mendax.org » ipod http://mendax.org WyldKard's mental brouhaha. est. 1996 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:40:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 The 2010 Toyota Prius IV. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F07%2F27%2Fthe-2010-toyota-prius-iv%2F&seed_title=The+2010+Toyota+Prius+IV. http://mendax.org/2010/07/27/the-2010-toyota-prius-iv/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:00:37 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2080

The 2010 Toyota Prius IV isn’t the type of automobile that car aficionados lust after. Rather, it’s the type of car that those who only want to get from Point A to Point B will love because it’s fuel efficient and reminiscent of a luxury sedan. That’s not to say that it is a luxury vehicle, because it’s not, but the Prius IV has a number of comfort features that aim to impress: heated leather seats, good sound system, rear-view camera, sun roof, and vent-powering solar panel.

(Let’s clarify for a moment: we’re talking about the Prius IV, not the more basic I, II, or III packages. The differences between these may be slight, but to be fair, it’s the IV and V that are reminiscent of a luxury car, whereas the other packages can be significantly more spartan.)

It’s a hybrid.

For us, coming off a Volkswagen R32, the difference in performance is significant. The trade-off is obvious, however: a more quiet ride, with twice the mileage per tank and half the price. That trade-off may not be appealing if you’re prone to aggressive driving with open stretches, but in metropolitan areas where traffic patterns are dense, with fun escapes from this traffic being rare, then having a car without much oomph isn’t a huge issue, as long as basic driver comfort is met. And here, the Prius IV delivers fairly well.

And let’s be honest, that twice-the-distance-half-the-price thing is pretty awesome. With basic unleaded gas (87), we’re talking $25 for a fill-up, which gets us over 500 miles of range. Considering that the only other car to do that is the now-discontinued and very compact original Honda Insight, the Prius naturally wins the MPG race, and does so packing more people/stuff.

When we first looked at the 2010 Prius, the salesperson was keen on pointing out that the car had three driving modes. One was the “EV” mode, for forcing the car to run only on the battery. “Eco” mode was next, for focusing on best gas mileage. Third was “power” mode, for getting more juice to the wheels. Let’s be fair, though: in real-world use, you’re only going to use the second mode most of the time, because power mode doesn’t really add that much spin to your wheels, and EV mode shuts itself off when you go beyond a certain speed/acceleration, or if the air conditioner is up in high gear. So really, EV mode may be fine for just cruising around the parking lot, and maybe you’ll push the power mode button when trapped between two trailers on the freeway, but slowing down to a snail’s pace or putting the petal to the metal as it were accomplishes both of these things as well; eco-mode will automatically draw power only from the battery at low speeds, and provide more juice from the engine when needed. Perhaps giving consumers the perception of micromanagement is helping sales, but these options feel almost silly to us.

We assume that for power-management purposes, Toyota pulled the daytime running lights from the Prius, despite the fact that models such as the Matrix come standard with this feature: it’s a safety feature, after all. We can’t imagine that the power draw is that big of an issue, especially since the car will never be sucking battery juice exclusively when not cruising a parking lot. The mystery continues when you forget to leave the Prius’ lights on when the car is off, because unlike most other cars on the market now, the Prius doesn’t complain with an audible beep – the lights just stay on.

A cool family car.

The Prius IV is now considered an intermediate sized-car, up from the “compact” footprint that hybrids were previously known for. With four doors and adequate cabin room to fill the back seats, the Prius can make for a good family car, whether that means you have kids or just a backseat-filling dog. The rear seats fold down completely, and by “completely” we mean that they don’t angle upwards towards the front of the cabin, so sliding furniture or boxes or whatever else in is easy. There’s also no drop behind a lip when the trunk is open, again making for easy loading and unloading of whatever you plan to haul around. This is a solid hatch-back feature, and it’s a wonder that other car companies haven’t come around to this, as it really complements the already-spacious interior.

Locks on the Prius IV are keyless, as is starting the engine. There’s a key-fab that’s proximity-based, so as long as the fab is on your person, you can lock and unlock doors just by touching the car’s door handle(s). It’s a nice feature with a physical override in the event that you key-fab’s battery dies, and the effect of keyless entry is another space-age touch that makes the Prius cool.

Inside, the Prius doesn’t disappoint aesthetically – the dash is full of sexy, mesmerizing LCDs, letting you see where the car’s power is currently coming from (battery or engine), and not even displaying things such as RPMs, as most people could care less about this in the first place. This is indicative of the Prius’ market: not gear-heads, but people who appreciate a clean interface and straightforward usability. Were it not for the lack of little touches here or there, the Prius could almost be considered the Macintosh of cars.

Unfortunately, as space-age looking as the interior is, it’s not perfectly polished: the leather trim is minimal beyond the seats, with much of the dash and doors trimmed in a hard, patterned plastic. It doesn’t look bad, but it doesn’t look as clean as leather either, and while likely more durable in the long run, it doesn’t feel particularly robust when giving some areas a slight push and not feeling much resistance.

The car’s climate controls are nice, but aimed at the front seats. Rear passengers have it tough during very hot or very cold weather, because there are no rear vents – not even under the seats. Even our R32 which had little space in the back seats had vents beneath the front seats and at the rear of the center console. That the Prius, which is a larger car aimed more at a family market doesn’t have this, is almost ludicrous. “But WyldKard, we’ve had cars for decades without rear vents, and our rear passengers have made out just fine. ” We’ve made out fine without power steering for decades too, but that doesn’t mean modern cars should shirk this feature today.

The nav-stereo.

The stereo with built-in navigation is pretty good considering just how poor most stock navigation systems are. The downside is that a number of features are disabled when the car is in motion, such as entering an address or manipulating bluetooth controls for wirelessly connecting to, say, an . The nice thing is that none of these features require add-ons, which was the case with our R32 and bluetooth telephony. It’s pretty stupid for a car manufacturer to disable features temporarily under the guise of safety, however, when real-world use cases mean that a passenger should be able to use the navigation equipment when the car is in motion. In this sense, it’s rather sad that the car detects the presence of a passenger for the purpose of enabling the passenger airbag, but that this same detection mechanism isn’t used to unlock navigation controls.

The stereo itself is good – not as good sounding as the premium system that came stock in our previous 2005 Ford Mustang GT, but with adequate base nonetheless. Control-wise, the Prius IV’s stereo is fantastic, and truly shows how much better touch-screen interfaces are than the pitiful controls on our R32 were. Surely, it’s no iOS interface still, but it’s better than much of the competition.

Speaking of iOS, the Prius IV’s stereo connects to iOS devices via A2DP, letting you listen to any audio from an iOS device (not just from the app), as well as letting you make and receive calls using the car’s speaker system. Thus far, no one we’ve talked to in this manner even knew we were calling from the car, and assumed we were using our Jawbone headset or stock iOS . So good and convenient are these calls, that we haven’t recharged our bluetooth headset since setting the car’s bluetooth connection up.

Unfortunately, while the bluetooth connectivity is solid 80% of the time, there’s the occasional glitch. Normally, as soon as we turn the car on, bluetooth connectivity is achieved and playback from whatever audio app we used last resumes, be it from the app or Pandora. Every once in awhile, however, we have to run through a couple menus to get bluetooth to work properly, and while even rarer, there are times that bluetooth playback of our suddenly stops, and we have to disconnect the device manually and reconnect it using the car’s stereo interface (when the car is stopped). We don’t know where the problem lies, as it may be an issue with Apple’s bluetooth implementation or Toyota’s, but it’s annoying either way. Fortunately, the only time we regularly have to touch the car’s bluetooth settings is when ours was not the last device used, such as if our significant other used the Prius with her . In those cases, when we start the car up, we have to tell it to look for our instead, but then we’re off five seconds later with streaming audio goodness.

Mandatory conclusion paragraph.

We didn’t get a chance to play around with previous Prius incarnations, but judging the car on it’s 2010 build, the Prius IV is every bit as comfortable as other “premium” cars in its price range. What you give up is base performance, but most families don’t care about raw performance as much as safety anyway. What they care about is getting from one place to another, and these days, doing it as cheaply as possible. Raw fuel savings may not be spectacular compared to a cheaper, non-hybrid car that’s still considered fuel efficient, but the Prius epitomizes fuel efficiency in a package that greenies can put on a pedestal for not supporting terrorism and being slightly more earth-friendly.

While the Prius still takes top honors among “alternate fuel vehicles,” we realize that’s partially because the respective roster is so thin right now. As this roster grows, the Prius will have to keep getting better, not just in respect to its hybrid engine, but in terms of features and polish as well. Right now, the Prius IV is slightly above middle-ground when it comes to in-car comfort, meaning that Toyota has a solid platform for building more budget-oriented vehicles, or more premium models. Whether the Prius maintains its position as Toyota’s flagship standard for hybrids remains to be seen, but with only a little more polish, we easily see it holding its ground for the immediate future, especially if other titans like Honda aren’t able to quickly capitalize on hybrid technology (e.g. the Insight’s sad resurrection).

Oh, also, the Prius’ brakes seem to work fine, in case you were wondering.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/07/27/the-2010-toyota-prius-iv/feed/ 0 Automobile audio done right. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Fautomobile-audio-done-right%2F&seed_title=Automobile+audio+done+right. http://mendax.org/2010/07/19/automobile-audio-done-right/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:10:19 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2076

When the mp3 was created, it didn’t take long before people wanted a way to play these digital files in vehicles. Juggling cassettes and compact discs was cumbersome, and “skipping” discs were exceptionally annoying. The mp3 was a perfect solution for audible, mobile content, but the adoption of this format has hardly been seamless.

Around the year 2000, we rocked a hacked Netpliance i-Opener, which we hooked up to our car via auxiliary input, if not through a cassette adapter. The whole point was playing mp3s via Winamp, but our solution required a sizeable footprint near the dash, and didn’t work out long-term. We sported an another auxiliary-in solution with our first mp3 player, the Creative Jukebox. The solution remained poor, and even though a later car of ours sported the ability to play mp3s via compact disc, the interface for this implementation remained poor, just as it still is in most disc-based mp3 solutions today.

Even when we picked up a Volkswagen R32 in 2007 and had a built-in interface, we weren’t happy – the console-based solution meant that we had no access to the actual controls, and instead had to use the poor deck-based interface of the stock audio system. Even in 2007, some developers still refused to show full song identifiers on LCD screens, let alone a truly integrated solution. At least the system functioned with our 2G , but upon upgrading to a 3GS , the interface stopped working as a charger. Worse yet, audio through the interface would only work via the main app, which meant that apps like Pandora wouldn’t push audio through the car’s speakers. So we were back to using a basic aux-in solution.

Some people maintain that given how poor most car stereos are with handling mp3s, that we should continue relying on disc-based solutions. But why rely on an older technology that didn’t even work well at its peak, when adequate technology for a solid digital experience exists today?

The turn-around for us was playing with a stock Toyota sound system in a 2010 Prius. Between an aftermarket ProClip mount and power cable, and A2DP bluetooth audio, the ability to listen to our digital audio on our via the vehicle sound-system is nearly flawless; as soon as we start the car up, the Prius finds our and immediately begins playing from where it left off, not only via the app, but via Pandora as well.

Why rely on an aftermarket interface when the one on your works fantastic as-is? With the various mounting options ProClip offers, for nearly every modern vehicle out there, the only obstacle is a sound-deck sporting bluetooth audio. That’s a pretty cheap requirement for production, too, so it’s nearly inexcusable for audio decks not to incorporate this feature for all but the most bare-bones of systems. Props to Toyota for figuring this out.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/07/19/automobile-audio-done-right/feed/ 0 Still no iOS app data backup in iTunes? http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fstill-no-ios-app-data-backup-in-itunes%2F&seed_title=Still+no+iOS+app+data+backup+in+iTunes%3F http://mendax.org/2010/06/30/still-no-ios-app-data-backup-in-itunes/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:09:46 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2065

We’ve now seen four generations of iPhones, have witnessed iterations of the Touch, and seen the birth of the largest iOS device, the . And, of course, we’ve seen numerous versions of iTunes supporting the various iOS releases, with app management advances such as folders and the ability to import files like PDFs from iTunes itself. But yet somehow, despite all these advances, we’re still without core app management functionality like off-device data backup.

In other words, when we install an app on one of our iDevices, we can backup related data when we sync the iDevice with iTunes. In the even that our iDevice gets lost, breaks, or has some sort of iOS upgrade problem, we can always restore from our backup to not only get our apps back, but the respective data for those apps also. This means we don’t lose our app configurations, game backups, et al.

However, if we delete a particular app from our iDevice, even if we’ve synced the iDevice with iTunes in the past, any data associated with the deleted app is not only removed from the iDevice, but from iTunes as well. Thus, if we delete, say, a game, we lose all our associated achievements, and if we ever reinstall that game onto an iDevice in the future, we have to start from scratch. How is this good ?

One of two things should happen when one deletes an app from an iDevice:

  1. If the iDevice was not synced with that app on it before, the user should be prompted with a message saying that deleting the app means losing all associated data too, unless the user first syncs the iDevice to iTunes before deleting the app.
  2. The user should be prompted as to whether they wish to delete the app and its associated data, or just the app. If the latter is chosen, the next time the iDevice syncs with iTunes, it off-loads deleted app data that is still resident, and only deletes it once it’s been copied to iTunes.

Users should then be able to manage associated app data from within iTunes. This doesn’t mean they should be permitted to edit that data, but choose whether to keep it or simply delete it (assuming they never want to use the app again, else start with a fresh install).

Right now, too many issues still present themselves with iDevices not to have app data persistent somewhere, regardless of whether an app is maintained on a given iDevice. Just this past weekend, when we had to bring in our 3GS because it entered a restore-cycle, and ultimately handed a new 3GS, we were advised to set up the as a new device, and not restore from a previous backup. Getting our mail, calendars, and contacts back were a non-issue thanks to Mobile Me, but everything else was a hassle. We can deal with moving icons around to once again set up our interface like we want it, but getting every app set up again is a pain, and in the case of apps that don’t themselves backup to the (like games), losing all associated data is unacceptable. Do we really need to wait much longer for this problem to be properly addressed by Apple?

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/06/30/still-no-ios-app-data-backup-in-itunes/feed/ 0 Some people might want a computer for their iPad. Some. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F05%2F17%2Fsome-people-might-want-a-computer-for-their-ipad%2F&seed_title=Some+people+might+want+a+computer+for+their+iPad.+Some. http://mendax.org/2010/05/17/some-people-might-want-a-computer-for-their-ipad/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 18:47:53 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2019

We’ve said before that the is a fantastic computing solution for the average person, since the delivers all the content most people need, and works very well for basic office work. Maxator points out a number of things the can’t do, which necessitate also having a “traditional” computer at home.

CD/DVD burning/ripping.

Media issues are likely a short-term problem for adopters of -like devices; how long can the optical disc remain viable in a world of digital distribution, especially when there’s little legitimate reason to burn anything anymore? Seriously, we’ve burnt a handful of discs in the last couple years, and most of those were related to a console hack.

We can’t imagine that our burning needs are much different than for most people. Burning audio discs is a thing of the past thanks to the , and most data (like office documents) are small enough to be thrown onto the . In what common use scenario is burning 650MB of data a reasonable solution compared to removable flash storage or simple network transmission?

As far as movies go, legacy media is one thing, but for all future media, online consumption will become the norm, so why not adopt it now? Arguably, one could obtain an online copy of media you already own, which is effectively the same thing as ripping the respective DVD yourself. Now granted, this doesn’t address storage issues, since the maxes out at 64GB at the moment, but that’s not necessarily a deal breaker, as we’ll note later.

One obstacle for dealing with online media, however, is with tackling file distribution outside the iTunes store. This is great for the big labels, and Apple, but not great for those who rely on things like BitTorrent. That’s because without a BitTorrent client for the in sight, or similar apps for other peer-to-peer networks, downloading files of any sort to the is impossible without something like FTP, which is ultimately limited.

Legacy .

Faulting state-of-the-art technology because it doesn’t cater to legacy is a questionable practice. Yes, people want backwards compatibility, but sometimes that compatibility needs to be balanced with a forward momentum, which Apple has almost mastered. Thus it was with the floppy disc, so it is becoming with optical media, and so it will be for closed technologies like Flash. Faulting Apple for not supporting a third-party plugin seems like misappropriating blame: if you’re upset that you can’t view all your favorite websites on mobile Apple devices, maybe you should blame the respective website developers instead. After all, it’s not that their content doesn’t work on Apple devices, it’s that it doesn’t work on any mobile device, since Flash doesn’t exist in a mobile form yet. (Adobe is “working” on it.)

Same goes for legacy in general. Sure, it’d be nice to have TurboTax, Crossover, and Ulysses running on the , but if the demand and capability were there, you can bet that the will follow. (As far as TurboTax goes, does the web version not run in Mobile Safari?) The AppStore is a tour de force, with an amazing number of quality apps available designed for productivity. For most users, the AppStore either already offers an app you need, or will soon.

Backup/syncing.

The real hang-up to relying purely on the for computing that entails massive storage is backups and data management. Right now, the works well with iTunes, but this means you’re relying on at least a Mac Mini to serve as a data warehouse, which becomes an investment of around $500. It’s a fine solution for backing up an ’s data, but it’s not perfect. For one, uninstalled apps won’t retain their data in iTunes, which means that reinstalling an app on the means starting from scratch. That’s bad , pure and simple.

What Apple should do to address the backup issue is roll out over-the-air syncing, either at the local level with the Apple Time Capsule, or via the with a an enhanced Mobile Me service. A -based iTunes solution would be perfect, allowing you to keep all your media files on Apple’s servers, and choose which ones to stream or copy to the directly. A Time Capsule solution would work similarly, with the Time Capsule serving up a local web page for accessing it’s own iTunes program for handling media, apps, etc. Both solutions could be implemented at the level, and both would potentially allow users to upgrade their firmware without physically tethering their iPads to a traditional computer.

In the meantime…

We still stand by our assertion that the is a tremendous computer for most people, without them needing a traditional computer at home. This may require visiting the local Apple Store, or a friend, to perform firmware upgrades and the occasional backup. But these are minor inconveniences at best, which will inevitably be addressed by Apple as Mobile OS X evolves.

For the rest of us, who still need a server appliance to make the something more than Average Joe’s computer, the additional investment in a pint-sized server isn’t a deal-breaker, especially when it means that 99% of our non-work computer use is on the itself. Niche requirements like burning CDs and downloading torrents are easily addressed, and can likely be met without shelling out for a Mac Mini like we did, especially with how cheap PCs are these days. Maybe there’s a continuing market for low-cost PCs after all?Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/05/17/some-people-might-want-a-computer-for-their-ipad/feed/ 0 The iPod Touch is a baby iPad. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F05%2F05%2Fipod-touch-baby-ipad%2F&seed_title=The+iPod+Touch+is+a+baby+iPad. http://mendax.org/2010/05/05/ipod-touch-baby-ipad/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 20:14:02 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2013

One of the common quips about the is that it’s nothing more than a “large Touch.” It’s a statement the naysayers are fond of making, along with those who lash out at anything made by Apple as though were still the only developer putting out a useful, solid operation system anymore; it’s not 1999, people.

We’ve now had an since Friday, the day the 3G iPads were released, and we’re quite happy with it as a replacement for our now-sold 17″ Macbook Pro. We’ve fielded numerous questions, but the most common is, “Why would someone want an ?” And that’s a loaded question, because it comes with a pre-established bias. But let’s answer it anyway: “Maybe you don’t. Not everyone would.”

That answer isn’t side-stepping the argument, either. The reality is, if you’re already happy with an existing portable computer, or you don’t need a portable computer in the first place, then the isn’t for you, just as a roadster isn’t the ideal car for a family of four. If you’re in the market for a portable computer, however, and what you need it to do is the same thing 99% of computer users need a computer for, then the fits the bill splendidly. It’s a fantastic entertainment and news device, is great for writing, and the distribution system for apps makes the a headache-free device which you won’t need to reformat every six months because something’s broken.

And for techies who need the latest and greatest, and have the disposable income to make that need a reality, then the is an obvious choice over an existing sub-notebook: it’s snappier, has a great app library w/associated distribution system, has a longer battery life, and has a data connection built in.

With four days of use behind us, we’re not disappointed with the device at all, and look forward to the benefits that OS 4.0 will bring later this year. One side-effect of using the , however, is our changed perception of using the . Quite simply, the no longer feels as revolutionary, or as spectacular, as before. Indeed, we’re making an effort to not run apps on the , because most simply don’t look great when scaled up. That’s not to say that the still isn’t the best smartphone on the market, but merely that the now feels more like a phone with cool features, and less like a backup computing device; the feels almost cluttered now, what with its dense app icon distribution on the SpringBoard, and the lack of “whitespace” in apps.

In this respect, the has set for the computing industry a new standard. What early, greyscale sub-notebooks were to their later, more powerful notebook brethren, the Touch is to the . In other words, the isn’t a big Touch, in much the same way the modern Mini Cooper isn’t just a bigger version of the old Mini. Yes, there are keen visual similarities, but one was effectively a prototype for the other. In the end, the Touch is a smaller, more restricted version of the , which is a more apt description if any can be made, and it pinpoints the answer to the aforementioned question as to why one would want an : early adopters didn’t ask why they should pick up an instead of one of the many non-Apple mp3 players on the market. Rather, the reason was obvious: the was better, not because it offered much more functionality, but because it was highly polished. Those who didn’t see this would end up buying an a year or three later. Same with the : if you don’t get it now, just wait a couple years when the early-adopters have made the reasoning all to clear.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/05/05/ipod-touch-baby-ipad/feed/ 0 Transitioning the Apple TV into a gaming console. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F03%2F03%2Ftransitioning-the-apple-tv-into-a-gaming-console%2F&seed_title=Transitioning+the+Apple+TV+into+a+gaming+console. http://mendax.org/2010/03/03/transitioning-the-apple-tv-into-a-gaming-console/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:00:01 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1958

Some dude, Michael Pachter, a analyst, claims that the Apple TV will soon be hooked up to the AppStore and magically transform into a machine, albeit one that does more than simply play games. This isn’t a particularly original thought, but neither are most thoughts from these so-called analysts, who seem to be more regularly incorrect than anything else. So too may Pachter find himself, as transitioning the Apple TV into a machine is easier said than done, since the AppStore is backed by the venerable version of OS X. It’s not a stretch to think that Apple TV may adopt this OS in some form, in lieu of its current interface, but let’s be clear: Apple TV won’t sport multitouch, and that means any initiative that Apple might fathom with the Apple TV will be outside today’s AppStore.

Apple already has a platform, and that platform simply doesn’t work with the Apple TV. To invest time and money into something that’s not bound to the mobile space, or more accurately, not bound to the new rules of the mobile space (read: multitouch) would be wasteful of resources. That’s not to say that Apple couldn’t somehow wrangle a multitouch interface into the Apple TV by way of a new remote/controller, but the effort would seem forced, especially when comes so natural to the and Touch. Artificially pushing into a product that its target market isn’t after is almost ludicrous, particularly when Apple’s primary focus is on the mobile marketplace.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/03/03/transitioning-the-apple-tv-into-a-gaming-console/feed/ 0 Transitioning to an iPad workflow. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Ftransitioning-to-an-ipad-workflow%2F&seed_title=Transitioning+to+an+iPad+workflow. http://mendax.org/2010/02/23/transitioning-to-an-ipad-workflow/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:37:38 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1946

We’ve long complained about toting our 17″ MacBook Pro around when we travel. The purchase was solid when we wanted a top-performing mobile Mac for , with the occasional trip requiring relative transportability. Since we’re traveling more and less these days, the bulk of lapzilla has caused us to look for a replacement, and we held off on picking up a used MacBook Air, or a newer (and smaller) MacBook, because we expected the to show up soon. And now that it has, we’ve made some definitive decisions on how we intend to handle our computing workflow.

Unfortunately, the can’t replace our MacBook Pro by itself. Still, for most computing tasks, the seems to fit the bill. Like the , it has all the makings of a good internet client for most tasks. With a larger screen and the likelihood that other internet apps (e.g. chat clients) will be ported to make use of it, surfing the digital waves shouldn’t be a problem, save for multitasking restrictions which many people expect to be relieved in a future OS version (4.0?). What’s left is some method to write, and with a $10 version of Pages designed specifically for the , this base also appears to be covered. This means that other text editors will undoubtedly show up on the in the future (ad be useable!), to include those with syntax highlighting for developers, as well as those designed for creative writers (like our favorite, Ulysses).

With text editing and internet use out of the way, we’re left with a couple tasks that the can’t do on its own (at least not in its present state).

Future features?

Camera/tablet integration: We already talked about this yesterday, so won’t go into it again. Suffice to say, the opportunities for integration with other peripherals is there, be it the iSight and tablet we already mentioned, game controllers, the PowerMate, etc.

Selective screen-grabs: While the and Touch have an easy method for grabbing screenshots (which the will likely inherent), the method is simple: it grabs a full-size screenshot. Sure, we can open this screenshot in a photo-editing app and crop out what we need, but that’s not as elegant a solution as using, say, Skitch. Even if user-defined multi-tasking presents itself in a future OS revision, we have to remember that there will still likely be restrictions on it. While editing screenshots manually to crop out content is not a deal breaker for us, we hope Apple refines the screenshot method on its mobile devices, to allow users the option of, say, drawing out the area they want to capture (say, with a lasso tool), else simply clicking on the screen to capture it in its entirety.

Either way, the should present a quick and easy way to grab parts of a screen, be it part of the OS, or possible by running an app in the background (like a ported version of Skitch).

Why we still need a Mac.

iTunes: Obviously, this is the big obstacle for most people. It’s not an issue for many computer users, like grandma and grandpa, but for people already vested in the Mac world, it’s likely that there’s a media library that can’t be managed on the alone. These users, like us, need a way to hook the up to a core iTunes media repository, and selectively copy media onto the for whatever upcoming trips or time periods are pertinent.

With no announced way for the to important media from a source other than the iTunes store (and pictures/video from SD/USB sources via the camera adapter kit), the may also rely on a Mac for its optical drive. Otherwise, users won’t be able to rip CDs and DVDs to transfer their media onto their newest toy.

Server tasks/file-sharing: Seeing as apps were removed from the AppStore that merely controlled BitTorrent clients that actually resided on a Mac, it’s unlikely that we’ll see actual peer-to-peer (P2P) apps in the AppStore, particularly when Apple is trying to fervently control the distribution of media via the iTunes store. Even if we could run, say, a version of Transmission built for the , it’d be a little silly unless we’re using it at home via wifi. Without a jailbreak-enabled application like 3G Unrestrictor, we ought not bank on Apple/AT&T letting us download large files, and the download speeds on 3G would be pathetic anyway. This doesn’t even account for the ’s small storage capacity. So for those of you seeking to grab media via .torrent files or other methods, the alone won’t be your savior. Same goes for pretty much any other server-related tasks.

File processing: Betwixt P2P and iTunes media management is the issue of file processing, be it in the conversion of video files so they can be played via the iTunes app, or simply unzipping them in the first place. Really, it’s simple: if the media you want is not from the iTunes store, then the itself won’t cut it.

There’s also the issue of very niche apps or those that will be impossible to get through the AppStore approval process. Emulators, utilities for connecting to, say, a console, or even just custom scripts for accomplishing file renaming or other tasks.

Solution?

For us, the solution is rather obvious. For the few tasks we do need a Mac for, we can run a mostly headless Mac Mini tucked away somewhere. We’ll probably just use our HDTV as a monitor for when we need to do more than handle automated tasks (e.g. updating our / firmware), and access it via one of our mobile Apple devices thanks to one of the many mouse/keyboard apps already in the AppStore, else the bluetooth keyboard we’ll pick up for the anyway. The Mac Mini will handle all our iTunes media management tasks, as well as whatever media processing we might need to do. (We just lost our iTunes library, so we need to rip all our old CDs again, for example.)

In the event that we don’t want to use the HDTV as a monitor (such as when the TV is already in use), we can always access the Mac Mini via the thanks to utilities like VNC. Or, we can just have a small LCD handy (which we do, thanks to our discontinued carputer project). With this setup, it’s doubtful we even need a mouse.

Apps we’d like ported to the .

With a Mac Mini powering what we can best describe as stationary tasks done at home, and usually with little needed interaction, we can focus on the apps we’d like to see transition over to the , or simply be improved versions of existing AppStore apps. While we’re convinced that we can get by with the on release, there are definitely things (like multitasking) that will be necessary to make our workflow as fluid as, if not more fluid than, the work we do on the MacBook Pro when on the road.

Adium/Conversation/iChat: We never did quite settle on a single chat application, though we predominantly use iChat because of the iSight integration. Regardless, we’d like to see AppStore chat clients move over to the ’s larger-screen format, else see apps like Adium be ported to the . Multitasking for an app like this would be ideal, but let’s at least be able to see chats in multiple protocols.

Bento: There’s already a mobile version of Bento available, and we expect an version to come out that would pretty much duplicate the features of the desktop version. The folks who develop Bento have confirmed that an version will be in the works.

JBidwatcher: Our preferred eBay sniper. Ideally, we wouldn’t need to access it remotely on the Mac Mini, but could tote it around and rely on 3G to keep us sniping (assuming we have multitasking, of course). JBidwatcher’s developer would like to bring the program over to the /, but the multitasking issue remains.

MacFamilyTree: Another app with a mobile version already on the AppStore. The would be perfect for showcasing a full-featured version of this app, and the developer supports the idea.

PandoraJam: Given what it does (rips audio from Pandora), it’s unlikely we’ll ever see this on the . Even if we did see it, there likely wouldn’t be a method to copy songs over to the iTunes library, so we’d have to rely on the Mac Mini to copy audio from the app to the server iTunes library, and then re-sync the . An easier solution would simply be to run PandoraJam as part of a media center setup. (Still, we’re listing it anyway because we’d love it to work somehow.)

Pixelmator: Image editing apps on the are already coming into their own, with many desktop features. If we could get something like Pixelmator on the , though, it’d be fantastic.

Ulysses: A mobile version was already announcement, so hopefully the developers, now aware of the new SDK, will port most of the Mac version’s functionality over to the .

Vassal: Okay, this isn’t part of our work flow per se, but we were recently re-introduced to this wargaming platform and can see how awesome it would be on the . Someone please work on this!

VoodooPad: Another app with a mobile version already existing (which only lets one read files, unfortunately), we expect the developers to release a more full-featured version for the . Our use of VoodooPad has waned over time, in part because there’s no way to edit the files on the . We may come back to this app now, though.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/02/23/transitioning-to-an-ipad-workflow/feed/ 1 iPad extensibility: the key is in the adapters? http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F28%2Fipad-extensibility-the-key-is-in-the-adapters%2F&seed_title=iPad+extensibility%3A+the+key+is+in+the+adapters%3F http://mendax.org/2010/01/28/ipad-extensibility-the-key-is-in-the-adapters/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:35 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1939

While the won’t sport much more than a dock connector for interfacing with other devices, that dock connector may be pretty flexible. In addition to the obvious use for syncing iTunes media to and from a Mac, Apple will offer numerous adapters. For instance, there will be a camera “kit” consisting of an SD and USB adapter, presumably to download pics and videos without having to get a Mac. This means that on-release, the will have access to external media, as well as an external keyboard, all via the dock connector.

The obvious question is whether external storage access will be extremely limited. We guess it will be, but if the could write to external storage devices, that would open a whole new world of possibilities for the device, making it ever-so more versatile. Otherwise, the relies exclusively on networking to transfer files to and fro. There are other interesting possibilities for future accessories, however, which could leverage the USB adapter, or otherwise leverage the 30-pin dock connector. Two such examples follow.

iSight, anyone?

One of the disappointments people have with the is the lack of a front-facing camera. Some will remember that PowerBooks didn’t have iSight cameras embedded in the display frame, but that the original iSight form factor was rather large, and slide onto a laptop via a plastic attachment. These iSights sold for over $75 on release, and releasing a new, smaller version, is a financially considerate move for Apple, who may not want to tack on more money to the ’s currently alluring price-tag.

We can see Apple releasing an iSight attachment to the later this year, or early next year, once the mobile version of OS X is more mature, and when its distribution includes a mobile iChat application. The camera could simply orient itself to however the is positioned, and potentially, this attachment could be used on the and Touch as well, since the connector is the same. Releasing such an iSight would allow it to be used on all mobile Apple devices, and test the popularity of video conferencing on mobile devices before Apple decides to include it in a later revision. In the meantime, the fact that the iSight remains an out-of-box option for the MacBook lineup serves as just another example as to how the fills a category between the / Touch and the MacBook line.

Drawing tablets.

Apple’s demo of the redesigned Brushes app made for a great presentation, but for many artists, the feel of a pen/brush, along with pressure sensitivity, is important. There’s a clear market for drawing tablets out there, which is why Wacom products sit in every Apple store we’ve ever stepped in. If such tablets could be used with an , we could certainly see many artists jumping on board Apple’s new product niche, as the portability of such a canvas, with a drawing interface aimed at the more artistic crowd, makes for a solid combination. Rather than sitting in front of a computer at one’s desk, artists could bring their /tablet combination outside, to practically anywhere, and expect amazing battery life in a more inspiring location.

Understandably, Apple is all about pushing multitouch, but there’s no reason that the two input mechanisms can’t go hand-in-hand. Literally smudge paint with one’s fingers, but finely draw lines via the tablet, in a more controlled and usual fashion that many artists are used to. Turn the as though manually plopping a canvas on its side, and continue working with virtual brush. Even as non-artists, we find the prospect enticing.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/28/ipad-extensibility-the-key-is-in-the-adapters/feed/ 1 Initial thoughts on the iPad. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F27%2Finitial-thoughts-on-the-ipad%2F&seed_title=Initial+thoughts+on+the+iPad. http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/initial-thoughts-on-the-ipad/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:41:21 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1932

We weren’t exactly surprised with Apple’s revealing of the today. Aside from our dislike of “,” the device does look pretty good, though it’s clearly not as revolutionary as many people hoped. While usage reports are sure to trickle in soon, we’ll take this time to look back at the post we made last week on what we thought the should have, likely wouldn’t, and what would be nice for Apple to include.

Our must-haves.

Readable screen size: Check. As expected, the sports a 9.7″ screen, just under the 10″ rumoured size. When we first saw the in Steve Jobs’ hands, we actually thought it looked bigger. From the virtual keyboard size alone, we think the screen size is adequate, though admit that the virtual keyboard takes up an awful lot of room in landscape mode.

User-defined multitasking: Sadly, no mention of this was made. This is perhaps our biggest let-down with the reveal, because jumping back and forth between apps and the springboard is cumbersome at best. Fortunately, with Backgrounder already existing on the and Touch, once a proper exploit is found on the , we can assuredly rely on the dev-team or other hacking group to come up with a homebrew solution. Still, a pity Apple didn’t announce additional multitasking for the out-of-box.

Update: A key point some people have made is that while multitasking wasn’t featured in Apple’s presentation today, there’s no reason that Apple couldn’t reveal multitasking in the 4.0 OS announcement in a couple months. Remember that the presentation today was all about the itself, not intricacies of the OS.

Decent text-input: We were bummed with the idea of having to rely purely on the virtual keyboard for text input, because though the size of the keyboard in landscape mode looks adequate, it takes up too much of the screen. Losing almost 50% of one’s screen-realestate in a 9.7″ display is losing a lot. When we saw images of the virtual keyboard in vertical mode, however, with the new Pages app up, it looked like there was still plenty of screen left to preview written content. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the keyboard in this mode is large enough for quick typing.

Of course, with the announcement of an dock/keyboard accessory, our desire for the grew considerably. We’d still be happier with integration with a bluetooth keyboard, but until the jailbreak community gets BTStack or similar running on the , we can certainly live with an Apple accessory, even if it will only work with the .

Update: The word from the blogosphere is that any bluetooth keyboard can be used with the , so one doesn’t need to buy an -specific keyboard. We wonder if this means that iPhones will support bluetooth keyboards also. Better yet, from the pictures we’ve seen with the dock keyboard attached, the virtual keyboard does indeed disappear. Assuming the same is true for linked bluetooth keyboards, the will truly be a bloggers wet-dream, multitasking aside.

Our need-nots.

Cellular data connection: The will be released in wifi-only versions (in 60 days) and in wifi/3G versions (in 90 days). Proof that Apple doesn’t consider 3G a necessity for the , but more of a luxury. Of the units that will sport 3G, the iPads will be unlocked, with an initial data offering via pre-pad AT&T. We have no qualms with this other than the lack of tethering support with an . With a 250MB plan for $15/month or unlimited for $30/month, we’d expect a discount for existing AT&T subscribers, or at least a discount if we’re tethering with an . Alas, tethering doesn’t even seem to be an option yet, but perhaps more will come to light in upcoming weeks as AT&T makes their own /tethering announcement.

Also, for those of you who thought Verizon would come in to save the day: we told you so.

GPS: We didn’t think it would happen, and Apple only mentioned the existence of a compass. No real surprise here, since the is too big to use as a standard GPS device.

Ports: We’re looking at an connector here, to tether the to one’s Mac computer. Not really unexpected.

Our nice-to-haves.

No desktop tethering: The connector means that the is still designed to hook into a full version of iTunes to serve up non-iTunes media, which is a disappointment. On the other hand, with the keyboard dock, the can easily become a stand-alone computer for many people, including grandma and grandpa, who probably don’t care about importing their home media library anyway. The downside for many is that the largest storage offered for the is 64GB, and with no external storage options, this means that for power-users, desktop tethering is still mandatory. Overall, it’s rather surprising that more storage wasn’t offered in an even more expensive model, but 64GB is more than enough for general travel.

Front-facing camera: The has no camera at all, which is pretty much what we expected. Lack of a front-facing camera, though, will be a disappointment to many. One of the nice things about the MacBook line is the integrated iSight camera, which is a huge boon for professionals to still be able to see their kids while on the road. We entirely expect to see an integrated iSight in a future model, but maybe Apple just wants to role out big features at a time, especially since they still want to position the MacBook line as a mobile product for professionals.

Greater connectivity: No mention of the ’s use of the was made, though we naturally expect the device to leverage Mobile Me in the same way the does, and definitely expect versions of existing Mobile Me apps to be released around the time the ships.

Conclusion:

With the exception of more multitasking, our expectations were pretty much dead-on for what Apple thought was important and what wasn’t. We’re surprised at just how accurate some of the purported “leaks” were in the past several weeks, and how bad some of the hype got. Overall, we think the is a decent version-one product, with definite room for growth. We’re disappointed at the lack of data tethering with an , and would prefer to see bluetooth keyboard connectivity, and even an iSight, but none of these are excuses not to get an . As a device for writing on-the-go, the seems to fit the bill pretty well, and is a traveler’s dream, coming in at half the weight of the MacBook Air. While the won’t replace a full-on Mac just yet, Apple did well in positioning the between its Mac and / Touch products, adding yet another Apple gadget to our lives.

For us, the probably will replace our MacBook, though only if we pick up, say, a Mac Mini also as a sort of server for handling some of our larger media files. The big question for us now is whether we want to wait for a 3G , or if we’d be plenty happy with a wifi-only version.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/initial-thoughts-on-the-ipad/feed/ 0 mendax.iphone v3.0. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F27%2Fmendax-iphone-v3-0%2F&seed_title=mendax.iphone+v3.0. http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/mendax-iphone-v3-0/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:54:16 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1929

With word-on-the-street that the iTablet will emerge from the Pandora’s Box that is Apple’s campus later today, and with all signs pointing towards the iTablet leveraging the ’s version of OS X (and with it, the AppStore), it makes sense to identify apps that no user should be without. That is to say, must-have apps for the could very well become must-have apps for the iTablet as well, so it’s high-time that we updated our ongoing compilation.

Perhaps the most important change to this update of mendax.iphone is clarifying its audience. Before, we included most apps that resided on our , with the exceptions being apps very specific to our personal needs. The change we’re making with this updated compilation is in removing niche apps, and focusing on daily use. The change is a practical one; our includes a hodge-podge of apps that simply aren’t useful for everyone. Our goal with this revision is to tailor our recommendations to the average user, whereby “average” we include not only non-nerds, but some overlap with more geeky computer users who can benefit from some of the more advanced features some of the compilation’s components offer. The name change also opens the possibility of us focusing in on niche app markets for future updates (i.e. creating a mendax. section for photo apps, or games).

The (major) revision coincidentally lets us drop a “3.0″ title to the compilation, mirroring the general release number for the current OS. We may or may not stick with mirroring the major revision numbers for OS releases, but we’re fond of the coincidence at the moment. If we do stick with it, it conveniently gives us time to evaluate new apps for inclusion at fairly regular intervals.

One last note is our philosophy on the compilation in general. Our goal is not to list every great or even well done app for the daily user. We’re minimalists at heart, so rather than list three apps that do different things extremely well, we’d rather list one app that does the same thing only fairly well. In other words, we’d prefer to have less apps on the springboard, even if it means that we don’t get the absolute best experience in one particular area. There may be exceptions to this rule from time to time, but regardless, we won’t list bad apps just for the sake of minimalism; we lean towards minimalism, but still seek to offer an above-average user experience.

So let’s take a look at what’s changed.

AppStore apps we decided to get rid of.

We removed some apps in the 3.0 mendax.iphone revision, because their functionality now exists in other apps, else we no longer think they’re that great in the first place. For example, we removed the Flashlight app, as we found launching it cumbersome when wanting, say, a quick red light, as the app wasn’t used enough to reside on our home screen, and even then, the bright flash of the home screen itself was adequate for most uses, and distractive if we then followed up with our intended red light for low-light reading use. In the rare cases where the home screen itself wasn’t bright enough, launching any app with a predominantly white screen/background worked just as well, and didn’t take up a valuable springboard icon slot.

DVR Remote was taken off our as well, since there’s a basic DVR remote built into i.TV now. i.TV isn’t as good as the many applications it’s replaced, but the fact that it does so much by itself is impressive. With Backgrounder enabled for i.TV when we’re home, it’s easy to jump over to the remote when we need it, instead of digging through sub-menus every time we launch i.TV just to get to the remote. Ideally, i.TV would make the remote feature easier to get to, but it’s fine for the limited use it gets at home.

We pulled HearPlanet from our lineup because we rarely used it. Maybe the paid-for versions are better, and we still recommend the free version if you’re in avid tourist-mode, but for daily applications, it’s not a must-have app. We pulled Urbanspoon also, because even though it’s a nice novelty, especially when trolling the same-old neighborhoods, we’re just as happy with Yelp, which does more even though it’s not necessarily the most elegant random-food-spot-finder. Both of these apps would be good nominations for a future tourist app section, however.

The MySpace app got the boot because, quite frankly, almost everyone worthwhile has moved onto Facebook, and keeping up with two social networks seemed pointless, especially when one of them is quite clearly dying. We also found the Weather Channel app nice, but ultimately rarely launched it; even though the built-in weather app was spartan in comparison, we rarely found the need for an in-depth weather forecast.

The AppStore apps we replaced.

With this 3.0 release, we replaced 1Password with 1Password Pro, though at the very least, we still recommend its non-Pro sibling. The application, primarily because of its ability to sync with the desktop component, is a fantastic tool not only for holding various online logins, but to securely keep track of all the various OS X licenses one has purchased, as well as the miscellaneous wallet items regularly filling up one’s, well, wallet.

We’ve temporarily replaced Air Sharing for Air Sharing Pro. The latter can handle larger PDF files, and has built-in FTP capabilities in case you need it.

The 2.0 version of our compilation included iHandy Level, but we’ve since upgraded that to the full iHandy Carpenter suite. In truth, we mostly only use the level and ruler components, but the other tools are nice to have in the rare situations we need them.

SnapTell, while quite awesome, is an app we replaced with Red Laser. It’s just way easier to scan barcodes than book covers, and Red Laser lets us look up items that aren’t books and movies, which has made it a much better shopping companion than SnapTell.

While we were fans of TwitterFon (now EchoFon) in the past, we spent some time evaluating paid Twitter clients, as ads in some of the free apps were becoming distracting. We used Twittelator Pro for some time, but eventually landed on Tweetie (and later Tweetie 2), and haven’t looked back since. We still recommend Twittelator Pro if one wants every feature known to man, but for slightly above-average features and a much nicer user experience, Tweetie 2 simply beats other Twitter clients within an inch of their digital lives.

The AppStore apps we added.

While we used to look up unit conversions using Google, there were times that we couldn’t, on account of not having any cellular access in certain locations, like in the back of our local grocery store. We looked into the various unit conversion apps, and Convertbot stood out. It sports a very nice UI, and has a pretty complete set of units to convert to and from.

We used Air Sharing for some time to view PDF files, but then the app crashed on some of our larger files. We found that because Air Sharing (and its Pro version) render the full PDF file at one time, it’s more limited by file sizes. So, we picked up Good Reader, which is designed to display much larger PDF files, because it only renders one page at a time. It also has more reader-friendly options than Air Sharing, so compliments Air Sharing nicely.

While Red Laser meets our price-comparison expectations well, we picked up Good Guide to scan barcodes and get product information. For example, one can scan an item to find out how ethical the respective company is, or how healthy the product is. Great for comparing items in one’s local grocery store without having to compare the often misleading nutrition information.

As Starbucks drinkers, we picked up Mobile Card, which lets us reload our Starbucks card of choice, and keep tabs on what the current balance is. When heading west, we can even pay for our drinks at some stores via the alone.

Finally, we have myWireless, which is AT&T’s auditing tool for looking at how many minutes were used on your plan. Also lets you check data use, et al. Also, you can pay your monthly bill, so for everyone not jailbroken and using T-Mobile, this app is quite handy.

Cydia apps we decided to get rid of.

We decided to dump categories after we started using the left-of-homescreen text-entry method of launching apps buried multiple right-finger-slides over. Categories is definitely useful in concept, but it still leaves something to be desired, and maybe that’s just a matter of better integration with the OS, which is likely not possible. It’s still a great app launcher but it’s simply caused us too many problems in the past to have to set up again and again.

While Winterboard is still the best customization app for springboard, we found actual customization arduous, since no theme has icons for every app out there, and such app icons tend to jibe with a theme’s atmosphere. Overall, still a great app, just not one we consider “must-have” anymore.

Cydia apps we added.

Not liking the fact that we couldn’t download files larger than 10MB via 3G/EDGE, we picked up 3G Unrestrictor, which tricks apps into thinking they’re on wifi. Great for downloading apps and podcasts while on the road.

Unsatisfied that Apple still hasn’t approved a Google Voice app, we grabbed GV Mobile to take care of out virtual-phone-number needs.

Finally, to compliment Backgrounder, we grabbed ProSwitcher, which makes switching between apps easy and intuitive, without us having to jump back and forth to the springboard.

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