Wired Magazine iPad App–an Ironic Fail

I didn’t begin today thinking, “Boy, I better review the Wired Magazine iPad app, or Judie will really get on me”. Nope; I have lots of other stuff on my plate, including news items and reviews of other apps (e.g., Mushroom Age!). But as I sat there waiting–and waiting and waiting and waiting–for the one issue I bought to download, I ended up writing a review in my head, so I figure hey, better get it down. Here’s the history: I loved Wired magazine. Loved it. I used to wait for and immediately read every issue, almost cover-to-cover. Yes, it…

News

iPad App Update of Note- Amazon Kindle for iPad Gets My Favorite iBook Feature

A number of months ago I realized that I needed to choose an e-book platform and stick with it. It made no sense for me to buy some books through Amazon’s Kindle portal and other books through Apple’s iBooks. I needed to choose one or the other and stick with it so that I was consistent in where my books were and how I could access them. Ultimately I decided to go with the Kindle application. My reasons for this were quite simple and clear. First, I already owned a huge number of books that were sitting in my Amazon…

News

iPad App Update- GoodReader For iPad Gets Even Better

Since I use my iPad for work a great deal of the time I have tried a host of productivity apps over the six months I have owned it. This includes my checking out almost every PDF reader in the App Store. Eventually I settled on GoodReader as my PDF app of choice. The reasons for this are numerous. It is easy to use, full featured, constantly improving and… most importantly for me, it renders pages quickly. This is especially important for me since I have replaced most every book- include my prayerbook- with my iPad. I NEED it to…

News

iPad and iPhone App Update- Dropbox-Powered Elements 1.1

I’m using DropBox more and more these days, thanks to a recommendation from Thomas a number of months ago. One of the key apps on my iPad that makes Dropbox even more powerful is Elements. The universal app lets you use Dropbox as a note-taking application on any iOS device; it is a great way to take notes on the go and ALWAYS know exactly where to find them. When Larry first recommended the app to me, it was good… but extremely limited. You could make notes and do some minimal formatting, but that was it. Now Elements has been…

eBooks, News

Zinio Replaced Paper Magazines and Now… Catalogues!

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for the Zinio iPad app. It is a great way to browse, buy and read an ever growing variety of top magazines. I love always having a wide range of magazines with me. And I love the convenience of having an email show up weekly or monthly telling me that my new issue of RollingStone, Macworld or a new favorite, GreenSource, shows up. Well now Zinio has expanded their range of offerings to include three of Macy’s fall catalogues. It is a first for Zinio and a great new way to use Zinio….

News

Apple Updates Keynote, Numbers, and Pages for iPad – Definitely Worth Getting!

If you ask anyone what their biggest complaint was about the iWork apps on the iPad (Keynote, Numbers, and Pages), for many it would be the lack of a simple way to interact with Microsoft Office files and a limited ability to get files on and off the iPad. With a new update to all three applications, those issues are fixed – as are many more! MacRumors has a run-down of the features: Keynote – Export presentations to Microsoft PowerPoint (.PPT) format. – Copy presentations between Keynote and your MobileMe iDisk or a WebDAV service. – Support for audio in…

Reviews

Blue Plate Special Silly Edition: Flip/Bubble Text for iPhone and iPad.

We all use our iPhones and iPads for many daily tasks. Besides gaming, most of these tasks have become quite practical and serious. Sometimes it is fun to just be silly for no good reason with your i device so this week I am bringing you the Silly Edition of the Blue Plate. This app really has no great value other than it is just kind of fun. If you ever get bored with the default text the iPhone allows then it is time to try Flip/Bubble Text for iPhone and iPad. Basically, the app allows users to type anything…

Reviews

Review: Splash ID for iPad

Think about how much information we use on the internet that cannot be avoided, but could be devastating if it landed into the hands of a hacker. I know I have many log ins and passwords that I keep track of. Some of these are to sites that allow for automatic purchasing or may even contain valuable financial information. Then there are bank and credit card accounts and other important information. With all of these different pieces of information, it is hard to keep up with and even harder to keep safe. Consider Splash ID a safe for all of…

Reviews

Friendly-Facebook Browser for iPad Review

My iPad is the first gadget I have owned that seems to constantly grow and change the more I use it. At least once a week I find a new use and grow ever more dependent on my magical little device. I still use my MacBook Pro for most of my writing and heavy computer use, but the iPad is my main media consumption and gaming device. As many of you know, IOS apps are fantastic with the added real estate, and many companies and websites are utilizing the UI and space. With all of the goodness, there is still…

Reviews

Review: PocketAmp For iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad

An exciting new thing is happening in the world of IOS devices! App developers are beginning to utilize the power and UI of Apple products and turning them into electric guitar effects and outputs. I have never hid my love for playing the guitar, and the fact that we can now combine that love with my tech and gadget addiction makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I recently reviewed two hardware adapters that allow the guitar to be played through an iPhone or iPad, and each come with application solutions for the guitar. You can read them…

Editorials

Larry and Dan Serve Up Gear Chat #15

In Gear Chat #15 Larry and Dan talk about their experience with the Magic Trackpad (one kept it, one sent it back), chat about the current Apple hardware rumors and more… Elements app for Dropbox ($4.99) Get it HERE. Fastever ($1.99) Get it HERE. TextExpander Touch ($4.99) Get it HERE. Train Conductor 2 ($.99) Get it HERE. Intro Music- Lean On Me- Sounds From the Ground Solarstone’s Chill Out Remix… (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chillout-a-nettwerk-escape/id258464413)

News

Zinio’s Reading Revolution Campaign! Let Them Eat Cake uhm… Read Magazines

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of Zinio’s awesome iPad app. Since I got my iPad I do most of my reading on it. That includes magazines and I much prefer to use the single Zinio app for all of them to cluttering up my homescreen with lots of individual magazine apps. In addition I love the fact that if I have a magazine through Zinio I can also read it on my iPhone, iPod touch and Mac. That convenience is a huge benefit. Mix in the fact that Zinio now carries over 2700…

News

Google Voice Actions Adds Yet Another Competitor to the Rapidly Emerging Field of Voice as Interface

Last week Microsoft made a huge deal about the voice control that will be part of WindowsPhone 7. I watched the demo video and wasn’t impressed at all. As I posted last weekend, I am still perplexed as to why Microsoft wouldn’t just turn to Nuance and license their time-proven and excellent technology in order to ensure a level of voice control, and voice-to-text transcription that will work perfectly from the start. Now Google has jumped into the ring as well. Their new Voice Action feature is part of a new version of the Voice Search application for Android phones….

News

eWallet for Mac OS X Now Available

I am a huge fan of Ilium software’s eWallet for the iPhone and iPad. It is a great way to keep information on my handheld devices in a manner that is safe and secure but also quickly accessible. The only problem I have had with it is that the desktop version of eWallet was only in Beta and the sync functionality was highly limited. Since I use multiple devices that was a bit of an issue for me. Thankfully that is no longer the case. Ilium has just gone live with the news that eWallet for Mac OS X is…

Reviews

iPad App Review: The Chalkpad

I am a huge fan of diagramming applications. As a coach, I spend countless hours diagramming. X’s and O’s are much more than people think. Not only do we draw plays and defenses to explain to our athletes, but they are used heavily in planning. Football is a game of leverage and numbers. As a defensive coordinator, it is my job to devise a plan to out leverage the offense and get at least one unblocked defender to the point of attack according to the tendencies I have. The way these theories are tested is through diagramming. I spend hours…

eBooks, News

Rolling Stone and Zinio Launch Interactive New Issue and Subscription Bundle Deal

Thanks to the iPad I have moved further than ever away from using paper. When I want a new book I buy it to read with my Kindle app. When I want to take notes in a meeting I use one of a few different iPad apps. When I am doing serious writing I use the app Notebooks and then sync it to my MobileMe account so that it is available everywhere. When I need to create a voice note I do it in Evernote. That way it is available to me everywhere and, thanks to new integration with the…

Reviews

iPhone & iPad App Review: Card Shark Takes a Bite out of Boredom

Feeling a bit bored? Try a daily dose of Card Shark! This card game app works on both the iPad and iPhone size devices. Out of all of the solitaire type card games I have tried, this one is by far the best I have come across in quite a long while. Part of its attraction is the fact that Card Shark offers 48 versions of card games and the developer is adding more on a regular basis. Some of the versions as shown in the below screenshot are FreeCell, GoFish, BlackJack, and my Favorite TriPeaks. There are many card…

News

Pocket Informant HD for iPad Now Available

We had a sneak peek of Pocket Informant HD for iPad back in June. It… is… awesome! At the time we thought the app would be released within a week or so but it took a while longer. Well it is finally live in the App Store and right now it is 1/2 price. That’s means it is just $6.99. Grab it HERE. Seriously, I’ve had it for over a month and it rocks! Thanks for the heads up Travis (Now, stop bugging me about when it is coming!) 🙂

News

So Here’s What’s New At Evernote…

As I have noted time and again here on Gear Diary, I am a huge fan of Evernote and rely on it for everything from clipping web pages, to saving important emails to putting some of my rabbinic resource material where I know I can quickly access them no matter where I am, no matter what I am doing. Well I haven’t been all that happy with Evernote lately. No, for a little over a week Evernote has been hinting at something new and today they shared their plans. The news… overall Evernote is working to extend their system and,…

News

Something New Coming from Evernote Tomorrow… You’ll Know What It is When We Do…

I love Evernote. I live in Evernote. Evernote is killing me… Evernote has been teasing about something new coming for some time. They have blog posts up about it, are running a contest about it, and have reached out directly about it. But try as I might (and I HAVE TRIED) I can’t get a clue about what they are about to unveil. The only thing I do know is that it must be something pretty major. How do I know that? Simple… I’ve been following the company and using Evernote since the current iteration of the service was in…

Reviews

Air Display App Review

When I’m not using my iPad I’m doing most of my writing on a 13″ MacBook Pro this summer. The notebook works beautifully but after using a 27″ iMac for the last few months it can feel awfully cramped. That’s where the iPad app Air Display comes in. Let’s take a look and then give a few copies away… Developed by Avatron Software, the same company that created the amazing Air Sharing app, Air Display… …lets you position your iPad next to your computer, drag windows onto it, and interact with those windows as you would on any other computer…

Apple iPad Apps