The Apple iPad 2 Review

After waiting in line at Best Buy yesterday to receive one of the 15 iPad 2s, I can honestly say Apple has not disappointed.  After Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPad last week, many wondered what made this iPad different from the first generation model.  The answer is all in the hardware.

HARDWARE

The iPad 2 had many new hardware features that make it far superior to the previous model.  The most obvious is the body itself.  The iPad 2 is only .34 inches thin and it feels completely different in the hand.  The new flat back makes it feel like a thin book or, more appropriately, like a magazine.  The aluminum back and glass screen make the iPad rigid and it feels incredibly durable.

iPad 2 next to the original iPad

The addition of two cameras also sets the iPad 2 apart from its predecessor.  The front-facing camera is VGA only and is meant for making Facetime video calls.  The rear-facing camera is 720p HD video camera, but when taking pictures, the rear camera is less than 1 megapixel.  The images are okay, but not the greatest quality.  The iPad, however, is too large to be an effective camera.  I have the iPhone 4, which has a 5-megapixel camera with flash.  This serves the purpose when I am on the go.  The cameras do well a video camera and that is their primary purpose.

The other major change to the iPad 2 is on the inside.  Apple’s A5 chip is a 1 GHz dual core processor that has dramatically increased speed of day-to-day operation.  The processor makes iPad 2 nearly twice as fast as the original and nine times faster with graphics.  iBooks (Free) is noticeably quicker.  Games that are heavy on the GPU are noticeably faster and more detailed.  The other major change is the iPad 2 has 512 MB of RAM instead of the previous generations 256 MB.  This allows the iPad to keep more open webpages in its memory as well as operate apps better in the background.  Also added under the hood is a gyroscope that give better control when playing games.

Unchanged on the iPad 2 is the screen.  The 9.7 inch display is unchanged, but still just as rich in detail.  The bezel surrounding the screen remains the same size but now comes in black or white.  Overall, the hardware of the new iPad 2 is what gives it its competitive edge.

SOFTWARE

The iPad 2 came preloaded with Apple’s new iOS 4.3 release.  This came with such improvements as quicker Safari browser, Air Time updates, and the option to use the switch on the side of the iPad for mute or rotate lock functionalities.

iMovie for iPad

There are a few additions to iOS 4.3 that are only found on the iPad 2, however.  The Facetime app is like the one on the iPod Touch and works very well.  There is a camera app like on the iPod and iPhone, but the big story is Photo Booth.  If you have a Mac, you know what Photo Booth is capable of.  It takes funny pictures of you and your friends for you to post all over your Facebook wall, but Photo Booth does more than that.  It shows off the incredible speed of the new A5 processor.

Drums on Garage Band

There are a few other apps Apple has created to take advantage of the iPad 2’s cameras and speed.  The first is iMovie ($4.99).  This is currently available for the iPhone and is a capable app.  It allows you to edit movies you have made with your iPad.  The other app is Garage Band ($4.99).  On the Mac, Garage Band only works with physical instruments, but with the iPad the instruments are virtual.  Whether you play the piano, guitar, or drums, Garage Band has you covered.  They also have “Smart Instruments” for those of us who are not musically inclined.  In addition to instruments, Garage Band allows the user to mix tracks and use the iPad as an amp for several instruments.

Photo Booth

OVERALL

Smart Cover and the iPad 2

iPad 2 is a very solid device and one that I will use every day.  Like the original iPad, the iPad 2 has a wide variety of accessories including Smart Covers ($39 – $69) which use magnets to attach to the iPad and easily lock and unlock the iPad by just closing or opening the cover.  I purchased a grey Smart Cover and it works very well and does not add a lot of bulk to the design.  What is truly amazing is that with the smaller size, new hardware, and added speed, the iPad 2 retains the original iPad’s 10-hour battery life and price point.  I purchased the 32GB black Wi-Fi iPad 2.  Of course, everyone wonders what Apple has in store for the next iPad, as well as this summer’s iOS 5 update, but for now, I have no problem waiting with the iPad 2.

Public History Series: Oral History

Oral history is one of the more difficult projects to undertake because it involves you and another person.  Oral interviews can be difficult depending on the person being interviewed and the person conducting the interview.  There are some keys to conducting the interview, and, as with anything, there are some drawbacks to this type of history.

Conducting an oral interview is the focus of oral history.  The first thing to consider when taking on an oral history project is where the interview will take place.  It should be a comfortable place for the interviewee and also a place where there will be few distractions.  The other thing to consider is how will the interview be recorded.  This can be done using a sound recording or a video recording device.  Either way, it is important to understand that the interviewee will often be nervous about being recorded and it may take them a few minutes to warm up to the recorder.  It is important for the interviewer to begin and not draw attention to the recording device.  It is wise to run a few practice interviews with the person.  In a perfect world, the interviewee would be interviewed two or three times to be sure all the information has been gathered, but time does not always allow for that.

The goal of the interview is to find out specific information about that person’s life.  Therefore, the interviewer must prepare a series of questions to direct the conversation, but it is important to let the interviewee tell the story.  There is nothing more annoying than the interviewer cutting the interviewee off mid-sentence and asking a new question.  LET THEM TALK.  The questions prepared must be open ended questions and not require only a simple Yes/No answer.  The best way to begin the interview is by asking simple questions.  What is your name?  Where were you born?  When were you born?  Who were your parents?  What did your parents do for a living?  These questions serve two purposes.  First, yhey give background information, but they also serve as a ice-breakers and will take their mind off the recording device.  Throughout the interview, the interviewer should only speak to direct conversation and at times it may be necessary to get the interviewee back on topic, but the interviewer should not be features prominently.  The interview should only last about an hour.  Anything more than that and the interviewee begins to fatigue and it shows in the interview.  If more time is needed, simply go back later to complete the interview.

After the interview is complete, the next step is to transcribe it.  Many oral history collections will require a transcription of the recording to go along with it.  This is the most time consuming part of the process and can take several hours.  At this point, many decisions must be made.  Do you correct incorrect grammar?  Do you remove the countless “uhs” and “ums”?  The simple answer is no.  You should try to be as true to the interviewee as possible in the transcript.  Not everyone who accesses the interview will have time to listen to or watch the recording of the interview.  The transcript must stay as authentic as possible.

Oral histories serve a great purpose by adding a more individualized aspect to history, but they do not come without their drawbacks.  The interviewee is often drawing from memory and recalling events that may have taken place over fifty years ago, and the events may not be as clear.  There may be gaps in the story or the interviewee may change the story to improve their image.  Oral histories are important and there are some large projects being undertaken to collect them.  One of the largest is the Veterans History Project by the Library of Congress.  They are collecting the stories of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War for their archives.  While it is not always a public historian conducting a oral history, it often is.  A wide variety of historians use oral histories in their work because they add a personal touch to it, and there are many important stories that need to be recording for future generations.

-Eric

NOTE:  This is the third in a ten part series on Public History.  The posts from the series will be presented on Wednesdays and Saturdays from now until April 6.  A wide variety of aspects will be covered and I will try to present an unbiased account of the positive and negative aspects of each subcategory of Public History.

The Retirement of Space Shuttle Discovery

Discovery Landing for the Final Time – March 9, 2011

Although my interests fall within the realm of history, I have always had a fascination with space.  We have all read the news that 2011 is the final year for the Space Shuttle Program and I am saddened by it because watching a Shuttle launch is one helluva spectacle!

On Thursday February 24, 2011 Space Shuttle Discovery made its final trip into space and returned for the final time yesterday.  Those watching could not help but be emotional because there was the gnawing fact that Discovery is now retired.  Discovery has had an illustrious career as the third Space Shuttle out of five (Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour).  Here are some facts from the career of Discovery (from Mother Nature Network):

-The oldest flying Space Shuttle

-Maiden Voyage was August 30, 1984

-Has flown 143 million miles (that is 1 1/2 trips to the sun or 288 trips to the moon!)

-Has made 5,628 orbits of the Earth

-In space for a total of 363 days

-Has carried 246 crewmembers into space, the most of all the Shuttles

-Has flown 39 missions

-Has docked with the International Space Station 13 times

-Carried the first female astronaut into space in 1984

-Carried the first sitting member of Congress into space

-Carried the oldest Astronaut, John Glenn aged 77, into space in 1998

-First Shuttle to dock with the Russian Space Station, Mir

-Piloted by the first female pilot in 1999

-Carried first African American to perform a space walk in 1999

-Has placed 3 satellites in Earth’s orbit

Discovery will be missed by me and many other space aficionados, but there will be two more Space Shuttle launches this year to complete the program.  Endeavour will launch for the final time on April 19 and Atlantis will close out the program when it launches on June 28.  I am seriously considering trekking to Florida in June for the final Space Shuttle Launch.  We thank the crews and Discovery for their service and I leave you with an image of the great Shuttle prepared for takeoff!

Public History Series: Local/Regional History

Most cities or counties have a museum dedicated to its history.  This is a place to collect and display the historical items from a particular region’s past.  There are many examples of this type of museum across America.  They present an interesting story, but sometimes these stories are part truth and part myth.  Local history is often used to encourage tourism for a city and that is why some of the more exciting stories are told.

Local museums are often run by a group of volunteers or history buffs that have lived in the region for the majority, if not all, their lives.  These museums rely on donations from the community in order to exist and this creates problems.  When a prominent family donates a large amount of money to form a local museum, they are often doing so with the expectation that their family’s history will be told somewhere in the museum.  I have been to many museums where one room is dedicated to a particular family, but they did not necessary have anything to do with the city’s history.  There are exceptions to that, however.  The Harrison family in the Shenandoah Valley donated the land which makes up Harrisonburg today; therefore, his story is featured in the history of Harrisonburg, but it has been included with the context of city.  Unlike other museums (I will not mention names) I have been to where there is a room dedicated to the furniture owned by Family X, even though they really had nothing to do with the city.

Newton County Museum in Neosho, Missouri

Another part of local history is the publication of books.  I am sure you have seen books on the history of Neosho or Harrisonburg at the local stores.  These books are often written by local history buffs, and they tell the story of the city but do not quite piece together the full context of the city or region.  I own several books on local history and they all do some things well, but ignore other aspects of the history of a town.  Local historians do this on purpose.  Books and museums are a way to educate the public about their city, but they tend to leave out the more controversial parts of history because, in many cases, the families involved in the events are still living in the area and no one wants to offend their neighbors.  This also brings us back to the donation issue.  The family that gives to the museum may have a role in the city’s history, but it may not be a positive role and therefore that is ignored due to their generous donation.

The final issue with local museums is context.  Those running local museums are often well versed in local history, but not so much in national or state history.  This can be important because events taking place in the city at a particular point in time may not have been unique to that city.  It could have been a state wide issue or even a national trend.  Context is important because relating a major national or state event to something that happened in the city allows the visitor to make connections.  A city is most likely not isolated from these events and will reflect some aspects of it.

All the negatives aside, local museums are important to the historical community because they are repositories for local history.  People tend to donate old pictures and items to the museum because they no longer want them cluttering their house.  These items may not always make it into the museum exhibit, but they build a great archive.  Another role local museums often plays involves genealogy.  Many times they will collect the genealogy records for the city or county and make them accessible to the public and that helps a wide variety of historians and the local public.

Local history is not without it faults, but it is one of the most common forms of history in America.  Many Public Historians find themselves at local museums after they complete their degree.  They try to present a complete history of a region, but often upset many members of the community in the process.  As historians we want to tell the whole story, the good and the bad, but local historians need to have the tact to brush over the negatives that effect members of the community.

-Eric

NOTE:  This is the second in a ten part series on Public History.  The posts from the series will be presented on Wednesdays and Saturdays from now until April 6.  A wide variety of aspects will be covered and I will try to present an unbiased account of the positive and negative aspects of each subcategory of Public History.

Unprotected History: The Resignation of Zahi Hawass (UPDATED)

Amid the unrest in Egypt, there were a few stories of looters breaking into the Cairo Museum, but they were stopped and the artifacts suffered minimal damage all things considered.  I was happy to read that the citizens of Cairo stepped in to protect the museum, and I knew that Dr. Zahi Hawass would do what he could to protect the priceless artifacts under his care.  Dr. Hawass is deeply respected in Egypt and I believed that this respect would keep most looters from disturbing historic sites, and that appears to be the case.  There has been an increase in the amount of looting, but, again, everyone was confident that Dr. Hawass could handle it.

Everyone was wrong, however, and now people are beginning to turn on Dr. Hawass.  Employees upset that they are unable to be paid, looting and unlawful excavation of historic sites, and attacks on him coming from within the government led him to announced his resignation on March 3.  With that, Dr. Hawass released the following reasons:

“Yes, it is true. I resigned because of three main things:

1. During the earlier protests, Egyptian youths and the police protected the museums and monuments. Only the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was broken into and, thank God, all the important objects inside it were safe and only a few things were lost or broken. A report of exactly what is missing is still being compiled, however. Magazines were looted, but after initially appearing to get back to normal, the situation has recently become worse and there are many reports of thefts and illegal excavation.

2. Since the revolution, many people have continued to protest over other things, such as against me over jobs and salaries. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide everything that everyone is asking for. In the Ministry of State for Antiquities, we need money to protect sites and to restore buildings and objects too. We need the money brought in by tourists who visit our sites and museums to fund these things and, at the moment, there are no tourists.

3. Crooks in the Ministry and at the University of Cairo have started to attack me personally. I cannot stand this!

Most importantly, however, is that there are not enough police to protect the sites. I hope that my resignation will put pressure on the government to do something about this and also encourage the international community to do so as well.

The Egyptian antiquities that are on tour at the moment are safe and kept so with contracts. They are completely safe and when the police are back in force, everything here will be protected properly again too.”

Dr. Hawass is in a precarious position, but I fear his resignation is the wrong move.  I believe he still has the respect of the people of Egypt and the international community, all of whom understand the position he is in.  He is running out of money because tourists are not coming to Egypt and they are not coming to Egypt because of the unrest.  Meanwhile, looting has worsened and has expanded to other sites within Egypt.  None of this is the fault of Dr. Hawass, but he believes he is unfairly receiving most of the blame.

He feels that by resigning that he will draw attention to the lack of protection for Egypt’s antiquities, and the government will step in to increase protection.  The Egyptian government has bigger issues at the moment and and will probably ignore Dr. Hawass’s resignation to focus on the larger issues at hand.  Every government employee in Egypt has had to make difficult decisions since the unrest began in Egypt, and when it comes to protected Egypt’s past, I believe Dr. Hawass made the wrong decision by leaving it unprotected.

Source: USA Today

UPDATE: Read an Interview with Dr. Hawass HERE.

UPDATE 2: As of March 30, 2011, Dr. Hawass has returned as Minister.  Read more about it HERE.

Public History Series: What is Public History?

I have been asked this question many times and it really annoys me when people assume it is just the “study of old barns.”  In fact, there are many facets to Public History that are used by historians of all interests.  Over the next nine weeks I am going to break down Public History into its many subcategories and explain how everything works.

Before I get to the subcategories, this post is merely a brief look at Public History and is meant to introduce the readers to the two main organizations that exist to assist Public Historians,  the National Council of Public History and the Public History Resource Center.  These two organizations make up the bulk of the Public History information available to those interested in the field.  Their websites provide information about educational opportunities as well as employment opportunities.  The most important thing is the make the discipline and its resources availabe to those interesting in pursuing a degree, and eventually a career, in the field of Public History.

The National Council of Public History is a professional organization much like the American Historical Association.  Members of the organization pay dues and receive updates, discounted rates at the NCPH Annual Conference, and the journal The Public Historian.  Like most professional scholarly organizations, the NCPH is a way for those in the profession to share their work and ideas with each other.

The Public History Resource Center has a very different purpose, however.  They primarily provide up-to-date information on degree programs for Public History as well as employment opportunities.  This site is a must visit for anyone interested in pursuing a degree in Public History or those seeking employment in the field.  They also provide reviews of history websites which provide information and documents for research.  These reviews are not only intended for Public Historians as they cover a wide variety of topics.

So what is Public History?  The National Council of Public History defines Public History as a discipline in which “historians and their various publics collaborate in trying to make the past useful to the public.”  This can be done in a wide variety of ways.  Museums are the most common form of Public History in practice, but there are others including local/regional history, oral history, historic preservation, documentary editing, museum studies, documentary film and visual arts, historical archaeology, archival work, and memory.  I am going to spend the next several weeks covering all nine of these topics in more detail.  I hope this series of posts will serve as a guide for anyone interested in the field. Until then…

-Eric

NOTE:  This is the first in a ten part series on Public History.  The posts from the series will be presented on Wednesdays and Saturdays from now until April 6.  A wide variety of aspects will be covered and I will try to present an unbiased account of the positive and negative aspects of each subcategory of Public History.