Life in Pixels

haud ignota loquor

  • Twitter vs Facebook

    So, a lot of people are giving Twitter a try these days. The site’s been around for some time now, but it’s taken a while for the concept to catch on – especially for most people used to the “profile-friends-wall” system of social networks like Facebook.

    The creators of the microblogging site did indeed find it difficult to succinctly explain the purpose of Twitter to those uninitiated tweeps out there. After all, the site is not another Facebook. It’s an entirely different service all together.

    Twitter is what you’d call a microblogging site. Instead of allowing you to write lengthy blog posts (like on this blog…), Twitter allows users to quickly express their thoughts. The media world has embraced this technology in quite an innovative way: exploiting its instant-update factor, they’re using Twitter to break the news – literally, telling the news as it happens.

    Facebook, on the other hand, allows you to connect with people in a more extended manner; in essence, it extends the featureset of Twitter. Remember, this isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes, the more minimalist the system, the better and more refined it can be.

    That’s not to say Twitter isn’t capable of allowing you to connect with other people. I’ve found it a wonderful and easy way to keep in touch with my editors overseas, and it’s certainly a great tool to use when collaborating ideas on a larger scale. Twitter is more flexible than Facebook; but on the other hand, Facebook is more feature-rich than Twitter.

    Really, in my opinion, the perfect usage of the two is to see them in the light of synergy: two powerful entities that, when utilized together, can become a great way of keeping ahead of the world.

    Sure, the concept of “Following” does lend itself to that creepy, stalkerish-feeling. But ultimately, Twitter is exceptionally powerful technology – it’s a facet of modern social media that’s reshaping the way we, as a human race, communicate. It’s up to you to decide whether or not to embrace the revolution. Twitter, and its brethren, are certainly not going to be waiting for you. As with all technology, they’re powering down the never-ceasing stream of progressive development. The question is: are you ready to take the plunge and grab onto the future now?

  • A Tango with Evernote

    I may be an old-school aficionado of Moleskine notebooks, a huge fan of the brand and a devout user of the classic and traditional way of capturing ideas. But lately, I’ve decided to branch out, if you like, trying out a little experiment: a tango of sorts, with a little piece of software called Evernote.

    Evernote is a web-based note taking application, but the beauty in the software lies in its extensibility: the service can be accessed from virtually anywhere, and with a native app for most popular smartphones (Apple iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and even the iPad and iPod touch), one can live safe in the knowledge that one’s thoughts, ideas and plans are kept safe from physical destruction. Because, after all, even the legendary Moleskines are vulnerable to the nemesis that is spilt coffee.

    Evernote works by organizing your notes into notebooks: think of them as mini files in a larger, digital filing cabinet that you can carry with you wherever you go. What I truly like about the service is the synergy it presents between the traditional and modern method of capturing thoughts: Evernote allows one to capture handwritten notes with a phone camera or by scanning the image, so that all ideas are stored safely in the cybersphere.

    how i use evernote

    I am the editor of my school’s recently-launched blog, and as such this position means that I constantly need to manage incoming posts, plan editorial meetings, draft my own editorial posts and keep everything in equilibrium between the ten writers, a cartoonist and co-editor. This can be a monstrous job to tame, and I am aided by Evernote in managing the entire system. I keep a separate notebook for the blog, in which I deposit notes on agendas for meetings, ideas for blog posts and content for the site, and random thoughts and images that could potentially become new services we could launch. I even run the editorial meetings directly off Evernote on my BlackBerry: the agenda is compiled in Evernote for Mac during the week, and through the sync feature, I can walk into the Friday meeting with the digital agenda ready on my phone’s screen.

    Evernote is like a second extension to my brain – the first being my trusted companion, my classic black Moleskine pocket notebook – and I use it to deposit numerous ideas for blog posts for this blog. Although I’m unable, due to time constraints, to work on my book, whenever I find something useful it goes straight into my Evernote digital notebook, where I can later transfer it into Scrivener (where the entire novel is kept safely).

    This is a great app to use for managing your life – both offline and online. Try it for yourself – and watch your productivity soar.

  • A New Tale Emerges on the Horizon

    My little “holiday project” for these past two weeks has been to begin a short story in my new Moleskine notebook (the Pac-Man one). I’m writing in longhand. Shock. Horror. Gasp.

    It’s currently at 14 and a half pages long. That’s pretty impressive in my opinion. But then again, I could be biased. Seeing as this is my story. Anyway, I’m rather proud of my attempt.

    It’s a slightly different story to my usual “assassin”-type short stories. My greatest aim with writing this story was to write something that was in the style I am familiar with, and that was interesting enough to absorb me in the process – because, after all, writing can be quite difficult when it wants to be. So I chose a subject that’s been playing on my mind for a long time now.

    Also, I wanted to write this story because this past term, I’ve been bogged-down with very mundane essay-style texts; the one creative piece I did write, I may not publish online.

    I’m quite excited about this new story; it evolved in an interesting way, as I wrote it. Both the planning and the writing ran concurrently, and the final sequence (the last of five sequences I had planned for it in the early stages of the tale’s development) was fully explored and understood just before I began writing the segment.

    As I write this post, the story is very near complete. I’m going to be writing the big finalé soon, and then I’ll begin the transcription process of transferring the written text in the Moleskine into Scrivener, my preferred text application on Mac.

    Will it be published? That’s a good question, my friends. Just as this new story has grown as it was written, so too will the final decision of publication be made when the time comes. I’m allowing this story to be what it wants to be; to grow as an entity on its own, and hopefully in the process become something I deem worthy of sharing. Until then, stay tuned to my Twitter page, and this blog, for the latest info.

    Live Long and Prosper.

  • Two Great Books for 2011

    Two of my favourite teen book series are winding to a close this year. While I am saddened by their ending, I am also content that their respective authors have the foresight and care to gracefully end the stories without succumbing to the scourge known as overkill.

    First up is the final book in the Inheritance Cycle by teen writing sensation Christopher Paolini. His début novel, written when he was only 15 years old – Eragon – went on to becoming a New York Times bestseller, and was made into a motion picture. Paolini decided midway through Book 3 in the series (Brisingr) that the envisioned trilogy would have to be a four-part series to do justice to the world, characters and plot. I didn’t complain then, and I’m not complaining now either: the thing with the Inheritance Cycle is that you either love it, or you hate it. Critics will label it a knockoff of popular and classic science fiction sagas (Star Wars) and the epitome of fantasy literature, JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. And while I recognize Paolini’s influence by these giants of modern writing and film, I still enjoy his series. There’s an unmistakable richness to the world of Eragon that draws me in every time I read it.

    Anyway, Book 4 finally has a name: it’s called, quite aptly, Inheritance, and it will invariably start where Brisingr left off. It’s difficult to speculate on the plot at this time, as with Paolini anything is possible. What us fans can look forward to is more swashbuckling action, daredevil flight sequences with Eragon and Saphira, and the introduction of another dragon – the mysterious green one. Being the final book in the series, expect the plot to be tied up – something I am both looking forward to, and in a sense dreading.

    Release Date: NOVEMBER 8 2011

    Another book I’m really looking forward to this year releases quite soon: Alex Rider – Scorpia Rising.

    Here’s an excerpt from the official website:

    Alex Rider wants his life back.

    But when you’re the world’s most successful spy, there’s only one way out. Alex’s final mission will be the deadliest of all.

    One bullet. One life.
    The end starts here.

    Alex Rider is written by one of my all-time favourite writers, Anthony Horowitz. In June 2007 I had the privilege of meeting Mr Horowitz in person at a book signing event in Durban. It was one of those defining moments that spurred my writing career and inspired many of my writing endeavours – even to this day.

    In Scorpia Rising, the infamous organization is back, and this time the stakes are higher. They’re hired to return the Elgin marbles to Greece, and their plan involves inception a false trail to Cairo, blackmailing London, and, of course, killing Alex.
    This will indeed be the final book in the successful Alex Rider series. Horowitz has confirmed that he will be writing a prequel to the series, called Yassen, that looks at how the young assassin came to be. It will not feature Alex, but will be part of the same universe, and will be the very final window into this wonderful world of teenage fiction.

    Release Date: 31 March 2011.

    What’s your thoughts on the books above? Got any of your own recommendation? Share them in the comments section below!

  • Greetings from the Other Side

    One term down. Only three to go. It’s frightening, really. I’m almost done with school, and next year I’ll be in university. Away from the security I’ve come to take for granted for thirteen years.

    You may have noticed my absence from the blogging world over the past few months. I’ve been immensely busy, swamped with schoolwork, assignments and trying to exist as a human. It’s tough times, my friends.

    But fear not; I’ve also been hard at work on some interesting things – notably a project I’ve been wanting to launch for over a year. Being a part of the Student Executive, the leadership platform at my high school, one of my promises in my initial manifesto was to introduce a new kind of student-run magazine to the student body. Well, this past week, my dreams were realised when we officially launched The Crawford Echo, our school’s first-ever student blog.

    In a future post here at Life in Pixels, I plan on offering a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work of setting up a blog of this nature, the “road to release” and my future vision for this project. Look out for that soon.

    Today I began writing a new short story. I used my new Moleskine Pac-Man notebook; in fact, it’s the first piece of writing I’ve got in it. I haven’t had a chance these past few months to actually write in the book. I love the texture of the paper, and the entire experience of writing in the book is exceptional; it exudes quality and inspiration.

    I’ve also had quite a skirmish with Parker Pens recently. I love the pen brand, and I’ve decided to write this new short story longhand, before I transcribe it into Scrivener for digital editing, print a copy for my personal archives, and perhaps the chance to format the tale for the blog. I’m a long-time user of Parker; I’ve used the brand since I began writing in ink, almost eight years ago. The Parker I’ve used is the classic Jotter. So I decided to try a new model this time – and went with the Urban. It’s a beautiful writing instrument, but it was just too heavy for my liking. My friends and I have gone as far as nicknaming it “Thor’s Hammer”. I’ve decided to go “back to the drawing board” (or is that “writing pad”?) and purchased the new Parker Jotter Premium. And it’s beautiful. An amazing pen, it simply spells quality with a gunmetal black finish for the body, and a chiselled upper finish in silver. I’m thoroughly enjoying using the new Parker to write this story.

    I’ll keep you posted on any significant developments with the current short story. And look out for that post about the student blog soon!

    All for now.