tables
Latest
Using Pages to print Christmas card labels
Unless you just have a handful of people that you send Christmas cards to -- or you're lucky enough to have friends and relatives who are happy with receiving a phone call or email for the holidays -- you may have the annual task of sending out a pile of cards. Before computers came along, my wife and I used to hand-write the address onto every envelope... To make life easier, I eventually created a set of labels in Microsoft Word that would print out onto Avery labels, and I just update that list every year to print out another set. This year, I wanted to do it with Pages as I'd love to eventually be able to just grab my iPad, load the printer with the Avery sticky labels, and have 'em done in a few minutes. Here's a how-to on printing creating labels in Pages for OS X -- and once you've created them on a Mac, you can open up that document on your iPad or iPhone. 1) Find a label format you like. Here, I suggest going out to the Avery website and using their Label Selector wizard. You can specify the type of label, the number you want to print per page, the type of printer (laser or inkjet) and other factors, at which point it gives you an idea of the labels to buy. You can pick 'em up at your local Office Max/Office Depot/Staples, as they usually have a good selection of the label stock on hand. I personally like the Avery 8160 labels, which come in a pack of 750. Others might select the 5660 laser labels, which are clear. You might wonder why I wouldn't just use the Avery label templates. Well, all of them are in Microsoft Word format, and when opened in Pages, you get some odd results ... like two pages of misaligned labels. The process described here really doesn't take too long, and you'll be an expert with the table tool in Pages when you're done. 2) Take some measurements Once you've purchased your labels, measure the following dimensions: Margin on left, right, top and bottom of page Spacing between labels (horizontally; there's usually no space between the labels vertically) The height and width of the labels 3) Launch Pages for OS X First thing we need to do is select a document type. I chose a "Blank" document (it's in portrait orientation). Select that from the Choose a Template dialog, then click Choose. 4) Set Document Margins Choose View > Inspector > Document Setup from the menu. Uncheck header and footer, and set the document margins to the dimensions you measured in Step 2. For my labels, those measurements were .18" on the left and right sides of the labels, and .5" at the top and bottom. 5) Add a table We're going to use a table to hold the text for the labels. Click the Table button on the toolbar and select a format. Don't worry about the shading; we'll get rid of it later. By default, Pages added a table that was 4 columns across and 5 rows high. We need to match the labels -- three across with two spaces or five columns total, and 10 rows. Add another column by right-clicking on any one of the column headers and selecting either Add Column Before or Add Column After (see below). In this example, I now have five columns. To add rows, I click on any cell in the table to see the column and row headers, then click on the button below the last row (it looks like a circle with an equal sign in it). A number picker appears (see below), and I click the "up arrow" until the number of rows is 10. 6) Change the table cell dimensions The first thing we need to do is make columns B and D -- which will be the horizontal spaces between the labels -- .16" wide. Click on the header for column B, then Command-Click the header of column D. Move the cursor to the right side of the header for column B until it turns into a double-sided arrow, then click and drag the column border to the left until the dimension is .16". Your other selected column, D, will also become smaller. Now we need to make the columns A, C and E the same width as our labels; in this case, that's 2.6". I click on the header for column A, then Command-Click on the header of columns C and E. Next, I move my cursor to the right side of the header for column A until it turns into a double-sided arrow. At this point, I can click and drag the column border to the right until the dimension figure is 2.6". Note that my other selected columns, C and E, will also expand. Lastly, we need to increase the height of the rows to match our label height -- in this case, 1.0". To do this, I click on a cell in the first row to show the column and row headers, then I hover my cursor over the both of the Row 1 header until it turns into a double-ended arrow, this time pointing up and down. Drag the row border down until the vertical dimension is 1.0" (see below). Unfortunately, you need to do this separately to each row. 7) Get rid of the cell shading Select View > Inspector > Format from the menu, when you see the sidebar appear, click on Table, then uncheck Alternating Row Color (see below). This should give you an "all white" label with a thin black border. 8) Save the document At this point, save this document -- either onto your Mac or onto iCloud -- so you don't lose your work. 9) Add more pages of labels Unless you have a lot of friends and relatives who are happy to exchange Christmas greetings electronically, you may need more than one page for your labels -- including a page for return address labels. Adding more labels is as simple as clicking in one cell, choosing Edit > Select All from the menu, then choosing Copy (Command-C), clicking outside of the table at the very bottom of the page, and then doing a Paste (Command-V). The second batch of labels is pasted onto a new page, although with the wrong column widths and placement -- you'll need to move them around a bit and check the column widths and row heights until you get your labels just right. Then repeat to add even more pages of labels to your document. For a friend of mine who needs a lot of labels, I created an empty document that had ten pages -- that's 300 -- labels. Me? I don't have that many friends. :-( 10) Add addresses Before you start adding addresses, let's do one more thing: go into the sidebar in Pages and uncheck "Resize rows to fit cell contents". This insures that if you accidentally put too much information into a cell or increase the text size too much, you won't accidentally knock your labels out of whack. Now just start typing into the cells. You can click "Text" in the sidebar to change fonts, sizes, styles. You can even paste in some little graphics if you'd like. I found a nice holly PNG file with a quick Google search, and inserted it into my cells (below). 11) Remove grid lines prior to printing OK, now it's time to do one last thing -- get rid of those grid lines on the tables. To do this, select one cell on each page and then click the "Grid Lines" buttons in the sidebar (Table) to make the grid lines go away. 12) Test printing Before you waste some of those expensive labels, be sure to make a test print. Print your completed document on paper, and then put it behind the labels to make sure that things line up. You may find that addresses are too close to the borders, in which case you can consider using the text indentation tools in the sidebar to move text to the right. That's it. You still have some time to get your labels typed in and printed out, so you have no excuse for not sending out those holiday greetings. Get to work!
Hyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0
The developers at BioWare turned a corner when they redesigned the commendation system for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Most players seem to welcome the simplicity and practicality of the new system coming with 2.0. Reducing the number of comms players have to track allows players to focus on playing the game and not on managing currency. Unfortunately, the gear progression is a bit more like separating M&Ms, making you wonder why there are more yellows than blues and whether there's really a difference between dark brown and light brown. Not to mention that SWTOR proves once again that MMO designers have no idea how to make a decent helmet. PvP gear also has me wondering what returning players are going to think about having to regrind again so soon after a major change with Update 1.6.
Disney Research develops capacitive touch that detects multiple users through their fingertips (video)
Creating a truly multi-user, multi-touch display is a tricky prospect. How do you know who's who short of turning the screen into one giant fingerprint reader? Chris Harrison, Ivan Poupyrev and Munehiko Sato at Disney Research have suggested in a paper that fingerprinting on a capacitive touchscreen isn't far off -- it's just what we need to fingerprint that matters. Rather than look for physical ridges, the scientists' method sweeps through AC frequencies to find the exact electrical impedances of fingertips in contact with the screen. Different bodies, different clothes and even different shoes give everyone a unique signature that lets the screen identify specific people, even when they each have multiple fingers in play. The researchers propose that the technique would work well in collaborative workspaces, personalized devices and security, but let's not forget that this is Disney we're talking about: it's placing a strong emphasis on the prospects for shared screen gaming without the limitations we know today. While any practical use is still some distance away, it's easy to see future tablets and tables that are designed from the start to encourage a little socializing.
Ideum unveils speedy Platform and Pro multi-touch tables, says PixelSense ain't got nothin' (video)
Who knew giant multi-touch tables would trigger the next big speed race? Ideum clearly thinks that the PixelSense-based Samsung SUR40 is lagging with that AMD Athlon II X2, because it just rolled out a pair of speed demon 55-inch, 40-point touch surfaces (but not Surfaces) in the Platform and Pro. The Platform has a respectable dual 2.2GHz Core i7 and 8GB of RAM, but it also carries a pair of 256GB solid-state drives in case that museum exhibit app won't load quickly enough. Hopping to the Pro switches to two not quite as speedy 500GB hard drives in standard trim. It more than makes up for this with a quad 3.4GHz Core i7 and NVIDIA's Quadro 600 for the truly stressful projects -- the combination can juggle multiple users and tasks even more smoothly than its MT55 Pro ancestor. Outside of raw speed, picking a table depends mostly on svelteness versus expansion: the Pro has a full-fledged HP tower inside that can drop in SSDs and other upgrades you might fancy, while the Platform is half as thick as a SUR40 (at two inches) and sleeker overall than its big brother. We're working to get price quotes, but the early five-digit figures we've seen in the past likely rule out upgrading the family coffee table. You can convince yourself with a video after the break.
Insert Coin: Playsurface open-source multitouch computing table
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. A Microsoft Surface in every office? Yeah, fat chance. At $8,000, you may never see Samsung's SUR40 glow in the wild, but budget versions of the backlit HD table have begun popping up, such as the Merel Mtouch, which retails for half the price. Still, four grand is a lot to ask from casual users -- we need a bargain-basement option to help catapult the concept to success. The Playsurface could be one solution, with an open-source design and a much more affordable price tag. The multitouch computing table is the product of Templeman Automation, and its creators have begun promoting their concept on Kickstarter. In its current iteration, the Playsurface will ship in two flavors -- short, to double as a coffee table, and tall for stand-up applications -- with a $1,750 pledge netting backers a complete kit. Setting out to fulfill the goal of widespread adaptation, the creator is promising one Playsurface kit with a $1,750 pledge, including a Windows computer, a short-throw 1280 x 800-pixel DLP projector and a transparent touch surface, all housed within a self-assembled wood enclosure. There's also an infrared LED strip to aid with input recognition and something called a "Blob Board," which serves as a dedicated hardware processor tasked with touch detection and connects to the computer via USB. A $350 pledge gets you a Blob Board alone, while $650 is matched with a table (sans computer and projector) and $1,250 will net you a full kit, less the computer. There's just shy of four weeks left to go to get your Playsurface pledge in -- hit up the source link to make it happen.
ExoPC's 40-inch multitouch EXOdesk is coming in 2012 for $1,299 (video)
We haven't even made it to Black Friday yet, and already we're getting a taste of the futuristic swag that'll be on display at CES in January. Over the weekend, ExoPC posted a video teasing a multitouch surface called the EXOdesk, promising more details when the show kicks off after the new year. The desk measures 40 inches (make that "40 high-definition inches") and, as you'd expect, supports a smorgasboard of multi-fingered gestures. The entire teaser lasts less than a minute, but you don't need more than a few seconds to realize this isn't the same UI we reviewed with the ExoPC Slate. So far, we noticed you can run apps at full-screen and swipe widgets to chuck 'em out of sight. You can also swipe the corner with four fingers to reveal what appears to be an RSS feed, and then swipe individual items to make them disappear. That's all we know about how it works, though the company did reveal it'll go on sale next year for $1,299 -- a fraction of the $8,400 you'll pay for the new Samsung SUR40 running Microsoft Surface. We'll be keeping an eye out for this when we stake out CES in January, but until then, we've got the teaser vid tucked after the break. [Thanks, Trevor]
Arbonata Light Table classes up LEDs and dining rooms
Here's a solution for adding a little techno-flare to your furniture that's a bit more subtle than cramming computer parts into a coffee table. The Arbonata Light Table, available from nKcharms at the source link, impregnates stylish slabs of wood with over 1,700 LEDs arranged in the shape of a tree. According to designer Dennis Vetu, it's some sort of metaphor for the circle of life -- as he explains on the Arbonata site, "tree becomes wood, becomes light." Artsy prattle aside, we couldn't imagine sitting down to a ramen dinner on a classier surface. If you're not partial to branches and leaves though, nKcharms will work with customers to create unique designs. We might just order one emblazoned with a glowing Engadget logo. Sadly, there's no price listed, but then again, if you have to ask.... Don't miss the gallery below. %Gallery-121968%
iTable iPhone dock looks like a smartphone, acts like a stereo (video)
We've seen enough iPhone docking stations to last a lifetime -- we've even seen our fair share of tables that take style cues from the smartphone -- but we have to admit, Kyle Buckner's iTable is in a league of its own. This rather involved docking solution combines the aesthetics of the iPhone 4 with a little bachelor-pad-of-the-future flair, allowing its user to summon a set of eight recessed speakers with a simple swipe of the hand. It's also packing a set of four aluminum-trimmed cup holders, complete with LED lights to give your drinks a little mood lighting of their own. The thing's all hand-crafted, and while it was designed with the iPhone 4 in mind, it can be built to fit your smartphone of choice. If you're actually considering purchasing one of these things, may we also suggest a floating bed? Of course, you could always just hop on past the jump and check out a video of the table in action instead.
Computer Board coffee table blends the past with the future with charm and dignified elegance
We're not furniture experts by any means, but we're pretty sure your great Aunt Dottie's not going to be a fan of this one. The Computer Board Table is made from two tables, plus the modems, computers, and miscellaneous electronic goodies that make up its guts. The results of the project are quite beautiful. Hit the source for more photos.
iPhone devsugar: Simple table badges
TUAW's devsugar series helps introduce developers to tools and tricks that they might not yet be familiar with. Today's tip centers on table-level badging and how to simply and easily add badged cells to your iPhone Xcode projects. Badges are a natural partner for table view cells. When working with one-to-many data like mailboxes with letters, or RSS feeds with articles, they indicate how many items (or new items) branch off of each available choice. The standard Apple SDK does not offer badge functionality. iPhone Developer Tim Grant Davies to the rescue. He has built an open source github repository for his TDBadgedCell project. Distributed under the Creative Commons Public License, this class allows you to add numbers to the right of each table view cell, and choosing a background color for each number. Each badge is drawn in a custom view using CoreGraphics. This means the class does not rely on extra images stored in memory, and the badges are drawn quickly on demand. You can set color properties for each badge, indicating hues for both the normal and highlighted states.
London restaurant claims fame with touch-sensitive tables, colorful menu projectors
A chic London restaurant and bar called Inamo is making patrons' dining experiences digital by projecting colorful menus and aesthetic patterns onto touch-sensitive tabletops. When browsing, patrons can preview the food as if it were on the plate in front of them -- only flatter, we suppose. They can also order their meals, look up neighborhood services, and select one of seven visual vibes without ever interacting with carbon-based lifeforms. Inamo isn't the first automated establishment we've seen, and this sort of table menu tech isn't new -- but the futuristic panache is hard to beat. Hit the read link for more pics.[Thanks, Nvyseal]
MotionX Dice lets you roll dem bones on your iPhone
The folks at Fullpower kindly sent us a note about their new iPhone app, MotionX Dice, and after giving it a try, I can say it works as promised -- if you want a good-looking and fun way to roll dice on your iPhone, this is it. There are several types of well-rendered 3D dice and tables to choose from. The actual "rolling" is done by shaking the iPhone, which is a good time. The app will eventually be raised in price, but right now it can be found for free on the App Store. Frankly, this kind of pricing change smacks of top apps list scamming to us, but we'll give Fullpower the benefit of the doubt, as they say it's a promotion.However, we do have a bone to pick with Fullpower about this app. As fun as Yahtzee is (though there is one set of Poker dice, so you can play that, too), most of the dice that TUAW nerds -- or former TUAW nerds -- roll are of the d8, d10, and d20 variety. Any chance we can get a few of those added into the dice-rolling mix? d6s are all right for some damage types, but we can't roll a Nat 20 or break out the d4 Magic Missile with the program as it is.
Reflect table monitors conversations with LEDs, shows who's all talky
There's always that guy (or girl) who dominates meetings, saying the same thing over and over again, or just repeats what others say. We all find it annoying, and we all wish there was some way to make that blabbermouth aware of his (or her) social transgressions. Enter the Reflect table. Reflect monitors conversations and visualizes -- literally -- who has the table using an array of color LEDs. Microphones listen to all the talk and show who is currently talking, who talks the most, and who's being left out. This could be great for business meetings to tone down the "thinking outside the box," but could also be a terrifying ordeal on a first date.[Via MAKE]
Attack tables and you
Hello! Math time again. Some of you may know how attack tables work, but many of you, I'm sure, don't. This post in the European official forums contains the clearest explanation of attack tables I've seen, and I'd advise anybody interested in the mathier side of the game to go check it out. Some parts of it are copied into this post, because they are excellent and not everyone can access the official forums. I am also indebted to the ever-excellent WoWWiki."What is an attack table," you ask? Why, it's the method by which WoW decides what's going to happen when a mob or player attacks another mob or player. Is the attack going to miss, be parried, crit, or what? As it turns out, there are seven possible outcomes of a melee attack (six if there are no mobs involved). They are:Miss Dodge Parry Glancing Blow (players against mobs only)Block Critical Hit Crushing Blow (mobs only) Regular Hit
Tables 1.1 - Spreadsheet for Mac
Those of you who are tired of waiting for a Universal Binary of Excel and need a basic spreadsheet should check out Tables. It's a relatively new Universal Binary spreadsheet for OS X which has just been bumped to version 1.1. It's true, this is far from a real Excel replacement, lacking as it does much of Excel's advanced functionality (e.g. graphing and Macros). However, if you're only doing light number crunching then Tables might be just the trick. It is a nice looking program, but IMO entirely too expensive at € 39 (~$52).[Via Macminute ]
