The folks at DRACOdesign Inc and Deff have taken what they’ve learned from their gorgeous handcrafted aluminum DRACO IV bumper, which we reviewed last summer, and created a polycarbonate version called the CLEAVE Crystal Edition.  The benefit here is that the end product looks very similar but only weighs 9 grams.  This lighter, highly transparent, tough little brother to the original DRACO IV, encompasses all the attention to detail you have already come to expect from a high-end premium bumper case.  Furthermore, now there’s a more affordable option for iPhone 4 and 4S owners who are looking for bumper cases with a flare for design.

How can they take such a unique deign quality originally created in an aluminum bumper and transfer that look to a plastic bumper?  I wondered the same thing myself, and here is what I found

The signature curve line design on DRACO IV aluminum bumper is made by hand. To keep this original design while using polycarbonate as a material, we have successfully made a plastic mold tool, which minimizes the parting line to present the product as one piece finishing. (A parting line always appears on the molded finished product as dividing line of the mold, and usually a parting line makes the finished product outlook poor in design)

What you get

First you need to select from one of the (5) color options that include Ruby, Clear, Deep Blue Ocean, Emerald, and Dark Side Black.   My review unit was the Dark Side Black version, which I felt would work well with either a black or white iPhone.  The polycarbonate bumper comes in two pieces that are assembled together with two allen screws (allen wrench is provided as well).  Luckily there were two additional screws provided, because my clumsy fingers lost both of the screws in the assembly process, and I had to go to the back-ups.

The assembly process can be tricky, perhaps even downright frustrating to many.  For first time users, I hight recommend the excellent procedural outline provided with the bumper packaging

Place the sound ON/OFF button on the left bumper.  Gently slide your iPhone 4/4S  into the left bumper and ensure the ON/OFF switch on your iPhone 4/4S is properly attached to the sound ON/OFF button.  Then slide the right bumper onto your iPhone 4/4S.

Push in and align both bumpers.  Check each manual operation button is properly attached to the buttons of your iPhone 4/4S.  Install the hex screws in place with hex wrench one by one until tightened.  Do not over screw.

When the case is installed the volume buttons are covered with an inset that is installed from the inside of the CLEAVE by pushing into place.  These buttons set right on top of the iPhone volume buttons.  The same can be said for the Sleep/Wake button which is also an inset polycarbonate button that is pushed into place to receive the button on the iPhone.  All the remaining ports and switches are easily accessible.  These include the speaker, microphones, and 30-pin dock connector.  One additional caveat is that the 30-pin dock connector opening is big enough that I was still able to place my iPhone on my charging station without any difficulties.

Thoughts

The DRACOdesign CLEAVE Crystal Edition polycarbonate bumper for the iPhone 4/4S is an adequate replacement for those who love the look of the aluminum DRACO bumper, but want/need a cheaper alternative.  The curves and feel of the bumper mimic the high end aluminum version very nicely.  However, there are a trade-offs that need noting.  On the plus side, if you found that with the DRACO IV aluminum bumper installed on your iPhone the signal strength was compromised–this is no longer an issue.

On the negative side, though, I found that since the CLEAVE is made from polycarbonate material, it is much less rigid, and therefore more prone to flexing.  Now you could look at this two different ways.  You might be ok with this small detail, because a flexible case might transfer energy from a drop away from the phone more efficiently, thus making it less likely to break.  Or, you might be a little discouraged, because the end product doesn’t seem to be held to the same tolerances due to the material choice.  At times the bumper felt a little deficient to me.  For instance, I found that when I pressed down on the top of the CLEAVE while it was installed on my iPhone, there was more free head space due to the yielding nature of the material.  Perhaps I’m more picky than most–this was just an observation not a deal breaker by any stretch.

At $30 the CLEAVE Crystal Edition bumper case for the iPhone 4/4S might seem a little pricey for case that is simply a bumper.  However, DRACOdesign doesn’t make ordinary, average bumpers.  They create art in the form of function, and they take pride in their design techniques and innovation.  I welcome this approach, and I find it to be a breath of fresh air.

The DRACOdesign CLEAVE Crystal Edition handcrafted bumper for the iPhone 4/4S was provided for review on iSource.com by DRACOdesign.  For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.

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Let’s be clear about this: you’ll have to remember to load QLOCKTWO up when you want to see it, but it’s still a gorgeous way to make use of your iPhone or iPad while it’s not in use.

If you’re the type of person to keep your iPhone or iPad docked while you’re at your computer, then QLOCKTWO can temporarily turn your device into a unique verbal clock of sorts. Instead of mimicking a digital or analog watch, QLOCKTWO literally spells out the current time by displaying and highlighting a matrix of words. I’m sorely tempted to purchase this universal app for $0.99, but I think I use my iOS devices far too often to ever really load QLOCKTWO up.

On the other hand, if this gorgeous design were offered as a Mac screensaver, I’d be all over it.

[via ONE37]

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If you’re reading this, chances are you already know where to come to find the best in-depth, up to date Apple news, reviews, and info on the web.  However, now-a-days, there are many different venues to access iSource and the posts of our talented team of writers and editors.  So, when you can’t get enough of iSource, where else can you find us?

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When you come to iSource looking for answers to those burning questions, and you can’t find them after browsing or searching our posts, there is no better place to go than to our Forums.  The Forums are a great place to search through some of the most common questions, ask a question of your own, or even help out a fellow Forum user.  Signing up is painless and only takes a few minutes

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Welcome to our weekly installment of Picks of the Week at iSource where we provide our expanded coverage of Apple accessories and applications. Here we will promote our favorite iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and Apple TV related items, as well as bring you occasional tips and tricks. Hopefully many of our favorite items will also be of interest to you. Please feel free to comment on our selections, and suggest picks of your own. Check out this week’s picks after the break.

artCircles  [ v 2.0.6 ]

Picked by: Alex Jordan

My pick this week is Art Circles from art.com. I love art. I am a design, student (which is not art, but handles problems in an artful way), and I’ve always had an interest in great art, and the questions art tries to answer through the lens of its aestehtic appeal. Well, Art Circles whimsically presents some of the great works of art, to those who enjoy art, and those that would like to know more about it. Some of the works are organized by color, others by Curator selection, and others by an assortment of adjectives. From there, if you see a work that you like, you can order a print, right from the app. It’s w cute way to explore art, and it doesn’t cost a time for you to enjoy it.

Free [ iTunes ]

A Fact Every Day!  365 fun facts for kids  [ v 1.0.3 ]

Picked by: PatrickJ

This is a very simple but charming app with appeal for kids and families. It presents a new fun fact each day. Each fact is read aloud and accompanied by a clever and funny cartoon. The interface is great and completely intuitive – so even younger kids can get around the app with ease. A single tap repeats the reading out loud. Swipes left and right move you forward and backward to the next or previous day’s fact. A tap on the Date icon brings up a calendar view where you can pick any day from January 1 to the current day and check out the fact for that date.

I thought this might have just one session sort of appeal when I first saw it, but my 9 year old daughter stuck it on her iPad after we took our first look and she revisits it regularly. In fact she often swipes through a few days at bedtime and quizzes me on whether I knew each day’s fact. Albert Pujols’ current batting average looks way better than my %age of facts known.

$0.99 [ iTunes ]   Universal app for both iPad and iPhone

Drop7  [ v 2.3 ]

Picked by: BrandonK

Drop7 is my current game obsession of the moment.  With the sheer number of games in the App Store, it’s difficult for any to hold my attention for too long.  But for now, Drop7 is it.  The premise and design are both plain, but I think that’s why I enjoy it so much.  Simply put – you have eight discs, seven that are numbered 1-7 and one plain gray disc.  When you stack five discs, for example, all discs in that stack that are numbered five will disappear.  And any of those number 5 discs that are touching a gray disc will do damage to that disc until it, too, disappears.

Simple, right?  Exactly.

I’m searching for something else to say, but I really don’t have anything.  So let me just close by saying that you should go download this game.  It’s a lot of fun.  What more could you want?

Both versions are universal for iPhone and iPad.

Free [ iTunes ]

$2.99 [ iTunes ]  Add Free

DragonVale  [ v 1.8 ]

Picked by: Jay

I am not much on the simulation games that require a lot of attention. They seem to be massive time-wasters (and money pits too). My two boys, however, seem to be drawn to watching worlds grow as they fidget with different crops of zombies (Zombie Farm), treasures (Treasure Hunter), caged animals (Monster Pet Shop), and clusters of mushroom villages (Smurfs anyone?). Recently, they have both been struck by playing Dragonvale. Maybe it’s the cool factor of breeding dragons in just the right habitat, but for weeks now, both the 5 and 9 year-old have each developed their own world inhabited by multiple dragons and eggs. Although I don’t get the appeal, it seems to be the right about amount of clean fun and play for both of them.

Free [ iTunes ]

EZBuzz  [ v 2.0.2 ]

Picked by: jhrogersii

While there are plenty of iOS apps that are bursting at the seams with powerful features, it often seems that the one built around simple ideas are the most satisfying to use. They seem to fit with the whole overall focus and design of the iPhone- clean, elegant simplicity. EZBuzz is one such app. It takes the normally time-consuming task of creating timed reminders and makes it fast and easy, with its focus on one-handed operation. Also, even though Siri can set reminders hands-free, and does a solid job in my opinion, it still takes time. EZBuzz, on the other hand, is super fast when you need it to be.

Again, it’s all about simple elegance. The opening screen contains a time grid of the current day where the hours of the day are displayed on the left, and minutes across the top. This makes it easy to select the time for a reminder without going through any menus or dialog boxes.

By double-tapping on a time’s location on the grid, a simple setup screen opens up, where you can record a voice reminder for your chosen time with another single tap. You can also choose a priority level, add a note, or add a picture. By selecting the Setting icon, you also have the option to select an additional earlier reminder time, or make your task to repeat. You can even move reminders once they’ve been created by dragging them across the time grid.

Aside from the fast and easy input options, EZBuzz also has a clear and easy to understand UI. Your reminders for a particular day show up as color coded dots, based on their priority level. Practical Logix also hit a home run by making all of the apps views accessible in one tap, from buttons in each of the four corners. You have a shortcut to Today’s Time Grid, a help screen, a list showing all current and past reminders that haven’t been purged, and a calendar view, with the number of reminders of each day noted. Again, everything is geared toward a fast experience, even with one-hand.

EZBuzz unfortunately doesn’t sync to any outside programs, and doesn’t give you the ability to title your reminders, so it may not be for everyone. (Note: The developer mentioned to me that there are some sharing and sync options on their future roadmap, so stay tuned) However, what this app does, it does exceptionally well. If you like the simplicity of the iOS Reminders app, but need speed and more flexible input options, then EZBuzz is exactly what you are looking for.

Free [ iTunes ]

On Sale!

There you have it! Hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of Picks of the week. Please let us know what you think, and share with us some of your favorites in the comments section below.

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Apple Update Mountain Lion Build to 12A206j

Apple has seeded a new build (12A206j) of OS X Mountain Lion to developers. It is currently unknown what changes might be present in this build of Mountain Lion other than 2007 MacBook Pros, with the “MacBookPro3,1″ identifier currently do not work with this build. Apple states that they will fix this in a future build.

Apple Now Presumably Owns iPhone5.com Domain Name

Apple briefly wrestled with an web entity to secure the iPhone5.com domain name. They even went so far as to file a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to secure the domain. Ultimately the WIPO came down on their side, and a brand security company, Corporation Service Company, is now holding the domain for them. So, even if Apple doesn’t call the new iPhone the “iPhone 5″, they are certainly taking precautions just in case. [Read More]

Apple’s Data Centers to Run Completly on Renewable Energy

Apple has posted a new page on their site, boasting that the entirety of their Data Centers, and even some of their Cupertino, California headquarters, are powered on renewable energy. Agree or disagree with global warming, at least this leaves more resources for the rest of us. I think. [Read More]

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If your iOS device is decidedly lacking in stories of girls dressing up as boys in order to charm other girls; fox ninjas with nine tails and frogs in tow; or unbelievably clumsy students who just really want to get into Tokyo University already, then you’ll want to download a copy of Manga Rock 2.

This universal app is like having an entire manga section of a (good) comic shop right on your device, for one ridiculously price. Actually, comparing Manga Rock 2 to a single comic section doesn’t quite do it justice, because you can take your pick from three online repositories, each with thousands of titles. You can consume the manga as you like: either stream as you read, or pick and choose issues to download for offline reading.

The whole experience is fast, fast, fast. I’ve streamed and downloaded issues over Wi-Fi and 3G and have been delighted with Manga Rock 2′s performance. The developers at Not A Basement were also smart enough to optimize the quality of the downloads based on device type – iPad 2s will download and display smaller artwork, while Retina iPads will enjoy the largest quality scans available. Titles can be filtered by category and organized by name or rank (based on reader ratings), and once you’ve chosen a title to read, you can begin reading the first page of an issue within seconds.

Manga Rock 2′s UI can take a little getting used to because of its icon-heavy design, but after a week with the app, I feel quite at home with it. There are quick ways to add titles to your favourites, it’s easy to check out all of the issues you’ve downloaded, and tapping on a title in your personal browsing history will take you right back to where you left off. Manga Rock 2 even keeps track of when new issues arrive, and can auto-highlight them for you, making it much easier to follow several storylines at once.

iPhone

Manga Rock 2 on the iPhone isn’t the ideal setup because the phone’s screen is smaller than most manga scans, but the excellent landscape mode that lets you scroll vertically through issues is surprisingly good. In landscape mode you can swipe through pages, and even issues, with just one thumb, allowing for terrific one-handed operation.

On a side note, the Retina display, even two years in, has not ceased to amaze me. Text bubbles that were simply too small to read on my 3GS are perfectly legible on my 4S. I thought I’d be doing most of my Manga Rock 2 testing on my iPad 2, but I’ve done quite a lot of reading on the iPhone in the last week, and that’s a testament to how good this app is.

iPad

It comes as no surprise that the iPad’s extra screen real estate really enhances the entire experience, and when given the choice, I’ll always use Manga Rock 2 on the iPad over the iPhone. I prefer to read most issues in portrait mode and use single taps to move to the next page, but landscape mode (with vertical scrolling activated) is also a lot of fun, as long as a given manga’s panels aren’t too tall. Even the main menus benefit from extra space, displaying more information by default, and allowing you to browse and select manga from the same screen.

Picking at Straws

Frankly, I’m really impressed with Manga Rock 2. I was given a free UDID copy for review, but I ended up buying the app anyway, simply because I liked it so much. However, if I had to find something to wish for in a next version, it would likely come down to streamlining the user experience even more. It would be lovely if the app could auto-download the latest issues of my favourite manga, and the favourites list would be even more useful if it synced across devices via iCloud. These issues really aren’t deal-breakers for me though, and at just $4 to unlock the full version (as an in-app purchase), it’s easy to recommend Manga Rock 2 to anyone with even the slightest inclination toward manga.

Manga Rock 2 was provided by Not A Basement for review on iSource. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.

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Many are wondering if it is a good time to buy a new Mac. Here’s what I’ve got to say on the matter.

There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty swirling around Apple’s Mac line of computers right now. This is despite the company’s claim that they are doubling down on the Mac with major annual updates to OS X, spearheaded this year with Mountain Lion. Even so, it’s apparent Apple’s earnings reports that the Mac is no longer their cornerstone product. The iPhone and iPad are now in charge.

There have been no major Mac hardware updates and we are five months into the year. Granted, it seems that Apple is waiting on Intel’s new Ivy Bridge processors to make it to the market. Still, the Mac is stagnant, and it appears that it is slowing sales.

On the flip side, there are plenty of rumors circulating regarding the MacBook Pro line. Many believe that Apple will morph the Pro line into a more MacBook Air-like form factor. I tend to agree. I just don’t know if we will see that change with this next update. Still, a nice update is due, and now that it is this late into the year, I would wager that they introduce new Pro machines at WWDC in June. You know, an introduction in front or a Pro audience.

So, if the question on your mind, is whether it’s a good time to buy a Mac. In a word- no. It is not a good time. There is a caveat however. If you need one right now, of course, go get one. It’s not suddenly going to go bad the day after a new one has been introduced. But, if you are waiting for the latest and greatest, keep waiting, updates seem to be right around the corner.

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The Worldwide Developers Conference will take place in early June, and with it will likely come a preview of iOS 6. As such, we’ve put together a team list (organized by author) of the improvements we’d like to see in the next iteration of iOS. The wishes here are varied, but it’s clear (due to a bit of repetition) that notifications, iCloud, and the file system on the iPhone and iPad could do with some loving this year.

ROB RENK

• Better Maps. I was very happy to see the news that Apple is rumored to be moving to in-house mapping solutions for iOS 6. The possibility of seeing less and less of Google in my life makes me smile inside. I’m also feeling a little greedy with this request – not only do I want to have an in-house mapping solution that will be better than anything we’ve seen before, but I would love to have turn-by-turn navigation built in, and map views available in landscape mode, too! I’d just assume not to have to use anymore third party mapping applications if I didn’t have to. I would also love to be able to download or cache regions ahead of time for those instances that I don’t have a reliable data connection. In my line of work this is a very regular occurring problem for me. Currently this is only possible by buying applications that are very large in size because all the mapping data is downloaded onto the iPhone via the app.
• Notification Center improvements. Notifications on the iPad look out of place, ugly and very un-Apple like. I’m not sure how to improve it, but having the Notifications menu centered in the middle of the screen as small as it is just looks wrong. I think Apple can do better. To expand on that, I want do-not-disturb capabilities like we are seeing in Mountain Lion, mostly for when I’m playing games or working on something that I need to focus on. A simple switch or button, perhaps located in Notification Center, would work just fine. In addition, it sure would be nice to have the ability to customize Notification Center a little more with shortcuts to commonly used features without having to jailbreak my device. Weather, Stocks, Calculator and a voice recorder are available on the iPhone, and Apple should add them to the iPad.
• Zephyr-like gestures sure would be nice. I had Zephyr on my jailbroken iPhone a while back, and I came to really enjoy it. I think it would be a great improvement, on the iPad as well.
• There was a recent iPad video that went viral last week illustrating an amazing take on text editing improvements. I want that feature built right into the OS so I can use it anywhere I enter text. The idea seems so simple and natural, I really hope the exposure the video received last week caught Apple’s attention, or maybe they already have something more advanced in the works.
• iPad window-based multitasking. I know, I know, I’m not supposed to use the iPad that way. If I want to have multiple windows open at a time just use the multi-tasking bar and open the next window/app – or buy a laptop, that’s what they’re for. Sorry, that argument just doesn’t fly with me. There are real-life situations in my work flow where having multiple windows open at the same time would be highly advantageous. Plus now with the Retina display on the new iPad, text is sharp and crisp and very easy to see, even if it’s in a smaller window view than what we are typically used to seeing.

PATRICK JORDAN

• More Choices / Control Over Photos Handling: We should be able to move images from the Camera Roll into albums, not just copy them. The current system where you copy something to an album then find that if you want to delete an image your only choice is to ‘Delete Everywhere’ is way beyond stupid.
• Easy Services Toggling: This is so, so long overdue. The jailbreak favorite SBSettings has been showing how to do this for years now. It’s stupidly hard to toggle Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G, Location Services and others on and off in iOS. I would easily ditch the brightness slider in the Multitasking Bar if it could be replaced with services toggles. Same goes for the redundant volume adjustment slider.
• Something, Anything to Make Home Screen & App Organization Easier: I agree with David Chartier – folders is not enough and this needs a more major rethink.
• Proper Backup and Restore Abilities in iCloud: The current iCloud backup system is better than nothing, but just barely. Restore (except in relation to Apple’s own iWork apps) is an all-or-nothing choice – which again is hugely stupid and nothing like backup and restore is meant to be. We should have more choice on what gets backed up, an ability to name backups, and an ability to do selective restores. [Ed.: Apple needs to take inspiration from Time Machine here!]

New Maps Need to Kick Ass: If all the strong rumors are true and iOS 6 is ditching Google Maps for an in-house Apple solution, then they need to be awesome – at least as good as what Google offered. I’m happy to see the change, as long as we don’t lose functionality or features.

THOMAS WONG

• Better hardware keyboard support: I’ve said this over and over again, but since we’re nearing a likely preview of iOS 6, it’s time to say it once more. If the iPad really is going to be treated more like a “computer” and not just a “mobile device”, then it needs some decent hardware keyboard support. Spotlight and Home button keys are great, but the iPad could really do with acting more like a desktop OS in certain situations.

• Take, for example, starting a Spotlight search. You can type the entire search in with your keyboard, but you can’t actually initiate it without lifting a finger off the keys and tapping on the screen. If the iPad were set up better, a simple tap on the “return” key would start the search.
• The same goes for switching between apps by double-tapping the home button: it’s possible with a Bluetooth keyboard, but you still need to tap on the screen to actually switch between apps.

BRANDON STEILI

1. The Springboard needs to be more informational. Frankly, compared to Windows Phone or Android, the iOS springboard sucks. iOS has badges. Little red icons with numbers. Whoop-di-do. WP7 has live tiles that can display everything from the weather to your calendar or your family photo album. Android has widgets which can do the same and even interact so the app itself never even needs to launch. Little red dots simply don’t cut it. And don’t get me started with the 12 apps per folder limit.
2. Thomas mentioned this as well – Abstracting away the filesystem was a novel concept and for many intents it works well. It keeps people further away from the OS layer and more in the app layer which is great for lowering support issues. But the problem is – moving files between apps SUCKS. It’s just flat-out terrible. If an app hasn’t registered as a file handler with the OS you can’t move a file to it from another app OR if your app isn’t coded to share files to other apps you have to go through the hoops Thomas mentioned. Does anyone else get how completely asinine it is that I have to export a file, email it to the web, download it back to my iPad, then open it in another app? WE’RE TALKING AOUT A FILE THAT’S ALREADY ON THE DEVICE! Now, I’m not asking for full fledged file access like Android has (although I enjoy having that) – what I’m asking for is a “shared folder”. A place where every app can save and every app can delete (with user confirmation). Is that so tough? [Ed.: AirDrop, introduced in OS X Lion, could prove to be an interesting solution for this problem on iOS.]
3. Notification Center Toggles. Wifi, BT, VPN, GPS, Airplane Mode, Data On/Off, Screen Rotation. This is just a user friendliness issue at this point and, frankly, I think Apple has been too stubborn for it’s own good here. SBSettings did this YEARS ago so you can’t tell me Apple can’t figure out an elegant way to do it. Stop making me click through three or four menus just to disable a service. Let me swipe down from the top and disable/enable something so I can get on with my life.
4. I’m a big boy. I’m frankly tired of Apple telling me what is and is not appropriate for me to access on MY DEVICE. Apple has my details – they know my birthdate, they have my credit card – they know I’m old enough to think for myself. So they can stop filtering what gets presented to me on the device. I understand this is Apple’s walled garden. But at a certain point you’re spending so much time curating and perfecting your little patch of grass, that you start yelling at everyone who walks on it and forget that the whole point of the garden was to share it with others.

ALICIA

1) Free Facetime! I love Facetime but I think it needs to meet its true potential as a WhatsApp, BBM killer by accepting users on other platforms. Let the BB, Android and heck, Windows Phone users, in and I think it has the potential to even take over Skype. Seriously. Apple can make this work.

2) Simplify “Other”

iOS 5 makes it difficult, if not impossible, to know what the “Other” data that iTunes says is taking up space on your iPad or iPhone. Your best bet at the moment is to go into Usage and check the space taken up, application by application. I’ve done this over and over and over and still cannot figure out what is taking up space. I can only suspect these are attachments on email messages but this theory is not easily corroborated.

3) I’d like to be able to put Newsstand into a folder. I don’t use it that often ands clogs up my minimalist iPad desktop.

4) I’d like to see a Smart app/folder organisation by tags, recently used, newly added, last used.

5) It would be great to have a unified file or document structure. It’s hard to know if I have a doc in Dropbox, Pages or iAnnotate – I’d like to be able to access them quickly. Also it would be good to see if I have duplicates.

JAY ROTH

• A useful multitasking tray! Having a double-click on the home button that displays EVERY “recent” app is absurd. After two swipes to the right, it’s no longer useful. Additionally, it adds to the confusion about whether all those are actually still running in the background (which they’re not). This highlights the hope others have expressed with SBSettings jailbreak – a way to see and kill the resource-hogging apps running in the background.
• I think Apple can also allow a default to help maximize the real estate on the iPhone. How? I like how some apps will “maximize” and cover the top status bar. Why not make that an option in iOS? And even better, when turning landscape, why not have that darn bar disappear? It uses space that could be devoted entering text.
• First there should be an improvement to notifications that include quiet hours! Many of us use our iDevices 24/7 and having email sounds, Facebook notifications, etc. go off all night long is ridiculous. Yes, most apps can individually be turned off, but it’s an “either/or” setting: either always on or always off. The Silent switch just doesn’t cut it.
• Next, it’s time to improve the keyboard on the small handhelds. Recently, while driving, I handed my iPhone to a passenger to text for me. As an Android user she tried swiping across the keyboard instead of tapping. “What a novel idea,” thought I. Since I have terrible typing skills on the iPhone, as well as a jailbroken iOS 5.1 iPhone 4S, I located and tried the “Swype” keyboard. It’s pretty sweet. How wonderful if Apple decided to integrate that concept and do it right.

ALEX JORDAN

• Improvements to Siri. I love Siri, I think it’s a great feature, even when taking into account its rough edges. In fact, because we’ve been living with the first interation of Siri since it launched last October with the iPhone 4S, it seems that we’re a now excusing some of its shortcomings. I say that honeymoon period is about to run out, and I would very much like to see Apple further develop and improve upon the service with the release of iOS 6. I would love to be able to launch apps, send tweets, update Facebook, and other similar tasks via Siri. Plus, I would love to see Siri make its way to the iPad with the introduction of iOS 6.
• Improved Built-In Weather App. I would like to see a better built-in weather application. The current weather application was great when it was first introduced, but since the introduction of the App Store, feels passed up by the competition. A great example, to me, of a better user experience, comes from Weather 2x. The weather app is used by a lot of people, and certainly feels due for a significant update.
• Better Podcast Updating. A better way to download podcasts directly to your iOS device. I subscribe to a number of podcasts, and usually just sync them to my iOS device through iTunes on my computer. However, there have been occassions where I have been on the road and wanted to download the latest episdode of a podcast, tapped on the “Get More Episodes…” link in te Music app, been yanked out of the app and into the iTunes store, and have been presented with a list of episodes. This should work much more smoothly; I’m thinking of a situation similar to how podcats work on iTunes on the Mac/Windows, or perhaps like an in-app purchase on iOS. Surely I’m not the only person that finds this annoying and worthy of a fix. The current method of updating podcasts just seems very inefficient and needs to be changed. [**Ed.: For those who also feel this way, see Instacast.]
• Reminders Redesign. Although Reminders was a new introduction with iOS 5, it has a less than optimal user interface. It’s ugly and hard to use. If you’re not setting up a reminder via Siri, this app is a muddled mess of buttons to navigate. I doubt a redesign will happen though, as it seems Mountain Lion’s version of Reminders will have a very similar user interface to the iOS version. One can hope though…
• WebKit Improvements in Safari. Lastly, I would like to see major improvements to the Safari WebKit engine. Granted, most of the limitations to Mobile Safari are due to the lack of raw processing power on mobile devices. That said, I have a feeling there are more optimizations Apple could wring out of WebKit. Some intensely HTML5-based sites feel sluggish on the latest iOS hardware, and I consider this a big weakness as we move into an increasingly web-based future.

BRANDON KOSAL

The Most Important

Notifications need a serious revamp. Apple can be charmingly late to the party when it comes to iOS features. They famously lagged way behind in terms of implementing notifications within the iPhone OS. Once announced, they were met with a collective “whatever.” It’s not that they don’t work – it’s that they could work so much better.

The spinny box on top has to be rethought, as it becomes a nuisance quite often within certain apps. I’d also love to see icons in the top bar, similar to those of BlackBerry and Android. Next to the time, I’d like to at least see the number of texts, e-mails, and phone calls / voicemails I need to tend to. Customization here is key, as other apps should be able to utilize this function as well.

The Most Annoying

Someone at Apple owes us an explanation as to why we can’t hide that pesky Newsstand icon. It makes zero sense whatsoever. There is no excuse for this to not get corrected this time around.

Somewhat Important

I’m not suggesting Apple do away with the icons. It’s just that it looks so plain right now. I’m also not asking for a full revamp, but how about some custom folder icons? Widgets to break up the apps a bit? Basically, I want more control over the look of my home screen.

Somewhat Annoying

I may be splitting hairs here, but Apple needs to become the leader within the iOS world again. Now, please understand that I prefer iOS over everything else. But a lot of the features and styles that Apple implements feel like, as I said above, they’re late to the party. Examples: Copy & Paste, Notifications, and even MMS for crying out loud. Apple is really great at taking a concept and refining the heck out of it. But as they have also proved time and time again, they’re great at innovating. I’d really like to feel blown away with the new OS.

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Have you been doing a lot of Pinging lately? Not pinging like ‘ping google.com’ to test your connectivity, you know using Ping to tell all your friends about music you’re listening to.

You remember Ping right? Apple’s ‘social network for music’ launched back in September of 2010. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about Ping until a couple days ago. I used it a few times right after it launched to ‘follow’ a few bands I like – but for me it suffered from the worst ailment that can afflict any social network: none of my friends or acquaintances were on it. And when that’s the case you’re basically playing round in a virtual echo chamber.

I have used a few other apps that let you share songs you’re listening to over the years, and recently started using Spotify – which I love so far and sometimes use for shouting out about a track I like.

Anyway, I ‘m just a little curious – am I missing the boat on Ping? Is it massively popular and I just haven’t noticed, or is it one of these rare swing and a miss situations for Apple? Do you use it? If so, how often or for what?

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Now that rumors surrounding the next-generation MacBook Pro have reached a fever pitch, ABC News has rounded up those rumors and throws in their own two cents. Specifically, Joanna Stern claims that the iMac will also gain the new ultra high-resolution “Retina” displays that are already in use on iPhones and iPads, and believed to be coming to the new MacBook Pros.

For quite some time now, Apple has been building in “HiDPI” support into the latest version of OS X. This allows on-screen graphical elements to scale to the high-resolution displays. Of course, this technology is being built in, but with a complete lack of Macs currently shipping with ultra-high resolution displays, it is currently unused. It would be a naive assumption to think that Apple would build all of this in for only one line of computers. It may take time, but I suspect “Retina” displays will make their way to all of Apple’s products with displays.

That said, there is a technical issue- if Apple were to simply double the resolution as they did with the iPhone and slap a “Retina” label on it, they could run into problems. Firstly, I doubt they can make displays with a ultra high, double-resolution at that (21 and 27-inches) size, in a mass quantity at this time. The yield rates just aren’t there. Secondly, a doubling of resolution could quickly bog down even the beefiest of current-generation graphics processors.

So, instead of just doubling the resolution and calling it a day, I suspect that Apple will bend the definition of “Retina” with regards to the Mac. That is, display resolutions will be bumped significantly, but not a true doubling. This will pass, due to the greater average viewing distance of a computer display as compared to, say, iPhones and iPads. In other words, the greater viewing distance makes up for the relatively lower pixel density (compared to the Retina displays we’ve come to know and love), which in turn, still brings an extra-crisp experience to the user.

Rounding out the Mac Retina display rumors, 9to5Mac is reporting that the next-generation MacBook Air will also sport a Retina display. The report notes that this will likely be the most significant change in the forthcoming update. However, due to power constraints, it may be a while before the Retina-equipped Air makes its way to market.

So, the long story short is that it seems pretty certain that ultra-high resolution “Retina” displays are on their way to the Mac. And it seems that all of Apple’s notebook lines are poised to see this upgrade when they are updated, and if other reports are to be believed, most will be updated in the very near future.

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Due is one of my favourite apps on iOS. It’s consistently on my iPhone’s first home screen and I end up finding uses for it every single day. Even if you’ve already got great apps for timing things and setting quick alerts or tasks, you’ll likely still find a good use for Due. It really is that good.

So it was interesting to hear the over Twitter today that Phocus LLP has released a $9.99 Mac version of Due, as I had no idea that one was in the works. Due on the Mac looks a little different with its new icon, but all of the other natural language task creation and multiple timers that are so horrendously useful in the iOS versions are still present. It also syncs with the iOS versions of the app over iCloud, so you can get up and going in just seconds.

Fore more information, check out the Due for Mac website.

[via @dueapp]

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Diablo III – the latest, clickiest demon-slaying action RPG from Blizzard – launched earlier today at 3 AM EST and is available for the Mac. The release of D3 basically spells the end of the world for everyone’s free time, and the fact that a single $60 license works on both Macs and PCs means that it’s going to terribly difficult to not play this bloody game anywhere you own a computer.

I tested D3 out on my 2009 13″ MacBook Pro (using the latest version of Lion OS X) earlier this morning and found my three-year old machine to be a little lacking. Two-player co-op over Battle.net was chugging along at around 10-15 FPS on the lowest playable resolution and with most of my 8 GB of RAM cleared. Frankly, this was all to be expected considering the game’s minimum specifications, but your experience should be a lot more favourable if you’ve got a more powerful i5 or i7 CPU and a dedicated GPU (present in 15-and-17″ MacBooks).

iOS gaming has been doing pretty well for itself and Mac App Store and Valve’s Steam have helped bring more mainstream titles to OS X over the past few months, but it has taken a triple-A title like Diablo III hitting the Mac on the same day as the PC versions for me to really get excited about the prospect of Mac gaming again.

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Apple Brings Flashback Removal Tool to OS X Leopard

Apple is moving at great speed to lock down the Flashback trojan threat. As of today, Apple has released a Flashback removal tool for Leopard users. They also released Leopard Security Update 2012-003, which automatically disables out-of0date version of Adobe’s ubiquitous Flash Player. This is in an effort to further lock down any opening that Flashback might try to take advantage of.

A Glimpse of what the Next-Generation iPhone Might Look Like

MacRumors has posted professional mockups of what the next-generation iPhone might look like based on currently-circulating rumors. It’s slightly longer, and has a slightly longer screen. [Read More]

Report Claims Next-Generation iPhone to Have Updated Dock Connector

A recent report has surfaced claiming that the next-generation iPhone will have a smaller, updated dock connector. They also claim that the device will look very similar to the current iPhone 4/4S design. No changes to the screen either. [Read More]

Confirmed: Notes and Reminders Coming to iCloud.com, More

A new report from The Wall Street Journal notes that Apple will be unveiling and upgraded iCloud at next-month’s WWDC. They confirm that Notes and Reminders will be making their way to iCloud.com. They also claim that Photo Stream will support videos, and there will be a photo-sharing functionality built in. None of this sounds like a bad thing to me. [Read More]

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The first real evidence that a next-generation MacBook Pro and iMac exists, comes in the form of Geekbench benchmark results. These system benchmarks were discovered in Geekbench’s database, and have lead to flurry of speculation.

First up, is a benchmark for a MacBookPro9,1, which is a model number that corresponds to no product on the market as of this moment. The current Pro models are labeled MacBookPro8,x. This can be easily faked, yes, but the system specs match up nicely with the rumored internals coming in the next-generation MacBook Pro.

This new machine, according to the benchmark, has a 2.7GhHz Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM quad-core processor. It is a 45-watt chip, making it unlikely that such a chip will make it’s way to the 13-inch model due to its smaller battery. Overall, this machine scored a 12,262, compared to 10,500 compared to the Core i7-2860QM found in current MacBook Pros.

As for the iMac, it is marked as a iMac13,2, which would correspond to a new 27-inch iMac model. Again, this machine has a beefier 3.4GHz i7-3770 quad-core processor. This new model scores at 12,183 compared to the 11,500 of the current Core i7-2600 processors.

It would seem that significant updates, at least in regards to horsepower, are in the pipeline.

Following up these benchmarks comes a report from 9to5Mac, which claims that the next-generation 15-inch MacBook Pro will be considerably thinner than the current Pro design. Their source claims that the machine will look essentially the same, but will have a reduction in thickness due to the removal of the optical drive. In short, it will look like a thiner MacBook Pro, and less like the tapered MacBook Air design as had been previously rumored.

It seems that this will be a truly “pro” machine, with all of the ports that are reportedly included. The right side will offer a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a USB port, and SD card slot, and a Kensington lock slot. The left side will have two USB ports, audio in/out jacks, MagSafe power connector, and battery indicator.

The report is unsure as to whether the new Pro will retain FireWire connectivity. However, they are certain that the dedicated ethernet port is gone. Users will have to rely on a USB-to-enthernet dongle if they want to connect via hardwire.

The report also notes that the new MacBook Pro will have a “Retina” display, which should come as no surprise considering HiDPI graphics and settings have been popping up in the latest builds of Lion and Mountain Lion.

Lastly, this 9to5Mac report claims that the USB ports will be USB 3.0. This claim seems fishy considering Apple’s push for their own proprietary Thunderbolt connectivity that they developed with Intel. However, this claim isn’t totally dismissible, as other reports dating back to last year, claimed that Apple was still considering the use of USB 3.0 in future machines.

As for the launch timeframe, a report from Bloomberg states that Apple will be introducing these new machines at WWDC which kickoff on June 11th. This report also claims the machines will include flash memory to cut down on startup times. A vague, precise report like this strikes me as one of Apple’s controlled leaks they have been known to use in order to drum up hype ahead of a launch. Besides, what better time would there be to introduce a new Pro machine, than at a pro-user conference?

Not to brag, but all of this fall in line nicely with what I predicted awhile back. These new MacBook Pros won’t be as thin as the MacBook Air, but most certainly will be thinner than current MacBook Pros. I still wager this extra room is for the beefier internals, yes, but more likely, for traditional higher-capacity Hard Drives with moving parts. The high-capacity that pro users demand, is still economically unfeasible in today’s solid state drives.

June 11th is right around the corner, and I have a sneaking idea that these report hit the nail right on the head. I would expect slimmer, more powerful MacBook Pro to be released very soon.

Images courtesy of Geekbench and 9to5Mac.

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I’m still a little annoyed with Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance’s (N.O.V.A.) lackluster attempt to make a fake acronym, but there’s no denying the third installment of Gameloft’s shameless Halo clone is pretty. Many of the delicious FPS delights – like dynamic lighting, particle systems, and enemies that fly away like ragdolls when you shoot them – are now present in a $7 iOS game. The production values are generally good enough for me to describe N.O.V.A. 3 as a “first person shooter”, and I no longer feel the need to preface it with the word “mobile” as a sort of disclaimer. I’m also a fan of the universal status of the app, which means that a single price tag nets you both the iPhone and iPad versions of the game.

I still don’t like Gameloft’s unabashed copycat game designing style, but if clones on iOS are looking this good, that’s got to be a decent sign for gaming on the platform, right?

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Ben Brooks recently linked to an interesting Smashing Magazine article on the mobile web, which discusses whether or not websites should bother having separate, mobile-optimized versions. I could see the argument for simpler, leaner mobile websites years ago when I still used a Windows Mobile 5 device and browsed with the barely-capable Internet Explorer Mobile, but viewing mobile versions of IMDB.com (or iSource.com, for that matter) just doesn’t cut it for me.

iPhones and iPads are powerful enough to chew up and spit out most websites I visit, and services like Safari Reader and Instapaper help me to instantly adapt most websites for easier reading. 90% of the time that I see a mobile version of a website, I’ll end up switching to the full desktop version (the 10% exception to the case are web apps like Grooveshark and Gmail or Svbtle blogs, which are beautifully optimized for non-desktop devices). I think a lot of sites would be doing me a favour by simply displaying their full desktop versions to my iPhone and iPad – and not just to my Mac.

[via The Brooks Review]

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If you’re reading this, chances are you already know where to come to find the best in-depth, up to date Apple news, reviews, and info on the web.  However, now-a-days, there are many different venues to access iSource and the posts of our talented team of writers and editors.  So, when you can’t get enough of iSource, where else can you find us?

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When you come to iSource looking for answers to those burning questions, and you can’t find them after browsing or searching our posts, there is no better place to go than to our Forums.  The Forums are a great place to search through some of the most common questions, ask a question of your own, or even help out a fellow Forum user.  Signing up is painless and only takes a few minutes

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Welcome to our weekly installment of Picks of the Week at iSource where we provide our expanded coverage of Apple accessories and applications. Here we will promote our favorite iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and Apple TV related items, as well as bring you occasional tips and tricks. Hopefully many of our favorite items will also be of interest to you. Please feel free to comment on our selections, and suggest picks of your own. Check out this week’s picks after the break.

Spotify  [ v 0.5.0 ]

Picked by: Alex Jordan

Until very recently, I had not paid much attention to Spotify, a music streaming service that wasn’t even available in the U.S. until last last summer. The other day, the Spotify app was in a prominent spot iOS App Store, and I though, “why not?”. I downloaded it, logged-in with my Facebook credentials (don’t be creepy) and immediately began listening to music that I like. On demand. Whatever I wanted to hear. There are other feature, such as offline playlists, and computer to device streaming, but the meat of the service lies with streaming whatever you want to listen to, whenever you want to hear it. This is very liberating compared to Pandora, which functions much more like traditional radio.

Upon signing in for the first time, a 48-hour trial starts immediately. After that, you have three options for the service: the free account which is ad-supported and allows a limited number of playback time, the unlimited account for $4.99/month that gets rid of ads and allows unlimited playback, and then the premium account which gives access to a number of other features, besides unlimited playback. Also, the iOS apps are very well designed, and easy to navigate. The iPhone version is nice, but the iPad version is exquisite.

Over the long run, I believe Apple is right, insofar that the majoritu of people want to own their music, instead of renting it. But to my mind, Spotify fills a gap, for those who do want to rent, and those of us who like to discover new music, that they will then later purchase.

You can download the Spotify software for OS X, Windows, and other platforms from their website–and of course, the iOS version is free on the App Store.

Free [ iTunes ]

Free [ App Store ]

iTranslate Voice  [ v 1.0 ]

Picked by: Thomas

iTranslate Voice (separate from the plain “iTranslate” app) has been making the rounds on Twitter recently. It licenses Nuance’s voice recognition technology (the same tech used by Siri on the iPhone 4S) to recognize and then translate what you say from one language to another – in mere seconds. Speaking into the microphone usually does the job, but you’re free to edit the resulting text, in case something isn’t recognized properly.

Automated translations still aren’t natural and they won’t easily pass for native speech, but I’ve already had my $0.99 worth of fun by using iTranslate to hear what “In Soviet Russia, car drive you” sounds like in Russian.

Free [ iTunes ]

Spotify  [ v 0.5.0 ]

Picked by: PatrickJ

Free [ iTunes ]

Free [ App Store ]

There you have it!  Hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of Picks of the week. Please let us know what you think, and share with us some of your favorites in the comments section below.

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Evernote is great for storing memories, but it can be a little slow when it comes to capturing them. As such, I’ve taken to using quick-entry apps, like Drafts, for storing my ideas as they pop up. This lowers the number of ideas that simply get lost and then send them to Evernote for more permanent storage.

However, thanks to a post on The Brooks Review, I now know of an even more direct method for quickly capturing and sending text notes to Evernote. Fastever is a $0.99 iPhone app that loads up, prompts you for text, and then sends it all to Evernote with one tap of the save button. If you’re offline when you try to save, the app will simply queue the post up for uploading next time there’s a connection. You can also specify the tags and the notebook for a given note, and the text that you input will stay saved until you export it to Evernote or manually clear the screen.

The only thing that’s really keeping me from using the app full time? The icon. It features a charging green elephant, and that just feels too cartoony for my liking. I hope Evernote is keeping watch, though: this type of quick-input interface is something that would really bolster the utility of the main iOS app.

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Apple is testing out a new version of iCloud.com at beta.iCloud.com, wherein Notes and Reminders are added to the existing Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone, and iWork web app icons.

Accessing this new beta portal has been spotty at best. Most of the time, images are broken, or the user is redirected to Apple’s standard iCloud information page. Remember, this follows Apple’s testing of of Notification Center updates on the iCloud.com webpage. I suspect Apple will open full beta access to the updated iCloud.com at WWDC.

All of this points to Apple making significant upgrades to the iCloud.com experience, which can’t be a bad thing. But, let’s be honest, nothing could be as bad as MobileMe ever was. It’s probably a good thing Apple is at least changing something to keep iCloud.com fresh.

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9to5Mac is reporting that Apple will indeed be moving away from Google Maps to in-house map technology with the introduction of iOS 6. This new mapping service will include 3D views. Remember, Apple bought mapping companies, Poly9 and Placebase a few years ago. Just last year, the Apple also bought C3 Technologies, a 3D mapping firm, just last year.

Other than the 3D services, Apple’s new maps look very similar to the currently-implemented Google Maps-powered applications we’ve all become accustomed to over the years. Overall, Apple’s implementations will be faster and more reliable the report claims.

This development should come as no surprise. Apple has been acquiring mapping companies for several years now, and also posting job openings. Plus, the biggest move came with the introduction of iPhoto for the iPad earlier this year- the Photo Journals feature takes advantage of OpenStreetMap to populate map tiles.

Apple and Google are ever-increasingly at odds with one another, as each are encroaching on the other’s businesses. More Google than Apple, with mobile operating systems, app marketplaces and the like. That said, Apple has moved in to Google’s markets with such initiatives as iAds, and now maps.

So, I would expect Apple to announce this new service at WWDC alongside iOS 6, which will be held the week of June 11th – June 15th. I would also wager that Apple shows off a more complete version of OS X Mountain Lion. We’ll keep you posted.

Mockup courtesy of 9to5Mac.

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Apple Testing Notification Center on iCloud.com

It seems that Apple is testing notification center on iCloud.com. The test message has appeared on the top of the window upon logging in. It seems Apple is getting their ducks in a row ahead of the Mountain Lion release later this summer. [Read More]

T-Mobile USA to Have LTE in 2013, iPhone-Ready By End of 2012

T-Mobile has made the announcement that they will have LTE service in place for 2013. In the mean time, they plan to build-out their HSPA+ service in the 1900MHz band, which will be iPhone compatible, and will be ready by the end of 2012. [Read More]

Apple to Split Initial Costs to Improve Working Conditions at Foxconn Facilities

A report has surfaced claiming that Apple will be splitting the initial cost of improving conditions at Foxconn. It seems that Apple is putting their cash stockpile to work on good things. [Read More]

OS X 10.7.4 Released to Public, HiDPI Icons Showing Up

Apple has released OS X 10.7.4, a minor update to OS X Lion. This update addresses a security issue with FileVault. More interestingly, this update also tweak certain system icons, making them ready for high-resolution displays when they become available. [Read More]

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There’s a fair amount of congratulating to be done when it comes to the release of Instapaper 4.2. Not only did Marco Arment manage to improve upon the reading experience of his best-in-class app, but he did so while welcoming a new member into his family.

There’s a lot to love in v4.2:

Page Turner

A new Fast Pagination mode makes reading articles feel more like reading eBooks, with silky smooth page-dissolving transitions and a great new control scheme; there are three ways to navigate a paginated article: swipe left to flick to the next page, drag a finger along the new dot bar, or tap just below the text to turn the page. You can also enjoy iBooks-style turning animations in 4.2, but I still prefer Marco’s.

Less Chrome

Full-screen mode is now set to activate automatically, a few seconds after you open an article; the mode is also smart to turn itself off when you reach the end of the text, making it easier to close an article or share it. A two-finger swipe to the right will close the article you’re in – something you’ll be grateful for while all the controls are hidden in full-screen mode.
This is another example of gestures and automation done right: power users will know to use two fingers to leave an article, while newer users will be presented with on-screen buttons when they enter or leave an article.

Share Better

Instapaper can now share text to Drafts and Quotebook, making it easier to quickly save some of your favourite quotes. Sharing text with Drafts will automatically place the origin URL at the top of the note, so you know where the quote comes from.

Simply put, Instapaper 4.2 is one of the most significant updates the app has seen for a while – not because the added features are “new”, but because they really flesh out the concepts added in earlier updates. Full-screen mode and pagination were present in previous versions of Instapaper, but it’s this version that has really brought those concepts to fruition.

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I still use Alfred on a daily basis as a Spotlight replacement and file launcher. Now Alfred 1.2 is here, bringing with it a pretty significant new feature: 1Password support (Power Pack only). This new level of app integration means that it’s even easier to access your keychain of stored passwords with quick keyboard shortcuts.

Other new features include: new large type display options (great for keeping a phone number on screen while you dial it into your phone), new themes (good for your eyeballs), and new clipboard merging and hotkey options (one of my favourites is the 10% volume increase for iTunes).

If you’d like to see a few Alfred tips or news on this latest patch, head over the the Alfred blog.

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Manga Rock has always been my favourite manga reader for iOS, so I’m happy to announce that the newest release of the app, Manga Rock 2, is now available as a universal download for iPhone and iPad.

MR2 is a completely new app (and therefore a separate download and purchase) with a much sleeker interface for browsing, managing, and reading manga from MangaReader, MangaFox, and MangaEden(EN). This means that you can use just one app to read all of your manga, which translates to a library that’s easier for users to manage, and an easier update cycle for the developers.

I’ll have a more in-depth review coming in a few days, but it was worth announcing that the in-app purchase that unlocks the full version of MR2 is available for $0.99 (normally $3.99) for the first three days after the launch. If you’re already a user of a previous version of Manga Rock, then this is a dirt-cheap way to upgrade to the newest app – and even if you’re totally new to the world of manga, $1 is an absurdly cheap price to pay for access to thousands of translated titles.

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