For you overachievers, LIBOX also lets you enjoy your entire collection of HD video, photos and music while multi-tasking on your iPhone or while browsing on any mobile device. On any version of the iPhone, including those running iOS4, you can instantly enjoy and share your entire media collection, no matter where it is stored locally, without worrying about storage limitations.

Now only 2 easy steps and you’re ready to go…

1. Sign-up for a free account online and download the app to any desktops you want to sync with your mobile device. (Downloading the desktop app creates your own private cloud and keeps LIBOX free since it doesn’t rely on expensive cloud storage.)
2. Add your media to your LIBOX account from your mobile and desktop apps. (Your media will sync or stream based on usage, storage availability and your Internet connection.)

The only negative I see to this is that all users have to have an account. For instance if I want to share with my friends they have to register for an account to view my media. Not sure all my contacts would be on board with that, but it’s fun for those who are and again, it’s FREE!

click on each image for a closer look»

For more information, here are details from the launch press release on August 25th:

iPhone App Lets Users Enjoy & Share Entire HD Media Collection on the Go with Multi-Tasking: Music, Video & Photos

LIBOX Platform Expands Free Service with Unlimited Mobile Playback and Sharing of HD Media

LIBOX, announced the availability of the first in a series of mobile additions to the LIBOX platform, expanding users’ ability to enjoy and share their entire media collection for free. Now LIBOX users can enjoy their entire collection of HD video, photos and music while multi-tasking on their iPhone or while browsing on any mobile device. On any version of the iPhone, including those running iOS4, users can instantly enjoy and share their entire media collection, no matter where it is stored locally, without worrying about storage limitations. As part of its core values, LIBOX strives to provide the finest HD media experience without ever charging users to enjoy their own media collection or ever limiting how much media users can share with friends and family.

The LIBOX beta service, for desktop and Web browsers, was made publicly available in June after nearly two years of development. The patent-pending technology intelligently syncs and streams media to create a seamless user experience for all types of media, across all types of devices. LIBOX can offer its service for free thanks to its innovative peer-to-peer and grid computing platform – an infinitely scalable alternative to expensive cloud storage solutions. (The API will be available for developers later this year.)

In addition to being able to play or view your entire media collection on the go while multi-tasking, the LIBOX iPhone app lets you capture and share HD media with as many friends and family as you like through the LIBOX platform. LIBOX apps for iPad and Android are next on the list with announcements coming soon. In the meantime, access your LIBOX account from the desktop app, any Web browser and get the full experience for LIBOX on the most popular mobile browsers, like Safari and Android.

You can add as much HD video, photo and music as you want via the iPhone app and it is instantly available to enjoy on any other device through the LIBOX platform. First download the LIBOX desktop app to all the computers you want to sync, then add media via the desktop app or via the iPhone app. View and play your entire media collection from your LIBOX account through the iPhone app or on any device with an Android or Safari mobile browser.

The LIBOX iPhone app takes full advantage of the new iPhone 4 and the multi-tasking features of the iOS4 operating system:

• Multi-tasking:
  • Fast switch between LIBOX and other apps, picking up where you left off
  • Listen to audio in the background
  • Get calls while enjoying your media
  • Complete tasks like uploading in the background while you use your phone for other activities
• Never-ending Playlist. Enjoy your entire music, photo and video collection wherever you are, regardless of the storage available on your iPhone.
• Intelligent Syncing and Streaming. Add any existing media from your iPhone to LIBOX and it automatically syncs or streams across all devices you use to access your LIBOX account based on your usage, without overloading the storage of any one device.
• Simple Sharing. Share your media with friends and family – the easy way. No email attachments, no uploading/downloading or wires required, and no limits on how much you share. Just hit the share button and LIBOX will transfer your media directly to the recipient in its original HD format without any loss in quality.
• All Media. LIBOX lets you enjoy all popular media formats for music, photos and video with “on the fly” conversion. With LIBOX you never have to think about whether you have the right type of media player.
• High Definition. Take full advantage of the 5 megapixel camera on the iPhone 4 by capturing HD video or photos with the LIBOX app. Your high def media will instantly be synced with all your devices running LIBOX, in full size and resolution and won’t be degraded when you share it with family and friends. Plus, view all of your HD media on the iPhone 4 on the great “retina display” screen with 326 dpi resolution.

Visit LIBOX.com for more detail and check out the LIBOX Support Forum.

Your media. Your way.

Wicked, Chicago, Lion King, Mamma Mia! Whether you live in the city or just visiting, we’re all suckers for a little Broadway action! I’ve been amazed at seeing the mile long lines just waiting to get discounted tickets to one of these shows. Now, you can get reviews, showtimes, dates, ticket prices and even discounts in seconds with this handy app.  Check out the following press release for details and a link to your copy of iBroadway.

Zumobi Launches The iBroadway App for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Zumobi, in a partnership with Art Meets Commerce (AMC), a leading producer of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, to launch the iBroadway App for the iPhone and iPod touch. With the hit Broadway musical, FELA! as a launch sponsor, the iBroadway App expands the famed theater district’s reach and provides exposure for Broadway’s premium sponsors across the mobile platform. The iBroadway app promotes the music and drama of Broadway while engaging with fans everywhere at anytime.

iBroadway, users now have information about new and favorite Broadway shows at their fingertips.

“For decades, Broadway has marketed itself through traditional channels – print, radio, television and the like. Now, new media technologies and platforms have become increasingly important in theatrical advertising campaig

ns. iBroadway will allow producers and sponsors to reach an even broader audience in a rapidly advancing mobile space,” said Chip Meyrelles, AMC’s Executive Director. “It’s a huge step up for theater; it also supports AMC’s mission to extend Broadway’s reach to the new media marketplace.”

“Partnering with Art Meets Commerce provides us with a unique opportunity to further expand our entertainment channel and bring the best live theater content to Zumobi,” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi.

App features include:

• Details on performance venues, schedules and ticketing information, along with discounts for some of the hottest shows on Broadway;

• Exclusive video content, synopses, reviews and cast information;

• In-app purchases of cast recordings and soundtracks from the iTunes store;

• News, reviews and commentary from a host of the top writers in the theatre industry today;

• A simple way for users to share details about their favorite shows via Facebook, Twitter or email.

FELA! is the first production to advertise in the iBroadway app.  The show is up for 11 Tony awards this Sunday including best musical, and through a simultaneous release with Knitting Factory Records, a Fela Kuti bonus track will be offered free to users who purchase the musical’s original cast recording using the app.

The iBroadway app is available for free on Apple’s App Store and as a part of The Zumobi Network, the leading publishing partner for top media companies. Get your app here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id349362702

Have a little thing for the “Man in Red”? Wait no longer, die hard Marvel fans, with a little help from Zumobi, there’s an APP for that!

Although there are members of my household, dying to get their hands on this bad boy, I have not yet had the pleasure of testing it out. However, I was able to get a little sneak peak into the highly anticipated game and we are definitely looking forward to it’s release. Here’s what Zumobi has to say about it…

Marvel Launches Iron Man Central, the New iPhone and iPod Touch Application on The Zumobi Network

Zumobi, a leading mobile media company, and Marvel Entertainment recently announced the launch of Iron Man Central, the official Iron Man application for the iPhone and iPod touch. In anticipation of the biggest movie release of the year, IRON MAN 2, the Iron Man Central app provides fans new and old with an immersive experience into the world of the Super Hero everyone’s talking about.

“The first IRON MAN film was extremely successful due to the incredibly loyal and passionate fan base. In anticipation of IRON MAN 2, we wanted to bring additional content to Iron Man fans and moviegoers, and could think of no better way than to bring it to a mobile app,” said Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of Marvel’s Global Digital Media Group. “We believe this app gives users an even more complete Iron Man experience by delivering news, videos and exclusive wallpapers, as well as special character profiles. And if you want to find show times for IRON MAN 2, this app will do that for you, as well.”

Using Iron Man Central, fans have access to all things Iron Man from his origin, to current news, exclusive wallpapers, video content, direct links to Iron Man content on iTunes and more. With a stunning user interface modeled after the hologram interface inside Iron Man’s suit, fans discovering Iron Man Central will be blown away by ease of use and navigation. The app also allows fans to purchase movie tickets through the app itself, so no fan misses a single showing of IRON MAN 2. The app also arrives with two free wallpapers and additional wallpapers are $.99.

Iron Man Central seamlessly integrates with users’ e-mail, Twitter and Facebook accounts, allowing them to share exciting new Iron Man content with friends and family.

“Marvel is a forward-looking organization that is well positioned to take advantage of the amazing new possibilities available in the mobile channel,” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi. “By combining Marvel’s bold and unique visuals with the iconic character of Iron Man and Zumobi’s content-rich app format, we have the opportunity to offer moviegoers and fans an extension of the film experience. We’re thrilled to expand the Zumobi Network’s entertainment channel with this highly valuable property.”

Iron Man Central is available for free on Apple’s App Store and as a part of The Zumobi Network, the leading publishing partner for top media companies. It can be downloaded HERE.

Since reaching 2 million, Evernote has launched and revamped several new clients and product updates (including Windows desktop and iPad) as well as new integrations (with Lexmark Scanners, Sony VAIO, and Samsung Behold II) and launched Evernote in new languages (Including French,Swedish, Czech, Japanese and Portuguese). You can see that their main focus has been to makeEvernote available to everyone, and their memories available to them everywhere. This is also a hugetestament to the success of their Freemium business model, as a healthy chunk of these new signups have converted to the Premium offering.

Check out the amazing growth of Evernote over the last 2 years.

• Launched into open beta: June 21st, 2008
  • Over 3,000,000 total users
  • Over 8,000 new users registered every day.
  • About 59,000 premium users

Recent acceleration driven by:

• International: 44% of new users come from outside the US
• Partners: 15% of new customers come from partners (85%still come through word-of-mouth).

Congratulations Evernote, and keep it up!

Well, playing for the heart team, Evernote, has given you just one more reason the iPad can be handy for just about everyone. Here is what the iPad and Evernote, together, can to do keep your life organized on the go…

FEATURES

• View and access all your notes, even those created on desktop, web and phone
• Create text, camera roll, and voice notes. You can even type while recording audio
• Browse through your notes by tags, notebooks, and location
• Quickly find your notes by location using Evernote’s map view

SPECS

• Designed for the Apple iPad
• iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later

DOWNLOAD

ON A SIDE NOTE:

For those tweeters out there, you can now use your favorite social media soundboard to send notes to Evernote. Here’s more info from Evernote on how to get started…

Now you can send your tweets directly into Evernote. Why is this cool? Because Twitter is chock-full of great stuff. Your ideas, thoughts, and experiences mixed together with all of the content from the people you follow.

Thanks to the Evernote-Twitter integration, you can easily capture the tweets you like: your own or those showing up in your stream. Plus, as an added bonus, you can now send yourself a quick note right from Twitter –no need to do any of that pesky app switching. Here’s how…

Say ‘Hello’ to @myEN

Evernote now lets you send public Twitter messages, and private Direct Messages, right into your Evernote account for searchable, permanent safekeeping. It’s called myEN, and here’s how it works.

Setting up myEN

First, you’ll need an Evernote account. It’s free. Get yours now »

1. Follow myEN on Twitter (you will need a Twitter account)
2. myEN will follow you back, and send you a DM with a link
3. Click the link, sign into Evernote, and connect your Evernote and Twitter accounts

If you have a protected Twitter account, then do the following: follow myEN, accept myEN’s follow request, then send myEN a DM. After that, go to step 3 above.

How to use myEN

For Public tweets: Add @myEN to the body of any public tweet

For Direct Messages: Send a DM to myEN to create a new note in Evernote

Tip: Retweet something you like and add @myEN to save it into Evernote.

It usually takes under a minute for a message to show up in your Evernote account, depending on how Twitter is feeling.

SMS notes

Thanks to Twitter’s built-in SMS support, you will now be able to send notes into Evernote from any mobile phone, anywhere in the world. In the US, text message “d myEN [your note]” to 40404 (you will need a Twitter account to do this). Go here to see your country’s Twitter SMS number.

Tweets with Twitpics

A popular way to embed photos into Twitter messages is with Twitpic. If a tweet that you send to Evernote contains a Twitpic URL, a thumbnail of the photo will show up in Evernote along with a link to the original image. Nice.

API developers take note: This integration now adds Twitter to the, ever-growing, list of ways to interact with Evernote, and by extension your apps. Think about it. There are tons of great possibilities.

How fast is it?

The speed with which your notes get into Evernote depends on how you send them and how bogged down Twitter happens to be at the time. Direct messages (DM) to myEN will almost always get into your Evernote account in a minute or two, while public @myEN replies can sometimes take 30 minutes. Either way, don’t worry, the tweets will be there by the time you need to remember them again.”

Can office life get any easier?  I’m sure it could, but this gets us one step closer – for sure! This is definitely a “smart solution” for getting rid of those pesky meeting notes, sketches and pretty much all the paper clutter you are dying to store digitally, but have no time to do.

Lexmark Launches Evernote App For Smartsolution Printers
Easy One-Touch Scanning to Evernote Without Requiring a Computer

Evernote announced this week, the availability of the Evernote SmartSolution for three inkjet all-in-one (AIO) printers – Interact, Prestige and Platinum – from Lexmark International, Inc. The Evernote SmartSolution application allows users to send hardcopy scans from the Lexmark device into their Evernote Web account with the touch of a single button, without requiring a computer.

This Evernote application was developed by Lexmark to save users valuable time when they need to store and access information quickly and efficiently from their touch screen printer. After a simple setup process, an Evernote application icon appears on the printer touch screen. Once tapped, the Evernote application sends scans to a pre-configured Evernote account via the web.

For households and small offices with multiple Evernote users, the Web-connected printers can be configured with Evernote icons for each Evernote account, ensuring that everyone can scan to their accounts with a single touch.

“The Lexmark SmartSolution is a great new application platform,” said Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote. “The ease with which one can install and use Evernote on the SmartSolution printers is very impressive. Now, whenever an individual wants to remember something, they just tap the touch screen on their printers and their memory is in Evernote. It’s very simple and elegant.”

Check out this video for more information…

Availability

The Evernote SmartSolution application is available for free download at https://smartsolutions.lexmark.com for the Lexmark Interact, Prestige and Platinum Web-connected touch screen printers.

• The all new Evernote 3.5 for Windows Evernote 3.5 for Windows is completely new. We rewrote it from the ground up to make it faster, more reliable, and just plain better than Evernote for Windows has ever been. Our goal was to use everything we’ve learned since our launch to make a great Evernote experience on Windows. If you’re interested in trying Evernote 3.5, install it from our downloads page ( http://s.evernote.com/windows ).
• There’s a ton more to say, so please read our blog post(s): http://s.evernote.com/win35blog
• New partnerships and integrations for those of you who have not yet fallen in LOVE with the iPhone.
  • Sony VAIO: Every new Sony VAIO laptop comes with Evernote pre-installed. Neat! http://s.evernote.com/vaio –
  • Nokia N900: The Evernote Sharing Plugin makes Evernote a native sharing option on the N900 smartphone: http://s.evernote.com/nokia –
  • TimeBridge: TimeBridge helps you organize better meetings. Now, save all your meeting notes into Evernote: http://s.evernote.com/timebridge –
  • Cliqset: Evernote and Cliqset create a permanent memory for your social streams and activity: http://s.evernote.com/cliqset

See all of the products that work with Evernote in one place: http://s.evernote.com/ partnerpage

Most exciting news of all. Get a Klenex to catch the drool…

Apple iPad
We have big plans for Apple’s amazing new device. Read Evernote CEO’s blog post about their history with tablets andplans for the iPad and other devices. Read the post: http://s.evernote.com/ipad

If you have Evernote, but not sure how it can help you, check out these tips by Joshua Zerkel: 6 Ways Evernote Can Boost Your Productivity http://s.evernote.com/ productivitytips

Late one night after a busy day, I was winding down with my nightly phone call to Husband and Daughter (at out home in Atlanta while we are staying in NY for a few weeks). My 5 year old son, Ayden, who is a very curious and creative little one, was bored with the nightly call as his turn to talk was over.

Listening to mom talk is not as entertaining as I would imagine!  He started to amuse himself by experimenting with found objects.  This time, the object of his attention was the extra button that attached to his brand new shirt. His mischievous little mind  concocted the idea of seeing what would happen if that tiny little button decided to find a home in the slot of my superdrive. The concept of getting it back out was not an issue to him until he saw just how quickly the tiny little button disappeared into the slot.

Now Ayden, since he was old enough to stand, has had this unique little “uh oh” dance- a silently but powerful announcement that 1.) he has made a really bad choice,  and  2.) he doesn’t want to tell me.  It is a familiar dance and I know instantly upon witnessing this performance that something has happened and it is not good. The all-too-familiar jumping with arms flailing, punctuated by a pitiful face, could only mean something bad.  All he could say was “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean too”.

I immediately hung up with my husband and shifted my full attention to Ayden. I asked him carefully what he did that upset him so bad. All he could do was point at the superdrive on my computer. I couldn’t see the problem so I didn’t know what he was trying to tell me.  Then he told me.

“I put my button in your computer”.

Breathe… 

At first, I thought “don’t panic” you can just turn the computer over, shake it and the button will fall out. Why did I think there would be such an easy solution? This is not the first time this has happened and I was actually able to shake the button out without incident. This time no such luck.  Then I tried tweezers, then a coat hanger,  finally resorting to a kitchen knife.

Yes I stuck a kitchen knife in my superdrive.
No, it wasn’t a good idea!
And now for the Disclaimer:
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

In my defense, I was a little more than stressed at this point. I was only half way through a month-long stay with my son in NYC.  I was spending my days with my son in the city and my nights trying to maintain my normal workload. My Powerbook- as much as I love it- does not have the space to hold all the files for all 65 clients. All that data is stored on cds. Not having use of my superdrive for the next 2 weeks was just not an option.

I spent the next hour trying to schedule an appointment at a Genius Bar, any Genius Bar in Manhattan. Unfortunately, they were all booked through the next 4 days.  I then turned to "Authorized Dealers” in NY City.  I made a list to call the next morning.

I woke up the next morning and chose the "Panic" option again. I emailed my temporary NYC landlord to see if he had a screwdriver.  (He too is an Mac nerd and has a few babies of his own.)  Luckily he said he would be right up and had some tools he thought would work. Going beyond the call of Landlord duty he watched several videos online to see how to carefully take my laptop apart. As I paced the floor of our kitchen, he meticulously, took apart my entire computer  down to the Superdrive.  Once that was open we found the pesky little button and  simultaneously thought “How in the world could this little thing be so much trouble…”

Watching a few more videos, we used a little teamwork to get it back together.  You’d think it would be easier to put it back than take it apart, but NO. Finally, after dropping a few screws and even adding one somewhere we weren’t supposed to, we got her put back together. As I held my breath, he pushed the power button……….

Nothing.

Pushed it again holding it for a few seconds and………………..

Nothing.

We had somehow taken a bad situation and made it worse! Before full-blown PANIC took hold and I rescheduled my return home for that same afternoon, my iphone rang and it was David.

Patience has never been my greatest virtue!

David was one of the local Apple repairman on my call list of "Authorized" options.  I had left him a message that morning prior to calling my landlord for that screwdriver. After spilling my sob story all over the phone to poor David, he chuckled and said, "I will meet you at my store in  about 30 minutes".

I grabbed my computer, backpack and the guilty little 5 year old, thanked my landlord and headed to the subway to get to the Harlem Apple Store as soon as I could humanly get there.

The Harlem Apple Store is located in a small office building along with a private detective and personal hair stylist.  Very interesting, but as I was learning in this massive city this was NOT uncommon and probably right where I would be if Arnold Graphic Design was leasing space in Manhattan!

There were Apples stacked from floor to ceiling from newest models to the very first Mac ever made. There were boxes of parts and cords everywhere and behind them, David, my hero.  I handed him my Powerbook with I’m sure what looked like a pitiful puppy dog look on my face, hoping against hope that he could work a miracle. I was sure it was dead, that I had somehow killed my prized possession.

David smiled sweetly and said, "Give me a sec and I’ll see what’s going on".

After taking a few things apart and examining our less-than-artful repair job, he found the source of the  problem to be a simple oversight in connecting a cable.

Once the computer booted up he inserted a CD to checkout the superdrive.  I guess it’s no surprise that my expert coat hanger-knife-tweezer extraction technique, no doubt compounded by the  all the upside down shaking, had killed my the superdrive. David, a glowing halo floating rakishly above his head, offered to install a superdrive within the hours at an unbelievably affordable price.

To put his price in context, and to excuse the rash ill-advised but hopefully drive-saving actions, the diagnostic fees I was quoted over the phone by his competitors exceeded his quote by $100. That didn’t even include parts or labor, just a look and diagnosis.  Without a second thought I said,   "DO IT",  as I ran out the store to find an ATM.

Do I wish this had never happened? Yes. I would have preferred to spend that extra cash on a knock-off handbag in Chinatown.  But it happened, just the same, and I can’t imagine a better end to this story.  I knew when I left that shop an hour later, that calling David that morning was the best choice I made.  (Had I been a little more patient, he may have had a little less work on his hands that afternoon, but all the same, it was a great end to a bad day!)

So if you live in New York, or plan to visit for an extended period with your Mac in tow in tow, add this Dave to your contacts list.  I have no doubt you will find him as brilliant as I did. Oh and remember, if you have small children around, put your laptop away.  You never know what will find a home in your superdrive when you aren’t looking!

First of all- Happy Birthday, Evernote! Evernote recently celebrated their first birthday. Read more on the Evernote blog….

UPDATES:

Web Clipper updates

- Clip to Evernote bookmarklet: Clip part of a web page or the whole thing, plus create a simple quick note without launching Evernote. Read more»»»

- Safari clipper: The newest member of our clipper family comes with our latest Mac version. In addition to the standard features, it also lets you save whole web pages as PDFs. Read more»»»

- Firefox clipper for Mac: The new Firefox clipper is now tightly integrated with the Mac desktop client, making clipping faster and easier. Read more»»» 

Evernote Mobile Web Gets a Makeover for Android

Evernote Mobile Web, our mobile-optimized version, got a major upgrade for Android devices. If you have an Android phone, go here»»»  to see what’s new. They’ve improved searching and navigation, optimized the interface for touch screens, enabled portrait and landscape viewing, and taken full advantage of the Android browser. Read more»»»

Integration spotlight: Shoeboxed

Shoeboxed and Evernote have teamed up! Shoeboxed is a service that will scan all your business cards and receipts. You simply mail your papers to Shoeboxed and they scan them and make them available online. You can then easily send those scans directly into your Evernote account, where all your receipts and business cards are made searchable and accessible. Sweet. Read more»»»

The new Evernote Podcast

Reading is so 2008. Take a listen to the inaugural Evernote podcast. In this episode, Phil, Dave, and Andrew talk about cool ways to use Evernote, the Evernote business model, recent partnerships, upcoming mobile devices, and more. Read more»»»

For more information about Evernote, visit their website »»» . There is a very handy video on the home page introducing the new updates.

Ironic. Document Management.

I am starting to realize how fantastic reviewing software can be as it forces me to try new things. It turn my work life is getting easier and easier. The Ironic document management series was shared with me by one of my AppleJuice colleagues and man how grateful I am! With this genius three part software, I have no longer “lost it”!! I know pretty amazing right? No, not my mind – my FILES! Between Deep. Yep. and Leap. I am actually able to shave large amounts of time off my day, just by being able to find things quicker.

Deep. Image search.

I have a little over 60 clients with 1 to 40 projects per client. That’s a lot of files and a lot of artwork! I buy stock photography for a lot of different purposes, some of which can be used for multiple projects and multiple clients. I have often kicked myself when searching for an image I know I purchased for one project that would be fantastic for one I am currently building. If the original l used was not within the last few months and I can’t remember EXACTLY where I filed it, the search can take several minutes to complete, usually with a frustrated “who’s idea was it to file it there?!”. I have told myself a million times it was time to go out and get some type of organizational software just for my stock photography, or simply invest the time to organize it in iPhoto. Never happened. Now I am glad that time was not invested. With Deep, you don’t have to spend the time organizing your art, it goes and finds it for you, wherever you illogically filed it to begin with. The search features are genius. Search for any image on your computer via TAGS, KEYWORDS, LOCATION, IMAGE TYPE, SIZE and SHAPE and, my oh-so-favorite COLORS! Yes colors!

(1) If you have an image that you want to search for, that say has a bright red sofa in it, simply click on the Red color chip and BAM!  You have your image (2). From there you can either check out the path for future reference or choose to open it in Preview (3) or the editing software of your choice. If the image you are looking for doesn’t pop up first, simply hit the play button (4) under the preview pane on the right and it will play through all the images on your entire computer that contain the color you searched for.  You can even narrow your search from the beginning by adding all the factors you know are present: color, size, file type and shape.  This handy tool literally takes minutes off my design time and a lot can be done in a minute!

Yep. iPhoto for PDFs.

Now where did I put that PDF? Okay, so you have a client requesting a proof for a brochure you had printed a year ago. They want to order re-prints but want to take a look at it first. Where did you file it again? As much as I pride myself in keeping a “clean computer” I do tend to file by the seat of my pants. Unfortunately what makes organizational sense one day may not make sense a year later when searching for it again. In other situations, I may not always keep the PDF proof of a job once it’s been approved and printed. Why? Who knows, but I sure don’t want to go to the trouble of going back to the original files and recreating the proof if I don’t have to. Chances are I may have been proactive enough that day to keep a copy. This is where Yep can save your life.

Open up Yep and check out the column to your left. (1) Documents are categorized by tags. Yep searches for the tags within your PDF documents and the results are posted in this column. Your PDFs will be filed under one or more of the tags on the left. You can make life even easier by adding additional tags to your documents within Yep making them than much easier to find. Double click on the document you are searching for (2) and see the column to the right of your large preview (3). At the top of this column, you can check out the tags currently being used to file your document and add more if you choose. (4) Suggestions for tags would be, content, client, subject name, action. Under that you will find the date that the document was created originally (5) as well as the location of the document for future reference (6). You can also add a URL for the document if it is currently online.

At the top of this column, you can check out the tags currently being used to file your document and add more if you choose. (4) Suggestions for tags would be, content, client, subject name, action. Under that you will find the date that the document was created originally (5) as well as the location of the document for future reference (6). You can also add a URL for the document if it is currently online.

Once you’ve located your PDF, you can choose to print it, email it, rotate it, view it at full screen or open it in the Editor of your Choice(7). You’ll find this tool so handy that it will make you want to scan, and tag hard copies that tend to pile up in your filing cabinets and drawers. This too is made very easy by using the built in scan feature. Just click the plus sign at the bottom of the screen (8) and you will be moved to the scan screen where you can quickly and easily start archiving your hard copies in a way that they are more than easy to find! Simple enough, right?

Leap. Your new Finder.

As if we weren’t already more organized than our brain could handle, they took it one step further with Leap. Leap allows you to tag and search for anything and everything living on your Mac. You aren’t just limited to image or PDF files with Leap. Search for everything, from software and utilities to images and web files. There are 10 different ways to search for a document from flags to the date it was last modified. You can narrow your search with options like location or file type. You can even search through Leap for bookmarks you have saved but not organized in your browsers for a quick web search. Again you can simplify your life further by adding tags to your documents within Leap for quicker searches in the future. Trust me, you’ll be amazed at what you can find with this tool and surprised to come across things you didn’t even know you had! Here is a perfect example of Leap. I need to find a headshot I created for a client, Instead of looking through folders, I simply go to the Spotlight (1) option at the top of the screen and type in the client’s name and hit enter. The results are unbelievable. I not only found her headshot, but the original photo used to create it, her resume, and the original series of emails she sent to me with request for the job. It also pulled up the bids I sent to her for the printing of the shots. MUCH more than I expected to find and so helpful as I needed almost all of this for the reprint. This is just one simple example of all that Leap can do to simplify your life.

Major kudos to the developers at Ironic for this series of fantastic software. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all the time I’m now going to save with this new discovery!

The Details:

Deep. Image Search. $34 • Yep. iPhoto for PDFs. $34 • Leap. Your new Finder. $59
Looking for a deal? Buy Leap and get both Yep and Deep for only $10 more than Leap alone! That’s a savings of $58!

Visit http://www.ironicsoftware.com/ for more info or to order your copies.

Happy Organizing!