Hitchcock [iTunes, $19.99] is an iPhone app for creating storyboards.
What’s most interesting to me about Hitchcock is how it’s meant to be used. I can’t think of any other iPhone app whose purpose is to get serious work done. It’s not something you use to jot down a few notes or use to browse incoming information. It’s a workstation, and it requires thought, planning and — most importantly — time to use effectively. That’s not something you see too much of on the iPhone.
Cinemek have put together a fifteen minute demonstration of Hitchcock’s functions. It’s clear that this was designed as a software solution, not just part of one. I believe that’s a major shift in intent for iPhone application programming — especially for the currently anemic filmmaking market.
If you’re looking for a way to recover some room on your hard drives you should give DaisyDisk a try. It’s a beautiful app with a sharp focus — to help you find the crap that’s hogging space on your drives. It’s a free download and includes a fully-functional 15 day trial. A license is $19.95.
Immediately after installation I found over 3GB of hidden QuickTime reference files on my Desktop (presumably from Compressor). Not only that, did I mention that it looks awesome? Unlike other applications where your crap still looks like crap, DaisyDisk makes your crap look like beautiful, slick & polished crap.
For years I’ve been using Billable to track my time and create invoices. It’s simple, I’ll give it that. The application is focused only on tasks, clients & invoices. Unfortunately Billable’s time-tracker is stuck inside the application. It’s too often that I’ve forgotten to turn it off (or on) when switching between tasks. I realize that’s probably more my own fault than Billable’s, but without that timer out in the open, it might as well not exist. It’s a decent median application that gets the job done. It’s just not quite what I’m looking for.
Lately I’ve been using The Hit List to track tasks. Everything from household items to professional deadlines. I’m a big fan of keeping only one to do list.
I really think The Hit List could be great for my time tracking workflow except for one significant limitation — there’s currently no way to input time manually. If you forgot to set the timer when you started you’re out of luck.
Granted The Hit List is in beta still (until November? ugh) so this could just be something overlooked. Afterall you can click in the ‘actual time’ field and edit the numbers therein. They just don’t stick.
I know that other applications — Billings, for example — work for other people. Most have too many features, or subscription plans that I don’t want any part of. Everything I’ve tried feels like too much or too little. I don’t need to keep track of every single detail. But I do need to track individual items, and group them accordingly.
I guess I’ll stick it out with Billable for now. But in such a crowded market, I’m surprised there aren’t more median products to choose from.
I haven’t been this excited about a LEGO set since I was 10 or so, when all I could wrap my head around was acquiring an Aquazone submarine.
According to LEGO’s website the sets aren’t out yet, but the Chicago Architecture Foundation has been selling the Sears Tower, Empire State Building and Space Needle sets at $22.00 a piece.
I’ve also read that there’s a John Hancock Tower model out (or coming out), and a whole line of Frank Llyod Wright buildings, though LEGO doesn’t have any official information on any of it. Lame.
Apparently you can buy some of the sets here though.
