Year: 2012

Thinking Way Too Hard About How Apple Decorated Yerba Buena For Next Week’s Event

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Apple has San Francisco’s Yerba Buena all done up with its logo set in front of a wildly colorful backdrop.

Here are some things all of this could mean.

  • The new, taller iPhone screen will support color images. As have all iPhones.
  • Apple will be releasing colorful new iPods alongside the new iPhone.
  • The new iPhone will indeed ship with a taller screen. This is obvious looking at the vertical orientation of the graphics.
  • Phil Schiller has listened to Narrow Stairs one too many times while staring at the album artwork.
  • The new iPhone will come in colors, Lumia 920 style.
  • Tim Cook designed the graphics after taking some LSD he found in Steve’s office.

Update: People on the Internet have too much free time.

Evernote: My Database of Knowledge

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Back in May, I wrote:

I’m keeping Evernote for PDFs and images I need offline. For the most part, these files are work-related, such as plans for the building that we’re currently constructing.

My notes, however, along with non-essential files, are back in Dropbox. It just feels … cleaner. Plus, I get to deal with plain text files, which is my preference on any platform.

Since then, I’ve been further tinkering with my Evernote setup, and this is where I’ve landed in the “Evernote or Dropbox” debate:

  • Evernote is for information. Notes, reference documents and PDFs all form a personal database of knowledge.
  • Dropbox is for files I’m working on or need archived for possible future use.

Some examples of this system are obvious.

I have a notebook for the site. In it, I have notes for FTP connection information, notes from my tinkering with CDNs and a running list of apps I want to review.

However, the logo I just wrapped for my brother’s new secret project is filed away in Dropbox.

Some are in the gray area, though. For example, a good bit of my work week was spent working on our cable TV delivery system in the building at work. I have notes from calls, copies of emails and sketches of distribution boxes in Evernote. Once this project is wrapped up, I’ll pick it all up and move it to Dropbox for archiving.

On the Evernote Apps

I wish I was in love with Evernote’s iOS apps. I pay for offline access, and the process of syncing notebooks is more than a little janky. I also wish the app was faster, especially on the iPhone. I often find myself using Drafts to get something in to Evernote while on the go.

Nerd Cred

With many nerd writing scripts for their folders full of Markdown-formatted text, I do feel like I’m missing some of the party by having the bulk of my notes in Evernote. That said, I’m still writing in Markdown, both personally and for the site. The benefits of having my notes and reference information all together is outweighing the con of using an app that might not be as cool as nvALT.

Moving Forward

It’s taken me a long time to get to this point. While I’m happy with this system, I’m sure I’m not done tinkering with it.

If you’re using Evernote, and haven’t checked out Brett Kelly’s book, you really should. I recently scanned it again and learned some new tricks. It’s well worth the time it takes to read through it.

Adian →

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This is the best iPhone client for App.net yet. It’s fast, support multiple accounts and is better looking that most of the apps I’ve seen in beta.

$4.99 might seem steep, but remember, we all already paid ADN $50.

New iMacs on The Way? →

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Clayton Morris:

Get ready, because the iMacs are coming.

I’ve been hoping for an iMac update and it looks like my wish is about to come true! Multiple sources tell me that a new lineup of desktop machines from Apple is imminent.

The New Kindles

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I bought the $79 Kindle last year. It was my first Kindle, and I love it. I ended up buying a case with the built-in light, however, as most of my reading is at night, after my wife goes to bed.

The light is fine, and the case is nice, but it’s a janky solution.

The Kindle Paperwhite promises to solve this problem. The new e-ink display is supposed to be crisper, with better font options and better contrast. In short, the things that are good about e-ink should be better with this new Kindle, with the bonus of a built-in light.

At $119, it’s more than the base-line Kindle, but it includes a better touch system and a better battery than last year’s Kindle Touch.

I ordered one.

I have no doubt the new $69 Kindle will sell well, too. At $70, it’s a impulse purchase, and I bet a lot of people will get them as gifts this Christmas.

(If you order through my links, I’ll get a kickback, which would be awesome.)

The Case for the iPod touch →

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Karan Varindani:

The iPod touch is a lot of kids’ first Apple device. That initial experience is what’ll convince them to get an iPhone in the future. And with Android (and now Windows Phone 8) strongly competing with the iPhone, it’s in Apple’s best interest to make that initial experience as appealing as possible.

While I’m not sure Windows Phone 8 is competing with anyone at this point, let alone “strongly,” Karan’s case is solid.