Evo Magazine for the iPad

I’ve been an auto enthusiast a lot longer than I’ve been interested in all things Apple, but the two interests have meshed together nicely. I enjoyed reading auto sites like Autoblog, Evo Online, DriveCult, Automobile Magazine and others, but now I’m beginning to turn to their iPad versions. Why? Mainly it’s because the publisher can do a lot of creative things with their publications through an app.  I began with Zinio, and still use it, but it really is just the print version of the magazine scanned in, though there are a lot of features Zinio offers such as being able to see some video and reading just the text.  The apps have the potential to have a lot more robust character to their presentation of essentially the same content.

EVO Magazine is a top tier auto enthusiast magazine published in the United Kingdom.  I found it because one of its authors, Chris Harris, was a perennial YouTube favorite of mine.  Nobody, not Clarkson, not Needel, does a rolling video assessment of a car like Chris Harris.  It seemed pretty obvious he’d be a great writer, and he is.  He moved to EVO and I followed him over.  Unfortunately, I had to settle for reading shortened versions of the articles from their website because the magazine isn’t readily available here in the states and the subscription costs were pretty high (about $7.50 per issue).

Zinio offered EVO, but I’ve been using Zinio and it’s good, but not great.  EVO tried an iPad app a while back, but it didn’t really work.  Now, they’ve retooled it and I think they have a hit on their hands.  Their magazine is now a relative bargain for me at $4.99 per issue, plus it includes video, zooming in on photos and the ability to comment within the app from the comfort of my iPad.

The magazine provides a comprehensive guide on its features right at the beginning:

Click to see full-size graphic

And everything works pretty much as advertised.  I did have issues playing a video in the sample edition, but most of the features work in the two copies I’ve paid for within the app. By the way, I’m not sure what the big deal is about the Daily in terms of in app subscription, because EVO is doing it as are many others.  I guess the publisher of EVO figures it’s worth sharing $1.50 per issue sold with Apple in order to get into the hands of readers all over the world.

At the beginning of each issue, like any other magazine, you get a short note from the Editor, but in this case it’s a pretty cool video:

EVO Magazine Editor Nick Trott starts the edition out with a short introduction to the edition. It’s pretty smart actually, I often skip over the Editor’s note, but EVO makes it so easy, why not watch it? It’s a clever way to use the iPad’s capabilities.  Also, look on the left, yep, that’s EVO Magazine’s Twitter stream.   On the right, they’ll sell you whatever you’re willing to buy.

I think my favorite aspect is how the features are presented.  Harry Metcalfe regales the reader with his experience of buying what is probably every 12 year old boy’s fantasy: a Lamborghini Countach.  The feature  provides a nice mix of text, photos, and video.

The opening page for the Countach Story

What school boy wouldn’t dive right into this article? Even just the back end of a Countach gets you going, even if you’re a die-hard Ferraristi.  Straight away you’re excited to read about Harry’s story and you haven’t even turned a page.

Below you can see some of the features the iPad edition takes advantage of.  First, you’re looking at a Lamborghini, but with it’s legendary test-driver Valentino Balboni.  By pressing the “+” key you get to see a close up of Balboni diagnosing a problem with Harry’s Lamborghini.  All without leaving the same page.

As any iPad owner knows, this device is incredible at displaying photography.  As any auto enthusiast knows, most automobile publications expend incredible effort on top notch photography.  This is a match made in heaven.  The app smoothly pans beautiful photography across the screen as you swipe your index finger, and it doesn’t rudely jump, it glides along like a Rolls-Royce floating down a country lane.  Below is a stitched together picture of what the sweeping panorama looks like.

What makes the feature even better is video Harry shot while driving along the Route Napoleon.

Press the Play Video button

The app plays the video. Simply press the done button, and you're back to the story.

To make the manipulation of photography even better, EVO’s iPad app overs the reader the opportunity to zoom on photos, press a button and see other shots, or even access 360 degree shots without leaving the page.

Tap the Hotspots for More Info -- well not here, but within the App

The app allows the user to pan around some photos.

Another interesting feature is the in app advertisements.  Normally I blow right by them, but EVO has some pretty good adds that are interactive and feature built in video without doing anything.

EVO Magazine also integrates with popular social networking site likes Twitter and Facebook via Discus.  It was a little clunky and not totally straightforward, so by the time I figured out how to use it, I had posted a comment meant for one article to a different one.

I had commented on Harry Metcalfe’s article, but the comment somehow ended up on their Winter Tyre feature.  I’m certain it was my fault, but the interaction required to post to Twitter and to comment on the article weren’t intuitively obvious.

Overall this app is well done.  It makes my iPad even more valuable to me knowing magazines are going to be better than ever within this environment.  But what will I stack up in the bathroom now?

Find the EVO Magazine app on iTunes here.

3G and WiFi in Japan, well………

I recently returned from Japan. Naturally my iPad 3G came along for the nearly 2 week trip that took us from Atlanta to Tokyo to Northern Japan to Kyoto to Osaka to Okinawa to Guam and to Hawaii. This was a busy trip. The iPad was meant to allow me access to e-mail for work, directions on public transit, getting train directions for the Shinkansen (Bullet Trains) and managing the photos taken throughout the trip.

I soon found out what David McKenna found in 2007 hasn’t changed much: “It is important to note at this point the general lack of public Wi-Fi networks in Japan. Throughout the rest of our trip in Japan, while it was pretty common to find closed Wi-Fi networks, it was fairly rare to find paid Wi-Fi service (even in areas you would expect them such as hotels, train stations and domestic airports) and very rare to find an open Wi-Fi network. Fortunately we were able to find at least one useable Wi-Fi connection a day during our trip to keep up to date with our email and favorite Internet Web sites, it just took a little hunting with the iPhone to find them.” Mr. McKenna was lucky because the only free wi-fi I found was at the Apple Store in Ginza.

No biggie. I ordered up International 3G service via AT&T. It was steep, $24.99 for 20 MB. I figured with judicious use I could check e-mail while on the run and reserve other functions for when wi-fi was available (I hadn’t read Mr. McKenna’s piece yet). Within 45 minutes I received my first high-water mark on my 3G service. Somehow I had burned through about 18 MB on the first train ride from Narita International Airport to the Hotel Intercontinental Tokyo Bay. Not a great situation. I ended up scaling back my 3G usage to only the absolute necessary amount for checking working e-mail and accessing Hyperdia.com (a great resource for train schedules in Japan). I spent about $100 on 3G service between Japan and Guam (you’d think Guam would be consider part of the US, because, well, it is the US, but AT&T didn’t get the memo apparently).

Upon checking in at the Hotel Intercontinental Tokyo Bay I discovered they had no wi-fi in the rooms. They did have paid wi-fi in the lobby, but that was it.

Again, not a problem. I brought along my trusty Apple Airport Express router. I plugged it in, but because it wasn’t free wired internet I couldn’t “see” the screens to login and charge the internet to my room. Back to barely using my 3G. Sigh.

Fast forward to Okinawa. Finally free wired internet in a hotel room!!! I plugged in the Airport Express and did a hard reset. Now I could see the “Apple” network, login and was able to access the wired internet. This worked out really well.

Let’s go to Guam, shall we? At the Guam Marriott they had no free wi-fi, no wi-fi in the rooms, and even the business center was $6 per half hour to use the internet. The Airport Express was rendered useless because I couldn’t successfully get my iPad to get through the login process, though I could at least see the “Apple” network on my Airport Express. Double sigh. The same exact thing happened in Hawaii.

What is the solution? Well, I wonder why Apple doesn’t simply engineer a driver or app that allows the iPad to use the Camera Connection Kit and the MacBook Air’s USB ethernet adapter to log straight into the Airport Express to: 1) control it so it doesn’t have to be an open network; and 2) to allow for logging into a hotel’s wired network.

I learned quickly just how good and plentiful our access to Wi-Fi is in the US. Seriously, it was almost nowhere in Japan, and even Guam had limited access. Once I was in Hawaii, it wasn’t as important because I had 3G, but what if I wanted to download something over 20MB? You’ve got to have Wi-Fi. This is a gaping hole in the iPad theory. I imagine folks from other countries go through similar issues when they travel to the US, particularly if they’re using the Wi-Fi only iPad.

For David McKenna’s 2007 article:

http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/an_american_iphone_in_japan/

CoPilot Live HD

I asked the good people at ALK Technologies for a chance to try out
CoPilot Live HD, way back in May. They served it up quickly, but a
busy life took over and this has been my first chance to sit down and
write about it. However, this isn’t a bad thing for you. I now have
some solid experience with this iPad and iPhone app.

The bottom line: it is way better than I expected. In fact, it’s so
good, we bought the iPhone version for our iPhone 4.

Going back to why I started looking for a GPS app for my iPad 3G, my
main concern was truly safety. Using Google Maps is a really bad idea
while driving. For whatever reason, the built-in Google Maps app uses
tiny fonts, places the directions of the bottom of the screen and
basically creates the perfect storm for getting into an accident.
Throw in some texting, make-up application and cigarettes and you’re
all set to smash up your shiny ride.

Starting at the beginning: Installation is a snap. Based on some of
the iTunes “reviews,” I thought this would be a nightmare. The one
hint I’d give you is to do it by a window. Let the iPad get a look at
the United States Air Force’s entire fleet of GPS satellites when
possible. Just follow the prompts and you should be in business.

Getting going is fairly easy. You should clearly do this while parked.
You simply touch the bottom left of the screen, select destination and
the app will guide you through the process like most of GPS apps. You
can choose from Address, Points of Interest, Point on a Map, Contacts,
and Intersections. You can also go to “My Places” on the main menu
which will all you to see recent destinations and favorites. I use
this frequently.

After inputting your destination, you hit “Go” and you’re on your way.
One of the reasons I like this app is because it speaks to you. You
can choose all sorts of voice options in an amazing array of
languages. I like the option of using “Full Text” voices which
pronounce the streets you’re going to turn on. Unfortunately the male
American voice is really a tinny-sounding robot. I choose not to ride
with him. I go for the British lady. The only drawback is learning
British GPS lingo: “Take the next slip road to I-40.” Apparently slip
is British for exit. Hmmm. Moving on.

You can configure your screen in many ways to display information such
as Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) or speed or both. I find this truly
helpful.

You can also post your progress on Facebook. I use this frequently and
initially my friends were quite concerned that I was posting while
driving, but this feature is pretty well integrated and I found I
didn’t lose my ability to pay attention to the task at hand of
driving.

As you’re motoring along, CoPilot Live HD will prompt you for upcoming
directional changes and you can adjust these settings. I pretty much
have stuck with the defaults, but perhaps you’ll be annoyed by the
timing.

Another key feature is iPod integration. The app allows you to select
songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, pretty much whatever you like on
you iPad’s iPod. The process is a little cumbersome, but I’ve grown
used to it. Once you hit play you’re in business, even if you pop out
of CoPilot Live. I actually like this feature quite a bit.

The Points of Interest settings are pretty straight forward. I choose
for mine to be turned off while moving, but they pop up when I stop.
However, a great feature is setting a short stop along the way. The
app will let you find a quick POI such as a fuel stop, guide you to it
and once you’re finished, return you to primary destination.

As you’re driving along in larger cities, most recently Kansas City
for me, CoPilot Live uses a convention called “Clear Turn”. This gives
you a magnified view of the upcoming exit with prominent arrows
telling you which lane to be in. I found this particularly helpful in
San Antonio and Philadelphia. (For a look check out:

There are some down sides. I found parts of the menu clunky requiring
far too many steps to make changes. The only shortcuts are for
destinations and adjusting your mode of travel. But I wouldn’t let
this stop you from buying this app. After you’ve made the app fit your
needs, you’ll rarely delve into the minutiae of the menus.

The other issue is on occasion CoPilot Live will get you going in
circles. This happened recently and I remedied the situation by
restarting the app and entering the destination over again. It should
be noted this also seems to happen in smaller towns and might be
chalked up to sloppy map updates.

For about $30 you’re turning your iPad 3G into a full-featured GPS.
Completely worth it. I bought an iPad mounting kit for my car and now
I have an incredible multimedia system in my car with a GPS capability
you’d be hard pressed to find in any vehicle’s OEM setup. I’m not sure
what will happen in the future in terms of updating the map or the
app. I’m sure it won’t be free, but at this point I’m sticking with
this app for my primary navigation system.

Quick Facts:

A Dedicated GPS Navigation System

Turn-by-turn voice directions

Clear 3D and 2D driving views with speed variable zoom and full street names

Lane indicator display and CoPilot ClearTurn™ for a realistic view at
complex intersections

Navigate to a house number, street intersection or address book contact

Guidance in tunnels and underpasses

Thousands of pre-loaded Points of Interest

Free monthly map improvement downloads directly to your iPad 3G

Free quarterly full map updates of the U.S. and Canada

Portrait / landscape display auto-switching and pinch-zoom functionality

Access to iPod music controls from within the app

Live Local Search

LiveLink™ location sharing with Facebook status updates

Live weather for your location or destination

Common FAQs (from the ALK Technology Website)

Q: Is CoPilot Live HD available for both the Wi-Fi and 3G version of the iPad?
A: No, CoPilot Live HD is only available for the GPS-enabled 3G
version of the iPad. It is not compatible with the Wi-Fi only version.

Q: Is CoPilot Live HD available for regions outside of North America?
A: Not at the moment. CoPilot HD will be released globally as the iPad
3G becomes available in additional regions outside of the U.S.

Q: Are Premium Live Services (Live Traffic & Live Fuel Prices)
available for CoPilot Live HD?
A: No, Live Traffic and Live Fuel are not currently available for
purchase. They will be available for CoPilot Live HD in a future
update. Standard Live Services, including Live Local Search, LiveLink
and Live Weather are included in CoPilot Live HD.

Q: How do I mount my iPad in-car?
A: We strongly recommend that customers properly secure their iPad
in-vehicle. 3rd party car mounts are available for iPad, for example:

http://ipad-car-mount.com/

Q: Does the Copilot Live iPhone app work on the iPad?
A: No, currently the CoPilot Live iPhone app is not compatible with the iPad.

iPad 3G Navigation — Google Maps

I am incredibly happy with my iPad 3G.  I ended up getting the 32GB model.  The main reason I wanted the 3G version was to use it in my car for its GPS.  I am not disappointed – mostly.

I’ve been using the Google Maps built-in app only.  So far there are only a few navigation apps available on the iTunes store.  The only true turn-by-turn app is Co Pilot Live HD.  At this point, I haven’t been able to find a good review on it, all that I can find out there is what appears to be regurgitations of press releases. When going through the reviews on iTunes they go from “Wow” to “Such promise. Such a mess.”  I’m not ready to lay down the $30 at this point, but you’ll soon see why I should consider it.

The Google Maps app actually looks beautiful on the iPad’s gorgeous screen. In the picture below, I have it in the topographical view which is not available on the iPhone.  The layout of the way the app works really is a problem though.  Look at where the instructions are — at the bottom.  Now look at the picture of my iPad 3G setup in a rental car.  Even with the shifter moved back, you simply cannot see the instructions from the driver’s position.  Did it work?  Sure.  Was it safe?  I don’t think so.  The other problem is there are no user adjustable settings to move the instructions to the top of the screen.

So far I have used the iPad as a GPS device in Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia.  In all locations it never got me lost.  The Google Maps app is quick. It works well, but it is not suitable for use in a car.  I really need to try an app that has the instructions located in a better position AND that speaks.  Otherwise, my use of this app could be quite dangerous.

If you know of any reviews on other iPad GPS navigation apps, let me know in the comments.  If the good people at Co Pilot Live HD would like me to review their app, I’d be glad to do so, because I think a real review needs to be done, but I’m not gambling $30 here and there until I find the right app.  It also begs the question: Where the heck is TomTom?  Surely they knew of the iPad 3G.  If I knew I had at least hundreds of thousands of devices out there, I’d be doing whatever it took to get it to market and get my piece of the iPad money machine.

If you’re wondering how I’ll mount the iPad3G in my car, well, that review will be upcoming as soon as I get my setup in the mail.  When I’m on the road I have a handy little slip resistant rubber mat I put under the iPad in the rental cars I’ve used so far. It actually works well.  If I’m hitting a corner I just rest my index finger on top of my iPad to keep it from moving.

Google Maps App

Using the Google Maps App in a Rental Car

32GB iPad 3G it is!

After a pretty short wait in line of approximately 3 hours, I was 8th in line and had my choice of iPads. I decided to go with the 32GB based on Steve Sante’s advice. It seemed pretty clear 32GB would be enough memory, even it meant I would have to manage my files. The only downfall could be if I needed a huge app in the future. Only time will tell.

My first impressions are pretty terrific. I heard on the GDGT iPad Roundtable all the complaints of its weight, but I think of it as having substance. The iPad 3G does not feel fragile. In reality, you can easily handle it and manipulate it.

On my first evening with it, my son and I played games, surfed the web and even tried reading the free “Winnie the Pooh” book that was included!

I should take a step back though. While purchasing the iPad, the Apple Store folks were tremendously helpful and very thorough. They activated it (good thing since I’m on the road and don’t have a laptop anymore after selling the MacBook Air) and setup my e-mail accounts and the AT&T data account.

The AT&T data account is completely unrelated to my iPhone account. They simply have you input a credit card and then charge it accordingly. The Apple Store specialists were very careful to explain how the account will continue to be charged unless I cancel the service. When you cancel, you have the option of either killing it off immediately or when either you remaining data is used up (in the case of the 250mb option) or the current 30 day period ends. Thirty days is crucial to understand. It is not based on the month. The billing cycle is based on distinct 30 day segments. I opted for the unlimited plan for the first month.

I only bought the keyboard dock for iPad as an accessory at this time. I already have a terrific sleeve from Waterfield Designs (SF Bags . I had read so many negative reviews on the Apple Case, I decided against it. I probably will get the SF Bags thin sleeve which serves to clean the iPad and provide protection while it’s in the larger sleeve (leftover from my MacBook Air).

Back to first impressions. My son and I both love it. It is fast, easy to use and runs circles around our iPhones in terms of performance. I will review apps as time goes by, but we tried many and found it to be more than capable. This is a terrific device you must try, if not buy.

At the Grand Rapids Apple Store

I flew to Michigan to visit family. So now I’m waiting in line at the Apple Store in Grand Rapids. The line is short. There are 6 people in front of me. Odds are pretty good at getting an iPad. I did buy the keyboard already. The employees told me they go fast. If I can’t manage to get an iPad, then I can return it.

Will it be available? I hope so!!

I’m hoping to pickup an iPad 3G on Friday April 30th.  According t o Appleinsider:

The device will also be available in Apple’s retail stores on Friday, but customers will have to wait until 5 p.m. until they can purchase. The 3G iPad models carry a $130 premium over their Wi-Fi-only counterparts. The 16GB model starts at $629, the 32GB capacity is $729, and the high-end 64GB offering is $829.

The good people at SoftSailor.com confirms this:

The Cupertino-based company posted an official press release which says that the iPad 3G + WiFi will become available in Apple Stores across the US as of April 30th.

If I can get one, I will.  If not, I’ll order it online and wait until May 7th.

Setting up the 3G part is recounted photographically on TUAW.  But what’s it going to cost?  From AT&T:

AT&T is offering simple and straightforward 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad – complete with easy, on-device activation and management. Data plans for iPad include access to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide at no additional cost. Check out 3G plans for iPad, and some helpful Q&A, below.

Domestic Data Plans for iPad

Recurring monthly charge with no long term contract

• $14.99 per month for 250 MB

• $29.99 per month for unlimited data

• Unlimited access – no added cost – to AT&T’s 20,000+ Wi-Fi Hot Spots

How do I manage my 3G plan for iPad? Can I turn service off or change my plan? Once you sign up for iPad 3G data service, you can add to or cancel your domestic plan at any time – no penalty. For domestic plans, if you do not cancel, your service will automatically renew every 30 days to provide a more seamless data experience on an ongoing basis. For example, if you activate service on May 9, your service will automatically renew 30 days later with the same plan. If you do make a change, a new 30-day window begins.

What happens if I exceed the amount of data in my selected plan before the end of one month?

With the on-device management system, you can check your data usage in Settings>Cellular Data on your iPad at anytime. Also, for the $14.99 plan, iPad will even let you know when you’re about to reach your 250 MB data limit. You’ll get three alerts — at 20 percent, 10 percent, and zero. With each alert, you can choose to add more data or wait and do it later.

If you do exceed the amount of data in your plan, your plan will expire, but it’s easy to add another one. Also, with domestic plans, you can wait until the 30th day from your purchase when your plan will automatically renew going forward.