iPro Aviator Kneeboard Review

I decided to evaluate the new iPro Aviator iPad Kneeboard. As delivered, the straps are attached around the front. This is a good way to store the kneeboard since it keeps the straps from hanging loose and keeps the front cover closed. The device is made of glass-filled polymer making it seemingly very strong. The cover works as a flip-over writing surface (including a sturdy metal paper clip). Combined with a small loop in the strap for keeping an ink pen; this works as a great backup in the event you need to keep a paper chart or pad. The cover is shorter than the actual height of the iPad (apparently for yoke clearance while in flight -- not really an issue for me). You can also pop off the cover completely with an open hinge (I think I'll leave it on).

The rear of the kneeboard has a molded curved surface for your leg and also includes a flush-mounted "kickstand". You can swing it out for desktop use and I was able to stand it up in portrait or landscape orientation.

Overall, the iPro Aviator kneeboard is very well designed, sturdy and full of great features like the pen loop and backup paper writing surface. I would sacrifice the kickstand and curved back for a lower profile, but overall this is a high quality kneeboard and I recommend this to other pilots looking for a professionally made quality kneeboard for your iPad. ForPilotsOnly.com shipped the device very quickly and it came well packaged and included  simple instructions for use.

Purchase an iPro Aviator online at http://www.forpilotsonly.com.

How to Make an iPad Kneeboard

I decided to make a kneeboard that was similar to my single strap board that I have used for years. I found the Belkin Grip Clear Vue case at Target for $23.99.  The clear rubber is firm enough not to tear and soft enough to cut with an X-Acto knife (barely.) I used 2" wide adhesive Velcro strips (stuck back-to-back) and cut to size.

1. Measure proper length for Velcro straps and stick back-to-back to make the strap (You could get a regular 2" double sided Velcro strap and eliminate this step)
2. Lay out the new strap behind the clear case and mark two slits ~2" apart with a Sharpie marker
3. Cut around the Sharpie guide lines using an X-Acto knife (it was easier to make the longer cuts first)
4. Insert the Velcro strap loops down as shown

Total investment: ~$30.00.

Kiosk in the Cloud

I had the opportunity to work with the Chesapeake Conservancy, National Park Service and NOAA to design, develop and launch an interactive multitouch exhibit in the NPS Jamestown Visitor Center in Jamestown, VA.  This was an exciting project for me because of the time I have spent on the Chesapeake Bay, James River, Chickahominy River and Potomac bass fishing in BFL events.

This project incorporated content developed by NPS that focused on the John Smith Trail.  Content includes question/answer combination for over two dozen pieces of content that can be explored by navigating the touchscreen kiosk.

The challenges:

1)  Visitors will primarily be elementary school students who will spend less than 1 minute at the exhibit. 2)  Content needs to be displayed in Q&A format. 3)  Content needs to be visually engaging and manipulated in a modern way. 4)  Content needs to be updated or added to on a regular basis.

The solutions: 1)  Minimize the menu tree.  Exhibit consists of a home screen and a primary map interface of Captain John Smith Trail and The Chesapeake Bay. 2)  Content is based on actual photographs and artwork.  Questions are clearly displayed on each piece of content and answers can be reached with one touch. 3)  Using multitouch technology (like an iPad) and GestureWorks, an exploratory mapping interface was developed that allowed us to overlay content, KML trail and buoy data over a Google Map. 4)  Content is hosted in the cloud and can be modified anytime by those with permission (like any modern CMS.)

Hardware and Software Credits: HP TouchSmart Ideum TouchStand Ideum GestureWorks

Trade Cable for a New HDTV Media Center

In December 2009, I did some analysis and I found that it was possible to cancel cable and purchase a new TV and media center equipment every 3 years (assuming OTA and internet TV stays free)... so I did. This idea was driven mainly by frustration with the ever-changing Time Warner Cable bill and the fact that we had paid over $480.00 over 5 years for a rented HD DVR box (how much do you think TWC is making renting these boxes?).

Requirements

• HD TV with DVR
• Major networks for live events and prime time programming (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX)
• Additional programming (like Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Food Network, etc...)
• High speed internet
• No installation or equipment rental fees

Budget

• $100/month (average Time Warner Cable bill)

I decided to go with over-the-air HD for network television (41 channels in Raleigh, NC).  I went through a couple different antennas, but found a good one with Terk.

I went with an amplified Terk for our main TV and a cheaper RCA for the bedroom.  Tivo HD (now Tivo Premiere) with the service plan got us the local guide for OTA programming and DVR.

Samsung 50" 720p Series 4 Plasma (PN50C450) $799.99

Tivo HD +Antenna (Now Tivo Premiere) $299.99

Tivo Service plan $10.75/month ($129.00 annual payment)

Over-the-air high definition "Free" - does anyone know how to calculate how much per taxpayer goes to support free OTA programming?

Terk Omni-directional amplified flat digital antenna $59.99

RCA Basic flat antenna $29.99

Additional Programming

To get traditional "cable" shows like "Dirty Jobs" or "Man vs. Food", I decided to get a Mac Mini.  The Mac Mini consumes low energy, has a very small footprint for our single tier entertainment center and has additional functionality (beyond just internet TV) like iPhoto for slideshows, iTunes for music and DVD.  We also subscribed to Netflix for movies which is available on Tivo and Mac Mini.  We have found that internet TV content is updated and allows us to watch stuff that we would have missed anyway.

Mac Mini $599.99

Monoprice Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter $8.55

Monoprice 3.5mm to RCA $3.40

Netflix (streaming, DVD delivery and Tivo integration) $8.99/month

Hulu.com with Hulu Desktop, TV.com, Boxee Free

High Speed Internet

I tried Clear.com for high speed internet; but it didn't work for me (after a 2 week trial).  I'll save this for a separate post.  Ended up going with Earthlink for cable internet (this is actually served by Time Warner Cable, but I felt better ordering online with Earthlink.)

Earthlink Cable Internet $29.95/month

Summary

Total equipment costs:  $1,801.90

Equipment over 36 months:  $50.05 Total monthly recurring:  $49.69

Approximate total monthly:  $99.74

We watch mostly network TV (CBS, NBC, etc...) so this works well for us.  OTA HDTV is very reliable with a good antenna, but does fall apart some on very windy days.  We've been using this setup for 6 months and OTA HDTV has ~98% availability.

OTA Resources

http://yourfreedtv.com/Raleigh/ http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11249_7-6264597-1.html http://www.nab.org/ http://www.dtv.gov/

Goodbye Tree

Sometimes everyone suffers from the mistakes of one.

World Wide Web

For years, I have registered domain names, managed DNS servers and created web sites.  I have always setup public web sites to default to "http://www.domain.com"... but why?

Wikipedia: A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS).  The first-level set of domain names are the top-level domains (TLDs), including the generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as the prominent domains com, net and org, and the country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Below these top-level domains in the DNS hierarchy are the second-level and third-level domain names that are typically open for reservation by end-users that wish to connect local area networks to the Internet, run web sites, or create other publicly accessible Internet resources. The registration of these domain names is usually administered by domain name registrars who sell their services to the public.

Everyone knows "www."  For me, the third-level "www" has actually caused problems.  Often, when trying to tell someone to go to a non-www third-level domain (like: "support.domain.com"), some people will inadvertently go to "www.support.domain.com" and end up somewhere they are not supposed to be.  I usually repeat the URL and explain that there is no "www." before the correct third-level domain address.

Instead of forwarding "http://domain.com" to "http://www.domain.com" (like most), set the reverse.  Forward all requests to "http://www.domain.com" to "http://domain.com".

When creating with Wordpress (and Press499.com - which powers this site); this happens automatically.  You may notice this behavior on other popular sites (like http://twitter.com).

Is this the end of "www"?