Jordan Kahn

ZAGG, an accessory maker that first received a lot of attention for its super-tough invisibleShield screen protector, these days also happens to be making some of the best iPad keyboards around. While ZAGG has big competition from the likes of Logitech and Belkin, its earlier folio and keyboard cover designs have been among our most recommended keyboards for iPad. ZAGG’s latest creations are not only its first dedicated to Apple’s smaller iPad mini, it’s also a new design for the company that helps set it aside from much of the competition.

The first thing that makes ZAGG’s iPad mini keyboards stand out is the company’s decision to sell two models: the ZAGGkeys Mini 7, and a slightly larger keyboard dubbed the Mini 9. ZAGG’s giving you the ability to get a keyboard only 10 percent smaller than a traditional Apple keyboard and built into a solid, good-looking iPad mini case, which something most of the other guys aren’t providing.

Unlike Logitech, Belkin, and others that have gone with the Microsoft Surface-style, magnetic, clip-on keyboard covers, the new Mini 7 and 9 go with a more traditional, folio case design.

First, a few things that are the same about the Mini 7 and Mini 9:
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We first heard about Belkin’s Thunderbolt Express Dock in June when the company announced a redesigned low-profile docking station for Thunderbolt-equipped Macs. As Matrox released its own $249 Thunderbolt Dock this winter (Amazon), Belkin pushed back the product’s original September launch date and showed us a completely redesigned Thunderbolt Express Dock last month at Macworld. Today, the company has finally launched the product and started accepting pre-orders. Available through Belkin’s website, the redesigned Thunderbolt Express Dock will lose the eSATA port Belkin originally included and gain an additional Thunderbolt pass-thru port. It’s also selling for $299, which is $100 less than Belkin originally announced:

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Adobe announced updates on Thursday to many of its HTML5 design tools for Creative Cloud users. Among the updates, we get new features for Edge Animate, Dreamweaver, and Edge Code. Adobe is also releasing the first public preview of its Adobe Edge Reflow responsive web design tool. Head below for all the details:

Adobe Edge Reflow: After giving us a look at its new responsive design tool Adobe Edge Reflow in September, Adobe is finally releasing the first public preview free of charge to all Creative Cloud users. Adobe said the tool provides designers with the ability to create responsive layouts and high-fidelity web designs using CSS, a resizable design surface, and real-time previews with Edge Inspect. Users will also be able to extract the CSS for use in Dreamweaver, Edge Code, or another editor. Adobe detailed today’s public release in the video above.

Adobe Edge Animate: Today’s update to Edge Animate brings new features, including: “gradients, CSS filters, and enhanced font support.” Adobe highlighted new CSS capabilities that consist of the ability to style and animate linear and radial gradients, new CSS filters such as blur, greyscale, brightness, contrast, sepia, and saturate filters, and a visual web font selector to add typography and live preview web fonts.

Adobe Dreamweaver: As for Dreamweaver, Adobe has updated the app exclusively for Creative Cloud members to bring integrated access to typography and a new fluid grid layout. The fluid grid layout feature was first introduced in Dreamweaver CS6, but it now includes “class tags in addition to ID tags” and a new editing UI. Users will also be able to preview and select Edge Web Fonts in Dreamweaver.

Adobe Edge Code preview: Adobe also highlighted new features of the latest Adobe Edge Code preview:
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Kickstarter: Today Kickstarter announced that it is finally launching an official app for iPhone and iPod touch. The app provides users with the majority of features accessible through the website including the ability to find, filter, and back projects, watch project videos, follow and keep up with projects in an always up-to-date Activity tab, and receive notifications when someone backs or launches a project. The app also includes creator tools such as a feature to “take pictures and videos with their iPhone camera and post them as project updates straight from the app.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv6Sj5ot3c8&feature=youtu.be

DIE HARD: Fox Digital Entertainment today released the official DIE HARD iOS game in support of the upcoming “A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD” feature film. You play as Jack McClane as you “blast your way out of Moscow’s mean streets and travel to the radioactive wasteland of Chernobyl.” The developer called the game an “endless shooter”– a combination of “the “endless runner” and “first-person shooter” genres. It’s available now for 99 cents.

With DIE HARD, the mission was to develop an app with the gameplay and attitude to match the groundbreaking nature of the DIE HARD franchise, its longtime hero John McClane and new protagonist Jack McClane.  In a twist on the endless runner genre, where the player runs from danger, DIE HARD equips the player to face the action head on, running towards foes and confronting them from a first-person perspective.

Skype 6.2 for Mac: Skype was updated with a few new features and improvements. Users can now send Skype credit as a gift through an eGifting feature, as well as send “one-way SMS without verifying your mobile number. ”

QuickBooks Online for iPad: Intuit announced today a new iPad app for QuickBooks Online. It’s free for subscribers, but the app also provides a 30 day free trail and monthly and annual subscriptions for $13 and $125. Full list of features below:
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We told you earlier this week that Microsoft published a new support document to address the “continuous loop” exchange bug on iOS devices running iOS 6.1. The company recommended a number of workarounds, such as blocking or throttling users on iOS 6.1 devices, while it worked with Apple to find a permanent fix. Apple confirmed on Thursday that it has “identified a fix and will make it available in an upcoming software update.”

Apple also provided some temporary solutions for users while they wait for the software update fix. Apple recommended users avoid the problem entirely by “not responding to an exception to a recurring event” on devices running iOS 6.1, and it suggested users disable and re-enable the Exchange calendar using the following steps:

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As noted by Mac4Ever, Adobe has recently updated its end-user license agreement for Adobe Director 12 and requested that developers publishing paid iOS apps provide Adobe with 10 percent of earnings above $20,000. The recently released Adobe Director 12 introduced the ability to publish games directly to iOS, but developers in Adobe’s forums are not too pleased with the company’s decision to take 10 percent of earnings from iOS apps published to the App Store. At least one game published with the software is already available on App Store: Rally Point 3 by Xform Games.

Publish to iOS devices workflow – Adobe Director 12 can now publish games directly to iOS devices,through a simple, yet powerful workflow. Existing games can be republished to run on the iOS platform. Enhance the gaming experience by incorporating new support for accelerometers and other device specific interactions. * Additional Fees Apply.

Adobe thoroughly outlines its policies on earnings from paid iOS apps in additional terms and conditions linked from Director 12’s product page. Developers publishing paid iOS apps in the App Store will be required to inform Adobe and then pay 10 percent of revenue paid by Apple above and beyond the first $20,000 USD in earnings:
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Update: Jim at the Loop isn’t feeling this one.

Jefferies & Co.’s Peter Misek, the analyst who has predicted an Apple HDTV for quite sometime, today provided his roadmap for upcoming Apple product launches (pictured above via BusinessInsider). Misek is expecting an “iTV” related event next month in March, the low-cost iPhone and iPhone 5S in June or July, and the iPad 5, second-generation iPad mini, and iTV in September or October.

He also believes that a 4.8-inch iPhone 6 is coming next year in June 2014—after running into manufacturing issues with in-cell display technology in the larger form factor and the move to a 20 nm processor:
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Apple quietly made some updates to specs and pricing for some of its Retina MacBook Pro lineup. Apple announced today in a press release that it lowered the price of the entry-level 128GB 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro to $1,499 and the 256GB model to $1,699. The models previously sold for $1,699 and $1,999.

Apple also upgraded the processor in the latter model with a 2.6GHz processor (up from 2.5). As for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros, Apple said the entry-level model would now come with a faster 2.4GHz quad-core processor. The higher-end model will come with a 2.7GHz quad-core and 16GB of RAM (up from 2.3GHz and 2.6GHz).

Apple also dropped the price of its 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB to $1,399. That’s discounted from the regular price of $1,499. Apple’s online store doesn’t appear to have been updated to reflect the changes.

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (128GB)- Now $1,499 (down from $1,699)

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (256GB)- Now $1,699 (down from $1,999), 2.6GHz processor (up from 2.5)

15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (256GB)- Now a faster 2.4GHz quad-core (up from 2.3GHz)

15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (512GB)- Now a faster 2.7GHz quad-core (up from 2.6GHz), 16GB RAM (up from 8)

13-inch MacBook Air (256GB)- Now $1,399 (down from $1,499)

Evidence in October suggested that Apple would improve production techniques to fix issues with thermal heating and screen ghosting on the Retina MacBook Pros. The upgrades also come after retailers just recently started offering similar discounts on some MacBooks.

Apple’s full press release is below:

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We reported on Friday that AOL had informed its corporate employees via email that it would be temporarily disabling the ability to manage meetings with Exchange on iOS devices running iOS 6.1. AOL confirmed that it was working with Microsoft and Apple to fix the “continuous loop” bug, and many had highlighted the problem on Microsoft’s forums. It doesn’t appear Apple addressed the issue with its recent release of iOS 6.1.1, and Microsoft has now published an official support document to detail workarounds for the bug.

When a user syncs a mailbox by using an iOS 6.1-based device, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Client Access server (CAS) and Mailbox (MBX) server resources are consumed, log growth becomes excessive, memory and CPU use may increase significantly, and server performance is affected. Additionally, Office 365 Exchange Online users receive an error message that resembles the following on an iOS 6.1-based device: Cannot Get Mail, The connection to the server failed.

Microsoft suggested a few workarounds for the issue while it waits for Apple to fix the bug. First, it informed customers to “not process Calendar items such as meeting requests on iOS 6.1 devices. Also, immediately restart the iOS 6.1 device.” If problems with Exchange continue, Microsoft recommended and provided instructions for removing and recreating the device partnership, creating a custom throttling policy for iOS 6.1 users, or blocking iOS 6.1 users entirely.

Microsoft said it is working with Apple to resolve the issue and recommended customers “open an Enterprise Support case with Apple”:
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Since the old iWatch rumor reared its head again in December, there have been a few more reliable sources adding weight to the idea that we could see a smart watch from Apple this year. Over the weekend, The New York Times, which said essentially the same thing in 2011, followed up the rumors with a report that Apple is working on a curved glass watch prototype running iOS. The Wall Street Journal quickly followed with more information, claiming Apple and partner Foxconn are now testing wearable, watch-like devices.

While many have speculated what Apple might include in an iWatch, such as Apple employee #66 and founder of Apple’s Human Interface Group Bruce Tognazzini, all we get from reports is “curved glass” and “iOS”. Apple has clearly been testing wearable prototypes with several patents dating as far back as 2009, describing potential integration with wristwatches and iOS devices. By taking a look at the technology for watches that Apple is already experimenting with through the many publicly available patents, we put together a list of some of the features the company could very well include in an Apple-branded smart watch.
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This morning, during his talk at the Goldman Sachs conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed tablet market share, acquisitions, iPhone screen sizes, and much more. Another topic of conversation was retail, which Cook was very enthusiastic about. While noting that Apple Stores have become gathering places and play an important role in communities, Cook said he’s “not even sure store is the right word anymore.” 

I don’t have very many bad days. But if i ever feel I’m dropping down from an excited level, I go in a store and it instantly changes. It’s like a prozac. It’s a feeling like no other. 

He also explained that many Apple stores aren’t big enough and the company plans to move 20 retail locations into bigger spaces during 2013. Also on tap for this year is 30 new Apple stores, mostly outside of the United States. One of those stores is Apple’s first in Turkey, and that brings the total number of countries with Apple stores up to 13. Cook’s full quote on retail below:
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Apple announced today on its Investor News page that CEO Tim Cook, like in previous years, is scheduled once again to speak at the upcoming Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference. Apple will make a live webcast available for anyone who wants to listen to live-streaming audio from the conference call. Cook’s talk is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. PST on Feb. 12 and will be available to stream from Apple’s website.

If you miss the live broadcast, Apple will most likely post audio of Cook’s full talk after the event as it did last year. You can listen to Cook’s presentation from the 2012 Goldman Sachs conference here.

Following reports about some carriers in Europe issuing warnings not to upgrade to iOS 6.1 due to issues with 3G performance, it seems a fix is already in the works. The issue was not just with 3G through carriers such as Vodafone and three in Austria, many users in Apple’s own forums complained of similar problems, degraded battery life, and more. Users have also had problems with Exchange support, causing AOL corporate to temporarily disable the ability to manage mobile meetings from iOS devices running iOS 6.1.

Today, a report from German language blog iFun claimed that carriers have already completed testing a 6.1.1 update to address the bugs and a 23MB update carrying build number 10B145 should be available over-the-air soon:

After ifun.de this information is already in version 6.1.1 of the night on Monday as “Testing Complete” and should be offered the iPhone community with little flow as a wireless update. Sources which are applicable in the past on the issue dates of iOS 6.0.2 and iOS 6.1 as well as the eradication of the “SMS spoofing problem” have informed, indicate the large 23MB update with UMTS-compatible.

Apple’s first beta release for 6.1.1 was released last week with build number 10B311.