Apple « Daily Bulletin

teslong borescope digital camera barrel monitor

As an Amazon Associate, this site earns a commission from Amazon sales.

May 18th, 2011

JBM-Powered Ballistics Software for Apple iPads

iPad Ballistics software A dedicated iPad version of Ballistic (‘Ballistic’ App), a full-featured ballistics calculator for the iPhone, is available for the growing numbers of iPad users. As with the iPhone version, ‘Ballistic’ App for the iPad is “powered by JBM Ballistics” so it offers very precise solutions — typically, at 600 yards, JBM will get you within two or three clicks, provided you have good bullet BC data and reliable MV from your chronograph.

The ‘Ballistic’ App for the iPhone and iPad features a library of over 3,100 projectiles; the library includes the latest 2010 commercial data and G7 military coefficients from Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Along with calculating bullet trajectories, this software has many extra features. There are several different target cards so you can input shot placement and scoring is calculated automatically. There is also a range log (for recording shooting sessions), a mildot and MOA range estimator, and a convenient load database for storing your reloading recipes.

Special features in the iPad edition of ‘Ballistic’ App include: fully integrated split-screen ballistics, favorites, and range log; full-screen, hi-resolution charts; ballistics calculations update automatically as you edit; larger target sizes in range log; and screens can rotate. The iPad Ballistic App (release 2.3.7) costs $19.99. The standard version for iPhone and iTouch units, costs $9.99. To learn more about this software, visit ballistic.zdziarski.com.

July 29th, 2010

Amazon Introduces $139.00 Kindle eBook Reader Today

$139.00 Kindle Huge Price Cut for Popular Gadget
If you’ve been waiting to purchase an e-Reader, now may be the time to open your wallet. Today, Amazon.com unveiled a new Kindle reader for just $139.00 — less than a third what the original Kindle cost. The introduction of Apple’s new iPad has forced Amazon to slash the price of its popular electronic book reader, which has been Amazon’s #1-selling product for the past two years. You may ask: “Why buy a Kindle when the iPad has web-browsing capability and a color screen?” Well consider these factors:

Kindle has a HUGE run-time advantage. An iPad can run about 10 hours before it needs recharging. Kindle can run for a MONTH between charges.
Books and newspaper articles are easier to read on the Kindle’s low-glare, black-on-white “virtual paper” screen.
The Kindle does NOT require an expensive data plan or web access contract. The Kindle has no connection fees, although you do pay a charge to download most recent book titles.
The Kindle is lighter and more rugged than an iPad. The new Kindle weighs just 8.7 ounces — less than a paperback book.
The Kindle has physical keys, and it is easier to flip pages on the Kindle without moving your supporting hands.

Two new Kindles, priced at $139.00 and $189.00 respectively, go on sale today, with delivery starting August 27, 2010. These new units are 15% lighter and 21% smaller than the current basic model, yet the screens offer higher resolution with easier-to-read text. The $139.00 Kindle is WiFi only, while the same-sized $189.00 version offers both WiFi and 3G cellular connectivity. Both the new compact Kindles offer a 6″ viewing screen. That is significantly smaller than the iPad screen, but the iPad starts at about $500, and you could easily pay $700 with memory upgrades. If you prefer a bigger screen, Amazon also offers a large-screen model, the Kindle DX, which costs $379.00.

Editor’s Note: Some readers may wonder what eReaders have to do with shooting. Well, there are thousands of outdoor, hunting, and shooting-related titles offered for Kindles. You can download an eBook for a fraction of the cost of buying the physical version. And the Kindle can hold up to 3,500 titles in a compact device that weighs less than a single paperback book.

Permalink Gear Review, New Product, News No Comments »

June 30th, 2010

New Mil-Dot Rangefinder App for Apple iPhone and iPod

Mil-dot Ranging App Many of our readers are now using smart-phones for ballistic calculations. Now there is a new App for the iPhone which makes mildot target ranging simple and easy. Mil-Dot Rangefinder 2.0 does all the math for you. Just input the size of the target, and the program calculates range instantly, in yards and meters. The standard edition costs just $1.99 while the “Pro” version is $9.99. We think that, if you’re going to really use this program in the field, it’s well worth paying ten bucks for the Pro version. The Pro edition gives you a full-featured ballistics calculator with windage/elevation corrections. That calculator alone is worth the extra money, and the Pro version offers many other features, which are listed below:

Target ranging (yards and meters)
US Army and USMC mil-dot reticles
Target Info display
Advanced ballistics calculator
Fast windspeed/direction adjustment
Range card (ballistics chart)
Point of impact indicator
Bullet drop compensator
Windage/elevation corrections
Time to target
Shot energy/velocity at target
Multiple Ballistic Profiles

This is a very powerful program. We suspect it will take most users a few days before they really understand all its functions and options. To see a more detailed demonstration of the Mil-Dot Rangefinder App, click on the YouTube video below. There’s no voice-over, so the video can be hard to follow. But at least the video showcases the flexibility of the program and the wide variety of functions it offers. Credit The Firearm Blog for spotlighting this useful App.

Permalink - Videos, New Product, Tech Tip 5 Comments »

June 26th, 2010

Warning: New Apple 4th-Gen iPhone May Have Serious Flaws

Many of our readers use iPhones to run ballistics programs and to access travel maps and weather reports. We CAUTION readers who may be planning to purchase a new Apple iPhone 4 (Fourth Generation), first released on June 24th: Wait until the flaws are fixed.

You May Want to Hold Off on Purchasing a iPhone 4
We know many of you guys are anxious to get the latest iPhone 4… but we strongly advise you to wait a week or two at least. Or perhaps wait a few months until an improved version of the new iPhone is available. The reason for this advice is simple — the glass panels on the new iPhone are prone to cracking, and there is a serious reception problem on many of the latest generation of iPhones.

iPhone 4 Major Problems
We suggest readers WAIT before purchasing an iPhone 4, based on issues we observed ourselves, as well as thousands of reports that are flooding in. There are three main problems.

1. Many iPhone 4s have hardware-related reception problems causing dropped calls. This is apparently caused by hand interference with the antenna.

2. The iPhone 4’s front screen and back plate, which are composed of a new, ultra-hard Aluminosilicate glass, are very prone to cracking. We observed this first-hand.

3. Some iPhone 4 users are reporting yellow blotches and other abnormal screen discolorations. This is apparently a manufacturing defect.

iPhone 4G Cracked Glass on Faceplate and Backplate
On June 24th, we went to the shooting range. One of our shooters, Katrina, had just acquired a brand new iPhone 4. She carried it in a protective belt holster. After a couple hours of shooting from a sitting position at the bench, she tried to make a call, only to find that the front glass screen had a full-width diagonal crack. This phone was never dropped, tossed, or abused in any way. While the screen needs to be replaced, Katrina’s iPhone is still able to make calls — the first one of which went to Apple customer support.

Many reports are surfacing about broken iPhone 4 glass. Unlike our experience with Katrina’s phone, most of the breakages appear to be on the back plate. You’ll find reports of the breakages in the Apple forums and on major tech websites.

Gizmodo.com reports: “Cases of broken iPhone 4’s backs are already appearing. This hasn’t changed from previous generations…. But the difference is that the iPhone 4 is all glass. If you drop any other phone, you have a 50% chance of breaking its screen. With the iPhone 4, the risk will always be there, no matter how it falls. It’s just more exposed to damage because of the material choice.” Another breakage report.

CNET confirms the cracking glass problem in iPhone 4s, and has already published a do-it-yourself YouTube video showing how to replace the glass rear plate.

Reception and Dropped Call Problem
There is a widespread problem with iPhone 4s losing reception when held in the hand. The video below shows how just picking up the iPhone and holding it normally will cause loss of reception. The problem appears to be hand contact with the iPhone 4’s metal frame, which serves as the antenna.

An article in Gizmodo.com addresses the issue: “There’s no great fix for the iPhone 4 reception issues right now. We’re also pretty sure—and Apple confirms it—that touching the antenna does affect things—whether or not it has the final result of killing calls or speed of data connection.”

Rubber Bumper Partial Reception Fix?
Here is a further CNET video report confirming the reception issue with multiple iPhone 4 test units. The problem is more acute with some users than others, and CNET did suggest that installing a $30 rubber bumper may help with the problem. Tests by igear360.com show that bumper can raise iPhone 4 downloading speeds, but uploading speeds still suffer substantially. Click here for iPhone bumper tests.

Permalink Gear Review, New Product 7 Comments »

December 4th, 2009

FREE Shot Timer Apps for IPhones and IPods

Here’s good news for iPhone and iPod owners. There are two new FREE applications (Apps) that let you use your device as a firearms shot timer. It may be a while before we see iPhones used at 3-gun matches, but it’s nice to know that Apple’s smartphones can do double duty as timers. Both Surefire, maker of tactical flashlights, as well as Taurus, firearms manufacturer, offer Shot Timer Apps that can be downloaded, for FREE, from the iTunes store. (Note: you must have iTunes software installed on your computer to download the Shot Timer programs. iTunes software is free, but it is a hefty 90-meg install.)

CLICK HERE for Taurus Shot Timer App Download | CLICK HERE for SureFire Shot Timer FAQ

With either the SureFire ShotTimer or Taurus Timer apps installed, your iPhone/iPod can function just like a dedicated shot timer (such as the PACT Club Timer III), but you no longer need a dedicated unit. All the key functions can be performed with your iPhone or iPod. The screen displays the elapsed time and the split time for every shot fired. You can review time between consecutive shots, shot count, and total firing time. A “start delay” option let you train alone, and you can use the Par Time mode to train “against the clock”.

Once the unit is adjusted, the built-in microphone on an iPhone or iPod should be able to track every shot without fail. Even indoors, anti-echo technology provides reliable shot detection. The software allows you to adjust microphone sensitivity to the unique sound “profile” of the shots. Just tap ‘Adjust Sensitivity’ on the display to raise the sensitivity in 10% increments until the Shot Timer consistently detects all your shots.

Iphone shot timer app With either the SureFire or Taurus Timer Apps, you can hold your iPhone like a traditional shot timer or use the start delay mode with the iPhone placed on a shooting bench, or held in your shirt pocket. The Shot Timer will display both elapsed time and split time for every shot. You can store practice session results in your iPhone’s internal memory.

Permalink Competition, New Product 2 Comments »

October 17th, 2009

Greatest Hits: Ballistics App for I-Pods and I-Phones

LINK: Advanced Ballistics Program for I-Phones and I-Pods
Apple’s I-Phone and I-Pod offer a superb user interface with serious computing power. Here’s a very trick software App (good enough for the U.S. military) that runs ballistic calcs and even has a bullet database.