Justin Roselt - Media and Design » Handy

PC to iPhone to Mac

JR — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:45:53 +0000

Working on both a Mac and PC is no big deal, everything is pretty much the same. However because I have been to lazy to network them (that’s next month) I have searched for some apps I can use that can make the on the fly file sharing process a little easier.

So what are we using?

Air Sharing for iPhone

Can’t go past this for a wireless file sharing app for the iPhone. Viewable formats include: iWork, Office, Web Archive, Web Page, PDF, HTML, RTF, RTFD, Plain Text, Source Code, MPEG-4, H.264, 3GPP, all iPhone Audio formats, and Image formats including Gif, PNG, JPG, TIFF, and more. The file browser also features pinch zooming and landscape mode.
Visit iTunes for more info

IDrive

Like most, I have a few portable backup drives however I do not like carrying them with me all the time. So to keep it simple I now use IDrive on a daily and weekly basis. With scheduled backups and 2GB of free storage, you can’t go past it for a free online and backup storage service.
Visit the iDrive website

Synkron

Until recently I have been a big fan of SyncToy, now I am using Synkron on the Mac and PC. A nicer, easier to use interface and of couse, there is a Mac and PC version unlike some other Syncing apps. If you’re into it, there’s also a portable version!
Visit website

Of course, none if this would work without an Internet connection and if you’re going to use Air Sharing it will have to be a wireless one.

For an alternative to IDrive (for stoage only) you could use Box.net.

Hardware is a DELL Latitude with XP, MacBook Pro with OS X and iPhone 3G. Internet connection and iPhone data both with OPTUS.

LinkBunch

JR — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:48:54 +0000

Came across this today and found it quite handy – LinkBunch. I have a private page I keep many links on that I refer to every day. The Mac I spend the most time on, has all these open in their own tabs. I spend quite a bit of time though on other computers and don’t always have the same links open. With one click (actually it takes 2 clicks) I can open all the tabs I need. Try it for yourself!

Tools of the trade

JR — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:42:37 +0000

Here’s a summary of what I use to manage all aspects of my online day to day life, personally and professionally.

CRM & Invoicing

Freshbooks: Can’t go pass this for simplicity and overall usability. Freshbooks encompasses everything the professional freelancer needs to manage customer information, invoicing, time tracking, estimates and even online payments. It comes with a free version but it did not take long for me to sign up for the minimum paid monthly access. In the past I had tried Blinksale but found it a bit rigid with its customisation and email formatting.
www.freshbooks.com

Blogging

Wordpress: Commonly used now for clients websites, it is the most popular Blogging and CMS app currently available for free. Movable Type comes a close second but it is Wordpress’ easy to use interface and customisation abilities that get this one over the line. A minute to install and setup and hundres of templates for inspiration. This Blog is powered by Wordpress.
www.wordpress.org

GTD

Remember The Milk: keeping the To Do list managable, this now easily integrates into Gmail with a Firefox extension. Work it!
www.rememberthemilk.com

Basecamp: A great online app for managing projects and team collaboration. Helps me stay on top of my work and tasks.
www.basecamphq.com

Google Calendar: I could not function without this! Goosync helps with those that don’t have a web compatible device and if you like you can publish your availablity via your Blog. I use it to assist with the To Do items and managing five calendars.
www.google.com/calendar

Email (and everything else)

Google Apps: Late last year I decided to move everything over to Google Apps. Mainly because I had a greater need for improved email management (including larger storage capacity) and a one stop location for all my online docs and calendar management. After trying Google Apps I don’t know how I got by before! Do yourself a favor, give it a go.
www.google.com/a/

Statistics

Google Analytics: I now use this for all my personal projects and find it incredibly powerful and dynamic. There really is not much more to say as it speaks for itself and if you need to know more than you probably not using it. I would have to as why not?
www.google.com/analytics/

StatCounter: For client statistics, emailed directly to them weekly or monthly. Data is exportable and access comes for free!
www.statcounter.com

Mint: Comes at a cost but is another highly rated stats and analytical tool. I personally use this with Do Not Bend and was initially comparing it to Google Analytics. It’s functionality and widget for the Mac is what got it over the line.
www.haveamint.com

RSS

Google Reader (RSS): There are plenty of RSS Readers out there but personally, I cannot live without Google Reader. Mainly because I spend a lot of time on three laptops at different locations. You can now store offline as well!
www.google.com/reader/

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