JAY VERSLUIS

Child Theme Wizard – now available at WordPress.org

March 19, 2014 by Jay Versluis

wizard-200x209

Today my fifth WordPress plugin went live on WordPress.org: Child Theme Wizard.

It lets you create child themes in a single click without ever having to leave the WordPress admin interface.

I found the previous process bait cumbersome using external programmes to create child themes. My little tool has already proved very helpful for my own theme tweaks, and I hope it can help many others in the community.

You can read more about it on my release post including a video demonstration, or head over and download the plugin from the WordPress repository. It’s also on GitHub if you’re interested.

Over-the-air beta updates are not working on my iPad 2

January 21, 2014 by Jay Versluis

Dear Apple, I must have a very special version iPad 2: mine simply refuses to install beta releases of iOS over the air. More specifically, it refuses to activate properly after the installation is complete. My iPod Touch does this without a hitch: under Settings – General – Software Update I just click on “Update …

How to remove iOS 7 Photo Effects

January 15, 2014 by Jay Versluis

iOS 7 has a nice feature which allows you to apply digital effects to your pictures taken with the standard camera app. I guess the popularity of apps like Hipstamatic and our desire of wanting images that are not perfect have found their way right into the operating system.

I really like the option, but sometimes I find pictures I’ve taken and think “darn… I wish I had taken this without that filter”. Seemingly there’s no way to remove it after the fact.

Thankfully though, iOS applies those effects non-destructively – just like iPhoto applies effects. And with iPhoto, we can remove anything that the Camera App has applied. Let me take you through this.

I’m using iPhoto for Mac 9.5.1 on Mavericks here, but the principle applies to iPhoto for iOS as well. This is a picture in iPhoto with an effect applied, transferred automatically via Photo Stream. Trust me when I say the sky was indeed blue that day:

Screen Shot 2014-01-15 at 10.58.10

The many faces of SketchBook Pro

October 25, 2014January 2, 2014 by Jay Versluis

It occurred to me the other day that I now own every single version of Autodesk’s SketchBook Pro family that is currently available. They’re all a little different, and they’re all for different platforms. At the same time, I hardly ever use SketchBook Pro – but knowing that it’s available on every device I work …

Projects for 2014 and how they fit together

January 2, 2014 by Jay Versluis

I’ve decided to re-think my approach the Social Networking Scene for 2014. With too many profiles and too many projects, streamlining is the magic word that springs to mind. And so I won’t forget my reasons 4 weeks from now I thought I’d share with you how I’m doing it. Current Projects I’m so glad …

How to show all your videos in iPhoto for Mac

December 14, 2013 by Jay Versluis

You’d assume that there’s a default folder in iPhoto that shows all your movies, like in the iOS 7 Photos app. But there isn’t. It’s easy to set one up using the magic of Smart Albums. Here’s how: in iPhoto, head over to File – New Smart Album give it a title (like Movies) create …

How Apple have ruined iPhoto 2.0 for iOS

October 24, 2013October 24, 2013 by Jay Versluis

A few days ago I was sitting together with my Mum in her hotel room and explained how she can upload all her photo treasures past and present to Flickr. A while ago she bought iPhoto for her iPad as a convenient solution that did not require a laptop (which she doesn’t like).

Yesterday Apple have released a new version of iPhoto 2.0 for iOS – and sadly ruined some of the best features the app had to offer.

Let me share with you my official App Store review that I’ve just posted – before it is deleted and deemed “inappropriate”.

US Banking in 2013

October 16, 2013October 14, 2013 by Jay Versluis

I have eight bank accounts across three countries. They’re a mixture of personal and business accounts. So I know a bit about banking. And after the last few months worth of experiences with US banks, I can tell you that banking in the US sucks. A lot. There’s really nothing more to say on that …

iOS 7 has arrived! And here’s what it does…

September 18, 2013September 18, 2013 by Jay Versluis

On Speak Like a Pirate Day 2013, the 18th of September, Apple decided to release their latest and (apparently greatest) operating system for iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices: iOS 7.

Developers like me have had it since June and we were eased into what may well be a culture shock to many users. We were not allowed to talk about iOS 7 until today due to the non disclosure agreement that comes with the territory of using pore-release software.

Because I’ve been using iOS 7 for the last few months, I can finally tell you what’s changed, what’s better and what’s perhaps not so good about the latest release. Even if you’re itching to press that upgrade button, have a read and get into the mood.

Plantronics Voyager Legend UC – wireless Bluetooth and USB headset in one

January 24, 2015September 2, 2013 by Jay Versluis

voyager-legend-uc A few months ago I bought a new Bluetooth headset to replace my trusty old Voyager Pro+. It was still working but people at the other end were complaining that my voice would cut out regularly even though I could hear them fine.

Besides, my old headset didn’t want to work well with my Mac. That’s because Mac’s have a problem connecting Bluetooth headsets in general – so it wasn’t the headset’s fault. I wanted one that also works as an audio input device so I can record screencasts for many of my web hosting clients.

After a bit of research I came across another Plantronics model, the Voyager Legend UC. This particular version comes with a small USB dongle, so it can be used as a Bluetooth headset AND wireless USB headset.

Since February this worked great with my iPhone and iPad, but I never got that elusive USB function to work. Until today when I had a technological breakthrough!

I thought I’d better write this down before I forget…

How to use Spotlight in ZBrush

October 9, 2014August 31, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Cylinder with Pattern I’ve gotten over the culture shock of the ZBRush Interface. It grows on you after a while. Or so I keep telling myself.

The emphasis in ZBrush is about sculpting 3D models – something I’m not really into. I want to use ZBrush as a texturing tool and paint existing 3D objects, so I jumped right ahead and took a good look at something called Spotlight. This is ZBrush’s image editing and painting feature.

Everything needs some funky name, usually beginning or containing the letter Z. I’m surprised they didn’t call this Zpotlight.

How to fix Brush Lag in Photoshop CC

June 17, 2015August 21, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Photoshop CC splash Back in 2013 I was trying out the then-new Photoshop CC for 30 days. I wasn’t sure if the upgrade was for me or if I should stick with my trusty copy of Photoshop CS5 (which by the way I own and can use forever and a day, without a monthly license fee… but that’s another matter).

So I’ve installed CC, marvelled at the new look and the 3D tools, made a brush stroke on a new canvas and… what the hell is that?

My stroke was lagging behind by about a second or more until it appeared on the screen. I wasn’t using a complicated brush either, just a bog standard 20 pixel soft edge brush without any Blending Options.

Shocked, perplexed, dissatisfied and smiling to myself, I consulted Google. One user in particular had this problem too, and many more chipped in on a forum thread over at the Adobe Forums and the (now defunct) Photoshop.com. I was glad to hear I was not alone – yet nobody had a solution to this problem.

Yesterday, a lovely representative from the Photoshop Facebook Page got in touch with me and offered help and advice – and ultimately solved my problem. Thanks, Jeff!

Let me share with you what worked for me, perhaps it works for you too.

Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription Woes: does it really matter?

October 25, 2014August 20, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Adobe_CS5.5_Product_Logos You can’t buy any of the Adobe Creative Suite products anymore. From now on you can only “license” any of Adobe’s products for a monthly or annual fee. This includes Photoshop, Premiere, Dreamweaver and all the other CS products we know and love. That’s old news.

What isn’t so old is the bitching and bickering from everybody (including myself) about the idea of being “forced” to shill out small regular payments and pay for “access and incremental upgrades”, rather than “invest big” once and own the software.

While this is certainly a departure from the old licensing model, I wonder: is it really worth losing sleep over it? Let’s examine the options and see if perhaps a monthly subscription is actually cheaper than purchasing a product the old fashioned way.

The First 48 Hours with ZBrush

October 9, 2014August 16, 2013 by Jay Versluis

ZBrush Dog Confusion, headaches, frustration, anger, hopelessness, sadness, depression and resentment. Those words probably best describe my first two days with this new software.

These are not emotions commonly associated with creativity, artistic output, joy, happiness or inner fulfilment.

And I had such high hopes for ZBrush! My capability of wanting to learn, the excitement of exploring new territory and the certainty that sooner or later I’d be able to figure it out were no longer with me.

Plus my usually reliable learning resources weren’t able to teach me the basics!. For a moment there I lost all hope.

Then I discovered that there may be light at the end of a very dark tunnel after all. Let me tell you all about it in the first part of this exciting new series or Learning Zbrush.

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Mes vacances avec ZBrush

November 27, 2016August 14, 2013 by Jay Versluis

ZBrush Logo Don’t panic, this post is not in French, it’s merely an homage to my man Fred Lebain whose collection of Holga images has always inspired me.

I hear great things about a piece of software called ZBrush. Apparently it’s the best thing that’s happened to the 3D industry since the candy machine. The current release 4R6 packs a heft price tag of $795 (about £560) and therefore sends the message: “It’s not a hobby tool – it’s business software”.

The sales pitch says it does it all and more – from modelling in a very artistic and intuitive way, to texturing better than any other app could ever do. Their customer service is fantastic and they have a showcase site called ZBrushCentral where creators from all over the world can share their works and be admired.

Over the next four weeks, I’ve decided to find out for myself.

Hitman in Haringey

July 8, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Ah, the old neighbourhood – I used to live there you know. A mix of light industrial fashion industry warehouses next to council estates and victorian family homes. I remember the security guards with the “talk to the hand gesture” when I tried to cross the yard and shave off 10 minutes from the walk …

Agent Dash 2.0: Should you really upgrade just yet?

April 27, 2013April 10, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Photo 10-04-2013 17 29 34 — Meet Agent Dash, full time spy

I’m a huge fan of Agent Dash. It’s a “Temple Run” type game in which all you ever do is swipe left, right, up or down. The graphics are insanely good and it’s a very addictive little time killer.

As Agent Dash (or any of the other characters) you run through tricky levels, collect diamonds, shoot at enemy technology and avoid obstacles. That’s it.

When the new update came along a couple of weeks ago it promised many good things. But what I’ve found is that many of the changes have an impact on the game dynamic that we have come to love.
Currently players are heavily coerced into upgrading – but before you do, let me tell you what has changed in Agent Dash. If you don’t like it, you can always restore your game from a backup and wait until these little niggles have been fixed (if they ever will).

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Kindle DX

July 21, 2014April 9, 2013 by Jay Versluis

We have a total of 6 Kindles in our household, that’s between two people. I know this sounds excessive, but believe me every single one of them has their specific purpose.

Recently I added a lightly used Kindle DX to my arsenal, making up the 6th one. I’ve had a few weeks to play with it now so let me tell you what I think of it – and why I think it’s extremely sad that Amazon aren’t making the Kindle DX anymore.

It feels weird to write a review of technology that has just been taken off the market – but looking at several message boards this device has a cult following – myself included. I can understand why people love it so much.

Developing the Development Tools

April 7, 2013April 7, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Every major software company has a collection of internal tools to help them develop their software. These are either off-the-shelf apps like Photoshop, or they are so specialised that they have to be custom written in-house by a team of specialists, often by a dedicated department.

Right now I’m in a similar situation myself: We need a dedicated tool to create the data structure for future reference apps. Specifically we need a simple input mask that makes my iPhone App understand what data I’d like to display without having to tweak a text file.

I can’t quite believe that I have successfully written such a tool for precisely this purpose. Best of all, I did this almost without any code using Cocoa Bindings. Aptly titled PatchBay, this app allows us to create a Core Data store file which I can pick up in iOS and display on the iPhone.

Let me tell you how it came to be, why it’s useful for us and how gobsmacked I am that this has become a reality.

Seek and Ye shall find

March 10, 2013 by Jay Versluis

folder_find For the last week and a half I’ve been having fun researching and coding the search function in iOS Table Views.

You’d think there’s just a “thing” you drag into your view, hook it up somehow and “hey presto, it works” (alas that’s how you do it in jQuery Mobile).

Not so in iOS: we’ll have to deal with a search bar, a search display controller and its many intricacies, and then something called a Predicate.

I don’t mind telling you: my head has been smoking… but my hard work and perseverance has paid off, and now I can finally add a search function to all my iOS Apps!

Biscayne Bay Panorama

March 9, 2013March 5, 2013 by Jay Versluis

You are Beautiful

February 23, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Hipstamatic with Loftus Lens and Ina’s 1969 film.

Biscayne Bay

February 22, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Hipstamatic with Loftus Lens and Ina’s 1969 film.

This is not supposed to be here

February 14, 2013 by Jay Versluis

Bass Museum of Modern Art.

Hipstamatic with Loftus Lens and Ina’s 1969 film.

Brushes 3: It’s like New Coke all over again

February 28, 2017December 12, 2012 by Jay Versluis

After an extremely long hiatus Steve Sprang and his team at Taptrix have released a new version of Brushes, the painting programme that took iPhone and iPad art creators by storm.

Serious artists such as David Hockney and David Cassan, who have contributed to the easy and cool things to draw collection in many a children’s book, have given this app much momentum over the years, and even gave Steve the centre stage alongside Steve Jobs when the iPad was released.

Many have waited for years for an update for Brushes to take advantage of the new iPad’s retina screen and perhaps introduce new features. Now it has finally arrived and everyone seems to hate the new version.

Steve doesn’t understand it – and neither do many users who are ecstatic about the new offering. Let’s explore why and how such a strong negative welcome could have been avoided.

The Waiting Game

October 25, 2014November 19, 2012 by Jay Versluis

SketchBook Pro for iPad

How to use an iPhone on AT&T GoPhone – 2nd Edition

November 30, 2012November 11, 2012 by Jay Versluis

Since I travelled to the US last, AT&T have made some changes to the way you can use mobile data on your GoPhone plan. As of April 2012 you can no longer add data packages to the $2 per day plan. What a shame!

You’ll now have to go on a monthly plan to use data (which you can cancel anytime without commitment), everything else remains and works with my previous instructions.

AT&T still do not officially support the use of iPhone on GoPhone plans. The closet thing is a GoPhone Smartphone Plan which comes with a $65 per month commitment… a little harsh if all you need is to not get lost in a foreign country and then tweet about it.

Lucky for us there’s a much cheaper way to do this – so without further ado here’s a detailed “how to get your iPhone working” guide for all those who are spending a few weeks in the US and don’t want to pay £6 per 1MB roaming charges.

6 Days to go

August 14, 2022November 2, 2012 by Jay Versluis

A couple of weeks ago we’ve received two additional large rubbish bins. Haringey Council had given us 3 bins ever since I’ve moved in here 12 years ago. Now we have five, the additional two being “green bins” for anything that can be recycled.

This appears to be pretty much everything apart from maybe plutonium and mercury. Everything else (ie plutonium and mercury) still needs to go I the black bins.

Be that as it may, the new bins couldn’t have come at a better time: for the last five weeks we have been producing on average 5 black bags of rubbish every day! You wouldn’t believe the amount of stuff we’re carrying out of a one bedroom flat. Lucky for us we’re nearly finished.

Those green bins seem to be collected on a different schedule than our black bins, so now the rubbish people come to us on Monday and on Thursday. At least that was the plan I guess when their arrival was announced with the accompanying little pamphlet. Reality is a slightly different matter: because the rubbish collections never seem to happen anymore.

11 Days to go

October 29, 2012 by Jay Versluis

I’ve never liked the winter. It’s not so much the cold that gets me but the disappearance of daylight. It has always put me in a bad mood, and learning to recognise this recurring pattern made me more aware of it – which in turn has made me even more miserable over the years.

Appropriately this phenomenon is called SAD and puts millions of people every year into varying degrees of depression by December. I feel it as a total lack of energy: all the things I can do in the summer are extra difficult and take twice as long in the winter, or in the period leading up to it. It’s like my body is going into survival or hibernation mode.

Fiddling with the clocks every now and again really does not alleviate this much.

Having said that, this year I have felt that the change from summer time to winter time was a godsend. I started getting up later and later ever since September, 9:30 or 10am wasn’t rare for me. In the summer I can rise at 5am or 6am without problems, but it becomes really hard in the winter.

13 Days to go

October 27, 2012 by Jay Versluis

Moving is always a pain. Moving cities is a bigger pain than just moving down the road. Moving countries however is another issue altogether. Believe me, I’ve done this before – and I’m about to do it again.

Moving cities involves packing boxes, loading boxes onto a van, unloading those boxes and carrying them upstairs, accompanied by too much furniture and a lot of stuff we’ve forgotten we’ve actually every owned.

It also involves painting and decorating, talking to people like estate agents, and worse of all it confronts you with having to make decisions that you’d rather not want to make.

Moving cities knows no boundaries – other than the space of the van or car you’re using to move. You can approach moving countries in a similar fashion if you ask an overpriced removal company to store and ship all the stuff for you.

I remember my mentally deranged flatmate did this, and I’ll never forget his face when 40 boxes came delivered some months after we had found a small house in Nunhead, South London. That little room was packed to the ceiling – and he looked as pale as the boxes. Classic!

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