iPad By Davis: “Mini Display review: Use your iPhone or iPad as a 2nd display for your Mac.” plus 16 more

Mini Display review: Use your iPhone or iPad as a 2nd display for your Mac.
Verizon CEO says he sold Steve Jobs on LTE for iPhone 5
Betting against Apple: Why stock swarms only work when we let them
IDC: PC shipments in Q1 faced their steepest known drop to date
My Daughter’s Netflix Takeover
Mittens for iPhone and iPad review: Meet Disney's new feline-powered puzzler
Microsoft reportedly planning to launch Office for iOS in late 2014
10 Great iPad Apps for Students on the Autism Spectrum
MacBreak Weekly 345: Beyoncé's Baby Bump
SimCity coming to Mac on June 11
The Masters – Official iPad App Updated for 2013
MOBiLE CLOTH – A Revolution Against Touchscreen Fingerprints
Instashare review: Transfer files between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac instantly
T-Mobile USA will offer free iPhone 5 to iPhone users switching from another carrier
Status Board review: Panic's delightful way to visually keep track of all your stuff
Deal of the Day: 50% off Trident Kraken AMS Case for iPhone 5
How to change the Home button click speed on iPhone and iPad

Mini Display review: Use your iPhone or iPad as a 2nd display for your Mac.

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:20 PM PDT

Mini Display is a new app by Edovia that converts your iPhone or iPad into a second display for your Mac. Need extra screen space for your Twitter client or a place for your Photoshop palettes? Then Mini Display may be the perfect solution.

To use Mini Display, you must first download the Mini Display Connect client onto your Mac and enable Screen Sharing in your Mac's preferences.

Once your Mac is ready to go, you're all set to connect with your iPhone and iPad. Simply login with your Mac's credentials, choose if you want to restore windows, and if you're using a Retina iPad, decide if you want high resolution and less space, or low resolution and more space. You can also choose to leave the password field blank so that you are required to enter your password every time you use the app.

Once you connect, then you've got a second display for your Mac! Its default location is to the right of your Mac's display, but you can change it in the Display settings in System Preferences on your Mac. You can also interact with windows on the screen with gestures and logout by simply pinching to zoom out.

The good

Easy setup and use
Can be used in both portrait and landscape orientations
Use your iPad's Retina display to create an ultra-crisp external screen
Restores windows you place in it.
Use your device keyboard and touch gestures
Option to prompt you with your password when you connect to your Mac

The bad

Laggy

The bottom line

Mini Display is a really great companion to any Mac, especially 11" and 13" MacBook Pros that have limited screen real estate. Unfortunately, it doesn't run perfectly smooth and the lag is bit annoying, but if you choose to use Mini Display for things like a Twitter feed, to-do list, email client, or anything else that you aren't constantly interacting with, then you'll find it to be a great asset. And it's much cheaper than buy second monitor.

$12.99 - Download now

Verizon CEO says he sold Steve Jobs on LTE for iPhone 5

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 09:20 PM PDT

Verizon CEO says he sold Steve Jobs on LTE for iPhone 5

While talking at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam claimed to have been the man responsible for convincing Steve Jobs to go 4G LTE on the iPhone 5. Sue Merek at Fierce Wireless reports:

Interestingly McAdam also recounted a meeting he had with former Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs, who is now deceased. McAdam was trying to convince Jobs to make the iPhone 5 compatible with LTE. "I was really trying to sell him and he sat there without any reaction. Finally, he said, 'Enough. You had me at 10 Mbps. I know you can stream video at 10 Mbps.' And Apple's next phone was LTE," McAdam said.

It's hard to imagine Apple not going 4G LTE with the iPhone 5, given the "right" chipset was available at the time. Apple planning on doing something certainly doesn't preclude Verizon from pitching it as well.

Either way, the most interesting part of this story to me is Jobs going right for the Jerry McGuire riff. Show him the network, McAdam. Show. Him. The. Network.

Source: Fierce Wireless

Betting against Apple: Why stock swarms only work when we let them

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:33 PM PDT

Betting against Apple: Why stock swarms only work when we let them

Earlier this week, Mal Spooner from Money wrote a piece about the swarming of Apple stock. In the article, he equates street swarming -- when a gang surrounds and often attacks an unsuspecting victim -- to the swarming of a stock by short sellers. The main difference, he suggests, is that in a street swarming there is no real motive. Yet in a short-seller swarming, the motive is to rob investors by driving the stock price down.

Spooner is well known on Bay Street. He founded Mavrix Fund Management at the start of this millennium, and he's obviously quite experienced. But I still beg to differ with his view. I think it gets the investor psychology issues wrong. I also think too many people are missing an understanding of something I call the Conservation of Outstanding Shares Principle.

First, for readers who aren't familiar with short selling, let's cover it quickly. Most investors buy stock hoping it will go up. But it's perfectly legal to borrow stock from your broker and sell it. Then you can buy it back later, hoping to buy it back at a lower price. If you shorted Apple at $700 and "covered" (buying back the stock) at $500, you made a profit of $200.

Shorting stock is as simple as placing an order online. We call it being "long" when you own shares the way most investors do. Shorting is the opposite. It is a bet against the company rather than a bet on the company.

Now here's something people don't often understand. Selling stock PERIOD is a bet against the company. People are going to argue with me here. They'll say I'm wrong. But the fact is that selling Apple shares (for cash) means you are betting on cash instead of Apple stock. You're betting against Apple.

Liquidity in the market depends on having a buyer and a seller. Every time you buy stock, you are betting on that company, and someone else is betting against the same company in equal dollar amounts.

I call this the Conservation of Outstanding Shares Principle. In physics, there's conservation of mass and conservation of energy. This is the same thing. Short selling does not create or destroy shares. It adds liquidity to the market.

So now let's talk about "swarming".

Street swarms are organized. A gang of punks is basically out to attack someone. This is very different from the imaginary scenario where a fight breaks out, and random bystanders all start attacking the same person just because it looks like fun, or just because they also want to appear relevant.

So when a stock gets "swarmed", I think it's a lot less organized than street swarming. Sure, you could have a few hedge funds who all collaborate with each other to start shorting a stock and planting negative stories in the media. That can be a catalyst. It's the match that lights the fire. But the fire continues to burn on its own, doesn't it?

The fuel in this fire is actually the media. And it is driven by herd mentality more than an organized swarming, in my opinion. If your job is to write about technology stocks or if you are a general business journalist, then the last thing you need is to seem like you're on the outside of a trend. If you see something happening (like a developing negative story on Apple), you run over to look. You're part of the crowd. But as a writer, you are also reporting on it - usually with no value added.

So what if 20 million shares of Apple are sold short. There are 939 million shares of Apple outstanding. An utterly enormous (sarcasm!) 2% of Apple shares have been sold by shorts. Those sellers voted against Apple, and sold the shares to buyers of that exact number of shares. Somebody else voted their dollars on Apple just the same.

On an average market day, over the last 3 months, 18 million shares of Apple trade hands every day. Every single day. There is a buyer and a seller for every single share traded. Some of the volume is from short transactions. The rest is from traditional long transactions. If you buy stock you've got no idea (nor do you care) whether you're buying from someone who shorted, or someone who simply decided to sell a long position.

Short sellers are not robbing you. They do not force you to sell your shares. Short sellers do not change the value of an underlying business over the long term. They simply contribute liquidity, and often during the beginning of a short selling wave, they put negative pressure on a stock. This can go on for a while. I'm sure the fire can burn for a year or more. And for some people, that's a long time, and they will feel like they've been robbed.

The truth is that long term investors who focus on actual business results can ignore all of this, or even buy more during periods of insane negativity. You can actually profit from the lows in stock prices created by short sellers.

The real problem is one that will likely get worse before it gets better. The real problem is a combination of: 1) The low barriers to publish news these days; and 2) the highly competitive need to publish quickly, which reduces quality of reporting.

The only reasonable solution is to do your own research and invest over a longer time horizon.

IDC: PC shipments in Q1 faced their steepest known drop to date

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 02:20 PM PDT

Wow (!) This is astonishing. The size of the drop in sales is humongous and reminiscent of when CDs got Napstered…

My Daughter’s Netflix Takeover

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 01:35 PM PDT

I mentioned a few weeks back that I gave my daughter an iPad mini. She is getting great use out of it, for everything from reading (tons and tons of reading) to educational apps to games and entertainment.

Apparently she is getting particularly fond of Netflix since I logged in for her with our family account. So much so that now when I take a peek at the app on my iPad mini it's a little scary. Just look at that screenshot above. It's completely Disney-ified. She has hijacked Netflix. :)

The good

75 action-packed levels
Travel through 3 crazy level packs including Milktown, Balloonland and Mouse Cave
Interact with over 30 innovative physics-based mechanics
Beautiful 2D graphics and funny animations
Put your skills to the test and master extra-challenging levels with Game Center achievements

The bad

Cannot scroll around level before starting (though, this does add to the challenge)

The bottom line

Mittens reminds me a bit of one of the best physics-based games Cut the Rope. And that's a good thing. If you're a fan of these types of games, Mittens surely won't disappoint.

I'm totally addicted.

$0.99 - Download now

Microsoft reportedly planning to launch Office for iOS in late 2014

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Microsoft reportedly planning to launch Office for iOS in late 2014

There has been report after report that Microsoft Office is seriously, for real this time, coming to iOS, but now it appears that Office might not be making its way to iOS until late 2014. Yes, really. In an apparent leak of their Office product roadmap, called Gemini, Microsoft details different waves in which products will be launched, and Office for iOS and Android is scheduled for October 2014. ZDNet has the details:

Gemini Wave 1.0 (October 2013): Windows Blue app updates

Gemini Wave 1.5 (April 2014): Office for Mac; Office RT refresh; Perceptive Pixel support; Windows Phone support refresh

Gemini Wave 2.0 (October 2014): Outlook RT; Office for iOS/Android

If leak proves to be accurate, it shows that Microsoft has really lost the plot. Sure, plenty of people rely on Office for work, but people who want Office on their mobile devices have done one of two things: they've either already purchased a Windows Phone device and/or a Windows tablet, or they've found another solution on iOS or Android. Both Apple's iWork and Google Docs are cheaper and while they might not have every feature of Office, they have the features that most people need. You also don't need to buy them again when you want the latest version.

Many businesses might still be entrenched in the thought of needing Office, but that is changing, albeit slowly. But that change will continue and it will continue to build momentum. If Microsoft is really going to wait until fall of next year to launch Office for iOS, they're going to find that many, maybe most, of their potential customers are going to have moved on, and I'm afraid that may surprise them. And it shouldn't.

If this roadmap is real, by late 2014, do you think you'll still want or need Office for iOS?

Source: ZDNet

10 Great iPad Apps for Students on the Autism Spectrum

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 09:45 AM PDT

I'm continually impressed and amazed at how much impact the iPad is having in education – and especially in helping students with autism or on the autism spectrum. So I'm delighted to share this guest post today, covering 10 great iPad apps (and one great iPad case) for Students on the Autism Spectrum.

This post was written by Cathy Hoesterey. Here's a little background on Cathy and her qualifications to write on this subject:

Cathy Hoesterey is an assistive technology specialist and occupational therapist living in Bellevue, WA near Seattle. She works for Belllevue School District in the special education department providing technology for special needs students ages 3-21 years old.

Cathy presents at national conferences and gives webinars on iPads and other assistive technologies. Her blog iPad for All is designed to support iPad users of all ages and abilities, as well...

Read the whole entry... »

Comments

It's a microfiber cloth. I paid $15 for 36 the other day at ... by Doug

The good

Bluetooth support means you don't even have to be connected to the internet to share files
You can easily add and remove trusted devices within settings whenever you'd like
Supports any file type, not just photos or videos

The bad

Seems to have trouble transferring larger files resulting in time outs or errors
When sending multiple files at once, they show up in one bulk upload that you have to scroll through
Sometimes devices that are within the network or paired don't show up correctly

The bottom line

Many people have wished for OS X AirDrop to come to Mac. It hasn't yet. Meanwhile, Instashare is shaping up to be a great way to share all kinds of files between iPhone, iPad, and Mac but it isn't quite there yet. The amount of errors, timeouts, and strange UI bugs I experienced would keep me from using it as a dedicated file sharing service. For the time being, an option like Droplr that also offers link shortening services is probably a better one.

Free - Download Now

T-Mobile USA will offer free iPhone 5 to iPhone users switching from another carrier

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:38 AM PDT

T-Mobile USA will offer free iPhone 5 to iPhone users switching from another carrier

T-Mobile USA is offering an iPhone 5 for free on activation when you switch from another carrier and trade in your current iPhone 4 or 4S. The offer is available through Father's Day, June 16, and customers who take advantage of this deal will receive a $120 credit that can be put towards things like monthly payments, outstanding bills, or accessories. T-Mobile hopes that users looking at this offer will see the total value that T-Mobile wants to provide:

"Our message to iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 customers is simple: bring in your device and trade up to iPhone 5 on T-Mobile," said Mike Sievert, chief marketing officer for T-Mobile. "We're making it incredibly attractive to buy an iPhone 5 by pairing an un-beatable upfront price and trade-in offer with Simple Choice, the most hassle-free and affordable rate plan in wireless."

The main barrier for users who want to take advantage of this offer would be the early termination fee from their current carrier. An ETF can be expensive, though if the customer has had their phone for awhile, it's possible that the fee has decreased significantly. T-Mobile is likely hoping that customers will see this deal as a way to offset some of the costs. The offer continues T-Mobile's aggressive push to stand out from the other major U.S. carriers and remain competitive. For those wanting to take advantage of the offer, remember that the iPhone goes on sale on T-Mobile starting this Friday, April 12.

If you have an iPhone 4 or 4S on another carrier, does this offer tempt you? Were you considering a switch anyway? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: T-Mobile USA

Status Board review: Panic's delightful way to visually keep track of all your stuff

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:36 AM PDT

Status Board is a way to keep track of all the stuff you care about, delightfully rendered and presented on your iPad. That it comes from the obscenely talented team at Panic is no surprise. Based on a custom big screen status board they whipped for their office, the production version of Status Board offers a lot of the same charm, and in an easy to customize package.

On launch, you're greeted with a short explanation of how Status Board works. It's gleefully animated and accompanied by wonderfully Panic-esque music, and perfectly sets the stage for the app experience that follows.

The default Status Board comes pre-populated by several meticulously crafted widgets, including Clock, Weather, Calendar, Mail, Twitter, and RSS. To edit the Status Board you simply tap the gear button. Then you can drag in, drag out, re-size, re-arrange, and re-configure all the widgets until the layout best suits your needs. Different display modes, which vary from widget to widget, include things like lists, tickers, and graphs. You've also got fairly good granular control over what you want displayed. You can turn off individual Calendars, birthdays, Twitter accounts, etc. You can also have multiple instances of widgets, for example, Twitter feed in one, @mentions in another.

Status Board supports portrait and landscape viewing modes, and the widgets enthusiastically leap about to make sure they're always in the right place. They don't always get it right, mind you, but Status Board will warn you when the placement isn't optimal and let you edit again to make it just so. It is possible to make layouts that don't work perfectly in both portrait and landscape, or cause some overlap. It's finicky at times, but there's almost always a slide-puzzle like solution.

There are also a couple of pro-level widgets like graph, table, and do-it-yourself, which can work even greater wonders if you give them a chance. Tutorials are available to show how to make these pro-level widgets work, and there's built-in integration with services like StatHat for data collection and HockeyApp for developer-centric metrics. This is the stuff that makes Status Board as valuable as it is beautiful.

While the iPhone excels at on-the-go data entry and access, the iPad's big screen has likewise made it ideal for data aggregation, visualization, and reporting. Status Screen caters perfectly to those strengths, and what's more, makes it fun.

With an in-app purchase, you can even unlock TV out and AirPlay, and show your Status Board off on your big screen TV. For startup living rooms or office conference rooms, if you're willing to pony up the cash, you can now have your very own Panic panel.

Status Board won't appeal to everyone, but it will get those who've been bugging Cabel, Steven, Neven, and company for the code off their 8-bit lawn. It will also appeal to anyone who wants a highly visual, incredibly glance-able way to keep an eye on the dates, times, messages, and conditions pertaining to our current projects, and our lives.

I've been playing with it -- and in this case play is absolutely the correct word -- and I've enjoyed it immensely. It's just so completely Panic is realization and attitude. And I really, really like that Panic is charging a sustainable price for their work, including the in-app purchase. For some, Status Board will be a luxury, the ability to buy just a bit of the Panic culture. For others, it will be a time saver. Both those things are valuable, and well worth the price of admission.

Get it now from the App Store.

$9.99 - Download now

And lest anyone's jealousy be anywhere close to sated by this release, Panic also sent also a sneak peek at the next-generation stuff they're already playing with...

Deal of the Day: 50% off Trident Kraken AMS Case for iPhone 5

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 06:31 AM PDT

Today Only: Purchase the Trident Kraken AMS Case for iPhone 5 and save $24.95!

This case has a tough exoskeleton featuring hardened polycarbonate, providing a stylish and rugged surface for maximum protection. The double-thick, impact-resistant silicone corners absorb shock if your iPhone 5 is dropped and the ports are covered with silicone plugs to keep out dirt and debris. The Kraken A.M.S. case includes a detachable aluminum media stand and comes in black, blue, red, pink or green.

List Price: ~~$49.95~~ Today Only: $25.00

Learn More and Buy Now

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How to change the Home button click speed on iPhone and iPad

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 06:27 AM PDT

How to change the Home button click speed on iPhone and iPad

If you've got an iPhone or iPad, you're already aware that the Home button is by far the most used physical button since you use it to exit apps, multitask, and more. Depending on how fast you tap the Home button, double and trip clicks may not always register for you or get misread. iOS actually gives you a way to customize the Home button click speed by slowing it down.

Here's how:

Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
Tap on General.
Scroll down a ways and now tap on Accessibility.
Under the Physical & Motor section, tap on the option for Home-click Speed.
Here you can choose between Default, Slow, and Slowest

Since iOS will always register fast taps, the only settings offered are to slow it down. If you find that your iPhone is registering double taps as two single taps, slowing the speed down a bit could prevent this issue from happening.

iPad by Davis

jueves, 11 de abril de 2013