Month: March 2012

The big news last week was the announcement of the third generation iPad, but Apple also updated the operating system for the iPhone and iPad.  This is not a major update, but it does add some nice new features and fix a few bugs.

As always, you can update your iPhone or iPad by connecting it to your computer and using iTunes to download and apply the upate.  However, if you already had iOS 5 on your device, you can easily update to iOS 5.1 without even connecting to your computer.  Just go to Settings -> General -> Software Update.  The update only took me around 20 minutes or so, but just to be safe you should plug in your iPhone or iPad so that it does not run out of power throughout the update.

Once you update, here are the major changes that you will see:

Lockscreen Camera.  With iOS 5.0, you could double-tap the home button when your iPhone screen was locked to see an icon that you could tap to snap a quick picture.  Apple has now made the process even faster.  In iOS 5.1, there is always a camera icon at the bottom of your lock screen,  Just place your finger on the camera and swipe up to start taking pictures.  This is a nice improvement that really speeds up the process of taking a picture and will result in fewer missed opportunities.

Photo Stream.  If you use the iCloud Photo Stream feature, you now have the ability to delete pictures from the stream.  So if you take three pictures and only one them is any good, delete the bad ones and you won’t have to worry about them showing up on your other iCloud devices.

Face Detection.  In yet another camera-related improvement, detected faces will now be highlighted in the camera app so you can see that the iPhone is trying to keep faces in focus.

4G Speed … sorta.  If you use AT&T and if you live in a city that has HSPA+, the iPhone 4S can get even faster 3G service than earlier iPhones, which means you can see up to 5.8 Mbps upload and 14.4 Mbps download speeds.  When using iOS 5.1 on an iPhone 4S, the iPhone now calls this “4G” at the top left instead of “3G”.  This is just a change in the label; the iPhone 4S is not any faster.  But AT&T insists that it is fair to call this increased speed 4G, and now Apple agrees as well.  Lex Friedman of Macworld wrote a good explanation of this change.

Better Audio for Video.  Apple says that iOS 5.1 has louder and clearer audio for TV shows and movies.  I haven’t noticed this yet, but I suppose that sounds good.

Genius Match.  If you pay for iTunes Match, you now get Genius matches and playlists.

Location Services Icons.  Instead of just having one location services icon at the top of the screen to alert you that your iPhone is keeping track of your current location, there are now three different icons depending upon the status.  For example, if the only reason that your iPhone is watching your location is that you instructed the Reminders app to let you know when you arrive at or leave a location (Apple calls this geofencing), you now see an outlined icon.

Security Updates.  As with any iOS update, Apple improved the security of the operating system in this update.  If you want the details, read this page on the Apple’s website.

Free Manual.  To give us all the nitty gritty details on iOS 5.1, Apple produced a manual for iOS 5.1 as a free iBook.  To download it on your iPhone or iPad, click here: 

I could probably sum up just about all of the news of note from this past week by just saying “new iPad.”  But that would make this a really short post, so I’ll also note the following:

• Macworld published one of their “what you need to know” articles on the new iPad.  It covers many of the questions that you may have about the device.
• They also have one on the new Apple TV.
• Glenn Fleishman of Macworld explains what LTE means for the third generation iPad.
• Portland attorney Josh Barrett of Tablet Legal suggests that attorneys may only need two apps on their iPad.  I have just a tad more than that.
• Jim Dalrymple of The Loop got to use the third generation iPad, and says:  “It’s impossible to put into words just how good the Retina display is on the iPad. It’s not just images that look sharper, it’s text too. Reading a Web site or an iBook on the iPad’s display is incredible. Even the home screen on the iPad is crisper and sharper than I expected.”  Sounds great.
• If you want to get a new iPad with 4G LTE, should you get the AT&T or the Verizon model?  Chris Ziegler of The Verge compares the two.
• Evan Koblentz of Law Technology News talks to a few lawyers to find out whether they are getting the new iPad.
• Roy Furchgott of the New York Times discusses the useful Shortcuts feature of the iPhone and iPad.
• New York attorney Niki Black has a video review of the Typi Folio iPad case with built-in Bluetooth keyboard.
• And finally, the iPhone might be the hottest smartphone today, but what if you want it to look like the hottest smartphone of the 1980s?  Then the 80s Retro iPhone Case is what you need, available on Amazon for only $19.15:

Yesterday, Apple announced the 2012 version of the iPad. Instead of calling it the “iPad 3” or the “iPad HD” or something like that, Apple is just calling it the iPad. That makes sense to me. I use an iMac as my home computer, and the computer has been called the iMac for a very long time even though it is updated from year to year. It is sort of like saying you drive a Honda Accord, without needing to say the “Accord 9” or something like that, although of course you often do need to know your model year to get service, accessories, etc.

I ordered the new iPad last night, to be delivered on March 16 when it becomes available for purchase. I look forward to trying it out myself, but based upon what Apple announced yesterday, here are the reasons that I think that lawyers will love the third generation of the iPad:

Retina display. This is the new feature that we expected, but even though it is not a surprise, I am sure that this will be the best part of the new iPad. The original iPad and iPad 2 have a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi). The new iPad doubles that for four times as many pixels: 2048 x 1536 resolution at 264 ppi. Those are just numbers, though … what does it mean in real life? As I mentioned last week, remember that a fancy 1080p HDTV has a 1920 x 1080 display, and even though that screen is probably 30 to 50 inches or more, you really can’t see individual dots very much. The iPad display has got a million more pixels than an HDTV, and they are packed together MUCH more to fit the considerably smaller iPad screen. As a result, text will look amazingly smooth, photographs will look stunning, and videos will look amazing. Ryan Block of GDGT saw the new display yesterday and wrote:

Let me put it this way: when I pulled up a nice, high resolution photograph on the iPad 3rd-gen, I genuinely could not tell the difference between what I was seeing onscreen, and a nice, beautifully shot, well-printed, glossy photograph. It was seriously to that level. It’s the best display I’ve ever seen. Anywhere, period. And it makes a meaningful difference to the experience — it’s not just a spec.

The iPad is all about the screen. You view the screen, you touch the screen — the iPad is nothing more than a screen. This resolution on a screen will be amazing and make the iPad so much more pleasant to use.

Faster. The new iPad needs to have a faster processor to handle the vastly improved screen, and it does. My hope is that the overall experience of using the iPad will also be faster because it means that the iPad will be more responsive. I’ll have to test this to see how it works, but my hope is that all apps feel faster including, for example, apps like Note Taker HD that let you use a stylus to take handwritten notes on an iPad. More speed would make that app and others like it feel more like you are directly writing on the screen.

4G LTE. Additionally, if you buy the iPad model that has a built-in radio, it now works not only with 3G networks but also with 4G LTE networks, which means even faster web browsing, downloads, etc. I almost always have Wi-Fi available so when I placed my order last night, I didn’t pay the extra $130 for this feature. Instead of paying a monthly fee to AT&T or Verizon for the iPad, I just pay for the AT&T iPhone tethering plan and use that with my iPad for the rare times that I need it. But I cannot deny the usefulness of having that radio – my first iPad was the 3G version and it was great to just always be on the Internet. If the 3G model is right for you, you can now also use 4G LTE if you are in a city that supports the service.

Voice dictation. One of the things I love about Siri on my iPhone 4S is the ability to dictate an e-mail, which is often so much faster than using my thumbs to type (and I’m a pretty fast thumb typist). The new iPad doesn’t support all Siri features, but it does support voice dictation, so you don’t need to use a third party app like Dragon Dictation to accomplish this. Writing e-mails and editing documents are a huge part of my daily use of the iPad, and having voice dictation will make those tasks easier.

New and updated apps. Apple announced the new iPhoto app, making it easy for you to improve photos on your iPhone or iPad, and Apple updated the iWork apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) and the iLife apps (GarageBand, iMovie) to take advantage of the Retina Display and get new features.

Other details. The new iPad has a vastly improved camera, but I can’t imagine that using a large iPad as a camera is important to most lawyers so I don’t see this as a very big deal, although I suppose it is nice. [UPDATE:  As several have wisely pointed out in the comments, the improved camera will be helpful for attorneys who want to scan documents.] 

The new iPad weighs about two ounces more than the iPad 2 (but still less than the original iPad). It is also a little bit thicker than the iPad 2, although much less than the original iPad. All other things being equal, I’d prefer a lighter, thinner iPad. I’m sure that Apple needed the extra bulk to keep the amazing iPad battery life of up to 10 hours, even with the larger screen and more advanced processor.

The price remains the same as before, so you can get the entry-level new iPad with 16 GB for $499. Add another $100 for 32 GB or an extra $200 for 64 GB; add an extra $130 for the 3G/4G LTE radio.

If you want to save some money and you don’t mind getting the 2011 model instead of the new 2012 model, you can now get the 16 GB version of the iPad 2 for only $399. You can compare the iPad 2 with the third generation iPad on this page.

The bottom line. I’ll have to wait until the third generation iPad is in my hands before I can post a full review, but I suspect that it will be a nice upgrade for any attorney using an iPad, especially if you are still using the first generation iPad. And for new attorneys who have yet to get their first iPad, the third generation iPad looks to be a real treat. There will be a lot for lawyers to love in the new iPad.

Apple will announce the next generation of the iPad today.  We’ll learn whether it is called the iPad 3 or the iPad HD.  We’ll learn whether it will have a retina display (most likely 2048 x 1536 resolution at 264 ppi).  We’ll learn whether the 3G model will also support the much faster LTE 4G.  We’ll learn whether there is a better camera and whether it comes in a model with more than 64GB.  We’ll learn whether the price will remain the same and whether Apple will keep selling the current iPad 2 for under $500.  We’ll learn when it will go on sale.  And perhaps Apple has some other new features up its sleeves that I’m not thinking of.

And that’s just the iPad hardware.  We might also learn about a new operating system (iOS 5.1?) for the iPad and iPhone with new bells and whistles.  We might hear about some new apps, such as perhaps an iPhoto app from Apple and perhaps Microsoft Office from Microsoft.  If the new iPad does have a retina display, I expect that we will see demonstrations of some amazing-looking new apps that take advantage of the better screen.  And we might see a new version of the Apple TV with new features for when you want to display content from your iPhone or iPad on a TV.

And who knows what else.  Maybe we’ll see a 2.0 version of the Apple iPod Socks to bring compatibility to the iPhone and iPad.  We’re in that magical time just before a big Apple announcement when anything seems possible.

All will be revealed when the event starts at 10 Pacific / 1 Eastern today.  If you want to get live updates as the event unfolds, here are my recommendations for what I expect to be the best live coverage with links to the pages that will contain the updates once the event starts:

• Macworld
• The Verge
• GDGT
• Engadget

And if you want to laugh about it when it is over, it appears that the guys at the always-funny Scoopertino have something clever planned.

If I asked you how much you would pay for a desk lamp, I suspect that many of you would say less than $50.00, if not less than $20.00.  If I asked you how much you would pay for art for your office, I suspect that most of you would not blink at a pricetag of several hundred dollars.  The D’E-light is a desk lamp created by famous French designer Philippe Starck that contains a charging dock for an iPhone or iPad, placing your device at a perfect height when you want to glance at it.  It is sold by FLOS, an Italian company that has been working with Starck since 1988, and it costs $396.  Whether you think that price is reasonable or not depends upon where you place it on the spectrum from a functional desk lamp to a piece of art.  FLOS sent me a review unit to evaluate for a few weeks and I will say this:  it is very useful, and very cool.

The lamp has a simple, efficient design with a highly polished aluminum finish.  It weighs a substantial 2 lbs. 1 oz., but the base is only 5.3” wide and 4.6” deep and is flat so it doesn’t take up much space on your desk.  You can certainly place documents on top of the base. 

The light comes from a flat panel 2700K LED, which runs cool to the touch.  Because the lamp is about 8 inches high, your eyes don’t see the light source unless you really duck down your head, so the light is not going to blind your eyes as you work at your desk, but it will do a nice job of lighting up whatever sits below it. 

The D’E-light has no buttons on it.  To turn on the light, you tap the touch-sensitive right side of the lamp.  Tap it again to dim the light to 50%, then again to turn the light off.  This simple design feature has been a source of constant amusement for my six year old son for the past few weeks; the first thing he does when he comes to my desk is turn the light on or off.  And to be honest, I find it almost as cool as he does.

The reason that this is the first desk lamp review on iPhone J.D. is that the top of the lamp contains a spot to charge an iPhone, iPad or iPod. Your device sits at a slight angle in portrait orientation, and the lamp is more than sturdy enough to hold an iPad, and certainly has no trouble with an iPhone or iPod.  This is not a dock with a USB connector so you can’t use the D’E-light to sync your device with your computer; it is just a charger.

When you place an iPad on the D’E-light, part of the iPad sits over the edge.  It might look like this is not stable, but because of the weight of the D’E-light, the angle that the lamp holds the iPad and the surface that the iPad leans against, the iPad is actually quite secure.

There are two things I love about charging an iPhone or iPad on the D’E-light.  First, once you place your device here, you’ll always know where it is and you don’t have to worry about an iPhone getting lost on your desk.  (This is the same reason that I have always used an Apple iPhone dock at my desk in my office.)  Second, the D’E-light places an iPhone or iPad at a perfect height for you to glance at it to see the time, look at a notification for when a new e-mail comes in, look at a picture, etc.  The height is also good for FaceTime calls on the iPhone, although maybe just a tad too high.  (Unfortunatly, it is too high for FaceTime on the iPad.)

Would I pay $400 myself for the D’E-light?  For my home?  No, because there is nothing fancy about my study.  On the other hand, if I had a law office with a modern decor that matched the D’E-light, I would definitely consider purchasing this because it a very nice lamp and iPhone/iPad charger and holder that also looks really cool to me — although as is true for any art, you’ll have to decide whether you like it as much as I do.  Goodness knows I’ve seen other attorneys spend far more than $400 for art, furniture and other items for their law office.  The D’E-light reminds me of many Apple creations; it is a premium product that works well and looks great.

Click here to get the D’E-light from the FLOS website ($396.00).

We are just a few days away from the release of a new iPad, and that story pretty much dominated the iPhone and iPad news outlets this week.  But there were a few other news items of interest to me, and here they are in case they might interest you too:

• Dan Friedlander, a California attorney who writes some great iPhone apps, has started his own law firm, Klein Friedlander.  To celebrate, he has made four of his apps that attorneys would find useful free for the next few days:
  (1) Court Days, which I reviewed back in 2009, is a date calculator that lets you count business days and takes into account court holidays.  Click here to get Court Days free for a limited time: 

  

  
  (2) Court Days Pro, which I reviewed a year ago, is a date calculator that lets you use sophisticated rules to calculate multiple dates that follow each other.  Click here to get Court Days Pro free for a limited time: 

  

  
  (3) Do Date, which I reviewed two months ago, provides daily reminders of important events that are coming up.  Click here to get Do Date free for a limited time: 

  

  
  (4) TallyPad, which I have never reviewed, is an app that let’s you keep track of scores or otherwise keep track while you count.  Click here to get TallyPad free for a limited time: 

  

• Are you already convinced that you are going to upgrade when the next model of the iPad is announced next week?  Mickey Meece of the New York Times offers tips for selling your soon-to-be-old iPad.
• New York attorney Niki Black suggests iPad apps for lawyers who travel. 
• Apple occasionally highlights businesses using Apple products on their website.  For example, about two years, Apple posted a profile of the Chicago-based Sonnenschein law firm because of the firm’s use of the iPhone.  Apple recently added this profile of the Fennemore Craig law firm in Arizona because of its use of the iPad.
• Attorney Bill Latham of The Hytech Lawyer reviews PaperPort Notes, a free app that can convert voice to text.  My review of that app from a few weeks ago is here.
• Do you like using ringtones on your iPhone?  If so, Jacqui Cheng of Ars Technica explains how to use a Mac to create your own ringtones for free.
• Do you use your iPad at work?  So does President Obama.  Here’s a picture in the Official White House Flickr Stream of the President using his iPad while getting a daily briefing.  I’ve noted this in the past, but in case you forgot, the President actually got his iPad 2 directly from Steve Jobs shortly before they were released to the public.  No word yet on whether Tim Cook is making plans to give the President a new iPad 3 next week.  It has also been reported that the President uses the DODOcase for his iPad, a case that looks like a book.  You often see that case on the President’s desk in the Oval Office, such as in this picture and this picture.
• And finally, while all of us are wondering what the iPad 3 will look like, the folks at 3D animation production company Aatma Studio decided to let their minds run wild and produced this really fun video:

It is always fun to be pleasantly surprised.  When Happy Owl Studio sent me a free review unit of The Leather Shell, I wasn’t even sure if I would use it.  I don’t like having a case on my iPhone, and while I use an Apple Smart Cover (black leather) with my iPad 2, I’ve never wanted to have a case for my original iPad or my iPad 2.  But I tried it anyway just to see how it worked; I thought it was interesting to have a leather case for the back of the iPad that is completely compatible with the Apple Smart Cover on the front of the iPad.  That was over a week ago and The Leather Shell has remained on my iPad 2 ever since.  What a pleasant surprise.

The shell is simply a polycarbonate frame with a black leather exterior.

It takes me a good 10 seconds or so to get the frame snapped on the back of the iPad.  The Shell has openings on the sides for all of the iPad 2’s ports, so it only connects to parts of the edge of the iPad 2.  But it does so fairly easily.  Once on, it stays on until you are ready to take it off, and it comes off in just a second without in any way damaging the iPad.

If you have the black leather Apple Smart Cover, you’ll think that it and the Shell were separated at birth.  The black color is the same and the feel of the leather is the same.

The only markings on the Shell is the Happy Owl Studio logo at the bottom right.  Because it is all black you don’t really see it that much, and I think it looks fine.

Happy Owl Studio advertises that the Shell protects the back of the iPad.  It certainly does so, but for me that has never mattered much.  So what if the back of my iPad gets a small scratch now and then?  That just adds character.  All I want to protect is the glass on the front of my iPad, and the Apple Smart Cover handles that.

But even though I don’t care much about adding protection to the back of the iPad, I love the Shell because it feels great in my hands.  Just like the Apple Smart Cover, the leather on the Shell is soft and comfortable.  It also adds just enough friction to help prevent the iPad from slipping out of your hand. 

The black leather on the back of the iPad 2 looks great if you have the black leather Apple Smart Cover.  My wife uses the red leather Apple Smart Cover on her iPad 2.  I thought that the black and red might be a good contrast, but I’m not sure.  Decide for yourself:

One reason that I have avoided using a case for my iPad is that I don’t want to add to the weight.  The Leather Shell only weighs about 3.5 oz.  The Apple Smart Cover weighs about 5 oz., so my iPad 2 (Wi-Fi only) with an Apple Smart Cover on it weighs 1 lb. 10 oz.  The difference between 1 lb. 10 oz. and 1 lb. 13.5 oz is noticeable, but not very much.  After about a day of using the Shell, I stopped noticing the slight extra weight.  And because the Shell is so thin, it doesn’t add much to the overall size of the iPad.  If your briefcase or purse currently has enough space for an iPad 2 with an Apple Smart Cover and it isn’t a ridiculously tight fit, then I’m sure that it will still fit with the Leather Shell added to it.

Because The Leather Shell is such an exact fit for the shape of the iPad 2, I doubt it will work with the new iPad that Apple is announcing next week, unless Apple keeps the exterior design exactly the same — much like Apple did with the iPhone 4 and 4S.  [UPDATE 3/16/2012:  As I suspected, it doesn’t work with the third generation iPad.  The Leather Shell is just too perfectly sized for the iPad 2.]  But if you own an iPad 2 and like to use the leather Apple Smart Cover, then I suspect that you will really love The Leather Shell.  It’s a great addition to my iPad 2.

Click here to get The Leather Shell on Amazon ($39.99).

Click here to get The Leather Shell from Happy Owl Studio ($39.99).