Slow Fast Food

 What do you call fast food that takes forever to serve? No idea? Neither do I.

*shrug*

Photo by Mustafa Bashari on Unsplash

iPadOS 14: Widgets, Scribble, Notes and Some Qualms

This year’s iPadOS 14 is quite exciting with the introduction of, among other things, Widgets (finally!) and Scribble. To Android users it is nothing new at all but to Apple users, widgets had always been something of a wishlist. The ones that appeared on the iPhones and iPads several iOS versions ago felt half-baked because they do not appear on the Home Screen. Finally, in iOS 14 things are once again moving in the right direction. Widgets can appear alongside icons, seamlessly on the Home Screen. However, the Widgets will most likely need several iterations before getting close to Android levels of interactivity and functionality.

I wrote the above paragraph with the Note app using Scribble on iPad Air 2019 (and the first generation Apple Pencil). It’s refreshing to literally write instead of type. Here are my brief experiences:

***Before starting it’s important to watch the brief pop-up tutorial when you first launch Scribble. Otherwise, like me, I’d thought it doesn’t work in Notes. If you missed it, you can always go to "Settings > Apple Pencil > Try Scribble” or search YouTube for more in-depth tutorials. Here's one that might help:

1. To Scribble on Notes, you will have to select the new pen with an alphabet on it (the first pen from the left).
2. It’s obvious I’m not writing on paper but glass so the feeling is still a bit off. I guess this is as good as it gets.
3. The handwriting recognition is pretty good. It recognised most of my scribbles save for some.
4. The difficulty comes when I try to make corrections such as capitalisation, delete alphabets, etc.
5. I still do not know how to place a full-stop at the end of a sentence unless I included it along with the last word (I don't seem to face any issues with a comma). Whenever I try to separately place a dot, a floating comma appeared instead.
6. When I try scribbling in tight spaces such as between lines of text or paragraphs, my actions will often be detected as an “insert” or the cursor might end up somewhere else.

It’s pleasant to be able to hold the Apple Pencil and use it to perform most functions while using the iPad. There is less necessity to put the Pencil down, use touch to perform some functions and then pick Pencil up again. This is something that people who frequently switch between Pencil and touch-only apps will really appreciate. Besides that, this implementation (kind of) solves the argument where handwriting is more beneficial to our well-being compared to typing. Unfortunately, the issues that I've pointed out above can be frustrating so I wouldn't write an essay this way. I would stick with typing for long-form writing. Scribble in its current young age is more suitable to fill in short phrases in forms and cells.

The upgrading of the iPad Air to the beautiful iPad Pro form factor effectively increased the price of the device by a hundred dollars. For people like me on a tight budget, the Air loses some of its shine as the middle sibling that balances between computing power and price. The more convenient Apple Pencil 2 that just attaches to the side of this new form factor for easier transport, charging and pairing, is also more expensive than the original version. Besides that, the new iPad Air now only works with the more expensive Smart Keyboard Folio and the much more pricy Magic Keyboard.

To be fair, Apple still sells the cheaper iPad (with upgraded internals) and the once again ignored iPad Mini, both which still support the first Apple Pencil.

Ultimately, Apple’s technological progress comes with a high price tag. Users will have to decide to stick to the lower models or pay more for ecstatics and convenience.

Artwork for "Elusive Success"

I've just published my first post on Medium titled Elusive Success. You can read it here. Before I did the artwork, I'd drawn a less attractive one which is this:

The one that I finally used is this (which is slightly better):

Both are done using Paper by WeTransfer.

3D Touch and then without

I’m truly saddened by the omission of 3D Touch from Apple’s iPhone XR. It’s worse than losing that telephoto lens. Can’t have beautiful curves anymore without 3D Touch. :(

Strong Wind - Holding On

It happens if you don't let go.

Updated Doomsday Prediction?

I guess the doomsday visualised in the Terminator series need an update. The evil AI could very well be borne out of smartphones.

Friends

Friends without borders.

Fresh and Dry

It's not always fresh green nor is it all dried brown. Life's kinda like that, too. And did you know palm leaves are called fronds?

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Apr 20, 2016 at 8:44am PDT

WhatsApp - Abused and Misused

Seriously, there's really nothing wrong with WhatsApp (or any messenger apps) but it's how society abuse it. Had I complained about this before? I can't remember. If I had this shows how much I really hate how some people use it.

A little background: WhatsApp had become THE messenger app of the century because of its popularity in the mobile world. I had tried others such as Line, Viber and WeChat and deleted all of them except WhatsApp because I can't stand all the notifications coming from everywhere.

Since smartphones conquered the world, people had resorted to WhatsApp instead of SMS because mobile data, though most of the time finite, is still perceived to be cheaper than charges per message (I guess to the point where telcos had started to offer unlimited calls and SMS in their packages). Wifi is generously available everywhere, too.

I can't begin to complain about how e-mails were abused but that was the past. The present invasion of mobile messengers is a much more pressing issue!!! Since my nature of work deals with a lot of projects simultaneously, co-workers and bosses have this love to create group chats for each project, sometimes even duplicates because they forgot they created one in the first place! Imagine my battery life wears out by noon just because of these chats!

As if calls way after work hours and weekends were not enough, messages about work just keep popping up in the notification center. Argh! And this prompted me to create the following parody of a real scenario. Poor victim of society tried to quit one of those above mentioned group chats but keep getting invited. Well, at least I had fun doing that.

ps. I never knew Apple's "Do Not Disturb" mode could come in so darn handy these days! At last, peace on earth once again, even if only for just a few hours. I am sane again.

A Waste of Packaging

In my opinion, this is really a waste of packaging. One little chocolate (orange packaging) and one little biscuit (purple packaging) packed individually. On top of that, just a handful of them come bundled in a bigger cardboard box. Not only it's a waste of material, it will be a lot of wastes after the fact. 

I can only guess what the manufacturer is trying to achieve here: To fill up hampers! Welcome to the world of deceit.

Is colouring the new stress therapy?

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Jan 23, 2016 at 1:52am PST

With (almost) everything available online these days, I've seldom stepped into a bookstore (not to mention lack of time to read story books). I was kind of surprised when I went into one today - a section dedicated just for colouring books for adults! I've quickly dismissed the colouring apps that's been appearing in the AppStore but this section brought that memory back into mind.

Looks like it's the new stress therapy for adults! Without knowing if it really works, I was quickly tempted into getting one. I suppose I love colouring because I have been in the creative mood lately without much creativity. Colouring seems like the next best thing for me since I can't think of much to draw or create.

That aside, IS colouring really therapeutic? The Guardian seems to agree while at the same time stressing that being therapeutic doesn't mean it is a stress therapy. The Huffington Post, however, appears to be an advocate. Well, I suppose at the end of the day it really goes back to the individual - not all things suit everyone. As for me, I ended up not buying any - I doubt I have the patience to even finish a page of someone else's really complicated drawings.

Ride to a Better Year

I'd like to think next year would be a better year despite the odds. Learning the ways of an optimistic Buck. Take a train ride with me and let's make 2016 a positive one!

Awaken by the Force, here is my take on Star Wars Episode VII

It felt like years since I’ve watched a movie in a cinema and if there’re any MUST watch movies this year, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has got to be one of them. I could forgo Spectre but I can’t miss this - just because everyone was saying Luke Skywalker will succumb to the Dark Side in this movie. I had one too many times argued against it. Nonetheless, the best way to find out was to watch it! 

The movie started off just like any other Star Wars with the standard opening sequence and the crawl text introducing the episode. You can also expect to have at least one very dusty and hot desert scene. :) 

With such a title, one would most certainly come to realise it was about the rise of the Jedi… heck it was how each trilogy started off anyway. The newbies in the movie did a great job portraying their first steps from trying to escape the past to the discovery of the Force.

The story was something you would come to expect of Star Wars - lots of stuff about the Force, lots of tension between the Republic/Resistance and the remnants of the Empire now known as the First Order, X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter battles (I was hoping 30 years would bring new fighters but I guessed wrong), weapon of mass destruction and the journeys of new (and young) characters. I was glad there was BB-8 - no doubt just as fun to watch as R2-D2. There was even an oversized Gollum-like Snoke that was, coincidentally, played by Andy Serkis.

It was a good move to bring back the veterans, namely Han Solo (oh yes! My favourite actor Harrison Ford may have aged, but he still portrayed Han Solo well), Princess (now General) Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2 and, of course, Luke Skywalker. This would then certainly mean the continuation of the Skywalker family thread. And this was what the marketing of the movie was leading fans to think of - Luke’s turn to the Dark Side by not having Luke Skywalker in the trailers except for one scene that showed his robotic arm on R2-D2’s head.

And out of 5…

4/5: If you are a Star Wars fan, you would love this and there is no doubt this movie is better written than Episodes I, II and III. 

4/5: Anything with Star Wars, you can expect excellent CGI. One note - BB-8 is real. If you just came out of a cave, you can even purchase BB-8 from somewhere out there.

4/5: If you are an action fan, you will never feel bored in this movie. Action right from the beginning. Blasters blazing, trademark light sabres humming and hissing, classic X-Wings and Tie-Fighters battles and X-Wing trench run-like scenes.

4/5 Overall: Star Wars fans will love this. It’s Star Wars at one of its best though there are plot holes that I can’t quite fill up (but if I talk about it, then it will be spoilers). Maybe these were intentional?

3/5 Overall: Non-Star Wars fans might be puzzled about what was all the hype about and might not appreciate the continuity of the movie from previous trilogies.

Errr… so… did Luke Skywalker follow his father’s footsteps? Did any of the veterans die? That’s for you to find out!

The Story About Pixel and Low Poly

Embed from Getty Images

Can't help thinking that if pixelated games (there's even a movie) are flooding the gaming industry, what would be next? Low polygons? Will it be a repeat of the cycle all over again?

Embed from Getty Images

My 5 Seconds with the iPad Pro

My moment with the iPad Pro was really brief but it left quite an impression. It was huge but it was light, almost like a toy. The screen was like anything Apple - great. Unfortunately, the price also had Apple's DNA built-in: Premium.

Another Day, Another 4" iOS 9 Device Rumour

View image | gettyimages.com

We've heard it before - a 4" version of the latest iPhone way back when the iPhone 6 was THE phone. Now, we're hearing it again - a 4" version of the 6s (without 3D Touch) and it will come as an upgraded iPhone 5s. Maybe this time it WILL happen because the prediction is coming from Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst with a high success rate of Apple predictions. Or maybe because of the appreciating US dollar which is turning even contracted iPhones in Malaysia to cost more than a Dell laptop.

I wonder if the smaller phone will go the way of the 5c because people are already used to the larger 4.7" but it's hard to say, especially when it comes in a cheaper package during these difficult economic times.

While we're at it, why not rumour about the 7, too? A10 processor with a bigger differentiating factor between the 7 and 7 Plus by RAM - 2GB and 3GB, respectively.

via MacRumors.

The Case of the Chromed Android

View image | gettyimages.com

The talk of the Android world recently was all about Google working towards a unified OS by combining Chrome OS and Android. Sounds really like a good thing. And then, Google mentioned they will still be developing Chrome OS for awhile more. Confusing.

But what really made me cringe was all these reminded me of the fate of Google's many apps, particularly Google Reader. Nothing is permanent, that I know but will certainly leave a bad taste. I hope the integration will be done well, especially for the sake of Chrome OS users.

My 2 Minutes with the iPhones 6S and 6S Plus

View image | gettyimages.com

What can one do when one craves for a iPhone 6S but holding back because of the high price courtesy of weakening Ringgit and introduction of GST? Well, one would visit a reseller and at least hold the phones for a few moments!

Besides holding and admiring the rose gold 6S and silver 6S Plus, the other thing I did was to test out 3D Touch. The expected Haptic feedback was really solid. A little of peek and pop here and there. The next thing I tried was to switch between apps using 3D Touch by pressing deeper on the left of the screen. First time didn't work but the second time it happened. Not 100% intuitive, then, but good enough to spawn rumours that the home button is on its way out.

I had to hit myself when I realised that I've forgotten to test out how deep pressing would turn the software keyboard into a trackpad (similar to touching the keyboard on the iPad with two fingers). Unfortunately, I was already miles away from the store. Another time, then.

Concluding: While I was all excited over how Apple introduced 3D Touch during the keynote, I left the store feeling both Apple and developers have yet to squeeze out the technology’s full potential. There are still some ways from "cool to have" to a "must have". But don’t get me wrong. If I have got the money, I’d get one and being masculine and all, I’d get the rose gold one. :P

Nature Rules Along the Road in Style

In my quest (hahaha, sounds like a great mission) to be more human, along the way I discovered nature never stops to balance itself in this planet, despite humanity's destructive behaviour. Given time, nature will win. 

Previously on a similar topic here.

Zite Integrates into Flipboard and I discover a Dude Who Spent 18 Hours in a Starbucks

I love Zite because it learns to show me the news that I like to read. I also like Flipboard because it's presents news in a nice layout. I had wondered when will Flioboard do the inevitable after it acquired Zite - 2 become 1. Well, I'm sorry to say I found out about it only today because I've not used Zite for a long time. I could hardly finish my Feedly "Must Read" news!

I might have been too lazy to post this but the newly formed Flipboard-Zite relationship actually thought I would like to know a Huffington Post dude's experience when he decided to spend his 18 hours in a Starbucks, from open till close. Well, Flipboard-Zite was right. I did read the whole thing and now you could, too, if you decide to click here.