The iPhone and iPad news of this past week includes apps for using an iOS device for both business and pleasure, some great stories on finding lost iPhones, and Homer Simpson.
For the fifth consecutive year, Apple has ranked #1 in J.D. Power and Associate’s smartphone customer satisfaction rankings, and this year the gap between Apple and other smartphone manufacturers widened even more. Gregg Keizer of Computerworld has more details.
Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal recommends apps for using your iPad at work such as Documents to Go, Quickoffice, and GoodReader as well as services such as Dropbox. I use these apps on my iPad virtually every day.
Attorney Dan Friedlander also talks about the useful GoodReader app in an article for the BigLaw newsletter.
Dave Caolo of TUAW has relates the story of a person retrieving a stolen iPhone using the Find My iPhone feature, this time a student in Manchester, England.
Charles Starrett of iLounge relates the story of a very different use of Find my iPhone. Ron Walker, a parachute jumper in the Air Force, accidentally dropped his iPhone 1,000 feet from an airplane. He figured that the iPhone was gone forever, but amazingly he was able to recover it using the Find My iPhone feature. Wow.
David Pogue of the New York Times reviews portable Bluetooth speakers that work with the iPhone.
Speaking of the New York Times, the paper is about to start charging for use of its website. John Gruber writes a good critique of the new pricing structure.
Rich Mogull wrote an article for TidBITS in which provides some tips for making sure that your iPhone is encrypted if you are using an older iPhone that you upgraded to run iOS 4.
Rob Waugh of The Daily Mail profiles Jonathan Ive, the main in charge of designing Apple’s products.
Tyler Tschida of AppAdvice reviews the latest update to QuickOffice which provides additional sharing options and AirPrint support.
Attorney Slyvia Hsieh wrote about lawyers getting the new iPad 2 for the website Lawyers USA. I was one of the attorneys she interviewed for the article. If you are a subscriber, click here to read the article.
One of my favorite arcade games in the 1980s was Tapper, and now there is a version for the iPhone and iPad featuring the great graphics of Don Bluth, known for animating the famous Dragon’s Lair arcade game. I bought the iPad version and it is a lot of fun. Unlike many old arcade games brought to the iPhone or iPad, this game actually works better with touch controls. Click here for Tapper World Tour for iPhone ($0.99): and click here for Tapper World Tour HD for iPad ($1.99):
Is there a connection between Steve Jobs and Homer Simpson? Well actually, there is. John Brownlee of Cult of Mac explains.
Attorney Robert Gitelman illustrates landmark cases and sells his drawings on T-shirts at his site HypoJustice. He also has a part of his site where he recommends several iPhone apps.
Ted Brooks reviews Court Days Pro. He likes it, as did I when I reviewed the app last month.
I love this story. A husband bought an iPad 2, but then returned it to Apple with a note on it that said “Wife said no.” Click here to see Apple’s response, as reported by Arnold Kim of MacRumors.com.
And finally, the Angry Birds craze continues. Not only was Angry Birds Seasons recently updated for St. Patrick’s Day, but there is a new version called Angry Birds Rio which is nicely done. Both my son (who is 5) and I have been enjoying playing it on my iPad. Click here for Angry Birds Rio for iPhone ($0.99): and click here for Angry Birds Rio HD for iPad ($2.99): . But apparently we are not the only father and son who get a kick out of Angry Birds, as shown in this great birthday video:
Early last month, I received an e-mail from Vincent Ko, a recent business school graduate from Georgetown University, with this story about a product he designed called the iFlip:
“How does a business started by a college student only selling one type of iPhone case reach $32,000 in sales during its first year with no advertising and no media outreach? By creating a unique iPhone case and offering the best customer service possible. At the time I was a student at Georgetown University and I had just gotten an iPhone for my 21st birthday. Realizing that I only needed to carry around some cards and cash on a regular basis, I thought there had to be a way to combine my wallet and iPhone. During a late night study session a light bulb went off – create an iPhone wallet case.
The first prototype was created by cutting up an old leather wallet and sewing it together with an iPhone case. It took several trials to refine the ideal design but it was eventually picked up by a leather wallet manufacturer. In the first year we have sold close to 1,000 iFlipWallet cases through our company’s website.”
Vincent asked if he could send me a free sample of his product. My first thought was that this was a crazy idea. Why would anyone want a wallet with an iPhone in it? Like many folks, I put a wallet in my back pocket, and I cannot imagine sitting on my iPhone. Many women put an iPhone in a purse, but then why would you need to keep the iPhone together with your wallet when there is more than enough room in all but the smallest purses to keep both an iPhone and a wallet without needing to combine them? But for some reason I found his story compelling, perhaps because I graduated from Georgetown Law School so we had that in common. I agreed to try out the iFlip wallet, and I have been doing so for the last few weeks. To my surprise, this is actually a really nice and useful product that I think many of you might be interested in as well.
The iFlip is a leather bi-fold wallet that feels good in your hands, like, I suppose, any good leather wallet. You slide your iPhone in one half of it, and when the wallet is closed you can access the front of your iPhone and the home button through an opening in one side of the iFlip.
There are openings on the side so that you can access the volume buttons and mute switch. The wallet stays closed with a small strap that attaches to the back of the wallet with a magnet, a feature that works very well.
When you open the wallet, you see four pockets to hold two or three credit cards or IDs and some cash. It is hard to tell from the below picture unless you click to enlarge it, but there is an opening in the see-through area where you place cash so that you can slide the cash in and out of that pocket. There is also a hole for the iPhone camera so that if you want to take a picture while your iPhone is in the iFlip, you can just open the wallet and don’t have to remove your iPhone.
The wallet does not hold very much, just a few essentials. Each pocket can really only hold a single card, and the place where you can slide cash doesn’t hold more than a few bills. But because it holds so little, I realized what the iFlip is really for. This is probably not going to be the wallet that you use every day. It is just a wallet that you use on a special occasion when you just want to carry all of the essentials — a few cards, some money and an iPhone — in one place.
For example, it just so happened that I was trying out the iFlip during Mardi Gras season here in New Orleans. When I take my kids to a parade route, I don’t need to carry much with me. I figured I should have a driver’s license and a credit card on me (not that I would be likely to use them at a parade) and a little money just in case I want to by something from a vendor, plus of course I want my iPhone with me. The iFlip is too big to put in my back pocket, but at a parade it was nice to have everything in one place in a front pocket on my pants. That way I could always know exactly where the iPhone and those other valuable items were, without the risk that a single credit card or ID or $20 bill might slip out of my pocket.
And it is easy to use the iPhone when it is in the iFlip, whether for making a call, taking quick photo to upload to Facebook, looking up some quick info on the Internet (such as the latest parade update on Twitter to see how many blocks away it was), etc. Since Mardi Gras, I’ve found the iFlip is just as useful when I want to carry only the essentials to take my kids to the Zoo or a park.
I had two issues with the iFlip, but frankly Vincent Ko warned me about them before he even sent me the product. First, the pockets are very tight. He told me that with use over time, the leather will loosen. So far he is right, although I look forward to them getting a little more loose over time. Second, the edges of the iFlip cover about 1mm of each edge of the iPhone screen. Ko told me that because the leather loosens over time, this was a conscious design decision so that after normal use, the leather would adjust to the size of the iPhone screen instead of starting at the right size and then getting too big. Even after a few weeks of occasion use, the edges still have a little more to go before the size is a perfect fit, but I suppose I just need to give it more time.
The list price of the iFlip is $39.99, but right now it is on sale for $29.99. You can buy a model for either the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 3G / 3GS. If you like the idea of carrying your iPhone and a few essentials in one place, perhaps over the weekend or when you are traveling, the iFlip is worth your consideration. It is a nice and useful product.
Click here to get the iFlip from the iFlip website ($29.99).
I am always looking for better ways to hold an iPad. The TabGrip is an innovative solution that makes it easier to hold your iPad, and as a bonus it also functions as a stand. It was developed by Chulho Song, who is a licensed attorney in California but who has been involved in business, not the practice of law, for several years. He tells me that he actually had lawyers in mind when he came up with the TabGrip because he thought that they would be a natural market for a lightweight and versatile product that makes it easier to hold and prop up a first generation iPad. He sent me a free sample for review purposes, and I’ve been trying it out for the last few weeks.
The TabGrip itself consists of a flexible rubber strap that attaches to all four sides of the iPad using rubberized plastic grips.
Each grip has a groove inside, and you pull the TabGrip to slip it over each side of the iPad. Once attached, you have grips on all four sides of the iPad so you can easily hold the iPad in one or two hands with a far smaller risk that the iPad can slip out of your hands.
The TabGrip would be useful if that was all that it did, but additionally each of the grips opens up to reveal legs, making it easy to prop up the iPad in multiple positions in either a landscape or portrait position.
Because the grips extend past the width of the iPad, when you have the grips attached you can place the iPad face down on a table and the iPad screen (or back) is lifted so that it doesn’t come in contact with the table, reducing the change of scratches.
If you have plans to give a presentation or be in a meeting where you will be walking around with your iPad in your hand, having the TabGrip attached make it much easier to keep a grip on the iPad. It also makes it easy to pass your iPad to someone else, giving them something to grip when the take it from your hands.
I see that one reviewer complained that once he got the TabGrip on his iPad, he couldn’t remove it. I agree that it is a little difficult to remove the TabGrip. You get the hang of it over time, but the first time I tried to remove it I was a little worried about the pressure I was exerting to do so. (Tip: I find it easier to first remove the TabGrip from the shorter sides of the iPad, and then you will find it easier to remove the grips from the longer sides of the iPad.)
Another drawback is that holding one or two grips on the side of an iPad is, in my opinion, not a very comfortable way to hold an iPad for a long period of time. I find it much easier to use a product like the FreeOneHand or the GorillaMobile Yogi (I just wrap the adjustable legs around my hand). I suppose that, for me, placing one of my hands in the center of the weight of the iPad is a lot more comfortable than supporting the iPad just by holding it on one side or both sides.
Having said that, the TabGrip is an innovative product that provides a unique way to get a better grip on your iPad. In a business setting when you are walking around holding the iPad or passing it to a colleague, and in a game setting when you are “steering” the iPad turning it left or right, the TabGrip is a useful accessory for the first generation iPad.
The retail price for the TabGrip is $50, but you can get it for $40 right now both on Amazon and from the manufacturer’s website.
Over the weekend, AT&T announced that it will acquire T-Mobile for cash and stock valued at about $39 billion. The companies estimate that it will take 12 months to clear regulatory hurdles and handle the logistics of the merger. According to an article in The New York Times, combining AT&T’s 95.5 million wireless customers wth T-Mobile’s 33.7 million customers would account for roughly 42% of all wireless subscribers in the United States. (Verizon has around 31%, and a good part of the rest are Sprint customers.)
What does this mean for the iPhone? Recent T-Mobile ads have made fun of the iPhone, trying to argue that while the iPhone was on AT&T and Verizon, T-Mobile is better because it offers “4G.” I put that in quotes because there is considerable debate over whether it is fair to call the HSPA+ service offered by T-Mobile 4G service because while it is faster than traditional 3G service, it is not as fast as the LTE technology that both AT&T and Verizon call 4G.
One of the first thoughts that many had after the announcement of the merger was whether this means that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile subscribers. Not so fast, says T-Mobile itself, which posted this Q&A on a FAQ page on its website:
Is T-Mobile USA getting the iPhone?
T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G.
I think that simply means that during this transition period, T-Mobile isn’t getting the iPhone. (I’m sure T-Mobile wishes that this were not the case; the CEO of Germany’s Deutsche Telekom AG, the parent company of T-Mobile, admitted last year that the lack of the iPhone has hurt T-Mobile’s business.) But once the acquisition is complete (assuming that it goes through), then I think it is obvious that T-Mobile customers will be AT&T customers and thus will have access to all AT&T devices, including the iPhone. I suspect that the ability to get the iPhone in the future was one of the reasons that T-Mobile considered it worthwhile to be acquired by AT&T. For the next 12 months, though, if you are a T-Mobile customer who wants an iPhone, you’re going to need to make the switch now to AT&T (which it appears you will soon being doing anyway) or Verizon.
Will this acquisition have any benefits for current AT&T iPhone users? Perhaps. AT&T and T-Mobile are the two carriers in the U.S. who use GSM, although the way that they handle 3G is different so if you put a T-Mobile SIM in an AT&T iPhone and enable it by jailbreaking the iPhone, you can only take advantage of the slow Edge network on T-Mobile. But even though the current GSM 3G technology is not compatible, perhaps AT&T can find a way to make it work together. When the iPhone 5 (or whatever it will be called) comes out in a few months, perhaps it will have a way to take advantage of faster flavors of 3G.
Most likely, however, the main potential benefit of the acquisition to current AT&T iPhone customers will come in the future. AT&T (like Verizon) is just starting its 4G LTE roll out. I doubt that this 2011 version of the iPhone will take advantage of 4G, but I suspect that the 2012 iPhone will. By adding 4G LTE not only to all of the AT&T towers and spectrum but also the T-Mobile towers and spectrum, I hope that AT&T will be able to provide better 4G coverage to even more people, including those who are in areas that currently have T-Mobile service but little to no AT&T service. Randall Stephenson, the chairman and CEO of AT&T, alluded to this when he said that the acquisition of T-Mobile “will improve network quality, and it will bring advanced LTE capabilities to more than 294 million people.”
I have been on the road lately and haven’t had a chance to purchase a new iPad 2, but I did get a chance to try one out earlier this week when I was meeting with another lawyer who had one. What an impressive device; it really feels much better in your hand than the original iPad. And with the iPad 2 on everyone’s mind, it comes as no surprise that the news of note from this past week is virtually all about the iPad:
If you are going to get an iPad 2, should you get the Wi-Fi only model or the 3G model? For the past week, I’ve been using my original 3G iPad with the cellular data turned off and using my iPhone 4 as a Personal Hotspot. The combination seems to work very well. The battery on the iPhone 4 deplete somewhat more quickly with the hotspot feature turned on, but my overall experience leads me to think that I don’t need 3G on an iPad 2. For more information on the Personal Hotspot feature of the iPhone 4, check out this great article from Glenn Fleishmann on Macworld.
Apparently another difference between the Wi-Fi and 3G iPad 2 is the microphone on the unit. Charles Starrett of iLounge has details.
How much better are the graphics on the iPad 2 versus the original iPad? One way to find out is to look at a game that pushes graphics to the limit, and Trevor Sheridan of App Advice looks at Infinity Blade and Real Racing 2 HD. Of course, over time, I’m sure that games will do more to take advantage of the iPad 2, but these first efforts seem impressive.
Attorney Clark Stewart discusses his efforts to get an iPad 2.
Justin Kahn of the iPad Notebook site looks at TrialPad, an iPad app that runs presentations with the ability to annotate.
I am a big fan of LogMeIn Ignition, an app that allows you to remotely control a PC or Mac from an iPhone or iPad. The app was just updated to add a feature that allows you to quickly get a file from a remote computer, and I’ll be talking about this feature more after I have had a chance to try it out. But I wanted to note that a competitor to LogMeIn Ignition, VMWare, is also available and Sean Hollister of Engadget has an overview.
Leander Kahney of Cult of mac writes that a Hugarian politician is drafting a new version of the country’s Constitution on his iPad.
Lex Friedman of Macworld posts 10 power user tips for the iPad.
Sean Doherty of Law Technology News discusses Worlddox DMS for the iPad.
And finally, here are Dave Letterman’s Top 10 reasons to get an iPad 2:
Earlier this year, I noted an iPhone case called the iBottle opener which, as you might guess, is an iPhone case that has a built-in bottle opener. I’m not sure how practical that product is, but it is certainly humorous. The company that sells that product and many other zany contraptions, Baron Bob, sent me a free review sample of a product in a similar vein called the iPlunge, billed as a handy stand for your video emergencies. The product looks like a minature plunger. It is a piece of wood attached to a red suction cup that stands about two inches high:
You attach the iPlunge to your iPhone just by pressing the cup part of the plunger on the back of your iPhone. The directions say that it works better if you moisten the cup, but I didn’t find that necessary. It attaches easily to the back of the iPhone, and should also work fine with most iPhone cases that have a smooth surface. It also removes easily without leaving a mark.
With the iPlunge attached, it is easy to prop up an iPhone in the landscape position, putting the iPhone at a good angle for watching a video. You can also use the iPlunge to prop up your iPhone in the portrait position, useful for a FaceTime videochat, but I found it much more difficult to find the exact right spot to stay upright in the portrait position; it can be done with some effort, but the iPhone is more likely to tip over.
Of course, I feel that talking about how this product works is somewhat beyond the point. The main selling point of this item is simply that it is humorous. At only $5.95 it makes for an inexpensive joke gift for someone who uses an iPhone, not to mention a funny gadget for yourself if you are looking for a laugh when you prop up your iPhone. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether it is prudent to use the iPlunge during a meeting with a potential client. Will it be an icebreaker that leads to a shared laugh, or will it cause the client to lose all confidence in you as a lawyer capable of a serious representation of the client? How exciting to see which it will be! Let me know how it works out for you; I suspect I’ll keep this iPlunge packed away during client meetings. Then again, every time I look at the iPlunge, I cannot help but smile.
Click here to get the iPlunge from Baron Bob ($5.95).
Apparently these have been around since July of 2010, but until recently I had not paid much attention to a section of the App Store called App Store Essentials. This is a part of the App Store that recommends apps in several different categories.
For example, the Apps Starter Kit section recommends 25 apps for the new iPhone owner looking to cover the basics. It is a pretty good list of apps:
Last week while I was on vacation, Apple was certainly busy. Most notably the iPad 2 was released on Friday, and I see from the e-mails that I received that many of you were lucky enough to get one. Congrats! I plan to get one soon, most likely the black 32 GB Wi-Fi model. My current iPad has 3G, but now that iOS 4.3 is out and the iPhone 4 on AT&T has a Personal Hotspot feature, I can just use my iPhone to provide 3G data to my iPad when I’m not in a Wi-Fi hotspot, so I don’t see a need to have 3G on the iPad 2 itself.
Speaking of iOS 4.3, Apple released it on March 9, 2011. There were many improvements, and the ones that struck me as most significant are the following:
Personal Hotspot. In the Settings App on an iPhone 4, if you go to General –> Network –> Personal Hotspot, you can now share the 3G data on your iPhone with other computers using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB. If you have AT&T, this means that you need to change your rate plan to the DataPro 4GB plan that allows for tethering and which costs $45 a month. I had been using the $30 unlimited data plan so by changing to this plan I lose unlimited data, but in my experience I rarely go over 1GB of data a month so the 4GB plan should be more than enough even when I start sharing data with my iPad. And while I don’t plan to share much data with my laptop, it is nice to know that I can also do that in a pinch.
Wait and pause. When you assign a number to a contact, you can now add a wait within the number by pressing the “wait” button, which is displayed as a semicolon. This is useful if you have a voice mail system or a conference call where you need to wait before sending another string of numbers. There is also a “pause” button, which is displayed by a comma, if you just need a slight pause before more numbers are entered. This is a useful feature that I have wanted for a long time.
Safari speed. Safari is now faster thanks to the new Nitro JavaScript engine.
Side switch (iPad). On the iPad, you can now choose in Settings whether the side switch mutes the volume or locks the screen orientation. I find it easy enough to quickly mute the iPad by tapping the volume down button a few times so I have assigned the side switch to the screen rotation lock.
Password required for in-app purchases. In-app purchases now require a password, solving the problem that I noted in this post where a child might make purchases without you knowing about it.
Better security. Every iOS update brings security improvements, and this one does as well. Apple provided this list of what was improved.
Other minor changes. There is a new font in the Notes app called Noteworthy and which is more cursive. The expanded AirPlay feature allows Safari and third party apps to send video to another device such as an Apple TV.
If you want to learn more about all of the nitty gritty details of the changes in iOS 4.3, I recommend this post by Rene Ritchie of TiPb.
It’s Mardi Gras season right now in New Orleans. If you are here in New Orleans, I’m sure that you are enjoying the parades and good times with friends and family. If you are not in the Big Easy right now, well, you should be, and you ought to try to make up for it by coming in town for Jazz Fest next month.
Normally there wouldn’t be much connection between the iPhone and Mardi Gras, but the theme of one of the parades this past Saturday (the Krewe of Tucks) was “iTucks: What’s APPening,” as you can see from these pictures of the title float in the parade:
Many of the floats made fun of apps and most of the floats found a way to stick a small “i” at the start of various words. And if the theme itself didn’t do enough to emphasize the popularity of the iPhone/iPad and the App Store, the fact that this little fellow preferred playing with an iPhone over catching beads from floats speaks volumes:
Many businesses shut down for a few days during Mardi Gras and those people who don’t stay home to watch the parades often use this as an opportunity to take a vacation, so iPhone J.D. is taking a break this week. See you next week, and laissez les bons temps rouler!
Steve Jobs said on Wednesday that 2011 will be the year of the iPad 2. We’ll see whether that is true, but there is no question that this was the week of the iPad 2, evidenced by the bulk of the news items of note from this week:
Yesterday, I gave you my thoughts on why lawyers will like the iPad 2. Brett Burney shares his thoughts on the subject here.
Brendan McKenna is not as excited about the iPad 2 in this article for Law Technology News.
John Gruber of Daring Fireball wrote a fantastic analysis of the iPad 2 introduction.
Jeff Gamet of the Mac Observer notes that Apple is still selling the original iPad wit the prices dropped $100, so you can get the 16 GB Wi-Fi version for only $399.
Want to pay even less? You can get a refurbished iPad for as low as $349 directly from Apple. $349 for an iPad? Wow.
Did you buy an iPad after February 16, 2011? Bryane Wolfe of App Advice notes that you can get a $100 rebate from Apple.
The site iLawyerApps discusses LogMeIn Ignition, a $30 app that I use all the time on both my iPad and my iPhone.
A competitor to LogMeIn Ignition is GoToMyPC, and Tony Bradley of PC World has a review of the new GoToMyPC iPad app from Citrix. The app is free, but you need to have a $10 a month subscription to the GoToMyPC service.
Joshua Topolsky of Engadget wrote an interesting commentary on the Post-PC World, a concept that Steve Jobs discussed during the iPad 2 introduction.
Eric Slivka of MacRumors cites recent reports by Bloomberg and Reuters that Verizon will drop its unlimited data service this summer. AT&T used to offer an unlimited data service for the iPhone, but now only those grandfathered into an old plan can use it. That includes me, but I am thinking of switching to AT&T’s current 2GB/month plan. I’ve never used more than 2GB a month, and with that plan selected I can take advantage of the new Mobile Hot Spot feature in iOS 4.3 that is coming out in a few days, which means that I can just get the Wi-Fi version of the iPad 2 and piggy-back on my iPhone’s data plan. If any of you have been thinking about doing the same thing, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
The ABA TECHSHOW blog notes that there will be lots of opportunities to discuss the iPad at the upcoming conference next month. That is true, and there will be also lots of opportunities to discuss the iPhone as well.
Joel Johnson wrote an interesting article for Wired about the conditions at Foxconn, the massive manufacturing company in China that makes (among many other things) the iPhone.
Peter Cohen of The Loop notes that the developer of the Angry Birds app is very happy about Apple.
There is a good comparison of four different iPhone apps that you can use to take notes on the And Now It’s All This blog.
Divorce lawyer Paul Talbort writes on The Huffington Post about using spying on your spouse using their iPhone or BlackBerry.
Josh Barrett of Tablet Legal writes about apps that you can use for Word and Excel compatibility.
And finally, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPad 2 this past Wednesday, he also showed this video looking back on the uses for the original iPad over the previous year. Like many videos produced by Apple, it is incredibly well done, and may even provoke a tear or two. Worth watching:
