Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review, and general Mac
news is in Mac News Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News, Reviews, & Opinion
Apps & Services
Accessories
iPod Deals
These price trackers are updated every month.
News, Reviews, & Opinion
Adobe: We Love Apple
Adobe
software developer and blogger John Nack says:
"Today [May 13] Adobe ran a full-page ad in various newspapers
articulating key company beliefs, and company founders John Warnock
& Chuck Geschke - whose PostScript innovations were instrumental in
the adoption of the Macintosh & desktop publishing - posted
their
thoughts on open markets & open competition:
"Adobe's business philosophy is based on a premise
that, in an open market, the best products will win in the end - and
the best way to compete is to create the best technology and innovate
faster than your competitors.
"I'd like to add a few thoughts of my own....
"Let me note that I've loved
Apple computers since before I could ride a bike . . . in college I got
waaay too into identifying with the company (during its darkest days).
The pirate flag, 'Think Different,' 'Here's
to the crazy ones...' - it all spoke to me, and deeply....
"I love making great Mac software, and after eight years product
managing Photoshop, I've been asked to help lead the development of new
Adobe applications, written from scratch for tablet computers. In many
ways, the iPad is the computer I've been waiting for my whole
life."
Link:
Absolute Power vs. the Pirate Flag
Survey Says iPhone a More Important Invention Than
Flush Toilets
The Telegraph reports that adult Britons have voted the iPhone as a
more important invention than the washing machine, combustion engine,
and space travel, according to a survey of 4,000 consumers by UK
communications service provider Tesco Mobile.
The iPhone came eighth, behind the wheel, airplanes, the light bulb,
the Internet, and computers, while Thomas Crapper's flushing toilet was
ninth (toilet paper made 22nd) - and the internal combustion engine
came tenth. The iPhone also finished ahead of the automobile, camera,
and even such fundamentals as roofs and beds. The printing press didn't
even make the top 100.
The mind boggles.
Link: Britons Pick
iPhone as a More Important Invention Than Flush Toilets
iPad Remorse a Second Time
TechLand's Peter Ha says:
"Today marks the second time that I've returned an iPad. I honestly thought I was going to keep this
one, but I woke up this morning and realized that a device I spent over
$800 on has been sitting on my couch untouched for days. I don't have
the luxury of spending that much money without thinking twice about
it.
"Don't get me wrong, I think the iPad is a great device, but the
apps just aren't doing much for me. And inputting my wireless network
password every 20-30 minutes can get aggravating. (I tried all the
fixes. No dice.) A Geek Squad agent pointed out that it wasn't charging
properly either...."
Link: Goodbye, iPad,
Again
iPad Backlash: People Wonder Why They Bought
It
TechEye's Nick Farrell says:
"People are starting to wake up and wonder why they spent good money
that they don't have on an Apple iPad...
"Two weeks before the same hysteria that swept the US over the iPad
hits blighty, reviewers in the US are wondering what the hell they were
thinking about....
"...many iPad owners, are just waking up to the fact of something
that we have been saying for ages. This is basically that tablet
devices don't have a place and anything that says they do is just
marketing . . . After a while, using an iPhone operating
system on a tablet with no file management system or ability to
multi-task is just driving everyone nuts."
Link: Backlash Against
iPad Begins: People Wondering Why They Bought It
26 Apple Irritations and Annoyances
TechRadar's Gary Marshall says:
"With the possible exception of the people who think Barack Obama is
a robot controlled by Hitler, Apple fans are probably the most loyal,
vocal and organised pressure group on the planet.
"Slag off Apple and they'll fact-check you to death - but while some
Apple criticisms are lazy, the firm they're defending is often less
than perfect.
"From weird products to disturbing corporate behaviour, here are 26
things that give us the Sad Mac icon."
Marshall's list:
- Apple TV
- AT&T
- Banned, blocked or crippled apps
- Blu-ray support
- Censorship
- DRM hypocrisy
- Fear
- Finder
- iTunes
- iTunes for Windows
- iPod Hi-Fi
- iTunes LP
- iWork synching on the iPad
- Media control freakery
- Ridiculously OTT product placement in US TV shows and movies
- Safari's sneaky installer
- Schoolboy behaviour towards Adobe
- Secret USB support that might not be around for long
- Taking the mickey out of early adopters
- Total pricing control
- Unboxing videos
- Unreplaceable parts
- Using child labour
- Vertical integration
- Withholding features
- The reality distortion field
Link:
26 Reasons Apple Fanboys Have Got It All Wrong
iPod touch with 2 MP Camera Seen in Vietnam
Engadget's Thomas Ricker reports:
"Guess who has another Apple scoop? Tinhte, the upstarts from
Vietnam have first pics of the mythical iPod touch with a camera. The
'DVT-1' stamp on the back makes it clear that this is an early design
verification test unit in the evolution of product testing."
Link:
iPod touch with 2 Megapixel Camera Leaked in Vietnam (video)
Latest iPhone OS 4 Beta Adds User Dictionary
AppleInsider Staff reports:
"Users will be able to add and edit their own words to the iPhone's
dictionary when Apple delivers the iPhone OS 4 software upgrade to the
iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS this summer."
Link: Apple's Latest
iPhone OS 4 Beta Adds Customizable User Dictionary
'iPad Not Cannibalizing iPod Sales'
Computerworld's Gregg Keizer reports that Mac sales jumped 39% in
April year-over-year, while iPod sales were down 17%, according to NPD
Group data. He quotes NPD's Stephen Baker saying it's too early to
conclude that Apple's new iPad is eating into iPod sales, while the
jump in Mac sales has a simple answer: "It was the first month of the
new MacBook Pro."
Keizer notes Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray's interpretation of NPD's
April sales estimates in a research note to clients deduces from the
data that the iPad had "minimal" impact on Mac sales but may be
"slightly cannibalizing iPod sales," but reports that Baker wasn't so
sure, but that if the iPad is stealing sales from other Apple products,
the iPod touch would be the most likely point of cannibalization, but
that so far it's been growing rapidly in terms of unit sales.
Link:
iPad Not Cannibalizing iPod Sales, Says Analyst
iPad Won't Kill Apple's Products, but It Will
Change Some of Them
Macsimum News' veteran Mac pundit Dennis Sellers notes that some
folks are predicting that the iPad will kill off many of Apple's
products, with the company itself touting the "magical device" as
having features of laptops, netbooks, ebook readers, iPods, and more.
However, he's of a mind that the iPad won't so much kill off most Apple
products (although he thinks the MacBook Air and iPod touch might
conceivably be on the bubble), as change them.
Sellers thinks the iPad will make a big dent in iPod touch and
netbook sales and a little dent in MacBook sales, but ultimately have
practically zero impact on MacBook Pro and Mac desktop sales, because
for users who need a computer for serious content creation and
productivity the iPad is simply no replacement for a Mac. Not even
close.
Link:
The iPad Won't Kill Apple's Products, but It'll Change Some of
'Em
What Makes an iPad Tick? The Guardian Takes a Look
Inside
The Guardian's Jack Schofield says:
"It has been a long-time coming, but in just 12 days' time, the
much-hyped Apple iPad will hit UK stores. We deconstruct the device to
discover whether it is a must-buy gadget or, at £699, just an
expensive toy...."
Link:
What Makes an iPad Tick? Take a Look Inside...
iPhone Developer Agreement Shuts Out HyperCard
Clone
Slashdot contributor Soulskill says:
"Demonstrating it's not just about Flash, Apple has officially
rejected for the first time another alternative iPhone development
environment following its controversial iPhone SDK Agreement changes.
Even though RunRev proposed to retool its HyperCard-style development
environment to directly expose all of the iPhone OS's APIs, Steve Jobs
still rejected its proposal. The strength of RunRev's business case,
with a large-scale iPad deployment project in education hinging on the
availability of its tool, does not bode well for projects that have
less commercial clout."
This development appears to contradict Steve Jobs
affirmation at last February's shareholders' meeting that
"Something like HyperCard on the iPad?
Yes, but someone would have to create it."
Link:
Developers: iPhone SDK Agreement Shuts Out HyperCard Clone
Run Some iPhone Apps on Your Jailbroken iPad
Without Pixel Doubling
Gizmodo reports:
"A few weeks ago, some jailbreakers devised an effective, if
slightly daunting, way to force iPhone apps to fill the iPad's screen.
Now, there's a jailbreak app that does the same, and the results are
incredible."
Link:
The Easy Way to Run iPhone Apps on Your iPad Without Pixel
Doubling
How to Install Android on Your iPhone
PC World's David Wang says:
"Here's how to install Google's Android OS on your iPhone. Be
forewarned, though: This hack isn't for the faint of heart."
First, you need a jailbroken first gen iPhone or iPhone 3G....
Link:
How to Install Android on Your iPhone
iPad: The Missing Manual
The iPad is an amazing device, especially if you really know how to
use it. New York Times tech columnist, best-selling author, and
iPad expert J.D. Biersdorfer shows you how to get the most out of this
sleek tablet to surf the Web, send and receive email, watch movies and
TV shows, read ebooks, listen to music, play games, and even do a
little iWork, with iPad: The Missing Manual (O'Reilly Media,
$24.99 ).
"The iPad is a brand new product that's already sold a million units
and is converting people who don't even use a regular laptop because
it's so versatile," says Biersdorfer. "It's so much more than just an
ebook reader and Web browser, and my book shows you how to maximize the
iPad's potential to make it be whatever you want it to be."
- Learn undocumented tips and tricks. Get the lowdown on cool iPad
secrets
- Build and play your media library. Fill up your iPad with music,
movies, TV shows, ebooks, photos, music videos, audio books, and
podcasts
- Get online. Connect through WiFi and WiFi+3G
- Discover state-of-the-art e-reading. Buy and read books and
magazines in full color
- Consolidate your email accounts. Read email from your personal and
work accounts
- Shop iTunes and the App Store. Navigate Apple's media emporiums,
and learn how to get free music, video, books, and apps
J.D. Biersdorfer is the author of iPod: The Missing Manual
and The iPod Shuffle Fan Book, and is co-author of The
Internet: The Missing Manual and the second edition of Google:
The Missing Manual. She has been writing the weekly computer
Q&A column for the Circuits section of The New York Times
since 1998.
For more information about the book, including full table of
contents, sample content, author bio, cover graphic, and a video
tutorial from J.D., see http://bit.ly/9Rim8R
For tips and tricks from iPad: The Missing Manual on how to sync
your contacts with an iPad, see http://bit.ly/bNGeSW
- iPad: The Missing Manual
- J.D. Biersdorfer, with David Pogue
- ISBN: 978-1-4493-8784-6,
- 320 pages
- Book Price: $24.99 ,
- Ebook Price: $15.99
- order@oreilly.com
- 1-800-998-9938
- 1-707-827-7000
Purchase link: iPad: The Missing Manual is currently
available from Amazon.com
for $16.49.
Illinois Institute of Technology to Provide iPads
to Undergrads
PR: Illinois Institute of Technology will provide all
incoming, first-year undergraduate students with Apple iPads as part of
an initiative to integrate new technologies into the classroom and
foster educational innovation among faculty and students.
Educational applications for iPad, such as ebooks, Blackboard Mobile
Learn, and iTunes University will empower IIT students with engaging
tools that will enhance their educational experience. IIT students and
faculty will also develop new applications that will increase classroom
interactivity and collaboration.
IIT is at the forefront of a new age of technology innovation in a
variety of ways. In the past year, the university introduced some of
the nation's first courses devoted to the development of mobile
applications. The university also recently opened a new 13,000 square
foot facility called the Idea Shop located in IIT's University
Technology Park. The Idea Shop will be the home of the
Interprofessional Projects Program (IPRO), where students from all
disciplines collaborate in teams to solve real-world problems, some of
which turn into entrepreneurial ventures through the Knapp
Entrepreneurship Center, which helps students take their ideas and
products from the classroom to the marketplace. The Idea Shop includes
space for scientific computing and visualization, engineering graphics,
mobile app development, team-based idea generation and communication,
and a state-of-the-art machine shop filled with rapid-prototyping
equipment.
"University education is much different today as compared to even
ten years ago," said IIT Provost Alan Cramb. "Students live in a world
where technology is seamlessly integrated into virtually every aspect
of their lives, where information and collaboration are available
anywhere, anytime. IIT is committed to providing students with the
tools and support to thrive in a constantly evolving technological
landscape."
Beyond the use of iPad devices for educational purposes in and out
of the classroom, IIT will release a university app for iPhone/iPod and
iPad that provides students and visitors with access to news, events,
maps, course listings, and more. The application will also enable the
university to push emergency alerts directly to iPod/iPhone/iPad
devices, enhancing the existing emergency alert capability through SMS
text email, and voice messages.
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than
7,700 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology,
design, humanities, business and law. IIT's interprofessional,
technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through
research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human
condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life
of professional achievement, service to society, and individual
fulfillment.
Link: Illinois Institute
of Technology
Apps & Services
Use Your iPhone or iPod touch as a Wireless Drive
with Air Sharing App
PR:
With Air Sharing, you can:
- Mount your iPhone or iPod touch as a wireless drive on a Mac,
Windows, or Linux computer, over WiFi, or connect from your computer's
web browser.
- Drag-drop files between your iPhone or iPod touch and your
computers.
- View documents in many common formats.
Features:
- Familiar Finder-like file browser
- Use of Bonjour and WebDAV (like iDisk) for easy connection
- Extensive inline Help with detailed, simple instructions
- Controls to prevent or to delay iPhone auto-lock
- Syntax coloring of source code
Advanced image viewer
- Stable, high-quality viewing of very high-resolution image
files
- Configurable image slideshow
- Next and Previous buttons in image viewer
Fast access
- Page Up and Down buttons that accelerate while held down
- A folder popup for going back to previously viewed folders
- Automatic jump to last viewed location when opening a document
Security
- Optional password protection
- Public folder for guest access
- Local passcode lock for app security
Flexibility
- Unique pinch-to-zoom in the file browser to reveal more or less
file information
- Full support for landscape orientation throughout app
Compatibility
- Mac OS X (Tiger, Leopard, & Snow Leopard)
- Windows (XP, Vista, & 7)
- Linux (GNOME and KDE)
- Any web browser
Quality
- Avatron Software's signature design, usability, security, and
stability
Viewable Formats
- iWork '08 and '09 (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote)
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), with limited
support for XML formats
- Web Archive (web pages downloaded by Safari)
- HTML Web page
- PDF
- RTF (Rich Text Format)
- RTFD (TextEdit documents with embedded images)
- Plain text (many different file extensions), with Unicode
support
- Source code (C/C++, Objective-C/C++, C#, Java, Javascript, XML,
shell scripts, Perl, Ruby, Python, and more), with color-coded
formatting
- Movies, Audio, and Images (standard iPhone formats)
Languages
- English, Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Dutch, French,
German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish
Requirements
- Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch
- Requires iPhone OS 2.0 or later
- WiFi connection (ad-hoc or regular WiFi network
Price: $2.99
Link: Air Sharing (download
link)
Air Sharing Pro
Built on the same solid core as Air Sharing,
with a ton of new features.
Features:
- Create a wireless hard disk
- Mount your iPhone or iPod touch as a wireless drive on a Mac,
Windows, or Linux computer (on the same WiFi network), or connect from
any web browser
- Drag-drop files between your computer and Air Sharing Pro
- Host a powerful web server with WebDAV (just like iDisk)
- No special software required on your computer
- View documents
- Scrollbar for fast access in large documents
- Folder popup for jumping back to previously viewed folders
- Advanced auto-detection of character encoding in text files, using
linguistic analysis
- View large PDFs that would crash Mail or Safari
- Supports password-protected and encrypted PDFs
- PDF Table of Contents (PDF bookmarks) for easy navigation
- PDF page thumbnails
- Go To Page for PDFs
- High-quality viewing of high-resolution images
- Slide show
- Save images to Photos
- iWork '09 and iWork '08 (Pages, Keynote, and Numbers)
- View zipped documents without manually unzipping
- Perform file operations
- Move, Copy, Paste
- Rename, Delete, New Folder
- Zip and Unzip (supports password-protected archives)
- Print (via Mac OS X with Printer Sharing)
- Email (uploads to free drop.io server)
- Save images to Photos library
- Email documents
- Uploads to the free drop.io service, launches Mail to send a
link
- Emails files and folders up to 100 MB
- Print documents
- Prints via Mac OS X (10.5 +) or Linux with Printer Sharing
- No special software required on your Mac
- Supports PDF, images, plain text, HTML
- Access remote volumes
- Lets you Open, Copy, Move, Paste, and Rename on remote volumes
- MobileMe iDisk
- FilesAnywhere (requires WebAdvanced)
- MyDisk.se
- Generic WebDAV servers
- Secure HTTPS connection when available
- No WiFi required
- Share files with other users
- Auto-detects other users on same WiFi network
- Connects to Air Sharing or Air Sharing Pro on another device
Supported document formats
- iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) '08 or '09 (with or without
Preview)
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), using iPhone's
built-in Office viewer
- Web archives (web pages downloaded by Safari for Mac)
- HTML web page
- PDF (even password-protected with table of contents, thumbnails, Go
To Page
- RTF (Rich Text Format) and RTFD (with embedded images)
- Plain text (many file extensions) with auto-detection of character
encoding
- Source code (C/C++, Objective C/C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, XML,
shell scripts, Perl, Ruby, Python, and more) with syntax
color-coding
- Movies, audio, and images (standard iPhone formats)
Languages
- English, Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Dutch, French,
German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish
System requirements:
- Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch
- Requires iPhone OS 2.2 or later
- WiFi connection (ad-hoc or regular WiFi network
Price: $9.99
Link: Air Sharing Pro
(download
link)
Air Display App Turns iPad into Additional
Computer Monitor
PR: Coming Soon!
Wish you had an extra monitor for your computer? There's an app for
that! Air Display will let you use your iPad as an external display for
your Mac - and soon for Windows PCs as well.
Link: Air Display (download
link)
ACTPrinter: A Virtual Printer for the iPad
PR: Houdah Software, publisher of HoudahSpot and HoudahGeo,
announces the immediate availability of ACTPrinter 1.8 for iPad,
iPhone, and iPod touch. With ACTPrinter all your documents travel with
you - on your iPad or iPhone. Ever wondered why you always end up
printing those so-called electronic tickets, boarding passes, bar
codes, and more? Wasted a sheet of paper to remember that "will call"
pickup number? No more! Beyond serving as a medium for tickets and the
like, ACTPrinter is also a document reader. Take emails, web pages,
letters, and more with you for reading on the go.
ACTPrinter serves a printer for "virtual paper" stored on iPhone or
iPod touch. Documents finally become mobile. Electronic tickets attain
ultimate convenience. Bar codes may be scanned right off the display of
your iPhone or iPod touch.
ACTPrinter 1.8 for iPad may now act as PDF viewer to other
applications. E.g. Dropbox. Sending a PDF from Dropbox to ACTPrinter
has the distinct advantage of creating a local copy which remains
available once the network connection is severed.
ACTPrinter 1.8 for iPad may now forward PDFs to third party PDF
readers. E.g. GoodReader. This allows you to combine ACTPrinter's ease
of transferring files to the iPad with the power of a dedicated PDF
reader.
ACTPrinter 1.8 is still priced at 99¢ and is a free upgrade for
existing users. ACTPrinter is a universal application that runs on
iPad, iPhone & iPod touch.
Feature Highlights:
- Print from any Mac application to iPad, iPhone or iPod touch
- Integration with Mac OS X PDF Services
- Easy setup. PDF service is installed on first launch of ACTPrinter
Mac
- Mac and iPhone pair seamlessly using Bonjour a.k.a. ZeroConf
- Portrait and landscape viewing. Pinch zoom
- Compatible with Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Some features
require Leopard or better
Device Requirements:
- iPhone OS 3.1.3 or better
- Mac with AirPort card
- Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard, or Snow Leopard
ACTPrinter is priced at 99¢ and available exclusively through
Apple's App Store. The Mac client software, ACTPrinter Mac, is
available for free from the Houdah Software web site.
Link: ACTPrinter (download
link)
iPad Keyboard Upgrade
PR: After many requests, G.P. Imports, Inc. have
developed an application that it says will finally make typing on your
iPad a breeze.
Have you found it very uncomfortable and sometimes even a hassle
when trying to type on your iPad? When typing on the landscape mode,
the keyboard becomes so big that it makes it impossible to hold the
iPad while at the same time type. That is why they developed this
simple yet extremely useful application.
With this app you will be able to choose the size and location of
your keyboard. Also, you have the option to split the keyboard in half
and rotate it to make it even more comfortable!
Main
Features:
- Rotate Keyboard
- Drag/Move Keyboard
- Resize Keyboard
- Split keyboard into 2 parts
- Copy paste feature so everything you type here can be used in other
apps.
Keyboard Upgrade for iPad costs 99¢ in the App Store and
requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
Link: Keyboard
Upgrade
PocketSword: An Open Source iPhone Bible Study
App
PR: PocketSword is a new Bible reader for the iPhone
& iPod Touch (OS 3.0 and above) that is built upon the powerful
SWORD backend
developed by CrossWire.
It should be stressed that PocketSword is free and will always
remain so. All the modules available are for download (offline use)
within the app and are free, with permission granted by the various
copyright holders to CrossWire to distribute them for use in its apps.
When you download this app, it comes with the KJV & Matthew Henry's
Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible preinstalled, but you can use the
downloader within PocketSword to choose which additional modules you
wish to download from CrossWire and have available for offline use.
There are free modules (both Bible translations and commentaries)
available in over 60 languages, including (but not limited to):
English, Greek (modern and ancient), Hebrew, German, Dutch, French,
Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese (simplified & traditional),
Arabic, Afrikaans, Latin, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese and many
more.
Popular Bible translations available in the English language include
KJV, AKJV, ASV, ESV, NET, Tyndale, WEB, and Young's Literal
Translation.
Popular Commentaries available in the English language include
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible (as well as the
"Concise" version), Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, John Wesley's
Notes on the Bible, Abbot, Barnes, Geneva, Luther, and more.
(See http://crosswire.org/sword/modules/
for a fuller list of the modules).
You can also choose to create your own modules, using the tools
available from CrossWire, and install your modules directly from your
computer to your iPhone.
Features
The SWORD
backend to PocketSword is very powerful and allows for a rich
experience for the end user. Currently implemented are:
- Built-in module downloader of modules in many different languages
(both Bibles & Commentaries)
- Separate Bible & Commentary tabs for quick reference from one
to the other: jump to a verse in one and it jumps to the same verse in
the other
- Choose your font & font size for ease of reading
- Bookmark support
- Red Letter support & choice of reading Verse-Per-Line or using
paragraphs.
- Night mode for easier reading in the dark
- Install custom-made modules (including av11n)
The next version of PocketSword is already in the works with support
for:
- Searching, Strong's numbers, footnotes, i18n of book names, UI
localisation in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish &
Japanese
- Dictionary and GenBook support
- Much more.
New in the version 1.1.0 update:
- Search added
- History items added (both for Bible browsing and for
commentaries)
- Basic Dictionary support (lookup for Strong's numbers will be added
in the next version!)
- Improved Bible and Commentary tabs UI (removed the Modules tab and
you can now access your Bible modules from the Bible tab, Commentary
modules from the Commentary tab, etc.).
- Speedup of app launch time
- Updated the SWORD library to v1.6.1
- i18n work completed, more localisations are now being worked
on.
- French & Swedish added in this release.
- Alternative versification of Bibles groundwork completed (for
example, Bibles with the Apocrypha can now be installed).
- Other minor bug fixes, improvements and speed ups.
- cut and paste. :)
Link:
PocketSword (download
link)
Free PocketBible by Laridian
PR: PocketBible gives you everything you need for serious
Bible study and casual Bible reading. This free Bible software includes
the KJV Bible plus gives you access to 39 free Bibles, Bible reference
books, and devotionals which you can download into the program upon
creation of an account at our website (handled automatically the first
time you run the program, or can be deferred to later).
In addition to these free titles you'll find hundreds of your
favorite Bibles, dictionaries, commentaries, devotionals and other
reference materials available for purchase at http://www.laridian.com.
Once added to your account, these books can be downloaded to your
iPhone through PocketBible.
Features:
- Availability of titles like:
- NIV, NKJV, NLT, Amplified, ESV, HCSB, NASB, NRSV, The Message and
many more
- KJV and NASB with Strong's Numbers and Greek/Hebrew
Dictionaries
- Spanish NVI Bible
- Catholic NAB
- NIV Study Bible and ESV Study Bible, other study Bibles
- Commentaries including the Bible Knowledge Commentary, Nelson's New
Illustrated Bible Commentary, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
series
- Interactive Bible Maps
- Dictionaries like Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and
New Testament Words, New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Nelson's New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary
- Greek and Hebrew dictionaries like AMG's Complete Word Study
Dictionaries and Nelson's New Strong's Dictionary
- Dozens of devotional and through-the-Bible reading plans
- Easily switch between any number of open Bibles and reference
books.
- Highlight verses in a variety of colors.
- Set bookmarks on your favorite passages and create categories to
organize your bookmarks.
- Add your own notes to any verse. Bible references in your notes are
automatically linked.
- Track your progress as you read devotional (daily reading)
books
- Easy Bible navigation by quickly selecting book, chapter, and
verse.
- Fast searching for words, phrases, and combinations of
words/phrases.
- Indexed search results so you can quickly move to the results you
want to see in any book of the Bible.
- Search and bookmark your reference books.
- Easy tap/gesture system for moving around in your Bibles and
books.
- Unique auto-zoom helps you choose the correct place to tap in
densely linked books like Nave's Topical Bible and Bibles containing
Strong's Numbers.
- Add books from your account at http://www.laridian.com from within the
program.
- All onscreen controls can be removed for fullscreen reading in
either portrait or landscape.
- Select from numerous display options, including the ability to use
any iPhone font in any size from 8 to 72 points.
- Extensive built-in help for all program features.
Included for Free Download on Registration:
- Bibles: ASV, Darby's, Webster, World English Bible, Bible in Basic
English, Geneva NT, Weymouth NT, Young's.
- Commentaries: Jamieson, Faussett and Brown, Matthew Henry's Concise
Commentary, Scofield's Reference Notes (1917 Edition), Treasury of
Scripture Knowledge.
- Dictionaries: Condensed Bible Cyclopedia, Easton's Bible
Dictionary, Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary, Nave's Topical Bible,
Torrey's Topical Textbook
- Devotionals: Daily Light on the Daily Path, Spurgeon's Morning and
Evening, Laridian Reading Plans (7 Volumes)
- Other: Augustine Collection (5 Volumes), Foxe's Book of Martyrs,
The Imitation of Christ, The Pilgrim's Progress, Works of Josephus (5
Volumes)
New in Version 1.3.2
- iPad compatibility with enhanced high-resolution feature set:
- View up to five books or five locations in the same book
simultaneously.
- Handy Toolbox makes lists of search results, notes, highlights, and
bookmarks always available.
- Search entire installed library at one time.
- Search your notes.
- Edit notes while using the program (note editor does not take over
the screen).
- Enhanced toolbar
- Easy screen brightness, font, and font size selection
- Ability to synchronize user-created data (notes, highlights,
bookmarks, etc.) with our server for backup and transfer to/from other
devices.
- Multiple book panes (two on iPhone; five on iPad)
- Calculator-style navigation for Bibles (select book; enter chapter
and verse on keypad)
- Performance improvements
System Requirements:
- Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
- Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later
Link: PocketBible
(download
link)
Methodist Church in Britain
Releases iPhone App
PR: The app offers free daily prayers and Bible studies. The
popular Word in Time Bible study features a different author each week,
every week of the year, with a short reflection on the day's passage
and questions to consider for your own life. It's available to read
every day, or you can listen to it as a podcast. And a brief but
challenging prayer helps you to focus on God in the middle of your busy
day.
The app also offers you the latest news, topical podcasts and tweets
from the Methodist Church.
The Bible readings are based on the Methodist lectionary, but
Christians from all backgrounds will find this app inspiring,
informative and uplifting.
The Methodist Church in Britain says it's currently working on
making the app available on other smartphones.
Link:
Methodist Church (download
link)
Free Travel App Targets Boutique Hotels
PR: Mobiata, in partnership with Travelclick, has launched a
new free app called StayHIP, now available on the App Store and for
Android. Like Mobiata's other popular travel apps (FlightTrack,
FlightTrack Pro and HotelPal) StayHIP, will cater to a specific
audience and be the first bookable app for boutique hotels. This new,
easy-to-book application targets trend-savvy travelers in search of a
unique hotel experience
Travelclick has teamed with Mobiata to launch a new free mobile
application called StayHIP. The partnership combines the best in mobile
app design from Mobiata with hotel search expertise and award-winning
booking technology from Travelclick to create an app designed
exclusively for a niche community of travelers. The first bookable app
for boutique hotels, StayHIP caters to travelers who want to search for
and book a more stylish or chic hotel stay experience. It features
hundreds of hotels across more than 170 cities in 45 countries
worldwide and is available for free download to Apple's iPhone and iPod
Touch, as well as Google's Android.
With a sleek, engaging, ultra-friendly interface, StayHIP offers
mobile guests multiple ways to search for the coolest, choicest, most
unique hotels in the world, including search by city name, price, or
keyword (for example, "contemporary, luxurious, urban"). And for
exceptional convenience, the "Hotels Near Me" feature on StayHIP
instantly finds the nearest boutique hotels using guests' GPS
location.
Each hotel
listing features property details, including a description, photo
gallery with images viewable at full screen with one touch, as well as
streaming video. StayHIP users can also choose to view rates, room
types, and availability--all accessed in real-time directly in the
application. When a guest decides to book a stay, the booking is
completed 100 percent within the application. Email confirmations are
sent based on the user's personal contact information. Guests have the
option to quickly share their booking information with friends on
Facebook and Twitter. For future reservations, user information is
stored on the user's device for a faster, more efficient booking
process.
"StayHIP is the future of mobile travel applications," says Robert
Post, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Travelclick. "We expect
the emergence of more and more targeted mobile apps like
StayHIP--enabling consumers to find and book the perfect stay, and at
the same time, hotels can stand out from the crowd while engaging
directly with their target guests in a highly personal way. All with a
secure, time-saving booking experience from the consumers' preferred
device."
"All of us at Mobiata are thrilled to add StayHIP to our suite of
elegantly designed, native mobile apps for travelers," says Ben Kazez,
president and founder of Mobiata. "Our users will appreciate the artful
combination of Travelclick's expertise in hotel booking with Mobiata's
know-how in mobile commerce transactions and user experience--creating
the best possible application for boutique hotel seekers."
StayHIP works with iHotelier, the Central Reservation System
platform from Travelclick, providing a complete reservations solution
for boutique hotels targeting guests in the mobile space. Hotels stand
out among hundreds of options while developing a direct relationship
with targeted guests--all without using a third-party travel
application.
To access the app, go to www.mobiata.com/stayhip or download it
directly from Apple's App Store or Google's Android marketplace.
Consumers can also stay connected with the StayHIP hotel community of
hotels and travelers on Twitter or Facebook.
StayHIP is part of Travelclick's holistic mobile solution, which
also includes mobile websites, mobile booking engines, and mobile
advertising -all designed to help hotels reach the rapidly expanding
mobile market. Today, nearly two-fifths of smart phone owners are
researching leisure travel on their mobile devices, according to web
analytics company Compete, Inc., while more than one-fourth have used
their phone to book a hotel room. Mobile booking revenue for hotels is
expected to surge to $76 million in 2010.
Link: StayHIP
(download
link)
App Lets College Students Search for
Textbooks
PR: Leading textbook comparison site Direct Textbook today
announces Book$Price 1.1, a free iPhone application designed to help
students, parents and university staff get the best deals on textbooks.
Book$Price facilitates the search of more than 200 online bookstores
for price, availability and more. Search results include new books,
used books, ebooks and rental options to give users access to as many
budget-friendly options as possible.
Finding the most competitive prices on new and used textbooks and
ebooks is now just a 'touch' away. Book$Price, a new, free iPhone
application developed by Direct Textbook, a leading textbook comparison
site, is now available for download. The application facilitates the
search of more than 200 online bookstores for price, availability and
more.
"Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Apple brand among college
students and the anticipated use of the iPad by many colleges and
universities, we decided to create an application for iPhone, iPod
touch and iPad users," said Chris Lindgren, president. "The beginning
of the school term is often a hectic time for students, parents and
staff. The Book$Price application makes it easy to comparison shop for
textbooks from virtually anywhere, and ensure that you're getting the
best price on books."
Since 2002, Direct Textbook has helped make the process of finding
the best prices on new and used textbooks, and most recently, ebooks
easy and hassle-free. The site has gained popularity due to a number of
factors, including the rise in textbooks and overall costs associated
with secondary education, the recession's impact on household budgets
and the site's commitment to continually expanding and tailoring its
offerings to meet the needs of site visitors.
Book$Price, the latest innovation from Direct Textbook, allows users
to search hundreds of online bookstores by ISBN, title, author or
keyword to find the lowest prices on college textbooks. Search results
include new books, used books, ebooks and rental options to give users
access to as many budget-friendly options as possible. Additionally,
the application allows users to search more than 20 vendors to
determine how much companies that purchase books will pay for those
textbooks that are no longer needed by the student. In the future, the
application will expand functionality with the addition of a barcode
scanner and include inventory from additional ebook providers.
"There are now tons of applications that are available for college
students to help make the transition to college life easier, improve
study skills, prepare for exams and more," said Lindgren. "Book$Price
fills a void, and we look forward to the response from students,
parents and university staff who are able to save money this year by
using it."
Device Requirements:
- iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
- Requires iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later
- 0.1 MB
Book$Price 1.1 is free and available exclusively through the App
Store in the Education category. To search for textbooks directly from
the Direct Textbook website, visit Direct Textbook. Multiple search
options, a detailed FAQ and other resources are readily available,
including guides on searching for books and coupon codes for dozens of
online bookstores.
Screenshot: http://bit.ly/aONSdu
Link: Book$Price (download
link)
All Cars Catalog for iPhone: Pics and Specs for
48,000 Cars
PR: oofsource introduces All Cars Catalog - 48,000 Cars 1.0
for the iPhone OS. Compatible with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch,
the comprehensive app provides full search capabilities of over 48,000
vehicles, including 205 car brands since 1900, over 8,000 color photos,
and detailed specifications for every listing. The app operates in full
screen mode, displays photos in "cover flow", saves photos to the media
library, and is one of the most extensive car catalogs in the App
Store.
With a stylish two-tone, black steel mesh motif, the All Cars
Catalog provides instant answers to nearly any car question. The
Catalog opens with four large buttons: All Brands, All Years, All
Categories, and Search! Tap Brands and 205 listings scroll
alphabetically, from AC, AMC, Abarth to Zastava, Zender, Zundapp. The
color logo of each brand appears next to its name. Selecting a brand
takes the user back to the opening Catalog screen, but now the All
Brands button reads the brand selected.
Tapping All Years brings up the scrolled listing of years from 2009
to 1900. After choosing a year, the user returns to the Catalog screen
to select from a list of 16 categories, including: cabriolets/sports
cars, cargo vans, large/luxury cars, limousines, midsize family cars,
military vehicles, minibuses, minicars, multipurpose/combi cars, off
road cars, pickup trucks, prototypes/concept models, SUVs, small
city/economy cars, station wagons/estate cars, vans/minivans. Finally,
the user presses the Search! button and the result(s) are immediately
listed.
The app does not require the user to make a selection with all 3
buttons. For example, one can simply choose "limousines" from the
Categories listings and hit Search! to bring up every
manufacturer-offered limo ever made. Having reached his result(s) he
can scroll to select any listing. Each entry begins with a color photo
of the car (if available), and then continues with specifications
neatly arranged under various categories: General; Main Features;
Engine & Transmission; Speed & Acceleration, Exterior &
Interior; Steering, Brakes & Tires; Dimensions & Weight; and
Pricing & Other. All measurements are given in metric and US
systems. There is also a switch at the end of the entry where the user
can select the car as a Favorite, which adds it to the app's Favorites
list.
Feature Highlights:
- A comprehensive catalog of over 48,000 cars and trucks
- Lists 205 brands manufactured from 1900 through 2009
- 8,000 color photos and more than a million specifications
- Complete database search capabilities
- Enlarges photos, and displays photos in "cover flow" as in the
iTunes Store
- One of the most extensive car catalogs in the app store
"All Cars Catalog - 48,000 Cars 1.0 puts more than a million car
facts at your fingertips," commented oofsource owner, Denis
Berekchiyan. "Find the power/weight ratio of the 1991 Ferrari 348 TS
Targa in 5 seconds flat."
Device Requirements:
- iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch
- iPhone OS 3.0 or later
- 20.3 MB
All Cars Catalog - 48,000 Cars 1.0 is $2.99 and available worldwide
exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. Review
copies are available upon request.
Link: All Cars
Catalog (download
link)
Accessories
Screw-locked Bike Handlebar Mount for iPhone
3G/3GS
PR: This bicycle mount allows iPhone to be
easily attached to a bicycle's handlebars. It includes an iPhone holder
and a mount for bicycle handlebars. Simply slide iPhone into the iPhone
holder and then attach the iPhone holder to the bicycle mount. The
iPhone holder includes a stopper mechanism which keeps iPhone from
slipping out even when there is vibration from the road's surface.
The USB Fever Bicycle Mount is great for use with GPS navigation
applications or when filming a movie from your bicycle using iPhone. It
is ready for any new iPhone applications developed for cyclists.
Bicycle mount has a ball joint design which makes it freely adjustable
to find the best screen viewing angle. The iPhone holder can also be
quickly removed with one hand for answering incoming phone calls.
This Bicycle Mount is compatible with handlebars of up to 30mm in
diameter so will fit most standard bicycle handlebars. The iPhone Dock
connector, headphone jack and volume controls are all accessible when
iPhone is in the mounted position.
Features:
- Japanese products
- Horizontal & vertical placement
Compatible with iPhone 3G/3GS
Specifications of iPhone holder:
- Size: 66(W) x 125(H) x 24(D)mm
- Weight: approximately 20g
- Material: ABS plastic/Polycarbonate
Specifications of Bicycle mount:
- Size: 38(W) x 80(H) x 58(D)mm
- Weight: approximately 50g
- Material: ABS plastic/Polycarbonate
Price: $23.99
Link: USB
Fever Bicycle Mount
Car Dashboard Vent Mount for iPhone
PR: This Car mount allows the iPhone to be easily
attached to a car's air conditioning vent. It includes an iPhone holder
and a vent mount. Simply slide iPhone into the iPhone holder and then
attach the iPhone holder to the vent mount. The vent mount securely
locks in place and the iPhone holder includes a stopper mechanism which
keeps iPhone from slipping out even when there is vibration from the
road.
USB Fever's iPhone holder can be quickly removed with one hand for
answering incoming phone calls. The angle of viewing can be adjusted in
15 degree increments and can be rotated for either horizontal or
vertical viewing. This makes this Car mount a great solution for use
with iPhone car navigation applications.
The iPhone Dock connector, headphone jack and volume controls are
all accessible when iPhone is in the mounted position. Access to the
Dock connector means that an iPhone car charger can be plugged in to
keep iPhone continuously charged up. (Car charger sold separately)
Features:
- Japanese products
- Horizontal & vertical placement
Compatible with iPhone 3G/3GS
Specifications of iPhone holder:
- Size: 66(W) x 125(H) x 24(D)mm
- Weight: approximately 20g
- Material: ABS plastic/Polycarbonate
Specifications of Car mount:
- Size: 46(W) x 43(H) x 55(D)mm
- Weight: approximately 16g
- Material: ABS plastic/Polycarbonate
Price: $22.99
Link: Car
Dashboard Vent Mount for iPhone
dockXtender Dock Extender Cable
PR: CableJive introduces the dockXtender, a
next-generation dock extender cable for iPad, iPhone, and iPod. This
30-pin male to female extension is compatible with all iPad, iPhone and
iPod models. Redesigned in every way possible, the dockXtender is the
final answer for all situations where extra docking distance is
needed.
Nothing Left Out
dockXtender passes all functionality through to your iPad, iPhone,
or iPod. Anything your iPod can do when directly attached to your
accessory, can also be done when connected with the dockXtender. Listen
to audio, watch video, record a memo, charge, sync, control your
device, and more.
In All Cases
The dockXtender works with every case, cover, or skin on the planet.
Yes, that includes fitting inside narrow, rigid openings on cases like
the OtterBox DefenderTM. You no longer need to take the case off when
docking your iPad, iPhone, or iPod whatever the case may be.
Ultimate Flexibility
Even with full 30-pin functionality, this cable is thinner and more
flexible than you can imagine. The dockXtender cable can bend, twist,
or wind in whatever way you need.
Down to the Wire
Each wire in the dockXtender is tailored specifically for the
function it performs. A revolutionary 2-tier shielding system puts all
video and audio signals inside a separate shielding to reduce
interference from the other signals traveling through the wire.
Need another length? Check out the Custom Length Dock Extender
Cable.
Price: $25.95
Availability: 6' cables will go on sale at the end of May.
Length:
Link: dockXtender
iPad & E-reader Recliner
PR:
Well, now you've got your iPad - pretty cool device isn't it? A device
you can hold in one hand that can do sooooooo much. But you re not
going to hold your iPad in your hand all the time. . . . are you?
Maybe, just maybe you might want to set it down every once in a
while. And when you do why not set your iPad in its own little
recliner? As you can see from the images, the iPad Recliner is an
incredibly versatile easy chair for your 
iPad and will provide the prefect viewing angle
when you just want to sit back and watch . . . . hands free! You choose
the best angle that gives you the sharpest image and viola! Instant
viewing clarity.
When you change your body position you can effortlessly adjust your
iPad's angle. The iPad Recliner is the Lazy Boy of iPad loungers. It
quickly and easily adjusts to almost any incline from a laying down
position to a sitting up position. Now there are no limitations to how
you can view your iPad.
The iPad Recliner is made of high impact ABS structural plastic. It
supports a generous rubber cushion rest for your iPad's foot and a soft
rubber strip across the top that's your iPad's headrest. Hard plastic
never touches your iPad because it's constantly supported by a soft
comfy seat. The iPad Recliner has a foot rest width of 8" and a head
rest height of 8" .
Versatile
easy chair for your iPad for best ergonomic viewing- Adjusts quickly and easily to any viewing incline
- Provides the prefect viewing angle when watching hands free
- The iPad Recliner is the Lazy Boy of iPad loungers
- Generous rubber cushion rest for your iPad's foot
- Soft rubber strip across the top for iPad's headrest
- Available in a two-tone color of silver and black
- Read handsfree in any position and relax while reading
- Carries a 6 month warranty against defects
If you want your iPad to be as comfortable as you are in an easy
chair, then the iPad Recliner is your best choice. Treat your iPad as
well as you treat yourself, treat your iPad to the iPad Recliner.
The unit is available in a two-tone color of silver and black. The
iPad Recliner carries a 6 month warranty against defects in materials,
workmanship and construction.
Price: $34.95
Sale Price: $29.95
Link: iPad &
E-reader Recliner
Proporta Smart Range of Sustainable iPhone, iPad,
and iPod Cases
PR: Proporta Smart cases are handcrafted from sustainable
materials and come with a bamboo packaging plate that doubles as a
screen protector. The cases are made from materials like sustainable
bamboo, recycled leather and hessian.
Bamboo is one of the world's most sustainable construction
materials - natural and while it grows, it actually removes carbon from
the atmosphere. and locks it away. It also releases up to three times
more oxygen than most other plants and is claimed to be almost 20%
stronger than steel by weight.
Wherever possible, carbon neutral shipping is used to save
energy.
Proporta's cofounder Guy Monson says: "In early 2008, we decided
that we wanted to do more than simply pay money to offset carbon
emissions and rename products 'green'. Ever since then we've been
conducting extensive research on how we can run our business in a more
sustainable manner - looking at every aspect, from the drawing board to
the manufacturing and supply chain. Proporta Smart is the culmination
of this and we hope we shall be able to adapt some of the best features
from the range into the rest of our products.
"We're very aware that Proporta Smart is Proporta's first step
in the direction of sustainably produced products, and we know we have
a long way to go until we are truly 100% green. But, we're really
excited about the opportunities Proporta Smart has already given us in
terms of improving products and reducing our environmental
footprint."
The Proporta Smart Recycled Leather Case with bamboo screen
protection is available for the iPad, iPhone 3G/3GS, iPod touch (2G),
iPod nano (5G), and iPod classic as well as the Blackberry Bold 2 and
HTC Desire.
Link: Proporta
Smart
