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This is the personal blog of Don McAllister, the host and producer of ScreenCastsOnline.

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Entries by Don McAllister (880)

Tuesday
Oct232012

Why The iPad mini won't be called the iPad mini

Call me mad, and I know I shouldn’t be making rash predictions so soon before an Apple keynote, but I thought I’d go on record for a bit of fun.

Although we’ve all pretty much been calling the soon to be announced smaller iPad, the iPad mini, I don’t think that will be its name.

Most of the assumptions are based on the fact that the iPod has seen many versions, since the iPod was launched. The iPod, the iPod mini, the iPod nano, the iPod shuffle, etc.

So it would seem logical that the iPad would follow through.

I don’t believe so for a couple of reasons...

Firstly, I don’t think Apple will want to position the iPad as a consumer device like the iPod was/is. The iPad is the first Post PC computing device - it’s a PC. As such, it should follow the naming conventions of the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, the iMac etc. All of these names refer to a single product line, but within each product line there are multiple devices, all diferent sizes and specs.

The current new iPad launched earlier this year suprised everyone by not being called the iPad 3. Everyone anticipated it and it didn’t happen. It was called the new iPad. Definitely a positioning move prior to the launch of the next iPad in the product line.

Apple want everyone to have an iPad. Not an iPad mini, or an iPad nano or an iPad 3 - just an iPad. Regardless of it’s size or perfomance, Apple want everyone to have an iPad.

So the name of the new iPad?

The new iPad

Tuesday
Oct232012

ScreenCastsOnline - New HTML5 Video Player Available

I'm delighted to announce a new update to the ScreenCastsOnline website - a new customised HTML5 video player to view the tutorials.

Previously, if you tried to watch any of the videos directly from the website, they would appear in a "lightbox" with minimal controls.

Now, the video page has been redesigned and the videos play on the page, with some customised playback controls and with support for subtitles.

The video player now shares the same look and feel as the playback controls in the SCOtutor apps and includes a volume control, a scrubber, rewind and fast forward buttons, a new download button, a subtitle toggle, a very neat focus control to dim the page and a full screen option.

We've also included a new option to mark a video as watched on the page itself.

The player works for both the Mac and iOS videos (check out how it handles the iOS videos - one of my favourite features) as well as support for the individual chapters found in the Chapter tab.

It will take a while for us to tweak all the videos to support the new subtitle and chapter features, but the most recent videos and all new videos will be fully supported.

As with any new feature, there may be a few teething problems, most of which may be resolved by updating your Safari cache or restarting Safari. If you have any problems, just drop me a note at support@screencastsonline.com

I've included a short video below, demoing some of the new features.

Props go to Jamie Peak for the awesome design and coding of the updated player and page.

Sunday
Oct072012

My Kickstarter Wish - iPhone 5 Case

Following on from listening to this weeks Talk Show with John Gruber and Marco Arment, extolling the virtues of the iPhone 5 camera, I hit on a great idea for a Kickstarter project.

Like I've got the time!

So here is my Kickstarter wish if anyone else wants to take up it up.

What I'd really love is a Camera Body for the iPhone 5.

Hear me me out…

When in tourist mode, I really don't want to carry a separate video or still camera around with me. The quality of both the video and the images produced by the iPhone 5 are just fine for my limited needs.

The issue I have is that the iPhone stays in my pocket until I need to use it. Then I have to remove it from my pocket, orientate it the correct way, switch on the camera app, select photo or image and take the photo or video. Then I either need to keep carrying the camera, or pop it back in my pocket until the next time I need it, which when in tourist mode, is quite often.

When actually taking the photo, there is the whole problem of holding the iPhone by it's very slim and smooth edge. The thought of dropping the iPhone whilst taking a photo or video, is never far from my mind

There is a reason why "proper" cameras have a strap to hang the thing round your neck.

So what I would like is a camera body that the iPhone 5 would just slip or slide into. Think of it as a specialised case that has some extra features to turn the iPhone into a proper point and shoot. Extra features I would like (some are probably technically not feasible, bet anyway) include:

  • A proper strap. Either a hand strap or an interchangeable strap to hang the iPhone from your neck.
  • A hardware button to switch between video or photo mode
  • A hardware control to control zoom
  • A hardware shutter button

Some optional features, perhaps for a more expensive version could be:

  • A built in battery in the case
  • Switchable lenses (similar to the olloclip) built into the case
  • Some element of water resistance

Update: After writing this blogpost, I thought I'd best check to see if this already exists! Almost! Found this. iPhone 4 though, and I really don't want a faux camera body. I just want a normal looking case, optimised to use the iPhone 5 as a camera.

If you know of any, please let me know via the comments.

Friday
Oct052012

Welcome to the Digital Magazine Revolution - MagCast

SCOM0368 copyBack in the summer of 2011, I was at WWDC when Newsstand was announced as part of iOS5.

As a content provider, I was intrigued at the concept and realised that this was the boost that digital publishing needed. The iPad had always been touted as the saviour of digital print since it’s inception, but had never delivered.

Traditional publishers created huge digital facsimiles of print magazines that needed manual download. Poor image rendering. Expensive content. No easy way to find digital content. Digital magazines on the iPad didn’t really didn’t take off at all.

Newsstand was Apple’s strategy to address some of these issues.

  • A new container folder permanently wired to the iPad home page, specifically for newspapers and magazines.

  • A new type of app - the Newsstand app - closely modelled on traditional print magazines, the Newsstand app uses the cover of the latest issue of the magazine as it’s icon.

  • A new push distribution mechanism - Magazines and newspapers are episodic in nature. You expect a new content on a regular basis. Once subscribed to a Newsstand app, any new issues are pushed to you automatically, without any action from you. True push distribution. No longer did a user have to notice a new issue of a magazine was available, then download it before they could read it. Newsstand just delivered the magazine to the iPad. Not only that, the magazine icon in the Newsstand container updates automatically to display the new issue cover and you get a “new” marker on the magazine.

  • Purchase and Subscription - Apple nailed the difficult problem of charging for your content with a whole range of options available via in-app purchases. Want to buy a single issue - no problem. Tap purchase and Apple will do the entire transaction, take 30% and pass the rest on to you. Even better, Apple allow you to create subscriptions to your magazine - Monthly, six monthly, annual - all available via in-app purchases. A customer just taps a button and Apple will set up the subscription, process the financial transaction and start downloading the current issue. They take their 30% and from that point on, Apple will deliver new issues automatically and even handle the recurring transaction when the subscription is up for renewal. Mind bogglingly simple.

For years, I’d been using the magazine analogy when describing my podcast - you susbcribe and we deliver episodes. Now we had a mechanism that was the exact copy of the magazine subscription analogy - in fact it wasn’t a copy at all. It’s a digital magazine subscription, where Apple does all the hard work (well other than provide the content of course).

But it gets even better!

People are subscribed to your magazine using their Apple ID and the credit card associated with that ID. If there is one account that people make sure is up to date with a valid credit card, it’s your Apple ID. You use it to buy all your music and your Apps. It has to stay current. No more messing about with failing PayPal accounts, the Apple ID purchase is magic!

So it’s been well over 12 months since Newsstand was introduced, so how did I get on?

Not very well up until 4 months ago.

It became apparent during the WWDC sessions I attended that I was out of my depth from a technical perspective. There was no way I could create a Newsstand app from scratch, so after WWDC, I started looking at services that I could use to create Newsstand content.

Ouch!

They took a while to appear but when they did. Ouch!

Hugely, hugely expensive to setup and some of them even wanted payment based on the numbers of issues created.

Much too expensive for a small content provider like myself.

So I abandoned the idea of a Newsstand presence - something probably only the large publishers or traditional media outlets could afford. I was disappointed but not surprised.

Until fours months ago when things changed - very rapidly!

At the end of last year, I’d met up with a good guy called Ed Dale at the Blogworld and New Media Expo. We were on a panel together (unrelated to Newsstand) and I learnt a bit about his organisation and what he was involved in. He seemed like a really good guy, and we kept in touch.

At the time, although I didn’t know it then, Ed was working with a partner, John Bass, to create a Newsstand Publishing platform - MagCast.

I heard about it four months ago and it’s significance hit me like a ton of bricks.

This was what I’d been waiting for!

MagCast is an all encompassing solution to enable content creators to create and distribute interactive digital iPad applications via Newsstand.

The works - the whole enchilada!

App creation, support for ad integration, analytics, issue creation and conversion, testing, distribution to Newsstand, full support for all in-app purchases, push notifications... basically, everything you need to create a Newsstand iPad magazine wrapped up in a single solution - no programming skills or technical know how required - seriously. Access to MagCast also includes full training in the form of comprehensive video tutorials taking you through the entire process from start to finish - from setting up your Apple developer account to publishing your first magazine to the Newsstand. As well as full technical support and a wealth of marketing advise and guidance.

Incredibly, creating the magazine content is based on the PDF format - you can use any application you want to create the magazine issue - KeyNote, Pages, InDesign... basically any application that allows you to layout text and graphics and export to PDF. Once you have your PDF, upload it to MagCast and add in your links and interactive content and MagCast transforms it in to a magazine issue ready for distribution via Newsstand.

I’ve been using the platform for four months and I’ve created the ScreenCastsOnline Monthly magazine available via the Newsstand. Three full issues published as well as a sampler issue. The magazine has been well received (a slight understatement) with over 170 five star reviews. I’ve just recently created a special “Subscribers Only” issue too - MagCast actually gives you more functionality than just producing a standard magazine, and they are continually adding performance and functionality enhancements to the core app and the platform.

Initially, I was inundated with requests for information about how I put ScreenCastsOnline Monthly together, and I decided to wait for a little while before “going public” as I wanted to see how things went and how the platform coped. After all, it all sounds a little too good to be true.

Four months down the road and I can unreservedly recommend MagCast - it’s a killer platform for any content provider wishing to create a Newsstand magazine.

To give an idea on what is involved in creating a magazine issue, I created the special ScreenCastsOnline episode embedded below. Check it out to see what I mean.

You can get more information on the MagCast platform by following this link - MagCast Invitation

Full disclosure...

If you sign up to MagCast based on my recommendation, I’ll get some commission from the Magcast guys.

As you’re aware, I don’t do any sponsorships via ScreenCastsOnline, neither do I accept any advertising or paid endorsements. So it has to be something pretty special for me to endorse it in this fashion.

The support has been top class and MagCast are committed to continually improving and enhancing both the platform and the app at no additional charge, once you’ve signed up for the platform. You become the publisher and you own your own content. There are no hidden charges and no matter how successful your magazine becomes, you are in full control of the costs.

They even offer a full 30 day money back guarantee, so it’s a completely no risk opportunity.

Of course, ultimately your success publishing a magazine is down to the content and not the creation or the delivery platform. I can’t promise you a pot of gold at the end of it, or even that you might replicate the success I’ve had with producing my magazine, but I’ve found that MagCast is probably the most frictionless way to create and distribute content via the Newsstand.

Friday
Sep212012

iOS 6 Maps - The Mapocalypse 

So iOS 6 is out, and on the whole, it's a fairly solid release. Some great new features, nothing too earth shattering, but all welcome additions to the platform.

Then there is Maps.

Apple announced with the introduction of iOS 6 way back at WWDC, that they would be replacing Google Maps on iOS 6. They acquired some mapping technology companies a few years ago, and have been developing their own mapping strategy in association with a number of partners. 

Gulp!

Can you imaging the kahunas required to even contemplate taking on Google's experience and data and creating a global mapping system from scratch!

So Apple have tried and have got release 1.0 out of the door.

It's not perfect, far from it. 

In limited testing during the beta, it was always a weak spot but I have seen it steadily improve. 

And it will keep improving. 

But for now, there are areas where it's not up to scratch, literally.

But it will get better. 

As an add on to iOS 6, and don't forget, it includes turn by turn navigation and the spectacular 3D FlyOver technology on devices that support it, it's pretty good for a freebie. 

But yes, lot's of gnashing of teeth as to why Apple removed Google Maps and left us with this mess, with no alternative.

In fact, there is an alternative that will restore most of the functionality of the built in Google Maps onto your iOS device (minus StreetView) and that's to use the mobile version of Google Maps.  You can even create a new icon on your home screen, and also allow Google Maps to use the location services of your device to show your current location. and give you directions. 

It's really easy to set up, and as a public service, I've created this short, five minute video to walk you through the process.

Enjoy and spread the word!

PS The video is in HD, so select the HD setting for the best results.

 

 

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