Mobile Apple Me

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Mac Software

Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for June 29, 2010:

• Macintosh
• iPod

Macintosh

• Pogoplug has announced a major upgrade with the launch of Pogoplug “web printing.” Now, for the first time, users can print from an iPhone, iPad, Android or other mobile device from anywhere in the world. Pogoplug cloud printing will initially support all HP printer models and all Epson printers released since 2005. Set-up is simple and straightforward; once a printer is connected to a Pogoplug, it is ready to use.
• Karelia Software has announced the immediate availability of Sandvox 1.6.7, an important update to its Apple Design Award-recognized website creation application for Mac OS X. Developed with individuals, families, students, schools, and small businesses in mind, Sandvox features drag-and-drop website assembly, live editing, and much more. Version 1.6.7 fixes minor issues, includes a new Writing Direction menu, and adds improvements to RSS feeds, video pages, and Flickr feeds.
• Most Advantageous has announced Optimal Layout, a powerful solution for managing your application windows and making the most of your screen space. Optimized for large and multiple displays, Optimal Layout give you keyboard commands to move, resize, tile and switch between application windows with innovative features. It is perfect for power users and those wanting to keep their hands on the keyboard as they glide through their work.
• Show off your wit and prove you’re actually pretty funny by participating in GameAgent’s first ever contest! All you have to do is make up a joke that includes the following: a Jedi, a dinosaur, and a math teacher. The top 5 entries with the most “likes” via our Facebook page will receive a free gameagent.com game of their choice.
• Kapeli has announced moveAddict, a new Mac OS X app that brings one highly requested feature to Mac’s Finder: the capability to cut and paste files, with merging folders as a bonus. moveAddict works with the usual keyboard shortcuts for cut and paste, and blends perfectly into any accustomed workflow. A notification window and Finder file labels provide user-friendly feedback at every stage. Original data remains untouched until the move gets safely registered by the Finder.

iPhone/iPod/iPad

• JayBird has announced the all new SB2 Sportsband Bluetooth Headphones; life comes to Bluetooth headphones this season with an exciting range of colors everyone can enjoy. They’ve also introduced Bluetooth + apt-X for pristine CD quality audio rivaling the very best of wired headphones. Say bye to your wired headphones and experience your music wirelessly, in CD quality and stunning colors.
• Mandarin Boy has released Mandarin ABC 1.8.1 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users who want an easy way to learn the language correctly. The application is the first ever to offer proper pronunciation tutoring by a native Mandarin speaker, teaching nine hundred words as quickly and easily as possible. Users are taught through lessons, review and testing. Once the lessons have been completed for one of the three difficulty levels, a user is tested to determine if they’re ready to move on.
• Steiner Products has released Slider Dice 1.2 for iPhone and iPod touch users. The application requires a user to think fast, make decisions on the fly and cross their fingers or wear their lucky socks. Playing against the computer or an opponent, players roll the dice to determine which slider can be moved. Trying to form a winning pattern at quick speed is fully engaging and highly addictive.
• Kama Games has released Texas Poker 0.5 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. The application is a club community of poker lovers who get together from around the globe to play and talk about poker. To help celebrate and promote the new launch, developers are offering a weekly iPad giveaway to coincide with their International Poker Days elections. Texas Poker is one of those apps destined for success because it’s based on true passion.
• Outfit7 Ltd., has announced its first interactive 3D character Talking Tom, a free iPhone and iPod Touch application with speech recognition, entertaining animations and video recording. Talking Tom is a pet cat, who is able to repeat everything a user says into the iPhone or iPod Touch with a funny voice. In addition to speech repetition, the application offers fun animations of Talking Tom which are triggered when a user pokes him in the head or belly, pets him, grabs him by his tail, pours milk for him etc.
• Sarsoft has released Geotag Photos 2.1, an update to their automatic geotagging application for iPhone devices. Geotag Photos uses the GPS capabilities of the iPhone to record a log of the user’s location at specified time intervals. Sarsoft’s desktop app then uses the uploaded log to match log entries with the time each photo was captured by any DSLR or compact one camera. Version 2.1 supports iPhone OS 4 multitasking, so that it can run on background when the user is using other applications.
• The Assessment and Development Group International has released Interact 1.0, a new app for iPhone and iPod touch. Interact serves to help managers create management strategies complete with specific tactics tailored to each employee’s motivation, talents, and worldview. The strategy reports for each employee generated in the app include identifying the talents the person seeks to use on the job, the person’s work environment preferences and needs, and the specific management behaviors.
• Posting locations in addition to status messages and Web links has become a major theme of online social networking. Facetrace does all of this and enables you to post your exact map location and activity directly on your Wall on Facebook. Facetrace is a very simple but effective app that helps you connect with your friends and keep track of your travels.
• Sound ID 510, the creator of the world’s first and only Bluetooth headset that offers its own iPhone app, is celebrating the launch of this new device by holding an exclusive interactive contest for all Sound ID 510 users. The contest is simple; users submit a photo that they deem creative and exciting, in hopes that it will be the most original photo submitted. All photos will appear on the Sound ID website, however, the person who submits the most original photo has the chance to win one of twenty $100 gift cards, or the $500 grand prize! All photos must be submitted by July 31st.
• Creaceed has released iOS4 speech recognition SDK which can be used by all developers to design distinctive iPhone and iPad applications. Creaceed’s CeedVocal SDK supports isolated words recognition and keyword spotting from a list of up to 5,000 words and available in 6 languages. As no training is required from the end user, speech recognition is ready to use as soon as the app is launched. CeedVocal is provided as a Universal Binary library for easier setup within the Simulator.
• Willagaroon has released an unofficial Ultimate MW2 Multiplayer Guide for iPhone and iPod touch devices. The Ultimate MW2 Multiplayer Guide includes a 11,000 word guide written by Chris Jensen, author of over 30 books for Prima, Sybex and Brady. The guide includes such topics as Common Class Combos, Cover & Defense, The Circle-Strafe Technique, Medium to Long-Range Aiming, Securing Defensive Cover, Aiming is Over-Rated and many more.
• RiseSmart has announced that Transition Concierge To-Go, a mobile application that delivers personalized job leads and other job-search tools to laid-off workers, is now available as an iPhone Web app. Transition Concierge To-Go is free to eligible employees of companies who use RiseSmart’s Transition Concierge as their outplacement solution. Transition Concierge arms workers with the most powerful set of job-search tools and transition service support available today.
• Envivio has announced that the world’s most widely-deployed solution for delivering Mobile TV, its 4Caster C42 encoding/transcoding platform, now offers high definition (HD) video support to the Apple iPhone 4, taking maximum advantage of the device’s capabilities. The upgrade for 4Caster creates an unprecedented mobile video experience by enabling services for the first time that deliver high definition live and on demand TV services that make full use of the high resolution iPhone 4 “Retina Display.”
• Zaxis Games has unleashed the Angry Viking on the App Store. In this launch title with gruesome killing, it is your objective to hack ’n’ slash your way through villages of innocent peasants and knights! Sharpen your axe, because the Viking is here to stay, angry and hungry for blood. Nor man nor beast shall be left alive!
• NuNuApps LLC has announced iTinisHD 1.0, its latest interactive social networking-enabled mixology app that delivers drink recipes with a spin or a shake. Currently available for the iPad, iTinisHD is a top-shelf application that features blended drink recipes, social networking and latest hot tastes, with an advertising platform for liquor brands and bars. The Vegas-themed iTinisHD application includes a spinning drink selector that makes finding drink recipes fun and easy.
• Build ‘n Bash is a fast-paced 3D action puzzle game where players build buildings from falling girders and bash their opponents all at the same time. And if defeating your opponents isn’t enough, you get to demolish their buildings and watch them crumble to the ground! Players will need to be both constructive and destructive to achieve the ranking of Master Builder.
• TextExpander touch, the iOS version of SmileOnMyMac’s customizable typing shortcut tool, is now available as a universal application optimized for the iPad. The newly-released version takes advantage of the iPad’s larger screen, making it easier to create and edit snippets on the iPad. Over 30 iPhone and iPad apps have added TextExpander support. Users of these apps can expand their TextExpander snippets while typing within these apps.
• mTrip Travel Guides for iPhone and iPod touch is one of the first travel guide applications on the market to offer Augmented Reality. With AR capabilities, travelers will now experience travel in a way they never have before, in virtual reality. mTrip’s goal with AR, along with the many other interactive travel features in the app is to offer the traveler the most exciting and intelligent travel experience.
• Kobo, a global eReading service, has announced the availability of its new iPhone application built specifically for iPhone 4 and the iOS 4 operating system. The application features additional reading format options, automatic syncing, multiple bookmarking and faster navigation. In addition to iPhone, Kobo is available on iPad, Android, BlackBerry, netbooks, tablets and dedicated eReaders – including the Kobo eReader.  All of Kobo’s applications connect to the Kobo eBook store, which features more than two million titles including best sellers, classics, and thousands of free books.
• Aji, LLC has just released iRead PDF, an elegant PDF reader that offers annotation viewing on the iPad, entirely free. Based on iAnnotate, the developer’s powerful PDF annotation tool, iRead is a full-featured PDF reader that supports tabbed reading, bookmarking, comprehensive library search for PDF’s. In addition, iRead provides support for viewing notes, highlights, underlines, or drawings added to documents using iAnnotate or other standard annotation tools like Adobe Reader or Preview.
• KONNET Technology has announced the release of the PowerEZ Plus, a 1000mAh external charging solution for the iPhone and iPod family of devices, including the new iPhone 4.  Affordably priced at $29.99 (US) or $34.99 (CDN), the PowerEZ Plus is the ultimate double-tasking battery pack: it also serves as a sturdy, retractable prop for iPod/iPhone movie watching in widescreen format.
• Mirror App, the simply named iPhone application from DLP Mobile, was released last week for the iPhone 4. The app uses the new phone’s built-in forward-facing camera to turn the new iPhone into a lighted vanity mirror, complete with adjustable color and light settings - day, office, evening and home.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Reviews

Category: Education
Seller: Mirai LLP
Compatibility: iPhone and iTouch
Requirements: iOS 3.0 or later
File Size: 127MB
Price: $4.99 (50% off summer sale); a free lite version is available
Age Rating: 4+

Learning a second language can be a monumental task, especially if you are going at it alone. Having the right tools can make your life easier, having the wrong tools will make it a much harder task. Bearing that in mind, it’s no wonder the App store is chock full of apps designed to help you learn. Some of them are great, while others are only so-so. On which end of the spectrum does iStart Spanish fall?

Lessons

iStart Spanish offers its owner a wide variety of lessons, though they are clearly oriented towards the very beginner. The lessons start with the Spanish language alphabet, for example, so be aware that this will not be for you if you have even a Spanish I course under your belt.

Lessons are formulated in a nice conversational tone. If you want to hear a word or phrase, simply tap on it. This allows for a lot of flexibility in your learning style. Each lesson is also paired with a summary review and a quiz, to help you see how much of the information you have retained.

All in all the selection of lessons totals 50, which is a sizable amount for the cash.

Voices

In any language learning program, the clarity of the speakers is important. iStart Spanish delivers not one, but two clear speakers with different accents: one with a castillian Spanish accent, and the other with a Latin American bent. This gives you a solid base for listening to and speaking Spanish in real life.

Quizzes

The quizzes in this title ask you for a lot of detail. This is good because it forces you to pay attention, but also bad because it can force you to focus on the trees and miss the forest.

Just be sure to not rely too heavily on the quizzes to test your knowledge.

Conclusion

While a great on-the-go study tool, iStart Spanish should be only a part of your arsenal, not all of it. Still, it’s worth the money.

Full Story » | Written by Katie Gatto for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps

Oh, sure, you’ve got your favorites apps. I have mine. But have you ever looked at your home screen and thought, “I wonder if Thomas Jefferson would’ve enjoyed himself some Resident Evil 4? Maybe Betsy Ross could’ve kept her designs better organized with Bento?” Jennifer Jacobson of Retrevo.com had the same thoughts, and put together “The Apps They Might Have Used - American Revolution Edition.”

To celebrate this Independence Day, Retrevo has taken the liberty of imagining what apps some of the most famous people behind the American Revolution might have used on a regular basis. While we can’t go back in time and actually test our ideas, we hope this inspires a new appreciation of what people had to go through in the days before the wiz-bang-appification of society that we so often take for granted.

The article finds apps for George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Betsy Ross. Head on over to Retrevo to see if you have any apps in common with some of the most important figures in our nation’s history.

Read Retrevo.com

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Accessories, iPod, iPod Accessories, Macintosh / Apple Hardware, Laptops, MacBook Air, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Peripherals, Reviews

Provides: Extended battery life for MacBooks and iDevices
Developer: HyperMac
Minimum Requirements: MacBook, iDevice (including iPad), or other USB device
Price: $199.95
Availability: Now

Apple’s iPad gets close to 10 hours of battery life under normal usage. But what if that’s not enough? And on top of that, what if you don’t have access to a power outlet? Then there’s really only one solution: an external battery. HyperMac is here, once again, to save the day and increase your battery life with their newest external battery with iPad support.

In the past, we’ve found HyperMac batteries to be a great solution to extended power needs for MacBooks on the go.  The newest revision to the HyperMac External Battery is no exception.  It has all of the same battery augmenting features as before, with one huge improvement: iPad support.

As iPad owners already know, the iPad won’t charge with any old USB port.  It will charge quite slowly with the screen off, which is better than nothing, but to really charge your iPad, you need a higher powered USB port.  This means that if you don’t have a recent Apple computer, you’re probably limited to the charger that Apple includes with each iPad.  This also means that you can’t just rely on any available USB port to recharge with.  This is great for accessory makers, since you’ll be buying a brand new DC adapter along with new cases, but it sucks for the consumer.  So, if you want to increase your battery life, one of your only choices is HyperMac.  Don’t worry, it’s not a bad thing.

HyperMac’s 60Wh external battery is just one of several that HyperMac offers.  You can get the battery in three other capacities that go up in price, but I think the 60Wh at $199.95 or the 100Wh at $299.95 are the best values.  The 60Wh is extremely portable since it’s very small and light.  The only drawback is that it can’t charge a MacBook Pro with larger than the 13 inch screen, optimally.  That’s why I also recommend the 100Wh capacity.  People who need higher capacities already know who they are.

The previous version of these batteries did not charge iPads properly.  This version does.  That’s pretty much the only difference.  In practice, you’ll be able to recharge a nearly dead iPad slightly more than once.  I recharged my iPad one and a half times, which allowed me to use it without any other power source for almost an entire week. That makes this a great accessory for iPad users who travel frequently; it’s sometimes difficult to find a power outlet in an airport, and this battery eliminates the need almost entirely.

Overall, the HyperMac external battery just can’t be beat.  It’s the only battery that will charge your MacBook along with any of your iDevices. It’s like taking your wall outlet with you, while leaving the adapters behind.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »