Friday, July 30, 2010

Favorite App For Week Ending 7/30: Penultimate



I bought this app in preparation for the TEDxHouston conference last month, but have really started using it more & more in my daily notetaking at the office.

Penultimate is essentially an electronic sketchpad app for the iPad.  It allows you to create & store multiple notebooks, each with as many pages as you need.

You can write notes directly onto the iPad's screen with your finger, however I opted to pick up a Pogo Sketch Stylus from the Apple Store and have been rather pleased with the results.  This makes for a more natural "pencil-to-paper" feel when you're writing.

Working with the foam-tipped stylus, I find it's best to write bigger on each virtual page within the notebook, since small letters aren't as precisely interpreted by the app.  Yes, you'll end up with more pages in your notebook if you write bigger, but they're virtual pages.

Perhaps my favorite feature is that you can e-mail your notes directly from the app.  If the note you want to send is only a single page, it will export as a PNG file.  If you want to send an entire multi-page notebook, it will export as a PDF file.  I utilize this feature to backup my notes to Google Docs.

TUAW has a more in-depth review here:

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/19/tuaw-review-write-and-organize-handwritten-notes-on-your-ipad-w/

For more information from the developer, check out their site below:

http://www.cocoabox.com/

Facebook Overload


Facebook Overload
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

An indication you may have been too active on Facebook this evening could be illustrated much like this.

Do Not Disconnect The House Music

Stay Classy, Texas


Stay Classy, Texas
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Yes, replica testicles hanging from the back of pickup trucks seem to represent increased toughness or masculinity. As luck would have it, the driver of this truck adorned with golden testicles was a middle-aged woman.

Puff The Magic Dragon


Puff The Magic Dragon
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

One of the stuffed dragons in Hewitt's trophy case for victories at the annual Dragon Boat race.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Happy


Happy
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This sign's imagery has a bit of a Brave New World thing going on, intentional or not.

Family


Family
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This is what it's all about.

CEO Town Hall Meeting


CEO Town Hall Meeting
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A sign pointing towards one of the town halls discussing the Aon acquisition of Hewitt.

Glyphboard


Glyphboard
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A rather handy web app for the iPhone that essentially mimics the Character Map application found in Windows.

Stretching In The Floor


Stretching In The Floor
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Puggles getting comfortable after eating dinner.

Jailbreaking Deemed Legal, Granted Exemption From DMCA By Library of Congress



This initiative has been in the works for a couple of years, but this afternoon the Register of Copyrights finally granted explicit exemption status to the act of jailbreaking your mobile computing device, to include those running iOS.

In short, you cannot face legal action for jailbreaking your device.  Prior to this ruling, it was ambiguous whether the act of jailbreaking constituted a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Ars Technica & Engadget have good summaries on the impact of this exemption:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/07/apple-loses-big-in-drm-ruling-jailbreaks-are-fair-use.ars

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/library-of-congress-adds-dmca-exception-for-jailbreaking-or-root/

For more information on the concept of jailbreaking, this Wikipedia entry provides a good overview:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_jailbreaking

Additionally, if you're interested in the larger scope of mobile computing ethics, here is a paper on the topic I authored last year:

http://www.justonwestern.com/auburn/MobileComputingEthics.pdf

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Super Hero Puggles, Texas Ranger

Hark!


Hark!
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

It sounds like someone may need my help!

A Very Juston Briefcase


A Very Juston Briefcase
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Dell work laptop? Check. iPad? Check. Bottle of Green Tabasco? Check!

Post-Surgery Puggles


Post-Surgery Puggles
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

His leg was all bandaged up after we picked him up following his knee surgery.

Super Hero Puggles, Texas Ranger


Super Hero Puggles, Texas Ranger
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

After we had his bandage switched out, Puggles got upgraded to a more masculine one, complete with a lightning bolt.

Aquarium


Aquarium
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A giant fish tank in the lobby of Puggles' vet, Tender Paws.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Brass Band At Southern Oaks Plantation Clip 2

Brass Band At Southern Oaks Plantation Clip 1

New Orleans From High Atop Canal Place

Raving Laser-Eyed Puggles, Texas Ranger

The JetaBar


The JetaBar
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Thursday night cocktails with Ashley & Puggles at the Casa De Western 4.0.

Sleeping Puggles


Sleeping Puggles
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

My buddy racked out beside me on the couch while I read.

New Orleans Magazine


New Orleans Magazine
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

I really enjoyed reading this in the Westin. Considering getting a subscription.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral


Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The site of the Lentz wedding in New Orleans.

French Quarter


French Quarter
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As seen from the rooftop pool of Westin Canal Place.

Drink Community Coffee


Drink Community Coffee
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The best coffee in the world. Period.

Red Fish Grill


Red Fish Grill
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

One of the many fish sculptures on display in this fine dining establishment.

Mustache


Mustache
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This guy rocks one harder than most.

BMW 328i Dash At Night


BMW 328i Dash At Night
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Dials, meters, knobs, and screens all aglow.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Zero Unread Items


Zero Unread Items
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This has happened so few times over the past 4 years. I credit the super snappy Google Reader interface on the iPhone 4, since delving into my less frequently read feeds no longer feels overbearingly time consuming.

Puggles Video Chatting With My Brother Via 3G


Puggles Video Chatting With My Brother Via 3G
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Testing out the new Fring iPhone app that allows for video chat via 3G instead of just Wi-Fi. Kind of cool, but nowhere as easy as Face Time.

Juke Box


Juke Box
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

An abstract art piece at my office depicting a juke box.

Double Vision Mac Menu Bar


Double Vision Mac Menu Bar
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

My wake from sleep display wonkiness on my MacBook Pro continues. Needless to say, I have a Genius Bar appointment at the Apple Store scheduled for Monday.

Puggles, Texas Ranger Cruising Down I-10

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Coffee Machine


Coffee Machine
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Providing caffeinated fuel to the office.

Compass Mode In Maps


Compass Mode In Maps
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The map rotates with you as you turn in real space. Pretty neat effect when you toggle it on in the lower left hand corner.

Sunday, July 04, 2010

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Tabasco


Tabasco
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

My 2 favorite condiments on the table at Crabby Daddy's in The Woodlands.

Thursday, July 01, 2010