Tech News For Busy People

Cutting the Cord - Is it possible?

2011-08-04T09:49:00.001-05:00

Can you cut the cord?

I first heard this term on the TWiT Network and was intrigued yet skeptical of the idea. The phrase coined "Cut the Cord" has come to mean, GASP, cutting off your cable or satellite TV service and using alternative sources of "tv" content.

Is it actually possible to use alternative sources of tv content, not subscribe to cable or satellite, and meet all of your television needs? I would say a resounding yes. First, no one actually NEEDS television content. I would dare say that much of the content on television is just trash. Some of it is moral garbage. Some of it has horrible plots / writers. Some of it has terrible acting. All of that notwithstanding, no one even NEEDS the content that doesn't fall into one of the above categories. Let's be honest, you could be spending your time on more noble causes (i.e. spiritual, physical, mental, professional growth, family time, home improvement projects, volunteering, etc.). But I digress. We're here to talk about us some Television WOOO HOOO.

With the last question in mind of actual "need", you can approach this next section from a different perspective. What content or channels do you actually need. You need to perform an inventory of the programming (shows & channels) that you consume on a regular basis and write it down. This will help you identify what products or services you will need as alternative sources of TV.

Next you will need to consider the costs. There's investment into new equipment, cancellation fees of current service, if any, and actual monthly savings, if any, by switching to the alternative source(s). If you are like most households on cable or satellite, you are paying anywhere from $70 to $150 per month for your service. Most can get by with Netflix and Hulu Plus for paid alternative sources, along with the many free content providers. The 2 of these services combined is only $16 (+ tax as of this writing) per month. You can see the significant savings already. Cancellation fees can be a bit hefty though. Dish Network for example is $17 / month times the number of months remaining in your contract. That could equal 200 - 300+ bucks... just to cancel. Ouch. But do the math. That's $17 + $16 / month. $33 / month is still a significant savings over $70 - 150 / month. The cost of new equipment to start using alternative sources are as follows:

1. Roku 2 XD - $79

2. Amplified Antenna for Off-Air HD local channels - $40

3. AppleTV (optional for YouTube, Airplay, HD movie / TV show rentals) - $99

With the hardware and services listed above, you can access most if not all of the content / channels that you normally consume using your existing cable or satellite service. With Netflix, you can watch (on-demand) movies and TV shows from past generations or current content. Whole seasons of past TV shows are available on-demand. There is also up-to-date TV episodes as well from some content providers such as the Disney Channel. Hulu has a similar service but typically with more current, up-to-date content. There is definitely some overlap between the 2 services, but at $8 / month each, you can afford to have both and make up for any gaps in either of the 2 services. Both Netflix and Hulu Plus have free trials so you can "taste test" each service. And you don't need any of the above equipment to try them out. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection and you're on your way to getting a taste of freedom from the cable and satellite TV providers. This is where having that aforementioned inventory of your currently watched channels / shows will come into play. Verify that you will be able to watch your usual shows by using the off-air local HD TV channels, Roku / AppleTV with Netflix and Hulu Plus. Be honest with yourself about each show that you watch. Do you REALLY watch that show that often. Would you just "die" without it. These are very important to consider and weigh against the significant savings over cable / satellite.

Something else to keep in mind is the additional content that is available on Roku and AppleTV that is FREE outside of Netflix and Hulu Plus. There's the NASA Channel, NASA Edge, Revision 3, TWiT network, CNET, Newscaster (aggregates news from CNN, Fox, NBC, CBS, and more), Medical channel, and much more on Roku. Then there's rental of HD TV shows and movies from the iTunes store on AppleTV, plus a TON of video podcasts on all types of topics for free in the iTunes podcast directory on AppleTV. Trust me when I say, you can watch TV for hours using these above free and inexpensive services using the 3 pieces of hardware above. You may even miss one of your favorite shows for a month or two. But you'll soon forget about it with all of the content available to you. Much of it commercial free.

To see listings of available programming, see:

iTunes podcast directory from iTunes (free) on your Mac or PC
Roku's website for available free and premium channels
Hulu's website for available shows
Netflix's website for a free trial to browse through available movies & TV shows
Your local TV guide for shows available from free, local, HD, off-air channels

I know it can seem impossible, scary, or even possibly difficult to make such a transition. But its not as difficult as you may think. And remember you can try all of this out using your computer before making the switch. For $50 - $100+ in monthly savings, its worth the consideration. Plus more content and on-demand content (without the need for DVR).

Think about it.

Google+ and Facebook - To Leave or Not to Leave

2011-08-03T11:14:00.003-05:00

Google+ and Facebook
To Leave or Not to Leave
That is the question

I'm a huge fan of Google services. I use Google Apps, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Voice, Google Chrome, Blogger, and of course, Google Search. I participated in the Google Wave beta and loved it. But when Google+ (aka plus) came out, I wasn't sure if it was worth all the hype, or worth trying out. But then I received an invitation to Google+. I've used the new Google service for about 2 weeks. But it seems like 2 months. Its familiar, comfortable. Maybe partially because of my experience with Facebook and MySpace, maybe partially due to the familiar Google "feel". I've heard / read from a few that its just another Facebook. "It looks just like it. Why would I switch?" But, its not. I assure you.

Pros

Familiar Google feel
Easy-to-use, Clean interface / navigation
Better Privacy Control through Circles
Better flexibility with controls over individual posts, etc.
Hangouts (awesome video conferencing tool)
Integration with existing Google services (i.e. you can +1 a search result in Google Search)
Cleaner navigation of notifications
Sparks (quick access to news feeds / topics of interest)
Great mobile app for accessing / posting on the go
Beautiful, consolidated view of friends photos, your photos, your mobile photos, etc.
Simple management of Friends, Family, Acquaintances
No spam
No Farmville
No Angry Birds
A chance to start over with a clean set of friends
Ability to separate friends from acquaintances

Cons

Low Traffic (due to low friend count, due to beta status) - But more friends join weekly

The only thing left to be seen is whether or not it can pick up and maintain enough steam to stay alive (why do I suddenly hear the Bee Gees in my head? Great! Another ear-worm to try get out). Many Google projects have made it to the mainstream, and some have become the de facto standard (i.e. Search). But many have gone to the Google graveyard never to be seen again (wave, buzz, etc.). This gives reason to pause and consider whether or not its a safe bet to leave or not to leave Facebook. Thus far, many of my friends, family, co-workers have joined me on Google+ already... and I've only been on for 2 weeks and its a closed, invitation only, beta.

With all the privacy issues, spam, wall posts about stupid games, and lumping of everybody into a group called "Friends", I think it maybe time to make the permanent transition to G+ and leave FB behind.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, G+ experiences, FB experiences, and if you're considering leaving FB for G+.

64 or 32 - Does it make a difference?

2011-03-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

Snow Leopard - Mac OS X - 64 or 32 bit

Are you running your Mac in 64-bit Kernel mode?
Are you utilizing all of your RAM?
Can your Mac actually run FASTER than it currently is now?
Is your current hardware & software capable of running in 64-bit mode?

The answers may surprise you.

Most users of Snow Leopard, with exception of Macbook Pro 2011 and the latest-gen Mac Pros users, are actually running in 32-bit Kernel Mode. The fastest way to tell if you are running in 64-bit Kernel Mode or not is to click on the Apple Menu, then choose About This Mac, then click More Info. Then on the left-hand side, scroll down to and click on Software. Finally, on the right, look for 64-bit Kernel and Extensions: Yes or No. If yes, then you are running in 64-bit Kernel Mode.

So, why does it matter? I don't know about you, but one of the new features of Snow Leopard, when it was about to be released, that I was really excited about was the fact that it was a 64-bit OS. Remember the promise of 64-bit processing and access to RAM above 4Gb? I don't have definitive proof yet, and the Apple Care (Senior Support Advisor) representative didn't have concrete documentation to confirm or deny, although he did agree with my theory, I suspect that my Macbook Pro (2010 model) was not using all of my 8Gb of RAM while running in 32-bit Kernel mode.

Everything, now that I'm running in 64-bit mode, seems to run much faster. And I have more free memory available after opening my usual (daily) applications, which includes a Win7 virtual machine running in Oracle / Sun Virtual Box with 1Gb of RAM. And opening and closing apps has become much faster as well. For example, when resuming the aforementioned Win7 virtual machine under 32-bit mode, it would take 1 1/2 minutes to resume OR suspend. Now, under 64-bit mode, it takes 8 - 10 SECONDS! Even boot-up / login time has decreased significantly. Makes me say, "Where has this information been? Why didn't I know about this a year ago?"

The question of compatibility always comes up when the discussion of 64-bit OS's come to the table. I'm not sure its even possible in Windows Vista or Win7, but in Snow Leopard you can make the switch to 64-bit, try out all of your hardware and software to determine compatibility, then if need-be, make the switch back to 32-bit without any major hassle. It's literally a 1 line command in the terminal window and a reboot to make the switch to or from 64-bit Kernel mode.

I had one piece of hardware, that has given me issues in the past anyway, that does not have 64-bit drivers and will no longer work. All of my software, so far, is working fine; even IF its only a 32-bit app.

Open the Activity Monitor application and sort by Kind. There you will be able to determine what apps and / or processes are 64-bit. More and more applications are being re-written to take advantage of the new 64-bit architecture in Snow Leopard. Well over 1/2 of all processes running on my Macbook Pro are 64-bit.

So what are you waiting for? Give it a try and post your results here.

Just use the link below to the Apple.com support article for information regarding making the switch (doesn't have to be permanent) to 64-bit architecture.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3770

iPad2 - Bye Bye Home Button?

2011-03-14T14:04:00.002-05:00

iPad 2 - Bye Bye Home Button?

Can you really use your iPad2 (and original iPad for that matter) without the Home button? Yep. It's true. You can. With a 4+Gb download @ $5 from the Mac App store and few clicks, you can enable great multi-touch gestures on the iPad 1 & 2.

Register your Apple ID as a developer. You can do this on Apple’s developer site, and this membership is free. This will give you access to the tools you need to put your iPad in development mode.
Download and install XCode 3 or 4 and the iOS SDK. You can download XCode 3 from Apple’s site or download XCode 4 from the Mac App Store for $5. The iOS SDK comes with both of these releases.
Plug in your iPad to your mac with USB, and Lauch the XCode app, which should be in the “/Developer/Applications” folder on the root of your Mac OS X install volume.
In the “Organizer” window of XCode, you should see your iPad in the list of devices. Click on your iPad, and then click the “Use for Development” button on the “Summary” tab of the device pane.
A popup will appear asking you to login as a developer. Simply hit “Cancel,” and your iPad will still be put into developer mode.

Then under General in the iPad settings, turn Multitasking Gestures to ON.

Then ENJOY!

iPad 2 - It's finally here!

2011-03-02T12:56:00.000-06:00

Probably the biggest news of the event... Steve Jobs is at the event. Lots of applause.

Today's big announcement - iPad 2

Front and Rear facing camera
33 % thinner (thinner than the iPhone4)
A5 (faster - dual core) processor
Available in black and white
Available in 3G for ATT / Verizon
10 hour battery life
Starting @ $499
1.3 lbs (lighter than iPad 1 @ 1.4 lbs)
16 / 32/ 64 Gb models available
Available March 11
5 of the 6 models are under competitors $799 price point
Dock connector HDMI mirrored video output
1080p output of what is on the screen - works with all apps (THIS IS HUGE - Kevin's comment)
iOS 4.3

Improved Safari performance
JavaScript 2x as fast
Stream music from iTunes on PC / Mac to iPad
Better integration with AppleTV (streaming video from apps / Safari)
Switch on side - mute or rotation lock
Photo Booth on iPad 2
FaceTime (between 2 iPads / iPhone/iPod touch / Mac

iMovie for iPad available

Precision editor
Multi-track editor
$5

Garage Band for iPad

Touch instruments. Plug in guitar and play real instruments if you want. Guitar amps and effects, 8 track recording and mixing, 250+ loops to add, and you can e-mail AAC file of your song, and it's compatible with the Mac version.
Sampler built-in

Back to the Mac - Apple Press Event - Oct 20, 2010

2010-10-20T10:19:00.021-05:00

Back to the Mac - Oct 20, 2010

In case you missed the live broadcast of the Apple live press event "Back to the Mac", here is a summary of the Apple news.

New version of iLife - 2011

iPhoto

Better full screen views
Better integration w/ social networking
Improved Coffee Table book creation

iMovie

Improved Audio Editing
Trailer creator
Improved sharing to more video sharing sites

Garage Band

Groove Time added
Flex Time (from Logic) added
New & Improved music lessons

FaceTime

FaceTime for Mac introduced

OS X Future

10.7 - Lion
Bringing concepts back to the Mac from iOS
Multitouch
Mac App Store

One-click downloads
auto installs
auto app updates
apps will be licensed to use on all of your personal Macs

Launchpad - app home screens
Mission Control
Release date of Summer 2011

Macbook Air

New version announced
.68 inch thin at its thickest point
2.9 pounds
Unibody construction
Glass trackpad
13.3 inch LED Backlit
1440 x 900 pixels
Core 2 Duo processor
NVIDA Geforce Grahpics
FaceTime Camera
All Flash Storage

instant on
2x faster than hard drives
More reliable
90% smaller and lighter

7 hour batter life with WiFi on
30 day standby time
Smaller 11.6 in display model also available

5 hour battery life
$999

Apple Press Event - Sept 1, 2010

2010-09-01T13:13:00.001-05:00

So what's all the hype and anticipation about from the September 1, 2010 Apple Press Event?

1. Update regarding new Retail Stores - Paris store. Very beautiful. Shanghai China store. 40 ft high glass cylinder entrance. London store. Coven Garden. Massive store. One room just for iPads. Nice mix of old and new architecture. 300 Total Retail Stores in 10 Countries. Opening soon in Spain. 80,000 One to One classes per week.

2. iOS review - made iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad possible. 120 million iOS devices sold. 230,000 new iOS devices activated per day. Upgrades not included. 6.5 Billion apps downloaded from the app store (200 apps every second). 250,000 apps available for purchase.

3. iOS 4.1 release announced today. Included bug fixes including Proximity Detector, Bluetooth, iPhone 3GS performance issues. HDR photos, HD Video upload over WiFi, Game Center (multi-player games).

4. iOS 4.2 sneak peek - mainly for iPad - coming soon. Wireless Printing, Multi-tasking, Airplay (streaming of audio, video, & photos over WiFi) - November release date.

5. iPods - 275 million iPods sold to date. This year - all-new designs for all models.

iPod Shuffle - small, buttons are back, voice-over and clip stays, 15 hours of music playback, available in 5 color for $49.
iPod Nano - buttons are gone, smaller than previous generations, Multi-Touch based controls, clip added, built in FM Radio & Clock. 24 hour battery life (audio playback). GUI appears to be a lite version of iOS. 7 colors available.
iPod Touch - Thinner, Retina Display, A4 chip, 3-axis Gyro, iOS 4.1, FaceTime with front facing camera. HD Video recording on rear camera. 40 hours of music playback. Basically iPhone4 without the phone / 3G capability. Starting @ $229.

6. iTunes review - 11.7 billion songs, 450 million TV episodes, 100 million movies, 35 million books, 160 million accounts.

Announcing iTunes 10. New logo - no more CD in the logo. Slightly updated navigation.
Ping - social networking for iTunes (all about music). You can now "follow" people in iTunes regarding their favorite songs, recent posts, where they are in concert (if they're an artist), etc. You can post your favorite songs and have people follow you.
Available today for Mac and iPhone and iPod touch.

7. Apple TV - New generation - 1/4 the size of last gen. Small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. HDMI connector, Ethernet, WiFi, remote. Stream music from computer if desired. Rentals instead of purchase. No storage. Stream content from your computer. $4.99 for HD first run movies. $.99 HD TV show rentals - commercial free. So far ABC & Fox are on board with TV Shows. Netflix streaming. YouTube streaming. Flickr photo viewing. MobileMe streaming. iTunes Podcasts streaming. Radio stations. Stream videos from your iPad to your AppleTV. New price - $99! Available in 4 weeks.

iOS 4 is Here - What say YOU?

2010-06-21T15:23:00.001-05:00

What's New

Multi-tasking
Folders
Unified Inbox
iBooks
Home Screen Wallpaper
Tap to Focus Video
5x Digital Zoom
Faces & Places in Photos
App Gifting
Bluetooth Keyboard Support
& more

Review
So far I've used & love:

Multi-tasking
Folders
Unified Inbox

Quirks

Folders (sometimes difficult to get the app to drop into a folder instead of shifting positions)
iBooks (was not installed with the OS update - Had to download it - free)
Multi-tasking (app must be iOS4 / Multi-tasking aware. Example - Pandora app had to be updated TODAY to take advantage of multi-tasking. Expected that to be in last Pandora update in the last few weeks)

Over all, I love the new iOS 4 update to the iPhone 3GS. Navigation / new features were fairly intuitive. Responsiveness is still just as snappy as prior to the upgrade. I love being able to keep Pandora playing in the background and still text, read email, and surf the net. BOUT TIME! I've managed to turn 6 pages of apps into 1 page of folders. Nice. And not having to go back, back, back, AHHHHH, just to get to the next mailbox in Mail is a much welcomed update. The added Multiple Exchange Account Support is nice too, as I have multiple Exchange accounts and was previously forced to set one of those up as IMAP and lost the contact / calendar syncing ability. So far the phone, running under the new OS, has not crashed, froze up, slowed down, shown errors, lost data or apps, or any other negative side effect. Of course, I would expect the folks at Apple to do a great job at not only developing a great, new, much anticipated, much needed update to their OS, but also at testing it as well. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars... so far.

So.... What say YOU! Have you downloaded and tried out the new iOS from Apple? What version of iPhone are you using? Are you wanting iOS 4 on your iPad THAT MUCH MORE?

Kevin "Mr. IT" Golden

Tech News for Busy People

Unprotected WiFi @ home = fines for owners - coming to America?

2010-05-26T12:09:00.000-05:00

There was a recent article on ZDNet regarding a law in Germany that fines owners of WiFi networks, even in homes, that are unsecured. Is that type of a law coming to America? SHOULD it come to America? We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Not to turn this into a political blog, but I personally feel that the less government involvement into the personal lives of citizens, the better. That being said, you most definitely should lock down your WiFi network in the office or at home.

There are 2 main ways to lock down your WiFi network. You may choose to do one or both. They both have their pros & cons. The first, and most commonly used method, is Encryption. Older model WiFi access points (or routers) used WEP and the newer ones have WEP and WPA (in various forms). The second method is MAC address filtering. No this isn't a way for PC lovers to lock out Apple Mac users, but a fairly secure method of locking out ANYONE except devices with specific MAC (or physical) addresses.

Encryption not only helps to prevent non-authorized users from gaining access to your network, but also encrypts the data flowing to / from your wireless devices; so that should someone intercept the signal, the data would be "gibberish" to the "hacker". The downside to this method is that it does use some overhead and "robs" available bandwidth from users on the WiFi network. This is most obvious on older 802.11b WiFi networks, especially with many users, as they only provide 11Mbps to begin with. The newer models of WiFi routers (802.11g, n) provide more available bandwidth and the slowdown isn't as noticeable.

MAC address filtering provides, in my opinion, more protection from unauthorized users than Encryption, as MAC (physical) addresses are harder to "spoof" (or fake) than cracking an encryption key, and as the admin of the WiFi network, you know exactly whom you have given access to, as you enter the MAC addresses into the WiFi network device. With encryption, one authorized user can give out the encryption key without your permission, allowing unauthorized users onto the network. The downsize to the MAC filter method, of course, is that you have to take the time to enter these MAC addresses, typically with many alpha-numeric characters, into your WiFi device.

Is your WiFi Network secure?
Which method do you use?
After reading this article, will you now secure your network, or change the method of security?

Numerous articles on setting up Encryption
MAC Address Filtering How-To

I'm a Mac commercials get the ax - Did they convince you?

2010-05-26T09:12:00.000-05:00

A recent blog post (from another site) was posted posing the question, due to the announcement that Apple is ceasing its I'm a Mac commercials, "Were you convinced to purchase a Mac due to the I'm a Mac commercials?" - It's a great question and I'd be interested to hear your responses. My response to the original blog posting is below.

I’ll admit, I drank the koolaid and was swayed by the commercials. Nearly everything that the commercials portrayed by the PC were problems I experienced on a regular basis (or was fixing on some user’s PC). But it took more than the commercials to convince me.

I WORK in the IT field; surrounded by PC’s. I had finally had enough and after many conversations and questions to a close friend of technical saavy, I took the leap to Mac.

I LOVE my Macbook. I never once said, “I love my PC”. I still have my work-issued Dell laptop with Windows, but I never use it. I’m not only an IT professional, but also a business owner, web designer, and professional musician. I use my Macbook for all of these tasks and it works without a hitch and has a “natural fluidity” to it.

I’ll give MS props for Windows 7. It is finally a step in the right direction. I use my Win7 laptop to play Pandora through; so its basically a jukebox. Maybe THAT’s why I haven’t had any problems with it recently.

Hi, I’m a Mac and I’ll never go back

Kevin "Mr. IT

Windows 7 - Is it worth upgrading?

2010-05-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

WinXP to Win7: Worth upgrading? - Probably
Windows Vista to Win7: Worth upgrading? - Most Definitely
Performance: Vista or Win7 - Hands down, Windows 7 performance is much better
Performance: XP or Win7 - If you are using a multi-core / multi-proc PC, Win7 is faster than XP
XP or Vista to Win7 upgrade cost: $120 (home premium), $200 (professional), $220 (ultimate)
XP to Win7 upgrade path: "Custom" only. Not a true upgrade. Programs & settings lost. Backup required. Re-installation of programs required. Reconfiguration of custom settings required.
Vista to Win7 upgrade path: Full upgrade available. Programs, files, settings remain intact (although we suggest you still do a custom, backup everything, perform a 'clean' install of Win7, reinstall apps, etc).
Win7 32-bit or 64-bit: Stick with the 32-bit. Better compatibility. No compelling reason for 64-bit version of Win7
Purchase / pricing information here
Performance tests here
Why Win7 over XP - Video Tours here

Courtesy of ZDNet.com

Windows 7 vs. Mac OS X? - We'll leave that to the philosophers... for now.

3G vs WiFi only (Apple iPad)

2010-05-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

Will you need Inet access everywhere - Yes
Will you take your iPad almost everywhere you go - Yes
Is AT&T's 3G and the iPad 3G required to be online everywhere - No
Are there alternatives to AT&T's 3G - Yes
Are 4G wireless data plans available - Yes
Is 4G really up to 10 times (or more) faster than 3G - Yes
iPad WiFi only - $499 (16Gb model)
iPad 3G + WiFi - $629 (16Gb model)

One question I get all the time about the iPad is WiFi only model or 3G? There are some factors to consider when making this decision. Ask yourself this question: Do my usual daily "stomping grounds" ALL provide WiFi hotspots? Don't kid yourself. You WILL want to take your iPad with your practically everywhere you go?
Otherwise, why even buy one. I "convinced" myself that everywhere I normally go on a weekly basis will have WiFi; and most of them do. But I have found that there were several places that I didn't consider in my analysis, and ended up wishing I had Internet access. Unless you are a very stationary person, it is my opinion that you will experience the same. So bottom line, you'll need some sort of Internet access with you everywhere you go. But that doesn't necessarily mean you need the 3G model of the iPad.

AT&T (as of this writing) has 2 plans for the 3G version of the iPad. $14.99 with a limit of 250Mb of data per month. If you NEVER plan on watching video from the Internet (read about the cool ways to view video from the Internet in my iPad review posting here), then this 250Mb limited data plan MAY be enough for you. If not, AT&T has an "unlimited" (read the fine print as always) plan for $29.99 per month. There is no contract required with the AT&T plan.

There are alternatives to the AT&T 3G plan that you can purchase for your iPad (3G model only). Remember you only need a WiFi access point (hotspot) to gain access to the Internet with the WiFi only model of the iPad. Sprint and ClearWire are offering data plans that provide you with your own Personal WiFi Hotspot that gives not only YOU access to the Net but up to 4 additional people. It is password protected for your privacy. And the best part is, these plans are 4G. I have personally used Sprint's Overdrive 4G hotspot and seen speed tests from 4 - 14 Mbps. The experience is much improved over AT&T's 3G service. The Sprint Overdrive goes for around $100 and the service is about $45 - 50 per month. Sprint uses the ClearWire 4G network, so using the ClearWire service should be about the same. ClearWire is currently offering a plan for both the house and a mobile hotspot for $55 per month. There are contracts required with the Sprint & ClearWire plans. See Sprint.com and ClearWire.com for coverage, data plan, contract, and device purchase details.

iPad Review

2010-05-13T16:37:00.005-05:00

Pros:

Affordable, mobile alternative to laptop (for non power users)
Totally new class of computing device
Gorgeous Video
10 hour battery life
Thousands of incredible apps
Email, web surf, YouTube, movies (NetFlix), gaming, news consumption from virtually anywhere
Remote control / administration of desktops, laptops, and servers - on the go (VPN, VNC, Remote Desktop)
Enjoy your photo, video, and music library (iTunes)
Purchase music, movies, and TV shows right from iPad (no connection to computer required)
eBook reader in full color
Powerful processor for mobile device

Cons:

No Camera
No USB expansion slots
No support for Flash - (Apple's response to no Flash support)
Fingerprints collect fast on screen - (How to clean your iPad screen)
Minor WiFi issues on some models sold - (Apple to address WiFi issues)
No Multitasking, unified inbox, folders, or multiple Exchange support - (Addressed in OS 4.0 this fall)

I've had my iPad for about 6 weeks now (yes I drank the koolaid and stood in line on release day), and I absolutely love it. For a version 1 model, it has surpassed the expectations of most. The fact that, even with the critics shooting it down before it came out, and it being a whole new unknown class of computing device, it still has sold 1 million units in the 1st month (US only) during a recession is nothing short of amazing. It is a testament to the genius of Apple marketing, but also to the quality of product that it is. Sure 300,000 sold the first day, but after that word of mouth and personal demonstrations had to sell the remaining 700,000 over the next 30 days. It surpassed even Apple's expectations. The demand was higher than expected. Stores ran out of stock. The international release date was even pushed back. That's a good problem for Apple to have.

I have found that I spend less time behind the desk, and more time on the couch or in bed; and I still get as much, if not more done than before. I'm able to take this onsite to client sites and move about freely throughout the office while resolving tech issues without having to return to a desk to use a laptop for accessing network resources, servers, or workstations. Both productivity and personal media consumption have increased. I've even replaced my Macbook laptop with my iPad for playback of my MIDI sequences in live musical performance venues (after rendering out the MIDI sequence to audio of course).

I enjoy even the smallest of uses of the iPad, such as the photo "Picture Frame" mode for displaying select photo albums, and the Aquarium app for running in the background as I work from my Macbook laptop.

Have you ever sat at the tire or auto shop for hours wishing you had something to do besides read 3 month old magazines (most likely on topics you care nothing about)? The iPad is the perfect solution to that problem. Surf the net, check and reply to email, listen to your huge library of music, watch a movie from NetFlix, or just read news from USA Today, NY Times, or create your own paper with the Early Edition app (using RSS feeds from news sources or Twitter feeds). No more wasted, unproductive time while waiting on those auto repairs.

The question I'm often asked is, "Should I get the WiFi only model or spend the extra for the 3G model"? Great question. Look for a future posting on iPad WiFi vs. 3g.

*Apple is not a sponsor of "Mr. IT - Tech News for Busy People"

Pandora Radio - Free vs. Premium

2010-05-13T15:50:00.003-05:00

Pandora.com

Free Version:

Internet based music radio
Free version sufficient for most
Limited to 40 hours of listening hours per month
Great variety of musical genres and artists
Very few ads for free edition users
Moderate quality audio stream
Apps for iPod, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android + web-based for Windows / Mac

Premium Version (Pandora One):

No Ads
Unlimited Daily Skips (6 per hour max due to licensing)
Higher Quality audio stream (192k)
Unlimited listening hours
Internet based music radio
Great variety of musical genres and artists
Apps for iPod, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android
Pandora One desktop app for Windows / Mac

Today I upgraded to Pandora One, the premium paid service by Pandora. For years I've used the free account with practically no issues. It's an incredible service for FREE! Last night I decided to, using my iPad, listen to Pandora all night as I slept. Successful experiment; slept very well.

As a result, I used up the allotted monthly limit of 40 hours on the free account. I've also tired of the limit on skips and commercials playing every few songs. $36 per year is a small price to pay to eliminate those annoyances.

As a note, I could've paid only 99 cents to gain access to the music again with unlimited hours, but it would still have all of the limitations of the free account otherwise.

*Pandora is not a sponsor of Mr. IT - Tech News for Busy People