Posts from the ‘News’ Category
What ever happened to the Cha-Ching iPhone app?
One of the things that I’ve always looked to my phone to help me with is my finances. Ever since using a Palm Treo, I’ve been (trying) to manage my finances on the go. It just makes sense, at least for me, to enter in purchase right when you make them. No worries about losing a receipt or forgetting to enter something later when your back at your computer or register (does any use those anymore?). And, being an interface snob and aspiring UX Designer, I’m constantly looking for something that not only looks good but works better than the next guys.
This brought me to Midnight Apps Cha-Ching desktop and then iPhone app. I’ve honestly tried every desktop app, originally using iBank (even met the inventor at Macworld years ago) then switching to Cha-Ching on the desktop even though it was buggy and almost unusable. I had high hopes for their simple and visual approach. Seemed like the financial app for the rest of us. Then their beautiful iPhone app came out and was MUCH more solid than their desktop counterpart. People kept having issues syncing the two but I just ditched the desktop app and relied on iTunes to back me up. Things have been working perfectly ever since the latest release…. Oct. 8, 2009.
And that was the last we heard from Midnight Apps. Their last blog post was to announce the latest release and their Get Satisfaction support page was last updated by Juan Alvarez, owner, 11 months ago. The most active thread there is a simple question I still pose to the crew: Is Midnight Apps still alive?
With the latest release of MoneyBook (create categories and online export/import), I’m starting July with a new finance app on my iPhone (hopefully the new iPhone 4)!
The Travels of a UX/UI Designer
One thing that I’ve always enjoyed at every job I’ve ever had is the people. The clients and projects can be fun at times but there are always so many compromises to be made, it always just feels like you’re just trying to get through to “launch day”. But the people always make it enjoyable!
I’ve been contracting through Aquent ever since landing in San Diego and it’s been a fun ride so far, but I miss the solid connections that you make when you’re a true FT employee! But, I’ve learned a ton and enjoyed the differences between Minneapolis and San Diego, both in lifestyle and in the design community. It’s been keeping me busy, too busy actually, to put any time into WordPress or Rapidweaver theme development.
I partnered with a couple great developers to bring my designs to life and, all though they are the best at what they do… They, too, ran into time constraints and things kept getting pushed back.
As my career moves forward and I take on a new role as a UX Designer (the 2010 version of a designer I guess), I’m hoping to learn more about development of WordPress and Rapidweaver themes so I can get back to developing on my own. My only concern is that I won’t be able to provide the top-notch coding support that the other amazing players in the market can give. So, expect prices to reflect that!
Thanks for everyone that has stayed in touched, offered their services and kind words. It’s been a blast and I can’t wait to give back to the community! If you’d like to keep up on things, feel free to hit my personal site and follow me on Twitter! Thanks!
The Great Move of 2009
It’s official: NewEnding Studios has moved from the great state of Minnesota to the warmer confines of San Diego, California!! It’s been a heck of a move that was two years in the making. With the Great Move of 2009 has come some good changes and some challenging ones.
I’m finally getting settled in my new studio apartment by the beach and I’m loving every minute of it. IKEA furniture CAN be complicated, I don’t care what the wordless manuals show me. It’s been a more expensive move than I had anticipated but it’s not a big surprise. Even more of a reason to get my butt in gear and release some premium Rapidweaver and WordPress themes, right!?
The move has also forced me to push back the release of my first themes. I’m hoping now to release them on Nov. 1st after I’ve had a chance to get some good documentation and testing of the themes. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable putting out a product that isn’t fully complete.
So, stay tuned for some sneak peaks over the coming weeks and check back in early November for the first of some, hopefully, amazing themes! Thanks!!
