Droid Apps Update...

Awhile back, in August, I wrote about some of my favorite Droid apps and when a buddy of mine bought a Droid yesterday, it reminded me that it might be time for an update (not like my original "These Go Up To 11" update).

First and only change, I don't use PdaNet anymore, I use Easy Tether Pro. They both work well, but Easy Tether Pro automatically connects when you plug your phone in as opposed to making you click connect on your computer.

I also need to add AirSync to the list. AirSync lets you connect to doubleTwist on your computer through a wireless router. It is remarkably slow (slower than I expected), so I would not recommend it for anything beyond an album. Definitely not useful for dropping 8gb of music on the phone for the first time, but a good feature for quick updates.

Since I am making additions, why stop there?

Next up, LED Light. This does, exactly what you think, gives you a switch to turn on your LED flash, making your phone a fairly decent flashlight. Nothing fancy, just a solid, sensible solution.

Where's My Droid. This is a fantastically simple app that will help you locate your phone if you lose it. You can send a text to make the phone ring, or text you back the GPS coordinates of the phone (can also send an email in). You can set the word or phrase to activate these features to be whatever you'd like. I don't suggest setting it to "Tell me where you are so I can beat the shit out of you" just in case someone texts that to you and gets back a google map link to your GPS coordinates. If you are cellphone-keeping-challenged, this is a must have, so if you haven't downloaded it already why the fuck aren't you doing that right now?

AnonOps - Calling MasterCard

11.6" MacBook Air Review - Part 2 of 2

Just to refresh (click here for part 1)

We're comparing these two computers:

MacBook
Hard Drive: 250 GB
Processor: 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB

MacBook Air
Hard Drive: 128 GB
Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB

In this part of the test, I install some of the more intensive applications to test the speed and handling of this MacBook Air.

Starting off with the Adobe CS4 package, I chose to install a slimmed-down version so as to save on hard disk space, picking select applications rather than bulk installing the entire dozen GB's. This, of course, is no problem for the computer. The real test comes when I've got Final Cut installed.

Now, this is something I did not explain well in part 1. I have an iMac which is my primary video-editing computer. What I need from my laptop is the ability to cut out short videos in the rare occasion that I cannot wait to get back to the desktop. I knew that the MacBook Air was CAPABLE of running Final Cut. What I did not know is how well it can do that. Well, now I know.

To start with, I completely forgot that the new Air has no CD drive. I had to spend a few hours burning dmg's of the Final Cut discs on my iMac. To do that, on a Mac that is, you go into applications, then utilities, open "disk utility", click on the CD, click "New Image" at the top, save the dmg where you'd like, put it on a hard drive and open it on the MacBook Air. Very simple, but takes an ample amount of time.

Anyways, with Final Cut installed, I began the tests. I loaded a recent Final Cut project on both computers. I choose some videos from a MD Democratic Party GOTV Rally I went to right before the election. This is a great example of the type of thing I might have to edit on the fly (of course, with no firewire on either laptop, I'd have to have my old powerbook in tow to capture footage to an external drive). In total, the project was about 15.4 gb, big but not huge. I choose to render a couple of the videos I had cut out from the source material. In all tests, the MacBook rendered anywhere from 33-40% faster (I repeated this task a few times, once with several other applications running simultaneously). That sounds substantial, but these couple minute videos render relatively quickly, and the difference was close to 30 seconds.

Ultimately, I've decided the MacBook Air will suffice for what I need. It is the ideal computer for my bike touring needs and perfectly capable of handling all the other heavy duty tasks that I have (albeit a little slower). After selling the other laptop and purchasing an external for the Air, I will expect to have spent a few hundred bucks.

11.6" MacBook Air Review - Part 1 of 2

Just 15 hours ago I received my new 11.6" MacBook Air. I still have a whole bunch of tests to do with some of the more intense applications (Final Cut, CS4, etc...), and I have a feeling I'm going to push the limits of this thing. My hope is that this MacBook Air can sufficiently replace my 13" MacBook (letting me sell the MacBook) while also satisfying my need for an ultra-light laptop to bring with me on bike touring trips.

Here's how the specs compare:

MacBook
Hard Drive: 250 GB
Processor: 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB

MacBook Air
Hard Drive: 128 GB
Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB

First impressions: Although the computer feels as sturdy in your hands as all my other laptops, the size of this thing is remarkable . My father said it reminded him off his iPad when he first saw it. It was certainly a delight showing it off at a coffe shop for a little during the day. I worry about the processing capacity, and obviously the computer is a little less computer than my MacBook overall. Don't get me wrong, I love the extra memory since I consistently use multiple heavy applications. But the processing power is nothing to die for (the highest you can get on the 11.6") But I'll find out just how this compares to my other laptop on that front tomorrow (and I'll post the results!). For now, I'll talk about the experience I've had so far.

The laptop came bright and early in the morning and while I've read many descriptions about the experience of first holding this thing, it still kind of shocked me. It really is thin and light! I got right to work importing all the settings from my Time Machine,  which I did not know you could do. My mail, Chrome/Safari bookmarks, dock, and other features imported from the Time Machine letting me skip setting that all up by hand and saving me a butt-load of time.

But I forgot the golden rule. Always check for updates immediately. It seems weird but you almost always need to update software right off the bat. Anyways, I found that out shortly into my downloading-applications process when my newly downloaded flash player didn't work properly. Not sure why, but a quick update and everything was working up and running.

I've enjoyed the feel of this so far. The 11" screen is so high resolution that it isn't all that noticeably different from the 13" MacBook. I was worried about the fact that the keyboard does not light up, but even on the lowest backlight setting, you can read the white on black keys. And the thing barely heats up, unlike every other Mac I have.

So, as for a laptop I can bring with me bike touring, this definitely does the job. What I am looking for is something I can use at night with my phone as a modem to browse the internet, upload pictures, and do some work possibly involving minor web design. The Air is light as can be, weighing in at only 2.3 lbs, so it won't hold me back on the notorious, endless hills of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And it's more than capable of handling anything I might want to do while biking and camping for days or weeks at a time (re: energy. I have a solar panel that attaches to my bike which should provide enough of a charge during the day to keep my droid charged and give me some computer use each night).

That's all great, but I said I want this to be able to replace my 13" MacBook. To sufficiently do that, it needs to be able to run Final Cut, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver (preferably all at once). That's a lot to ask of such a tiny beast, but I think it can just manage it. Then I can put my MacBook up on the market, spend a little bit of the cash I get from it on an external to hang with the Air and pocket the rest! Everything hinges on tomorrow...