Federico Viticci, in a response [http://www.macstories.net/links/improving-the-ios-keyboard/] to my thoughts about the iOS keyboard [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/ios-keyboard-has-room-for-improvement]: > I think the discussion on the iOS keyboard often mixes writing with editing. Personally, I believe the iOS keyboard is great for writing, because it’s just a normal keyboard, but iOS text selection is in serious need of an update, because it feels outdated. He makes a good point, if you only…
The more I write on my iPad, the more I appreciate the device for this type of creation. It's portable, easily accessible, and I'm less prone to distraction. And with writing applications making great use of iCloud and Dropbox, my data is always there and always in sync with my Macbook Pro. The negative with writing on the iPad is typing. It's a bit of a mixed bag experience — the iOS autocorrection is (at times) brilliant and I can fly along with confidence, knowing the OS is going to correct…
In 2011, I made the move to using iCloud full time. This change was due mostly to the fact that I no longer trusted Google with my data (or any service where the user is the currency [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/the-hand-that-feeds], not the customer). And while the change was primarily focused on Mail, Contacts and Calendars, over time I've really come to appreciate the iCloud experience in unexpected ways. I say unexpected, because even though Apple gave a lot of PR attention to some of…
What else is there to say about the latest essay [http://craigmod.com/journal/subcompact_publishing/] from Craig Mod? Everyone I follow seems to have read it, loved it and linked to it. If you haven't yet read it yourself, do so at your first available time slot. All I'll add to this conversation is this: the solution Craig believes is coming is something I need. I've been working on a new project, one that requires a way to do two things — deliver content and charge for access. Sadly, there ar…
Mark Dixon asks [http://www.markdixon.ca/design/blog/are-frameworks-the-new-cookie-cutters/] a great question — one I've been asking myself. I've used Dave Gamache's excellent Skeleton framework [http://www.getskeleton.com/] for my past few projects, and it has made the aspect of responsive design quite a bit easier. But I've also had to pare it down, stripping out all the bits I don't need. I've wondered about using something more lightweight, but the reality is, I'd be better off creating som…
We all have those days. Where one bad thing piles on another, until you ask yourself, “Is this really happening?” That was our weekend. Friday was a busy day at the office, a short staffed kind of day. In the middle of that, my wife started to have chest pains. Several hours later, she was headed to emergency while I stayed at home with our four children. That night, our beloved dog Nacho never came home. Saturday morning, our son started throwing up. The proverbial straw that broke the camel's…
I recently read a recent article (you read that right) on a 'tech news' site that waxed on about Apple growing stale. That their software is “showing its age". That was the moment my browsing session came to an end. Marco [http://www.marco.org/2012/11/07/linking-to-bullshit] and Gruber [http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/11/08/bullshit] recently had a blog-to-blog discussion about the merits — or lack of merits — of linking to this type of writing. I'll go one further; don't read it. I usual…
Judging from the number of links I've seen to The Best [http://dcurt.is/the-best], Dustin Curtis obviously touched on an idea that resounded with many folks. If you haven't read it, he makes a great case for buying the absolute best with every purchase. I also agree with this idea — purchases where I've followed suit have always lasted and their usage increases the enjoyment as they age. You even develop a fondness for these items (and their brands, usually) over time. However, I can't help bu…