The Iphone Blog

Archive for the ‘Iphone Nano’ Category

So much for the laughable idea, spouted just months ago by some, that the iPad is just an iFad. Today, heavy-hitter Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerry smartphones, unveiled the PlayBook, a 7″-screen tablet at its annual developer’s conference in San Francisco.

“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry’” said RIM President Mike Lazardis in a press release today about the tablet.

The PlayBook is enterprise ready, and RIM is clearly trying to jump out as the tablet frontrunner in the highly lucrative corporate market. We’ll tick off some of the highlights here:

• 7” LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording and video-conferencing
• Video playback at resolutions of up to 1080p, and capable of HDMI output
• Equipped with both microHDMI and microUSB connectors
• It can handle HTML5, as well as Adobe Flash (and Adobe Air Apps)

However, there’s no 3G version yet — but RIM says they’ll be introducing both a 3G and 4G version eventually. The PlayBook is expected to ship to U.S. stores early next year, with Q2 seeing rollouts internationally.

View the press release here.

[RIM via Engadget]

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxWzBINS8ko

The new iPod nano’s diminutive size keeps inspiring geeks worldwide to a variety of hacks.  News today from Japan of the iSpeck’s ability to fit nicely inside the display slot on an old Sega Dreamcast VMU.

The Sega buttons do not control the iPod (yet?) but it’s safe to say this case offers good drop protection, and the headphone cord coming out the side doesn’t look as dorky as with an iWatch.

More photos and videos of the making on the vendor’s original Japanese website.  [via TUAW]

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Proof that politicos are just like the rest of us: David Axelrod, senior advisor to President Barack Obama,  keeps himself entertained during meetings by playing video games.

Axelrod confessed to logging in some quality time with old-school favorite Pac Man on his iPad.

Site Real Clear Politics asked Axelrod what does with the iPad he’s been “known to sneak into meetings with.” His answer: “It depends on whether my Cubs are playing…(but) it’s really actually very useful to keep track of what’s going on….I google things all the time.”

Apps he uses frequently include most of the major news organizations and sports sites.
“The one thing I have on there that’s a big mistake is Pac Man. And I do waste more time even than I should in meetings as I’m listening to people.”

What meeting apps are you addicted to?

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At the top of many OS X applications you’ll see something like this:

…a row of buttons, known as the Toolbar. This particular Toolbar is from word processing application Bean; different apps will have different buttons and different toolbars, but they will all look something like this.

The point is, wherever you see a Toolbar like this, you can customize it to suit your needs. You can put more buttons up there, or have just one or two. Or none at all.

Here’s how you do it.

Some applications will include this button on the Toolbar by default:

This means “Customize this Toolbar” and if you click it, a sheet of buttons will pop out from the bottom of the Toolbar.

If that button isn’t there, don’t worry. You can still make the sheet appear by right-clicking (or control-clicking) anywhere on the Toolbar, and selecting “Customize Toolbar…” from the menu that appears.

Once the sheet is in view, you can go crazy. Just drag buttons around until they’re where you want them to be. You can change their position in the toolbar, and you have some control over how big they look too. You can choose to have just the icons displayed, with no text labels. Or to display both. Or to display both, but at a smaller size. It’s up to you.

This picture shows the Toolbar options available in MarsEdit, the application I use to post to Cult of Mac. There are some features here that I use every day, and some that I’ll only use once in a blue moon. I’ve dragged the frequently used ones up to the Toolbar and left the others hidden. Just because they’re hidden, it doesn’t mean they’re out of reach – I can still use those commands from the menu bar as and when necessary.

The “Separator”, “Space” and “Flexible Space” icons aren’t buttons as such, but they help with designing the layout of your Toolbar. You can drag them into place to separate out groups of buttons.

Every Toolbar customizing sheet also has a group of default buttons at the bottom; if you want to restore everything to the way it was when you first opened the application, just drag this default set into place in the Toolbar.

This feature is built into almost every application on your Mac, and gives you a great deal of control. If, for example, you always like to have a New Document button on the far left and a search box on the far right, you can arrange all your app toolbars to work that way. If you’d rather keep things minimal, and have nothing in sight except a search box, you can do that too.

(You’re reading the 31st post in our series, 100 Essential Mac Tips And Tricks For Windows Switchers. These posts explain to OS X beginners some of the most basic and fundamental concepts of using a Mac. Find out more.)

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We haven’t…uh…tried this yet (primarily because Cult editor Leander Kahney refuses to get back into his fencing Mexican-wrestler costume after last year’s Halloween fiasco) but it looks pretty damn cool, or something.

Sonic Speed Ball sets up a Bluetooth connection between two iPhones (or BT-equipped iPods), then simulates a virtual ball that can be smacked around using an iDevice as a paddle. Different gestures affect the virtual ball in different ways, à la the Nintendi Wii controller.

Sonic Speed Ball is $1; leash not included.

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Back in July, I wrote an article rounding up some of the top RSS feed readers for the iPad. Since posting, I’ve started using a new contender as my main RSS client: River of News, which is simple, elegant, and beautiful. In short, it’s everything that an iPad app should be. But Twitter is complex and powerful, everything an iPad app should be. Which has a better design?

When an app is launched on an iPad, it becomes the iPad, it encompasses the entire device. In the best case, the iPad then fades into the background, and the experience becomes focused entirely on the application. When an app fades into the background as well, the iPad becomes all about content.

River of News gives me a pop-up menu to choose a folder from Google Reader, and that’s all I see of the app. The rest of the experience is all about scrolling through and reading the latest feeds. No overbearing animation, no surprising interfaces: it’s just me and the morning news. River of News’ focus on text reminds me a lot of Instapaper, another favorite iPad app, which also foregrounds content, leaving navigation and menu items couched in pop-ups.

An alternative application design philosophy looks at what the iPad can do and uses its capabilities to push the functionality of applications further. My previous favorite RSS client, Reeder, fell into this category. Reeder re-imagines how to use multi-touch to navigate through stacks of unread feeds. Pinch out to open a stack of feeds, pinch in to close it. More recently, Twitter released their official iPad application, and like Reeder, it pushes the boundaries of what we expect an iPad app to be.

Twitter for iPad uses panels that can slide on top of each other to show links, replies, and information about the user. The panels can be successive, meaning that you can follow links endlessly, and wind up with a long history of panels behind what you can see on-screen. The interface is obviously very well thought out, and well planned. It’s a very different design philosophy from iPad applications like River of News because it focuses on functionality, not simplicity. When I started using the app, I really didn’t like it. However, after committing to using it for a week or so, and discovering how to navigate it, I find it growing on me quite a bit.

With Twitter for iPad, the gestures are swiping left and right, and tapping. When using River of News, the gestures are more limited. You swipe up to scroll, and articles are automatically loaded at the bottom and marked as read at the top. You can swipe left and right to load other folders, but personally I’ve never found a need for it.

You can also tap to select a folder of feeds if you wish, but I normally just wait a second or two for it to automatically load my unread feeds. The level of activity is different with River of News and Instapaper than it is with Reeder and Twitter for iPad. Not necessarily better or worse, though.

When I began researching this article, I wanted to show why taking the simplistic approach was better, and how trying to make an iPad app too functional would cause confusion. The truth, though, is that the app design philosophy that’s best will depend on usage preferences and the type of app you’re making. It also means there’s room for more than one app on each iPad designed to accomplish the same thing.

How do you feel about application functionality versus simplicity on the iPad? Should all applications fade into the background, or should they give you the choice to be what you want them to be? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• How to Market Your iPhone App: A Developer’s Guide
• Report: The In-App Advertising Landscape
• HTML5′s a Game-Changer for Web Apps

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We start off another week with a mix of bargains. First up is 10 refurbished iMacs from the Apple Store, starting at $1,099 for a 22-inch 3.06GHz desktop. Next is “Apache Strike: Desert Storm” for the iPhone or iPod touch. The game, usually $3, is being offered free. Finally, we check out an 8GB iPod touch for $223.

Along the way, we’ll also take a look at a business card reader for your iPhone, a USB power adapter for your iPhone or iPod, along with other items. As always, details on these and much more can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

10 refurbished Apple iMac Desktops: 22″ for $1,099 + free shipping, more

The Apple Store has stock of 10 factory-refurbished previous- and current-generation Apple Aluminum iMac Desktops in its Special Deals section. They’re up to $850 off. With free shipping, each is at the lowest total price we’ve seen. These come with a 1-year Apple warranty, the same as new Macs. Sales tax is added where applicable. Items are removed from Apple’s site when they sell out. Notables:

Apple MC413LL/A iMac 21.5″ Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz Desktop for $1,099
Apple MB952LL/A iMac 27″ Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz Desktop for$1,269
Apple MC509LL/A iMac 21.5″ Intel Core i3 3.2GHz Desktop for $1,269
Apple G0GE0LL/A iMac 27″ Intel Core 2 Duo 3.33GHz Desktop for $1,439
Apple MC511LL/A iMac 27″ Intel i5 Quad-Core 2.8GHz Desktop for $1,699
browse all refurbished Apple iMacs at the Apple Store.

Apache Strike: Desert Storm for iPhone / iPod touch downloads for free

The iTunes App Store offers downloads of Apache Strike: Desert Storm for iPhone / iPod touch for free. (That’s $3 off and the best deal we’ve seen for this shooting game.)

New Apple iPod touch 8GB MP3 Player for $223 + free shipping, more

MacConnection.com offers the new, 4th-generation Apple iPod touch 8GB MP3 Player (pictured), model no. MC540LL/A, for $223. (With free shipping, that’s tied with our mention from three weeks ago and the lowest total price we’ve seen for this recently-released model by a buck.) This current-generation iPod touch features a new high definition Retina Display, 3-axis gyro, iOS 4.1, front- and rear-facing cameras (the latter capable of HD recording), FaceTime, Game Center, and more. Of note, also available for order are the Apple iPod touch 32GB MP3 Player, model no. MC544LL/A, for $288 and the Apple iPod touch 64GB MP3 Player, model no. MC547LL/A, for $383. With free shipping, that’s the lowest total price we’ve seen for either of these models by a buck. However, they’re listed as “On Order” and an estimated ship date is not provided.

ABBYY Business Card Reader for iPhone downloads for $2

The iTunes App Store offers downloads of ABBYY Business Card Reader for iPhone for $1.99. (That’s $8 off and the best deal we’ve seen for this business card scanner.)

iPhone / iPod 1000mA USB Power Adapter for $4 + free shipping

DEAL800.com offers this iPhone / iPod 1000mA USB 2.0 Power Adapter for $3.99 with free shipping. That’s tied with our mention from two weeks ago and the lowest total price we could find for such a charger. Expect this item to take two to three weeks to arrive.

Refurbished Polaroid DVF-130 VGA Digital Camcorder for $18 + free shipping

Today only, JustDeals.com offers the refurbished Polaroid DVF-130 VGA Digital Camcorder in Red or Blue for $17.77. With free shipping via coupon code “DEALNEWS1″, that’s $5 under our July mention of a refurbished unit and $19 less than the lowest total price we could find for a new unit. Features include a 2″ LCD display, 480×640 VGA video, 4x digital zoom, SD card slot, integrated USB connector, and more. A 90-day reseller warranty applies.

Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive $90 + free shipping

Office Depot has the Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB USB 2.0 External Desktop Hard Drive in Silver, model no. ST315005FDA2E1-RK, for $89.99. (With free shipping, that’s $0.06/GB, $5 under our May mention of a refurb, and the lowest total price we could find by $10.) Sales tax is added where applicable. It runs at 7200 rpm and features pre-loaded Windows software, attachable feet, USB 2.0 connectivity, and more. Deal ends October 2.

Kenneth Cole Reaction 17″ Laptop Messenger Bag for $35 + free shipping

Buy.com offers the Kenneth Cole Reaction R-Tech 17″ Notebook Messenger Bag for $35.24. With free shipping, that’s tied with our April mention and the lowest total price we could find by $3. This flapover bag features multiple zipper pockets, three padded top accessory pockets within the main pocket, and more.

SkullCandy Lowrider DJ-Style Headphones for $10 + $5 s&h

Today only, CowBoom.com offers the SkullCandy Lowrider DJ-Style Headphones in Red, model no. SC-LOW, for $9.99 plus $5 for shipping. That’s the lowest total price we could find by $13. These headphones feature 40mm drivers, travel pouch, 6.3mm stereo adaptor, folding design, and more.

Default Folder X 4 for Mac downloads for $20

Today only, MacUpdate.com offers downloads of St. Clair Software’s Default Folder X 4 for Mac for $19.95. That’s $15 off and the lowest price we’ve seen for this software, which modifies Open and Save dialogs. Click here for more information.

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Earlier this month saw the debut of Awareness, an app that should make life considerably safer and less embarrassing for people who (like me) walk around with earphones semi-permanently attached to their ears. And now, it’s on sale.

The app works by enabling a pass-through that lets ambient sound reach the users ears, so that even noise-isolating canalphones won’t make an iPod user completely oblivious to danger when, say, cycling down the street in downtown Manhattan (just remember though, local laws still ban headphones in one or both ears, pass-through or not).

The app also works with an iPod Touch, but only the 3rd-gen, and only when using headphones with an inline microphone. It’s also not compatible with Bluetooth yet.

Normally $5, Awareness is on sale for $3 until Oct 4. Check out the clip below for a look at Awareness in action.

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If you’ve updated iTunes to 10.0.1 in the last day or so, you might have noticed that Ping is pushing itself in your face rather more forcefully than before.

One thing: there’s the Ping sidebar on the right. Another: there’s a new Ping drop-down menu that appears in your music library, alongside any song you have selected.

They’re fine if you use Ping, but if you don’t, you might want to get rid of them. The sidebar is easy to deal with, you can hide it with a click. But the drop-down menu requires a little more tinkering to get rid of.

There’s no official preference for removing it, but there is a hidden one which you can switch on and off with a simple command in Terminal.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Quit iTunes, and open Terminal.
2. Copy and paste this into a single line: defaults write com.apple.iTunes hide-ping-dropdown -bool TRUE
3. Hit return.
4. Restart iTunes. The Ping drop-down will be gone.

To bring it back if you change your mind later, repeat the command with FALSE instead of TRUE at the end.

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