In the news

Apple is 40 years old today.  No other company has been selling personal computers for that long, and with its Mac, iPad and iPhone, Apple pushes the envelope on what it even means to be a “computer.”  As Apple celebrates its 40th, one of its newest devices, the 9.7″ iPad Pro, is now available in stores.  One of my law partners bought one, and I got a chance to spend a few minutes with it yesterday afternoon.  While I prefer the larger screen of my 12.9″ iPad Pro for viewing documents, I have to admit that the 9.7″ version has a lot going for it.  Most importantly for me, that classic iPad size is easier and lighter to hold.  The True-Tone display, available only on this model (for now), does a great job of adjusting the color balance automatically based upon the light that is around you.  I put the 9.7″ model next to my 12.9″ iPad Pro, and the color on my iPad looked great — until I looked at the color-balanced 9.7″ model.  Then when I looked back at my iPad, the white areas seemed too blue under the fluorescent lights in my office.  I’m sure that this feature will eventually be on all of the high-end iPads.  If you are now in the market for a new iPad, choosing between the two iPad Pro sizes will likely be difficult for many of you.  Some of the articles that I have linked below may help you to make your decision.  And now, the recent news of note:

• New York attorney Neil Squillante of TechnoLawyer published a buyer’s guide for lawyers in the market for a new iPad.
• California attorney David Sparks writes about 9.7″ iPad Pro versus 12.9″ iPad Pro.
• California attorney John Harding explains what he likes about the 12.9″ iPad Pro.
• Florida attorney Katie Floyd tried the 12.9″ iPad Pro, but it wasn’t for her.  She has since ordered a 9.7″ iPad Pro (which she got yesterday), and I look forward to hearing Katie’s thoughts to get her perspective after using both versions of the iPad Pro in her law practice.  (Note that if you click that “got yesterday” link you can also read Katie’s review of the new Amazon Echo Dot.)
• In another post, Katie Floyd recommends accessories to use with your iPhone and iPad while you are on the go. 
• Florida attorney Rick Georges is celebrating 20 years of publishing his FutureLawyer blog.  Impressive.  Congrats!
• Tim Baran of Rocket Matter (and a former law librarian) offers privacy, security and encryption takeaways from ABA TECHSHOW.
• Jason Snell reviews the 9.7″ iPad Pro for Macworld.
• Chance Miller of 9to5Mac compares the 9.7″ iPad Pro and the 12.9″ iPad Pro.
• Jason Snell of Six Colors likes Apple’s Smart Keyboard for the 9.7″ iPad Pro.
• Yesterday, Apple released iOS 9.3.1, which contains all of the features of iOS 9.3, released on March 21, but fixes an obscure bug that could cause your iPhone to crash if certain third party apps were installed, such as the Booking.com app.
• Horace Dediu of Asymco looks at some of the statistics associated with Apple’s 40th birthday.
• John Gruber of Daring Fireball reviews the new iPhone SE.  It is an excellent review, that points out that Apple is once again forcing you to make difficult choices, just like it does with the 9.7″ vs. 12.9″ iPad Pro:  “The iPhone 6S and iPhone SE are both great products, and both have great sizes — but for entirely different reasons. The SE is easier to pocket, easier to hold, and easier to use one-handed. The 6S displays more content, and is better for two-handed use — particularly when it comes to thumb-typing. Judging between these two devices, with no consideration for future devices, I personally am completely torn. I really can’t decide which set of trade-offs to make.”
• The tip on my Apple Pencil appears to be holding up just fine even with a lot of use, but Chance Miller of 9to5Mac notes that you can now buy replacement Apple Pencil tips in packs of four for $19.
• The built-in apps on the iPhone are good, but some third party apps are better.  Christina Warren of Mashable recommends replacements for the stock apps on an iPhone.
• Rene Ritchie of iMore offers tips for using the keyboard on an iPhone and iPad.
• Jenna Wortham of the New York Times writes about using an iPhone to monitor personal health.
• If you are in the market for an Apple Watch, Apple now has a cool interactive gallery that lets you see what different case and band combinations look like.
• Julia Love of Reuters describes the privacy czars at Apple who help the company make decisions regarding how to make use of (and not make use of) private information.
• You can now use a password to protect notes in Apple’s Notes app.  Dan Moren of Six Colors explains how.
• Serenity Caldwell of iMore discusses creating and giving presentations using an iPad Pro.
• I still enjoy subscribing to Apple Music, especially the recommended playlists.  Steven Levy wrote a great article about what makes Apple playlists so good — especially when it comes to smoking substances legal in only a few states.
• Rene Ritchie of iMore notes that Star Wars:  The Force Awakens is now available on iTunes.  Click here to purchase ($19.99 in HD, $14.99 in SD).  I pre-ordered the Blu-Ray on Amazon ($19.99) which is available on April 5, so I’ll have to wait a few more days to see it on my TV.  Even though I saw the movie twice in the theaters, I’m really looking forward to watching it again at home, especially so that I can pause as certain points to see more of what is going on.  And completely unsolicited, my ten-year old son mentioned to me a few days ago that he really wants to watch the movie again on our TV for the same reason — which I consider proof positive that I’m doing something right in the parenting department.
• This commercial for the Apple TV called “The Kiss” is really funny, and almost made the cut for “And finally…” today.  But instead…
• And finally, here is a fun video from Apple showing off “Liam,” a robot that they created to take apart an iPhone so that the parts can be recycled.