Join Webinars from your iPad

I had to share some exciting news from Citrix with all of you that have an iPad or that are thinking about getting an iPad. I attended a webinar yesterday via my iPad ~ WOW! All I did was click on the webinar link in my email and I instantly began to connect. I wasn't even prompted to enter my name and email, my iPad did that automatically. The audio and video worked perfectly with no lag time. Love the ability to zoom by tapping and pinching. I connected to the webinar via our office WiFi; using a 3G connection will use too much of your 3G plan. Just one more reason to think about getting an iPad.

Citrix (GoToMeeting) announced this week that you can now join webinars on your iPad. Download the free app from the Apple App Store and join meetings on your iPad in seconds. This exciting addition to GoToMeeting, built specifically for the iPad, makes online meetings more accessible than ever. Use your iPad to attend online meetings on the go - at a café, in a hotel, wherever you happen to be.

Download Gotomeeting App from iTunes

Using GoToMeeting on an iPad, you can:

• Attend online meetings wherever you are - at no charge.
• Join meetings in seconds by tapping a link in an email or enter the meeting ID in GTM App
  
• View presentations, mockups and reports - whatever the presenter shares on-screen.
• Connect to audio through your iPad or over the phone.
• Pinch to zoom meeting content.
• Switch between portrait and landscape.
• Increase the viewer size with a double tap of the finger.

Using GoToMeeting on an iPad, you can't:

• Ask questions (Citrix is working on adding this functionality)
  
• Raise your hand
  

NOTE: To enjoy webinars without internet interruption, I recommend you join a webinar only when using a WiFi connection.

|Purchase iPad/Play Book/Tab stand|

I recently purchased an stand for my iPad. A stand is a perfect solution when I need hands-free viewing for webinars or when I'm cooking. Did I mention I love allrecipes.com?

iPad case with keyboard

Recently, I was in Boston at a MarketingProfs event B2B Forum. There were lots of amazing tech savvy business owners there. During the sessions many were tweeting highlights of the sessions via their laptop or iPad. I found one person using the Kenningston iPad case with a keyboard. Wow, I loved it. It is so compact and easy to use if you want to take notes. And you can't beat an iPad for a lightweight note taking device. I have a thin cover for my iPad which I use most of the time. I would use this case with the keyboard when I am going to a seminar, convention or any meeting I will be taking notes. Very handy.

17 Personal Apps for the iPad

Last week, I gave you a list of the my top 13 business apps I use on my iPad. This week I'll share my top 17 personal apps. I have hyperlinked each app to the iTunes App Store. Make sure you keep all of your apps up-to-date. It's amazing how many enhancements the developers add at no cost. If you can't find an app, wait a month or two and search again. New iPad apps are developed and launched everyday. Why use an app instead of visiting a website? iPad apps are specifically designed and formatted to fit the screen size of the iPad and the features and functions are tappable. Is that a word? It is now!

Special Note: There are several apps that are not native iPads apps. The iPad version may still be in development. However, you can still use an app designed for the iPhone by simply clicking on the x2 button in the bottom right corner to enlarge the screen when you open the app. Using the x2 button can make the text appear blurry. :(

My favorite personal apps:

1. Holy Bible (Free) This app is truly amazing. I use it all the time. You can read scriptures in multiple versions, make notes or bookmark specific text and even perform a search. This app is available for multiple devices. You have the ability to download and store multiple versions on your iPad which eliminates the need for an internet connection.
2. Allrecipes Pro ($4.99) They have a free version, however, it doesn't sync with the desktop version. You pay a yearly membership fee for enhanced membership. This is one of my favorite sites/apps. I use my iPad to prepare my favorite recipes. No more cookbooks. I enter all my favorite recipes in my account. My chef name is MinutesMatter. Who knew?
3. My FitnessPal (Free) This app is native to the iPhone, but of course it works just as well on the iPad. This app makes you aware of the food that you eat and tracks your physical activity. 20,411 people have given this app a 5 star rating!
4. Weber's On the Grill ($4.99) Love to grill? You'll love this app and it is beautifully illustrated.
5. Yelp Hear what the locals are saying about businesses near you.
6. Trip Advisor (Free) Love this one. . . looking for something to eat, place to stay or something to do? You can either enter a location or use your current location to locate just about anything. They even have forums for almost anywhere you are planning to go.
7. aSleep HD (.99 cents) If you like use a sound machine when you sleep this is a must have app when you travel.
8. DIRECTV (Free) Whether you subscribe to DIRECTV, Dish or Comcast be sure to add their app to your collection. You can quickly set up a recording (if you have subscribe to that service) check out what is going to be playing on your favorite channels. Searching via the iPad app is much faster than viewing the guide on your television.
   
9. PhonePower (Free) We use a VOIP for our personal phone service. One thing I love about VOIP phone service is that you can listen to your voicemails anytime and from any place. You can listen to your voicemails form your computer, iPhone or iPad. Complete incoming and outgoing call logs are available. Technology is amazing.
10. Cake Doodle (.99 cents) Sand Slides (Free Limited time) Talking Tom Cat 2 (Free Note: free version has a button to purchase items for the dog; don't fall for it) Great games for your children or grandchildren.
    
11. Redbox (Free) This app is native to the iPhone, but of course it works just as well on the iPad. Rent and reserve movies for only $1.
12. TWC Max (Free) Check out the weather conditions in any city.
13. WebMD (Free) Sick and no doctor in sight? Check out this app.
    
14. Merriam Webster Dictionary (Free) This is another must have app. Wow is all I can say about this app. I can't believe it is free. Touch the mic inside the app and speak any word you want to look up. The app will also recite the word for you so you can learn to pronounce it correctly. Love that!
    
15. FoxNews, CBSNews, ABCNews, NBCNews (Free) Get a quick snapshot of what's happening in the world today.
16. Wikipanion Plus ($4.99) or Wikipanion (Free) Want to know more about something? Wikipedia is the place to look.
17. Appstream (Free) Displays the hottest apps in the IOS universe. You can set a filter to only displays free apps and control the animation speed.

13 Business Apps for the iPad

Here are my top 13 business apps for the iPad. I have hyperlinked each app to the iTunes App Store. Make sure you keep all of your apps up-to-date. It's amazing how many enhancements the developers add at no cost. If you can't find an app, wait a month or two and search again. New iPad apps are developed and launched everyday. Why use an app instead of visiting a website? iPad apps are specifically designed and formatted to fit the screen size of the iPad and the features and functions are tappable. Is that a word? It is now!

Special Note: There are several apps that not native iPad apps. The iPad version may still be in development. However, you can still use an app designed for the iPhone by simply clicking on the x2 button in the bottom right corner to enlarge the screen when you open the app. Using the x2 button can make the text appear blurry. :(

My favorite business apps:

• iBooks (Free) This is a must have app. You can read books or pdfs with this app. TIP: Save pdf files to iBooks by dragging them into your iTunes account under Books.
• Evernote (Free) This is a great app to store all types of miscellaneous information i.e. Images, articles, screenshots from websites. Register for the desktop version and it syncs your files with the iPad app.
• Photogene,($2.99) Photopal, ($2.99) ColorSplash ($1.99) These are all great photo editing apps. I have all three and use Photogene and Photopal for general photo editing. ColorSplash is a unique photo enhancer that allows you to highlight color on selected objects in a photo.
• SaiSuke ($9.99) Synchronize your Google Calendar with this app. The format is very eye pleasing and super easy to use.
• Bank of America (Free) If you're a BOA customer you'll love this app, if not search the iTunes App Store for your bank's app. You'll love having quick access to your banking information in iPad format.
• Xfinity (Free) We are a Comcast Business customer, they provide our high-speed internet and phone service. I love the fact that I can check voice mails from my iPad. I know you may or may not be a Comcast customer; search the iTunes App Store for your phone and internet provider.
• Xmarks* (Free) This app enables you to access your FireFox Bookmark Toolbar from your iPad. If I want to visit one of my saved Bookmarks that I saved on my desktop, I open the Xmarks app and voila there are all the Bookmarks I have saved on my desktop and laptop computers. I have saved over 60 websites on my Bookmark Toolbar. (Love this app)
• LastPass* (Free) This app is a great tool to store login info and passwords. You must subscribe to Premium account. $12 per year for LastPass Premium and $20 per year for both Xmarks & LastPass Premium. Worth every penny!
• Linkedin (Free) Connect with other business owners. Every listing you and your business have on the web gets you ranked higher in search engines.
• Friendly Plus (.99 cents) Great and easy to use app for all of us that use Facebook.
• Dropbox (Free) This app allows you to access all your synced Dropbox files on your iPad. (LOVE this app)
• QuickOffice Connect Mobile Suite ($14.99) This app allows you to open your Microsoft Office documents. I access all of my Microsoft Office Documents from my Dropbox folders. My favorite part is that it allows me to view my PowerPoint presentations.
• RDP iTap Mobile ($11.99) This is a Remote Desktop App which enables all Studio Online subscribers to use all of the features and functions in Studio.

*Look for an upcoming post with more detailed information on why and how you want to use Xmarks and LastPass in your business.

This is part 2 of our series of articles on iPads.

Watch the short video below to see the amazing iPad in action.

|View Video|

An iPad is like having three devices in one; it's an iPod, an electronic book reading device and a computer all in one very sleek package.

15 Reasons Why a Designer Should Purchase an iPad

It seems almost every designer has an iPad, Xoom or Playbook on their wishlist for 2011. If you're currently schlepping your laptop to client appointments, you should consider purchasing one of these new tablet devices. They're powerful, compact and lightweight. Those three features alone are compelling enough to convince designers to shell out the cash.

If you're new to tablet arena, it's easy to get confused with all the choices. I have an iPad and love it. When I purchased my iPad it was the only choice. The biggest reason I recommend an iPad over the other tablets is the access to iTunes and Apple App Store.

We receive lots of emails and calls into the office asking questions regarding the iPad. Many designers want to know which iPad they should purchase. Due to the nature of our business I purchased the iPad with 3G and the 64GB hard drive. Yes, it was the most expensive iPad. Adding the 3G capability to your iPad gives you the ability to connect to the internet when a Wi-Fi connection is not available. When I'm at client's home I don't want to ask my client if I can connect to their Wi-Fi, therefore, I needed the 3G capability. I recommend the 32GB or 64GB hard drive since our business is visually oriented and images from our digital cameras can be quite large. All of my personal and client project photographs are accessible on all my devices through Dropbox* which I discussed in a previous blog "A Smart Way to Backup Your Files."

*Saving photographs ~ Systematize: When downloading images from your camera, SAVE only the good photographs. You will save hard drive space in Dropbox and on all your devices as well as saving yourself from browsing unnecessarily through bad photos. During the initial downloading of photographs from your camera take the time to delete ALL of the bad, the ugly and duplicate photos.

15 Reasons to purchase an iPad:

• Large viewing screen
• Powerful, compact and lightweight
• Battery life is incredible (10 hours) compared to a laptop
• Instantly on and ready to use; reboot is hardly ever necessary
  
• Multi-Touch screen is precise and responsive (no mouse or touchpad necessary)
• Large on-screen keyboard makes it easy to type
• An impressive way to present your portfolio (clients can actually browse through your portfolio themselves)
  
• Ability to access the internet at your client's home (as low as $15 per month for service)
• Quickly access initial photographs of a client's project for a quick memory refresher
  
• Checking emails is much faster than on your desktop or laptop computer
  
• Viewing your calendar is easy
• Thousands of Apps available (lots of them are free)
• Connects to your iTunes account
• Play music, watch videos and listen to audiobooks
• Read books, pdf documents or manuals while waiting for a doctor appointment or waiting in line to pick up kids
• Bonus: Take actual photos with iPad 2's built-in camera
• Bonus 2: As you sync to iTunes your entire iPad is being backed up
  

Watch the short video below to see the amazing iPad in action.

|View Video|

An iPad is like having three devices in one; it's an iPod, an electronic book reading device and a computer all in one very sleek package.

Next week, I'll share my favorite business apps for my iPad.

iPad 2 Releasing March 11th

Someone stop me from getting out my credit card! I love my iPad, but I love the new features in the iPad2. The new iPad 2 is faster. Now who doesn't want more speed? It now includes a front and rear facing camera. I want that too. It is lighter and thinner. I like thinner . . .

Love the new cover design with the magnets. Very innovative. Watch the video, they always do fabulous presentations and make them look so effortless.

I was hoping they would include the ability to use their Magic Mouse as well as the ability to view Flash websites and videos, but it appears they didn't include those features.