Thursday, January 13, 2011
Geekbeat TV
A tip if you like to follow the general tech world, and appreciate a perky and enthusiastic presenter: Geekbeat TV.
Ancient tech explained by children
Ancient tech from the '80s explained by iPod-era children, article and video.
Perhaps the funniest moment comes when the kids are presented with a floppy disk, which they guess is everything from a camera to a credit card.
(Slightly off-topic for this blog, but fun.)
Perhaps the funniest moment comes when the kids are presented with a floppy disk, which they guess is everything from a camera to a credit card.
(Slightly off-topic for this blog, but fun.)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
11 tablets worth looking at
Ray found this article, which includes several interesting videos showing newly introduced tablets. I find the Asus Slider (second video) with the slide-out keyboard to be promising, for example.
Monday, January 10, 2011
ibis Reader
I'm testing the ibis Reader, which is quite interesting, basically an online ebook reader, you have your library on their server. But they are also saved to your device for offline reading. It works, impressively, with a normal web browser, and with Android and iPhone, and iPad.
It is a commercial app of a kind, but it's free to use, and seems to be some kind of labor of love on their part.
(I'm writing ibis in all lower case so the first i is not confused with a lower-case L. Sigh, semantics.)
It is a commercial app of a kind, but it's free to use, and seems to be some kind of labor of love on their part.
(I'm writing ibis in all lower case so the first i is not confused with a lower-case L. Sigh, semantics.)
iPad battery life...
I went to a café this afternoon and had a leisurely cuppa coffee and cake. I'd brought my iPad and I sat there for... not sure, but it felt like far off an hour, watching video podcasts. I even connected via my Mifi device and downloaded a few more (in smaller versions though, otherwise there would have been some waiting, over the cell phone network).
After I came home, I plugged in the iPad to charge, and I noticed I'd only used about seven percent of the battery charge on that adventure! Durn impressive when one is used to notebooks, where you're lucky to get maybe four hours total.
After I came home, I plugged in the iPad to charge, and I noticed I'd only used about seven percent of the battery charge on that adventure! Durn impressive when one is used to notebooks, where you're lucky to get maybe four hours total.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
iPad not "mobile"?
Apparently WhazHisFace, the FaceBook founder, commented that the iPad is not really a mobile device, it's a computer.
There might be something to it. It seems most people, including myself, primarily use the iPad at home. For a wealth of tasks. For me that's overwhelmingly reading, on several different apps. (Zinio, Instapaper, NetNewsWire, Kindle App, web browser...)
I'm not sure what we can learn from this*, but it caught my attention.
----
*A Danish comedian in my childhood had an excellent TV show for children where he would show some far-out video clip, and upon its ending would always say: "... And what can we learn from this? Well..." and he would come up with some even crazier morale for our enlightenment. Very funny. But: I do believe that a datum or event only gets really interesting when we can sort of extrapolate to bigger spheres and try to learn something new, applicable in other areas of our lives too.
There might be something to it. It seems most people, including myself, primarily use the iPad at home. For a wealth of tasks. For me that's overwhelmingly reading, on several different apps. (Zinio, Instapaper, NetNewsWire, Kindle App, web browser...)
I'm not sure what we can learn from this*, but it caught my attention.
----
*A Danish comedian in my childhood had an excellent TV show for children where he would show some far-out video clip, and upon its ending would always say: "... And what can we learn from this? Well..." and he would come up with some even crazier morale for our enlightenment. Very funny. But: I do believe that a datum or event only gets really interesting when we can sort of extrapolate to bigger spheres and try to learn something new, applicable in other areas of our lives too.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Android 3.0
Here's a sneak peak at the next Android system. I admit it seems to be a very large step up in flexibility and features from the Android system running on Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab.
One did not have to be Nostradamus to predict that this year will be the Big Tablet Year (the year is big, not the tablets, although we can hope). Here's to hoping for some serious competition for the iPad, make the game interesting.
Here is a cool video with glimpses of new tablets.
One did not have to be Nostradamus to predict that this year will be the Big Tablet Year (the year is big, not the tablets, although we can hope). Here's to hoping for some serious competition for the iPad, make the game interesting.
Here is a cool video with glimpses of new tablets.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Keyfolio iPad case/keyboard (and Macbook Air)
OK, testing yet another portable keyboard. I think I may soon have as many of them as I have cameras. Granted, that's an absurd number, so that's a very funny joke, hahahahahahah. (Ssshh, you know nobody gets your humor.)
This is the Kensington Keyfolio case/keyboard. It is one of several new combo cases/keyboards for iPad. It's lightweight and fully protected by a rubber membrane. And yet it is very sensitive. In fact, almost too sensitive, I seem to hit keys inadvertently quite often so far.
I have very large hands, but still, amazingly, I seem to be able to work with smaller keyboards, even touch-typing, I'm not sure how. I've used a ThinkOutside foldable successfully.
The Keyfolio is missing a right-side shift key, which bothers me, as does the placement of the apostrophe key at the bottom instead of right. I'm not sure I could get used to using those without looking down each time.
It is of course quite smaller than a full sized keyboard, since its designed to fit into the footprint of the iPad which is shorter than a full keyboard. The Keyfolio is even more than an inch shorter than the compact Apple Wireless Keyboard (without numeric pad).
But right off the bat I work faster with it than with the iPad's screen keyboard by a mile, and I can certainly use it when I have reason.
I am doing a comparison to the keyboard on the MacBook Air, 11-inch. It is a very nice one although I tend to prefer a longer key travel (how far you press a key down), and so far at the very least a lot faster than the Keyfolio keyboard/case. That maybe should not surprise me, but it is also nearly two hundred grams *lighter* than the combination of the former with my iPad. And so what is the advantage of the iPad? Certainly none hardware wise, since the macbook's screen and keyboard are both better. (This tells you about the sharpness of the Air screen, since the iPad screen is really good. Next to the Air screen it looks fuzzy.)
They are both very quiet to type on.
So the question becomes: do you need your iPad with related software? Or do you need your MacBook with related software? The MacBook has a huge legacy of Mac OS X software to draw on, many thing which can't be done on an iPad, or at least in quite limited or clumsier ways. Usually.
Of course the MacBook Air is at least $400 more expensive than the iPad with the Folio keyboard, depending on configuration. But the weight advantage of the iPad is doubtful when you need a keyboard too.
I am not sure I can think of any software for the iPad, unless it's a game or such thing, which you can't get similarly for the Macbook.
In fact the 11-inch MacBook Air is just an amazing machine. The quality and feel for it is so superior to anything I know, the keyboard is full sized, it feels speedy for any normal use, and yet it is very thin and only weighs one kilo, less than two pounds.
A few years ago I visited my family and I used my 12-inch PowerBook which they used to make. And my sister said to somebody over the phone: "you should see this beautiful computer Eolake is using!" And while I thought that one was the bee's knee's (I still have it), it's not a patch on the MacBook Air. I dare any geek to hold it and not fall in love.
This is the Kensington Keyfolio case/keyboard. It is one of several new combo cases/keyboards for iPad. It's lightweight and fully protected by a rubber membrane. And yet it is very sensitive. In fact, almost too sensitive, I seem to hit keys inadvertently quite often so far.
I have very large hands, but still, amazingly, I seem to be able to work with smaller keyboards, even touch-typing, I'm not sure how. I've used a ThinkOutside foldable successfully.
The Keyfolio is missing a right-side shift key, which bothers me, as does the placement of the apostrophe key at the bottom instead of right. I'm not sure I could get used to using those without looking down each time.
It is of course quite smaller than a full sized keyboard, since its designed to fit into the footprint of the iPad which is shorter than a full keyboard. The Keyfolio is even more than an inch shorter than the compact Apple Wireless Keyboard (without numeric pad).
But right off the bat I work faster with it than with the iPad's screen keyboard by a mile, and I can certainly use it when I have reason.
I am doing a comparison to the keyboard on the MacBook Air, 11-inch. It is a very nice one although I tend to prefer a longer key travel (how far you press a key down), and so far at the very least a lot faster than the Keyfolio keyboard/case. That maybe should not surprise me, but it is also nearly two hundred grams *lighter* than the combination of the former with my iPad. And so what is the advantage of the iPad? Certainly none hardware wise, since the macbook's screen and keyboard are both better. (This tells you about the sharpness of the Air screen, since the iPad screen is really good. Next to the Air screen it looks fuzzy.)They are both very quiet to type on.
So the question becomes: do you need your iPad with related software? Or do you need your MacBook with related software? The MacBook has a huge legacy of Mac OS X software to draw on, many thing which can't be done on an iPad, or at least in quite limited or clumsier ways. Usually.
Of course the MacBook Air is at least $400 more expensive than the iPad with the Folio keyboard, depending on configuration. But the weight advantage of the iPad is doubtful when you need a keyboard too.
I am not sure I can think of any software for the iPad, unless it's a game or such thing, which you can't get similarly for the Macbook.
In fact the 11-inch MacBook Air is just an amazing machine. The quality and feel for it is so superior to anything I know, the keyboard is full sized, it feels speedy for any normal use, and yet it is very thin and only weighs one kilo, less than two pounds.
A few years ago I visited my family and I used my 12-inch PowerBook which they used to make. And my sister said to somebody over the phone: "you should see this beautiful computer Eolake is using!" And while I thought that one was the bee's knee's (I still have it), it's not a patch on the MacBook Air. I dare any geek to hold it and not fall in love.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
New iPad browser
New iPad web browser. I haven't tried it yet, but I will. It has windows. On an iPad! I don't know how useful it is, but I just have to see it. I honestly didn't think it was possible, I think it's the first time I've seen any iPad app which didn't simply fill the whole screen.
I have only just opened the app (Snowblaze HD), but I had to laugh. They have clearly been very, very "inspired" by the look of Mac OS X. They even use virtually the same "desktop background" ("Quantum Foam") the blue/white swirls which was the famous look for the OS for many years, and the menu bar and windows are eerily familiar for us Mac users. Funny.
I have only just opened the app (Snowblaze HD), but I had to laugh. They have clearly been very, very "inspired" by the look of Mac OS X. They even use virtually the same "desktop background" ("Quantum Foam") the blue/white swirls which was the famous look for the OS for many years, and the menu bar and windows are eerily familiar for us Mac users. Funny.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tablet market will triple
Global tablet sales may triple by end of 2014, short article.
A research group says the global market for tablet computers such as the iPad will almost triple by the end of 2014.
[...] According to the forecast, the average tablet price tag will be $237 in 2015.
I suspect they are being overly careful and conservative here. I would not be surprised if those two predictions came true at the end of 2011 rather than 2014 and 2015!
A research group says the global market for tablet computers such as the iPad will almost triple by the end of 2014.
[...] According to the forecast, the average tablet price tag will be $237 in 2015.
I suspect they are being overly careful and conservative here. I would not be surprised if those two predictions came true at the end of 2011 rather than 2014 and 2015!
Case/keyboard
I predicted half a year ago that there would come some iPad cases with built-in keyboards (blue-tooth connected). And lo, now there is about half a dozen. One getting good reviews is the Zaggmate.
Now I almost wish I'd waited before ordering the Keyfolio, which is getting mixed reviews. And it has been underway for over a month transatlantic.
Now I almost wish I'd waited before ordering the Keyfolio, which is getting mixed reviews. And it has been underway for over a month transatlantic.
"Predatory pricing"
Some say that game makers (iPod Touch) are preying on children who don't realize that it's "real money" they spend.
The buying login keeps working for 15 minutes after last use.
I doubt it's on purpose like this, at least not aimed specifically at children. But I agree that a 99 dollar add-on for a little game is insane, and odd, so.
The buying login keeps working for 15 minutes after last use.
I doubt it's on purpose like this, at least not aimed specifically at children. But I agree that a 99 dollar add-on for a little game is insane, and odd, so.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Quotes Sunday
[Thanks to the QoD service]
No.
-- Amy Carter, (President Jimmy Carter's daughter) when asked by a reporter if she had any message for the children of America
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. That's almost $7.00 in dog money.
-- Joe Weinstein
The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money.
-- David Richerby
A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor.
-- Victor Hugo
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Tablets galore on tap at major CES gadget fest
Tablets galore on tap at major CES gadget fest, article.
[I'm surprised at how good Yahoo reporting often is, given that it's not their business and surely not a profit center.]
This is a good and precisely written article coming out just before the huge CES tech gathering in early 2011 in Las Vegas. (David Pogue usually goes.)
2010 of course was dominated by Apple's smash hit the iPad. From the article:
"We are going to be up to our armpits in crappy tablets, and I do mean crappy," said independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle.
This may be regrettable, but we should remember that crap tends to follow in the wake of a Good Big Idea, just as debris tends to get sucked into the wake of a big ship.
"Right now, in the consumer electronics space, Apple is the shining star that everyone and their brother are chasing," Enderle said.
"CES is increasingly becoming an Apple show even though Apple is not there."
It is ridiculous for a company to be so powerful in any industry that they are dominating in the biggest show gathering in the industry, even though they don't attend and never have!
It's predicted that between 40 and 80 new tablets will be shown at the show. This is a very loose number, admittedly, but also a very high one, and I will just give up totally trying to follow what is being released, and just trust that the cream will rise to the top and come to my attention.
It will be good for the Samsung Galaxy Tab to get competition in the Android market, since while it's very good, it's also way too expensive at roughly the same price as the much bigger iPad.
That may be something we won't really see this year: tablets as big as the iPad. Will we? Somebody said that Apple is buying all the available screens for the iPad, so other more or less have to make smaller (seven-inch) tablets. I hope it's not true, because there is a big usability difference between the seven-inch Galaxy Tab and the ten-inch iPad, and I hope to see more big tablets.
[I'm surprised at how good Yahoo reporting often is, given that it's not their business and surely not a profit center.]
This is a good and precisely written article coming out just before the huge CES tech gathering in early 2011 in Las Vegas. (David Pogue usually goes.)
2010 of course was dominated by Apple's smash hit the iPad. From the article:
"We are going to be up to our armpits in crappy tablets, and I do mean crappy," said independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle.
This may be regrettable, but we should remember that crap tends to follow in the wake of a Good Big Idea, just as debris tends to get sucked into the wake of a big ship.
"Right now, in the consumer electronics space, Apple is the shining star that everyone and their brother are chasing," Enderle said.
"CES is increasingly becoming an Apple show even though Apple is not there."
It is ridiculous for a company to be so powerful in any industry that they are dominating in the biggest show gathering in the industry, even though they don't attend and never have!
It's predicted that between 40 and 80 new tablets will be shown at the show. This is a very loose number, admittedly, but also a very high one, and I will just give up totally trying to follow what is being released, and just trust that the cream will rise to the top and come to my attention.
It will be good for the Samsung Galaxy Tab to get competition in the Android market, since while it's very good, it's also way too expensive at roughly the same price as the much bigger iPad.
That may be something we won't really see this year: tablets as big as the iPad. Will we? Somebody said that Apple is buying all the available screens for the iPad, so other more or less have to make smaller (seven-inch) tablets. I hope it's not true, because there is a big usability difference between the seven-inch Galaxy Tab and the ten-inch iPad, and I hope to see more big tablets.
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