Tagged: Useful Links of the Week

1. Mountain Lion and the iPhone/iPad

The Mountain Lion update is for the Mac, but there are some features that affect the iPhone & iPad as well. App Advice’s lovable pixie Robin Rhys put together a nice video overview of the iPhone & iPad-related features, including:

• A iCloud button in Safari that can show your recent websites you visited on the iPhone/iPad.
• A new Messages app for Mac that syncs wirelessly with your iPhone/iPad Messages app.
• The Notes app for the Mac that syncs wirelessly with iPhone/iPad’s Notes (and vice versa).
• Reminders app for Mac does the same.
• Game Center for Mac has a few games that sync between the two platforms as well.
• A new iCloud Documents folder where you can store iWork, TextEdit, and Preview documents that sync wirelessly to the iPhone/iPad for editing and viewing.

See Robin go over the features below:

2. Pages, Numbers, Keynote for iOS Updated, Now With iCloud

The iWork apps for iPhone & iPad (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) now work with iCloud, which means you can create and edit documents on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, and the documents will be kept updated and in sync across all those devices, wirelessly and automatically.

3. iCrime: the Growing Plague of iPhone/iPad Theft

Ralph Winkler of the Wall Street Journal writes a powerful article about the iPhone-theft crime wave that’s sweeping the country. Winkler was personally caught up in it to the tune of a broken jaw. A subway thief snatched his girlfriend’s iPad, and when Winkler gave chase, an accomplice waiting on the platform broke his jaw. Winkler examines why thieves are stealing iPhones (because they can be resold for hundreds of dollars for sale to third-world markets) and some of the measures the FCC is taking to combat the crime (a blacklist of device IDs that will prevent stolen devices from working on other networks).

4. Video Tip: How to Print From Your iPhone or iPad Without an AirPrint Printer

Lex Friedman from MacWorld has a video tip about a Mac app called Printopia that basically lets your iPad/iPhone print to any printer connected to your Mac. But more important to Friedman was Printopia’s Print-to-PDF functionality, which is not so much about printing but instead about being able to turn any document quickly into a PDF, then email it, send it to DropBox, etc. Printopia has a free demo, then it’s $19.95 to own.

5. Siri: The Ultimate Guide

Whenever the iPhone 5 arrives, a lot more people are going get acquainted with Siri, currently only available with the iPhone 4S. Rene Ritchie over at iMore has created the most-thorough guide I’ve seen on how to do just about everything you can with Siri, from creating a 5-minute timer to sending an email to multiple recipients. Now, if Apple can only get Siri to work most of the time instead of only some of the time, they could really have something there.

6. The iPad Makes a Good Workout Partner

I can personally attest that the iPhone is a powerful tool for workouts—I use it to measure runs and my heart rate, track weight-lifting progress, and count calories. But the iPad? A forum user named Silellak over at The Verge says he uses it during his treadmill workouts. He noticed how he would lose hours of the day to browsing on his iPad, so he decided to harness that phenomenon at the gym instead. He uses his favorite news-reading apps, listens to audio via Motorola bluetooth headphones, and makes sure his heart rate stays between 150-165 BPM via a Wahoo Fitness Heart Rate Monitor. Now if they only could make an armstrap big enough to hold the iPad.

7. Taxi Magic App Gets Both Big and Subtle Changes

Taxi Magic (free) is an app that lets you book a taxi, track its arrival, and even pay for it, all on the iPhone. The app’s interface and backend where completely rebuilt, and a few nice subtle changes include an opening prompt that asks if you need the cab now or want to schedule it for later, and saved favorite locations in case you consistently call for cabs in different places.

8. iTunes U App Gets Note-Taking, Search, and Sharing Features

If you haven’t checked out the iTunes U app for iPhone/iPad (free), you should, even if you’re not interested in learning anything new (but shame on you if you aren’t). Unlike Apple’s embarrassingly buggy and awkward Podcasts app, iTunes U is beautifully designed, slick, and useful. And you gotta love that you can watch lectures from colleges like Yale without having to spend 100k+ to go there. I found the app useful to revisit some of my old English Lit topics and enjoyed the Yale Financial lectures.

9. iCloud Tip: How to Watch Your iTunes-Bought TV Shows On All Your Devices

Allyson Kazmucha of iMore put together a nice How To article that covers where to look on your iOS device to stream or download those TV shows you bought on iTunes.

10. Review: iCade Core for the iPad

MacMost put together a nice video review (embedded below) of the iCade Core ($89.99), a bluetooth game controller that recreates ultra-comfortable, button-mashing arcade controls for the iPad. Note that the iCade Core is different from the similar iCade Cabinet controller from last year that was like a mini arcade cabinet. The reviewer seems to like the iCade Core, concluding at the end of the video that it’s “must-have if you’re in to this kind of stuff.” Just a warning though, the iCade currently supports only a 100 or so games, and while that may seem like a lot, it’s not considering the few hundred thousand games out there. Chances are it doesn’t support your favorite iPad game.

11. Ars Technica Reviews the iCade Mobile

The iCade Mobile, not to be confused with the just-mentioned iCade Core, is supposed to turn your iPhone into a PSP via bluetooth and hardware buttons. Kyle Orland at Ars Technica says the iCade Mobile is a bit too bulky for his tastes and dislikes that it only works with a hundred or so iPhone games. His sentiments seem to match Andrew Podolsky’s of Slide to Play, who also reviewed the iCade Mobile two weeks ago. I have to say, on one hand I want a tactile button experience for the iPhone to play games from the past (like Street Fighter), but on the other hand, developers need to leave that old interface behind and create for the touchscreen experience instead.

1. Review: iCade Mobile

Andrew Podolsky of Slide to Play reviews the iCade Mobile ($69.99), an accessory that turns your iPhone into a Gameboy/PSP competitor (as if it wasn’t already) with hardware buttons and a directional pad. Andrew reviews the device with 8 different games and notes that, overall, there are a hundred or so games that are compatible with it. A hundred sounds like a lot, but it isn’t really. Anyways, Andrew seems to dig it. The iCade Mobile sounds awesome to me but limited in its usefulness. And will it work with the iPhone 5? That’s the 69-dollar question.

2. 4 iPad Writing Apps Compared

Jacqui Cheng of Ars Technica says to hold on to your butts as you read her review of 4 iPad writing apps. She picks Writing Kit ($4.99) as her top choice. She likes the app’s Dropbox support, diverse exporting formats, and Quick Research tool. Her second choice is the popular iA Writer ($0.99) for its Dropbox and iCloud support. Now that you have all the tools, its time to write Great American Novel, on the iPad.

3. iPhone Tip: Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Quickly Fill In Usernames and Passwords

Rob LeFebre has a sweet little tip over at Cult of Mac. He suggests using Keyboard Shortcuts to enter in usernames, passwords, addresses, etc, into web fields instead of repetitively typing them in. This would come in especially handy if you like to use the Private Browsing mode where login details aren’t saved.

4. Review of Mophie’s New Rugged Juice Pack Pro Battery Case for iPhone 4/4S

There are few accessories more useful than an iPhone battery case. The problem is that they usually aren’t very protective. The new Mophie Juice Pack Pro is a solution. The company brags that the Pro “exceeds military specification” for protection. Steven Sande of TUAW reviews the Juice Pack Pro and says don’t expect to stick the iPhone in your pocket with this thing on as it’s a monster (thankfully, it comes with a belt clip), but do expect your iPhone to be well protected. The Pro is also water resistant (but not water proof), and its rubberized surface improves grip.

5. Review of the TouchFire iPad Keyboard Accessory

Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac reviews the TouchFire ($49.99), a clear plastic overlay that attachs to the iPad’s screen and fits perfectly over the touchscreen keyboard’s keys, the idea being the TouchFire adds tactile feel to the touchscreen keys. Gurman recommends the accessory, saying it’s like “night and day” using the TouchFire than without, providing improved typing speed and accuracy. My opinion? Just buy an iPad bluetooth keyboard.

6. NBC’s Official 2012 Olympics App in App Store

The good news is that the NBC Olympics Live Extra app (free) lets you watch every event of the 2012 Summer Olympics. It also has full event replays, push notifications, and even freakin’ DVR capabilities for live events. This is one slick app. The bad news? You have to pay for cable in order to watch it. Just enter in your log-in details for your cable provider, and you’re good to go. A lot of streaming video apps are going this route these days.

7. Hungry? App Store Now Has a Food and Drink Section

Tired of searching high and low for food apps in the App Store? Me neither, but maybe the new Food and Drink section will come in handy for someone someday. Click here to peep an ugly browser view of the new section’s popular apps.

8. Next Issue App Offers All-You-Can Read Magazines (Free 30-Day Trial!)

Loius over at TouchMyApps shines his spotlight on Next Issue for iPad (free), an app that offers you unlimited access to 34 magazines for $9.99.There are some good ones like Esquire, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, Car and Driver, and Elle. If you toss in the more expensive weekly magazines like Entertainment Weekly, then its $14.99 a month. There is a free 30-day trial with the app. Not sure I dig the cost. $120 a year is a lot. You could subscribe to a lot of magazines yourself for that much, especially if you use some of these discount websites. I’ll pass.

9. Target Offering a $25 Gift Card When You Buy the New iPad

Hey, if you’re going to buy the New iPad, why not get a $25 gift card for free? That way you can also pick up the Michael Graves-designed shoe rack you’ve had your eye on as well. The deal starts July 15. And if you buy an iPhone? A $20 gift card. Enough for a Michael Graves garlic press.

10. Klipsch S4i iPhone Earphones Getting Ruggedized

The Klipsch Image S4i are probably the best value in iPhone earphones when it comes to sound quality vs price (says me and many others). But their main problem is, like most earphones, they’re flimsy. Well, Joe Pollicino of Engadget reports Klipsch is introducing a rugged version of of the S4i that are water resistant. The best news is that the new Image Rugged S4i are keeping the same 8.5mm dual-magnet micro-speakers inside as their un-ruggedized predecessor, so you’ll get the same beautifully rounded sound and thumping bass. Klipsch already makes the “Rugged” S5i, but they don’t sound as good as the S4i. You can read my S4i review here. $99, and they come in some kooky colors. Get your credit cards warmed up.