mac app store

Quick Resizer - My first Mac App

I've created a few iOS and Android apps for mobile devices and tablets, but just a few days ago, my first 'desktop' app (for Mac OS X 10.7+) was released on the Mac App Store.

Behold, Quick Resizer ($0.99 on the Mac App Store):

Quick Resizer Main Screen

I created the app mostly because I realized I would often drag an image to Photoshop to simply resize it from something like 1024x768 to 500 pixels wide, constrained. Quick Resizer makes resizing JPEGs and PNG files super-easy, and everything can be done from the keyboard (or the mouse, if you're so inclined).

Developing for the Mac is a bit different than the iPhone, but Objective-C and the libraries included are very similar, so it wasn't like creating the first iOS app!

If you like the app, feel free to rate the app on the Mac App Store after you buy it :)

Apps I Like: BreakTime - Great for Desk Workers

Since I've started working full-time as a web developer a few years ago, I've probably spent more than 8 hours every workday (and a few hours most weekends) sitting perfectly still at a desk, moving only my fingers, and occasionally my arms, to type, move a mouse, and drink something here and there.

With reports that working standing up isn't really all it's made out to be (you still need to move around, and you're moving pressure points from your lower back to your lower legs...), and other reports stating that it's more about periodic movement and stretching that will help with musculoskeletal fitness, I've been thinking more about ways I can force myself to move.

Breaktime App for Mac

I've finally found the perfect tool for this, and it's simple and easy to use, to boot! It's called BreakTime, and it's $2.99 on the Mac App Store.

The screenshot says it all, but once you use it for a day, you'll realize how quickly a 45-minute period can go by, and how infrequently you would move around without a tool like this. I try to get up, walk around my condo, do a stretch or two, and refill my water bottle, before sitting back down and hitting the Done button.

If you're like me, you need this app.

Reeder (RSS reader) for Mac released - finally out of beta!

Reeder, the new best RSS reader for Mac, is finally out of beta! It's only $9.99, on the Mac App Store.

Reeder Icon

I used NetNewsWire back in the early '00s, but it has become a complicated beast, and after learning about Reeder beta 1 a few months ago, I was an instant convert.

Reeder is great, because all I ever do is arrow-down through news stories, glance over ones I might be interested, press 'B' to open the really interesting articles in my browser, and then press 'A' then 'return' to mark all stories as read.

It's fast, simple, elegant, and hides a ton of extra complexity (in case you want to do more with it than I do). I love it even more on the iPad... it's simply the best solution for iPad or Mac. I don't bother reading news feeds on the iPhone much, though (I use both NetNewsWire and Reeder on that platform).

More on Reeder and RSS:

Subscribe to Reviews Subscribe to Articles Subscribe to All Content Subscribe to Blog Subscribe to RSS - mac app store