The Tech Bench

It’s official, a premium Hulu service is coming in July.

Hulu Plus will stream HD content to your iPhone, Mac, iPad, TV and iPod Touch for $9.99/month. Both Wi-fi and 3G streaming will be supported. Other devices like the PS3, Xbox 360, TVs and blu-ray devices will support the new service soon.

The Hulu Plus subscription will include access to an expanded library of shows and movies. You can sign up here to request a preview invite.

[ Hulu Plus ]

Let’s say you leave your new iPhone in a bar and need to track it down before it ends up on Gizmodo ASAP.

There’s an app for that.

Apple has released the new Find My iPhone app that allows you to locate, ring or remote wipe your iPhone or iPad from any other iPhone or iPad.

Just download the free app on a friends iPhone, sign in with your Mobile Me account and your lost or missing iPhone will appear via Google Maps.

You need three things to make this work.

1. A Mobile Me account registered with your device.

2. A friend/kind stranger with an iPhone.

3. To actually remember that this capability even exists when you do lose your phone.

[ Find My iPhone ]

AT&T has announced new data plans for the iPhone and iPad that will go into effect June 7th.

Here are the highlights:

Current AT&T iPhone & iPad 3G customers can keep their existing unlimited data plan ($29.99/month) or change to one of the new plans with no contract extension.

Voice and text plans are unchanged.

New iPad 3G customers can no longer receive the unlimited data plan and will instead be eligible for a contract free, 2GB/month for $25/month.

DataPlus iPhone Plan – 200MB/month of data for $15/month. Currently 65 percent of iPhone users consume 200MB or less a month. If you exceed the 200MB limit in a month, you’ll automatically get charged another $15 and receive an additional 200MB for that month.

DataPro iPhone Plan – 2GB/month of data for $25/month. Currently 98 percent of iPhone users consume 2GB or less a month. If you exceed the 2GB limit in a month, you’ll automatically get charged another $25 and receive an additional 2GB for that month.

You’ll receive free text messages and emails as you hit 65%, 90% and 100% of your data plan.

Tethering will be available with the DataPro plan for an additional $20/month. Tethering will go live with the release of the iPhone 4.0 software.

These plan changes are designed to help keep the cost of data for the majority of users lower, while charging a higher premium for those that use the most data. In other words, AT&T hopes to make more money:)

[ New AT&T Plan Details ]

MyService now offers repair service for the Apple iPad.

Free Diagnostic – iPad not turning on after a drop or liquid spill? Ports not functioning properly or video distortion on the screen? If you’re not sure what’s up with your iPad, our free diagnostic can help identify the problem and provide you with solutions for the fix.

Warranty Service – Since MyService is an Apple Authorized Service Provider, we can facilitate your iPad’s warranty service through Apple. Currently, the whole unit is replaced if the repair is covered under Apple warranty, so data backup before sending in the unit is highly recommended.

Display Repairs – Like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad display is made up of two pieces. The first is the digitizer, which is the glass covering that covers the LED screen and manages the touch input. The second is the LED itself, the screen underneath that provides the display and backlight. Sometimes in an impact one or both of these parts may crack and need to be replaced. MyService offers both of these parts for replacement.

Casing & Miscellaneous – MyService offers other repairs not covered by the Apple warranty such as case, port, or liquid damage. Select the free diagnostic option or contact one of our Service Advisors for more info.

Note: Shipping charges (UPS cost) may apply for warranty service and non approved repairs.

[ MyService iPad Repairs ]

iGorilla is an app “dedicated to supporting the plight of Africa’s endangered mountain gorilla.”

This $4 app allows you to follow the lives of gorilla families in the Virunga National Park and stay up to date with videos and written reports.

This app is a great example of how organizations can use the App Store to build awareness and help those that provide donations (via the purchase) to feel more connected to the cause.

[ iGorilla ]

Last year I reviewed Dropbox, the file sharing, online backup and file sync utility. It’s proven itself quite handy over the past year for those three services. Now you can access all of your files on your Dropbox from your iPhone or iPad.

Download the free app from the App Store, enter your Dropbox user ID and password, and you’re ready to go. All of the files synchronized from your desktop or laptop now show up on your iPhone on iPad. It’s great for quick access to documents, images or music. If there’s a file that you tend to access often, you can choose it as a favorite and save it straight to the phone, bypassing the need to be on WiFi or 3G to access the file.

If you don’t have a Dropbox account, sign up for a free account that will give you 2GB of online storage. You can get up to 8GB free by referring friends to join. If you don’t want to refer friends you can always walk through the guided tour to see how to grab a quick extra 250MB.

Upload photos or video straight to your Dropbox from your iPhone or iPad and share with friends and colleagues. If you have a shared folder setup with them, they will instantly be notified when you upload a file. You can either choose to record a new image or upload from you existing library on your Phone. Uploading images and video is relatively quick over WiFi, but I’d hold off on uploading large videos over 3G, you might be waiting a while. You can tweak the settings to upload lower quality videos and images if you find yourself uploading over 3G frequently.

Dropbox is free for up to 2GB of storage, beyond that you can upgrade your account to 50GB for $9.99 per month or 100GB for $19.99 per month.

[ DropBox ]

Apple has announced a beta version of the new MobileMe Mail.

This is the webmail interface at me.com and looks to be delivering a more iPad like look and feel.

Current MobileMe members can request an invitation to the beta by clicking the invite link at the lower left of the mail screen after logging in at me.com

New features include; faster load times, more customizable view options, desktop formatting and the ability to have your rules synced and function across all of your different Apple devices.

This is most likely the first major redesign for a new MobileMe (hopefully free) suite.

[ MobileMe Beta ]

After a week of living with the iPad I thought I’d share my early impressions.

Just to preface, I’m a heavy duty Mac user and currently have and use an iPhone 3GS, Apple TV, iMac and 17″ MacBook Pro.

I was very exited to get my hands on the new iPad and my very first impression exceeded expectations. The screen, the speed and the build quality were all excellent. My second impression was that it felt a little awkward to hold and use.

The apps, the specs and the quality are all great. My question going in was “is this the future format of mobile computing? Will this form factor replace laptops?” Before I even used the iPad I thought “yes” to both of these questions but now, I’m not so sure.

A few days in, I was at home browsing the web and doing some online shopping with the iPad. Just hanging out on the couch with the cat and TV in the background. After about 30 minutes I gave up and switched back to my laptop.

I’m just much faster and more productive with a keyboard and mouse than touch alone. When using the iPad for active browsing, your hands are usually supporting the device whereas a laptop is easier to position the screen and go hands free when reading or multi tasking (i.e. eating cereal.)

Touch screens are awesome and the iPad’s rocks. I just believe that a mouse is faster, more accurate and requires less physical movement to navigate the screen. I can forgive the iPhone’s touch keyboard because it’s on a device that fits in my pocket, but for typing up word docs or other productivity apps I want a real keyboard (yes you can get an external keyboard for the iPad but then why not just use a MacBook.)

The OS of the iPad is a great first start and feels very polished but I really missed having multiple windows open and apps running. I felt like I was using one of those school computers whose permissions keep you from doing anything other than open a couple of pre selected programs.

The iPad is an addition to your Mac arsenal, not a replacement for any one device. On planes or for specific app purposes (i.e. music sheet apps) where the form factor really works, the iPad is great. For using around the home, I’ll stick with my laptop.

With time can I grow to be more productive on an iPad? Absolutely, but with the iPhone it just felt right form the start. If I’m reaching for the laptop over the iPad, that’s not a great start.

You can now pre-order the iPad from Apple. There are 6 different models to chose from. Which one is right for you?

There are two main models. One with Wi-Fi connectivity and one that comes with both Wi-Fi and 3G. Each of these comes in three different storage capacities.

If you want to get your hands on one April 3rd (the first day they’re available) you’ll want to go with the Wi-Fi only model. The 3G models ship in late April.

If you already have an iPhone and laptop and are getting the iPad to try out the form factor and will be primarily using it at home or the office, the Wi-Fi is the way to go. This will probably be the most popular option to start out.

If you’re looking to use the iPad for travel, or to replace your iPhone/Touch for on the go web browsing, the 3G model may be right for you. No contract plans from AT&T start at $15/month and go up to $30/month for unlimited data, not bad.

As far as storage capacity, both iPads come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. If you’re an early adopter who will probably upgrade when the new iPad comes out, the 16GB is probably the best option for a first gen device. The next iPads will probably offer a lower cost per GB. Unless you’re looking to really embrace the iPad as your primary mobile device, the 16GB should be fine to start off.

As for me, I’ve ordered a 16GB Wi-Fi only (I have a 32GB iPhone and 17″ MacBook Pro.) I plan on using it at home to start out and maybe bringing it on some flights/trips. If I find I’m really wanting 3G access because I’m taking it everywhere, I’ll upgrade when the new iPads come out and then go for more storage. Save your box, if you decide to upgrade to new iPads when they come out, it’ll help you get more for your old one when you sell it on eBay.

[ Apple iPad ]

Apple has announced that the iPad will arrive April 3rd. Like a lot of Apple fans, I’ll be placing my order on March 12th, the first day for pre-orders.

A lot of friends, family and customers have asked what we think of the new iPad. Will it be a niche product or change the personal computing landscape? A lot of compaines are betting one way or another and there’s been no shortage of opinions for and agains the iPad.

I think it will come down to this. How often will people that have multiple Macs use the iPad?

Which ones will get used the most?

I use a MacBook Pro as my primary computer, have an Apple TV at home, and carry an iPhone. Each of these devices has their place in my day and don’t overlap too much. The iPad aims to combine the strengths of these devices, but will it be a jack of all trades and a master of none?

If I find myself using the iPad at home to surf the web, consume media and connect with email and other social networks instead of using my laptop, then the iPad may be a winner. If I only find myself using the iPad on trips or as a spare, the iPad may be more of a niche product.

Not all consumers will of course want multiple Macs so the iPad may be a good fit (both economically and functionally.) For someone who already has a lot of Macs, I’m not sure that there’s room for another Mac in my day, but I can’t wait to find out.