By Hand with Adonit Jot Touch 4
I believe in doing things by hand, especially when it comes to art, illustration and lettering. Whenever I see junior art directors trying to find a font that looks handwritten, I encourage them to just do it by hand. It makes layouts look more sincere, organic and unique. And that way, we can all avoid the Justin Bieber - Paramore album art issue as well.
But doing things by hand doesn’t mean you cannot go digital! I often handwrite headlines using Adobe Illustrator - it’s always more efficient render in vector. And of course, I usually sketch storyboards, ideas and doodles using my Paper app on iPad and Adonit Jot Stylus. Almost the same feel as actual paper (and pens, pencils and watercolors) without the bulk.
I said almost, because there are still limitations on using stylus and tablet. First, you can’t really rest your hand while sketching or writing — the tablet is just so sensitive all over. Second, you cannot fully control the intensity of your “pencil” and “ink” strokes — the tablet is just insensitive that way. (The irony.)
Well, the new Adonit Jot Touch 4 addresses all that with its new features:
Bluetooth 4.0
This enables palm rejection, pressure sensitivity, and shortcut buttons. And when paired with Bluetooth 4 devices, the new Jot Touch gets up to 1 month of battery life on a single charge.
(Compatible only with Bluetooth 4 iOS devices)
Pressure Sensitivity
Jot Touch 4 delivers 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity for the best looking, and most natural lines. Let me share with you how sensitive and almost natural my drawing experience was. I used the Paper App for iPad.
Yes, that's Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. On a side note, even if The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had generally negative reviews, I enjoyed the movie. Well, only because I have a personal preference to Emma Stone's character. Gwen Stacy is the only leading lady (that I've known of) that isn't a damsel in distress (unlike MJ, ew). But instead, she's actually very helpful to Peter/Spider-man in defeating the villain. So let's get over the cringe worthy corny lines -- Guys, they supposedly just graduated high school!
Okay back to the actual subject...
Shortcut Buttons
Get to software tools quickly. “Undo” or switch colors with the flick or a finger.
Fine Point Stylus
The fine tip gives you accuracy that rubber nibs can’t. The precision disc lets you see exactly where your mark is being made. Jot is the most precise stylus on the market.
Recharge
Just plug the USB charger into any USB power source to recharge and get up to 1 month of battery life with normal use.
SRP: PhP 4,750
Available at: Gui, Beyond the Box, Cellcom, Digital Hub, Digital Walker, E-Central, EDS, iCenter, iShop, PowerHub, Octagon, Senco Link, SM Appliance, Sidrah, 8Telcom
Website: http://adonit.net/jot/touch/
Review: Urbanears Humlan Headphones
Some may argue with me, but for me, listening to music is a very intimate thing. I have a discomfort in playing music that I like in full blast, for everyone to hear. I feel like I’m invading other people’s boundaries. But listening parties and gigs would be exceptions - in those kind of events, there’s an invitation and agreement to listen to music as a group.
That’s why I always preferred listening to music in private, with my headphones. And just like music, a pair of headphones is a very personal thing to me too. I invest in my headphones and keep them clean as much as I can - wiping them clean with isopropyl alcohol or Lysol. That’s why I shy away from white or pastel colored headphones, even though I find them the prettiest. I foresee the whole cleaning process a little scary.
That's I got so excited when Urbanears came out with their new concept for headphones, the Urbanears Humlan. It’s the world’s first headphone with washable parts.
Urbanears Humlan’s headband and ear cushions are removable. You can niftily put them in the laundry bag (included in the packaging) and throw them into your laundry.
Just like the other Urbanears products, Humlan also comes with the very brilliant feature, Zound Plug, for easy (and private) music sharing!
It also has built-in microphone and remote. I can conveniently fast-forward, rewind and adjust the volume, as well as pick up calls if it’s plugged in my mobile phone. And don’t forget the impressive audio quality of Urbanears! They got it right with my preference - the crisp mids and deep bass.
Urbanears Humlan Specs:
40mm Dynamic Drivers
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
Impedance: 32Ω
Sensitivity: 100dB
Max Input Power: 100mV@1kHz
SRP: Php2,250
I personally think that Urbanears Humlan headphones is a great Christmas gift idea. Who wouldn’t love a pair of headphones that can always look new! They also come in other yummy colors, just visit Urbanears.com
Urbanears Humlan is distributed by Digits Trading and available in Astrovision, Beyond The Box and Digital Walker.
Like Digits Trading on Facebook!
Guilty Pleasure Games
I remember my parents would usually take me to my cousins so I can play computer games. But I always felt like the console was never on my side - what I command the computer to do never actually happens. I end up too frustrated so I just watch my cousins blow up each other with their hadoukens and bring out their animal instincts.
My dad didn’t give up on me though! He bought me a Sega, with a Lion King game (maybe he thought I would warm up to cuddly animals and non-violent gameplay) but it was just fruitless. I’d just turn off the computer every time I reach level three, where Simba needs to jump from one hippopotamus to another. It was just simply too complicated for me and my poor motor skills.
So I gave up.
Well, until I got my own computer and iPad, and moments to myself - with nobody actually watching me fail. Now, I’ve gathered enough confidence (and mastery) for me to actually share with you the five games I secretly play!
Edward Gory-inspired illustrations, eery story and of course, war strategy - that’s why I’m hooked. The game play is actually simple: I just have to play tetris to gather supplies (blood, flesh, bones and some yellow thing that looks like cheese but I bet it’s not cheese, probably mucus) to create my army of monsters. Think of it as zombie scientist chess. Not to mention, there’s a time element - can’t send my troops to war when the sun is up!
Best played in: iPad
Download from: Corpse Craft on the Apple App Store
Price: Free
Design This Home
This is a no brainer, no effort. Design This Home relaxes me and actually allows me to design my virtual home (which strangely translates to real life now that Wincy and I got our space now.) I got to choose everything: from the flooring to the little furniture.
Best played in: iPad
Download from: Apple App Store
Price: Free
Streetfood Tycoon: World Tour
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I first downloaded Steetfood Tycoon game as a substitute to my favorite and discontinued Ice Cream Tycoon. I’m rwThen I found out it was made by a Filipino game designer Erick Garayblas, whom I coincidentally rode the same FX a few years back. And Erick even invited me to collaborate with him - I illustrated Streetfood Tycoon: World Tour’s welcome screen!
Best played in: iPad (Also available for Android)
Download from: Apple App Store and Google Play
Price: Free
Guess That Movie
Guess why I love this game. Movies + clever graphic design, what more can I ask for?
Best played in: iPhone
Download from: Apple App Store
Price: Free
You might think this is such a “pang-lola” game but I’m really enjoying it. The game is very familiar and simple. It’s not too stressful and the interface is quite cute. Not to mention, their mascot looks like Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox!
Best played in: Desktop browser
Website: FoxyBingo
Price: Not quite, but it’s a fairly small amount.
So how about you, what’s your game guilty pleasure?
Image acknowledgement:
http://s49.beta.photobucket.com/user/WickedIron/media/Hadouken.gif.html
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/design-this-home/id417272785?mt=8
http://monkeysesat.blogspot.com/2013/01/streetfood-tycoon-world-tour.html
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/guess-the-movie/id375276782?mt=8
http://www.impawards.com/2009/posters/fantastic_mr_fox_ver3.jpg
The Mightier (iPad) Pen
I always said,
Early in life, I developed the aversion to fancy tools - from that pencil case with eject hidden sharpeners, to the watercolor brush shampoos. The reason is very simple: we cannot afford it. So ever since, I’ve comforted my angsty juvenile (pa-art) self that I should just focus on my techniques, given a very limited range of art tools.
But with more time and experience, I learned that even a very skilled artist (or technician), if given faulty tools, the process of creation won’t be as inspired. Worse, the work won’t be as efficient. Now, I recognize the importance of having the best tools that you can have. (Pag-ipunan na lang. Investment rin ‘yan.)
My iPad has been a very helpful tool for my art (and rakets). I use it for viewing of reference photos when I’m painting or sketching. But the Paper App and the Jot Pro stylus helped me maximize my iPad more. Now I can literally write down and doodle my ideas on the iPad. And just when I thought my Jot Pro stylus is the best, I get introduced to the Jot Pro Touch.
iPad screens (or any touch screen gadgets) need a certain amount of surface area to be covered to respond to touch. So the precision disc acts like your finger, but since the disc is transparent, you can see exactly where you are writing or doodling!
Jot Touch’s precision disc works naturally with any App on any touch screen; iOS, Android, and Windows.
The new sound Dampening Tip simulates the natural contact of writing with a pen on paper. This means your strokes will be quieter when note-taking or sketching.
Although all Jot stylus pens are quite sensitive, the Jot Touch reacts to how much pressure you apply, making more accurate strokes.
Bluetooth® Connect
Jot Touch uses Bluetooth 2.0 technology to communicate with Jot Ready apps on your iPad 2 or New iPad.
USB Charger
Plug the USB charger into your computer, tablet, or iPad/iPhone charger to replenish Jot Touch and keep writing and doodling.
The Jot Pro Touch really is just so
The Jot Pro Touch will be available in these following stores: Beyond The Box (One Rockwell, Resorts World, Lucky Chinatown Mall), Digital Hub (Virra Mall, Galleria, Pioneer, Market! Market!, II Terrazo), E-Central (Cebu), iBook (SM Clark), iCenter (Cebu & Iloilo), Podworx, Power Mac Center, Technoholics and The Inbox Store (SM Clark).
I'm definitely getting one for myself and for Wincy, who's been practicing his illustration skills lately. :P
Urbanears: Express Yourself in Colors
“It's like you're always wearing your music on your sleeve, huh.” A dear friend once told me.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of what he said because it’s either he thinks I’m a hipster who gets validation from publicly displaying her taste or I just share my music more openly that usual. I’d like to think it’s the latter. But whatever he truly means, I do really wear my music. And I try to make it fashionable. I complete my music experience through my Urbanears.
Urbanears is a Scandinavian headphones brand that recognized that we don’t simply “use” our headphones, we wear them. So they made headphones and earphones with superb sound quality that felt more like clothes, in affordable prices. This August 14 at the Podium, Urbanears will open its first concept store in the Philippines. They will also be launching their new Fall/Winter collection that will includes 3 new colors.
Right now, I’m using Urbanears Medis in mustard. I opted for a pair of earphones because I listen to music when I commute but I don’t want to wear big, attention-grabbing headphones. Medis may be small but with its bold color, it still looks very quirky and stylish. Also, I love the EarClick construction. I’m not really comfortable with earplugs - I’m scared for my ears! Medis is just perfect for me - great sound quality, ideal size and comfortable fit.
And to all my fellow of Urbanears lovers, let’s express the love some more and join this contest!
Look, here’s mine. (Sorry, I really find it hard to take a good photo of myself wearing my Urbanears Medis!)
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Urbanears come in different styles and prices: Plattan - Php 2950, Plattan Plus - PhP 3450, Medis - PhP 2450, Medis Plus - PhP 2950, Tanto - PhP 1950, Bagis - PhP 1200
You can get them in these following stores: Astrovision, Digital Walker, Mobile 1, Automatic Center, Egghead, Power Hub, Avant, Electroworld, Power Mac Center, Beyond The Box, Gadgets in Style, ROX, Bratpack, Gui, Switch, Buzz, iCenter, Technoholics, Complex, iGig, Toby's Arena, Digital Hub, iStudio and Urban Athletics