Tech Tips
Kids, iPhones, and Rules
A blogger recently went viral when she posted a list of 18 rules she made her 13 year old boy accept in order for him to have an iPhone. This topic is so popular, many articles have been written about this list and the author and her son have even appeared on TV to talk about it. I’m very curious what parents think about these rules, and the whole topic of children and technology usage. Please post your comments at the end of this article.
As a technology professional and a parent myself of two girls who use various technology devices, I have my own thoughts on these rules, which I share below. I mostly go in order of the rules as posted, but I do group a few of them out of order.
1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?
2. I will always know the password.
6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.
I think these ideas are excellent. I feel it is important for children to know that if their parents have paid for their devices or are paying the subscription fees, they are essentially borrowing the devices from their parents. If they break them, they will be responsible for the costs. And since the devices belong to the parents, any passwords on the devices are not to be kept secret.
3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.
The first few sentences are about manners. This is fine. I’m not sure I’d put these as “rules”, but whatever. However, the sentence about always answering calls from Mom or Dad is a good rule.
4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
I’m good with the idea of respecting other families’ time. But I don’t think it is necessary to have the kids hand in their phone at a certain time. Just lay down the rule of respect.
5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.
This rule I have a big problem with. It’s basically expressing the idea that the phone is a toy and doesn’t belong in school. Or that the phone can only be used for frivolous conversation. First, this is an iPhone, not a 1990’s flip phone. It’s much more than a phone. It’s much more than a toy. If the iPhone and other devices like the iPad don’t belong in a classroom, then nothing does. It’s time for parents to wake up and realize that technology is not just video games and chatting. Young people strongly identify with technology. If parents don’t respect technology, their kids will feel they aren’t being respected.
7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.
8. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
9. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.
These rules are basic guidelines for communication etiquette. They are smart things to make clear.
10. No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person – preferably me or your father.
12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear – including a bad reputation.
These are also smart guidelines. It is a good idea to set expectations from the start.
11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.
I get the spirit of this rule. Don’t ignore people in front of you. But I think it is a little unrealistic to turn off the phone when in public. What’s the point of having a communication device if you are going to shut it off? I would suggest rephrasing this rule to emphasize more of the etiquette of communication devices in public.
13. Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.
I’m not sure why we should discourage kids from taking pictures. Again, parents should respect technology or their kids will feel they aren’t being respected. Sure, some people when they get new cameras take a lot of pictures at the expense of “living the moment”. Usually, they’ll get through this phase by themselves. I don’t think it is necessary to squash a child’s creativity by trying to preempt this behavior.
14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO – fear of missing out.
I’m not so sure about this rule. Again, why have a phone if you are going to leave it at home? This is again just reinforcing the idea that phones are just toys or frivolous things. Kids are going to see right through that and miss the point of the guideline.
15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.
16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.
Seriously? Why are these “rules” here? I don’t argue with the sentiment of what is trying to be taught here, but I don’t think these belong in a set of rules for proper phone usage. All these rules do is make kids roll their eyes and make the other rules less effective.
17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.
This is a great rule all the way up until the last sentence. Again, why the need to disrespect the technology? Young people strongly identify with things like Google. Many of them have never known a life without this type of technology. Why say something that insinuates that the technology is somehow bad or is a negative? All this attitude does is make kids think that older people don’t get them and builds up resistance to following rules like this.
18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.
A nice simple way to end the rules. Again, setting expectations is a great idea. Then when the phone is taken away, it isn’t such a shock and the child can also expect they’ll get it back soon.
Overall, I think that if a parent is going to make rules like this for their children, they should keep things simple and stick to specific rules of conduct and expectations of usage. Don’t have negative assumptions or disparaging comments about technology and the way kids use it. If you want your kids to respect you and your rules about technology usage, you must show them that you respect the technology and the way they use it.
I grew up with technology from a young age myself. However, in the 80’s and early 90’s, there was even much less understanding of technology in society. Because I grew up as a kid interested in technology before it went mainstream, I feel I have a unique perspective on what children today face. I’m happy to share my thoughts with anyone interested, so please don’t hesitate to comment below or contact me directly.
On The Surface, You Should Wait
There is a lot of buzz surrounding Microsoft’s new tablet, the “Surface”. Already, there is a lot of confusion surrounding this new computing device, so I would like to clear up a few things and offer some simple advice.
First, while this is a Microsoft device that runs “Windows”, it is not a PC, nor a PC tablet. Yes, the operating system it runs looks almost identical to the new Microsoft Windows 8 – also released today – but it is NOT Windows 8. Instead it is called Windows RT. While Windows 8 is largely compatible with existing PC software, Windows RT will NOT run any of the software you may have on an existing PC. Many people will assume that because the Microsoft Surface has the “Windows” name on it, it is the same operating system (or an upgraded version) their old Windows computer runs. Again, this is NOT the case.
To further confuse the issue, Microsoft is including “preview” versions of their Office software for tablets with the Surface. Since Microsoft is trumpeting the fact that the Surface is a tablet that runs Office, many people will assume that this is the same Office that runs on their PCs. Or they’ll assume that if it runs Microsoft Office, then it must run other Windows software too. While similar, it must be emphasized that the Microsoft Office software running on the Surface is designed for tablets, and therefore operates somewhat differently than the Microsoft Office they run on their PCs. And simply because the Surface tablet will run a version of Microsoft Office, again that does NOT mean it will run PC software.
Second, while this is a tablet, it does not have the number of apps that are available on other tablets, namely the iPad. If you’re expecting to play Angry Birds on a Microsoft Surface, for example, you won’t be able to at this time. Compared to other platforms, there are only a fraction of the number of apps available for Windows RT. Given the amount of time developers have had to prepare for the launch of Windows RT, there does not appear to be a groundswell waiting to develop apps for Windows RT. Many are probably waiting to see if Windows RT and/or the Surface gain any real marketshare before they commit to it. Which is exactly what I advise you to do.
At this time, Microsoft’s Surface tablet and Windows RT in general are receiving mixed reviews. The general consensus is that while the technical specs of the Surface are nice and the hardware looks impressive, the software just isn’t ready for primetime. From a usability standpoint there are some noticeable inconsistencies which suggests Microsoft rushed Windows RT to market, but also compared to other tablet platforms, Windows RT doesn’t have many of the features that have come to be popular. Because of these issues, the prudent advice is to wait at least 3 – 6 months before considering a Microsoft Surface, or any Windows RT-based tablet. Time needs to be given to see if the problems can be shaken out and it can be determined if the platform is gaining any market traction. Waiting to purchase anything new from Microsoft has been the commonly accepted wisdom for a long time. On the surface, the same holds true on the Surface.
Save Money With Wi-Fi
After my article talking about shared data plans, I wanted to follow up with a potentially money-saving tip. Whenever I visit a client, I always check to make sure their phones are using Wi-Fi at their home or workplace. I’ve noticed that a large number of people do not make use of the Wi-Fi networks that are available to them. This is understandable because Wi-Fi use is optional on smartphones. However, by not using Wi-Fi, many people may be costing themselves money.
There are two big benefits to using Wi-Fi on your smartphone – and the same is true for tablets. The first is speed. Most of the time, the speed you’ll get by connecting to a Wi-Fi network is faster than what you can get with your cellular provider. The second benefit is that any data used while connected to a Wi-Fi network does not count against your cellular data plan. Since most wireless companies charge based on how much data you use, it is in your best interest to reduce the amount of data you use over your cellular network.
The good news is that connecting to a Wi-Fi network with a smartphone or a tablet is usually simple. And once connected to a particular Wi-Fi network, your phone will remember the setup details so you will not normally need to re-configure every time you return to a network.
For an iPhone or iPad, the default setting is for the device to notify you when you are in range of a Wi-Fi network. Make sure to acknowledge these notifications in your home, office, or anywhere you frequently travel, and choose the Wi-Fi network applicable. Usually all it takes is for you to tap the network name and then enter your password. If for some reason you are not receiving these notifications, it is also easy to manually connect to a network. Simply tap the Settings App from your home screen, then tap on Wi-Fi. Make sure your Wi-Fi setting is in the “on” position and you should see any available wireless networks listed. You can then tap on your network and enter your password. This is also the area where you can choose if your device notifies you about wireless networks in range (Ask to Join Networks).
If you have an Android device, the setup will be dependent on which model you have, but Google provides some general instructions. Usually, it is a simple process on most Android smartphones and tablets.
New iPhone will be Announced September 12
In case you haven’t heard already, Apple has scheduled an event for September 12th, during which it is expected that they will unveil the latest iPhone, rumored to be named the iPhone 5. As you can see from the invitation they sent out, the shadow of the “12” is in the shape of a “5”, which almost certainly confirms the iPhone 5 will be announced.
That being said, you should certainly wait to purchase any phone until after the 12th. Depending on what Apple announces, you may want the iPhone 5, or you may want to save money and purchase an older iPhone model.
Apple may have some other surprises up their sleeve, so keep your ears open to what is announced Wednesday. Please contact me if you have any questions about the new iPhone or any other new technology devices.
Shared Data Plans May Save You Money
First it was Verizon and now AT&T has followed suit in offering “shared data” plans to their customers. Shared data plans are a new type of service plan that combines data usage across all of a customer’s devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and mobile hot spots. If you are familiar with the idea of family plans that allowed your family to share your minutes across all your cell phones, shared data plans are a very similar concept.
I’ve researched both Verizon’s and AT&T’s shared data plans and here are the common features:
- Unlimited talk minutes
- Unlimited texts
- Free Mobile Hotspot usage for capable smartphones
- A pool of data that is shared among all the devices subscribed
Verizon calls their plan the “Share Everything Plan.” AT&T calls theirs the “Mobile Share” plan. With either company’s plan, you no longer need to worry about talking or texting. You only need to watch data usage. In essence, both companies are realizing that talk and text have become commodities and data usage is what is driving the industry now. With an increasingly mobile society, people are steadily increasing their consumption of data and are using a variety of devices to do so. By consolidating data usage, the carriers are potentially simplifying billing for their customers. Additionally, some customers may also save some money with the new shared data plans.
Every customer must review their data usage to determine if a shared plan will actually save them money. My wife and I reviewed our plan and discovered that between our two iPhones and one iPad, we were paying $205/month prior to taxes and other fees. Our combined data usage was only about 1 GB per month at the highest. By switching to AT&T’s Mobile Shared Plan with 4GB of data, we actually ended up saving $45/month.
The key to our savings was that we were able to choose one of the lower data usage plans. This is because my wife and I extensively make use of Wi-Fi connections whenever possible. Data used over Wi-Fi does not count against a the shared total because it is not traveling over the wireless carrier’s network. So if you aren’t already, make sure your smartphones are set to use Wi-Fi at home, at your workplace, at your friends and families’ houses, and any public Wi-Fi areas you frequent. Then take a look at these new shared data plans and see if you can save yourself some money.
Do NOT Buy A Windows Phone!
If you were thinking about buying a Windows phone, do NOT buy one now. If you were unlucky enough to purchase one recently, most companies have at least a 30-day return policy. Try to get it exchanged for another phone (preferably an iPhone). If you purchased the phone more than 30 days ago, I would still try to get the phone exchanged anyway claiming false advertising or something similar.
I usually do not make such dire warnings about a technology product, but I usually do not see such blatant disregard for customers from a technology company either. Microsoft announced last week that they will not make their upcoming Windows 8 phone operating system available as an upgrade to existing Windows phones. We are talking about phones that at their oldest are a year and a half old. Even the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows phone that had a huge marketing campaign in full swing only a few months ago will not get an upgrade to what will be Microsoft’s flagship operating system in a few months.
Effectively Microsoft has just made all their current customers’ phones obsolete. Which is made inexcusable when they were just running the campaign for the Lumia 900 claiming that it was basically the world’s most advanced smartphone (which it clearly wasn’t) and all the others were some sort of “beta-test”. Now all the people who purchased those phones should feel like they’ve been duped, and everyone else should be very wary of anything that Microsoft says going forward.
One of Microsoft’s slogans for their Windows 7 Phones was “Put People First”. This slogan seems highly ironic now, doesn’t it? I guess Microsoft’s marketing slogans are only superficial, because when it comes to actually putting their loyal customers first, Microsoft doesn’t seem to follow their own advice.
The Top Ten Technologies You AREN’T Using … But You Should Be
Marcel Brown Technology Services celebrated 10 years of business in April! Looking back on these 10 years, technology has changed more so than at any other time in history. Right before our very eyes, we are witnessing the end of the 30+ year PC era. Where only big companies could fully leverage the Old World of Technology, the latest technologies are empowering small business and individuals in a way never before seen. However, many people are still stuck in the Old World, or are just starting to learn about all the great new technologies that are available to them. So in celebration of ten years in business, and to help everyone get a jump-start into the New World of Technology, I have written the following list of technologies that everyone should get familiar with.
Each technology links to a web site for more information and I will detail why you should be using these technologies – along with the excuses given to why most of you aren’t already doing so! Remember, excuses are just that, so after reading this list, start doing some research and learn how to best leverage these technologies for your own business or personal use. Of course, if you have any questions, I’m right here, ready to help, just as I have been for over 10 years now!
Without any further ado, here are The Top Ten Technologies You AREN’T Using … But You Should Be!
Dropbox
A service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere.
Why You Should: Synchronize your files across multiple computers and mobile devices; access your files anywhere; offsite backup. It’s like having your own file server in the cloud.
Why You Aren’t: You’ve probably never heard of it; you don’t realize how powerful it is; you don’t understand how this could work so well; you’re scared to try
Google Apps
Web based email, calendar and documents that let you work from anywhere.
Why You Should: Automatic synchronization of your calendar and contacts across your computers and mobile devices that can also be shared with your co-workers; excellent business-class e-mail, including accurate spam filtering (not too loose, not too strict).
Why You Aren’t: You didn’t know Google also did business-class services; you don’t know how to get started.
Macintosh
“The Computer for the Rest of Us” is still around and resurging.
Why You Should: Computing the way it should be: easy to use, virus-free, more reliable.
Why You Aren’t: You hold outdated misconceptions about compatibility; you are still listening to people who are stuck in the “Old World of Technology”.
Anymeeting
Free web conferencing/web meeting software
Why You Should: Free and simple webinars.
Why You Aren’t: You aren’t aware of the power of webinars; you think webinars are too much work to set up.
Hootsuite or Sendible
Two different social media management services
Why You Should: Scheduled and automated social media posting and management.
Why You Aren’t: You aren’t leveraging social media correctly; you think your teenaged intern is a “social media genius”.
iPhone
The phone that changed the world
Why You Should: It still has unmatched power and ease of use; competitors are shallow copies, the BlackBerry is on life-support
Why You Aren’t: You think it is “too powerful” for you; you think you won’t understand how to use it; you don’t know what you are missing; sheer lazinesss has made you put it off.
WordPress
Software to build your web site and blog
Why You Should: Easy, self-manageable web site and blogging platform; run your own blog on your own domain
Why You Aren’t: Your web designer hasn’t mentioned it; you don’t grasp the power of blogging
Highrise
Web-based small business CRM and contact manager
Why You Should: A reasonably priced CRM for small business; access your client data anywhere.
Why You Aren’t: You’re using an outdated CRM; you didn’t know web-based software could do so much for so little cost
Square
A credit card processing service that can be used with smartphones or tablets
Why You Should: Accept credit cards anywhere, no set monthly fee, reasonable per-transaction cost.
Why You Aren’t: You think there’s a catch; you still don’t have a smartphone or tablet.
iPad
The computing appliance that has changed the PC market
Why You Should: Mobility and power in a small but usable form factor; a compliment to your existing PC or laptop
Why You Aren’t: You still haven’t tried one; you think it’s too high-tech for you; you’re waiting around for everyone else to get one first.
Again, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to answer your questions or help you implement any of these technologies.
It’s Hip to Be Square
Having run a small business for 10 years now, I am very aware of the challenges that small businesses face. One of those challenges is offering the ability to accept credit cards. Many small businesses would like to accept credit cards, but the reality is that most credit card processing companies make it financially difficult for small businesses to do so, especially if those businesses are mobile. The two main problems are set monthly fees and lack of feasible mobile payment options. Set monthly fees that are charged regardless of the amount of transactions add up quickly and eat into any profit a small business makes from accepting credit cards. As more and more small businesses are mobile by nature, the lack of a feasible mobile payment option makes the transaction process difficult, less professional, and potentially less secure. Fortunately, in the span of two short years, a new service has completely revolutionized the world of credit card processing for small businesses. Even if you would like to occasionally accept credit cards for the smallest of businesses, you should read on.
Likely by now you have at least heard of Square. But I still find many small business owners who really don’t know how Square works. To put it simply, Square is a credit card service that allows you to process transactions through your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Android device. It works by running the Square app on your device and swiping the card through the “Square Reader” that plugs into your device’s headphone jack. You can also manually type the credit card number by hand. Sounds pretty high-tech, right? It certainly is, but in reality there are many companies that can do mobile credit card transactions through smartphones and tablets. Where Square really sets itself apart is in its pricing model.
Most credit card processors will charge small businesses in the range of $20-$30 per month just to have the ability to accept credit cards. This is before any transaction fees are calculated. For many small businesses, they may only transact a handful of sales by credit card. Some months they may not even need to run a card at all. Yet they still must pay this fee. Most processors require small businesses to sign a contract which locks them into those fees and they often will charge a setup fee upfront. Additionally, much of the time small business must buy or lease a credit card machine to run the cards, which can be very expensive. And the options available for mobile credit card transactions are limited and astronomically expensive. Square completely changes all of this.
To start, it is completely free to sign up for Square. They even send you their Square Reader for free. And if you lose your Square Reader you can pick one up for $10 at many electronics stores. This alone can save small businesses several hundred dollars. But where Square really shines is the fact they do not charge any set monthly fees. Regardless of how many transactions your business does through Square in any given month, even if it is zero, you do not pay the $20-$30 fee most processors charge. The savings on the monthly fee can really add up for small businesses. And you can accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover without any additional fees for the different types of card you accept, like is required for most traditional processors. Square gets paid simply by taking 2.75% of each swiped transaction or 3.5% + 15 cents for each manually keyed transaction, again regardless of what type of card is used. Obviously, it is in your best interest to use the Square Reader to swipe your transactions, but if you must run a card manually (say a phone order) then at least you have that option.
Those of you that are familiar with credit card processing rates will at first think that Square’s transaction fees are high. True, their per transaction rate is higher than what most other processors list. However, the savings of the monthly fees more than outweighs that for many small businesses. That’s not even factoring in the ability to run cards while mobile without paying thousands of dollars for a traditional wireless credit card machine. Plus, with some of the extra fees that traditional processors charge for accepting American Express, or Discover, or business cards, or cards with rewards plans on them, Square’s rate isn’t really that much higher for those cards. It is also so much simpler to calculate what a transaction will cost a small business with Square’s flat transaction fee than it is to decipher the overly complex fee structure that most traditional processors present. All that said, however, there is a point where the volume of money that a business runs through credit cards will change the equation back into the favor of traditional credit card processors. So you must do your due diligence and make sure that Square will actually save you money if you run a fairly high volume of credit cards. Also, if your business primarily does manually entered transactions and you will do more than $1000 a week, you will need to contact Square to request your deposit limit raised or Square will hold some of your transaction revenue for 30 days as a security precaution.
One thing to note is that even if your company is best served by a traditional credit card for the majority of your transactions, having a Square account costs you nothing and can act as a great supplement. For example, you may only use Square for on-site visits or road shows. Or perhaps you can use it as a backup if your credit card machine is out of service. Like I said, Square has really changed the game when it comes to credit card processing and there are many possibilities for your business to take advantage.
Using my own business as an example, I switched to Square last year. I reviewed my credit card charges for the previous six months with our former processor and calculated what we would have paid using Square. I found that we would have saved about $100 over those six months if we had been using Square. And I calculated that it would take about $4000 of monthly volume before Square started to get more expensive than our previous processor. My business rarely does anywhere near that amount in credit card transactions. So the decision was pretty easy for my business. We’ve been using Square since then and it has been absolutely a great service. Nearly everyone I talk to that uses Square says they love it. Other than the way people talk about their iPhones, I’ve not seen people be so happy with any product or service in a long time.
Finally, some of you may have heard some talk in the news last year about Square’s service being insecure. The whole issue was that the credit card data wasn’t being encrypted when transferring from the Square Reader to the Square app. I can honestly tell you that this whole situation was blown quite out of proportion, primarily by a competing traditional credit card processor. Ironically, the way the competition sensationalized the issue actually backfired on them because most people could see that there really wasn’t an issue. The reality is that all data is encrypted by the Square app when transmitted to be processed – where it really matters. The fact that the Square Reader didn’t encrypt the data to the Square app made the transaction no less secure than any other time people hand their credit card to anyone else. The real issue is trusting the person or business you give your credit card to, regardless of how they swipe it. Regardless, it is all a moot point now anyway as Square has introduced a Square Reader that does encrypt the swiped data, just to silence those critics.
To sum up, I highly recommend that all businesses take a look at Square and evaluate if it will make sense to use it. However, if you run a small business, especially a mobile business, I wholeheartedly recommend that you sign up for an account and start testing it right away. It will either save you a lot of money on your current credit card fees, or it will allow you to finally start taking credit cards.
If you have any questions about Square or credit card processing technology in general, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Which iPad is Right for You?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Apple has just released the 3rd generation of the iPad, which they are simply calling the “new” iPad. What you may not know, however, is that Apple has kept around the 2nd generation of the iPad, known as the iPad 2, in 16 GB capacity models. In doing so, they have dropped the price of the 16 GB iPad 2 by $100, suddenly making the iPad more attractive to those customers who wanted a lower-priced option. Because of this, many people are asking if they should save the money and purchase the iPad 2, or if the improvements to the new iPad are worth it.
The first important fact to note is that Apple has only kept the iPad 2 in production in the 16 GB models. So unless you can find a 32 or 64 GB iPad 2 on close-out, you will not be able to purchase an iPad 2 in any other capacity besides 16 GB going forward. But since most people are purchasing 16 GB models, the question remains very valid.
To quickly sum up, the main improvements to the new iPad are its high-resolution “Retina” display, a more powerful processor, a better camera, and 4G LTE capability. I’ll take a quick look at each feature to give you an idea of how the new iPad compares against the old iPad.
To me, the camera isn’t really all that big of a deal. It is now a 5 megapixel camera as compared to the previous 1 megapixel camera, it has facial detection, and it now shoots 1080p video as compared to 720p. Yes, it is a very nice upgrade, but I think the camera on the iPad is not a core feature. The upgrade basically makes the iPad camera “good enough” for almost all picture and video needs. Sure there are better cameras on mobile devices out there, but if you’re buying the iPad based on the camera, then you are an odd duck indeed. Ironically, the arguably more important front-facing FaceTime camera that can be used for video conferencing is basically the same. So again, I think the camera just isn’t relevant to most people’s iPad buying decision.
The 4G LTE capability can be very important to those that use the iPad while on the road. But it really doesn’t add anything new to those who use it on Wi-Fi. Because 4G LTE is simply faster Internet and Wi-Fi is already faster Internet. But if you use the iPad away from Wi-Fi networks and speed is important to you, the the 4G LTE capability can be very useful. However, 4G LTE networks are not very widely deployed so even then it may not make all that much of a difference until the carriers expand their 4G LTE networks.
The more powerful processor in the new iPad, the A5X, is primarily needed to increase the graphics performance in the new iPad. This is because the new iPad has 4 times the number of pixels to power. Without increasing the graphics performance, an increase of that many pixels would have caused a noticeable slowdown. It is yet to be seen if the increased performance will make a difference in actual responsiveness in the real world. I predict it won’t be significant because most of the increased performance will be used to power the Retina display rather than overall speed. I could be wrong, but in my initial testing, I did not see a significant difference in speed as compared to the iPad 2.
When all is said and done, the decision to purchase the new iPad or the iPad 2 really comes down to your perspective of the Retina display. First, you should really see each iPad in comparison to each other so you can make a truly informed decision. When it comes to displays, there is no substitute for seeing with your own eyes. Apple calls the display a “Retina” display because they claim the human retina can not discern the individual pixels in this new display. I must agree that I could not see any pixelation in the display across the board, but the most noticeable difference is when viewing text. Rather than looking slightly fuzzy, the text is razor sharp. Again, you’ll need to see it for yourself to appreciate it.
Bottom line, if you need an iPad and need to keep the cost to a minimum, the iPad 2 is a very good choice. But if you are going to use the iPad as an eReader, I highly recommend the new iPad. As well, if you are going to use the iPad for games or want the best possible view of photos and videos, the new iPad is your best bet. This of course, assumes you can find a new iPad. As is usual during the early stages of new iPad releases, Apple can’t make them fast enough and most places are sold out! Contact me if you need help locating an iPad.
Not-so GPS?
If you didn’t already own a GPS device or use a GPS app on your phone, many of you probably received GPS devices for Christmas. By now you have likely run into situations where the location data isn’t quite correct. Maybe a business address is wrong or the location of your destination is off by several buildings. Rarely is this the fault of your GPS device itself. It is more likely that the map data is simply wrong. Most people have no idea where this data is coming from, yet alone how to get it corrected. Luckily, I have found the answers for you!
The first thing to do is to make sure you have updated your GPS device with the latest map data. Many GPS devices require you to do this manually. Additionally, to get map updates many GPS manufacturers require a subscription fee. However, many newer devices can automatically update (especially GPS apps) or notify you when it is time to update. As well, many higher-end devices come with free lifetime map updates. As an aside, if your GPS device is hard to update or you don’t want to keep paying a subscription, you may want to look into a new device. Back on topic, oftentimes updating your GPS device will correct location errors. But if you have updated your device and the error still exists, then you must report the problem to the companies that supply the map data.
A few newer GPS devices allow their users to make corrections directly on screen and upload them to the manufacturer. If you have one of those devices, then simply follow your instructions. But most GPS devices do not have this feature. Instead, you must manually do this on-line. Usually, companies that make GPS devices get their map data from one of two sources. NavTeq and Tele Atlas. So to make corrections to the map data, you must submit your corrections to those companies, regardless of what brand of GPS unit or app you have. Simply use the links below to submit your corrections. It can be hard to know which brand of GPS uses which map data company, so it is advised to simply submit your corrections to both companies.
If you are interested in more of the technical details of how to fix errors on GPS devices, this link has a lot more information: http://www.gps.gov/support/user/mapfix/
If you have any questions about GPS devices or related technology, please feel free to contact me.