User-created apps shine on Mac OS X

It's no secret that I prefer using a Mac as my primary computing platform. I first switched to the Mac from a Windows PC in 2001 with the release of Mac OS X.

One of the smartest things Apple did with Mac OS X was to offer software development tools for free to anyone with a Mac. Apple therefore made it easy for anyone to create useful and innovative Mac applications. Until recently, Microsoft charged several hundred dollars to acquire a similar set of tools.

Here are some of my favorite applications:

SpamSieve: OS X's email client comes with spam filtering, but I have found C-Command's SpamSieve to be much more reliable.

SpamSieve learns what you consider spam as you mark messages. Since I started using SpamSieve a few years ago, I have gone from dealing with dozens of spam messages a day to two or three at most. SpamSieve also works with third-party e-mail clients such as Microsoft's Entourage and Mozilla's Thunderbird.

Things: I usually have several personal and professional projects going on at one time. Cultured Code's Things keeps track of these projects. Things allows me to create a project and then associate a variety of tasks that need to be completed in order to accomplish the project's goal. When I was plotting this column, I created a project in Things with tasks for researching, writing, editing and submitting the column.

Acorn: I used to be a fan of Photoshop for resizing images and other rudimentary alterations, but it always seemed too heavy for such a small amount of image editing. Flying Meat's Acorn image editor is 1/13 the price of Photoshop and accomplishes most of its basic editing options.

Delicious Library: I own a lot of books, DVDs and video games and have always wanted to keep them organized and searchable on my Mac. Until a few years ago, it seemed a chore. When Delicious Monster released Delicious Library, cataloging went from being a tedious process to enjoyable. The main part of the interface shows the covers of DVDs, books and games on a wooden shelf that can then be organized and filtered.

My favorite feature of Delicious Library is the ability to scan new titles in by holding the bar code up to my Mac's Webcam.

If you are looking to find other new Mac software, the best place is Apple's downloads section at www.apple.com/downloads.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in The Evansville Courier & Press

Twitter makes it easy to be up to date

Holiday World has opened its gates for another season of fun. I normally wouldn't have known this because I'm not much of a theme park guy, but the park set up an account on Twitter (http://twitter.com/HolidayWorld) that I began following. Twitter is the micro-blogging service that allows users to share their thoughts via the Web or their mobile phone.

Several times a day, someone inside the park would post about painting Santa, tweaking the landscaping and even a weather scare. Holiday World's use of Twitter is just one example of how Twitter is easily the most useful and fun service launched in the past five years.

Many of the detractors point out that Twitter is mind-numbing mediocrity and just gives people another outlet to vent about what they are eating or their adorable cat, but that's the minority of users.

Twitter is the quickest venue for breaking news I have found. All three of the major cable news outlets and large newspapers such as The New York Times have their own Twitter accounts that automatically notify users when new stories are published on the site. I'm still waiting for the Courier & Press to establish its Twitter account.

When it comes to local news, other Twitter users are even quicker at breaking news than the major media outlets. When the initial earthquake hit April 18, Twitter was the first place many people in the area discussed the quake.

My favorite use of Twitter is as the digital watercooler. I work out of my house, so things I would normally chat about in the break room or with the guy across the hall I now share on Twitter. Since it's a public conversation, others around the world can also chime in with their thoughts and ideas. The daily conversation covers major tech news, politics or just the latest YouTube sensation.

Twitter is quickly replacing instant messaging as the best way to keep up to date with friends and colleagues.

If you want to get involved with Twitter, first sign up for a free account at http://twitter.com. You can then update your status either via the Web site or by establishing a connection with your mobile phone and sending updates via text messages. If you don't have an unlimited texting plan, using it with Twitter can grow costly.

Twitter also provides instructions that allow third-party developers to write their own Twitter-powered applications. For Windows users, my favorite is Twhirl (http://www.twhirl.org/). For Mac users, Icon Factory's Twitterrific is in a league of its own (http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific/). Both applications are free, though Twitterrific offers a $15 version that removes its ads.

When I first started using Twitter two years ago, I didn't understand what the fuss was about. Today, I couldn't imagine not posting to it. In the next year, Twitter usage is going to explode as it becomes even more mainstream.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in the Evansville Courier & Press

Flip camcorder is pocket-perfect No-frills digital device fits modern straight-to-video lifestyle

One of my favorite things to do in high school was to carry around a bulky camcorder and record my friends and my antics. I would edit the videos and put them up on my Web site, since there was no YouTube in 2001.

Now, even though sharing online video has gotten easier, recording it hasn't. One of the promises of technology has always been that devices should become easier to use even as they become more advanced. Somewhere in the past few years, companies started diverting from that road and trying to one-up prior releases with new features that take away from the main functionality of the device.

Look at many of the camcorders on the market. How many people are actually using the built-in camera functionality on their camcorder instead of an actual camera? Even though the latest cameras on the market can shoot high-definition video and have more buttons than a nuclear warhead, I don't think the process is any easier than it was when I was sitting in English class.

That was until I was introduced to the Flip.

The Flip doesn't shoot high-definition video. The Flip doesn't take still photos. The Flip doesn't have a massive viewfinder. Instead, the Flip eliminates all of the complexity that is associated with recording digital video and makes it accessible to everyone.

Recording video with the Flip is a two-step process.

Step 1: Toggle the on switch. Step 2: Press the red record button.

When you're done recording, press the button again. Press the play button to review what you just shot and the trash can button to delete it if necessary.

That's all there is to the Flip, and that is what I absolutely love about it.

The Flip is the ultimate carry-in-your-pocket device and makes it easy to capture video of stuff you never would be able to with a traditional camcorder. Since the device is about the size of a classic iPod, it's comfortable to just keep in your purse or pocket.

There are no cables to keep track of. There is a USB plug that pops out of the side of the device. Plug it into your PC or Mac and you're ready to pull your video onto the computer. The Flip will appear on your desktop as an external disk that contains not only your videos, but all of the software you need to view and edit your clips.

I found the Flip's video editing tools rudimentary at best compared with Apple's iMovie, but they should suffice for Windows users. In most instances, I just pulled the video onto my Mac and uploaded it straight to YouTube or Flickr.

The Flip comes in a 30-minute and 60-minute version for $150 and $180, respectively. If you have kids, pets or just want a no frills way to produce online video, I can't recommend it enough.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in The Evansville Courier & Press

Vista is the future; time to just let XP go

Microsoft plans to discontinue sales of Windows XP on new computers on June 30, completing the company's transition to Windows Vista. The end of the XP era was originally planned for late 2007, but Microsoft gave its old operating system a stay of execution after listening to feedback from consumers and industry partners.

InfoWorld, a technology industry publication, is hosting a petition that allows consumers to pledge their support for Windows XP being sold beyond June. At press, more than 111,000 people have signed it.

Microsoft will continue providing tech support for XP through April 2009 and security updates through 2014. The significance of the June 30 deadline is that anyone purchasing a machine from Dell, HP or any other major manufacturer will be forced to adopt Windows Vista as the operating system.

I assure you, it won't hurt.

It's frustrating to read other technology columnists and magazines recommending that consumers keep installing XP on their new machines. XP was released in October 2001. As a point of reference, the original iPod was released in the same month.

The first generation iPod had 5 gigabytes of storage, a black-and-white video screen and was as thick as a pack of cigarettes. Today, it's much thinner and has 160GB of storage. Or, you can buy the more advanced iPhone.

The amount of innovation between Vista and XP is no less. Vista introduced improved search and browsing support in the Windows shell, improved stability and sidebar Gadgets. More important than the superficial updates, Vista is a more secure system than XP, which can help reduce malware and viruses.

Vista is the foundation for the future of Windows-based computing. Recommending to someone purchasing a new computer, one that he plans to use for the next three to five years, to install XP is irresponsible.

One of the main arguments against Vista is its speed compared with XP. Most PCs shipping today are built with a minimum of 1GB of memory and a graphics card capable of running all the bells and whistles offered by Vista. XP will run faster on these machines, but only because it was designed for machines running on 2001 hardware. Pentium 4, anyone?

Others argue that Vista isn't compatible with all printers and third-party accessories purchased in the past decade. Look at it as an opportunity to upgrade your antiquated hardware with the latest offerings.

If you're still using a peripheral that doesn't connect via USB, it's time to send it to the recycling center.

For those who remember, the jump from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 was just as substantial. We all survived then, and I promise we will get through Vista together.

Vista is not without its flaws, but it's not the worst operating system Microsoft has ever released (I'm looking at you, Windows Millennium).

If you are purchasing a new machine, stop fretting over Vista and start embracing it.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in The Evansville Courier & Press