Shane Sveller

If, like me, you’ve built your Ubuntu machine using LVM for all partitions except /boot, you can do a live backup of your system using LVM snapshots and the dump tool. Read the rest of this entry »

• TextMate - Programmer’s text editor
• 1Password - secure password and information manager that integrates into your browser(s)
• AppZapper - clean up behind software you decide to axe
• Boot Camp - Yeah, there’s still some Windows apps I use. (built into OSX)
• Camouflage - hide those pesky desktop icons for focus and clarity
• CoverSutra - iTunes tool for keyboard shortcuts, album artwork, Spotlight-like search, and Last.FM integration
• Cyberduck - FTP/SFTP client with drag-and-drop and Growl notifications
• Firefox 3.0 - only in release candidate status, but already a contender to finally replace Safari
• Fluid - turn any website into a .app
• Handbrake - DVD-ripping tool for converting DVDs to digital video files for your iPod, AppleTV, XBMC, etc.
• iStat Menus - monitor your CPU, memory, and network usage in your menu bar
• MacPorts - install Unix/linux tools using a tool similar to apt-get
• NeoOffice - good, free replacement for the slow and bloated MS Office
• Parallels Desktop - run Windows or Linux inside OSX
• SquidMan - run the Squid HTTP caching proxy on OSX
• SuperDuper / Carbon Copy Cloner - great backup tool
• ted - Torrent episode downloader - track your favorite TV shows!
• Time Machine - great, simple, configure-and-forget backup solution (built into OSX)
• Twitterific - Twitter client
• WhatSize / GrandPerspective - a graphical overview of what’s eating up all your harddrive space (hint: pr0n.)

• Adium Multi-protocol IM client; supports AIM, Yahoo, MSN, MySpace, Google Talk, and loads more.
• Growl pop-up notifications for anything and everything
• Safari - included with OSX
• Mail and Address Book- included with OSX
• Quicksilver keyboard-based launcher; hard to explain what it does, but useful as all hell
• Firefox browser, though I don’t use it nearly as much on OSX because of Safari
• Schoolhouse homework manager or iProcrastinate
• Colloquy IRC chat client
• Google Mail notifier
• iBackup
• NetNewsWire RSS reader
• Skim PDF reader (Preview is good, Skim is better)
• The Unarchiver for zips, rars, aces, etc.
• Transmission bittorrent client
• VLC media player for files Quicktime won’t handle