January 2010 – Matt Simerson

iPad feature request – user profiles

When the first iPhone was released, it was expensive, limited to 2G (EDGE), and didn’t offer tethering. I was out of contract but I was in graduate school and tethering was my killer app. So I waited. Nine months later the price dropped, the first jailbreak was released, tethering was possible, and I ordered one.

It wasn’t long before I petitioned Steve for a ‘toy mode’, so we could let our kids play with the iPhone without direct supervision. This is an update for that request. I want user profiles, just like my Mac has.

I want to flick the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad off and set it down on the couch or coffee table. When my wife or child grabs it, they must enter their security code to use it. After they do, the device unlocks and all their apps and settings are presented. Email, calendars, saved Safari passwords, applications, etc.

Parental controls would be nice. Specifically, I’d like to prevent the kids from doing anything on my iPhone that costs money (make calls, send SMS, etc). Selecting the apps they are allowed to see/run would accomplish this nicely.

Without profiles, I won’t be able to use the mail, calendaring, password saving, or other features on the iPad. If I did, I’d risk the kids moving my appointments around, or deleting email messages. With profile support, the iPad immediately becomes fully usable by everyone in the family. It would get a lot of use. I’d buy one. If the competition for it became fierce, I might buy another.

iPad

The iPad size is excellent. It’s just right for toting around the house. The dock is a great feature, I’d buy one for the kitchen counter and another for my nightstand. I would not buy the keyboard dock. I’d buy the bluetooth keyboard instead, since it can be used with a Mac and the iPad.

There are some great games that are very playable on the iPhone 3GS. They would be even more fun on the iPad. Hands down, this is a far better gaming/education device than the iPhone or iPod Touch. There’s no doubt it’s better for reading books, browsing web pages, and managing email.

But is it really ‘better’ at music than an iPhone or a Mac? It can’t hold my entire music library, making it less ‘good’ than a Mac. It’s worth putting up with the iPhone storage limits because it fits in my pocket. The iPad has neither ‘best feature.’

It appears the iPad is better at displaying photos, but it can’t take any. Where’s the camera? This device should be able to take pictures and support video conferencing in the same way as iChat on a Mac. The lack of this feature is a compelling reason to wait for iPad 2.0.

The iPhone and iTouch are personal devices. Laptops are shared devices with user profiles. I would leave the iPad laying around the house as other family members would surely enjoy using it. The iPhone OS is designed around use by one person. The restrictions offered are all or nothing, making them far less useful for multiple users. The iPad needs profiles so we can all use it and have exclusive access to our personal data (email, calendars, saved passwords in Safari, etc).

I’ve used my iPhone as an in-car video player. I play the audio through my car stereo via bluetooth and hang it between the seats so the kids can watch a movie. The iPad could be far better, with the larger IPS display and longer battery life.

Perhaps, instead of leaving it sitting around the house, I need to customize my dash to fit an iPad. The next version of Motion-X GPS Drive for the iPad will take mobile navigation to the next level. That idea has some serious potential.

Bon Voyage, my little diesel friend

It’s a bittersweet day. We bought the Fusion a year ago, as the Jetta replacement, but we really like the Jetta and have not been eager to part with it. But we’re cleaning house and it was on the list. Last week a kindly fellow from Canada responded to my craigslist ad and now the Jetta has a new home. Farewall little buddy.

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Carabiner specs

Biner	Price	Dimensions	Weight (g)	Strength (kn)	Gate (mm)
BD Oval	$6.5	107 x 58	62g	6 x 18	18
BD Oval wiregate	$6.5		45g	7 x 23	25
Wild Country Helium	$12.0		33g	10×24	27
Mad Rock Ultralight bent	$6.0	94 x 54 x 22	32g	8 x 25	25
Mad Rock Ultralight straight	$6.0	94 x 54 x 22	32g	8 x 25	23
BD Oz wiregate	$8.5		28g	8 x 20	22
Mammut Moses	$9.0		27g	8 x 23	25
CAMP USA Nano 23	$6.0	84 x 51 x 8	23g	7 x 20	21

Handy domestic app

A year or two ago, I found GroceryIQ, a nifty shopping list application for the iPhone. It has an enormous built in catalog of grocery items, as well as being able to add custom items and custom stores. So, I can walk into REI, and it’ll show just the items I’m looking for.

The only feature I’ve wished for that it doesn’t have was syncing the list on Jen’s iPhone with the list on mine. A few months back, I poked around and lo and behold, the feature had been added.

Words cannot scarcely describe how wonderful this feature is. Any time Jen adds an item to her list, I get a push messsage that notifies me. And vice versa. When I open the app, the item is in my list.

Because the database is so large, items normally have the brand, size, and quantity as well. So when I buy something, I know I’m getting exactly the right product and quantity.

My walking desk

Last year I bought a standing desk. Along with biking to work a couple days each week, it was part of my plan to shed 20 excess pounds. I like my standing desk. I like it a lot. But what I discovered is that I can’t stand all day long without my knees aching. I adjusted by sitting while at work, and standing while at home.

I read that standing all day is a great way to experience joint pain. The solution is always the same: don’t just stand there, walk. I researched treadmills and decided a Bowflex Series 7 treadmill was the one. And I wanted to pay the lowest possible price. So I set up a RSS feed to watch craigslist. After several months, I didn’t see a single one sell for less than $700. So I started bidding $700 on every one that showed up on craigslist. Finally, 9 months later, I have my treadmill.

I had to move the desk up a few inches to slide the treadmill in under it. I’m tempted to move it up another couple inches. As you can see, my arms are actually sloping downwards from my elbows. I’d rather they were nearly level, but I also want Jen to be able to use my workstation.

I’ve now worked at my walking desk for two days. I walked barefoot for the first 4 miles and found the treadmill belt to be abrasive on my feet. Now I’m alternating between barefeet and socks, until my feet have built up some calluses.

Update: I did move it up 3 more inches. Now it’s just right.