For years, iOS users have wanted a proper way to save, open, and store files on their devices. While Apple has given us a partial solution with “Open In…” sheets, the folks at SonicoMobile have taken it upon themselves to go a step further. Today, they have launched a new app called Files that aims to be the missing “Finder for iOS.”
Of course, we’ve seen similar apps before. What is it that makes Files different from the rest? Keep reading to find out.
Leap, creators of the Mac and PC 3D motion-tracking device, announced this morning that it will begin shipping its Leap Motion on May 13. Last May, Leap announced it would open up pre-orders for the device for $69.99.
A company called AnoStyle offers a unique method of anodization that permanently alters the color of an iPhone 5 or iPad mini, and it just became available internationally last week, so I decided to give it a whirl and turn my black iPhone into gold.
There isn’t much to report besides everything turned out great and I love the result. It feels and looks like my iPhone, only in gold. The only con to AnoStyle, at least for the gold color option, is that the text below “iPhone” on the back is now extremely faint. Other than that, I feel like I own a limited edition iPhone (dusts shoulder off), and at least four people have asked me how I managed to snag a gold iPhone.
There is clearly a huge, untapped interest in colorful iPhones. Numerous reports in recent months suggested Apple could soon introduce a new iPhone in colors other than black and white. The news isn’t really that surprising, as Apple already offers a line of aluminum iPod touches in multiple colors. From my experience in the last 24 hours, varied color options would certainly be a standout and attractive feature (especially if the company were to launch an “S” iPhone instead of a full refresh this year).
In the meantime, however, there is AnoStyle: it costs $249 for the iPhone 5 and $299 for the iPad mini. The steep price is a bit of a hurdle for some, but it’s still perfectly worth the money and a great way to customize an iOS device.
More information about the AnoStyle process, as well as information about the resale value and which companies still offer top dollar for iOS devices despite modification, is below.
There are a lot of places you can store your files these days. There’s the Documents folder on your Mac, of course, but there’s also Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft’s Skydrive and more. And, of course, everyone has their favorite storage service. Some people prefer one over the other, and it’s up to you to make sure you can keep them all straight.
Well, now you don’t have to. Doo is a brand new Mac app that aims to bring all of these services under one roof, and it does not disappoint. Keep reading to see how Doo can help you finally make sense of your cloud storage, and get a 9to5Mac-exclusive first look at the upcoming iPhone companion app.
Marware, one of the leading accessory makers for Apple’s mobile devices, has sent us two of their latest iPad mini cases for review. Both cases are unique in their own right, but both are built with versatility and quality materials. Check our reviews of both the Marware Axis and Marware MicroShell Folio cases for the iPad mini below.
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: Expand Expanding Close
Calendars. Contacts. Maps. Emails. Text messages. Facebook. LinkedIn.
There are a lot of things you can do with the iPhone. Each of those things is scattered across the phone in it’s own separate app, however. Sure, there’s some integration of those services, but most of the time you’re going to have to switch apps to get from one function to the other. It’s easy to get annoyed or overwhelmed trying to manage your time while everyone up-to-date on the things that matter.
Tempo is a new app from SRI (the company that originally developed Siri) that aims to bring all of those functions together—at least as far as the concern your schedule—into a cohesive system for managing your life. But how well do all of these different services coexist in the same application?
Note: Not all the animations in this video made it into the final product.
Cloudier is a great new CloudApp management client. While we’ve seen some of the design concepts in this app before, Cloudier adds new design features like a grid view for photos and a zip viewer for peeking inside file archives.
Cloudier boasts a much lighter interface than I’m used to in Cloud clients, and I actually like it a lot. Rather than focusing on fitting a ton of features into the app, the developers focused on fitting in only the features you’ll actually need and making them work beautifully. It’s fast, looks great, and does exactly what you need.
Cloudier is available now on the App Store for $2.99. If you’re looking for an app to manage your CloudApp files, I highly recommend it.
Welcome to 9to5Mac’s Smackdown series, where we compare the top hardware and software accessories for your Apple products.
When it comes to email on the iPhone, some users find the built-in Mail app lacking. Luckily, there are quite a few third-party clients available for your emailing needs. We’ll be running down all the major ones today, including those from the mail providers themselves and today’s big news Mailbox.app.
What you won’t find here are “apps” that simply give you the mobile web version of a mail service. If that’s what you want, you already have an app for that. If you want a native third-party email app for your iPhone, keep reading.
Welcome to 9to5Mac’s new Smackdown series, where we compare the top hardware and software accessories for your Apple products.
If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly on some form of social media or another. You’re not a self-proclaimed “social media guru” or some kind of “expert” on getting people to follow you, just someone who enjoys talking to interesting people online.
For most of us, our network of choice is Twitter. But, when it comes to using Twitter while on-the-go, there is a ton of different apps to choose from. To help make this decision easier (and save you a few bucks in the process), we compared five of the most popular Twitter clients available for the iPhone.
Everyone uses Twitter for something different. The features you want may not be the same features I want. Whether you’re a long time iPhone user or just stepped into the world of iOS for the first time over the holidays, we have an app for you. If you’re a Twitter power-user, we got you covered. If you just want to read your timeline and keep up with your friends, there’s something here for you, too.
For the past few weeks, I have been using Mophie’s Powerstation Duo device charger, and it has been a tool that has already improved my technology-filled life. I’m constantly using my iOS devices, like an iPad and an iPhone, and I am hardly stationed in one place. I’m always on the move, and relying on the batteries of my mobile devices to last throughout the day is unrealistic. On my previous iPhone, I used to use a Mophie case with a built in battery pack, but since the iPhone 5 is yet to see a compatible Mophie case, a brand I trust for these types of accessories, I’ve been using the Duo. Read on for our full review:
When it comes to getting stuff done, I’m a bit lazy. I procrastinate a lot. I put off my homework, stuff around the house, and just about anything I need to do.
Clearly, I have a problem with procrastination. It’s not just that I want to put things off until the last second. It’s that I’m incredibly bad at scheduling and forget a lot of things.
Sometimes I create a to-do list in Reminders or put items on my iCloud calendar. Then, the night before those items are due, Reminders or Calendar finally shows an alert informing me that I have a very short period of time to actually do it. Of course, that means I end up moving the due date back, or just failing to accomplish whatever task is on the list. Essentially these strategies are useless to me.
Luckily, a new app called Finish seeks to solve this exact issue. The app was designed by two high school students frustrated with the way existing to-do list managers handled things.
So, did they pull it off? Did they finally design a to-do app that helps end procrastination? Keep reading to find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtEfpR-vGw&feature=youtu.be There were more than a few Bluetooth-enabled smart watches on display at CES this year. We were on-hand for the official press unveiling of the Pebble e-paper watch, which is expected to start shipping to over 80,000 backers later this month. We also spotted Martian Watches, CooKoo, I’mWatch, and a small handful of other watches designed to pair and work with your iPhone or other mobile devices. Many have seen the Pebble, up until now, as the frontrunner mainly due to the 10 million in funding it raised through Kickstarter. While rumor has it Apple is interested in creating a smart watch of its own, we will hear a lot more about smart watches in 2013 if CES is any indication. Over the past week and a half, I had the chance to put one of these smart watches to the test: the Bluetooth 4.0 “Passport” from Martian Watches.
A few things to note right off the bat: First, unlike the Pebble and I’m Watch, which integrate a larger display, the focus of Martian Watches is voice command. There is some debate whether a smart watch, one that the average iPhone user might use on a daily basis, should resemble an iPod nano-like touchscreen or a more traditional timepiece design. Martian Watches is going with the latter, but it integrates a small 96-by-16 pixel OLED display capable of displaying notifications and scrolling text for incoming messages and calls.
While Pebble and others hope to create an ecosystem of third-party apps that can run on small, touch-enabled displays, the name of the game is voice command for Martian Watches. That means, in the case of iPhone users, you’ll be able to activate and control Siri right from your wrist. It also means as Siri improves and adds more functionality, your Martian Watch does too. However, Martian packs some other non-Siri features that make it a true competitor to the other Bluetooth smart watches hitting the market…
We went hands-on with the new ENERGI Backpack from Tylt, a company with products we’ve enjoyed in the past, in the video above. There are many power bags on the market that include built-in batteries to recharge your mobile devices while on the go, but we were quite impressed with these new backpacks from Tylt. They are hitting the market for between $150 and $200 at the end of March. They include a 10,400-mAh-lithium ion battery with the ability to charge up to three devices at once and dedicated pockets for your iPad, iPhone, iPod, and MacBook.
At some point, most of us are going to walk away from our computer while it’s turned on. Sometimes when that happens, family members, roommates, or even complete strangers will decide it’s OK to mess with your computer.
Keycard makes it easy to avoid that issue without having to put your machine to sleep and then wake it back up every time you walk away for a few minutes. By pairing it with your iPhone, iPod, or a host of other devices, your Mac can detect when you walk away and lock the screen, keeping others from being able to access your computer while you’re away.
So how well does it work? Check out the rest of the review after the break to find out.
California-based audio accessory maker NYNE is getting ready to show off its latest line of bluetooth speakers, docks, and home audio products at CES next week, but for the past month I’ve already had the chance to play with one of its latest creations- the NB-250 water-resistant Bluetooth speaker.
There is a ton of competition among Bluetooth speaker manufacturers, but a couple have been able to make their way to the top of the majority of recommendation lists, including our own. NYNE’s main competition in my eyes is Logitech and Jawbone, two well-known accessory makers with high-quality, sub $150 bluetooth speaker products on the market. After having hands on time with both the $140 Jambox from Jawbone and the $99 UE Boombox from Logitech, NYNE’s NB-250 does have a few things going for it. First is design… Expand Expanding Close
For those unfamiliar, the TwelveSouth BookBook case is a case that is designed to look like a vintage, hardcover book. Two high quality zippers allow the case user to easily open and close the case for access to their iPad mini. The iPad mini sits in a secure leather pouch that is secured into place with two metal buttons.
You can never be too safe with your personal information on the internet. Passwords get cracked, databases get stolen, and web services sometimes ignore good security practices when storing your login information. Most people will tell you that you need to use a strong password on every website you use, and to use a different password on each site. Remembering all of those passwords and usernames can be a hassle though.
Up until September of 2011, I used the same password, or a variation of it, on nearly every website I used. One day I realized that was pretty stupid. After a service I used had been hacked and thousands of passwords had been stolen (thankfully mine was not included), I decided it was time to get smart with my passwords. I purchased 1Password at the recommendation of several users that I knew and have not looked back since.
I initially imagined it would be difficult to deal with a browser plugin and an iPhone app for storing all of my login info, but it proved to be much easier than I thought. In fact, it was so easy that I started recommending it to everyone I know.
Today, 1Password for iOS has received a complete overhaul. The update is pricey, but is it worth the money? Dive into the full review after the break to find out.
Moleskin, a widely renowned high-end notebook manufacturer based out of Milan, teamed up with popular note-taking app Evernote to launch a series of smart app-enabled notebooks just before the new school year commenced.
I bought one of these notebooks right away for grad school, intended to use it religiously, and hoped it would transform the way I study. Of course, one week into the semester, I found myself using the Evernote app on my iPad more often than the smart notebook itself. However, I still found the notebook quite beautiful, well done, and interesting in concept. For that reason alone, I figured I’d write up a little review now that the semester is over and even giveaway two of the $29.95 large-ruled smart notebooks.
Check out the review, and then leave a comment below. We’ll contact the winners in 9to5Forums.
Back in the summer of 2008, when I first joined Twitter, there weren’t very many good Twitter apps around. I had a Mac and an iPod touch, and I wanted a way to keep up with the few people I was following on those devices.
The first app I used was Twinkle, by the makers of the Tap Tap Revenge games. I used it for a while, but it started to show its age as things started breaking and new “social” features required separate accounts on other networks. I decided it was time to move on.
That’s when I discovered Twitterrific, and I loved it. Between the Mac and iOS versions, I had an app for keeping up wherever I was. The iOS version was a power user’s dream come true. There were buttons, filters, and toggles that did everything I wanted.
I used Twitterrific for several versions until I eventually moved on again; this time to Echofon for its fancy timeline position syncing across devices. This was something no one had done at that time.
Twitterrific has always held a special place in my Twitter client list. It was easily my favorite app for several years, and even after I stopped using it, I wished for timeline syncing so that I could return to it.
When Twitterrific 4.0 launched, I was caught somewhat off guard. The app had been completely rewritten for simplicity. Most of the power features I had enjoyed were gone. The focus was now on reading and composing, and not much else. I had since moved to Tweetbot and couldn’t imagine using any other app. Tweetbot’s power features had me hooked.
Today, Twitterrific 5.0 is available. The app has once again been redesigned from the ground up, with new features and customizability. But is it enough to win back former fans who have been turned off by the lack of focus on power users? Keep reading to find out.
Xbox SmartGlass version 2.1: Microsoft’s app for controlling your Xbox with your iPhone or iPad officially gains iPhone 5 support:
• iPhone 5 Support
• Bug Fixes
Twitterrific 5 for Twitter:Iconfactory’s Twitterrific 5 for Twitter is now rolling out to App Stores around the world. Stay tuned to 9to5Mac for a full review of the completely redesigned app shortly.
DISH Remote Access for iPhone version 3.0.2:DISH network users get access to a redesigned UI that now provides access to the guide, DVR, and search while streaming content in the background. The update also includes customizable “favorite channels” in the guide, support for the iPhone 5 display, and improved performance:
-Improved the performance, stability, and reliability of the application
-Completely redesigned user interface
-You can now use your Guide/ DVR/ Search while streaming in the background
-Added ability to set and use favorite channels in guide
-Updated in app remote/ keypad functionality
-Took full advantage of the iPhone4s/5 high retina display to show high resolution images
-Added support for the larger iPhone5 screen
Following up its popular BookBook case for previous generations of the iPhone, Twelve South has released a new BookBook that is designed to fit the taller and thinner iPhone. The case, which we have been testing for approximately a week, not only is redesigned to fit Apple’s new iPhone design, but adds some new features as well. The TwelveSouth BookBook iPhone 5 case rolls two unique iPhone case ideas into one: an iPhone case that looks like a mini, vintage book cover, and an iPhone case that includes the functionality of a basic wallet.
