Tom Tom on iPad

I tried TomTom when I first got the iPad 3G, and when I received the "Connect an External GPS" message, I moved on to other things. It seems clicking continue at the message prompt would have resulted in a working, if imperfect, application. Now that version 1.4 has been released, no more popups, and excellent performance. If you already have the app for your iPhone, it costs nothing to add to the iPad. Give it a try!




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Location:Orquida Corte,Rancho Santa Margarita,United States

iPad Users Guide on iBooks

No more excuses for not reading the manual folks! At least this will apply after you figure out how to load iBooks, and then add the Users Guide. It is available for free, in all of it's full color glory. Read it cover to cover, and then keep it in your library for future reference.





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I Love Netflix

I wasn't sure what to expect from Netflix on a mobile device. Having worked in the past with every type of streaming service had left me skeptical of Netflix over AT&T 3G. Boy have I been surprised! I have spent most of the last two weeks on the road. Watching "Bones" episodes at home with my wife had gotten me hooked on Netflix. With my travel schedule, we did not want to get out of sync, so we agreed each day on which episode to watch, and would Skype afterward to compare notes and talk. Netflix has performed amazing. In many cases the 3G connection is much better than the Hotel WiFi. Give it a try. The picture quality is amazing, and if like me, you fall asleep part way through, high speed scrubbing works great too!


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Testing remote post

Just a test


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No Pressure!

Wacom Tablets, Tablet Computers......it was normal to use varying pressure to get different effects within applications. The iPad has no such pressure sensing, but is very responsive to a gentle touch.

Many are complaining about the level of fingerprints retained by their screens. Although the fingerprints are usually most noticeable when the iPad is off, they can build up to a point of interference when the iPad is on. The secret to success between cleaning is a light touch. Use the tip of your fingers, not the entire pad.

Give it a try, and drop me a comment on your results.

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A 3G Moment

For me, 3G is often a Nice To Have, as apposed to a Have To Have. Last night was a perfect example. Our local power company was scheduled to finally do some major maintenance, and had notified us of an outage planned from 11:30pm until 6:00am. Sure enough, at 11:37pm the lights went out. I was not yet ready for sleep, so I lit a few candles for navigating around the house, and settled down with my iPad 3G and some NetFlix entertainment. I actually fell asleep shortly after, but it was so cool to be able to watch a movie or read a book during a total blackout.


-- Post From My EyePad

AT&T Changes The Game Again

I see a lot of comments online about Apple and AT&T promises. I never saw, or heard, the word promise used. Promise denotes contract, and contracts must be bilateral, or they are not a contract. They said they would offer a product for a price, with no long term commitment required to get that price, but also no commitment on how long that might last.

I see AT&T's move as being more like Europe, in that the plans have caps, but overage charges do not gouge the customer. Many power users of 3G average between 10 and 25 GB per month. With Verizon, this would equate to $310 per month for 10 GB, as they cap at 5 GB and charge $.05 per MB on overages. With the new AT&T plan (2GB Cap) the same service will cost $105 per month for 10 GB.

Unlimited plans have been going away with other carriers for some time for anything other than a non-tethering smart phone. I think my iPhone data usage is about 1GB per year, so I will save money on the new plan.

The harsh reality is that nobody broke a promise, they just ended a sweetheart deal way too soon to have gotten any PR value out of it at all. I would assume most folks can do pretty well at a 2GB cap, and can still turn it on and off as they please. Those that need more on a regular basis need to buy now and lock in, as they would likely not be an on and off customer anyway, and if they do want on and off, they will likely save enough in the off cycle to pay for some data overage in the on cycles.

I suspect that iPad will continue to sell like hotcakes in both configurations, and people will realize that after the newness wears off a little bit, their use will be more balanced over many different app and data types, where 2 GB will go a long way in meeting their needs. I have not heard anybody voice concern over 4G coming soon, and being stuck with a 3G device.

We have all gotten very used to getting something for nothing, and even finding ways to get around what makes the free stuff free, like advertising etc. Most of the same folks who complain about the AT&T network, are the first to consume the all you can eat data plan. The age old business model of "You get what you pay for" has not changed. If you want a great network, with everywhere 3G, buy a WiFi iPad and get a MiFi from Verizon. If you want an all you can eat plan, get the Overdrive device from Sprint, especially if you live or travel in their 4G areas, as 4G is unlimited, with 3G metered at 5GB.

Let's all maintain some perspective on this. We did not spend our last working capital on an iPad, and build a business plan that requires unlimited Internet via 3G for life. For those that have built a business plan around leveraging the iPad that requires more than 2GB of data per month via the Internet, or is going to have demonstrative financial impact from any resulting data overage, need to rethink their plan.


-- Post From My EyePad