March filler post

I skipped writing last week, which is sad because I had been on a pretty consistent streak, but I didn't really have anything to write about. I could have written about my new iPad, but I didn't know what to say other than "The screen is amazing." Which it is. I guess I could have written "It gets warmer", which was apparent from the very first time I used it. The back is definitely warmer than the previous iPad, but I am not concerned. It isn't a laptop so I am not going to burn my man bits. Worst case scenario I am so amazed by the screen I don't realize it is heating up and my finger tips get melted off. Then I can commit crimes undetected. So that is actually a feature. I do love my new iPad. Reading is much nicer on it, but it's still back-lit display. It isn't as easy on the eyes as e-ink or just plain old paper especially for long stints. Still, it is the best digital display I have ever seen and it makes other computer screens look like total crap.

The last couple weeks the tree pollen has been in full force and I've been feeling like junk. I've been so tired. It is crazy how constant headaches and not being able to breathe really put a damper on your day. My allergies were really bad through last weekend. I tried to ride my bike last Saturday. Well, I did ride my bike on Saturday, but only for about 30 minutes. It is the first time I have been in the saddle in months. It was nice to get out there, but the pollen killed me. I seriously need to spend more time on the bike this year. I am out of shape.

Early last week water started falling from the sky and it didn't really stop until Friday. It managed to knock all the pollen out of the air and for the last few days I've been feeling 100% better. It is amazing what a butt-load of rain can do.

I know this has been boring so far but if I want to call myself a blogger (do I want that?) I have to power through these posts. This is where it gets exciting. A couple weeks ago I was eating a piece of pizza too aggressively and my jaw popped. From that point on it was extremely painful to chew. I am just now getting to the point where I can eat solid food without having to remind myself to be gentle with it. It has been rough. There were a few times I had trouble consuming the over-abundance of food that has been so graciously provided for me, but I somehow managed to get by.

I'd been testing my limits last week by eating a bunch of Nature Valley crunchy granola bars. Things seemed to be back to normal by Friday. This weekend we celebrated my return to glutony with a date night. It was such a beautiful day outside we did the only logical thing... we paid to sit inside a dark room and stare at a screen for a couple of hours. We saw 21 Jump Street. You can read my thoughts by clicking (here). Afterward we went to one of my favorite restaurants of all time... Bonefish. We of course got Bang Bang Shrimp; one of the greatest culinary inventions of all time. I think it is shrimp fried in mayonnaise or something. It is amazing.

It is back to work bright and early tomorrow. Everybody have a great week!

Writing on the iPad

All day long at work I sit at my desk looking at my computer.  When I come home from work the last thing I want to do is go into my office and sit at my desk at my computer.  However, I do want to write, and the best way to do that is by sitting in front of some sort of computing device. Since I've had my iPad it has been great for sitting on the couch and reading or browsing the internet.  Recently it has become my main writing computer as well.

When I first bought the iPad I got an Apple bluetooth keyboard to go along with it.  That is a must if you are going to do any substantial writing.  The onscreen keyboard is okay for tapping out a short email, but anything more than that would drive me insane.  There are a few keyboard cases out there that have been highly rated by users but I haven't tried any of them. These integrated cases would be more convenient than the separate Apple keyboard, but they are also smaller. I don't like to be cramped up. I think the keyboards on the integrated cases would be too small for me. The Apple keyboard is just about right. I think it is the same one you would get if you bought a new iMac. It is Apple so it is a little pricey, but it is nice.  

Google Currents news reader

Yesterday we got an updated Flipboard that will work on the iPhone. In timely fashion today Google releases its fancy news reader known as Google Currents. So far I'm not buying it. I expected more. It isn't as pretty as I thought it would be. The Google search app on the iPad is really good and I use it all the time. I don't see where Currents fits in. From what I can tell Flipboard still blows it away if you are looking to read online content on the iPad.

The gist of Currents is simple: it’s a clean, touch-friendly way to consume your favorite blogs and news sites on your phone and/or tablet. And it looks good — much better, in fact, than most of Google’s other applications."

That quote is from the techcruch article, and I would disagree with it.  Currents promised to be those things, and that is what we expected, however I don't think the finished product delivers. Maybe they rushed it out so Flipboard didn't have a chance to lock in all those iPhone users before Google even had a chance. There is definitely a lot of room for future improvements.

Flipboard for iPhone

I've heard it was coming for a while now and today they finally released the iPhone version of one of my favorite iPad apps. Here is a quote from the blog post from Flipboard.  

The moment so many Flipboard readers have asked for is here: Now you can get Flipboard for iPhone. It’s got everything you know and love about Flipboard, but now designed especially for the way you use your iPhone."

The app looks cool for sure, however it comes nowhere close to offering the utility of the iPad app. I haven't used it a ton, so maybe I haven't seen all the cool stuff it can do. I don't find the idea of reading articles on the iPhone all that appealing. It is good to browse headlines and catch up on quick news, but I have never been a fan of reading longer content on the small screen. The cramped real-estate also takes away that cool magazine feel that the iPad app has.  Still, it is a pretty slick looking app for the iPhone; one of the prettier ones I've ever seen.  Trying to use it just like I use the iPad app probably isn't the most optimal scenario. Maybe if I keep using it I will find more utility. It seems like it might be cool for flipping through pictures.