Federico Viticci

10880 posts on MacStories since April 2009

Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about portable gaming and the handheld revolution.

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Filer: Elegant File Manager for iPhone and iPad

Getting files on the iPhone and iPad is some kind of a problem: unless you purchase an additional application in the App Store, there’s no easy way to get any file on iOS by default. Sure, you can email yourself some files and open them in Pages, Numbers - still you have to purchase the iWork apps and only documents can be opened in them. This is why GoodReader for iPad sold so well in the first weeks of April: there was no alternative. If you wanted stuff to land on the iPad, you had to buy GoodReader.

Now we have alternatives. I already reviewed Air Sharing HD, iFiles (the app I use every day) and explained how you can easily link your Mac’s Finder to iOS using a jailbroken iPad. Filer, previously known as Downloader, is a very nice looking and useful file viewer / document manager available both on iPhone and iPad as universal app.

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EpicWin: To-Do List With an RPG Spin. Reviewed.

I was really looking forward to the release of EpicWin for iPhone. Ever since it was first announced, I thought that it might be interesting to see whether an RPG-based productivity app could shake things a little bit in the App Store. Yes, the App Store is full of crappy “business” and “productivity” apps; on the other hand, there are some exceptional tools like OmniFocus and Things that lead the mobile GTD revolution.

Still, many people find these apps boring. They don’t get things done with them because they don’t feel motivated enough. You missed your daily review? You get a badge on the homescreen. And they don’t get things done.

EpicWin is meant for all those people who want to be productive but haven’t found the right iPhone app yet. By making your to-do list feel like a quest, can EpicWin really change the way we organize and complete our tasks?

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Apple Launches “Compare Macs” Option in Apple Store

Here’s why store.apple.com was down last night, and we didn’t even notice this when it got back up. Apple added a new “Compare Macs” option to the Apple Store, as first noticed by The Loop. The new option allows you to, ehm, compare various Mac models: you can compare price, tech specs, software and even the environmental report for each model. The interface design, as Apple’s tradition, is absolutely beautiful. It’s also very easy to use.

Well done, Apple. This will sure come in handy. To try the new “Compare Macs” option, just select a Mac and hit the button in the top bar - or hit this direct link.

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MacStories & Taptivate Giveaway: $100 iTunes Gift Card Up for Grabs!

You’ve probably already heard that the guys over at Taptivate are working on a new iPhone application, Contacts+ (the app was previously known as “Contacts”).  Taptivate hasn’t released many details yet, but we know that Contacts+ will allow you to check on your Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin in one place. We’re really looking forward to it.

Taptivate has teamed up with MacStories to give you the chance of winning a $100 iTunes Gift Card. One card, one winner.

What do you have to do to enter the contest? Simple: head over taptivate.com/contacts and sign up to the newsletter using a valid and active email address. Then, leave a comment to this post and let us know what you’d like to do with $100 in your iTunes account. Apps? Music? TV Shows?

The winner will be announced on Friday, August 20th.

Good luck!