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Mac App Store vs Buying Direct

There are pros and cons to both ways of getting Mac applications.

This is a great read that balances out both sides of the equation, so make sure to give it a lookover.

Getting Things Done: A Comparison of the Top Contenders in the iOS App Space

In case you missed my article on AppAdvice, make sure to check it out here.

Review: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

So I decided to pick up one of those brand new Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover that just came out this week (officially) at Best Buy. So far — I love it.

I previously switched between the Zaggfolio (pretty good!) and ClamCase (not that good, truth be told). However, I believe that the Logitech has them both beat (ClamCase especially).

For $99, you are buying the most portable keyboard solution there is.

This keyboard is essentially like a Smart Cover for your iPad, except it has more functionality than just covering the front of your iPad. The plastic hinge (wish it was metal like the Smart Cover) is magnetic and will attach itself to the side of your iPad. Once the keyboard cover is on, it will look like two iPads put together when closed, so the appearance is slick and beautiful.

To use the keyboard, you will have to detach it from the iPad and then insert your iPad into the magnetic slot on the keyboard. This works best when the iPad is in landscape mode (home button on the right), since the magnets will “click” into place. The iPad can also be used in portrait mode with the Keyboard Cover, but it's advisable to be cautious when doing so, because it won't have the power of the magnets holding it in place.

My unit came fully charged (from what I can tell) and is a breeze to pair with your iPad. You only have to flip the switch on the right-hand side of the keyboard and the iPad will detect it immediately. There are no PIN numbers to enter in — it will just automatically connect and you're ready to go.

While the keyboard may not be full size like a MacBook Air keyboard (this is what all iPad keyboard peripherals are compared to; I do not own a MacBook Air yet), I am still finding it to be very comfortable to type on. The placement of keys is pretty much the same as on my Pro, so there isn't any adjustment for me. Another reason why it feels natural to type on it is probably because the keys are chiclet-styled, just like Apple's own notebooks.

The only weird thing is that the keyboard has combined the iPad-specific function keys with the number keys (except for the home button). That means that if you want to use Spotlight Search, adjust the volume, or even cut/copy and paste, you will have to press the fn button along with the number that has the function you're looking for. It may be a bit tedious when compared with other keyboards, but it's a small price to pay for the ultra-portability of the cover itself — it definitely isn't bulky like the Zaggfolio or ClamCase.

This is quickly becoming my favorite way to write on the iPad, and I love how the cover looks when closed  — sleek and elegant, as it should be. It isn't bulky and doesn't add much extra weight to the device. My only gripe with it is the fact that the keyboard has a glossy black finish, which means only one thing: fingerprint magnet. Luckily, it comes with a cleaning cloth.

Logitech claims that one of these, fully charged, will last at least six months with regular use. Once the time comes to charge it, just plug it in with the included micro-USB cable (or any micro-USB cable you may have on-hand). Since I just got it, I won't be able to fully test this claim until a ways down the road. But I'm sure that it will last.

If you're looking for a great mobile writing solution for your iPad (and don't have an Apple Wireless Keyboard), then this is the one to get.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover | $99.99 MSRP

4.5 / 5

2048pixels

So you have a new, third-generation iPad. You know, the one with that gorgeous Retina display. The default wallpapers look nice and all, but they're boring. You want something unique, that also looks gorgeous (and is sized correctly to shine on the Retina display).

Then check out 2048pixels.

The site is optimized for the new iPad, and you can swipe on the screen to navigate between pages. It's clever and intuitive, and definitely worth the time to check out.

These wallpaper images are beautiful and sharp, and deserve to be on your iPad's screen.

A Quick Look - Justnotes

I’ve been using Simplenote for a while, though I have moved on to using plain text files stored in Dropbox for my longform writing (thanks to Byword. However, a new app for the Mac just came out this week that has me looking into using Simplenote on a daily basis again for quick notes that I need to jot down — longform writing will still remain in Byword/Dropbox.

Justnotes is a simple little app for the Mac that serves as a native Simplenote client. While there is always Notational Velocity and the popular fork, NValt, I have now moved to Justnotes for my Simplenote needs.

The interface is pretty reminiscent of NV, but it looks a bit nicer, personally. You get two panes — on the left, you’ll have your list of notes, and to the right, you will have your note. The best part, though, is the fact that you can double-click on a note to open a separate window with the note text in it — this is great if you find having the note list too distracting while trying to write.

Sync happens automatically and quite frequently, and if you choose not to sync with Simplenote, you can choose a separate location to save your notes to, including Dropbox. The file names may not be pretty, though.

Search is quick and always ready. Keywords will be highlighted throughout the note. If something gets deleted, it will be moved to the archive, just in case you need to restore it again. However, if you don’t need the note anymore, you can permanently delete it from the archive.

There are plenty of shortcuts that will make using the app easier. Support for tags and pinned notes (the star) is in Justnotes, which is fantastic, since NV doesn’t support them — yet.

It’s a fantastic app for those that use Simplenote, or are looking for an efficient, yet light, app that will be great for jotting down quick notes. You can even import your Evernote notes into the app as well.

For some reason, it doesn’t support Markdown yet, but hopefully that will change in the future.

You can grab it in the Mac App Store for $5.99, which is the introductory sale. It will be $9.99 after the sale period.

As If There Needed To Be More Reason To Pirate Movies

Will the two screens be shown back to back? Will each screen last for 10 seconds each? Will each screen be unskippable? Yes, yes, and yes.

An ICE spokesman tells me that the two screens will “come up after the previews, once you hit the main movie/play button on the DVD. At which point the movie rating comes up, followed by the IPR Center screen shot for 10 secs and then the FBI/HSI anti-piracy warning for 10 secs as well. Neither can be skipped/fast forwarded through.”

So the way to combat piracy is to punish those that have bought the physical disc by making them sit through more warnings that don't apply to them?

Makes total sense.

A Battle of Efficiency: Drafts vs. Pop for iOS

This week I'm bringing back the App Showdowns at AppAdvice — it's been a few weeks since my last one.

For this one, I compared two very similar apps that are seen as the opposites of one another: Drafts from Agile Tortoise vs Pop for iOS from Colin McFarland.

You may not be surprised by the victor in the article, but both are still great apps. Make sure to check out the full article at AppAdvice.

Bartender Helps You Clean Up Your OS X Menu Bar

Last time, I mentioned Broomstick, which can help you hide or show menubar icons for apps. However, the drawback for this program was the fact that it can only support selected applications, and you would have to submit others to the developer to be included in a future update.

I just stumbled upon Bartender, which is like Broomstick, but better. You can tidy up that menubar to how you want it thanks to a sub-menubar menu. Hide the apps you need to have running and just declutter that menubar!

Less is more.

So grab it while it's in public beta (currently free, but a utility like this is well worth the money, personally).

Broomstick: A Way To Hide Unwanted Menubar Icons

While I love the convenience of menubar apps, I only have so much space up there on my 15' MacBook Pro screen.

Fortunately, a young developer (he's only 14 years old!) has developed a free app to help you hide those unwanted icons in your menubar.

Broomstick can only hide icons for apps that it currently supports, but you can submit an app to be included in a future update. Pretty nifty.

Make sure to download it and give it a try on your Mac.

The 8-Bit Bumper For Your iPhone

I really want this. You probably do too.

Get it here.