The Tech Bench

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 ]

Here is a list of 5 of our favorite Mac accessories that any Mac user is sure to love.

Sonos ZonePlayer S5 (S5)

$399 w/ Free Shipping from Sonos

Sonos is provider of premium mulit-room audio equipment that works great with iTunes. The ZonePlayer S5 is a wireless speaker system that can be controlled with your iPhone or iPod Touch to deliver great sound to any room in your house. Sonos equipment can be expensive and the ZonePlayer is probably the best value in their line.

Apple World Travel Adapter Kit

$39 at the Apple Store

This a great gift for the Mac world traveler.

Apple’s power adapters can handle most world voltages so all you need to do is swap out the end tip (duckhead) to fit the physical plug for the country you’re in. This kit comes with lots of different tips that connect to almost any wall plug. The tips work with existing power adapters for iPhones, iPods and Mac laptops.

Apple Magic Mouse

$69 at the Apple Store

The latest Apple mouse brings multi-touch gestures and enhanced tracking. This mouse has proven to be very popular with stock outs seemingly common. If this is on your list, you may want to pick it up early.

The mouse is wireless only, so make sure that the Mac you’re getting this for has bluetooth and is running 10.5.8 or later.

Brand new iMacs already come with this mouse included.

Bose Companion 2 Speaker System

$99 w/ Free Shipping on Amazon

This tried and true set is our pick for best computer speaker set for under $100. This set features rich bass without the need for a separate bass module (less space and less cable clutter.) Setup is super easy and the standard mini-jack can easily connect to iPhones and iPods as well.

The design isn’t that exciting but it blends in with most Apple products nicely.

Road Tools PodiumPad

$29.95 at the Apple Store

The design of the PodiumPad hasn’t changed much since it first was released over 6 years ago.

There are a lot of gimmicky and cheap laptop stands out there but the PodiumPad is simply a solid, low profile stand that fits any laptop and works great.

The adjustable stand elevates the laptop and reduces heat while the laptop is in use. The height also helps keep the laptop safe from liquid spills (saved mine form a coffee spill.) Every MyService technician has one of these under their laptop.

iLike has released their Local Concerts app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

This free app finds upcoming concerts and events in your area with links to the venue, maps and ticket info.

You can browse by shows or venues and there is a built in search feature.

While this app offers little filtering of results, it’s a quick and easy way to see what’s coming up and could be very useful when visiting other cities in the U.S. to see what’s going on that weekend.

A recommendation engine based on my iTunes library and filtering based on the type of show (rock, rap, comedy, etc.) would be useful future add-ons.

It’s also kind of fun to see who is still touring. I can’t believe Rod Stewart’s voice hasn’t given out on him yet!

[ iLike Local Concerts ]

I recently traveled to Spain for 12 days and decided to sign up for an AT&T international data plan so that I could use my iPhone without fear of a huge bill.

I signed up for the 50MB/month for $60 data plan (voice is separate.) As soon as I landed and activated my phone, I received a text message from AT&T stating that I had 50MB with an overage rate of $5.12/MB.

I reset the statistics in the usage settings so I could keep track of how much data I was using. While I didn’t check email (I was on vacation after all) I did use Google maps every day and went online to check out local spots.

As you can see in the picture (taken right after I got back) I ended up using the entire 50MB in the 12 days I was there.

Google Maps was where most of the data came from, but also the most valuable while traveling.

It was definitely worth it for me to signup for the plan (you can cancel w/o penalty as soon as you get back) as the per MB data usage can be 5 to 10 times as expensive outside of the plan.

If you plan on traveling with your iPhone I highly recommend checking these plans out. They range from 20MB to 200MB a month.

[ AT&T International Data Packages ]

It’s taken awhile, but inflight wifi is finally here.

On a recent Delta flight from SFO to Atlanta, I got to try out wifi from Gogo.

The setup works very similar to a T-Mobile hotspot. You pay for use during the flight (starting at about $10), a 24-hour pass ($12.95) or you can subscribe for $50/month.

Gogo works with any wifi capable laptop and mobile devices like an iPhone (you can enable wifi while the iPhone is in Airplane mode.)

While the speed is not blazing fast (typical satellite speeds) it gets the job done and was very popular in the first class cabin (I was in the cattle class:) This service should prove to be very popular with business travelers.

The service automatically comes online at 10,000 feet and turns off at the same altitude on descent.

Gogo is currently on some Delta, American, United and other airlines with more rollouts in the pipeline.

Should wifi be free on the plane? Absolutely. But when you get charged $5 for a can of Pringles, I guess $10 for internet access isn’t that bad.

[ Gogo Wifi ]

For iPhone and iPod Touch users who want more info about their battery, there’s an app for that.

Actually, there are quite a few apps that display battery info but my pick of the litter is myBatteryLife.

The app itself is very simple (there’s only the one screen) and shows the percentage of the batteries charge left and remaining time for commonly used tasks.

The remaining time for things like watching video or browsing the internet on Wifi are why I bought this app. myBatteryLife is device specific (unlike some of the other apps) so it’s pretty accurate.

If you’re going to be on a long plane ride or road trip, it’s handy to know how many episodes of the Family Guy you can watch before your phone goes dead.

[ myBatteryLife ] On sale for a buck from the App Store.

Airline travel is not always a fun and relaxing experience (especially in coach.) Between shrinking leg room and reduced amenities, long trips can feel like torture.

When you book online (places like Orbitz) you now have the option of selecting the seat you want in the class you paid for. Even in the same class, the leg room and overall comfort can vary depending on the Airline and specific airplane.

SeatGuru is a website that gives you valuable details on legroom, seat layouts and amenities.

You can search their extensive database by Airline and plane model to see a complete seatmap with legroom specs, power outlets, lavatory access and other details.

I came across the site while looking for what airlines use what power outlets for plugging in my laptop. Some airlines have standard US wall outlets and others use the airline power standard (looks like a car outlet.)

They also have nice compare feature that allows you to compare airlines in the same class. For example, you can see who has the most legroom for international coach between the airlines you’re looking to book with.

SeatGuru is free and is provided through TripAdvisor. Definitely worth checking out before booking your next flight.

[ SeatGuru ]

Lonely Planet guidebooks are a great travel resource.

At first designed for backpackers, these books offer local insight and “hidden” gems. As Lonely Planet has grown in popularity, their audience has broadened to include casual travelers as well.

The LonelyPlanet.com website has always been pretty cutting edge, so it was no surprise when they starting releasing iPhone apps. The iPhone is a great travel device (world phone, GPS, wifi, camera, etc.)

I installed the San Francisco City Guide app to check it out. The guide includes the entire City Guide “Book” in digital format as well as maps, a search function and a “nearby” tab that brings up points of interest in your current vicinity.

Just having the book in digital format is awesome and saves a lot of space and weight (alone worth the price of admission). The nearby feature and maps work as you’d expect and should make for some easy bar hopping.

Some more social features like media uploads or a way for users to provide on the spot reviews would be welcome but I’m sure stuff like this is on the way.

These apps sell for $15.99 each ($0.99 for San Francisco) and are currently available for about 20 cities. While a little on the spendy side, they’re about the same price as the physical books. If you like Lonely Planet and were considering buying a city guide, this is definitely the way to go.

[ Lonely Planet on iTunes ] [ Lonely Planet ]

Every now and then there’s a story about someone who traveled overseas and got an outrageous cell phone bill.

If you’ve got an iPhone and plan to do some international traveling this year, here are a few tips that can help:

1. Check to see if your iPhone will even work in the areas you’ll be in. Something I should have done before traveling to Japan last year with an original iPhone (it didn’t work at all.) AT&T has a cool travel guide that shows what countries and services are available for your phone.

2. Sign up for the International Roaming plan ($5/month) for the time you’ll be traveling. You’ll get way better rates and you can cancel the feature once you get back.

3. Use Wifi if you can for data apps. A lot of McDonald’s have free Wifi. Disable any apps that connect to the internet automatically (push email.) Turn “Fetch New Data” to off in your settings.

4. You can also pre-purchase data packages starting at $25/month but depending on your usage, this may not be worth it.

Happy travels.

[ AT&T International ] [ iPhone International Tips ] [ AT&T Travel Guide ]

When traveling abroad, one of the first questions is, “What kind of power plugs do they use?”

In the past, I’ve brought bulky power converters or cheap all-in one plug adapters.

Now I use Apple’s World Travel Adapter kit to charge my Apple products (iPhone and iPod) while traveling.

The kit is $39 and comes with a USB power adapter and cable ($29 alone) and different duck heads that can be fitted to your power adapter to work with outlets in North America, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong.

The duck heads work with MagSafe adapters (and G4′s) as well. Apple’s power adapters are multi-voltage ready so all you need to do is fit on the right duck head plug and you’re good to go.

The downside is these will only work with your Apple (or USB powered) electronics. The up side is you can power your MacBook at a cafe in Paris and look like a local (except for your NASCAR hat.)

[ Apple World Travel Kit ]