Category filter: Apps.

Readmill

The badass new social eReader app has arrived. Readmill is a way to read socially, and not in some kitschy annoying way. Highlight passages from a book you are reading and post them to your other social media streams or write a follow up review of something and share it with your friends within Readmill. They also employ a bookmarklet, which is one of my favorite UX elements that allows your Readmill to sync with your Amazon Kindle account. Also I would be doing them an injustice if I neglected to mention their beautiful interface design for their site and web app, and the Readmill iPad App. I am also in awe at the perfection of this quote “why make a book digital and not make it shareable”.

(via swissmiss »)

2 February 2012 . Apps. . Books . Web . No Comments

Proof iPad App and Tasting Kit

The folks over at Zeus Jones applied an unique approach and relevant background to create this outstanding iPad app and accompanying tasting kit. They liken the app more to the user experience of a board game over another specific technology precedent. Proof is both beautiful and intuitive, and the physical component of the tasting kit ties it to an experience outside of the app which only helps to strengthen it’s value. I really love this physical companion model for digital products. Wacom’s new Inkling pen is a slightly different, yet related example of this type of intersection.

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10 January 2012 . Apps. . Design . Tech . Whiskey . No Comments

Gimme Bar Backups

I have been an avid user of Gimme Bar since it went into beta for the Brooklyn Beta attendees in 2010, and have been astounded at the quality and frequency of relevant updates and improvements since then. The newest feature Gimme Backups (which I feel bad diminishing it by calling it a feature) is a perfectly cut gem. The idea behind it is to allow users to shift their personal content stream away from another service in order to maintain control and even to protect against any potential data loss. Cameron Koczon, friend and one of the masterminds behind Gimme Bar wrote a great article for A List Apart entitled Orbital Content. Going forward Cameron’s assertion is that instead of going places to access content users will have a pool of content constantly gravitating around them on their different devices and social networks.

9 January 2012 . Apps. . Tech . Web . No Comments

FPO Awards App

In addition to printing a beautiful book of the submissions to the 2011 FPO Awards a beautiful iPad app was made, which is now available in the app store. With the release of their app a strong position was taken as to the sale price of said app. Instead of pricing it at the seemingly standard $.99 to $1.99 range they have chosen to sell it for $19.99. I really appreciate this because we are at a time now where people need to be re-educated in the value of quality content. Without publishers stepping out to the edge and pricing their apps and subscriptions higher than the competition it creates a market place where consumers are trained to pick the cheaper option because it is the norm.

12 December 2011 . Apps. . Print . Tech . No Comments

Stamped First Thoughts

Yesterday Stamped was released into the App Store, and these are my first thoughts. A refreshingly simple interface and a new take on social aggregation of good things. Doesn’t look like Stamped can or will do anything wrong. That kind of makes sense though since unlike Yelp they have no intention of showcasing any bad or even mediocre reviews.

To stamp something in the language of the creators means you whole heartedly believe that said restaurant book or movie deserves five out of five stars. This reminds me of the the recently released Nosh app. which I posted about here. Both have some weird post Google employee, still somehow connected to Google syndrome going on. The interesting part to me is this common thread between the two, focusing much more heavily on the transaction of positive feedback or ratings than negative ones. This is a drastic shift in the general internet mode of overtly bashing anything that exists. It’s obvious that searching a smaller database of information created by friends or other trustworthy sources than to scour a massive site like Yelp for anything, but misleading argumentative comments. I hope most people like and trust their friends and if you do there are probably those of them you value their opinions more in certain areas. An example would be my friend Kyle is a great cook so if he recommends the new book from Mario Batali I know it has to be good, but I also just like Kyle so if he says the new Bon Iver album is good I will probably want to check that out too. A lot more at least than if Candace69 from South Beach says she thought it was okay.

I can’t wait for Stamped to get more populated with users and stamps and I think we can anticipate reviews and web based feedback to become increasingly more positive as smaller communities are created.

22 November 2011 . Apps. . Design . Tech . No Comments

Visualizing Bach’s Cello Suite

I love the amazing simplicity in this Visualizing the First Predlude From Bach’s Cello Suites by Alexander Chen. The even more overwhelming part is the project he created it for. Baroque.me is in some manner of speaking a web app. programmed entirely using an HTML5 Canvas, with Javascript an SoundManager. The visualization of music acts as a minimalist 2D composer.

(via The Fox Is Black »)

16 November 2011 . Apps. . Music . Tech . Web . No Comments

Xperiathon

In just under 10 days a marathon will take place. Not in any one location, but in any location. Using geolocation software and run tracking apps people for the first time will be able to run together as one and compete with out ever knowing or seeing each other.

At first when I heard about Xperiathon, I thought it was just another example of technology allowing people to become exceedingly disassociated. Then I realized in this case it is better to look at it through a different lens. Without Xperiathon all these people would otherwise be unable or unwilling to participate in a marathon. Utilizing a web platform to change how we engage or participate in an activity or event gives us the opportunity to create new experiences.

16 November 2011 . Apps. . Tech . No Comments

Lookwork Launches

Lookwork, because Ben Pieratt is a genius and starting one revolutionary web app (svpply) isn’t enough. Lookwork is part feed reader, and part searchable stream of inspiration. Similarly to svpply you can filter your stream to find something more specific and even follow other folks to keep tabs on what they are looking at.

Part of why Ben Pieratt’s work in web applications sets a gold standard is due to the fact that he understands a complicated or rich UI should never take away from a user’s ability to complete the their goals. I think everyone designing for the web can and should take some notes from Ben on interface design, and also the problems his apps solve.

14 November 2011 . Apps. . Tech . Tools . Web . No Comments

Ready Steady Bang

Theres a new minimalist game app. in town. Ready Steady Bang is a simple cowboy shootout game for the iPhone that has a really awesome user interface. This little promotional video for the game is really funny and tad morbid.

(via Public School »)

3 October 2011 . Apps. . Design . Tech . 1 Comment

How I Give Presentations With the iPad

Self proclaimed “writer who draws” Austin Kleon has made this fun little illustration to demonstrate how he uses his iPad in place of a laptop when giving presentations.

25 August 2011 . Apps. . Mac . Tech . Tools . No Comments

Egg Dyeing 101 App.

I want to apologize for how out of season this is, but I just came across it and thought it was a great example of unique app. design. Surprisingly enough I have come to find out that the Martha Stewart camp has put out a range a interesting apps. We don’t celebrate easter in my family, but that won’t stop me from downloading this little gem. Check out more of the screens over at the iTunes Store.

(via Design Dust »)

17 August 2011 . Apps. . Design . Web . No Comments

Plic Ploc Wiz

There seems to be a multitude of awesome iPad apps sprouting up all over these days. Not that this is an original observation by any means, but I think many of these are helping to redefine that categorization of something as an app as well as what it can and should do. Plic Ploc Wiz is a wonderful example because it steps outside of the predictable user interface and creates a blank canvas sort of workspace for you to create unique little works of art with a selected toolkit. Granted PPW is marketed for children. I am definitely going to shamelessly download it regardless.

(via NOTCOT »)

25 July 2011 . Apps. . Color . Design . Tech . No Comments

FontBook on iPad

FontBook recently released their amazing new iPad app, which looks like the single best type related resource ever. You can easily search and view by either foundry, designer, year or class and look through amazing type specimen sheets. Clicking through to purchase is also flawlessly integrated for those of you looking to expand your type library.

(via SpiekerBlog »)

22 July 2011 . Apps. . Design . Tech . Typography . No Comments

Motiv Makes the Times

My friend Russ Maschmeyer, who many of you may know by the name Strange Native made the New York Times today in the personal tech section. The project they covered was one he created over the past year as a student in SVA’s Interaction Design MFA. Russ created an application called Motiv, which uses the Xbox Kinect hardware to track motion and allow users to create music out of ether. Russ would probably disagree and say people would be creating music out of his hard work and sweat. Congrats Russ!

You can check out the whole Times article here.

21 July 2011 . Apps. . Design . Music . Tech . No Comments

Nosh

Nosh seems like a nice fresh view both on social and food related apps. It’s downloading as I type this and I am super excited to see what it can do. The app was created by a new startup called Firespotter Labs, which is funded by Google Ventures and has a seriously stacked list of staffers.

(via iso50 »)

18 July 2011 . Apps. . Food . Tech . Web . No Comments

Feedly Mobile 2.0

I am not and have never been a big supporter of RSS Feeds and accessing blog content outside of it’s native environment. Then in comes Feedly 2.0. Feedly’s interface and features are urging me over to the feed side. Their app works beautifully on iOS, Android and most tablet devices. Take a look at their blog to learn more about the app.

(via swissmiss »)

12 May 2011 . Apps. . Inspiration . Tech . No Comments

Calvetica

Calvetica by Mysterious Trousers is an awesome minimalist calendar app for the iPhone. The application is built on the iOS native calendaring APIs and syncs seamlessly with the iOS Calendar app. At $2.99 this calendar is a definite steal.

(via Minimalissimo »)

3 May 2011 . Apps. . Design . Products . Tech . Web . No Comments

New Twitter Homepage

I want to start off by saying, the new twitter homepage is a vast improvement. Despite their steps forward mainly simplifying and invigorating the design. Like so many other sites and services in their sphere they still fall victim to flat, lifeless, and infinitely uninspired homepage experiences.

Sites like twitter and facebook, second to second and minute to minute provide users with a platform to generate such a beautifully vast and unique amount of content. Yet are we still battling with designing homepages that balance the tasks of leveraging the sites interior content and not overwhelming the visitor upon arrival.

The NY Times website, and news sites in general are a good place to look for inspiration. Most frequently with periodicals they use the cover in print or the homepage in web to engage the viewer or catch their eye. Services like twitter owe it to themselves to offer up a more profound and enticing homepage. Arriving on their homepage and seeing a few favicons of famous people is not enough of a reason for me to signup and become a user if I were not already using their service. Lets look at Evernote for a moment. They are different because their product functions in a completely different space and purpose, however almost immediately upon arriving at their site I know what the application is, what it does, and I have pretty good understanding of it’s interface.

So one major argument that comes to mind is, how many people still access twitter through the web? Since the release of new twitter the number of users of the browser based application have definitely risen and I know I am not the only person of the opinion that new twitter is the most rich and intuitive way to access your stream. This statement goes for third party apps as well. Sorry guys.

As more and more people shift over to using mobile technologies is this a change or area worth exploring? Any chance to more directly or thoroughly engage a new or potential user should be exploited. And if that means finding new ways of displaying content, whether it be some javascript trickery or something simpler. The solutions are out there.

22 April 2011 . Apps. . Design . Tech . Web . 1 Comment

Typeplace

I am ecstatic to try using this new application called Typeplace. It is definitely something I have been thinking about that would increase my engagement with my iPhone, and as it often is today someone releases an awesome app. that does exactly what I was looking for.

(via Quipsologies »)

11 April 2011 . Apps. . Design . Typography . No Comments

Vimeo iPhone App

The new iPhone app Vimeo released at first look and first use appears to be the revolutionary piece of software that on the go video enthusiasts have been waiting for. With serious ease you can shoot, edit and upload a video to your Vimeo account in one streamlined set of intuitive actions. Flickr did the same thing for photos in the web based app where you could cover most but not all required parts of your photo editing and uploading. However their user experience falls far short of what Vimeo has created here! I am excited to start using the app regularly.

(via swissmiss »)

30 March 2011 . Apps. . Movies . Web . No Comments

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