Joseph's RSS Feed

The Coolest Way to Learn Dull Keyboard Shortcuts

Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:12:43 +0000

Apple ought to adopt CheatSheet and make it a must for Mountain Lion. This purely easy to use app keeps keyboard shortcuts at your fingertips (pun intended). Press and hold Command for a brief moment, and the chart of all the relevant keyboard commands appear on your screen in a Finder preview-like window. You can even click on the commands in the chart to activate them. Continue reading →

The Difference Between U.X. and U.I. in a Bowl of Cereal

Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:22 +0000

I’m as guilty as the next user, consumer, and novice to the world of programming. Without someone to tell us what is what, we easily get user experience and user interface confused. Thanks, Ed Lea, for clearing things up for … Continue reading →

The Cost and Construction of Apple Products

Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:14:32 +0000

Apple is known for their high quality products. Many may grumble and argue they are no better than Sony or Microsoft, but users that are experienced with Apple products in general know the truth. Recently, Ken Shirriff took apart an Apple iPhone charger to see what's really on the inside of one iFixit style. What he found under the hood supports what Jony Ive recently told the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph. Continue reading →

iLive Magazine gets Real Creative Showing the Little People Building Our iMacs

Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:34:57 +0000

The only thing better than an iMac is watching it get built. Okay, maybe that's not true. The machine is nice to have around, but what if you got a chance of a lifetime to peak at the mini-men hard at work bring your iMac to life? And what if those little men worked like Mathieu Schatzler has imagined they do? This latest cover for the magazine, iLive, is one of the best artistic renderings for a periodical of the year. Thanks Mathieu for going to all the trouble to show the world what's really behind the scenes at Foxconn. Continue reading →

Building Apps for Too Wide a User Demographic

Joseph — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:06:09 +0000

CinePro is a new app that wants you to use it for professional filmmaking as well as home movies. I don't think this is a good idea. Mind Diaper, the developers behind the app, would have been better serving their user base to offer a pro version and a consumer level basics video camera app. Let's not get high and lofty about our user expectations. Apple's app prove that it's better to serve one master—the pro or the consumer—in any given app. Let's stick to that. Continue reading →

U.I. Design for The Avengers

Joseph — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:44:08 +0000

Stills from The Avengers showcasing some of the User Interfaces that Jayse Hansen designed for the glass screens on the Helicarier and the visuals Tony Stark had in his new and upgraded Iron Man suit. Shawn Blanc » Thanks, Shawn, … Continue reading →

New 007 ‘Skyfall’ Teaser Trailer is Released

Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:21:53 +0000

See the trailer here on Apple’s website. I was disappointed in the last Bond film. This film looks promising. I’m cautiously optimistic since Sam Mendes is directing. Suggestion: if I was the filmmakers, I would retire Judy Dench’s character in this … Continue reading →

Jony Ive Goes In-depth About Apple’s Design Philosophy

Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:23:44 +0000

Ahead of receiving his knighthood from the Queen, Jony gave an interview to the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph. Jony Ive’s own words: “We try to develop products that seem somehow inevitable. That leave you with the sense that that’s the only possible … Continue reading →

Pixar’s New Short Film, La Luna

Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:14:21 +0000

La Luna comes to theaters along with Brave this summer. These two Pixar films will make a splash as all their heartwarming family films do, but La Luna is a special opportunity for Pixar to impress. Creative short films like Pixar's 'One Man Band' and 'For the Birds.' Continue reading →

Google Homepage Today is a Digital Music Sound Masterpiece

Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:04:30 +0000

Google is witty. Today they outdid themselves with the logo musical keyboard. This I like. You can play the keyboard, record and share the tunes you play even. I wish Google's site would incorporate something fun like this all the time. Continue reading →

Great App of the Week: QuickMailer

Joseph — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:38:25 +0000

QuickMailer is one of the Mac app gems that everyone should be talking about. The first release and couple of updates might have been a rocky road for users as there were many bugs to uncover, but now QuickMailer is everything it aims to be. As such, it is one awesome utility for your Menu Bar on any Mac. As a nifty assistant to Mac's Mail app, I recommend you give it a try. It has my two thumbs up. Continue reading →

23 Rare Behind The Scenes Photos From ‘Back To The Future’

Joseph — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:52:04 +0000

Back to the Future has reached iconic film status. Now, relive part of the filmmakers in action with these 23 production photos from the 1980s. These rare photos from the production include shots of Marty McFly, Doc, the tow, the locomotive, the De Lorean car, and the special effect wizardry that brought them to cinemas. Continue reading →

The Upside-down Apple Notebook Logo

Joseph — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:31:04 +0000

It didn't make sense to anyone looking on, but it did to an Apple user, because it was intentional design. Apple was absolutely right that the user would confuse which side of the laptop was which without the logo placed upside-down. I witnessed many consumers, including myself, get turned around and confused by the orientation of the logos on laptops of that era. Apple's laptop with the upside-down logo was the first that made sense for people unaccustomed to the ways of a computers' aesthetics. It would take a few more years for all of us to absorb the approach of having the logo turned right side up. Continue reading →

Chipper Jones Plans His Triumphant Retirement

Joseph — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:03:06 +0000

Chipper Jones was there when the Braves rose to become a star ball team. Now, 18 years later, he's gone through his loyal Braves career with simple, professional grace. Having made his mark on the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the hearts of many loyal fans, Chipper will be greatly missed on the Atlanta Braves. Continue reading →

It’s Not Good for Note Takers to Live Without Saved Searches or Shared Notebooks

Joseph — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:11:08 +0000

Introduction to my Self-made Challenge Apple’s Notes app got me thinking: why is it Apple’s app insists on significant limitations? Evernote has tags, notebooks, and saved searches. Notes only has manual search. Because it seemed so ridiculously stifling and for … Continue reading →

Web Design Taking a Cue from Instapaper

Joseph — Tue, 22 May 2012 01:08:48 +0000

Jeffrey Zeldman himself is a product wrought with an extra dose of quirkiness. All the same, I still see his objectivity. These are his own words about his recent significant redirection for the interface of his site. This redesign is a response … Continue reading →

How Apple Sees the iPad Impacting Healthcare

Joseph — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:42:02 +0000

Every now and then I hear that the iPad and iPhone are making a positive impact on the medical field. Apple has taken the time to report how one doctor uses it in the field, along with one of Apple’s … Continue reading →

Angry Species by Clive Jones

Joseph — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:36:58 +0000

The product of Angry Birds vs Zombies. Check it out on Dribble.com. 

The iTunes Music Festival is Scheduled for 2012

Joseph — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:04:58 +0000

This year’s iTunes Music Festival is scheduled to begin September 1 in London and run 30 nights. The festival is a celebration of iTunes and since the tickets are free, a way for Apple to give back to its customers. First held … Continue reading →

Why Use a Search Engine App

Joseph — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:02:15 +0000

UPDATE: Bang On, the search app for iOS that I refer to in this post, is worthy of your consideration. Here’s a worthy of Bang On review by Christine Chan. People, let’s evaluate our search engines of choice. When was … Continue reading →

Jiving Jackalope’s Dedicated Twitter Feed

Joseph — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:37:00 +0000

Jiving Jackalope has a new Twitter feed: Twitter.com/JivingJackalope. Follow it to see when new posts are available on the site. I’ve used my personal Twitter feed for this site as, once upon a time, it was more of a personal site. … Continue reading →

Survey Results: Boredom is the Top Reason People Play Mobile Games

Joseph — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:13:31 +0000

MocoSpace surveyed gamers to learn why they game on their mobile devices. 34%: The games are fun. 32%: I’m bored, so I kill time. 10%: I like to compete. 9%: To meet new people. 6%: To try something new. 3%: … Continue reading →

A Second Steve Jobs Movie Production is Announced

Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:02:10 +0000

If the independent film with Ashton Kutcher to play Jobs isn’t enough, then here’s another Jobs film that stands a better chance of catching critical acclaim. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has signed on to write a film based on the … Continue reading →

The Makey Makey – Turn Anything into a Keyboard

Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:54:11 +0000

See for yourself on their Kickstarter campaign: Thanks to MacSparky for sharing. 

The Cybertexture Egg Tower

Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:46:14 +0000

For more reasons than I can count, this is coolest (and biggest) egg I’ve ever seen. This “Cybertecture Egg” by James Law is scheduled to be built in Mumbai India, pushing the limits of architecture and design. But its not … Continue reading →

Content is Still King—Even with E-book Readers

Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:21:05 +0000

Say what you want about e-books. Most people I know are still taking a lot of time to adjust to the thought of reading a book that isn’t on paper. But the Kindle, Nook, and iPad/iPhone are here to stay. … Continue reading →

iPhones and iPads are a Big Part of Modern Medicine

Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:47:02 +0000

It’s no secret that smartphones are our personal assistants. Now, they are becoming our nurses. We’re only scratching the surface with the solutions we have available today. Scientists from Korea’s Advanced Institute of Science technology recently finished tests which proved those touch-sensitive … Continue reading →

Exploded Settings Icon Tee Shirt from Cocoia

Joseph — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:51:44 +0000

An app developer’s uniform. Whether you’re an engineer or a designer, the Exploded Settings Icon shirt by icon designer Sebastiaan de With is an excellent way to don your profession. Rendered faithfully to the iPhone / iPod touch ‘Settings’ icon, … Continue reading →

Motion 5 & Final Cut Pro are for Pros, and They are Way Cool

Joseph — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:06:12 +0000

Over the last year or so, the filmmaking geeks have had to make a tough choice: did they want to use Apple’s Final Cut Pro editing suite, or the Adobe Creative film related suite for their productions. This was no … Continue reading →

The Lytro is an Important Camera

Joseph — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:03:45 +0000

It’s not often that camera technology genuinely excels in a peculiar way. What I mean by “peculiar:” in a way uncharacteristic of manufacturers. Camera technology developers normally prevent groundbreaking evolutions of their products from seeing the mass market. Incremental—almost untraceable—improvements … Continue reading →

I Need to Find a Reason to Use a Panic Button

Joseph — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:54:53 +0000

Any ideas? I want one of these from ThinkGeek, but I can’t think of what it’d be best suited for in my home. Maybe for turning on the garbage disposal? How about using it to activate the solar-powered lauchpad off … Continue reading →

Apple’s Cool New iPod Controller for Your Automobile

Joseph — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:21:06 +0000

App creates patents for new inventions from time to time, in case you didn’t know. Some are rather boring, and many of them will never see production, but there are some that are attention-getting, and there are those you will … Continue reading →