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- Wacom’s Bamboo Stylus for iPad
- PadGadget Daily App Deal – 11 iPad Apps on Sale
- Refurbished First Generation iPad 3G as low as $329
- Conde Nast Slowing Down Introduction of Magazine Apps
- Coin Drop – iPad Game Review
- Practicality and Creativity for iPad on Earth Day
- Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio iPad App Available Now
- Analyst IHS iSuppli Cuts its 2011 iPad 2 Shipment Forecast
- You Don’t Know Jack HD – iPad Game Review
- Intuit Launches GoPayment App for iPad
- Apple’s Cloud Music Locker Service Almost Ready
- Electronic Arts Easter iPad Games Sale
- Qwiki – iPad App Review
| Wacom’s Bamboo Stylus for iPad Posted: 22 Apr 2011 09:56 PM PDT
The sophisticated black and silver design is ergonomically designed for comfort. Its tip is 25 percent narrower in diameter than some of the other most popular solutions. “A great deal of thought went into the look, feel and weight of the stylus,” said Rick Peterson, Director of Consumer Brands at Wacom Technology Services, Corp. in Vancouver, Washington. ”We want users to take pride in owning a Bamboo Stylus for its quality craftsmanship and input capabilities as well as its stylish looks.”
Different users have different needs and if you require a more accurate input method for your iPad, Wacom’s stylus will help. Use applications like Penultimate, SketchBook Pro and Brushes to take notes in class, sketch a drawing during a meeting or create an artistic masterpiece. You’ll interact more efficiently and improve functionality with your iPad. “The stylus can perform creative tasks that our fingers and touch displays are just not built to handle well,” Peterson said. ”Users will find that the new Bamboo Stylus provides the accurate pointing and inking requirements they need to supplement touch input.” If you’re in need of a more precise input tool for your iPad, Wacom’s Bamboo Stylus may be just the accessory you’ve been looking for. The Bamboo Stylus should hit the store shelves and online stores in mid-May for $29.99.
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| PadGadget Daily App Deal – 11 iPad Apps on Sale Posted: 22 Apr 2011 09:17 PM PDT
For today’s Daily Deal we’ve found 11 great apps to add to your iPad collection. We have six productivity apps and five game apps in today’s bundle. We used our PadGadget Apps Tracker to find these great deals and we’ll continue to look for the best app deals as they pop-up. Some of these apps are up to 70% off, or even free, so be sure to check them out because they are on sale for a limited time.
Also be sure to check out these other great deals that went on sale yesterday.
We use our PadGadget Apps Tracker to constantly monitor the App Store to find the biggest price changes on iPad apps. Our editorial team goes through the data, picks the best deals on the most interesting apps and then brings them to you on a regular basis. All app prices are checked at the time of posting but prices are subject to change without notice. When developers put their games on sale it’s usually for a very limited time, often 24 hours or less, so be sure to check pricing on iTunes before making a purchase. » Related posts:
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| Refurbished First Generation iPad 3G as low as $329 Posted: 22 Apr 2011 08:37 PM PDT
If you’re looking for a good iPad deal, at&t is currently offering the first generation iPad 3G (16 GB) for as low as $329, with free shipping – $250 less than the original price for the device, and $150 less than the last deal we mentioned about 3 weeks ago. You might not get the latest and greatest iPad 2, but still, the deal will allow you to save a nice chunk of money on an Apple-branded tablet. at&t is also selling the refurbished 32 GB first generation iPad 3G for $429, as well as the new 64 GB first generation iPad 3G for $529 – again, a $250 when compared to the original price of the device. The data plans that come with the devices start as low as $15 per month, for 250 MB worth of data.
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| Conde Nast Slowing Down Introduction of Magazine Apps Posted: 22 Apr 2011 08:16 PM PDT
According to a report on AdAge, Conde Nast plans to slow down the introduction of new titles, pushing many of them into the third or fourth quarter of this year or even early 2012. One of Conde’s publishers says the company still plans to release its magazines on the iPad, but now do it more slowly. “There hasn’t been any fundamental shift in our plans, commitment or enthusiasm regarding apps,” Conde Nast President Bob Sauerberg said in a statement. “From the onset, our strategy has remained fluid and responsive to the marketplace. Given our industry lead, with digital editions from eight of our titles on the iPad and more on the way in addition to a good deal of learning under our belt, we are increasing our focus on distribution and sales efforts that will encourage scale.” The development of iPad apps is left more to the discretion of individual publishers than before and many have chosen to introduce apps to supplement the content in the print editions instead of simply republishing the paper version. At this point, it appears the magazine industry is working to determine exactly what consumers want with respect to digital content on the iPad. “As this platform is still in its infancy, it’s important that we marketers and sellers continue to explore, experiment and innovate in delivering unique experiences to consumers from a content and creative perspective,” said Robin Steinberg, exec VP-director of publisher investment and activation at MediaVest USA. “In addition, it’s critical we are able to evaluate and measure these opportunities in order to create business models demonstrating best values.” The iPad has undoubtedly taken off with regards to email, surfing and gameplay, but digital publishing has not shared the same excitement. Despite Conde Nast’s initial plans to fully embrace the iPad’s capabilities, actual interest in its titles has been lower than anticipated. Who knows the real reason, but I would venture to guess price could play a part. The good news is, things seem to be changing with Apple’s announcement of new App Store subscriptions. This change allows developers to offer you new content and then bill you automatically through your iTunes account. It will be interesting to see whether or not these changes will spark more interest in digital magazines.
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| Posted: 22 Apr 2011 03:00 PM PDT
If the icon wasn’t enough to convince you, just wait until you start playing. In the coin world, there are good and bad coins. As good coins, it is your job to make sure that all the trouble making bad pennies are found and captured while scoring points along the way. In this Plinko-esque game, the main objectives are during the fall rather than at the bottom, so plan your drops accordingly. In the first of many worlds, on the first of 60 unique stages, players get a very thorough walkthrough of the controls and gameplay. To start off you can drop as many coins as you want as fast as you want, but be careful because a limit will be put on the total number you can use per stage. While the main goal is capturing the bad pennies players should also try to score as many points as possible to unlock new worlds. The best and fastest way to get a lot of points is to get a “Coin Frenzy”, which can be achieved by hitting all of the coin collectors that are illuminated at the bottom of the screen. Doing this automatically drops 5 free coins from the top, giving the opportunity to get a Pin Bonus much faster than attempting it manually. The reason for scoring as many points as possible is that each stage has a certain criteria for points, each level giving a certain number of stars. As players collect stars there are new worlds and playable coins that are unlocked (my personal favorite is the Zombie Coin). Although the game is clearly geared towards children the levels do progress rather quickly in difficulty and the 15 coins you are given each level starts to seem like only 10. That being said none of the levels are going to frustrate the kids to the point of no return, but instead challenge them to learn from their mistakes and move them toward completing the objectives. What I liked: The ease of play but often challenging stages make this children’s game acceptable for all ages. Also, all of the stages have their own unique challenges and I have yet to find two that look anything alike. What I didn’t like: The lack of control during the coin’s fall was often frustrating, but that is the challenge after all. To buy or not to buy: If you have kids that are ready for a new iPad game, then you should definitely spend the $0.99 to keep them occupied.
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| Practicality and Creativity for iPad on Earth Day Posted: 22 Apr 2011 02:16 PM PDT
Today marks the 41st Earth Day, and although the iPad has only existed for the last two of those celebrations, there are already a number of apps that help users treat the earth more kindly, as well as one that actually encourages wasting paper! Plus I found two creative ways to accessorize an iPad that keep the spirit of Earth Day alive all year.
If you are looking for a truly unique way to carry your iPad, consider this case made by Vintagecovers on Etsy. The case, which sells for $34 (CAD), is constructed from an old book cover. Finally, for the adventurous earth lover, Voltaic Industries is pioneering a way to charge an iPad using only the sun, and some futuristic equipment. If you want to give solar power a try, you will need to purchase Voltaic’s OffGrid Solar Backpack, which costs $249. The company even offers its own adapter, so you can keep working while your iPad charges.    As we mark the passage of another Earth Day, it is encouraging to see that even as some natural resources dwindle, human ingenuity is still in great supply. » Related posts:
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| Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio iPad App Available Now Posted: 22 Apr 2011 02:03 PM PDT
Are you constantly hunting for online radio music stations? How about an app that gives you access to your favorite stations and artists in a compelling visual way. Clear Channel has extended its iheartradio Internet radio app to the iPad, and just like the iPhone version, the iPad app lets you stream music from any of the company’s 750 radio stations that simulcast online. The iheartradio app lets you browse and stream music from all of Clear Channel's digital stations located across 150 cities in the U.S., along with the company's digital-only commercial free stations. The app gives you access to lots of radio stations. You can browse content by station name, location, genre (sports, news, talk), tagline and more. If you want to know what’s playing on a given station, simply tap the station icon and a pop-up comes up showing you the “Now Playing” tune, and you can tap on the “Listen” button to jump directly onto that station.
The application certainly brings much more than simply streaming music. Clear Channel has added lots of content and social features to it. You can share stations and videos via Facebook, Twitter and email. If you want to keep up with with your favorite artists you can check out photos, videos, and you can even display a station's Twitter feed when users listen to the station. While you’re listening to a radio station, the app will scroll images of bands. The iheartradio app is also compatible with AirPlay, which allows you to stream music over an Apple TV in case you want to entertain your guests with your favorite radio stations. The iheartradio is available now for download free of charge. » Related posts:
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| Analyst IHS iSuppli Cuts its 2011 iPad 2 Shipment Forecast Posted: 22 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT
DigiTimes reports that analyst IHS iSuppli has cut their 2011 iPad 2 shipment forecast by almost 10%. The forecast cut was prompted by concerns with Apple’s manufacturing issues and the resulting drop of iPad 2 shipments in the first quarter of this year. IHS iSuppli’s revised forecast now calls for Apple to ship 39.7 million total iPads in 2011. This represents a drop of 4 million units from the companies February forecast of 43.7 million iPads.
Apple just released its financial results for the second quarter earlier this week and reported they sold 4.7 million iPads, a figure in line with our earlier predictions. Apple has been aggressively rolling out the iPad 2 since its US launch this past March. During its earnings call, Apple reported it "has sold every iPad 2 [the company] could make during the quarter," which comes as no surprise to anyone that has waited hours in line trying to get one. The iPad 2 has been almost impossible to find over the last month, despite Apple's efforts at improving the availability of the device. The iPad is also getting increasingly popular in the corporate world, as 75 percent of the Fortune 500 companies are now either trialing or have deployed Apple’s tablet. Companies using the device include Xerox, Autonation, ADP, Disney, and Prudential. » Related posts:
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| You Don’t Know Jack HD – iPad Game Review Posted: 22 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT
Game play is simple. Start the app, select a round, and start answering questions. There are two rounds with five questions each, and you earn or lose more money the quicker you answer. Beware, though. You Don't Know Jack is definitely not your typical question and answer type of game.
Instead, YDKJ is a challenging trivia game that is continuously funny, and at times, very risqué. It's true to the original, but it's been updated with modern content – Charlie Sheen, Rebecca Black, and the royal wedding, to name a few. Here's an example question and comment: "How many human bones would two and a half men actually have?" Correct answer: 515. And the silly response? "The real question is Charlie Sheen's mistresses. How many bones are in them?" You Don't Know Jack is famous for blending pop culture and high culture with sharp, intelligent writing. The host on the iPad version, Cookie Masterson, offers up hundreds of humorous trivia questions, including the classic DisOrDats and Jack Attacks. The commentary is filled with wordplay, puns, and double entendres – YDKJ's signature style. Cookie has a snappy comeback for every choice you make and there's a joke behind every line in the game.
Unfortunately, you aren't going to find amazing graphics here. It's mostly just words and dancing numbers, but the witty commentary coupled with difficult questions keeps the content fresh and interesting. The Game Center achievements add another dimension to the game as you try to get all of the points that you can. There are a total of 20 unique episodes you can choose from, and each episode features ten questions. Episodes are static, not randomly generated. Once a particular stage has been played through, it has no more to offer. This does make for a short game, but Jellyvision promises to release more content in the near future. However, it is unclear whether these new episodes will be included in free updates or if they will be in-app purchases. As it stands now, there is little re-playability here, though at approximately thirteen minutes per episode, it does take awhile to get through the game. You Don't Know Jack is a fun, tongue in cheek trivia game. It's a great addition to the YDKJ family, but if you want multiplayer functionality, this is not the app for you. It is a single player game, and there's no word yet if multiplayer gameplay will be introduced. What I liked: The questions are different than any other trivia game I've played, and the answers required a lot of thought. I enjoyed the challenge and the humor. What I didn’t like: The game is portrait mode only, and I would have liked to be able to play in landscape mode for a wider screen. At times, I was bored with the intros between the questions, and I wished that the game play was faster. There is a bug in the pausing feature, which caused the game to lock up completely and require a restart. This happened multiple times and it was frustrating, but I’m sure it will be fixed in a future update. To buy or not to buy: Check out the free version, because in spite of the current limitations (lack of multiplayer and limited episodes), You Don't Know Jack HD is still as funny and unique as the original.
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| Intuit Launches GoPayment App for iPad Posted: 22 Apr 2011 08:15 AM PDT
The introduction of Intuit’s GoPayment App for iPad sets up a showdown between upstart rival Square that heated up recently in Business Insider. As we reported last week, iPad-compatible Square payment readers are available in Apple’s online and retail stores. GoPayment offers a variety of convenient features that maximize the iPad’s utility for commercial applications. Users can create orders on a single screen, find products with photos, and view the details of past transactions in one location. According to Chris Hylen, Intuit’s vice president and general manager of Payment Solutions, the company aims for GoPayment to be an “easy and affordable way to process credit cards while on the go.” Of course, even though the app and the card reader are f While it is too soon to say whether Intuit or Square will take a commanding share of the mobile payment app market, one thing is certain: companies see a need for mobile payment applications and they are rushing to fill the void. Has anyone used GoPayment, Square, or another mobile payment app? Have you seen merchants using them? Let us know in the comments if you have a preferred method of mobile payment. Is this the end of cold, hard cash? » Related posts:
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| Apple’s Cloud Music Locker Service Almost Ready Posted: 22 Apr 2011 07:28 AM PDT
Yesterday, Reuters reported that Apple "has completed work" on the highly anticipated cloud-based music service that will allow users to store music online, and access it anywhere using an iOS device or a computer. However, Reuters also highlighted that Apple hadn’t secure any deals with music record labels yet. But, Wall Street Journal’s Peter Kafka reports that Apple has indeed spoken to record labels and the company “is actively seeking licenses for its service, and will pay the labels for the privilege.” But wait a minute, isn’t this the same service that Amazon launched a few weeks ago? It is a cloud music service, but the approach seems to be a bit different. Amazon rushed their cloud based service offering in an effort to beat Apple and Google to the market, but in the process left out support for iOS devices, which is a huge chunk of the current mobile population and one that will grow without a doubt throughout 2011. In addition, Amazon launched their service without getting formal approvals from large music record labels. As Peter Kafka confirmed, Apple has been working with the music labels to seek licenses for its cloud service. Mr. Kafka also went on to say that “that Apple has already procured deals from at least two of the big four labels (Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony and EMI) within the last two months.” Wait, it doesn’t end there. Eddy Cue, who runs iTunes and the App Store, is planning to meet with the remaining record labels today to close deals. Much has been said about how Apple’s Media Locker service would look like. Many rumors have indicated that you will be able to leverage Apple's cloud to store your files in a personal locker including music, photos, video, and eventually allow iOS 5 users to synchronize their devices with the cloud. I could argue that Amazon’s service does the same thing. But here’s the catch. As Mr. Kafka referred to in his article, if Apple licenses the content provided via its cloud service, then Apple could create “a more robust service with better user interfaces, sound quality, and other features”. Why? I think the record labels will give Apple access to key features and other perks that could make its cloud service more attractive. After all, it appears that Apple will allow us to upload songs from our hard drives and stream previously purchased iTunes songs directly from the cloud. Will Apple charge us for this service? Earlier rumors indicated that Apple’s media locker service would cost us around $20 per year. Stay tuned! » Related posts:
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| Electronic Arts Easter iPad Games Sale Posted: 22 Apr 2011 07:00 AM PDT
To celebrate Easter, Electronic Arts just dropped the price of most of its iPad and iPhone games. Most apps currently enjoy a 70 to 90 percent discount, and great titles such as Dead Space for iPad now cost only $0.99. The sale will end soon, so hurry while it lasts!
For iPhone games, follow the link below. [via iOSnoops] » Related posts:
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| Posted: 22 Apr 2011 06:30 AM PDT
Can you spend hours lost in random facts and articles on Wikipedia? If you can, or if you would like to, Qwiki is an app that presents information in a way you haven't seen before on the iPad. The Qwiki app is a seamless port of the popular Qwiki website, which is a futuristic fact site that combines images, videos, and narration to describe and explain over three million topics. When you first open the Qwiki app, it will direct you to the home page where you will be able to dive right into exploring popular topics, from actors and cities to natural wonders and monuments. Once you tap on something that interests you, you're taken to a slideshow of pictures, which you can flip through while a pleasant automated computer voice reads you an article on the subject you've chosen.
These small segments are generally brief, from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes, but they're also very informative. Each topic is explained in a concise way that teaches you just enough without overwhelming you. After each interactive slideshow, Qwiki presents links to sites where additional information can be obtained, such as Wikipedia or Fotopedia, if you want to know more. Qwiki's layout is intuitive and interesting. It never lingers too long on a particular photo, and although there can be some photos that aren't completely relevant to a given topic, most are spot on. Qwiki pulls information from thousands of sites on the Internet, which explains why an occasional picture is off topic. During the picture slideshow, Qwiki gives you the option to touch any photo you would like to view fullscreen or take a better look at. The Qwiki app presents over three million topics, with tons of pictures and videos, and the content delivery is blazingly fast. Qwiki never stutters and has no loading problems. Each article takes mere seconds to load, so you're never going to spend time waiting. This makes going from topic to topic easy and quick, and combined with the interactivity of pictures and narration, Qwiki becomes an excellent home learning tool. You can explore topics in several ways – through the home page, through the recommended subjects provided after each article, or through the interactive map, which can be accessed from at the start page. When you touch the map, it expands, allowing you to explore any part of the world while sitting at home on your couch. The map is controlled by dragging to move and pinching to zoom in and out. For each location, Qwiki provides map markers that link to popular articles on cities, landmarks, monuments, and more.
Qwiki is a great app that turns learning into an experience. You can use Qwiki to find out about any subject in a way that is interactive, fun, and informative, making it perfect for all ages. What I liked: The articles were the perfect length. They were short, but not too short, and if I wanted more info, I could use the provided links. The quick explanations of each topic allowed me to move from subject to subject easily and I never got bored. What I didn’t like: At times, the computer generated voice can stumble over some words with varying pronunciations, such as bow, though it had no problem at all with Greek and Latin words. Sometimes, Qwiki is not specific enough. For example, I could search for tamarins, but not emperor tamarins. However, new topics are being added all the time, so this may not be a permanent problem. To buy or not to buy: Absolutely. Trust me, you're going to be amazed by the way Qwiki presents information. Get it today to start exploring the world in a new way. Also, the price is definitely right – it's free!
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Conde Nast jumped on the iPad bandwagon shortly after it was announced last year and quickly announced its plans for Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Glamour. Prepared to offer digital editions of its popular magazines and take advantage of the iPad’s multimedia features, Conde Nast introduced a number of titles to the App Store the first few months the iPad was available. Despite the best laid plans, things have not gone as well as expected, leading Conde to revise its market strategy.
The first thing you see when buying this great kids game is the huge smile on the app icon. A big smiling coin is the perfect way to introduce this colorful, light-hearted, and simple game perfectly built for the youngsters.
Have you ever had a burning desire to play a snarky, wacky trivia game while sitting on the porcelain throne? In the bathtub? At the doctor’s office? Well, it's your lucky day, because the folks over at Jellyvision have brought the popular series 
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