Almost every home has an iPad or Google Tablet. That is pretty amazing. These devices have changed our lives forever. Whether it’s for school, work or recreation, a tablet device is a necessity these days.
Recently, while riding in an elevator, I was holding my iPad. An elderly woman, who noticed asked me if that was an iPad. And then she said, “I just got one. My grandchildren play with it all the time.” She went on to say that her PC was over 10 years old but she had now acquired both an iPhone and an iPad.
WAY TO GO!!
My iPad is mainly used for meetings or trips—a must these days. But to deny that my children are not on it most of the time would be a lie.
I was running late for a meeting and was unable to find my iPad. It was in a black case and for some reason couldn’t locate it no matter where I looked. Then I checked every one of my children’s rooms and finally found it, smooshed between the beds. Unfortunately, it was useless because it was dead. Fortunately, I had ordered a goody bag from a bargain site that has secret IT items. For $5 extra, I entered into a contest for surprise products. Though I never win such things, miraculously this time I won and in the items was a small blister pack. What looked like small pet tags and some instructions was the www.sticknfind.com/ button. This really was truly fortuitous because on the web these things cost between $20-50.
This is an absolute must have item. The device is called Stick-N-Find. The kit comes with a button and 3M strong, double-sided tape. There are two tape strips in the package. I know why now, as I ruined the first tape. You stick these things on your mobile phone, your iPad or tablet and even your keys, so you can find them in a hurry. No more last minute scrambling looking for your phone while it is right in front of you, or under a pillow.
There are instructions on the kit or on the web on how to download the app for Droid or iPhone. Then you tap the button tag three times and, voila, it’s active. Once you secure the Stick-N-Find button to the back of your Smartphone, Tablet or anything else you misplace a lot, you launch the app. The app has a built-in GPS and can locate the missing item. But if you can’t get the perfect location, one can hit the paging feature. A blue light will shine and the button chirps. I wish it was a little louder, but gone are the days of figuring out who had the iPad that “NO ONE TOOK.” The prices vary from web site to web site, but I couldn’t live without it. I bought three of them. Of course, one is for my keys—though it’s circular and wasn’t as effective as the iPad button.
Concerning iPads and tablets—I am amazed that there are people who don’t have proper cases for these extremely expensive devices. Cases re much more than fashion items. (Yes, mine is bright powder blue.) When one requires a well-functioning unit, it is best that it be protected in the proper manner. The cases I recommend are not the ones that you find at a bargain store for $5, since these will break in a couple of weeks and are very hard to put on.
For the beginner, Klutz the Otterbox line is really the standard. The cases come in many colors and styles. The Otterbox is waterproof and shockproof. This doesn’t mean you can swim with the iPad, but it will protect the unit in the rain. The Otterbox also protects the screen from cracks. The screen gets smudges more often because it’s plastic. Most people assume that the geniuses at the Apple store will just fix a screen that’s cracked. After my nephew Zalman dropped his phone on a rocky beach the first day he had it, we discovered otherwise.
For the advanced klutz, the best case would be from the Griffin line. (The company boasts that it is used by the military.) This case itself wraps every section and hole on the iPad, thus keeping the unit within shockproof and dry. One of my client’s children left the iPad out all Shabbos in the rain. The iPad was perfect with no damage. The Griffin has all of the covers you need to lift off and on to hear the speaker.
Both the Otterbox and Griffin cases can be found on Amazon or in any mall. Just don’t waste your money on the knock-offs. You may spend $300-$600 on an iPad and you go cheap to protect it from the elements and dropping it? That just doesn’t make sense.
Getting back to my original find, imagine the extent to which Stick-N-Find buttons can be used? Kippahs, Lulav and Etrog cases that no one can find on Sukkoth, but will be found on Pesach, are but a few of the many possibilities. I did hear that in Japan people are putting such devices on their children. My mother would have bought them wholesale if this was out when I was a kid.
If you have any questions or comment, Shneur Garb can be reached by [email protected] . Shneur is the CEO at The Garb IT Consulting Group in Teaneck, N.J.
By Shneur Garb
