The Graphic Mac

How Apple could make iOS keyboards useful

Links
8 Jan, 2015

How Apple could make iOS keyboards useful

As interesting as iOS keyboards can be, their initial implementation at the OS level is severely flawed. They’re cumbersome to setup, switching between them is needlessly tedious, and limitations make it difficult to teach users about keyboard features. As far as I can tell, all these problems require solutions and improvements from Apple at the OS level.

I agree completely with everything David Chartier said in his post yesterday on How to fix iOS 8 keyboards—which is why I installed a bunch of them when iOS 8 was released, and quickly deleted them. They’re buggy, missing too many features, and quite frankly they’re just not worth the effort of using them.

This audio amp for iPhone/iPad looks really cool

General / Links
7 Jan, 2015

This audio amp for iPhone/iPad looks really cool

Twenty is a digital audio amplifier – 20 watts per channel – that streams the highest-quality audio via Bluetooth from your phone right to your speakers. Thanks to a 30-foot Bluetooth range, the days of being tethered to your stereo are over.

The device looks awesome. The Twenty amp costs $149, and there are speaker bundles starting at $300.

Advice: Building the best graphic design toolbox

General / Illustrator / InDesign / Mac & OS X / Photoshop
5 Jan, 2015

There is no perfect set of tools for graphic designers. We’re all unique, we all work in different ways, and budgets always come in to play. I’ve put together a breakdown of major factors when building the best graphic design hardware and software toolbox based on my experience. Consider the following as a guide, rather than a set of absolute rules.

Keep it simple

I’ve been a graphic designer for 30 years, using the Macintosh the entire time to produce work for some great clients. I’ve worked for ad agencies large and small, a design firm, printing companies, and I’ve freelanced full and part time. Over the years I’ve learned a few short rules as it pertains to building my design toolbox and getting things done—and it has held true everywhere I’ve worked. Those rules are: keep it simple no matter the cost, don’t get caught up in software trends and gimmicks, buy a little more than you think you need, because you will grow into it. The following is more specific advice for building your design toolbox. (more…)

Happy 2015

Site News
31 Dec, 2014

Meetings the Steve Jobs way

Links
30 Dec, 2014

Meetings the Steve Jobs way

“I don’t think we need you in this meeting, Lorrie. Thanks,” he said.

If only more companies took this approach to meetings…

Know your shit vs. know you’re shit

General / Links
29 Dec, 2014

Know your shit vs. know you're shit

While one person couldn’t care less about colons vs. semicolons, another person will have a visceral reaction to a misplaced apostrophe or a “there” where a “their” is needed…

In the age of texting and 140-character blurbs, grammar has become a lost art. But in business, it’s the difference between taking you seriously or not.

The most ignorant puddle of palaver all year

Links
29 Dec, 2014

The most ignorant puddle of palaver all year

So I was reading the Macalope column over at Macworld.com and he/they/it shared a link to this dipshit’s commentary on Apple (titled: 10 Things Apple Won’t Say). As pointed out by the Macalope, this ass-spatula (also referred to by his mother as Quentin Fottrell) wrote the same article two years ago. Not similar, but almost exactly the same.

Normally that would be bad enough to call this ass-hat out publicly—but almost everything he writes is completely made-up monkey piss, or incredibly stinky and opinionated guano.

Note: The link to the ‘article’ in question is a no-follow link, so the putz gets no Google juice from linking to it. So go ahead and read this hot mess. But be warned, unless you just now found out who/what Apple is, this article is going to annoy the ever-loving’ shit out of you.