Pinnacle studio is no stranger to me. When I first started making Geekazine videos back in 2008, I was using their software to produce shows like “The 5 Tech Things You Should Know.” I since moved on to other software, but still have Pinnacle for “just in case moments”.

Now we have Pinnacle Studio for iPad by Corel Inc. – a video editor software that can rival iMovie. In fact, all video is being post-produced using this software so you know what you are getting.

To start, this is a single-video, multi-audio editor. That means you can’t do layers for video but you can do a picture in picture and layer audio tracks for music and voice-overs.

Lower 3rds can be added via the effects options within the app. You also have some very interesting transitions, too. Like this one:

As you may have guessed, this part of the review is not being recorded from the iPad – which I could easily do. I wanted to show you the ability to import your videos using your favorite cloud device.

This is something that iMovie doesn’t do – connect to Dropbox, Box, or other cloud services to gather video, audio, pictures and more. So I could easily record something on the camera, move it to my iPad in MP4 format and mix down from there.

I could also record everything from the iPad or iPhone camera and mix together. I could have 3-4 people with iPhones recording, then have them move the video to Dropbox where I upload and put into one video.

I can start a project, then save the file to Dropbox where I can then import into the full version of Pinnacle studio and finish the work. That means I can start a project on the road and finalize it when I get back home. iMovie has that same feature, but once again – going through iCloud.

There is a lot of versatility to this software, but it also comes with some annoyances, which we will talk about next.

So if you want to make a simple movie, montage or maybe get some scenes so you can upload as a “Citizen journalist”, Pinnacle studio is a great way to do that. You can record, edit and send final videos in every MP4 video format: from 4:3 to 1080p.

There are a few issues with this software. For one, I found that some MP4 video I imported via Dropbox was refused by the software. It simply said “Not an accepted format by iPad” which I found to be un-informative. Especially since I could download right from the Dropbox app into my device and not have problem.

The outdoor montage I created even had problems importing into the app. I had to close out and go back in to finally have Pinacle recognize it.

By the way – the software is $12.99, but if you want to connect to Dropbox you will need to spend another $4.99 for a companion app that allows you to do that.

The interface is not completely intuitive. This was the big problem I had with their main software, too. The learning curve is easy, but it seemed clunky on how you do certain things such as use the transitions they supply.

If you want to use this software with the desktop companion, then you either need a PC or run Parallels or boot camp on your Mac. The main software is only for Windows.

Nonetheless, if you need something to make quick edits and get it out to a producer or even store for a video podcast or something else, Pinnacle studio is a quick and easy way to get something out.

The school season is fast approaching for some – unless you live in Hawaii or go to private school where there are no summer solstices. Nonetheless the 2014 school season is fast approaching. That means pencils, books, teachers dirty looks…

Wait. Maybe we don’t need any more pencils or books. Not if you have an iPad.

Lets take a look at some great apps you can get to make an iPad purchase more justifiable.

The most important apps might just be those office apps you can use to take notes, build presentations and more. For that, I am going with the tried and true apps of Microsoft Office 365 like Microsoft Word. The best part of these apps is you can easily move to a PC at home to continue working if needed.

I switch between computers all the time. More important, I send documents to others on a regular basis. This morning I just filled out a Word document form for an event I’ll be participating on.

If anything, Word and PowerPoint are going to get their use on an iPad for school. If anything, OneNote is free and useful in its own right.

Evernote is another app which you will get great use from. Especially for those who like to take pictures of the teacher’s writing – Add a Dropbox account to this and you have a powerful note taking device.

How does that work? Load Dropbox on your phone and tablet. When the instructor brings up a slide or fills the chalkboard with tons of facts, snap a picture with your phone. The phone then sends the image to Dropbox which you can then use IFTTT to send the image into Evernote.

This process can also be done with audio snippets. So you can put together a whole lecture in one Evernote document.

Wikipedia is a great resource but sometimes you need more. That is where the Encyclopædia Britannica can jump in. Over 80,000 articles curated and edited, you can find what you are looking for.

Could you imagine what our yearbooks would have looked like if Instagram and Google Enhancement were around back then? It is estimated we will take almost 900 billion photos with our mobile devices in 2014. From pictures of friends, slides on the overhead, or just those fun pictures of cats.

If you use Jostens for your student Yearbook, you can download the Yearbooker’s Field Kit by Jostens, Inc., which organizes your photos as you go.

As for textbooks – there are a series of apps that can get your book electronically. Kindle, iBooks and more. One of these groups is called Kno Textbooks. You find your book then pay the in-app purchase price (which can be just as expensive as a physical textbook).

The best part about these books is you can highlight and share your notes with others that have kno textbooks as well. They have a library of over 200,000 books from kindergarden to college.

Another app I like a lot is Phoster by Bucket Labs. This app allows you to make posters for events, school elections, dances and more.

If you haven’t used If this than that – otherwise known as IFTTT.com – then you might be surprised as to what it can do. The app creates recipes so you don’t have to repeat building the wheel hundreds of times.

Lets step back a quick second to 2007. We had Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. 3rd party apps came out that allowed you to write once and post to all. It was great, but soon other networks came out that didn’t have open APIs to do that.

Further, you might want to send information to another channel – such as an email or dropbo document.

Enter in IFTTT. They create recipes so when one thing happens, it sends to another. I have a few recipes out there. One in particular is a recipe that sends certain posts with keywords into an Evernote document. I can then review the document to see whats new.

Some popular recipes include backing up contacts to a Google spreadsheet, email new iPhone photos, change your Twitter profile photo when your Facebook photo changes, and more. You can even have your phone mute when it identifies where you are. That way your “Sexy and I know it” ringtone doesn’t go off during that important meeting…

IFTTT can also be accessed via website, but the app caters to your iPad use. You can also get it for iOS and Android devices.

If you don’t have a personal assistant, this is a great way to organize and automate your life.

It’s rumor time as the new iPads will be coming out soon. The expected date is around October – which I actually think its a little late. They poise for a christmas purchase but totally miss the back to school crowd, which might be more lucrative.

Nonetheless, in October we are going to expect iPad to start biting into the notebook department with a 12.9 inch iPad. More screen for multiple applications.

I love my iPad, but I also love the notebook for two reasons – keyboard and a larger screen. One window on the left, the other on the right so I can search on information to add to my articles.

Now keep in mind this is only a rumor. We actually talked about this a year ago. But I am expecting this to become reality because this will add more than just the notebook group.

Just recently we learned a little bit about the Sapphire screen – a glass face that withstands scratches and more. This can make an iPad tougher so it can also be used as a kiosk on a wall.

Even if the kiosk iPad doesn’t add interactivity with customers, you can now put devices embedded in walls with a screen large enough where people can see it.

As the rumor mill continues to churn, I’ll keep you abreast of what is being said.

This week we celebrate the 4th of July – Food, fun, drinks, and of course – fireworks. Your iPad can help in that regard by helping you create your own Fireworks show with 2 apps that I found.

The first app is called Fireworks Arcade by Big Duck Games and actually has been around for a couple years now – so it should work on your older iPads. The app simply allows you to tap the screen and display fireworks.

Call up a song in your library to choreograph the event. I am a big progressive rock fan, so I took a couple Rush tunes, Yes, Styx, and created some great fireworks.

There is also a games feature including a speed firework game, whack-a-mole style, Fruit-ninja style (where you can swipe the dots for fireworks) and more. Level up while you ohh and ahh at some of the fireworks.

You can also tilt and shake the iPad to produce random fireworks!

Fireworks Arcade features different types of fireworks including smiley faces, checkboxes, hearts, and more. The app is free, with .99 cent in-app purchase to remove the ads.

The second Fireworks app I looked at called Musical Fireworks 2 by WebGames3D. This app has a bit more to it as you can choose the types of fireworks you want to display. There is also a record mode that you can set to music. Create your fireworks and display on the Apple TV.

the app is free to load on your iPad. In app purchases remove ads, enable recording, and even give you a 3D city which rotates as your fireworks go off.

It’s a fun little app and can really show off your show designer skills.

Today we are going to take a look at iOS8. Now last week Apple announced at the WWDC conference the new iOS for iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Those devices not making the list would include your iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4. 5th generation iPod touch and all models of iPad EXCEPT the iPad v.1 will allow for iOS 8 to be installed.

First of all, you won’t be seeing the OS until about September when new devices will also be announced. What Apple does is they get the buzz going and let developers get beta copies so they can start coding for iOS 8.

With that said, there are some pretty impressive features that your iPad will be able to do once it rolls out. The biggest advantage is what’s called “Air Drop”.

The idea of Air drop is to send a file from phone to iPad to computer. Whereas Apple is using Air Drop, Android uses a technology called NFC – Nearfield Communication. Air Drop does not do tap-to-pay like Android – which is fine by me.

Another new feature is the Continuity mode. In this, you will be able to work on a project via your phone, iPad, or computer. Think of it like a check-out system. You can start working on something on your iPad, then switch it over to your Macbook. Finally, check out on the iPhone to make review changes and send back to the Macbook to publish or send.

If you have multiple iOS devices, the Family sharing option can link these accounts. This is perfect for sharing music, movies, books, photos, calendars, and more. You can even share locations so all Dad has to do is look at the iPad to find out where everyone is.

If you own an iPhone, you will be able to now link with the iPad and take a call from the tablet. That means if your iPhone is on the charging dock, you can still take that phone call. It’s like the days of having 2-3 landline phones in the house – when you get a call, all the phones ring…

Next up – Photos. Apple has linked all photo information with iCloud. The new updated app is suppose to catalog your photos better so you can find important memories. Added editing tools also allows you to clean up photos as best as possible.

Keep in mind the program will do what it can, but if you have a blurry, dark iPad image of Bon Jovi or Brad Paisley, the app won’t be able to fix that.

A new keyboard feature might help you with your typing. Since my iPhone was stolen last year, I switched to an Android phone. One feature I really like is the Swype functionality. When I have to type on an iPad, if I’m not doing the ten finger approach (which I excel at on the iPad), it becomes really archaic.

There have been iPad apps that state they can swipe to create words, but they all have failed. Apple has announced they are allowing a keyboard switch with programs like Flesky, Swype, and Swiftkey. I would have to change the keyboard in the settings, but the end result is a swipe-text option.

The keyboard also has a suggestive word feature. If you type “Thank”, the device will show three possible words that would follow, such as “you”, “you all”, “the…” which you would select.

In the healthcare area is Health – a way to combine your activity tracking devices into one area. If you have a blood pressure cuff, or fitness wearable, your numbers can be collected into one spot for review.The Healthkit also can be linked to your hospital so your doctor can call up your stats.

Finally, Apple has come out with a new developers kit and a new programming language called Swift. I won’t get much into this here, but swift is a condensed programming language that can ultimately turn an app that would take 500 KB to load into a 200 KB file.

What this means is your iPad 1 might start losing more apps than ever before because its not getting upgraded to iOS8. That is sad because I even use the iPad 1 from time to ...

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced Office365 for the iPad and their first pricing plan which didn’t make sense for the home user. They came back and created a “personal” pricing plan where you could install Office on 2 machines – a computer and a tablet. The $6.95 a month ($70 a year) plan actually made more sense.

It comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, and One Note. It also comes with 20 GB of OneDrive storage, Skype with 60 minutes of calls each month to over 60 countries and more.

If you need more than 2 machines, then the $9.99 – or $100/year plan would fit you better.

However, Apple has their own suite of programs and they are one-time purchases. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. For $30 a program you can have a copy on the Mac and one on the iPad.

They also have iCloud with 5 free GB.

In this episode I take a look at the differences between one of the suite programs – the word processor. Pages vs. MS Word. Which one should you get?

Get Microsoft Word for iPad by Microsoft Corporation

Get Pages – Apple

Microsoft’s obvious advantage is you can choose a PC to install Office onto. Apple has a web-based editor/viewer that is in beta which you can use on a PC. You can also install Word viewer on any machine if you need to review a document.

When it comes to layout, Word puts their menu in a minimal ribbon format – if you have ever used the program you are familiar with it. Pages keeps the buttons minimal, which can confuse people where the options to enlarge font sizes are.

Creating a document is pretty straightforward for either program. You can choose from templates and go from there. Move it back and forth from tablet to computer and back.

Once again, I think the advantage is Microsoft Word simply because of how many people have used Office over iWork. You can definitely send a Pages document to Word and back. The question is how your work will look from machine to machine. Of course, if you use the Gotham font and it’s not on the other machine, the program will have to revert to its closest match.

Otherwise, the two match pretty close in functionality – printing, sending via email, and more.

So in times past I’ve been neutral on which one I would use. The reality is I like Word over Pages. I am familiar with the setup and I work in a mixed environment computer-wise. The only issue is the subscription price, which I could justify as a business expense.

So which one are you planning to use? Do you even create word documents on your iPad, or do you keep it more as an e-reader, web surfing, or game playing device?

The folks at IK Multimedia have done it again. This time they have turned the iPad into a music control unit with the iRing system. Two plastic rings with a dot pattern which will control beats, add tones and samples, and even control your programs on the Mac.

I start with the iRing – two plastic rings that slip in between your fingers. These rings will control any iPad 2 or above (needs the front-facing camera to work) to adjust the beat and tones to the music. Move the ring away and the beat will simplify. Turn the ring (like a key to a car) and it can switch to another beat.

The iRing Music Maker by IK Multimedia is a simple program to show you the basics to a beat. You can play with the grooves and leads in the program or make in-app purchases to enhance your groove.

All of these programs are available for iOS devices with a front-facing camera.

iRing FX Controller Turns the iPad into an app connected controller, even for your Mac!

The iRing does a lot more than just controls one program. Add in iRing FX/Controller along with Audiobus – Audiobus Pty Ltd will turn your iPad into a multi-tasking music creations system. A while back I talked about Loopy HD on the show.  Well you can take the Loopy HD by A Tasty Pixel software and interface so iRing can control the loops.

Better yet, use the FX controller to connect to your Mac and create beats using software like Traktor. There are multiple tutorials online from IK Multimedia.

This system is pretty amazing for up and coming DJ’s that want to control their beats, or the musician that wants to set up and run tracks with the flick of a hand. With the Audiobus, you can create beats that instantly record into Garage Band or another music recording app.

This is the app that Jimmy Fallon used last week to sing “Lion Sleeps Tonight” with Billy Joel on the Tonight Show. Loopy HD by A Tasty Pixel is a looping app that allows you to create small loops or whole songs.

You have containers in which you can upload a sample, or record your vocal or instrument. You can record up to 12 samples to work within the song.

Once recorded, you can turn on and off the sample. Adjust the sample if you want it to be off-beat. You can also adjust the volume, pan, and even layer one track on another for the right sound.

The app has MIDI control, so you can use a pedal to control the loops.

Loopy is available for iPhone ($2.99) or the HD on iPad ($7.99) which allows you to load on phone and tablet.

Blue Microphones Nessie

Jimmy Fallon had high-end wireless microphones to record with. For some of us, we need a good and cheap USB microphone to plug into our iPads.

That is where the Blue Microphones Nessie comes in. This is a great microphone that sits on your desk to record vocals, music and more. With the USB to lightning adapter, you can connect the Nessie to your iPad or iPhone.

The Nessie is a condenser microphone, so its meant to sit on the table, as opposed to by your mouth. I recommend pointing the microphone to the corner of your mouth, no more than 6-12 inches away from you. Otherwise, this microphone has a built-in wind screen and shock mount.

Three switches on the back allow for instrument mode, vocal mode or RAW mode. The microphone has a touch button to mute at a moments notice. The light will pulse when the microphone is muted.

The headphone jack in the back allows you to hear what you are recording, with a volume dial on the stand.

Only issue with the Nessie could be the stand. If your table is too low or high, you may need to get creative for the microphone. There is no adapter to connect to a microphone stand.

Otherwise, the Nessie has a great sound and made this audio sound pretty sweet! I used it to record my Geek Smack! and This Week in Google Glass shows last week.  Blue Microphones Nessie is around $100, which is great for the podcaster or musician.

While at SXSW, I ran into a company that is working on cards that you use with your iPad. Cartamundi has some project cards where you place, tap the sequential numbers, and the “sticker” shows up on the scene. We placed a series of smurfs on the screen, which we could easily remove with a tap.

The next type of card was a 3D visor. You move the card around the iPad and it finds hidden items. Once you uncover the items, they show up on the screen. We used Shrek goggles to find the cool items.

Finally, we moved to smell-o-vision for the iPad. Two cards were pulled out which have smells on them. They were placed on the iPad and the smell-o-vision detected the smells and created a new hybrid plant from them. You can mix and match to make other hybrid smells.

These are all concepts for Cartamundi, as they can make apps specific for what you want. Whether a lovable kids character or a smell-o-vision, they cater to your needs.

For more information on getting your own card system, head to Cartamundiusa.com

As a musician, I feel music in the classroom is important. If a child can learn on their own, they might get more opportunities to be a part of something bigger. That is why I really like what Chromatik is doing – they give you the ability to practice your instrument (guitar, drums, clarinet, trumpet, etc) using popular music.

Chromatik is part of a bigger project for schools to get sheet music. Whether it’s Rachmaninoff or Royals, musicians can keep their chops up and practice what they want, when they want to.

With Chromatik, you get a few songs to work on. The app brings up a video of the song so you can practice with. It will even turn the page when needed. After a few days, the music changes for new challenges to be had.

You can record your progress in audio or video format. Share 15 seconds of your hard work with others on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

The app is free and there are no in-app purchases. The app requires iOS 6.0 to run. If you want to purchase songs for your library, then choose the Chromatik for Schools & Groups app.