brave [little] meme

OSX: Scan receipts with your iPhone, and automatically save them to your Mac.

Paper receipts are a pain in the neck: they clutter your wallet and inevitably end up getting lost when you most need them.

If you have an iPhone however, here is a simple workflow to digitise all your new receipts while on the move and have them automatically stored on your Mac.

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A Mac User’s Note on Windows 7

I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate on my new 27” iMac. Why? For games, of course!

One thing struck me while discussing my initial experiences of the OS with my ‘Microsoftie’ dad: Windows 7, somewhat like its predecessor Vista, behaves like an OS acutely aware of its vulnerability.

With its insane default security settings and constant confirmation prompts for anything involving a system change or the running of an application, Windows 7 seems to be permeated by the mentality of a survivalist: holed up in a shiny blue cave, with lots of tinned food and water, pointing a double-barreled shotgun at the entrance.

By comparison, OSX is like a good bartender: it keeps an eye on you while you have a good time, but only asks for your car keys if you start acting stupid.

Safari 4 Beta: First Impressions

I’ve been using Safari’s new beta for three days now, first on a Windows XP machine (Don’t ask, it was under duress) and then on my own iMac under Leopard. Having read conflicting reports about its speed, stability and compatibility, I was a little hesitant about installing it, but I must admit I am very pleasantly surprised. So here is how it stacks up so far:

Installation: I am ashamed to admit it, but it was easier on Windows, where it was a matter of a minute or so. On the Mac, installation required a reboot and the latest security updates in place. Sure, it has to do with Safari’s closer integration with OSX but still, point of pride here.

Speed: It’s blazing fast, compared to both Safari 3 and FireFox 3.1. The speed is very noticeable on most sites, but particularly those which rely heavily on JavaScript. The new Nitro engine must be working.

Reliability: Multiple tabs open, CPU-intensive processes running in the background, and a multitude of sites with quick hopping between pages and reloading. Not a crash yet. This was perhaps the biggest surprise for a beta release.

Interface: I’m still not sold on the concept of tabs-on-top, but it’s growing on me. I certainly don’t mind them enough to put them back the way they were. Top Sites is a cute feature, but only time will tell how much it gets used. CoverFlow in History, I can honestly take it or leave it.

Compatibiility: I don’t use third-party plugins with Safari, so no problems there. If you do, stay clear - they won’t work.

All in all, it seems as though I’m going to stick with this beta until I find a compelling reason not to. Its speed alone is a strong motivator, as going back to FireFox frankly feels like wading in treacle. I would recommend those of you with a taste for the bleeding edge to give Safari 4 a try, but bear in mind that its installation on Macs will effectively replace your existing copy of Safari.

If you’re so inclined, you can download the Safari 4 beta from here.