The Pink Mac

My iPad Case: SGP Argos

As soon as I placed my order for the iPad, I realized the hunt had begun to find the perfect case for it. I had seen a lot of what the major brands had to offer, and although I initially settled on a few different choices from the usual selection of Apple case makers, I wasn’t entirely pleased, until I found the SGP Argos. In all fairness I owe it to my wonderful boyfriend, who occasionally contributes to this blog, for the find. He found in 5 minutes, what I was unable to locate for weeks.

I had a set of criteria for what I wanted in a case. I knew it had to be a folio style, opening like a book. I knew I wanted a case that was hard like a shell for support and protection, as opposed to a completely cloth case which would lack a rigid form and offer less protection to the precious screen. Finally, I knew I wanted a case with a holster style seat for the iPad- something I would pop the iPad into that would not cover any portion of the screen itself but still hold it steady in place. Many of the cases I found initially had one or two of these elements but none that I could find had all three, with the exception of one case manufacturer. My old favorite, Vaja, made a case that was exactly what I was looking for, however, I simply could not swallow the $280 price tag. It’s just like me to have expensive taste, but this was one luxury case I would not indulge in.
So, in walks the SGP Argos. It’s a folio, its a hard shell wrapped in leather, and it has a holster seat. On top of all that, it has a unique inscription on the inner flap from the fabled Emerald Tablet of Hermes, as well as some stylized patterned inscriptions on the seat itself, and it is handmade- all for under $70. I fell in love, and I have been using the case since day 1 with the iPad and I have no complaints. The iPad stays firmly in place, the dual hard shell/padded exterior is tough (and I mean tough!) I’m not afraid of anything dropping on it and breaking the screen, I am not afraid of my dog walking on it and scratching up the leather (he did walk on it and the leather was unaffected– FYI, this is only a 10 lb dog we are talking about), and I am not afraid of dropping my iPad and everything bursting out into a million little pieces. I have complete confidence in this case protecting the device so long as the top cover is closed.
Now, how does the top cover close, you might be wondering? It has a lip that curls around the side of the iPad (similar to the way the Vaja cases close, if you are more familiar with those) and it is a nice tight fit. I actually have to give it a good push to open it up, and although it touches directly to the iPad’s exterior, the padding of the leather prevents the lip from scratching the aluminum. So, you see, as I said before, I am not worried about damaging the iPad while it is in this case and the cover is closed- it really is like a slim little tank! So, I will be posting some pictures of the case for your enjoyment and I should be making a video review for it within a few days so you can get a better idea of that way it works and the texture. Let me know if you have the case and your thoughts, or if you have any questions about it! Enjoy!
lifestyle The Pink Mac

5 Reasons Why the iPad is a Magical and Revolutionary Device.

1. Battery Life
When Apple said the iPad could go 10 hours on a charge, they weren’t kidding. In a world were so many of our wireless devices can only go a few hours before requiring an outlet, its mind blowing to have a device that you can use heavily for a matter of days without needing to refuel its energy supply. I have surfed the web for hours, watched a movie, read ebooks and played with multiple apps, all without having to stop and recharge. Its funny because I will frequently find myself looking up at the battery indicator, sure that its time to plug in, but find I still have plenty of life left on the device.

2. 9.7 inch back-lit multitouch display=WOW
The screen is the life of any device, and although we have gotten used to our small touch screens in our phones and iPod touches, there is nothing to compare to the iPads screen. It may not be high def, but it certainly seems that way. I have been keeping the screens brightness at about 33% because the screen is just so vivid and honestly, my eyes are just not used to soo much bright color. The multitouch is amazing, similar to its smaller siblings, but soo much more sensitive with the 360 degree rotation, the device is simply speedy. It makes games that much more enjoyable, browsing a breeze and reading more relaxing.

3. Virtual Keyboard
Although there is a bit of a learning curve with the virtual keyboard, it truly sets the device apart from the iPhone/iPod Touch lines. Where once the virtual keyboard was an element useful only for short messages, texts, and tweets, the full size version on the iPad is a productivity tool. Although it lacks the tactile touch sensations we are all used to with a full sized computer, once you get used to the adjusted layout and begin to trust yourself and the amazing auto-correct, you will be on your way to getting things done with your iPad.

4. Portability
The iPad is certainly the most portable computing device I have ever owned. It may not cover 100% of my needs and replace a laptop or desktop computer, but it does cover a good 90% of them. It certainly covers everything I use my laptop for when I am taking it out of the house. Word processing, internet browsing, organization, entertainment, and then some, all in a lightweight, slim package that fits even in my smaller purses- and thats a place my 13″ Macbook Pro could never go.

5. Apps, Apps and More Apps
Its no secret that the key to your computing experience is in the applications you use, whether you be using an iPad, smartphone, laptop, or desktop computer, Mac, PC, or Linux, your device can only take you as far as your application will permit. Right now, I have 82 items in my applications folder on my Macbook Pro, of those items, I use about 10-15 of them on a regular basis. My iPad in comparison has maybe 50 applications that I have downloaded for it since I purchased the iPad, and I use most of them everyday. On top of that, there are a plethora of applications out their for the iPad that I haven’t even seen yet, and God knows how many more applications will be added to the App Store by the end of this year, let alone the rest of this month! There is no hiding the fact that the apps make the device, and when the sky is the limit to what developers will create for the iPad, the sky is the limit for what the iPad can become. To me, that feels like magic!

{Oh, and if those weren’t enough reasons… I blogged this from my iPad.}

lifestyle The Pink Mac

For those who enjoy Twitter.

I just read this quasi-insightful article entitled “Twitter Made Me Hate You,” which pretty much sums up the reason I never got big into Twitter: people would be annoying. More so than that fact, the article illustrates how many people use Twitter as a means of promoting and satisfying their egos, which is infinitely more annoying than just reading a constant string of thoughts, or rather thoughtlessness.
Guess I can’t complain though, as I use Twitter to republish my blog posts which is just another way of self promotion. Ugh, the cycle never ends!
The Pink Mac

SwitchEasy Nude for iPad.

So, I finally broke down and ordered an iPad last week– which means only about 2 short weeks left until the thing actually arrives 🙁 In the meantime, I am trying to assemble products to review for the iPad that I find interesting and worth the money for them. So many cases out there are overpriced or just underwhelming and I need to sort through those to find you some real deals out there to protect not only my iPad, but also yours! In this video, I review the SwitchEasy Nude, a case I consider to be a great deal for only $29 because of all the accessories that come along with it. I hope you enjoy the video and if you have any suggestions for interesting iPad cases, please let me know!
The Pink Mac

Can you hear me now?

Funny story is making its way around the web today about Apple’s colossal FAIL over the iPhone 4’s antenna. I’m sure we have all seen the videos of people holding their iPhones in the “Death Grip” and watching their full 5 bars plummet down to a No Service. Well Apple has heard the complaints and has figured the solution to it: they were giving you too many bars of reception to begin with!!!

That’s right, when your iPhone says 5 bars, it actually doesn’t have that much reception! Apple’s calculations for reception display have been off this whole time. It showed too many bars when you really don’t have that much, so your spotty AT&T service seems to have just gotten worse. In an upcoming free software update they will fix the illusion of more bars and show you what you are really getting. Why is this being done? So the big drop of bars when holding the phone in the Death Grip doesn’t appear that dramatic. So now your reaction of: “5 bars to nothing holding it like this? What???” Will now, according to Apple’s dreams, will be like: “3 bars to nothing holding it like this? Oh that’s understandable…. maybe I should buy some iTunes gift cards”

Oh and in an attempt to trick you into thinking you have good reception they are making the 1, 2, and 3 bars bigger, “so they are easier to see”. Sure.

lifestyle The Pink Mac

What home phone?

It seems now more than ever that old technologies from not too long ago are being pushed completely out of the way. One dying technology I am interested in is that of the home phone. Only 10 years ago it was the only way for personal communication with anyone instantly in the world. But then cell phones became smaller, and the internet took off, so did e-mailing, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, texting, and I guess now- FaceTime. So many forms of instant communication we are now a forever connected society always on the go. It seems like everyone over the age of 8 now has their own cell phone and multiple social networking pages they check every minute so why bother with being tied down with a home phone?


I myself do not have a phone in my house that cannot fit in my pocket. When people ask me for a number to reach me at, I never worry that I don’t have a home phone for them to reach me at because I have a cell phone with me 24/7. Why even pay X dollars more a month for a home phone from your service provider? Is there any benefit to having a cell phone and a home phone? Just the cell phone works just fine, it has everything a home phone has – it can make and receive calls and record a voicemail. Done.

So the question we have to ask – is the home phone dead seems pretty obvious. Sure it will hold out for maybe a few more decades but eventually just as the last Pinto is rolled out, the last Cassette Tape is recorded, and the last VHS is boxed, the home phone will die out soon enough.

(Unless this is the home phone of the future – in which case, that’d be awesome.
Wait, Steve Jobs… did you travel Back to the Future to come up with FaceTime?)
lifestyle The Pink Mac

In Defense of Phone Books.

The above image has been surfing its way around the internet, and I just thought I would say a few words in defense of the big yellow book that arrives on our doorsteps. Although I agree that the world be a much better place if there weren’t so many phone books sitting around without use, they do have a time and a place.

One day, about 2 years ago, I had moved into a new apartment in a new city. Like most people in the middle of a move, I needed some take out as I was not about to try to cook with a kitchen full of boxes. I walk over to my laptop, open safari, and “Webpage not found” appears. I didn’t have internet installed at the new place yet and these were the days before my blackberry and the ability to tether my phone to the computer. I sat discouraged for a long time, wondering how did people find phone numbers to take out places before the internet? Then it hit me. The PHONE BOOK!
So you see, there are still times when the use of such analog methods is still required. Not to mention, old people still need phone books, and sometimes they come in handy as step stools or doorstops!
tech

Cousy’s Vid of the Week 6/18

As most of you that spend more than 3 seconds on the internet know, the web is a great place to find cool and funny videos of whatever your heart desires. The web as provided a great breeding ground for artists and comedians to share their work with the entire world. That’s why the Pink Mac wants to share with you some of our personal favorite videos we have found on the interwebs in the past 7 days.

I just realized that I missed a Vid of the Week post a few weeks ago! I don’t know how this happened as it is my favorite thing to blog about. Sorry if anyone’s lives were crushed about this and to make it up I bring you a record THREE videos for this week! Enjoy.

As a nerd who plays World of Warcraft this video made me crack up. Perfect parody of Run This Town by Jay-Z. To all the citizens of Azeroth: get pumped, grab your Mountain Dew, headset, and get ready to kill Arthas with this playing – this song is for you.

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Bonus Video of the Week!

OkGo is a popular band know not so much for their great songs, but rather their amazingly mind blowing music videos. From the Youtube viral hit – Here it Goes Again (The Treadmill Video), WTF, and both videos for This Too Shall Pass (2nd one here) OkGo has done new and exciting things with each song. So it’s no surprise that the video for the new song End Love is fantastic. Try not to make a big mess when your mind is blown.

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Bonus – Bonus Video of the Week!

I am a big fan of the Fully Sick Rapper and was pleased to see him share this video of a fellow sick rapper. Josh Sundquist lost his leg to cancer but that hasn’t slowed him down or stopped him from making a hilarious rap video.

lifestyle The Pink Mac

iPad Economics.

This morning as I was driving into work, a thought suddenly hit me. Does the success of the iPad mean the recession is truly over?

After all, we are talking about a product that has sold over 2 million units in its first 60 days of life; 1 every 3 seconds as Jobs himself told us at D8 and WWDC. Now, if you factor in the 2 iPad a person limit, at the minimum, we have 1+ million individuals purchasing a machine that costs at least $500 a unit in just 2 months, and demand for the product is only rising. Apple itself cannot produce iPads quick enough to satiate consumer demand, so I beg the question, are we out of the recession yet? I think we must be at this point. It’s either that or Apple has some secret recipe for success even in bad economic times. I guess both are possible. What do you think?

tech

No iPad for me!

So, I’m currently sitting on a Bolt Bus on the way home from NYC, totally devistated because there were no ipads at the 5th Avenue Apple store. I have concluded that I will just never get an ipad at this point, that is, until the 2nd gen model comes out and I preorder it like a sane person would!