Judge Rules IN FAVOR of Commercial Drone Pilot

"I view the decision as a victory for technology," said Mr. Schulman, a New York-based attorney with Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and a recreational drone user. "For seven years our federal government has told business people and entrepreneurs that they must stop using drones for commercial purposes, and I think that's had a very negative effect on this really exciting emerging high-tech industry."

Where does the line get drawn especially if it's a hobbyist who loves to fly helis, quads and planes who discovered that they could make awesome videos when attaching a GoPro HERO3+, iPhone or any other camera? We aren't talking about Predator UAVs here but simple quadcopters such as DJI Phantom or the just released DJI Phantom 2 Vision+.

In any case, commercial drone laws aren't slated to be finalized until 2015 so until then, fly safely but more so, responsibly. Hey, let's start doing more real estate videos too!

via WSJ

WiFi Tablet or LTE Enabled Tablet, Now the SAME Price!

T-Mobile has been truly living up to its latest marketing campaign of being the "Un-carrier" launching Operation Tablet Freedom today. In part 2 of 3 in a barrage of promotions, you can now head on over to T-Mobile and expect to save the $100 to $130 for an LTE enabled tablet. Now, you don't have to decided whether or not it's worth it to go for the cellular enabled tablet because WiFi or LTE, they're the same price!

Beginning April 12th, customers can get nearly 1.2 GB of free 4G LTE data every month through 2014 on America's fastest nationwide LTE network.

Have a T-Mobile voice plan? Bring, buy or trade in a tablet and get:

• Up to 1GB FREE 4G LTE data per month through 2014
• PLUS up to 200 MB FREE monthly 4G LTE data for as long as you own your tablet
• Existing T-Mobile voice plan customers: Get our 1GB plan FREE after a $10 credit

And for further clarification, you'll still have the ability to take advantage of their 100% free 200MB data plan on the LTE enabled tablet that is owned and registered with T-Mobile once the calendar turns 2015. And you're still unsure about your T-Mobile coverage, head on over to their awesome map!

PSA: Change and Secure ALL Your Passwords NOW

With the recent security flaw in OpenSSL, now dubbed the Heartbleed bug, every major website is alerting you the change your passwords. Just this morning alone, I'm sure that most of you will have to go about and I advise that you do so now, change your Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Tumblr, GoDaddy, Dropbox and Soundcloud passwords just to name a few. Do it now and make sure that no two are alike! Lucky for me, I use AgileBits's 1Password which, by the way, is now multiple platform, so generating that 8-16 or even 24 character password is automatic. If you haven't read the various sites that are listing the vulnerable web services, I suggest your head over to either here, here or the master list and start working!

3 things you can do to protect yourself Wait for an official announcement from any secure website or service that you normally use regarding a security update.

After you've confirmed that the site or service has installed a security update, change your passwords.

For at least the next week, keep an eye on any of your sensitive online accounts (banking, webmail) for suspicious activity.

In the meantime, while websites are installing the latest version of OpenSSL to fix the bug, it would be a good idea to wait for confirmed updates on your favorite websites and services and then change your password, just to be as safe as possible.

Wanna Save Your iPhone Battery?

This is not one of those "Turn off every useful feature of iOS" posts that grinds my gears. My goal is to deliver practical steps to truly solve your iOS battery woes.

One quick thing before we start — 99.9% of the time it is not actually iOS that is causing your battery to drain quickly. I guarantee you that if you erased your phone and there were no apps or email on it, it would last for ages. But, no one uses their device like that, nor should they. Hopefully with these steps you will be living in iOS battery bliss while still using all the apps and features you love.

I will be reformatting my iPhone 5 again and start fresh with iOS 7.1. A few weeks ago, I installed iOS 7 which did posses amazing battery life, but after I started installing a few of the hundreds of apps that I use, my battery would eventually only last half a day! I'm going to have to start deducing what's really going on.

via OverThought by Scotty Loveless

Close to 40? Here's some advice!

When author Pamela Druckerman writes her columns, it's wise to read, digest and have a few laughs.

The modern 40s are so busy it’s hard to assess them. Researchers describe the new “rush hour of life,” when career and child-rearing peaks collide. Today’s 40ish professionals are the DITT generation: double income, toddler twins.

via NYTimes

If you haven't already and have a little one or maybe two, check out Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting. I'd read it even if you didn't have kids. It's really insightful into the difference between cultures.

T-Mobile Unleashed Is NOT So Cheap

At this time, my Early Termination Fees (ETFs) with AT&T are $155 for a line thats due in September of this year. Thats a prorated amount down from $350 in case you're wondering. Let me back up. If you've been following me on twitter, I've been fed up with AT&T's false advertising that sold me a few years ago for a service that CLEARLY said "Unlimited Data" for $30. I use FaceTime quite a bit,¹ stream my baby monitor from hundreds of miles away, and sometimes just soak up youtube so yea, I'll easily go over 5GBs a month and trust me, hotel WiFi is horrific! I hate that they expect me to use it in place of a service that I pay for! So back to the story.

If I sell my Apple iPhone 5 64GB White to T-Mobile for $300 and they pay my ETF at $155, that's "$455" in my pocket. The only way they will "Unleash" you is if you trade in your phone, no exceptions. Then I have to buy a FULL priced mobile phone, desirably an iPhone 5s 64GB, for $799. That means, I still have to shell out $344 so that's not that bad of a deal right? That's actually incorrect. Let me explain. I'd be shelling out $499 for my new phone after the trade-in credit followed by a Mastercard Gift Card in the credit amount of $155 in approximately 8 weeks. So I'm out half a grand to "unleash."

If I can wait, and probably will, for just six more months, I can unlock my iPhone 5, sell it on the market for maybe $400 or more, then buy a full priced iPhone 6. So yes, I'm still out $399 but, here's where I could save. I could then bring it along with me to T-Mobile, and pay nothing leaving me with just the $70 Unlimited 4G Everything Plan plus a $10 SIM kit. When it comes down to it, I'll be out money obviously later in the year with me upgrading my phone but ideally, I'd rather T-Mobile just pay my ETF now and I bring my current iPhone 5 with me. That's what the deal should have been in the first place.

disclaimer: I signed a 2 year contract with AT&T for a subsidized iPhone 5 so ultimately, with the "Unleash" deal, you still end up paying full price for the device. I could save a bunch of money and purchase Google's Nexus 5 for $349 unlocked online instead but that's a whole other story of iOS vs. Android, etc. I'm not going to go there just yet.

And yes, it's pretty awesome that with the unlimited 4G Data you get an additional 2.5GB of tethering capability.

---

1. I use FaceTime about 1-5 minutes almost every couple of hours for a total of 30-60 minutes a day. Sometimes, I'm on for 20 minutes in a row. ↩

Samsung Galaxy S5 Obviously Includes Fingerprint Reader

The Galaxy S5’s design is a minor evolution of the Galaxy S4 — in fact, the two are almost indistinguishable from the front. The S5’s display is ever so slightly larger at 5.1 inches, but it’s still a 1080p, Super AMOLED panel that doesn’t look very different from the S4’s screen. Below the display is a new home key with integrated fingerprint scanner and capacitive keys for multitasking and Android’s back button.

If they really just wanted to copy Apple again, I guess they could have just added a fingerprint scanner and updated health programs. Oh wait...

via The Verge

What Pilot Shortage?

Matthew C. Klein on Bloomberg sums it up in one awesome sentence.

If airlines want to replace their aging corps of experienced pilots and continue serving second- and third-tier cities, they are going to need to boost pay and raise ticket prices. Alternatively, they should ditch unprofitable routes. At least that strategy doesn't require making up stories about pilot shortages.

For further reading, check it out from an Insider's Perspective.

Yay for Slice!

If you haven't used the app called Slice (iOS / Android / Web), here's a great write up by my wife Adelle on her recent experience.

Yay for Slice!

by Adelle Nicolas:

Two weeks ago I had purchased a pair of Corso Como 'Famenka' Flat Nude 6.5 M on Nordstrom.com as a gift to myself for my new job. Nordstrom was in the midst of their Half Yearly sale, so I got a pretty amazing deal on the flats and bought them for under $40!

About a week later, I received a notification on my phone from the Slice app (iOS / Android / Web) that alerted me of a $10 price drop in the shoes I had purchased. The Slice Team also sent me an email about my Nordstrom purchase and included a link to the item I purchased with the new adjusted price, my order number, as well as Nordstrom's customer service number so I could inquire about my refund. I used all the information I was given and talked to Jeff in customer service and I was quickly and kindly refunded the $10 on my credit card. I ended up getting a 50% discount on some very comfortable flats thanks to Slice!

If you have any questions about privacy, you can check out their FAQ. Most importantly, the most asked about question, I've posted here for direct reference.

Does Slice store my password to my email account?

Slice uses a secure protocol called OAuth (oauth.net) to allow for authorization to your Gmail, Yahoo! Mail or Outlook.com account. For these accounts, the authentication happens between you and Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook.com, and we never even see the password you enter for your email accounts. OAuth is used by many popular websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and of course, Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft.

For mail providers that do not support OAuth, like AOL, iCloud/MobileMe, Comcast and Cox, we will need to store your email passwords to be able to process your receipts. The passwords will be stored and encrypted in a separate, secure database.

Fundraising for the Philippines

It's truly amazing to see all the fundraising opportunities that are popping up all over the internet for the Philippines for relief from Typhoon Haiyan. From free voice calls and text messages via AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, free shipping from LBC or you can also donate directly to the Red Cross Typhoon Appeal. My two favorite are from the folks at Ironman and San Diego Bolt Complex. Click on any of the images or the links to proceed and support this cause, country and people ((I was born and raised in San Diego but both my parents are originally from the Philippines. This is a cause and time that holds dear to my heart. I would appreciate any donations you can make)) I also have friends that I can get you in touch with that are accepting donations and shipping every week as well.

From the Ironman Foundation:

To support victims of Typhoon Haiyan, IRONMAN and The IRONMAN Foundation want to provide one meal a day for 1,000 families for a month. We need your help to achieve that goal. We’ve teamed up with a Philippine non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, Gawad Kalinga (which means "give care").

Your $30 contribution for one shirt will feed a family of five every day for a month.

From San Diego Bolt Complex

We, the BX, will donate ALL proceeds to this organization, http://www.savethechildren.org. Millions of vulnerable children are at risk in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan. More than 300 miles wide, the typhoon left a deadly path of destruction in its wake. In response, Save the Children is working around the clock to help children and families with emergency assistance during this difficult time. Thank you.

A friend of mine composed a bitly bundle that is showcasing all the Philippine Charity Tee Shirts. I'm sure with all the various tee out there, you can easily pick one!

T-Mobile's iPad Air Selling Out!

Already out of stock in one of San Diego's Apple's Stores (UTC), the iPad Air Wi-Fi+LTE running on T-Mobile is quickly becoming the choice of new iPad users due to their ability to download and access 200MB of data completely FREE! No overages either!!! Here's a screenshot of T-Mobile's pricing on their website for checkout. Once again, if you ask me, I'm grabbing the Space Gray 32GB Wi-Fi+LTE on T-Mobile. Also, in other news, if you only want the plain jane model iPad Air 16GB Wi-Fi, then make sure you get Apple and Best Buy or Staples to price match WalMart's Roll back pricing at $479!

Which iPad Am I Buying?

Both the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display are set to debut three weeks apart with the iPad Air going on sale this Friday, November 1st. Available for pre-order online and available for "in-store pickup", if you want it same day with no lines, reserve it online and pick it up. If you ask me, I'm doing just that. If I didn't make it clear already, I'm grabbing the 32GB LTE, T-Mobile option, leaning towards 51% space gray. You can't beat 200MB free of data and they'll have various one time plans available too. Just incase you go over 200MB, they'll just cut it off and reset it the following month so no overages! During this afternoon's Apple earnings call, CEO Tim Cook mentioned that he believes the iPad mini with Retina Display is going to be hard to come by this Christmas / Holiday season primarily due to manufacturing constraints. So yes, I too will be pre-ordering a mini and make my decision on which one to keep after I've handled both new iPads. While we're at it, if you must know, I'm also opting for the 32GB LTE, T-Mobile option in space gray… maybe. Or maybe white. Darn it!

"In terms of the retina or the iPad mini with Retina Display, we'll start shipping later in November. Uh…i t's unclear whether we will have enough for the quarter or not. We know how many we will have but we really don't know the demand until we start shipping, so we'll see how that goes. I think we'll do fairly well with with iPad as i'd mentioned before. we felt like its gonna be a great holiday season." - Tim Cook

Helping me with which size to pick, here's Jon Gruber's take on the iPad Air.

Calling the new full-size model the iPad Air says it all. In one year, the iPad Air has dropped 30 percent of its weight, narrowed considerably, and doubled in performance. A weight drop like that is significant for any product, but especially so for a device that is primarily used while being held in your hands. It’s startling when first you hold one.

I’m an iPad Mini convert. After just a few weeks last year, my Mini became my one and only iPad. My iPad usage is mostly for reading, and not much for typing. The smaller size and lighter weight just fit my usage better. I went into this year’s event assuming I’d walk out wanting to buy the new Mini. But the new Air is so much lighter, and thus so much more amenable to holding it in just one hand, that I walked out of the event completely unsure which one I want. In fact, the new Air (469 grams) is closer in weight to the new Mini (331 grams) than it is to the old iPad 3/4 (650 grams) that it replaces. (Those weights are all for the Wi-Fi-only models.)

The Verge posted their hands-on glimpse of the iPad Air last Tuesday during the Apple Event. In case you missed it:

http://youtu.be/6XunU-iXwyc

I'm excited, none the less, to once again have a full-sized iPad so that I can enjoy my comics, magazines and movies on my commute or while I sit in the pilot lounge during prolonged stays.

For further reading, iMore's Rene Ritchie offers his advice on which color to get and which model to get. I stand by it and agree with him. It didn't make it necessarily easier for me but I'm sure that you might be able to take something away.

Also if you want to read an edited transcript of Apple CEO Tim Cook Macworld has you covered. He also goes on record saying, "I think it’s going to be an iPad Christmas." If you ask me, exciting times ahead for Apple especially with the mention of new product categories.

I'll leave you with Apple's awesome pencil commercial. Take a peak. What do you think? Which one are you going to buy?

http://youtu.be/o9gLqh8tmPA

Mavericks May Be Free but Incompatibility Comes at a Price

I've spent more than $300 on various aviation logbook programs since the start of my career. It's actually quite ridiculous but when I started an electronic logbook, I was on a Windows PC coupled with my trusty Palm Treo 650. I had my Powerbook Titanium G4 as well, but there was no mobile solution so I looked the other way. Fast forward a few years later when I converted to the better program called LogTen Pro. Since then, I've become a HUGE fan of their creator Coradine Aviation Systems. I love great software and theirs has always been top-notch. It's always been far more superior and ahead of all the other logbook programs and when it comes down to it, it really is a polished Apple-like program. It's one of those programs that I'd like to think would make people switch over to a Mac because of the refinements within. I've even beta tested for Coradine when their mobile products were just coming out back when I had the iPhone 3G and iPhone 4.

When Apple released Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks last Tuesday as a free upgrade, I happen to be out on day three of a four day trip. The plan was to come home the next day, backup my MacBook Air and upgrade as soon as I set foot in my house. Good thing I didn't do it sooner because if I had, I would have had to pay, yet again, $99 to upgrade to version 6 which, by the way, is just over two years old.

There have been periods where discounts were given to upgrade to version 6 but I never felt compelled to continue the 18 month subscription. In this case, I would have been forced to upgrade because there is no fix in the near future nor will there ever be. If I went the high road and didn't pay, I would have been stuck with an awesome operating system and broke logbook. This is not the time either to have a broken logbook with airline applications and captain upgrade. Bad timing all together.

Is it bad programing that an older piece of software can't be made compatible with a new operating system? I'd like to think not, but what is it really? Coradine was very vague in providing details about which APIs or what it was that had changed to make my version of LogTen Pro 5 incompatible. Taken right from their Mavericks Release Page:

What changed?

Changes in OS X Mavericks APIs required us to rewrite a number of core functions within our apps. LogTen Pro 6.0.14 will be a free update!

It's always a free update within version numbers. Nothing new there. I'm glad they had a fix out immediately but now this is where I come in.

What about LogTen Pro 5?

Unfortunately, because of the changes in OS X Mavericks, LogTen Pro 5 cannot be made compatible. Much has changed since OS X Lion (10.7), which was the current Mac OS when LogTen Pro 5 development was completed in 2011. LogTen Pro 5 is supported on OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) and earlier.

What I'm trying to say is that even though Apple was kind enough to provide a huge upgrade to their operating system for free, it does come at a price after all. Unfortunately, I will not be upgrading any time soon to OS X 10.9 Mavericks until Coradine comes out with LogTen Pro 7 or maybe I'll just end up stuck. It's actually quite maddening really.

update: There have been others that were not as fortunate to hold off on upgrading to Mavericks and this is Coradine's response.

Just found out that LogTenPro 5 is not supported by OS Mavericks. Just updated too, now it doesn’t work. Thanks for the heads up @coradine

— Ian Taggart (@TaggartIan) October 23, 2013

@TaggartIan we've had knowledge base articles, FB and twitter tweets, blogs and newsletters explaining that mavericks doesn't work w/ LTP5

— Coradine Aviation (@coradine) October 23, 2013

@coradine did not explicitly mention it. Have received no newsletters. Must be my fault then. Nice customer service response.

— Ian Taggart (@TaggartIan) October 23, 2013

And here's a not so nice, in what I read sarcastic, response. Poor form Coradine.

@TaggartIan if the FAA allowed us to issue NOTAMs on our software we would have done that too. Just saying we tried everything we could

— Coradine Aviation (@coradine) October 23, 2013

And here's yet another conversation:

@coradine you may think to offer a discount to upgrade to LTP 6...we are hand tied too. I'm not gonna miss Mavericks because of LTP

— Christian Staiger (@staigernav) October 22, 2013