Apple Thoughts - News & Reviews on all things Apple

"When I'm traveling, my computer is used for three things: reading, sharing photos, and writing, in roughly that order."

Well now he has mixed in the iPad, especially when it comes to photo editing. And from the sounds of the very thorough article, I don't think he is looking back. Worth reading if you want to use your iPad for photo editing, or even if you already do.

"John Welch over at Ars Technica wrote a wonderful post about using an iPad as a system administrator's tool, noting that Apple's tablet is "an addition, not a replacement" to the many tools that IT pros currently use to complete their daily tasks."

You can read the Ars Technica article here, but why not right? I mean it makes sense to me, since it has great battery life and easy to use, why shouldn't it be another tool in the toolbox? But whatever your opinion, it's still an interesting article about how one person uses it.

"Apple prepares to go to trial to fight the US Department of Justice's claims that the Cupertino company conspired to fix ebook prices with publishers, former publisher of the Wall Street Journal L. Gordon Crovitz has an interesting oped in today's paper which he says that Apple's 30% profit sharing "agency model" with ebook publishers does not amount to the price fixing conspiracy that the DOJ accuses the company of."

Interesting oped from Crovitz. I especially like the quote from Apple's Eddie Cue: 'I don't think you understand. We can't treat newspapers or magazines any differently than we treat FarmVille.' And that is at the heart of this whole investigation it appears. Apple wants to, and does, treat everyone the same. If you want to operate in the Apple model and get your stuff on the iPad, you pay what everyone else does. Makes sense to me, what are your thoughts?

"Holy crap. Check out this amazing custom iPad cover Redditor 44 Oz. had made for him by Australian-based leatherworking firm High On Glue, made with premium leather, suede lining, a kangaroo leather spine and embossed with the original Apple logo designed by Ron Wayne back in 1976, featuring Sir Isaac Newton resting under an Apple tree."

I'm with the author, as I don't normally like folio cases either but this one is certainly amazing. Makes me wish I had continued on with my leatherwork practice from 4H. If you want to order one, you can go check it out on this page and get your email in, it might be awhile though.

"Looking more like a floating spaceship than a luxury boat, the Adastra is the result of five years of work by billionaire Anto Marden and yacht designer John Shuttleworth."

Beauty and brains here, since its full of high-tech stuff including an iPad powered remote control system that can control a number of features from up to 50 meters distance. The cost to build? Approximately $23.9 million. The Daily Mall has a full story on the ship, or you can go right to the Adastra website.

"Apple today issued a press release announcing the new third-generation iPad will go on sale in another twleve countries starting on Friday, April 20. Notably, one of the twelve is the important South Korean market. The other eleven countries include Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela."

And a short week later on April 27th it will be available in nine more countries, which will bring the total number of countries to 57.

"Still haven't found the perfect iPad case for you? Consider the FlipSteady, now being considered at Kickstarter for the iPad 2 and new iPad."

I use a combo method on my iPad. For the front I use the smart cover from Apple and for the back I use hard shell cover from Scoshe. But I am always on the lookout for something better, and this might just be it. But I don't think I need to hurry over to the their Kickstarter page since they appear to be within $600.00 USD of their goal and they have 55 days left. Clever case indeed.

"Speaker docks are a tricky proposition. Build them big enough to boom, and they're hard to fit on your desk or kitchen counter. Build them small, and they usually lack the bass that helps us feel our favorite jams. Scoshe's BassDOCK manages to pack a punch, securely perching your iPad above a compact speaker that fits almost anywhere."

Simple design that works with all versions of iPad, and at $149.99 USD it won't break the bank. And, from the sounds of this review, it does the intended job very well.

"Here's one last opportunity for you to grab a new iPad for yourself, and Gogo's pulling out all the stops to ensure you're happy with your new treasure both on the ground and in the air."

Find out all the details right here.

"You might not be handy with a hammer or a screwdriver, but this clever iPad stand beingsold on Etsy shows that you don't actually need any construction skills to build a highly-functional stand. Just the tools themselves."

I do have several hammers, but I think I would rather buy this than build it..even if it sells for $95.00. Not that I'm going to buy it mind you, it's just that I'm not that handy when it comes to making my own stuff. But if you are interested, you can check out the Etsy site and see this and other items.

"One question that seems to come up regularly regarding the iPad 3: how can I get more out of the battery?"

Image Credit: 9to5Mac

I have this question myself, as it seems to run down a lot quicker than my 1st generation iPad did. However, I tend to use it more than I did the older one so that could be the major issue! Regardless, this is a great article that runs down what you can do to get yourself some extra battery life out of your iPad. Some seem to be no brainers, such as turning down the brightness and turning off the 4G when you aren't using it, but it's the simple things that get past you when you least expect it right? For me I totally forgot about location services on the iPad and turning it off helped a great deal. No biggie since I don't use it all that often.

"Wikipedia gets a new, personal dimension in the latest version of the WikiNodes app for the Apple iPad, which brings Wikipedia to life by immersing readers in an infinite constellation of visual links. Readers can visually browse related nodes, bookmark favorites, annotate with text and multimedia, and share in multiple ways."

WikiNodes [affiliate link] just received a major update that, among other things, allows users to update entries in Wikipedia right from the app. No update yet for the retina display but that is supposed to come later this month to the former "staff pick" at the Apple iTunes Store.

"Apps that allow users to handwrite on their iPads using a finger or stylus have become increasingly popular, which suggests that the iOS keyboard is not always the best tool for a job, and that typing may not have fully eroded the need for decent handwriting."

I settled on Notability for my needs, since I work mostly with PDFs and I like how it organizes files. What are your thoughts on this lengthy list of apps? Which one or ones do you use?

"Mophie's take on an iPad stand shouldn't come as a surprise."

Mophie brings their version of the iPad stand to the table, and I have to say I do like it. Lightweight aluminum, adjustable arm that rotates to show portrait or landscape views, charging station and it works on all three versions of the iPad. The only downside, and it's a small one, is that you have to remove the case from your iPad before using this. Oh wait, there is that small thing about price. At $150.00 it is not cheap, and for what you get, I think it's overpriced. What are your thoughts?

"How badly do you want an iPhone and iPad? A Chinese teen sold his kidney to set his hands on the devices...and authorities have charged five people."

Incredible. And stupid.

"The bases are loaded, the pitchers are on the mounds, and Major League Baseball season has begun! So now it's time to take me - and my iPhone - out to the ballgame!"

I think it's pretty hard to beat the MLB At Bat Universal App for following MLB on your portable device, but the article does offer a couple alternatives in case you are in fantasy leagues. New this year though, also from MLB, is an app for your iPhone called At The Ballpark. This one is cool as it helps you navigate the ballpark you happen to be at, as well as several check in options and rewards.

""If you're having trouble connecting your new iPad to your local WiFi connection, you're not alone. 9to5 Mac got its hands on an internal AppleCare document that suggests Apple is looking into connectivity problems with the WiFi version of the new iPad."

Some of the problems reported are connectivity problems, slow WiFi speeds and the inability to see WiFi networks. They don't have a fix as of yet, but if you are experience these problems, head to your nearest Apple store or contact them online for a replacement since, as part of their investigative process, Apple is instructing their employees to "capture" any iPads returned for the WiFi problems and replace them with a new iPad. Apparently it's not just WiFi problems either, as some owners are also experiencing 3G problems as this article from Apple Insider notes. If you are curious about the capture process, this article from ZDNet outlines why they do it.

"Tablets and larger mobile devices have changed our lives since the debut of the iPad, and we love holding those devices in our hands. We touch, create, and consume all while we have the device on our laps or hands."

But sometimes it is helpful to have a handy stand available, just like this one. At $49.95 USD it isn't too cheap, but it appears to be pretty functional, and it works for any number of devices that have a 7" to 10" screen, such as Galaxy Tabs, Kindle Fires, Asus Eee Pad and the Blackberry Playbook. You can find out more about this device at the Satechi site.

"Readdle has released a major update to PDF Expert, its flagship PDF Expert app for the iPad, introducing high-resolution Retina support for the latest device, and a number of handy new features like document thumbnails and support for embedded media."

If you work with PDFs at all, you need this program. I've had this since version 1 and find it indispensable. Now you can listen to audio or watch video that is embedded in PDFs. It's pricey at $9.99 USD, but worth every penny in my opinion.

"With only a few weeks before taxes are due -- the federal deadline is on April 17, and many states have followed suit -- plenty of Americans are scrambling to file before the clock ticks away."

There are a few that I use that aren't on this list. One is Taxcaster from TurboTax, a universal app to help you estimate how much your tax (or refund for that matter) will be. Another is MyTaxRefund, an app to track your refund. Hopefully you won't need the third one from TurboTax, it's called Easy Extension. I think the name lets you know what that app is all about.