YTC032 - UK iPad Launch

Various musings

iPad and the C.U.C

Wow! The iPad launch in the UK seems to have been far more successful than even I imagined.

Outstanding.

If you want to learn more about the iPad, I've just been invited to attend a local event here in Liverpool on Wednesday, 2nd June at the Contemporary Urban Centre. It's an evening of discussion, drinks and demos centred on Apple's new iPad.

I've just agreed to take part in a panel discussion following some great speakers so it should be an interesting night.

More information here

It's a free event so if you're in the North West, pop along and say hello!

Neat idea...

Just putting another gadget through its paces whilst travelling. Picked up a CallPod on the recommendation of Pat Mahon (I'll have to un-follow him soon, he's costing me a fortune).

It's a CallPod

Basically its a power hub that allows you to charge up to six devices from a single wall socket. What's neat though is that it's supplied with several mini leads designed for various bits of kit. You can leave behind the original charging leads and wall plugs and just take the CallPod and mini leads.

This is the first time I've used it properly and it works really well, even charging my iPad from the universal iPod mini lead. As you can see, I've been able to charge my iPhone, external battery, Kodak Zi8 and also the 3Mobile Mifi (out of the photo).

I have discovered I'm a couple of leads short, namely two micro USB leads for the Mophie Juicepack and the Novetel MiFi, but you can order these separate from CallPod.

It's certainly reduced the amount of cables I've had to bring with me!

Thinking Digital 2010

Spending a couple of days in the North East of England attending the annual Thinking Digital conference.

It's my first time, both visiting the North East and also attending TD, but I've heard nothing but good things about both!

I particularly like the idea that the conference is a single track - no decisions to be made on what sessions to attend, or worrying five minutes into a session if you really would have been better off attending the session in the next room. Everyone attends the single track.

Hopefully I'll pick up some good ideas and the conference will give me lots to think about. It's always good to break away from the routine of the usual working week and get some perspective how others working in Digital Media are thinking and acting.

Today (Wednesday) is the first full day of sessions although I travelled up yesterday.

The organisers laid on some special workshops for early arrivals and I opted to attend an "Arduino Power Workshop". I've always been interested in electronics and have fancied a play with one of these devices for a while.

It's basically a programmable chip on a circuit board with various pins exposed, along with a USB connector to connect to a PC or Mac. Attach LEDs, Resistors, Motors, etc to the Arduino and then write some code to control it on the computer. Compile and upload your code to the Arduino and watch it work - magic!

Well I managed to complete all of the exercises but still need to learn a bit more about electronics theory, but it's a great way to get started. A nice touch was that they let us keep the starter kits that we had been using, so I can carry on experimenting when I get home.

Will keep you posted on the TD conference and you can catch any related Tweets by using the hashtag #TDC10

Nearly makes up for it...

Finally got around to watching the Google IO presentation on Android 2.2 yesterday. Some pretty impressive tech but overall I was left sorely disappointed by the continuous jibes at Apple from the presenter.

Perhaps "sorely disappointed" isn't quite the correct term.

I found the tone and nature of the jibes to be totally unprofessional and in most cases completely juvenile. I may vent some more about this next week.

In the meantime, one pleasant thing to come out of the Google IO conference was the inclusion of a ScreenCastsOnline badge on one of the demos screens. I missed it myself but Stu Helm and Elaine Giles were kind enough to send me a screen grab.

You can click on the image to see the full size version


Looks like it was a frame from YouTube before the session started. If anyone saw it during the presentation, please let me know!

Anyhow, it still doesn't make up for Googles unwarranted Apple bashing. IMHO

Update: My good mate Mark from over at Automated Home Website sent me a link to the actual footage of the bit where theScreenCastsOnline logo appeared in the presentation: