Is there a software package out there that can help you tag, sort and organize a collection of PDF files? Yep.

Ironic Software makes a few different tools for sorting, organizing and searching for information on OSX.  Yep is their PDF catalog tool, and is the only one of their products I’ve tried, but I can vouch for its usefulness and sensible design.  I’m using it with a Fujitsu ScanSnap to convert old paper to new digital files that are organized and searchable.

Unlike iTunes, iPhoto or Calibre, Yep doesn’t move files into its own structure.  Instead you sent directories you want it to monitor (I have one for scans) and as soon as new PDFs show up there they’ll be added to Yep.  You can also drag files into the program from other locations, and add tags to make finding stuff later easier.

I’m finding this to be a very useful program in my effort to move away from paper.  Combined with the ScanSnap I’m slowly converting old nostalgic paperwork into digital form and getting rid of mass.  Yep strikes the right balance between simple and powerful to do exactly what I need it to do.

Media Browser is an absolutely excellent addition to Media Center for anyone with a large library of fims and television shows.  It automatically grabs meta data for the contents of your library and then presents it in very configurable custom views that are far superior to the standard media center browser.

There are other plugins that handle metadata for movies, like MyMovies, but I got tired of reminders to update versions and login for metadata scraping, and it’s not a one stop solution for managing TV.  For TV shows Mediabrowser is a godsend as long as your library of shows is set up in directories by show name, with subdirectories for season (even if you only have one season of a show, you must have it in a season subdirectory).

The install process for me (one Windows 7 64 bit and x86 versions) was quick, painless and had no problems.  After running it for a couple of months I have not experience a single crash or problem.  Just in case I haven’t made it clear by now this software is highly recommended.  You can download the MediaBrowser beta for free at mediabrowser.tv

I’ve been using eWallet to store sensitive data for years, originally on a PC and a windows smart phone.  When I switched over to the iPhone I was very happy to find that eWallet was available for the iPhone and bought a license to try it out.  Unfortunately at that time there was no OS X version for the desktop which meant I had nothing on my shiny new MacBook to enter data into my eWallet.  This turned out to be a huge drag.  Entering data bit by bit via the iPhone screen is no fun at all, so I started using eWallet less and less.

Recently a coworker introduced me to 1Password as a solution to a different problem: web password management.  I started using this to manage my web logins and then noticed that the functionality doesn’t stop there.  1Password duplicates most of the functionality of eWallet enabling you to securely store credit card and banking info, software install licenses, notes and membership login information.  1Password also has an iPhone app that will sync via wifi to the desktop app, so I’ve regained the convenience of being able to enter information on a proper keyboard and have it available on my laptop and my phone.

Illium did finally release an OS X version of eWallet, or at least a beta of it.  I downloaded it and was underwhelmed, now preferring the 1Password interface.  In the end my decision to switch from eWallet to 1Password was based on just a few factors: Completeness of support, interface aesthetics and price.  I already had the desktop version of 1Password and the iPhone version of eWallet.  It looks like it will only be $10 to upgrade to the Mac OSX version of eWallet when it’s released, but it’s even cheaper to buy the iPhone version of 1Password: $5 bucks for the standard version and $8 for the ‘pro’ version which adds a few extra features.

Of course price alone shouldn’t be the main determining factor when buying digital wallet software.  Data security and support are important issues.  eWallet has been well supported on the PC platform, but they haven’t been quick to support the Mac.  I feel more comfortable with the level of support and security updates from Agile right now, so 1Password is the winner for me.  Of course on the PC I suspect eWallet is still one of your best choices for a secure digital wallet.

One more alternative for the windows world is the open source KeePass, which I haven’t tried, but I’ve heard good things about.

Apparently not! If you enjoy reading ebooks, you should really do yourself the favor of checking out Calibre.  This incredible free library management software does everything I was looking for and more.  You can manage multiple formats and convert them to your preferred eBook format for reading whether it’s a Sony reader, a kindle, a smartphone or iphone.  It comes with it’s own server as well, which means if you run stanza on your phone while connected to the same wifi network you can browse your library and download books to read later, you don’t even need to be USB tethered to do it.

That’s basically everything I was looking for in a library management program, but Calibre goes one step further.  It can auto download metadata to fill in missing descriptions, covers, tags and author information.  You can add internet news sources and have them automatically downloaded and converted to your eBook format of preference for reading later.

Can you tell I’m impressed?  Calibre is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.  It has a vibrant user community and is maintained and upgraded with regularity.  I highly recommend it.

The problem is that in their pursuit of elegance they dropped some basic things that I miss from my old smart phone.  One simple key feature is ring profiles.  Why the hell can’t I set this phone to not ring at certain hours?  Sure I can mute the whole thing, but then what if I forget in the morning to turn the ringer back on?  How hard is it to add a timer in software to control the sounds my phone makes?

And why not allow input from bluetooth keyboards?  I guess I should just be happy they’ve finally given me the ability to cut and paste text.

All these little frustrations finally added up to the point where I was willing to take the risk of jailbreaking my phone so I could use Cydia to add missing functionality.  I had fears of bricking my phone, but it turns out I had nothing to fear.  Thanks to the brilliant simple process allowed by the freely available blackra1n my iPhone now feels like MY phone.  I can enable features that were missing and modify the little annoyances this device shipped with.

Certainly Cydia is a lot uglier than the app store, and there is the very real possibility of bricking your phone – with great power comes great responsibility – but after a month or so of freedom I am so very glad I busted this mobile phone out of Apple corporate lockdown.

One note: After the 40th week of manufacture Apple changed the bootrom on the 3GS which adds an irritating limitation to the blackra1n jailbreak.  If you ever need to reset your phone, or your battery runs completely down, you’ll need to reconnect your iPhone to your computer and run blackrain again to reboot.  If you’ve got one of the early models, you’re in luck, you can reboot with impunity.  You can tell the week of manufacture by the 4th and 5th digit of the iPhone serial number. If that number is below 40 you’ve got an early phone.

You can download blackra1n for Mac or PC here.