Simon Beckerman on the iPad’s lack of a screen cleaning cloth:
Apple includes a microfiber cleaning cloth with every computer they sell, but not with the iPad.
Interesting thought, and a flaw on Apple’s part.
Simon Beckerman on the iPad’s lack of a screen cleaning cloth:
Apple includes a microfiber cleaning cloth with every computer they sell, but not with the iPad.
Interesting thought, and a flaw on Apple’s part.
Jeffrey Zeldman on The Puzzle of Japanese Web Design:
With respect to clarity, simplicity, and boldness of line, the Japanese have been a thousand years ahead of us in fine art and graphic design.
And
Given Japan’s world-leading preference for the boldly simple in the applied and graphic arts, it’s puzzling that so many Japanese website designs prize clutter over clarity.
The contrast between Japanese design and Japanese web design is quite interesting and bewildering.
All computers have stolen something from their users, something priceless that is usually underestimated, and that is the ability to focus.
Most simultaneously running applications discretely vie to grab the user’s attention, and when any one succeeds, the focus on the task heretofore is lost. This scenario is common in many situations, and one of them is writing.
Ommwriter, an exclusive, Mac-only text editor made for writing, sets to fix that by isolating the user in a calm and uncluttered environment which emphasizes focus on writing.
More specifically:
Ommwriter is a humble attempt to recapture what technology has snatched away from us today: our capacity to concentrate.
Ommwriter is a simple text processor that firmly believes in making writing a pleasure once again, vindicating the close relationship between writer and paper […]
As an aspiring writer myself, I find Ommwriter an indispensable part of my workflow. I have been running the early, albeit solid betas and I can truly say that my experience with Ommwriter has been quite a unique and emerging one.
Prior to using Ommwriter, I was never much of a fan of emphasizing focus on my work. If I ever found myself writing, it would be on the first program I could find at my convenience—whether a word processor or plain text editor—with rock music blasting through my speakers.
After discovering Ommwriter, I have left my inefficient ways of writing in the past.
When the iPad was launched, some of Jonathan Ive’s first words on the product were:
When something exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sort of becomes magical.
I feel that Ommwriter, as a product, is one that exceeds my ability in understanding how it works. The methodology of combining music and imagery to captivate thoughts and ideas in the mind is one that aids me in writing more efficiently.
Ommwriter comes bundled with seven audio tracks, each ranging from 2–4 minutes in length, and seven keyboard-click sounds. It also includes three wallpapers and the choice from one of three Mac-bundled fonts; Helvetica, Georgia, and Zapfino.
With Ommwriter, you can save your work in either the .txt format or the .omm format. Additionally, Ommwriter auto-saves your work every three minutes into the /Library/OmmWriter directory.
Flipboard for iPad:
Flipboard brings the timeless layout of print media to social media. No more scrolling through long lists of posts and links. No more jumping back and forth between websites. Your Flipboard is everything you care about in one place.
Best of all, it’s free.
Alan Taylor on the Oil Spill in Dalian, China:
Five days ago, in the northeastern port city of Dalian, China, two oil pipelines exploded, sending flames hundreds of feet into the air and burning for over 15 hours, destroying several structures – the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Yet another horrifying oil spill (via DF).
If you don’t want an iPhone 4, don’t buy it. If you bought one and you don’t like it, bring it back.
Catchy.
Marco Arment on Great Since Day One:
I buy things that are great today. They’re usually things that have been great since day one. And, more often than not, they’re Apple products.
With Apple products, I willingly take the risk in buying a first-generation product, because I am used to having Apple exceed my expectations—usually by a long-shot—with their high quality standards.
As for other non-Apple products, I let others take the risk, and I later on avoid their mistakes. Marco sums that up quite nicely as well:
I let other people be the bleeding-edge extremely early adopters
Mark these words: FaceTime goes down as one of the most important things Apple has ever introduced.
Apple, on every new MacBook Pro, claims that the battery can live up to 1000 charge cycles—or five years—before its capacity begins to noticeably deteriorate. Unfortunately, these numbers apply to “typical” users who use their laptop for a few hours a day, and at the most; charge it once every two days. If you’re like me, and your work takes place in a digital environment, these five years of good battery life are nothing more than a yearn.
About one week ago, I jumped back inside the world of iPhone OS and bought myself another iPod touch, as I had been living without one for a while now. One of the most significant aspects of this iPod is that is has the aptitude to prolong my MacBook Pro’s battery life.
With my iPod, I can
All of these simple tasks I accomplish on my iPod similar to the way I do on my MacBook Pro, while using very little battery, and regardless of where I am. Both my devices rely only on Wi-Fi, so neither one has an advantage over the other as far as connectivity is concerned.
Prior to owning an iPod touch, my MacBook Pro was the only gadget which was a part of my daily workflow. I would charge it 1–2 times a day, depending on how busy I was that day. Over time, my battery would have only lasted approximately two years.
Fortunately, that is no longer the case. I tend upgrade my iPod every year, so if its battery decides to die, it won’t be on me. My MacBook Pro, on the other hand, I don’t upgrade as often.
NPR on Starbucks To Offer Unlimited Free Wi-Fi At All U.S. Stores:
The chain is going to offer unlimited free Wi-Fi at all its U.S. locations starting July 1.
I am looking forward to this, considering their current rates are pretty expensive (via DF).