Category: I-phone

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Flipboard, the popular personal magazine app that’s been tremendously successful on the iPad, has been updated to a universal version that now also works on the iPhone and iPod touch. Other features included in the latest Flipboard update include:

• Cover Stories for iPhone, a selection of interesting articles and photos being shared with you right now. And it gets smarter every time you use it. (Coming soon to iPad.)
• Speed. Flip through pages as you would through a printed magazine, all with the flick of a thumb.
• Flipboard Accounts: Sign into your Flipboard from either iPhone or iPad and get instant access to all your favorite content. Check out All Timelines. Flip through a single feed containing all articles and all photos being shared across all your social networks.

Setting up Flipboard on the iPhone is extremely simple if you’ve already set up a Flipboard account in the iPad app, and all your data immediately syncs over quite seamlessly.

As for the experience of using the app itself, it’s a bit different from the iPad version; only one article at a time shows up in the viewer, and you swipe vertically through articles rather than horizontally as on the iPad. There also doesn’t appear to be any support for landscape orientation at this point, which seems an odd omission.

Other than those minor quirks, using Flipboard on the iPhone is almost as delightful as using it on the iPad. For those of you who don’t own iPads and thus have yet to experience Flipboard, I’d urge you to check it out right away. It’s one of my all-time favorite apps from any category, and it works very well even on the iPhone’s much smaller screen.

Flipboard for iPhone released originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even though Sprint signed its life away to carry the iPhone, not all carriers are that eager. According to a report from Fierce Wireless, US Cellular is not interested in the iPhone, at least not until it has LTE.

Speaking at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference, Ted Carlson, CEO of US Cellular’s parent company TDS, said, “The iPhone for us would need to be at the cutting edge of where we’re going, and then there might be an opportunity to consider it.”

Like other wireless carriers, regional carrier US Cellular is updating its 3G network to 4G LTE. Because its network is small, the carrier will blanket 25 percent of its subscribers in 4G by the end of this year and another 25 percent by the end of 2012. It hopes to cover all its subscribers across 26 states within three years.

US Cellular will sell its first 4G handset and tablet early next year and may pick up the iPhone if it shipped with LTE. According to Carlson, bringing LTE and quality 4G handsets to its customers is US Cellular’s top priority. If Carlson is sincere, then selling the iPhone should fit in perfectly with that goal.

[Via AllThingsD]

US Cellular doesn’t want iPhone without LTE originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has released an update to its iBooks app. The iBooks 1.5 update brings some substantial new features to Apple’s ereader software including the following:

• Nighttime reading theme makes reading books in the dark easier on the eyes.
• Full-screen layout lets you focus on the words without distraction.
• iBooks now features an improved selection of fonts, including Athelas, Charter, Iowan, and Seravek.
• Beautiful new classic covers for public domain books.
• A redesigned annotation palette makes it easier to choose a color for your highlighted text.

We’re playing around with it now and will let you know if we discover any other unannounced tweaks. iBooks is a free download from the App Store.

Apple releases iBooks 1.5, adds Night mode, fullscreen reading and more originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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My friend Maya wrote to ask: “Which iPad stand should I buy? I can’t seem to find any really positive reviews. I want it mostly for cooking, but it would also be nice to have something to stick my iPad on while it’s charging so it’s not just laying there for the cat to knock it off the counter.”

As we approach the gift-giving season, iPad accessories are probably on many people’s wish list, so how do you know what’s good and what’s bad? As Maya mentioned, it can be difficult to tell from reviews, especially random reviews left on websites.

Although Maya specifically asked about stands I will also mention cases because many of them also serve as stands too.

Options

Let’s look at your general options. (Note: prices listed are all in US dollars, and have been rounded off to the nearest dollar because we all know that $X.99 is a marketing trick, right?)

1) Apple’s iPad Dock [$30] is a weighed base with a dock connector on the back so you can easily charge your iPad, and then pick it up. I bought one of these for my iPad 1 and almost never used it. The dock is a great idea for iPhones and iPods, but the iPad is just too big for it. If you tap on the screen, it is very easy to feel like you’re going to knock it over. Plus (and this will be a recurring theme as we look at iPad stands/cases), the iPad dock only holds the iPad in one orientation. Not to mention that it seems drastically overpriced to me. TJ’s Recommendation: Strong Avoid.

2) Apple’s iPad case [$40] is only compatible with the original iPad. That’s not a bad thing, because Apple’s iPad case was pretty much a complete dud. Despite being innovative for the ability to set the iPad up so that you could easily watch video on it or type at a slight incline (two designs that countless other cases would copy), it was expensive, not particularly well made, and extremely prone to collecting dust and other miscellaneous crud. TJ’s Recommendation: Strong Avoid.

3) Apple’s iPad 2 Smart Cover are likewise ridiculously overpriced at $70 for the “leather” versions and $40 for the “Polyurethane” (read: plastic) versions. And yes, I bought one. If you decide that you want one of these, at least check Amazon for less-awful prices. The Smart Cover is an extremely clever bit of engineering, and I’m always impressed by it, as long as I don’t have to think about the cost. It will work as a stand (“landscape” mode only), and quite well, but I simply can’t recommend it due to the price. TJ’s Recommendation: Avoid, unless someone else is paying.

4) I reviewed the Griffin Loop last year and talked about how much I liked it. It’s a (relatively) heavy, weighted base with a notch to hold the iPad in either portrait or landscape mode, and even had room for it to be plugged in if it was in portrait mode. The notch was big enough so that it would even work with some iPad cases without having to be removed.

Its main drawback was that it was bulky and not really designed for travel, but if you just wanted to leave it somewhere like on a desk, it was great. Unfortunately, it was designed for the iPad 1, and when the iPad 2 came out with its thinner, more curved body, the “notch” designed for the more “square” edges of the iPad 1 now feels a little too big for the iPad 2. It just doesn’t hold the iPad 2 as securely as I’d like. I still use it, but I’m a little more worried about it getting bumped. TJ’s Recommendation: Avoid for iPad 2

Aside: Griffin does not appear to have updated the loop for the iPad, but they now make something called the Griffin A-Frame. I have not used one so I might be wrong, but it certainly doesn’t look great. The iPad appears to rest on top of it, which looks precarious. That said, it has excellent reviews on Amazon.com where you can also find it for about $30 instead of the $50 list price. I can’t make a specific recommendation for or against it, but it’s another option.

5) I finally found a stand that I liked in the elago P2 Stand for iPad (pictured above). It is a piece of metal cut specifically to hold the iPad. It has a small “footprint” so it doesn’t take up a lot of space when not in use. It seems stable without being too heavy (although with a cat around, you’d always have to be careful!).

The metal color is almost exactly the same as what Apple uses for its computers (if such a thing matters to you, I only noticed it after I bought it). The other nice thing about this stand is that it can hold the iPad in either portrait or landscape. There is a hole in the back of the stand for a charging cable to fit through. It is solid enough that I can tap on the iPad screen without feeling like it is going to tip over. It holds the iPad at a good angle for reading or watching a video/movie.

The only drawback is the price ($30 at Amazon) which is definitely enough to elicit a “But it’s just a piece of cut metal!” response from Normal People such as your humble writer’s wife. Still, this receives the only TJ’s Recommendation: Strong Buy on the list.

Here’s another thought…

All of the cases/stands I mentioned above are $30-$70, which is a bit absurd.

But there’s another option too, one that I “discovered” by accident one day in my office, which has several distinct benefits:

• It is compatible with the iPad 1 or 2 (and almost certainly with the iPad 3, whenever that comes out)
• it will hold the iPad in either portrait or landscape
• it will allow for a dock connector to be attached in either orientation.
• Perhaps best of all, when not in use, it can fold flat for storage or put it in your laptop bag to bring with you.

Oh, and did I mention that it costs around $5?

What is this magical device? It’s not an iPad holder at all, it’s a wire-frame book holder.

You can find one on Amazon.com for $5.12. Or you might find one in the supply closet at work that no one has used in ages. When folded, it’s smaller than the iPad, so you can probably slip it into your bag next to the iPad (obviously you’ll want to make sure that the metal doesn’t scratch up the iPad glass). There isn’t much weight to it, so you probably won’t even notice it. And if you do find yourself with a recipe that’s in a dead-tree cookbook instead of your iPad, you even use it to hold that cookbook open for you.

Did you say “cooking”?

Whichever stand you decide to use when using your iPad while cooking, remember that your iPad will fit inside a gallon-size Ziplock bag (or similar) which will not prevent you from using the touchscreen, but will protect it from spills, etc.

Splatter happens.

What to look for, and what to look out for

Now you have several options for stands/cases, as well as some things to think about when evaluating them: Can it hold the iPad in either orientation? Can you plug it in while in the stand/case? Can you tap on the iPad without feeling like it is going to fall over?

Be careful about when looking for iPad stands/cases as there are some which will only fit the iPad 1, and not all sellers are very forthcoming about that detail. Take a close look at the pictures they show (if any) and if you aren’t sure that it works with the iPad 2, be sure to ask before you buy, especially if the price seems really low. They might just be trying to clear out old stock by calling it an “iPad Case” instead of an “iPad 1 case”!

Oh, and always shop around for prices. The best price is almost never to be found on the official website. Amazon and Monoprice are your friend.

Want more ?

TUAW has reviewed a lot of iPad stands and iPad cases, so if you want a second opinion or more options than I covered here, feel free to take a look at those. Also check out our Holiday Gift Guide page for more seasonal suggestions.

Holiday Gift Guide: Choosing an iPad stand originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camtasia is certainly among the most popular of the apps for producing training and demo videos. Mac versions of the popular Windows software first became available in 2009.

This latest version, released today, has a boatload of new features, including custom annotations, tilt and restore animations, speed tweaks, and a complete redesign of the editor interface. Camtasia has been tremendously popular for creating screencasts and many of the new features were created at the urging of users.

If you’d like to try it you can download a 30 day free trial. The software is US $99.00 for new users and an upgrade from version 1 is $49. The software requires a Mac with an Intel processor and OS X 10.6.3 or later with Quartz Extreme support.

Camtasia for Mac 2 screen recorder is out originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puzzle-based action/platformer Trine 2 is coming out this week, and developer Frozenbyte has announced that the Mac version will drop alongside the Windows version on Steam. If you want to get a copy outside of the Steam system, you’ll have to wait until sometime next year, but even with the “DRM,” Steam is usually a good choice to go with, even on a Mac.

Frozenbyte is of course no stranger to Mac gaming, having just recently released a solid bundle for the Mac (as well as other platforms like Windows and Linux — which is actually getting Trine 2 later on anyway). Trine 2 is looking like a really terrific game, expanding on the first title in the series by adding in new puzzles and puzzle types, making the lush graphics look even better, and including full online or local co-op gameplay.

Trine 2 will be unlocked on December 7 — it’s $15 for the standard game, or $24.99 for a collector’s edition that includes an art book and soundtrack.

[via MacNN]

Trine 2 will be available for Mac on Dec. 7 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You’ll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what’s happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today’s Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Daily Update for December 6, 2011 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The “Crazy Ones” quote used in a few different places around Apple, including some icon Easter eggs and the famous commercials, has been turned into a typeface posted by Los Angeles advertising firm TBWA/Chiat/Day in order to raise funds for charity. You can see and buy the poster over at the aptly named crazyonesquote.com; It’s available unframed for $95, and with a frame around it for $100 more.

The quote is labeled with Steve Jobs’ name at the bottom, and while it’s definitely been used a lot lately to represent Jobs’ life and what he stood for, all we really have in terms of credit is a general sense that Jobs helped put most of it together for defining Apple’s brand. Still, it fits, and Chiat/Day’s design on this poster looks great.

All proceeds from the sale will go to the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that helps by investing in great social enterprises and ideas around the world. Because, you know, the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world … are the ones who do.

[via TNW]

“Crazy Ones” poster being sold for charity originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That anniversary edition of Grand Theft Auto 3 for iOS has been dated: You’ll be able to rejoin the streets of Liberty City on your iPad and iPhone next week, on December 15. Rockstar will be releasing the game for both iOS and Android, and you can see a picture of the game’s touchscreen controls above. It looks pretty good, but know that it will only be made to run well on “new generation” devices, so if you’re still rocking a 3GS or an iPad 1, you might have a little slowdown.

Still, the fact that we’re getting this game on mobile devices is pretty excellent, and the price is nice too: Just $4.99. Rockstar says there’s a new trailer coming next week, but soon after that we’ll see the game on the App Store. Excited? Sure, the game’s old, but this is a classic. I’m curious to see both how the game runs, and how it sells — if this one does pretty well (and works the same), maybe we’ll see more “classic” PS2 generation titles arrive on mobile platforms in the future.

Grand Theft Auto 3’s Anniversary Edition arrives December 15 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to Reuters, a Chinese court in Shenzhen (home to the Foxconn factories where many Apple products are assembled) has rejected a trademark infringement suit Apple filed against Proview Technology over the iPad’s name.

Proview has owned the Chinese rights to the iPad trademark since 2000. Apple bought global rights to the trademark long ago, but the deal apparently did not include trademark rights in China. Proview continues to hold trademark rights to the iPad name in China, and is apparently seeking a US$1.5 billion judgment against Apple for trademark infringement by selling the iPad in China.

In October 2010, Proview Chairman Yang Rongshan made Proview’s motivations for the suit abundantly clear in an interview with Financial Times. “It is arrogant of Apple to just ignore our rights and go ahead selling the iPad in this market, and we will oppose that. Besides that, we are in big financial trouble and the trademarks are a valuable asset that could help us sort out part of that trouble.”

The rejection of Apple’s trademark suit likely means Proview can now move forward with its own suit against Apple over the iPad name.

Chinese court rejects Apple trademark lawsuit over iPad name originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angry Birds can’t have all the fun, right? Halfbrick Studios is set to embrace the iOS marketing frenzy by releasing a pair Fruit Ninja plush toys. The sensei and a smiling (or is that sliced?) watermelon in a branded headband will introduce the series. The sensei is available right now on the company’s web store for US$15.99, while the watermelon will be available “soon” for just a buck less.

I have to admit, these are pretty darn cute. Halfbrick Studios is not only a talented set of game designers, but a really nice group of folks as well. Does this mean we’ll soon be getting a Jetpack Backpack from Jetpack Joyride? I don’t know how cuddly a sliced watermelon is, but Fruit Ninja is a great game, and I wouldn’t mind having one of these guys under my tree come this holiday season.

Fruit Ninja plushies coming soon to a wrapped gift near you originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sadly, there’s still no release date in sight for the global BBC iPlayer in the U.S., but those lucky countries that do have it will have it be expanded to the iPhone and iPod touch on Thursday.

The iPad app launched in 11 countries initially, and the number has expanded to 16 with our Canadian neighbors being the most-recent country to get the player. It’s the BBC’s foray into a video-on-demand service, geared toward bringing its TV library to international viewers. A subscription nets access to programs ranging from the classic Fawlty Towers to the venerable (and still supremely awesome) Doctor Who.

With the constant additions to the BBC’s pilot program, I’m hoping that the U.S. will be on tap to get the app soon.

Global BBC iPlayer app will launch for iPhone, iPod touch on Thursday originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you think Apple’s finances have been flying high in 2011, just wait. A report by Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities shows that the company’s supply chain is showing record sales for November. In turn, that could indicate record sales for Apple products during the holiday season.

As reported on AppleInsider, White watches the “Apple Barometer,” an index of Taiwanese suppliers who make the components for Apple’s products. Over the last six years, the barometer has shown an average two percent month over month growth.

The numbers for November were huge, with supply chain sales up a full 17 percent over those for October. The October numbers were a bit lower than usual due to Apple ordering many Macs, iPad 2s, and iPhone 4S units during the previous quarter, and that was reflected in the lower Apple stock prices seen in November.

In the last quarterly earnings conference call, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer told analysts that he expected Apple to set new company records for iPhone and iPad sales during the December quarter. The Apple Barometer numbers seem to indicate that Oppenheimer’s forecast was right on the money, and Apple’s stock should move higher as a result.

Report suggests Apple had best November ever originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Great free archive utilities are pretty hard to come by on the Mac. Keka is the exception. If OS X’s built-in compression utility doesn’t do enough for you, Keka could be the answer.

Keka’s been around since 2009, but only recently made it into the Mac App Store. Unlike Growl, Keka is available both as a paid, US$2 app from the Mac App Store and as a free download from the Keka project site. The two versions will be kept in sync, so there’ll always be a free option. Of course if you use it, supporting the developers, either by a donation or buying it in the Mac App Store, will help them continue to update it.

Keka allows you to compress files in multiple formats. Zip, 7z, Tar, Gzip and Bzip2 are all included. What’s more Keka can extract even more with RAR, 7z, Lzma, Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, ISO, EXE, CAB, PAX, and even ACE supported.

Keka also supports encrypted archives meaning you can password protect compressed files, as well as split archives — handy when you have file size limitations.

Like the Unarchiver and others, you can set Keka as the default extraction client, so files can be decompressed with a double click. If you want to get a bit more advanced, the Keka Dock icon serves as the one-stop shop for compression. Drag and drop files onto it to either decompress or create a new archive in the default format of your choosing. Format and compression method can be changed quickly from a pop-up menu from the Dock icon. It’s all very slick.

Daily Mac App: Keka originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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