thaddeushunt.com

If you haven’t guessed by now, you’re probably new to this site, and if so, welcome! If not, you’ll undoubtedly know that I am an iOS text editor enthusiast to the umpteenth degree! I really love what developers out there have done to create such robust and fun ways to create words and text on such tiny screens and devices!

One that I’ve been playing around with for a good amount of time is Drafts. Drafts, on it’s own, is a very elegant and clean text editor that’s UI is completely spartan by design. It main function is for you to launch it, jot a note or idea down and close it. The app saves your work in a plain text format and the next time you open the app? It starts a new note. This wash, rinse, repeat philosophy is what got me to first buy and try the app. But, it’s only when you open up Drafts and use it for a bit, that you realize that this text editor quite unique and powerful.

Aside from the impressive collection of fonts that the kind folks at Agile Tortoisebaked in, you also get the requisite font size selector and two other themes to mix things up a bit (white text on black and a “Sepia” toned dark brown text on tan based theme). There is also a new view in the latest version of the app that is quite handy called “Link” mode which makes all the links that you type in to a note, tap-able! URLs would be easy but this view also includes phone numbers and even addresses! Think about it, you get a phone number from someone, put it in Drafts, and instead of holding down on the text, making sure it’s selected, opening the phone app, copying it into the dial field and tapping dial, now all you have to do is tap the “Link” mode in the note, tap the number, then dial. It’s that easy!

It also has sync but the folks at Agile Tortoise didn’t want to jump through the myriad of hoops that Apple makes you go through to hook your app up to iCloud so they went with the well-thought-of sync project “Symperium”. In my using of both Drafts apps for iPhone and iPad, I’ve found the sync to be almost instantaneous and, most importantly, reliable. Which has been a little bit of a sticking point for me with the somewhat recent implementation of iCloud sync in apps. The only catch though with going with Symperium is that it doesn’t allow you to sync with your Mac (or PC, yet…). Presumably, going with the more “open” Symperium service, would afford the opportunity sync cross platform/device, but that hasn’t happened yet, so the only way you’d be able to get your notes out of your respective iOS device is through the sharing options provided to you.

The good news? This is definitely where Drafts shines! When you use Drafts you could almost overlook the sharing button in the toolbar of your notes, but after you tap it… man… there are a ton of options!

Here’s a rundown of the current list of services that Drafts hooks into, most of which I use (some of which I’ve reviewed on this very site):

• Post to Facebook or Twitter
• Email your notes anywhere
• SMS
• Save and append to Dropbox
• Send to iCal (Calendar)
• Create a Reminder in iOS "Reminders" app
• copy it to the clipboard in iOS
• Print
• Save to Evernote (can also save as Markdown)
• Send to Tweetbot (twitter client)
• Send to Day One (journaling client that I love)
• And last but not least you can choose "Open in…" which allows you to open the note in any other text editor that you have on your device.

With these sharing options, Drafts has become a my springboard for whenever I even have a whimsy about sharing a piece of text in more than one place. They’ve made it too damn easy to not see it as your default app for that. If I wasn’t such an iOS text editor junky, I’d probably have this as my sole go-to editor.

Add in it’s full support of Markdown and it’s really a no brainer.

To date I’ve used it for quick notes (movie names, phone numbers, etc…), calendar events, to do lists, entire chapters of the novel I am writing, Tweets, Facebook posts (when I actually am on FB), blog posts (though not this one), and the list could go on and on but you get the point, this app is a tiny juggernaut.

So go get it! Highly recommended!

Where to get it:

1. iPhone - $1.99
2. iPad - $2.99

What about the guys that made it?

• Agile Tortoise
• Drafts Devs on Twitter - @draftsapp

I was fortunate to be part of the groggy masses that woke up at 3AM Eastern last Friday to secure the delivery of a new iPhone 5 this Friday. Yes, I know, that is really friggin early, but I am a fan of Apple's stuff and I am huge non-fan of lines and über busy retail stores so, if I wanted the latest on the day it went on sale, it was worth the 15 sleepy minutes it took to pre-order one.

Actually, I should really do a post on how that pre-order went. It was quite the Apple commercial really. Another time.

What I really wanted to do was post up a pretty handy tip I found today!

Now this won't pertain to all of you, but often, when I get a new i-device I like to start fresh. I used to redownload everything! Apps, music, resetting up all of my settings…

For apps now, it's a little different. With Apple's iCloud back ups it's way too easy to get all of your apps back with out havng to redownload and configure them again (which, frankly, is a royal pain in the ass). It puts them back where you remember too. Easy peasy.

But with music, I do enjoy picking and choosing the songs that will take up all of those beloved new gigs of space.

So today I was really puzzled on what the easiest way to delete just the music from an iDevice was. Yes, I already knew the "swipe left and tap delete" method but, even on an artist level, that can take a good amount of time.

I just wanted to nuke it all.

I waded into all of settings menus for about 20 minutes before I folded and hit the omnibar to find if anything existed that could do exactly what I needed. Sure enough! There is!

Here's the direct link to the tip on OSX Daily. It's four brilliant and easy steps. It certainly isn't obvious and I wondered just how many people knew about it, so I thought I'd share it here.

If this is something you want to do before you load up your new phone, it doesn't get much easier than this! Just delete the music, make a back up, and restore your phone when it comes in the mail!

Meant to write about this when the trailer dropped last week but MAN... having been brought up on James Bond in the Roger Moore era? Boy I am super psyched for the kids today to have a James Bond that is a total bad ass!

I've loved Daniel Craig in the role since day one. It was inspired casting that I know initially, had A LOT of folks were concerned. But it was all totally unfounded! He's been perfect for the role since "Casino Royale". Not sure how long his contract is, but I hope it's a long one!

The cuff link adjustment at the end of the recent trailer (below), is spot on perfect! Add Sam Mendes directing it all and I honestly can't wait for Skyfall!

[youtube [www.youtube.com/watch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kw1UVovByw])

Hey all! As you you've already read here on this site I am a HUGE Day One journaling fan!

Well, they've just come out with a new version of their all of their apps and it's a hugeone! Integration of photos, weather, locale, better mark down support, sharing options, social integration, better Dropbox and iCloud sync, seriously... it's huge.

They even updated their site! So if you don't have it already, definitely check it out. It's taking daily journaling to a whole new level. I absolutely love it and this update makes an already great experience even better!

Collect them all!

1. Day One Journal Site
2. Day One Journal Mac App Store
3. Day One Journal iOS

One of the things I have tried my best to sustain in my day to day life, is the act of buying things that are created as locally as possible. This practice makes sense more than ever now. With the economy being what it is and everyone striking out on their own to making a living, it is pretty much our civic duty to support each other and our communities. Purchasing locally made products keeps the money and, by proxy, the livelihood, around you. This eventually provides a better society and a neighborhood that is closer, more tight-knit. When you care for your community, they end up caring for you right back. Even if that equals just a smile walking by on the street.

In the case of food, it also benefits you greatly. Not only do you get something that is fresher and (often) healthier than anything you could get at a big box store, you also meet the cultivator of that food. When you shake your local farmer's hand, you are making a distinct emotional connection. One, I have noticed, that they often do not forget. In this deep electronically connected age, it is amazing how disconnected we have become to the immediate space around us. Everyone looking at screens on the street corner, on the bus, in the elevator, at the dinner in the restaurant... I'm guilty of it too! But the cool part is that it honestly doesn't need to be this way. At least not all of the time. There are a lot of ways we all can make a difference with minimal effort. Be it through our local farmer's market or food coop, a local music store, breweries, general stores, restaurants, clothing stores... there are a lot of options for us all to pitch in for very little to no additional cost.

I could go on about the ethics of this situation, but I think we can all agree: helping the people around you is a good thing.

One great use case scenario of this came from the last long weekend I took with Melinda in state. We were in a beer and wine shop and, being a local beer enthusiast (something North Carolina is quickly becoming renowned for), I was looking for a few bottles of something new to kick back and enjoy during the hot afternoon. There were dozens of domestics and imports but my eyes fell on on a new local beer I had not tried yet. In fact I had never even seen it before. I picked up a bottle and before I could even read where it was from, the person running the shop piped up and said that her husband brewed that beer right here in town and that it is bottled and distributed just south of where we were.

Sold! It was pretty much the freshest beer I would ever find outside of going to a brewery and drinking right from the tap (which is also immensely enjoyable!). I grabbed a six pack and thanked the kind lady for keying me into buying her husband's beer. It was the perfect situation! It was a product I knew I would enjoy, supporting a local craftsmen, putting money into a shop that only they owned, in their own home town.

Of course this is not possible for a lot of people. Depending on where you live, it may not be an option to get to a farmer's market (though they are popping up everywhere nowadays), or even into a town center that can provide any local options. If that is the case, buy regional, or even national. I guarantee you will not be able to do it every time you are out shopping. But if you can do it when you are able too, it always makes a difference.

This shouldn't be about national pride (though it certainly can be), or some latest fad (which would be something I could actually get behind). It should be about lending each other a hand and not ignoring the world around us. It could also be about living healthier as well.

All good things.

Not too long ago, in the grand scheme of things, this is how the human race took care of themselves and each other. We were all only as strong our communities. While I do not think we have forgotten that completely, I do think we have pulled way back from what we once were. Progress is always good, but not at the expense of complete isolation. The cost of constant convenience is common place now, especially with the current generation. Kids and young adults know so many things that I didn't even conceptualize when I was their age. I actually am in the camp that thinks this is a good thing. It is how we evolve as a society and it's amazing to see us all foster a global community through our technology.

But again, it is incredibly important that we keep that sense of local community as well. And we do this by supporting each other. Because while ones and zeroes can enhance our lives to unthinkable levels, they can not replace the reality that is "you" and "I" breathing in the same immediate space. They can not replace the reality of "us".

At least not yet anyway. ;)

For the last few years, I have been using my ever-faithful Apple bluetooth keyboard for my wireless keyboard needs (Laptop, iPad, iPhone, Mac Mini, you name it…). I chose it for the following reasons:

1. It's got a good form factor
2. It is ruggedly built (I have dropped it several times and it has kept ticking without a hitch).
3. Despite it's form factor it has got a full size layout for its keys (sans number pad). Which is always important. I hate feeling cramped while typing.
4. It pairs relatively easily with devices and the Mac-specific hotkeys at the top are quite quite handy (particularly when used with the iPad)
5. It's easy to grab and slide into my bag when I need to just go.

But, that all said, there are a few drawbacks. Small stuff mostly, but chief amongst them is the Apple keyboard's need of batteries to function and it's ability to have it's bluetooth connection turned on by accident (draining the batteries of both your device and the keyboard) if the large button on its side gets touched by a feather.

Both of these issues caused me to reevaluate my selection of a keyboard and at least start to research what is out there nowadays for alternative options. Suffice it to say, I found a lot!

The best options built specifically for the Mac, that weren't built by Apple, seemed to be offered by Logitech. They have a great selection with a lot of options, but in the end I settled on their series of solar powered keyboards. They support all of the current Apple command key shortcuts, have zero need for batteries (fully charged, it can be used for three continuous months in complete darkness) and, in the case of the travel version, they have the ability to hot swap between multiple bluetooth devices. Which is handy if you need to quickly disconnect from one device and quickly pair with another (from an iPad to a desktop, for instance).

Here are the two I went with:For the iPad I went with the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760

And for the Mac Mini I splurged and snagged the full sized Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac®

They both perform easily as well as their Apple manufactured counterparts and while they don't feel as well built as Apple's aluminum keyboards, they by no means feel cheap in any way.

Function-wise, they both have worked flawlessly. I love that the hotkeys (the "F" keys) that are in the top row of the Apple keyboard, can all be found on the Logitechs (the media-based buttons work even on the iPad!). Also, eco-stance aside, I really love that I don't have to worry about having my rechargeable batteries around and charged up when my keyboard dies. The solar cell at the top, does change the footprint (and the aesthetic if that's important to you) obviously, making the keyboard, in both cases, taller. But the exchange for battery life and the simple convenience of putting it in any kind of light to recharge it, definitely trumps these quibbles for me.

The bluetooth hot swapping on the K760? It works as advertised and is pretty damn amazing! Once paired up (easy to do as well) I was swapping between my iPad, iPhone and Macbook with a simple keystroke. It's fast and way more convenient than I originally anticipated. Definitely not a gimmicky feature! It is the real deal and quite helpful.

One odd difference between the two? The K760 keys are WAY more "clicky" than the K750. So if you are into that, or are obsessive about stealth typing, than you may want to take a note of this. I noticed it right away.

Lastly, the K750 comes with a free app you can snag from the Mac App Store that gives you real time info on your charge and the amount of light/solar energy your keyboard is currently receiving. Pretty neat to bring up and watch, not to mention handy if you need to know how much juice your keyboard currently has left. Again, it's only for K750, but it is well implemented on the Mac.

So if it wasn't clear enough yet, I will come out and say it: I am pretty smitten with these keyboards! I've used the K750 for a month now and the K760 for a little over week. They have not given me one bit of buyer's remorse. Quite the opposite actually. I wish more peripherals were made with this kind of utility and function.

Two thumbs up! Way up! Highly recommended!

I am a HUGE fan of Rian Johnson. From his films, "Brick", "The Brothers Bloom", to even his episodes of "Breaking Bad"... for folks like me, he is a really inspiring talent, writing and directing all of his films. His recent film "Looper" teams him up again with the always wonderful Joseph Gordon-Levitt in what looks like a high octane, brain melt of a scifi flick.

I liked the first trailer that came out a while ago, but you gotta check out this new international one that dropped today. If that doesn't get you stoked to see what Johnson has put together for us all, I honestly don't know what to do with you. :)

At very least consider giving it a chance. If anything to support new and original film-making/story-telling.

Hey guys,

This popped up on the ole radar this week and I thought I would share. If you know the intricate inner workings of my mind (poor, poor you…), you will know that I have an amazing soft spot for weather and, by proxy, weather apps.

Well, a new one dropped this week called WTHR and it’s design is just too good not to share with you all. What I love the best? The screenshot above pretty much tells you everything that the app does! It gives you the weather of where you are at in a simple, clean and beautiful way. No radars, not barometers, no ten day forecasts… just the vitals.

Love the style. Love the delivery. Love the app.

One important note: It does have some issues with its first release. It leaves the GPS search running even AFTER you’ve closed the app. Pretty big bug, as that can lay waste to your battery life, but I am more than confident that they will fix that in the next release (a lot of weather apps have delivered with this bug). So, wait for the next release or snag it now for 99 cents (?! - link above).

If you love good app design and aesthetic, this a bit of a no brainer.

UPDATE 07/11/12

The developer for WTHR released an update to iOS app store, just yesterday (tookWAY longer that I would’ve thought) that fixes the issue above. You do have to reset your locations services though which can be found in:

Settings>General>Reset (bottom of the list) >Reset Location Warnings.

If you are just buying it now, you don’t have to reset a thing. Just use it an enjoy!

It’s a shame this bug slipped through the testing process. Oh well, it works great now!

One of my all time top five favorite films is Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood". There isn't one single frame that I can find fault with in that film. The acting, the stunning wide shots, the cinematography, Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack... from the opening shot, to the closing seconds, it is simply perfect! I've loved his other films too (Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love and Magnolia all come imediately to mind), but TWBB takes first place in my head. No contest.

So after that movie came out in 2007 I naturally clamored for his next and finally,finally, there are some signs of life that it even exists in 2012 beyond set reports and rumors. At this year's Cannes film festival the Weinsteins unveiled some sneak peaks of films they were unloading on all of us this year. Anderson's next, "The Master", was one of them (along with a first look at Tarantino's much anticipated "Django Unchained"). Here's that teaser:

[youtube [www.youtube.com/watch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WTM8eO1Oec])

Now, I don't know about you, but this is how a trailer should be made. Simple, perfectly paced, beautiful photography, no distracting music, simple on screen fonts... giving you just a nibble, but not the entire entree. You are simply intrigued after you watch it.

This week they released another teaser and I just figured I'd post them both here since, after a couple viewings, they continue to amaze, and I wanted to share. Pheonix looks absolutely amazing, along with Hoffman, who I think has been in every single one of Anderson's films. And for good reason too, he's one of the best actors alive today in my humble opinion.

[youtube [www.youtube.com/watch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U8eyMFCpJw])

So there you go, in a world of explosions and nudity in cinema, we finally have a large studio-backed, slow burn of a film that isn't another god damn remake of a movie from my childhood.

Honestly? I can't wait for what's coming out in the theaters this year! It's a good feeling to have for a change wouldn't you agree?

Now here is a pretty interesting alternative to my writing setup. I'm definitely curious to see the implementation of it and how it works with the iPhone (or Android device). Does the touchpad create some kind of custom mouse pointer on the screen (that'd be kind of cool!)? Or do you still have to touch the iPhone screen in the dock to navigate, rendering the built in touch pad completely useless (that would be kind of lame.)?

Official product page can be found right here!

What is it?:

750words.com is a site dedicated to writing, yep, you guessed it, seven hundred and fifty words a day. The concept behind it all comes from "The Artist's Way" and the act is referred to as "morning pages". The idea being that if you can type out at least 750 words during the day, it will clear out the cobwebs and get you ready to approach anything with a clear head (or at least a clearer one than you had before). The service itself is entirely online and private. It provides an online editor (that is spartan, but surprisingly configurable) that gives you a word count as it auto-saves your work while typing and that's about it.

There is a community aspect to it all, but it's not forced on you. It is simply there if you need it. There are also merit badges you can receive as well for reaching personal benchmarks in your daily practice (because that is purely what it is: practice). They give you nothing really, but it is nice/fun to have something to shoot for other than the personal satisfaction of reaching a certain typing speed, or that illustrious moment when you completed your daily entry for the thirtieth day in a row!

If this all sounds pretty simple, it is. That is the aim after all! The service's entire function is to provide you a nonjudgmental forum for you to brain dump ideas. There are no rules, no structure and no limitations. It's not blogging. It's not supposed to be. No one will read this except you (though there are opportunities to share if you choose to).

How I use it:

I fire up an external editor, separate from the 750words site. Preferable one with a word count that has a distraction free, full screen mode available.

Here are some favorites of mine that cater to many different writing setups:

1. iA Writer (iPhone/iPad, Mac)
2. Elements (iPhone/iPad)
3. Scrivener (Mac, Windows)
4. Omm Writer (iPad, Mac, Windows)

After I've followed my writing idea to it's inevitable completion, I stop, see how many words I've written and if I have over the coveted 750, I highlight it all and it paste into the editor on 750words.com. I quickly verify the site saved my words and then log out and go on with my day.

I used to try to make this a morning ritual but, to be honest, I am not much of a morning person. So I often write my words whenever I find a block of time. It doesn't really matter when you do it, just that you do it.

Why I like it:

The idea behind the entire site is to get you to write every single day and, hopefully, make it a daily ritual. It might sound like a lot (it is actually about three pages), and somedays it totally is, but if you can do it and stick with it, it becomes an immensely rewarding experience. I am currently on my forty eighth consecutive day!

The way I always aim to start, is to come to the keyboard with an idea ahead of time. If I don't have one (hey, it happens) I pick the first thing that floats into my head. Literally. Once I have the idea, I write and let the idea take me where ever it decides to. Sometimes it ends up veering WAY off topic. Sometimes a beautiful short story comes out of it! Sometimes it takes the form of more of a diary entry. But, at least for me anyways, it's always an exploration. The fleshing out of an idea. It's me taking a concept/topic and thinking it through entirely.

And, most importantly, it's me giving myself permission to.

Our days are filling to the brim with time suckers, diversions and stupid, menial distractions. It's gotten to the point where I often need to stop the world, unplug and do what I love to do: simply write. I shouldn't need a reason, but having one helps.

If I don't have my 750 words? And I promise you, this will definitely happen. I stop, take a breath and see if there is anything else I have to say. Maybe there's another angle, or something different entirely that weaves into the topic. Point being, the act of stopping and listening to yourself is always precious, both in writing and in life.

In Closing…

The tag line of 750words.com is perfect. "Private, unfiltered, spontaneous, daily"...

I have honestly been shocked at how much those aspects of this site have benefited me. I've had some great ideas shake out of it and, in a lot of ways, it's been an unexpected kind of therapy for me. Add the frequency to all of this and the fact that you are simply writing WAY more than you were before and it becomes an invaluable task to my day to day. I no longer look at it as "one more thing I have to do". I actually look forward to it.

So if you are looking to kick start your writing into action again or for the first time,sign up for 750words account. It is literally a definitive "win-win" and will never steer you wrong. I can't recommend it enough.

And if you end up loving it, support it!

Saw this making the rounds today. Pretty interesting tech going on here! In a bunch of ways this is where I am hoping personal computing is going: less tactile and more fluid.

I like the idea of computer use being more an extension of natural human movement rather than all of us hunched in front of screens moving our hands repetitively until they ache and degrade.

Anyone out there know if this project is legit or not? They are taking preorders but, to be honest, the price ($75 with shipping) seems to good to be true. Also, I'm always suspect of video demos that could easily be doctored into a "proof of concept" rather than and actual demo of the hardware in use. That and their "Developers" tab is a dead link. Not a good sign.

Anyways, here's the video. Hit me up on Twitter if you know anything about it! Might just have to order one! :D

[youtube [www.youtube.com/watch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d6KuiuteIA])

UPDATE: This definitely is legit. CNN ran a bit on it and it's been featured on just about every reputable Mac site on the planet (and then some). Pretty amazing stuff! Again, as I said above, the content of that video and the price point alone make me want to grab the ole plastic and hit up that preorder page they've got! Add in what appears to be a good amount of developer interest and it's total win-win for us Mac owners!

I've always been a huge fan of journaling. It's you taking time out of your schedule, stepping out of the constant stream of everything that barrages us every second of every day, to simply acknowledge what you've seen and experienced. It's an activity worthy of anyone's energy and time.

This all said, I haven't been able to stick to journaling at all in the past. My mind forms pages of prose WAY faster than my pen can race across any given page. So as much as I love the concept of it, I am not disciplined enough at doing it. There was always the option of opening up a text editor on a computer and creating entries that way, but that is disorganized, aesthetically lacking and it feels like any other activity you'd do in front of a computer. Not you taking time out for yourself.

But what if someone decided to create an application dedicated strictly to capturing the spirit of pen and paper journaling? Furthermore, what would be your stipulations for such an app? Here are mine:

1. Like a notebook, it would have to be readily accessible. In my pocket and on my desk (on portable devices AND stationery computers).
2. Because of the above, it would have to sync between said devices. Updating multiple instances of the same journal would get frustrating and old quite quickly.
3. It would have to supply a user experience that somehow takes you out of the day to day work you do on a computer. So that when you opened it, you would think "it's time to write in my journal!" not, "it's time to journal, oh, let me check my Twitter feed first! Oh yeah, look, I've got new email. Should look at that now..."
4. It should be simple to use and get out of the way of the user's need to write, yet have powerful features that are there if you need them.

The good news? There is an app that supplies these things for me and it's the new reason I journal and have been journalling (sometimes multiple entries a day!) every single day for the last year. So what's this magical unicorn of an app? Enter "Day One Journal"!

From the outset, this app is no-nonsense! You open it for the first time and with a little initial one-time configuration, you can be writing your first entry in under five minutes. The app is available on OSX and iOS (universal), so it's available on every tech device I have (Mac mini, iPhone and iPad) and because it syncs with iCloud (or Dropbox if you prefer and have an account) all of my entries are constantly in sync no matter what screen I am looking at.

The UI is quite elegant on all platforms, organizing your entries in a variety of ways (in a daily "stream-based" view, a in a calendar view, or in a section listing entries that you've favorited). You can even set up alarms to remind you to write in your journal (you can turn them off as well!).

When you open a new entry, you are greeted with some inspiration in the form of famous quotes from people present and in the past (A nice touch, but thankfully you can disable these as well). The date and time is filled out for you and you are left with this wonderful white space to type in! Once you get your thoughts and memories down you click/tap the "Done" button and that's it! It syncs instantaneously in the background, backing up our words as well as making them available anywhere that you have Day One installed. If you don't wan't your words in the cloud and just want them stored locally on your computer, you can do that as well (though you lose the syncing capability). Don't want other people reading your words? No problem? You can password protect your entries!

Have you written something you'd like to share? That's easy too! By clicking the share button on the entry you can get social in many different ways, email, Twitter (built in iOS integration), you can even export your entry if you feel the need.

It sounds like a lot of options and it is, but I can't express enough how much the developers of Day One made them all secondary and unobtrusive to the simple of act of writing in your journal. I haven't even touched upon the quick entry window in OSX that's nestled in your menu bar at the top of your screen, allowing you to add an entry without opening the app itself, or the different fonts you can use, or that it supports the highly readable markdown code… there's a lot! But here's the thing: it's not overwhelming. Which is the point right? Writing in your journal should be easy! It should be a joy and not a chore!

That's why it was crucial and wonderful that the developers of Day One nailed this experience.

When I am not writing lengthy entries, I actually use it to write Twitter-like observations in my day to day (leaving my actual Twitter stream more lean and curated). Little memories, anecdotes, ruminations or whimsies, all the little stuff that gets lost typically, is documented in my digital journal now! Also, I have to admit, once you've started, it's amazing to go back and read what you were doing the same day last year.

It reminds you that you've lived and to me? That's pretty damn precious!

There are a few improvements that could be made to the app (a lack of a search function, you can't embed pictures into entries, iCloud sync is new and thus is a little buggy at times…) but they don't detract from the experience and, in the case of the ones I listed above, they are all being addressed in future releases of Day One (which are free by the way). It's also Mac only. Sorry Windows/Linux users.

So, to bring it all home, if you've been on the fence about keeping a journal or maybe you've been thinking of getting back into it but want a more modern twist on the act of keeping one, I can't recommend the Day One Journal app enough. I've loved it immensely!

~Tad

Helpful links:

1. Day One Journal Site
2. Day One Journal Mac App Store
3. Day One Journal iOS

PS: ALL pics in this post were snagged from Day One's press kit found here on their site

I touched upon this in a previous post but, as that post was focused on the software I used, I thought I'd expound a little more on my writing setup from a hardware level and why I chose the setup that I did.

I've taken a very minimalist approach to the hardware I use in my writing nowadays. I used to have a 13in MacBook Pro and that was WAY more hardware than I needed for 90% of what I do with a computer everyday. I considered selling it for one of these, but even that seemed like overkill. So when the last iPad came out I was then convinced that I could whittle things down even further, go even lighter, even more portable. So I did what a lot of people in the tech and writing field still consider to be unthinkable: I traded in the laptop for a iPad.

I won't lie, it hasn't been the easiest transition but, to be honest, it hasn't been that bad either. I actually only find the setup to be irritating in the most small and unexpected ways. But the cool part is, is that there are always ways around any issue or hurdle I've come across so far. Do I miss my laptop? Sometimes. That's unavoidable. There are still some instances where I have no choice but to seek out some morerobust hardware to do some heavy lifting. But, in all honesty, it's been shocking at how much I don't have those situations pop up.

Bar none the iPad's been amazingly capable.

So! With out further adieu, here is my current hardware setup for writing (and a ton more)!

1. An iPad - (2012, 3rd generation)
2. A stand (TwelveSouth's Compass)
3. Apple's bluetooth keyboard

There are plenty of alternatives out there that I considered, BUT, I already owned a spare Apple bluetooth keyboard and I had no interest in spending the extra cash involved in buying an alternative.

The good news is, purely by circumstance and not experience, I actually ended up prefering my setup to a clamshell-based iPad case for a variety of reasons. Here are the Pro's and Cons!

PROS:

1. Because the keyboard isn't attached, I am not handcuffed to being a set distance away from my iPad. I can sit as far away or as close as I want. It also helps with ergonomics if you have issues with that. Separating the keyboard from the screen really affords a lot of customization. Me? I typically have the keyboard on my lap and the iPad on the stand on the table in front of me. It's just more comfortable for me that way.
2. The particular stand I bought allows for some natural adjustment of how the iPad sits on it. So there's some good angle adjustments you can make to make sure you are not Quasimodo-ing over your screen. The free standing nature of it all gives a great amount freedom to place things where you want. It accommodates you rather than the other way around.
3. The 2012 iPad's screen resolution. Yes, I'm sure you've heard all about the wonders and spectacle (including unicorns) of the most recent iPad's screen resolution but, I gotta admit, it's pretty damn glorious and way nicer on eye strain than the models before it. If you can spare the extra scratch, I highly recommend it. Especially if you plan on spending a good amount of time in front of it. Think of it as an investment in your ever faithful eyeballs. :)

CONS:

1. Everything's separate and in individual pieces. No, I'm not crazy. I know I just extolled the fact that separate pieces are my preference. But it's also one of my setup's greatest weaknesses. An "all-in-one" setup is easy to grab, throw in a bag and go. It's definitely more convenient. But in this case I chose my own comfort over ease of use. When you get to your writing location with an all in one setup, you put it on the table, open it and get to work. With my setup, you sit down, take out the stand, unfold and set it up, place the iPad on it, take out the keyboard, turn it on, sync it to the iPad and then get to work. In short, it's definitely something to consider.
2. Stand weight. As much as love my stand, the TwelveSouth stand is woefully hefty. Some might argue that the ruggedness is a strength and testimate to the quality of the product. It's hard to argue against that but, I'd prefer a stand that was WAY lighter and made with the same quality. I haven't found one yet, but I'm definitely on the hunt.
3. Battery life. A bluetooth keyboard needs batteries and, in return, crushes the battery life of your iPad as well. So, wireless convenience definitely comes at a price. And packing extra batteries or a charger can definitely be a drag.

So no doubt, there is a good bit to consider and there definitely isn't what I'd call a silver bullet solution. Like many things, it all comes down to your life and your preferences. For me, my setup definitely outweighs the inconveniences that are packaged within. They suck up mere minutes and only add a little extra weight to my bag. Does it successfully replace my laptop? Yes, for me it does. But please remember that I predominantly write, check email, Twitter, and browse the web. I do occasionally code but not at a rate that would necessitate anything above my memory and a basic text editor. So, in short, this setup works for me, but it may not work for you! Don't get suckered into the latest round of "ditch your laptop for an iPad" propaganda. It's a romantic notion for sure, but it definitely doesn't accommodate everyone's wants and needs. Not yet anyways.

Hopefully you found this useful! Hit me up up on Twitter if you didn't or have something to add! I would genuinely love to hear it! I think a lot of folks are curious about this situation. I know I was!

Hope you all had a good week,

Tad

In the hopes of mixing things up in this space, I plan on putting up some "What I Like" posts that will talk about anything and everything that I am currently enjoying quite a bit. Think of them as one shot reviews of things, services, web sites, gadgets, books, beer, hiking gear, tea/coffee, movies, really anything! These types of post are aimed at being a snapshot of what ever is striking my fancy at the moment.

In the end, my hope for these posts is to bring your attention to something that maybe you have never seen before that I hope you would enjoy (like I do).

So! Shall we? Yes? Sweet!

Today's Topic: is a little gem of a social web service called "This is My Jam". It's a relatively new web site (it's still in beta actually), but it started getting wider adoption at the beginning of this year.

What's it Do?: it allows you to choose a song as your "jam" and it posts the tune up for the world to see (and your followers) for as long as 7 days before it asks you to choose another one. It also allows you to display your curated picks on Twitter and Facebook, if you like. The final icing on the cake? You can also listen to a stream of your followers selected "jams" as well!

I particularly like this feature because when your friends or like-minded followers create a playlist for you, it affords all kinds of fun and surprising music possibilities! It's eclectic, engaging and, most importantly, fun!

Ok, but how easy is it to use?:

1. Log into the site at thisismyjam.com
2. Search for and pick a song to share. Preview it if you'd like.
3. Write a quick blurb about the song and why you chose it (this is optional).
4. Post it.

The Verdict:

That's it! It's an über simple service and I think it's simplicity is it's greatest strength. It serves only one purpose: to help you share your favorite tunes with the world.

But even the simplest ideas can fall flat if the implementation is poorly thought out or awkward. Thankfully, the folks behind TIMJ made the user experience and interface clean, simple and nice to look at (always a bonus). It also takes very little time to use (the last thing you or I need is another social network taking up your time).

In a world of bloated and complicated everything-and-the-kitchen-sink web-based services, it's nice to see one that has taken a simple idea and implemented it so well.

As I said before, it's still in it's fledgling stages and while plenty of people use it, I wouldn't say it's thoroughly caught fire yet. But regardless, check it out, sign up, create an account and invite your friends! You'll be sharing AND discovering new music in no time, I promise!

One con? I do wish they had a mobile app, but I don't think that's not a deal-breaker. The best picked tunes are the ones you are sitting down and listening to anyways.

So that's it. If you like it, drop me a line on Twitter (the "follow" link is above in the header if you feel so inclined). Honestly, if you are music lover, I can't imagine you being let down.

Here's my TIMJ link: http://www.thisismyjam.com/thaddeushunt

Enjoy!

Tad

As you could probably surmise from the length of my last post, I'm not only into techie geeky stuff, I also love to write.

Since I was a boy I've always loved telling stories. It's what I did then (with my toys, friends and Dad's old typewriter he had in the office) and what I still do today (less toys, better friends that also write, and many, many word processors). Though the platforms I use have changed drastically and will continue to do so, the spirit of it all still very much there. So what do I like to write? I typically write fiction of a darker tone, focusing a lot on Horror and Science Fiction. I'm pretty much always in the middle of writing something novel-length that I'll inevitably have a hard time finishing.

But as much as I love writing and telling stories, I've also been falling in love with the process of writing as well. More specifically, the tools that are available to all of us today. So, with this in mind, I thought I would take some time to describe my current writing system to you all. My hope is that might inspire some to write more often and in more places. Because inspiration can happen anywhere!

Ok, full disclosure. I'm a Mac user and enthusiast. It's what works for me and it all works quite well. I'm not going to debate the merits of other platforms, they all have their strengths. That all said! Here's my setup on a hardware level:

1. A 2011 Mac Mini in the office.
2. An iPad (3rd gen) for writing remotely. Had a laptop, the iPad replaced it recently. I also use a stand and an Apple bluetooth keyboard.
3. iPhone (this gets replaced every other version. Currently it's a 4)

When I'm home, I generally use the Mini, it's a little powerhouse, has much bigger screen and has a full size keyboard. All make for easier writing in general.

When I am out and about and I know that I am going to write, I'll bring my iPad setup. This consists of the iPad, a stand (The Compass by TwelveSouth) and Apple's bluetooth keyboard.

Otherwise, I always have my phone on me, so note taking or even full on writing is always at hand. Though, admittedly, it's tough to pull off a full-on jag of writing on an iPhone, I have done it a few times, which to me is kind of amazing.

So that's the hardware involved. I've yet to have a serious problem with this setup. In fact, in the last year I paired down a good bit of my setup when it became clear I could supplement my iPad for a laptop with very little sacrifice.

But we all know that hardware is only as good as the software you run on it, so here are the tools of my trade, as well as the two scenarios I constantly run into that they accommodate.

First Scenario: I know that I am going to be writing on my iPad in the morning, finishing up a thought on my iPhone during my commute and tidying up on the computer (iMac) in my office. One document, on 3 separate devices, saved and synced each time.

Solution: iA Writer (OSX and iOS Universal)

This little gem of an app utilizes Apple's iCloud service to sync between all of the above devices almost instantaneously. It's pretty amazing to watch actually, and I've yet to see it fail. Not even once. Because it works so well, I've come to rely on this first system 75% of the time. It saves your files in text format or in straight up markdown (which is quite handy for blogging). While it's preferences are basically non-existent (it's a focus-based text editor), it performs it's function, letting you write, quite well. I do wish it had better sharing options but there are a lot of easy ways around this. All versions of this app are full screen and very easy to read, leaving just you, the screen, and your words. Highly recommended and a silver bullet solution to the scenario above.

Second Scenario: I know I'll be writing on any platform on the planet, PC, MAC, Unix, iOS, Android, etc… and will need to edit it on my iOS or OSX device later.

Solution: Elements for Dropbox (iOS-based) and a free Dropbox account for cloud storage along with the free corresponding Dropbox iOS apps (also found for Android devices as well).

If you have an iOS device and any kind of computer the solution above works great! It's not as streamlined as the first solution but it isn't difficult and it achieves the same result. Your writing will be synced and available across multiple devices. In fact, I have to hand it to Dropbox. Their service/product alone has enabled SO many opportunities to folks who need mobile cloud-based storage it's pretty amazing. This solution worked perfect for me the other day when I was working on a text file at the office on my PC. When I was done, I saved it to my Dropbox account and headed out. I had some time at a coffee shop a bit later and fired up my iPhone to edit it more there, once complete, I synced it with Dropbox again and headed home where it was waiting for me to edit on my Mac with any text editor I had at my disposal. Easy peasey!

Elements is also a WAY more robust and full featured editor compared to iA Writer, which is incredibly spartan intentionally by design. I've used Elements for many other text editing functions other than writing. I've actually coded web sites in it on my iPad! Lots of options and very easy to use. In fact, if it supported iCloud sync and had a corresponding Mac app, I would be inclined to ditch iA Writer entirely and just use Elements. It's that good. But both text editors are superb, they just were built for different purposes that's all.

So that's it! That's my current writing system. I personally couldn't love it more. I can write literally anywhere and when I don't have a data connection, everything saves locally and syncs the next time that I do. With this setup, the technology finally gets out of the way, and with my full screen, distraction free text editors I am focused. Which is important when you are in a public place and get distracted easily. ;)

I whole heartedly recommend one or both of the solutions above for your writing. I currently use both weekly (sometimes daily depending on my needs). Hopefully it will encourage you to write more, in more locations and give you less excuses not too.

Here are all the links above in one place:

1. iA Writer (OSX and iOS Universal)
2. Elements for Dropbox (iOS-based)
3. A free Dropbox Account
4. Dropbox app iOS apps (also found for Android devices as well)
5. The Compass by TwelveSouth
6. Apple's bluetooth keyboard

Also, if you are even remotely interested in an exhaustive list of all of the text editors available on the iOS platform, I recommend checking out this incredibly thorough article by Brett Terpstra. I can't even imagine the time it must've taken to put this together.

Lastly, the very popular tech site "The Verge" just recently did a post about this very topic! So if you are looking for another take on all of this. Check it out here..

UPDATE: One of my favorite Mac and tech writers out there, Federico Viticci, literally today (04/27/12) just posted a very in depth article about his personal writing workflow as well! Be sure to check it out here.

Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully you found this useful!

~Tad