40Tech

In our last post I wrote about the 3-2-1 backup rule, a backup method that builds in a few layers of redundancy, so that you have peace of mind knowing that your backups are safe. I have a system in place with my iMac that has served me pretty well. Depending on your interpretation, it doesn’t strictly follow the 3-2-1 backup rule.

A few months, I wrote about ten of my favorite apps in the Mac App Store. Not all apps are in the App Store, though, for a variety of grounds. Among other reasons, some apps hook deeper into the operating system than Apple allows from App Store apps, while other apps aren’t there due to developer concerns over the upcoming sandboxing requirements for App Store apps. Whatever the rationale, I have a number of crucial apps that aren’t available in the Mac App Store. Here are ten of them.

I’ve been a big fan of Toodledo ever since I first reviewed it back in 2010. Recently, though, I’ve been unfaithful. I’ve abandoned Toodledo as my task management app of choice, and moved on to OmniFocus. While there are some reasons not to switch, a few compelling reasons helped me to decide to make the move. Here are some reasons to switch, and some reasons to stay put.

Do you ever have to upload a file to share with someone? You could do this with Dropbox, which is one of our favorite apps, but then you need to make sure that your recipient has a Dropbox account. If you want a dead simple way to share a file, take a look at Dockdrop. When properly configured, Dockdrop allows you to drag a file to the Dockdrop icon on your Mac’s dock, which will trigger an upload to your preset destination, and then copy the file’s location to your clipboard. From there, it is simply a matter of pasting your clipboard contents (such as into an email message) to retrieve the file location.

With a Mac operating system, the more that you use it, the more you will explore it. There is so much to do with a Mac that this exploration process looks unending. In this post, I have compiled a list of some of the top hidden features of Mac OS X Lion. These secret Mac OS X Lion features are less popular than other well-known features, which is why I’ve labeled them as hidden features. But this does not imply that these features are any less useful than other features.

OmniFocus is a fantastic GTD application, boasting many great features. One of my favorite features is the quick entry box. This allows you to tap a key combination to call up a task entry box. That entry box will hover over whatever app you’re using and then disappear after you enter your task and hit the Return key. The big problem is that OmniFocus is a Mac-only app. I’ve liked it enough as I tested alternatives to Toodledo, that I looked for a way to make it easier to implement in a world dominated by Windows. I found a very slick free app called Win2GTD that brings an OmniFocus quick entry box to Windows.

If you come from the Windows world to a Mac, you may be surprised to find that there is no readily apparent way to lock your Mac if you step away from it. There are some ways to do this, such as forcing your Mac to the screensaver and requiring the password to unlock the screensaver. The quickest method I’ve found, though, is by using previously discussed BetterTouchTool.

Lately, I’ve been on a “streamlined desktop” kick. More on that in a future post. For now, though, I want to talk about how to address one minor annoyance if you want to keep your desktop clutter-free. When I first made the switch to a Mac, I noticed that all of my external drives were displayed as icons on my desktop. That wasn’t a big deal with my MacBook Air, since I rarely connect drives to it. With my iMac, though, I keep my TimeMachine drive and a SuperDuper drive connected 24/7. Here’s how I removed them from the desktop, while still keeping them hooked up to my Mac.

The Mac App Store debuted in January 2011, and has been quite a hit. Over a million apps were downloaded in its first year of operation. Those certainly aren’t iOS numbers, but very solid for a non-mobile system. Some apps are available only in the Mac App Store. Others, though, are available in the App Store and directly from the developer. So what should you do when buying an app – get it from the App Store, or buy it directly from the developer? Here are some considerations to keep in mind.

You’ve got your new Mac, and want to take a screenshot. Where’d that Print Screen key go? Things work a bit differently on the Mac. You could go with a third party solution, such as Skitch or Littlesnapper. Or, you could use your Mac’s built in ability to take screenshots. There are three different ways to take a screenshot on your Mac, by holding down key combinations. All screenshots go to your desktop by default.