In The MacSparky Field Guide to Going Paperless, David de-mystifies the process of going paperless, using Apple products as the core tools to doing so. He talks about apps and hardware that make the process as easy as it could be. This is vital, because if a new workflow isn’t easy, people won’t switch. Even as someone who already uses a Doxie Go scanner almost everyday (coupled with Evernote and other apps), I picked up some nice tips in this guide.

As a bonus, the book was built with the free iBooks Author software, so it’s loaded with images, galleries, screencasts and more. It’s like a book from the future.

Pick it up on the iBookstore for just $5.

Available today, Instacast 2.0 bring a myriad of new features (and better management tools) to the best podcast application out there for iOS.

The app is now $0.99, with a $1.99 in-app purchase that adds features like podcast-specific settings, smart playlists and push notifications for new episodes.

These features will be appreciated by “power users” who won’t have an issue shelling out another couple of bucks for them. That said, the app is perfectly usable without them.

Overall, the new version feels most polished and faster than previous builds.

Hidden behind the podcast player itself are some new controls, including:

• AirPlay
• Playback Speed (1/2x, 1.5x and 2x speeds)
• Sleep Timer (5, 10, 15 or 60 minutes)
• Continuous Playback
• Sharing

Tapping the button in the upper-right hand corner brings up a panel with links and bookmarks. This view is white-on-black, unlike the view outside the player, which is the standard black-on-white. This view strips out any formatting the podcast produce includes with their links, making it easier to tap on just what you want.

I haven’t found for a need for the bookmarks feature, but it lives in this part of the UI, too.

Finally, Instacast 2.0 makes it easier to see how much space shows are taking up on your device. Right at the bottom of the Subscriptions and Playlists screens the app reports how much space its using.

I use Instacast all the time — at work, in my car and more. While I didn’t have any complaints before, the 2.0 update is really pretty great.

For several months, I have worn a Casio Men’s DBC30-1 Databank Digital Watch:

I really like the DBC30-1. It’s lightweight, comfortable and nerdy enough to make a statement while still being able to talk to normal humans.

Oh, and it can do math. My wife loves¹ it.

That said, I’ve been haunted by the desire to try out an iPod nano as a watch. So, the other day, I finally made the plunge.

Mini-Review: The iPod nano

The whole idea of having an iPod just to use as a watch is admittedly pretty ridiculous. Incidentally, the 5th-generation iPod I keep wired up in my car is starting to act up, so I bought the iPod nano with the thought I’d use it in my car if the whole watch thing didn’t pan out.

Too bad it sucks as an iPod. Here’s something I wrote back in 2010, when the first Multi-Touch iPod nano was announced:

Apple has always positioned the Nano as the workout iPod. Equipped with Nike+ for runners, it’s small form factor was easy to manage. The click wheel made it simple to control the iPod, even on the go.

I’m not convinced that the Multi-Touch Nano announced today will be that easy to live with for runners, no matter what Apple says. A click wheel is easy to use without looking at it, a screen isn’t. The existence of volume buttons on the top of the device says to me that the company realizes this on some level. So while adjusting volume should be easy to do by feel, changing songs may not be.

Using the Multi-Touch display to navigate the iPod even while standing still is a pain. I can’t seem to get the gesture to move back a level in the UI right most of the time.

I just don’t understand why Apple had to ditch the click wheel.

Other than the “small” issue of the UI sucking balls, the nano is what’d you expect from modern Apple hardware — small and tight with great battery life.

The iPod can be set to show the clock upon waking up, which takes just about a second and a half. The “just glance and see” aspect that is the point of having a wrist watch just isn’t here.

The numerous built-in clock faces include some great options — and some terrible ones.

Mini-Review: The LunaTik Blackout Watchband

I purchased the $89 LunaTik Blackout. It’s the company’s middle-of-the-road band, with all black rubber and metal.

The iPod nano doesn’t merely clip in to the band — it’s held in place with a bracket and a set of screws:

(The band comes with a set of allen wrenches that can be stored in the iPod nano’s packaging.)

The band itself is wide, but it has to be to match up with the nano’s chassis. It looks pretty big on my wrist:

The clasp is easy to work, and there’s a small accessory that keep the excess band from being all floppy.

While there are several notches on the band, I found that I need one in between two. Oh well.

In short, the band is well built and handsome.

Wrap-Up

The promise of the iPod nano as a watch is endless. Lots of people would love to see Apple integrate it with the iPhone, giving the nano a true “smart watch” level of usefulness.

As it stands today, though, the iPod nano makes you look like a secret agent, but one who can’t actually do anything all that cool.

I’ll be going back to the Casio as my daily watch. At least it has a calculator, which the iPod nano lacks.

Drafts is a new iPhone app that makes capturing and sharing text super easy and super fast.

I like to think of it Launch Center for words. It’s the smartest, most flexible note app I’ve used yet on iOS.

It can send text to Twitter using iOS 5′s built-in account tools. Drafts can also send text directly to Tweetbot, opening the “New Tweet” sheet.

The handy word and character count is great for this usage.

With full Markdown support, I can write in the syntax I’m used to working in. I can preview my Markdown to make sure I didn’t miss an * and then copy it to the clipboard for use in another app or email it, all from within Drafts.

In beta testing, it quickly became my go-to application for just jotting stuff down. Since it saves recent drafts, it’s a great place to stash little notes throughout the day that don’t really belong anywhere else. With so many options to get things out of Drafts, I don’t worry about data lock-in.

Drafts will be available in the iOS App Store on the 9th for just a buck. It’s one of those apps I wonder how I lived without it for so long.

Most iOS photo apps are all about applying rich, heavy-handed filters.

1-Bit Camera is an exception. The 99¢ app shoots in 1-bit mode, leaving just black and white dithered images. There are options to select high or low contrast, and to use either Atkinson and Bayer dithering algorithms. You an share via Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr.

The best part? The UI is set in Chicago. The retro look and feel is outstanding, and really adds to the experience of using the app.

This new iPad comes at a moment when Apple is ruling the market, in a way that is almost hard to believe. Apple is on top of the world. It’s the most profitable company on the planet, and has made it there on the back of products like the iPad.

So now, with every other company in the world seeing its tail lights, and every other tech company struggling to stay relevant, Apple has released the third revision of the iPad.

But does it live up to the hype?

iOS 5.1

The new iPad ships with iOS 5.1. It’s important to remember that even the first iPad, released two years ago, can run the latest iOS update. The iPhone and iPod touch also run the new version.

As Apple continues to release new products and drop support for older ones, iOS becomes more fragmented.

Ah, there it is. The F word that plagues Android and its users. Unlike Android, however, the fragmentation found in iOS revolves around features, not version numbers or UI changes.

For example, the new iPad has voice dictation, but no Siri. While some might complain about this, I have no issues with Apple’s choice here. I think the company sees Siri as an iPhone feature, not an iOS feature. I haven’t missed it in my time with the new iPad.

Dictation is great on the iPad. In a few short days, I’ve already fallen in love with it. Like on the iPhone, Apple has added has microphone to the keyboard to the left of the space bar. Simply tap it and talk. iOS takes care of the rest.

…as long as you have a data connection.

To make it clear when the service is unavailable, iOS hides the microphone button when a data connection is not available. Apple’s made it where anyone can understand what’s going on. There’s nothing confusing about it, in my opinion.

Besides the voice features, iOS on this new iPad is the same iOS everyone knows.

That Screen

This release is all about the hardware.

The iPad is basically a screen, a battery and network connectivity. With this release, Apple improved all three.

If you haven’t seen the new iPad in person, it’s worth a drive to the Apple Store to see the screen. Seriously, it’s hard to describe it, and hard to shoot photos that truly give it justice. Content, apps and more look so rich, it’s hard to believe the screen is on a device that costs as little as $500. It’s bright and crisp. Viewing angles are as good as they were on the previous model, but colors are even more vivid and accurate. The pixels appear closer to the glass than the old iPad, but not as close as they do on the iPhone.

The thing is simply stunning.

Like with the iPhone 4, there will be a period of awkwardness while developers scramble to get their apps updated to support the new resolution. Until then, a lot of apps, including some magazines, look fuzzy.

It’s hard to understand just how big the screen is, so I’ve posted full-sized screenshot, weighing in at 4.2 MB.

Likewise, there are some websites that I frequent that have slightly-blurry graphics when zoomed in. Here on 512 Pixels, I’ve been updating the main graphics to look better on these sharp displays, and it’s really paid off, especially after launching the responsive version of the site.

One downside of the new screen is that apps take up a lot more space than they used to. For the first time, I’m bumping up to the 16 GB limit on the low-end iPad. I may end up wishing I had gone up to the 32 GB model.

I think the new iPad is going to push content providers to hosting and providing higher resolution versions of just about everything. When using apps like Tweetbot and Reeder that open iPhone-targeted images from websites and services, they can be comically small. I think things will improve on this front soon, though.

Data & Power

Battery-wise, this new iPad is on par with the iPad 2, which was on par with the original version.

This year, I purchased the same model I always have: the 16 GB Wi-Fi model in black. However, I have spent time with the 4G model and am impressed with just how fast the data is. While I don’t regret (yet) my choice, I think that the 4G models will do much better than the previous 3G models.

It’s important to note that the battery life on 4G is one hour less than when on Wi-Fi.

According to iFixit, the new iPad boasts a 42.5 watt-hour battery, up from the 25 watt-hour unit found in the iPad 2.

On my Wi-Fi model, I’m still getting “just” ten hours or so, not 13 or 14 as one might expect, thinking that the new iPad’s bigger battery is all about the LTE chipsets. Clearly, the big power draw in this model is the screen and GPU, which gives me hope to see a 4G/LTE iPhone this fall.

Speaking of the battery, some have made a big deal about the fact that this iPad is not only slightly thicker, but slightly heavier than the iPad 2. While I can say I’ve noticed it, it’s not a big deal at all, especially when compared to the debut model two years ago. It’s also the first iPad I’ve had that has ever gotten warm during use.

I do hope that Apple improves the speaker on the iPad in the future. (I wouldn’t mind it on the iPhone, either, honestly.) While plenty loud, I would love to see a product so perfect for video watching sound clearer. And — heaven forbid — have true stereo sound.

The Cameras

In addition to what I consider the “core” components, the new iPad also got an upgraded camera system.

The rear camera boasts the same optics package as the iPhone 4S, but clocks in at 5 MP, lower than the 8 MP found on the phone. I’ve posted some full-sized examples:

• iPhone 4S: Ambulance (inside)
• iPad: Ambulance (inside)
• iPhone 4S: Hedge (outside, cloudy)
• iPad: Hedge (outside, cloudy)

As you can see, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but overall does a decent job. It feels like the iPhone 3GS camera, in many ways. It performs much better outside in daylight, and offers fairly decent depth of focus.

The lock screen on the iPad doesn’t include a shortcut to the camera. It does, however, keep the shortcut for the slideshow feature. While the option would be nice, I don’t think many users will miss a shot because they can’t access the camera form the lock screen.

On the video end of things, the new iPad does a spectacular job. The built-in, always-on image stabilization does a great job at evening out the image, but not in a way that seems unnatural. Here’s a brief sample, in full 1080p. I shot this video in my front yard, barefoot, across damp ground. The iPad kept everything nice and smooth, despite my uneven hand.

While I won’t be shooting with my iPad very often, it’s nice to know I could if I needed to. You still feel like a goofus doing it, though. I felt embarrassed in my own backyard taking photos with it.

Wrap-Up

The new iPad is like the iPad 2, just better. Some things that bothered users about the previous model are resolved here, but others remain.

The screen is the big story here, and for good reason. It really is something to behold. It’s hard to understand how it’s possible to have such a sharp display.

Like the models before it, though, the new iPad is much more than the sum of its parts. While the parts have all gotten better this time around, the ecosystem of apps, content and accessories is what makes Apple’s iOS devices so attractive and so powerful.

So, does the iPad live up to the “revolutionary” hype? While I think I’ve made it clear this is an evolutionary update, it’s a very, very good one. It’s not a revolution, but it’s worth the cash, even if you have an iPad 2.

Photo via iFixit

Released late last year, the HTC Rezound for Verizon is getting old in the fast-paced Android world. That doesn’t mean it’s forgettable, though. Still on sale at stores across the country, the phone is still considered top-tier for most users.

The Rezound runs Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” with HTC’s Sense skin on top of it. The phone is slated to get Ice Cream Sandwich this year. Sense is a heavy-handed Android UI — HTC’s widgets are comically huge, and there are lots of unnecessary animations, for example. That said, HTC’s done a great job at unifying the OS under one consistent look and feel. It may feel comical in places, but at least it’s more polished than the Gingerbread running beneath it.

Android is still Android, though, no matter what the skin. A lack of quality apps, good media sources and a consistent user experience still get under my skin. The four touch buttons are confusing and inconsistent, just as I remembered them being.

However, the general, non-nerd public is eating these phones up, so ignoring Android isn’t something Apple nerds should do forever.

The Rezound runs on Big Red’s 4G network. Here in Memphis, I saw impressive speeds. In fact, it was hard to tell when I was on Wi-Fi and when I wasn’t

The big story with this phone is the inclusion of Beats Audio, though.

The phone comes coupled with the company’s famous red-corded earbuds. While not as iconic as the white buds Apple ships, I do noticed the red in public from time to time.

The Beats Audio logo is all over the phone. It’s on the grippy rubber back, on the default wallpaper and even in the artwork that shows as the phone boots up.

So, is it any good?

In my brief time with it, I was impressed with the Beats Audio system when listening to hip-hop and rap. There’s a lot of bass and low-end with the built-in earbuds. The low-end is clear and sharp. Camp by Childish Gambino hasn’t ever sounded so sharp to me, for example. Same goes for Watch the Throne.

On the other end of the spectrum, albums like Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons seem muddy on the low end of things. Regular old rock albums sound good, but bass-heavy.

In short, I’m impressed with the Beats Audio, when the situation is right.

It is important to note that the Beats Software (and whatever EQ secret sauce its using) is enabled only while:

• Using the included Beats earbuds or other Beats headphones
• And using the built-in music app. Rdio, etc. don’t get the fancy boosting.

On the hardware side of things, the earbuds are comfortable, on par with the premium buds Apple sells.

The phone itself sports a 4.3 inch 720p display. It’s sharp, with nice colors. Going from an iPhone to it makes the Rezound’s screen feel big, but it isn’t unwieldy.

The camera is decent. Inside shots look okay as long as there is enough light, but outside, it really shines. The 1080p video looks on par with what my iPhone 4S shoots.

The Rezound sports 4 touch buttons, that light up red in low light. The red theme is obviously taken from the earbuds, and shows up on the speaker grill and accent pieces on the back cover, as well.

With Sense using a bright green to highlight text, show buttons and more, it’s a bit jarring. I almost wish more of the UI was red, too.

The volume rocker is my biggest complaint about the hardware. It’s quite skinny — a sliver, really — and is hard to hit on the first try, at least without some practice.

All in all, the Rezound is pretty nice Android phone. I’m glad to see it getting ICS this year, and I think the hardware is just about right.

The Beats Audio is nice, too. I’m not sure it’s worth the extra coin, but I can say that it beefs up the audio in a way most users will appreciate. That said, audio pros will realize the effect created can be done with an EQ, for the most part.

If I were in the market for an Android phone, this would be on the list. High on the list, in fact.

At first, I wasn’t sure how much I’d use the thing. It turns out that not a day goes by without me running something through the machine.

I’m nearing the end of the process in creating an LLC to wrap around the site and some other work I do. It seems that forming an LLC in the state of Tennessee takes roughly one million sheets of paper. Thanks to the Doxie Go, scanning is easy and quick. This device has great battery life, and with the built-in storage, I can scan a bunch of papers and import them all at once.

The software on the Mac will save as a color PDF with OCR support. It’s like magic.

My one gripe is the bag the company ships to hold the Doxie Go while in a backpack, etc. It’s cheap feeling, and seems to be leaving a fine black coating on everything. I can’t imagine that’s good for the scanner, so I’ve been carrying it nestled next to my MacBook Pro in my bag.

This app is the most fun $2.99 can buy on the App Store.

For my day job, I have to carry (and be familiar with) hundreds of PDFs worth of building plans, schematics, cut sheets and service contracts.

Now, I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro which, while being ridiculed by some, is the perfect machine for me. However, my iPad 2 is obviously much more portable, with better battery life.

ReaddleDocs for the iPad sits on my home screen, and for good reason. Using the built-in Wi-Fi sharing function, I can add files to my iPad without dealing with iTunes. The app super fast, handling large PDFs better than any app I’ve tried. The app lets me keep the same folder structure I have on my Mac, so finding files is just as easy. It really saves me a ton of time in meetings and in the field.

And unlike GoodReader, I can look at the UI without wanting to die. I just wish Readdle would make the iPhone version so handsome. As it stands today, it’s pretty bad.