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WordPress for iPad, Much Improved

By Matthew Guay on March 17, 2011 in Quick Tips

If you’re serious about blogging, you’ll likely end up writing posts from almost anywhere. I’ve personally published posts from hospital waiting rooms, a home improvement store, numerous coffee shops and restaurants, and from the back of the car while traveling down deserted roads in the middle of nowhere (thanks to ubtiquous EDGE). Today, WordPress for iOS is a big part of that as I now use my iPad almost as much as my computer. The WordPress iPad app has traditionally been fairly frustrating to use, but today the WordPress for iOS team released the new 2.7 version of the app that fixes many of the problems and makes it much nicer to use, especially on iPad.

The new WordPress for iOS uses Core Data to store your post info, and seems to be much more stable. Then, the post editor is fully revamped on iPad as you can see in the shot above. Now, when you start a new post, an editor pane will open above the app, much like the Mail app on iPad. Add categories and more with native selector panes, and even upload images right from the editor without switching back and forth between different screens. New pictures are automatically added to the end of your post without any extra taps, either. For this post, I took screenshots, rotated and resized them with OneEdit, then uploaded them directly with the new WordPress for iPad.

Ready to schedule your post? You can still schedule your post or upload it as a draft. This has been changed slightly in the latest version, and now you’ll need to tap the gear button on the bottom of the editor to change the publish settings. This isn’s a problem though, as now it’s much easier to schedule posts as you want with the native menus. Plus, uploading draft posts still works great!

As before, you can edit existing posts and pages from WordPress for iPad, as well as manage comments on all of your sites. This works the same as before, but everything feels much faster and more stable in the new version. WordPress for iOS is still not perfect; I’d love to see either a WYSIWYG editor or an extended code editing keyboard, as right now, adding links or HTML formatting to posts is very frustrating. Also, I’d love to see support for the new WordPress post formats, as well as direct integration with WordPress.com Stats, VaultPress, and more. But, the new changes are encouraging, and they show that the Automattic team isn’t wasting time in trying to get their apps improved. The changes in this version set the stage for more features in future versions, and it finally works good enough that I’ll definitely be using it more. If you’re using WordPress on your iOS device, make sure to update or download WordPress for iOS today!

Download WordPress for iOS (free, universal app)

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Add Long Emails, Newsletters, and More to Instapaper

By Matthew Guay on March 16, 2011 in Quick Tips

Over the past several months, I’ve shifted all of my long-form online reading to Instapaper. I keep the bookmarklet in my bookmarks bar on Chrome, where it’s always a quick Ctrl+Shift+B away. Whenever I come across an article I’d like to read but would take more than a minute or two, I’ll add it to my Instapaper queue to read later. That way, I can get rid of all the distractions and just sit down and read on Instapaper, whether in the browser or on the iOS app.

There’s only one thing I haven’t been able to switch to Instapaper: email newsletters. Now, most email newsletters I get go straight in the trash, but some are definately worth reading. From Smashing Magazine’s email newsletter to Om Malik’s Om Says, I get plenty of high quality writing in my inbox that I’d like to take time to read. I just don’t want to have to read it in Gmail. But, if you try the page to Instapaper, you’ll get an error message in your reading log instead of the newsletter you wanted to read.

But, there’s a solution…

After several tries, I finally hit on a way to get email newsletters into Instapaper: the old Print trick. Many articles online are broken into multiple pages, so the best way to get them into Instapaper is to click the Print button in the page and then add it to Instapaper. And guess what? This works in Gmail too. Just click the Print All button to the right of your email, and it’ll open in a plain HTML page in a new tab.

Close the print window that opens, then just click your Instapaper bookmarklet or browser addon in the new tab. Check your Instapaper list, and you should see your newsletter or longer email in Instapaper, ready to read with all of your favorite text settings in your browser, iPhone, or iPad.

If you’re a dedicated Instapaper fan, or have just been looking for an easy way to make it easier to read long emails, this little tip can save you some time and frustration. I’ve personally found it much more productive to add longer reading items to Instapaper and read them later, and now that can include everything from long emails from friends, newsletters, and great long-form articles. Online reading’s never been so nice before!

Don’t have an Instapaper account? Signup today!

Download Instapaper for iPhone or iPad (Universal app)

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OmmWriter Dana for Windows | Writing at its best on a PC

By Matthew Guay on March 15, 2011 in Featured, PC Software, Reviews

Computers are supposed to help us be more productive. That’s how we justify huge investments into computers, office software, desks, and more. Yet all too often we find ourselves frittering time away, checking the latest RSS feeds, social network updates, Google Analytics stats … oh, and someone just popped up on IM to say Hi.

That’s not exactly a productive environment.

OmmWriter is an app that seeks to bring concentration back to computing, or at least to writing on a computer. It’s been a popular app on Macs for the past year, and now it’s finally been released for Windows 7. PC users can now write in one of the few distraction free writing apps available on Windows.

In the tradition of WriteRoom and the many plain text editors on iOS such as iA Writer, OmmWriter offers a full-screen, distraction free environment to help you concentrate on your writing. Unlike these other writing apps, however, OmmWriter also includes calm background wallpapers, soundtracks, and typing sounds to accompany your writing. As its splash-screen says, OmmWriter is best enjoyed with headphones.

For the most part, OmmWriter doesn’t have a traditional program interface. There are some tools on the side, and an iOS style scroll bar on the right. You can change the font, chosing from a serif, sans-serif, script, or monospaced font, as well as choose from 3 font sizes. On the bottom, you’ll be able to save your file in plain text format or open a new document.

The main thing is the rectangle where you can type in text. As you start typing, the rectangle itself will fade away, leaving you only with your text, the background you’ve selected, and the soundtrack keeping you motivated in your headphones. Elegance, meet writing. Move your mouse, and the box and tools reappear, along with a word count on the bottom. Again, simple and easy; all you need to think about is your text.

But wait … wouldn’t the background sounds make it distracting? Actually, I’ve personally always found that I write the best with an instrumental soundtrack playing in the background. OmmWriter’s soundtracks are great background music to write with, and the keyboard sounds help keep you focused on writing. It’s the best possible combination in my opinion, but if you’re not a fan, you can always turn them off or select another sound combination that suites your tastes best on the side options that appear when you move your mouse. And, the included backgrounds range from a paper-like texture to plain white, so you can choose one that works best for your writing style, too.

Of all things, OmmWriter does actually still include a file menu, though you’ll almost never need to use it. If you’d like to reset the interface to the defaults, or export your document as a PDF, just hover over the top right edge of the program and the file menu will appear. Alternately, all standard keyboard shortcuts work as normal; press Ctrl+S to save the file, Ctrl+N to start a new document, etc.

Best of all, OmmWriter is yet another new Mac app that’s now available for Windows, joining the ranks of CloudApp, 1Password, Droplr, Backblaze, and more. It can be frustrating as a PC user to see most of the innovative and creative new apps coming out only on Macs, and is very refreshing to see some coming now to Windows. OmmWriter Dana is available in 2 editions for Windows and Mac: a free version with 3 backgrounds and soundtracks, or a paid version with 8 backgrounds and 7 soundtracks. I’d suggest trying the free version, and if you like it, strongly consider buying the pro version to let the developers know you appreciate their effort. The app starts at $4.11, though you can pay more if you’d like. Once you’ve purchased a pro copy, you’ll need to uninstall your free version and install the new OmmWriter Dana II and activate it with your key.

OmmWriter is a truly impressive and immersive app. Its my new favorite writing app on Windows, and I’m sure many of my upcoming essays, articles, and book chapters will be typed in it. It’s forcing me to concentrate on what I’m writing, and only what I’m writing, and that’s a refreshing experience. The only thing I need now is a way to disable Alt-Tab so I don’t switch away to other programs!

After all, the world won’t end if you miss that next tweet.

Written in OmmWriter Dana II for Windows with background #3, soundtrack #4, and keyboard sound #1.

Download OmmWriter Dana for Windows or Mac OS X

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Download “The Elements of Style” for Free

By Matthew Guay on March 15, 2011 in Books, Quick Tips

One of the most celebrated texts for writers is William Strunk, Jr.’s The Elements of Style. If you’ve ever taken a writing class or done any extra studying about writing, you’ve likely seen this short book quoted or listed as recommended reading. Written initially as a short handbook for his students in 1918, Strunk’s work has remained a standard handbook of English writing ever since. It’s a brief book, but includes some of the best advice on correct English rules of usage, commonly misused and misspelled words, and

In the years since its original publishing, The Elements of Style has been updated numerous times, and in 1935 E. B. White contributed to the updating, causing the book to generally be known as Strunk and White. You can still purchase the most up-to-date version as a paper book from Amazon today, though oddly enough the latest editions are not available as eBooks. Both the Kindle Store and iBooks include copies of The Elements of Style, but they’re actually just reformatted copies of the original edition from others.

Since the original was published in 1918, though, the original Elements of Style is out of copyright in the US and most other countries. Thanks to that, the book was published fully on Wikisource, Wikipedia’s site for public domain books. You can read it online there, and since the chapters are quite short, it’s a great reference to keep bookmarked so you can check whenever you’re writing. Alternately, you can also download The Elements of Style in nicely formatted PDF, mobi, or ePub files from Feedbooks for free. These copies are great to save to your eBook library so you can read the whole book from your computer, iPhone/iPad, Kindle, or other device anytime you want.

Original 1918 edition of The Elements of Style in iBooks

The Elements of Style is definitely still a useful handbook for English writing, and I just read through the first section this afternoon as part of my required reading for my current technology communications class. Interestingly, it’s also a great companion book to the new book from A List Apart, The Elements of Content Strategy, which is written to help writers craft online content that’s as high quality as is demanded of traditional writers.

It’s amazing how timeless the advice in The Elements of Style is for it to still be relevant all these years later. Whether you’re a full-time writer or just need a few pointers to make your writing flow better, it’s a great guide that’s quick and easy to read. For free!

Download The Elements of Style in PDF, ePub, or mobi format from Feedbooks

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Wunderlist | To-do List Awesomeness on Every Platform

By Matthew Guay on March 11, 2011 in Featured, iOS Apps, PC Software

There’s so many to-do list apps today for all of the major computing platforms that you can quickly get overwhelmed trying to choose one. Most to-do list apps on Windows are old and clunky, while many iOS to-do list apps are an island to themselves and don’t let you sync or share tasks. It’s enough sometimes to make you just want to go back to just using a pad of paper. But wait: that surely can’t be the best solution. It’s the 21st century; can’t we have our tasks on any platform, synced, and shared with anyone we need? Can it really be that hard?

Enter Wunderlist. Wunderlist is an awesome new to-do list app that’s beautiful, feature filled, and amazingly, free! Actually, it’s is as much of a platform as it is an individual app. With to-do list apps for Windows, OS X, Android, iPad, iPhone, Android, and the web, you can keep up with everything you need to do no matter where you are or what device you’re using. While there are many beautiful and functional to-do list apps on OS X and iOS, Windows typically hasn’t had many modern to-do list apps that are both easy to use and stylish. Wunderlist’s Windows app alone makes it a winner, but add in the apps for other platforms, and it’s even better.

It contains all the features you’ll need to keep up with your tasks. You can add lists to organize to-dos, add a star to prioritize them, add a date to make sure you don’t forget when your task is due, and add notes to remember more about the task. Need to rearrange tasks? Simply drag and drop them to get them in the correct order. Then, find your tasks with the integrated search box, or reorder them based on priority or due date from the bottom buttons. You can even customize the app with a number of high quality background images. Best of all, you can share lists with others so your family, team, or business can stay connected in a simple Wunderlist to-do list. I’ve used this to share ideas with coworkers and editors over the past month, and it’s worked amazingly flawlessly.

Wunderlist works almost the exact same on every platform, but contains the small touches it takes to integrate great with particular platforms as well. On Windows, it uses a standard window and tray icon; on iPad, you’ll see iOS style pop-overs and inertia scrolling. You can enter tasks with keyboard shortcuts in Windows, OS X, and the webapp, while the mobile apps let you swipe to delete tasks and pull down to refresh a page. The same great features are there in each of the apps, though: contact syncing, sharing, organization, and a beautiful, easy to use experience. Best of all, if you’ve signed in with the same account on all of your devices, your tasks will automatically stay in sync. No more manually syncing or copying tasks between apps; you’ll just stay connected to what you need to do.

The iPhone app is especially handy since you can view and add tasks on the go. Wunderlist can even notify you when your tasks are due with standard iOS alerts and icon indicators. If you have an Android device, you can use the new Wunderlist Android app as well. Or, if you want, you can add new tasks by emailing them to me@wunderlist.com from your account email address, and can choose to be alerted via email when tasks are due. This way, even if you don’t have the latest mobile device, you can still keep up with your Wunderlist account on the go.

And, now, Wunderlist is equally at home in your browser! The newly released Wunderlist webapp brings all of Wunderlist’s features to any browser, so now you can use it from your Ubuntu computer or Chrome netbook. Or, if you don’t want to install a new program without knowing if you’ll like it, you could just give it a try in your browser. If you like it, then install it on your Mac, PC, or mobile device. Everything works almost the same as it does in Wunderlist’s Mac and PC apps; you can create new lists, drag and drop tasks to rearrange them, search across all of your tasks, and more. You can even change the background just like you can in any of the other apps. Whether on the web, an iOS device, your PC, or almost any other device, the Wunderlist experience is the same. This is easily one of the best cross-platform apps we’ve seen that merges your mobile device, PC, and browser experience.

But, hey, we could talk all day about getting organized with awesome to-do list apps, but that doesn’t help us get everything we need to do, done. Usually it’s a tough decision whether or not you should spend money on yet another productivity app. You have to decide if you need your tasks on your smartphone, PC, or online, and whether you can live without everything in sync or not. Today, Wunderlist has made these decisions obsolete. Wunderlist gives you synced, shared, and scheduled to-dos on almost any platform, for free. The only problem I’ve had is that the Wunderlist apps are somewhat slower than fully native apps that are built specifically for one platform. That said, recent updates have really improved the performance, and the iOS app now runs just as fast as Things or other similar apps. Plus, it lets me share and sync tasks, something few other apps even offered. There’s no reason not to give it a try on your browser, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet today. So go download it today, quit saying you’re going to find the perfect to-do list app, and just give it a try.