Bento Project Management

Bento is now in the project management game. The new template does not match the features of a dedicated project manager but if your needs aren’t too complex, it may scratch the itch.

MiloFest - For Mac Lawyers

The Macs in Law Office Google Group is running its second MILOfest in November. I can’t attend but if you are a Mac Lawyer, check it out.

ObiShawn

This is not the car we’re looking for.

TeuxDeux

TeuxDeux is a gorgeous Web/iOS based simple task list. If it weren’t for the fact that my own task list is insane (requiring OmniFocus’ Death Star-like ability to obliterate tasks), I’d be so on this.

OmniFocus 1.8

The OmniGroup released a significant update to OmniFocus.

This update is all about customization. The View Bar has expanded to include groups, projects, and Inbox items. Also, groups and projects can now become next actions. No longer are you required to switch to Planning mode to finish up a project. Also, Perspectives are easier. You can even drag them out of the Perspectives Window to share.

OmniFocus also now cleans up after itself when you change views. The days of hammering Command-K to clean up are over.

Less sexy but more practical, the Omni Group continues to fine tune synchronization. I’m not sure when it happened, but between Omni’s continuing synchronization tweaks and the increasing processor and memory speeds on the iOS devices, I’m now taking fast reliable OmniFocus sync for granted.

I signed up for the OmniFocus sneaky-peaks and watched 1.8 develop over the last several months. Having watched new builds drop at every hour of the day, I’m convinced the folks at Omni don’t sleep and I’m okay with that.

PDFpen 5

Today Smile announced the release of PDFpen, version 5. I’ve been running the beta for a few months and am impressed with the update.

• It’s 64 bit and runs circles around my aging copy of Adobe Acrobat Professional 8. I don’t think there is anything better on the Mac for handling large PDFs.
• Multi-core OCR, speedy text recognition.
• Search, Replace, and Redact: Find your secret data and erase it.
• Deskew. Fix botched scan jobs.

PDFpen is a great value at a fraction of Adobe Acrobat’s cost and the features us mortals need the most.

Compass iPad Stand

I bought my Compass iPad stand about a month ago and love it. Portable and solid. Mark Metzger did a more detailed review here.

Macs in Law Offices

My friend Ben Stevens, the Mac Lawyer, announced the Google group of Mac Lawyers, MILO, has now blossomed to 2,500 members. This is a great resource for legal professionals who’ve seen the light.

Home Screens - Ted Landau

At Macworld I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite Mac writers, Ted Landau (twitter). Ted is prolific with a regular stream of articles for Macworld, the Mac Observer, and several other journals. He also has a blog. The next time you see Ted at Macworld, make sure to say, “hello.”

So Ted, what’s on your homescreen?

What is your favorite app?

I don’t have a single favorite app. If I consider what app I use the most — beyond the basics of Safari, Mail, Phone and Twitter — it would have to be Maps. It serves so many purposes — from getting directions to finding nearby stores to getting phone numbers — and more.

I am still wowed by the best of the new crop of apps designed specifically for the iPad — such as ABC News, NPR, Pulse News and Flipboard. They showcase how the iPad can be so much more than merely a large iPhone or a laptop alternative.

But when it comes time to show off my iPhone or iPad to someone who doesn’t yet own either, I typically start with Google or Dragon Dictation. The ability to speak into the iPhone and have Google display your requested search results — or to have Dictation convert your speech into text — it’s like Star Trek come to life.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I don’t feel guilty about any the apps that I use. Maybe if Steve Jobs allowed pornographic iPhone apps, I’d have something to feel guilty about. As it is, no.

However, there are several games apps that I regularly play that blur the line between having fun and wasting time. I especially like games that I can quickly pick up, play for a few minutes, and then quit if needed. That’s one reason that Angry Birds has long been one of my favorites. In contrast, I have never been able to get into role-playing or similar “long-term” games.

How many screens have you filled?

On my iPhone, seven. But that’s with several folders containing multiple apps. With folders, I would easily be in the double digits.

On my iPad, it’s six. I’m more selective about what I put on the iPad. With very few exceptions, I don’t install any apps that have not been optimized for the iPad’s larger screen.

What is the app you are still missing?

If you mean what app is currently in the App Store that I don’t yet own but would like to own — the answer is none. At least none that I am aware of. If it exists, and I know about it and want it, I get it. This is made easy by the fact that most apps that I want are either free or very low cost.

If you are asking what potential app that does not yet exist would I most like to see, I would have to say a great text editor for the iPad — one that would allow me to write articles without causing me to gnash my teeth while doing so. Nothing I have tried, from Pages to Documents to Go, fills the bill here.

It may be that such an app will have to wait for further refinements of the iOS itself. In that regard, I can think of many improvements I would like. At or near the top of the list would be a split-screen option, so that I can have, for example, Safari and another app viewable at the same time.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

Dozens. For many routine tasks, from checking weather to looking up movie times, I prefer these devices (especially iPad) to my Mac.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone/iPad?

If I were me, with my own agenda, and I had the power of Steve Jobs, I would give up trying to block jailbreaking. Even better, I would formerly set up a separate “advanced” mode for the iOS that would allow open access to the device — at the user’s own risk. As it is, the more popular iOS becomes, and the more it appears to be dominating Apple’s future plans, the more concerned I get that iOS only permits installation of apps approved by Apple.

On the other hand, if I were Steve Jobs, with what I perceive to be his agenda, I’d be doing pretty much what he is already doing. It’s hard to argue with the level of success Apple has had since 2000. Still, I’d be concerned about Android — in the rear view mirror but catching up fast. I’d be working on what Apple needs to do to maintain its lead. I’m sure he is.

Thanks Ted!

Katie Floyd Interviewed on Practically Efficient

One of my favorite people on one of my favorite blogs. Check it out.