I recently wrote about the release of Pixelmator version 3.0. Today Pixelmator announced they’ve had over 1 million downloads. I’m thrilled for their success. Pixelmator truly is a disruptive product bringing powerful imaging tools to your Mac for just $30. I used it extensively in the new Field Guide I’ll be announcing very shortly.
“Desktop-Class”
Speaking of Fraser Speirs, he wrote up his new iPad Air and is impressed.
“I don’t want to bury the lede here: the major story about the iPad Air is not the reduction in size and weight but the increase in performance. It is, to put it simply, an utter delight to use. “
I’ve heard a similar version of this from all of my friends driving iPad Airs. What is even more interesting than how fast the A7 is making existing apps, is what kind of new apps developers will create to harness this power.
MPU 163: Education and iPads with Fraser Speirs
This week Fraser Speirs joined us to update us on the progress of the 1 to 1 iPad program he has been administering for several years. Fraser has unique insight on the iPad and education and this one is a great listen for that alone. We also talked at some length concerning his impressions and thoughts on the new iPad Air.
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Sponsor: Rocket Matter and Free 60 Apps Book
This week I’d like to thank Rocket Matter for sponsoring MacSparky.com. This week Rocket Matter is giving away a free ebook, 60 Apps Every Lawyer Needs to Know. The book has some great app recommendations for anyone that works in a profession where their time is their stock-in-trade.
Rocket Matter is the innovative leader in cloud-based legal services. If you run or work in a law firm and you are tired of dealing with all of the hassles, go check out Rocket Matter that gives you calendaring, document management, billing, task management, and all the other bits it takes to practice law in one gorgeously designed web interface and a really spiffy iPhone application. Thanks Rocket Matter.
New Cleartones for Your iPhone
Cleartones remain my favorite ringtones for my iPhone. They’ve now released their new Pure series of ringtones and notification tones. I really like the new tones and it is nice having quality ringtones and notification sounds that nobody else in the room is using. They’ve got samples on the website so go check it out.
Home Screens: Mike Vardy
Mike Vardy (Twitter) (website) speaks and writes about managing your time better. How appropriate then that Mike released a book this week about how we use our calendars, The Now Year, A Practical Guide to Calendar Management. In addition to being prolific, Mike’s a really kind fellow and agreed to share his home screen. So Mike, what’s on your home screen?
What are your most interesting home screen apps?
One of them is 1Password because I’m actually using it as my main browser app now. It has all of my passwords stored in it, and the new version sports a much better browsing component. I rarely browse the Internet on my iPhone, but when I do (other than when it comes from a prompt within Dispatch, which defaults to Safari), I use 1Password.
30/30 is also an interesting choice because while I use it sparingly, it’s nice to have it there when I want to use a modified version of The Pomodoro Technique. If it wasn’t on my home screen I’d probably not use it as much.
YNAB and Neat are there for the same reason. I want to keep on top of my finances and my scannables, so having these apps front and center really helps. In fact, most things on my home screen are there because of that. And if the Reviewables folder (where all of my beta testing apps are) then I’d not put the apps through the paces nearly as often…or as well.
What is your favorite app?
Drafts, with Dispatch being a close second. I’m a big fan of “gateway” apps — apps that allow you to get in the door with something and then place that thing where you need it most with as little friction as possible. Drafts and Dispatch (along with Launch Center Pro) are the best gateway apps I’ve come across. They’re the reason I am getting so much more use out of my iPhone than ever before.
Which app is your guilty pleasure?
I’d say that’d be the Untappd app. I don’t use location check-in apps other than this one. Untappd is essentially a social networking app for beer drinkers, and ever since I started getting into craft beers (I’ve even started cellaring them and have been using Evernote to help out with that process) I have been using Untappd to indicate when I have a beer and what beer I’m having. Other than listening to the Mikes on Mics back catalog, it’s the only other way I track the beers I’ve had.
What is the app you are still missing?
With Drafts, Dispatch, and Launch Center Pro in my arsenal, I don’t really find myself wanting for any particular app. What I think is missing is the fact that I can’t choose to change my default mail app from the stock app to Dispatch, or the stock browser to 1Password if I want. I understand why that’s the case (or at least I think I do), but that doesn’t mean I have to like it, right?
How many times a day do you use your iPhone?
Far more often than in the past – I’d say upwards of 10 times per day since I’m actually using Dispatch as my primary email app (yep, even over the one on my MacBook Air). The ability to quickly capture and shift things to where I need them to be (email tasks to OmniFocus or Asana, email information materials to Evernote, quick capture of ideas to Drafts, etc.) is what makes iOS (and my iPhone) the operating system I’m using more and more these days.
What is your favorite feature of the iPhone?
I’d say the new Control Center feature introduced in iOS 7 is my favourite. I love that I can quickly swipe up with my thumb and activate Airplane Mode, open the calculator, and fire up the flashlight. It’s a small thing, but it’s a classic example of great UI and UX – something Apple knows a thing or two about.
If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?
Other than the ability to choose my own “sensible defaults” — hat tip to Patrick Rhone for that phrase — not much. That said, the default thing is pretty important (but I don’t see it changing anytime soon).
Anything else you’d like to share?
If you’re not using Drafts, Dispatch, and/or Launch Center Pro do yourself a favour and start. Any of these apps (when you take the time to set them up to meet your needs) will really change the way you use your iPhone.
Obi-Wan, Redeemed
Obi-Wan has always been my favorite Star Wars character. I love that he always tries to do what’s right and to this day, as a 45-year-old nerd, I still ask myself on occasion, “What would Obi-Wan do?”
One problem that has never sat right with me though was the way he lied to Luke about his father. It turns out, he really didn’t want to do that but instead did it at Yoda’s request. There is some cutting room floor footage from Episode VI where Yoda states, on his death bed, “Obi-Wan would have told you [about the true fate of Anakin Skywalker] long ago, had I let him.” This didn’t make the film but gives my beloved Obi-Wan some (but not all) redemption on this point.
A Funny Thing Happened to Me on United Airlines Today …
On my 6AM flight to San Francisco, I was told to turn off all my electronic devices like we’ve been hearing for years. For my 7PM flight home they said “go nuts”. The passengers actually cheered.
iPad mini vs. iPad Air, Round 2
I got to spend 20 minutes with an iPad Air today in the Apple Store. Wow. The reduced weight and sleeker form factor really make the iPad Air feel as if it is in a different class than the prior generation large iPad. The comparison between the iPad Air and the iPad mini, in terms of size and weight, is now a lot closer than it was with the prior generation hardware. Where before I was absolutely ready to upgrade to the mini and small screen size for the significantly reduced weight, now that I’ve driven an iPad Air, the call is much tougher. The iPad Air isn’t that much heavier and isn’t that much bigger.
The mini still isn’t small enough to fit in my pocket so if I bring an iPad with me (mini or Air), I’ll need a bag. Where it was clear to me before that I’d certainly want a mini, now I’m not so sure. I’m almost leaning toward the iPad Air. I don’t think I’m alone on this. I raised the question today on Twitter and was suprised to find how many people said they’d chosen the Air over the mini. I’ll probably wait until after the retina iPad mini releases to decide.
Either way, I’d love to see what the sales numbers are for the split between the iPad mini and iPad Air after the holidays. After seeing how far they’ve come with the iPad Air, I think the numbers for relative sales are going to be a lot closer than I originally thought.
WiFi Questions and Answers
Macworld recently ran an article testing various theories surrounding WiFi. Most of them are not that surprising except for the remarkable increase in range with a home-brewed tin foil antenna booster. The one question I have is how well that booster works in a 360 degree survey. It looks like it would be great in one direction and dramatically decrease range in the other direction. If you’ve centrally placed your antenna in your home (like you should) I’m not sure how useful this is.