New iPad

The new iPad was announced. I think I'm going to break down and get one for myself - although I am considering the iPad Pro as well. We used our iPad 2 as our only tablet for years, so I consider this a long term investment.

The new iPad is only $329 (32 GB), but upgrading to 128 GB seems prudent. Amazon has the 128 GB model available for pre-order at $399 (a $30 discount).

The Pro models are really slick with the Pencil 2 that attaches/charges to the side, but it is double the price.

Refurb iPad Deal

If you don't mind refurbished, Amazon's Deal of the Day gets you some cheap 2018 iPads!

"Tablet" Problems

During the AFC Championship game, the Patriots had problems with their Microsoft Surface tablets. One of the commentators said they were going to use them with them with cables. So maybe it was wireless problems?  In any case, this is funny:

"They're having some trouble with their Microsoft Surface tablets." "You decide NOW to not call them iPads?" -- Microsoft execs, probably

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) January 24, 2016

Tech Fatigue

People are getting tried of keeping up with all the changes or maybe most things are good enough.

In the last year, I went from an old 42 inch HDTV LCD to a new, thin Vizio 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV. I upgraded to an iPhone 6. I've had an old iPad Mini for years that I rarely use. I don't have a smart watch. I've had my Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats for a while. I'm not really interested in a drone.
I might upgrade my Garmin GPS running watch or add a fitness band. I geek out over the data, so I'd like to have the heart rate and sleep information that something like the Garmin Vivosmart HR would provide.

Surface > iPad?

Maybe, sorta, a little bit.

Paper

What?

NPR just called paper "the iPad of its day." pic.twitter.com/r6e96mOE6H

— Squarely Rooted (@squarelyrooted) May 26, 2015

Via David Burge / @iowahackblog

Evernote Jot Script 2

Still on my quest for the perfect stylus... I'm anxious to see some reviews on the second version of the Jot Script.

Adonit Jot Script Evernote Stylus on Sale

I've got 18 hours to decide if I want to pull the trigger on the "Adonit Jot Script Evernote Edition Fine Point Stylus." It is currently $45 instead of the regular price of $75.

Apple Surface Pro Clone?

So the question is, "Will Apple's next hit be a Microsoft Surface Pro clone?"

Sure, just slap a touch screen on the MacBook Air.

Slow iOS 8 Adoption

If users are slow to adopt iOS 8 because of disk space issues, then maybe Apple will stop making 16 GB devices and go to 32 GB as the smallest. I know that flies in the face of their strategy to push everyone to iCloud, but 16 GB is definitely on the smallish size these days.

iCloud Backup

My iPhone and iPad frequently complain that my iCloud account is full and that they cannot complete a backup. I always ignored it as I don't have anything on my devices that isn't backed up some other way. I saw this HowToGeek article via LifeHacker. It made me realize there is no reason to send my pictures/videos to iCloud when Dropbox is capturing them anyway. Duh. Problem solved.

Gadgets and Gimics

For the most part, I'm not spending money on anything but the essentials, so I won't pony up for these, but I thought they were cool.

First, the Rocketfish™ - 3' Lighted Lightning Charge/Sync Cable. The cable is illuminated along its length. The lights show the flow of the charge - fast as it does the rapid charge, slowing as the charge nears 100%, and turning off when the charge is complete.




I also keep thinking about getting a Raspberry Pi, but since I'm not a Linux guy, I might need this Linux Cheat Sheet Shirt.

Via LifeHacker

iPhone/iPad Battery Life

A good article about the iOS battery life and how to resolve drain problems.

Via @Pogue

Jot Script and Jot Touch 4 Review

This is by far the best review of the Jot Script Evernote Edition I've seen. He compares it with the Jot Touch 4.

Based on his comments, I think I will try the Jot Script - once I get a job.

On a related note, I ran into a guy using the Jot Touch 4 at a coffee shop and he showed me how he used it. It was clear he had mastered it - his handwriting on the iPad with the Jot Touch 4 was better than mine with pen and paper.

53 Pencil

An alternative to the Jot Script... the 53 Pencil. It looks a little boxy, but I like the flip to erase. This says that even if I don't love a currently available stylus, I should have hope as people seem to be developing better products.

Jot Script Evernote Edition Now Shipping

I'm still looking at the Jot Script Evernote Edition. Since I am not gainfully employed, I probably won't get this, if at all, until Christmas.

There is some more information available now and a video that helps me form some opinions. One, it looks a little thick. Second, they recommend turning the Multitasking Gestures off. This isn't a show stopper for me, but I know some people really like them for navigating about the screens.

On the positive side, it looks like you can rest your hand on the iPad, just as you would a regular pad of paper:

"Why can’t I write with the Jot Script stylus and my finger simultaneously?
When the Jot Script stylus is properly connected, Penultimate gives priority to the stylus and ignores anything else that touches the screen. This makes it easier for people who like to rest their hands on the screen while writing."

And you customize Penultimate to match your writing style (hand position).

Jot Script Evernote Edition Stylus

I'm still looking for the perfect stylus to allow my iPad to replace pen and paper completely. I wonder if this is it: Jot Script Evernote Edition Stylus.

(I still wish the NoteSlate had been real.)

WOW HBO Go!

Some good news... I'm getting HBO Go later this year. Game of Thrones on the iPad Mini! Knology was always slower than Comcast at getting features. We switched to Knology years ago when they had just a few high def stations. Their offering lacked some features the other cable companies, but the internet connection has always been fast and the I've saved a ton of money using them. Now if they will upgrade the cable boxes, so that I can control them from my smartphone or tablet, we will be rocking.

"Dear WOW! Customer, 

We’ve heard from many of you, our HBO customers, that you want HBO GO. At WOW!, we’re HBO GO enthusiasts too, so we understand why you are asking. If you’re not familiar with HBO GO, it’s an online application available only to HBO subscribers that offers video streaming of HBO programs on your computer and other mobile devices.

To make HBO GO available, we need to do some technical work that takes a bit of time to complete. This involves integrating systems between WOW! and the former cable provider in your market, Knology. We are working hard to make this content available as quickly as possible and aim to have HBO GO ready this fall. We realize that it’s frustrating knowing that HBO GO is already available in other WOW! markets and we want you to know that we will make it happen for you, too. Once we’ve completed the technical integration, all WOW! customers will be able to enjoy the HBO GO experience, no matter where you are located.

Please hang in there and know that we are on our way with HBO GO.

Thank you for letting us serve you.

Cathy Kuo
Mom, Karaoke Fan, Optimist
Chief Marketing Officer
WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone"

New Mini Toy

My Android Nook Color experiment was not a failure (1) (2), but it never really turned into my "go to" device. I've really enjoyed my iPhone, so I decided to try the iPad Mini. So far, I love it. I've used it at home, work, and church. Mail, Calendar, Chrome, Gmail, Notes, Seven Little Words (game), YouVersion Bible, Kindle, Twitter, QST, and Dropbox are just a few of the apps I use on it. While a little awkward, it will fit in the front pocket of my slacks. Yet, it is big enough that I can type (in landscape mode) fairly well. I think the real test will be to see how much blogging I do from it.

On a side note, our neighbors got a new Mini for their daughter. Here my daughter is taking it for a test drive.

iPad Mini $299 at Walmart

tim In other apocalyptic news, Walmart is now selling the iPad mini for a $30 discount at $299 walmart.com/ip/Apple-iPad-… $AAPL Wed, Apr 03 15:45:19 from TweetDeck