January 2012
5 posts
4 tags
An interview with Marcelo Marfil
I initially interviewed Marcelo Marfil back in 2010. I decided to catch up with him recently to see what’s new – here’s what he had to say:
Tell us a bit about yourself. What are your hobbies? Where have you traveled to?
Hello, I’m a 27 year old visual designer from Brazil. When not working, I study english, read some books and watch lots of TV shows and movies. I recently...
4 tags
Another answer to the "iPhone Mute Switch" problem
There’s been lots of discussion about how the iPhone’s mute switch should behave. It all spurred from a NY Times piece about someone’s iPhone marimba ring interrupting a symphony performance.
John Gruber examines this and concludes that Apple’s current behaviour is correct:
I think the current behavior of the iPhone mute switch is correct. You can’t design around every...
4 tags
5 Minutes on The Verge: Sparrow's Dom Leca →
A great interview with Sparrow’s Dominique Leca. I found this stat particularly impressive:
80% of our traffic comes from the Mac App Store. It works.
5 tags
Tap & hold on a date to create an event in...
I stumbled upon this the other day by accident when browsing through Calendar on my iPhone:
If you tap and hold on a particular date in Calendar for iPhone, the box will flash blue twice and a new event will be created.
Saves you from having to scroll through the date picker – especially handy when dealing far into the future.
2 tags
Back to reality
After a couple weeks in the Rocky Mountains it feels good to be back at work.
While I was on vacation I finally got around to editing some photos from recent travels.
Click on an image to jump to the corresponding set on Flickr.
Alberta/BC
Toronto at Dusk
London, UK
December 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Elevation Dock: The Best Dock For iPhone →
I’ve never used the Apple dock but his thing looks great.
It’d be great for my desk at home and in the office, but even better as a bedside stand (no more fumbling to grab and unplug my iPhone in the morning when I’m grumpy and my hands haven’t started working yet).
Update #2: Zero to $25k in the first two hours. Speechless.
It’s so awesome that someone can have...
4 tags
Learn from Mark Cuban →
After hearing Barbara Corcoran speak at The Art of Sales in Toronto last week (which I highly recommend attending) I started watching episodes of Shark Tank in my spare time.
Seeing Mark Cuban on the show reminded me of a post I read on his blog some time ago and prompted me to refresh myself of it.
If you haven’t read his post about Success and Motivation I highly recommend you check...
November 2011
7 posts
4 tags
The tools I use
I put a page together to showcase the tools I use.
The page provides a bit of insight into the hardware and software I use on a regular basis, as well as the different atmospheres in which I work.
If you have any questions about anything I’m using, feel free to drop me a line.
Thanks to Chris Bowler’s latest site refresh for the idea!
2 tags
500px →
It seems this website has mostly gone unnoticed (I only found it myself recently), so I’m trying to spread the love.
If you appreciate great photography, you’ll truly enjoy this.
You can view recently popular photos here, or check out some of my favourites.
4 tags
Saved Images Album for iOS
Why are images saved from Mail and Safari (or screenshots taken on the device) placed into the Camera Roll in iOS?
The Camera Roll album in the Photos application should contain the photos of people, places, and things you’ve photographed – not images saved from within the device (especially the screenshots taken with it).
With iOS 5 you can create albums on the device for images you save, or...
4 tags
The unreasonable customer →
Seth Godin:
In general, organizations are afraid to fire customers, no matter how unreasonable. This is a mistake. It’s good for you.
Once in a while we (at Marketcircle) have to let a customer go, but it’s usually for the best (for both parties). Sometimes telling an unreasonable customer the truth – that it just can’t happen (whatever they’re demanding), is the best...
7 tags
An interview with Aaron Mahnke
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Aaron Mahnke, a designer, writer, and the curator of Read & Trust
Tell us a bit about yourself. We know you love writing and design – care to share a bit more about your personal side?
First and foremost I’m a husband and father. I’m pretty lucky to have an amazing wife who encourages me to pursue my dreams and try new things....
3 tags
Minimalist effect in the maximalist market →
Antrepo’s last project is about simplicity and we try to find alternate simple versions for some package samples of the international brands. We think almost every product needs some review for minimal feeling.
I disagree with some of the minimizing, but the Durex redesign is quite good. They did some more here too.
2 tags
Fusion Ads acquired by BuySellAds →
I was a bit shocked when I first heard the news but I wasn’t worried for a second.
I’ve worked closely with both Chris Bowler and Todd Garland over the past couple of years and I’m 100% confident that Fusion will live on with the same class and performance it’s known for.
Congratulations to both parties – Chris for a successful venture, and Todd for the great addition to...
October 2011
12 posts
3 tags
Lytro →
Capture everything - instantly.
Capture living pictures with the press of a single button. By instantly capturing complete light field data, the Lytro gives you capabilities you’ve never had in a regular camera.
Focus after the fact.
Since you’ll capture the color, intensity, and direction of all the light, you can experience the first major light field capability - focusing after...
4 tags
An interview with Francisco Inchauste
I had the great pleasure of interviewing the fabulous designer and writer, Francisco Inchauste late last year. Initially published for Royal Thoughts, I thought it’d be great to share it again here:
Bio:
As a Senior UX Design Specialist, Francisco Inchauste works to deliver solutions that balance beauty with function. He has spent the past decade working with large and small companies on...
5 tags
What we can learn from Dunder Mifflin CEO, Robert...
Robert California, CEO of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. in a recent episode of The Office:
Take a look at where you are.
Where you once worked in a dying industry, you now work at it’s birth. Those superstores are terrified of us.
Anybody know why?
Phyllis Lapin-Vance, sales representative at Dunder Mifflin:
They’re terrified?
Robert California:
Let me tell you how I...
4 tags
Now I'm cheesed
Bad customer service really pisses me off.
I just came back from lunch at South St. Burger with my friend and colleague, Matthew.
Matt also happens to be the head of Customer Service at Marketcircle, where we both work.
A pleasant cashier took our order, and we both both asked for Cheeseburger combos.
When I got to the burger staging area, after providing the sandwich maker the list of...
2 tags
Into the Wild – a set on Flickr
Finally finished post-processing and uploading the photos from my adventure in the wild.
A few of my favourites:
Check out the full set on Flickr.
3 tags
Review: The Art of FLIGHT
I saw The Art of FLIGHT last night at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto.
I had previously mentioned that:
This looks to be the Planet Earth of snowboarding films.
That was pretty spot on.
The cinematography, post-production, and overall film-making quality was exceptional. Better than a lot of major motion pictures.
The scenic locations were breathtaking, the snowboarding...
3 tags
iPhone speaker location →
Dustin Curtis:
On the other hand, I’ve always been slightly irritated by the iPhone’s speaker. I felt that putting it at the bottom of the phone was awkward, because it’s not pointing toward me when I put the phone flat on the table. But, as it turns out, it was put there for a reason: no matter how you put an iPhone down on a surface, it’s almost impossible to cover the speaker.
Yet another...
3 tags
My favourite tiny tweak in iOS 5
After seeing Ben Brook’s tweet linking to David Spark’s post “Six Mostly Irrelevant iOS Changes that Make Me Smile”, I decided to share one of MY favourite minor changes in iOS 5.
When sending text messages in iOS 4, you’d often be faced with the half message/half keyboard screen.
This screen was useful when you were writing a message (obviously), but annoying when...
2 tags
I survived
After spending a night alone in the Canadian Wilderness, I feel refreshed and glad to be back.
My trip was full of ups and downs (both mental and physical), but I’m glad I did it.
Some quick notes about my trip:
on my way in on the first portage, some people that were out on the lake for a day trip told me they spotted a bear earlier that morning
canoe rental shop forgot to give me the...
5 tags
I'm heading into the wild
As tomorrow edges closer, the nervousness is kicking in. At the crack of dawn, I leave for my first solo camping trip.
I’m driving to Georgian Bay, leaving my car here, then hitting the water in my canoe.
After two portages, the open lake will be mine for the taking. All mine.
I don’t know where I’ll settle down for the night, but it’ll definitely be surreal.
Armed with...
2 tags
Goodbye Steve
While I never had the chance to say hello, I thought I’d say goodbye.
You so famously said:
you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards
Looking back, the dots connect back to you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
I’d be on an entirely different career path. I would’ve missed out on meeting...
4 tags
It's annoying to write in Tumblr
When I’m writing a post in Tumblr and it exceeds the length of the writing box, this happens:
I can’t extend the writing box, and am therefore crammed into this tiny space to write in. Forced to scroll up and down to refer to different parts of something I’m working on, I’m annoyed and unproductive.
If I’m writing the same post in WordPress and reach the end of...
September 2011
18 posts
4 tags
'The world today is swimming in bullshit' →
Bob Hoffman talks about Apple, Pepsi, and bullshit.
The world today is swimming in bullshit. It is drowning in bullshit. It is submerged, inundated, and deluged with bullshit.
If you bullshit in today’s world, someone will call you out on it. And when they do, the word will spread quickly.
2 tags
Layout Bitching
Courtesy of Urban Dictionary.
Layout Bitching: The act of users posting statuses on Facebook, bitching and moaning unecessarily about new layouts.
Person A: “WHAT THE HELL FACEBOOK, Y U ALWAYS CHANGE LAYOUT?”
Person B: “Shut the hell up and stop layout bitching.”
My Facebook feed is full of this. And equally full of complaints about people complaining.
4 tags
The problem with AirDrop
Looking for a fast way to share files with people nearby? With AirDrop, you can send files to anyone around you wirelessly — no Wi-Fi network required.
Ok, this is cool, but how often is this the case? If you’re working in an office with a bunch of people, or at home trying to share stuff with your family, you’re probably on the same network. If you’re at a friends house, once...
4 tags
My iPad home screen
Because I’m generally not using the iPad when I’m in a rush, or standing in line somewhere, having super-quick access to apps is not as important as it is with the iPhone.
I use my iPad primarily while eating breakfast, laying in bed, or sitting on the couch to get away from my desk. Generally I’m going through email, planning my day, or reading some news.
THE DOCK
My dock...
6 tags
Redesigning the Boarding Pass →
On boarding passes:
I was bored so I started rummaging through my stuff trying to find something to read when I grabbed my boarding pass. So I stared at it for a while. Rubbed my eyes, then stared at it some more. It was like someone put on a blindfold, drank a fifth of whiskey, spun around 100 times, got kicked in the face by a mule (the person who designed this definitely has a mule living...
2 tags
RIM outlook fails to impress, shares slide →
Tick, tock.
2 tags
The Art of FLIGHT →
A new breed of action sports film comes to life as Red Bull Media House, in association with Brain Farm Digital Cinema, present “The Art of FLIGHT”, a Curt Morgan Film. Two years in the making, “The Art of FLIGHT” gives iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends the opportunity to redefine what is possible in the mountains.
This looks to be the Planet Earth of snowboarding films. I’ve...
4 tags
Why I’m Quitting Tobacco →
The agency was spiraling out of control. Because they lost Lucky Strike’s revenue, they couldn’t meet payroll without a loan from the bank, and they began laying off employees. Competing agencies were circling overhead, waiting to pick off clients. They were near death.
Draper, though, had an idea: turn a weakness into a strength. He took out a full-page ad in the New York Times and...
3 tags
An interview with Dave Caolo
Late last year and early this year I was publishing interviews I did with designers, developers, writers, etc. on Royal Thoughts. I’ve since decided to publish all of my writing on this site, and therefore thought it’d be a good idea to dig up some of the older posts I wrote that were probably read by nobody.
We’ll start this off with an interview I did with my great friend (and...
2 tags
School gives kindergarteners iPads →
CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen explains why a public school district in Maine is buying all of its kindergartners iPads.
I’m a bit concerned about this, but at the same time excited.
*Link was originally to CNN’s website, but apparently when you direct a link to their video website with Tumblr it doesn’t work after it’s published.
3 tags
Jump right to full-screen Quick Look →
Select the file, and then hold down the Option key while you press the Space Bar.
Thanks for the tip Dave.
3 tags
An update to weather in Notification Center
I wanted to post a quick update to the post I wrote the other day after one of my co-workers brought something to my attention.
Thanks to Jason Medeiros, I now have basically no problems with the weather in Notification Center.
Jason pointed out to me that if you tap the weather area in Notification Center, you’re brought right to the Weather app.
But it gets even better.
New in iOS 5,...
6 tags
Apple’s Four-Year Product Rollout →
I think that Apple is just now finishing the first step of what it began in 2007.
Up until recently, they have been selling tangible products: devices with software. Soon, Apple will be selling universal, ubiquitous access. Or: all your stuff on all your devices in any place.
A great article by Shawn Blanc about Apple’s technology vision.
The post also ends up discussing pricing in a...
5 tags
Improving Weather Widget in Notification Center
iOS 5 brings us a number of welcomed new features, including Notification Center.
Notification Center puts all of your alerts in one place (new email, texts, friend requests, calendar reminders, etc.). It also allows you to view stock information and the weather forecast.
At first I enjoyed this new area – it even allowed me to stop using my weather app (WeatherEye). Soon, however, I realized...
2 tags
What happens after your final status update? →
Our descendants … will have at their fingertips a deep digital archive of information that we created ourselves.
An interesting read.
2 tags
I can’t blog from the iPad →
When I’m writing an article, I like to refer to research material, like a source, supporting articles, etc. Typically that means hopping between browser tabs or text documents. Neither is really feasible with the iPad.
Nothing beats command + tab between what you’re researching and what you’re writing.
2 tags
Improving alarms in Clock app
I was hoping for a revamp of Apple’s Clock app with iOS 5.
One thing that really irks me is that the volume of an alarm you set will adhere to your “Ringer and Alerts” volume setting.
What if I want my phone to ring loudly when someone calls, but don’t want my morning alarm to wakeup the neighbours?
Here’s what the alarm edit screen looks like now:
And...
3 tags
The New $100 Note →
$100 starting November 2011
$50 starting March 2012
$20, $10, $5 coming by late 2013
Some cool new monies for us Canadians.
August 2011
9 posts
2 tags
The web leaders hate typography (but not for long) →
The choice of a typeface, the care given to kerning and to readability—it all sends a powerful signal. When your business card is nothing but Arial on a piece of cardboard, you’ve just told people how they ought to think about you… precisely the opposite of what you were trying to do when you made the card in the first place.
This is so true. When someone hands me a business card at a trade...
3 tags
“Jobs is right, brilliant people won’t stand for the best idea consistently...”
– Via The Small Wave.
4 tags
My iPhone home screen
My iPhone home screen has changed quite a bit since it was first featured on First & 20. Part of this change came when Apple introduced folders in iOS 4 – the rest with changes in work and life.
THE DOCK
I’ve left the dock alone, as it works logically for me. I’ve thought about putting the Messages app on the dock, but I prefer it’s original location for aesthetics (don’t like...
2 tags
Reminders
Say you need to remember to pick up milk during your next grocery trip. Since Reminders can be location based, you’ll get an alert as soon as you pull into the supermarket parking lot. Reminders also works with iCal, Outlook, and iCloud, so changes you make update automatically on all your devices and calendars.
I finally used the Reminders app that will ship with iOS 5 yesterday. I set a...
3 tags
An interview with Shawn Blanc
I’ve had the great pleasure to interview professional writer, Shawn Blanc. Here’s how it went:
Tell us a bit about yourself. We know you love writing and Apple – care to share a bit more about your personal side?
I live in Kansas City. I used to be the marketing and creative director for the International House of Prayer, and now I publish my website full-time. My wife and I are...
1 tag
Apple trumps the US government (again) →
Their new building (that looks like a spaceship) is going to be bigger than the Pentagon.
Funny, they have more cash too.