Anonymous asked:
What is your word processing software of choice?
I use Pages for template-based Karbon documents like estimates, statements of work and master service agreements (and any other needs-to-look-nice items I create).
I use iA Writer for any creative writing. Short stories, long blog posts, et cetera.
I use TextMate for everything else. It’s still my favorite app if I need to jot something down quickly and edit it, wrangle text, or batch operate on HTML or anything like it.
I’ve wanted something like Fountain for years. It reminds me of the TextMate bundle Oliver Taylor wrote back in the day, only this time it’s not a single-app hack, it’s a true, Markdown-esque formatting syntax for writing screenplays. And because it’s only a syntax, it can be used my any application in the future to render correctly-formatted scripts on the fly, while maintaining a completely text-based original that’s easy to update, modify and archive. This is huge.
Anonymous asked:
What made you choose the 27" iMac over the Mac Pro?
Convenience, cost and environment. The iMac is an extremely convenient computer—one cable, one piece of hardware, a relatively small footprint. It fits well on my desk and looks very nice.
It’s also very affordable for what it offers. I got the top of the line 27-inch model with the 2TB HDD + SSD option, bumped it to 16GB of RAM (not through Apple) and I still paid less than $3,000 USD before shipping. That price includes a lightning-fast computer with tons of storage space and an insane amount of memory, plus a beautiful 27-inch LED display. Mac Pros start at $2,499 USD without a display. Now, you can build an insane Mac Pro, but I don’t need that kind of raw computing power. My iMac is the fastest computer I’ve ever owned by leaps and bounds. Cost-wise, it just doesn’t make much sense to buy a Mac Pro any more (for me).
One complaint I’ve heard in the past is about the iMac’s lack of user-replaceable drives or that the limit of two is a problem, but I mostly disagree. If you have a very extreme need for storage I could see you having to buy many external hard drives. But I have 2.5TB built in, and with Thunderbolt (which the Mac Pro doesn’t have) I added two 1TB Thunderbolt drives that are lightning fast, and I have hundreds of GB to spare right now. I shoot lots of video and photos, have thousands of Photoshop files, et cetera, and I’m not at all worried about space. With Thunderbolt and the larger built-in disk options, this isn’t an issue so much these days.
The iMac also uses only 25% of the power the Mac Pro uses. Even at peak activity, the iMac with a built-in display uses 40% less power a Mac Pro uses. This might not be an important aspect for everyone, but it’s something I think about.
llllostandffffound asked:
Do you use a Remote Desktop app on your iPhone? If so, which app do your recommend and why?
I use Screens on both my iPhone and iPad. It’s fast, works really well, and has great UI design. The first two are requirements, the last one is icing.
I also use TouchPad when I don’t need VNC but want to control a Mac from my iOS devices, such as when I’m using my Mac Mini in the living room and want to change what’s playing.
alexleiphart asked:
What tips do you have for taking beautiful photographs like you do? How do you achieve the perfect sharpness, depth, color, exposure, etc when taking a photo? I own a Canon T3i.
I appreciate the compliment! First and foremost: I shoot everything in raw format. Raw images are like digital negatives and you can edit their settings and attributes with little to no loss of quality. Most memory cards are so fast and large these days that the larger filesize isn’t a big concern. Get a big, fast card and shoot raw.
Exposure is pretty easy with a DSLR because of the built-in light meter. On point-and-shoot cameras, it can be a little harder because sometimes that back screen lies to you a little bit. Most of the time, even with my 5d, I’ll take a photo, look at the result, and take several more. Sometimes, if I’m particularly worried about exposure, I’ll take a few extra pictures on the light and dark side.
Focus is just vigilance. I mostly choose my primary focal point, use the auto focus system to grab initial focus and then adjust if it doesn’t look right. Some cameras have a focus help system where they’ll pop up a magnified version of your shot so you can check focus (the X100, for instance), and if that’s available it’s a great tool.
The second half of this is editing photos. I use Adobe Lightroom 3. It’s a terrific photo catalog manager, and its built-in editing tools are terrific. I modify exposure, black levels, colors, noise, vignetting and more. I often add gradients of light and spot-fix issues. It takes time, but it yields much more polished results.
On Wednesday I visited my local Apple Store to purchase two Jawbone Up bands (more on this later) and had an opportunity to use the new EasyPay system for the first time. I found my items, pulled out my iPhone and opened the Apple Store app. It knew I was in an Apple Store and brought up the EasyPay menu. I pointed the camera at the UPC code of one of the Up packages, and it recognized the code and asked me to confirm my purchase. I confirmed and entered my credit card security code and that was it. It took about 20 seconds in total. On my way out of the store, I stopped to get parking validation and asked an Apple Store employee how they planned to handle possible theft with this new system. He said, “Basically, it’s just the honor system right now.”
It’s a ballsy move. Apple is, at least for now, choosing customer convenience over easy security. This may or may not last, but for now it’s a fantastic experience for any informed customer who wants to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. Apple Store employees are still there and available to help you if you need it, but you’re free to walk in, beeline to your intended purchasable, scan and pay and walk out. (And yes, you can still request a bag if you’d like one.)
Apple’s not the first company to think about simplifying the shopping experience. Many grocery stores, pharmacy chains and even Home Depot have implemented self check-out lanes. The critical difference, of course, is that those systems are often slow, poorly designed, and you’re watched by store personnel at all times. You’re frequently chastised for putting an item in your bag too soon (“Please remove the item from your bag and scan it!”) or for using your own bag (“Please place the scanned item in the bag before proceeding!”), and all the while an employee is watching you as if you’re likely to steal that mayonnaise at any moment.
Customer trust not a common thing at most retail stores. Best Buy, for example, does not have self check-out lanes, has doorway sensors, and requires you to show your receipt to security personnel on your way out. Most major clothing stores use door sensors and often large non-removable security tags. Can you imagine going to a Target and using an EasyPay system? It seems likely that will never happen.
Is the difference between an Apple Store and Best Buy that people want to steal stuff from Bust Buy more? Doubtful. Are Apple Store customers less likely to steal in general? Perhaps, but with the number of Apple Stores these days and the wide variety of people visiting them, that seems doubtful as well. Was Apple not facing problems of theft before? Obviously, these statistics aren’t readily available, but I have to believe Apple suffers from the same amount as other retail outlets.
For now, at least, it appears Apple has decided the increased risk is worth the reward. As a regular Apple Store customer, I whole-heartedly agree. The EasyPay system feels like part of a future I wish were here today, when my iPhone functions as my wallet and my ID and becomes the only thing I have to carry. With EasyPay, we’re one small step closer to that.
Anonymous asked:
I like your taste in equipment and appliances. I've been looking for a stylish yet practical, yet understated powered USB hub for ages - what do you have?
I don’t have a USB hub, let alone a powered one. These days, I don’t have many USB devices I need to regularly plug in—all of my external USB hard drives are bus powered and for backup purposes so I keep them in a fireproof safe until I need them, and iPhones and iPads support over-the-air sync and update now. The only USB cables regularly plugged into my iMac are my Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 speakers and an iPhone dock/CF card reader. Whenever I need to debug using additional devices I temporarily plug them in using a cable and then put them away when I’m done.
There was a time when I had several USB docks on my desk and loads of stuff plugged into them. Over the years, my computing desires have gone basically the exact opposite direction—I’m always looking to remove cables and devices where possible. Ideally, my speakers would be wireless. Ideally, I’d never plug my iPhone into my computer. Et cetera.
I felt like a jerk for answering with this non-answer, so I did a little investigating for you to try to find a nice looking powered USB hub and I pretty much came up completely empty. So then I thought again and realized I wanted to know: Why do you need a powered USB hub? How many items need to be plugged into your computer at once that also require power? Do you actually need this or are you missing an opportunity to trim down here? These are all genuine questions.
Anonymous asked:
What are the specs on both you iMac and Macbook Air?
My iMac is the 27-inch 3.4 GHz Core i7 Thunderbolt model, with the SSD+HDD option (250GB/1TB). I bumped it up to 16GB of RAM. It’s an insanely fast monster.
My MacBook Air is the 13-inch 2.13 GHz model with 4GB and a 256GB SSD. I have the second revision (pre-Thunderbolt). The MacBook Air is obviously significantly less powerful than the iMac, but for an ultra-portable it’s very capable. I regularly use it for development and design work without issue.
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