We’re always looking for new apps. We’re always looking forward to that new app which should revolutionize the way we work. Apply this statement to file sharing (a way too crowded market on Mac OS X) and you’ll see thousands of people eagerly talking about Droplr, Tinygrab, whatever. There are at least 20 similar file sharing apps that I know, and while some of them are really good pieces of software, most of them are crap, period.

I think it’s impossible to review Cloud app by Linebreak without mentioning the fact that these guys managed to build a tremendous hype around their first mainstream application: back when Cloud was nothing but an icon, I remember everyone was talking about this new app which had a great looking icon and was every Mac user’s wet dream. Nice, we all started following the Twitter account. Cloud was then released as ultra-closed beta, and a few designers had the chance to put their hands on it and tease us on Twitter about how awesome it was. Again, we bookmarked a Twitter search for the terms “Cloud Mac”. Last, Linebreak opened even more spots for the beta, and we reviewed an early version of Cloud. It impressed us. It was easy to use, fast, useful, customizable, definitely Mac-like. But still, it wasn’t finished. Hell no, it needed more work, more refinements, more features, new servers - whatever it takes to be the champion.

To stand out from the crowd of file sharing apps.

Now, Cloud has finally gone public. And it’s way better than before.

Read more

So folks, we’ve almost run out of applications to review from Fuel Collective, but we got one more to review before coming to a close. Last by not least is Contents, which makes navigating your Mac’s Library folders a breeze. Being something that a lot of users don’t understand, Contents allows users to navigate this dark alley by illuminating the path with its ingenious drop down menu-based system, easy search functions, preferences cleaner, installation utilities, and backup tools. It’s powerful because finally, you can manage everything you’ve always wanted to without the Finder. Read more

It’s not like Mac OS X lacks tools to perform mundane tasks quickly. Actually, there are dozens of apps that allow us to avoid the bore of repeating the same copy and paste between folders for the 30th time, and I guess you’ve already tried a couple that enable you to do so with a single drag & drop. I further guess you’ve tested Dropzone by Aptonic, a great app I find myself using on a daily basis which has been recently updated to the 1.1 version. Dropzone is awesome, but it’s geared towards specific functions. I mean, Dropzone was clearly developed with social networking savvy people in mind, those who need to send pictures to Twitpic, share a quick note online and perhaps install a couple of new applications on their Mac. Sure Dropzone can be extended, but still it doesn’t get the job done when it comes to more complicated workflows, those that require structured, yet repeated tasks. That’s where Dragster from Ambrosia SW comes in.

Read more

You gotta clock in and clock out to get paid. After all, time is money. And even if you’re a freelancer, online tools like Basecamp offer time tracking prowess between you and your collaborators. If time tracking is up your ally, Fuel Collective’s PunchClock removes the fuss from traditional log-in / log-out pains by providing Mac users with one of the most beautiful menubar applications I’ve seen in a long time. Simplicity really is bliss, and with PunchClock, you’ll always have the time on hand. Read more

Continuing our week with Fuel Collective, today we reintroduce the classics. I’d like to say their name to fame was with the introduction of Snippet and Swatch, two excellent Mac applications that sit in your menubar and provide 24/7 access to a developer’s and designer’s most used tools. Together, they make a perfect pair for almost any duty that involves everything from code, blog posts, an Photoshop. If you’ve never heard of these tools, prepare to be amazed by both the simplicity and features provided - these are some must have applications people. Read more

We know Fuel Collective as a company that makes great software, and their latest application, Permute, has officially become one of my must have apps on any Mac. If you need some convincing, imagine being able to convert your favorite TV shows or music videos to any format imaginable. Just tell Permute that you want the latest Lady Gaga music video formatted for your PS3 or iPhone, and it does the job for you. The end user shouldn’t have to worry about extensions or formats - all the user should be concerned about is getting their files converted to the platform they want quickly and easily.

Let’s take a look.

Read more

Imagine if you’re working with MAMP, and you’re navigating through the sea of folders residing in htdocs. Deep within these folders you have a myriad of .html, .php, and .css files that need editing, but because you’re a programmer savant, you happen to have Textmate, BBEdit, Coda, SubEthaEdit, and Espresso on your Mac at the same time. And when you go to open one of those lovely HTML ridden files, it opens with the wrong application. How frustrating!

What if I told you that Magic Launch can not only help you ease those app opening pains, it can actually decide which application is better for you depending on contexts? That’s right - in one folder you might want to work in Espresso, while in another you might want to work in Coda. If the file includes lots of CSS, perhaps Magic Launch is smart enough to open that file in CSSEdit instead.

Read more

Loren Brichter is working on Tweetie 2 for Mac, but it’s not that every developer out there is sitting at his desk waiting for the Atebits guy to ship his newest creation. Absolutely not, as almost a new Twitter client is released every day (yeah, according to Wikipedia) and guess what - a good 95% is pure shit. But fortunately, every once in a while a good client comes along and tries to persuade Mac users to stop using Tweetie 1.x, and approach a new experience.

Nambu for Mac has been around for a while now, but some weeks ago I heard that there was a 2.0 version floating around, and it was a closed beta. I got accepted into the private testing group and had the chance to try the app. Today Nambu has decided to open the gates of the beta version, which is now available for download for everyone.

Here are my impressions so far.

Read more

As you may have read, we’ve started using Basecamp and Backpack from 37signals as our productivity tools of choice to manage the projects inside MacStories. We’ve also paired them with some 3rd party tools suck as Spootnik and Headquarters to further enhance our workflow, and we’re very happy with them - we think we’ve found the best way to keep us organized and access our tasks from anywhere, be it the desktop, web or iPhone.

The other 37signals product, Campfire, was too much tempting to not give it a try, and so I decided to create an account and see whether  it could come in handy. Sure it did, but combined with a Mac app called Propane.

Read on to find out why.

Read more