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Fix For Google Chrome “Show in Finder” on Macs

February 9, 2013 in tech by George | No comments

Somewhere along the way — I think it’s related to an Apple Mountain Lion update — hitting “Show in Finder” after you downloaded a file in using the Google Chrome browser stopped working. Opening files from this tab may have been affected too (I tend not to use that functionality that often).

This is a pain. So much easier to find downloaded files by clicking right within Chrome than opening a new Finder window and navigating to downloads, which is likely over-populated with files with unfamiliar names, and then you sorting by recent to determine which file you downloaded.

In any case, here’s a fix:

Open the Terminal App and type/cut & paste the following:

$ sudo killall -KILL appleeventsd

Hit return, enter your password, and you should be all set.

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10 Productivity Apps 2013

January 20, 2013 in apple, Productivity, tech by George | No comments

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about productivity tools. With all of the (continued) seismic changes in technology, it seems like a good time to update the list.

As always, my desire for tech is that it as transparent as possible so that productivity is accelerated.

To this end, here’s what I’m using:

1. I cannot stress enough that if you have a pre-Flash based MacBook, you should immediately, swap out your old Solid State hard disk for a Flash drive. It sounds hard, but it’s not, and this hack alone will boost your productivity by leaps and bounds. I detail the process here: Weekend Project: New Mac for ~$200 — Upgrade from HDD to SSD

2. Alfred. I still do miss my beloved Quicksilver, but it’s really gone unsupported in any meaningful way for so long now that (for me at least), it’s just not stable. Alfred fills the void nicely (if not freely when you add the sort-of-necessary Power Pack), and allows you to customize its functionality fairly well (the new Workflows in the Beta version show a lot of promise). Even if you don’t ever customize it to any degree, having an app launcher, calculator, iTunes controller, etc. all at your fingertips does save time.

3. 1Password. We’re bogged down with passwords. Wired recently ran a story about how we need to kill the password, and I couldn’t agree more. Until we get there, however, we’re stuck with the boogers. Therefore, having a great app that not only stores your passwords (across your devices), but also generates random passwords when you have to create new ones, comes in super handy. I use 1Password every day, and it saves me time and stress.

4. Google Drive. Sort of crazy to me that I have to even mention this, but I run into enough people who still aren’t familiar with how great and efficient this tool is that it merits inclusion. Google’s play at dethroning MSFT is at its most articulated in their apps. As companies move from an Outlook-based email solution to a Gmail solution, it stands to reason that the bloated, unreliable MSFT apps are next to fall, and the Google apps are ready to fill the void nicely. Combine the web-based Google apps with the Google drive on your phone/tablet, and you’re pretty well set in terms of content creation/sharing.

5. Speaking of content creation, as we move to more tablet-based content creation, having the right case/input method is crucial. As for me and my iPad, we’ll stick with the Touchtype iPad case (which I reviewed in detail for Paste) and an Apple bluetooth keyboard. Increasingly, I leave the laptop at home.

6. Cobook. With respect to software, Apple seems to be going the way of Microsoft. Apple’s Mail app sucks (replace it, of course, with gmail both on your desktop/laptop and your mobile devices), and so too does their Contacts/Address Book. Unusable, unreliable. Nightmare. Cobook is the first innovation in contacts since…ever. It pulls your social contacts in as well as your contacts from Google, Apple’s iCloud, etc. Their iPhone app is great, too.

7. Tweetbot. One of the biggest issues we face in a world of many screens is synchronization. Viewing Twitter on your home device, and then having to scroll through a bunch of tweets you’ve already seen when you check on your mobile device is a waste. Tweetbot, in addition to its many other great features, keeps your Twitter feed in synch irrespective of whatever screen you happen to be on at any given time.

8. Evernote. Everyone knows and loves Evernote, but it just gets better and better. You MUST install the Chrome Extension in order to really enjoy its full power. Clipping images, web articles, etc., pretty much eliminates the need for bookmarking. Of course, its mobile apps are killer too. Its Skitch integration was a bit rough at first, but the two now seem to play nicely, which makes grabbing and notating screen grabs (with Skitch) as easy as archiving them (with Evernote).

9. Reeder. I still enjoy RSS feeds, though, admittedly, my usage has gone down. In terms of best of breed, there’s no single choice for both laptop/desktop and mobile. While people love Flipbook, it’s never done it for me. On my iPad I use Mr. Reader, on my MacBook I use Reeder, and on my phone, I use the Google RSS reader. I’m hopeful that a more unified solution will emerge (Reeder does have mobile apps, but I haven’t felt compelled to switch). In the mean time, this solution works in so far as that – like Tweetbot – each does synchronize with your Google Reader streams, and therefore marks items as read universally.

10. Notational Velocity and Simplenote. Notational Velocity is, hands down, the simplest, fastest way to take quick notes, and keep them easily organized on the desktop/laptop. It synchs (relatively) seemlessly with the Simplenote app for mobile. I use them both multiple times a day.

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Dropbox versus Instagram: A (brief) Case Study in Growing Revenue

December 30, 2012 in entrepreneurship, tech by George | No comments

We all love Dropbox. That in, and of itself is quite an accomplishment. There are very few companies out there that have virtually no detractors. We love Dropbox because of its features, but also because of the companies’ values. They (in)famously turned down Steve Jobs’ offer to buy them. Jobs’, of course, was onto something. Apple’s various attempts (MobileMe and iCloud) are pale imitations of Dropbox’s functionality.

The above aside, I had, until recently, only been sort of curiously impressed by Dropbox. It was there when I needed it; though I didn’t use it much. I knew it had its fanatical users and evangelists, and I really love the design/aesthetic. However, like Instagram, and many of these types of services, I was less-than-convinced of the ongoing underlying business model.

Dropbox ruled out the obvious “business model” when they rebuked Jobs’ offer; i.e. exit via acquisition. For Instagram and many beloved companies — those with fiercely loyal users, but no real revenue model — this is the obvious/only way out. Not that it’s a bad thing…if you can pull it off; as I tweeted back in April, this “Mark to Mystery” accounting struck me as a sign of a bubble.

I fully understand that Dropbox — like Instagram, Evernote, and other companies that, again, fit the description of beloved, but with no real business model — has a premium tier that does indeed generate revenue. Without being privy to Dropbox’s financials, if I had to guess, the revenue from this paid tier doesn’t nearly cover their run cost.

In fact, if this premium tier revenue did cover costs, they wouldn’t have made the move that they just made.

The move they just made, like much else that Dropbox has done, is elegant and very smart.

You may have noticed that the new version of Dropbox allows for effortless/frictionless upload of photos from your computer or phone:

dropbox-5

By adding this functionality, Dropbox will, I believe, convert MANY casual users of their service (such as myself), who never ran the risk of maxing out their free Dropbox account into customers who — with some speed — exceed their free limit, and thus must become paying members.

What’s brilliant about the approach, is the way in which Dropbox has created this revenue model, which, in lesser hands, would’ve been seen as terribly mercenary. Again, I have to reference Instagram’s/Facebook’s recent gaffe with respect to trying to monetize Instagram.

Here’s why customers haven’t and won’t react to Dropbox’s move in the way they did to Instagram’s:

  • Dropbox has built brand equity (customer loyalty) over many years
  • Dropbox has become a dependable and necessary tool for countless customers
  • Dropbox’s new photo functionality adds value to the user even when potentially/likely costing the user something (of course, the user can opt out of this, and continue to use Dropbox as they always have)
  • Dropbox communicated clearly what is going on to customers in plain English (see above)

    • Compare the above elements with how Instagram handled their recent change, and Instagram’s relationship (or lack thereof) with their customers.

    For many, the Internet really is just a photo sharing/viewing tool. Facebook knows this (it’s why they bought Instagram in the first place). Dropbox’s management recognizes this too, but, unlike Instagram’s/Facebook’s management, should be congratulated for not only putting in place a revenue model — utilizing this tenet of the internet: people’s attachment to photos — that will likely change their fortunes (and continue to allow them to fend off pesky suitors like…uh…Apple), but has done so in a way that will not cause mass abandonement of or frustration in customers.

    All managers must take their cue from Dropbox when considering the delicate balacne between driving revenue and retaining/gaining customers.

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    Weekend Project: New Mac for ~$200 — Upgrade from HDD to SSD

    October 21, 2012 in apple, tech by George | 1 comment

    My late 2008 MacBook Pro had become virtually unusable. Opening almost any application resulted in the spinning beach ball of doom. I was constantly having to force quit applications, shut down the machine, and restart (which took forever) to accomplish the simplest of tasks.

    Now, I don’t blame Apple. I’ve gotten a good three or so years out of this machine, and that’s about the best you’re going to get.

    So, you have two choices.

    You either:
    (A) Shell out for a new machine (and, anyone who knows me knows how susceptible I am to new Apple products, and the current Airs, MBP with Retina, and the soon-to-be-announced 13″ MBP with Retina, look darn good)

    (B) Replace the Hard Drive with a Solid State Drive

    Any of us who have iPhones or iPads have become accustomed to apps opening instantly, and generally being super-responsive. This is because rather than using old-school hard drives (HDD) that spin, they instead use solid state drives (SSD) that have no moving parts, and, therefore, perform much faster.

    These solid state drives, due to Moore’s Law, have – over the past few years – become increasingly inexpensive, and able to store large amounts of stuff. Therefore, a 256G SSD drive, while once obscenely expensive in comparison to the same size HDD, is now affordable (remember, iPhones and iPads have relatively small storage space (the new iPhone5 tops out at 64G).

    Most of the new macs are shipped with SSDs, but for most people (i.e. those who didn’t order a custom Mac or an Air) who bought their Macs prior to 2011, they still – like I do – have HDDs. The performance of these HDDs degrades over time to a point where the machine becomes unusable. At this point, most people buy a new machine (perhaps it’s planned obsolescence on Apple’s part – perhaps not).

    Buying a new machine is, of course, a fine (if expensive option). However, aside from the Retina displays (which are great), if you’ve bought a Mac in the last three years or so there haven’t been too many changes to either form or function.

    Taken together, option B, above, becomes a no-brainer.

    Except…

    It means opening up your machine and fooling with the guts. For most people this is a non-starter, and so they buy a new machine.

    Having, just this morning (in under 30 minutes), swapped out my HDD for a SSD, and now, feeling like I’m running the fastest computer on earth, I really must encourage you to try replacing your HDD with a SSD before you shell out for a new machine.

    Here’s how:

    1. Order what you need:
    a. SSD drive: Samsung 830 256GB SATA Internal Solid State Drive (you could go with more storage space, but the price goes from $189 for 256GB to $508 for 512GB; if you’ve got more than 256GB of stuff on your machine, I’d suggest moving some of it (photos, movies) to an external drive).

    b. Cable to connect your new drive to the USB on your computer so you can clone your HDD to your new SSD (more on this below). This cable does the trick. The accompanying disc that makes this a “Harddrive Upgrade Kit” is worthless; you won’t use it.

    c. A tiny screwdriver. This one has all the bits you need, and is nicely magnetic.

    d. Hard Disk Caddy (OPTIONAL, but recommended). This is so that you can move your HDD to the space that is currently occupied by your optical (ie DVD drive). This will give you more space to store files, BUT you will no longer be able to put DVDs or CDs into your computer. Also, if your HDD is really shot this makes no sense. If, on the other hand, your HDD is working, but sluggish, it’s a great way to double your storage space (move all your photos, movies, etc. to this HDD, but leave your apps, etc., on your new SSD).

    2. Download Carbon Copy Cloner. This piece of software (free 30 day trial) will make an EXACT copy of your machine on your new SSD. This means that it’s bootable; i.e. you can start your machine up from the copy of your machine. This is VERY different than, for instance, a Time Machine back up, which backs up your files, but does not do so in a way that you can boot from (you have to put them back in the right place, deal with permissions, etc. Nightmare).

    3. Format your new SSD. Plug the cable you got from the list above into your new SSD and run Disk Utility on your Mac. Erase the SSD, and rename it (I called mine, “George’s SSD”). This reformats it in a manner that allows your Mac to talk to it.

    4. Make a clone of your HDD onto your SSD. With the SSD still plugged into your cable, run Carbon Copy Cloner. It’ll ask you if you want it to create a recovery partition. You do. After this is done, clone your disk. Depending on how much stuff you have on your HDD, this could take a while. It took about five hours for me to clone around 120GB.

    5. Check to make sure the Cloning worked. With the new SSD still plugged in via your cable, shut down your mac, and then restart while holding the Option key down. Once the machine starts up you should see options for which disk you want to boot from. Boot from the SSD. Don’t be disheartened if it takes a few minutes (remember, you’re transferring information over USB – not fast). Open some apps, and docs, and make sure everything is working OK. Assuming it is, shut down your Mac.

    Now comes the fun/scary part.

    6. Replace your HDD with your SSD. Unplug your Mac, turn it on its back, and pull up the little lever that opens the battery/HD cover. Using your little screwdriver unscrew the screws around your HDD, and then pull the little piece of tape that pops it out. Pop in the new SSD, making sure to connect the male to the female parts of the interface, and screw it back in.

    If you’re not replacing your optical (i.e. CD/DVD drive) with your old HDD, you’re done. Just pop the battery cover on, and reboot your machine (normally, i.e. without holding down “option”), and enjoy your new mac. You should also make sure Trim is enabled on your new drive. Download THIS app (free), and run it.

    If you are, continue…

    7. Take the entire back of the mac off. Unscrew all of the other screws around the cover so that the entire back of your machine comes off. Make sure you remember which screw goes in which hole.

    8. Remove the Optical drive. Unscrew JUST the screws around the optical drive (being careful not to unscrew the onces connected to the fans). Pop it out, and decouple the male from female connector.

    9. Put the HDD into the Disk Caddy. Only tricky part here is changing out the Phillips screw driver bit for an Allen-style bit, and unscrewing the sides of the HDD so that it will fit into the caddy.

    10. Put the HDD caddy into the Optical Space. It takes a little jiggling, and if the connector unhooks, you MUST press it back together (you’ll see what I mean). There’s really only one way it can go in, so you just have to massage it into place.

    Screw everything back together, plug your machine in, and reboot normally.

    Now, your machine should scream with speed (remember to enable Trim), and you have extra space via your HDD, which is sitting in your Optical drive’s old space. You can completely wipe this HDD (using disk utility), and then put whatever you want on it. Again, DON’T put your apps or system files on this HDD. You want those on your SSD, as they are giving you all the speed. Instead, put your docs, photos, music, etc. there.

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    the brittle loneliness of the constantly-connected world

    November 13, 2011 in tech by George | 5 comments

    I’m working on a longer article about this topic for Berklee’s Music Business Journal, but it’s a theme, I think, worth exploring from a variety of vantage points. [UPDATE: Here's the article.]

    The main thrust of my journal article is that social media has failed to live up to its promise. Essentially, the guttering candle flame that looked as if it might ignite an entire “markets are conversations” moment, has been extinguished, and in its place…

    Well, there’s the rub.

    It seems most can agree to feeling, at best, frustrated by social media in its varied incarnations. I don’t believe a day goes by for me where I don’t hear someone talk about how they’re tired of Facebook, etc. However, people are loath to abandon it (the cost of quitting – moving/losing all those photos – is too high). Related, no alternative has emerged.

    I’m not sure, however, that it’s just fatigue that is making people dissatisfied. Rather, I think it’s an unfulfilled promise. For a moment, FB (etc.) seemed to offer authentic connection, and, thus, hope with respect to our greatest collective fear: loneliness.

    As those connections — once co-opted — became increasingly less authentic, the value of these social networks fell. The promise of not-lonely disappeared.

    There are moments of authentic connection out there, however. It takes some looking. It takes following the bread crumbs (often originating on FB).

    One such example that works for me is the newly-introduced live stream sessions on Daytrotter. And, yes, full-disclosure, I’ve been working with Daytrotter for ~4 years now.

    Why these work for me is their authenticity. You hear the artists creating in real time…warts and all.

    “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” and this to me is magic. The tech disappears. The intimacy re-appears. For the time that the artists put themselves out there, there is a bond between listener and artist. For this time, we’re not alone, and we’re not lonely.

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