XYDO.COM: iPhone App

Next Issue magazine service comes to iPad, offers all you can eat magazine subscriptions

The Next Issue has finally arrived on the iPad and it set to offer a Netflix style service that could transform the way you access glossy magazines. Up until this point, you could buy separate magazine issues through Newsstand or a lot of magazines ignored that route and went for stand alone apps. Now however that is about to change with Next Issue offering a monthly subscription service allowing you to read as many available magazines as you want for a flat monthly fee. Only Next Issue offers the combination of unlimited access plans and organization of your personal library of magazines from a single app, delivering a truly exceptional reading experience. Next Issue's catalog of magazines from top tier publishers come to life with digital extras such as videos, bonus photography, interactive features, live web links and more. With the launch of Next Issue for iPad and addition of Bon Appetit, Brides, Golf Digest, GQ, Self, Vogue and Wired, the Next Issue for iPad catalog includes 39 titles with many more expected later in the year. "With the unlimited plans offering access to our entire catalog from a single intuitive App and personal library, we're delivering magazines the way consumers want to read them," said Morgan Guenther, CEO of Next Issue Media. "It's like having an entire magazine rack stocked with only the very best titles, but you can browse or read any issue, any time, on your iPad." "Customers will see their magazines come to life in spectacular fashion," said John Loughlin, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Hearst Magazines. "Next Issue for iPad delivers an immersive and engaging experience, while the technology seems to disappear and get out of the way." The Next Issue app is available in the App Store today only for users in the United States. There are two subscription models available. The first comes in at $9.99 a month; this gives you access to monthly and bi-monthly magazines and back issues. The more expensive $14.99 a month subscription includes weekly magazine titles such as Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker and a few others. If you are still on the fence, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial. Free - Download Now The question is, would you be willing to pay a monthly subscription to gain access to regular magazine publications? I would say that if the content available suits your reading habits then it is an excellent proposition. The cost of a printed magazine is nearly the cost of a month’s subscription so it does make good economic sense. What do you think? Source: Reuters Image: Macworld Next IsssueNewsMagazinesMagazine Subscriptionsall you can eatAppsApp Store AppsNews

Apple opens up Mac App Store for Mountain Lion-based app submissions, iOS cross-platform Game Center games

Following the release of the Mountain Lion's Golden Master version earlier today, Apple has officially opened the Mac App Store for optimized OS X 10.8 apps to be submitted for review with an email to developers (seen below). The company says they can also submit iOS apps that take advantage of the now-cross-platform Game Center, one of several iOS features that is now making its way to the Mac. OS X Mountain Lion is set to launch later this month.

Vaja premium leather cases for iPhone and iPad: Agenda, LP, and Lèger review

The Vaja premium leather cases, including the Agenda for iPad, and the LP and Lèger cases for iPhone. The look is gorgeous, the feel is incredible, and the manufacturing quality is more than impressive. But do they work as good as they look and feel? For the most part, yes. Let's be clear -- The Vaja Agenda, LP, and Lèger cases are absolutely sumptuous and decadent and are meant to be shown off as much as used, like an amazing designer purse or shows. From texture to stitch, the hand craftsmanship is amazing The fit and finish as well, down to the Vaja clasp. They're also really protective, and though you might cringe at damaging such pretty leather, the Agenda, LP, and Lèger cases will keep your iPad and iPhone safe from bumps and scrapes. The protection comes at the price of some added bulk, but nothing beyond what any quality leather product such as wallet or even sunglass case would provide. You do have to pretty much remove your iPhone from the Lèger case in order to use it. That's the price of a pouch, after all. And the cover on the LP doesn't really do anything useful, like transform into a stand, when you flip it back. It kind of just stays there, flipped and nothing more. Conversely, the Agenda's cover does convert into a stand, though landscape only. The good Stunning design Premium materials Fantastic, hand-crafted quality Wide selection of colors The bad Access can be more unwieldy or difficult than less designed cases. The conclusion If you're the type of person who likes to accessories everything to nth degree, Vaja has a luxury case for you. Their choice of color is incredible, their designs are sublime, and their product just scream premium. They may not be the most functional accessories or the most practical, but they're not meant to be. They're meant to be just a little decadent. The only real drawback here is the price. This much luxury has to have a price tag to match, after all. If you all you want is some protection, look elsewhere. Vaja is as much about making a statement. $220 - Agenda for iPad - Buy now $115 - LP for iPhone - Buy now $85 - Lèger for iPhone - Buy now VajalplegerAgendaIpad CaseIphone Caseleather caseAccessoriesFeatured VideoCase Reviews

LTE rollouts continue throughout the U.S. and Canada for Verizon, AT&T, and Rogers iPads

If you're the proud owner of an [LTE iPad](http://www.imore.com/ipad) then you likely follow the news of LTE rollouts as they happen. More markets mean more chances you'll be covered, after all. Verizon is constantly updating their LTE coverage areas and today have announced a bunch of new LTE markets around Georgia and New York. AT&T is still playing catchup in Florida, Texas, and New York. Rogers, meanwhile, is pledging 28 new markets in Canada by 2013. Overall, the expansion of LTE across carrier networks can be looked at in a number of ways. If you live in rural areas, you're probably not getting much love, but if you live within a large city, you're more likely to attach yourself to an LTE tower and enjoy it for all it is worth. Only the iPad is available right now with LTE so iPhone owners won't be making use of LTE until October and the [iPhone 5](http://www.imore.com/iphone-5) at the earliest. That said though, it could be a blessing in disguise because, by the time an LTE equipped iPhone is unveiled, LTE will be available in even more areas then ever before. Kind of makes you wonder if that's exactly how Apple planned it. Looking for the full list of new coverage areas from Verizon and Rogers? You'll find them below. Source: Verizon, AT&T, Rogers New LTE markets for Verizon Syracuse, NY Cicero, NY Clay, NY Cortland, NY Sullivan, NY Rome, GA Columbus, GA Armuchee, GA Cave Springs, GA Cedartown, GA Rockmart, GA New LTE markets for AT&T Wichita, Kan. Gainesville, Fla. Greensboro, N.C. Winston-Salem, N.C. Corpus Christi, Texas Burlington, N.C. Buffalo, N.Y. New LTE markets for Rogers (by 2013) Abbotsford Ajax Barrie Burlington Cambridge Edmonton Guelph Hamilton Kelowna Kingston Kitchener London Moncton Niagara Oakville Oshawa Pickering Regina Saskatoon Sherbrooke St. Catherines Sudbury Waterloo Windsor Winnipeg Trois-Rivières Quebec City Victoria RogersVerizonLte4g LteCoverageNews

Forums: Fonts for iOS 5, iPad must-know tips and tricks, add yours!

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 always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. You check out some of the threads below: - iMessage is a pain!! - What is the best 3rd Party Music App for New iPad? - Fonts for IOS 5 (Jailbroken) - Beta 3 waiting room - Only Need One Calendar - iPad must-know tips and tricks, add yours! If you're not already a member of the iMore Forums, register now! From The ForumsRegular FeaturesFrom the Forums

Apple's OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion for Mac goes Gold Master

Apple has just released the Gold Master (GM) version of their upcoming Mac software update, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Previewed to media and developers earlier in the year, and shown off to the public at WWDC 2012, Mountain Lion brings even more of the iPad and iOS experience back to the Mac, including renamed Contacts and Calendar apps, and new Reminders, Dictation, AirPlay, Game Center, and Notification Center, and unique features like PowerNap and Gatekeeper. A final release data is still uncertain, with Apple having mentioned only "July" by way of timeline. Typically a Gold Master means developers will have time to test and look for show stoppers, but if everything is good to go, we could be only a couple of weeks away. If you're a developer, you can grab the OS X Mountain Lion GM now via developer.apple.com Mountain LionNews

Apple iPad or Google Nexus 7: Which one should you get?

Up until now, the question "should you buy an iPad or [blank]?" was almost always answerable with "iPad unless you don't like Apple." The Amazon Kindle Fire tried to change that equation, but Amazon has been coy about sales numbers, and beyond the U.S. border its content is so anemic it's still closer akin to a paperweight than a tablet. Now Google is taking its shot with the ASUS-manufactured, Google Nexus 7. Our Mobile Nations sibling site, Android Central has just posted their complete Google Nexus 7 review, and according to Jerry Hildenbrand, it's good, but not a game changer: The Nexus 7 doesn't bring a compelling reason to "go Google" when considering a tablet purchase like we were hoping. But the hardware and software on the Nexus 7 make it a very interesting piece of gear, and when the price is factored into the equation, there's simply not a better tablet for the money available from anyone, anywhere. Stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and updates direct from Google are icing on the cake. I would recommend the Nexus 7 to anyone and feel good about handing out that advice. And here's what we had to say in our new iPad review: Judged in a vacuum, the new iPad is incredible technology wrapped in gorgeous design at an unbeatable price. Taken in context, the new iPad will appeal most to “firsts.” First-time tablet buyers, first-generation iPad owners looking to upgrade, and first-adopters who simply want the future in their hands today. If any of those describe you, get the new iPad. With that in mind, does the introduction of a Google branded tablet running the latest, greatest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software stack still offer a better alternative answer to iPad? Hardware The iPad is 9.7-inches with a 2048x1536 IPS Retina display at 264 ppi. The larger size makes it heavier to hold for long periods of time, and harder to carry around without a bag. It also allows for a more powerful class of software, and the larger interface makes it easier to use. The Nexus 7 is 7-inches with a 1280x800 IPS display at 216 ppi. The smaller size makes it ideal to hold for longer periods of time and easier to carry around in jacket pocket if needed. However, 7-inch apps can sometimes be closer akin to smartphone apps than full-sized tablet experiences. And, in fact, Google's using a mix of the two on the Nexus 7; some apps use combinations of smartphone and tablet layouts. Both are powerhouses, graphically and otherwise, though the iPad can be purchased with up to 64GB of storage while the Nexus 7 maxes out at 16GB. Software The iPad currently runs iOS 5.1.1 but will be updated to iOS 6 this fall. It's a mature operating system with most features that most users need. It's designed for the mainstream, however, and what concessions it makes for power users are carefully hidden away from that mainstream. That means, while powerful and easy to use for just about everyone, iOS isn't as flexible or customizable as Android, and not as much fun for geeks. The Nexus 7 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which keeps all the power and flexibility of previous generations yet promises a new, more "buttery" user experience. It's built by geeks for geeks, with concessions made to the mainstream. That means things can seem simple at first, but there's complexity if you go looking for it. Arguably it's still not as polished or friendly as iOS, but it's far more powerful and customizable. Both are stable, rich operating systems with more than enough features to fill the needs of any consumer, though iOS still skews towards the mainstream and Android, the power crowd. Media and apps The iPad has access to Apple's iTunes ecosystem, which includes iTunes Music, Movies, TV Shows, iBooks, and the App Store. Hands down, iTunes provides the most content, in the most countries, and to this day no one else even comes close. The iPad also has access to a several of the Google Play services, including Books and Music, a lot of Amazon services, including Kindle, and other services. This all adds up to make the iPad unmatchable when it comes to content. The Nexus 7 is a front end for the Google Play store and is optimized to help you buy and enjoy that content in the best way possible. Google Play offers a robust set services, but is still missing major studios in the U.S. and is perhaps even more anemic than Amazon outside the U.S. If you live in America and are heavily invested in Google, you'll be okay. But you'll probably be okay on the iPad as well. Both have software markets with hundreds of thousands of apps and games, and both have media stores -- only Apple's media store has more content and is available in many, many more countries. Price The iPad starts at $499 for 16GB. If you don't need a Retina display, for $399 you can get last year's iPad 2 at 16GB. The Nexus 7 is at $199 for 8GB of storage, $249 for 16GB. The iPad is a good value for the price, but the Nexus 7 has the lowest price. Conclusion So which should you get, the Apple iPad or the Google Nexus 7? Unless you really want something smaller and more portable, or already have a huge investment in Android apps, get the iPad. If you're outside the U.S., it's almost a no-brainer. If you want a small, inexpensive tablet, or if you just want a tablet that's not made by or connected to Apple, the Google Nexus 7 is the best, most modern option. Note: If you don't need a tablet today and the smaller form factor interests you, wait until the fall. Apple might just be releasing an iPad mini around about then, and if they do, it'll definitely be something to consider. IpadNexus 7Ipad Vs AndroidApple Vs Googleipad vs nexus 7FeaturedDevice Comparisons

Say Hello to the Latest Tuts+ Site: Mactuts+

We’re excited to let you know about the latest addition to the Tuts+ family — Mactuts+! Mactuts+ is focused on teaching you how to use your Mac more effectively, efficiently, and powerfully. You’ll learn about the basics of OS X, how to switch, how to use accessories and time-saving software, work with your Mac in an enterprise setting, and how to save time with advanced productive tips and tricks. Read on to find out more about how the site will complement Mac.AppStorm, and learn about our $1,000 competition! Mactuts+ and Mac.AppStorm So, we know what your first thought will be… How is Mactuts+ any different to Mac.AppStorm? Good question! Unlike Mac.AppStorm, which focuses predominantly on reviewing apps, Mactuts+ is focused on teaching you how to use your Mac more effectively, efficiently, and powerfully. We’ll be covering a wide range of different techniques, and offering advice on everything from customising your desktop and using OS X, to automating complex tasks and delving into Terminal. So whether you’re completely new to OS X or you’re a seasoned pro, we’ve got you covered! We’ll be publishing a combination of in-depth step-by-step written tutorials and screencasts/video lessons. Most weeks we’ll be publishing 4-5 high quality tutorials which delve into greater detail than you’re used to on Mac.AppStorm. So, in short — Mac.AppStorm is for apps, Mactuts+ is for tutorials on how to make the most of your Mac and become a more proficient OS X user! Visit Mactuts+ now and take a look at our first few posts! Win $1,000 — Submit Your Tips & Tricks! We’re excited to let you know about our Mactuts+ launch competition, giving you the chance to win $1,000 to put towards a new Mac! You just need to submit a short screencast that showcases your favourite OS X tip, trick, or shortcut. We’d love to find out more about how you use your Mac productively, and discover the tips and tricks that help to speed up your workflow. These might be related to a particular app, something built into OS X, an automator action, terminal command, or anything else! Find out how to enter Subscribe, Follow & Stay Up To Date Don’t forget to follow Mactuts+ on Twitter, Facebook, and everywhere else! Here’s how to keep up to date with what’s going on: Follow @envatomac on Twitter Like Mactuts+ on Facebook Find us on Google+ Subscribe via RSS Join the Newsletter Our First Few Posts… If you’d like to delve straight into the content, here are a few quick links to our first handful of posts on Mactuts+. We hope you find them useful — it’s a good taster of what’s to come! Preparing Your Mac for Mountain Lion Apples next big operating system is set to release in the middle of this month and its likely that youll be one of the many users who are upgrading from Snow Leopard or Lion. Its not surprising, either, because there are a lot of great features in this update and its going to be the same price for users of either of the aforementioned versions. In light of that, why not update to version 10.8, Mountain Lion? Easy Ways to Automate Your Mac’s Schedule Your Mac comes with lots of ways to schedule tasks, but not all of it’s ready to go out of the box. Beyond automated maintenance, OS X has a lot going for it, but you have to put in a bit of elbow grease to get everything working how you want it and on your schedule. How To Migrate All of Your Important Data To Your New Mac We recently saw another WWDC come and go and despite little to no progress in the desktop area, the MacBooks all received nice upgrades. This means there’s a fresh crop of users transitioning to a brand new machine, a task which always brings with it a decent number of questions.

'UX Write' for iOS Promises Powerful Word Processing for Long Documents [iOS Blog]

UX Write [App Store], a new iOS word processing app by UX Productivity, aims to compete with Apple's own Pages, Dataviz's Documents to Go and other heavy-hitting word processing apps currently available in the App Store. UX Write touts several features to streamline the writing process for long and complex documents, including unique cursor and text selection controls, extra punctuation keys on the iPad, and powerful style formatting tools. The full list of features is as follows:- Styles: Separate content from presentation, and easily achieve consistent formatting throughout your whole document. - Outline editor: Easily navigate and rearrange sections - Automatic numbering and cross-references: for all headings, figures, and tables - Automatic text reflow: Document layout and text size is adjusted to suit your screen size and orientation, for an improved reading and editing experience - Extended keyboard (iPad only): Extra keys for punctuation and formatting, plus swipe gestures for cursor movement and text selection - Painless file synchronisation: Full integration with Dropbox and WebDAV. Documents are kept in sync automatically. - Printing and PDF export - Built on the latest web technologies: HTML5, CSS3, and WebKitA demo video showcases UX Write's major features: UX Write faces tough competition in the App Store. At this time, UX Write can only create and edit HTML files though the ability to work with Microsoft Word and LaTeX files is coming in the future. At $14.99, it is currently more expensive than Pages and Documents to Go that both offer more features in total than UX Write though may arguably be less intuitive and efficient at working with long documents comparatively. Additionally, rumors indicate that Microsoft may be developing a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad that could be released in November.

Judge: Samsung's Galaxy Tab Isn't Cool Enough To Be Confused With iPad (AAPL)

By Sam Oliver Published: 08:24 AM EST (05:24 AM PST) A U.K. judge has found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab doesn't infringe on Apple's design patents, and added that it isn't "cool" enough to be confused with the design of the iPad.Judge Colin Birss ruled on Monday in London that consumers weren't likely to confuse the Galaxy Tab and iPad, according to Bloomberg. As a result, Samsung was found to not be infringing on Apple's patents."(Samsung's tablets) do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design," Birss said in his ruling. "They are not as cool."The judge found that Samsung's products were distinctive from Apple, as they are thinner and have "unusual details" on the back. The ruling is different from a decision in the U.S. last month, where Apple won a temporary injunction barring sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1.U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh found that Samsung did in fact infringe on Apple's design patents. She ruled that Samsung "does not have a right to compete unfairly by flooding the market with infringing products." While Apple didn't find the same success in the U.K., the iPad maker does have 21 days to appeal the decision issued on Monday by Judge Birss.Previously, Apple has successfully argued for temporary injunctions in Australia and Germany. Samsung dodged the German injunction by releasing a slightly-redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1N. Meanwhile, the Australian ban was overturned last November.

Monday Brief: Win a Mobile Nations dream device of YOUR choice in the Monday Brief's season 2 intro contest!

Hi guys! We're gonna switch up the normal Monday Brief this week to bring you all something special. I'm so excited to celebrate my one-year birthday with the Mobile Nations team, and with the help of every site in the network, I want to hook a lucky winner up with their dream device. Have you been lusting after the Samsung Galaxy S III? How about the new iPad? Or perhaps you've been anxiously awaiting the next round of Windows Phone 8 devices or are holding out for BlackBerry 10? Over the years we've seen some pretty crazy entries for video contests here at Mobile Nations (Kevin often brings up a certain Pudding Wrestling in Time Square CrackBerry video), but I want to top them all, so we're gonna make this the best video contest Mobile Nations has ever had! Seriously, I want to you see you all get creative, get crazy and show me your passion to help, let's have a look at what you could win: GRAND PRIZE: One (1) phone, tablet, or gadget you've read about on Mobile Nations websites, valued at up to $600 USD Runners Up: We'll hook you up with some awesome stuff. Either a coupon to one of the stores, some swag or something else you'll love. Don't worry, if we use your intro on a Monday Brief, we'll give you recognition and a nice little reward. Once again, this is a video contest -- you'll have to get creative and assemble your most creative, funny, or just plain insane version of my weekly introduction to the Monday Brief. If you're not sure what part that is, watch the beginning of the show. Jump below to get the full details on how to enter and check out the rules, you'll need to follow them accordingly. STEP 1: Make Your Video I know it seems daunting, but I promise I'm making it simple to enter. Jump on your webcam, use your cell phone, or make a cinematic masterpiece with a Canon Mark 5D III. Any way you do it, you're re-creating the introduction to the Monday Brief -- here's the script: "I'm ______________, and it's time for your Mobile Nations Monday Brief, where I bring you the best of Android Central, CrackBerry, iMore, Windows Phone Central and webOS Nation. It's been a busy week in tech..." It's that easy. Beyond that, go nuts! If you're Larry Page, use Google Glasses to make an intro while jumping out of a plane and fighting a race of MantisMen; if you're Nathan Fillion, do it while shooting someone unarmed in Firefly. If you're neither of those people, we still trust you. Make something funny, something epic, something cool. But keep this stuff in mind when you make your video: Video Requirements Videos shouldn't really go past 30 seconds. Unless you're actually Larry Page or Nathan Fillion. In which case, send whatever you want to us. Because you are awesome. We don't expect videos to have Hollywood type production quality, but in the year 2012 we do want the quality of the video/audio itself to be pretty decent. The video should be recorded in HD (borrow a camera if you have to) and the sound quality should be easy to listen to. We don't want to see crappy video/sound quality distract from what otherwise would be a great video. NO background music at all (not even Pandora playing softly in the background)! We'll be adding our own fully licensed music into it at our discretion. If your video has copyrighted music in it, it will be immediately disqualified... and you don't want that, especially after you put all that work into making it! You MUST use all the words in the script provided, but we're open to some improv before and after the required stuff. If your video is selected as the winner, it will be uploaded to our Mobile Nations YouTube account. As such, all videos must conform to YouTube community guidelines. All videos must be originally produced for this contest. No re-hashing old or other videos. STEP 2: Submit Your Video Your video must be submitted to Mobile Nations by 11:59pm PST on Friday, July 20th. You have to be registered on at least one of our sites and include your username and which site(s) you prefer to be associated with if you're on multiple Mobile Nations sites. To submit your video, please first upload your finished video to your public DropBox folder (get a DropBox account for free here if you don't have one) and create the public url for it (right click on the file and select "copy public link"). Next, send an email to contest@mobilenations.com. Please use the email subject "Monday Brief Intro Contest" and in the message provide the link to your video file on DropBox, your name, contact information, and some brief background information on your entry you want us to know. For example: where it was filmed, who was involved, etc. We will email you back within 24 hours to confirm we received your entry and video all good. If for some reason you do not hear back from us within that timeframe, send an email to sitesupport@mobilenations.com. That's it! See, I promised it wouldn't be that bad. So make something amazing! The winner will be featured on the opening episode of "Season 2" of the Monday Brief, so get crazy and wow us. And if you're wondering who makes the final decision, there is a crack team of MoNa editors assembled to help choose the winner, so buttering me up won't work! If you're entering the contest, YOU MUST READ THIS INFORMATION! Keep in mind these videos will be posted on YouTube and across the Mobile Nations network. Get appropriate consent by anybody appearing in your video. While we love seeing zany and outrageous stuff, don't do anything that'll put you or anybody in your video at risk of suffering personal injury. MobileNations.com will not be held responsible. If you take part in producing a video for this contest, you assume all risk. Grand Prize Winner will be chosen on or about July 23, 2012, and will be notified around that time. The grand prize winner will be required to sign a Winner Release and Indemnity Form before appearing on the show as a winner. You can have as many people in your video as you like, but it will only be counted as one entry (one prize winner per video submission). The person who submits the entry to us will be the individual we consider as the winner. You may want to give your friends a big hug or buy them a beer for assistance they provide you in making your video. Eligibility: No purchase necessary to enter. Must be 18 years of age to win the grand prize. Video entries will be accepted from anywhere in the world, but English should be the primary language used for the video. Grand Prize Winner Details: One (1) device of choice across the Mobile Nations network. Device must be valued at or less than $600 USD. Winner may choose IOU for future WP8 or BB10 device, and may also choose a gift certificate for any of the Mobile Nations online stores. This prize is not transferable. We have some pretty amazing folks on the Editorial and Forum teams across the Mobile Nations sites. If they want to do up a video, that's cool, but don't worry, they won't be allowed to win any prizes. If anything isn't clear or you have any other questions, please email us at contest@mobilenations.com. Monday BriefMobile NationsDevice GiveawaysFeatured VideoMonday Brief

Give your iPhone a BlackBerry-style physical keyboard with Spike TypeSmart, now on Kickstarter

The Spike TypeSmart keyboard case for iPhone looks to address the age-old argument of the hardware keyboard being a better way to input text than a software keyboard, and it looks to do so by offering you the best of both worlds. The Spike gives iPhone users a hardware keyboard which is part of a hard case. Depending on the model, the Spike keyboard can either be switched simply flipped around to use, and then switched or flipped back to discreetly store the keyboard at the rear of the case when not required. The project is now up for backing on Kickstarter. We’re not saying that the virtual keyboard that Steve gave us isn’t great, but typing more than a few words on glass isn’t great, accurate, or natural. That’s where our Spike TypeSmart keyboards come in. Unlike any other keyboards available today, we wanted to create a suite of products that complemented the iPhone’s impeccable quality and elegant form factor, and at the same time let you type and text easier, faster, and with fewer mistakes, under virtually all conditions – even if you’re wearing gloves! We have carefully engineered Spike, so in a flash, you can transition from typing to making or receiving a call, launching any of your apps, or playing Angry Birds, and then back to typing, all without missing a beat! Because we believe you should always have a choice, our initial suite consists of two versions, Spike¹ and Spike². Both versions incorporate our proprietary TypeSmart keyboard that has been carefully integrated into handsome iPhone protective cases. Of course, we will manufacture them using only premium materials that are suitable for an Apple accessory product. We call our keyboards TypeSmart, because they are the natural and smart way to type on your iPhone! Best of all, with Spike, you have a keyboard when you need it and it disappears when you don’t want it. The Spike TypeSmart keyboard has been in development for more than two years and enables a user to have a full hardware QWERTY keyboard available in an instant without the need for Bluetooth connections or the need to keep it charged. It does this by sitting on top of your iPhone's virtual keyboard in portrait mode and simply triggering a capacitive contact on the screen when the key is pressed. If you have long fingernails, or wear gloves in colder weather, this could be the solution to your problems. If you like the look of the Spike TypeSmarrt keyboard case you can become an earlier adopter from as little as $20. This of course is subject to the Spike reaching its Kickstarter funding target of $75,000. As things stand today, it has reached over $37,000 and still has 33 days to go. Source: Kickstarter KickstarterSpikeKeyboardCaseAccessoriesNews

Official Twitter app set to receive a major update, interactive features and better notifications

The official Twitter app is set to receive a huge update which promises to deliver some new interactive features along with a much better notification system. The information comes by way of a leak in the iOS6 beta's App Store that revealed the app's update notes which were spotted by 9to5 Mac. Twitter, in recent months, has come under fire due to potential new changes to its mobile application API and the lack of power-user features in its official mobile device apps. It appears that this controversy may change in the coming days, as leaked release notes show some impressive new changes. Twitter for iPhone 4.3 is incoming and it brings several new features focusing on interactivity, enhanced notifications, searching, performance, and more. It is about time that Twitter for iPhone received a significant update and some of the new features do appear to sound very interesting. Finally we are seeing some unique features in Twitter's own app like the ability to have push notifications for individual accounts. If you want to know when a close friend of yours has something interesting to say, you will know about it straight away. The question is, with so many Twitter apps now available, would you contemplate switching back to the official Twitter app after this update is released? Other apps still appear to offer a better user interface and a lot more power user features. Having said that, when this update does arrive, the gap will be narrowing. The full release notes are below. Source: 9to5Mac TwitterIphoneIpadIpod TouchUpdateNews

Editor's desk: iMore 2.0, Google redux and more!

Third week in a row I'm keeping this spectacularly short, but this time not because it's yet another long weekend here's in Montreal, but because I had the choice of writing this column or going to see the new Spider-Man flick. And as any red-and-radioactive blooded boy would, I opted for the good old web head. How are you liking iMore 2.0? We flipped the big red switch on the huge iMore backend architecture update a couple of days ago and have been working feverishly on squashing bugs and figuring out new features ever since. We've got almost all the reader facing issues resolved, and hope to have all the rest done absolutely as soon as possible -- including comments in the iMore for iPhone app. Have you tried out our new comment system here on the blog yet? Have you switched between feature view and headline view on the Home page? Have you switched between article view and latest discussion view? If not, go try it out and let us know what you think. We have a ton more amazing features coming your way, and can't wait to show them to you. Flash in the can When the new iPad came out, USA Today technology reviewer Ed Baig took a piece out of its aluminum and glass hide for still not supporting Adobe Flash (which Adobe had cancelled). Fast forward to this week and Baig's Nexus 7 review, and the lack of Flash in Google's new flagship tablet passes completely without comment. Combine it with David Pogue's recent limbo of a Galaxy Player review in the New York Times and it makes me wonder what's going on in traditional media tech coverage. I read the blogs, so I'm fine. But my mom reads the paper, and she deserves to be better informed. With great power comes great responsibility. Serve the reader, not the product. The job isn't to be fair, it's to be right. Speaking of responsibility My article on Google last week -- the one where I kindly asked them to become the platform champion Android needs and deserves -- received incredibly mixed feedback. Some of you thought Google was rightly being taken to task for failing to put the wellbeing of manufacturers, retailed, partners, and users first, while others thought I was just being a jerk to Google. Frankly I was doing the latter to highlight the former. Phil Nickinson very kindly let me discuss my point of view on the Android Central podcast this week, and Jerry Hildenbrand eloquently and intelligently expressed an opposing and counter point of view. I have a huge amount of respect for both of them, and these types of discussions, between adults, with passion and civility, and simply the best stuff ever. I hope we get to have more of them. Android Central Podcast 101: Patents, Jelly Beans and Glowing Blue Orbs Phil and I also chatted about it briefly with Kevin Michaluk and Daniel Rubino on the Mobile Nations podcast, along with whether or not Microsoft screwed Windows Phones 7 users by not providing an update path to Windows Phone 8, or better preparing them for the lack of an update path. If you haven't watched or listened to it already, grab it now. Mobile Nations podcast 17: Tasty hardware profits And while you're at it, get the latest episode of the iMore show before we run out of copies. (It could happen!) iMore show 301: iPad mini and iOS 6 Q&A part 2 Features How to edit portraits with iPhoto for iPhone and iPad. Leanna Lofte takes you step by step through the process of making yourself, and others, look great. The computing platform in phone's clothing. A look at how Apple never mistakes their products for their core business, and what that means in the market. Reeder vs. The Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: iPad RSS app shootout!. Ally Kazmucha takes news readers for a run around the best-in-class track. Why Apple would release a 7-inch iPad. Part 1 of a 2 part look into the whys and hows of a smaller form factor iPad. Solving for 7: How Apple could implement the iPad mini interface. Part 2 of 2, focusing on the hows. Recommended reading On Mountain Lion's System Requirements and consumer confusion. Stephen Hackett throws the spotlight on Apple's most complicated compatibility formula to date. I'll add that even some machines, like my original wedge-shaped MacBook Air, don't support all features, like AirPlay mirroring. Twitter is a Corporate API. Dave Winer on the dangers of standing your business on someone else's rug -- especially when they seem twitchy about yanking it out from under you. Five years after the iPhone, carriers are the biggest threat to innovation. Nilay Patel, fresh from his honeymoon, highlights just how precarious Apple's "freedom" from carrier influence really is. Apple Cracking Down On Sites Selling Access To iOS Betas. Federico Viticci follows up on what's happening to those who break Apple's NDA for profit. The Elusive iPad ‘mini’. Benjamin Brooks chimes in on the 7-inch iPad. Stop Not Linking. Matthew Panzarino vs the non-attributive bloggers in an inside baseball tour-de-force. I'd argue burying or obfuscating source links is just as wrong-headed, as is copying an entire article even with attribution. The bottom line is linking to great stuff helps ensure there'll be more great stuff to link to. Virtuous circle. Red Letter Media Talks About Prometheus. Massive spoilers, but if you've already seen Prometheus, this will ensure you don't feel alone in wondering how they turned an interesting sci-fi movie into a dumb space chaser two-thirds of the way through. Courtesy Your friendly neighborhood Site-Runner FeaturedEditorialWeek in Review

Solving for 7: How Apple could implement the iPad mini interface

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding why Apple would release an iPad mini, but maybe even more concerning how Apple would go about implementing it. iMore originally heard back in May that the so-called iPad mini would be almost identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, simply shrunk down to a 7.x-inch form factor. (I'm using 7.x-inch in lieu of a specific size since we haven't heard a specific size yet, but AppAdvice's A.T Faust III made a great case for 7.85 inches, so feel free to substitute that in.) Some people, designers and end-users alike, feel the iPad interface won't scale down elegantly -- that touch targets will be too small and interface elements will feel too cramped. I've had the same concerns. With that in mind, it's worthwhile considering the different 7.x-inch options Apple might choose to implement, and the benefits and compromises inherent with each. Note: Joel Bernstein of Cast Irony did a lot of the heavy number lifting on this subject already. Rather than repeat it here, just go read his article first. Interface realities The original iPhone had a 320x480 pixel and point resolution, for a density of 163 ppi. The original iPad had a 768x1024 pixel and point resolution, for a density of 132 ppi. When Apple went to Retina displays, they doubled the pixels vertically and horizontally (@2x), but left the point resolution the same. In other words, where older iPhones and iPads had 1 pixel per point, and new Retina iPhones and iPads have 4 pixels per point. This means the pixel density of the Retina iPhone jumped to 326 ppi and the Retina iPad jumped to 264 ppi, yet the point size, however, remained the same. That's why the physical size of buttons, sliders, and other default (UIKit) interface elements did not change from non-Retina to Retina devices -- they simply looked sharper. The reason Apple stuck to @2x is that other, rather than arbitrary scaling factors, is that it allowed existing @1x apps to run without appearing blurry (due to pixel scaling interpolation) or shrinking beyond useful size on the already small 3.5-inch iPhone screen (due to physical scaling). @1x apps on @2x displays may look decidedly low-res, but all their pixels fall exactly on the point grid. (To better understand the complexities that come with non @2x scaling factors, see Marc Edwards' explanation on Bjango.com.) When Apple introduced the iPad, however, they didn't scale the iPhone interface. They created a new screen size, screen resolution, and aspect ratio, and used a lower pixel density. Because big tablets are generally held further away than small phones, the difference in pixel density isn't readily apparent to the naked eye. Having a lower point density, however, does make a difference when it comes to usability -- interface elements are slightly bigger on the iPad than on the iPhone. There's an important reason for this -- accuracy decreases over distance. The iPhone is small enough that it can generally be used one handed, and small enough that even when a finger is displaced, it's a short, incredibly easy-to-judge distance. The odds of missing even a smaller button are low. The iPad is big enough that it cannot generally be used one handed, and big enough that when a finger is displaced, it's a longer, not always as easy-to-judge distance. The odds of hitting a bigger button are higher. The 9.7-inch iPad has considerably more screen space than the 3.5-inch iPhone, and Apple wisely leveraged it with bigger interface elements to increase usability. (That's especially important for children, seniors, and people who have found pre-iOS computing devices intimidating or inaccessible, and might be in a higher stress state to begin with when faced with interface elements.) Apple's 7.x-inch options Given the above, there are several ways Apple could go about producing a 7.x-inch iPad mini, including scaling the iPhone interface up, creating a new interface size, and scaling the iPad interface down. Scaling up from iPhone Instead of scaling the iPad iOS interface down from 9.7- to fit 7.x-inches, Apple could theoretically scale up the iPhone iOS interface from 3.5- to 7.x-inches. Gabe Glick on MacStories.net has gone over some ideas in this vein already. In order to be a proper, scaled-up iPhone, a 7.x-inch iPad would have to have the same screen pixel and point size as the iPhone, and the same aspect ratio. That would mean 640x960 pixels at a 3:2 aspect ratio, which at 7.85-inches pixels works out to 137ppi. That might sound similar to the original iPad's 132 ppi, but the original iPhone was 163ppi and that's what the 3.5-inch iPhone interface was designed for. (Apple redesigned the interface for the 132 ppi iPad.) Scaling up would mean really big interface elements. Really big. If, instead of stretching 640x960 to fit 7.x-inches, Apple instead kept the pixel size the same and simply added more pixels to reach 7.x-inches, or did some combination of scaling up and adding pixels, they'd run into a few problems. Design once, deploy everywhere is every bit the joke today that develop once, deploy everywhere was a decade ago. It doesn't work. Pixel-perfect designers will always want pixel perfect design. Excellence isn't "free". Given that reality, technologies like Auto Layout and HTML5 might make apps and interfaces more resilient to scaling, but they don't and won't make them bullet proof or let them automagically swell or cramp to fit any arbitrary screen size. Apple does have some non-@1x or @2x scaling options on the Retina MacBook Pro, but they're not set as default, and either way, a mouse-driven interface used at a greater distance than a mobile device is far more forgiving of stretching and spacing. Apple went with @2x (pixel doubling) on the iPhone and iPad for a reason. There have been a variety of 7.x-sized Android tablets on the market for a long time now, and many of them simply have run scaled up phone-sized versions of Android apps, to deleterious effect. Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed that out at the iPad 3 event, calling the Android apps "blown up" or "stretched out" phone apps. (Circa March, 2012 Android Twitter app on the top, Loren Brichter's Twitter for iPad below.) Increasing the size of iPhone interface elements and/or the amount of white space between them doesn't lead to good looking, great working apps. It doesn't properly leverage the increase in screen size. And it seems to be of limited benefit to the platform. Introducing a new interface size When Apple introduced the iPad in 2010, they didn't simply scale up the 3.5-inch iPhone iOS interface. They created a new interface for iOS that better utilized the 9.7-inch, 768x1024 at 132 ppi iPad size. Apple did provide the ability to run iPhone apps boxed or in fuzzy-double-chunky 2x size, but that very fuzzy-double-chunkiness put considerable pressure on developers to create either iPad-specific apps, or iPad-specific interfaces combined into a universal app. If a 7.x-inch iPad brings with it an entirely new screen size , for example, 1152x1536, than this approach might make sense. Rather than having blurry @1.5x iPad apps, a new interface that keeps pixels on the grid, and somehow exists between the single column view of the iPhone interface and the double/multiple column view of the iPad interface, could well be a better alternative. Likewise, if Apple changes the aspect ration, neither cropping nor letter- or pillar-boxing existing apps is a good long-term solution. Either way, separate apps mean separate downloads and potentially separate purchases for users, and triple-packed universal binaries mean larger download sizes and larger storage requirements for users, even if they only have one of the device sizes to run the app on. Since current universal apps already have to support both @1x (for iPhone 3GS and iPad 2, both still on the market), and @2x (for iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and the new, gigantic iPad) assets for both interfaces, the file sizes are big to begin with. A third screen size would mean apps and interfaces specifically designed to look and work great at 3.5-inches, 9.7-inches, and 7.x-inches. But it would also mean having to buy Angry Birds, Angry Birds HD, and Angry Birds 7 (or whatever developers come up with as classification), or having to download Infinity Blade 3 at a whopping 2+ GB. And if an initial iPad mini isn't Retina, it will be one day. adding @1x and @2x assets will make an already bloated universal binary even more so. Universal binaries are often too big for the 50MB 3G/4G download limit as it is, how many more would be pushed over the limit to support a unique 7-inch interface? Multiple screen sizes increases complexity and overhead for developers and users alike. This solution might provide the best apps, but at considerable opportunity cost. Scaling down from iPad As mentioned, this is the solution iMore originally heard Apple was going with. Essentially, iOS 6 as it's running on the current iPad would simply run, scaled down, on the 7.x-inch iPad. Pixel size would be the same the 9.7-inch iPad, 1024x768. (Getting 2048x1536 down to 7.x-inches for around $200 may not be doable until future generations.) Pixel density would be around the same as the original 3.5-inch iPhone, 163 ppi. (Or 326, the same as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, if and when it goes Retina.) Quite the coincidence, as noted by Daring Fireball's John Gruber. Everything would then simply stay the same. Buttons and touch targets would be smaller, but not unusably so. The "slack" that currently exists between 3.5-inch iPhone interface elements and 9.7-inch iPad elements would just disappear, and you'd have the same basic iPad look with the same basic iPhone feel. A 7.85-inch iPad would still require two hands to use, but the shorter distances would allow slightly better accuracy, again equalizing out the slightly smaller interface elements and touch targets. Keeping the current iPad interface and scaling it down would mean developers and users could run the same iPad apps they do today. Universal binary sizes could likewise remain the same, since no new interface sizes or asset sizes would be necessary. White space wouldn't increase, so the visual density of apps would remain the same. It's the simplest solution, and those are the ones Apple typically implements. How other platforms have handled 7.x-inch form factors Other tablet vendors have had 7.x-inch form factors on the market for a while, and different platforms have handled the interface size and usability challenges differently. Android The original Samsung Galaxy Tab had a 7-inch screen and ran Android 2.2 Froyo. While Samsung made optimized versions of contacts, calendars, email, reading, and music apps for the 7-inch screen, in general, apps ran very much in the model of the "stretched out" or "blown up" smartphone interface on a tablet Apple CEO Tim Cook referred to at the iPad 3 event. Amazon forked Android to create the 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire, which runs a proprietary interface designed to facilitate buying and consuming content from the various Amazon stores. That focus allows for a big, bold look that's easy to use as intended. Perhaps not satisfied with their own Android 3.0 Honeycomb efforts, or the efforts of their partners' tables, including updated Samsung tabs and the HTC Flyer, Google has just released their own Google Nexus 7 tablet. It runs the latest Android 4.1 Jellybean operating system. On Google+, Dianne Hackborn shared a lot of insight into how the Nexus 7 handles interface scaling. Here's a brief excerpt: Some people have commented that the UI on the Nexus 7 isn't a scaled down version of the 10" UI. This is somewhat true. It is also not just the phone UI shown on a larger display. Various parts of the system and applications will use one or the other UI (or even a mix) depending on what works best. For example parts of the system UI (status bar and navigation bar, settings) use the phone layout since they too compact in 600dp of width. Other apps use the tablet UI or even a mix -- for example Gmail uses the tablet UI in the conversation list, but the message screen is either a single pane like a phone or dual-pane like a tablet depending on whether the screen is currently portrait or landscape. BlackBerry The BlackBerry PlayBook launched a completely new platform for RIM, and that meant they didn't even try to scale the existing BlackBerryOS interface to tablet scale. Instead, they started fresh and they made a purpose-built -- if clearly webOS influenced -- interface entirely for the 7-inch form factor. According to Kevin Michaluk of CrackBerry.com, the 7-inch scale was usable but cramped. From a user experience standpoint, I'm less sold on the BlackBerry Tablet OS than I'd like to be. Part of this is due more to the size of the PlayBook's display than anything else - at 600 pixels tall when held in landscape you just don't have a lot of pixels to work within the web browser, or in apps where the keyboard is displayed which takes up half the screen. It doesn't kill the experience, but it certainly makes the experience less enjoyable than it would be if you had a larger display. And while it took a little getting used to, I personally enjoy the gesture-based navigation. But I'm a 30-year old wannabe techy (who acts like he's 19 most of the time). My main concern here is that between the bezel gestures and multi-tasking homescreen there's a lot going on. It's a bit "gadgety" for lack of a better word. One of the reasons Apple's iOS products are so successful is that people of all ages, literally from 2 to 92, can figure them out quickly with little frustration. For BlackBerry 10, their upcoming new smartphone platform, RIM will now be facing a similar challenge -- scaling down and re-imagining the 7-inch PlayBook experience to run on a 4.x-inch or smaller BlackBerrys. webOS Sadly, the 7-inch webOS tablet, called the TouchPad Go, was never released. It was manufactured, however, and some of the units did make their way into the hands of webOS enthusiasts. Interestingly, the TouchPad Go took exactly the same path to 7-inches that iMore heard Apple is taking -- they shrank their existing 768x1024, 9.7-inch TouchPad screen down to a 768x1024 7-inch screen, and took the existing interface down with it. The pixels were smaller, so everything from buttons to touch targets were simply smaller. According to Derek Kessler of webOS Nation, there was little to no loss of usability, though the original Touchpad felt more natural in portrait orientation while the Go felt more natural in landscape. With webOS not altered in any way for the seven-inch screen, all of the touch targets are smaller on the Go (like the screen they’re approximately half the size in area, dimensionally about ¾ the size). For everything we tested this didn’t prove to be a major problem. The only place where the smaller screen size coupled with no changes proved to be an issue was with the keyboard, where the XS setting for key height was laughably small (approximately a quarter inch tall). Thankfully, webOS 3.0 still packs the adjustable size keyboard, and where we tend to use the S on a ten-inch TouchPad we find M more comfortable on the Go. The seven-inch screen was no hindrance to use, with every app functioning as expected and working just fine at the smaller size. The higher pixel density, while welcome, wasn’t really that noticeable in practice. What is noticeable is how much smaller text is. Even in landscape orientation we found that we often had to zoom into easily read text on most websites. And it's interesting to note that shrinking 768x1024 down to 7-inches is slightly smaller than the rumored 7.85-inches Apple is rumored to be considering. Conclusion If you've ever watched an Apple engineer "test" an app -- by which I mean grab a device and start rapidly putting it through every permutation of interactivity imaginable, trying to break the experience in every way possible -- you know that it'll be a challenge for anything truly unusable to exit Apple. Of course there will be disagreement over the degree of usability, and the compromises Apple takes to get there, but that's always the case. When rumors of the original iPad first started to circulate there was endless debate about how Apple could implement the multitouch keyboard. It had to be a fan. No, a circle. No, a fanning circle! But when the iPad debuted in 2010, it was just a keyboard, not dissimilar to the iPhone keyboard before it. Later, Apple added a split keyboard. That's Apple's modus operandi. If and when Apple decides to bring the 7.x-inch iPad mini to market, they'll more than likely do it the same way they do most things -- in the simplest manner possible. Additional resources The 16:9 iPhone The 4-inch iPhone Ipad Mini7 inchIpad Conceptsimore conceptsFeaturedEditorialiMore concepts

Weather Neue for iPhone review

Weather Neue is an iPhone weather app designed for minimalists. Instead of a plethora of features and options, Weather Neue simply consists of one screen that gives you the current weather conditions, a 3 day forecast, and other basic weather information. When you launch Weather Neue it will cycle through a bunch of random temperatures while it loads, making it more interesting that just a static load screen with a loading indicator. Weather Neue goes through the same thing if you shake to refresh. Once loaded, Weather Neue displays a very clean screen. At the top of the screen, you see the name of the city you're currently located at and beneath that, a word and symbol that describes the current conditions. For example, "Clear" and the graphic of the sun. In big, bold text in the center of the screen is the current temperature and below that in small letters is the current humidity, wind speed, and the wind direction. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the forecast of highs and lows for the current day and the next 3 days. If you tap the name of the city at the top of the screen, a settings screen will slide up from the bottom that lets you toggle metric units on and off and select between one of the four available themes (see screenshots to see all the themes). The good Looks nice Minimalist design Provides the necessary information The bad Cannot look up the weather at any location other than your current location The conclusion Weather Neue is a very basic weather app, but that's precisely its appeal. Free - Download Now AppsIphone AppsWeather Appsweather neueApp Store AppsFeaturedApp Reviews

Reeder vs. The Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: iPad RSS app shootout!

The iPad provides one of the best digital reading experiences available, and a great RSS reading app only makes that experience better. We've already taken a look at the best personalized magazine apps for iPad, including Flipboard, Zite, and Pulse but for those of us who like a more traditional style of RSS, and more control over our news feeds, nothing beats a dedicated RSS app. Reeder, The Early Edition 2, and NewsRack are all great choices but which one is best? And which one is best for you? Let's find out. Note: We didn't include NetNewsWire in this shootout because it's under new management and rumor has it a new version is on its way. When that new version is released, we'll update this shootout accordingly. Note Reeder vs. Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: Interface and experience Reeder was one of the first good RSS apps released in the App Store and it keeps getting better. Upon launching Reeder for iPad you'll see a list of your feeds in the main viewing area and a small navigation pane off to the left that allows you to toggle between starred, unread, and all items. To start reading you can tap into any section and you'll be presented with those articles in a list view. Again, you can use the left hand navigation pane to drill down further and sort by individual feeds and most recent. Tapping on an article allows you to read it and tapping the title will take you to the full blown web version. Along the top you'll have options to mark as favorite, mark as unread, share it or send to a read it later service, and view in Readability mode. Reeder has additional settings with the general iOS Settings app that will allow you to adjust and fine-tune many details such as how many days worth of articles you'd like to filter in. Reeder is simple by default but gives power users the control they want at the same time. The Early Edition 2 presents RSS feeds differently. While it appears to be a personalized magazine style app, you still have complete control over what you read and what feeds filter in. That could make The Early Edition 2 the best of both worlds for some -- you get beauty and functionality all in one. Using the metaphor of a newspaper, everything from the type to the animations let The Early Edition offer you the latest digital news wrapped in an almost old world print look and feel. You can also choose to sync via Google Reader or use standalone mode. The Early Edition 2 uses swipe gestures to allow you to access different submenus and lists. Swiping down with one finger will bring up the top main menu. From here you can sort by unread, articles posted today, and all articles. You can see your sync status, view features articles, and adjust your settings as well. Swiping to the right with two fingers will bring up a submenu that allows you to toggle between sections and feeds. You can also refine what you're reading into indivudal feeds or sections. I did have some problems with gesture recognition at times, for example bringing up the feature section when it's not what I swiped for. Overall, gestures are fast and powerful, but there's a danger in relying on gestures instead of buttons. NewsRack is organized in a simliar fashion to Reeder. All your feeds will aggregate in the left hand pane while your content will appear in the main window to the right. You can drill down into different sections and read either by unread, individual feed, or only view your starred articles. You can also use a one finger swipe to the left or right to hide the navigation pane and enjoy full screen articles. It you frequently use the Mail app on your iPad you'll notice the simliarity. This makes for a great choice for readers that aren't as advanced and don't need a ton of options or want a difficult navigation menu to work with. When it comes to reading news feeds, Reeder provides the best overall experience. It has all the advanced options power users needs, but hides them well enough that new users won't feel overwhelmed. Reeder vs. Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: Google Reader integration Reeder, Early Edition 2, and NewsRack all offer Google Reader integration but each handles it a bit differently. Reeder requires you to sign into your Google Reader account the first time you launch it. From there you don't have many other options. If you'd like to add feeds you'll have to do it through the Google Reader site. The Reeder for iPhone app recently received an update that allows users to add and delete feeds from Google Reader natively. Hopefully the iPad app will get the same treatment in the near future. Early Edition 2 and NewsRack also integrate Google Reader but both allow you to edit your subscriptions natively without the need to ever leave the app. So if you frequently find yourself adding feeds, removing them, and editing sections, Early Edition 2 and NewsRack will give you that ability. Tie between NewsRack and Early Edition 2. Reeder vs. Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: Sharing, read later, and additional features While Reeder, The Early Edition 2, and NewsRack all allow you to browse news feeds, mark them as read, and sort them in many different ways, each also has additional features to appeal to power users. Reeder has tons of options you can tweak and configure to get it to perform in the exactly the way you'd like. You can edit how many days worth of feeds you'd like to add, which social and sharing services you'd like enabled, and more. Reeder supports Instapaper, Pocket (formerly Read It Later), and Readability as well. Once you sign into your account via Settings you're good to go. You can also adjust image caching through Settings. You can choose between caching images for only starred items or all unread items, as well as to only cache when you're on Wi-Fi. You can change the order unread items appear and what swiping motions will do. You can customize them to do things such as star articles or send them to the read it later service of your choice. The nice thing about the way Reeder is that more advanced options are hidden away in the iOS Settings app so, if you don't need them, they don't clutter things up in-app. The Early Edition 2 also provides support for all the popular social, sharing, and read later services. Once you're in an article you can choose the share link at the top to send articles to the service of your choice. You can also share them via e-mail as well. All of The Early Edition 2's settings are pretty obvious but if you don't pay attention to the walk-through the first time you launch the app you'll miss out on how to access feeds and settings, and may feel a bit lost. Once you watch the walk-through, the motions become rather fluid, but it'd be nice if they could figure out a way to hint or help you find what you need even after you've been using the app for a while. The Early Edition 2 has several different views from indivdual paper view to clippings to features, to individual thread view. It almost feels like too much and the too many different ways, and can interfere with the overall experience at times. NewsRack, like Reeder, is easy to navigate through. There aren't too many settings and additional functions, and all the controls you need are at the top including sharing, starring, and marking as unread. You can tap into the app's settings via the gear at the bottom of your feeds list in order to choose how many articles you'd like to sync and adjust what mobilizer views you'd like. NewsRack also supports image caching and lets you control when you'd like the app to download images. You can choose between read, unread, and starred. You can also choose to only download images over Wi-Fi is you'd like. When it comes to additional features, Reeder and NewsRack provide just enough to please power users but both do it in a clean, simple manner. Early Edition 2 is extremely powerful but the layout is confusing at times. Tie between Reeder and NewsRack. Reeder vs. Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: cross-platform syncing Odds are you don't only read news feeds on your iPad but want to read them while on the go with your iPhone and at work or home from an actual computer. Reeder offers not only an iPad app but an iPhone and Mac app as well. All three are separate purchases and will run you around $13 for the whole package. There are currently no versions for Windows or other smartphone platforms. Early Edition 2 currently only supports iPad so if you'll have to get other apps to read on the iPhone, other smartphones, or Mac or Windows PCs. NewsRack works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The iOS version is a universal binary which means you'll only have to buy it once and it'll work on both your iPhone and iPad. The Mac version is separate but the entire bundle will run you around $13 as well. There's no version of Windows or other mobile platforms. Tie between Reeder and NewsRack. Reeder vs. Early Edition 2 vs. NewsRack: Conclusion Reeder, Early Edition 2, and NewsRack are all great RSS apps in their own right but differ greatly when it comes to the actual experience of reading news on your iPad. The Early Edition 2 is the best choice for those who want something close to the personal magazine experience, but want to maintain the power and control of a pure RSS app. If you want to enjoy your digital news curled up on the couch with a beverage to the side, just like a classic newspaper, check out The Early Edition 2. NewsRack is a great choice for anyone wanting a traditional RSS experience on the iPad. It's powerful but not overly complicated. If, for some reason, you simply don't like Reeder, take a look at NewsRack. Reeder is the best choice for anyone on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad and wants a consistent RSS experience between all three platforms (and when the updated iPad version hits, it should only get better.) It has a great interface and keeps everything clean while still offering all the options a power RSS reader needs. Right now Reeder is the best app for reading RSS feeds on the iPad. Reeder - $4.99 - Download Now Early Edition 2 - $4.99 - Download Now NewsRack - $4.99 - Download Now reeder vs early edition 2 vs newsrackipad RSS appsIpad News AppsApp Store AppsFeaturedApp vs App

Update: Griffin Technology’s miCoach Sports Armband – Two Years Later

Nearly two years ago, I received a miCoach armband from Griffin Technology (reviewed here). It has been the only armband I have used during my workouts as a runner and the rare visit to a gym.So how did the armband hold up?A few months ago I noticed the pass-through buckle was often crooked and began to pinch my arm. On closer inspection, I saw that the adhesive that holds the buckle began to give way, causing the buckle to misalign. What’s a guy to do before buying a new one? Why glue it of course. Given that I used it two to three times a week, I probably can’t complain about the adhesive. What I can complain about is also how the velcro also didn’t seem to be as effective at holding the armband on my arm for the past year. Despite the occasional washing and attempt to clean the hook-and-loop strip, the tab remained pretty loose.Father’s Day became the excuse for the family to purchase a new armband for my iPhone 4S (Belkin), though I already miss the light feel of the miCoach. Share this:

This Week at 148Apps: June 2-6

By Chris Kirby on July 8th, 2012 This week at 148Apps, we celebrated our Favorite Four(th), got into a Miny Moe Car, and celebrated the iPad's dominance. It's all below, so read on, patriots! This week at 148Apps.com was all about the red, white, and blue as we celebrated the 4th of July. Writer Lisa Caplan contributed to the festivities with her list of Favorite Four apps for Independence Day. She writes, “It’s July 4th, so we hope most Americans are out celebrating and reading this on an iPhone or iPad or between activities. But if you are still looking for apps to help make the day even better, we’ve rounded up four of our favorties that commemorate everything from US History to the traditional BBQ for you here.” $4.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Released: 2009-07-12 :: Category: Lifestyle $0.99 Released: 2011-06-22 :: Category:

Passport Photos Made Easy with ID Photo USA

Price: $1.99 Rating: ****½ (4.5/5) ID Photo USA: Written iPhone App Review Do you need to take passport photos for a new or for renewing a passport? Do find that places are charging too much for passport photos these days? Then the ID Photo USA app from developer vsmedia.de is just the thing for you!

This Week in App News

Fresh off the presses, here is MacAppStorm’s weekly news roundup. Happy reading! RIP, iWork.com iWork.com was the next Apple web-based service to take the hit this week, as the company reminded users of the service that it will be shut down come July 31, with all services moving to iCloud. The message on iWork.com, reminding users that the service shuts down on July 31. Apple has provided instructions on their website on how to save copies of any existing documents on iWork onto their computer before the deadline arrives, along with an message encouraging users to migrate over to iCloud, which offers cloud-based remote storage of both documents and data. iWork.com was first launched as a beta in early 2009 with integration with iWork ’09 and has since then complemented MobileMe as Apple’s online storage and integration system, which was given the final chop last week. The new, upcoming version of Mountain Lion, scheduled to be released later this month, will offer tighter iCloud integration along with synchronisation of any documents created in iWork across all devices, including the iPad and iPhone. If you are a user of iWork.com, then you can find Apple’s official instructions on how to migrate your documents in their support article. What happened to App Store updates this week? Apple received a slight bit of controversy this week as it was found that the company was pushing out corrupted updates to Mac and iOS applications via the App Store. The issue was first noted by Instapaper’s developer Marco Arment, who highlighted that the latest version of his app, 4.2.3, crashed immediately on launch and would not load even after deletion and reinstallation. The App Store page for Instapaper, with a warning to users not to update the app. The issue mostly was related to iOS apps and only a couple of Mac apps were affected however the problem did attract some criticism, especially as it was discovered that it was an Apple issue, not a developer one. The company released a statement on Tuesday stating that the problem had only affected a “small number of users” and that DRM (digital rights management) was the reason for the faults experienced. The issue has since then been fixed and Apple has also stated that it will remove any one-star reviews that developers received owing to the issue. Users of any affected apps are strongly advised, if they haven’t done so already, to head over to the App Store and update them all to ensure that they work fully. Sparrow updated with Mountain Lion and retina-display support Sparrow received an update back last week to version 1.6.2, which brought along retina-display support for the new MacBook Pro along with full Mountain Lion and Notification Centre support, as well as a few minor bug fixes (including sending and archiving in Quick Reply and Growl notification support with Growl 1.3 and POP-based e-mail accounts). The update is available either for download either via the app itself or through the App Store. MadAppDeals.com, a new Mac app deals website, goes live A new Mac app deals website, Mad App Deals has been launched which plans to feature four great Mac apps that will be discounted for a 24-hour period. The website is backed by FIPLAB, a British-based Mac developer that has already given us favourites such as MenuTab for Facebook, and Tab for Google+ and you can sign up to their newsletter on their website which will alert you weekly about the latest deals on the site. Mad App Deals is a new website offering weekly Mac app deals every Friday. Developers of Mac apps can also sign onto the promotion scheme by submitting a form on their website with their app for consideration and new deals are pushed out every Friday for some early weekend cheer! Heard Anything Else? If you’ve heard anything else exciting that’s happened this week then go ahead and post a link to it in the Comments section below for the benefit of our other readers!

NFL players and coaches starting to use the iPad to prepare for game day

NFL players and coaches are starting to embrace the iPad to assist in game day preparations. The Denver Broncos appear to be the first team to reveal that they use it as a digital playbook rather than just an entertainment device according to TNW. While detailed information is sparse, I was able to piece together some of the app’s features from different reports, including one by FOX Sports. According to FOX, the app has three main features: game film, playbook and notifications. The company behind the app, PlayerLync, pushes automatic updates to players, letting coaches add video to the system, and no matter where the players are, they get the updates. It sounds pretty awesome to me. Additionally, push notifications are sent to the devices to remind players and coaches of meetings and practices, giving everyone one less excuse for being late. We can see the iPad rolling out across the world as the future for communicating sporting tactics to team players and coaches; it just makes so much sense. Firstly there is the environmental impact, no paper is a good thing as it cuts down on the destruction of trees and forests. Paper is always very easy to lose and render unreadable after heavy use. As with any sort of confidential printed material, if it gets in the wrong hands, it could be a major problem. Thankfully the iPad can add an additional security layer over this problem too. A remote wipe could be initialized if the iPad somehow made its way into the wrong hands. In my opinion it is only a matter of time before we see a much more widespread adoption of iPad's in mainstream sports. It makes so much sense to equip players and coaches with constantly updating information on a small easy to carry tablet. Maybe it will start to roll out in the World's Soccer leagues too, it could be extremely useful not only for tactics but for other things too. FIFA has finally approved the use of goal line video technology this week to provide proof if a ball has crossed the line or not. Maybe the iPad could be the solution to accessing this type of data on the fly; we will have to wait and see. Have you noticed any of your favorite sports teams using the iPad? Let us know if you have! Source: TNW AppleIpadNflPlaybookGametacticsBroncosNews

Bubble Grubble: The Ultimate Birdfeeder

Price: Free Rating: ***** (5/5) Bubble Grubble: Written iPhone App Review Looking for something more than your average “bird” game? Then the Bubble Grubble app from developer Bubble Grubble is just the game app for you! It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and runs on iOS 4.3 or later. Gameplay: ***** (5/5)

Apple withdraws from green gadget certification program

Apple has removed the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) certification from 39 of their product lines, including displays and computers. The Wall Street Journal quotes Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT: “[Apple] said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements,” Frisbee said. The company did not elaborate, Frisbee said. “They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don’t want their products measured by this standard anymore.” The general assumption seems to be that with products like the new iPad and the Retina MacBook Air, Apple's design and manufacturing process is emphasizing thinness and lightness over recyclability and repairability. This may or may not matter to consumers, who are increasingly faced with disposable, appliance-like consumer electronics. However, some private and public organizations require EPEAT certification for bulk purposes. Would they bend or break their own rules just to get Apple products on the floor? iMore's Ally Kazmucha, who also operates iOS device repair shop, PXLFIX, has previously taken issue with Apple's increasing divergence from repairable technology, as has iFixit's Kyle Wiens writing for Wired, and Richard Gaywood at TUAW. These certifications are only part of the typical environmental checklist Apple presents during new product announcements. Whether Apple decides they're important enough to go with a different certification, to create their own, or ultimately to blaze ahead with no particular environmental certification remains to be seen. iPhones and iPads aren't certifiable under EPEAT to date, and they've done spectacularly well on the market anyway. Would lack of EPEAT certification stop you from buying any other Apple products? Source: The Wall Street Journal News

Quick Look: Frisbee® Forever 2 – A Positive Spin on iPhone and iPad

Although I never tried the original Frisbee® Forever game, I took quick interest in the universal game, Frisbee® Forever 2, when it was offered at no cost thanks to @FreeAppADay.com. When I saw it featured, I showed my 9-year-old who said, “Frisbee® on an iPhone? How would that work?” Of course we had to find out!If you’ve played racing games where you either tilt your device or touch arrows on either side of the screen, you’ll feel completely ready to experience Frisbee® Forever 2. All it takes is a quick flick, to get the flying disc to begin spinning and moving forward. Then the remaining skill is about collecting stars as you direct your Frisbee® through rings, on propulsion “tracks”, and around obstacles, to make it to the finish ring.As you might expect, each level becomes progressively more challenging, and the paths to collecting stars become more obscure. In each round, you get a chance to collect surprise trophies, coins, complete missions, and earn a medal towards completion of the 6 Worlds.The cartoon graphics are crisp, impressive, and enjoyable. This great little game has an average 4.5 / 5 stars from over 600 ratings, and is just enough anxiety-causing fun!Grab it while it’s free on iTunes! Share this:

News: Terasoft Launches Action Sight Words Games to Help Children Read Better

Action Sight Words Games & Flash Cards for Reading Success Developer: Terasoft, a.s. Price: $1.99 Download on the App Store Award-winning educational software publisher Terasoft, a. s., today is pleased to announce the release and immediate availability of Action Sight Words Games & Flashcards for Reading Success for iPhone and iPad from its new professional series aimed at early reading improvement. Featuring a total of 6 engaging games with over 300 high-frequency English words from the popular Dolch Sight Words List, the Action Sight Words Games application makes learning vocabulary and spelling fun and easy for young learners. "hits the mark on being both educational, and entertaining for kids" - Apps 4 Moms Feed the hungry dog to learn spelling, save the Wordaliens, get the gears moving and a more - this awaits you in Actions Sight Words Games, an application that excels in the vast number of games and an interactive, child-friendly design. Finish reading about this app on AppCraver.com.

Apple removes EPEAT environmentally friendly certification from their products

Review: Lock ‘n’ Roll Deluxe is a Strategic Dice Game with a Twist!

Lock 'n' Roll Deluxe Developer: James Prucey Price: free Download on the App Store While yahtzee is a game dangerous enough for most, some prefer a game with more style, more point combos, and the lack of screaming out names. While you can perhaps scream out Lock 'n' Roll, it certainly won't win you any bonus points in the game. Canned Bananas is the small-time team behind this dice game for iOS devices, which surprisingly turns out to have its origins as a flash game developed by the same crew back in 2009. However, probably after realizing there's no money in flash games these days, the team ported it over to iOS, releasing it as a free app on the market complimented by an item mall and ingame advertising. By far, Lock 'n' Roll is not as easy as it is advertised to be; it carries a bit of a learning curve that makes it more challenging than what you'd expect out of your average dice game. In fact, luck or chance have much less to do with this game than you'd really expect. Finish reading about this app on AppCraver.com.

10 Beautiful Keynote Templates for Everyone

Standing in front of a group of people can be intimidating enough. The last thing you need is to be overdosed on caffeine and suffering from lack of sleep because you had to pretty-up your presentation until the last minute. Fortunately, there are some awesome templates out there that can make working with Keynote a pleasure, and will help you engage your audience even more. Granted, these templates will cost you a couple of bucks, but I’d dare to say that a meager $15 is more than adequate for a well-designed presentation. You get the looks, you get the animations … and that enabled you to focus completely on your content. Here’s our fresh list of creative Keynote templates, including designs for every taste, business, and style. All of the following themes are ones creative designers are selling on GraphicRiver, another project from our parent company, Envato, but we think they’re nice enough to be interesting for our readers, too. 1. Interactive Menu Usually, you need to keep your presentations simple along the lines of less is more. But if you have a lot to show and a complex structure for your content, this is the template to go for. It comes with some interactive elements, such as a slider for the images on the overview-page and menu that slides out if needed, that make the content appear less heavy. Also, the interactivity captures your audience and holds their attention much better than any average text only slides. Interactive Menu - Keynote Template Full HD 2. E-Commerce Infographic Got a lot of numbers? Don’t put them into tables. No one ever reads them without falling asleep and the folks at the back of the room will squint at the tiny font. Instead, turn your numbers into interesting graphs. Everyone will be able to grasp the meaning instantly, and you can explain the intricacies verbally instead of forcing your audience to read them line by line. E-Commerce Infographic Keynote Template 3. Infographic Survey If your numbers are not about commerce but you’re in the market for statistics, this template is right for you. Interest your customer with the results of surveys or studies – and head off arguments caused by misunderstandings by displaying your data in a compelling visual way. Remember: you audience doesn’t want to read your slides (that’s what leaflets or reports are for), they want to be entertained and enlightened. Infographic Survey Keynote Template 4. Market Bees So, your company needs a compelling presentation ASAP? And you’ve got no time to design something yourself? Well, Market Bees has you covered. It’s got all the templates and styles you need for a company presentation: welcome slides, overviews, service displays and much more. Of course, it may not conform to your CI, but just change the colors and add your own logos. It’s still a lot faster than starting from scratch. And if your task is to create a template for future presentations, this is as good a base to start from as you will get for this price. Marketbees Keynote Template 5. Karbon I’ve mentioned it earlier: with presentations, less is often more. You need to talk to your audience, not force them to read. Also, you need to focus on what’s important. If you don’t need fancy graphics or images, Karbon is made for you. It boils your content down to what really matters – and if you do have a photo you want to show, it comes with an awesome full-page template for that as well. Karbon - Keynote Presentation Template 6. ReWork Need to be bold? ReWork will bring your message across. It comes in two themes, dark and light, and an interesting contrasting color-scheme. Of course it’s adaptable to your own color scheme, as are all the other templates introduced here. Also, ReWork will look great on both 16:9 and 4:3 screens and, thanks to the included layered PSD files, you can easily change the look and feel without having to start from zero. Rework Keynote Presentation Template 7. Course Course relies quite heavily on icons and graphics to present your content. Which is great, because your audience will grasp the meaning of an image much faster than getting your message from reading a text. The template includes different pages for different kinds of content and it stands out through its bright colors, which are still in harmony. Course Presentation 8. Minimalist If you want to go as minimalistic as possible, give this theme a try. It’s all about icons and images. It won’t be suited for every type of content nor will it be suited for every presenter: you need to know your stuff and spin a compelling story to help your audience follow you. If you think you can pull it off, Minimalist is the perfect template to support your presentation rather than carry it on its own. Minimalist Presentation 9. Vintage Photo Album This is a special theme geared towards photographers. Instead of just slapping your photo onto a blank canvas, why not go for this template? There are different styles to choose from and a lot of templates for multiple photos or single presentations. You can add captions and text. While it will give your slideshow a very professional look, why not also use it for a private photo show? Digg out those old images of your parents and grandparents and surprise them with some vintage feeling. Or show your kids and grandkids stuff they only know from history books. Vintage Photo Album Keynote Template 10. Retro Slides Our last template is also a specialty one. As you can see, it’s retro all over. Again, probably not suited for most business uses, but why not use it for restaurants, museum, or historical sites? Those need to show off stuff as well. And who knows, a well-designed presentation like this might go down a lot better with sponsors than your average black and white slides. At this price, you’ve got nothing to loose. Retro Slides - Keynote Template (Full HD) Conclusion So there you have it: 10 high quality themes from GraphicsRiver that can make your Keynote presentations prettier, more professional, and simpler to put together. Do you have a favorite 3rd party Keynote presentation theme you like? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Mobile Nations podcast 17: Tasty hardware profits

Kevin from CrackBerry.com, Phil from AndroidCentral.com, Daniel from WPCentral.com and Rene from iMore.com talk Google I/O, Windows Phone 8, WWDC, BlackBerry 10, 7-inch tablets, and media streamers. This is Mobile Nations! Our podcast feed: Audio | Video Download directly: Audio | Video Subscribe in iTunes: Audio | Video Subscribe in Zune Agenda Google I/O 2012 Android 4.1 Jellybean Google Nexus 7 Google Nexus Q Microsoft Surface Windows Phone 8 BlackBerry 10 WWDC 2012 iOS 6 iPad mini Hosts Phil Nickinson (@philnickinson) of Android Central Kevin Michaluk (@crackberrykevin) of CrackBerry.com Daniel Rubino (@Daniel_Rubino) of WPCentral Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) of iMore Feedback Got something to say? Agree or disagree with something we said? Have something you want us to discuss on a future show? Don't just sit there yelling at the screen, dammit, let us know! Email: podcast@mobilenations.com Twitter: @mobilenations Web: www.mobilenations.com Credits < p>Our music is pROgraM vs. Us3R by by morgantj. Thanks to the Mobile Nations network of store for sponsoring this podcast, and to our fantastic live chat members for keeping us honest and making us smart! Mobile NationsIpad Mini7 inchWwdc 2012Google Io 2012Blackberry 10Windows Phone 8SurfaceFeatured VideoMobile Nations

Meet New Friends Around the World with Chumkee

Price: Free Rating: ****½ (4.5/5) Chumkee: Written iPhone App Review Are you the type of person that likes to make new friends? Pair that with humorous questions and banana points and you’ve got the Chumkee app from developer C-Vibes Ltd! It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and runs on iOS 4.3 or

Pimp!t for iPhone review

Pimp!t is an app for creating wallpapers for your iPhone. It has a lot of a great backgrounds, shelves, and icon skins that can be mixed and matched to create something that reflects you. You can also browse through user-created templates for inspiration or to use. When creating a wallpaper, there are three different categories: backdrops, shelves, and icon skins. To switch categories, just swipe up and down. Swiping left and right will switch between choices in the current category. The selection of backgrounds is really great and most are nice and simple without busy, distracting elements that clash with icons. The user-created section is awesome for people who just want to find something completed and ready to use. What's really great about this part of the app is that you can scroll though a list of thumbnails. I can usually tell from a thumbnail if I'm not going to like it, so being able to skip those choices is convenient. After creating your own wallpaper or finding a user-created one you want to use, just tap Pimp!t to save it to your Camera Roll. Pimp!t will also give you directions on how to set your saved photo as your wallpaper. You can also select a box to opt-in to share your design with other Pimp!t users. The good Great selection Mix and match backgrounds, shelves, and icon skins Browse through user creations The bad Can't mark favorites No thumbnail view to see many options in a category at once. It would be nice to scroll though them all. The conclusion When I first learned about Pimp!t, I admittedly wasn't too excited about the idea because there are already so many other apps in the app store with similar functionality. But a big problem I have with many of those other apps is that I don't like their selections. With Pimp!t, I have a completely different problem -- the inability to decided between the many different wallpapers because I like so many of them. Because of this, I wish there was a way to mark a background as a favorite so that I could easily compare the ones I like most side-by-side. $0.99 - Download Now App Store AppsFeaturedApp Reviews

Rumored iPad mini could be manufactured exclusively in Brazil, launching in October

The iPad mini rumors will not go away and today's story centers around where it will actually be manufactured. According to a "Chinese reliable source", the iPad mini will be produced solely in Brazil. It is thought that all of the tooling and design work has already been carried out in China. The source also revealed that the iPad mini would be available with cellular data connectivity and production was slated to start in September; with shipping being in time for the holidays. The source who also claimed to have access to an iPad mini prototype and believes that the iPad mini is around the same height as the Nexus 7 but slightly wider. The width increase would make sense as Apple prefers the 4:3 aspect ratio for iPad screens where as other manufacturers seem to like the 16:9 ratio. 16:9 is the standard for movies but not the best ratio for apps, web surfing and most other tasks. The iPad mini is said to be very thin, in fact it could be the thinnest seven inch tablet available and may even be as thin as the latest generation iPod touch. iMore has heard very similar rumors from its sources claiming that Apple will be going ahead with the 7-inch iPad. The date we are hearing is October 2012 and it will be released alongside the new iPhone. Our sources also confirm that it will be identical to the current iPad but just a scaled down version. Source: Macotakara IpadAppleMini7-inchRumorFoxconnBrazilNewsRumors

Apple reportedly going slow on integrated mobile payments

Even though Apple recently showed off Passbook as part of iOS 6, they'll reportedly be taking a slower, steadier approach to integrating system-wide mobile payments. According to a lengthy article on The Wall Street Journal, NFC and retail transactional systems have been explored, but aren't imminent. Holding back in mobile payments was a deliberate strategy, the result of deep discussion last year. Some Apple engineers argued for a more-aggressive approach that would integrate payments more directly. But Apple executives chose the go-slow approach for now. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the decision-making process. Apple's head of world-wide marketing, Phil Schiller, in an interview last month, said that digital-wallet mobile-payment services are "all fighting over their piece of the pie, and we aren't doing that." Passbook isn't written in stone, however. Apple typically builds technology and API (application programming interfaces) in abstracted enough manners that newer, more advanced systems can fold in over older systems. Just like 3G was added to existing location services like Wi-Fi mapping and cell tower triangulation. If NFC/RFID hardware is included in a future iPhone, it's not hard to imagine the user-facing aspects slotting elegantly into the Passbook app and Pass Kit APIs, not to mention iTunes transactional system. iOS already has many applications that can handle mobile payments on the iPhone -- everything from Starbucks to Paypal to Square. Passbook will already aggregate a lot of existing mobile payment and mobile commerce content, and make it more easily and more highly available. Whether Apple expands to full, system-wide transactional support in the future remains to be seen. Given adoption rates today, slow and steady could well win the mobile payment race. Source: The Wall Street Journal News

Forums: Hid SBSettings, iPad roaming, Siri refuses to call my certain people

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 always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. You check out some of the threads below: - Can a "new" iPad roam on an extended network yet with a prepaid plan? - Is the iPad 3 wifi antenna the same as the 4s? - Siri Won't Call My Dad - Automatically Sync photos to pc when dockedl - Email Sounds - Help: How to unhide SBSettings? If you're not already a member of the iMore Forums, register now! From The ForumsFrom the Forums

News: iPick Stocks 1.11 – A Free iOS Game

iPick Stocks Developer: Movora Software Development, LLC Price: free Download on the App Store Fort Lauderdale, Florida - iPick Stocks has launched onto the App Store. Taking the world by storm, iPick stocks allows anyone from the most experienced trader to the newest investor to freely and easily compete against each other in a game of skill and precision. iPick stocks is both a fun and educational game, and a useful tool. After making a pick players gain access to breakdowns of other players' guesses. Ever wondered how well you could predict the stock market? Look at the current price of a company's stock - if you think it will rise, vote up; otherwise, vote down. See how other players voted and earn points for correct guesses. You'll be a stock expert in no time. First, guess whether the price of a stock will go up or down by the end of the day, week, or month. Then, gather information about market sentiment and keep track of your success. Finish reading about this app on AppCraver.com.

Tiny Wings 2 teased for July 12 -- with old fashioned charm

Breakout indie gaming hit Tiny Wings was a 2011 iMore Editor's Choice Award winner, so you better believe we're looking forward to Tiny Wings 2. July 12 is the big day, according to developer Andreas Illiger. Part of what made the original Tiny Wings so great was its simple, hand-crafted charm. Just a bird, momentum, mountains, and a race against the setting sun. That same charm positively explodes from the old fashioned teaser just released for the sequel. So for some paper craft animation and punch hole music at its finest, as well as an almost literal easter egg at the end, check out the video and then start saving your pennies. If Tiny Wings 2 is even half as enthralling as the original, we'll be in for some long gaming sessions, and late nights come next Thursday. Tiny Wingstiny wings 2Puzzle GamesApp Store AppsFeatured VideoNews

The difference between iPad and. Toshiba Windows tablet commercials

A while back we compared and contrasted the way Apple was selling the iPad -- as something experiential -- to how carriers were marketing Android tablets -- as spec lists. Now Toshiba has released a new series of ads for their Windows tablet that go in an entirely different direction. Buzzefeed has posted four of them. Here's a sample: And here's Apple's new iPad ad: Now I don't find anything aesthetically objectionable about a good looking woman doing yoga, and I'm from Montreal where we're far from puritanical so I have no problem with cleavage or entendres double, triple, or quadruple. But I also worked in marketing for a decade and what I do have a problem with bad marketing. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that some percentage of Toshiba's target audience finds these ads funny and/or titillating, how does that translate into tablet sales? Would you buy a Toshiba tablet over an iPad because a woman in yoga togs bent over it? Or is Toshiba's goal simply to raise awareness that they have tablets, and get articles like this one written about them? If there's no such thing as bad press, have they succeeded? Or have they only succeeded in hurting their brand? Source: Buzzfeed via @gartenberg, The Loop News

Win the iOS 6 device of your dreams from iMore! Now TWO $600 Apple gift certificates are up for grabs!

You read that title right! We're not just giving away one $600 U.S. Apple Store gift certificate -- we're giving away TWO! See, iOS 6 is coming this fall and iMore wants to make sure you have the latest and greatest device(s) possible to load it on, so you get the absolute best experience possible. So we're giving two of you the chance to win the iOS 6 device(s) of your dreams! How to enter ENTRY ONE: Head on over to our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/imorevideo and subscribe, then leave a comment on the video for the iMore show 300. Make it something sassy, something sweet, something funny, something insightful, something daring, something delightful -- make it something uniquely you. ENTRY TWO: Head on over to our Welcome to iMore 2.0 post and leave a single comment telling us what new features you want to see on our brand new iMore platform! That's it! Details The giveaway is under way and the TWO winner will be announced live on the iMore show on July 11, 2012. Enter now. Heck, get everyone you know signed up and entered now! Device GiveawaysFeatured

AT&T reportedly readying new blocking service for stolen phones and tablets

If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen and you want to make sure no one else can use your voice, data, or messaging plans, but you don't want to block the SIM card entirely, it sounds like AT&T might have a new service that can help. The Verge has a source that says exactly such a blocking service is coming this Tuesday, July 10. According to our source, AT&T "will have no directory of blocked phones," but it is not yet clear what this means in practice. AT&T's guidance states that "only the person who originated a block may request block removal," a rule which suggests that the company will keep a central list of blocked phones matched to customers. U.S. carriers including AT&T had previously announced a directory of lost and stolen phones but how, if at all, this new blocking service would factor in is unknown. While Apple already offers Find my iPhone to help track down or remotely wipe iPhones, iPads, and Macs that are lost and stolen, it doesn't stop use of the actual SIM card the way this blocking service would. One of the problems associated with lost or stolen devices is also knowing when to hit the various panic buttons. Once you wipe or block, you likely won't be able to track anymore. A strong passcode could offer some data or account protection while you try to locate your device, but you might want to opt to be safer, sooner. When my iPad 2 was stolen from my car last year, I remotely wiped it with Find my iPhone and reported the SIM card to my carrier immediately. I'm not sure I would have used blocking even if it was an option -- a new SIM card was a hassle, but once it was done, there were no more worries. Source: The Verge attSimsim cardblockingTheftlossNews

Mobile Nations Podcast LIVE! Come chat!

The Mobile Nations podcast is a GO! Come chat with the editors from Android Central, CrackBerry.com, iMore, and WPCentral. It's a cross-platform podcastapalooza, and we want to hear from you! Chat now! Featured Video

Five For Friday: Week Of July 6

It’s been a relatively quiet time on the App Store this week, mostly due to many people being rather busy enjoying July 4th. That doesn’t mean we haven’t got a fun selection of apps and games to take a look at for this week’s Five for Friday, however! Each app is worth checking out and all are $0.99 or less. Bonus! PlayARTPlayART is an ideal app for the family to participate in together. It’s an art app that encourages kids to interact with some of the greatest paintings by playing with them. Art by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, Rousseau and Klee are included here with kids able to create artwork with elements, taken from the original paintings. It’s all fun yet inadvertantly educational. PlayART by TapookiPad Only App - Designed for the iPadBuy Now: FREEReleased: 2012-06-27 :: Category: EducationCurly’s Pocket Guide to Sports There’s a summer of sports ahead, courtesy of the Summer Olympics in London, but how many do you know all the rules for? Curly’s Pocket Guide to Sports guides readers through the rules behind 74 different sports as well as offering illustrations, tips and tactics. Fun facts and a simple yet friendly interface ensures it won’t intimidate even the biggest newbie. Curly's pocket guide to sports.Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPadBuy Now: $0.99Released: 2012-04-16 :: Category: SportsQuick Fictions Life is busy and sometimes it’s preferable to read a story quickly rather than spend days or weeks on end poring over huge swathes of literature. Enter Quick Fictions, an app that provides plenty of stories, each under 300 words in length. It’s the kind of bite sized literature that suits the daily commute perfectly, plus it’s surprisingly interesting reading such minimal storytelling. Quick Fictions - every story under 300 wordsUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPadBuy Now: $0.99Released: 2012-06-21 :: Category: BooksFrogger: Hyper Arcade Edition Reimagining the classic arcade game of Frogger comes Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition, just in time for its 30th anniversary. The same principle is there – dodge cars while leaping across the road – but new game modes have been added, along with better graphics and stages inspired by other Konami titles such as Contra and Castlevania. It should be ideal for new and old fans of the game. Frogger: Hyper Arcade EditionUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPadBuy Now: $0.99Released: 2012-07-05 :: Category: GamesJournalized Journal apps are common on the App Store but Journalized is still worth a look. It’s particularly attractive to look at and interact with, with a full screen media browser making it easy to look at text, photos and videos all at once. For those who want to quickly keep track of their private thoughts, it’s a great way of checking in. JournalizediPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPadBuy Now: $0.99Released: 2012-06-29 :: Category: LifestyleApps mentioned in this post: Curly's pocket guide to sports., Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition, Journalized, PlayART by Tapook, Quick Fictions - every story under 300 wordsAbout: Five For Friday: Week Of July 6 is a post from 148Apps

Amazon rumored to be designing its own smartphone to challenge the iPhone

Amazon is supposedly in the process of developing its own smartphone to challenge the dominance of Apple's iPhone. Amazon already has the Kindle Fire tablet which is supposedly taking revenue away from Apple's iPad and now it wants a piece of the smartphone action too. Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. (2038), the Chinese mobile- phone maker, is working with Amazon on the device, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. Amazon is seeking to complement the smartphone strategy by acquiring patents that cover wireless technology and would help it defend against allegations of infringement, other people with knowledge of the matter said. The idea of Amazon making its own phone should be no real surprise to anyone. Amazon's business plan is all abut selling digital media; be that books, music or movies. The Kindle Fire is sold at a highly competitive price and Amazon looks to make the money back from digital purchases from its store. If it followed the same format with its alleged iPhone competitor then it could be a very compelling device based on initial cost. There is no information as to what operating system the device could run although at this stage Android would probably top the list. Having said that, Amazon is apparently looking to buy as many patents as it can and has even taken on Matt Gordon, formerly senior director of acquisitions at Intellectual Ventures Management LLC. His role will entail patent acquisitions and investments at Amazon leading to speculation that Amazon may release its own operating system. The Kindle Fire runs a heavily modified version of Google's Android and we assume that this would be the most probable route for this too. Source: Bloomberg AmazonAppleIphoneCompetitorKindleSmartphoneNewsRumors

Add user-defined constants with PCalc RPN Calculator for iPhone and iPad

PCalc RPN Calculator for iPhone and iPad is one of the original non-Apple calculators to hit the App Store and continues to be one of the leading calculators on the market. It was recently updated to introduce a huge user-requested feature -- the ability to add and edit your own constants. Even more, your custom constants will automatically sync to all your devices running PCalc with iCloud. To create a constant, tap the button that has 42 (this is the constants button). From here, you'll see a list of categories of popularly used constants in various scientific fields. In the upper left, tap the Edit button. PCalc comes with a category called "User" that you can add to, or you can create your own categories. Once you select a category, tap the plus sign to enter your constant. You can give it a name, value, and unit. Some of the other new features include the addition of all the functions from the Mac version of PCalc, including complex numbers and financial categories. To access them, just tap the f(x) button. To make room for this new button, you must now tap the C button to access the AC button on the iPhone. You can also show up to eight lines of display, pick a specific memory if multiple memories are enabled, and the currency conversion section is more intuitive. There are two version of PCalc RPN Calculator available in the App Store: free and premium. The premium version is $9.99 and included all the features of the free version that can be purchased as in-app purchases. The available packs in the free version include Conversion, Multiple Line, Power User, Engineer, Theme, and Programmer. These in-app purchases range from $0.99 to $2.99. The good RPN mode optional Looks good Custom constants that sync between devices with iCloud List of commonly used functions Up to 8 lines of display Paper tape Gestures Universal for iPhone and iPad The bad You can only access the Edit screen for constants when in the first main screen for constants. Several times I have wanted to tap the category that I want to add a constant to before editing, but you can't, even when in a user-created category. You must go back to the category list, tap edit, then select the category. The conclusion PCalc is a great calculator that just keeps getting better. My favorite new feature is the ability to add custom constants as this will be a awesome for students and professionals alike. Although PCalc is technically an RPN calculator, I view it more as a regular scientific calculator that has the option to go RPN. I actually wish the "RPN" would be removed from the name, because when I first read it was an RPN calculator, I was turned off because I hate RPN calculators. It turns out that RPN isn't set as the default and needs to be toggled on if you prefer. So if you're like me, don't be scared off by RPN! Free for Lite version- Download Now $9.99 for full version - Download Now AppsIphone AppsPcalcIpad AppsCalculator AppsApp Store AppsFeaturedApp Reviews

Apple addresses corrupt App Store binary bug

Apple has issued a statement concerning new App Store app installs and updates that were crashing on load for users over the last 48 hours. You can read the full text over on The Loop, but here's how Apple explained it: We had a temporary issue that began yesterday with a server that generated DRM code for some apps being downloaded When cast against hundreds of thousands of apps and billions of downloads, the issue might indeed seem statistically negligible, yet if you read the original report from Marco Arment, for users who experienced the problem and developers who received negative reviews because of it, it mattered a great deal. If you've been experiencing crashes with apps installed or updated in the last 48 hours, delete and re-install them. Then head on over to the App Store and leave a fair review -- given how many 1-star reviews these apps have received for something entirely outside their control, the developers could certainly use them. Source: The Loop App StoreCrashesDrmFairplayApp Store AppsNews

iMore show 301: iPad mini and iOS 6 Q&A part 2

Rene and Georgia are joined by Marc Gurman of 9to5Mac and Matthew Panzarino of The Next Web to talk 7-inch iPad and finish answering your questions about iOS 6! This is the iMore show! Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video Subscribe via RSS: Audio | Video Download directly: Audio | Video 7-inch iPad Bloomberg: 7-8-inch iPad coming by October with 1024 x 768 display Rumors of a 7-inch ‘iPad mini’ are becoming increasingly hard to dismiss Why Apple would release a 7-inch iPad iOS 6 Q&A iOS 6 on 9to5Mac iOS 6 on The Next Web iOS 6 on iMore iOS dream device give-away iOS 6 is coming this fall and iMore wants to make sure you have the absolute latest, greatest iOS device(s) to enjoy it on, and experience every feature Apple makes available. We want to give you your iOS dream device. We've got you covered. The Prize: A $600 Apple gift certificate to put towards the iOS device -- or devices -- of your dreams. A new iPhone 4S? A shiny new iPad? A couple of iPod touches or a handful of Apple TV? Or maybe even an iPhone 5 or mythical iPad mini if and when they're released? -- Whatever you choose! How to enter: Simply head on over to our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/imorevideo and subscribe, then leave a comment on the video for the iMore show 300. Make it something sassy, something sweet, something funny, something insightful, something daring, something delightful -- make it something uniquely you. The giveaway starts now and the winner will be announced live on the iMore show on July 11, 2012. So what are you waiting for? Enter already! Hosts Georgia (GeorgiaTiPb Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) Guests Mark Gurman (@markgurman) from 9to5Mac Matthew Panzarino (@mpanzarino) from The Next Web Credits You can reach all of us on Twitter @iMore, or you can email us at podcast@imore.com For all our podcasts -- audio and video -- including iPhone and iPad Live, ZEN and TECH, Iterate, and more, see MobileNations.com/shows imore showIpad Mini7 inchios 6Featured VideoiPhone Live

News: Motivation Words 1.0 released for iOS: Motivate Yourself and Feel Better

Motivation Words Developer: Ashraf Jandali Price: free Download on the App Store Creativity Apps today is pleased to announce that Motivation Words 1.0 is now available in the App Store. Motivation Words offers a simple concept to make you feel happier, through words said by the most successful people. Wakeup in the morning charge your soul with these words and start a successful day. Add motivational quotes to your pictures just for free, to inspire yourself and others and be happier, use existing pictures, enjoy images taken previously, and make your life easier. Swipe to change quotes, you don't need to go back and forward to change them if you did not like the quote just swipe on the screen and the quote will change to a different one until you get the quote you like. Enjoy up to 100 most motivational free quotes, and get happier just for free, want more, enjoy the Pro version with more than two hundred quotes, updated and added frequently for ever, for just $0.99. Are you somewhere with a nice view? Then take photos from the camera, and add a motivational quote to them, keep a memorial images with a great quote on it, don't keep it to yourself share with friends in facebook. Inspire them, motivate them and make everyone remember you with those great words. Also share with your friends in twitter, don't limit your shares, and spread it to all your friends to keep everyone happy. Save pictures with motivational quotes, to your library to use it with any other application on your iPhone to enjoy great words from great people. Finish reading about this app on AppCraver.com.

Welcome to iMore 2.0

Leave a comment below telling us what new features you want to see in iMore 2.0, and be entered to win a $600 Apple Store gift certificate for the iOS 6 device of your dreams! At the beginning of the year we changed the name of our community to iMore.com. Since then we have been working incredibly hard to improve the quality and experience of iMore as well. We've invested heavily in having not only great content, but compellingly beautiful content with the best photography and videography we can produce. We've continuously expanded and improved our podcasting, bringing you the best and brightest hosts and guests on the internet, for shows like iMore, Iterate, ZEN and TECH, and Mobile Nations. We've given the iMore forums a major makeover as well, so they're cleaner and easier to use than ever before. We've released a free iMore for iPhone app that's been downloaded tens of thousands of times. And there's much more of all of that to come. For even longer now, however, we've been working on something else, something far more important -- a new, more powerful, more flexible platform to drive it all. And today we made the jump. Everything has been moved over. Every bit of legacy code from Phone different (Movable Type), the iPhone blog and TiPb (Wordpress) has been end of lined, and everything we've learned from CrackBerry.com and Android Central has been put to use. I'm calling it VISOR (it's Drupal-based, but VISOR better fits our roots and our spirit.) Our singular goal is to give the iMore community the absolute best experience imaginable on the web and in mobile. Moving to VISOR will let us do that, and in ways that were impossible on our old platform. This is the new iMore architecture, and the new architecture for a cleaner, better Mobile Nations. Like any new architecture, we've started with the foundation. Some of the new features are already in place -- you can now toggle between blog view and headline view, and you browse the latest forum discussions right from the home page. More features will be coming soon. In other words, this is our Snow Leopard. With any substantial change, there will be a tiny little bit of pain – you'll need to create an iMore account to comment on the posts. The good news: It will greatly reduce the amount of spam we've all been putting up with And best of all: If you already have an iMore forums account, you're good to go. Just use that. If you already have an account at Android Central, CrackBerry, webOSNation, or WPCentral, you can use the same username, email address, and password to create your iMore account. The reason for the latter is one of the features we have coming your way -- a unified login across all Mobile Nations community. One account to rule them all. We recognize creating an account can be a hassle, and while it will give you a ton of great benefits now and in the future, we want to make up for it immediately as well. You know that iOS 6 dream device contest -- that $600 Apple gift certificate we're giving away to celebrate the iMore show #300? Well, we're giving away two of them now. Simply sign in an leave a single comment below telling us what features you'd love to see in the all new iMore, and you're entered to win. We'll announce both winners next Wednesday, July 11, live on the iMore Show #302. I want to thank our community and our millions of readers, listeners, and viewers. I want to thank our tech team, including our founder, Marcus Adolfsson, our dear leader, Kevin Michaluk, Tom for the bits and David and Jose for the grids and the pixels, and all of our editors, writers, and network and community staff for everything they've done to get us here. Like I said last time, we're still only just beginning. Welcome to iMore 2.0. FeaturedAnnouncements

iPoe – An Interactive Collection of Edgar Allan’s Short Stories

Got a penchant for Poe? If you love the works of Edgar Allan Poe and would like to rediscover them in a 19th-century-meets-21st-century collision, then iPoe Interactive is the app for you. iPoe is an interactive, illustrated collection of four of Poe’s better-known short stories. The reader can experience Poe’s works with both sound and visual accompaniments that have been selected to enhance the tone of Poe’s writing to deliver a new experience on classics such as The Tell Tale Heart and The Oval Portrait. iPoe also features the short stories Annabel Lee and The Masque of the Red Death. All four stories are delivered in ebook fashion and have incorporated animation and artwork into the pages to create visual interest, all the while accompanied by a soundtrack (which is best experienced using headphones) that enhances the reading experience as well. The artwork incorporated into the pages is a mix of static and interactive, meaning it can be manipulated with the touchscreen interface. Finish reading about this app.>/p> By %%author_nicename%% for AppCraver. © 2012.

Apple pulls malicious App Store app that took contacts, sent spam

Apple has removed a malicious app from the App Store that took the user's contacts and used them to send spam. Kaspersky Lab Expert Denis originally reported on the app, Find and Call, for Securelist, based on information from Russian carrier MegaFon. [MegaFon] notified us about a suspicious application, which was found in both the Apple App Store and Google Play. [...] [Our] analysis of the iOS and Android versions of the same application showed that it’s not an SMS worm but a Trojan that uploads a user’s phonebook to remote server. The 'replication' part is done by the server - SMS spam messages with the URL to the application are being sent from the remote server to all the contacts in the user’s address book. You can read Apple's statement over on The Loop. In response to previous incidents of unauthorized transfers, iOS 6 will apparently ask for express permission before granting access to Contacts, the same way current and previous versions of iOS ask for permission to use location. However, that won't protect against apps that, rather than attacking the code of the system, attack the trust and naiveté of the user. In other words -- apps that deliberately try to deceive users into doing things are very difficult for any system to protect against. Just like people can get conned out of money or property in real life, they can get conned out of data in the digital world. "Enter your password for free porn" is never a good idea on any platform. The only way to protect against these kinds of human engineering attacks is to be careful what data you allow apps to use. Default to saying "no" unless there's a compelling reason to say "yes". As iOS gets more popular, these kinds of human engineering attacks will become more and more common. Apple will no doubt remove malicious apps as they appear, and they need to always improve speed of detection and removal, but ultimately we're all responsible for our own safety. Source: Securelist via Forbes; The Loop