Life With the Apple iPad Day 2

It is day 2 and I can already see big problems with the iPad - I'm addicted!!! I wake up and check the weather on the Internet using safari, then check the news using the USA today app. I have to go to work and like everyone else in New Jersey want to get my work done and get out early to beat traffic. I leave the iPad charging in the kitchen and head to work. Out of sight, out of mind…

The work day is not totally iPad free. I find myself a few times on the iPad site as well as Googling apps. Once the kids are a sleep, first order of business is loading non-iTunes video. I buy my first app - yxplayer. With this app you still sync through iTunes, but the yzplayer App is added to the File Sharing Section a the bottom of the Apps tab on iTunes. In the File Sharing section one selects yxplayer, browses for the videos, and click sync. Once you have sync'd, open the yxplayer app on the iPad and start watching. The videos I load are SD quality but still look good. The only problem is the aspect ratio is messed up and the videos are all square instead of their native 4:3. I will have to do some leg work on this. On Saturday Morning, my daughter could care less about the aspect ratio as she watches Blue’s Clues.Get yxplayer from MobileSoft

Now it is time for the social networking Apps. I load both Twitter and Facebook. I start using Twitter and I am able to sign in and view immediately. I even send a tweet. You can follow me on twitter @SMBStrategy. Facebook is a little different story but I think it is operator error. I only dabble in Facebook and find the web site to be a little quirky. The same quirks seem to be present in the iPad App also. When you see the Facebook buttons on BizPlanHelp, you will know I have gained a higher level of comfort. Get the Twitter by Twitter, Inc. App and the Facebook by Facebook App.

On Day 2 I also download an App called Free Books. It contains a bunch of older works that are no longer governed by copyright laws, which means all the classics I should have read in school, but because I was an Electrical Engineer, I didn’t. I download the works of Edgar Allen Poe and start reading. I prefer Stephen King, but for the price you can’t beat Poe. Get the Free Books by Spreadsong, Inc.

So far I still have not justified the iPad for business use, but it is the beginning of the weekend and with 160 hours of video on my Tivo that I can now watch on the iPad, business can wait until Monday.

Life with an Apple iPad – Day 1

I have been using an iPad 16GB WiFi/3G since Thursday – doing the math on my fingers that is 5 days. To put this in real world terms, that is the amount of time for the Chia Homer on my desk to grow almost 2 inches. I have made some strides figuring out how to use the iPad for work, but I find myself going down rabbit holes as I download different apps. Take note, I turned to the dark side, Windows PC’s, about 15 years ago and since then the only two Apple items that I used are 2 iPods and the Safari browser for Windows. If I was a Mac user I might be more familiar with the Apple products and figuring everything else might be easier.

Day 1 – Thursday Night
I unpack the iPad in 30 seconds – packaging is good, but not the same coolness of the first generation iPod. BTW – I still use the first generation iPod. Turned it on and had to hook up to PC and sync with iTunes before I could use. This would have been annoying if I was not already a iPod and iTunes user. The registration and setup took under 5 minutes. I then picked some podcasts, music, TV shows, and photos to sync to iPad and 10 minutes later was ready to start playing. I could not sync a TV show from my Tivo – bummer, but I will get back to this.

Start by hitting the video icon and play an episode of Bones. I am blown away by the video quality and sound through the speakers. Move on to the iPod button and start up a Podcast. While Podcast is playing I hit the home button and the Podcast stops. I had heard about this issue, but don’t fret, later this year Apple says there will be an update that allows Multitasking.

I then hit the Mail button and try to setup email with my Gmail account and get an error. Operator error on my part, I have not setup wifi. I put in the network key and the wifi is connected in under a minute. I go back to the email and I am viewing my Gmail in less than a minute. I am a little disappointed at how limited the features are in the built in email app, so in the future I will have to look through the app store to find something better.

Setup iBooks and am greeted with a free copy of Winnie the Pooh. I hate Winnie the Pooh, but I move on. Grab a sample of the Idiots Guide to Getting Things Done to see how the books look. Then I run across the iPad User Guide, which is Free. I recommend grabbing this as a reference, but it does not help me with my Tivo show issue. Get iBooks by Apple Inc.

With mail setup and the manual at my finger tips, I spend the next few hours surfing the Internet on the iPad for info on apps and then going to app store and setting up the apps:

1. Evernote – I have this App on my Blackberry Storm and Laptop. It is great for making To-Do lists and they sync through the Internet so you can see the latest list on each device. The only problem I have with the iPad version is that I can change the font to cross out to show I have finished an item on a list. Get Evernote Now

2. USA Today – I only read this paper when I get it free at a Hotel on the road, but I download app and I am surprised at the quality of the app. App has same for sections as paper and one you get used to the quirky navigation find it easy to use and have used it every day since. Get USA TODAY Now.

3. ABC Player – want to see how streaming video looks, so I download this App, but I am disappointed at the shows available – the prime season is over. I watch an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live and once again I am impressed by video quality and sound through speakers. Get ABC Player Now

It is now 11PM and time for me to shut down for the day. What I got out of my intro to the iPad:
1. It is easy to use and addictive.
2. Having to move files through iTunes is cumbersome
3. Already looking forward to multitasking
4. From a work standpoint I can view my to-do lists through Evernote and send email with my Gmail account
5. Video quality is great and audio quality of onboard speaker is surprisingly clear.
6. My thumbs are already sore from typing - need to get keyboard, but not sure about doc because who wants to site at a desk...

I will post Day 2 soon. First I have to migrate this blog since Blogger stopped supporting FTP.

How to Do A Web Meeting or Comference Call for Free... Well Virtually Free Anyway

I have been using Free Conference (www.freeconference.com) for over 5 years. It is an easy way to schedule and setup conference calls with up to 99 people. The base service, which requires each person to dial in on a long distance number is free. So, with the proliferation of VoIP and unlimited long distance land lines, this service is virtually free. Also, setting up a conference call is an easy 6 step process that allows you to send email notifications to all participants. Some of the other features available for a fee, including recording, transcribing, and 800#, are also handy depending on what types of calls you host.

While Free Conference is great, I always wanted more. I have tried other services that include web meeting functionality, but there was always a catch - I had to pay! A couple weeks ago I ran across a paragraph in PC World Magazine's Beta Watch section that mentioned DimDim (www.DimDim.com). It gives you all the web meeting functionality that you need and only requires the installation of a web browser plug in. Now for those conference calls where I need a little more interaction, I use Free Conference with DimDim. I just paste the DimDim info in the email sent out by Free Conference when I schedule a call.

Finding a Niche Market - Apple, Nike, and Grantwood Have Done It!

I love gadgets. I am an athlete, well at least right now I consider myself an athlete because I am working out 5 to 6 times per week. My work outs include running, biking, weights, and yoga. Once the weather gets colder and I pickup more projects I will go into hibernation for months and will not be an athlete anymore. I have been known to run in races and even complete in a triathlon or two. I travel too much to commit to team sports anymore and the travel often gets in the way of regular work outs. I am analytical and track all my workouts as well as other data (heart rate, weight, etc) in Excel. So, how do I stay motivated to stay an athlete and not go into hibernation this winter? Or more importantly, how would one identify me in the market and target me for products?

Lets take the second question first and assume my description is the niche that someone wants to exploit by developing a product. We will call this market niche the gadget runner. The gadget runner market niche can best be described as sports or athletics; however this is very broad and one would want to drill down to a more specific niche. The characteristics of the gadget runner market niche are:
1. Competitive individual sports including running, biking, weights, and yoga. To drill down further one would select only one of these sports.
2. A gadget that would apply to someone falling under the description in characteristic 1.
3. Feeds on my competitive nature.
4. Ability to track my progress.
5. Portable for the road warrior.

What products fit into the gadget runner niche? Fortunately Nike has already done the work. They developed the Nike + iPod Sport Kit. A runner puts a sensor on their shoe, or if they have certain Nike shoes the sensor fits in a special pocket under the insole, and plugs a receiver into their iPod Nano and they have a smart pedometer. The system tracks a runners pace, distance and time and allows the results to be uploaded through iTunes to the Nike + website (http://nikeplus.nike.com). This product as is covers characteristics 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the gadget runner. The web site features include an area to set and track goals as well as an error for challenges that allow one to compete against other runners around the world Features like these cover characteristic 3 of the gadget runner.

So Nike lures the runner into buying the Nike + iPod Sport Kit and then uses the touch point with the customer to sell other products to the runner. Or, is Nike using their extensive line of running clothing and shoes to market the kit and other related products like sport head phones and iPod cases to existing customers. Either way they have exploited a niche occupied by my fellow gadget runners. And Nike continues to exploit the touch point with the gadget runner by using the Nike + web site to market these products to us every time we upload a run or review results to the site.

Another opportunity is an extension of another company’s product, after all the Nike + iPod Sport Kit is an extension of Apple's iPod Nano. Another company, Grantwood Technologies has created an extension to the Nike kit by making the Shoe Pouch for Nike+iPod that holds the Nike + Sensor for those that use non-Nike running shoes. By doing this they have unraveled some of the exclusivity of the Nike+ kit to Nike running shoes, but at the same time they have increased the portion of the gadget runner market likely to buy the Nike kit and related products.

Whether you already have a product that you are looking to market or a market you are looking to exploit, put pen to paper and list out the characteristics of the product/market. Look at how similar products are sold or how products that you like are marketed. In this post, I have chosen to use a product I like and would recommend as an example. Are there products that you love that you can learn something from? Are there products you love that you can make better with an extension? Finally, will the addition of the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit to my workouts keep me motivated through the winter?

See all iPod Nano products on Amazon.com

How a Rocketfish USB Hard Drive Enclosure Saved My Neck

I am a consultant that spends more than 75% of my time on the road. I rely heavily on my laptop to complete these projects and backup my laptop before every business trip. I have never thought about bringing my backup with me until now.

I was at a client site for a week about 6 hours from my office. The second day into the trip my two year old laptop died. It just would not turned on and after going through a group of steps recommended on the manufacturers web site, I realized it was a lost cause. I did not want to loose a day plus eat the expense of traveling back and forth to and from the office so I picked up a Rocketfish 2.5" Hard Drive Enclosure.

I pulled the hard drive from my laptop and put it in the Rocketfish and used the USB cable to plug it into a PC. The Rocketfish is USB 2.0 compatible and draws power from USB, so no AC adapter is necessary. This makes for less wires to carry around. Windows XP and Vista both detect the drive without using any software, so I was able to work for the week.

I have since found out that the motherboard is fried in my laptop, so I have left the drive in the Rocketfish. I have the backup software that came with the Rocketfish on my new laptop and now I carry my backup with me. The Rocketfish drive comes with a padded carrying case that holds the drive and USB cable. You can also get a Rocketfish 3.5" Hard Drive Enclosure Kit for that old PC hard drive lying around. Amazon.com has a bunch of new Rocketfish Products but for some reason only has used Rocketfish enclosures, so if you want a new on you will have to do some searching.


See All 2.5" Hard Drives at Amazon.com

See All Internal Hard Drives at Amazon.com