Q. I am going to retire soon and I plan to write a book. Is there an app that will help me create an outline?
A. There are so many apps that fit the criteria of your question that it is difficult to recommend a “best” one.
Most word processors can generate outlines. There are also dedicated outliners. If you use a Mac, there are a number of excellent dedicated outliners, the best of which is OmniOutliner from Omni Software (omnigroup.com).
For some reason, a great outliner app has never appeared on Windows. Search online for a Windows outliner and you’ll eventually see OmniOutliner mentioned.
However, there are two excellent apps that work on both Windows and Mac: Scrivener and Aeon Timeline.
Scrivener (literatureandlatte.com) is my word processor of choice for organizing ideas and managing research. This app will do nearly everything. It is over 18 years old, and in its early days every time a writer asked for a new feature the developer found a way to add it. This makes the current version somewhat complex to master, but there is no need to understand every feature. Start with the tutorial and be confident that if you think of something you need to do, there is an excellent chance the app will help.
The second app worth considering is Aeon Timeline (aeontimeline.com). Timeline is an excellent tool for creating time-based outlines, along with other features such as tracking people, locations and major events.
Both Scrivener and Timeline can share data, making them a suite of tools that can handle any sized project from a short story to a Ph.D. dissertation.
Q. I have used an iPhone for years. For the first time in my life, I would like to learn how to use a real computer. What do you suggest?
A. First off, get a laptop rather than a desktop machine. Go to walmart.com and buy an M1 MacBook Air, which is currently priced at $649. This laptop is extremely capable, with a sharp, bright screen, a full-size keyboard, and it works seamlessly with the data from your iPhone.
This Walmart-only edition of the MacBook Air is not a stripped-down compromise, it was Apple’s top-of-the line model just a few years ago. Its performance exceeds nearly every Mac-based on an Intel CPU. It does have less memory than other versions, but that limitation is not a hindrance except when editing giant photos or long videos.
The limitations are a matter of size and scale. The M1 can edit photos just fine and edit short videos easily. If the files get too large, the computer will be a bit slower, but that will likely not be noticeable to first time users. For email, surfing the web, word processing and spreadsheets, the M1 MacBook Air is more than capable.
Q. When I look at my iPhone as a passenger in a moving car, sometimes I feel a bit ill. Is there anything I can do to avoid that sick feeling?
A. This is a problem I have never faced, and you have my sympathy. Carsickness is miserable.
If you have an iPhone or iPad using the latest software (iOS 18) there is a feature called “motion cues” that adds small dots to the screen edges that gently sway as the device detects motion. To turn it on, go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Motion -> Show Vehicle Motion Cues and choose “On” or “Automatic.”
Once enabled, the dots shape the visual signals your brain receives that correspond to the vehicle’s motion, easing the ill feeling that arises when what you see does not match what you feel.
I expect that this will work better for some people, and less so with others, since each of us is unique. Nevertheless, motion cues is worth exploring on your next road trip.
Wander the Web
Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month:
Goodreads Alternative
BookWyrm is a non-commercial site that hosts book recommendations and social interaction. If you love books but prefer to avoid Amazon, this is a great choice. bookwyrm.social
Think Differently
The Pudding website is full of unusual ways to visualize information on a broad range of topics, including everything from map names to animal sounds. pudding.cool
Hot Metal in the Material World
Watch as a red-hot metal ball comes in contact with various surfaces and temperatures. A complete waste of time, yet entertaining.
