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Do You Play Favorites? Enter this Month's Contest!

The Mac|Life Staff — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:32:41 -0500

Can't Live Without It Challenge!

We're fascinated by Mac software (obviously), in particular the must-have utilities and lesser-known apps that people can't live without. Which got us thinking. What are your favorite apps? Put another way, if you could only install 10 go-to apps on a new Mac, what would they be? Send us your list of your favorites, along with a brief description of what you use them for. We'll choose the most interesting and eclectic collection, and the winner will receive some cool prizes from Just Mobile.

Win This!

Cooling Bar ($39.99) and an XTand Pro ($79.95; just-mobile.com)

Include your full name, email and mailing addresses, and phone number with your entry. Send your list of 10 apps, and a brief description of what you do with them to contest@maclife.com with the subject line "Can't Live Without It Challenge." Deadline for entry: October 31, 2009. Contest results will appear in the Jan/10 issue.

Mac|Life "Do You Play Favorites" Contest rules: The judges will be Mac|Life editors and will base their decision on 33 percent originality, 33 percent creativity, and 33 percent execution. All entries must be received no later than October 31, 2009, with the winner announced around Jan/10 issue. By entering this contest, you agree that Future US, Inc. may use your name, likeness, and website for promotional purposes without further payment. Employees of Sponsor, its respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and agents, and foregoing employees¹ household or immediate family members (defined as parent, spouse, child, sibling, or grandparent) are NOT eligible to enter Contest. All prizes will be awarded, and no minimum number of entries is required. If two or more people enter identical designs and that entry is selected as the winner, the entry received first will be awarded the contest prize. Prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians. Future US, Inc. is not responsible for damages or expenses the winners might incur as a result of this contest or the receipt of a prize, and winners are responsible for income taxes based on the value of the prize received. A list of winners may also be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope toFuture US, Inc. c/o Mac|Life Contest, 4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080. This contest is limited to residents of the United States. No purchase necessary; void in Arizona, Maryland, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and where prohibited by law.

Just Mobile Cooling Bar

Leslie Ayers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:24:14 -0500

Just Mobile’s Cooling Bar addresses two of the MacBook Pro’s problem areas--its tendency to get very hot and the less-than-ideal ergonomics of its built-in keyboard. A hefty metal rod with a flat edge on the bottom and nonslip rings on both sides, the Cooling Bar rests under the back edge of your MacBook on a flat work surface. The bar does not physically attach to the ’Book, relying on the nonslip strip on its flat bottom to keep your laptop from rolling backward as you type and use the touchpad. It’s a well-thought-out design--though it would probably be more stable if the flat part of the bar was a few millimeters wider. A slot on one end of the bar is meant for the ’Book’s power cord--a nice touch. All would be perfect if the cord slot was a smidge deeper, however.

The Cooling Bar lets air in under the back of your 'Book while simultaneously lifting it up, so the keyboard reaches a more comfortable typing position.

At 8.8 ounces, the bar is too chunky to carry everywhere, but its heft does help keep it from sliding around on your desk.

Just Mobile Xtand Pro

Florence Ion — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:44:17 -0500

For portability, the MacBook is king. But unfortunately, our kitchen tables, desks, and the myriad other places we use our ’Books are often not ergonomically sound. And watching a movie on a laptop at table-height leaves much to be desired. Just Mobile’s Xtand Pro aims to solve both of these problems. Not only does the aluminum frame match the 13-inch MacBook’s smooth finish, but the stand also makes watching a movie or banging out some serious word-processing a much more comfortable endeavor.

Ergonomically correct—and it looks cool too.

The stand comes with two different aluminum columns that allow you to adjust between two heights. The MacBook rests on an “X” frame, so the bottom remains open to allow for proper air circulation underneath. And since the laptop is propped up, when the fan turns on, the MacBook is less likely to vibrate against the surface beneath it. The base of the Xtand Pro features nonslip rubber pads to prevent the laptop from sliding around as you’re working.

For both typing and watching video, we preferred the higher option, but it’s an individual preference, of course—and we appreciated the flexibility. As an added bonus, the Xtand Pro can also help clear up desk space by allowing you to store notebooks, papers, and books underneath your laptop, without anything interfering with your typing space. We also liked that the Xtand Pro worked without having to remove the hard case we use on our trusty MacBook.

Assembling the stand was a little tricky, and the Ikea-style assembly diagrams weren’t as helpful as we would have liked. Still, once you get the hang of it, swapping out the adjustable-height bars is a simple procedure.

Just Mobile Gum

Ray Aguilera — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:35:00 -0500

Heavy iPhone users know they often need to call for (battery) backup.

The daily recharge is a scenario familiar to iPhone users. Most days, we’re not far from the trusty USB ports on our Mac or a plugged-in USB AC adapter, so the need for constant recharges isn’t too much of a problem. But every now and then, we’re out and about all day, which makes juicing up our phone more problematic. Especially since it’s those days when our iPhone usage tends to be heaviest: sending and receiving lots of email, taking pictures, and killing time between meetings by watching video. For recharging while on the road, Just Mobile’s Gum battery pack is a small, lightweight, and-easy-to-use charger that can double your iPhone’s battery life, and also works for your iPods and other USB-charging accessories.

The Gum comes in at a svelte 2.5 ounces, making it perfect for adding to a laptop bag--or just slip it in your pocket. And since it’s about the size of, well, a large-ish pack of gum, there really isn’t anywhere the Gum can’t go. It charges via an included USB to mini-USB cable and adapter, and three LED lights offer an indication of how much charge remains in the Gum’s battery. The four-step scale (three, two, one, or no LEDs lit) isn’t a crucial feature, but it did come in handy for quick checks of our remaining juice. We were able to fully charge the Gum via our Mac’s USB port in a couple of hours--optional AC and car adapters are available from Just Mobile.

In our tests, the Gum was able to charge our iPhone almost twice, in keeping with the specs of its 2200 mAh battery. While the design of the Gum required us to also carry around a charging cable--unlike other battery packs with a built-in dock connector--the added flexibility of being able to use the Gum to charge other devices was an acceptable trade-off. And though we used it most for our power-hungry iPhone, the Gum works just as well for iPods, Bluetooth headsets, rechargeable speakers, or whatever else uses the 5V USB charging spec. The only thing we didn’t like was the on/off switch, which must be flipped when charging a device with the Gum.