Fear and Loathing on the Learning Curve: Observations on Life, Tech and Web Design from a Slightly Misanthropic Mind
Hipstamatic and Rebooting a Hobby
As anyone who hasn’t been living in a sack for the last few years will be aware, the iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod) platform has become something of a popular hit, with an App Store that now comprises hundreds of thousands of apps for all purposes (both real and imagined) under the sun. I’ve owned an iPhone for the last two years, and during that time have tried a fair few. Many have been impressive, but none so much as Hipstamatic (iTunes link), which I bought on a whim after seeing some of its output on Twitter. And I’ve found using it to be quite a transformative experience.
In a nutshell, Hipstamatic simulates a vintage film camera, much like the vaunted Instamatic and Holga low-fi cameras of old. The user can swap out the virtual camera lens, film and flash, choosing from a variety of options — some supplied and some available to purchase in-app. Under the hood, taking a photo (through the cute miniature “viewfinder” viewport on-screen) causes various filters and effects to be applied to the photo according to these choices. Photos are then browsable via a superbly designed gallery interface; they’re also saved to the Camera Roll.
The premise, then, is simple enough, but it’s in practice that Hipstamatic really shines. Early observations from myself and friends centred around the fact that just about every photo that comes out of this app is fantastic. The images ooze nostalgia, contrast and character, and in those first few hours many a Facebook profile picture was created.
And then a funny thing happened. A compulsion overtook me that I hadn’t felt for a couple of years — the desire to take lots of photos of everything in sight. A couple of years back, I was a fairly active amateur photographer — it was, more or less, my main hobby. But since then I’ve been occupied by too many other things, and gradually allowed my interest to wane. I’d also always shied away from more candid photos — preferring instead more formal arrangements — not least from a point of practicality (my hulking DSLR isn’t the subtlest thing).
Yet here was an app that produced amazing shots on a device that I always had with me, that could be whipped out in a second to capture the moment. Previously I’d browsed photo collections like Larry Clark’s unforgettable Tulsa, and while it didn’t leave me with the desire to shoot speed, it did leave me wishing that at some point I too would be able to look back on an archive of more personal photographs of my own. Using Hipstamatic felt like a decisive move towards that, and when that weekend was over I did indeed have a collection of snaps on which I could look back and smile.
Using the app for a few days left me with the strong urge to rekindle that old hobby, and I hope that over the next few months I’ll be able to return to photography with the interest and passion I once had.
Hipstamatic is £1.19 on the App Store; in-app kit bundles are £0.59 each.
Jobhunting with Less Pain, Part 3
I’ve already had some great feedback from the first two parts of this article, so I’m pleased to be able to share the third and final part today.
Having read this far, you should have some idea about the processes required to set yourself up with an interview with a prospective employer for a job you actually want. For most roles, this is the most crucial step, and giving yourself the best possible chance of success is key.
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Jobhunting with Less Pain, Part 2
The first part of this article dealt with my motivations for writing it (very meta, eh?) and the basic steps you should take before starting out on the path to finding a new job — deciding what job you want, and preparing a CV that doesn’t suck.
The CV section alone turned into a colossal beast of a thing, such that the originally envisaged single article turned into a multi-part series, the true extent of which will only be known once I’ve finished writing it. In this second instalment I’m going to discuss cover letters, the “hunt” itself, and perhaps round off with some words about recruiters, if you’re lucky.
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Jobhunting With Less Pain, Part 1
A new influx of recruiter spam plopping into my inbox this afternoon prompted me to write a post I’ve been meaning to put together for a few months: a collection of my top tips for completing the job-hunting process with as little pain as possible.
This article ended up becoming a bit of a beast, so I’ve split it into sections which I’ll post daily for the next few days until — like a strange, informative illness — I’ve got it all out of my system. UPDATE: You can find the second part of the article here, and the third and final part here. Enjoy!
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Chickenhawk
I just finished reading Robert Mason’s Chickenhawk, the latest in a line of exceptional books on war that I’ve been fortunate enough to have fall into my hands. My takeaway quote was the following passage — the cognitive dissonance of those who fight our wars never writ more succinctly.
The clerk, a young woman, took my money and asked if I was returning from Vietnam. I said yes, proudly. She suddenly glared at me and said, ‘Murderer.’ I stared at her for a long minute, feeling confused. Then I smiled. I realized that she was talking about someone else.
Telegraph Turns to Fiction for Inspiration in iPhone Piece
Okay, Telegraph. We know what it’s like. The hotly-anticipated launch of what just about everyone now accepts will be the iPhone 4G (or at least, the 4th iteration under another name) is just around the corner, and the blogs and rumour sites have pretty much got the situation sewn up. You need to write something to show that you’re relevant and in touch with the shiny tech that your readers’ kids (or grandkids) so desperately want. But what new insight can you bring to the table? What exciting new facts can you breathlessly pass on to your audience?
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You can find a complete history of older posts in the Archive.
