The latest Apple iPad has been wildly popular and with the Retina Display being one of the more talked about features, iPad owners will want to protect their device and its screen from scratches and breakage.

Understanding this need, BoxWave has released the Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case and we put it to the test. Here’s what we found.

Designed specifically for the 3rd-generation iPad, the Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case more than adequately accommodates the device which is .03 thicker ...]]>

The latest Apple iPad has been wildly popular and with the Retina Display being one of the more talked about features, iPad owners will want to protect their device and its screen from scratches and breakage.

Understanding this need, BoxWave has released the Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case and we put it to the test. Here’s what we found.

Designed specifically for the 3rd-generation iPad, the Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case more than adequately accommodates the device which is .03 thicker and .11 pounds heavier than the iPad 2. Further, it features a hard shell backing wrapped in leather for extra protection. But that’s not nearly all this little case has in store for users.

The Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case case is called “smart” since the cover is a smart cover that turns the iPad’s display off when it is closed and turns the display on when you open it.

In addition, the case closes with a leather flap, and the same leather flap is used when you fold back the cover and use the case as a stand, a very helpful feature when pairing it with bluetooth keyboard or consuming media on the iPad.

The only aspect of the case I did not enjoy concerns removing the iPad from the case. The fit of the case is so perfect and snug that I found it difficult to remove my iPad from it. It’s a small complaint, but definitely something worth noting.

That said, the Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case is a case which offers true protection for the entire iPad without adding too much size and weight, all at a great price. How great? The case, regularly $59.95, can now be had for only $39.95!

For those looking to safeguard the iPad in a minimalist and stylish way, BoxWave’s Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case is the perfect case.

Pick up your own BoxWave Nero Leather Smart Nuovo iPad Case here. You won’t regret it.

The first thing I have to point out is that I’m am in no way anywhere close to being a “DJ”. At the same time, I have to also admit I’m a huge music lover, musician, and someone who thoroughly enjoyed using the iRig Mix while it was in my possession.

What is it? The iRig Mix is a portable mixing console built by IK Multimedia, and it allows users to use their iOS devices for DJing. From crossfading, cues, volume, ...]]>

The first thing I have to point out is that I’m am in no way anywhere close to being a “DJ”. At the same time, I have to also admit I’m a huge music lover, musician, and someone who thoroughly enjoyed using the iRig Mix while it was in my possession.

What is it? The iRig Mix is a portable mixing console built by IK Multimedia, and it allows users to use their iOS devices for DJing. From crossfading, cues, volume, and built-in EQ, to inputs for microphones, guitars, and more…the iRig Mix is much more than a novelty iOS accessory, it’s a well built and nicely crafted add-on that works perfectly. It’s small enough to stuff into one of your carrying bags with your iPad (or two), and powerful enough to make an impression!

It includes a wall adapter, cables for audio and connecting to the iOS devices, as well as all the necessary items to work with your devices. It can be used with the IK Multimedia apps on the App Store, and additional effects and functionality can be purchased within.  The X-Sync has to be my favorite feature though.  It’s built into the mixer and works with the DJ Rig app to “beatmix” for you. It takes the guess work and professional level difficulty (for me at least) out of the users hands and matches the beat for mixing automatically. It’s like magic!

For the money, the iRig Mix is great, and not only did I enjoy it, my kids had a blast with it too!

Included Apps

iRig MIX includes* 4 free apps: DJ Rig™, the new professional DJ mixing app from IK, AmpliTube, the most popular iOS guitar amp and effects app, VocaLive the processing app for singers and vocalists, and GrooveMaker®, the loop-based beat and groove making app.

iRig MIX Features

-2 stereo inputs with gain, bass, treble and volume controls, independent cue on each channel with LED indication and channel crossfader
-Instrument/microphone extra input, with volume control, can be processed by iOS real-time effects apps (such as AmpliTube, VocaLive)
-Stereo output with RCA connectors, master level and LED meters
-High quality, pristine sound
-Quality headphone output for master or cue monitoring with independent volume control
-Input switch splits Input 1 into dual-mono for use with DJ mixing apps on a single iOS device
-“X-Sync” mode allows auto-sync with any audio source using the included DJ Rig free app
-Can be powered with the included AC adapter, battery pack and laptop USB ports
-Includes 4 free apps: DJ Rig, AmpliTube, VocaLive, GrooveMaker

Pricing and Availability

iRig MIX costs $99.99/€74.99 (excluding taxes) and is available from electronic and music retailers around the world.

For more information on iRig MIX:

www.irigmix.com
www.irigmix.com/video

For more information on DJ Rig app:
www.djrig.net

Apple’s growth since 2007 has been staggering.  Sure Apple’s huge – but just how to they stack up against other companies, and against the market as a whole?

Research from Sortable.com shows how Apple has become one of the largest companies on the planet due to the overwhelming popularity of the the Macbook, iPhone and iPad which account for 75% of the company’s revenue.

Sortable’s  infographic below is a fascinating look at the incredible success Apple has had over the last 4+ years.

OS 6, internally codenamed ‘Sundance’, could bring Siri, an iPhone 4S exclusive feature, to the iPad.

Siri to the iPad rumors have been floated about by TechCrunch, who reports that user interface concerns have delayed bringing Apple’s personal assistant to the iPad.

TechCrunch’s MG Siegler:

“I’ve been led to believe it’s more of a UI issue than anything else. After all, Apple is using the technology for the Dictation functionality found on the new iPad. They’ve just been working on what Siri ...]]>

OS 6, internally codenamed ‘Sundance’, could bring Siri, an iPhone 4S exclusive feature, to the iPad.

Siri to the iPad rumors have been floated about by TechCrunch, who reports that user interface concerns have delayed bringing Apple’s personal assistant to the iPad.

TechCrunch’s MG Siegler:

“I’ve been led to believe it’s more of a UI issue than anything else. After all, Apple is using the technology for the Dictation functionality found on the new iPad. They’ve just been working on what Siri for iPad will look like.”

John Gruber of Daring Fireball believes iOS 6 will also give developers the ability to implement Siri into their own, third-party apps, something that will make Siri more useful than ever.

It has also emerged that Apple may be shunning Google’s map technology to use it’s own in iOS 6.  in favour of its own mapping software in the next version of iOS. The new Maps app will reportedly include a 3D mode from C3 Technologies, which Apple acquired last year.

iOS 6 could be arriving alongside OS X Mountain Lion at this year’s WWDC in June.

What features would you like to see in iOS 6 and why?

Responding to claims of misleading consumers, Apple has ceased branding its new iPad as 4G capable in Australia and some other countries.

The move seems to make perfect sense when one considers 4G LTE service on the iPad only really works in the U.S. and Canada through five carriers.

Claiming the device was 4G LTE-capable when it was anything but didn’t sit well with some remote locales that Apple was labeling compatible devices as “Wi-Fi + 4G.” Amid mounting criticism, Apple has removed the 4G label.

If you ...]]>

Responding to claims of misleading consumers, Apple has ceased branding its new iPad as 4G capable in Australia and some other countries.

The move seems to make perfect sense when one considers 4G LTE service on the iPad only really works in the U.S. and Canada through five carriers.

Claiming the device was 4G LTE-capable when it was anything but didn’t sit well with some remote locales that Apple was labeling compatible devices as “Wi-Fi + 4G.” Amid mounting criticism, Apple has removed the 4G label.

If you head over to Apple’s online store or visit one of its retail locations, you’ll find that those version iPads are now called “Wi-Fi + Cellular.” In addition to the U.S. and Canada, 9to5Mac claims Apple replaced 4G branding in the U.K., Australia, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ireland, and Hong Kong.

While the name change is in effect, Apple isn’t letting go of its 4G marketing, at least not completely, evidenced on Apple’s iPad product page:

“Connects to the Internet over Wi-Fi and fast cellular data networks — up to 4G LTE. Contact a cellular data service provider to sign up for a simple, month-to-month plan right on your iPad and cancel anytime without penalty.”

In Australia, the message is a little different, with Apple disclaiming its iPad “is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks and WiMAX networks.

Let me begin by saying I’m not a champion of the stylus, but understand they have their fans and serve an important purpose.

That said, I would like to offer my thoughts on one of my favorite iPad accessory companies, BoxWave, and their newest stylus, the BoxWave EverTouch Capacitive Stylus, comparing it to its predecessor, BoxWave’s Capacitive Stylus.

The BoxWave EverTouch, is an aluminum tube about the same diameter as your average ball point pen and about an inch shorter; measuring about 5″ in ...]]>

Let me begin by saying I’m not a champion of the stylus, but understand they have their fans and serve an important purpose.

That said, I would like to offer my thoughts on one of my favorite iPad accessory companies, BoxWave, and their newest stylus, the BoxWave EverTouch Capacitive Stylus, comparing it to its predecessor, BoxWave’s Capacitive Stylus.

The BoxWave EverTouch, is an aluminum tube about the same diameter as your average ball point pen and about an inch shorter; measuring about 5″ in length. Longer than the Capacitive Stylus, but the weight of both remains almost identical.

The top of both theBoxWave styluses is a loop for a lanyard which is exceptionally useful, since no tablet or phone has a good place to tuck a stylus into it. The BoxWave EverTouch goes one step further by giving you a little bag with some additional lanyards, two of which lets you plug one end of the lanyard into the headphone jack. The lanyard is long enough to let the pen reach the magnetic side of my Apple SmartCover, and because the BoxWave EverTouch top is metal, it sticks to the side!

The physical specs are nice, but it’s not the looks you buy it for, and it’s the tip of the new stylus that really sets the EverTouch Capacitive Stylus apart from the others. The tip is not your typical rubbery material you would find on most styluses today, it’s actually a material called “FiberMesh™”, and it makes all the difference in the world.

I have been using styluses on my iPad for a long time, and I’ve encountered one major issue with rubber tipped styluses; the tips stick to the surface. The tips don’t stick much, but ever so slightly and therefore don’t glide smoothly across the screen. Often times, it feels like drawing or writing with an eraser.

The experience is made worse if you have a screen cover on your iPad because the surface adds an additional level of tack to the screen. Rubber materials on the originalBoxWave Capacitive Stylus drag even more on covered surfaces.

The FiberMesh™ material on the BoxWave EverTouch is unaffected by the screen material, and glides effortlessly across the bare screen or a protected screen. The tip is also firmer than the other two, so there’s less mashing of the head and gives the BoxWave EverTouch an excellent feel when used.

To be honest, I’m very surprised and impressed with how well the BoxWave EverTouch performs, so I can easily recommend this stylus to anyone who wants a pen experience with an iPad, iPhone or Android device!

Pick up BoxWave EverTouch Capacitive Stylus here and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Cadillac takes a page from the Hyundai Equus playbook and will give each 2013 Cadillac XTS buyer an iPad, said General Motors.

The giveaway of the $500 tablet underscores the fact that “the XTS is the most technically advanced car Cadillac has produced so far,” said GM.

The iPad will be customized for XTS buyers with a Cadillac User Experience or CUE App that tutors users on the vehicle’s infotainment system. The iPad will also include the MyCadillac App and OnStar RemoteLink.

The 2013 XTS, which competes ...]]>

Cadillac takes a page from the Hyundai Equus playbook and will give each 2013 Cadillac XTS buyer an iPad, said General Motors.

The giveaway of the $500 tablet underscores the fact that “the XTS is the most technically advanced car Cadillac has produced so far,” said GM.

The iPad will be customized for XTS buyers with a Cadillac User Experience or CUE App that tutors users on the vehicle’s infotainment system. The iPad will also include the MyCadillac App and OnStar RemoteLink.

The 2013 XTS, which competes with the Audi A6, starts at $44,995, including a $920 shipping charge. It goes on sale this spring and slots in above the CTS in the Cadillac lineup.

Cadillac describes its CUE system as “a comprehensive in-vehicle experience that merges intuitive design with auto industry-first controls and commands for information and entertainment data.”

CUE debuts this year on the 2013 XTS, ATS and SRX.

Korean automaker Hyundai gave away approximately 2,000 $500 base iPads with the launch of the Equus luxury sedan, but discontinued the giveaway with the 2012 model.

The Equus owners manual was loaded onto the iPad, in addition to being available in paper form in the vehicle.

[Chicago Tribune]

It seems there is just no end to what the iPad can do, or at least what people (or otherwise) will attempt to do with the iPad. Schools, businesses, families, kids, adults, teachers, grandparents, cats, and now orangutans all love the iPad. I guess it’s just one of those products that resonates with everyone!

For years trainers and experts would use sign language as a means to communicate with orangutans, but now they’ve introduced the iPad, and apparently it’s been a ...]]>

It seems there is just no end to what the iPad can do, or at least what people (or otherwise) will attempt to do with the iPad. Schools, businesses, families, kids, adults, teachers, grandparents, cats, and now orangutans all love the iPad. I guess it’s just one of those products that resonates with everyone!

For years trainers and experts would use sign language as a means to communicate with orangutans, but now they’ve introduced the iPad, and apparently it’s been a hit!

According to a Miami zoo:

“The 8-year-old twins love their iPad. They draw, play games and expand their vocabulary. Their family’s teenagers also like the hand-held computer tablets, too, but the clan’s elders show no interest.”

“They are sort of trapped in those bodies,” Jacobs said. “They have the intelligence that they need to communicate, but they don’t have the right equipment, because they don’t have voice boxes or vocal cords. So this gives them a way to let us know what they know, what they are capable of, what they would like to have.”

What do you think?

Click Here for the full story!

Chinese company Proview has had its case against Apple case of iPad trademark infringement dismissed by a California judge.

Proview claims Apple deceived it by purchasing the rights to the name through a front company.

Proview believed taking the case to California might prove wise, but after the judge’s ruiling it’s clear the company was mistaken.

Proview is having more luck suing Apple in China over alleged illegal use of the iPad name and the Californian court case was really a side issue. If it had ...]]>

Some of us just prefer naked. It’s not that we don’t understand the obsessive need to cover-up, showing off your assets while out in public can be a little unnerving. However, it’s just that we find cases and such hide the beauty that is underneath. Cases are just part of many device owners purchasing acceptance…some even love them and feel they help make their device “unique”. But there are those of us that just can’t live with them, and for ...]]>

Some of us just prefer naked. It’s not that we don’t understand the obsessive need to cover-up, showing off your assets while out in public can be a little unnerving. However, it’s just that we find cases and such hide the beauty that is underneath. Cases are just part of many device owners purchasing acceptance…some even love them and feel they help make their device “unique”. But there are those of us that just can’t live with them, and for us, we take a big chance whenever we leave home with our devices in tow.

Thankfully, there are now the PADACS Fortress protectors.

The PADACS Fortress packaging includes:

2 x front shock absorption films
1 x back shock absorption films
Squeegee (a card to be pushed slowly to apply the shields)
Microfiber fabric (to wipe those pesky dust away from your phone’s body)
Fitting instructions

How does it work?

Pretty darn well I have to say.

There was a somewhat grippy feel to the front shield at first, but over the last few days it seems to have either gone away or I’ve just gotten so used to it that I can no longer feel it. They are a tiny bit thicker than other screen protectors I’ve used, but it doesn’t seem to hinder the touch input at all, and the protection they bring is crazy comforting.

Overall, besides having an annoying time applying it (I’m just horrible at applying these things, this was by far the easiest one I’ve tried), I am extremely satisfied with it and am going “case-less”, iPhone naked, and loving it. Next up, Fortress for the new iPad!