Macbook Air

The big topic this week in the Mac community of course was Macworld or as they called it this year iworld 2012. We were able to spend three days at the conference the first day we walked the show floor looking for new exciting products on day 2, we hit the show floor video camera equipped and recorded many of these new exciting products. Including interviews with the designers, CEOs, and other members of the company. Be sure to check out these video interviews at www.yourmacnetwork.com/iworld.

During our first segment we covered some of these products:

First off we found an outstanding docking station for the MacBook air. The landing zone works with both the 11 inch and 13 inch MacBook airs and can be found at landingzone.com. A quick overview of this product it simply allows you to have an additional: 4 USB ports, 1 ethernet port, a mini display port out which currently only powers a secondary monitor however after speaking with the company’s CEO there are plans to integrate in thunderbolt technology. you also get status lights showing you that your device is being charged as well as a blinking yellow activity light. This product is well built light weight and easy to carry with you as a mobile command center.

I find that I will use this product mostly at home and then at the office I simply pull my MacBook air out now I could actually continue to work on the air at that point and when I get to work I can just put it in the dock at work and have all my wires and cables connected very clean very easy.

Unfortunately these will not be available till around April 2012, and they are pricey starting at 199.

www.landingzone.com

Our next cool products found was an iPad stand. Now I know it’s hard to get excited about another iPad stand, however this was a bit different this is designed to allow you to work on your lap so if you’re sitting in a comfortable chair or lying on the bed the pillow bottom surface of the prop and go is resting on your legs however the plastic hard top allows you to hold your iPad in up to 12 different positions both portrait and landscape and the 12 position adjustability allows you to set it up for typing reading or viewing of movies.

Now one of the cool things that this product also does has a built-in backpack so you simply wrap the nylon liner around the Cape the iPad stand and it becomes an instant backpack that you can take anywhere you want to go.

Prop and go can be found at http://www.paddedspaces.com/. Starting at $35 all the way up to $60.

The third and final product will review this week is a product made by bullettrain.com. They are the makers of a product called keyboard platform what they’ve done is taken an Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad built a really nice molded holder/case for these this snap into. This product is very strong and made of glass reinforced polycarbonate which makes it much lighter and much more durable they have over 10 different colors and it really adds new functionality to your smaller machines like the MacBook air by giving you a full sized trackpad and also connects via Bluetooth to your IOS devices meaning your iPhone or iPad and it will also allow you to control a keynote presentation or any presentation for that matter from anywhere in the room you have a keyboard and a trackpad in your hand very comfortable to hold.

They are currently taking pre-orders starting at $79 and you can find these at www.bullettrain.com

Our next segment we are going to discuss IOS apps. The idea behind this segment is to share IOS iPad and iPhone apps that are new and also things that we find useful that maybe aren’t so new. Also based on your reviews that you send in to your yourmacnetwork@gmail.com or Call in your Reviews 209-542-4656

Today were to work at three different applications mostly for the iPhone today. However, the first one were going to discuss Voice To Apps works on your iPad as well.

Voice two apps has a very simple user interface with no setup required from the home screen you simply tap on the red button in the middle of the microphone to record. You then press the button again to stop recording. Much like Dragon dictation it then processes the information and converts it to text. You then have several options for sending this information including sending an e-mail, you can copy it to clipboard, or send to twitter and Facebook. I use it to send myself reminders I simply dictate my information choose send to an e-mail address, I address it to myself and I have a dictated message waiting for me in my inbox.

Now this is powered by Nuance so it’s an outstanding product and quality you expect from a dictation app.

Here is the link for more information along with where to buy in iTunes.

Up next is a fairly new application this is called the Spreaker Radio.

Now this is a real interesting application it has the ability to create podcasts along with live shows were you can broadcast live and also allow you to listen to other people’s shows. I have started to podcasts on sprinkler radio. We even tried broadcasting live from the show floor. I noticed we didn’t get a lot of listens. However, I think it’s just a matter of time when people learn more about this service more people will be subscribing and listening.

So be sure and check out Spreaker Today at www.SpreakerRadio.com

While on Spreaker be sure and subscribe to Your Mac Show and it will notify you when ever we go on live or have posted a new episode.

The third and final App were going to look at today is one that’s been under extreme scrutiny. It’s Find My Friends, this is a native Apple application however you still have to download it. Now this App has been called the stalker app and some other things that really don’t apply. If you use the application as it was designed you’ll find that it’s a really nice little tool. For example at the Macworld convention I always knew the location of my wife and she knew mine so when we were separated, meaning I was hanging out in “GeekVille” at Macworld and she went out to shop like a normal person. We were able to meet in the middle knowing exactly where we were. Also I had friends there that allowed me six hours of knowing their location so while we are at Macworld on the floor if we decided to take a coffee break we could find each other very easily using find my friends. Once you use the application you’ll find it’s not as creepy as people think.

I don’t think talking about this or even writing about it does it justice. So look for a complete screen cast coming soon to YourMacMetwork.com reviewing the app and all the things it does well. Also learn how to keep safe when using this application.

Again here is the link to purchase Find My Friends in the App Store.

I thought we would now take a look at a Mac application with so much focus on IOS these days Your Mac Network will try and review a new app each week for the Mac. This week were to take a look at an older application yet one that I think Has been overlooked quite a bit. It was last year’s Macworld’s best of show award winner. The application is called Boom and this is one of those apps you actually have to hear it to believe it. It increases the volume that comes from your Mac it also provides an equalizer. Now naturally this works very well with iTunes but it also works with QuickTime player, Safari and other media players. Again this is something you have to hear to believe but it really increases the sound and volume from your computer. Combine this with a decent set of bookshelf speakers or external computer speakers and you will fill a room with quality sound.