The AppsLab

Another example of creativity executed with technology and distributed online is this gem, Photoshop Tutorial Rap (h/t Gizmodo and @rmanalan). Although primarily entertaining, the tutorial actually presents useful how-to tips for Photoshop, which is most definitely a dark art. See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

I really enjoy new art forms like this, made possible my modern technology and distributed by the intertubes. Possibly derivative, in that clips of original works were used, but in many cases, the original films are much less enjoyable. Trust me on that. Anyway, enjoy the full six minutes (h/t Geekosystem).

Chet (@oraclenerd) will be hosting a webinar this coming Thursday at 1100 CST (0900 PST) called “Professionally Speaking in 140 Characters or Less – How Twitter Can Help Advance Your Career“. This grew out of a rejected ODTUG abstract about social media and its uses for real world business productivity. I highly recommend attending for… Read More

Let’s settle the iOS vs. Android debate once and for all: it doesn’t matter. Everyone happy? I actually enjoy reading what people love about their phones and hate about the other camp’s phones because what people value in a phone tells you a lot about them and what they value. However, it really doesn’t matter… Read More

Reading one of John Gruber’s pieces comparing iOS and Android, which I mostly skimmed because I grow tired of reading a fanboi’s attempts at measured reasoning, I bounced to the end and caught a sentence I’ve heard at least once before: Google is an advertising company that builds popular services that command large audiences. I… Read More

A couple very interesting speeding hacks came across my Reader today, one involves positive reenforcement for following the speed limit, the other negative. The first one (h/t Gizmodo) is the winning idea from VW’s The Fun Theory contest. It’s a speeding camera that snaps your picture if you’re speeding and fines you, natch. It also… Read More

Thanks to the iPad, my renewed reading efforts have finally got me reading Don Norman‘s classic “The Design of Everyday Things“. So far, it’s as great a read as promised. Published originally in 1988, the tenents discussed in the book feel timeless. The only clue to the book’s genre is the images used for illustration.… Read More

Yesterday afternoon, a Google TV (@googletv) arrived at my door. Google kindly sent these devices to Google IO 2010 attendees in the US. Rich (@rmanalan) got his yesterday too. Announced at IO in May, Google TV went live on several devices from Logitech and Sony a couple months ago. The unit I got was a… Read More

This video shows how crayons are made. It’s freaking cool, h/t Geekosystem. Not sure what it is about crayons, maybe the ubiquity in all our childhoods, maybe the simplicity and enduring utility even in the era of technically advanced drawing tools. Whatever it is, they’re cool. This video also features some awesome machinery that does some… Read More

Recent news has uncovered some other relatively new models. If you read here, you’ll know I’m a fan of found business models, which I loosely define as models that would make you scratch your head or laugh if someone pitched them to you. Angry Birds Will Generate an Estimated $1 Million In Ad Revenue per… Read More

I love stirring this pot because it always brings out the fanboi in us. Things Android has that iOS Needs | The Brooks Review I’m stunned that the iPhone’s tethering is actually, physical tethering, i.e. it shares its 3G connection over USB. Stunned. That’s something BlackBerry has had for years. Is this true? I can’t… Read More

Interesting perspective from Chris Dawson on the lack of incentive carriers have to keep their devices up-to-date on the latest version of Android. Are Android customers left to rot the moment we walk out of the store? – Webiphany.com His point makes sense, although I have to add that Apple’s incentive to push people to… Read More

With the holidays looming, there’s a good chance many of you will get gadgets. Maybe an iPad, which I’ve heard is high on the list of adults and children alike. Or maybe a sexy new smartphone. Or netbook, laptop, gaming console, etc. We love to give and receive gadgets. But what to do with the… Read More

Not terribly surprising I suppose, but Parks Associates published research this week that found consumers under 35 prefer apps over browsers for mobile content. Consumers Under 35 Ditching Browser for Apps, Study Shows I did find it surprising that the neutral answer was only around 50%, even in the older demographic ranges. I guess I… Read More

I suppose I could have done this last week on Thanksgiving, but since you’re not all American, I’ll pick a random day. Quickly wanted to thank you for reading here and for commenting. Over the life of this blog, I’ve come to realize how powerful weak ties are, and having a blog with a core… Read More

Obviously, this is a US-slanted argument, but it begs related questions like how much international success does Verizon account for by driving US adoption? Verizon Lays Claim To Android’s Success Based on what I’ve seen and documented here, Verizon is spot on, albeit much to the annoyance of the Android hacking community. Other domestic carriers… Read More

This post is full of impressions and assumptions. Don’t expect much fact or supporting data. I read about generational differences with interest, pretty sure everyone does. People love to belong, and I find myself blindly defending my generation or characterizing another for no good reason. Paraphrasing the late George Carlin, pride should be reserved for something… Read More

I’ve been using the Kindle app on my iPad to read How We Decide. Like most apps, it’s easy to use without any instruction, which makes good sense, since a physical book doesn’t require instructions. After using it for a while, I figured out how the gestures work. Tap the margins or swipe up/down to… Read More

Not much happening lately, what with the holiday in the US and the obsession with bargain hunting on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. A while back, Paul (@ppedrazzi) and I were sharing our mutual unhappiness with application dashboards. They always seem like a good idea for quick and easy information consumption, but inevitably, dashboards are… Read More

Chatting with Rich (@rmanlan) earlier, I shared a lifehack I use to help me find time to read a longer post or article. Here’s the scenario. I find something I want to read via Twitter or Reader, e.g. Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction, and immediately realize it’s too long to read in full given… Read More