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MacRumors reports that Apple will be switching the functioning of the iPad’s orientation lock switch to a mute switch. 

Why Apple? Why? 

If I want to mute my iPad I can simply hold down the volume key. That’s why the iPad has a physical volume key.

I guess they really want to streamline and standardize their iOS devices. So this leads me to wonder whether or not the next generation iPad will even have the orientation lock/mute switch. iPhone 4 doesn’t have one.

Then again, it just sort of makes sense for there to be a screen orientation lock switch on the iPad. The device is bigger and it would seem a little less practical to need to double click the home button just to be able to lock the screen orientation (like you do on the iPhone). 

Leave it alone, Steve.

iChat already exists within Mac OS X and it has since the early iterations of Mac OS X. iChat allows you to do video chat, quite elegantly might I add. So this leads me to wonder why Apple felt the need to create a new piece of software that does half the functionality of an existing piece of an application that already exists within their flagship OS. 

Couldn’t they have integrated FaceTime into iChat? 

It would have been plausible to add a FaceTime section within the existing buddy list found within iChat. 

My guess is that this has to do with branding. Apple wants “FaceTime” to be synonymous with video chatting in much the same way that “iPod” has become synonymous with mp3 player. 

So why not just rename the iChat application to FaceTime. Merge both apps and you’ll get the best of both worlds, the ability to converse via text and video. I’m guessing that this will happen in the future. iChat’s ife expectancy has been cut and short. And possibly, with the release of Lion next summer, Apple will finally turn off life support for its flagship chatting application. Or will it?

iChat:

FaceTime:

Based on Apple’s sneak peak of Lion, Mac OS 10.7 will bring some changes to the much adored Dock. It looks like the teeny tiny light that appears whenever an application is active will soon be going extinct. 

MacRumors suggests that this might be due to the new “Auto Save” feature, which allows Mac OS 10.7 applications to “resume when launched”, just like its iOS 4 counterpart.

But I like that teeny tiny light. It gives me an at a glance view of what applications are currently open while I am multitasking. Sure, there’s this new thing called Mission Control, but I’ve become accustomed to simply looking at my dock and seeing what is running. 

Here’s to hoping that Apple makes the Dock light indicator an option that can be turned on and off within System Preferences. 

Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

Mac OS 10.7 (Lion)

Photos via MacRumors.

First of all, I love what Apple is doing with Multi-Touch. They have slowly taken the touch technology that they introduced with the iPhone 4 and incorporated it into the MacBook line and now their desktop computers. The introduction of the Magic Trackpad brings full touch capability, something that has been available on the MacBooks for some time now, to the desktops (i.e. iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini).

I love my Magic Mouse, so it is inevitable that I will love my Magic Trackpad. I tried to pick one up today from my local Apple Store, but alas, they had none in stock. 

In any case, here are a few features of the Magic Trackpad that I am excited about:

• It has the same sculpted aluminum design as the Apple Wireless Keyboard, and side by side the two sit flush at the same angle and height.
• It features nearly 80 percent more area than the MacBook trackpads.
• The entire surface is clickable.

I don’t like the fact that it uses old school batteries. I wish that it had an internal rechargeable battery that could be charged via USB. I guess I’ll have to pick up the Apple Battery Charger as well. 

Magic Touchpad
Price: $69.00
Company: Apple 

All 5 of these iPad cases are indeed much sexier than the stand that I am currently using for my iPad - a cheap $2.99 plastic frame stand. Needless to say, it does the job. If you’ve got some money to burn and an iPad that hasn’t learned how to stand on its own yet, then you definitely might want to give these 5 sexy iPad stands a look. Or, you can go and pick up a cheap $2.99 plastic frame stand like I did. 

By the way, my favorites have got to be the offerings from Elements Case (Joule) and Twelve South (Compass Mobile and BookArc). 

1. Joule by Element Case, $129

Features:

• Magnetically attached tilt foot at the rear allows for quick and easy view angle adjustments.
• Rubber pads at the bottom assure a firm grip on any surface.
• A velvet lined recess holds the iPad comfortably and securely.
• Designed and made in California.
• Limited quantities available.
• Designed With Both Landscape and Portrait Modes in mind.

2. Compass Mobile Stand by Twelve South, $39.99.

“Perhaps the biggest strength of this gorgeous sliver of steel is its versatility. Used upright as an easel, Compass lets you view and interact with iPad in both portrait and landscape modes, even if you keep your iPad protected in the Apple case. Use portrait mode for things like iPhoto slideshows, browsing the iBookstore or flipping through an online news article. Turn your iPad on its side, in landscape position, and Compass becomes the ultimate portable theater. Enjoy your favorite YouTube videos and feature-length movies anywhere you go, while keeping your hands free for popcorn and beverages.”

3. A-Frame by Griffin Technology, $49.99.

Features:

• Simple, beautiful table and desktop stand for your iPad.
• Holds iPad upright in landscape and portrait views or at a lower, wrist-friendly angle for surfing, reading and more.
• Stable aluminum a-frame design.
• Non-slip rubber cradle accommodates Griffin’s flexible and hard-shell cases and many others.
• Allows easy access to iPad’s dock connector for charging and syncing. 

4. ViewStand by Macally, $59.99. 

Features:

• Ergonomically designed to improve typing and viewing comfort.
• Durable aluminum construction with scratch-proof Thermo Polyurethane coating.
• Supports both vertical and horizontal viewing.
• Sleek design to match your iPad.
• Open to all connections and controls.
• Supporting stand included to prevent the ViewStand body from accidentally tipping over.

5. BookArc for iPad by Twelve South, $39.99. 

Features:

• Tabletop stand designed exclusively for iPad
• Hands-free use in four different viewing positions, including landscape orientation
• Elevates iPad for complete access to Dock Connector for Charging & Syncing

The iPad is undoubtedly the ultimate piece of “now” technology. So what happens when you take the crème de la crème of Apple touch technology and merge it with old school Apple tech. 

For instance, the Macintosh Classic. Released in 1990, the Mac Classic was the first Macintosh to sell for less than $1000. It had a 9-inch monochrome CRT display with a 512×342 pixel resolution, 8 MHz processor, 40 MB hard drive, and 2 MB of RAM. Two decades later, we have the iPad and its 9.7 inch LED display with a 1024-by-768-pixel resolution, 1 GHz Apple A4 processor, and 64 GB flash drive. 

What do you get when you merge the two? Leave it to the Japanese to show us.

Via Site Hirac. 

Excellent post on the elements of a Steve Jobs presentation from a Chinese perspective. Who knew that running Apple was like directing a John Woo movie.

innofaci:

The seven scenes (elements) that will help set the foundation for presentation success:

1. Plan in Analog 紙筆規劃
2. Answer the One Question That Matters Most 回答最關鍵的問題
3. Develop a Messianic Sense of Purpose 擁抱宗教熱情
4. Create Twitter-Like Headlines 撰寫 Twitter 格式的標題
5. Draw a Road Map 擬定路線圖
6. Introduce the Antagonist 塑造反派人物
7. Reveal the Conquering Hero 推出英雄，擊敗敵人

I had to bring in my MacBook Pro for minor hardware surgery. The trackpad needs replacing. So now I am left with my iPad as my as my main “computer” for the next 3-5 days. In fact, I am using it to write this post.

This is the ultimate test that I can give the iPad. Up to this point it has been an awesome media consumption device. Watching movies, playing games, reading books, and surfing the web works flawlessly on the iPad. In the next 3-5 days, though, I need to finish up a psychopharmacology paper, work on a manuscript that I am preparing for publication, and I need to fulfill my regular blogging duties.

It’ll be interesting to see how the iPad holds up as a content creation device. I also get a chance to see what it’s like to pair my bluetooth keyboard with it. It’ll be interesting to see how it handles writing an academic caliber paper. Also, I will be using Papers a lot during the weekend for both my paper and my manuscript. It’ll be interesting to se what it’s like switching back and forth between the two, sans true multitasking capability.

I’ll be sure to let you know how the iPad holds up.

How many of your have been using the iPad as you main computing device?

Apple makes some awesome hardware, and to say they are innovators is a gross understatement. The have designed and created some of the most influential and game changing products ever. But as an accessories manufacturer, they just aren’t that good. All you have to do is look to the lame iPod nano socks that they released a few years ago and actually still have available in their store.

So I was a bit skeptical when I picked up the iPad case designed by Apple. By all accounts, it looked like a solid product when I examined it’s official product page. With a lack of case offerings, I decided to go with the “official” iPad case.

Having used the Apple iPad case for nearly a month now, I have a few thoughts about it that I’ve outline below.

1. It’s hard as hell to get the iPad into the case. It’s even harder to get it out. This is probably my biggest gripe with this particular case. I cannot easily slip it in or out. iPad lube anyone?
2. The case itself is made out of a rubber type material. It’s grippy. It feels okay to me.
3. You can flip the cover backwards so that the iPad is able to lay tilted tilted at an angle for typing in landscape mode or stand up for video viewing. When you lay it down it provides the perfect typing angle. However, using the case to prop up the for video watching purposes is not so great. In this position, any slight shake or movement will tip the iPad over. Having said that, I was able to watch an entire movie using the Netflix app while the iPad was propped in the stand-up landscape position without a fall.
4. It’s impossible to use the Apple iPad dock when the case is in use.
5. Accessing the volume and screen lock buttons can be a struggle at times.
6. Finally (and themost selfish gripe of all), why does the case not come with the iPad? I remember my 3rd generation iPod coming with a an Apple branded case. Why not the iPad? 

At the end of the day, the iPad Case by Apple is a useable case with some misgivings. I have a feeling that I might end up doing what I did with my iPhone. And that is go case-less.

Nude electronics just feel so much better.

Apple iPad Case
Company: Apple
Price: $39 

So Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google has been quoted in the popular NY Time Tech blog, Bits, as saying:

“I’d be happy if that happened and someone wrote about it,” Mr. Rubin said. “With openness comes less secrets.” - Andy Rubin, Bits.

Rubin is of course referring to the recent 4th gen iPhone prototype that was lost and then posted about on Gizmodo. 

To which I wondered, really? Would I want that? Would I really want a fully open system running on my iPad, iPhone, or even Mac for that matter. If I were running a company and had a product that I had been working and developing for months (or years for that matter), would I want it to be leaked without my knowledge? Let’s see. 

The Macintosh environment has always been a closed system and for the most part, it has done very well as a closed system. Sure, there was the dark period of the 90’s, but hey, we can put the blame there on mismanagement. 

If the iPad/iPhone were a fully open system I am afraid that the inevitable problem would be that of stability and quality. If open systems were the end all be all of all tech products then why doesn’t everyone use a Linux machine? That’s a fully open system. Anyone can develop for it. It’s free. And yet, adoption numbers by “regular people” has been relatively low. Sure, geeks love it, but what about the other 98% of the population? 

An open system would cause confusion. Apple’s closed system has given us the future and so far it has worked out. Apple has lived (and almost died) on their closed system. The first time around, they lost that battle to Microsoft. This time around they have developed a mobile system that is so familiar to the lay person that they are poised to take full control of the mobile market. That familiarity comes from the closed system that they have so patiently developed since the first iPod was released. I personally like the current way that Apple runs things. 

As far as Rubin not minding a prototype Android being found and then written about, I have this to say. You wouldn’t mind because no one would give a damn about your prototype Andoid phone. Do you seriously think a prototype Android phone would garner as much media attention like the prototype iPhone did? I don’t think so. Your open system might dominate based on just sheer quantity of handsets running your OS, but you could never compare to the cohesive nature of Apple’s closed system.