iPad – the Magical, Evolutionary, not Revolutionary, Still Great, but still Needs More device from Apple

I asked a good friend of mine to give me his impressions of his Apple iPad.  As with any device he experienced the good, the bad, and some other stuff.  Here’s his review:

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Well, I’ve had the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G for about two months now.  What can I say about?

Love it!

My eyes don’t hurt anymore  from all the squinting   I used to  do with my iphone.

First, the GOOD: No need to learn anything new!  Chances are that the majority of Americans have walked in to an Apple store and played with an iPhone or iPod touch.  So you’re in the know.

Second, it’s the Internet in your hands not on your lap.  How neato is that?  No need to turn on your laptop, wait 5 minutes, and hope you don’t have anything obnoxious running in the background.

Third, Apple’s App store is growing and growing at a rapid rate.  If there is not an app for you …wait…seriously…there’s not an app for you?  Forget it.  I don’t even want to finish this statement.  There are over 100,000 apps in the app store and 10,000 have been made for the iPad already.  You’ll find one.

Last, for 500 bucks, your “ALL IN ONE” needs are fulfilled.  Your movies, your music, your books, etc.  Apple has really cornered the market in making their device “ALL YOU NEED”.  Call the iPad a Swiss Army Knife for the modern man (or gal).  Information has never flowed so smoothy or looked so beautiful in the palm of your hands.  Sure, people might say “Hey, I have laptop and an iPhone, why would I need that?”  The answer is simple: it’s sexy.  You’ll never feel cooler surfing and reading.  Apple knows what sells.

Next, the BAD: Where do I begin?  Oh yes, you still need a computer!  What’s the point of competing with netbooks and laptops, if your device still needs to connect to a PC or MAC. C’mon Apple!  You’re marketing this thing as the laptop replacement.  The amount of time wasted on registering, syncing and backing up can be better spent organizing my calendar.  I understand Apple wants users to backup their device but for goodness sake, let the user be responsible for a change.

Second, no Front Facing Camera.  Ahh Apple… you are so smart with your timelines.  First, we release the iPad with no front facing camera, next we release iPhone 4 with front facing camera, then, we’ll release iPad  2 with front facing camera, and last: World Domination.

Third, it’s still just a giant iPod Touch. Sure there are some differences between iPod touch and iPad, here and there, but at the end of the day, Apple took a product they already had and made it 10 times bigger. Evolutionary not revolutionary.

Apple iPad case

Last, why does Apple have to make everything so shiny and delicate?  It’s pretty but don’t drop the device two feet from the ground.  You might as well add fifty dollars to the price tag because as soon as this puppy opens out of the box you’re going to want it in a case.

With all this, the conclusion is:  No gadget device is perfect but the Apple iPad certainly comes close.

Ricardo Amell,

Guest Reviewer

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Do you own an iPad?  We’d like to know about your user experience.  Submit your comments below or drop me a note at chiefgeek@gadgetreviewworld.com.

Evernote

Do you have trouble remembering the passwords to those websites you rarely visit?

Did you want to keep those pdf instruction manuals in a place where you can always get them?

What about a recipe you’d like to try later?

Would you like to access this information from your work PC, your home MAC, your iPhone, PalmPre, Android, or Blackberry?

And here’s the coolest thing – would you like to search text from anything you entered even a photo, pdf, or web page?

If you are overloaded with information and looking for a place to put it that’s searchable, then you should try Evernote.  I happened across this site October 2008 but didn’t realize it’s usefulness until about a year ago.

Evernote is available for free, has a nice feature set, and the ads that financially support the site are not obnoxious.

-Searchable text:  I am not an especially organized person, so being able to upload just about anything and instantly recall it with a simple text search is huge!  Even with the free version you can search text inside images.  Using a smartphone with a good camera, you can take a picture of a business card, upload it to Evernote, and the text on the card is searchable!  My wife clips recipes out of magazines and hands them to me.  I scan them and put them on Evernote.   Then, I can find every recipe that has “salmon” in an instant.  (As a byproduct, I’ll also find anyone’s business card or a photo of us standing in front of a restaurant that has the word “salmon”).

-Premium version:

• For $45/year, Evernote will allow you to upload and more file types including Microsoft Office documents and video.  The premium version also searches text in pdf documents – a big help when I’m trying to check a feature from an uploaded manual.  Many equipment manuals are available as pdf’s these days, so when I have a question about my Canon Vixia HF S100, or my htc Evo phone I go to Evernote.  I can type a search string such as “HDMI” and learn how to connect my camera or phone to my widescreen TV.
• Collaboration:  the premium version also allows users to allow others to edit notes.
• More upload capacity:  premium users have 500MB/month in uploads versus 40MB for free.  I was fine with the free version until I started my Evernote collection of recipes.

As a somewhat forgetful and disorganized person when it comes to random scraps of paper and/or thoughts, (just ask my wife and co-workers), Evernote helps make me into the smart person I aspire to be.  And having all the information searchable from any computer on the web, or using their application on my laptop and phone is huge!

Do you use Evernote or other sites like it?  We’d love to hear your tips, tricks, and opinions.  Please comment below or email me at chiefgeek@gadgetreviewworld.com.

iPad and Velcro

Let me first disclose that I’m violating my own editorial guidlines (product must be used by the writer), but hey – I think this idea is too good not to share!  It shows many creative uses for the iPad when you put Velcro on the back.  iPad vs. Velcro

How to save a soaked phone

Last night, a bunch of us are at an outdoor concert when the heavens opened up and we were totally soaked in a couple minutes. Our folding chairs became full of water, and wouldn’t you know, a friend of ours had her phone in her back pocket. When she pulled it out, water came streaming out of the phone. (I have never seen so much water come out of such a small device)! Which brings to mind a great technique to bring your phone back to life when it gets soaked and is seemingly dead.

Here’s how to save your soaked phone. Remember the quicker you can perform this Phone First Aid, the better chance your phone will live again.

1.) As soon as you realize the disaster, remove the battery and the SIM card (T-Mobile and AT&T users in the U.S). (iPhone users can’t remove the battery so turn off your phone if it is responsive). Dry the SIM Card and Battery with a towel and set aside.

2.) Get a vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool. Open all access doors and flaps on the phone and proceed to suck water out of every opening or crack in the phone (all around the keys – everywhere!). DO NOT use compressed air or a hairdryer to BLOW – all you’ll do is move the water deeper into your phone.

3.) Submerge the phone in a bowl of uncooked rice or surrounded with desiccant. Turn the phone every hour or so to allow gravity to help get water out of the phone and be wicked up by the rice or desiccant.

4.) Check the phone every couple of hours for wetness. When you change positions during step 3, put the phone on a paper towel. If you have moisture on the towel, there is still water in the phone. Keeping the phone on that side, use the vacuum with the crevice tool to remove the water.

5.) After you have left the phone in the rice or desiccant a day or so, put the battery and SIM card (if used) into the phone and power it up.

6.) If it works, you’re done! If not, there’s couple more things to try.

6a.) Remember when you discovered your phone was soaked? Was the display or any lights still on? If not, the battery may have shorted. Try a spare battery or see if your friendly cell-phone store might have one for the test.

6b.) You could take your phone apart and check for more water. Here’s a good website that specializes in such things.

Last thoughts:
-When I say “soaked” I’m thinking fresh water. Not saltwater or salad dressing. If you’re in this situation all is not lost, check this link on Tekzilla for more tips.

Do you have tips and tricks to save soaked cell phones? E-mail me at chiefgeek@gadgetreviewworld.com.

Circa Notebooks – The Never Ending Notebook/Journal

Efficiency experts will suggest that you keep notes in one place. When I don’t have my laptop handy to type notes into Evernote I often use my Circa Notebook. What makes Circa so special? Flexibility! Like other notebooks/journals, they come in different sizes and paper. However, the Circa system uses discs to keep the paper in the binder.

Like a looseleaf binder, you can move pages around, but without having to open and close the discs – just pull pages out, and push them in where you want them. And because of the disc system, you can take out pages that are dated and archive them in a box, or in a separate Circa binder.

When I go to a client meeting, I take my Circa with me and take notes on the next available page. I use Post-It flags to bookmark the “next page”. I also use flags to get back to pages I reference frequently. Any business cards will get taped onto the page(s). Other materials, like photos, will likely get taped onto the pages(s).

Let me show you how easy it is to move pages:

Circa Notebook page move from ahrensjd on Vimeo.

Over the years, I have had two Circa binders, and used a few hundred sheets of paper. When I go to a meeting, it’s always at my side.

Do you use the Circa Notebook system, or prefer your favorite?  We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment below or e-mail chiefgeek@gadgetreviewworld.com

Pocket Cameras – Toys or Tools? (Kodak Zi6)

Over the last few of years, the consumer electronics market has been deluged with small pocket video cameras. Just recently, they started to be classified as “HD” because their image size and frame-rate meets the definition. There are limitations, however. You do “Get what You Pay For”. But can these simple inexpensive cameras be used to create more than family movies — even “professional” results? In many ways, yes.

First, the limitations:
-Just because the image is HD in size, the approximately $100 Zi6 sensor is not equal to much higher priced HD cameras such as a HVX-200 from Panasonic (MSRP $6,300). The Zi6’s image suffers in low light, however it’s surprisingly good for a $100 camera.
-It’s more difficult to get smooth footage: This is a lightweight pocket camera you hold in your hands – how steady are your hands? You’ll know in a few seconds when you shoot with this camera. There is no image stabilization on this camera.
-No external mic input, though no camera at my purchase time had this feature in the sub $100 price category.

The advantages:
-You can take it anywhere! Put it in your pocket! Try that with a 5.5lb HVX-200.
-It records on virtually ubiquitous SD cards. But don’t use the cheap ones. You’ll need the faster class 6 cards. They’ll cost you 10’s of dollars, compared to 100’s of dollars for the proprietary P2 cards used in the HVX-200.
-If you shoot in bright light the image looks surprisingly good on YouTube and compares favorably to much higher priced cameras.
-The on-camera mic is pretty good as long as you stay close to your subject and the background noise is not overpowering

My review:
There are some really useful features about this camera for a serious user: The camera uses rechargeable AA batteries that can be found anywhere. The same with the SDHC cards that are used to record the video. If you’re shooting a lot, you can easily carry spares so you don’t have to stop to recharge the camera or download the video. The lens has a macro setting that allows you to get within a couple inches of an object and be in focus. These are great features to have when I shot for my wife’s running club. See the video on YouTube here. They ran a 204-mile marathon from Gonzales, Texas to the Sam Houston monument in Houston. The team spent 36-hours on the road and I had the Zi6 with me.

How to get good results with these small cameras:
-Shoot where there is light. Keep the sun or bright windows behind you. Don’t shoot in backlit situations.
-Hold the camera steady. Brace your arms against your body. Use your body to help with pans and tilts. Avoid holding the camera one-handed in an outstretched arm.
-Be close to speakers so the sound doesn’t sound too hollow.
-Tell a story.

There is now a 2nd generation of these cameras on the market that have external mic inputs and image stabilization, but these features won’t make up for bad technique. If you give Picaso a pencil and paper what comes from it? A masterpiece! The same applies here: good videography and good storytelling come from the gray matter between your ears, not from the camera in your hands.

Do you have experience with pocket video cameras? We want to hear from you! Please leave your comments and remember: “Technology is your Friend!”

Thanks for reading!
-John (aka Founding Geek).

Blu-ray: Will it Survive?

Question: Do you prefer your entertainment to be at the Highest Quality and be less convenient OR do you prefer your entertainment to be convenient in substitution for Higher Quality? Let the battle begin.

Over the last couple of years, we have seen Blu-ray disc player prices dramatically decrease. Rumor has it: This Black Friday…Blu-ray players for 99 bucks! After these drastic price reductions, you would think people would flock to purchase their very own unit but this is not happening. The market is showing very little growth in Blu-ray player ownership. Why? My theories:
#1: The discs are very expensive. A single disc can cost $35.
#2: You need the right components to make Blu-ray worthwhile. 1080p TV, HDMI cable, Nice Surround Sound amplifier and speakers, etc.
#3: Our ipod generation wants it now!…That’s right…Instant Gratification. The Apple iTunes store has taught us that we no longer have to wait for our entertainment but just merely click. Why go the store when you can watch movies online, on your smart phone, or even better…have them streamed to your TV? Movie streaming pioneers such as Netflix, Yahoo Movies, Apple TV, and services such as cable, TiVo, and satellite pose possible threats to Blu-ray because they give us the ability to watch our movies on demand.

More and more, we our becoming a society of convenience. The Internet has made information global and easy to discover. Carrying around physical media just does not cut it. Generally, convenience and pricing are what have made electronic products succeed and fail. Example, Betamax movies versus VHS movies. VHS movies were cheaper to make therefore drawing the consumer in more.

Digital content via the Internet versus Blu-ray media:
A Blu-ray disc costs close to thirty dollars. Buy the HD version of the same movie on iTunes and the cost is twenty dollars. Purchasing the digital version also allows you to put the movie on your AppleTV, ipod, or computer. Last point; buying a movie off the web lets me avoid SUV driving Soccer Moms from crushing my Honda Civic. This is Ricardo Amell (Correspondent GEEK for John Ahren’s Gadget Review World), signing off…

To Leave Feedback:
Ricardo Amell
rickyamell@gmail.com

Pen Tablet to the rescue!

If you’re starting to get that tingly feeling in your wrists it’s a warning. You could be showing symptoms of carpel-tunnel syndrome. Perhaps a Pen Tablet could help.

Hey I’m not a doctor, but if you prefer to treat the cause of the problem, or better yet prevent carpel-tunnel altogether read my earlier post about my own experience.

The pen tablet has been a key factor in eliminating discomfort in my wrists. Try this simple exercise to understand how poor ergonomics using a typical mouse can cause problems for some people:
1.) Sitting down at your computer in an armless chair, put your hand at your side. Make sure it’s relaxed.
2.) Lift your arm from the elbow, and rest it on the table. Notice that your hand is resting on the “pinky” side of your hand, with the thumb on top.
3.) Now, grasp the mouse as you would work with it. Notice how your wrist twists and possibly bends? A pen tablet can help eliminate the twisting and bending in your wrists and perhaps reduce injury.

I have two pen tablets that I have purchased. One is in my home study, the other is with my computer at work. Both are made by Wacom and are Graphire models that are discontinued. They were priced at roughly $100, and easily hooked up to a MAC or Windows machine.

Outside of the possible health benefits, there are many useful operational and creative advantages.
1.) Multiple pointing modes: Mouse, pen, multi-touch finger
2.) You can customize the way the pen, mouse, or even your finger are used with individual programs. That feature can be a major productivity boost when you switch from Microsoft Word to Adobe Photoshop. The included software keeps track of which tool and the software you are using.
3.) You can write or markup documents as though you were writing on paper.
4.) A pressure sensitive pen makes the process of retouching photos or drawing more intuitive. Basically the more pressure you use, the wider the stroke.

Which one should you buy? There are many tablets out there, starting at $70 and going into the thousands. My personal suggestion is to check out the Wacom product line, and compare with others you find.

Do you have experience with a pen tablet and have recommendations? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.

Remember, technology is your friend!
-John (aka Founding Geek)

Apple TV

Convergence between internet and cable/satellite/broadcast has been the buzz for a few years now and Apple TV is one of the first devices to make it easy for the average consumer. All you need is high speed internet, a network (wired or wi-fi) and the cables to hook up your HDTV. Setup is simple.

I purchased my Apple TV in June 2007. It’s worked flawlessly for over two years now. Of course you can listen to music through your entertainment system and watch recent movies and TV shows on your TV. With the software upgrades Apple has added the ability to send audio from the Apple TV to any other sets of speakers connected to your network. I have an Apple Airport Express in my study and also my wife’s study. In effect we can pump out The Beatles to Beethoven to every corner of our house.

The big surprise to me…
… was that I would become hooked on video podcasts and YouTube videos. There is lots of useful information on podcasts. Whether your interests are in gadgets, cooking, pets, broadcast news repeats, whatever; you’ll find entertainment and useful information in these podcasts. It’s easy to find video podcasts through the iTunes store. I like being able to watch them in the comfort of our den, instead of watching hunched over my computer in the study. You can download podcasts or just stream them over your wi-fi network.

My only request to Apple…
… is to combine Apple TV with the Mac Mini so I can also surf the internet on my HDTV. All you would need additionally would be a bluetooth keyboard and some sort of bluetooth pointing device (mouse). With such a device, we would essentially have full convergence of internet and traditional television content in the comfort of our living room.

In a future post, we’ll discuss how you can add more capability to your Apple TV using a free program called Boxee.

Do you have an Apple TV? We’d like to get your comments. Please click on the link and let us know about your user experience.

Why am I blogging about gadgets? Find out here!

Zagg “z.buds” earphones

I purchased the Zagg z.buds about a month ago and have been using them daily. They offer a number of improvements over the regular free or low cost bud-type earphones.

Features:
–z.buds have heavy rope-like wire instead of the thin plastic (nylon?) wires. This makes them very tangle resistant. When I wrap them up and put them in my pocket, I don’t spend much time untangling them.
–z.buds have an ingenious cable management system (pictures here). Basically you stick your head through a loop created between the earbuds and they stay put whether they’re in your ears or not. (See diagram here.)
–They are offered with or without a microphone. I purchased them for my Palm Pre so I ordered the microphone.
–They have about 6 or 7 different earbud tips so you have the correct size for your ear. Replacements are available on the zagg website.
–z.buds come with a little carry pouch.

Review:
When you open the package, the first thing you have to decide is which eartip to install on the buds.

–Selection of eartip is VERY important. The best way to do this is to listen to music that is familiar to you, and try on the different tips. You should find a set that isolates outside noise and retains fidelity of music. Trust me, the tip makes a huge difference. For me, some didn’t isolate outside noise and made the music tinny. One gave me a muddy sound. However, I did find a couple of tips that fit my ear and significantly attenuated outside noise while providing an accurate reproduction of the music. I like this passive system better than the active noise reduction systems I have tried.

–Cord management system: It works very well once you understand how to wear the z.buds. The trick for me is to make sure that the first retainer-bead is about 12-inches from the buds. You have to make sure that the buds will reach your ears with enough slack so you can turn your head. I can use use the 2nd bead to loop the cable around a shirt button to keep the cable close to my body so my flailing arms to catch the cord.

–integrated phone and volume control: They have changed the arrangement and now both controls are on one switch close to the left earbud. It works well. You can use the controller to start and stop music, end calls, and adjust volume. However, I’m not certain this is the best place for it. For me having a control like this next to my left ear is awkward. I often pull the left bud out as I fiddle with the control. I wonder if a better position would be at the base of the split which would put the control down by my waist.

–Price $69.99 for the version without the mic. $10 more if you want the mic. Pricey compared to the free ones that come with your device, but well worth the value. The quality of components is great. z.buds are proof you get what you pay for. Zagg always has a special running so if you plan to use their invisible shield product you can get some good savings.

–Conclusion: Great job Zagg folks. Change the position of the controller/volume control.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Please your experiences with these or other earbuds. Which ones work for you? Which ones don’t?

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)