Man do I love mobile TV while driving. By mobile TV, I mean loading up Hulu Plus or Netflix on my iPhone. But before I talk about mobile TV, I should mention how I connect audio to my car.

Bluetooth streaming audio

I connect my iPhone to my car’s audio system via a Bluetooth adepter. I use a Scosche MotorMouth II, which does streaming Bluetooth audio to my stereo, as well as adding a handsfree car phone type system for calls and a push button for voice command of iOS.

The system works out pretty well, and I have it connected to power in the car so I never have to take it out to recharge. It just works. The procedure I have to do to use it is, assuming bluetooth is already on the Neocell and let’s say Pandora is already playing, is I start my car. The red light on the MotorMouth lights up, indicating it’s got power. I then push the button on it and that initiates the connection and then audio transfers to the sound system. And then that’s it. Once I turn the car off, since it’s battery powered, the MotorMouth stays connected and the Neocell continues to play audio (although nothing can be heard). I can either just walk away from my car and the iPhone will automatically disconnect from Bluetooth and pause audio, or I can switch the audio source on the iPhone from Bluetooth to speaker to hear music from the Neocell.

Why use Bluetooth streaming audio

I wrote before about how I connected an iPhone dock into my ride. I did this because it’s the most efficient way to physically connect an iPhone into your car. The dock’s line out was connected to my car’s auxiliary audio input of my stereo, as well as the sync cable to the dock connected to a USB-to-DC plug thing. You simply drop your iPhone into the dock and you instantly got sound to your car and power to your iPhone. Bada bing, bada boom.

I Installed Two iPhone Docks In My Ride

So why, then, go with Bluetooth streaming audio if you got’a great, easy solution like this? Well honestly, you don’t gotta’. The dock system rocks. Serious. But the reason why I did it is because, the way iOS docks are designed, when you take your iPhone off the dock, it pauses audio. This became a pain when I’d have Pandora playing in the background and my GPS app Navigon running in the foreground and I’d have to pull the Neocell out of the dock because I wanted to enter text with two hands instead of typing while it’s on the dock or whatever. This would cause the audio to pause. Once I connected it back to the dock, I’d have to resume the audio.

Another problem I found myself in a lot was picking up the Neocell out of the dock to do things like check an email message or reply to an IM from Beejive. Each time I’d do this, the audio would pause. It’s not even like it would stop going through the car’s audio but would keep playing through the Neocell’s speaker. No, it would just stop all together.

This also became a problem when I’ve be driving with someone and they wanted to check something on the Neocell, which of course they’d have to undock it. Whenever I’m driving, the Neocell preforms two extremely important rolls. One is audio entertainment (I NEVER listen to the radio and don’t own one single audio CD) and the other is GPS navigation through Navigon. Both can run and continue to work and do their function because they play their audio in the background, but when someone would pick up the Neocell out of the dock, the audio would no longer be goin’ through the car’s sound system.

Now you understand the beauty of Bluetooth streaming audio. The Neocell can freely be picked up out of the dock and the audio will still continue. This has come in handy so many times. I remember one time when my wife was with me and we needed to get in contact with someone who happened to be in Hawaii… we didn’t know their phone number or even email address, but we noticed them online on Facebook via Beejive so my girl IMed this person and was having an important conversation (she hadn’t gotten Beejive yet on her own iPhone). I had a lot of complicated driving to do and needed to hear the GPS, but this wasn’t a problem because the audio was still being streamed over, including Pandora even though the Neocell was in her hands and not physically connected to anything.

TV and movie audio streaming via Bluetooth

So this brings me back to the original point; how great it is watchin’ TV and movies while drivin’. For the record, when I mean “watching”, unless I’m in non-moving traffic, my eyes are on the road 90% of the time. Most people wouldn’t call that “watching” TV but more like “listening”, and this sorta’ true… but being able to glance at what’s on screen for a half second or so here and there really does give you the scope of what’s going on in the video. Some of you may not think that’s enough time to understand what’s happening, but it’s like people watching TV while surfing the web, you understand what’s goin’ on without havin’ to have your eyes glued to the video.

Having the audio streaming through Bluetooth makes it that much nicer watching a TV show from Hulu Plus or a movie from Netflix. Sometimes I’d find myself looking at an episode of The Office and notice some smudges on the screen. No problem, simply take the iPhone off the dock, rub the screen on my shirt or whatever and place it back… all while keeping my eyes on the road and continuing to listen to the audio.

Another neat thing is that if I had one of my nieces or nephews with me and my girl and let’s say they wanted to play Angry Birds or something while we were on a long trip. Normally, I’d have to say no because GPS navigation is vital. But with Bluetooth streaming and the fact that Navigon can run in the background, no problem. They can use the Neocell in the back while it streams GPS navigation instructions to the car’s audio system.

Mobile TV feels like cheating during traffic

So check it, yesterday I was driving home on an hour long drive and, living in Tampa Bay, there’s a lot of bodies of water around and a lot of bridges to go over. While listening to Pandora in the background with Navigon running in the foreground, I noticed a traffic alert that mentioned a traffic accident on a bridge up ahead. This bridge happened to be the only way into Tampa and this bridge is like 5 miles long. Sure enough, it ended up being bumper to bumper traffic, with traffic moving at like 0-5 miles per hour. Navigon didn’t recalculate a new route due to the traffic because it would be a 20 to 30 minute detour.

I had ice cold AC on me and Pandora pumpin’ through the system. But all this stop and go traffic, defending your lane from *** holes trying to jump in front of you… not fun. So I decided to treat myself and rather than wait until I got home to watch the latest episode of Parks and Recreation, I’d watch it now. So I paused Pandora, loaded up Hulu Plus, accessed my queue and pressed play. Instantly, I was watching TV and loungin’ back into my leather seat, sippin’ on a delicious Pepsi fountain drink in my cup holder and enjoying my car’s automatic climate control system keep me perfectly cool as I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the middle of a bridge over Tampa Bay.

Honestly, it felt like cheating. Instantly, I was much calmer and more relaxed. “Oh look, this **** head just cut in front of me. Who cares, I got… Hahaha… Crazy good TV goin’ on.” Every once and a while, I’d look around at other people and I’d see the frustration. I surveyed like 10 cars around me and they all were miserable, from the ones driving nasty beater cars to the ones in brand new Mercedes… and yet here i was, havin’ a ball. I realized I’d been in traffic going 0 to 5 miles per hour for the last 15 minutes and it felt like 3 minutes had gone by. It totally felt like I was cheating. Traffic isn’t supposed to be enjoyable.

See, the beauty of this that I didn’t plan on any of this happening. The content I was watching didn’t exist on my phone. I was pulling it from the cloud. People don’t utilize the current potential of technology in the palm of their hand, ya know?

Gansta’ leanin’ video

Here’s one thing that some may see as a glaring flaw though… all video that’s played, well… it plays sideways. Yeah. Since the Neocell is docked in portrait orientation, it plays all video sideways. Honestly, this isn’t a problem for me. It’s hard to explain, but all content just looks normal sideways as it does normal. You immediately adjust to it.

Who needs digital TV and DVD’s

Over on theNeocell.com’s sister web site, AintAGeek.com, I wrote a post about why I pay for and use Internet TV.

Living With Internet TV

That, including the fact that I can wach TV and movies while driving, will keep a crap load’a video content always ready for me at the tips of my fingers. The only thing I gotta’ concern myself with is how much bandwidth I use a month for my iPhone. But honestly, whatever I do use, it’s SO worth it compared to the value I’m gettin’. Rock on.

Peace, JbB

Check it out, I got me an iPad! Oh yeah… My iPhone is the “Neocell”, so introducing the my iPad, the “Neotab”. This is what I’m typing this blog post with this very second late at night in bed in the pitch black.

So, back up for a second. Why did I get an iPad and what do I think of it?

I’ll tell you why I got an iPad. I’ve been a huge fan of the iPad since it’s first announcement from Apple, back when all these tech pundits where claiming the iPad was stupid and was just a big iPhone and that it wouldn’t sell. I knew they were wrong and, sure enough, consumers (the non-geeks) bought iPads like crazy. Soon after, all geeks were in love with the iPad and had to have one for themselves. Pff… hypocrites. My views were that the iPad was great and phenomenal, especially if you didn’t have an iPhone. I personally felt that, if you did have an iPhone, that owning an iPad sorta’ made it a little pointless. I mean, you now two devices that can do virtually the same thing, but one (the iPhone) did much, much more. Owning an iPhone, especially an iPhone 4, took away the reason to own an iPad.

That was the thinking a year ago. It’s now a year later and the iPad 2 is out. Things have changed. The general idea hasn’t changed, but what you can do on an iPad that you can’t do on an iPhone has. Mainly involving media consumption, such as magazines, news papers and content curation (such as the mind-blowingly awesome Zite app). Before, the iPad was doing the rolls of an iPhone, but in a slightly better way at best. Now, a year later, and the iPad is now doing things unique to iPads.

The price is right

But the unique media consumption of iPads wasn’t the deciding factor on getting an iPad. I found out that with the release of the iPad 2, Apple had on clearance iPad 1′s. In addition, it also reduced the price of their refurbished models (something a lot of people weren’t even aware of). So a 16 GB wifi model was running $350. In the words of MAD Magazine; cheap! I knew this was going to be a limited time opportunity, and I had just gotten my income tax. Perfect timing.

Financial incentive was there. But did I, Mr. Power iPhone user, need an iPad? I already have a powerful desktop and a new, barely year old laptop. I also have an iPhone 4, which I use much more than I use my laptop and desktop. I’d so much rather look up an article on the Neocell than the Neocomp or Neonote. In fact, I’m on my iPhone all the time when I’m at home. I mean, 80% of my time on my iPhone is while I’m at home. So why would I need an iPad??

IPhone evolution, not replacement

That’s when I had an epiphany. If I use the Neocell so often while I’m at home, why not then get an iPad? I mean, the 80% of the times I use the Neocell at home, the other 20% of the time I use the Neocell when not at home. That 20% is probably the most valuable moments for using my iPhone 4. It’s when I’m using it as a car GPS while streaming in Pandora or Hulu into my Lexus while driving, or for when I’m needing to check an email of price of something while at a store. All things that are reliant on mobile Internet and all things that neither a desktop, laptop or even iPad (wifi only) could help me with. So that crucial 20% iPhone usage could only be performed by a smartphone.

That 80% usage, when at home or at places that have wifi, would of course conflict if I had an iPad. Do I choose to use the iPhone or an iPad if I owned the two? I realize, having a bigger screen and being (now) able to do mostly everything an iPhone can do as well, if not better, is a major plus. The epiphany was that, if I enjoy using my iPhone as compared to normal PC’s, why the **** not get an iPad?! Bigger screen, much easier to read content… and new access to apps and content not found outside of iPads! Yes, owning an iPad at home, I’d have to choose which device to use for home activities… the iPad or iPhone. The choice, clearly, would be to the iPad… not because ones better than the other, but because the iPad’s built for “stationary use” while the iPhone (now) is specialized for “mobility use”. It’s not a sin or a waste of an iPhone to use an iPad.

So that, there, was one of the reasons. The second reason, which I don’t need to go over in detail, is the fact that there is are things on the iPad that can not be found on the iPhone. Since getting an iPad appears to increase the “quality of life” for using an iOS device at home, the why not get it if it also brings in things exclusive to the iPad?

Living With The Neotab

I ordered the iPad and had it delivered within a few days. I’ve had the Neotab for almost a week now. So how’s it been? What are my expectations? I’m gonna’ tell you flat out, this ***** is tight! …Tight I tell ya, tight!

This thing has meet my expectations in every way and completely beat them. I expected myself to mainly only use it for web surfing (safari), specialized apps, such as Flipbook, possible magazine consumption, ebook reading and general things like that. I expected that I would use the Neocell still for many other things.

One of the problems I knew reviewers had, which I had experienced myself with demo iPads was text input. I’m a ******’ beast when it comes to typing with an iPhone (and none of that ******’ landscape typing, all portrait typing). Typing with an iPad seemed problematic. Typing in portrait, holding it like you would an iPhone doesn’t work out the same because the keys are too far away when using your thumb. Typing in landscape, as you would with a full keyboard also seemed problematic because the angles always seemed wrong. So I had the expectation that typing would suck and any content, such as emails or blog posts or things like that, would still be done with the iPhone.

Once I got the Neotab, though, I realized that typing on the iPad is actually great! Yeah, go figure. It turns out, the optimal way to type with an iPad is to type on it (in landscape) as you would a laptop. If you can’t type with two hands on a laptop smoothly, you also can’t with an iPad. So positioning an iPad in a way you might type with a laptop, you then type on the screen in the near identical way you’d type with a normal keyboard. And it’s just as fun as typing on an iPhone. A tripod type of stand in many situations makes typing more ideal.

In fact, I was so shocked at how well typing can be on an iPad that I found out, people who don’t use iOS devices at all, could type on an iPad. For real, I ain’t ******’ you. People who would become so frustrated typing on an iPhone, that they would nearly throw it out the window, could pick up typing on an iPad instantly because it shares the same concept as typing with a keyboard. (I still LOVE typing with an iPhone because I can type fast via two hands or one hand.)

So what I found out is that not only is the iPad great for typing on, but I love typing with it. It’s hard at times typing on your lap because you have to hold it while trying to type and sometimes the iPad will slip slightly, causing you to completely miss all keys and crap (typing in bed, lying on your back without really sitting up straight is what I’m referring to). But rather than making this a “typing via iPhone versus iPad” debate, I’ll compare it to typing with my desktop or laptop. I’m 70 words per minute on the desktop / laptop and I’m like 50-60 words per minute on the iPad. Not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, that’s so close that really, I feel just as fast with the iPad. But more importantly, I enjoy typing with the iPad much more than the desktop or laptop. It’s just so cool.

Once I realized this, I realized that the iPad was going to replace the home-use of my iPhone almost completely. But that’s ok! I’m not a trader to the Neocell! I’m not neglecting a device I’ve fallen in love with over the years. No, no, no… iPads really are just blown up iPhones in a way (technically iPod Touches), so in using an iPad, I’m really showing homage to iPhones. When I use the Neotab, I feel like I’m using the Neocell. In fact, it make me appreciate the Neocell all that much more. It makes me appreciate the small screen size and portability of iPhones. It makes me feel like, when I’m at home, the Neotab is my big iPhone, and when I’m out, the Neocell is my small iPad. I’m gonna’ repeat that. The Neotab is my big iPhone and the Neocell is my small iPad. They compliment each other. I mean, why restrain myself to a small screen (it’s the small touch area I’m referring to, not screen quality) when I’m at home?

So I’ve decided that anything that can be done via the Neotab, I’ll do it rather than on the Neocell.

Unexpected Business Use

Clearly I got the Neotab for personal use. But a few days ago, I got a work opportunity from a new client for technology consulting and IT service. I bring with me the Neocell (like I do everywhere I go) as well as my laptop, the Neonote, which I carry with me in a leather shoulder strap computer briefcase. The bag itself is filled to capacity. I looked over at the Neotab sitting on the table as I was about to leave and I thought to myself… “Should I bring it?”. I immediately thought “No, if there is no wifi, it won’t be useful as I can’t go online.”, but I then reminded myself that it’s just as Internet connected as my laptop. So why not? Because it’s so thin, it slipped into one of my bags pockets, along with the folding tripod stand.

When I got to my clients business, I quickly needed to start doing Internet research. Fortunately, one of the neighboring businesses had open wifi so I hopped on the network with the Neonote. But space was cramped and I kept having to move out of the way when trying to work. Holding my 15″ HP laptop with one hand while trying to browse the web with the other was not working, and that’s when I remembered the Neotab. I quickly hibernated the laptop and started using the iPad.

Let me tell ya, it worked out great. I didn’t have to worry about battery power at all and at times when I had to get up to get out of people’s way, I could just continue working because using an iPad while standing is a pleasure. A lot of times I have to show clients what’s on my screen currently, and doing that with a laptop can be an issue. But it wasn’t with the Neotab. I type notes via Evernote on my iPhone when I’m with clients, so since I was on my iPad, I simply opened Evernote, found the note I was working with currently and a picked up where I left off.

A few days later, I was giving consultation to the owner of a company about different cloud-based software solutions and using the iPad worked out so much better than doing it from the laptop. When my client was particularly interested in something on screen, instead of them having to lean over to get a better look at the laptop’s screen, I was able to just hand the iPad to them so that they could “hold” the content they were focusing on. It worked out so well.

Towards the end, when it came time to give my client an invoice, which I create all my invoices via my iPhone with an app called Invoice2go (I highly recommend it for iPhones), typically what I do is I place my iPhone down in front of them with the invoice on screen. But it’s so hard for my clients to see the information presented on screen to know what’s what. This time, I decided to email the invoice and open the PDF from the Neotab and then show it to my client. It worked out perfect.

So I’ve decided that my iPad’s gonna’ be a vital part of doing any kinda’ business. I’ve research and just tonight purchased an invoicing app called Quick Sale as a successor to Invoice2go. I’ll be creating all of my invoices on the Neotab. Even if I don’t got Internet access, I can still do everything for the invoicing besides actually emailing the invoice (which I can still do, it’ll jut be later on at home when back on wifi or something). As far as note taking, that’s what Evernote’s great for, it syncs between devices and doesn’t require Internet access to edit / create. For the times I am on the Internet, I’ll be using the Neotab for almost everything. For one, it makes me look that much more suave and professional and it’s just over all more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

In all, I’m taken back by the iPad. I mean, I knew this thing was something special (although I was also a little unimpressed when it was first released only because many pundits lied about missing features and mislead my own natural impressions). So I knew this thing was ‘freakin’ awesome, but the end, just like everyone else, I underestimated the true potential of the iPad.

I’m… I’m impressed. How impressed? Well I just, right now, ordered my chick her own iPad from Apple’s web site. ‘Nough said.

Peace, JbB

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Check it. I’ve got my iPhone, the Neocell 4, real wood plating on the back (in tradition of the custom wood and gold plating of the Neocell 2G and Neocell 3GS).

It’s an extremely thin piece of real maple wood, hand made and perfectly sized to the exact dimensions of the back glass of the Neocell 4. It’s then engraved with a tight artistic design by a local Orlando, Florida artist. The design is of an owl on top, leading into a new world order style pyramid, all-knowing eye. On the bottom and on the sides, it’s got a wood branch, tribal type patterning. It’s very soft to the touch, you can barely feel the engraving when your holding it. But when you run your fingers across it, you can absolutely feel the engraving.

I’m really enjoyin’ it. The contrast of the maple against the engraved areas looks fantastic. It really shows out. The detail looks great. The wood plating is also microscopically thin too, which is great because it doesn’t effect sliding in and out of a dock at all.

The amount of detail that was able to be laser etched is really amazing. The light areas are actually the “top”, untouched areas of the maple. All the dark areas are actually the laser-engraved portions of the wood.

What’s tight about this is that it’s actually sorta’ impossible to engrave this manually by hand, like with a knife or somethin’. The maple is just way too thin. You’d crack the wood or cut it so deep that you’d cut partially through it. And if you tried to engrave with one of those burning tools, that would be just a terrible looking mess.

So it’s pretty tight that technology has come together to create something beautiful. The ability for the wood plating to be carved precisely thin. And then having such finite detail laser-engraved without damaging or disfiguring the maple. On something so organic and pleasing to the touch.

I’ve only had it for a few days, but already people have been stopping me to ask about it. I use the Accounts app every time I use my card at stores, which is pretty much all the time. So I have the Neocell out when I pay for stuff. I’ve been getting comments from strangers. People have been like “Ooo, what is that?” and stuff. A lot of people think it’s a sticker until I let them touch it. “Oh, it’s really engraved!” It’s those kinda’ responses I like gettin’.

This is perfect for the Neocell 4. I had to wait a long time before finding the right customization for the Neocell, but I think this is worth it, don’t you?

Peace, JbB

Haha, check it. I live in an apartment community that’s part of a nature sanctuary and there are frogs out by a lake at night. Tonight, I found one frog that didn’t feel camera shy at all. So what a good way to show you the quality of the iPhone 4′s LED flash outdoors.

Here’s some images I took.

I took this photo at about 3  to 4 feet from the frog with the Neocell about 3 feet high.

I took this photo close, about 1 foot from the frog and at about a foot off the ground.

I took this one the same way, but centered it better. It didn’t come out as focused as the previous one.

This last photo I took just a little big closer. I think this one turned out pretty nice. You can see the details in the little ‘freaker’s slimy skin really well.

And here’s a video I shot of the cute, ugly little frog. Here’s your 18 seconds of fame. (Watch in HD.)

So there ya have it. I think having an LED flash on the iPhone 4 is one of the best features of the phone. It works really intelligently too.

If you have an iPhone 4, let me know what you think of the LED flash.

Peace, JbB