My Dream App

Nicholas Jitkoff is the developer of the immensely popular freeware application Quicksilver, a plug-in based keyboard file and app navigator. Nicholas is better known to Quicksilver's many fans as Alcor, his username on the active Quicksilver forums.

Staying productive seems to be all the rage on the internet nowadays, between the countless apps that organize your information and the life hacking techniques being invented. These do you very little good if, like me, you are easily distracted and regularly hijacked by an interesting news link. While the idea behind Blossom seems a little cutesy, the ability to visualize your efficiency could lead to some interesting revelations and, more importantly, better awareness of your activities. It may take a little time to get used to it, but Blossom could certainly help people stay on track.

Sigh… I’m always a fan of programs that make you look like a fool at your desk; unfortunately, precious few are willing to do so the way I am. iSightSee could lead to some interesting new ways of controlling your computer. However, the limited resolution of iSights and the need for color coded controls would make it difficult to create anything useful. I wish I could encourage this app, but it will be hard to convince anyone to use anything like this for more than just showing off.

A persistent collaborative space is no new idea, but beyond SubEthaEdit very few collaboration tools have taken off for the Mac. While it is hard to be optimistic, I can’t help but encourage Chatboard since something is definitely needed. iChat and Bonjour integration need to be very well done, but this app looks like it is heading in a good direction. It could be a very useful utility.

This is just awesome. Someone make it, please. The greatest thing an application can do is allow users to do something that was once too difficult or complex to be feasible. The learning curve and cost of making computer music is way too steep, even with GarageBand. It has to be accurate and easy to use, but Whistler would be a useful tool and a phenomenally fun toy.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve probably spent more time dressing up Sims than worrying about my own wardrobe. Initially, a database of one’s clothes seemed like a silly idea, but when given the ability to discuss outfits with friends and try out new stuff, it becomes sort of fun. It will take a special kind of person to take the time to put their information in, but iStyleIt could lead to some interesting conversations with friends and help avoid major fashion faux pas.

RSS represents a great way to get information from one’s favorite websites, but it is generally reserved for the tech-savvy. While there are many existing news readers, their feature sets are often quite similar. With an approachable interface, Herald could appeal to a whole new crowd and lead others to new ways of dealing with RSS. It would be an excellent means of pre-packaging information for friends and relatives, or even preparing it for consumption in other media. The main obstacle will be duplicating the functionality that many already expect in an RSS reader, but then again, it will be worth the effort.

Computer animation is tough. To do anything more simple than a flip book, you need to learn a whole set of tools and conventions, not to mention the tools for drawing the images in the first place. If it contained a library of puppet parts and allowed easy combining and animating, Puppet Constructor would have the opportunity to lower the barriers to animation, allowing anyone to create simple and fun compositions. An interesting addition would be to allow for real-time streaming to iChat under Leopard.

While desktop wars is an interesting idea, trying to create a game that appeals to time-limited players is very tricky. It will be too difficult to pull it off well, especially if the scope remains as broad as it is now. If you pursue this you must be very clear on the mechanics. An app that simply has tanks bumbling about in a field of icons is just a toy. It will have very little replay value.