While it seems like the new iPad is available everywhere on the planet, there are still locations where it's impossible to find one. Apple has announced that the newest member of the iPad family will find its way to two new locations in the Asia/Pacific market -- the Philippines and Guam -- on May 29, 2012.

In the Philippines, the iPad will be available from Apple's online store, at selected resellers, and through Globe Telecom. On Guam, the new iPad will only be available at the sole Apple reseller on the island -- MiTech International.

Ironically, one location that still isn't getting the new iPad is mainland China, the country where most of the devices are manufactured. There's some thought that this might be due to the ongoing trademark dispute with Proview over the iPad name. Indonesia also lacks the new device, but the iPad 2 can still be purchased at a number of Apple resellers.

New iPad to be released in Philippines, Guam on May 29th originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 25, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you can't get enough of Siri's dulcet tones, then you'll be happy to hear that Nuance -- one of the companies behind Apple's intelligent assistant -- has announced a similar type of functionality that should be coming to cars soon. Dragon Drive replicates the power of Siri so that drivers can initiate a conversation to perform common tasks rather than take their hands off the wheel.

Expected sometime this summer, Dragon Drive lets drivers send text messages, check traffic information, play music, or get directions by just asking. A button on the steering wheel activates the voice recognition so that other discussions in the car don't set off a search. Dragon Drive then uses onboard software to do part of the voice recognition rather than relying solely on remote servers like Siri.

Like Siri, Dragon Drive learns a user's voice patters, and other noises like windshield wipers are filtered out. It's expected that the technology will soon be available to any smartphone user and in cars equipped with a cellular radio and SIM card.

Nuance technology is already used in infotainment systems in cars by GM, Ford, BMW, and Daimler, but it is unknown how many of the car manufacturers will opt to use Dragon Drive.

[via Macworld]

Nuance announces Dragon Drive, Siri-like functionality for cars originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

America's favorite frisking and body scanning team -- the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) -- is about to go Apple. NextGov is reporting that the TSA has put out a request to possibly purchase any number of Apple products to "support specific areas of TSA's Risk Based Counter-Terrorism mission."

TSA's Office of Acquisitions is planning to enter into several contracts over the next three years to buy Apple products and services with a maximum value of US$3 million. They're not just looking at Macs and iPads; according to a TSA document (PDF), "The proposed procurements may include any products currently within or added to the Apple line of products to include but not limited to: Apple computers/laptops, Apple iPads, Apple iPhones, Apple iPods, Apple TV, Apple OS (sic), Apple App Store applications, Apple peripherals and accessories such as monitors, mice and keyboards, and such services as installation, software updates, extended warranty and repairs, including AppleCare, required to support the Apple product line in an enterprise/production environment."

The document goes on to describe why TSA is looking to sole-source the Apple line, stating that it "requires the hardware, software and licenses to support a greater diversity of devices and operating systems as we follow the public driven demand for more mobility." TSA states that they'll be issuing a separate document for "Google Android" hardware, software and services to cover another "TSA capability gap."

US TSA eyeing Macs, iOS devices to assist mission originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Patently Apple keeps an eye on all of the patents coming out of Cupertino, California, and they've been seeing a lot of patents for a 3D interface for Safari. This does not mean that you'll be wearing special glasses to do web browsing; instead, it describes a way in which existing Apple patents can be used in a GUI to overlap and stack windows and content.

The website describes several uses of 3D stacking to provide a different web browsing experiences. First, there's a discussion of "Rotating Titles of URLs, Emails, Documents, Apps" described in a specific patent application -- in this method, windows are exposed edge on until you wish to use them, in which case they are rotated into view.

Next, Patently Apple talks about a second patent that describes how open windows are displayed in a three dimensional browsable parade. That's tied into yet another patent describing how to present and browse items in a tilted 3D space. A possible 3D interface could include windows that you could flick through much in the way you can currently view images or file icons in Cover Flow.

As usual, none of these items may ever appear in an actual shipping Apple product, but it's fascinating to see what the minds in Cupertino are thinking.

Patently Apple theorizes what Safari 3D would be like originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 24, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the bloggers here at TUAW are of varied opinions about whether or not one should use a stylus with a touchscreen, we love to see the products that innovative manufacturers come up with. A recent Kickstarter project that is now 514 percent funded and in production, the HAND Stylus (US$25) comes from a Bay Area designer who was unhappy with the many styluses already on the market. Read on for a review, video, and a chance to win a HAND Stylus.

Designer Steve King uses many mechanical pencils and pens in his daily work, and wanted a stylus that mimicked the weight and feel of one of those pricey writing tools. The HAND Stylus is a beautifully-balanced six-sided metal stylus that feels perfect in your hand. It's not fat and stubby like some styluses, nor short and too lightweight like others.

Gallery: HAND Stylus

The HAND Stylus comes in a rainbow of colors, and the point where you grip the stylus is nicely knurled so you can keep a nice grip on it. There's a stainless steel pocket clip on the HAND that keeps the stylus close by whether you put it into a pocket or attach it magnetically to an iPad 2 or third-generation iPad. The stylus also makes a wonderful gift, as it comes in a metal gift box that is very classy.

One feature I really like about the HAND after using a competing stylus for a while is that the tip is retractable. The tip of my other stylus has been a magnet for dust and gooey food residue, while I can retract the tip of the HAND when I'm done using it to keep it clean. That tip also rotates with each click of the retract button, ensuring that the tip wears evenly. The tip, by the way, is only 4 mm across and allows for fine control while drawing, writing, or selecting tiny buttons on your iPhone.

I expect that I'm going to have to apologize to the manufacturer of the stylus I used up until now, because from now on I'm going to be using a HAND Stylus. Two lucky TUAW readers are going to win a HAND Stylus and here are the rules:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
• The entry must be made before May 27, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Two winners will be selected and each will receive a HAND Stylus valued at US$25.
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

HAND Stylus jumps from Kickstarter to your iOS device originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For those exasperating situations when you just can't be bothered to get up out of your seat and reach for the iPhone or iPad you're using to watch video or listen to music, accessory manufacturer Satechi has just the answer. It's the Bluetooth Multi-Media Remote Control (US$39.99), another product that seems to be the definitive answer to a nonexistent problem. As with the person in the photo above, you too can use a Bluetooth remote to control an iPhone that is within grabbing distance.

One feature is rather cool -- the ability to use the remote as a shutter button for taking photos with an iPhone up to 33 feet away. Of course, just make sure you're not on a cruise when you leave your iPhone unattended for photographic purposes.

Some of the other intended uses for the Satechi Bluetooth Remote appear to involve controlling a docked iPhone or iPad that is pumping out music or your favorite action flick. For some reason, I thought that beaming tunes or movies to your Apple TV from the iOS device would do the trick, but obviously I'm not a Satechi PR person.

The biggest laugh in the list of use cases is "Siri activation," presumably for those times when you can't be bothered to push the button on your iPhone to have Siri bend to your will. Instead, you'll be holding the Satechi Bluetooth Remote in your hand, and you'll use that to tickle Siri. Sigh.

Still, there may be TUAW readers for whom this device is the answer to their prayers. For those individuals, Satechi has thoughtfully provided a video.

[via Gizmodo]

Satechi Bluetooth Multi-Media Remote for iPhone, iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Quirky is a design shop that uses ideas from a crowd of contributors and influencers to create new products. In the past, it's come up with some incredibly useful Apple-related accessories like the US$12.99 Power Curl, which has made its inventor almost $80,000 in royalties. Now the company is evaluating a new idea -- a touchscreen stylus called the Cipher (expected price $4) that fits in your wallet like a credit card.

That's because it is a credit card, made with a capacitive material that acts just like your finger or a more traditional stylus. When you want to draw on your iPhone or iPad, you grab the Cipher from your wallet and go to town. There's less chance of losing the Cipher like a regular stylus, and the fact that it will be sold in a 2-pack means you can always have at least one in your wallet.

At this point, Cipher's still in the product evaluation phase, but keep your eyes open for the clever flat stylus in the near future.

Credit card-sized stylus in the works at Quirky originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Things are looking green around Apple's Maiden, North Carolina data center, and it's not just due to the fact that it's springtime. The North Carolina Utilities Commission has approved (PDF) Apple's plans to construct and operate a 4.8-megawatt fuel cell facility at the data center, providing green power for at least a portion of the electricity needs of the huge location.

As noted previously on TUAW, Apple will be using natural gas-powered fuel cells called Bloom Boxes to generate electricity and exhaust CO2 and water to the environment with no combustion byproducts. The natural gas will come from a local pipeline provider; that gas will be offset by purchases of biogas from another provider, keeping the power as green as possible.

The installation will be the nation's biggest private fuel cell energy project. Apple already uses some of the Bloom Boxes at the Cupertino campus; manufacturer Bloom Energy is located in nearby Sunnyvale, CA. The approval of the fuel cell power plant at the Maiden facility follows a similar approval last week when Apple got the OK to build a 20-megawatt photovoltaic solar facility.

North Carolina approves Apple's plans for 4.8-megawatt fuel cell facility originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Note to viewers: By "The 1980's episode" I mean that I'll be doing a retrospective look at some ancient Mac magazines with you looking over my virtual shoulder. I will not be wearing my corduroy suit and disco platform shoes.

Yep, it's time to pop into the time machine and take a trip back to the days of John Sculley, expensive storage, and no Internet. Trust me, you'll be shocked at just how primitive things were just 22 to 27 years ago. The only good thing about the 80's? I had a lot of hair back then.

Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. You can also choose to watch the show on Justin.tv if you wish, by visiting our portal at http://justin.tv/tuawtvlive. In either case, you'll be watching the show in glorious HD!

If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat.

We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.

TUAW TV Live: The 1980's episode originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 May 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've been using Apple products for longer than many of our readers have been alive. Back in the "old days" before the Internet, it was commonplace to get our Mac news once a month in the form of a magazine. During a recent attempt at de-cluttering my basement, I found a pristine stack of old Macworld and MacUser magazines that I found fascinating.

On today's show, I'll be taking you through some of the articles and ads in these magazines that date from 1985 through 1990. It's not only fun to see how expensive some things were back then (tiny hard drives for US$1000), but the ads are a blast as well.

As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel.

The chat is on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.

TUAW TV Live at 5 PM EDT: Tripping down memory lane originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

OK, so it wasn't a cage match, but the court-ordered meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung chief Choi Gee-Sung resulted in a continued agreement to disagree. While the judge in the case had hoped that getting the two companies together would result in peace, love, and kittens throughout the universe, Apple and Samsung came to no agreement.

What does that mean? It means that Apple's still claiming that Samsung has stolen most of its industrial design for phones and tablets, and that Samsung is still peeved at Apple for allegedly stealing wireless transmission technology. It also means that the two companies will meet in court to fight this match to the finish, hopefully with Tim Cook delivering a tilt-a-whirl crossbody to Choi in the courtroom.

Apple has good reason not to play nice and come to terms with Samsung. So far, Apple hasn't lost an infringement claim to Samsung, and recently filed a new injunction request against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US. While Samsung will probably just redesign the Galaxy Tab slightly to avoid the injunction (as they did in Germany), a win by Apple would be vindication that Samsung has blatantly copied the look of various products and a plus going into the courtroom in the future.

[via AppleInsider]

Court-ordered cage match between Apple, Samsung results in a draw originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 May 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Security wonk Eugene Kaspersky is not happy with Apple, since the company won't let his eponymous antivirus firm develop antivirus software for iOS devices. Speaking to The Register, Kaspersky went so far as to say "That will mean disaster for Apple," since malware targeting the mobile operating system will "inevitably" strike iOS at some point in time.

Kaspersky admits that iOS is "by design ... more secure" than other operating systems. His infection vector of choice is to place the malware into the source code of legal software that has to be downloaded from the App Store, as it is "almost impossible to develop malware which does not use vulnerabilities."

Kaspersky goes on to say that an infection of this sort will "be the worst-case scenario because there will be no protection. The Apple SDK won't let us do it." That will, in the Russian's opinion, result in a loss of market share for Apple and a huge boost for Android -- an operating system he's happy with since it is less secure and he can develop security software for.

He's so sure of the demise of iOS because of malware that he's made bets with friends stating that Android will have an 80% market share by 2015. That's one bet we hope he loses.

Kapersky "disappointed" he can't sell AV software on iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A lot of Americans are planning on taking vacations starting this Memorial Day weekend, and now Smart Destinations wants to help iPhone-toting tourists get discount tickets to more than 400 attractions around the US. GoSelectPass.com provides a way for tourists to browse attraction info in seven major cities, purchase tickets online, and get valuable discounts in the process.

At present, there's not an iOS app for GoSelectPass, although one will be available soon. For now, you can point your device browser to GoSelectPass.com to check out the mobile site and set up an account. Once you select the attractions you wish to visit, you pay one fee for a discounted pass. That pass appears as a QR code on your device that you show for entry to the attraction.

As Smart Destinations adds more cities to the mobile site and future iOS app, this will be a very handy way to visit museums, aquariums, TV studios, and other attractions. Be sure to check out the press release for more info.

GoSelectPass makes it easy to buy discount attraction tickets originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So, you didn't get signed up to get one of the first Pebble watches on Kickstarter? Well, you have a fallback plan now. MetaWatch, a spinoff of watchmaker Fossil, has released a new version of its self-named watch in developer kit format that specifically uses Bluetooth 4.0 (found in the iPhone 4S and iPad) to communicate to your device without being a drain on the watch or phone battery.

This isn't exactly a mainstream smartwatch ... yet. It's really targeted to developers who can write their own apps to take information from the iPhone and display it on the watch, but hopefully if enough devs get excited about MetaWatch you'll be able to purchase one without the need to be a programming genius. The watch is available immediately from TI's eStore (it uses a low-power microcontroller from TI) and MetaWatch's store page for US$199.

MetaWatch offers iPhone compatibility in new developer kit originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 22, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For the last ten months, TUAW has been providing readers with an audio version of selected stories through the Daily Update. Today, we're happy to announce that you can listen to all TUAW posts as well as those from Engadget, TechCrunch, and Joystiq, through a new app called SpokenLayer (free). The app is perfect for listening to your favorite AOL Tech sites (and other content) while walking, riding a bike, or driving a car.

To quote the blurb on the SpokenLayer website, "SpokenLayer transforms the best of the web into narrated audio, making written content available anytime, anywhere." At this time, SpokenLayer also provides content from the Associated Press, The Atlantic, The Atlantic Cities, and National Journal. The company is adding new content providers quickly, with the posts read by a mix of live narrators and text-to-speech voices.

The iPhone app became available yesterday and lists the individual content providers as well as a curated mix of featured stories and recently added posts. Each content provider has a button to tap; that takes you to a list of posts that are available for listening. With another tap you're listening to the narrated recording, or you can listen to all posts as a playlist. You can give a thumbs-up or -down to each recording as feedback, or even take a look at the original post to see associated images or video. While stories are playing, you can jump to other apps and still listen to the narrated posts.

SpokenLayer is ramping up narration of posts quickly -- however, some of the existing content is a few days behind our current posts. During the interim, TUAW will continue to produce and publish the Daily Update podcast.

SpokenLayer iPhone app adds AOL Tech titles for your listening pleasure originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tim Angel and the crew at ZooGue have been working on a followup to their wildly successful iPad case, and they expect to have it out by the end of this summer. The new case apparently features a thinner, completely reworked design with all of the flexibility of the old case and without all of the Velcro. In the meanwhile, they decided to test both the mettle of their existing case and the iPad by freezing one in a block of ice.

Yes, that's not recommended by Apple, but the iPad was wrapped in a plastic bag to prevent water damage and had an attached Dock connector cable for power during the freezing process. In case you're wondering how you get an iPad safely out of a block of ice, it turns out that dropping it from eight feet or so onto asphalt works just fine.

ZooGue cools an iPad by freezing it (video) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When you're into gaming, there are some times that you wish that you could go back in time and replay a particularly astounding point in gameplay where you wiped out a deadly foe or racked up a huge score in a short amount of time. Elgato wants you to relive those moments, and with the new Game Capture HD (US$199.95) you can grab gameplay from your PlayStation or Xbox to view and share from your Mac.

With the 3" x 1" x 4.3" Game Capture HD box, you essentially have a DVR for your gameplay. Since it's buffering your gameplay, you can decide to start recording at any point -- retroactively. Video is captured in 480ip, 576p, 720p or 1080i resolution, encoded in hardware using H.264 compression, and displayed via HDMI to your HDTV with no delay.

Gamers control the device from their Mac using Elgato's free Game Capture HD software. The same app provides a way to share captured video through YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, and the video can be sent to any video editing app as well.

You'll be able to pre-order a Game Capture HD starting on Friday, May 25th for shipping beginning on May 30th. Additional info about Game Capture HD can be found on a special Facebook page.

Elgato announces Game Capture HD, shipping next week originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The iPhone 3GS is still being sold in the US and other countries, but by the time the next-generation iPhone appears later this year the 3GS will be getting a little long in the tooth. Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek says that Apple has apparently signed a deal with a global distributor to sell the 3GS as a prepaid phone in emerging markets.

In a note to clients, Misek didn't provide a lot of information but did say that he thinks the wholesale cost of the iPhone 3GS will drop from the current US$375 to $200 to $250. Jefferies has increased its estimates of iPhone sales for the quarter ending June 30, 2012. Misek doesn't believe that other Wall Street analysts are properly accounting for Hon Hai's (Foxconn) plant in Brazil, and thinks that Apple will manufacture between 28 and 30 million iPhones. The pessimists on The Street say that Apple's iPhone production will be about 2 million iPhones less than the range quoted by Jefferies & Company.

Apple to seek new life for iPhone 3GS in emerging markets originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As much as I love reviewing iPad cases, it sometimes becomes a bit overwhelming to handle all of the review requests we get from manufacturers. In the interest of getting a pile of overdue case reviews done and get these cool cases into the hands of our readers, I'm going to review and give away a dozen of these cases in one big post. Anyone looking for an iPad case can find something here to make them happy.

Aranez Notebook K-Leather Case

The most exotic case of the bunch has to be the Aranez Notebook K-Leather iPad Case (US$119.95). In case you're wondering what K-Leather is, it's leather made from kangaroos! This beautiful black folio-style case comes with leather conditioner and a fiber cloth to keep your K-Leather case looking good.

When the case is opened, the left side reveals a small wallet -- there's room for a driver's license, some credit cards, and even a pouch for folding money. On the other side is a polycarbonate clip-in for your iPad 2 or third-generation iPad. Officially it's designed for the iPad 2 only, but my third-gen device fit into the case with no issues. The case has openings in the bottom for the Dock Connector and speaker, a cut-out on the side for the volume toggle and orientation/mute lock, and the top is wide open.

The folio is held closed with a magnetic clasp, and the entire thing looks like something that would be entirely at home in an executive suite. With no offense to the many other manufacturers of folio cases, the Aranez Notebook K-Leather Case is probably the classiest case I've seen so far.

Pad & Quill Contega, Octavo, Octavo Luxury, and Graduate Edition Cases for Third-Generation iPad

I've raved about Pad & Quill's iPad and iPhone cases before, but this time I think they've outdone themselves. With each iteration of their products comes refinement, and the products just keep getting better.

First, let's talk about the Octavo Luxury Case ($119.99). Rather than the bonded leather used in Pad & Quill's other cases, the Luxury Case features real soft-stitched leather in either black or mahogany brown. Like the other cases, the iPad is held into the case securely in a beautifully-machined lacquered Baltic birch frame. There are a variety of interior bookbinding cloth colors to choose from.

Pad & Quill used to use those little sticky-backed pads in the corners a lá DODOcase, but now they use small rubber inserts that are more permanent, durable and attractive. They call this the Sure-Lock System; this makes sense, since the last name of the owners of Pad & Quill is Holmes (Get it? Sure-Lock Holmes? Wa-hahahaha!)

Other features of the Octavo Luxury Case include an elastic band to hold the cover closed in transit, magnets in the cover to turn your iPad on and off, and a folder in the inside cover for important papers. If you like the combination of laminated wood, real leather, and traditional bookbinding techniques, you're going to love the Octavo Luxury Case.

Next, the Octavo comes in a less-expensive ($69.99) version using bonded leather on the outside, but with the same Sure-Lock bumper system and magnetic on/off system. For wood and leather folio cases, the Octavo is probably the best bargain on the market.

For our next case from Pad & Quill, we'll go to something that is a bit more like the DODOcase -- the Graduate Edition Case for iPad ($59.99). Rather than using leather, the exterior of the Graduate Edition is beautifully finished in traditional book bindery cloth. The one I received for this review was covered in a delicious forest green cloth with a "espresso" interior; there are also for deep blue and burgundy exteriors. I'd like to point out to anyone considering a DODOcase that they'll be missing out on the new Sure-Lock bumper system and will have to pay an extra five bucks just to get a camera hole that the Pad & Quill cases already have.

Finally, the Contega case / iPad stand ($99.99) has been fully redesigned to add the Sure-Lock system and an improved magnetic switch system. The fold-out design of the Contega makes it an easy way to stand an iPad up in landscape orientation. Pad & Quill continues to be the innovative leader in leather-bound iPad folio cases. All of the cases are handcrafted in the exotic city of Minneapolis, MN.

Booq Folio Fibre Collection for iPad 2 and 3rd-generation iPad

Literally minutes before I was set to publish this iPad case roundup, my doorbell rang. Not only was there another case from Pad & Quill, but also another box containing two Booq Folios for iPad 2 and the third-generation iPad ($49.95). That was fortunate since I'm able to include these beautiful and functional cases in the review.

What makes these cases so nice? They have a natural fibre exterior that not only has a good feel to it (good for holding onto your iPad), but also just plain looks nice. TUAW received both the black and sand colored cases, and they both stand out from the crowd.

The cases include a folding front cover so that you can prop your iPad up in a variety of positions, and they also include the magnetic on/off capability that is common with most recent iPad cases.

Powis iCase

The Powis iCase ($79.95) is the case that unashamedly asks the question "what's your favorite position?" that's because it has a innovative design that offers "9+" viewing positions. The best feature, in my opinion, is that you can emblazon the exterior of the case with your very own photography. In the giveaway portion of this post, you'll get a chance to win a Powis iCase with one of my twilight photographs of Venice, Italy on the cover.

Your iPad is held into the right side of the case in a plastic frame that securely holds your iPad in place. There's a large elastic band that serves to hold the case closed, and it's wide enough to also let you hold the case with the strap wrapped around your hand. As with the other iPad 2/3 cases, the Powis iCase has magnets embedded in the cover to automatically turn the device on and off.

As I noted before, the best feature has to be the ability to create a totally customized case with your own art or photography. That means that you can have a completely unique case. The printing process is flawless; I honestly have no idea how Powis makes money selling a custom case for only $79.95.

mophie workbook

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a protective smart case made by mophie, the same company that makes those sweet battery packs. The mophie workbook ($49.95) comes in five different exterior colors (black, white, gray, brown, and purple) with four contrasting elastic bands that can be changed out depending on your taste or whims. The black case that we received for review came with straps in the standard printer's colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK).

While most of the other cases discussed in this post are made of real or bonded leather, the workbook is made of synthetic animal-friendly materials. As opposed to the other cases, the workbook doesn't use a rigid frame to hold the iPad in place. Instead, there's a "pleather" bezel that goes around the entire perimeter of the iPad to hold it steady.

That method of securing the iPad makes it easy to install or remove the iPad from the case, but I did notice that the magnetic closures were rather inconsistent. Sometimes when I expected the iPad to shut off, I could see that it was still turned on when the cover was closed. I had to adjust the cover a bit to get the iPad to shut off.

A unique feature of the workbook is its ability to adjust to just about any viewing angle. That can be very useful when you're using your iPad in your lap and want to change the angle depending on whether you're reading a book or watching a video.

iFrogz Summit

Last in this review in terms of full cases, but certainly not least in terms of capabilities, is the iFrogz Summit Case ($59.95). This case features a solid polycarbonate frame to hold an iPad 2 or third-generation iPad in place, and has a faux-leather exterior that should stand up to a lot of use.

The Summit quickly adjusts to one of three positions in landscape orientation. You'll need to use a little muscle to get the Summit out of its usual folio position, though -- there's a big hunk of Velcro on the back of the polycarbonate frame that requires a good tug to overcome.

For those of you who like to use styluses with your iPads, you'll be happy to know that the Summit comes with a stylus holder -- the only case of those reviewed today that has that feature. As with the other cases, the cover turns an iPad 2 or third-generation iPad on and off. There's a business card slot in the front cover, handy for those situations where you want to carry some cards with you but don't want them taking up wallet space.

Happy Owl Studios Leather Shell for iPad 2

This item isn't a complete case; rather, it's a snap-on shell made to protect the back of your iPad 2. Unfortunately, it won't fit on a third-generation iPad -- I tried. The Leather Shell for iPad 2 ($39.99) snaps on easily and provides a luxurious thin leather feel to cover the cold aluminum back of the iPad.

Like all of Happy Owl's other products, the Leather Shell is well-designed and constructed. This is the perfect product for the iPad 2 owner who is happy with Apple's Smart Cover but would like protection for the rest of the iPad as well.

X-Doria Widge

Your kids can't keep their hands off of your iPad, so what do you do? Protect it with an X-Doria Widge ($39.99). As the name sorta implies, the Widge is a wedge made of reddish-pinkish squishy foam. You push an iPad into it, and the kids have something fun to hold while they're playing Angry Birds on your device. Should they drop it, the foam padding will protect your precious from damage unless they manage to score a direct hit on your display.

For parents, the Widge is a godsend, but it's not just for kids. A friend of mine liked the Widge that her kids were using so much that she gave one to a friend with bad arthritis in his hands. He loves being able to use his iPad while holding something soft in his aching hands.

Giveaway

Now, it's time to make room in my office for the next wave of iPad cases. Twelve TUAW readers will get one of the cases described in this review, courtesy of the manufacturers and TUAW. All you need to do to fill out the giveaway form below. Only one entry is allowed per reader. Personal information will not be used for any purpose other than contacting the winners, who will be selected in a random drawing of eligible entrants.

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
• The entry must be made before May 23, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Twelve winners will be selected and will receive one of the following prizes: Aranez Notebook K-Leather Case ($119.95 value), Pad & Quill Contega iPad case/stand ($99.99 value), Pad & Quill Octavo Luxury Case ($119.99 value), Pad & Quill Octavo Case ($69.99 value), Pad & Quill Graduate Edition Case ($59.99), Powis iCase with Steve Sande personalized photo ($79.95 value), mophie workbook ($49.95 value), iFrogz Summit Case ($59.95 value), Happy Owl Studios Leather Shell for iPad 2 ($39.99 value), X-Doria Widge ($39.99 value), Booq Folio Fibre Collection iPad 2/3 Case ($49.99 value).
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

The Ultimate iPad Case Review Roundup and Giveaway originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 21, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple must be expecting record sales of new and existing products, as manufacturing partner Foxconn has announced a US$210 million investment in a new production line in the Chinese city of Huai'an in Jiangsu province.

The new line is expected to be cranking out unspecified Apple products by October of 2012. It covers an area of 40,000 square meters, and will employ 35,800 workers. That's a relatively small percentage of Foxconn's total employee count, which numbers over one million.

China Daily notes that the expected value of products created by the plant will be in the range of $949 to $1.1 billion annually, with an import/export value of about $56 million.

[via MacRumors]

Foxconn building new production line for Apple products originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Have you ever wondered exactly why Apple's tiny USB Power Adapter for the iPhone has such a large price tag? The diminutive cube costs US$29.00, while similar USB wall chargers are available from retailers like Monoprice for as little as $6. Ken Shirriff wondered the same thing, so he went all iFixit on one of the Apple chargers and tore it to pieces to see what's inside.

Shirriff found that there's a reason for at least part of the premium price tag, and that's the use of quality components. To quote Shirriff's conclusions,

Apple's power adapter is clearly a high-quality power supply designed to produce carefully filtered power. Apple has obviously gone to extra effort to reduce EMI interference, probably to keep the charger from interfering with the touchscreen. When I opened the charger up, I expected to find a standard design, but I've compared the charger to the Samsung charger and several other high-quality industry designs, and Apple goes beyond these designs in several ways...

Apple's design provides extra safety in a few ways... the super-strong AC prongs, and the complex over-temperature / over-voltage shutdown circuit. Apple's isolation distance between primary and secondary appears to go beyond the regulations...

Apple's iPhone charger crams a lot of technology into a small space. Apple went to extra effort to provide higher quality and safety than other name-brand chargers, but this quality comes at a high cost.

So that's it, then. The next time you walk into an Apple Store to replace the USB Power Adapter that the child flushed down the toilet, you can walk out with adaptor in hand and hold your head up high, for you've bought quality merchandise.

[via Gizmodo]

The cost and construction of Apple's iPhone charger originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When techies try to think of the future of gesture-based computing, they often discuss 2002's Minority Report, a sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise. In the flick, Cruise controlled a huge transparent display by moving his hands and arms like an orchestra conductor. Now San Francisco-based Leap is taking gesture control seriously, with a US$69.99 product that's expected to ship later this year.

The Leap is a small aluminum and black plastic device that looks like it fell off of an iMac. Plug the Leap into a USB port on your Mac, load special software (Leap Motion), and then wave your arm to calibrate the device. Now you have control of about 8 cubic feet of space, with each motion of your hands or fingers precisely tracked to within 1/100th of a millimeter.

Leap is looking to developers to create software to truly take advantage of the precise control provided by the device. As such, they've created a developer kit that's available to registered developers for free, including the SDK and a Leap.

Examples of apps are shown in the video below, but it's apparent that the company has resolved one of the issues of moving gesture-based computing to the "big screen" -- getting rid of all of those fingerprints on your screen by making sure your fingers never touch the screen. The company says it is working with "many of the world's largest companies," so there's a hope that we'll see this technology built into future Apple products soon.

[via CNET]

Leap suggests future of gesture-based computing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm filling in for the regular crew tonight, so we'll talk about some of the news from the last week: Will new Macs be unveiled at WWDC? Is it news when a podcaster switches networks? Are Windows Phones really kicking iPhone butt in China?

These topics and more will be analyzed, discussed, and dissected tonight on TUAW TV Live, and your opinion -- and I'm sure you have one -- is welcome.

Your calls and questions help us make the show the best it can be. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cellphone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8.

If you've got a headset or microphone handy (you know those headphones that came with your iPhone?), you can connect via the free Zoiper, X-Lite or Blink SIP clients; and basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!

TUAW Talkcast tonight: Previews, podcasters, and premature plaudits originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 20 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the world seems to be beating a path to the door of manufacturers of noise-canceling earphones, inventor Tammy Erdel has a much better idea that could save some lives.

AIRbudz replace the removable earbuds on your favorite set of earphones and allow the sound around you to mix with the tunes you're listening to. You probably don't want to use the AIRbudz in the comfort of your home, but they're designed to work when you're outside cycling, walking, skateboarding, or otherwise in a situation where you need to be aware of what's around you.

I personally love this idea. I don't know how many times I've been cycling or walking and seen other people who are exercising with earbuds jammed into their ears. They're usually oblivious to anyone who is trying to get their attention, and more than once I've startled someone by passing them after I've tried unsuccessfully to warn them two or three times.

Erdel is trying to raise $22,000 for her Kickstarter project, and has only raised $3,385 with 21 days to go. For a $10 pledge on Kickstarter, you can support the project and get yourself a set of 9 AIRbudz (3 sets of each size -- small, medium, and large) in your own choice of colors. I think the glow in the dark version is my personal favorite.

Check out Erdel's pitch video below for the full story.

AIRbudz: A safer way to listen to your tunes originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 20 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The march of technology amazes me. Yeah, I'm an old guy, but it still surprises me when I realize that the amount of storage that used to fill a data center can now fit in my pocket. G-Technology's G-Drive mobile (made by Hitachi, US$199.99 MSRP for 1 TB) is the perfect example of mass storage in a small, silent box. Read on for a review of this mobile companion and a chance to win one!

Design

There's not much too say in terms of the design of the G-Drive mobile -- it's a slim metallic box 5 inches long, a little over 3 inches wide, and about 3/4 of an inch high. There's no power port; the G-Drive is bus-powered by either FireWire (400/800) or USB 2.0. The device comes with cables for each connection. A single white LED on the front of the drive indicates when it is powered up and in use.

On the inside, there's a 5400 RPM 1 TB drive with an 8 MB cache. For speed, I'd much rather see a 7200 RPM drive, but that would most likely drive up both the cost and power requirements of the drive. However, as you'll see with the benchmarks, this is still a pretty fast drive despite the slower rotation speed of the disk.

The G-Drive mobile also comes in 500 MB ($149.99 MSRP) and 750 MB ($159.99) versions, although I'm at a loss why someone wouldn't want to double their capacity for just fifty bucks more. I found the drive to run a bit hot -- I had placed my iPhone on top of the drive at one point, and when I answered a call I wondered why the phone was so hot...

As with other drives of this ilk, the G-Drive mobile is almost completely silent.

Benchmarks

TUAW uses a standard industry benchmark to compare the I/O capabilities of disks and arrays. The benchmark uses the AJA System Test, which simulates reading and writing video. The specific test I used was the Disk Read/Write test, also known as the DiskWhackTest, set at a video frame size of 720 x 486 8-bit and a file size of 128 MB.

The drive read speeds were surprisingly fast in our benchmarks, matching almost every FireWire drive that we've tested (only one is shown below for space considerations). When it came to USB 2.0 read speeds, the G-Drive mobile was slightly faster than the competition across the board. Write speeds were slower for the G-Drive when connected via FireWire 800, while almost identical to other drives with a USB 2.0 connection.

Conclusion and Giveaway

If you're the owner of a MacBook Pro and have an available FireWire 800 port, or have a FireWire-equipped desktop Mac you'd like to back up while keeping a lot of available desk space, then the G-Drive mobile will fill your requirements. Those who only have USB 2.0 ports on their Macs should spend their money on less expensive USB-only drives that offer read/write speeds in the same range as the G-Drive mobile.

Thanks to G-Technology and TUAW, you now have a chance to win one of these sweet little drives. Just fill out the entry form below (only one entry per person, please) and we'll pick a random winner next week. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
• The entry must be made before May 20, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected and will receive a G-Technology G-Drive mobile valued at $199.99.
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

G-Technology G-Drive mobile: Rugged, pocket-sized, and fast originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 18, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WellRed Apps launched its DropKey file encryption app for Mac last month, but realized that there's one issue with gaining widespread acceptance -- it takes two to tango, and it takes two copies of DropKey (one each for sender and recipient) to send files securely. The company had been giving away one free license with each purchase of DropKey, but is going all-out through Sunday by making the app completely free.

DropKey pairs 2048-bit keys with 256-bit encryption for incredible security. The app, which requires a Mac running OS X 10.7 or later, is integrated with Address Book and makes encryption drop-dead simple.

When you launch DropKey for the first time, it generates your public and private encryption keys. You can email your public key to a trusted recipient from the app, which adds the key information to your address book card on the recipient's Mac. Prior to that time, a shared password is required; after the keys have been shared, you no longer need the password.

DropKey is a useful app if you need to send encrypted information to co-workers on a regular basis, and there's no better time than now to download a copy for free from the Mac App Store.

DropKey app encrypts Mac files, free through Sunday originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's march to world domination continues, this time with a new Apple Store planned for the UK seaside city of Plymouth. What's surprising about this store announcement is that Apple apparently made managers of a successful Zara fashion store at the Drake Circus Shopping Centre (above) in Plymouth "an offer they can't refuse."

The Zara store, which fills a 21,045 square-foot space in the mall, has about ten years to go on a fifteen-year lease. Zara is out; Apple will assume the lease for the remainder of the time. ifoAppleStore notes that this space is almost double the size of the standard Apple Store, so Apple may just occupy the ground floor and sublet the upper level.

26 Zara employees are losing their jobs as a result of the announced closing, but there's a good chance that more jobs than that will be created when the Apple Store opens. The Drake Circus store is about 45 miles from the Princesshay Apple Store in Exeter, and fills in coverage for the Devon and Cornwall region of the country.

Apple assuming retail lease, plans to open new UK Apple Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 17, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's attempt to wrest control the iPhone5.com domain name from the hands of a cybersquatter has been a success. TheNextWeb reports that the company's complaint to the World Intellectual Properties Organization (WIPO) resulted in the iPhone5.com domain being handed over to Apple.

The fact that the company has re-obtained the domain name doesn't necessarily mean that the next iPhone will be called the iPhone 5, nor that Apple will ever use the domain name. In fact, the domain is currently being held by Corporation Service Company, a firm that specializes in brand protection and may have been used by Apple to grab ownership.

In the world of intellectual property law, it is considered vital for organizations to actively protect trademarks. In this case, the domain had been registered in 2008 by a group that operated an online forum. While registering the domain, the former owners noted that "it was not endorsed, sponsored, nor otherwise affiliated with Apple" and was "for the sole purpose of entertainment and knowledge."

Apple hasn't been as aggressive in protecting other domain names. It does not own iPad.com, and hasn't attempted to take control of the name. Apple did manage to acquire iPods.com after a protracted battle, but doesn't own iBooks.com (publishing rival Barnes & Noble does) or iBookstore.com.

With all of Apple's intellectual property battles raging around the world, it must feel good to win a small skirmish like this.

Apple wins iPhone5.com domain name originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If it feels like you not only have more apps on your iPhone, but that you're spending more time in those apps, then you should congratulate yourself on being as savvy as pollster Nielsen. According to a report from the organization, the number of apps on the average smartphone increased from 32 to 41 -- a jump of 28 percent -- over the past year.

As you can see from the Nielsen infographic at the top of this post, the percentage of time spent by smartphone owners in apps rather than on the web has also climbed. The average smartphone user spends only about 19 percent of his or her time on the web; the rest of the time, native apps are being used.

The one other fascinating tidbit on the chart shows that the number of smartphone owners in the US has climbed from 38 million in 2011 to 84 million in 2012 -- that's a jump of 121 percent in just one calendar year.

[via Engadget]

Report: Americans have 28 percent more mobile apps in 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Update: TNW reports this has been fixed. Did Apple hire a bunch of temps lately?

Developers, musicians, and probably any other content provider in the U.S. iTunes Store have a new Apple policy to deal with this morning; you apparently can't use the term "jailbreak" in a product description or name. If you do slip up, or happen to be like 70's rock band Thin Lizzy and have a hit song and album by the name of "Jailbreak", you'll find that it has been censored by Apple.

Apple appears to be blanking out the word "Jailbreak" as J*******k in many cases where it appears on iTunes. Some Americans we're talking to are not seeing the censorship, but we're assuming that's due to caching issues.

It's not only in the music category; "jailbreak" is being censored on the App Store (above), in listings for TV episodes (including a G-rated episode of The Roy Rogers Show from 1951 -- below), and even on a podcast on iTunes U about the Andy Griffith show. We're not certain why Apple has chosen to do this -- it could be that it's an unintended outcome of trying to ban the use of the word on the App Store that went a little overboard. When the word "jailbreak" is outlawed, only outlaws will "jailbreak"...

Apple apparently censoring the word "jailbreak" in US iTunes Store (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The TUAW TV Live chat room regulars are a rowdy bunch. Whether it's urikelman, drallgood, harumph, benroethig, docrock, lvreefkpr, macmommy, verso, ericasadun or any of a constantly changing group of participants who is chatting, there's always a lot of back and forth talk about whatever the topic happens to be. The discussion often goes off the show topic, which is great -- it keeps me on my toes.

Well, today I've got a few topics to chat about, but most of the discussion is going to be directed by the IRC chat. If you're watching the show on Ustream you can use the Ustream chat tool that's embedded just below. If you're watching on Justin.tv, you'll want to use an IRC client like Colloquy, LimeChat, or Textual to participate.

Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. You can also choose to watch the show on Justin.tv if you wish, by visiting our portal at http://justin.tv/tuawtvlive. In either case, you'll be watching the show in glorious HD!

If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat.

We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.

TUAW TV Live: The chat room speaketh originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If there's one thing about iPhoto for iPad and iPhone that I've never been too happy with, it's that the apps aren't exactly self-explanatory and Apple doesn't provide much in terms of an onboard guided tour. Long-time Apple developer and publisher Saied Ghaffari has just published a new iBook titled Hello iPhoto for iPad & iPhone (US$1.99) that provides a unique way of learning the tricks of iPhoto for your iOS device.

I had the opportunity to talk with Saied recently about the book, which was created in iBooks Author and has been featured by Apple in the iBookstore. He's no newcomer to the how-to book market, having created the popular "It's About Time: Learn the Switch to Mac" application that led a generation of switchers to the OS X platform. That app made it into special bundles with Parallels Desktop as well, providing a way for switchers to painlessly make the way between Windows and OS X.

Times change, and now Saied has embraced iBooks Author and created a helpful companion to the iOS version of iPhoto. Once purchased and downloaded to your iPad, the book appears on the shelf in iBooks. With a tap, it opens to a gorgeous photo of the Grand Canyon -- an image repeated on other chapter headings. In the lower left corner is a small thumbnail that opens a launch page when tapped.

Gallery: Hello iPhoto for iPad & iPhone

The launch page provides a portal to learning a bit about iPhoto and iTunes on your Mac, iPhoto on your iPad, or iPhoto on your iPhone. Tapping any one of the images on the launch page takes you right into that specific book chapter.

Going to the iPad chapter brings up three more images, any one of which can be triggered with a "tap to learn." The main topics are an Overview of iPhoto, Browsing & Sharing, and Editing. If I select Browsing & Sharing, for example, I see a more focused page with descriptions of two lessons -- one for Browsing, one for Sharing. With a tap on either description, I'm into the lesson. Once you're at this level, the document is readable in the usual "swipe to turn a page" manner.

This is where Saied's experience in computer-based training really shines. Through the placement of small "magnifying lenses" on the page, your eye is drawn to a feature of iPhoto that you're going to learn about. Saied then takes you through a succinct written description of the feature to accompany the images.

To be honest with you, I pretty much ignored iPhoto for iOS until I read Hello iPhoto. In the short amount of time that it took for me to go through the book, I was able to pick up a lot of hints and tips about iPhoto for iOS that I wasn't previously aware of. I feel that the $2 price tag of the book is a perfect price point for Hello iPhoto, as it definitely provided much more value in terms of a learning experience.

If you have purchased iPhoto for iOS, but still find yourself not using the app all that much, you owe it to yourself to buy Hello iPhoto. It will get you up to speed on iPhoto in no time at all.

Hello iPhoto for iPad & iPhone is an amazing new way to learn originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just a reminder that our live streaming video show, TUAW TV Live, will be polluting the Interwebz at 5 PM EDT today. Although we have some rumors to talk about, most of today's show is up to those of you who are in the chat room so bring your best ideas.

As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel.

The chat is on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.

TUAW TV Live at 5 PM EDT originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS

Daily Update for May 15, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.