A Great iPad Planner App
Opus Domini looks to be that rare thing in iOS apps - a beautiful looking app which delivers a highly functional solution whilst maintaining minimalist simplicity. And, for now at least, it's totally FREE!
So what is Opus Domini? It is a virtual replacement for a paper (Filofax / Franklin Covey style) daily and weekly planner, with to do lists. It integrates with the data from your iOS calendar to show any local or sync'd online calendar appointments you might have.
I'll have to say it looks like one of the apps I have been looking out for, since I used to be a real Franklin Covey planner devotee.
Anyway, check out the images below, and try out the app for yourself while it's free!
Hello Notes Plus 3.0, Goodbye Samsung Slate?
Hello Notes Plus 3.0, Goodbye Samsung Slate?
Ok, this may be a little premature, but I am
seriously considering ditching my Samsung Series
7
Slate & going back to the iPod. And here's my rationale:
Original reason for dissatisfaction with iPod:
-Inking / stylus experience was poor (using Tagus
stylus)
-Handwriting recognition post-writing was substandard (Phat pad).
-Unavailability of OneNote (with true thing on the
Dad...
As a result, I was dissatisfied with i Pad as a
handwriting solution, and picked up the first decent
Windows Slate on the market. The Slate had the following advantages and disadvantages:
° Full One Note available on Windows
. True digitiser 1 pen experience with fine
level of control.
• Excellent handwriting to text conversion, during
and after time of actual handwriting input.
Disadvantages
° fess intuitive tablet experience
° Larger, heavier device
° Not fully solid-state (fan, heat, noise).
So, the Slate addressed the issues I found with
the Dad, but also introduced some new frustrations.
Once I started facing issues with the Slate, I decided to
borow back my iPod (which my eldest daughter had
happily adopted for awhile. I also decided to try
a different stylus, as I had begun to suspect that
at least some of my issues were related to the stylus
itself.
The first thing I noticed, was that the new (Geho
brand) combo pen-stylus was much more effective
on the i Pad Much less pressure required, and much
fewer strokes missed, While still less accurate than
an active digitiser + pen, this does make the i Pad
much more useable,
The real (& unexpected) improvement though,
came in the form of a major version upgrade to my
favourite note-taking app, Notes Plus. Most
importantly, Notes Plus has now added (via
an in-app purchase) a VERY effective handwriting
to text conversion. What amazed me is just how
effective and accurate it is-even with my cursive
scrawl. Compare with the un-edited conversion
below here to judge for yourself.
The final improvement which has occurred since my
last attempt with the Dad, is that there is now a
Microsoft OneNote app for the iPod. While I wish it
did real inking, I think a combination of Notes Plus
for authoring, and OneNote for filing, could be
very effective-Time will tell-Ill let you know.
New Years Resolutions
New year is nearly here,
hard to believe but
In this new year I plan
to make a new attempt
at going paperless. This
time with my Samsung
series 7 Slate (Last
time was with the iPad).
On the home front, I'm
looking into investing in
some chickens, both for
their pet value for the
kiddies, but also for
producing our own eggs
On the health front? Well,
I did start running again,
so I should see if I can
keep that going...
apart from that, I have no
revelations for doing
anything vastly different
in 2012.
For now, I think I'll just
relax and enjoy the final
week of my annual leave,
Happy New year to All.
David
Samsung Win 7 Slate + OneNote
Just thought I'd let the Blogosphere, Twitterverse and Facebook-whatever know that my new Samsung Series 7 Slate Video is currently uploading. (I'll post the link when it's available - > link is now available here: http://youtu.be/IhprcxfGAso)
One complaint to @Samsung - "iPad" has 2 syllables in one word, and everyone knows what it is and who makes it. Even the GalaxyTab manages 4 syllables, and good brand recognition. "Samsung Series 7 Slate" - seven (hard to say) syllables, and almost no one recognizes the product... Hard work needed Samsung to refine the image, the message (and perhaps the product name?).
Thanks to some constructive feedback both online and at home, this new video is shorter, with greater focus on the device and the software (OneNote).
I hope you like it, and keep the feedback / requests coming. David.
Samsung sIate is full of awesomeness!
I have been using Sammy (my Samsung bones slate PC for a little over a week now. It totally rocks! I have installed Microsoft office-including my much-loved One Note, along with Freemind (mind mapping) and the Kindle reader app.
I'd have to say that, so far I my impression is that this is the device I was hoping for about 4 years ago when I purchased my cool, but sadly underpowered Fujitsu p1610 I and much more recently when I experimented with going paperless for a month with the iPad 2 that found I missed real digital ink, and became frustrated but tho closed ecosystem.
I have a break from work coming up, so perhaps I'll revisit the paperless experiment in the NewYear.
Until then people, keep on living the dream!
Some Good Online iPad Development Video Tutorials
I'm having fun (and some productivity) one my one week holiday / hackathon... I've toyed around with MonoDevelop - which is fantastic from a C# perspective (for those of us familiar with .NET), but at present at least there seem to be some stability / consistency issues while the team catch up with xCode 4 compatibility.
In the meantime, I have at least temporarily gone back to xCode to try to get my holiday project finished. In working with a code sample, I came up with a Runtime error of "SIGABRT". While investigating this, I cam across some excellent video tutorials for xCode development by Rory Lewis. Definitely worth at look - they're nicely done: View Here
Kindle vs iPad as a Book Reader
A friend asked my this morning if I'd recommend a Kindle to someone who owns an iPad, but who doesn't enjoy reading books on the iPad.
I have the luxury of owning both devices, and I can say that, while the iPad is an amazing multi-functional piece of technology, the Kindle is MUCH better as a book reader (once u get used to the fact it's not touch screen!).
There's less distraction (no temptation for a quick game of Angry Birds), and the screen is much more 'paper like' in terms of contrast. Get the case with the built in reading light - the screen itself is not back-lit, which also makes it more like a book, and it's easier on your eyes (and it actually works great in full sunlight). Apparently back-lit LCD screens are more likely to affect your sleep too - the Kindle doesn't have that problem... So have I sold it to you yet?
iPad Development – Found: one mentor!
Apart from wanting it to be the perfect, all day, go anywhere computing device, there was of course another reason for my iPad purchase -> so that I could develop Apps for it (and retire to the Sunshine Coast hinterland, where I will spend the rest of my days writing Apps, Blogs, books etc etc etc...)
So far I've read a few books, learned a few skills, wrote a Hello World app or two and... barely made a start on a real app.
I'm hoping that's all about to change. How (I hear you ask)? I have a mentor, and we will meet up for the first time next week. My mentor has released 3 apps already, with one doing very well for him.
I'm hoping he can help me with development of technical skills, my concept/design, and deployment/marketing (as well as keeping me accountable to make some progress).
I'm really looking forward to it... Will report back here on progress
Breakfast of [iPad Dev] Champions.
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe – a short book review
On the SciFi front, I have just today finished reading "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe" by Charles Yu. I don't want to introduce any real spoilers, so I'll just insert here the text used as a preface to the book:
"When it happens, this is what happens: I shoot myself. Not, you know, my self self. I shoot my future self. He steps out of a time machine, introduces himself as Charles Yu. What else am I supposed to do? I kill him. I kill my own future."
The book, while thoughtful and philosophical with respect to the concepts of time travel (with some very different theoretical underpinnings than the usual fare), never to my mind fully capitalises on the possibilities of the subject matter it seeks to explore.
It does, however, contain a fairly unique, shall I say 'self-referential' twist which is quite original and used to good effect.
If you have ever read the classic "The Man Who Folded Himself" by David Gerrold, you will find some similar thoughtfulness here. "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe" however focuses a lot on the father-son relationship (between Charles and his father), and a certain hopelessness with respect to life.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Time Travel genre, though In my mind it is interesting but not one if the greats.




