Welcome to a new SUBERAPPS feature-SUBERAPPS Asks, where we ask people what their must use Desktop, Web, and iPhone apps are, then report the answers back to you.

Today, we’re featuring Amber Weinberg, creator of Codesnipp.it, a front-end developer, specializing in XHTML, CSS, and WordPress, along with being a frequent blogger at both Freelance Folder and Think Vitamin. Fancy!

So What Are Amber’s Favorite and Most-Often Used Apps?

Coda

Coda’s been the best IDE I’ve found so far. It’s all-in-one so I don’t have to use different programs for different languages or an FTP. It’s also great for managing multiple sites, is super fast and unbloated and has a great interface.

For More on Coda:

• Mac.AppStorm: Integrated Web Development
• shawnblanc: Coda: The One-Window Wonder
• MacApper: Coda from Panic Software Reviewed

WordPress

Almost all of my sites are now built in WordPress. It’s been the easiest CMS to use for both me as a developer and my clients. There’s no functionality I haven’t been able to add ot it, and it also works well on really, really large sites.

For more on WordPress:

• WPBeginner: Which Blogging Platform Should You Use?
• BloggingPro: 5 Reasons to Use WordPress as a CMS
• BlogOhBlog: Why Use WordPress?

Codesnipp.it

As the creator of Codesnipp.it, I’m a bit biased, but I really believe it’s a great app for developers. You’re able to share your code, while following your favorite developers to see what they’re working on. You can also post coding questions and find great help.

For More on Codesnipp.it:

• See What the Creator Has to Say
• Mashable: CodeSnipp.it: Micro-Sharing and Q&A for Developers
• iGotDug: Featured Startup: Codesnipp.it

Twitterrific

Twitterrific is the best desktop app (although a bit resource intesive) I’ve found. The interface is simple and clean, I can update different platforms and manage several accounts.

For More on Twitterific:

• Appletell Review
• OneForty: Twitterific
• The Unofficial Apple Weblog

VMware

VMware is the newest addition to my desktop apps and quickly becoming one of my favorites. It allow me to quickly and seamlessly integrate Windows 7 with OSX so I can stop stealing my finace’s computer in the middle of Starcraft to test sites in IE.

For More On VMWare:

• Macintouch: VMWare Review
• How-To-Geek: VMWare Workstation 7 Review

Budget

Budget app is great for both the desktop and iPhone. It allows me to keep track of all my finances and keep them synced across several different computers (with the help of Dropbox) and helps save money by using the envelope method.

For More on Budget:

Ok, I couldn’t find any top-notch reviews on Budget. Don’t worry-we’ll write one.

Billings

Billings is the perfect desktop/iphone app for freelancers. It allows you to quickly make invoices, quotes and statements and integrates with Apple Mail to send them to the client. Also stores client info, alerts you when payments are late and has an awesome reports section.

For More on Billings:

• Mac.AppStorm: Billings: Time Tracking & Invoicing
• The Unofficial Apple Weblog: Billings 3.5 Paves the Way for Billings Touch
• Fuel Your Creativity: Billings Review

GoodReads

I love reading so I use this web/phone app everyday. It keeps tracks of all the books I’ve read, am reading and want to read. I can share page updates and reviews with friends and see what they’re reading as well.

For More on GoodReads:

• Make Use Of: Track the Books You Have (And Want to Read) with GoodReads
• Lifehacker: Best Book Recommendation Service: GoodReads
• Digital Book World: GoodReads Takes Next Step in Social Reading

Plants vs Zombies

I don’t really play any games on my iPad, but everyone insisted I try PvZ and it’s the most fun game I’ve ever played. You absolutely MUST buy it.

DropBox

I didn’t think I needed this much since I’m a lonely freelancer, but Dropbox has been since there are 3 developers working on Codesnipp.it (it’s easy source control) and to share Budget files and other projects across our many computers :)

For More on Dropbox:

• Web.AppStorm: 15 Awesome Dropbox Tips and Tricks
• Lifehacker: The Cleverest Ways to Use Dropbox that You’re Not Using
• WorkAwesome: Data Backup and Sync Part 3: Why You Should Use Dropbox

USAA mobile

I bank with USAA and I use their mobile app for one thing only – to cash checks. They were the first bank ever to introduce deposit by scanner and deposit by mobile. Super awesome considering the closest USAA bank to me is a couple of thousand miles.

Interested in more apps that Amber recommends? Check out her Freelance Folder post, “8 Great Apps Every Freelance Developer Needs.”

Or You Can Follow Her:

• On Twitter: @amberweinberg
• On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amberweinbergdev
• On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amberweinberg
• On GoodReads: http://www.linkedin.com/in/amberweinberg
• On Dribble: http://dribbble.com/players/amberweinberg
• On Codesnipp.it: http://codesnipp.it/index.php?m=profile&userId=167
• Read Her Blog: AmberWeinberg Development: The Blog

Check out SUBERNOVA online project management tool:

I bought this app almost immediately when it was released as I was combatting an issue I was having at that time. I find myself frequently uploading files to many different locations. Each time I do it, I have to launch Forklift or Transmit, connect to the FTP, browse to a specific folder and upload the file. I tried using multiple droplets but I don’t want to have a whole mess of them on my dock or desktop.

Here is where Dropzone solves this problem. It lets you setup multiple upload locations so that you can just drag a file into Dropzone on your dock to upload it. Very tidy and convenient!

As you can see from the screenshot above, I frequently upload files, invoices and quotes to my server for our clients to download. Even images that are displayed here are all uploaded from Dropzone. It’s just drag and drop! Really speeds up my workflow.

More Than Just FTPs

Not only can you drop files into FTPs, theres a whole slew of actions for you to perform by drag and drop eg. Flickr, share text, move files and more if you download and install extensions (a.k.a actions) from Dropzone’s website! With the ability to install more actions, the limits are endless.

I personally love being able to conveniently drop photos into Flickr, Twitpic, Dropbox etc.

Wait There’s More!

You can even install applications (.dmg) simply by drag and drop. We’re not talking about .app files where you can simply drop it in the Applications folder. It’s those pesky .dmg files where you have to click next, next, next just to have the application installed. No more! Drop those .dmg files into Dropzone under “Install Application” and Dropzone will mount the disk image, install and trash the dmg file, only ready for you to launch the app.

There are other useful built in features like “Zip & Email” where you can drag a file into Dropzone to have the file zipped up and placed into a new mail message ready for you to send.

Extending Dropzone

What makes Dropzone even more exciting are user contributed actions. There are already a bunch of useful actions ready for download like Twitpic, Dropbox, bit.ly, is.gd etc.

If you’re a Ruby developer you can even write your own actions.

Conclusion

I 100% recommend this app to internet junkies. It has been an indispensable app in my workflow. Even if you don’t win a free copy (see below), $10 is a small price to pay to make your life easier.

Giveaway!

We have 3 FREE copies to giveaway to SUBERAPPS readers! Winning is simple, just leave a comment and tell us how Dropzone will help make your life easier. Following @SUBERAPPS is not compulsory, but encouraged!

Competition ends this Christmas Day!

Look forward to your entries!

Check out SUBERNOVA online project management tool:

Everyone needs one of these free online file storage / sharing service one of these days to easily send large files to your colleagues, clients or friends.

The biggest gripes with the many big names in online file storage services like YouSendIt, Box.net, is not the amount of space you can store files in your online storage, but the cap on the filesize of the file that you upload at any one time.

Even if you have unlimited amount of storage space like MediaFire for example, having only 100MBs of file transfer limit might not make much sense to most. I have felt “cheated” on several occassions by signing up for an online file storage service thinking that I have so much disk space only to realize later that I can only upload a few MBs each time, until I found Drop Box!

Drop Box

Drop box (Web, Mac & PC) is like an online file storage service on steroids. On top of a:

• 2GB free online storage (paid option – 50GB of storage space @ $9.99/month or $99/year) and
• unlimited file transfer limit (if you use the desktop client) / 350MB (if you use the web app),

you also get a whole lot of other conveniences not seen on other services:

Menu Bar Item

Download the desktop client from Dropbox’s main website. Upon completing installation, you’ll find the Dropbox icon on your menu bar where you’ll see how many percent of your storage space has been used, which files on your Dropbox you’ve made recent changes to:

Dropbox Folder

A “Dropbox” folder will also be created as one of your many folders in your home folder. This means you can drag and drop files into this folder just like any of your normal folders with the advantage of being able to access your files online, on another computer or anywhere else! Installing Dropbox on 2 different computers means you’ll see your files on both computers. I just love how cloud computing integrates with desktop computing

Also, your files are always safe as all data is transferred over SSL and encrypted with AES-256 before storage.:

Copy Link to share file

Here’s the most exciting part, right clicking on any file in your Dropbox enables you to copy the files’ direct link, so that you can send the link to your friends to download that file! Sharing can’t get any easier can it?

Any folders created in the “Photos” folder in Dropbox is a Gallery, right clicking on it will enable you to copy the gallery link and share it with your friends!

My public gallery from one of my folders in the Photos folder called “Pictures from iPhone”:

Drag, Drop and Forget

Just like some of you, I hate uploading huge files using the sometimes clunky web interface, talking about huge files, most free online file storage service don’t even let you upload huge files to start with. Dropbox lets you drag and drop your huge file into your Dropbox folder and immediately uploads it in the background (no filesize limit on file transfer). You’ll see a spinning gear on the Dropbox icon in your menubar indicating that upload is in process. A “tick” indicates that upload is complete. But of course if you like using the web app, you have it too:

Web App (AJAX goodness)

You can also access all your Dropbox files online!

Among many web app features, you can see your recent changes of your Dropbox:

Upload files through the web app:

See and administrate your folders and files:

Undelete files!

Isn’t this the best, all rounded and most thoughtful online file storage service around?

Check out SUBERNOVA online project management tool: