Filed under: Software, Cool tools, Productivity, Tips and tricks, Interviews
Get that distraction-free, uncluttered desktop with latest MacBreak
It seems there are two slowly diverging schools of thought in terms of working on a Mac: to multi-task, or not to. While an independent (though Apple-commissioned) study has been released supporting the increased productivity theory via larger displays and more stuff on-screen at once, not everyone sits in the same camp. Merlin Mann of 43folders is one of those campers who is thinking different, and Russell from our sister-blog DV Guru dropped a note to say the latest episode of MacBreak (iTS link) features Leo and Mr. Mann waxing ecstatic on all things uncluttered and distraction-free. They cover techniques and tweaks for clearing your workspace in the Finder, as well as using 3rd party tools like our TUAW-favorite Quicksilver, Spirited Away (which we've covered) and MenuShade from Nullriver Software (scroll down, it's under their Open Source section).While I myself am firmly rooted in the 'more on screen = productivity' camp, I am a big fan of enabling users to work the way they need to, and I think this is a nice, quick video (it's only 4:20) to get started with the digital zen art of working clutter-free.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jason said 12:37PM on 10-05-2006
One more app that I really like is Desktopple http://foggynoggin.com/desktopple, it hides all icons on the dekstop. I just like the LOOK of uncluttered, even though I have a desktop full of unsorted items.
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Daniel Jalkut said 12:46PM on 10-05-2006
It seems a sin to talk about desktop uncluttering without mentioning the ultimate swiss army knife for this, Hazel:
http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.html
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Mary Fire said 12:47PM on 10-05-2006
Who can also provide some interesting links? I'm interested
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Aleks said 1:01PM on 10-05-2006
I'm trying not to be a fanboy but I really have lost all respect for Leo.
On TWiT he really supports the Zune (despite all the tigher DRM restrictions, bad design and clunkyness of it).
In addition, Leo wants to rename Podcast to Netcast even though the majority of his audience doesn't approve. He even went as far to say he wanted Microsoft to get in there and try to take it away from Apple.
I'm boycotting anything from the TWiT network. Sorry, I'm just really opposed to the DRM controls Microsoft have implemented.
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russell said 1:03PM on 10-05-2006
full screen text editing with WriteRoom:
http://www.hogbaysoftware.com/product/writeroom
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jhn said 7:04PM on 10-05-2006
On multitasking:
It's mostly when writing and such that one wants to avoid distractions. I usually love having iCal and Mail.app and iTunes and so on going on at once. But it's couterproductive for lots of kinds of work.
Defending Leo:
The Zune is no "better" or "worse" than the iPod in a moral sense. They both embrace DRM. The Zune adds a feature that the iPod doesn;t have (sharing) and DRMs it up. You can bet your fanny that if Apple ever added a music sharing feature between iPods they'd put DRM on it.
The Zune probably kind of sucks, but don't get all huffy about it. Lots of stuff sucks. It's not wicked to like something that sucks.
Netcast makes more sense for Podcast and we should switch to that term. Why limit content creators, especially indie ones, with the very common misconception that you need an iPod to play podcasts? What is more important: indie creators getting listeners, or a very few extra iPod sales for Apple?
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Reg said 9:41PM on 10-05-2006
I agree with Aleks. A few things grate with me about Leo Laporte's activities:
1. He started off TWiT all humble, saying "we are just doing this because we love it." This was fine for a casual conversation, which after all is what TWiT is: half the time they are just plain wrong about what they say, and the other half fairly badly informed. It's "watercoolor talk" that has now garnered a lot of fans for its colorful characters, eg, John Dvorak.
But now all the humbleness is thrown aside and it is full on advertising, with obnoxious ads splashed throughout from Dell, Visa, etc, just like a radio program.
In other words, he used the podcasting community to establish a huge listener base, has prime position in the iTunes directory (achieved partly by the "TWiT army" - anyone remember the way iTunes could be gamed by re-subscribing repeatedly, they actually did this on the show), but did it on false premises.
2. He is clearly building up a network of shows, which would be fine, except they are all following the same model: he recruits luminaries in their particular field for casual chats, gains popularity for them, then monetizes them at the expense of other podcasters.
3. He seized upon a fairly humdrum trademark dispute (a company called "Podcast Ready" tried to trademark "MyPodder" and Apple legal jumped on them) to claim the word podcast needs to be changed to "netcast." In doing this, he made sure he stirred up a big controversy (which most longtime podcasters flatly ignored), and went ahead and removed all podcast references on his site and network of programs.
Now, a smart guy like Leo should know that a company has to defend its trademark or it loses it, and that Podcast Ready was following a cynical marketing ploy by cashing in on association of terms (what is "MyPodder" really meant to imply).
4. The Zune. It is ironic that for "Podcaster of the Year" Leo is choosing to promote a device that has no intrinsic podcast support: no RSS catching, no automatic enclosure transfer, no podcast directory in the Zune Marketplace, and no "blue dots" (for want of a better term!) on the device itself. Yet Leo is all over it like a lapdog. Why?
It is said that Microsoft is spending in excess of $100 million on a "grassroots" advertising campaign. I wonder if any of that cash is finding its way to Leo.
Now, as a professional radio broadcaster, Leo has every right to market himself and anyone else who wants to join his "radio over RSS" network. How successful he is is really up to the market to decide.
It just annoys me the way he has exploited the podcast community.
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Aleks said 9:54AM on 10-06-2006
JHN,
Technically we can share purchased music without problems. I have many friends who I put my purchased music on their ipods when they come over.
I don't see any "tight DRM" restrictions there compared to the 3-4 plays the Zune has.
Also, there's the risk that if people jump on Board Microsoft's way of doing things, they'll be shoving the subscription model down our throats.
A known fact also is that with Windows Media 11, you CANNOT backup your purchased music licenses or transfer it to another machine.
To me a 0.0001% market share loss to Microsoft, is a win for the RIAA compared to a win to the consumer if Apple (or another non DRM music store) gains 0.0001%.
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Jim said 11:38AM on 10-06-2006
People should not get so emotionally attached to Apple. They have great products but they need competition in the ipod/itunes market. MS should give them that.
I will admit to being torn on the whole podcast/netcast thing. Apple certainly didn't invent podcasting so they might run into some problems in the future due to their chasing people like they have.
If anything they're probably trying to prevent it from being too popular and used too much so that they don't lose the name. Note history where companies developing products like bandaids and kleenex. The companies lost those names so other companies could use them.
As it stands right now I think Leo just likes to get attention. He can call it a netcast until he's blue in the face but it's not going to happen(at least for quite awhile) even though there are some others doing the same. Why do I say that is because he's just preaching to people already using podcast as the name. People aren't all going to switch just like that. People like him will also just confuse folks so his growth might slow because of it.
I've not seen or used the Zune but I'm interested in what Leo likes about it to make it "better". I should have that podcast downloaded...just gotta make time to listen to it. Maybe it is better...it is possible.
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bluloo said 2:07PM on 10-09-2006
The current iPod branding issue is no different than the common usage of Zerox, Kleenex, Walkman or Q-Tips.
Other companies cannot use these terms, though the common verbiage for reference to functionally equivalent "other-branded" items is widespread.
IMO, Apple should allow use of the moniker for non-commercial purposes or charge a minimal fee for commercial use above a certain financial threshold. Its usage only helps cement the iPod mindshare as the market leader.
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