So you own a Mac and you have a library of great PDFs.

Maybe you ran across the amazing Animation Meat and didn't have to time to fully read the hundreds of mind-expanding files. Or you saw my humble cartoon and animation library and wanted to get up to speed. But PDFs don't lend themselves well to reading. They are clunky to navigate between and a pain in the ass to organize.

Enter Yep. It is going to play the part of your new best friend or maybe just librarian. We could call it "iPhoto" for your documents, but that sort of insults Yep because it is hell of a lot more. Unlike iPhoto, it allows for clear tagging at instant speeds and it defaults with a convenient magnifying glass to review before you dive in. And it sinks with iDisk, so next time you are away from home you can easily access your best information. Yep's creators seem to want yep to be a receipt and business doc manager, and it completely could be, but I can't help but seeing something quite a bit more interesting inside.

One last note - did I mention it was free? Download the last free version of Yep at the link below (and thank the software Gods for such a beautiful piece of handywork). Yep is transitioning to pay software, but at only $35 they may get some of my cash very soon. Now to go scan in all of my favorite books...

DOWNLOAD YEP!

Remember my free website theme Tabletop (for Rapidweaver)?

Well even though I swore a blood oath to never update it, apparently I'm terrible at blood oaths. A few quick fixes and it is a much better theme. So download Tabletop, tell your friends, and enjoy the rapid love...and many kind thanks to those folks who took the time to write me with their thoughts and suggestions. Hope this works better then before!

There are two known issues which may or may not be related. First, some people get an incompatibility error. I've tested this on 3.5 betas and above and it displays fine. No clue why this error occurs. Second, it does seem to crash Rapidweaver more often then normal. I wish I knew why, but as long as you save often you should be all good. What can I say, beauty hurts. If fixes are found I will adjust the theme and release the improved edition.




-Josh

I'm releasing the free version of my custom RapidWeaver theme "Tabletop" today. This theme is almost exactly like my current site except it includes a single default header graphic. The no-cost download button can be seen below, but will also be located over in a shiny new place in the navigation bar called "goodies" in the coming days. (Quite a bit more heading here once I get a chance to fully update the place.)

Included in the Zip file is the PhotoShop header image, which will allow you to easily create a graphic that suits your needs. Two quick notes on the theme:

1) It isn't perfect. Play around and enjoy but I will probably not have time to update it down the line.

2) It is an image heavy theme and therefore takes a second longer to load. That is it!

Tabletop was made for everyone out there in the RapidWeaver land who works hard for the community. If you are an old CSS pro or just getting their first site, I think RapidWeaver is a solid app to have alongside as a Mac user. Frustrations aside, I haven't had this much fun maintaining a website in years. I hope you enjoy!




-Josh

Some days it helps to have anything to look forward to. MacZot helps me pass the time away by offering unique Mac applications at highly discounted rates. Yay for continued life!

What is even more fun then playing on the computer or spending money? Complaining! Watch their discussions for heated nerd on nerd arguments. Personally, I watch and swoop down to heckle other nerds. This tactic is known as the pocket condor.

Like FREE things? Have a Mac?

Go hang out at the coolest dork bar on the planet, OS X APPS.

Everyone comes to a point where they stare at their hard-drive space in amazement. Filled already? How does the time go so fast!

The truth is, with each new application a massive amount of superfluous information is included. Help information, tutorial files, and the translation for all of the components into many, many languages. The eternal question is: How do I keep the stuff I need while trashing these files I will never use?

The answer is four little applications below. Each one does a bang-up job of reducing application bloat and pushing back the inevitable upgrade:

1) AppZapper

Demo: 5-uses
Full Version: $12.95

Start by cleaning house of the old programs gathering dust. If you haven't used it in 6 months, it may be best to move on. AppZapper will not only remove the application, but it will also destroy any hidden files the program may have filed away into your computer.

AppZapper starts with a free trial of 5 test zaps. I'd recommend purchasing the full version for only $12.95 as it is an exceptional piece of software. Or if you're running low on cash, you can zap a few programs and then force quit AppZapper bringing your "free tries" back to 5.

2) WhatSize

Full Version: FREE

Next, determining where your computer is wasting hard-drive space is key. WhatSize will scan your drives and catalog their memory usage. You'll notice that certain areas of your computer may be taking up huge amounts of disk space. This is the most manual of the applications because it asks you to root through and eliminate the items you don't need. The below are some quick tips to get you started:

- Search the Library. Help resources and printer drivers take up huge amounts of room. If you know that a new printer is far off, delete all of the drivers you don't need. If anything should change you can simply swing by the company's website to re-install.

- Remove the extras. I'm a Photoshop user for over 10 years, but most of the installation items are not needed. Removing their stock photography application and sample files saved lots of space.

- When in doubt, don't erase! It should be clear what is not needed. If it isn't it to you then it may be best to leave that file and move on.

3) Monolingual

Full Version: FREE

The next two applications do all the work themselves, so no more rooting through folders!

Monolingual may have one of the worst logos ever (because everyone is enthralled by seeing their country's flag in the trash) but it a handy cleaning tool. Like the name implies, Monolingual will remove all other languages then those you specify. It will pull them from OS X as well as all other applications.

ONE GIANT NOTE: Monolingual defaults do not include United States English. If this is your preferred language then be sure to view the preferences to double-check the ideal set-up for you. If you move ahead and remove these fonts without checking your preferred language they will be removed for good, and an entire system install would be needed. Not to mention the reinstall of non-standard applications. In other words: Check your preferences!

4) Youpi Optimizer

Full Version: FREE

Youpi Optimizer does the exact same thing Monolingual does, but both seem to miss files individually. By running them both you can be sure your Mac is optimized to your preferred language.

GIANT NOTE NUMBER TWO: Youpi Optimizer defaults do not include United States English. If this is your preferred language then be sure to view the preferences to double-check the ideal set-up for you. If you move ahead and remove these fonts without checking your preferred language they will be removed for good, and an entire system install would be needed. Not to mention the reinstall of non-standard applications. In other words: Check your preferences!

I hope you've enjoyed this mini-guide. Using this method I saved over 10 Gigs!

Best,
Josh

While the recent surge of users to the Macintosh computer scene is surprising, I'm very happy to see it happen. As a Mac user for over 10 years my once obscure interest has taken a pop-culture turn of massive proportions. OS X is most simply the most user friendly and functional operating system on the planet, not to mention that it is also gorgeous.

But even the best has room for improvement. With the inclusion of Widgets into Tiger (tiny little gadgets that have very specified functions) it was possible to create system add-ons that blended perfectly into the background. Quite a few of these widgets are fun diversions but quickly lose appeal. There are a few widgets that once added to your dashboard, will quickly become your little best-friends:

SnatchEm - FREE

Need to download a batch of images or PDFs and don't feel the need to awkwardly create an Automator action? Meet SnatchEm, an auto-downloading tool that pulls the specified file group (images/documents) or even file type (jpg, PDF, Doc) you need right to your desktop. Amazing tool that is routinely handy.

iClip $19.95

Or iClip lite 2 - FREE

Have you ever had a scrap of useful information but it wasn't important enough to warrant its own document? Well now, with iClip, you can store these important bits and recall them at your own pace. And small notes or URLs are just the beginning, iClip can store sounds, movies, practically anything you'd need!

It allows you to have a consistent storage system for items so that you can keep moving forward now, and easily reference them again when you have free time.

Screenshot Plus - FREE

Screenshots are very helpful to have, but kind of a pain in the butt to create in OS X. Well no more! Screenshot Plus allows you to quickly choose whether to take a screen of a monitor, a specified area, or even a timed shot. Finally you'll have a chance to preview before you save. An excellently useful widget.

Note: While trying to take a screenshot of the widget in action Screenshot Plus stopped working :P. An update on the developer's site proves that this indefinite loading bug is a common error when using OS 10.4.7. A previous edition (with only the loss of saving to the desktop) can be found HERE until the issue is remedied.

Basecamp Widget - FREE

Or Backpack Widget - FREE

If you are enjoying 37signals Basecamp or Backpack group productivity tools, then you'll be relieved to find these dashboard accessible versions. It is surprising how such a minor move to your dashboard can add so much to their usefulness!

Pandora Widget - FREE

Pandora is the developer of the Music Genome Project (aka. they analyze music with precise accuracy). Utilizing this information they created the Pandora music player. It functions almost exactly like a personal radio station except that you have full control over all aspects but don't need to micro-manage it as well. It plays full songs of music you will like based on your preferred artists.

The website is a nice diversion, but the practicality of keeping a browser window open for radio has never made sense to me. The Pandora Widget changes this completely by allowing the full functionality from Dashboard. It even imports your Safari cookies allowing for seamless integration of your music preferences!

While the Amazon ads included are a minor (okay major) issue, and the size is unruly, and the UI is buggy, but the benefits outweigh the negatives by far. Oh, and if you find any music you enjoy you might want to try this: G2P

Cyberduck Widget - FREE

A few years back I moved away from the grey skies of transmit, to the perky Super Mario-esque hills of Cyberduck. Cyberduck is the best FTP program on the Mac due to its simplicity and stability all for free. This widget makes Cyberduck twice as useful by allowing you to simply drop your file into the widget without launching the program. My love for the duck is unnatural.

iRate - FREE

Rate your iTunes music to faster and in a shiny golden hue.

iStat Pro - FREE

Say goodbye Activity Monitor. This baby condenses all of the useful stat loving geeky-ness into one rounded corner block.

Watchmouse Widget - FREE

This is one I don't entirely understand why it is free, but I'm happy to add it to the list. Watchmouse is a web site monitoring company specializing in uptime service. When your site goes down they let you. Their lowest package is $35.99, or you could get the free widget with nearly identical options. It will check at your chosen time intervals and even warn you if your server hits the fan.

Package Tracker - FREE

No more navigating to the same sites over and over. The package tracker saves sanity as well as well as time and is a great addition to your widget arsenal.


And the hidden 11th bonus widget:

Stop Dashboard - FREE

Dashboard is great but having many little applications in the background can degrade your system. With Stop Dashboard you can pause them for later use and a boost in your system performance in a jam. Hit F12 and your widgets come back online.


In the end, the widget push in OS X Tiger was more of a glimpse at the potential in store for Leopard. A few of the widgets listed here should be easy to create by users such as you and me. But until Leopard hits I'm happy to take a look at the best Tiger had to offer and dream for the future. Many thanks to the talented developers for releasing these exciting applications for free!

- Josh