iGo With My iPad

Using our iPads – At work, at home and at play

It doesn’t look like a normal iPad stand, but it works great

October 17, 2010 No comments

When someone sees these stands on our desks, they pick them up and turn them every which way to figure out what it is. Most often, they think it is some sort of big ‘J’… but what for.

The light bulb goes on pretty quickly when they see you start to place one on your iPad. Hint, they go on the sides, not the top or bottom.

The stands are from MoviePeg. And, while their site and most review talk a lot about them being used to hold your iPad while you watch a movie, we use them mostly for getting the iPad in the right angle to use the on-screen keyboard.

The stands (available in iPad and iPhone 3x sizes) just slide over the edge of the iPad without the need of a clamp or adhesive. You use two for the iPad (sold that way) or one for the iPhone (iPhone 4 version not yet available). From the look of the plastic, you might expect that they are softer than they are. Everyone in our group ordered the limited addition ‘orange’, the default color is black.

The two parts of the iPad version have a interlocking circle that keeps the two parts together when not in use:

The MoviePeg can be adjusted anywhere along the edge of the iPad. Lower on the device causes the iPad to stand taller. Slide them up and the iPad lays lower. Getting the two side aligned is required to keep the iPad from wiggling a bit like a cafe table with one short leg. Since the plastic is hard, they slide easily so moving to set solid take only a second.

Watch movies, type on the screen, keep your Twitter feed or clock running… there are many angles and apps that come to mind that can be used while only having to carry this one simple ‘stand’.

One item about such a precision cut opening to go around the edge of your iPad is that the stand works with no cases. We tried it on a iPad with even the tightest iSkin and it still didn’t go over the edge. This is the MoviePeg on the edge of an iPad in the Apple case… just for an example.


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The Business Side of Twitter on the iPad

October 16, 2010 No comments

We have covered how we like news app that let us share out anything interesting we find. We also cover a lot of apps that we use to check in on our friend’s posts and posting our thoughts to Twitter. The area of Twitter on the iPad has many options for checking/posting on Twitter. All of them have their positives and negatives; single account vs multi accounts, makes it easy to add an image, easy to search for twits or other twitter fans. Non are really written for the Business user. All ‘can’ be used for Business though.

What we have been looking for is an app that allows us to have access to our Twitter posts and posts that mention the products/company names we represent. We can’t rely on Twitter’s built in search since it doesn’t go back very far when we are looking for trends. Also, viewing our posts online is great for an overview but to show in a presentation or reference for reports you need offline access to a lot to build on. Especially important when needing to create billing off of delivered posts.

We may have found a solution to the problem. While we have only been using Tweet Library for a couple weeks now, it seems to be working well when approaching Twitter as a Business.

The iPad app is capable of pulling down 3,000 of your past Twitter post (number is a limitation that Twitter has on purpose), then add to that history every time a new post is added.

It is also possible to research/watch for other Twitter posts, pulling those into the app for reference as needed later. Since the app supports multiple accounts, we have our set up to watch across many different client needs. The built in filtering helps too so we only present the posts related to the subject of the moment.

Images and conversation views where first thought of as ‘nice’ adds but is proving to be handy when trying to unravel how a post about something bad could be turned around. What you wont find though is the kitchen sink of Twitter client features. The developers of Tweet Library state they will be adding many more… we prefer it doing what it does well more than features we can find in any Twitter posting app.

We are posting the screen shots provided by the developer of Tweet Library. By the time we smudged out all of our client data in ours you really couldn’t get the point of how the app was being used.


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Text Books and Video become one on the iPad

October 15, 2010 No comments

Little paperback novels and technical manuals are at the oposite sides of the book store but both share the need to be text to be part of why you read them. The novel since it requires a bit of a mental image that is unique to each reader and the technical book that needs to get the hard facts across.

We have a long history in more advanced teaching methods. Most of these are interactive electronic books either online or downloaded that require interaction from the users. Generally the actions are as progress checks for knowledge or just to say you made it that far through the process.

A new type of book is being called the ‘Vook‘. It is a electronic book you read, enhanced with video throughout. These might be popular with the kids some day as their comic books come alive but for now the long list of book offerings are either classics or advanced subjects that need a bit of video to tell the story (workout lessons, classics, instructional, Business, personal growth, reference, etc…). Do we still call these ‘eBooks’?

Buy-In is a book that a few of us grabbed either through the local book store as print or electronic as a Kindle book to read on our iPads. The book reads quickly and makes a few good points about how to get a new idea out of your head and keep it alive at work.

Buy-In is also one of the options as a ‘Vook’. Still the text, chapters and page turners… but enhanced with video interviews and presentations throughout. For Buy-In (and a few other titles we tried), the combination works well together. While t wont be the way all books should be in the future, the combination works very well for many titles.

There is no ‘reader’ application to download. The book with video is a complete universal app that can be read and video played without the need of an internet connection so you can continue to ‘read’ anywhere you and your iPad travels. The size of the file and the cost of the ‘Vook’ titles vary depending on the individual books.


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ToDo for iPad updated to 4.0 – things you should know

October 13, 2010 No comments

First thing to know is that ToDo for the iPad and iPhone have both been updated. They are seperate apps so you have to own both individually to enjoy across all of your iOS devices. The iPhone got High Rez Graphics for it’s Retina Display and Multitasking.

The iPad version of ToDo 4 got a nice list of features that are noticable right away. Expecially for folks that asign due dates their ToDo items. Creating ToDo items and their basic tuning/settings hasn’t changed much.

Adding a tag to an item is a feature we use a lot so we can track people or items across multiple projects.

ToDo for iPad has always had the ability to change the characteristics of a list of items from Normal, Checklist or as a Project. This feature is often overlooked but when used will add considerably different thinking about your list of items. This same options list is a quick way to add additional information to a task.

If a date is assigned to a Task/Line item, you can set an alert as well.

With ToDo 4, it is now possible to add multiple Alerts to a single task. Handy when you are counting down to a deadline or need additional assistance to complete the line item.

continue reading…

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Times News and RSS Reader for the iPad updated – and it is very nice!

October 10, 2010 No comments

As you may recall. Many of us jumped on the Times News Reader for the iPad when it came out just because we used and loved the desktop version so much. Sadly, the iPad app was a little behind what many of the other options where offering.

A update last week had many of us relooking at it and that has proven to be a good thing! The features we have previously reported missing  are now available. And, the usability side of getting to the news feed and RSS content has impoved it over many of those that were ahead before.

Images and headlines in columns that scroll up/down and across was a key feature before, continues in the new version. These are all adjustable so you can have many providers above or next to one another. Using this method, Acrylic Times makes it fast to get to what you want to read in both Portrait or Landscape view rather than how most only truly work in a single view.

Tapping any headline or image expands the full content, again where most other solutions just give an expanded headline or short text. The page scrolls up/down to read more content… dragging the lower bar up takes you back to the overview page.

The upper right corner has been expanded, in addition to being able to view the content in your Web browser or saving it to read later (called the Shelf in Acrylic Times), you can now ‘share’ in multiple ways. This feature was limited before thus driving the app lower in our review. We like to share with others interesting things we find so now we enjoy the top three most important methods: emailing, post to Twitter and publish to Facebook.

The Portrait view of the content is now fully available with the full set of view and share options!

Acrylic Software points out: New in Version 1.1 of Acrylic Times

★ New Portrait Mode
Portrait lovers rejoice! Version 1.1 has a completely redesigned portrait mode, making browsing and reading articles in portrait more enjoyable than ever before.

★ Import from Google Reader
Now you can easily bring favourite feeds from your Google Reader account into your pages, and save yourself precious typing time.

★ Instapaper & Read It Later
Save interesting articles to popular bookmarking services like Instapaper or Read It Later, and read them any place at any time. (Enable them in the Settings app!)

★ Much More…
Back and forward buttons in the browser, move feeds between columns, improved feed compatibility, bug fixes, and many other additional tweaks and improvements.

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Real Time Japan F1 Qualifying on iPad even though TV tape delayed

October 10, 2010 No comments

If you watch F1 like many of us do, you are aware that qualifying for the Japan F1 was rained out on Saturday. This means qualifying happens just before the race. For viewers in the USA, you either wont see it since the TV broadcasters didn’t plan for it or they will show as a lead-in to the race showing.

As we chattered on Twitter with our UK friends who were able to watch live qualifying it hit a few of us to fire up our 2010 F1 app on our iPads. Doing so brought us blow by blow as the drivers attempted to get their cars on the Pole for Sunday’s race.

Q2 wraps up, everyone in the pits (blue made it into Q3). The upper part of the screen shows car orders and timing, the lower is actual location of the cars as they circle the track. Or, in this case, sitting in the pits.

Q3 starts off with three cars on the track…

All but two cars on the track with 5 minutes left of Q3. Timing in the app shows the purple, green and yellow lap times. Two cars pop into the pits for tires.

Everyone hits the track for the last couple minutes as the leaders shuffle about…

Final standings for the race start. TV did end up showing the Qualifying, many hours after we knew from the 2010 F1 app what had happened. We were sleeping, getting ready to watch the race while other folks where up late to see what already did. Heh-heh…

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RTS Games go HD for the iPad

October 9, 2010 No comments

Many folks know the games as Land Air Sea Warfare, other as Real-Time Strategy. Anyway you paint it, it’s a game that you don’t just run and jump. These games take a lot of strategy and planning. Usually, to play successfully, you have to be locked to your computer screen for hours.

Now, on the iPad there is options to play when you have time, on the go. And, one particular properly named app, Land Air Sea Warfare HD, gives the player the high def view of their game board to make the play even better. The graphics throughout the game bring the level of game play up a bit so as you go it get harder and harder to put your iPad down.

We don’t recommend you play the game in meetings, like several folks in our offices were doing last week, but since it is a strategy game you wont be jumping around your chair to over a bouncy cute creature that wants your golden coins. We do recommend turning off the background music though before going into the meeting room.

In the game, you control tanks, aircrafts and ships that can be divided into groups. That is, after you get your factories up to speed to build them. Which means you really should have gun turrets in place first to protect those factories. All on a map grid that the game creates randomly for every player so no two games are ever alike.

By the nature of a strategy war game, this isn’t for all iPad owners. But those who enjoy doing more than moving tank chess pieces about the screen where you are having to think through your next 20 moves, this might be just the challenge you seek.

From the developer, James Bryant:

“You are the commander of a massive war campaign to navigate stealth aircraft and submarines on recon missions and scout tread marks left by enemy tanks. Expand your city with over 100 structures and units! As your empire grows research technologies to guide the focus of your strategy. Dominate on all types of terrain, send aircraft to bombard the enemy to weaken its infrastructure, control the shores with a naval fleet of ships and subs, and launch game changing ICBMs!”

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Just-Mobile iPad stands, now offers a iPad Stylus

October 6, 2010 No comments

As you may have noticed, we use a large variety of stylus pens around the office. Everyone has one they like more than another. They will defend it and think anyone using something else is just crazy. Sure, it’s just a stylus, but when you use it all day for at five days a week it becomes personal.

The folks over at Just-Mobile have entered the stylus game. You may recognize their name for their iPhone and iPad stands. Very sturdy stands that work nicely on the desk or counter. Their stylus will remind you of a pencil with it’s shape. Being made out of aluminum, it has some weight to it too.

The tip looks and works a lot like the one on the Griffin model. Unlike the Pogo and Griffin, the Just-Mobile stylus has no pocket clip or cable loop. If neither of those are important, you will like how these wont roll off your desk. Once again, a new stylus that will have a group of folks in the office that will swear by it!

Just-Mobile says:

Just Mobile AluPen™ is a chunky pencil-shaped stylus that gives you precise control over your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Sculpted from aluminum, with a soft rubber nib, the Alupen™ makes drawing and writing a uniquely smooth experience.

Features:

**Iconic design
**High-quality aluminum construction
**Ultra-soft rubber nib for smooth control
**Compatible with all capacitive touchscreens
**Works with all iPad & iPhone apps
**Perfect partner for drawing and painting apps

    In case you haven’t seen before, this is the iPad stand that Just-Mobile offers…

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