iPad 3 Announcement Expected Today

No company probably loves secrecy more than Apple. The folks in Cupertino have managed, over the years, to keep an amazing cover over some of the hottest tech products in history. Speculation always abounds whenever there is an official Apple event and today is no exception. Today in San Francisco Apple has scheduled such an event. The timing of which corresponds pretty well with the design/release schedule of the iPad product line.
Does this mean that the iPad 3 will be debuted today? Probably. Of course there well could be some other product that is launched while Apple moves through the remaining inventory of iPad 2's, but that is doubtful. Apple has been pretty consistent in sticking to the cycle of an iPad upgrade every year (similar to the iPhone) and making those announcements in the first quarter.
I'm anticipating a new iPad with some upgrades like a faster processor, improved display, maybe faster wireless and maybe Siri. Those last 2 are a bit on the edge, but I'd like to see them.
Don't anticipate as radical an upgrade this time as there as between the original iPad and the iPad 2. Usually in tech, the first model upgrade is fairly drastic while following models offer more modest improvements...

Henry Schein launches new version of Dentrix Mobile enhanced for the Apple iPad

Although I'm not a Dentrix user, I feel that it's important to keep those of you who are as up to date as possible. Over the years I've developed some good friends at the Dentrix division of Henry Schein and they are always kind enough to share with me their ideas improvements so that I can be one of the first sources to get this info out to you� the Dentrix users. Here is the latest info on Dentrix Mobile, which has been upgraded to integrate and display even better with the iPad. Read on for all the details. Oh, and if you happen to be a dental software company reading this, please feel free to send me any and all info you'd like to get into the hands of your users. I'm glad to do what I can.

If you are an Apple iPad user and want to use it as part of your Dentrix practice management, you may be interested to know that Henry Schein just launched of a new version of Dentrix� Mobile that is enhanced for the iPad�s large screen and resolution. Dentrix Mobile is a remote access tool that allows dentists and office staff to view their appointment schedules, prescriptions, medical alerts and patient information from their smartphones and tablet devices. The updated version allows dentists to take advantage of the iPad�s larger screens to see an enhanced view of their Dentrix practice and patient information whenever they are out of the office. It also lets users add notes to the appointment book or confirm appointments -- anytime, anywhere.

�Many of our Dentrix users own Apple iPads and understand how effective tablets can be to remotely access their Dentrix data,� said Kevin Bunker, President, Henry Schein Practice Solutions. �With our new version of Dentrix Mobile, dentists who use Apple iPad or Motorola Xoom tablets can now take advantage of the larger screens to see enhanced Dentrix graphics and more practice information.�

The new notes feature will help iPad and Xoom users keep track of requests and after hours patient follow-up while out of the office. �Since notes can be added for a specific patient or day in the appointment book, dentists who take after-hour calls can take notes and have them automatically updated to Dentrix and able to see them the next time they open the patient�s appointment,� said Adam McDaniel, eServices product manager for Henry Schein Practice Solutions.

Dentrix Users who also own Dentrix eCentral -- a bundle of electronic services that manage patient communication and insurance billing -- can now use their iPad or Xoom to confirm appointments outside of the office with the new version of Dentrix Mobile. �The confirmation is immediately updated in Dentrix so that the front desk team, hygienist or contracted workers can confirm appointments outside of normal business hours or without going into the office,� Mr. McDaniel said. �Dentrix eCentral users can also mark a patient�s insurance status as eligible or initiate an eligibility verification update from the patient�s insurance carrier without being in the office,� he added.

Dentrix Mobile offers security features to ensure practice employees have authorized access and patient data security is safe. Dentrix Mobile manages multiple accounts, giving dentists the ability to easily add or remove users as necessary. �Having multiple accounts eliminate the need for the entire staff to learn new login credentials when an employee leaves. Also, dentists can see which team members have logged in to Mobile and when,� McDaniel added.

Dentrix Mobile runs on the latest smartphones and mobile devices, including BlackBerry�, iPhone�, iPad�, Palm Pre�, Motorola Xoom� and Android�. The newest upgraded version of Dentrix Mobile is free to customers with the latest version of Dentrix and a Customer Service Plan.

An IPhone For Me� At Last!

For years now I have been a Sprint customer for my wireless service. As a matter fact, Sprint is the only wireless carrier I have ever been a customer of. Some of that loyalty has come from the fact that Sprint is my hometown carrier, having their world headquarters just about 3 miles from my home. However, I also feel a great deal of loyalty because I have quite a few patients that are Sprint employees. So, over the years many people asked me why I didn't have an iPhone. I mean, I'm the iPhone target market being a technophile and a Mac guy.

Well the answer was a simple one, when Sprint could offer the iPhone I would have one.

As most of you know the iPhone came out on the Sprint network this fall and spring has based a big part of their revenue projections on sales of the device. Amazingly I didn't run right out and get one. My Samsung Galaxy was doing �okay� in my life was so crazy busy I just didn't have the time to make the upgrade. I've also been doing some consulting work with a company who works with AT&T and because of that relationship I've also been carrying an AT&T powered Samsung Galaxy II. So between the 2 devices I was getting by.

Then Christmas rolled around, and I needed to come up with something my family could get me. After bit of deliberation I settled on the iPhone 4S.

I own both an iPod Touch and an iPad, so I'm familiar with the IOS operating system. That meant using the iPhone right out-of-the-box was 2nd nature to me.

It's hard to compare Android and IOS, probably as hard as comparing Mac devices to Windows devices. Both are good and reliable systems and personally I can't decide which one is best. I do like the tight integration between the iPhone and my Mac since both connect via iCloud. Siri is the personal assistant that follows VoiceCommands and is available only on the 4S. I found it to be a very handy tool to handle things like reading text messages and replying to them. However, I've heard that some folks with accents have had less than stellar performance.

The iPhone 4S is incredibly fast and suffers only slight lag time in opening or switching between programs. The camera provides beautiful pictures I like the rest of the programs is fast in opening, taking, and most importantly storing pictures.

Although the battery life on the 4S was poor when it was 1st released, that problem has been fixed with a software update. I'm finding that with reasonable use I am ending the day with about 75% battery remaining. My personal opinion on that is nothing short of incredible.

Personally I've been thrilled with the decision, but part of that is probably because of my use of Macs in other parts of my life.

Apple Issues a Worldwide Recall for Some of the First-Generation iPod Nano's

Although it doesn't happen frequently, it does happen. The law of averages states that if you do enough of a certain activity or manufacture enough of a product, you're bound to have a SNAFU eventually.

So those of you who are fighting through something like this in your life... whether it be in your personal, professional, or even in health care... remember it happens to everyone every once in a while... even the mighty Apple.

While I think we could all agree that Apple's quality control is pretty doggone good, the law of averages catches up to them on occasion. The latest problem has affected the first generation iPod Nano. I did a little research and this is what I found, directly from the Apple website. If you have a defective device, this should pretty much be all you need to know. However, even though the info below is a direct copy & paste of the page from the Apple.com website, it never hurt to check with the source in case things have changed.

Here is what Apple has to say about it:

Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006.

This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages.

Apple recommends that you stop using your iPod nano (1st gen) and follow the process noted below to order a replacement unit, free of charge.

Note: This battery issue is specific to the iPod nano (1st gen) and does not affect any other iPod.

Replacement Process

You may order a replacement unit via the web. Click here to begin.

Your iPod nano serial number will be checked to verify that it is eligible for this program. You will receive a replacement unit approximately 6 weeks after we receive your current iPod nano (1st gen).

If you have a personalized iPod nano, you will receive a non-personalized replacement. Make sure to use iTunes to back up any data on your current iPod nano before sending it in for a replacement unit.

Additional Information

Identifying an iPod nano (1st gen):

• It has a black or white plastic front and a silver metal back - later iPod nano models have a metal front and back. See images on this web page.

If you need assistance with placing an order, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) and bring your iPod nano with you for serial number validation.

Your replacement iPod product is warranted to be free from defects for 90 days from the date of service.

Apple Announces iPhone 4S and *not* iPhone 5 While the World Yawns

I think it's going to take some time, effort, and maybe more for many of us to remember that Steve Jobs is not in control of Apple any more. Today, Tim Cook, the new CEO, and a parade of other Apple officials made the announcement instead of Steve Jobs.

Everyone was expecting the iPhone 5 and instead they got the iPhone 4S. Suddenly all was not right. Apple stock dropped, closing down 2.10 for the day.

I find this whole thing interesting. There is a new phone with new features and tons to love and everyone seems upset because it's not the iPhone 5, like the addition of that number at the end will make all the difference. I think what the world really missed was Steve Jobs doing the announcement. In the tech world, we're so used to seeing Mr. Jobs up there wowing the crowd and making us all believe the iPhone will somehow make us taller, better looking, and maybe, just maybe bring world piece, that we just can't handle having someone else make the announcement.

So, while the tech world has a fit about the fact that it's not the iPhone 5.

I think it goes to show the power of Jobs appeal. I wish him well in his recovery.

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

In case you haven't heard yet... Steve Jobs is no longer CEO of Apple. The "King of Cupertino" reigned for 14 years at the helm of the company that he co-founded with Steve Wozniak in the early days of the personal computer revolution.

This move, while appearing to be a shocker, is actually not as big a deal as many will make it out to be... at least in my opinion. Jobs has been ill for the last few years having beaten pancreatic cancer, receiving a liver transplant, and has been on medical leave since January of this year for an undisclosed medical condition.

Why don't I foresee this as a big deal? Well, the number one reason is that Jobs will stay on as Chairman of the Board. That means he still will wield substantial clout in all things Apple, while allowing him to be more distant from the day to day things that could perhaps adversely affect the his health. The other reason is that his successor, Tim Cook, has been Apple's COO for some time and has already been the Apple CEO. Many probably don't remember, but Cook filled in for Jobs as Interim CEO in 2004 when Jobs was in the recovery phase of this cancer surgery. My point is that he's done the job before and has been with Apple since 1998, so he obviously is trusted as well as knowing what he's doing.

So hopefully now you're not as concerned either. Now if, God forbid, Jobs passes away... that changes things greatly. However, at this point I'm willing to believe in letting Jobs be a bit more hands-off while Cook drives the machine in Cupertino.

Here is the text of Steve's resignation letter:

August 24, 2011�To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple�s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple�s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

In Mobile Market Android & Apple Continue to Move Ahead

I was browsing the Cnet website and came across the graphic above. The Smartphone wars have had an interesting shakedown and, at least for the last 6 months or so, it's been breaking down into a 2 OS race. Apple and Google have begun to really take over the market and continue to show growth... mainly at the expense of other operating systems. A few months ago, I wrote about how Android had moved into the number one position and now Android & Apple seem to be distancing themselves.

Now this isn't a raging endorsement of either platform. Innovation routinely means that someone can make a tremendous surge or a brand new thought process can come along and totally change the status quo. However, what it does mean is that for the time being it's a Google & Apple kind of world.

I personally find it interesting that Apple at one time was number one, but through their policy of limited hardware (like their computers) they've now been overtaken by Google who allows their OS to be run on many different hardware platforms (like Microsoft did with Windows). Now granted, Apple may be fine with this since they are obviously doing well in this sector, but it does remind me of the early days of the PC.

As I've said before, I'm a Mac guy and have been for about 6 years now. I'm a big fan of Apple products and own quite a few of them. However, due to their limited distribution of the iPhone, they forced me to buy a Samsung phone running the Android OS. I mean, I'm the Apple target market, but because they did not have a deal in place with Sprint, I bought the Epic 4G instead of the iPhone. i'm loyal to those who are loyal to me and I have quite a few Sprint employees in my practice.

The Smartphone market continues to expand. Heck, The History Channel is currently running a show on the top tech devices of all time and it has the Smartphone as #!. Google, starting late in the game, has done a tremendous job of catching Apple. I'm excited to see what the next 6 months bring.

Apple Announces OS X Lion & Shows How the Internet has Changed Things

Today at the World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco, Apple announced that the next version of their OS X operating system, named Lion in keeping with the cat theme, will be available in July. The update will set you back $29.99 US and will be found in the online App Store. Now I'm a Mac guy (although Windows runs my office by keeping Eaglesoft as the center of my dental practice universe) so I'm always excited when a new Mac version arrives. However, this time something in the announcement got me to thinking about days past...

In the early days of the Internet & computing, I lived in a Windows world exclusively and I was beyond pumped for the release of Windows 95. On the day it was released, August 24, 1995 I was one of those die hard geeks that waited in line to get my hands on a copy of the new Windows operating system. When I got home & opened the box, I was greeted by a stack of 3.5 inch floppy disks. In fact, the installation required 13 of those disks. Of course, this was because the CD drive was almost unheard of back then. Most computers did not have a CD-ROM drive, but every one of them had a floppy drive.

Fast forward to Windows 98. Suddenly, in just 3 years the computing world had gone from floppies to CD's. This made the install much faster & much easier. Suddenly it seemed like any type of software came on a CD. OS updates continued to arrive on optical disks for years. My last Mac update, Snow Leopard, was installed from a DVD.

So what does this have to do with today & the announcement of LIon's availability next month? Well, listen to this... Apple will not be distributing this software on a DVD. No, Lion will be available only by download from the App Store. That's right, there will be no "boxed" version of the software. The 4GB update will only be available over the Internet.

What does this mean? Welcome to The Cloud. It means that broadband proliferation has become so mainstream there is no reason to sell DVD's.

If you can't even buy your computer's operating system on a disc, what does that say for the future of movies, music, etc? Why did Apple also announce their iCloud service to compete with Amazon's Cloud Player? The rules just changed. The network is now at least as important as the computer. It's a web based world.

iCloud is Coming!

Every June for the last few years, Apple has announced the latest iPhone. This year, that won't be the case as it looks like the iPhone 5 announcement won't come until late summer at the earliest.

So... in order to stop speculation on next weeks announcement at the World Wide Developers Conference, Apple did something today that they don't normally do... namely the told, in advance, what one of the big announcements will be.

It's iCloud, Apple's online music repository. About 2 years ago, Apple bought online music service LaLa and promptly shut it down. Since then there has been speculation about a cloud type service for iTunes customers. Now we've already seen a service like that from Amazon and one has been rumored by Google.

Apple is mum on exactly what the service will do, preferring instead to let people speculate and let the drama build until next week. Knowing Jobs & company, it will be a better service than what Amazon is already offering (Apple hates to be a me to company), so I'm intrigued to see what this means for my music...

DoubleTwist Now Interfaces with Apple Products

I've been a fan of DoubleTwist for about a year and I still continue to be impressed with the media suite. I've been especially impressed with how it interacts with my Samsung Epic. I've purchased an app called AirSync that is made by DoubleTwist and it allows me to connect to DoubleTwist on my Mac and move media files between the devices over my Wifi network. Really, really, easy and really, really amazing.

Now I'm hearing word that you can also use AirSync with Apple's iOS. So if you have an Apple device, you can pay $4.99 in the app store and get the same amazing functionality that I get with my Android device. It will even connect to Apple TV.

Check it out!

Why I'm an Apple Fan and Why Travel Might Make You One Too...

When you travel as much as I do, you usually end up with more than a few travel stories. Road warriors will sometimes sit around at meetings or even in airports swapping stories of terrible delays, missed flights, lost luggage, you name it. It's simply the law of averages, the more time you spend doing air travel, the more likely you are to have stories to tell.

So, let me share with you the latest tale of travel woe. No, my flights were perfect. 2 non-stops that went without a hitch. I even had wifi on the Southwest flight home. No, Southwest did a great job of getting me to San Diego and back. Today's travel horror happened in the San Diego airport when someone inadvertently bumped me while i was getting my MacBook Pro out of my computer bag. My loyal laptop fell about 1 foot or so onto the floor of the airport as I was taking it out of my bag to place on the belt as I went through security. It was such a small bump that I didn't even give it a second thought. However, when I got to my gate and started it up, the screen was black... oh no.

I got back to KC and scheduled an appointment at the Apple Store Genius Bar. There I got the bad news. The screen was toast and there may well have been other damage. The MacBook Pro was one of the original dual core machines and was 5 years old. Now the question became how much do I put into technology that was around before Britney Spears shaved her head. After conferring with the geeks at the Genius Bar I decided to just bite the bullet and get a new laptop.

So this is the first post from the new machine. a 750GB hard drive, quad-core processor, and 8 GB of RAM. This is an amazing piece of equipment. However, the best part is that it looks, acts, and is setup just like my old Mac.

One of the great things about Apple is their ability to transfer your data to a new machine and have it behave just like the old machine. I explained to the folks at the store about my lecturing. I told them I needed to be able to start a presentation and not worry that it would be different, melt down, not perform, etc. They told me not to worry.

They also told me it would be ready on Sunday at 5:00. Well Sunday at 2:00 they called and it was ready. I went to the store, picked it up, and it is exactly the way they promised it would be.

So, thanks Apple. You've met and exceeded my expectations yet again. I appreciate it!

Apple Releases iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPod, iPad... What are You Waiting For?

Well the latest release of the Apple mobile OS is now available... and it's ahead of schedule. I'm updating my iPad as I type this and then my iPod Touch will follow. I love when companies actually get things out early. Now here's hoping it's right... not like my Samsung Epic 4G update 2 weeks ago that basically ate my phone and I'm still fighting...

Anyway, Apple has a page devoted to the update that is actually easy to find this time... unlike iOS 4.2.

The download is 596.9MB (ack, 6/10 of a gig!) so make sure you've got a good broadband connection before starting this one. Also the servers seem pretty jammed currently so the download is taking a while.

The main points are:

• Airplay Enhancements
• An upgraded Safari browser
• iTunes Home Sharing
• Customize the iPad Side Switch to Mute or Lock Screen Rotation
• Personal Hotspot for iPhone 4

My biggest personal interest is the faster browser. Hopefully the download will be worth it...