Of course the hype always comes to a sudden halt when Steve Jobs actually unveiles the device. This time I’d argue that the hype already ended the moment Jobs transformed his famous “One more thing…” slide into a much more humble “One more hobby…” headline. Expectations were about to be crushed. And Jobs knew it.

Don’t get me wrong. The new Apple TV is a nice little refresh. But it’s not a game changer. Why isn’t it a game changer though? Is it the price? That remote? The lack of 1080p? Or is it something else entirely? Let’s have a look why there seems to be to such a dramatic drift between expectation and reality of the new Apple TV.

The Price of Apple TV

Let’s start on a good note. The new Apple TV costs $99. Let me state that one more time: $99! That’s $150 cheaper than the previous model and by far the best feature of the device. At $99 it almost doesn’t matter if a gadget’s a game changer or not. It’s such a tempting impulse buy that you may just pick one up next time you visit the Apple Store for a pair of fresh headsets. It’ll also make for a great gift this holiday season. Hence, I believe that pricing was the most important feature that Apple wanted to address with the new Apple TV: a sleek set-up box for less than a 100 bucks. I’ll come back to this point in a moment, but for now let’s just keep in mind that $99 is DIRT CHEAP!

Apple TV’s Ugly Step-Child: The Remote

Okay. Let’s not beat around the bush on this one. It’s easily the most disappointing feature of the day, with all the hype about the crazy, innovative Apple Remotes yet to come. It almost feels as if your parents promised your three year old self Disneyland and then end up taking you to Knott’s Berry Farm to meet … Snoopy. Yeah, I know, right? Believe me, I’ve been there!

Anyway.

I think most of us can agree, that the remote isn’t just disappointing in a bland sort of way, but that it also seems a bit under-featured and ugly at the same time. Once again we must navigate our Apple TV’s with 4 arrows and two measly buttons. And this isn’t even Bluetooth we’re talking about here. This is infrared. From 1978!!! NEXT! (To be fair, Apple does allow control via their iPhone remote App.)

1080p vs. 720p: The Reality

I have a feeling that I’m about to open a can of worms. For some reason the 720p vs. 1080p debate can get quite emotional, so please don’t hate me when I say that I completely understand why Apple only supports 720p video on the new Apple TV. According to Apple 720p allows them to strike a balance between quality and bandwidth. I tend to agree with them. Of course 1080p is better than 720p — especially on 50″ TV or larger — but the harsh reality is that most US households can barely cope with the delivery of 720p content as it is.

Sure, Apple could’ve easily compressed the hell out of 1080p in order to squeeze the additional pixels into smaller data rates, but honestly, if I wanted that I could have subscribed to cable or satellite TV years ago. I much prefer Apple’s choice. 720p content can look great if compressed right and most consumers wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. At least Apple is honest about what they’ll provide us with, instead of promising enormous pixels without telling us about the crappy compression.

Bottom line: I don’t believe 720p to be a deal-breaker here.

Applications for Apple TV

What about those Apps though? Remember how Engadget promised Apps for Apple TV? Even though the device seems to be building on iOS as a platform according to Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, the App store idea clearly didn’t come through.

The device is running iOS, though, trust me. So it’s possible that some sort of SDK is coming in the future. But I’m not going to hold my breath. Judging from the demo today, I think the fact that it’s running iOS under the hood is just an implementation detail.

And while we could argue for hours if Apps on a TV even make sense, I think that they absolutely would. I simply can’t help but wonder about all the missed opportunities. How about a quick game of ‘F.A.S.T Flight Control’ on the big screen, or one of the many racing simulations out there for example? Sure sounds fun, doesn’t it? Of course this brings us right back to the remote control dilemma. Can’t do much with that sad stick of a remote, really. I still believe that we’ll get apps for the Apple TV eventually. Apple simply may not have figured out the bet way to control them yet.

What about apps for ‘Hulu’, ‘Pandora’, ‘AirVideo’, ‘MLB.com At Bat’ and the like, though? After all, Netflix made it on the box. Why won’t they allow other third party media apps on the device? I think, the answer can be summarized in two words: Business Strategy! I’ll explain below.

Dude, Where Is My Content?

So if the price is good and neither remote nor lack of 1080p are deal breakers, and Apple has a good reason to keep Apps off the device, why isn’t this damn thing a game changer already?

I believe Apple missed the opportunity to introduce a game-changing device when they announced the initial availability of just two TV networks with rental prices of $0.99 per episode. Only offering content from ABC (in which Steve Jobs is a shareholder through the Disney Company) and FOX is a bit underwhelming to say the least. And rentals at $0.99 an episode — while cheaper than a $1.99 purchase — still isn’t cheap enough if you think of it in terms of an entire season, which generally runs 22 episodes long on networks and 10-13 on cable.

That’s $13 – $22 per season, per show. You’ve been able to purchase the same content on DVD box sets for years ranging anywhere from $15 to $40. How often have you been doing that?

This may not be fair, but most audiences are used to a free TV experience either through ad supported services or bit torrent. It’s a reality. And at least you get the feeling of unlimited access when you pony up that cable bill at the beginning of every month. Content on the Apple TV is neither free nor unlimited. It’s simply not tempting enough to be a game changer. But why isn’t it?

Before I tie all my loose ends back together, let me quickly explain the relationship between TV Networks, Cable providers, and how Apple doesn’t fit into this mess:

TV Networks and Studios generally produce the content we watch. They then either broadcast it on their own channels or sell it to other TV stations (i.e. Fox produces Modern Family, but they sell it to air on ABC). Cable and Satellite providers then pipe the content to your home for which they can charge you anywhere from $40 – $250 depending on the package you chose.

What some people don’t realize it that the cable providers actually have to pay the TV networks for the rights to their content. We’re not talking peanuts here, either. According to industry analyst SNL Kagan (via All Things D) ‘ESPN HD’, for example, charges cable providers $4.08 per subscriber, per month for including the channel in their line-up. ‘Fox Sports Net’ costs them $2.37. Most of the other networks can range anywhere from $0.01 to $0.99 with an average of $0.20 per channel, per subscriber, per month. Take a look at the chart below if you’re interested in the detailed breakdown.

These fees, of course, are a nice source of income for the TV networks on top of the revenue they already earn through advertising. Hence, the networks are terrified to unsettle this holy equilibrium for mainly two reasons:

1) They are afraid to lose the cable providers with their big wallets if they offer better content deals to Apple.

2) What if audiences can freely choose among TV shows and networks, and their network or shows aren’t among the chosen few?

So here is where it all ties back together: TV networks can’t afford to lose the cable companies’ subscription money. At least, not while the alternative is an Apple TV with an undisclosed (read: extremely low) installation base compared to the millions and millions of cable boxes out there. This is Apple’s problem. Steve Jobs can’t convince the networks to give you a great deal, because the networks don’t have a strong enough economic alternative to the cable providers.

But what if Steve could offer the networks an installation base that nearly matches the installation base of all the cable boxes out there? Would that give Apple the negotiating power they need to close some great content deals? I believe that’s what Apple is playing for. That’s what they’re after!

Remember my “cheap is Apple TV’s best feature” argument from the beginning of this article? And the strategic reason for which Apple wants to keep Hulu & Co off their playground? I think this is why! Apple wants to move as many units as humanly possible without strengthening one of their other players along the way. They want that strong foothold they currently have with the music industry so that they can muscle their way into the TV industry in much the same way.

Once they reach that sweet spot of Apple TV market share, Jobs may be able to convince the content providers to offer much better choices to his customers, us! Imagine a channel subscription model, for example, that includes every TV show from the networks YOU choose. Or a show subscription model that lets you pick the shows you want to watch — including their back catalogues — for as long as you’re subscribing, no matter what network they’re on.

Apple wants to offer those deals. It would allow them to sell more advanced units, at higher prices, with greater profit margins.

But before any of this can happen, Apple needs to deploy a large enough installation base of Apple TV’s. Will the customers bite without the content deals in place first? It’s a catch-22 for Apple. Chicken or egg. Who will come first?

Apple hopes that at $99 you will! So, forget about the remote, forget about 1080p, forget about all of those amazing Apps. It’s that 21st century content subscription strategy, that could turn the Apple TV into an industry wide game changer. You know it, Apple knows it, the TV networks know it, and unfortunately the cable providers know it as well.

Let’s sit back and see how it plays out.

While iPhone and iPod touch users have already been able to upgrade to iOS 4 since June of this year, iPad users will have to wait until November to enjoy the 100+ new features.

iOS 4 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. And soon iPad owners will get to enjoy its 100+ new features and innovations — including multitasking, folders, printing, and more. Look for iOS 4.2 coming in November for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Key additions — beyond playing catch up with iPhone and iPod touch — will include wireless printing, as well as the new AirPlay wireless media streaming feature which allows users to switch a playing movie from their iPad to the new Apple TV on the fly, for example. Both iPhone and iPod touch will also be able to upgrade to iOS 4.2 come November.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs first demoed the iOS 4.2 key features during Wednesday’s media event in San Francisco.

iPhone iOS 4.1

iOS 4.1 will be available starting next week for iPhone and iPod touch and will include the following updates and features:

- Bug fixes. According to Steve Jobs 4.1 will include bug fixes for the wonky proximity sensor, bluetooth issues, and sluggish iPhone 3G performance. Hopefully, this will also address the bluetooth issues with mumbled audio calls which we reported earlier this week.

- High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photos. With this feature enabled, the iPhone will snap three pictures in rapid succession: one regular exposure, one overexposure, and one underexposure. The three pictures will then get combined to create a single image with highlight and shadow areas preserved. Photo professionals have long used HDR processing in their editing workflows to create stunning photos with a high range of latitude.

- HD Video Upload over WiFi. With iOS 4.0 movies couldn’t be uploaded to YouTube in High Definition unless you were resourceful enough to use the 720Tube app which was recently released in the app store. With iOS 4.1 users can finally upload their HD masterpieces in full resolution to share with their friends and family. This feature will be WiFi only for the time being, however.

- TV Show Rentals. Rent TV shows for $0.99 per episode right on your iPhone, or iPod Touch.

- Game Center: Game Center was first introduced during Apple’s iOS4 media event and will give gamers a way to track achievements, high scores and offer matchmaking services for online multiplayer games. This feature will allow game developers to integrate social features without having to rebuild a community from scratch.

Apple also previewed iOS 4.2 which will be available in November. iOS 4.2 will unify the iPhone and iPad OS, hence brining all features of iOS 4.1 to the iPad. The free update will also include wireless printing as well as a new feature called AirPlay, which replaces AirTunes. AirPlay will offer streaming of video, music, and photos.

iOS 4.2 will bring wireless printing to iPad and iPhone

iTunes 10 with Ping Social Network

The most noticeable change to iTunes 10 may be the brand new icon. According to Steve Jobs digital downloads have overtaken the CD and therefore, it was time to retire the iconic logo. Besides this obvious change the interface has undergone slight updates including a strange change to align the Open/Minimize/Close buttons vertically. I don’t think we’ve ever seen this in any other OSX app before.

In addition, a new “hybrid view” combines the old list and artwork views, combining the organization of list view while still displaying album cover artwork if iTunes detects more than 5 songs from the same album.

Ping, will be Apple’s answer to Twitter and Facebook. It is a social network for music that will help users discover new music, and follow favorite artists and friends. Ping can also create custom charts showing music selections based on those followed. Users can choose to allow others to follow them automatically or by approval. According to Steve Jobs, there are currently over 160 million iTunes users, all of whom will be able to sign up for the new Ping service immediately. The service will also be accessible from any iPhone or iPad running iOS 4.1 or later.

iTunes 10 is available for download right now.

iPod Refresh

Within the timespan of just a few minutes, Steve Jobs unveiled an update to each of their iPod product lines besides the iPod classic, which will remain on sale unchanged.

- iPod Shuffle: The new iPod Shuffle comes in 5 colors and brings back the buttons that have been scrapped in the previous generation in favor of voice control. Turns out that users prefer buttons over voice control, afterall. Voice over navigation and multiple playlists are still carried over from the previous generation, however. The shuffle is available with 2GB, will cost $49 and ship next week. You can pre-order yours now.

- iPod Nano: The new iPod Nano is pretty much all display, in an extremely compact design, with a clip on the back. It features an all multi-touch based user interface similar to iPhone and iPod Touch. And even though there will be no App store for the iPad Nano it looks as if it may be using iOS as the underlying operating system. The new Nano is available with 8GB for $149 and 16Gb for $179. You can pre-order one now and it will ship next week.

- iPod Touch: The new iPod Touch is even thinner than the previous model while brining along headline features of the iPhone 4. Most noticeably the iPod Touch now sports the iPhone 4′s A4 processor, a high resolution retina display, as well as front and back facing cameras for FaceTime, HD video recording, and pictures. The back camera is limited to take still photos at a disappointingly low 960×720 resolution, however. The new iPod Touch will ship with 8GB, 32Gb, or 64GB, at $229, $299, and $399 respectively. It also starts shipping next week.

Apple TV

Last but not least, Apple announced the much rumored update to the new Apple TV. Steve Jobs set the expectations pretty low right from the get go, however, when he still referred to the Apple TV as a hobby and wasn’t able to introduce any game changing new features or services.

The new Apple TV is only 1/4th of the size of the previous model released 4 years ago. The black box has an integrated power supply and features ports for HDMI, Optical Out, Ethernet, as well as a micro-usb port for service and support (and hopefully some future hacking). Naturally, WiFi is built in as well.

The biggest change announced today was actually related to the media consumption model for Apple TV, however. New movies will now be available on the same day as the DVD and cost $4.99 for new releases and $3.99 for library titles. That’s the price for the High Definition (720p) versions which are now the standard for Apple TV. The SD counterparts will be available to rent at $1 less respectively. TV shows will cost $0.99 per episode and will be available from ABC and FOX only for the time being.

On the software side, it remains unclear if the new Apple TV still runs a variant of OSX or if Apple has adopted the user interface to run atop of iOS 4. Since the Apple TV is now also powered by Apple’s A4 processor instead on an Intel CPU, we would guess that the later may be the case. Either way, the updated Apple TV still doesn’t support third party Applications even though it does come with Netflix integration out of the box. Music, movies, and tv shows must also be streamed from the internet or other computers in your house as internal storing is no longer an option.

Update [5:12pm]: The apple-connected John Gruber of Daring Fireball seems to be pretty sure that iOS is at play here even though that may not mean that we’ll be getting apps anytime soon.

The device is running iOS, though, trust me. So it’s possible that some sort of SDK is coming in the future. But I’m not going to hold my breath. Judging from the demo today, I think the fact that it’s running iOS under the hood is just an implementation detail.

The new Apple TV will ship at the end of September for the competitive price of $99.

I have one thought that I want to put out before the event tomorrow morning. I’ll be watching the live stream, and I hope you do too. Here is my one, wild, unsupported by any facts, probably crazy, thought:

If there is a revised Apple TV, it will have a camera.

If you believe the rumors, the iPod touch line will finally be getting a FaceTime compatible camera. If Apple wants to spread FaceTime beyond the iPhone line, why not take it beyond the handheld line?

The thing is automatically going to be sitting under a TV. A camera on the front of the device would turn Grandma’s screen into a portal to her grandchildren’s living room. Skype is already trying to get into this game by offering TV sets with cameras, but the setup involved is probably too complicated for unsophisticated users. Grandma has to buy a new TV, connect it to the internet somehow, sign up for a Skype account, etc. The iTV would be a completely different experience. Plug it in, join the wifi, and make a video call. Even if the buyer never uses the iTV (or Apple TV, call it what you will) to watch TV shows and movies, $99 is still a very compelling price for fun and easy video chats.

Coupled with an iOS operating system and apps, Apple could make this an incredible platform. The camera could have many uses beyond video calling. Games could be written to compete with the PLAYSTATION Eye and even the Xbox Kinect. A camera could also solve one of the mysteries surrounding the mythical iTV, the remote.

Most people agree that the standard, simple Apple Remote would not be sufficient for a new device like this, but few have offered realistic solutions. iPhones, iPads, Magic Trackpads and the like have all been suggested as the possible new remote control, but none of those options make much sense to me. Stick a camera in the front (with the right software), and suddenly you are interacting with the iTV by waving your hands. Using natural gestures like this would provide a consistent interface similar to the other iOS experiences, namely, no abstraction. In current iOS devices, you interact by reaching out and touching the thing you want to use. An iTV with gestures would provide the same kind of control.

David Gewirtz at ZDNet has a similar thought about the inclusion of a camera, but he suggests that the iTV would ship with a USB port, which you could use to connect a webcam. This seems (to put it nicely) unlikely. Since Apple doesn’t even make a webcam anymore, David seems to think Apple wants people to go buy one of these:

…and stick it right on top one of these:

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a built-in model myself. Don’t miss the live stream at apple.com, and you should probably head over to Ebay and stock up on QuickCams. I’m sure they will be in high demand.

The Incase Snap Case is one of your choices for a free “fine, have a one” case from Apple. I picked it because it had the shortest shipping time, and now it’s here. This review will be short because there isn’t much you can say about a single piece of plastic.

The case snaps tightly over the sides of the iPhone, providing side protection but does not cover the top or bottom. It doesn’t always snap on properly, requiring some fiddling to ensure a snug fit. Because it wraps around the corner of the phone, you have to pry it off with two fingers from each hand on the top and bottom. Since you only have two hands, the phone will then fall to the floor. This case retails for over $30. It employs the same technology as a Tupperware lid, only worse, because it has a hole in it.

I realize that I may be in the minority here, but I prefer the humble Apple iPad case over designs by other companies. I also prefer the keyboard dock to a bluetooth keyboard. This leaves me with a problem which will be immediately familiar to people like me (few though they may be) who would like to use both a case and a keyboard dock. It doesn’t fit.

Both the keyboard and standard iPad dock are designed so that the rear cradle fits snuggly against the back of the iPad. As such, the Apple case and (I assume) any other case that covers the rear of the iPad will not fit in the dock at all.

I use my iPad every day at work, often in tough and dirty conditions, so protection is a must. Unfortunately the Apple case is huge pain to take on and off, turning what should be the simple act of dropping the iPad into the dock a five minute ordeal of cursing and struggles.

My simple solution was to cut two small slits in the back of the case, creating a flap above the dock connector just big enough for the cradle of the keyboard dock. The case material is surprisingly durable, so unless you have a pair of heavy-duty scissors, I’d recommend using a sharp blade to make the cuts.

I’ve been using my modified case for several months now and have not noticed any side-effects of cutting the flap. When the iPad is not docked, the stiff material will stay shut so it still protects the back. The case did lose some of its rigidity around the immediate area, but during normal use I actually never notice the change. Now when I want to dock, I simply open the front flap of the case and slide the iPad into the  dock normally. The flap tends to open on its own.

This quick mod allows me to have the best of both worlds. I keep the iPad in the case at all times, and dock freely when I want to. If you are like me and need to keep your iPad shielded from the elements but still want to occasionally use a dock, I’d highly recommend it!

Soon after Apple released the iPhone 4 a flood of complaints hit the mainstream media about — the now infamous — antennagate, as well as problems with the iPhone’s proximity sensor. Surprisingly, another widespread problem hasn’t received nearly the attention it deserves.

With the introduction of iOS 4 a serious bluetooth bug seems to be plaguing many iPhone owners. The Apple forums are flooded with complaints about unreliable A2DP bluetooth connections (Stereo Bluetooth Profile), as well as muffled or garbled audio while using the microphone of a handsfree bluetooth headset or car unit. Specifically, the outgoing audio is getting muffled, while the incoming audio sounds normal.

The brand or make of the bluetooth model seems to make little difference, as the problem has been reported with various manufacturers on the Apple user forums. Here are a few examples:

Bluetooth was always rock solid with my 2007 Mini Cooper (BMW Bluetooth) with both my iPhone 3GS and the original iPhone. Since the iPhone 4 I have been getting reports of a definite and severe decrease in audio quality from the people I talk to.

I’m using a Plantronics 925 and I bought a brand new Plantronics 975 just to confirm and it too had the exact muffled audio problems people are reporting.

Had the same, exact issue with both my Jawbones on my iPhone 4. Constantly disconnecting and reconnecting, same complaints of being told I sound like I’m in a tunnel.

Personally, I even received an email from a dear friend of mine who I had recently convinced to replace her old cell phone with an iPhone 4. Take a look at her first impression after a few days with the phone:

I am enjoying my new phone, however, my boss says when we talk on the phone I sound like I’m in a chamber or under water. It’s sort of garbled. That concerns me.

When I looked into her specific problem, I noticed that she makes phone calls using an Oticon Streamer bluetooth hearing aid. With all the commotion on the forums and a first hand report of the problem it was time to look into the issue ourselves and test the bluetooth connection issues on our own equipment.

To our surprise we were able to replicate the problem right away, using several iPhone 4′s as well as an iPhone 3GS both running on iOS 4.0.1. We weren’t able to replicate the issue on the same iPhone 3GS running on 3.1, however. It seems as if iOS 4 is the culprit here. Hopefully good news for a potential software fix!

To demonstrate the problem, we made a few phone calls via Sony’s MEX-BT3700 bluetooth car receiver and recorded the conversation straight from the receiving headset using professional audio equipment. Listen below for a quick demonstration:

Note, that the issue is intermittent. Both the 2nd and 3rd call were placed on the same iPhone 4, over the same bluetooth unit, within minutes from each other. Also note, that our test presents a best case scenario, as I was reading the poem loud and clear for demonstration purposes. It actually sounds much worse, to the point of being inaudible, during a regular conversation. Clearly, the outgoing audio is getting garbled/muffled over the bluetooth connection in example #3.

And while Apple support seems to be aware of the issue, they did not provide us with a timetable for a potential software fix. Here’s the most official word we were able to get from anyone at Apple:

I have been speaking with the Apple Engineers about the bluetooth issue that you have been having. Along with your issue, I have encountered other issues with bluetooth connections involving the caller’s vehicle bluetooth phone. The Apple Engineers are well aware of the issue and are currently working on the issue at this time. They have not given an accurate timetable on when that software update will be available for the public. – DeMarques Jamison (Apple Support)

To be honest, it’s a little surprising that this issue isn’t getting continued attention from the media, as many drivers rely on their handsfree bluetooth solutions for a safe driving experience. Even worse; the bug truly limits the iPhone for the hard of hearing who must rely on bluetooth hearing devices such as the Oticon Streamer to stay in touch with their families and work.

Rumor has it that iOS 4.1 may fix the problem, but no one really knows. Maybe if we’d pay as much attention to this problem as we did to “antennagate”, Apple would have an incentive to get a fix released rather sooner than later.

We will update this post accordingly as the story develops. In the meantime please let us know in the comments if you’re experiencing bluetooth connection issue with iOS 4 and which headsets you’re using.

PS: Compare the above to this fine demonstration of Thomas Edison recording “Mary Had A Little Lamb” from 1927.

Update [09/01/2010]: Steve Jobs just announced during the Apple Media event that various bluetooth issues will be fixed with iOS 4.1. Hopefully the above will be included. We will update this article as soon as we get our hands on the update. The update will be available next week.

Unfortunately, Mr. F#!k is also the only name in my address book that starts with the letter F.

Adding words is easy, but what happens when you want to remove a word? I type the word “for” in text messages and emails every day. Shouldn’t be surprising really, since “for” is a very common word. In fact, according to this list “for” is the 11th most common word in American english. Why then, I ask you, does my iPhone insist on giving me “fir” when I try to type “for”? If you look down at your keyboard, you will see that the letter O and the letter I sit right next to each other. When I press my sausage thumb down nearish to the letter O but maybe just a tiny bit closer to the I, the iPhone gives me “fir”.

Here’s the thing: fir is a great word. Even makes for a great tree. [Ed: corrected contextual error.] But I never say that goddamn word, and especially not in a text message. Because I want to take a word away rather than add one, I can’t solve this problem like I solved with Mr. F#!k.

Xpandr ($2.99) is a premium jailbreak only app available in Cydia. It functions more or less like the popular TextExpander on OSX. You define a short snippet of text, and whenever that snippet is typed Xpandr replaces it with the words of your choice. The most common usage of this kind of app is to streamline the entry of long blobs of text that you always have to type, like email signatures or long urls.

It is suggested that you start your macros with an uncommon character, for example !sig or !address, so you never accidentally expand something which you didn’t intend to. In our case, however, this is exactly the kind of behavior we want! In Xpandr, create a new macro with “fir” as the text you want to expand, and “for” as the value. Now, any time you enter the letters “fir”, Xpandr will replace them with the letters “for”. This works great, most of the time, but when I tried to go to daringfireball.net and got daringFOReball.net instead, I had a problem. To fix this, add a space after the last letter of the macro, like this “fir “. This way, Xpandr won’t kick in until you hit the space bar, preventing accidents like the example above.

Bonus points: Have fun creating macros that use Emoji. Be sure to watch the demo video below to see this in action.

While signal is a useful tool for investigating reception issues, I’d love to see an update that actually logged the information it collects. It would be great to be able to check the log after a dropped call and see if my reception dropped or I had switched to a different cell tower.
  

The Muzetto is a line of vertical, messenger bags that are available in sizes from 15.5″ x 11.75″ x 2.7″ for a 15″ Laptop down to 10.5″ x 8.5″ x 1.5″ for personal items. The 10″ Portable Muzetto measures 11.5″ x 9.3″ x 2.0″, which makes it the perfect match for the iPad with some room for additional accessories.

First Impression & Design

The first thing one notices about the Muzetto is how elegant the leather exterior looks and feels. The build is solid and the bag wears very comfortably. The padded shoulder strap is adjustable and should fit most sizes. Also, this bag does not feel like a purse. Quite the opposite. The Muzetto sports a professional, yet stylish, look that will work great with shorts, jeans, or even a suit.

To keep the bag closed WaterField Designs decided to rely solely on the weight of the flap instead of using magnets or zippers. This allows the bag’s contents to be accessible at a moments notice without comprising their safety. I was a bit weary of this concept at first but learned to love it rather quickly when being able to access my wallet from within the bag while riding my bike without having to fumble with any zippers. It’s rather genius, really.

Inside The Bag

The inside of the Muzetto is lined with a gorgoues, bright golden colored fabric, perfectly complementing the elegant exterior. The bag features two separate main compartments, each of which is divided into two smaller sub-spaces. The main compartment fits your iPad (with or without a case) as well as an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, for example. The pocket within this compartment features the bag’s only zipper, making it perfect for important documents such as passports or other travel documents.

The smaller compartment on the front of the bag is lined with soft fleece and will hold various iPad accessories such as chargers, cables, and power adapters. In addition, there’s a square pocket that’s perfect for your wallet or iPhone. We only wish that WaterField Designs would’ve included two of these, so that we wouldn’t have to choose between them.

On the backside of the bag there’s an additional, document sized, slide-in compartment that can fit anything from business papers to travel documents, or a newspaper.

Overall the interior of the Muzetto is very compact while still fitting your most important documents and accessories. If you pack too many items, however, the bag will start to bulge unsightly.

Our biggest gripe with the interior may be the fact that you can’t separate Apple’s bluetooth keyboard from the iPad. Both items fit only into the bag’s main compartment, which could potentially lead to the keyboard scratching up an unprotected iPad. An additional divider would’ve been a nice addition.

If you keep your iPad in a case, or don’t use a separate keyboard, however, this won’t even be an issue for you. Also, WaterField Designs offers a matching, multi-layered ‘SmartCase’ to add an extra layer of protection for $59.

Even though both iPad and keyboard... ... fit, they must share the same compartment.

Comfort & Protection

I’ve seen other reviewers describe the Muzetto as heavy. I didn’t get that impression at all. Weighing in at just a little over 1lb the bag feels solid without compromising comfort. There’s no noticeable fatigue, even after wearing the bag for multiple hours.

In addition, the bag will offer generous iPad protection for light use and travel. If you’re into extreme off-road biking, or other hazardous activities, however, you may want to choose a bulkier bag with thicker protection. (Or get the matching SmartCase mentioned above.) In my opinion, the Muzetto is the perfect trade-off between size, comfort, and protection for the busy city traveler.

The busy city traveler can easily fit his iPad office into the Portable Muzetto.

Bottom Line – Our Recommendation

The 10″ Portable Muzetto is a compact messenger bag without frill or fuss, making it the perfect choice if mobility is a priority. The Muzetto will fit your iPad, iPhone, Keyboard, important accessories, as well as your most important documents for the day. In addition, the professional look & feel will also appeal to many guys out there.

The 10″ portable Muzetto will cost you $189 plus shipping and is currently available for pre-order in six different colors at sfbags.com. It’s not the cheapest iPad bag out there, but at least you know that you’ll be paying for quality. Go for it!

Pros:

• Elegant look & feel
• Compact, yet practical
• Contents are easily accessible
• Comfortable
• Sturdy
• Fits iPad, keyboard, documents, as well as a few accessories

Cons:

• Apple Keyboard and iPad must be placed within the same compartment
• Only one front pocket
• A bit pricey