Apple iPad | Gear Diary

Apple’s Upcoming iTV “Changes Everything”? I Think Not

I love Apple’s products. I really do. And as more and more of my family and friends are making the move to Apple’s offerings they too are realizing how great they are. I was chatting with a good friend last night. He and his wife both swapped their Windows boxes for MacBook Pros in the last month. I asked if they could see going back to Windows and both immediately offered a “NO!” loud enough to wake their four kids. Apple’s products are great! They are a pleasure to look at. They are a pleasure to use. BUT PLEASE, enough…

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…

Editorials

Gear Chat #14- The “We Got Kindles Coming” Edition

In Gear Chat 14 Larry and Dan talk about the new Kindle… and why we ordered them. We also talk about Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 and, of course, iPhone and iPads. Intro Music- Lean On Me- Sounds From the Ground Solarstone’s Chill Out Remix…

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: 2 Of Dexim’s New Cases

Dexim is one of the leading manufacturers of accessories for a variety of mobile devices. The company has a wide range of products for the iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, HTC and now the iPad. The company recently launched several cases for the Apple iPad and they were nice enough to send along two of their new offerings for me to review. The Dexim Durable Protection Sleeve for the iPad is made from thermoplastic polyurethane. Also known as TPU this material is harder than straight silicone and offers a fit that’s tight and form-fitting. The Sleeve is available in either black…

eBooks, Editorials

State of the eBook: Fight!

For this week’s “State of the eBook” I thought we should look at potential winners and losers in the ebook world. With competition and price wars getting fiercer, there’s a few major battles shaping up that may change the competitive landscape. One is (at this point) a slam dunk, while the others are subject to many variables. Without further ado, here are the matchups! Borders vs B&N B&N vs Amazon Amazon vs B&N and Spring Design Spring Design vs B&N Amazon, B&N, Spring Design and Borders vs the iPad Borders vs B&N Let’s start with what I think is just…

Reviews

Read Along with Woody, Buzz and the Gang: Toy Story 3 for iPad Review

My kids finally are out of school. Believe it or not their last day was June 22nd. With all of the snow we got here on the East Coast this past winter, extra days had to be made up resulting in an additional week+ for them. What’s the first thing my kids wanted to do when they got home yesterday? See Toy Story 3. I obliged and we enjoyed the third offering from Pixar. When we got home I treated the girls to the Toy Story 3 application on my iPad. Disney had been kind enough to send me a copy…

Editorials

Apple iPad Sales Top 3 Million Units- Surprised? Not!

Apple just announced that it has sold over 3 million units in just 80 days. That is… remarkable. (It is almost as remarkable as Apple getting over 600,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4. And, no doubt, that number would be even higher if Apple hadn’t run out of the first run.) As Sir Stevo notes- People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives. We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world, including those in nine more countries next month. So why is the iPad such…

Reviews

White Leather iPad Case Review: Classic Apple

White is the quintessential Apple color. Both my iPhone 3G and 3Gs are white and I’ve owned a bunch of white iPods too. White accessories just make me think Apple so it was with a certain amount of nostalgia that I began to test the iPad Leather Flip Case – White from GearZap.com. Let’s face it, we all can’t afford $200+ Vaja leather cases for our iPads. For many the expense of the iPad alone just about breaks the bank. But you still need something to protect your invest and why shouldn’t it be something that looks good while doing…

News

LapWorks iPad Recliner – Review

Since I’m using my iPad as a notebook replacement most of the time I need a good solution for holding it at the right angle for reading and writing on it using a Bluetooth keyboard. Judie knew I was looking for something that would fit the bill so when LapWorks sent her a review sample of their iPad Recliner she forwarded it to me to use and review. (Thanks Judie!) I’ve been using it in my home study for the last week and have gotten a good sense of its utility . Let’s take a look… From LapWorks- Well, now…

News

Dan and Larry Serve Up Gear Chat #11

We’re back with episode #11 of Gear Chat. In this episode Larry and Dan talk iPhone 4. We talk iPhone ordering, hardware likes and disappointments and more. And, of course, we’ll talk iPad and iPhone apps, tips, tricks and news. FiWi- Create 2 symmetrical Finder windows in a snap. $.99 Get it here. PadSync for Mac- Ease browsing, management and sync of iPad shared files. $9.95. Get it here. Reeder RSS Reader for iPad- $4.99. Get it here. Osfoora HD, Twitter for iPad- $3.99. Get it here. Weight Watchers Mobile for iPhone- Free. Get it here. reQall for iPhone- Free….

Editorials

iPad Quick Tip- These Don’t Mix Well With iPads…

Here are just a few things that don’t mix well with your new iPad… 1. Water Duh! 2. Magnets I got an email from my friend Michael who warned me about getting any case that has even the smallest of magnets. Seems his brand new case is completely messing up the iPad’s ability to serve as a GPS thanks to the havoc the magnet plays on the device’s compass. I pulled out the Orbino case I am reviewing and, sure enough, the tiny magnets that hold the cover down make the compass spin like a top as you move it…

Reviews

SportBoard for iPad Review

As a coach, it is exciting seeing possibilities new technologies are bringing to the profession. In the past I have reviewed a few iPhone apps that have performed a task, but were definitely limited in their abilities. After the iPad was announced, there was even a discussion about using the iPad to coach basketball on my favorite basketball forum Texas Basketball Coaches or TBC. Even non-tech savvy coaches instantly saw the possibilities of the new device. SportBoard for the iPad allows coaches to use the device to draw basketball plays just like you would on a dry erase clipboard. Draw…

News

5 Ways iPad is Better Than Netbook … and 5 Ways it is Worse

Prior to the release of the iPad, there were a multitude of articles – some touting 15 ways the iPad was better than a netbook, and others talking about the 42 ways the netbook was better than the iPad, and so on. As my Netbook Gamer series indicates, I am a netbook lover. I am also a proud iPad owner, and have had a few weeks using them both to look at the strengths and weaknesses of each. So here are 5 ways I feel each is better than the other … and I leave it to you to decide…

Reviews

Review: M-Edge Leisure Jacket For iPad

Finding the iPad case that is right for me has proven to be a difficult task. There are so many options and styles, finding the perfect option is truly an exercise in trial and error. I thought I would give the iPad Leisure Jacket by M-Edge a try since it is compact and provides a lot of protection from the environment. The product has left me with mixed results. Kind of an interesting idea that does not work. Features * The Leisure Jacket provides superior protection against sand, dirt, and moisture by utilizing a read-through, clear vinyl cover. * Protective…

Reviews

Flickpad: Fun Way To View Facebook Photos on iPad

Flickpad from Shacked Software is a really fun way to view photos from your Facebook friends on the iPad. The application takes full advantage of the iPad’s multitouch features to allow you to quickly browse through pictures from your friends in a way that’s extremely intuitive and actually a ton of fun. Once you load the app, and after you’ve entered your Facebook account information (only required once) it will show you all your unseen pictures from your Facebook contacts. By default the app loads all new pictures from the day you first launch it but you can move the…

News

Bill Maher’s “Modest Proposal”- Let Steve Jobs Take A Crack At Fixing America

Bill Maher ended Real Time with a great bit on how we can’t seem to fix anything in America. He pointed out that a penny now costs two cents and a nickel costs nine cents, but a proposal to use some cheaper material could not even get the vending machine. Then he offered a solution… Apple. Yes, his suggestion was that we let Apple step in and reinvent America. Hey… it worked for the music player, the phone and now… the computer. Enjoy

Editorials, Game Diary

Does the iPad FINALLY Give Apple a Viable Gaming Platform?

Wait … WHAT?!?! I know what you’re saying: what about the 150 trillion games in the App Store? What about the massive growth in the sales of games for the iPod Touch that I talked about here? I know about all of that, but I still believe this: the iPod Touch business model as it exists today is not one that is sustainable for the game industry, and therefore the iPod Touch will NEVER be a viable ‘major tent-post platform’ based on that business model. OK, you have probably noticed I’m already starting to nuance my phrases in the first…

News

American Foundation for the Blind Looks at Smartphone Accessibility

Smartphones have become nearly indispensable productivity tools. Businesses issue them to employees, and people use them constantly to keep up with their personal lives. But what do you if you are blind or visually impaired? Tiny keyboards and 3-4 inch screens aren’t always great if your eyesight is wonderful, let alone if you have vision issues. Luckily, the American Foundation for the Blind puts out an online magazine called AccessWorld, and several articles this month covered smartphones and visual impairment. For the corporate-types, they looked at an app called Oratio for Blackberries. This is what’s called a “screen reader”, or…

Reviews

Review: iLuv 9.7″ Neoprene Sleeve for iPad

Last week, I joined the ranks of new iPad owners. Yes, I’m a little late to the game, but you do what you have to! The device is all it is made out to be; it is a beautiful piece of gear. The first thing that crossed my mind when I pulled it out of the box was how to protect this beauty. I was not completely interested in a large case to carry the iPad by itself. Since I have a gear backpack, I thought it would be best if I just had some sort of sleeve to hold…

News

Aligata iPad Cases- Nice Leather, No Logo

Last night I posted a piece entitled A Tale of Three iPad Cases. It addressed my great experience with Owl Studios and Sena Cases and my less than great interactions with a third company. This morning I received an email from Tom at Aligata iPad cases. Tom told me about his all leather cases that are made from “… genuine bovine leather, natural grain. Very classy and durable as hell.” They look good and are currently on sale for $59.90 at http://aligata.com/ Tom went on to explain his pre-order policy. Turns out he too charges in full for his cases…

eBooks, Reviews

Disney Princess & the Frog Digital iPad Book Review

There’s no denying that the iPad is a revolutionary device. What it can do and they way it goes about doing it is just amazing. However, to my disappointment application developers have not been quick to release programs for the iPad that take advantage of everything the device has to offer. There are a few applications currently in the iTunes App Store that do though, and when you load one of these onto your device you immediate just get it. Such is the case with Disney Publishing’s newest digital interactive book. Recently released in the iTunes App Store, Princess and…