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Mini review/hands-on: LunaTik alloy and polymer stylus/pen combo
LunaTik, the creators of the famously well-funded TikTok iPod nano watch band, have launched a pair of well-designed and well-functioning styluses, optimized for iOS devices.
We’ve been using the LunaTik Stylus and the performance of the stylus is very precise. Our tests were conducted by playing around the iPad operating system, but the true results come via an app like Paper.
This precise stylus also doubles a real ink pen, making it versatile. The pen, itself, works like your standard ink pen. It’s nothing too special alone, but the cool part is that it’s not only your physical paper pen, but your virtual paper pen.
The creators of the stylus explain the technology and history behind the product on their Kickstarter page.
LunaTik’s stylus comes in both an alloy configuration ($39.95) and a polymer version ($19.95). The alloy comes in a silvery color and the polymer comes in several colors.
See our full image gallery below:
Review: Logitech Ultrathin iPad Keyboard Cover will kickstart your transition from consumption to creation
The one standout feature of the Microsoft Surface Tablet in our eyes was the keyboard cover. But is it that great? No one outside Redmond knows because Microsoft did not let anyone touch it at the press event.
But, if you can handle a paltry extra 4mm of thickness with the addition of real keys, an iPad aluminum-matched protective cover, and a built in stand, Logitech already has Microsoft beat in my eyes.
Enter the $99 Logitech Ultrathin iPad Keyboard Cover for iPad 2 and the new iPad. It uses the same magnets as Apple’s “smart” accessories to clip on and activate the iPad, but it is a rigid enclosure that matches the back of the iPad and turns it into the proverbial Apple netbook. It offers screen protection, but the back and sides are not protected. So, you will not want to drop test this setup.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsIJUiTlrGI]
This is not just a repurposed PC/Mac keyboard either. It has dedicated iPad keys across the top including the very useful home button, volume keys, editing keys, and play/pause.
I have been using it since it unveiled two months ago. Here is my take:
Review: Twelve South’s new BookBook case for iPad
While I have reviewed several iPad cases since the device’s initial release in 2010, I’ve never used an iPad case long-term. I have reviewed several fantastic, protective cases that I could recommend to iPad users, but I’ve never used an iPad case long-term because it’s simply my preference to use the iPad without a case. Enter Twelve South’s new BookBook iPad case: that preference has changed. The new BookBook is unlike any case, but it protects your iPad and props it up via a book-like accessory. Read on after the break for our full review (plus image gallery):
Apple gets preliminary injunction on Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus smartphone, effective with $96 million bond
Following Apple’s win of an injunction on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, the court has granted Apple with a preliminary injunction on Google and Samsung’s high-profile Galaxy Nexus smartphone. This is according to a tweet from inside the courtroom by Reuters reporter Dan Levine.
Judge Koh has GRANTED Apple request for prelim injunction against Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone. Story TK
— Dan Levine (@FedcourtJunkie) June 29, 2012
Additionally, the court says that Apple must pay a $96 million bond to secure this preliminary injunction. As Google and Samsung’s flagship smartphone, expect this injunction to be fought heavily.
Apple’s week was MUCH better than last. Koh: injunction becomes effective once Apple posts bond of nearly $96 mln. #iCourt
— Dan Levine (@FedcourtJunkie) June 29, 2012
The patent that the judge (Judge Koh) used to make the ruling is a patent encompassing unified search in the phone operating system. This is referring to Siri, according to Florian Mueller.
Mueller, of FossPatents, also has posted a screenshot of the header area for the injunction order (above).
(Image: Phone Arena)
Former Mac OS X chief Bertrand Serlet working on cloud startup with ex-Apple colleagues
In March 2011, Apple officially announced that Mac OS X chief Bertrand Serlet would leave Apple after 22 years with Steve Jobs at NeXT and Apple. At the time of the announcement, Serlet said he wanted “to focus less on products and more on science,” but we did not have any other information on what was in the cards for the man Apple credited with the “definition, development and creation of Mac OS X.”
Today, BusinessInsider reported on what Serlet has in the works:
Business Insider has learned that Serlet has spent much of the time since his departure from Apple working with at least two other former Apple employees to launch a cloud computing startup in downtown Palo Alto called Upthere
Some of these job postings also allude to the fact that the startup was founded by high-profile ex-Apple employees.
We have since learned that this is a reference to Serlet (the brains behind Mac OS X) and Roger Bodamer, a former VP of product operations and development at Apple who previously worked at Oracle.
Based on the job postings we’ve seen, it’s clear the startup is looking to rethink the way people store files in the cloud, though just how this service will compare to options like Dropbox or Apple’s own iCloud feature remains unclear.
Toys: $459 iPad 3, iPhone 4S $599, AppleTV $89, 3TB Time Capsule: $425, more
From 9to5Toys.com:
eBay has a lot of Apple products on sale right now at all-time lows.
Google Chrome lands No. 1 spot for free iOS apps
Google’s Chrome browser for iOS is now No. 1 in the App Store for free apps.
The mobile browser went live for iPhone and iPad owners yesterday, and now it holds the top spot for both device categories. The app notably allows users to view open tabs, bookmarks, and other browser particulars running on other computers and devices. Users can even send pages from Chrome on a computer to their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with “one click and read them on the go, even if you’re offline.”
Chrome for iOS already touts 4.5-stars based on over 3,500 reviews as of press time. Despite the glowing accolades, some folks are noticing its lack of Apple-given attention:
[tweet https://twitter.com/piecykw/status/218530635013300224]
This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.
Siri vs Google search in 1600-question street test, speed test
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDsOtdRtG0Q&start=23]
As noted by Phillip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune, Apple analyst Gene Munster published a note to clients today that contained the results of a Siri vs. Google search 1600-question showdown.
While it is not exactly a test of how well the companies’ various voice services stack up against one another (since Google Search queries were typed-in and not spoken), but it is a good indication of just how viable Siri is as an everyday mobile search product and alternative to Google. In the test, both Google and Siri were asked 800 questions in a quiet location. Another 800 questions were asked among the loud street traffic in Minneapolis. The results, according to Fortune:
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Is your new MacBook Air crashing frequently? Blame Google Chrome
Several users on Apple’s Support Communities reported that their new MacBook Airs have crashed frequently, and in most cases they have pinned Google Chrome as the main cause. Luckily, all of our speculation was cleared up this evening. Google confirmed to Gizmodo that Chrome is the culprit behind the kernel panics on Macs featuring an Intel HD 4000 graphics chip (aka the new MacBook Airs). Google said it is working to fix the issue, and it temporarily disabled some of Chrome’s GPU acceleration on the new MacBook Air via an autoupdate. Here is the company’s statement with all the details:
We have identified a leak of graphics resources in the Chrome browser related to the drawing of plugins on Mac OS X. Work is proceeding to find and fix the root cause of the leak.
The resource leak is causing a kernel panic on Mac hardware containing the Intel HD 4000 graphics chip (e.g. the new Macbook Airs). Radar bug number 11762608 has been filed with Apple regarding the kernel panics, since it should not be possible for an application to trigger such behavior.
While the root cause of the leak is being fixed, we are temporarily disabling some of Chrome’s GPU acceleration features on the affected hardware via an auto-updated release that went out this afternoon (Thursday June 28). We anticipate further fixes in the coming days which will re-enable many or all of these features on this hardware.
It looks like things should be fixed temporarily until a permanent solution is released. Was anyone experiencing issues? Let us know in the comments below.
Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield retiring, Dan Riccio taking over position
Apple just announced in a press release this evening that its Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield would retire. Apple’s current vice president of iPad hardware engineering, Dan Riccio, will take over the position during the next several months. Apple CEO Tim Cook had some kind words to say about Mansfield, who has been with the company since 1999.
“Bob has been an instrumental part of our executive team, leading the hardware engineering organization and overseeing the team that has delivered dozens of breakthrough products over the years. We are very sad to have him leave and hope he enjoys every day of his retirement.”
Mansfield has played a huge role in recent hardware releases for the company: since 2008, the SVP has led Mac hardware, and he led hardware for the iPod and iPhone since 201o. He has also led hardware for the iPad since its conception in 2010. It looks like Mansfield will enjoy his retirement, because he sold almost all of his stock just over a year ago and likely plans to retire in Bonny Doon.
Meanwhile, Riccio currently serves as vice president of iPad hardware engineering, and he has been instrumental in all of Apple’s iPad products since the first-generation iPad. Riccio joined Apple in 1998 as vice president of product design, and he has been a key contributor to most of Apple’s hardware over his career. Riccio earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1986.
Check out the full press release after the break:
National Weather Service will begin sending texts to warn of oncoming severe weather
In a movement concerning public safety, the National Weather Service will begin sending text notifications to those in the path of a dangerous weather event like tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, ice storms, and more.
Yahoo News (AP) reported that the text message sent out to smartphone owners in the affected area will be less than 90 characters and free, so no sign-up is required. If users want to opt-out of the service, they can do so. However, in the midst of tornado season in the Midwest, and hurricane season in the South, I cannot see why anyone would. The service opened up today for Windows Phone and Android devices, while iPhone users will have to wait until the Fall to get updates pushed to them (at least through the NWS).
As we found in our iOS 6 beta hands-on earlier this month, Apple included government alerts into the new OS. iOS 6 supports the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 4G, iPad 2, and the new iPad, so it looks like many users will be in the clear. Government alerts will give weather information to users via the NWS and other news about public safety.
AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile are all signed-up with the program to offer weather alerts to the majority of their devices. Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile now offer the service across all the United States, while AT&T only has the service available in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore. However, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed to the AP that more areas would be added over time.
Satellite-based positioning is not used in the program, but rather the four carriers send an alert from the local tower to every device in the county that is about to be affected. Smartphones that can pick it up will display the information. It is not clear how many devices can pick-up the notification, but a spokesperson for the project said it is most likely “in the millions.” As iPhones are upgraded to iOS 6 later this fall, that number should grow substantially.
Since there was not much severe weather on the radar across the country today (just heat), the system most likely did not get any use. As the weeks roll on, we will get to see which areas the new system is now deployed in. Presumably, more devices and areas will be added over time. (via The Verge)
Get all 100 Atari’s Greatest Hits games for free for the next six hours
As we mentioned yesterday in our usual post about apps and updates, Atari is celebrating its 40th birthday by giving iPhone/iPad owners all 100 in-app purchases for free today. You have six hours. Go!
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Apple says VP and Corporate Controller Betsy Rafael to retire in October
Apple has posted a new SEC filing to report that Vice President and Corporate Controller Betsy Rafael will be retiring on October 19, 2012. Rafael is a crucial member of Apple’s finance team, managing the company’s finances and serving as the Principle Accounting Officer. Apple is yet to name a replacement.
Rafael previously worked at several companies, including Cisco and Sun Microsystems, all in management or financial positions. Apple typically does not announce departures of Vice Presidents, but they appear to have been required to do so due to Rafael’s high-level accounting position.
Rafael reports to Apple CFO and Senior Vice President Peter Oppenheimer. While Apple has several other financial directors, who work under Rafael, Vice President of Finance Jim Bean could make a replacement given his existing VP-status.
Verizon Wireless launches Share Everything plans
Verizon Wireless’ Share Everything plans go live today.
Current Verizon customers can upgrade, but new customers must choose a Share Everything plan. Verizon is scrapping the family plans and individual tiered plans for incoming subscribers, because the new options provide unlimited talk, unlimited text, and shareable data with pricing based on how much data is consumed.
Unlimited plans are not profitable for Verizon, which stopped offering unlimited data last year, due to growing smartphone usage clogging the carrier’s pipelines. The new standard is quickly becoming 4G LTE, so Verizon is likely trying to capitalize on every bit of data funneled through its network.
Verizon’s new strategy is the first of its kind in the U.S. It notably allows users to share data with up to 10 devices through a single account, but users can also fly solo with plans starting at $30 for 2 GB of data.
Visit the Share Everything website for all the details, or check out the full price sheet at Verizon’s Share Everything Calculator page.
Cross-posted on 9to5Google.
Google Drive comes to iOS
Google executives are now on-stage for the second day of Google I/O to announce Google Drive’s launch on iOS today.
Director of Google Apps Product Management Clay Bavor first showed off real-time collaboration. He also demonstrated image recognition and searching with Optical Character Recognition, which lets users convert images with text into text documents. Using Google Drive on iOS, Bavor searched for “pyramid.” He then received a personal picture from a vacation—even though it was not titled.
Google Drive for iOS is on the App Store now. The company also revealed the 10-week old cloud storage service has reached 10 million users. The infant Google product is also launching on Chrome OS at some point this afternoon.
This story is developing.
Google announces Chrome for iPhone & iPad, coming to App Store today
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSKZy2ayvMs&feature=player_embedded]
Update: The app is already available in some international App Stores and will hit the U.S. store soon.
Google just announced at Day 2 of Google I/O that Chrome for iPhone & iPad will come to the App Store later today for devices running iOS 4.3 or later. The app will feature many of the features present in other versions of the browser, including: Chrome sync, incognito mode, and its unique tab UI. Google also announced during the keynote that it would bring its recently launched Google Drive cloud service to iOS devices.
[tweet https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/218434462751539200]
As noted by Daring Fireball, the Chrome iOS app will have to rely on WebKit:
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Sign of the times
This Dewey defeats Truman-esque photoshopped image is getting a lot of play right now in the wake of Fox News and CNN botching today’s health care Supreme Court decision.
When Obama was elected in 2008, the iPad was still over a year from being released. Less than one presidential term later, it is already a sign of the times.
BlueStacks now lets Android apps run on Macs
BlueStacks, the tool that allows Android apps to run on Windows, is now available for Macs.
The software, which is often touted as the “Parallels for Android”, now supports 17 Android apps on OS X. Pulse and Words With Friends are two of the more notable apps packaged in the launch, while high-resolution support for Retina Macs and additional apps are on the horizon.
The company attempted to court more developers—and celebrate the launch of its Mac Alpha —with a mock wedding for Android and Apple at Google I/O yesterday. The free download is available on the BlueStack’s website.
This aside is cross-posted on 9to5Google.
Apps & updates: Nike+ Training, Nike+ Basketball, NY Times on Flipboard, more
Our list of newly released apps and updates kicks off today with two new Nike+ apps and another nice update that brings even more content to Flipboard. As always, we will keep this list updated as more notable app related news comes up throughout the day.
Nike+ Training: Nike released a new app today that works with shoes using the Nike+ Sport Adapter (included in Nike+ Sport Pack bundles) that syncs wirelessly with your iOS device over Bluetooth. The app’s iTunes page explained “Sensors in your shoes track every jump, step and rep as you take on pro athlete drill packs that challenge you with the moves the world’s best use to get into shape.” This app is geared specifically towards fitness routines, and it provides four-week programs for daily workouts and demonstrations of drills from Nike trainers.
Nike+ Basketball: Nike also released another iOS app today called “Nike+ Basketball” that that works with the same Nike+ technology, but it is geared specifically towards basketball players, allowing you to track “how high, how quick and how hard” you play. The app provides stats for Vertical, Quickness, Hustle, and more. It also has a “Showcase Your Skills” feature that allows you to capture video and create highlight reels of your games to share through various social networks.
Flipboard version 1.94: After receiving an update earlier this month with Google+ and YouTube integration, today the app gets full access to the New York Times for paid subscribers, as well as the NYT Top Section free to all readers
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irejb1CEFAw&feature=player_embedded]
Amazing Alex: We already knew it was coming when Angry Birds developer Rovio announced it acquired iOS puzzler Casey’s Contraptions and planned to rebrand it as “Amazing Alex”. Today we get a little bit more info about the game and a short teaser video from a post on the official Rovio blog:
Set the objects up to bounce, pop, ricochet, bash, and crash into each other and create an elaborate Rube Goldberg device! With a houseful of toys to play with, there’s more than one right answer! Share your most creative solutions with your friends and see what they came up with!… Got a great idea for a level? Design intriguing new levels using 35 interactive objects and share them — with friends or with the whole world! With other fans constantly creating and uploading new levels, there are always new challenges to check out!
Virgin Mobile will open 10 Chicago stores tomorrow to market newly added iPhone
Update: Virgin just went live with the iPhone on their website a day early
Virgin Mobile plans to open 10 retail stores tomorrow in Chicago to make the most of the iPhone’s launch on its pay-as-you-go service. The Sprint Nextel Corp.-owned business is the second U.S. prepaid carrier to offer the iPhone, after Leap Wireless International Inc., and its new Windy City stores are a prime opportunity to market—and capitalize on— the iOS smartphone.
According to Bloomberg Businessweek:
The new stores also mark a strategy shift for Virgin, which has previously relied on retailers such as RadioShack Corp. and Best Buy Co. to market its service, said Jeff Auman, a vice president at the carrier.
[…] The carrier will begin selling the iPhone online today, with the stores opening tomorrow. The 10 Chicago outlets could lead to a national rollout, the company said.
Virgin offers the iPhone 4S for $649, while the iPhone 4 sells for $549, with monthly plans starting at $30 with a $5 discount is available for customers who enroll in automatic monthly payments.
Modbook Pro: Pen-based OS X tablet returns as a converted 13-inch MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion
Almost three years before Apple launched the original iPad in 2010, a company by the name of Axiotron unveiled the first “Mac tablet” with the launch of the Modbook—a stylus-based tablet running OS X that is made from a converted MacBook Pro. Today, the Modbook is officially returning thanks to one of its original developers and designers. Former co-founder of the now-defunct Axiotron, Andreas Haas, and his new company LA-based Modbook Inc., today announced the new Modbook Pro- “the world’s most powerful and largest-screen tablet computer.”
Like past generations of the Modbook, the Modbook Pro uses the guts of one of Apple’s new MacBook Pros. The company will offer two configurations, both with a 13.3-inch, 1,280-by-800 flush-mounted display, based off the specs for the recently refreshed non-Retina MBPs running Mountain Lion:
The Modbook Pro’s configurable base system includes a 2.5GHz dual core Intel® Core™ i5 processor or 2.9GHz dual core Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, a 2.5–inch SATA drive (up to 1TB HDD or up to 960GB SSD), an 8X SuperDrive® DVD burner, an Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity capability
The company is promising seven hours on a full charge from a built-in 63.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery (Modbook will also utilize a 60W MagSafe adapter). As for the digitizer and included stylus, Modbook will once again use Wacom tech:
Apple posts $2.6M bond to begin preliminary injunction on Galaxy Tab 10.1
There were reports earlier this week that District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States related to the ongoing cases between Apple and Samsung. At the time, reports claimed the ruling would kick in once Apple posted a $2.6 million bond. Today, FossPatents reported that Apple has since done so, allowing the preliminary injunction to formally take effect:
Apple didn’t hesitate to post its $2.6 million bond to protect Samsung against the possibility of a successful appeal, in which case the preliminary injunction would be found to have been improperly granted… the injunction has taken effect and Samsung must abide by it. Otherwise Apple could ask the court to sanction Samsung for contempt.
With Apple pulling $39.2 billion in revenue last quarter, we know it takes only a matter of minutes to make that $2.6 million, which is meant to protect Samsung from damages in case the injunction is found to be wrongly issued. On Tuesday, Judge Koh made a statement following her ruling that Samsung “does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products.” FossPatents continued by giving its outlook for the trial set to take place this summer:
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Parallels celebrates its birthday by dropping price to $28, giving away iPads and other schwag
From 9to5Toys.com:
From 9am-11am PT, Parallels drops the price of its flagship Parallels 7 desktop virtualization product to just $28 to celebrate its 6th birthday. The price will increase 5% every 2 hours, so obviously you’ll want to jump on this soon. Parallels is the best-selling, most-trusted solution for running Windows applications on your Mac – without rebooting.
It is also nice for running Linux or even another instance of the Mac OS and for $28 why not?
As an added bonus, Parallels is giving away a few ‘party favors’: just by sharing, you’ll have a chance to win an iPad 3, Parallels Mobile, and Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac.
More information is also available at the Parallels Consumer Tech Blog, or by following Parallels Desktop on Facebook and @ParallelsMac on Twitter.
Update: Originally story said 9am ET.
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