Erica Sadun

Senior Writer

Erica Sadun holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has written, co-written, and contributed to dozens of books about technology, particularly in the areas of programming and digital media. An unrepentant geek, Sadun has never met a gadget she didn't need. Her checkered past includes run-ins with NeXT, Newton, and a vast myriad of both successful and unsuccessful technologies. When not writing, she and her geek husband parent three adorable geeks-in-training, who regard their parents with restrained bemusement.

Erica Sadun's Latest Posts

Dropbox-for-Google Insync leaves beta, goes free and opens doors for business

by Erica Sadun (Dec 30th 2011 10:00AM)

Advertising itself as a cheaper Dropbox alternative with a better feature set, Insync has been in closed beta for the last 15 months. Now, they're finally ready to launch with a service that tightly integrates into Google Docs. It's "8x cheaper" than Dropbox, according to their marketing; in ...

CineSkates bring highly adaptable dollying to mobile photography

by Erica Sadun (Dec 28th 2011 6:00PM)

Starting around $300, Cinetics' CineSkates are not cheap but this new device may provide exactly the kit you're looking for in terms of mobile dolly shots. Attach your iPhone, start it recording, and use the rig to smoothly move the camera as you shoot, creating perfect rotation and tracking ...

Daily Mac App: Fireworks HD

by Erica Sadun (Dec 27th 2011 5:00PM)

Some apps deliver exactly what they say on the package. Fireworks HD provides a display of artistic explosions to the desktop. Retailing for just $0.99, Fireworks HD works both as an app and a screen saver. Unlike most fireworks apps, HD uses actual video footage rather than simulated emitter ...

Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me nix the window shadows in Lion

by Erica Sadun (Dec 27th 2011 2:00PM)

Dear Aunt TUAW, I recently added a second external monitor to my 13" MacBook Pro. My problem comes with the OS X Lion features that give windows a 3D depth-look, specifically, the shadow effect. As a window on the external monitor approaches the virtual border of the built-in LCD of the MBP, ...

You're the Pundit: What OS does Santa use?

by Erica Sadun (Dec 23rd 2011 9:00PM)

When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is Santa. What OS does he use? According to Apple, he uses an iPhone 4S but we're not necessarily swayed by Apple PR. ...

Covert Chirp offers camouflaged Twitter for the workplace

by Erica Sadun (Dec 20th 2011 3:00PM)

You're in an important meeting. The voices are droning on about procedural nonsense and forward looking outlooks. No one is paying attention. You're dying for any kind of mental stimulation. You reach for your iPhone. You launch Twitter. Then, Dwight the worker bee sitting next to you decides ...

Dear Santa: TUAW's we-have-been-nice wish list

by Erica Sadun (Dec 16th 2011 12:00AM)

Dear Santa, We've been very good reasonably well-behaved bloggers this year. We've brushed our teeth, been polite to our parents, and made sure to walk our dog. So for this year, would you please please please consider our requests? Here's what we're wishing for under the TUAW tree this ...

Best Buy teaches Wolfram Alpha (and Siri) new tricks

by Erica Sadun (Dec 15th 2011 6:00PM)

When it comes to Siri innovation, it's not just about work at Apple's end. Today, Wolfram Alpha introduced new shopping features built around Best Buy's public APIs. You can now use Siri queries to browse upwards of 35 thousand appliance and home computer products. You can say "Wolfram, tablet ...

Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me read data from my nano

by Erica Sadun (Dec 14th 2011 8:30AM)

Dear Aunt TUAW, Greetings from overseas from the long-lost branch of Dutch family members and thanks for al. your helpful posts. My question is the following. I have an iPod nano (sixth generation) which I use quite often as a flash drive. The problem is that I can not use it on a Windows PC ...

Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me create GPS address book locations

by Erica Sadun (Dec 13th 2011 9:30AM)

Dear Aunt TUAW, I want to set Siri geofenced reminders for my kids' bus stop and a few other locations. The problem is that I live in a rural area, and these places don't have street addresses. What can I do? I want to be able to remind my wife to pick up milk and butter after she's done ...