Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Illustrator Alternative on the iPad

The iPhone is a very good device for artists. The iPad is an even better device for creative work given its significantly larger screen real estate.

I've downloaded four different apps to drawing but I wonder if anyone know of an app that allows an artist to duplicate some simple features we find on the Illustrator or similar application.


I have LiveSketch, Brushes, Draw, ArtStudio, & Adobe Ideas. In combination, I think I can get pretty much what I need. However, I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination. Not even a long long stretch.

I am sure given another six to twelve months, we will mostly certainly see better tools for writers, artists, and developers dealing with artwork.

Monday, April 19, 2010

iPad: Can Be Pretty Damn Productive On it

I finally got the opportunity to get out a bit this weekend with the iPad in tow. What’s my impression of it so far?

First, I want to say guilty as charged. I’m an Apple fan. That doesn’t mean I subscribe to the party line, to borrow a political term. I’m not a hardliner. I like the concept of “it just works” that Apple is making their elegant mobile products around. And I want to mention that I’m not hot on Apple TV just yet.

Second, I’m a mobile fan. I like Android and what it brings to the market. I don’t hate Google and I’m happy about what it did in China no matter what they reasons are.

So, finally the iPad. I counted down the days and hours until morning of April 3rd when I went early to wait in line, got my hand stamped by an Apple employee to indicate that I preordered, and even wowed Apple’s workers who had not seen a working iPad until that morning.

Since then, I’ve been busy and I did get to play with the iPad a bit here and there. And on weekends, I have been getting visitors and they’re usually the ones playing with it. I’m a gracious host.

So this past weekend, I finally had the time to go out and take the iPad for a mobile trial for hours at a time. At first, I was a bit shy about taking it out in public. I’ve not seen it in public and I don’t want to appear that I’m showing off.

So I said screw it and took it out while I was at a Starbucks. I logged into the AT&T hotspot, check my FB and mail updates, and the next time I knew, a hour had passed while I hacked away on a paper.

In a word: Seemless. In a few more words, it just works.

I took a break and watched a video I uploaded featuring the actors from the Simpsons being interviewed with Homer entertaining the audience.

Then I went back to do more work. All the way, I didn’t have to worry about battery life, space on the smallish table I was using, or that the iPad doesn’t offer multi-tasking.

I like to point out that the lack of true multitasking is what makes the battery life last so long and possibly contribute to the distraction free environment that allowed me to be so productive over weekend.

I like what I see coming out for the iPhone 4.0 but until then I’m not going to worry about that. I’ll get into the other aspects of the iPad use in future posts.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Second Gen iPad Needs Cameras

I've got the 32GB iPad as many of you already know. And I'm loving it. Even now, I am typing on the dock/keyboard I bought as I sip my coffee on a Saturday afternoon.

I've already write about 5 pages of another project I'm working on while I switch between Pages, Mail, Safari, and answering IMs from Meebo, I started thinking of the iPad as just another laptop that I am using instead of the Macbook.

The point I'm coming to is that as I work on the iPad, I'm also in a Skype conversation with someone else on the Macbook. More and more, the iPad will serve my daily mobile needs while I unload the heavy duty stuff, rendering iMovie files and working on Rapidweaver, over to the Macbook.

But there could be times when I'm on the road and I need to Skype with someone. Even conduct video chats. Over the next year, I see that happen often.

This is why I think it would serve the iPad market if Apple adds a frontal camera to their new mobile device just for this purpose.

Plus, given the number of iPads that Apple will be selling in 2010 and even more in 2011, the iPad will serve as a platform to launch another revolution change in mobile computing with a frontal camera. Apple can spark a huge shift in mobile communication from voice to video.

There is already talks within the developer community about evidence of video conferencing protocols in iPhone 4.0. There are also talk that the next iPhone will sport a frontal camera.

Bottom line is that a frontal camera for video conferencing is coming to the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It is better for the millions of mobile warriors who rely on Apple's gears for their computing needs if Apple includes this particular function sooner rather than later.

Note: Teardown of the iPad show a spot where there is space for a frontal camera. Video conferencing is coming. There is also word that many of Apple's competitors plan on including a frontal camera in their slates and tablets.

-- Post From My iPad
Sometimes, there just isn't a lot of time to write a whole post. I'm wordy. Tweets are different. But you are limited to 140 characters at a time. So, I've come up with a way to tweet thoughts that are I want to express in more than 140 characters.

Here are a couple of sets of tweets. One is about the purposeful leak about Apple "talking" with AMD about potentially using Intel's chief CPU rival's chips in Macs. The second set stemmed from comments I read about RIM CEO's thoughts on tablets.


Apple/AMD: Macs may compensate with GPU while using slower AMD chips since AMD GPU blows away Intel solutions. (part 1)
Apple/AMD: /w amd chips, 80% performance, 60% cost of Intel could signal Apple push into corporate biz (part 2)
Apple/AMD: Nvidia vid solution great on Mac but Nvidia & Apple are competing more in the mobile market. Why help rival? (part 3)
Apple/AMD: Macbook and low-end Macbook Pro can benefit with AMD chips in terms of pricing w/o big performance hit (part 4)
Apple/AMD: using AMD chips (or whiff of Apple talking to AMD) will keep Intel pricing honest, not take Cupertino biz for granted (part 5)

RIM: Ceding mobile market to Apple (maybe Android), only want to protect smartphone segment? Bad play, dudes. (Part 1) http://bit.ly/9f3dFb
RIM: BB still number 1 in the US and still growing strong internationally. Lots of potential. Innovative pace is incredible (Part 2)
RIM: May be learning wrong less with bad Storm sales. Sales of Android/iPhone contradicts RIM CEO’s claims. (Part 3)
RIM: May need to buy Palm to catch up. May need to be BOLD. (Part 4)
RIM: Blackberry plus Palm’s WebOS, if done right, could be a powerhouse. (Part 5)
RIM: Tablet with current Blackberry OS would suck. Don’t do it (Part 6)
RIM: Blackberry Tablet with WebOS would rock (Park 7)


-- Post From My iPad


-- Post From My iPad

Friday, April 9, 2010

iPad Keyboard/Dock Combo - Must Have If You Do A Lot Of Writing

When the iPhone first appeared on the market, I thought wouldn't it be great if there was a way to connect an external keyboard. Months later, I thought the same. Then after a year or so, I finally gave up. Then the iPad. Along the way, before Steve Jobs officially unveiled it to the world, I thought it would be great to have a keyboard with a dock for the iPad. After all the screen is large enough for people who want to use it to write papers or the next bestseller.



Well, it's here. I actually got it yesterday but I didn't get to try it out until just now. In fact, if not for the expected tardiness of my friends, I wouldn't have the opportunity to do this.

So, first impressions. The keyboard is just the like the regular keyboard for the Mac. Elegantly designed. The dock at the back kind of sticks out but since I'm not able to provide a solution, I'm not one to criticize it. There are dedicated buttons for the iPad. Home, search, brightness, slideshow. There are also controls for the iPod as well as volume control.

Interestingly there are the control, option, and Apple keys but I haven't been to figure out what purpose they service since there aren't any hot keys available.

I'll be back with more in a bit with more. Friends are here.

-- Post From My iPad

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Posting Via iPad - Blogpress Version Giant Step Up

This is the first post i am making from the new Blogpress app that is optimized for the Ipad as well as the iPhone. Up until now, I was writing through the Blogger page through Safari.

What I am excited about is that we are only days since the launch with a vast majority of the developers still getting used to the iPad and added real estate on the screen.

Not only is this just the beginning, keep in mind that we are still using iPhone 3.2. We are hours away from being introduced to iPhone 4.0. Once Steve Jobs gives the okay to release It to the iPhone, iPod Toiuch, and iPad users, we are looking at our Apple mobile devices gaining new functions and capabilities.

Then imagine months after developers have had a chance to play with the new mobile OS, we will be treated to giant leap in mobile computing. As a consumer of of data, media, and apps, it doesn't get any better than this.

As Apple fans, it'll be interesting to see Apple's competitors begin their annual ritual of scrambling to catch up to the iDevices and what they can do. If the rumors of what Apple is arming iPhone 4.0 for the mobile war, it's gonna get really ugly for everyone else.


-- Post From My iPad

iPad Observation: Takes Time To Appreciate

The iPad is easy to love. I love it the moment I got it at the Apple store and opened it up while I was there. In fact, you can see the looks on the faces of the new owners. Smiles all around.

But once you take it home, that's when you start getting to know each other.

I loaded up with a lot of iPad specific apps but I was itching to trying out the iPhone apps as well.

Still, I was trying to get to know to know the iPad. It was not easy. The biggest problem I had was trying to compare it too the iPhone. I think that was a mistake. Just as the iPhone changed the smartphone market, elevated it to a whole new level as some would argue, the iPad is creating a whole new market segment in mobile computing and possibly redefining how we consume media.

I am typing this post up on the iPad right now and even typing will take time to get used to.

In time, I will not only love the iPad but also learn to appreciate what it can do.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Almost Time

We are about to be let in. Up to 150 in line at the Apple Store in Manhattan Beach.

There are supposedly plenty of iPads for everyone.

The stamp they put on my hand is smudged

Posted with altBlogger.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

David Letterman On The iPad

That's right.  The iPad made it to the Late Show.  Is that a big deal?  Well, at a chance of being ridiculed?  Sure.  You'll never see Steve Jobs there but you will see the iPad.

Here's a clip:



Sorry, as you can see, the video got cut off. You can watch the video directly on Youtube here.

Source: MacDailyNews (Must bookmark them if you haven't already)

iPad - You Can Make Birthday Wishes On it!

Check out this video of the iPad in this espisode of Modern Family. Pay close attention to the candles in the cake displayed on the iPad's screen. Enjoy.

MacBook Air M2 - I Love It And Any Laptop You Get Will Always Be Right For the Time

The 2016 MacBook sitting off to the side still has some value as I gleefully starting using my MacBook Air M2 that I got for a decent price ...