Code – Source Code Viewer

£1.49 (Universal App)

Code is a simple HTML source code viewer. It colour codes HTML tags and content in a similar way to your code editor, providing a quick and easy way to look through and search markup on the go. [iTunes Link]

Net Utility

FREE version and 69p Pro version (ad free) (iPhone App)

Net utility allows you to perform basic queries on any given website. Options include Ping (ICMP Echo), Scan TCP/IP Ports, GeoIP Lookup, IP Address Information, and of course, Whois Query. A handy collection of tools to have in your pocket! [iTunes Link]

1&1. Domains

Free (iPhone App)

The 1&1 Domains App gives you an easy way to check the availability of a domain name. No login information is required so you don’t have to be a 1&1 customer to use the app. So when that million dollar domain name pops into your head, you’re only a tap away from knowing whether it’s available. [iTunes Link]

WordPress

Free (Universal App)

The WordPress App is yet another reason to use the WordPress platform for your blogs or CMS. It’s also a nice to be able to tell your clients that they can manage their website via their iPhone or iPad. [iTunes Link]

Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test

Free (iPhone App)

Does what it says on the tin, and does it well. Check your 3G or WIFI download/upload speeds from your iPhone. [iTunes Link]

XE Currency

Free (Universal App)

XE Currency is another highly useful free App, giving you a nice overview of currency rates and a handy currency converter. Great for working out how much that service subscription is going to cost you, on the go! [iTunes Link]

A set of evening lectures are set to take place in London, with PCG streaming the event via their website for those who can’t make it. There’s also a collection of Webinars on topics ranging from building your client base, to how globalisation is affecting freelance businesses.

PCG also published a press release today regarding David Cameron’s support for freelancing, who said “I have a huge respect for all those who make the brave decision to branch out on their own and take control over the way they work.”

I find that a good wallpaper shouldn’t be too distracting around the icons in your dock, or have the colours blend with folders and files on your desktop. In my opinion, great wallpapers tend to have the main focus towards the centre of the screen, using unobtrusive or soft colours, and fading or reducing complexity towards the sides.

I’m fairly picky about wallpapers, changing them more frequently than socks! Over the years I’ve gathered a few links to sites that regularly feature great wallpaper contributions. To all those in search of better wallpapers, check out the links below.

simpledesktops.com - A great resource for simple vector based wallpapers.

macthemes.net/forum - A forum with plenty of talented individuals, and a site I check regularly for good wallpapers.

interfacelift.com Probably one of the most popular wallpaper websites on the web, with a nice selection of (mostly) photography based wallpapers. There’s a real focus on quality and providing images for all screen sizes and resolutions. Interfacelift offers a curated experience, with the community deciding what wallpapers are featured.

wallbase.cc - I found this website recently and, much to my delight, found some really nice wallpapers.

browse.deviantart.com/customization/wallpaper - Another popular destination for artists and photographers. A great source for high quality wallpapers.

If you know of a great resource for wallpapers, why not post it in the comments below?

LittleIpsum (Free)

As Web Developers, we’re accustomed to using dummy text to pad out our designs on a regular basis. This handy App runs in the Menu bar, so you’re only ever 2 clicks away from filling your clipboard with Latin. You can easily select from a single word, to four paragraphs of Latin text. [Link]

ColorSnapper (£2.99)

For many years I used the DigitalColor utility that shipped with Mac OS X. However, for my purposes (to simply get the hex value of any given colour on my screen) ColorSnapper is a more appropriate tool for the job. It sits in your Menu bar, allowing you to point to any part of your screen, and have the hexadecimal value instantly copied to the clipboard. [Link]

QuickScale (£3.99)

QuickScale is another ‘does what it says on the tin’ App, and that’s why I love it! It lets you resize a batch of images with a single click. With enough features to get just about any resizing task done (setting width, height, ratio etc.) this App is bound to help you save time when creating those pesky thumbnail images. [Link]

SwordSoft Layout (£4.99)

There’s certainly no shortage of Wireframing tools on the market. I was looking for something straight forward and affordable; SwordSoft Layout was the answer. It includes a great selection of templates and graphical objects (text boxes, browsers, progress bars etc.) to help you get the Wireframing process done as quickly and efficiently as possible. You’ll find it a very handy tool for starting any project with. [Link]

Back in January 2010, I felt like the introduction of the iPad may have been the final nail in the coffin for an OS X Ultraportable. With Apple’s obsessive focus on iOS, it was unclear whether the days of innovation in the MacBook space would continue.

Much to my surprise, the 13″ MacBook Air got a (long overdue) design and hardware refresh in late October, along with the introduction of the closest thing Apple will ever come to an OS X ‘netbook’, the 11.6″ MacBook Air. I purchased the latter a week later, and have used it as my primary machine ever since… for almost everything.

Design

From a aesthetic point of view, it’s a gorgeous machine. It’s extremely light, and feels tough enough to survive mobility. As for the 11.6″ LED backlit display, it packs a mighty amount of pixels at 1366 x 768. The colours are bright and vibrant. It also seems less subject to sunlight glare, compared to my previous glossy MacBook Pro display, but I’m not certain this is technically accurate.

The downsides? Perhaps a little less bezel around the edges of the screen would be ideal, although, perhaps theres a technical reason why this wasn’t possible. A backlit keyboard would be a nice addition too, but this is by no means a deal breaker, and will surely be addressed in a future hardware revision.

Speed

For a relatively low powered computer, the MacBook air is extremely snappy! This is mainly thanks to the 64gb SSD. I previously had no idea just how much the read/write speed of Hard Drives limited the speed of a computer . If you can take the hit on less storage space for you cash, SSD is definitely the best option.

Applications open extremely quickly, file transfers happen much faster than with a traditional hard drive, and rebooting takes on average 20 seconds. I was also impressed at how fast I was able to launch applications immediately after loading OS X. And even after 6 months of use, I see no deterioration in the speed at which the OS performs.

I started to experience the machines limitations when editing large vector-based design files. Perhaps this is where a little more processing power would help. But it’s by no means impossible to work with large files, everything just take a little longer. I wouldn’t recommend the low-end MacBook Air for designers solely working with large print or web graphic files.

Storage

If the MacBook Air is the only computer you own, 64GB may not be a high enough capacity for all your files. I’m using mine more as a thin client, storing little more than just the applications and files I need to work (and a few of my favorite records). Although if you wanted, you could easily use an external harddrive for extra storage, and as an external iTunes library. Did I also mention how fast iTunes feels on the Air?

For the majority of my development work, I’m using roughly less than 20MB per project, and really haven’t felt the need for extra space. It’s worth mentioning that there is a 128gb model, but that’ll set you back (roughly) a further £100.

Much like going from a 40GB iPod to a 16GB iPhone, you just learn to live with less space.

Conclusion

The MacBook Air is without a doubt the most satisfying computer I’ve ever owned. If, like me, you like to travel with your computer, and you’re happy working with a small screen and a relatively low amount of storage, the MacBook Air is the perfect machine. It’s pretty much the ultraportable you’d expect from Apple.

I’d also advise getting yourself a MiFi router for the ultimate road warrior or coffee shop set-up.