Divide and Conquer
I like the use of dual billboards in this Windows 8/Microsoft Surface tablet ad. It’s a creative use of the structure that only works in places that have this sort of setup, and works more effectively...
View ArticleTablets and the Geek Bubble
I’ve been reading a Slashdot thread where people who don’t and won’t use tablets argue over why they don’t count as personal computers, because they supposedly aren’t useful for anything except...
View ArticleTips: Keeping Connected at Comic-Con
Comic book convention season has begun, and I’ve updated my Tips for Comic-Con with a bunch of ideas for keeping connected during and after the con. Smartphones, live-blogging and social networking...
View ArticleWhat’s Wrong With Facebook Updating Itself on Android?
Yesterday, my phone suddenly started downloading something called “Facebook build (somethingorother).” It didn’t show any progress, wouldn’t go away, and I worried that maybe it was a piece of malware...
View ArticleDealing With Multiple E-Book Stores
While reading about Amazon’s purchase of GoodReads, I noticed a link to an article about e-book discovery that points out that a lot of people tend to explore multiple e-book stores. As someone who...
View ArticleReading Les Mis: Paper vs. Pixels
When I started my epic re-read of Les Miserables, I was reading an old paperback and tweeting my commentary as I went, then using them as scaffolding for an article at the end of each week. The good...
View ArticleAndroid App Crashing on Start? Clear the Cache
I ran into some problems with the ComiXology app on my Nexus 7 tablet the other day. I tried to add a comic I’d unlocked on the website (the backer pre-release of the next chapter of Code Monkey Save...
View ArticleMobile: Design for Offline
I’ve written about the trouble with using mobile apps in dead zones before, so I’m happy to see that I’m not the only one thinking about the problem. Hoodie wants to design for offline first, and is...
View ArticleFive Ways to Use a Smart Watch at Comic-Con
I was reading up on wearable computing today, and with the SDCC badge presale looming, I found myself wondering whether a smart watch would be useful for Comic-Con. (No plans to actually buy one, I’m...
View ArticleReading, Online vs. Off…or is it Screen vs. Print?
Usability researchers like Jakob Nielsen have long contended that people read differently online than on paper: they tend to skim, follow links, and jump off quickly if they don’t find what they want....
View ArticleDid Smartphones Make Watches Obsolete?
Every time someone announces a smart watch (today it’s the Apple Watch), people trot out the idea that the wristwatch is obsolete because look, I already have a smartphone with a clock on it. But...
View ArticleAndroid Phone: Died and Reborn
Friday afternoon my phone finally got the OTA update for Android 5.1. After several hours stuck on the swirling boot animation, I decided it was time to admit that the phone wasn’t going to finish...
View ArticlePhone vs Camera
Over the past year I’ve found myself using my camera less and less, and my phone more and more. I used to carry both and try to take “good” photos with the camera, and quick shots intended for faster...
View ArticleCoin Slot For Your Cell Phone
The 5YO had an interesting idea tonight: “Devices should have slots that you can put real-world money into.” I explained that it wouldn’t be practical because someone would have to go around collecting...
View ArticleToo Many Notifications
The thing that takes me longest to set up on a new phone is the notification settings. It’s configured in each app individually, and it seems like everyone wants to get your attention. Too many...
View ArticleTablet Blogging is Actually Convenient!
For short posts, I’m actually more comfortable sitting on the couch and writing on my tablet than firing up my computer and sitting at my desk. This is something I discovered during NaBloPoMo. My...
View ArticleRemember Netbooks?
It’s weird to look back on all the posts I made agonizing about whether or not to buy a netbook. It was never anything I would have used on a regular basis, and I knew that (which is why I never went...
View ArticleSo Much for the Pebble Smart Watch
For a long time I’ve thought that if I wanted to get a smart watch, it would be a Pebble, because they actually understand that a smart watch needs to work as a watch. So when they announced their...
View ArticleHow to Forget Out-of-Range WiFi Networks on a Samsung Galaxy Phone
Samsung’s Android skin won’t let you tell it to forget a saved WiFi network unless it can see it right now. If it’s present, sure. If it’s out of range, it won’t let you tell it that no, you really...
View ArticleI miss my Galaxy S4
I recently dug out my old Samsung Galaxy S4 for some Android testing. I replaced it with a Nexus 5x last fall, and for the most part I love the newer phone, but there are a few things that I really...
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