This story originally appeared March 10, 2007.
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SketchFighter
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While Mac OS X is a top-notch operating system, there always are things it can't do, or could do a bit better. This applies to every operating system, because if they were all perfect, then no one would make money writing third-party software! I know the Internet abounds with various lists of "Mac Software You Can't Live Without"; if you can stand one more, I've compiled what I've found to be some cool and useful tools. No, I don't think you can't live without any of them, but they've all made my Mac experience more complete, and a little more fun, too. One further word: Don't take the order below too seriously; it's more a reflection of how and when things occurred, rather than a definitive comment on relative merit.
Ecto
from Kuala Co. Ltd.
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Adriaan Tijsseling's blog posting application is one I use every day for the various blogs I post to, both out in public and in my "real" job. It is far and above better than anything that MovableType or WordPress have been able to come up with, and its flexibility in connecting to different blogging systems is one of its main strengths. The other reason I use and love Ecto is the flexibility it gives me. It allows me to write posts the way I want to, which is still rather behind the WYSIWYG curve. I do it all in plain text, and apply the tags manually. Ecto lets me set up custom tags however I like, and even grab clipboard data to enter in the tags. Makes adding long URLs a snap. It also lets me create tags that are custom to various blog systems, so that I'm not stuck with trying to remember far too many nonstandard tags. It's AppleScriptable (always a huge plus in my world), and it does what I want my apps to do...it makes my work noticeably easier and more pleasant.
Transmit
from Panic Software
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Yes, I know, using an FTP application isn't l33t, all the cool kids use the command line. OK, then, I'm not cool. But Transmit makes dealing with (S)FTP and the tasks I use FTP for smoother and easier. I love the split view, so that my FTP needs don't require multiple windows, either in the app or the Finder. (Yes, I love column view in the Finder, to the point that it's the only one I'll use.) It integrates with Sync Services and .Mac, so I can back up my favorites setting, and it gives me one-click integration with BBEdit, another application that I use nigh-continuously, (and yes, BBEdit's on the list, too). The only feature it's missing that I'd love to see is Kerberos support, but the Panic team has said it's coming soon. Even without that, it's the only FTP application on the Mac that works the way my brain does, and for that, I'll happily pay the thirty bucks.
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OK, Sync Services isn't technically an application, but it's my list, so there. While most people (incorrectly) call this iSync, Sync Services are a set of OS Services that allow for automatic data sharing and integration. The most visible use of this is iSync, for synchronizing contacts and calendar data to phones and PIMs, and .Mac sync, which allows you to sync things like bookmarks, calendars, keychains, Mail.app account data and others to your .Mac account.
Network slicing could be the answer to 5G rollout – but it's not easy to implement. Automation provides a way forward.
Wi-Fi 7 products, due out in 2024, will offer significantly more performance for enterprise users and can support more users in denser environments compared to Wi-Fi 6.
6G will leverage many different bands and tools to meet the ever-growing demands and expectations for cellular communications.
