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The World is Flat: Writing for Extended Periods w/an iPad, Bluetooth Keyboard & Smartphone (as a second screen)

Todd Ogasawara — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:40:24 +0000

I bought an Apple Wireless (Bluetooth) Keyboard shortly after buying my iPad “1″ in April 2010. And, being a creature of habit the first thing I did was position the iPad at a near right angle to my keyboard for extended typing use. There’s one problem with that configuration, however. The iPad, when placed on a desk or table, is generally too low to easily see at that angle. Some iPad cases provide relief for this problem by giving the iPad user several angle settings. However, most people who recently bought an iPad 2 also bought Apple’s remarkable Smart Cover for it. The Smart Cover only has two stand configurations: Nearly upright and nearly flat.

I decided to write most of a short (6 page) project proposal using an iPad 2 with Apple’s Pages word processor over the weekend. Experience with the first iPad had taught me that the right configuration for me was to have the iPad nearly flat (actually an approximately 15 degree angle) using the Smart Cover as a stand.

You can see what my setup looked like in the photo to the left. This is actually a much more natural configuration than you might imagine. It is relatively close to the position you might have assume if you were writing a long paper by hand with an pen or pencil.

That’s a Nexus One next to the iPad in the photo. I used it as a kind of second screen to look up or check information and images (diagrams and photos). Using a smartphone as a second screen meant that I never had to switch out of the Pages word processing app on the iPad.

After all the text had been written, I sent the Pages document to a Mac where I integrated budget tables from Apple’s Numbers spreadsheet (which had been prepared a few days earlier on the iPad), double checked the proposal, created a PDF file and emailed it to the client who had requested it.

I’ve found writing using an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard in this configuration to cause less muscle tension in the upper arms, shoulder and back. Your mileage may vary. But, you may want to consider this change if extended writing sessions sometimes leave you sore.

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The 7 Best Blogs About Blogging

andrewgr — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:40:02 +0000

Every blogger has to start somewhere. Thankfully, there are no shortage of great Websites that are chock full of information that will help the amateur blogger mature into a seasoned online scribe.

With so many fly-by-night operations, here are 7 of my favorite blogs about blogging that have had serious staying power.

Problogger

Australian blogger Darren Rowse has undoubtedly been responsible for the success of hundreds – if not thousands of bloggers. While the exact number might be difficult to quantify, you’d be hard pressed to find a blogger who at one time or another, did not visit Problogger to make sure they were not committing a blogging faux pas. A great job board, which is updated frequently, rounds out the experience. continued…

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Write, Rate and Read Very Short Stories

andrewgr — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:06:18 +0000

Writers are often looking for unbiased feedback of their work from fair and balanced third-party sources. To say that the rise of the Internet has ushered in a new generation of writers is an understatement.

If you enjoy reading and writing fiction, in the form of short stories, Ficly.com is a site for you. continued…

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MixedInk is Digg for Collaborative Writers

kristennicole — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:27:37 +0000

In private beta until today, the MixedInk collaborative writing platform has launched the public beta version of its product. This is a democratic writing and publishing platform that takes the Creative Commons license to the next level, enabling entire communities to work together on a single document or publication.

While this isn’t the first time this concept has been approached with an online tool, D.C.-based MixedInk is using a new angle for automating much of the process, essentially eliminating the need for wikis in the traditional sense, or even editors. As MixedInk promotes a democratic process, each document submitted by a member of the community can be voted upon, which pushes that document up in rank.
continued…

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Community Writing Can Get You Published

andrewgr — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:41:48 +0000

There are few things in life I find intimidating. Among them: skydiving, chef Gordon Ramsey and writing a novel. Though not necessarily in that order. Actually, yes, exactly in that order. Let’s take the last one first. continued…

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Paragraphr Is for Writers and Readers

andrewgr — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:29:33 +0000

Everybody writes differently. And I’m not talking about their personal style of the vocabulary they use. I’m talking about the method in which they construct written work. The system I often employ when writing a lengthy item, includes writing sentences and paragraphs and then shuffling them around, filling in the gaps as I go.

A new Website, Paragraphr, must hope that I’m not alone in the piece and puzzle approach. Billed as an online platform for people who love reading and writing, it’s important to note that the site is currently in Alpha – and it looks it. continued…

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