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iPad Productivity Suites For Mobile Workplace

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:15:12 PDT

iPhoneLifeBlog Walt Mossberg, who writes about technology for _The Wall Street Journal_, posted a helpful review of iPad productivity suites last week on _All Things D_. People are increasingly leaving their laptops at home these days when they travel and are using an iPad instead. But that typically entails having some relatively robust software to play the role of those familiar desktop applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. No app is going to have all the features of the desktop applications, but most are good at opening and editing files created using these software programs.

In addition to compatibility with Microsoft’s offerings, a key issue is file management. On your desktop computer, you organize your files by putting them in folders and access them in these locations. But iOS doesn’t have this sort of filing system. So how do you transfer files back and forth between your desktop computer and iPad, and keep the files in sync? The cloud, of course. Most third-party productivity suites are set up to work with Dropbox and other cloud storage services. It’s an elegant solution. You simply put the relevant files in your Dropbox folder on your desktop computer, and they’re automatically available in the respective apps on your iPad. Edits you make to the file on your iPad are automatically synced to the file that’s on your computer, assuming you have an Internet connection on each. Most of these apps store the files locally on your iPad as well as in the cloud, so you can work on them even if online. But you’ll need the cloud to get initial access to them and to sync them.

Apple’s iWork suite is likely the most popular productivity suite: Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Each is $9.99 in the App Store. Instead of using Dropbox, Apple uses iCloud for storing and syncing your files. Mossberg gave Pages a test run and said it was the most touch-friendly, fastest, and was the most transparent about unavailable document features on the iPad.

Mossberg also tested Quickoffice Pro HD, which costs $19.99 for all three modules: word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation apps. In addition to the usual functions, it also lets you open PDF documents. It’s compatible with a variety of cloud services, including Google Drive. In fact, Quickoffice is now part of Google. Mossberg said he was unable to insert a photo into his test document, and that the presentation he imported wasn’t formatted correctly.

AstralPad Office Collaboration (free) is different from the previous suites in that it’s simply a window onto office apps residing on a server — which means you must have an Internet connection. The service is currently free, but will be moving to low-cost paid subscriptions. The advantage, Mossberg says, is that because the apps are actually running on a server and intended for PCs, they have more features than iPad productivity apps typically have.

CloudOn (free) is similar to AstralPad, but amazingly, it gives you a window onto Microsoft’s actual Office suite on a server. And it’s free. The advantage, of course, is that there’s no worry your documents won’t translate to the iPad environment, or that the app doesn’t have the necessary features to edit a complex document. That’s because you’re actually using Microsoft Office. The downside is that this software wasn’t engineered to work with a touch interface, and Mossberg says it’s clumsy. The app also lets you open and view almost any file type, and it works with a variety of cloud services. There’s a Pro version available as an in-app upgraded for $0.99, but it’s not obvious from the App Store description what additional features it has.

Although Mossberg’s focus was the iPad, most of these are also available on the iPhone. http://dlvr.it/3QLlVP #iPhone #iPads #ios

AT&T Adds iPhone, 4G LTE And Visual Voicemail Support To GoPhone

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:13:05 PDT

CultofMac

AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid service has never been friendly to the iPhone. In fact, AT&T has tried to keep iPhones off it for years, hoping that iPhone users will pay for bigger data contracts instead. It looks like AT&T is starting to feel some pressure from T-Mobile and other prepaid networks though, because starting today you’ll be able to use an iPhone on the GoPhone network.

After preventing data access for iPhones for years, AT&T is enabling iPhone support to GoPhone, along with 4G HSPA+ and LTE access, and Visual Voicemail.

Customers can bring their own unlocked smartphones onto the network, or buy a new unsubsidized smartphone directly from AT&T. The initial fees will cost you more than if you sign a contract with AT&T, but GoPhone’s prepaid plans are a lot cheaper.

Existing customers with iPhones will be given access to the network on June 21st, but if you want to jump in early you can call AT&T and have the switch made earlier. GoPhone plans with the new features start at $65, $50 and $25 per month.

Source: Engadget

The post AT&T Adds iPhone, 4G LTE And Visual Voicemail Support To GoPhone appeared first on Cult of Mac.

‘Arrested Development’ Launches On Netflix This Sunday, May 26

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:13:05 PDT

AppAdvice

The dysfunctional Bluth family returns to the airways on Sunday, May 26. However, “Arrested Development” won’t be airing on the Fox network like it did from 2003 to 2006. Instead, the critically acclaimed comedy’s four season will air on Netflix.

Like they did with “House of Cards,” and “Hemlock Grove,” Netflix will release all 15 new episodes of “Arrested Development” for streaming at the same time. The comedy stars Jason Batman, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Jessica Walter, and Portia de Rossi.

Unlike past seasons, each episode of season four will focus on a single character rather than the ensemble. Guest stars for the upcoming season include Henry Winkler, Ben Stiller, Judy Greer, Liza Minnelli, among others.

Here’s a preview:

So what did Netflix spend to get the Bluth family back together after all these years? Not as much as you’d expect.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes:

The actor “starring” in the episode is paid $125,000. If he or she appears in more than 90 seconds of an episode (but is not the star), that actor receives $50,000. For less than 90 seconds of airtime in an episode, he or she receives $10,000. Finally, if a clip featuring the actor from a previous episode is used, that actor gets another $1,000. Bateman, for instance, stars in more than one episode. It is worth noting that $125,000 is on the high end for TV stars, but the unusual arrangement won’t pay them what a star would get over the course of a typical series.

If you’ve never seen “Arrested Development” before, or need to catch-up before Sunday, you’re in luck. All 53 episodes from the first three seasons are available for free for Netflix and Amazon Prime customers. Each season is priced at $17.99 in iTunes.

The free Netflix app is available right here for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.

* Netflix
* Amazon Instant Video

‘Arrested Development’ Launches On Netflix This Sunday, May 26 is a story by AppAdvice.com
AppAdvice - iPhone, iPad, iPod, App Reviews + News http://dlvr.it/3QLkCt #jailbreak #iphone

AT&T's GoPhone prepaid brand to fully support iPhone

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:12:12 PDT

[TUAW] #iphone

AT&T’s prepay GoPhone service is to include an iPhone purchase option as of today. The service will also gain the addition of 4G LTE and HSPA+ support, according to MacRumors. GoPhone lets users sign up for AT&T service without joining a contract. Previously, iPhone owners could sign up for the service but they would have no access to cellular data. With the update expected to roll out today, iPhone owners will be able to access all of AT&T’s services on a GoPhone contract, including 4G LTE and Visual Voicemail.

MacRumors says that iPhone owners will have three options for GoPhone service. The highest priced one is a US$65 plan that offers unlimited texts and calls and one gigabyte of data. AT&T is also offering $50 and $25 plans that include text and calls, but users will have to add additional data plans on top. When choosing a GoPhone plan, users can bring in their existing unlocked iPhone or they can buy an unlocked iPhone from AT&T in the store. MacRumors says that current existing GoPhone plan owners will be automatically updated with cellular data support for their iPhone on June 21, but the site says that those that want to see cellular data support before then may be able to have their plan manually upgraded first.

AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid brand to fully support iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments http://dlvr.it/3QLjbC #apple #iphone #ipad

Apple likely guilty of e-book conspiracy, judge says days before trial

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:06:07 PDT

Ars Technica The Department of Justice’s claim that Apple led a conspiracy to raise e-book prices is on the verge of going to trial. It will be decided by a judge without the help of a jury—and that judge is already leaning toward ruling against Apple.

“I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books, and that the circumstantial evidence in this case, including the terms of the agreements [between Apple and publishers], will confirm that,” US District Judge Denise Cote said during a pretrial hearing yesterday, according to Reuters.

The US government accuses Apple of being the “ringmaster” in a conspiracy with e-book publishers to fix the standard prices of e-books at $12.99 and $14.99, above Amazon’s typical rate of $9.99. Book publishers HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin have already settled and promised to repay consumers a total of $164 million.

Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments http://dlvr.it/3QLdv1 #iphone #ipad

Facebook brand design lead departs for startup

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:49 PDT

CNET (Credit: Paul Adams/Facebook)

Paul Adams, Facebook’s global head of brand design, announced Friday that he has left the social network to join startup Intercom, which makes a social customer relationship management tool.

Adams joined Facebook in early 2011 and led the social network’s design and marketing projects for clients such as Starbucks and Nike.

Prior to Facebook, Adams spent four years on Google’s user experience team, and worked on Gmail, the now-defunct Latitude and Buzz, and YouTube. He also helped dream up the idea behind Google+ Circles, a way to group friends, which was released only months after his departure.

At Intercom, Adams will serve as head of product design and help the San Francisco-based, seed-funded startup with its product road map.

[Read more]

http://dlvr.it/3QLbCH #cnet #mobile

Apple trolls us with ‘iWatch’ tease in latest iPhone music ad

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:10 PDT

9to5Mac

Here’s an amusing little image for your Friday: the screenshot above is a clip from Apple’s newest “Music Every Day” ad, which was posted on their YouTube channel last night.

If you pay attention at around 0:30 in the commercial, you’ll see what would almost appear to be someone wearing a large, wrist-device while listening to music on their iPhone.

While obviously Apple wouldn’t leak a real product through their advertisements, we can’t help but think that this is perhaps a subtle troll on Apple’s part.
http://dlvr.it/3QLZdc #apple #iphone #ipad

Apple Will Double Its Lobbying Efforts This Year To Simplify U.S. Tax Code

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:58:11 PDT

CultofMac

By Silicon Valley standards, Apple doesn’t lobby much in Washington. Last year, they spent a little under $2 million on lobbying, a drop in the bucket to Google’s $18 million spent.

But scrutiny of Apple in Washington is starting to heat up, especially the company’s accounting methods. That’s why Apple is looking to double its lobbying spending this year to close to $4 million.

According to _Reuters_, as part of Apple’s plan to get the U.S. tax code overhauled — vastly simplifying it by eliminating corporate tax expenditures, lowering overall tax rates, and making it simpler and cheaper to repatriate money held overseas — Apple is looking to spnd almost $4 million in Washington this year, over $2 million more than a year ago.

That’s a big jump, not just in a year, but compared to what it spent a decade ago, which was little more than half a million dollars. Apple is apparently highly selective about what campaigns it lobbies for, its most recent effort being — surprise! — unsuccessful legislation that would have allowed multinationals to bring overseas profits back home without paying a 35 percent corporate income tax. Guess what that $4 million this year is likely to be spent on?

Source: Reuters

The post Apple Will Double Its Lobbying Efforts This Year To Simplify U.S. Tax Code appeared first on Cult of Mac.

Apple drops prices of refurbished iPads

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:56:52 PDT

iPhone-Hacks Apple has quietly dropped prices of all refurbished iPad 4 and iPad mini variants on its online store. Refurb iPad mini models now start at $279 while refurb iPad 4 models start at $419. Continue reading → http://dlvr.it/3QLYNg #apple #iphone #ipad

What Is Flat Design?

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:56:34 PDT

GIZMODO

With the release of iOS7 just around the corner, clamor over the changes Jony Ive will institute is growing. The general consensus—on this site and elsewhere—is that Apple is about to get a flat makeover. But for the uninitiated, “flat design” can be a confusing term. So let’s talk it out, shall we?

Haswell chips could bring 50% more battery life to Apple's next-gen MacBooks

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:54:05 PDT

AppleInsider The next generation in Apple’s MacBook line could see 50 percent greater battery life thanks to the processors expected to go into them, according to Intel.
http://dlvr.it/3QLXGC #iphone #ipad #apple

Best Buy to Discount iPhone by $50 Beginning Sunday [iOS Blog]

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:51:17 PDT

MacRumors Best Buy is launching a new four week promotion that will drop the price of new iPhone purchases by $50. According to _AllThingsD_, the sale will apply to the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 5, when purchased with a two-year contract from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint.

An iPhone with two-year contract typically costs $200 for the 16GB entry level phone, so with the sale, the price will drop to $150. The discount applies to all phone models.

Best Buy has offered similar sales in the past, most recently discounting the iPhone 5 by $50 during the holiday season. Other retailers have also offered significant discounts on the iPhone 5 in the past, with Walmart selling the device for $127 at one point.

Best Buy’s current sale will begin on Sunday, May 26 and it will run for four weeks.

http://dlvr.it/3QLVjX #apple #iphone #ipad

Today’s iPhone wallpapers 24/05/2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:49:08 PDT

DailyiPhoneBlog

You can download todays iPhone 3G / 3GS Wallpapers from our iPhone 3GS Wallpaper gallery. Enjoy!

Note: Did you know that we update our iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4S / iPhone4 , iPad/ iPad2 and New iPad/iPad3 wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us! http://dlvr.it/3QLTST #apple #iphone #ipad

How to set reminders in Evernote

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:46:10 PDT

CNET

If you use Evernote to organize your life, then your life just got more organized. Evernote updated its iOS, Mac, and Web apps to include reminders, which is “one of the most requested features of all time,” said Andrew Sinkov, Evernote’s VP of marketing. (Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

I updated Evernote on my Mac and iPhone to try out reminders. On the Mac app, you’ll see a small alarm clock icon in the upper-right corner when viewing your notes. Click on it to set a reminder. You can then add a date for the reminder. Evernote provides a button for the reminder to go offer tomorrow or in a week, or you can set your own date. Reminders are set by default to reminder you within the app, but in Preferences, you can check a box to receiver a reminder e-mail on mornings when notes are due. (Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

Notes with reminders are grouped and highly visible in each notebook. Above your notes list is a box with a list of your notes with reminders and their due dates. You can drag notes in this box to reorder them. (Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

In the iOS app, the reminder alarm-clock button is … [Read more]

http://dlvr.it/3QLS40 #cnet #mobile

Did WWDC Really Sell Out In 2 Minutes, Or Is Apple Covering Up?

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:42:19 PDT

CultofMac

WWDC tickets sold out unbelievably quickly this year. We knew it was highly unlikely they’d be available for as long as the two hours it took them to sell out last year, but we also weren’t expecting them all to disappear in under two minutes.

But did Apple _really_ sell out of WWDC tickets that fast?

The Cupertino company has since been calling developers to offer them a place at its event this June, and that’s led some to question whether all tickets were really sold or whether Apple’s too embarrassed to admit that its servers couldn’t cope with the demand they received when tickets went on sale.

Instapaper creator Marco Arment suggests this may be the case.

Arment notes that Apple offers between 5,000 and 5,500 WWDC tickets every year — depending on who you ask. While the majority of those are sold, some are allocated to press, VIP guests, partner companies, and student scholarships.

Arment estimates that only 4,500 tickets are actually made available to paying developers. But it seems not all of those were sold when WWDC tickets were made available on April 25, because Apple has since been calling developers to offer them a place at the event.

“After this year’s unexpectedly rapid, effectively random, and error-filled sellout, we started hearing about people getting calls from Apple offering them tickets,” Arment writes. “Most of these were people who successfully added the ticket to their cart during those 71 seconds, but weren’t able to complete the checkout due to server errors.”

Arment claims that Apple has made _a lot _of these phone calls; he’s seen at least a hundred people who were offered a WWDC ticket after they sold out, and he estimates the actual number of developers who have been invited by Apple is likely around the 500 mark.

“I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who had a ticket added to their failed cart and _didn’t_get a phone call from Apple within a week of the sellout. That’s a lot of extra tickets to be selling,” he writes.

“And that’s not all. Apple has since called many people who reached out to developer-relations contacts, offering them tickets as well.”

Arment believes that there are two explanations for this. The first is that Apple has simply made more tickets available following the quick sell-out. If that’s the case, WWDC will be even busier this year than it has been in previous years.

The second explanation — the one Arment feels is more likely — is that Apple didn’t actually sell out of WWDC tickets at all. Instead, its servers couldn’t cope with the demand they received when tickets went on sale and they inaccurately reported they were sold out when they were not.

“My best guess: some part of the infrastructure handling the purchases mistook 4,500 connections, transactions, or sessions for 4,500 _sales,” _Arment says.

“And when the front-end servers collapsed under the load of everyone hitting them at once — a first this year, since the availability time was preannounced — we all started refreshing, those connections started stacking up, and something on the back-end triggered the “Sold Out” state early because it was mistakenly counting all of those failed sessions.”

So, maybe Apple didn’t sell all 4,500 WWDC tickets on April 25. Maybe it sold a lot less than that because of server issues. That would certainly explain why the company has chosen not to boast about how quickly the event sold out.

But why didn’t Apple just put the remaining tickets back on sale?

Arment suggests it was much easier for the company to call selected developers and offer them a place than go through the hassle of scheduling another sale — and risk the same server problems a second time — or letting WWDC go ahead with far fewer attendees.

We can’t be sure how many WWDC tickets Apple really sold on April 25, and why it has made more available since then. But Arment’s theory certainly seems to add up from where I’m sitting.

Source: Marco Arment

The post Did WWDC Really Sell Out In 2 Minutes, Or Is Apple Covering Up? appeared first on Cult of Mac.

Today’s Apps Gone Free: Getodo, Death Golf, Soundbeam And More

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:42:19 PDT

AppAdvice

Manage and share all of the tasks in your life with Webows’ productivity app, Getodo. We also have a golf game like you’ve never seen before, and an app that allows you to visualize and analyze your audio.

All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.

iPhone:

_ StillShot _ ($0.99 → Free, 15.6 MB): Create high quality photos from any video in your library with this photography app. After you have loaded your video, the app analyzes each frame and presents you with a vast selection of shots to choose from. Once you have found the one you’re looking for, just tap on it and save it to your library. The app is able to save photos at resolutions up to 1920×1080.

_StillShot_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 514 ratings.

_ Soundbeam _ ($1.99 → Free, 5.5 MB): Visualize and analyze your audio with this music app. It includes spectrum and waveform views, both of which can be interacted with through gestures. You’re able to control the intensity and falloff levels via on-screen controls. The app also includes the ability to double-tap to reset the view, two frequency scales, and the option to capture what you’re seeing.

_Soundbeam_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 69 ratings.

_ Getodo – To-do lists for your circles _ ($0.99 → Free, 3.5 MB): An elegantly simple task manager that allows you to break tasks down into sub-tasks in seconds and share them among friends. When creating a task you’re able to title it, add an alert, and assign a color. To add a sub-task, just drag and drop it to the end of another task’s row. Tasks can also be rearranged, completed, and deleted via gestures. If you sign up for a free Getodo account, you can sync tasks and manage them from your computer.

_Getodo – To-do lists for your circles_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 113 ratings.

_ Fitness Point – Workout & Exercise Journal _ ($4.99 → Free, 33.3 MB): TODAY ONLY: Get a free workout plan just for having AppsGoneFree installed! This $4.99 value will appear right after you launch the app.

Work that body of yours into shape with this easy to use fitness app. It features a streamlined interface that allows you to get right to it. Just tap on a muscle group, and then choose an exercise. The app will show you what muscles the exercise focuses on and how to perform it. You’re able to log the weights used, repetitions, date, and notes for each exercise. You can also create custom workout plans and track your progress. The app includes 70 exercises, and the ability to backup your data via iCloud. Additional exercises and workout plans are available via in-app purchase.

_Fitness Point – Workout & Exercise Journal_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 28 ratings.

_ TowerMadness _ ($2.99 → Free, 19.4 MB): A now classic 3-D tower defense game from the creators of Zombie Gunship. It requires you to defend your beloved sheep from the evil aliens by strategically placing towers all over the map. It includes 17 enemies, 65 maps, 60 weapons and upgrades, an endless mode, replays, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

_TowerMadness_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 41301 ratings.

Universal:

_ Death Golf™ _ ($0.99 → Free, 32.3 MB): Battle enemies while trying to get the ball into the hole in this genre-mashing golf game. As if golf wasn’t difficult enough! Drag your finger across the screen to determine your ball’s flight path. Then strike it and run to it as quickly as possible to keep your multiplier up. You’ll come across all kinds of crazy creatures on the course, and you can either hit them with the ball or take them down with your club. The game includes more than 35 holes, upgradable gear, power-ups, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

_Death Golf™_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 14 ratings.

_ W.E.L.D.E.R. _ ($2.99 → Free, 49.5 MB): Hopefully you like your word games to be challenging, because that’s exactly what W.E.L.D.E.R. is. You’re presented with a 64 letter tile grid, and you must swap tiles vertically, horizontally, or diagonally to create words of four letters or more. You are provided with 25 swaps at the beginning of the game, but you can earn more by scoring big points. The game includes three modes, a variety of special tiles and power-ups, iCloud support, word definitions, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

_W.E.L.D.E.R._ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 17038 ratings.

iPad:

_ The Adventures of Puppup: Lost at the Zoo _ ($3.99 → Free, 118.0 MB): Your little one can join Puppup, a young girl’s magical stuffed animal, on an adventure at the zoo in this storybook app. It includes 35 beautifully illustrated pages, which are loaded with more than 40 interactive elements and sounds. Your child can follow along with the professional narration, or they can read the story all by themselves.

_The Adventures of Puppup: Lost at the Zoo_ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 26 ratings.

That concludes today’s issue of Apps Gone Free. If you like staying on top

AltWWDC announces AltLabs dedicated lab space

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:40:38 PDT

[TUAW] #iphone

No WWDC tickets? No matter. AltWWDC is a free, five-day event that will be held in San Francisco June 10-14, 2013. Today, the group has announced AltLabs, which will serve as dedicated lab space for attendees. Each lab will be staffed by helpful folks who are there to answer your questions or just act as a sounding board.

In addition, several special labs have been announced, including one on connectivity and web services, hosted by Matt Thompson of Heroku and AFNetworking; Isaiah Carew of Kiwi and Kirby Turner. You’ll find the full run-down here.

Keep an eye out for familiar faces while you’re there, including our own Victor Agreda, Kelly Guimont and Brett Terpstra.

AltWWDC announces AltLabs dedicated lab space originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 24 May 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments http://dlvr.it/3QLPLw #apple #iphone #ipad

Leaked OS 10.1.0.2009 for the BlackBerry Z10

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:32:13 PDT

CrackBerry

What fun would Friday be with a new BlackBerry Z10 leak? Here’s one to play with before the long weekend (in the US at least). Filling in for lbfe, Kris dropped this leak in the forums earlier today.

This one is tricky as it’s technically for the STL100-4 but has been tested and works on the STL100-2 and STL100-3 as well. Soooooo, once again - be careful - if you don’t know what you’re doing then just move along.

http://dlvr.it/3QLJZ6 #blackberry #mobile

FDA begins cracking down on medical diagnosis apps starting with ‘uChek’ iPhone urinalysis app

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:30:53 PDT

9to5Mac Bloomberg reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is launching a first of its kind inquiry into medical diagnosis apps starting with the ‘uChek’ urine analysis app from Biosense Technologies. The free app, which is currently still on the App Store, requires users to purchase a kit containing urine test strips that can be visually analyzed with the iPhone’s camera and companion app. The problem, according to a letter sent to Biosense from the FDA, is the fact that the test strips have only been cleared for “direct visual reading” and not automated analysis from an application:

Please note that though the types of urinalysis dipsticks you reference for use with your application are cleared, they are only cleared when interpreted by direct visual reading. Since your app allows a mobile phone to analyze the dipsticks, the phone and device as a whole functions as an automated strip reader. When these dipsticks are read by an automated strip reader, the dipsticks require new clearance as part of the test system. Therefore, any company intending to promote their device for use in analyzing, reading, and/or interpreting these dipsticks need to obtain clearance for the entire urinalysis test system (i.e., the strip reader and the test strips, as used together).

While Biosense plans to work with the FDA to resolve the issue, Bloomberg notes that this is only the start on a broader crack down of apps that claim to diagnose medical conditions:

_The agency has said it wants stricter rules for apps that directly diagnose or treat conditions, proposing in 2011 to apply similar quality standards as for heart stents, ultrasound machines and other medical devices._

_“We intend to finalize the guidance this year,” Synim Rivers, an agency spokeswoman, said yesterday in an e-mail. “The FDA has proposed a regulatory approach that limits its immediate oversight to a specific, small subset of mobile medical applications that are medical devices and present the greatest risk to patient safety if they don’t work as intended.”_

Biosense claims that the uChek app allows them to price their system at “a fraction of other semi-automated urinalysis while providing comparable accuracy,” but does warn that “uChek is intended for use only by or on the recommendation of a qualified healthcare professional.”
http://dlvr.it/3QLHyS #apple #iphone #ipad

Refurbished Apple Store again cuts iPad prices across the board

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:30:35 PDT

iDownloadBlog

Following their last Fall introduction, Apple’s iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad lineup hit the refurbished online Apple Store in mid-March 2013, knocking $50 off of some models. In a sign that the company could be clearing stock of refurbished iPads in anticipation of next-generation models, Apple today has again slashed prices of its iPad 4 and iPad mini refurbished devices by as much as fifteen percent, enough to net you a cool $40 saving on top-of-the-line models with 64 gigabytes of storage…(…)
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“Refurbished Apple Store again cuts iPad prices across the board” is an article by iDownloadBlog.com.
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