What happens when Apple introduces a square-shaped new iPod and adorns it with an analog watch face for a lock screen? A whole new cottage industry sprouts up, whereby entrepreneurial types dust off old and mostly worthless watch straps, cut out an iPod nano-shaped compartment in them, and charge you $19.99 for the privilege of turning your tiny PMP into a somewhat bulky wristwatch. The saddest part about this is that we've got a feeling they might be on to a winner here.
The latest iPod nano from Apple is rather cute, but it still risks getting lost in your pocket/purse. A built-in clip is a good way to fix it on something, but Griffin is planning to go much further, offering Wristlet casing, which is a protective case in the form of a bracelet for the iPod nano. Its functionality is self-evident, as it protects your iPod nano from scratches. Griffin Wristlet will be priced at $ 19.99 and now is available for pre-orders.
Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse was finally unveiled for the whole world. It is a sexy mouse designed by Microsoft, whose concept is very similar to the latest generation of Microsoft’s Arc Mouse, except that it has a touch-sensitive surface, and you can straighten it and curl up as you wish! Isn’t it a curious idea to combine Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad? Isn’t it quite interesting?
Of course, it has not yet been officially introduced by Microsoft. We took these photos from a German online store, which reports that it will be available on October 13.
You can buy Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse at € 69,99 in Europe or $ 69.95 in the USA.
After iPad's appearance in late April many Apple's competitors decided to release their own tablets. Almost four months had passed since that moment and now we decided to study the market of iPad's rivals and write down every one that worth attention.
But before we start the list it is important to note that we chose the tablet devices that satisfied next criteria:
Would you like to get colorful sleeves for your iPad? Many users will be pleased to hear that the company Sumo has already thought about it and developed an unusual design of sleeves for your device from the company Apple.
Mobile Edge has released six new sleeves for iPad by Sumo, which are designed to protect your tablet device from scratches and bumps when you take it with you for work while traveling abroad. These neoprene sleeves are used as a cushion that protects the iPad’s display, but they look beautiful and stylish. New sleeves will be available in two models: Camo or Graffiti, and will also be offered in different colors.
These funny sleeves would cost a user $ 19.99 for each, and on its back side you can easily find the service life.
Some people think that Apple should be handing out free cases to keep its loyal customers from going on a strike. But no such thing happens, and most users are stuck with the only official solution to spend $30 on a bumper for their iPhone. However, what you need is just a little ingenuity.
Thermaltake Technology company has a devision called LUXA2, which has many interesting luxury products. The recent interesting one is LUXA2 H4 - the Apple iPad solid-aluminum holder.
The holder looks really nice and is well manufactured. The main material is aluminum. The design is great and reminds us different Apple products, especially the iMac stand. LUXA2 H4 holds the iPad with two short and two V-shaped arms, that have six rubber nubs. The nubs tightly grip the iPad without scratching it. The user is able to adjust the width of the stand by pulling these arms. That's why LUXA2 H4 fits not only for the iPad, but can hold Amazon Kindle and many other eBook readers and tablets. This gives the H4 additional advantage over other stands on the market.
The holder also allows 360-degree rotation and 300-degree vertical adjustment. So there is no problem putting iPad at the right angle. Setting the iPad in portrait or landscape orientation is really very easy. However be careful rotating the device, since there are no V-shaped arms on the top.
LUXA2 H4 is great for internet browsing, ebook reading, watching movies and even gaming. It looks especially good when used with iPad and external keyboard.
Specifications:
Height: 206mm (8.12 inches)
Width: 151mm (5.98 inches)
Depth: 138mm (5.44 inches)
Weight: 446g / 0.98 lbs.
Adjustable Angle: 360° (Rotated) and 300°(Vertical)
LUXA2 H4 costs around $59.99. The list of distributors is available here.
As you remember, recently we reported about new app that allows syncing your iDevices wirelessly. It's called Wi-Fi sync and available in Cydia since Apple didn't approved it. Recently it was updated to version 1.1 to support Windows. You can download it here. Its price is $9.99.
For those who doesn't like iTunes for its restrictions and lockdown on music and files a new solution has been delivered to the BigBoss repository and it’s called PwnTunes.
PwnTunes allows copying files from iPhone or iPod touch to PC just after plugging the sync cable. There is no tethering for only one PC, so you can use your device anywhere you want. Other features include:
Music files are normally named after the original filenames on the PC and without gibberish encoding.
Deleting songs and any other type of files directly via USB (iDevice works as USB device)
Loading cover.jpg/folder.jpg from same folder as cover
Album name is taken from folder's name if no album ID3 tag found, artist name is taken from parent folder's name if no artist ID3 tag found
The app currently is currently compatible only with Windows (XP/Vista/7), but the developers promise the Mac support to be delivered soon. The price is €9.99. No additional software on PC is required, you just need to launch Cydia on your jailbroken iDevice and install PwnTunes from Data Storage Section. When installed, connect you iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad via USB and the app will ask you to buy License or download it if you have already purchased one.
You may remember our post about "Wi-Fi Sync" app that allows you to sync your iPhone/iPod touch with iTunes via Wi-fi. Well, this week Apple rejected it. But its developer Greg Hughes submitted it to Cydia (an unauthorized source of different software for jailbroken iDevices), and now it is available there for $9.99.
Greg also told Engadget that he talked to Apple representative and he said the case was not about any violations.
"While he agreed that the app doesn't technically break the rules, he said that it does encroach upon the boundaries of what they can and cannot allow on their store. He also cited security concerns."
"Wi-Fi Sync" is currently available only for Mac users, but Hughes promises to release version for Windows.
Ryan Tate from Gawker quoted people closed to the matter who said that Steve Jobs is dissatisfied with the free app New York Times Editor's Choice. The reason is that it has a limited content of the daily NYT.
The story started when some time ago Amazon made a deal with Times and received exclusive rights on its full content. So now if you have Kindle you should pay to gain full access to the NYT edition. The same full content is also available on the web and it's free. Moreover, the deal apparently implies that other competitors may have the full text but they must sell it at a higher price.
Few days ago the New York Times decided to raise the subscription price on the Kindle, from $13.99 to $19.99 per month. That was no wonder because the NYT warned before that they want to charge readers nearly $20-30 per month. With such a deal Apple was left with a truncated version of the NYT for the iPad. Ironically, the same version for iPhone remains to deliver the full content.
Obviously, that is the reason why Apple has been ignoring the NYT iPad app recently. It is even not listed as a "noteworthy" or "favorite" in the App Store. User reviews are also mainly negative and many people ask where the full content can be found.
Navigon created a series of regional U.S. GPS turn-by-turn navigation applications for the iPhone. Each costs just $24.99. This is significantly cheaper than its more comprehensive MobileNavigator North America ($79.99).
These apps divide the United States into three overlapping segments, permitting customers to purchase discounted versions covering their area of the country. Additional regions are available through in-app purchasing for $12.99. Here are AppStore links: U.S. East, U.S. Central, U.S. West.
Navigon reports that сгккуте prices are valid through April 12th. After that date MyRegion apps will cost $29.99 for the application and $14.99 for in-app expansions.
TruePower iV Pro is a backpack 3100 mAh battery for iPhone and 1G iPod Touch. Its main advantage is simplicity of use - just slip your device and it will automatically start charging. CultOfMac calculated iV Pro allows you to use your iPhone for 1,5 times more after the built-in battery is depleted. In turn it will take 1 h 20 min for recharging backpack battery to 3/4 full (and almost 11 hours for complete recharging).
TruePower claims the iV Pro improves performance of the iPhone's wifi and cellular radios. It also has USB port to charge other devices.
It is available now from Amazon for $99.99. More pictures are under the cut.