Shipping Estimates for New 27-Inch iMac Already Slip to 3-4 Weeks [Mac Blog]

Just hours after Apple began taking orders for the new iMac, shipping estimates in the company's online store for the stock 27-inch models have slipped from the original 2-3 weeks to 3-4 weeks. Estimates for the stock 21.5-inch models remain at 1-3 days.

Supplies of the new iMac are expected to be constrained into 2013 as Apple's suppliers deal with the challenges of producing thinner displays laminated directly to the cover glass, with the larger 27-inch panels being particularly difficult to produce.

Facebook Enables 'Photo Sync' for All iOS Users [iOS Blog]

Facebook is rolling out its new Photo Sync feature to its iOS users that automatically uploads all photos taken on the iPhone to a private photo album on Facebook. The idea is to make it easier and faster for users to share photos with their friends.

When you turn on photo syncing, your mobile photos will be saved to a private section of your Facebook Photos. You can easily share your synced photos on your timeline from desktop, mobile, or another device.

[...]

Only you can see the photos you've synced from your phone. Your photos are saved privately in a section of your Facebook Photos that only you can see. When you view your synced photos, you can choose shots to share or send in a private message.

Facebook's support site has much more about Photo Sync. Facebook is using background uploads within the Facebook iOS app to move the photos, not anything special with location APIs or Apple's iOS 6 Facebook integration.

The app is very clear that all photos uploaded automatically are marked as private and cannot be viewed by others until specifically shared by the user. Users get 2 GB of complimentary photo storage.

Sony rolling out new bundle to revitalize Vita sales, includes a year of Plus

For most of us, it wouldn’t come as any surprise to hear that Sony might not be expecting incredible sales of the PlayStation Vita for the holiday season. The portable system has failed to find its place and has seen a slower adoption rate that Sony hoped for, but there is a new bundle that could help spur sales for holiday season.

The “PS Plus Instant Game Collection PS Vita Bundle” is not only a mouthful, it’s also a good deal. At $300, it includes a downloadable code for the game Unit 13, a 4GB memory card, and — the coup the grace — a one-year membership to PlayStation Plus. That subscription alone is valued at $50. Combine it with the game and the memory card, and the bundle represents a savings of about $100.

Of course, this is as much an advertisement of PlayStation Plus as it is a sale on Vita. Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Live Gold, but unlike Microsoft, Sony already allows all of its gamers to play online, stream videos, and video chat with friends all for free. What Plus offers is a premium set of features, including placing your save files on the cloud and being able to remotely download updates. Members also receive steep discounts on downloadable games and add-ons, and also occasionally receive “free” access to games.

It has been heavily touted as a beneficial service for PS3 owners, but the fact that Vita users also receive free and discounted content is often overlooked. One membership entitles a user to the benefits on both platforms.

What this really looks like is Sony trying to prove to its existing loyal PS3 base that there is value in having both a PS3 and a PlayStation Vita. There is much speculation that dedicated handheld consoles are on their way out, thanks to tablets and smartphones. The Vita has been and will continue to be a case study on how a game system can compete in this environment.

via PlayStation Blog

Hybrid ‘quadrotor’ seamlessly travels by land or sea

The folks over at the Illinois Institute of Technology Robotics Lab have developed a quadcopter, the HyTAQ (Hybrid Terrestrial and Aerial Quadrotor), that can seamlessly travel by land or sea, smoothly transitioning from one to the other. Designed by Arash Kalantari and Matthew Spenko, the HyTAQ is surrounded in a cage that not only makes the quadrocopter crash resistant, but allows it to roll along the ground. The HyTAQ flies by using its four actuators, which give the unit enough thrust to lift itself and the cage off the ground.

With the help of the rolling cage, the quadrocopter uses the same flight actuators and control system to achieve its land locomotion, giving the unit a lighter weight than if it required two different travel mechanisms and control systems, and thus, more maneuverability.

A common problem among quadrocopters is that though they’re highly maneuverable, they have a short operating time due to energy constraints. While in land mode, the HyTAQ’s biggest issue is overcoming rolling resistance, but even then, the unit consumes much less energy than when in aerial mode. This somewhat alleviates that energy shortcoming.

Due to the energy savings, the HyTAQ can travel distances of up to four times greater and can operate for six times longer than a quadrotor that doesn’t have land capabilities. When strictly flying, its battery only lasts for five minutes and around 1,969 feet of flight travel. However, the battery lasts for 27 minutes and a distance of 7,874 feet when traveling by land.

Though the HyTAQ’s land capabilities greatly increase the unit’s operating time by saving power for flight, the aerial travel gives the ground travel a boost as well. One of the biggest issues with land travel is overcoming physical obstacles. Thanks to the unit’s air travel, if its path is blocked on the ground, it can simply fly over the obstacle, then continue along in ground mode, saving energy.

The team has already begun the patent process, so hopefully they can bring the HyTAQ to a commercial market after the process is complete.

via IIT

iTunes 11 Store Adds Gift Card Redemption Via Camera [Mac Blog]

In Apple's just-released iTunes 11, users visiting the iTunes Store to redeem gift cards have a new option allowing them to simply take a photo of the code on the back of the card with their computer's camera in order to redeem their cards.

The option, which requires a card containing a box around the code to assist with recognition, allows users to quickly and easily redeem gift cards without having to worry about accurately typing in the unique 16-character code. Users are also still allowed to enter their codes manually for redemption.

iStat Menus Updated With New Look, History Views, and Bandwidth Monitor [Mac Blog]

iStat Menus by Bjango has been updated to version 4, adding a new look and new features. Among other things, the app now shows a historical chart of various system metrics looking at the past hour, 24 hours and week. It also adds a Little Snitch-esque look at which processes are using up network bandwidth.

Bjango has now come out with iStat Menus 4, and the new version has some interesting and, for me, welcome changes. Aside from the usual bug fixes, Retina support and better Mountain Lion compatibility, iStat Menus 4 introduces a refreshed look that brings consistency with Bjango's other iStat app, iStat 2. iStat Menus now features the same style for graphs and charts as iStat 2, and, even better, it comes with the same History menu to view a component's performance over time. For instance, you can mouse over the CPU's main graph and check out a second menu with History for the past hour, 24 hours, and 7 days. There are more time-related view options available, and there's more to customize in the app's Preferences (which have also been redesigned, and it took me a while to get used to them at first). I appreciate the consistency with iStat 2, and I like History because it lets me easily check my network's conditions over time.

iStat Menus 4 is available for $16 via Bjango's online store. It's $9 for current iStat Menus 3 owners.

iPad Mini in Short Supply Until 2013

If fourth quarter results come in lower than expected for iPad minis, don't be surprised. It isn't because of lack of interest in the smaller sized tablet. The problem lies in supplies. According to DigiTimes, Apple can't get units on store shelves fast enough because of issues with mass production of display panels and supply shortages of backlight modules for both the iPad mini and the upcoming iMac models.

Unnamed sources told DigiTimes that AU Optronics, one of Apple's display providers, is "having mass production issues." As a result, overall shipment of the manufacturer's iPad mini parts has dropped to approximately 22 percent, down from its original target of 40 percent.

"Mass production of panels used in the iPad mini has reportedly suffered low yield rates, and backlight module providers have also had a shortage of supplies, which is affecting the amount of iPad minis that can be shipped in 2012, said the sources."

According to DigiTimes, Apple set a 10 million shipment target for the fourth quarter of 2012, but due to these shortages may only be able to reach six million by the end of the time frame.

The same report also mentioned that LG Display, one of Apple's supply partners for the upcoming iMacs, is having mass production issues of their own and just doesn't have enough space to meet demand. This may be the cause of the late launch of the 21.5 and 27-inch desktop computers. Apple announced that the new iMacs would be available "in November." However, they are still not available for sale. Apple just announced yesterday that the 21.5-inch model will be available on Nov. 30, but the 27-inch iMac is listed as "Coming in December."

No related posts.

Make Waistline Amends for Thanksgiving with Workout Trainer – iPad App Review

This is a really tough time of year for just about anybody. We start eating at the Thanksgiving table and we pretty much don’t stop until the New Year. Delicious food abounds and exercise is often the last thing on our minds while we rush to get everything done before Christmas. Fortunately, Workout Trainer is around to lend an app-enhanced hand with “thousands of free workouts and premium programs.”

You start by telling the app a little bit about yourself (like your birthdate, available time for working out and intensity level) and then identifying your fitness goals (whether that means working off that excess Thanksgiving turkey or just trying to get a little more toned).

Your answers to the profiling questions will deliver you a recommended workout (which you can choose or modify and then schedule). Once you do begin, your trainer will talk you through exactly how to complete each exercise with an on-screen video guiding you through the tasks. The pace is easy to follow and the video very large, clear and enjoyable to watch.

What I liked: This app is fantastic for beginners who are overwhelmed and intimidated by getting started. The incredible library of “timed, step-by-step audio, photo and video instruction” means there are no more excuses.

What I didn't like: The first time I tried to login using my Facebook account, the app crashed. Fortunately I was willing to give it a second try and it worked (though you can also create a Skimble account if you do not prefer that level of app integration).

To buy or not to buy: The library of workout options alone make this app well worth downloading. Unfortunately the app cannot do all of the work for you, but it comes as close as technologically possible.

• App Name: Workout Trainer
• Version Reviewed: 2.7
• Category: Health & Fitness
• Developer: Skimble
• Price: Free
• Score:

Nexus 4 suddenly available today, but US stock only, continuing rocky launch

Today, users have been receiving notifications from the Google Play store that the Nexus 4 will now be in stock starting at 12pm PST. However, in line with the device’s rocky launch and early life, it’s only in stock in the US — not exactly appeasing the rest of the world that has been patiently awaiting their new phone.

Google’s new phone sports a rocky history regarding its initial life cycle. Google’s big New York City event planned to announce the Nexus 4 was canceled by a literal natural disaster, Hurricane Sandy, and Google had to settle for a much less exciting blog post instead. Then the smartphone launched on November 13, and has been hit with limited availability ever since. Customers have been reporting that their phone is still on backorder, and though the release was two weeks ago.

At launch, the Nexus 4 was not supported by the Android Open Source Project, which is what helps make the platform so open and so starkly different from Apple’s operating system. The phone also didn’t launch with 4G LTE connectivity. Then, during the drought, the device appeared on eBay for a ridiculous $1900 — essentially a price you can’t pay without massive regret, a notion that was shown when the auction didn’t receive a bid. If that wasn’t enough, customers who ordered and were eagerly awaiting the Nexus 4 were met with emails from Google stating their shipment would be delayed up to three weeks.

So, if you’ve been clamoring for the new Nexus 4, hop on the Google Play store as soon as you can, and keep your finger on the refresh button. Just like with the initial launch, Google has not disclosed how many units will be made available. If you’re not in the US, be patient, as Google wants to sell your their product as much as you want to buy it.

via Daniel Charlton

Read more: The Nexus 4 has LTE after all

Elon Musk wants to send 80,000 people to live on Mars

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has big plans for the human race. He wants to create a colony on Mars consisting of a population of 80,000 humans. The citizens would be ferried to the planet in a reusable rocket that runs on liquid oxygen and methane. For the initial trip, the rocket would contain less than 10 humans, who would be sharing their space with enough equipment to found a colony ready for the other 79,990.

The colony would be founded in transparent domes, and would be pressurized with CO² from the Martian atmosphere so colonists could grow Earth crops in Martian soil. In order to develop an atmosphere that would provide the tools for colonists to sustain themselves, the rocket would carry machines that can create fertilizer, oxygen, and methane out of subsurface water, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide found on Mars.

Musk did not disclose the details of the rocket he envisions being able to transport the machinery and colonists to Mars, though left curious folk with a hint. Musk was asked if the rocket would be a SpaceX reusable rocket that is rumored to be in development — the MCT — which is said to either stand for Mars Colony Transport or Mass Cargo Transport. He simply replied, “Maybe.”

Though Musk has yet to reveal details of the craft capable of delivering the payloads of humans and machines, a recent trip SpaceX made to the International Space Station using Dragon cost $91,000 per pound. However, Dragon only carried 1,455 pounds of cargo to the ISS, and the total carrying capacity of the ship is 13,000 pounds, so the more cargo the ship carries, the cheaper the cost per pound. There are currently no disclosed details regarding what kind of carrying capacity the theorized Mars ship would require.

Unfortunately for would-be space explorers, Musk estimated a ticket price of $500,000 per person could conceivably cover the cost of the trip. He feels half a million bucks is an amount of money that people in “advanced countries” could eventually scrounge together. This isn’t actually as crazy as it might initially sound. If you’re giving up life on Earth to help found a colony on Mars, you could probably sell the majority of your possessions — like your house — to help reach that target.

Musk also feels the entire project would end up costing around $36 billion, stating that a colony that costs around 0.25 or 0.5 percent of a nation’s GDP would be seen as acceptable. In 2010, the United States’ GDP was $14.5 trillion, and 0.25 percent of that is the estimated $36 billion. That $36 billion would be reached if all of the projected 80,000 colonists paid Musk’s ticket price of $500,000.

As exciting as Musk’s vision is, there just isn’t enough detail yet to get too hopeful about this endeavor.

via Discovery News

Apple Taking Over Several Magazines with Clever iPad Mini Ad Campaign

Apple's got a couple of great commercials that are currently playing on televisions around the country, but the Cupertino-based company isn't taking any chances on missing potential customers.

This week Apple released a series of clever magazine ads for the 7.85-inch iPad mini, with an actual size picture of the tablet printed on the back of the magazine, so readers can get an idea of the dimensions of Apple's diminutive tablet.

The iPad mini ads also display the corresponding magazine on the iPad's screen, demonstrating the potential of Apple's Newsstand. For example, in the New Yorker and in TIME, the iPads in the ad show miniature versions of each magazine cover.

Have you gotten a glimpse at Apple's new magazine ads? I saw one in person this weekend and seeing the size of the mini against the size of the magazine presents a convincing argument!

Google’s Nexus 4 will be now available on Three in the UK on contract and pre-paid plans from December 13th.

Google debut its device with O2, who was their partner at the initial stages in UK's market. Now Google is bringing its device Nexus 4 to another well known carrier in the market called Three. Nexus 4 is a Smartphone powered with Android 4.2. It will be available from December 13^th on Three. Either you can buy it on per month contract of 35 with upfront cost of 29 or it is available pre-paid for 399.99. It is also available for a 2 year contract that offers high on-network talk and text limits along with unlimited data.

This new carrier partner of Google came in market just one month after the launch of Nexus 4. It became popular and made quick sell-outs in the market of UK and other parts of the world as well. The latest Smartphone of Google has been experiencing problem regarding its supply in the market. Either the supply of this Smartphone is very short or its demand is very high, but according to a report Google has improved is shipping time. It will be interesting to see Google expanding its availability in the market.

Nexus 4 might offer good speeds on Three's network DS-HSDPA. Recently it was revealed that a hack enables the users to switch on LTE on the device manually which is not a good thing for the users of Three. Three is planning to bring its 1800MHz LTE network in the market but this network is not compatible with Nexus 4 AWS LTE. The interesting thing here to note will be that how many people will prefer to buy the Nexus 4 from carriers rather than buying it directly from the Google at cheaper prices and then selecting the network of their own choice.

Related posts:

1. Verizon Wireless to light up 400 LTE market
2. Google and Apple Go Head to Head Again With 3D Maps
3. A drop in the iPhone prices

Apple working on automatically sizing text based on proximity to user’s face

“Apple Inc., the maker of the iPad and iPhone, is seeking a patent on a technology aimed at making it easier for a user to read a display on a mobile device,” Victoria Slind-Flor reports for Bloomberg.

“Application 20120287163, published in the database of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Nov. 15, covers the scaling of a device's visual content depending on its proximity to the user's face,” Slind-Flor reports. “The technology covered by the application would determine the distance between the user's face and the display screen, and then, using a calibration procedure involving one or more processors, would adjust the display's scale.”

Slind-Flor reports, “Sensors that would capture the image of the user's face for calibration purposes could include ‘an infrared distance sensing device; a laser distance sensing device; a SONAR distance sensing device; and an image capture device.’”

Read more in the full article here.

Catastrophe Theory: Microsoft on the verge of a sudden collapse?

“Last week, usability expert Jakob Nielsen wrote a devastating critique of Windows 8 on his Alertbox blog,” Anthony Wing Kosner writes for Forbes. “Okay, so Microsoft overreached on this one. They'll fix it for Windows 9, right?”

“But will it get the chance? I know that sounds extreme, and it never would have occurred to me if I hadn't read Charlie Demerjian's piece, ‘Microsoft Has Failed,’ on his SemiAccurate blog,” Kosner writes. “Demerjian lays out a scenario for a precipitous death spiral: ‘The problem is that if you are locked in with a choice of 100% Microsoft or 0% Microsoft, once someone goes, it isn't a baby step, they are gone. Once you start using Google Docs and the related suites, you have no need for Office. That means you, or likely your company, saves several hundred dollars a head. No need for Office means no need for Exchange. No need for Exchange means no need for Windows Server. No need for Office means no need for Windows. Once the snowball starts rolling, it picks up speed a frightening pace. And that is where we are. The barriers to exit are now even more potent barriers to entry.’”

Kosner writes, “The first thing this reminded me of was Catastrophe Theory, a branch of mathematics developed by Ren Thom in the 1960 s that describes, ‘phenomena characterized by sudden shifts in behavior arising from small changes in circumstances, analysing how the qualitative nature of equation solutions depends on the parameters that appear in the equation. This may lead to sudden and dramatic changes, for example the unpredictable timing and magnitude of a landslide.’”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Even when misguided fools lined up for upside-down and backwards, insecure, pretend Macs in 1995, some us never lost sight of the fascinating, slow-motion train wreck called Microsoft. We’ve been waiting for the acceleration and the pileup of smoking wreckage for quite some time and we will relish it with complete satisfaction; all the while toasting Ballmer T. Clown while wishing Steve were here to see it, too.

China’s Alibaba targets unreliable sellers with increased transparency on B2B site Alibaba.com

Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba has taken a note out of ebay’s book as it announced it is now showing visitors more details about “problem suppliers” on Alibaba.com, its B2B website for small businesses.

The site has not gone so far as to allow users to rate and comment on every transaction, as the US site does, but instead it has increased the scope of the customer complaints notifications that it posts on seller pages. They used to only cover fraud-related issues, but now the notifications include more routine complaints, such as product quality or delivery delays.

Alibaba explains that those committing fraudulent activities are being kicked off the site rather than just reported, as it looks to fine-tune its feedback and complaints channel to promote safer shopping and greater buyer awareness.

“Alibaba.com hopes the added disclosure can help buyers make more informed decisions when comparing suppliers”, it says in a post on its Alizila website.

Alibaba.com still encourages its seller and buyers to resolve their disagreements themselves. However, in cases where the service’s staff find that a seller is at fault in a dispute, it will be included on their page as a warning for customers.

Each seller site shows the number of resolved and unresolved customer issues that have happened within the last 90 days, which at least encourages sellers to learn from any mistakes they make.

That number is listed on all seller pages — from storefronts, to promotion pages and specific product pages — but prospective customers must visit ‘company profile’, then ‘buyer interactions’ to find specific details of each customer complaint – including the nature of complaint and whether it has been resolved or not.

Proof of Alibaba’s thriving range of ecommerce sites — one of which is Alibaba.com — came when the company brought in $3.1 billion in sales during China’s version of Cyber Monday, held on November 11.

That figure is up 367 percent year-on-year and its Tmall.com B2C site took the bulk of sales ($2.1 billion) and C2C brand Taobao made $950 million during the 24-hour period. Alibaba says it played host to 10 million visitors alone in the first minute after midnight, and hit $40 million in gross merchandise value (GMV) within just 10 minutes.

The company is actively expanding outside of China and it has quietly attracted 2 million users outside of Greater China, primarily in Hong Kong (1.2 million) and Taiwan (500,000). It recently launched an ecommerce school in Thailand, its first outside of China.

Headline image via Aaron Tam/AFP/Getty Images

Simple-minded spies: Belgian State Security employees overshare information on Facebook and LinkedIn

You’d never catch James Bond or Jason Bourne doing this, I’m sure: dimwits working for Belgium’s State Security Service are reportedly sharing the name of their employer on social networking sites.

A report in local newspaper De Standaard says Belgian State Security officials and politicians charged with overseeing the civilian intelligence agency have already expressed concerns over the LinkedIn and Facebook profiles of certain employees.

It appears that a simple search reveals that some State Security workers are publicly sharing the name of their employer, which obviously poses security risks.

Indeed, I ran a search this morning and found this:

It’s worth noting that State Security officials wouldn’t confirm that these profiles are genuine, which means at least some of them have half a brain. It’d sure be funny if they confirmed they are in fact real profiles.

Someone high up in the Belgian intelligence agency told De Standaard that ‘Russian and Chinese security services employ thousands of people, enabling them to do searches for this kind of information on social networks and exploiting it’.

He or she added that the simpletons oversharing such information on LinkedIn and Facebook are setting themselves up as ‘targets for hostilities’. Not to mention FarmVille requests and pokes, I might add.

Image credit: Thinkstock

Lowepro Toploader Zoom 50 AW (Black) Reviews

Lowepro Toploader Zoom 50 AW (Black)

• Fits a DSLR with attached lens (up to 17-55mm f/2.8); memory card, extra batteries or small accessories
• Patented, built-in All Weather AW Cover protects camera gear and personal items from rain, dust and sand, and neaty tucks away when not in use
• Lightweight, slim, holster-style design provides a snug fit and an easy-to-carry option for a DSLR with attached zoom lens
• Inside zippered pocket with memory card storage provides space for extra memory cards and accessories like UV filter, spare battery, etc.
• Adjustable, removable shoulder strap provides a customer and comfortable fit across body or over shoulder

Lowepro's Toploader Zoom AW series offers a weather-protective, streamlined and easy-access carrying solution for outdoor photographers and serious enthusiasts who are passionate about their pursuits. Inspired by the well-loved Toploader Pro AW series, this feature-filled design is ideal for a day of outdoor activities, travel or sports. With Lowepro's patented All Weather AW Cover, gear is protected from the elements. The compact design moves with the body and easily slips into a larger bag

How To Get Paid Apps FREE 100% Legal – Free My Apps For iPhone, iPod Touch And iPad

USE this LINK: m.freemyapps.com You will get 200 CREDITS FREE after your first downloaded app! NEW VIDEO get paid apps and giftcards for FREE! 100% legit everythingidevice.com SHARE This VIDEO! Click To Tweet: clicktotweet.com Check Out My Website! www.everythingidevice.com View More iDeviceMovies http Like Everything iDevice On Facebook! www.facebook.com Follow iDeviceMovies on Twitter: twitter.com How To Get Paid Apps FREE 100% Legal – Free My Apps For iPhone, iPod Touch And iPad About Everything iDevice & iDeviceMovies: EiD is a blog site that gives you complete coverage of Apple, iOS, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Apple TV, Cydia, Jailbreak, Winterboard themes, Tweaks, Hacks, Mods and Apps. Basically anything that involves your Apple products hardware to software.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

This is a step by step full tutorial will teach you how to get gpSPhone on your iDevice for free, as well as roms. These are the sources: ihacksrepo.com repo.insanelyi.com apt.xsellize.com Website for gba roms: coolrom.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

A Few Fun Photo Apps for Your iPhone

In my best iPhone photo apps list only included one really “fun” app-Manga Camera. The thing is, well, I kinda collect apps that let you do strange and weird things with photos (especially of yourself or others). I went through my list of apps I had gathered and picked through a few that I think you’ll like too.

The fun rarely lasts

Before I start off, I wanted to let you know right now that it seems these fun photo apps don’t last long in the App Store. I don’t know why, but well…they don’t. I had to cross off a several of my favorites (like the Futurama Head in a Jar app, which, yes I used for this post) because you can’t get them anymore. So, word to the wise, if an app looks like fun to you (especially if it’s free or tied to a movie)-get it while it lasts!

Comic Story. If you want to take photos and make a cool looking comic. Done like dinner! Stickers, speech bubbles, frames, effects. And right now it’s free!

Manga Camera. Still free, still awesome.

Dark Knight Rises. Want to be Bain or Batman or Catwoman? Pose by the Tumbler? You can do all of that and create posters with your picture. Yeah, it’s a movie tie-in app, doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. Psst, it’s free too.

Cartoonatic. From the folks at MacPhun (who make a lot of great apps I’ve bought) and just a fun way to match photos with the season. Again, it’s a freebie (with in app purchases).

WordFoto. Overlay words into your picture so the photo is re-done with colored text. It’s neat for making gifts and sending to friends. This one will set you back $1.99.

Over. Just a beautiful app to let you add text-with great fonts and typography-to your photos. This is only $0.99 and takes a couple tries to complete get it, but once you do the results are great.

PhotoFun. Add cool frames and captions to your photos. And it’s free, so this is nice to have as well.

ToonCamera. Make a picture you take look like a comic or art or … just have fun. This is $0.99 as well, not too bad for the fun, plus it’s a Universal app too.

riffed.it. When I posted my photo apps list, these folks reached out to me on Twitter to check out their app. It’s neat, and free, and heck it has Justin Bieber so how could it be terrible? You can be the meme…be the meme…

That’s it for my picks. Yes, there are lots more of these fun apps around, so share! Free is great, but cheap is fine too.

Can Good Design Just Let Go of the Past?

A lot has been made of the use-and over use-of skeuomorphism in iOS and OS X. I think it's safe to say that dead horse has been well and truly beaten enough. Here's the thing, the essential thing, that we've forgotten-sometimes skeuomorphism works and we need it to make sense of things.

Take some time to read the post on the Realmac software blog about design and skeuomorphism. One of the examples in the post is their app Courier, which I bought some time ago to do mass uploads to Facebook for a client, and yeah cute interface, totally didn't get it. It happens. In the post, they admit, yep...clever idea, but just not the right way to get the job done.

Then there are things like iBooks. Sure it's a little odd to have "pages" in a virtual book that is really dimensionless, but it makes us comfortable and we like it. Even subtle things like the Settings icon. It's gears, it's the inner workings, tap that and you're under the hood. Clever and it works.

Blux movie HD

It comes down to this, and the title of the post, no good design can't let go of the past. Dieter Rams’ 10 principles of good design rely just as much in a grounding in the past as they do a vision of the future. One of my new favorite apps is Blux Camera (and Movie). I didn't quite get it at first, some things made sense, because they used standard icons, but other elements didn't make sense. How do I do this? How do I adjust that? Why can't I shift between effects easily by "turning" the dial?

Blux camera for iPad

I'd say, with the exception of the screen looking like rippling water when a widget is turned off or on, it is a clever, clever app that helps me both just learn to use it by doing and become more comfortable with it as I go. Why is that? Because parts of it, the right parts, are based on things I know and can grab from the real world. Switching between different photo modes is like turning a dial, except it's easier to tap the dial than turn it. Oh and there are two dials. Outer for the "big" effect and the inner for the tuning (back lit, cloudy, rainy, sunshine). Sure it borrows from film cameras, but in a way that makes sense. Dials to change things make sense. The zoom slider goes up and down. Makes sense. Other ways to tune the picture (and there are many, many ways before you even take the shot) stay out of the way until you need them. Then, again, they are based on sliding adjustments up or down.

Makes perfect sense.

This is just one (non-Apple for once) example of where blending the familiar helps learn the new. Where the past helps guide to understand something. Apple has certainly lost its way of late, but I think they'll get back there.

XtremeGUARD Verizon Apple iPAD 2 FULL BODY Screen Protector Front,Back,Sides(Ultra CLEAR)

XtremeGUARD Verizon Apple iPAD 2 FULL BODY Screen Protector Front,Back,Sides(Ultra CLEAR)

• Brand New XtremeGuard Screen Protector, you receive (1) which can easily last 2-3 years
• Laser-Precision Cut for your device, NO Cutting Necessary
• Ultra Tough Military Grade Protector
• Optically Clear, *NOTE: WATER INSTALL, Water is used in installation
• 60 Day Manufacturer Warranty

Protect your valuable iPad 2 with a PREMIUM Full Body Protector, Optically Clear, and Ultra Scratch Resistant Protection. Each protector can outlast your device. Laser-Precision cut to the exact dimensions of your phone. You receive 1 protector in each pack with instructions. Installation takes about 45 minutes.

Nikon MC-36A Multi-Function Remote Shutter Release Cord for D4, D800, D700, D300

Nikon MC-36A Multi-Function Remote Shutter Release Cord for D4, D800, D700, D300

• Remote shutter release that functions as timer remote
• Activates camera’s bulb function
• Intervalometer for time-lapse shooting
• 10-pin remote plug
• Compatible with Nikon DSLRs: D4, D800, D700, D300

The Nikon MC-36A Multi-Function Remote Cord provides a simple trigger function and can activate the bulb function on certain Nikon DSLR cameras. Functions as a timer remote and can be programmed to function as an intervalometer. Compatible with Nikon DSLRs: D4, D800, D700, D300

Turkey Shoot on Instagram (In Related "News," People Still Love Pie!)

People love posting pictures of their food … blah, blah, blah. So, no surprise, the photo-sharing service Instagram rushed out the “news” that it had its busiest day so far, when users posted more than 10 million Thanksgiving-related photos. The Facebook-owned company said in a blog post that during peak hours on Thursday, people were posting more than 200 photos every second, double the amount from the day before. By comparison, Instagram users uploaded around 800,000 photos during Hurricane Sandy, and more than 100,000 images on Election Day. (And, yes, this is what a slow news day looks like here at AllThingsD.)

How IBM Is Watching How You Shop Online

Starting yesterday and continuing into today, computing giant IBM has been putting out quick reports on the state of online shopping.

Apparently this is now a officially a thing, so here are some stats taken from the latest snapshot as of 3 pm ET, because we just know you’re not shopping on a tablet, you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about how many others are:

• Online sales are up 20 percent for this same time period over Black Friday 2011.
  
  
• The number of consumers using a mobile device to visit a retailer’s site is at 28 percent, up from 18.1 percent in 2011.
  
• The number of consumers using their mobile device to make a purchase is 14.3 percent, up from 10.3 percent in 2011.
  
• Shoppers using the iPad led to more retail purchases more often per visit than other mobile devices, with conversion rates reaching 4.2 percent, higher than all other mobile devices.
  
• Shoppers referred from social networks like Facebook and Twitter generated 0.18 percent of all online sales on Black Friday.

So you might be wondering how IBM gets all this info. It’s all part of its strategic play in the world of big data, essentially helping companies make more sense of the huge troves of data they’ve gathered that were previously being ignored. Smarter Commerce is the area of IBM devoted to helping retailers better understand that data so they can come up with improved ideas concerning how to sell more stuff.

Where they gather that data is the IBM Benchmark. It’s a cloud-based digital analytics platform that soaks up digital information about how consumers respond to different ways of selling things online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long, from 500 different online retailers. IBM won’t name them — they joined the network under condition of anonymity — but Big Blue says the companies that participate include about half of the companies named on the Internet Retailer Top 100 list. A lot of the technology comes from Coremetrics and Unica, acquisitions IBM made in 2010.

Last year, I talked about all this with Craig Hayman, IBM’s VP of the WebSphere, Application and Integration Middleware Software Division of the IBM Software Group. One quote from that conversation sticks out in my memory; it bears repeating here:

“If you think about consumers, and you think about the amount of technology that they have at their hands, to reach out to read reviews and talk to friends and families, they're incredibly empowered. There's not one purchase decision that they make that is not impacted by some element of social networks. What does that do to the companies that have to deal with that by offering the best products and services, and you see companies are struggling to do that: To make the right offer at the right time with the right price. When they do it well, we all talk about how it went well; and when they do it badly, we talk about how annoying it was.”

So now you know. Not only are retailers and your credit card companies watching you shop, so is IBM.

Classroom e-books report usage, rat out students who skip homework

Everyone has had that class where you don’t have to actually open the book in order to do the homework. If you are clever enough, you can get the basic idea from the discussion in class and maybe catch up later if you aren’t busy. While it’s certainly not the best of study habits, it happens. Imagine if your teacher were able to look up and see whether or not you read that chapter last night, or exactly how long you spent with the book open before trying your hand at the homework without finishing the section. A lot of us would have been found guilty. Unfortunately for the students of this generation, that is exactly what is about to happen with some new classroom e-books.

CourseSmart is an e-book retailer that focuses on added services for students and teachers. The software delivers the books suited for the classroom setting, and allows for both group activities and one-on-one help. A new feature being added to the service is an opt-in for tracking how students use the books. Specifically, the software tracks how long the student is reading a specific section. This way, if a student is struggling with a specific concept or if the he/she is just plain not doing the work, the teacher has the tools needed to better address the situation and help them.

If you can separate yourself from the idea that you are being tracked as you read your textbook, the service seems like it would be a terrific help to both students and teachers. Sure, you won’t get away with not doing the required reading, but the idea seems really beneficial.

It’s also worth pointing out that there are plenty of one-on-one educational apps for children that offer very similar tools. The Zoodles app for Android is a perfect example as it emails the parent every week with analytics on the behaviors found when using the apps.

Our kids won’t be able to get away with some of the stuff we did in school, but at the end of the day it’s hard to say that isn’t a good thing.

via The Chronicle

Samsung stops supplying Apple with batteries for iPad/MacBook

Apple may be the company taking most of the legal action against Samsung, but it looks as though Samsung is the one making business decisions to move away from supplying Apple.

Back in October, Samsung terminated its LCD contract with Apple. That was significant because Samsung is Apple’s largest supplier of displays, shipping tens of millions to the company every year. Now, the contract termination seems to be extending, as Samsung has stopped supplying Apple with batteries for the iPad and MacBook laptops.

The details are limited, but it seems Samsung stopped the supply rather than Apple initiating this. Apple has now called upon other manufacturing partners, including Amperex Technology Limited and Tianjin Lishen Battery, to make up the difference–a difference that must account for millions of batteries.

There was also a rumor, and one some in Samsung has denied, that it had raised Apple chip production prices 20 percent. But whether that is true or not, it is very clear that both Apple and Samsung are breaking away from each other as the lawsuits continue.

Who does this hurt more? I’d say Apple. Samsung will obviously miss the revenue gained from large Apple orders, but you could argue it no longer needs them due to the growing success of the company’s Galaxy range of devices. There’s also not going to be a shortage of other brand devices needing displays, batteries, and chips manufactured.

Apple on the other hand needs to secure availability of its very popular devices to avoid a shortage and missed sales opportunities. And Samsung was capable of meeting most of that demand. The supply chain for Apple is weaker without having them as a supplier in the short term at least.

BrightWire, via AppAdvice

Portal 2 Update Adds Split Screen Co-op Support And More

Portal fans might be pleased to learn that Valve has this week rolled out a new update to its PC Portal 2 game which has brought with it a number of highly requested features.

The latest Portal 2 PC game update has now added the highly anticipated 2 controller splitscreen support for Standard Co-Op, which can now activated by pressing the “X” on the additional controller inside the first Co-op menu.

Mozilla Firefox OS Simulator Released, Enabling Mobile OS Testing On Your Desktop

Mozilla has released a new tool for developers this week, which has been designed to enable the ability to to install an .xpi extension inside of a desktop version of Firefox and check it out.

The new Mozilla Firefox OS Simulator has been named ”r2d2b2g”, or b2g for short and once its installed you will then see a dashboard allowing you to run the new browser simulator.

Apple Tells Samsung How Much Its 10-year HTC License Is Paying

Gary Cutlack - Gizmodo UK

Apple has been ordered to help Samsung's legal battles a little, with a court telling it to share full details of the 10-year settlement it struck with HTC recently. Only it's not going to be made public.

Apple has already sort of complied, providing Samsung with a heavily redacted version of the deal's terms that removes 33 words from the agreement. This cropped version of the text fails to show the financial details of the agreement between Apple and HTC, which is presumably the most critical part of it as far as Samsung is concerned.

Apple claims Samsung already agreed to accept this redacted version of the text, but Samsung's now won the right for the full text to be released to its lawyers ahead of a December 6th hearing in its ongoing case with Apple.

HTC recently denied it was paying Apple $8 every time it sells an Android model, claiming the estimates were "outrageous." Samsung's lawyers will soon know the real number. [Guardian]

---

Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

Thanksgiving Tech Support: Exactly How Much You Should Care About Everyone at Home

Your mom's router is broken, your dad's laptop is frozen, your aunt's tablet is covered in bees, and they're all looking at you, tech blog reader, to fix it before and after Turkey. Not all family is equal.

Here's how to prioritize.

This is all well trod by now. You know the drill. You've been getting drilled over phone, email, and—Christ—text message, since you moved out on your own. AOL is broken! What's the Netflix password! What are the apps! Where are the apps! When are the apps! They look to you—these helpless, blood-related figures—because you've become The One Who Knows This Stuff. Sometimes they ask you what thing to buy. And then they ask you how to fix that thing when it inevitably goes haywire.

Thanksgiving will involve everyone who helped spawn you, other genetically-tethered figures, and all sorts of non-related hangers-on, clamoring for tech aid. You're only one person, and come on, you've got food to eat, and high school exes to make sad passes at. So let's prioritize.

Mom: Full Service

Your mom has and always will love you, wiped your gross face as a child, and put up with your horrors as a teen. For those and innumerable other reasons, she has a full, lifetime concierge tech support. An eternal pass. If she's frustrated or confused, it's your duty to help her. And besides, jerk, it's cool to be cool to your mom. See: Norman Bates.

So when you walk in the door and start hearing the chorus of "the Comcast is unplugged," swallow your pride, don't condescend and help mom. Always help mom. Forever, or until you become a mom.

Dad: See Above

You were never inside him, but still: lifetime, full pass. You can make fun of him a little bit for being oblivious, though. It's a double standard, but for some reason it just exists. Roll with it.

Siblings: Maybe

This all comes down to age.

If they're wee folk, you have a duty to help inform the next generation of geeks. Let them paw your phone—I know, they've got gravy hands, but just scrub it off later. Show off your camera—let them experiment with it, so long as they don't drop it. Threaten them with violence to make sure they don't drop it. If they seem to have a thing for music, or writing, or anything else, see if you can bring a gadget that'll be encouraging. Watch your little pals grow up to be the next tablet-loving, blog comment-trolling stars of the future.

But if your brother and/or sister are older than you, screw it, they're on their own.

Aunt and Uncle

Your aunt and uncle are probably less likely to ask for troubleshooting help so much as advice. Tell me about Android, buddy. Tell them about Android. They're family, so be kind, but don't feel obligated to postpone football and bird-intake on their account. Unless they stood in as parental figures when you were growing up, the aunt and uncle are on a concrete second tier from the real deal, and as such, are entitled only to advisory assistance.

Example: "Oh, you know, that's a common problem with that TV—I'll email you a link to a site that should be able to totally set you straight." Odds are you probably don't have email contact with your aunt and uncle, so you're home free.

Second cousins, great uncles, et cetera: sorry!

Are you kidding me? These people are barely even your family. Ground rule: if you can have sex without facing the scorn of society, they don't get free Thanksgiving tech support.

Grandparents: Ding Ding Ding

Grandparents are your mom, multiplied. They're more helpless, gentler, and have nothing but adoration and pride when it comes to you. Odds are they don't have that many gadgets to begin with—but for those commendable iPad-toting grannies, give it your all. They're not power users, so their gripes aren't going to be that bad. Walk them through everything. Be patient. Make sure they can see what you're doing, and that you're not doing it too fast. Maybe even write them down some quick tips with an IRL pencil, on real tree paper.

Girlfriends/Boyfriends of family members who you barely know: No

Why are you even in my house? Give me back the remote.

Old flames from when you still lived at home

If you're feeling up for it. It might seem unlikely, but helping someone fix their phone—"Well, I can try to walk you through it, but it'd easier in person..."—gives you a chance at rekindling adolescent action. Use what you're good at to give yourself one more shot at the one that got away. At the very least you'll be able to creepily go through their text inbox.

Neighbors: Quid Pro Quo

Like mowing their lawn in days of yore, don't feel compelled to go over there and start unplugging cables unless you're getting a beer out of it.

Above all, be gracious, be generous, and don't think that restarting a modem is going to excuse you from helping wash dishes.

User Manual is Gizmodo's guide to etiquette. It appears as if by magic every Friday.

Photos: Hulton Archive, Jack Atley/Getty

Hulu Plus comes to Wii U after narrowly missing launch date

Hulu Plus is now available for the Wii U, after only barely missing the release day hype from the console’s launch on Sunday. The streaming video service was still being tweaked and tested when the Wii U went on sale in the US, but the app is now live in the Nintendo eShop digital download platform.

Hulu Plus joins Netflix as the second streaming service available for the Wii U, and just like with Netflix, special development considerations had to be implemented to take advantage of the console’s two-screen presentation.

With Hulu Plus, users are able to browse through the content on their TV while looking at the Wii U GamePad for more specific details about each show or episode.

Once they select a title to watch, it can either be played on the TV or on the GamePad, not both. This is identical to the way that Netflix functions on the console.

With Netflix, though, there is no enhanced “second screen” experience as there is with Hulu Plus. When selecting content, the GamePad’s screen and the TV display are exactly the same.

Despite originally claiming that the Wii U would be an entertainment hub from day one, Nintendo recanted at the last minute and said that most of its TV-related services would not be available for the console until next month.

It still has a long road until it catches up with the PS3 and the Xbox 360, which have provided live television coverage of numerous sporting and political events, along with more than a dozen apps for access to specific video and music content.

via Hulu