Tag Archives: Upgrade

Mactechedu Podcast: Episode 121: Ping this Podcast Please

by in Apple, Education, iOS 4, iPad, iPhone, iPhone 4, Music, Technology and tagged , , , , , , , | Permalink

In this show we…

give our wire management tip of the week,

have issues with voice control,

meet the new shuffle (same as the old(er) shuffle),

place a buy order on the Nano wristwatch,

face the new iTouch,

crab about the iOS4 update being November,

wonder what the Ping is going on in music networking,

and…

throw away our old AppleTV while eyeing a Roku box.

via Episode 121: Ping this Podcast Please.

iOS4, and Everything is as it Should Be

by in 3GS, Apple, iOS 4, iPhone, iPhone 4, Technology and tagged , , , , , , , | Permalink

The new iPhone OS, called iOS 4, was released today, for those that have been living under a rock, or at least haven’t gotten on Twitter yet.

I am pleased.  The new OS is fast, more effective, even has a better camera–that was unexpected.  The camera app has been significantly updated, and it is faster and even has a built in zoom function.  Multitasking works well, at least with the updated Pandora, and thats really the only one anyone cares about running in the background anyway.  The folders feature has already saved me a ton of space, making me not feel too bad about downloading another dozen or so news apps.  So that’s right, iOS 4 is basically everything I had hoped the iPhone would be.  Back in 2007.

Finally the OS has caught up with all of the stuff many of us dreamed it was capable of, it just took a while to get there.  I will say, Apple waits, and then does it right, because the new software is good.  Really good.  I can’t wait to get my hands on an iPhone 4…

iOS 4 on my 3GS - Saving space with "Folders"

It’s: “mac tech e-d-u” podcasts

by in 3G, 3GS, Apple, iPad, iPhone, Technology and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

It’s: “mac tech e-d-u” podcasts.

Episode 114: Flash Finally Comes to the iPhone!

In this show we…

dissect iOS4,

edit videos on the iPhone,

see the world with Retina resolution,

download articles on Instapaper,

Diss the Droid II,*

and…

go “case free”.

*Droid is a term that Lucasfilm Inc. apparently still wants to claim.

iPad: First Impressions

by in Apple, iPad, Technology and tagged , , , | Permalink

Here I go again, from the Lunch Room.

My current iPad screen one.

I am getting a lot of requests from readers and friends to post some of my first impressions of the iPad, Apple’s latest device du jour.

OK, let me start by saying, that these are not exactly my initial impressions. In fact, I have been using the iPad for a couple weeks now, and have some pretty definite ideas regarding what it is all about. At least for me, that is.

I have really come to think that the iPad is a different device for a lot of different people, for a variety of uses. It is hard to nail down a single thing that makes it worthwhile for everyone. The iPhone was easy; it replaced my cellphone, PDA, digital camera and iPod all in one fell swoop. A no brainer. So what about the iPad? Where is the value?

I have been using mine a lot for reading, checking email, Twitter, surfing the web. The browser is really fast, and the Internet experience is nearly on par with sitting on the couch with a laptop. It is also worth noting that I am writing this blog post on my iPad, which I have become very comfortable typing on. In fact, it has the potential to be an excellent mobile blogging platform.

Still, if you have an iPhone and a laptop that you use regularly away from your desk, you may find it hard to locate a good place in your life for the iPad. Unlike the iPhone, the iPad is pretty much impossible to use with one hand, so if you regularly sit on your couch with one hand on the remote or a drink you may be in trouble. It can’t do anything too serious, either, so Final Cut Pro in your lap is out.

The iPad can be an odd character to fit into your story. Or it may fit right in. My suggestion for now: try one. Go to the Apple store and try one out, or even better, find a friend who has one and get a good half hour or more with it. Although everyone has a different usage scenario for the iPad, the one constant is this: everyone I know who has actually touched one wants one.

– Posted From My iPad, “The Lunch Room”

Aperture 3: First Impressions…

by in Apple, Photos, Technology and tagged , , , , , | Permalink

I have been an avid user of Apple’s Aperture software since the 1.0 release, so I look forward to the latest versions when they come out. I have been working with Aperture 3 for a day now, so I thought I would post some initial impressions.

The Good:

  • Looks like most of the fun stuff from iPhoto is now part of the party. Face detection, places, etc.
  • The Auto-Enhance feature is a miracle worker. So far, it makes everything look amazing.
  • Built in presets are now included for common tasks, like High Contrast black and white; and they look good.

The Bad:

  • So far, the software seems slow and buggy. I have had some issues with going from full screen back to the browser, and it is struggling with some of the adjustment sliders.
  • Publishing to MobileMe is also buggy; does not seem to work right. Flickr publishing was poorly done in 2.0, and remains bad.
  • The software likes to do a lot of things in the background, I think this slows down a lot processes up front. This may change as it finishes up with making thumbnails and processing faces, but I also noticed it when importing photos.

It is a nice package, and should only get better with some minor updates, but for now it seems awfully slow and buggy for regular use in a professional environment. I am guessing an update will likely be issued very soon, which should fix a lot of the issues here.

There is a trial version available, by the way; so try it out free for 30 days and see what you think. By the end of the trial I am guessing they may have fixed most of the bugs I am seeing…