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SARCMARK

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Today, I was flipping through Reader's Digest magazine looking for some low-level non-fiction articles for my students when I saw a tidbit about a (somewhat) new punctuation mark that is meant to indicate sarcasm, called "SarcMark". I had two thoughts. First, it's ugly. Second, why didn't I think of that?

Emoticons have become a normal part of conversation, one which, only recently, I scoffed at. However, after realizing the power of the smiley-face to soften statements that might have been taken as rude, a constant problem for me, I was won over. Now, it's smiley-face everything and sometimes winking-smiley-face for my more playful side.

When I saw the SarcMark, which looks like the logo for a child-care center, I didn't quite see it's usefulness. I went online to find out what I was missing.

My good friend Wikipedia told me a little about some other obscure punctuation marks:

The Percontation point used to indicate a rhetorical question; the Irony mark, the meaning of which is obvious; and a handful of punctuation from Frenchman Hervé Bazin including the doubt point certitude point acclamation point authority point and, my favorite, the indignation point as well as my least favorite, the love point .

The SarcMark is not a new idea. Facebook's official listing of symbols uses (~), Karl Marx used a bracketed exclamation point [!] while others have relied on an upside-down exclamation point and still others have other ways.

Still, even after all this, I wasn't convinced of the usefulnessness of marking sarcasm in text until I glanced at one of the comments here:

**
LANO of NSW Posted at 1:06 PM January 14, 2010
Sounds like a great ideaÂ¡
**

ANDROID

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:31:00 GMT

Some time back, I wrote a little blurb here on apps for the iPod, mentioning the stigma attached to the iPhone. Now, I've delved into the dark side and picked up an Android phone.

I won't bother with the hardware specifics. New models are coming out constantly and the type really depends on individual needs. What I do want to talk about is how I spent all day today finding the perfect wallpaper for my home screen and rearranging the desktop on my phone.

This phone has changed my life. It was and is a gift. It's not from the perfect future or anything, but I cannot keep my hands off of it.

Yesterday, I was reading through recommendations for Android apps and found, to my delight, Shapewriter, a keyboard that can read your mind. After I got hold of this genius bit of engineering, I started writing a novel in the backseat of a taxi in Shanghai.

I won't say that there aren't problems in this relationship with my Android.

It doesn't always respond when I touch it. But who hasn't had that problem?

But a word of advice: Get an iPod Touch and get an Android.

Why not have everything?

iPhone: APPS!

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:01:00 GMT

It is my understanding that a certain amount of pretentiousness has been tied to the iPhone. Luckily, the same is not true of the iPod. "You got an iPhone, huh?" "Nope. It's just an iPod."

Suddenly, the tone changes: "Oh, really?"

I thought that I would go ahead and join the party by chiming in with a few of my favorite applications for the iPhone. However, I first want to clarify that I do not own an iPhone but an iPod Touch 2G. That said, here are a few apps that I've enjoyed and am currently enjoying. Some are free and some are affordable especially for what they offer.

Home Budget

There is a free version that is basically just a teaser because it only allows five expense entries. If you only buy five things (ever), then the freeware will work for you. If not, the full version is $4.95 (or at least it was when I bought it). For me, having a budget that is absolutely customizable with a miraculously functional interface including graphs and charts as well as recurring events for income and an enticing icon has completely changed my life. See where your money is going and plan a hopeful budget. I made a category entitled vices and after two months I realized that I might be either an alcoholic or a madman. Home Budget might change your life, make you weep or both.

ZenTask

To do lists. Who keeps them? If you do, then you'll like the functionality of ZenTask. And it's free (for now). Customizable categories with project lists, priority ratings, due dates and a backlog of completed tasks to pat your back over later. The only thing that I don't care for about ZenTask is the name, but it manages to transcend that shortcoming.

Relax Alarm Clock Lite

Maybe a great alarm clock sounds trivial, but it is not. Try waking up to the sound of birds singing or the wind through the trees or even the very same Tibetan singing bowl that I have been using. Katsu!

Zumo Drive

For those who love clouds there is Zumo Drive, a free gig of space for your files on the go. I use it for documents that need editing. Simply upload them to Zumo and see them on your mobile device without a wifi connection. The files open into a Word style editor and Zumo Drive syncs with your computer.

iCED Lite

While I know that it is not for everyone, for those of you who are set on learning a little Mandarin, there's iCED Lite. The full version is probably incredible, if the Lite is any hint, but it runs around $30.00. The Lite is excellent and puts other Chinese dictionaries to absolute shame. Draw in characters, see them broken down as well as lists of common uses. Learn Chinese and prepare for your future employer!

Chordmaster

Another realm where mediocre apps abound is in guitar chord diagrammers. In my search, I found Chordmaster to be by far the best with an easy to use interface and a full version that shows the entire fret board. Great for quick lookups.

Stanza

Getting used to reading books on the iPod can be easy with Stanza. Easy to download books, allows annotations into a Notebook style program that highlight yellow on the page. For now, Stanza is okay—but it shows promise. Overall, these type of apps, as well as the ebook world in general, is still in its infancy, but Stanza is an example of the exciting portable things to come. I read the Count of Monte Cristo (in English) on my iPod and enjoyed every word and electronic page.

Fake Conversation

It could be just for fun or it could be a life saver. Fake Conversation turns your iPod into an iPhone long enough to make your escape from a boring meeting or a bad date. There's a timer, a realistic voice and it's free.

Word Scramble 2

Last but not least, let me mention a down time game by Zynga. Scramble 2 is a word jumble game (similar to Boggle but without the rattle) with great play control, a hard thing to find on any iPod game app. Also, it's free and allows for online competition.

There are a lot of great apps out there so I've tried to mention here some that I enjoy and that I haven't seen covered elsewhere. With so many apps (75,000+), it can be tough to sift through them. But it can also be fun. Good luck!

While you're out there, follow me on Twitter and follow Redhaus too!

Tweeting for Beginners

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:54:00 GMT

Despite the setbacks placed on us Twitterers here in China, there are ways around the problem through various online applications not to mention certain proxies that allow one to stay beneath the radar. No matter where you may be, under a communist regime or a fascist one, Twitter is available for your enjoyment.

Not too long ago, Iran made the trending topics of Twitter, which, it turns out, was a very big deal. The State Department has called Twitter an 'important form of communication' and it was rumored that Twitter put off a regularly scheduled maintenance at urging of the US government.

Currently, Twitter is down in China, undoubtedly as a result of Xinjiang making the trending topics. The same thing occurred last month to mark the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. It's becoming increasingly apparent, although it may still be a short-lived phenomenon, that Twitter is receiving attention not only from the average electro-extrovert, but also from the highest of places.

For those of you not yet on the Twitter wagon, I thought that I would provide a brief overview of how it functions to facilitate your introduction to this still relatively new networking system.

After you have created your profile and done some minor design changes to your page, check out one of the applications that can help you to use Twitter to its fullest. It really depends on your needs, but there programs such as HootSuite, TweetDeck and Tweetie allow you to use Twitter more efficiently (and get around government bans).

Next, start following some people. You can use the homepage of Twitter to search for topics that are of interest to you. For example, search for 'graphic design' or 'real estate' and see if anyone has said anything that you find interesting. The searchability of Twitter is one of its strongest points and separates it from other networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace. Virtually everything that is said on Twitter is available for anyone's ears and eyes.

The trending topics, which show the most talked about subjects, are where it's at for building followers and keeping up on the global gossip. The interests of the United States seem to dominate Twitter's trending topics, but the biggest events in the world still make it on the top-10 including the aforementioned Iran election as well as sporting events and pop culture icons from around the globe. The trending topics can be trite, and usually are, but they aren't called 'trends' for nothing.

For those of us confused by the trends, the site What The Trend can be useful for finding out and sharing what the trend is referring to. This site also allows you to see what trends have happened in the past. Commenting on trends increases your visibility to other users, a well-known fact, at this point, to spammers who use them to further their ever-annoying ends.

Sharing information is key on Twitter and you will need to slip the occasional URL into your Tweet. The applications mentioned earlier allow you to shorten the addresses quickly and easily or you can go to Tiny URL and take care of it there.

It takes a certain talent to Tweet well, but, with a little practice, you'll figure it out. While you're at it, follow me before I end up in a prison in China and follow Redhaus too!

Why Not Buy It In China?

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:54:00 GMT

At the normal shops that we consumers browse, most of us have, in the back of our minds, the awareness that what we are buying was not made in the good old USA. We know that most of our goods are manufactured in places like China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, et al.

After living here in China for over a year, I have enjoyed the local prices that I receive, which are, even at the ‘foreigner rate’, substantially cheaper than Western goods. Mainly, this discount is in the service and clothes trades, but everything is open to a little bargaining.

You might think: so what does this have to do with me? Well, my dear friends, have you forgotten the Internet? the global marketplace? With a little gumption, you can reap the benefits of a local and still have indoor plumbing.

If it’s “MADE IN CHINA,” then why not buy it from China?

Let me point out a necessity in the world of Asian ecommerce. Everybody who’s anybody knows about TaoBao. Don’t be intimidated by the Chinese characters and flashing lights, the search engine works fine for English. The site might not be pretty (small company design is in its in utero stage in China), but you’ll find prices that are half that of US companies. In addition, these sellers are eager and with a little ehaggling, virtually any arrangement can be made.

It may seem a little troublesome at first, the idea of navigating these Asian-based sites, and it is, but if you’re the kind of person who mails in the rebates and clips ecoupons, then the Eastern side of the global shopping mall might be right for you.

Searching in English might yield higher prices so searching in Chinese is a useful tool. Simply go to this handy English-Chinese dictionary. Type in what you want, copy the characters and off you go.

You might even learn a second language in the process.

While you're out there, follow me on Twitter and follow Redhaus too!

Freelancing in China

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:53:00 GMT

I’ve been working out of Shanghai, China for a while and I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to a couple of locally-based websites, Layabozi, an aspiring online music magazine, and Holiday Fu, a travel site for China.

The travel website is edited by a friend of mine and he’s looking to offer some different insights into the experience of traveling in China. I recently had an article posted on Holiday Fu about my trip to the historical city of Beijing. If you plan on coming to see China, I recommend Shanghai. It is a great city.

At Layabozi, I managed to do a couple of interviews and review some shows. The music scene in China is on the brink of explosion, whether that be inward or outward is yet to be told. For me, there were moments when I felt that I was a writer for the Rolling Stones in the 1960s.

While you're out there, follow me on Twitter and follow Redhaus too!

TYPOGRAPHY POLLUTION

Tue, 19 May 2009 04:20:00 GMT

If you're a designer and you don't love typography then please do something else. Join the Army, learn to farm. Volunteer maybe, just please stop laying out ads.

Because its official, it's your centered Tempus Sans copy that is causing global warming. It's killing the polar bears, why American's are fat and it's why there's no Easter Bunny. But there is hope...

Download some free fonts and expand your horizons. Get crazy and experiment, play dress up, rub some things together until it feels good.

We realize the net is full of free fonts and most of them are about as exciting as kissing your sister. But the kind folks at Presidia Creative have done the dirty work for you. They've compiled 26 free fonts that are at least as sexy as your 3rd cousin. So take her out and buy her something nice have some fun and just maybe you to will have a future together.

U.P.A.

Fri, 01 May 2009 18:27:00 GMT

Found this set of illustrations over at Shorthanded Studio. A nice collection of posters representing the states.

Shorthanded Studio is John Wayne Holcomb, and artist in Topeka, Kansas. The plates project too under 5 months to complete and are available for sell as prints or mini prints on his website. See more of his work on his site:

Shorthanded Studio

The United Plates

The Start

Fri, 22 May 2009 20:30:00 GMT

This is the start. The beginning. The first blog post. This is where intentions are revealed and promises are made. This post will be referenced in the future as the Genesis. Were the promises kept? How long before all the good intentions fell by the wayside? ... Who knows?

Hopefully this blog will be a list of good ideas, and thought provoking posts. A place for people to browse for inspiration. We do not pretend to have all the good ideas, we have a few, but not all. Here we will share our findings from the internets. And by "we" I mean all of us here at Redhaus. Well, I can't really speak for everyone, they may not share anything. But I will do what I can to bring things of interest to this blog.

That is it, the first blog post is over.

/chris