Canadian Cabinet Ministers Can Expense iPads

Even though Canadian Members of Parliament have taken a stance against the purchase of iPads, Treasury Board President Stockwell Day has allowed cabinet ministers and senior public servants to expense the cost of the devices. 

Day, an avid user of the iPad, says that a pilot project in his department has proven their cost effectiveness. “I just think they’re wrong on this one,” Mr. Day said in an interview. “MPs will account for the equipment that they buy.… They need to look at it again from the point of view of efficiency and cost saving.”

According to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Day's pilot project came at a cost of $20,530.69. 

NDP MP Pat Martin is quoted as: “Why are we forced to use a horse and buggy when everybody else has got state-of-the-art equipment?” he asked. “I kind of resent that. If it’s good enough for cabinet ministers and senior bureaucrats, it’s good enough for MPs.”   

BTW: According to the article, Stockwell Day has admitted to playing the odd game of Angry Birds on his iPad. I wonder if the tax payers covered the download costs? Then again, I can't disagree with his logic as I have all but abandoned paper in favor of my iPad as well.

Is Your iPad Changing Your Television Watching Habits?

It seems that I am not alone in my iPad / TV watching habits and my transition away from the big screen to the one I can hold in my hand. As reported by Kit Eaton, Fast Company,  a new study is showing that reading online is cutting into prime time TV watching. I for one am finding that the iPad accompanies me in front of the television as I catch up with email, search IMDB to find out who that actress is and where do I know her from? In my case, I am also short circuiting TV altogether at times by downloading and enjoying commercial free episodes from itunes or audio books from Audible. If it weren't for the other members of my household and perhaps live sports in HD, I'd probably scrap my cable subscription all together in favor of downloaded content to my iPad.

Truth is that my iPad is much more convenient, I can take it with me to my favorite chair, which isn't even in a room with a television, and it remembers where I was when I shut the device off. In my experience interruptions are also less frequent as their is less desire to interrupt someone when they have their ear buds in.

What are your findings? 

The Android Tablet Cometh

Hold on to your hat Apple a slue of android powered tablets are set to rock the market place to it's core, well maybe. While there have been a few cheap attempts at displacing the iPad, no serious competitor has made it to the market yet but just in time for Christmas are offerings from  Samsung, Toshiba, ViewSonic and Archos with screens ranging from 7 to 10 inches in size and some boasting 1080p resolution, usb interfaces, and of course adobe flash support. The android tablets are set to debut at anywhere from $299 for the Archos 101 Internet Tablet to arround $1000 for the Galaxy Tab by Samsung putting them all around the $499 and up offers for the various iPad models.

It will be interesting to see if the iPad will continue to dominate or if the trend being felt in the smartphone market will carry over into tablets. My prediction is that the lower priced Archos will be a winner, I'd love to see the Galaxy Tab do well but the price point may be a sticking point unless it is subsidized by carriers on a contract. All in all, the android operating system is gaining favour and could propel android powered tablets into compelling alternative status.

NASA iPad App = Geek Eye Candy

It's no secret, I'm a huge fan of NASA and all of the technology they develop and use. When I heard that NASA had developed a free HD app I quickly fired up the iPad and made my way to the app store to download NASA App HD a fist full of interactive hi-definition goodness. Next to Flipboard this might be my new favorite app. I love the shots of and from space, and who isn't impressed by big toys these folks get to play with? Pictures from todays full-scale test firing of the DM-2, the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight, are awesome. Incredible photos of hurricane action down here on earth from the ISS crew and tons of info about many NASA projects past and president. Very pretty!

The Magic of iPad

I'll let the video do the talking on this one...

Bravo!

Doodle Jump - 5 Million Downloads And Still Jumping

What started as an attempt to make a little extra money by two Croatian born brothers has turned into an iPhone sensation with a reported 5 million downloads to date. Doodle Jump is a $0.99 download from the iTunes App store and  Igor and Marko Pusenjak believe their little game is the first to reach the 5,000,000 download mark. The brothers have quit their day jobs and now dedicate all of their time to iPhone - iPad development through their company  Lima Sky.

“I remember a moment of frustration when we were selling only 20 or 30 copies a day,” he said, “then we made it into the top 25 apps and we’ve been there for almost a year now.” Growth of sales is also aided by their fans who post videos showing off their skills and via a number of Facebook groups dedicated to the game and it's fans.

Well done Igor and Marko! Great success story.


Credit: NY Times Bits Blog

iPad Not Ready For Higher Education?

It seems that the iPad is attracting the wrong kind of attention from a number of high profile universities for reported issues with connectivity and degradation of the school's networks when a number of the devices are connected. The Wall Street Journal is reporting "The tablet, lauded by many as the next wave in education technology, is having difficulty being accepted at George Washington University and Princeton University because of network stability issues. Cornell University also says it is seeing connectivity problems with the device and is concerned about bandwidth overload."

In addition to the networking woes, some educators are also complaining about a lack educational content available via the iBookstore application. Regardless, I am sure that Apple will be working hard to solve the hardware issues and attract more content. Not to mention, too many consumers Apple products are simply irresistible!

Google's Schmidt Tells Party Goers That Google Will Challenge The iPad

The NYTimes is reporting that Eric Schmidt of Google fame has eluded to a Google Android based tablet to rival the iPad. This probably shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone but the interesting talk that revolves around the Google slate is that it is rumored to support Adobe Flash, something that Apple has refused to do and that will have many developers heaving deep sighs of relief.

Eric E. Schmidt, chief executive of Google, told friends at a recent party in Los Angeles about the new device, which would exclusively run the Android operating system. People with direct knowledge of the project — who did not want to be named because they said they were unauthorized to speak publicly about the device — said the company had been experimenting in “stealth mode” with a few publishers to explore delivery of books, magazines and other content on a tablet.

 I, for one, am likely to want to give the iPad a try but will definitely be waiting to see what Google's offering is! I truly do love my HTC Dream and would not trade it for an iPhone, ever!

Is iAds Apples New Revenue Stream Or A Developer Support System?

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says the companies new ad platform for mobile devices, namely the iPhone, iPad, and iPod, is not a get rich quick scheme for his company but a support system for application developers by which they will be able to keep the cost of apps down, increasing the likely hood of continued interest in app development. The iAds program offers developers a platform onto which they can "build complex interactive ads into apps..." according to the NYTimes. Apples plan is to keep 40% of the revenues with 60% going to the apps creator, following a similar model as the iTunes App Store. “This is us helping our developers make money so they can survive and keep the prices of their apps reasonable.” said Jobs. When comparing his iAds network to Google's Adsense Jobs said “Search is not where it’s at” on phones, he said. “People are not searching on a mobile device like they are on the desktop.” I tend to agree with the observation but I have a hard time believing it's all about helping the developers...

The iPad Unboxed - bow chicka wow wow

The folks at Revision 3 decided to poke fun at Apple's iPad with an unusual unboxing, in a video segment reminiscent of a 70's style porn movie... not that I would know what they looked like.

iPad Content Work Around For Canadians

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Canadians will be faced with a copyright issue when the iPad is released north of the border. It's an issue that we're already used to regarding video content from US television networks. The apps, books, and video content that is catching fire with our neighbors to the South, may not be available to us here because of domestic licensing and copyright ownership laws regarding certain content. Bummer! The article goes on to describe the dilemma, but the most valuable piece of information that you'll get is the following:

Workaround Tip:

Globetechnology reviewed the iPad earlier this week using a pre-paid MasterCard purchased at Shoppers and created a U.S. iTunes account with a throw-away U.S. mailing address. That allowed us to download all of the apps available on the U.S. store, including iBooks, the ABC Player and Netflix. Some apps are geo-blocked, such as the ABC Player, but we were able to buy and download books from iBooks.

Enjoy your new iPad!

A Dual View Of The iPad

This morning I read David Pogue's NY Times review of the Apple iPad with great interest, amusement, and to be quite honest, joy! What a refreshing take on a product review! David looks at the device from two perspectives and highlights the features and detractors from both points of view. You see, to many consumers this is a wondrous device that is going to change computing forever, but to the hardcore techie it's not that at all. So rather than attempting to reach out to either camp and offend the other, David has written a review for each. This might be viewed by some as a cop out, but to me it makes perfect sense. The way that I might want to use such a device, or the opinion that I might form of it after having it for a time, is quite likely vastly different than say, my wife's view. We are after all on opposite ends of the techie scale.

You be the judge... refreshing or the Switzerland of tech reviews?

iPad Turns Out To Have Superbowl Like Advertising Appeal

It looks as though the big advertisers are lining up for ad space in iPad apps and the platforms launch is drawing Superbowl like numbers! The New York Times is reporting that:

"iPad advertisements on print publishers’ applications cost $75,000 to $300,000 for a few months with some exclusivity, said Phuc Truong, managing director of Mobext U.S., a mobile-marketing unit at Havas Digital."

All the while developers are trying to figure out how to make the most of the opportunity and the hype. It's interesting that it has taken Apple to make this happen, I guess the advertisers are counting on the larger format of the iPad and the magic of Apple to make tablets / e-readers a mainstream consumer product and the publishers are doing a good job selling the launch.

iPad Delayed Slightly In US, 9 Other Countries Will Get Theirs In Late April

The Wi-Fi version of the iPad will be released in the U.S. on April 3rd with the 3G version coming later in the month according Apple. "Both versions will be available in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K., Apple said in a statement. The device will be available in other countries later this year, the company said."

The device ranges from $499 to $829 U.S. depending on the model chosen but outside of the U.S. prices will be announced in April closer to the launch dates.

"The tablet can run all iPhone apps and boasts up to 10 hours of video battery life. Apple also announced Friday that the iPad will include 12 new apps designed for the device's larger screen."

Source: CBC

Google's Schmidt Reacts To iPad

Silicon Alley Insider's Nicholas Carlson has a few words from Eric Schmidt on the release of the iPad, very few words but the reaction is interesting... is Schmidt taking a Steve Jobs approach to new product discussion?

Quote: Today, a reporter asked Eric what he thinks of Apple's (AAPL) new iPad. His answer: "You might want to tell me the difference between a large phone and a tablet."
Source: Business Insider

Geeks Underwhelmed By iPad, But Is It Intended For The Hardcore Techie?

I had a lunchroom conversation yesterday with a couple of my coworkers, who are admittedly hardcore techies. Their argument was that the iPad was just a stretched out iPhone or iPod touch which offered nothing new and in fact took away a few popular features such as GPS and a camera. My stance was that indeed it is a larger format device with many of the same features of it's little brothers but that it's meant to go head to head with the netbook and in that arena the touch interface will be a winner. To emphasize my point I explained that my 75 year old father recently asked advice on the purchase of a new PC. He and I sat down and listed the things that he used his current PC for:

Surfing the web;

Checking gmail account;

Keeping up on the stock market; and

Viewing pictures of the grandchildren, generally e-mailed to him;

The decision was easy... a netbook! The biggest concern we had was the screen resolution and his 75 year old eyes, but after looking at a few we came to the conclusion he'd be alright. 

This is the market that Steve Jobs is targeting! No, not the elderly but people with similar requirements! Not the coders and hackers, not the spreadsheet masters. The average user with a facebook addiction and the desire to read a little, thumb through old photographs, and keep up on the news. Not to mention a great big geeks who would rather pick this little beauty up and tote it around than stay glued to his office chair when the desire to surf hits him.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for the banter guys, but it's time to think outside of the server rack :)

Apple Announces iPad, Much To Nobody's Surprise. But It Looks Like A Winner.

Well, if you can believe it Apple has introduced a larger touch device being dubbed the iPad! Okay, so nobody is falling out of their seats with that announcement but the device appears to be another Apple thing of beauty with a sleek design and beautiful LCD display. Of course I've not had my hands on one and I'm judging this simply by the materials provided by the Apple propaganda machine, but if the device lives up to the video they'll have hit another home run.

A Wi-Fi version is promising to ship in the US by late March while the 3G version ships in April. The big surprise is the pricing which seems like a bargain:

               16GB 32GB 64GB

Wi-Fi        $499 $599 $699

Wi-Fi + 3G $629 $729 $829

This says it all...