Apple has aggressively moved to eliminate “superfluous†peripherals and connections, wiping out the floppy and now selling a number of machines without optical drives. AirDrop continues this progression, attacking the prime use case for USB flash drives.
Apple
Dragon Dictate for Mac: Utterly Frustrating
For the last few months, I’ve been experimenting with dictation software on the Mac. Previously, I had used the built-in dictation software in Windows Vista and Windows 7, but it was annoying to launch a virtual machine every time I wanted to dictate something. On the Mac and purchase an (expensive) copy of Dragon Dictate for Mac. So far, my experience has been less than positive.
Boxcar Growl Plugin Not Working?
The Boxcar plugin is a “display” not an “application”, so it shows up under the “Display Options” tab, not the “Applications” tab in Growl on Mac OS X. The plugin installation automatically opens the wrong tab!
Local Snapshots in Mac OS X Lion Time Machine: Is It A Good Idea?
Although it is not a full-featured backup application, I heartily endorse Time Machine since its ease-of-use encourages average users to backup their data and enables them to recover lost files in a user-friendly environment. Time Machine local snapshots add another layer of protection for Apple users on the go. As long as they do not rely on local snapshots exclusively for data protection, I call that a win.
My “On the Road” Video Recording Kit
Good equipment can make the difference between an amateurish embarrassment and professional production when it comes to video recording. The combination of the Zi8 and my pair of microphones collect good enough source material to keep me in the latter category. Combined with the capabilities of Apple’s iMovie software, I can produce respectable videos anywhere I happen to find myself.



