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31Aug/11Off

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

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18Aug/11Off

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?

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12Aug/11Off

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 ;)

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Breakfast of [iPad Dev] Champions.

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9Aug/11Off

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.

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7Aug/11Off

The end of the iPad Paperless Experiment / Blog Reintegration

I think the Paperless experiment has run its course for now, both here on the blog and in 'real life'. I have been taking a balanced approach to technology and paper at work lately, and am still making good use of my iPad in the workplace.

But you know what I, regretably, have come to conclude (get ready with your surprised looks) - the iPad is NOT (yet) ready to replace my laptop, even with remote access to my PC (gasp). It does not do a great job of replacing paper, in the same way that OneNote does on a tablet PC... (It does an adequate job, with the right apps - I still think Notes Plus rocks!)... but over all, as a work device, I'm left underwhelmed...

OK, you can stop looking shocked now...

All of that is not to say that the iPad 2 is not an awesome device. It is in key strength areas. As a media consumption device, games platform, occasional note taking device, email checking device, it's fantastic. And 8-10 hours battery life? 1-2 work days on one charge? No comparable Windows device can yet compete with that whole package (and I say that with great regret).

Anyhow, it's been a great experience, and a generally successful one... I should be content, but I have a history of sucking at that! So, planning and plotting has begun as to where to go next on this brave new digital frontier... can I wait for Windows 8 devices to surface? Will I succumb to the lure of the ASUS eee 121 Windows Slate PC? Only time will tell.

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6Aug/11Off

Touch UI for Windows Tablets

My last post was about missing OneNote. I'm starting to convince myself that I need to get hold of a Windows tablet... And the ASUS eee Slate 121, 12" tablet PC with active digitizer looks like the current leader of the pack.

I think that if teamed with an optimized touch interface like this one from Thinix it could be an excellent all-in-one work oriented tablet.

Anyone interested in giving me a demo version for a month to trial and write a review? (It'll happen one day, I know).

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5Aug/11Off

Missing OneNote…

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I dropped by JB Hi Fi today in the hope of spotting an Asus eee PC 121 Windows Slate - a largish tablet at 12" but with a real active digitizer screen.

Instead what I found was this nifty 10" Acer Iconia W501, with capacitive touch. Especially nifty as it comes with it's own dock-keyboard.

Both do something my iPad doesn't - run OneNote! An all in one productivity app I have really come to miss.

The ASUS has the precision control of a true active digitizer and stylus, but the size really makes it on the 'luggable' size. I think a 10" model with about AU $400 shaved off the price, would make it a dream machine.

The ACER Iconia will run OneNote fine, and the handwriting recognition seemed excellent today when trying it out. The price point is good. I think the capacitive-only input would continue to frustrate me though...

I really like my iPad. The form factor, battery life and responsiveness can't be faulted. For my money though, it needs true digitizer stylus input as an option, it needs a real OneNote implementation, it needs a Bluetooth mouse... Ok, I think I'm describing the ASUS eee 121... Sigh.

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