iNews Review

3G on Your iPad or Not?, Almost Free Ebook Publishing, Cough in Your iPhone, and More

This Week's iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Apple TV News

Compiled by Charles Moore and edited by Dan Knight - 2010.04.01

So we can post our three news roundups (Mac News Review, The 'Book Review, and iNews Review) earlier, we first do a quick proofread and link check, leaving out images. We add images later when time permits. dk

Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered in The 'Book Review, and general Mac news is in Mac News Review.

All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.

News, Reviews, & Opinion

Apps & Services

Accessories

Presentation

Protection

iPod Deals

These price trackers are updated every month.

News, Reviews, & Opinion

You Don't Need 3G on Your iPad

Gizmodo's Adam Frucci says:

"I don't really understand why anyone would pay $130 extra and then $15 - $30 a month for an iPad with 3G service. What the hell do you people expect to be doing with this thing?

"Here's the deal, people: adding 3G to the iPad is a colossal waste of money. You will barely use 3G, I promise. Anything you'd need a 3G iPad for you already pay for with a 3G phone. And even if you do get on board with a 3G iPad, you'll end up with a useless product in a year or so when the next version comes out. Walk with me....

"Come on, be sensible. You don't need 3G."

Yes, You Should Get 3G on Your iPad

Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan says:

"I bought the 3G version of the iPad for a simple reason: Insurance.

"It comes down to the fact that the way we use the iPad could be radically different in six months than how we use it that first week. I don't know what developers are going to do with it, what kind of device they're eventually going to mold it into, when it'll be socially acceptable to toss it in my satchel and carry it to brunch, or when maybe - just maybe - I might actually be able to use it to do real work instead of laptop. I don't know. But here's the thing: You can change the software. That's the whole point, even. You can't change the hardware. There is no upgrade."

Wired.com's iPad Buyer's Guide

Wired's Brian X. Chen has posted a handy guide to choosing the right iPad for you if you've decided to take the plunge, being as there there are six different versions of the iPad, ranging in price from $500 to $830, although only the three WiFi-only models are shipping at present.

iPad Licensing Agreement Specifies Paid OS Updates (but First One Is Free)

AppleInsider's Prince McLean reports:

"Apple has posted the terms of its firmware licensing agreement for the iPad, which restricts free operating software updates to the current major reference release."

"'Apple will provide you any iPad OS software updates that it may release from time to time, up to and including the next major iPad OS software release following the version of iPad OS software that originally shipped from Apple on your iPad, for free.

"'For example, if your iPad originally shipped with iPad 3.x software, Apple would provide you with any iPad OS software updates it might release up to and including the iPad 4.x software release. Such updates and releases may not necessarily include all of the new software features that Apple releases for newer iPad models.'"

The iPad Needs Its HyperCard

Oreilly.com's Dale Dougherty, editor and publisher of MAKE, says that his favorite CD-ROM product, which he thought held great promise as a landmark approach to multimedia, was Beethoven's 9th Symphony by Robert Winter, a UCLA music professor, in which you saw notes appear that explained the music and some of its features while listening to the symphony - "liner notes on steroids" offering something you couldn't get on a TV or a stereo.

Dougherty notes that the Beethoven 9th application was written in Apple's HyperCard and wonders if the iPad will open up new opportunities for interactive applications occupying a space somewhere between a computer and a TV.

What's missing today, he says, is HyperCard, or an equivalent tool that can be used to create a new wave of applications for the iPad.

Poll: Business Users Want iPad Most

BNET's Erik Sherman reports:

"An interesting survey that Sybase sponsored suggests that people primarily want to use iPads for work. It makes a lot of sense to me, but then it should, as back on January 11 I suggested that the soon-to-be-announced Apple tablet would be a corporate play. And why not? It's a natural positioning for the device, and the approach worked well for the Mac....

"When you think of Apple, it's generally as a consumer electronics company. But that's a relatively recent position. For years, it was the tool of choice of designers, graphics artists, and creatives of many different stripes....

"According to the Zogby International survey, 52.3 percent of those polled would want to conduct work on a tablet 'such as an iPad,' with a likely overlapping 20 percent seeing it as a device to give business presentations."

People Eager to 'Work on the Go' with iPad. What Line of 'Work' Are They In?

Engadget's Darren Murph says:

"So, give this a listen - a survey from the lairs of Sybase has found that among smartphone-owning respondents, some 52.3 percent of them 'would use a tablet device such as the Apple iPad is for working on the go.'....

"We're still trying to figure out how exactly Apple's forthcoming tablet is going to fit between our daily laptop and workhorse-of-a-smartphone, and without a major overhaul of the iPhone OS, we definitely can't visualize ourselves using it for 'work.'"

'iPad Era' Dawning?

Computerworld's Mike Elgan thinks the iPad will be the most important launch in Apple's history - bigger than the Mac, iPod, or iPhone - moreover, the most important cultural phenomenon of this generation.

It's bigger than technology. "The iPad will be huge," says Elgan, arguing that a 'perfect storm' will make iPad the biggest cultural phenomenon since The Beatles, and that all age groups will use the iPad in significant numbers, making it the first consumer electronics product in recent decades to match the age demographic of the TV.

Your editor remains skeptical.

What Do You Mean the iPad Isn't the Answer?

EE Times' Bill Schweber says he has personal bias for or against the Apple iPad, and Apple's tablet may turn out to be a really big deal, but can we cut back on the effusive rhetoric?

Schweber objects to all the breathless hype being visited on this product in the blogosphere echo chamber before hardly anyone has actually used it, and more importantly, used it for awhile. He suggests that while it may be wonderful, the iPad will not be an all-encompassing solution to whatever your problems may be.

"Let's all take a chill pill here, please," says Bill.

iPad Hype: Get a Grip Folks!

PC Mag's Lance Ulanoff suggests that iPad bedazzled folks like Mike Elgan get a grip, acknowledging that the product's release will be exciting, but neither the iPad nor other tablets like it sure to follow won't be a life-changing paradigm-buster.

Ulanoff observes that the iPad is essentially a low-powered laptop without a keyboard - not some futuristic "god-like" device. He thinks that the iPad and other tablets will succeed as a tech market segment, but rejects what he calls "downright nutty stuff" about what iPad and other tablets will do for the tech industry, publishing, and our lives, such as Martha Stewart fretting that the tablet could place of the "magazine format" as a periodical medium, and The Atlantic Monthly's usually lucidly analytical James Fallows hyperbolically likening tablets to electronic flight bags (EFBs) that astronauts use, Ulanoff observing that while "EFBs also let pilots simultaneously work with different kinds of data," we know the iPad won't even multitask, which kind of breaks the analogy.

Some commentators are bordering on the metaphysical with Kevin Kelly, billed as a "Technology Pioneer," suggesting that the new tablet is different from laptops and smartphones because "it watches you . . . perhaps something to do with the lack of a keyboard and a built-in accelerometer but certainly not a webcam, since the iPad doesn't have one, and Ulanoff worries that worry that when it comes to tablets and the iPad, these days no one seems to have his or her head screwed on straight.

Ulanoff summarizes that just as iPhone's arrival didn't spell the end of QWERTY keyboard equipped smartphones, the iPad won't be curtains for the traditional clamshell laptop

5 Things You Need to Know About Tablets

CIO's Agam Shah notes that while they've been tried before, Apple's iPad is bringing tablet computers back into the limelight, and suggesting some points to consider before deciding whether these devices can fulfill your needs, such as:

  1. They're not mini-laptops and not an adequate replacement for one
  2. They do fill a gap, i.e.: the void between the iPhone and the MacBook in an Apple context
  3. They're best for fun, having many drawbacks compared to laptops (no keyboard, limited software support) as work tools, but working well as entertainment devices and ebook readers.
  4. They travel well, and while best-suited for casual use, could find some business uses such as making presentations and working on planes.
  5. Business uses are limited since for one thing the iPad only runs applications from Apple's App Store.

Clear-headed analysis here.

Smashwords Enables Publishing to iPad

Blogger Steve Weber's Plug Your Book Website says:

"Great news last night from Smashwords:

"One of the benefits of your subscription to this exclusive author/publisher alert is you often learn Smashwords news before we announce it to the rest of the world.

"This is one of those times."

Get Your Novel on the iPad for Free

CIO's Tom Kaneshige says:

"Authors with writer's block, listen up: With the iPad poised to bring e-books into the main, along with ebook publishing services like Smashwords inking deals with Apple to get your work in the iBookstore, you're now running out of excuses.

"Smashwords reportedly signed a distribution deal for e-books in Apple's iBookstore, the e-reader app for the iPad, according to blogger Steve Weber's Plug Your Book Website. Smashwords helps authors digitally publish their books for free. The company charges only a small percentage of any book sales."

Self-Published E-books to Make It to iPad at Almost No Cost

VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi reports:

"Big publishers are flocking to the iPad, readying to publish electronic versions of their best-selling books on Apple's much-anticipated tablet device due to launch April 3. But smaller publishing houses are making the move, too, including self-publishing service Smashwords.

"Smashwords, a site where writers can publish their own e-books, said today it has signed a distribution deal with Apple to put its books into the iPad iBookstore. Mark Coker, chief executive of Smashwords, said in an email to authors that his company has been working on the deal ever since the iPad was announced. And, yes, this means that unpublished authors can sell their work on the Apple iPad at virtually no cost."

iPad iBooks Features the Gutenberg Project Catalog - 30,000 Free eBooks

AppAdvice's Alexander Vaughn reports:

"...while we already knew the iPad can read and import eBooks in the ePub format, it probably won't be as necessary as we thought; as the iBookstore already features the Gutenberg Project catalog for free.

"If you're not familiar with the Gutenberg Project, it's a free online digital library supported by volunteers. This library already includes over 30,000 free eBooks from the public domain; it is an amazing popular resource."

First Glimpse of a Real Shanzhai iPad Clone

Chinese tech news site shanzai.com's Song Jiang reports that the Shanzai are quickly gearing up to offer their customers some very compelling iPad-inspired devices. The first of which has been spotted in the wild.

shenclone.jpeg

As shown, the device looks like a faithful homage to Apple's original design, sporting a 10" screen - but it runs Google's Android OS and is powered by a 600 MHz ARM SoC. Song says there's no word yet on the name of manufacturer, but it would appear that an iPad deluge in China is but a few clicks away, and that there's likewise no concrete figure on price yet, he estimated you can expect to pay in the region of 150 bucks.

James Cameron Says Watching Avatar on an iPhone Is 'Dumb'

TUAW's Chris Rawson and TechRadar's Marc Chacksfield separately report that at a press conference where he spoke about the April release of the Blu-ray edition of his latest film, James Cameron said that watching Avatar on the iPhone would be "dumb." More specifically he said, "I don't feel that I'm making movies for iPhones. If someone wants to watch it on an iPhone, I'm not going to stop them, especially if they're paying for it, but I don't recommend it. I think it's dumb, when you have characters that are so small in the frame that they're not visible."

Rawson's article also cites director David Lynch's rant a while back deriding video-watching on the iPhone's 480 x 320 pixel, 3.5" screen, declaring: "Now if you're playing the movie on a telephone, you will never in a trillion years experience the film. You'll think you have experienced it, but you'll be cheated. It's such a sadness that you think you've seen a film on your [expletive deleted] telephone. Get real!"

Your editor couldn't agree more and remains mystified by the evident popularity of watching movies and TV programs on tiny iPhone and iPod displays. Rawson presents a contrarian argument. To each his own, but if I'm going to invest my scarce spare time in watching movies and TV, my minimum requirement is a decent-sized screen, and I consider standard sized laptops barely marginal in this context, let alone smartphones. James Cameron agrees with me there, quoted by Chacksfield commenting that "there's a limit that you wouldn't want to go below . . . I've never watched Avatar on a laptop. I guess it probably works, but I don't recommend it."

Apps & Services

gogoDocs Brings Google Docs to the iPhone and iPod touch, Including Audio and Video

PR: Sounds Broken Inc. announces version gogoDocs 1.1.0, an update to their Google Docs reader for the iPhone. The new version now supports the new "upload any file" feature of Google Docs, including audio and video files, as well as filtering your docs list by name. Newly supported file formats include:

  • MS Office and iWork files that were not converted to Google Docs format on upload
  • Multimedia files such as mov, .mp4, .mpv, and .3gp MPEG-4 Part 2 video (Simple Profile)
  • Audio files such as AAC-LC audio up to 48 KHz, and MP3 up to 48 KHz, stereo audio
  • Most image formats

gogoDocs keeps all of your files handy by synching your Google Docs account to your iPhone or iPod touch. Files are downloaded to your iPhone while it's online, and kept available for viewing offline. Background synching, blazing fast PDF viewer, automatic bookmarking, forward as email, document filtering, and document sharing make gogoDocs an essential tool for all Google Docs and iPhone users.

What People are saying about gogoDocs:

  • This app is truly excellent. Like best the auto sync on startup and unique one screen to show local copied and Google files and not multiple screens of other apps.
  • This is a really handy viewer. I've been using it to read some of my larger PDFs and the pages appear so quickly. The jump to last place viewed is really handy!
  • Great program, I'm able to view all of my things. I have been using it to view big PDFs, and I really like the star sync feature.
  • A very good stable implementation of a Google Docs reader. Thanks!
  • It's so so close to being the perfect Google docs app.

Features:

  • Document Sync - instantly view any document, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF, audio, video file, or image you have synched. Great for flights, subway travel, or any place without a reliable Internet connection.
  • Document Stars - change the starred status of docs right from your phone.
  • File support for Google Docs native files (Document, PDF, Spreadsheet, Presentation in native Google Docs format)
  • File support for MS Office and iWork files that were not converted to Google Docs format on upload.
  • File support for multimedia files such as mov, .mp4, .mpv, and .3gp MPEG-4 Part 2 video (Simple Profile) AAC-LC audio at up to 48 KHz, and MP3 up to 48 KHz, stereo audio as well as most image formats.
  • Synching Preferences - synchronize starred documents to your phone by default, or have all, only visited documents, or none of your documents synched.
  • Long PDF Support - gogoDocs handles long pdfs with ease, unlike other viewers that crawl and crash.
  • Automatic Bookmarking - continue reading where you left off.
  • Document List Filtering - quickly filter your document list by type, starred, hidden, and file name.
  • Document Sharing - Email any of your saved documents as attachments.
  • Portrait and Landscape mode document viewing, pinch or double tap to zoom.

Device Requirements:

  • iPhone and iPod touch (any generation)
  • Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later
  • 3.2 MB

gogoDocs 1.1 is $2.99 (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category.

Easter Giveaway for iPhone PrayerJournal Owners

PR: Bowers Technologies, Inc. announces a special Easter giveaway for owners of their PrayerJournal iPhone app. The company is giving away $200 ($100, $75, $25) in prizes. Customers can register for the giveaway by downloading the latest update and clicking on the giveaway button inside the app.

"We are so thankful for our loyal customers," said Bryan Bowers, founder of Bowers Technologies, Inc. "Words cannot express how much we appreciate them. We are truly blessed by all of their supportive comments and feedback over the past year. This is just our little way of thanking them."

The app has become quite popular in recent months. In March PrayerJournal moved into the top 100 downloads in ten different countries. It reached the 36th most popular app in the United States, and 33rd in South Africa. PrayerJournal is an iPhone app that allows people to more effectively manage their prayer life. Customers have found that their prayer time has been more consistent and they have deepened their spiritual walk.

PrayerJournal includes the following features:

  • Manage an unlimited number of prayer requests
  • Email prayer requests to others
  • Pray for your entire list, a smaller section, a specific person, or just one person picked randomly
  • Record answered prayers, then review them and email to others
  • Sort by person's name or date
  • Password protect the app to safeguard confidential information
  • Tilting of screen to make inputting of prayer requests easier

"Our customers will be happy to know that we are completing a major update to PrayerJournal. In incorporates many of the most popular requests from our customers. We anticipate it will be completed soon after Easter."

Device Requirements:

  • iPhone and iPod touch
  • Requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later
  • 0.7 MB

PrayerJournal 2.4 is 99¢ and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Lifestyle category. Review copies are available upon request.

Screenshot: http://iproduceapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/pj_main.jpg

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia for iPhone and iPod touch

PR: Just shake it! Encyclopaedia Britannica and Paragon Software Group launch the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia 2010 with a unique 'Random Word' feature for iPhone and iPod touch users

Phone and iPod touch users now have a solid and reliable source of information they can carry around in their pockets, thanks to a new version of Britannica Concise Encyclopedia available for those platforms from Paragon Software Group, a leading mobile software developer, and Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Britannica_iPhone.png

Prepared by the editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia 2010 delivers over 25,024 thoroughly researched and fact-checked entries covering art, history, geography, politics, technology, science, sports, pop culture, and other subjects. Whether you are wondering where Wall Street got its name or when the excavation of Pompeii began, you will find that Britannica Concise is the perfect information resource for home, school, and the office. Watch topics come to life with thousands of colorful images and maps. Don't remember the exact spelling of a name, place or event? The advanced "wildcard search" feature allows you to replace unknown letters with symbols, like "*" or "?"

Features:

  • 25,024 unique articles;
  • 800 images and maps;
  • Get a random article by shaking your device; "History" feature shows the last 100 looked-up articles; Learn what happened on any calendar day in history with the 'On This Day' feature; Hyperlinks between articles;
  • Auto-complete function;
  • Search options at the 'Startup' screen;
  • 'Favorites' feature;
  • Browser-like user interface;
  • Share articles with your friends via email.

Britannica_iPhone-2.png

"People need answers they can trust wherever they are today," said Joe Miller, Managing Director of Consumer Products with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. "Whether you're in a restaurant, doing work on the train or just having a conversation with friends, questions come up, or you get curious about something, and you want to know right away. This product puts information you can trust in front of you immediately."

Available for $24.99 (19.99 EUR)

Compatibility: iPhone OS 3.0 and higher

Cough in Your iPhone, Not Your Sleeve

nextnature.net says:

"Coughing into your cell phone could soon save you a trip to the doctor's office. Thanks to software currently being developed by Star Analytical Services, people may soon be able to install an app that can diagnose cold, flu, pneumonia or other respiratory diseases by analyzing the sound of your cough.

"The premises of the software is simple: Trained health workers are already able to distinguish cough types by sound, so why not create software that does the same?

"If the idea is successful, it could save patients across the world a trip to the doctor's office. Instead, they could simply cough into their cell phone and receive a diagnosis a few seconds later."

Ooyala Launches Video Solution for the iPad

PR: Ooyala Inc., a provider of end-to-end video platform applications and services, today announced that it will support full video delivery to iPad when the groundbreaking product launches on April 3rd.

The iPad is more than just another connected device

Ooyala's seamless integration with iPad will help newspapers, magazines and other publishers create rich and engaging iPad experiences for their readers, all managed with the same Ooyala video platform they use for their website.

Ooyala already helps publishers deliver video directly to iPod touch, iPhones and other connected devices. An intelligent video embed lets the Ooyala player automatically recognize each device and adjust video quality and format for the best possible viewing experience. This intelligent video embed has been a part of Backlot, Ooyala's video publishing platform, for over a year.

Publishers who already deliver video to iPhone will be able to deliver video immediately to iPad. Other publishers should contact their account managers to begin using the feature which can be enabled immediately.

"The iPad is more than just another connected device," says Bismarck Lepe, President of Product at Ooyala. "It's an innovation that will drive new ideas in portability and personalized media. We've supported native delivery of video to the iPhone for over a year now, and in that year we've seen huge growth in the amount of video consumed on the device. We expect that starting April 3rd, iPad will build on the success of iPhone and be another important online video device."

Ooyala's comprehensive online video platform gives content owners the deep insights that drive increased viewer engagement and revenue from video content. Ooyala serves hundreds of global media companies and marketers including Telegraph Media Group, Fremantle Media, Johnson & Johnson, General Mills, Vans, Endemol, Vice Magazine, The Glam Network and Electronic Arts.

Accessories

Desk Phone Dock Lets You Use Your iPhone Smarter

PR: With Desk Phone Dock, use your iPhone as your one and only integrated wired desk phone in your office or home environment. Forget battery issues. Integrate your telecommunication devices into iPhone.

Things are being constantly changing. The world is divided into two eras - the world before and after iPhone.

Even though most of your telecommunication is being done via iPhone, you still have a wired desk phone or IP phone on your desk. Are these traditional devices still essential in this new era of iPhone? Probably yes until the advent of Desk Phone Dock.

FLTFmain.jpeg

Desk Phone Dock's major feature is using iPhone as your one and only integrated wired desk phone. In the modern office and mobile environment, traditional telecommunication tools such as desk phones or IP phones are being phased out because every information and function is integrated into iPhone. Now you can combine your desk phones and iPhone into one convenient unit with Desk Phone Dock.

ftlf1.jpg

Your iPhone is the main telecommunication device you need in your office or home, especially if you or your business has a special service plan from your carrier. Some mobile services such as FMC(Fixed Mobile Convergence) make it possible to switch freely between cellular network and WiFi to use VoIP at lower cost. Further more, your iPhone is constantly charging, preventing any battery issues. Desk Phone Dock is a brilliant solution for today's mobile environment.

With Desk Phone Dock, use your iPhone as your one and only integrated wired desk phone in your office or home environment. You can make and receive calls like you did with a traditional wired phone. You don't have to look up a phone number in the other devices any more. Your iPhone is always fully charged and ready to go at any time. It is very convenient for your business and personal needs.

ftlfcu.jpg

Desk Phone Dock has built-in two stereo speakers, microphone, volume control, instant mute and USB & AC power dual sources. With these built-in features and distinctive design, Desk Phone Dock will keep your desk neat.

No more multiple phones, bunch of cables and other accessories on your desk. Use your iPhone smarter with Desk Phone Dock.

Desk Phone Dock has a highly sophisticated design in material and quality. it's "Designed in Seoul and made in Korea".

Designed for any generation of iPhone with/without case

With its distinctive housing structure and adjustable mechanism, any generation of iPhone fits in Desk Phone Dock. Carefully designed space accepts your iPhone even with 2mm thick case. Adjustable level supporter using knob keeps them stable. No need to uncover your case to dock your iPhone.

Desk Phone Dock is made from highly processed aluminum and SF coated plastic which gives soft rubber touch. The sturdy aluminum base offers stability, by preventing Desk Phone Dock from moving around during use. Quality design and materials create a highly sophisticated look and feel.

No outside physical switch

Unlike normal handsets, Desk Phone Dock has no outside physical switch or lever. It works through a reed switch with magnet hidden inside of handset. This makes it possible to easily switch from speaker phone mode to handset mode and vice versa.

ftlfback.jpg

However large your desk is, you never have enough space. The handset cord arranges naturally beneath aluminum base's inside space. Power connector and USB port for charging and data sync are integrated into one connector box. This box is also an AC/DC adapter. Every element has been designed with your convenience in mind.

Presentation

Pioneer Brings iPhone and iPod touch Control to New 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver Line

PR: Consumers looking for an A/V control center with seamless iPhone and iPod touch integration could find it in Pioneer's new line of A/V receivers. The three new 7.1 channel, Works with iPhone certified receivers, the VSX-920-K, VSX-1020-K and the Pioneer-branded flagship receiver the VSX-1120-K, offer enhanced iPhone and iPod touch control and functionality, are 3D capable with the advanced version of HDMI and feature wireless Bluetooth audio streaming for Bluetooth-enabled devices*. Additionally, Pioneer today announced availability of its iControlAV App, which turns compatible iPhone and iPod touch into a fully functioning remote control for the Pioneer receiver, on the App Store.

VSX-1020-K_HERO_WHITE_IPHONE_300.jpg

Last year, the Pioneer line of A/V receivers set record growth in the under $500 price point. We know that the dramatic growth was a direct result of our enhancements to convenience and connectivity options expected from Apple users, said David Bales, marketing manager of audio products for the home entertainment division of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. This year, with the addition of our new app and Bluetooth audio streaming, we expect to hold the leadership position in this category for the second consecutive year by continuing to provide iPhone and iPod touch users with seamless integration to their home A/V experience.

iControl AVR App & Expanded iPhone Functionality

The 7.1 channel models deliver expanded iPhone functionality with the top two models featuring the Company's first app for their home entertainment products and Bluetooth Audio Streaming for wireless devices.

Works with iPhone Certification

The new line of 7.1 receivers are iPhone certified and allow for playback of content on an iPhone and iPod touch including, on-screen display of track data, album art, photos and video on a connected TV. With an included USB/ video cable, users can listen to their music, view photos and watch downloaded as well as stream audio and video such as YouTube and Rhapsody music services all while charging their Apple devices when connected to the receiver.

iControlAV App

Pioneer's first app compatible with their home entertainment products, iControlAV, provides iPhone and iPod touch users convenient integration of their devices with their home theater system. The free iControlAV App turns iPhone and iPod touch into a fully functioning remote control for the VSX-1020-K and VSX-1120-K Pioneer receivers. When the receivers are connected via Ethernet to an existing wireless router, the app allows users to wirelessly control their home theater receiver and includes graphical representations of these four controllable elements:

  • Control - Adjusts the main volume, mute, select and switch inputs including multi-zones as well as display audio/video status information with a slight touch of the screen.
  • Precision - Allows users to turn on/off two of Pioneer's proprietary sound enhancements, PQLS which achieves jitter-free signal transmission via HDMI and Phase Control which permits precise phase control of multi-channel speakers. Video tutorials on each technology are also included.
  • Balance - With a roll and hold motion users can adjust the output balance of their speakers for 360 degree sound leveling to match their present listening position.
  • Emphasis - With a tilt and hold motion users can adjust dialogue and bass levels of the center speaker and subwoofer for optimum clarity of soundtracks with dynamic vocals or video games with extra bass. The display additionally shows a graphic of the status of each speaker.
  • Bluetooth Audio Streaming - The full line of new models feature wireless Bluetooth audio streaming from any Bluetooth-enabled iPhone, iPod touch, Android!" platform, other smart phones or personal computer with an optional Bluetooth adaptor. The Pioneer branded AS-BT100 ($99), Bluetooth Adaptor, allows consumers to keep the phone close to them while they enjoy music through their home theater system.
  • iPhone Control Button - The VSX-920-K and VSX-1020-K feature a front panel button that transfers iPod navigation control and on-screen display from the A/V receiver's remote control back to the connected iPhone or iPod touch so users can easily and quickly navigate through their library of media files directly on the device.
  • 3D Ready Features - As 3D technology is introduced to the mass marketplace, Pioneer has incorporated features into its line of A/V receivers that allow seamless integration into a 3D home theater system.
  • HDMI 1.4 - The latest HDMI version 1.4, provides more high definition connectivity options for consumers seeking compatibility with the latest audio and video formats. HDMI 1.4 allows for passage of the high data transfer rate required by the Blu-ray 3D specification as well as a new 3D specific command protocol. Additionally, the flagship VSX-1120-K features an Audio Return Channel, which allows a receiver to reproduce audio from a compatible TV's built-in tuner.
  • Dolby ProLogic IIz Decoding - Audio performance is paramount in an A/V receiver, and all the new Pioneer receivers are equipped to decode new HD audio formats including Dolby True HD and DTS Master with the new Dolby ProLogic IIz height channel. For the ultimate home theater experience, Dolby ProLogic IIz identifies non directional audio cues that occur naturally in a surround sound mix. The appropriate elements of the signal are directed to front height speakers for an enhanced surround sound experience. Creating the depth and dimension of a lifelike soundstage, this speaker configuration is compatible with all 5.1 and stereo entertainment content, is ideal for gamers and may also complement a 3D video experience. The new technology provides new 7.1 speaker placement options for consumers as well as easier installation solutions. Additionally, the top two models feature Pioneer's proprietary Front Wide Mode which adds versatility and dimension to a 7.1 speaker arrangement.

Multi-Media Connectivity and Pioneer's Proprietary A/V Technology

Pioneer incorporated its proprietary audio enhancement technology that restores Bluetooth transmissions as well as advanced room calibration technologies into its 7.1 channel line.

  • Sound Retriever AIR - The VSX-1120-K and VSX-1020-K feature the new Pioneer-developed Sound Retriever AIR. Similar to Advanced Sound Retriever (ASR), Sound Retriever AIR restores critical audio data that is often removed from compressed audio files during the encoding process and for the first time, restores data from Bluetooth transmissions.
  • Internet Radio - When connected to a home network, users can enjoy thousands of Internet radio stations worldwide, ranging from music and news to sports and talk on the flagship VSX-1120-K and VSX-1020-K. Both models come with 24 preloaded preset stations, easy URL entry of personal favorites and optional keyboard entry through the front USB input.
  • Video Processing - Pioneer A/V receivers have a strong heritage as the ultimate in video processing, and this year is no exception. All receivers feature high performance video conversion to HDMI and 1080p video scaling to ensure the highest quality video reproduction from analog digital and lower resolution video sources. The VSX-1120-K also features a Pioneer-tuned Marvell Qdeo!" video processor providing the highest quality video switching for superb clarity and accuracy that was only previously found in flagship Elite models.
  • Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration - The VSX-1120-K is THX!" Select2 Plus certified to create the power and performance of the cinema in your home theater and utilizes high power discrete transistors for accurate, multi-channel amplification. Additionally, Pioneer's proprietary room calibration and sound tuning technology, MCACC, is utilized to analyze the room's speakers and optimize each one to balance out any room-induced acoustic inaccuracies. MCACC provides an optimal, customized audio experience in any room configuration. The VSX-1020-K and VSX-1120-K feature Advanced MCACC which adds a wider variety of room calibration enchantments including an adjustable 9-band EQ and on-screen graphic user interface.
  • Precision Quartz Locking System - The two top models feature the proprietary Pioneer Precision Quartz Locking System (PQLS) which utilizes the digital clock in the A/V receiver to exactly synchronize the signal passage from a compatible Pioneer Blu-ray player. This creates absolute synchronized and jitter-free playback of all advanced audio formats. The VSX-1020-K features two-channel PQLS for jitter-less CD playback while the VSX-1120-K additionally offers multi-channel PQLS for enhanced DVD and Blu-ray Disc playback.

7.1 Channel Receivers - At a Glance

  • VSX-920-K - $399
  • VSX-1020-K - $549
  • VSX-1120-K - $749

All models are finished with a premium glossy, black. The VSX-920-K, VSX-1020-K will be available in May 2010 and the flagship VSX-1120-K will be available in June 2010.

Pioneer's iControlAV App is currently available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

It all began with a passion for music that Pioneer founder Nozomu Matsumoto hoped to share with the world. He started Pioneer in 1938 as a specialty speaker company, building products out of his garage. Today, Pioneer's Home Entertainment and Business Solutions Group continues Matsumoto's enthusiasm, developing award-winning audio and video home theater products including A/V receivers, Blu-ray Disc and DVD players, and speakers. Long-standing partnerships and collaborations with the creative community have provided Pioneer unique insight in its quest to capture the purity of a movie or musical artist's original vision into its broad range of home entertainment products. The company's brands include Pioneer and Elite.

* Bluetooth audio streaming requires iPod touch (2nd generation or later), iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS with iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

Link: iControlAV (download link)

Protection

The Walkabout - iPad Leather Folio

PR: Introducing the Walkabout for the iPad, by case-mate. The Walkabout is a top opening case for the iPad constructed of premium tan leather. The top enclosure is secured by two magnets for easy access to open the folio, as needed, but strong enough to keep your iPad secured in the walkabout at all times.

CaseMateTheWalkaboutiPadLeatherFolio.png

  • Designed for the user that wants convenience with style
  • Embedded magnets in the top flap secure the iPad while in transit.

CaseMateTheWalkaboutiPadLeatherFolio1.png

$79.99

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