• 1Password: This is a must have for 1Password desktop owners. It is the perfect password manager that majors on ease of use and good user interface. It’s even better with Dropbox sync. I no longer have to manually sync my app to the desktop version.
• Dropbox: Speaking of Dropbox, this app is another must have. It is very easy to upload files for backup purposes, and the app can open most files you put in it.
• USAA: The best bank in the country has the best financial app in the App Store. It is an absolute breeze to use, and may be my most used app.
• Vimeo: Youtube is admittedly larger and more popular. However Vimeo is a better choice for video professionals, because of the high quality streams that come from them. Their app is similarly great, and has a major bonus – video editing. In many ways, it is easier than Apple’s iMovie app.
• Alien Blue: Reddit fans out there, this is the app you should be using on your iOS device. I actually prefer interacting with Reddit with Alien Blue than on the website itself.
• Twitter: Twitter’s native iOS app is a great way to interact with the service with your iPhone or iPad. It incorporates shortcuts that make hashtags, pictures and responses exceedingly simple.

These are just a few of my favorites. What are yours?

I must admit, it takes some chutzpah to throw yourself out there like that. It also is a little foolish, because the ad is full of misleading stats. T-Mobile is not an actual 4G network. Google “The 4G Forgery” and you’ll see what a sham the use of the word is anyway. Also, the shot about being tethered to WiFi vs. 4G is ridiculous. There are more WiFi hotspots than 4G coverage in this country anyway.

T-Mobile needs to go back to the drawing board. Also, try using actual facts instead of misleading statements.

The biggest problem with LCD readers has been the strain on the eyes from the backlit screen. E-Ink screens eliminated that issue by creating a look that more closely resembled the printed page. Until now, there have only been monochromatic versions of the technology. However, don’t expect a look similar to the iPhone’s retina display. The colors have been described as closely resembling a color photo in a newspaper. It also can’t yet handle video, so no YouTube.

The technology will continue to come along, and we’ll see continued development. The real question is, can companies find a way to marry the best of E-Ink and backlit display technologies? We’ll see.

We are now able to document our lives and the world around us with amazing ease. The cameras being put into phones now can shoot up to 720p HD video. When on a family vacation, you no longer need to carry around a camera bag. You won’t have to bring your computer in order edit and upload the video to YouTube.

Video camera manufacturers are going to need to give a compelling reason to get people to buy video cameras. Without one, I could see people ditching their old video devices for the ease of shooting on their cell phone.

I seriously doubt there will be a Verizon iPhone in the near future, and here’s why. Verizon uses CDMA technology for their wireless service. Very few mobile services worldwide use that technology. The preferred worldwide technology is GSM. Apple has been building the iPhone with GSM only parts, which makes it very easy to maintain quality control when selling the device worldwide. If they decide to make second model with CDMA parts, then they’ve doubled their work. Apple has made their name on “it just works” products. I can’t see them changing that now.

Another problem is Verizon’s notorious controlling attitude toward device makers. Apple has the same reputation in it’s dealing with carriers. That would setup a showdown between the two that would end up likely hurting customers.

The one way I see Apple selling the iPhone on Verizon, or any other carrier for that matter, is the upcoming transition to the LTE standard. This new standard is faster than 3G, and both AT&T and Verizon are adopting it. This would alleviate the need to manufacture two separate devices.

I just don’t see the iPhone-on-Verizon rumor coming true anytime soon. However, that’s not going to stop wishful Verizon customers from keeping their hopes alive.

I know two guys who have been content creators in the past, and strongly support the creators ability to decide how their creation is used. They ask,  “Since consumers couldn’t play music and movies on multiple platforms in the past, why does the technology change the rules?” The problem with that is the fact that technology has always changed how people consume. The same way garden hose manufacturers can’t say where you can and cannot use that hose, content creators cannot dictate whether a person uses a CD on multiple devices. And I don’t buy the argument that content creation doesn’t work the same as physical goods. I wouldn’t have the music or movie if I hadn’t paid for it, just like with the hose.

I understand that I’m leaving out the issue of illegal downloads. However, I find it faulty to lump the two scenarios together. If I legally purchase creative content, then I should be able to listen or watch on my iPod, iPhone or any other device I own. The fact that there are people who illegally obtain creative content should not affect the rights of those obey the law.

There are many folks on the anti-Apple bandwagon. It happens any time a company becomes a dominant player in their field. And that’s okay. No matter how smug you think Apple and their legions of fans may be, Apple products work. They work very well. The iPhone is the most intuitive mobile phone to ever hit the market. The iPod changed the way we listen to music. The iPad is on it’s way to changing the way we read books.

Apple will continue to create this buzz for the foreseeable future. They only thing that could trip them would be if they started to rest on their laurels. However, with Google really pressing hard with their Android mobile ecosystem, I don’t Apple being able to rest. This means more great products.

With more and more users accessing their music on more and more devices, this could make sense. I access my music from an iPod, iPhone and Macbook Pro. I would enjoy being able to wirelessly sync my music to each device. The big caveat, however, is cost. I’m already paying $35 per month for my iPhone data and texting plan. I doubt I would pay any amount extra just to access my own music. What could really attract potential customers to such a service would be inclusion of a certain amount of downloads that would be included. Then people would have a reason to buy. There would be something tangible they would be getting for their monthly fee.

Who knows what will actually happen, but the hypothetical is interesting to discuss nonetheless.

I use my Xbox 360 more for entertainment than video games these days. I love Apple’s interface’s better, and I’ve always thought they’d do well in the set top market. It’s a market dominated with crippled devices and unintuitive interfaces. The problem, from Apple’s perspective, has been the way the market works now. Providers overcharge for content and undercharge for the set top devices. This creates an atmosphere where the viewer doesn’t value the hardware.

My problem with the current market is innovation is stifled. My Comcast DVR isn’t nearly as useful as it could be, despite the technology being there. I can see Apple changing this, as they are one of the few companies with enough cachet to get the ball rolling. I just hope Apple decides to cash in on their stature, and start a revolution in the set top market similar to the one they started in mobile phones.