LogMeIn

www.logmein.com is a wonderful website. It allows you to download free software onto your computer which allows you to take over that computer (Mac or PC) from any browser. There are even apps for your iPhone and iPad called LogMeIn Ignition to take over your remote computer. You control it remotely as if you were right in front of it. Excellent!

There are corporate editions of LogMeIn Pro that you can remote control or do remote support for all the computers in your workplace. It isn't free but works great. They even have LogMeIn Rescue that with cooperation from the user on the remote computer, you can remotely control their computer without first downloading the software. But LogMeIn Rescue is about $1000.

Getting away from Windows more and more

I have Parallels software that allows me to run Windows 7 on my MacBook while I'm running the Mac OS. However, because Windows LOVES to say "Not Responding" when I need it most, I've been avoiding starting up Parallels with Windows as much as possible. I actually remote into another PC to run Windows-only software. My MacBook runs so much better.

I recently bought QuickBooks for Mac to replace the Windows version just so I could avoid using Windows for just one more program. I really like it except my Payroll website "Intuit Online Payroll (formally Paycycle)" won't successfully export into the Mac version because I have some of my wages as a Cost of Labor instead of an expense. The Windows version was cool with it. I'll figure out a workaround.

Mac startup disk

With a Mac startup disk, you can do several things.  If you hold down the Option key or the C key while booting up and immediately insert the Startup Disk, your computer will boot to the Startup Disk.  From there you can choose Options.  If you haven't already set a Firmware Password, anyone with a Startup Disk can change your passwords and access your computer.  You might think you are safe without a Firmware Password but you are not.

I bought my laptop from someone on craigslist.com.  He only has a Startup Disk for Version 10.4 and it didn't give me access to change or set my Firmware Password.  I'll see if I need the Startup Disk for Version 10.6 in order to do that or if I missed something.

iBooks and Kindle apps for iPad

Since graduate school, I've been a big book reader but I have found certain books that I like to read over and over.  One is the Bible.  Two I just started reading over and over again are "The Practice of the Presence of God" and the "Richest Man in Babylon".  They are both more practical books, teaching life skills.  The reason I like the iPad with these two apps are that I can carry several books with me.  It doesn't take up any more room or increase the weight I carry if I have 2 books or 20 books.  I just downloaded "Acres of Diamonds" and have started reading it.  It is starting to sound like a book I'll want to review often.

When you have books you want to read once and then give away, I don't think the book apps would be that great.  If you have a set of books that need to soak in with frequent readings, these apps are incredible.

SugarSync

SugarSync is a great alternative to VPN. You create a link to a folder on a server or remote computer then you create another link to a folder on your local machine. After that, you can make those folder replicate/synchronize to each other. All the files in that folder are copied to your computer and vice versa.

ABC app on iPad

The ABC television app is amazing. High definition television. You can access any episode from any season of the popular programs. I've started watching "Lost" from the beginning. Very cool.

Movies on iPad

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, said that iPads had to do certain things better than other devices to become their own product class. IPads do movies incredibly well. There is something amazing about carrying a very good sized screen with incredible resolution that only weighs 1.5 lbs in your hand. I recently bought Avatar on iTunes and even though I originally saw it in 3D in the theatre, I didn't feel let down watching it on the iPad. The picture quality was so clear.

GPS Status application on my Droid

This is a great application. With a topo map, you can track yourself anywhere. This application works even outback when you don't have cell service, which i noticed many GPS or map applications stopped working.

WiFi iPad with rooted Droid

On www.droid-life.com, you can follow video instructions to give yourself superuser/administrator access to your Droid.  It is also called root access.  After you do that, you can install Barnacle Tether app on your Droid to make your droid into a wireless hot spot.  Pretty cool.  I use it to make my iPad more mobile.  I could also use it with my MacBook.  There is a less scary app called PDANet that you can connect to your Droid from MacBook to go out on the internet using BlueTooth or the USB cable.  That solution didn't work for the iPad so I took the risk and rooted my Droid.  Basically you replace your factory defaults that are saved on the Droid with Android OS 2.1 with root access.  Then you restore your phone to this version of Android OS instead of your factory defaults.