This post is about the padprop which I purchased direct from the manufacturer in the UK.
The package arrived from the UK in about 10 days. A padprop is a device that securely holds the iPad, at an angle, so that it is easier to type, tap, swipe or read without having to hold the iPad.
When you open the padprop box, the directions for using it are on the inside lid and the padprop is sealed in a plastic bag.
I picked it up and I was amazed at how light but sturdy it is! I can easily fit it in my cocoon iPad bag in the zippered pocket that holds the cocoon with the charger and the camera kit.
The two rings shown here are for holding your ear bud headphones. I took the set I had set aside for use with my iPad and after opening the padprop, I immediately put them in the slot provided and anchored them down.
Next, I examined the back of the box. I don't throw out my tech boxes for quite a while. This one, I may cut the directions out and keep them. I like the way the box shows people using the padprop with their iPad. When this appears in stores, it will be easy for potential customers to see what the purpose of this device is and how lightweight it is.
I was concerned that the padprop would be hard to get off and on with the rubbery case that I use on my iPad. But, it slides nicely over up and down on the sides. My husband took this photo of me using it while seated on the couch. Using it while seated (or lying on my side) is making my use of my iPad much more enjoyable. I have already read a whole book!
Later, I took it back over to my kitchen area and worked on using the iPad to begin learning Keynote. I am still adjusting to using the iPad with the padprop in the landscape orientation but when I want to use it in the portrait position by using my BookGem holder (which I primarily use for my nook or for holding print books open.)
The customer support for this product was excellent. Perhaps soon, it will be available to purchase from the USA version of Amazon.com. I bought mine directly from the padprop site and paid for it using Paypal. The price, dependent on the currency exchange rate, is about $20 to $25 US dollars.
I took it to my daughter's house and my son-in-law played Angy Birds for a long time while standing up using the padprop on his table. He pronounced it a hit!
Padprop on Facebook
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island
I was born in Rhode Island and so as you can imagine, I have a lot of RI ancestors. Mine are quite recent OR quite ancient. With nearly 4, 000 cemeteries (many are lost), RI may be small geographically but it has tons of dead folks. Finding gravestones to photograph in those small cemeteries is not fun.
This is a screenshot of the Master Source for this CD based on a book. I discovered you can copy and paste the citation formats and also print them so I have done both.
I'd appreciate it if people who are familiar with this resource could look at this and see if I missed anything. Please.
This is a screenshot of the Master Source for this CD based on a book. I discovered you can copy and paste the citation formats and also print them so I have done both.
I'd appreciate it if people who are familiar with this resource could look at this and see if I missed anything. Please.
Improving Citations
At the beginning of February, I attended a RootsMagic Webinar (free) about Citations using the RootsMagic software program.[Thanks Bruce Buzbee of RootsMagic for the free help. ]
After working on one of my Rhode Island ancestors this week, I decided to try my hand at writing a citation using the software application. What I wanted to do was start a "file" of citations with a reference to Elizabeth S own Mills' book.
I opened a new RootsMagic file and saved it naming it Citations. I pulled down the Lists menu and chose "Source List". The Master Source dialog box opened.
I searched the extensive list for a citation that matches Austin's Genealogical Dictionary which I own on CD having purchased it a few years ago.
A friend of mine has this actual book. It is a huge book resembling an atlas. I could not pick it up. But, what I did learn after looking at her copy was that I wanted to buy exact copies of the pages. I was quite excited when I found out you could buy it on CD and the pages were exact copies right down to the page numbers. It was worth every penny.
After reading Bruce Buzbee's book, I discovered that each reference has a great Ref. See, it? The EE refers to ESM's book page number.
I printed the title page of Austin's book and the information about the CD itself. I returned to the Web site and printed how I purchased it. Then I copy and pasted that information into a Word document. So, now when anyone asks me, I can share the right information with them.
Next, I started to write my own citation. My office floor has Mills open, the RootsMagic book open and all of the printouts I need. My plan is to get one done today.
I made this screenshot to help me remember how I am going to do other frequently used references.
After working on one of my Rhode Island ancestors this week, I decided to try my hand at writing a citation using the software application. What I wanted to do was start a "file" of citations with a reference to Elizabeth S own Mills' book.
I opened a new RootsMagic file and saved it naming it Citations. I pulled down the Lists menu and chose "Source List". The Master Source dialog box opened.
I searched the extensive list for a citation that matches Austin's Genealogical Dictionary which I own on CD having purchased it a few years ago.
A friend of mine has this actual book. It is a huge book resembling an atlas. I could not pick it up. But, what I did learn after looking at her copy was that I wanted to buy exact copies of the pages. I was quite excited when I found out you could buy it on CD and the pages were exact copies right down to the page numbers. It was worth every penny.
After reading Bruce Buzbee's book, I discovered that each reference has a great Ref. See, it? The EE refers to ESM's book page number.
I printed the title page of Austin's book and the information about the CD itself. I returned to the Web site and printed how I purchased it. Then I copy and pasted that information into a Word document. So, now when anyone asks me, I can share the right information with them.
Next, I started to write my own citation. My office floor has Mills open, the RootsMagic book open and all of the printouts I need. My plan is to get one done today.
I made this screenshot to help me remember how I am going to do other frequently used references.
iPad: Padprop Box
After admiring the package (and the stamp) from the UK, I opened the package.
This is the outside of the box which shows how the PadProp (TM) works when it is in your lap and you are (trying) to type.
Visit Padprop's Web site...
This is the outside of the box which shows how the PadProp (TM) works when it is in your lap and you are (trying) to type.
Visit Padprop's Web site...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
iPad: Having a Life
For a change, let's go backwards through an "Adventure in iPad".
This is my iPad being held up by my PadProp which came in the mail today from the UK.
I am reading a book and doing my nails. See, I have a life. [I hope you are not shaking your head with "no, no".]
But, how did we get here?
This is my iPad being held up by my PadProp which came in the mail today from the UK.
I am reading a book and doing my nails. See, I have a life. [I hope you are not shaking your head with "no, no".]
But, how did we get here?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Zagg Shield for iPad
Decisions, decisions.
How do I protect the screen on my iPad?
I went to Best Buy, bought a ZAGG front and watched while the salesman put it on. The "installation" was on sale for free this week so all I paid for it the screen cover.
I didn't know they installed covers, did you?
It had to dry for 48 hours before I could put my rubbery case on it again. The bottle of solution they gave me is just distilled water and I sprayed it on one of my soft cloths and dried with with the microfiber pad. It came out just fine.
How do I protect the screen on my iPad?
I went to Best Buy, bought a ZAGG front and watched while the salesman put it on. The "installation" was on sale for free this week so all I paid for it the screen cover.
I didn't know they installed covers, did you?
It had to dry for 48 hours before I could put my rubbery case on it again. The bottle of solution they gave me is just distilled water and I sprayed it on one of my soft cloths and dried with with the microfiber pad. It came out just fine.
iPad: In the Classroom
Just because you're not an educator it doesn't mean that you can't get some great ideas (and apps) for your iPad. Here's a new page put up by my friend Kathy Schrock.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
iPad: Feeddler app
Feeddler RSS Reader Pro ($4.99)
I read blogs using their RSS feed. I knew that the iPad would be a great way for me to read blogs since it is portable and designed for easy reading in your lap.
Finding the right RSS reader app was not going to be easy. I was using Bloglines until they announced it was going under and so I switched my feeds to Google Reader and then back to Bloglines when it returned. But, I decided I didn't like it was much anymore and just added the few I had started reading back to Google Reader. Doesn't that sound confusing? I think so.
I spent an evening with my netbook cleaning up the list of blogs I read and then another afternoon reading the descriptions and reviews of the apps at iTunes. I settled on Feeddler after looking at the developer's page.
I downloaded and used the free one for a few days and then bought the Pro version for $4.99. Feeddler reads the blogs from Google Reader so the time spent on getting that set up was worth it.
I find that it is so easy that I can probably read more blogs than ever before. The pro version syncs the ones you add from Feedler on the iPad to the main area at Google Reader.
One thing I really like about reading feeds on my iPad is that if I want to I can move quickly to the viewing of the actual blog. People are so creative about the look and feel of their blogs that I always felt I was missing something.
I read blogs using their RSS feed. I knew that the iPad would be a great way for me to read blogs since it is portable and designed for easy reading in your lap.
Finding the right RSS reader app was not going to be easy. I was using Bloglines until they announced it was going under and so I switched my feeds to Google Reader and then back to Bloglines when it returned. But, I decided I didn't like it was much anymore and just added the few I had started reading back to Google Reader. Doesn't that sound confusing? I think so.
I spent an evening with my netbook cleaning up the list of blogs I read and then another afternoon reading the descriptions and reviews of the apps at iTunes. I settled on Feeddler after looking at the developer's page.
I downloaded and used the free one for a few days and then bought the Pro version for $4.99. Feeddler reads the blogs from Google Reader so the time spent on getting that set up was worth it.
I find that it is so easy that I can probably read more blogs than ever before. The pro version syncs the ones you add from Feedler on the iPad to the main area at Google Reader.
One thing I really like about reading feeds on my iPad is that if I want to I can move quickly to the viewing of the actual blog. People are so creative about the look and feel of their blogs that I always felt I was missing something.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
iPad: the Camera Kit
I purchased the Camera Kit when I bought the rubbery case for my iPad. I bought it from Amazon.com. [link]
I set it aside for later as I was so busy learning to use the iPad. Finally, I put a few jpgs on an SD card, "scooched" the rubbery case away from the iPad's port and stuck it in. Following the directions in the box, I waited for the iPad to recognize it. Well, was I surprised when I got a message on the iPad that said that there were no photos to import!
Rather than drive myself nuts, I put the items back in the box and waited until my tech guru friend came back from her conference. She told me that that is why it is called the camera connection kit. The iPad is expecting to see an SD card that has been in a camera.
Since my present camera is a Sony and uses memory stick technology and isn't an SD card, I copied the folder structure on my memory stick by naming two new folders on the SD card. When I added a jpg to the card in that right directory, and inserted it into the iPad there was a successful import.
Hooray!
I set it aside for later as I was so busy learning to use the iPad. Finally, I put a few jpgs on an SD card, "scooched" the rubbery case away from the iPad's port and stuck it in. Following the directions in the box, I waited for the iPad to recognize it. Well, was I surprised when I got a message on the iPad that said that there were no photos to import!
Rather than drive myself nuts, I put the items back in the box and waited until my tech guru friend came back from her conference. She told me that that is why it is called the camera connection kit. The iPad is expecting to see an SD card that has been in a camera.
Since my present camera is a Sony and uses memory stick technology and isn't an SD card, I copied the folder structure on my memory stick by naming two new folders on the SD card. When I added a jpg to the card in that right directory, and inserted it into the iPad there was a successful import.
Hooray!
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
iPad: Ancestry.com app Offline
ISince I have a wi-fi iPad with no 3G connection, I decided to take my iPad beyond the horizon of my home network. As we drove away from home, I launched the Ancestry.com app and got this message.
I made this screen shot and then proceeded to move around in my tree until I was satisfied with what I can see.
This is great because I can show the family photos and gravestones in my tree to people when there is no Internet connection.
I made this screen shot and then proceeded to move around in my tree until I was satisfied with what I can see.
This is great because I can show the family photos and gravestones in my tree to people when there is no Internet connection.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Using Ancestry.com's app: Dialog Box
Continued from yesterday's post...
After tapping the name of the previously downloaded tree, you look for the swirled arrow and tap on that to ask that new information in your tree be downloaded to your iPad.
After tapping the name of the previously downloaded tree, you look for the swirled arrow and tap on that to ask that new information in your tree be downloaded to your iPad.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Using the Ancestry.com iPad app
After the process of logging in to Ancestry.com (using the app) and choosing a tree to open (presumably yours), the tree remains on the iPad until you open it again.
This is new. With previous versions, the data was downloaded each time you opened the app. I would suspect that making the app optimized for the iPad was the motivation for Ancestry.com to make an app that looks great and is useful on the iPad. This device is designed for visual learners and I have noticed that people love to show off their iPad.You should pay attention to Apple's iPad commercials even if you don't have an iPad.
Yesterday, I made changes to my tree at Ancestry.com and when I opened the app on my iPad, these changes were NOT present. This meant that I must have to ask Ancestry.com's server to "please send me the new data".
In this screenshot shown here, note the purple arrow. This is where you tap to make the "dialog box" appear to refresh your data. (in the next blog post, I will tell you what to do next!)
One of the things about apps is that there are very little directions. For those of us who have been using computers for 20 years plus this can be frustrating. Young users just mess around tapping on the screen until they figure it out. You need to visit the developers Web site (listed at the iTunes page for the app) to see what is up if you need help.
This is new. With previous versions, the data was downloaded each time you opened the app. I would suspect that making the app optimized for the iPad was the motivation for Ancestry.com to make an app that looks great and is useful on the iPad. This device is designed for visual learners and I have noticed that people love to show off their iPad.You should pay attention to Apple's iPad commercials even if you don't have an iPad.
Yesterday, I made changes to my tree at Ancestry.com and when I opened the app on my iPad, these changes were NOT present. This meant that I must have to ask Ancestry.com's server to "please send me the new data".
In this screenshot shown here, note the purple arrow. This is where you tap to make the "dialog box" appear to refresh your data. (in the next blog post, I will tell you what to do next!)
One of the things about apps is that there are very little directions. For those of us who have been using computers for 20 years plus this can be frustrating. Young users just mess around tapping on the screen until they figure it out. You need to visit the developers Web site (listed at the iTunes page for the app) to see what is up if you need help.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
iPad: Ancestry app on iPad
When compared to the screenshot from my iPod touch, the sheer size of the Ancestry.com app on my iPad looks massive!
This app is going to be great on my iPad because it is optimized for this type of screen. I think that because it is downloaded, it will not need the Web to be used. I have an iPad that is Wi-Fi only so I have to go outside my house to see.
I still don't know how I "refresh" when i make changes to my Ancestry tree which I do almost daily.
This app is going to be great on my iPad because it is optimized for this type of screen. I think that because it is downloaded, it will not need the Web to be used. I have an iPad that is Wi-Fi only so I have to go outside my house to see.
I still don't know how I "refresh" when i make changes to my Ancestry tree which I do almost daily.
iPad: Ancestry.com App on iPod
Apps for the iPad and the iPod touch/iPhone, are updated before you are ready for them! Well, that's how it seems. This screenshot is from my iPod touch.
I have used this app since the first day it was released. It simply refused to load in the first version, then they fixed that, and it would download but very slowly. Each time you opened the app, it would download once again. That was annoying but after all I have a LOT of ancestors.
I timed it last night and it took more that a half hour to download my tree. But, the results were good. As you can see, the photos I have posted are also downloaded. Now, I can actually work with this to see how it works for me.
Next to test the app on my iPad. I downloaded it yesterday and made a screenshot.
I have used this app since the first day it was released. It simply refused to load in the first version, then they fixed that, and it would download but very slowly. Each time you opened the app, it would download once again. That was annoying but after all I have a LOT of ancestors.
I timed it last night and it took more that a half hour to download my tree. But, the results were good. As you can see, the photos I have posted are also downloaded. Now, I can actually work with this to see how it works for me.
Next to test the app on my iPad. I downloaded it yesterday and made a screenshot.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
iPad: Apps for iPad
I must admit that I was surprised that some of the apps that I was using for my trusty iPod touch (or an iPhone) have a "special" version for the iPad. Some, like FamView, which I purchased sometime back for reading my GEDCOM, automatically were "optimized" for the iPad.
So, you can tell when an app is for the iPad when it is listed at iTunes in the iPad section and when downloaded to your iPad it fills the screen automatically. Apps not optimized for the iPad are shown at 1x size with a screen that is the size of the iPod touch. To get them to fill the screen, you tap on the 2x found in the lower right corner.
Non-optimized apps are blurry to read when blown up but they are easier to see than the size of the iPod touch or iPhone. Some of mine had to be deleted before I could add the new version that is specifically for the iPad.
I will be reporting on the ones that I think are useful. BTW, the screenshots made with the iPad are much larger that expected. Don't make too many of them at once and share with friends or you will exceed their email-inbox mailbox limitations.
So, you can tell when an app is for the iPad when it is listed at iTunes in the iPad section and when downloaded to your iPad it fills the screen automatically. Apps not optimized for the iPad are shown at 1x size with a screen that is the size of the iPod touch. To get them to fill the screen, you tap on the 2x found in the lower right corner.
Non-optimized apps are blurry to read when blown up but they are easier to see than the size of the iPod touch or iPhone. Some of mine had to be deleted before I could add the new version that is specifically for the iPad.
I will be reporting on the ones that I think are useful. BTW, the screenshots made with the iPad are much larger that expected. Don't make too many of them at once and share with friends or you will exceed their email-inbox mailbox limitations.
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