domingo, 25 de noviembre de 2012

iPad By Davis: “Barclays Bank set to roll out 8,500 iPads to improve customer service experience” plus 5 more

iPad By Davis: “Barclays Bank set to roll out 8,500 iPads to improve customer service experience” plus 5 more

Barclays Bank set to roll out 8,500 iPads to improve customer service experience

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:13 AM PST

Barclays Bank set to roll out 8,500 iPads to improve customer service experienceUK based bank, Barclay's has ordered a whopping 8,500 iPads to roll out across its branches in the UK. The order is believed to signify one of the largest roll outs of iPads in the UK finance sector according to The Channel.

A PR mouthpiece at Barclays told us that staff had demanded the reassuringly expensive pad over any other shiny devices - clearly there are a lot of fanbois in the bank's ranks.

She said the device will be used "to assist our branch colleagues to interact with customers, improving the customer experience".

"We investigated a number of different tablet options and in this instance, we concluded that iPads were the best solution for their specific needs. We are now starting to use these across Barclays branches in the UK," she said.

Barclay's did not specify which model of iPad that it had ordered but if you based the purchase on the iPad 2 16GB model, you are looking at an order worth nearly £2.8 million or $4.4 million. Of course we expect that Barclay's got a bit of discount for the size of that particular order.

The continuing use of iPads in the business sector must be a real blow to Microsoft who have always dominated the business world when it comes to computing. The just released Microsoft Surface may have been suitable for Barclay's needs on the hardware side however the software side still has a long way to go before it could be considered a useful tool for business. We will have to see how that develops in the future.

Source: The Channel Image: The Times

Gifts for iPad lovers: 2012 holiday guide

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 06:58 PM PST

Gifts for iPad lovers: 2012 holiday guide

If the special someone(s) on your holiday gift list already have iPads, and love them, and are looking to get even more out of them, you're all in luck. There's an embarrassment of great apps, accessories, and content that make the iPad ever so much more functional, and more fun. Here are some of our favorites.

Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker

The iPads have tiny, mono speakers, and even though the iPad mini has stereo speakers, they're still tiny. If you know someone who wants big sound out of their iPad or iPad mini, but still wants something that's portable and wireless, they want the Jawbone Jambox. It's a ton of sound in a tiny package, great for parties, great for enjoying music and video, and excellent for conference calls. True audiophiles will want a wired sound system, but for everyone else, the Jambox is a great gift.

If you want something significantly larger than the traditional Jambox, check out the BIG Jambox.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad works with the iPad 2, iPad 3, and iPad 4 and turns it into an ultra-light laptop on the go. It's the best iPad keyboard we've tested, and the list of bloggers and techies who recommend it is tending towards the endless. If someone you know travel with an iPad, and needs to get things done, and those things require a lot of typing, get them a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover.

Pogo Connect Bluetooth Stylus Pen for iPad

There are several really good non-Bluetooth stylus pens available for the iPad, but if you want to give something that's pressure sensitive and capable of taking iPad art, calligraphy, and expression the next level -- hundreds of levels, to be precise. The Pogo Connect works with the iPad 3, iPad 4, and iPad mini, and uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology for ultra low-power, long-lasting performance. Best of all, it "just works", requiring no setup, no calibration, no fuss, and no muss. If they lose it, they can even use Bluetooth to find it again. It's the perfect gift for the iPad artists in your life.

If you want something better suited for line work and technical drawing, check out the Adonit Jot Touch Bluetooth stylus

Pad & Quill Handmade Cases for iPad

There are a lot of great cases for the iPad but if you're looking to get that special someone that special something different, Pad & Quill makes a variety of hand-crafted cases for both the full-size iPad and the iPad mini. There's just something about swathing the latest and greatest glass and aluminum technology in old world leather and wood, about wrapping Apple's tablet in something so moleskin inspired. It's not just classy, it's classic.

Otterbox Defender Series Cases for iPad

Sometime an iPad just needs its full body armor. Whether it's to go to work or go on a trip, to play with the kids or simply to survive tumbles, if you have a loved one who's career, circumstances, or just plain clumsiness requires the absolute best protection money can buy, Otterbox has them covered. Literally. (Trust me, we've tried sledding on them.)

You can also get it for the iPad mini:

Fling Joystick

As anyone who's spent any time gaming on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad knows, there's nothing worse than getting really into the action only to find your finger has drifted off the virtual controls just when it matters most. And that's exactly the problem the Ten One Design Fling mini solves. Made of anodized aluminum and tough, flexible engineering-grade resin, it's both durable and see-through so it doesn't break and doesn't completely obstruct your view of the iPad or iPad mini screen. (Technically the Fling mini is meant for the iPhone and iPod touch rather than the iPad, for which they have a full-size Fling Joystick, but the mini works great on the iPad as well and doesn't cover anywhere nearly as much of the screen.)

Apple TV

While the iPad is is fantastic, beaming the iPad to an HDTV, so you can enjoy it on the bigger, more family-friendly screen, is even more fantastic. Apple builds AirPlay into every iPad and iPad mini so you can do just that -- all you need to make work is an Apple TV box. Sure, if you get someone an Apple TV, they can use it all by itself to stream iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and more directly to the TV, but with an iPad they can do so much more. They can literally mirror almost anything from their iPad, right onto the TV. Yeah, that includes video games. It also includes anything you may have on your iPad when you visit your friends or family and connect to their Apple TV. It's just the best way to share content from the small screen to the big one.

Air Video

Air Video automagically transcodes on the the fly and streams videos -- almost any videos, in almost any format -- from a Windows or Mac PC to an iPad or iPad mini. With AirPlay, it can also beam those videos to an Apple TV. If your friends or family have a ton of content on their computers, and want to watch it on their iPad or TV, Air Video will take care of it, and them.

vjay

vjay is all about layering videos and mixing them with music to create unique music videos. With the touch of a button, vjay lets you save your mashups to the iPad in real-time and share with friends. You can also plug your iPad into a TV or stream your videos wirelessly to an Apple TV. You can also browse for music videos on the iTunes store from directly within the app. vjay is a great way for your someone special to turn their videos into something special.

$9.99 - Download Now

Noteshelf

Noteshelf is by far one of our favorite note-taking apps and now it's even better than ever. A recent update has introduced pencils and calligraphy pens to the selection of writing tools, and as if Noteshelf didn't already have enough colors to choose from, you can now bring up a color pallet to get the exact color you want or choose from millions of online pallets from ColourLovers.com. If you know someone who would just love to take hand-written notes -- or even better, stylus pen written notes -- with their iPad or iPad mini, get them Noteshelf.

$5.99 - Download Now

Screens

Screens is a VNC client for iPad that lets anyone and everyone share the screen with, and control, their Mac or Windows PC at home or at the office. If you know someone who runs a server room, or simply doesn't want to get off the sofa, Screens is a great gift.

  • $19.99 - Screens for iPhone and ipad - Buy Now

Netflix

iTunes is great for people who want to buy their movies and TV shows. But if your friends or family members simply want to subscribe to some great back-catalog content and enjoy older movies and TV shows, streaming right to their iPad, then Netflix can't be beat. You can even gift Netflix subscriptions, starting at 1 month of service.

If you live in the U.S., you can also get Hulu+ subscriptions as gifts.

Your favorite iPad gifts?

Have you already picked out the perfect iPad gift for your iPad loving friends or family members? If so, what are you getting them? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!

iMore Editors' Choice for November 24, 2012

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 01:55 PM PST

iMore Editors' Choice for November 24, 2012

Every week, the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a few games, apps for tracking TV shows and pregnancy, and an app for travel planning,

Endless Road

Just when you thought the endless runner genre had been beaten to death, Endless Road sneaks up and makes a big splash. This sharply stylized game puts players in a car and pushes them along a road with a simple catch - the world is falling away behind you. In order to avoid untimely doom off an incredibly abstract cliff, you have to avoid crashing into other motorists, dodge incoming walls, and drive over speed boosts whenever you can in order to stay over 80 MPH. Although every run is broken up into separate stages, they're all randomized, making each play-through unique and interesting. Steering is dead simple, as there are only three lanes to switch between with left or right side taps, but the obstacles (and power-ups) come fast and furious. During their drive, players gather coins with which they can use to enable power-ups or unlock new rides. The icing on the cake is an absolutely cool soundtrack. Definitely pick this one up, either for iPhone or iPad.

Final Freeway R2

If you grew up in a time when Rad Racer was a game you played, you'll most certainly want to check out Final Freeway R2. It won't push your devices graphics processing to the limit but it sure is fun. Complete with an 80's soundtrack to keep you bopping along, you can enjoy 14 stages of old school racing with the option of 3 difficulty levels. Recent updates to the game have brought joystick support as well as full iPhone 5 support. You can pick up Final Freeway R2 in the App Store for only $0.99.

Episodes - Chris

This week's pick is for an app that I use to keep track of my TV shows and it has just received a fantastic new update too.

Say hello to 'Episodes', the most elegant way to keep track of the TV shows you love. Once setup with your favorite TV shows, Episodes will tell you when the next air date is via a notification so you never miss a show again. Even better, you can mark shows as watched so you always know what you have seen and what you've missed.

Digging a little deeper, you can see episode lists for all seasons of any particular show along with the synopsis too. Episodes covers TV shows from the US and the UK and is the perfect app for TV junkies like me.

TripIt - Ally Kazmucha

TripIt for iPhone allows you to keep all your travel plans and arrangements in one place. You can save your flight, hotel, meeting, and dining information all within TripIt. It's a great way to keep track of confirmation numbers, reservation confirmations, and pretty much anything else having to do with your travel plans. With CES upon us, I was looking for a better way to organize all the events we've got going on and I remembered another one of our editors raving about TripIt. I can now understand why.

If you travel a lot and have a lot of data to organize, TripIt is the absolute best way to plan your trip, keep your friends and family up to date, and more. Pro TripIt subscribers can download a free version of the app but if you don't want to go Pro, there is a paid version you can use without the Pro subscriptions. It's what I've been using to plan and so far, it's worked wonderfully. I'd highly recommend any who travels quite often to check it out.

Conquist 2 - Joseph Keller

Conquist 2 is a turn-based strategy game for all iOS devices. If you've ever played RISK, you know how to play Conquist. There are four game modes, each with their own set of objectives, as well as eight different maps on which to play. There is support for single-player games against AI opponents with three difficulty settings, local multiplayer, in which multiple players use the same device, and online multiplayer. Gameplay is solid and well-paced, especially in single-player games. The AI players offer a decent challenge on medium and hard difficulties. Conquist 2 has a lite version, but it lacks online play. Both are available as universal apps. If you like turn-based, RISK-like strategy games, than Conquist 2 is the game you're looking for.

Global Video, CityTV Video, and CTV Video - Rene Ritchie

I cut the cable cord over a year ago, so now I watch almost all my TV on iPhone and iPad. Most major Canadian TV networks have apps now. The problem is, they're a mixed bag. The CTV app has just been updated, and now supports AirPlay Mirroring, but it doesn't yet support the 16:9 iPhone 5 or iPod touch 5 display. The Citytv apps has been updated for 16:9 but doesn't support AirPlay (it presents a screen saying they lack the legal right to provide AirPlay -- um, okay?). Likewise the Global Video app. Copy protection also hinders the apps, preventing them from using the much better, built in AirPlay media controls (that don't require mirroring), and encouraging them to make apps that are barely wrapped web pages than real native apps. It also causes a bunch of weird errors as they try to secure the video stream connection and insert ads into the stream.

But even though frustrating, even though less than they could be, they do work. I can watch almost every current TV show I want, almost always within days of them airing, and I can watch them at a time and place of my choosing. It's the closest thing I've found to video on demand.

Note: These apps are for Canadian TV networks. If you're outside Canada, check your local App Store for your local networks. You might just be surprised what you find.

BabyBump

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and one of my favorite companions this pregnancy (and my last pregnancy) is BabyBump for iPhone. It recently received a very significant upgrade that includes iPhone 5 support and a fully revamped UI.

BabyBump makes it easy to track your pregnancy, store photos, and learn about the current developmental stage your baby is at. Every week, there will be new information about your baby, body, and a list of activities that are good to prioritize for the week (like choosing a pediatrician, registering for the hospital, etc). In addition to the weekly updates, BabyBump also gives daily tips the address a wide variety of topics.

Some of the other highlights of BabyBump including a shopping section, groups, messages, baby names, kick and contraction counters, and a birth planning tool.

Seriously, if you are expecting, I highly recommend BabyBump. It's my favorite pregnancy app.

Your choice?

Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!

Best Free iPad App of the Week: NASA’s Space Place Prime

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 10:06 AM PST

Space Place Prime iPad app

One of the best things about using an iPad is all the great apps that we can run on it. There are excellent apps for just about any purpose you can think of. Better still, there are lots of great free apps for the iPad. Our Best Free iPad App of the Week posts highlight these apps.

This week's pick is NASA's Space Place Prime. Some of you who are veteran readers here may notice that I have chosen three other NASA apps as selections in this series: NASA App HD, Ascent: Commemorating Shuttle, and NASA Visualization Explorer. I can assure you I'm not on NASA's payroll (I wish) and I'll be happy to stop picking their titles as soon as they stop making such superb apps and charging nothing for them. :)

Space Place Prime is a spinoff of NASA's Space Place website – spaceplace.nasa.gov – targeted at kids. The app pulls recent and curated best content from the site and presents it in a slide-able grid of thumbnails.

(...)
Read the rest of Best Free iPad App of the Week: NASA's Space Place Prime (189 words)

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AirPrint Supported Printers List – Twice as Many Printers as 6 Months Ago

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 09:06 AM PST

AirPrint

The list of printers that support AirPrint wireless printing from the iPad is growing, rapidly. When I last posted about the supported printers list back in June there were a total of 217 printers from 6 manufacturers. Today there are over 430 supported printers from 13 manufacturers.

Here's a little more detail on which printers from which vendors work with AirPrint:

Brother: 63 printers from the DCP, HL, M, MFC lines.

Canon: 95 printers from the IP, MG, MX, and Canon Pro lines.

Dell: 4 printers from their B and V lines (eg B1260dn and V725w)

Epson: 92 printers from lines including Artisan, EP, PX, Stylus, Workforce, WP, and XP lines.

Gestetner: 11 printers from their DSc and MP lines.

Hewlett Packard: 57 printers from their Deskjet, Envy, Laserjet, OfficeJet, and Photosmart lines.

Infotec: 8 printers from the MP line.

(...)
Read the rest of AirPrint Supported Printers List – Twice as Many Printers as 6 Months Ago (114 words)

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Mobile Cloth – Your iPad Screen’s BFF

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 08:43 AM PST

Dirtyipad

Thanks to Mobile Cloth for sponsoring our RSS feed again this week.

The iPad display is a thing of beauty, whether it's the original, the iPad mini, or the top of the line retina display on the iPad 3 and 4. It's also unfortunately a major magnet for fingerprints, smudges, and all sorts of pesky germs from all of our tapping, swiping and miscellaneous touching.

Mobile Cloth is the easiest and fastest way to keep your iPad screen clean and free of all that muck. I've been singing its praises ever since I first wrote about it two years ago and asked how excited you're allowed to be about cleaning cloths.

Ever since then, Mobile Cloth has been a reliable friend for all my iPads.

They come in standard handkerchief sort of size or a smaller Nano size. Prices start at $8.99 for a 2 pack and there's free shipping with a minimum purcase at www.mobilecloth.com.

iPad Insight readers enter promo code GOBBLE for Free shipping and 30% OFF all orders over $25 (Free shipping USA only, excludes custom product, expires 11/29)

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