Photo Blog: Gadgets Overdrive During my Hong Kong 2011 Vacation

While I take a break and enjoy my vacation in Hong Kong in Nov 2011, my gadgets went on overdrive.

This is the first time I brought my 4-year-old daughter abroad, so I need to make sure she is well-occupied. I brought all her favourite gadgets - the spare iPhone 3GS and the iPad, plus a comfortable pair of Sony MDR-Z1000 headphones.

Who doesn't love a pair of comfy cushiony headphones?

I also brought the Logitech Wireless Keyboard for Tablet so that I can work using the iPad more efficiently. I love the hard slip-in case that converts into a stand to hold the heavy iPad.

For my own private listening, I used the Logitech UE600vi, an absolute ear-opener. It's so light and comfortable that I could wear this whole day. The treble frequency is not high and so it's very suitable for outdoor use. In comparison, the Sony MDR-EX1000 has very clear treble sound but when used outdoors, the treble overpowers the bass.

I love Hong Kong because it is a very well-connected environment, be it transport or telecommunications. Just 12 months ago, a 7-day unlimited data VAS from CSL costed HK$178. On this trip, it costs only HK$78! Thanks to the 1O1O shop staff at the airport departure hall, I got it set up on my Samsung Galaxy S2 in a brief, while my Singapore SIM card is moved to my iPhone 3GS. Besides data, this card offers free IDD call to many countries including Singapore - pay only HK$0.28 per minute!

This was the Prepaid SIM card I bought. Link

The reason for using the Galaxy S2 for the Hong Kong prepaid SIM card is obvious: Android phones enable Wi-Fi hotspot. With that, I can tether all my mobile devices to the Galaxy S2 and enjoy data connectivity at no extra cost. I made sure all our other mobile devices' data roaming is turned off, and the Wi-Fi is connected to the Galaxy S2.

Besides the benefits of Wi-Fi tethering, the Samsung Galaxy S2 can also do USB OTG (on-the-go), which means I can plug an external storage device to the Galaxy S2 and it can read the storage device. Thus I am able to transfer photos from my cameras via a card reader to the phone and upload to Facebook. The photos are edited using the NX200 built-in editing tools and then resized.

And with so many gadgets, it is practically not possible to survive on a a couple power sockets in the hotel room. For that, I brought my own extension sockets to charge up all my devices. I even bought a portable battery pack just for this trip in case the phone battery runs out before the day ended.

Now that I've taken care of the gadgets, let me share some photos I took during the vacation and the process of capturing them.

Day 1: Going to the airport.

I took this shot on the moving taxi. After a dozen shots, this one captures the airport control tower without blur while the surrounding is. Tip: there is no way to guarantee a good shot on a moving vehicle. Just keep shooting and hold your camera steady.

Above, I used the Panorama mode on the Samsung NX200 to capture this seemingly fish-eye shot of the aircraft. You can see that Panorama modes are not limited to long stretches of images. This 4:3-looking aspect ration is achieved by panning using the portrait mode instead of the landscape mode.

Shooting without looking at the viewfinder takes some practice, but it's the only way to capture images at places where photography is not permitted. With a fast camera like the NX200, it doesn't take more than a second to get this shot and stealthily slip the camera back to my case.


Day 2: Checking the weather.

Still drizzling. Our original plan was to visit HK Disneyland on Days 2 and 3. But Day 2 weather is quite bad, so we had to hope for a better weather on Day 3. To get this shot, I had to anticipate her as she slowly heads towards the curtain.

That's Disneyland Hotel, and at the foggy distant background, the mainland Hong Kong, not the CBD, by the way. That's way too few skyscrapers if you noticed.

Bossini got the license to produce a range of Toy Story merchandise to tie-in with the opening of the Toy Story theme park in Disneyland. Unfortunately, the park only started from 18 Nov, about 10 days short from our trip. Nonetheless, Mayenne got to pose with this statue inside the 4-storey store at Sai Yeung Choi Street, among others. Notice the similar poses?

Day 3: It's Disneyland!

Weather was perfect! Cloudy cooling day with no precipitation! The moment we entered the park, we saw the queue for a photo shoot with Mickey and Minnie. We quickly got on the queue and captured this beautiful memory.

The must-watch show, Festival of The Lion King. Shooting in the dark is no problem for the Samsung NX200. Tip: set the camera to Manual exposure mode, maximum aperture, and then fine-tune the shutter speed, using the viewfinder as a guide.

I didn't take any still images of the Street Parade, because I felt that a video capture offers a better visual memory for my daughter (she still watches the video regularly at home till today). Here's one just to show the colour vibrancy of the Samsung NX200.

There were 2 things which I felt regretful as night time approached, yet the regrets were all negated by one non-event. One: the Samsung NX200 battery could not last the entire day. For that, I was fortunate to have a secondary camera, the Fujifilm Finepix F550EXR to capture video footages, while trying to conserve the NX200 battery for the fireworks. Second, I did not bring a tripod for the fireworks shoot. So I had to look for a flat elevated surface and attached my pocket flexi-pod. The only elevated surface I could find: the trash bin.

And this was the position.

But all these problems came to naught, when the PA announced that the fireworks show was cancelled!!

As the crowd dispersed, I attempted to capture a better shot of the Castle.

I wasn't able to capture any more shot, because at this point, the NX200 battery went completely flat.

Day 4: The Return

Before we checked out of the Disney Hollywood Hotel, we explored the garden, which is surprisingly well landscaped. If you are staying there, please make an effort to visit the garden.

At the airport, she insisted on handling her new luggage we bought for her. Doesn't she look like a seasoned traveller?

Credits:
I'd like to thank the following companies for lending me some of the gadgets to use for my vacation:

• Samsung for the NX200 and lenses
• Logitech for the UE600vi earphones and Wireless Keyboard for Tablet

There is also the Sony Camcorder HDR-PJ10 which was not featured in this vacation blog because, despite their kind intentions to lend me, I decided not to bring for the trip because I had too many gadgets to handle. This camcorder has a built-in projector which can project up to 60-inch size, and records with an internal 16GB memory plus optional card slot for expandability. The original intention was to use the camcorder to record videos, and at the end of the day, I could project the footages in the hotel room. I tried it in my own bedroom and the brightness is rather good. In fact, it spurred me to look around for portable battery projectors so that I could watch movies in my bedroom without all the wires and heat and fan noise from the common projectors.

If you have any questions about the post, drop me a comment. You may follow me on my Facebook photography page at Chester Tan Photography.

Audyssey SOMA Dock: Home Review

One showroom audio review and two blog posts later, I finally get a chance to bring the Audyssey SOMA audio dock back to my home for an on-location review. We all know that showroom conditions always seem to make the audio product sound better. So this review will finally put the question to rest: how well does the SOMA dock perform in real life environment?

I... like it!

Some sound systems make the music sound "noisy". But music coming out from the dock actually sounds very pleasant. The dock produces very crisp tweeter and naturally-resonating bass. The Audyssey engineers have certainly done a very good job in optimising the sound quality of this little audio gem, but I tweaked the sound using the free iOS app, increasing bass a little to suit my taste and my home acoustics.

With the iOS app, you have 3 ways to fine-tune the audio output to your liking. First, you can use the tilt control to swing the audio balance to either bass-heavy or treble-heavy. Then, you can adjust the treble or bass level independently. Finally, you can plot your own EQ chart and save as favourites.

I am surprised that the dock can play all kinds of music without sounding biased. From classical to pop, jazz to rock, even movie audio has got that dynamic punch. The only instance that the dock doesn't sound nice is when the audio source made a mess on the mix or the compression quality.

The Audyssey SOMA dock isn't just a dock for Apple devices. It plays audio via Bluetooth or line-in jack. That practically means almost every audio equipment can enjoy the quality SOMA dock. The best part is that you do not need to choose the source, because the dock can play audio from the iOS dock, line-in and Bluetooth simultaneously. And that's so liberating, especially the Bluetooth option. With the iPhone on hand, I can easily select tracks for playback. When paired with iPad, I can watch video content as the dock pumps out the audio in almost perfect synchronisation.

Having said, the dock is certainly not meant to replace your professional audio system, nor was it meant to rock the house down with its size. But I dare say it beats most of the compact sound systems. If you want to listen to astounding music from your smartphones, at the comfort of your cosy loft, you must try the Audyssey SOMA audio dock. Let your ears convince you.

Audyssey SOMA Audio Dock: A Friend's Testimony

Remember my previous review about the Audyssey SoMa Audio Dock, and that my colleague intended to get one? Well, he finally made a pre-order from Sound Decisions. Yes, the dock is so popular that it is out of stock till end August!

I'd like to share with you the following email message that he addressed to a common friend and later forward to me.

I went to Adelphi just now to look at the Audyssey i-Pod dock that I planned to buy. I tried out the dock with the songs in my iPhone. Fortunately I have got the “Grandma’s Hands”  piece in high quality MP3 format.  The dock played the song beautifully. The finger snaps were very life like. In fact, more so than my large B&W speakers at home!!!  I also played other songs like Spanish Harlem, Chinese songs, pop songs.  They played well but I can sort of tell that the songs are coming from a small setup rather than from big speakers. (Its is not obvious for some songs but obvious for others.)

Then I went to the B&W reseller shop just nearby to try out their newly released high end bookshelf speakers, PM1 which cost over $4K a pair. I played Grandma’s Hands again. While the sound was very clear from each speaker the finger snaps sounded like sh**!!!  They sounded flat, lifeless and just plain awful – very much like the same sound coming out of my big speakers before you tuned them for me. 

Suddenly it dawn on me that you mentioned before that you were shocked that most HIFI shops do not even positioned their speakers properly for optimum sound.  True enough.. the speakers’ positions were crap. They were not even toe-in. In fact, they were toe-out. That explained why such good speakers could produce such awful finger snapping sound!!!

Conclusion, the Audyssey SOMA i-Pod docking station is really optimised for good sound.  And secondly, all speakers no matter how cheap or expensive needs to be properly position/tuned to get good sound!!!

When I told him I would like his permission to post his comments, he said yes, and added the following:

Seriously I was very surprised the finger snapping sounded so life-like from the small box. Ric spent quite a lot of time positioning my floor standing speakers to make the finger snapping sound life-like on my big speakers. Even now, I would just rate it a barely life-like. But on the SOMA, it was very life-like. This is just a very specific example. I don’t know if the same applies to other variables or not.

(BTW, this particular piece of music, Grandma’s Hands, is from an audiophile testing CD I bought sometime ago. This special CD  teaches one how to audition an audio system. Before each musical track is played, a narrator introduces & explains what the track excels at and exactly what you should be listening for on a quality audio system capable of faithfully reproducing tracks just as they were recorded. In this case, it is the life-like finger snapping sound.)

True, or bull? Well, let your ears decide! Visit Sound Decisions showroom at The Adelphi (#04-06/07), or at the following retail outlets:


CK TANGS ORCHARD
310 Orchard Road,
3rd Floor, TechnoBay
Singapore 238864


GAMESCORE PTE LTD
109 North Bridge Road
#05-05 Funan DigitaLife Mall
Singapore 179079

Audyssey: South of Market (SoMa) Audio Dock

They claim to be "the best sounding dock in the market." And I think they are right.

Eugene from Sound Decisions invited me to experience this 13x23x23cm sound machine at their showroom at The Adelphi. When I arrived there, he first took us on a brief tour of the showroom. The 150-inch projection-screen home theatre set-up was awe-inspiring. But that's not what I was there for.

He then promptly led me to where the SoMa dock was placed. After sharing some technical specs, he docked his iPhone onto the port and played some music through it. Frankly, it sounded fabulous. There was no doubt on the kind of quality that this small box can deliver. The designers from Audyssey have proven again that size does not matter. The amazing part was that the SoMa dock was placed between a pair of floor speakers and it appears as if the sounds came from the big speakers!

Non-iPhone devices can also be used! SoMa Audio Dock functions as bluetooth audio speakers, as a speakerphone, even as speakers to your existing audio devices using line-in connection. You can also customise the sound EQ using an iPhone app. You could even dock your iPad, but due to the iPad size, the frontal sound direction is slightly blocked. In essence, the SoMa dock should not be placed in an enclosed area so that the sound can fill the room.

I was surprised that there are many normal-branded docks selling around the price range of S$300 - $600, with some specialised audio brands going up to $1000. Based on in-store samples, they sounded like normal home system speakers. But here is Audyssey, the brand behind all the audio technologies that go into high-end audio equipments like Marantz, Denon, Onkyo, selling for S$635. For that, the Audyssey SoMa dock is reasonably priced with that kind of exceptional audiophile quality it produces and the connectivity it offers to non-iPhone devices.

Don't take my ear for it. Go for an audio test and experience yourself.

P.S. The sound is that good that my audiophile colleague is seriously considering to buy one.

Decide between iPad 1 or iPad 2

Today, SingTel launches the sale of iPad 2 with mobile plan subsidy. Apple Store Singapore also stocked up the iPad 2 and made available for order late this week. The rush to get the iPad seems imminent.

I have friends asking whether they should look for a pre-owned (2nd hand) iPad 1 or buy the latest iPad 2. My answer for that: if you want to get a tablet with a shoestring budget just for family entertainment and not really for important uses, then the iPad 1 would be a fantastic value. If you want to get a tablet and be the envy of owning one of the most desired tech gadget this season, plus if you have no qualms about paying a little more and truly appreciates the additional features available in iPad 2 (namely, front and rear cameras for video and photo-taking, faster processor for advanced apps, thinner and lighter build), then iPad 2 is the choice. Of course, there is also an alternative option of buying an Android tablet, but that comparison would be for another post.

At this point, I believe a majority of you would already have decided to get the iPad 2, save a small rational minority. I mean, who wants to buy a used product? Well, I don't feel there is a problem if the product is still in good condition. Buying pre-owned products is a way of recycling. In fact, I recently sold off my Nokia E72 to someone who appreciates it more than me.

A second-hand iPad 1 still makes good financial sense because generally, iPad 1 owners protect the device very well (save the road warriors) so I do not see a concern about major wear and tear unlike mobile phone devices or laptops.

So far, most of the people I know who upgrades from iPad 1 to iPad 2 are those who use the iPad 2 extensively as part of their job - film-makers, photographers, musicians, social media consultants.

Then the next question would be: should you get the Wifi-only or the 3G version? That's a rather tough one that baffles the casual users who are already sure that they needed wanted the iPad. To make a decision, ask your wallet: the 3G version costs more, but offers you seamless online experience, if you desire it. You would however require an additional SIM card subscription.

If you do not need an always-online experience on the iPad 2, and if you have an iPhone 4 or Android phone (or Nokia E72) with mobile access point (tethering) function, then you could still manage with the iPad 2 Wifi version. Whenever you require online connection, just switch on your phone tethering and your iPad Wifi radio. Just beware that enabling Internet tethering on your mobile phone drains the battery very fast. You might want to try out at home to determine the extent of battery utilisation before attempting to use it on the move. A cheap workaround is to buy extra phone batteries.

Personally, I would settle for the Wifi-only version, if you agree with my following statements:

a. I rarely take out my iPad outdoors to connect online when I am on the move. If I need to go online when I am on the move, I use my smartphone as it is more convenient to check for information using one-hand.

b, When I am stationary, I might require connection over Internet but only for a short while, like less than an hour. I don't mind spending a minute to connect my iPad to my phone to go online. Most of the time, I would be using the iPad for offline activities like reading ebooks, playing games.

c. I use my iPad mostly at home, and I have a Wifi router that I can connect the iPad to.

d. I want to spend less money to own an iPad.

There certainly some inconveniences with the Wifi-only version, but the cost-savings may justify for that. Personally, I am satisfied with my Wifi-only iPad 1 experience, but of course, I would not mind a second hand top-of-the-range iPad 1 64GB 3G version that some people are selling for quite a compelling price. There are minimal usage experience with the iPad 2 apart from
- thinner
- lighter
- faster processor to run supported apps faster
- front and back camera
- supports new apps like Photobooth, iMovie, GarageBand, Facetime.
- HDMI-output (requires external accessory)
- comes in white colour

So, have you made a decision?

iPad: 2nd Generation

Last year, I applied leave just to queue for the iPad. I was the last person in queue to secure the iPad 16GB Wifi at BEST Denki City Square outlet. iPad was out of stock island-wide by the end of the day, only to be restocked 2 weeks later.

This year, iPad 2 will be launched in Singapore on 29 April. This time round, you can order online from 1am, or purchase from the stores directly when they open for business.

I have little reason to replace my current iPad, as the 2nd generation offers little new features (faster processor, camera, thinner and lighter) and all of the same iOS limitations - limitations that would not affect the majority of the casual users. At only S$668 for the 16GB Wifi version, the iPad 2 will easily be the top selling tablet in Singapore, and I am happy to recommend it for entertainment use and to perform some specific tasks that iPad is known to be good at.

But if you plan to use iPad 2 as a powerful multi-tasking mobile computing tool, then think again. I would recommend you think Android.

Air Video: Stream Any Video Format to Your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

There are a few iPhone or iPad applications that allow you to stream multimedia from your home networking PC to your iOS devices. In this post, I would like to share with you Air Video, one of the first few apps I got for my iPad.

It's really easy to use: just install the app on your iPad/iPhone, download a free Air Video Server to run on your desktop. specify all the folders that you want your Air Video to access from the server. On your iPad/iPhone, you will be able to see the folders and all the supported video files appearing.

Air Video supports all kinds of video formats, even full 1080p MKV. It will convert the video on the fly so that you can watch it on your iOS devices. Or you can choose to convert offline, and be notified when the conversion is done. The latter is required only if you find that the streaming cannot keep up with the real-time conversion, but you can improve the streaming by reducing the display resolution for the real-time conversion. The video quality might not look as good, but it sure beats being interrupted.

Air Video saves me trouble of converting and uploading iTunes-supported file format into iPad before I can enjoy the video. Air Video works best within your home networking, and can even work over mobile network, though performance is limited by bandwidth.

Try the free version and experience the convenience before you buy.

In summary, what I like:
- stream videos real-time, so I don't need to convert my video collection into iTunes-compatible format or upload to iPad just to watch it
- ability to adjust the conversion resolution to suit the bandwidth of the home network
- restarts the video from where I left off
 
For now, Android users are still looking out for the equivalent of Air Video.

Accidental iTunes Purchase? Report a Problem!

I was trying out Angry Birds Rio on my Android (free download, yeah!) and was getting past level after level rather effortlessly (I hate it when I get stuck in one level and would give up on the game thereafter. So game developers, take note!). So the next day, I asked my wife excitedly if she would like to try the game. To keep the excitement going, I quickly went to my computer, opened iTunes, searched "Angry Birds Rio". I saw the price: US$0.99. OOH CHEAP! I clicked on the "Buy" button, downloaded the app in less than a minute. I plugged my iPad to the computer, synced the app, and started it.

And I saw this:

Oops! I bought the iPhone version by mistake!!!!

Well, what could I do, I thought, so I expanded the screen, passed to wifey, and let her play. It looked awfully pixelated, but well, it would do.

After I tweeted about the mistake, I received a tweet reply that I could actually ask for a refund. Hmm, why didn't I think of that? And the best part is that there is already an existing process in place to do that. Simply go to iTunes, access your purchase history (Store -> View My Account), retrieve the app in question in view. When you click "Report a Problem", you will see the phrase "Report a Problem" appearing in every line item you purchased. Click the specific app that you want to report the problem about, and iTunes will load a new screen to allow you to describe the problem nicely and submit for their consideration.

After I submitted the request, I got a courtesy email response within 24 hours, informing me that they were unable to process the refund until the purchase was processed, which took about 3 days and you would know it when you received the purchase receipt via email. So there is no rush to report the problem.

OK, I got the refund. One question: how would Apple stop me from using the app that is already in my iPad? I guess they never could, but they sure would easily detect abuses to the process, since all purchases and refunds are tracked - even "purchases" of free apps

Meanwhile, I am a very happy customer.

Audio Speed Changing Apps: Android vs. iOS

Over the past few days, I was trying to find an app that I can adjust the speed of the audio files during playback - and preferably with an option to save/export the adjusted speed.

Why do I need that? Because ballet exams are approaching and the Royal Academy of Dance now allows the use of CD music for Pre-Primary and Primary grades. And rightfully so, because the tracks are entirely instrumental and uses lots of percussion arrangements to enliven the exercises. In fact, the piano arrangement is just uninspiring.

I have been tasked to alter the speed of some of the exercises so that it is more danceable. I usually use Adobe Audition to do the editing, but this year I thought I could use a portable computing device like the iPad to do the job.

So I tried to search what I wanted using these keywords: Audio, Speed, Tempo, Change, Time, WAV, MP3, Save, Export

It led me to Reforge for iPad, currently the only iOS app that allows me to export the new tempo into a new file. I paid US$5.99 and tried it, but soon found myself disliking the interface. Firstly, it is rather buggy. Some features stopped working and the app even hung the iPad. Also, the tempo rendering takes almost 1 minute, which is too long a wait to listen to the adjusted speed (though I must say the quality is quite good).

My quest continues and it appears after I dropped the ability to export, I got a handful of apps that can do real-time tempo adjustment and playback.

My favourite would have to be iLift for iPhone. You can just by semitone step, fine-tune within a semitone, and temp by percentage. The buttons are big and easy to adjust, and when running full-screen on iPad, you can't miss the buttons. Changes are on-the-fly. The only minor bug is that when I paused the music and want to start from another point, the app will still playback the previous point before resuming from the new point. It is rather irritating and disruptive. When you want to choose from the song list, the current song will stop playing. The tracks available has to store within the app, so if you want to use your iPod songs for adjustment, you have to add them first.
http://iliftapp.com/

The equivalent app in Android would have to be Audio Speed Changer. An added advantage is the display the waveform. And I can choose the next audio file without disrupting the current playback. But to adjust the speed would require the user to invoke a pop-up window. In the window, I can adjust by single percentage via a wheel or do vast adjustments via a drag bar. There is no option to adjust tempo, but that's the point about this app. I can select any song immediately from the Android phone library, the display list is a flat hierarchy and not in folders. Not an issue, because there is a search bar to get the song you want instantly.

Whichever app to choose depends on which platform you are using. But if you, like me, have both platforms, which one would I use? iLift for iPhone costs US$9.99, extremely pricey but worth the money if you need the functions as provided. Reforge for iPad costs US$5.99, and certainly more value for money with the list of audio features available. The drawback is the slow rendering of tempo changes and buggy. Audio Speed Change for Android is free, and offers only tempo changes. A paid version is in the works which will offer more premium features.

What's In The Envelope?

There's something in the manila envelope...

Ooh, there's an iPad in it.

Except, it's not made of paper. Look closer.

Made up of soft cloth material on the inside and smooth leather-like finishing on the outside, this iPad protective case lets you re-enact that "wow" moment as Steve Jobs unveiled the first MacBook Air.


There's velcro inside that helps to keep the flap secured, although it doesn't work due to the iPad thickness.

If you are interested to get one, head down to this Hong Kong based online shop to order. Free shipping worldwide.

Download iPad Apps from Office and Install from Home

Scenario: I am an iPad Wifi (no 3G) owner. I bring my iPad to work every day. My work place do not have open  Wifi, so I am unable to connect iPad to the Internet. I use the office computer and find free iPad apps, but these iPad apps are free only for a very limited time. By the time I return home, the apps are no longer free. I do not want to plug my iPad to my office computer iTunes because I do not want my office computer to sync all the apps in my iPad.

My solution: I install iTunes on my office computer. I login using my Apple ID. I download the apps from my office computer via iTunes. I copy the .IPA app files to my USB drive. I bring the files home. I open the iTunes from my home computer. I drag and drop the .IPA app files from my USB drive to iTunes. I sync my iPad in iTunes. The apps will appear in my iPad.

Yes it might be a longwinded way of getting apps into your iPad, but it is an effective way of getting the free apps that are often offered in very limited time frame. You will save time by downloading huge apps from office. And if you are like me who tethers my iPad to my mobile device (Nokia E72 via Joikuspot Premium), it might be a good idea to save the monthly bundled data. 1GB might seem a lot, but if each app size is 100MB, 10 downloads would deplete your monthly quota. And did I mention the battery drain when using your mobile device as a Wifi hotspot?

To find the folder that stores the .IPA app files, go to the iTunes Apps library that displays all your installed apps, then right click any app and select "Show in Windows Explorer".

Oh, and you can only install the .IPA app file on devices with the same Apple ID. So you can't share the .IPA file with your friends. iTunes will not allow the app to be installed in devices with a different Apple ID.

The iPad Camera Connection Kit

I ordered the iPad Camera Connection Kit (CCK) on 29 Jul with a "3-4 week delivery time". My colleague ordered his on 3 Aug with a "3-4 week delivery time". He received his CCK on 11 Aug. I haven't receive mine yet. Screwed up Apple Online Store ordering system. I decide to cancel my order.

We did some tests and here's what we gather:

- the SD adapter works without a question.
- many CF card readers plugged via the USB adapter doesn't work. Among the 4 readers, only 1 works with iPad.
- multi-card readers without the CF card slot appears to work via the USB adapter.
- thumbdrives plugged via the USB adapter doesn't work.
- USB keyboard plugged via the USB adapter works.
- digital cameras plugged via the USB adapter works.

Above: the only card reader with CF card slot we had that works with the iPad, and it's a pretty old card reader

Some of the CCK owners may have different experiences, but that really says it all: there is no guarantee on the CCK compatibility, except when plugging the SD card in the SD adapter and when you connect the digital camera to the USB adapter using the USB cable.

So anyway, I decided to cancel the CCK order because I don't intend to use the iPad heavily on photo editing and publishing. Perhaps over the next few months when more apps are created to maximise the potential, I might get it. And by then for sure, the stocks will be abundant.

My iPad Review - After 7 Days

When I decide to buy the Apple iPad, my mind is set on what role the device would play in my life. The iPad is going to be a family entertainment tool for gaming, for information browsing, a bit of music and photography creation and editing, all in the comfort of my private moments. For that reason, I choose the 16GB Wifi model.

The iPad is my first Apple device I have owned. Prior to this, I have never used an iPhone, so the iPad is a whole new experience for me. 7 days later, here are some of my comments.

1. Screen quality
Needless to say, it's impressive. When I showed my peers the device, the most common response I get is that they love the vibrancy of the screen. The images are sharp and when low-res images are extrapolated, they still look smooth and not pixelated.

2. Weight
The iPad is heavy. It feels like a hardcover book. If you hold it with one hand while using the other to navigate on the screen, and it gets tiring after a while. Balancing it behind the device is a no-no unless you have installed a protective case that gives you some grip.

3. Protection
Protection is the first thing you should do if you want to upkeep the newness of the iPad. I went to Sim Lim over the weekend to look a suitable screen protector and a case. After browsing the shops, I decided to buy an OEM unbranded case from Million Mobile for $39.90. It's actually an imitation of some branded casing that costs double. The case is very thick, sturdy and adds some weight to the iPad, but it's well-built, protects the iPad very well, and doubles as an adjustable stand. I think you really need a case that can support the iPad as a stand, because it would be tiring for you to always hold it on one hand and navigate on the other. When you are seated and place the iPad on your lap or on the table, the angle would not be right.

4. Input Methods
Although the iPad touch experience is unlike any competitors, it is only good for apps that rely on finger gestures. It's a challenge to navigate if you require pin-point accurate actions, like drawing or selecting text. Granted, Apple designed a few innovative ways to assist in the text selection, but nothing beats the speed of keyboard and mouse.

Text entry becomes more challenging with the iPad's soft keyboard. At any one time, only one finger can contact the screen, so you are not able to type in the natural way as a hardware keyboard. And when you pull up the soft keyboard, you have less screen space to view the content. With these inconveniences, I feel discouraged to do lots of word processing or write long emails.

5. The App Store and the Apps


The iTunes App Store is the one and only site that you go to for all your app needs, and the only way to install apps (except, ahem, eh... ok I shan't say more). The benefit of a single store is that you do not have to visit multiple sites to find the apps that you need. You will also be automatically notified via the App Store app on software updates, which you can download for free. The App Store also remembers your purchases, so if you try to download a previously-paid app that you have perhaps deleted, the App Store will inform you and you can download the app without paying again. And if you already have the app, the App Store will also indicate that.

There are many ways to find apps and download. You can visit the iTunes App Store itself, or visit many of the independent websites that compiles and recommends apps. My personal favourite is http://appshopper.com/ipad/ , it updates you on any changes to the apps, particularly price changes. Once a while, some apps will offer as free download for a limited time and you have to grab it before the price reverts again. Another site, http://www.freeappaday.com/ , displays the worthy apps in icons and clearly marks which apps are paid and which are free. This site, http://ipad.freeappalert.com/ , shows you the list of free iPad apps that were paid iPad apps yesterday.

You don't have to pay a lot to get loads of apps. I already have more than 100 apps downloaded on my iPad and so far I only paid for one app: Angry Birds HD at US$4.99 (S$7 at time of purchase). Finding good and useful apps can be rather rewarding, since it's the apps that gives you the iPad experience, without which the iPad is just a piece of soulless device.

For the frequent web-surfer, be warned that the iPad cannot load web pages running on Flash (thankfully, there is a dedicated app to run Flash-based Youtube videos). To a layman, that could catch them unaware because one doesn't know if the sites is running on Flash (until one encounters problem).

6. Multi-tasking Limitation
As of version 3.2.1, the only application that can multi-task is Safari. To work around this, most apps are designed to remember where you left off and will attempt to resume the session after you run the app. Some third-party apps that logically require it to run in the background, for instance, IM or Twitter apps, support push notification. When there are new messages, you will be notified by a pop-up window, and you can choose to run the app which will connect online to update the content before they are displayed in the app.

Personally, I find this terribly limiting. It basically means that whatever I do on the current app, I have to finish the session and I cannot run another app at the same time. Some apps developers circumvent this limitation by including a web browser within their app so that the app need not be forced to exit to run the Safari web browser. Other apps developers, for instance, Internet radio apps, pass the radio station link to the Safari web browser so that audio streaming can run in the background, via the web browser, while the user runs other apps (pretend multi-tasking).

7. Wifi without 3G
If you plan to use the iPad wherever you go without worrying about Wifi availability, then you would not regret paying $200 more for the 3G model. In fact, many apps rely on internet connectivity to bring you location-based information and updated news. Connecting online also helps you to work around some of the file-management constraints of the iPad.

At times, I do feel handicapped that I am unable to go online. Fortunately for me, there is a free solution. Joikuspot Light is a free application running on Symbian S60 (and a few other OSes). I have it installed on my Nokia E72 and all I do is to start the app and the E72 instantly becomes a wifi hotspot. This is sufficient for me, although regular use will deplete the E72 battery very fast. iPhone users would not be so lucky, because Apple goes all out to prevent any tethering app to work on the iPhone (unless you jailbreak it).

8. The PC iTunes Software and Sync Reliability Issue
During the first week, I already experienced intermittent synchronisation issues between the iPad and my PC-run iTunes software. Eventually it corrupted the contents in the iPad and I had to restore to factory settings. After searching online for solution, it appears there are some reliability issues arising from the USB connectivity. My advise: don't trigger the synchronisation process too often when your iPad is plugged to the PC. I guess I must have synced too many times too regularly during the first week as I attempted to download content to the iPad and make frequent changes.

I also do not like the iTunes PC software. Compared to the iPad, the iTunes software is not intuitive to use. Hearing all the accolades of Apple software, the iTunes software is definitely one that Apple should not be proud of (and I hope they can improve on it some day).

9 . USB Docking Cable
Apple's minimalist design applies even to the USB cable, which is thinner than most PC-based USB cables. The connection port seems fragile and susceptible to damages if plugged at wrong angles. While the design is nice, it doesn't give me the assurance of durability and ruggedness.


Conclusion
 The iPad is a computing device with limited capabilities but unlimited content interactivity. The long battery life, the sleekness of touch controls, the apps that draws limitless and latest information from the world wide web, makes it highly addictive. If you are used to a computer, you have to manage your expectations and to accept the limitations of the iPad. And when you do, the iPad will be your best electronic companion.


The iPad is now available for order at the Singapore Apple online store, so you do not have to queue at the retail shops to get yours.

The iPad Adventure

Ever since Fred let me have a try at his iPad, my mind is set to get one. For weeks, I had been monitoring the grapevine and hoping that the iPad will be released at the earliest date possible.


Finally, on 19 July, Apple announced that the iPad will be launched in 9 countries on 23 July, and Singapore is in the list.

The iPad is so highly sought-after by Apple fans and techie-consumers, that a queue is guaranteed to build up at all of the 30 reseller locations.

And I actually applied time off from work just to make sure I get my local warrantied iPad the very first moment it is officially launched in Singapore. (And was I glad I did)

My original plan was to head to the nearest reseller to my house: Junction 8 Best Denki. When Philip also expressed his interest to get one, I decided to head to the reseller near to his house: City Square Best Denki. I was told that these small outlets would not have sufficient stocks, but I'm willing to take the risk. It's not as if the iPad is in limited production quantity: worst case is wait another few more days or weeks.

I arrived at the Best Denki entrance at about 8.40am. There were about 10-odd people in the queue already.

I then went to buy breakfast while Philip queued for me. When I returned, the queue grew to about 20.

At about 9.15am, the Best Denki staff made an announcement about the procedures in purchasing the iPad, as follows:

1. When the Apple staff come to you, inform them of the model you want and they will issue you with the sales memo.
2. Once the store opens, proceed to the cashier to pay.
3. Bring the receipt to the Apple counter to receive your iPad.
4. Only iPad can be purchased. Any accessory purchase could only be made after 1pm.

Then at 9.35am, the Apple staff started making their rounds. Philip requested for the 16GB 3G+Wifi (S$928) while I requested for the 16GB Wifi (S$728). When the guy after me asked for 16GB Wifi, the Apple staff told him it's sold out. I was like "WHAT? AM I LUCKY!" I was the last person in the outlet to get the 16GB Wifi! I then deduced that there are only 8 sets of 16GB Wifi because the sale invoice I was given had a handwritten code that said "W16-08", which means Wifi version. The 3G version would read "G16-xx".

Eventually, the guy behind me decided to get the 32GB Wifi (S$878). Anyway, he was contemplating throughout the wait between 16GB and 32GB, as we rationalised with him whether the capacity is sufficient.

With the sales memo in my hands, there was nothing left to worry. It is already mine. No need to rush into the store. In fact, a few of the queue-ers loitered around to wait for their friends to arrive so that they could pay for themselves.

When we reached the collection counter, we glanced at all the available stocks laid nicely on the counter. I reckon there are about 60 sets in total. I happen to notice each box had the handwritten code that corresponds to the sales memo, and that's how they ensured each unit is matched to the sales memo. The 64GB 3G+Wifi had 22 sets, because I saw "G64-22" at the end of the stack. As for the rest of the models, I didn't probe.

By 10.10am, we're out of Best Denki with our "trophies". The whole experience was orderly and quiet. There was no hype, no groans. In Philip's words, "disappointing". I told him, "You want action, go queue at Wheelock or 313."

Later the afternoon, I read a Straits Times online article and found that they had reporters going to Parkway and Wheelock to take photos. Fortunately for us, we were spared of the publicity.

At the time of posting this article, my wife is still playing "Angry Birds", a paid app at US$4.99, the first that I downloaded. And up till the time I worked on this article, I was browsing the iTunes App Store to look for free and interesting apps to download.

Many friends have contacted me over SMS, calls, Facebook and Twitter about the iPad. Some asked me for review and comments. All I can say is: the iPad is defined by the apps you use. See, in every Apple device, there is always a primary function: iPod is music and video, iPhone is phone. So, what is iPad's primary function? It's everything and anything.

As a first-time iPod/iPhone/iPad OS interface user, I am humbly impressed by the convenience of iTunes App Store, and truly appreciate how it actually propels these devices to phenomenal successes. Without such a convenient platform, the capabilities of a device stops short of whatever applications it comes with out-of-the-box. In addition, while some other phone makers have tried to set up their own apps store, it is generally met with frustration by the consumer who is unable to find a lot of useful or interesting apps to increase their joy of experiencing the device.

The only time I lose interest in the iPad is the time when I can no longer find apps that are useful to me. And I suppose it's quite a hard feat to achieve, when there are over 225,000 apps in store.

(below are photos of Philip unboxing his 16GB 3G+Wifi at his home-office)

iPad Works For Me

http://twitpic.com/21omra - iPad works for me, so im gonna get it. Thanks @winterain44 minutes ago via Gravity

Yes, gentlemen. While I may proclaim that I’m not getting iPhone due to the soft keyboard, I had the privilege to try the iPad during a lunch meetup with my friend Fred (http://www.fred-lin.com/) . The large screen works and I can type very well. The racing car games are fun with the accelerometer and gives realism with the large screen. What impresses me is the piano keyboard app that allows me to play the piano keys like a real piano. The size is just right for the iPad! The experience I had is just like what I felt when Peter introduced the Nokia E71. To me, the iPad is an family entertainment device, not a personal device like mobile phone. The large screen is a major plus for information sharing, playing, web surfing, lazing.