CapMac iPhone SIG

Amidst the destruction and uncertainty facing Japan after last week’s devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear horrors – it’s heart-warming to see Apple reaching out to their retail and corporate employees:

To Our Team in Japan,

We have all been following the unfolding disaster in Japan. Our hearts go out to you and your families, as well as all of your countrymen who have been touched by this tragedy.

If you need time or resources to visit or care for your families, please see HR and we will help you. If you are aware of any supplies that are needed, please also tell HR and we will do what we can to arrange delivery.

Again, our hearts go out to you during this unimaginable crisis.
Please stay safe.

Steve and the entire Executive Team

If you haven’t already read it, Kevin Roses’ blog will give you a better idea of how deep Apple’s commitment truly is. In a day when corporations rarely care about or recognize their employees – it’s refreshing for Apple to be taking the lead in that area too.

Even the best photographers never carry a carry a camera everywhere. Aren’t there times you wish you had a camera with you to capture that great, fleeting moment?

Well you do – your iPhone or new iPad have very good cameras – once you know how to use them. Learn a few tips, and limitations – and you can capture stunning results.

Want to capture great photos and video with your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad? Don’t miss this meeting!

Be sure to bring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch – and join the hands-on fun.  Plus…

• iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch news and hints
• iPad 2 – Demo and first impressions
• Developer’s Corner – local developers share their latest app creations

We meet at the IHOP South Mopac – Bee Caves Rd at South Mopac [Loop 1] in Austin, TX 78746. Arrive anytime after six to visit and eat – IHOP offers a wide choice of food and beverages at reasonable cost.

Drawing for free door prizes for all who attend — everyone welcome — bring your friends.

AT&T can’t even fake being nice. In a ploy to entice customers not to flee to Verizon – they offered ‘select customers’ an opportunity to APPLY for a reward of 1000 ‘free’ roll-over minutes. Such a deal.

Well, a few minutes ago I received a ‘free message’ from AT&T letting me know that the ‘bonus minutes’ that I had ‘requested’, had been added to my account – as a ‘one-time courtesy’.

Courtesy for what? Putting up with dropped calls, voicemail and text messages that show up DAYS late, or were they feeling guilty for the crappy voice quality, and abysmal customer service?

Whatever the reason for AT&T’s largess – get over it – it’s a one-time deal.

Instead of texting about a movie or dinner date tonight – please consider texting a donation to support relief efforts for those stricken by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan:

• Red Cross – Text  REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone. This will donate to the general Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund,  for direct relief to Japan – donate from their Web site.
• Salvation Army – To contribute to earthquake relief, text  JAPAN or  QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.
• Convoy of Hope – A non-profit for disaster relief efforts. You can donate either online or via text message by texting  TSUNAMI to 50555.

In 60′s parlance – today’s iPad 2 roll-out was more of a love-in than a launch. Despite the late start, lines were long and amiable. The intrepid came prepared: food, drinks, stadium seats, and laptops. Some even brought first generation iPads.

Although early morning crowds were subdued, as launch-hour approached – crowds swelled. Small children joined parents, grandparents, and visitors in the queue. At Apple Barton Creek – at one point over 600 people waited patiently for the 5pm arrival.

As Apple team members cheered and high-fived customers – the launch began, with the first two iPads going to a patient young woman who had waited all day for her iPads.

What could drive someone to wait all day? It was simple she assured me: her musician husband would be touring in Europe for several weeks – and they wanted to stay in touch with FaceTime. What a great way to start a launch.

Although stock was slim to none at Austin stores – tomorrow is another day.

Whether you are a fan-boy – or a fan-girl for that matter – Welcome! If the iPad 2 is your first Apple product, now you can experience for yourself what all the fuss, and excitement is about. If you’re an old hand at launches and Apple – thanks for your support. Regardless of how you got here – we’re glad.

As most any iPhone or iPad user can tell you – the most frequently asked question we get is: “How’d ya do that???”

That’s why CapMac created this special interest group [SIG]: to help new, and even experienced iPhone or iPad users, explore exciting new ways to communicate, organize, simplify, and have fun.

Our monthly meetings will feature iPhone/iPad developers, users, and industry leaders in lively exchanges designed to help you make the most of this exciting new technology.

Next Thursday our topic will be on the new iPad 2, and how to capture and share better pictures and video with any iOS device. We’ll meet from 7:00p – 9:00p  on Thursday, March 17th, at the IHOP South Mopac [map link].

Meetings are free – and everyone is welcome to attend.

And follow us on Twitter @iphonesig

Even as people stand in line for tomorrow’s release of the iPad 2, conflicting reports from several Verizon stores indicated that Verizon would be charging $ 35.00 to activate their no-contract, monthly data plans. ‘Those reports are not correct… there is no activation charge for our iPad 2 data plans’, Audrey Lundy, a Verizon spokesperson assured.

Links provided in marketing email distributed today by Verizon did not mention any activation charges – yet many Verizon stores insisted that activation fees would be charged. In fact, there will be no activation charges.

In case you missed it – here is a summary of the Data Plans offered by both 3G carriers for the iPad 2:

With the official launch still over 24 hours away, lines are already beginning to form at several Apple Retail locations including Dallas Knox. Here in Austin, lines are expected to form after work Thursday and continue throughout the night. Here’s the lowdown on what we do know:

• Stores will close mid-afternoon to reset for the 5:00pm Central launch
• Mall Security will not allow on-property squatting overnight
• Hearty souls at Barton will gather offsite as previously and proceed as the mall opens
• Inventory at partner stores like WalMart and Best Buy is sparce
• No word on extended hours on launch day, although they are generally expected
• Awaiting word on purchase limits or any cash restrictions
• Only Apple will offer free set-up and data migration for iPads sold in-store
• Bring plenty of water and patience – and enjoy the fun

Apple will also have a unique pop-up store in the historic Scarborough building at the corner of Sixth and Congress to cater to those in town to attend SXSW. The store will be open for launch, and will be shuttered as SXSW closes. For at least a few weeks – Austin will boast three Apple Retail locations.

Almost lost in the kerfuffle surrounding tomorrow’s launch of iPad 2 is Apple’s release of iOS 4.3. The update is available now within iTunes for any iOS device. While many of the features are under-the-hood in the OS, others have been long-awaited:

Personal Hotspot

• Share iPhone 4 cellular data connection with up to 5 devices (combination of up to 3 Wi-Fi, 3 Bluetooth, and 1 USB)

iTunes Home Sharing

• Play music, movies and TV shows from a shared iTunes library on a Mac or PC (requires iTunes 10.2)

New AirPlay features

• Play videos from the Photos app including the Camera Roll album, iTunes previews, enabled third-party apps and websites on Apple TV
• Play slideshows from Photos on Apple TV using  transitions available on Apple TV

Faster Safari performance with Apple Nitro JavaScript engine

HD video out using the Apple Digital AV Adapter

• View 720p HD videos from Videos app, iPod app, Photos, YouTube, Safari, Keynote, and enabled third-party apps on an HDMI display

Ping features

• Push notifications for comments and follow requests
• Post and Like songs directly from the Now Playing screen
• Parental controls

New Settings

• Messages setting for number of times to repeat an alert
• iPad side switch setting to lock screen rotation or mute audio notifications and sound effects

Single tap conference call dialing with a pause to send a passcode

Be sure to allow plenty of time to update your iOS device – at least an hour is required, depending on your connection speeds. Please don’t rush, or attempt to upgrade when you are busy or distracted – and always, follow the on-screen instructions carefully.

Forget the white or black iPad 2 decision for now. Here’s something to ponder as you pass the hours in line at the ipad 2 launch Friday – which carrier to I want to use for my 3G carrier? True, maybe you’re one of those hearty souls who is always surrounded in a Wi-Fi cocoon. For the rest of us mortals, there’s a choice to make – Verizon or AT&T.

Seemingly, only Verizon has a real sense of how much data iPad 2 users will potentially gobble on their way to a truly connected lifestyle. And while a true comparison isn’t possible due to their choices of tier limits, only Verizon seems to have a rational plan for upper tier users.

The good news is that both plans are monthly, renewing automagically until you cancel them – but there is no contract. And you can activate and de-activate service directly from your iPad.

The catch is – the iPad 2 requires 3G users to choose a flavor – AT&T or Verizon – when you purchase the iPad. And once you choose, you get to live with it until you buy your next iPad.

Study the chart carefully – and be sure to consider the lure of wireless movies, Skype video conferencing, media-rich magazines, and newspapers, and distance learning courses that can all dramatically inflate your network data usage.

See you in line Friday – probably still trying to decide…