Category Archives: Mac reviews

If you own a Mac then chances are you will multitask on it throughout your day. Even the most casual users tend to have several things open at once, while the busier computer user will have a lot more going on, so much in fact that it can be easy to lose track of what is where and, while keyboard shortcuts help to an extent, they can only go so far. A busy computer screen can be hectic bur fortunately there is a new iPad app that helps you stay on top of it all in a customisable way that will make your computing a much more efficient experience. Actions is available now from the App Store and it costs $3.99.

The best way to describe Actions is as a remote control for your Mac, or even PC. By setting up specific gestures on the iPad you can control the applications on your computer and it offers all the flexibility you need to set up controls that are tailor-made just for you. While this is an iPad app you will first need to download the server software to your computer but luckily this part is free and it can even be installed on multiple computers so if you have more than one in the house, you can turn your iPad into a universal remote control for use on all of them. With the download installed you can then connect to your computer via Wi-Fi and then start creating your colour-coded controls.

The app has its own terminology that you will need to be familiar with but this is easy enough to remember. An Action is a command or shortcut you can use on specific software, while the Touchpad doubles as both the container and trigger of an action, which can be performed with a quick tap. These touchpads can be customised with a label, text size, colour and icon, while the Touchpads are organised in the Set, while subgroups, known as subsets, can also be created here.

Once your Actions have been created they can all be controlled with gestures and taps on the Touchpad. Taps perform the actions but you can also swipe between pages with one finger and between sets with three fingers. If you wish to go to the set library you can swipe downwards with three fingers, while gestures with two fingers allow you to quickly copy, paste undo and redo.

While this is already useful, it gets better with the ability to create Actions for specific programs, so you can change the format in Microsoft Word with it for example. The more popular applications do in fact have their own Actions already created, although you can edit your own if you wish.

The only problem with it is the lack of 3G support and there are not so many pre-set Actions for Windows but of course you can change this yourself. There will probably be further updates that provide new Actions anyway so it is worth keeping an eye on. Overall the app is a success and it makes a busy desktop much easier to navigate. If you don’t mind the price it is worth a look.

Even today when email and instant messaging is the primary method of correspondence it seems we are still drowning in paperwork. The only difference is that most of what physically arrives in the mail these days is rarely worth reading since few people bother to write letters anymore. What we get instead is endless bills, invoices and pamphlets that we file away just in case we need it for later reference. Unfortunately this causes paperwork to build up very rapidly and it becomes both cumbersome and increasingly difficult to organise. Fortunately there is an app that almost fixes the problem. Paperless is available now for $50.

Paperless is an app for your Mac that works with your scanner, which you will need to purchase separately, to convert all your paperwork into a digital format, where it can be more easily stored and accessed. It cannot get rid of the original paperwork but with a digital replacement saved, you can at least recycle everything with peace of mind, provided you make sure everything saved is backed up. Making scans is not too difficult, although you may need to take some time to familiarise yourself with the interface before you get started. Any document can be scanned, from receipts to business cards and the image is then processed with optical character recognition, or OCR, before being archived.

The layout of your archived documents is also nicely organised and easy to navigate, with three columns displaying the contents of your document library. Documents can be saved in collections, which are listed in the left column and can be filtered various ways to find things more easily. It is up to you which category you save a document in and the whole process is flexible enough to allow you to create a filing system that works for you, whether you want to search by date or contact. You can also change the view depending on whether you want items displayed in a list or as icons in the middle column, although the list option becomes increasingly preferable as you amass more documents. The icon option tends to lead to a cluttered screen very quickly. Any document you click on will then fill the right column with various details about it. It all adds up to a neat filing system that you should have no trouble getting the hang of.

The details displayed on the right will vary depending on the type of document and there will be various fields you can view and edit, the former option being a particular highlight. There are various other tools you can use to process the data, including a feature that lets you present your data in a pie chart.

If you find yourself dealing with a lot of paperwork on a regular basis and would like a more practical way to file it all, Paperless is a great app that lives up to its name. it requires a bit of getting used to but this should not take too long and once you get your head around it all, it proves to be an effective filing system that will allow you to dispense with all those papers cluttering your workspace.

Camtasia is an interesting variation on recording software as it captures literally everything as it happens on your screen. Start recording and then every click and swipe will be captured in a video of your monitor at work. This can provide a variety of uses but recording is just the tip of the iceberg and there are also plenty of other features on offer. Camtasia is available from the App Store now for $99.99 and if the price doesn’t put you off, this Mac application could be worth a look.

Camtasia is very easy to use initially and you can also choose between recording the full screen or just specific sections. This is a great tool if you are creating tutorials or various other presentations but it is capable of a lot more. Once the video capture is complete you can then move on to the Camtasia editor where the really special features become evident. There are four areas of the editor, depending on what you wish to work with; the main video in progress, a sidebar full of tools and media elements, the timeline where most of the work is done and a properties panel.

The Camtasia Timeline is very simple but there is more to it than immediately meets the eye, which is one of the reasons it is so great as there is a lot you can do with it. You can create an unlimited number of tracks in various media formats, such as audio or video and adding various elements is a simple matter of dragging and dropping. If you wish to include an image, you can just drag it to the Timeline and then specify the points you want it to appear on screen. With some very simple clicks and drags you can cut and split the track any way you see fit to edit it exactly the way you want it.

If you prefer you can head straight to the editor and start from scratch there as well without having to capture anything. The settings can be configured to capture anything you want, including illustrated keystrokes, while other tools such as transition and animation are also included. While they are not as detailed as other programs more dedicated to such tools, they are certainly adequate here. Simplicity is the key with Camtasia and it pulls it off perfectly.

Whether it is right for you depends on what you hope to achieve with it, as well as whether the price is an issue or not. As an editing tool it is very easy to use with intuitive controls that anyone should be able to pick up with a bit of practise. Capturing and editing a workflow is a simple procedure that can be tailored to suit your needs so whether you are creating a tutorial specific to carrying out tasks on your computer, or would like to make presentations on other subjects, Camtasia has a clear interface and extensive tools, making it a great way to go about it.

Despite the appealing name, Bartender is not an app for creating cocktails but once you get over that initial disappointment, download a fancy cocktail app and then turn your attention back to this one, you will see that it is in fact a very useful app that will almost certainly benefit your Mac desktop. A common problem all Mac users face, unless they are completely indifferent or simply do not install much, is that every new app and program you do install tends to create its own icon on the menu bar. The shortcut may be appreciated but it is largely unnecessary and the more there are, the more unsightly and crowded it becomes. Fortunately Bartender has the solution and for just $15 you can enjoy its benefits.

Don’t let the new Bartender menu put you off because it is in fact a handy place to hide all those unwanted icons and reduce clutter. In addition to this you can also rearrange the menu bar items, something OS X normally does not allow. With Bartender you can view the menu bar’s current contents and get to work on them however you see fit. The app divides them up clearly into categories for system items, third-party apps with active items and third-party apps with disabled items. From here you can add or remove items that you wish to hide in the Bartender bar, even including Notification Centre, although you will still be able to access it the usual way. Selecting any item will give you the option of either moving it into the Bartender bar or even hiding it altogether. A nice little feature is the way Bartender will still notify you of any updates from the hidden items, should you wish to view them.

Ironically enough the Bartender icon then makes its way to your menu bar, although this is a small price to pay for the clear-up. Opening Bartender will make its alternative menu open up with all the hidden icons in it and each one will work perfectly normally. This bar will hide itself if you click elsewhere and anything in it can be moved back if you change your mind.

The Bartender bar also has several settings options of its own to configure however you like. For example, you can change the position of the bar by dragging it, as well as the icons within it. Other options include the ability to view the entire contents of the Bartender menu and to put them back into their configured position again. If you quit the app then it will all go back to the menu bar so you need to keep it active.

The price may seem a bit too high for an app of this nature considering its limited use but it is certainly a very polished option. There are other apps that provide a similar use for a lower price but this seems to be the best one so far. It is a feature you are likely to use often and so you will get your money’s worth out of it.

It is almost that time of year again, where we frantically dig out all of our receipts and folders of financial records we always meant to organise but never did. No one likes doing their taxes. It is stressful, time consuming, often confusing and looking at the state of your finances in any kind of detail is just depressing. Unfortunately there really is no legal way around it, unless you pay someone else to do it, but fortunately there are apps out there that aim to make the whole process easier. A great one to try out is PaperTrail from Intuit, available now for the iPhone from the App Store and appropriately free.

PaperTrail is designed to make all your personal accounting as quick and easy as possible, keeping you up-to-date, organised and fully prepared for any impending tax assessments. This is a great little app that means you can keep your worries to a minimum.

PaperTrail has a very simple interface that is very easy to navigate and the functions it offers are just as easy to use. Once you launch the app, you can either choose to take a picture of a receipt of log miles and expenses for a trip. This makes it much easier to accurately claim back any expenses you may be entitled to.

Capturing a receipt couldn’t be easier and it provides you with easy instant access to it when you need to consult it. Selecting the receipt option will then take you to a screen that allows you to either take a photo or choose an existing one from your iPhone image library. You can then enter the relevant details, such as the amount and the tax category it belongs to, as well as any additional notes you think should be included.

Mileage is also easy to input and it is also up to date with the 5.5 cents per mile, which has been the latest standard rate for businesses since January. Every mile you drive for work can be accounted for here and there are other categories you can also add, such as charity or medical expenses.

Receipts and logs can be accessed easily at any time and are all neatly organised for use. You can also export everything via email or even store it in iCloud to make sure you do not lose all of your records. This is all useful and very simple to use but if there is a flaw, it is the fact that there is currently no iPad version and a bigger screen would surely suit the app better.

But this is a minor complaint and it is hard to see any major faults with PaperTrail. It makes taxes so much easier when you have all the details you need stored in your iPhone instead of having to scrutinise a wad of receipts. For anyone who hates tax season and needs to simplify the process, this is an excellent way to do it that you won’t need to include in your expenses.