Just send around this video. Job done.
Archive for the 'Tools' Category
I just came across this on my puter, having forgotten it was there. Paparazzi for OS X is a nice little app that lets you screen shot an entire web page, as you can see below, though rotated and resized so it fits, the actual image is several thousand pixels long.
So I’ve been spending a while looking at various Air / Flex based apps, and so far Destroy Flickr is standing out for me as it has manages to re-invent the UI for a very popular web based app, i.e. Flickr, duh, pretty well. It takes a few minutes to get the hang of it, but after that it works fine.
DestroyFlickr explores alternative methods for viewing and sharing Flickr content. Its user interface provides an environment that benefits photos rather than hindering them. With the ability to look at a photo on a dark, neutral background, you can view it without the interference of a brighter surrounding. By using workspaces and canvases, DestroyFlickr is able to retain a constant history of where you have navigated, offering the ability to revisit an area without the need to reload the entire page. DestroyFlickr takes advantage of features provided by the Adobe AIR SDK that are unavailable to web-based RIAs. With the support of both drag and drop uploading and downloading, posting and saving photos is done in one easy motion. Now you can download the highest resolution version of a photo without having to see it first—just drag a thumbnail to the download menu and the download begins.
1. Big deal! nothing new here.
2. UI: minimal in the extreme, feels lacking.
3. Generally feels incomplete / alpha product
4. Bookmarking is pathetic
5. Overall: Must try harder
So over the next few weeks I’ll be reviewing O2 Mobile Broadband on my Mac. Initial impressions are ok, though as I haven’t actually left the office yet I’m only getting GPRS speeds I think. Anyway if anyone is interested the modem supplied is a Novatel mc930D which will support download speeds over HSDPA/HSUPA up to 7.2mb…. when O2 get round to rolling it out. As per usual the instructions supplied are ok, however I found the actual Novatel product support page more useful. Will also try it under XP / VM Ware on the Mac using the O2 Connection Manager.
Update 1: So all I can get anywhere is GPRS….
Update 2: So no 3G anywhere in London or down the M4 corridor or Mid Wales. Spoke to tech support in wales to try and get it sorted. When he worked out that there was nothing he could really do to help, he told me that ‘Wi-Fi coverage was good in that area’? Wi-Fi coverage? Really? Anyway……
Back in London… went to Carphone Warehouse… Me: ‘This O2 mobile broadband you sold me… it’s shit’ CPW Manager ‘Right… what do you want me to do about it?’…. anyway. Got onto O2 Tech support again ‘Oh you need to put it into a PC and change the configuration’… me: ‘But I’m using a Mac’…. fuckwits.
Anyway, the long and the short of it. I tried it on various Mac’s. Mac’s running VM Ware / XP. Mac’s running Parallels / XP. Even uh fucking PC PC running fucking XP…… nothing ….. nada….. no 3G. GPRS only.
Took it back to the shop. Exchanged it. Now using a 3 dongle which is working beautifully (review to follow) thank you very much.
The moral of the story:
Dr Mr O2 Product Manager For Mobile Broadband: If you are going to support Mac’s, make sure you do, cos most Mac owners work in Marketing / Advertising / The Internet etc…. most of us have blogs etc. That means that we will probably write about our shite experiences of your products and tell people not to buy them. Oh look I just did… sigh.
MindNode, a very simple, stripped down mind-mapping app. Been using it for a day or so now and really like it. It lacks tons of feature, but it’s simplicity makes it really nice to use as a sketch pad for collecting thoughts. It usefully also exports to several formats including FreeMind. Download it here. (And I guess also check out FreeMind, though the interface is a bit sucky, but it’s free none the less).
Brought to you by Zoe Margolis (I think) BedPost / BedPosted.com:
‘Simply log in after every time you have sex and fill out a few simple fields. Before long, you’ll have a rolling history of your sex life on which to reflect.’
OK so as one of the worlds worst procrastinators, here are a few things I use regularly to get stuff done. This is a refined set of tools that I’ve been using for months and hopefully picked the best from each category to suit my needs, they may not work for you, but stacked up against the competition, I think they’re pretty good.
To-Do Lists: Remember the milk
Why?: Richer functionality than Ta-Da lists. Utilises Google Gears so will work offline. Works fine across multiple ‘putres. Integrates with: GMail & Google Calendars both of which I use daily. Quicksilver plugin available to quickly pipe to-do’s to the list. Puts a nice Cow icon on your desktop. Free.
Notebook: Evrnote
Why?: Can be accessed via a browser as well as a desktop App. Sychnronises seamlessly across multiple ‘puters. iSight integration. OS X toolbar integration for quick access. Free (with Pro accounts available).
Scrapbook: Skitch
Why?: Fantastic for gathering screenshots and images for PowerPoint decks. Can post directly to the web. Auto saves to your images folder as an archive. Easy access from the toolbar. Captures can be annotated from within the app, and then later edited as annotations are saved as editable layers.
Potentially nice wire framing / sketching tool that runs off Mozilla. Incredibly limited functionality at the moment but promising. Huge way to go though before it’s at a point where you could actually use it to do work.
Google does second life 3D chat type thing. XP only though for now.
I mean seriously…. who the hell writes “Memo’s” these days. Though is does make me feel like I’m working in Sterling Cooper which is a bonus I guess.
I’ve never actually had to use Notes before, apart from trying how to work out how to do web sites using Lotus Domino back in the day. The great thing about Notes is that it really does live up to it’s reputation, whenever it comes up in conversation people wince, groan and swear. Well I can confirm the rumours are indeed true, it really is fucking awful. Sigh.
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