iPad By Davis: “HiLO Lens lets you take pictures at creative angles with your iPhone or iPad” plus 7 more

HiLO Lens lets you take pictures at creative angles with your iPhone or iPad
Apple and HTC settle patent litigation, reach 10-year cross-licensing agreement
Apple paying Swiss Rail $21 million to use their clock design on the iPad
Did the Samsung Galaxy S3 really outsell Apple's iPhone 4S in Q3 2012?
iMore Editors' Choice for November 10, 2012
Best Free iPad App of the Week: Bet You Didn’t Know
How to: Get More iPad Insight
(Sponsor) Mobile Cloth Cares for Your iPad Screen

HiLO Lens lets you take pictures at creative angles with your iPhone or iPad

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 12:22 AM PST

HiLO Lens lets you take pictures at creative angles with your iPhone or iPad The HiLO Lens is currently on Kickstarter seeking backers for what can only be described as a clip on lens for your iPhone or iPad that allows you to get creative with your photographs. The HiLO lens is the first ever right angle lens for your iOS device that will let you take pictures from all sorts of new angles.

Modern digital cameras often have a swivel/flip screen, HiLO Lens extends your iPhone camera or iPad camera in a similar way. HiLO Lens is the first right angle lens for the iPhone4/4S/5 & iPad3. With this simple device you'll create more memorable photos. HiLO Lens is full of custom designed optics, made with three lenses and a prism. The optics keep HiLO Lens tiny and capture the full field of view (FOV) of the iPhone camera.

The optics in HiLO Lens are more sophisticated than any other lens available for the iPhone. Optics are always a compromise and we want to keep HiLO Lens affordable. To give you an idea, the aluminium container housing the optics is machined to tolerances of 0.01mm - that's 1/10th the thickness of a strand of hair!

There will also be a free app to accompany the lens should it make it into production. The app will correct any mirroring which may occur which is caused by the prism and also improves the image quality too. If you like the look of the HiLO lens and would like to back the project, you can do so from $60. It only has 9 days left to run and is currently just under its target for funding of $27,500.

Could you see a good usage case for this type of lens for your iPhone or iPad?

Source: Kickstarter

Apple and HTC settle patent litigation, reach 10-year cross-licensing agreement

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:09 PM PST

Apple and HTC settle patent litigation, reach 10-year cross-licensing agreement

Apple and HTC have reached a global settlement to their long-running patent dispute. The settlement includes a 10-year cross-licensing agreement. A joint statement released by both companies quotes HTC's Peter Chou and Apple's Tim Cook:

"HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.

"We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC," said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. "We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation."

So, all in on the innovation. The settlement includes current and future patents. No terms were disclosed. Phil Nickinson of our Mobile Nations sibling site, Android Central spoke to HTC tonight and also learned:

The licensing deal covers all of HTC's products, company spokesman Jeff Gordon told Android Central this evening, which includes Android as well as its current Windows Phone stable. Gordon also said that "we do not expect this license agreement to have an adverse material impact on the financials of the company."

HTC makes both Android and Windows Phone devices. Apple already has a cross-licensing deal in place with Microsoft. When it comes to Android, however, Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, vowed to go thermonuclear on what he considered Android's grand theft of iPhone intellectual property, and Tim Cook has asserted that Apple can't be the developer for the world. Apparently neither that legacy nor that position were impediments to a resolution in HTC's case.

Apple has previously reached a settlement with Nokia as well, but they remain in litigation with the very-well funded Samsung and the Google-owned Motorola.

Apple paying Swiss Rail $21 million to use their clock design on the iPad

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:01 PM PST

Apple will be paying Swiss national rail operator SSB $21 million dollars for using their clock design on the new iOS 6 Clock app for iPad. Apple launched the new Clock app for iPad in September of 2012, over 2 years since the original iPad launched sans Clock app of any kind, and initially without permission to use the famed design. The AFP paraphrases (no link provided and/or available) the Tages-Anzeiger daily:

[According to several unnamed sources, Apple] agreed in October to pay the lump sum so it could continue using SBB's Swiss-designed station clock face on its iPads and iPhones.

Apple often seems to prefer ~~begging~~ paying for forgiveness than asking for permission, and this is simply the latest example. It's a great looking clock, it's a great looking app, the SSB seem to have their money, we have the feature, so all's well that ends well.

Now could Apple please go steal that Braun calculator design, along with a good weather and stock app design, so we can finally get iPad parity with iPhone and iPod touch?

Did the Samsung Galaxy S3 really outsell Apple's iPhone 4S in Q3 2012?

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 01:33 PM PST

Did the Samsung Galaxy S3 really outsell Apple's iPhone 4S in Q3 2012?

Did the Samsung Galaxy S3 really outsell Apple's iPhone 4S in Q3 2012? A bunch of technology blogs linked to a press release that claimed it did, so it must be true, right? The press release was put out by the impressively named Strategy Analytics and headlined Samsung Galaxy S3 Becomes World's Best-Selling Smartphone Model in Q3 2012, so they can no doubt back up that claim, right? Well, wait, what did the lede say?

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, Samsung's Galaxy S3 overtook Apple's iPhone 4S to become the world's best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever in the third quarter of 2012. A large touchscreen, extensive distribution and generous operator subsidies have propelled the Galaxy S3 to the top spot.

And what was senior analyst from Strategy Analytics, Neil Shah, quoted as saying?

Samsung's Galaxy S3 smartphone model shipped 18.0 million units worldwide during the third quarter of 2012. The Galaxy S3 captured an impressive 11 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally and it has become the world's best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever. A large touchscreen design, extensive distribution across dozens of countries, and generous operator subsidies have been among the main causes of the Galaxy S3's success. Apple shipped an estimated 16.2 million iPhone 4S units worldwide for second place, as consumers temporarily held off purchases in anticipation of a widely expected iPhone 5 upgrade at the end of the quarter.

Hang on, the quote doesn't match the headline and lede there, does it? Why use "selling" in the headline and lede, and "shipping" in the quote? Which is it? Why use "selling" at all if they're talking about "shipping", or vice versa? What does "selling" mean? What does "shipping" mean? Are they counting only devices actually sold to customers or devices stuffed into channels, sitting on shelves, or dumped into return bins?

How did they get numbers for the Galaxy S3 when Samsung doesn't disclose device-specific sales numbers in their quarterly financials? Did they take Samsung's recent press release, which claimed 30-million sold from May to October, divide by 5 and multiply by 3 to get 18? Did they assume no change in sales acceleration occurred at all during that period?

How did they get numbers for the iPhone 4S when Apple, who does disclose iPhone sales numbers, doesn't break them down by model? Did they take Apple's 26.9 million July to September iPhone sales number, shift it a month forward, and... um... ah...?

Does it matter that the Galaxy S3 is actually two nearly identical looking, but internally different phones that use completely different processor architectures -- the Samsung Exynos 4 Quad sold internationally, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 sold in North America and Japan -- and are simply sold under the same brand name?

The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are also nearly identical looking phones that have different processor architectures, should they be considered together for this report? Is an "S" more of a differentiator than an "International" or "North American"?

Why even put out a press release on a metrics report that so conflates and confounds the very metrics it purports to deliver that the headline and lede can't even be supported by the contents? Why re-blog that press release without questioning why the headline and lede don't match the content of the release?

And if the Galaxy S3 really did outsell the iPhone 4S in Q3, 2012, why not give Samsung, Apple, investors, and consumers something that answers more questions than it raises?

iMore Editors' Choice for November 10, 2012

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 11:16 AM PST

iMore Editors' Choice for November 10, 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, an app for storing videos in various formats, a game based off a Disney movie, an app for viewing photos on your favorite social networks, and an app for storing all your kids' art projects.

RAD Soldiers - Simon Sage

While updating my new and improved best free iPad games feature I stumbled upon RAD Soldiers. I remember hearing about the game back in the spring before launch, but it apparently went live while I was off gallivanting on Android Central over the summer. This turn-based tactical shooter is absolutely great. It has a cartoony, Team Fortress 2-feeling art style, lots of unlockable characters, equipment, and get-ups, plus the gameplay itself has a ton of depth. There are a variety of maps in both offline challenge and online multiplayer varieties, though there's just the one King of the Hill game type for now. . There's a slight dash of in-app purchasing, but I've been able to enjoy RAD Soldiers plenty so far without paying a dime. If you're into Hero Academy, definitely give this a shot.

Free - Download now

Air Video - Chris

This week's pick is an app called Air Video. Air Video lets you watch videos stored on your PC or NAS in just about any format on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. To get it to work you must install a small piece of software on your PC or Mac and point it in the direction of your stored video files. The files can be on your PC or Mac or on a shared folder on a NAS device or even a portable hard drive.

Once you have installed the software, fire up the Air Video app and you will now see the folders that you setup to view in the PC or Mac install. You will now be able to play any of the videos no matter what format they're in; some obscure formats may struggle. It works because the PC or Mac converts the video files on the fly and streams them to your iPhone or iPad; it works perfectly and the video quality is excellent.

If you have a large pool of videos on your PC, Mac or NAS and want to access them on your iPhone or iPad, Air Video is the best app to do it. It comes in a free version and a paid version; the difference is that the free version will only display a small number of files in any given folder.

Free - (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xhXvKggNk&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=3909&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fair-video-free-watch-your%2Fid313056918%3Fmt%3D8)
$2.99 - http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xhXvKggNk&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=3909&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fair-video-watch-your-videos%2Fid306550020%3Fmt%3D8)

Wreck-it-Ralph - Rene Ritchie

Wreck-it-Ralph is the new Disney movie, and like all movies these days, there's an iOS game to go with it. (There's actually two, one called Fix-it-Felix, which seemed to suck, and another called Wreck-it-Ralph, which is the one I'm picking). Wreck-it-Ralph harkens back to the classic gaming era when kids would have to travel to arcades and shove whatever quarters they could get their hands on into ginormous cabinets just to lose themselves for a few minutes in 8-bit wonder.

There were no polygons or orchestras to hide behind, no particle effects or immersion tech to distract from poor gameplay. These simple suckers had to nail it each and every time, or no quarters for them. And nail it they did, over and over again.

Now Wreck-it-Ralph is no Donkey Kong, but it does capture the spirit of that time and those games. You start as Fix-it-Felix. Wreck-it-Ralph breaks the windows of your building. You have a tool. You jump from window sill to window sill fixing the panes. Flower pots block your way up. Shutters block the sides. It becomes like a maze. And Ralph keeps trying to drop stuff on your head and knock a life out of you. Once you fix all the windows, you go on and up to the next level.

There's more to it, of course, but I don't want to spoil either the game or the movie for you. If you love classic games but you itch for something new, give Wreck-it-Ralph a try.

$0.99 - Download now

Cooliris - Ally Kazmucha

While having several social networks is considered the "cool" thing to do nowadays, that doesn't mean that browsing content across a bunch of them is fun. Cooliris attempts to fill the gap by allowing you to view photos from popular networks all in once place. It can integrate your iPhone or iPad native photos with Facebook, Instagram, and Google images accounts. It doesn't share them but allows you to view photos all in once place.

I personally detest the Facebook app and the loads times you have to endure to view photos. Cooliris shows me all my friend's and my own Facebook images all in once place quickly and seamlessly. I can also flick to my Instagram and Google photos just as easy. The conversation feature lets you share selected photos with friends who can then jump on Cooliris and comment and interact. It's somewhat like Photo Stream but across several services.

The only thing I'd like to really see in a future update is the ability to integrate and pull photos from your Twitter friends as well. Those can be a pain to weed through and there are a strikingly low number of apps that pull out photos well. That would really send the app over the top. But for now, it's a good start and with a price tag of free, it's definitely worth checking out.

Free - Download Now

Art My Kid Made - Michelle Haag

From the moment your child picks up their first crayon and scribbles out a masterpiece, the question of what to do with all of that priceless art comes up. If you're like me, it's hard to part with anything they've created, and now that my kids are a bit older, I have boxes of their artwork saved. Luckily, I found an app to help me out with not only being overwhelmed by all the art, but also preserving the memories for years to come without fear of them being damaged by time, water, etc.

Art My Kid Made allows you to take a picture of your child's art and socialize it by sharing to Facebook or Twitter or uploading to the Art My Kid Made gallery. You can do some simple effects like crop, enhance, add stickers and effects, or rotate before uploading. My favorite feature is the Evernote setting which allows you to automatically back-up each image so you can access it on any device and rest easy knowing you have a copy of all those precious drawings, paintings and collages. Beyond the social aspect of the app with the Twitter and Facebook integration, the Art My Kid Made gallery allows other parents to 'like' uploaded images and check out the Artist of the Day.

Free - Download Now

Hill Climb Racing - Leanna Lofte

Hill Climb Racing is a physics based driving game where the goal is to drive as far as possible. Many games of similar style (like Jetpack Joyride) require you to avoid obstacles and enemies along the way, but Hill Climb Racing takes a different approach. Instead, you must use the gas and break to control the speed of your car to prevent flipping on hills. If you flip your car (and hear the cringing sound of the driver breaking his neck), then you lose (or win, if you're breaking a record). Hill Climb Racing turned out to be more challenging that I was expecting which is why I like it. I also like it because it's a game that you can just pick up for a few minutes without getting sucked into hours and hours of wasted time.

Free - Download Now

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: Bet You Didn’t Know

Posted: 10 Nov 2012 10:32 AM PST

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 Bet You Didn't Know, an app that offers a collection of surprising and interesting facts that are inspired by the upcoming History Channel series 'Mankind The Story of All of Us'. The App Store page for the app offers a couple of these facts as tasters:

Bet you didn't know this:
In ancient Rome, gladiators were so popular that their sweat was collected, bottled and sold as an aphrodisiac, and some women even used it in their beauty products.
Or this:
A U.S. nickel weighs approximately 5 grams. That's the same weight as the average hummingbird.

(...)
Read the rest of Best Free iPad App of the Week: Bet You Didn't Know (251 words)

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