Dead tree solving - eco edition! 
Best of both worlds - paper and pencil/pen solving, but rather than curled up with the newspaper, you're curled up with your tablet/iPad/Android! Write, even draw, in the grid, directly on the screen. 

Perfect for rebus puzzles, like this one from a recent Thursday NYTimes puzzle. Use a stylus, for the feel of really writing, or just use your fingertip - it is remarkably easy and is your real writing... I filled this one out using my finger - the stylus is just there for show. (The rebus was MAN - as in TAXMAN at 54D...) If you would like to try it out, click on "About Me" on this page and send me an email.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Better than paper?

You love doing the puzzle with paper and pencil, so you'll never use an app for solving...?
Me too.  Before.  But now I'm hooked.  For a lots of reasons.  Here's one that's really cool... introducing ScratchPadTM  
Those scribbles in the margins that fire off my "Aha Moments"...

Check out the video to see what I mean.
Hey - even we like to curl up in a comfortable chair with a well-sharpened #2 pencil and a fabulous Puzzle Tablet...  But take
a look -- this just might convince you.


Thanks for watching.
at 2:18 PM

3 comments:

  1. BB W.March 21, 2012 at 7:27 AM

    This is very interesting - I can see myself becoming seduced by the NY Times crossword puzzle by using this method - plus with all that has been in the news lately, it's clear that solving puzzles is good for one's brain! Now, even for someone like myself who has never really considered committing to the puzzle...there's a light at the end of the tunnel!

    I'd think that this ap would be very helpful for us neophytes, and I can also see how those who are old hands would fit that this would help "scratch their itch", too!

    Now I have yet another reason to buy an iPad!!

    Seriously, this is very thought provoking and you may have started me down the puzzle path at last!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joe K.April 26, 2012 at 1:26 AM

    Fascinating demo. I'd certainly like to see more of this. The Monday puzzles had a constant slope ... which means you started filling answers in right away, and the pace remained steady throughout. You should get Dan Feyer to do one of these for comparison.

    The tags you set down for "crosswordese" and "redirect" (or "misdirect"?)are worthwhile feedback.

    Lots of fun to watch.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TitaApril 28, 2012 at 12:04 AM

    Honored to have you stop by, Mr. K.
    I would, in fact, love to have some of the elite solvers work some puzzles, along with a control group made up of a few of "the rest of us". If you know Mr. Feyer, please ask!

    Nice thing is that solving style, journey, areas of difficulty, can be visualized without the emphasis on speed.

    I would be delighted to have you try it out. Just reply here or email me and I can get you up & running!

    ReplyDelete

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