The iPhone’s App Store has proven to be such a monumental success that Apple should extend the idea to its other devices and computers such as the Mac and Apple TV.
The main draw for me regarding the App Store is that it is so easy to install apps. It only requires a few clicks to download and install the latest applications. App updates also show up in a centralized interface. Sure, installing an app on Mac OS is already easy, but it can be even easier by having a single click and install process. Having a single App Store service could help developers promote their apps due it’s tight integration with iTunes and also generate more revenue for Apple if they take the standard 30% cut that they usually take with iPhone apps.
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I’ve started a new iPhone app company with my friends, Tommy and Jennifer, called PersonaTap. We recently released our first app, Voodoo Doll. It’s a stress-relief app that was inspired by my big-sis, Karen. You can poke the doll with needles and even put in pictures of your enemies from the iPhone camera or photo library. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Voodoo Doll on the App Store
Hit the jump to see video of the app in action.
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I have absolutely no plans to purchase Apple’s latest shiny widget, the iPod Shuffle. It’s really not for me. I have plenty of perfectly capable and buttoned media players. The thing I really like about the Shuffle, though, is its headphone integrated controls. I’ve seen that the iPhone already sports similar controls, but the ones on the new Shuffle are more substantial. It has volume up and down buttons in addition to the single play/pause button. Hopefully this pair of stock headphones will crop up in all future Apple media devices, including the upcoming iPhone revision in June.
I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to hold off on purchasing the newest and shiniest game. I can save a lot of money on my gaming hobby if I just remain a little patient. Video games usually drop to 50% of their initial retail price within six months. Plus since I’m a proud new owner of an Xbox 360, I have a huge backlog of great cheap games. Buying old used games are a great way to save cash and keep playing during this economic slowdown.
I’m giving the ipod/iphone app for wordpress a whirl with this post. Funny that my first post in a while would be in a device that is notoriously bad to type on.
Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with my progress on the new years resolutions. There’s definitely room for improvement, though.
- Blog once a week – Fail!
Need to get back into the routine!
- Draw with Wacom tablet once a week – Fail!
I did one doodle this week with Alex and Jenn, but that doesn’t quite count.
- Make a vector graphic once a week – Fail!
Sure I make them at work from time to time, but I need to make more creative stuff at home.
- Take a picture once a week – Success!
I took several pics. Just need to post them somewhere.
- Learn 1 recipe per month – Success!
Baked Ziti! Inspired by an episode of Heroes, no less 
- Read 1 book per month – Fail!
Man, I need to get to Snowcrash…
- Exercise regularly – Success!
I’m actually gaining some muscle mass. Yay!
- Be more thoughtful & considerate – Fail!
Need more work in this dept…
- Budget – Success!
I didn’t go over budget this month, woot!
- More sleep (7-8 hrs) – Success!
I’m definitely sleeping more than I was in December. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. 7 hrs seems to be a happy compromise.
I did a nice write-up on the wonders of Luong Hai Ky #2 in Mira Mesa, a Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant. I also included a not-so-subtle plug for JobGrades in my photo of their menu.
I don’t know if this is technically legal according to New Years Resolutions statutes and bylaws, but I’m going to revise my resolutions so that they are less daunting.
Also I’m going to cut down and tweak the list according to the SMART guide on Lifehacker:
- Specific. Don’t just say “Lose weight.” Decide to “Lose 12 pounds.”
- Measurable. Instead of “Be better about corresponding with old friends,” decide to “Send out birthday and holiday cards to my high school friends.”
- Achievable. “Be the perfect employee/mom/sister/spouse” is an admirable goal, but nobody’s perfect, no matter how resolved they are. Make your resolution something that’s possible—like, “Improve next year’s performance review by at least one grade.”
- Realistic. You’ve only got so many hours in the day, so make your goals realistic based on what resources and tools you’ve got on hand. Learning how to milk a cow, for example, is less realistic for someone who lives in the middle of Manhattan.
- Timely. Since these are New Year’s resolutions, set goals you can reach at most within the next 12 months. Giving yourself a “deadline” of sorts will help you figure out where you should be when while tracking your progress.
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Here’s an update on the progress of my New Year’s Resolutions.
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I’ve always had a mental list of resolutions, but never jotted it down. Perhaps it will help to get it down in text. In no particular order…
- Blog once a week
- Draw with Wacom tablet once a week
- Learn 1 recipe per month
- Read 1 book per month
- Take a picture once a week
- Exercise regularly
- Be thoughtful
- Be considerate
- Be charitable (i.e. NPR donation)
- Pay for things I care about (i.e. music)
- Budget
- Read more productivity, art, and design feeds
- Drink tea
- Take vitamins
- More sleep (7-8 hrs)