Brain Wave – an app that actually works!

/1 Comment/in , , , , , /by
I have had migraine since I was a kid and it got worse during puberty. During my whole adult life I have had chronic, daily migraine. More or less migraine every day – except for during my pregnancy.
I have tried so many different medicines, natural remedies and treatments that I can’t count them all… I try anything no matter if it’s scientific or not – the only thing I care about is if it helps and there are very few things that I have tested that actually has worked.
For preventive purposes I have been helped from ear-acupuncture, a homeopathic remedy called ”Women special” (Kvindespecial) and capsules with extract from ginger. These have helped me to reduce the pain a little bit and the overall impact of my migraine and also they became less ”dramatic”, meaning that I didn’t have to panic and get medicine immediately when I felt the first sign of migraine. But I still get migraine every single day except for when I was pregnant in 1989–90.
For acute treatment medicine is the only thing that has worked: asperin + caffein and triptans (eletriptan is the type I have used most). During an ordinary day I woke up between four and six o’clock with migraine. Then I had to get up and take medicine. An hour later I would feel good enough to have some breakfast, but often with more aspirin + caffein. On my good days this would work until lunch, but very often I have had to take another aspirin between nine and ten o’clock.
Then it wasn’t unusual that I had to take aspirin and eletriptan around lunch and if not, I would probably have to take it some time around three o’clock. When I got back home it would be necessary to take another aspirin and quite often I would start to feel migraine on it’s way before bedtime, so that I would take eletriptan to not be disturbed by migraine during the night. This is a lot of tablets to take on an average, ordinary day and then I haven’t mentioned the really tough days…
A while ago I bought the app Brain wave and I guess that I tested it, but probably while I had too much migraine to make it work. In the end of May I saw the app on my iPod and thought that I should test it better. It has 30 different programs for relaxation, energy, concentration and much more and one of them is Headache Relief.

Now when I gave it a new try I soon found out that I seemed to get better. Could that be true? I also tested the programs Morning Coffee, Espresso and some more and yes, it felt like they had a positive effect and that I got less migraine, but one reason that it worked is that I have been very alert to do Headache Relief as soon as I felt the first sign of migraine.

Today I have a new daily routine. If I wake up with migraine I do take medicine but I combine with listening to Headache Relief and then the pain disappears more quickly and I feel energized in a way that I don’t get with only medicine. Then I don’t have to take medicine for many hours! Maybe not until the evening! Can this be true?

If I would get the smallest indication of headache during the day I listen to Headache Relief at once and it’s so EASY to do that, since I can do that and continue to work – it’s even possible to talk to others while I do this, because the brain waves keep working in my ear, maybe I turn down the volume, but the sounds bumps around inside my head and do their job anyway.
Yesterday was a real test. I took a walk that happened to get too long, I was exposed to bright light and I didn’t eat properly in the middle of the day – any of it would normally trigger my migraine. Then I had to take a nap in the middle of the day and I didn’t wake up with headache like I’m used to. After that we went shopping to IKEA and I was exhausted when we got back, including initial migraine. At that point I didn’t have the time to listen to Headache Relief because we were going out for dinner, so I took an aspirin with caffein and eletriptan, but I think that if I had more time to recover I might have been able to fix it with Headache Relief. Anyway, when the day ended I had only taken medicine once in the morning and once in the evening, which is like a record for me.
This gives me high hopes and I almost believe that the brain gets better and better to learn how to adapt to the brain waves, which makes me feel that it might be possible to get a day with no medicine at all. Even the fact that I allow myself to think like that is a big step.
I will of course continue to test the app Brain Wave. Check this blog and you will probably find a report about how it goes. I’m happy if you keep your fingers crossed for me, because this is probably the biggest progress I have experienced during my whole adult life! Imagine what it will be like if I don’t have to take any medicine or at least if I don’t have to take as much medicine as I’m used to.

This is getting sillier for every day…

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

When I bought my Apple shares in January 2012 I didn’t expect the price to rise as much as it did. I was really amazed but also happy of course. But then things started to change by the autumn and we all know that the price is back to January 2012 once more.

This year has really been a learning year for me and as usual, the best advice I now would like to give to myself is ”Always listen to myself”. I didn’t buy my Apple shares to earn a fortune in short time. I bought them because I like Apple and admire the work they do. I believe in Apple’s way of creating smart devices. Thinking like that, nothing much has changed since one year ago.

The only thing that has changed for me is that I now have a bigger understanding for what the rally of expectations can do with the stock price and frankly, I find it so silly. Grown up men (well, a few women as well I guess, but the ones I read about are usually men) that tries to impress on each other with numbers, tables, statistics and graphs predicting the future for Apple. At some point most of them tried to be the best at praising Apple and then they got confused until they started to be best at dooming Apple. What did Apple do to feed all those predictions? Nothing strange really, they kept on doing a good job.

What do I expect from Apple during 2013?

  • Some new models of MacBooks, iPhones and iPads.
  • Fresh new version of iWork! It’s about time we get a good and well thought-out version of that incredible, enjoyable software.
  • Making it easier to use Apple ID and iCloud, build in better solutions for sharing documents with others. No more confusing messages during updates or installations…
  • New design for the iOS User Interface. Jony Ive – I hope you will come up with something delicate!
  • New, cool devices! Yes of course, we are getting curious: what are you Apple guys working on? Is it the iWatch, the Apple TV solution or what? Surprise me!
  • Continue to sell all over the world. I expect them to grow fast on markets in China and India, but also to grow on other markets of course.
  • Expand their market shares in working places like schools, healthcare, factories, aircraft – well every kind of working place I can think of.
  • To pay their dividends and maybe increase them a little?
  • I finish with my special, personal wish: Please Mr Tim Cook, give me a BIG iPad, an iPad Pro! I would love to work with a bigger touchscreen when I create ideas!

I think it’s okay if the price of the Apple shares don’t rise too fast if it means that the price will continue to increase during a long period, like five years. Because I don’t like the hysteria we had during 2012… I hope that Apple will keep on making a difference to the world. I love Apple.

PS. I found the video on iDownloadBlog.

Who’s been buying Apple devices since 1989?

/2 Comments/in , , , /by

As I often mention, we bought our first Apple device, a MacPlus, in April 1989. Since then we have always bought Apple when it comes to computers and since 2008 also iPhones and then iPads. That is because we are happy and content users.

However, during the first years we always had to defend our choice, actually, it’s not until recently that this attitude had shifted into admiration and it started when Apple launched the first iPhone in 2008.

From the beginning people said that the reason to why we used Macs was that we were ”design people”, meaning that ”since we worked with graphic design we were part of a small and peculiar group of persons who just wanted to have computers that looked nice”. That was a bit humiliating. Like if our knowledge in behavioral science, psychology and pedagogic didn’t matter. Like if our technical understanding of the features and how to use a Mac didn’t really count, because Macs were supposed to be so easy, like handling a toy. It was like some kind of macho-tech culture suggesting that ”real men use PC”. One problem was that people without any knowledge about computers, persons that got scared, needed good advice when they had to buy a computer and somehow, a lot of them turned to these ”macho PC users” to get their advice. Did they suggest a Mac for them? Noooooooooo…

I could never understand that. Even with the PC logic and the conclusion that Macs were toys, they should advice computer novices to buy Mac because they were easy to use, but they didn’t. Sometimes I have suspected that the true reason for advising people to buy PC was to gain some more power and status when this persons needed help with their computer. Because, if they bought a Mac, they wouldn’t need that much help, right?

So, a lot of persons never got close to realizing how much better Macs are. Then they discovered the amazing iPhone. Everyone wanted an iPhone (and they still do, I have seen a couple of examples of working places who by some reason chose to buy HTC smartphones for their employees and they are ashamed to use them and they also get angry, because the phones are obviously not as smart as iPhones). People wanted to talk to me about Apple. They wanted to explain how much they loved their iPhones, it was like they had a revelation: ”So THIS is what you have been talking about all those years? NOW I finally understand why you are so dedicated to Apple!”

Now more people wanted to be in ”club of Apple users”. The phenomena with BYOD = Bring Your Own Device got a real boost with the iPhone – did someone even mention BYOD before the iPhone? Accumulated anger over all the spoilt years they tried to understand how to use their PC:s, frustration over all the viruses and everything that simply didn’t work was released in the wish to throw out those stupid machines and buy Apple.

I coach a handful of Apple users and one of them has always considered himself to be a person that just couldn’t understand computers. They made him sigh and sweat and swear. He started with getting himself an iPad, then he wanted me to help him to get also an iPhone and an iMac. For the first time in his life he said: ”This time I want to learn, I want to know how to use my devices!”. And that’s how it works. I teach him basic stuff, but I also notice that he finds out a lot by himself and that he really uses his devices. He’s happy. He’s curious and interested.

Then he ”gave me as a present” for his mother when she turned 85, together with an iPad. A son gives an iPad together with an iPad coach to his mother. That’s like showing that you care with giving an Apple device. It’s been fun to coach his mother and she’s also using her iPad frequently. She’s amazed.

I think we have only seen the beginning of this development. Kids use iPads in pre-school. So many people are getting used to Apple’s high standard, the combination of high tech and function melted together in beautiful and clean design with a pedagogic user interface. I think there’s no going back from getting used to these high standards. I have a friend that loves Apple, but still has to use a PC at his work. ”It’s a pain every day I have to use my PC”.

Very few persons that buy Apple devices stop buying Apple. I don’t think it’s going to be like this for ever, but the competitors can’t still offer the whole package like Apple do. I have my opinions about things that Apple could do better and I always send suggestions to them, but even so, I am loyal to Apple and will be for more years to come.

At the same time, I welcome good competitors that understands the full concept and especially the importance of bringing designers to the creative process from start. Which for example, Google still hasn’t understood.

Some people argue that Apple isn’t hot any longer, meaning that trendsetters prefer to buy something different to stand out. I partly agree to that, we have got so used to Apple that some persons might find it boring. I’m not sure how much that will affect Apple’s forward development though. It seems they still have plenty of markets to grow on, like China. There are still so many persons wanting to buy their first Apple item in the world. On the other hand, there are also a lot of persons that get a smartphone as their first device that they can use with internet. Their first computer experience is a handhold device and in the developing countries the price is more important than, for example, in Sweden. So, there will naturally come up a lot of competing low-price smartphones that have a big value to persons that above all needs the internet connection. That’s why Verone Mankou has created the first African smartphone, or Congolese to be more exact.

Apple has shifted the world’s expectations of what computers and handhold devices can be like. Now, lets see how that affects the world…

Help Apple Maps!

/0 Comments/in , , , /by
 
Edward C Baig had no problems with Apple Maps.

I have read a lot about the disappointments with Apple Maps and even if the maps were totally right when we drew from Sorunda south of Stockholm to Täby Centrum north of Stockholm (see the blogpost below), I’m still aware of that at some other places Apple Maps really sucks. It’s not something you can neglect. Maps are only useful when they are right. One of the most depressing articles I read was My next phone will be a Samsung, not an iPhone 5 by Michael Grothaus.

The Apple Maps are actually so bad that Tim Cook gave an official apology today.

Here on my island, Gotland, I have noticed that Apple Maps can find the streets but not the street numbers. So, Apple Maps works pretty well, but not optimal. So far.

Should we be mad at Apple because of these maps? No, I don’t think so. As far as I can tell they made the wisest decision they could. (Actually, no one ever makes nothing but the wisest decision – though sometimes it might seem as the decision was not the wisest afterwards.) They just couldn’t go on using Google Maps. Google would not allow them to use turn-by-turn in iPhones, but Google would use turn-by-turn in their devices! Hey, that would give Google a huge advantage! Of course Apple couldn’t accept that. I guess that older conflicts between these big companies played a role as well.

Therefore I totally accept that Apple had to make this decision. Next question is: how will they solve it? But another question is: can I do something to help Apple to make Apple Maps better? The answer is that I can do something to help Apple and I will gladly do that, because it makes me feel good if I can be part of making Apple’s products better. I already do this with always sending suggestions for how to make iWork better. Now I will make an extra effort to check Apple Maps AND every time I find something that’s not right, I will report it. It’s easy to report any faults you find, if you ”look behind the map” you find different options, but if you look above that, you will find, in very small print ”Report problem”.

Now, if you like Apple a lot like I do: make sure that you report every fault that you find. That’s the input Apple need.

It’s not about “just the rounded corners”

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

I read this article written by Mr Roger Key and I think he makes some clever assumptions, but there are two things that makes me puzzled:

The use of the words ”passionate” and ”emotional”:

There are questions about whether Jobs was alone in his passionate Google-hate and whether Tim Cook is prepared to carry on the battle in Jobs’s name. Some people think that Cook is less emotional and might seek an accommodation, but so far there’s no evidence of that. It’s likely that Jobs wasn’t the only one who felt the way he did and that some of his team still want the heart of Google’s city burnt to the ground.

I agree that Steve Jobs probably was very engaged in this matter and I would probably also be able to use the words passionate and emotional to describe it, but in this context it’s used like if the opinions about Google was ”just a passionate and emotional thing”, which therefor not should be counted on as a real matter. Real as in ”real business”. I think that’s a misunderstanding about business. Business is not cool and rational, business is about passion, emotions and to get the right feeling. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have knowledge and experience. Quite the opposite actually.

The more you know about a subject, the bigger engagement, the more emotions.

The next thing that makes me puzzled is:

Apple can’t claim to have invented “roundness” or “black.”

No, they can’t and even if that’s what it might look like in the juridical texts, I’m sure it’s about how you combine all this design elements and technical features to create a wholeness. It’s not about ”round corners generally on everything in the world”. It’s about how it’s used on the icons on the iPhone’s screen. Design and layout is about how you combine and it’s even about how you use the empty space in a layout. These things matters when you create a graphic och digital ”personality”.