News, Reviews, & Opinion
The Competition
Apps & Services
Accessories
iPod Deals
These price trackers are updated every month.
Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered in The 'Book Review, and general Mac news is in
Mac News Review. Older Macs are
covered in Vintage Mac News. All
prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
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Apple's iTunes/iBook/App/Mac App Store support Low End Mac.
News, Reviews, & Opinion
iOS Is 'The Windows' of Tablets
Barrons' Tech Trader Daily Columnist Tiernan Ray cites UBS
Securities hardware analyst Steve Milunovich who contends that Apple's
iOS is the "new Windows," has a Buy rating on Apple shares, and has a
$780 price target for Apple shares.
Milunovich observes that Apple is gaining as the ratio of total
notebooks to iPads plus MacBooks, which peaked at over 30x in 2006, is
now just 1.6x, deducing that not only could iPad maintain half the
tablet market, but Apple's MacBooks might poach a significant number of
Windows PC users, that increasing diversity in tablets offered on the
market plays to Apple's simple solution advantage, and that Microsoft's
Surface tablet computer Windows 8 will struggle to make inroads against
Apple's market head start and lead.
Link: Apple's iOS is 'the
New Windows,' as MSFT Late to Tablets, Says UBS
iPad mini Makes Retina iPad Seem a Heavy Beast
Cnet's Brooke Crothers says the iPad
mini can make you think unpleasant thoughts about your Retina iPad, noting that after you use the 0.7
lb. Mini for a while, picking up a 1.45 lb. Retina iPad is a bit of a
shock every time, causing him to wonder if there couldn't have been
some way for Apple to make the Retina iPad less like a dense slab of
aluminum attached to a great display?
Probably not, he concludes, noting the prodigious hardware capacity
needed to support all those pixels.
Link: iPad mini Ruins
Retina Chic
Apple Breaks New Ground with iPhone 5's In-Cell
Touch and iPad mini's DITO Film Structure
PR: With the advent of new touch sensor structures driven by
consumer demand for lighter and thinner devices, NPD DisplaySearch
finds that in-cell touch technology and DITO (dual ITO) film are the
wave of the future. NPD DisplaySearch reports that more than 7.5% of
the mobile phone marketplace will be using in-cell touch in 2012, a
number that is estimated to grow to 16.7% by 2018. In addition, tablet
PCs, which primarily utilize projected capacitive touch technology,
will see a5% shipment share of DITO film structure technology in
2012.
Apple's, newest iPad and iPhone models incorporate these new touch
sensor structures. The iPhone 5 uses in-cell touch technology, which is
a major change to the touch structure since the first iPhone model in
2007. Meanwhile, the iPad mini features a DITOfilm structure.
"These two new projected capacitive touch sensor structures enabled
Apple to reduce the thickness and weight of the iPhone 5 and iPad
mini," says Calvin Hsieh. Research Director, NPD DisplaySearch. "These
factors contribute to the consumer demand for these products, but
manufacturing the new sensors has proven problematic."
Apple sources the 4" 1136 x 976 (326 ppi) in-cell touch LCD from LG
Display, Japan Display Inc., and Sharp under a license to use Apple's
in-cell touch patents. Under the terms of the agreement, these panel
makers are not allowed to sell LCD panels of any size using Apple's
in-cell touch patents to other companies. Limited production along with
the challenges in producing the new sensors with strict performance
requirements have resulted in poor yield rates (70-80% or less) in the
LCD panel manufacturing. These challenges have also led to a higher
price for in-cell touch.
The iPad mini represents the first tablet PC display to incorporate
a DITO film touch sensor, which is lighter and thinner than DITO glass
(0.125 compared to 0.4mm). However, there are challenges with
production of the sensor on film and lamination since it is easily
broken when stretched. Also, alignment of film sensors is more
difficult than with rigid glass, especially for larger sizes. These
challenges have resulted in low production yield rates, which have been
a contributor to the higher entry price of $329 for the iPad mini.
Other tablet PCs which are less expensive, use glass sensors or a
one-glass solution with optical bonding.
"In-cell touch and DITO film offer some clear advantages, but at the
expense of lower yield rates and higher costs - at least in the early
stages of production," Hsieh notes. "Apple has concluded that the
benefits of thinner, lighter devices will be highly valued by
consumers."
The NPD DisplaySearch 2012 Touch Panel Market Analysis offers a
comprehensive breakdown of touch panel technologies and their market
forecasts through 2018. This report provides detailed analysis of 23
applications (including TVs), 12 touch technology categories (including
sensor-on-cover and gesture-in-air), and nine size categories. It also
has details on touch controller ICs, the sensor market, shipments by
area, and forecasts for multitouch through 2018.
DisplaySearch surveyed over 200 suppliers of touch screen modules,
controller ICs, ITO film, and other components to produce the 2012
Touch Panel Market Analysis. These firms are profiled in the report
along with 2011 historical shipments and revenues for more than 110
touch screen suppliers.
Link: Touch Panel Market
Analysis
The Competition
BlackBerry OS 10 Is 'Awesome'
BlackBerry 10 overlays.
The Register's Andrew Orlowski notes that BlackBerry users have a
love-hate relationship with their phones, and that while there are
things a BlackBerry can't do very well or at all, it is also capable of
doing many things that its rivals can't match.
So will that unique functionality be retained in the new user
interface for BlackBerry OS 10?
Orlowsky notes that with rival mobile operating systems, it's a pain
to switch between apps when you simply need to compare information
shown in each one, but BB10 makes it possible for two app views to
overlay each other.
He summarizes that BB10 is by some distance the most brutally
efficient multitouch interface he's used so far, making the others look
like hard work, noting that phones sell on the user interface, so this
is very good indeed.
Link: BlackBerry
10: AWESOME. If the Hardware Matches It, RIM Jobs Are Safe
Microsoft Pledges to Support Surface with Windows
RT until 2017
The Register's Iain Thomson reports that Microsoft has set the date
for the end of mainstream support for its Surface tablet running
Windows RT as April 11, 2017, with Office products likely to get
similar support, noting that compared to the competition, Microsoft's
support strategy looks pretty good. Users who bought the original iPad are already locked out of
iOS 6 on their less-than-two-year-old machines, for example, and
with Android, the situation is more fragmented still, with the majority
of users stuck on older builds.
However, Thompson notes that Microsoft's pledge to support Surface -
and by inference Windows RT - for nearly five years suggests that it's
not planning on making many changes to the OS in that interval.
Link: Microsoft
Supporting Surface with Windows RT until 2017
Jason O'Grady Is Returning His Microsoft
Surface
The Apple Core's Jason D. O'Grady says that over the weekend he was
at an impasse, with the 30-day return window on his Microsoft Surface
closing and having to make a decision.
He decided to return it.
O'Grady says he pre-ordered a Surface with Windows RT at launch,
because he was super-excited to use Microsoft's answer to the iPad. For
him it looked like an ideal second machine to his MacBook Pro and a way
to get some exposure to Windows and Windows apps.
However, while he says the Surface is a credible device with a lot
of potential, it's not ready for the big leagues. Some of the reasons
why he returned his Surface are:
- It's slow.
- Lack of apps
- WiFi only
- It's rough around the edges.
However, O'Grady did like Windows 8, which he says is very
customizable and user-friendly, and while die-hard Windows users may
not like the (formerly-known-as) Metro UI, it's simple, clean, and a
total departure from everything before it - and also the first
mainstream mobile OS that's not a complete rip-off of iOS.
Link: Reboxing: Why I'm
Returning My Microsoft Surface
Apps & Services
iPhone App Brings Unlimited Free Legal Music
PR: A new iPhone App, Brownees 1.3, allows users unlimited
access to free music by tapping YouTube's vast array of freely
available music.
Brownees claims to be the ultimate application for music lovers: No
limits, no subscription, and it's perfectly legal. Brownees simply uses
the free and accessible YouTube audio flows.
Brownees allows you to listen to and store songs on your iPhone
chosen from a catalog of tens of millions of shares. With one click,
you can access any song on YouTube and can legally enjoy the YouTube
online library directly on your device.
Your selected songs remain available on your iPhone even without
Internet connection.
Brownees also offers its users the ability to share their favorite
songs on Facebook. Additionally, you can also save your complete
playlists online and share them on by Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Features Highlights
- Listen to millions of songs on your iPhone limitless
- Using the cache mode, enjoy your music without any Internet
connection
- Create playlists to sort and organize your music
- Keep an eye on the News and on the best titles ranking
- Share your music tastes with your friends on Facebook
- Discover what your friends are listening
Language Support: English and French
Device Requirements:
- iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- Requires iOS 5.0 or later
- 10.3 MB
Brownees 1.3 is $1.99 (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and
available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Music
category.
Link:
Brownees
Experience Music the Vintage Way with Your
iPad
PR: Do you remember the swing of the big band? The sound of
jazz tickling through pop music? Were you one of the bobbie soxers,
mesmerized by the voice of Blue Eyes? Did you go wild for The Beatles
or scream for The Stones? Do you still long for funky soul, anarchistic
British punk, or those high-pitched voices singing Staying Alive?
Well, here's your chance to re-experience the sound of those days,
while enjoying all 21st century gizmos.
Vinyl - the Real Record Player 1.0, turns your iPad into a vintage
record player that allows you to listen to your music the old-fashioned
way. Vinyl consists of many different crisply designed record players,
from plastic toy player to full-fledged hi-fi. Every turntable allows
you to travel back to an old-skool music experience. From the 1940's to
the start of the new millennium: Vinyl gives you the unique look, feel
and - most importantly - truly recognizable sound.
Enhancing the authentic experience, Vinyl is full of witty analog
features. For example, records get gray and dirty when played
frequently. (You can restore them by tapping the magical clean button.)
You can play around with the RPM pitch and scratch like you're
Grandmaster Flash himself. When you bump you're iPad, you'll find out
that Vinyl is as sensible as a real record player. Oh, and records can
even get stuck in the groove, in the groove, in the groove.
Device Requirements:
- iPad 2 WiFi, iPad 2 WiFi + 3G, iPad, iPad WiFi + 4G, iPad, iPad
WiFi + Cellular
- iPad mini and iPad mini WiFi + Cellular
- Requires iOS 5.0 or later
- 91.4 MB
Vinyl - the Real Record Player 1.0 is 99$ (or equivalent amount in
other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App
Store in the Music category. Watch Vinyl in action in the video. The
iPhone version will be published in the near future.
Link:
Vinyl - the Real Record Player
Free WordPress for iOS
PR: WordPress has never been quite so mobile before.
Designed for both iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad, WordPress for iOS
makes it easy to share photos, write posts, and edit your content while
on the go.
Elegant Composing
Creating and editing posts is at the heart of the WordPress
experience. Write, add photos, check your spelling, and even create
links without having to write a single line of code or HTML.
When you're writing and you'd like a bit more room, just rotate the
screen. WordPress will automatically adjust to a more comfortable
widescreen layout.
Effortless Comments
Moderate,
edit, or reply to comments its never been easier to stay in touch with
your readers. Swipe a comment to reveal a quick moderation menu. For
popular posts, you can quickly bulk moderate comments through the
intuitive interface.
Gorgeous Photos
Add as many photos as you like WordPress will automatically insert
them into your post. Both high resolution and web optimized photos look
and work great. Have a photo blog? Use the Quick Photo feature to post
a photo in seconds.
Easy Reading
If you have a WordPress.com account, use the Reader to follow your
favorite blogs on WordPress.com and anywhere else on the web. You can
Like or Reblog a post to your site in just one tap.
That's just a taste of what WordPress for iOS can do.
Download it from the App Store and you'll be up and running in no
time.
New in Version 3.2.1:
- Improved login for Jetpack Stats
- Fixed multiple crashes
- Updated translations: German, Hebrew, Croatian, Hungarian, Italian,
Norwegian, Dutch, Chinese
New in Version 3.2:
- Featured Image support
- Push Notifications for self-hosted blogs using Jetpack (Only the
owner of the blog will receive push notifications for new comments on
their own posts. All authors on a blog will be able to receive push
notifications in the next version of Jetpack.)
- More Accessible Settings
- Almost 70 bugs and crashes fixed, including tweaks to Stats
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
System requirements:
- Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
- Requires iOS 4.3 or later
- This app is optimized for iPhone 5
Free
Link:
WordPress for iOS
File Storage: Store Files on Your iOS Device and
Share Them with Other Devices and Computers
PR: Store your
files without limits. Enjoy them anywhere, anytime. Even offline. And
quickly share them with other devices over WiFi or Bluetooth. Rock
solid app, easy to use and perfectly integrated into iOS.
What you can do with File Storage:
- Store virtually any type of file on your device.
- Use the built-in viewer for common files.
- Send files to specific third-party apps.
- Send files as email attachments.
- Choose to compress attachments on the fly before sending them via
email.
- Import photos and videos from the library of the device.
- Accept any type of file from any other app.
- Browse and view the contents of ZIP, RAR, and 7-ZIP files on the
fly without having to uncompress the entire archive.
- Open password-protected ZIP and RAR files.
- Create folders to organize your files.
- Print your files with AirPrint.
- Send/receive files in real time using the iTunes File Sharing (over
WiFi or using a USB cable).
- Send/receive files over WiFi using the free File Storage Companion
or the professional File Transfer, for Mac and PC. Drag files and they
are transferred to your device in seconds. Without iTunes and without
USB cable.
- Send/receive files over WiFi or Bluetooth to other
iPhones/iPads/iPod Touches.
Built-in viewer
for:
- Documents (pdf, doc/docx, xls/xlsx, ppt/pptx, pages, numbers,
keynote, txt, htm/html, ...)
- Pictures (jpg/jpeg, png, tiff, gif, bmp, ...)
- Compressed files (zip, rar, and 7z)
- Audio files (mp3, aac, wav, ...)
- Video files (mov, ...)
iOS 6 and iPhone 5 compatible. This app is designed for both iPhone
and iPad.
New in Version 2.1:
- Bug fixes and general improvements.
System requirements:
- Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod
touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th
generation) and iPad.
- Requires iOS 5.0 or later.
- This app is optimized for iPhone 5
$2.99
Link:
File Storage
Dell Makes the Cloud Personal with New Cloud
Software for Windows RT Tablets, Apple iPad, and PocketCloud Web
PR: PocketCloud, a feature-rich family of personal cloud
apps, provides access to content on any desktop from mobile
devices.
Users can search, view, organize, and share files across multiple
devices via one centralized application on Google Android, Apple iOS,
or Microsoft Windows RT devices, and from any Web browser.
PocketCloud Explore and Web apps enable peer-to-peer sharing of
content among computers and mobile devices
PocketCloud Companion to be installed as standard on all Dell XPS
and Dell Inspiron laptops sold in North America
Dell today has announced enhancements to its Dell Wyse PocketCloud
app portfolio to help connect individuals with their professional and
personal content anytime, anywhere from mobile devices or remote
computers.
PocketCloud Explore and PocketCloud Web provide a secure and fast
way to remotely connect to users PCs and Macs from Android, iOS and
Windows RT devices, including the Dell XPS 10 tablet, or any Web
browser, enabling users to access and share any content.
Today, users are increasingly looking to gain access to their
personal and professional content on a number of different devices,
sometimes running on a variety of operating systems, and PocketCloud
enables them to easily create a personal cloud to search, view,
organize, and share content among mobile devices and computers.
Documents, videos, photos, music, and other files are readily available
on tablets and smartphones with PocketCloud Explore, or in a desktop
browser with PocketCloud Web.
PocketCloud Explore
Dell Wyse has announced the availability of PocketCloud Explore for
iPad and Windows RT to provide users with additional choices for
remotely accessing their personal and professional content. The new
releases complement the existing versions of PocketCloud apps for iOS
and Android devices, which since their launches have had more than 3.7
million downloads and consistent 4 to 4.5 star ratings on both the
Apple App Store and Google Play.
PocketCloud Web
The company is also announcing the release of its PocketCloud Web
app and service, which brings all the features and benefits of the
PocketCloud Explore apps to any Web browser. Users can now utilize a
public computer and remotely access all the content office files,
photos, videos and music - on their personal and professional computers
and stored in their own personal cloud. For multimedia content, users
can upload and download files between their devices and remote
computers, share content by streaming audio and video files from their
remote computers and open remote files through a viewer or download and
edit within a compatible local application.
PocketCloud Companion
Also, Dell is announcing PocketCloud Companion, the client broker
for Windows and Mac operating systems that provides access to content
and applications stored on remote computers. PocketCloud Companion will
be installed as standard on all Dell XPS and Dell Inspiron computers
shipped in North America starting Nov. 15, enabling users to easily
build their own personal cloud to remotely manage their content from
their smartphone and tablet device.
PocketCloud Explore for iPad and Windows RT are available
immediately as free downloads in the Apple App Store and Windows Store
respectively. Registration for PocketCloud Web is available at http://www.pocketcloud.com
Link:
PocketCloud Explore
Vintage Time: Free Virtual Antique Timepiece for
iPad
PR: Inviting the user to take a trip back to a simpler time,
HolosOne has launched its Vintage Time 1.0, a unique mechanical marvel
that combines six features into one elegantly designed timepiece for
the iPad. More than just a clock, Vintage Time includes six different
features: clock, timer, stopwatch, weather, outside temperature, and
date.
"We created Vintage
Time to be gorgeous to look at, listen to, and be inspired by," says
Josip Bujas, cofounder of HolosOne. "The app transforms your iPad into
a showpiece worthy of displaying on your desk or bookshelf."
The app reminds users of a time when even a simple timepiece was a
small treasure to be passed down through the generations. And an era
when winding a pocket watch was a relaxing ritual.
"Our wondrous Vintage Time app takes you back to the golden age of
clockworks when watchmaking was an art," says Jerko Latkovic, CEO of
HolosOne. "It is not only stunning to look at, but also delights with
touch and sound."
Each time the user swipes or taps inside Vintage Time, they are
treated to a new sound - gears, wheels, sprockets and more. The rarely
heard mechanical sounds are a unique feature of the app and reminiscent
of time gone by. An intuitive interface makes setting each of the six
main features simple. They are all easily found on one screen, without
the need to hunt through the app.
The main part of the app is a large clock with elegant hands
sweeping across its face. The date and day of week are also clearly
visible. An alarm can be quickly set by moving the red clock hand.
Choose which days of the week to hear it. Before heading outside, check
the current temperature conveniently shown in the app along with the
weather (sun, clouds, rain, etc.).
With a simple finger slide, the countdown timer can be set at any
time. Users can also start, pause, or reset a handy stopwatch.
Feature Highlights:
- Vintage Styling - A fully mechanical 12 hour clock with detailed
graphics
- Easy to Use - Simple operation to set time and alarm
- Helpful Extras - Includes handy stopwatch and timer
- Plan Your Day - Weather module includes outside temperature
display
- Blast From the Past - Unique mechanical sounds from yesteryear
As an added feature, users can upgrade Vintage Time to repair
visible cracks and enhance the clock's beauty.
Device Requirements:
- Requires iPad with iOS 5.1 or later
- 53.2 MB
Vintage Time 1.0 is free and available worldwide exclusively through
the App Store in the Utilities category.
Link:
Vintage Time
GoRoostr Buys Used or Broken Apple Products
PR: GoRoostr say they aren't just another Apple buy-back
company. While they do just that - give you money for your used and
broken Apple products - they also claim to bring outstanding customer
service and reliability in each transaction to the equation.
Competitive prices
When you're looking to sell back a used iPhone, iPad, or MacBook,
you have options - and with those options comes a confusing world of
pricing. Lots of companies use broad categories and vague descriptions
of a device to determine a cookie cutter price. It's not always as
simple as using a one word description to assign value to a product.
GoRoostr offers custom quotes, paying attention to overlooked details,
that ensures a more accurate estimate for your device.
Expect competitive rates from GoRoostr
Consistently keeping an eye on the market allows them to offer the
most current and accurate price for your device. The value of your
device is a priority, not a secondary concern.
Many other services have been notorious to promise a payout price,
but send a check that didn't reflect that agreed-upon rate. GoRoostr
delivers on the original price, no surprises. Accurately describe your
device, and you'll get the money that you expect and deserve.
The payout
The most important part of the deal for the customer is getting
paid. When GoRoostr receives your device, they'll take a look to make
sure you're getting the most competitive value. If for any reason the
payout amount for your device has changed, someone will promptly
contact you and explain the circumstances. Once the device is
evaluated, you can expect your payment to be sent within 24 hours. You
can choose check or PayPal for your payment.
Customer service
When questions arise, so will answers. There's no longer a need to
wait for days for an email response. Employees work hard and love what
they do. Their goal is to provide you with the most fair and honest
deal in the business.
Providing this kind of white glove customer service sets them apart
in this business. It's a breath of fresh air for the customer to be
able to communicate with people that know what they're talking about
and are available to help.
Simplicity
Selling your Apple devices back with GoRoostr is a simple, efficient
process from start to finish. Their easy-to-use website walks you
through each step, and customer service is always available. Expect
value with each and every transaction - not just with the final check,
with the experience as a whole.
Link: GoRoostr
Accessories
Will.i.am's iPhone Accessories to 'Turn
Smartphones into Genius Phones'
The Telegraph's Georgia Dehn reports that Black Eyed Peas star and
entrepreneur Will.i.am will launch his new line of iPhone hardware,
which he claims "will turn your smartphone into a 'genius-phone'."
The first of a series of digital products from Will.i.am's consumer
electronics and app venture i.am+ is an accessory that clips onto an
iPhone and transforms the 8 MP smartphone camera into a 14 MP
camera, claimed to dramatically enhance clarity and definition of
photographs.
Best known for being a multi-platinum music artist, producer, and
front man for The Black Eyed Peas, Will.i.am is also an innovator,
technology fan, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and was last year
also named a "director of creative innovation" by Intel Corp.
At a three day conference of 1,000 top senior technologists, Intel
Fellows and experts from 22 countries who convened at the Oregon
Convention Center in January, 2011, to share ideas and gain
cross-discipline education. When Will.i.am was appointed Intel's
director of creative innovation in 2011, he was cited in an Intel
release noting that "Nearly everything I do involves processors and
computers, and when I see an Intel chip I think of all the creative
minds involved that help to amplify my own creativity. Teaming up with
the scientists, researchers and computer programmers at Intel to
collaborate and co-develop new ways to communicate, create, inform and
entertain is going to be amazing."
In his role with Intel, Will.i.am was to collaborate with Intel on
many creative and technology endeavors across the "compute continuum"
that may include such devices as laptops, smartphones and tablets.
Link: Will.i.am's iPhone
Accessories to 'Turn Smartphones into Genius Phones'
