Month: August 2011

I know of a large number of attorneys and non-attorneys who use an iPad instead of a laptop when traveling.  Because it is nice to use an external keyboard with the iPad when you don’t have access to a computer with a real keyboard, people have frequently asked me about cases (such as the original Kensington KeyFolio that came out last year) that hold both the iPad and a keyboard, transforming the iPad into something that looks sort of like a netbook.  Thus, when Kensington offered to send me a free review sample of its new KeyFolio Pro which was announced in late June of 2011, I was eager to try out the product.  For many people this will be a great iPad accessory, but for me I found the keyboard a little too small.

The KeyFolio Pro is an iPad case.  The iPad slips into one side of the KeyFolio Pro.  It is secured by a simple tab that doesn’t have velcro or a snap of any kind but does a great job of holding the iPad in place.  When you close the case, the iPad is essentially protected on all sides.  (The iPad’s four corners are technically exposed, but they are recessed from the corner of the KeyFolio so if something bumps the corner your iPad will probably be fine.)

The closed KeyFolio is 8″ wide, 10.25″ long and about an inch thick.  So in other words, it is about the size of a typical high school yearbook. My iPad 2 weighs 21.0 oz. by itself; when in the KeyFolio Pro they together weigh 41.4 oz., so you are essentially doubling the weight.  As a case, I really like the KeyFolio Pro.  It feels very nice in the hands, includes a hole in the back for the camera so you can take a picture without removing the iPad 2, and is very sturdy.  Note that the case does not lock in any way to stay closed, so if you drop the case it could open up and damage the glass on the iPad 2.  But you can walk around with the KeyFolio in your hands and know that your iPad or iPad 2 has more protection than it would have without any protection at all or with just the Apple Smart Cover.

Of course, the reason to get this case is not just to cover the iPad but also to use the built-in keyboard.  The keyboard works like the Apple Wireless Keyboard in that it pairs with the iPad via Bluetooth.  The keys are study, perhaps just a slight bit more mushy than the Apple Wireless Keyboard, but they work well.  The keyboard includes at the top the following keys which are also present on the Apple Wireless Keyboard:

1. Rewind
2. Play/Pause
3. Fast-forward
4. Mute
5. Decrease Volume
6. Increase Volume
7. Show/hide keyboard

The only special keys on the Apple Wireless Keyboard missing from the KeyFolio Pro are the increase and decrease brightness buttons.  The KeyFolio Pro also includes additional dedicated keys that perform the following functions:

1. Home:  just like pressing the Home button on the iPad, but you don’t have to lift your fingers from the keyboard — very handy.
2. Slideshow:  instantly launch a slideshow, no matter what you are doing on the iPad.  Normally you have to first go to the iPad’s lock screen to then see the button to launch a slideshow.
3. Search:  a button that instantly brings you to the iPad search screen, which normally you have to access by pressing the Home button twice or swiping to the right from the first Home screen.
4. Lock:  instantly turn off the iPad screen, just like pressing the Sleep/Wake button on the side of the iPad.
5. .com:  instantly type “.com”
6. Control key:  the Apple Wireless Keyboard has a single control key on the left; the KeyFolio Pro has one on the left and one on the right

Note that many of these keys — the Lock key for sure, but also the Home, Slideshow and Search keys — provide a privacy feature of some sort.  If someone approaches your iPad and you want to instantly hide what is on the screen, you can press the Lock key to instantly make the screen turn black or those other keys to change what is on the screen.

There are a few other keys on the KeyFolio Pro that, to my knowledge, don’t do anything with the iPad 2.  They are labled “Pause Break” “PrtSc SysRq” and “insert.”  There is also a “delete” button at the top right that does the same thing as the backspace key just below it.  The KeyFolio Pro also has a special button at the top of the keyboard called “connect” that you use to pair the keyboard with the iPad via Bluetooth.  There are some lights at the top right of the keyboard that indicate things like power on, caps lock on, when the keyboard is ready to be paired via Bluetooth and when the keyboard is charging. 

There is an on/off switch on the right side of the keyboard making it easy to save power.  The keyboard charges via USB and Kensington advertises 90 hours of working time and 45 days of standby time.  I did charge the keyboard every once in a while over the last few weeks, but I never had it run out of power so I wasn’t able to confirm the 90 hours (although I don’t doubt it).

One special feature of the KeyFolio Pro is somewhat hidden in the part that holds the iPad — that part spins.  Thus, you can use the iPad in the landscape mode (the mode you would expect for a case like this) but you can also twist clockwise to put the iPad in a portrait mode.

If I were to stop now, this would be a fairly glowing review of the KeyFolio Pro … but I have one problem with this keyboard.  The keys are too small for me.  The Apple Wireless Keyboard has keys that are each 5/8″ wide and which have about 1/8″ between each key.  The KeyFolio Pro keys are 9/16″ wide and have just under 1/8″ between each key. From one edge of the Q to the other edge of the P on the Apple Wireless Keyboard is about 7 3/8″; on the KeyFolio Pro that same span is about 6 3/4″.  Those differences sound small — we are talking about only around 1/16″ per key —but they sure do make a difference for my fingers.  The Apple Wireless Keyboard feels like a full-size keyboard because it is a full-size keyboard; it is the same keyboard that comes with many Macs.  But whenever I type on the KeyFolio Pro, I feel like I am squishing my fingers together.

I recognize, however, that the problem here could just be me.  I have larger hands, and in the past I’ve also found some compact netbooks too small for me to type on comfortably.  Thus, I loaned the KeyFolio Pro to one of my colleagues who was seriously considering purchasing something just like this for her iPad and who has smaller fingers.  (Is it sexist to say “typical female-sized fingers”?  Maybe it is, so I won’t.)  She used the KeyFolio for a week and told me that she had no problem with the key size at all.  She did have some other complaints, though.  First, she didn’t like the extra weight, which made her iPad feel more like a notebook computer, which defeated the purpose of the iPad for her.  Second, she missed the Apple Smart Cover feature of putting the iPad to sleep automatically when covered; with the  KeyFolio Pro you must first press that Lock key on the keyboard or press the Sleep/Wake button on the iPad and then close it.  She also had some complaints that apply to any external keyboard, including the Apple model such as (1) the frequent need to reestablish a Bluetooth connection to the iPad before using the keyboard and (2) the need to frequently switch between touching the screen and using the keyboard.  Thus, after a week of using the KeyFolio Pro, she decided that it wasn’t worth it to her to purchase a device like this.

For me, however, if it wasn’t for the keyboard being too small for my hands, I think that this would be a fabulous accessory for taking the iPad to meetings, court, or anyplace else when you want to give the iPad some protection (which of course adds weight, but that will be true no matter what kind of case you use) and you want to have an external keyboard.  Indeed, an all-in-one option can be a nice advantage over carrying both the iPad and then also a keyboard.

So if you have larger hands like me, I cannot recommend the KeyFolio Pro.  But if not, I would give this one a close look.  It is a nicely designed, second-generation product gives you a simple way to protect your iPad while you also carry around and use an external keyboard, and it is quick and easy to remove the iPad from the KeyFolio Pro when you are not using it.  The retail price is $99, but you can get it for only $62 on Amazon — $7 cheaper than the $69 Apple Wireless Keyboard, which is just a keyboard and doesn’t also include a case.

Click here to get the Kensington KeyFolio Pro on Amazon ($61.99).

The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) is a peer networking organization for people who work in the legal technology field, such as the people who work in law firm IT departments.  I know that the folks in my law firm’s tech department frequently take advantage of ILTA resources when seeking advice on selecting and working with software designed for the legal market and when recruiting new hires.  Last week, ILTA had its annual conference in Nashville, TN, and as the conference started, ILTA and InsideLegal released the results of their sixth annual technology purchasing survey.  JoAnna Forshee of InsideLegal explained the methodology of the survey as follows:

The 33 question web-based survey was distributed to approximately 684 law firms, ranging from 50 to 3,000 attorneys, and yielded 118 unique firm responses. 84% of all participating firms came from the U.S., with the remaining 16% originating from Canada, the UK, Australia, and Brazil. 85% of all survey respondents are IT Directors or C-Level executives, and 86% have direct purchasing or purchasing committee responsibility.

You can download a PDF of the survey results here, and it is full of interesting statistics, but for me the most interesting part of the survey was that, for the first time ever, tablets were a major topic of discussion for survey participants.  When asked to name the most exciting technology or trend, the #1 answer in this year’s survey was tablets.  And as we know, when people say “tablets” they are really just saying “iPads” considering that around 90% of tablet purchases by lawyers are iPads.  Thus, while the survey speaks of “tablets,” I’ll just use the word “iPad” for the rest of this post.

The survey reveals that most firms (55%) let lawyers buy their own iPads but the IT departments at the firms support the purchase.  This is the way that it works at my law firm; the lawyer purchases an iPad, and our tech folks help the lawyer get it connected our Microsoft Exchange system and give some advice on apps.  The survey reveals that 11% of firms purchase iPads for their attorneys — 9% purchase them on a case-by-case basis, and 2% purchase them for all attorneys in the firm (similar to the Bassford Remele firm that I wrote about a few weeks ago).  Around a third of the law firms don’t provide any support for iPads, although I suspect that those firms still have many lawyers using iPads on their own initiative, regardless of whether they are getting official support from their IT department.  The survey includes this chart showing these responses:

Source:  ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing Survey 2011 p. 12.

About 25% of survey respondents said that iPads were one of the major technology purchases of their law firm over the last 12 months.  (I don’t quite understand how that answer jives with only 11% of law firms purchasing iPads for attorneys; I guess they are counting both purchases by the firm and purchases by attorneys.)  Similarly, about 25% of respondents said that the iPad would be one of the major technology purchases for the next 12 months.

You don’t really need numbers like this to know that iPads are taking over law firms; just poke your head into most any law firm and the iPads are everywhere.  But it was interesting to see iPads show up for the first time in thie year’s ILTA survey, and it will be even more interesting to see how this year’s numbers compare to what we will see in next year’s survey.

Whether you are using an iPad to review depositions or during a presentation in court, you need a good way to hold it.  Just holding the iPad in your hand gets tiring after a while, and it can easily slip out of your hand while you are walking around.  A solution is to use a device that acts as an iPad case but also includes a handle of some sort on the back.  I have previously reviewed the FreeOneHand, an iPad holder designed for this purpose, and I also reviewed the GorillaMobile Yogi which does a good job of letting you hold the iPad while you are reading it (just wrap the legs around your hand or hold on to the legs).  The HandStand 2 by Hub International is a case for the iPad 2 that includes a strap on the back making it easy to keep the iPad 2 in your hand.  (This review is of the HandStand 2 for the iPad 2, but there is also a HandStand for the original iPad.)

The HandStand is made of molded polyurethane, a strong but flexible material that holds up to abuse but makes it easy to grip around the iPad.  The HandStand includes cut-outs on the side for all of the iPad’s buttons and on the back for the camera. HandStand does not protect the glass front of the iPad, although you can always add a screen cover if you are looking for full iPad protection.  Having said that,  if you place the iPad face down when it is in the Handstand, the edges of the HandStand will touch the surface instead of the iPad’s glass, so that does provide some minor protection to the front.  I reviewed the black version, but it also comes in white or pink.

If you simply sit the HandStand with an iPad on a table, the  HandStand props up the iPad at an angle that makes it easier to type. 

But the real purpose of the HandStand is not to just be a cover or to prop up the iPad on a table.  The key feature here is how the HandStand makes your iPad a natural extension of your hand.  The back of the HandStand has an ABS plastic pad that is raised at one part so that your fingers curve around it.  And then an elastic strap holds your hand firmly against the pad.  As a result, you can walk around with your hand either raised up or down at your side and the iPad is going to stay right there in your hand.

One nice feature is that the plastic pad on the back of the HandStand rotates.  Thus, you can easily put your iPad in either portrait or landscape mode — or pretty much any other angle.  It is easy to spin the iPad into a position, and then once in that position it stays in that position until you spin it again.

If you are standing up and want your iPad to stay firmly in your hand without any risk of slipping out, the HandStand works great.  I haven’t yet had an opportunity to use the HandStand in court, and I’m not completely sold on the idea of keeping an iPad in my hand while I am talking to a judge or a jury.  I have frequently used an iPad at a table or podium in court, but I don’t know about walking around with the iPad.  But if this is something that you want to do, the HandStand works great.

I most appreciate an easy way to hold the iPad when I am sitting in a chair reading documents on my iPad.  Reading hundreds of pages of depositions or cases on an iPad takes time and can really wear out your hand and arm.  The HandStand does keep the iPad attached to your hand without you having to use any effort to hold the iPad, which is good.  Having said that, I prefer using the FreeOneHand to hold the iPad when I’m sitting.  In part this is because the FreeOneHand extends further out to the back of the iPad making it more comfortable for me to hold the iPad.  Another reason that the HandStand is less comfortable for this purpose is a result of the design of the HandStand; keeping the iPad on my flat hand is more tiring to my hand and arm than keeping my hand into a more natural, “handshake” pose which I can use to hold the FreeOneHand or even the GorillaMobile Yogi.  Having said that, with the FreeOneHand or the Yogi, your iPad can drop out of your hand if you let go; the advantage of the HandStand is that it keeps the iPad firmly attached to your hand.  The iPad isn’t going anywhere when you use the HandStand.

If you are looking for a way to keep an iPad firmly in your hand, the HandStand does the job.  I wish it were even more comfortable when sitting down, but this was somewhat less of a problem for me when I am standing.  And the HandStand is sturdy and well-constructed, essential qualities for any product that you are going to depend on to stop an iPad from slipping out of your hand and crashing to the floor.  The HandStand retails for $49.95, but you can save a few bucks if you buy it on Amazon.

Click here to get the HandStand 2 from Amazon ($46.95).

It wasn’t that long ago that I was noting the lack of news and stating that “August is a slow news month.”  Then Google purchased Motorola to compete with Apple’s patents, HP announced that it was getting out of the smartphone, tablet and even personal computer business because of Apple’s dominance, and Steve Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO.  So much for my ability to predict the news cycle.  Here is the iPhone and iPad-related news from the past week:

• There has been so much written about Steve Jobs that I don’t even know where to start, but I can specifically recommend David Pogue’s article in the New York Times and John’s Gruber’s article on Daring Fireball.
• Chris Albrecht of GigaOm collects some great videos of Steve Jobs speaking.  The 2005 Stanford Commencement Address is particularly good and worth watching.
• Tim Cook is now the CEO of Apple, and Lex Friedman of Macworld wrote a great article on his background and qualifications for the job.  For even more information, read Adam Lashinsky’s comprehensive article for Fortune back in 2008.  There is no question in my mind that he is the right man for the job.
• I like this tweet from Harry McCracken of Technologizer:  “Still unimaginable: that Jobs was the most important person in personal technology both in 1978 and in 2011.”
• Jennifer Valentino-DeVries of the Wall Street Journal assembled a great collection of Steve Jobs quotes over the years.
• I know that it is an old joke to say that you read Playboy “just for the articles,” but one of the very best interviews of Steve Jobs was David Sheff’s interview that ran in the February 1985 issue of Playboy.  The full text of the article is posted here on Scribd.  (That version contains no pictures and is safe to read anywhere.)   I’m sure it was a great read in 1985, but when you read it now with the advantage of 25+ years of history, you get a sense of how insightful Jobs was even when he was only 25 years old.
• Harry McCracken of Technologizer describes an interesting iPad keyboard from Logitech that unfolds.
• Joel Mathis of Macworld reports that United Airlines will give 11,000 iPads to United and Continental pilots to replace bulky paper navigation charts in the cockpit.
• Similarly, Alex Heath of Cult of Mac reports that every player on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is getting an iPad to replace the paper playbook.  I appreciate their use of Apple products, but I still hope that they lose to the Saints this year.
• One of the reasons that I love using a Macintosh computer in my home is the lack of malware (viruses, spyware, etc.).  Some people claim that the credit for that goes not to Apple, but just to the fact that Macs have a small marketshare; the bad guys target the larger PC market.  But in the smartphone space, the iPhone is clearly the market leader, and yet there is still no iPhone (or iPad) malware, while on the other hand, as Josh Ong of AppleInsider reports, malware on Android smartphones is increasing substantially.  It appears that Apple is doing something right when it comes to security.
• If you like the idea of reading magazines on your iPad, you need to check out the great Zinio app.  Bryan Wolfe of AppAdvice posts a good overview of the app.
• Tim Moynihan of PC World reviews some new Nikon cameras.  One of them, the Coolpix S1200pj, lets you take pictures and then project them onto a wall or screen using a projector in the camera.  Better yet, you can connect an iPad, iPhone, or iPod to the camera and use it as an external projector.  Interesting.
• Michael Munchmore of PC Magazine reviews the Keynote app for iPhone.
• And finally, if you want to show the world just how cool your iPhone can be, how about using your iPhone to cool you down and beat the summer heat?  Chris Rawson of TUAW reviews a $10 iPhone attachment that adds a fan to your iPhone:

Letter from Steve Jobs to “the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Communty” dated August 24, 2011:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

Apple Press Release:

CUPERTINO, California—August 24, 2011—Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.

“Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company,” said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple’s Board. “Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”

“The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” added Levinson. “Tim’s 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.”

Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board today and strongly recommended that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO.

As COO, Cook was previously responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

I know that I speak for all readers of iPhone J.D. when I say thank you to Steve Jobs and wish all the best for him and his family.

LogMeIn Ignition is one of the most useful apps on my iPhone and iPad.  The app allows you to access your computer (either Mac or PC) when you are away from your home or office.  I find the iPhone app useful when I am on the go and need to quickly grab a file from my desktop or quickly access some function on my PC that I cannot accomplish in a native iPhone app.  On my iPad, I make extensive use of LogMeIn when I am travelling. My most recent review of the app is here, and even more features have been added since I wrote that review nine months ago including a great option that lets you view a list of files on a remote computer and download a specific file. With LogMeIn Ignition, I can use my iPad, usually paired with an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, to access my work computer even when I am away from the office and get virtually anything done that I could do if I was in front of the actual computer.  It is one of the key reasons that I can travel with just an iPad and keyboard and never miss leaving my computer in my office.

The LogMeIn Ignition app usually sells for $30, but every once in a while the price is reduced to $20.  I bought my copy during a $20 sale back in 2009.  But right now the company is running a “back to school” 50% off sale, which means that the app is only $15.  This is the lowest price that I have ever seen for this app.  If you don’t own the app already, I strongly urge you to consider picking it up right now when you can do so for such a low price.  It is a universal app so you can buy it once and use it on both an iPhone and an iPad.

Thanks to California attorney David Sparks (of MacSparky and the Mac Power Users podcast) for alerting me to this price drop.

Click here to get LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone and iPad (usually $29.99, but only $14.99 for a limited time): 

I suspect that when most people think of the “work week” they think of Monday to Friday.  But some people work shifts that do not depend on the days of the week, such as three days on and one day off, ten days on and ten days off, etc.  This probably doesn’t apply to many attorneys, but it may apply to your clients or witnesses.  Trying to figure out whether a person is working six weeks from now can be difficult when you cannot just look to see whether it is a Monday to Friday or a weekend.  Workdays by Radislav is a simple app that allows you to quickly make these calculations.

Note:  I previously reviewed another app called Workdays created by California attorney Dan Friedlander, a date calculator.  Today I’m reviewing a different app created by an iOS developer in Moscow named Radislav.

To use the app, simply indicate the number of days that the person is working, the number of days off, and the start date.  The app will then present you with a traditional calendar that has different colored days.  A workday has a grey background; a day off has a colored background.

  

If you tap on a specific day on the calendar, it will show you all of the events that you have for that day (from the iPhone’s normal Calendar app) and will also tell you at the bottom whether it is a workday or a day off.

You can scroll through months by tapping the arrows at the top, or faster yet just swipe up or down.  You can also touch a dimmed non-active month to make it active.  To jump to a specific date, touch the date in the header.

The default color scheme is red and grey, but you can easily change that from within the app.  I like the Azure color scheme:

  

The developer told me that he created the app to help out some friends who worked in shifts and were always “torturing their brains trying to calculate their workdays sequence for a few weeks ahead.”  I love iPhone apps such as this one that address a very specific need in a simple and elegant way.

Click here to get Workdays by Radislav ($0.99): 

On April 19, 1998, I bought a Palm III organizer, and I was a happy user of Palm products from then until July 22, 2008 when I retired my Treo 650 for an iPhone 3G.  Even though I haven't used Palm products in three years, after that decade of use, I always cheered for Palm from the sidelines.  When the Palm Pre was announced, I thought it would be the first really good competitor to the iPhone, and when HP purchased Palm last year for $1.2 billion, I hoped that the resources of HP would allow the Palm Pre and the webOS to flourish.  So it was with some sadness that I read the announcement from HP's CEO Leo Apotheker yesterday afternoon that HP is killing off the Pre and the TouchPad, and is likely to exit from the PC business altogether to instead focus on services and software, somewhat similar to what IBM did years ago when it sold off the ThinkPad line of laptop computers to Lenovo.  It seems like it was just yesterday (2004) that HP was partnering with Apple to sell an HP branded iPod.  With the Palm Pre dead, is there any chance that we'll someday see an HP branded iPhone?  No, I didn't think so either.  And now, let's wipe away the tears for what was once the great Palm brand, and move on to the iPhone and iPad news of the week:

• If you are a looking to read a good article on yesterday's HP announcements and what Apple had to do with it, I recommend MG Siegler's article at TechCrunch.
• Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs will be released on November 21, 2011, just in time for the holiday buying season.  A great author and a colorful subject; I suspect it will be a good read.  Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Fortune has an article with a picture of the book cover and more information on the upcoming book.
• In the past, Starbucks has given out cards with each purchase that could be redeemed for a free song on iTunes.  Josh Lowensohn of CNET writes that Starbucks is now giving away cards that can be redeemed for iPhone apps, starting with the fun Shazam Encore app that can identify a song just by listening to it.
• Mississippi attorney Tom Freeland discusses a way to bypass the iPhone's passcode requirement by using a computer with a program called PhoneVault.
• Peter Kafka of All Things D shares a video from 1994 in which newspaper publisher Knight Ridder predicts a future in which newspapers are available on tablet computers.
• Bob Tedeschi of the New York Times recommends apps for wine lovers.
• Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing shares screenshots of fake iPhone apps dreamed up by David Byrne of the Talking Heads.
• And finally, I have used FaceTime on my iPhone and iPad to allow an out-of-town relative join the rest of my family for things like singing happy birthday, but others have taken it much farther.  Nicole Martinelli of Cult of Mac relates a story from the ABC affiliate station in Denver, Channel 7, about a woman who couldn't make her friend's wedding but was still able to be a bridesmaid by using an iPad to establish a virtual presence.  A groomsman walked the iPad down the aisle and she experienced the ceremony and the reception using FaceTime.  Here are some pictures from the news report, which you can watch here:

The iPhone 4 usually does a great job of lasting all day before the battery runs out, but on those days when you are out of the office and using your iPhone the most, you may find your battery running low in the afternoon, which means it is time to use a battery to recharge the iPhone.  I’ve long been a fan of the RichardSolo batteries because they are tiny enough to carry around, but the downside is that they hang off the iPhone when attached — not a problem if you are at a desk, but awkward if you are on the go.  The solution is to use an iPhone case that doubles as a battery.  XPAL Power recently sent me a free review unit of its $70 PowerSkin case and battery for the iPhone.  It works very well.

It is very quick and easy to insert an iPhone 4 into a PowerSkin.  Just slide the iPhone into the connector at the bottom of the unit and then fit the silicone rubber around the iPhone.  If you look at a picture of the book of the PowerSkin, there is a line near the top that makes it appear as if there are two parts, but this is a one-piece design so you don’t have to worry about it coming apart. 

The PowerSkin covers the iPhone’s Sleep/Wake and volume buttons with rubber buttons so that you can still access those controls.  The PowerSkin has openings for the headphone port, the mute switch and for the camera and flash.

The PowerSkin obviously adds to the weight and size of your iPhone.  The PowerSkin weighs 2.88 ounces (the iPhone 4 alone weighs about 4.8 ounces) so it adds about 50% to your iPhone’s weight.  It also doubles the thickness of your iPhone; without a case the iPhone 4 is 0.37 inches, and when in the PowerSkin it is 0.77 inches.  With that extra size and weight, however, you do get some protection for your iPhone.  The silicone rubber provides impact-protection for the back and sides of the iPhone, and the non-slip surface makes it much less likely that the iPhone will slip out of your hands.

Once connected, your iPhone starts charging.  This is a 2000 mAh battery so it roughly doubles the iPhone’s power; if you are close to 0% power left, the PowerSkin will charge you almost all of the way back to 100%.  There is a single button at the bottom of the PowerSkin that performs two functions.  Tap it once to see between one and four LED battery status lights illuminate to tell you how much power you have left.  If the PowerSkin has a full charge, you get four lights; when less power remains, you see fewer lights.  Second, you can hold down the button for two seconds to turn the PowerSkin on or off.

The PowerSkin comes with a charging cable that has a Micro USB plug on one end that connects to the side of the PowerSkin and a USB plug on the other end.  You can plug that into a USB port on your computer to charge the PowerSkin and the iPhone.  (It will first charge your iPhone, and then charge the PowerSkin.)  Or you can plug the cord into a standard USB power adapter, such as the one that comes with the iPhone, to charge your iPhone and the PowerSkin.  If you connect the cord to your computer, you can even sync your iPhone while it is in the PowerSkin.

If you are looking for an iPhone battery that fits around the iPhone, making it easy to carry and providing some protection for the iPhone, the PowerSkin is a great product.

Click here to get the PowerSkin from XPAL Power ($69.99)

A few months ago, I reviewed the Tom Bihn Ristretto Bag.  I continue to use the bag every day when I go to and from work and when I travel, and it works like a champ.  It holds my iPad and all of the iPhone and iPad accessories that I want to have with me, and it is very easy to carry.  When I posted my original review, D.C. attorney Jason Bergmann commented:  “One of the command keys broke off of my bluetooth keyboard when I was pulling the keyboard out of the bag when it was fairly full. For that reason, I also use a sleeve for the keyboard, which I got from Waterfield Designs and like very much.”  The Apple Wireless Keyboard is a must-have iPad accessory for me; I don’t use it at home very often, but I use it extensively when I travel.  I had been just tossing the keyboard into the Ristretto without thinking much about it, but Bergmann’s comment made me second-guess my actions.  Perhaps the folks at Tom Bihn were reading my mind because soon after that, Tom Bihn sent me a free review unit of a new $30 product called the Cache for Apple Wireless Keyboard.  I have been testing it for several weeks now, and it works great.

There is not much to say about the Cache because the design is so simple, and I’m using the word “simple” in a good way.  The Apple Wireless Keyboard is a snug but easy fit in the case, which is tapered to follow the wedge shape of the keyboard.  You insert the keyboard so that the battery side of the keyboard is near the flap, although you can use it either with the keys on the bottom or the keys on the top.  The Cache is padded so the keyboard is protected from anything scraping against it or yanking off one of the keys.  There is a flap on the Cache that can be tucked into the opening to keep it closed.

The only real disadvantage to the Cache is that, because it is padded, the keyboard takes up more space in a bag when you are using the Cache.  The keyboard by itself is only about .75″ thick at the largest part (the part at the back that holds the batteries).  The Cache with a keyboard inside is about 1.5″ thick at its largest point, so it is almost like taking up the space of two keyboards.  But considering that damaging the keyboard is a real possibility if you don’t use something like the Cache, I think it is worth it.

Additionally, I like the Cache because it is simple and stylish.  I have seen other attorneys use all sorts of things to store an Apple Wireless Keyboard, including the original box that the keyboard came in.  I suppose that works, but I think it looks much more professional to have a keyboard in something like the Cache.

You can pay less for a product that holds a keyboard.  Bergmann mentioned the products from Waterford Designs, and their least expensive product is the $15 Keyboard Socket.  (For more protection, they also offer the $29 Keyboard Slip, which costs the same as the Tom Bihn Cache.)  But like all of the other Tom Bihn products that I have tested, the Cache is very well designed and manufactured, stylish, and works very well.  If you use a Tom Bihn Ristretto or any other bag or briefcase to carry your iPad and accessories, I can recommend the Cache to protect your Apple Wireless Keyboard from damage, not to mention to prevent that keyboard from scratching and damaging any other item in your bag.

Click here to get the Cache for Apple Wireless Keyboard from Tom Bihn ($30.00).