, disable, and access its preferences via the system menu bar icon. You can choose to have PleaseSleep activates the sleep function on a regular basis, or you can tell PleaseSleep to activate the sleep function only when certain apps are running. You can also tell PleaseSleep to not activate the sleep function when certain apps are running. I find that feature really helpful when it comes time to run automated backups.
I can wake up the Mac Pro remotely from my iPad, iPhone or my MacBook Pro by running certain network applications I designated, and I can make certain that other network apps will not wake up my Mac Pro. Plus, now Unix executables can be added to the exceptions list.
PleaseSleep comes in a 64-bit Lion version and an older version for Tiger and Panther users. DragonOne does take donations for their software if you find it useful. I think it’s a handy application for everyone to keep in their Mac utility toolbox. Check it out at http://www.dragonone.com .
Tags: Mac, mac pro, pleasesleep, sleep
If you’re looking for a flexible iPad or tablet stand that can reach almost 3 feet tall, wrap around the arm of your easy chair, or maybe lie flat on a countertop or even hang down from a ledge, have I got a stand for you! The O-Stand from LapDawg is an amazingly versatile stand. It has a maximum height of 31.5 inches to a minimum height of 6 inches as a tablet / iPad holder. It works with iPad 1, 2, HD, all Android tablets, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Sony eReader, Nook and Kobo. No other stand will allow you to use your device in as many configurations as the o-Stand will.
The best way for me to describe the O-Stand is with their specs on the product and with pictures of the different configurations. I’ll include as many of their pictures as I can, but you can go to the gallery that LapDawg supplies on their Web site to see even more great usage ideas.
The O-Stand comes in about three pieces that you easily snap/screw together to create this four legged monster. I call it a monster because it’s not lightweight, or very portable. Its best suited for use around the house or the office, but really not on the road. Let’s look at the specs.
- 4 removable metallic “flexy” legs that you simply bend to any shape allowing creativity in how you want your iPad or tablet held.
- 360 degree rotatable ball joint allowing landscape or portrait modes.
- Ergonomic. Bendable neck for perfect viewing adjustments
- Unit by itself is only 2.9 lbs
- Compatible Device size from 7 inches to 11 inches
- Maximum possible height as stand is 31.5 inches from floor to top of holder.
- Smallest compact form is 6 inches wide and the height of the device.
- 4 metallic “Flexy” legs with gripping ball end points. Grabs on most surfaces for additional stability.
- 30 day MONEY BACK guarantee and LIFETIME GUARANTEE of the product. If defective, ship it back and they’ll exchange it for a new product for the product’s lifetime.
I like the O-Stand for it’s sturdy construction and flexible configuration. There are very few places where you want to see your iPad that the O-Stand cannot fit your iPad into. Whether laying flat on your back, sitting in your chair or standing at your table or desk, the O-Stand will give you great hands-free access to your iPad.
On the down side, the lack of true portability, the $79.00 price tag, and weight may deter some iPad owners from choosing the O-Stand. I also found that turning the iPad from landscape mode into portrait mode left the iPad a bit less secure then I would have liked to see. The claws could have held my iPad tighter then they did. But these are user specific complaints and it might not be an issue for you.
I hope at the very least I was able to wet your appetite to learn more about the LapDawg O-Stand. If so, you’ll want to check out their Web site and photo gallery at www.lapdawg.com.
The fine folks at Jetpens sent me a Marvy 4300 LePen Porous Point Marker Pen for review. It sounds impressive indeed, but it’s a basic, plastic tipped marker pen. It sells at JetPens for $1.15 and comes in 18 great colors. The one they sent to me was light blue. The pen’s dimensions are: 5.67 inches (14.4 cm) long and 0.32 inches (8.2 mm) in diameter.
The LePen is Marvy Uchida’s most popular pen and has a smooth writing micro-fine plastic point and a sleek barrel design. The ink is acid-free, non-toxic, smudge-proof on most paper. It’s good for business forms, notebooks, diaries, memo pads, letters, journals, yearbooks, and scrapbooks. The fine point seems to be about .5mm in size.
When I first tried out the pen I was immediately impressed with the smooth and clean line that the fine point delivered. The color was bright and solid, no fading or feathering. I was able to use a lot of pressure on the paper and never smashed the point or caused any distortion in the line. The clip was strong for an inexpensive pen and would not easily bend or become mis-aligned.
I was a little disappointed in the plastic cap, it seems to have a poor fit on the point end and when I tried to post it for writing, the cap did not want to snap on the end of the pen. Other then the cap, I liked the pen and for the $1.15 USD price, you can afford to purchase an entire set of 18 colors, or at least a set of 10 that JetPens is selling for $11.60. Check it out for yourself at www.jetpens.com.
I’ve been playing with FxFactory Pro from Noise Industries for the last 10 days and I’ve hardly scratched the surface of what you can do with this amazing visual effects tool.
Let’s start at the beginning. FxFactory Pro is the big brother of FxFactory. FxFactory is a free software package that lets you install and try hundreds of visual effects. Some effects are absolutely free. Others are available in trial mode and may be purchased as needed. FxFactory powers hundreds of visual effects for Final Cut Pro, Motion and Adobe After Effects. (I reviewed Callouts for FxFactory here.)
- FxFactory Pro includes 176 filters, generators and transitions for Final Cut Pro, Motion, Final Cut Express and Adobe After Effects. 145 of these effects are also available in Final Cut Pro X.
- FxFactory Pro plug-ins ship with many built-in presets, a time-saving feature to try new looks with minimal effort. Save your own presets to disc and recreate the same look later. Presets created in one host can be reused in all other supported hosts.
- FxFactory Pro is the first visual effects package that lets you customize and create your own plug-ins for Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express and Adobe After Effects without writing a single line of code.
- A single license to FxFactory Pro unlocks its powerful plug-ins in all supported hosts: Final Cut Pro, Motion, Final Cut Express and Adobe After Effects.
- FxFactory Pro effects are accelerated using the graphics card, plus, its high-precision rendering engine supports more than 8 bits per component, guaranteeing the highest quality when effects are applied to digital media with film-like resolution and color fidelity.
What types of visual effects are included with FxFactory Pro? There are tons of different blur effects, Color Correction, Distortion effects, Generators, Glows, Halftones, Sharpens, Stylize, Tilings, more Transitions then should be allowed, and even upscaling in video. Plus, keep in mind, you can alter and change any of these effects and save them as new effects in just minutes. This is truly one powerful application.
Trying to explain what each effect is or does is easily accomplished from the Noise Industries web site. For example, clicking on the “Blur Edges” effect will tell you this about the filter…
“A gaussian blur filter applied only to the edges detected in the original image.
Effect Parameters
Frame Margin
The margin available around the frame. It is useful to increase this value when the effect renders pixels outside the area of the input frame. This parameter is only available in Motion and After Effects, since variable-sized output frames are not supported by Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express.
Presets
Presets contain a snapshot of the plug-in parameters. The Presets control lets you choose among one of the presets built into the plug-in, save current parameter values to a preset file, or load an existing preset file from disk.
A preset file saved to disk via the “Save As” button can be loaded from another instance of the same plug-in by clicking the “Open” button. Presets generated in one host can also be loaded from the same plug-in when used in a different host.
Edge Intensity
Controls the strength of the edge detection algorithm.
Radius
The radius of the gaussian blur.
Repeat Edges
Controls whether pixels that are accessed outside the edges of the frame have the value of the closest edge rather than black. This option prevents transparent black pixels from bleeding into the picture when the effect is applied. This option may negatively affect rendering times on older hardware configurations.”
Considering there are 14 different blur filters alone, you understand the depth and power of FxFactory Pro. There are YouTube tutorials available for using and applying these effects to make certain you understand how to reach their true potential. They are basically located and applied just like the standard FCP and Motion filters. Simple, I was playing with different effects in minutes after installation.
The cost of FxFactory Pro is $399.00. You can find out more about this amazing video tool and other products from Noise Industries at their Web site, http://www.noiseindustries.com . FxFactory Pro is very powerful while maintaining a simple UI, a solid winning formula for any application.
Tags: adobe after effects, fcpx, final cut pro, FxFactory
Our affiliate B&H Photo has a great deal on a solid SSD, the Crucial M4 256GB SSD for only $199.95 with free shipping. I switched my Mac Pro over to SSD and it made a huge difference in start up speed for apps and any games I had on the main boot drive. Check it out today!
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more enamored with man bags, or as they are so fondly called, murses. (A cross between man and purse). Why this infatuation of late? All I can tell you is between carrying my iPad and all my fountain pens and paper notebooks around with me, back and forth from the office and evening events, I found that the old briefcase just didn’t suit my needs. I’ve been using the Tom Bihn Ristretto for the last year or more because of the solid Tom Bihn production and the handy access.
I like a bag that has lots of pockets of different sizes with lots of flexibility, and one that can take a beating when it needs to without damaging the contents. I also look for accessibility and versatility in a bag. So I was very excited to hear that Jetpens was sending me a Nomadic Wise-Walker A4 shoulder bag for review. Jetpens has been a great source of pens and paper and accessories for me over the years. It didn’t surprise me that they were the source for this Japanese designed bag.
The first thing that struck me was the light weight feel of the bag. For it’s size, (Approximately 15″ across, 12″ tall and 5″ wide.) it’s amazingly light to lift. Let’s first look at the features and specifics of the bag.
The listed price on Jetpens is $93.00. The best method I know to show you the bag details is with this diagram from the Jetpens Web site.
It features pockets that you can access without unbuckling the bag, so you don’t have to show inner contents to others. A ticket or card can be removed from the outside zippered pocket (1), side mesh side pocket can take 500 ml bottles, inner mesh and nylon pockets can hold more items like gum, lighters, wallets or small albums (3) (4), secured inner mesh pockets are useful for checkbooks and bank booklets (5), a A4 (8.3 x 11.7″) size pocket can hold your papers and folders (6), nylon inner pockets are great for CDs and media (7), a B5 (7″ x 9.8″) pocket can be used for notepads (8) and a large free space area can hold everything else you need for life on the go.
As you can see, the Wise-Walker has more pockets, pouches, spaces, hooks and straps then any bag I’ve ever used before. Your biggest problem might me remembering where you put an item in your bag. I was truly dumb-struck with how much I was able to shove into the Wise-Walker. In fact, I placed so much stuff in the bag that I could hardly lift it and carry it when I was finished loading it up. Not a bad problem to have really.
The only things that bothered me about the bag were minor and were the same features that made the bag unique and functional to begin with, let me explain. I wished that the Wise-Walker had used less velcro and more zippers and snaps for their pockets and poaches. I also would like to have seen some thicker, stronger dividers for folders in the interior sections of the bag, but those are the reasons that the bag is so light-weight and flexible.
This bag is made for the person on the go that needs to access their electronics, sketching materials, notepads, maps, water bottles, or credit cards in a hurry. I loved the weight, size, flexibility and overall functionality of the Wise-Walker. If it sounds like the bag for you, check it out at Jetpens.com and while you’re there, have some fun and grab yourself some new writing supplies.
Tags: bags, jetpens, murse, wise-walker
Today and tomorrow Sparrow for the iPhone is on sale for $.99. After Thursday it goes back to $2.99. What better reason for me to download it today than a sale. I use Gmail’s client for the iPad, but I was still using the Mail app on the iPhone. That has now changed. I am smitten with Sparrow. I only wish their iPad app would be finished already.
So what made me fall for Sparrow for the iPhone? A couple things, first and foremost the personalization and customization for my Gmail account that Sparrow offers. I can now add all the aliases I need in order to send emails from Sparrow and have it appear that they came from one of my 6 different domains. I have all my email forwarded and routed through one Gmail account so this feature was exactly what I needed. I also love the choices I get in Sparrow’s preferences for different signatures for each alias, and what folders to show and hide, also when to archive email and how I wanted my inbox to appear. I just love the options that Sparrow gives me.
There are some drawbacks I’m certain to run into, I am guessing that other apps that use the Mail app to send email might not be able to use Sparrow to do the same thing. I also realize that push is not supported in Sparrow, although the new version does support POP access to accounts.
It’s unusual for me to become so attached to an app in such a short time, but I think Sparrow has built a solid foundation when it comes to email on the iPhone. I believe it will only get better with time and I like its approach across the OSX and iOS platforms almost simultaneously. As I mentioned earlier, I cannot wait for the iPad version to make it’s appearance. I may even try the OSX version again and see if my opinion on Sparrow for the Mac has improved since my first try. I am a longtime fan of Mailplane, but even us old guys can change their minds. 
I am not a Video professional. I do not make a living in Final Cut Pro, but I do use it for part-time post production work and personal projects. Therefore, I was excited to look at the new FCPX plugin from Ripple Training, Callouts.
From the general description and video that was supplied to me, it appeared to be the perfect plugin for almost any FCPX user, professional or personal. I was right, Callouts is a highly functional and fun plugin.
Let’s start by looking at the basics of Callouts. Callouts from Ripple Training is priced at $49, and is available exclusively for FCP X. It is a plugin that finds it use for sports videos, instructional videos and other fun projects. With Callouts, you can highlight or emphasize specific parts of your footage by using arrows, circles, magnifiers, text highlights, animated paths and more. Callouts is only one of the plugins that are part of the 10 effects on the FxFactory platform.
With Ripple Training Callouts, editors can:
- Control over 30 different parameters to easily customize the look of any Callout
- Move, rotate and shape Callouts using flexible on-screen controls
- Mix and match multiple Callouts on a clip
- Connect Callouts to hold frames using 3-point editing techniques
- Animate Callouts on and off screen, plus create more animation by keyframing parameters
You can apply the Callouts effects to either video or stills in FCPX by simply dragging and dropping the effect you want in the timeline and it creates a new track that you can easily work with in FCPX. Once applied, you can adjust everything about that effect. I was able to change the size, color and font face of the test used, I was able to change the location of the text and the other aspects of the effect with the many anchor points available in the effect. Not only was I able to grab the anchor point and physically move them in FCPX, but I was able to fine tune them using exact pixel locations in the inspector when I needed an exact alignment. I cannot emphasize how easy it was to take a supplied template effect and make it look exactly the way I wanted it to look, including 3D and even magnification effects. You can also add blurs to the foreground or background of the effect and much more.
As you would expect, the fine and talented folks at Ripple Training have tutorial videos made that can show you what Callouts can achieve with much more artistic results then I ever could hope to produce. Take a look yourself at: http://www.rippletraining.com/categories/templates-and-transitions/c/callouts-for-final-cut-pro-x.html.
I am certain you’ll wonder how you ever worked in FCPX without it.
With the new Macs announced at WWDC this week, it solidifies the important roll that Thunderbolt will play for your next generation connectivity solutions. You may already know that with your Mac’s Thunderbolt port, you can connect your Mac to a display or an external device for high-speed data transfer. The Thunderbolt port on a Mac provides power, so many Thunderbolt devices directly connected to your Mac don’t need their own power cords. You can connect multiple Thunderbolt devices to each other, and then connect the chain of devices to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac.
This is all fine and dandy but as we also know, most all Thunderbolt enabled devices do not come with a Thunderbolt cable. Apple gives you a single choice, for $49 you receive a 2 meter long Thunderbolt cable. But as the technology spread across the Mac and PC communities, other companies have introduced alternative choices for your Thunderbolt cable needs. StarTech is one such company.
StarTech has many accessories for your Mac, tons of cables, adaptors, converters, splitters, switches, racks and docking stations. If you’re looking for any of these, make certain to stop into their Web site. They just released a new Thunderbolt cable in four different lengths, .5m, 1m, 2m, and a 3m cable. Their MSRP is the same as Apple’s, $48.99 for all but the 3m cable, the 3m cable will be $89.99. StarTech.com Thunderbolt cables will be available for purchase from technology resellers including CDW, Amazon.com, Newegg.com, Tiger Direct and PC Connection. The cables will also be distributed by Ingram Micro® and SYNNEX Corporation. Therefore, I feel that you’ll see some special sales on these cables and a general market drop in the near future.
Some of the features of the new StarTech Thunderbolt cables include:
· Support for dual-channel, simultaneous bi-directional data and video transfers up to 10 Gbps per channel
· Supports Power-over-cable, for bus-powered devices
· Dual Protocol support (PCI Express and DisplayPort®)
· Durable cable construction, with high quality Thunderbolt connectors
The StarTech cables also are backed with a two year warranty. The cable jacket type is a PVC-Polyvinyl Chloride, with the cable shield type being an Aluminum-Mylar Foil with braid. The connector is a Nickel plated, 20 pin Male on both ends.
Do yourself a favor and check out the Thunderbolt solutions available at StarTech along with all their other lines. I’ve found their products work as advertised and have been solid performers.
Tags: apple hardware., startech, thunderbolt
The Omni Group, a developer of productivity applications for Mac and iOS, today announced the release of OmniPlan for iPad, completing its commitment to bring its five premium apps to the popular mobile computing platform. The iPad version of the company’s organization and planning tool, OmniPlan, offers many of the popular features included in the Mac edition like enhanced collaboration, change tracking and smart scheduling, with the added convenience of on-the-go access.
“We are excited to reach this important milestone of bringing the full suite of our core productivity apps to the iPad,” said Ken Case, CEO and founder of the Omni Group. “The team worked extremely hard to redesign OmniPlan especially for the iPad. The result is an intuitive, user-friendly app that helps you manage projects that are as simple or complex as you need them to be no matter where you are.”
OmniPlan for iPad includes powerful features specifically designed to help manage projects and workflows on the go. The features include:
• Enhanced Collaboration – Allows users to share and update projects between collaborators, including availability of resources. OmniPlan for iPad also enables users to sync entire projects between devices using a WebDAV server. This functionality gives users the ability to download new changes automatically. Additionally, OmniPlan for iPad provides change tracking, which allows all team members working on a project to review changes made in a document.
• Smart Scheduling – Features smart scheduling, which enables users to account for the variance in a schedule of an individual resource or the project as a whole. It also allows users to schedule projects backwards from a fixed end date, and includes the ability to level a project automatically or manually.
• Enriched Resource Allocation – Provides the ability to manage resource allocation for both people and tools. It also features a task splitting tool that allows users to divide the time of a task to fit around specific interruptions, and can create hammock tasks that have start and end dates based on user-defined prerequisites. Finally, OmniPlan for iPad includes visual timelines that allow users to see a complete project visually and violation notifications that keep the team updated regarding any potential scheduling conflicts.
• Multiple Filters and Baselines – Focus on exactly what you need to see with custom filters. Narrow your scope by Resource, Status, Type, or Date Range. Users can also create, save, and compare multiple baselines to give a better glance at the history of a project.
• Compatibility with OmniPlan 2.0 – OmniPlan for iPad is compatible with OmniPlan 2.0 for Mac. Users can sign up for the free Omni Sync Server to share projects and resource loads with others, or to simply sync with OmniPlan 2.0.
OmniPlan for iPad offers a mobile, streamlined and intuitive interface for both basic planning options and more in-depth functionality. From customizable views to fast data entry, OmniPlan helps users manage complex projects without requiring you to learn a complex software program.
OmniPlan for iPad is available for $49.99 in the Mac App Store. For more information about OmniPlan for iPad, please visit http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omniplan-ipad.
Tags: ipad, omnigroup, omniplan, software. mac
Seriously, what did I really want for my iPad that I didn’t have? I wanted a combination case and external keyboard. I’ve been using the TouchType, a Kickstarter project I reviewed last month, but it uses my Apple Wireless Bluetooth keyboard and it was getting a little too bulky and heavy for me to carry around all the time. In my opinion, heavy and bulky defeats the purpose of using an iPad to begin with.
Enter the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. I read a few early reviews and seen some photos of the Keyboard Cover on their Web site. It appeared to be the perfect solution for what I wanted, lightweight, slim, functional and very stylish. I ordered it, and it arrived this week. I was right, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is exactly what I was looking for and more.
Let’s look at some of the features:
- Works with iPad 2, iPad (3rd generation)
- Quiet Bluetooth Keyboard with extra shortcuts built in.
- Stylish aluminum screen cover that is lightweight and beautiful
- The Cover securely attaches to your iPad—thanks to the clever magnetic clip
- Instant On/Off automatically wakes your iPad when you open the cover, and sends it to sleep when you close it
- The Bluetooth keyboard can carry a 6 month battery charge, rechargeable via a USB cable
- Free engraving on the cover
What do I like about the Keyboard cover from Logitech? A lot of things. As mentioned, I love the design and the overall look of the cover. When it’s on the iPad it covers the screen and exactly matches the back of the iPad to make the unit appear to be a single, slim unit, not unlike the Macbook Air. I love the look and feel of the cover when I attach the iPad to the magnetic slot when it’s time to type. The angle of the iPad in the slot is perfect for me and secure enough to allow me to touch the iPad screen when the keyboard just cannot handle what needs to be done on the screen. I like the feel of the keyboard, even though it’s smaller then the normal keyboard. I also like the fact that Logitech added function keys with the number keys at the top of the keyboard to do many of the tasks that were difficult to do on the iPad alone.
The function keys allow you to call search, cycle through enabled languages, toggle the onscreen keyboard, select the previous word, select the next word, cut, copy, paste, play/pause, mute, volume down, volume up, and lock. Basically you lose some function key abilities that you have on your Mac, but they’re replaced with some abilities that are more appropriate and useful on the iPad.
What didn’t I like or felt was missing from the Keyboard Cover? First and foremost, you’ll notice that Logitech calls it a cover and not a case. The reason is obvious, it’s not a case, it just covers the iPad screen not the back of the iPad. You may still want a sleeve to keep your iPad and cover safe from drops and crashes. (I have a foam sleeve that fits in my briefcase and does the trick). Another aspect of the Keyboard Cover that bothered me a bit was the black plastic around the keys and the top of the keyboard. It proved to be a real fingerprint magnet. Logitech already knew that fact because they sent a cleaning cloth along with the cover. Other then these two complaints, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover was just what I was looking for, and more.
You can order the cover direct from Logitech for $99.99. Depending on your iPad needs, the Ultrathin should not disappoint.
Last week I received my Logitech Clock Radio Dock S400i to replace an old clock radio I’ve had since the 90′s. I am very impressed and quite satisfied. I’m using my iPhone 4 with the dock and for the price tag of $79.99 retail, I’d recommend it for anyone that needs a clock radio, charging dock, external speakers and more combination. The sound is good for a small footprint, THX Certified surround stereo speaker system.
Let’s look at a few of the features.
- The clock lets you wake to your own music, FM radio or a buzzer.
- With dual alarm settings and a snooze function, you and your partner can get a few extra minutes of sleep.
- The internal clock syncs with the clock on your iPod or iPhone, so it’s always accurate.
- You can even dock and charge when the speaker is turned off.
- The speaker produces rich, full, stereo sound to wake in the morning or drift off at night.
- An included remote control
- You’ve got a built-in FM radio tuner with adjustable presets, so you can get to your favorite stations with just the press of a button.
- Use the sleep function to automatically turn off your music after a specified amount of time.
- A backup battery eliminates surprises and helps make sure you’re up on time.
The Logitech Clock Radio Dock works with the iPod touch, iPod Classic, iPod nano, iPhone 4GSm iPhone 3G and the iPhone 4, and audio support only for older iPod models, and other portable music players, tablets and smart phones via 3.5 mm auxiliary input (requires a 3.5 mm audio cable, which is not included).
Tags: iphone, ipod touch, logitech, Logitech Clock Radio Dock S400i
OrganiDoc HD from Wenjoy is a great addition to your iPad’s utility folder. OrganiDoc HD is a single app that allows you to share files from your Dropbox, Google Docs, iDisk, iCloud, or Box.net accounts. It makes the transfer easy and fast, almost as if you had an external drive connected to your iPad.
But that’s not the best part of the app, OrganiDoc can handle more file types then almost any other application I’ve run into. Here are just a few examples: .txt, .rtf, .pdf., .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .html, .xml, .ppt, .pptx, .pps, .ppsx, .sag, .jpg, .png, .gif, .mp3, .mov, .mp4, .zip and more! Think about that, almost any type of file you need to work with on your iPad you can view, photos, documents, PDF’s, music, video, storage formats, presentations just to name a few.
When a file arrives as an attachment to an email you can choose to open in OrganiDoc HD and then secure it with a password, or share it via another email to someone or move them to a cloud service of your choice. OrganiDoc HD even has some video conversion capabilities to allow you to watch a .wmv or .mpg file on your iPad. Although you can view almost any file format available, it does not allow annotation of the files.
OrganiDoc HD manages files with Doc, Photo, and Video Auto-categorization tabs. It also recognizes filename extensions of imported files for auto-categorization. You can choose to display file entries with the intuitive Cover Flow interface making browsing and searching files quick and easy. Plus, you can put important, confidential, and personal files in the “Protected File” area of OrganiDoc HD for maximum file security.
The app is advertised as a flash disk on your iPad, and it essentially is just that and more. OrganiDoc HD currently costs $4.99 on the App Store, check it out.
Tags: ipad, organiDoc, software. mac, Wenjoy
When I purchased my new iPad last week I was wondering if the iPad warranty from Apple was the best choice, or if a third party company such as SquareTrade might be the best route to take. So I contacted Vince Tseng from SquareTrade and asked him a few questions. I’ll let you make your own decision, but I think I found my answer with SquareTrade’s warranty program.
(I ended up purchasing my warranty through SquareTrade after this interview, and they gave me a $5 credit for anyone adding an iPhone warranty to SquareTrade. Here is the coupon link:
http://squaretrade.extole.com/a/clk/MxqJh)
Question: Vince, for those readers that may not know about SquareTrade, can you please introduce yourself and give us a little background of the company and what SquareTrade does?
I’m Vince Tseng, VP of Strategy for SquareTrade. I also happen to be the General Manager of the warranty program for iPhones and iPads. SquareTrade is a new kind of warranty company – one that is focused on delighting customers. We’ve sold millions of warranties for all sorts of electronics and appliances, and have earned tens of thousands of 5-star reviews from customers on review sites from Amazon to the iTunes store.
We make sure that our customers receive a fair price, and we don’t make customers jump through hoops to get a claim approved. Customers can file a claim online or over the phone, and track their progress every step of the way online. It’s why we have almost 120,000 fans on Facebook, and why we’re constantly winning awards for our amazing Customer Service.
Question: What kind of products do you cover and what models or makes of these products?
We cover all sorts of products, including all Apple Products, including all generations of the iPhone and iPad.
Question: So if I’m a first time customer of SquareTrade, how do I go about finding a price quote for my new iPad or iPhone, or any electronic device you cover?
Just visit www.squaretrade.com to get a quote. It’s $99 for a 2 year iPhone warranty, and $119 for a 3 year iPad warranty. Our warranties cover a user from drops, spills and other accidents, which we find to be responsible for 90% of all device failures. We also cover normal hardware malfunctions as well.
Question: Is there a place where a potential customer can go online and read your warranty and see your coverage for themselves before they purchase it?
www.squaretrade.com/iphone and www.squaretrade.com/ipad are two great places to start. We also have a super helpful customer support team that can be called at any time at 877-WARRANTY (877-927-7268)
Question: Apple voids out their AppleCare warranty if the iPhone or iPad was ever Jailbroken, will your warranty still cover an iPhone or iPad if the user wants to Jailbreak it?
Yes, we cover jailbroken iOS devices. We’re here to support the needs of the iPhone community, and that includes users that have jailbroken their phones. However, we will ask a user to restore the factory software settings if the problem is something that could be caused by the jailbreak.
Question: Is there any special pricing going on at SquareTrade that our readers should know about?
Currently we have a promotion for $30 off the standard price of any iPhone or iPad warranty.
Question: What if that dreadful accident or breakdown happens and I have to contact you for help with my warranty coverage? How does a customer go about filing a claim with SquareTrade?
It’s easy to file a claim online or over the phone, and it takes less than 2 minutes. We’ll just ask you a few short questions about what happened to determine the best options for repair. In most cases, we’ll give you the option to send in your broken device for repair, or you can take your device to your local Genius bar or repair shop, and we’ll reimburse you the cost of repair.
If you decide to send it in to us, you can download a pre-paid express shipping label or we’ll send you a special padded box for ensuring safe transport. We fix most devices and express ship it back to you the same day we receive it. In the case of most iPhones, we’ll also give you the option for an “advance exchange” – we’ll overnight you a replacement phone, and you just ship your broken phone back to us. That way, you don’t have to go a day without your iPhone. You just pop out your SIM card and put it in your replacement phone and you’re ready to go.
Please feel free to elaborate on anything else you’d like our readers to know that might not have been covered with the above questions.
It’s great for me to talk about how great our service is, but at the end of the day, readers should do their own research and decide for themselves. You can read experiences from thousands of SquareTrade customers on Facebook, the iTunes App Store, or Google Reviews:
http://www.facebook.com/squaretrade
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/warranty-this-device-squaretrade/id340816768?mt=8
http://www.google.com/products/seller?zmi=squaretrade.com
Tags: ipad, iphone, SquareTrade, warranty
One of our favorite apps has just had an update. Here’s the details:
Stairways Software today released Keyboard Maestro version 5.3 adding a plethora of image manipulation actions, enhancing the Mouse Click action (including allowing drag and clicking relative to a found image on the screen), adding a screen capture action and screen contains image condition, a new highlight screen location action and more.
Version 5.3 adds a bunch of new image manipulation actions, allowing you to create new images, flip, rotate, resize, and crop images, composite images, styled text and shapes onto images, display images, get the size of images, and even find the image on the screen. You can also capture the screen or a window to an image, or highlight a location on the screen.
Version 5.3 also significantly enhanced the mouse click action, adding support for double and triple click and drag with any button, adding an option to click relative to a found image on the screen, and allowing clicks to be relative to the center of the window, screen or found image.
Version 5.3 allows the use of the word APPLICATION (all capitals) in menu selections as an alias for the current application name, allowing easy selecting from the application menu (eg APPLICATION -> About APPLICATION).
Version 5.3 also processes text tokens in the Clipboard, Script, and Path condition tests, adds live reporting of the state of a condition in the editor, allows you to use a short form of variable tokens (%variable name% instead of %Variable%variable name%), adds MidX and MidY to the SCREEN & WINDOW functions.
Version 5.3 fixes a number of minor bugs, including the tutorial not working to completion, the %WindowPosition%n% token not working, and removes the annoying 5 second delay on the Applications/Utilities menus.
Version 5 takes the modern engine of Keyboard Maestro 3, the modern user interface of Keyboard Maestro 4 and adds to that base an incredible breadth and depth of power with almost no increase in complexity.
Keyboard Maestro 5 adds control flow such as While loops, For loops and If/Then/Else statements, as well as permanently stored variables and a complete calculation engine, all within the same familiar user interface.
Keyboard Maestro enhances the application switcher and window switcher, and includes the application launcher first featured in Switcher Maestro. The clipboard history is improved further with the addition of Favorites, Quick Look and the ability to send clipboards to another Mac.
Version 5 also includes an extensible library of pre-made macros, with a large variety of macros for you to build upon. Also new is Undo/Redo support and revisions so you can try out new macros with confidence.
Using Keyboard Maestro’s powerful macros, you can control applications, windows, or menus; insert text; open documents, applications or URLs; execute scripts; control the system, iTunes or QuickTime Player; and more – all with the touch of a key, click of the mouse, periodically or at specific times, when an application is launched or running, or even over the Internet using Keyboard Maestro Control on your iPhone or iPod touch, or by using a web browser to access Keyboard Maestro’s built-in web server.
Using Keyboard Maestro’s Program Switcher and Window Switcher you can cycle through applications or windows, closing, hiding, launching, and more. Keyboard Maestro can help you regain control of your crowded screen by letting you close or hide multiple windows or applications.
Using Keyboard Maestro’s Application Switcher and Window Switcher you can cycle through applications or windows, closing, hiding, launching, and more. Using Keyboard Maestro’s Application Launcher, you can quickly launch applications. Keyboard Maestro can help you regain control of your crowded screen by letting you close or hide multiple windows or applications.
Using Keyboard Maestro’s Clipboard History Switcher, you can access previous clipboards, so you will never lose your clipboard again. It also makes it easy to copy and paste multiple items such as username and password or serial number without having to switch back and forth between applications for each item. You can mark a clipboard as a favorite so it stays forever, or send it to another Mac running Keyboard Maestro.
Using Keyboard Maestro’s Clipboard Switcher, you can select from a number of named clipboards, storing information away for later retrieval, or store the details you are working on and access them by name again and again.
New customers can purchase Keyboard Maestro from http://purchase.keyboardmaestro.com for US$36.
Keyboard Maestro 5.0 is a paid upgrade from previous versions. Customers who purchased Keyboard Maestro from us after 1 March 2011 have been issued a free upgrade to Keyboard Maestro 5. If you have not received your free license, you can claim your free upgrade by looking up your previous Keyboard Maestro purchase at http://enquiry.stairways.com.
Customers who purchased Keyboard Maestro 4 can upgrade to Keyboard Maestro 5 for US$18 until 31 August 2011. Customers can find details on upgrading by looking up your previous Keyboard Maestro purchase at http://enquiry.stairways.com. Customers upgrading from older versions or after August 2011 can upgrade to Keyboard Maestro 5 for US$25.
Keyboard Maestro is available on the Mac App Store. Customers who purchased Keyboard Maestro from the Mac App Store will receive a free upgrade to this version. Please note that Keyboard Maestro is not, and probably cannot, be sandboxed, so if Apple requires future versions of Mac App Store applications to be sandboxed, Keyboard Maestro will not be able to be updated on the Mac App Store.
