I recently posted my collection of “Must Have iPad Apps“, and I thought I’d do the same thing for my favorite Mac apps. Here’s a list of the tools, programs, helper apps that I couldn’t make it through a day without.

• Caffeine – This is the first thing I download and install when I rebuild my computer. This small menu item keeps your screen from auto-dimming, no matter how long you are away from your computer. This is really helpful when watching videos, presenting, or generally doing things on your computer where you’re not wanting the auto-dim function to kick in.
• LockTight – One of the most annoying oversights the MacOS has, at least for business users, is the lack of a similar function to the Windows ctrl-alt-delete screen lock function.
• Evernote – As I mentioned in my iPad post, Evernote has gotten a lot of press. All of it is deserved. It’s a fantastic, multi-platform note and content capture app.
• Things – Again, as mentioned in the iPad post, Things is my to-do list keeper. It’s a fantastic Mac program that has has rock solid iPhone and iPad clients.
• Dropbox – OK, one last iPad post reference… Dropbox is fantastic for Finder integrated file syncing to the cloud. Drop a file in your Dropbox folder and it syncs to any other device you want to view your Dropbox from. Great even if you just want to back up important files or access them across multiple computers.
• 1Password – It took me a long time to get into using a program that stores all my passwords for Web sites in one spot, but now I don’t know how I’d live without it. Generally, 1Password allows you to store passwords for all your sites behind a single login password. Visit a Web site, plug in your password to login, and when you submit the login form, 1Password prompts you to save the credentials. Next time you visit, 1Password asks you if you want auto-fill the form. And even better – you can create truly unique, complex passwords for each site you visit and not have to remember them! It’s a program that once you get used to using, it’s impossible to surf without it.
• JumpCut – Like 1Password, I never saw the benefit in using a “multiple clipboard” app until I finally tried out JumpCut on a lark. Now I’m addicted. Very, very helpful.
• Google Chrome – A truly solid, super fast, and nicely designed modern Web browser. I rarely get into Safari any more. While a ton of tabs can be a real drain on the system (Chrome treats each tab as a separate program), overall it’s amazing to see what happens when you build modern software from scratch.
• Adium – If you use Instant Messenger programs at all, you probably have an account on more than one. Adium allows you to use Windows Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, GTalk, and others all through one program. Very handy.
• Postbox – Based on Mozilla Thunderbird, this email app is a fantastic alternative to Mac Mail. I use Postbox for my personal mail so I can turn it off during the work day and ignore it all together.
• ecto – My desktop blogging app of choice. That’s what I’m writing this post in!
• AppZapper – A handy program uninstall program that gets rid of more than just dragging an app to the trash.
• HandBrake – Rip DVDs to Mac/iPhone/iPad friendly format.

And you? What are your must-have Mac apps?

As my friends, colleagues, and random strangers have learned, I love apps. I have tested, played, installed/uninstalled a metric ton of apps of various sorts.

With the release of the iPad, several folks have asked me lately for my suggestions of must-have iPad apps. Without further ado, here’s my list of iPad apps I can’t do without.

• Harbor Master – a lot of press has been given to Flight Control HD, another line drawing style game. But for my money, Harbor Master is absolutely the more fun of any iPad game, line draw style or otherwise. I’ve been addicted to this game since it was first released on the iPhone. Even non-gamer types seem to love this one.
• Early Edition – This RSS reader turns a random selection of your feeds into a newspaper style daily read. If you have an insane number of RSS feeds in google reader like I do, this is a great way to keep up. Right now the selection of items shown is random, but hopefully in the future they start to add intelligence about article popularity.
• Netflix – It’s amazing to see this app in person. From selection of a video to watching said video is a matter of seconds. In HD quality. Via 3G or WiFi. Truly amazing. If you don’t have a Netflix account, this app is a reason to get one.
• ABC Player & Hulu Plus – Ditto the Netflix awesome. ABC only shows ABC shows, of course. The selection is incredibly limited, but it’s great to catch up if you miss an episode. And Hulu Plus is a subscription service that’s invite only right now, but you can tour it for now. When it opens up, I’m absolutely going to be spending the $9.99 per month.
• Instapaper – This app (and the associated Web service) is fantastic if you find more to read online than you have time for. When you’re surfing in your browser, you can click a bookmarklet to save the page/article/post to Instapaper’s database. Then you can read it on your iPhone or iPad with the app. This is one of those apps that takes a bit of getting used to, but one you get the hang of it, you’ll never live without it.
• Flickpad – This app is pretty straightforward… it shows you the stream of photos posted by your Facebook friends. The unique part is that it visually allows you “flick” through photos, arranging them on screen or flicking them out of the way. It’s a truly revolutionary way to think about content browsing. They’ve claimed Flickr support and I’m counting the days for that.
• Comics (by Comixology) – If you’re a fan of comics, this app is a great way to purchase and consume comics. The days of physical comic collections is largely dead, so these days it’s all about the stories. There are some truly interesting and unique stories in comic (i.e. graphic novel form). Even if you think you wouldn’t like “comic books”, check this out. I’ll bet there’s some stories that will change your mind. Comics these days aren’t quite a movie and they’re not quite a book… they’re something in between and there is some truly great literature out there.
• Photo Transfer – Transfer your iPad (or iPhone) photos to your computer (if your computer and iPad/iPhone are on the same WiFi network) without having to go through iTunes/iPhoto. It’s a one trick pony that’s insanely helpful.
• iThoughtsHD – A mind mapping app that is very well built. I’ve played with mind mapping before, but this app has proven I need to use it a lot more.
• Penultimate – A great hand writing app for capturing hand written notes. I use the Pogo stylus for writing notes in meetings. I’ve tested a number of other handwriting capture apps and this was my favorite. (That said, it should be noted that handwriting, both the stylus and the apps are not at all to the point where you can consider them “solid”. I’m sure it’ll come soon enough, we’re just not there yet.)
• Twittelator – I tried to get excited about TweetDeck on the iPad, but there’s something very smooth about Twittelator’s approach that works right. Just like you’d expect things to work.
• Wired – They’re expanding the app already and there’s been promises of being able to go back into the archives and download them. The extra content, and more interactive browsing is a lot of fun. And this is the Wired team… I’m sure they’ll continue pushing the limits of what the “virtual magazine” means and what it can do.

And a few other apps that I couldn’t live without but that sync with your desktop computer.

• Dropbox – A great backup tool, integrated into the Finder. I’ve created a series of folders that Dropbox monitors for me. Every time anything goes in those folders, it’s backed up to the cloud. Then via the Web, my iPhone, or my iPad, I have access to those files. And when you rebuild your machine, just install Dropbox, login, and wait for the files to backup in a flash. (No not Adobe Flash, the kind of flash that’s awesome and doesn’t crash your Mac every 30 seconds)
• Evernote – A great deal of ink (virtual and otherwise) has been spilled about how great Evernote is. It’s all true. It’s a great way to collect everything from images to notes to data like frequent flier numbers. They have a client for just about every platform you can imagine, including PC, Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
• Things – My all-time favorite to-do list tracker. I use it religiously. It’s a Mac only desktop app, but you can get the app for iPhone and iPad, and can sync amongst all three.

And a few apps to watch as the devs grow them:

• Reeder – Another RSS reader, but with a very interesting way to navigate.
• Sling Player – If you own a Slingbox, the iPad version of this app will be very cool when they release it.
• SpringPad – Install this on your iPhone, snap pics or scan UPC codes when you’re shopping and see something you want to research later. Then pull up the list of saved items on your iPad. Very cool.

And you? What iPad apps do you love?

WARNING: What lies ahead is a sappy, lovefest of a blog post. While it might be all squishy, it’s entirely heartfelt. Consider yourself warned.

—

2009 has been an interesting year. I’ve moved across the country twice, seen my (now) three year old daughter blossom into an even more amazing person than ever, began to get to know my little brother as an adult, and undergone some absolutely devastating personal relationship issues.

Through all this, the one constant of this year has been the amazing, and frankly, mostly unexpected rise of Ant’s Eye View. In just under a year, Sean O’Driscoll and I went from “hey I have an idea” to “well look at that, we have 10 employees!” Our business is extremely healthy, our clients are happy, our team is fantastic, and we’re having more fun than we ever have before.

This Thanksgiving, as I consider what I have to be thankful for I’d be absolutely remiss if I didn’t specifically call out four groups.

The Ant’s Eye View Team
When Sean and I first started sketching out the type of company we wanted to build, our primary goal was simple: to build the best team in the world, a team of practitioners who had real life, real world skills in helping companies become more social.

Not only did we build that team, we’ve built it faster and stronger than either of us dreamed possible. Literally every day, I am more impressed with the team than the day before. As each member of the team finds their footing, they’ve launched into true individual and industry powerhouses. In the management philosophy of surrounding yourself with people smarter than you and then helping them get smarter, Sean and I have nailed it. Seeing you all in action at WOMMA last week was truly amazing.

Ant’s Eye View Team: Thank you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Sean and I will be working even harder next year to provide you the room to run even further, to have more fun than ever, and to achieve results our team and our clients could previously only dream of.

The Ant’s Eye View Clients
No matter what how great the individuals on the AEV team looked on paper, we were (and are) still a brand new company. The list of clients who gave us a shot this year is truly astounding. The two best assets we have as a company are our people and our clients, and we’ve scored in a big way on both fronts. We wouldn’t have been able to fly like we have if not for our clients putting significant trust in our team.

AEV Clients: Thank you for your trust this year. We sincerely hope we’ve delivered on your expectations and promise you that every day we’ll be better than the day before. If you think we did great work this year (and we hope you do!), then just wait until you see what we have in store next year!

My friend, my partner, Sean O’Driscoll
Sean, this year we’ve smiled with glee, hugged, and shook hands in vigorous celebration many, many times. I will always remember our breakfast at the Marriott in Redmond as the first day of one of the most amazing adventures of my life.

I am counting the days until we raise our glasses at the company holiday parties (yeah,that’s right, we’ve opened not one office this year, but two!), and toast to this year and dream of next. Thank you, Sean not only for your friendship but for the volume of knowledge I’ve already gained by working with you.

Sean: We have much to be proud of, my friend.

CommunityGuy.com Readers
It’s been a tough year on my blogging. Travel, business, and personal life have conspired to make my blogging a bit thin this year, but you’ve stuck around. For that, I simply must thank you. (I should mention that our team is also blogging at the AEV Blog too, if you have a thirst for great content)

Here’s to a happy and safe holiday season, a successful year end, and all of us having an impressive 2010!

This video is absolutely hilarious! (FYI, the language is a bit salty)

A few months back, some bloggers were invited to fly onto the USS Nimitz, a working aircraft carrier. Reading the stories of the trip (here, here, here), I was jealous beyond belief. You see, one of my life goals is to visit (hopefully via an arrested carrier landing) such a ship. I saw Top Gun in the 7th grade and was convinced for years I was going to go into the Navy. Growing up in Southern California, it was common practice to head to San Diego to see ships come and go, tour ships, tour NSA Coronado, and watch F-14 touch-and-gos at Mirmar.

So you can imagine my delight when Jenn recommended me for the next Navy embark to the new ship, the USS Green Bay. That’s right! In September, I’ll be boarding a Navy helicopter and heading out to tour the Green Bay for the day. (Thanks, Jenn, I owe you one! Sorry about all those nasty things I said about you getting to go to the Nimitz when I didn’t… )

I am really excited to take this trip and will be posting photos, videos, and stories before, during, and after. I apologize in advance for my probable gushing. Hopefully it won’t turn the Navy team off of inviting me to the next USS Nimitz trip! (Life dream, folks. Help a blogger out!)

Here’s the skinny on what the mission the USS Green Bay will focus on now that it’s going into service:

The USS GREEN BAY will be used to transport and land Marines, their equipment and supplies, by embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft or Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical take off and landing aircraft. USS GREEN BAY will support amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions throughout the first half of the 21st Century.

Thanks to Lee, I stumbled on this incredible presentation by Dan Roam, author of “Back of the Napkin“, a great book about visual thinking and explanation. Dan explains the current healthcare debate in great detail, yet utter simplicity. This is a must watch (must click?) for all of us.

Very nicely done presentation on how to best approach social media.

I have been “out there” on the Web for years now. Search my name and you can piece together a pretty solid picture of who I am, where I’ve been, and what I’ve done going back years. There’s a lot of downside to this, but without question the biggest upside is that when you have an impact on someone, it’s easy for them to find you and share that impact.

As some of you know, I wrote a book a few years back called Getting Started with LEGO Trains. I’ve always hated it (I’m a perfectionist, and as my first book, I learned a metric ton of lessons for next time), but when I read emails like the one below, I feel really proud of my work.

Allow me to share…

My name is Deann and am writing on behalf of my 5 year old son, Caden. He loves 3 things…LEGO, trains, and directions! My sister gave him your book as a gift and he pretty much gave up his “blankie” and now sleeps with your book. He carries it around the house like it is a part of him.

My son is a very interesting child with an old soul. He is very bright but doesn’t relate well with children his own age. I got him his first big box of LEGOs right after he turned 3 and that has been a life saver. His lego table is our pool table and he will spend a significant amount of time on that or He locks himself in the “train room” and will build and create for hours. He comes up with the most amazing things for his age. He also likes following complex lego directions…I recently purchase the “Emerald Night” and he completed it by himself in a matter of days. He is now in search of a black steam train similar to the Polar Express to build but I do not have a clue where we can find instructions or pieces for that. I am sure he will find away to create one on his own. Anyway, I just want to thank you for writing “Getting Started with LEGO Trains.” Its like you wrote it especially for him.

Sincerely,
Deann
Springfield, MO

Thanks Deann. And keep on building, Caden! Maybe one day you too can work for LEGO. I proved that living the dream is possible!

As a business owner, I need to set a recurring calendar reminder to absorb the presentation embedded below once a quarter. Seriously, this is absolutely the best story on how to improve and set corporate culture.

Warning: This is a 128 slide deck, but well worth your time.