Stay tuned for more details as I progress!  Also, my new site – which is a collective of all projects (music, iOS, etc) – will be updated much more often with general progress reports.  Be sure to visit it now, and make yourself at home… leave a comment and say hello!  www.JerryZamostny.com!  My idea is to slowly turn this into a product website and less of a blog site.  Hopefully you will stick around…

So it went like this:
I was using the popular app, Brushes, to entertain my daughter for a few minutes. When I was about to leave the house, I asked her for the iPad and after she handed it off to me, I closed the app and pressed the sleep/lock button. Just as I started to walk out the door, I was tempted to reference one of my task lists so I went to wake up the device by pressing the sleep/lock button again, and… nothing. It wouldn’t wake up. At all.

I quickly panicked and immediately started to alter my plans to include a visit to the local Apple store for repair/replacement. Then I started to think rationally. I grabbed the USB cable and the wall charger, plugged it in and expected to see the unit trip itself back to charging. Nope. Now I worried. I continued to deliver digital CPR (pressing the sleep/lock button) but nothing still. I was preparing to deal with the loss of my new beloved tool. In a last ditch effort, I held both buttons down then inserted the USB cable and after a few seconds (about 30), it booted up.

Sigh of relief. I had seen this before with my iPhones. It was seldom, but it had happened at least once to each of them (I have owned each model so it wasn’t device specific). Something is definitely in the OS causing these random shut downs and scary boot-ups. Perhaps a memory leak somewhere? Rogue lines of code acting out a Jason Bourne script? Either way, the iPad is alive and kicking. Apple will inevitably hear about this from the user community or in a more likely scenario, they are already aware and quietly addressing.

What seems to be apparent is that Apple must have paid off UPS so that they wouldn’t post up-to-the-minute whereabouts of my iPad! WTF?! LOL There’s no need for that! Actually there is. I have many a friend at the local distribution centers where truck for various logistics companies. I would be able to acquire my package with some bribery. The few dollars extra would totally be worth it too!

With the announcements of all the iPad apps getting approved is making the last 24 hours all the more difficult. I have even set aside $80 for an iTunes App Store gift card because I know the first thing I will want to do is pickup some of the most important apps like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Among others, most likely a Twitter client or two (TweetDeck is looking amazing!), a task management app (maybe Things, but it’s too complicated for me), and maybe a game or two. What are you planning to buy/download if you haven’t already?

Let us know if you have found the same good news on your pre-order in the comments below!

I don’t want this to happen to my Precious.

I was lucky enough that I was eligible for my early upgrade and still sell the cracked iPhone on Craigslist for $240.  Yeah, $240!  Get that!?  Me either.  I don’t think I will be so lucky if this were to happen to my newly purchased iPad.  Plus, my wife would very seriously beat me if that happend.  It’s not so much that she hits hard, cause she’s a girl, but the fact that her huge wedding ring would leave wounds requiring stitches!

Either way, I am not stoked for the days between receiving said iPad and the day my protective case arrives.  Those will be walking on egg shells types of days.

We’re here folks!  Less than 2 hours away from the Pre-Order launch and I still am struggling to decide if I even want an iPad!  I have a personal budget setup originally for the iPad but it really is just my spending money that the wife hasn’t nabbed up yet.  My list:

Pro’s

• Could be awesome productivity tool at work
• Not a laptop replacement
• Runs the apps I already depend on with newer iPad specific versions likely to follow soon
• Good to actually have one to develop on (as if I were actually getting somewhere with my development skills)
• I might get into reading books for leisure
• Could help out in Rome Apart activities and planning possibly even demoing with software releases
• Would make several work related tasks easier (Inventories, Meeting Minutes, Presentations, etc.)

Cons

• Expensive
• Definitely niche use
• Would add another device to occupy my rapidly depleting time
• Not able to pin point a true need or solution it would provide
• Could use money else where
  • Tattoo(s)
  • Drum equipment
  • Rome Apart equipment and merch
  • General spending money

Anyways…

A very close friend of mine has asked me to produce his new album, which isn’t out of the ordinary or anything.  What is exciting is that he wants to really dive deep into the production and writing the same way I had on a previous project.  These types of projects always lead to something so meaningful and close to our hearts as musicians.  Starting this month, I will be starting the production meetings and rehearsals for what is sure to be a killer and beautiful album.  Please stay tuned as I have some more musical projects cropping up in the very near future…

Project BlackHalo is going well.  Very well.  Forgive me for downplaying the excitement… I really can’t give too much away.  I will say that it is likely to be one of my bigger focuses of 2010.  Be sure to follow the progress on Twitter by adding #BlackHalo as one of your searches and start spreading the word!

iPhone… iPad… Spend… Save…
No news on this – just a struggle as to whether I will drop my wallet down on Apples gorgeous counter at my local mall to apease my tech-loving, information overloaded, gadget carrying, selfishness… or do I save the money?  Do I really need a new device?  Do I need to be more productive at my job?  I can say that I am very excited to start sharing more ideas of mine to developers for this outstanding device… yeah, I’ll probably just buy one.

Talk to you all again soon I’m sure…

It seems like everyone has their opinions as to what the March Press event will detail, much like every other Apple event.  I’m no one special, or remotely connected or informed of said event, but here is my predictions/wish list:

• I think we will see OS 4.0 since it would likely coincide with the iPad’s launch.  However, there is a lingering feeling I have that Apple is bullheaded enough to make the iPad’s OS specific to the device.  So we could see iPad OS 1.0 – super lame if so.
• I don’t think we will see a hint of the next generation iPhone.  If we do, I really can’t foresee any true innovations being added besides a front facing camera which doesn’t interest me in the least.  Not on my phone.  On the iPad, maybe.  And thats a stretch too.
• I think we could see some more features that were intentionally left out of the January iPad event.  I personally felt that Apple rushed to the market with this device.  I’m still thinking to myself, “this thing’s gotta have something else up its sleeve, right?”
• Personally, there has got to be more open doors given to developers like access to the native calendar and lock screen toys to compete with the whole “hey, my Android has this cool thing I can put here blah blah blah” noise.
• We could see some improvements to the native apps on the iPhone and iPod touch to match the caliber of the iPAd’s versions.  Seriously, lets dress these apps up a bit Apple!

I’m really looking forward to calling out of work the day the iPad goes on sale so that I can wait in line with my coffee so I can have a few minutes to man-handle on myself before laying down cash.  We want to hear what you think too so leave a comment!

While walking around the mall, my wife and I noticed the aroma of chargrilled goodness which instantly changed what was once merely a snack-like craving turn into a vicious hunger void that could only be filled with the likes of steak and beer.  We continued to follow our noses as if they were aromatic GPS units honed in on the scent of outdoor grilling.  The trek led us outside and around the back of the mall near neighboring restaurants of lessor flavor.  Finally, we found the source that has caused our stomachs to growl with ferocity, and it stood there like a meat lovers monolith… Punk’s Backyard Grill.

We walked in and we transported into a neighborhood backyard fully equipped with a monster grill, lawn-friendly picnic tables, trees and umbrellas.  The atmosphere was spot on and spotless!  For my wife and I, the decor had sparked a feeling we have been longing for years.  Her and I had been to Austin Texas a few years back and had such a wonderful time, we thought we’d never experience that same joy and comfort again.  Punk’s really hit home when we stepped inside, as we instantly found ourselves thinking we were in Austin once again.  We had smiles as wide as our faces would go and excitement coursing through our veins.

We read over the standing menus infront of the cashier drooling like dogs staring down a well-cooked steak.  The menu included grilled skewers and burgers of many varieties, much more than what you’d find at a typical backyard grill party.  The biggest surprise was how simple and refreshing everything sounded!  We had been in a food-rut for several months and desperately needed a flavor awakening.

My dish of choice was the Fiery Flat Iron Steak Skewers (pictured above) which came with the most amazingly spices flatbread.  I literally could not stop saying how soft and delicate the bread was and how they perfectly seasoned it.  It was like I had never tasted flatbread before!  The side salad was as fresh as one could get and so simple, the flavor of the greens were showcased over the dressing.  Contrary to how I’ve grown to accept salads to taste, Punk’s has restored the much needed balance of dressing and fresh greens that none of the neighboring restaurants fail to do.  The steak was fantastic and perfectly cooked!  Contrary to the entrees title, the level of heat was not as expected.  A good thing too as having burnt taste buds would have prevented me from enjoying the rest of the dish.  I found the portion to be slightly disappointing (visually) at first, however, after eating the entire plate of food, I was pleasantly fulfilled.  Again, this is a testament to how I have been brainwashed into thinking “the more thats one the plate, the better it is” by other restaurants.  The accompanying dipping sauce was light and very tasty.  It complimented the steak extraordinarily well.

This is exactly how things should taste.  New and vibrant.  Balanced and fresh.  Their philosophy is simple, only fresh ingredients from local farms and markets are used to make everything daily.  It really shows through in their cooking and presentation.  The atmosphere is light hearted and very original in it’s approach.  It’s without a doubt that I say Punk’s has cemented a place in my top 3 restaurants of all time.

Visit Punk’s Backyard Grill on the web here.