lifestyle The Pink Mac

A Resolutionary New iPad

As you may have already heard, last Wednesday Apple announced the newest iteration of iPad. From what I am reading online and seeing on tv, it looks like the reception to the new iPad has been a mixed bag of feelings, with some excited about the new, albeit minimal changes that have taken place in this new model, while others consider the lack of thrilling new features and a distinctive number identification to be a clear sign of Apple’s impending demise without Steve Jobs. Thankfully, Joy of Tech has summed this up beautifully in their most recent comic which I have inserted below for your reading pleasure.

Of course, the irony of the whole back and forth, aptly captured within the comic, is that it appears that the release of this new iPad will be no less notable than any previous releases. When I myself attempted to preorder the new iPad via the website on Wednesday it took me no less than 45 minutes to do so as the servers were continually crashing due to the high volume of customers preordering their models as well. Quickly, the estimated delivery dates for the iPad changed from March 16th to March 19th, and although we can assume that the bulk of the preordering crowd has passed, I have a feeling that like last year, if you do not preordered or do not get in line nice and early on Friday for the in store release, you may find yourself unable to acquire an iPad for a few weeks.
Luckily, I was able to preorder myself a new iPad after what literally felt like an eternity of refreshing pages, but unfortunately for me, I am not going to pick my order up from a store, which I had originally intended to do, but instead my new iPad will be delivered to me at home. This is because my perfect plans were shattered when I found myself at a page in the ordering process that I did not plan on. I found myself face to face with an option for a free engraving, which I completely forgot was offered on previous iPad models. Of course, I could not pass on this excellent deal. After all, it was free, and a way to distinguish my iPad from the hordes of others out there in the world. If there were any future confusion over which iPad were my own, I only need specify the engraving on the back which would instantly prove my ownership of the device. Yes, I know there are serial numbers and such for this exact purpose but nothing is so instant as to say, “excuse me, that is my iPad, I can prove it, the back is engraved with the following…” and you can see where I am going with this. So, of course, once I selected the engraving option, I was locked into a direct delivery option instead of being able to pick up my unit in store. I was looking forward to making a video and posting about my in-line experience, but I guess I will have to wing it at home with an instant unboxing, which will have to do.
Now that I have gushed about the reception of the new iPad and provided my own little anecdote as to the ordering process, lets discuss the actual iPad itself. Apple has dubbed this newest model “Resolutionary” which has caused some rumbling from the peanut gallery as to how revolutionary the resolution really is, but lets look at the facts. Apple revolutionized the iPhone display with its Retina Display, which basically means that the pixel density is so high, your eye can’t tell the difference between pixels at a normal reading distance. That was pretty revolutionary for a phone. Now, Apple has done the same thing for an iPad, a device that is not only in a completely different category than the iPhone, but also has a display that is multiple times larger than a phones. And this wasn’t a matter of Apple making a bigger version of the iPhones Retina Display, but rather, they now needed to completely redesign the display in order to make it work on a larger scale. That is a pretty revolutionary resolution if you ask me.
Now, the second upgrade to the iPad is an iPhone quality iSight camera and an improved FaceTime camera. From all accounts, the iPad 2 had two terrible cameras, which provided nothing more than a novelty, but these new cameras which include full 1080p HD video capture are really going to effect day to day use of the iPad. As a blogger, I am excited that I can now use one device to capture images, video and data input on the go. Yes, I have a great camera that I use for pictures and videos, but on the go it is not as feasible to use my camera and then send the photos to my iPad for input into my blog. Normally, I achieve this by taking photos and video with my phone and uploading them into the cloud which I then pull down into my iPad, but again, this is many extra steps which I will now be able to skip because my iPad will be an all in one device. I am very excited to see how the iPad improves my blogging because I predict it will greatly simplify things for me.

The final major upgrade to the iPad is of course the 4G LTE wireless capability. Along with this, however, is notably an increased battery performance and the A5x processor to support not only the 4G technology, but also the Retina Display. For a while 4G was a wished for addition to not only the iPad but the iPhone as well. This 4G capability is significant, because Apple has added the widest variety of wireless signals to the iPad than ever before. Apple has integrated 4G LTE CDSM and GSM technology into their cellular antenna, which includes UMTS and GPS as well as Wireless and Bluetooth capability. Basically, this one device is ready for anything which is really amazing.
With all this new technology we are also seeing another first for Apple, and that is the increase in body size and weight for the new iPad. Although we are talking only fractions of inches and pounds, this is a milestone for Apple because they have really made a choice that they value the increase in technology more than the super slim form factor, which for the end user really enhances the experience more than the body design does. I know all these changes don’t seem so amazing to everyone, but as I predicted last year at the announcement of the iPad 2, there is not much else we can expect from the iPad line except for gradual increases in quality and technology. Apple got so much right with the first iPad that there wasn’t much improvement they needed to make aside from the addition of the cameras. From here on out we can expect to see small changes that will increase quality of the device and bring it up to speed with emerging technologies for connectivity and user experience. The iPad truly is a revolutionary device, and if you are still holding out or on the fence, I say jump on the bandwagon and get yourself an iPad, I doubt you will regret it!
lifestyle

Make your own website – with no coding!

So you’ve wanted to make your own website for some time now, but there is one key factor holding you back: you can’t code HTML. You have explored the option of learning it by watching videos or buying books but you just can’t understand it, or you don’t have the programs to code in. That’s where Weebly.com comes in to your rescue.

Weebly.com is set up to have drag and drop elements to place on the screen with no coding required. You choose between dozens of designs and templates to start your site, and then you add to it, with text, images, slideshows, and additional pages.

Example of selecting your design template.

Adding elements to the page, this is a slideshow.

Best of all this website is free to use, and you can publish your site (but it will end with .weebly.com) Once you are happy with your website, you can publish it and buy a domain name for $39.95 a year. However some of the features of the site are for Pro only and you need to upgrade for $3.99 a month. Give it a try and see if you like it, and as an example, here is my portfolio website to look at: mjcousineau.com

A page of my website.

The Pink Mac

LunaTik Touch Pen Kickstarter Success!

Last month I told you that I had backed my first Kickstarter project and I am very excited because the project was successful and not only reached its goal but succeeded it tremendously! It is the LunaTik Touch Pen from MINIMAL and I am very excited that I got to be a part of funding this awesome project. I can’t wait to receive my pens, I will be getting 3: 1 silver alloy, 1 plastic white and 1 plastic black! They look so beautiful and well designed with the replaceable Japanese rollerball cartridges that will keep these pens in use for a long time. Definitely check them out if you haven’t already and keep an eye out in a few months for my review of the pens!

This is the kit I am getting- aren’t they so sleek, I can’t wait!
Thanks MINIMAL!!
The Pink Mac

What’s Your Style Stylus?

I now have what I would consider to be a collection of iPad / capacitive touch stylus’ each with their own unique “style” for lack of a better word. They vary in size, weight and capacitive nib so that using each brings on a different effect and has strengths and weaknesses in different areas. You may have read up on different stylus styles before, but in this article I want to focus on how these specific three are best used. Oh, and I did I mention, that each of these stylus’ are incredibly affordable and available on amazon.com for less than $10 each? Well, they are, which is why I wanted to review them, because I think there are so many stylus’ out there that are two to three times the price and work similarly that consumers should know how to get the most bang for their buck.
 
Design
Pogo Sketch
The Pogo Sketch was one of the first stylus’ I had ever heard about, and it was the first I ever purchased for my Apple products. Initially, I had purchased this stylus to use with my Macbook Pro’s touch pad, but it ended up getting much more use on my iPad. This light weight, slim stylus has one unusual feature that sets it apart from other stylus’ and that is the foam nib which I will describe in more detail later. This stylus comes in a variety of colors to suite your tastes, but for review purposes I will be using my hot pink Pogo.
BoxWave Stylus
The BoxWave stylus has a popular look and feel that many are already familiar with. It’s short but hefty metal shaft is heavier in hand and more reminiscent of the weight of a fountain pen. It’s nib is a wide rubber half moon that has a bouncy feel like a rubber ball when you push on it. There are many similar stylus’ available that are much more expensive, such as the Targus and Griffin branded stylus’ that share the BoxWave’s size and nib style. Again, this one comes in a variety of colors as well, but I am using a silver one for review.
AYL/Acase Stylus
The final stylus I am going to review today is almost a hybrid of the first two. The AYL stylus (also known as Acase stylus) is the longest of the three but with a mid-width and mid-weight that reminds me more of a stick pen. Like the BoxWave, the AYL has a rubber nib, but the size is about a third smaller, much closer to the size of the Pogo Sketch’s nib. This nib is also not as resistive as the BoxWave and has a lot more give to it. Finally, this stylus too comes in a range of colors, but today I am using a black model for review.
 
Writing
Pogo Sketch
The dense cushion nib of the Pogo Sketch gives the stylus a unique balance when in use that juxtaposes the feather light weight of the shaft. Writing does not always feel fluid but you definitely get the sense of the connection of the nib to the screen of the device, like one gets with the nib of a pen against paper. The Pogo Sketch writes well if you have large handwriting, but its real strength is sketching and drawing. The dense nib gives sketching more of a painterly feel. Although there are not many stylus’ with this unique nib, the Nomad Brush is another stylus that is geared towards iPad artwork such as drawing and sketching but with a much higher price tag, so if you’re looking for a stylus to help you draw on your iPad, you may want to test out a Pogo Sketch first.
BoxWave Stylus
The large rubber nib of the BoxWave stylus is sometimes difficult to write with. Hand writing is often skewed with this stylus and it is best if you write larger as compared to smaller hand writing which is often unreadable. The nib does move with a fluid motion across the screen, which is good, but sometimes writing will not show up depending on the angle of the nib on the screen. The style of this stylus is very generic and not very well thought out as its length causes you to need to scrunch your hand in order to get a good grip, however, it does very well as a replacement finger if all you need your stylus for is selecting icons and navigating the internet. Also, sketch noting and annotation is decent on this stylus. Overall, however, the nib is just too large and impractical for writing or any detail work.
AYL Stylus
The small rubber nib of the AYL stylus gives the most natural and effective writing experience out of all three of the stylus’. The smaller nib size means you can write smaller much more effectively and the flexible tip gives an almost floating feeling as it moves across the iPad’s screen. The balance of this pen is by far the best and it feels the most like a real pen or pencil in hand. The length is perfect in hand, which means you can use a natural writing posture or grip with this stylus and still get an excellent result. You can compare this stylus to the Bamboo Touch stylus whose high level of craftsmanship and smaller nib size make writing or drawing on the iPad a much more natural experience. This stylus, however, is about a quarter of the price of the Bamboo Touch but still remains much of the same superior craftsmanship and materials as the higher priced stylus.
tech The Pink Mac

I Heart Cases

As if it were any secret, I really love new cases for my gadgets. It gives them a new feeling despite their age and wear and I can never resist a good deal on a cute case. For instance, I picked up this rather whimsical floral iPad sleeve from Kohl’s for about $10 after the mailman graciously sent me a $10 off gift card for the store (I love those things)! Of course, Mike tried to talk me out of it, making the obvious argument that I have enough iPad cases, however, I explained to him that it would be a good investment because I could use it for a future iPad 3 as well, so it wouldn’t go to waste once I upgrade my gadget. He reluctantly agreed and now I tote my iPad around in this beauty which I was happy to find came with black and silver hardware, which I strongly prefer to the brass/faux gold look.
Now, since moving to my new apartment, I have rediscovered my love for Marshall’s as well, which is where I spotted my next new case. This sparkly Nine West laptop sleeve was a steal at just $15 so I had to talk Mike into buying it immediately and giving it to me for Christmas. It is so rare for me to find a laptop case that I just have to have and again, I was taken in by the silver and black hardware and the fact that the direction of the sequins create a variation on the cases cover from a sparkling black to a sparkling silver. Its very fun to play with!
The Pink Mac

AFK

 

Yes, I know, I have been AFK for a while now, but if you hold tight, I will be back shortly with some new content for the blog. In the meantime, let’s just run down what has happened since we last spoke.
1. I won Nanowrimo 2011 with my novel The Alchemist’s Club
2. I bought a pretty new iPad sleeve case*
3. I made a bunch of new writing friends including a former MacUser writer
4. I spent most of December recovering from November and planning out the ending of my novel (which I didn’t actually complete during nano, and have yet to complete at this point)
5. I was gifted new tech accessories, such as an awesome and affordable stylus and a sparkly sleeve case for my macbook*
6. This blog turned 3
7. I continued decorating my apartment*
8. I read dozens of articles on tech, productivity and life in general*
9. I signed up for Code Year*
10. I backed an awesome Kickstarter project*
*More info to come
The Pink Mac

My New Blackberry 9930!

This post is actually far overdue and has been a while in the making. I bought my new Blackberry back in August but have continuously been putting off a post about it despite the fact that I really believe its a great phone and I am extremely happy with it! So, here it is in all it’s glory!

There really isn’t much to say about the new Blackberry except that this is point blank the best Blackberry out on the market. It is so sleek it blows other BBs as well as other smart phones out of the water. It has a wide full qwerty keyboard which is a breeze to use compared to my old BB Tour’s keyboard which had smaller keys. It has a touch pad which I realize isn’t a new feature of Blackberry’s but it is new to me and I enjoy not having a trackball get stuck as I am trying to search for an app or a website. The feature that distinguishes this phone the most is probably the touch screen which in conjunction with the full keyboard and non-slider brick form is a first for RIM. In this day and age of touch screens, its really great to have a smartphone with a touchscreen so you can tap icons or pinch to zoom in webpages or images. The screen is large enough that you really get a lot of information packed in and catching up on your favorite website is totally possible with this phone!

Really, the best thing about the new Blackberry is really its speed. It is snappy and for the first time, I have been able to really use the internet browser on a smartphone. Websites load fast, and the search is quick. Maps and navigation are quick to use and other 3rd party applications run smoothly. Overall, I am very impressed with the new phone and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new Blackberry.

I have included a few links below with reviews on the phone in case you would like some more detail on the specs and such.
The Pink Mac

The Missing Links 11.5.11

Since I have already announced that I am partaking in NaNoWriMo again this year, I thought that I would put together a post full of links for other Mac users who are also participating. Whether this is your first year or not, and whether you are writing from a Mac, iPad or iPhone, these links are for you to find something new to help keep your word count at its maximum all month long!

  • Macworld has put together their annual collection of nanowrimo tips and tricks.
  • For those writing via iPad, Macgasm has collected an indispensable toolkit for November.
  • Need to find that perfect iPad software to keep you writing for 30 days, find it here.
  • Looking for the perfect OSX software to keep you on track, I love Scrivener!
  • Whether your using OSX or iOS, MacLife knows Mac users are nano-winners with this gear!
Happy Novel Writing my wonderful Mac Users!
{Image via Flickr}
The Pink Mac

NaNoWriMo 2011 has begun!

It’s November, and for me that means back to noveling as part of National Novel Writing Month. Not only am I taking on this 50,000 word challenge, but I have also volunteered to be the Municipal Liaison for my county. So, I am not only responsible for writing my own novel, but I am also responsible for an entire region of writers and helping them to achieve the goal as well! It was a little daunting at first, but after our Kick Off Party and meeting some of my regions participants I know that there is nothing to fear because I am in with a great group!

I am already ahead of the game with my word count, which makes me very happy, and my home office setup is perfect and includes the following:



Hardware:

13″ Macbook (circa 2006) connected to a 15″ Apple Studio Display

13″ Macbook Pro (2009)

16gb iPad (1st Gen)

Apple Pro Mouse

Apple Bluetooth Keyboard


Software:

Scrivener for Mac

Notebooks for iPad

Dropbox

Loads of iPad games like Splodes and Osmos HD


Misc:

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones

Large Squared Moleskine

The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on audiobook (I can’t write to music, only spoken word)

I have been trying to recreate that home office pictured above as it seems nice and cozy especially with the extreme weather we are getting on the east coast– it looks like we may have a snowy November ahead. This year I am very lucky because my fiance is also participating in the event, so we have built a novel writing schedule for ourselves to keep each other on track. I know its only day one, but I am feeling really good about this year’s novel, so I hope I have more positive updates to give you in the weeks to come.