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Since day one I’ve had a low-end iPad. When purchasing the original iPad I agonized over which model and finally settled on the 16GB Wi-Fi. Over my two years of ownership it worked well for me. Between my home, office and frequent haunts I’m almost always on Wi-Fi and I never even came close to bumping up against the storage limitations, thanks mainly to keeping most of my media library on my iPhone, being mindful of which Apps I was actually using, and taking advantage of cloud storage. Although I was nervous when App sizes started ballooning to support the new iPad retina display, I still found I had a more than adequate cushion.
The lack of data connectivity was never much of a problem. I’m fortunate to have Wi-Fi at home, at work and most places I frequent, but it’s not everywhere. There are a couple times a year when it would be nice to have a data plan for my iPad but I never felt those times occurred often enough to justify the additional price. An extra $130 plus $20 a month minimum for data can buy you more than a couple of instances of connectivity a year in hotels or conferences as necessary.
The base model iPad worked so well for me in the past when 3rd Generation iPad was announced it was without hesitation that I purchased the very same model. But then things started to change. Maybe it was the retina display that made me want to take my iPad with me everywhere. Maybe it was that I was starting to travel a more often for work and was finding myself yearning for ubiquitous connectivity my AT&T iPhone couldn’t give me. Maybe it was just everyone else telling me how awesome LTE is that finally got to me. Either way, I started yearning for 4G.
My original plan was to wait until the next generation iPhone (presumably the iPhone 5 released sometime between June and September) was available with LTE. At that time I’d make the switch to Verizon, lose my grandfathered unlimited data plan anyway and gain the ability to switch on tethering as needed. After all, June/September isn’t that far away. But a couple of out of town trips coupled with a unique opportunity to hand my near new Wi-Fi iPad down was enough to make me jump.
My mother will be the owner of a nearly new 16GB Wi-Fi iPad as a combination Mothers Day/Birthday gift from my father (this post was actually embargoed so as to not spill the beans) and I am the proud owner of a new 16GB 4G Verizon iPad. I’m off to Washington, DC for a conference this week and am planning to take my new 4G iPad with me for a spin. My hotel charges $15 a day for Wi-Fi so my hope is to get by on the iPad’s data plan alone. I also see this as an excellent opportunity to take Verizon’s network for a test drive before switching away from AT&T to see if the grass really is greener on the other side.
Looking forward to trying out my new tech. I’ll let you now how it goes.
I’ve been giving some serious thought lately about my “social media presence.” Over the last year or so I’ve opened up the privacy settings on my Facebook page, allowed people to subscribe to my feed, accepted friend requests from people I really don’t know or would otherwise consider acquaintances and started generally using the platform in a much more public way and as a promotional tool.
People who are a lot smarter than I have started abandoning the platform all together or significantly restricting their profiles due to privacy concerns. I’m about to join them. I’m not leaving Facebook completely, it’s still one of the best ways to keep in touch with friends and family members from afar, see how their kids are growing up and learning what’s going on in their lives. But for me, Facebook is going to become a much more private network.
In the coming month, I will begin the process of locking down my Facebook profile. You’ll already see that links to it are gone from this site and I will no longer be re-publishing blog posts on my personal page. Soon I will also disable my subscription feed and my public posts. Regrettably, I will also begin “unfriending” (that’s such a bad word) people who I do not personally know. If you are unfriended, please do not take offense. Similarly, I will not be accepting friend requests from people I do not actually know.
Don’t fret, are still plenty of ways we can connect. I am becoming more active on this blog and this will remain the central place where you can find all things related to my public online presence. I will also continue to be involved on Twitter and I will maintain the public Mac Power Users page on Facebook and interact with people there.
Thanks for your understanding.
I know you usually read this blog for tech related items. But today is something a little different. My friend Ethan Becerra is on a mission to feed 5000 needy people by this Easter Sunday. He has only three days left to reach his goal. Oh yeah, and he’s 7.
Ethan is the son of my good friends Nick and Heather Becerra. Heather and I practiced law together several years ago when I was first starting out and she and Nick were my first friends in a new town when I was feeling lost and overwhelmed.
Regardless of your background, personal religious believes or nationality, I hope you’ll agree this little boy is doing something remarkable. And yes, Ethan, I’m pretty sure grownups have $2 too.
Below is a short video (1:45) explaining Ethan’s quest as well as links to donate and other media coverage.
Update 2012.04.09: I just received word that thanks to the generous donations from across the globe, Ethan has exceeded his goal of 5000 meals. In total, funds were donated to provide 8,295 meals. Ethan’s new goal: raise enough money to feed 10,000 people by the end of the school year. My personal thanks to everyone who participated.
Way to go Ethan!
Donate to Ethan’s Easter Challenge
Ethan on King 5 News
Ethan’s Easter Challenge from Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission on Vimeo.
With the arrival of the third generation iPad and its enhanced retina display, I started seriously looking at external keyboards to use along with the device. I’ve been thinking about the option of adding a physical keyboard to my iPad for a while and was even more tempted after hearing Harry McCracken sing the praises of his ZAGGFolio on the recent Mac Power Users workflow episode I’ve got a few intense writing projects coming up later this year and I’m really looking forward to getting out and writing more with my iPad rather than always carrying around my MacBook Air (like that’s such a burden).
This past year at Macworld|iWorld I took a close look at the various keyboard options and I also spent a good amount of time reading reviews. I found it basically boiled down to three categories:
1. Keyboard cases
2. Full size keyboards that are compatible with the iPad
3. iPad specific travel (smaller) keyboards
Looking at how I planned to use a keyboard with my iPad I knew I could eliminate the entire category of keyboard cases all together. I think these are excellent options for people who plan to use their keyboard with the iPad on a very regular basis, people who just can’t get comfortable with the iPad on-screen keyboard or people who truly want a more “netbook” experience. But that isn’t me. I primarily see this as a device that I’ll take with me to coffee shops and on day trips and travel where I don’t want to take my laptop. I still see about 90%+ of my iPad use being without the dedicated keyboard and for that I don’t want to add the extra bulk of a keyboard case. I’m very happy with my current minimalist case solution of an Invisible Shield and a Smart Cover.
That left me to decide between the full size keyboard options and the smaller dedicated keyboards that are designed for the iPad. This now becomes a debate between comfort vs. convenience.
In the full size keyboard camp the obvious contenders are the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, the iPad keyboard dock or the Amazonbasics iPad Keyboard. In my mind the only one of these options that made sense was the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. It is the exact same keyboard I’m accustomed to typing on my MacBook Air and without the bulky dock component it has greater portability and flexibility. By comparison, the AmazonBasics keyboard for iPad is a bit less expensive at only $45, but not quite the same keyboard layout and a little more compressed. If I was going to go with a full sized keyboard, I figured having a keyboard that was just slightly different than what I was familiar with would create confusion.
Obvious benefits to a full size keyboard include comfort and familiarity. I have a history of RSI (repetitive stress injury) and I’ve found that ergonomics is key to keeping my hands and wrists happy. The downsides to the Apple wireless keyboard include the lack of portability compared to other keyboards, difficulty charging the battery on the road and problems accidentally activating the keyboard and running down the keyboard battery and/or iPad battery.
On more than one occasion when traveling with the Apple wireless keyboard I’ve accidentally turned it on in my bag and caused it either to completely discharge by the time I needed to use it, or worse, if bluetooth was on, sent signals to my iPad and drained both batteries. I’ve also broken keys as the keyboard was tossed in my travel bag. Of course, with a little pre-planning this can be avoided. I’ve heard of tips such as inserting one of the batteries backwards until the keyboard is ready for use or purchase a case for the keyboard to prevent accidentally turning on the keyboard as well as preventing damage to the keys. I wish the Apple Keyboard had a physical on/off switch rather than the button that’s so easy to activate.
Having tried the Apple wireless keyboard with lackluster results, I decided to try another option this time. At the recommendation of Ed Dale, I decided to try the ZAGGkeys Flex. It’s a simple stand alone keyboard that will work with iOS or Android and pairs via Bluetooth. The keyboard includes a basic case that will protect the keys when in travel and convert into a stand for the iPad or iPhone, though I typically just use my Smart Cover as a stand. I’m also very pleased that the keyboard has a dedicated on and off switch that can be toggled when not in use to prevent the battery from needlessly draining down and charges via micro USB. When I travel I always have my Callpod travel accessory or a micro USB adapter that can charge the keyboard with no problem. No need to carry extra batteries or a custom charger. I also appreciate that it has a row of custom function keys unique to the iPad including a dedicated home, spotlight, show/hide keyboard, cut, copy, paste, lock, and media keys.
Now for the negatives. First and foremost, you do sacrifice some comfort. I am a touch-typist and can easily type over 100wpm on a standard keyboard. I do well enough on the ZAGGkeys Flex, certainly nothing to complain about and much better than my on-screen keyboard. But, it is a non-standard size keyboard means the keys are cramped. Even for someone who has small hands, I do not find typing on it as comfortable as on a full size extended keyboard or even the keyboard on my MacBook Air. I would be fine typing for a few hours off and on, but I’m not going to sit at this keyboard and write a novel. For a blog post or a few hours in a hotel room or a coffee shop, it’s perfect, which is about the usage I’m looking to get out of it. Additionally, while the keyboard has an attractive appearance that complements the iPad, the build quality does not seem up to par with Apple products. It is constructed of cheap plastic and has a somewhat flimsy feel to it. It is lightweight, which travelers will appreciate, but it also doesn’t feel as though it has a quality build. I think people who use this keyboard regularly will find the need to replace it every few years, perhaps more often.
All in all, I’m happy with my purchase and I think it will suit my needs well. It’s small, I’m able to type quickly and efficiently and it can be picked up for around $60 or less on online so it wasn’t overly expensive. In fact I typed this entire blog post using the ZAGGkeys flex on the iPad using Byword for iOS After doing my own research, testing various products and reading reviews from others, I found that choosing an appropriate physical keyboard for the iPad is all about compromise. You have to analyze your needs, determine what factors are most important and go from there. For the causal keyboard user who places high value on portability and convenience I think the ZAGGkeys Flex will fit the bill.
There’s been a lot of talk about iPad batteries with the introduction of the third generation iPad. Some people are reporting decreased battery life, others are reporting longer charging times or possibly that their iPad is no longer charging fully overnight when previous models would. The fact is, the battery in the new iPad is significantly larger than the battery in the first and second generation iPads although it continues to use the same 10w charger. A larger battery with the same power charger is going to require longer charging time.
When I first received my new iPad I noticed problems with battery life including my battery draining faster than normal. However this problem was solved by a simple battery calibration and since then I have noticed my third generation iPad battery life has been about on par with my first generation and I can still charge my iPad from 0 to 100% overnight if I use the proper charger. Seems all the hype about problems with iPad batteries is overblown.
Calibrating the iPad’s battery is simple. When your first receive your new iPad, and every month or so thereafter, run your iPad’s battery all the way down to the point when the device turns itself off due to lack of power and simply will no longer function. Then, plug the iPad in to the Apple 10w charger and allow it to fully charge uninterrupted. Don’t unplug it and plug it back in, don’t play with it, just let it charge. For convenience, it’s best to allow this process to happen overnight or when you’ll be away for the day. For good measure, you may want to let the iPad stay on the charger for a bit after the indicator reads 100%. This process allows the iPad to give you more accurate battery readings. Note that this same process works with iPhones, iPods and Macs too and is good practice for exercising your batteries. I have an OmniFocus task set to remind me to calibrate my batteries once a month.
Also, make sure you’re using the included 10w charger. With my first generation iPad I would regularly use my old iPhone charger to charge it overnight without problems since I had a few spare iPhone chargers laying around. Although you can charge the iPad battery off of a computer’s USB port or off the lower power 5w charger that is included with the iPhone and other USB chargers it is not as efficient. This wasn’t a problem for me when charging the first generation iPad overnight, but with the larger battery on the new iPad it no longer gets the job done. Note that the iPad charger and older iPhone chargers look very similar. Pull out a magnifying glass and look at the fine print on the bottom of the adapter to confirm you’re using the proper 10w adapter.
You can find more information from Apple directly at http://www.apple.com/batteries
I’ve been wanting to write a post for a while now about my frustration with TiVo and John Siracusa summed up most my thoughts and pet peeves perfectly in his recent episode of Hypercritical 58: No More Numbers/The Four Tuners. I really hope someone at TiVo was listening and takes his criticism to heart.
Don’t get met wrong, I absolutely love my TiVos. I have two of them, one TiVo HD in my bedroom and another TiVo HDXL in my living room and I’ve been using the TiVo service since the early 2000s. After looking at other alternatives such as cable company DVRs, Satellite Dish DVRs U-Verse and even a few stand alone products I haven’t seen a thing that even comes close to challenging TiVo. In addition to the hardware related rants that John mentioned on his show, I have a few more philosophical issues with the direction TiVo has taken of late:
1) They’ve failed to innovate. TiVo had the early lead in the DVR space and they have the patents to prove it. In fact a great amount of their income comes form their patent portfolio rather than sales and subscribers. The core functionality of my TiVo and the way it functions is nearly identical to when I started using the service more than 10 years ago. They’ve added some features through partners like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon but their interface certainly isn’t innovate. Their hardware has continued to be overly expensive and underpowered. Poor management, failure of leadership, complacency? I don’t know. But they’ve lost their mojo and I’m not sure they can get it back.
2) Their pricing scheme sucks. When I bought most of my TiVos you bought the box outright and then paid a reasonable monthly fee for the service. $12.95 for the first box, $6.95 for each additional box and they had options for lifetime service (lifetime of the box, not your lifetime) for a couple hundred bucks. Thankfully, I’m grandfathered into those pricing schemes as long as I keep my current TiVos operational. What you get for that monthly fee is programing. The TiVo connects to the TiVo servers and updates the programing guide regularly so the TiVo knows what’s on and when and can schedule recordings accordingly. I get the fee – it makes sense, though even $12.95 seems a little high for what you get. $5 a month seems more realistic.
Now, TiVo has gone with the contract model that everyone *LOVES* with their cell phone carriers. The idea is that you buy the TiVo box for $99 but then pay $20 a month with a minimum one year contract for the service. I thought $12.95 was high for the programing data but $20 is really out there. Now of course it’s so high because they subsidizing the initial purchase price of the box. After the first year, the subscription price only goes down to $14.99 per month, still higher than my original rate and the discount for each addition box only drops to $9.95 or $12.95 depending on your plan. (And why the heck are there extra plans.) Remember – after you’ve supposedly paid off the box. The last thing I and most other people want in their life is another monthly bill they have to budget. $20 a month is a noticeable amount of money for most people.
3) Lastly, Despite the monthly fee- TiVo refuses to bring some of their newer features to their older (though not that old) boxes like my TiVoHD which is perfectly capable from a technical standpoint of running the software. They instead are trying to force you into upgrading to a higher priced box on a higher priced plan. No thank you. My TiVo HDs suit me just fine and I will do everything I can including cracking open the boxes and replacing components to keep them going and my lower monthly service fees in place.
I write this rant not out of hate, but out of love. I love TiVo. And if my TiVo died tomorrow I would do everything I could to fix it or I would go right back out and buy another one. But I’m in the minority. TiVo subscriptions are now and unless and most people are just opting for poorer quality cable company DVRs out of convenience. Unless TiVo is content to just live off its patent royalties and be an IP company they need to make some changes. Please TiVo – get a clue. I want you to survive and I want to be proud of you again!
New year, pre CES and Macworld, rumors of an “Apple Event” in January mean it’s time for Predictions! Everywhere you turn Apple pundits and analysts are throwing their hat in the ring and telling us what we can expect to see from Apple in 2012. Some of the rumors are way out there, some seem to be on point. So I figured I’d join the fray and jot down some thoughts on what I think we can expect from the company for the year to come. My guess is 12 months from now we’ll all look back on this and have a big laugh…
iPhone:
We can expect the iPhone will be upgraded to the much-anticipated iPhone 5 in the Fall of 2012. The new iPhone 5 will bring a re-designed form factor, true 4G data connection and overall improvements to Siri, speed and battery life. I’m not confident the iPhone 5 will be a quad core device, but it’s a very strong possibility if the chips are available that won’t eat too much battery life.
iPad:
The iPad 3 will be released in the spring of 2012 and no surprise will bring improved cameras, a higher resolution display and perhaps a jump to a quad-core processor. If the iPad three goes quad-core I think it’s all but certain the iPhone 5 will follow. Contrary to current rumors, do not think we will see the release of an iPad 3 and the release of an iPad 4 in the same year. I believe Apple will stick to a once a year, or possibly even extended release cycles in the future for the iPad. The iPad 3 will gain Siri support along with 4G networking capabilities. I see a low-end iPad 2 remaining at a lower price point to try to recoup some of the market that may be interested in devices like the Kindle Fire. An 8GB version of the iPad 2 may make sense now, especially given Apple’s growing dependence on Cloud storage. I very rarely come close to filling my 16GB iPad to capacity.
iPods:
I anticipate fairly minimal changes again to the iPod line this year with the possible exception of the iPod Touch. We may see the re-introduction of a camera into the iPod Nano, but no Wi-Fi given the small form factor. I think this will be the year the iPod touch will finally get bumped to 64GB and the Classic iPod will disappear, especially given the emphasis on the Cloud and a $25 subscription to iTunes Match. The iPod Touch will likely see improvements to the screen and camera this year and I will even go out on a limb and say this may be the year we see the option for a an a la carte 3G data plan (similar to the plans offered on the iPad) for the iPod Touch. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if the iPod touch kept with a slower processor and data capabilities to keep overall cost down.
Macs:
This will be an evolutionary year for Macs. We will continue to see the development of the Thunderbolt. There will be the obligatory upgrades across the Mac line with faster processors, graphics cards and a push towards SSDs. I would hope to see Apple make the move to USB 3.0 this year. The major change to the Mac line will be that the 15” MacBook Pro will take on the Air form factor but the 17” will remain for those who refuse to give up the additional peripheral support. The Mac Pro will see a major update in specifications, but I’m afraid it will likely be the last. We may continue to see some increases in overall screen resolution, but I doubt we’ll see any true “retina display” yet in the Mac line due to cost.
Software:
I expect we’ll see updated iLife and iWork suites fairly early in 2012 with more emphasis on Cloud support and sharing. I do not expect an OS upgrade or even a preview in 2012. There will be a new version of iOS previewed and released later this year with continued emphasis on Siri and the cloud. I also expect to see across the line upgrades to Apple’s professional program similar to the changes made to Final Cut in 2011. I expect FaceTime will gain multi-party support and hopefully be updated to incorporate iMessages, IM and video rather than having separate applications across multiple devices. Apple will continue to push their respective App Stores as the distribution point for software.
TV
So far I think my predictions for 2012 have been fairly realistic. The mythical “Apple TV” is an area where I have the most skepticism and concern. I do think that Apple is planning on making its next major move into the area of video entertainment; I’m just not sure whether the time is right to do so in 2012. I also very concerned that this is the area where if not handled correctly, Apple could have its first major flop in many years.
While I think Apple will release an upgraded Apple TV, I’m not convinced that Apple wants its product in this market to be a $1000+ ultra high-end television. While I have no doubts that Apple could produce one heck of a television in terms of quality and experience, how many consumers would spend that kind of money on an all-in-one TV that Apple updates every couple of years with new features when we live in a world of $49 Roku boxes? Everyone I know already has a newish HD television in their living room with no plans to upgrade in the near future.
I think the better move here is to stick with a sub-$200 box, preferably a sub $100 box that will work with all modern TVs currently on the market today and has all the functionality of a truly next-generation Apple TV packed inside. This does put Apple in a bit of a catch-22 here because everyone expecting a “true Apple TV” so anything less may be seen as a disappointment. For those ultra-high end consumers perhaps sell a separate display that incorporates with the next generation Apple TV for the ultimate Apple living room experience.
I had an opportunity to share these predictions along with Ken Ray of Mac OSKen and Victor Agreda, Jr., Editor-in-Chief of The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Episode 133 of the MacTech Live Podcast. You can find a direct link to the show here.
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