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."
Link: You Don't
Need 3G on Your iPad
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."
Link: You Should Get 3G
on Your iPad
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.
Link: Wired.com
Buyer's Guide: Choose the Right iPad
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.'"
Link:
iPad Licensing Agreement Specifies Paid Annual OS Updates
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.
Link: The
iPad Needs Its HyperCard
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."
Link:
Zogby Poll: Business Users Want Apple's iPad Most
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.'"
Link:
Survey Finds People Eager to 'Work on the Go' with iPad, We Wonder What
Line of 'Work' They're in
'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.
Link: 'iPad
Era' Dawning?
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.
Link: What
Do You Mean the iPad Isn't the Answer?
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
Link: iPad Hype: Get a
Grip Folks!
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:
- They're not mini-laptops and not an adequate replacement for
one
- They do fill a gap, i.e.: the void between the iPhone and the
MacBook in an Apple context
- 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.
- They travel well, and while best-suited for casual use, could find
some business uses such as making presentations and working on
planes.
- Business uses are limited since for one thing the iPad only runs
applications from Apple's App Store.
Clear-headed analysis here.
Link:
Five Things You Need to Know About Tablets
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."
Link:
Smashwords Enables Publishing to Apple iPad
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."
Link:
Getting Your Novel on the iPad for Free
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."
Link:
Self-Published E-books to Make It to Apple's iPad for Almost 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."
Link:
iPad iBooks Features the Gutenberg Project Catalog - 30,000 Free
eBooks
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.
Link:
First Glimpse of a Real Shanzhai iPad Clone
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."
Link:
James Cameron Says Watching Films on an iPhone Is 'Dumb'
Link:
James Cameron: 'Watching Avatar on an iPhone Is Dumb'
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.
Link: gogoDocs
(download
link)
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
Link: PrayerJournal (download
link)
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
Link: Encyclopedia
Britannica (download
link)
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."
Link:
Cough in Your Cellphone, Not Your Sleeve
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.
Link: Ooyala
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.
Link: Desk
Phone Dock
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.
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
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CaseMateTheWalkaboutiPadLeatherFolio1.png
$79.99
Link: The Walkabout
