April 2012
38 posts
Why the iPad Is My New Laptop — Shawn Blanc →
It is not a sacrifice to use the iPad as a primary device. I wanted to take a look at some of the most compelling reasons to use an iPad as your portable, if not your only, computer.
This is essentially true for me as well. My MacBook Air only leaves the house in those rare cases my iPad will not suffice.
You Got (Single) Served - The Daily →
Nice brief look at the rise of “one thing well” apps including one that I have a role in.
The Verge at work: sync your text everywhere,... →
Paul Miller gives a really nice overview of his writing setup involving Simplenote, Notational Velocity, and PlainText.
The dirty truth about messy offices | Unclutterer →
To keep your coworkers from making negative, and probably inaccurate, judgments about your job performance, spend five to ten minutes each day cleaning and straightening your workspace before heading home.
Some solid advice.
Zibity: Broomstick →
Broomstick is the easiest way to hide menubar icons that you don’t like. While most apps that create a menubar icon allow you to hide it, some apps don’t provide this option. Broomstick lets you take back control of your menubar!
Works as expected though, for obvious reasons, it has to “know” about the app. There is a way to submit apps so that they can be added to the hiding...
Does Your Dock Reflect Your Priorities? →
The Dock. That little area on your iPhone or iPad that contains a handful of apps which are available on every screen. It says something about what you’re about and what you want to achieve.
Nice post. I speak about applying this same idea of sacred spaces even more broadly in my book. Nice to see it echoed in a specific area here.
Scripting News: Where is VolksMail? →
In 2012 there should be a healthy set of minimal web-based email clients. I don’t think there’s a single one.
Email is an area ripe for re-think. Starting with, and shipping, the bare minimum of features would be a good place to start.
“When people have their basic needs met, it’s not uncommon for wants to...”
– Seth’s Blog: Needs and wants are often confused
An Interview With Linus Torvalds | TechCrunch →
I’m have to admit being a bit baffled by how nobody else seems to have done what Apple did with the Macbook Air – even several years after the first release, the other notebook vendors continue to push those ugly and *clunky* things. Yes, there are vendors that have tried to emulate it, but usually pretty badly. I don’t think I’m unusual in preferring my laptop to be thin and light.
Really...
A Touch of Revolution | J. D. Bentley →
Regarding freedom, the two greatest principles are these:
Want nothing.
Owe no one.
Streamified | All Your Social Streams in One... →
I’d like to thanks Streamified for sponsoring this week’s RSS Feed. It’s a great way to take a whole bunch of feeds and gather them into one place for easy reading, bookmarking, and sharing on your iDevice. Check it out.
Enable iPhone Airplane mode, keep WiFi while... →
Traveling internationally with an iPhone can be extremely expensive. Even if you arrange for an international plan with your provider, it’s possible to find a staggering bill at the end of the month. Your best bet is to disable cellular data and restrict Internet access to Wi-Fi, but how can you be sure you’ve set your iPhone up properly? It’s easy with Airplane Mode and the Wi-Fi settings....
patrickrhone / journal » Blog Archive » Nesting →
Sorry for the self link (I’m full of them today, apparently) but I thought there might be some geek crossover interest in my initial take on my newly acquired and installed Nest Learning Thermostat.
Audium - A beautiful, gesture driven music app for... →
Audium was designed from the ground up to encourage the user to appreciate albums in their entirety, the way the artist had orignally intended. Common distractions such as track lists and custom playlists are removed, thereby putting the album front and centre. No nonsense, just music. Beautiful.
Audium is a really lovely little music app who’s purpose driven features and overall intent...
Boston to Orlando with an iPhone | 52 Tiger →
Last week I traveled to Orlando, Florida from Boston, Ma. I managed every aspect of the trip, from packing to sending a thank-you card, with my iPhone. I rarely touched paper and never felt unprepared or wanting.
Interesting and comprehensive. If you do any traveling at all this is well worth your time to read and may cause you to leave the laptop at home.
Less is always an advantage - alt.adrianshort →
Rather than trying to accommodate what we’ve got, we should work the other way. Find the threshold that makes sense for you, that you’ve got the time to maintain, that you can afford and that creates an acceptable amount of work and complication for you.
A wonderful way to think about the concept of enough and applying it to the data we care about. Read the whole thing because he comes at it...
Streamified | All Your Social Streams in One... →
Add separate streams for your social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Goog Reader, blogs (and many more), then watch them come together chronologically in the “All Streams” view. More than just a reader, Streamified allows you to update your status, capture photos, share links, “like” posts, retweet, reblog and more from your favorite social networks.
Streamified is an...
Microsoft Word is cumbersome, inefficient, and... →
A Word file is the story-fax of the early 21st century: cumbersome, inefficient, and a relic of obsolete assumptions about technology. It’s time to give up on Word.
(via my new Ace Boo from NOLA, Derek)
Make Mail badge report only personal emails - Mac... →
Ninja move.
(via Ben Brooks)
notes.unwieldy: Disconnected →
unwieldy:
We need to take a collective step back and wonder: is this really what’s best for each of us?
(via Opt-Out)
Minimal Tools →
Today, I’m officially announcing the formation of Minimal Tools. Minimal Tools is a development team and consultancy focused on delivering purpose driven apps and products. Our philosophy: Feature number one should always be as few features as needed to perform the primary purpose.
Pop for iOS is the first app released by Minimal Tools. We will be bringing you even more useful tools in the...
Bartending: Memoirs of an Apple Genius | An E-book... →
Bartending is a collection of true tales from Apple Retail as told by Stephen Hackett, former Apple Genius, and current rock star behind 512 Pixels. I just finished reading it and it’s entertaining, enlightening, and very funny in many spots. He gives a real sense of what hard work and commitment one must have to work as a Genius day in and day out dealing with all manner of situations....
Readable RSS for Safari →
What is Readable RSS? It is an extension for Safari. It enhances Safari’s RSS feature. Beyond making RSS feeds easier to read, you get a fresh, uncluttered experience. Enjoy it in full-screen mode. Indulge with bigger text. Everything works beautifully.
I’m a big fan of using the built in features if at all possible. Safari’s built in support for RSS has thus far been far from...
5by5 | The Ihnatko Almanac #24: The Big Edit →
This week, Andy and Dan discuss patience, resisting the torrent, and the possibility of living without “things”.
Several readers emailed me about this show being a “must listen” and they were right. It speaks to much of what we believe in. Do yourself a favor and take some time for this.
Reflection
When you look at your iPhone, or iPad, or Mac, do you see your reflection? That is to say, are the apps, background picture, menu items, and yes, even data, a reflection of who you are and what you do now? Especially those on the Homescreen or in your Dock. Should it? I believe it should.
Does it, instead, reflect the person you aspire to be or what you want to do? For instance, do you have a...
Agile Tortoise | Drafts, the quick way to capture... →
Drafts is the quick easy way to capture and share ideas on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Drafts reduces the friction between you and that next great tweet, email, poem or whatever else strikes your fancy. Drafts opens with a new ready to edit draft – enter your text, tap the Twitter account action and you’re done. Decide you weren’t done? That’s fine, Drafts will keep your...
Cognoscens | Baby Yummy →
Baby Yummy records breastfeeding duration and/or bottle feeding quantities, with a simple tap or swipe, no typing required. It also tracks your baby’s weight and height, and displays a set of minimal curves (sparklines) to let you check in a second that your baby is growing up normally. We have designed this app so that it gets completely out of your way, and lets you focus on the task at...
Marked 1.4 is go - Brett Terpstra →
Nice update to Brett’s wonderful Markdown previewer. Now includes Scrivener support which will come in handy for me. I must admit, I have not yet unlocked all of the potential of this app but, as Mr. Terpstra does not live that far away, I might have to hunt him down and hold him hostage until he gives me a full tutorial.
Declutter your computer in three minutes - The... →
Lot’s of quotes from me in this piece from Canada’s Globe and Mail including my lightning three minute solution…
Organizing your computer will take three minutes, Mr. Rhone says. Take everything on your computer and put it all in a file called “My stuff.” Everything else follows from that. “The goal is to get things to a state where you can set yourself up to organize as you...
Design For Purpose | TightWind →
So when considering creating something new, don’t think about it as what it literally does. Think about what it will accomplish for people. Make this your project’s defining thesis, its reason for existing. And once you’ve settled on what that purpose is, design ruthlessly for it. Don’t compromise it.
Yes. This. A million times this.
Introducing Pop for iOS
I have something exciting to tell you about today. It’s called Pop for iOS. It works on iPhone and iPad. We think you are going to love it.
Why the “We”? Well, because I am also announcing that I am part of the team that developed it.
Pop is a convenient place for writing things down as quickly as possible — that “piece of paper” you grab to write when you have an idea. It...
Fish: a tap essay →
This is a path from like to love and I’m trying to follow it myself because liking and having are not enough.
Is it an essay? Is it an app? Is it all of these? Is it none of these?
All I can say is it is amazing, and free, and required reading. But only if you care. Really care. As you should.
Strategy: Moving Vehicle Mode
Why limit Airplane Mode to just airplanes? We all know we should not be engaging with our phones and mobile devices, incoming or outgoing, when operating any vehicle. Why don’t we all agree to use it when we get behind the wheel?
Just a thought.
“Text lasts. It’s not platform-dependant, you don’t just get it from one source,...”
– The New Value of Text | booktwo.org
I was fist-pumping in the air at the end of every paragraph, through this whole thing. By myself. Looking more than a bit ridiculous.
RSS Sponsorships Available for April →
Just a note to mention that there are still sponsorship slots available for this month. If you make a product, app, space-age polymer, that you feel would be a good fit for my astute and well heeled readers, get in touch. But, be warned…
My sponsorship slots have to pass the “Would I buy this?” test. When you see sponsorship slots available it is often not due to lack of demand....
