We have several clients who use Final Draft so I wanted to write a little post about a new reader application for iPad, FDX Reader, that our tech James told me about.  FDX reader lets users read Final Draft screenplays (it does not read screenplays written in other programs) in their .fdx file format.  This means no more opening a screenplay to ugly raw XML or going through the extra step of converting to PDF before moving to the iPad.

According to the specs on the designer’s site, FDX Reader works a lot like iBooks or the Kindle app.  It keeps track of how many pages a reader has read, keeps scene numbers and lets readers go back and forth between any page.

FDX Reader for iPad is $7.99 at the app store and requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Most of the rumors turned out to be true. The iPad 2 is thinner, faster AND lighter! It does indeed have TWO (2) cameras on the front and the back (FaceTime for iPad!). The new 1GHz dual-core A5 chip is supposed to be twice as fast as the original, with ultra fast graphics up to nine times (9x!) faster.

While we were a bit disappointed that there’s no Thunderbolt connectivity on the new iPad 2, we were pleasantly surprised to see HDMI output on the new tablet (it does require an Apple Digital AV Adapter).

The iPad 2 will be available for order on March 11!

We’re still digging out from the blizzard here in NYC. Nevertheless, our hardworking citizens have braved the cold and the mountains of snow to go to work (or to play for those of you lucky to be off this week). I’ve noticed quite a few folks who didn’t receive fancy touchscreen gloves like the Freehands Power Stretch or Tavo Gloves for Christmas, and are desperately ripping off their mittens to answer a call, text or email on their iPhones as they are out and about.

If you can’t find a pair of these specially designed iPhone gloves, fear not! Our tech James gave me a tip on a post from Instructables that shows you how you can make a pair yourself! So if you’re feeling crafty and want to create your own unique pair of touchscreen gloves, you can visit the post here for the how-to video and instructions.

People often ask me what apps they should have on their iPhone and/or iPad. Well, every user has different likes and dislikes, priorities and work flows, so the most useful apps for some are not going to be at all useful for others. I polled all the techs here at NeedMacHelp and came up with a list of our favorite iPhone and iPad apps from 2010:

iPhone

• Hipstamatic – The best photo app ever. When my Holga finally bit the dust (I have no time for d&c or printing these days anyway) I went searching for an iPhoto app that would simulate the look of the images I used to get with my Holga. Hipstamatic has great effects and creates instantly beautiful images all for a mere $1.99

• Evernote – A good app that allows you to create notes, take photos, and record voice memos that you can then access any time from your iPhone, iPad, machine, or the web. And it’s free! Our tech James has one complaint – that there is no rich text functionality (he wants his formatted bullet points!).

• Dropbox – Great.  Simple.  Useful.  Free.  Access your files anywhere and everywhere and more… We all use Dropbox. It rocks.

• iTrans NYC – Because we all use public transportation! Apps for MTA, NJ Transit and PATH schedules and route planning. Includes service advisories and walking directions. Even works when you’re underground.

• Charadium – Old fashioned charade game that has been updated for the iPhone. Great for all ages. There’s a free version that you can download to try it out.

iPad

• iTeleport – Absolutely cannot do without this awesome remote desktop app. You can run all your Mac and Windows applications from your iPad, access your files, and browse the full web (including Flash sites). Pricey but worth it.

• Beejive IM – Makes mobile instant messaging so much easier!

• Angry Birds – Most of our users have this game on their iPhones and iPads already. Truly addictive game that is fun to play on the iPhone but plays even better on the iPad.

• iBooks – Probably one of the best free apps that’s out there. iBooks is both an e-book reader as well as access to Apple’s iBookstore where you can sample and purchase books and download them directly to the iPad.

• NPR Music – Another great free app that gives you music programming from NPR. You can read music news and reviews while listening to interviews, live concerts or exclusive streams of albums before they’re released.

Apple released iOS 4.2 yesterday, which is available through iTunes for compatible devices.  Make sure you back up your device before you run the update!

iOS 4.2 includes AirPlay, an updated version of AirTunes that allows iTunes 10 and iOS devices running iOS 4.2 to stream video to an HDMI TV via Apple TV.  Also included in the update is AirPrint, which allows iOS devices to print wirelessly to a limited selection of HP ePrint printers.

Another new feature of iOS 4.2 is the free Find My Phone feature. Now users who do not have MobileMe can use Find My iPhone. Set up instructions on Apple’s site here.

For iPad users, iOS 4.2 brings multitasking from the iPhone to the iPad. Also, the addition of folders to the iPad’s home screen means more room for apps and better organization.

Our tech James was going to wait for the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, but he just happened to walk past the Apple Store the day the iPad Wi-Fi debuted…

James bought the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad, which he says is indeed an amazing device, and is easily as much of a paradigm shift as the original iPhone was, if not more.

James is able to functionally leave his laptop at home 90% of the time, and the iPad is small and light enough that he can always have it with him. The iBooks app allows him to get some reading done when he takes to the subway.  James has re-ordered the 3G iPad, which will be much much much more functional for him as he’s constantly out and about.  We’ll give a report on that later this month.

James’ only minor complaint is that some of the apps available for iPhone aren’t quite up to speed for iPad yet:

• Office2 app interfaces with Google Docs pretty well, and Pages and Numbers are pretty sweet.
• Server Admin Remote has been updated for the iPad, but still waiting for iStat to follow suit.
• A couple of different VNC clients are already out — waiting to see who rises to the top.

James says he’s hoping for a Firefox and an Apple Airport Utility for the iPad as well.

You can check out an iPad at your local Apple Store or take the guided tour online here.

A word of caution from James when using your iPad in public — you may not be able to use it without being stared at or talked to.  Yes, it’s that stupendous.

The Apple “tablet” that has been the subject of much speculation over the past year made its debut last week.

Advertised as “the best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video,” the iPad features a 9.7 inch Multi-Touch display, and is only 0.5 inch thin.  With a weigh of only 1.5 pounds, the iPad is incredibly portable.

As of last week, the iPad can run almost 140,000 of the apps on the App Store — even the ones that you’ve already downloaded on your iPhone and iPod touch.  A new app to the iPad is iBooks, which allows users to read and buy books from the built-in iBookstore.

The iPad is reasonably priced, with models starting at $499 for the 16GB + Wi-Fi and topping out at $829 for the 64GB + Wi-Fi + 3G.  The Wi-Fi only models ship in March, with the 3G models following in April.

Engadget published a good hands-on evaluation of the iPad, with the pluses (beautiful screen, super fast CPU, great eBook reading experience) and the minuses (no multi-tasking, no camera and no Adobe Flash).  For all the technical specs and the promo video, visit Apple’s website.