coffee shop

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jun 19 2010

G-DRIVE mobile FireWire

G DRIVE mobile with MacBook Pro 300x197 G DRIVE mobile FireWire

At first look, the G-DRIVE mobile FireWire G DRIVE mobile FireWire1 will remind you of Apple’s MacBook Pro and though it’s not milled out of a single slab of aluminum, it is clearly cut from the same design cloth as the revolutionary notebook. It’s got the same matte finish on the sides and bottom, a shiny black top surface reminiscent of the MacBook Pro’s screen—even the activity light matches.

By the numbers, the G-DRIVE mobile is a light (9 ounces), portable 250GB or 500GB drive that spins at 5400RPM and transfers data over FireWire 800 or USB 2.0. G-Technology includes a FW800-to-FW400 cable for those of us who still makes use of some of Apple’s older tech. Best of all for this coffee shop hopping blogger, the drive is bus powered. That’s right—no frikkin’ brick. Yes, that means it will drain your MacBook Pro’s battery while it’s attached but, hey, you don’t need to leave it attached all the time and I bet you perpetually keep your notebook tethered to the wall with AC power anyway.2

Down to the cost and quality, the G-DRIVE mobile, like all drives I’ve ever had from G-Technology, is top tier and as such is a little bit more expensive than the run-of-the-mill portable FireWire drive. But at USD$149.99 with a 3-Year warranty, I think you’re getting incredible value and dependability. This is a sweet little drive and belongs in your laptop case.

  1. buying through this Amazon Affiliate will probably save you some money and it will definitely help keep this site going. Thanks ~RY [↩]
  2. I gotta say, this is a practice I don’t quite get: you laptop wants to be free. Plug it in to charge it, not to use it…not when you’re out. That’s my rant. [↩]

By RickMacMerc • Featured, gadgets, News, review(s), Reviews • 5 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mar 24 2007

Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod Shuffle (2G)

432093999 f912d4afc6 m Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod Shuffle (2G)When I got the press release for the Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod Shuffle (2G) and saw the pictures, it actually tempted me to get an iPod shuffle. I previously owned the 1G iPod shuffle and was less than thrilled with it, but when the folks at Dr. Bott sent me a Travel Dock to review, I could no longer resist the 2G iPod shuffle’s siren song. Consulting with my friends on Twitter for the best color, I went out and bought an orange iPod shuffle to write this review.

432090901 763f896466 m Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod Shuffle (2G)The Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod Shuffle takes the dock Apple packages with the shuffle, does away with the 40″ cord and hides a nifty little blue “power on” LED in the device.

The USB Travel Dock designed for traveling and that is just what it is best at. The standard dock is meant to sit on your desk and wait for you to attach your iPod shuffle to it to charge and synchronize with iTunes–it’s a desk accessory. This device fits nicely in your briefcase or backpack and, when attached to your shuffle, transforms it into a 1GB thumb drive that you can plug into the USB port on your laptop while you leech bandwidth at your local coffee shop without scattering a cable on the table.

432093945 c921c7dcd8 m Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod Shuffle (2G)It’s simple and slick. Reviews for products like this boil down to “does it do what it is supposed to?” and “do you like what it does?” Well, I have to say that the Marware USB Travel Dock comes through on both accounts. The Marware USB Travel Dock for iPod shuffle sells for USD$19.95 from Dr. Bott.

By admin • Reviews • Comments Off • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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