Transmit 4. More Than A Feeling.

We’ve gotten used to think that FTP applications should be simple, highly functional and powered by outdated and ugly user interfaces. Some people seem to think that a good FTP client is that app that comes with hundreds of features and doesn’t care about design principles and good practices just because it has to be functional, and functionality doesn’t play well with the eye candy. I think that an app meant of power users doesn’t have to exclude a great Mac-like UI design from its list of features- it’s the contrary: a full featured and complex app should find the right compromise between design and features.

It’s quite difficult to approach Transmit 4, the latest release from Panic, considering that is an application that comes with an immense amount of hype, possibilities and commands, being specifically meant for people who do file transfers like they drink water. Put simply, Panic has just released the ultimate file transfer app for Mac OS X. But delving deeper into it, there’s so much more to talk about.

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Simplenote Updated For The iPad - Still The Best Notes App?

Like I wrote in my Evernote for iPad review some weeks ago, there aren’t good iPad apps for bloggers yet. The WordPress official client- put simply - sucks, and there are some other crappy apps that I can’t really see used in a professional context. So, I decided to stick with Evernote, and I’m still using it. This post is being written on it. I use Evernote because, together with text, I have to sync screenshots over the cloud, and many other note taking applications don’t let you attach any other kind of media to their library.

Simplenote is not any other note taking application though. Simplenote is the note taking application, the one you should use if you want something simple, reliable and fast enough to let you jot down everything and anything you want and have it backed up over the air. An iPad compatible version of Simplenote came out last night: is it still worth your attention?

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Opera 10.52 for Mac Available

Opera has released a major update for the Mac version of its browser, dubbed “10.52”. It’s available for download here.

The latest update brings many important new features and improvements, including a new Javascript named Carakan, a new Vega graphics library and a Opera Presto 2.5 browser engine. Opera 10.52 also uses Cocoa and Core Text for a better look and feel on the Mac, together with extended support for gestures and dialog menus.

So, basically, it’s an update focused on making Opera for Mac feel more native on the platform. Now, about that iPhone version…

Facebook Videos Go HTML5, iPad Compatible [Update: Nope, It’s Transcoding]

This is good news, one of those you’d want to wake up in the morning with.  We’ve just found out that Facebook videos (the Facebook ones, those who used to be played in Flash. Youtube videos were already supported) are now iPad compatible, as you can watch them from your new magical device using HTML5.

It seems like this applies for new and recent videos, as some of them still give me a “You need Adobe Flash installed” error. Anyway, it’s good to see websites are slowly adopting new standards and “getting rid of the crappy stuff”.

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Generate Lorem Ipsum with Loremify

Once in a while I’ll dabble in web development. Nothing too serious (I’m far from a graphic artist), but when I start piecing together various blocks of text, I often rely on filler content to aid me in formatting paragraphs, choosing fonts, and getting everything exactly the way I want it. While some probably have Lorem Ipsum generated by TextExpander, Loremify comes packaged as a neat Dashboard Widget for instant Lorem Ipsum gratification.

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The iPad, A Story. [Part I]

It’s difficult, nearly impossible I’d say, to write a review of the iPad and say things that haven’t already been said over and over again.

Yes, I’ve got an iPad. I’ve bought a 16GB model from the United States (Apple Store of Charlotte, to be exact) and imported it to Italy using the UPS Express service. It took 2 days for it to arrive and be cleared at customs. But anyway, I’ve got an iPad.

Let me state this straight up: it is magical indeed. But in a way that it doesn’t do anything revolutionary or out of this world - it’s the realization. The “how” it does things and makes you feel home right after 10 minutes you’re using it.

I could focus this article on the technical specifications and features it has. At this point, I think it’s best for me to keep this personal, and talk about the story with the iPad so far.

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