by Mark Ollig
Another Labor Day has come and gone; school busses are carrying students to and from their learning destinations.
For many of us, this signals the official seasonal change.
With much regret, I’ve accepted the summer season, as we know it, has ended.
I’ve also noticed the cooler temperatures as we begin our seasonal transition into fall; which, although a beautiful time of year, seems to pass by too quickly.
Of course, I won’t even mention what comes after fall.
So, what’s the latest buzz in the tech world?
Why, it’s the recent Apple big event, of course.
Social media, such as Twitter was saturated with newly-created hashtags, and flooded with messages referencing news sources and individual opinions regarding Apple’s newest smart devices.
The venue for Apple’s presentation, held last Wednesday, was the Bill Graham (the late rock concert promotor) Civic Auditorium, in San Francisco, CA.
After taking the stage inside the 7,000-seat arena, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook gave the keynote address.
He announced new Apple products including the eagerly-awaited iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus models.
The iPhone 6S screen size is 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6S Plus is a bit larger at 5.5 inches.
Both will have Apple’s famous high-definition, or “Retina HD” display screens.
Apple calls its new 3D Touch feature for recognizing hand/finger gestures within the iPhone’s software applications: “Next-generation Multi-Touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and Taptic Engine.”
The Taptic Engine will provide a user with physical confirmation sensations or haptic feedback, when using different apps within the iPhone.
These iPhones can be ordered in silver, gold, space grey, or with the new rose gold aluminum finish.
They will be able to record 4K video, and both include Apple’s 12MP (mega pixel) iSight camera.
The cost of an iPhone 6S 16GB model, and the iPhone 6S Plus 16GB model, start at $199, and $299, respectively.
Both will be using Apple’s iOS 9 mobile device operating system, and their powerful 64-bit A9 processor chip.
You can compare Apple’s iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus models here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare.
I was very interested in their new “jumbo-sized” computing tablet called the Apple iPad Pro.
As I’ve grown older, my eyes seem to appreciate larger display screens.
Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller presented Apple’s new iPad Pro.
This new iPad contains a large 12.9-inch display screen with a resolution supporting 5.6 million pixels, which is the most of any previous Apple device.
It includes Apple’s 64-bit A9 processor, 10-hour battery, and a four-speaker audio system.
The iPad Pro weighs a little over 1.5 pounds.
The folks at Apple are pricing the iPad Pro from $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model, to $1,079 for a 128GB Wi-Fi+ LTE/cellular data model.
The new “Apple Pencil” was also introduced.
It’s a stylus pen used for writing and drawing on the iPad Pro display screen.
At first, I was a bit skeptical.
While seeing the Apple Pencil (stylus), I recalled the words of the late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs; “Oh a stylus! Who wants a stylus? You have to get them and put them away . . . and you lose them . . .Yuck!”
Instead of a stylus, Jobs said the human finger should be used as the pointing device to control functions on a display screen.
He said this while introducing the first iPhone during the 2007 MacWorld event.
However, after seeing a demonstration of the Apple Pencil being used on an iPad Pro, I now believe it will benefit graphic designers, artists, engineers, medical personal, and professionals using it during presentations.
Yours truly also thinks it would be a lot of fun for screen doodling.
The 2016 Apple Pencil will retail for $99. Sorry, Steve.
I’ve always felt that in order to give an iPad more of a “laptop-like” feel, a high-quality keyboard would be needed.
Apple’s answer is to offer users of the iPad Pro an optional $169 “Smart Keyboard.”
I was a bit disappointed; Apple’s Smart Keyboard reminds me of the flat, paper-thin Microsoft Surface keyboard.
This columnist is old-school; I learned how to type on a loud Smith-Corona (non-electric) typewriter in Mr. Knoll’s typewriting class.
Ink ribbons and whiteout correction tape were used in great quantity in that classroom.
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Anyone remember typing that sentence hundreds of times?
I prefer the tactile-feedback of keys on a “real” keyboard.
Put me in front of an IBM 101 standard keyboard like I used in 1986, and I’m off and typing at blazing speeds.
I clearly recall; “Punch the keys for god’s sake!” shouted by Sean Connery’s character William Forrester, in the movie “Finding Forrester.”
Yes, that was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it? Gosh, I did love that movie, though.
But, I digress.
For me, the iPad Pro is merely a larger version of the iPhone.
They both essentially perform the same functions, although one drawback when using an iPhone (and most smartphones) is their smaller-sized screens.
What if a resourceful inventor would design a new smartphone display screen which could be expanded by being unfolded to double, or even quadruple in size?
Maybe it’s time for another Ollig patent?
Video presentations from this latest Apple event can be viewed on Apple’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Apple/videos.
Below is the IBM Model M keyboard.
(circa 1986)
Photo Credit: Raymangold22 via Wikimedia Commons.
Another Labor Day has come and gone; school busses are carrying students to and from their learning destinations.
For many of us, this signals the official seasonal change.
With much regret, I’ve accepted the summer season, as we know it, has ended.
I’ve also noticed the cooler temperatures as we begin our seasonal transition into fall; which, although a beautiful time of year, seems to pass by too quickly.
Of course, I won’t even mention what comes after fall.
So, what’s the latest buzz in the tech world?
Why, it’s the recent Apple big event, of course.
Social media, such as Twitter was saturated with newly-created hashtags, and flooded with messages referencing news sources and individual opinions regarding Apple’s newest smart devices.
The venue for Apple’s presentation, held last Wednesday, was the Bill Graham (the late rock concert promotor) Civic Auditorium, in San Francisco, CA.
After taking the stage inside the 7,000-seat arena, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook gave the keynote address.
He announced new Apple products including the eagerly-awaited iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus models.
The iPhone 6S screen size is 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6S Plus is a bit larger at 5.5 inches.
Both will have Apple’s famous high-definition, or “Retina HD” display screens.
Apple calls its new 3D Touch feature for recognizing hand/finger gestures within the iPhone’s software applications: “Next-generation Multi-Touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and Taptic Engine.”
The Taptic Engine will provide a user with physical confirmation sensations or haptic feedback, when using different apps within the iPhone.
These iPhones can be ordered in silver, gold, space grey, or with the new rose gold aluminum finish.
They will be able to record 4K video, and both include Apple’s 12MP (mega pixel) iSight camera.
The cost of an iPhone 6S 16GB model, and the iPhone 6S Plus 16GB model, start at $199, and $299, respectively.
Both will be using Apple’s iOS 9 mobile device operating system, and their powerful 64-bit A9 processor chip.
You can compare Apple’s iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus models here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare.
I was very interested in their new “jumbo-sized” computing tablet called the Apple iPad Pro.
As I’ve grown older, my eyes seem to appreciate larger display screens.
Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller presented Apple’s new iPad Pro.
This new iPad contains a large 12.9-inch display screen with a resolution supporting 5.6 million pixels, which is the most of any previous Apple device.
It includes Apple’s 64-bit A9 processor, 10-hour battery, and a four-speaker audio system.
The iPad Pro weighs a little over 1.5 pounds.
The folks at Apple are pricing the iPad Pro from $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model, to $1,079 for a 128GB Wi-Fi+ LTE/cellular data model.
The new “Apple Pencil” was also introduced.
It’s a stylus pen used for writing and drawing on the iPad Pro display screen.
At first, I was a bit skeptical.
While seeing the Apple Pencil (stylus), I recalled the words of the late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs; “Oh a stylus! Who wants a stylus? You have to get them and put them away . . . and you lose them . . .Yuck!”
Instead of a stylus, Jobs said the human finger should be used as the pointing device to control functions on a display screen.
He said this while introducing the first iPhone during the 2007 MacWorld event.
However, after seeing a demonstration of the Apple Pencil being used on an iPad Pro, I now believe it will benefit graphic designers, artists, engineers, medical personal, and professionals using it during presentations.
Yours truly also thinks it would be a lot of fun for screen doodling.
The 2016 Apple Pencil will retail for $99. Sorry, Steve.
I’ve always felt that in order to give an iPad more of a “laptop-like” feel, a high-quality keyboard would be needed.
Apple’s answer is to offer users of the iPad Pro an optional $169 “Smart Keyboard.”
I was a bit disappointed; Apple’s Smart Keyboard reminds me of the flat, paper-thin Microsoft Surface keyboard.
This columnist is old-school; I learned how to type on a loud Smith-Corona (non-electric) typewriter in Mr. Knoll’s typewriting class.
Ink ribbons and whiteout correction tape were used in great quantity in that classroom.
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Anyone remember typing that sentence hundreds of times?
I prefer the tactile-feedback of keys on a “real” keyboard.
Put me in front of an IBM 101 standard keyboard like I used in 1986, and I’m off and typing at blazing speeds.
I clearly recall; “Punch the keys for god’s sake!” shouted by Sean Connery’s character William Forrester, in the movie “Finding Forrester.”
Yes, that was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it? Gosh, I did love that movie, though.
But, I digress.
For me, the iPad Pro is merely a larger version of the iPhone.
They both essentially perform the same functions, although one drawback when using an iPhone (and most smartphones) is their smaller-sized screens.
What if a resourceful inventor would design a new smartphone display screen which could be expanded by being unfolded to double, or even quadruple in size?
Maybe it’s time for another Ollig patent?
Video presentations from this latest Apple event can be viewed on Apple’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Apple/videos.
Below is the IBM Model M keyboard.
(circa 1986)
Photo Credit: Raymangold22 via Wikimedia Commons.