World of Apple

For those of you who may have missed it, last week I posted a triple review of Cha-Ching, iBank, and MoneyWell. In that review, I tested each program, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each. While each program had aspects I loved, one had to come away as my top pick. However, the comments show a wide variety of support for each program.

Be sure to check out the review to find out what my top pick is and be sure to comment with a suggestion for your favorite application and you’ll be entered to win a license for that application! Hurry though, the giveaway is on June 27th!

For the past few years I’ve been toying around with various banking software. Generally, I find myself playing around with one program for a month, then slacking off and just sticking with staring at my online bank statements. However, as my life has recently shifted from college life (where I didn’t have enough money to keep track of anyways) to actually finding a job in the “real world,” I’ve revisited the banking software options. Quicken is just more than I want to bother with, so I kept my search refined to some smaller, Mac developers. In the end, I narrowed my findings to 3 different programs; Cha-Ching, iBank, & Moneywell.

In this special 3-in-1 review, I will look at the pros and cons of each (while focusing on the unique factors between them, as all 3 programs have similar, basic functions that you’d expect from a piece of banking software) and decide a winner. Note that in the end, my choice will reflect the software that I feel meets my needs best and I’d encourage you to try all 3 to see what works best for you. Hopefully my review will help guide you in your decision. As with my past reviews, the developers of these three programs have generously offered to give away 1 license to a lucky reader. That means we will have 3 total winners this time. Since this is a special review, I’m asking for some special comments. I’d like you, the reader, to try out these programs and come back to comment stating which of these 3 programs is your favorite, why it is your favorite, and at least one thing you’d like to see improved. 3 lucky readers will receive a license for the program they stated as their favorite! So without further ado, my review!

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Back in April of this year, I had reviewed the MyVu Solo Plus by MyVu Video Eyewear. The MyVu Shades 301 is a very similar product to the MyVu Solo Plus in many respects, so I refer the reader to my prior review, and I will note any differences here.

Once again, the product was kindly provided to me by the vendor on a review-copy basis. The price point remains the same at $199.95. There are two versions of this product: the “Made for iPod” edition which is compatible with the video nano, touch, classic, and 5th Generation Video iPod, and the “Universal Edition” which is compatible with most portable video devices with video out. The MyVu site is silent on whether the Shades 301 will work with the iPhone but does state in a FAQ regarding the MyVu Solo Plus Edition that “Myvu has not been certified through the ‘Works with iPhone’ licensing program. However, Myvu Made for iPod versions, like many iPod accessories, will work with the iPhone when the iPhone is set to Airplane mode.” I do not have an iPhone to test whether this would hold true for this particular product but rather tested it using my iPod touch.

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At Macworld 2008 Steve Jobs took the stage at the Moscone West in San Francisco and gave us a mass of new goodies to drool over, of particular interest was an expansion of Apple’s notebook lineup. The addition marks the first serious foray into a new form-factor of notebook for several years, and particular sought after since the demise of the 12-inch PowerBook in 2006.

The MacBook Air was long rumoured prior to its release to be an “ultra-portable”, but when Jobs finally showed off the Air at Macworld it became clear that Apple avoided the niche market of ultra-portables and instead headed for the ultra-thin notebook market. The Air lacks the power of the MacBook, has no optical drive and doesn’t contain a removable battery but instead is incredibly thin, features long battery life and has a full-size keyboard.

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iPhoto is a great tool for managing photos. The most recent update to iPhoto ‘08 allows you even greater control over organizing photos into events. But what happens when you want to specify who is in the picture? Tagging the photos is an option, but that can get messy and time consuming fairly fast. If iPhoto just doesn’t give you the organizational options you want, then MemoryMiner may be just what you’re looking for! Read on for more on MemoryMiner and a chance to win a license!

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This extraordinarily handy utility by BusyMac installs as a preference pane and allows you to sync the calendars of all of the Macs on a network as well as any designated Google calendars. Simply put, it just works. Permissions can be set for read only or both read/write privileges with or without passwords. The integration of Google calendars allows calendars to be edited and synchronized on work computers as well as when away from the local network. Any changes made to iCal while away from the network will be synchronized once the computer returns. Mac OSX 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5 (Leopard) is required. Leopard is required for the advanced SSL publishing option.

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ImageWell by Xtralean Software is a light and handy image editor which is surprisingly robust in its features. I had first used this program when it was freeware for the basic function and shareware for the extra add-ons. With this new release, ImageWell is completely shareware for the fully featured program at a price point of $19.95. A completely functional trial version can be downloaded for seven days. ImageWell is universal binary with OSX 10.3.9 or greater required.

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I’ve always gone back and forth with Apple’s included “mini-notepad,” Stickies. Sometimes it feels like a great place to jot down quick notes, but usually it just ends up getting in the way on my desktop. The Dashboard version helps solve this, but then you face the “out of sight, out of mind” problem. What I really need in a note program like Stickies is to see the information only when it is relevant. Enter Paperclip. Read on to find out how this little app can help you make sticky notes relevant, and to find out how you can win a copy of Paperclip!

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I had wanted to try out one of these ever since I had first seen them on the Apple site. At the time, I did not have a video-enabled iPod, and when I finally had the iPod, I was too broke to buy the glasses. In fact, I wanted these so much that I went out and got fitted for contact lenses in anticipation of a future purchase because they do not work with eyeglasses, though there is an prescription adaptor that can be custom-made. The vendor, Myvu, has kindly provided me with a pair on a thirty-day review loaner. The first pair that I received from them was not working properly, but their support department was helpful and quickly sent me a new pair. However, the help number is not toll-free. I did not try email support, so I cannot comment on how speedy or helpful that would have been.

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Let’s say you’re planning a trip. You are flying to your location, staying in a hotel, renting a car, taking day trips to a few locations, and seeing some sights and shows. If you like to be organized and prepared, odds are you’ve got multiple documents/websites saved. A packing list, a map, an itinerary, and all your important reservation information. Well say goodbye to having that information spread out over multiple documents. Knapsack brings it all together for you in one convenient package. Read the full review and enter for your chance to win a copy of Knapsack!

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