Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.
Anatole France
MLK Jr. Design
by Stuart on January 19, 2011
Awhile back I showed my students how to design a typographic portrait. The text is from ‘I Have a Dream’ and the image is from LIFE magazine. All of this was for educational purposes. I know Mlk was a plagiarizer and he had a slew of other human faults. I think good did come about from his life… and I’m thankful the design turned out pretty well.
Mirror Meditations: A Vain Attempt
by Stuart on January 9, 2011
I have a tendency to seek approval from people. I think most people in ministry have this bent. Most of the time I like getting approval while using my gifts. When my gifts are not used or appreciated I vainly attempt to prove myself. As I was reading 1 Cor. 4:1-6 it hit me. Proving yourself is pointless. If your gifts are not noticed in the first place they will still drift by unnoticed when you prove something with them. In the end our gifts should be used to point people to Christ and bring glory to God. We should not be trying to impress people with our mad skillz. The ultimate satisfaction is receiving recognition from God and I can only do that by submitting to Christ in my day to day endeavors. I need Jesus more than ever to help me overcome this sinful tendency. Think a bit about 1 Corinthians 4:1-6 below or read the passage at YouVersion:
Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.
Mac App Store Chunk of Wisdom
by Stuart on January 6, 2011
For me the Mac App Store was not one of those Apple moments were it was love at first sight. At the same time I don’t see the Mac App Store as a complete failure either (e.g. iTunes Ping). It is the beginning of a good thing. I’ve had some of these thoughts since the initial announcement, but I’ve resisted giving my opinion until seeing it live. Well, it’s now live.
Apple’s True Intent
I’m sure someone already came up with the idea, but Apple did not create the App store for current Mac Developers. I think Apple wants to entice good iOS developers to create Mac apps. I buy software from current Mac developers all the time so I’m not trashing them. I love developers that have been with Apple for a long time and they get designing software for the Mac. But most of the innovation is happening on the iOS side. Apple is coming full circle with the Mac App Store by luring IOS developers to the Mac. Imagine the iOS creativity, beautiful GUIs, and innovative features giving Mac apps a fresh start. Developing for the entire Apple ecosystem will become easier as the iOS way of doing things migrates to the Mac and as mobile devices become more powerful. Eventually iOS and Mac apps will be nearly identical. The Mac App Store of today is simply the beginning.
Arrgghh
When I copied some apps over to Macs in my classroom I was surprised that they functioned without my iTunes account. I found out later that some developers did not implement copy protection in their apps. I’m sure this will change quickly. I guess it’s not a pirates life for me. I am pumped that everything is tied to my iTunes account. With as much software as I evaluate I hate keeping track of license keys. License keys are a pain. If I have to reinstall or remove corrupt preferences I’m stuck copying and pasting license keys. Don’t get me started about Adobe’s licensing system. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to call Adobe about my license key because I moved to a different computer. I’m excited that over time I can ditch most of my license keys and the Adobe phone calls (okay, maybe not Adobe).
Bye, Bye Tedious Updates, Ancient CDs, and DMGs
I grew up in the days when Mac software was sparse. I remember begging developers to create Mac versions. Apple helped expose some good software with their retail stores, but not all of us live ten minutes away from an Apple Store. No more waiting checking my UPS tracking numbers for the latest Apple Software. I can get it right away. If I need a particular software tool I can get it when I need it. I also love not having to update each application individually. Start the updates and walk away. It is nice to have all my apps in one place. It also makes it easier to migrate to new Macs. Just hit the Install button in the purchased section of the App store and voila! I no longer have to keep track of tons of CDs and using up precious hard drive space with DMGs. Sure I don’t save much money ditching the App Bundle Deals, but at least everything is nice and tidy for my future Mac upgrades.
The Average Joe (or the Average Steve since we are talking about Macs)
I think average users will find the Mac App Store easy to use. Like it or not people love and trust Apple as much as they love and trust family. Apple users are conditioned to give money to Apple. Instead of looking at it as a 30% cut for Apple we should be looking at is as a 70% cut for developers along with a larger volume of software sold. I know I’ll be buying more.
There will always be sorry software, but the good software will keep getting better. Good developers compete for placement on the App Store front page and charts. Healthy competition usually makes healthy software. Look at the top iOS apps vying for Apple placement. They are great Apps!
Users can also use iTunes gift cards to purchase apps. In the future I’m sure they will add gifting of apps. I don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to gift an app (Pixelmator), but didn’t want to go through an individual company. Now I give an iTunes gift card and later give the app itself.
I think App Reviews and Ratings help developers listen to their users. Most people can recognize a terrible reviewer and ignore the review. It is difficult for users and developers to ignore an honest review though. In the end it helps good Apps rise to the top.
Okay, I Love Apple (or “Don’t tell me how to spend MY money all you critics.”)
The Mac App Store is in its early stages, but I’m glad it has happened today. Better now than never. The Mac App Store is the future and I will gladly be a part of it. Those are my thoughts. As usual I’m on Apple’s side. Then again, maybe Apple is just doing what I’ve always wanted as a customer—a one stop shop for great Mac software.
Myles the Monkey and My Bad Luck
by Stuart on October 15, 2010
It was an idyllic morning. Qade and Myles were climbing trees. They were making me proud the way they were climbing into the lofty treetops without any Daddy assistance. I was spotting him on the ground below while he climbed higher and higher. Myles was not quite two years old so I was extremely proud that he was hanging from the lofty heights of the tree. All of a sudden I felt something wet running down my left side. Could it be a sudden Arizona rainstorm? A bird? Myles the Monkey drooling?…
As I shrieked in fear I glanced to my left only to see my eldest son (in Redneck-Bumper-Sticker-Calvin-like fashion, leaning back with an ever so steady and perfectly arched stream) peeing on his dear old Dad. Yay for potty training. Bummer for being in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time.
iPod Ninja Star
by Stuart on September 27, 2010
In web years this is old news, but some of you might be interested in the new iPod Ninja. Mom, if you are reading this, I would like one for Christmas. Check out the full story at Scoopertino.
Photo of the Week
by Stuart on March 29, 2010
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Winston Churchill
A Helpful Internet Neighbor
by Stuart on March 28, 2010
I recently met a very helpful dude online. I was trying to debug some snazzy Javascript at Mike Manor Music and I was hitting a wall. I posted a plea for help at MooForum. Troy replied on the forum that he was willing to help. He provided the code that I was using for free. He also offered to give support for the code for free. We used GTalk and Pastie to narrow down the code. Troy patiently taught a newbie (me) some basic methods for debugging code. When we finally found the bug I was ashamed. The bug was something I introduced into the code. It ended up being a simple fix. I thanked Troy and offered to pay him for his time. He declined and we parted ways. With the internet being mostly anonymous it was nice to meet someone willing to step out and be a real person. More than anything, it taught me to never underestimate the power of unconditional service. If you get the chance, or you need a web developer, you can find Troy at consider: open.