Apps Clocks

Fraction Clock for Windows Phone

July 12, 2012 - 12:45 pm

fc@2x

An app for my fraction clock is now available on the Windows Phone Marketplace! If you have a Windows Phone, go download it for free!


Computing

MacBook Air

July 6, 2012 - 10:23 am

air@2x

My laptop has finally received a long-overdue upgrade. After going through my second power cord, the cord on my old 15" Dell is hanging on by a couple of alligator clips. I just received my new MacBook Air last Monday, and it is wonderful. It really is amazing how light and thin it is; two aspects which weren't even really my main motive for choosing the Air over the Pro (more-so the SSD and higher resolution screen; sure you can configure a Pro with an SSD, but that adds yet another $200 to the already high price). The new retina MacBook Pro looks amazing, but they're just too expensive, and definitely overkill. Having my desktop, the MacBook Air provides all that I need on the mobile end of things. The hard drive is only 128GB, which sounds tiny, but I hardly need more than that. With Spotify and iTunes Match, I no longer need all 56GB of music in my iTunes library, and all other documents I may need can be kept on an external drive. With the SSD everything is ridiculously fast, from rebooting, to launching apps, to copying files. It's incredible. The battery life has also been extremely good. The trackpad, with it's multi-touch gestures, and the keyboard, which I am typing on now, are both great as well. I can't remember the last time I've used a CD drive, so that's certainly something I don't miss; and as far as the lack of ports goes, with the occasional need for a USB hub, there's really no others I need. For classes where I need to bring my laptop with me, it's going to be a lot nicer carrying this in my backpack than my late 6+ pound laptop; the Air being less than half that. Being on such a big campus means lots of walking. I like the 13" form factor much better for a laptop. 15" just seems too big, and 17" is just preposterous (no offense to those getting their mobile desktop on). This is my first Mac, and while I do like OSX, I'm still a fan of Windows. Anyways, I couldn't be happier, and I'd definitely recommend the Air to anyone looking for a ultraportable laptop!


Apps Clocks Collections

Tick Tock (...on the Clock)

July 2, 2012 - 5:16 pm

...but the party don't stop, no.

I have an interest in interesting clocks, so I thought I'd share some of the ones I have in my small collection.

IMG_2094@2x
IMG_2035@2x

Clocks from left to right:

Anelace Powers of Two BCD Clock - A clock that tells time in binary!
Sony ICF-C318 Clock Radio with Dual Alarm - A good old-fashioned digital clock. I bought this as an alarm clock after my phone alarm decided to not work one morning, so I knew it could no longer be trusted. The dual alarms definitely come in handy.
Lexon Around Clock - While the red marker stays still, the body rotates around.
Newgate Small Covent Garden Alarm Clock - A retro-looking old-fashioned alarm clock, but with fake bells and a digital alarm beep.
Brookstone Jimi Rocker Clock - A clock with an interesting see-through display that lights up when you rock with it (and when you lean with it, too).
Backwards Clock (in the back) - Most everything in the universe (planets [most of them, anyways], moons, stars, galaxies, etc.) rotate counterclockwise, so why shouldn't clocks?

Watches from left to right:

Pebble Smartwatch - I love this thing and it's what you'll find on my wrist the majority of the time. Having text messages sent to my wrist is an awesome feature, and definitely something I miss the very few times I haven't worn it. There are also tons of different watchfaces to choose from, including ones that will give you up-to-date weather reports. The only gripe I have with it is the watch pins tend to pop out if you ever get your watch hung on something, e.g. a backpack strap or coat sleeve, causing the strap to come off. I've replaced them with some heavier duty ones that seem to hold much better.
Casio CA53W Databank Calculator Watch - My beloved calculator watch. You never know how handy having an easily accessible calculator is until you have one strapped to your wrist. Also quite the fashion statement.
Casio A158W-1 Classic Digital Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch - A great watch for such a low price.
Ni'love Calculator Watch - Unfortunately I would not recommend this one; it's confusing to operate and doesn't keep time very well.

 

I also have the QlockTwo app. I would love to have one of the real ones, but with a $1,100 price tag, I just don't see it happening. They sure are pretty though!

and of course let's not forget my very own fraction clock! For when telling time is just too easy.


Collections Pen and Paper

Penterest

July 1, 2012 - 7:10 pm

Yes, that's right, another pen blog post. I may have a problem. Anyways, I have some new additions to the family and I didn't want them to feel left out, so here they are!

pens2@2x

notebooks@2x

Pens and pencils from left to right:

Pilot G2 Limited w/ Mont Blanc Refill - Probably my favorite pen at the moment. The metal body with the rubber grip is nice, and the Mont Blanc refill is as good as it gets.
Retro 51 Tornado - Another one given to me by my Uncle Paul, this is a great pen.
Pilot Multiball - A great-writing pen. It claims to write on any surface as well, including things like glass. But will it write on those glossy, ink-smearing, christmas gift tags? Time will tell.
Stabilo Bionic Worker - Cool-looking pen, and the all-rubberized body is nice, but the tip is way thick for a 0.5mm and the ink is very prone to smearing.
Zebra Regal NR5 - Very similar to the Pilot Precise V5.
Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint - Had high hopes for this one, but like the Stabilo, the tip is very thick for an "extra fine."
Morning Glory Mach II - Yet another one very similar to the V5.
Uni Mitsubishi Pin - Love this one. It is a felt tip like the Microns and Sharpie pens, and the 0.1mm tip is super fine.
PU Rollerball - Don't know a whole lot about this one, another given to me by my Uncle. Solid rollerball.
Uni-ball Power Tank - An air-pressurized ball point similar to the Fisher space pens. Writes upside down, which comes in handy whenever I'm hanging upside down.
Zebra Surari - A pretty good ballpoint which could maybe even rival the Jetstream.
Quasar Pen - This one, which I just rediscovered recently, was given to me by my grandma when I was a kid. Click the top and you're treated to a light show of a rainbow of pulsing colors!
Laser Pointer Pen - Another one from Uncle Paul. It has a laser on one end and the other end can be pulled out into an antenna-style pointer, perfect for those impromptu orchestra conducting sessions.
Zebra F-701 w/ Fisher Refill - Solid all aluminum ballpoint, and the Fisher refill makes it even better.
Boardwalk Pen - My dad bought this at the Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition (that's a mouthful), which he annually competes in. A guy made this out of the scrap wood from the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.
Zebra Tect 2Way Drafting Pencil - A shaker pencil and a clicker pencil all in one!
Skilcraft Drafting Pencil - Another old rediscovered item.
Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil - One of the best there is. By far, my favorite pencil.
2 Uni-Ball E-Knock Erasers - Use these all the time in school, these are the best. I prefer them over the Staedtler Mars Plastic sticks, as they are a little softer and much easier to deploy.
and last but not least and not pictured, is the Zebra Expandz Ballpoint Pen. This is the one that I carry around on me every day. I love this little guy.

 

Notebooks from left to right:

Moleskine Passions Music Journal - This isn't as good as I'd hoped it'd be, but it's still pretty cool. Has all different sections for the musical adventures in your life.
Behance Dot Grid Journal - I've mentioned this one here.
Moleskine Lego Limited Edition Notebook - So awesome.
Rhodia Stable Bound Classic Notebook - A lot like field notes but just a little smaller and lot oranger.
Rhodia Reinforced Stable Bound Notepad - Nice little notepad.

 

Check out the rest of the collection.


Music

New Demos

March 24, 2012 - 6:43 pm

It's spring break! While I'm home I decided to record a couple of demos of some new songs I've been working on lately. Hope you enjoy!


Collections Pen and Paper

Field Notes and Action Cahiers

February 15, 2012 - 3:24 pm

fnac@2x

I just got my first set of Field Notes and a pack of Action Cahier notebooks. The Field Notes are the "Notherly" edition, the 13th of the colors editions, which are quickly selling out in most places. These notebooks are made in the U.S.A. and have bright white covers with an embossed shiny silver logo and are beautiful in person. Its 48 pages are ruled with white graph lines over very light blue-gray paper. I love the use of the Futura typeface, and it reminds me of the notebook used in L.A. Noire. The inside of the back cover has the company's story, the specifications of the notebook, some humorous "practical applications," and even a nifty 5-inch ruler along the edge. Consider me a fan, and I'll be watching for the new colors editions as they come out!

The Action Cahiers by Behance are the same size as the Field Notes, besides having slightly less round corners and being a little thicker due to having 64 pages vs. 48. The saddle is stitched rather than stapled like the Field Notes. The Action Cahier front cover also has an embossed logo, with "Action Cahier" set in the Helvetica typeface. The covers have a slight texture to them unlike the smooth white covers on the Field Notes. Some unique things about the Action Cahiers are the check list pages with the dot matrix on the reverse sides. I also have a Dot Gird Journal, also by Behance, and I love the dot grid pages. The check lists are nice, and are perfect for making a simple to-do list or keeping track of project tasks. I've found myself drawing in my own in the Field Notes, so having them already there and neatly laid out is convenient. The notebook is filled with perforated "New Leaf Paper," which is made out of 100% post-consumer waste fiber. Compared to the Field Notes' finch paper, it is slightly textured and a little thicker. The notebook also has pocket inside the back cover which is nice.

Both of these notebooks are great, and are the perfect size for sticking in your coat or back pocket to have handy to write down your to-do list or sketch some notes. The Action Cahiers are a little more aimed at projects and to-do lists. Both are solid notebooks and either would be great for your daily note-taking needs.


Apps Clocks Computing

Fraction Clock

February 14, 2012 - 5:29 pm

fraction@2x

I've had this idea for a while now so I finally decided to try and throw it together. The idea is this: a clock that tells time in reduced fractions. For example, think of the time 8:18pm as the fractions 20/24 : 18/60. So we're on the 20th hour out of 24 hours total, and the 18th minute out of 60 minutes total. Now reduce both of those fractions to their simplest form and you get 5/6 : 3/10. It might seem nearly impossible to read and pretty impractical, but it does give an interesting new perspective on time (e.g. "3/10ths of the hour have just gone by"). Anyways, I coded up a little java applet that does exactly this, which you can check out here (you'll have to click "run" and it might take a second to load). Go take a look!


Artwork

Which Furniture Store?

April 16, 2011 - 4:45 am

that@2x

I have completed the new website for That* Furniture Store! Go take a gander!

http://thatfurniturestore.net


Collections Pen and Paper

A Plethora of Pen(cil)s

March 23, 2011 - 12:27 am

I have always taken a liking towards pens and pencils. Lately I have accumulated somewhat of a collection and thought I'd share, along with some of my thoughts on a few of them. These aren't in depth reviews, but you can find plenty of good ones online; check out officesupplygeek.com, penaddict.com, or davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com. If you fancy a good writing utensil, you should also check out jetpens.com. They have all sorts of great pens and pencils, lots of which are imported from Japan (where the good stuff is). All of these pens and pencils you should be able to find on either jetpens.com, amazon, walmart, or your local office supply store. Enjoy!

pencils@2x

pens@2x

Pencils from left to right:

Staedtler 925-25 0.5mm - All aluminum body, feels great, writes super smooth.
Rotring 500 0.5mm
Uni Shift 0.5mm - Has a guide pipe that retracts into itself so it and the lead won't get damaged during transportation or if dropped. Super cool.
Alivin Draft/Matic 0.5mm
Uni Kuru Toga 0.5mm - Features a unique auto-lead-rotating mechanism that keeps the lead constantly sharp, and it works great.
Uni Kuru Toga High Roulette 0.5mm - Same as above, but has an aluminum lower body and knurled grip. Feels a lot more solid and the grip is nice.
Pentel P205 0.5mm
Pentel PG2-AD 0.2mm - Features the thinnest pencil lead made, only slightly thicker than human hair.
Zebra Drafix 0.3mm
Staedtler Mars Technico 780 C Lead Holder 2.0mm - Has a lead sharpener built into the cap, which is awesome.
Sharpie Liquid Pencil - As much as I love sharpie products, this is absolutely dreadful and should be avoided at all costs.
Tombow Mono Zero Eraser 2.3mm - The world's thinnest eraser. Have you ever tried to erase something and accidentally erased more than you intended to, making you re-write/draw certain lines? This eraser will let you get into even the tinniest of spaces.
Staedtler Mars Plastic Stick Eraser - Great eraser, super handy, I use it all the time.

 

Pens from left to right:

Uni-ball Signo Premier 207 Retractable Gel Ink Pen 0.7mm - Has a metal body and a super comfortable squishy "Alpha Gel" grip. Apparently it's so soft that it can keep an egg from breaking when dropped from 5 feet.
Pentel EngerGel Alloy Retractable Gel Ink Pen 0.7mm - This pen has an all metal body and super black ink, the blackest of all the pens I own, which looks really nice.
Uni-ball Signo Micro 207 Needle-Point Retractable Gel Ink Pen 0.5mm - Probably my favorite gel ink pen.
Pilot G-2 Gel Ink Pen 0.5mm
Zebra Sarasa Gel Ink Pen 0.3mm - Writes super thin, seems thinner than most 0.3mm.
Pentel EnerGel Gel Ink Pen 0.35mm - Just like the one above but in a super thin tip. Same super black ink.
Pilot Envelope Address Writing Gel Ink Pen Extra Fine - A cool pen from Japan that was designed for addressing envelopes. Oil based ink so it dries fast and won't smear. Ink is very black and shiny.
Uni-ball Vision Elite Liquid Ink Pen 0.5mm
Pilot Precise V5 Liquid Ink Pen 0.5mm
Pilot Precise Grip Liquid Ink Pen 0.5mm - Probably my favorite liquid ink pen. Just like the V5 but with a comfortable rubber grip.
Zebra Zeb-Roller 2000 Liquid Ink Pen 0.5mm
Sharpie Pen Grip - Possibly still my favorite of them all. I have fallen in love with it ever since it came out. Writes more like a thin marker than a pen, but won't bleed through paper.
Sharpie Pen Retractable - I have found that the tips on the retractable versions of the Sharpie Pen don't last as long. The grip is also too thick and bulky.
Sharpie Pen - Just like the beloved grip version, minus the grip. The regular version has a sharp edge near where it's held, which can be uncomfortable at times.
Zebra Brush Pen Fine
Sakura Pigma Micron 03 0.35mm - Writes a lot like the sharpie pen, and all sorts of widths are available, but the skinny barrel and lack of a grip makes it less comfortable to write with.
Pilot Penmanship Fountain Pen Extra Fine
Uni-Ball Jetstream Retractable Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm - Best writing ball point pen period. Doesn't even feel like a ballpoint pen. Smoother than a Barry White serenade.
Pilot Acroball Retractable Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm - Similar to the Jetstream, but just not up to par.
Pilot Dr. Grip Retractable Ballpoint Pen 1.0mm
Pilot Better Retractable Ballpoint Pen 0.5mm - My dad used these all the time when I was a little kid and they still look the exact same to this day.
Pentel R.S.V.P. Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm
Foray Tungsten Carbide Retractable Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm - Given to me by a fellow pen addict, my uncle.
Zebra F-301 Retractable Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm
Zebra F-301 Compact Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm
Zebra Telescopic Ballpoint Pen 1.0mm


Artwork Computing Miscellaneous Music The Clock Project Video

2011 Update!

January 19, 2011 - 6:27 am

logitech@2x

martin@2x

So I decided to post a little update to note the new occurrences in the fascinating life of Micah Jayne. It is now 2011! Hooray! I suppose I'm a few weeks late, but no matter. On to business!

And I believe that is all for now! Hopefully I'll start posting more frequently instead skimming over a dozen different topics like in this one. You can expect some more updates on many of these things soon!


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