Bullet Journaling is a hot topic right now on the internet, but what is it really? In short, it just a paper note book that you ... well ... take notes in. It really a simple system. I have been using a the same (sort of) system for a number of years now. Being in the army, I get a note book and I jot down bullet notes for tasks that need to be done at work, notes for soldier issues that need to be taken care of, and generally anything work related.
Showing posts with label App. Show all posts
Showing posts with label App. Show all posts
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Printing from iOS
iOS is a tricky beast. It shows you just enough to entice you, then slaps you in the face with its built-in limitations. Printing should be a fairly simple task, and for the most part it is, if you follow the correct steps.
You probably (without even realizing it) went the easy route and chose a printer that is AirPrint compatible. There are actually a lot of these on the official list. Just about any home printer you buy from either Brother or Canon will do, sort of. Getting the printer is the easy part.
After doing my do diligence I decided on the Canon MG6620 Printer. Not a spectacular printer, or fast, but the ink lasts an amazingly long time and it does print double sided. So I hooked it up and got the iMac and MacBook Pro working easy as pie. Even connecting the printer to the wireless network was easy.
Then I tried to print from an iPhone. "No printer found" was the message I got. I tried a second iPhone. "No printer found". Then I thought, I just got a new iPad Pro and surely this will work. "No printer found". I was getting very frustrated.
As it turns out, you need an app. Both Brother and Canon make their printer apps available for free in the App Store, but it would have been nice knowing I needed them.
Setting up the app was easy enough. Once connected to the printer you can close the app and, as far as I can tell anyway, you never need to re-open it. All of your apps that print, such Pages or Microsoft Word, print just fine without needing to open the Canon Printer App.
Wile a bit annoying, the apps themselves are very small and I can put them away in folder and forget about them until I need to do something else with it. I do, however, need to leave the app installed in order to print.
This is not a big deal while I am at home, but if I am at a friends house, or somewhere else while out-and-about I may have to find an appropriate app for whatever printer is available. I have come to think of these apps as iOS printer drivers. Since not everyone who uses iOS needs to print from it, I will just assume that Apple left that part out to save space since they still sell (and I have no idea why) a 16GB phone.
That's all there really is to it. So go ahead and buy the home printer you want, just make sure it is both AirPrint compatible and the manufacturer has an app for it.
You probably (without even realizing it) went the easy route and chose a printer that is AirPrint compatible. There are actually a lot of these on the official list. Just about any home printer you buy from either Brother or Canon will do, sort of. Getting the printer is the easy part.
After doing my do diligence I decided on the Canon MG6620 Printer. Not a spectacular printer, or fast, but the ink lasts an amazingly long time and it does print double sided. So I hooked it up and got the iMac and MacBook Pro working easy as pie. Even connecting the printer to the wireless network was easy.
Then I tried to print from an iPhone. "No printer found" was the message I got. I tried a second iPhone. "No printer found". Then I thought, I just got a new iPad Pro and surely this will work. "No printer found". I was getting very frustrated.
As it turns out, you need an app. Both Brother and Canon make their printer apps available for free in the App Store, but it would have been nice knowing I needed them.
Setting up the app was easy enough. Once connected to the printer you can close the app and, as far as I can tell anyway, you never need to re-open it. All of your apps that print, such Pages or Microsoft Word, print just fine without needing to open the Canon Printer App.
Wile a bit annoying, the apps themselves are very small and I can put them away in folder and forget about them until I need to do something else with it. I do, however, need to leave the app installed in order to print.
This is not a big deal while I am at home, but if I am at a friends house, or somewhere else while out-and-about I may have to find an appropriate app for whatever printer is available. I have come to think of these apps as iOS printer drivers. Since not everyone who uses iOS needs to print from it, I will just assume that Apple left that part out to save space since they still sell (and I have no idea why) a 16GB phone.
That's all there really is to it. So go ahead and buy the home printer you want, just make sure it is both AirPrint compatible and the manufacturer has an app for it.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Post-PC, more evolution than revolution
So, it's been awhile ... again.
After almost a year away from this blog, I have decided to return. It has been a very exciting year. I moved twice, got back to "nature" and all things outdoors while at the same time learning some new trade skills. Welding is more fun than I thought it would be.
When I last left off, I was attempting to go "Post-PC". At that time, the potential was there, but the capability was just too lacking. There just was not enough software in place to make the transition I was hoping to make. My goal was, and still is, to embrace the "Post-PC" ideals and become completely free of the PC. A goal not without many challenges.
I suppose I should bring everyone up to speed on the "why". I have been involved in PC's since before the days of Commador V16's and TRS-80's (though the Amiga was truly astounding for its day). I have always been an early adopter of new technology, even in my childhood. Now in my forties, I still find the future a mysterious idea full of wonder and possibilities. While not all new ideas will take off, some will. Other ideas will change and merge with still more ideas, hopefully for the better. I have always felt that the future, wether dystopian or utopian, or whatever it turns out to be, will be very different than what is here today and I look forward to it all.
So what is the difference between a "PC" and a "Device"? At the root of it, not much. In fact this question is still being asked. It used to be a device was single purpose. A printer, a fax machine, or even a cell phone, was a "device". Then the term "multi-function" came out and the lines started to blur. In fact, most "devices" today are actually low power computers. Some say the modern definition should be anything with a keyboard and mouse is a "PC". Some used to say it was the ability compile software directly on the Device made it a PC. You can now do that with Android, so that really isn't much of a benchmark anymore.
So as the world becomes more mobile, raw horsepower isn't the goal it used to be. Instead users are looking for an experience that is smooth, coherent, cohesive and works across multiple devices, PC's and whatever else can be connected together. The goal is all of your data available, on demand, on any device or computer. As the world becomes more and more connected, the amount of data available is becoming staggering to us old farts who grew up learning to type on an actual typewriter. For the next generation, it's just the way the world works.
Going "Post-PC" isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, and yet it is. The ideas are still forming, the workflows still being worked out and the future is not yet written. I love the idea of getting away from the desktop, yet there are still things that a desktop will be better at. So then what does "Post-PC" actually mean then?
In my mind, the Post-PC era isn't a revolution. It's more of an evolution. The "devices" don't need to be as powerful as a desktop, but merely good enough. They must have a smooth and natural UI, be able to connect to all of your data, and be able to get the most common tasks done relatively easily. Framed in such a way, I think the age of mobile is doing very well and will continue to do so. Most tablets, phones and other non-traditional PC's cost much less up front than a gaming computer, or one that is built for large scale 3D rendering or video editing. While much less "powerful", they are good enough for day-to-day use, and I think that's the point.
To this end, my wife has purchased me a new iPad Pro, complete with a keyboard and an Apple Pencil. Using a touch screen can be seen as just a new way to use a mouse, especially if using a stylus or other such add-on. The iPad Pro is truly amazing for what it is and I can see why so many people have adopted it. Granted, this is also my first tablet, but for the first time I think I may be able to give up my MacBook Pro completely. Yes, it is that good (enough). Realistically, I don't write code these days, I no longer do custom ROM's for phones and there are a lot of things that I just don't do anymore with computers. Not because I can't, I have just enjoyed being being a user long enough that the stress of doing those things is no longer outweighed by the satisfaction of doing it.
As my computing needs change I find that I really like just being a user. In the end, it has made all the difference.
After almost a year away from this blog, I have decided to return. It has been a very exciting year. I moved twice, got back to "nature" and all things outdoors while at the same time learning some new trade skills. Welding is more fun than I thought it would be.
When I last left off, I was attempting to go "Post-PC". At that time, the potential was there, but the capability was just too lacking. There just was not enough software in place to make the transition I was hoping to make. My goal was, and still is, to embrace the "Post-PC" ideals and become completely free of the PC. A goal not without many challenges.
I suppose I should bring everyone up to speed on the "why". I have been involved in PC's since before the days of Commador V16's and TRS-80's (though the Amiga was truly astounding for its day). I have always been an early adopter of new technology, even in my childhood. Now in my forties, I still find the future a mysterious idea full of wonder and possibilities. While not all new ideas will take off, some will. Other ideas will change and merge with still more ideas, hopefully for the better. I have always felt that the future, wether dystopian or utopian, or whatever it turns out to be, will be very different than what is here today and I look forward to it all.
So what is the difference between a "PC" and a "Device"? At the root of it, not much. In fact this question is still being asked. It used to be a device was single purpose. A printer, a fax machine, or even a cell phone, was a "device". Then the term "multi-function" came out and the lines started to blur. In fact, most "devices" today are actually low power computers. Some say the modern definition should be anything with a keyboard and mouse is a "PC". Some used to say it was the ability compile software directly on the Device made it a PC. You can now do that with Android, so that really isn't much of a benchmark anymore.
So as the world becomes more mobile, raw horsepower isn't the goal it used to be. Instead users are looking for an experience that is smooth, coherent, cohesive and works across multiple devices, PC's and whatever else can be connected together. The goal is all of your data available, on demand, on any device or computer. As the world becomes more and more connected, the amount of data available is becoming staggering to us old farts who grew up learning to type on an actual typewriter. For the next generation, it's just the way the world works.
Going "Post-PC" isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, and yet it is. The ideas are still forming, the workflows still being worked out and the future is not yet written. I love the idea of getting away from the desktop, yet there are still things that a desktop will be better at. So then what does "Post-PC" actually mean then?
In my mind, the Post-PC era isn't a revolution. It's more of an evolution. The "devices" don't need to be as powerful as a desktop, but merely good enough. They must have a smooth and natural UI, be able to connect to all of your data, and be able to get the most common tasks done relatively easily. Framed in such a way, I think the age of mobile is doing very well and will continue to do so. Most tablets, phones and other non-traditional PC's cost much less up front than a gaming computer, or one that is built for large scale 3D rendering or video editing. While much less "powerful", they are good enough for day-to-day use, and I think that's the point.
To this end, my wife has purchased me a new iPad Pro, complete with a keyboard and an Apple Pencil. Using a touch screen can be seen as just a new way to use a mouse, especially if using a stylus or other such add-on. The iPad Pro is truly amazing for what it is and I can see why so many people have adopted it. Granted, this is also my first tablet, but for the first time I think I may be able to give up my MacBook Pro completely. Yes, it is that good (enough). Realistically, I don't write code these days, I no longer do custom ROM's for phones and there are a lot of things that I just don't do anymore with computers. Not because I can't, I have just enjoyed being being a user long enough that the stress of doing those things is no longer outweighed by the satisfaction of doing it.
As my computing needs change I find that I really like just being a user. In the end, it has made all the difference.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
iPhone Storage
Apple has a set business model that has made them a revenue generating powerhouse. It works very very well, for them. Don’t get me wrong. I love my iPhone, my MacBook Pro, Apple TV and every other iDevice or product I have ever purchased. They are all made exceedingly well, and last well past what would be a comparable devices normal life cycle. Apple makes products to last. They also make products you want to buy, and that is the secret sauce.
However, when it comes to storage in most Apple products, you get what you pay for. Nothing else. A 16Gb iPod will forever hold 16Gb. Less if you account for the space taken by iOS.
There is hope on the horizon, sort of. A few companies are trying to break the barrier, but they are doing so in the same manner that made Apple what it is. The Leaf Bridge is one such example. Yes, it is stylish. Yes it is over priced for what it is. So yes, they should do well with those who buy Apple products. Basically, it is a just a regular USB thumb drive that comes with a custom app that lets you actually move files between the drive and your phone. One file at a time. Ok, the app needs work, but it’s a start.
There is also this guy. Yet another contender to the burgeoning market of iPhone storage. The iStick (that name though … ) is another example of lack of forward thinking. Then again, it may be just that. If the idea is to get people to buy more than one of something, then I guess this would be one way of doing that.
There are others out there, some better than others, some worse. Some even let you connect micro SD Cards of various sizes. Each device has its own custom app that must be used with a particular device. Each has its set of features that promise the world, and most fall short. Some of these are not entirely the fault of the app developer.
Apple places strict limits on what any one app can access. This makes the iPhone very secure when compared to Android, and probably has something to do with why government agencies are slated to begin issuing iPhones in favor of the venerable Blackberries that government employees previously used. Security on iOS is very tight, as long as you don’t jailbreak your device. For the most part this is a good thing, but sometimes it makes development a real pain in the … epidermis.
As an example an App like DropBox can’t really access the files you saved in iCould when using such apps as Pages, Word, or even the Notes app. What apps like DropBox can do is use an “open with” option, to open the file in an external app. Apps like Camera+ need special permission granted to it in order to access the photo’s you have saved on your phone. Even then, there are “hidden” files in the same folder as your folder that neither you nor “Third Party Apps” can see or access.
Even with these restrictions in place, it is possible to develop a great app for external storage. There are several such apps in the App Store for accessing Network Attached Storage (NAS) and share drives from other desktops. While such Apps go a long way, they are still missing the point of the Post-PC era. To work and play effectively without a traditional PC.
So, what is the right answer then? I have always been a fan of choice. Strange sentiment from a iPhone user I know, but it’s true. I personally own thumb drives, SD Cards, external hard drives and a few standards that didn’t quite survive the popularity wars. I would like to be able to use all of these things, or at least most of them.
My idea then? Two parts, an app and a piece of hardware. Go figure. However, the app would be free and the hardware would cost just $24.99. The secret is, the hardware is just a dongle with a female USB port. This would allow you to plug in any standard SD Card reader, external hard drive, thumb drive, flash card reader, whatever. Any type of mass storage device that can operate over USB can be plugged in. If that works out, then why not a “Pro” version for $50 that allows you to connect two devices at the same time so you can move files between the drives. Something like copy the files from your cameras SD Card to a 1TB external HD. The app is just there to handle the transfer, or to copy the files to your phone for editing.
Honestly, this doesn’t even have to be a dongle. It could be a small wifi box with USB and SD Card ports. Think of a Wifi GoPro Camera without the camera. The GoPro file handling app works well enough on it’s own for this to work. Think of filming on the iPhone 6 Plus, in Slow-Motion, with the massive file sizes that it generates. How nice would be to be able to dump that off to say a 3Tb hard drive. You could keep shooting without to much interruption, and still have the files for post processing.
In the long run, it may happen, it may not. But whatever happens, mobile storage solutions are a real need that could be filled for very little investment.
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