Disjointed Reality

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iA Writer for iPad. Mini review.

Following a recommendation on Twitter from a contact in Texas, I downloaded iA Writer and am typing my first document into its clean and elegant interface. The application is, at its very basic level, exactly that - a basic level text application.
No preferences to set, no margins, typeface style and size options, no indents, justification, paragraphs, page breaks, picture insertion... The list goes on.
What it does is simple. It allows you to concentrate totally on one thing - writing.
The standard iPad keyboard has been slightly augmented with some simple keys along the top, to allow quick insertion of the more common punctuation characters and the ability to jump backwards and forwards through your text by word or character. In addition there is a "focus mode" button that enables highlighting of only the last three lines of typing. The rest fades to about 50% grey.
Documents can be saved for further editing in other applications should you wish, and there is also the ability to synchronise documents using Dropbox.
Many users of the more full featured and commonly used word processors find their interfaces overly intrusive and so many features totally unnecessary. For pure writing and getting your text onto a page iA Writer is unbeatable.
iA Writer can be found in the Apple iOS app store and further information on the developer's website.
http://www.informationarchitects.jp/en/
http://www.iawriter.com/ipad

iPad 2. The UK Launch.

 

It seems only right that, after having owned an iPad 2 for just over a week (since it's UK launch, on Friday 25th March 2011), I should post a short piece to my site from it.

Wednesday and Thursday of the launch week were very warm for mid March in North West England. Temperatures were in the high teens, Celsius. So, I set off to Liverpool on the train, probably a little under dressed for the cold afternoon of standing in line at the Apple Store in Liverpool One that was to follow. Although it was a sunny afternoon, I hadn't considered the cold wind blowing off the River Mersey and funnelling through the streets close to the docks.

I arrived in good time and joined the line at about 12:15pm. I estimated that I was about 50th. in line. As it turned out, I was 38th. Considering the fact that a few people had already been waiting for almost twenty four hours, I didn't think it was too bad.

Staff from the Apple Store spent the whole afternoon amongst the queuing fans, handing out complimentary water, tea and coffee. The warm drinks were certainly very welcome, though as a person on my own, I was a little concerned about taking in too much liquid with at least a five hour wait ahead of me. The line behind me grew pretty quickly and at the time the store reopened for the official 5pm launch, there were probably about 400 people there. A small team of staff also worked their way through the queue from the front, identifying which model of iPad everyone required and handing out reservation tickets.

 


At about 3pm the store closed for business and the staff began erecting a large black curtain across the front of the store, just inside the doors. Outside, there were photographers, journalists and film crews recording the event and interviewing willing fans, happy to share their passion for all things Apple. One of the photographers from the store tried to initiate a Mexican wave, but failed rather miserably as everyone was too concerned with just keeping warm.

Following a 10 second countdown, at exactly 5pm, the large curtain dropped to the floor and the doors opened to a loud cheer.

Each customer was assigned a personal shopper, who lead them through the store, helping with the selection of any accessories, before arriving at an area on the first floor of the store, where the iPads were being issued. They were then taken downstairs again, where payments were taken.

The whole process took less than ten minutes. Considering the volume of customers, the store didn't feel crowded and I certainly didn't feel rushed to purchase and get out.

 

This was my first experience of a product launch at an Apple Store. The atmosphere, anticipation and sense of community were more than compensation for the cold conditions.

When the next iPhone is launched, I will be upgrading.

Will I be getting it on launch day from an Apple Store? Almost certainly.

iPad 2 ad spoof.

An amusing spoof on the new Apple iPad 2 ad, from Conan O'Brien.

Slightly less amusing is the fact that the clip doesn't play on an iPad, because it's a Flash video. :-/

 

Sorry about the advertising in this clip. I do not support or endorse any products or services shown in these advertisements.

iPad 2. Justification.

On Wednesday, March 2nd. Apple will unveil the second incarnation of it's tablet computer, the iPad. Although I went through a period of irrational lust for the first one, I resisted the temptation to buy one, even though I had all the justification I needed. Well, almost.
There were actually several things holding me back. I was concerned that the duplication of many functions I already used heavily on my iPhone would mean that an iPad wouldn't be used enough. I also didn't want to commit to another 3G contract - I felt that £35 a month for the iPhone was enough.
So, why do I feel that I can justify buying an iPad now? What's changed?


Recently, I upgraded my copies of Pages and Numbers (the Apple word processing and spreadsheet applications) on my Mac. I had been reluctant to buy the whole iWork suite because I never had the need to use Keynote (the presentation generation application). However, since the individual apps became available from the Mac App Store at reasonable prices, it made the decision much easier. I've begun the process of learning how to use both Pages and Numbers with the intention of transferring all of my business documents out of Microsoft Office.


With Pages and Numbers also available on the iPad, I should be able to centralise my documents "in the cloud", on either Dropbox or Mobile Me, so that they remain synchronised whichever device I'm working on. I spend a lot of time working away from my office, so the ability to work on documents wherever I am would be a huge plus.


I also rely heavily on calendar, address book and several other time management applications on my iPhone, but, to be honest they are not great. Particularly the calendar. The screen is just too small, and when I'm arranging a job with a customer I find it awkward to set up an event and see where I have gaps in my schedule. I've been using Calvetica from Mysterious Trousers LLC, for a while. It's a much cleaner and more functional calendar application than the Apple equivalent, but it's still awkward on the small screen. (Not helped by my ageing eyes).


As far as the need for a second 3G contract, because there simply isn't enough free Wi-Fi in the area where I live and work; there should be an acceptable solution to this, with the new personal Wi-Fi hotspot functionality due to ship with the next iOS release. This would enable me to use my iPhone as a mini base station connected via 3G and to connect an iPad to this personal network. Based on my current usage, I shouldn't have any problems with exceeding my data limit. I would, however, buy a 3G ready iPad, should my needs change in the future.


I'm due to buy a new iPhone when the next version is released in the summer, and that decision won't change. I will have kept my 3GS going for two years and it's time for a replacement.
I think I've enough reason to buy an iPad purely from a business point of view. It will also make typing blog posts so much easier and quicker, not to mention the occasional game of Angry Birds.

This is where we live.

A really nicely designed and produced, stop-motion, short film.

 

"Welcome to our city - to our world - of books. This is where we live.

A film for 4th Estate Publishers' 25th Anniversary. Produced by Apt Studio and Asylum Films.

The film was produced in stop-motion over 3 weeks in Autumn 2008. Each scene was shot on a home-made dolly by an insane bunch of animators".

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

 

Progressive dentistry?

I cover quite a wide range of subjects here - about some of which, I consider myself to be quite knowledgable. Dentistry however, isn't one of them.
I had a tiny front filling replaced just before Christmas. The one it replaced had survived around fifteen years of apples, Thornton's toffee and unexpected date stones, so I expected its replacement to last for a similar period.
My dentist is young and obviously passionate about advances in materials techniques and technology. In a five minute session of inserting at least half a dozen pieces of equipment into my mouth, flashing ultra-violet light, beeps and whistles, my filling was in place. He then proudly quoted a passage from a supplier's catalogue, which was, essentially a twelve month guarantee on the filling. (Remember, I was hoping for 15 years). With a cheery "Happy Christmas, see you for a check up in 12 months", I left the surgery.
Five days later, the filling fell out.
I returned today to have it replaced. My dentist decided that the cavity wasn't the right shape to hold the filling securely, so decided to drill it out a little larger. "Okay", he said, "I'll just numb the gum". Out of the corner of my eye, I was aware of a syringe in his hand. I asked whether I really needed an injection. He said no, and that in Poland, people tend not to have anaesthetic - a useful snippet of information. The attendant dental nurse looked shocked that I had declined the injection.
Anyway, now I have the same hi-tech filling, though a little larger, and slightly less tooth than I had earlier this morning.
There was no mention of a twelve month guarantee.

As I left the surgery I thought back to the days when teeth were drilled at slow speed with a blunt drill bit, attached to a contraption that looked as though it was made from Meccano. The days when nobody had ever heard of local anaesthetic. The days when fillings were mixed in a small pot and applied with a spatula and wiped smooth with a damp piece of cotton wool. The days when fillings lasted fifteen years or more.
Were those days so bad?

One of those days.

Some days you just feel like a good old moan, and today seems to be one of those days.
A succession of rather trivial things have managed to keep my annoyance levels nice and high for the last couple of hours.
Firstly, there was an update to my favourite iPhone Twitter client, Twitbird Pro, available this morning. (January 6th).
The only obvious change is the inclusion of a Santa hat on the application icon. WHY?
I tweeted a complaint about it and await a reply.
I then called into a Costa Coffee shop for a quick coffee. I'm constantly annoyed by the staff who will insist on putting the till receipt on the saucer, then placing the cup on top of it. It always results in a soggy, wet receipt. WHY DO THEY DO THIS?
I was then given a small jug of milk for my coffee. For some reason, it was only about a third full. When I asked for it to be topped up, I was given a short lecture about the amount of milk appropriate for the size of coffee cup I had ordered. WHY?
It's only mid morning. I wonder what further delights the remainder of the day will hold.

Originally posted on my Posterous blog.

http://disjointedreality.posterous.com

Three bags of crisps, two chocolate bars, one can of Coke and two fingers to the NHS.

I spent quite some time sitting in the waiting and assessment area of a hospital Accident and Emergency department yesterday, for reasons I won't go into here.
Whilst there, I witnessed a steady stream of walking wounded with pained faces. The staff dealt with them efficiently and seemingly without judgement.
One young man arrived with his girlfriend. She explained to the assessment nurse how he hadn't been able to go to the toilet since the previous evening, and that he had severe lower abdominal pain. He sat, looking suitably uncomfortable, saying little.
The nurse suggested that he should be checked out by a doctor and asked them to wait to be called through to the consulting room.
It was about lunch time and the couple were getting hungry. Unable to move, the young man muttered something to his girlfriend and she walked over to the bank of vending machines on the other side of the waiting room. She returned several minutes later and handed him three bags of crisps, two chocolate bars and a can of Coke, which he consumed before his consultation with the doctor.
I don't think I need say any more.

(Posted this morning on my Posterous blog).

Resolutions.

A new year begins, and with it, the associated hopes and dreams we call resolutions. 

So, eat less chocolate, drink more water, exercise more, lose weight and give more to charity it is then.

Phew! That was easy…

 

Damn, I just ate a piece of Toblerone. Well, when it's gone, it's gone - then I can really start to stop eating chocolate. Hm, just one more piece.

This rain… It's been raining all day, and now it's going dark. Guess the planned walk is out of the question. No point in going out in the dark and the wet. I'll start exercising tomorrow, when it's dry.

Talking of water, I must get a glass of water.

The weather forecast says it will be icy tomorrow. After all this rain, it may be unwise to go out cycling. Perhaps a walk then.

I'm feeling rather bloated. This Toblerone is quite filling. Better not get on the scales just yet, to check my start of year weight. I'll do it next week, when the excesses of Christmas and new year are but a distant memory.

Of course I could have given the Toblerone away.

That would have been charitable.

Festive greetings.

I want to thank everyone who follows the activity here at Disjointed Reality. It's great to see both new and regular visitors from so many distant places.

I know that I haven't written much over the last few weeks and that needs to be rectified. I've been enjoying putting together a couple of galleries and want to expand upon those too, in the new year.

Gradually, I will be building links with other social media sites so that there is a steady flow of content from a variety of different sources. I've also considered the future possibility of publishing work from other contributors, but that needs careful thought and management. I do however, like the idea of a wider view; with material from people whose knowledge, skills and experiences differ and contrast with my own.

Lastly and most importantly, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and new year.

Very best wishes to you all.

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