LonePlacebo

Clear: The Perfect Grocery List App

Tony Hue — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:16:57 +0000

I’m huge fan of Clear, the list-making app for iOS and Mac. You can use it to create lists of anything such as tasks, reminders, and notes. I use it primarily to manage my grocery list and frankly, I think it’s one of the best uses of the app.

If you’re the type to create a grocery list before you head out to buy some food, Clear simplifies the task in several ways. First, whenever you swipe an item off your list, it stays there unless you delete altogether. The great thing about this is that when it comes time to go grocery shopping again, you can revisit your list and “unswipe” items and easily recreate your list. No need to add items from scratch on subsequent visits. After a couple trips, you would have compiled a relatively comprehensive list of the food you buy the most.

Another reason why Clear is such a great companion when you’re shopping for groceries is that it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles you might find in other grocery list apps. If you have your phone in one hand, checking off items as you go, the app shouldn’t get in your way whatsoever. Items are so easy to swipe with their large surface area; even your clumsiest efforts is sufficient to get the job done.

When I made the switch to Android recently, you could imagine how sad I felt that Clear did not have an Android app. I searched and searched for alternatives to no avail. I tried Grocery IQ, Evernote, and a host of others I’ve now forgotten. Nothing came close, until I tried Google Keep.

Yes, Google’s poorly timed note-taking app that debut amidst the Google Reader debacle is actually a decent note-taking app. Is it better than Evernote? Unfortunately, comparing it to Evernote is like comparing Notepad with Microsoft Office.

But, how am I going to transfer over my grocery list over to Keep? I wondered. Clear answered that today with their newest update which includes a feature that lets you email your lists. Apparently, it is one of their most requested features. I never would’ve known.

Anyhow, I emailed myself the grocery list I have on Clear and copied it over to Google Keep. A little bit of formatting work later, I now have a fairly close replacement for Clear on Android. By using a checkbox list in Keep, I can preserve items for the future which was my most important concern. One downside I’ve noticed though is that checked-off items aren’t sent to the bottom. This is a tad bit annoying since that means I have to check the entire list just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

Well, there you have it. I finally found a use for Google Keep, even if it there is a good chance Google might decide to shut down the service one year from now.

How to Downgrade to a Previous Version of a Mac App

Tony Hue — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:49:00 +0000

During this mornings congressional hearing in which Apple CEO Tim Cook was summoned to address questions in regards to the company’s tax practices, Senator John McCain took the opportunity to ask a very pressing question

Why the hell do I have to keep updating apps on my iPhone all the time?

I’m so glad our taxpayers money is being used to address such important matters.

All joking aside and taking the question completely out of context, McCain’s remarks do reflect a problem with updating apps in general. Whether on Android, iOS, Windows, or Mac, we’re reminded constantly to update our software to their latest version in order to ensure the best user experience. At least, that’s the intention.

Oftentimes than not, we nonchalantly hit that update button just so it would stop bugging us. Recently, I received a notification on my Mac that updates were available.

Great! Download away!

It was an update to Break Time, a Mac app I use to remind myself to take a break from my computer screen periodically. After the update though, the app started acting a bit strange. I have the app configured to run on a 20-minute interval and when it reaches the 10-second mark, a popover would appear from the menu bar, counting down to the impending break. This is great since it allows me to transition from what I’m working on without getting interrupted so abruptly. With the new version installed though, that popover count-down became borked. It would appear sporadically or not at all and the reminders were now incredibly disruptive.

I temporarily quit the app for some time, something which I rarely do; I have it as a login item. However, I didn’t want to stop using it altogether. If only there was some sort of time machine of some sorts that I could use to downgrade to the previous version…

Time Machine! I have one of those things!

That’s when I realized I could restore a previous version of Break Time from a recent Time Machine backup I have stored on my external hard drive. The process is very simple. First, locate the backups folder on your hard drive and navigate to a backup created prior to the update. Copy and replace the application into your Mac’s existing Application folder. If you want to preserve both versions, just change their names or select “Keep both” from the dialog when pasting the app.

From there, I was able to launch the older app without a problem. Looks like I finally found a reason to justify my investment in an external hard drive!

PlaceboCast 6: Building Custom PCs, Google I/O, Switching from iOS to Android, Yahoo Flirting with Tumblr

Tony Hue — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:46:07 +0000

Photo by iTechPost

It was a big week of announcements for Google as the company hosted their annual Google I/O conference in San Francisco. From a Google+ redesign, a new messaging app, and a Pandora-like service, Google reminded everyone that they’re not a company that likes to sit around. Also in this podcast, we talk about building custom PCs, leaving the Apple cult for Android, the resurrection of Steve Jobs, and Yahoo’s rumored desires to acquire Tumblr.

As always, thanks for listening.

Mentioned Stories:

Android Replacements For My Favorite iOS Apps

Tony Hue — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:59:35 +0000

Via My Extra Life

As some of you have may read from my Nexus 4 review, I recently made the switch over from iOS to Android. I was skeptical for various reasons but my biggest concern was whether or not I could find Android versions of my favorite iOS apps, or at least a decent alternative. By and large, the move was not as disastrous as I had envisioned. In this post, I’ll share some of the apps that I was able to replace and the select few which I haven’t.

Do Not Disturb

This isn’t exactly an iOS app but I found myself missing this very simple feature when I switched to Android. I hated switching my phone to silent before I went off to bed every night and I wanted something that could automate this process in the way that Do Not Disturb was able to do.

The appropriately named I’m sleeping does exactly what I wanted. It lets you set a period every night to silence your phone, even with the option to set a different time for weekends. Similar to Do Not Disturb, you can create a white list of contacts who you can still reach you and enable an option to pass through repeated calls from the same person.

Instacast

There are lots of podcasting apps on Android, though only a scant few that came close to par with Instacast. For now, I’m using Pocket Casts which has most of the great features I enjoyed in Instacast like intuitive playback controls and automated removal of finished podcasts. I’m not a big fan of its overall design but it’s the best one I’ve come across so far. There’s also DoggCatcher though I have yet to try it out myself.

One Receipt

I started digitizing all my paper receipts about a year ago and One Receipt was easily the best in its category. Despite my iPod Touch’s crummy 0.7 MP camera, it was still able to accurately register the details of all my receipts, all the way down to the individual line items and prices.

Lemon Wallet shall suffice for the time being. It was actually this app that I replaced with One Receipt. I continue to register receipts with One Receipt on my iPod, with Lemon Wallet serving as a digital backup of some of my wallet cards.

Things

It was a mere week ago that I wrote a piece saying why I was moving from Wunderlist to Things. That was before I got my Android. Now, my $10 investment in the iOS version of Things has been wasted. As of the moment, I haven’t downloaded a replacement. Since Google Now was just updated this week with a new reminder feature, I haven’t felt the compelling need to manage tasks on my phone.

Clear

This one definitely hurt quite a bit since there is nothing even close to it. People use Clear for many various things like a todo app, note taking app, and list recording app. I use it as a grocery list. It’s great because whenever I “swipe” to check off an item, it stays there unless I delete it or uncheck it. By unchecking it, I can maintain a list of all the food products I normally buy, saving me the hassle of struggling to recreate a grocery list every weekend. As for now, I’m using Grocery IQ.

Today

Weather apps are a dime a dozen. I have tried so many than I can count, but the one the I’ve been using most recently was Today. Made by the same developers of Agenda Calendar, Today’s best feature is its graphical display of the weekly forecast. In a simple glance, I can get all the pertinent weather information that matters, without the need to interpret any confusing metrics or measurements.

Today unfortunately does not have an Android version. I’m currently using Eye In Sky which has a nice, crisp feel that conveys its minimalistic identity. It also comes with a 5-day weather widget.

Analytics Pro

I like checking Google Analytics every once in a while. Analytics Pro was such a beautiful and well-made app. It’s probably one of the app I’ve used the longest without replacing/deleting.

Google actually has their own official Analytics app for Android. Unfortunately, it’s absolute garbage. It deserves lower than its current 3.5 star rating.

The Google Nexus 4 Review

Tony Hue — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:05:46 +0000

This past weekend, I made the switch. I activated my Google Nexus 4 phone with T-Mobile and now, I’m fully converted to Android.

As much as I love to hate on Android, I knew very little about the platform. Even after about a week playing with it, I’m still learning new features and tweaks every day. For instance, widgets was one of the things that has always confounded me about Android. After trying them out for size, I’ve learned to love them.

In this review, I will focus on three elements: design, hardware, and software. I don’t anticipate it being comprehensive in detail, but I will try my best to highlight some of the things that caught my eye during my short period of use thus far. If you’re a Nexus 4 owner, feel free to share your your experiences with it so far. I’d love to hear them.

Design

One of the things that annoys me about the Nexus 4 is its symmetrical design. Since the device lacks any physical buttons in the front screen, it’s difficult to identify the correct orientation of the phone when you first pick it up. I find myself pressing aimlessly trying to find the lock screen only to realize that the device is upside down. Especially in dim lighting, you can only rely on touch to determine whether you are holding the device correctly or not.

Speaking of the lack of physical controls…coming from the iPod Touch, it was definitely weird not having a button to press to take me back home. I guess old habits die hard.

Instead, they’re replaced with three on-screen controls: back, home, and multi-tasking. One annoyance I’ve found with this is that it’s very easy to accidentally hit the controls when you’re using an app. With a physical button, you can easily avoid this mistake since it requires a downward press versus a mere tap on a flat surface.

Hardware

Where exactly is the cutoff point for phones that qualify as the so called “phablets?” The Nexus 4 feels pretty close, with its 4.7″ diagonal display. Having used an iPod Touch and its 3.5″ screen, it was quite the jump up in screen real estate. Now I know why some people hold their phones in their hand wherever they go. Smartphones these days are too big to fit in people’s pockets!

While I can learn to love the bigger screen, I am worried about one thing though. The Nexus gets pretty warm after some extended usage. Even after putting a case on it, I could still feel some heat radiating from the device. I have yet to play a single game thus far. Hopefully I won’t need to wear oven mitts.

The location of the speaker, microphone jack, and lock button is another conundrum for me. The speakers are located in the back, lower-right hand corner. Wouldn’t my hand obstruct some of the sound when I’m holding it? Also, since the speakers are pointed away from you, you have to crank up the volume a tad bit just to achieve an ideal listening experience.

As for the microphone jack, I’m accustomed to inserting my earphone jack at the bottom of the device when I’m holding it (on the iPod Touch). Let’s say you’re listening to some music. You receive a text message and your phone is in your pocket. Assuming your phone is sitting in your pocket with the microphone jack side at the top, retrieving your phone from your pocket would require you to turn it over to its upward position after you remove it. On the Nexus, the jack is on the opposite end.

The lock button is another similar issue. Since it’s located on the right-hand side, I’ve accidentally locked the phone while attempting to take photos in landscape mode. It’s kind of nit-picking I realize but I can’t tell you how much that has annoyed me on several occasions.

The phone is built with Gorilla Glass, which apparently protects both sides of the device. After reading the litany of horror stories from users who dropped their phones though, I’ve become extra paranoid with handling the Nexus. For protection from a certain night of sorrow, I bought the Ringke Fusion Hybrid case on Amazon. It’s much easier to remove than the Incase case I got for my iPod; removing it is like wrestling a ham from a grizzly bear. Other than that, it’s cheap, doesn’t add bulk to the device, and hopefully can save my phone in the event of a catastrophic 2-inch drop.

Software

Ahhh…the topic I was looking forward to diving into. The Google Play Store has come a long ways. The iOS App Store absolutely dominated the mobile app market in the early going, but now the tide is shifting. My biggest complaint with Android apps is that they look terrible. Compared to the finely polished designs you often see on iOS apps, Android apps looked like they were designed by a blind penguin.

That’s not to say that Android apps are now on par with their iOS counterparts. I’m still struggling to find Android replacements for apps like Things, Clear, 1Password, and Tweetbot.

Speaking of 1Password…have you seen their Android app? It’s hideous. Now take a look at it’s iPhone app. It’s like this poor neglected child that no one wants to play with anymore. Last time it was updated? January 30, 2012. Thank god it was free.

I wasn’t a fan of Apple’s most recent redesign of their App Store. The introduction of horizontal scroll made it much slower to browse through app sections and search results. Luckily, the Google Play Store is a far better user experience. In addition to its sleek design and layout, I can also download and purchase apps via the desktop. When you turn your phone on, the app is already there or starting to install on your device. Also, I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, but you are never prompted to enter your Google account password when you download something. Especially on a mobile device, entering passwords is a major pain. With my ridiculous 30-string long passwords, I’m glad Google saved me the trouble.

Another cool thing that I discovered although I haven’t taken advantage of it yet is that the Play Store has a 15-minute refund window. Yup, you read that right. If you find something you don’t like right away, simply head to the app’s detail page on the Play Store and find that refund button, and you will get your money back! You won’t find something like this on iTunes.

The last thing I wanted to mention is keyboard typing. I’ve never been a very good typer on mobile devices. I misspell words, autocorrect fails me repeatedly, and it’s just so damn slow. On Android, there is a feature called Gesture Typing which makes it super easy to type with one hand. The software is smart enough to guess what letters you are trying to spell out without you ever lifting your finger from the screen. Currently, there is another similar app called Swype that is atop the Paid apps chart on the Google Play store. I haven’t tried it out yet but I do plan on doing so eventually.

Wrap Up

Android has surprised me. A lot. It’s fun, intelligent, and only getting better. Is it better than iOS? No, but given its trajectory over the last year, Android has a chance to wrest away my loyalty. Frankly, I might let it.