Near the very end of September 2011 I purchased an Alesis IO Dock, an audio interface promising to fulfill all my needs for iPad-based live music performance.  In fact, 95% of the reason I purchased an iPad2 was due to the release of this highly-anticipated new product.  Shortly after my new IO Dock & iPad arrived, iOS5 was released, so I updated--a decision I regret ever since.  Little did I know that the IO Dock is not at all compatible with iOS5 on the iPad2, a fact that likely surprised even Alesis.

The Problem
The problem is simple enough to explain.  When using a music application (e.g. Garageband) on an iOS5 iPad2, a cacophonous hiss will enter the audio stream during use.  It often

Japan has a few products and services that are so damn cool I can't live without them. A few may even be successful in the US, while others…no freakin' way.

• You bow when talking on the phone.
• You've figured out kanji for your name.
• You have a personal inkan and a koseki, and you know what those are.
• You've accidentally said 「お疲れ様です」 to a friend from your native country.
• You take your shoes off when visiting your native country.
• You get upset when having to use a toilet without a heated seat and butt spray.
• You forget to tip when visiting your native country.
• You've gotten stuck in the door when rushing for the train on multiple occasions
• You've been scolded by train station staff for rushing into the train on multiple occasions.
• The first thing that

Why I Can't Move Back To America - After over 8 years in Japan, I don't think I can ever move back to the USA. Here's why.