Monthly Archives: October 2011

Technology

iOS5 – 200 new features and improvements, the highlights

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Here is a breakdown, from Apple, highlighting the over 200 and new features in iOS 5!!

Notifications

  • Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Centerthis is one of my favorite features. When you receive messages, voicemail or calls while ‘away’ from your phone the alerts are stacked on a screen that can be accessed by simply swiping down the screen. Much less intrusive, and very, very useful
  • New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screenbig improvement over the modal dialogs that popped up on previous versions that disrupted anything you where doing at the time
  • View notifications from lock screenswipe down from the lock screen and jump right to a notice, message, call, etc.
  • Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app

iMessage

  • Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 usersthis is a great feature. For instance I’m able to communicate with my daughter’s iPhone from my iPad, no need to grab my phone if I want to send her some info I found on my iPad – great productivity boost. Plus, it does not required the cellular SMS transport technology!
  • Track messages with delivery and read receiptsknow when the recipient read the message – very nice
  • Group messaging and secure encryption
  • Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi*very nice!! avoid SMS charges when roaming, especially overseas. While in Spain I communicated with my boss with SMS quite often, but when I got home 1/2 of big fat cell bill were SMS charges!!! This should reduce if not eliminate that.

Newsstand

  • Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen
  • Displays the cover of the latest issue
  • Background downloads of new issues

Reminders for managing to do lists

  • Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlookkeep calendars on multiple devices in sync. I’ve had some issues with this where any calendar entry already synced across devices, now created a separate entry from each device, messy. Might be something I didn’t do right.. but I’m not totally tech ignorant, so I think others will find that glitch annoying
  • Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4

Built-in support for Twitter

  • Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube
  • Add location to any tweet
  • View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts

Camera improvements for devices with cameras

  • Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
  • Volume Up button to take a pictureever hold the phone in landscape mode and fumbled to press the front button, well I have, and enabling a side button is a real awesome feature, sort of like a ‘real’ camera
  • Optional grid lines to line up shotsThis really helps me, I often tild my cameras for some reason, nothing like a little help
  • Pinch to zoom in the preview screen
  • Swipe to camera roll from preview screen
  • Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock

Photo improvements for devices with cameras

  • Crop and rotate
  • Red eye removal
  • One tap enhance
  • Organize photos into albums

Mail improvements

  • Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts
  • Indentation control
  • Drag to rearrange names in address fields
  • Flag messages
  • Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unreadwhat once was just an option to bulk delete, now offers these other bulk actions, a nice improvement
  • Customize mail alert soundsOK, this is the first I’ve not done myself, but I love the custom sounds for SMS, so I’m going to be trying this today!
  • S/MIME

Calendar improvements

  • Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch
  • Tap to create an event
  • View and add event attachments

Game Center improvements

  • Use personal photos for your Game Center account
  • Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends
  • Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends
  • Discover new games with custom game recommendations

AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S

    Multitasking Gestures for iPad

    • Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen
    • Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar
    • Swipe left or right to switch between apps

    On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant

      Software updates available over the air without tethering

      • this is great, no longer need to plug into the computer, get your apps and music ‘magically’ over the air via iCloud.. awesomeness

      iCloud support

      • iTunes in the Cloudawesome, using it a lot
      • Photo Stream
      • Documents in the Cloud
      • Apps and Books automatic download and purchase historymega awesomeness, new apps I bought appeared everywhere I wanted it, no need to do much of anything at all!
      • Backup
      • Contacts, Calendar, and MailSyncing all devices behind the scenes, off-line and without hands-on action. As noted, the only thing I’ve had issues with were some duplicate calendar entries
      • Find My iPhone

      Redesigned Music app for iPad

        Hourly weather forecast

          Real-time stock quotes

            Wireless sync to iTunes

              Keyboard improvements

              • Split keyboard for iPadI dig this (see my other post) thumbs much happier now
              • Improved autocorrection accuracy
              • Improved Chinese and Japanese input
              • New Emoji keyboard
              • Personal dictionary for autocorrection
              • Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words

              Accessibility improvements

              • Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
              • Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone
              • New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices
              • Option to speak a selection of text
              • Custom element labeling for VoiceOver

              Exchange ActiveSync improvements

              • Wirelessly sync tasks
              • Mark messages as flagged, read or unread
              • Improved offline support
              • Save a new contact from a GAL service

              Products compatible with this software update:

              • iPhone 4S
              • iPhone 4
              • iPhone 3GS
              • iPad 2
              • iPad
              • iPod touch (4th generation)
              • iPod touch (3rd generation)
              Uncategorized

              iPhone 4S almost here, FedEx tracking site not even NRT.

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              I received the shipping confirmation and tracking code yesterday. I’m quite excited about tracking my little phone package back and forth across the US:

              The FedEx site seems to lag several hours behind the tracking updates. As of midnight, the status was still showing;

              At 03:00 this morning, it’s showing that it arrived at BFI yesterday evening:

              iPhone Package Tracking

              I was hoping for a something a little more NRT (Near Real Time).

              Those of you that have checked out my new website see that I’m all about displaying the latest data I can acquire.

              Then there is the question of why I am awake at 03:00 PDT to even LOOK at this data. Insomnia is a regular part of my life.. something I’ve battled for years.. and some of it might be childish anticipation of playing with an awesome new toy, phone.

              Even when it arrives some time Friday (today), I will have to go through several steps to get it activated. How many.. a lot.. (me thinks). This is direct from my ‘Welcome to the Borg’ e-mail sent from AT&T:

              Congratulations! With AT&T, you get the nations’ fastest mobile broadband network* and the best coverage worldwide – more phones that work in more countries**.

              To Activate your Device and utilize the entire suite of features included with your service, you MUST follow these steps IN ORDER;

              1. Charge your iPhone.

              2. Check all voicemail messages on your existing device. Once your new iPhone has been activated, all voicemail messages and greetings on the former device will be lost. (Existing AT&T Customers Only).

              3. Turn it ON and follow the on-screen instructions. Your iPhone may prompt you to connect to iTunes via a Mac or PC. Install it for FREE!

              4. Synch iPhone with your contacts, calendars and bookmarks on your computer and with music, video and other content from your iTunes library.

              5. Activate your device online at some-website or by calling 1-555-555-1212 from another phone.

              6. Turn ON your iPhone and make a test call. If your test call is not successful, wait one hour to allow the activation process to complete then try to make another call.

              Once in hand, it’s going to be at least an hour of charging before I can even start to migrate the many gigabytes of information, contacts, photos, songs, videos and notes from the old white 3GS to my new white 4S.

              I’m glad they released the white phone right out of the gate this time. I think they lost some initial iPhone 4 sales while people who like white phones (such as myself) waited out the initial order surge. Could this explain the massive initial orders that completely blew away the iPhone 4 release records? Probably not, but it was a factor for me. It removed the decision to wait for the white phone or order the new black one and live with it.

              So.. here I sit, at 04:12, typing up a half-coherent ranty blog, wondering if I’ll get back to sleep or I’ll simply fire up the VPN and perform some of my day job.

              Software Development, Technology

              iOS 5 – what I really like about the new iPhone OS

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              What’s not to like about a shiny new OS update for the Apple Mobile platforms? It’s new, so, it has to be better? RIGHT?

              Well, yes, it IS BETTER! And it fixes some long nagging short complaints I’d had, mostly simple little things. The most interesting ones I have tried so far, are discussed here.

              Check out my ‘iOS New Features Rundown Post for more details!

              Now you can assign custom Text Notification Tones

              YES! Finally! I can set a custom tune (like a silent one.. for those really annoying people) for both phone and text communications for any Contact in your Contacts List. And not only that, they implemented it so you don’t need to use the same tone for both. This is something I really REALLY like!

              Setting separate Ringtone and SMS Tones - new in iOS5

              iPad Split Keyboard. Thumb-typing made easy!

              Every wish that your thumbs were a little longer to reach the keys in the center of the iPad keyboard? Well, maybe you wouldn’t want them longer, how weird would your hand look, right? Well, at least they could have done something….. and…. they did. Introducing the split keyboard on the iPad.

              Split keyboard makes thumb-typing easier on the iPad!

              Above, I am testing out this cool new feature while updating my Brewer’s Log. Too bad most of you won’t be able to taste this amazing Pumpkin IPA when it get’s kegged in less than a week!

              iCloud delivery of your purchased Apps, from the cloud!

              I’ve already found this to be one VERY useful feature. What I’m showing here is the App Store on my phone, and you can see one of the Apps has the little cloud icon next to it. That means I’ve purchased this application, but it’s not installed on this device. Now, instead of having to be wired into a computer to get easy access to my already purchased Apps, it’s available, over the cellular network, or WiFi, from a cloud storage area just for your apps. So, what’s the big deal? Well, if you want to add the app to this device, it’s as simple as pushing the ‘iCloud’ button and viola.. it’s downloading to your device!

              iCloud and App Store working together

              Another really nice feature, that is not illustrated in this photo, is that you can configure your account to automatically download any purchased app to ALL your devices (automatically, not need to sync) from this iCloud account. I’ve use this feature already as well and I love it. Again, no need to plug into the computer, or track down the app in the App store. It’s all done for you (of course you can turn this feature off it you like), easy as Apple pie!

              News Stand – get your electronic magazines on your mobile device!

              Do you have a hard-copy magazine that you subscribe to? Maybe they have a mobile version too. If that is the case, you can (again automatically) receive the latest edition, downloaded to your News Stand (here comes that iCloud thing again…) as soon as it’s published. This is a feature I’ll be making use of for certain (sorry, I’d not yet tracked down my magazines when I took this photo… I’ll be sure to update it when I do).

              New App - the Apple Newstand - get it hot off the presses!

              Handling of SMS and E-mail alerts on various screens

              For you current iPhone users, you know how annoying it is to get an SMS (or if you have e-mail alerts on, and e-mail) while on the phone or using another app. It pops up a modal dialog box and completely interferes with whatever it is that you are doing.

              NO MORE! The alert boxes are no longer modal, and if you receive an voice mail and an SMS at nearly the same time, the alerts are neatly stacked together, and after a few seconds, these automatically disappear from the screen. They are smaller, less obnoxious and they GO AWAY on their own! Finally!

              Aviation, Military, photography, Uncategorized, YouTube

              California International Air Show 2011

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              It was a warm and sunny day along the California Coast for the last day of the California International Air Show, in Salinas CA. Only 45 minutes south of my friend’s hose in Santa Cruz, CA. it was easy to plug this event into the last day of my vacation.

              After 2 weeks in the sun, I needed some shade. Another full day in the sun and I’d likely return home with a burn, so I lobbied to purchase the VIP Flight Deck tickets. It was an easy sell. The flight demonstration teams always work in a couple of extra tricks right in front of the VIP seating areas, and we’re at an air show after all. Accommodations where good. Food, snacks, soft drinks and a fully bar were all at our disposal, and the first round of drinks were included in the price.

              The performances were great. Plenty of jet action in the air.

              One of the highlights of the show was the TORA TORA TORA performance. It’s a 10 minute show using aircraft from the original 1970 movie TORA TORA TORA. It’s a sight to see, so I’ve uploaded video shot with my little Canon camera set on the fence (it get’s bumped a few times so the framing missed the final WALL of FIRE, which I found unfortunate).

              When the SnowCones took to the air, we decided to move onto the static displays. I’ve seen the very polite and nearly silent (and I’m sure very environmentally conscious) SnowCones enough times to fall asleep during their show. I had a 900 mile drive ahead of me that night, and I needed to remain alert. Oddly the couple of times I looked up into the sky, they always seemed to be speedily (albiet quietly) flying away… hm… I wonder if they are all French Canadians…).

              So off to more interesting things likes Cessnas and Piper Cubs.

              Uncategorized

              Netflix tries to make nice with customers

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              As some of you might have read in my Tech Feeds today, Netflix has backed off form the Quickster project.

              Here an e-mail I just received from them. Nice Mea Culpa. “Uh.. er.. sorry.. we’re sorry.. prices still going to be same but no new DVD only website.”

              Dear David,

              It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

              This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

              While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

              We’re constantly improving our streaming selection. We’ve recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we’ve added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

              We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

              Respectfully,

              The Netflix Team

              Some links from my Tech needs today:

              Netflix Kills Qwikster

              Netflix drops unpopular Qwikster DVD plan

              Some history on the controversy, this one about 3 weeks ago:

              Netflix Creates Qwikster For DVD Only Business

              Technology

              Get your QR codes — market like you’ve never marketed before

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              QR codes. What are they? They are those funky pixelated boxes you’ve been seeing for a while now.. and they are showing up everywhere. Most recently, on the top of one of my favorite beers!

              QR Code for Iron Horse Brewery

              Again, what are they? They are Quick Response codes, and they are designed so that smart phone users can get information on anything, simply by scanning the image with a QR app (there are plenty of free ones available for most any smart phone), which will then take you to a website, or give you a phone number, or some text, or even send you an SMS message! They are very versatile indeed!

              So, you might be saying to yourself.. so what!??!. Punch in a URL and you get the same deal. Well.. there’s the thing, you don’t NEED to punch in any URL (possibly misspelling it and going to the wrong place.. like.. whitehouse.com… which used to be a PORN website, not White House, and that’s all you need to know), you just scan it and viola. There you are!

              Give me a couple examples of why I should care, you say? Well, let me try to illustrate:

              ** You are a college student, and you want to find a roommate to help you with the rent. You print up a flyer and post it up at the school. You want to talk to these people, but you don’t want to give up your phone #, at least until you chat with them on e-mail. So, do you print out your e-mail address and hope they take the time to punch it in? Or maybe you *do* want your phone# up there…. either way, you could simply put a QR code on the flyer with your preferred contact method and viola.. smart phone users (i.e. lazy people) can just scan it. No need to type anything. They get in touch with you, you rent the room and the world is a happy place.

              ** You’re a business owner and want to make it easy for people to reach you. You put your phone number on your business card, your e-mail address and your website. But what if your website is http://thisismyreallylongbusinessnamepleaseletsdobusiness.com well.. unless you want to register and setup another domain.. you’re going to find that most people won’t take the time to punch that in. Or if they do, they will get it wrong. Either way, you’re losing a business opportunity. QR code to the rescue. Place one of these little black boxes on your card and make it EASY for them to get in tough with you. No more worries about a long URL. No more worries about them making a mistake. Simple scan, and they are in touch.

              Here are a couple of articles on QR codes if you’d like to do some more reading:

              Spotted Everywhere: Small Square Pixelated Codes

              QR Codes: Game Changer or Passing Fad?

              Target implements QR codes in print ads to engage readers

              I think you get the picture. And if you don’t, I doubt there is much hope you’ll ever get “the picture” or a QR code for yourself… right? Now, if you DO “get the picture” you probably want to know how to get one of these codes? Do you call the local government official and register for one? Do you call your lawyer to submit the paperwork, pay $500 and wait a month to get something back? NO, you do a quick Google search and find one of the MANY free sits online that will do this for you.

              Too lazy to do that? Well, here is one that I used. Seemed simple enough. And they even give you a little bit of HTML code you can put in your own blog to help direct others to their cool tool (that’s called marketing for those of you in South Florida).

              qrcode

              So, check it out… like mine right above… it’s easy, it’s free, and it could help you promote your business.

              Kaywa QR Code Generator

              Now.. it’s time for you get a little square.

              Technology

              IPad, Tool with no Purpose or Technology Masterpiece

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              Unpublished from last year. this entry was started on this iPad when I purchased it almost exactly one year ago today. At the end of the article Is an update on how this first year with the devices has been.

              October 2010
              What is that weird little device that seems to serve no purpose? It’s not a laptop, not phone, not a book nor hot plate.

              Well, I am about to find out, and those of you following my blog can too. In fact I’m typing this blog entry with one right now. It’s only spent 4 days in my care to date, but so far this weird ‘little’ thing has engendered itself to me, my kids and a couple of other people whom have had some time to really try one out, beyond a little demo at the local electronics retailer

              Even if this becomes little more than an eBook reader, I feel good about the investment. I do think this will find a place in my daily technology and recreation routines.

              For instance, I can say already that it’s a fantastic way to enjoy a streamed movie or TV show anywhere you have some network but no TV. My first test of this was to enjoy 3 episodes of Galactica, streamed by Netflix to the iPad. I loved it.

              I’ll have much more to say about it as I try out some daily business tasks. One of the first will be setting up some sample photography galleries to show prospective clients.

              Another will be use of the device in the day to day administration of systems and IT management.

              Stick around as I explore the ups and downs of the iPad over the next month or so.

              Along with the iPad I am testing out Apples new Apple TV. Both are getting rave reviews in my house right now.

              October 2011

              iPad

              It’s been a year with the iPad and I find it far more useful today than I had anticipated. it finds duty as a video blog reader (keeping up on the latest on CSS3 and HTML5 is a lot more comfortable to do on the couch with the little iPad than in my office at the laptop), as a second device to keep reference material handy while developing websites, and also as a very handy entertainment device.

              An example of it’s utility would be as a very handy repository of Radio Control reference, setup and instruction documentation while at the race track. not needing to haul around my expensive laptop, power supplies for a long day, and the space a laptop would take up in the pits are all reasons the iPad shines.

              in fact , I am comfortably using it to update this blog entry. I just wish I’d kept on task with the plan to write reviews as I explored this very cool device. and now with iOS 5 installed,it’s even
              more useful (for instance I can send SMS like iMessage communications to other iOS5 devices over WiFi (no. cellular network required).

              AppleTV

              In short. it’s fantastic. So happy and impressed am I with the AppleTV that I’ve recommended it to (and sometimes installed for) friends and family. It’s ability to access and deliver online content to the comfort of a living room.

              Integration with Netflix was impressive enough that I totally cancelled my cable, switched to DSL and saved myself several hundred dollars a year. My kids and I have not missed it at all. If I need to get any sort of broadcast news, I can pull true HD off the air for free, with a $5 set of old-school rabbit ears. Talk about bargain.

              If you enjoy YouTube, Vimeo or Internet Radio, Apple TV has that covered as well. It’s an integrated entertainment system in a box little more than a pack of cards I size. You do need an HDMI compatible TV / entertainment system to take advantage of this awesome little black box that pulls content off a CAT5 cable or WiFi network. You do need a high speed Internet connection of some type for it to function.

              That’s all for today’s update. I’ll make an honest effort to write a more detailed review of each, but we are having a rare sunny day and I’m going to go and take advantage of that!!