April 2010

13+ Ways to Extend your iPad’s Battery Life

by Michael Sheehan on April 30, 2010

in Apple, Consumer Electronics, Fix It, Gadgets, General, Hardware, HTD Tech Tip, iPad, iPhone, Mobile

I have now been the lucky owner of an iPad for a little over an week now, and each day I’m becoming yet more attached to it. But this article is not about my “love affair.” It’s more about keeping the love running as long as possible, namely getting the most out of the iPad’s battery, which isn’t too shabby on its own.

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Before I got my hands on the iPad, I was hearing all sorts of great things about how long the battery lasted. When I got mine all loaded up with much of the same apps and configurations as my iPhone, I noticed something odd. I was motoring through the battery, a lot faster that I had anticipated. On my iPhone, I use a Mophie Juice Pack Air, which, coupled with my iPhone’s battery, lasts about a day of active use.

So, I needed to figure out what was causing my iPad to suck though its battery charge so quickly (and let me qualify “quickly” – it would go through about 50% of the battery in about a day, which is still quite good). I had to make a decision which many people may need to make as well: do you want to mimic your smart phone (e.g. iPhone) or can you survive with a different type of functionality? Simply stated, the iPad is not an iPhone and should be configured differently. My iPhone is a “Communication Device” and my iPad is a “Media Consumption & Media Creation Device.”

Here are some tips and things to think about when you set up your iPad:

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The Ford Sync – a “Knight Rider” for the Rest of Us

by Michael Sheehan on April 28, 2010

in Audio, Auto, Cellular, Consumer Electronics, Gadgets, General, Hardware, Microsoft, Review, Safety, Video

Remember way back in the 80′s there was a TV show called Knight Rider where one of the two main characters was a car that talked to you and responded to your voice commands? Of course K.I.T.T. (the name of the car which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand), did a lot more than just answer commands, he drives “himself”, can remotely come and pick you up, dodge weaponry and a bunch of really cool other things. Sounds like the perfect school taxi to me.

Anyway, the reason I bring up Knight Rider is because after spending about 10 days with the 2010 Ford Flex and getting to know the Ford Sync (powered by Microsoft technology), I started to think that K.I.T.T. isn’t that far out. I mean, there are several things that the Flex can do now that back in the 80′s we never thought could happen.

Before I get into discussing the Ford Sync, I just wanted to mention one feature that I didn’t get to test (because the Flex that I was testing out didn’t come equipped with it). There is a feature called Active Park Assist which helps you not only parallel park your car, it will also help you find a space that the car could fit into. Using a bunch of built in ultrasonic sensors, the Flex will scan empty parking spaces as you drive by (unless you live in San Francisco or New York where parking spaces just don’t exist). Once a space is found, with just a few button clicks, you take your hands off the wheel and the car basically parks itself, perfectly. I wish that I could have been able to test this feature out, but I really wanted to focus a bit more on the Ford Sync functionality.

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Before I get into more writing about the Ford Sync, perhaps you should see it in action. Here is a quick video that was filmed on the road showing a few of the many Ford Sync commands at work:

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No AT&T iPhone Tethering Because of the Apple iPad 3G?

by Michael Sheehan on April 26, 2010

in Apple, Cellular, Consumer Electronics, Gadgets, General, Hardware, iPad, iPhone, Mobile, Opinion

Is tethering ever going to arrive for AT&T and the iPhone? Rumor has it, it will be coming soon. We are a year later after there was an announcement that tethering would be coming to the iPhone. But then various parties started dragging their feet. Could AT&T handle the extra strain on their network? Was the feature just not ready yet? Or was it something else…

I’m starting to think that we have all be led down an alternate path…on purpose, and I blame Apple’s latest product announcement…the iPad 3G.

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Could AT&T really be that behind on their tethering plans? I mean come on, other carriers are able to do tethering and AT&T is allows it with other non-iPhone phones. I’m starting to think that there might be a little conspiracy going on here. Perhaps Steve Jobs talked to the execs over at AT&T to tell them to drag their feet a bit when it came to the tethering functionality. Let’s think about this a bit more.

  • Apple announces tethering at WWDC 2009
  • Later, AT&T says that tethering won’t be available in the U.S. for a while (you can tether if you have a jailbroken phone though so it does “work”)
  • Apple this year announces the iPad WiFi and 3G editions
  • WiFi (and 3G) versions are delayed in Europe because of “demand”
  • Still no tethering in the US nor even a mention by Apple or AT&T, anywhere!

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“From One End To The Other” (Literally) – Cast of Dads Podcast #16

by Michael Sheehan on April 23, 2010

in Audio, Cast of Dads, Family, General, Parenting, PodCast

From one end of the pool to the other? Nope! From the end of the universe and back again? Hardly! Let’s think about the main thing that kids seem to do…a lot…eat from one end and then send it out the other. Well, we had a lot of fun on Episode #16 of the Cast of Dads podcast discussing, as usual, a wide variety of parenting topics, all from the “daddy perspective.”

We actually started in the oposite direction and worked our way up. Here are some of the topics that we covered in Episode #16:

  • Potty Training
  • Peeing off the back porch
  • Doing the Orangutan Hang?
  • Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
  • Farmer’s Markets
  • Locally sourced food
  • Ketchup makes everything taste better
  • Eating with the kids
  • Magic Hat Howling Shepard’s pie
  • Meatloaf Cupcakes
  • A Cast of Dads Cookbook
  • Smoothies
  • Organic or not?
  • Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
  • Locally sourced restaurants
  • Being a Dad is FOREVER
  • Having parents nearby

If you have questions or ideas for topics that you would like us to cover (remember, between all of us we have 13 children ranging from newborns to young adults), just send us an email to castofdads@gmail.com or tweet us at @CastofDads! Also, our podcast listener base is growing! If you are interested in sponsoring our podcast for an episode or a month, be sure to contact us!

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How to Become a Kid Again – Get a New Gadget!

April 23, 2010

People have been searching for the Fountain of Youth for ever, the magic elixir that will keep them perpetually young. I hate to disappoint them, there really is no such thing. Youth comes from within, from your soul, your heart and your mind. If you want to be young, you will be. Conversely, you want [...]

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My First Days with the 2010 Ford Flex – Beginning to Explore the Technology

April 20, 2010

I have not had a new car in over 10 years. And, I had always thought that American Cars were lagging behind foreign autos in so many ways: design, styling, features and especially, technology. My perspective has now flipped about 180 degrees, especially around the technology factor. Here’s why… This is an on-going series about [...]

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Wireless Streaming Audio from your Computer with Mint Studio & an iPod Dock As Well

April 19, 2010

There are so many different speaker for iPods and other personal audio players out there that I’m almost reluctant to review any anymore. There is rarely any point of differentiation making it worth even discussing. But every once and a while, I come across a speaker system that is a bit different, enough so to [...]

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That “Nagging” Voice – Getting Directions (#LoseTheLaptop)

April 15, 2010

Men refuse to ask for directions. Perhaps it is an “independence” thing or has something to do with pride. Women, on the other hand, insist on the careful organization and planning of trips, stopping and ensuring that the way is meticulously laid out. This could go as far back as the early hunter and gatherer [...]

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