iPad naujienos, aptarimas

iPad & Productivity: One Year Later

Instapaper developer Marco Arment makes the point on his personal blog about the iPad fitting more the entertainment category, rather than the productivity one. He thinks that, one year after its introduction, Apple hasn’t found the “sweet spot” yet for this new device:

Apple is now adapting to the market’s actual use by retreating somewhat from office productivity and pushing strongly into new territory — casual media creation — to see if that gets a stronger uptake in practice. I think it will be a lot more interesting than office productivity, but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done in iOS to make it practical (especially regarding file transfers with computers).

I still don’t think Apple has found the sweet spot for the iPad’s usage: the ideal role it fills in personal computing. And I don’t think we, as developers or iPad owners, have found it, either. But I know that sweet spot exists, and for a computer category that has only existed for one year, we’re rushing towards it remarkably quickly.

Maybe it’s just me, but in this past year I’ve found a number of ways the iPad can help me be more productive to complete a series of tasks that would require a laptop otherwise. More importantly, the iPad has also created a new category of tasks that didn’t exist before.

Few apps:

- OmniFocus lets me organize my tasks and projects on the couch, or on the go, with online sync and a great interface, sexier and more intuitive than the Mac’s counterpart;

- Cloud Connect gives me remote access to all my computers and AirPort disks. Similarly, Screens is the best VCN client I’ve ever used;

- iFiles pulls files and folders from a variety of cloud services. Go find something like this for OS X and make sure to ping me;

- Simplenote and Writings sync all my text documents to the cloud, so I can edit them later on my Mac;

- Push Browser can send tabs remotely to my desktop browser;

- Flipboard allows me to catch up on news in a way that wasn’t possible before;

- Plex enables me to access and view all my media while I’m out;

- DisplayPad turns my iPad into a second monitor.

These are just a few examples of iPad apps that have helped me do and achieve more since April 2010, when the iPad 1 went on sale. The iPad 2, with faster processor and more RAM, will likely make these apps even more powerful and easier to use. Not to mention the iOS updates released by Apple: iOS 4.2 brought multitasking and folders, 4.3 lets me use my WiFi iPad without an actual wireless connection thanks to Personal Hotspot. With iOS 5 rumored to introduce more cloud-based features, this is just getting better — at least for me.

I think Marco is right when he says developers haven’t found the “sweet spot” for the iPad, but I disagree when he says Apple, too, had to shift the initial focus on the iPad as a productivity tool. The way I see it, Apple is throwing a new device that can do almost anything and is telling developers “to do what they want”. It’s a blank canvas. Some developers haven’t found the sweet spot; the ones I mentioned above surely did.

Marco is a developer, coder and designer, so perhaps the lack of programming apps for the iPad played an important role in his iPad usage. I understand his position, and perhaps it’s easier for a blogger and writer to be productive with the iPad. The amount of writing and RSS apps for the iPad comes in handy, for sure.

If we follow Marco’s point, then I guess some people could say they are not productive with a Mac, either. I believe it’s not really about the device itself, it’s about the software available for it and your expectations. Perhaps Marco set his expectations too high and he was disappointed in seeing GarageBand and iMovie, rather than full-featured text editors for the iPad. Apple ships a device with less pre-installed software than a Mac (where is Text Edit for the iPad? iPhoto? iChat?), but the developer community for iOS is thriving.

DODOCase iPad Review

Whenever I try out a new iPad case, the first thing I notice is its thickness. Lets face it, some cases can bloat a svelt iPad into a fat (but well-protected) lump. Others are nice and thin… but provide little or no protection from everyday bumps. For me, it’s that balance of function vs. protection vs. style that makes or breaks a case. *Wood skin pictured is courtesy iCarbons.



The DODOcases for iPad and iPad 2 set themselves apart with their amazing texture and feel, polished off with definitive and creative style.



Inspired by journals of artists, and writers’ moleskins, the DODOcase has a distinctive feel that will appeal to your creative side. It’s fitting too, because the DODOcase is designed in collaboration with Bēhance, makers of all kinds of products that help creatives get organized.



Crafted by hand from black faux leather and constructed using traditional book binding techniques, you can call this ‘The Hipster Case’ – decidedly more sheik than geek.



While the outer cover and inside flap look and feel just like a hardcover book, the inner shell is carved from light but durable bamboo with a rubber bumper at each of the four corners holding the iPad snugly in place by friction. After taking the iPad out and returning it to the DODOcase several times, it doesn’t seem to be loosening up at all. Our test model was for the original iPad and we expect the version for the iPad 2 to be just as well crafted.



It looks and feels like a fine book. But unlike a book, you can fold the cover all the way around back in order to create a comfortably angled wedge for typing. (The first few times it’s folded back, the binding in the cover will feel a little stiff but loosens up as it breaks in). The DODOcase website shows their case in a couple different positions, standing with the front cover propped around back but we had mixed results using it in this way.





For holding it closed, there’s an elastic moleskin-style strap around back. It’s not the first, and probably not the best implementation since the strap ends up a little sloppy hanging loosely on the back when it’s not stretched around front. Still, it’s not a bad reminder since keeping it strapped closed will give your iPad the best drop protection in this case. Our tests were inconclusive as to whether the iPad will fall out of the case if dropped without the elastic strap secured.

And by “inconclusive” we mean we didn’t drop our iPad.

The only thing missing from the DODOcase is a way to prop it (freestanding) for showing movies or slideshows. It is possible to stand it with the cover angled around back – provided you have something to stop it from sliding around. It would’ve been cool to hook that ample elastic strap onto the front cover somehow to secure it but that might have added bulk or taken away from the elegant design.

And that’s what the DODOcase is about, style and design. Both models for the original iPad and the iPad 2 are available in black only, but you can choose from 8 different interior colors. There’s also a new anniversary Special Edition cover available for iPad 2. It’s a very attractive white and black binding with gold embossed lettering commemorating the iPad 2 launch date and DODOcase’s own anniversary.



And we have a GIVEAWAY! We have a DODOcase for the original iPad available to a random commenter so hit us up and tell us what you think.

Review by Larry Wiezycki. Larry works in TV and media production as part of an Investigative Team for a consumer advocacy law firm, James-Hoyer. He’s received 4 Emmy awards and has been an avid iOS and OS X user for years.

Kickstarter Project – Hanfree: A Handsfree iPad Stand

We’re spotlighting yet another Kickstarter project. Why? Because we love to see handy, unique creations come to life. This one is an iPad accessory called the Hanfree. It makes the iPad handsfree, thus the name, for anytime you’re in bed, sitting down on your couch, in the kitchen using a cooking app, or anywhere you can find a place to use it; all without holding the device on your lap or in your hands.

The Hanfree device was created by Seth Quest, a product designer from San Francisco, CA. It’s composed of three main parts, a clear case, stainless steel neck and a white acrylic base and it’s made in the USA.

Snap your iPad into the case and fits the securely. It has a ball and socket joint which allows 360 degrees rotation, which makes it easy to switch from landscape or portrait modes.

The acrylic base is light weight and stable, and it’s slim profile is designed to be unobtrusive when using it with pillows in bed. It has round corners to make it kid friendly and eliminating snagging on sheets. The neck is constructed from stainless steel.

There were more than twenty prototypes made before finding the optimal curve and ideal height to place the iPad in the most ergonomic viewing position. The neck can pivot side to side, allowing it to be swung out of the way when you are getting off the couch or in and out of bed.



This Kickstarter project has a goal of $15,000 by May 10, 2011. So far it has 38 backers for a total of $2,315. Minimum pledges are $1 (as are most Kickstarter pledges) but a $50 pledge will get you a pre-order for the Hansfree. After the pledge drive is over, the retail price will be $79.99. It fits both the original iPad and the iPad 2, but you must specify which one you have, one size does not fit all. If you want to pledge or read more about this project, you can visit the page here.

The Hanfree looks like another nice accessory idea, especially if you enjoy using apps such as Skype or FaceTime. It may even serve well beside your couch for reading or light computing.

Happy Birthday, iPad!

One year ago today, the original iPad went on sale in the United States. It was 365 days ago, and we really didn’t know what to expect from the “magical device” Steve Jobs unveiled on stage roughly two months before, at a special event on January 27th. We just knew that Apple was up to something, and we needed to check out this “new thing”. Then many of us realized an Apple tablet was exactly what they had been looking for: smaller than a laptop but bigger than a smartphone, the iPad was meant to create a new market for all those who didn’t need a physical keyboard anymore, for all those who wanted the simplicity of iOS on a large multitouch screen, for all those who believed technology wasn’t just about the RAM and Gigahertz. That was April 3, 2010.

One year later, the iPad has been a terrific commercial success for Apple. More than 15 million copies sold, over 75,000 native apps available in the App Store, long lines around the globe to get the chance of buying an iPad 2. The iPad has become an iconic device in 12 months; and for those who believe, it’s become more than a simple piece of glass and aluminum. One year of iPad has changed everything for Apple, and the millions of consumers who get things done with it every day. The doctors, the journalists, the school teachers, the students, the writers and the sports fans. A single device with simple hardware features (touch, large screen, thin design) has proved that apps and a well-designed operating system can make a huge difference. And one year later, I still have the feeling we’re just getting started.

So happy birthday, iPad. It’s been a year already, but we know the best has yet to come.

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpiVeC1Z3yI

Financial Times Doesn’t Want To Enable iOS Subscriptions In Its iPad App

Following a statement from late February in which Pearson’s CEO Marjorie Scardino expressed her concerns about the Financial Times iPad application having to comply to Apple’s new rules on iTunes subscriptions for apps, managing director of FT.com Rob Grimshaw told Reuters today that the publication won’t give up their “subscriber relationship” to Apple — which has implemented an opt-in policy so users can decide whether or not their personal data should be shared with a publisher. Apple also takes a 30% cut off every subscription sold through the App Store, inside iOS applications. According to a previous report, developers will need to update their existing publishing apps to include subscriptions by June.

Currently, the Financial Times sells subscriptions to the print and digital editions of the paper on their website — a method that allows the publisher to collect subscribers’ data to promote various products and advertisements to the audience. This kind of “relationship” can’t be easily achieved with Apple’s new terms, which are optional for the user in order to protect privacy. The Financial Times says they “have a great relationship with Apple”, too, but if the business model doesn’t work out they are ready to pull the app from the App Store and release it somewhere else. Perhaps as a web app, perhaps on Android.

We don’t want to lose our direct relationship with our subscribers. It’s at the core of our business model,” Rob Grimshaw told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

He said he was hopeful of a positive outcome to negotiations with Apple, but added: “If it turns out that one or another channel doesn’t mix with the way we want to do business, there’s a large number of other channels available to us.

The Financial Times isn’t providing additional details on where the iPad app will end up if subscriptions aren’t implemented by June, but many are speculating Pearson (owner of the FT) will focus on Android and “other tablets”. The situation is interesting as the FT iPad app is generating 20% of the publication’s subscribers and millions in revenue — but they don’t want to comply to Apple’s terms as, in their own words, they “have something to lose”.

Apple Awarded Patent for USB 3.0/DisplayPort/Thunderbolt Connector

According to PatentlyApple, apple has been granted a patent for new hybrid connector that would be used on future iOS device. The connectors would allow both DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, and USB 3.0 connections to go directly to and from the iOS device.

The patented product would eventually roll out to all iOS devices, including the recently updated iPad. PatentlyApple notes that this product could be nearing completion, and could see a release this year or early next year. The patent also hints that Apple might be looking into USB 3.0 for future Macs, or providing compatibility for PCs that already have support for the interface.

Further suggested by the patent is something that floated around the speculation for the iPad 2, the addition of Thunderbolt for iOS devices. First added to the revamped MacBook Pro earlier this year, and expected to be added to all Mac product lines as they are updated in the coming months.

This product makes a ton of sense for Apple. In order to obtain content from home computers, it seems like its time for Apple to take the next step from the current USB 2.0 interface it currently relies on. With massive theoretical speeds for this interface this would be a massive upgrade.

The iPad is taking away American jobs, Jesse Jackson Junior's sanity

You know how ebooks are gradually taking over paper books as the most popular format for the consumption of the written word? Well, that's bad, mmkay? Publishers, librarians, and booksellers are losing their jobs and It's all entirely the iPad's fault. Forget the Kindle's millions of sales, the iPad did it. In a technophobic rant to rival all technophobic rants that have come before it, Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. accuses the iPad's popularity for the current level of unemployment in his nation, before proceeding to sculpt a rickety argument about how the First Amendment to the US Constitution is being exploited for the benefit of China. See his tirade on video after the break.

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5X8W7MgbhM&feature=player_embedded

You Gotta Watch This Guy Playing an Amazing Guitar Solo on his iPad

The latest iPad 2 commercial says that for musicians, the iPad is inspiring. Apple sure got this one right!

We’ve seen our share of musicians using iPhones and iPads to create amazing stuff but this video just blows my mind. Guitar shredding on an actual guitar is impressive, but shredding a solo on an iPad using GarageBand is just unbelievable.

Don’t take my word for it though. Check out this guy killing it on his iPad…

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_KYUF6pxR8&feature=player_embedded

This is me creating a jam track with apple’s Garageband app for the ipad and then shredding a guitar solo over it! I am sorry about the bad video quality, but i could not find a way to record ipad’s screen in a fast framerate. Anyway i believe you will get the idea. Hope you enjoy!

Kuom ipad 2 wifi +3g geresnis už ipad 2 wifi? Neišmanau ką duoda tas 3g

Kuom ipad 2 wifi +3g geresnis už ipad 2 wifi? Neišmanau ką duoda tas 3g

 

tuom ,kad ten kur nera WiFi prieigos galesi naudotis 3G

O kiek gb geriausia imti, nes manau, kad 64gb daug jau labai. 32gb turbūt pats tas?

Man tai faktiskai 32GB iPhone vos vos, o jeigu iPad'as dar, tai as tikrai jeigu galeciau imciau 64GB.