Greg In The Desert

Apple announced their worst kept secret, their Apple tablet computer called the iPad. It’s exactly what what it was rumored to be, a oversized iPod Touch. The iPad will run all the apps the iPhone and iPod touch will run but it’s missing a camera and GPS. Apple says they got 10 hours of use out of it, it will come with WiFi but a 3G cellular data option is available (and unlocked).

I think every rumor, including the prototype pictures at engadget and interview with McGraw-Hill’s CEO and President (Update: McGraw-Hill might have been punished for making the comments about the iPad before it was released), were all sanctioned by Apple. It was just enough to keep the hype and Steve Job’s reality distortion field in place but not enough to actually reveal the device.

I can’t imagine I will purchase an iPad as soon as it comes out (which is not for another 60 to 90 days) I do hope that parts of it make it into Apple’s laptops before my next laptop purchase. I also was hoping for an iPhone OS 4.0 and iLife 2010 announcement.

• Astronauts Spot Mysterious Ice Circles in World’s Deepest Lake | Wired Science | Wired.com – Astronauts aboard the International Space Station noticed two mysterious dark circles in the ice of Russia’s Lake Baikal in April. Though the cause is more likely aqueous than alien, some aspects of the odd blemishes defy explanation.
• Groceries for iPhone Review | Software | iPhone Central | Macworld – I don’t really get excited about single-purpose utilities for the iPhone and iPod touch. But Sophiestication Software’s Groceries app merits the excitement. It makes grocery lists easy to create, manage, and—dare I say—a little fun.
• Pro AV Products and Providers – Lectrosonics, Inc. BUCKCHERRY ROCKS OUT WITH LECTROSONICS – Rio Rancho, NM – May 2009… Buckcherry, the Los Angeles, California-based hard rock band that achieved critical acclaim with the 2006 RIAA platinum, Grammy-nominated album 15, is back with a vengeance and touring once again in support of their latest album Black Butterfly. Consisting of Josh Todd (vocals),Xavier Muriel (drums),Jimmy Ashhurst (bass),Keith Nelson (guitar), andStevie D. (guitar), Buckcherry is in the midst of an extensive tour that has them travelling both domestically as well in Europe. No matter where the tour takes them, guitarist Stevie D. and his guitar technician Dean Mitchell rely on a wireless setup to deliver Stevie’s signature guitar sound while providing the mobility to roam freely about the stage—and for this, they count on Lectrosonics.
• New Mac clone maker to open retail store in Calif. | Apple – CNET News – "It's exciting. We are trying to stay as close to Apple as we can with our products," Rashantha De Silva, Quo founder, told CNET News. "We are trying to mimic things as much as we can. I'm hoping that Apple sees the value in what we are doing."
• Patients On Hookworm Therapy Swear By Treatment – cbs5.com – Musician Scott Richards and artist Debora Wade are two Bay Area patients on the hookworm treatment. Richards and Wade both suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease called Crohn's. When faced with using a parasite as therapy, both patients felt they had nothing to lose.
• How To Tell If You Have Religious Food [Get Rich Quick] – Over the weekend, I picked through a bag of Cheetos—or "my retirement chips" as I was calling them—looking for any recognizable icons I could sell. My theory was that any average bag of Cheetos should contain at least one auction-worthy chip. I had mixed success—out of one bag, I found four recognizable icons, but only one of them was definitely religious in nature. I have emailed Frito Lay to inquire about a buy-back program, but have yet to hear from them. I'd really rather not bring eBay or PayPal into this.
• Atlantis, crew land in Calif. after Hubble mission : NPR – Space shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts returned safely to Earth on Sunday, detouring from stormy Florida to sunsplashed California to end a 13-day mission that repaired and enhanced the Hubble Space Telescope.
• News : Officials consider raising speeding fines – Rio Rancho Observer – Speeding over 35 miles per hour over the posted limit could net you a $459 fine, that’s more than double of the $225 fine levied now.

  Drivers going 10 miles per hour or less than the speed limit will be fined $159, opposed to $50 it now costs.

• www.KOB.com – 4 Investigates: Swimming pool drain covers – It was a horrific accident for a 6-year-old Minnesota girl named Abagail Taylor that drew the nation's attention to pool drains.
  In 2007, the girl had 21 feet of her small intestine sucked out of her body when she sat on a kiddy pool drain.
  "You don't think about your child being disemboweled in 18 inches of water," her father, Scott Taylor, said.

• Camping 101: What to Take & Where to Go – If you are a working stiff, a 3-day camping trip is the ideal way to recreate yourself. Sneak out of work for a day and a great big adventure lies before you. But so many of us have no gear or no experience here in the mountain west. And many would like to get started camping but really have no idea how to begin without going broke at REI. So here are some thoughts from a person who has camped out for over 50 years and just last summer camped his way across America hauling everything on a bicycle.
• An Evolutionary Explanation for Sexual Smell Differences | Wired Science from Wired.com – "Women have a larger interest in reproductive events because they have fewer opportunities for passing on their genes than men," said George Preti, a Monell Chemical Senses Center organic chemist.
  In a study published Monday in Flavour and Fragrance, Preti and colleagues found that women were able to detect body odors masked by other fragrances. Male noses quickly lost the scent.
• After earthquake, Italians ask questions about building codes | csmonitor.com – Four days after a devastating earthquake in central Italy left more than 280 people dead, attention is turning to whether a culture of impunity toward building codes contributed to the high number of casualties.

  Many of the centuries-old buildings in L'Aquila, where the 6.3-magnitude quake struck overnight Sunday, sustained severe damage. But newer buildings were also affected. With Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi vowing to rebuild the stricken town, some experts say, more stringent building codes are needed – along with tougher enforcement to ensure compliance.

• Al Jazeera English – Middle East – Iraqi protesters call for US exit – Abdel Wahab Al-Qassab from the Strategic Studies Centre in Doha, Qatar, which researches political and military strategies, said that Iraqi public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of US forces leaving the country.
• Scorpion biodiversity | Science Blog – Scorpions possess resistance to high temperatures and the ability to conserve water for long periods of time, and as a result thrive in hot and arid parts of the world. But is this global distribution also seen at a more local level? Reporting in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE April 9, Doctoral student Shmuel Raz and colleagues at the University of Haifa, Israel now show that this is indeed the case, even when European-like and African-like habitats were separated by no more than 100 metres.
• Jennifer Huard – It’s All Happening…: Winslow Sandstorm – 10am – We had just pulled over because visibility was down to… well, you can see. As soon as we pulled over, the traffic in the lanes came to a halt. Truckers slowed everyone down and stopped traffic before the idiot drivers who didn't know any better started a chain reaction pile up. No accidents to report, everyone kept their cool and no one got hurt.

  We sat there for over an hour as 40mph winds whipped the dirt up, gusting to 60pmph. Soon the traffic slowly started moving, so we joined the caravan and rolled on down the highway into the clear blue a couple miles up the road.

• Rio Rancho economic outlook upbeat – New Mexico Business Weekly: – Also, the state will receive $30 million in funds for weatherization and energy efficiency programs for housing, much more than it has received in the past, Denish said. This will help people stay in their homes, she said.

  Sandoval County, which has the highest foreclosure rate in New Mexico, will get about $1.7 million in neighborhood stabilization funds from the Mortgage Finance Authority to help get abandoned homes back on the market by repairing them and helping first-time homebuyers acquire them.

  During a question and answer session, Sue Cleveland, superintendent of the Rio Rancho Public Schools, said the ARRA funds do present a challenge because they don’t take into account state equalization formulas for school funding. As a result, Rio Rancho will get the least amount per pupil from the ARRA funds even though the system is already struggling with growth issues, she said.

• Electric Radiant Floor Heat | Efficiency – Typical DIY bathroom electric radiant heat installations will run $300-500 over their unheated counterparts. Add in up to $750 more for professional electrical and material installation. And after the installation, the floor requires power to keep your investment producing a warm, comfortable atmostphere. So the question is: how much power will your investment consume?
• Decoding Intel’s New Logo Stickers – Columns by PC Magazine – If you go shopping for a new Intel-powered desktop, laptop, nettop, or netbook in the coming weeks, you'll notice some changes. This month, Intel updated its logos to hopefully simplify the buying experience. Along with these new logos, there's a new standardized 5-star rating system to go along. So how do you tell the difference between a Core i7 and a Celeron (aside from the price)? Well, here's a decoder ring.
• Apple – iTunes – 1 Billion App Countdown – As of today, nearly one billion apps have been downloaded around the globe. So we just want to say thanks — a billion. Download an app and you’ll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet.

Thermal Analysis Approximator is exactly the type of application that a mobile device is designed for. When your in some type of industry where you need to do some specific calculation in the field. Thermal Analysis Approximator is $.99 on the iTunes App Store

Ever been in a design meeting or classroom and needed to quickly know what cooling mechanism was necessary for your particular application? With the heat transfer coefficient approximator you can do this in a matter of seconds. Choose from either single surface convection (for problems such as electronics mounted to aircraft wings or fuselages) or a simple chassis approximation (where all 5 sides are utilized in the computation and the base is assumed to be adiabatic). The calculator will compute the heat transfer coefficient based on user inputs and indicate which convection type is necessary to provide adequate cooling (from natural convection through vaporization). The tool is not meant to be all inclusive in heat transfer analysis but rather provides the designer with a first order approximation to move forward with a more detailed design approach.

LANGUAGES:
English only

REQUIREMENTS:
Compatible with iPhone and iPod-Touch (2nd generation)
Requires iPhone and iPod-Touch 2.2 Software Update

It was speculated that Amazon would come out with a Kindle application for the iPhone after Jeff Bezos said he wanted to expand the Kindle capabilities to mobile devices. Apple apparently approved it since the Kindle application for the iphone came out sooner than most expected. Kindle for iphone is free on the iTunes Store. Books can be purchased at the Kindle Store

Kindle for iPhone allows Apple iPhone and iPod touch owners to read Kindle books using a simple, easy-to-use interface. You can shop for hundreds of thousands of books at www.amazon.com/kindlestore, and wirelessly transfer the books to your iPhone or iPod touch. Enjoy Amazon’s low prices on Kindle books, including New York Times Best Sellers and most new releases for $9.99, unless marked otherwise.

With Kindle for iPhone, you can:

* Buy a Kindle book from your Mac, PC, or iPhone using a Web browser and wirelessly transfer the books to your iPhone

* Read first chapters of any book for free before you buy

* Download the Kindle books you already own for free — they are automatically backed up on Amazon.com

* Adjust the text size, add bookmarks, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle device

Kindle for iPhone also includes Whispersync, which allows you to seamlessly switch back and forth between your Kindle device and Kindle for iPhone while keeping your bookmarks and reading location synchronized between devices. Now you can easily pick up reading right where you left off on your Kindle or iPhone.

Books you purchase can also be read on Kindle and Kindle 2, Amazon’s portable readers that wirelessly download books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs to a crisp, high-resolution 6-inch electronic-paper display that looks and reads like real paper.

Something actually useful this week.

Free yourself from the restrictions of traditional SMS messaging. Freedom SMS will use your existing Mail configuration to send SMS messages to anyone in your contacts list. Did you already run through your allotment of SMS messages this month? Or perhaps you have an iPod Touch and want to have the ability to SMS your friends? Then Freedom Messaging is the perfect application for you!

Freedom SMS works in both landscape or portrait mode to suit whichever typing style you prefer. Simply rotate it into your preferred orientation. The application will adjust automatically!

Simply choose the contact and type in your message. Freedom SMS will try to find the carrier for your contact’s mobile number by connecting to our web service. This web service will be continually updated with the latest carrier data. Messages will be sent to that carrier’s email gateway using your iPhone or iPod Touch’s email settings. You don’t need to know the recipient’s carrier or need to set up your email settings especially for this app! Replies will be sent to your email account so you can continue the conversation.

The following carrier SMS gateways are supported and more will be added soon:

- Alltel

- AT&T Wireless

- Boost Mobile

- Nextel

- Sprint

- T-Mobile

- Verizon Wireless

- Virgin Mobile

- Metro PCS

* Freedom SMS will identify the original carrier that issued the mobile number. If that number has since been ported to another carrier, then this information may not be accurate. In this case, you can manually select the carrier to use instead.

* This application only supports mobile numbers in the United States.

* A data connection is required in order to lookup the carrier for a mobile number.

Freedom SMS is $.99 on iTunes

The Mac home automation software Indigo that I use was updated to version 4.0 Beta. A list of changes are available on the Perceptive Automation message board but the big changes are: Pro and lite version, folder support and iPhone application.

I’ve been using the beta of the Mac and iPhone apps since they came out. They are still rough around the edges (that’s why they are called betas) but are still very functional.

Indigo itself hasn’t changed much except the addition of folders in the UI. The big change is support for IndigoTouch, which runs on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. IndigoTouch has basic functionality; you can control devices but not set them up, you can control existing actions, you can view but not edit variables and you can interact with control pages.

I’d like to see the ability to create devices on the phone which makes it easier to install new devices. I’d also like to see the log and the time date action in real time.

I did have some trouble getting it set up. It will connect, via bonjour, to the server when on the same network which works flawlessly for me. Getting the ports configure through my firewall so I could connect outside the network was a bit of a pain. It’s working now without much problems and using the prism service would eliminate the need for this.

Below are pictures of the interface on flickr or you can visit the set.

Now that the iPhone App store has been fully operational for several months, I have wasted money on many applications that I used once and regret spending money on. However a few applications have made it to my first screen (you an fit 20 including the dock) to stay for a while. Half of them are default Apple applications: Calendar, Notes, Contacts, Calculator, Camera, Safari and Mail with the phone and SMS apps in the dock. Here are the 10 applications which make up the rest. These should all work on the iPod Touch.

• Things ($9.99). A ToDo list is a necessity and it has to sync with my Mac for easy data entry. I checked out OmniFoucs even before there was a iPhone Version ($19.99). I found OmniFocus too complicated where Things is more self explanatory on the iPhone and Mac. Price was also an issue, since I didn’t want to pay a lot of money for an application that I would end up not using. Possible future replacement: Life Balance ($19.99). I used Life Balance on my Palm but it wasn’t out in time for me to try it out. I haven’t looked at the iPhone version too closely but the palm version synced with both Mac and Windows.
• iStockManager (Free). Although I don’t trade stock with great frequency, I do monitor stock prices on a regular basis (as sort of a social activity). Having the ablity to trade stock is a plus however and iStockManager allows trading through Ameritrade. I initially had some problems with the application, it turns out I needed to set up options within my Ameritrade account. Thankfully, iStockManger support was excellent. Previously used: Bloomberg (free). Doesn’t attach to a trading account but does the job of tracking stocks.
• Twinkle (Free). I was a Twinkle user when you could only install apps on jailbroken phones and haven’t tried any other twitter apps. I’m not a frequent twitter-er, so I probably wouldn’t need a power user app.
• NetNewsWire (Free). I was already a user of NetNewsWire on the Mac therefore using the iPhone version was logical. I have hundreds of feeds and check them all day long. There’s a number of improvements that NNW needs, I’m looking forward to a update.
• Gas Cubby ($4.99). I’m a automobile tracking fanatic. I used TealAuto on my PalmOS device and it’s annoyed me not to be able to find a good tracking app on the iPhone. I’ve tried several and recently started using Gas Cubby. So far I like what I’ve seen and will stick with it.
• Delivery Status Touch ($0.99). I’ve used the Delivery Status dashboard widget for some time to track my UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc deliveries and having a iPhone version is nice. The latest version sync with the devlopers servers which makes it easy to enter tracking information from the computer to the phone.
• Klick (Free). Klick is an app for viewing and uploading images on Flickr. I especially like the ability to find pictures uploaded near me, however they don’t update often since most people don’t geotag their photos.
• The Weather Channel (Free). As the first review on the iTunes store says, “Finally a good weather app that isn’t 9.99”. My problem with the other weather apps I’ve tried isn’t that they are $9.99, the problem is they weren’t good and were $9.99.
• Stanza (Free). An extremely well designed ebook reader with a built-in “store” of free, out of copyright books. There’s also a desktop companion for syncing your own ebooks and PDFs.
• Remote (Free). Apple’s remote application for us with iTunes and Apple TV. I use it for both.

Although no games are on my first screen, I can’t help recommend a few that I recently played.

• Touch Physics ($0.99). Although there are desktop versions of this game, it’s new to me and I found it very original and challenging.
• Jelly Car (Free). I’m having a particlualry diffuclt time with this game and yet I cannot stop.
• PAC-MAN Lite (Fr
  ee). When I get good at the free version, I might check out the paid version: PAC-MAN ($5.99).

Have a suggestion for an alternative listed here? Let me know in the comments.

Looks like Smarthome is starting to crank out new Insteon products. Their newest is the NetLinc. The NetLink looks like a one of the computer interface or LampLinc wall warts. Instead of hooking up to your computer connects directly to your router via a ethernet port. It has basic timer support, device naming, IP camera support and a user upgradable web server. It’s basically a mini computer with basic control features. The description from Smarthome:

NetLinc – INSTEON Central Controller is an affordable and flexible central controller perfect for enhancing any INSTEON home automation network. NetLinc integrates INSTEON technology with any web-enabled mobile device through Wi-Fi and cellular communication, allowing you to control or create timers for INSTEON devices or scenes from inside your home, in the backyard, at work, in the car or on vacation halfway around the world! Whether you are a DIYer, an electrician, or a home automation integrator, you will enjoy the ease with which programming and discovering of INSTEON devices is accomplished. A simple plug-in installation sets up in minutes and will allow a web-enabled phone or PDA to control your INSTEON network from almost anywhere. NetLinc has been designed for optimal use with an iPhone or iPod Touch as a mobile touch screen; however, there are customizable user-downloadable server applications that provide a flexible interface for any web-enabled device. As and added feature, NetLinc includes IP camera support, giving you the versatility to incorporate watching and controlling your IP enabled surveillance cameras through you web-enabled interface. NetLinc puts the power of managing your entire INSTEON home automation network in the palm of your hands.

According to their website ”For a limited time, each kit will feature discounted INSTEON products and a free iPod Touch”. Wow, and the NetLinc is only $119 (Available 08/15/08).

Smarthome is also offering two starter kits.

Apple had some interesting announcements for the ipod and iPhone today. I know a lot of people who bought 8GB iPhones are pissed at the price drop. I don’t have any sympathy for you. I bought the iPod Photo for $599, only to have the iPod Video released a few months later $200 cheaper.

8GB wasn’t enough memory for me, so I didn’t buy. I’m patiently waiting for a iPhone with more memory. I’m surprised that there is a iPod touch with 16GB, but the iPhone is only available with 8GB. Could a iPhone 16GB be too far away?