LarryRoth.net

While I certainly can't wait for a new iPhone (is it June yet?), I am really excited about the new Airport Extreme. It features 802.11n, which will help with increase network capacity and range. But what I think is a great feature is the ability to plug in a USB hard drive and share it with the network.

This solves a big issue for me. I hate using a disk drive for backups, it creates clutter and it is also a pain to plug it in every time I want to backup. With the new Airport Extreme I can keep a large hard drive plugged in and back up one or more computers at anytime. For me this means more regular backup–plus I save a USB port.

Most people complain about the cost of the Apple base stations, but I find that the ease of maintenance, setup and the reliability make up for the price. Plus, you can usually find a refurbished on on Apple's site for $30 off.

I find that when I am traveling, one thing that I often need is to have my travel information (directions, reservations, schedule) printed out. This way I don't have to break out my laptop every time I need some information. The problem is I tend to print out lots of full 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets that are both wasteful and cumbersome. I did start an Java ME app that allows me to sync this information to a Java enabled cell phone, but this is still time consuming having to copy/paste the information into a different format.

It would seem that PagePacker is just the application I was looking for. It allows you to easily drag and drop any PDF or image on to one of 8 “spaces”. These 8 spaces then print out into one foldable 8 1/2″ by 11″ page. There is even a catalog of 84 DIY (do-it-yourself) planner pages, such as to-do lists and calendars. And like any good Mac application it is easy to use and doesn't get in the way of getting the job done.

Right now it's free, but is set to expire in June. There is no mention if the June “upgrade” will be free as well—I guess we will have to wait and see.