martes, 11 de diciembre de 2012

iPad By Davis: “iMore Weekly Contest winners: Ronin for iPhone 5 by Element Case and the first iOS dream device” plus 18 more

iPad By Davis: “iMore Weekly Contest winners: Ronin for iPhone 5 by Element Case and the first iOS dream device” plus 18 more


iMore Weekly Contest winners: Ronin for iPhone 5 by Element Case and the first iOS dream device

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:17 AM PST

iOS Dream Device

If there's one thing iMore loves even more than iPhones and iPads (and iPods!), it's giving cool iPhone and iPad accessories and apps to our awesome readers. This week we have...

Win the iPhone, iPad, or iPod of your dreams from iMore!

phillyboom

You can enter this week's iOS Dream Device Giveaway here: 2012 iMore Readers Choice Awards!

 

Ronin for iPhone 5 by Element Case!

avelvethammer

 

Congratulations everyone! Winners will be contacted via email with information on claiming their prizes. Looking for another chance to win? We always have a contest underway for something cool, so keep your eyes on the blogs for those announcements.



Apple quietly updates its 12 Days of Christmas app for UK and parts of Europe

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:14 AM PST

Apple quietly updates its 12 Days of Christmas app for UK and parts of EuropeApple has quietly updated its 12 Days of Christmas app for UK and European users. The app is always updated around this time of year but doesn't actually start to be of any use until December 26th. The app gives away apps, books and music content every day for 12 days and It is worth grabbing now just in-case you forget. You will then receive a push notification each day of the promotion to remind you to get your free content. If you download it now, you will get a countdown screen showing how many days left until the first free content will be made available.

You and your friends can download a fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps, books and TV episodes for free. Each download will only be available for 24 hours. Get our 12 Days of Christmas app to make sure you don't miss out.

Free Download Now

The app is currently only available in the UK and some parts of Europe and we are not sure if it will be available yet in the US at all. The promotion starts on December 26th and runs for 12 days. It could be a welcome break for parents who are constantly harassed to part with money for apps this time of year. Even better, Apple is also offering gifts for your computer too via iTunes starting at the same time; we can only assume that this will be in the form of apps from the Mac App store.



Adobe Photoshop goes Retina for Mac

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 09:27 PM PST

Adobe Photoshop goes Retina for Mac

Roughly 6 months after Apple released the first Retina Mac, Adobe has updated Photoshop to make use of every one of those double-density pixels (aka HiDPI). Adobe was expected to go Retina by the end of the year, and they made it with weeks to spare.

Illustrator and some of the other CS6 apps should be going Retina as well shortly.

If you subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, or if you own a Photoshop CS6 license, head on over to their software update tool and give it check. Your eyes will thank you.



Forums: Alarm failures, Picking out a case for the iPhone 5, Shipping outside the U.S.

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 08:26 PM PST

From the iMore Forums

Found an interesting article you want to share with iMore? Have a burning question about that feature you just can't figure out? There is ALWAYS more happening just a click away in the forums. You can always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. You check out some of the threads below:

If you're not already a member of the iMore Forums, register now!



Going big

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 07:41 PM PST

Imagining a 4.5- or 5-inch iPhone

In 2012 Apple increased the screen size of the iPhone from 3.5- to 4-inches, and just a month later introduced the iPad mini with a 7.9- rather than 9.7-inch screen. Between those devices, the old-but-still-on-the-market iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, and the iPad mini and iPad, there's a noticeable gap. No 4.5- to 5-inch phone. At least for now.

For many customers that's no gap at all. For many, Apple has kept the screen size exactly where they want it -- tall but still narrow enough to (mostly) use one handed. Thin enough to use with smaller hands, and to fit in smaller pockets and purses. Same enough to continue to argue that people who want much bigger screens are still as wrong as they ever were.

For other customers, 4-inches still isn't big enough.

For some of those, size simply sells. Imagine you walked into a Big Box retailer and all the television sets, from 32- to 102-inches all cost pretty much the same thing. Imagine the 102-inch television cost even less than the 32-inch one. Thanks to carrier subsidies and agendas, that's the current situation for the iPhone. Customers walk into carriers or retailers and see the $199 iPhone on the shelf alongside 4.5- to 5-inch or bigger Android phones and Windows Phones. Bigger equals better, so they buy bigger.

For the rest, size matters. Either their eyes require bigger interface elements to easily use, their motor skills appreciate more room to move around, or they simply want a bigger screen to do bigger things with. Bigger web. Bigger videos. Bigger games. They might even want something approaching mini-tablet size, and would rather have a big phone than a small phone and a tablet. Bigger is better, so they buy bigger.

For both, even if they'd prefer an iPhone in many ways, the screen size is what they see, or what's more important to them than anything else. And because of that, neither of those customers is choosing the iPhone.

Apple may not care, of course. They didn't care about customers for whom "cheap" is the most important feature, when they chose netbooks, or choose sold-at-cost tablets over Apple's MacBooks or iPads. They currently don't care about customers for whom size options are the most important feature, when people choose larger than 15-inch laptops over MacBooks. In general, Apple has shown resilience to market trends and stuck to a small core of high quality, highly specific products.

But Apple did go to 4-inches with the iPhone this year. And they did go to 7.9-inches with the iPad mini this year, following the introduction of several 7-inch tablets. So Apple's not completely immune to market trends either.

Right now, Apple is content to try and counter-program the bigger screen Samsung and HTC and Nokia devices.

If Apple goes to multiple iOS device releases next year, and their cycle includes two refreshes a year instead of one, however, it'll be interesting to see how the hardware will keep up with that pace. When they're fast enough, with good enough cameras, and long enough battery life, what else will differentiate them? Could multiple screen sizes be an answer to that question?

At close to 5-inches, a 1136x640 iPhone would have the same pixel density as the Retina iPad, 264 ppi. That would be a large iPhone -- a Droid DNA-large iPhone -- and probably larger than most of the market wants. At close to 4.5 inches, a 1136x640 iPhone would have a pixel density of 290, between the Retina iPad and the current iPhone's 326 ppi. Having the same pixel resolution means apps "just work" and developers don't have to update to support it.

If Apple would rather prioritize pixel density and stay truer to the original Retina brand messaging, they could also go from the current @2x (1136x640) to @3x (1704x960) for 435 ppi at 4.5-inches or 391 at 5-inches, or even @4x (2272x1280) or 580 ppi at 4.5-inches or 522 at 5-inches. That would create the same workload for developers as the switch from @1x to @2x that occurred between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and iPad 2 and iPad 3. (By way of comparison, the Droid DNA is 1920x1080 at 5-inches and 440 ppi.)

Apple already has multiple Mac sizes, multiple iPod sizes, and multiple iPad sizes, so it's not unimaginable they could one day have multiple iPhone sizes greater than the 3.5 and 4-inch iPhones we have today.

With Apple you can never say never. They're smart, they're changeable, and if one day they do choose to go big, to make something with the build quality, lightness, and thinness of the iPhone 5 at a larger scale, it'll be something many people choose to take home.



Sometimes an iCloud icon is just an iCloud icon

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 05:07 PM PST

Sometimes an iCloud icon is just an iCloud icon

As part of its massive redesign, iTunes 11 includes a curious iCloud icon at the top left, just beside the media type selector drop down. What does this iCloud icon mean? What does it want from us? Matthew Panzarino investigated and shared his findings on Robot Tuxedo:

Clicking on it does nothing, there is no tooltip and it sometimes animates in various ways. This has led to confusion about its purpose. When I saw it I felt I knew right away what it was, but thought I'd do a little testing to make sure my hypothesis was correct.

No spoilers. Hit the link below and make sure you read down to the update.

Source: Robot Tuxedo via Daring Fireball (I somehow missed it last week, I blame @panzer not tweeting it loudly enough)



Review: London – A City Through Time for iPad

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 03:58 PM PST

London a City Through Time iPad app

London has been one of the world's great cities for centuries. London – A City Through Time is an iPad app that celebrates the city and presents its rich history and culture. I've been trying to come up with a solid second sentence here that does this great app justice, but instead I'll share the words of no less an authority than The Economist, the blue-chip publication published out of London:

"London: A City Through Time" is neither coffee-table book nor guide nor map, but a nearly endless fusion of all three in a digital application, or "app"—nearly 2,000 years in the life of one of the world's great cities.  Even diehard Londoners are destined to discover something new.

Notes

The app is touted as 'Probably the most advanced and complete portrait of London ever produced' and who's going to argue with numbers like these:

… it offers an indispensable reference to the 2000-year history of the world's most complex city. It boasts over 6000 articles on the capital's museums, statues, buildings, streets, trades, people, parks, rivers and more. Over 2000 rare prints and photographs. Thirty-five video documentaries and clips from the archives of the Pathé movie library.

I works in landscape mode only, but that makes perfect sense given the layout and workings of the app. There's a rotating set of superb images taking up about 70% of its main screen. A series of panels along the bottom of the app's screens lead to the main ways to explore it – Timeline, Browse on Map, Life in London, My London, Audio Tours, History on the Tube, Audio Visual History, browse by subject, Notable Londoners, App Credits and Error Reporting.

(...)
Read the rest of Review: London – A City Through Time for iPad (652 words)


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Twitter introduces their own photo filters

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 04:08 PM PST

Hot on the heals of Instagram's new big update that includes a new filter -- not to mention their removal of Twitter card and embed support! -- Twitter has released an update to their iPhone app that allows you to add filters to your photos when sharing them to Twitter. They even made a fancy video to show off the new feature and teach you how to use it. The filters are a result of a partnership with Aviary; they are responsible for powering Twitter's photo filters and effects.

There are 8 different filters available in Twitter for iPhone ranging from black and white to vintage. Instead of forcing you to see the effects on your photo one by one, like Instagram, Twitter has included a bird's-eye view that lets you see how each filters looks on your photo at the same time in a grid.

In addition to the filters, Twitter also lets you crop and frame your photos as a square if you wish. There is also an auto-enhance button that will help give your photos that extra oomph with balanced light and colors.

The update has not yet gone live, but we'll let you know as soon as it does! In the meantime, let us know if you're looking forward to this new feature. If you do not use the official Twitter for iPhone app, will this update compel you to give it a try?

Free - Download Now

Source: Twitter



Instagram updates with improved camera, new filter, and more

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 03:23 PM PST

Instagram for iPhone has updated with an improved camera, a new filter called Willow, improved tilt-shift, a new Foursquare button, and more. The interfaces for the camera and and filter screens have been completely redone for the better.

Today we're excited to announce the release of the largest upgrade to our Instagram iOS camera since it was revamped just over one year ago. The camera has been the core part of the Instagram experience since the day we launched and as a result, we've made significant improvements to its look and speed.

The new camera in Instagram now lets you overlay a grid for using the rule-of-thirds and keeping the horizon level. You can also turn the external flash to on, off, or auto, and switch between the rear and front-facing cameras. There is also a little thumbnail that previews the last photo taken that gives access to your Camera Roll when tapped. Instead of just showing a grid of your Camera Roll photos, however, Instagram now shows the currently selected photo in the Scale & Crop preview with the thumbnails of your Camera Roll photos below it. I'm a huge fan of this new interface because it makes it much easier to quickly compare photos.

The new interface for adding filters is similar to the old one with a horizontally scrolling bar of the photos at the bottom, it just has a new look. The buttons for frames, tilt-shift, and Lux now appear directly above the filters. There is also a new button for rotation added to the mix.

Speaking of tilt-shift, this feature has also been greatly improved. In the past, there was a huge difference between the preview shown for tilt-shift and the actual results. This has been fixed so that the blur you see is the blur you'll get. Additionally, the blur algorithm has been greatly improved to increase quality and accuracy and now gives a more realistic rendering of depth of field.

In just the few minutes I spent playing with the new tilt-shift, I am impressed. I never use tilt shift with instagram because of how fake it has always looked, but the new blur algorithm is actually quite good and I look forward to using it on my photos.

Additionally, Instagram has also added a new monochromatic filter called Willow. It's a black and white filter with subtle purple tones and a translucent glowing white border that will work well on portraits, still life, and architecture photographs with contrast.

Another feature that Instagram snuck into this update is that your Instagrammed photos will now be saved in a separate album on your iPhone called "Instagram". This will make it much either to find your Instagram photos in your Camera Roll and something I, personally, am very excited about.

Lastly, Instagram has also redesigned the news feed to better match the new look, added infinite scrolling on user profiles and other grid views, and a Foursquare button has been added to the location pages that opens the Foursquare app or mobile website with details about the venue.

Have you had a chance to play with the new and improved Instagram, yet? What do you think? I'm a huge fan of the new Camera Roll selection screen on the iPhone 5, the improved tilt-shift, and the Instagram album added to the Photos app.

Free - Download now

Source: Instagram



2012 iMore Readers Choice Awards! Vote now and enter to win the iOS device of your dreams!

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 02:45 PM PST

2012 iMore Readers Choice Awards! Vote now and enter to win the iOS device of your dreams!

Welcome to the 2012 iMore Readers Choice Awards! This is where you get to have your say, and tell us the absolute best devices, news, apps, and accessories you've enjoyed last year. We've provided 5 suggestions for each category, but you're absolutely free to write in any alternative you prefer -- with one proviso: it has to have happened, been released, or been significantly updated during 2012!

Voting will be open for 2 weeks, and when it closes, we'll tally up the totals and present your favorites, the 2012 iMore Readers Choices!

Bonus: Enter your iMore username in the survey and we'll enter you to a win a $350 U.S. Apple Store gift certificate so you have a second chance to win the iOS device of your deams!

So what are you waiting for? VOTE NOW!

(P.S.: If you're an active member of the iMore forums, make sure you run over and vote in our 2012 iMore Community Awards as well!)



Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for iPad review - it's THAC0 time

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 12:39 PM PST

Old-school role-playing game fans will have noticed Baldur's Gate launching on iPad last week. The Dungeons & Dragons classic has suffered a few delays, which isn't entirely unexpected when porting an older PC game to an entirely new operating system.

Baldur's Gate follows the story of an orphan who is rushed out from his home by his caretaker, who is promptly killed outside the city by a mysterious armored figure and a band of mercenaries. Your character has to then start piecing together the mystery of his murder by enlisting the aid of fellow adventurers along the road. Before long, you're looking into a strange iron shortage which is plaguing the region and ultimately tied to your guardian's death. The game also includes The Black Pits, which follows a group that has been abducted to fight in an underworld gladiatorial arena.

The classic RPG mechanics are all here; go on quests, kill monsters, earn loot, get experience points, level up, unlock new abilities, rinse, repeat. The controls are mostly well-adapted from the PC version, though I have experienced a few hiccups. It's clear that the precision of a mouse is sometimes needed to accurately tap on entrances to new areas or corpses to loot. Often, I've had to pinch to zoom in a few times to get close enough to tap accurately. There are also a few performance hiccups, such as the keyboard summoning when you tap into the Journal section, and parts of the UI temporarily disappearing when you switch between apps. On the plus side, there's multi-player available through good ol' direct IP, with plans for a more streamlined cross-platform multiplayer experience soon.

The "Enhanced" part of this version of Baldur's Gate seems to primarily mean fresh cutscenes peppered throughout the game, though putting them at the beginning every time you load up is a bit excessive. The developer also squashed over 400 bugs from the original game, and added in classes and races that were previously only available in Baldur's Gate 2.

There are plenty of dialog options throughout the game which have very real consequences in how events pan out. If you're particularly snarky to some stranger on the road, they may decide to attack you. If you manage to bribe an assassin, they may provide some information on who hired them to kill you. The winding storyline is as solid as ever, and a hallmark of the game's original creator, BioWare. There are a lot of interesting paths to take on the dialog front, but the real action is in combat.

Encounters with bad guys are fast and furious, often requiring players to pause, line up actions for each character, unpause, see how they resolve, and designate another set of actions. This can feel a little clunky for many, but adds a ton of depth to combat.I don't know if games were harder when I was younger, or if I've gone soft in my old age, but Baldur's Gate can be really, really difficult. If your character dies at any point, you have to re-load from your last save point. Characters can be killed very easily if you don't take your time and carefully plan out attacks and are amply prepared with potions and characters with healing classes.

The game's graphics are a mixed bag. Character portraits are still gorgeous and plentiful, but the animation and actual character sprites are a little chunky, especially when zoomed in. It would have been great to see at least character assets re-rendered in 3D, but that might have looked out of place with the rest of the world. The audio is still fantastic, particularly the voice acting. Every character has a ton of personality, though certain canned responses get a touch repetitive. The background music is also great, and easily makes up for the scenery's lack of fidelity.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition costs $9.99, which is a little on the steep side, plus they're trying to sell portrait packs, voice packs, and new characters for $2.99. Those that succumb to nostalgia probably won't bat an eyelash at spending over fifteen bucks for Baldur's Gate and the extras, but anyone else won't be so easily persuaded.

The good

  • Superb voice acting and writing
  • Classic, challenging RPG action

The bad

  • Dated graphics
  • Controls could use a bit more touch optimization
  • Relatively high pricetag

The bottom line

Though some of Baldur's Gate's relics sort of get in the way of gameplay, such as obscure D&D mechanics, mouse-optimized controls, and dated graphics, the spirit of the game still holds a ton of appeal. Rich character portraits and top-notch voice acting deliver convincing personalities, whileintense background music and steep difficulty curve can create truly gripping combat experiences. Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is a fine example of bringing classic franchises back to life on mobile; I just can't wait until Baldur's Gate 2 comes out for iOS.

$9.99 - Download Now



INVELLOP Leatherette Case Cover for the iPad mini – Take 2

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 11:51 AM PST

INVELLOP Leatherette iPad mini Case

This just arrived today. It's an INVELLOP Leatherette Case Cover for the iPad mini. Just like the one I reviewed last week.

I liked this case so much that I got a second one, in my preferred dark blue color. As I mentioned in the review it quickly became my favorite case for my iPad mini, and is getting tons of use. I still use the iPad mini with just a smart cover and even naked at times, just to enjoy how incredibly light it is – - but this has become my go-to case for anytime I'm going out with the iPad mini, or even for when I'm in my home office at times.

So now I've got a spare one of these excellent iPad mini cases. It will have a new owner soon – stay tuned.


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How To Use AirPlay Mirroring from iPad to Apple TV or a Mac

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 09:07 AM PST

iPad Mirroring to Mac

AirPlay Mirroring is a fantastic feature of iOS on the iPad. It lets you mirror your iPad screen, and everything that you do on it, to an Apple TV or a Mac computer. This is hugely useful when doing presentations and demos, creating screencasts or videos, or just enjoying your iPad photos or videos or games on a bigger screen.

And it's incredibly easy to use as long as you have the right setup. Here's a quick rundown of what's needed and how to use AirPlay Mirroring on the iPad:

Requirements:

– An iPad 2 or later, running iOS 5 or later.

– If you want to mirror to Apple TV: An 2nd gen or 3rd gen Apple TV running software version 5 or later.

– If you want to mirror to a Mac: OS X Mountain Lion, a supported Mac, and an app to support mirroring.. Supported Macs are:

  • iMac (Mid 2011 or newer)
  • Mac mini (Mid 2011 or newer)
  • MacBook Air (Mid 2011 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (Early 2011 or newer)

Two apps that enable mirroring to a Mac from an iPad are Reflector and Air Server. Both offer free trials, are available for $14.99 for a single user license, and have other licensing packages for multiple users. Both these apps also work on Windows PCs.

– A WiFi network. All devices taking part in the AirPlay Mirroring must be on the same local WiFi network.

(...)
Read the rest of How To Use AirPlay Mirroring from iPad to Apple TV or a Mac (209 words)


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Gifts for iPhone lovers: 2012 holiday guide

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 08:28 AM PST

If the special someone(s) on your holiday gift list already have iPhones, 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 iPhone ever so much more functional, and more fun. Here are some of our favorites.

Sector 5 case by Element Case

The iPhone 5 is one of the best looking, best manufactured devices in the history of the 'verse, but anodized aluminum can scratch and chip. If you know someone who wants to protect their iPhone's edges, and give it an even more distinctive, hypercar-inspired look, then check out the Sector 5 case by Element Case. It's everything that was great about previous generation Element Cases, but lighter and even easier to put on.

If you want something that's less corners and more curves, check out the Draco 5 for iPhone 5.

Elevation Dock

Apple chose not to offer a docking station for the iPhone 5, but that's not a problem because Elevation has updated their stylish, solid aluminum dock for just exactly that device. If your special someone would love to dock their iPhone at their desk, beside their bed, or anywhere else, they'll love the Elevation Dock.

Apple TV

Apple builds AirPlay into every iPhone, and with AirPlay, you can beam many of the videos you're watching on the small screen, right onto your big screen HDTV. Yeah, that includes video games. It also includes anything you may have on your iPhone 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.

SGP GLAS.t screen protector

Most screen protectors cover the glass iPhone display with plastic that doesn't look or feel anywhere nearly as good. The SGP GLAS.t, while slightly thicker than plastic screen protectors, feels much more like the actual iPhone display. If you know someone who's concerned about scratching their screen, get them the SGP GLAS.t.

If you'd rather get them something that's a lot thinner but incredibly strong, check out the BodyGuardz HD Anti-glare ScreenGuardz.

iBOLT ProDock Alumina

Whether it's using Siri, using turn-by-turn navigation, listening to music, or just talking on the phone, the iBOLT ProDock Alumina can help your friends and family stay safe, sound, and out of legal trouble when taking their iPhone on the road.

Olloclip 3-in-one lens system

The Olloclip 3-in-on lens system is a great gift for any iPhone user, but photography enthusiasts will really appreciate it. This tiny little accessory is equipped with macro, wide-angle, and fisheye lenses that slip over the iPhone's built-in camera. This great little kit is small enough to carry in your pocket, yet makes the iPhone's camera a lot more versatile. If your photography-loving friend doesn't already own an Olloclip, I guarantee s/he has been dying to get one.

Fantastical

It's not easy to quickly, conveniently enter appointments with the default iPhone calendar app. It is with Fantastical. All someone has to do is type in what they're going to be doing, in plain, natural language, and fantastical figures it out. If you want to make your special someone's life easier, get them Fantastical.

NAVIGON North America

iOS 6 Maps are slick, but for some people, in some places, it just doesn't work well enough to be relied on. If you want to give your friends or family an alternative turn-by-turn navigation app, give them NAVIGON.

$59.99 - Download Now

Camera+

Camera+ for iPhone updated for iOS 6 and iPhone 5, Camera+ for iPad now available

If you know someone who loves to take photos with their iPhone, they'll love to take their photos to the next level with Camera+. Going far beyond the built-in iPhone camera app, Camera+ gives more control, more features, and is a ton more fun.

$0.99 on sale - Download Now

Your favorite iPhone gifts?

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



Debug 3: Jury and Kaleidoscope

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 06:57 AM PST

Guy and Rene talk to Michael Jurewitz (Jury), formerly developer tools evangelist, now director of product development at Black Pixel, about Kaleidoscope 2, the realities of Apple, how to ship software, how to price software, and dealing with that Daft Punk helmet.

Show notes

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Hosts

Feedback

Yell at us via the Twitter accounts above (or the same names on ADN). Loudly.



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The qualitative difference when writing on an iPad

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 06:45 AM PST

The qualitative difference when writing on an iPad

Typing on an iPad is a decidedly deliberate affair. Absent a hardware keyboard, there's no feeling to the keys, no mechanical switch to the process, no muscle memory to produce words and phrase at the speed of thought. You almost have to look at what you're typing, and look again to make sure what was rendered matched your intent. Unlike a laptop keyboard, an instrument of will that simply puts character to screen, the iPad feels like something that needs to be coaxed at times, and that splits your attention between tool and creation. Jason Snell of Macworld has started exploring the differences he experiences when typing on a laptop compared to his iPad.

I'm no Oliver Sacks, but I'd wager that I'm just not taking more time to choose my words, but I'm actually using different parts of my brain when I write this way. And not only does the actual act of writing feel different, but the end result feels different to me too.

Two and half years and four-generations -- and a bit -- later, and I still find typing on the iPad more delightful and more frustrating than typing on my MacBook. I still default to my MacBook 95% of the time for writing anything longer than a few paragraphs, but I'm also not anywhere near the typist Snell is on either platform.

He's inspired me to go back and try some more writing on the iPad, however, and to try to better understand how that particular medium influences the message.

Check out the rest of Snell's post here:

Source: Macworld



AT&T LTE goes live in Wilkes-Barre, Nashua, Grand Rapids, and Auburn-Opelika

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 06:21 AM PST

AT&T drive to get their LTE data network pushed out across the U.S. continues with three additional cities announced (so far) this morning.

  • Wilkes-Barre, Penn.
  • Nashua, N.H.
  • Grand Rapids, Mich.
  • Auburn-Opelika, Ala.

While AT&T still trails Verizon in terms of coverage, they're lighting up new cities all the time. And if you just got AT&T LTE in one of those cities, hop on over to the iPhone 5 forum and show us your speeds.

Source: AT&T via Android Central



Monday Brief: T-Mobile gets the iPhone, BlackBerry 10's Hub, the Nokia Lumia 620, and more!

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 05:56 AM PST

Mobile Nations



    Bose launches a new SoundDock system for devices with Lightning connectors

    Posted: 10 Dec 2012 04:09 AM PST

    Bose launches a new SoundDock system for devices with Lightning connectorsBose has started to offer a new version of its hugely popular SoundDock music system specifically for devices that use the Lightning dock connector. The SoundDock Series III digital music system, to give it its full title is a premium sound system and a welcome addition as devices with Lightning dock connectors are very thin on the ground at the moment.

    Appearances can be deceiving. Bose digital signal processing and acoustic design produce wide-range sound, with consistency and clarity—all from a system so compact, you can move it easily from room to room.

    Enjoy hours of uninterrupted music from your iPhone or iPod. The SoundDock system charges your device whenever it's docked and plugged into a wall outlet, even while your songs are playing. This system is compatible with iPod and iPhone models with an Apple Lightning connector.

    Of course you can still use the Bose SoundDock with other devices as it has a 3.5mm AUX input too. If you like the look of the Bose SoundDock and you fancy picking one up, you will have to find $249.95 for the privilege. Sure it is not exactly cheap but from my experience of Bose products, the sound quality is normally pretty damned awesome and worth paying the premium for. If you order one, shipping is slated as 7-10 business days; so you may even get it in time for Christmas.

    Source: Bose



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