iPhone Remote App Upgraded

The iPhone has displaced many items in my home. I no longer have an Alarm Clock, Compass, StopWatch, iPod, Camera, Voice Recorder, Maps, GPS, etc. I could go on for pages about the functionality of the device. That’s kind of the point of the app store right?

Well now the iPhone is encroaching on the remote control market. This particular app solves a host of input related issues with AppleTV. Still feel a MacMini running Plex is the way to go but AppleTV is perfect for RSS style video consumption.

1Password: Password Management Zen

Why any self respecting Mac-user wouldn’t already have 1PassWord installed is beyond me but if you must ‘see it to believe it’, check out the 5 minute video from Macworld’s Dan Frakes.

1Password is so good, social media experts will begin offering classes, webinars, & e-books about it within a year. I’m certain of it.

1Password rocks. Trust me. It rocks.

About-Face Book

Not Happy With Your Facebook Username? You Can Now Change It

Despite warnings that there was no undo when selecting a username on FaceBook, the ever-shifty web site has abandoned its earlier edict and is now allowing anybody with a sense of humor to go back and ‘fix’ their previous registration.

Warning, FaceBook says you only have one more chance. They mean it. Only one more chance.

Realistically FaceBook is probably just trying to scare you into taking a name that’s a little less absurd than “rickroll” or “jackbauercouldwhoopchucknorris”

eBay: Selling junk is getting harder

eBay is completely useless…

via Waxy.org

eBay’s days are numbered (at least one can hope).

I’ve been selling small items on the auction site for years. Besides the obvious benefit of a few extra $$’s in your pocket, eBay was a great way to get rid of excess stuff in an ‘environmentally friendly’ manner. Earth wins, you win, & eBay wins.

But now, fraudsters are seemingly rampant on eBay. Anecdotal stories of fraud & mischief are becoming more frequent & eBay’s law-abiding citizens are suffering.

I too, have experienced the ‘unethical buyer’ in a recent auction. Now is the time for a new player in the auction space to emerge with a model that enables fair, balanced auctions, despite any efforts of a miscreant minority.

I’ve 130+ auctions completed on eBay & I’d move all future ‘garage sales’ in a heartbeat if a better mousetrap emerged.

Essential JailBreak Application List

I wanted to keep a record in EverNote about my basic jailbreak install so that the next time I screwed up the phone and had to restore**, I could pull up my list and reinstall the apps I wanted again. Cydia allows for search and this is often the fastest way to get favorite components back on the phone. However, as I thought more about the list, I realized it would be more useful to share here in the hopes that others could use it as a guide and add their own discoveries. Frankly, there still aren’t many people willing to hack their phones. Perhaps seeing the usefulness of stretching the capabilities via this list will get some folks over the ‘fear factor’.

Remember, if you have a solid backup of the phone, you can’t hurt anything by trying. You can always go back to iTunes and restore the phone to the way it was prior to JailBreak.

**Things I’ve learned: Beware of Stacks 2.1, Don’t take the Phone app out of the home dock if you are running Categories, Don’t run Categories (too much hassle, creates instability)**

Apps and UI tweaks available after jailbreak of 3GS.

Essential Upgrades

• WinterBoard, SBSettings – Both of these applications should be the first apps installed after jailbreak (after Cydia recommended upgrades). Without getting into geektails, Winterboard allows you to ‘theme’ the phone. SBSettings allows you to control many of the basic functions of the phone without having to go digging thru the Settings app. Turning bluetooth, wifi, 3G on & off is much easier and quite addictive w/SBS.

Applications

• Qik – Video stream application, somewhat muted by the new OS 3.0 release that includes video for some iPhones (3Gs). Qik enables video for earlier iPhones.
• MxTube – Download YouTube videos straight to the device.
• QTweeter – Post to Twitter & Facebook from any application with one touch. Really cool little application.
• MIVTones for 3.0 – This allows you to set up Video RingTones for pre-assigned contacts. Good way to Rick-Roll people without them knowing….
• iBlackList – Creates a whitelist/blacklist so you can filter calls, SMS from groups or specific contacts
• ScreenSplitter – Allows you to post iPhone video right to computer screen. Screencasts?
• Offline Maps – For those times when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico….Offline Maps
• Moon Phase – Figure out whats up with the moon. Wax on?

Functionality Enhancements

• SpotBright: Add two functions to Spotlight ala famous QuickGold app that ran on 2.2 & earlier jailbreaks. Adds mobile spotlight access to hidden apps & memorizes last 5 apps launched for quick access. Very handy tweak.
• VolumeBoost: Upgrades volume of iPhone to max levels available.
• Emoji: Unlocks Emoji icons from Japanese Keyboard
• AppFlow: A really nice coverflow browser. I’m using this on my homepage as another launcher. Erica Sadun made this about a year ago. I think there is another project now that incorporates this technology. Haven’t investigated yet.
• Klear Weather: Presents a skin over the weather icon that pushes current weather information. Adds ability to publish temp to status bar.
• SnapTunes, SnapCameraRoll: Allows for secondary camera rolls & syncing w/two iTunes libraries.

Visual enhancements

• Sphere Battery, Blue Calc, Blue Tap, Glossy Dialer, BlueBox Cydia
• Paradox, Stormy Black, Modern Simple: These are SBSettings themes that allow you to change the look and feel of SBS.
• Reflective Dock, Fifth Column, Five Icon Dock: Jazz up your home screen & fit up to 25 icons per page.

Untested Downloads

• ABGrouper: Allows for group creation, deletion, management in the Contacts application.
• iConference: Conference calling functionality. Requires sign-up w/3rd party.

MacUpdate Holiday Software Bundle for the Mac

A tremendous software bundle for the Mac has been released just in time for the holidays. Bundles are my preferred method of acquiring new software. The advantage is that you get many applications for a fraction of their regular price.

Some of my favorite and most frequently used applications have been packaged in software bundles. Surprisingly, applications that I never would have purchased on my own have become vital to my workflow and enabled me to do things with my computer I never thought possible.

For $49 you get full licenses to $500+ worth of software. Act quickly and you get iDive included (1st 5000).

• Drive Genius ($99): The price of the bundle is worth it for just this application. Currently the highest-rated disk utility on the market and used by Mac Geniuses at Apple Stores, Drive Genius diagnoses and repairs problems with your hard drive, optimizes your system, and much more. Drive Genius is an essential investment to keep your Mac HD humming along.
• Default Folder X ($34.95): Open & Save dialog boxes at lightning speed. 4.5/5 rating from Macworld, 5/5 rating from MacUser UK, and numerous other awards. Huge fan base.
• RapidWeaver ($79): An application to build websites easily.
• VirusBarrier X ($69.95): MacWorld gives this 4.5 stars. Timely since Apple just announced that Mac users should install virus protection for the first time.
• LittleSnitch ($29.95): Monitors your network connection to make sure your Mac only sends out what you want it to.
• MacGourmet Deluxe ($44.95): Recipe and Wine Management for Mac OS X.
• 4 Utilities (KeyCue $27, MacPilot $19.95, WhatSize $12.99, iVolume $29.95): I’m most excited about KeyCue which purports to offer an easy way to find and learn all the keyboard shortcuts an application offers. Any utility to help me get faster with keyboard shortcuts is appealing.

I don’t like to advertise on this blog. However, since this is a limited time offer and I’m such a huge believer in the tremendous value of bundled software, I’m breaking the rules. Click on the ad in the top of the right sidebar to learn more about the bundle or to purchase.