Everything You Need to Know About iPad Pro Keyboards

November 28, 2015 by David Johnson

After long last, I finally got a Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro. I have had most of this article in my head for about a week. But I couldn’t credibly write it until I actually got an official, Apple iPad Pro keyboard for myself. I have probably logged enough time on this thing in the Apple Store since the iPad Pro came out. But there are always a few things you learn about a product after living with it, that you don’t learn from spending time with a demo in a store.

Laptop Replacement

November 20, 2015 by David Johnson

In review after review, the drumbeat for the iPad Pro is all about whether or not it can replace your laptop. Tim Cook did not help matters with some of [his recent comments](http://www.cnet.com/news/apples-cook-on-the-ipad-pro-why-would-you-buy-a-pc-anymore/). While this is not a part of the marketing push for the device, it seems to be the only thing tech reviewers care about. It is as if to say, if the iPad can't replace your laptop, it is not worth your while. Can the iPad Pro replace your laptop? And does that narrative even make any sense? Let's find out:

The iPad Pro, or Is It?

November 15, 2015 by David Johnson

After a week I can say without reservation that I am loving the iPad Pro. I haven't used my notebook since I've had the iPad Pro, and haven't yet missed it. I have put it up for sale. So it is fair to say that I am all in on the iPad Pro. What I am not all in on is how it is positioned in the market.

iPad Pro: Entertainment, Content Consumption, and Second Impressions

November 14, 2015 by David Johnson

Let's start with second impressions. There is a reason Apple seeded all official reviewers with a Smart Keyboard cover and an Apple Pencil. Without these accessories, the iPad Pro is just a giant iPad. This also explains why reviews of the device seem to be much more positive from reviewers equipped with these accessories.

iPad Proa: the Wait Is Finally Over, A New Wait Has Just Begun'

November 12, 2015 by David Johnson

I'm as giddy as a kid in a candy store on his birthday. The long wait for the iPad Pro is finally over. But don't mistake this little write up as some kind of review. It is not. It might be some time before I can actually give it a proper review.

Truth be told, I'm not even certain I am going to keep this thing. It might well go back to the store for a full refund. The jury is still out. In fact, the jury hasn't even been called in for duty. Just think if this as a first impression.

About That New Magic Keyboard from Apple…

October 14, 2015 by David Johnson

suspect I am the first person in Birmingham, AL to try one of these keyboards. I suspect that because when I went to the Apple Store to see if they had them (for the second time that day), the sales staff said they didn’t. It just so happened that I knew they had just received a large shipment of new product, and so, insisted the sales person go to the back to check. As it happened, they did have the new keyboards along with the other new products announced that morning. None of the products were priced in the system at that time. After all that was settled, I walked out with the first Magic Keyboard to be sold, likely in the state. Here’s what I found:

Thoughts About the Upcoming iPad Pro

October 12, 2015 by David Johnson

I want one. That should come as no surprise to anyone. Like the original iPad, I feel like there is a use-case for it somewhere in my life. I just can’t pin down what it is. I’ve been looking forward to the iPad Pro two years before it was announce. It is a product that has been much rumored, and I suspect, much delayed. My guess is that even Apple was unsure of the direction they wanted to take it. This writing is my attempt to sort out my feeling about the product now that its market debut is imminent. Also, this is my real-time musings on how I might actually use the product, in an attempt to sort the fantasy from the soon-to-be reality.

Apple Watch/ I've grown accustomed to its face

May 02, 2015 by David Johnson

I received my stainless steel Apple Watch with white sports band Friday evening. By Tuesday night, I had it boxed up and ready to be returned for a full refund. While not the typical way to start a product review, it is the part of the experience that was most visceral to me. But for now, let’s leave that repacked box aside, and talk about the experiences that led up to that moment. For that, we must flash back all the way to the beginning, For me, that would be long before the Apple Watch was a gleam in Tim Cook’s eye…

Bose SoundLink On-Ear Bluetooth Headphones Review: Bluetooth Done Right

January 27, 2015 by David Johnson

If you do not have $250 that you are inclined to spend on a set of headphones, I doubt I can offer you much incentive to continue reading. Then again, we all watched "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" knowing full-well that we were never going to live that way. So, if you are not in the high-end headphone market, just think of me as Robin Leach. I will gladly show you what you could be enjoying if you have a little more money, And a lot less sense:

iPhone 6: the embiggening

May 13, 2014 by David Johnson

The word may be made up, but the sentiment is real enough. The iPhone 6 will be bigger than any iPhone that has come before it. There are two very persistent rumors. One is almost certainly real while the other is tantalizingly questionable. The first rumor is that the iPhone will come in a 4.7" screen size. If persistence equals veritas, then you can take this one to the bank. The second rumor is that a month or so later, another iPhone will emerge sized at 5.5". There have been different flavors of this rumor floating around for some time. It is far from confirmed. But it is worth considering the possibilities.

Why 1984 is not like 2014

April 28, 2014 by David Johnson

Microsoft has just completed the purchase of Nokia: the only company that was all in on building Windows Phone devices. To celebrate this occasion, Microsoft has released a new ad. Laughably ironic, Microsoft is painting itself as the underdog. More than that, they are juxtaposing themselves against Apple. Microsoft is the cool and scrappy countercultural niche player for the people who don't want to just follow the crowd. Apple is the grey, soulless establishment for people who have no imagination and just do what is expected. This is all a play on Apple's famous 1984 ad. As much as companies like Microsoft want to catch the zeitgeist of that ad, they never can. Here's why:

Despite new offerings from Samsung, iPhone 5S is still considered the best smartphone available

April 20, 2014 by David Johnson

In an effort to counter program the iPhone, Samsung and others, time their new smartphone announcements to be as far away from a new iPhone as possible. Since Apple releases new iPhones in the Fall, Samsung likes to release in the Spring. That gives plenty of time for the hype and interest surrounding new iPhone to dissipate. Samsung gets to own the product cycle for 6 months without any interference from Apple. Their new phone can be the new hotness uncontested by any real competitors. So how's that working out for the Galaxy S5? According to the New York Times, not so well:

While Apple fights one thief in court, they get robbed by another

April 14, 2014 by David Johnson

Microsoft reverse engineers Apple's Passbook, adds support in Windows Phone 8.1

When Apple showed off PassBook for the first time, I yawned. When I got a chance to try it for myself, I yawned even wider. You see, I haven't taken a single flight, or drank a single cup of Starbucks coffee since PassBook was released. I also have not used a loyalty card at a store. In other words, I don't do the sorts of things for which PassBook was designed. Despite my apathy towards the product, it has had quite an exciting life since its debut in iOS 6. Its biggest claim to fame is that it has been ripped off twice by competitors.

Naturally, the first was Samsung. I covered it at the time it happened. Samsung copied the heck out of PassBook and put in into its own product. Today, it was discovered that Microsoft has done something similar, only worse. Instead of just copying the idea and design of the app, they reverse engineered Apple's PassBook so that it's information can be read in Microsoft's wallet app. Since developers are only interested in writing for Apple's proprietary solution, Microsoft is trying to steel PassBook by making it less proprietary. Right now, PassBook is a feature that helps sell iPhones. If Microsoft has its way, PassBook will help sell Windows Phones as well. This, while Apple is in court with the other thief that stole PassBook. What a world.

David Johnson

Lies, damned lies, and tablet sales

April 12, 2014 by David Johnson

When lies are told about tablet sales, you know that Samsung can't be far away. In just revealed court documents in the Apple vs. Samsung trial, we learned that 2011 saw Samsung's Galaxy Tab sales at about a million units. That wouldn't be particularly interesting if it was not for the fact that Samsung mislead the media and investors to believe that sales of their iPad killer were much better.

More hilarious proof that all app stores are not created equally

April 08, 2014 by David Johnson

Until a few hours ago, Virus Shield was the #1 paid app in the Google Play store. This story is so funny, you just have to read it for yourself. Warning! Take some Advil to keep your sides from hurting too much as you laugh. I'll be back after the break with a little commentary. Read the link and enjoy:

Samsung and that selfish selfie: this is why we can't have nice things

April 07, 2014 by David Johnson

Give a group of kids a little freedom, and someone is going to ruin it for everyone. Samsung is that kid. Remember that piece I wrote last week about the presidential selfie from a Samsung device? The search continues for an unpaid Samsung fan I ended it by wondering if the president was a willing participant in a Samsung promotion or an unwilling dupe. Well we have the answer. The president was an unwilling dupe, and the White House is mulling legal action over it. From The Verge:

New documents reveal Samsung copied like there was no tomorrow

April 06, 2014 by David Johnson

Remember the tech trial of the century last year where Apple prevailed over Samsung, proving the Korean company copied like there was no tomorrow? Well, it's happening again. This time, it is over a different set of phones and a different set of issues. Even so, it looks and feels very much the same. Last year, there was a damning set of Copy Cat documents showing in detail, exactly how Samsung copied the iPhone feature after feature to make their phones look and feel more like the iPhone. This is what probably caused the jury to rule in Apple's favor so overwhelmingly. Well in round two, there is another set of Copy Cat documents that are even more damning. Here's the scoop from Appleinsider:

The curious timing of Microsoft Office for iPad

April 04, 2014 by David Johnson

Microsoft has been around for a very long time. Office has been around for a very long time. What many don't know is that Office was originally a Mac app, not Windows. Microsoft's relationship with Apple was very close. The point I am getting at is that making software for Apple products is nothing new for Microsoft. They know how to do it, and used to make quite a good living at it. They were not pushing any competitive hardware when the iPad was introduced. Why didn't they announce their intentions to make Office for iPad at that time?

The search continues for an unpaid Samsung fan

April 02, 2014 by David Johnson

Serious question: Has there ever been an instance of a celebrity seen in public using a Samsung product who wasn't paid to do so? The last high-profile use of a Samsung phone you might be familiar with is Ellen DeGeneres's infamous, star-studded selfie during the Oscars. She was paid to be seen with a Samsung phone on stage. At the same venue, when not on stage, Ellen used her iPhone. Samsung has decided that celebrity selfies are a pretty good promotional tool. So they are at it again. You'll never guess who they set up as their latest shill:

Time machine: the built-in backup solution for your Mac*

April 01, 2014 by David Johnson

Have you ever lost an important file? If not, you are either very young or very lucky. But being young and lucky is not a strategy for protecting your important work. Also, it is not just documents. Music, movies, applications, and photos are just a few examples of the types of things I've lost over the years. If you don't have a plan for avoiding loss, you are going to be a victim. For years, Apple has included software in the OS with the goal of keeping you from becoming a victim. It may be the most underutilized software that can save your digital life. Let's take a look: