Picking apart the iPAD video - what you and I should think about before purchasing one

Which much hype, anticipation, and curiosity, Apple launches a high-res, 9.7-inch computer tablet much like an iPhone but "better".

I watched the video. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, almost to a point that I wanted to head to the Apple Store at Polo Park to grab one because of its affordable price tag (not available in Canada yet).

Then I stopped, thought, glazed over, then thought again. There were so many things to discuss about the new iPad. From its name to its design and practical use, there were so many things people could comment on. So I thought I'd give it a whirl and took snapshots of the video so we could talk about it. I used the handy-dandy CTRL + PrtSc button on my PC laptop, something that was not available on a Mac. It was so much fun trying to screen-capture the VP's best angles lol.


So here it goes!

The video started with the VP of Design describing the magic that was the iPad.


VP Design - "You know it's true when something exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sorta becomes magical. And that's exactly what the iPad is..."

- Queue in cheesy bg music (available in iTunes of course)...

The VP of Design made it sound like people don't really know what they were dealing with here. Haha, he said this thing was magical! Hey dude, it's not anything new. This thing just looked like an iTouch, just bigger. Maybe the magic came from a million Apple iFairies embedded in the iPad that powered the device?

Let's look at more pictures of the VP to tell the story...

This was his 'magical' look:

This dude was really passionate I tell ya... I wonder how much he's getting paid.

VP Design goes on to say: "I don't have to change myself to fit the product, it fits me." - what an awesome quote Jony!



Then he smiled.




Then comes the VP Worldwide Product Marketing - whatta title you got there Phil!



You'd think the VP of Worldwide Product Marketing had something sophisticated and definitive to say about the iPad. Instead he said: "The ipad is the best web surfing experience, the best email experience, the best photo and movie-watching experience. It's gonna change the way we do the things we do everyday."

Oh don't forget, this was a video so at this point, the bq music changed to a faster beat... queue in piano concerto no.4... you're definitely dancing now as you watch this. You're iBlood is pumping through your iVeins, ready to commit to buying this thing...

But if you were supposed to market a new product I'm sure using the word 'best' holds no ground. I'm sure some people would ask "How is it the best?" or "Why is it the best?" I understood his use of plain words but in this case, the word 'best' didn't really mean or explain the capabilities of the iPad.

Thanks VP Worldwide Product Marketing, good explanation! (NOT!)



Go back to your office and re-read the fact sheet about the iPad that your marketing team prepared for you for this video.

VP Software was just as helpful in the cliche department. This guy was super iPumped though; very excited. iCaffeine must be free in all Apple offices.



He, too, used the word 'best' in his quote: "iPad is THE best way to browse the web."

- note the emphasis on THE. haha.

This was the best line in the video: "If you see something, you just reach out and tap it, it's completely natural. You don't even think about it, you just...[music stops] DO!"



- Wow! Hahaha... I'm sure they've used that line for the entire Apple line. I liked the part where the music cut out before he said the word 'do'. lol, classic Apple line. And also showed that music in video is a powerful tool!


Ok, ok, let's get serious here. As White Goodman in Dodgeball said: "Go ahead, make your jokes, Mr. Jokey... Joke-maker. But let me hit you with some knowledge..."

The actual dynamics of the iPad was very questionable. Starting with the posture you need to actually use the iPad.



Note how the Apple iModel's body was positioned in the video so he could type on the iPad. That was bad posture!!! I used to work for a big company that really took care of its employees and spent the time for each one to be ergonomically assessed. When working with computers, especially for extended periods of time, proper posture must be used to avoid injury in the long-term. This meant that the wrists and feet must be properly positioned. Also, the neck can't be strained while looking at the monitor which must be a certain number of inches away. I won't get into the specific details but as you can see with the iPad, all those guidelines were thrown out the window! I'd say if you were to use an iPad, limit your usage to 10-20 minutes. This thing is iDangerous to your iLife!

I'm sure chiropractors have a lot to say about the iPad.

That was about the only negative thing I had to say about the iPad: posture while using it.




There was a portion in the video, however, that made a lot of sense. The explanation was clear and conversational. It was from the VP of Hardware and seemed like the only real person in the video and Apple iPad's team. He was a man in his field...



His intro music was serious and compelling, made you really want to listen to what Bob Mansfield had to say. And actually, he did make a lot of sense! He explained multi-touch techonology and it was clear how the iPad worked based on the illustrations in the video.

He said "By putting well over a thousand sensors in this multi-touch design, the level of multi-touch accuracy the customer will experience is unprecedented."



"The backlighting system is LED. And LED is what gives you crispness and colour quality in the display itself."



(But I'm sure Bob meant to say 'color' because he was iMerican.)

"Beyond that we use IPS technology. IPS is a premium display technology that gives you not only a great experience looking directly at the device, but also off angle when you're sharing the device with someone else."



"The reason why this product responds so well, and you really feel the performance on them, is because of the custom silicon that we designed for this product. That silicon is called A4."



- Thanks Bob, now I know how to make my own iPad and the Canadians now have the technology. We will make our own and we're definitely not calling it iPad that's for sure! Bob should be the VP of Worldwide Product Marketing instead. Phil Schiller should work somewhere else, maybe for the 'best' company in the world - wherever that was.

Bob continued to say that this chip was designed by their hardware and software team and I'm thinking yeah but where was it made? In China! (Look at your Apple packaging as it proudly boasts the that your device was design in California but was made in China - nice!)



My magazine group is doing an article of Fair Trade chocolate. This means that cacao bean farmers in the southern regions of the world where conditions are more likely poor get a FAIR share from the profits of their harvest. This means the chocolate beans they harvest are more expensive so the money can dribble back to them. The money helps open doors to development, gives children access to healthcare, education, and a decent standard of living. (go here! - http://fairtrademanitoba.ca/why/faq/)

Which makes me think... Is there such thing as Fair Trade iPods? Or Fair Trade iPhones? Or Fair Trade iPads? If Apple has an agreement with China to manufacture their products for a low cost, do the Chinese workers at the plants get a fair share of Apple's iBillion-dollar profits? Who/where can I get these answers?







Apple's Agenda:

2010, iPad = check

2011, iHeartFT = all Apple products will be Fair Trade certified

2015, iPatch = a handy device you put over your right eye (could be interchangeable with your left eye) that will simulate being IN the internet. Why browse the net when you can be IN it?

If you want another review of the iPad, check this link out. http://www.geektown.ca/2010/01/whats-missing-from-the-ipad.html - His review makes more sense than mine :)

Taking a break from designing the news...

Today was a long day. Got home at 3:30am. My Thursday night was a long but was filled with thrill and excitement - I mean that.

As one of the production editors for the Projector, my job was to layout the news section of the paper and make sure the paper looked good. My job was pure aesthetics only. I had to make sure that all words aligned properly and that all picture and text boxes were perfectly put in place. This also included making sure that the entire page was filled up or at least lookes filled up with text. Laying out the news story with the pictures that came with them and the advertisements that must go in that particular page was like playing a puzzle. It was my job to make sure everything fit!

That being said, it was a good time laying it out. This issue was the last intern issue and we all had a blast doing it! I looked at it as a good way to practice what was yet coming for us in this semester. The magazine project was a big assignment and would involve a lot of layout and designing. In a way, the magazine project would be harder because there would be more pages to layout out and there was no clear cut way to design it. The Projector had grid lines and a specific layout structure that must be followed. We wouldn't have that on our magazine.

I am happy that Berea Henderson is part of my magazine group because "i've heard" that she is good in layout and plans to go into advertising. Jessica Cable and Brietta O'Leary are equally as great as, already, I am starting to see that their story ideas are super cool. I'm sure the decision of majoring in journalism will help them in their future careers. So to summarize, I think Charlie magazine has a well-rounded team of editors and I really can't wait until we have all our stories written, edited, and ready to go. The designing and laying out of it will be the cherry to the icing! lol.

I will leave you with some images I've seen today starting with what Berea had for lunch. Man, was I jealous! hehe.


She brought her own BBQ chicken wings! And she didn't even offer! :) But that's ok, what's a wingman to do??!?!?!?




Well, go for wings, of course!

Though I planned to try a new place this week, I ended up at a local hotspot. My justification? = easy to get to, no wait times, consistently good service, and amazing wings ALL THE TIME! Movado's Polo Park is attached to Perkins Family Restaurant and Bakery - grab some wings today! (No, I am not affiliated with these companies, food just excites me.)







upper left corner: salt & pepper
lower left corner: BBQ
right: pineapple curry





left: hot-honey (combination of hot sauce and honey garlic sauces)
right: salt & pepper

Being the "Last Men" - In The Chamber play review at Rachel Browne Theatre

A few of my fellow CreComms attended the Jan. 14 show of In The Chamber, a series about two men going through an identity crisis. The first of the series was Last Man in Universe Alpha - 11 written and performed by Gordon Tanner. The story was about an engineer investigating a hog barn fire at a Hutterite colony. The second of the series was Last Man in Puntarenas written and performed by Steven Ratzlaff. The story was about a man who used his retirement dinner to speak about his findings in Puntarenas. Though both stories were different, both men shared the common desire to get out of a state of imprisonment.

The show started with a pretty funny eye-opening scene which kinda set the mood. Comparing the two of the series, I identified with the first one more. The topic was about hog barns and the inhumane ways hogs were kept in their holding cages. I enjoyed bacon as much as the next guy but the way hogs were treated in these barns were definitely something everyone should be made aware of.

I thought both Tanner and Ratzlaff did a fine job up on stage. During the first scene, I realized that Tanner had been talking for 45 minutes and that he'd probably talk for about an hour. How does someone memorize an hour worth of lines? And it was a monologue!!! Wow! Obviously, these guys were seasoned actors so they knew what they were doing.

The evening was followed with a meet-and-greet and we were offered a couple of drink tickets to enjoy wine, beer, and delicious cheese. The evening was sponsored by Amphora Imports and Bothwell cheese. Needless to say, the cheese was amazing :)

As we walked away from the theatre that evening, I took away from the play that no matter what we do in life, we were always presented with choices. I believed that every single one of us has been equally empowered with the ability to choose right from wrong and the challenge lied in when to use that power given to us.

The message of the night: don't be the last man.

Chocolate / Tony Roma's wings

As the new year unfolds, we are bombarded with projects that have to be completed before the semester ends.

I'm super pumped for both the magazine project and my IPP proposal. The magazine project alone is enough to keep busy during this semester as there are a lot of things my group has to plan and think about. Even after planning and actually doing what we need to do, I'm sure there are many things we could re-do to make our magazine really, really cool and professional.

For our magazine topic, we chose chocolates. I remembered when our group was just in the brainstorming stage for a concept and the topic of chocolate was pitched. We collectively thought it wouldn't be such an interesting idea since chocolate has to do a lot about food. At the end of our brainstorming, when all possible ideas had been exhausted, we reverted back to the chocolate idea as a fail-safe topic and wrote it on our proposal. We actually prepared to get shot down by panel and had the topic of magazine for university students as our second choice. Luckily, the panel approved our first choice and our group couldn't be any happier!

The birth of Charlie, our magazine's name was on Jan. 12, in electronic publishing class when Jessica Cable and Berea Henderson pitched the idea to me. The name was actually initially thought of by Jessica a few days back but was sadly missed. Jon Braun a.k.a. JB a.k.a. The Man from Niverland reiterated the idea to the girls and it stuck the second time :) The final approval came from Brietta O'Leary who heard the pitch last. When all four editors were on board, Charlie was born. So actually, the official birth date should be Jan.13.

Since then, the editors and I have come up with so many story ideas for the magazine and can't wait to get at it! The many cool things that will happen in the next few weeks give me enough reason to jump out of bed every morning and live life to the fullest... ok, maybe not that full... wings still do it for me.

So without further adieu, I leave you with some images of hope from my wing odyssey last night at Tony Roma's Pembina Hwy...


Asian Sesame - sweet Thai chili sauce w/sesame and flax seeds




Teriyaki - Tony Roma's in-house Teriyaki sauce w/sesame and flax seeds




Lemon Pepper - fresh lemon and pepper spice

First post of the year - PR & Ad in the flesh...

So for my first post of twentyten I thought it would be nice to start off with some spirit.

I attended the Olympic torch ceremony at The Forks on Jan.5 and witnessed the torch being carried to the podium to light the cauldron that housed the flame during its stay here in Winnipeg. I was able to snap some pics with my cell though the quality was pretty low.

Though we didn't as close to the main stage as we would like to be, we were able to watch the big screens on top of the stage. We stood right in fron the CTV News crew and took a picture of Gord LeClerc and Sylvia Kuzyk, not sure who the girl in the middle is.

As I stood there I realized this was the kind of stuff we were learning in school: how to be in front of the camera and how to operate a camera. It was kinda neat to see it outside of our learning grounds and see how this stuff works in the real world of broadcast journalism. I don't plan to major in journalism but this stuff still interests me and seeing it right in front of me with all the people at a major public event was pretty cool! Who wouldn't want to be on that CTV stage dressed in Olympic gear to deliver the news fresh as it happens??? I'm sure that night was the highlight of their week lol.





As I enjoyed the community and Olympic spirit of hundreds of Winnipeggers around me, I couldn't, however, think of how much preparation it took to make this event actually happen. I'm sure it took a lot of PR and advertising for the event planners from start until they actually saw Noah Palansky running into The Forks with the torch that carried the flame that symbolized an entire country getting together. That single image, I'm sure, was worth all the trouble it took to arrange the event from start to finish with all its joys and all its problems.

So I wondered what certain things event co-ordinators had to do to make it a reality. Well, I'm guessing there must have been a pitch to have the event happen in the city, at The Forks; either Mayor Katz to the Olympic committee or the olympic committee to Mayor Katz. Either way, someone had to write a memo/letter of why this event would be beneficial to Winnipeg, Winnipeggers, and Olympic fans. Obviously, that letter was pretty convincing.





In an ad perspective, I noticed Coca-Cola was everywhere at the event. One might conclude that Coke is the official sponsor for the 2010 Olympics or was at least a major sponsor. So for this to happen, someone from Coca-Cola is the head of all Olympic advertisements, making sure that everything Coca-Cola pumps out in terms of add has a certain uniformity in their Olympic ads. The colour must be consistent, the tone of their ads, the length, the script, every ad should be equally as great as the rest. I'm also thinking about the ads they run at movie theatres before the main show... those "Believe" ads that they have seemed to share a common theme of supporting your Canadian athletes; very patriotic, very Canadian :)

As I stood in the crowd, I was filled with a certain warmness as excitement of the torch getting closer to the stage got a hold of everyone's attention and the noise from parking lot in front of Sushi Train got louder and louder. I looked around and I see Winnipeg all around me: different nationalities joining as one, calling Winnipeg their home and now together in the cold (actually it was only -21 that evening) to cheer for the torch coming, to cheer for Canada winning. What a night to remember!

The atrocities I witnessed in the last three weeks ~ was a good fight.

Phew! Christmas Break was an awesome ride :)

Here are some of the things that made it complete!


I played Halo 3 on a 65-ft. screen.




I ate sushi ~ thanks sushi chef Tomo for inscribing my name with Sriracha sauce, haha!




I ate more than sushi.




I put up 1,300 lights.




I drank eggnog.




It was rich and creamy with cocoa...




I ate eggrolls.




I was able to squeeze in a wings nite.




Yes, they were delicious.




Then ate the mother of all wings.




At our huge Agpalza party




cuz it was Christmas




and we had everything Filipino, like this traditional pita and hummus (I'm kidding)




and this butter chicken from Emerald Palace




and Uncle Allen's 5* roastbeef




how about the Christmas ham? Wow huh?!




There was Caesar's salad




and two different dressings? Why, I don't know... We like options?




Of course, mashed potatoes and grrrravy baby yeah




and stuff-yo-face stuffing.




There were actually Filipino dishes too...

Like this Filipino 'pancit' which symbolizes long life - I don't think I ate enough of it :(




and this chow mein which I don't know what it symbolizes since it's not Filipino, haha - but it was still good!




Every Agpalza family gathering has one of these present: Heavenly Hash ice cream, all 11.4 litres of it!




That's what I survived on Christmas break! :) I haven't actually weighed in but I'm sure I've picked up at least 2lbs. along the way haha sweet!


Here's another cool picture: the Portage & Burnell liquor mart on Christmas eve - no joke, people had to line up to get in!