A few months ago I stumbled along to a video by someone by the name of "Jack Harries". I brushed it off and carried on with my life. I didn't know what I was missing out on.
You see, Jack Harries, YouTube name: JacksGap, is one of many British internet celebrities who has practically formed a career on creating and uploading videos to YouTube.
His inspiration for starting his YouTube channel was because he decided to take a gap year - hence the username. Gaining internet fame in one short year vs. going to university? I am mightily glad that Jack decided to postpone going to university.
When I stumbled onto Jack's YouTube channel for the second time, I took more of an in depth look around. And this time, I was hooked. And what was even better was that I discovered that there is a whole world of YouTubers that I had been missing out on.
Jack Harries (JacksGap) - What I didn't previously mention is that Jack is in fact a twin! Finn, his counterpart, is featured in some of his videos - and I must admit, Jack is my favourite YouTuber by a mile.
Dan Howell (danisnotonfire) - I've found that most of these YouTubers are British (I'm not sure if I'm stuck in some British corner of YouTube or this really is the case), but Dan is no exception. One of the two reasons I watch these online phenomena is because of their fantastic accents (the other being because they're hilarious!)
Caspar Lee (dicasp) - South Africa's very own online celebrity is known for his permanently cynical expression, and (I must admit) - his fantastic hair - something that I aspire to one day have. However, and probably because of this, I don't quite like Caspar. A psychologist might tell me that this has to do with some jealousy issues - only enough room for one internet-famous South African, perhaps? Below is his latest YouTube video.
Whilst I said that I had stumbled onto a whole new world, I really do feel quite out of my depth talking about all of this, so please feel free to let me know of any other YouTubers that you like and think that I should know about!
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Friday, 28 September 2012
iWork... But I also play
My favourite iPad apps for productivity, and also for just plain having fun.
iWork Suite
When I bought my iPad, I knew that one of it's major uses was to be schoolwork, and I knew that I would have to purchase the iWork suite, comprising of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. As I don't work with spreadsheets that much, I chose not to buy Numbers. Pages is the Apple version of Word, as Keynote is to PowerPoint. At $9.99 each, these apps can set you back, but I can certainly say that they are worth it. The only major competitor with the iWork suite is Quickoffice, which goes for $19.99. However, I would certainly recommend Apple's creation over this. My philosophy regarding this is that because Apple makes the iWork suite, it will just be that much better than anything else. The same applies to iOS. The creators of other tablets are not hand-crafting their own Operating Systems to work specifically on their own devices, with the exception of the HP Touchpad, which didn't last that long anyways.
Pages ($9.99)
An advanced document creator, this app comes with 16 different templates, ranging from a "Modern Photo Resume" to a "Project Proposal", all of which come in very handy.The User Interface in the app is very aesthetically pleasing, with panels that are able to disappear and create a spacious working interface.
You are able to organize your documents into separate folders, creating a very neat overview of your files. the only disadvantage of Pages is that starting up can take a few seconds, which I really wouldn't expect from such a high-powered device.
Keynote ($9.99)
I much prefer Keynote to working on PowerPoint on my laptop. Apple is known for their stunning visual programmes, and Keynote is no exception. The presentations that I have put together on my iPad have been quick, easy, and most importantly, visually exceptional. I would definitely recommend this app to any iPad user who would need to create or present any form of presentation.
Games
I would have to say that my favourite game on my iPad is Temple Run (Free). So simple, yet so addictive, I have (literally) played the game 250 times, a feat that no other games on my iPad can claim.
British Olympian Tom Daley has released an app, Tom Daley Dive (free and premium).The objective of the game is to master the dives that Tom Daley already has. A fun game to pass time.
Jaws Revenge (free) is one of the more gory games on my iPad, wherein you are a deadly man-eating shark, and your objective is to kill and eat as many innocent swimmers as possible. This is a great game, free for a limited time only, which if I were you, I would get, because I'm not sure I would be willing to actually pay for it.
The Simpson's Tapped Out (free) seems to be a great game. I, however, wouldn't know, because there seems to be some error that the game tries to update upon me opening it, and then fails miserably each time. I'm not sure whether to put this down to development errors or simply South African internet speed.
iWork Suite
When I bought my iPad, I knew that one of it's major uses was to be schoolwork, and I knew that I would have to purchase the iWork suite, comprising of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. As I don't work with spreadsheets that much, I chose not to buy Numbers. Pages is the Apple version of Word, as Keynote is to PowerPoint. At $9.99 each, these apps can set you back, but I can certainly say that they are worth it. The only major competitor with the iWork suite is Quickoffice, which goes for $19.99. However, I would certainly recommend Apple's creation over this. My philosophy regarding this is that because Apple makes the iWork suite, it will just be that much better than anything else. The same applies to iOS. The creators of other tablets are not hand-crafting their own Operating Systems to work specifically on their own devices, with the exception of the HP Touchpad, which didn't last that long anyways.
Pages ($9.99)
You are able to organize your documents into separate folders, creating a very neat overview of your files. the only disadvantage of Pages is that starting up can take a few seconds, which I really wouldn't expect from such a high-powered device.
Keynote ($9.99)
I much prefer Keynote to working on PowerPoint on my laptop. Apple is known for their stunning visual programmes, and Keynote is no exception. The presentations that I have put together on my iPad have been quick, easy, and most importantly, visually exceptional. I would definitely recommend this app to any iPad user who would need to create or present any form of presentation.
Games
I would have to say that my favourite game on my iPad is Temple Run (Free). So simple, yet so addictive, I have (literally) played the game 250 times, a feat that no other games on my iPad can claim.
British Olympian Tom Daley has released an app, Tom Daley Dive (free and premium).The objective of the game is to master the dives that Tom Daley already has. A fun game to pass time.
Jaws Revenge (free) is one of the more gory games on my iPad, wherein you are a deadly man-eating shark, and your objective is to kill and eat as many innocent swimmers as possible. This is a great game, free for a limited time only, which if I were you, I would get, because I'm not sure I would be willing to actually pay for it.
The Simpson's Tapped Out (free) seems to be a great game. I, however, wouldn't know, because there seems to be some error that the game tries to update upon me opening it, and then fails miserably each time. I'm not sure whether to put this down to development errors or simply South African internet speed.
Thursday, 23 August 2012
What kind of world do you think computer technology will give us in 100 years?
We all know the old joke that after buying a new computer, by the time you get home, it is already obsolete. Because of the breakneck speed at which technology develops, a theory has been developed that states that every two years, the processing power of computers doubles, but will this theory still be valid one hundred years from now? According to the theory, this means the processing power will be 1125899906842624 times more powerful than it is now. In this essay I will predict the limits of technology in one hundred years from now, taking into account that we can already do so much.
As a student, I use my iPad for everyday tasks, and I find it to be a very powerful tool, and actually better than a full-size computer at some tasks. This is just a small example that as technology progresses, it is getting both smaller and more powerful. In one hundred years, I would like to imagine that all students would have access to the equivalent technology, using digital means of completing and submitting assignments. A simple tool like Dropbox enables us to share files easily and quickly, in 2102 I can only imagine that this technology would have evolved into an online file storage system even more powerful.
Currently, 38% of college students in America cannot go 10 minutes without using some form of a digital gadget, in one hundred years I predict that there will not be a 10 minute time-period where a person does not interact with a digital device. This will be because gadgets will be everywhere and the dependency on them in order to be productive will be exorbitant. In the classroom, digital technology will have evolved so that students will no longer have to go to school, they will simply stay home and submit assignments when they are completed. Of course, this relies strongly on a sense of self-discipline. This technology should best be viewed as a tool, if used properly it can be a huge asset, but if is is used improperly, then it will become an obstacle to achieving the intended purpose.
However, it could be argued that with such incredible technology at our fingertips, so easily accessible, could it not take away from time spent with family or friends? The social ramifications could be incredibly vast. Taking into consideration that in 2010, the average teenager sends 50 or more text messages a day, it could be said that digital technology is taking away from real-life social contact, and replacing that with a fabricated connection. In one hundred years from now, when technology is at an even higher peak than it is now, it will be even easier to contact someone digitally instead of personally. Whilst cyber-bullying is currently a huge problem for teenagers, in the future, if technology continues to be so central to teenagers' lives, and is not treated with the necessary wary, it could be astronomically worse.
In one hundred years, I see technology as being able to make and break you. Whilst it will improve productivity even more vastly, the temptation to turn to it instead of a physical person could quite possibly have many negative effects on relationships and personal well being.
As a student, I use my iPad for everyday tasks, and I find it to be a very powerful tool, and actually better than a full-size computer at some tasks. This is just a small example that as technology progresses, it is getting both smaller and more powerful. In one hundred years, I would like to imagine that all students would have access to the equivalent technology, using digital means of completing and submitting assignments. A simple tool like Dropbox enables us to share files easily and quickly, in 2102 I can only imagine that this technology would have evolved into an online file storage system even more powerful.
Currently, 38% of college students in America cannot go 10 minutes without using some form of a digital gadget, in one hundred years I predict that there will not be a 10 minute time-period where a person does not interact with a digital device. This will be because gadgets will be everywhere and the dependency on them in order to be productive will be exorbitant. In the classroom, digital technology will have evolved so that students will no longer have to go to school, they will simply stay home and submit assignments when they are completed. Of course, this relies strongly on a sense of self-discipline. This technology should best be viewed as a tool, if used properly it can be a huge asset, but if is is used improperly, then it will become an obstacle to achieving the intended purpose.
However, it could be argued that with such incredible technology at our fingertips, so easily accessible, could it not take away from time spent with family or friends? The social ramifications could be incredibly vast. Taking into consideration that in 2010, the average teenager sends 50 or more text messages a day, it could be said that digital technology is taking away from real-life social contact, and replacing that with a fabricated connection. In one hundred years from now, when technology is at an even higher peak than it is now, it will be even easier to contact someone digitally instead of personally. Whilst cyber-bullying is currently a huge problem for teenagers, in the future, if technology continues to be so central to teenagers' lives, and is not treated with the necessary wary, it could be astronomically worse.
In one hundred years, I see technology as being able to make and break you. Whilst it will improve productivity even more vastly, the temptation to turn to it instead of a physical person could quite possibly have many negative effects on relationships and personal well being.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
The new iPad – a minimalistic piece of genius
After my initial appraisal of my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, it
started giving me a few hassles. The initial problems were it randomly
restarting – a bit of a problem when I am busy taking notes during class. Then,
less than two months after I purchased it, an error message went into a crazy
loop, leaving me unable to operate the tablet. Unfortunately Samsung’s Support
centre could offer no advice, other than a factory reset, which I happily did.
However, a week later, the same problem arose, to which I responded by getting
it fixed professionally and ridding myself of the dreaded beast.
The new iPad – a worthy
replacement?
I replaced the tablet with the new iPad, regarding which I had
the following comments to make, after its initial unboxing and use.
- Apple’s minimalistic style really plays as an advantage, granting the user with a clean and sophisticated, which I must admit, was really easy to get to grips with. (Interestingly enough, with regard to the Apple vs. Samsung court cases – the Judge recently ruled in favour of Samsung – because the Galaxy Tab was “not as cool” as the iPad, and therefore could not be a copy, with Apple’s minimalistic design playing in their favour again. He also said that the iPad “looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated smooth and simple product.”)
- With that being said, the iPad is certainly not too simple – it is able to handle multitasking apps with much ease and comfort, as well as adding in advanced movement controls such as the five-finger pinch to minimize, and the four-finger swipe to switch programs.
- Everything seemed to be just as it should be. The transitions between apps, switching apps, and minimizing apps – everything is so very smooth, making the user feel at power browsing through such a seamless device.
My initial worry, browsing the iTunes Store after the
purchase, was that I was going to have to spend a fortune on buying apps! With no
free word processors available, Apple was very clever in ‘insisting’ on the
user spending their $10 on their own app – which I will gladly do, because I know
that the quality I am receiving is of the greatest standard. Apple is also very
clever at making the free apps not plainly visible, but after a couple days
with it in my possession I was feeling pretty comfortable at frugally sussing
out which apps are free and which apps aren’t, and there really is an amazing variety of apps available, and thanks to Apple's strict control of which apps are published and which aren't - you are comfortable in knowing that the apps available are of good quality.
The other element which I particularly enjoy is the typing.
Unlike the Galaxy Tab’s keyboard, this one is spacious as well as aesthetically
pleasing, making it a breeze and a pleasure to type up whatever document you
may want to. Some may not be in favour of typing on a touchscreen, but thanks
to the autocorrect feature of the iPad, it corrects many simple typing errors
you may encounter. However, it may sometimes by a little too strict, for
example correcting “Masterchef” to “Master chef” – a simple change, I know, but
it just means you have to go back and correct it again.
In the last seven months, I have owned two other tablet
computers, and as a proud techno-junkie, I have thoroughly enjoyed my
experiences with each of them, but frankly, none of them come close to the new
iPad.
Congratulations, Apple, you have won me over.
Monday, 7 May 2012
It's time to tab...
The first review on my brand spanking new blog has got to be my most-used gadget, and my favourite one. One that I acquired less than a month ago, the amazing Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
I spent about 4 months deliberating on what tablet to buy, and when I finally decided on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, I knew I had made the right choice. The bundle I bought came with the official Samsung Bluetooth Keyboard, which is the perfect accessory for taking notes during class. (It also makes it easier to play Angry Birds Space for those moments when you've finished your work).
Chances are, if you are reading this, then you probably know the basic specs of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. If you don't, an easy way to remember is the following: everything the iPad 2 has, just a little better. Whilst some prefer the Apple brand name, my free mind and spirit much prefers the ability to customize further, on Android Honeycomb 3.2.
The camera is of sufficient-to-good quality, and I find the processor and RAM to be perfectly adequate. However, some games, especially "SushiChop" sometimes freeze or take a while to open properly. And so, that brings me to my next point. The games. As a teenager, I love to do nonconstructive activities, and playing Temple Run for half an hour is not an abnormal thing for me. I was thrilled at the level of games available, such as DrawSomething, Fruit Ninja, all the Angry Birds, and of course, the game that I am currently addicted to, SushiChop.
Whilst games are really fun, sometimes you actually have to get down and do some... social networking! For this, I use TweetDeck. Being able to tweet from all my different Twitter accounts (Follow me @lukemeiklejohn or @LMWebDesign1), as well as from my Facebook page, is just a necessity for the socialite hidden deep inside of me. But seriously, made by Twitter, TweetDeck is my favourite Twitter client, but just in case, I have both Facebook for Android and Twitter for Android installed on my Tab, both of which I use regularly.
The Internet Browser that comes pre-installed on the Galaxy Tab is quite terrible actually. For someone browsing the internet, interface is everything, and this browser's interface is just ugly. To combat this problem, I downloaded Dolphin Browser HD, which is sufficiently better, as well as offering the option of saving web pages as PDF's. I also downloaded the official TEDtalks app, with which I have downloaded quite a few interesting talks. Note - the "low quality" option is just not worth it! Dropbox is a necessity, as it makes transferring files from your PC/laptop to the Tab a breeze. I was thrilled that Instagram was made for Android just a week before I purchased the tab, and although I don't use it everyday, Instagram is just a wonderful app that I enjoy.
For the classroom, I use the pre-installed Polaris Office, which has quite a nice interface, yet at times seems a little simplistic for my advanced computer needs. I also have the Merriam Webster dictionary installed, which gives me access to their database of words both offline and online. The eBook app that came pre-installed, I just didn't like, and so replaced it with Aldiko, which I find to be a much better option.
As a teenager, I don't have the biggest budget for these types of things, and so when I am out of wireless coverage, I sometimes just plainly refuse to use 3G, because of the price of it. I don't have a data bundle, so my data is very limited! I am pretty sure that with all my various apps installed, if I were to leave my 3G data turned on, I would run dry pretty soon, and I have to admit, the button to turn it off and on isn't exactly easy to reach. Easier than trying to upgrade it to the unreleased version of Ice Cream Sandwhich, I suppose, yet harder to reach than the Wi-Fi button, which is but two taps away.
Not a day goes by when I am not tapping away at it's beautiful 10.1" screen.
Samsung FTW.
Chances are, if you are reading this, then you probably know the basic specs of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. If you don't, an easy way to remember is the following: everything the iPad 2 has, just a little better. Whilst some prefer the Apple brand name, my free mind and spirit much prefers the ability to customize further, on Android Honeycomb 3.2.
The camera is of sufficient-to-good quality, and I find the processor and RAM to be perfectly adequate. However, some games, especially "SushiChop" sometimes freeze or take a while to open properly. And so, that brings me to my next point. The games. As a teenager, I love to do nonconstructive activities, and playing Temple Run for half an hour is not an abnormal thing for me. I was thrilled at the level of games available, such as DrawSomething, Fruit Ninja, all the Angry Birds, and of course, the game that I am currently addicted to, SushiChop.
Whilst games are really fun, sometimes you actually have to get down and do some... social networking! For this, I use TweetDeck. Being able to tweet from all my different Twitter accounts (Follow me @lukemeiklejohn or @LMWebDesign1), as well as from my Facebook page, is just a necessity for the socialite hidden deep inside of me. But seriously, made by Twitter, TweetDeck is my favourite Twitter client, but just in case, I have both Facebook for Android and Twitter for Android installed on my Tab, both of which I use regularly.
The Internet Browser that comes pre-installed on the Galaxy Tab is quite terrible actually. For someone browsing the internet, interface is everything, and this browser's interface is just ugly. To combat this problem, I downloaded Dolphin Browser HD, which is sufficiently better, as well as offering the option of saving web pages as PDF's. I also downloaded the official TEDtalks app, with which I have downloaded quite a few interesting talks. Note - the "low quality" option is just not worth it! Dropbox is a necessity, as it makes transferring files from your PC/laptop to the Tab a breeze. I was thrilled that Instagram was made for Android just a week before I purchased the tab, and although I don't use it everyday, Instagram is just a wonderful app that I enjoy.
For the classroom, I use the pre-installed Polaris Office, which has quite a nice interface, yet at times seems a little simplistic for my advanced computer needs. I also have the Merriam Webster dictionary installed, which gives me access to their database of words both offline and online. The eBook app that came pre-installed, I just didn't like, and so replaced it with Aldiko, which I find to be a much better option.
As a teenager, I don't have the biggest budget for these types of things, and so when I am out of wireless coverage, I sometimes just plainly refuse to use 3G, because of the price of it. I don't have a data bundle, so my data is very limited! I am pretty sure that with all my various apps installed, if I were to leave my 3G data turned on, I would run dry pretty soon, and I have to admit, the button to turn it off and on isn't exactly easy to reach. Easier than trying to upgrade it to the unreleased version of Ice Cream Sandwhich, I suppose, yet harder to reach than the Wi-Fi button, which is but two taps away.
Not a day goes by when I am not tapping away at it's beautiful 10.1" screen.
Samsung FTW.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Log in:
Welcome to my new blog!
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Luke Meiklejohn, and I am a 16 year old, self-trained, self-employed graphic designer. (See here) I mostly design websites, but I also fiddle around of Photoshop CS5 a bit.
I can only say that my love for web design is due to my love of all things tech, and that is what I will be talking about on here. As an avid Photoshop user, your computer needs to be in slick shape, and clogging your computer up with unnecessary files and program is something that I do all to well.
Here I will be naming and shaming these programs, that appear to be wonderful, but indeed are really killing your dear friend from the inside out.
I will also be talking about my favourite programs; ones that I just couldn't do without, as well as some pretty nifty hardware that you can get out there.
As a student, I am on a budget, so all my readers needn't worry, I am not one of those wonderful blogs... that only seems to review products and applications at exorbitant prices!
Logging off,
Luke.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Luke Meiklejohn, and I am a 16 year old, self-trained, self-employed graphic designer. (See here) I mostly design websites, but I also fiddle around of Photoshop CS5 a bit.
I can only say that my love for web design is due to my love of all things tech, and that is what I will be talking about on here. As an avid Photoshop user, your computer needs to be in slick shape, and clogging your computer up with unnecessary files and program is something that I do all to well.
Here I will be naming and shaming these programs, that appear to be wonderful, but indeed are really killing your dear friend from the inside out.
I will also be talking about my favourite programs; ones that I just couldn't do without, as well as some pretty nifty hardware that you can get out there.
As a student, I am on a budget, so all my readers needn't worry, I am not one of those wonderful blogs... that only seems to review products and applications at exorbitant prices!
Logging off,
Luke.