It’s that time of year again! November has come and it’s the National Novel Writing Month in case you haven’t heard! Whether you are a NaNoWriMo vet or a newbie, there are many resources out there to help you get to 50k success at the end of the month. I have rounded up as many of these resources as I could find for you, so hopefully something or other down below will make the month a little easier for you. Happy Noveling!
For Mac Users
Macworld has a number of staff members who partake in nano, here is their article series for success!
Not to be outdone by Macworld, MacLife also has a mini guide to nano-ing that includes some iOS apps as well.
Here’s a Mac app that turns off the internet for a set amount of time, for those of you who are easily distracted by the Internet. Aptly named SelfControl.
For those of you who have an iPad and want to use that to assist you with your noveling efforts, here is a link to a site with some great app suggestions for iOS.
Here is the link for the Nanowrimo trial version of Scrivener. In case you don’t know, Scrivener is a great application for writers of all types. They are also a sponsor of NaNoWriMo and if you win you can get half off the software!
Here is the link for WriteRoom, one of the distraction free writing applications that full screens your manuscript so you can focus on nothing but writing.
Here is a link to Write or Die, one of the full screen apps that prompts you to write with settings that can prevent you from backspacing, and can even start deleting your work if you procrastinate too long. This also has an iOS app in case you are interested.
If you are having trouble naming characters, this website is very useful.
Here is Written? Kitten! Which appears to be a web app where you get a new picture of a cat/kitten once you have hit the interval word goal of your choosing. Helpful for those of you who require a dose of cuteness as positive reinforcement.
A few weeks ago, Apple held a press event. No, not that event, the one about the iPhone, but one a few weeks later that completely escaped my notice. I came home one day from work to find that Apple had done it, they announced the release of a gadget that many had guessed at and I completely dismissed as a figment of our collective imagination. The iPad mini, however, is real and I almost immediately knew I would have to own one. So, I preordered two at 3 o’clock I the morning on October 26th; one black, one white, both 16gb Wifi Only. My fiancé and I had decided that he would sell his first gen iPad and unused 2nd gen iPod Touch to make way for a black model for him, and I would just go all in and get myself the white one. No, I didn’t sell my now outdated 3rd gen iPad that was preordered and delivered in March, only a few short months ago. In fact, I am writing this article on my max-iPad as I have come to call it, and after a weekend with my new iPad mini I know I want to keep this big guy around!
The iPad mini really is a very advanced and very amazing device. Size wise, it is perfect, as even I can hold the device in one hand with my freakishly small hands! It is so well built and sturdy compared not only to other tablets on the market but also the larger iPad, as I feel no compulsion to wrap the iPad mini in a protective case. It really feels sturdy and so well built that it clearly is a high end device worthy of the price tag. The screen is so large on this little guy too! It really doesn’t feel much smaller than the full sized iPad screen, but I attribute that to the thinner edges that give the screen more real estate on the device. One thing that is surprisingly smaller, however, is the home button. It appears to be about two thirds of the size of a home button on an iPad or iPhone. Why is the home button so different? Well, it appears to be proportional with the lower bezel of the device which is thinner than a iPad, but appears to be the same size as an iPhone 4S. Since I don’t seem to have any logical answer for this mini home button, I am going to leave it as one of the mysteries of the world and to the proportion of the display which is really something to be in awe of. After all, the iPad line is all about the display, so lets get to the heart of how the mini stacks up against its bigger brother.
The display is surprisingly bright and vivid. I guess one would expect no less from Apple, but it surprised me mostly because in-hand the device felt like a kindle or e-reader with its thin body and ultralight frame, and to see this beautiful, bright screen was a bit of a surprise. The resolution on the display isn’t bad, either. It certainly isn’t retina quality as going from a retina iPad or iPhone to the mini shows a drastic difference, but in its own right the resolution is not unacceptable. The major flaw of the screen however is very evident when using iPhone applications on the mini. I do use a few iPhone only apps on my iPad, for example Instagram, and on my retina iPad the app isn’t too bad scaled up because of the high quality display, but on the mini the app looks terrible. It’s not completely unusable but the pixels are so obvious that using the app is not the same as on my phone or iPad. Now, this of course could be cured if Instagram had an iPad app, and I am still hoping that they create one to fix this issue and to give iPad and mini users a better experience when using the app on larger screened devices, but the issue remains that iPhone only apps just look bad on the mini.
When running iPad apps, however, the mini does an excellent job and looks great. I have enjoyed using some of my usual iPad apps on the mini, specifically games because I get the best of both worlds when it comes to the screen quality and size of the device itself. I can play action games with more ease because of the size and weight of the mini. Even non gaming apps are easier to use because you can hold the device in one hand and use the other to select or scroll. That was always a little difficult on the iPad because I needed two hands just to hold it sometimes.
As to the size of the device and weight, I think Apple hit a home run. Although there are many similarly sized tablets and e-readers on the market, none quite have the iPad mini’s perfect proportion. Yesterday, I was incredibly excited when I put my mini down for a rest on top of my agenda to find that the device was a perfect match to its dimensions. I know this may seem like an odd thing to be excited about, but when you think of it, these large sized agendas and notebooks have become a standard size for a reason, they fit in well on a desk or in a bag, and in the hand! I think it was great that Apple went with this proportion that fits well in everyday life. It helps that the side bezel is much thinner in portrait mode, because it gives the mini the illusion if a wider screen than it would if the bezel was proportional like the full sized iPad. Personally, I have not had a problem with the thinner side bezel of the mini causing my fingers to make accidental selections. I know Apple improved the finger rejection aspect of the software and it seems to be working as I make far more accidental taps with my iPad than I have so far with the mini.
Overall, the performance of the mini is on point with what we have come to expect from an iPad. Apps run great, web pages load in good speeds, and despite the fact that the home button is inexplicably tiny, it fits in well with Apple’s portable device line up. I did, however, mention that I would not be trading in my retina iPad anytime soon, and that speaks to the biggest flaw of the mini, the resolution. It really seems like a step back from the products apple has been putting out lately and I feel as though Apple made a mistake failing to give this little guy a retina display that all of the current devices use. I am certain that next year the iPad mini will come with a retina display standard, but this first generation has been slightly crippled by this oversight. It is a high end device, however, and it really feels like this was the device the iPad was meant to be all along, sturdy, lightweight, and ultra portable, definitely worth the price and an Apple product none the less!
Okay, so I just accidentally deleted my Picasa Web Album that had many pictures from this blog stored in it. Flipping through the posts you will see many of the images are now missing. I have searched google for a solution but the answer seems to be that I will never recover the lost images. I am absolutely devastated, but so much is lost that I will not be able to simply go back through my blog and re-upload the missing images. The only thing I can do is just move forward and make sure I never make this mistake again!
I have a confession to make. I love the smell of paper. The other day I bought a few colorful notebooks with lovely quotes on them and I have just been sitting around smelling them. Well, let’s back up a bit, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. From time to time, I have been picking up the notebooks and with one thumb flipping through the pages to create that sort of fanning affect you get from a book when little gusts of wind are created by the flipping of the pages in this way. And holding the edges of the paper up to my face I have been enjoying the scent of the recycled paper and the soy based inks just lingering between the pages. It’s a good smell. The notebooks have a good feel too, different than the feel of metal and glass from my iPad. I feel the soft smoothness of the covers, and can almost interpret with my fingertips the little tiny ridges of the paper that have been so tightly sewn together in that way paper fibers are formed to make a single sheet. It’s not cold like glass and metal, and yet not warm. The whole experience is very visceral. With the iPad, or any computer for that matter, the experience is all visual. The bright screen, the icons, interacting with the apps through a non tactile tap of the finger. These notebooks are different, they are all touch, and feel and smell. I love the smell of paper.
Alright ladies, I have done it! I have scoured the Internet for the prettiest, most elegant and feminine iPad cases! I know for many ladies out there, finding the right case solution for your iPad has been a challenge because nearly every tech accessory made for a woman is either pink or floral. Not that pink or floral aren’t feminine, but I think we all know it’s not what every professional or sophisticated woman is looking to tote around all day. So, without further ado, here are my submissions to you as some of the best feminine iPad cases, a few of which I already own!
The first case here is the Jess LC iPad case. This gold and brightly lined case has been making quite a splash on the Internet for a while now. It seems it is a must own case for fashion and design bloggers, as I see it on many sites and blogs!
This next case is from R&Em and I am in love with the teal zebra print. It’s the perfect mix of fun and flirty and totally office appropriate!
These fun and colorful cases are from Nico & LaLa and I actually own a black and white diamond patterned one myself. These cases are slim but protective and as you can see come with a monogram or name customized into the case. This means no confusion over who owns that fabulous device inside!
The next case may be familiar to anyone who has visited my blog before, because this is my new Elaine Turner Metallic Indian Tile Zip case. I love the silver exterior of this case and the bright pink interior filled with pockets for storing papers and cards. For me, its the ultimate case!
Maybe your not someone who wants a folio style case, per se. This Ted Baker Hoola Sleeve might be just the thing your looking for then! It’s slim and sleek and offers a great protection to style ratio!
If you find your taste range is more into the modern fashion designer, this Marc By Marc Jacobs Dreamy iPad folio may be your dream come true. The exterior is a foamy padding that is sure to protect your device and inside is even a pocket for holding papers. What more could a girl ask for?
If you like the whole personalized case idea, you may be interested in the iPad cases over at Haymarket Designs. They have a range of colors and patterns to chose from, and they too offer custom name printing!
I love a great pattern and if you do too, this Taylor Trellis case from Lill studios may be just what you have been looking for. Available in a few select colors this folio is full protection and full elegance!
Last but not least is a cute case from one of my favorite designers, Rebecca Minkoff. I just love her use of cute quotes and sayings on her accessories and her Touch & Go iPad case is tongue in cheek fun!
One of this summers hottest trends is the use of ultra glam metallics. I call this the Metallic Goddess look. Think sleek form factor with a shimmer of silver, sparkling gold dresses, stand out pumps and lots of metal jewelry. I am very into this trend, which I secretly believe is not actually a trend at all but a classic style that has and always will be popular. It’s an effortless sort of glamour that always seems chic, whether you are donning head to toe metallics or just wearing one stand out piece, a copper skirt perhaps or a bronze blazer, or maybe you are rocking a metallic silver strand necklace. Any way you wear it, the trend is hot and the look has gone beyond fashion and into the tech market.
Glamourous tech accessories like iPhone cases and laptop sleeves have been making their way into mass market retailers for a while now, but where the true Metallic Goddess style remains is in the smaller scale boutique market. High end boutique brands have been abuzz with glamourous accessories that go beyond what you can find at Staples and Best Buy. Rebecca Minkoff, Tori Burch, Marc Jacobs and Betsy Johnson have all brought their boutique styling to the tech accessory market which is mostly geared towards the young career woman who uses gadgets to get her through her day to day work life and also to keep in touch with her personal connections. This girl is tech savvy and stylish and requires more than your average black leather executive case which trends to the masculine side.
No, our savvy lady needs accessories that match her standout style in and out of the office, which is where Elaine Turner and her line of funky but well designed iPad cases comes in. I recently made my way to her online boutique and found that her high styled metallic and animal skin leather iAccessories are reasonably priced ($50-$150 on sale items) and highly functional. These are no generic sleeves, but well thought out, well made cases. So I just HAD to pick one up for myself. I fell in love with her Metallic Indian Tile Zip iPad case, which I found to be quite perfect. It protects very well with the zip around closure, keeps your iPad securely inside with four well placed straps lined with the same metallic print that covers the case. The alternate cover has a number of pockets to carry business cards, IDs, bank cards and even larger papers. Although their is no strap for a pen, I did find that I was able to hook my new Lunatik Touch Pen to the opening behind the zipper and it clips right in and stays put without any fuss when the case is both opened or closed. Overall, I am loving this case for its use of the Metallic Goddess Glam trend and for its great protection and utility.
So, what trends are you into right now and how do you carry your iPad or tablet? The Pink Mac would love to know!
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