Inside View

My first two hours with @RoamResearch

I USED A TIMER to allow myself two hours for my first hands-on routine with Roam Research, a note-taking and personal knowledge management service that I used to produce this InsideView.ie blog post. I'm confident that if I could save at least 15 euro a month by focusing my note-taking inside Roam because I could reduce my annual consumption of Moleskine journals (see samples in my photostream below). I'm still going to use pen and paper for some of my sketchnotes but the recurring tasks were always more efficient using a template. During my two hour stint with Roam, I created several of those templates and I linked them to the left hand panel (seen above) that displays when Roam launches.

@firemanrich We're experimenting with @taperealapp #socialreality

THESE DAYS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING have made me more eager for real connections so the arrival of the TapeReal App on our well-used iPad piqued my interest.

I made a video tape from our sitting room couch. If you listen, you can hear the sound of our proximity alarm barking.

Excellent Writing Tablet says 7yo

We opened one of our Christmas presents early and discovered the 9" Igeress LCD tablet's writing surface is more useful than an iPad for our 7yo. And it costs 3% of the value of the iPad Mini 4 that it complements. You can buy it for 15 euro on Amazon (affiliate link).

Just Discovered the American Aisle

I REMEMBER BUYING one of the first cans of refried beans offered by a large supermarket in County Wicklow back in 1996. Today, I depend on astute shoppers to point out things like Jelly Belly and Bean Boozled I need to put into my shopping cart. People like young YouTuber Alex and his discovery of sweets.

[Bernie Goldbach uses Magisto when teaching creative media for business.]

Calling Phones with Alexa is Child's Play

WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE (and without being prompted), Dylan (7) just called my mobile phone in Ireland by asking our Amazon Echo Dot in the kitchen. I didn't think Irish phone numbers were configured for that service.

But after a little cross-check, I realised the voice call was simply a five star VOIP service tucked inside my handset's Amazon Alexa app. This means anyone with an Amazon Echo device who has me in their contact list can ring my mobile phone. I'm fascinated by the quality of the call and the natural language that makes all of this so simple.

It's 2018 and I'm Still Using

EVERY YEAR, I look at the stuff I'm carrying and the things I'm using on a daily basis. I'm very happy with my Logitech Wireless Mouse, my Rode Smart Lav+ microphone, my Kanex portable battery, my Sony Xperia Z5 phone, and my Patriot USB memory key.

Watching Giroptic 360 Delivery Schedule

IRELAND'S AUGUST BANK holiday weekend has arrived but my Giroptic 360 camera hasn't. I reckon the Chinese production line has slowed down and that translates into another 40 day delay.

I had carved out a special spot where I could connected the camera to a mains power source for several hours before creating my first 360 video. And I hope I can do that before mid-September.

First Person View Drone Racing

FPV Ireland.

I FIRST HEARD of first person view (FPV) drone racing while listening to an episode of the Daily Tech News Show. Then I found YouTube videos about racing quadcopters through challenging terrain at improbable speeds.

Listening to more things in my Pocket h/t @eske

Screengrab of my Pocket Upgrade on Xperia Z5.

ONE OF THE UNEXPECTED things connected to my workflow is how I listen to what's in my Pocket collection. [1] Until I started dabbling with Narro for its text-to-speech awesomeness, I had relegated Pocket from my main workflow. Now I've discovered how quickly the things in Pocket become listening content.

Screenshots of Dress Language

Looking at Gordon Richardson (Topman).

I HAVE STARTED SAVING screen captures of well-dressed men because I need the motivation to lose weight in order to get a nice look. Today I put Gordon Richardson into my collection.

I'm just about the same age as Gordon Richardson, the creative director of Topman (shown at left). I work with creative multimedia and digital animation students who respect me more when I look the part. I do like to look good because when I've the attention of a lecture hall full of students, I owe it to those present to look like I care.

I used to wear a suit and before that I wore a uniform. Back in the day, my flight suit and Air Force blues could turn heads. I've dropped well down the appearance charts now and want to have a goal to regain some lost stature.

I would like a smart jacket over skinny trousers because I think that combination subverts the expected.

I have to set aside a pile of entertainment money if I truly want to climb up the upmarket creative dress ladder and try to mimic the Jobs Look with a black shirt. I'd go for woven silk tuxedo trousers if you're buying and finish with Nike tennis classic trainers. But first, a gaberdine coat--and that will set me back more than the cost of a fully tricked-out Surface Pro 3 tablet.

[Bernie Goldbach is dreaming in the Limerick School of Art & Design.]