iPad 3G Comments

I am the proud owner of an iPad 3G 64GB, which mostly means that I sat around stewing for a month or so while my friends all got to play with their shiny, new toys.  I am happy I waited, though.  I’ve found the 3G connectivity to be incredibly convenient. I don’t own a Verizon Mi-Fi or any other mobile hotspot solution, so the 3G made some sense out of the gate.  Even so, I think the instant on, instantly-connected feel of the iPad makes it a wonderfully flexible tool, in and out of the business.

Much has been said about the various features of the iPad – from the surprisingly long battery life to the snappy feel – but I think the most satisfying observation has been how much of a “blank slate” device this is.  The iPad is absolutely whatever I need whenever I need it.  I can go (and have gone) from taking handwritten notes (thank you, Pogo Stylus) to playing Scrabble to checking a presentation to watching a movie to….well, you get the idea.  If you are still on the fence about an iPad, hop off. This device is an incredible addition to your arsenal of useful business and personal gadgets.

I have my first business trip where I can test it out next week.  It’s just a quick overnight and there’s absolutely no reason to bring my laptop.  I think it will fair just fine there.  However, the true test will be the week after, when I leave for 3 days – where I will be expected to continue to run my practice from 2000 miles away. I’m leaning towards chancing it just with my iPad.  I’ll report back my success…or failure.

MILOfest 2010

We’re almost ready to open the doors and begin accepting registration. I have a special gift to last year’s attendees.  The contract has been signed, so I can confirm that this year’s dates are November 11-13, 2010. Block out the time now so there’s no chance that you miss it.  I’ll be releasing more details shortly here, on the MILOfest webpage, and on MILOfest’s new Facebook page - http://is.gd/cslz5

Keep checking those spots, as well as the hashtag #MILOfest on Twitter for details and announcements.

Sex and the City 2 (SATC 2)

By all reports, SATC 2 is a movie that is dizzyingly bad. I haven’t read a review yet that concludes that it’s worthy investment of 146 minutes of your life.  The blogosphere is ripe with postings of reviews that have ripped the movie to shreds.  Why post about it here?  I just want you to know that the main character, famous for writing on her Powerbook during the TV series, has sold out and moved to an HP.

I can’t prove that the movie sucking and new PC computer is anything more than coincidence, but I can’t prove that they’re unrelated either.

Posted by Victor J. Medina

*Images courtesy of cybertoast/sundar raman on Flikr under a Creative Commons, Non-Commercial/Attribution/Share Alike license.

Our best guess was that the Keynote Remote app running on an iPhone would be a solution. The app lets you view your slides (current and upcoming) and gives you access to your presenter’s notes in your hand. Not a bad way to control your slides. Again, it was just a guess.

Lo, and behold, we learn that the Keynote Remote app webpage was updated today. Nothing directly on point in the discussion , but the title bar has been changed to reference to the iPad. See it here:

Many thanks to Finis Price (a MILO Chat host) to pointing this out and following up on our discussion.

The announcement, if it’s true & real, is an interesting development because it raises a number of issues (which we discussed in the podcast.). Namely, how will the iPhone, running the Keynote app, connect to the iPad? You know, assuming it can.

Given the hardware, there are two potential ways of connecting these two devices – wifi or Bluetooth. I don’t think either is the front runner given some of the limitations discussed below – mostly that enabling either exposes big holes that Apple tends to want to keep shut.

Unfortunately, the app’s current use doesn’t give us a lot of hints. If you use the Keynote Remote app, you have to have your Macbook or Macbook Pro create an ad-hoc wifi network. You can do this whether or not you are actually connected to the Internet. (Although, one of the benefits of doing so with an Internet connection is that you can share that connection with other devices on the network.)

BUT, there’s been no announcement that suggests the iPad will be able to create an ad hoc wifi network. Of course, that raises the question of what happens if creating an ad hoc wi-fi network is the method of connecting the two – can you share your 3G service on the iPad? Will Apple open up creating a wi-fi network with your iPad?

The second way, Bluetooth, is not much better. There are a number of Bluetooth protocols stacks in the world. If I took you through all of them, you’d be bored and overeducated. For now, though, suffice it to say that Apple has not enabled any stack that would permit you to control slides and transmit video information (like your next slide or presenter’s notes). Officially, the iPhone only supports wireless earpieces and stereo headphones. Unofficially, the hardware can support OBEX (object file transfer) protocol.

The problem with turning that on “officially” is that Apple is going to create a way to get files on and off the iPhone without using iTunes, including applications and it can create all kinds of holes that cause problems later.

Okay, you’ve come this far. I owe it to you to give you the simplest explanation, which is that the reference at the top of the title bar is probably just to let you know that you can load the Keynote Remote app onto your iPad and control Keynote on a Macbook Pro with that little Wifi-trick I mentioned above. But, what if…what if?

Regardless, you can be sure there will be lots of iPad discussion at the next MILOfest in November – and If it works out, this iPhone-to-iPad-to-Projector is definitely going to be my set-up.

Posted by Victor Medina
MacLovin’ JD

(Thanks and kudos to Gerry Oginski from the Lawyers’ Video Studio for recording, producing, and hosting this video.)