tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33662315365916794682024-02-06T18:11:24.251-08:00iansPhone: Ian's picks on apps and technologyIan Camera's choices and thoughts on software and electronics.IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-32309380893323464512011-12-06T05:38:00.001-08:002011-12-06T05:57:58.625-08:00Android isn't safeIn the past I have not weighed in too heavily on the Android vs iPhone debate. It has seemed to me to be a matter of taste. However, I think a vulnerability to the Android platform has emerged that should concern anyone who ventures to use it.
The problem is that all digital platforms have security vulnerabilities. Once the vulnerability is discovered, a race begins between the owners of the platform (who are trying to plug the security hole) and hackers (who are seeking to exploit the breach in order to steal identities and money).<br />
<br />
An example of one such vulnerability is documented <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/google_android_security_bug/">here</a> (as linked by Daringfireball.net).
Patching this will require a coordinated effort among Google (who builds Android) the individual handset makers, and the telecom companies that put those handsets on their networks (because the software on each phone has to be customized for each network). Google can't do this by themselves, because they have ceded control over the implementation of their software to the telecoms. The handset makers are really hardware manufacturers, and aren't that passionate about the software that runs on their phones. In fact, many Android phones are sold with old versions of the software installed, and then never updated.<br />
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"I don't care about having the latest features, it's just my phone" you might say. That's fine. However, when that phone holds your email, and account information for a myriad of other vendors you use, you should care! Many accounts, such as banks and travel accounts, use your primary email as a way to update your passwords. If someone hacks your email, they can then lock you out (and themselves in) to your accounts, and spend all your money and credit.
Apple is certainly not immune to such security vulnerabilities. However, they have maintained control over how their operating system are implemented by the telecoms, and they screen software for malicious code before it is allowed on their gadgets. Furthermore, they are still manufacturing and updating the iPhone 3GS, which is now two generations old. Contrast this with Android phones, which are often abandoned by their telecom support long before the standard two year contract is up.<br />
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Caveat emptor!IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-2630782307288704822011-11-30T05:30:00.001-08:002011-11-30T05:30:01.384-08:00A useful podcastMy favorite tech podcasting network, 5by5.tv, recently picked up a long running podcast called Mac Power Users. These podcasters cover a lot of useful topics regarding both OS X, and iOS. I'm listening now to an episode about ditching cable tv service, and obtaining ones' favorite shows via other means. You can find this podcast by searching for it in the podcast section of iTunes, or by going to the 5x5.tv website. IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-57302158791877765322011-11-30T05:22:00.001-08:002011-11-30T05:22:57.776-08:00Mobile bloggingAfter having been away from this blog for a while, I have discovered a way to jump back in -- google's iOS app for blogger. Hopefully this will allow me to post things "on the fly", which is the only way to get things done sometimes!IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-86903987867089617842011-06-20T08:54:00.000-07:002011-06-20T11:32:51.973-07:00Thoughts about kids and screensI had a nice discussion about kids and screens with my friend Heidi Haas tonight. She works with kids. She works with kids who are doing fine, and kids who are struggling (emotionally), she works with many different ages of kids. I have the highest regard for her work, so when she responded positively to the following ideas, it made me think that others might be interested in them, too. <br />
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She asked me a general question about what do I think about kids and iOS gadgets. I responded with the following:<br />
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<br />
* Basically, screen time is screen time to me. Computers, handhelds, televisions, game consoles, all these are basically similar to me. We let our kids use them all, within limits. Probably about 45 minutes a day, to an hour, if we averaged it all out. <br />
* Since the iOS platform has matured, I have been inclined to make a finer distinction. No longer can we assume "book -- good. Screen -- bad". There are plenty of apps for ipods and ipads that help kids do things that are creative and educational. So with Jonas, I have at times used a "brain food vs brain candy" scheme. Many apps on his beloved iPod are brain candy (plants vs zombies being his current favorite). Some however, that have to do with reading, writing, drawing, problem solving, picture taking, music making, these qualify as brain food. We let him have more time with these activities than he would with brain candy apps. <br />
* Furthermore, apps are a great reward to use with token economy systems (star charts). They don't cost much, you don't step on them in the dark in bare feet, and they don't take up any physical space. I have had deals with Jonas where, if he "beat" (exhausted) a brain food app (such as sight words), then I would buy him a game. This has worked well. There is even a star chart app (of course).<br />
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She asked what I think about very little kids and iOS devices. I think the platform itself is great for kids, as it gives them independent, portable access to a lot of great activities. However, it is so easy to use that kids could wander into content that is not at all appropriate for them, if the grown ups aren't careful. Like any screen time, it is very important to be aware of what your child is accessing from moment to moment. <br />
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I think this independent learning is an important and under-recognized feature. I see this both in Julian, and in my adult students. As an educator, I'm tempted to decry the loss of personal contact in the learning process. However, when I step back, I see that it is very empowering for learners to have total control over the pace and direction of learning. I find they still come to me (teacher or parent) about things, but they feel good about learning a lot, then asking more sophisticated questions. I think there is a lot about this to like.<br />
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I think our boys have learned a lot from their iPods. Lately, they have discovered the camera function on Julian's (which is an old iPhone). I was waiting for that. I'm going to post some of the best results on instagram on my feed (IanCamera). I'll tag them, although I'm guessing that you will be able to spot most of them. <br />
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Happy Tapping! (With or without <a href="http://youtu.be/WRONpbM_w-w">elmo</a> :-)IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-71474703339871760262011-04-11T08:11:00.000-07:002011-04-11T08:11:55.199-07:00Favorite tool, rebornI really love a launcher called Quicksilver. It is one of a class of applications whose job it is to help you launch and run other applications. QS is a famous example on OS X, although there are plenty of others. <div><br />
</div><div>It has been limping along, after having been abandoned by its original developer. However, it seems to have found new support. </div><div><br />
</div><div>You can get it at http://qsapp.com/</div><div>You can find out more at http://qsapp.com/wiki/Main_Page</div><div><br />
</div><div>If you spend much time at all on a mac, you should really use this or something else like it. You will abandon your mouse, and work much faster at the same time!</div>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-39829455638138780382011-04-11T07:09:00.000-07:002011-04-11T07:09:57.521-07:00Important Info about your email!A major third party manager of email accounts has been breached, which is likely to make you vulnerable to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing">phishing</a> attacks. Here is an article that suggests things you can do to avoid such vulnerability in the future. There is something delicious about jamming the spammers, isn't there? <br />
<br />
http://technologizer.com/2011/04/08/companies-hacked-track-e-mail-and-avoid-spam/#more-41193<br />
<a href="http://technologizer.com/2011/04/08/companies-hacked-track-e-mail-and-avoid-spam/#more-41193"></a><a href="http://technologizer.com/2011/04/08/companies-hacked-track-e-mail-and-avoid-spam/#more-41193"></a><a href="http://technologizer.com/2011/04/08/companies-hacked-track-e-mail-and-avoid-spam/#more-41193"></a><a href="http://technologizer.com/2011/04/08/companies-hacked-track-e-mail-and-avoid-spam/#more-41193"></a>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-6101274204585601602011-02-14T16:33:00.000-08:002011-02-14T16:33:29.833-08:00Favorite app (tonight)My buddy Jeremy tonight on Facebook asked about people's favorite iPad apps. It is a great question, without a perfect answer. It's like asking a woodworker "what's your favorite tool?" The answer will be "for doing what?"<br />
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Tonight's answer would be <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ted/id376183339?mt=8">TED</a>. I think it runs on the smaller iOS devices, too, although that is exactly the kind of app that I pruned from my phone when I switched to the 8 gig one. <br />
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I love TED because you can perch your device above the sink, and have some really smart person present something excellent about important stuff while you wash the dishes. Awesome! <br />
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So Jeremy, happy dish washing!IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-26105231036117938812011-01-25T09:24:00.000-08:002011-01-25T09:29:02.283-08:00Thanks to my friend Michelle!<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dmhF1rqaZk">Those who do not laugh at themselves leave the job to others</a>.IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-18364791255067461602011-01-23T19:21:00.000-08:002011-01-23T19:21:45.478-08:00Addendum regarding GoodReaderI was just writing some simple instructions for my mom about getting a pdf from an email attachment to GoodReader, and I realized that others might find them to be useful. So, here they are:<br />
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<blockquote>Open the email from me that includes the attachment. Then tap on the icon for the file itself. The file will open right then on your screen. Tap once in the center of your screen and the title of the file will appear at the top. To the right of the file title is an icon of an arrow leaping out of a box. Tap on that icon. Choose the second button down, "open in...". On that list should be GoodReader, which will swing into place if you choose it. </blockquote><br />
I hope this helps GoodReader be useful!IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-38612014434642296402011-01-22T07:47:00.001-08:002011-01-22T07:47:44.074-08:00Brilliant!The digital <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5740117/the-information-ages-facts-of-life-as-explained-by-a-12+year+old">birds and bees</a>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-54970304398725830332011-01-06T07:08:00.000-08:002011-01-06T07:08:40.443-08:00The Mac app storeThe success of the app store for iOS devices has led Apple to create a similar one for Macintosh computers, as well. This will allow developers to reach a larger audience on OS X, and allow users to find, evaluate, purchase, and install software much more easily. <br />
<br />
If you use a Mac, go up to the apple menu in the upper left corner of your screen, and click on "software update". You will probably get a dialog box with a few different updates, some of which may require you to restart your Mac. This is a good idea anyway, even if you don't care about the app store. <br />
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Once it has installed the updates, you will find a new icon in the doc at the bottom of your screen that matches the one on iOS devices; a blue circle with an "A" in the center. Clicking on it launches the app store, with an interface that is very familiar to many of us. The first app to catch my eye is my perennial favorite, Evernote (which is free, btw).<br />
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The install process really is as easy as it is on a iOS device, at least in my first try. The new app appeared a few seconds later in my dock, ready to go.<br />
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I looked for some of my other favorite OS X software, and I don't see it, yet (Quicksilver, Nocturne, Scrivener). It will be interesting to see if these established applications make their way into that store, or not.IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-86360298172897351822011-01-06T06:37:00.000-08:002011-01-06T06:57:53.760-08:00The day has finally arrived!<div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8knLOAFlfTIu49rWReOF6NdxVdOVOPOV1NSoOH68zxwYd_oS1BGwyy0H4_jWxRSzEqaET8ndX_qavy62GKb438sT9aUnAijMkW1NA_g5zyhYQJRMcymPEB9OI1RGNLS2J2giKatVIkNi9/s1600/photo-799842.PNG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559081828200281842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8knLOAFlfTIu49rWReOF6NdxVdOVOPOV1NSoOH68zxwYd_oS1BGwyy0H4_jWxRSzEqaET8ndX_qavy62GKb438sT9aUnAijMkW1NA_g5zyhYQJRMcymPEB9OI1RGNLS2J2giKatVIkNi9/s320/photo-799842.PNG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">OK, so Scott, my brother in law, would agree that the day we are *really* waiting for is the day we all get flying cars. But short of that, we now have a better way to read articles and documents than printing them to comment once, and then file/shred/pile/recycle. The iPad app called <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goodreader-for-ipad/id363448914?mt=8">GoodReader</a>. Good.iWare Ltd has an iPhone version, but I must admit I haven't tried it. </div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Many people, particularly those of us in academia (or in science, or publishing) know this situation all too well. We have piles of documents that we don't want to read on the screen because our eyes get tired *and* we want to mark them up for ourselves or others. So we print them out *once*, mark them up with a pen or pencil, and then send those comments on to whoever needs them.</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"I *have* to print them" we say, "because my eyes get too tired from looking at a screen. And my free PDF reader on my laptop won't save comments for others. And my laptop is too heavy." </div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This app, on an iPad, solves all those problems, using the extremely common ".pdf" file type.</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><ol><li>It offers a *plethora* of mark up options (follow the link for more screenshots). Some of them are structured, typed, and pretty, others are more like marking up by hand.</li>
<li>It saves all those markups as a second version of the file, so you can share either the untouched original or the one with your comments.</li>
<li>An iPad is much lighter than a laptop. And certainly much lighter than a big pile of papers or manuscripts or journal articles.</li>
<li>And its battery runs much longer than a laptop.</li>
<li>Tired eyes? It offers contrast control so that you can make it nice and soft for your tired, end of the day, been staring at screens all day eyes (use "<a href="http://nocturne.en.softonic.com/mac">nocturne</a>" or similar tools to do this on your laptop, too!). And scroll down to see how the "zoomed in" view works. Simple touchscreen gestures bring the whole column up to the width of the screen (in either landscape or portrait orientation). How big would your stack of papers be if you printed everything at that font size? </li>
</ol><div>I think this is a key reason that the iPad is a better choice for academic types than the Kindle. I know there are annotation features built into the Kindle, but that clunky keyboard simply can't keep up with apps like this one. Furthermore, I think folks that prefer the Kindle screen simply haven't played with the settings on an iPad enough. The one exception to that would be bright sun, in all honesty.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Happy reading!</div><div><br />
</div>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-62350942521574384882011-01-06T06:36:00.001-08:002011-01-06T06:36:09.887-08:00Goodreader zoomed in<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LFQH4Xg9bTf67S_KEnhGjz7hqgOQYyDJ_hkqhm2EfDz1X_UqzWyNRoIlQ1ao6ca3WQz7N5w-72xCYzoyLCFyZ6yP4zym5h9i93f-DLQ62dhEt6Gi9ASpmonu7UM_X6uWxCNQFP0Z8tNx/s1600/photo-769888.PNG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LFQH4Xg9bTf67S_KEnhGjz7hqgOQYyDJ_hkqhm2EfDz1X_UqzWyNRoIlQ1ao6ca3WQz7N5w-72xCYzoyLCFyZ6yP4zym5h9i93f-DLQ62dhEt6Gi9ASpmonu7UM_X6uWxCNQFP0Z8tNx/s320/photo-769888.PNG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559081696894736114" /></a></p>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-40980963667823168142011-01-05T13:28:00.000-08:002011-01-05T13:28:45.473-08:00A word on wall wartsLots of folks have received iPads, iPods etc for presents through the holiday season (including Mana!). It is worth knowing a bit about those little wall warts that come with your gadgets. They take the current from the wall and convert it, so that your little handheld gadget can digest it. <br />
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The iPhone/iPod ones are little cubes. Very handy and elegant. However, they don't work for iPads, which need stronger juice.<br />
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The iPad one looks like a smaller version of the one that came with my macbook pro ("MPB" for those "in the know"). It has a folding plug. It *will* work for the iPods and iPhones in your house.<br />
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You can also find third party ones, which are likely to be cheaper than the Apple ones. Beware of these, as you often get what you paid for. I found one that seemed like a deal at RadioShack (now known simply as "TheShack"). It does work on iPhones and iPods, however it makes a high-pitched sound when nothing is plugged into it. I haven't even tried the iPad in it. <br />
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These gadgets, specifically their high-tech batteries, are also finicky about car chargers, by the way. My recommendation is to buy any of these accessories at a place where it isn't hard to return them if necessary!<br />
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I'm thinking of investing in some of <a href="http://fastmac.com/usocket.php">these</a> when they come out, as we have a few spots where we very frequently charge our gadgets, and I like the idea that they aren't vampires, sucking power even when when nothing is plugged into them (a drawback of the wall warts in general).IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-43216715401484196302010-12-16T07:33:00.000-08:002010-12-16T07:33:15.596-08:00Happy Birthday, Pop!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExJnWNsQ0YPW_fpXOROi-Zyv1YvnV75E9vCAq91IIvzsTWoeaGV5ombD_bKPqf9xwK_poAnAPs4fYRNwHVvelKT8UMX6l2RxW9mbAYUMb1yxAD7EQ3ZmkbSXlmT4sYiHo_Kxag3ej1_A2/s1600/IMG_9238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExJnWNsQ0YPW_fpXOROi-Zyv1YvnV75E9vCAq91IIvzsTWoeaGV5ombD_bKPqf9xwK_poAnAPs4fYRNwHVvelKT8UMX6l2RxW9mbAYUMb1yxAD7EQ3ZmkbSXlmT4sYiHo_Kxag3ej1_A2/s320/IMG_9238.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
This post is a birthday tribute to my dad, aka Jon and Pop.<br />
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Not everyone knows this, but he is as much of a gadget fan as I am. He even had an iPad before we bought one!<br />
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I've been dreaming of a post about "apps for grownups" and this seems like the perfect occasion. Here's my list for him, and anyone else who would like to join him. He already has some of these, but I'm making a few more suggestions in his honor. Tap on the links to be taken to the app in the app store.<br />
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Media basics:<br />
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It is fun to watch and listen with the iPad. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051?mt=8">Netflix</a> and <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pandora-radio/id284035177?mt=8">Pandora</a> are must-haves, for the traditional media brought over to the iPad. In addition, however, the iPad supports new forms of media browsing (I'll call it, for lack of a better word). <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ted/id376183339?mt=8">TED</a> is full of brilliant people giving engaging, big-picture talks that are wonderful, intelligent diversions and inspiration. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aweditorium/id399946763?mt=8">Aweditorium</a> is a visual treat that blends the old "pop up video" experience with music discovery. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vlc-media-player/id390885556?mt=8">VLC</a> media player is a port of the application for Mac that plays almost any media file that other things won't do. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dropbox/id327630330?mt=8">Dropbox</a> allows for cloud-based synching of media and other files across gadgets effortlessly. <br />
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Reading:<br />
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"Browsing" might be a better word for some of these apps, too. The <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks/id364709193?mt=8">iBooks</a> app is doing well, alongside the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kindle/id302584613?mt=8">Kindle</a> app (they are free, so why not have both?). <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stanza/id284956128?mt=8">Stanza</a> is a really nice reader that serves the smaller ebook outlets. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flipboard/id358801284?mt=8">Flipboard</a> is a favorite of Apple's, which turns the media links from social media into a readable electronic magazine-like experience. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pulse-news-reader/id371088673?mt=8">Pulse</a> (which I mentioned recently) does a similar thing with RSS feeds from websites and blogs, similar to what one might use feedburner or google reader for. Andrew says it doesn't handle his 500+ feeds very well, but for most of us mortals it is a pleasant way to keep up with things. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instapaper/id288545208?mt=8">Instapaper</a> is an eternal favorite of mine, I have mentioned it on this blog before. It takes those long-form posts from anywhere that you discover but don't have time to read, and strips out all the gaudy gee-gaws that hurt your eyes when you try to read real stuff on the web. In addition, the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nytimes-for-ipad/id357066198?mt=8">NY Times</a> and <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/npr-for-ipad/id364183644?mt=8">NPR</a> both have apps that provide their high-quality content in a new form. Both have had stability problems over time, but I think they are tuned up and their editorial quality can't be matched. If I can pick on Dad's age just once, I bet he'll remember a lot of the photos in the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/life-for-ipad/id399415330?mt=8">Life</a> Magazine photo archive app :-)<br />
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Creativity:<br />
<br />
Andrew's recommendation of <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/artstudio-for-ipad-draw-paint/id364017607?mt=8">Art Studio</a> is a great one, Jonas and I have used it some now and it really shines. Particularly when you master the functions of using multiple layers and importing photos (that got your attention, didn't it, Pop?). Another good recommendation from Andrew is <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beatwave/id363718254?mt=8">Beatwave</a>, which allows even musical newbies to make fun compositions in a pentatonic scale environment (which means almost any combinations of notes sounds good). I would put <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/synthpond/id294263415?mt=8">synthPond</a> in there with it, which is really made for the iPhone but is fun on the iPad, too. It is a crazy mix of bell choir, astronomy, and pebbles in a pond. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ithoughtshd-mindmapping/id369020033?mt=8">iThoughts HD</a> is a *great* mindmapping tool, for those of us who like to organize our thoughts that way.<br />
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Reference and research:<br />
<br />
The internet movie database (<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imdb-movies-tv/id342792525?mt=8">imdb</a> for those in the know) is a great reference when one is watching something and thinking "who the hell is that actor?". <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wolframalpha/id334989259?mt=8">WolframAlpha</a> has a very cool app which is like a google search plus artificial intelligence (as inspired by Wolfram's TED talk, try asking it "am I drunk?"). <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zillow-real-estate-search/id310738695?mt=8">Zillow</a> is great for you real estate junkies, although the pictures aren't very hi-res. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-hd-flights-hotels-explore/id363205965?mt=8">Kayak HD</a> is excellent for researching travel (those last two are beginning to look like a list for Jodie for a moment!). <br />
<br />
A sub category of reference and research would be "cooking". Dad's birthday dinner is coming out of the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whole-foods-market-recipes/id320029256?mt=8">Wholefoods</a> app, which I used to compose a shopping list and email the list and recipe to Sam's iphone while she was on her way to the store. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epicurious-recipes-shopping/id312101965?mt=8">Epicurious</a> also has a gorgeous iPad-specific app which is a treat. <br />
<br />
<br />
Guilty pleasures:<br />
<br />
Dad, you know all those fast little cars we dream about? <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/real-racing-hd/id363998989?mt=8">Real Racing HD</a> is as close as we'll get to test driving many of them. It makes riding a recumbent on a wind trainer positively exhilirating (which is saying something, isn't it?). And we can compare time trials online ;-)<br />
<br />
Happy birthday, Pop! Thanks for all that you do, and all that you are!<br />
<br />
Love<br />
the CamerasIMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-45496404872551324542010-11-28T19:44:00.001-08:002010-11-28T19:44:39.507-08:00This looks interesting!I haven't had time to read all the way through this yet, but it looks like a really interesting resource for folks who want to understand the internet more thoroughly. Tell me what you think in the comments, if you care to :-)<br />
<br />
http://www.20thingsilearned.com/<br />
<br />
IanIMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-69232597245527906952010-11-28T19:42:00.000-08:002010-11-28T19:42:31.199-08:00New news reader!I'm really enjoying Pulse as a way to pull together feeds from various news outlets and blogs. It is OK on the ipods and iphones, but it really shines on the iPad. You may not like the feeds that are pre-loaded into it but if you fill it up with your favorite news sources, it is pretty shiny!IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-860389688057356242010-10-28T18:02:00.000-07:002010-10-28T18:02:37.984-07:00Things I like to do on the Marauder's Map (our iPad)The iPad is better for some things than any other gadget we have. And that is saying something.<br />
<br />
My "todo" app, which I have mentioned previously, is *great*. I would much rather manage my tasks on that than on my iPhone or my laptop. <br />
<br />
Evernote is similarly excellent. Both of these examples do a good job of providing all the speed and efficiency of an electronic system with a UI (user interface) that has a nice correlation to the analog world. <br />
<br />
Podcasts are much more appealing to me on the iPad than on other devices. The great thing is that the screen is big enough so that you can really read about podcasts that you might like, but then it is portable enough to carry with you to listen in the car or while doing dishes. I have never really been willing to read up on podcasts, select which episodes I want, load them onto my ipod or phone, then remember to listen to them later. By the time I get back to them, I'm in the mood to listen to something else. Radiolab from WNYC is just awesome. <br />
<br />
My favorite newspaper on the iPad? NPR. Yes, I know. Not a newspaper. Well, it is now. Better, even, than the NYT app, although that is improving.<br />
<br />
The NPR app is really cool. You can read through the short stories that interest you, then put the longer ones in an audio playlist which you can play back like a podcast. You just have to try it, if you are like me. By which I mean you are a serious NPR junky who can't listen normally right now because the current political situation makes you feel ill.<br />
<br />
Surfing the web on it is great. It is as if one is holding the disembodied web. Similarly, streaming netflix is like holding a moving in one's hand. Yes, Mr. Jobs, this time I agree with many of those extreme adjectives you like to throw around.IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-54725203910789545762010-10-25T17:16:00.000-07:002010-10-25T17:16:06.851-07:00Let's have a big, warm, welcome for the "Maurader's Map"That is what our iPad is called when you plug it into the mac mini that supports all our iOS devices. Which number three iphones (one functioning as Julian's ipod), one ipod touch, and now, an iPad.<br />
<br />
So I will be offering my thoughts on all these devices, which isn't too hard as they share an operating system. <br />
<br />
First, though, I would like to present the suggestions of my friend Andrew (Campbell), a very skilled programer and developer (and designer, and photographer...) in his own right. He sent me the following suggestions when I wrote to him about our new acquisition:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>My favorite iPad apps</blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><br />
</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>iBooks</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>GoodReader (pdf viewer)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Instapaper (which you have and is even more awesome on the iPad)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><br />
</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>I'd like to recommend a text editor too but there is no Vim on the iPad =/</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>There have been a ton of editors that sync through dropbox recently. If you end up using one I'd be happy to get your recommendation</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><a href="http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/dropbox-text-editors" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">http://appadvice.com/<wbr></wbr>appguides/show/dropbox-text-<wbr></wbr>editors</span></a></blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><br />
</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>That link is from a collection of best of category reviews from AppAdvice that are all pretty well done</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><a href="http://appadvice.com/appguides" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">http://appadvice.com/appguides</span></a></blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><br />
</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>I think I'd like an outliner, and I'm kind of waiting for OmniOutliner. On the otherhand I'm really enjoying notetaking in the red moleskin notebooks you showed me.</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><br />
</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Fun stuff</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Harbor Master HD (line drawing that works well with multiple people)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Beatwave (music sequencer toy)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Marble Mixer (multiplayer marbles)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>ArtStudio (cheapest of the big paint apps and just as good)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>AirVideo (stream video from your mac. no need to copy it to the iPad or convert divx to mp4)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Math Bingo (good add/sub/multiply practice game that rewards with little bugs to collect)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>LIne Art (visual toy. no instructions. the effects change depending on the number of fingers you are using)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Diner Dash GG (order processing game that works great with two people)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Virtuoso - (best free piano app I've found. nicest part is that you can set it to show two keyboards facing opposite sides so two people can play at once)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote><br />
</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>iphone stuff</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Pocket Frogs (frog collecting, the kids love it)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Sushi Cat (pachinko with a fat cat. very funny. I got it free, just the right price)</blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><blockquote>Helsing's Fire (my favorite puzzle game - good for grownups, hard for kids)</blockquote><br />
I've been working my way through these suggestions, and find that Andrew's assessments and suggestions are spot-on. I hope you find them to be, too. </span>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-81707197011964732182010-10-11T07:14:00.000-07:002010-10-11T07:14:58.129-07:00Link about the mix up as to who the customer ishttp://daringfireball.net/<br />
<br />
John Gruber posts a link to a ZD net story in which a telco claims to be Apple's biggest customer in Australia. What about the person left holding the phone? Reminds me of healthcare, when the employers act like the customers of the insurance companies, instead of the insured patient. Things aren't going to get better until such confusion is cleared up, in either case.IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-64594569981078164992010-10-07T06:04:00.000-07:002010-10-07T06:04:02.376-07:00Why to use OS X<a href="http://articles.marco.org/145">This</a> is a great article, although old by web standards. It still applies. It still describes why OS X is a great platform. <br />
<br />
My additional comments? First, even OS X isn't totally bombproof. I have had network problems on OS X that have driven me bonkers, for instance. It is a matter of degree -- I have had many more of those on Windows than on OS X over the years.<br />
<br />
Second, I would offer the real reason I use OS X. The best "power users" (dumb term, but you know what I mean) that I can turn to for help use it. My friends and relations (you know who you are) that know the most about computers are OS X and linux users. And I like OS X better than linux (so far). <br />
<br />
Why do they use it? There are two choices in computing. One is that the software designers anticipate what you want, and build it into the software. Apple does this much more accurately than Microsoft (ever had Word do things it thought you wanted? It was wrong, wasn't it?). The other choice is that you go "under the hood" and write programs or scripts that tell it exactly what you want. Because it is built on Unix, OS X also does this better than Windows, again according to the folks I ask about such things. I am not good at that part, yet.<br />
<br />
If you really can't live without Windows, an Apple computer can do that, too. Quite well, if one is to believe the benchmarks. <br />
<br />
What has changed in the years since Marco Arment wrote the above post? iOS, running on the iPad, iPhone, and other gadgets. I would say that in terms of "just working", it is even better than OS X. Particularly because the other barrier -- learning to use it -- is so low. If you just want your computer to work, to do the every day stuff (email, watching movies, surfing the web, playing games, making music, editing photos), go take a hard look at an iPad. I think it passes the "just works" test better than android, which isn't even out on a tablet yet, and on phones isn't as stable and reliable.<br />
<br />
Yes, windows and android will do what you want, and you can be happy using them. But they don't do as well at the "just works" test.IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-36640176901383547982010-03-09T12:17:00.001-08:002010-03-09T12:18:07.234-08:00Beautiful webapp linked from Daring FireballThis is a fabulous drawing application. I tried it on my macbook, Mr. Gruber of Daring Fireball says it works well on the iphone/ipod touch as well. So simple, so fun. Might make me want to draw!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mrdoob.com/lab/javascript/harmony/">http://mrdoob.com/lab/javascript/harmony/</a>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-67072325451391925292010-02-21T17:55:00.000-08:002010-02-21T18:28:42.907-08:00Using an iPhone for Real Fun<div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Ever since I was a kid, electronic fun and real fun have been distinct in my mind. Computers, and video games, were something that pulled us away from the rest of our lives. They didn't interact with the rest of the world in any satisfying way, and so time in the electronic world was "stolen" from real life. </span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">More recently, computers could at least chronicle other parts of life in a more vibrant way. As processing speed and storage capacity have increased, we have moved from using computers to store and manage words and numbers to bringing home sounds, pictures, and video clips and stashing them in our digital nests. This is the "digital hub" concept that has served Apple so well in recent years. Notice, though, that in this model we still go out into the real world, capture it with minds and cameras and recorders, and bring it back to the computer, like a crow would collect bits of ribbon and thread. </span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Now, the iPhone has taken that processing power and digital capacity and shrunk it to such a small size that we can take it out into the world *with* us. The computer has shrunk to the point where we can carry it in our pockets, so we can now mix and match computing and real life the way most of us already mix and and match printed text and pictures into our lives. The best applications, in fact, are those that have surpassed the role of "paper analog" and are really adding features that dead tree resources can't match. This is only fair, given the expense and complication of buying and charging and learning to use an electronic gadget. If it is higher maintenance than a book (which it certainly is) we should get something back for our troubles!</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Perhaps the most obvious way that at iPhone can mix computing with the real world is in navigation. The "maps" program that Apple built for the iPhone is really pretty awesome, for instance. You can search for things on it, and zoom in and out, and switch from "map" view to "satellite image" or a combination of the two. Those of us carrying the iPhone 3GS even have a compass to go with our maps, which (to those of us who are old-school navigators) is really mind-boggling. </span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">There are apps that have gone beyond this one, of course. There is the whole category of dashboard turn-by-turn direction applications. I'm not going there in this posting, however. Those aren't about play, they are about work.</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoezvoh3eCRy63nrhBOpxofVFtJZ3oe_uBwtnmF05v-3IMBsQKPiagqi4vwUkSvvvTPietts2rK4dD51avFBJ3kftitPmz5pkXLF6pVPjJZzZxlaCl2MB6vD5QPnXBKDD_WAejxw0IRVGa/s1600-h/IMG_0828.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="114" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoezvoh3eCRy63nrhBOpxofVFtJZ3oe_uBwtnmF05v-3IMBsQKPiagqi4vwUkSvvvTPietts2rK4dD51avFBJ3kftitPmz5pkXLF6pVPjJZzZxlaCl2MB6vD5QPnXBKDD_WAejxw0IRVGa/s320/IMG_0828.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHxZgGSgiFpLy9legB7-RzXmBETjrkDTH4x1iWHnERMwxQmlcZLh5lp9RqfS8JVzSx8x0K21lffZm8lNXRI8-RBOxnDQ4r4bUN9bjIh9DaaDQDgzhW6rzUe3sl6svabJbmToBVdO8OScx/s1600-h/IMG_0832.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="117" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHxZgGSgiFpLy9legB7-RzXmBETjrkDTH4x1iWHnERMwxQmlcZLh5lp9RqfS8JVzSx8x0K21lffZm8lNXRI8-RBOxnDQ4r4bUN9bjIh9DaaDQDgzhW6rzUe3sl6svabJbmToBVdO8OScx/s320/IMG_0832.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://news.motionx.com/category/motionx-gps/" linkindex="118">Motion-X GPS</a> uses the same basic technology as the Maps app, but adds cool things like bearings, and speed, and waypoints that you can place on the map like digital pins (or digital breadcrumbs that the birds can't eat). </span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchb7WB4xMip1eyKFB8ggmEpBjvQPwLXyGk8IJJ2zcFCZFEWMkZoz9u-NQU4-Q3FYIuJ6kooLcF2yJfhYUb5mKWJAk8X1HA7D_OB6YNPz9T9sdskXEOEzdBUUczmyabannkLxMTvpKiGov/s1600-h/IMG_0826.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="120" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchb7WB4xMip1eyKFB8ggmEpBjvQPwLXyGk8IJJ2zcFCZFEWMkZoz9u-NQU4-Q3FYIuJ6kooLcF2yJfhYUb5mKWJAk8X1HA7D_OB6YNPz9T9sdskXEOEzdBUUczmyabannkLxMTvpKiGov/s320/IMG_0826.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I would also mention <a href="http://www.accuterra.com/products" linkindex="121">Accuterra</a>, which I downloaded last summer and have been pretty pleased by. We were camping in Vermont, where we don't always get a good connection. So, I needed something that would load all the requisite maps onto the phone itself, rather than just pulling the required tiles across the 3G connection like the Maps app does. Accuterra does just that. You are still relying on the signal from the GPS satellites, which can be a bit dicey in the woods and valleys of Vermont, as well as the natural magnetic waves that the compass relies upon, but those are more reliable in the wilds of Vermont than line-of-sight to an AT&T tower.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsLlkgXojL3k2UYG7dRh5uMBGwo8cMjBJBact5iR9YIAP6Q_tDY1602HGjPJC3yV2Xosu0Y5ooz_KsGugXQJwnS4gXq9BbLNFb2Ti11hoJ8ysqvAZ4HPxxdB4tdsCHGhYQEURkA8Gqx1B/s1600-h/IMG_0821.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="122" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsLlkgXojL3k2UYG7dRh5uMBGwo8cMjBJBact5iR9YIAP6Q_tDY1602HGjPJC3yV2Xosu0Y5ooz_KsGugXQJwnS4gXq9BbLNFb2Ti11hoJ8ysqvAZ4HPxxdB4tdsCHGhYQEURkA8Gqx1B/s320/IMG_0821.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rljoFne0EC6GYawtYTRHcXWqdEnWqHpvR6FuV_0R7f5jrWMRHQgOdl8G4B22Yk8N2Xn81TPZzE8aYGUskT6tT_fXk9xFbiz4-WsglBKIF_LjoLFm_li8kOaBqpKXh9gLwnnlJ8uQtNgN/s1600-h/IMG_0823.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="124" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rljoFne0EC6GYawtYTRHcXWqdEnWqHpvR6FuV_0R7f5jrWMRHQgOdl8G4B22Yk8N2Xn81TPZzE8aYGUskT6tT_fXk9xFbiz4-WsglBKIF_LjoLFm_li8kOaBqpKXh9gLwnnlJ8uQtNgN/s320/IMG_0823.PNG" width="213" /></a></div></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Third in the category of navigation, I would include the <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/iphone/" linkindex="125">Geocaching</a> application. Geocaching is an activity that uses the accuracy of GPS navigation to allow folks to hide little containers in the woods. The person who creates the cache then posts coordinates and other info about their cache online, and the rest of us can look up that information, go out hunting the cache, and celebrate when we find it by exchanging little trinkets and signing logbooks. A rather simple game of hide-and-seek when you get right down to it, but I have been amazed at how many hikes we have taken our boys on where we didn't hear even one bit of complaining because the thrill of the hunt so thoroughly drowned out the "how much longer" refrain in their experience (and, therefore, in ours as well). One can use any GPS device to do this, but having the dedicated app on a phone integrates the multiple steps of researching, selecting, navigating to, and logging the cache. </span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoDYsmpM7IZSGdZGZMK02OwY4-dRMu5ASVY6I0Qcn81X6tnPxlx6EpeUAg6t-7b-mDtnfJ2mARPqNFw_2UvyycaMz8AcMtCGk6-P0iAqUyXMrOt40TZ01Mh8d-OcNpQRn0wEwPQdng7tV/s1600-h/IMG_0820.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="126" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoDYsmpM7IZSGdZGZMK02OwY4-dRMu5ASVY6I0Qcn81X6tnPxlx6EpeUAg6t-7b-mDtnfJ2mARPqNFw_2UvyycaMz8AcMtCGk6-P0iAqUyXMrOt40TZ01Mh8d-OcNpQRn0wEwPQdng7tV/s320/IMG_0820.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Outside of the category of navigation, there are many apps that serve to educate us in skills that seem far from the realm of space invaders and Facebook. "<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knots-splices-and-rope-work/id296214447?mt=8" linkindex="127">Knots and Splices"</a> is a "port" of an honest-to-goodness book about tying knots and splicing ropes. The creators went out of their way to maintain the look of the original book, and that adds to the pleasure of using it (in my experience). </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8muN2MBuvsYOSNfZBBILdx4j6tgVvXo_TSK2DM7_fUylk6Oi9IMf7Ba5y0GH_-Tc8jCVNSAqXS739w_bCn3JBn3xnpdWC-q72nP3xZK2pSIShAfm9nHmyQSmEQqr7svbdYO5RUk10SPIQ/s1600-h/IMG_0824.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="128" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8muN2MBuvsYOSNfZBBILdx4j6tgVvXo_TSK2DM7_fUylk6Oi9IMf7Ba5y0GH_-Tc8jCVNSAqXS739w_bCn3JBn3xnpdWC-q72nP3xZK2pSIShAfm9nHmyQSmEQqr7svbdYO5RUk10SPIQ/s320/IMG_0824.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87kAkaBvNxIY7eWnSqDZJyDjIfhyhfgzkvc7qmke8XFFJ4pandXHqg80rQaN0CPioJV6ttXC4OUjFvVytIlduA4XnG6xkRzDWOKvrlGvGxO77sCG-5tsXydQBhrV6kVPe8YpvdJUbQqhH/s1600-h/IMG_0825.PNG" imageanchor="1" linkindex="129" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87kAkaBvNxIY7eWnSqDZJyDjIfhyhfgzkvc7qmke8XFFJ4pandXHqg80rQaN0CPioJV6ttXC4OUjFvVytIlduA4XnG6xkRzDWOKvrlGvGxO77sCG-5tsXydQBhrV6kVPe8YpvdJUbQqhH/s320/IMG_0825.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ibirdexplorer.com/" linkindex="130">iBird</a>, on the other hand, was created by someone who shares my frustration with traditional birding field guides. "If I don't know how to spell it, how can I look it up in the dictionary" I have heard people say about words, and I feel the same way when faced with even the glossiest and well-researched paper field guides. Instead, this app serves as a multimedia database, which you can query using such variables as your location, the type of terrain you found the bird in, and (of course) the size, shape, and color of the bird you are watching. Once you have a suspect identified, you can play its call or song and see if it matches. Awesome!</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I'm sure there are many more things we can add to this -- I hope to post more as we go. In the mean time, I hope this list dispels the myth that there must be a barrier between electrons and "real life". </span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">BTW -- if anyone suggests a way for your iPhone to help you start a fire, say "no" :-)</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-27175145598954968642010-02-11T05:04:00.000-08:002010-02-11T05:04:02.629-08:00iWriteWordsThis is not a post about an app I've been using. This is a second hand review.<br />
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On facebook recently I posted about father-son iPhone time which allowed me to get some exercise. Part way through that little spinning session Julian put down Jonas' iPod touch and asked me for my iPhone. Luckily I had put it down in favor of a magazine of the dead-tree variety.I asked him why he wanted my phone, and he answered that he wanted to write his letters. By this he meant "iWriteWords". This is remarkable because both my phone and jonas' iPod are loaded with engaging games that have little in the way of redeeming features. Instead of "bounce on" or "spy bot", he wants to trace a little crab around the screen, following numbers on the way to writing letters.<br />
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I think he really enjoys the sounds that it plays. It also includes a voice offering enthusiastic congratulations when he completes a task. I think it is fascinating for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that this app is only possible because of the handy little high quality touchscreen that is currently widely available. The second reason is that it is one of those rare times that something intended to be educational is more attractive to him than stuff intended purely for amusement.<br />
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I don't have any real data about whether this app is helping him to learn his letters, except for one recent example. Yesterday we were working on a light brite (remember those?) pattern, and he was very good at finding particular letters to signify pegs of a given color. Seem promising...<br />
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How fun to watch his agile young brain work through these ideas on such different platforms! IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366231536591679468.post-64791409485608615782010-01-15T19:27:00.000-08:002010-01-15T19:27:02.112-08:00Vendor-Specific AppsSo there are several apps on my "frequently used" list that are dedicated to particular vendors or brands. On the list I published earlier, I included amazon, netflix, and comcast. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Phone Flicks is a third-party app, but it only connects to my netflix account, so for my purposes it isn't much different than the other two. Here's why I like each of these, and why I use them.<br />
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The amazon app is useful because amazon is my most likely source for purchases that I can't make locally. It is very handy to have them "in my pocket", because I can purchase something on the spot. In other words, I can go to Hastings Stationer, or Cowls Lumber, or Food for Thought books (my three favorite examples at the moment), and check for whatever widget or volume I need. If I can't get it from them, I pull out my iPhone, and purchase it that way. It is still off my To Do list (see earlier post) at that moment, either way. <br />
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Phone flicks is great because it allows me to put something on our cue (que? How do they spell it?) right when someone mentions a film or show to me. Of course, my tastes in such things are falling right off the radar of the rest of the world, so it may be of diminishing utility ;-) (child abduction? nope, can't watch those any more. Infidelity? not interested. Too much realistic blood? Sick people? Death? Sounds like work, not entertainment. Just plain jacks my blood pressure? No time for that. BBC farce? *perfect*). I just installed the app for the IMDB (internet movie data base) so those two should work together well. I haven't used it much, yet. <br />
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The Comcast app is great because it makes our comcast voicemail into visual voicemail (text listing of what numbers the messages are from), from anywhere. Nice! I've gotten used to that on my iPhone, now I can have it for my home phone, too. I use it for TV listings, occasionally, but not that often (see above). And I don't use comcast email much, but if I did, it includes that, too. <br />
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I downloaded the ebay app, but I just don't use ebay that much. It is nice to be able to track the progress of auctions, so for those who use ebay a lot, it makes good sense. <br />
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You may have favorite apps in this category, to go with favorite vendors. Please post any suggestions (or warnings about badly designed apps) in the comments!IMChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04276989600238802690noreply@blogger.com0