Based upon the introduction and subsequent reviews by those who have actually seen an iPad, the device is indeed using the iPhone operating system. This was further validated when Apple introduced a new Software Development Kit (SDK) that included calls for using the iPad’s new features.

Where my prediction fell down was that I wrongfully assumed the iPad would require a new version of the iPhone OS. Instead Apple built the iPad to live within the constraints of version 3.1.2 of the iPhone operating system.

That is not to say we will not get an iPhone OS version 4, it just means that the iPad will drive a requirement to update the operating system. My suggestions and wish list items for a new version of the operating system will have to continue to be far off dreams.

Maybe with the iPad actually ships it will include iPhone OS 4.0 or perhaps we will see a new version introduced at the Apple World Wide Developer’s Conference. In the mean time I’ll stumble and struggle with the current operating system with its idiosyncrasies and long for the day when a new version will be released restoring balance to the technology universe.

I’ve been to enough Apple events to know the company and in particular Steve Jobs has these things down to a science. They maintain secrecy over all details of the event and subtly let out slight details at a rate that ensures the general public is spun up to a frenzy.

This was definitely the case for this event. It was perhaps the worst kept secret in the computer history that Apple would be releasing a tablet device. Despite that knowledge Apple customers and potential customers were glued to their computer screens waiting to learn the details of this new device.

After taking the stage Jobs wasted no time before bringing out the new product for everyone to see. It had been rumored the device would be named the “iPad” and that was accurate. At first glimpse it looks like an iPod Touch with a thyroid problem.

It has the same touch screen technology that the iPod Touch and the iPhone use. From the screen displays it runs a version of the iPhone Operating System with extensions that will utilize the larger screen real estate.

Apple is positioning the iPad to be missing link between the iPhone and the MacBook. It will run over 140,000 applications from the App Store with no modification giving the device an instant library of software on day one.

iPhone apps can run in two different modes. The first will set the application up in a window sized the same as an iPhone or iPod Touch. With a click you can expand the size of the window to four-times nearly filling the iPad’s screen.

The iPad is 9.56 inches high and 7.47 inches wide with a depth of 0.5 inches. It weighs approximately 1.5 pounds making it extremely light weight and portable for taking with you wherever you go. The 9.7 inch (diagonal) LED screen has a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels at
132 pixels per inch.

The form factor was slightly different than I expected. I thought it would have a screen ratio of 16:9 rather than 4:3. While the additional width might be good for some applications, it results in black bars on two of the sides when watching video.

The iPad comes in several configurations to allow the customer to decide which one will meet their needs without overbuying the technology. There are two standard types. One is strictly Wi-Fi enabled allowing network connectivity to any Wi-Fi Hotspot in 802.11a/b/g/n flavors.

The other includes 3G networking in addition to Wi-Fi allowing the user to connect the device to a cellular network if Wi-Fi is unavailable. Apple announced that the 3G model comes unlocked meaning it can be used on any 3G network that utilize specific frequencies. AT&T immediately announced the iPad could be used on their network.

Besides the networking type, customers can also choose the device’s capacity. The iPad will be available in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of memory. Like the iPhone the iPad includes an accelerometer to sense when the device is rotated or tilted.

The iPad uses a graphical keyboard like the iPhone and can also utilize Bluetooth keyboards such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard. The iPad includes full support for Bluetooth 2.1 which should mean you could use wireless earphones.

The processor in the device is an Apple designed chip called the A4 which is running at 1GHz. The chip was designed to provide good performance while maintaining lower power consumption.

Power conservation was an important design criterion for the iPad allowing it to have up to 10 hours of use or 30 days of stand-by power, impressive considering the device’s minimal footprint.

The iPad is capable of playing music similar to an iPod Touch. It is also able to display High Definition video reproduction in 720p at 30 frames per second.

The device is initially being targeted to the traveler who wants to use multimedia while on the road. Its screen size would be perfect for watching a movie on an airplane or in a hotel room.

Besides audio and video, the device is also great as an electronic book reader. It was immediately clear that Apple was positioning this to compete head-to-head with Amazon and its Kindle product.

Besides the iPad, Apple also announced it would add books to iTunes allowing customers to purchase electronic books and have them downloaded directly to the iPad. Besides text and pictures, the electronic books can also include video and other media.

The demos of the electronic book media reminded me a lot of the newspapers in the Harry Potter movies where pictures move around the page. With networking capabilities there is no reason content could not be updated in real time as news unfolds.

Besides the iPad, Apple also introduced a version of their word processor Pages, presentation software Keynote, and spreadsheet Numbers for the iPad. This brings productivity apps to the mobile space. Perhaps the best news was that each of these applications will be priced at $9.99.

The whole pricing structure for the iPad was very aggressive. A 16GB iPad with Wi-Fi will sell for $499 putting it squarely in the Kindle’s market. Prices for the 32GB and 64GB models were set at $599 and $699 respectively. If you want 3G, it is $130 more. This means the most feature laden iPad will sell for $829; $170 less than the rumored price point.

The Wi-Fi versions of the iPad will begin shipping in late March 2010 while the 3G versions will ship in late April. Overall the iPad looks like an intriguing device that has a lot of potential allowing Apple to position themselves in another mobile market.

As an owner of an iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS as well as several iPod Touch devices, I am eagerly awaiting the newest version of the iPhone OS. When Apple introduced iPhone OS 3.0 I was ecstatic.

When the iPhone 3G was released, the operating system had some challenges that severely impacted the usefulness of the device. The battery drain was excruciating and it was a struggle to hold and maintain a signal in some areas.

The update to the iPhone OS cleared up a lot of these issues and enabled the devices to become much more useful. We are now currently on version 3.1.2 meaning there have been some minor changes. Some of these changes have been welcomed while others introduced new issues that iPhone users have had to live with.

While Apple has never asked for my input, I would be happy to provide them with a wish list of items that I’d love to see them build into the next version of the OS.

iPhone 3GS Battery Usage. I bought an iPhone 3G on the first day it was available. For those first few weeks I really questioned my sanity. The battery would dramatically drain throughout the day requiring a charge during the day if I wanted to use the device for longer than a few hours.

iPhone OS 3.0 solved most of those issues. When I upgraded to an iPhone 3GS I was shocked to find my battery woes had returned to nearly the same level I had with the iPhone 3G at introduction. Apple engineers in conjunction with AT&T needs to figure out what is causing such a drain on the 3GS and resolve it. There must be a way to better manage energy usage to allow a user to use the phone for longer than a few short hours between charges and turning off the 3G network or not using applications cannot be the answer.

Multi-Tasking Applications. To be honest this one is really not high on my priority list. Given the aforementioned battery issues adding multi-tasking to applications may not be possible and I would rather have longer battery life than have multiple applications running.

That being said, I realize multi-tasking is necessary to be competitive in the smart phone market. Google has implemented this feature in their Android product so Apple will need to offer something similar. The key to multi-tasking is to have an appropriate algorithm that can manage potential runaway apps that could jeopardize the user experience.

Better Bluetooth Connectivity. Apple recently added the ability to connect wireless headphones to the iPhone using a Bluetooth connection. When it first was released it worked well with my motorcycle headphones. During subsequent OS updates, Apple broke that capability.

The level of regression testing needs to be better at Apple so that they don’t break functionality when they update. With more and more emphasis being placed on eliminating the wires, Apple needs to provide a more robust toolset within the OS to support Bluetooth functionality not just for headphones but also headsets.

Ability to Change Text Messaging Sounds. This is one of those things that leave you scratching your head wondering what Apple engineers were thinking. The iPhone supports custom ring tones for incoming calls but the user is limited to the six sounds that are included on the phone for text messages.

Nearly every cellular phone on the planet supports custom sounds to be used for receiving text messages; the iPhone is not one of those. This is such a simple change that you have to wonder why it was never supported in the first place.

There are documented hacks that will allow users to replace one of the six sounds with a custom sound but these hacks require the user to “jailbreak” the phone. iPhone OS 4.0 should at a minimum allow the user to set a global sound to all text messages.

If Apple really wants to impress the customer base, let the user set a sound on a per user basis to provide audio queues of who is trying to contact them.

Make Communications Contact Centered. With the iPhone I will get communications via several different ways from the same person. I might receive a phone call, a text message, a photo message, a Twitter message, or an email all from the same person.

It would be extremely beneficial if I could look at a user’s contact information and see all the communications I have had with them regardless of the medium. I understand this may not be a trivial task but it would extremely useful to consolidate all of the data in one place.

Apple took the first step when they introduced Spotlight search capabilities on the iPhone but a user should not have to go to the search function to find all the information about a recipient. Make the interface more user centralized.

These are just a few things that come to mind, I am sure I could come up with additional examples of features or functions that would be helpful in the iPhone OS 4.0. These are not complaints, they are helpful suggestions of ways to endure this device to the hearts of the users.

Since purchasing the iPhone 3G when it was first released in 2008, I have gone through no fewer than eight cases. Each time I buy one I think this will be the one that will finally meet all of my criteria while still being stylish enough to carry.

Invariably though I find myself disappointed. With some cases they are too bulky turning the iPhone into a brick-like dimension. These cases do bring back a certain amount of nostalgia reminding the user what cell phone form factors used to be in the 1980’s.

Other cases are sleek and smooth but offer very little protection to the iPhone turning the user into a nervous wreck as they are afraid of dropping or damaging their phone. You can usually spot these users as they look like they are handling a core of Uranium 238.

I’ve tried several of the ice cream magic shell equivalent of cases. You know the chocolate coating that you pour over ice cream and it turns into a hard chocolate shell. In the case of iPhone cases these usually have the word “shield” in their names like GhostShield, InvisiShield, ArmorShield, etc.

The problem with these types of cases is that while they may protect the iPhone from scratches they have a tendency to peel off leaving the edges of the iPhone unprotected. They can also get expensive if you have them installed by the dealer with each charging between $10 and $20 per application.

What I needed was something with a non-slick surface that would protect the back of the iPhone with perhaps a removable face cover. I want the case to be stylish but not too thick. My quest to find such a case led me look at the iSkin product.

iSkin has long been associated with cases for the iPod market and I have used them in the past for my music player. I went to their web site and was intrigued by the iSkin Solo FX.

The iSkin Solo FX is a silicon-based case that gives the back of the iPhone protection with a silicon cover that comes in several different colors. They have added geometric shapes into the silicon giving it a unique look.

I purchased a Solo FX in the color Passion which is a translucent red. I have to admit, I was a little reluctant thinking my iPhone would be dressed in Passion Red but it was the closest thing to Arizona Diamondbacks Sedona Red so I guess it is fitting that it would be called Passion.

The cover came with two different front covers. One is a clear cover that protects the iPhone face while still allowing it to be touch sensitive. The second cover was a mirror finish. It is kind of cool giving the iPhone an almost stealth look.

For those of you who are international spies, the mirrored finish makes a great accessory that you can use to look around corners to make sure you are not about to walk into a terrorist cell ambush. Think of it as a national security preserver.

The iSkin Solo FX is relatively simple to install. You simply slide it on and roll the edges over the corners of the iPhone. There are openings for the headphone jack, the camera lens, the mute button, and the dock connector on the end.

The on and off switch and the volume controls are covered but the silicon is thinner there allowing you to press the buttons. The case does not add a lot of bulk to the phone and does provide a non-slip surface that makes it easier to hold in your hand while in use.

The opening for the docking port is adequately sized to allow easy connection to the cords. It is a much better than the touch Vibes case iSkin makes for the iPod Touch. That case requires you to manipulate the case and move the docking cord around to finally get a good dock connection.

The iSkin Solo FX has semi-transparent circle shapes in the back of the case. When you add the iPhone the black back of my iPhone shows through giving it a classy geometric pattern that other cases do not have.

The one negative I have with the iSkin Solo FX is that the dye used to create the case does have a tendency to bleed onto the back of the phone. If you have a black case that is not a problem but with the white iPhone you could end up with a pink back. Fortunately for me I still have an Invisishield on the back of the phone so the dye came off with the removal of the Invisishield.

The dye problem is not just with the red color. I bought my wife a blue cover and my daughter has an aqua color and each of them have also bled onto the iPhone case.

Overall the iSkin Solo FX has been a good case. I hesitate to say it is the perfect case. Although you can buy a separate belt clip it is not included with the Solo FX. The iSkin product line is also relatively expensive with the Solo FX listed for $32.99.

Fortunately iSkin offers discounts and sales fairly regularly so you can get it for less if you are willing to be patient and wait for it to go on sale. Delivery is quite fast, all of the covers I have ordered from iSkin have come via US Postal Service and are packaged quite well.

You should also remove the cover once and a while and clean the inside of the case and the iPhone. Dirt can sometimes get inside and could rub between the cover and the iPhone scratching the back. I have never had that happen with my iPhone or my iPods but it could so be forewarned.

This same problem can occur with any case and by no means is a flaw in the design of the iSkin Solo FX. If you are looking for a slim silicon case that gives your device a stylish look without adding a lot of bulk take a look at the Solo FX.

As 1999 was coming to an end I like most others in the Information Technology industry was preparing for the impending Y2K doom that was being predicted in the media. Of course nothing happened and that was a non-event.

When the clock counted down the final seconds of the 20th century I wondered what life would be like in the next century. I envisioned life being like the Jetsons with flying cars that folded up into briefcases and we would all live in apartment complexes catered to by Rosie the Robot.

Unfortunately as I sit here now I wonder if anything really has changed at all? It feels as though life as we know it really hasn’t changed that much; or so I thought. When ABC News posted a news story naming The Top 10 Products of the Decade I was curious whether these products would be revolutionary or just an updated of version of something that has been around for ages.

Reading over the list I was shocked that many of the products listed have become a part of my everyday life. I don’t think of these things as the amazing 21st Century technology that I had been anticipating. Strangely I could not think of living a day without them they have become so much a part of my daily life.

The list of products ABC News identified as the best of the last decade are:

1. Apple iPod
2. GPS Devices
3. The Blackberry
4. Digital Camera
5. TiVo Digital Video Recorder
6. Nintendo Wii
7. USB Flash Drive
8. iPhone
9. E-Book Readers
10. Netbooks

Perhaps the first thing to note is that without exception I own or have owned every single one of these products during the past decade. I am not sure whether that means I have successfully helped select these products or if it just means I am a techno-geek that buys way too many toys. If you ask Trina she will definitely say it is the latter.

When I stood back and pondered these products I realized that without exception each of these have changed the way I live my life now versus before they were developed.

I remember when I began college in 1980. I saved up my money and made the splurge buying my first Hewlett-Packard calculator. It was the size of a brick and came with a one line LED display that was painfully difficult to read unless you were in a dark room.

This calculator was my constant companion throughout college and I truly thought I was on the cutting edge of technology. I took great care with the calculator as it cost as much as a semester of tuition.

At the end of my first year of college Sony introduced the Walkman that would allow me to take a cassette with me around campus and listen to music while I studied. It was an unheard of concept and changed the way I listened to music.

Fast-forwarding to this past decade I suddenly realized how much things have changed. My iPod now holds 36 times more than my first hard drive the Apple Profile. Now I not only can listen to my music but I am able to take my entire library of music and videos with me at all times and go days without having to recharge the battery.

I no longer wait for the local disc jockey to introduce me to new artists and music. Instead my iPod and iPhone recommend music to me based on what I have listened to in the past. Music has become files where it used to be tapes or discs.

My phone and my car can now tell me within 10 feet where I am on the planet regardless of how far away I am from my destination. It can tell me where traffic is the worst and what is the best route to get to my destination all without stopping to ask for directions.

Phones have morphed into multi-tasking devices and I communicate with voice, video, email and text all from a handheld unit that has more computing power than the combined first ten computers I owned.

My first computer had 4K of memory and I had to program it each time I booted. When Apple introduced the cassette tape storage device I was in heaven. Now I have a USB drive with no moving parts that is the size of a quarter and holds the equivalent of 12 CDs of information. I can move the data from computer to computer simply by inserting the drive into a USB port.

When the decade first began most homes in America still had a VCR, which flashed 12:00. Although it was possible to record television to tape it was a complicated process that always ended in frustration. Now with my TiVo it not only records all of my shows without me having to feed tapes to the machine but it also finds shows I might like based upon my previous viewing habits.

On those occasions when I forget to tell TiVo to record a program I can still do it even if I am not at home. I simply open an application on my iPhone and give instructions to my TiVo even if I am hundreds of miles away from home.

I have always been a book connoisseur and have literally hundreds of books around my house. Now I find myself buying less paper books instead relying on electronic books such as the Amazon Kindle to provide reading materials.

I can still flip through the pages but now I can house several books in a single form-factor. For those trips where I normally take 2-3 books to read I now pack just my e-book reader. If I run out of reading material more books are available if I can find a wireless network.

Looking back over the past ten years clearly we have made tremendous technological advances. So while I still don’t have a flying car or a robot maid my life is much easier than it ever has been in my life. I can hardly wait to see what advances are made in the next ten years.

Whitney has always been mature for her age so I wasn’t worried about getting her a phone. Still I wasn’t about to let on to her that she was going to get a phone. Instead I told her that she had to get an “A” on a particular test in order to be considered for a phone.

Whitney worked extremely hard that semester to get an “A” in that class. In the end though she received a “B” missing an “A” by just a couple of points. Given her hard work I knew I would still get her the phone but she didn’t know that.

Leading up to Christmas I kept telling her that she shouldn’t expect the phone given that she got a “B”. On Christmas morning Whitney eagerly ran downstairs hoping to find a cell phone. It was not among her presents and she was trying really hard to maintain a positive attitude despite her disappointment.

Finally there was one present left. She opened the gift and inside was a plastic phone filled with candy along with a note that stated, “Sorry this is the best you get for getting a ‘B’.” It was a mean trick and she broke down.

Before she could be too upset there was another note suggesting she look on one of the branches of the Christmas tree. There was her shiny new cell phone with a waiting text message from dad saying “You will always be an ‘A’ in my life.”

It has now been a couple of years since that time and Whitney’s contract is up on her cell phone. The rest of the family has moved from Sprint to AT&T and phones have been replaced with the iPhone.

Once again Whitney is clamoring for a new phone. This time though she too wants an iPhone. Given the events from two years ago she is refusing to have it tied to her grades this time.

I’m not sure I would be able to get away with another prank again this year. I have a sneaking suspicion I am going to be shopping for an iPhone this week and Whitney will be getting an early Christmas present.

Nikon has continuously been developing their software and web presence to add value to their product line. This coupled with their Nikon Schools educational arm provides a wealth of information on just on cameras but on camera techniques.

Today I received an email introducing another educational opportunity available. Nikon has developed an iPhone App called Nikon Learn & Explore. This free app provides access to articles and information from the Nikon educational archives.

The interface to the app is well laid out. You can select information by image with a matrix of photos displayed. Selecting a photo thumbnail displays a larger version of the picture as you would expect.

From there you can click on Info to get information about the photo including photographer name. You can also select View Article, which will show the article from Nikon World magazine that featured the photo. Where applicable there are also videos about the photo or the article.

Next to the Image tag on the main screen is a learn icon that provides Insights & Techniques including imaging editing, shooting techniques, and fundamentals of photography. These lessons are well done and very helpful.

The Nikon World magazine is a valuable tool and the app provides digital access to the information separated by issue.

The app is like having a desk reference and photography teacher right at your fingertips. It is a great app with a good interface and invaluable information. For anyone interested in taking pictures whether you use a Nikon camera or not you will find valuable information contained within it.

I was equally shocked when Apple and AT&T announced that MMS would not be immediately available through the AT&T network but that the feature would be delivered “late summer 2009). There have been rumors swirling around the Internet stating the reason for the delay was not a technical issue with the AT&T’s 3G network but rather it was a problem with the AT&T customer database that prevented the iPhone to be properly identified as a potential MMS client.

I try not to get too hung up on the conspiracy theories that are rampant whenever a new feature or device has issues. Still, it was frustrating to think that while the rest of the iPhone world would be able to use MMS, the iPhone customers in the United States would have to wait an undetermined amount of time before this feature would be active.

I waited as patiently has I could for notification of when MMS would be delivered. Each time I asked the answer would be the same, “late summer”. According to my calendar Autumn officially begins on September 22, 2009 so by definition we should receive this functionality by that date at the latest.

On Wednesday I received a text message from AT&T stating that a new version of the carrier settings would be available to download through iTunes on September 25. Among the features would be MMS. While AT&T technically missed their stated deadline by three days it was at least encouraging to hear that MMS would finally be active.

When September 25 arrived; I plugged my iPhone into my Macbook Pro and opened iTunes. Sure enough, iTunes notified me of an update being available. I immediately installed the software, anxious to try out MMS.

To utilize MMS, a user simply goes into the Messages application on the iPhone and either start a new messaging conversation or select a current conversation. At the bottom of the display near the left corner of the input field is a new camera icon. Selecting this icon brings up an input dialog where the user can either take a photo using the iPhone’s built in camera or you can choose an existing photo that is stored in the iPhone.

When the message is sent, the photo shows up as a conversation bubble in the message stream. The recipient will receive the photo just as they would a text message. By clicking on the photo within messaging you can view the entire photo. The recipient has the ability to save the photo to their iPhone photo roll.

Overall the MMS feature works quite well. I was able to sent pictures from my son’s soccer game to my wife who could not attend the event. My daughter was able to send photos of athletic shoes she was thinking of buying giving us the opportunity to veto her taste in shoes. My wife was even able to send me a picture of the laundry detergent she needed me to pick up. This was substantially easier than having her try to describe the packaging to me.

I thought that MMS would end up being a novelty but I find myself using it more and more in daily communications. Now if AT&T would just figure out how they are going to provide tethering capabilities for the iPhone I would be a happy user.

We took a couple of short rides and while they were a lot of fun, we found it difficult for us to communicate while on the bike. There were times when I wanted to ask Trina whether she wanted to stop at a particular place or continue on the trip. Likewise Trina wanted to let me know when she needed something without having to resort to one handed sign language while clinging to the back of my jacket.

Clearly we needed some way to communicate that was a little more accurate and easy than our rudimentary hand signals. At the same time I needed to find something that would let me know when my cellphone rang when I was riding alone. There have been times with Trina or the kids are trying to reach me to let me know they needed me to pick something up or if there has been a change in plans.

Given these requirements I began to research what options there were available for motorcycle communication devices. As I searched for information, one name continued to pop-up, Cardo. Cardo offers a series of wireless communication devices that connect to a rider’s helmet that allow riders to communicate between bikes.

I liked the idea of being wireless. The last thing I needed was to be connected to the bike or to another rider via a cable. I know myself too well to believe that I would not forget to disconnect the wires and the result would be yanking them out leaving the communication system broken.

Cardo offers several types of communication devices. After reviewing the features of each I decided that the best option for me was the Cardo Scala Rider Q2 system. This communication device not only will allow you to talk to other riders but will also act as a Bluetooth headset for a cell phone and as a hands free speech device for a GPS unit.

I decided to purchase two Scala Rider Q2 sets since it really wouldn’t do me any good to talk to Trina if I only had one set. I ordered the Q2 systems from Revzilla, who is quickly becoming my favorite online retailer for motorcycle rider accessories.

The Scala Rider Q2 devices arrived in a few short days from when I placed the order. They came boxed separately with all the parts to install them. The Scala Rider Q2 comes in two parts.

The first part is a clamp that attaches to the left side of your helmet. It has a boom mike that can be threaded into the front of the user’s helmet inside to allow you to speak to the unit. The boom mike is directional so you do have to make sure that you orient the microphone the right direction for it to pick up your voice.

The clamp also has two wired speakers that are threaded inside the helmet under the pads and oriented on the left and right side of the helmet. Placement for these speakers is crucial otherwise it is hard to pick up the voices. I had to make several minute adjustments to the speaker placement to get the sound just right.

The speakers are mono speakers when used with Scala Rider Q2 device. Newer models of the Q2 include a jack on the helmet clamp that will allow you to connect the cable from an MP3 player to the device which will allow the speakers inside the helmet to play music in stereo. For those who do not have the MP3 jack on their helmet clamp, you can purchase replacement clamps on the Scala web site that include this functionality.

Once the clamp, mike and speakers have been installed, the next step is to charge the Scala Rider Q2 device. According to the instructions you should charge the Q2 for 5 hours before setting it up for the first time. There have been occurrences where not fully charging the device before set-up have caused problems so I did not take any chances and followed the directions perfectly.

Once the device is charged, you will need to pair the Q2 devices together so that they can talk to each other. This is simply a matter of pressing the buttons on the side of the Q2 in certain combinations until red and blue lights flash to validate that the two devices know about each other. It took me a couple of tries to get the two Q2 devices to recognize each other but ultimately they did.

After pairing the two Q2 devices, my next step was to pair one of the Q2 devices to my Apple iPhone. Again this was a matter of holding down the buttons on the Q2 device until it entered Bluetooth mode then setting my iPhone to search for discoverable devices. Once the iPhone found the Q2, I was required to enter a code into my iPhone to finish the discovery process. The code is “0000” in case you miss that in the manual (I did).

According to the documentation that came with the Scala Rider Q2, if you have a GPS device you should pair it with the Q2 and then pair the GPS with your cell phone. Since I do not have a GPS, I just skipped that part.

Besides Bluetooth headset support the Q2 also offers an FM tuner with a six station preset. It took a little bit to get the local radio stations tuned in and set. It requires you to have good hand eye coordination since you are pressing buttons in sequence while the helmet is on to make sure you can hear the stations. My best recommendation for this part is to have patience. It can be a little frustrating but if you just relax it’s not too bad.

Once I had both Q2 systems installed and set it was time to give them a try. Trina and I jumped on the bike and went for a short ride. When the Q2 is turned on it is voice activated and allows the rider and passenger to talk. Unlike many other communicators, you are not limited to the walkie-talkie syndrome where only one person can talk. We could each talk and carry on a conversation.

The Scala Rider Q2 does have some precedence in the order of communications. If you are listening to the FM radio and the passenger begins talking the radio will stop and you will get the other person. If you get a call on your cell phone it will take precedence over either the radio or the other person. That seems a little backwards until you remember that the cell phone could also be the GPS so the device first thinks you need to know where you are then you can tell the other rider and finally you can relax to a little music.

The overall quality of the Scala Rider Q2 is very good. It took a little bit to get the speakers places appropriately so that the unit was loud enough to hear. There was also a little bit of a learning curve to navigate the buttons on the device to get it in the proper mode and functioning where you wanted it to.

Both the clamp and the Scala Rider Q2 are well protected from the weather meaning they work well whether it is sunny or raining. The hot summer of Arizona did not seem to impact the operation of the Q2 unit adversely so that was very good news. The documentation suggests that the Scala Rider Q2 has a range of 500 meters or 1,640 feet in wide open terrain. In areas that are more confined the range drops to 250 meters or 800 feet which is still adequate. You can pair three Q2 devices together to talk with two other riders.

Overall the Cardo Scala Rider Q2 has met my requirements allowing me to communicate with my wife wirelessly while we are riding. It has also provided me with a way that I can safely answer my cell phone while I am riding so that I don’t miss an important call. With some full face helmets the boom mike can get in the way or not fit properly. Cardo offers an alternative clamp that replaces the boom mike with a low-profile wired mike to fit easier. Overall I would not hesitate to recommend the Cardo Scala Rider Q2 system to anyone looking for a wireless communication device for a motorcycle.

Recently for my son’s birthday I bought him an iPod Touch with 16GB of memory and a touch screen and built-in wireless networking. When I gave him the gift it came with yet another story of my childhood. I explained to him that when I was a kid there was no such thing as a personal computer. I may as we have just admitted that I was actually an alien and was transported to this planet in some kind of time vortex.

He had no concept of not having a computer. I went on to explain that the iPod he was holding in his hand was exponentially more powerful than the first computer I owned after I graduated from college.

I remember the first time I sat down at the keyboard of my Apple ][. It had a whopping 48K of memory and could display a full line of 40 characters all upper case. The monitor was a huge 12 inch CRT and I had my choice when I bought it. I could have green letters on a black background or the cutting edge orange text on black background.

Storage on this device was a cassette player and I was grateful for that. Before I hooked up the cassette player I had to program the computer every time I booted. I remember the day that the 5.25 inch floppy drive was introduced. I could not imagine filling an entire disk. I mean 160K was like having the entire world on a drive.

My son’s mouth dropped open as I described what I thought were the good old days but to him sounded more like I had been sent to Hades to live out eternity. “What kind of games can you play on a machine like that?” he asked.

What kind of games? As far as I was concerned that era produced the greatest game ever created. “We played Zork!” I stated quite proudly. “What’s a Zork?” he asked. How oh how could I have failed as a parent that my son had no idea what Zork was?

I tried to explain the concept of interactive fiction and how the developers at Infocom had taken the original Adventure game and created an alternative universe. I explained to him that you typed in responses to text prompts and became part of the story.

Clearly I had completely lost him. He had no frame of reference that would be equivalent in his terms. Kids have become so used to realistic graphics and quick action that the thoughts of reading a screen of text and trying to visualize where you were in a story were completely foreign to him.

It was a fairly depressing conversation as he commented on more than one occasion that I had to be making this up, there was no such thing as Zork. I have to admit, after the snipe incident I did lack some credibility with him. Still I was determined to prove to him that Zork existed and show him what he was missing.

After a brief search on the Internet I learned that Infocom actually have the Zork series available for download for Macintosh. The downloads included Zork I, Zork II, and finally Zork III. There is also an online version based upon the original MIT version of Adventure.

I was glad to learn that I was not the only person who grew up playing Zork. The games have gotten almost a cult following. Still if I was going to win over my son it would require that the game be available on his iPod Touch.

After a little research I found that there was a tool in place that basically gave the iPod Touch a Z-machine interpreter that would allow the iPod and the iPhone to run interactive fiction programs. I headed to the App Store on iTunes and found Frotz a form of the sourceforge Z-machine interpreter. Not only did Frotz give you the interpreter but it also came with Zork?

In just a few short minutes I had installed Frotz on his iPod Touch and launched Zork. The screen went dark and words appeared.
West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
There is a small mailbox here.

It was as if I had been teleported back in time. I remembered the countless hours wandering through mazes and figuring out clues.

After a few short moves came the inevitable “You’ve been eaten by a Grue”. I wonder if I can get my family to put that on my headstone when I die. Now that would be funny.