Category Archives: iPod

iTone-Deaf

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I hate to keep telling people I’m a big fan of Apple, just before I criticize them. For one thing, it sounds so fake; for another, it’s just not as true as it used to be.

Yes, at one time, almost every media device I owned had the Apple brand on it, and I was a happy camper. iPhone, iPod, iPad, iTunes, MacBook; you name it and I had an Apple device that did it. However, over the past few years, I drifted away from the Apple fold and discovered other devices and other platforms.

Yes, I’m talking about Android.

Do I believe Android is better than iOS? No – and yet, the Android operating system had made great strides. Let’s be clear – Apple basically invented the successful Tablet and mobile computing platforms. However, with Google Play and Amazon, the Android user can find most of the content of the Apple iTunes store (many times at a slightly lower price!). You can’t find much in the way of older content – those classic or, perhaps, cult classic movies and TV shows, but new movies are released in Google Play at the same time as on iTunes.

So why am I now criticizing the very platform and ecosystem to which I was so happily devoted? I have three basic reasons;

  • Failure to incorporate the Micro SD:
    • I have a 16GB Apple Mini Retina. It is a beautiful tablet, but after loading the ever-growing iOS and the default applications, I have 10.8GB left.
    • The average HD movie is approximately 4GB in size. For example, “The Avengers” weighs in at 5.93GB, “Big Hero 6” is 3.21GB, and “Les Miserables” wins the prize at 6.05GB.
    • I can load 2, perhaps 3 of these movies if I want to watch them away from the friendly confines of a wireless internet network (like when flying on an airplane). That leaves little space for music or other apps.

Without the ability to use a Micro SD expansion card, I’m stuck with loading a few movies, apps, and music files for my trips. Oh, I have a few other options; load the Standard Version (SD) movie format, which is far less in size, but then why buy a Retina display? I could use an expensive wireless hard drive, but the iPad won’t play iTunes purchases movies or music (Purchased MPEG-4 video and AAC music format – Apple proprietary) from such a drive – I’ve tried!  I could also buy an iPad with more memory – but that is another expensive option.

The iPad Mini 3 with 16GB of memory and a 2048×1536 resolution screen costs $399. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4” with the same 16GB of memory and a 2560×1600 resolution screen costs $349. It also has a Micro SD card slot that can handle up to a 64GB card. That’s 4 times the base memory, all available for content – no operating system files. Plus you can switch out the SD card – tailor a card with the content for specific moods or purposes and change them on the fly, accessible from the SD card slot on the side of the device.

Let me see – better resolution, the ability to add substantial memory (SD card prices have plummeted, a class 10 64GB SD card will now cost you less than $35), a growing ecosystem of movies, TV shows, and apps, and for less money! Hmmm, let me think about that one!

  • iTunes just keeps getting worse – I don’t know who designs iTunes, but he or she really doesn’t like me! The new interface with iTunes 12 (and now with 12.1) is confusing, frustrating, and is confusingly frustrating!

I work with computers every day and have for the last 25 or so years – I’ve even designed software interfaces. The rule of thumb is to make it simple to use. iTunes used to be, but someone sneaked into the kitchen and added needless complexity to the cookie dough.

The result is not user friendly; in fact is looks like someone us just trying to tick me off! Finding a movie or a song is more difficult than before. Why? Don’t look at me. And the competition is gaining. While Google Play or the Amazon Music store is not iTune’s equal, they are getting better. The apps still trail in number and quality – the most glaring proof is no Amazon Instant Prime app for Android (yet), but watch out, Apple. That sound you hear is their footsteps gaining on you.

  • Justifying the cost is getting more difficult: I know, I know, Apple is a premium brand and one must expect to pay more for a premium brand. However, have you looked at a Samsung Tablet, or the Amazon Fire HD? Others are producing high quality products that cost less and do more (re: my Micro SD rant).

With profits soaring through the roof and its bank account bursting at the seams, Apple is flying high right now. And while I fully support capitalism with all its warts and freckles, there is a limit to what people will continue to pay for a product not that much more advanced than the alternative. And while I am also not an Android acolyte, I enjoy seeing them succeed – competition is good for everyone.

Will Apple listen? The new larger-sized iPhone 6 proves that it can. With its superiority in hardware, operating system, and ecosystem fading, Apple needs to listen more.

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Did the GERD leave Apple?

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For those who know the GERD, you know I’ve been a big fan of all things Apple since 2003. You see, I’ve loved books on tape for years (hang with me, I’m going somewhere here); back to when they were only available on cassette tapes (hundreds of them!). Then I discovered Audible.com; away with you tapes and CD’s, its digital content for me! The problem was MP3 players in 2003 either didn’t have a large enough hard drive, or couldn’t handle the proprietary Audible format. Then I found out that this new iPod thingy achieved both of these lofty goals; I left a vapor trail to the nearest Best Buy and purchased one (I still have it!). That led to a procession of iPods, iPads, and even iPhones. I love the engineering, the innovation, and the ecosystem that Apple brings to the table.

Then a funny thing happened – others started to catch up. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Apple got an awful lot of flattery. While most of the attempts came up short (anyone remember the HP Slate?), slowly but surely the quality improved, and ecosystems caught up. I wrote last August about Android’s improvement (https://techgerd.com/2012/08/14/apple-or-android-ive-used-both/). Google Play and Amazon have stepped up with great content and more apps. The hardware is getting better as well. Better cameras, better processors, better screens, and bigger screens! People wanted bigger screens and the new Android phones have ‘em. Apple has yet to embrace these shifts in design, stubbornly clinging to its strive for a smaller product. I find the larger screens offered by Samsung very appealing; very appealing indeed! In fact…

Wait a minute! Am I having a mid-life tech crisis? Have I considered wondering away from my true love, Apple, towards a flirtatious encounter with Android? I’m feeling flush and a little dizzy…I need to sit down and think about this. It’s all so dangerous and yet exciting!

Will the GERD leave Apple for Android? Will leaving make the GERD happier or would he regret leaving? What would happen to the kids (all that iTunes content)? Tune in next time to see if the GERD leaves Apple!

Battery Up!

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Did I mention that the GERD travels?  Did I mention that when he does he HATES to run out of juice for any of his technological friends?  Is there anything more sad that an iPhone, iPad, or Galaxy (fill in the blank here) that’s as dead as Julius Caesar?  Don’t you hate it when I ask a bunch of questions to start a blog?  Sorry!

The answer to your power grid-less needs is a good external battery.  Now these things can be expensive, heavy, and not very good so pay attention to the GERD and he will steer you straight.  There are two batteries I recommend for the serious Tech Geek who either travels or lives in fear of zombie attacks during power outages. The first is for your typical phone or media device; the second is the “Mother-of-all-batteries” to meet any need you may have, including laptops.

First, the Anker® Astro3E External Battery Pack Charger.  My go-to external battery for my iPhone and hotspot device, the Anker packs 10000mAh in a battery just a bit larger than your Samsung Galaxy S3.  That will give you 4-5 full charges or 40 hours of talk time to iPhone 5 / 4S / 4 / 3GS, 3 full charges for Samsung Galaxy S3, or a full charge for iPad / iPad 2.  It has 2 USB output connections (marked “Apple” and “Android”) and charges via a micro-USB connection (thus fulfilling the GERD’s requirement for standardized connectors).  It comes with a spring USB power cable with 4 interchangeable connectors (including micro/mini-USB and 30-pin Apple adapter).  If you are using the iPhone 5 or new iPod MP3 players, bring your own Lightning cable or adapter!

Second is a battery I would marry if I were not already a happily married man!  The Tursion Ultra Capacity High Quality 33600mAh Portable Charger External Battery Pack Power Bank Charger for Laptops and Notebooks packs a lot of power in a surprisingly small (pink) package.  About the size of a paperback book, albeit a heavy one (8.4 x 0.8 x 5.1 inches; 1.8 pounds), this jewel has a USB and proprietary plug; it comes with a variety of tips (14 to be exact) for all your devices including laptop computers!  If anyone makes a device that one of these tips won’t fit, let them be banned from the Kingdom, ever to roam the wastelands, unloved and unmissed. I used this on my trip to Hawaii last month; 11 hours in the air each way and I never tapped it out.  This battery ends your need to recharge anything!

Listen to the GERD!  If you need power for your phone or MP3 player, go with the Anker – if you need enough power to fight off zombies, the Tursion will do it for you; both for a reasonable price!

Alternate Tech Shopping

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Let’s face it, technology can be expensive.  In the GERD’s super-secret East Coast electromagnetic fortress I have many examples of such expensive items.  A long time ago I learned that when it comes to electronics, you get what you pay for.  However, over time I also realized that you can pay less for the same thing; thus the rise of the “alternative” shopping sites.  Long before Amazon became to end-all be-all place to shop online, the GERD searched the web from end to end looking for better prices for good technology.  It started with MP3 players, then DVD players, PDAs, and then…the mother lode…iPods!  I managed to acquire quite the stockpile of gadgets (for the coming electronic apocalypse) for less than factory prices.  I could keep this critical information to myself (I do have a security clearance, you know!), but that would be most un-GERD-like of me.  Before I let you in on the secret, here’s the catch.  These are almost always older models, usually one version off of the current one, but still a deal for those looking for one.  Here are my top three “Alternative” tech shopping sites;

Ubid.com – Sign up for an account and then let the bidding begin.  Not restricted to just electronics, Ubid.com really got me to research prices and find great deals for MP3 players, DVD players, even desktop computers.  Find the current price and outbid it, repeat as necessary until either you win or decide the price is too high for you.  You can monitor the bidding process or sign up for email alerts when you are outbid.  Go with known brand names; everything comes with a 30 day warranty – I’ve never needed to return anything.  Look in from time to time and occasionally you can really snag a great deal!

 AtAuction.com – A Ubid-like bidding site that offers more than just tech.  Both sites even offer collectables, including Coins.  Between Ubid and AtAuction you should be able to find something interesting.

 Newegg.com – This is not a bidding site but it offers great prices, especially for components and accessories like flash memory cards and headphones.  A set of Sennheiser Wireless Infra-red Stereo TV Assistive Listening Sound System (Set 830-TV) that lists for $210.09 at Amazon goes for $179.95 on Newegg.

Listen to the GERD; if you are going to keep buying electronics and you’re not Donald Trump, use these sites to find the best deals to feed your Tech Monster!

With all apologies to Clement Clarke Moore…

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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
all my gadgets were whirling, including my mouse.
My hard drives were stuffed full of data with care
in hopes that my backup plan, if needed, would be there.

With iPad and iPhone nestled snug in their docks,
Glimmering with displays of Retina fresh from the box
my Wife with her 4S and I with my ‘5
Thankful that our data plan (unlimited) is alive

When on the Amazon site there arose such a clatter
Chromebooks for sale! Get one while they still matter!
Away to my keyboard and my browser (with flash),
Clicked on the bookmark and gave up my cash.

The FedEx truck arrived, the driver was grinning
He knew it’s for me the package he’s bringing
“Good Morning to you GERD”, he says with great pep
With a gleam in his eye and a spring to his step

“Now GERD it appears I have for your consideration
a package from Amazon; could it be another piece of automation?
Another iPad, the new nook reader?
The Fire, the Acer, I know it’s not a heater!

“A Chromebook!” I cry with overstated pride,
“to compute where I want, no matter what I ride!
On airplanes, on cars, on big boats and small
It weighs just 3 pounds; it’s really easy to haul!”

“I see” he says as he turns away to leave
“yet another laptop…doesn’t now that make three?”
“Perhaps” I replied in response to his mock,
“But these were going fast – there was only one left in stock”

Away to my office I rushed with such haste
To rip open the package with time not to waste
A press of the button the screen it alights
And takes me to Google, its app store to delight

My eyes are a’glitter, my mouse works with fury
As selected apps to my hard drive they hurry
On Google, on Gmail, on Pandora and Cloud Reader
On DropBox, on Sugar Sync, on Maps and RSS-Feeder

App after app I download, my hard drive was filling
My excitement was real, my credit card a ’billing
When finally I saw, my Chromebook was set
For that road trip next time I’ll be ready I bet

So value your Gadgets, to each one give a mention,
and always remember; to my blog, pay attention.
And hear me exclaim, although I’m out of sight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a GERD-night!”

Travel Tech

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Sometimes the GERD has to travel.  In fact the GERD is on an airplane right now (at least while he’s writing this); on his way to San Diego from my super-secret East Coast electromagnetic fortress for a meeting.  So on those infrequent occasions when he has to leave his GERD-dom, he wants the right kind of tools to play and work with.  These tools must have certain characteristics; they must be small, they must have good battery life; they must have a common plug for recharging; and of course, they must be really cool!

So, you may be asking yourself what is the GERD’s favorite travel tech (go ahead and ask, I’ll wait). Naturally, it’s my iPad, I mean not only do I never leave home without it, I rarely leave the room without it.  I have a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad 2 (insert audible gasp).  I know, I know, it’s old but believe me the thing is still a tech marvel and tops in my tech travel locker (that’s my back pack).  It meets all my requirements; (1) it’s small enough to slide into place with no fuss, no unsightly bulge; (2) it has a great battery life.  Even though it’s getting older the battery life remains terrific, almost 10 hours per charge.  (3) As for the common plug, while it’s not a USB, mini USB, or micro USB, the 30 pin Apple plug has become so commonplace it’s almost its own category.  I know the new Apple connector is very different (I like it by the way), and in time they too will become commonplace; (4) what’s cooler than an iPad, anyone, anyone?  The cool is still there and I’m never embarrassed to drag out the old iPad and start geeking out (that’s not true with my entire tech line, can you say Acer Iconia Tab? That thing can stop a bullet but takes 10 minutes to boot up!)

There is, however, more to Heaven and Earth than the iPad.  The Kindle Fire HD makes an excellent travel companion.  My stereo Bluetooth headphones are always with me (Rocketfish High-Definition (RF-MAB2)  https://techgerd.com/2012/08/11/my-favorite-bluetooth-headsets/).  A good laptop is always a plus; my new ASUS U46e (http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/U46E/) packs 8GB of RAM and 750GB hard drive on a Windows 7 64-bit OS with excellent results.  Add 6+ hours of battery life and you’re got a toy to blog away on during those long flights.  Need to add more content without buying a new system?  Add a Wi-Drive that allows you to stream data from it to any one of several devices over its own Wi-Fi signal.  (http://www.kingston.com/us/usb/wireless#wid).

So the next time you leave your Fortress on a trip, taking along the right tools will help you get away without actually being away.

Why iOS 6 will revolutionize Computing

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The gap between the computer and the tablet as a capable work platform has been shrinking – and the pace of this shrinkage is accelerating.  With the original iPad introduction on 3 April 2010 Apple changed the game, giving us geeks a new toy unlike any since the invention of the laptop.  Many called the first iPad a “large iPod” (yep, so did I).  It was cool, but how useful was it going to be?  I used mine to watch movies and listen to music (just like an iPod!).  However, the overwhelming number of apps developed since changed the iPad into a useful platform for writing (Pages), tracking finances (Pageonce, Mint.com), travel (Flight+ Tracking, Weather Channel), along with all the social media integration (Facebook, Twitter, etc).  In fact, about half of the GERD’s blog entries are started or finished on my iPad (thanks to WordPress) and I follow my daughter’s web comic on my iPad when I’m on the road.
Now Apple has taken the next step – data sharing run amok!  Starting with the iCloud (that giant data center in North Carolina), iPad and iOS users now enjoy data sharing among different platforms.  Contacts, notes, calendar events, even Reminders created on one platform (iPad) show up on all your other platforms (iPad and Macs).  The GERD does most of his blogging using the Notes application, starting on the Mac Mini, continuing on the iPad, reviewed on the iPhone, and eventually publishing from the Mac Mini again.  Since I’m working on from 6 to 10 blog subjects at any one time, this data sharing is a tremendous advantage.
iOS 6 will continue and accelerate this trend.  Yes, Apple has updated many of the core features including Mail, Safari, and even Siri.  But Apple has also ramped up data sharing with the unification of your phone number and Apple ID – meaning that any iMessage sent from any iOS device can be seen on any other iOS device;  FaceTime calls will follow suit.  I must admit that the inability to see iMessages sent to my phone on my iPad has been disappointing.
Others are attempting to follow Apple – Amazon and Google were among the first with cloud storage and web-based media stores.  Dropbox and SugerSync offer terrific cloud storage for data sharing.  However, Apple combines the best in breed; superb media content, apps, cloud storage, combined with unmatched hardware to run it all on.  When iOS 6 hits the streets this fall, it will all get better.  Perhaps one day we will wonder whatever happened to the windows-based laptop…
Next Time: Why I 8’nt upgrading

Apple or Android – I’ve used both

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The GERD loves a good discussion amongst those who disagree (read: argument), as long as it’s done with respect to all involved (that leaves out Politics!).  Few subjects inspire such a heated discussion as Apple versus Android.  “I have an iPhone, I have a Droid“, how about having a cool drink and sitting in the shade for a moment!

For the purpose of simplicity, let’s limit this discussion to media devices and phones. Having used the iPhone, the HTC EVO, iPads, and Ice Cream Sandwich-equipped tablets, allow me to say something very pithy, very wise, very GERD-like.  What’s the big deal? (sounds very Jeffersonian, doesn’t it?)  As is almost always the case, it comes down to what YOU like best.  Apple is a very mature system.  For phones and tablets the operating system (iOS 5, soon to be iOS 6) works very well.  Apple’s innovative App Store is a terrific place to find tested and approved applications that are low cost and, in most cases, very useful.  Updating the operating system is effortless, as is updating the apps.  iTunes is great – music and movies and TV shows (oh my!).  Apple set the standard that everyone else is trying to copy (sorry Samsung, didn’t mean to use the word “copy“).

I’ve used Apple products, iPods mostly, since 2003.  In the last few years I’ve graduated to iPads, iPhones, and my Apple Mini (a superb mid-level computer).  I like Apple products – some may call me a “fanboy” (term used to describe “a passionate advocate and promoter for Apple operating systems and hardware”), but I like things that work.

But wait, I also used the HTC EVO for 2 years, and liked it!  I have and use the Asus EEE Pad TF-101 (I love the optional docking keyboard – I wish Apple made one for the iPad).  I have a Samsung Galaxy Player (the big 5″ one), and it’s a great media device.

While Apple may be compared to a buttoned-down solid-colored shirt that looks great with a striped tie, Android is that comfortable pull over that looks really cool with jeans and an old pair of sneakers.  You have to work a little harder with Android devices – updating is not easy.  The Google Play Store has matured in look and content.  However, you can find, shall we say, suspicious-looking apps (“Pocket Girlfriend”? Really?).  If that’s what you want, oh well.

Bottom line: For media players and phones, the inexperienced user should stick with the Apple iPhone and iPods.  They are easier to use, update, and understand.  A drawback is that any song purchased on iTunes is in a protected format (AAC) that only works on Apple devices.  You can convert them to MP3 format, but not easily.  However, if you stick with those Apple devices, you’ll have no worries.  If you are more experienced, or more adventurous, you can be very happy with an Android phone and/or media device.  As I have already said, it comes down to what YOU like best.  After all, we still live in a semi-free country!

ImageNext Time: Why didn’t the GERD get the New iPad?