What’s on my phone
June 29th, 2010 • Technology • No comments
I’ve been using Android now for over a year. I’ve got a HTC Magic, and it’s now running Android 2.1 (actually CyanogenMod 5.0.8). Back in the early days there really weren’t any fantastic apps to download – at least nothing that I thought was “must have”. Nonetheless, the Android OS on it’s own was still worth it. For me, with my online life already revolving around Google’s services, it was so nice to finally have my mail, calendar and contacts available to me on the go.
The pace of Android adoption has increased dramatically. Gone are the days where there existed only the HTC Dream (G1) and HTC Magic (G2). Today there are more Android phones than you can keep track of, and of course Google keeps releasing updates left right and center. Well, since quite a number of people I know are know getting Android phones, here’s my list of essential apps.
- Facebook
If you’re a Facebook member then this is a no-brainer. Featurewise, there’s still a bit missing but it keeps getting better. Photo upload features are fantastic and there’s also a nifty home screen widget to keep a constant update on your friends. - doubleTwist
Using the desktop app for your PC or Mac, you can maintain a library of music, create playlists and then have it synced to your phone… this is like iTunes/iPod for your Android. - Dropbox
If you use Dropbox, then again, this is a no-brainer. Access all your stuff wherever you go. Includes built-in viewers for common document types too. - EasyMoney
I tried a LOT of expense tracking apps in this one is so powerful, so good I wish there was a desktop version. Great for keeping an eye on how much money you have, and it even has some pretty little graphs to distract you from where it’s all gone! The home screen widget also lets me see my balance very quickly. - Evernote
Yes, if you use Evernote this is another no-brainer. But if you don’t use Evernote, this may be the reason to start. Capture notes (text, voice, photos, videos) on your phone, they get synced into the cloud automatically and made available to your Mac, PC or any other Internet device. Evernote truly makes keeping notes easy. - eBuddy
If you use instant messaging, I reckon this is the best option. Allows you to login to MSN/Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, Facebook chat, and more all at the same time. Has a good user interface, and integrates well with Android’s notification system. - KeePassDroid
Keeping track of usernames, passwords and pin-numbers is a hassle. KeePass has long been my choice for managing passwords on the desktop. Now I can have my password database on my phone so I have all my important data with me. - WordPress
If you have a blog, and that blog is in WordPress, then this is a great way to make posts quickly and easily on the go. Has a good user interface too! - Twitter
Personally, I’m not a big fan of Twitter. But the official app looks and functions so well it makes me want to use it! This truly makes Twitter fun. The home screen widget is also very useful! - TodoistDroid
I’ve already clearly spelt out my love for Todoist for managing my todo lists and tasks. This is an early cut at an Android app to interface with your Todoist account, and so far it’s pretty good. I can see this app becoming very good! - Shazam
This is just plain awesome. Hear a song, get Shazam to listen and a few seconds later it’ll tell you what the song is. I use this all the time. - Kindle
Just installed and it really is fantastic. Now I can buy books through Amazon and read them in Kindle format on my phone. This could make me want to read again! - FlightStats
I don’t fly as much as I used to, but if you’re doing any travel this is a lifesaver. Put in your flight details and it’ll give you up to the minute status on flight departure/arrival times and any delays. You can also save trips/itineraries which becomes very handy. Also features a widget for the home screen
- Barcode Scanner
As you start seeing QR codes all over the web, this app becomes a must-have. Just scan the barcode on your computer screen with this app and it’ll open the associated website, contact or application! - Places Directory
Finally, if you’re trying to decide where to shop, eat, or go, this app will work out where you are and tell you what’s around you. Even in Australia, this works brilliantly.
Of course, these are apps you’ll find in the Android Market, there’s also other apps that come with the OS that I love too, e.g. YouTube, Google Maps, and of course Gmail.
Android is looking better and better all the time. Suck it iPhone.
Think.
June 26th, 2010 • Technology • No comments
Unbelievably, it’s now been over 3 years since I bought my last laptop. It was a ThinkPad T60, and I bought it the day Windows Vista was released. I was in the U.S. at the time, and it was very exciting to get the laptop back to the hotel and install Windows Vista (it had Windows XP pre-installed) and play around with my new toy. This ThinkPad joined my collection of other ThinkPads which included two ThinkPad 600X machines circa 1999, which I still believe are the best engineered laptop EVER produced, a ThinkPad R51, a ThinkPad X30 and a ThinkPad T42. I also had a ThinkPad T61 and a ThinkPad T300 during my time working with IBM.
I love my ThinkPads and that is because they are amazing computing machines. Apple often/always takes the limelight with their “stunningly” designed “innovative” machines. However most people are completely unaware of the innovative work that went on at IBM and now Lenovo to create ThinkPad laptops and the truly innovative stuff that’s gone into ThinkPads over the years and which now finds itself in laptops from just about every manufacturer. Every time a family member of friend buys a laptop from another manufacturer I truly feel sorry for them!
I recommended two blogs to look at: Design Matters and Inside the Box where long-time ThinkPad designers and engineers discuss what goes on behind the scenes. Lenovo actually developed a ThinkPad, the X300 which was actually lighter and no thicker than the Macbook Air – and it had a removable battery and built it 0ptical drive and 3 (not 1!) USB ports. But as usual, Apple stole the thunder with their marketing campaigns and most average people have no idea the X300 even exists.
One of the important things about ThinkPads is that they are desi
gned for business. They are designed to get the job done, not just look pretty and they are certainly not loaded with all the gimmicks that you see in consumer laptops from companies like Dell, HP, Acer and Asus. ThinkPad have stayed true to their brand since day one. In fact outwardly, today’s ThinkPads look not all too different from those produced right at the beginning. They are, and hopefully always will be, a black box. The build quality evident in ThinkPad machines is something that is very hard to find in laptops from other manufacturers, at least not at any reasonable price points. I still have yet to see a laptop from any other manufacturer where you can hold the entire machine up from the corner of the screen without it buckling and breaking in two (as shown in the picture right, which buy the way is the my new laptop). They are incredibly strong machines. My two ThinkPad 600X’s are almost indestructable. You could quite literally stand on top of them with your entire body weight and still they will not break. I’ve even read stories of people who have driven their cars over some of the older ThinkPads and they still turned on! It’s no surprise that NASA has and continues to only use ThinkPads in space.
So I’m writing this entry because I have splashed out and bought a new ThinkPad. I thought very seriously about this computer purchase. Like I said, it’s been 3 years since I bought my last machine and it’s still doing very well. In fact, I recently upgraded it to Windows 7 and it actually performs better now than ever. I have very little complaints about performance and actually hardware wise, it’s still quite comparable to machines being released today. Although I will admit that I paid a lot of money for it at the time, so that investment turned out to be quite good. But nonetheless, I thought it was time to get something new.
I have thought seriously about getting a Macbook Pro (yes I’m not *that* anti Apple), serious to the point that I was one click away from the checkout process of having it paid for. I chickened out at the last minute.
I also thought about getting a netbook. After all, all I was after was a machine to surf the net on. But at present there really is no netbook out there that has decent build quality (they’re all cheap and nasty) and the tiny screen and keyboard and lack of performance I think would have given me the shits.
So I went for another ThinkPad, and I went for the ThinkPad X200s. Processor wise is actually less powerful than my old ThinkPad T60. But, it weighs only 1.1kg, it has a battery life of 13 hours, a solid state hard disk, and all-in-all is a very solid, well built, well engineered machine. In fact, it could pass as a netbook for it’s ultra-portability, but it’s certainly no netbook in terms of features and performance. So I got what I want; something that I can use away from my desk, something that I can comfortably sit on the lounge with and surf the net without it weighing me down, and without having to worry about the battery going flat. I can use this machine on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles on a single battery! I got it very cheap, they were $3500 when first released, and I got it for only $1200 (but I suspect Lenovo is about to release the successor to this model very very soon).
The ThinkPad X series are definitely not about performance, but they truly are awesome machines, and my old Thinkpad X30 (circa 2002) is still living testament to that. So I will keep using my ThinkPad T60 on my desk, but it has a new smaller brother who I think I’ll be using a whole lot. And the best news I can report is that even after all these years, and with the change from IBM to Lenovo, ThinkPads are still the best laptop money can buy.
Getting organised with Todoist
June 22nd, 2010 • Life, Technology • No comments
I often get asked how I manage to keep organised and stay on top of everything in my life. I’ve always been a fan of lists and for much of my life, the most effective way of keeping a todo list was always just to use pen and paper. In fact, I used to just keep a notebook where everyday I would write a list of things I wanted to get done. The big problem was that I needed to keep this notebook with me wherever I went. It also meant that everyday I would inevitably write down a whole bunch of tasks that were a repeat of the day before (because I didn’t get them done – not that there’s anything wrong with that!). And of course, I was wasting paper.
So over the past 10 years I’ve been on a constant quest to find some technology based solution that could enable me to create todo lists, simply, easily and in a way that fitted with how I work. I can say without a word of a lie that I have tried just about every solution out there from mobile applications, fully fledged desktop applications to web based solutions. One notable solution I found early on was Tudumo. A desktop application that was very simple, allowing me to make lists without fuss and without a user interface that got in the way. But, it was a desktop application. Sadly there was no online integration, no sync, no cloud storage. So my todo list was only on the computer that the application was installed on.
About a year ago, I stumbled across Todoist (http://www.todoist.com). Of every solution I have tried, Todoist stands head and shoulders above anything else that is out there. And the best thing it’s free!
What’s so great about Todoist is the user interface. Unassuming, it does not get in your way. There is no toolbars, menus, or complicated forms. Everything is contextual and you only see what you need to see. You want to add a task, press ALT + A, type it in and press enter. Too easy. You can create as many lists as you like, you can colour code them (nice!) you can also create hierarchies of lists under lists, and hierarchies of tasks under tasks. This provides enormous power and flexibility. And it’s as easy as pressing CTRL + Right Arrow. The keyboard shortcuts are amazing and enable you to achieve everything you want so quickly. After no time at all you will find yourself extremely productive with Todoist.
It has so many advanced features that even now, one year on I am still discovering new things. It handles recurring tasks beautifully, you can assign priorities to tasks, set due dates and times (using natural language like “Next Wednesday”), you can order tasks by date, alphabetically or drag and drop tasks into any order you want. My favourite feature is you can hold down the CTRL key and select multiple tasks and simply change the due date for all of them. This is awesome, so every morning I come in to work and select all the stuff I was supposed to do yesterday and simply type in “Tod” which changes the due date to today (and I try and get through it today!).
Perhaps the most powerful feature is the query language. On the top left is a simple box where you can type in queries like “7 days” or “Tomorrow” or “Overdue” and it will show you all matching tasks. Very nicely done.
Of course there’s also labels, so if lists are not enough you can label things to your heart’s content!
Finally the whole application has an open API, so you can write your own interface, your own iPhone or Android application (already done!) – anything you want!
I could go on and on, in fact I already have. Bottom line is: Todoist is the best thing out there. Trust me. The only down side is it’s not receiving a terrible amount of attention from the developer which honestly, after 10 years of searching for the perfect solution and having found it, scares me. So lets hope Todoist doesn’t disappear any time soon!!
Do you know of something that’s better than Todoist? Let me know!
The “artification” of the web
May 27th, 2010 • Design, Technology • 1 comment
Once upon a time there were nerds. Hacking away in their garage churning out code that could make computers do something, do anything! With the rise of the Personal Computer, these nerds found themselves writing code that millions of people would go on to use. Throughout the 1980s the software industry exploded as the PC became more commonplace and just about any programmer out there could write some software that, if useful, could find a place on computers everywhere.
If you look back at software made in the 1980s, in fact even if you look at software made in the 90s, especially that which is made for Windows or Linux/Unix one thing is glaringly obvious: software developers had no idea about design. Ugly, putrid, horrible disgusting user interfaces. No sense of colour, no sense of typography, no sense of visual harmony. Just whack a few buttons here, and a some boxes there and it will all be good.
For software developers, the focus is on making something that works. These people typically come from computer science or engineering backgrounds. So it makes sense, how can they make something that not only works well, but looks beautiful and is usable too when they have been taught the basics of visual design?
Apple were the one standout here, making software that did actually look good. They cared about icons. They care about typefaces. They cared, about creating an amazingly polished user experience. Perhaps maybe this is one of the reasons that the Mac found itself at home some prominently in the design community?
Bottom line though was that the computer software industry was dominated by developers and design was merely an afterthought.
So then we have the web. Carrying on the tradition of software development, the web was really another domain for the nerdy. They created web pages, millions of them but with little regard to design or aesthetics. Looking at the web circa 1996 it is glaringly obvious that any sense of design was completely lacking for most web developers. And again, this is to be expected. The people creating these websites were the same people that coded apps for MS-DOS and Unix. They were not graphic artists they were programmers! There were exceptions. Sure, many of the larger companies and early big names on the web had the sense to make their websites look semi-decent, but on the whole the web was ugly.
As the web became more and more commercial, as it became a platform for media, news and entertainment, as it became more mainstream and as the technology (browsers, HTML, CSS) matured, things changed.
Enter the graphic designers.
Long the wizards of traditional print media, graphic designers were feeling a bit lonely with everything moving to the web. Magazines, newspapers, posters, brochures, all becoming less and less important in the digital age. So there was a trend in the 2000s for graphic designers to start to learn about the web. Design schools started teaching HTML and CSS. Designers everywhere started reading and learning about how they could take their Photoshop designs and webify them. So all of a sudden we had two camps:
- Traditional software developers/programmers creating websites. Those with a computer science/engineering/technical background.
- Graphic designers creating websites. Those with an arts degree or visual communications background.
And interestingly, in most web organisations today you will also see two camps:
- back end developers
- front end developers
No prizes for guessing who belongs where.
As designers have taken over the web, they have changed the development landscape. It seems now anybody with an arts degree can sit down at their Mac and spit out a website using Ruby, with amazingly crafted CSS and a bit of jQuery thrown in for good measure. Oh and it’ll all be standards compliant XHTML. And they can pat themselves on the back and call themselves a “web developer”. Ask some of these “web developers” these days to build you an e-commerce site from the ground up and they’ll scratch their head and ask “is there a WordPress plugin that will do that?”
What happened to the old-school software developers? The guys coding away in the dark corner of the office, doing the “real work” behind the scenes that makes the websites actually do something. It seems these days the design crowd get all the attention but we shouldn’t forget who makes the web really work.
My position: designers should be designers, not programmers. And of course programmers, should program and not try and design.
Creating a blog in WordPress doesn’t mean that you’re a “developer”. Cutting and pasting some jQuery script doesn’t make you a developer. HTML and CSS are NOT programming languages. So lets draw the line in the sand shall we?
iRant
May 26th, 2010 • Technology • 1 comment
iPod, iPhone, iPad… amazingly innovative pieces of technology that take what is inherently complex and confusing (to the non-nerds out there) and makes it simple, intuitive and easy to use. Fantastic. I’ve always wondered when computers would become on par with things like TVs and microwaves i.e. where you just turn it on and it’s so intuitive you don’t even need to read the manual. It behaves, as you would expect it to behave. Apple are certainly bringing us closer and closer to that (they’re not the only ones, but certainly the most successful). Let me just make it clear right now, I think Apple has and is producing great products.
I’ve even found myself recently becoming increasingly envious of the “it just works” aspect of all of Apple’s products. It seems like every person I know has an iPhone and it feels like I’m the only person on the bus not listening to music on an iPod. Everyone I know who has a Mac, loves it in an almost sickening way.
In all my years using technology, I’ve never owned a single product made by Apple. Used yes, but not owned.
Apple’s biggest strength is not in the technology it produces, it’s biggest strength is in its business model and marketing techniques. I think that business model could best be described by one word: closed. That’s not to say Apple aren’t big supporters of all things “open”, but as a business they are very closed. In order for them to create these amazing products they have total control over hardware, software, design, production, distribution and sales. You want music on your iPod, then use iTunes. You want apps on your iPhone or your iPad, again, iTunes. While you’re at it, iTunes would probably work best if you’re on a Mac 
It’s an entire ecosystem that you become a part of the second you buy an Apple product. And if their marketing works, you’ll probably be sucked in for life (and part with many thousands of dollars in the process).
I have an MP3 player, it cost me $20 on eBay. It plays music. I can connect it to any computer I want; Windows, Linux or Mac. I can put whatever music I want in there no matter where I sourced it from. It’s made in China, it’s ugly and looks like a cheap child’s toy. But it works.
I have an Android phone. Ok, it cost me about the same as an iPhone BUT I can put whatever apps I want on it. I can hack it and flash whatever operating system I choose fit. Hell I can even develop my own apps and sell them without Apple’s approval. My Android phone does everything that an iPhone does, and with each new release that I’ve installed on there, its become more and more on par. Android will overtake iPhone, by the simple fact that just like Windows, Android is not tied to any specific type of hardware. And as the user base overtakes iPhone, so will the number of apps and I can guarantee that before long iPhone will no longer be the dominant smartphone, but the niche smartphone, just as Macs have always been to Windows based PCs.
Alright, so the reason I’m annoyed about the upcoming iPad is because now the media is involved. Struggling media/newspaper outlets unable to make a profit on the web like they have with print for much of last century have been scratching their heads for years trying to work out a business model that they can make money from on the Internet where information flows freely and users expect access without having to pay for it. To these media outlets, the iPad is the thing they’ve been dreaming of. All of a sudden, they can package their content up in a nice neat bundle, just as they could with newspapers and magazines before, and deliver that to users who using their amazing iPad will have much the same experience as they’ve had with traditional media. It seems that while users are reluctant to buy subscriptions to access a website or pay for articles on the web, they will be more likely to buy a publication through iTunes and be able to consume that on their iPad in a book-like form.
It seems that the media are throwing all their weight behind the iPad, and rightfully so – this could be their saving grace.
But they miss the point entirely. The reason people like news on the Internet, is because of its flexibility. The ability to view RSS feeds. The social components of news sites which encourage feedback and discussion. The ability to finely control what you see and how you see it. And you can do so right now, on any browser, on any platform and on any Internet capable device. Why should this content be locked up in a proprietary format and delivered only to those who (can afford) an iPad?
The iPad experience takes us back to the old school world. Why do I want to pay for a newspaper through iTunes and have it delivered on my iPad when there’s only ever going to be a handful of content in there that I’m interested in. That was the whole problem with newspapers in the first place. That’s why I use Google Reader and take advantage of RSS feeds. I get the content I want, in the format I want and I get it for free. And the majority of the useful content comes not from major media conglomerates.
The iPad does nothing that isn’t already possible. It’s basically a big iPhone. What does it really bring to the table other than extending the iPod and iPhone closed ecosystem further into the territory of PCs? Undoubtedly a swag of iPad like devices running Windows or Android are on the horizon. Just as with the iPhone however, it will take some time for these competitors to produce something that is on par with the iPad experience. But in the meantime the iPad is viewed upon as the most amazing thing ever, and all of that is just pure Apple marketing bullshit.
What it boils down to for me is that I think Apple’s products are genuinely great. But I think their business model and operating practices are not. And that’s why I won’t buy into their ecosystem. What makes computing and the Internet so liberating is the freedom to build your own experience and I for one am not interested in having my experience decided upon by one man.
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