sábado, 22 de diciembre de 2012

iPad By Davis: “Job’s family Yacht supposedly impounded after payment dispute with designer Philippe Starck” plus 19 more

iPad By Davis: “Job’s family Yacht supposedly impounded after payment dispute with designer Philippe Starck” plus 19 more

Job’s family Yacht supposedly impounded after payment dispute with designer Philippe Starck

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 12:46 AM PST

Job's family Yacht supposedly impounded after payment dispute with designer Philippe StarckVenus, the super Yacht that the late Steve Jobs was working on with French designer Philippe Stark has supposedly been impounded in a Dutch harbor because of a payment dispute between the Job's family and Mr Starck.

Port of Amsterdam spokesman Jeroen Ranzijn confirmed the boat has been in the harbor since Dec. 8, and won't leave until the civil dispute is resolved — possibly as early later Friday. "It was actually ready to continue its voyage when there was a dispute between two parties, including the heirs, and one party laid a claim on the boat," said Ranzijn. He said the dispute may be resolved shortly.

The supposed dispute is purely a financial one and is said to involve a lower than expected payment to Philippe Starck. His original fees were thought to be in the region of €9 million ($11.8 million) but as the completed Yacht cost much less than originally thought, Starcks fees were supposedly reduced to €6 million ($7.9 million).

The Yacht cost a total of €105 million ($138 million) to complete so the dispute is really over small change and shouldn't take too long to resolve. The Yacht was finally completed this year and is unsurprisingly like an Apple Store taken float, with an aluminum exterior measuring 80 meters long that -- you guessed it -- makes it lighter than other yachts in its class. The design is minimalist, with teak decks and floor-to-ceiling glass, and 7 iMacs are front and center in the wheelhouse.

Source: Associated Press

Forums: The all-new iMore forums, Debating the iPad mini

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 08:12 PM PST

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 head over there and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. Check out some of the threads below:

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

ESPN ScoreCenter for iPhone updated with iPad UI in time for bowl season

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 08:05 PM PST

 

ESPN ScoreCenter for iPhone updated with iPad UI in time for bowl season

It's been a long time coming, but ESPN ScoreCenter for iPhone has finally been updated with a refreshed interface that mirrors that of its larger iPad-fitted version - just in time for college football bowl season, the NFL playoffs, and more not-hockey. The new interface ditches the swiping five-panel layout of the old ScoreCenter, opting instead for a simplified layout with navigation accomplish by merely tapping (how quaint) one of four large buttons at the bottom of the screen.

The ScoreCenter update also makes looking beyond your favorite teams (you can now log in with an ESPN account to sync your favorites from the website and/or the iPad app) and the latest scores in everything - "Top Events" - by tapping the three-bar menu button on the top left to drill down into other sports, leagues, teams. The app maintains the old two-wide grid system for displaying scores en masse, but opts for a larger font that's easier to read at a glance.

New in the update is a button labeled Video present in the nav bar on most screens, offering relevant video segments on whatever scores/news/team you're looking at. The video clips are pulled from both ESPN's television coverage and dedicated web content.

Overall, the update to version 3.0.0 has been good for ScoreCenter, bringing the featureset and performance up to ESPN standards and wrapping the app in a new skin that matche's ESPN's edgy corporate look. Everything you liked about ScoreCenter is still there, while a lot of what you disliked has been excised or improved. And it's still free - can't beat that.

Apple airs iPad mini commercial - I'll be home

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 07:07 PM PST

Apple has aired a new iPad mini commercial featuring FaceTime and aimed at the holidays. It's called I'll be home, and features a girl and her grandfather sharing a musical "moment of holiday cheer".

This is the kind of commercial Apple does often, and does well, blending technology and humanity, the latest gadgets with timeless nostalgia. After some missteps in the middle of the year, Apple's playing it safe and going back to what's historically worked for them.

Check it out up top and let me know what you think in the comments below.

iPhone and iPad holiday game sales round-up

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 06:50 PM PST

You might have noticed that the App Store is choked up with holiday sales of all sorts. I've been hunting down some of the big ones among games, but if you find any more (or if any of these sales expire), leave a comment to let us know!

Universal iOS games on holiday sale

Chillingo

EA Mobile

Sega

Gameloft

Bulkypix

Activision

Warner Brothers

Rockstar

Miscellaneous

iPhone games on holiday sale

EA Mobile

Firemonkeys

Sega

Gameloft

Activision

Square Enix

Capcom

Miscellaneous

iPad games on holiday sale

EA Mobile

Firemonkeys

Gameloft

Activision

Sega

Square Enix

Full Fat

Miscellaneous

How Google got their design together on iOS

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 06:40 PM PST

How Google went iOS

There's an argument to be made that one of the best Google phones on the planet right now is the iPhone 5. Over the last few months Google has been rolling out better looking and more functional iPhone and iPad apps. From Google+ to Gmail, Google Maps to YouTube, Chrome to Google Drive, they've introduced a more consistent, more usable, more human experience on iOS -- arguably even more so in some ways than what they offer on their own, competing platform, Android. That includes playful pull-to-refresh implementations, prominent photos and profile pictures, and other consistent cues that suggest a coordinated maturation of their design language. To find out more, Matthew Panzarino of The Next Web spoke to Jason Cornwell, lead designer of Gmail for iOS:

"You have to live on the platform you're developing for. The designers and developers that work on this app are iPhone natives and use iPhones all the time as their main phone," he says.

"You have to live on a platform to understand the subtlety of the patterns…and what represents good design on that platform."

Panzarino points out the widely-held understanding that Google still earns more money from iOS than they do from Android, and Cornwell talks of going to where the customers are.

Right now the Google suite of iOS apps are generally cleaner, simpler, and more consistent that Apple's own iOS apps, though a lot of that comes at the expense of a menu button that hides a ton of disparate elements in a sidebar (i.e. the hamburgers and basements of Mountain View). They also work together as much as iOS allows, using URL schemes to open each other rather than Apple's default apps whenever possible.

It will be interesting to see how, if at all, Apple and their new head of Human Interface, Jony Ive, respond to the increasingly solid, enormously popular Google presence with iOS 7 in 2013.

In the meantime, check out the rest of Panzarino's article and interview via the link below. (And don't miss the post slug.)

Source: The Next Web

The best iPhone, iPad, and Apple gifts of 2012

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 05:59 PM PST

The best iPhone, iPad, and Apple gifts of the year

Over the last few weeks iMore has compiled the absolute best, most interesting, most enjoyable, most fun, most fantastic gifts for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple, and gadget aficionados, and fans of the finer things alike. Whether you're still doing some last minute shopping, waiting for the New Year sales, or just need a great gift idea any time of the year, here are your go-to devices, apps, accessories, and all-around awesome stuff.

If you still have time to run to the store, here's what you want to look for.

We've also got some of our staffs' favorite gift ideas of 2012 for you, Apple, gadget, and otherwise.

And, in handy video podcast form, all the best iPhone and iPad accessory gifts as chosen by our editors.

Happy gifting -- and receiving -- from everyone here at iMore!

Speed your way through your reading list with ReadQuick for iPad

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:57 PM PST

Speed your way through your reading list with ReadQuick for iPad

ReadQuick lets you read everything you care about, while teaching you to read it faster at the same time. With support for both Instapaper and Pocket, partners including Longreads, Talking Points Memo, The Feature, and GigaOm, and a full, built-in browser, ReadQuick presents a word at a time, at a pace of your choosing, and the more you use it, the faster your reading and comprehension will become.

The interface is crisp and clean, with the high contrast best for reading, and playful controls like the speed setter that are easy and fun to use. It's also got built-in sharing, of course, so you can easily pass along everything your reading... faster. You can also favorite articles right in Read Quick, modify the text to be smaller and larger, or themed for day or night, and add articles to the play list.

Check out the video below to see how it works, and if you recognize the voice, it's because he's one of the guiding forces behind the app.

If you've got an iPad and have always wanted to learn to read faster and more accurately, grab ReadQuick now.

How to delete an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac from Find my iPhone

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:11 PM PST

Find my iPhone is a great way to track lost or stolen devices. Once you've got the service set up and configured you're pretty much good to go. But what if you want to delete an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac from Find my iPhone? You will have a need to do this if you ever upgrade and sell your old device, have to swap something out for a new one at the Apple Store, or had a repair done that changed the identifier on the logic board.

So if you've got an entire clutter of devices in your account and some of them aren't even active anymore, we can help you clear those out so you only see the ones that matter right now. Follow along and we'll get it done together.

  1. Go to iCloud.com on your Mac or PC.
  2. Log in to your iCloud account.
  3. On the main screen, click on Find my iPhone.
  4. Now click on the Devices menu in the top left hand corner and click on the device you'd like to remove.
  5. At the very bottom of the page, there is a link you'll want to click. It is labeled Remove from Find my iPhone.
  6. It'll ask you to confirm that you'd like to remove the selected device from your Find my iPhone account. Click on Remove to confirm.
  7. That's all there is to it. That device won't show up in Find my iPhone any longer unless you re-enable it on the device itself.

Facebook releases Facebook Poke for iPhone, a sexter's dream app

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:01 PM PST

Yes, you read that right. Facebook has released an iPhone app dedicated to their most useless feature -- poke. Stop rolling your eyes! They've improved upon it! With Facebook Poke now you can attach a message, photo, or video to your pokes and choose how long the recipient can see it for (max of 10 seconds). And if the recipient takes a screenshot of your poke, Facebook Poke will notify you with a special icon next to the person's name. This app is just screaming "use me for sexting!" Now you can roll your eyes.

To send and receive pokes, both the sender and recipient must use the Facebook Poke app. The Facebook app will give you a notification when you have a poke waiting for you that will send you to Facebook Poke to receive it.

Since each poke has a time limit of 1, 3, 5, or 10 seconds, you must press and hold any pokes that are sent to you to ensure that you're actually ready to see the poke. Once your time is up, the message, photo, or video is disappears for good.

When sending photos, Facebook Poke includes the ability to add a banner of text or draw on it. Also, videos must be recorded in portrait orientation. If you record in landscape, it will be displayed sideways for your recipient.

I seriously don't see this purpose of Facebook Poke aside from sexting with the mandatory time limits and screenshot notifications. Personally, I'd be concerned if my teen had this app installed on their phone, but that could just be me. What do you think?

And I guess this explains why the mobile team didn't have time to add iPhone 5 support to Facebook Camera.

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: Minimalist weather apps for iPhone shootout!

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:59 PM PST

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: Minimalist weather apps for iPhone shootout!

While weather apps like Weather 2x, Dark Sky, and Today Weather may not be the hardcore weather apps that some people want, they're just about perfect for lovers of minimalism who prefer something simpler, more elegant, and more glance-able. But which one does the best with the least? And which one will be best for you?

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: User interface & design

Weather 2x's interface is designed around showing you current information right off the bat. After launching the app you'll be shown the current conditions for your location. You'll be shown the location, time, temperature, and current weather state such as sunny, overcast, rainy, snowing, or whatever description is appropriate.

The rest of Weather 2x is based on a system of simple gestures. To quickly view a 5-day forecast, just slide up from the bottom of the screen. You can then scroll back and forth to see what the weather will be like for the next 5 days. You'll be shown a graphical animation of expected conditions as well as the high and low for that given day. Nothing more and nothing less.

From the main screen of Weather 2x you can also swipe to the left to reveal an hourly forecast. This also can extend out 5 days. You'll see hourly increments by time with an animation of the expected conditions and the predicted temperature. You'll also see a clock icon in the upper right hand corner. All this does is bring you back to the current time and conditions when you tap on it.

Just like you swipe to the left to view an hourly forecast, swiping right will reveal the settings panel for Weather 2x. From here you can edit settings such as switching to metric measurements to turning off sound effects. The main menu allows you to add locations by tapping the plus sign and searching. To switch different locations just swipe to the right and then select the area you'd like to see the weather for. You can also delete locations easily by tapping the edit button. You'll then see a black X appear next to each location. Just tap it to delete any location.

There is only one more setting on the main screen of Weather 2x and it's a share button. From here you can easily share weather conditions via Facebook, Twitter, or email. The main graphical image of Weather 2x will be include as well as some information on the conditions where appropriate.

Dark Sky takes a slightly different approach than Weather 2x when it comes to presenting data. Upon launching Dark Sky you'll notice that you have a graph along the top of the screen. This is a chart that will show expected precipitation over the next hour or so. If the forecast is uncertain, the graph will wobble (move slightly) indicating the forecast isn't 100% certain.

The premise of Dark Sky is to tell you conditions as they are right now and what you can expect over the next hour or so. From the main screen you can easily see what the current condition is and what is expected over the next hour. This information is always readily available to you after launching Dark Sky. The main screen does, however, give you easy access to some other important information such as the forecast for the full day. Just slide up the Full Day tab that sits beneath the information on the next hour and you'll be given a forecast for the entire day. This will include the next 3 hours, an afternoon summary, an evening summary, and an overnight summary. Next to each section you'll see data that includes high/low temperatures and a condition such as rain, snow, or sunny.

Dark Sky makes it rather easy to change locations or view weather in a different area. Along the bottom of the screen there is a bar that allows you to change locations. You can enter a zip code, address, or any other location you'd like. To return to your current location, just tap on the location arrow and you'll be taken back to weather information about your current location.

If you want to view radar maps, you can do so by simply tapping on the radar button in the upper right hand corner of the main screen. The radar maps in Dark Sky are absolutely gorgeous. Just like the chart on the main screen for precipitation, you can view this as well inside radar. Dragging your finger along the precipitation slider will change the map accordingly. You can also go back in time several hours so if you're interested in seeing past storm systems or weather conditions, you can just slide your finger backwards about 5 to 6 hours.

Today Weather starts off by asking you to add any locations you'd like. From here you'll be taken to a main screen that shows a summary for all the areas you've programmed into Today Weather. Tapping into any one of them will bring up a gorgeously laid out view of current conditions. At the top you'll see the location, time, temperature, and what it actually feels like outside. Underneath that you can view conditions for the entire day as well as an extended forecast in 4 hour increments for the remainder of the day.

Swiping to the left in Weather Today will present you with an extended 3 day forecast that is broken down in hourly increments. You'll also be given sunset and sunrise data within the forecast breakdown. From the main screen you can also swipe to the right in order to see an extended forecast for the next 7 days. The graph is absolutely stunning and shows information in a rather ingenious way. At a glance you can see high and low temperatures for each day with a summary of weather expectations at the very top.

Once inside any location you can swipe up and down in order to view different locations. The gesture works on both the current condition and extended forecast pages. Along the top of Weather Today you'll also see any weather warning indicated by a warning triangle in the upper right hand corner. Tapping on it allows you to view any warnings that are active for that location.

When it comes to user interface and design, Weather Today is probably the most gorgeous weather app we've ever seen. The functionality is there as is the visual representations to go with it.

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: Current weather conditions

The current weather condition section of Weather 2x is very minimal and aims to show you what the current weather is at a simple glance. The background image is supposed to represent what the current conditions are outside. On top of that you'll see the location, temperature, and time. That's it. Nothing more and nothing less.

Dark Sky's current forecast screen is far different than both Weather 2x and Today Weather. The top section of the main screen is strictly dedicated to tracking current precipitation conditions. There is nothing to interact with within the chart, it will just actively update given precipitation expectations. Underneath that you'll only see info for what is happening right now and what is happening in the next hour. The thing about Dark Sky is that it aims to give you very accurate information up to the minute. So instead of just showing you a summary of what may happen within that hour, you'll see more detailed information. If it's going to rain for 7 minutes in the next hour, that's what Dark Sky will tell you. As that time approaches, Dark Sky will become more and more exact.

Today Weather shows a brief overview of what the current conditions are within any location. Along the top you'll simply see a breakdown of temperature, location, feels like, and any warnings that may be in effect at the current time. Underneath that you'll also see an overview of the day including high and low temps as well as a graphical representation of what you should see for that day. Next to that you'll be given the likely percentage for precipitation as well as wind speed. The only other thing displayed for the current forecast is the 4 hour breakdown on expected conditions for that day.

Today Weather also has a map view like Dark Sky. From the current condition screen you can tap on the maps icon in the lower left hand corner to see current radar conditions for your area. While it is functional and shows weather variations in different areas, it's not interactive and only gives you the ability to show what the weather is like radar wise at that current moment.

When it comes to current conditions, both Weather Today and Dark Sky provide a great deal of information at a quick glance. If wind speed and high/low temps are more important to you, Weather Today is the only option that'll give you that at a quick glance. If you want more information on precipitation and have active updates on what's happening right now, Dark Sky will be the better choice.

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: Forecasts

The forecast section of Weather 2x is located in the bottom half of the main screen. You can access it at any time by swiping upwards on the screen. You'll then be presented with a 5 day overview of expected weather conditions. There is nothing additional to tap into or to view. You can view high and low temperatures for each day as well as a graphical representation of what kind of weather is expected.

To access hourly forecasts inside of Weather 2x, you can slide left with your finger across the screen to bring out the hourly forecast menu. Here you'll see a breakdown of the forecast in hourly increments. This will include the time, a picture of the expected condition, and the expected temperature. You'll be given the same time frame as the extended forecast under hourly which is 5 days.

Weather Today's forecast screen is accessed by swiping to the right from the main current condition screen. The one great thing about Weather Today is that it easily allows you to switch locations from either the current weather or the forecast screen. All you have to do is swipe up or down in order to view extended forecasts or current conditions.

Unlike Weather 2x and Dark Sky which show you forecasts in a plain list view, Weather Today shows forecast data in a pretty amazing graph format. You can see temperature variations represented by bars in columns as well as a picture animation of what the day should be like. The forecast will extend out a total of 7 days from today's date. At the top of the graph you'll also see the percent chance for precipitation.

Swiping right from the main screen of Weather Today also shows hourly forecasts. This data will also include sunrise and sunset information. Much like the extended forecast screen you'll see chance for precipitation, expected temperatures, and a picture representation of the conditions for that hour.

When it comes to forecasts, Weather Today's intuitive and new way of presenting forecast information is not only visually pleasing but presents data in a way that just can't be matched by either Dark Sky or Weather 2x.

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: Additional features

Weather 2x doesn't have any additional features to speak of minus the ability to sync to iCloud across versions of the app on other devices. If you're looking for a simple app that just shows current conditions, Weather 2x will do that but not much beyond that.

Dark Sky's killer feature is the precipitation indicators and the radar maps. They're both implemented extremely well and work just as described. The radar maps are absolutely stunning and it's nice to see controllable ones as even most advanced apps require you to press a play button that you can't stop at a certain time.

Dark Sky is also the only app that offers actual push notifications. You can customize them by tapping the notify button at the very top left of Dark Sky's main screen. The notifications will work for whenever it is going to rain or snow at your current location. You can also adjust when you don't want to be notified depending on time of the day.

Weather Today offers alerts inside the app about sever weather conditions. Anytime there are severe conditions present or coming up you'll see an alert triangle in the upper left hand corner of the app. Just tapping on it will give you information on the severe weather conditions and any public advisories concerning them.

As far as additional features, Dark Sky and Weather Today have a few but considering these are minimalist weather apps, you shouldn't expect a ton.

Tie between Dark Sky and Weather Today.

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: Pricing

When it comes to pricing Weather 2x, Dark Sky, and Today Weather are all pretty close so we'd imagine it won't be an issue for many. Currently Weather 2x will come in at the lowest price point of $0.99. There are no additional in-app purchases. Today Weather will cost you a little bit more at $1.99 but for the visual design alone, it's worth it. Dark Sky is priced the highest at $3.99 but if you live in a climate where there's lots of rain and you want to know when you're going to have a few clear hours, it's well worth the money.

Tie between all three. None are extremely expensive and all are reasonable for what features they give you.

Weather 2x vs. Dark Sky vs. Today Weather: The bottom line

Weather 2x, Dark Sky, and Today Weather are all gorgeous weather apps with minimalist, meaningful interfaces that present just enough data to be glance-able, and do it beautifully.

Dark Sky is good if you really need up to the minute information on rainy days. In other words, if you live in Seattle or another area that receives high rainfall each year, do not pass go, pick up Dark Sky and don't look back.

Weather 2x is barebones and provides only the information about current conditions and a short forecast. If that's all you need, it's the best choice.

Today Weather is hands down the absolute best choice if you need more than 5 days forecast time, and it's our current favorite weather app for minimalists.

Countdown to Christmas sale ends tonight - Last chance to save 15% on ALL iOS cases and accessories!

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:50 PM PST

Be sure to use coupon code HOLIDAY12 at Checkout. Shop Now.

Welcome to the all-new iMore forums!

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:04 PM PST

Welcome to the all-new iMore forums!

The iMore Forums -- the absolute best place on this world or any other to discuss iPhone, iPad, Apple, and everything else -- have been updated with an all new organization to go along with their new software, spiffy new looks, and the new version of the iMore Forums app for iPhone and iPad.

If you need help deciding which iOS device to get, help getting started with your new device, help finding great new things to do with your existing device, or help choosing your next device; if you want to talk about tech and geekery, about apps and games, about entertainment and interests, about all your Apple stuff and all the other stuff; if you just want to hang out and have a great time, head on over to the iMore Forums.

Best of all, there's no need to sign up or log in, your existing iMore account (the same one that lets you post comments right here) lets you post in the forums as well. And if you don't have an iMore account, you can log in with Twitter, Facebook, Google, or Microsoft. It. Could. Not. Be. Easier.

So head on over to the iMore Forums, post an introduction so we can get to know you, and then jump in and and enjoy! The forums are there for you!

Facebook Pages Manager and Facebook Camera receive small updates, still no iPhone 5 support for Facebook Camera

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST

Facebook has pushed out small updates to Facebook Pages Manager and Facebook Camera that include security, performance, and bug fixes as well as the ability to swipe to delete comments in Facebook Pages Manager. More notable than what's included in these updates, however, is what's not included -- iPhone 5 support in Facebook Camera.

Facebook Camera is the last of the Facebook apps receive optimization for the iPhone 5's larger display and I'm rather surprised and disappointed that this update didn't include it.

Does anyone out there actually use the Facebook Camera app? Honestly, I rarely use it.

TitleFx for iPad: Another Great Photo Effects App

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 11:52 AM PST

TitleFx is a new iPad (and iOS) app that brings excellent titles and text to your photos. It's from East Coast Pixels, the developers of the stellar PhotoToaster app – which was one of our picks for Best iPad Apps of 2011. Here's a slice of the App Store description for TitleFx: TitleFx allows your [...]

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Instagram for iPhone updated with new filter and fixed privacy

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 10:49 AM PST

Less than two weeks after adding the new Willow filters and other tweaks, Instagram for iPhone has added yet another filter called Mayfair. This update was actually available last night caused a bit of an uproar with a misleading privacy toggle. It appeared that private accounts were switched to public, but it turns out that was only a bug and private accounts were actually still private, and a new update, today, fixes that bug.

The new Mayfair filter has a warm pink town, subtle vignetting that brightens the center of the photo and includes an optional thin black border. Instagram claims it works great with evenly and well-lit scene in combination with the Lux feature. It also worked great on a picture of my daughter (see above) and a Christmas tree ornament. I see Mayfair becoming one of my new favorite filters, actually, as it has a clean, natural feel.

Instagram 3.4 also now supports 25 languages, brings back the ability to share photos from any album on your iPhone, and includes Facebook iOS 6 integration.

Instagram users, what do you think of the new filter?

Source: Instagram blog

Kickstarter-backed portable charger gets shut down due to Lightning connector restrictions

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 09:46 AM PST

Apple shuts down Kickstarter-backed portable charger due to Lightning connector restrictions

Edison Junior, a technology and design lab, has been forced to shut down their POP portable charging station campaign on Kickstarter after failing to get a license from Apple to use the new Lightning connector. The Edison Junior was designed to charge multiple devices on the go, with retractable cables so that users wouldn't have to worry about bringing their own cables along with them. Apple refused to grant permission for Edison Junior to use a Lightning connector, in part because the POP also contained a micro-USB cable, for charging Android and other non-Apple devices. John Koetsier reports for VentureBeat

That's a problem with Apple. In fact, even combining Apple's new Lighting connector with the old 30-pin connector in a charging device was verboten; Apple would not approve, forcing the team to abandon the project.

Apple's restrictions regarding Lightning accessories are much tighter than Apple's past rules governing the 30-pin Dock connector. However, that's been known to accessory manufacturers since the introduction of the Lightning connector (iMore was one of the first to write about them in our iPhone 5 review back in September).

Yes, that sucks on a lot of levels for a lot of people, from small manufacturers to would-be customers of those manufacturers. But it's also a known quantity. The POP was announced before the introduction of the Lightning connector in September, but Edison Junior should have checked the restrictions on the connector before going ahead and adding it to the product. It's also one thing to call Apple's policies restrictive, but quite another to abandon the project and blame them for not making an exception when they have been clear on the rules from day one.

Edison Junior will be providing full refunds to the POP's backers, as the current project has been scrapped. However, they are not abandoning the concept of a portable power station. Their redesigned concept still incorporates retractable micro-USB cables for non-Apple devices, while also having USB ports for Apple users with 30-pin or Lightning-to-USB connectors.

Source: VentureBeat

More Great Holiday Sales on iPad Apps & Games

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 09:13 AM PST

I mentioned earlier this week that holiday sales for iPad apps and games were already rolling. Now that we're hitting the weekend of course these sales are at full force. There are lots and lots of bargains to be had on many great iPad app and game titles. Here are some more that drew my [...]

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Ticker for Twitter Updated: Adds Instapaper and Pocket Support

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 08:24 AM PST

The Ticker for Twitter iPad app has been updated this week, to Version 1.1. One of the big additions in this update is support for the two leading read it later services, Instapaper and Pocket. This is supported via the in-app browser in Ticker for Twitter. I didn't immediately spot it there and I hope [...]

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The Magazine made stronger, faster, better

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:50 AM PST

The Magazine made stronger, faster, better

Marco Arment's The Magazine, a new take on the traditional concept of great articles by great writers collected together and published at fixed intervals, has been updated with stronger, faster, and better architecture with version 1.2. You now get full-width images. You can collapse issues if you want to keep them around but not have them take up too much space. And a bunch of interface and bug fixes, and a new CoreData driven data engine.

It's a series of small tweaks, but it gives me an excuse to write about it again, and point out that Arment has made issue 1 and issue 2 of The Magazine, which include articles by John Siracusa, Gina Trapani, Lex Friedman, Daniel Rutter, Alex Knight, Guy English, Jason Snell, Alex Payne, Michael Lopp and Marco Arment, free to read via the-magazine.org on the web.

If you're already a reader of The Magazine, grab the update now. If not, download the app and give the free trial a shot.
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