Monday, May 31, 2010

Reply to e-readers

Hi Rey and all. Not sure if OS 4 will do much for kindle app. We
prolly need to wait for update to the app itself. Hopefully iBooks app
will also impove.

FYI, the Nook from Barnes and Noble also released an ipad app this
week. Not nearly as nice but I like the highlighting feature better
than kindle. Not so clumsy.

- john

Sent from my iPhone
(310) 261-4030

E readers

Just a note. Reading a book I'd like to use with students on kindle
for i-devices. Note/highlight function is at once frustrating and
helpful. Grabbing chunks of text to make use of later, writing notes
to remember is great, because it keeps me in the moment of reading and
lets me remind myself where I'd like to use it. But it's super-clumsy
and I can't export it/take it out because there's no copy function.
Hope it gets better with OS4.

Characters live to be noticed. People with character notice how they
live. ~Nancy Moser

Meet iPed, The Android-Based Chinese iPad Clone [VIDEO]

I know that imitation is the greatest form of flattery but there are limits aren't there? Tablets are coming out of the woodwork from a number of companies right now. But, the iPed, really?

:-)

Article from Mashable

http://mashable.com/2010/05/31/iped/


- John

Sent from my iPad

Saturday, May 29, 2010

10 Must-Have Apps for the New iPad Owner

Mashable is a great tech blog. Their lists are usually well-researched and good. Check this one out.

http://mashable.com/2010/05/29/10-must-have-ipad-apps/


Characters live to be noticed. People with character notice how they live. ~ Nancy Moser

Friday, May 28, 2010

Follow-up on air video, video out, iTunes videos

Hi all. So I just discovered that Air Video plays video out to the television perfectly. Sweet!

Also noticed that my one purchased itunes video, Avatar, that didn't play out to the projector actually plays out to the television just fine. For whatever reason, apple must assume that if you are playing out to vga and projecting, that it breaks licensing. But going out to TV is okay. Go figure.

Have a nice weekend all.

- John

Sent from my iPad

WebMD

Hi all, this just came out. I refer to the web site every now and then, so having the app is very handy. Has some cool features like:

Symptom Checker - Select part of body that is bothering you, choose symptoms, find possible issues.
First Aid Essentials
Conditions
Drugs and Treatments
Pill Identification Tool
Local Health Listings based on your location.

- john

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Reel Director

Hi all, Reel Director, the iPhone app for editing movies, just released the iPad ready version. Looks pretty good so far. Will research a bit more and send another update later.

- John

Sent from my iPad

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Early Edition is not free

Sorry, regarding last post, EE is $4.99

- John

Sent from my iPad

Early Edition RSS reader

For any of you that like to receive rss feeds for any type of news/topics, I think you will like Early Edition. By default, the feeds built into EE are all tech related, so for me it's perfect. However, you can. Add and remove any you like.

The thing that appeals to me about EE is that it makes the feeds all look like the daily news. The format is designed to give you that newspaper feel, with articles in different frames on the page, each one tappable so that you can expand it to full page and read the full article.

You can also, at any time, choose to email the article to yourself or a friend.

I believe Early Edition is free.

- John

Sent from my iPad

3G

I finally started the 3G and it is awesome! I find the maps the most
useful, but it was also nice to check e-mail at a baseball game. I
have also been watching TV on the ipad and I love it. Haven't done
much work yet. But I do see potential there....

Rachel Davis
Associate Librarian
St. Matthew's Parish School
rdavis@stmatthewsschool.com

Log Me In Ignition

So, the application is a bit expensive ($30) but I find myself using this more often than I anticipated. Log Me In is like Go To My PC, where you can set up your computers to be accessed remotely. I set up my laptop to be accessible when I am away from my desk. Last night, I needed an email that was filed on my macbook, so from home I used LogMeIn Ignition on my iPad to remote to my computer at school and view my screen. I was able to get that email.

Even this morning, when I was setting up the computers in 501, I needed to make sure they were all online. So, I logged in to my laptop from my iPad and checked to see if they were all on the network.

Very handy, albeit pricey, utility app.

- john

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

iPad @ YMCA

Took the iPad to P's basketball practice. Got an hour of my life back! Wouldn't take the laptop with me, but created four new slides for Age of Humanism keynote while hey dribbled away. Great use of iPad and time.

Keynote

Today in 7th Grade, I used a keynote presentation created on the iPad. Plugged it into the smartboard with the vga adapter. Easy to run/moving back and forth supporting lecture on the Renaissance. Began the keynote on the laptop, moved to the iPad. Lost one font. Rearranged between 7x and 7y for better flow. Keynote & Pages (used yesterday during 8th grade speeches to take notes) almost full versions. Pretty easy to use.
Also used the usb adapter to download pictures straight from the camera to the iPad. Super easy! Pondering the ability to import direct from Flip camera and use Reel Editor app to edit video?
Scanned medical information forms (East Coast Trip) to pdf, and emailed them. 20mb limit for docs to download (attached to email). Tried GoodReader to open. Didn't like how it shows docs. Moved to AirShare - much better.
Disappointed with handbraked videos. Quicktime movies look fine. Ripping Traces of the Trade with appletv specs right now to see what it looks like. (Did I already mention frustration with trying to project purchased content ,America-The Story of Us, with iPad? Apparently Apple unwilling to allow projection of purchased content! HD looks awesome on iPad, though.)
Running into limitations because apps aren't already available. Would love gradebook program, but only good one (so far) is an iPhone app. Too expensive to buy for iPad. Will wait to iPad version is released.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Set up Air Video server on our internal network

Hi all, I just set up Air Video server on one of our servers on campus. Just for testing purposes, but wanted you to know. There's a password needed to get in, so if you are interested, email me.

- john

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Air video

Rey, thank you for your posts today. We should take a look at video file types and test things out. I feel like .mov files worked for me.

In any case, i wanted to post another app that i discovered and enjoy. It's called air video, and i think it's the same people who did airshare.

The purpose of air video is to be able to watch your video library that resides on your home computer. But you watch it from your iPhone or iPad. It's slick. You have to install the server version on your computer (free) which then hosts all video folders that you want it to.

You then connect to it using the iPhone or ipad client software (also free). There are a few pauses in the beginning when watching the video, then it begins to smooth out. You can watch it while on the same wireless network, OR even remotely!

The nice thing is, it auto converts just about any file type to your device, even live conversion. Not quite sure how it does it, but it works. Note: the one thing it will NOT do is play rented or purchased itunes videos. DRM issue.

What I like most about this app is that I don't have to store those videos on my portable device, whether iPhone or iPad. All videos reside on server side. I can see an application for this in school if we have videos hosted on a local server for student access either while on campus or off.

Talk soon all.

- John

Sent from my iPad

textbooks on iPad

Last week in class, Mack H. was reading a section, looking for information. After five minutes, she looked up exasperated, and said, "I wish this book had Apple-F!" (it's a search/find feature on the computer)
Today I got the Constitution app on the iPad. It searchable.

It takes All Ages

Abuelita and her nietos testing the iPad.

Notes 'til Now

This is a little much, but it's what I've noted 'til now. Having some issues moving Pages docs back and forth while still in progress (while I'm still writing). Loving the reader on it, though. Using the Kindle app.

iPad -Day 1
Getting used to typing with two fingers
Transitioning from iPhone apps to iPad apps
Found some great book apps, not happy with Kindle selection or iBookcase
Also found a pretty good photo app ...
Going to try to set up .Mac and iDisk on Day 2

Day 2
Scanned permission slips for Ahmanson trip to PDF, emailed to iPad so I don't have to carry (all contact info)
Parent contact (email)
Used to clip material for class "Legislators changed the language of the law to address some of the concerns raised in Escobar's suit. Initially, the law required police to determine a person's legal status if officers had reasonable suspicion about his or her legality during any "lawful contact." That led to fears that an officer might have to question someone who asked for directions. Last week, legislators changed the law to require police to focus on people they stop, detain or arrest while enforcing existing state laws. Whether that is enough to address concerns about racial profiling is open to debate."
Need a case that doesn't stick to papers, etc. In my bag
Is there a way to download attachments from emails that stay after email is deleted?
Why can't I move some apps from home screen? Annoying.

Day 3
Bought some apps (Goodreader, Countries)
Loaded all GPSF Day materials - video, docs using iDisk app ... Couldn't load full-quality .dv movies
turns out the iPad version is the AppleTV version, not just plain .mov files and not iPhone version

Monday 5/10/10
having sync issues across platforms (forwarding smps mail to .mac is deleting messages from server from iphone and ipad instead of leaving on server)
random contact deleted from all)
needs an upright-leaning case. can't use vertical and propped with current case.

Sat 5/15/10
On the way to conf in Oakland. Test run. No laptop. Typing with thumbs as I board. Best app so far is airshare. Let's docs live on iPad so it's really independent of other machines. Full batt at 7:50 am.
Just slipped into seatback pocket to take off my jacket... it's conveniently small (and small enough to forget!)
Downloads in HD take LONG TIME. bought two episodes of America: A History of US. Left downloading overnight (after beginning at school) only 25% completed after 8 hours!
Notes from NCAIS moved to Traces of the Trade notes

5/18/10
Why won't uploaded .mov files play on iPad?
How do I get pages files off my iPad?

5/21/10
Wrote an entire blogpost (1.5 pages) on iPad. Had to flip in and out of pages and safari for ref and information. Easy and quick. Working straight for about 2 hours. Hotlinks will have to wait for laptop, though.
Is SDK hard? Need to upload to smpsipadsblog.

Characters live to be noticed. People with character notice how they live. ~ Nancy Moser

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Penultimate update

Hey all! Just got the new update to Penultimate today, allows for wrist resting! Very nice!

- John

Sent from my iPad

Friday, May 21, 2010

A Blog about Education and the iPad

Came across this site while doing some research:


One guy's opinion on things, but worth a read.

- john

Gradebooks?

Hi all. When we consider the iPad for education one obvious tool for
teachers is a gradebook. I have done some very quick research and am
finding only iPhone versions at this point but I know it's just around
the corner. This is one area that would be great for us to test a
variety of apps.

I am leaning toward one called iGrade right now. Good reviews. Let me
know if you stumble upon a gem.

- john

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Submitting entries to the iPad blog

Hey all, if you want to send your blog entries to the iPad Testing Blog via email, send to:

Support1563.ipad@blogger.com

- John

Sent from my iPad

Testing the iPad blog from email

Okay, this blog entry is being done from my email account. Hey guess what? I won that iPad accessories daily drawing! I get a free accessory from Speck. Not sure what it will be yet, but hope to here from them tomorrow.

Talk soon all.

- John

Sent from my iPad

The Big Phone

So I gave Clarissa the iPad for Mother's day and when she unwrapped my (okay took it out of the MacMall bag), Dominick says, "Can I play with the big phone?" Although I am was not as enthusiastic about it as John and Dominick, I am beginning to enjoy and see the benefits of the iPad for students and classrooms. I will be looking for a school where Dominick can practice his "Big Phone" skills.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The pogo pen

As you know i have been searching for the ideal note taking app, which would allow me to take handwritten notes. I mentioned penultimate, which takes handwriting and printing better than any other app thus far. However, i can't quite write well enough with my finger! So the other day i ordered a "pen" from box wave that was designed for iPhone and other touch tablets. I liked it but it was too small.

After a couple of days use, i received a notice from box wave that they were sending me a new pen, designed for iPad...for free!!!!

I just got it, and have to say that I like it very much.

Will test out today as we do our site visit at Oswalt academy and give you and update.

Oh, and Rey, i noticed that if I switched to Edit HTML tab using blogger on the iPad, i can write just fine. Don't even need to add HTML tags, it knows line and paragraph breaks perfectly.

- John

Monday, May 17, 2010

Notation on the iPad

I have been trying to find the best app for taking notes, whether that's hand written notes, typed notes, or even audio. I have downloaded both PenUltimate, and PaperDesk. SmartNote, which I wrote about in an earlier post, is kinda included. The difference with the latter app is that it has the PDF import capability, which I like. But it's not really suited well for just taking notes.

Here's an article I found while reading the latest on Early Edition for the iPad:


- john

Sunday, May 16, 2010

ETextBooks

Hi all, so these are mostly high school text books, but I think some may apply to middle school:

Friday, May 14, 2010

Gold Plated iPad

Sorry, couldn't resist:


- john

you mentioned it locked up

so what do you do on an iPad when it locks up? How do you force a restart?

to 3g or not to 3g, that is the question!

Ok guys, since you all have your iPads already, maybe you can help me choose. I've been holding off for various reasons, but am ready to get one now. I want to get the right one! How important is getting the 3G model really? I'd love to have wireless everywhere I go so that I can geocache spontaneously, but that would require Google Earth and I'm not sure that's even an app the iPad will run. Does it? I do travel a lot too, but I'm almost always in a hotel that provides free wifi, or purchased wifi, which would probably be cheaper than the wifi monthly program is. If I DON'T go 3G, I can probably go pick up my iPad TONIGHT as opposed to ordering online.

So, what's your advice? Save the money and go non-3G or splurge and hope it's worth it? -Christine

smartNote app

Hi guys, here's my first entry. I think using the blog may be a more efficient route for us to share information.

Here's an app I downloaded today. It's called smartNote, and allows you to take notes by drawing or typing. It also allows you to use different backgrounds, like grid paper, musical note annotation etc.

The kicker for me was that it allows you to import a PDF file, take notes and highlight. Not bad for $.99. It crashed once on me so far, so I will continue to test out.

- john