Sadly, the novelty of being able to capture your memories in 720p can quickly wear off if you share your clips on YouTube. When you decide to share your video online, the moment you tap that Send to YouTube button, the iPhone 4 will take your clip and compress it. The seemingly unavoidable compression process takes your 720p HD clip and squeezes it down to a lower quality 360p video.

This forced compression has aggravated a fair number of iPhone 4 users, with some even reaching out to CEO Steve Jobs for comment on the matter. With Apple currently offering no alternative other than uploading your clips via a Mac or a PC, one app developer has taken the matter into their own hands.

Drakfyre’s Software recently released a free application called 720tube, which solves the compression problem. The fairly basic — yet functional — utility application works as expected, taking your HD video clips and uploading them to YouTube in the format you originally intended.

The application works in a very similar way to the default Send To YouTube function. You login, select the desired clip you wish to upload, fill in the usual like title and description, then upload. Once complete, your video will be on YouTube in its original 720p HD glory.

The free 2.5MB application can be downloaded from the App Store. Will you be giving it a try?

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For those of you unaware, StumbleUpon, which was established in 2001, is a service which allows its users to browse the web in a casual and possibly addictive way. It delivers random web pages to a user based on their personalized categories of interest and also benefits from social networking features. While using the service, users can rate pages up or down and share “stumbles” with friends and others.

The new application, which is available now for iPhone and Android devices, makes the experience mobile. To get stumbling on your iPhone, simply head over to the App Store and download the free 1.6MB application.

Once the application is downloaded, installed and opened, the first thing a user will see is a screen prompting them to log in. If you’re one of the ten million people already using StumbleUpon, then go ahead and tap in your details. If not, the application has a handy link for signing up.

Once logged in, a user will be greeted with a number of options. Tap the Start Stumbling button to begin stumbling random websites straight away, or choose from a number of other options. New to the mobile application is the option to stumble content which is deemed “best’” for mobile devices. This includes photography (from either flickr or the rest of the web), news content or YouTube videos. If none of these choices strike your fancy, then a list of your preferred topics (set when signing up) will also be on offer.

Using the application is fairly simple, with all the basic needs of stumbling content covered. While browsing stumbled content, a user can do the usual rating and stumble to a new page at ease. Sharing discovered content is also a breeze, with options to push your discoveries via email, Facebook and Twitter, or to another StumbleUpon-using friend. Sadly, the ability to leave your comments regarding a page, via a review, is missing, as is the ability to submit a new link to the StumbleUpon system.

Version 1.0 of the StumbleUpon application is available now, for free, from the Apple App Store. Will you be giving it a try?

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A portable iteration of Zynga’s popular farming simulation game was originally announced for Apple’s portables at this year’s WWDC, and the application is now available in all iTunes stores.

The farming game, which sees players buying and selling crops and livestock, made its debut on Facebook in June 2009; just last year, quickly rising to millions of players. At its absolute peak the game has attracted more than 85 million players, and now with the addition of a free app Zynga is no doubt hoping that figure will increase.

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On the web, Farmville is strictly a Flash-only affair, but of course to debut on the iPhone developers Zynga had to create a non-Flash compatible version of the popular game. Its new 9.7MB iPhone friendly version of the farming simulation title works in a similar fashion to that of the online game, allowing gamers to access their same farm from Facebook and tend to their crops and animals.

New gamers will need a Facebook account to play, whereas existing players can simply login with their Facebook credentials. Once connected, any changes made on a players portable farm will be reflected on a users Facebook farm, and vice-versa. Those who do choose to download the app will find a range of new Farmville items available which are exclusive to iPhone and iPod Touch users, including a Snow Leopard.

The launch of the Farmville application comes at a good time for Zynga, as pointed out by Mashable, despite the games huge popularity the titles install base has seen a drop in recent months, losing nearly 10 million players in the last 30 days alone.

Do you already play FarmVille, and will you be downloading the new mobile version of the game? Or are you one of those who avoids social games like these at all costs to avoid Facebook notification insanity?

The last major update to the iPhone’s operating system arrived last June, bringing with it many desired features. Highlights from the 3.0 update included the long awaited copy and paste, in addition to features such as spotlight search and voice control. But what can we expect from tomorrow’s 4.0 unveiling?

Custom Message Alert Tones

A small request and one that has bugged me ever since I bought my iPhone. I simply want the ability to customize my ringtone for when I receive an SMS. If it can be done for calls, why not for texts? But why stop there? When in a room full of iPhone owning friends, it can often prove annoying to hear the email notification noise every few minutes, let users customize that too. Choice is a beautiful thing.

App Navigation

iPhone users tend to have a lot of applications installed, so it comes as no surprise that these app-addicts want a better way to organize their growing collection of mobile software. Thankfully Apple is aware of the problem and introduced a visual way to organize apps in iTunes 9. However, beyond the occasional iTunes reshuffle, the daily on-device swiping to find that specific app is way past tedious.

Many alternatives have been presented as a solution, including stacking, page overviews, category views, and more. A personal preference would be the introduction of folders. A folder could be presented just like any other application icon, which when pressed dug down into a page of specific apps. For example, a folder containing news applications, with another housing all of a user’s games. This would not only make it easier to find a specific app, it would also offer more breathing space to those more commonly used.

Improve The Lock Screen

A locked iPhone currently provides very little information at-a-glance. Adding information such as today’s calendar events, local weather and any missed calls or messages would offer up a much more useful hub for quick scanning. Of course if Apple were to add all this data to the lock screen it could turn off users who prefer the current minimalist version. A simple section in the device’s settings app could make it easy for users to pick and choose what information is displayed.

Wireless Sync

Picture this: You get home and your iPhone instantly connects to your home networks Wi-Fi, within seconds your iPhone realizes that your MacBook Pro is also connected to the same network. Once a connection is made your device begins to sync all your photos, notes, messages and anything else you choose, straight to your laptop, creating a seamless backup, all of which happens in the background, over the air. Sounds great right? Hope it sounds great to Apple, too.

What do you want to see?

The dream-features detailed above are just a representative selection. Plenty of other requests for the future of the iPhone’s OS have been suggested, some great, others not so much. I’d love to hear about your own feature requests in the comments.

A nice feature is the streamlined description area, which has been “tamed” for the developers who tend to abuse the area, filling it with excessive information and keywords in an attempt to gain favor in the App Store search results. The new system truncates the description past a certain point, allowing the rest to be disclosed upon clicking a “more” link.

New App Store Look

Also highlighted along the left side is a more organized view of the specifics of the app (version, developer and rating) as well as a quick way to see the most popular apps also by the same developer.

Recommendations based on other user’s purchases are now along the bottom, augmented by the inclusion of the app’s icon, which is a nice addition.

New Visual Recommendations

At the moment, featured apps that have custom designed pages (like Twitterrific) still use the original look, but it’s likely that Apple will migrate them over to the new style soon.

For comparison, check out the screenshots below of the same app. What do you think of the new look? Does it highlight the app better? Do you find it more useful or usable?

iTunes 8 & Earlier App Store Interface

iTunes 8 & Earlier App Store Interface

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If you’re looking for a gift to buy yourself this holiday season (or someone else, I suppose, though I never find that people much like software gifts), the MacUpdate Holiday Bundle has just arrived and is well worth considering. Like MacHeist and many other software bundles, MacUpdate’s offers a heaping helping of software at a bargain basement price.

The bundle includes 11 quality Mac apps, including both utilities and games, and if you’re lucky enough to be one of the first 10,000 buyers, you also get three additional pieces of software at no extra charge (around 1,200 had been sold at the time of this writing). Best of all, if you’re unsure about any of the apps included, you can download a preview package that includes trial versions of each.

The total cost of the Holiday Bundle is $49.99, which is a nearly 90 percent discount from the cumulative regular price of $446.77. Even if two of the apps on offer are part of your prospective to-buy list, there’s no better time to snatch them up. Here’s a quick look at what’s included in the deal:

• Path Finder – Finder replacement. Looks like Finder, but features numerous enhancements, including a dual pane file browser, tabbed browsing, easy Mac package navigation, disk image creation and OS X command line access.
• Socialite – Used to be EventBox. It’s an aggregator for your social networks and news sources, including Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter and RSS. Learn more in our recent article about the program.
• Yep – PDF and document management app. It’s described by the developers as an iPhoto or iTunes for your iWork, Office and PDF files. You can navigate your file structure to find them and move them, and also preview them within the app.
• Radio Gaga – Nothing to do with the Lady of the same name. It’s an internet radio player and recorder. You can add your own stations or use the built-in directory of more than 10,000.
• Garage Sale – eBay auction creator and client. You can build your auction using templates and a WYSIWYG editor, broadcast them using Twitter, and also keep an eye on auctions you’re bidding on. PayPal support is also built-in.
• DragThing – An OS X launcher. It’s a dock, but more versatile than the one that ships with OS X, and you can have more than one using DragThing. Billed as a way to keep your desktop clean, so that you can have your files available without wasting all that space and memory.
• Speed Download – Download manager and accelerator. I’ve never used one of these, but this one does have the advantage of doubling as a full-featured FTP client, which is good enough for me.
• HealthNut – Calorie tracker and food diary. Just in time for helping exacerbate the guilt of stuffing your face over the holidays, and helping you stay on track with your consequent New Year’s resolution to lose weight.
• PCalc – Scientific calculator application. Features support for hex, octal and binary calculations and unit conversions, and is completely scriptable. Also includes a companion dashboard widget.
• Machinarium – The much-loved Mac puzzle/adventure game. You’re a robot who has to travel through a world of robots to find your robot lover. On the way, you’ll run into countless puzzles and brain teasers.
• iRip – A utility for getting music from your iPod onto your Mac. This is the one that made headlines a little while ago when it had to change its name to iRip because Apple took issue with its original name, “iPodRip.”

That’s the basic bundle, but as mentioned, you also get three other apps if you buy it soon. Those three are PowerTunes (manage multiple iTunes libraries), Holiday DVD Templates (self-explanatory) and FlagIt! (flag add-on for Apple Mail). The MacUpdate Holiday Bundle is only available for around 12 more days, so if you’re going to bite, you’ve got less than two weeks to do it.

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The seven apps are all new to me, but they seem to have garnered favorable reviews and even some official accolades from Apple itself. They also cover quite a range, meaning that no two really duplicate the functions or features of the others. Here’s a brief rundown of the apps you get in the bundle.

• GraphicConverter – Does what it says. You can open basically any image file, and then save it as another. You can also do some light editing, organize your photos, run a slide show, and automate your image processing to make working with large batches of files easier.
• Picturesque – Provides a lot of easy, 1-click or simplified image enhancement abilities. Great for those who don’t have the patience or time to learn more advanced programs like Photoshop, or who want really quick turnaround times for time sensitive activities like blogging.
• ImageFramer – Add frames to your pictures. A little weird, in my opinion, but if you’re looking for something different for your photos, this could be it.
• Funtastic Photos – Photo correction and enhancement which automatically preserves your original. Also packs a number of sharing features, and a rich print layout system.
• Graphic Designer Toolbox – Combine building blocks to create crazy new graphic effects and images. You use the unique interface to marry various elements together in a non-destructive process that is both deceptively simple and incredibly deep. Weird but cool.
• DrawIt – A vector image editor and drawing app. Tons of shapes are included in the default set, and there’s support for user-created ones, too. A nice little app that will have you creating Mac-friendly icons and more with relative ease.
• HoudahGeo – Add geolocation data to your photos. HoudahGeo lets you specify information like latitude, longitude, altitude and viewing angle in an image file’s EXIF, XMP or IPTC tags.

All of the apps included in MacGraPhoto have apparently been Apple Staff Picks except for Graphic Designer Toolbox, which won a Think Different award for graphic image editors. At the very least, you’ll probably shave a few steps off of your current process for doing light image editing by picking up the bundle. Plus, if you tell three people about the deal and they buy the pack as a result, the price of your purchase is refunded and you get it free. The bundle pricing expires in a little over five days.

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Syncing in general has been improved in the sense that users can now drill down and sync more specific content. Music can now be synced by a combination of playlists, specific artists or genres. Podcasts can be synced by specific episodes and TV shows can be synced by specific episodes or seasons.

New altogether is the ability to sync iTunes U content which also has its own category, instead of being mixed in randomly between podcasts and music. Photo syncing has also been greatly enhanced, allowing support for specific albums, events or faces. Searching has also been enabled in many of these areas to allow you to quickly narrow down your choices. While these are all great features, they have really intensified the syncing interface. Hopefully it’s not too much for some users.

Still No Love for Audiobooks?

As mentioned in my wish list, I was really hoping for an improved way to sync audiobooks. Apple answered my hopes in an odd way. In the Music section, you can now search through your artists and, upon searching for a particular author, I was able to sync up those specific audiobooks. This isn’t a perfect solution though as a user may have multiple audiobooks from the same author. Why not just add another tab across the top? Apple added one for iTunes U. (I’m completely kidding. Remember, the interface is getting too complicated. iTunes 8 had eight tabs for syncing options while iTunes 9 brings the number to 10.) I personally feel the number of tabs across the top is too many, but I do feel audiobooks are important enough to warrant a more selective approach for syncing instead of just creating playlists for them.

Home Screens, Sweet Home Screens

Of course, the part most of you will really care about is the ability to organize your iPhone and iPod touch home screens via iTunes. This is simply amazing and is surprisingly quite functional. You simply navigate amongst the home screens, deleting or adding as needed and dragging applications between them. If you want to drag an item from the first screen to the fifth, just click and drag the app and hover over the fifth screen. It’ll pop up in the main view and you can place your app.

You can also select multiple apps by holding down the Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) keys. Moving complete screens around is also a snap, just by clicking and dragging them. All in all, this feature works quite well and should give users no excuse for messy randomly placed apps on their iPhones (or at least quell frustrations of people who attempt to switch between pages while editing apps only to grab and app and move it instead).

Generally speaking, these new syncing options do give users more flexible options to manage content on their devices, but I’m curious to see if any of you feel the interface itself has become a little overblown?

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So why would anybody need an app to do this when most apps have keyboard shortcuts already? Well the answer is simple if you consider the power of leveraging the large screen on the iPhone. When it launched sans a physical keyboard, Steve Jobs commented that it was a great idea to do away with it, because there are times when you don’t need a full size keyboard. If you are typing in numbers, it would be great to see large numbers instead of individual keys.

The same holds true for shortcuts. Why should I have to press “Shift+Command+Delete” to empty my trash when I could just use one button for that same purpose? Keymote addresses this usability blemish.

Keymote’s setup process is very simple and only requires that your iPhone and Mac share a Wi-Fi connection. Download the remote software on your Mac and it resides on the menu bar. Once you’ve paired the iPhone to your Mac from the app, you’re ready to roll.

Keymote comes with several keysets out of the box but also includes an in-app store that provides a larger wealth of free downloadable keysets for other popular apps, all contributed by users. Instantly download keysets for Aperture, Adobe Illustrator, Pages or any other app you use frequently. My favorite is the Numerical Keypad keyset which will help your stylish Apple keyboard feel a little more powerful.

If there’s not a keyset for an application you like to use, feel free to create your own and share it with others. If a particular keyset is not quite up to your standards, tap a key or spacer and hold. Then you can just drag it to a better location. If a shortcut is missing, just tap the plus and add it right alongside the rest.

The only thing to keep in mind is that you might find yourself using your phone more often than before. In case, my iPhone has become more of an auxiliary keypad and so I needed to adjust my sleep settings to keep my phone awake. Additionally, Keymote requires the software you’re using be the active application. This means if I call up Photoshop key commands and create a new document, it invokes “Command+N.” If Photoshop isn’t the active application, “Command+N” will apply to whichever app is active. The developers are aware of this limitation, and it’s something they are working to address.

With a stylish user interface that looks great not just on my iPhone, but as a “keypad” next to my Mac, Keymote is a great application for those whose regularly harness the power of shortcuts. Keymote is $3.99 and available for download on the App Store. If you’ve had the chance to try it out, please share your thoughts.

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The list is split into two parts. The first, which features software that will be automatically moved to an “Incompatible Software” folder, contains some familiar faces, like Unsanity’s Application Enhancer 2.0.1 and earlier, versions of which caused a fair amount of BSOD (including one of my own) when users upgraded from Tiger to Leopard. At least your system won’t just seize up and die this time around. Other programs on this list include:

• Parallels Desktop 2.5 and below
• AT&T’s Laptop Connect Card (1.0.4, 1.0.5, and 1.10.0)
• Norton AntiVirus 11.0
• launch2net 2.13.0 (for some 3G USB dongles)

The second part contains programs that Snow Leopard will prevent from opening, though they will remain in their usual location on your drive. Oddly enough, two of Apple’s own software offerings appear on this list. Here are the most popular offenders:

• Aperture 2.1.1 and below
• Keynote 2.0.2 and below
• Parallels Desktop 3.0
• EyeTV 3.0.0 to 3.1.0
• Ratatouille 1.1

I’ve only posted some of the programs on the list, which will probably be updated by Apple as new incompatibilities are discovered. Note that Apple’s not saying these programs will break or prevent a Snow Leopard install, just that they most definitely will not work with 10.6. If I happened to have any of these currently installed on my system, I’d probably do my best to get rid of any trace of them using AppZapper or something similar before upgrading, just in case.

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The idea of an App Store for the Mac is nothing new but finally, one company is transitioning the idea from a website to an actual application. Bodega, inspired by the Spanish word for “small convenience store,” is a freeware app that does just what we want: It acts as a storefront to lots of great applications for the Mac.

The storefront itself is organized much like a store, with applications represented by their icons residing on “shelves.” This is a bit of an adjustment, as immediately my instinct is to prefer something organized more like iTunes with a more minimal UI and a greater focus within each category of which apps are popular. In the interest of fairness to developers though, perhaps Bodega’s approach isn’t a bad one.

Applications are, as one would expect, grouped by different categories (audio, entertainment, etc.). At the moment, these categories are a bit sparse and slow loading, but since Bodega hasn’t reached 1.0 status yet, I’m betting that they are still working hard on performance improvements.

Similar to the App Store, each application links to a page where more details and screenshots are provided. Users can download demo versions from within the app, or buy the full version without leaving Bodega. All transactions occur through the actual developer’s website, which is just wrapped inside of the Bodega interface. It doesn’t appear that Bodega works out a percentage of profits like Apple does on the App Store, but instead Bodega allows for advertising and featured spots.

Users are free to post reviews of the application, and similar to the App Store, users must have the particular application installed on their Mac before being able to review it.

Bodega also features a universal software update mechanism, allowing apps that are available through Bodega to be updated in one central place. Missing from Apple’s own Software Update feature, this is a really useful tool and as more applications become available through Bodega, this will become even more practical.

Another useful feature of the application is that any apps purchased through Bodega can store their licensing information inside, preventing users from needing to keep up with PDF receipts or scraps of paper with serial numbers scrawled on them.

At the moment, most of the applications on Bodega are independent and smaller developers. Larger companies like EA Games, Adobe & Microsoft are missing. It will be interesting to see if any of these companies give attention to Bodega, or if Bodega will have to work to “prove” itself worthwhile first.

Usability is a huge factor that Bodega needs to focus on as it works towards its 1.0 release. The UI itself is nice, but is missing a certain shine that keeps it from being top of the line. Other nitpicks include a more consistent UI (button styles) and better integration with screenshots of applications. With next and previous buttons showing up even if there was only one screenshot, I became confused as to how many images there actually were or if the app was just being slow.

Overall, Bodega is a great application with lots of potential. I really hope to see more developers offer their titles through Bodega. Check out the free download from the Bodega website and let us know what you think.

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The real power of OS X lies in all of the hidden gems beneath what you see at first glance. Technologies like Expose, Spaces, Stacks, Spotlight and others help users tap the power of their Mac, while keeping the experience sleek and elegant. Aptonic’s Dropzone, a third-party application designed to further simplify your Mac experience, fits into this group perfectly and naturally.

It’s Like an Intern for Your Dock

Dropzone is an application that resides in your Dock like any other app. The power of Dropzone comes into play when you begin dragging files onto its icon. Similar to the appearance of a Stack, Dropzone will expand giving you options of what to do with the file or files you’ve selected. Think of it like Automator for your Dock.

For example, if I have a handful of files selected, and drag them onto my Dropzone icon, I am presented with a series of choices, one of which is “Zip files and email.” As simple as it sounds, dragging the files onto this icon zips the files automatically and attaches them to a new email message inside of Mail. Gone are the days of right-clicking to compress the files, attaching that to an email and then deleting the zip file when I’m done.

Another “destination” included is the ability to install applications quickly by dragging a DMG onto the “Install Application” destination. Behind the scenes, your Mac will mount the DMG file, locate the application inside, copy it to your Applications folder and launch it, unmount the DMG and move the DMG file to the trash.

Other destinations include quick access to uploading images to Flickr (including copying the image URL to your clipboard when its done) or upload files to your FTP server. Want those files zipped before upload? No problem. Just hold down the option key as you drag the files onto the icon. It’s quick and simple and really does save time.

I’m the type of Mac user who likes to keep my Dock as simplified as possible, but I do enjoy the ability to be able to drag files onto an application icon and force the file to open in that application. Dropzone allows me to throw applications I use frequently inside of it and then I have the ability to do just that. Compared to attempting the same thing with a stack in Leopard, I only spawn Finder windows.

Taking It Further

Several optional downloads can extend the functionality of Dropzone. There are add-ons to allow you to start your screensaver, mount/unmount firewire drives, and set your computer to sleep, in addition to many others. Dropzone even includes support for popular web services, including the ability to quickly share photos via TwitPic, shorten a dropped URL via the Is.Gd service (and copy it to the clipboard automatically), and quickly share photos and documents on Posterous.

If you are comfortable programming ruby scripts, Dropzone also offers a scripting API to allow you to create your own “destinations” to further extend the application.

If you’d like to try out Dropzone, it’s currently available for Leopard or Snow Leopard users. Aptonic does provide a trial version of the software, and the cost is only $10 to purchase the full version. The trial does limit you to 15 days of use and up to five “destinations” at a time. I spoke with the developers at Aptonic and they informed me that updates through 1.0 will be freely available to users who register, but the $10 price is likely just an introductory price. Download the demo version here.

I’ll be the first to admit, much like Quicksilver or Spaces, once you get used to integrating this app, it really does save you time. If you have tried out Dropzone, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Given the runaway success of the App Store (if you haven’t heard, just pick up any newspaper, provided you can find one still being printed), I’ve begun to give some thought to the feasibility of a Mac App Store. Does it make sense? Could Apple pull it off? What would it mean for developers and for users?

The introduction of the iTunes Music Store (now simply called the iTunes Store) brought about an entirely new paradigm for providing digital content. There was new ground for Apple to break, and to test the waters, it began with music, before eventually adding support for audiobooks, podcasts, television shows, movies, and movie rentals.

Initially aimed at giving users more choice by allowing them to pay for the specific content they desired (a song vs. the entire CD, or a TV episode instead of an entire season), many more benefits to this new model quickly became apparent — for example, user reviews to highlight the best content, trends to see what others are buying, environmental benefits by reducing physical distribution, and simplicity for producers to get their content quickly before the public. Now with the App Store, developers are once again doing the same thing for the iPhone and iPod touch.

But would this same concept work for big-name applications like Creative Suite 4 or Microsoft Office? In short, yes.

While Apple’s profit margin for app developers might be a little high for companies like Adobe or Microsoft, it hasn’t stopped such companies from exploring their own methods of digital distribution. Creative Suite 4 is available from Adobe’s web site as a trial (which a user can then buy the license and upgrade) or as a full version that can be downloaded once purchased from its online store. Microsoft offers the same solution for Office 2008 on its web site as well.

Objections & Rebuttals

The biggest argument against digital distribution of any kind (software, movies, music) is the lack of physical media. In some cases, I support this, but the App Store has shown us that not dealing with physical media is a lot more convenient. (Just how easy is it to try a new app on your iPhone and delete it if you don’t want it?)

Another common objection you hear is that with physical media, you always have a nice backup copy in case you need it. (One could argue the flip side that by only having physical media, you really have no backup copy if your original disc becomes scratched or damaged.) Apple has once again snuck a hidden gem in the App Store with its ability to re-download content at any time after your initial purchase. Bearing this in mind, now how simple is it to install an application onto multiple Macs, assuming you have the appropriate license? Simply login to iTunes and re-download the application again.

Others like to cite bandwidth as a reason against this distribution method. Granted, broadband is not common in all parts of the world, but this is certainly not an “all or none” argument — simply a direction we’re progressing towards. Furthermore, the size of the average application is usually far smaller than a music album, HD TV show, or feature film.

Yet another aspect to consider is that Apple has already provided one online destination for applications and that is its Downloads section of Apple.com. Unfortunately, this option has many setbacks, including lack of powerful searching options, lack of user reviews, and inability to track purchases to name a few. Almost two years ago, however, Apple also utilized this approach to showcase its collection of web apps for the iPhone, before giving way to a full-fledged App Store inside of iTunes. The web apps are still browsable via Apple’s web site, but with the introduction of native apps, web apps just don’t get the love they once did. With its seamless integration with your iTunes account for billing, reviews, and user recommendations, iTunes would be a more ideal solution for delivering applications and updates instead of a web site.

Additional Benefits

There are many additional benefits for developers and consumers in a potential Mac App Store. With the introduction of a Mac App Store, smaller developers will have the potential to reach greater audiences. One of the best things about using a Mac are all of those neat little applications you always see popping up on the net. With a Mac App Store, now these developers can share the same space as big-name guys like Adobe and Microsoft, without needing an advertising budget as big as theirs.

Looking at how intelligently iTunes can view my past purchases and offer “deals” to complete albums or upgrade to iTunes Plus, and even how the App Store delivers app updates to consumers, Apple could finally allow developers to take advantage of its Software Update app built into OS X. (There are already some popular third-party apps that do this, and one thing Apple loves to do best is to take what’s “popular” and make it its own).

Though Apple has faced a lot of criticism for its policies of approving and rejecting apps from the App Store, such a system would also likely be in place for a Mac specific version. However, as this would not be the only method of distributing applications for the Mac, Apple’s approval policies shouldn’t be seen as a detriment to this idea, especially as Apple continues to refine and improve its approval process.

Essentially, the technology is already in place. Apple has a distribution method (App Store & iTunes), and most developers are already offering downloads via their own sites. If, and when, Apple introduces a Mac App Store, developers will be able to reach entirely new audiences and easier distribution than they currently enjoy.

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Saltwater Aquarium

Nothing says “international man/woman of mystery” like a saltwater fish tank. Whether you’re plotting to destroy the world, or just aiming to become a master of seduction, your lair should definitely house Finding Nemo and his buddies. Real aquariums are expensive and hard to maintain, but your Mac has you covered.

I know it has been around for a while, and it might not be the most useful software on the planet, but I still can’t get enough of SereneScreen’s Marine Aquarium. It comes in both pay and free editions, with the free version lacking the fish variety and customizability of the paid-for software. I set it up on my 32-inch LCD TV and let it run while working or entertaining.

More recently, SereneScreen has released a version for the iPhone, which, while it lacks the options of the desktop version, provides a nice way to grab a little zen in the midst of a chaotic day. At $1.99, you might have to be a fish nut to actually pay for it. I’m nutty for the aquatic little buggers.

International Espionage Tracking Device

Now that you’ve got the diggs outfitted for the spy game, you need some of the Q-type gizmos to go with it. How about a location tracking device? All you have to do is distract the bad guy, make the swap, and you’ve got a homing device. All it will cost you is your Mac, and your target has to have an identical one to switch it with. It could happen.

Thanks to GadgetTrak, this scenario is entirely possible. They make MacTrak, software which uses Wi-Fi location technology to tell you where your computer is, within 10-20 meters. Not only that, but it uses your notebook’s iSight camera and Flickr to post a stream of photographs of whoever’s using your computer. The GadgetTrak folks seem to think MacTrak is for tracking down stolen computers. No imagination, that’s their problem.

Clever Disguise

In your line of work, you deal with sensitive information, and its important that both you and your computer aren’t compromised or identified. I don’t need to give you advice, that horsehair mustache, eyepatch, and fake limp turn you into a different person altogether. But what to do about that computer?

It can show a false front too, thanks to Desktop Curtain by Many Tricks. This handy app shows a desktop picture of your choosing complete with menu bar, hiding your actual desktop clutter and classified information from prying eyes. Handy in a pinch for deceptive screenshots and screencasts, also.

There you have it. Go from geek to spy in 3 easy apps. I’ve already done it and now I’m a bona fide MI6 agent. My license to kill is in the mail, they tell me. For now I have a license to mildly injure. It’s a graduated licensing system.

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Stereo Receiver

I have multimedia speakers, one of the many Logitech 5.1 sets that seem to be deeply discounted at Best Buy at least once or twice every few weeks. They produce great sound considering how cheap they were, but they don’t have a remote and my TV clicker doesn’t control external speakers. Having to stand up and walk to the rear right speaker constantly to adjust the volume makes me feel like I’m trapped in the 1950s, and not in the good, “Those were the days” kind of way.

Light bulb: I can control the volume on my MacBook via remote, and it has both line-in and line-out ports (mini-TOSLINK compatible ones).  The problem, however, is that OS X doesn’t natively channel sound directly from input source to output.

With the help of some Google prospecting, I found LineIn, a simple freeware application that enables playthrough and does so very well.  Setup was a breeze, and with the help of a couple cables (RCA to mini-stereo for TV to Mac, mini-stereo to mini-stereo for Mac to speakers) I was once again in full control sitting comfortably on the couch.

Yogurt Thief Catcher

This is actually something I wish I’d been able to do instead of something I’ve done. I used to have roommates, and in case you never have… don’t. Ever. It seemed like a fun college-student thing to do, but it wasn’t. It was constant fighting and petty squabbles. Over things like who ate my yogurt. The yogurt which I bought with my own money for my own consumption.

Had Air Cam Live Video for iPhone (and the iPhone itself) been available, I would’ve been able to catch the culprit in the act. The application, when paired with its desktop counterpart, uses your Mac’s iSight (or any attached compatible webcam, including those that work with macam) to turn your computer into a surveillance device.  You’re iPhone and the computer with the desktop application have to be on the same network, but that’s perfect for catching thieves red-handed.  Also apparently useful as a baby monitor, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Guitar Tuner

While I am not a skilled (or unskilled) guitar player, I have one and sometimes I jab at it with my swollen, indelicate hand digits. When I do so, I like the resulting noises to at least be in tune, since they could never be melodious.  Various tuning apps are available for the iPhone (Guitar Toolkit being my personal preference) but when I’m at home I use Guitar Tuner by Hidetomo Katsura & Rustle Laidman. It’s simple, clean, and extremely accurate, and while shareware, the price to register is only $9.00. Even my friends with actual musical talent swear by this little app.

Comic Book Reader

It has “book” right in the name, so it makes sense that I would occasionally use my MacBook to actually read things.  High on the list of things I like to read are comics, because they have pretty pictures and  explosions. Paper still appeals to the collector in me, but my bachelor pad provides little archiving space and conveniently forgetting boxes of comics at friends’ houses is not a long-term storage solution.

Thank goodness for the recent rise in the availability of digital comics. Although the big houses (like Marvel and DC) seem to be sticking with web content as the method of delivery, smaller independent studios are taking advantage of image archive formats, like .cbz and .cbr. These are great, because they’re small enough to be easily stored in large numbers without taking up too much drive space, but they require special reader programs to work properly.

This is another area where there is no shortage of software available for OS X, both free and paid. Despite my general reputation as a spendthrift, here (as with Guitar Tuner), I opted for a paid product. Enter ComicBookLover ($24.95). In addition to providing better basic functionality than many of the free apps, it allows you to organize your comics collection in the same way iTunes organizes your music. And it has a convenient laptop viewing mode to automatically rotate the page for easy, readable viewing.

That’s only a few of the ways you can get more out of your Mac.  Stay tuned for more, and send in or post your suggestions below.

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Billed as “your official, comprehensive connection to the heart of Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s campaign,” Obama’s campaign today released an official election application for the iPhone and iPod touch. This marks the first sanctioned application release from either side in the American presidential race, though several unofficial apps of varying utility have previously been available.

It’s immediately clear upon launch that the application was not rushed, but was actually developed with care and attention to detail.  The UI is clean and attractive (despite the Windows-ish color scheme) and the action is snappy.  It was clearly developed with two key aims in mind: promote all things Obama and encourage you to do the same.

The app is innovative in that it goes beyond being simply an information delivery tool.  Instead it uses the unique capabilities of the iPhone platform to attempt to make campaigners out of anyone who downloads it.  The first option you’re presented with is “Call Friends,” which searches your contact list and prioritizes your friends and associates based on whether or not their state is considered a key battleground.  You can then call them directly from the list to attempt to sway their vote.

Need ammunition? What if, for instance, your old Ohioan college roommate isn’t about Obama’s stance on seniors and social security and would like you to explain it to him?  With the “Issues” menu, you can toe the party line without even knowing it ahead of time.

All the media you can swallow regarding the Obama campaign is also only a few taps away, complete with a convenient absence of counterpoint material.  To be fair, the app never claims balance, nor should it, considering the source.

Now that the first shots have been fired in the war to win voters by way of their most beloved handheld electronic device, it’ll be interesting to see if the McCain campaign fires back.  Of course, it’s always possible that they’ll spin it as yet another example of Obama’s elitism and leave it at that.

What do you think?  Brilliant campaign move or merely preaching to the converted?

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