Thord D. Hedengren

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Tag: BlankPage

  • Freewrite launches Sprinter web app

    Astrohaus, makers of the distraction free smart typewriter known as Freewrite, is branching out. Well, sort of: Sprinter is a web app looking to convey the distraction free writing experience of the Freewrite.

    Sprinter tries to replicate the Freewrite experience

    From their announcement email:

    The idea behind creating Sprinter is that it is meant to introduce new people to the concept of ‘distraction-free’ writing with as low a barrier as possible. While we can’t convey all of the awesomeness of using the Freewrite with a browser-based app, we tried to transfer as much design thinking we could into Sprinter. Since there is no way to have a true distraction-free experience in a browser, we implemented writing goals directly into the interface. By default, you start with a 15-minute goal which is meant to get people quickly started and keep them engaged despite being surrounded by the Internet.

    You can try it yourself here, but please note that you’ll need a Postbox account (free) if you want to save your writings.

    Shameless plug: If you’re into writing in the web browser, and distraction free writing experiences, you should definitely check out BlankPage. Yes, I’m somewhat involved, but that doesn’t make it a bad choice, quite the contrary I’d say!

  • Seven things I enjoy, early March 2017

    Seven things I enjoy, early March 2017

    I’m bringing back a revamped list of things I like series. Every now and then, I’ll post seven things I enjoy, and hopefully that’ll help you find something you like as well. Pretty simple, right?

    Oh, and links down here might be affiliate links, should you decide to pick something up. That’ll earn me a small commission, which is nice since it can help feed my book consumption. Seriously, it’s out of hand…

    Without further ado, and in no particular order, here’s the list.

    • Nintendo Switch, because damn, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which is also available for Wii U) is so bloody good it’s ridiculous. I have high hopes for the console as well, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2 were both great fun at the pre-launch event, but I want more.
    • Ulysses is my current offline writing app of choice, but I must also mention BlankPage which has some pretty cool stuff coming up. How do I know that? Well, I’m involved, that’s how.
    • Being a columnist again. I’ve been busy with other things for a couple of years, but I’m back writing columns (currently weekly at Di Digital, in Swedish I’m afraid).
    • Shattered Sea trilogy, by Joe Abercrombie, is shaping up nicely. The first book, Half a King, was good but I think I’m enjoying Half the World  even more. Here’s hoping Half a War is just as good.
    • Reading on Kindle Oasis is such a great experience, a beautiful albeit overpriced e-reader, that. I’ve been testing a few different ones lately, it really does stand out. On a budget? Get the latest Paperwhite, it’s great too.
    • Taking notes with Apple Pencil. I’m not sure if this will stick or not, but Pencil and an app like GoodNotes is a really powerful tool. More on that later.
    • The whiteboard. Yes, whiteboards carry with them a very office-like feeling, but when I’m wrestling with a concept or an idea, the space and the overview truly helps. When I get my own castle, I’ll have a whiteboard wall. For now, I’ll have to make due with the one at Odd Alice.

    What have you been enjoying lately? Any of these things, any others? Tell @tdh on Twitter, I’d love to know.

  • TNW features BlankPage

    TNW News first pick in their (short) list of apps that help you write:

    Swedish company BlankPage is on a mission for you to start writing and keep writing. Its writing platform is enhanced by a goal setting and tracking function. So if you want to write at least three pages a day, let the app know and it will work on motivating you through it. Manuscript in a month? Let’s see…

    Check out BlankPage, rather than the Index.co page they link above. I’m obviously involved in BlankPage, as you well know.

  • Odd Alice släpper Daily Crowdfunder

    På Odd Alice har vi något som vi kallar satellitprojekt. Det är projekt som drivs av en eller flera anställda, med företaget som partner och investerare. En sorts intern inkubator, typ. Hittills har såväl BlankPage som Tech Troopers sprungit ur det här upplägget, om än på lite olika vis.

    Idag släpper vi ett satellitprojekt till: Daily Crowdfunder.

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  • Daily Crowdfunder

    Daily Crowdfunder

    If there’s one thing to take away from this post, it’s that Daily Crowdfunder has launched. It’s your crowdfunding savior, making sure you don’t miss out on the best campaigns, by featuring one campaign every day. If that’s too much for you then there’s also a weekly newsletter. Can’t go wrong with that.

    Or, in the words of the site’s own description:

    We’ve all been there, noticing an exciting crowdfunding campaign way too late. Our friends are showing off their latest smartwatch, game fitness band, book, album, or whatever it is they were a part of thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, and we’re left out. Or rather, we’re left behind, because the deals aren’t as sweet when these remarkable products hits the shelves and become available for the rest of us.

    Our idea is simple. We find the best and most interesting crowdfunding campaigns, and feature one every day. That way you won’t miss out.

    That was the important parts. Now, let’s dig deeper, shall we?

    At Odd Alice, the agency where I’m the founder and CEO, we’ve got something called satellite programs. This is an incentive that helps our employees to launch projects, while Odd Alice has their backs. There’s an ownership split between the project owner(s) and Odd Alice, and a letter of intent that’s signed when the project begins. It’s all very friendly, very enabling.

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  • The best startups are side projects

    Paul Graham writes about startups:

    This is not only possible, it’s how Apple, Yahoo, Google, and Facebook all got started. None of these companies were even meant to be companies at first. They were all just side projects. The best startups almost have to start as side projects, because great ideas tend to be such outliers that your conscious mind would reject them as ideas for companies.

    We embrace this at Odd Alice by rolling our own internal incubator-thingy, called satellite programs. I think it’s a good idea. The first graduate, Tech Troopers, is an anomaly though since there are outside founders, but BlankPage is built under these principles.