iPhone LED Football 2 - Even More Chocolate

I wrote about LED Football awhile back. I explained how much I loved that game as it took me back my favorite handheld of all time, my trusty Mattel Football. What I didn't talk about was the sequel, Football 2. This follow up handheld added passing and the ability to run backward. It was like taking your favorite food and pouring on extra chocolate. I didn't have one back in the day but boy did I sure want it. Now you can have it on your iPhone for just 99 cents.

I'm trying to figure out if these retro games are just something for people of my generation or if everyone likes them. Regardless, I keep both versions of LED Football on my iPhone at all times. They are both some of my favorite "go to" time wasters. Check it out.

Mac Founders' 25th Anniversary Party

Famous Mac software evangelist Guy Kawasaki did a great post following his attendance of the 25th Anniversary party held by a group of mostly former Apple employees who worked on the original Macintosh project. It's nice seeing the people behind the tech.

MacSparky Headquarters Update

I've been receiving emails from screencast subscribers and readers asking what's up with slow screencast release schedule. To be honest, dealing with the holidays, Macworld, and adding estate planning to my law practice (along with the other detritus of life) have been keeping me on my toes.

Hang in there with me troops. I do have some interesting Screencasts planned. I also made some further friends, connections, and associations at Macworld this year that are very interesting. Stay tuned for an announcement regarding future expansion. That is all I can say for now.

Happy Birthday Mac!

Happy Birthday to Macintosh. The event has received plenty of coverage from CNN to Macworld. Twenty-five years ago I was a fifteen year old geek plugging away on my Atari 400, lusting after Apple's fancy new (and completely unattainable) hardware.

Forklift 1.6 Review

A common battle cry among experienced Mac users is the plea for more power to the built-in Finder application. As a result, there is no shortage of third-party solutions. I seem to collect them like some people collect stamps. I’m not all that unhappy with the built-in Finder. I just love the ability to stretch the geek muscles.

One particularly good file management application is BinaryNights' Forklift, which I previously reviewed. The gang at BinaryNights has been hard at work improving Forklift and with the release of version 1.6, I thought it was time to kick the tires, again.

Forklift provides a dual pane interface in which you can select any source for file manipulation. I use the term “any source” rather liberally. It is really more like an “all you can eat” file buffet on your Mac. This includes your local drive, remote drives, network storage, your Amazon S3 account, and FTP storage. The application remembers your logins and makes transferring data between diverse locations as easy as dragging a folder from one pane to the next. It provides a fast, reliable platform for FTP work. I use it for all file management at MacSparky.com.

While the application was originally developed to handle FTP projects, it has matured into a Finder replacement. It includes several useful features such as spotlight integration, smart folders, spring-loaded folders, and Growl support to make this application perfectly competent for file management needs.

With the newest version, several helpful features have been added. The user interface, which used to be exclusively dual pane, now may be used in a single pane mode. This is helpful when you're operating on a small screen or simply don't need the complexity two panes. While this is a welcome addition, I still find Forklift most useful with two panes. Thankfully, the developer appears committed to continuing support for dual pane and indeed explains on its website that several of the future modules will still support (and even require) the dual pane mode.

Another welcome addition is the adoption of a tab metaphor for switching between locations on individual panes. This implementation works better for me. If, however, you prefer the prior method for keeping track of your locations with the side panes, Forklift has a setting to bring them back. For keyboard jockeys, the new version also supports a great deal more keyboard control. In total, Forklift version 1.6 represents a substantial update without an update fee. I like that.

Forklift is, in my opinion, the "middle way" solution for people seeking a Finder replacement. While it doesn't have as many features as some of its competitors, it sports an excellent “Mac-worthy” interface that is well designed and fun to use. The developer is enthusiastic and the application continues to improve. A license for Forklift will cost $45. There is a student license for $25. You can also download a free 15-day trial from the website, www.binarynights.com.

Netbook Madness

I've been watching the whole netbook frenzy with a bit of skepticism. Do regular people actually use netbooks or are they just nerd toys? People are now installing OS X on them and I totally get the idea of putting together an ultra portable Mac at a quarter of the price of a MacBook Air, but the tiny keyboards and crappy screens just do nothing for me. The idea of a bluetooth keyboard matched to my iPhone gets me much more excited.

Regardless, Apple was very coy about Netbooks on their earnings call this week. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple comes out with some piece of hardware in the $400-$600 range aimed generally at the Netbook market. I just hope it is not a crappy little computer. Wow me Apple.

Mac Roundtable Video

My friend Chuck Joiner, who produces some excellent podcasts of his own, was kind enough to post video of the Mac Roundtable live discussion at Macworld as part of his new MacVoices.tv project. Except for my occasional incoherent babbling, it is pretty good.

The Best Mac Ever

Leading up to this weekend's 25th birthday of the Macintosh, Macworld published an article asking what is the best Mac ever. While the SE/30 gets quite a bit of love, I'd have to agree with Andy Ihnatko that the best Mac is the first one you ever owned. The Mac 512 was the first Mac I spent serious time on and I loved that machine. However, I'd have to say that my favorite Mac was the first Intel machine. That was what allowed me to come back into the fold. What was your favorite Mac?

Path Finder on Sale

If you are looking to turn up the geek meter, my favorite file management application, Path Finder (reviewed here) is 35% off through tomorrow at MacZot.

Dear Steve, Get Well Soon

Today Steve Jobs announced he'll be taking a leave of absence until June while he recovers from his illness. He didn't elaborate on precisely what is wrong he did explain his problems are, "more complex than he thought." I hope it is not too serious. There are some very smart people at Apple and I have no doubt the company can continue to innovate in his absence. Hopefully Steve can get some rest and return full of new ideas in the Summer.