The Other Drummer

Exploding batteries in Apple products aren’t exactly a new phenomenon (see even more coverage here, here and here) not to mention fraying cables and chargers.

However, I think we may have an exploding battery first here at my place of employment: This beaut (pictured above) was 1. turned off and 2. not being charged when it blew. Even worse, it was being stored in a super-cooled server room. Stellar. Thanks Apple.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt and there wasn’t any damage done to anything but the battery and the laptop.

Our IT guy has an appointment at the Apple Genius bar this morning. I’ll keep you apprised as to what transpires.

UPDATE:

They replaced the battery for free. They were kind of jerks about it, from what I hear, but they replaced it nonetheless.

It’s weird. Since the iPad was announced I find myself thinking about different things I do and if I’d prefer to do them with an iPad (theoretically since, you know, I’ve never actually used one).

For example, I’m currently reading the Ensign, Wired, a book for work (which I think I’ll write about later), and of course the scriptures and dozens of blogs and websites. I usually have a notebook or my iPhone (with Evernote) nearby whenever I’m reading just in case I want to make a note or jot down an idea, so having an iPad where I could semi-easily flip over to my notes and back is appealing.

Here are my thoughts on each.

Ensign/Wired

I would absolutely love to read the Ensign on an iPad, mostly because it would mean I’d have the latest edition with me. I honestly think I’d read more of the magazine if I had an iPad version.

Wired is a toss-up. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a brilliantly designed and laid-out publication right down to the paper choices and the different kinds of ink. (Seriously. Look at the covers from last year. Awesome.) Even if an iPad version of Wired were mind-blowingly good (better than this prototype) I don’t think I’d ever cancel my subscription to the physical version.

Verdict? I want it. Ensign goes digital, but I’ll keep my physical subscription to Wired in addition to the digital version.

Book – The Element

I just started this book for work and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t care at all if I was reading it on the iPad. While the cover has a nice feel to it the pages feel thin and cheap. I’d much rather load it up and read it.

However, if I was reading a book I was really into (What Would Google Do?) or something I wanted to have an experience with (Harry Potter series) I’d still want a physical copy. Plus, if it’s a book that gets my brain going I like to scribble things in the margins, underline parts that stand out and make notes.

Call me old fashioned, but I love the feel of a book, the cover, seeing all the pages as they slowly move from one side to the other, and, yes, the smell. There’s something very satisfying about having completed a book which I’m doubtful you’d feel if you had a digital copy.

Plus, someday I want to have a library/reading room in my house that I don’t yet own.

Verdict? Meh. Maybe. Depends on the title.

Blogs/Websites

Considering how much time I spend reading content online, the more I think about it, I think it could make a world of difference to read it all on something like an iPad. Especially longer posts/articles. Take this one for example. Great content that I think would be less intimidating/more easily digestible on something other than a horizontally-oriented browser.

Be honest: wouldn’t you rather be reading this on your couch with an iPad? That’s what I thought.

However, consuming web content on the iPad has some limitations. While I read I like to be able to bookmark, share and save clips of things I’m reading. So unless they allow browser plugins for mobile Safari (ha!) the experience, in that respect, is going to be limited due to lack of a real browser.

Verdict? Despite the browser’s shortcomings I think it would be awesome to read web content from an iPad. Gimme.

Movies/Games

I rarely watch videos or play games on my iPhone. I’ve probably launched the YouTube app a grand total of six times since I’ve had my new phone. I don’t picture myself abandoning my new HDTV and watching stuff from my couch on a 4:3, 10″ screen.

Verdict? I don’t need yet another way to watch video. It’s a no-brainer to include it in the iPad, but I won’t be using it.

Lingering Doubts

A lot of what I do on the web has to do with content creation. I am a blogger after all. And while the iPad is designed to help you consume Thanksgiving-levels of content, I hope Apple (or, more likely, developers) imagine new and innovative ways for me to create, explore and share what’s in my head as well as gems I find while I engorge the gluttonous mass that is my daily information intake.

Reading Room image courtesy of here – #12.

Perhaps you saw the bold move by Dove (traditionally a brand with a strong female target audience) to branch into men’s products with this ad:

Old Spice responded with this:

Point to Old Spice.

I almost always skip the first paragraph of blog posts/articles. It's usually background information that has already been communicated by the headline, so why bother?

Image of Mashable.

Seriously. Hate them. The one they showed tonight with the benevolent clydesdale training the little calf I started getting nauseous.

Then my brother in-law said, “They should shoot the cow.”

My hopes soared. That would be brilliant! Shoot the calf ala Napoleon Dynamite! Nobody would ever see it coming. Even better, use the old guy from the movie to do it.

Alas, I remain disappointed. Another stupid beer commercial. Oh, well.

Image courtesy of here.