After being somewhat disappointed with the 'everything but the kitchen
sink' approach of Twittelator on iPhone, I was hesitant to pay up for
the iPad version of the app.

I have to admit reading about Andrew Stone, the app developer and his
interesting approach to life and software development I was a bit more
forgiving of his iPhone foibles.

When I saw a tweet by internet icon JP Barlow [yes of Grateful Dead
fame] putting Twittelator up as the best twitter app bar none, I
figured I'd bite.

Immediately after loading the app, my jaw dropped. Mr. Stone went all
the way 'out there' in his approach to redesigning the best twitter
app from the ground up. Some of the design choices are breathtaking
in their simple beauty and novelty while others are a bit short of the
mark.

Say what you will though, Twittelator on the iPad is like no other
twitter app and yes, it's true Virginia, there is no other app that
comes close to the level of user experience on iPad.

Some of the things that do work?

Multi page views of twitter data like the screen cap above. The
amount of space is maximized without crowding. In fact, there is
still free space avoiding the perception of over-crowding.
The slide to send tweet feature. Everyone else does the normal push
to send. This slide to send action requires a little bit more
intention avoiding accidental sends and is also a pure pleasure to
use.
Twitter lists implementation - makes using the somewhat cumbersome but
very useful twitter lists feature a joy to use.
Embedded media - twit pics and other media are embedded in the
timeline itself which isn't new but the way it's done here seems more
natural thanks to the adept use of space.
Drafts- The interface for writing drafts of tweets [and polishing them
until they're perfect] is so attractive it will get people started
with writing creative and thoughtful tweets very simply.
Fewer replies and stream of consciousness tweets is always a good
thing. The iPhone app "Birdcage" started this trend and Twittelator
on iPad's drafts implementation will add a shot of adrenaline and
[hopefully] many more followers to this important trend.

/////////////////////////////

Some misses?

There are still so many features that the app is bound to confuse
everyone at some point. The old adage of writing software so that no
manual is needed doesn't seem to be a goal. For example, there is
Posterous integration. What does it do? How does it work? What
happens when I enter my Posterous login? Will I regret it?

Uneven distribution of screen space. Some common complaints from
users is that there is not enough space devoted to the timeline and
too much space given to other parts of the app. For example, in the
drafts implementation the blank notebook gets a full 2/3 of the screen
but the timeline gets a paltry 1/3. Which side has info for users to
digest?

No Translation:  For an app that has so many features that boggle the mind, the fact that there is no translation feature seems like a strange oversight.  Even free apps like Twitterific [nice but not close] offer a feature to translate foreign language tweets into the language of the user.

To be honest, I had to reach a bit for the list of the shortcomings of Twittelator on iPad.  The app itself is such a home-run in user experience that Andrew Stone deserves all of the success that is bound to come his way with his app and approach to software development.  In particular, I support his 'free upgrades forever' approach. 

This 'deal' with buyers of his apps is bound to ensure loyalty in an otherwise everchanging market.  Where other software purveyors get you locked into their apps and charge for upgrades after you're hooked in: I'm looking at you [ 1password ] , the idea that you pay once and will get the necessary bugfixes and additional enhancements for anteing up the first time is VERY ATTRACTIVE and a great VALUE.

 

So one week later here are my observations:

Battery Life:

It's amazing.  I haven't run out of juice yet, not even close.  Unlike the iPhone where you have to constantly carry a charger and worry that you'll run out of juice, the iPad battery life is great.  You can keep the screen cranked

Data usage

The iPad is known as a media consumption device.  That means it makes watching videos and listening to music so easy.   I often put it in the kitchen while I"m preparing meals so I can look up recipes and watch local news clips on the Yahoo iPad app.

All this to say that the media consumption facilities on the iPad translates into heavy bandwidth usage.  Simply turning this device on and doing a search or using an twitter app translates into a dozen or so MB of usage very quickly.  What does that mean? It means if you're going for the 3G model and not opting for the unlimited data plan, you may have a rude surprise ahead of you!

Screen

The screen is super sharp and very easy on the eyes.  It's much easier to use this device for long periods over say, the iPhone :-)  The only thing that makes me nuts is the oleophobic [is that even a word?!] screen. I'm assuming oleophobic means not liking oil but damn this screen loves to collect smudges, prints, and stains.   

The daily routine for me now is to clean the screen daily so that the screen isn't mocking me with the stains of usage.  Could you imagine cleaning your mac or pc monitor every day?!?!

Apps

iPad versions of apps [HD] usually cost more than the iPhone apps. No surprise there.  What is surprising is that some of the heavy hitting apps on the iPhone either aren't available or don't work as well on the iPad.  Apps like Facebook, Tweetie [I know I know], Tumblr aren't ready yet for iPad, therefore my app usage patterns on the iPad are quite different from the iPhone.

Also surprising is that some apps that are clunky and unattractive on iPhone really shine on the iPad.  Evernote is an example of one that falls into this category.

Keyboard

I know Apple is selling the new aluminum keyboard dock as an accessory.  I was _very_ disappointed to find out that my white Apple bluetooth keyboard won't pair with the iPad though the iPad supports bluetooth keyboard profiles.  :-(

In summary, I find the iPad a great alternative to the macbook or a pc.  In reality, I haven't sat at my macbook workstation for anything other than xCoding since I got the iPad.  It's a capable addition to a tech toolset and offers a more unique set of capabilities [with less duplication] than a netbook.

 

 

I decided to get an iPad. It was my first experience getting something from Apple on day 1. 

The experience was seemless and easy. I was home in less than 10 minutes once I got into the store.

Here are my initial impressions after setting it up and using it for about an hour.

Setup

The iPad surprised me when it offered to restore from my iPhone backup!  This was a great time saver as all of my apps and data could be ported over without too much trouble and/or typing. Some apps required me to re-enter passwords but for the most part I was up and running after the initial sync which took about 20 minutes, mostly due to photos and audio.

Sound

I played a video I had downloaded via one of my yahoo pipe video feeds.  Melissa Etheridge doing a ditty for Cable TV show-Nurse Jackie.  I was very impressed with the sound quality and volume.  Unlike the iPhone, the speakers on this thing almost make the iPad throb with bass.  Not too much to be uncomfortable but enough to make listening to music enjoyable even without hadphones.  I was very impressed here, mostly because I had _very_ low expectations.

Screen

The iPad screen as you probably know is strikingly sharp.  Photos and videos really come to life.  The screen of course shows fingerprints like nothing else but when the screen is clean and the resolution of the media is good, you're enjoying a very rich experience.

Apps

Speaking of resolution, this is an area where some apps are disappointing.  As I've been writing an iPhone app and using the iPad simulator, I had no idea at how poorly regular iPhone apps look when blown up to fullscreen [2x] mode on the iPad.  The text is almost unreadable it's so blocky and ugly.  The pictures below don't show how ugly it is when you're face to face with it.

YUCK. I sure hope all iPhone apps come out with iPad versions soon. It's really not much more trouble to resolve this issue and I'm pleased that so many apps are already at day 1 with iPad versions. There were a few notable exceptions though....Tweetie [I'm looking at you @atebits and @faceook ]

Aside from the resolution issue for old apps that haven't been upgraded, the selection of iPad apps is amazing considering it's day one.  A big surprise for me was Netflix.  Apparently you can watch movies and TV on your iPad with your Netflix account!  I'm considering reactivating netflix for just that reason.  Score one for netflix.

It's interesting as a software developer to see how some apps really shine when used on the iPad as opposed to the constrained iPhone. 

Evernote blew me away with it's performance on the iPad.  I'm a big evernote user. In fact, I pay for it!  I constantly complain about the iPhone app being crash-prone and slow.   On the iPad it flies and I'll definitely be using it more on that platform.  Of course, the first crash on the iPad was with Evernote but I'll still use it.  It's become a huge part of my workflow.

Maps on the iPad really shines.  Photos that are geotagged [e.g. taken with iPhone or put on a map at flickr] show up on a large map that fills the screen.  It really makes the utility of geotagging and any apps that are map-enabled evident.  Instead of the small iPhone screen displaying the map, you have a large useful map that is multi-touch enabled and responsive.

and speaking of speed...

Speed

The iPad really shines here.  The processor on this unit is 100 percent faster than the average iPhone.  Fully loaded, the iPad still responds lightning fast to user touch. It's a pleasure to use whereas I often descibe the iPhone as the iWaitPhone.

Keyboard

The onscreen keyboard was a big red flag for many early reviewers who felt it could be a problem.  I find it much more useful than the tiny iPhone keyboard.  Where the iPhone keyboard is cramped and error prone, the iPad keyboard is large and comfortable to use.  I find I make much fewer errors on it and can type much faster than on the iPhone [which isn't saying much really as I find the iPhone keyboard a chore to use].

 

Well that's my first read of the iPad. I can definitely say I"m very impressed with the device although the Apple case for it, not so much.  For $39 dollars I was very disappointed with the fit and value. I may return it in fact.  Any good case recommendations? Shoot them my way.

Back to x-Coding!

 

After seeing the promos for Lars and the Real Girl more than once, I figured I'd check it out.  I didn't have high expectations as the promos didn't give a clear indication of the type of movie it was.  

Lars is a small town boy who hasn't grown up.  He lives in the garage of his family home and his brother and sister in law are his only family.  The small town life is one where everyone knows everyone else and there is a strong sense of community.  Lars hears about a sex doll that is life like and thinks it would make a good companion.  He orders it and takes it everywhere introducing 'Bianca' as his friend from South America.  The delusion obviously ruffles quite a lot of feather in the small town but instead of castigating him, the people of the town try to work with him and accept Bianca as one of their own.  She is offered a part time job as a mannequin in a department store and is volunteering at the hospital.

While this sounds impossible in the retelling, the story and acting make it very believable.  This is a personal movie about true community and compassion.  The respect and concern people have for each other is palpable.  It reminded me of another great movie about community, Big Eden.  The depth of peoples compassion brought tears to my eyes more than once.

As Lars and the towns people work through their relationship with Bianca, we are given the gift of seeing a man transformed from a traumatized young boy to a man embarking on a new life.  I really enjoyed this movie.  

If you like personal films that are heartfelt, you'll enjoy this film.

 

How did I just learn about http://noteflight.com ?

This site allows you to enter music and it will render sheet music that can be played online. There's a facility to search for other peoples scores and save them to your collection. What a great way to learn new music and improve your sight reading skills.

Nicely done!

Someone passed along a link to searchme.com. While I’ve been a google user from the early days, I have to say searchme.com does a fantastic job with search.

I tried out the visual search and entered ‘mandolin‘ The results were a gorgeous set of photos from flickr that I proceeded to add as favorites one by one.  What’s terrific is that you can maximize the results and flip through them in a coverflow like deck that you get on a Mac.

Here’s what an image search looks like:

Another nice benefit is that if you see some results you like, you can save them as a ‘Stack’  This gives you a quick way to jump back to another set of results quickly.

It’s a truly interactive way to get search results in a visual way. Google does a great job with textual results and its image search is pretty limited now that searchme.com is in the game.

For a regular website search, here’s how searchme.com shows a search on the word ‘iphone’:

As you can see, it presents very large site previews [with the search word 'iphone' circled in yellow] that you can flip though very quickly to see which one will give you what you need.  I think it’s a superb way to find the site your looking for.

Searchme.com makes me smile. Give it a try and share what you think.

Technorati Tags: Cover Flow, Google, Image search, Search Engines, Searching, searchme.com, Web search engine

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so all this talk about convergence has finally started to make sense to me.  have you heard of JOOST?  well its a new technology company that a lot of media powerhouses are backing.  basically its a program that you download that lets you watch tv when you want for free.  there are all sorts of channels that appeal to all interests. things like national geographic, euro-music, recipes, documentaries, and silent movies and cartoons of all sorts. 

so the joost gods require you to create a free account. thats so you can pick and choose the channels that you want to be part of your line-up. 

do _i_ really want the sports illustrated bikini channel? i think not!

then you can pick a channel and see what programs are available.  it's totally about video on demand and if you've got a computer [pc or mac] that has enough memory and a fast internet connection, then you're on your way to hours and hours of video goodness.

right now joost is invitation only and they're slowly expanding their audience.   i have invitations to give out so if you'd like one just email me and i'll add you to my invite list.  it really is worth a peek if not just to see the future of video on demand for the masses.

to recount....on my first day using joost i discovered a documentary that i hadn't heard of about iraq.  i was mesmerized as i got a glimpse into the day to day existence of real iraqis that we don't hear about in our mainstream media.  of course, i  blogged about it here.

i like technology that interrupts your regularly scheduled programming and gets you to consider things that weren't necessarily on your agenda.

viva disruption!  happy monday!

Have you heard of boxee? It's a free application that's currently in alpha testing by invite only. The software runs on linux, mac, and AppleTV.

I tried boxee about 6 weeks ago on my mac and it froze and made my mac act like a sluggish PC. I immediately deleted it and all traces of it from my machine.

Fast forward a number of weeks and after reading the gizmodo article on maxing out your AppleTV this week, I figured I'd try it on my AppleTV. It worked much better than I remembered [progress!] and the best part was though it was alpha and crashed at times, the features that did work were the features that the AppleTV didn't have.

Some great features that boxee brings to the table are things like:
-lastfm integration
-a visualizer that made the hdtv screen sing
-playing video files that were not converted to play in appletv's specific format.

The article that got me re-motivated in boxee is here: http://gizmodo.com/5082130/how-to-max-out-apple-tvs-potential-with-boxee

Another huge advantage of using boxee? Being able to subscribe to your hulu queue so that the shows you like to watch on hulu are waiting for you right on boxee's video list. Being able to watch hulu shows on the appleTV is a huge hit around here!

Here's a sample from my Hulu queue with shows and movies that I've subscribed to:

With the relatively good experience I had on the appletv version, I figured I'd give the boxee another go on my macbook. The current version is much more stable and doesn't make me think i'm running a PC any more. It is much more responsive and although it does crash from time to time [it's alpha!] I can actually use this and keep it on my machine!

I really look forward to the continued progress on this app. great stuff! While it's not really ready for mass consumption yet, when it is ready it will be _very useful_!

Cheers to the boxee crew and everyone else who are working like mad to make boxee FANTASTIC!!

http://boxee.com

http://hulu.com