I am lumping these three apps together as there isn’t a whole lot to say about them other than a few notes on how they work, additionally they are all now native apps on the iPad 2 and generally I don’t review the native apps but in this case given that these apps are newly introduced to this device, I felt that they were worth mentioning. If you have an iPad 2 then you don’t have to do anything to get these apps, they will be present when you first turn it on. If you do not yet have an iPad 2, then it is time to get one. If you have an iPhone 4 then you are probably use to using the FaceTime and Camera app, Mac users are likely familiar with the Photobooth app. All three of these apps function virtually identical to their counterparts even if they look a bit different.
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Posts Tagged ‘Facetime’
Review: FaceTime, Photobooth and Camera for iPad
1 Week Later – Was It Worth It?
Here we are, 1 week later and the question on everyone’s mind is ‘was it worth it?’ I have had a lot of time to play with my iPad this week and although I have not had very much time at all to write about it, I wanted to make sure to write a few posts about the iPad 2. Everyone who knows me thinks of me as the biggest geek they know, often times this means that most all around me come to me for advise about their iPad, information on apps and tips on usage. I am always happy to give them advise, after all, that is why I started this blog. It still amazes me though that they are so surprise at how excited I was to get my iPad 2. We went from a lot of questions of ‘Why’ last week, to questions of ‘was it worth it’ to now, ‘how can I get an iPad 2′.
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Review: The All-New iPad 2
The iPad 2 (Prices vary by model)
As I am sure you are aware, the iPad 2 was released to the public yesterday, March 11, 2011. The widely anticipated release has put in our hands the best iPad on the market. As a matter of fact some reviewers have said that with the release of the iPad 2, it becomes the only tablet on the market. I too was there to purchase the iPad 2 yesterday and now that I have had sufficient time to use it, play with it and try things out I can give you a fair assessment. Of course many of you would probably expect me to give a perfect rating simply because of my obsession with . The truth is that I fully intend to give an unbiased rating, not because I love , but rather an assessment of how the device truly works.
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Apple Announces the iPad 2
Ok, we knew this was coming, we just didn’t have all the details. Well today Apple officially announced the release of the iPad 2. According to Steve Jobs, “2011. This will be the year of the iPad 2″, this new iPad is expected to by far outshine its competition. With a myriad of tablets expected to be released this year, the iPad really has to go far to stay ahead. One thing I have personally learned about Apple over the years is that no matter what people speculate going into an Apple event, they never cease to WOW me with the details of their new device. No matter how hard I try to not have to have that new device, I always end up being there to get it! The iPad 2 is no exception, with the sleek new design and new features it is sure to stay ahead of any competing device. And of course the hardest thing for any competitor is to beat that price!
Getting ready for the iPad 2
Apple today sent out an invitation to select people to their upcoming March 2nd event which will presumably announce the iPad 2. And so it begins the uncomfortable wait between when we find out about the new Device and when we can actually get it!! Sadly during this period I usually can think of nothing BUT iDevices, it drives my wife and co-workers crazy. Just 1 week from today and we will find out about the new iPad 2. There has been much speculation in recent days, a lot of news reports going around, everything from an iPad 3 in September to the delay of the iPad 2 until June or July. I tend to not believe much about what the rumors say until I see it for myself. Some of the things we’ve heard about the new iPad are more memory, Facetime and even speculation about a higher resolution screen. I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out until March 2nd. In the meantime, speculate on!!
Of course the topic of the iPad is just speculation but take a look at the invitation and you device for yourself:
Review: Skype (iPhone)
Skype (Skype Software S.a.r.l FREE) Universal App
This is one of those apps that I haven’t used a whole lot, primarily because the earlier editions didn’t provide me with any value. However once they released the update that supported Multitasking I installed it on my phone and have had it on there ever since. My use is still sporadic at best but I find myself using it a lot more now especially now that video chat is enabled. Yes Skype recently updated their app to support Video Chat, this includes video chat over 3G which does away with the restriction of WiFi only that Facetime has. This app is a universal app but I have NEVER used it on anything but my iPhone so for the purpose of this review I’ll be specifically referring to the iPhone version. I really have no idea if they are any different At one point last summer Skype toyed with the idea of charging some sort of fee to use these features on your iPhone. However for the time being all usage of standard Skype features is free. You can use it to call other Skype users (to their desktop or iPhone), video chat with them (if you have an iPhone 4) or IM with them all through the Skype service for free.
The video chat feature is new and was just introduced a few days ago. I have played around with it and although the video quality isn’t as good as FaceTime, it is certainly within the realm of what I would consider acceptable. You must have an iPhone 4 (since it has the front facing camera) to do a video chat over Skype, all other users can participate in a video call, viewing the video but not sending any video. This means that until the iPad gets a front facing camera, you can use Skype on it to participate in video conferences just without the ability to send video of your own. The video chat works well and provides an easy link to anyone with video capabilities. From your chat list you can see a video icon next to contacts that have those capabilities. Should a call come in during a video chat, the chat will be placed on hold while you take that call. In addition to video you can also send and receive phone calls to any other Skype user by simply selecting that contact in your list, or call a landline or cell phone using voip, for an additional fee. The ability to call landlines or cell phones requires that you setup additional services with Skype and depending on the type of account you signup for, you may receive your own phone number.
The convenience factor here is significant, with Skype being heavily used world wide there is already a large network of users with whom you can communicate. And since all the base services are free, it is perfect for communicating with family members, whether abroad or out of town. I do use Skype from time to time for work related calls as most of my coworkers use Skype to communicate. Other than that I don’t use it a whole lot. Although now with the ability to do video chat over 3G I can see myself using it a lot more in the near future.