For those poor souls who are going back to school, this week I give you an iPad/iPhone app and a video. Sooner or later, we all are exposed to the Periodic Table of Elements. Some teachers even insisted that we memorize it. (Not mine, fortunately!)
So, in scrounging around the iTunes Store for something to review this week, I found a great freebie, EMD PTE. There are others periodic tables, free and not free, but this one seems to have most of the add-ons that you would want for quick reference purposes.
I've been using screen recorders for years. These applications allow you to record what you're doing on your Mac directly (or after rendering) to a QuickTime movie. Five years ago If I were to ask all my friends that do presentations on the Mac which screen recorder do you use? Most likely the answer would have been 100% – Snapz Pro X by Ambrosia Software. However, while Snapz is still the number one choice for a superb screen shot utility, I find very few pros using it to record their screens for tutorials and training videos anymore. The reason for this shift is that the landscape has changed and quite frankly Ambrosia just hasn't kept up.
iShowU Pro HD
The first App to completely lure me away from Snapz Pro was iShowU. It had one game changing feature and that was once you hit "stop recording", your movie was done! Instantly! With Snapz Pro X, after you hit the stop button/keyboard shortcut you have to wait while it renders out your movie and unfortunately it would take as long to render the movie as you took to record it. So a 10 minute recording would take 10 minutes to render. Now while that may not sound like the end of the world, imagine recording a 1 hour presentation and then having to wait an hour while it rendered before you could turn off or sleep your computer or do anything else on your computer. There was no way (and still isn't) to say, "do it later." If you didn't wait, you'd lose the recording. iShowU on the other hand would produce your movie file the minute you pressed stop. There it was, ready to use. No waiting! This took the community by storm and all the people I know that use these kinds of apps on a regular basis switched overnight to iShowU. Since that time iShowU has gotten a bigger brother, iShowU Pro HD and of course the HD meaning that it can capture High Definition videos. I still prefer the original iShowU interface over the new Pro version, but the new Pro version has a better crash recovery feature. Also the Pro version allows you to capture both your screen and webcam/iSight video at the same time. All-in-all I go to iShowU when I want to record a movie/tutorial and have to have the file immediately for sharing or posting.
iShowU starts at $20 and goes up to $59.95 for the Pro HD version here.
ScreenFlow
I've also been a ScreenFlow user for some time now too. ScreenFlow takes a slightly different approach in that you can record your screen and webcam video simultaneously and then once you're done with the recording you can actually edit your video right inside of the ScreenFlow app. They even record the webcam video on a separate track so that you can fade it in and out as needed. With iShowU HD Pro, your iSight video becomes part of the main video and there's no way to separate it out later. Screen Flow's editing environment allows you to do titling, add graphics, add other recordings as well as do things like zoom in on the screen, have a large cursor and add other call outs. All of this can be added AFTER the movie has been recorded. While I usually put the finishing touches on my video tutorials in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, I could certainly see someone using ScreenFlow for all of their basic editing needs of their recorded tutorials.
You can get ScreenFlow here for $99.00 (there is a free trial)
The Bottom Line – Which one do I use?
After all that was the point of this right? To recommend one. Honestly I use all of the above and before you say "argggh", let me explain first and then I will then recommend ONE. I still use Snapz Pro X simply because it's the most full featured screen shot utility (for capturing dialog boxes, menus, etc.) I've seen. I use iShowU and iShowU Pro HD when I need it NOW! There's no time to render or it doesn't require editing. I use ScreenFlow when I want that polished look and I can wait for a final render of the edited movie. So if you said, you have to give up one all but one of the screen recorders. Then I would have to say that it would be ScreenFlow. You can record your movie, stop and output later. So it solves that having to clear the room problem after a presentation. Because you can edit right in the App and the iSight camera comes in a separate track, it wins in terms of flexibility. It's also the most expensive of the bunch, but you do in this case get what you pay for.
| A Review of MacGourmet 2.4.5 |  |
“It’s like iTunes for your recipes!”
One of the earliest applications for home computers has been the recipe database program. I’ve purchased a few over the years (back in my PC days), but never really used them much. Recently I decided it would be nice to have one for my MacBook Pro. My requirements were simple:
- Snow Leopard Compatible
- Reasonably priced
- Ability to easily import from web pages or other formats
- Publish to web
- Ability to adjust quantities
- Companion program for my iPhone
A little research turned up a program called MacGourmet by Advenio. The comments about it were very positive and it met my requirements and then some. I downloaded a demo, gave it a spin and shelled out $24.95 for a registration code. MacGourmet also offers a bundle called MacGourmet Deluxe for $49.95 that includes MacGourmet and three plugins (Mealplan, Nutrition and Cookbook) and there is a companion program for the iPhone/iTouch called MacGourmet Touch for $4.95. The plugins are available separately for $11.95 each ($9.95 if you use a promo code).
There is one thing that really stood out in the past year while helping some of my fellow Mac users solve or troubleshoot a problem with their computers or software. Cluttered desktops.
And I don’t mean one or two items, I mean about 50 to 100 items sitting on their desktops.
A visual nightmare. I’ve never understood how one can work like this, but I see it all the time.
For many Mac users, FileMaker has been their database of choice for a long time. After all, Microsoft has never ported their Access database to the Mac, and there haven't been a lot of good alternatives to FileMaker. You could use a spreadsheet for very simple lists, and AppleWorks had a decent simple database, but there really hasn't been a lot of good alternatives to FileMaker for a heavy-duty database. Bento is now available as an easier to use (and more consumer-oriented) alternative to FileMaker. And if you're running a small business, they're probably fine.
But what if you want to use a database with the web? You can use some versions of FileMaker to show your data via the web, and it has some nice tools built-in for that. But what if you're using a hosting site? They probably don't support FileMaker. And what if you're working on your own dynamic web pages (or want to hire someone local to do it)? You need a test database as well as a live one. That means buying another copy of FileMaker to do it right.
There's a lot of dynamic, database drive web sites on the web, and I'll wager not a lot of them are using FileMaker. Many of them are using something expensive like Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server. But a lot of site also use a free alternative – MySQL. MySQL is a free, robust database that you can download and run on many different systems (Macs, Windows, Linux, Unix, etc.). Yes, there are paid versions, with some enterprise features and support, but the free version is probably more than enough for most people and small businesses.
Now, unlike FileMaker, you don't get a nice GUI interface to your data with MySQL – it's all command-line based. But you can download a free program called MySQL Workbench, which will let you control your server and manipulate your data. MySQL comes pre-loaded on OS X Server – all you need to do is turn it on via the Server Manager. Of course, there's some configuration involved – by default MySQL only allows connections from the local machine, for example. Some of the configuration can be done with Apple's tools, but the rest is easier via MySQL Workbench or other tools designed to work with the database.
You can run MySQL even if you don't have OS X Server. MySQL comes with a package installer, so you don't need to know any test commands to get it installed. The MySQL Workbench installs with a drag and drop. You also get a preference pane for starting and stopping your database, and you can set it to auto-start when you start your Mac if you want.
You will most likely have to learn some SQL language to get the most out of your database. But if you are already doing your own dynamic web pages via PHP, you probably understand enough programming to be able to pick up SQL. And if you're using a program like Dreamweaver for writing your web pages, then there are tools that come with it to make pulling your data out much easier, with little to no SQL knowledge.
So if you're a web designer looking to make the jump from static to dynamic pages, or looking for a free alternative to the more expensive Mac databases (and willing to invest a little elbow grease to save some money), you might want to give MySQL a try. I use it for my iScore website that's housing all my baseball data from my 1984 replay. If you check out one of the leagues, you see there's a lot of data in there – and if you go to the "Standings" page, and click on one of the game results, you'll see a page with a link to a "scorecard" for that came. That will bring up a PDF stored in the database – showing you can store just about anything in there (photos and other binary files).
One of my web clients also has a store that uses MySQL to house the data, and I'm looking to convert another client with a couple of stores over from MS SQL databases.
It's also easy to backup and restore your database (you have to have a backup, or Calvin will come looking for you!). It's also easy to take these backups and restore them on another machine (even if it's a different type, like a Windows box). So MySQL databases are very portable.
MySQL has been in use by a lot of folks for many years. Some are worried that since Oracle bought it, they'll do something to kill it off, but there are already a couple of new projects based on MySQL (since the code is all open source), so even if Oracle were to somehow shut down further development, MySQL would live on via one (or more) of these other projects. So I don;t think it's going anywhere any time soon.
Everyone needs a cookbook! Now, I have to admit that I never follow recipes to the letter. Goes against everything I learned at my grandmother's side. I improvise according to what ingredients happen to be on hand. That said, I do have a fairly large collection of cookbooks, but I use them mostly for inspiration and general cooking times and temps.
The iPad has become my mobile library, and while there are plenty of cookbooks available in Kindle and iBooks format, they are not the most convenient to use. One of the old, old stand-bys, The Betty Crocker Cookbook is available in a stand-alone format (for free, of course!), and there are two separate versions available, The Betty Crocker Mobile Cookbook for the iPhone and touch, and The Betty Crocker Cookbook for iPad. While I haven't tried the iPhone version, I have been playing with the iPad version, and for a free app, it's nicely done.
I just wanted to take moment to publicly thank all of the current and past members of MacGroup-Detroit for 24 wonderful years! I never imagined that MacGroup would become what it has become and as the founder I'm truly pleased to have met so many great people through the years. I've learned a lot as a result of being involved with MacGroup and I look forward to our future!
Thanks!
Terry White,
President and Founder
There is always another day to discover another thing about yourself.
In a future posting, I will explain how this applies to me but for now, it food for thought for you.
I have been pretty relentless about urging you, the reader, the computer user, to backup your Mac or PC on a regular basis. It's the right and prudent thing to do. Some of you have heeded my advice and others are waiting for the opportunity to heed my advice. That's a good thing — as Martha Stewart would say.
But then it dawned upon me.
It's great to have a backup of your hard drive for that catastrophe that may come to your hard drive or worse, your computer. If it's not just your hard drive but your computer, are you prepared? Do you have a Backup Machine?
I decided it would be good to have a backup machine as well. Now here is the trick . If your main computer is Intel based and your backup machine is PowerPc based, you will have a problem. But if they are both Intel based or both PowerPc based, then you are in luck. You can take that SuperDuper or CarbonCopy backup and connect it to your backup machine and boot to the external drive and you are back in business!
Get replacement insurance
If you don't have an extra machine, make sure your homeowners or business insurance is "replacement" insurance. That way if your Mac or PC is stolen or destroyed, the insurance company will replace it with the same or better Mac or PC. Check with your insurance provider to be sure. Sometimes the replacement turnaround time can be as short as 48 hours.
I use a backup machine even though it's a G4. I can still move most of my data there and continue working in most cases. Somethings I can't but I can wait till insurance replaces the Mac.
Almost Musical
These guys celebrated 24 years just recently so I kinda matches up with the Macgroup celebrating 24 years as well
Knobs and Dials
From the Golden Tower of the Fisher Bldg, tune in to AM 760 WJR between 5:00 and 7:00 PM for "The Internet Advisor Show". The standard crew will be there for you. Gary, Foster, Ed. I however will not be on hand this week. But I will be back next week. Please join me on Sunday at the MacGroup meeting when the subject will be:
"Mac Tips and Tricks Join us as we celebrate our 24th Anniversary with Mac OS X Tips and Tricks that every user should know".
How many times a day do you say that while on your computer?
Wow that many. 
Well, I for one usually say that after I accidentally close a Safari browser window. It is not unusual for me to have a minimum of 15 browser windows open at any given time. And those windows usually contain multiple tabs that I click back and forth through. So, I do try to close those that may no longer be relevant. But, when I accidentally close the wrong one…
He was a visionary…ahead of his time and a head of his time. He predicted many of the things we have today. And now, he's back – in DVD form, oddly for the first time. Who was he?
Max Headroom.
I personally find it amazing "Max Headroom" hasn't been released on DVD before now (apparently, from what I can gather, there were some issues over who had the rights to actually put the DVDs out). For those of you who haven't seen the series, it originally aired in 1987-88, and each episode was labeled "20 minutes into the future…". Max was an Artificial Intelligence created from the memories of of reporter Edison Carter, nearly killed in a not-so-accident while tracking down a story embarrassing to people in power.
In the future of Max Headroom, powerful TV networks control almost everything, due in part to their control of much of the flow of information. OK, we seem to have dodged that one, but in Max's world, TVs are *everywhere*. Hmmm. Seems to me I've seen them in supermarkets and gas stations, among other places…and I can watch just about anything on my cell phone. So give him a point for that one.
His future also has a lot of people running around with video cameras taking shots of just about everything that happens. And there's a lot of "news" being staged just for the ratings, including terrorist attacks (and if you don't think many of today's terrorists are media-savvy and plan attacks for maximum media exploitation, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you). In Max's world, though, the TV station *pay for the rights* to get exclusives on terror groups! I don't think we've come quite that far yet.
You've heard of people "going off the grid" – trying to keep as low a profile as possible and stay out of databases, camera range, etc. – Max had those too. They were called "blanks," because they wouldn't show up in any files. Being a blank was a serious crime in Max's world.
The show was not afraid to skewer television in it's satirical look at the future – in fact, that was one of its main targets. Maybe that's why it only lasted two seasons. It poked fun at advertisers, networks, and their desire to be first with a story at all costs. It also made fun of the fact that while there were plenty of channels, most of them were filled with dreck. More correct predictions!
I remember when it first came on, I ran out to buy my first VCR with a stereo tuner in it so I could watch and listen to the show in all its glory. I still have the tapes of those shows – but sadly, they are completely unwatchable. (So here's another lesson for all of you in Professor Carson's Friday backup class – just because you have something backed up, doesn't mean it's a *good* copy – test those backups!).
Max Headroom actually was on in the UK before being slightly re-worked and brought over the the US. There were 14 episodes in the States – episode 14 not airing until 1995, seven years after episode 13! So even many of you who did watch the show might not have seen the last episode (I know I haven't).
So head into the past and go 20 minutes into the future with Max on the new DVD set. Sure the "high tech" graphics are not exactly world-class by today's standards, and the Internet is replaced mostly by broadcast networks, but if you can look past that, the stories still hold up pretty well.
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