Time Winding Down for Software Deals
Time is winding down on a couple of great software deals. MacHeist, as previously noted, has tried an interesting bit of marketing to bring new users into its fold, by bundling six applications together and offering them up for free (well, in exchange for the all-important contact information). That bundle, dubbed the “nanobundle” by MacHeist, officially ends tonight. According to the counter on their website, there are twelve hours left.
In response to the Macheist deal, one independent Mac software developer, Daniel Jalkut, came up with an idea to have a promotion of his own, called the One Finger Discount. As he noted, “Everybody loves a deal. We’re banding together to give customers a price break, and to spread the word about Mac software they may not have heard about.” I asked him last night on Twitter if he’d had much feedback regarding sales from others. He said, “Every dev I’ve heard from has been “stoked” by the response.”
The One Finger Discount officially ends the same time as the MacHeist bundle, but Jalkut says he’s recommended everybody keep running thru Friday or later. Show your support for Mac software. There are over 100 developers on the list, and many have more than one app listed. Therefore, there are potentially several hundred apps listed from which to choose. Now that sounds like a great shopping spree!
Get More Done with Jott
If you are not using Jott, you are missing out on some serious chances to be more productive when those little random thoughts, that I call ‘popcorn thoughts’, jump in and out of your head before you can make notes. Enter Jott. The premise is deceptively simple. It is a program that uses voice recognition software, and a few humans, to transcribe what you say to text. The uses have grown almost exponentially as the application has matured. It is still in beta, but it is quite stable and has a very long list of features. This review will just scratch the surface, but I hope it will interest you enough to head over to Jott.com and check it out for yourself.
We’ll start off with the most basic function: sending yourself an email message. This is affectionately known as “Jott to Self”. First, you pop over to Jott.com, cell phone in hand, and set up an account, which takes about 30 seconds. Now you’re ready to start Jotting. Enter Jott’s phone number, 866-JOTT-123, in your cell phone directory (mine is in my iPhone favorites, so it’s right there on the front screen so I don’t have to search for it). Call Jott. You will be asked, “Who do you want to Jott?”. You can say “me” or “myself”, or press 1. When you hear the beep, leave your message; for example, “Add more contacts to Jott”. Jott will confirm by saying, “Got it”. You may then hang up, or stay on the line to Jott again. You will then receive an email message (and also a text message if you set it up to receive confirmation texts) of your Jotted message.
That’s how you get started. You can leave a Jott to remind you about meetings, birthdays, special events, or anything else for which you need a reminder. You will get an email and a text message approximately fifteen minutes prior to the date and time you specified. You can set up lists for things to do, movies to see, places to go, etc. Those lists can be printed as well. When you set up your friends as contacts, you can choose to send their Jott as an email, text message, or both. The accuracy is quite good, but if for some reason the message they get is unclear or doesn’t sound right, there is a link that will also let them listen to your spoken Jott.
In addition to setting up friends as contacts, you can also set up groups. Let’s say you need to let the members of your softball team know that the time of your game was moved up an hour. Rather than call a dozen people, you only need to make one call to Jott. You’ll Jott the message to your team (group contact), then the whole team will get the text and/or email, and everyone will be on time for the game. How’s that for efficiency?
Jott has links that you can add for integration with other sites such as Remember the Milk, 30 Boxes, and many others. They even give instructions for developing your own link! If you use Google Calendar, by all means, link to it. You can set up events and reminders thru Jott that will sync to your Google Calendar. If you use iCal, you can still use it by using a third party shareware application such as BusySync or SpanningSync. For example, if I Jott a reminder for “Karen’s Birthday Party” Saturday at 3pm, it will post to Google Calendar, then BusySync will sync with iCal. When I connect my iPhone, I will have the notation for the party in iCal and on my iPhone. How cool is that?!
If you like to Tweet, add Twitter as a link, and you can Jott your tweets (you just have to keep up with those 140 characters in your head!). You can also blog to WordPress and other popular blogs using Jott. I even Jotted part of this review (see the brief post below this one)! You have to keep in mind that Jotts are limited to thirty seconds. If you want to add a lot of content, just edit several Jotts together.
Jott Feeds was recently added to the growing list of features. You call Jott, and say “Jott Feeds”. Then you tell Jott which feed you want to hear (they have a few there by default, but you can add more to your account). If I say, “Lifehacker”, it will read the latest Lifehacker updates to me. Score another point for safety. It’s kind of funny to hear the relatively pleasant, but still quite mechanical voice reading this to me. There are a lot of run-on sentences and a lot of it is really hard to understand. I’m sure this will likely be refined over time.
Jott is now integrated with the incredibly popular Evernote application. Evernote is cross-platform, and also has a desktop client. It recently went public (it had been in private beta). Evernote generates a special email address for members. I made a contact named Ever Note and listed the Evernote email address. Then I called Jott, and Jotted to Evernote. It sent the text of my Jott to Evernote via the Evernote-specific email address. Nice.
There are a few important guidelines to remember when Jotting. Speaking clearly is paramount. Pronounce the words clearly, and you can even spell out proper names or difficult words if you want. The voice recognition software can be a little tricky sometimes, but for the most part, it just works, and works very well. The accuracy is amazing. I have a little bit of a southern accent, but I haven’t run into any major problems so far. I looked over the longest paragraph that I Jotted to my blog, and it was spot-on, 100% accurate.
I have to give a shout out to the very responsive staff at Jott. There was one feature that I wanted desperately, and that was the ability to send myself text messages separately, not associated with emailing a Jott. Kevin over at Lifehacker had come up with a way to do this several months ago, but the application had undergone a few revisions since then and it was no longer possible to do it. I tried to implement a few workaround hacks, but I just could not get it to work. I emailed support a few times and talked to Brooke about it. That’s when I got the bad news that I couldn’t send myself just a text message.
I pleaded for her to work on it. A couple of weeks went by, and just the other day I got a message from Brooke saying that, because of my emails, they changed some things and re-introduced that bit of functionality. Yay! For anyone else wanting to do this, here is what you do. First, I only have my email address listed for my contact information (to Jott myself). I did not list my cell phone number with my main contact info. I added a contact called “Text Me” and added my phone number to it, but not my email address. Inidentally, I tried saying both ‘my phone’ and ‘phone’, but it had voice recognition conflicts with those, so I had to get a little more creative. However, Brooke told me she used “phone” and it worked fine for her…probably my southern accent! Now, when I call Jott, and I am asked, “Who do you want to Jott?”, I say “Text Me”. I leave my message, and a few minutes later, it sends it to my iPhone as a text message. Perfect!
So, if there is a feature you would like to see, just let them know. They have implemented so many new features in the past several weeks and there are even more to come. This is only the tip of the iceberg as far as what you can do with Jott. There are many more suggestions and examples at their website.
Another very important point to bring up is the safety aspect. By using Jott, you can use a bluetooth headset with your cell phone, BlackBerry, or iPhone. This makes it much safer for you to be productive while on the road. You don’t have to try to scroll through a list of contacts or rummage around to find pen and paper.
Jott is free while in beta. No word yet on pricing when it comes out of beta, although the free application will remain. According to posts at their forums, they will be implementing a premium service that will allow longer Jotts, possibly including transcription services, and more features. It’s practically impossible not to get hooked on it. Give Jott a try.
It’s Easy to Jott to a Blog…
It’s easy to use Jott to post to your WordPress or other popular blog. You just have to keep your post to under 30 seconds each. So if you think it will run longer, just string several of them together. Remember to speak slow and clearly. I’m using Jott now to post this message to my blog. The accuracy is really amazing. However, if something comes out really wrong, you can always go into your Jott webpage and correct it manually. I just Jotted this post!
Powered by Jott
Ryu’s MacHeist pulls a heist of his own
Well, there’s been quite a little uproar at MacHeist today.
The new and improved bundle was released today, ostensibly to increase less-than-stellar sales of the MacHeist Retail Bundle. The Retail Bundle was released a couple of months ago and has been sold online, plus there is a boxed version that is being sold in brick and mortar stores like Apple.
The bundle was essentially a “greatest hits” compilation of favorite applications from previous bundles. As such, many of the MacHeist faithful did not jump onboard to purchase this bundle as they had in the past because they already had most or all of the applications. They bought some for gifts, but the sales were nowhere near what previous MacHeist events have been.
So, the MacHeist “Directorate”, Phill Ryu and John Casasanta, decided to jump-start things with a ‘new and improved’ bundle, with a few new applications. Vector Designer was added to replace Wallet (the developer supposedly had a prior commitment and only contracted for a short amount of time). TextExpander and Sound Studio were added as “locked applications”, which would be given to buyers once a certain amount was raised. TextExpander was unlocked quickly, and Sound Studio probably won’t be too far behind. There was also a “Bonus App”, the highly popular Voodoo Pad, for people who bought during a specified 24-hour period.
Always in the past, people who had already purchased the bundle were given the additional applications as sort of an “early-buyers bonus”. Well, the early adopters, who supported MacHeist by buying a lackluster bundle, were given the added apps…except Voodoo Pad.
There was a lot of talk and angry postings over at the MacHeist forums. Things got worse when Ryu suggested that Voodoo Pad could possibly still be had…provided customers buy the bundle again during a 24-hour period when the bundle is advertised on a collaborating-but-yet-unnamed “interesting, highly trafficked site”.
So, early adopters, some of MacHeist’s best and most vocal supporters, essentially got screwed by buying early. Fence-sitters were rewarded with a premium application. One poster stated that “it’s a shame that people who bought in through a random promotion got a better deal than people who were loyal from the beginning.”
Ryu commented on the criticism about not including Voodoo Pad by saying, ” We try to be fair, but quite frankly, we’re in the red right now, mostly due to the decision to try to improve this bundle for you guys, and MAINLY because we wanted to reward any previous customers with the three main additional apps. There’s no way we can afford to do that. Sorry.” Another poster shot back, “If you’re in the red, it’s because most of the loyal MacHeist people already had most, if not all, of the apps in the bundle; therefore there wasn’t much incentive for us to buy.”
True enough, previous MacHeist bundles have resulted in enormous sales. Also, it isn’t a problem with the applications themselves. They are very good. The problem is just that the overwhelming majority of people who support MacHeist already have one or more copies of most of the programs. Even two of the three bonus programs that were added were in previous bundles, one in a MacHeist bundle and one in a MacUpdate bundle.
It doesn’t look like Ryu is going to change his position on this. However, it will probably hurt initial sales when the next bundle is up for grabs. A lot more people will likely wait to see what special deals will be offered before committing their support, and their money, to MacHeist.
Something’s brewing at MacHeist…
So, Phill Ryu, of MacHeist fame, sent out a tweet a few hours ago that said “been working my ass off over the past month to really improve the current bundle and redo the MacHeist sale page…stay tuned”.
Then Twitter pops up with a message from MacHeist that said: “Lockdown at macheist.com…cool stuff coming soon…stay tuned agents!”
Going over to MacHeist’s website, the welcome screen that had been advertising the current retail bundle has been replaced with the following:
Let the speculation begin!!
Of course, the message boards at MH lit up like a xmas tree, and Phill posted that there “are some interesting things” going on. “This isn’t MacHeist 3 for sure, but we’re putting some kick into the previously existing bundle…” He went on to say that much of what they are doing will probably be used for MH3’s sale page, “so, in a way, you guys will get a glimpse of the future with that as well”. He closes the post by saying, “I think a bunch of you who skipped the retail bundle or were on the fence may be convinced with the additions, especially if you hit the right site tomorrow. But we’ll see!”
Umm, “hit the right site tomorrow“??? (tomorrow being the day of the keynote at WWDC being given by Apple’s Steve Jobs). MacHeist’s IRC chat channel says to check the MH main site on June 10.
Do I smell a mini-heist in the works???
It has not been a big secret that sales have seemed a little slow. Many of the MH faithful have passed on this bundle because they already have most of these apps (which is essentially a “best of” collection of popular past applications).
In all fairness, though, this bundle was targeted more at people who were not the regular MacHeist fans. Part of the reasoning behind doing the MacHeist retail bundle was to expose consumers to really good shareware who might not otherwise be aware of these sources for great software. These people will see the retail box packaging at their local Apple store or other retail establishment and be more likely to purchase it in a brick and mortar store than they would online.
Phill commented several weeks ago that at least one developer was pulling out because of a prior commitment, and his software would be replaced (it was also noted that early adopters would automatically receive the new product without having to pay extra for it – sort of an early adopters’ bonus!). Also, the “prize cabinet” did not go over exceedingly well, at least in the beginning.
The points system is essentially like a prize ticket system where you get 1 point every time someone uses your referral link to buy the bundle. The cabinet was initially stocked with eight or ten prizes varying in value from 1 to 4 points. There were good software apps for being used for prizes, but there were very few people with enough points to redeem for said prizes, even at the lower levels. The pre-launch buzz was talk of some spectacular prizes to be awarded to the top point-getters at the end of the bundle sale, such as ipods and even an imac — remember, points would accumulate during the year, so that could potentially be a large number of points. The referral system has not gone over as well as they had hoped, so that is one of the things that they have been working on.
MacHeist is still giving 25% of their sales to charity and they hope to bring the total amount donated to charity to over a million dollars with this bundle. Let’s hope whatever Phill, John, and company have planned for the next couple of days will jump-start things in the MacHeist community.
Recovery Software for Your Mac
Resourceful – 1. having the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties; 2. teenage Apple employee in NY who helped police recover her stolen laptop and other goods.
There was a story in the New York Times recently about the teenage girl in New York who had approximately $5000 worth of computers, tv’s, and other electronics stolen from her apartment. When a friend called to ask if she was online because he saw that it appeared she was online from her iChat profile, she logged onto a friend’s computer and remotely activated the Back to my Mac feature on her laptop. It is part of Apple’s $99.95 per year .Mac subscription package (http://www.apple.com/dotmac/). She was able to take a picture of the thieves using the computer and found that they were friends of friends. She took the photos and the thieves’ ID to the police, who arrested the two men.
There is another application that utilizes the Mac’s built-in iSight camera for its recovery of stolen laptops. It’s called Undercover from Orbicule Software. http://www.orbicule.com/undercover
Once you alert Orbicule that your laptop has been stolen, it activates the software, which pings Orbicule when the Mac logs on to the internet. The iSight camera takes pictures of the thief and the screen at predetermined times. In addition, the IP address is recorded so the thief’s location can be traced.
If that fails, a hardware failure is simulated causing the screen to gradually dim until it is black. The premise is that the thief will take the laptop into a repair shop. Orbicule has a list of Apple Service Providers’ IP addresses and if the computer is logged online from one, a message will be displayed telling them that the Mac has been stolen. It will also begin screaming at the loudest volume that the laptop has been stolen, and the computer will be locked to prevent any further use.
A single-user license is $49 and a household license is $59. They also have student licenses, site licenses, and volume licenses available.
Karelia’s iMedia browser…free…get it now
Here’s a good one. Karelia Software has released an iMedia Browser. It’s like the media browser with a lot of the Apple apps that gives you instant access to your photos and other media files. You can access it from the dock or menu bar.
And did I mention it’s free??
Get it at http://www.karelia.com/imedia/
Get Time Out!
Dejal’s Time Out helps you combat RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury) and encourages you to take frequent breaks while working or playing at your computer. As Dejal (pronounced Dee-Jill) developer David Sinclair says, “It is easy to fall into bad habits when using a computer for hours on end”. You get into what you’re working on, and before you know it a couple hours have passed, your neck is on fire, your shoulder is in knots, and your eyes are seeing double, or worse! That’s where Time Out comes into play. It reminds you to take regular breaks.
The program can be set up in several ways via the Preferences menu. Breaks come in two flavors: “normal” breaks last for 10 minutes every 50 minutes, and “micro” breaks last for 15 seconds every 10 minutes. The screen gradually dims, a zen-like logo comes forward, a countdown timer displays the time remaining in the break, and you cannot type or do anything else during the break. Those break times are just recommended parameters. You can change the duration of both the break and the time between the break via the preferences pane. There is also a button present that allows you to postpone the break or to skip it altogether.
A really cool feature is that you can run Automator workflows, AppleScript, or Python script or applications at the beginning or end of a break. Some of these are included, and there are also user-submitted scripts to add functionality. One of the scripts shows a status change in Adium at the beginning and end of breaks. Another pauses iTunes during your break, then cranks it up again when the break is over. Many of these features will be included when v. 2.0 is released, but it’s nice for now. Many other user-requested features will also be present in the upgrade.
I can tell you from personal experience that this app works quite well. I have had a decrease in headaches since I started using Time Out. I was also having issues with hand and wrist pain. While not totally alleviated, it is improved.
For now, Time Out is free. Use it, love it, and get attached to it. Consider making a donation to further Time Out’s development. Anyone who makes a donation in any amount prior to the upgrade being released will receive a free license for Version 2. You can’t beat that! There will continue to be a free Time Out Lite for those who do not want the added functionality that will come with version 2. Download Time Out. Your body will thank you.
Time Out is available at http://www.dejal.com/.
Post to your blog with ScreenSteps
With the new beta of ScreenSteps, you can now publish tutorials directly to your WordPress, TypePad, or Moveable Type blog. I’d tried posting to my WP blog awhile back, and suffice it to say that it did not work. Works nicely now, for both WP-hosted and self-hosted blogs (I only tried it out in WP, since that’s where my blog is…the comments from other users seem to indicate this is working well for the other listed blogs as well).
ScreenSteps lets you create tutorials which can be exported into .pdf or HTML format. This is great not only for IT and tech support folks, but for the “regular guys (and gals!)” who regularly receive calls from family and friends asking how to do something.
There are some good (what else?) tutorials to get you started quickly. Check out ScreenSteps here: http://screensteps.com
Find the best FM stations to work with your iPod’s transmitter
Belkin, makers of the TuneCast and TuneBase FM transmitters for the iPod, have a nifty little tool on their website. You input your location information and it tells you the best stations to use with your FM transmitter.
I tried this (albeit with my iTrip) and it worked pretty well. It’s not perfect, but it sure beats the time-consuming and frustrating task of manually searching each station.
Here’s the link for the utility:
http://www.belkin.com/mybestfm/
