My Favorite Mac Apps

1.     iTunes

iTunes is available on both mac and pc. I use iTunes as a media player for music, movies, podcasts, tv shows, etc. It’s a nice program (despite recent updates) but it also allows me to manage content on my iphone/ipad. Associated with iTunes is the iTunes store which contains millions of apps, songs, shows, and movies.

2.     Photoshop

I love graphic design and photoshop is my favorite tool to create with. I’ve got a few years of experience with it and love the features of it.

3. Microsoft Word

There is plenty of room for updates with Microsoft Word but as for as a word processing application for the mac, this would have to be my favorite. It’s easy to share files with friends who are PC users as well as college professors who require word .docs. It does crash a bit, but it gets the job done and has a recovery feature that has come in handy.

4.     Aperture

I use aperture to store and organize all my photos. It has a nice, clean interface and it’s fairly easy to use and edit my photographs. It also has various ways and formats to export photos for the web, email, etc.

5. Just Cloud.

I’ve mentioned JustCloud before and it is a very convenient and simple way to backup your computer and devices. They offer several cloud storage solutions. Personally, I’m on the unlimited plan and I have unlimited cloud storage for my computer, iPhone, and iPad. I’ve also added an external hard drive.

The next iPhone...

Rumors about the next iPhone (speculated to be the 5S) are picking up again due to recent claims from an enthusiast site, MacFan (http://macfan.jp).  The site is in Japanese but I’ve learned about it through CNET (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57576986-37/iphone-5s-to-launch-june-20-go-on-sale-july-claims-report/?subj=cnet&tag=title). In reality, it’s iPhone rumors never cease to exist. As soon as the next iPhone comes out rumors about the next iPhone will most likely begin. The iPhone is rumored to launch in July and it is doubtful to feature anything significantly new. I’m predicting it will be along the usual upgrades and include a better processor, improved cameras, and better battery life. Personally, I suspect the next iPhone will not be worth upgrading to if you’re on the iPhone 4S or 5. And for those Andriod users, I don’t think the next iPhone will provide anything to motivate you to switch.  I would love to hear y’alls comments, predictions, and if you will be upgrading or not.

JustCloud - A Useful Cloud Storage Service

Today I would like to share my experience about  JustCloud, an online storage service that I recently started using. For $9.95 a month I am getting unlimited storage for my macbook, iPhone, and iPad. I simply select which files/folders I want backed up and when I want to back up and JustCloud will automatically backup my devices. If you want to backup additional computers, external drives, or even services, you have to purchase an extra license (one-time fee). So far, I have no complaints with this service. My backups have been slow but that is due to the ridiculously slow upload speeds of AT&T in my area.

If you would like more information about this useful service, just click here to visit their website. Also, if you would like to view other services if JustCloud isn’t for you, here is a top 10 list of thebest online storage services from TopTen Reviews

10 Apps You Must Get (Part 3)

The last and final part to this series...

3. Mint - https://www.mint.com

Mint is a useful tool that allows you to track your all your income and expenses. You can hook up your bank accounts and bills, record your assets, and much more. It gives you breakdowns of your expenses and it also makes financial recommendations based on your activity to help you save money. Mint is a great tool to help manage your finances.

2. Evernote - http://evernote.com

Evernote has many features and is used by many people for many different things. Personally I use evernote to store notes from meetings at work and I create personal documents there. With evernote I can access and edit all my documents

1. Hootsuite – www.hootsuite.com

Hootsuite helps you update all your social networks at once. You can access the latest tweets, facebook posts, and foursquare info. With hootsuite you can also connect to facebook pages and update those.

You can view Part 1 here
You can view Part 2 here

10 iPhone Apps You Must Get (Part 2)

Here's the list continued.

7. Dropbox – www.dropbox.com

Dropbox is simply an online storage solution. You can use it to share files between your iphone, ipad, and computer. I utilize dropbox quite a bit at work for sharing files between computers or sharing with coworkers. You can find out more about this tool at www.dropbox.com

6. Instagram – www.instagram.com

Instagram is another social networking app, but what makes this one a little different is that it is strictly for sharing photos. You can follow your friends, celebrities, and pretty much anyone else you want. For all the photos you share, you have the choice of adding a variety (about 19) of filters to edit your photo before you share. You can also connect to other social networks like twitter and facebook and automatically share your photos on there as well. You can find me at www.instagram.com/loveloud or @loveloud.

5. Flow - http://www.getflow.com

Flow is  a to-do app that allows you to create tasks and split them up into categories (for example, work, personal, grocery…), set due dates, and check them off once they are completed. There are many great to-do lists apps out there but I prefer to use Flow because there is also an app for macs and I can update/add tasks from my computer too.

4. Fancy - http://www.thefancy.com

Fancy is just an app that has all kinds of cool things on them. From furniture to technology accessories to just about anything you could imagine, you just might see on fancy. As they put it, “Discover amazing stuff, collect the things you love, buy it all in one place.”

You can view Part 1 here

10 iPhone Apps You Must Get (Part 1)

I’ve been asked many times by friends and family who are new iPhone/iPad owners what are some must-have apps to download for their new devices. So below are some of my must-have apps that I find very useful.

10. Flipboard

Flipboard is an application that takes blog post from your favorite blog and puts it in a magazine style format. Cosmetically it looks best on the iPad but the iPhone app still allows you to see a picture from the post, the title, and a short summary of the article.

9. Yelp

With yelp you can restaurants, stores, gas stations, and pretty much whatever you are looking for. You can search a certain area you are looking to go to or simply press “nearby” and find everything that’s near your location. Most searches also, provide hours, reviews, contact information, and directions.

8. Amazon

When it comes to online shopping, Amazon is tough to beat. They have just about everything and the prices are very competitive. The app makes it easy to find the product you are looking for and purchase it quickly and conveniently. 

Here's 3 of my top 10, what are your must-haves?
(to be continued)