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My Mac Week

My wife wants a computer to do stuff in school, she is a teacher. For a long time she has been drooling over the MacBook Air – mainly because of it being light in weight. Many people have told me – that having owned one they think it to be underpowered and short of ports. I recommended the MacBookPro for her but she is not keen – as it weighs just over 2kg compared to the iPad at less than half that.

So Enter the iPad – Also low powered and fewer ports – but has the advantages over the Air by being lighter and much cheaper to buy. Another good point for the iPad is that when you switch it on it is instantly ready to do some work. We took a trip to Girona the other day to check out the iPad. There they had iPads to view but none to sell. I was delighted to get playing with one – trying out the on screen keyboard in the notepad application.

Predictive Text on the iPad

I would need time to get used to the predictive text ability because it was putting in words I didn’t want
You would think I would be OK with that after being an iPhone user, I was typing in English though and the iPad was dealing with Spanish – so that didn’t help. Looked at the Bento on the iPad and was not that impressed with its usability compared to the desktop version which I have – although perhaps I would need more time to research it . i have Bento on the iPhone too. I just expected more from the iPad version.

Loved playing with the photo app and thought that Safari on the iPad was OK – much better than on the iPhone. If they had, had an iPad in the shop we would have gone home with one for sure. Despite some reservations I have about how it fits in with what she wants to do computing wise. I just know that it won’t be long before I am getting kicked off my computers so she can do some video editing or to make a Keynote presentation which is undoubtedly going to be better on a more powerful machine with the full OSX operating system.

Already it has happened that my wife has been using ScreenFlow on my iMac to edit some movies – ScreenFlow is much easier than iMovie and when I have time I will show her FinalCut Express.
Blimey I will never get to use my iMac again…..

I suppose I should be grateful that I am getting her away from her Windows machine that is driving her nuts at the moment – The school where she works has only Windows computers too – and it is dreadful for the virus problems. I don’t think they have much in the way of a sys admin looking after them either.

OK back to the iPad testing in the shop

My wife wanted to see how the bluetooth keyboard would work with the iPad but the guy in the shop couldn’t get the one he had there – to pair with the iPad demo machine for some strange reason. He tried many times with more than one iPad.
but probably due to other bluetooth conflicts within the shop. – No Joy

Have any of you had problems getting a BT KB paired up with an iPad. Talking of the keyboard thing she imagines that she would want to use the iPad on the sofa and use the BT KB there. I suppose the iPad could be propped up on the table in front of the sofa and the KB be on her lap. I wonder if the iPad would be too far away then to be able to read well while typing. I can’t imagine how you might have the keyboard and the iPad together on the lap unless you have a specialised holder for the 2 items – and even then it could be awkward.

I would give her my MacBook Pro but it has an English keyboard on it and she would need the Spanish Keyboard for the accents. A bit too much messing to swap the keys for Spanish ones also. Have to see how this conundrum runs. The best solution would be an iMac on her desk – or a Mac Mini and an iPad to go with it. for taking to school. Don’t expect the funds to run to that though seeing as all public service workers here in Spain have just had a pay cut of 5%. The banks that created the financial mess should be paying to put the economy right not the people at grass roots level just working to put food on the table a a roof over the head. – Oooh don’t get me started…..

Wizardgold Betfair Trading videos

This week I have been creating video for my Wizardgold business extolling the delights of trading on Betfair, so I have been stuck into FinalCut Express and enjoying doing the editing work. I get in a bit of income from the advertising on that site and the software sales so it needs some effort from time to time. I have one video on YouTube explaining this particular technique under 2.5 goals trading – which has been downloaded 37 thousand times – It would be nice to get those sort of numbers for the Mac stuff I do – I had better take some lessons from the talented iJustine – learn to dance in the Apple Stores – do spoofs of songs and wear silly wigs then post the resulting videos. I reckon I could manage some Dad dancing no problem. I am not averse to looking silly if it brings in a bit of cash.

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Really pleased to have another film maker guest on the show. Travis is just about to start shooting a horror – slash movie. Just before the interview I saw him tweet that he was covered in blood. Transpired he was doing tests for the film special effects.

He is friends with Julie and Jessica of Kingisafink and Phil Holbrook, I think it is great to see such a vibrant group of film makers taking advantage of social media. helping out with each others projects as well as moral support.

Like Danny Lacey Travis has been using the crowd funding Indiegogo to raise money for this movie he is about to shoot
which btw is called Danny Did It and if you want to help out with the film you still can – by going to his film company website and he is taking Paypal donations.

Many films wouldn’t get off the ground without this type of support so if you are in to horror send Travis a dollar or two.

Raymond Did It is a slasher film in the tradition of Halloween and Prom Night. When twelve-year-old Bryce Rourke is accidentally killed in a playground scuffle, his friends decide to blame Bryce’s developmentally delayed older brother for the accident. Raymond is taken to a state hospital while the true killer walks free.
Six years later, Raymond escapes from the hospital to seek bloody revenge for his brother’s death.

This is how it worked out with Indiegogo for the crowd funding.

$10 or more = Fan Contribution: A special thanks noted on the film’s website and Director’s blog.

$50 or more = Fan Plus Contribution: An 11 x 17 movie poster in either the theatrical or comic book design, signed by writer/director Travis Legge in addition to the aforementioned perks.

$100 or more = Friend Contribution: A DVD copy of the film upon the film’s release, signed by writer/director Travis Legge in addition to the aforementioned perks.

$1,000 or more = Family Contribution: A copy of the DVD signed by members of the cast and crew, a producer’s credit in the film, and a VIP invitation to the official wrap party in Rockford, Illinois at the end of June (travel costs not included)

Funds generated via donation will go to cover the costs of catering, location management, prop purchases, and transportation associated with the film.