faf : Rob Hemmerdinger
Mac-wise I’m just a massive Apple fanboy moving from the dark side of Microsoft around 3 years ago now and never looked back. Professionally I’m the Director of Product Marketing for Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management solutions. We create some really exciting offerings for reducing the energy consumption in buildings, data centers, industrial plant as well as making buildings secure and comfortable. I’m also a Brit living in Boston, USA.
Picking 5 favorite apps is very hard, like pick your desert island discs. Whilst I use many other apps every day I think I’ll go with the apps I would struggle to be without…even on that desert island.
1. Evernote
Number 1 is easy, Evernote, this is the first note taking software that allowed me to stop using paper and pen. I use it to take notes in meetings, screen captures, web clips, scanned images, documents etc. It’s installed on multiple Macs, my iPhone and the fantastic sync technology keeps all the databases up to date. I’m even writing this blog using Evernote, on multiple Macs! [Link]
2. Xmarks
Xmarks is up next and again this is synchronization software that makes my life easy. Xmarks syncs your bookmarks across your browsers, in my case Firefox. Plus it syncs your usernames and passwords using AES 256 bit encryption to all your devices. [Link]
3. Fortora Fresh Finance
To track my financial accounts I use Fortora Fresh Finance. It’s a very clean and simple way to track your expenditure and forecast your net worth. It also allows me to handle different accounts in different countries using different currencies. [Link]
4.Polaris Desktop Reporting
Next up is Polaris Desktop Reporting, an Adobe Air widget that provides an overview of your Google Analytics account. Especially useful is the website uptime report as well as the map overlay function showing where your website traffic is coming from around the world. [Link]
5. Front Row
Last is the Front Row application that comes free with Mac OS X. I have a Mac mini connected to my TV and use the Front Row application all the time to view TV shows, play music, listen to podcasts and watch movies. A must for any home entertainment system.
Take Part
If you like to take part in the Five Apps Friday series then why not get in contact. The applications can be either OSX based or iPhone and all we need is a 620 pixel wide (landscape) photo and a png screen shot of the apps in a row. All we need is your five favourite applications and why……
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November 23, 2009 at 5:13 pm | Angelina Roberts
Yes but you have to be in the UK for it to function. See http://www.totalapps.net/video/my-5-favourite-plex-apps/ it is a brilliant system though @Otto-mate pointed me in the Plex direction a few months ago and I have never looked back.
November 23, 2009 at 4:04 pm | Robert Hemmerdinger
Thanks for the pointer towards Plex, I have installed it but not really played with it yet at any great lengths. Does it do anything with the BBC iPlayer content?
November 23, 2009 at 8:54 am | Angelina Roberts
Plex is definitely the business for a home media centre but it can be a bit of work setting up and tweaking (well worth it I know!) but if you wan to simple access your iTunes content Frontrow is definitely quicker. I just wish they would update Frontrow to look like the new AppleTV interface.
November 21, 2009 at 3:16 pm | Davejorr
I’m with auto… Plex app!
November 20, 2009 at 2:47 pm | Matthew Craig
Xmarks has to be the most amazing thing I have ever used. AND when I screw up and delete a bookmark (or in some cases a whole whack of them) I can easily restore them! Xmarks is definetly something I cant possibly live without.
November 20, 2009 at 11:13 am | Otto-Mate
Front Row
Plex man, PLEX!
http://www.plexapp.com