iPad By Davis: “Apple and Google supposedly join forces to buy out Kodak patents” plus 15 more |
- Apple and Google supposedly join forces to buy out Kodak patents
- Enjoy the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story on your iPhone and iPad this Holiday season
- Tshirt & Case Contest – Winners
- How Samsung built their Galaxy on the back of Apple
- US Patent office invalidates previous validation of Apple multitouch patent, unless and until they validate it again
- Review: Robots for iPad, Hurray Robots!
- Battle of the Bulge iPad Game: Set for Release December 13
- What Tim Cook's interviews revealed about the past, present, and future of Apple
- Review: Griffin Slim Folio Case for iPad mini
- Mobile Nations Survey: Do you use a car mount with your smartphone?
- Holiday Apps & Games Featured in iPad App Store
- Reminder: Countdown to Christmas iMore store sale ends tonight. Save 15% on ALL iPhone and iPad accessories!
- iPhone 5 black out: going dark on wallpaper
- The Drowning set to revamp first-person shooters on mobile
- Save 15% and get free US shipping on Pad & Quill cases for iPhone and iPad -- today only!
- Georgia's gift picks: 2012 holiday guide
| Apple and Google supposedly join forces to buy out Kodak patents Posted: 08 Dec 2012 12:40 AM PST
So while this may seem unusual at first glance, especially with the rather frosty relationship between Apple and Google, it actually makes a lot of sense. Obviously Kodak benefits by potentially being able to come out of bankruptcy with a big sum of money in its coffers and Apple and Google get to share a massive number of digital imaging patents. Source: Bloomberg, Image: Modern Image 
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| Enjoy the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story on your iPhone and iPad this Holiday season Posted: 07 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of the most popular classic Christmas stories and now you can enjoy it on your iPhone and iPad thanks to Oceanhouse Media. It includes custom music, background audio, enlarged artwork for each scene, and authentic audio clips from the timeless 1964 TV special. One of the cool new features of this Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer interactive book includes the ability to record your own voice and share tracks with others that own the app. This is great for family members like grandparents/grandkids who would enjoy sending recordings of themselves reading the story to each other. The recommended ages for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is 2 to 8 years because it promotes reading in young children by highlighting individual words as the story is read, but the book really can be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you're a fan of Rudolph, especially if you have kids, you absolutely must pick this one up. However, I must warn you that the app is not yet optimized for the iPhone 5's larger screen, if that bothers you. It looks great on the iPad and iPad mini, though. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is currently on sale for $1.99. $1.99 - Download Now
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| Tshirt & Case Contest – Winners Posted: 07 Dec 2012 04:15 PM PST  Well, another fun contest has drawn to an end. Thanks to all of you who took part in this one and made some good comments. Big thanks also to Brian and the kind folks at CafePress for running this one with us! Here are our lucky winners, starting with the winners for tshirts:
And our iPad case winners: Wayne C and Lisa Livingston Lookout for another very nice contest coming real soon. © patrickj for iPad Insight, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us         Related Stories
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| How Samsung built their Galaxy on the back of Apple Posted: 07 Dec 2012 03:59 PM PST It's widely known that, as Samsung re-invented themselves as a modern smartphone maker, they took considerable, almost absurd, inspiration from Apple. Yet copying design may not have been the only way Samsung used Apple's work to slingshot themselves to the top of the smartphone marketshare charts. Unlike every other Android manufacturer on the planet, Samsung was and is also Apple's manufacturing partner, and that might have given them a huge advantage in terms of financed capacity and knowledge of future plans. Horace Dediu addresses that very point on Asymco:
James Allworth follows up on Asymco in greater detail, on how Apple can cope with this type of threat from Samsung.
Apple has already switched to designing their own chipsets with the Apple A6, and will be manufacturing a Mac in the US next year. The damage with Samsung is already done, however. Apple showed them how to design and manufacturer smartphones at scale, and Samsung, to their credit, learned quickly and well. Arguably, Samsung hasn't -- yet -- done as well in tablets as it has in smartphones, but either way there's no putting their genie back in the bottle. All Apple can do now is prevent another partner from becoming a competitor. Both articles are excellent. Read them here: 
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2012 02:59 PM PST The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which often seems content to grant patents willy-nilly and let companies fight out their validity in court, has just ruled that Apple's massive multi-touch patent is invalid. At least for now. They approved it before and may approve it again. But they're invalidating their previous validation unless and until they validate it again. Yeah, it gives me a headache as well. Here's what Florian Mueller of Foss Patents has to say:
The mega-multitouch patent is something called the Steve Jobs patent, and Apple has asserted it in litigation before. How and if this affects current and future litigation remains to be seen. All that happened, it seems, is that the patent was challenged and now Apple gets to respond. The Verge's Nilay Patel reacted on Twitter with the following:
Source: Foss Patents, @reckless 
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| Review: Robots for iPad, Hurray Robots! Posted: 07 Dec 2012 02:34 PM PST  Robots for iPad is a new iPad app that promises to help us 'Discover the amazing world of robots with this fun and engaging app'. I'm happy to say the app does a great job at delivering on that promise. It offers a fascinating look at how robots have become reality and are already enhancing our lives. Notes The app is published by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers) and has a very impressive set of features. Here are some of the most notable:
(...) © patrickj for iPad Insight, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us  Related Stories
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| Battle of the Bulge iPad Game: Set for Release December 13 Posted: 07 Dec 2012 12:54 PM PST  Great news if you're an iPad owner and a fan of turn-based strategy games, and especially military strategy games. The Battle of the Bulge iPad game from Shenandoah Studios,- the one I've been excited and raving about for months now – is going to hit the iPad App Store next Thursday, December 13. I've been a fan of this game ever since I saw it, and backed it, as a Kickstarter project back in April. I've been following the game's progress ever since and I've been fortunate enough to be part of the game's final rounds of beta testing. The game is great. It's challenging and complex enough to appeal to seasoned war gamers. But it's also got a user-friendly interface that should make it a hit with newer players as well. It lets you play online against friends (and has Game Center support) or have a crack against the game's AI. I'm absurdly happy that this game will be in the App Store in less than a week. Look out for next Thursday afternoon. © patrickj for iPad Insight, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us  Related Stories
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| What Tim Cook's interviews revealed about the past, present, and future of Apple Posted: 07 Dec 2012 12:58 PM PST Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently interviewed by both Josh Tyrangiel Bloomberg Businessweek and NBC's Brian Williams, and though most of what was said has been heard before, there were a few notable highlights: Apple is going to invest $100 million to bring the production of one of their Mac lines to the United States. The reason Apple doesn't manufacture more of its products in the United States, Cook says, is due to a lack of skilled laborers. Cook also said that TV is an "area of intense interest", and lamented about TV being left behind as everything else has moved forward. Cook wouldn't reveal future plans, of course, but accelerating from "hobby" to "intense interest" is likely a signal. How Apple will overcome the go-to-market problems in the TV industry, as much as the hardware and software, remains a huge question. With regards to Siri and Apple Maps, Cook claims Apple is putting its full weight behind solving the problems. Cooks candidly admitted that Apple "screwed up" with the Maps launch, not meeting their own expectations or those of their customers. However, he denied that it was a purely self-serving move that put corporate interests ahead of customer needs.
Cook also avoided correlating Scott Forstall's dismissal with the issues surrounding iOS 6 Maps. Instead, he said the recent executive changes at Apple were made to help foster an increased level of collaboration at the executive level. Cook says that Apple is committed to making iOS and OS X work together seamlessly, but that unlike Microsoft and Windows, they have no plans to merge the two. One of the more interesting moments came when Cook said creativity wasn't a process.
Steve Jobs passing away wasn't something Cook expected. Cook expected Jobs to bounce back as he had in the past. However, Jobs had prepared Cook for the role ahead, specifically by preparing him to be his own man. That happened when Jobs called Cook to his house to tell him he (Jobs) was retiring to the roll of Chairman, and nominating Cook as the new, full-time CEO.
Along those lines, on keeping Apple going forward, and not falling into the Sony trap, Cook stuck to his focus mantra.
Cook wouldn't comment on the future of those products, of course, but he framed his final answer brilliantly.
Soucre: Bloomberge Businessweek, NBC 
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| Review: Griffin Slim Folio Case for iPad mini Posted: 07 Dec 2012 10:50 AM PST  Griffin are one of the big names in iOS accessories. They seem to have just about every sort of accessory possible for iDevices, and they were one of the first companies to send me a promo email about their line of cases for the iPad mini – just a few days after the mini's launch. I chose to take them up on their offer to try out a Griffin Slim Folio for iPad mini. I cant say I had super high expectations for this case; in fact I didn't have much of any sort of expectation (good or bad) as I've only ever used one other Griffin case, way back in the early days of the original iPad. So at least I can't say that this case was a huge disappointment – but I can say it's a pretty terrible case. Notes Here's a little of the promo text for the Griffin Slim Folio for iPad mini:
The case is available in black, chocolate and pebble/black. My review unit is a chocolate model. It's priced at $39.99 at Griffin's store, and you can find it for a little less on Amazon. (...) © patrickj for iPad Insight, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us  Related Stories
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| Mobile Nations Survey: Do you use a car mount with your smartphone? Posted: 07 Dec 2012 10:42 AM PST This Mobile Nations Survey comes to you via our accessories team. We're always putting new smartphone accessories to the test, and are often getting into debates over which are the best. One topic where the team is 100% in agreement though is car mount docks. We think that car mounts are the absolute best way to take your smartphone with you on the road. We're curious to know if you agree, if you own a car mount or not, if you like them or not and why. Thanks for sharing! 
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| Holiday Apps & Games Featured in iPad App Store Posted: 07 Dec 2012 08:17 AM PST  No great surprise here, but still fun to see this. A Holiday Apps and Games section is featured this week in the iPad App Store. The section includes just shy of 100 holiday-themed apps and games, in three sub-sections: Seasonal Stories, Holiday Cheer, and Festive Games. All three sub-sections offer a good mix of fun titles for family and kids of all ages. The Stories section will be a particular favorite at my house. I'm sure we'll end up reading a bunch of the stories together at bedtime over the next few weeks. A Charlie Brown Christmas is already a big favorite of ours – and there are lots of other classic tales and promising looking titles to check out. I expect this featured section will hang around for a few weeks in the App Store. You can find it in the rotating block right at the top of the iPad App Store Featured area. © patrickj for iPad Insight, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us  Related Stories
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| iPhone 5 black out: going dark on wallpaper Posted: 07 Dec 2012 07:36 AM PST After using Twitterrific 5 for a only few hours, and its dark-as-in-black theme, I exited the the app and immediately found my default iOS wallpaper... distracting. So, I whipped up a solid black 1136x640 PNG file, saved it to camera roll, and applied to both my Home screen and Lock screen as a "wallpaper". And now I'm in love with the look. All over again. Unlike previous generations, which had a shiny silvered or stainless steel band around the sides, Apple made the dark version of the iPhone 5 "black and slate", which I like to call "Vader black", but is more widely known as "blackout". It's popular look for high-end watches and cars. If you put it down on a dark or shadowed surface, you'll have trouble finding it later. Yet as the iPhone's hardware has gone dark, it's software has gone bright. Back in 2007 when Steve Jobs first held it up on stage, the Home screen background was solidly, unchangeably, black. 5 generations and almost as many years later, you can put any image you want there, from textures to faux finishes to photos. You can light up every pixel, all the time. Apple's head of design, Jony Ive, has spoken about hardware that's authentic to its purpose, and about taking way everything superfluous, everything distracting, until only the essential remains. Twitterrific 5 did the same thing with their dark theme, making it just as authentically digital. (We have a full interview with Gedeon Maheux and David Lanham, with a behind-the-scene look at the making of Twitterrific 5 on this week's episode of Iterate so make sure you check it out!) Removing the textures, the faux finishes, and the photos from the Home and Lock screen does the same thing for the iPhone as a whole. It sets those intermediary pixels free and brings attention back to information and interface elements that matter. (Would that the Lock screen could go blacker.) It makes the iPhone seem even more integral, more whole. Here's the black PNG file if you want to try it. Just touch and hold on the images, save them to your camera roll, go to the photos app, choose the image, tap the action button, and choose the wallpaper option. And if pure black is too much, here's a slightly textured version called Anthracite by Marc Edwards of Bjango. There are lots of other subtle variants out there, so if you have a favorite, please do share. 
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| The Drowning set to revamp first-person shooters on mobile Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:44 AM PST A refreshing new first-person shooter game for iOS was announced recently called The Drowning. It's being built by some of the folks that worked on Halo, Battlefield, and Far Cry, so as you'd expect the graphics look absolutely spectacular so far, but that's not even the most interesting thing about the game. The main thing these guys are trying to do is revamp the way FPS titles are played on mobile, and that means ditching the dual-stick layout. Instead, they're trying out a new layout where one taps to shoot and swipes to turn around. Players fire with two fingers instead of one, as you might expect; the shots land in between where two fingers tap, and pinching zooms down the sights. Weapons will be craftable (!) and upgradeable, apparently. Besides all that, the game's story seems extremely interesting, which you can get a taste of in the trailer below. That's an interesting twist on the classic mobile first-person shooter, especially in the wake of Modern Combat 4, which leans heavily on the dual joystick layout (though there is the option for gyro controls). Expect The Drowning to launch on iPhone and iPad early next year for free. More info is available at their home page over here.
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| Save 15% and get free US shipping on Pad & Quill cases for iPhone and iPad -- today only! Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:44 AM PST The fine folks at Pad & Quill were kind enough to give away 3 iPhone and 3 iPad cases to iMore readers earlier this week, but interest was so high and the feedback so terrific, Mr. and Mrs. P&Q decided they wanted to do something for everyone else as well. So... coupon code! If you've had your eye on a handmade, book-bound, leather and wood iPhone or iPad case from Pad & Quill, now's you chance to grab it and save 15% this weekend. Need even more incentive? P&Q offers free shipping on Fridays to US addresses, and reduced shipping to international addresses. Add all that up, and it's a hefty amount of savings for iMore readers, so check it out. Coupon code: MRPQ 
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| Georgia's gift picks: 2012 holiday guide Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:03 AM PST This season everyone here at iMore has been asked to share some of their favorite gift ideas. Now, much as I love all my Apple products, and I'll certainly be picking some below, I also less than three a lot of other nerdy, geeky, stuff, so I have a range of picks for you, as always. Whether they're for friends and family, that special someone, or a gift for yourself, I hope you enjoy! Field Runners 2My absolute favorite game of the year, Field Runners 2 cost me hours and hours of time I didn't really have, but it's just so much fun it was a price I gladly paid. It's tower defense done right, for the second time. Give it to the gamer in your life.
iPhone 5The iPhone is my world. Everything I do, from work to family to fun is done through my iPhone. While I enjoy the iPad for what it is, the one gadget I couldn't live without is the iPhone. If your special someone doesn't have an iPhone yet, it's probably the best commercial gift you could give them.
Olloclip 3-in-one lens systemI love macro photography. Leaves. Bugs. Bits of machinery. Anything and everything unexpected. While the iPhone can get you close, the Olloclip can get you very close. It can also go fisheye, and if you record video, wide angle as well. It's built beautifully and works even better. PadPivotUnlike notebooks, the iPad is a laptop that doesn't quite sit comfortably in your lap. And the iPad 3 and iPad 4, especially, are heavy enough that it would be nice if there was a way to prop them up without having to hold them up. Well, that's exactly what the PadPivot does. The stand can work on a desk, but it can also hug your thigh and keep your iPad perfectly positioned. If your special someone loves their iPad, and loves using it on the couch, they'll love the PadPivot.
Jellyfish ArtJellyfish Art is real, and it's spectacular. You get a tank. You add jellyfish. You control the LED lights via remote. And then you sit back and marvel in it all. You can start small, with a desktop tank and a single fish, and you can grow from there. It's nerdy. It's techy. It's biological. And it's different.
SuperTooth DISCO Bluetooth SpeakerThe SuperTooth DISCO isn't a Bluetooth speaker I can sneak into my jacket pocket, but it's absolutely what I want when I'm driving around in my jeep, or at home and just want massive music from my tiny iPhone or iPad. The SuperTooth DISCO is both big and beautiful. There's even a SuperTooth DISCO 2 if you'd rather gift something smaller and more vertical. Your gift picks?So that's what I'm recommending this year, but fair is fair -- now you have to tell me your gift picks! Hey, I want present ideas too! What apps, accessories, media, food, and fun stuff comprise your favorite gifts this year? 
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Apple and Google have reportedly joined forces to bid for Kodak's imaging patents. The joint bid is thought to be in the region of $5oo million and both companies hope it will be enough for them to get the patents out of bankruptcy. The news comes from 
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