Tag Archives: review

Share between devices painlessly with Instashare

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There will come a time when you would like to simply transfer a file from one iOS device to another or to a Mac; it’s inevitable. When the time arises, you will discover as most of us already have that the process is not as straightforward as one would think, considering how powerful these devices are. The most common methods used up to this point have been emailing oneself, cloud services like iCloud or Dropbox, file sync with the USB cable and iTunes or pleading with the always capricious Camera Connection Kit.

Thankfully the developers at TwoManShow have developed a wonderful app to take the pain out of cross device file transfers with their Instashare app.

Instashare for iOS is like AirDrop for mobile devices as it quickly and painlessly copies any file from one device to another over WiFi or Bluetooth without a direct connection to the internet.

Instashare for OSX currently in beta, adds the ability to send files to and from your Mac and your iOS devices.

Both versions of Instashare are free; however, the iOS version is ad-supported and the ads can be removed by a $0.99 in-app purchase. Instashare for Android and Windows are currently in development.

Share between devices painlessly with Instashare originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 18 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPhone App — Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte is cute, arcade fun

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Zoombies is a fascinating little game. It’s made by a company called High Voltage that is probably best known for the Conduit shooter series, though they’ve been making licensed games for years (I remember visiting the studio for a tour back when I lived in Chicago — they were based out in the Hoffman Estates suburb back then). Zoombies is a title that’s been in development there for a while — it was first considered for the Wii, then possibly for Xbox Live Arcade, and finally has seen release on Apple’s iOS.

It’s easy to see why High Voltage was trying to make this game as a motion control title — the idea is that you’re a kid trying to fight an army of invading undead zoo animals (“Zoo-mbies,” get it?), and you are armed with a weapon that you can toss according to a line you’ve drawn on the screen. Control on the Wii or Xbox would probably have been more direct, but on the iOS touchscreen it means you swipe your finger around, and then the weapon will follow your path. This creates some interesting timing issues — you want to throw where an animal will be, not where they are. And once you’ve thrown your weapon, you can’t throw it again until it finishes the path, which requires you to keep things as compact as possible.

Zoombies’ real charm, however, is in the tone and the art style. The whole game, as you can tell by the subtitle, is done in a joyous sort of Mexican mariachi style, and it just oozes fun. The animals are menacingly cute, the kids are great, and every level has plenty of “skull goals,” which are super satisfying to complete. Even if you don’t like that core line drawing mechanic, this game is totally charming anyway. Clearly, this was a labor of love for High Voltage, and you can tell they had a lot of fun making the game.

Zoombies is available for US$2.99 on the App Store now, though there are a lot of in-app purchases included, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see that price come down sooner if not later. Still, $3 is cheap, so if Zoombies interests you, you might as well grab it right away.

Daily iPhone App — Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte is cute, arcade fun originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPad App: NASA’s Earth As Art shows us our beautiful planet

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NASA has a series of excellent educational iOS apps that appeal to adults and kids alike. Most have a strong scientific bent, but if you lean more towards art than science, NASA has an iPad app for you, too. Mixing a little bit of earth and planetary science with a keen eye for art, NASA has created its Earth As Art app, an iPad title that shows off the unseen beauty of our planet.

NASA’s Earth As Art app picks the best images of Earth from the Terra, Landsat 5, Landsat 7, EO-1, and Aqua satellites. It also adds in some choice photos from the USGS Landsat image gallery. The satellites used to take these photos can measure light outside the visible range. The resulting images show you the earth as you have never seen it before.

The images are presented in gallery format, allowing you to see a thumbnail of each stunning photograph. You can also switch to list format, which is sorted by geographical location. When viewing an image, you can pinch and zoom to look closely at a specific section. Each image has a brief and only slightly scientific description that you can access by tapping on the “i” in the corner. You may not understand the scientific reasons why each photo looks the way it does, but this is an art-centric app. You are expected to sit back and enjoy the images, not necessarily dissect them.

Besides stunning images, the app also has a several time-lapse photos that show changes in a specific location. I particularly enjoyed the Dubai series that shows the creation of its artificial palm islands and the rapid development of the area. The changes in just a short 11 years is unbelievable.

The NASA Earth As Art app is available for free. It’s an iPad app and requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Daily iPad App: NASA’s Earth As Art shows us our beautiful planet originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPhone App: Mosaique is an original and inventive puzzle game

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Mosiaque is a very original puzzle game that I haven’t quite figured out yet. It appeared on the App Store a little while ago from a company called Winning Blimp, and the core idea of the app is that you need to clear the screen of colored squares by firing them in from the sides.

The issue, however, is that if the square you shoot in hits a square of another color, it will switch out instead. Squares of the same color get cleared off, so your goal is to try and fire squares of the same color together, lining them up and clearing them off the board, refilling your meter for more shots. Mosiaque is the kind of game that’s simple to play, but fairly tough to master — even with the playtime I’ve put in, I’m not completely sure how deep the game’s strategy gets. But there is a solid amount of fun to learning the game’s mechanics, and as you play through the levels, there are some new tricks, too. Eventually, black blocks show up which will block your shots, and “void” blocks will appear that keep your shot meter from filling back up if not cleared right away.

Mosaique is a lot of fun, and it’s very original, both in look and in gameplay. It’s worth noting that there are no in-app purchases in this one either. Buy the game for 99 cents, and you’ll have access to the game’s unlimited parade of levels. That should be more than enough to get you figuring out exactly how it all works.

Daily iPhone App: Mosaique is an original and inventive puzzle game originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Projectone iPhone Dock Is The Perfect Dose Of Industrial Design Your Desk Needs [Review]

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projectone1

For the past six year that I’ve owned an iPhone, not once have I thought about buying a dock. What’s the point? You’ve got your cable right there anyway, and unless it adds some great functionality to the iPhone, I’ve never seen much point in them. But the Projectone from Karas Kustoms has changed my opinion on the usefulness of iPhone docks.

Projectone by Karas Kustoms
Category: iPhone Dock
Works With: iPhone 5
Price: $45

The Projectone is a machined aluminum dock for your iPhone 5 that passively amplifies sound like a megaphone. Its simplistic style and industrial stylings make it one of the best-looking iPhone docks we’ve seen in a while, but is it actually worth its $45 price tag?

The Good

projectone2

Sound pumps through these two holes and into the acoustic chamber

Like most of the products we’ve seen from the Karas Kustoms’ garage, the Projectone features a distinctive industrial design that feels like something you could have bought straight from a steel plant in the 1940s. Its machined aluminum body matches very nicely with the brushed aluminium that Apple uses on its Macs and MacBooks.

The Projectone doesn’t look like something Apple would make, but the overall design of this boxy iPhone dock makes it unique and useful. Everything about the dock has been very thought out, from the little rubber feet that keep your desk from getting scratched up, to the simple thumbscrew that keeps your Lightning cable secure.

There are four different finishes to choose from, but I’m partial to the Tumbled Raw Aluminum model because it looks more vintage-ish. Every person that’s stopped by my apartment has asked where I got “that neat little iPhone box.”

Because it’s practically just a small block of metal, the Projectone is pretty heavy, but that’s a good thing. The extra weight means your iPhone is easier to pull off the dock, plus you can always use it as a paperweight or lethal weapon if you’re in a bind.

Sound amplification on the Projectone is pretty solid. Even though the Projectone doesn’t have an electric amplifier, it still gets the job done. Music is noticeably louder when an iPhone is docked on the Projectone, but it’s nothing that will blow you away. It can’t out blast some small speakers, but it will produce enough sound to keep you happy at your desk throughout the day.

Because the Projectone doesn’t have its own power supply or Lightning cable, users will have to provide their own. Setup is super easy and takes just a few seconds, and after using the Projectone for a few days I realized that having and iPhone dock on my desk helps reduce my desk clutter by keeping cables out of sight and out of mind.

The Bad

projectone4

Rubber nubs on the bottom save your desk from scratches

It’s hard to find complaints about the Projectone. The metal holes in the front grill could probably be made bigger to let more sound through, but it does a decent enough job. Another bummer is that the Projectone only works with the iPhone 5 or other Lightning capable devices, and it doesn’t have an adjustable viewing angle for your iPhone.

For being such a simple device the price on the Projectone might be a little bit too high, but when you consider top iPhone docks like the Elevation Dock are nearly twice as much and don’t amplify your sound, it seems like you’re getting a decent deal.

The Verdict

The Projectone does exactly what it’s supposed to do and nothing extra. It will charge up your iPhone and amplify your music at the same time. We might not agree on the price, but the awesome design and simplicity of the Projectone make it one of the best iPhone docks we’ve tried.

Before I used the Projectone I thought iPhone docks were more of a frivolous accessory, but the simplicity of the Projectone helped me see how useful it is to have a dedicated station for your iPhone and my charging cables have finally gotten more organized.


projectone3Product Name: Projectone
The Good: Simple, heavy, great design.
The Bad: No adjustable view.
The Verdict: Perfect size and weight for an iPhone dock. Keeps desk organized and looks cool.
Buy from: Kickstarter

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

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Daily iPad App: Use Moldiv to quickly create a collage

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JellyBus, the makers of popular iOS image editing software PicsPlayPro, recently launched a collage making app, Moldiv, and packed it full of features that’ll appeal to creative types who are looking to throw together a beautiful collage.

The first thing you notice about Modiv is the large number of frames available at your fingertips. There are 80 free frames and 60 premiums that you can buy as a pack via a US$1.99. Moldiv’s basic frames provide you with a variety of columnar and angular layouts that are sufficient for most users.

The next thing you notice about Modiv is how easy it is to use. Tap on your frame to select your photo layout and then tap on a section to add a photo. You can pull the photo from your photo gallery or take a new one using the camera. Once you add in your photos, you can spend a few minutes tweaking the layout by adjusting the frame width and adding a background to fill in the white parts of the frame. Just like the frame options, the background selection is robust. You can choose from a set of 40 free backgrounds or buy a second, more colorful set for $0.99.

Moldiv also lets you add text or stamps on your collage. Similar to other parts of the app, Moldiv offers a set of free stamps and premium stamps that cost 99-cents each. There’s also a shape tool that lets you overlay another photo on your collage. You can select your shape and then choose a photo from your camera roll. You can adjust the shape to fit the photo and get the right look. I used this feature in a collage of my one-year old. I used a four square layout with pictures of him playing and then put a heart-shaped insert with a close-up photo right in the middle. It looked great!

Moldiv is a no-frills editor that lets you create collages quickly. You pick your frame, add your photos and then embellish them a bit with text or stamps. When you are done, you can save the collage to your camera roll, send it to other apps or share it on Instagram, Twiter, Facebook, Tumblr or Flickr.

Moldiv does have its fair share of in-app purchases, which some may find bothersome. I wasn’t frustrated by them as I found the basic options were creative enough to suit my needs. I don’t mind paying extra if I want to get fancier with my photos. I would like to see an “unlock all” option that would let me buy everything at once.

Moldiv is available for free from the iOS App Store. I used the iPad version as I enjoy editing on my iPad and not my iPhone. Moldiv is a universal app, so you can edit on either device.

Daily iPad App: Use Moldiv to quickly create a collage originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPhone App: Steve Jackson’s Sorcery is interactive ebook bliss

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I have to say — the iPad is a terrific platform for interactive ebooks, but so far, I haven’t been very impressed by the options out there. I do use my iPad for reading a lot, but the vast majority of my reading is done in either iBooks or a comic book reader. It’s very rare that I will pick up an app that’s designed to work as just one single book, no matter how many extras or interactive features are included.

However, I’m happy to say that Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! is a clear exception to the general rule. It’s excellent, and mostly because the book it is based on (actually a “gamebook” released back in the ’80s) was already interactive to begin with. Add in iOS interactive touchscreen, some excellent graphical flairs and a whole lot of polish, and what you end up with is something very akin to playing a Dungeons and Dragons game, where the few game elements present are really just intended to ignite your imagination, and get you role-playing in the game’s world.

Sorcery’s story is pretty basic: You’re a hero who sets out into a dangerous world, hoping to either save or conquer it. And the combat gameplay is extremely simple as well — you essentially guess whether your opponent is attacking or defending, and trying to mirror their actions to do damage as you can. But the real meat of Sorcery! is in the inbetween. You travel from town to town, talking to various NPCs and even solving a few puzzles, all while exploring this world through the game’s scrolling text.

I really have no problems at all with this app — I was fascinated by the story’s well-written text, and while the gameplay isn’t extremely innovative, it’s paced well enough to keep the action rolling. The one hitch might be that you need to use your imagination on this one, so if you’re expecting a game like Skyrim, that will draw out the world for you, you might find this a bit boring. But as a die-hard pen and paper RPG player and a fan of Steve Jackson’s work, I think this is an excellent adaptation that’s well worth a purchase. You can pick it up from the App Store for $4.99 right now.

Daily iPhone App: Steve Jackson’s Sorcery is interactive ebook bliss originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPad App: Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is an excellent game sold badly

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My birthday was last week on May 6, and Firaxis must have heard about that because in recent weeks they’ve released not one but two great turn-based strategy games. First, Haunted Hollow was released as a great, original free-to-play title, and now the legendary Sid Meier (of Civilization and Pirates) has released a game called Ace Patrol, available as a free download on iOS.

Ace Patrol is excellent — it’s a turn-based dogfighting game, where you manuver pilots in WWII around a battlefield, climbing, diving, and swooping around into position all while trying to accomplish certain goals or take out the other side. Progression in the game is marked by “maneuvers,” so pilots who have leveled up have access to more and advanced moves. Weapons fire for free, but you’ve got to line up closely to the enemy, preferably behind them, to avoid any incoming attacks.

Unfortunately, as good as the game itself is, Firaxis really missed the mark on this one’s freemium plan. The in-app purchases on Ace Patrol are just plain confusing — you can play through a number of missions for free, but then when you spend some money to unlock the rest of the missions, you (currently — I’ll bet this is fixed soon) don’t get to keep your progress. Additionally, while in-app purchases give you access to other nations, you also sometimes need to pay to get your lost pilots out of being captured. Fortunately, there are “superpacks” you can buy (which essentially open up the game’s content), but the whole scheme just isn’t well thought-out. Haunted Hollow’s IAP was clear and well-designed, but the same care hasn’t been taken here, unfortunately.

Still, Ace Patrol is an excellent game, a very well-designed set of battles put together by a master game developer. There are quite a few of these turn-based battle simulations to go around (Leviathan Warships is another recently released variant, though that one takes place on sea and is more complicated than Ace Patrol), but Ace Patrol does an excellent job of combining really deep strategy with easy and accessible gameplay. Grab this free download right away for sure.

Daily iPad App: Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is an excellent game sold badly originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ClamCase Pro for iPad: Solid protection, amazing keyboard

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With this review, I think that we’re just about through the Spring 2013 crop of iPad Bluetooth keyboard folio cases, and it appears that I’ve saved the best for last. The ClamCase Pro for iPad (US$169, currently available for $20 off with coupon code SPRING20) was a pleasant surprise, providing the best keyboard I’ve ever used on an iPad along with some of the best protection to be found on any of the new keyboard folios.

Design

The ClamCase Pro is designed to look like a little laptop computer. The area around the keyboard is solid aluminum, and the keyboard itself uses black keys with white lettering. The top and bottom of the case are encased in white polycarbonate, which lends a very clean look and provides excellent protection. The iPad is held securely into place with two barely visible clips on either side of the device, and that design makes it simple to remove the iPad when necessary.

On the back of the case is a perforated “grille” so that sound isn’t muffled, and there’s a lower opening that accommodates either a Lightning or 30-pin Dock connector. As you’d expect, there are openings for the camera and headphone port, as well as the a small one for the iPad microphone. The on/off/sleep/wake button and volume toggle have their own pass-through switches; there is not a pass through for the seldom-used mute/rotation lock switch.

The big difference with this case from all of the rest is the hinge mechanism that connects the bottom (keyboard and battery) section with the top (iPad) section. This hinge can actually rotate through a full 360 degrees, meaning that you can swivel the keyboard around to the back of the case when you want to just use your iPad as a tablet, or put it into a literally infinite number of angles for typing.

Gallery: ClamCase Pro for iPad

There’s one button on the ClamCase Pro, a small power switch on the left side as you look at the keyboard. The battery, like those on most of the other cases we’ve tested, is recharged via a USB to micro-USB cable that is included. One charge should get you through about 100 hours of typing; that, of course, is longer than your iPad battery is going to last. The ClamCase folks say that the device will fully charge in about 2 hours, and that a case has a battery standby time of six months.

When you want to check the battery life, there’s a small “battery” key on the keyboard located near the arrow keys. Push and hold that button, and the white power light located in the upper right corner of the keyboard flashes up to 4 times (meaning fully charged) or just once to indicate that you’d better plug it in.

The keyboard itself has a standard QWERTY layout, which is nice to see. Unlike the new Logitech cases with their EasyType keyboards, there’s no need to type “Fn-Q” to hit the Tab key or “Fn-A” to go into Caps Lock. The keys are just there. There’s also a separate top row of keys so that you don’t need to use a function key to perform tasks like changing the volume on your iPad or cut/copy/paste.

Functionality

The ClamCase Pro had one interesting effect on me; I kept thinking that I was typing on an 11″ MacBook Air and continually tried to use the non-existent trackpad. It has that solid feeling of one of Apple’s diminutive laptops. I never once had the feeling that the screen was going to flop over, and although I’m not going to try it out, I think this case could protect your iPad from a drop quite well.

Previously, my favorite iPad keyboard was the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. Well, move over Logitech. The keyboard on the ClamCase Pro actually feels better to me than my favorite Mac keyboard — Apple’s Wireless Keyboard. Since I spend my life sitting at a keyboard, I can tell almost immediately if I’m going to love or hate a keyboard, and my first impression of the ClamCase Pro was very positive. Writing this post on a third-generation iPad using Daedalus cemented that impression — this keyboard has wonderful positive feedback, quiet keys, and a touch that encourages typing.

ClamCase’s website cites an ABC News test that shows that the keyboard can result in a higher number of words per minute typed, and I can entirely believe that. My fingers didn’t need to search for certain keys like they did on the latest crop of Logitech cases; everything was exactly where I expected it to be.

If there’s one downside to the ClamCase Pro, it’s the weight. This thing weighs 1.5 pounds, which means with the iPad added in you’re looking at a total weight of just about 3 pounds. That’s almost identical to the weight of a 13″ MacBook Air and almost .6 pounds more than an 11″ MBA. The ClamCase Pro, like any other keyboard folio case, is going to add thickness to your iPad as well. It’s .85 inches thick, which is .17″ thicker than a MacBook Air.

This brings up the old debate about whether one should buy a light MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, or just use an iPad with something like a ClamCase. There’s certainly no lack of applications in the iPad world now, and with a top-notch keyboard like that in the ClamCase Pro you can definitely get your work done efficiently. Price-wise, someone could buy a 64 GB Wi-Fi iPad with Retina display and ClamCase Pro for $868, less than the $999 cost of a 64 GB 11″ non-Retina MacBook Air.

The ClamCase Pro pairs with your iPad with the press of a Bluetooth button that’s on the keyboard and a tap on the ClamCase Pro name in the Bluetooth settings on the iPad. It has magnets to shut off your iPad when closed, and turn it back on when you pop the top open again. However, this doesn’t help you when you flip the keyboard over into “tablet mode,” as you can end up knee-typing. So, when using your iPad as Steve Jobs intended, be sure to hit the power switch.

There’s one little quirk I noticed with the case design. There are four little rubber feet on the bottom of the case that are probably designed to keep it from sliding on a desktop. That works fine, provided that the case is closed. When you open it, the hinge extends down onto the surface you have the case on and pushes two of the feet off of the surface, making it susceptible to sliding.

Conclusion

Pros

  • Excellent keyboard, one of the best I’ve used on Mac, PC or iPad
  • Completely unique 360-degree hinge holds the “screen” in place regardless of how you have the case configured
  • Probably the sturdiest iPad keyboard case TUAW has ever tested
  • Very fast pairing process, built-in battery level capability
  • Good battery life; much longer than your iPad battery is going to last
  • Power button is easy to find and shut off, making it easy to power down the keyboard when using the iPad as a tablet

Cons

  • Fairly heavy; with the iPad installed, it’s about the same weight of a 13″ MacBook Air
  • One of the most expensive iPad keyboard cases we’ve tested; however, it’s worth every dime

Who is it for?

  • Professionals who are thinking about using an iPad and keyboard case as a replacement for a traditional laptop or anyone who wants the best possible experience with a keyboard case.

ClamCase Pro for iPad: Solid protection, amazing keyboard originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iCarrier Portable Charger Keeps Your iPhone Going, And Going, And Going [Review]

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No outlet? No problem.

Travelers, campers, heavy users, and those who spend a lot of time away from outlets know when you rely on your iPhone for work or play, it’s not making it through the day without at least one partial recharge. Especially with all the hip Vining and Instagramming we’re all do these days.

iCarrier Portable Dual USB Charger by New Trent
Category: iOS Accessories
Works With: iPhones, iPods, iPads, USB Devices
Price: $68

For those who need a lot of portable power to-go, New Trent’s iCarrier, as the highest capacity portable charger they make, promises not just one smartphone recharge, but up to six. Six!

I devoted my iPhone 5 to iCarrier-only charging to see how well the big boy performed.

What It Does

With a 12,000mAh battery in its belly, the iCarrier won’t just power your puny iOS devices—it can jump start your Honda. Ok, I made that car part up, but iCarrier, with its giant internal battery, is built to handle your plethora of portable gadgetry.

Cause just one USB port is for suckas.

New Trent promises iCarrier charges most smartphones up to six times before it needs a charge of its own, but with its massive 12,000 milliamp capacity, I was also interested to see if it could fully charge my battery-packed Retina iPad.

And as is common with packs this powerful, one measly USB port doesn’t cut it, so iCarrier features two dual-amp USB ports, each able to charge either an iPhone or iPad. Taking it a step further, New Trent says charge times don’t slow down when two devices are plugged in.

In Use

Short and squat, but easily stowable.

Six and a half charges—that’s how many top-offs my iPhone 5 got from the iCarrier. That’s impressive. Now, I usually start charging my phone once it gets down to about 10-15% battery life, but regardless, iCarrier delivers on its promise to charge your phone 6 times. That’s power for days.

How about my iPad? Well, with about 9% battery life left, iCarrier was able to take my iPad 3 way back up to 92%. That’s more than any other battery pack I’ve tried, and another excellent performance.

Get your bag ready for another AC adapter.

iCarrier’s portable size makes it super easy to stow and carry, too. I’ve tested power bricks that have odd shapes which make them hard to stash. Though thick, iCarrier’s smart shape allows it to easily fit into most pockets or pouches into which it was shoved.

About those dual USB ports: I did notice a small slow down in charging speed with two devices plugged in at once, but nothing big, so that’s another win.

I do wish iCarrier didn’t require its own charger, though — that’s another charger to add to the bag. I also would love a power indicator with more than 3 lights. Those don’t do a great job communicating how much power is actually left.


Product Name: iCarrier Portable Dual USB Charger
The Good: Days of portable, totable, compact power.
The Bad: Can only be recharged with its own AC adapter.
The Verdict Tons of portable power in a compact size makes iCarrier easy to recommend.
Buy from: New Trent

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

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Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad: Review and giveaway

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The next entry in our seemingly endless parade of new iPad keyboard cases is the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad (US$129.99). This case, which works with the second- through fourth-generation iPads, has some new features that make it attractive as a full-time companion for your tablet.

Design

Like the the recently-reviewed iPad Keyboard Folios from Logitech, the Ultimate Keyboard Case is designed for full-time use on your iPad, protecting the back of the device while providing a flip-out keyboard for easy data entry.

The keyboard in this case is backed with a nicely-designed aluminum shell, and uses black keys with white lettering. The iPad cover is kind of an odd affair — it’s made of what feels like hard polyurethane around the sides, but the “hinge” that connects it to the keyboard and allows the iPad to be placed into three different positions is made of a much thinner flexible plastic with a faux leather look.

That thin plastic makes it possible for this keyboard to be only 6.4 mm thick. That’s pretty incredible, beating the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover at 9.96 mm.

There are generous openings around the camera, switches and ports, and a nice touch for those who want to be able to hear sound from their iPad while typing — a small channel for directing sound from the speaker to the ears of the typist.

Like the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio, the Ultimate Keyboard Case automatically senses when the iPad is flipped into typing position and turns on the keyboard. When the iPad is moved to a “tablet” position or closed, the keyboard turns off. This helps the battery run for up to 160 hours between charges and stay viable for up to 1,900 hours (6 months) in standby mode. It uses a USB to microUSB cable for charging.

As mentioned earlier, the iPad can be magnetically “locked” into three different positions (all in landscape mode) for typing, so getting the screen adjusted to resolve a reflection is a piece of cake.

Functionality

Weight-wise, the Ultimate Keyboard Case tops the scales at 14.7 ounces. That means the iPad/case combo is almost exactly the same weight as an 11″ MacBook Air — 2.39 pounds versus 2.38 pounds. That’s quite a bit lighter than the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio (2.69 pounds) and the needs-to-go-on-a-diet Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad (2.82 pounds). If the amount of weight you lug around is important to you, the Ultimate Keyboard Case might make your day.

When using the Ultimate Keyboard Case on a table or desktop, I found it to work just fine. The keys seem to be spaced almost identically to the ones on my Apple Wireless Keyboard, and unlike the keys on the Logitech keyboard folios they are much more standard. In other words, I don’t need to type a fn-Q to hit the tab key, nor does going into Caps Lock require a fn-A.

Using the Ultimate Keyboard Case in my lap was a different matter. I found that even the slightest jar made the iPad flop down into my lap. The magnets that hold the iPad in place just don’t seem to be as strong as those on the Logitech cases. That, coupled with the rather flimsy plastic “hinge”, seems to be a strong warning to users to keep this thing on a table or desk.

One feature I did like a lot was the addition of three keys to the bottom row — a microphone key for use with Siri dictation on the iPad, an @ key next to the space bar (perfect for typing internet URLs), and a key to change to an alternative virtual keyboard like the popular Emoji keyboard.

I was very impressed with the SoundFlow design of the iPad holder. At the same volume level, the perceived volume was noticeably louder with the case installed than when it was off. That’s a real plus if you like listening to music while working on your iPad.

Conclusion

While the support of the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case seems a bit wobbly for laptop use, this is a strong competitor to Logitech’s recent product launches. The slightly lower price tag, ability to prop the screen in three different positions, SoundFlow design and keyboard layout are all points in favor of Belkin’s latest keyboard folio.

Pros

  • Lighter than the Logitech Keyboard Folios recently reviewed by TUAW
  • Ultrathin; it’s hard to believe it’s a keyboard case
  • Excellent feel to the keyboard, with no function key required to use tab or caps lock functions
  • Helpful keys for Siri dictation and changing keyboards
  • Less expensive than the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio
  • Can be “locked” into any one of three positions while typing
  • Auto on/off feature works very well

Cons

  • Thin plastic prop on the back of the iPad case doesn’t work well when using the case in a lap
  • Does not offer as much protection as the Logitech folios we recently reviewed

Who is it for?

  • Anyone who wants a fairly lightweight iPad keyboard folio case with good keyboard feel, automatic on/off features and a standard keyboard layout.

Giveaway

We’re giving away our review Ultimate Keyboard Case to a lucky TUAW reader. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
  • The entry must be made before May 17, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected and will receive a Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad valued at $129.99.
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad: Review and giveaway originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Phonesuit’s Flex Pocket Lightning Charger

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I use my iPhone 5 so much throughout the day that its battery is often nearly drained by 4:00 PM. That’s why I’m constantly carrying around and trying out new external battery packs to keep my iPhone charged. The latest battery pack I’ve tried is the Phonesuit Flex Pocket Charger. I’ve reviewed Phonesuit’s products in the past (and the one I reviewed is now my external battery pack of choice), so I was excited to try out their new Lightning connector battery pack.

The Phonesuit Flex Pocket Charger is slightly thicker and longer than 2AA batteries in size, to give you an idea about how big it is. It fits easily into a jeans pocket but it’s just a bit wider than my iPhone 5. When plugged into the phone, the Flex overruns the length of it on either end. Still, just given how small the Flex Pocket is in the first place, the fact that it’s just slightly wider than the iPhone 5 can be forgiven — especially considering when my iPhone is running out of battery, the last thing I care about is how good my battery pack looks.

Inside the Flex Pocket you’ll find a 2600 mAh battery that gives you iPhone an extra 125% charge. Externally, the Flex Pocket offers a built-in Lightning port and plugs directly into you iPhone 5. There are no cables to attach. When you plug the Flex Pocket into your iPhone, tap the electrostatic power button on the side to turn it on. To recharge your Flex Pocket, simply connect it to any computer via the included USB cable.

The Phonesuit Flex Pocket Charger is US$69 in a choice of colors: metallic red, blue or black. It works on the iPhone 5, the 5th generation iPod touch, and the 7th generation iPod nano.

Review: Phonesuit’s Flex Pocket Lightning Charger originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three great new iPad keyboard folios from Logitech

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If there’s one accessory manufacturer that seems to be doing everything correctly at this point in time, it’s Logitech. The company apparently realizes that not only is the future pointing away from PCs and toward more portable devices like the iPad, but it’s also creating many new accessories specifically for Apple products. The new FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad (US$149.99), Keyboard Folio for iPad mini ($89.99) and the full-sized Keyboard Folio for iPad ($99.99) are recent additions to the Logitech line that have just started to appear in stores in the US, and today I’m taking a look at all three of these attractive and useful Bluetooth keyboards.

FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad: Design and Functionality

I’m going to start with the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad first, since it’s probably the iPad keyboard that has garnered the most interest lately. You know those odd looking cloth-like keyboards that you see on ads for Microsoft Surface? Yea, that’s what this keyboard looks like.

Gallery: Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad

From the feel of the keyboard, it appears that Logitech is using the same key mechanism found on the other keyboards. The difference lies in the material that covers the keys.

For those who like to sip on coffee or other beverages while typing on an iPad keyboard, you’re going to love the FabricSkin. It’s water resistant, so spills just wipe right off.

The exterior of the case is either a matte finish plastic material or cotton fabric that has a bit of grip to it. Your iPad is held into place by a plastic frame that completely encases the back and sides. There are holes for the ports and speakers, pass-through switches protect those on the iPad from damage. The rear-facing camera is exposed through a small hole on the back of the case.

How about typing on this keyboard? Well, strangely enough I felt that the keys were too far apart! The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is still my favorite iPad keyboard as the spacing and size of the keys are similar to those on the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Here I just felt like there was too much room between the keys, which is not what I expect from an iPad keyboard. As such, my fingers occasionally hit the wrong keys — especially when I was trying to type a “1″, in which case I usually hit the Home key ans was bumped out of my current app. Logitech refers to this new keyboard layout as EasyType, and it may take a little getting used to.

The keys require a bit more pressure than those on the Ultrathin keyboard and many other “standard” keyboard designs, but are much more normal than the dreaded “chiclet” keyboards that some companies have released.

There’s one thing I was absolutely thrilled about with this keyboard: it automatically turns itself on and connects to your iPad when you snap the device into typing position. If you decide to use your iPad as a tablet and fold the keyboard underneath, the keyboard turns off by itself. That not only saves you from accidentally typing as you mash the iPad against a leg or desk, but it saves power as well. The company says that the battery should last for about 3 months of use at 2 hours per day — that’s equivalent to about 182 hours.

The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio comes in four colors and finishes in the US. First, there’s Carbon Black, which uses a matte leather finish with a white keyboard. There’s also Mystic Blue, which also has a matte leather surface and a blue keyboard with white letters — red accents really make the design pop. If you’re a fan of red, Mars Red Orange is going to be your favorite for the FabricSkin — it has a white keyboard. Finally, the Sunflower Yellow case uses a fine-weave cotton exterior and khaki keyboard. Other markets will also get Electric Blue and Urban Gray color options.

Now here’s a quandary… With the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio installed on your iPad, the total weight of the unit is 2.69 pounds. An 11″ MacBook Air weighs less at 2.38 pounds, while a 13″ MBA is just a tad heavier at 2.96 pounds. In other words, if you’re thinking about using an iPad and one of these keyboards as a lightweight laptop replacement, think again.

The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad is extremely well-designed and constructed, and is worth the premium price that Logitech has given it. If you can adjust your typing to the slightly wider key spacing, it may end up being your favorite keyboard for any device.

Pros:

  • Keyboard is splash-resistant
  • An extremely stylish and protective case
  • Automatically turns on and off based on iPad positioning
  • Can be flipped completely for “tablet-only” use
  • Excellent battery life
  • Fast initial pairing with iPad

Cons:

  • Installed on an iPad, it’s heavier than an 11″ MacBook Air
  • EasyType key spacing may not be to the liking of all potential users; like any iPad keyboard, try before you buy

Keyboard Folio for iPad mini: Design and Functionality

A few years back I made the grave error of purchasing a PC netbook and converting it to a Hackintosh. Why was it such a mistake? Because of the keyboard! I spent most of a trip to Africa cursing at the thing simply because my muscle memory was looking for keys in certain places where they actually weren’t.

No such problem with the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini. The keys are all pretty much in the correct places, although some of them have been scaled down in size to allow the keyboard to be exactly as wide as an iPad mini is tall — a tad under 8 inches. By comparison, the standard Apple Wireless Keyboard I use most of the time is a full 3 inches wider.

Gallery: Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad mini

So it was with a great deal of surprise that I found that I could easily touch type on this tiny keyboard at my usual fast rate of speed. My fingers got used to the spacing and location of the keys in minutes, and I actually wrote the complete draft of this post on the iPad mini with little fuss. On occasion my little finger on my right hand hit the Return key instead of the half-sized apostrophe/quote key, but the placement of the keys in general made it easy to recover from those mistakes.

The case is wrapped in a dark blue (a light blue is also available) cloth-like material that gives it a smart book appearance. The iPad mini is slipped into a plastic frame that gives just enough to make inserting or removing the tablet a piece of cake. On the back of the case, there’s a hole for the mini’s camera. A powerful magnet holds the mini in place in a typing configuration, and there are other magnets in the cover to turn the device on and off. Unlike the FabricSkin, this keyboard doesn’t automatically turn itself on when you move the iPad mini into typing position, but a simple tap on any key will wake it up.

All of the new folio type cases from Logitech feature a little cloth “tab” that sticks out from under the keyboard, and it didn’t make sense to me until I went to open up the case. That tab helps you get a good grip on the cover to open it up and turn on the iPad mini. That tab took a little getting used to when I started typing, as it bumped up against my hand. I got used to the tab fairly quickly, but some people may decide to take the scissors to it.

In case you’re curious about how much typing you could do on a single charge, Logitech says that a full charge will take you through 3 months at two hours average use per day. There’s a USB to micro-USB charger cable included for those rare occasions where you need to top off the battery.

When you just want to play a game or browse sites on your mini with the Keyboard Folio attached, the keyboard portion folds underneath the body of the tablet. With the Keyboard Folio, you’re going to want to shut the keyboard off before folding it under or you may find that you’re accidentally typing.

I measured the Keyboard Folio’s weight to be 0.86 lb; that’s actually more than the weight of the iPad mini (at 0.68 lb) and puts the entire package at a little over 1.5 lbs. While that sounds “heavy”, it’s still less than the weight of an 11″ MacBook Air at 2.38 lb. The 11″ MacBook Air gives you the full notebook computer experience, but anyone looking at the ultimate lightweight computing experience should give the Keyboard Folio/iPad mini combo a try.

Pros

  • Excellent key spacing and feel for an iPad mini keyboard
  • Stylish and protective
  • Long battery life
  • Fast initial pairing with iPad

Cons

  • Doesn’t have that wonderful auto-shutoff feature of the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio
  • EasyType key spacing may not be to the liking of all potential users; like any iPad keyboard, try before you buy

Keyboard Folio for iPad: Design and Functionality

Take the size of the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio, remove the “fabric” covering on the keyboard, and you have the Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad. It’s basically the same as the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini, all grown up into the full iPad size. It comes with a correspondingly higher price tag: $99.99 compared with $89.99 for the mini version.

There are some major differences between the FabricSkin and the Keyboard Folio for iPad. First, the Keyboard Folio doesn’t have that wonderful auto-off feature that is so useful on the FabricSkin. Next, without the fabric covering on the keyboard, the Keyboard Folio loses the splash resistance of the more expensive model.

Gallery: Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad

One real negative: the weight of the Keyboard Folio is actually heavier than that of the FabricSkin. The Keyboard Folio weighs in at 639 grams (22.5 ounces or 1.4 pounds); the FabricSkin alone weighs 2 ounces less at 565 grams.

I won’t belabor the features of the Keyboard Folio for iPad, as it is virtually the same as its little brother except for the larger size and colors. The full-size version is the CMYK of iPad keyboards, coming in the famous subtractive color model hues of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Battery life is listed as the same, and all three keyboards in this review come with a USB to micro-USB cable for recharging when necessary.

Pros:

  • An extremely stylish and protective case
  • Can be flipped completely for “tablet-only” use
  • Excellent battery life
  • Fast initial pairing with iPad

Cons:

  • Even heavier than the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio
  • Key spacing may not be to the liking of all potential users; like any iPad keyboard, try before you buy
  • It’s also missing the auto-shutoff feature of the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio

Conclusion

Logitech has produced three protective, flexible, and eminently usable keyboards with the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad, the Keyboard Folio for iPad, and the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini. Without a doubt, the auto on/off feature of the FabricSkin is the winner here — this is a feature that every iPad keyboard should have, and strangely enough Logitech doesn’t even mention it on its website.

As for iPad mini keyboards, the Keyboard Folio for iPad mini is tops in its class. It truly turns the diminutive iPad mini into a typing powerhouse and the lightest “notebook” in the Apple family.

Giveaway

We have both versions of the Keyboard Folio (iPad and iPad mini) available for a giveaway!

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
  • The entry must be made before May 13, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Two winners will be selected. One will receive a Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad valued at $99.99 and the other will receive a Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad mini valued at $89.99.
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Three great new iPad keyboard folios from Logitech originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 09 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPhone App: Zello lets you chat walkie-talkie style with friends, co-workers

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After years of living in an area with no cell service, but a very active radio tower, I grew accustomed to talking with my husband using a ham radio instead of text messaging. Now that cell coverage has improved, we no longer use our ham radios and have switched to the iPhone. To recapture that walkie-talkie style of communication, we recently started using the Zello+ Walkie Talkie app.

Zello+ is an instant, radio-style communication app that uses your mobile broadband connection to exchange short audio messages. The app lets you talk one-on-one to a single person or in a channel with a group of people. It requires a Zello account that is available for free.

After you setup your account in the Zello app, you can add Zello contacts and start talking. The app has a large red button in the center of the screen that is very easy to locate and press. You don’t even have to look at your phone as the button is the dominant element in the app.

Like most walkie-talkies, there is an alert function that lets you “ring” a person before you start talking. This feature is helpful when you want to talk to someone, and you don’t know where they are. You wouldn’t want your message to broadcast out loud during an important business meeting, for example. The alert uses the iOS notification system to let the person know that you want to talk to them.

Zello has a few useful features that set it apart from its competition. The app stores your most recent conversation so you can re-listen to a message that you missed or forgot about. It works with a headset, your phone’s built-in speaker or a wired mic. It also works great over 4G, 3G, and GPRS/EDGE. I haven’t measured it directly, but I can say that in all my usage, Zello contributes very little to my overall data consumption.

The Zello+ app is free and is meant for consumers. It’s cross platform and works on an iPhone, Android device, BlackBerry phone or PC. If you are a business owner and want to use the system with your employees, Zello offers an @work service that is free for up to five employees. Pricing starts at $10 per month per user for businesses with more than five employees. The @work option provides a web-based management tool, encrypted messages and more.

Daily iPhone App: Zello lets you chat walkie-talkie style with friends, co-workers originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPhone App: Wizard Ops Tactics offers well-made tactical battles

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Wizard Ops arrived on the App Store a couple of years ago — it was a wild and wooly take on magical combat that played more like a shooter than a fantasy RPG. Developers Phyken Media have now returned to the world of Wizard Ops, though not the genre, with a new title called Wizard Ops Tactics.

As you may have reckoned from the title, Wizard Ops Tactics is a turn-based strategy game, where you move various wizards and combatants around a 3D board, casting spells across various terrains to beat the other side. Just like the original Wizard Ops, the graphics on this one can get a little goofy, but also like the original game, the depth of gameplay is very impressive. Each turn consists of a planning phase and an action phase, and while you can use as much time as you like to plan your turns, lining up the right moves in quick succession can get you combo bonuses and even allow you to get a nice advantage over the other team.

Wizard Ops Tactics is great fun, offers lots and lots of content (you can play through a full campaign or get involved in turn-based multiplayer, all while unlocking new units and customizing your current ones), and it’s completely free to download and play. Even if you didn’t try the first Wizard Ops game, but are looking for a great example of turn-based strategy, go pick this one up today.

Daily iPhone App: Wizard Ops Tactics offers well-made tactical battles originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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