DISH Hopper and iPad: the first choice for your second screen

January 27, 2014 by David Johnson

Last year, one of the buzzwords to watch for was second-screen. There were a handful of apps and services trying to take advantage of that idea. The second-screen is the companion device with which you interact while ostensibly watching TV. If you happen to be watching the evening news, you might also be using your iPad to surface information about what you are watching, or communicate with a broader community about what is being shown. The iPad can provide an excellent second-screen when paired with the right app and service. To date, I have found no better pairing than the DISH Hopper and iPad.

The iPad mini clone from Acer, and why I don't cover CES

January 05, 2014 by David Johnson

Is anyone else a little embarrassed by this, or is it just me? First, the stickers; oh my god, the stickers! Engadget has had some hands-on time with this device, and this is what the device actually looks like, not the sanitized press photos Acer has put out. Even the small space below the camera gets a sticker. It is like trying to see the sky in downtown New York. Forget about it. There are nothing but billboards as far as the eye can see. If there is even a small space, don't worry; they will quickly put up a small billboard to fill it. Second, they are no longer even trying to conceal the fact that what they are making is an iPad mini clone.

Default: Living within Apple's gilded cage

January 05, 2014 by David Johnson

A lot of people, perhaps most, never venture beyond the default settings and applications found on their devices at the time of purchase. Others make it a point of personalizing the settings, and loading up their favorite alternatives to the default apps, dumping the defaults in a folder, and onto the back page, out of sight and out of mind. I see no evidence that one group is happier than the other. However, it does appear that the more adventurous of the two end up having more issues with their devices. I happen to be both. In some things, I am Captain Default. In others, I am David, Lord of the Unbeaten Path. This weekend, we will be exploring the benefits of accepting the default position, and living happily within Apple's tightly controlled ecosystem.

The iPhone tops the wish list, Santa is going to need some extra elves

December 18, 2013 by David Johnson

Alone, this data point probably means very little. After all, it is based on the research of Piper Jaffray, an analyst: a class of pundit that is almost never right about anything. In this case, they looked at 25,000 recent tweets to determine what people were asking Santa for Christmas. More people asked for an iPhone. The second most requested item was a PS4. That does not mean that they will get iPhones, just that they want it, badly. In case you were wondering, the iPad was a close third.

Nokia 2520: more than the Surface, less than the iPad, much less

December 13, 2013 by David Johnson

This is not a review, just a few observations about the tablet based on reviews and press releases. I am never going to own this tablet, not even for 5 minutes. I wouldn't want to take a chance on losing the receipt. I do have a few observations about the product you might find interesting:

The iPhone is coming to China Mobile. Here's what, if anything, it means for you:

December 07, 2013 by David Johnson

Why, all of a sudden, does the world seem to care about the iPhone coming to China Mobile? If you scan the latest out of the tech press, that is all you see. I have been following this story for quite some time. It has been in the making for years. Honestly, I didn't care then, either. And I am having a hard time figuring out why it matters to any other, semi-normal human. Before giving you my guesses, allow me to catch you up on the particulars:

What mobile gaming numbers tell us about Android users

December 06, 2013 by David Johnson

A few days ago, I ran across an interesting report from IDC regarding mobile gaming. In particular, it provided a breakdown of mobile devices on which people preferred to buy and play games. Allow me to eliminate the drama. People love using iPods touch, iPhones, and iPads for gaming. But that's not the interesting part.

When shoppers go mobile, the go iOS

November 30, 2013 by David Johnson

37% of online sales are done on mobile devices. iPhones and iPads account for almost all of those devices. That was certainly the case on Black Friday. I am for anything that takes more Black Friday sales online and off the streets. We are constantly told that there are more Android phones and tablets than iPhones and iPads, so why are mobile purchases so skewed in favor of iOS?

New Nokia ad attacks the iPad for lack of keyboard

November 26, 2013 by David Johnson

In case you missed it, and you probably did, Nokia recently put out a new tablet to compete with the iPad. It brings nothing new or interesting to the table, save that it is the lone competitor in the market for the Microsoft Surface, the RT version. Despite that awkward fact, it's going after the iPad in it's first television ad. Furthermore, it's sense of competitive advantage is incomprehensible.

Of keyboards and tablets

November 23, 2013 by David Johnson

There is a reason the iPad does not come with a keyboard, and it may not be the reason you think. You will never see an iPad advertised with a keyboard, either, even though there are very good keyboards made for it. Apple even sells them in their retail stores. For the exact opposite reasons, you will never see a Windows tablet advertised without a keyboard. I am not aware of any that come with a keyboard out of the box. But Microsoft, Nokia, and others build keyboards for the tablets they offer.

Clumsy Ninja, the App Store, and video previews, what gives?

November 22, 2013 by David Johnson

Apple is clearly have no trouble selling apps on the App Store. That may explain why the App Store has been updated so little over the years. But there is still a lot of room for improvement where the App Store is concerned, and Apple seems poised to address one of my biggest feature requests:

Candy Crushed: you're not alone

November 22, 2013 by David Johnson

I have a confession to make: I love playing Candy Crush Saga. May whatever gods there be have mercy on my Candy Crushed soul. I am a grown man of 43, with a life, and serious pursuits. I have neither sister or daughter. I neither influence, nor am influenced by small children these days. I read books and study physics for fun. I love football. Yet, somehow, Candy Crush has wormed its way into my life. I am a broken man, reduced to wondering exactly when and how things went completely sideways for me. I still don't know the answer to that, but I do know that I am not alone, and neither are you.

Activation Lock: another iOS 7 exclusive Samsung is finding difficult to copy

November 19, 2013 by David Johnson

Sometimes we iPhone and iPad users don't realize how lucky we are. Apple puts a lot of time, money, and energy into coming up with new ways to make using technology a joy. They put equal resources into making it safe and secure. Things Apple prioritizes are mere afterthoughts for competitors, until, that is, they see the competitive advance such features give Apple. Activation Lock is one of those features. Unfortunately for competitors, their attempt to copy it has hit a bit of a snag.

USB media sticks showing up as Android tablets

November 19, 2013 by David Johnson

Perhaps you have been seeing reports from reputable sources about how the iPad has fallen to the Android army of tablets. I have been warning against taking these reports too seriously. Here is yet another reason that made the news a few days ago:

With a little time and talent, you and your iPad can make beautiful music together

November 19, 2013 by David Johnson

As a once, semiprofessional musician from back in the day, I wanted to see just what kind of music could be made using only an iPad. I haven't quite forgotten everything I once knew about music theory, so, I decided to sift through the App Store, and put it to the test. Read on to hear the results:

Microsoft's former CTO finds the iPad to be the only tablet worthy of his new app

November 15, 2013 by David Johnson

When you are the Chief Technology Officer for a major operation like Microsoft, you, presumably know something about the technologies that your company offers, and how they stack up to the technologies of your competitors. Nathan Myhrvold is no longer the CTO of Microsoft, but he was. And presumably, still knows something about the comparative merits of operating systems and smart devices. So when it was time for him to choose a platform on which to exclusively offer his own app, his platform and device of choice was decidedly not Microsoft's.

Black Friday cometh, and Target is ready: It's gonna be an iPad Christmas

November 12, 2013 by David Johnson

On the last earnings call, Tim Cook told us that it's going to be an iPad Christmas. Target is doing its best to make sure that prediction comes true.

Smaller or lighter: the iPad dilemma

November 11, 2013 by David Johnson

2012 was the first year that Apple introduced two iPads at the same time. The fourth generation iPad was debuted alongside the iPad mini. There was no ambiguity between the two products. One was big and bold with all the power and features you could hope for in an iPad, the other was iPad light with slightly less functionality, and a lot less iPad.

Microsoft's new billboard shows us why Numbers is a better choice than Excel

November 10, 2013 by David Johnson

Sam Francisco, among other places, is home to a new billboard from Microsoft, advertising, of all things, Excel. Actually, they are advertising the Surface and Surface 2. The selling point is that these devices come with Office, which comes with Excel. Trust me; it gets better.

Don't buy your kid an iPad knock-off, they know the difference: Update:

November 10, 2013 by David Johnson

Jimmy Kimmel, a late night comedian, tried to give a Sony tablet to an exceptionally bright child. After dazzling the audience with his knowledge and perspicacity, the boy was offered a globe of the world in the form of a puzzle, and a Sony tablet. After a bit of coaxing, the boy took the puzzle, but declined the tablet, saying that he was expecting an iPad for Christmas, and didn't really want the other tablet. This was on of those rare moments of unscripted awkwardness that enters the life of a live TV host. Never work with animals or children.