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Artsy Editor: Turning WordPress into a clean writing environment

By Matthew Guay on June 28, 2011 in Featured, WordPress

The more I write, the less I want in my writing apps. It seems crazy at first. Why in the world would you want less features?

Because sometimes, less is more. Less distraction means getting more done. Less features means more focus on the features that are most important. Less UI means more content.

That’s why I’ve fallen in love with focused writing apps, from OmmWriter to iA Writer to Simplenote, over the past few years. They take away the buttons, the settings, the features, and leave you with a space for your thoughts. They, they focus on the features that make a difference in your writing: a calming environment in OmmWriter, brilliant Markdown formatting in iA Writer, and powerful search and publishing in Simplenote.

Between these, I’ve got ways to write in an elegant manner on Windows, OS X, the iPad, and the web. But what about WordPress? WordPress has become increasingly cluttered over the years, and you can easily spend more time tweaking your blog than writing your posts. That’s why I often compose posts in another writing app, then bring them over to WordPress to add formatting and post them.

Not any more. For the past several weeks, I’ve been beta testing a new WordPress plugin that brings simplicity back to blogging: Artsy Editor.

Artsy Editor strips away the extra stuff in WordPress, giving you a focused writing environment right in your blog. Hit F11 to take your browser full-screen, and it’s almost as nice as iA Writer … except in WordPress in your browser. There’s a little bit of UI in Artsy Editor: a post button on the top right which also lets you see the HTML of a post, a settings button in the bottom left, an Upload button in the bottom right, and a close button in the top left. Start typing, though, and all of that disappears, leaving you with your content. Continue Reading →

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iChromy: A Chrome Lookalike for iPad

By Matthew Guay on May 26, 2011 in iOS Apps

The iPad is one of the best devices ever for reading online. When it was initially unveiled to the public in 2010Steve Jobs said it was like holding the web in your hands. That’s not too far off. It feels like the perfect way to catch up with the news, check your email, and more, without a keyboard and mouse.

The only problem is, Safari on iPad isn’t as robust as most desktop browsers. We’ve grown to rely on tabs and extensions to get the most out of our browsing experience. Safari on iOS uses a multi-page interface that makes it rather difficult to switch between sites.

If we could actually choose any browser on iPad, many of us would choose Chrome. Google’s kept Chrome one of the fastest browsers around, and the unified search and address bar makes using a separate search box seem odd. However, it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see Chrome on the iPad, as Apple doesn’t allow 3rd party Javascript engines, and Chrome’s V8 engine is its main difference.

The team at Diigo has created a new alternative for Chrome on the iPad: iChromy. This new browser app tries to bring the best of Chrome’s interface and speed to the iPad, while still working with Apple’s rendering policies. It’s an interesting alternate browser, and if you’ve wished you could get Chrome on your iPad, it might be the browser you’ve been waiting for.

Continue Reading →

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Review: Getting Started With Microsoft Application Virtualization

By Matthew Guay on April 8, 2011 in Books, Reviews

If you’ve used Windows PCs for any length of time, you’re almost guaranteed to have had problems with application incompatibilities and messy uninstalls. Over time, your computer can get increasingly junked up with fragments of programs you’ve uninstalled. Then, if you have multiple computers or, say, use a home computer and a work machine, there’s no way to have all of your programs synced between your computers. You’ll have to install and setup all of your programs on each of your computers individually. Even in 2011, we’re still tied down with ’90′s limitations on our computers.

This problem is only extrapolated in enterprise settings. Managing applications installed on hundreds or thousands of computers can be terribly difficult. Then, keeping each employee’s files and settings on their machine even if they get a new computer, and making sure everything stays cost effective, all together makes for a complex situation. That’s where Microsoft’s Application Virtualization, App-V, comes in. It lets you created virtualized, self-contained copies of programs that can be streamed from the server and run on client machines without being installed. Everything work the same, no matter what computer you’re on. This is what I hope the future of computing looks like, and based on rumors, Windows 8 may include similar technology for standard users, but for now, this can be a reality in the enterprise. Continue Reading →

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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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