If you do any writing with your iPad you’re going to want Editorial. And if you use Editorial you’re going to want Federico Viticci’s brand-new iBook that’s jam packed with tips, videos, workflows, and a picture of Viticci in the introduction.
It’s on launch-day sale for just $3 bucks.
There is some great insight and advice from Paul Graham, in his interview with Issie Lapowsky for Inc. Magazine:
It’s OK to start out with a small idea. […] If you try to do some big thing, you don’t just need it to be big; you need it to be good. And it’s really hard to do big and good simultaneously. So, what that means is you can either do something small and good and then gradually make it bigger, or do something big and bad and gradually make it better. And you know what? Empirically, starting big just does not work. That’s the way the government does things. They do something really big that’s really bad, and they think, Well, we’ll make it better, and then it never gets better.
I couldn’t agree more — shipping big and good simultaneously is hard.
One of the chapters in my book, Delight is in the Details, talks about this very topic. Saying that if you’re short on time and/or energy then it’s better to postpone or abandon certain features than it is to take shortcuts on the editing and polishing of the product.
People will always be more forgiving and interested in a product that’s delightful yet small in features than one that’s feature-rich but stinks to high heaven.
Adam Grossman of Forecast and Dark Sky awesomeness:
Free trials might even be as beneficial to developers as in-app purchases, which are generally the most lucrative app monetization scheme. They would both employ the same strategy: encouraging a large number of downloads and then monetizing some fraction of those.
I don’t know about you, but a common interaction I have with friends and family members when talking about apps goes something like this:
Them: “So, Shawn, what are some cool new apps?”
Me: “Well I’ve been using such-and-such app lately and it’s really cool. Let me show you.”
Them: “That’s pretty rad. Is it free?”
Me: “No. It’s a buck.”
Them: “Oh… So what other apps have you been using.”
While I do believe having free trials in the iOS and Mac app stores would be beneficial for developers, because it would likely increase revenue as Grossman states above, I also see it as being beneficial for users. People are avoiding a really great app that costs $4 because they don’t want to risk that money on the chance the app is lame (or who knows why they’re not buying it). But it’s an app that could really bring some benefit to their every day life. And so, by allowing a free trial period, that risk is all but removed and a lot of people just might start using so many of the App Store’s best world class apps.
Craig Hockenberry spitballing some pretty clever ideas about what an iOS device with a fingerprint scanner could do to make our lives a bit easier and more secure.
Patrick Rhone on the Microsoft/Nokia deal:
I can’t help but wonder how many completely new ideas seven billion dollars could have bought. […] Instead of skating to where the puck was, when others are skating to where the puck is, and Apple is skating to where the puck will be, could seven billion buy a whole new game?
I love this attitude, but honestly, I don’t know if Microsoft actually could have spent that $7,000,000,000 on ideas, research, development, and recruiting and come out with anything better. Because the way I see it, Microsoft doesn’t have a money problem, they have a leadership problem.
Gizmodo (via The Wirecutter) has a rundown of all the various places you can sell your “old” iPhone before or after you get your new one in a few weeks.
I have always sold my previous iPhones on Craigslist for a few bucks more than what it cost me to upgrade to that year’s newer model.
Here’s what I do:
It’s likely that I’ll get about $500 for my iPhone 5 if I sell it on Craigslist or eBay. What helps is that, like all my previous iPhones, my iPhone 5 is in near-perfect condition.
In fact, nearly all of my gadgets are in quite good condition after years of use. I am very attentive and careful with my devices — the phone always goes in my left pocket with the screen facing in. I never put anything else in the same pocket as my phone, I never set my phone on a scratchy surface, and I rarely drop them.
I suppose there’s an element of luck that I’ve never had a catastrophic accident that ruined or busted my phone. But for 6 years running, I’ve always had a device that’s in near perfect condition after a year of regular use.
Additionally, I like to include the new Ear Pods and USB charging cable that came with my new device. Putting those in with the old iPhone is a little thing that increases the perceived value and will help me when selling it amongst the thousands of other iPhones that are listed. And since I take good care of my gear, my old Ear Pods and charging cable are still in excellent shape.
However, some folks don’t like the hassle, the scams, or the scary factor of using Craigslist. If that’s you, I’d go with Gazelle. They are easy to deal with, their prices are reasonable and competitive, and they pay directly to you.
Apple’s just announced their special event on September 10.
Fantastic interview.
So Microsoft bought Nokia for $7.17 billion, and Matt has some great questions and observations about the deal.
My only thought is that this is Microsoft’s next hope at buying itself back into relevancy. All the other smartphone players (Apple, Google, Blackberry) do their own hardware and software. Now Microsoft can be a part of that group as well. And with the best Windows Phone out there: the Nokia Lumia.
Today you can get the audio bundle of my book, Delight is in the Details, for 20-percent off. That includes the ebook itself, the audio book, and all 8 stellar interviews.
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There’s an nice new screenshot annotation feature built in to the latest version (3.5) of Droplr. It lets you add arrows, circles, rectangles, text, and freeform scribbles onto any screenshot and then upload to Droplr with one click. It’s a more streamlined workflow than what I’ve been doing with the old Skitch app.
Note that the Draw feature is for Droplr Pro Subscribers only.
Devir Kahan asked me some questions about working from home, what apps I use, and more.
The new Instapaper site looks absolutely fantastic, and I very much enjoyed reading Grant’s behind-the-scenes perspective on redesign. This gives me high hopes for what they’ll be doing with the Instapaper apps.