Of course only a few days later and I like everyone else was blown away by the quality of the display I had in my hand.

Fast forward a couple of years and two iPad versions later and today I was awaiting the delivery of the first iPad model to sport a retina display. Despite the lessons of last time I’ll admit I was still not prepared for the extent of the difference discernable between iPad 2 and the third Generation iPad.

First, was a comparison of the photographic site 500px displayed in Safari – there was a noticeable difference.

Download full resolution comparison images.

The difference is even more obvious as you zoom in:

However, even that didn’t prepare me for the infinite improvement in the display of 2x apps designed for iPhone. A particular annoyance for me has always been the lack of a dedicated iPad version of the Spotify app, but just look at the improvement in the display of Spotify from iPad 2 to the new iPad.

Suffice it to say the iPad 3rd Generation screen is completely astounding, it’s something that really needs to be seen to be believed.

Following on from my recent post about the iPhone 4 Bumper case and an excellent follow-up comment on it from Jonathan Issacs I thought I’d outline a few issues I’ve found with charging my iPhone 4.

First, to address Jonathan’s question, which was:

Great post Elaine, I assume that when using a bumper this has to be taken off for the phone to use the dock?

However I’m sure I read somewhere that this wasn’t the case (no pun intended), could you shed some light on the situation?

I made the decision not to buy the new dock, which is especially designed for iPhone 4, long before I sat in the store on launch day facing the temptation head-on! I was still smarting from my recent purchase of the iPad dock and my disappointment with it, full details of why I was disappointed are in MacBites Episode 44 but a few of my issues with it are:

1. It won’t charge the iPad without removing the case
2. It isn’t sturdy enough to hold the iPad and allow typing on the screen without the iPad rocking dangerously
3. It only holds the iPad in portrait mode, not the best for watching video

All of which didn’t stop me admiring the aesthetics of the new dock on launch day, but I refrained. The reason I refrained was that the new dock will not charge the iPhone without removing the Bumper case. This would not be a big issue but for how awkward it is to remove the Bumper case, which is extremely close fitting.

I had high hopes of repurposing the iPad dock for use with the iPhone 4 but it doesn’t fit the iPhone 4 either with or without the Bumper *foiled again*.

But no worries I guess there’s always the charging cable, right?

Well it turns out not all charging cables are made equal and when your iPhone 4 is wearing a Bumper this makes a difference. Over the years the design of these cables has varied greatly and they don’t all work with the new Bumper clad iPhone 4.

From the left these are, iPhone 4, iPod 60gb Video, generic replacement cable

The cable that ships with the iPhone 4 works perfectly even when it’s in the Bumper case. However, the 60gb video iPod cable doesn’t work and neither does the generic replacement on the right.

The dock connector with the Bumper case on

The reason is the width of the plastic casing, as shown in the image of the cables above and the silicon inside the Bumper covering the connector, shown in the previous image.

The head of the cable has become progressively thinner over the years and while this is elegant in design it’s not without issues.

Obviously my immediate concern is that a wider casing means it won’t charge my iPhone without removing the case.

A corollary issue is that the reason I had bought a generic replacement rather than a replacement cable manufactured by Apple was that with each interaction of the Apple cable it has become more fragile and less fit for purpose.

I have had an Apple cable split at the connector end on my iPod Shuffle, Apple acknowledged the issue and replaced it. Sadly this wasn’t a one off and there are at least three Apple cables in the house right now that I don’t deem safe to use, having split in general use.

Here’s just one of them!

So it looks like a catch 22 for me right now, I’m happy with the Bumper case but using it means I can’t use the dock or anything other than a new style Apple cable for charging and synching, the build quality and/or design of which is, in my opinion, flawed for anything other than extremely light use.

This is my second iPhone the first being the 3G version in 2008, I was forced to miss the 3GS due to the 18 month contract I was locked into with O2. This time however I had outwitted them by transferring to the Simplicity for iPhone contract in January this year paying £20 a month for more voice minutes and texts with the other services staying the same.

Since the white iphone 4 wasn’t available on launch day my only decision was between the 16gb and 32gb versions and since this would be my first iPhone capable of recording video I considered the decision pretty much made for me … a 32gb it would be.

So I was all sorted, or was I? The only thing I hadn’t decided on was a case. When Apple announced the iPhone 4 they also announced a semi-case called a Bumper. As a case was a bit lacking as it had neither a back or a front, it was in essence a strip of what looked like elastic which wrapped around the metal edge of the new device.

I’ll admit I wasn’t particularly impressed with it as a case and even less impressed with the price of $29 which using Apple’s exchange rate translated to £25. Hence, the only options available at launch were a £25 elastic band or a naked iPhone. I decided to reserve judgement on the Bumper until I’d seen it, which proved to be a wise move.

The night before launch a story started circulating regarding the cellular signal gradually diminishing when the iPhone 4 was held in a certain way. More information followed to the effect that it was touching the antenna system especially in the lower left corner of the phone that was causing the problem. If true then adding a Bumper to the device should mitigate the issue. The queue was alive with talk of this potential problem and there was much debate as to whether the Bumper would prevent it.

The staff brought phones out of the store to demo them to those waiting in the five various queues they had organized and when I asked if we could see the Bumpers in action he promptly returned to the store and brought one out which he passed around the queue. It was helpful to be able to see it and even better to be able to test it prior to making a decision regarding it’s purchase.

I decided in the end that it didn’t detract too much from the new sleek design and in fact having tried it I could see that with a Bumper I might not need any other case. The rim of the Bumper lifts the phone off any surface it is laid on so there’s less chance of scratching it. It also made the iPhone feel very secure when I was holding it, much more so than the case on my 3G.

Obviously with chatter reaching monumental proportions over the signal issue I tried replicating the symptoms on my iPhone 4 but with or without the Bumper I could not get the signal to degrade irrespective of how I held the device but plenty of others are reporting that they can so your mileage may vary.

Since my purchase many people have commented that they are seriously considering purchasing a Bumper to mitigate any problem with signal loss arising from touching the antenna. So for those considering the purchase here are a few images which show various comparisons between an iPhone 4 with a Bumper and one without.

Comparison of the front

Comparison of the back

There’s a cutout for the mute button and metal buttons for the volume controls

Cutout for headphone jack, secondary microphone and a metal button for the power switch

Yes it shows finger prints on the plastic strips

Contrary to my initial skepticism the Bumper isn’t just an elastic band it has more shape than that, nor is it made solely from rubber/silicon. There are shiny plastic strips on each edge which keep the shape of the Bumper.

Showing the cutout and buttons

Cutout for the iPhone charging/synching connector

Interior view of the cutout for the mute switch and volume controls

Interior view of the headphone jack cutout and the power switch

So that’s the iPhone 4 Bumper, I’d love to hear what you think and if you’ve any questions just add a comment!

As with any new gadget the initial device is only half the story, as soon as the wrapping is off you’re on the prowl for those nice little additions that will make your purchase feel right at home.

I had already ordered the Apple case and charging dock at the same time as the iPad so I didn’t expect to be heading out quite so soon for more “office warming gifts” to help my iPad settle in.

The problems with the Apple iPad dock were evident immediately. First, it was not designed to be used with an iPad in an Apple case so the case needs to be removed every time it’s used. There is an alternative already adopted by many and that is to modify the case, making the cut out area around the dock connector bigger. I wasn’t prepared to do that and even if I had been it wouldn’t have addressed the other issues I had with the dock.

My second issue was that even having taken the iPad out of it’s case, and that’s no mean feat as it’s a very snug fit, to seat it correctly in the dock, attempting to type on it was not a good experience. The whole iPad moves as you type on it, not dangerously so but enough to make trying to type on it annoying.

Last but by no means least was the fact that the dock does not allow the iPad to be displayed/held in landscape mode. Since it plays videos beautifully I anticipated using the iPad in landscape mode frequently. Although not specially designed for landscape display the iPhone dock will safely hold the phone in that orientation and I’d anticipated being able to use the iPad dock in a similar way.

There are plenty of images out there showing the iPad in landscape mode using nothing more than the Apple case but after trying this I came to the conclusion that it was far from secure enough for my new toy.

So armed with a set of very specific requirements I was in the market for a new stand. It needed to:

• Hold the iPad securely in portrait mode
• Hold the iPad securely in landscape mode
• Allow the iPad to be charged
• Let me type on the virtual keyboard without the iPad rocking
• Not take up an excessive amount of desk space
• Be portable
• Look half decent!

Talking with iPad owning friends I narrowed the choice down to 3, the Stabile, the Luxa2 H4 and the Book Arc.

Stabile

Luxa2 H4

Book Arc

The Stabile is hardly portable at 4lbs and it also needs a lot of valuable desktop space.

As for the Luxa2 H4, call me shallow but I couldn’t get past the “pegs” that hold the iPad in place, in fact after a while the “pegs” were all I could see.

That left the Book Arc which looked like it ticked all the boxes. Only problem seemed to be nowhere had any in stock yet.

Roll on Saturday morning and an emergency trip to the Apple Store was needed (no REALLY needed … honest!) so while there I of course perused what the accessories section had to offer. Surprisingly they had the Book Arc in stock and the staff were more than obliging in permitting an unboxing to test it out. That was when I realized I needed to add another requirement to the list – I really wanted to be able to use it without taking the Apple case off the iPad.

The Book Arc is really nothing more than an arc of metal with a large slot cut out. The cut out is edged with a grey latex insert, the function of which is to protect the iPad from damage. There are actually two of these latex inserts in the box. The first is used when the iPad is case-less and the second had a wider gap to allow it to be used without the need to remove the iPad’s case before use.

Since I had my iPad with me I was able to test this.

Without the case it worked well, there is a cut out to allow access to the home button and the viewing angle can be adjusted albeit only very slightly. It was very neat, completely portable and allows the iPad to be charged in both orientations. It looks beautiful and feels like Apple themselves have made it.

It wasn’t perfect though, the angle it held the device at made it difficult to type on and when you did there was too much movement in the iPad.

Changing the latex insert I tried it with the iPad in it’s case and things got worse. While the insert might work perfectly well with a skin type of case it clearly wasn’t made with the Apple case in mind. It would just about fit into the gap but it was too tight for comfort and seemed to force the iPad to lean forward.

I was disappointed but luckily while I was considering what other options there were my eye caught something from Griffin and it’s perfect.

It’s a Griffin A-Frame, best described as a small copy holder for your iPad. It’s 100% solid to type on in both portrait and landscape modes. The viewing angle adjusts more than you’d imagine by moving the leg at the back.

The stand is substantial but not so heavy to not be portable. It has integrated rubber feet which hold it in position and a rubber shelf that the iPad sits on. It also has rubber back supports that ensure case-less iPads are held securely without damage. There’s integrated cable management via the leg at the back.

The A-Frame is equally usable when the iPad is in the Apple case holding it comfortably in place with the front flap folded in behind the iPad or dangling over the back.

Amazingly it didn’t end there though. The Griffin A-Frame had some extra benefits I hadn’t included in my original list of requirements.

It can be folded to lie flat which raises the iPad just enough to create a comfortable typing angle, it folds flat for travel and holds the iPhone in portrait mode which is great for TV/video watching.

Surprisingly it even allows the Apple dock to be attached to the iPad whilst using the A-Frame. It you think that sounds like something you’d never need to do think again! Attaching the dock in that way allows the Camera Connection Kit to be used while the iPad is held in the A-Frame

It was £39.95 in the Apple Store which was £5 more expensive than the Book Arc, priced at £34.94. Prices at various online stores were considerably lower at £29.95 but they had none in stock.

Don’t you love it when you find the perfect peripheral and you’re not forced in to a compromise of some sort

Update on Tuesday, 1 June 2010 at 17:00

I need to clarify that when I said “… holds the iPhone in portrait mode which is great for TV/video watching.” I really did mean the iPhone! While the gap in the A-Frame plinth is too wide to hold the iPhone in portrait mode it does hold it in landscape. So yes I really was referring to the iPhone

Also thought I’d add a few more photos for those folks who have asked what the iPad looks like on the A-Frame inside the Apple Case.

Oh yes a new tech toy to play with!!

I started podcasting in 2006 not long after getting my first Mac computer. While GarageBand and other applications installed on every new Mac facilitate the podcast creation process nicely it didn’t take long to realize that you need a good microphone if you want to get the best out of the applications.

I didn’t want to go down the route of external audio interfaces and complicated setups as I needed the solution I settled upon to be as portable as possible for making recordings away from the office. After some research I went with the beautifully crafted Blue Snowball USB microphone and I’ve used it ever since together with it’s smaller sibling the Blue Snowflake.

Obviously I’ve used it for podcasting but also for all the online training, presentations and seminars I’ve delivered and/or participated in during the past four years. The only thing I’d have changed about the Blue Snowball was the addition of a Gain control. I learned to manage the gain in an artificial way via software but it wasn’t ideal.

Enter the Blue Yeti microphone, announced in November 2009, a USB microphone with a stunning feature set and a performance level to match.

The Blue Yeti is large, very large, when using the included stand it towers at almost a foot high. The build quality is superb, the Yeti has a heavy solid feel to it to be expected when it weighs in at 3.5 pounds. The body of the microphone sports simple controls for setting the pattern selection, instantly muting the microphone and configuring the microphone gain. It also has a headphone jack on the base of the unit together with a standard threaded stand mount next to the mini USB port.

Installation, at least on a Mac, is simplicity itself merely a case of plugging in the USB cable and the system recognized it straight away. One of the features the Yeti has that the Snowball doesn’t is a built-in headphone amplifier on the base, as mentioned, which provides zero-latency monitoring. This is extremely convenient for my new studio setup, where I’m using a Mac Mini for audio recording, meaning I don’t have to move the Mini to access the headphone socket.

The pattern selection switch allows the microphone to be configured optimally for various recording types, including:

• Stereo (vocals, ensemble choir and instruments)
• Cardioid (podcasts, voiceovers, vocals and instruments)
• Omnidirectional (conference calls, field recordings and events/orchestra)
• Bidirectional (interviews, instruments and vocal duets)

Despite having a purpose built studio which provides much insulation against external noise I opted to use the cardioid pattern mode, to further reduce the chances of picking up extraneous noise, and was extremely pleased with the results. The sound is rich, deep and crystal clear. The sound quality is very impressive even when compared with Blue’s own Snowball which has served me well.

The instant mute button might be dismissed as nothing more than a nicety but for me it was a major advantage over the Blue Snowball. I spend many hours each week using online conferencing facilities such as Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro where, although software mute is provided, I have to click away from my demonstration to temporarily disable my microphone. The opportunity to simply click an easily accessible button is not only faster but will be less error prone when I have several applications vying for screen space.

Blue are making much of the fact that the Yeti is the world’s first THX Certified microphone. As the joint press release from Blue and THX put it:

“Yeti is the first microphone to offer the quality and range of versatility to produce best quality recordings in a wide range of situations, including podcasts, vocals, live or event recording, interviews, broadcasts, instruments, bands and more. low distortion, high fidelity, and balanced frequency response.”

I’m very pleased with my Blue Yeti so far and looking forward to putting it through it’s paces in the coming months with both existing commitments and some exciting new projects.

For those interested in such details the tech specs are below.

Technical Specifications

Microphone and Performance

• Power Required/Consumption: 5V 150mA
• Sample Rate: 48 kHz
• Bit Rate: 16bit
• Capsules: 3 Blue-proprietary 14mm condenser capsules
• Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional, Stereo
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Sensitivity: 4.5mV/Pa (1 kHz)
• Max SPL: 120dB (THD: 0.5% 1kHz)

Headphone Amplifier

• Impedance:16 ohms
• Power Output (RMS): 130 mW
• THD: 0.009%
• Frequency Response: 15 Hz – 22 kHz
• Signal to Noise: 100dB

Specifications

• Dimensions (extended in stand): 4.72″ (12cm) x 4.92″(12.5cm) x 11.61″(29.5cm)
• Weight (microphone): 1.2 lbs (.55 kg)
• Weight (stand): 2.2 lbs (1 kg)

System Requirements

• PC: Windows 7, Windows Vista, XP Home Edition or XP Professional
• USB 1.1/2.0; 64 MB RAM (minimum)
• Macintosh: Mac OSX ( 10.4.11 or higher )
• USB 1.1/2.0
• 64 MB RAM (minimum)