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10 Gifts for the Mac Switcher

Ray Aguilera — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:24:59 -0600

So you (or someone you know) just switched to a Mac. Awesome. We have no doubt that it’ll be the best computer you (or they) have ever owned. And while the Mac comes with tons of features and great software built-in, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. We put together this list of our favorite Mac accessories and add-ons for new Mac converts--feel free to print it out and stick in on the fridge if your family could use some help picking our holiday gifts.

Star Wars USB Drive

The USB flash-drive is probably the most useful tech invention since the mouse. Whether you’re sharing 2009 TPS reports with a coworker, or schlepping gobs of music from your iMac to a MacBook, barely a day will go by when you won’t find some use for a flash drive. And let’s face it. Since you’ve already ditched that ugly, barely-usable beast of a computer that you used to use for some slick Apple hardware, you might as well spring for an interesting thumb drive. Plus, what’s cooler than Star Wars? No, really--what’s cooler? Yeah, that’s what we thought. You can choose from 4, 8, or 16GB drives modeled after Yoda, Vader, a Storm Trooper or Boba Fett. We’re going with Yoda (because he’s awesome) but if you feel like you can trust your data to the dark side, may the Force be with you.

Apple MagSafe Power Adapter

If you just bought a new Mac laptop, then you’re basking in the glory of being able to read maclife.com from pretty much anywhere. It’s a great feeling, being able to finish off that thing for work while you’re on the couch with one eye on the latest episode of Mythbusters. And we’ll admit, the latest MacBooks have pretty great batteries. But once you’ve put a few miles on that battery, the capacity will take a hit. Rather than interrupting all your Facebook updating--er, we mean working--to recharge at your desk, we’d recommend buying an extra power adapter so that you can plug in wherever you do lots of work. We have a spare hidden behind the living room sofa that gets regular use, but anywhere you find yourself with MacBook in hand is a good candidate for stashing an extra adapter. Just be careful of that guy a few cubes over who wants to borrow your spare. Trust us, he’ll never bring it back. Tell him to go buy his own.

Toast Titanium Pro

Apple doesn’t really kowtow to anyone. Which makes it that much weirder that some super-basic features are off-limits in Finder. Despite the fact that copying audio CDs (for backup in case your six-year-old goes on a rampage, or making a spare copy for the car for example) is both legal and commonplace, doing so with the Mac requires an irritating bit of hoop-jumping involving ripping files into iTunes, creating a playlist, and then re-burning tracks to disc. Toast Titanium makes it easy to duplicate an audio CD, and can perform tons of other useful functions, including extracting video from DVDs, turning records and tapes into mp3 files, and streaming video files from your Mac to a TiVo DVR. If you consume lots of audio or video media, Toast in an indispensable tool.

Subscription to Mac|Life

If you’re new to the Mac, a subscription to Mac|Life is a must-have. And we’re not just saying that because we work here. Each issue is packed full of features, product reviews, and how-tos to help you get the most out of your Mac. Whether it’s the latest in Mac gaming, or in-depth articles on productivity software to help you get work done, Mac|Life is at your service. A monthly subscription means you’ll never miss an issue, and you won’t have to drive to the store to pick up a copy, only to be disappointed when someone else snagged the last one. Plus, with so much great content coming from Mac|Life every month, a portable version makes sense. You won’t have to drag your iMac everywhere to read content on the web, and it’ll give you something to look at when your iPhone can’t get a network connection.

be.ez laptop bag

Your new Mac is an awesome computer. But it also looks great too. So much so that shoving it in that ugly black computer bag really just seems kind of wrong. Lucky for you, there are plenty of options that offer protection for your MacBook in the style that it deserves. If you’re looking for something small and sleek, the LErush from be.ez is a great option. There are custom sizes to match 13- and 15-inch MacBooks, and be.ez offers several other styles, colors and sizes to fit every Mac laptop. Your computer isn’t boring anymore, and your bag shouldn’t be, either.

iWork

The first question we always hear from people considering a switch to Mac is "Will it work with all my Word documents?" The answer is yes, of course, but for some people, the idea of having to buy Microsoft Office again is off-putting (which is funny, because a lot of them never bought it the first time around, but that’s another story…). At 79 bucks, iWork is a great deal, but even at twice the price we’d recommend new Mac users look into iWork. It does everything you need it to, without a lot of the bloat and obscure legacy features that the big boys are forced to continue to support for compatibility’s sake. And since it was created by Apple, it takes full advantage of that Mac’s capabilities and design conventions, making iWork a great intro into a Mac state of mind. Whether it’s word processing, presentations, or spreadsheets that you need, iWork’s got you covered. And since it’s compatible with standard file formats, you won’t have any trouble sharing documents with colleagues still stuck using Windows.

1Password 3

OK, you’ve heard it a million times already. Secure passwords are the way to go. And yet, here you are. Yeah you. The guy whose bank account, email, and Twitter accounts are all “secured” by your cat’s name. Archibald T. Fuzzmeister might not tell anyone your secrets, but someone else could easily guess your password and wreak some serious havoc. But managing tons of unique passwords on your own can be a chore in and of itself. With 1Password installed on your Mac (and your iPhone) you can easily manage login credentials for all of your online accounts, including autofill information for web forms--think credit card numbers, shipping addresses and the like. And new in 1 Password 3 are tools for managing software licenses, and the ability to access your 1Password data from any browser when you’re away from your Mac. It’ll protect you from your own shoddy memory, and with easy-to-manage unique passwords for all your accounts, you won’t have to worry about all your information falling into the wrong hands if one of your accounts gets compromised.

32GB iPhone 3GS

On its own, the iPhone is a killer smartphone. But paired with a Mac, it becomes even better. Syncing other smartphones with a Mac is often a cumbersome affair, and even the best third-party syncing solutions can end up being frustration-inducing compromises. On the other hand, adding an iPhone into the mix with your Mac is like combining chocolate and peanut butter. It’s all good. Contacts, calendars, and email stay in step flawlessly… plus dude, it’s an iPhone! Buit-in GPS, killer media playback functionality, and a deep, deep catalog of Apps are available at your fingertips. And with the 3GS’s camera, you can easily capture still photos and videos, and sync them back to your Mac via iPhoto. And did we mention it also makes telephone calls?

Guitar Lessons (or some other time-consuming hobby)

Now that you’ve bought a Mac, you’re going to have some free time on your hands. A lot of free time. Remember all those hours you spent, staring at your Windows box, tearing your hair out about viruses and spyware, not to mention all that junk that came preinstalled that you have no idea what it does? Not to worry, friend. There will be no more of that. So instead of worrying about viruses, and wasting time reformatting and reinstalling Windows for the umpteenth time, you ought to take up a new hobby. Something to fill up all those extra hours you’ll have in your week. We’d suggest guitar lessons. Or maybe knitting. Whatever it is, find something you’ve always wanted to do… and go do it. In the meantime, your Mac will keep chugging along just fine, without you having to babysit it all the time. Enjoy!

My New Mac: Snow Leopard Edition

The Mac has a well-deserved reputation for being easy to use, right out of the box. Chances are, all you’ll need to do to get started is take it out of the box and plug it in. But if you’d like a bit more assistance, a good Mac book can help ease the transition to your new computer. My New Mac: Snow Leopard Edition is a thorough guide to your new best friend, with chapters designed as projects to help you learn your way around your new machine. Topics range from the simple (turning it on and off) to more advanced tutorials like setting up parental controls, setting up your Mac for foreign-language keyboards, and working with Time Machine backups. It’s a great guide for Mac noobs, but experienced users will find plenty of new tips and tricks for being more productive with their Mac.

10 Creative Gifts for Designers

Roberto Baldwin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:55:00 -0600

The designer is more than just a person with a computer. The designer creates almost everything you see no matter where you go. That billboard on the way to work, a designer created that. The can that holds your favorite beverage, a designer created that as well. Your favorite book, your favorite album, your favorite video game, a designer created the visual aspect of all those items. With that in mind, it can be difficult to figure out what to give a designer for the holidays. Do they want crayons? Do they want a crate of pens? Well they probably want those too, but we have compiled a list of 10 items that we believe will bring a smile to the designer in your life.

Wacom Intuos4 tablet

A mouse is great for selecting items. When it comes to drawing though, nothing beats the real-pen feel of a tablet and pen. The Intuos4 features 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity force. Try getting that sort of sensitivity from your favorite HD pencil. The tablet's pen fits into a weighted pen holder that houses up to 10 pen nibs. For painters who pine for the days of old, the pen's orientation dictates the angle of the pen brush in popular graphics programs. Throw in an OLED display and a radial menu and you have the best tablet to help designers create the best designs.

Pantone Color chart

Designers can stare at the screen all day. It won't help them figure out if the colors they're using will match their client's curtains. Thanks to the power of Pantone, designers can have actual swatches at their desk that'll help them please that client who can't seem to be able to determine the difference between green and teal. Pantone color guides are available for CYMK, spot color, web and other color environments. Matching colors, it's a magical world.

Epson Artisan 810

Designers need quality prints. They also need a copy machine, a fax machine, and the ability to scan. Fortunately, Epson has the Artisan 810 all-in-one printer to help designers accomplish all of their print, fax and scanning tasks without have a mess of wires and peripherals all over their desk. The Artisan delivers stellar prints quickly on a variety of paper stocks. Add Wi-Fi connectivity, a slick touchscreen interface and cram all of that inside a stark black device and you have an all-in-one any designer would be proud to place on their table next to their T-square.

Adobe CS4

We can talk about Adobe substitutions until we're blue in the face. The fact of the matter is, there's a reason that Adobe has the creative market wrapped up. With every update they've enhanced their core products, while finding ways to help the designer work faster and smarter. There is no gift you can drop on a designers desk that'll get them more excited than a brand new CS4 box set. Whether the designer is web based, a print designer, or a motion graphics magician, Adobe has a suite for them. If you really want to make someones year, drop the Master Collection on them. They'll explode with glee.

Adobe Font Folio

Eventually every designer falls in love with typography. The elegant beauty of the Q, the rigid base of the M. It's an art form that designers utilize to convey a message with only a word and style. With that in mind, it's important for a designer to have a large supply of quality fonts at their disposal at all times. Sure you could download free fonts from the Web with their tendency to be corrupt. Or you can get the designer in your life a Font collection like the one from Adobe. They'll have 2,200 glorious fonts that'll keep them happy and may inspire them to suck you into the Bodoni versus Time New Roman debate. You have been warned.

X-Acto knives

Just because a majority of design takes place on computer doesn't mean that a designer shouldn't have a well stocked arsenal of X-Acto knives. When a designer has a project that needs a bleed or a die cut, the X-Acto knife is their weapon of choice. To the average person, a box of knives seems like overkill, even a bit diabolical. But to a designer, it's mana from ultra-sharp blade heaven. Just be sure they have plenty of Band-Aids and Neosporin available.

Helvetica: The Movie

It's a move about a font. Before you roll your eyes and mumble about designers being obsessed about fonts and color, it's a great movie about a font. The feature-length documentary examines the most prevalent font in the world. The film will not only delight designers, it's also surprisingly entertaining for non-designers. So prepare the popcorn and Whoppers and get comfy, the Helvetica DVD will be documentary fun for the whole family.

The Art of Color: The Subjective Experience and Objective Rationale of Color

This quintessential book on color theory was originally published in German. Thankfully we can get Johannes Itten's masterpiece on color and how it affects us in English. This hardcover edition of the book will open designer's eyes on the emotional impact of color and objective color principals with the help of color reproductions in the book. Designers will never look at color the same way again after reading this book, and that's a good thing.

Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph

Illustration programs with their fancy stroke weight options have all but made the Rapidograph a quaint reminder of days gone by. That doesn't mean that designers don't still crave the ability to create precise lines with these technical pens. These stainless steel-nibbed beauties are forged in the mines of Mordor. Okay, they're not forged in the mythical land of Mordor, but their craftsmanship is exquisite. If you know a designer that still goes old school with their art and is tired of the not-quite-black and messy quality of the typical Sharpie, give them a Rapidograph set.

LaCie blue eye pro

Monitor calibration is critical for designers working with photographs and photographers. It can mean the difference between a glorious sunset and a muddy mess of orange and red. The LaCie blue eye pro calibration solution creates a hardware-to-software solution that is compatible with Apple's ColorSync software and all the major design applications. The kit comes with the colorimeter and a sweet ambient light diffuser/protective shell. It's like having a tent over your monitor. If the designer in your life is serious about color calibration, check out the blue eye pro.

10 Essential Gamer Gifts that Promote Fragging

Florence Ion — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:48:28 -0600

Calling all gamers! Whether you’re a die-hard Mac addict, have a separate Windows PC for all of your hardcore first person shooting, or prefer owning any or all of the three major consoles out on the market today, we’ve got something for the gamer on your list.

Razer Naga

The Razer Naga is a mouse made specifically for Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming and comes equipped with a variety of features to make raiding in your favorite MMO title less of a hassle. The multi-button thumb grid allows you to program it either as the number pad or the numbers at the top of the keyboard, making every command in the game available with just a thumb click. The Naga also comes with add-ons for World of Warcraft and Warhammer—both of which are readily available on the Mac platform.   

3M MPro 120

The MPro 120 pocket projector from 3M uses an advanced liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) electronic imager and touts super enhanced image quality with full color. The long battery life and VGA output will ensure that this projector is fueled and ready to go right “out-of-the-box” so you can play your Wii anywhere there’s a blank wall.

RPG Table

They never said that table top gamers weren’t Mac users, right? The RPG Table 1.1 application for Mac OS X allows you to map out your own campaigns, create minis, chart the corridors that your characters will explore and keep track of the score for each round. You can even add notes to each object on your map and refer to it when you and your game partners come at a crossroads.

Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game

Last night on Earth is a full featured board game will teach you and your friends how to master the skills of survival during a zombie horde takeover. This fast-paced game of, well, luck with throwing dice pits you and your friends against each other as you battle against the race for survival. Pit up to two teams of zombies against four other different characters, each complete with their own background profile and custom game piece. The game seats 2-6 players and takes up roughly 90 minutes of game night.

Microsoft's Xbox Game Controller

No other game company has been able to compete with Microsoft’s own timeless and universal Xbox game controller. This USB connected peripheral has vibration feedback, a flexible cord and is ergonomic. For Mac users who want to play a fast paced first person shooter on their new Mac Pro or iMac, download Carvware.

Steelseries 5L Mousepad

The Steelseries 5L mousepad is made out of plastic, though the surface feels as soft as cloth. It’s suitable for all sorts of mouse sensitivities, though it’s especially optimized for laser mice. Even if you’re not a gamer you’ll feel the difference with Apple’s standard Mighty Mouse.

Logitech G35

The Logitech G35 comes equipped with 7.1 surround sound, which will make even the easiest puzzle game sound extremely detailed, especially because it’s powered by Dolby. It also comes with three interchangeable headband cushions so that every head in your household enjoys the comfort of the G35’s surround sound. Additionally, there are also on-ear audio controls and three customizable “G-keys” for one-touch commands. And, if you’ve got a tendency to really get into character, the G35 also allows you to morph your voice into a Troll, Mutant, Alien, Giant, Cyborg or Space Squirrel—whatever that is.  

Pop Cap's Mac Pack

With big releases like Peggle, Zuma and Plants vs. Zombies, it’s no wonder that Pop Cap has become a household name. Now, the popular casual gaming company has released its own “Mac Pack”, featuring the following titles: Bejeweled 2, Bookworm, Feeding Frenzy, Iggle Pop and Zuma. This MacPack costs about $50, so you get five games for 50% off.

Logitech Harmony 900

You probably never thought that an ergonomic universal remote actually existed. The Harmony 900 comes with a full-color touch screen with easy, one-touch access to any and all of your electronic entertainment, and RF wireless capability. So, why bother having a ton of remotes to deal with when you can just have one? The Harmony 900 will replace any and all remote controls, and for the gamer on your list, this is the perfect way for him to sync up all of his consoles.

Darth Vader Wii Sensor

  For all that it does, the Wii sensor bar doesn’t get much love these days. Instead of leaving it on top of the television to collect dust, why not outfit it with Darth Vader’s lightsaber? LucasFilm has released an officially licensed Darth Vader Wii Sensor Bar holder figure that snuggly holds on to your Wii sensor bar without compromising performance.

     

Check Out Our New Techmart!

Florence Ion — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:18:07 -0600

Hey, guys! We just wanted to take a quick second to introduce you, our loyal readers, to the brand new Future US techmart. Our new online store features all the recent Mac|Life specials, as well as our most recent book release, 100 Apps You Can’t Live Without. The best part is that you can have all of this delivered right to your door, just like our magazines! Check it out.

Riverturn’s Take On Apple’s New Review Process

J.R. Bookwalter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:26:40 -0600

Much has been written in the last week regarding Apple’s recent changes to the App Store’s review process. To summarize, developers can now see various status updates as their apps are waiting to be approved, rather than simply going from “In Review” to “Approved.”

Most developers have reacted to Apple’s new review process with a mostly positive slant — after all, any news is good news when it comes to the App Store, right? Maybe not, says VoiceCentral developer Riverturn.

You may recall the uproar that erupted this past summer when Apple yanked several Google Voice apps from the store (and rejected Google’s own version). Riverturn’s VoiceCentral was one of them, and despite their best efforts, they never received word that the app was removed without notice, or a meaningful explanation of why.

“Adding a status that is in reality no different then the already popular ‘In Review’ is like saying ‘In the Oven’ versus ‘Baking’,” Riverturn points out. Seemingly dismissing the move as “nice marketing by the masters of the art,” Riverturn then lays out an imaginary timeline for how VoiceCentral might have fared under the new review process, but the end result remains the same.

Adding insult to injury, apparently the new status updates aren’t even available to all developers, Riverturn being one of the unlucky. “I sincerely doubt we will see this feature turned on for our account anytime soon,” they conclude. “Our issues aside, it is nice to see Apple attempt to add transparency, it’s only too bad this attempt is, well, um… transparent.”

Google Says Don’t Quit Microsoft Office Yet

J.R. Bookwalter — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:55:03 -0600

Don’t put all of your eggs in the cloud’s ample basket — or in this case, Google Docs — right now. At least that’s the opinion of Dave Girouard, president of Google’s enterprise division, who recently warned that their cloud-based Google Docs is not ready to fully dethrone Microsoft Office.

In an interview with ZDNet Asia, the exec confesses that Docs is “much less mature” than other Google web apps such as Gmail or Calendar. “We wouldn’t ask people to get rid of Microsoft Office and use Google Docs because it is not mature yet,” Girouard explains. “We know it.” As one of Google’s four presidents, his message carries a lot of weight behind it.

But that caution is only temporary. In the next year, Google expects somewhere between 30 and 50 updates to Google Docs, making the feature set more robust and improving performance at the same time. After that, Girouard says, Google Docs should be powerful enough to handle the “vast majority’s needs.”

Girouard is quick to point out that Microsoft Office is “an overkill tool for most people” — a quote that Computerworld seems to interpret that even with a souped-up Docs, it won’t be a feature-for-feature competitor for Office.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is forging ahead with its own web-based version of Office in an effort to thwart Google Docs’ momentum. Time will tell if word processing and number crunching in the cloud will take off, but in any event there should be some good competition vying for your attention in the next year.

Microsoft Publicly Slaps Employee’s Hand For “Mac Look & Feel” Comment

J.R. Bookwalter — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:07:42 -0600

When it comes to Microsoft, it pays to be careful what you say in public. That’s what Simon Aldous found out the hard way recently when he proclaimed that Windows 7 “borrowed” a little bit of the Mac mojo during a recent reseller’s conference.

Aldous infamously gave credit to Apple for having a desirable operating system (according to a Microsoft study), going so far as to claim that Windows 7 wanted to “create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics.”

Needless to say, tech blogs had a field day with that quote — that is, until PCR Online, the computer and software reseller publication who first printed it, was found to have presumably gotten the story a tad bit wrong with regards to Aldous’ stature within the company.

Aldous was painted as being a Microsoft executive in his role of marketing manager for the Worldwide Partner Group. It didn’t take long for Brandon LeBlanc, a chief Microsoft online evangelist, to set the record straight: “Unfortunately this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7. I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed.”

BetaNews.com went so far as to cite Windows 7’s “revised taskbar” as proof of the Mac inspiration, which compares favorably to the Finder’s Dock. They make it clear, however, that no one at Microsoft felt the same way when the feature was introduced at last year, despite audience questions to the contrary.

Of course, it’s not the first time that Windows has been accused of emulating the Mac, but it may be the last coming from anyone up in Redmond, if Microsoft has anything to say about it.

DonorsChoose '09, Week 5 Update!

Susie Ochs — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:32:13 -0500

So like I told you in the Week 4 Update post, HP decided to chip in big-time in this year's DonorsChoose Social Media Challenge. They wound up giving even more than their original pledge of $200,000, I believe in the neighborhood of $250,000. Yeah, a nice chunk of change. A whole ocean's worth of clams. More dough than a Wonderbread factory. You get the idea.

And our share of that HP money, based on our own donations, came to (drum roll!!!), $1,821. That money has been added to our Giving Page's total, which is one reason that total is so very awe-inducing. The other reason, being, of course that YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME.

But the HP money hasn't actually been distributed to the projects yet. That's where you come in. At some point, people who donated to our Giving Page will receive electronic DonorsChoose gift cards in their email. The cards can be used on ANY project at DonorsChoose.org. (I'm not positive if everyone who donated at any point in the month will get a gift card, or only people who donated before HP's cutoff of Sunday October 25. I'll try to find out.)

Those gift cards might not land in your inboxes until after the Social Media Challenge ends, which happens this Saturday, Oct 31, at midnight. But if anyone would like to donate to a project on our Giving Page before the Challenge is over, and then you forward me your receipt (again, by Saturday at midnight West Coast Time), you'll be entered in the Week 5 drawing for a Brenthaven messenger bag -- all the details of that are in the regular Week 5 post.

I am so incredibly proud of our total so far. And grateful to everyone who's been so generous. And humbled by the profound effect our donations will have on the students and teachers who benefit from them. DonorsChoose simply rocks.

Oh, one more thing: If you need a little inspiration, or just a smile and a boost, head to our Giving Page and scroll down to the projects that have been fully funded. Click on one or five, and read the thank-you letters posted by the teachers. They are so heartfelt and heart-warming -- I think you might enjoy. I know I did.

Thank you to all.