JVC’s UX-VJ3 and UX-VJ5 speaker docks play (elegant) host to iPad and iPhone

There’s not much you can do to spice up speaker docks at this point — they’re pretty much old hat. But what if that dock allowed you to plug in your iPad and iPhone, or iPod simultaneously? Ah, now we have your attention. Slated to hit the land that begot Kurosawa in mid-summer, the JVC UX-VJ3 and UX-VJ5 make their iOS connectivity a folie à deux. Sporting an AM / FM tuner, video out and a PC input, these sleek connectors don’t appear to part much from the typical feature set. It’s the VJ5 that’s the real standout here, with its six apartment-blending color options, USB port and ability to rip MP3s from a built-in CD drive. Sound swanky enough for you? We thought so, but with no announcement on North American availability, lusting audiophiles on these shores have a bit of a wait ahead of them. Check the source to get a glimpse of these iOS displays in their full color spectrum.

JVC’s UX-VJ3 and UX-VJ5 speaker docks play (elegant) host to iPad and iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bing introduces Lasso for iPad app, does cut and paste the cowboy way

Bing introduces Lasso for iPad app, does cut-and-paste the cowboy way

How’s hog-tying search terms sound as an alternative to plain old cut and paste? Well, according to Microsoft, it sounds mighty fine. The software giant just announced Lasso, a new touch-friendly search tool for the Bing iPad app that allows you to rope in your internet queries by circling a word or phrase. Once you’ve drawn the circle, Bing automatically generates a search using the selected words. No word on how this will work out for us chubby-fingered searchers, but if you’ve given it a go ’round the ole corral, let us know how it’s treating you in the comments.

Bing introduces Lasso for iPad app, does cut and paste the cowboy way originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad makes up one percent of global web browsing, magic

This is surely the sort of thing Apple likes to see — it might not be the prettiest graph in the world, but it certainly drives home the fairly consistent growth of the iPad’s global web browsing share. Back in April of last year, we reported that the company’s “magical” tablet had nabbed 0.03 percent of global web traffic in its first week. The decimal point has moved a couple of places, according to NetMarketShare, with the device now making up more than one percent of worldwide web browsing. That number is even higher in the US, at 2.1 percent, with the iPhone and Android devices pulling in 2.9 and 2.6 percent, respectively. As for Apple’s share of tablet traffic — well, there’s not a heck of a lot to report on that front.

[Thanks, Alan]

iPad makes up one percent of global web browsing, magic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mashable  |  sourceNetMarketShare  | Email this | Comments

Soundfreaq unleashes Sound Step wireless speakers for audio-loving multitaskers

Soundfreaq made quite the first impression last year with its Sound Platform SFQ-01 audio system, which is why our ears perked up when we heard about the company’s newest creations — the Sound Step and Sound Step Recharge compact wireless speakers. Compatible with all iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices, these Bluetooth-enabled docks allow users to remotely stream audio directly to their speakers, which feature a set of 2.75-inch, Kevlar-reinforced balanced drivers, a dedicated sub-woofer and a UQ3 spatial enhancement processor. There’s also a 3.5 millimeter line-in jack and a USB charging port, meaning you’ll be able to juice up multiple gadgets as you kick out multiple jams. And, since these guys are just 3.6-inches tall, you probably won’t have to freaq out about making space for them, either. If your appetite’s already whetted, you can grab the Sound Step for $139, or opt for the Recharge (with its six hours of rechargeable battery life) for $159. Otherwise, you can find more details in the full PR, after the break.

Update: We’ve just received a bit of clarification from the company here. A “grey” colored model actually won’t be on the docket, and as for the speakers, there’s a pair of 2-inch drivers + a single 3-incher.

Continue reading Soundfreaq unleashes Sound Step wireless speakers for audio-loving multitaskers

Soundfreaq unleashes Sound Step wireless speakers for audio-loving multitaskers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aluminum Keyboard Disguises iPad as MacBook Air

This sleek aluminum keyboard case makes the iPad look like a MacBook Air

Keyboards all come down to feel. Buying one without trying it first — unless there is a good returns policy — is probably foolish. But that doesn’t stop me wanting to send $50 to the M.I.C Store right this minute.

The keyboard in question is the Aluminum Keyboard Buddy Case for iPad 2, a keyboard very similar in concept to the ZaggMate case. It is similarly shaped to the iPad 2 itself, with a curved aluminum back, but instead of a screen there is an almost full-sized QWERTY keyboard, complete with keys to control iPad functions like media playback and brightness. When you place the iPad and keyboard face-to-face, magnets put the iPad’s screen to sleep and you have yourself a protective cover.

In keyboard mode, the iPad slips into a slot where it is held at an angle. Respect is due to the folks at M.I.C: When they review their own case on their Gadgets blog, they call out the design for only holding the iPad at one fixed angle.

The keyboard has its own lithium-polymer battery, rechargeable via USB, and has its own sleep mode to conserve power.

If the actual keyboard on this thing is as good as a proper MacBook Air keyboard (which it resembles in miniature), the $50 is a great deal, especially considering that Apple’s own Bluetooth Aluminum keyboard costs $70.

Aluminum Keyboard Buddy Case [M.I.C Store]

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Jailbreak your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with official JailbreakMe 3.0 release

Yesterday we got a preview of a new web-based jailbreak that worked with devices running iOS 4.3.3. But that version of JailbreakMe was unofficial and actually a leaked beta. Still, some users didn’t want to wait the extra few days for the official launch, so one developer named Ryan Vanniekerk got it working on his […]

JailbreakMe for the iPad 2 is finally live / not live, just keep refreshing (update: video)

We just mashed our refresh button about a million times to get the screenshot you see above, but it was worth it. JailbreakMe 3.0 with support for the iPad 2 is finally live, and we’re already getting word from tipsters who claim to have successfully jailbroken their iPad 2s running iOS 4.3.3, as evidenced by the pseudo-blurry jailbroken Verizon model below. Thankfully, all of this suggests we’re not dealing with the dodgy release that was leaked previously, but let us know in the comments how it’s working for you this time around and hit the break for another screenshot.

Update: Austin wrote in to tell us about a new jailbreaking tutorial from YouTube user Duncan33303 — head past the break to watch it for yourself.

Continue reading JailbreakMe for the iPad 2 is finally live / not live, just keep refreshing (update: video)

JailbreakMe for the iPad 2 is finally live / not live, just keep refreshing (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceJailbreakMe  | Email this | Comments

Google+ iOS app already submitted for Apple’s approval, employee says

Whereas Android users were able to get their hands on a Google+ app as soon as the social network launched, iOS users have thus far been left out in the cold, with nary a soul to “hang out” with. Fortunately for them, though, their arduous, week-long wait may be coming to an end, now that Google+ has applied for App Store citizenship. The confirmation came yesterday from Erica Joy, a Mountain View employee who shared the news on her Google+ profile. According to Joy, the app has already been submitted for approval, leaving it up to Apple’s council of elders to give the yea or nay. Joy didn’t specify the exact date on which Google applied for iOS entry (saying only that it happened prior to yesterday’s post), nor did she speculate as to when the app may be ratified. But unless it’s laced with political rhetoric or packing a dictionary, Google+ should sail through the approval process… maybe.

Google+ iOS app already submitted for Apple’s approval, employee says originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Beatweek Magazine  |  sourceErica Joy (Google+)  | Email this | Comments

PhotoForge 2, Possibly the Best iPad Photo Editing App Yet

Photoforge 2 is my new favorite iPad editing app. Photo Charlie Sorrel

IPad-owning photographers should stop reading right now (well, not right now, or you won’t know what to do next) and go download PhotoForge 2, a rather splendid update to the already decent photo-editing app. Better still, if you already bought the iPhone version, the update is free — the app is now universal.

The biggest differences are in interface design. Once you load a photo from your camera roll, you see nothing but a row of six icons across the bottom of the screen. These access the different editing sections. Press one and up pops a row of big, finger-friendly icons for special effects, image tweaks and adjustments, metadata, cropping and history.

All of these are presented like the magnified Mac OS X dock: as you scroll through, the central icons grow bigger and labels show above them. And once all the icons have scrolled across, they wrap around and come back in as if they were on a wheel. This makes it quick to navigate.

Hit the button and you are taken to the relevant controls. Everything is a lot smoother than it was in the previous version.

Under the hood, a lot has changed. That speed is everywhere, and renders of effects happen almost immediately. You can also work in full-resolution, zooming 1:1 with a double tap, and things like the crop tool and curves dialog have been made easier to use with the fingers.

Biggest of all, though, is the addition of layers. And not just any layers. You can pick blending modes, adjust opacity and even add layer masks. Coupled with a stylus, this last makes a very powerful tool.

Finally, an iOS image editor wouldn’t be complete without retro-style film effects. While you get a lot of built-in effects, you can also opt for the $2 in-app purchase of Pop!Cam, a whole new set of FX which emulate films, add filters, simulate flash effects and even adds frames and grungy paper backgrounds. You can test many of these out before buying, too.

Right now, PhotoForge 2 is $2. If you haven’t already, go get it now. You’ll get $2 worth of entertainment out of it in the first ten minutes.

PhotoForge2 [iTunes]

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Hands-On: The SoundJaw Fixes the iPad 2’s Awful Speaker

The simple plastic SoundJaw makes a huge difference to the iPad’s shameful speaker

It would be hard to say anything good about the iPad 2’s speaker. It is tinnier-sounding than the surprisingly good speaker on the first iPad. It faces backwards, firing all sound away from you. It is far too easy to cover it with a hand or a Smart Cover and — worst of all — it is about the ugliest piece of design to come out of Apple since that stupid hockey-puck mouse that shipped back in 1998.

Luckily, there’s a fix. It’s called the SoundJaw, and it is a little plastic scoop that clips on to the bottom right corner of the iPad 2 and goes passively to work. The inventor, Matthew McLachlan, sent me one to test out.

Slip the SoundJaw onto the iPad and the transformation is dramatic. The widget scoops the sound from the rear-firing speaker and pushes it out of a small opening that looks like the return coin slot of an old-style payphone.

I showed it to The Lady and she said that it sounded “tinny.” This is true, but it’s not actually making the sound any tinnier — flip the iPad over and listen to it naked and the tinniness is still there. The SoundJaw just makes it louder. In fact, it also works as a kind of horn speaker, amplifying the sound as well as bending it.

With music, the shortcomings in the iPad’s speaker mean you probably still want to use an external speaker like the SuperTooth Disco. But for movies, games and general listening the SoundJaw is perfect. Dialog tracks that are indecipherable become loud and clear, and the sounds of grunting pigs and angry birds can’t be muffled by a mis-placed hand.

I see no reason to ever take the SoundJaw off. The Smart Cover closes just fine, and some slip cases also work with the widget still attached. It might not work in folio-style cases, but those of you who encase your slim, lightweight tablet in a thick slab of padded plastic or leather are a lost cause anyway.

And if you have an iPad 1, don’t bother. You can sort of jam the SoundJaw most of the way on, but it sticks out and makes no difference to the sound whatsoever.

Available now, the SoundJaw costs $20.

SoundJaw product page [SoundJaw]

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