iCloud is a pretty neat system, working in the background across a ton of different apps without much input needed from us users, except our login name and password. It lets you sync Notes, Reminders, save documents, keep game saved-states, and even manage your music collection

Track Your Notes With iCloud

I still like Stickies, but Notes synced via iCloud may actually be better.

I’ve been a big fan of Apple’s Stickies app since way back in System 7.5. It’s great to be able to have a little floating place to type notes and keep track of things right on the Mac, without having to resort to anything as mundane as an actual, paper-based sticky note.

The one thing Stickies doesn’t do well is synchronize across devices. With OS X Mountain Lion, however, you can make this happen using Notes and iCloud.

Head into the System Preferences and click on the iCloud preference pane icon. Once in there, add in your Apple ID and login with your credentials. Be sure to check the Notes app as an app you want to sync via iCloud. You can have many Macs set up with the same iCloud account, making this a nice way to sync notes privately across computers you’re using daily, like your work and your home computer, or your laptop and desktop Mac. If both machines are logged in to iCloud, the notes will sync up in close to real time.

Another advantage here is syncing your Notes up with your iPhone or iPad. Tap into the Settings app on your iOS device and then swipe down to iCloud. Tap iCloud and then add the same account that you did on your Mac. Be sure to toggle the Notes app sync to ON. When you open Notes on your Mac or on your iPhone, now, the note will sync to either device, again almost in real time.

To pin your note to your Mac screen, launch Notes on your Mac, then double click on the note you want to “tear off.” It will open in a non-standard window, and basically float there, ready for easy access. Try it–change the note on your Mac, your iPhone, and your other connected devices, it’s really quite fun.

Dump iCloud As The Default Save Location In Text Edit

These days, Text Edit, Apple’s basic text editing program, uses iCloud as the default location for saving files. Which is all very fine and dandy, but what if you don’t want to save all your random Text Edit stuff in iCloud? Are you out of luck?

Nope, of course not! We wouldn’t even be writing this tip if you were.

There’s a simple Terminal command which will set the default to your local hard drive instead of iCloud. You can still save to iCloud, of course; it just won’t be the first place that shows up when you hit “Save” while working in Text Edit (or any other iCloud-enabled apps).

To make this desirable outcome happen, launch Terminal from your Utilities folder, itself in the Applications folder. Once Terminal launches, type or paste the following command in:

defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSDocumentSaveNewDocumentsToCloud -bool false

Now, when you go to save a file in Text Edit or other iCloud-enabled apps, the default will be on your local Mac, instead of iCloud. I set my destination to the Documents folder. You can still save to iCloud, of course, just click on the popup menu and choose iCloud as your save location, as per usual.

If you find yourself wanting to save stuff to iCloud more easily, again, and want to turn things back to the way they were, simply type or paste the below command into a Terminal session. Easy!

defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSDocumentSaveNewDocumentsToCloud -bool true

Now it’ll all be back to iCloud as normal. Hooray! You can thank us later, or in the comments below.

Use Shared Reminders To Collaborate

Got a holiday or b-day wish list you’d like to share with significant others, making sure they never need to directly ask you what you want ever again? How about a grocery list that you can add to, secure in the knowledge that your husband or wife will know to stop and get garlic at the store on the way home from work? Or even a shared task list for your work teammates, guaranteeing that you can hold them responsible for stuff on “the list?”

Sounds pretty handy, right? Well, you can make it happen fairly easily: use Reminders on the Mac, an app that comes with Mountain Lion and syncs via iCloud to iOS devices, as well as with iCloud.com. Here’s how to set it up.

Launch the Reminders app on your Mac the way you usually do, whether via the Dock, Launchpad, or a double click. Once it’s up and running, create a new iCloud list by clicking on the Plus button in the lower left of the Reminders window and selecting “iCloud” from the list type pop-up menu. Now, hover your mouse over the new list, and click on the little broadcast icon to the right of the list name.

You’ll get a bubble that allows you to type in an address of a person in your Contacts list, or anyone with an iCloud account. People you share the list with can add, update, and delete reminders as well, making this a great way to manage a list with multiple people. The people you share the list with will be able to access the Reminders on their Macs as well as their iCloud enabled iOS devices.

You can also access your shared lists on iCloud.com, and add people to the shared list there as well if you’re away from your Mac. You won’t be able to do that on your iOS device, making an iPhone or iPad more of a passive display device for shared Reminders.

Source: OS X Daily

Use iClouDrive To Access Your Files Like Dropbox

Got a holiday or b-day wish list you’d like to share with significant others, making sure they never need to directly ask you what you want ever again? How about a grocery list that you can add to, secure in the knowledge that your husband or wife will know to stop and get garlic at the store on the way home from work? Or even a shared task list for your work teammates, guaranteeing that you can hold them responsible for stuff on “the list?”

Sounds pretty handy, right? Well, you can make it happen fairly easily: use Reminders on the Mac, an app that comes with Mountain Lion and syncs via iCloud to iOS devices, as well as with iCloud.com. Here’s how to set it up.

Launch the Reminders app on your Mac the way you usually do, whether via the Dock, Launchpad, or a double click. Once it’s up and running, create a new iCloud list by clicking on the Plus button in the lower left of the Reminders window and selecting “iCloud” from the list type pop-up menu. Now, hover your mouse over the new list, and click on the little broadcast icon to the right of the list name.

You’ll get a bubble that allows you to type in an address of a person in your Contacts list, or anyone with an iCloud account. People you share the list with can add, update, and delete reminders as well, making this a great way to manage a list with multiple people. The people you share the list with will be able to access the Reminders on their Macs as well as their iCloud enabled iOS devices.

You can also access your shared lists on iCloud.com, and add people to the shared list there as well if you’re away from your Mac. You won’t be able to do that on your iOS device, making an iPhone or iPad more of a passive display device for shared Reminders.

Source: OS X Daily

Use iClouDrive To Access Your Files Like Dropbox

Remember iDisk? It was a great feature of the otherwise forgettable MobileMe service, and it let you access your free Apple provided internet disk space just like Dropbox or Google Drive do now.

Interestingly, you can make iCloud work the same way, with a little app called iClouDrive, from Zibity Software. Here’s how.

Head over to the Zibity Software website, and download iClouDrive. Once downloaded, drag it to your Applications folder for easy future access.

Launch iClouDrive from your Applications folder, or wherever you left it on your Mac, accept the licensing agreement, and click on the Continue button to put a folder called iClouDrive in your home folder on your Mac. Then click on the Enable iClouDrive button, and enter your administrative password for your Mac. Finally, click the OK button after you’ve read how iClouDrive works.

If you want to set up your iClouDrive in a location other than in your Home folder, press and hold the Option key when you click the Enable iClouDrive button. You’ll get a window asking you where you want the iClouDrive folder.

Basically, anything you put in this new folder will be available on any Mac that has iClouDrive on it and is logged in to the same iCloud account from Apple. It uses the space available to your Apple iCloud account at whatever level you chose when you set up iCloud–even the free account.

Find your iClouDrive folder in your home folder. You can drag it out to the sidebar next to your Dropbox or Google Drive folders there, giving you yet another way to sync stuff across the internets. Hooray!

To disable iClouDrive, delete everything you’ve put in your iClouDrive folder, and then drop the iClouDrive folder to the trash. You’ll need to do this on every Mac you set up with the app. If you don’t empty the folder, the stuff in it will continue to take up space in your iCloud account.

Source: Zibity Software
Via: Macworld Hints

Use iCloud To Manage Your iTunes Match Settings

iTunes Match lets you access your music library from any Mac and any iOS device, as long as you are authenticated to each one. It uses the power of iCloud to see what music tracks you own, so you don’t have to sync each individual track to each device like the olden days. With iTunes Match enabled, you can play and download tracks to up to ten different iOS, Mac or Apple TV devices you log in to. Here’s how to manage your subscription.

Launch iTunes, and then log in to your account settings in the iTunes store. On the general Account Info page, you’ll see a section called iTunes in the Cloud under your Apple ID summary. You’re able to manage all the registered devices here, as well as turn your auto-renew settings off and on.

Look at the Manage Devices window to see the list of all the devices that are logged in as iTunes Match devices, listed by the date you added each device. You can remove each device manually here as well, freeing up one of your ten allotted spots. It can take up to 90 days to totally remove a device from your list of authenticated devices, though, so you want to plan ahead.

You can turn off auto-renew in the iCloud section of the iTunes account settings, as well, to keep it from automatically renewing the $25 per year subscription, which gets renewed precisely one year after you buy it.

To disable an iOS device from using iTunes Match, you can tap into the Settings app, and go into the Music section to manage your iTunes Match settings there.

Courtesy of:
Mastering iCloud On Your Mac | Cult Of Mac

Apple has just officially announced that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, recognized most frequently as  WWDC, will be commencing from the week of June 10th, 2013. Usually, WWDC is the occasion for the Cupertino company’s major announcements, and with various reports suggesting some major releases this year, products unveiled could range from new iPhones, iPads, Macs, and perhaps even that elusive iWatch.

As ever, there’ll be 100 technical sessions running through the week, presented by in excess of 1,000 Apple engineers, offering both iOS and OS X developers a great opportunity to gain an in-depth insight of the company’s two major platforms.

If you want to get involved, the tickets for this year’s WWDC will begin selling from tomorrow – Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m. PDT. If you’re serious about attending this year, you will want to get in as early as possible, since it usually sells out in hours rather than days. As well as needing to be quick off the mark, those looking to make it to WWDC ’13 will need to have a decent amount of cash saved, since tickets are usually in the region of the $1,599 mark – and that’s before you take into account any travel or accommodation.

Still, with talk of a new iPad 5, iPhone 5S, and possible Retina MacBook Air all said to be hitting the market at some point this year, today’s announcement will have the tech world sniffing around for any clues pertaining to what might and what will be revealed on the week commencing June 10th.

One thing is almost certain at this point, and that is the unveiling of the next version of iOS, naturally presumed to be called iOS 7. Adoption rates for the last edition were as high as they’ve ever been, but with the general reaction to its flaws – particularly that Maps app -  being one of negative connotation, Apple certainly won’t want to be keeping consumers waiting on its successor. We’re quite certain that Apple will seed the first iOS 7 beta soon after their first major keynote.

As well as iOS, you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll be hearing a little more on Mountain Lion’s successor, but with last year’s release having gone down comparatively better with Mac users than iOS did for mobile devices, one suspects the main topic of discussion will pertain to the mobile ecosystem.

We will, of course, keep you guys updated on anything we hear or see with regards to WWDC, so stay tuned!

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

Courtesy of:
WWDC 2013 Dates Set For June 10-14, Tickets On Sale Tomorrow, iOS 7 And OS X 10.9 Beta Launch Likely | Redmond Pie

Radio Shack, a US retailler with over 4,700 US locations, has expanded its lineup of Apple products online and in stores. While Radio Shack has long carried iOS devices and accessories including Apple’s Wireless Keyboard, the retail chain is now offering Mac specific accessories including Wired keyboards, Mice/Trackpads, Magsafe power adapters, video adapter/cables and more.  The additions were first noticed by MacRumors.

The move follows Apple’s addition of Staples to it’s stable earlier this year and the combined total of new places to find these items near 6,500 locations in the US. That’s a significant number of new physical locations for Apple customers to find products needed in a pinch.

As 9to5Toys.com points out, RadioShack is also offering $10 in store credit when you purchase $30 worth of pre-tax merchandise making many Radio Shack Apple products the lowest prices we could find them.

Courtesy of:
Apple expands Mac accessory line to over 4,700 US Radio Shacks | 9to5Mac

Play video charades at your own pace with Interconnected Gaming’s turn-based game, Acting Out! We also have a fitness app that will help you achieve a 5K distance, and an interactive storybook app that tells the tale of a Little Red Hen.

All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.

iPhone:

Run a 5K! 7-Week Training Plan, GPS & Running Tips by Red Rock Apps ($2.99 → Free, 28.5 MB): Not much of a runner but want to achieve a 5K distance? Then this is the fitness app for you! The app takes you through a seven-week training program that will increase in intensity as you progress. Your own personal trainer will guide you through each step of the 30 minute interval training process, letting you know when to warm up, jog, and run through audio cues. At the end of each exercise, you’ll receive a breakdown of what you have accomplished and be rewarded for it. The app also includes daily motivational tips, the ability to track your indoor runs, and Runkeeper, Fitbit, and MapMyRun integration.

Run a 5K! 7-Week Training Plan, GPS & Running Tips by Red Rock Apps is available for free today only (04/21). It has a 5-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.

VinylizeMe ($1.99 → Free, 32.5 MB): Create personalized vintage record album covers for any occasion with this photography app. Before you do anything, you’re going to want to customize your record label logo. Then choose one of the 15 different templates, and customize it with your own photos and text. You’re also able to add some wear and tear to give it that authentic look. Your hip creations can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or email.

VinylizeMe is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 15 ratings.

InstaFood™ LE ($0.99 → Free, 19.2 MB): There’s really no denying it: sharing photos of what you’re about to consume via social media has become a common occurrence. So why not make it even easier and a lot more fun? InstaFood allows you to snap a photo of your tasty treats and place a custom description over the top. You’re able to choose from more than 25 different skins by swiping left and right. Each skin has its own unique font and description, but you can change the message by double-tapping it. You can share your food, or at least photos of it, via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, MMS, or email.

InstaFood™ LE is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 11 ratings.

Universal:

Mix & Mash ($1.99 → Free, 15.8 MB): Mix and mash your favorite tunes with this music player. You must first select a mix time or percentage so the app knows how long to play each song before the crossfade. Then add songs to your playlist or allow the app to randomly choose them for you. That’s it. Start blasting those tunes! You’re also able to rearrange songs within your playlist, change the crossfade length, and share what you’re listening to via Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Mix & Mash is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 24 ratings.

Compact English-Spanish Dictionary ($1.99 → Free, 90.6 MB): A compact offline English-Spanish dictionary. The app includes more than 362,000 entries, 524,000 translations, 558,000 synonyms, 98,000 definitions, and 40,000 examples. It also includes search, search history, the option to shake for a random word, favorites, three background themes, and more than 45,000 images.

Compact English-Spanish Dictionary is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 17 ratings.

Acting Out! Video Charades ($1.99 → Free, 29.6 MB): Drawing something can be quite difficult, so act it out instead in this turn-based game of charades. Take turns with your friends acting out and guessing words. You’re able to choose from a list of words with varying difficulties or, if they are all too much to handle, blow them up and get new ones. You have up to 60 seconds to get your point across without saying the word and then send it off to your friend to guess. The game also includes the option to create your own words, hints, and achievements.

Acting Out! Video Charades is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 34 ratings.

Rainbow Blocks ($1.99 → Free, 12.7 MB): Remove Rainbow Blocks until you can’t remove anymore in this relaxing puzzle game. Just tap on any two matching adjacent blocks to remove them. The more blocks you clear in a single move, the higher your point total. Tap on a spinning rainbow block to scramble the surround blocks and make matches easier. You must achieve the target number before you run out of matches to move on to the next level. The game includes five themes, three difficulty levels, and leaderboards via Game Center.

Rainbow Blocks is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 29 ratings.

iPad:

Country Mouse and City Mouse ($1.99 → Free, 56.9 MB): This interactive book tells the story of two mice that live in very different worlds, but become best friends in spite of it. Your child is able to learn about the city and the country by interacting with the characters and scenes in the story. They’re able to enjoy the tale all on their own or have it read to them.

Country Mouse and City Mouse is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 7 ratings.

Little Red Hen – Interactive Reader ($1.99 → Free, 78.1 MB): Your child can enjoy the classic tale of the Little Red Hen with this interactive storybook app. The story follows an industrious red hen as she shows how hard work can pay off. The app includes more than 20 colorful pages that can be read aloud or at your child’s own pace. Each scene is filled with items that can be interacted with.

Little Red Hen – Interactive Reader is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 10 ratings.

Courtesy of:
Todays Apps Gone Free: Acting Out, Run A 5K, Little Red Hen And More — AppAdvice

It’s debatable whether using an iPad as a camera is really all that of a good idea, but that doesn’t stop people from doing it, still. There isn’t a major event that goes by without there being some video footage of someone either filming it or taking photos of it with an iPad.

So, if you do insist on using a 10-inch camera, then the least you can do is make the best of it. That’s why jailbreak tweak CameraTweak HD is so interesting, and if you’re a secret tablet photographer, then you’ll want to check it out.

Available to download for $0.99 from Cydia right now, CameraTweak HD aims to make using an iPad as a camera less of a bad idea, which is no mean feat in our view! If you’ve got a dollar and a jailbroken iPad though, it’s got to be worth trying.

So, what do you get for that dollar? Well, a few things depending on whether video or photos are your thing. If it’s photos, then perhaps the headline feature is the time-lapse mode. There are already apps on the App Store that offer such a thing, but we’re of the opinion that less is more, so if you’re going to use other features of CameraTweak HD, then why not use this too?

You’ll also get a timer mode for your money, as well as separate focus and exposure views, too. There is a burst mode as well as composition overlays should that be your bag, and zoom is taken care of, too.

As far as video recording is concerned, then there is much the same feature list here too. Additionally, there are frame rate settings and the ability to change the resolution at which video is captured. One feature that we like is the ability to take snapshots whilst recording video, which can be great if you find yourself in a situation that demands it.

All in all, for a cent shy of a dollar, and if you’re likely to use a couple of its features, CameraTweak HD has to be worth checking out, especially if we can’t convince you that using your iPad as a camera is a bad idea!

Available to download from the BigBoss repo right now, all it requires is a jailbroken iPad, with no mention of which version of iOS it supports.

Be sure to check out our iPhone Apps Gallery and iPad Apps Gallery to explore more apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

Courtesy of:
How To Supercharge The Stock Camera App On iPad With Advanced Features | Redmond Pie

It’s no secret that late Apple CEO Steve Jobs was keen on bringing the company’s technology to the automotive world. In fact, according to longtime Apple board member Mickey Drexler, “Steve’s dream before he died was to design an iCar.” Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Shiller, echoed those sentiments during the company’s copyright infringement trial against Samsung, saying there had been discussion of Apple making a vehicle.

Steve Jobs may have harboured dreams of roads filled with purely Apple iCars, but the post-Jobs Apple world has a different idea: integrating with the cars already out there. Laptop Mag’s Daniel P. Howley explains how Apple’s looking to get iOS out of your phone and into your dash.

Immediately following Jobs’s death, it seemed like his dream might never come true. But since then, Apple has made a big push to integrate its Siri technology into vehicles. Meanwhile, automakers are finding ways to get iOS apps to work on the dashboard. These and other moves have set Apple on a collision course with Microsoft and Google in a market that’s still very much up for grabs.

Siri Gets Behind the Wheel

Although voice recognition has been available in cars for several years through technologies like Ford’s SYNC (powered by Microsoft), Apple’s Siri is making serious inroads with multiple automakers. Chevrolet already offers Siri integration in its Spark EV, as does the 2014 Cadillac CTS. Other manufacturers — including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota — are expected to bring Siri into their cars in the near future.

Siri Eyes Free mode is a specialised version of Apple’s voice-controlled digital assistant that interfaces with a vehicle’s own voice-control feature. Users sync their Siri-equipped iPhone with their car’s infotainment system via Bluetooth or USB, and activate the feature by pressing their vehicle’s voice-control button, usually mounted to the car’s steering wheel. Siri Eyes Free lets you do everything from make calls and play music to hear and compose text messages while you’re behind the wheel.

AirPlay as Trojan Horse?

Apple isn’t content with making Siri integration its sole automotive strategy. Take one look at the company’s careers page, and you’ll see job openings for iOS Car Services. Michael Gartenberg, a research director at market-intelligence firm Gartner Analytics, said Apple is fully capable of further penetrating the automotive market beyond its current offerings.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if we saw Apple further evangelize automobile vendors to incorporate more types of technology that could be tied back to applications, including things like navigation and other types of connected entertainment,” Gartenberg said.

Gartenberg believes Apple could use its AirPlay technology to remotely present iPhone or iPad applications on a vehicle’s infotainment display.

“We’ve already seen music; we’re now seeing Siri. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see what the next one could be, and then how Apple could go ahead and implement those things,” Gartenberg said.

Assuming Apple got automakers to play ball getting AirPlay to work in a vehicle wouldn’t take much effort on the user’s part. Today, users can easily stream everything from video and photos to music and games to an Apple TV with a tap of the screen. However, the Connected Car Consortium (CCC), an industry group composed of vehicle manufacturers and electronics makers, has its own ideas on how to connect apps to cars. The CCC, which includes most handset makers but not Apple, is working to offer automakers its AirPlay-like MirrorLink standard.

MirrorLink streams a smartphone’s display and repurposes it for use on a car’s touch screen. A wireless version of MirrorLink, called MirrorCast, will be made available to automakers. CCC representatives said the reason for Apple’s absence in the industry group is likely tied to the requirement that member companies abide by a series of standards to receive CCC certification – something Apple is not likely to agree to.

Racing against Google and Microsoft

In addition to the CCC, some other tech heavyweights have a stake in the automotive field — which could complicate things for Apple. Google has been working on its own self-driving car for years, and its Android operating system is already being put to use inside infotainment systems from Kia, Saab and Renault. Automakers like Audi and Mercedes also have integrated Google’s Maps, Earth and Street View apps into their respective navigation systems.

Microsoft has had a strong foothold in the automotive space since 2007, when it began powering Ford’s Sync system. That system is now available on most Ford vehicles. In addition to Ford, Microsoft has partnered with Kia Motors to develop Kia’s UVO infotainment system. However, that system is being replaced by an Android-based version of UVO on the 2014 Kia Soul.

Anna Buettner, IHS senior analyst, said Apple’s reluctance to take orders from others could limit its impact on the automotive market. “If Apple ever comes out with an automotive-grade OS, they would have to comply with [original equipment manufacturer (OEM)] rules in some way… and Apple, in general, has problems with following rules.”

A more practical issue that could hinder Apple’s growth in the automotive space is the speed at which the company innovates. The auto industry is notorious for its slow pace. In general, it takes three to five years for a vehicle to come to market.

This issue, Buettner said, has been a thorn in the side of automakers. “Apple isn’t making the OEMs’ lives easier,” she said. “It is very frustrating for them to accommodate Apple, but OEMs don’t have a choice, due to the popularity of the iPhone, iPad and so on. Buettner mentioned Apple’s move to the new Lightning connector as one example of a high-tech monkey wrench.

Creative Strategies’ Bajarin believes Apple could accommodate automakers by informing them of the kinds of technologies its next-generation devices will use. “Apple’s tactic, or really any player’s tactic, would have to be to get the car industry to embrace some kind of standard that you are going to use,” he said.

The Next Turn

Though Apple is making inroads into vehicles via its software and hardware offerings, it is unlikely the company is actually working on a vehicle of its own, Bajarin said. A more likely strategy for Apple is to turn as many vehicles as possible into iCars through a combination of software and hardware integration.

If more automakers use an Apple operating system — rather than competitors’ — in their vehicles, iPhone users will have an even greater reason to stay invested in the brand. “Tactically, it’s a good idea, because it helps drive more platform loyalty to [Apple's] hardware and software,” Bajarin said.

Similarly, if an automaker offers an Apple-powered system, it could use the software as a marketing tool to pull in Apple fans. Chevy is already doing this with its new Spark with Siri Eyes Free mode integration.

For now, it appears Apple is using Siri Eyes Free mode to test the waters. If the company receives a positive response, it will likely begin working on a more ambitious infotainment solution of its own.

Despite the fierce competition in this space, Bajarin believes that Apple is in the pole position because of the way it operates. “Apple has a lot going for it, in that it controls so much of the ecosystem from hardware, software to services. It is probably in the best spot to bring some sort of a standard to the automotive industry.”

Courtesy of:
How Apple Is Taking Over Your Car | Gizmodo Australia.

Halfbrick established itself as one of the App Store’s top developers thanks to games that feature simple, engaging mechanics and delightfully manicured aesthetics. Both Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride alike were sensations when they respectively launched, and remain among the best all-time iOS titles because they’re tremendously fun and so thoroughly well crafted. Fish Out of Water is the studio’s latest original affair, and while some of the hallmark elements are there — notably a unique approach plus quick-hit missions — the game curiously doesn’t have the same hook as those earlier favorites.

Maintaining the side-scrolling perspective of Jetpack Joyride, Fish Out of Water ditches the endless approach and instead tasks players to make the most of limited play attempts. Selecting from a handful of colorful creatures swimming near the beach, you’ll grab and fling three of them — one at a time — and attempt to snag high scores from the crustacean judges by skipping your fish across the water. Both total distance and number of skips play into your scores, and each fish (or other aquatic animal) reacts differently to the arc of your throw and the angle at which they hit the water.

The dolphin, for example, will bob in and out of the water for a considerable distance if thrown flatly to the right, but if you aim too far skyward, he’ll crash into the ocean floor and lose momentum. And the randomly changing weather plays a part in how the fish fly and react to the water upon impact, plus you may occasionally see jellyfish on the surface that act like bouncy pads to give you a little extra distance. All of that must be taken into consideration when choosing which fish to launch and how best to heave them. Your average score is added onto daily leaderboards that rank the players in your chosen league, offering incentive to play regularly and seek the best weather conditions to notch the highest placement.

But Fish Out of Water never quite grabbed us like its earlier Halfbrick brethren. Much as we enjoy the original concept, there’s little variety to the action, with meager reward for considerable time investment beyond discerning better tossing strategies. Sadly, Fish Out of Water also lacks a stylized edge to its presentation, looking fairly generic in its cartoonish approach. Plus, it’s the rare premium game that actually feels like it should have been free, as there’s already a system in place to game the scoreboards by buying ample crystals, which are used to create power-ups.

Each judge has different criteria, and you’ll need to consider both distance and total number of skips to have overall success.

Courtesy of:
Fish Out of Water Review | Mac|Life

Apple fans have been itching to see the tech giant flex the full muscle of its iOS operating system in an automotive infotainment system for years, which is why we turned all sorts of excited when we caught wind of the Volkswagen iBeetle. The machine is headed to the Shanghai Motor Show for a debut, and VW promised it would be one of the “first cars in the world to have a genuine integrative interface for the iPhone that was coordinated with Apple.” Listen closely, and you can hear the contented sigh of a million wallets opening.

Go ahead and close those up, kids.

In reality, the iBeetle offers little more than a dash-mounted dock and a special app that shows a few vehicle functions, which is about as far from an infotainment revolution as you’re likely to find. In fact, the setup is little more than a factory rehash of aftermarket items, and hardly worth a whole model debut at an international motor show. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that Apple relishes in changing the shape and form of its darling handheld at every generation. Volkswagen better be prepared to keep pace with appropriate docking mechanisms for the upcoming iPhone 5S, 6, 6S, et al.

This is the kind of kit we expect to see as a bullet point on an option sheet, but instead, VW has made this dock+app an entire model by including special “Disc” wheels and iPhone-matching color schemes. The iBeetle will land on dealer lots in the US in 2014, but you can probably make something similar yourself today with an aftermarket dock and an iTunes gift card’s worth of third-party apps. Scroll down for the full press blast.

Courtesy of:
Volkswagen iBeetle gets integrated iPhone dock, little else

We’re continuing our Autism Awareness Month celebration with seven new educational apps to try out, including Pepi Play’s absolutely adorable Pepi Tree.

We also have an app that will help you keep track of your finances, and a productivity app that allows you to keep track of the important events in your life.

All app prices are subject to change at any time and without notice regardless of stated free duration. Price changes are solely under the control of the developers.

iPhone:

simpliciTEA Tea Timer ($0.99 → Free, 5.3 MB): It’s not difficult to brew a perfect cup of tea. You just need simpliciTEA. It features recommended steeping times for six different teas: black, green, oolong, rooibos, white, and herbal. Just tap on the one you want, adjust the time if necessary, and then just sit back and wait. When your tea is ready, simpliciTEA will let you know. The app also includes suggested water temperatures, an auto-start option, and a vibration option.

simpliciTEA Tea Timer is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 12 ratings.

Pronto ($0.99 → Free, 7.4 MB): Keep track of all of the important events in your life with this easy to use productivity app. You’re able to create categories in order to group events together. Then add events, attach a due date, set an alarm, and add any to-do items needed to complete the event. Pronto will then clearly display the number of days until the event. The app also includes the ability to create recurring events, reorganize lists, and edit events.

Pronto is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 97 ratings.

MoneyTron – Expense Tracker – ($1.99 → Free, 5.4 MB): If you’re always left wondering where your money has gone, then you need MoneyTron. This expense tracking app features an intuitive interface that allows you to quickly enter and categorize debits and credits. Just spin the dial to select a category from the built-in list or add your own. Then choose a date and define an amount, and it will be added to or taken off of your balance immediately. The app allows you to generate monthly reports, view history, and attach memos to entries. It also includes passcode protection, and more than 10 currencies to choose from.

MoneyTron – Expense Tracker - is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 35 ratings.

Daily Weather+ ($0.99 → Free, 15.9 MB): Check the weather like you used to with Daily Weather. The app’s main screen displays the current weather conditions, temperature, wind speed and direction, and humidity on a virtual newspaper. If you swipe from right to left, you can turn the page to view your six-day forecast. The app also includes the ability to monitor multiple locations, and support for Fahrenheit and Celsius.

Daily Weather+ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 102 ratings.

My Friend Isabelle ($1.99 → Free, 5.3 MB): This storybook will teach your child about tolerance and acceptance. It tells the tale of two young friends, Charlie and Isabelle, who are a lot alike but also very different. Your child can follow along with the story as it’s read to them through the highlighted text.

My Friend Isabelle is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 16 ratings.

Universal:

Snow White by Fairytale Studios ($2.99 → Free, 76.3 MB): Enjoy the classic tale of Snow White with this interactive storybook app. It features 14 highly interactive and beautifully illustrated pages. Just tap or tilt and watch what happens! You’re able to enjoy the story on your own or you can follow along with the narration.

Snow White by Fairytale Studios is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4-star rating with a total of 11 ratings.

Viking Rudi ($0.99 → Free, 209.9 MB): Help the little Viking Rudi take care of his village while the adults are away in this educational entertainment app. Your child must help Rudi fix broken fences, light campfires, and renovate houses through interactive activities. A disembodied voice will guide your child through each step of the process. The app is intended for children around the age of three.

Viking Rudi is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 9 ratings.

Best Card Games HD ($4.99 → Free, 76.5 MB): You don’t have to leave the house to enjoy the best casino card games. All you need is Best Card Games HD. You’re able to get dealt into 15 different card games, including Texas Hold’em, Red Dog, Blackjack, and Baccarat. The game also includes a dealer’s voice that will guide you through each game, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

Best Card Games HD is available for free for a limited time. It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 182 ratings.

Pepi Tree ($1.99 → Free, 33.7 MB): An absolutely adorable educational game where your child gets to explore tree-dwelling animals. They get to make their way up and down the tree to interact with different animals, like owls, squirrels, and hedgehogs, to see how they fit into the eco-system. The game includes six different activities, six hilarious music tracks, and more than 20 characters.

Pepi Tree is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 36 ratings.

Smash the Office ($0.99 → Free, 28.9 MB): Unleash your inner rage by smashing the office in this arcade game. You have one minute to cause as much destruction as possible. String together combos, hunt down specific items, and just smash like crazy to earn the highest possible score. The game also includes achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

Smash the Office is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 3.5-star rating with a total of 12 ratings.

Big Win MLB ($0.99 → Free, 124.6 MB): Think you can do better than most of the managers in Major League Baseball? Prove it with Big Win MLB. You’re able to craft your own team and line-ups from the best players in the world. Then put them up against other teams and find out how well you’ve done. The game includes more than 750 players, 100 uniforms, and multiple modes to keep you busy with. As a special treat, Hothead Games is providing you with full energy for the entire day, so try to get in as many games as you can!

Big Win MLB is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4-star rating with a total of 190 ratings.

iPad:

Snuggle Mountain HD ($2.99 → Free, 47.6 MB): Join Emma as she tries to climb the shaking mountain to wake the sleeping giant in this interactive storybook. Your child can follow along with the story as the text is highlighted and the words are spoken out loud. They can also search through the scenes for interactive items and sounds. There’s even a Snuggle Mountain pancake recipe at the end that you and your child can make together!

Snuggle Mountain HD is available for free today only (04/19). It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.

Word Book and Puzzle Box: Kids Favorite Activity Center in an Interactive Playing Room ($1.99 → Free, 194.8 MB): An interactive education app that will teach your young child phonics, letter names, and spelling through word games and puzzles. The app includes 30 words of animals for your child to spell out and 40 shape and frame tray puzzles. After completing words and puzzles your child will earn stars, which can be used to decorate virtual interactive rooms.

Word Book and Puzzle Box: Kids Favorite Activity Center in an Interactive Playing Room is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4.5-star rating with a total of 107 ratings.

Grendel’s Great Escape ($3.99 → Free, 52.8 MB): Your child gets to tag along with Martin as he searches high and low for his missing ferret in this interactive storybook. The 20 interactive scenes allow your child to participate in the hunt for Grendel. They can tap on lights to switch them on, slide toys out of the way, and dig through bins. Your child can follow along with the narration or read the story all on their own.

Grendel’s Great Escape is available for free for a limited time. It has a 5-star rating with a total of 6 ratings.

Daily Weather HD+ ($0.99 → Free, 47.9 MB): Check the weather like you used to with Daily Weather. The app’s main screen displays the current weather conditions, temperature, wind speed and direction, and humidity on a virtual newspaper. If you swipe from right to left, you can turn the page to view your six-day forecast. The app also includes the ability to monitor multiple locations, and support for Fahrenheit and Celsius.

Daily Weather HD+ is available for free for a limited time. It has a 4-star rating with a total of 7 ratings.

Courtesy of:
Today’s Apps Gone Free: Pepi Tree, MoneyTron, Pronto And More — AppAdvice

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Smartphone sales at AT&T and Verizon Wireless over the past two years show that Android isn’t growing in the U.S. and that all new growth is coming from Apple’s iPhone.

Android is a commodity sale

Evans also drew attention to the cyclical nature of iPhone sales, which peaked at both AT&T and Verizon after the launch of the iPhone 4S in 2011 and the iPhone 5 last fall. Android phones aren’t doing that, however.

Instead, as Evans noted, “there’s near-zero seasonality in Android phone sales. People decide they want a phone and go out and buy whatever’s in the shop at the time that looks good. Launches of ‘hero’ Android phones appear to have no impact at all – they may take share from other Androids, but not from iPhone and they don’t increase overall sales.”

There’s not even an apparent correlation between iPhone peaks and Android sales; “It looks like a new iPhone launch doesn’t tempt in Android buyers at all,” Evans stated.

Android buyers are upgrading to iPhones

At the same time, Evans notes that there is real churn among Android buyers, many of whom are upgrading from basic feature phones. There’s also no shortage of buyer intention surveys that indicate that first time Android users plan to upgrade to iPhones in the future, indicating that Google’s platform is functioning like training wheels for the iPhone.

In an earlier post, Evans calculated that “a little over 90% of the current Android base got its first Android in the last 2 years, and 68% of the iPhone base its first iPhone.”

He added, “It’ll be interesting to see what their second purchase is.”

That’s why Verizon upgraded to iPhone in 2010

Google’s platform was met with unbridled enthusiasm, particularly once Verizon Wireless abandoned BlackBerry and threw its support behind Android at the end of 2009 with its Droid ad campaign.

Verizon shifted its marketing efforts from BlackBerry to focus on Android because RIM was unable to deliver a phone that could compete against the iPhone. The 2008 holiday season’s BlackBerry Storm had been a particularly bad launch for the carrier.

Before 2010 was out, it was clear that Android was not doing for Verizon what the iPhone had done for AT&T. Verizon subsequently agreed to begin selling a new CDMA iPhone 4 in early 2011, and since then, its smartphone growth has, like AT&T, come from strong iPhone sales.Google’s Android has flatlined in the U.S. as Apple’s iPhone steals all growth.

Courtesy of:
Google’s Android Has Flatlined In The U.S. As Apple’s iPhone Steals All Growth | AppleInsider