Many Canadian entrepreneurs and small businesses rely on the Apple iPad as a lightweight, intuitive and versatile tablet computer.
Along with instant-on access, a long-lasting battery life and comfortable 9.7-inch touchscreen, more than half a million applications ("apps") can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store, many of which can help businesses remain more productive on the go.
Last month we looked at a pair of iPad apps – powerful note-taking software and a desktop virtualization tool – but in this week's column we'll look at two others: an alternative web browser to Safari and a convenient way to create and share content on virtual whiteboards.
A better browser?
Many iPad users are frustrated at the lack of Adobe Flash support in the default Safari browser -- therefore, you can't access the millions of websites built on Flash to show video, animation or games.
There are a few alternatives, however, including the recently updated Photon Flash Web Browser ($4.99) from AppsVerse, which aims to deliver a richer and less restrictive web experience.
While not flawless, it works quite well.
Similar to how other Flash-enabled iPad browsers work (like Skyfire and Cloud Browse), the Photon web browser logs into a remote browser to stream Flash content to the tablet (sometimes referred to as "desktop virtualization"). If you encounter a website you can't access because you see the little Flash icon, simply tap the "Lightning" tab on the top right corner of the browser and the Flash content will load. While it takes a good 10 seconds, revisit that particular website and the browser will remember you want to load Flash.
Performance is better over Wi-Fi than 3G connectivity, which is to be expected because of its faster speeds, but AppsVerse says cellular performance while playing Flash will be improved by up to 25 percent in its next free update.
The Photon browser also has a few other interesting, especially for consumers or businesses that rely on multitasking to get more done in less time. Specifically, the browser supports tabbed browsing (which is coming to Apple's Safari this fall via the iOS 5 release) and an innovative split-screen view that allows you to view multiple websites on the same screen; you can view two or three websites at once (such as watching a Flash video in one and reading text in another) or you might opt for a "picture in picture" view.
Other features include security options (to quickly clear browsing history, cookies and caches (or set it to do so upon exiting the browser), a URL window that lets you search or type in a specific website (like Internet Explorer 9) and you can share websites you like via email, AirPrint or Facebook. You can also customize the background colour, brightness and screen orientation.
Sketch n' share ideas, walkthroughs
One of the newest iPad offerings to debut at the App Store is a free whiteboard that lets you sketch and narrate tutorials and share them with others.
Specifically, ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard, this tool lets you use your fingertip to flesh out concepts and speak about what you're drawing in real-time – be it ideas for a new product, a discussion on how photosynthesis works or storyboarding a new television commercial.
Once finished, you can tap Play to watch and hear the whiteboard recording – which can be as long as you want – or upload it to ShowMeApp.com for public or private viewing.
On that note, you can also see what other ShowMe users have recorded and uploaded to the site, ranging from clever football plays to Pythagorean theorem explained. You can search by keyword or browse by category.
The app is very easy to use thanks to its intuitive interface and large canvas, plus you can also import photos from your iPad (or copy them from the web) onto the whiteboard and sketch around or on top of it. Plus, the iPad has a responsive touchscreen and powerful microphone that captures clear audio.
While free, there are a few areas of improvement. For one, there are only a couple of marker colours to choose from and only one tip size; other (paid) whiteboard apps offer a greater selection on both counts. The digital eraser works well, though, in case you need to delete something you don’t like, plus you can pause the recording if you need to take a break.
Another issue is you can't save your recordings to a computer via iTunes (i.e. no drag and drop support), plus you can't email your work or upload it to Facebook, YouTube or elsewhere – just ShowMeApp.com.
Otherwise, ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard is a great tool for businesses, educators, inventors or hobbyists who'd like to get their verbal and handwritten or drawn ideas down on a digital canvas and share it with an audience.
