Stitcher Radio for Podcasts 6 is out with complete redesign

• My front page – We’ve reimagined the front page as your personal audio feed. With new episodes from your favorites, recommendations based on your listening as well as headline news and trending stories, it lets you open Stitcher and instantly start listing to fresh, personalized content.
• Simplified navigation – Access your playlists with a single swipe from anywhere in the app.
• Redesigned player controls – New Mini Player lets you always see and control what’s playing. Swipe the Mini Player up to access the full Now Playing view, then swipe down to minimize. You can now access car mode and sleep timer via the Now Playing screen.
• Last played – The new Mini Player automatically loads whatever you were playing last so you can jump right back in, right where you left off.
• More past episodes – New Show Information pages let you access more past episodes than ever before – easily listen, share or save them to your Listen Later playlist.
• Recommendations – Better recommendations, delivered to you on your Front Page as well as on individual Show pages – for example discover what listeners of This American Life also like to listen to.
• Simplified playlists – Easier than ever to access, set for offline listening, and manage your favorite shows in playlists.
• Designed for iOS 7 – Visually refreshed to take advantage of iOS7 design cues and technologically refreshed to leverage underlying iOS7 technologies.
• Seamless refresh – Stitcher seamlessly refreshes and now lets you pull to refresh (swipe down) so you always have the latest episodes available.
• Listen later – Easily add episodes from anywhere to your Listen Later playlist – from the Front Page, your playlists, and past episode lists. Even set it to download for listening to these episodes offline.

For a long time I’ve been using Apple’s native Podcast app. It may not have all of the features that others have, or as sharp of design, but it syncs with iTunes and gets the job done. I did, however grab the new Stitcher Radio app this weekend, and I must say I’m impressed. 

The app has all of the standard podcast options, but my favorite might be ‘My Front Page.’ It’s the first thing you see when you open Stitcher, and it offers up podcast suggestions based on news headlines. It seems like this would be a great way to keep up with current events.

If you’re interested, I recommend checking it out for yourself. You can grab the new Stitcher Radio for Podcasts from the App Store for free. And if you do, be sure to add iDB’s two podcasts: Let’s Talk iOS and Let’s Talk Jailbreak. You can find them via search, or here.

Sketchy schematic drawing of next-gen iPhones surfaces

A fairly sketchy, schematic-like drawing has surfaced on the web this morning depicting what could be twonext-gen iPhones. The image, which is of terrible quality, was first published by popular Japanese magazine MacFan and then passed on by Macotakara.

As you can see, the drawing shows two separate handsets: one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display. This lines up with severalprevious reports, as do many of the design elements of the devices such as their bezel-free screens and slim profile…

According to MacRumors, the two devices in the image are actually referred to as iPhone ’6c’ models by MacFan and Macotakara. While it seems odd that Apple would offer two smartphone models with multiple display sizes, it does match up with prior intel.

Also worth noting is that there seems to be a single-bulb circular flash next to the rear camera. Apple moved to a dual-LED flash with the iPhone 5s, but interestingly enough, we saw the same circle flash on a purported iPhone 6 dummy unit earlier this week. 

So what does all of this mean? Probably nothing. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention it and it turned out to be something. With manufacturers rumored to start mass-producing next-gen iPhones within the next few months, we should know more very soon.

Yesterday, the oft-accurate Japanese news outlet Nikkei reported that the so-called iPhone 6 will come in both 4.7- and 5.5-inch variations.

‘Threes’ developers publish gigantic work log in response to clones

Clones of popular games are a common sight in the App Store. They’re a way for not-so-creative developers to make a quick buck by riding the coattails of hit titles and trends—the recent flurry of Flappy Bird copycats is a great example of this phenomenon.

But while we had a good laugh at some of the ridiculous FB clones, like ‘Flappy Beard Hipster Quest,’ it’s not so funny for developers. In fact, the creators of the hit game ‘Threes’ recently took to their blog to vent their frustration with the growing list of ripoffs…

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post:

With Greg being part of the Ridiculous Fishing team, we’re not shy about calling a clone a clone, and believe us, there’s no shortage of straight-up clones out there, especially on Android. But it’s the not-really-clone sort of games, the rip-offs, that have popped up that have our feelings puzzled. [...]
First, it started on iOS with a game called 1024 released 21 days after Threes (February 27th). It’s different, but not. The sliding is there, the doubling of cards, the merging, even the art is extremely similar. Next, came 2048 about ten days later. A game system identical to 1024 with one tweak, it removed the stones. Since, the game has grown in popularity after a posting on Hacker News on March 10th.

After laying out the major flaws in these games, Asher Vollmer and Greg Wohlwend ran down 500+ emails from a 14-month span to show some of the effort that went into creating Threes. “It took a lot of work to make our tiny little game, but not much to clone it.”

Here’s one from the early development stages:

“Awesome! I really like the tiles. Very solid and they definitely look merge-able.
Really dig the 3Dness too. I can totally imagine the arrows and walls having the same amount of depth.
Not too keen on the color scheme, to be honest. It feels a little abrasive and neon for my taste. Though if the game stays this simple we could make a bunch of color schemes and something like this could be an option.”

Personally, I found it very interesting to read through the emails and text messages the devs posted as it kind of gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to build a game. There’s a lot of iteration involved, a lot of evolution, and just a lot of work in general.

So yeah, it’s pretty lame that other developers can profit off of all this hard work with little effort, especially since the Threes game itself is so good. You can read our full review of it here, or grab it from the App Store here. It’s $2 and works on the iPhone and iPad.

‘At the Ballpark’ app updated with new iOS 7 design and iBeacon support

Baseball fans will be happy to hear that MLB.com has updated its At the Ballpark iOS app this morning. The update brings the client to version 3.o, and features an all-new design for iOS 7 and support for Apple’s new ‘iBeacon’ tech that will be available in select ballparks this year.

We’ve known for a while now that Major League Baseball was working with Apple on its geolocation technology, which its Advanced Media group demonstrated last fall. And the organization has said it hopes to roll out the feature to at least 20 parksahead of 2014′s Opening Day…

Here are the release notes for version 3.0:

MLB.com At The Ballpark is your mobile companion when visiting your favorite Major League Baseball ballparks. The official MLB ballpark application perfectly complements and personalizes the trip with mobile check-in, social media, offers, rewards and exclusive content. Select MLB ballparks also offer mobile food ordering and merchandise ordering and seat and experience upgrade components. New for 2014, check in automatically with iBeacon technology at select ballparks for exclusive offers and in-game features.
2014 Features:
- Check in for offers and rewards and personalized history for ballparks visited
- Team schedule, directions and parking information, social media clubhouse and more
- Interactive concourse maps and directory, including food and drinks menus
- Ballpark and player entrance music info, with the ability to purchase songs on iPhone
- See team videos, plus watch video highlights from games attended
- Seat and experience upgrade functionality is available at select ballparks  

 For those unfamiliar with iBeacon, it’s a geolocation technology Apple unveiled last summer. When using ‘iBeacons,’ retailers and other outlets can tell where a person is in a venue within a few feet, and then send alerts and other content to their smartphones based on their position.

MLB ballparks are hoping the tech will enhance the ‘fan experience’ by offering directions to seats, restrooms and nearby food and drink stands, as well as other points of interest. They could use the app to offer time or location-based coupons. Ex: ‘$2 off hot dogs through 7th inning.’

We know that ballparks in LA and San Diego have already been equipped with iBeacons, but we have yet to see a full list of participating stadiums. Still, with Opening Day now just a few days away, you may want to grab ‘MLB.com At the Ballpark’ from the App Storejust in case. It’s free.

iCab Mobile 8.0: rewritten for iOS 7, QR codes, multi-user support and more

Remember iCab Mobile, an excellent browser by German developer Alexander Clauss? It was one of the first third-party web browsers to grace the App Store back in 2010 and continues to be packed with advanced features you won’t find in other iPhone browsers.

I’m talking about stuff like Dropbox integration, the ability to upload and download files, sync settings via iCloud, great implementation of tabbed browsing, full screen mode and configurable multi-touch gestures, to name a few.

Alexander has just announced eighth major iteration of iCab Mobile, now available for $1.99 in the App Store for the iPhone and iPad. Here’s what’s new and why you should care…

Perhaps the biggest new addition to iCab’s arsenal of features: multi-user support. This allows you to create different user profiles on your iPad for other members of your family, so each can surf the web and customize the browser to their liking while keeping their browsing history private.

Account types can be Admin and Standard and users can quickly switch between them in the app’s settings, as depicted below.   

iCab Mobile 8.0 also brings out support for QR codes.

You can now scan QR codes on products directly, using a built-in QR code scanner, so you don’t need to use a separate bar code scanning app anymore. This feature taps Apple’s APIs that were introduced in iOS 7 so you won’t be able to scan QR codes if you’re on earlier iOS versions.

In addition to the QR code scanner, iCab Mobile 8.0 can also create QR codes for bookmarks, links and other items, directly within the app. You can then share images of these codes on the web for others to scan and be automatically forwarded to the underlying URL.

Alexander says he’s optimized and“almost completely rewritten” the app for iOS 7 and it shows, from the flattened user interface to support for specific iOS 7 technologies like background fetching of files from the web, even if the app isn’t active.

iCab Mobile 8.0 is now 64-bit on A7 devices and has extensive support for external Bluetooth keyboards (requires iOS 7.0), with a bunch of handy keyboard shortcuts to access commonly used commands like go back/forward, switch tabs, open bookmarks, scrolling, change settings and much more).

You can buy iCab Mobile 8.0 for $1.99 in the App Store.

Microsoft Stores offering free 1-year Office 365 subscriptions, Amazon taking 33% off

If you visit a Microsoft Store today and bring your iPad with you, Microsoft may  give you a free one-year subscription to Office 365, a $99 value.

Following yesterday’s release of Office for iPad with native Excel, Word and PowerPoint applications, the Windows giant’s retail stores are now promoting the apps by giving away a 1-year Office 365 subscription to the first 50 people who turn up at the door and bring in an iPad with them.

If you don’t have the time to visit your nearby Microsoft Store or there’s no store in your area, Amazon is now offering a discounted annual Office 365 subscription for $67…

The deal is valid for three days only, running Friday, March 28 through Sunday, March 30, as first reported byZDNet. Microsoft’s official Twitter account has tweeted out thepromotion, too.

Office 365 is here for iPad. First 50 people to bring in their iPad starting 3/28 will get @Office free for 1 year. http://t.co/ePjfSDdCoY
— Microsoft Store (@MicrosoftStore) March 27, 2014

Although Excel, Word and PowerPoint for iPad are offered as free downloads, you can’t edit or create new documents without an Office 365 subscription.  

It’s interesting that Microsoft is also selling Office 365 subscriptions within the newly-released iPad apps, withApple getting its standard 30 percent cut. As there aren’t many Microsoft Stores around, you may not be able to take advantage of this promotion.

But don’t despair – if you’re serious about Microsoft’s productivity suite, you can buy an Office 365 subscription over at Amazon for $67.15 with free shipping, a 33 percent discount that’ll save you $33 in the process.

By the way, Word, Excel and PowerPoint are all topping the App Store’s free downloads, with Word now #6 top grossing app. So much about iPad users not caring about Microsoft Office. 

Office 365 subscriptions work on up to five Mac or Windows PCs and mobile devices, without license transferability limitations and including access to all the latest and greatest Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, OneNote and Publisher, with twenty gigabytes of free OneDrive storage and 60 free minutes of Skype calls per month.

Normally, Microsoft will let you transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you, but not more than one time every 90 days, except due to hardware failure, in which case you may transfer sooner.

A more affordable Office 365 Personal subscription will be available in April, limited to just one PC or Mac, plus one tablet, in exchange for $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year. Note that Microsoft is offering a free 30-day Office 365 trial for those who want to test the full functionality of Office for iPad without purchasing a subscription.

You can download Excel, Word andPowerPoint for iPad free in the App Store.

Strong demand for Apple products boosts Foxconn and Pegatron’s earnings

Demand for Apple’s latest products is as strong as ever, it would seem. After reporting sales of 51 million iPhones and 26 million iPads during the lucrative holiday quarter, as a result Apple’s key contract manufacturers –Foxconn and Pegatron – are seeing a nice rise in their earnings, too.

Pegatron, the primary manufacturer of the iPhone 5c and iPad mini, last week reported a cool 22 percent annual rise in earnings attributed to strong demand for mobile products. Apple is responsible for as much as 40 percent of Pegatron’s business so the manufacturer’s fortunes are closely tied to the iPhone maker’s.

As for Foxconn, they reported a 13 percent rise in net profit today. Foxconn is the world’s top contract manufacturer and Apple’s lead supplier…

According to The Wall Street Journal, Foxconn said Friday its net profit last year rose thirteen percent, “helped by an increase in iPad and iPhone sales”, as it also announced a $90 million investment in new manufacturing and software development operations.

Taiwan-based Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., earns more than 40 percent of its revenue from Apple. The firm recentlypartnered with Google on production line automation using robots that run the Internet giant’s upcoming robotic operating system for manufacturers.

During a recent event marking Foxconn’s 40th anniversary, its Chairman, co-founder and CEO Terry Gou said his company was exploring the possibly of opening a large display plant in the United States.  

Foxconn is also though to have landed orders for the next iPhone(s), with production trial runs of the handset using sapphire as a display glass cover having started recently.

As for Pegatron, The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the firm’s results were underpinned by demand from Apple:

The earnings boost posted Monday accompanied strong growth of Pegatron’s revenue from smartphones and other communications products, even as its overall revenue fell from a year earlier amid sluggish sales of its core personal-computer business.

Their operating margin, however, is razor-thin (thanks to Apple), having increased from just 1.6 percent a year ago to 1.9 percent in the most recent quarter.

“Analysts said Pegatron has suffered from low operating margins in recent years partly because of a low yield rate as it began making products for Apple,” as per the report. Margins are bound to rise as Pegatron gathers experience building Apple product and improves its efficiency.  

In addition to building the iPad mini and the iPhone 5c, Pegatron too may have landed orders for large-screened iPhones, accounting for about half of total output. The company could also start assembly work for Apple’s iPad Air and the all-in-one iMac desktop this Fall.

Foxconn and Pegatron’s stellar four-quarter results aside, contract electronic makers are about to experience a sharp drop in earnings: the first quarter has traditionally been a dry season as device vendors aren’t launching many products early in the year.

Shazam revamps content pages, introduces scrollable lyrics, enhanced Rdio support and more

Friday, music discovery engine Shazam has refreshed its iOS apps with some fine new features, starting with a brand new track page design and a new look and feel for video, album, track reviews, artist bios and other pages.

“Many” (but not all) song lyrics will now scroll in time with the music, a handy feature if you’re singing along a song trying to remember the lyrics.

Shazam last December added the ability to listen for songs and television shows in the background, tagging them automatically.

Background listening can negatively impact your battery so you’ll be delighted to learn that the new Shazam 7.5 apps are more power friendly “so you don’t need to worry about your battery life while it’s running.”

Both the free, ad-supported Shazam and the paid Shazam Encore have been updated with these changes…

Also new in Shazam 7.5: the new share screen, additional notification controls and the ability for Rdio users to add a Shazam track to any of their playlists. Shazam started permitting Rdio users to listen to their Shazam tracks as an Rdio playlist a few months ago (Shazam previews also play in Twitter).  

The new Notifications switch in settings makes it easier to control your news feed notifications from within the app. The reworked Share screen is on the right.

Shazam and Warner Music Group recently signed a partnership allowing the service to discover new acts by analyzing what new songs people tag most and even sign them to a new Shazam-branded label.

Download Shazam free in the App Store.

To remove ads and use power features, buy Shazam Encore in the App Store for $6.99.

Both editions are universal and require iOS 6.0 or later.

Could Apple be using Japan Display’s new 5.5-inch Quad HD panel in the iPhone 6?

Apple is currently putting the finishing touches on its next-generation iPhone. And if the flurry of rumors and so-called insider reports are to be believed, the handset is going to feature an Ultra Retina display that will come in two sizes: 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch, among other improvements.

With that in mind, you can understand why this new 5.5-inch panel from Japan Display—a long time Apple supplier—is so interesting to us. Unveiled this week, the panel measures 5.5-inches and is of the Quad HD (aka WQHD) variety, with a resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 and a ppi of 538…

Here’s CN with the report:

“Japan Display could be providing a hint of iPhone attractions to come. The company announced on Thursday that it has developed a 5.5-inch-wide Quad HD, aka, WQHD, display with a resolution of 1,440x 2,560 vertical pixels as a display format for “leading-edge smartphones.”
The Japanese company — a major supplier of iPhone displays — said it will begin shipping the 5.5-inch LCD in April.”  

 Perhaps not coincidentally, Japanese news outlet Nikkei reported this weekthat Apple is going to be launching a new iPhone this year with both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays. It named Japan Display as a supplier, and said panel resolution would be ”significantly higher” than current models.

We still know very little about the new iPhone, as details outside of the display have been fairly scarce and inconsistent. It’s believed to be slimmer than the current-gen model, with a refreshed design and A8 processor, and other reports have called for an 8MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM and more.

Some reports have suggested that Apple could launch the handset as early as this summer, but all signs still point to a standard fall release.

Apple apparently expanding operations at Arizona plant to increase sapphire output

As rumored yesterday, looks like Apple is indeed planning an expansion at itsMesa, Arizona plant to boost sapphire output ahead of the next-generation iPhone production. According to a new report Friday morning, the company is looking to double the number of high-tech furnaces that make sapphire boules in bulk.

Whereas previous records claimed Apple and its partner GT Advanced would use about 950 furnaces at the site, sources are now saying the firms want to equip the facility with some 1,700 furnaces. That could mean bolstering of yields to increase the plant’s output beyond an estimated 100 to 200 million sapphire displays per year.

Apple has poured a cool $576 million into the Mesa facility to secure an exclusive, multi-year output of sapphire products. It’s widely believed Tim Cook & Co. have found a way of strengthening the next iPhone’s screen by applying a thin layer of sapphire material on top of the handset’s cover glass…

AppleInsider is reporting that multiple companies are now posting bids to build out a proposed expansion that would stretch into adjacent parcels of land that appear to be vacant.

Some of the construction firm’s actively working on the project: Rosendin Electric, Wesco Distribution and Graybar Electric.

Although the exact purpose of the second unit is unknown, the build would likely be similar to Cascade’s building as project planners are said to be fielding bids from existing construction companies and material suppliers. Firms actively working on the project include Rosendin Electric, Wesco Distribution and Graybar Electric, among others.

By the way, Project Cascade is the code-name for the plant and its grounds, occupying an 83-acre plot of land in the City of Mesa’s designated foreign trade zone.  

Originally slated to open in January, construction of the facility should be in fact finished by June, “at which time manufacturing should reach full capacity,” according to the publication’s sources involved in the project.

The next iPhone is expected as early as September and it’s no surprise Apple’s rushing to make the plant operational, indicating the facility will churn out sapphire-made components for the handset.

Currently, Apple is using sapphire crystals to protect iDevice’s iSight camera lenses and the iPhone 5s’s Touch ID Home button.

Apple seeds OS X 10.9.3 beta build 13D28 to devs

Following the release of iTunes 11.1.6 and OS X 10.9.3 betas to developers and AppleCare employees earlier this month, Apple on Friday seeded another OS X 10.9.3 beta to developers.

Now available in Dev Center for registered Mac developers, a new version (build 13D28) of what would become Apple’s third major software update to its desktop operating system focuses on further refinements to Graphics Drivers, Safari, Audio and Contacts and Calendar sync over USB in iTunes…

The new build can be downloaded using the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store or from the Mac section of Apple’s Dev Center portalfor developers.

Mavericks has inexplicably removed the ability to sync contacts and calendar items in iTunes over a USB cable, much to the dismay of users.

Fortunately, a forthcoming iTunes 11.1.6 update, a beta of which was seeded to developers earlier this month, “restores the ability to sync contacts and calendar info from your Mac,” as per release notes.

The second beta of OS X 10.9.3 was released on March 13, bringing a few minor changes as public release looms. The first beta dated March 7 has brought out a new native Retina resolution option for 4K displays at 60Hz.

The current OS X 10.9.2 version supports 4K monitors at a 30Hz flicker.

Unlike Apple’s Retina implementation in iOS, Mavericks doesn’t scale up user interface elements to retain their size regardless of a screen resolution.

Creative pros whose work demands 4K monitors have complained about Apple’s half-baked implementation because it makes the icons, text and other elements impossibly small.

Hopefully, 10.9.3 will fix this.

Swiss watchmakers complain about Apple courting their talents

Earlier this month, we relayed reports asserting Apple may be looking to build its rumored wearable project, dubbed iWatch, in Switzerland. The iPhone maker reportedly created a company in the country for this purpose, prompting watchers to speculate that the iWatch could potentially carry the ‘Swiss Made’ label. 

Sources claimed Apple had approached some of the world’s finest watchsmiths and attempted to poach talents employed by such watchmaking groups as LVMH. 

The Financial Times is now corroborating these reports in a story Friday, writing that Apple’s been courting high-level executives and craftsmen at Swiss watch brands to help build the iWatch, in one instance even attempting to recruit a horologists directly. 

However, Swiss watchmakers have apparently rejected the possible iWatch project collaboration as they reportedly have no time to enter into any kind of partnership agreement with any of Silicon Valley’s technology giants…

According to FT’s story: 

Traditional Swiss watch brands claim they are being courted by the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google, as Silicon Valley places increasing importance on the aesthetics and design of new hardware. 

Jean-Claude Biver, the president of LVMH’s watches and jewelry division, said Apple had tried to poach staff from his Hublot brand, and from several Swiss parts manufacturers.

“Apple has contacted some of my employees – I saw the emails personally,” Mr Biver told a Swiss publication, claiming that all those who had been contacted refused the iPhone maker’s advances. 

Another exec believes Apple is considering a hybrid mechanical-electronic device.

Biver, the outspoken LVMH president, is well regarded for being almost too good at creating buzz so you’re advised to take his statement with a pinch of salt. For instance, last summer he dismissed Apple’s expected incursion into watchmakers’ traditional turf:

It would be pretentious to think that this kind of watch would fail to compete with Swiss watches. But they will in any case clearly not be competing with the high-end Swiss watches, which account for most of the exports. 

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek echoed the notion, according to the FT story, saying:

Never forget, to make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power which is difficult in a very limited space. 

Hayek admitted to have been in discussions with “practically all players in smart wearables,” but underscored his company saw “no reason why we should enter into any partnership agreement.” 

The quotes remind me of early dismissal of the iPhone by carriers and handset vendors. Luxury watchmakers should know better. 

Thanks to Google’s recent introduction of Android Wear software for wearable devices, a number of device makers will be releasing their smartwatch products in 2014, including Asus, HTC, LG, Samsung and Motorola, which showed off its fine-looking Moto 360 device earlier in the month. 

iWatch concept by Hungarian designer Gábor Balogh.

Increased competition will bring consumers more choices. 

And as a growing number of buyers start to consider smartwatches over traditional timepieces, Swiss makers are going to feel the heat as sales will inevitably slow. Instead of embracing technological advances, these companies continue to sing the same old tune which I suspect won’t resonate as much with the general public as wearable technologies explode. 

That being said, I’m puzzled as to whether the iWatch – the nickname coined by the press – will resemble traditional wristwatches and smartwatches or perhaps general purpose devices that are worn on one’s body. 

Judging by the sheer number of high-profile hires Apple’s made in past months across medical industries, the device should have a strong focus on health and fitness tracking.   

Apple is also said to be working feverishly to open up Siri to third-party developers via a Siri API, primarily with iWatch in mind. Third-party integration won’t require one-to-one business arrangement between Apple and the external company, The Information reported recently.

We also heard that the official Siri API, which has been years in the making, will take care of intelligently selecting what to display on a device with constrained screen space. Siri, for example, would know when you’re working out and could automatically bring a fitness app to the foreground.

Camera Plus introduces AirSnap feature that lets you shoot photos remotely

This whole “selfie” phenomenon has just got to go. How many people do you know with one of those top-down, slightly angled pictures of themselves used as their profile image for just about everything? The front-facing camera may have made it easier to snap pictures you are in, but they’ve turned everyone into self-centered paparazzi.

Camera Plus was recently updated to include support for the iPad, but that’s not the biggest news. You can use one device to take pictures with another using AirSnap. Now, those selfies won’t look so staged…  

AirSnap works similarly to the way AirDrop works. When the app is open on two different devices, you can connect them by selecting the AirSnap feature on one device and accepting the request on the other. Camera Plus uses Apple’s Multipeer Connectivity Framework in iOS 7 that uses Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The best part is, you don’t need to be in the same Wi-Fi network but just needs to be in the Wi-Fi range! This is exactly how AirDrop works. 

For example, if you and your honey are out and about in the city, but don’t want to ask a stranger to take a snapshot of the two of you eating giant corndogs, set one iPhone as the remote and the other as the camera and position the latter at some distance from you.

Then, tap the big trigger button on the iPhone that you chose to be the remote. 

 It will trigger the shutter on the camera iPhone and snap a pick of the two of you taking a bite at the same time.

In AirSnap, you can remotely rotate the camera between front and back facing. You can also turn the flash on or off and switch to video mode for selfie style YouTube clips. You can also adjust the volume of that irritating shutter sound effect, just in case you are in a quiet place or just hate fake camera sounds. 

Then, when you’ve gotten the perfect remote shot, you can edit your images. Using the device that acted as the camera, select the picture you wish to use to reveal the editing options. Tap the “Pix’d” button to automatically enhance a photo. Select “Edit” to add filters, adjust brightness and contrast, add text, and crop the image.   

When you are done, save a copy and share it directly to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or Instagram. You can also send it through text, email, or AirDrop. If you want to keep your photos a secret from prying eyes, purchase the privacy feature to lock them down with a passcode. Just be sure to delete the originals from your photo app. 

Camera Plus is available on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch for $0.99.Download it in the App Store today. 

Disclosure from iDB’s Editor in Chief: Camera Plus recently sponsored an episode of Let’s Talk iOS, but this didn’t influence our decision to cover the app today. AirSnap is a pretty neat and unique feature that deserves some attention.

Philips expands iPhone-connected line with hue lux, tap and luminaires

Philips’ iPhone-connected Hue lighting system has come a long way since we first reviewed it in 2012. The company has added a number of products to the lineup over the years, including LightStrips, Bloom bulbs, and bulbs for recessed lighting installs. And today, it’s expanding the line even more. 

This morning, Philips announced three new upcoming Hue products. The first is known as the ‘hue lux,’ a bulb that can only emit white light, the second is the ‘hue tap,’ which allows you to control the Hue system without the iPhone app, and the third is luminaires, a set of high-end 3D light fixtures…  

The hue lux is an LED light bulb, similar to the existing hue bulb, except that it can only emit white light—no colors. Users can, however, still remotely control the brightness of the lux and set on/off schedules. The lux will be available this summer in a starter kit for $100, or individual bulbs for $40. 

The hue tap isn’t a bulb at all, but more of an accessory to the hue lighting system. It’s actually a mountable switch that makes it easy to control your hue lights without the iPhone app. The tap includes four programmable buttons, and does not require wiring or batteries. It’ll be available soon for $60. 

And finally, there’s the luminaires. Philips’ new table and pendant luminaires were designed by WertelOberfell and Strand+Hvass. Each is 3D-printed, remotely controlled, and capable of displaying any of 16 million colors. At just over $4000 USD, they’re pricey, but they’ll be available March 31st. 

 Of course, the rest of the Hue products aren’t exactly inexpensive. Thestandard starter kit, which includes 3 multicolored LED bulbs and the required network bridge, goes for $199. You can save a little by getting white-only lux bulbs, but it’s still farmore costly than your average Walmart 6-pack.

BlackBerry wins injunction against Typo keyboard case

BlackBerry won a key victory yesterday in its fight against Typo. A federal judge agreed with the Canadian company that the iPhone keyboard case likely infringes on their patents, and issued a preliminary injunction late Friday to halt sales.

For those that missed it, back in January BlackBerry sued the makers of the Typo iPhone case over patent infringement. The case features a built-in battery, and a physical, backlit keyboard that looks nearly identical to those used in BB devices…

Here’s an excerpt from the initial press release:

“This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against any company that attempts to copy our unique design. From the beginning, BlackBerry has always focused on offering an exceptional typing experience that combines a great design with ergonomic excellence. We are flattered by the desire to graft our keyboard onto other smartphones, but we will not tolerate such activity without fair compensation for using our intellectual property and our technological innovations,” said Steve Zipperstein, BlackBerry’s General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer.”

And here was the response from the Typo team:

“We are aware of the lawsuit that Blackberry filed today [Friday] against Typo Products. Although we respect Blackberry and its intellectual property, we believe that Blackberry’s claims against Typo lack merit and we intend to defend the case vigorously.  We are excited about our innovative keyboard design, which is the culmination of years of development and research.  The Typo keyboard has garnered an overwhelmingly positive response from the public.  We are also looking forward to our product launch at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week and remain on track to begin shipping pre-orders at the end of January.”

In a statement provided to Reuters, Typo seemed unfazed by yesterday’s ruling, saying it plans to file an appeal and will continue to “make and sell innovative products that busy people can’t live without.” Just maybe not thisparticular product.

First introduced in December of last year, the Typo case is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Laurence Hallier and popular media personality Ryan Seacrest. Initial consumer feedback was positive and the initial pre-order run sold out quickly.

Judge grants class action status to e-book suit against Apple

Reuters is reporting that a federal judge has granted ‘class action’ status to plaintiffs suing Apple over its collusion with book publishers to increase the price of e-books. The ruling allows the involved individuals to sue the company and collect damages as a group.

The decision came from U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, who also presided over the antitrust case against Apple by the DOJ last summer. Cote says the plaintiffs had “more than met their burden” to file as a group, and has green-lighted their $800 million lawsuit…

Here’s more from Reuters:

A federal judge in New York granted class certification on Friday to a group of consumers who sued Apple Inc for conspiring with five major publishers to fix e-book prices in violation of antitrust law.
U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said the plaintiffs had “more than met their burden” to allow them to sue as a group. She rejected Apple’s contentions that the claims were too different from each other, or that some plaintiffs were not harmed because some e-book prices fell.
“This is a paradigmatic antitrust class action,” wrote Cote, who has scheduled a trial later this year to determine damages, which could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. 

The outlet says that this particular trial will likely take place in either July or September.

This is just the beginning of Apple’s e-book legal troubles though. In addition to this class action suit, and the DOJ case that it’s trying to appeal, the company faces litigation from thirty-three states and U.S. territories who have separately sued on behalf of their consumers.

Some have estimated Apple could oweas much as $500 million in damages from its Federal antitrust case, and now it faces $800 million from this suit. You have to wonder if Tim Cook and company regret not settling, as the publishers did, before things got out of hand.

Review: the iQi wireless iPhone charger

Wireless charging has long been one of technology’s Holy Grails. Being able to charge your devices without them having to be tethered to a power outlet would undoubtedly change the way we work, but seeing as we’re still quite some ways away from having electricity beamed to our smartphones and tablets, we’ll have to make do with the next best thing – charging plates.Many phones support what they like to call wireless charging, but as the pedantic amongst us would point point out, that’s not strictly accurate. After all,  that charging plate still needs a wire! Get beyond that hangup though, and wireless charging is actually pretty cool even in its current state. Putting your tablet or smartphone on a pad and having it start charging is impressive enough, but unfortunately Apple still isn’t up for it. Neither the iPad nor iPhone support wireless charging out of the box, and existing third-party solutions need big cases that come with the required technology built-in, which is far from ideal. Wireless charging should get out of the way, not make itself unmissable.

Enter the iQi wireless charging adapter… Originally funded on Indiegogo and now available on general sale to anyone with the right amount of cash in their pocket, the iQi solution is an intriguing one because of one main advantage that it has over the competition; it’s almost invisible.Designed for the iPhone 5, 5s and 5c thanks to its Lightning connector, the iQi solution consists of a connector and a cable. That cable is connected to a flat, barely-there charging area that folds around the back of the iPhone. Once there it can either be stuck with a spot of tape or ideally, covered with an iPhone case. Which is rather magical really, because even hidden behind a case like the official Apple leather solution, the charger still works. Impressive indeed. Of course, the iQi charger is nothing without a companion charging plate, with two options available. One, a large rectangular affair looks fine on a desk, while the ‘puck’ alternative perhaps more suits a bed-side table or the more image-conscious amongst us. We’ll let you decide which you prefer, but they both work exactly the same regardless.

If you’re not familiar with how wireless charging works, then here’s a crash course: you plug the charging plate in, you put your phone on it. It starts charging. If that sounds overly simplistic, it isn’t. That’s about all there is to it. Or at least, there should be. Unfortunately, that’s not quite my experience with the iQi.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed reviews of this very product pop up online a week or two ago, with seemingly everyone and their dog having given it a try. Largely, they’ve been happy with it besides some hiccups here and there. The reason this particular review has taken longer to write is that I needed to live with it for a while. I needed to know how it behaved over time, with real-world use for a real person. Right now, I’m not using it. That might be a good indication of how it went. 

The first issue I came across was actually a strange one that I probably can’t blame the iQi for. For some reason I had to restore my iPhone twice in order to make it detect the charger. It basically didn’t know it was plugged into the Lightning port using either iOS 7.1 beta 5, iOS 7.0.4/6 or the final iOS 7.1. Various restores later, it started working. I still don’t know why, but again, probably not the iQi’s fault.What is the iQi’s fault though is that it needs to be very, very well seated. In fact, you’ll probably need to get a toothpick or similar and scrape all the fluff out of your Lightning port before you plug the iQi in, else it won’t work. It needs to go particularly deep into the port, and you’ll need to use a credit card to push it all the way in. Quite why it needs so much attention to make it work when none of my conventional charging cables do is something I’ve not worked out yet, but I suspect plenty will be caught out by it. I know I nearly was.Once the iQi was finally detected by the iPhone, charging worked as you would expect. It’s possibly not quite as quick to charge as a normal wire, but it’s barely noticeable. It does get warm, though not warm enough to really be a concern. For the first charge, all was well and I was ready to declare the whole thing a success.And then I plugged it in for a second time. Nothing. The charging plate beeped as it does every time it detects the iQi, so all was well there. The iPhone was back to refusing to recognize it’s plugged into the iQi. I took it out, I put it back in, and all was well. Juice flowed, lights lit up and things beeped. Charging was working again.Until the next time I tried it. Rinse, repeat, grow bored.

The upshot of a couple of weeks of testing is that it appears the iQi needs removing and re-inserting after every full charge. It’s as if iOS doesn’t recognize that it’s been taken off charge, so doesn’t know it’s been put back on it. Whatever it is, it’s irritating, and just enough to put you off using the entire package, especially if you use a case because you’ll need to take your iPhone out in order to go through the whole process. Not great at all. At this point I’m unsure whether others simply didn’t have the same issue, or whether they didn’t test it enough to find out. In its current state, for me at least, I won’t be using the iQi solution to charge my iPhone. If you can live with having to unplug the iQi and then replug it to make it charge though, then you’ll probably be golden.

It’s a shame that there are little niggling issues that detract from the iQi, because I really wanted to like it. As it stands, I must admit that the technology seems wonderful, and that it has the makings of being a great product. Iron out the issues and I’ll even buy one.

Until then though, it’ll have to go on the list of ideas that didn’t quite pay off.

Yet.

The iQi iPhone charger is available from Amazon for $35.For some reason I had to restore my iPhone twice in order to make it detect the charger. It basically didn’t know it was plugged into the Lightning port using either iOS 7.1 beta 5, iOS 7.0.4/6 or the final iOS 7.1. Various restores later, it started working. I still don’t know why, but again, probably not the iQi’s fault. What is the iQi’s fault though is that it needs to be very, very well seated. In fact, you’ll probably need to get a toothpick or similar and scrape all the fluff out of your Lightning port before you plug the iQi in, else it won’t work. It needs to go particularly deep into the port, and you’ll need to use a credit card to push it all the way in. Quite why it needs so much attention to make it work when none of my conventional charging cables do is something I’ve not worked out yet, but I suspect plenty will be caught out by it. I know I nearly was. Once the iQi was finally detected by the iPhone, charging worked as you would expect. It’s possibly not quite as quick to charge as a normal wire, but it’s barely noticeable. It does get warm, though not warm enough to really be a concern. For the first charge, all was well and I was ready to declare the whole thing a success.And then I plugged it in for a second time. Nothing. The charging plate beeped as it does every time it detects the iQi, so all was well there. The iPhone was back to refusing to recognize it’s plugged into the iQi. I took it out, I put it back in, and all was well. Juice flowed, lights lit up and things beeped. Charging was working again. Until the next time I tried it. Rinse, repeat, grow bored.

The upshot of a couple of weeks of testing is that it appears the iQi needs removing and re-inserting after every full charge. It’s as if iOS doesn’t recognize that it’s been taken off charge, so doesn’t know it’s been put back on it. Whatever it is, it’s irritating, and just enough to put you off using the entire package, especially if you use a case because you’ll need to take your iPhone out in order to go through the whole process. Not great at all. Having read plenty of reviews of this iQi, I’ve found a couple of mentions of similar behavior, so it seems I’m not alone. At this point I’m unsure whether others simply didn’t have the same issue, or whether they didn’t test it enough to find out. In its current state, for me at least, I won’t be using the iQi solution to charge my iPhone. If you can live with having to unplug the iQi and then replug it to make it charge though, then you’ll probably be golden.

It’s a shame that there are little niggling issues that detract from the iQi, because I really wanted to like it. As it stands, I must admit that the technology seems wonderful, and that it has the makings of being a great product. Iron out the issues and I’ll even buy one.

Until then though, it’ll have to go on the list of ideas that didn’t quite pay off.

Yet.

The iQi iPhone charger is available from Amazon for $35.

Apps of the week: Microsoft Office, Goblins, Little Big Adventure, and more

This week, the App Store was given a treat. Fans of Microsoft’s productivity software can finally use a full-featured version of Office on the iPad. While this may be the biggest release ever for iOS users, they aren’t the only apps in the sea.

Whether you want to get some after-hours work done, or you would prefer to hone up on your poetry skills, we have a list of apps and games to keep you motivated this weekend… 

The legendary 1990s role-playing, point-and-click adventure game has finally been ported to iOS. Now, you can go back in time to help Twinsen escape his prison cell and find his true destiny among the stars. This updated version has been redesigned to work with touch screen gestures. Tap to walk, double tap to run, and hold your finger on Twinsen to see the angle and distance you can make him jump. Zoom in to see the action. Zoom out to see the entire level. The game is defaulted to show you where important items may be hidden, but you can turn off the hint feature if you want to explore without help. This game is available for $3.99.  

I’m sure I’ve spoken of my love of the land of Westeros. I know I’m not special in my obsession, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that George R.R. Martin’s epic tale is so popular.This game lets players immerse themselves in the land inside The Wall. Create a character and enter Westeros to choose a lineage, hire sworn swords to help you, become a bannerman to your favorite House, build resources, and even create your own family banner.  As the HBO show, Game of Thrones continues, new quests will be added to the game that coincides with the story that unfolds through the T.V. series. This game is available on the iPad for free. 

I kind of hated the original cell phone game of Snake. It frustrated me to no end. I was asking a friend just the other day whether he remembered playing the game. He had never even heard of it. In his defense, he didn’t get his first cell phone until about three years ago. This game is an updated, “extreme” version of the classic game. Players chase a dot around on the screen with their snake. Instead of clumsily moving around on the screen with a boxy line of pixels, players control a snake with more circular movement. This game is available for $0.99.

TodoMovies 3 keeps you up-to-date on the latest movie releases

Almost a full year ago, we reviewed Taphive’s ToDoMovies 2.0. Since that time, technology has improved and Apple released iOS 7. In response, Taphive updated their movie app to match. TodoMovies 3 is a movie discovery app that lets you keep track of what you want to see in the future, what you’ve already seen before, and find out relevant news about the film industry… Just like its predecessor, this app is clean, sleek, and elegant. The user interface is perfectly designed to appeal to your senses. Tap to see a movie poster. Tap again to read about it. Everything you need is easy to find and one tap away.

From the main menu, you can browse movies, read news, and check your watch list. Tap Discover to see the available movies. Movies are listed by Genres, In Theaters, and Upcoming. Tap one section to see more. When  you enter a section, you will see movies, displayed by their official film poster. Tap a movie to see the poster up close.

In the full poster view, you can play the trailer, view the image gallery, add the movie to your watch list, share a link with others, and visit the store to see a list of everything available related to the title.If you want to read a synopsis of the movie, tap the menu button in the upper right corner. You’ll see a critic rating, the movie summary, the release date, and other pertinent information.Scroll down to see the cast list. Tap on an actor to read his or her biography and list of movies. From here, you can add other movies to your watch list. For example, from the new “Avengers: Age of Ultron” movie, I tapped on Robert Downey Jr. to see his list of movies. Then, I found a film he was in that I have not yet seen, so I added it to my “To Watch” list.

From the main menu screen, tap News to read up on celebrity gossip, movie rumors, and general information about the industry. Emma Watson is rumored to star in a live-action version of “The Little Mermaid.” Find out if it’s true. Did you know that the Wachowskis are making another movie? App Use

The best way to get started exploring and discovering movies is to browse titles to add to your watch list. Under Genres, you’ll see movies listed by category, like action, comedy, horror, and foreign. Tap a genre to see the list.

Then, find a movie you’ve either seen or want to see and tap its poster. Tap the play button to watch the trailer. Tap the gallery icon to see movie stills and fan art. Tap the plus (+) button to add it to your To Watch list. The font and icon color will turn blue when you add it to your To Watch list. If the movie has not yet premiered in theaters, you can set a reminder to notify you at a specific time on or near its release date.

If you’ve seen the movie, tap the button a second time to add it to your “Watched” list. The font and icon color will turn green.

If you want to buy the soundtrack, preorder the digital movie, or download a related app, tap the store icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. It looks like a purse. Each movie will have a selection of items that can be purchased in Apple’s iTunes store. There are soundtracks, digital downloads, ebooks, apps, and more. Not every item is directly related to the movie. It appears that the store populates the list based on the search term. For example, under “Gravity,” I saw a book about a Jewish teenager from Canada, an endless runner game, and the Disney Channel app.To read up on news about the film industry, go back to the main menu by tapping the back arrow in the top left corner of the screen and then tap News.

In the news section, articles are divided by General, Movies, and Celebrity. In the General section, you can find out about box office numbers, read interviews, and watch movie clips. In the Movies section, read about upcoming films, find out about theater premiers, and watch blooper reels. In the Celebrity section, get all the latest news and gossip about your favorite actors and actresses.  The Good

The app’s user interface is sleek and convenient. There is a lot to discover about movies and actors and this app makes finding them easy. It almost feels like you are following a tree branch to new films and celebrities. This app features a very comprehensive list of current, old, and upcoming movies. The Bad

When I tried to add movies to my Watched list by tapping the button a second time, it showed that I added them, but when I went to my Watched list, those movies were not there. They were still in the To Watch list. ToDoMovies 3 is free. There is no greater value than zero dollars. If you are a fan of film and oftentimes find yourself trying to keep track of movies you want to see or ones you’ve seen before, this is a great system for taking care of your needs. Conclusion

Moviegoers of all types should check this app out. Even if you don’t go to the theater that often, you’d be surprised at how quickly you will find yourself adding titles to your To Watch list. I didn’t even know they were making a sequel to “300” and now it’s on my list of movies to watch.Download it in the App Store today.