Cody Fink

1547 posts on MacStories since January 2010

Former MacStories contributor.

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Duplifinder Eradicates iPhoto Doubles, Saves HDD Space

If you’re as fumbly with the camera as I am, you might download several of the same images to iPhoto over and over again before finally deleting them off your camera. Thankfully you don’t have to delete whole albums to remove those well hidden duplicates: you can simply run Duplifinder from Haystack Software. Duplifinder runs as its own app, closing and launching iPhoto when it’s necessary to accomplish one of its two tasks. Firstly, Duplifinder will scan your iPhoto library before presenting you with the option to dump duplicates into their own folder, or deleting them via iPhoto’s trash. You’re shown both the original and duplicate images before you commit to any rash decisions (extras of those ex-girlfriend photos are handy to have on hand), and you can bet you’ll use the software often if you’re taking photos all day long.

The app is only $7, and works with iPhoto ‘08, ‘09, and ‘11.


App Preview: Harald By Stealthy Cactus Software

We’ve been there before: you just finished a ridiculously long report on the colonization of Mars and you’re ready to toss the excess scrap work into the trash bin. In your sleep deprived daze, grouped with those pictures of space aliens and rock robots is your digital manifesto, hot of the press and steaming as it’s shredded with a click of the empty button. Come tomorrow morning, you find that file is damned near irrecoverable before the paper is due. Those bogus moments always creep up when we’re either brain dead or because of pesky Mac viruses (I guess I can’t slip that unicorn in here can I?), but you can prevent the total obliteration of your files by safeguarding them with Harald.

Don’t risk accidental deletions, Scoble’s children, or my habit of renaming your files in Dropbox with your critical documents. Harald is the knight in shining armor for files that shouldn’t ever end up in the trash can. Accidentally delete a file? Harald will block your eagerness to hit that delete button in favor of reminding you that the file is of great importance. Does it save the day? You betcha. Simply select your files, tap that menubar icon, and mark them for protection under the Harald shield. It’s pretty easy, and if you don’t believe me, you’ll want to check out the teaser video after the break. It’s coming to the Mac App Store soon, so prepare a meager $3.99 for when it launches.

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MacStories Product Review: AViiQ Portable Laptop Stand

The big bulky laptop stands of yesteryear have gone the way of the dinosaur. Forget about fans, large plastic shells, or sometimes gimmicky USB connections. Laptop stands need to be simple and portable, rethinking what we traditionally think of as once shelf-worthy home and messenger-bag solutions. You should not be compromised by the tools you carry, and if you ask AViiQ, the solution needs to be lightweight and reconfigurable.

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iPhone 4 Best Mobile Device At Mobile World Congress

iPhone 4 Best Mobile Device At Mobile World Congress

Judges’ comments:
Great screen, sharp design, fantastic materials, and phenomenal ecosystem for app developers. In a tight race, the iPhone 4 built on the success of its predecessors to set the pace for smart phones.

A few notes about this particular 2011 Global World Award:

* The only other phone that stands out from 2010 would be HTC’s Evo.
* Say what you want about Apple’s 30% cut in the App Store, but it’s leagues beyond the Android Marketplace.
* Apple isn’t even at this event.

No handset looks or feels better in the hand than the iPhone 4. Congratulations Cupertino.

Steve Jobs also won personality of the year in 2010.

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MacStories Product Review: Saddleback Leather iPad Case

The iPad case market is full of cheap faux leather folio stands, plastic shells, and silicone grips that don’t quite do the beauty of the iPad justice. Face it: you want to spend your money on a case that’s going to last you a lifetime whether or not your iPad itself is going to last that long. You want a case that’s strong, hardy, and reflects the personality of its proud owner. If you’ve never heard of American bred Saddleback Leather, then you wouldn’t know about their range of real leather laptop bags, backpacks, and iPad cases. It’s probably the finest case I’ve handled to date, and I think you’ll fall in love with it too after reading this review.

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MacStories Product Review: iSkin Duo For iPad

MacStories Product Review Banner

MacStories Product Review Banner

We certainly read about a lot of folio style cases, but I’ve longed for a good scuba-suit that gives my iPad the extra grip and texture I need for a comfortable reading experience and not a bulky one. The iSkin Duo is a fit silicone case that snuggly fits your iPad like Under Armour to prevent moisture and protect your iPad from the nicks and dings of daily life. Is the iSkin Duo just what you’re looking for in an iPad case? Read on to find out!

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Apple Testing An iPhone With A Slide Out Keyboard, But Will They Sell It?

Apple.pro reports this afternoon that Apple may be testing three different iPhone protoypes (including the mini iPhone we’ve been hearing about), one of which is a model with a slide out keyboard. The translation to English is very rough:

There are three iPhone5 prototype
one is a sliding cover which
Is the introduction of the keyboard after the side cover

Being a fan of physical keyboards (especially those on the Palm Pre), an iPhone five with a portrait slider might be enough for me to switch to the next-gen iPhone. Rumors aside, would it be wise for Apple to differentiate with an entire iPhone family to compete against Android, HP, and other competitors? We’re skeptical that Apple would actually launch an iPhone with a physical keyboard, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Also in the mix is a rumored upgrade to the camera, getting a bump to 8 megapixels from the iPhone 4’s current 5 megapixel camera. The report also notes that the transition to the next iPhone will be similar to the transition from the 3G to the 3GS: different guts with the same basic hardware design.

[Apple.pro via MacRumors]

Editors note: Image via TechShout