apps

Aug 20 2010

Xtand and LogMeIn Ignition

I give credit to my buddy Brent Flink ( @indivisual ) for showing me LogMeIn and it’s super cool (and somewhat overpriced at $29.99 US) iPhone/iPad app LogMeIn Ignition.

LogMeIn is a web-based VNC service that allows you to install its free software on your Mac (or PC) and not only access, but control that computer from a supported web browser. Unfortunately, though Mobile Safari on the iPad and iPhone is one of those supported browsers, when you try to control the cursor within LogMeIn’s web-based VNC, you only end up controlling the view of the screen in the browser.

So, in order to control your Mac at home from your iPad in a coffee shop, you first need to have signed up for a FREE LogMeIn account, installed and activated the software on your Mac. Then you can share your Mac through LogMeIn. Now, when you launch LogMeIn Ignition on your iPad or iPhone, you can control your home computer from the road.

My favorite thing I’ve done with LogMeIn is use it to help me send files to clients that I couldn’t keep with me on my iPhone or iPad. While controlling my home Mac, I save the file to my Dropbox folder. This sets Dropbox to work making that file available to me online via the FREE Dropbox App on my iPad or iPhone. I still don’t actually have the file on those devices, but I can get a link to where it has been stored online by Dropbox that I can paste in an email on my iPhone and send it to my client. Problem solved.

No Flash? No problem—click here!»

My little joke at the start of the video below made use of a very cool iPhone stand called the Xtand.1 It’s a nice iMac-like stand that will hold the iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4. It sells for about $39.99 US2

As I mentioned at the end of the video, there is another service called TeamViewer that offers many of the same features of LogMeIn but offers FREE lite versions of its apps for iPhone and iPad …though its full-featured apps sell for $99.99 US for the iPhone version and $139.99 US for the iPad version. Suddenly, $29.99 US doesn’t seem so bad to me.

  1. I’m actually not sure if I’m supposed to pronounce it “EKS-tand” or “ztand”…clearly I chose “EKS-tand” [↩]
  2. the one I used in the video is available for $35.99 CDN if you can get to MacStation in Abbotsford before they sell it icon biggrin Xtand and LogMeIn Ignition [↩]

By RickMacMerc • apps, Featured, gadgets, iPad, iPhone, MacMerc.TV, Mini Video, News • 3 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug 18 2010

BlindType offers more coherent drunk texting

As demonstrated in this video, BlindType is some sort of keyboard replacement for the iPad, iPhone and presumably the iPod touch (neither are actually available at the moment but we are told to follow @BlindType on Twitter for updates) that allows flawless gibberish interpretation even when every character is wrong. It can apparently even deduce what you where trying to type even if you miss the keyboard entirely as long as you remain consistent in how far off you are and stick to the proper key layout. They call this adjusting to your “perceived keyboard” and it is some form of black magic.

I can imagine this technology coming in handy for those who might like to drunk text their ex-girlfriends. Finally those unintelligible keystrokes will be properly interpreted!

I’m skeptical that BlindType can really be as good as this video suggests. I’m also curious to see if the folks creating this technology have an equally slick solution for getting my BlindTyped text into the apps that I use every day.

What do you think of this witchcraft? Leave a comment below!

By RickMacMerc • apps, iPhone, productivity • Comments Off • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug 16 2010

DJay from Algoriddim

DJay from Algoriddim is very cool DJ software for your Mac. It sells for $49.99 US and has an iPhone App that allows you to control it remotely over wifi for $4.99 US (djay Remote – algoriddim).

The app itself features iTunes integration (it will grab you iTunes Library and playlist—any of the music you have can then be analyzed for its tempo for easy matching), Automixing 1 (DJay will grab song after song out of your iTunes playlists and mix them while you get your dance on), Tempo Matching (put any two songs together and DJay will slow down or speed up to match the tempos), as well as Scratching, Mixing and Looping.

In the mini video below, I use my nonexistent DJ’ing skillz to mix the 2 versions of “Still Alive” off The Orange Box (Original Soundtrack) into a duet between GLaDOS and @JonathanCoulton. For those musically challenged folks like myself, I recommend songs that already match.

Today’s Mac Awesomeness selection comes from a tweet posted by @leohayden2 Be sure to check out the video below and leave a comment.

Djay for Mac and ITunes is awesome, but using your IPhone wirelessly to control it via the djay app is off the charts On 5:54 AM Aug 15th 2010 from Twitter for iPhone
No Flash? No problem—click here!»

  1. Note: Real DJ’ing is an art form performed by talented musicians. The true sound of a brilliant mix cannot be automated. [↩]
  2. he doesn’t even know I’ve given him a shout out like this, so if you see this and you know him, let him know for me, okay? [↩]

By RickMacMerc • apps, Featured, iPhone, MacMerc.TV, Mini Video, News, Pro Audio • 2 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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