Articles

iPhone Tips & Tutorials: A semi-comprehensive link list

NOTE: If you know of a link or two (or three) that you think would fit in here, please send it my way: [email protected].

Ever since June 29th, 2007 there has been so much development happening for the iPhone it’s crazy. For archive’s (and sanity’s) sake I’ve compiled a list of the iPhone web-apps, developments, tips, tutorials, helpful tid-bits, articles that stand out to me, and more.

This page is a perfect one-stop shop for two types of people:

1) Those who currently have an iPhone and want in on the discoveries and web-apps being published but don’t have time to surf the internet like crazy.

2) Those who hope to get an iPhone some day, don’t want to miss out on the developments taking place right now and are not particularly looking forward to digging through archives.

Apps

Tutorials & Tips

Wallpapers

Hardware Accessories

Articles and Reviews

Miscellaneous

iPhone Tips & Tutorials: A semi-comprehensive link list

Thirty Months with a 12-inch PowerBook G4

In January 2005 I made the switch to Mac. I turned in my Dell Inspiron 3800 and crossed over to a 12″ PowerBook G4. It was like going from olive loaf to Kobe, American to gouda, or Kia to BMW. I was blown away.

I was given a freedom that can only be given from a machine that has been “built by people who get it–and by “it” I mean UI/VI design and industrial engineering.”* In Laymen’s terms: Apple’s hardware coupled with OS X make for a consistently enjoyable and captivating user experience.

Thirty months later I am still using my PowerBook every day. For 28 months it has been my primary machine. Seeing me through emailing, note-taking, web-surfing, graphic designing, web-site developing, AIMing and Quicksilvering.

All this time and no official review? Well, that’s all about to change. Read on, my friends. Read on.

The Specs – Numbers and Acronyms

  • 12″ PowerBook G4
  • 1.33GHz PowerPC Processor
  • 1.25 GB of RAM
  • 80 GB HDD at 4200 RPM
  • 1024 x 768 Screen Resolution
  • CD-ROM Combo Drive
  • 13 Stickers featuring an old-school Apple logo, Ableton Live, Ride Snowboards and Dakine.
  • Affectionately named Reepicheep

Why the 12″?

It was a toss up between the 15″ and the 12″ PowerBooks. I knew I needed a laptop for portability and the iBooks lacked the punch I needed. I liked the size and feel of the 12″ but also liked the extra pixels on the 15″. But ultimately it was my budget that made the decision.

There have been a few times that I have regretted not waiting a bit longer to save the money for the 15″. But for the most part, I have loved this little guy. He can go anywhere, and the custom fitted Brenthaven bag (which they don’t sell anymore) is one sweet accessory.

900 Days of Consecutive Use

I have used my PowerBook to some capacity nearly every day of the 900ish that I’ve owned it. Virtually every area of my life exists on my computer. Work, home and play. As I mentioned earlier – not only do I use it for standard daily tasks, but also for processor-intensive tasks such as print and web design.

It has held up like a champ and a faithful friend. However, I am beginning to notice some lag and general slow-down. The CPU heats up hotter and quicker than it used to, causing the fan to turn on more often. Also, after getting a Mac Pro as my main computer the G4 now seems much more sluggish than before.

What’s Next?

I plan on running my PowerBook into the ground. When Leopard comes out I’ll clean off my hard-drive and give it a nice fresh OS install, and clean app installs as well. Something I’ve only done once in all the time I’ve owned it.

Knowing that my PowerBook won’t last forever, I’ve already begun saving for another laptop. However, 5 minutes with an iPhone at the Apple store diverted the attention of that savings account. But eventually I will need to get a new laptop and when I do it will be a MacBook Pro. Since there is no such thing as a 12″ MBP, and probably never will be, I expect to get the 15″ model. But even if I had the option of a powerful sub-notebook, I think it would be a nice change to go for something with extra screen real estate.

Thirty Months with a 12-inch PowerBook G4

Why Apple Will Never Make a 12-inch MacBook Pro

At WWDC last month many fans of the 12-inch PowerBook G4 were hoping to see an announcement of it’s counterpart within the MacBook Pro lineup. Despite rumors going back and forth over the past 18 months nobody was certain. But sadly, no mention was made.

Since WWDC there have been the updates on the 15- and 17-inch MBP screens and the rumors of the new iMac line and the death of the 17″ iMac. But still no rumors of an ultra-powerful ultra-portable.

Apple’s product line

After reading John’s article on OS X-Based iPods, it became apparent as to why we will not see a 12-inch MacBook Pro. John says, “Apple treats its product line-up like a product itself — it is designed to be obvious and easy to understand.”

Look at the computer lineup. It’s incredibly easy to pick just the right computer.

  • Do you work from home and need something with 20,000,000 horsepower? Get a MacPro.
  • Do you only check your email and want a little remote control to pump the jams? Get an iMac.
  • Do you work hard whenever and wherever you want? Get a MacBook Pro.
  • Do you check your email from the local coffee shop, and still want a little remote control to pump the jams? Get a MacBook.

No Room

Take a look at their MacBook page. Apple hasn’t left any place for a 12-inch MBP.

The plastic MacBooks are marketed towards iLife and Front Row users – something you don’t need the power of a MacBook Pro to do; while the pro lineup is marketed towards video and image editing – something you need more screen real estate for.

Buried

Apple has told us that a person needing more punch from their laptop also needs more pixels. Although many of us would love to see an ultra portable powerhouse it’s obvious that the 12-inch PowerBook has been buried in order to leave less clutter in the Macintosh product line.

Why Apple Will Never Make a 12-inch MacBook Pro

My Five Favorite Apps as a Multi-Mac User

At home I have a Mac Pro I use as my main workstation. I also have a 12″ PowerBook that I take everywhere I go.

The more identical these two computers are the better. I want them to have the same desktop wallpaper, the same dock apps, the same everything. I want my project lists, my emails, my RSS feeds and my web-development to all be synced and mirrored on both computers.

It took me a while, but I found applications that work with my daily routine that will sync between two computers, making it easy to have a seamless work-flow from my Mac Pro to my PowerBook and back again.

.Mac

Dot Mac
This is the first step for anyone with more than one Mac computer.

Dot Mac will sync the bulk of your most important, ever changing info. Such as

  • Safari bookmarks
  • Your grandma’s new email address
  • Your friends’ wireless network password
  • Your latest email signature
  • That hot date next Friday
  • … and more …

Email – Go IMAP

Apple Mail
If you’re using a desktop email client such as Mail.app or Entourage, you want organize your email on the server. It will be oodles easier to read and manage your email from several different computers. To do this, simply use an IMAP email.

With IMAP set up you can create folders on your mail server to help you stay orgainzed. These folders are automatically synced between your two computers. On my .Mac email account I have a ‘Reply’ folder, a ‘Follow Up’ folder and a ‘Hold’ folder.

If I’m on my desktop at home and can’t respond to an email right away, I drop it into the reply folder. Then, when I am on my laptop checking email later, I view what’s in the reply folder to see what emails I need to respond to. And since it’s IMAP I don’t have to re-sort all my email when I check it on a different computer. It stays synced.

Feed Reader – NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire
I prefer to use a desktop feed reader so I can catch up on feeds when I’m traveling. But there’s nothing worse than checking my feeds in the morning on my desktop computer, and then opening up my feed reader later in the afternoon on my laptop only to have to re-read 150 posts I already went through.

NetNewsWire flawlessly syncs with multiple computers so my laptop knows what I already read on my desktop, and vice-a-versa.

Project and Task Managment – iGTD

iGTD
Four letters: iGTD.

I can add, delete and edit anything and iGTD keeps itself identical between multiple computers. Making projects, ToDo lists, and everything else easily available on both computers.

Web Development – Coda

Coda Web Development
I have fallen in love with Coda.

With Coda it is extremely simple to do server side editing. Making it an ideal program for average web developer who codes at home and at the coffee shop.

My Five Favorite Apps as a Multi-Mac User

Email

Email Etiquette, email organization, email sheemail.

It seems as if there has been extra chatter regarding email lately, and I am inspired.

This post has been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. Well, no more, I say! Here is a small handful of hip articles regarding email.

Email

The Sean Sperte Interview

I have had the priveledge of getting to know Sean Sperte over the past several months. He is the Director of Web Ministries at The City Church and Generations Church (both of which were listed on a top 10 Church sites article featured on the Digg homepage).

Sean also publishes his own weblog, one of my favorites, Geek & Mild.

Sean Sperte

I love Geek & Mild’s design. What all went into it?

Well thanks! I’m quite fond it it myself. The current design took about two weeks worth of free evenings (or about 30 hours) to complete, from concept to launch.

I had some inspiration:

  • The black band across the top was inspired by an early design for 31three.com that Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain showed me. His design featured a masthead that resembled a stitched ribbon. When he abandoned the design, I was disappointed, so I decided to try it out for myself.
  • The upside-down tabs were inspired by a website I happened across via CSSImport about a year ago. I love the way they implemented the different color schemes per section.
  • The typography is inspired by the sites of Matt Thomas, Greg Storey, Cameron Moll, and John Gruber.
  • Of course, the layout of links and posts formatted as inline was popularized by Jason Kottke and John Gruber.

I designed Geek & Mild like I do all my web projects. I started with a blank canvas in Photoshop. From there I used guides to fashion a grid, and then I worked on the design elements. The design has evolved slightly since I created and launched it — mostly the typography and vertical rhythm.

I have some plans for upgrading the design in the near future. I’d like to unify the archives a bit, and make the first-time visit more usable for readers.

You’re the ‘Director of Web Ministries’ at your church. What does a good day look like for you?

I’m at my desk most of the day, most days. I have two regularly scheduled meetings per week; one is an all-staff prayer meeting and the other is a media department meeting.

On most days I have one or two major projects (website redesign, mini-site, logo, book cover, etc.) on my task list. Those projects take the majority of my “productivity-time”, or the time I don’t use for repetitive tasks, such as simple website updates, podcast updates, etc.

It’s been said that The City Church has just two speeds: Wait and Go Fast. For the media department (of which the Web Ministries is a part of), the Go Fast speed is pretty much the constant. My job really takes on the form of whatever it takes for the current emphasis or season the church is in — so no two days look the same.

How do you think Christians can use the web and technology for revival purposes?

It’s all about communication. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. If we can harness the incredible power and potential of the internet for communicating, and couple it with the timeless truth of the Word of God, I believe we will see supernatural results. The key is to obey the Holy Spirit. He’s not oblivious to technology, and He knows best how to utilize it to advance the Kingdom. If we, in our own ingenuity and strength, try to prove our methods of reaching the lost or changing our culture, we may at best see some (non-lasting) fruit, and at worst possibly disqualify ourselves from what God wants to do. Remember what the master said to the servant who buried his talent. He called him wicked. Yikes!

To put it simply, we have an advantage the world does not: The Holy Spirit. All we need to do is obey His prompting and be open to His creative methods.

Do you have any advice for pastors who blog or are considering blogging?

The nature of blogging is very subjective and emotional. Be very cautious when you’re writing to not say anything you may regret in a year or ten years. Remember that what is spoken from the pulpit may be heard by hundreds, or perhaps thousands, but what’s written and published on the internet has a potential audience of millions upon millions — and isn’t easily deleted once it’s published. Server and search engine caches keep that data stored indefinitely. Be careful!

What programs do you use to do your job?

For email I use Entourage (to access our church’s Exchange Server). For design I use Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3. For development I’m using a combination of TextMate, Coda and CSSEdit. For video podcast preparation I’m using QuickTime Pro and the Turbo.264 from el gato. For PowerPoint creation I use PowerPoint on a PC, as well as Keynote on occasion. I also use a few online web apps: CampaignMonitor, Backpack, Mint, and FeedBurner.

I’m sure there are more, I just can’t recall them at the moment (and I’m not at my work desk).

What Apple gear do you own?

I have my 15-inch PowerBook G4 (January 2005), a 1st-gen iPod nano (white) and a 2nd-gen iPod shuffle (orange).

At work I use a dual-2.3ghz PowerMac G5 and a 23-inch ACD, and a 5th-gen iPod video (black).

I should also mention I own (and carry with me) a white Nintendo DS. :)

PowerBook Glow

If money was no object, but you could only purchase one thing from Apple; what would it be?

Hard question! As much as I think I could benefit from upgrading to an Intel-based laptop (probably a MacBook Pro), I think I’d have to say I’d go for the iPhone. Reason being: The iPhone is Apple’s flagship product at the moment, and everything they’re doing seems to be focused on or around it. I feel very much out of the loop not owning one. Although my PowerBook is definitely feeling its age, it’s still chuggin’ along like the work-horse it is — and I don’t NEED to upgrade.

The Sean Sperte Interview

Backup

If you don’t already have one, now is as good a time as any to get an external hard-drive to backup with. Lord knows how sad you’ll be if your computer crashes and you lose all your data. Especially now that you’ve read this post; you’ll be extra sad. Like Alanis sang about in that one song.

External hard drives are, in fact, quite cheap. Get a LaCie. I’ve owned a few and they’re bullet proof.

If you’re a smart shopper, get a refurbished LaCie. That’s what I have plugged into my Mac Pro right now. A LaCie d2 Extreme – and they’re not kidding.

I back-up every night. At first I tried Carbon Copy Cloner, which is a free backup software that lots of folks swear by. I had trouble with it so I bought SuperDuper!. Now I sleep well every night, knowing my John Mayer albums are safe and sound.

Postscript: If you don’t want an external drive – and you have a speedy internet connection – you can backup with Mozy. Backup everything for $4.95 a month, or 2GB worth for free.

Backup

Pixelated Ecstasy and Breakneck Processors – My Mac Pro Workstation

In January of 2004 I bought my first Mac. A 12″ 1.33GHz PowerBook G4. It was my first step into the world of print and web design. My PowerBook was so sweet and so fast that I never thought I’d buy a desktop. But – like many others accross the world – everything changed when the Mac Pro was announced in 2006.

Recently I began to see that my G4 wouldn’t cut it for much longer. I originally had plans to upgrade to a 15″ MacBook Pro. But since my PowerBook was still working (just not for design work) I started looking at the 24″ iMacs. But as I did the research I realized the Mac Pro was the obvious choice. I worked several extra freelance jobs and pinched my pennies. Finally, just a few weeks ago in May, I bought my dream machine.

Mac Pro CD Tray

Breakneck Processing

  • Mac Pro Quad 3.0GHz Intel Xeon – “Woodcrest”
  • Two 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors
  • 4GB (4 x 512MB) / (2 X 1GB) memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
  • 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200 rpm hard drive
  • 16x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
  • ATI Radeon X1900 XT with 512MB memory
  • Affectionately Named “Azlan”

Pixelated Ecstasy

  • Apple Cinema HD Display
  • 23-inch (viewable)
  • 1920 x 1200 optimal resolution
  • 16.7 million colors
  • DVI Display Connector
  • 2 port USB 2.0 Hub
  • 2 FireWire 400 ports
  • VESA mount compatible

Apple Cinema Display

Why This Setup?

  1. The Mac Pro’s Upgradeability: I can’t imagine needing a more powerful machine. But the ‘upgradeability’ of the Mac Pro is one of it’s most attractive characteristics. Getting more RAM and/or more hard-drive space is extremely simple and affordable if I am ever in need of them.
  2. The Beauty of the Apple Cinema Display: There is quite a bit of talk out there about what brand screen to buy – Dell or Apple. I went with the 23″ Apple Cinema HD Display for one main reason:I sit at my desk, working at my screen for several hours a day, and I wanted be proud about the screen I was working on and staring at. I wanted it to be worthy of the powerhouse it was plugged into. The idea of setting up a Dell display with my Mac felt odd to me. Sorta like eating a veggie burger – all the components would have been there, but something’s not right.

    That’s why the extra cost for the Apple Display was worth it. So that my work and play experiences while at my desk would be as enjoyable as possible.

Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Mighty Mouse

Working on my Mac Pro

Two words: Smokin’ fast.

The speed jump from my 1.33 GHz G4 PowerBook to the Quad Core was outrageous. Like driving a clunky Volkswagon Rabbit, and then sitting down behind the wheel of an 850 Horse-Power Shelby. I cannot imagine a faster, more powerful machine.

It begs to be pushed to it’s limits simply so it can show off – and without even breaking a sweat.

When no apps are running, Photoshop CS3 will start up in about 3 seconds. When I drag a file over the mail.app dock icon, it starts up Mail and opens the new message with the attachment almost as soon as I let off the mouse. I can easily have Photoshop and Illustrator running with several large files open in both programs while smoothly tabbing between them without a hiccup (or beach ball).

When it comes to getting things done, it’s one thing to have a focused work flow and an organized system, but there is something that a Mac Pro will do for your productivity that nothing else could.

Mac Pro

P.S. It’s Refurbished

I saved a substantial amount of money by getting my Mac Pro and Cinema Display through Apple’s refurbished online store. I had the money ready to spend, and so I waited. Each day I would check the refurbished page to see what was for sale. Then one day the 3.0 Quad Core and the 23″ Display showed up, and I bought them right away.

I didn’t have to settle on what computer I would purchase. In fact, I was able to buy something better than I had originally priced out for much less than I would have paid for a new model.

The Mac Pro came with 2 Gigs of Ram already installed, so I bought two more gigs through Crucial to finish the setup.

Pixelated Ecstasy and Breakneck Processors – My Mac Pro Workstation

Why Daring Fireball is Comment Free

It’s January 15, 2007 and I download the Macworld Podcast #68 to listen to on a trip to L.A. The first 57 minutes John Gruber and Cabel Sasser talk about iPhone and iTV and Panic.

But what made this podcast stand out — so much so that I archived it to quote six months later — is that right towards the end John answers why there are no comments on Daring Fireball:

I wanted to write a site for someone it’s meant for. That reader I write for is a second version of me. I’m writing for him. He’s interested in the exact same things I’m interested in; he reads the exact same websites I read. I want him to like this website so much that he reads it from the top to the bottom, and he reads everything. Every single word. The copyright statement, what software I use, he’s read it all.

If I turn comments on, that goes away. It’s not that I don’t like sites with comments on, but when you read a site with comments it automatically puts you, the reader, in a defensive mode where you’re saying, “what’s good in this comment thread? What can I skim?”

It’s totally egotistical. I want Daring Fireball to be a site that you can’t skim if you’re in the target audience for it. You say, “Oh, a new article from John. I need to read it,” and your deadlines go whizzing by because you have to read what I wrote.

If I turn comments on I feel like it’s two different directions. You get to the end of my article and you’re like, “let’s see if there’s anything interesting. Let’s see if there’s any names I know.” That’s really it. Sometimes a design decision is what you don’t put in, as opposed to what you put in.

That may be one of the best reasons to write a weblog.

Why Daring Fireball is Comment Free

10 Awesome Hi-Resolution Desktop Wallpapers

For those who change their desktop more often than their socks. And each one is in big, fat, hi-resolution.

1. Sunlit Span

Sunlit SpanDownload “Sunlit Span” via Interfacelift

2. Vancouver Dusk

Vanouver Dusk.jpgDownload “Vancouver Dusk” via Interfacelift

3. Desktop Friday – 28

Glenn Wolsey - Desktop FridayDownload “Desktop Friday 28” via Glenn Wolsey

4. Ebo One – Apple

Apple Desktop - Ebo OneDownload “Ebo One – Apple” via zephir_350d

5. Apple

Apple DesktopDownload “Apple” via wcm1111

6. Old World

Old WorldDownload “Old World” via Ironix

7. Foggy Morning

Foggy MorningDownload “Foggy Morning” Via Interfacelift

8. Airbag Wallpaper

Airbag DesktopDownload Via Airbag Industries

9. Superman

Superman Destkop WallpaperDownload “Superman” via Iconfactory

10. Snowscape

SnowscapeDownload “Snowscape” Via Socksoff

10 Awesome Hi-Resolution Desktop Wallpapers

Grand Opening

Shawn BlancToday is my 26th Birthday. To celebrate I have launched Shawn Blanc {dot} net.

Welcome

This irresistable weblog is officially opening today – July 2nd, 2007.

Quick Tour

  1. RSS: https://shawnblanc.net/feed
  2. COMMENTS: You may notice that comments are disabled. Not because I don’t want to here from you. Because I want you to read the posts and articles for no other reason than simply because you want to.
  3. ASIDES vs ARTICLES: Asides are posted with smaller, sans-serif headings. Articles are posted with big, fat Georgia. Expect a few asides each day, and a few articles each month. And the only guarantee is that nothing on this site is guaranteed.
Grand Opening

The Truth About Good Leaders

To be a good leader you have to do what nobody else is doing even though everyone else wants to. You have to blaze the trail.

That Moment – when you are sitting right on the edge of something daring and scary and creative and powerful and perhaps wonderful… and you blink and take a step back.

That’s the moment. The moment between you and remarkable. Most people blink. Most people get stuck.

All the hard work and preparation and daring and luck is nothing compared with the ability to not blink.

– Seth Godin

Having the ability to make choices and follow through is what seperates the men from the boys. Those following are only trying to do what the someone else already did because they didn’t have the self-discipline to make it happen on their own.

Once you’ve blazed that trail you have to make a way for others.

The best leaders serve those who are watching. They do what’s best for everyone around. They’re servants.

The Truth About Good Leaders