iPad 2 - The Device That Can Get You Organized

Let's face it; at some time throughout our lives that we've said to ourselves, "I really need to be more organized." I'd bet that some of you actually took the challenge and lived up to it. Kudos, folks, but if you're anything like the other 80 billion or so of us that don't know where to start, maybe we're simply overwhelmed by the task and therefore never begin.

Maybe we should break it up into smaller chunks and ask for help. Wait! Ask for help? It's okay, you don't actually have to speak to anyone face-to-face just yet. No, I'm talking about asking your iPad 2 for help.

We will begin in the living room, clearly one of the most lived-in spaces in your home. Take a good look around, there are remote controls to the television, the DVD player, the surround sound, the fan-on-a-stand, the ceiling fan; that's a lot of remotes. Here is a solution to this organizational challenge - the L5 Remote. You may be asking yourself, "Why in the world would I need another remote?" Well, my friends, this is the only remote you'll need. With a free downloadable app and the L5 plugged in to your iPad 2 or iPod touch, customize your remote experience in one location. Touch the app, add any IR remote to the set-up, and voila! You've got the power of many devices in one place.

Let's move on to the kitchen. It's grocery shopping day and you know that the best way to get exactly what you need is to make a list. Set your iPad 2 up on the counter on its very own Breffo Spiderpodium stand, hit the voice record app and start counting cans of green beans and carrots. This highly durable stand will let cradle your iPad 2 safely on its exoskeleton-type legs while you figure out what you need. Don't forget; if you're all about the savings, run the barcode scanner app so when you get to the store you can compare prices from other grocery outlets.

As families grow, so does their need for and supply of technical devices, iPads, iPhones, iPods, etc. Along with each of these upon purchase came a charger. Now you have another organizational problem - which charger goes with what device - and it could all be simplified with the help of the iHome Charging Station. This all-in-one, convenient dock charges up to four devices at once. Charge your iPad 2, your iPhone, iPod, eReader, or any tech device that charges via a USB port. There you have it, no more messy cords and questions of what goes where.

Your iPad 2, iPhone, or iPad may not, dust the furniture, do the windows, or vacuum the floor, but it can be used to find someone who is willing to do it. Once the day is done and everything is in its place, set it up on its Breffo Spiderpodium and turn on some relaxing music from iTunes. See, you thought getting organized was going to be difficult.

Get A Life: Or Is There An App For That? (Maintaining Your Device in the Maelstrom of the App World)

It happens everywhere you go. The daily routines of life are becoming increasingly inundated with information being channeled to you from all directions. The latest version of our collective information overload comes in the form of "Apps", or software applications, designed to run on our phones, portable music players and tablet PC's. Maybe you don't know how to find the closest grocery store... there's an app for that. Cheapest gas station? There's an app for that too. Can't find a date for this Friday night... well, I'm not even going to tell you how many apps there are for that. It seems clear that the future of communications, information delivery and entertainment all center on these small, highly focused applications.

If you haven't used any kind of app before, you're probably soon to be in the minority. The Pew Internet Project recently released the findings of a study, revealing that approximately 24% of all adult cell phone subscribers in the U.S. are active users of apps, and as advertisers and mass media outlets begin shifting their content to this medium, that number is almost certain to rise. The speed with which the general population has adopted the usage of apps will drive the development of the technology, and guarantee its' propagation. Soon phones won't be the only place you are going to find these apps. If you're not convinced, consider that nearly all models of new HDTV sets are becoming internet connected, and many are preloaded with apps or have access to a marketplace to download the ones you want. If that isn't enough to make app usage nearly ubiquitous, even auto manufacturers are beginning to join in with apps of their own. Ford Motor Company has been pouring resources into its' Sync and MyFord Touch platform, which is poised to deliver apps directly to the screens in many new vehicles.

This new medium is opening up a whole new world of tools, gadgets and time-wasters to the broad population landscape. It's been my experience that many of today's heavy app users rarely even access the internet in its' traditional form, and nearly all communications are slowly being channeled through these programs. With nearly 450,000 apps available through Apple's App store and the Android market alone, you can practically start a career with the time you'll spend wading through them all. The trick of it all is to find and use the apps that may be useful to you, while safeguarding the real estate on your device and preserving its' performance. In order to accomplish this, remember to always try to keep it simple. If you download an app you don't like, remove it from your device. Take the time to read reviews to find out how a program is working for other users, and take careful note of people reporting crashes and device problems following installation. If you insist on being a collector of apps, try to keep track of the order that you have installed them, so you will be able to remove only what is necessary should you develop a problem on your device. Always remember that computers, smartphones, tablets and other app ready devices are ecosystems unto themselves, and the more tasks that you are requesting, the greater the likelihood that you'll run into a problem.

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Article Submitted On: March 07, 2011