Keep Quiet with the Das Keyboard Model S

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…with Quiet Key Design. The essential thing to notice in that title is the emphasis on its quiet key design. As with most keyboard enthusiasts, the joy in using a mechanical keyboard comes from tactility, the way it makes you place your hands, and with that, the sound. The click you hear every time you press a key is one that can’t be simulated. It took me years to realize why the Apple keyboard was universally hated in keyboard conversations, but when I got my hands on a Das Keyboard, it finally made sense.
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# Accessories #Review #Tech

Falling Flat

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With iOS 7 comes a new way to design apps and make them appeal to an audience. The overall scheme, as of now, is to simply make everything flat and basic. While this model works well for certain apps (such as Twitterrific and Facebook), it doesn’t work well for others. The idea behind iOS 7 is to not only break down design elements to their essentials but to also surpass the inherent simplicity through creativity and innovation. Unfortunately, that’s not what’s happening. It’s worth talking about, and even as someone who isn’t a designer, it’s something that’s obvious in the overall user experience of an app.
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# Apps #Editorials #Expressive #Insight #iOS Apps #Opinions #Tech

I Get It

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I never understood Paul Miller’s attempt at breaking away from the Internet for a year, but today, I finally get it. I first thought that he was simply reinforcing what I was doing in the interim between iPhone releases (where I would sell my previous generation iPhone and be forced to use a “dumb phone” before my new phone arrived), but it’s a much bigger concept than that, one that I think many people yearn for but still haven’t discovered a way to completely disconnect.

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# Culture #Editorials #Expressive #Thoughts

Write Creatively

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We live in an age where a lack of information is a concept seen as archaic, dismal, and all around obscene. Because of this, we’re constantly bombarded with repetition. Providing the same information twice forces readers to make a choice, and when they choose, they usually opt for the prettier option. Substance be damned, your work is the exact same as someone else’s if all you do is post news and end your piece with a question in order to grab comments and push conversation. However, I think the majority of people willing to jump into the world of writing should consider writing differently. Not an overhaul, but a break from what we see on that site, and that site, and that site, and that site.

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# Editorials #Ideas #Opinions #Thoughts

Animal Community

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I’m an Animal Crossing obsessionist. Just to make sure everyone understands how deep I am into this game, I have a Japanese friend who gets me exclusive items. I have full sets of unorderable items. I have nearly 60 million bells at my disposal. I have over 400 hours logged from playing. I have custom QR codes specifically made to make my character look like a well-paid young man with his priorities set on managing a town filled with 10 talking animals.

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# Editorials #Thoughts

My Time at Otakon 2013

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This year, on a whim, I decided to go to Otakon with two of my friends. One of them, Matt, I’ve known for over a decade. The other, Shirley, a little over a month. The decision was fueled by nothing other than a desire for all of us to hang out. I had no expectations and didn’t go in assuming that I’d honestly enjoy the countless hours we’d spend doing practically nothing. Little did I know, it would go down as one of the best times of my life.

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# Culture #Places #Travel

Doctor Who’s Absent Companion

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Last year, Doctor Who ended the first half of its seventh series with a rousing send-off to two of the show’s longtime characters Amy and Rory. The first half of the series had been well received and featured some surprises such as an appearance by next companion Clara Oswald. Played by Jenna Louise Coleman, Clara’s character (revealed in the series opener “Asylum of the Daleks”) had an enjoyably lively personality with showrunner Steven Moffat’s quick-witted writing to back her up. After seeing this presentation of the new companion, I immediately yearned for more. She played off of Matt Smith’s Doctor quite well and seemed like a perfect fit for the show. Her second appearance in the “The Snowmen” Christmas special only served to strengthen my enthusiasm for the second half of the series, making me look forward to learning more about her and how she would travel with the Doctor full time. However, as I write this article in the week preceding the series 7 finale, I’m struck with disappointment in how the show has been handled as of late.

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# Television #Thoughts & Ideas

Limelight — Beautiful Movie Tracking

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Limelight is a new app from the team at 9:42AM that makes tracking movies simple and gorgeous. The 9:42AM team is made up of developer Oliver Cameron and designer Marcelo Marfil, and the focus of their newly found app shop is to make easy-to-use apps that have a unique beauty in their design. They’ve done just that with Limelight.

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# iOS Apps #Review #Tech

My Problem with Facebook Home

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My problem with Facebook Home isn’t that it’s a dumb idea or that it’s used poorly in practice, but rather that Facebook simply isn’t like that for me or numerous other people. The idea behind Facebook is to help you connect with people that you deem “friends,” enabling you to see what they’ve been up to in their lives. This sounds perfect for most people, but if you’ve been using Facebook for more than a few days, you come to realize that it’s not that clean cut of a system.

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# Insight #Tech

Sitting Down with Geoffrey Sechter of Culination

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Culination is a new start-up that aims to deliver the delicious, healthy meals that you and I crave to the home. Without breaking the bank or being painfully exhausting to prepare, Culination provides something that appeals to today’s average person with interactivity, easy-to-follow instructions, and the ability to pair up with an iPad, iPhone, or any Android device. Culination is reimagining the idea of a cookbook, not only with fun recipes and simple instructions, but by making it easier for all of us to prepare these meals on our own. To add a touch of style to your kitchen experience, use cool mugs that complement your culinary adventures.

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# Culture #Food #Interviews