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Archive for the 'Apple mania' Category

What is the proper bathroom etiquette for tablets?

April 5th, 2010, 7:11 pm by

The iPad is now firmly in the hands of 300,000 people, and millions are likely to follow. We could see a deluge of new tablet devices in the coming months and years as Google and Microsoft, among others, move heavily into the tablet game.

Pretty soon, tablets could be everywhere.

But now, as you read this, people are just figuring out how they’re going to handle what is arguably the first mainstream tablet – the iPad. There are the guys and gals who see themselves sipping coffee at Starbucks while they read the New York Times. Others who envision long plane rides watching movies and playing games.

There are also the people who are going to do the exact same things while sitting on the porcelain throne.

The question is, what’s the proper etiquette involved? Can you take it into the bathroom at home? At work? Do you wash the tablet afterward? Do you wash your hands first? Do you warn other people before they handle your tablet? Do you even let others touch the device at all? How is it different from taking your smart phone or e-reader to the bathroom with you? Are there different etiquette policies?

I’ll be the first to admit this isn’t the most comfortable of topics, but hey, somebody had to ask the question.

Kudos to the person who uses the most creative euphemism for going to the restroom in the comments.

More on the Apple iPad:

Why stand in line for the iPad?

April 3rd, 2010, 1:32 pm by

Selected quotes from people I met in line for the iPad at the Irvine Spectrum this morning:

Aaron Cirilo, from Foothill Ranch, was a relative latecomer to the release of the iPad, only getting there around 45 minutes before the store opened at 9 a.m. He didn’t reserve his device. “I don’t know if I’m going to get one – that’s the life of someone without a reservation. But I’m here as long as it takes because Steve Jobs told me to. “He waited 3 and a half hours, but he got his iPad.

Joby Doffek, Irvine resident, was there with her husband. She has a Kindle with around 65 books on it. “I’ve abandoned all hardcover books if I can get them on Kindle.” Both she and her husband Scott were in line for iPads – a device few had even touched. “I love the Kindle,” she said, “but the backlight and the touch sensors [on the iPad] appear to be better. But who has touched it so far?”

Read Ian’s latest posts:

Thomas Lai, 10, an Irvine resident, spent the night outside the Apple Store with his dad and brother. What’s the first thing he planned to do with his iPad? “Just use it.” he said. “For everything.”

Russ Taylor, owner of Fusion of Ideas, a place directly across from the Irvine Spectrum Apple Store that sells protective films, coatings and custom etchings for electronics, got in line at 3 p.m. the day before. He and a coworker had two swanky red chairs they slept in. “If we’re going to wait in line, we’re going to wait in line in style,” he said. He was the first to get the iPad, emerging from the Apple Store to applause with one clutched in each hand like Moses descending from the mountain.

Stephanie Saunders and her husband Tedd had the following conversation while waiting in the reservation line.

Tedd: “The only problem is I’m not going to be able to use it for a month.”

Stephanie: “Why?” Read the rest of this entry »

iPad update: The day the laptop died (for me)

April 3rd, 2010, 10:15 am by

I’m absolutely sure I’m not the first, but I most certainly won’t be the last.

This blog update come to you straight from the iPad.

I’m typing right now using a Bluetooth keyboard connected wirelessly to my 16 GB wifi-only iPad. It works great.

This isn’t a review. A review would give the positives and negatives about a device and the features it does and does not have. A review would be meant to help you make a purchase decision. That’s not what this is. This is a statement of what the iPad means to me and what I’m going to try to do with it.

Read Ian’s latest posts:

My personal laptop will likely be deeded to my wife. The battery only lasts 2-3 hours, if I’m lucky. It’s clunky and huge by comparison. It burns my lap when I actually put it on my lap.

I don’t think I’ll miss it.

In its place I will use the iPad, wireless keyboard and iPhone to report, write, photograph and shoot video of things I cover. I don’t know how well this will work out and I’m sure there will be problems, but I have a sneaking suspicion the days of the laptop are numbered.

Stay tuned.

Contact the writer: Twitter.com/hmltn or ihamilton@ocregister.com or 661-450-8884 or fb.me/ianhamilton

Watch the video: Read the rest of this entry »

Ipad lines at Irvine Spectrum not (too) long

April 3rd, 2010, 8:05 am by

Blogging from my iPhone, I’m here at the Irvine Spectrum to buy my pre-ordered iPad.

There are two lines stretching to either side of the Apple Store, one for reserved devices and another for purchases. At 8 a.m., one hour before iPad goes on sale, the reserved line was about 40 strong and the other line has about 30 people in it.

Read Ian’s latest posts:

The first person in line, Russ Taylor, got in line at 3 p.m. on Friday. He has a vested interest in grabbing his two pre-ordered 64GB wifi iPads – he owns the store directly across from the Apple Store. It’s called Fusion of Ideas and they make protective films and do custom etchings for electronic devices.

The first people in the non pre-ordered line – brothers Edgar and Benny Vences – got here at 11 p.m. last night and slept on a nearby bench. They snacked on cookies and sour patch kids and a friend made a 3 a.m. run to Jack In The Box for them.

“It was really cold,” said Benny Vences. They decided to get in line on a whim and only had a couple of blankets to keep warm.

How many iPads does this Apple Store have?

“We have plenty,” said a passing Apple Store employee who offered coffee to the chilly people waiting in line.

Countdown: Ian heads to Irvine to buy an Apple iPad (Video)

April 3rd, 2010, 7:48 am by

Hard to miss the news this week that Apple’s new iPad computer goes on sale today. All sorts of apps were announced and reviews started coming in.

This morning, O.C. Register reporter and Mac fan Ian Hamilton heads to the Irvine Spectrum Apple store to grab one of his own. He’ll be blogging about it right here later today.

As of 8 a.m., there are 40 people in the pre-purchase line and 30 others wishing they had pre-ordered. The first person was in line since 3 p.m. Friday.

If you’re standing in line too (or have been all night), he wants to hear from you. Tweet him at @hmltn or e-mail him at ihamilton@ocregister.com.

Read Ian’s latest posts:

The iPad is Apple’s first tablet-like computer. It’s a touch-screen marvel with Wi-Fi and option to add 3G wireless. Its pièce de résistance? It can access thousands of apps from the iTunes store. Read the rest of this entry »

AT&T confirms wireless ‘disruption’ today

March 25th, 2010, 5:05 pm by

FYI: For Orange County AT&T mobile users who had unusually spotty service today, it’s all been fixed, the company said.

“Due to an equipment issue earlier this afternoon, some area AT&T customers may have experienced wireless service disruption. AT&T technicians resolved the issue at approximately 3:45 p.m. PT. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers,” said the company.

I’m not an iPhone or AT&T customer, but I heard that some people had major issues with 3G Internet today. If issues continue, let me know.

More on cell phone service:

T-Mobile ‘hoping’ to offer iPhone this year, says report

March 18th, 2010, 5:20 pm by

Spotted: Add another iPhone rumor to the list. The Financial Times is reporting that T-Mobile may end AT&T’s lock on the Apple iPhone later this year.

René Obermann, chief executive of T-Mobile USA’s German parent Deutsche Telekom, told the publication that the company is focusing on mobile Internet. And then there’s this sentence buried at the bottom:

The iPhone has provided AT&T with strong revenue growth, and T-Mobile USA is hoping to start selling the popular smartphone later this year or next year.

But are the two connected? Did Obermann really say during the FT interview that T-Mobile will offer the iPhone this year? It would seem that way based on how the story was written. But why bury this juicy nugget?

It could be that it’s because in Germany, T-Mobile sells the iPhone. So perhaps the German-based reporter didn’t think a direct quote from Obermann was crucial.

However, this isn’t the first time T-Mobile has appeared as a possible iPhone vendor. In December, Thomas Weisel analyst Doug Reid said he believed T-Mobile would be next and not Verizon Wireless, as others have long theorized.  Why T-Mobile?  ”Apple wants to move away from exclusivity; T-Mobile achieves this for Apple in the U.S.,” Reid wrote.

T-Mobile also uses the same wireless technology as AT&T so an iPhone doesn’t need a complete hardware overhaul to join the T-Mobile network.

I guess we’ll find out this fall whether there’s any truth to the story.

From the web:

Crappy Internet? Tell the government

March 12th, 2010, 3:30 pm by

A new mobile app lets consumers test how fast their phone or home’s Internet connection is — or isn’t.

The app’s owner? The U.S. Federal Communications Commission. As part of that National Broadband plan, the FCC wants consumers to be informed about what their broadband availability is and help contribute to the FCC’s Broadband Dead Zone Report.

“Transparency empowers consumers, promotes innovation and investment, and encourages competition,” said Chairman Julius Genachowski. “The FCC’s new digital tools will arm users with real-time information about their broadband connection and the agency with useful data about service across the country. By informing consumers about their broadband service quality, these tools help eliminate confusion and make the market work more effectively.”

The app, called the Consumer Broadband Test, measures speed and latency and reports it back to the FCC. It’s available in the Apple and Android app stores. There’s also a Web version at www.broadband.gov.

No broadband Internet? Consumers can also submit their results to the FCC by e-mail at fccinfo@fcc.gov, telephone, 888-CALL-FCC, or snail mail addressed to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau,
ATTN: Broadband Dead Zone Reporting
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

One note: By taking the test, you’re giving the FCC some personal info including your IP address and home address.  Read the privacy statement.

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