Category: Internet

Angry Mac Bastards podcast

Angry Mac Bastards podcast

I listen to a bunch of podcasts throughout the day. Some are general tech, and some are Mac-specific. About a year ago I came across a Podcast who’s sole purpose is to bash the shockingly horrible articles (and their writers) across the web who consistently get the story wrong, or simply don’t “get” Apple, the Mac and iOS.

Angry Mac Bastards

If you don't like foul-language, or enjoy reading the work of out-of-touch & biased writers, AMB ain't for you

Angry Mac Bastards (AMB) is a weekly Podcast featuring John C. Welch, Darby Lines and Peter Cohen. When I first saw Peter Cohen’s name on the Podcast, I knew I would love the show because I had followed his work as a writer at Macworld years ago.

AMB spends about an hour or so each week dissecting the Mac-related news from around the web from the previous week. And by dissecting I mean using heavy doses of foul-language to describe their thoughts about the writers who post the typical dribble you find on sites like CultofMac, Gizmodo, ZDNet, 9to5Mac, and more. It’s not that the trio just likes to bash other people’s work, they selectively choose articles that are generally off-base, uninformed, or just completely stupid.

If you don’t mind reading articles that are thrown together with little thought, rumors with no real sources, poorly written articles, or if foul-language bothers you; AMB is definitely NOT for you. But if you want to be entertained for an hour or so, and get the real scoop about all things Apple, AMB may be right up your alley.

You can download individual episodes on the AMB website, or subscribe to the AMB Podcast on iTunes.

Google updates Chrome Store, and it looks very familiar

Google Chrome Store

As you surf through the Chrome Store, things will start looking very familiar...

Google recently updated their Chrome Store, where you can download extensions and apps for the Chrome web browser and Chrome OS. It looks really nice, and for good reason. They basically copied the look and feel of Apple’s Mac App Store. Ugh…

Rant: Stop worrying about your privacy – you aren’t that important

Social Network privacy

Stop complaining about your privacy on social networks and just think about what you post before you post it. What you share is up to YOU!

The last few months, tech sites on the web have been filled with stories of privacy invasions by Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Santa Claus. I’ve grown so tired of hearing about it because for the most part, it’s A) your own fault for not understanding how to configure the site preferences. And B) you shouldn’t worry about it, because you simply aren’t that important.

Let’s take Facebook for example

With the recently-released Ticker on the newsfeed page and the yet-to-be-released Timeline update to your Profile page, people are barking at the moon that their status updates are now out there for the world to see; thus invading their privacy. Well uh, I hate to tell you this but, THEY ALWAYS WERE. And isn’t that the whole point of a SOCIAL network? (more…)

How does 50GB of free storage sound?

It sounds awesome to me. I was skeptical when I heard Box was giving away free accounts with 50GB of storage. Yeah, not megabytes, GIGABYTES. But it’s true.

The only catch is that you have to sign up for the Box.net service through the iOS app to get it (though existing users apparently get it the next time they sign-in to their account as well).

Box has been around a long time, much longer than Dropbox – the most popular online storage service going. Normally, 50GB of Box.net storage would cost you $20 per month, with the free plan only offering 5GB. Box also has one huge advantage over most similar services in that it allows multiple users to collaborate on file(s) at the same time.

Box.net free 50gb storage

If iCloud's free 5GB of iWork storage isn't enough, Box is your best bet

There is no free lunch.

Unlike Dropbox, there is no menubar icon for easy access. Also unlike Dropbox and Apple’s newly-released iCloud, Box doesn’t offer sync capability in their free accounts. To take advantage of your newly-acquired free storage, you’ll have to access it via your iOS app or the web-based interface. The individual file size limit has been lifted from 25MB to 100MB for this promotion, but it still prevents you from using Box for larger video file backup. Sharing files is easy no matter which option you choose.

However, since iCloud storage is currently useless for anyone that doesn’t use iWork, and most people probably have few individual files larger than 100MB to share, Box is an attractive option that’s difficult to pass-up on.

There is a free snack, though.

If you plan on using Box heavily, you can avoid the browser interface by mounting your Box account just like you would any external server.

  • Simply visit the Finder menubar: Go>Connect to Server… (or just hit Command + K)
  • Type https://www.box.net/dav (note the https) in the address box
  • Type the email address your signed up with in the Username box and your password in the Password box
  • That’s it!

Your storage bin will mount on the desktop like an external hard drive and you can drag and drop files to and from the server. In order to send a link to the files though, you’ll have to use the browser interface or the iOS app – a relatively minor annoyance, but one nonetheless.

Use Web Fonts in your Photoshop website mock-ups

The Extensis Web Font Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop allows you to use WebINK fonts in the creation of website mock-ups in Photoshop. Extensis offers the WebINK service which allows you to easily use high-quality fonts on your website through their Suitcase Fusion font manager. The significance of this free plug-in is that you don’t have to already own or have installed the fonts during the design process.

Extensis Web Font Plug-in makes using Web Fontss in your mock-ups easy

Most of the Foundries available in the WebINK service have made their fonts available for use in the Photoshop plug-in, and more are being added. The fonts are available in an easy to use Photoshop panel after signing-in to the service right in the panel.

To use the free Web Font Plug-in, you need to download and install the Suitcase Fusion font manager demo, and set up a free WebINK account. If you already own Suitcase Fusion, you can simply update the app. If you don’t want to use the Suitcase Fusion app to manage your fonts, the plug-in will continue to work after the demo expires.

Why you won’t be quitting Facebook – despite the changes

FacebookThe last two weeks on the Internet have been filled with articles covering the changes that recently appeared on Facebook (the Ticker), and the more drastic changes to your Profile that will be arriving shortly. Like every other previous Facebook change, people are so frustrated that they’re threatening to leave Facebook. Uh-huh, sure. Here’s why you won’t be quitting Facebook any time soon.

First of all, the new Profile page (see image below) will take some getting used to. In order to take advantage of what it has to offer, you’ll most likely want to add some additional information. I say want to, because if you’re like most people, you probably like playing with new toys.

New Facebook Timeline Profile page

The new Facebook Timeline Profile page is actually pretty nice

The new Timeline Profile view offers viewers an easy way to scroll down through your life on Facebook much more easily – via the Timeline bar on the upper right of the page. Want to see what your friend was up to in 2002? Easy, just click the 2002 date in the Timeline bar and you’re zoomed right into place in their Timeline.

The uproar is that it supposedly “invades your privacy” because it puts all your posts in plain view for everyone to see. Well, I’m here to remind you that this has always been the case. It’s just a little easier to find now. (more…)

Email client marketshare: Infographic

email client marketshare infographic

With 10% marketshare, the iPhone outpaces OS X's Mail for reading email

Litmus, a company that tracks email campaigns, has published a report that shows where people are viewing their email. Not surprisingly, Outlook leads the way with 37%. The interesting factor is that mobile email has jumped from 7% to 15%.

Litmus put together a great infographic to display the results of their tests. It’s important for designers and campaign managers to know how their clients are reading their email, because it directly affects the technical aspects of the email design.

About The Graphic Mac

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