Category Archives: Apple

Top Mac OS X Apps: Got your new Mac? Now what to install?

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Apple iMac 27 inch

Have you just bought your new Apple Macbook Pro, MacBook Air, or the beautiful 27 inch iMac, with Apple’s rock-solid Mac OS X. What to install? What are some of the must have applications?

There so many articles out there on the web: Best 10 Apps for your iMac, or 12 must have Apple apps, etc.

Here are apps that I personally use, and that many of my friends have installed on their Apple machines. You don’t have to install each and every application, but more or less choose what you need and get cracking.

  • Google Chrome (an absolute must). I use Chrome because it integrates very well with most of my Google apps, however, many users complain Chrome’s text input on the Mac is slower than say that on a Windows machine.
  • Firefox – As if Chrome and Safari were not enough, I’ve installed Firefox simply because of the sheer number of useful add-ons it offers (think of Add-ons as plug-ins or extensions for your browser).
  • Evernote – If you haven’t already used Evernote, it is time you do. It is one of the most helpful applications out there, that you will use frequently. Store saved pages, notes, business cards, PDFs, cut-and-paste text, etc. all searchable and very cleanly organized. As the good folks at Evernote say – remember everything!
  • Dropbox – The most famous online storage on the web, since perhaps the invention of soda pop! Dropbox offers you free 2GB of storage online. The most people you recommend to use Dropbox, the more your free storage space increases. It also has a paid-account, in which you can subscribe to more storage space as well as the ability to undelete files (as far back as 30 days). You can install Dropbox on multiple machines and have them sync with each other effortlessly. I have it installed on my 2 Macs and a Windows laptop. Edit or save a file one one machines and in mere seconds, the files are updated across all the machines. Laptop gets stolen, you will be glad you had Dropbox to save your important files.
  • TextWrangler – A clean and very easy to use text editor for the Mac. Much more preferred (by me at least) over the TextEdit (built-in text editor in Mac).
  • Adium – Adium is a free instant messenger for the Mac OS X. It allows you to connect to AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, Twitter, Facebook Chat, IRC, ICQ (if you still use it) and a few others that you probably might never use. If IM is your game, rather than having half-a-dozen IMs open, opt for Adium and make your life easier.
  • 1Password – is a paid utility, but one that I must stress you get. At US$ 49.99 one times, it is a steal. Bet you have forgotten your password one time or another? Right? Bet you have it saved in a text file on your computer? Don’t do that. Get 1Password and make loggin-in and password management a seamless task.
  • Acorn – Everybody at some point in their life, will require the use of an Image Editor. Most of us don’t need the thousands of bells and whistles that Adobe Photoshop or GIMP offers, we just need a simple photo editor that is easy to use and reasonably priced. Acorn is just that. Try out the 30 day trial. Acorn is priced at US$ 49.99
  • Reeder – I’ve tried a whole bunch of RSS readers, they all have their plus/minus points. Reeder is my personal favorite. It is a very nice RSS aggregator for placing all your RSS feeds in one place and going through them.
  • Zipeg – .RAR and .ZIP files are a way of life. Just download the free Zipeg RAR/ZIP file utility and you will be all set.
  • Wunderlist – Have things to do? Need to keep a check on your To-Do list – Perhaps the best free task management software out there. Another alternative is Anxiety and Fantastical.
  • Alfred – If you need to search for anything on your Mac, be it a file, a link, a bookmark, etc. Alfred is the ultimate application. Free of course. Its fast, very easy to get a custom toggle and just type away and see instantaneous results.
  • SnagIt – Though there are many screen-capture tools (including the ones built-in to the Max OS X – see here) I still find SnagIt to be the best. Sure there are $1.99 apps and free plug-ins for Firefox and Google Chrome – so why spend a bundle on SnagIt, simply because if screen captures and using those captured images, resizing, editing, annotations, etc. matter to you, then SnagIt is the fastest and the best alternative out there.
  • OpenOffice – Though I have moved most of my work to Google Docs, every now and then I will get an odd Microsoft Word or Excel file. The best alternative to MS Office is OpenOffice. Its free, it works and its time you kicked the habit of using MS Office.
  • iTerm2 – DO you SSH or FTp via command line? DO you need a simple to use terminal emulator, but powerful enough for your CLI needs? Look no further than iTerm2.
  • Address Book Clearout – Managing an address book is frustrating. Your email client will have something else, your online something else, your Mac address bok (oh lets not get started on bad it is). However, to fix all this – you need the Address Book Clearout app. At US$ 6.99 it will save you hours of editing and going through your address book to sift through, sort out and deleted/merge all duplicate or haywire entries.
  • Skype of Mac – Skype – enough said. We all need it.
  • VLC Media Player – Gotta watch movies? VLC is the player to have. It will play those hard to play MKV format on the Mac with ease, as well as MP4, AVI, etc. Free to use.
  • CloudApp – Need to share pictures? files? documents? with others. Just get CloudApp (Free!), drag, drop and share! Voila!
  • Growl – Need a central notification center? Yes, you do (trust me on this one). Just download and install Growl. It works great. See all your notifications pop up on one side of the screen.
  • FileZilla for Mac – Simple, free and and easy to use, FTP client. Very robust and can be as detailed oriented as you want it to be.
  • AppCleaner – AppCleaner is a free, easy to use, applications to uninstall unwanted apps on your Mac!
  • Little Snitch – If security is your concern, Little Snitch is the solution. It protects and informs you what applications on your computer are trying to connect to the outside world.

Deliberately, I have left out apps like Email Clients of which there is a wide variety (Sparrow and Thunderbird are my recommendations). Tweetdeck for Mac as a Twitter Client. xCode if you are going to be an Apple developer/programmer, The Apps store is a great way to discover new and exciting apps for your computer and your computing needs.

Soluto.com – Help others with their PCs

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Soluto.com

 

Came across this website, whilst watching Robert Scoble’s video on his YouTube Channel. Soluto is a real cool web app that lets you help out others (family, friends, etc.) with their PC problems. It is a non-invasive, very easy to use web app. Much better than other apps for remote desktop assistance, where privacy is a huge concern.

Here is the soluto.com intro video as seen on their website.

Soluto Intro from Soluto on Vimeo.

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Free Siri-Like Personal Assistants For Android Phones

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Introduction:

If you are a proud Android user who may just have been fascinated by the potential of the Siri app for Apple iOS5 like most, you are surely going to be interested in a guide that could just allow you to have atleast some features on your Android device that are..well, Siri-like. Hot off the heels of the announcement of Apple iPhone 4S, the announcement and on-stage demo of the all-new personal assistant with voice recognition features was an icing on the cake.

Yes, Siri has really made name for itself in such short timespan; yet, Android users must realize that they need not drool over iOS’s new voice-recognizing personal assistant so much-there are way too many alternatives available on Android! Definitely, you heard that right, folks. There is a wide variety of avid voice recognition options to choose from on the Android platform; although, none of those Android personal assistants able to out weigh Siri personal assistant in its potential and the way it delivers.

ApplevsAndroid

We realize how important it is for all those of us who are Apple-deprived to understand that possession of an iDevice (iPhone, iPad, any i for that matter) is not a binding upon us. So then, if Android has got what you need, what is the point of drooling over, an otherwise, foreign platform (The sheer mention of Apple probably blindfolds most of us-childish)? In light of all this, let us give you a brief run through a few of the best alternatives to iOS5′s Siri app.

Google Voice Actions

If you are an Android user, Google Voice Actions won’t be news for you (Atleast we expect so). Siri for the iPhone 4S  certainly stirred a hornet’s nest and gave most people the impression that voice actions started and finished at the Apple iOS5-Well, we think otherwise. Google Voice Actions for Android is very much a Siri-like app for Android users that enables them to place their phone calls, get turn-by-turn navigation assistance, surf the web browser, listen to their favourite songs and so much more. Oh, and if you wish you may even get some handy information on the local weather and latest news alerts only just by a simple tap the Voice Actions icon and speak your heart out.

Download it here.

Google Voice Actions

Vlingo

Nevermind if you missed Google Voice Actions as an Android user, but Vlingo is the one app that we really expect Android users to have come across atleast once in their lifetimes-reason being, it has been on the scene for quite a while now. Vlingo’s text-to-speech and speech-to-speech is the striking feature of Android’s app. Yes, it does most basics right like text messages, emails, placement of phone calls,  search the web etc. Searching for the nearest locations for, say dine-in, had never been easier before (Or was it?). Also, other applications on your Android phone can even be launched by saying their names using Vlingo. Really an app which has been one of its kind, atleast in its time, Vlingo can even be told when to start listening to you and then prompt it to register your desired commands. Perhaps not deeply integrated, Vlingo for Android still has to be the most handsfree appthat comes closest to being the Siri for Android in regards to its advanced commands.

Get Vlingo here.

Vlingo

Edwin

Edwin comes across as another useful Android app that brings speech-to-speech and voice response functionalities to the table. Yet another positive is the fact that the commands spoken by the Android user are passed through Google Voice Actions and spoken back to the user. Besides these new amenities that this Android app offers, its main strength lies in the detail to conversation that it comes equipped with (My my, isn’t technology shaping up to dominate mankind the act?). Of course, that means that if you ask Edwin for details regarding exactly where you are it won’t shy; in fact, resukts obtained would even squeeze down to the block no. you reside in (Fetch that!). If necessary, this Android app even searches the internet or, say, prompt you to open up an application/do the favours itself at times. Major downside to Edwin app is that since it doesn’t don too wide a variety of commands, it simply fails to process when it doesn’t understand a command prompt. Yes, it will be annoying at times but the fact that the Android app considers you worthy of talking back to might as well keep bringing you back to it over and over again.

Download Edwin here.

Edwin

SpeakToIt Assistant

So you Android users thought that Edwin was the only real ‘talk back to me’ personal assistant app, think again (Oh how quick you folks are at jumping to conclusions). Relatively newer and richer in its functionalities in comparison with Edwin, SpeakToIt Assistant is an Android app that not only adds a flurry of customization and configuration options to personal assistant apps on the Android platform, but it also puts on your display screen a rather curvy default cartoon librarian avatar as your personal assistant (Hopefully, that does not sound misleading). The back and forth conversational abilities and a full-fledged list of commands add a whole lot more to this personal assistant app for Android. This means, there is a real smooth learning curve attached to the app, thus it works like a charm for most. Interestingly, you can always customize and create your own assistant avatar and milk as much information as you please. Of course, just like any other app in the world, SpeakToIt Assistant is another Android app in the list of many that does not come without a few hashes here and there. A few grammatical errors and rather unnatural voice does feel a bit off; however, if you can put up with such shortcomings this Android app is sure to keep you in the groove for a good long time.

Download SpeakToIt here.

SpeakToIt Assistant

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iPhone 4S: To Buy or Not to Buy

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Introduction:

So it has been finally made public-the new iPhone shall now be known as the iPhone 4S; not iPhone 5 (Great to know for the neutral perhaps, but not so good for those waiting eagerly for a grand appearance of the iPhone 5). Yes, it is disappointing to know the truth, but hold on-why is it? Before we even hint at trying to sympathise with the die-hard, Mr. MoneyBags over this one, do you mind explaining why the release of the iPhone 4S before an iPhone 5 bothers you so much? Alright, Apple did try to pull the same stunt as it did following the release of the iPhone 3G but let us all be a bit fair here. The refreshed model of the iPhone 4 is not that bad afterall-yes, you call that an understatement if you like (How generous, no?).

On a more serious note, after the passing away of Steve Jobs, we all know now why Apple refrained from introducing a new phone. Respect.

iPhone 4S Specs

A brief overview of the specifications of the new iPhone 4S suggests that it comes equipped with a 1 GHz dual core processor, a decent 8 Mega Pixel snapper, various software updates and of course, the new iOS 5. In my opinion, the question as to whether the phone is really worth spending a pretty penny on is an obvious one: of course! No, I am not a part of the Apple fan club, nor do I have any interest involved in supporting Apple products, unnecessarily.

Retaining the same screen size is perhaps one of the many let-downs of the new iPhone device. But it is funny how people are always critical of Apple’s creations and especially how rumours spread like lightning and then go down like mosquitoes all too soon. At the end of the day, the discussion at hand is, whether or not to upgrade to an iPhone 4S.

 

iPhone 4S

 

Personally, if I were an iPhone owner at this point of time, I would really have tried to resist the temptation of upgrading to the new iPhone 4S (Would not have been tough since I am not Mr. MoneyBags unlike most iPhone users). As far as the significant changes that have been made to the iPhone are concerned, there are quite a few to note. The new iPhone 4S costs $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB) and $399 (64GB) compared to a seemingly stooped price tag of $99 for the iPhone 4 (8GB). The 8 Mega Pixels snapper with f/2.4 aperture is a great improvement over the iPhone 4′s 5 megapixel AF with flash.

Of course, the processor is two times faster this time on the iPhone 4S with Dual-core Apple A5 against the iPhone 4′s A4. Enhanced HD video recording at 1080p with iPhone 4S is yet another remarkable change.

You should go for the iPhone 4S only in case:

  • You think you can not live without the latest Apple device.
  • You own an iPhone other than the iPhone 4, or none at all.
  • You fancy HD video recording on at 1080p resolution with an 8 Mega Pixels camera.
  • You have restlessly waited to try your hands on Siri, the app.
  • You ooze with money, here there and everywhere.

You should not go for the iPhone 4S in case:

  • You own the iPhone 4.
  • You expect a brand new design from your new phone.
  • You already have a phone that you are able to show off without an itch.
  • You want an affordably priced-phone with a decent amount of functionalities.
  • Your hard-earned cash matters alot to you and you are not a spoilt brat.

 

Editor’s Note: The above post is solely the opinion of the writer. So, all you Apple fan boys/girls, if you want to bash someone, bash him, not us. :) Peace.

 

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Steve Jobs’ Legacy – What Will You do With it?

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Today, the world lost a great man. Many of us may have bitched about him and ranted about Apple but I doubt that anyone can deride the man that was Steve Jobs. With an unflinching belief in his work and a love for the company that he took to the greatest heights that any company can dream of, Jobs showed everyone what it means to love what you do.

Steve Jobs has left behind a great legacy in the shape of all those millions using his devices every single day but an even greater legacy is the life of the man that he was; the insight and vision he had which enabled him to change things for the better; the push to do his best and encourage others to do the same; and the ability to see through his customers eyes and know what they want.

Disclaimer: I have never owned or used an Apple product so my regard for Mr. Jobs is not that of an Apple Fangirl. 

steve jobs dies in 2011

Any words would fail to express what his passing has taken away from us, so I shall allow Mr. Jobs to speak for himself.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

steve jobs at AT & T

‎”When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”

steve jobs legacy

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

steve jobs young

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.”

steve jobs legacy

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

a healthier Steve Jobs

‎”Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

steve jobs pose

 ”Your time is limited, Dont waste it living someone else’s life.”

“Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

 

 

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.”

What have you learnt from the life of Steve Jobs? And what legacy will you leave behind? You can share your thoughts with Apple on their Remembering Steve Jobs page and here in the comments.

Guide On Cleaning the Screen on Your Apple iPod and iPhone

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So you own an Apple touchscreen product, huh? If yes, you most probably also realize how important it is to be regular about cleaning it. Ofcourse, with possession comes responsibility. The full glass screen on the Apple iPod and iPhone is a pretty sight, no doubt. However, it is absolutely no surprise that the pretty thing is a dust-cum-fingerprint magnet (It only sounds fancy, trust me).

Fear not, it takes merely a few minutes to bring back the shine on your beloved Apple iPod or iPhone and get it to look like a gleaming brand new handset yet again. Beware, taking things for granted almost always results in a disaster; therefore, we would recommend you to not try to be too over-confident and take our short guide on how you can clean the screen on your iPod or iPhone. Just so that we are sure you won’t try anything otherwise, let us emphasise that cleaning the touch screen in an improper manner can easily give rise to scratches on the screen and damage your idevice.

Squeaky Clean:

First thing’s first, be very careful as you remove your iPod or iPhone from its protective casing and make sure that you do this very gently as the highly sensitive glass screen on the touchscreen can be easily scratched upon impact, as mentioned before.

clean screen of ipod touch

All the cleaning products that are required for the act include: a lint-free cloth and an ammonia-free glass cleaner (Yep, that’s about it). If you are the perfectionist sort, we suspect that you won’t mind spending a few extra bucks on a special iPod or iPhone cleanser which, in fact, is easily and widely available in most computer retail shops.

As far as the process goes, start with spraying the cleanser on the glass touchscreen. In doing so, make sure that you do not target the connector block or the speakers which doesn’t take any time in causing a ruckus. Moreover, the Home button is another part on the iPod and iPhone that you need to watch out for. The crevices on the Home button can easily intercept moisture to the internal parts of the device, which is why you need to be extra careful while trying this. Moving on, take a cleaning cloth and wipe off traces of any dirt and oily fingerprints, that there may be, off your iPod or iPhone. With this done, you will not need to worry about minor scratches resulting from persistent friction with the dust settling on the glass screen of the device.

cleaning your iphone or ipod screen

Ending Note:

We do honestly hope that your iPod or iPhone lives, and lives long. It is; therefore, necessary for you to keep it squeaky clean and how you do that has already been thoroughly discussed in the aforementioned guide. Do it right and you shall surely reap rewards with a fresh look on the face of your iDevice. Just in case, if you wish to prevent scratches on your gadget, you may also purchase a brand new case for it. All in all, we wish you and your iPod / iPhone a prosperous life together.

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Tips On Calibrating Your Mobile Device (Android Phone/iPhone)

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Introduction:

We all love our mobile handsets, don’t we? Be it an extremely bland looking mobile phone or a power-performing stylish looking hunk of a mobile device, your mobile phone is always your darling (Wifeys beware, you are in for a scare). With all sorts of mobile phone technology flowing in the mobile market, competition seems to have gotten the best of most. Amidst all the fight for high specifications, battery life has become a stand-out feature for most mobile phones. It’s true that priorities change and so do people, but surely, battery life has become part of mobile buyer’s foremost preferences. However, the focus of today’s post is not the usual ‘how to increase your phone’s battery life’. Instead, it focuses on how to calibrate your mobile device.

What is Calibration?

We understand that there are plenty of people who are unaware of what calibration exactly is. This is precisely why we feel the urge to create awareness among most regarding what it is and how it benefits your mobile device. To put it simply, calibration implies discharging the battery power life of your mobile device, be it an iPhone, Android phone or even a laptop or Macbook for that matter, to the full until the device is not bootable. Since we are so generous and want to fully educate you on what we convey to you, the act of calibration is extremely handy if it is done once a month. However, it all depends on the device usage to be honest. If you are just a casual user and only use your mobile device to make occasional phone calls and send text messages on special occasions, you may only need to do this once every six months (We hope you realize the impossibility of such an incorrect fact). On the contrary, a heavy power-user should really calibrate his/her mobile device once every month. Now then, let us directly move on to how to calibrate your mobile device with our step by step calibration guide.

How to Calibrate?

Step No. 1. Fully drain the battery life of your mobile device until it completely powers off on its own.

Step No. 2. Switch your device back on and allow your mobile device to power itself off yet again.

Step No. 3. Connect the battery charger to your mobile device and allow it to charge for atleast eight full hours while the mobile device is powered off, mind you.

Upon trying the aforementioned calibration methods, users will definitely experience a noticeable increase in the battery life of their mobile devices. Surprising as it may sound, this increase in battery life will also be evident with relatively heavy usage.

Ending Note:

This one is a tried and tested method on most Android phones, laptops and the iPhone and we must admit that it really does work. With that said, we can safely recommend this to each one of you, especially those of you who have either an Android or an Apple device. So then, enjoy calibrating!

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