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MPU Screencasts and OpenDNS

There is no Mac Power Users episode this week but I am pleased to announce we have an official MPU Vimeo page. As the year moves forward, Katie and I intend to add small screencasts to the page that naturally arise from show topics and discussions. Katie did a fantastic job of the first screencast explaining how to use OpenDNS. If you haven’t yet, you really should set up OpenDNS.

2012 and Big iPad Developers

I was reading MacStories’ coverage of Photoshop for the iPad and it got me thinking. I’m guessing 2012 will be the year that Adobe, Microsoft, and the other “big” developers get serious about the iPad. I hope they don’t blow it.

Thumbtack Pinboard Utility

While I’ve never met Don Southard, I’m a fan of his nerdery at DirtDon.com and writing at MacStories. Don just released an app, Thumbtack, a menu bar utility that gives quick access to your Pinboard account. Slick.

via Macdrifter

1Password Stores E-Mails

Did you know that you can drag an e-mail from Apple Mail to 1Password? The fun begins later when you need that e-mail again. Just click the mail message in 1Password and it opens the mail message, even after you’ve buried the mail message in your archive. Pretty slick.

Update on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 2:52PM by David Sparks

I misspoke. 1Password opens an encrypted copy of the e-mail. It doesn’t go find it in Apple Mail. Thanks @ericdobson

The Air Force and GoodReader

Apparently the Air Force cancelled a big iPad order because someone realized GoodReader’s developer is a Russian company. The whole thing is nutty. The Air Force could have used a home-grown PDF reader, like iPad PDFpen or baked their own.

Home Screens - Chris Foresman

Every year I yammer on about the Macworld friends that I only get to see once a year. One of those people is Chris Foresman. Chris is a really smart guy that covers the Apple beat for Ars Technica (Twitter). So Chris, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps? That’s a tough question. I’d say for the most part my home screen apps are pretty pedestrian‹I chose them for maximum utility. However, I’m really liking Tweetbot; I recently added it to replace the official Twitter client, which is frankly getting to be a pain to use.

I also keep a lot of various photo-related apps in a folder because I’m a consummate iPhone snapper. Lately I’ve been getting into Snapseed, Pano, Diptic, and IncrediBooth.

*What is your favorite app?( Another hard one. I’m inclined to say Buster, since I use it to navigate Chicago’s CTA busses and trains. Plus, I had a small hand in steering some of its UI conventions. On the other hand, I use Instagram almost daily. Love me some Instagram.

Apps I really like off the home screen: Netflix, iBooks, Kindle, GarageBand, PNC Virtual Wallet, and Taxi Magic.

Which app is your guilty pleasure? Probably Ticket To Ride Pocket. I’ve been playing it non-stop since it was released, even though it lacks the various maps and add-ons of the iPad version. Really liking the Game Center turn-by-turn integration, though it has a few quirks. Just wish I knew more people that wanted to play!

What is the app you are still missing? I guess Siri, since I still have an iPhone 4. ;)

How many times a day do you use your iPhone and iPad? I tend to use my iPhone all day long, making calls, staying in touch with friends via Facebook and Twitter, and playing games whenever I have to wait on something. I’m also always taking pictures and posting them via Instagram.

My iPad largely sits idle by the bed, for the occasion I want to do some reading, play some iPad-only games, or do the occasional iPad review. I do like to take the iPad on trips though, if I can avoid taking my laptop.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad? Seamless syncing of important data. When Jobs said “iCloud was the future of Apple for the next decade,” I really hope he means it. I want ALL my data accessible from any of my devices. It will take some time to get there, but looks like Mountain Lion is making some strides in that direction.

Thanks Chris.

For more home screens clicky here.

Mark as Read Script

Because I often process e-mail on the iPhone and iPad, I tend to accumulate lots of messages that appear unread throughout my accounts when, in reality, they ware processed very quickly. I wrote Ben Waldie about this and a few hours later he sent me an AppleScript. It sure pays to have smart friends.

"Consumption and Work"

I know I’m a little late to the party on this one but did anyone catch Tim Cook’s recognition of the iPad as a device for consumption and work?

“You know, we started obviously in Apple using the iPad well before it was launched. Of course, we had our shades pulled and everything so nobody could see us. What I started noticing about my own personal behavior, it quickly became 80 to 90 percent of my consumption and work was done on the iPad.”
-Tim Cook

via Macworld

I’m probably biased but I think this and work thing is a big deal. So many of the iPad competitors are great for consumption but don’t even attempt the creation half. My wife has a Kindle Fire. It is great for consuming Amazon content but that is it.

This quote really sent home for me the fact that Apple was looking at the iPad as a content creation device from the very beginning. Don’t forget the first iPad apps from Apple were iWork. With the iPad 2, they added iMovie and Garage Band. I wouldn’t be surprised to see iPad Aperture next month.

Tim’s use of the phrase “consumption and work” was not accidental and Apple is going to keep the throttle down on making the iPad a creation device.

Microsoft Office for the iPad Rumor

I don’t know if this rumor is true or not but it should be. I’ve written before about why Microsoft should put Office on the iPad. If Microsoft gets this together and if they can include otherwise missing iPad features — like change tracking — it will be like printing money.