A Better Mac OS X Archiver
Several weeks ago, I ran across a small OS X tool called The Unarchiver—a free replacement for the built-in BOMArchiverHelper.app utility that Mac OS X uses to extract zip archives. The Unarchiver goes beyond BOMArchiveHelper, handling more file formats (including 7-zip and StuffIt), including better internationalization support, and having a more Finder-like interface (multiple simultaneous extractions are in a single window). I’ve been very happy with it. If you run OS X and deal with archives...
Pownce is Dead
I’ve long preferred Pownce to Twitter. It allows longer messages, has better uptime, has a better API, allows you to send links, photos, and files in addition to text…basically, it was just better in every way. The Copilot team made heavy use of Pownce during our Hair on Fire sprint, and continued to use it until we adopted Laconica internally. So I was deeply saddened to learn that, in a mere two weeks, Pownce will be no more. I guess Twitter’s where I’ll be now, whether I like it or not....
Thanksgiving Computing
Just remember: nothing says traditional Thanksgiving like the Honeywell H316 Pedestal “Kitchen Computer”.
Dropbox on the iPhone
I’ve been a big fan of Dropbox, a completely seamless remote storage solution, since they first had their closed beta. They provide two gigabytes of storage for free, have native clients on Mac, Windows, and Linux (including 64-bit!) that Just Work™, and have a ridiculously clean website that makes seeing a history of changes, and even restoring deleted files, wonderfully simple. Recently, Dropbox has been getting some love for how awesome it is, and as I was poking through Hacker News comments...
Phones and Bovines
Would we recommend the Storm? If you’re locked into a contract with Verizon, want a touchscreen phone, and are willing to put up with an OS that moves like a tranquilized yak, then yes the Storm is for you. Not exactly the rousing endorsement that Verizon and RIM were hoping for, I think, but consistent with what I expected. Verizon is utterly terrified of giving up any control over its cellular network. That may seem like a good idea in the short term, but with T-Mobile and AT&T making...
Announcing Fog Creek Copilot OneClick
I’m proud to announce that we’ve just shipped Fog Creek Copilot OneClick. You can read about the details at the new Fog Creek Copilot blog, Air Traffic
An Apple a Day Brings a Blue Screen Your Way
I love OS X, and in general find Apple’s software on the platform extremely high-quality, but when it comes to running Apple’s software on Windows…well, it’s an entirely different ballgame. Safari uses its own widgets, windows, and font rendering, which makes it look utterly out of place on my desktop. QuickTime for years simply looked bizarre, using a window to hold just the menu bar, and then other windows to hold the movies. iTunes uses Windows-native font rendering and some native widgets,...
Google Continues Quest to Index All Atoms
Google has begun digitizing old newspapers, making certain old Onion stories a bit less funny. I hope it goes without saying that I love technology, but…at the same time, there’s something I used to find infinitely more gratifying about having to use card catalogs, paper indexes, and microfiche. That romantic nostalgia makes me keep my diaries in Moleskines and sketchbooks, causes me to allow piles of books to keep refuge in my apartment, strikes fear into my heart when I see the disturbingly...
Congratulations, Microsoft!
You have successfully discovered Morphic. Can you discover Smalltalk too, as long as you’re at it?
Because We're So Original
In other news, Honda takes a cue from Microsoft and makes a unique car that totally doesn’t borrow any ideas from any of its competitors. Keep on bringing that innovation, Honda.