Just found a nice comparison article for several SQLite applications for the MAC.
SQLite Applications Comparison
I'm no SQL pro, I also don't need to consider cross-platforms, what I'm looking for is the best user interface. And in my opinion, Froq 2 and Base are among the best. Considering Base is simple and cheap, I'm leaning towards it. I used to use Stor, which is also a very nice Cocoa application that is missing from the list, so do check it out too.
p.s. If you have to go cross different platforms and throw away the beauty of Cocoa, try SQLite Manager for FireFox before you use any Java based applications. I'm sorry but I simply hate Java applications on the MAC.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 08, 2010
Sleep tight? Wake up easy --- iPhone app to help you wake up energized
I don't wake up easy. If you're like me, you'll certainly like this app:
Sleep Cycle alarm clock - appstore link.
With just $.99, it works like a charm. I now sleep less and yet feel less sleepy during the day. Plus it's fun to read the mini report about your own sleep. Here's a short report of my sleep last night. Sent directly from the app.
Another iPhone app called EasyWakeUp - appstore link does the same thing, with some additional features like: multiple clocks, customized alarm sound (they say you may record and use the sexy voice of your girlfriend) etc. But this one costs approx. 10 times more.
Further reading: Stages of sleep - from Wikipedia
Sleep Cycle alarm clock - appstore link.
With just $.99, it works like a charm. I now sleep less and yet feel less sleepy during the day. Plus it's fun to read the mini report about your own sleep. Here's a short report of my sleep last night. Sent directly from the app.
Sleep statistics for 07 - 08 Feb (Mon).
Went to bed / woke up: 20:28 / 04:07
Total time: 7h 38m
Analysis made by Sleep Cycle.
My sleep graph for the entire night:
Another iPhone app called EasyWakeUp - appstore link does the same thing, with some additional features like: multiple clocks, customized alarm sound (they say you may record and use the sexy voice of your girlfriend) etc. But this one costs approx. 10 times more.
Further reading: Stages of sleep - from Wikipedia
Thursday, February 04, 2010
New thoughts about the project and a reading list
When it is approaching the end, I started to take it seriously. I found myself standing on thin ice --- the methodology of the whole work wasn't quite right.
The updated thoughts about the project would be:
1) Find out what user needs (instead of inventing them by myself).
2) Pick most wanted features, make a list of detailed requirements.
3) Several iterations of Step 1 and 2.
4) How to make it work: text description, graphical architecture for starters, and if more time available, try to come up with a functional demo or even concrete product.
It's not quite often that I found myself having a hard time in solving problems (Step 4 above), as long as I know what the problems are. Actually it kinda fun when you build it brick by brick, or even block by block. But PhD study is not just about solving, but really about identifying problems, which is the area I'm not confident in.
My project is to create services/applications for end users, and that is why it is dangerous if I jump over them and make up feature list on my own. Fortunately after some digging, I found out that there are standard methods of iterative design. And more specifically, usability engineering.
Jakob Nielsen is an expert in usability engineering. I found myself enjoying to read:
"Usability Engineering", on Amazon, and
"Usability Inspection Methods", on Amazon
Hopefully I'll be able to crack a good way of implementing Step 1 to 3. As for the last step, there's a "must-read" as well:
"Software Architecture in Practice", on Amazon
The updated thoughts about the project would be:
1) Find out what user needs (instead of inventing them by myself).
2) Pick most wanted features, make a list of detailed requirements.
3) Several iterations of Step 1 and 2.
4) How to make it work: text description, graphical architecture for starters, and if more time available, try to come up with a functional demo or even concrete product.
It's not quite often that I found myself having a hard time in solving problems (Step 4 above), as long as I know what the problems are. Actually it kinda fun when you build it brick by brick, or even block by block. But PhD study is not just about solving, but really about identifying problems, which is the area I'm not confident in.
My project is to create services/applications for end users, and that is why it is dangerous if I jump over them and make up feature list on my own. Fortunately after some digging, I found out that there are standard methods of iterative design. And more specifically, usability engineering.
Jakob Nielsen is an expert in usability engineering. I found myself enjoying to read:
"Usability Engineering", on Amazon, and
"Usability Inspection Methods", on Amazon
Hopefully I'll be able to crack a good way of implementing Step 1 to 3. As for the last step, there's a "must-read" as well:
"Software Architecture in Practice", on Amazon
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