During the late 1950's in the early days of ARPA (the Advanced Research Projects Agency):
"..Herbert York...was given the job [of chief scientist] and moved to ARPA from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. When he arrived on the third floor at the Pentagon, York promptly hung a large picture of the moon on his office wall. And right beside it he hung an empty frame. He told visitors it would soon be filled with the first picture of the back side of the moon."
( From Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet )
York's placing of the empty picture frame on his wall was a great way to distill his goals down to a single representative product.
Telling visitors what would ultimately be in that frame was a great way to publicly put himself on record for that exact same goal.
As we look to our current and future goals in education, should we put an empty picture frame on our office wall?
If yes, what should we ultimately seek to put in our empty picture frame?
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Apple TV Reflection
Introduction
When trying to get audio and video from an Airplay-capable device to some type of display, one leading option is software-based (Reflector, originally known as Reflection) and another is hardware-based (Apple TV).
Reflector is a piece of OS X and Windows software that, when installed, allows the computer to receive audio and video from Airplay devices through a wireless network. That audio can then be played out of the computer and the video can be shown on a larger display or projected.
Apple TV is a small (about 4"X 4"X 1") box that will receive audio and video from Airplay devices (also through a wireless network) and then relay them through HDMI to a larger display or projector.
Which of these is the best solution in a classroom environment?
Cost
Reflection wins here. A single license is only $12.99 and the price per unit drops $2 more if five are purchased. An Apple TV is $99 plus another $60 or so if your display or projector does not have an HDMI input. In that case some type of HDMI to VGA converter, such as a Kanex ATV Pro, is necessary. If cost is your only criteria, download a copy of Reflector and purchase a license. $13 is much less than the $99 to $158 you would need to spend for Apple's solution.
Capabilities
Apple TV wins here. Reflector pretty much just does what was previously described; take Airplay signal and allow it to be played through a computer. Period. The Apple TV does that as well as several other capabilities that may or may not be useful to the classroom teacher. The Apple TV provides a good interface to use Netflix, which has a nice library of educational documentaries (consult with your lawyer as to whether or not this violates copyright law and Netflix's terms of service). Apple TV also provides a nice interface to control and play contents from an iTunes library, which could potentially be stocked by a teacher with a variety of educationally relevant audio or video. Apple TV simply has more options than Reflector, although the value of some of these may be questioned by some educators.
Performance
I think that this is a tie. Both of these solutions are subject to the idiosyncrasies of wireless networks, some of which see Airplay traffic as a threat to their ability to perform their job. An unreliable or unwelcoming wireless network probably won't discriminate between these two. Neither Apple TV or Reflector wins here.
Interface
Minor "win by a whisker" victory for Reflector; though each aspect of the rationale is up for debate.
When Reflector displays the video content coming from an Airplay device, it frames it with an image of the source device. This is really pretty cool, especially if your goal is to demo or teach about the "reflected" device itself. The Apple TV does not provide this device "context", but instead only displays the video content itself. Some might find this singular focus preferable to the flashier, shall we say, "eye candy" that Reflector provides.
Reflector is, by default, much simpler to use. This is largely a function of the absence of the additional features that the Apple TV offers. The extra Apple TV capabilities mentioned earlier make a more complicated interface necessary. If the Airplay mirroring is the only feature in which the teacher is interested, once the device is initially set up Airplay is quite easy to use and is quite competitive in the simplicity derby.
Reflection a hotly debatable winner in the interface category.
Efficiency
This category is a definitive win for the Apple TV. Reflector takes a teacher's powerful, multi-use computer and reduces it to a single-purpose utility, an Airplay conduit. This means that while that computer is being used for Reflector, the teacher is not able to do anything else with that computer. For example, no monitoring of a backchannel during a student presentation, no recording of feedback on a student project, and no additional research in response to a student's question. Sorry, teacher, you're out of luck---your computer is occupied. This sacrifice of power is extraordinary inefficient and is extraordinary significant in my mind.
My Conclusion
In my mind, the Apple TV is the overall winner for classroom use. The middle three of the five categories--Capabilities, Performance, and Interface--are all very closely competitive. Only the initial (Price) and final (Efficiency) had decisive winners. In my mind, however, the Efficiency component outweighs the Price component. This is largely because of that hidden cost of Reflector, the removal from normal service of a multi-facitied computer to merely be an Airplay conduit. That is too much of price to pay.
Let me know what you think. I am on Twitter as @pdlindgren.
When trying to get audio and video from an Airplay-capable device to some type of display, one leading option is software-based (Reflector, originally known as Reflection) and another is hardware-based (Apple TV).
Reflector is a piece of OS X and Windows software that, when installed, allows the computer to receive audio and video from Airplay devices through a wireless network. That audio can then be played out of the computer and the video can be shown on a larger display or projected.
Apple TV is a small (about 4"X 4"X 1") box that will receive audio and video from Airplay devices (also through a wireless network) and then relay them through HDMI to a larger display or projector.
Which of these is the best solution in a classroom environment?
Cost
Reflection wins here. A single license is only $12.99 and the price per unit drops $2 more if five are purchased. An Apple TV is $99 plus another $60 or so if your display or projector does not have an HDMI input. In that case some type of HDMI to VGA converter, such as a Kanex ATV Pro, is necessary. If cost is your only criteria, download a copy of Reflector and purchase a license. $13 is much less than the $99 to $158 you would need to spend for Apple's solution.
Capabilities
Apple TV wins here. Reflector pretty much just does what was previously described; take Airplay signal and allow it to be played through a computer. Period. The Apple TV does that as well as several other capabilities that may or may not be useful to the classroom teacher. The Apple TV provides a good interface to use Netflix, which has a nice library of educational documentaries (consult with your lawyer as to whether or not this violates copyright law and Netflix's terms of service). Apple TV also provides a nice interface to control and play contents from an iTunes library, which could potentially be stocked by a teacher with a variety of educationally relevant audio or video. Apple TV simply has more options than Reflector, although the value of some of these may be questioned by some educators.
Performance
I think that this is a tie. Both of these solutions are subject to the idiosyncrasies of wireless networks, some of which see Airplay traffic as a threat to their ability to perform their job. An unreliable or unwelcoming wireless network probably won't discriminate between these two. Neither Apple TV or Reflector wins here.
Interface
Minor "win by a whisker" victory for Reflector; though each aspect of the rationale is up for debate.
When Reflector displays the video content coming from an Airplay device, it frames it with an image of the source device. This is really pretty cool, especially if your goal is to demo or teach about the "reflected" device itself. The Apple TV does not provide this device "context", but instead only displays the video content itself. Some might find this singular focus preferable to the flashier, shall we say, "eye candy" that Reflector provides.
Reflector is, by default, much simpler to use. This is largely a function of the absence of the additional features that the Apple TV offers. The extra Apple TV capabilities mentioned earlier make a more complicated interface necessary. If the Airplay mirroring is the only feature in which the teacher is interested, once the device is initially set up Airplay is quite easy to use and is quite competitive in the simplicity derby.
Reflection a hotly debatable winner in the interface category.
Efficiency
This category is a definitive win for the Apple TV. Reflector takes a teacher's powerful, multi-use computer and reduces it to a single-purpose utility, an Airplay conduit. This means that while that computer is being used for Reflector, the teacher is not able to do anything else with that computer. For example, no monitoring of a backchannel during a student presentation, no recording of feedback on a student project, and no additional research in response to a student's question. Sorry, teacher, you're out of luck---your computer is occupied. This sacrifice of power is extraordinary inefficient and is extraordinary significant in my mind.
My Conclusion
In my mind, the Apple TV is the overall winner for classroom use. The middle three of the five categories--Capabilities, Performance, and Interface--are all very closely competitive. Only the initial (Price) and final (Efficiency) had decisive winners. In my mind, however, the Efficiency component outweighs the Price component. This is largely because of that hidden cost of Reflector, the removal from normal service of a multi-facitied computer to merely be an Airplay conduit. That is too much of price to pay.
Let me know what you think. I am on Twitter as @pdlindgren.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
My Recipe for Fake-uccino's
NOTE: No guarantee or warranty is associated with this recipe. Use at your own discretion and risk. Provide for entertainment purposes only.
There are those in our household that enjoy the StarBuck's bottled Frappuccino's ( at more than $2 per 9.5 Fluid Ounce bottle). So....I set out to create a homemade version that would satisfy my family Frappuccino experts.
Ingredients listed on the bottles which served as the launchpad for the creation of this recipe:
Brewed Starbucks Coffee
Low fat milk
Sugar
Cocoa
Pectin
Ascorbic Acid
I start with a well-cleaned and sanitized 9.5 Fl. Oz. Frappuccino bottle. It is important to do this since this recipe has no preservatives in it. Goodbye Pectin and Ascorbic Acid! I'm no food scientist but I'm assuming that these ingredients are in there to keep the stuff viable and good looking over long spans of time. Therefore, it is also important not to keep these drinks around too long before drinking them and to keep them well refrigerated.
After that, I follow a 4 - 2 - 1 - 1/2 system in adding the ingredients. To the bottle I add:
4 Tablespoons of 2% milk.
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup ( Please note that this is the only ingredient not measured in Tablespoons).
1/2 Tablespoon of Pur Java ( I started adding this when I received complaints that the coffee taste wasn't strong enough).
I then fill the bottle the rest of the way with regular, leftover coffee (usually just Folgers Classic Roast ) that has cooled down.
After putting on the lid securely I move to an open area so that I can safely shake the bottle vigorously to get the sugar dissolved and all the ingredients mixed up. The bottle then gets chilled in the refrigerator until it reaches a nice, cold drinking temperature. NOTE: It will likely be necessary for the end user to shake up the bottle again as the ingredients tend to settle out ( particularly the chocolate syrup ).
I reached this recipe after several permutations; all the while being guided by feedback from my in-house expert. I have never actually tasted this stuff myself; I don't really like coffee. I am more of a cream soda person myself.
Have fun!
There are those in our household that enjoy the StarBuck's bottled Frappuccino's ( at more than $2 per 9.5 Fluid Ounce bottle). So....I set out to create a homemade version that would satisfy my family Frappuccino experts.
Ingredients listed on the bottles which served as the launchpad for the creation of this recipe:
Brewed Starbucks Coffee
Low fat milk
Sugar
Cocoa
Pectin
Ascorbic Acid
I start with a well-cleaned and sanitized 9.5 Fl. Oz. Frappuccino bottle. It is important to do this since this recipe has no preservatives in it. Goodbye Pectin and Ascorbic Acid! I'm no food scientist but I'm assuming that these ingredients are in there to keep the stuff viable and good looking over long spans of time. Therefore, it is also important not to keep these drinks around too long before drinking them and to keep them well refrigerated.
After that, I follow a 4 - 2 - 1 - 1/2 system in adding the ingredients. To the bottle I add:
4 Tablespoons of 2% milk.
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup ( Please note that this is the only ingredient not measured in Tablespoons).
1/2 Tablespoon of Pur Java ( I started adding this when I received complaints that the coffee taste wasn't strong enough).
I then fill the bottle the rest of the way with regular, leftover coffee (usually just Folgers Classic Roast ) that has cooled down.
After putting on the lid securely I move to an open area so that I can safely shake the bottle vigorously to get the sugar dissolved and all the ingredients mixed up. The bottle then gets chilled in the refrigerator until it reaches a nice, cold drinking temperature. NOTE: It will likely be necessary for the end user to shake up the bottle again as the ingredients tend to settle out ( particularly the chocolate syrup ).
I reached this recipe after several permutations; all the while being guided by feedback from my in-house expert. I have never actually tasted this stuff myself; I don't really like coffee. I am more of a cream soda person myself.
Have fun!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Can you add a weblink to a Google Calendar event?
On July 23rd, @hcallihan tweeted the following...
" Question: Can you add a weblink to a Google Calendar event? I can add a file, but want a weblink?? #gpsummit #nebedu "
Someone has probably already answered this question but I finally had a few minutes to explore it for myself and thought I would write this up. I believe that this is possible provided a couple of conditions are met:
1. The HTML for a hyperlink must be included with the web address in the Google Calendar Event description. For example, if I wish to have a clickable link to Apple's website in the description of a calendar event I would need to enter all of the following into the description field of the event:
" Question: Can you add a weblink to a Google Calendar event? I can add a file, but want a weblink?? #gpsummit #nebedu "
Someone has probably already answered this question but I finally had a few minutes to explore it for myself and thought I would write this up. I believe that this is possible provided a couple of conditions are met:
1. The HTML for a hyperlink must be included with the web address in the Google Calendar Event description. For example, if I wish to have a clickable link to Apple's website in the description of a calendar event I would need to enter all of the following into the description field of the event:
<a href="http://www.apple.com">Apple's Website</a>
The text shown above in red would be replaced with the web address to which you want the link to go. The blue text shown above should be replaced with what you want shown as the text for the user to click upon.
2. It appears that the active hyperlinks in the description of an event will only work if the entire calendar is shared. I tried to get this to work when trying to share just the individual event. In that case the link was not active and actually displayed the address plus a remnant of the HTML.
Here is a link to a test calendar that I have made public and have embedded into a simple web page. The July 26th, 2012 event should have an active link to Apple's website in the description...
Link to a web page with an embedded Google Calendar.
I hope that this made sense and is found to be helpful. Further questions about this could be directed to @pdlindgren on Twitter.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Test an Aurasma Aura?
Aurasma Lite is a free app for the iPad 2, smart phones, and other tablet devices equipped with cameras. It allows one to view a predetermined "trigger image" within the app and then have augmented content appear overlayed or next to it on the screen. This augmented content can be a still image or a video. The combination of the trigger image and the augmented content to be displayed is called an Aura.
If you are interested in seeing a simple aura that I have created:
1. Install the Aurasma Lite app on your iPad or other tablet/smart device (camera required).
2. Subscribe to my Aurasma channel by clicking on this link while you are on your smart, camera-equiped device (it won't work in a non-mobile browser): http://bit.ly/Hb8k9E
3. View this image by itself and then print it out (it does not need to be printed in color). NOTE: It actually doesn't need to be printed out at all. I just got the trigger image to work by just viewing it on my laptop screen...
If you are interested in seeing a simple aura that I have created:
1. Install the Aurasma Lite app on your iPad or other tablet/smart device (camera required).
2. Subscribe to my Aurasma channel by clicking on this link while you are on your smart, camera-equiped device (it won't work in a non-mobile browser): http://bit.ly/Hb8k9E
3. View this image by itself and then print it out (it does not need to be printed in color). NOTE: It actually doesn't need to be printed out at all. I just got the trigger image to work by just viewing it on my laptop screen...
4. Start up the Aurasma Lite app an hold it above the picture you printed out (or point it at the picture in this blog post). An overlay should appear that shows where some of the Westside Community Schools school buildings are. NOTE: I threw these images together quickly to test this concept. The map of the buildings is incomplete.
5. Let me know how it worked ( Twitter: @pdlindgren )
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Putting Images With a Google Form?
WARNING: VERY ROUGH DIRECTIONS...
Last week @j_allen asked on Twitter if it was possible to embed images into a Google Form. After a bit of research and playing around, I was not able to find an easy way to do this.
The best approximation that I could come up with involves embedding the form into a page on a Google Site (actually, this should work on any web page--we'll use Sites in this example). Images could then be added to the page to go along with the form items.
When in a Google Spreadsheet that has a Form, if you pull down the FORM menu you should read "Embed form in a web page". This will take you to a snippet of code that may be copied and pasted into the HTML of a web page.
So here is my quick and dirty overview of the process:
Last week @j_allen asked on Twitter if it was possible to embed images into a Google Form. After a bit of research and playing around, I was not able to find an easy way to do this.
The best approximation that I could come up with involves embedding the form into a page on a Google Site (actually, this should work on any web page--we'll use Sites in this example). Images could then be added to the page to go along with the form items.
When in a Google Spreadsheet that has a Form, if you pull down the FORM menu you should read "Embed form in a web page". This will take you to a snippet of code that may be copied and pasted into the HTML of a web page.
So here is my quick and dirty overview of the process:
- Split a Google Sites web page into 2 columns (Layout menu when editing a Google Sites page).
- Click in the left hand column and then click the <html> link at the top of the page.
- Paste in the snippet of embed code from the form and then click UPDATE.
- Click in the right hand column and begin adding your images.
This may take some playing around to get the images into the appropriate location in order to line up with the appropriate component of the form.
Again, this is a crude description of one possible solution to this problem. I haven't thoroughly evaluated whether this is practical, just that it is possible. Here is a quick page I threw together to demonstrate the concept. It has a very short, simple form in the left column and an image I grabbed at random placed in the right column.
I am certainly open to other suggestions and would love to hear if this idea is workable for anyone.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
iBooks Author Disappointment: Revolution Averted
I will leave the lamentation over Apple's iBooks Author user agreement to others. My disappointment is reserved for the opportunities missed by what the software does not appear to allow me to create.
iBooks Author offers beautiful layouts, stunning colors, multimedia components, and impressive interactivity (through the Review widget and other features). These are all wonderful steps up from a traditional textbook. This new system may be considered revolutionary by some. Yet from the results of my early exploration, I am afraid that a real component of revolution has been missed. I hope I am wrong, but...
I have tried adding various HTML widgets to an iBook. The ones that work seem to be those that are completely self-contained. The standard Dashboard Calculator widget works fine within an iBook. Regrettably, it seems that any that need to pull from an external server or feed do not.
The promise of adding HTML widgets was very exciting. I envisioned them as dynamic portals opening users to a vast universe of content and interactivity--that could be embedded amongst the static content of an iBook's pages. Integrated polling websites, embedded RSS feeds, or any up-to-date content an instructor/book-builder wanted to incorporate would make iBooks truly engaging, interactive, and completely malleable to needs of the student.
Sadly, when a student opens one of the new iBooks on Day#2 it will look pretty much the same as it did on Day #1. I realize that hyperlinks to external content are allowed, but having the content within an iBooks' page change automatically over time would be truly magical and powerful. Hyperlinks within digital books aren't anything new, self-updating pages would be.
I think I understand Apple's decision on this. If an iBook produced with iBooks Author is to be evaluated for acceptance to the iBooks Textbook Store, it can't be a moving target. Otherwise a page whose content was completely appropriate at the time of approval might have a dynamic page that later includes something entirely inappropriate.
Please don't mistake this critique as ingratitude. iBooks Author is a piece of software that allows me to do things I would never have been able to do. It also cost me nothing. I just wish that the dynamic potential of self-updating HTML widgets could be allowed for iBooks not intended for distribution through the Apple store.
Many iPad fans will find Alan C. Kay's 1972 paper A Personal Computer for Children of All Ages to be very interesting. While at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Kay imagined the Dynabook. Much of what he envisioned seems to have found a place in reality in the Apple iPad. I'm a demanding person, though, and I want even just a little more "dyna" in my iBooks.
Back to sports, Ted, the revolution has been averted.
iBooks Author offers beautiful layouts, stunning colors, multimedia components, and impressive interactivity (through the Review widget and other features). These are all wonderful steps up from a traditional textbook. This new system may be considered revolutionary by some. Yet from the results of my early exploration, I am afraid that a real component of revolution has been missed. I hope I am wrong, but...
These new iBooks do not appear to allow HTML widgets that dynamically pull content from other internet sites.
I have tried adding various HTML widgets to an iBook. The ones that work seem to be those that are completely self-contained. The standard Dashboard Calculator widget works fine within an iBook. Regrettably, it seems that any that need to pull from an external server or feed do not.
The promise of adding HTML widgets was very exciting. I envisioned them as dynamic portals opening users to a vast universe of content and interactivity--that could be embedded amongst the static content of an iBook's pages. Integrated polling websites, embedded RSS feeds, or any up-to-date content an instructor/book-builder wanted to incorporate would make iBooks truly engaging, interactive, and completely malleable to needs of the student.
Sadly, when a student opens one of the new iBooks on Day#2 it will look pretty much the same as it did on Day #1. I realize that hyperlinks to external content are allowed, but having the content within an iBooks' page change automatically over time would be truly magical and powerful. Hyperlinks within digital books aren't anything new, self-updating pages would be.
I think I understand Apple's decision on this. If an iBook produced with iBooks Author is to be evaluated for acceptance to the iBooks Textbook Store, it can't be a moving target. Otherwise a page whose content was completely appropriate at the time of approval might have a dynamic page that later includes something entirely inappropriate.
Please don't mistake this critique as ingratitude. iBooks Author is a piece of software that allows me to do things I would never have been able to do. It also cost me nothing. I just wish that the dynamic potential of self-updating HTML widgets could be allowed for iBooks not intended for distribution through the Apple store.
Many iPad fans will find Alan C. Kay's 1972 paper A Personal Computer for Children of All Ages to be very interesting. While at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Kay imagined the Dynabook. Much of what he envisioned seems to have found a place in reality in the Apple iPad. I'm a demanding person, though, and I want even just a little more "dyna" in my iBooks.
Back to sports, Ted, the revolution has been averted.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Steve Jobs Biography
During my daily driving time I am currently listening to the Audible version of Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. I actually finished it on Tuesday and immediately began listening to it again from the start.
Fascinating story. Great characters. Great lessons to be learned. The stories of the two Steve's pranks as youngsters are priceless.
I highly recommend the book in any form but really think that listening to it might be the best way to enjoy this work--not much for pictures, though.
Fascinating story. Great characters. Great lessons to be learned. The stories of the two Steve's pranks as youngsters are priceless.
I highly recommend the book in any form but really think that listening to it might be the best way to enjoy this work--not much for pictures, though.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Getting out of the Cloud (iCloud)
GVS complained of problems after switching her iPad to iCloud. Here is a suggestion of one possible course of action that I would try on my own device if I were experiencing the same problem. As is, no warranty..and is given under the assumption that there was a successful backup of the iPad to iTunes prior to the upgrade to iOS 5.
***Please note: This SHOULD take the iPad BACK to data and settings it had prior to the iOS upgrade. Any new data generated on the iPad since that backup WILL BE LOST. The iOS upgrade should still be in place.
1. On iPad: Settings: General: Reset: Erase All Content and Settings (***Hence the importance of the warning note above).
2. The iPad is now like a new iOS 5 iPad out of the box.
3. Proceed through the iOS 5 setup as you did before until...
4. You get to "Set Up iPad"...then choose "Restore from iTunes Backup".
5. At this point you will be directed to plug your iPad into your computer via the USB cable.
6. iTunes should open up and offer you the opportunity to Restore from the backup of: <name of your iPad>
7. The iPad should now have the settings and data that were on the device when that last backup to iTunes was made.
***Please note: This SHOULD take the iPad BACK to data and settings it had prior to the iOS upgrade. Any new data generated on the iPad since that backup WILL BE LOST. The iOS upgrade should still be in place.
1. On iPad: Settings: General: Reset: Erase All Content and Settings (***Hence the importance of the warning note above).
2. The iPad is now like a new iOS 5 iPad out of the box.
3. Proceed through the iOS 5 setup as you did before until...
4. You get to "Set Up iPad"...then choose "Restore from iTunes Backup".
5. At this point you will be directed to plug your iPad into your computer via the USB cable.
6. iTunes should open up and offer you the opportunity to Restore from the backup of: <name of your iPad>
7. The iPad should now have the settings and data that were on the device when that last backup to iTunes was made.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Experimental " ePubber "
In the office the other day, a lament was overheard (roughly interpreted and quoted):
"Why can't we export a Pages document on an iPad directly to iBooks on that same iPad?"
Yes, it is quite annoying that you can't do that....at least not without plugging the iPad into a computer for a sync. The data structure of iOS is really good at producing frustration for those of us used to the wide open file structure and data model of OS X.
So, what to do.....?
How about a little bit of AppleScript?
After much playing around (I am by no means fluent in AppleScript ), much copying and pasting, and many false starts--an AppleScript was created that:
1. Watches a Webdav folder on an OS X Server for new files.
2. Uses Pages on the OS X server to open Pages Mobile documents uploaded from an iPad (via Webdav).
3. Exports the content as an ePub into a web-accessible directory.
Result: An iPad user can create a document in Pages Mobile, upload it to a webdav directory on a server, and then (after a few seconds) download the resulting ePub to their iPad's iBooks via Safari Mobile.
Requirements for this system to work:
• The script (shown below) needs to be added to the folder of the ebdav directory as a folder action.
• The OS X server with the webdav directory needs to have Pages installed.
• You need to "prime the pump" and do an export on the server, saving that first epub to a web-accessible location on the server. Once you do that, subsequent epubs generated by the script will get saved into that same directory.
• The server also needs to have "Enable access for assistive devices" enabled in the Universal Access pane of System Preferences.
On my server the Webdav folder is called "epub_up". Once the script is done with it, the Pages document is automatically deleted and the epub version is placed into a folder called "epub_down" for access through Safari Mobile.
This is admittedly a fragile system that is unlikely to scale very well. Anything that throws up an unexpected dialog box in Pages will grind everything to a halt. If care is taken, however, it can service a few people's need to create ePub documents on an iPad to get them into iBooks without syncing to a computer.
If it were possible to set up a Webdav server on a regular OS X computer (like a teacher's laptop), a teacher could have a class of students convert Pages Mobile documents to ePubs--while being able to monitor the process for problems.
Here is the script:
"Why can't we export a Pages document on an iPad directly to iBooks on that same iPad?"
Yes, it is quite annoying that you can't do that....at least not without plugging the iPad into a computer for a sync. The data structure of iOS is really good at producing frustration for those of us used to the wide open file structure and data model of OS X.
So, what to do.....?
How about a little bit of AppleScript?
After much playing around (I am by no means fluent in AppleScript ), much copying and pasting, and many false starts--an AppleScript was created that:
1. Watches a Webdav folder on an OS X Server for new files.
2. Uses Pages on the OS X server to open Pages Mobile documents uploaded from an iPad (via Webdav).
3. Exports the content as an ePub into a web-accessible directory.
Result: An iPad user can create a document in Pages Mobile, upload it to a webdav directory on a server, and then (after a few seconds) download the resulting ePub to their iPad's iBooks via Safari Mobile.
Requirements for this system to work:
• The script (shown below) needs to be added to the folder of the ebdav directory as a folder action.
• The OS X server with the webdav directory needs to have Pages installed.
• You need to "prime the pump" and do an export on the server, saving that first epub to a web-accessible location on the server. Once you do that, subsequent epubs generated by the script will get saved into that same directory.
• The server also needs to have "Enable access for assistive devices" enabled in the Universal Access pane of System Preferences.
On my server the Webdav folder is called "epub_up". Once the script is done with it, the Pages document is automatically deleted and the epub version is placed into a folder called "epub_down" for access through Safari Mobile.
This is admittedly a fragile system that is unlikely to scale very well. Anything that throws up an unexpected dialog box in Pages will grind everything to a halt. If care is taken, however, it can service a few people's need to create ePub documents on an iPad to get them into iBooks without syncing to a computer.
If it were possible to set up a Webdav server on a regular OS X computer (like a teacher's laptop), a teacher could have a class of students convert Pages Mobile documents to ePubs--while being able to monitor the process for problems.
Here is the script:
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving dropped_items
delay 10
repeat with dropped_item_ref in dropped_items
tell application "System Events"
set UI_enabled to UI elements enabled
end tell
tell application "Pages"
set dropped_item_ref to dropped_item_ref as string
open file dropped_item_ref
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Pages"
delay 5
click menu item "Export…" of menu 1 of menu bar item "File" of menu bar 1
set value of text field 2 of sheet 1 of window 1 to "Author: ePubber"
set value of combo box 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 to "Classics"
click button 1 of sheet 1 of window 1
end tell
tell process "Pages"
click button 1 of sheet 1 of window 1
click menu item "Save" of menu 1 of menu bar item "File" of menu bar 1
click menu item "Close" of menu 1 of menu bar item "File" of menu bar 1
end tell
end tell
delay 10
tell application "Finder" to delete file dropped_item_ref
end repeat
end adding folder items to
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Notes: One Way to Check In Laptops
Someone recently emailed me asking for a description of how we check in our 1:1 laptops at the end of the school year. My response follows. These are pretty rough, I haven't spent much time editing/rewriting this description.
Seniors usually leave us about 2 weeks before the end of the year, so we collect their laptops just prior to graduation. The rest of the students' laptops generally get checked in on the last 2 days of school, which are final exam days. The last day of exams is the busiest day, in a about a five hour period we inspect and check in about 1100 laptops.
Some things that we do:
We do NOT collect cases and chargers from students unless they are leaving us (like seniors). We ask underclassmen if they plan on returning. We only collect those items if they inform us that they don't plan on returning.
We rent extra photocopiers to have available for the check-in process. We usually have 3-4 of them for 15-20 inspectors.
Simple cleaning materials are made available to students in supervised areas. Students are expected to carefully clean their laptops prior to check-in. If they don't they run the risk of a $20 cleaning charge. Some years we have made up cleaning kits to check out to homeroom teachers for cleaning during homeroom.
We keep a cumulative file folder for each student that contains their original checkout forms, any repair forms, any re-assignment forms, and a pre-printed custom check-in sheet. We have all of these forms available at each check-in to help clarify in case of any discrepencies.
We use our activity gym for the last day check in. We bisect it lengthways with tables to seat about 15-20 inspectors. Students checking in are on the one side of the gym in front of the tables. Staff helping with the process are in the area behind the tables. Students are not allowed in that area. Have this all set up as much as you can either the day before or get there REALLY early. You MUST be ready to roll when students start showing up. Not being ready can cause an initial backlog that is difficult to recover from.
We call in every favor that we have ever earned on this day. Pretty much all district tech staff helps, as well as friends from our service unit and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. EVERY body makes a huge difference when you are scaling up to meet the load we encounter on that day.
In addition to the tech oriented people that do the actual inspection and check-in, there are other people (district secretaries, educational assistants, my own children) who pull folders, record fines in our student information system, pull boxes of laptops away from the inspector tables, transport laptops to the storeroom, provide crowd control, filing folders, etc. There is pretty much a job for everyone willing to help.
Provide lots of carbs (doughnuts, Twizzlers, etc.) and drinks (pop, water) for your staff. They will not have time to take many breaks and will need the energy that these can provide. Once we complete the process for the day, the inspectors and helpers are fed a nice lunch in appreciation.
Sequence:
1. Student arrives with laptop.
2. Cumulative folder is pulled.
3. Check-in sheet is completed (compare serial number and tag number to actual on laptop, physically inspect laptop for damage, ask students if there are any problems that need to be addressed) and is signed/dated by the inspector.
4. After sheet is completed, we make 2 copies of the sheet...
• The original is taped onto the laptop itself with blue painters tape. The top of the check-in sheet has the student's name, laptop inventory tag (both human readable and barcode), and a quick-mark area to mark common repair problems. This top area ends up being on the "spine" of the laptop (the narrow area where the hinges are). This arrangement allows for the key information about the laptop to be easily visible when the laptops are stored in boxes with the spine/hinges up.
• One copy is given to the student as a receipt.
• The second copy is for the student's cumulative folder. If there are no charges/fines, the sheet is placed in the folder and the folder is re-filed. If there ARE charges/fines the sheet is left outside of the folder and given to people doing fine entry into our student information system. Once the charge info is entered, the sheet is placed into the folder and the folder is filed.
5. The student then leaves. They are expected to take care of any fines/charges during the summer with a deadline of about 3 weeks before school starts if they want to get their laptop on the first day in the fall.
6. Laptops are stored in boxes that we had custom-made by Omaha Box Company. We have heavy duty metal shelving units with plywood shelves that allow us to store all 2000 of our laptops on about 5 units. The storeroom for our laptop is keyed with cores that only a VERY, VERY select number of people have keys to. Even our custodians do not have keys to these areas (we do our own vacuuming and set out our own trash).
...this is one way to check in 1:1 laptops.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
My Take On Apple's Cloud Strategy
TechCrunch has an article entitled: iOS 5 Likely Pushed To The Fall After A Cloud Unveiling At WWDC.
This article mentions a “music locker” service. Other analysts have predicted a possible music streaming service. Hmmm....I don't know.
The one function that I am looking for, however, is telegraphed by the wireless behavior of the iBooks apps on iOS. When I read a book on my iPod Touch, my progress in the book is communicated wirelessly to somewhere (perhaps some tiny, secretly operational part of the new data center in North Carolina)--so that my iPad knows where I am when I begin to read that book again on that different device. This functionality is the guaranteed minimum of what I am expecting from Apple's cloud strategy.
All my devices need to be able communicate wirelessly in this way; keeping track of where I am and what I have listened to. Music, podcasts, movies, and TV shows all need to behave like the books in iBooks--all without needing to sync to my iTunes. If I am watching Star Trek on my laptop and have to stop, when I pick up my iPod Touch it should automatically know where I had left off in the movie.
Will the actual content get transferred wirelessly without the iTunes sync? I don't know--but I am pretty confident that this wireless communication of media activity tracking data will be part of the strategy.
This article mentions a “music locker” service. Other analysts have predicted a possible music streaming service. Hmmm....I don't know.
The one function that I am looking for, however, is telegraphed by the wireless behavior of the iBooks apps on iOS. When I read a book on my iPod Touch, my progress in the book is communicated wirelessly to somewhere (perhaps some tiny, secretly operational part of the new data center in North Carolina)--so that my iPad knows where I am when I begin to read that book again on that different device. This functionality is the guaranteed minimum of what I am expecting from Apple's cloud strategy.
All my devices need to be able communicate wirelessly in this way; keeping track of where I am and what I have listened to. Music, podcasts, movies, and TV shows all need to behave like the books in iBooks--all without needing to sync to my iTunes. If I am watching Star Trek on my laptop and have to stop, when I pick up my iPod Touch it should automatically know where I had left off in the movie.
Will the actual content get transferred wirelessly without the iTunes sync? I don't know--but I am pretty confident that this wireless communication of media activity tracking data will be part of the strategy.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Teaching Touch: Instructional Realities of iPad 2 Video Mirroring
Since the first time we eagerly plugged in the original VGA adapter into our 1st Generation iPads, we (as teachers) wanted more. The way that the video output only worked with specific apps left a great deal to be desired. Particularly grievous was the lack of any way to easily show the "tablet-top" interface to a group in an instructional setting. Most of us compensated by using document cameras or just by holding the iPad up and pointing to it. These solutions were not stellar.
The anticipated iPad 2 has arrived, and along with it is the ability to mirror out to a display or projector whatever is showing on the screen. The new HDMI adapter will do this (if you have display/projection devices with HDMI inputs). There are also confirmed reports that the old VGA adapter will work to mirror the iPad 2 video out as well (obviously to devices with VGA inputs). Great news! But...
As I was driving the other day, I was listening to an episode of Leo LaPorte and Sara Lane's iPad Today podcast. During the course of the podcast, they pointed something out that burst my bubble a bit.
They pointed out that when we demonstrate something on the iPad's user interface and mirror it out to a display device, there will be no visible indicator of what we touch. An iOS device doesn't have a visible "cursor" or any other good way to show what you are doing. The audience will only see what the "touch" has triggered--not how the action was triggered.
I don't think I'm really complaining about this, it is just a natural reality of a touch-based interfaced. The cursors that we have become used to on desktop computers were necessary to show us the location on the screen that corresponded with our intended mouse or trackpad position. In a touch environment, this is superfluous--our fingers are directly touching the interface object with which we want to interact.
There are things that happen in the iOS interface when you touch a spot for an extended period of time. In the tablet-top interface this would cause your apps to start to jiggle. In an editable area or a text area an extended-length touch will likely cause the magnifying glass/ copy/ select/ paste popups to appear. Not sure these will really be useful in addressing this issue.
Perhaps the main iOS interface needs a feature in the future that offers a optional mode providing a small colored dot at the location the touchscreen is being or was last touched. Not really expecting this to come over the horizon from Apple in the near future, though individual developers might take this into consideration when they build their respective apps' user interfaces.
In conclusion, I am excited about the new video mirroring capabilities that have been introduced in the 2nd generation iPad. I am, however, not as excited as I was before I was prompted to think about some of inherent realities of displaying a touch interface. Leo and Sarah, quit making me think!
The anticipated iPad 2 has arrived, and along with it is the ability to mirror out to a display or projector whatever is showing on the screen. The new HDMI adapter will do this (if you have display/projection devices with HDMI inputs). There are also confirmed reports that the old VGA adapter will work to mirror the iPad 2 video out as well (obviously to devices with VGA inputs). Great news! But...
As I was driving the other day, I was listening to an episode of Leo LaPorte and Sara Lane's iPad Today podcast. During the course of the podcast, they pointed something out that burst my bubble a bit.
They pointed out that when we demonstrate something on the iPad's user interface and mirror it out to a display device, there will be no visible indicator of what we touch. An iOS device doesn't have a visible "cursor" or any other good way to show what you are doing. The audience will only see what the "touch" has triggered--not how the action was triggered.
I don't think I'm really complaining about this, it is just a natural reality of a touch-based interfaced. The cursors that we have become used to on desktop computers were necessary to show us the location on the screen that corresponded with our intended mouse or trackpad position. In a touch environment, this is superfluous--our fingers are directly touching the interface object with which we want to interact.
There are things that happen in the iOS interface when you touch a spot for an extended period of time. In the tablet-top interface this would cause your apps to start to jiggle. In an editable area or a text area an extended-length touch will likely cause the magnifying glass/ copy/ select/ paste popups to appear. Not sure these will really be useful in addressing this issue.
Perhaps the main iOS interface needs a feature in the future that offers a optional mode providing a small colored dot at the location the touchscreen is being or was last touched. Not really expecting this to come over the horizon from Apple in the near future, though individual developers might take this into consideration when they build their respective apps' user interfaces.
In conclusion, I am excited about the new video mirroring capabilities that have been introduced in the 2nd generation iPad. I am, however, not as excited as I was before I was prompted to think about some of inherent realities of displaying a touch interface. Leo and Sarah, quit making me think!
Friday, December 17, 2010
iBooks Unleashed!
In late August, 2010 an update to Apple's Pages application introduced the ability to easily export documents you create to ePub, the primary file format used in iBooks on iPods, iPhones, and iPads. This is a powerful feature that was, unfortunately, limited by the iTunes sync cable as only way to get your content to an iOS device. That probably worked fine if you were just moving your own content to your own devices, but if you were looking to distribute to a larger audience--there just really wasn't a convenient way.
December 15th, 2010 saw the advent of iBooks 1.2 for iOS devices. Color illustrations, collections, printing, and email were the new features that received the top billing. Unheralded, however, is the new ability to bring documents directly into iBooks through a web link.
December 15th, 2010 saw the advent of iBooks 1.2 for iOS devices. Color illustrations, collections, printing, and email were the new features that received the top billing. Unheralded, however, is the new ability to bring documents directly into iBooks through a web link.
- Place an ePub document on a web server.
- Publish a link to the document.
- Have anyone with iBooks 1.2 click on that link in Safari for iOS.
- After the file has downloaded, the user will be asked if they wish to have the file moved into iBooks.
- If the affirmative option is chosen, the document is transferred into the user's iBooks library for future use (even in the absence of a network connection).
Why is this significant? Your content can now be easily and conveniently distributed to as large an audience of iOS users as you would like. No iBooks Store, iTunes, or even any other type of computer is needed. Business, education, and government institutions can create their own web-based storehouses of their own documents; all ready to be quickly loaded by users onto portable iOS devicesfor future reading and/or reference.
If you would like to try downloading a document directly into your iOS iBooks, make sure that you have installed iBooks 1.2 . Then click on this link ( http://bit.ly/f6X9GG ) in Safari on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone to download this brief, sample ePub document.
It should also be noted that the exact same capabilities also work for PDF files. In fact, viewing any PDF document in Safari on an iOS device should present the user with a button to move the document into iBooks.
So use your imagination as to what you might want to create and distribute to your audience of iOS users; anything from boring corporate policy manuals to exciting new fiction to endearing student-created products.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
DirecTV Beware! We Got a Roku Box Today
DirecTV is dangerously close to forfeiting the ever-escalating financial blood-letting that they extract from us every month...our $59.95 Roku box arrived today. That little device, combined with my $8.99 a month NetFlix subscription (drastically cheaper than DirecTV), offers me more instantly-streamed TV shows and movies than I could ever hope to watch. Looks like NetFlix is continually adding to their selection as well.
Old television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Columbo, Rockford Files, and others are what I would much rather watch than the stuff that is indiscriminately pumped at us through our current satellite system. The level of control that the NetFlix/Roku system offers is fantastic as well.
When I was picking the device from the lineup ($59.99, $79.99, and $99.99) I was worried that the least-expensive one's slower wireless networking would produce a problem with quality. From our initial experimentation it doesn't look like it will be an issue at all. I am glad I went the cheap route on this purchase.
Some might ask why I opted for the Roku over the newly-released AppleTV. Yes, the Roku is $40 cheaper, but the real deciding factor was the presence of regular, old, RCA outputs. Our "legacy" television does not have the port necessary to work with the HDMI-only Apple device.
Initial set-up of the device took a little while (maybe fifteen minutes). The device software had to update. I had to create a Roku account to pair with the device (code #1). Also had to pair the device (code #2) with my NetFlix account. Overall it was not too bad; but it is not a process that is technophobe-ready.
Today is only Day 1 with the device. Perhaps buyer's regret will set in later--but I don't really think so. Watch out DirectTV, you might be losing a customer.
Old television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Columbo, Rockford Files, and others are what I would much rather watch than the stuff that is indiscriminately pumped at us through our current satellite system. The level of control that the NetFlix/Roku system offers is fantastic as well.
When I was picking the device from the lineup ($59.99, $79.99, and $99.99) I was worried that the least-expensive one's slower wireless networking would produce a problem with quality. From our initial experimentation it doesn't look like it will be an issue at all. I am glad I went the cheap route on this purchase.
Some might ask why I opted for the Roku over the newly-released AppleTV. Yes, the Roku is $40 cheaper, but the real deciding factor was the presence of regular, old, RCA outputs. Our "legacy" television does not have the port necessary to work with the HDMI-only Apple device.
Initial set-up of the device took a little while (maybe fifteen minutes). The device software had to update. I had to create a Roku account to pair with the device (code #1). Also had to pair the device (code #2) with my NetFlix account. Overall it was not too bad; but it is not a process that is technophobe-ready.
Today is only Day 1 with the device. Perhaps buyer's regret will set in later--but I don't really think so. Watch out DirectTV, you might be losing a customer.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A Commuter Rediscovers the Joys of Podcasts
According to Google Maps, my drive between home and office is 27.5 miles with an estimated elapsed time of 43 minutes. Estimated total in the month of September: 1155 miles and 30.1 hours. In addition (according to my records), last month the little blue car also travelled 180.1 miles between buildings in the course of performing my job. I'm sure that there are others who commute more, but that is still quite a bit of driving.
Growing tired of news, talk, music, and especially commercials I have recently been driven (pun intended, I guess) to break out the old iPod classic,
my old TransPOD FM radio tuner (designed specifically for the original iPod Shuffle),
and the wonderful technology of audio podcasts. I had been a heavy-duty podcast consumer for quite some time. I had enjoyed it a great deal, but somehow I "fell away".
It might have been the result of something as simple as loaning my mini-phono to mini-phono cable from my car to someone else in the family and it not getting returned promptly. Even small things like that can interrupt the habit and get one back to listening to commercial radio.
There is indeed a "activation energy" that needs to be put into consuming podcasts: sync the iPod with the laptop, remember to bring the iPod to the car, and take the time to hook the iPod up to the audio system (yes, even when you are running late). Listening to the radio requires little to no activation energy--just turn one knob.
Nonetheless, in the words of Randy Quaid in the movie Independence Day (and again pretty recently according to this news story ) I say to those tech podcasts :
" Hello, boys! I'm back! "
My favorite podcasts that feed my inner geek are from IT Conversations. These episodes are recorded from various O'Reilly and other technology-related conferences that are held around the world. Am also starting to listen to some of the TEDTalks podcasts. I would likely never take the time to sit down and specifically listen to things like this, but it is pretty easy (and ultimately very enjoyable) to let my iPod help me pass the time while I'm driving.
No hotel, airline, and restaurant bills associated with this learning, either. Free is good. My only question now is whether or not I can put these items down in my professional development record.
Growing tired of news, talk, music, and especially commercials I have recently been driven (pun intended, I guess) to break out the old iPod classic,
my old TransPOD FM radio tuner (designed specifically for the original iPod Shuffle),
and the wonderful technology of audio podcasts. I had been a heavy-duty podcast consumer for quite some time. I had enjoyed it a great deal, but somehow I "fell away".
It might have been the result of something as simple as loaning my mini-phono to mini-phono cable from my car to someone else in the family and it not getting returned promptly. Even small things like that can interrupt the habit and get one back to listening to commercial radio.
There is indeed a "activation energy" that needs to be put into consuming podcasts: sync the iPod with the laptop, remember to bring the iPod to the car, and take the time to hook the iPod up to the audio system (yes, even when you are running late). Listening to the radio requires little to no activation energy--just turn one knob.
Nonetheless, in the words of Randy Quaid in the movie Independence Day (and again pretty recently according to this news story ) I say to those tech podcasts :
" Hello, boys! I'm back! "
My favorite podcasts that feed my inner geek are from IT Conversations. These episodes are recorded from various O'Reilly and other technology-related conferences that are held around the world. Am also starting to listen to some of the TEDTalks podcasts. I would likely never take the time to sit down and specifically listen to things like this, but it is pretty easy (and ultimately very enjoyable) to let my iPod help me pass the time while I'm driving.
No hotel, airline, and restaurant bills associated with this learning, either. Free is good. My only question now is whether or not I can put these items down in my professional development record.
Preparing and Putting a PDF File onto an iPad
Note: Throughout the entirety of this post, references to iPads should also be able to be generalized to the newest iPhones and iPod Touches.
Prior to the more recent iPad OS updates, it was quite difficult to move a PDF file onto an iPad for reading or reference. It has now become very easy...as long as your iTunes and iPad software are up to date.
This is a great advancement. Any electronic document that you can save as a PDF is now available for easy digital storage and reading on an iPad.
By default, iBooks on the iPad will display the appearance of the PDF document's first page as its cover. You can easily use Get Info (select file--then FILE: GET INFO or Command-i) in iTunes to modify the name and author of a PDF. In my experience (at the time of this writing), however, similar attempts to add cover artwork to the file will fail.
To work around this problem, use Pages (any word processor should do) to create a cover sheet for the document. Making the font as large as possible to fill up the page, put in the title of the document, the author(s), and even the document's date if you wish. You can even paste in an appropriate graphic--whatever you think will be helpful in identifying the PDF document on the iBooks Library shelf. Here is an example of a cover sheet:
The file can then be saved out as a single-page PDF file. Open it in its own window in Apple's PDF viewer Preview, and then open the main PDF document in its own window. Make sure the navigational sidebars are showing on the right of each document. Drag the cover sheet page from that file's navigation sidebar over to the top of the main document's sidebar. As this is done, a blue horizontal line should appear at the point of insertion:
Once released, this page will become the new first page (and as a result, the visible cover of the document). Save the change made to the document.
Once your PDF document is ready and your software is up to date, simply drag your target PDF file onto your iTunes icon in your dock or into your iTunes window. Don't worry, iTunes will put it in the right place (the "Books" section).
Once the PDF file is properly in iTunes, you may wish to use GET INFO to specify the author and title the document displays in iTunes.
Connect your iPad to your computer and sync it. If your sync settings are configured to "sync all books" (I believe this is the default), your new PDF document should now show up in iBooks on your iPad. A button for PDF's should appear at the top of your iPad's Library screen. Select it to see any PDF's you have moved onto your iPad.
Recent updates to Pages now makes it possible to export documents in the ePub format that iBooks uses by default for its electronic books. This may have some advantages, yet when it is important just to quickly get a document on to an iPad with a minimum of effort and worries about formatting, using PDF is the way to go. In fact, if you don't care about the appearance of the PDF on the iBooks bookshelf skip all the other steps in this post: just drag it into iTunes, sync, and read. This is about as easy as can be.
Prior to the more recent iPad OS updates, it was quite difficult to move a PDF file onto an iPad for reading or reference. It has now become very easy...as long as your iTunes and iPad software are up to date.
This is a great advancement. Any electronic document that you can save as a PDF is now available for easy digital storage and reading on an iPad.
By default, iBooks on the iPad will display the appearance of the PDF document's first page as its cover. You can easily use Get Info (select file--then FILE: GET INFO or Command-i) in iTunes to modify the name and author of a PDF. In my experience (at the time of this writing), however, similar attempts to add cover artwork to the file will fail.
To work around this problem, use Pages (any word processor should do) to create a cover sheet for the document. Making the font as large as possible to fill up the page, put in the title of the document, the author(s), and even the document's date if you wish. You can even paste in an appropriate graphic--whatever you think will be helpful in identifying the PDF document on the iBooks Library shelf. Here is an example of a cover sheet:
Once released, this page will become the new first page (and as a result, the visible cover of the document). Save the change made to the document.
Once your PDF document is ready and your software is up to date, simply drag your target PDF file onto your iTunes icon in your dock or into your iTunes window. Don't worry, iTunes will put it in the right place (the "Books" section).
Once the PDF file is properly in iTunes, you may wish to use GET INFO to specify the author and title the document displays in iTunes.
Connect your iPad to your computer and sync it. If your sync settings are configured to "sync all books" (I believe this is the default), your new PDF document should now show up in iBooks on your iPad. A button for PDF's should appear at the top of your iPad's Library screen. Select it to see any PDF's you have moved onto your iPad.
Recent updates to Pages now makes it possible to export documents in the ePub format that iBooks uses by default for its electronic books. This may have some advantages, yet when it is important just to quickly get a document on to an iPad with a minimum of effort and worries about formatting, using PDF is the way to go. In fact, if you don't care about the appearance of the PDF on the iBooks bookshelf skip all the other steps in this post: just drag it into iTunes, sync, and read. This is about as easy as can be.
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