use

Apr 27 2009

Free Text– Clipboard Management, Search Inside Files and More

Every once in a while, you find a free app that makes its way into day-to-day use. I think you’ll find one of today’s picks might be just such a pick.

JumpCut

This free app remembers your clipboard contents. With a configurable keystroke you can toggle through your recent clipped text and choose what you want to insert.

JumpCut is configurable, and accessible through a menu item. JumpCut does not record copied images. For that, check out PTHPasteboard – which comes in both free and shareware flavors.

Journler

This polished application manages your media clips and notes. It cleverly imports media from iLife apps and interacts with Mail and Addressbook. Smart folders take over organization and multiple export options make your data portable.

Its a pretty slick app, and version 2.5 will be the last free release. Did I mention iPod notes integration and the ability to record video clips right in the application.

SpotInside

File indexing has been part of the Mac OS for ages. SpotInside allows you to search inside text-based files (including Word, PDF and Pages) and provides an improved, straightforward interface for searching file contents.

The Source pane allows you to specify where to search. Supported destinations include smart folders and can be saved. SpotInside even saves a search history.

Brian

By admin • Articles, Freeloader Friday Download of the Week • Comments Off • Tags: AddressBook, clipboard contents, export options, flavors, free, ilife, jumpcut, Mail, Management, management search, search, smart folders, straightforward interface, text clipboard, Text-, use, while, word pdf

Apr 27 2009

The Elemental Road Warrior– Part II– Wind

Compatibility Legend

12″
G3 iBook
14″
G3 iBook
12″
G4 PowerBook
15″
G4 Titanium PowerBook
17″
G4 PowerBook

Last
week’s Road Warrior Wednesday was the start of a series in which we’ll examine
several products designed to protect your portable. You’ll remember that I categorized
the forces of nature as earth, wind, fire and water and last we took a look
at earth and products that help keep up your ‘Books’s appearance. This week
we’ll be looking at …

Wind: Wind is one of the few forces that doesn’t usually harm your portable.
Wind is good. Wind cools the hard drive and the processor and keeps everything
at a comfortable temperature …unless there is a lack of wind …a lack of
circulation. Then we can have a problem.

Here are a few suggestions for how to improve the flow of air around your ‘Book.

speedballs The Elemental Road Warrior Part II Wind

Speedballs
–
I have to admit, when I first saw these, I didn’t think much of them.
These semispherical shock cushion risers looked a little odd to me and
I didn’t give them the attention they deserved. Now that I’ve had the
opportunity to use them, I really like them. PostWorx.com manufactures
Speedballs in white, silver and gun metal gray and they snap on and off
using a strange Velcro-like product.

It is that system that I find to be the Speedballs’ biggest flaw. This
system is similar to the Bristle
Blocks you might have played with as a child with the difference that
Bristle Blocks only connected when correctly aligned. These bristles are
distributed randomly so, while some of the bristles align and lock, others
collide and get crushed. This happens each time the Speedballs are reattached.

One solution I’ve found is to stick the fuzzy half of a set of Velcro
dots to the underside of your ‘Book. The bristles on the Speedballs actually
cling quite well to Velcro.

+: Small, removable and effective. Great for tabletop use.
-: Attaches using and odd Bristle
Block-like, pseudo-Velcro
that takes a bit of damage every time the Speedballs are reattached.
Not as effective when using your ‘Book on your lap.

coolpad The Elemental Road Warrior Part II Wind

CoolPad
PodiumPad –
With the Speedballs we saw the creative use of Bristol Block technology
and now with the RoadTools CoolPad we see the wonders of Lego.

The CoolPad uses several cylindrical Lego-like pieces to attach to the
back of the swivel base and add the right amount of elevation for your
needs. Its greatest strength is that, because of its building block solution,
it requires the least amount of space in your backpack for greatest amount
of tilt on the table. You can’t go too far wrong with a CoolPad.

Available in black and white.

+: Adjustable and sturdy. Packs flat. Great for the desktop.
-: Not as convenient for use on ones lap.

traveler The Elemental Road Warrior Part II Wind

CoolPad
Traveler –
This is a more streamlined version of the CoolPad described above. It
does not have the building blocks to adjust the tilt and does not provide
nearly as much elevation as its less mobile cousin, but it is quite small
and the platform still swivels.

+: Built for traveling
-: Doesn’t offer as much elevation as other products. Too small
to offer stability under larger PowerBooks.

icepad The Elemental Road Warrior Part II Wind

IcePad
–
After looking at all the other products on this page the main thing that
strikes me about the IcePad, even when it is folded down, is this thing
is huge. But there is a purpose behind its enormity and, if these features
are of value to you, you may not grudge the space it takes up in your
tote.

The IcePad is a transformer: it’s a portable desktop with built in air
channels while also having the versitility to fold in half and become
a wedge shaped riser.

+: Very versatile. Great for tabletop and laptop use.
-: Takes up much more room than other products.

totetilttitanium The Elemental Road Warrior Part II Wind

totetiltibook The Elemental Road Warrior Part II Wind Tote
& Tilt –
This item from Cyber3.com does a fine job of offering a little lift to
the back of your 12″
iBook or 15″
TiBook while doing an even better job of serving as a handle with
which to tote around your ‘Book. It requires the removal and replacement
of a few of the screws holding your beloved portable together and comes
packages with all the necessary tools and parts to do so.

+: Offers elevation and a very useful handle.
-: Requires slight disassembly of your ‘Book. Does not work well
when used on ones lap.

By admin • Articles, Wardriver Wednesday • Comments Off • Tags: Book, Bristle, bristle blocks, bristles, com, desktop, earth wind fire, few suggestions, g4 powerbook, gun metal, half, iBook, IcePad, lack of circulation, road warrior, solution, space, titanium powerbook, use, wind wind

Apr 27 2009

mini PVR with EyeTV and ConvertX

No, this isn’t the first Mac mini – PVR tutorial, but new products and
software have made this more interesting than ever before. And, with the best options available, this will be the last Mac PVR tutorial you’ll need to read.

minipvr mini PVR with EyeTV and ConvertX

The Hardware

Any Mac mini
The Plextor ConvertX for Mac ($209.94 at Amazon)
An analog video source
Optional: href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000513KE/macmerc-20/ref=nosim/" target="_blank">KeySpan IR Remote (on sale at Amazon, $35.99)

The Software

Elgato’s EyeTV (included)

There are plenty of hardware options that will turn your mini into a PVR. I selected the ConvertX for its hardware encoding, which takes the processing load off your mini (the EyeTV Wonder does not hardware-encode incoming video, and is not recommended for use with the mini). It also has the widest array of hardware encoding options including MPEG 1, 2 and 4 and DivX.

What’s more, the ConvertX is the least expensive of the lot (excluding the EyeTV Wonder) that comes bundled with Elgato’s easy to use software. And while we’re on that subject it is worth mentioning that the EyeTV software that comes with the ConvertX interfaces with TitanTV – a free online programming guide. Using TitanTV you can cue recordings from the web with a right-click.

titantv mini PVR with EyeTV and ConvertX

Getting back to the nuts and bolts, you’ll find that the ConvertX comes with everything you need, with the exception of a coaxial cable. The EyeTV software installs in seconds and requires no reboot. EyeTV scans your channels and sends you to TitanTV to register.

eyetvprograms mini PVR with EyeTV and ConvertX

Encoding options are what set this configuration apart from other setups. With the ConvertX and EyeTV you can capture to VCD (MPEG-1), DVD (MPEG-2), QuickTime (MPEG-4) or DivX. Within each format there are options for longer play or higher quality, with DivX offering the best compression to quality ratio. EyeTV exports to about anything QuickTime can
handle and to all your favorite iApps for editing and burning. EyeTV also has a built-in editing interface that allows for quick deleting of commercials.

eyetvedit mini PVR with EyeTV and ConvertX

But lets not forget the options: on the install disc, Elgato has included the key-maps to control the software using Keyspan Digital Media Remote software. So, your presentation remote can double as your TV remote. And, if this weren’t enough, the ConvertX also sports RCA and S-Video analog inputs, so when you’re not recording TV, you can transfer video from older cameras and VCRs.

The performance of the unit was as-expected. You can set aside you concerns of over-taxing the mini. With hardware encoding you won’t notice any slow down watching or recording. In fact on my mini I watched a recorded clip with the incoming television window still open at full resolution without a hiccup.

With superior hardware encoding options, the ConvertX is a unique
combination of TV tuner, PVR and analog video encoder. And, shouldering the processing load for you Mac it is perfect for the mini. The EyeTV software guarantees that you’re not missing anything by picking a less expensive PVR.

Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s a matrix of tthe PVR hardware options out there for Mac:

border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
style="font-weight: bold;">PRV

Price	Resolution	Hardware Encoding	Encoding Formats	EyeTV Software
ConvertX	$210	720×480	Yes	MPEG 1, 2, 4 and DivX	Yes
EyeTV Wonder USB	$137	720×480	No	MPEG 1, 2	Yes
EyeTV 200	$286	720×480	Yes	MPEG 1, 2, 4	Yes
Evolution TV	$240	720×480?	Yes	MPEG 2,4 and DivX	No
myTV.PVR*	$139	720×480	Yes	MPEG 2	No

* This product has abysmal reviewer ratings

Please direct comments/corrections on the article to the author, brian AT macmerc DOT com.

By admin • Articles, Mini Media Mac • Comments Off • Tags: amazon, analog, BestStuff, DivX, Elgato, Encoding, eyetv, hardware, hardware options, keyspan, nuts and bolts, Plextor, plextor convertx, programming guide, quality ratio, Remote, resolution, software, use, vcd mpeg, video source

« 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 »

use

Free Text– Clipboard Management, Search Inside Files and More

The Elemental Road Warrior– Part II– Wind

mini PVR with EyeTV and ConvertX

Rick’s Latest Tweets

Archives