character

EpicWin!

This is new. I don’t mean that in a “it just came out” sort of way…though it basically did. I mean, I have tried a lot of productivity, task management, to do list and GTD1 applications in my time and this is the first time I’ve tried one that actually hides within the disguise of an RPG.2

EpicWin! is an iPhone app that allows you to assign yourself tasks, schedule repeating chores and set priorities like any other task management app, but it does so by rewarding task completion with XP3 and “loot.” Your tasks are categorized as feats of strength, stamina, intellect, social or spirit and you can set the priority by the amount of “Epicness” the task is worth upon completion.

You start EpicWin by creating your character: choose its race, its name and then you send it out on quests…like “Do the laundry”…”Mow the lawn”…or “Pick up the dry cleaning” As you complete those tasks your character levels up and acquires treasures which your friends on Twitter and Facebook can receive announcements about if you wish.

It’s a really imaginative idea and I hope the folks at SuperMono develop it further. I’d like to see them offer an online database for you to store your tasks and your progress like Remember The Milk and the ability to compete and share progress with other EpicWinners. Maybe they could allow multiple players to share a task together as an EpicWin epic quest!

The app sells for $2.99 US for the iPhone. What do you use to get things done?

No Flash? No problem—click here!»

  1. Getting Things Done EpicWin! []
  2. Role Playing Game …get to know your acronyms!! []
  3. Experience Points []

BlindType offers more coherent drunk texting

As demonstrated in this video, BlindType is some sort of keyboard replacement for the iPad, iPhone and presumably the iPod touch (neither are actually available at the moment but we are told to follow @BlindType on Twitter for updates) that allows flawless gibberish interpretation even when every character is wrong. It can apparently even deduce what you where trying to type even if you miss the keyboard entirely as long as you remain consistent in how far off you are and stick to the proper key layout. They call this adjusting to your “perceived keyboard” and it is some form of black magic.

I can imagine this technology coming in handy for those who might like to drunk text their ex-girlfriends. Finally those unintelligible keystrokes will be properly interpreted!

I’m skeptical that BlindType can really be as good as this video suggests. I’m also curious to see if the folks creating this technology have an equally slick solution for getting my BlindTyped text into the apps that I use every day.

What do you think of this witchcraft? Leave a comment below!

The Ultimate Apple Commercial Song List… iPod, iPhone, iPad and more

What follows is a comprehensive list of the songs used in the Apple iTunes, iPod, iPhone, and iPad television ads over the years. Much of the list comes from this page on Wikipedia, to which I’ve added links to iTunes for all of the songs1 and YouTube videos for most. If I have missed any, please drop me a note in the comments and I will be sure to track it down and post it.

I have always loved Apple’s advertising and the music they source is often a quiet character setting the tone of the whole ad while the gadget takes center stage. I wanted to create a spot where I could access them all in one place and I thought I’d share that place with you.

Which ad is your favorite? Drop me a comment… if you tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.

Product Song & Artist
(click link to open in iTunes)
Video
iPod 1G “Take California”
The Propellerheads
iPod 3G “Ride” The Vines
iPod 3G “Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix)” N.E.R.D.
iPod 3G “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” Jet
iPod 4G “Channel Surfing” Feature Cast
iPod 4G “Walkie Talkie Man” Steriogram
iPod 4G “Saturday Night” Ozomatli
iPod 4G “Technologic” Daft Punk
iPod 5G “Original of the Species” U2
iPod 5G “Sparks” Wynton Marsalis
iPod 5G “Someday Baby” Bob Dylan
iPad “There Goes My Love” The Blue Van
iPad “Gold Lion” Yeah Yeah Yeahs
iPad Never Stop (Original)” Gonzales
iPad 2 "Extraordinary Machine" – Fiona Apple
iPad 2 Unknown. Leave a comment
if you can identify this song.
iPad 2 Unknown. Leave a comment
if you can identify this song.
iPhone (Oscars) “Inside Your Head” Eberg
iPhone “Perfect Timing (This Morning)” Orba Squara
iPhone 3G “$165 Million + Interest” (into) “The Round Up” David Holmes
iPhone 3G “You, Me and the Bourgeoisie” The Submarines
iPhone 3GS “If I Had Eyes” Jack Johnson No video found
iPhone 3GS “Mr. Pitiful” Matt Costa
iPhone 3GS “Submarine Symphonika” The Submarines
iPhone 3GS “Stringing Up Conkers” The Boy Least Likely To
iPhone 4 “When You’re Smiling” Louis Armstrong
iPhone 4 "Nothing But Time" – Opus Orange – EP
iPhone 4 "Be Patient (Still)" – Single – Smidi
iPhone 4 "The Christmas Song
(Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"
– Nat King Cole
iPhone 4 "On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op. 314" –
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
iPhone 4 Unknown. Leave a comment
if you can identify this song.
iPhone 4 Unknown. Leave a comment
if you can identify this song.
iPhone 4 Unknown. Leave a comment
if you can identify this song.
iPhone 4 Unknown. Leave a comment
if you can identify this song.
iPod + iTunes “Hey Mama” Black Eyed Peas
iPod + iTunes “Vertigo” U2
iPod + iTunes “Feel Good Inc.” Gorillaz
iPod + iTunes “Lose Yourself” Eminem
iPod + iTunes “Love Train” Wolfmother
iPod + iTunes “Flathead” The Fratellis
iPod + iTunes “Mi Swing Es Tropical” Quantic and Nickodemus
iPod + iTunes “Dance Tonight” Paul McCartney
iPod + iTunes “Work That” Mary J. Blige
iPod + iTunes “Shut Up and Let Me Go” The Ting Tings
iPod + iTunes “Viva la Vida” Coldplay
iPod + iTunes “Pachuco” Kumbia Kings
iPod nano 1G “Gimme That” The Resource
iPod nano 1G “Cubicle” Rinôçérôse
iPod nano 2G “The Audience Is Listening Theme Song” Cut Chemist
iPod nano 3G “1234″ Feist
iPod nano 4G “Bruises” Chairlift
iPod nano 5G “Bourgeois Shangri-La” Miss Li
iPod nano 6G

Short Skirt/Long Jacket – Cake

iPod shuffle 1G “Jerk It Out” Caesars
iPod shuffle 2G “Who’s Gonna Sing?” Prototypes
iPod touch “La La La” The Bird and the Bee
iPod touch “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex” Cansei De Ser Sexy
iPod touch “What I’m Looking For” Brendan Benson
iPod touch 2G “Around the Bend” The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
iPod touch 2G “No You Girls” Franz Ferdinand
iPod touch 3G “She’s Got Me Dancing” Tommy Sparks
iPod touch 4G

"Come Home" – Plastique Universe – EP

iTunes "All You Need Is Love" – The Beatles
iTunes "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – The Beatles
iTunes "Here Comes the Sun" – The Beatles
iTunes "Let It Be" – The Beatles
iTunes "Yesterday" – The Beatles
MacBook “Run” Broadcast 2000
iMac
(also Mac OS X Leopard Welcome)
“Exodus Honey” Honey Cut
MacBook Air “New Soul” Yael Naïm
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