7 Open Source Mac Apps

Knol Aust — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:12:23 +0000

The Open Source Mac community is a vibrant one! The beauty of Open Source is the community and its dedication to quality and accessibility. Below, you will find a small list of Open Source apps I use and recommend.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox

While I am devoted to Safari, Firefox still holds a special place in my heart… Especially when it comes to design web pages. The free, open-source browser can be extended with plug-ins and there are too many useful ones to mention here. If Safari bugs you, Firefox is the solution. Tabs, pop-up blocking, themes, and extensions.
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Quicksilver

Quicksilver is one of the few apps I will recommend to any Mac owner. It’s simple enough but can be used complex actions. Upon installation, most newbies are intimidated or dumbfounded by Quicksilver. Take a moment to Google some Quicksilver basics, and you’ll quickly figure out why Quicksilver is the essential Mac app. Quicksilver lets you start applications (and do just about everything) with a few quick taps of your fingers.
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MacLibre

Think of MacLibre as the ultimate open-source installer. Find and install up-to-date open-source software from within MacLibre. No longer do you have to visit hundreds of sites to find lists of Mac apps. If it’s open-source, it’s most likely in MacLibre and installable in a few clicks. It will even keep them updated for you!
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Vienna

I’m an info junkie and, frankly, I can’t remember half the sites I visit. If I find a site I like, I grab it’s RSS feed address and store it Vienna. Once or twice a day, I open Vienna and have all the latest news from these sites in an organized and concise inbox. Combine that functionality with smart folders, and you have a simple, nice, native RSS reader. Love it!
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VLC

Face it… Quicktime is awesome if you’re watching a Quicktime file… That’s it. We all know that the Intertubes are filled with all sorts of files from Windows Media (eh!) to AVI. VLC plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. While I don’t necessarily love the interface, VLC is a good utility for making web-based video more accessible.
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Handbrake

Handbake

The well known DVD ripper and MPEG-4 / H.264 encoder that includes full support for the AppleTV 2.0 and the latest iPhone/iPod Touch firmware. Get your DVD collection backed-up or onto your iPod, iPod Touch or iPhone without losing your hair or your wallet. Simple. Easy. Enough said.
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iEatBrainz

I am addicted to music. With over a terabyte of music (that’s over a month of non-stop house, jazz, acid jazz, techno, alt, indie, electronica, and ambient music), organization is key. iEatBrainz takes an audio fingerprint of your song and looks for a match on its servers. If a match is found, it fills in the correct metadata (title, artist, etc) for MP3s in your collection. A lifesaver for a music fiend.
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8 iPhone Apps I Use Daily

Knol Aust — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:51:23 +0000

If you have an iPhone, chances are you have visited the new App Store on iTunes or on your iPhone. The App Store is an overwhelming place… Think iTunes Music Store for iPhone Apps and you’ll get the picture.

With almost 1000 Apps and more added daily, it’s hard to determine exactly what is worth it and what is not.

The apps I currently use include:

WordPress¬†- I was waiting for this app. Now that it is live, I’m working on overhauling my blog and portfolio for more live and mobile blogging. I always liked the idea of being a blogger, but was turned off by the idea of being tethered to a computer. Combine the WordPress app and the Twitter apps and you’re site is always in the loop.
Remote¬†- Apple’s Remote app is not a new concept. On my jailbroken/unlocked iPhone, I could control my iTunes player from anywhere in my house. With the official Remote, I have better integration with all shared libraries (even on my future Apple TV) on the network. It will make switching songs from my back yard much easier!
Shazam – This app allows you to record a few seconds of a song being played on a radio, movie, tv, etc and it attempts to tag the song. It’s been about 95% correct and I love it like Jagermeister.
Pandora - Delicious. Pandora is the perfect app. Some have dubbed it the Radio Killer because it feeds you music you want over the airwaves (no Wi-Fi necessary).
AIM – AOL’s AIM app is for everyone with an AIM account. Unfortunately, it’s rare that I feel the need to chat online. Still, this app would be far more useful if I did!
Twittelator – I’m new to Twitter. In a world of connectivity and all things “social” Twitter allows the world to see your random thoughts and tweets. Since it can be tied to your Facebook and WordPress, it is an efficient way to quickly post updates and ideas.
MySpace¬†- I’m a MySpace whore. I admit it. While Facebook has potential, its user-interface and user-friendliness are lacking. Plus, there’s all sorts of great bands on MySpace that can’t be found on Facebook.
iScopes – I’m a sucker for horoscopes. I don’t necessarily believe in astrology, but it never hurts to have some random tidbit of potentially useful information to ponder.

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